20th January

A wintry January afternoon was spent lying in the centre of the soccer field, palms against their stomachs and eyes staring up at the grey, dull clouds. There was nothing to admire, and nothing crucial to say. They simply lay there in their thick coats, embracing each other’s presence. It's been a while... 

It was almost as if it was just yesterday when they were playing in the mud, handing themselves in to their mothers being guilty of charge for the brown stains on their clothes and skin. They remembered taking turns to push each other on the swings, trying to see who went the highest and then later sharing their sweets for dinner instead of going home and eating their mother’s healthy cooked meals. They also remembered starting pre-school together, finding each other at the gates and running in for a hug from the excitement of going to the same school. Daehyun and Youngjae were practically inseparable; they even continued to be friends when they moved into high school.

Despite their shoulders broadening and their features sharpening, Daehyun and Youngjae were still children by nature. They developed an addiction on playing pranks, such as causing one to arrive late to school by turning their alarm off or getting the other into detention for a foolish excuse. Only Youngjae was a pro at those whereas Daehyun focused on ruining Youngjae’s perfect reputation. A lot of their pranks resulted in them being mad at the other, however it only lasted a short span of a few minutes because nothing could keep Daehyun and Youngjae apart.

Nothing and nobody meant more than what they meant to each other.  An hour’s detention was nothing compared to the number of hours they spent together, and one late in their report didn’t have the ability to ruin how much they cared, even though they didn’t like to admit it. Strangely enough, it was these mean tricks they played that seemed to bring them closer and that’s what made them quite the unique pair of friends.

Their bond was stronger than steel at this point in their lives. Throughout the years of adolescence and child play, not a single soul had managed to squeeze themselves in-between what Youngjae and Daehyun shared. It was literally impossible. Each time someone tried to swerve one away from the other, the two would always backtrack to an evening they spent together several years ago.

They were only a mere 8 years of age when they walked into Youngjae’s house, wet and cold after playing and venturing all afternoon in the winter snow.

Youngjae caught a cold, his nose red and his cheeks a mellow pink, hot from the sudden temperature coming on fast. The mucus bulldozing his airways did not stop him from wanting Daehyun to stay. Daehyun refused to go home that night, even though Mrs Yoo insisted she’d take better care of her son than the 8 year old Daehyun ever would. However, little did Mrs Yoo know that it was Daehyun’s presence that brought Youngjae to a speedy recovery, because Daehyun brought him happiness, no matter what kind of state he was in.

The night had gone by with Youngjae’s best friend at his bedside, making him release nasally giggles under several piles of blankets and then throwing used tissues into his lap, which made the older cringe before sticking his fingers under the many blankets and tickling Youngjae’s flushed body as a punishment. It was then, after a ton of laughter gurgling from Youngjae’s throat had they made a pact.

“Will you always be here when I fall sick?” Youngjae softly asked, blinking up at the elder with watery eyes and burning cheeks. As a trail of snot rolled from Youngjae’s nose, Daehyun whipped out a tissue from its box and used it to clumsily wipe it away, “Of course I will! Otherwise you’ll never get better.” Daehyun had retorted, scrunching up his nose at the sight of Youngjae’s snot making another return. He didn’t give the younger a chance to clean his own nose as he squeezed it within his forefinger and thumb inside the tissue and commanded the sick boy to blow.

“There, all out!” he exclaimed, proudly beaming down at his younger friend under all the blankets, holding his damp tissue. Youngjae’s chubbier face had been illuminated by the soft yellow glow of the lamp, reflecting his contented sweet smile as he stared gleefully up at his friend. “Will you promise, Daedae?” he whispered, his eyes lighting with a spark of hope.

“I promise.” Daehyun confirmed, leaving an innocent peck on Youngjae’s already burning cheek, which then started to flush red.

Ever since then, nothing had changed. Youngjae was Daehyun, and Daehyun was practically Youngjae. They became popular in high school because of their friendship, and were often shipped by most of the girls who called out “DaeJae” whenever they entered the perimeter. It was Daehyun who gained a lot of female attention though, due to his thick lips and sharp dark eyes. But he didn’t pay them any attention since he were too immersed within himself and his famous partner in crime.

“Jae, will you buy me a sandwich?” Daehyun once asked, finding Youngjae sitting under a tree with a book.

Daehyun and Youngjae may have grown up together and may think similarly, but it was always Youngjae who had a lot more brain than Daehyun, and that sometimes altered the elders ego and brought on some kind of jealousy. Even though books weren’t so much his forte, Daehyun had one thing he was good at, and that thing happened to be sport. Daehyun was the athletic type; he used his body to make decisions whereas Youngjae used his mind.

“No need for that,” said Youngjae, adjusting his round glasses and opening up his yellow backpack. This spiked Daehyun’s interest, so he bent down to see what Youngjae had conveniently brought him for lunch. “I forgot to tell you that my mum made some fresh kimbap this morning.”

“Aren’t you going to have some?” asked Daehyun, taking the box and opening it up to take in the sweet smell of…well, food. Anything edible did not go uneaten when Daehyun was around. Youngjae nervously looked around before averting his gaze to his book. “I’m not hungry.” He said, lifting his book to cover his face. Youngjae always blushed when he lied, that’s how Daehyun knew it was his cue to bring the book down from his friends face.

“Youngjae.” Daehyun firmly spoke, staring Youngjae in the eyes to get him to choke up with what the matter was. “I said I’m not hungry. I’ll probably grab something from the canteen later on,” he replied, building the confidence to sound less nervous about his secret.

“What are you hiding from me, Jae? Tell me,” urged Daehyun, bringing a roll to his lips and taking a bite. “Nothing!” insisted the latter, fixing his glasses and pretending to read. “If you don’t tell me why you’re not eating your lunch in the next 10 seconds that book will go flying into that lake behind those gates,” Daehyun threatened, gesturing over Youngjae’s shoulders to the gates that had a large “NO TRESSPASSING” sign stuck to it. Youngjae hesitated, not wanting to reply before looking down as his stomach, which made a slight bump under his jumper.

Following Youngjae’s gaze, Daehyun sighed and lifted his chin so that their eyes met. “Hey,” he spoke, his voice softening to almost a whisper, “who told you that?”

Daehyun always had a way of knowing the issue. Youngjae never restricted himself when it came to food so it was obvious someone must’ve said something.

“N-nobody.”

