Morning is approaching an early noon. Youngjae is taking a way back down evolutional road and approacing resemblance with a beast.

He’s got a lot of work to do but what is he busy with right now?

Sure.

He is tapping space button, the longest one on his keyboard, violently, face thoughtful, until he mutters “ the ” loud enough to have Himchan catching an obvious message Youngjae has sent to the boss.

Something like “You gotta do Jung Daehyun wrong this time”.

And besides: “You know who is to be blamed when I’m not able to finish it in time”

Slightly Himchan nodes over the papers he’s filling but it’s clear the boss tries to avoid admitting their work is being menaced by Jung Daehyun late arrivals.

Himchan never panics.

At least he doesn’t do it just to be a drama queen like Youngjae does.

“ the ”, Youngjae repeats.

Due to some mistake (“Minor mistake…” Daehyun would correct in apologetic voice) in code back-end server can’t be started and the whole web-application hangs lifeless displaying login page on monitor screen.

A lively yet simply good looking login form Youngjae coded with his own hands (oh, his beautiful skilled hands now playing with space button fiercely!) about a year ago when they just started working on this project.

While looking at the screen Yongjae decides to move “SUBMIT” button a bit of approximately 5 pixels down. That is what it needs to be perfect.

Worthy to mention that: Youngjae wears snowy white leatherette boots. He likes white. He hates when it rains.

There is no way to log in application until Jung fixes his “minor mistake” so Youngjae adjusts “SUBMIT” using browser developer tool, then changes CSS stylesheet.

“Woah”, says Jungup from behind a window where he stands watching the street below. “Here he is”

Himchan lets out a desperate sigh.

It’s 12:10.

“ the ”, says Yougjae for the 3^rd time pressing “Ctrl+S” severely enough to make his keyboard LOUD and DISAPPROVING.

With appealing “So-o-o-o-o-o-sorry” Daehyun rushes in.

“I’m so sorry fixing water pipe took all the morning”, he explains primarily to Himchan (and a bit of apology is addressed to a friendly Jungup, too). Yougjae massively snorts at being ignored. “I should have known better”

“Okay”, Himchan nodes and it’s hard to say if he is angry for a little bit or just plays bossy. “Let us finally start working, will you?”

“Sure”, Daehuyn’s smile is more charming than normal though even normal is too bright in Youngjae’s opinion.

He turns in his chair towards his monitor and unlocks the PC.

Sound of keyboard’s buttons being d professionally fast is loud and pleasant.

Youngjae still looks at him.

Himchan’s backend developer is a handsome, lively and flamboyant boy on the verge of becoming a handsome, lively and flamboyant man at his twenty eight.

He is known for his light attitude but Yougjae would rather call him lightweighted. Or windy.

It doesn’t matter. You can choose any word to describe a swinging pendulum and will finish accurately fine describing him.

“Done!” says Daehyun in barely a minute. “Just a…”

“Minor mistake”, continues Jungup for him, laughing.

Yougjae tries to login. Welcome page (also coded by him) loads instantly.

But Youngjae still casts meaningful glance at Himchan.

As if he’s saying “DO something”.

Himchan turns away.

Even more irritated Youngjae types a message“You’re a brainless” and sends it via jabber chat.

“I’m so-o-o hungry”, complains Daehyun to Jungup. “I missed the breakfast”.

Maybe he has not seen the message. Maybe he’s ignoring.

It’s early spring that they are having a corporative party to celebrate completion of that great project they were working on for more than a year and a half.

The long-awaited party is enjoyed  by everyone and as long as whole total of real coding work has been done by him (and Daehyun – he has to admit) Yougjae feels free to use buzz to relax as he deserves it.

He is clever enough to keep himself in the opposite to where Daehyun hangs out corner of a bar and tonight can considered to be really great.

“What is next?” Yougjae asks Yongguk’s back. An aluminum bottle cracks in his right hand as he takes a sip.

“Excuse me?” re-asks Youngguk, fully turning his body to subordinate.

