"So you're saying that this guy came four days in a row," Baekhyun taps his lips, visibly deep in thought. "And he keeps giving you weird looks. But he didn't come yesterday."

"Yes," Kyungsoo hands a cookie to a girl that giggles and drops the coins in his palm before bouncing off.

Baekhyun leans closer to Kyungsoo and their thighs press up together but Kyungsoo doesn't move away because he's used to it. Baekhyun was never a strong believer of personal space.

"I think he wants your cookies," Baekhyun stage whispers.

"He said that he doesn't like sweet stuff."

"No, Kyungsoo," He places his hands on either side of Kyungsoo's hips and trails them up, brushing his fingers against Kyungsoo's ribs suggestively. "Your cookies."

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes and swats Baekhyun's hands away impatiently.

"You're ridiculous."

"You asked for my opinion, didn't you?" Baekyhun steals another cookie and shoves it in his mouth.

"Pay up."

Baekhyun tries to throw a couple of coins down Kyungsoo's collar but miscalculates his throw and ends up lobbing them at Kyungsoo’s face. The cold metal bounces off the bridge of Kyungsoo’s nose.

"…Oops"

Kyungsoo looks up at Baekhyun calmly, “Get ready to die.”

Kyungsoo reaches out and Baekyhun scuttles away with a shriek. Kyungsoo is moments away from trapping Baekhyun in a headlock when he notices a familiar figure approaching. He straightens up, smoothing his fringe down, and Baekhyun sidles up next to him like hot glue.

“Move,” Kyungsoo hisses.

He pushes on Baekhyun's shoulder, trying to move the boy to a normal distance, but Baekhyun wraps himself around Kyungsoo's elbow like a slippery sort of eel and refuses to budge.

"Is that him?" Baekhyun trills.

"Get off!"

"Jealousy is the best indicator," Baekyhun says wisely, unwinding his grip but clamping his hand on Kyungsoo's thigh instead.

Kyungsoo wants to ask him what the hell he's talking about but doesn't manage to because Jongin’s legs are really very long and Kyungsoo barely manages to plaster a big smile on his face before he comes up to them.

The look on Jongin's face is absolutely devoid of all emotion and is an indicator for absolutely nothing and Kyungsoo swears that he's going to make Baekhyun pay.

"Hello!" Baekhyun greets him happily. "I'm Byun Baekhyun, Kyungsoo's good friend."

Each word is dripping with sensuality as thick as honey, and Kyungsoo directs a withering glare in his direction.

Jongin shifts from leg to leg. His hair is swept to one side, a cream white turtleneck reaching up to the corner of his jaw.

"Jongin,” he says curtly.

"How are you today?" Kyungsoo asks him, his voice overly bright.

Jongin shrugs and the plastic bag in his hand sways from left to right, "You?"

Kyungsoo feels like the right side of his face would burn off from the intensity of his fake smile, "I'm good."

"That's... good."

Why didn't you come yesterday?

Kyungsoo keeps smiling.

"Well, I have to go, so..." Jongin puts the plastic bag in front of Kyungsoo's makeshift counter. "I didn't know you'd have company, so I got only one. Um. I really have to go now.”

Jongin takes a step back just as Kunygsoo takes out the glass of bubble tea with a smile, and a small piece of paper flutters out.

“Wait, Jongin, there’s something-”

When Kyungsoo looks up Jongin is staring at the piece of paper with an expression that can only be described as abject horror. Kyungsoo twists the paper around, expecting to find some sort of a nasty bug there.

Jongin lets out a low pitched whine.

“I… I really have – dance practice and- I’ll see you tomorrow. If you want to. Maybe- I. Bye.”  

He marches off with a straight spine.

“What’s got his in a twist?” Baekyhun muses, his voice filled with mischief.

Kyungsoo lifts up the paper so it covers up the glare of the sun and squints at the squiggly letters.

If you’re reading this, it means I’ve chickened out again.

Good going, Jongin.

Honestly, I don’t know what to tell you. I haven’t been coming over for Tao. I actually haven’t seen Tao since the first time I met you.

Um, this stuff is not important. I’m just trying to stall. Honestly, I know I haven’t been very cool. Or nice. But I’d appreciate it if you could overlook that and think about maybe giving me a chance and -

The next part is heavily inked out, crossed over and blotted. Kyungsoo squints through the black lines.

