So guess which author has been getting into Chen and his indiosyncracies. 

Moi.

So I'm featuring him alongside Kyungsoo today (not so much Jongin) with revelations of love. Sort of. I hope. It . #s. 

Enjoy anyways!

(And about that GIF. You're welcome.)

The café was unusually crowded when Kyungsoo and Chen went in. Hye-mi and Beom-seok were both behind the counter, and another worker was in the back with someone's smoothie. A small dog ran over, tackling Chen's shoelaces. The fox hybrid winced and lifted his foot slowly.

"Dogs," he said as the puppy dashed away.

Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow. "But you're a fox."

"Dogs and foxes don't exactly get along, in case you didn't know."

"But you're--"

"Don't argue with me, Kittysoo." Chen gave his friend his trademark sly smirk.

The line to the counter was long, but it moved quickly, and Kyungsoo found himself at the front in a matter of minutes. Hye-mi wiped her hands off on her apron. 

"Oh, Soo!" She grinned. "Good to see you? Where's Kai?"

"Kai's got a dance thing right now."

"You don't have anything?"

"Nah, I'm done for the day. I brought another friend with me, though." Kyungsoo looked over his shoulder at Chen. "His name is Jongdae, but he's..." He trailed off.

A completely foreign look had crossed Chen's face, and Kyungsoo couldn't quite place what it was. All he knew was that it definitely wasn't Trolling Chen, and it was a little troubling.

"His name's Jongdae?" Hye-mi repeated.

Kyungsoo turned his focus back on the barista. "Uh, yeah. But everyone calls him Chen, because he's one of three people in Chinese Studies."

"I've got a friend who's last name is Chen," Hye-mi said, shrugging. "It's not the same thing, but, well."

"It counts," Chen said, voice a little higher than usual. "It's j-just a name, I guess."

Hye-mi smiled shyly and tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "That's right."

Kyungsoo glanced between Hye-mi and Chen with the sense that something complicated was happening.

They ordered quickly (at Beom-seok's urging), with Chen silent the whole time. It was only as they walked back to the dorms, fighting against the wind that had picked up, that Chen finally spoke.

"Who was that?" he asked.

Kyungsoo nearly dropped the two drinks he was holding at the sudden question. "S ."

"Sorry."

"That was Hye-mi," Kyungsoo said, regaining his composure quickly and shifting the hot drinks into more stable positions. "She's a college student who works six to eight and weekends at the café."

"College student," Chen murmured. 

Kyungsoo looked sideways at his friend. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why're you interested?"

Chen forced a chuckle. "Heh...no reason. She's pretty."

Kyungsoo stared, then turned his attention back onto the sidewalk ahead of him, smiling. "...guess so."

"Did she dye her hair?"

"I think she bleached it."

"It's pretty. Are her eyes naturally light brown like that?"

"Yeah."

"They're pretty."

"I think this is the first time I've ever heard you say the word pretty outside of the context of teasing me."

Chen opened his mouth, as if to protest, then shut it with a click audible over the wind. 

"Ahh." Kyungsoo leaned towards Chen. "Looks like somebody's got a crush."

"Shut the f up."

"You're not denying it."

"Stop acting like a seventh grader."

"You're not denying it!"

Chen stumbled over a rock, swore, and stopped walking. "I don't get crushes, Soo," he said, almost pleadingly. "What is this? I just met her ten minutes ago!" With a grunt, he kicked the rock away, and it tumbled over into the street.

Kyungsoo paused in his walking. "Whoa, Chen, calm down."

The fox hybrid tipped his head back and drank down half of his juice, wiping away the drops that had spilled out onto his chin. "I don't even like apple juice," he groaned.

"So why the h did you order it?"

"I had to say something, didn't I? Or I'd look like an idiot."

A car zipped by, going way over the speed limit, and Chen grimaced.

Kyungsoo turned fully to face his friend. "Why is this bothering you so much? It's not like you're required to marry her because you think she's cute."

"It's not just...cute or not," Chen said breathelessly, shaking his hands in desperation. "It's like, I really want to...have her, like, I want her to be mine. I don't know. Like, like, like..." He whined. 

Kyungsoo's thoughts clicked. "When you saw Hye-mi," he said slowly. "Did you feel like you wanted to protect her? At any cost?"

"Yes!" Chen snapped and pointed. "I want to keep her safe. I want her to feel like she belongs with me. That." He sighed, smiling. "My mind is clearer."

"Ever heard of matches, Chen?"

Chen's smile disappeared. "You mean like you and Kai?"

"Yeah."

For a long moment, the only sound was of wind-rustled leaves.

