The author thinks the elder is just kidding because he has never called Yixing despite them being close to each other the past few days. So even with the earlier message, it still comes too unexpected that the younger almost jumps when the notifications disappear to make way for a photo of Yifan, something that Yixing found on the internet. The actor looked dapper when he stood in front of the media at last year’s Shanghai International Film Festival in his all black suit, the outline of his lapels and the tie he wore stood out with studs of blue and silver. It’s one where the taller male is smiling, a rare sight for most because he usually has a brooding presence and a seemingly perpetual poker face. He shakes his head and taps the green button to accept the call, lifting the device to his ear with a soft greeting escaping his lips, “Hello?”

Yixing doesn’t hear a greeting, instead a heavy sigh is breathed to the mouthpiece and through his receiver, the actor’s words has him blushing for some reason, “You had me worried.”

“Sorry,” the apology that comes out from the younger’s lips sound weak so he adds, “I was preparing dinner and had to eat while it was still hot.”

“Couldn’t you have put your phone beside you?” Yifan sounds exasperated, stammering a little with his words but the concern in his voice is still there and Yixing needs to compose himself before answering back, not wanting to sound mad at the other but at the same time taking extra care to address the elder’s worries.

“Yifan, I already told you that I was home.” The author is factual with his words, biting his bottom lip a little before continuing, hoping he doesn’t sound like he didn’t appreciate the others concern for him, “You shouldn’t have worried too much, I’m fine.”

“I’m sorry, I,” the author hears the actor click his tongue before continuing as if he is debating whether he should share more to the other or not. Yifan eventually breathes out heavily before adding, “I just napped while you were on your way home and had a really bad dream.” Yixing grows wide eyes at the information, feeling a bit guilty for not picking up the signs of distress in the other’s voice; the panting and the stuttering. He himself has woken up from bad dreams and he understands how one wishes there is a person there to just hold them and remind them that it was just a dream, even though for him it really isn’t just a dream. Too caught up in his own thoughts, he barely recognizes the actor’s voice when he announces from the other end of the line, “I’ll end the call now.”

“No, Yifan,” the author almost yells at his phone, hand gripping the counter and hoping the other hears him. When he hears the actor grunt, he adds, “If you want to talk about it, I’m here to listen.” The panting is gone and Yifan sighs, his hesitance obvious in how the line is dead silent for the next minute before the actor sighs again.

“I didn’t really even have a good vision of the dream,” the elder clicks his tongue again, “but I felt so scared, Yixing.” The author can still hear the fright in the actor’s voice, adding proof to Yifan’s words. “And I heard myself saying,” the other stops and seems to shake his head, “no, more like shouting some words but I couldn’t really tell what I was saying.” The taller male sounds confused and the younger can just imagine how his eyes must be wide and how sweaty he must be like how Yixing is when he wakes up from his own sleep haunted by his bad dreams, “They were all gibberish but I can feel myself being so afraid throughout the experience.” The author doesn’t say anything, expecting the other to say more but instead of sharing more about his dream, Yifan lets out a nervous laugh, “I don’t even know why I called you, I’m sorry,”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Yixing’s reaction is quick and he hopes he didn’t sound desperate to keep the elder on the phone. He knows what it feels like and he wants to be there for Yifan. The author then instructs the other on what to do, hoping the actor will actually follow them, “Turn the lights on and get yourself out of the room, distract yourself so you’ll forget about it.”

“No, I’m alright now,” Yifan responds, drawing a frown on the younger’s face but what he says next has Yixing blushing and unable to reply, “You’re okay, so I’m okay.”

“O-okay,” the author stutters his reply, closing his eyes for being so easily affected when he doesn’t even feel – shouldn’t feel – anything for Yifan, “i-if you say so.” Yixing wants to slap himself for stammering again, instead he just internally scolds himself, schooling his emotions to stay put and not to get carried away with just a few words.

“You should get yourself something to eat.” The author pats himself on the back for finally being able to say a full sentence without stumbling on his words. A smile pulls the corners of his lips up when he hears Yifan hum and the rustling of what he can only deduce as blankets.

“Later, I’m not really hungry,” the elder replies, the author hearing the small smile he’s wearing from how his voice lilts a little at the end. Then Yixing hears the actor grumble, the words mashed together and said too quick, the author is unable to understand what the taller male said. But Yifan turns back to him afterwards, as if remembering that the younger is still on the other end of the line. His words are more clear this time, even the frustration in his voice is, “Minseok isn’t here yet.” After a few beats of silence and a few movements from Yifan’s end, Yixing hears the actor add, “I’m starting to worry about him.”

