heyoo, i’ve noticed that most of you weren’t aware i double updated the last time (because the view count in chapter XIII is much lesser than chapter XIV—and that’s kinda my fault sorry xD) so, yeah, go read C.XIII first if you haven’t! :)

Baekhyun scrambles to lock the boys' comfort room, chest heaving and face burning crimson. He holds a hand over his rampaging heart, fanning his face with his other hand. He isn’t given the time to organize his thoughts when he catches sight of Jongin standing almost creepily in the corner of the sink nearby.

“AH!” Baekhyun lets out a startled scream, which in turn, also shocks the living out of his best friend.

“YAH!” Jongin yells, pathetically throwing an empty tissue roll toward Baekhyun’s direction. For a second there, he thought he’d be having a heart attack. “Why did you have to shout? You scared me!”

“You scared me!” Baekhyun accuses back, kicking the tissue roll with a pout on his little lips. “What are you doing there, anyways? And why’s your face red?”

“My face? You should see your face!” Jongin softly exclaims in wonder. Baekhyun suddenly runs out of words to speak. He leans his back against the door, breathing out heavily.

“Kyungsoo’s here.”

It takes a few beats for Jongin’s mind to fully process that. “…And?”

Baekhyun holds eye contact with his best friend, before he begins to whine and conceal his face with his warm hands. “Well, he came for me! He wanted to talk to me! But I didn’t want to so I decided to leave but—but then he pulled me and I fell down on his lap and he started to hug me and all that an-and basically he harassed me—Jesus, I’m leaving the country!”

Jongin stands blandly near the edge of the sink with his brows furrowed. He looks like he is trying to solve such a perplexing mathematical problem. “Are you really not going to talk to him?”

“I’d rather die…!” Baekhyun’s frown stretches longer. He’s like a child throwing a tantrum because he didn’t get what he wanted. “I don’t talk to people I hate!”

“But he doesn’t know why you’re avoiding him and that’s confusing him,” Jongin worries his lower lip between teeth. “He’s going to ask you again and again until you give in. You know how persistent he can be.”

“I don’t care. If he comes near me again, I’ll file a restraining order on him!” Baekhyun’s huffy expression pulls a tiny smile on Jongin’s lips. It just feels really strange how Baekhyun once used to be so head over heels for Kyungsoo and now, he can’t even bear being near him.

Baekhyun notices that Jongin is looking a little too timid right now and he keeps on glancing at the body-length mirror, checking something behind his back.

“Um…Baekkie…” Jongin mumbles, hand automatically scratching his arm. His blush is spreading across his cheeks like a wildfire. “This dress, um…do you think it’s short?”

Baekhyun throws his best friend a once over, face scrunching in confusion. “Uh, you got the longest dress amongst us, remember?”

There is nothing Jongin can respond back to that so he opts to play with the hem of his apron, looking much like a ripe cherry. “You look so red.”

“Earlier, they…” Jongin is growing shyer the more the seconds tick by. “I mean—Sehun…and…uh…Chanyeol…I served them earlier…they said my dress is too short…”

This time, it's Baekhyun’s turn to give Jongin smile. Though it seems a bit whimsical. “Oh really?”

Jongin, oblivious to the knowing gleam in his best friend’s eyes and the teasing smirk that comes with it, nods in response. “And Sehun said I should change it or…he’ll tie the table cloth around me…? I think they don’t like what I’m wearing. It must be annoying them.”

“Yeah, because you’re making our customers drool with those legs,” Baekhyun murmurs. Jongin’s forehead creases.

“What…?”

“Nothing,” Baekhyun answers in a smooth tone, lips stretching into a sly smile. “I said yeah, maybe they don’t like it because it’s too bright for their eyes.”

“Do I need to change—”

“No! No, absolutely no,” Baekhyun isn’t even surprised how Jongin still hasn’t caught up with his expressions yet. His best friend is a little bit slow in that department. “Your dress is fine, don’t change it. Plus, you’ve only served them once. It’s not like they’re going to come back again, so you don’t need to change. Now come on, we’ve got more work to do.”

***

“Let’s take a break, guys!”

The moment the last player walks out of their booth, Chanyeol whoops in delight, taking off his heavy head gear in an instant. Most of his classmates are scattered in different areas, their elaborate and astounding costumes causing other students to turn their head towards their direction. No one can blame them, really. Class 6-A has done an excellent effort setting up such an eye-catching booth.

“Where’s Sehun?” Chanyeol pokes one of his classmates on the back, asking for his best friend’s whereabouts. In the process, he throws a flirtatious wink at one of the random blushing sophomores that passed by him after he catches her staring at him.

“He’s still inside helping pres with the equipment for later.”

“If he looks for me, just tell him I’ll be at the canteen.”

“Sure, man.”

