Chapter 6 : Finale

Author's note: I had this one last chapter in store, i'll post it for now but this fanfiction and checkmate are done.

'’ Kyungsoo-ah, how are you doing friend?’’, exclaimed a blonde man happily while eating chocolate ice cream.

He entered the small room where Kyungsoo was already seated comfortably, his head laying nonchalantly on his desk. He seemed out of it and in a drowsy mood. He yawned loudly. Yixing slowly tried to hide his ice cream behind his back.

‘’Don’t eat in my studio, Yixing.’’, said Kyungsoo annoyed still looking at the empty sheet in front of him. ‘’ Besides who eats ice cream when it snows outside?’’

Yixing pouted at the comment ‘’ How did you know? ’’

‘’Your voice gets a bit higher every time you feel guilty about something. You’re very transparent Xing.’’

‘’Am not!’’ He said with an even higher pitch. He coughed heavily afterwards uncomfortable.

Kyunsoo just rolled his eyes at his attempt to cover it up. He sat up straight on his chair looking at the ceiling exasperated by his lack of inspiration. Yixing sat down next to him still eating shamelessly now.

‘’What is bothering you so much?’’ he looked down at his ice cream, ‘’ besides me eating in your studio.’’

‘’3 weeks, 6 hours and 20 minutes since the last time.’’, he muttered absently.

Confused, Yixing frowned, ‘’Last time you what?’’

How could he just stupidly think about her again? He has unconsciously been counting every minutes passing by since he last saw her but Kyungsoo couldn’t help it.

‘’Never mind I’m just babbling. I have to write a love song for Ji and it’s killing me.’’

‘’Right, you’ve never been much of a romantic.’’, approved Yixing with a small nod.

Irritated, Kyungsoo felt like the remark made by his friend was a reproach. Feeling judged by his intern wasn’t something he could let go so easily. Honestly, he just needed to vent this incredible frustration he’s been holding in.

‘’And what do you know about love?’’, snapped Kyungsoo sarcastically. ‘’oh, enlighten me please.’’

A silence fell in the room before the man finally answered with a straight face.

‘’What do I know…it’s not like I’ve been living apart from my sick girlfriend for 2 years.’’, he said with a slight out of character darkness to his tone.

‘’I’m sorry, I always forget that-‘’, spluttered Kyungsoo embarrassed after scratching the back of his neck.

How could he possibly forget about this? He knew that Yixing only lived in Korea because of his dying girlfriend, Jia. She had cancer. Yixing once told him about the reason behind his stay in a foreign country while the love of his life was dying abroad. This story was why he became Kyungsoo’s only ‘intern’. It all started when Yixing came to Korea for the first time 3 years ago and he began to frequently come to the library with only one goal in mind meet his favorite famous ghost songwriter, Do Kyungsoo. He knew about Kyungsoo because he was an ardent fan and he truly believed that the real artist wasn’t the singer but the composer. Therefore, it hadn’t been hard for him to know about Kyungsoo . Because if what happened behind the stage interested you more like in this case, you would know that Kyungsoo’s name was everywhere in the music industry.

He composed so many hit songs; he probably wouldn’t remember them all at this point. Meanwhile, no one cared for him in the media with obviously the exception of Yixing. But Jongin always turned him down without much explanation ‘’ Kyungsoo isn’t one to meet anyone even if you’re a fan, I’m sorry. ’’ Persistent, Yixing then decided to simply stay in front of the library day and night waiting. Kyungsoo would have to come out at some point right? One day he got lucky enough to meet face to face with him at night when he came out for his habitual night jogging routine. The blond man begged on his knees to let him stay. Surprise, wasn’t even near what Kyungsoo felt at that moment.

‘’I came all the way from China to meet you and be your apprentice. My girlfriend said her last wish was for me to realize my dream please help me make this dying wish a reality.’’, he cried.

Yixing interrupted him with his usual dorky smile, ‘’ It’s okay, really. ‘’

With those simple words Yixing brought Kyungsoo back to reality.

‘’ I’m on edge right now, j-just don’t mind me’’, he said flustered by those memories coming back suddenly to him.

Yixing showed him his two thumbs with a wide smile.

‘’ It’s okay; just know that I am your man right now. I know a few things about unconditional love.’’, he giggled.

He looked at him blankly and he muttered uneasy. ‘’ Do you believe in a love like in the Odyssey?’’

Yixing finished his ice cream and threw the small plastic bag that contained it in the trash can nonchalantly. At the question of Kyungsoo he arched his thin brow.

‘’What…?’’, he asked confused.

Kyungsoo forgot that he probably didn’t have much knowledge in the literacy department like he did.

‘’Never mind, I think too much.’’, he said with a faux smug smile. He excelled in those.