“You worry so much today,” the author says hoping to keep the mood light, thankful that the elder’s attention is caught by something else. At least he will forget how he was woken up by a bad dream just minutes ago. However, it doesn’t seem to be working as Yifan grumbles again.

“He’s very out of it lately,” there’s something scrutinizing about the actor’s tone, “and he’s not telling me anything by himself.” The groan that Yifan allows to escape from his mouth has Yixing wondering if the changes he’s seeing from the manager is even worse when he’s interacting with the actor alone. “It’s frustrating to see him make these small mistakes that he usually wouldn’t allow from others especially from himself.” The author can feel the emotion bleed through the elder’s voice, the uneasiness that settles in him due to the situation evident even if he doesn’t speak of it.

In hopes of pushing the actor to the right direction, Yixing suggests, “You should ask him about it privately if it’s driving you mad already.” Yifan hums in agreement, knowing himself that he shouldn’t have allowed it to drag on for as long as it had been, remembering the heavy bags under his manager’s eyes has him worrying once again.

After sending a verbal affirmation to the younger, the actor curiously asks, “Did he get to talk to Lu Han today?”

“Yeah,” Yixing pushes himself away from the counter to get a bottle of water before padding to the receiving area while he answers the elder, “I saw them talking before filming started this morning.”

“Nothing seems to have changed though,” Yifan comments, trying to backtrack on the day's events to see if he noticed his manager smile or even give a proper reaction to something said to him other than a grunt or a nod of the head, seeing nothing that makes him want to change his earlier statement.

Although Yixing isn’t exactly fond of talking about their friends in the first phone call they’re having ever since they’ve made up and forgotten the comment that Yifan blurted out in their drunken state, the author accepts it than having nothing to talk about at all and just opting to end the call. Besides, it seems that leaving it up to Minseok and Lu Han to fix isn’t working. Even though the director looked like he had a better grip of himself a while ago, Yixing could see that he was still far from being one hundred percent focused with his work. The author wanted to confront his best friend about it but he knew the moment he saw the elder that morning, that Lu Han wasn’t able to get a wink so he let it go but didn’t forget to give himself a reminder to ask when the director is in a better state to explain everything to him. He didn’t really see much of Minseok that day, so he couldn’t really tell how the Korean fared compared to his best friend but with Yifan’s words it seems that he didn’t do any better. The manager was almost always with someone, if not Yifan then he would for sure be mingling with other people on set while his talent was busy in front of the camera. However, he didn’t catch sight of the elder the whole day, making him worried. He just hoped that Minseok was somehow alright, despite the signs saying another reality.

“Do you know what happened?” Yifan’s question startles him out of his own thoughts. Frustrated that he can’t give an answer himself, he bites his bottom lip and shakes his head, belatedly realizing that the actor isn’t in the same room as him.

“No,” the author sighs dejectedly, “unfortunately I wasn’t able to talk to Lu Han.” After a few beats of silence, Yixing adds, “Maybe we should give them space to think by themselves.” The elder shows his disapproval by grunting but he doesn’t say anything after, somehow knowing that the smaller one still has something to say. “We can’t interfere all the time when we don’t even know their problem.”

There’s a few seconds before Yifan finally answers, “But we can’t just stay put and watch them from afar when we know we can do something.”

Compared to what Yixing expected from the actor’s cold demeanour, the taller male has proven him wrong for the second time in just an hour, showing that he cares a lot for the people surrounding him. Although he doesn’t show much of his affection for them, Yifan secretly does things for them to assure that they are doing well in every aspect of their life. However, even though it is troubling Yifan so much already, the younger still thinks that it is something that they shouldn’t pry on until their friends come to them to talk.

“I know where you’re coming from,” Yixing closes his eyes and massages his temples, thinking of the right words so he doesn’t sound too opposing, “but maybe they’re not comfortable to talk about it yet?” There’s no sound coming from the other end so he urges the actor once more, “We should give them time.”

“How much time?” Yifan asks, voice sounding hopeless when he thinks back on his manager’s current behavior.

“You’ll know when,” Yixing answers, opening his eyes and looking towards where the door to his apartment has been opened by his nephew. Shixun greets his uncle a good evening and Yifan seems to hear the author’s nephew coming in as well, waiting for the younger to turn his attention back to him before replying.

“I do hope you’re right.” Yifan says when he’s sure he has the author’s ears back, using the smalltalk between Shixun and Yixing to think what he should really do to help Minseok in any way. “I’ll follow you for now but if I need to jump in, I will.” The actor adds it with finality, knowing he won’t just sit back and watch his friend dig his own grave.

Yixing knows there’s nothing he can do to change Yifan’s mind, if it is up to him he also wants to intervene but he also knows that there is just so much that he can do. So he gives in and with another sigh he responds a bit defeatedly, “Alright.”