Along the way towards the cafeteria, Chanyeol encounters his usual ‘fangirls and fanboys’ asking him for a picture or two with them. Even though it’s his first time doing a cosplaying concept, in his opinion this is pretty cool. The costumes, games and prizes their booth have organized makes their booth the most visited one in the high school department. They mostly have male players seeing as their booth’s an RPG one, and the only reason why females constantly flock their booth is because word has spread that Class 6-A have ‘pretty ing hot visuals’, or something like that.

Anyway, their booth has been operating since this morning and playing as a rogue and thief simultaneously in the game makes Chanyeol crave for food, so much that he doesn’t even bother waiting for his best friend. He almost took one of their player’s smoothie earlier, if not for Taeyeon being such a party pooper. She basically smacked his head and led the player away from him before he could apply his character’s theft abilities for real.

Once Chanyeol enters the cafeteria, squeals and excited murmurs fill the air. Chanyeol smiles at those who are about to approach him, but he stealthily dodges their way before they can get to him. Right now, getting food is his top priority and he’ll let no one get in his way—

“Thank you!”

Chanyeol stops dead in his tracks once his vision falls on a very familiar shorter boy wearing a floral dress, struggling to keep those juice bottles from dropping down the tiled floor. Chanyeol all of a sudden feels as though he swallowed his own tongue while he studies Jongin walking slowly, his body almost hunched while he holds at least ten cold bottles in his arms. He’s still as gorgeous as yesterday with his long brown hair and painted face. If anything, he looks even more feminine with that flower crown perched on top of his head and his overall islander style.

Jongin is oblivious to his presence, no matter the squeals surrounding them and his imposing costume. Only when Chanyeol approaches him, does Jongin realize that someone is blocking his way.

“Excuse me—” Jongin looks up with a pleading smile, only for it to fall off and be replaced with shock. Chanyeol finds it hilarious, the way Jongin’s eyes widen in fright and his mouth parts to release a small, shaky gasp. He even seems to forget his words.

“Looks like you need help,” Chanyeol sniggers, tilting his head sidewards after lowering his elevated collar. Jongin’s expression changes from terrified, to confused in just a split second. The younger looks at him searchingly.

“Chan-hyung?” Jongin’s eyebrows skyrocket. Even though the person in front of him looks anything but Chanyeol, especially with those spooky crimson irises and long midnight hair, he can recognize that voice everywhere.

“The one and only,” Chanyeol winks. Jongin splutters, incredulous. For a second there, he totally didn’t recognize him. Chanyeol looks way too intimidating and scary and tall and different and—well, handsome. Really handsome.

“You look…” Jongin is at lost for words, taking in the older guy’s costume in awe. Disbelief and astonishment amalgamate in his eyes and it causes Chanyeol’s smile to widen.

“What, never seen a dashing demi-god before?” Chanyeol arcs a brow, lifting his arm to flex his biceps. Several girls around them squeal at him blatantly showing off one of his assets. Pink creeps up on Jongin’s cheeks.

“You’re so embarrassing,” Jongin bites his lower lip, stifling his laughter. He adjusts the bottles in his arms once more, because they’re about to fall off. Chanyeol sees his struggle and begins taking bottle after bottle from Jongin, until only three are left in the younger’s grasp.

“So, our destination’s to Haweewee, yeah?” Chanyeol glances at Jongin as they start walking. He hears Jongin giggling softly from beside him.

“Your costume is very cool, hyung,” Jongin thoughtfully says, looking around. “It scared me at first, though.”

“Trust me, I saw,” The image of Jongin’s frightened expression earlier is still clear inside Chanyeol’s head and it's a shame he didn’t get to take a picture of it. “ Heechul mentioned to me earlier about your café’s next concept being Hawaiian and I honestly thought you’d be wearing less than that.” He gives Jongin’s ankle-length dress a once over.

“Less than this?” Jongin blinks. Then his grin appears in a flash. “What, you thought we’re going to wear some luau costume?”

“Well, isn’t that supposed to be what you should wear when you’re in Hawaii?” Chanyeol asks back, sporting a playful grin of his own.

“My classmates aren’t really interested in wearing coconut bras and hula skirts,” Jongin laughs. It was originally planned to be their costume, but Baekhyun said the boys had already shown enough skin as it is and it’s not necessary for them to reveal more. Most boys strongly agreed with his complaint and although the girls pleaded for Ms. Hwang to stick to the plan, their adviser had no choice. The girls were extremely disappointed and the boys rejoiced, to say the least.

“Why did you buy so many bottled juice, anyway?” Chanyeol asks once they enter the middle school department. All eyes are on him, as expected.

“We ran out of coffee. The next batch will be delivered later than usual so we’ll just stick to these for now.” Jongin responds, glancing down at the bottles he is holding. Chanyeol holds eight of them and he’s not even struggling. Jongin is in awe.

When they reach the café booth, it’s still as crowded like yesterday.