Daehyun broke into a charming smile, “Don’t you realise how bad at lying you are, Jae?” he teased, releasing his friend’s chin to pick up another roll. “Here, eat this.” He said, pressing the snack to Youngjae’s plump lips. Youngjae flinched the other way and Daehyun ended up putting up a little fight to get the kimbap roll between Youngjae’s lips. As the younger boy chewed, Daehyun smiled back at him with kind eyes before saying, “Never think about starving yourself, Jae. You’re perfect the way you are.”

“You’re so corny,” Youngjae giggled, ignoring the flutter in his chest when his best friend said those words. Daehyun messed with Youngjae’s hair and sighed, “I’m being serious. No one has the right to insult my little Jaebear, only I have the privilege of doing that.”

Youngjae broke into a goofy grin before playfully kicking Daehyun in the leg, causing him to roll over in exaggerated pain but still keeping a firm hold on the box of kimbap. “Here, eat another one,” he said, pressing another one to Youngjae’s lips and watching him part them. Swiftly, Daehyun pulled back and put the end that touched Youngjae’s lips into his own, before laughing obnoxiously with his mouth full. Youngjae cringed, lifting his book back up and ignoring Daehyun’s make-up attempt to feed him the other half of the roll. “I don’t want it!” 

“Yes you do!”

“You can’t make my decisions for me,” whined Youngjae, pushing Daehyun away from him before scrambling to his feet and running away. He allowed himself to get chased by the other who held the box of kimbap in one hand and a lone kimbap roll in the other, trying to get him to eat it. And eventually, he accomplished just that.  

Daehyun was pretty darn defensive when it came to Youngjae. He would lose his temper at the smallest of unkind gestures towards him and he would always do something to get them back. That evening after school, Daehyun entered the sociology club, knowing pretty well who it was that had insulted his best friend earlier on. Everyone knew best not to mess with Youngjae because Daehyun would always come after them, although there was one fearless who usually challenged the Busan boy. Kim Himchan. The most stunning student in the school who had looks that could kill. What happened between them after that only remained between the culprit and Daehyun himself. Even though it was obvious when Himchan walked into school the next day, his pretty face being, well…not so pretty.

* * *

There was never any academic competition between Daehyun and Youngjae. Daehyun knew the levels of intelligence the younger had but he didn’t let the slight bit of envy he carried get in the way. In fact, he just wanted to be proud of Youngjae whenever he achieved something, just to see him smile. “Daehyun guess what?” Youngjae chirped, running up to his best friend who had been waiting for him in the corridor near his math class. “What?” Daehyun asked, peeling himself off the wall to hold onto Youngjae’s forearms so that he didn’t bounce off somewhere into another galaxy from his excitement. “I got 100% in my calculus test!”  He squealed.

Daehyun went numb for a moment, procrastinating whether to insult Youngjae for being disgustingly smart or to frown from jealousy. In the end, he just accepted the fact that he is an average in most of his subjects and grinned, ruffling the brunette locks of Jae’s silky hair in a congratulatory sense. “Well done Jae, I could have never got 100% even if I studied for that test all night.”

“I thought you were going to punch me in the face for being too intelligent.” Youngjae scoffs, leaning into Daehyun’s chest who had brought an arm around his smaller shoulders.

“I wouldn’t say it didn’t cross my mind…”

Unsurprised, Youngjae hit Daehyun’s arm playfully before following him to his soccer practice, like every other Wednesday and Thursday after school.

Other than soccer, Daehyun had recently taken part in dance classes that went on every Monday from 3pm-4pm after lessons. He didn’t tell Youngjae of this, because he wanted to surprise him with his new skills. Youngjae was all too familiar with Daehyun’s skilful feet and thick legs after constant sessions of soccer in and out of school, so he wanted to spice things up a bit.

There came a day where a new action movie came out in the theatre like they often do, so Daehyun asked the first person who jumped into his mind. Youngjae. Like usual, Youngjae was swift to make some time for his friend before brushing up and leaving the warmth of his house and into the rain. Daehyun had waited in Youngjae’s front garden, sitting soaking wet on the wall instead of sheltering himself beneath the veranda, and that made Youngjae angry. “Dae…you’re all wet.” Youngjae spoke, combing Daehyun’s soaking wet bangs away from his eyes. “It’s okay,” Daehyun easily replied, looking up at Youngjae from his seat on the wall. “I like the rain.”

Sighing, Youngjae hauled Daehyun off the wall, mumbling something along the lines of “Now you’re going to catch a cold” whilst raising the umbrella over their heads. He used the space under the umbrella as an excuse to loop his arm within Daehyun’s, and took this as an advantage to snuggle into the elder’s damp sleeve of his coat. He enjoyed the scent of Daehyun in the fabric as they walked towards the bus stop, but that was something he didn’t want to admit out loud. For some reason, being able to enclose their proximity in this way made Youngjae realise that, he too, liked the rain.

Picking two spaces at the top of the theatre, Youngjae and Daehyun got comfortable with their popcorn, Youngjae’s arm still clinging onto the other like a koala. But it’s not like Daehyun minded. It’s not like Daehyun ever noticed the small gestures Youngjae made to make his faint feelings known.

* * *

“Daehyun! Youngjae!” Bellowed Jong Seonsaengnim, catching the two sprinting down the corridor when they were both supposed to be in detention. The pair had been reported making ual noises in the library as a rebellion for the ridiculously grouchy new librarian who started working there. Just to annoy her, Daehyun began making inappropriate noises and Youngjae followed a while after him, trying to be as distinct as possible by hiding their reddening faces behind their books and pretending to be oblivious. It didn’t work though, because eventually the two burst into wheezing laughter, which got them kicked out of the library and straight into detention. It was worth it though, they agreed.

The expression of the librarians face was priceless when she had heard the noises disrupt the silence used for studying, and Daehyun swore he’d spend money to see it again. The two may have pissed a few kids off as well, but they didn’t care since they earnestly thought it was for a good cause. Ignoring the angered calls from Jong Seonsaengnim, Daehyun grabbed onto Youngjae’s wrist to move them faster before dragging him out of the school gates. Youngjae didn’t agree to this, however he would never let Daehyun do something on his own without accompanying him in doing so. Releasing his wrist from his grip, Daehyun doubled over with laughter as he watched Youngjae hold his side in pain. He wasn’t a fast runner like Daehyun; he absolutely detested any form of sport, which was the reason why he was clutching the stitch forming in his stomach.

“You are to blame for this.” Youngjae panted, his bangs damp with sweat. “I know,” grinned Daehyun, bringing his shirt out of his pants and loosening his school tie. “If it weren’t for me you’d still be suffering right now.”

Youngjae scoffed. “If it weren’t for you I wouldn’t have been given the detention in the first place.”