"Soo, to be honest," Chen finally said. "I'm not sure I believe in matches."

"Why not?"

"It seems like it's too good to be true. It's like...the archetype of true love in young adult novels. How it works out all perfect and pretty and flowers. Really, it doesn't seem like it can happen in real life. I'm a skeptic, if you will." 

"Chen, you don't need to use fancy literature words. I get it." Kyungsoo sipped delicately from his smoothie, using it as a distraction to think. "Well, it's weird," he continued. "And I'm not sure I even know how it works. But it does, somehow. Jongin and I just work together. And it's like, feeling like we need each other because...I don't know how to say it. Uh." 

Chen waited patiently as Kyungsoo cast about for words.

"You know, it's knowing that even though you can't really trust anyone completely in this world, you believe in the other person. Even when everything is falling apart you feel like that person is going to be able to put you back together, and it's feeling like you could do the same for them. And even though it's a feeling that develops over time in a regular relationship, with a match, it happens pretty much the moment you see that person...does that make any sense?" 

Chen stared at Kyungsoo for a few heartbeats, then broke into a dazzling smile. "Yeah," he said. "It does."

The next day, Chen was waiting for Kyungsoo outside of his English class. 

"Hey, Soo." He waved.

"What're you doing here?" 

"Waiting for my friend, obviously." Chen's left ear flicked, betraying his nerves.

Baekhyun came up behind Kyungsoo. "Hey, Daisy!"

"I told you to stop fing calling me Daisy!"

Baekhyun cackled and darted away.

"Why are you really here, Chen?" Kyungsoo asked, stepping closer to Chen to let other people move through the hallway. 

"I can't stop thinking about Hye-mi, Soo, and it's really screwing with me," Chen replied, putting his face in his hands.

"Do you want to go see her?"

"No."

"You should."

"I'll make a fool of myself."

"Well, I'll make sure you don't."

"No, you won't." Chen folded his arms. "Me meeting Hye-mi again isn't going to make me stop thinking about her."

"Well, you can't right now anyways, so you might as well see the real thing." Before Chen could object again, Kyungsoo put a finger up. "Meet me at the café at six. You're going to be out of singing by then anyways."

Chen pursed his lips, then sighed. "Make it six-thirty."

When six-thirty rolled around, Kyungsoo found himself sitting alone at the couch, save for the cat curled up next to him and the dog at his feet.

Beom-seok came by to wipe off a nearby, just-vacated table. "Waiting for someone?" he said.

"Yeah. A friend. Not Kai, though."

"Gotcha. You gonna order?"

"I'll do that when my friend gets here."

"Cool."

A light snow had started to fall, tiny white flakes drifting about before landing on the window and falling. Kyungsoo half-heartedly scratched behind the cat's ear, the other part of his mind on where Chen was.

Hye-mi seemed on edge too, looking up every time someone came in or out and jumping when another worker tapped her on the shoulder. 

I wonder if humans have matches too.

Finally, at 6:57, Kyungsoo stood up, tired of waiting and craving a triple berry smoothie with extra banana.

At that exact moment, the bell at the front door rang, and Chen walked in, breathing heavily.

And looking very different.

His hair, usually a mess and all over the place, was swept across his forehead and neatly combed, revealing the natural black underlayers. The boxy glasses were replaced by contacts, and the tee shirt Chen had been wearing that morning was replaced by a nice grey v-neck sweater Kyungsoo had never seen before, layered over a lavender button down and with the collar pulled through (though the jeans stayed).

If Chen hadn't been one of Kyungsoo's closest friends, Kyungsoo would have thought he was hot. 

"Soo," the fox hybrid gasped out. "I'm late, I'm sorry. Had to--go back to the dorm--and--and get--"

"Don't die on me," Kyungsoo deadpanned.

Chen managed a laugh and bent over, hands on his knees. "Oh, G-d, I could go for a drink right now."

Kyungsoo glanced over at Hye-mi, who was staring at Chen with a dumbstruck look. "I, uh, was waiting for you to get here before ordering."

"I'm gonna sit. Get me a lemonade." Chen fell back into a nearby chair, nearly knocking a bird off of its perch.

Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow but complied, waiting quietly on line to the counter.

Hye-mi gave him a strange look when Kyungsoo reached the counter. "You two came yesterday, didn't you?" she asked. 

"Yeah. He, uh, wanted to come again. He...likes dogs."

Hye-mi nodded, eyes flickering over to where Chen sat. "Dogs are nice. Triple berry smoothie for you?"

"And a lemonade for Chen."

"Right."

