Part I: Iced Caramel Macchiato

Kyungsoo is petite, with a bright face and impressionable eyes. His short-cropped brown hair and calm demeanor seem ordinary and endearing. In some ways, they are. People flock to Kyungsoo like butterflies to nectar, and although he isn't the most sociable of people, Kyungsoo finds comfort his close-knit group of friends. He is content in his stable environment: the easy pace of his life, the bustle of the city, and the scent of apple cinnamon frappuccinos from the café down the street are constants he wouldn't trade for anything.

。。。

It's a crisp autumn day when Yixing drags Kyungsoo to their university’s annual festival. Kyungsoo had said no countless times, but nobody could really say no to Zhang Yixing.

“Kyungsoo, do you ever wonder if people see colors in the same way as you? What if we're all trained to perceive colors under a certain label? What if blue’s actually green and vice-versa?” Yixing ponders.

“Yixing, I'm sure you didn't lug me here to talk about unanswerable questions on color theory,”

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes and smiles fondly at Yixing as they walk toward the food stalls.

“Let’s grab a bite to eat before we ponder on psychological wonders. I didn’t come to the festival to do a thesis paper.”

Yixing nods and smiles.

“Can we please have-”

“Italian?”

Yixing seems to light up, and his grin is blinding.

“You know me so well, Kyungsoo.”

。。。

As Yixing is busy polishing off the last bits of his shrimp scampi, Kyungsoo waits quietly.

“This is amazing,” Yixing declares. “I thought the dance club was full of fire-starters and burnt toast worshippers, but I have been proven wrong. This is amazing.”

Yixing slams his palms on the table, raises himself up, and strides toward the Italian booth with a 10,000 megawatt smile. Kyungsoo, being rather used to Yixing’s antics, stands up with a sigh and trails behind the elder.

As Kyungsoo approaches the booth, Yixing is chatting furiously with one of the senior dance members, Minseok. Kyungsoo doesn't catch much of their conversation, but the bits and pieces he does hear intrigues him. Yixing is talking about Kim Junmyeon. Again.

From the way Yixing spoke of him, anyone

would believe Kim Junmyeon was an angel descended from the heavens. “Kim Junmyeon is so caring, so sweet, so handsome, so brilliant, so intelligent” etc.; Yixing could rave for hours on end about the “impossibly handsome and gentle hearted” dorm leader.

Kyungsoo begs to differ. Although Kim Junmyeon is indeed kind, (and good looking, Kyungsoo grudgingly admits) he isn't the kindest person on campus.

Junmyeon is handsome, but he isn't the sharpest face around.

What Kyungsoo will admit to, however, is that Kim Junmyeon is one of those unique geniuses. He's a star in the biology department, and the brightest one in Yixing’s eyes. (Kyungsoo will be damned if his Junmyeon breaks his best friend’s heart.)

。。。

Yixing is finishing up his conversation when he finally notices Kyungsoo.

“Kyungsoo!” Yixing stammers. “How long have you been standing here?”

Kyungsoo shakes his head and lets out a small chuckle.

“Yixing, I already know about your infatuation with Kim Junmyeon. It's alrigh-”

As Kyungsoo is mid-sentence, Yixing lunges over to him and slaps his hand over Kyungsoo’s mouth.

“Kyungsoo, Junmyeon could be anywhere!” Yixing hisses as Kyungsoo tries to pry Yixing’s hand off his mouth.

“Alright, alright, I will refrain from talking about your “Mr. Perfect” in public.”

Yixing gives Kyungsoo a pointed stare and raises his pinky finger.

“Promise?”

Kyungsoo holds back a laugh and hooks his pinky with Yixing’s.

“Alright. Promise.”

Yixing is seemingly satisfied and returns to chat with Minseok, although the topic now is much more mundane.

“Hey Minseok,” Yixing says. “Can you mix up another shrimp scampi?”

Minseok scratches his he