Daehyun hated how much of a goody-two-shoes Youngjae could be, and frowned. “You’re the one who joined in by the way.” He reminded, swatting away the sweat forming on his forehead. “I never asked you to make noises with me.” Daehyun had no idea how wrong that sounded in Youngjae’s mind. With his cheeks stirring a dark red, Youngjae grumbled a quiet “I’m going home” before scratching his head from embarrassment. He had no idea how to handle Daehyun sometimes, it was becoming overwhelming.

Noticing that he was slightly mad, Daehyun exhaled and caught up to his best friend who plodded away, wrapping him up in a warm back hug. “Is Jaebear mad at me?” he asked, pouting against Youngjae’s shoulder. “No,” replied the younger, trying to wriggle out of Daehyun’s hold. “Yes you are. Come on, I’ll make it up to you with some ice cream.”

"But I don't even like ice cream as much as you do."

"That's the point," smirked the older, and with that he dragged Youngjae away into a corner shop, fulfilling his promise to get over their rebellion with some frozen dessert. He knew Youngjae’s favourite flavour was vanilla.

Many boisterous evenings were spent together. A week didn’t go by without Youngjae or Daehyun spending at least one night at the others house. Even when Youngjae had piles of homework due the next day, he couldn’t resist but allow his best friend to stay the night. This seemed to be the case when Daehyun came knocking on Youngjae’s door, soaking wet from the heavy rain pouring outside. Stunned, and temporarily speechless, Youngjae held the front door open with his mouth agape. Daehyun’s love for the rain was becoming more apparent, and more concerning. “What the hell Dae? Did you walk all the way over here?” stammered the brunette, unable to fathom Daehyun’s stupidity. The rain was lashing down like potential bullets at the stars were completely invisible because of the thick grey clouds in the sky. Daehyun smiled sheepishly under his dripping bangs and placed a hand on the doorframe. “So aren’t you going to let me in?”

In painful honesty, Daehyun’s purpose for the unexpected visit was to play video games in Youngjae’s basement. This infuriated Youngjae because Daehyun was at a high risk of falling ill and they had school the next day. Daehyun’s attendance was already pretty crappy due to the amount of days he bunked for silly reasons. Youngjae also wanted to scream that he had tons of homework to complete, but looking at Daehyun’s critical state, he ignored the books for a while to force Daehyun into the shower and provide him with warm dry clothes. As planned, Daehyun got to play some games with Youngjae before he went to complete his work, leaving the older on his own in the basement to do whatever he liked.

Several hours had gone by with Youngjae fighting to complete his homework. He was certain Daehyun had the same amount of homework as him but knowing the older well enough, he knew Daehyun had most likely abandoned it at home. Speaking of Daehyun, Youngjae was surprised he hadn’t come upstairs to bother him. Had he still been playing games? Dropping his pen, Youngjae crept down the stairs at 1:04am to find Daehyun knocked out on the couch, the controller in one hand and the TV still playing faint music in the background. Feeling sympathetic that he’d left his friend down here to play all on his own, Youngjae sighed and filled in the space next to Daehyun, shamelessly snuggling his face against Daehyun’s chest.

He had no idea Daehyun was pretending to sleep, because as soon as Youngjae began releasing small snores from his nose, Daehyun had opened his eyes, smiling down contently at the smaller body curled into his side. He shifted a little to make sure he was comfortable for a nights worth of sleep before turning so that Youngjae was held securely in his embrace. Then the two slept until the next morning, where they were nagged at by Mrs Yoo to wake up for school.

The thing Youngjae loved the most about his friendship with Daehyun was the amount of attention he received. No matter what time of the day it was, if Daehyun asked for Youngjae he would be there and vice versa. If Youngjae needed someone to talk to in the early hours of the morning, it would be Daehyun’s number he would call. If Daehyun needed help with his math homework at 11pm in the night, it would be Youngjae’s bell he would be ringing down even if the younger were cosily tucked away in bed. Because he would still help him if he needed it because he knew Daehyun would always return the favour and that didn’t necessarily have anything to do with homework.

Daehyun spent an excessive amount of time with Youngjae, but that didn’t make him sick one bit. It was a relief to see Youngjae, and for Youngjae it was a relief to see Daehyun too (but that sometimes depended on the circumstance because the older could be quite the pain the ). It did seem to be the case for Mrs Yoo though, because Daehyun would always empty out her fridge whenever he came to visit, which meant she had to go shopping so often. But its not like she ever stopped Youngjae from seeing him, because even she knew how lost the younger would be without his other half.

Even when their friendship was going strong, slip ups still happened. Sometimes they argued to the point where Youngjae would lose his voice and Daehyun would go and break something. Neither of them could forget the day Daehyun and Youngjae had a huge argument over crashing Mr Yoo’s car into a lamppost. It was Daehyun’s doing of course, but Youngjae had to pay the price and Daehyun felt really sorry for that. He had no clue what happened when the front door to the Yoo’s residence closed, but he knew it wasn’t going to be good when he witnessed the rage in Mr Yoo’s eyes. He could tell Youngjae’s dad was trying very hard to battle his rage to stop it from having an outbreak.

Daehyun had only just received his licence and he thought it was a bright idea to take Mr Yoo’s car for a spin instead of his own without permission, and unfortunately it lead to losing control of the steering wheel and ending up in a lamppost. Despite the blatant injuries on his face and limbs, Youngjae was infuriated with Daehyun and refused to talk to him for the next week or so. He spared no sympathy for the older at all for the mess he made of himself. Daehyun didn’t know how to make it up to his friend. He even paid for the damages of Mr Yoo’s car but for some reason that just wasn’t enough. With no sincere words or actions in mind, Daehyun simply opted for the simplest option.

It had been a long stressful week without his other half, and he just wanted one form of recognition from the younger, even if it meant they exchanged a single word. All he wanted was for Youngjae to forgive him for his stupid mistake. With clammy hands and a flustered mind, Daehyun approached Youngjae by the gates after school and watched him with careful eyes.

“I want you to come to the game,” he breathed, his voice slightly trembling. He didn’t know what made him so nervous because it was just Youngjae. He had no reason to be scared around Youngjae because the younger knew every single one of Daehyun’s flaws without a second thought. “It starts at 5. You don’t have to come if you want but…I’d much rather prefer you to be there than anyone else.” Spoke Daehyun, unknowingly hitting a spot in Youngjae’s heart that was specially reserved for him. Without a word of approval, Youngjae walked away, giving Daehyun completely the wrong idea.

