Sehun knocks a curled fist against the door lightly and waits for the owner of the apartment to open it as he adjusts the strap of his backpack further up his shoulder. He hopes he’ll finally get the right one this time. He’d been hunting for so long it’s starting to kill his hope of ever finding a place to settle down.

The young male had a residence before. Had. Just his luck that it went up in flames few days ago due to a short circuit of the main switch. Though it is fortunate that he was at work and weren’t barbequed along with the tiny flat.

With his money tight, the only places available to him are limited and this apartment is already his ninth attempt. He prays to all powerful deities and his parents above that he gets the offer.

“Yes? How may I help you?”

The door before him opens to reveal a shorter guy staring at him behind thick black-rimmed glasses, a pink apron hanging from his neck which has ‘I’d tell you the recipe but then I’d have to kill you.’ printed on the front. Sehun’s lips immediately twitch to form a small, courteous smile and he bows his head minutely. “Um… I saw your advertisement for room-renting in the papers, Kim-sshi. Are you… is it still available?”

“Oh, yes, it is! Come in…” He steps back and ushers the other in before closing the door behind them. Sehun drinks in the tidy surrounding, noting how clean and neat everything is and how it represents a relaxing, homey atmosphere. Even the walls are coated golden honey, bringing a wider, satisfying smile to Sehun’s face.

“So what do you think- Oh, by the way, I’m Kyungsoo. Do Kyungsoo.” Kyungsoo wears a warm smile which appeals to Sehun straight away, who mirrors the petite male’s action of extending his hand and grasps Kyungsoo’s smaller one to give it a few shakes.

“Oh Sehun. And I must say this is a nice place, Kyungsoo-sshi. I think I’ll like it here." Sehun sweeps the area with another glance, humming lowly in approval until his eyes fall upon a taller figure appearing from the corridor. Caramel skinned, lean and broad shouldered with chiseled abs decorating his abdomen, the topless newcomer leans casually on the wall, curious eyes directed to him. He definitely looks like he's just woken up; mussed silver-dyed hair, sleepy gaze and loose sweatpants barely hanging from his strong hips. Sehun wouldn't deny his jaw dropped slightly at the sight and a magnetic pull seems to prevent him from averting his eyes. If the other noticed Sehun's odd behavior, he didn't voice it. Or maybe it's because he'd gotten used to it. Sehun wouldn't be surprised if he turns heads everywhere he goes.

"Who's this, Soo?" 

Sehun snaps out of the brief spellbound and force himself to look up, a move he regrets the moment he feels a breath hitch in his throat when he locks eyes with his housemate-to-be. He'd never gazed into such tantalizing pair in his twenty-three years of life. Dark cocoa orbs bore into his hazel ones, a faint yet present intensity that would easily intimidate the bearer of this gaze cages him on the spot. Sehun catches a spark of interest in them as well, and strangely revels in it. Not for long though, because this... alluring male severs their connection to look at Kyungsoo instead.

"Kai, this is Sehun, possibly our newest addition here. And Sehun, Kai. He's the Kim-sshi you were looking for earlier." Sehun nodded to the information given to him a little mindlessly.

Kai, on the other hand, reacts instantly. A feral grin sported on his face, he stretches out a hand to offer a second handshake. "I hope we get along well, Sehun." Said male reaches out to accept it and couldn't help noticing how contrasting their color is. While Kai is ily tanned, Sehun possesses natural alabaster skin which looks like he hadn't seen the sun. 

"I-I hope so too."

It is best Sehun ignores how addictive Kai's heat feels around his hand. Or how it matches the heat in his own cheeks.

i

It's been a year and a half since Sehun stepped into the apartment and the lives of the duo. 

He learns that they started living together four years ago and Kai is the same age as Sehun, twenty-three, whereas Kyungsoo is actually a year older. The eldest works as a patisserie at 'Arielle’s Bakery' and makes the best choux á la crème Sehun had ever tasted. It's his job as well as hobby, so Sehun is sure to be treated to new, creative, drool-worthy pastries everytime Kyungsoo feels like baking, which is most of the weekends. 

Kai is an experienced fitness trainer who spends his days at the gym, which explains the sculpted body he keeps flaunting in front Sehun, comfortable in his half-undressed state [ the top half, mind you ]. Maybe Kai feels the need to constantly remind him of what unattainable means, Sehun thinks wryly.

Sometimes though, he grows doubtful whether Kai really seems as innocent as he acts out to be.

And there has been too many a time Sehun was tempted to toe the line that defies him of what he wants but in the end he never crosses it. 

He doesn't heed the flutters he feels in his stomach everytime Kai shoots him a careless grin when he beats Kyungsoo in chess, something Kai hadn't been able to achieve until Sehun came along. He looks away to hide the visible pink tinting his cheeks whenever Kai decides to work out in the living room, pretending his throat didn't go dry and his pants aren't a little tighter than they originally are, and escapes into his Kai-free room. He tries not to feel too happy when Kai compliments him on his cooking skills when he served the other homemade *naengmyun and that though he isn't as good as Kyungsoo, Kai doesn't compare them. He suppresses the urge to away the sauce from the corner of Kai's lips, but watches as Kyungsoo wiped it for him with his thumb.