Annoyed, Yixing pushed Kyungsoo’s left shoulder delicately. Why would he start opening up to him and already give up like that?

‘’ No tell me, really. I’m willing to listen.’’, he said seriously.

Kyungsoo sighed profoundly, ‘’ In the Odyssey, a Greek legend, Odysseus has to go to war and he leaves his wife for 20 years  keep in mind that during all this time he never could contact her once but when he came back. She still loved him as if those 20 years apart were merely 20 seconds. Ridiculous, right? ’’

He nodded silently understanding the heaviness of the question that was asked to him. ‘’ Not at all ridiculous, you just have to find that single exception that’s going to make this absurd idea into an apparent one. It’s going to be so apparent, so clear that trust me you will be on your way to believing in the concept of ridiculous like never before.’’,Yixing said nostalgic about the memories of him and Jia together.

‘’ The exception….’’, Kyungsoo realized something from this ‘’I might have found mine.’’

Almost immediately the calm expression of Yixing changed into a puzzled one. He gave his shorter friend a long doubtful look.

‘’Wait, you’re in love? ’’, he snickered happily, ‘’ don’t worry I’ll keep it a secret.’’

Kyungsoo winced when he saw the mischievous smile appear on Yixing’s face. He knew too well that he would never see the end of this now.

‘’It’s not what you think. It’s just different what I feel when I’m with her.’’, tried to explain Kyungsoo with difficulty.

On a more serious note, Yixing patted the knee of his friend with an understanding smile plastered on his face.

‘’ Listen Kyungsoo if it’s different, then its love. I know what I am saying.’’

Kyungsoo wondered a lot about this new perspective. He couldn’t just foolishly be in love…right? Not already, it couldn’t be this. He refused to believe in the words of his friend. Because if he did it meant he lost something more important than he thought.

‘’ Let’s stay here forever.’’, muttered Jongin with his eyes closed while caressing Minji’s face.

He opened his eyes slowly to look into hers. They were both laying down in his bed after a long night together. She didn’t wear any makeup and she seemed wide awake. He was hugging her and she was playing nonchalantly with his necklace.

‘’ You’ve been awake for how long?’’, he asked after yawning.

He couldn’t help but find her beautiful. Her pink hair covered messily a part of her face and she looked at him with that adorable gummy smile.

‘’ I don’t know an hour maybe two.’’

He rubbed his nose in the nape of her neck. ‘’You smell like .’’

‘’Oh you shut up, wonder who’s fault that is!’’, she objected with a flushed face.

‘’Me’’ he stated proudly.

She flicked his nose with her fingers annoyed by his sudden cockiness.

‘’ So how many auditions are you attending today?’’, she asked while playing with his hands.

‘’Let’s not talk about this, not in the mood.’’, he said. ‘’anyways I have nothing planned but you and me in this bed today.’’

Instantly he tried to shift her focus to something else by kissing her lips lightly. But she pushed him away a little bit to his annoyance.

‘’Wait, were not done here Kim jongin, you have to go or how will you realize your dream?’’, she said very seriously.

He snickered unamused with his eyes looking at the ceiling. ‘’ I give up, besides there’s a warm spot waiting for me at daddy’s company.’’

She sat down next to him immediately.

‘’ What are you saying this doesn’t sound like something that you would say.’’

He took a deep breath and rolled his body out of bed. He sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at the snow falling down outside from his window.

‘’ And tell me what I would say exactly…?’’

‘’ Not this, that’s for sure.’’ Minji murmured disappointed.

She stood up and took her shirt to put it on. ‘’Where are you going?’’ asked Jongin alarmed by the fact that she was already dressing up.

He stood up too and went on the other side of the bed to stop her. He grabbed her wrist but she just snatched it away from him immediately. She attached her messy hair in a high ponytail not even looking at him.

‘’ Get the out of my way Jongin. I’m not going to stay around to watch you like this any further.’’

He rolled dramatically his eyes.

‘’ I am finally done being delusional what do you mean?!’’, he said with a dry tone.

‘’Maybe I prefer the delusional Jongin.’’ She whimpered with tears in her eyes. ‘’why am I crying for your ?’’

He sighed and wiped the warm tears falling on her cheeks with his thumb. ‘’ Yes why are you crying? I’m not worth your tears honestly.’’

She slapped his hands out of her face.  He looked at her with a wrecked expression.

‘’ Yes you’re not worth it.’’