Minseok deflates in his chair with his fingers on his temples, eyes closed as he recalls Lu Han’s words that morning and their eventual avoidance of each other’s presence. The manager is grateful that filming finished early, allowing him to escape to his coffee shop where he can lock himself up in his office and where he doesn’t have to worry about encountering the director. A part of him knew that the Chinese will reject his offer to be friends even if he has no ill intentions with it. But even so, he is still in pain with the outcome of his and Lu Han’s earlier conversation, seeing as a larger part of himself was hopeful that the other will open even just a small space of his heart for Minseok. In the middle of his sad walk down the day’s happenings, his mobile device rings with a text alert. He gingerly pulls away from the comfort of the back of his chair to reach for the gadget, belatedly realizing just then that he forgot to tell his talent where he will be going as he sees a message from Yifan.

From: Yifan
Ge, where are you?

After just a few seconds, another message pops into his screen, coming from the actor again.

From: Yifan
Are you okay?

Minseok’s head falls into his hand, his palm moving to his already mussed hair to pull at the strands. The manager has tried his best to keep the feelings, the pain he is going through. However, he also knows there’s a reason why he is the manager and not the actor, because he isn’t great at hiding his emotions. Of all the people he wants to worry about him, he doesn’t want it to be Yifan. Because if his talent, who always shows least concern for such things, is already at the point of asking him if he is alright then it means that the manager is not looking good anymore. 

The Korean pulls his head away from his hand to be able to write back to Yifan, thinking that letting the other know where he is should be enough. The manager reminds himself to create an excuse as to why he ran to the coffee shop so that the actor will not question his sudden departure without even saying a word to the younger. He heaves a sigh after placing the smartphone back on his desk with the screen facing the wood, leaning back to his chair again to do some more thinking. Minseok is aware that the other is just worried about him, knowing himself that he isn’t able to control the way he interacts with others anymore because his head is almost always filled with nothing but Lu Han, most especially that day. He knows that it’s impossible to go through it by himself, he knows he needs help from other people. But he is just too stubborn to let anyone in, carrying the pain all by himself because he believes that he brought it upon himself so he should heave the burden alone. 

The manager breathes in heavily before resting on his back again, head facing the ceiling, hoping against hope that his feelings will die down soon and that he will be able to look at Lu Han without thinking of the future he wants to have with him. He wants to respect what the director’s wishes are but he is aware that the feelings he has for the other will take some time to disappear and with the filming happening everyday, it seems like it will not be an easy task for him.

Unknowingly the Korean’s mind supplies him with an image of Lu Han the first time they met, as if his brain is not allowing him to forget the director no matter how much he knows he has to. The doe-eyed Chinese rarely smiles on set but his presence alone makes Minseok happy that sometimes the manager wonders what would happen to him if Lu Han looked at him with the corner of his lips lifted and his eyes turning into crescents. At first the manager thought that what he feels for the other is nothing but admiration, seeing as he has been a fan of the director’s works ever since he discovered his films. However as the days passed and as he saw Lu Han more, talked to the director more even with just a few lines exchanged between them, he realized that it’s more than just appreciation for the other’s talent. What happened the night that Yifan bought dinner for them did nothing but cement his affections for the director especially because Lu Han was very responsive thanks to the alcohol. He should have known, however, that things will change afterwards, that that was just a fleeting moment and not something that will stand forever. But instead of pushing the memory of his interactions with Lu Han to the back of his mind, Minseok held onto it and hoped that he will get the other to smile at him again, talk to him about his favorite movies and his inspirations for his works. The manager clicks his tongue when he remembers where his ambitious desires led him. He reckons he is even farther back from where he started with how he sounded like he was pushing himself into Lu Han’s life when the other clearly doesn’t want to welcome the manager in his. 

Unlike before though, Minseok doesn’t think of ways to appease Lu Han in hopes of the other melting in his hands and eventually allowing him in. The manager knows he has to let it go gradually, that he has to stop now before things get even more awkward between him and the director. So instead of thinking of how beautiful Lu Han looked with a smile on his face, the Korean reminds himself how uneasy the other looked while they were talking that morning, how he looked guarded when Minseok offered to be a friend.

His thoughts are broken with a series of knocks on his door, one of the server’s making himself known for the manager to know who it is. The Korean uses his fingertips to massage his eyes through his eyelids before standing up, looking himself in the mirror and though he is not exactly happy with what he sees he still goes to open the door, at least his eyes aren’t rimmed red anymore. When he finally flings the door open, the server immediately says, “Boss, someone’s looking for you.”