5pm arrived and in no time, Daehyun was on the soccer field doing his warm ups while the cheerleader’s chants filled the warm night air. The other team looked intimidating however Daehyun still felt confident since he had never lost a game before. But that only was because he had the support for a certain someone who wasn’t there. Grinding his jaw, Daehyun looked up at the bleachers to see if Youngjae was anywhere insight, and it didn’t surprise him when he weren’t. When the whistle was blown to start, Daehyun was a little distracted but that didn’t stop him from giving the game his all. In the first 15 minutes of the game, he successfully managed to get the ball into the goal but no spark of celebration lit his insides because the person he wanted to witness it was not there. Well, that was what he thought anyway.

Despite the lack of hope Daehyun had, he looked up once more to the bleachers only to have a shock when he saw a certain mop of brunette hair in the crowd, sitting still with a foam finger poking the air. Daehyun’s jaw fell agape however the whistle was blown, so he didn’t have the time to dote on it. Again, he was off chasing after the ball like his life depended on it and just because Youngjae was there, watching him and supporting him like he always did. Daehyun didn’t realise how much of an impact Youngjae had on him until he scored a mind blowing hat trick with two additional goals from the other team players, ending the game with 5 nil.

Incredibly pleased with himself, Daehyun looked to Youngjae for approval. Without realising, he found the younger standing idly by the gates separating the pitch from the bleachers as though he were waiting for Daehyun to make the first move. Careless that his team wanted to celebrate with him, Daehyun leapt off the pitch towards Youngjae, his smile completely filled with absolute elation and his legs fully energized even though he’d spent an entire hour and a half running around the field. Youngjae allowed himself to get swept off his feet when Daehyun pounced on him and cried out when the older almost squeezed the living soul out of him. He was smothered in Daehyun’s sweat but that didn’t matter, because all that mattered was that Daehyun was over the clouds for his presence. And he guessed Daehyun thought he were the cause to his performance on the pitch. “Thank you for coming” whispered Daehyun, causing turmoil of butterflies to leap in Youngjae’s stomach. “You made that game happen.”

Some days the sun shone bright, and other days the clouds rained their misery all over the sweet city of Seoul. One day in particular, Youngjae woke up believing it was going to be a good day because the sun was golden and the skies were blue, completely free from a single puff of cloud. After a warm morning shower, Youngjae left the house with a breakfast bar and walked to the bus stop, feeling strangely great. He was beginning to lose weight, his school pants felt a lot looser than usual and for a change, his stomach looked more defined in the mirror. The fat on his cheeks was still there however, but that wasn’t enough to put Youngjae off from the wonderful morning he was having.

Finishing the last bite of his breakfast bar, Youngjae hopped off the bus at the stop in front of his school and began to walk towards the gates, where he spotted Daehyun talking to an unfamiliar girl. Was she new? Youngjae couldn’t wait to find out so he quickly approached the two, a bright smile beaming across his face. “Hey!” he spoke, holding his hand out to the pretty new girl. She bowed her head shyly and shook Youngjae’s hand, moving a strand of hair behind her ear. “Youngjae, I’d like you to meet Hani, she just started in our year and I’ve just learned she’s in most of our classes!” announced Daehyun, throwing an arm around Hani’s shoulders, which ironically threw Youngjae off guard.

“Hani, this is my best friend Youngjae” Daehyun smoothly spoke, gesticulating to the brunette boy who was now suddenly feeling a little off. “Hi Youngjae,” Hani sweetly spoke, her voice like a drop of honey. Brushing off the strange churning in his stomach, Youngjae returned the smile before quickly averting his attention back to his best friend. “Daehyun, I’ve brought you some of my mum’s kimchi for lunch—”

“Oh there was no need for that Jaebear, I’ve promised to take Hani out for lunch since she’s new and all.”

Youngjae was left a little stumped but nonetheless, he accepted Daehyun’s excuse and shrugged. “Okay, I’ll just…eat it myself.”

He didn’t mean to sound miserable and moody about it but for some reason it just came out that way, making Hani’s smile fade and Daehyun’s slightly alter. “You can come with us if you want.” Offered the older, noticing the sudden change in Youngjae’s voice. Thinking fast, Youngjae twisted his face into another smile before shaking his head and turning towards the building in a rush, using the excuse of not wanting to be late to class. He wasn’t mad or anything (he wanted to believe). He just wanted to swipe away the feelings of uneasiness that was suddenly eating away at him. He woke up thinking it was going to be a good day, so he was going to continue going in that mind-set even if Daehyun had found a pretty new friend. Yes, that’s all they were, just friends Youngjae mentally battled, taking his usual seat in math. But as much as he wanted to believe it, he knew that it was going to eventually change. He could just sense it.

Lunch rolled around the corner with Youngjae sitting alone in the centre of the soccer field, his lunchbox sitting unopened in his lap. He was just in time to find Daehyun leaving the school grounds with Hani, their hands in a twine and their smiles wide. Daehyun must’ve made a lame joke and Hani must’ve found it absolutely hilarious, thought Youngjae, the tone of his own mind b with sarcasm.

In a strop that for the first time in forever Daehyun wasn’t eating lunch with him, Youngjae plopped down in the middle of the soccer field and silently sulked. He refused to crack the box open to his mother’s delicious kimchi inside and simply settled on filling his stomach with water. “I’m not jealous,” Youngjae said to himself, blinking down at the fake grass. “I’m sure Hani is a wonderful girl.” He muttered, smiling weakly in false happiness for his friend. A sudden wet drop fell upon his nose, making him look up towards the sky where a large grey cloud made an appearance. In no time, the field was being showered with heavy rain, pattering down onto the unopened box of kimchi and soaking Youngjae to the skin.

He sat there for a while; closing his eyes and lifting his face to the sky to feel the drops of water pelt his skin as a small punishment for being jealous. Then he got to his feet and made his way back to the building to find Daehyun and Hani run in from the gates, nice and dry from the rain due to the large umbrella over their heads. The sopping wet brunette went completely unnoticed as the two rushed inside, Daehyun’s leather jacket draped warmly over Hani’s frail shoulders with his bare arms getting soaked from the rain. This angered Youngjae, why did Daehyun’s arms have to get wet? Doesn’t his health matter as well? He internally screamed, following them inside shortly after. "She should've brought her own coat." he grumpily muttered. 

The three of them had chemistry class next, which meant Youngjae was finally going to talk to Daehyun because they sat right beside each other. Carrying that last speck of hope that this day was still going to be a good day, Youngjae strode into class with a light-hearted smile on his face, despite being dripping wet from rainwater. To his tragedy, his space next to Daehyun had already been…taken. He fluttered his lashes to see if he was seeing right before losing his smile again. Daehyun stared in disbelief at the soaking boy and was about to say something when Kim Seonsaengnim shouted into the silence. “Yoo, why are you so late to my lesson and why are you soaking wet?!”

