New Start (II)

Hoseok gives you a couple of papers, grinning a smile that makes you blink. He's got the most beautiful smile you've ever seen. The combination of his smile and his large, sparkling eyes and the aristocratic lines of his face disorient you.

He's really gorgeous.

"Just fill these out for me, and your artist will be out to meet you in a second," Hoseok says. "And don't be nervous. A new start, right? Jungkookie will be gentle, and he'll help you get that new start." Pausing, the brunette glances around the shop. "Do you know what you want? Anything catching your eye?"

Joining him in scanning the parlor's walls, you linger over a hand-drawn design hanging on the far wall. It's a cluster of flowers, delicate and beautiful, connected by a vine and outlined in a silvery color. There's something about it that draws you in, and you unconsciously start to drift towards it.

Hoseok follows close behind.

When you get close up, the intricate details of the design only serve to fascinate you even more. Gently, you reach up and let your fingers brush against the smooth paper.

"This one..." you whisper, tracing part of the elegant vine. "Can I get this one?"

Glancing over your shoulder, you blink at the odd expression on Hoseok's face.

"Huh," he says. His long fingers reach out and unpin the sketch, holding it in front of him, and he smiles a secret smile. "That's interesting." The black ring hanging from his nose flicks out when he exhales and clasps the thick sheet of paper under his arm.

"Is that a bad one to pick?" you hesitantly question. Regret pounds through you at the thought that you've already screwed something up. What are you doing here? As ironic as it is with your heritage, you don't know how to function in this world; this world that's barely corporeal, made of wispy smoke and dark lines.

However, Hoseok's immediate denial makes you feel better. "No, this one's perfect," he says with a sweet squinting of his eyes. "Where do you want it? This is a pretty big piece, so you need some space."

Oh. You haven't really thought about that yet. At the obvious cluelessness in your eyes, Hoseok chuckles and waves his hand. "If you don't know, it's okay. You can talk to Jungkook. He'll help you decide."

After you've finished filling out the paperwork and confirming your payment, you follow Hoseok out of the lobby and into a long hallway studded with doorways on either side, small lights on the ceiling lighting the way.

"Jungkook's room is in the back," Hoseok says, making conversation as you go. "He likes to kind of be away from everyone when he's working; it helps him concentrate. His room actually used to be the storage room, but we cleaned everything out and moved it so he could work in here." At the end of his sentence , Hoseok gently pushes open the dark door at the very end of the hall, openeing up a large room with a reclining chair in the middle.

There's a guy sitting in the chair, bare-chested and eyes closed while a second man leans over him with a whirring needle in his hand. At your entrance, the first guy's eyes flicker open and he sits up a little, grinning. The two rings on the right side of his bottom lip shift with the action. The smile takes over his whole face in a rectangular shape, narrowing the unbelievably beautiful eyes that rest under the fringe of his silver-dyed hair. His chest and arms are littered with various patches of ink, and a tiny cross-shaped tattoo is on the crest of his right cheek.

Seems to be a popular spot for ink when you work in this shop.

"Hyung, I told you to stay still," commands the second guy. You can't see his face as his back is to you, but his hair is pitch-black and his shoulders look strong. You think you might spy a hint of ink on the nape of his neck, but then his head lifts and it disappears below his scruffy hair, covered by the high collar of his button-up shirt.

Which one of these is Jungkook?

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***