Do you want to hang out tomorrow maybe? Go to dinner with me. See a movie? Grab a coffee after work. Do you maybe want to go on a date with me tomorrow any time at sll? when you’re free?

My number: xxx-xxx-xxx

-Jongin

“Looky-looky,” Baekhyun says over his shoulder smugly, breath ticking Kyungsoo’s neck uncomfortably. “Seems like I was righty-righty again.”

Kyungsoo crumples the note into his hand and shoves it out of sight, glaring furiously at Baekhyun’s gleeful face, “Don’t look!”

Baekhyun grin widens until it takes over his entire face.

“Are you blushing?” He presses a cold palm onto Kyungsoo’s cheek and squeals. “You are! You so are! Man, I gotta tell Yeol right now-”

“No, you don’t-” Kyungsoo makes a grab for Baekhyun but his body is still jittery and sluggish from the contents of Jongin’s note and Baekhyun slips right through his fingers.

The speed with which Baekhyun dials Chanyeol probably breaks a Guinness World Record.

“Yeol, you won’t believe this – no, I don’t care about your dog, listen to me for a moment – yeah, I know, but – LOOK, KYUNGSOO IS GETTING MARRIED. TO A MAN.”

“What,” Kyungsoo intones, but his response is drowned in the frantic yelling coming from Baekhyung’s phone.

“I swear to God, Chan, Kyungsoo blushed – yes, turned red like a beet. I know, I know,” Baekhyung lowers his phone, looking over at Kyungsoo. He pushes it towards him, the letters Pork Chonyal <3 glimmering on the display. “He wants to talk to you.”

“Soo,” Chanyeol says frantically over the speaker. “You need to use protection. Stay safe like mama always used to tell you, and if you ever get haemorrhoids, just-”

Kyungsoo taps the end call button before he can hear the end of that sentence.

“Aw,” Baekhyun withdraws his hand, looking at the screen with a tiny pout. A second passes and he shoves his phone down his pocket with a joyful, “Nevermind!”

He gets down on his knees, crawling up to Kyungsoo until their faces are inches apart.

“You gotta let me do your eyeliner tomorrow.”

“E-Eyeliner?”

Baekhyun lets out a choked up noise.

“Okay, okay. I got this,” Baekhyun looks at him with a scary glint in his eye. “You finish work at 7 pm, right? I’ll be at your place at 7.35 sharp. I want you showered and with your face washed. Tell your lover man to pick you up at 9.”

“Nine?” Kyungsoo gapes at Baekhyun. “What do you need that much time for?”

Baekhyun clucks his tongue and flicks Kyungsoo’s forehead gently, “Masterpieces don’t happen in five minutes, sweets.”

He gets up before Kyungsoo can reciprocate with a less gentle flick of his own, and jumps to the side with a spring in his step.

“I’ll be taking care of your get-up too, so text me with your sizes,” Baekhyun blows him a kiss, “Oh, don’t forget to douche. Toodles!”

Kyungsoo stares after Baekhyun’s retreating figure, goose bumps littering his skin. When he’s regained his nerves, he straightens out the note and reads it again. He looks at the curved numbers, memorizing them quickly.

 Kyungsoo takes out his flip phone, typing in Jongin’s number.

Sent: “can you pick me up at nine at this address? kyungsoo”

It takes exactly 4 minutes and 23 seconds for Jongin’s reply to come.

Jongin: “I’ll be there!! See you!! (>--<)”

Another one, seconds after.

Jongin: “Sorry!! How old are you???”

Sent: “my birthday is on the 12^th of January 1993”

Jongin: “Mine is two days later!!! A year before though! See you tomorrow, hyung!!”

Jongin: “Is it okay to call you that? OTL”

Sent: “kekekeke. its fine. :-)”

Jongin: “Rest well after work, hyung!!”

Kyungsoo pushes his face into his phone, half certain that he’s living in a bizarre dream of a sort where Jongin is two different people at once. He’s flustered right up to the end of his shift and walks home in a daze, almost walking into a lamp post when his phone buzzes.

Jongin: “Is work over yet?”

Sent: “im walking home just now”

Kyungsoo sticks on a smiley face just for good measure.

Jongin: “I hope you sleep well!”

It takes Kyungsoo a minute to think up a response, and in the end, he decides for an uninspired: “You too.”

It’s the first time Kyungsoo has wished that he had dated more in high school.

Kyungsoo stays up late that night, reading through the same couple of messages until he falls asleep with his phone clutched tightly in his hand.