After sharing a meal together, Kyungsoo and Jongin thought it would be nice to finally visit Minseok’s coffee shop, wanting to try something from the manager’s pastry section after their sumptuous dinner. Dessert is a must after all. And that’s how they greet the shop owner, the two standing in front of the glass of the refrigerator that contains the cakes that Minseok’s pastry chef has created for the day, almost empty as it is already close to eight in the evening. They are all smiles at the manager even though they know that the other is still feeling a bit down, if the way his shoulder sags doesn’t say so then maybe the way he looks like he hasn’t slept in days will do. Kyungsoo feels a bit sad that the smile they receive from the other is still not reaching Minseok’s ears.

“Hey, you guys are here,” the manager says as he approaches the two.

“Yeah,” Jongin answers, his smile wide in hopes of infecting the other, “we were hoping to try out your pastries but,” the producer elongates the word as his eyes flit to the glass case once again, “I think we came too late.” The smile on his face is child-like and Kyungsoo wonders how it is possible that this man is his boss, a thought that always crosses his mind whenever he is with the elder.

“Was there something you wanted?” Minseok asks, eyeing the shelves as well to see that only a slice is left for two of the cakes remaining in the fridge. “I can check in the back if we still have them.”

“Really?” The producer sounds excited, his grin growing wider when the shop owner nods. Jongin hums as he looks at the names on the cards that are placed in front of the trays that are supposed to hold the cakes. His eyebrows meet in the middle as he tries to decipher the words that are written with Chinese characters. On the side, Kyungsoo patiently waits until the elder gives up and comes to him for help. The scriptwriter watches his boss with mild amusement as the elder’s full lips move while he silently reads the cards. He eventually gives up and pulls at the hem of the younger’s jacket, pointing at a certain card for the smaller one to read. Thankfully, there are still available shortcakes of Jongin’s choice, the desserts coming to their table minutes after they are seated. Minseok only sits with them for a while, excusing himself once the cakes have arrived, telling the two that he still has some things to sort out. They don’t force him to stay, understanding that the manager wants to have some time alone as well. After a few more words of gratitude towards the shop owner for giving them free dessert and drinks, Minseok finally walks away and back to his office.

“What are you looking at?” Jongin asks the younger after the teaspoon of strawberry shortcake melts into his mouth.

“Minseok hyung,” Kyungsoo responds quickly before turning to the man seated in front of him, sighing before taking his own teaspoon to try the shop’s version of Oreo cheesecake, “he’s still sad.”

The scriptwriter almost chuckles at how Jongin’s face scrunches up at the reminder of how the manager is still on a foul mood.

“We’re not here to talk about sad stuff, Soo.” There’s a pout that draws the elder’s lips out even further, coaxing Kyungsoo to change the topic as he continues, more like whines, “I can’t have this conversation to be something about sad stuff.” He scoops up another spoonful of the dessert into his mouth before adding, “Unless you call me tomorrow before I leave for Seoul.” The scriptwriter wants to roll his eyes but he knows that even without the elder asking him he will still end up with his phone on his ear with Jongin on the other end of the line at ten in the morning the next day.

They don’t leave until they’ve finished all of the desserts they have on their table, emptying their mugs before interrupting Minseok again just to say goodbye. The manager walks them to the car waiting for them outside the coffee shop, Jongin’s guard already holding the door open for them.

“When will you be coming back?” Minseok asks, more out of curiosity but the producer answers him with a genuine smile, telling him he isn’t sure yet. The manager nods at the information and wishes the CEO a safe flight before the two finally slide into the back seat.

During the whole ride to Kyungsoo’s apartment, Jongin held one of the scriptwriter’s hands in between his, his index finger tracing the outline of each digit. The younger wants to pull his hand away but the way his boss raises it every now and then to kiss makes him melt and want more of the other’s lips to touch his skin. So instead of scolding the elder, Kyungsoo just basks in the adoration the CEO is giving him, knowing that deep down he himself will miss the taller male’s presence once he is back in Seoul.

When the car pulls up in front of Kyungsoo’s apartment, the scriptwriter wishes the traffic delayed their arrival a little bit more, already missing the warmth of the elder’s hand even though his own is still cradled between the other’s larger ones.

“Good night, Soo.” Jongin greets him when the scriptwriter wears his satchel again, letting go of the younger’s hand only then. Kyungsoo nods and tightens his grip around the strap of his bag, closing his eyes and inhaling deep. Before he can change his mind, the younger opens his eyes again and leans towards the CEO, allowing his lips to touch the other’s cheek. When he pulls away to say his own greeting, he sees the taller male’s eyes widen slightly. He quickly opens the door, Jongin reacting quite late when he finally turns to find Kyungsoo already out of the door with a small smile on his face, “Fly safe tomorrow.”