"Jin..."
"Yeah?"
"Do you think I'm different now?"
Wiping the dripping sweat of the morning heat off of his forehead, "What do you mean Niko?" Jin replied with a question himself.
He was patiently watering the flowers in the greenhouse while Nikolai sat near him, sniffing the scent of the flowers in the air.
"I mean after falling down the stairs...do you think I'm acting differently?" Nikolai explained.
"Oh! Yeah! personality changes are normal after a brain injury... You're way calmer now, more positive and patient than usual." Jin replied truthfully.
Frowning, "Why do I feel insulted right now?" Nikolai said, "As I said, I understand why you treated me badly when we first met again...you were angry, sad and still grieving.
I don't judge you for it, also why did you ask me if I think your behavior changed?" Jin said asking.
"Idk, I just feel different." Nikolai replied.
"Anyways...You have a doctor's appointment today, to find out the best way for your eyesight problem to be fixed." Jin said.
"Hmph...I hate doctors." Nikolai replied pouting.
Chuckling " And why is that?" Jin asked curiously.
"When I was a teen, back when I was bigger in size...I'd go to the doctor for a headache or something simple like a cold, and the doctors always find a way to blame my weight for it." Nikolai said.
"These doctors remind me of one of my old neighbors, back when I was a skinny highschool kid...She would always tell my mom that me being so skinny makes me look Less of a man! can you believe it?! who the hell says that kinda judgmental crap to people?!" Jin replied.
Clapping his hands together, "Right?! it's like people don't even care that their comments could hurt someone's feelings!
like you need to insult someone so bad? look at yourself in the mirror!" Nikolai replied back.
"You know, when I first started going to the gym, While there was so many awesome dudes who got my back, helped me find my place and start working-out.
There was few who picked on me constantly, saying I'll never build muscle and stuff? now I'm bigger than half the guys in the gym I used to go to.
No one is born with the perfect physics, everyone starts from somewhere, and those guys who mocked me, I've seen their 'Before' pictures, they began from the same point as I did." Jin said.
"My story is different...i was pushed to lose weight, My mentor put a deadline over my head.
He said if I don't lose weight by that time, he'd drop me.
So Andrea suggested I start swimming to lose weight, and he helped me manage my diet as well." Nikolai said.
Frowning, "Niko, I'm sorry but your mentor sounds like an awful person?! I see now why Andrea disliked him." Jin replied.
"Andrea said the same thing back then, I admit that John was very tough on me, but he was right most of the time.
The industry had no tolerance for overweight actors, John wanted me to make a quick and outstanding success...And he wanted to get rid of everything he considered a flaw in me." Nikolai explained.
"But still, how can you idolize a man who lied to the camera about being accepting of everyone when behind closed doors, he thinks low of people simply because they don't fit his standards?" Jin asked.
"I did what I knew Julian would do, he would've listened to everything John say, hurtful or not... just to make it to the top!
People suck up to their bosses all the time to climb the ladder, and John was like a mean boss to me but a good mentor at the same time.
Look at me, I starred in over 15 roles in many great shows in the short span of 7 years! and I'm 25! most actors won't have their names known before the age of 30!
Plus I'm gay and half Indian half Bulgarian, I'm an ethnic queer! just tell me how many actors Are like me out there? I bet you not many!" Nikolai replied.
Sighing, "Okay...you have a point...but seriously, John Crawford was an asshole, why did you even grief his death?" Jin said.
"One, because he was my favorite actor and two, I felt bad for him...to be surrounded by people but feel so lonely." Nikolai replied.
"Right, I read about how he was unlucky when it came to relationships, he had no family of his own, he was divorced three times, and had no kids at all." Jin said.
"Aside from possibly not being the best husband in the world considering his attitude, John also couldn't have kids on his own, all of his ex-wives used that excuse to divorce him.
He couldn't adopt for some reason too, and when it came to friends, everyone around him befriended him because he was a superstar... John was able to get any woman he wanted in bed, always find people to go out drinking with, and was never the only traveler whenever he took a vacation.
But that was it, at the end of the day, he didn't have a bestfriend, a lover or even a child." Nikolai replied, "I felt bad that John hid away his sickness from me, because I believed I was his only real friend, even Andrea his own relative couldn't handle him...unlike everyone else I stuck by John's side despite all of his insults.
It's true that I used him to get famous, but John was the one who offered to mentor me, so it wasn't like I was using him behind his back...I was the most honest with him, yet he told so many people about his cancer but me." Nikolai added.
"I think John hid his sickness from you because in the end, he did consider you to be his only real friend." Jin said.
"What do you mean?" Nikolai asked, "Although the guy was a total asshole...I think John didn't want you to know about him dying until the end, so you wouldn't be hurt by it.
People often feel helpless and desperate to help When someone is dying around them...you cared about John despite his ill treatment towards you, he noticed that and decided to cut you some slack in the end." Jin explained.
Smiling softly, "I never thought about it...this way." Nikolai replied taking a deep breath, with it He inhaled the sweet smell of flowers surrounding him.
The smell was so pleasant that Nikolai threw his head back giggling, and smiled bigger than before.