“I-I was out in the rain without an umbrella, s-seonsaengnim” Youngjae helplessly stammered, looking between his best friend and the teacher.

“In the rain? What were you doing frolicking around in the rain?” boomed Mr Kim, enraged by Youngjae’s lateness now disrupting his lesson. Youngjae swallowed a lump in his throat and sheepishly smiled, “I-I like the rain, seonsaengnim.” This earned a scowl from Kim seonsaengnim and a knowing perk of Daehyun’s lips in nostalgia. Youngjae ended up sitting two rows ahead of Daehyun and Hani, but that didn’t seem to bother him as much after witnessing the look Daehyun gave him earlier on. Daehyun still cared, even though Hani occupied a larger percentage of his attention today.

And eventually, for every other day.

When Youngjae thought things might get better, they sadly didn’t. Daehyun and Hani became an official pair, bringing on a flood of gossip throughout the entire school. Their infamous ship name was never heard of again, and Youngjae was no longer the popular kid that hanged around Daehyun, it was now Hani. Youngjae pretended he didn’t mind. He pretended not care so much and told Daehyun that he was happy for him. And he was, but there was something inside of him that wouldn’t accept it even though he knew they could only go as far as friends. Things started to go downhill faster than Youngjae had imagined. So fast that in a mere week, he was already missing the attention he usually treasured from his friend.

Sure, Daehyun still approached him in school but it wasn’t without Hani. Indeed, Daehyun spoke over the phone with Youngjae, but that also meant Hani was with him, listening in on their conversations. And of course, Daehyun had asked Youngjae to go out with him to the theatres but only under the conditions that Hani was allowed to join in. As much as Youngjae didn’t want to admit it, he hated being a third wheeler because every single time Daehyun and Youngjae planned to go out, Hani would become the barrier that stalks away with one of them, leaving the other behind. It didn’t take long until the rest of the student body started knowing Youngjae for being the third wheeler, and Daehyun was completely oblivious from it all.

Youngjae liked Hani; he really wanted to believe he did. She was a sweet girl and she did literally everything Daehyun had asked for. Let’s not forget to mention that she was gorgeous with a cute and child-like nature that smoothly interlocked with Daehyun’s boisterous one. Youngjae being jealous was technically an understatement because Hani was all the things Youngjae wasn’t.

And that was a girl.

A beautiful, intelligent, ditzy young girl Daehyun had helplessly fallen for. This flattened Youngjae like a hot air balloon without any hot air. On the third week of experiencing Daehyun’s flawless relationship with his beautiful new girlfriend, Youngjae could do nothing more but just mope around at home in the corner of his room, snuggled up in one of Daehyun’s old hoodies he forgot at Youngjae’s house and never ought to take back home despite the number of times he slept over.

The dazzling Busan boy Jung Daehyun had finally forgotten about little old Youngjae, who meant nothing more than just a friend. A friend to run to when he needed help with his homework or a friend to call when he needed someone to talk about Hani to when she was not around. And surprisingly, even the homework runs began to cut short because it was in fact, Hani who began helping Daehyun with his homework. As if things couldn’t possibly get any worse than they already were, they frankly did.

The soccer team were up against another school on their grounds. Every evening after school, Jung Daehyun devoted his heart and soul to the soccer field where he would fiercely kick some ball and drip with sweat. He wasn’t going to spoil his record after scoring the first student hat trick in all of their school history. Youngjae witnessed this every evening. He would park his backside in a distance from the field and watch Daehyun practice with his backpack and homework. He would sit there for ages, jotting down answers and then looking up to see if Daehyun was finished, only to find the other dribbling with the ball or tackling other team players.

Youngjae admired the older for how committed he was towards his love of sport. Youngjae was only committed to his books; there wasn’t anything else besides that which made him unique, apart from Daehyun. The boy who he thought could dissipate any form of his stresses. The boy he saw every day, who became his morning and his night. The boy his mind would accidentally trail off to when he zones out in class. The boy he remembers when he’s tired, or when he’s hungry or bored. Daehyun, Daehyun, Daehyun. His life had practically revolved around the older boy because of how much they did together. Youngjae thought he was becoming delirious and he would’ve used the word obsessive if it didn’t sound so cynical.

When the day of the game had finally arrived, Youngjae had been the first to run in and take a seat on the bleachers, ready with his foam finger and all. He was going to be there for Daehyun like last time, cheering him on when he scores however many goals he’s capable of against his new opponents. The thought of Hani didn’t bother him as much because he just knew it was his presence that built Daehyun’s confidence and not Hani’s. Because Youngjae was the one Daehyun had spent most of his life with. And it was him Daehyun needed that day when he’d asked him to come to his first game. Not Hani.

Youngjae was giddy from the thought of seeing Daehyun on the pitch again that he almost squealed when he saw Daehyun jog out onto the field in his considerably y soccer kit. But just when Youngjae thought Daehyun looked to the bleachers to find him, he was incredibly, and stupidly wrong. Daehyun’s gaze completely missed the bouncing Youngjae in the front row and fell straight onto the gorgeous line of girls strutting onto the field cladded in white and pink cheerleaders' outfits and white plimsolls. Youngjae froze in his seat when he saw Daehyun blow a kiss to one of the females in the line, known as Hani, and then leap over towards his coach, ignoring Youngjae’s pleading look for recognition.

Had Daehyun just…completely missed Youngjae’s existence? The brunette couldn’t believe it. He weren’t going to believe it. Gathering every single drop of confidence he had cooped up inside of him somewhere, Youngjae got to his feet and bellowed out with all the voice he had in him to get Daehyun’s attention.

“JUNG DAEHYUN FIGHTING!”

Shocked, and slightly scared, Daehyun spun around to notice his rather nerdy little friend bouncing up and down with a blue foam finger as if he were high off something strong. Youngjae was crazy, but not that crazy to risk losing his own voice. Hani too, had turned around to see what the hell it was that had shrieked into the cool night air. Slightly embarrassed but grateful, Daehyun waved at Youngjae, allowing him to release a breath of relief for finally being acknowledged. He noticed me, Youngjae thought, smiling contentedly to himself. He felt like an idiot for doing that but it had to be done. He wasn’t going to let Hani off on this one, not this time.