Nothing in the world could’ve been more uncomfortable for Kim Hanbin then his present situation. He had been forced to be the third wheel of his best friend Kim Jiwon and his girlfriend  Lisa. But he liked to just call her the ‘’girlfriend’’. They weren’t exactly on excellent terms. Especially, lately and that only because of Jiwon’s future. She wanted him to continue his major in economics like they had planned or more like she did. Lisa was known for being a bit of master organiser or just simply put OCD as . She also wanted him to do a master degree while Hanbin was just encouraging his friend to follow what he always really wanted to do , music. They were all crumpled on the bed of Bobby watching one of his and Hanbin’s favorite movie since they were kids , The Matrix. Well one of them was watching, in other words Hanbin, while the two were just making out shamelessly and cuddling. Anyhow, Lisa is from a rich Thai family that sent her abroad to study and they have her on watch 24/7. They obviously heard of bobby trough Lisa’s maid that follows her almost everywhere and they were totally against them dating to the extent that they were ready to take her back to Thailand. But she then quickly denied her relationship with Bobby. Which means that now they have to stay lowkey about everything but truthfully from Hanbin’s perspective they were enjoying this whole Romeo and juliet bull.He obviously had enough once he heard Lisa starting to giggle and sound out of breath. He got up ready to go after cleaning up and taking all of his stuff without anyone noticing. But right before going out of the room he was stopped by the booming voice of his friend.

‘’Okay so first of all if you ask me you really don’t know how to have fun anymore Binbin’’

‘’Don’t call me like that idiot. Save the idiotic nicknames for your hippie joke of a girlfriend Lisa, not me’’

‘’Hey, Bin-Bin’’ She made sure to accentuate every syllabus in the nickname.’’ Don’t give my baby cauliflower ideas, will you?!Also, me believing in the social political rights of women and being an active advocate of a world without the 20 000 thousands dumps of petrol..-‘’

‘’Petunia…Baby girl it is not the moment right now ’’ ,said Bobby trying desperately to stop his girlfriend before she really got carried away.

‘’Nevertheless, it does not make me a hippie, being a vegan does.’’, she joked while laughing alone.

Hanbin looked at her with pure disgust at her lame humor.

‘’See, this is why I don’t like having fun with you because you bring that, everywhere’’, whispers Hanbin while pointing maliciously at Lisa.

‘’Repeat that again , ‘that’! Who taught you to call a grown woman with such a derogative word? This isn’t the 19th centure where men can just treat women like any given object. This isn’t a men’s world but a women’s one. You better remember that Kim hanbin! Men and women all came out of a and FYI s are attached to you know what?! The female anatomy and I am female. I have a noun too like you and-‘’

‘’ Don’t worry yourself about him my little petunia’’

‘’You are all word but no action. I guess men are really all the same after all, the patriarchy really will have no end. What a sad world to be living in.’’ ‘’Don’t say anything I’ll go be dramatic somewhere else tsst’’

‘’You see how much I love you dude, I even got Lisa mad at me for some alone time so we could talk. If I’m not the real MVP I don’t know what I am.’’

‘’How courageous’’

‘’No seriously ,you don’t understand she won’t talk to me unless I literally write her a thesis about why Frida Kahlo was one of the greatest feminist and women of color activist of all times.’’

‘’I wasn’t the one that told you to go fall in love with the overly uptight and politically correct Lalisa manoban dude. You did that on your own.’’

‘’I don’t know why you won’t believe me when I say she’s really cute and has her own charm’’

‘’Whatever you say…’’ ‘’Can I ask you something?’’

‘’Yes, go ahead Binbin. I’ve been waiting for you to finally open up these past few days!’’

‘’Last time I’ll say it don’t call me that… But truthfully h-how did you know?’’

‘’Know about what?’’

‘’That you know, manoban liked you. I mean loved you or whatever. What made you do the first step?’’

‘’Is that why you’ve been so reclusive and distant from everyone that’s been coming around you ? Because of Lee hi ? ‘’

‘’Just answer the damn question , Kim Jiwon.’’

‘’How should I explain it , in words... There’s a  feeling.It’s a feeling you have when you know it’s mutual. You just know B, i’m for real here. ‘’ He sat up a little bit not looking his friend in the eyes anymore. He was lost in his own thoughts and a idiotic grin appeared on his face ‘’Maybe it was the first time she let me see her cry, or when she giggled at my obviously lame jokes for the first time or maybe it was when she shared with me her optimistic future. I just knew , this side it wasn’t just anyone who got to see that.’’

‘’It sounds nice.’’

‘’It is, but i’m sure you can get to that point to B’’ ‘’ To be honest, you’re literally the only acquaintance and friend of Hayi. Who else does she turn to when she’s sad or lonely? She only has you and she will soon realize her feelings for you as well as how important you are for her don’t worry my dude.’’

‘’I didn’t know you to be so reassuring lover boy.’’

‘’You know I’ll always have your back B, just please keep it cool with Lisa for the next few days. She’s already mad at me right now so…’’

‘’Okay, I get it I won’t bring up anything too shocking in front of her uptight ’’

‘’Please keep the of my girlfriend out of your mouth.’’

‘’Please kim jiwon can you not.’’