Jin watched him lovingly, Smiling as well with a faint blush across his face.
Pulling his phone out, "Stay still, don't move...My masterpiece." Jin whispered inaudibly as he snapped a picture of Nikolai in that blissful moment.
"Sigani jinalsurok deo saranghae... Nikollai (I love you more and more everyday, Nikolai.)" Jin whispered again, giggling to himself.
...[Tiny flashback]...
Sitting in his desk by the window, "Where's Jin...is he going to keep me waiting forever?" Nikollai said nervously as he waited for Jin to meet him.
It was lunchtime, and instead of heading To the cafeteria, Nikolai and Jin agreed to meet in Nikolai's class to eat lunch together since both had packed lunch that day.
Jin was five minutes late, and Nikolai's stomach wouldn't stop growling that he began worrying, "I'll just give him five more minutes then I'll start eating without him." he said while looking out of the window.
Suddenly, A House sparrow bird flew fast by the window and startled Nikolai, "HEY!" Nikolai said annoyed.
Few seconds in and the bird came back, the little Feathered creature ended-up resting on the window's edge.
The blue eyed boy curiously watched the bird, "Are you hungry?" Nikolai asked and the bird tilted his head at Nikolai making him laugh.
"I'll take that as a yes, here!" Nikolai said breaking some of the bread from his lunch into little pieces, he placed the crumbs on the window frame and watched with a big smile as the tiny bird started picking them.
At that moment Jin walked inside the classroom, he was panting from all the running he had to do to make it there but he soon forgot all of his tiredness, when he saw how Nikolai was giggling and smiling as he fed the bird.
"Unneun eolguri yeppeune! (your smile is beautiful!)" Jin whispered in awe.
Noticing Jin was there, "Jin?! where were you? I was waiting for you!" Nikolai said pouting.
Feeling disappointed that Nikolai stopped smiling, "I'm sorry... something came up and I had to deal with it." Jin replied.
Seeing the disappointment on Jin's face, "Are you alright? did something bad happen? do you need anything?" Nikolai asked.
"You were smiling a second ago...you always look beautiful, but when you smile you look like a beautiful celebrity." Jin said.
Surprised by his answer, "You like my smile?" Nikolai asked shyly and Jin Nodded.
"Then why are you disappointed?" Nikolai asked, "Because you're no longer smiling, you stopped smiling when I walked in." Jin replied.
Smiling again, "Is this better?" Nikolai said.
Blushing, "Yeah, much better." Jin replied, leaning in to kiss him.
...[End of Tiny Flashback]...
"You got quiet all of the sudden Jin, is everything okay?" Nikolai asked, "Don't stop smiling...I miss your smile." Jin replied.
"What a cheesy thing to say...you remind me of that one time when-!" Before Nikolai could finish, Jin cut him off saying "The bird incident...Where I told you you look like a beautiful celebrity when you smile."
"Yeah...you still remember." Nikolai said astonished, "Of course I do...I love you!" Jin replied unconsciously.
"Huh?" Nikolai felt his cheeks heat-up, "I already told you...you made me the person I am today, I really do love you Nikolai.
And I wish you could see the expression I'm making, the only thing I'm missing is hearts in my eyes to show you just how much I love you." Jin replied.
"Gosh... Jin...why do you have to say sweet things like that." Nikolai's eyes watered, "You're an idiot." he added allowing his tears to drench his cheeks.
"Why are you crying?!" Jin asked surprised, "I'd like to say that something got into my eyes, but the truth is... I'm happy, this morning...this moment...I don't want it to end." Nikolai replied smiling through his tears.
"Jin...I think I love you too."
...Meanwhile...
"Joel?" Ha-yoon wasn't happy to bump into The detective during her alone time grocery shopping with Soo-Min.
"Officer Handsome! how are you?" Soo-Min said giggling, "Better since I just got complimented by you, Soo-Min." Joel replied winking.
"Joel! shouldn't you be working or eating donuts?" Ha-yoon asked.
"Hi there Ha-yoon! how's life beating the shit out of you my good friend?" Joel said jokingly, "Life was actually treating me well right now, until you popped up.
Can't you greet people normally? what are you doing here anyways?" Ha-yoon replied asking.
"I was just passing by, saw you and Soo-Min here, and thought I should say hi!" Joel replied smiling.
"We are shopping for tonight's dinner, I'm cooking!" Soo-Min said happily, "Dinner! did I ever mention that I love eating!" Joel said jokingly.
"You're not invited to our dinner, besides we're making Bibmimbap, i doubt you know what's that or that you can eat it." Ha-yoon said coldly.
"Maybe you should educate me then! I'd love to try this 'Bibmimbap' thing." Joel replied challenging her.
"It's an all girls party, men are not invited!" Ha-yoon replied glaring, "Soo-Min should decide who's invited since she's cooking!" Joel replied glaring back.
Suddenly, "You two, are you fighting over dinner, or who gets to fuck me first?" Soo-Min asked in an unamused tone.
Taken aback, both Joel and Ha-yoon turned to look at Soo-Min who was no longer smiling.