As the game went on, the tension in the air remained thick and extremely heavy. The other school had scored 1 whereas Daehyun’s team was still nil. There was only 30 minutes left of the game, causing Youngjae to be gnawing away at his nails on the edge of the bench, praying Daehyun was going to own this game like he did last time. Youngjae didn’t want to witness Daehyun’s rep go down after scoring a hat trick, that would potentially become a tragedy.

Hani’s cheerleading chant was getting a bit on Youngjae’s nerves because deep down he knew he was chanting twice as hard for their team to win. His hopes suddenly leapt high when he saw Daehyun grab a hold of the ball, running with all his might towards the goal. And with one hard, angled kicked, the ball went flying into the net which sent Youngjae flying off the bench, screaming something completely illiterate that scared most of the audience. Feeling victorious, Daehyun kicked the air before kissing two fingers and pointing them at Youngjae. In response to this, Youngjae blushed and continued to wiggle the foam finger a little timidly this time. It didn’t take very long until Daehyun kicked the ball in again, making the crowd go wild.

The pyramid of cheerleader girls almost collapsed because one of Daehyun’s hard-core fans couldn’t help but let out her inner fan girl. Giggling, Youngjae cheered Daehyun on a little quieter this time, relaxed that their team was now in the lead. They only needed one more goal to win the game. And that was achieved when Moon Jongup got a hold of the ball and accidentally skidded with it into the goal, the keeper completely flying out of the way and making a joke out of himself. Shocked, Jongup cheered and jumped onto Daehyun, because after all, it was he who had passed him the ball in the first place. It may not have been a jaw dropping hat trick like last time, but it was certainly a win. Pleased with the outcome, Youngjae jumped off the bleachers to congratulate Daehyun only to get beaten to it by a certain female.

Hani approached the Busan boy, wrapping her arms around his neck and shamelessly bringing her lips to his, proving to the entire audience and football team that the star of the show indeed belonged to her. Youngjae’s movements towards his friend slackened and his heart plummeted to the deepest, darkest pit of his stomach. Because he was no longer considered Daehyun’s lucky charm. He didn't carry that value he once had. Hani did.

* * *

Daehyun did not turn up to school at one point, so Youngjae took the initiative to go to his house to see the matter. He was angry at Daehyun for a number of reasons but he simply could not bring himself to stay stubborn about it. Because at the end of the day, it was he who cherished the unrequited feelings in a secret place, and that was in his heart. Daehyun was rolled up in a duvet with several tissues scattered across the floor and a sore red nose poking into Youngjae’s view. Intrigued by the new visitor, Daehyun perked up a little before resting his head back down onto the pillow wearing a faint smile of gratitude. “This is quite familiar,” said Daehyun, hinting back to when they were 8 years of age. Youngjae couldn’t help but smile before kneeling at Daehyun’s bedside.

“What seems to be the problem, Mr Jung?” questioned Youngjae in a stern mock doctor's voice.

“I happened to have caught a serious case of the common cold, Doctor Yoo.”

“The common cold?” echoed the pretend doctor, “And how on earth did you manage that?”

Daehyun scuffed under the duvet before snorting a little and letting out a short breath. “I stood for too long under the rain” he sighed, “because I was waiting for my girlfriend to get ready so that we could go to the theatres.”

That shut Youngjae up in an instant, causing him to go mute for a good 15 seconds before he managed to pull up some words out of God knows what dictionary. “W-What were you both going to see?” asked Youngjae, trying to use the accent again but failing miserably due to the anger boiling up inside of him.

“We were going to see that new movie, ‘The Longest Ride’ since it was a romantic movie and since Hani is into those sorts of films, Doctor Youngjae. And I must say,” Daehyun paused to cough before continuing, “It was a pretty sweet film.” He coughed again, bringing the duvet up to cover his mouth.

“I missed you in school today,” whispered Youngjae, watching the eyes of his sick friend watch back at him intently. “I miss you every day.”

“I’m always there, idiot,” joked Daehyun, blinking up at the unfamiliar sullen look in his best friend’s eyes. Youngjae’s hands formed fists as he tried to resist what he were about to say, but he couldn’t help it because it slipped faster than his mind was able to process it.

“You’re not.”

And with that, he shot up and left the older boy’s bedroom before he managed to witness the welling of tears in his eyes. Daehyun didn’t deserve the weight of Youngjae to be on his shoulders because he had the right to do what he wanted. To love who he wanted and spend time with who he wanted. Youngjae felt foolish for being so greedy for that attention he so dearly missed. He had it for 14 years of his life. Him and Daehyun were friends since kindergarten; Daehyun was obviously bound to get bored! Why on earth would he dismiss a beautiful girl like Hani for a weak, chubby sod like Youngjae who he has known since he were just a toddler? A boy he knows for all of his embarrassing flaws and geeky round glasses? A boy he has looked at as nothing more than just a friend?

Youngjae was absolutely torn; he hadn’t planned for this to happen. He didn’t want to just flip out like that on Daehyun because now he has done nothing more for himself than make him look like a fool. He didn’t realise how deeply in love he was with Daehyun until now. And he was practically deteriorating because of it.

* * *

Youngjae had become a wreck. Several weeks later, not a single word had been exchanged between himself and the Busan boy. It seemed as if there was nothing left between them apart from a thin coating of dust follicles and cool, empty air. It was just pure, lucid nothingness that could string the two back together. And Youngjae blamed himself. He left Daehyun that evening and refused to talk to him when Daehyun approached him the next day in school. He couldn’t bring himself to look Daehyun in the eye and lie about his true emotions and how he truly felt towards Hani. He hated her. His body and his soul had been overflowing with absolute resentment for the girl because she was the catalyst to the damages in their friendship!

Youngjae indignantly cut all ties with Daehyun, thinking it was the right thing to do. There were no more calls. No more sleepovers. No more trips to the theatres or to the parks or shopping centres, and lastly, Youngjae no longer went to the games. Daehyun didn’t need him there anymore, he supposed. Daehyun had moved on and he figured he should to. When a tall, pale student from junior year began to show interest in the shorter brunette, Youngjae didn’t have the urge to back down and instead went along with it. He needed to fill in the void Daehyun had left behind, and Choi Junhong seemed to do just that.

He was tall, funny and quite talented. He would ride his skateboard to school every day and would hold dance practices as well as being part of a music group. He was quite different to Daehyun, their characteristics were very aloof and so were their personalities. Junhong was a bit coyer around Youngjae, he didn’t tend to behave obnoxiously and neither did he do or say things that would surprise Youngjae or offend him, he was in fact, quite courteous. In other words, he respected Youngjae despite knowing the mishap that happened between him and Daehyun. He felt sorry for the senior student because now the spotlight was constantly on Hani.