She reached for a cup, accidentally tipping over one of the menu trifolds. Hye-mi cursed under her breath, then smiled. "How about you sit down? I'll bring the stuff to you." 

"That's fine."

Kyungsoo joined Chen at the table, where Chen was tickling a bird.

"I like this place," the fox hybrid said.

"Good."

They sat in a pensive silence, broken when Hye-mi came over with the tray of drinks.

"Smoothie for Soo, and a lemonade for Chen." She placed the glasses before their respective owners, then added a small bowl of fruit. "On the house."

Chen looked up at her and smiled a heart-melting smile. "Thank you, Hye-mi."

The human barista blushed a little, then nodded and went back to the counter.

Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow. "Since when were you a ladykiller?"

Chen stuffed a strawberry into Kyungsoo's mouth. "Not now. I can't feel my legs."

Kyungsoo bit off half of the strawberry and let the other half drop onto a napkin. "Chen, just breathe. It's gonna be fine."

"Okay. Yeah. Fine. I'm breathing." Chen dropped his head onto his arms. "F this. I don't know what to do."

"Relax. I'll figure it out."

Kyungsoo looked over at where Hye-mi was wiping off a table. "Hey, Hye-mi?"

Chen's head shot up, and his eyes widened.

"Hye-mi, can you come over here?"

"Oh." The girl wiped her hands off on a napkin and moved to stand beside Kyungsoo and Chen, tying her honey hair up expertly as she walked. "What do you two need?"

"Nah, just want to talk." Kyungsoo pulled out the chair next to him. "Are you free?"

Hye-mi glanced over her shoulder at the counter. Beom-seok stood alone there, but no customers were waiting. "Yeah, I think so." She sat down slowly.

"Chen doesn't have a lot of friends, and he wants to make some," Kyungsoo said, orchestrating the lie as he spoke. "I told him you were a good person to start with."

Hye-mi's mouth fell open, then closed, and Chen stuttered out something unintelligible. 

"Oh," Hye-mi said. "I, uh...I'm sorry?"

Chen smiled awkwardly and shot Kyungsoo a look that said I'll deal with you later.

"Yeah," the fox hybrid mumbled. "I'm k-kinda lonely..."

Hye-mi returned the smile, with just as much awkwardness. "I, uh, I guess I am too..."

Kyungsoo laughed to himself.

"So, uh, Hye-mi, do you like m-music?" Chen ran a hand through his hair, trying for a cool look that fell spectacularly short when a few strands refused to return to their positions.

Hye-mi ducked her head. "Well, I sing a little."

Kyungsoo watched as Chen visibly relaxed, now on familiar ground. "What voice part?"

"Soprano one."

"Wow. Do you have a coach?"

"No, but I'm in my school's a cappella group."

"That's really cool. I'm thinking of majoring in music."

"Are you and Kyungsoo both in sophomore year?" Hye-mi leaned forward, also warming to the conversation. "You've still got time to think about your major."

"Yeah, I guess. But I never...I'm not good at much else. So I'm probably just going to be a music teacher."

"I'm sure you're good at something. I'm a college freshman, and I thought I was bad at history, but now I think that's what I'm going to major in. You never know."

Chen tilted his head. "Right. That's true."

"But that's pretty cool. You and Kyungsoo are both music people. Maybe you guys will just stay together and become famous singers." Hye-mi laughed. 

"Oh, I can't sing." Chen held up his hands.

"That's bulls ," Kyungsoo objected.

Hye-mi nodded. "If you're going into music..."

"Okay, correction. I'm bad at pop music."

"This guy once won a TV show competition," Kyungsoo said, looking over at Hye-mi. "For a cappella groups."

"I didn't win that! I was just the soloist!"

"And guess what I was? You got Best Soloist!"

"But you were there too!"

"As a tenor one!"

Hye-mi was suppressing a smile. "So both of you sing."

Chen dropped his head down onto his arms.

Beom-seok called out Hye-mi's name, and she stood up. "Well, I've got to go, boys. But..." She pulled a pen out from her apron pocket and scribbled something on a napkin, then handed the napkin to Chen. "That's my contact info. If you ever feel particularly lonely...well, let me know." Hye-mi smiled shyly, then returned to her place behind the counter.

Chen looked down at the napkin, then up at Hye-mi's retreating back, then at Kyungsoo. A grin crept across his face, and he grabbed Kyungsoo's hand.

"She gave me her number," he whisper-shouted. "Hye-mi gave me her number!"

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes but smiled back. "Good for you, you idiot."

A dog ran up to Chen and barked, and he lifted the creature up.

"I got a girl's number!" he said to it.

The dog wagged its tail.