Youngjae notices he was looking at Himchan who argues enthusiastically with Daehyun over bar counter. Like a madman Jungup giggles over them.

“The next project”, Youngjae explains. “What it will be like?”

“I dunno”, shrugs Youngguk, his glance still glued to Himchan’s flourish arms. “Maybe we’d work for an ad agency… No papers are signed yet”

From afar it looks like Himchan and Daehyun have an argument.

Whatever it is, Youngguk is surely not pleased.  His clever eyes of a wise old camel narrow in disapproval as he hears drunk, loud and energetic Himchan voice.

Yougjae is, in opposite, happy that someone else (especially a person significant as Yougguk) is irritated by existence of Jung Daehyun who violently hugs Himchan shoulders trying to convince the older man there is something he can do as easily as tear Himchan off from the ground.

“He’s an ”, reminds Youngjae to Youngguk in a soft reassuring voice.

“But still attractive” replies Youngguk.

That was kinda automatic.

Youngguk assumed it was said about Himchan.

“Nah”, scorns Youngjae.

Daehyun? Attractive?

What a bull.

Youngguk turns to him, a bit puzzled, and Youngjae gets it that they misunderstood each other.

Meanwhile at the bar counter Daehyun and Himchan shake hands and Jungup announces loud, “Dealt!”

They have gathered a crown over them.

They have bet on speed of drinking beer. Youngguk’s sigh is almost inaudible when Jungup heats the crowd up with the promise that a wish is at the stake.

Heartfully Youngjae wishes victory to Himchan who’ll probably make Dayhyun dance at the table a kind of private dance. There is no doubt brainless Jung will be humiliated.

No one gets unhumiliated from drunk Kim Himchan.

Two jugs of beer appear or the bar counter, beautiful golden-yellow liquor hooded with suds on the top.

Both rivals hold the grip over their own glass respectfully waiting for Jungup’s “Steady? Ready… Go!” to start gulping the beer as fast as possible.

With all the possible lack of dignity: there are wet traces coming down from corners of Himchan’s mouth to his chin as he throws his head back.

On his neck the adame apple moves sharp and mesmerizing.

Youngjae has no idea how Youngguk is gonna survive over the sight but he’s completely adopted the thought that Himchan’s skinny figure in a black pullover is the most y yet masculine image he’s seen over the years.

He personally enjoys it when Himchan abruptly turns his glass upside down and what is left in there pours out adding to the wet running down his neck.

He slams his empty glass onto the counter desk as a winner.

Few seconds later Daehyun (completely forgotten by Youngjae) finishes his glass, too, complaining, “It was unfair”.

He wipes his mouth with his palm and then points an index finger to the wet collar of Himchan’s black sweater, “That was unfair”

“Lil whimper”, laughs Himchan. “Now be a man”

Jungup shrugs at fooled face of he-deserved-it-all Jung Daehyun saying apologetically “You’ve been ed up. Congrats and sorry”.

The smile on Himchan’s lips turns evil. He’s scanning the audience like a sniper.

He’s looking for a particular goal. Someone who’ll make Jung Daehyun pity his mom born him into this cruel world.

Someone so acid you gotta close your eyes speaking to him.

Someone who deserves some pain in the , too.

Youngjae turns his back to the show which apparently is over by now and is about to ask Youngguk something else on future plans when a husky voice calls his name.

Youngjae makes an irritated face but turns around again to meet narrow, scheming, black fox-like eyes.

“Youngjae is always doing his little spicy comments about you”, speaks Himchan. “And I know they kinda… haunt you”

“That’s not that”, Daehyun defends himself.

But is Himchan there to listen?

“But you shouldn’t get it too close”, he continues. “Youngjae is generally good natured. That’s just his style”

That’s a total lie. Everyone knows Youngjae is simply evil.

Youngjae’s surprised that Himchan is pricing him for nothing. He’s bewildered by a small smile Youngguk lets out looking at him with a pity obvious in his wise camel’s eyes.

“That’s not truth”, Daehyun still argues. “That’s not…”

But he barely manages to free himself from Himchan’s grip.