When their relationship developed into something a bit more relaxed, it was then things were beginning to get slightly complicated. Junhong had finally built up the courage to ask Youngjae to be his boyfriend.  And Youngjae said yes, because he literally had no reason to say no. He fancied the younger boy, Junhong was incredibly sweet, ambitious and quite intelligent, he knew what he wanted to be and that’s what captivated Youngjae, convincing him to say yes. They kept their relationship discreet, meaning they would only hold hands when it was under a table and they would only steal kisses when it was an empty corridor or classroom.

But eventually, people began to notice some of their signs of affection and after a good month or two into their relationship; it was no longer a secret. Junhong had openly pressed a kiss onto Youngjae’s cheek in front of several students when the older had been fretting over an exam. Not only did it cause Youngjae’s cheeks to turn a bright shade of pink, but it also made him a little angry that everyone now knew he was gay. Including Daehyun. But because it was the mistake of the sweet junior boy Junhong, Youngjae didn’t say anything and simply accepted it. He wasn’t going to let the opinions of others affect the thing he shared with Junhong, because he valued it dearly.

The tall pale kid was willing to give Youngjae what Daehyun didn’t, and he promised to appreciate that. 

“Have you got anything going on after school?” Junhong asked, finding Youngjae taking notes in the library. Youngjae threw his pen down and sighed from exhaustion. He was literally battling his way through hours and hours’ worth of revision because of his upcoming mock finals. “I have lots of work to do,” he groaned, resting his face in his palms.

“I think you’re over working yourself,” Junhong said, taking a seat beside his boyfriend and running his fingers through his hair in an affectionate manner. Youngjae succumbed into the feeling of Junhong’s soothing fingers in his hair and released another sigh, his eyes falling to a close.

“Why don’t you come over to my house tonight?”

Youngjae raises his head at this. “But…I have to—”

“You can bring your work with you but you’re not allowed to do it until we’ve spent at least 1 hour together.” Youngjae whined in protest but Junhong refused to listen, immediately leaping to his feet and running out of the library, leaving Youngjae with no choice but to comply. Later that day, the two walked over to Junhong’s house in a strange silence as if they were lost in thought. That was until Junhong started suggesting some things they could do to relax.

“What movies do you like?” He piped, looking down at the shorter boy walking beside him. Youngjae hesitated and said with a shrug, “Romcom, I guess.”

“Okay, I suppose I have a few of those.”

Sometime during the movie, Youngjae started to become a bit fidgety because the guilt of abandoning his books had been scratching endlessly at the back of his head. Junhong noticed this so he decided to take Youngjae’s mind off it by bringing his face towards his and connecting their lips in a slow, sensual kiss. The softness of Junhong’s lips made his shoulders fall in an instant, but he was still squeamish because of his mocks being on the horizon. “Jun—” he mumbled, but that made the younger pull him closer, deepening the kiss. “Your finals are not until next month,” Junhong intervened, breaking away from the older.

“It’s closer than it sounds,” Youngjae countered, pouting up at the younger who stared back at him with a soft gaze. Somehow, he managed to get lost in his gaze which bewitched him into leaning back in. Their lips caught in another kiss, but this time Junhong’s hands moved down from his face to rest lazily against his hip. 

Things carried on in slow motion, Youngjae being quite naïve to what was happening. But that was until he was laying on his back on Junhong’s bed, the taller boy resting comfortably between his legs and kissing his way down his neck, did he realise that this was heading in the wrong direction. For some reason, thoughts of Daehyun began to inflate Youngjae’s mind, reminding him of who he had originally wanted to belong to. Who he wanted to kiss, and touch and make sappy jokes with. Who he wanted to lay under and wake up next to everyday. Who he truly believed was the one. 

Did he want that with Junhong?

The answer to that was simple.

No, he didn’t.

Just when Junhong straddled Youngjae’s hips, he suddenly found the voice in him to stop things from going any further. “J-Junhong…” Youngjae gasped, pausing Junhong from removing his shirt. “I don’t want to…” he squeaked, causing Junhong’s face to fall.

“Oh…was I moving too fast?”

Youngjae nodded, cheeks rouge and heart thumping rapidly inside of his chest. “I’m s-sorry but I don’t think…I can do this.” He said offhandedly, worrying Junhong.

“Wait… do you mean us? Jae I— I didn’t mean to scare you…” he swiftly defended, his voice trembling and his eyes falling dull.  

Youngjae shook his head and smiled a weak reassuring smile. “It’s not you, Junhong, it’s me. I don’t think it’s fair on you when my thoughts are occupied on other things...”

“Let me guess,” he mumbled, climbing off Youngjae’s lap. “Other things meaning Daehyun?”

Youngjae didn’t know how Junhong knew of this because Daehyun was never the subject to any of their conversations. That just proved how easily Junhong saw through the conspicuous senior student.

“Yes. Daehyun.” He admitted.

* * *

Days were becoming longer and thinking straight was becoming harder. It had been a full 3 months since Daehyun and Youngjae had last spoke and it was driving the older mad, but he refused to show it. He didn’t know where this strong wave of pride had come from, but Daehyun was not willing to let up on it because he truly believed he had done nothing wrong. Yes, he understood that he spent a teensy bit more time with Hani than Youngjae but he had every reason to because she was his girlfriend. Daehyun believed that his new girlfriend was his responsibility and he honestly thought Youngjae wouldn’t have a problem with it. Daehyun thought he would understand.

But then the rumour of Youngjae’s boyfriend surfaced, and that was when everything suddenly started making sense. Youngjae was gay. Despite 14 years of their friendship, Daehyun had absolutely no idea that his one true best friend was gay, and that made him feel incredibly stupid.

“Daehyun?”

Snapping out of his thoughts, Daehyun looked up at Hani who wore a faint smile on her pretty lips, her hand resting calmly on his shoulder. “I need to talk to you about something…”

* * *

Youngjae’s birthday was coming soon, a day which had been tattooed into Daehyun's mind. Even though they weren’t talking, Daehyun wasn’t going to miss it for the world. He would rather sacrifice his pride than watch Youngjae celebrate his birthday with his lanky new friend who he is apparently no longer in a relationship with for God knows what reason. This was perfect. Everything was beginning to fall into place, just how Daehyun had hoped.

All that was left to do, was to build his way towards the conclusion. And his first step in doing that was by approaching Youngjae in the soccer field who had been laying on his back, staring up at the dreary grey sky with his hands resting on his stomach.