It's comical, how young Sehun was skeptical of love at first sight before, shunning that crazed cliché in romance novels and deeming it impractical but now he's victim of this lovely doom.

Doom that leads straight to what appears to be unrequited desire with the least possible candidate.

Because Sehun might as well be blind not to see the infatuation Kai has for Kyungsoo and how the older shyly responses to it, acting disgruntled but never really denying Kai the skinship he craves. Kyungsoo gets to ruffle Kai’s soft silvery locks, gets to be enveloped in Kai’s strong arms when they all sat before the television for Saturday nights’ movies while Sehun sat in a separated armchair and he gets Kai’s brighter than sunshine beam whenever he produces yet another batch of the younger’s favorite red velvet cupcake.

Kai would never look at him the same way he regards Kyungsoo, eyes softening and yearning for attention at the same time whenever they meet Kyungsoo.

The only thing that stumps Sehun but kindles a glimmer of hope in him at the same time is - they remained youthful.

See, they live in a world where the only way to find their other half is to start aging. They would grow at a normal pace until they reach the wondrous age of eighteen and… stop. Then, nothing would spur their growth again unless they’ve found their soulmate. Sometimes, Sehun thinks this is a stupid idea of a game God makes everyone play. He’s matching everyone up without a care for their will because Sehun would rather face Kris' wrath when he messes iced tea latte with green tea frappuccino on his third day at work on repeat than experience the familiar feeling of his heart skipping a beat when Kai says he looks cute with his strawberry pink hair--

“You’re gripping it wrong, Hun. It should be…”

Sehun breaks from reverie at Kai’s low tenor. The subject of his tangled thoughts comes closer to him before cupping his hand over Sehun’s and patiently showing him the right way to hold the racquet, which bring Sehun’s mind back to the room they are currently in, booked to play squash.

When Kai discovered that Sehun was a sports noob that holes himself in his room all day aside from going to work and fulfilling human needs, he immediately appoints himself to be Sehun’s trainer. Meaning, he drags Sehun out for physical ‘enjoyment’ whenever they’re both free.

Sehun flushes momentarily at how wrong it sounds.

“Hey, you okay?” Kai looks at him worriedly, hand still on top of his as he inspected Sehun’s tomato red face. It would’ve been easier to reply if the other didn’t position himself slightly behind Sehun, their bodies so near that he could feel the heat radiating off Kai’s. His heart thundered in his ears as his brain cogs turn slowly to form an answer, a typical god-blast-me-Kai-is-near effect he’d been devastated with but later learned to accept.

“I- Don’t worry, I’m… fine. Just a little… hah... tired, ‘s all.” Sehun explains the lie easily between huffs of craved oxygen, hoping Kai would think the reason of his crimson cheeks and ears to be anything but his close presence.

Fortunately, Kai seems to buy it, what with Sehun panting heavily through those peachy, divine parted lips and sheen of sweat lining his forehead. 

“Why don’t we take a rest? You look like you need one.” They’ve played for more than an hour and unsurprisingly Kai didn’t even break a sweat whilst Sehun feels like collapsing on the smooth floor right this instant.

Sehun is quick to agree, nodding tiredly as he pushes his dampened bangs away from his eyes and drags himself over to the where their bottles sit at the corner of the room. Kai beats him to it, picking one from the ground and uncapping it before handing it over to him. Sehun accepts gratefully and finishes half the clear liquid despite Kai's warning of never taking too much water after vigorous exercises because there's a risk of hyponatremia but the former always conveniently forgets.

"Hun... what did I tell you..." An exasperated voice ends his bliss of guzzling down this resurrecting chemical and Sehun grins sheepishly as he finally wipes his lips and returns the bottle. Kai shakes his head and takes a swig of it, biceps rippling as he tips the content into his mouth. Sehun didn't miss that of course.

Sharing drinks and on some occasion, food, is normalcy when it comes to Kai. Initially surprised when Kai's lips claim the mouth of his bottle, Sehun gradually understands that it isn't a big deal for the tanned male.

Knowing better than to invoke another spiel of lecture from Kai if he drops himself onto the seemingly comfortable ground right now, Sehun leans the side of his slender form against the wall. 

"Are you going with Soo-hyung this Friday?" 

Hoping the curiosity lacing his tone isn't glaringly obvious, Sehun attempts to play it off nonchalantly, as if he didn't torture himself last night imagining the scenario of Kai visiting Kyungsoo's parents holding a flower basket in one hand and a ring in another with Kyungsoo and maybe proposing for Kyungsoo's hand in marriage and Kyungsoo's father will say the answer is no and Kai will deem him rude and marry Kyungsoo anyway and waitaminutewaitaminutewhat-

Thankfully, Kai arches a questioning brow at him and answers carefully, "No. Why would I follow Soo?"

"Oh