“So I want you two play a tangerine game”, their boss announces. “To prove there is no hostility”

His smile is vicious.

“NO!” replies Youngjae.

“No-no-no”, Daehyun pleads. “No-no-no”

“C’mon”, persuades Himchan. “That will be fun, won’t it?”

He’s looking over the small crowd around as if asking for support.

People like fun. People like humiliation. People shout, “Tan-ge-ri-ne! Do it!” until orange fruit appears from somewhere passed from hand to hand till it reaches Himchan’s thin white fingers.

“Fine!” says Daehyun aggressively. “That’s not a big deal”

He pulls Youngjae closer (ignoring younger’s killing stare) somewhat too rude to ever forgive. Dragged by a sleeve of his sweater Youngjae is like a rag doll.

Sure he knows why he’s treated like that. Daehyun is showing he’s nothing to him.

Not a friend. Not a colleague. Not a person to care about.

Nobody.

They are not enemies like someone might believed to be, and that someone really should not, so Daehyun friendly grabs Youngjae’s wrists and shakes them until he stands straight in front of him.

This snatch of a bulldog makes Youngjae’s wrists sore but purposefully Daehyun smiles at him so nobody would believe pain Youngjae suffers.

The tangerine is placed between their foreheads by Himchan. He makes few steps back saying, “Now roll it down”.

Beer bitter breath touches Youngjae’s cheek.

“You SMELL”, he hisses.

“Sorry”, Daehyun is outraged. “I could smell worse”

The tangerine moves down a bit. Youngjae has to close his left eye because Daehyun presses fruit to his eyelid.

Youngjae thinks it was done on purpose once again.

“You jackass”, he hisses.

 “Move it yourself “, says Daehyun. “If don’t like it then MOVE IT YOURSELF”

He frees Youngjae’s wrists from his hold.

“That was YOURS stupid bet”, blames Youngjae bending his knees just a little bit.

The tangerine rolls of Daehyun huge noose.

They could lose it but Daehyun quickly presses Youngjae to his chest. The tangerine gets caught between their jaws.

By sudden laughter heard from around Youngjae got to admit the situation is awkward. The pose is intimate.

Besides…

“Off your hands from my ”, hisses Youngjae.

His breath is upheated with rage.

“Can’t”, protests Daehyun. “We’ll lose the tangerine”

More than caring about the stupid game they are playing he is afraid that Youngjae after all will punch him in the face.

That is the least he’s looking forward.

So he keeps his hands where they are – on Youngjae’s tights.

That’s unnerving. His hands burn with heat. Youngjae feels it through his jeans.

“…” whispers Youngjae when tangerine is rolled from his chin and onto his neck.

Their show is gaining success as he can judge by increasing laughter.

Over all the noise Himchan’s husky voice is the most appreciating. He sounds like he’s dying from laughter.

“…” comments Youngjae.

He feels idiotic when he rubs himself over Daehyun’s chest.

“”, echoes Daehyun.

His voice has a little tint of different emotions. Different from rage. Something like excitement.

Yet mostly it’s still rage.

They manage tangerine down to their bellies. Daehyin catches the fruit shining at Himchan a smile so wide that it looks absolutely unnatural.

“Told you we are close”, he says. “We even speak same words”

Obviously he talks the word “” which was repeated astonishing amount of times during tangerine exercise.

Himchan laughs, “I see, I see”.

Like there is dust covering sleeves of his clothes Youngjae his white sweater. God damn programmer left scent of his perfume on him.

Youngjae can’t help but respires sharpness of it, it’s fresh ocean taste.  

He’s afraid he’s doomed to live with the smell for the rest of his life.

“Good for you”, softly mumbles Yongguk into the neck of his bottle.

“As usual” reply Himchan’s eyes.

Youngjae is completely pissed of. Daehyun’s smiles are wide and wild. He’s showing he’s enjoyed their little game with tangerine.

The only one who’s frowning is Youngjae.

The only one who is laughed at is Youngjae.