Daehyun mimicked him by getting down onto the grass and laying on his back, the crown of his head touching Youngjae’s so that their bodies made a line in the centre of the field. Youngjae knew it was him. He could sense Daehyun with all five of his senses effortlessly. They lay there in a suspenseful silence, neither of them willing to break the cordial tranquillity.

Knowing the right things to say, Daehyun parted his lips and tenderly spoke, “I miss you every day, too.”

The hitch in Youngjae’s throat did not go unnoticed as he processed the words Daehyun had just said to him.

“Is it too late to apologise?”

Youngjae swallowed thickly, but he couldn’t reply. As much as he wanted to burst into tears and forgive his crush, he held himself still and silent because Daehyun had to do so much more than that. He had a whole 3 months worth of apologies to make and one memorable line and an apology wasn’t going to be enough. Daehyun almost soiled 14 years worth of love and companionship!

Suddenly, Daehyun got up and left just like that, leaving Youngjae on his own to sulk as though their friendship had been completely barred. He knew he was behaving like a complete incompetent wuss but he just wasn’t going to turn into mush before Daehyun’s feet. Wasn’t Hani still in the picture?

Youngjae had no idea that she were no longer a part in either of their lives.

Although it seemed like it, Daehyun hadn’t given up just yet. It had been four days since Daehyun had made the first approach. Four days, and Youngjae hadn’t said a word. Junhong suspected his unnatural behavior but he allowed it to simmer, hoping things will make a change. Hoping for the bond between Youngjae and Daehyun to reincarnate itself into existence somehow because the air between them was undeniably chilly.

“Youngjae,” Junhong called, approaching the smaller boy who stood rigidly against his locker. He looked pale and ill, his neck wrapped snug in his favourite thick yellow scarf and his small frame drowned deeply within a fat puffer jacket. Junhong chuckled at his attire and ruffled his hair, like he always does. “Happy birthday!” he chirped, even though Youngjae hardly looked like he was in his own birthday spirits at all. “I’ve brought you something,” Junhong sheepishly said, handing Youngjae a small bag containing a book he was always longing to read. Youngjae peeked into the bag and gasped beneath the scarf, before giving Junhong a hug.

“Where…where did you find it? I’ve been looking all over bookstores to find this thing!” he giggled, looping one arm within Junhong’s and walking towards his first class. “I have my ways,” returned the junior, feeling quite proud for doing his friend a good deed.

In the meantime, Daehyun had been busy harassing Jong Seonsaengnim for a favour which made up for an entire lifetime. “You have to do this for me, just this once!” he begged, grappling childishly onto Mr. Jong’s coat. “Jung Daehyun I will not do you a favour after the number of times you’ve violated the school’s code of conduct, I reject it!”

“S-Seonsaengnim! Please, I’ll attend every single detention and I’ll even clean the school cafeteria after lunchtimes, just make this one announcement for me and I’ll back off, I promise…”

Mr. Jong eyed Daehyun suspiciously from head to toe before mumbling something incoherent (and rude) under his breath. “Fine.” He growled, turning on his heel towards his office. Daehyun gasped from happiness and almost attacked the grumpy teacher with a hug. But he knew best not to spoil his chances. “Thanks sir, make sure it’s right before break!”

“Whatever.”

If there were anything Youngjae hated more than Hani, it would probably be History class because the lessons always seemed to drag on for years on end. Checking the time on his watch, he sighed in relief when he saw that there was 5 minutes left of the lesson. “Finally” he thought, looking back up at the board with dazed eyes. It was a revision lesson so they had only been reviewing the things they’ve already learnt. Suddenly, the classroom intercom crackled before Mr. Jong’s gruff voice spoke on the other end.

“Can Yoo Youngjae please make his way to the atrium? Now.”

Grabbing his belongings and nervously chewing onto the flesh in his lip, Youngjae scurried out of the classroom to urgently see what it was Mr. Jong needed. He couldn’t bare the thought of getting into trouble for something he did wrong…

But he couldn’t recall himself doing anything wrong in the last few months apart from often sulking in the janitor’s closet. Could he get in trouble for that?

After reaching the bottom of the stairwell, Youngjae froze to see a huge crowd of student surrounding someone in the middle. Curious, Youngjae held tightly onto the straps of his bag and inched closer, wondering if this crowd had something to do with him since this was where Mr. Jong told him to go. “He’s here!” one of the girls squealed, gesturing Youngjae to walk over quicker. Youngjae looked at her, puzzled, before recognising her to be one of the girls who always used to shout “Daejae” whenever Daehyun and Youngjae were together.

What was she so excited about? The girl grabbed Youngjae’s wrist and hauled him into the crowd before mushing him between the people so that he could get through. One by one, the different students pushed him through themselves before choking him out into a space filled with presents and balloons. In between it all stood a handsome young male, known as Jung Daehyun, standing behind a round cake with burning candles set on a small table, a sweet smile splayed on his thick frosty lips. Youngjae almost guffawed at the sight of the icing from his cake already smothered on Daehyun’s face. Such a child.

“I actually hate the birthday song so I’m not even going to bother with that,” started Daehyun, stepping around the cake and moving towards the stunned brunette who’s shocked expression he thought looked rather cute. “Happy birthday, Youngjae. Make a wish, or a move…or else I will.”

Youngjae just blinked back, not knowing what the hell anything meant. Was Daehyun being serious with all of this?

“Well, I did warn you.”

And with that, Daehyun cupped Youngjae’s soft cheeks within his large palms and pulled him forward before planting a warm, sloppy kiss on his lips in front of their audience. It was as though a mass of emotions were grounded straight into Youngjae’s mouth, drowning him in endless seconds of utter exhilaration and alleviation.

He finally got the hint he inwardly screamed, grabbing a desperate hold on Daehyun’s arms for support and digging his nails into his shirt, as though he'd never let go. With much difficulty, Daehyun released his best friends lips and pressed their foreheads together, so that he was looking directly into Youngjae’s large wandering cinnamon brown eyes.

“I’m so sorry, Youngjae. I wish I noticed it earlier…”

“It took you long enough,” Youngjae mused, smiling a genuine bright smile at Daehyun. He wanted to ask about Hani but he thought now wasn’t exactly appropriate so he mentally noted to get Daehyun to explain later. “Why is the frosting of my cake all over your face, Daehyun?” he giggled, leaning in to kiss some more of it off. Without being obvious, Daehyun leaned back whilst Youngjae was kissing him and got some of the icing onto his fingers before smearing it across Youngjae’s cheek.

“There, now we’re even babe.” 

A/N: Sequel coming soon~