After cleaning the house, Wonshik went home that night and made Taekwoon promise to do the laundry in the morning. “Okay. I’ll do the laundry tomorrow. Promise. Now go Wonshik. It’s dangerous to go home late in the evening. Be careful okay? Text me the plate number of the taxi then text me when you get home. Text me immediately okay. Promise me?” Taekwoon said with a very stern voice. Wonshik loved how Taekwoon can be so overprotective and worrisome even if he had stayed over so late so often already. He had already heard the same lines over and over but it never gets old. It fascinated Wonshik. He loved it. He cherished these moments. “Yes Sir Taekwoon Sir!” Wonshik announced while giving a salute, a playful smile adorning his lips. “I promise. Get some sleep okay? Text me when you finished your work. Lock the doors. Don’t forget to close the windows, you forgot to lock it last time and you got sick from the cold air because of it.” “Okay. Okay. Now go” Taekwoon said as he pushed his bestfriend outside the door and waved him off.

The next day, Taekwoon woke up early to do the laundry as promised. After washing a massive pile of clothes, he went to his room to finally do some work. It felt nice now that the room was clean. It made him relax a little bit. After a few hours of relaxing, Taekwoon buried himself in work. He drew some, then crumpled the papers when it doesn’t go well. He was so frustrated while drawing. He doesn’t know what to draw. Can’t even think of what the story will be about and what kind of characters should there be.

“Right! Characters! I need to start with that. Hmm.. I think I should make them high schoolers to make it fun and light. That would be good. Yes. Hmmm… I’ll start with drawing the female character first. She’ll have a long blonde hair, smart, mature, and is very lady like. That would be perfect! And the male lead would be a strong highschooler, he has a blonde hair as well to match. Hmm… I think it would be good to give him a nice dark background like he was a known bully because he had a very problematic family. Then one day he left his home. Got into a gang, sold drugs for a living but he wanted to get out of the gang. Because he knew that even if the world is cruel and twisted, there are things to live for. So he faught. Faught for the right to live a…… AISH!!!!! What are you doing Taekwoon. You are writing a romance manga! Not a psychological manga! Stop crawling into the darkness!!! Focus Taek! Focus!!!!!!” Taekwoon slapped himself hard to wake himself up and focus on what needs to be done. He is going to finish the first few pages today and will think of a good story to go with it. He promised his publisher that he would show the proposal by the end of the week so he needs to do this without being distracted. It’s Thursday already and he needs to finish his work by Sunday. This is going to be a long night indeed.

Taekwoon frantically searched the web for some articles on love. He even read an article on Cosmo about dating advises. He did not want to read a romance manga as reference because he feared that he may end up unconsciously copying or following their plot. Then when he had already given up on reading online articles, he found an interesting topic on the web and opened it up. It was interesting and it gave him an idea. He started drawing. Taking little to no breaks at all. He drank almost 5 cups of coffee that night to stay awake.

Finally, it was already 7:00 in the morning when he finished the story and a few pages for his work. “Wooahh! The sun is up already. I haven’t even slept a wink but I guess I finished my work on time… Hmmm” Taekwoon said with a sigh. Yes, he finally finished his work but he was not really satisfied with it. It feels like something is missing but it was okay since Wonshik will do a critique and he will revise it if there is something off with the story. Taekwoon was glad his best friend was willing to help him with this project. Taekwoon contemplated whether to text Wonshik or call him to announce that the first few pages are already done. He knows Wonshik is probably sleeping like a log this early in the morning. He opted to text him instead.

Wonshik woke up easily with the sound of his phone ringing. It was the ring tone that he setup for Taekwoon when he messages or calls him. He had trouble getting up in the morning, but he can’t ignore his best friend’s message now, can he? When he opened the message it read. “Hey Shik” Ah.. He uses that nickname of mine when he needs something. “Come home now. I’m done with the first few pages and a story to go with it.”  Wonshik grins with the word home. Hmm.. home.. that sounds nice… it’s like were living together. He imagines with a blush. Yeah… living together like brothers. Like family. Yeah. Stop imagining so early in the morning Wonshik. He just wants you to check up on his work. Stay on the zone Wonshik. Don’t go astray. “Yeah. Stay on the friend zone Wonshik. It’s safe there. Pull yourself together” Wonshik muttered, disappointed on himself for getting so excited over some trivial things.

“Okay Taekwoon. I’ll be there in a few minutes” Wonshik texted back. Taekwoon was surprised to see that his best friend was already awake that early in the morning. He  expected a reply to come at least 10:00 in the morning. “Hmm.. I can’t sleep now. I’ll just wait for him. I should have texted him after I got some sleep.” Taekwoon went to bathroom to wash his face. After a few minutes, someone was calling him from outside his apartment door. It was Wonshik. “Just use your spare key and come in Wonshik. I’m in the bathroom right now.” Taekwoon said loudly so the other man outside could hear. It was barely audible from outside, but Wonshik understood just fine. He used the spare key Taekwoon gave him before. He said that it was for emergency purposes only.

Wonshik stepped inside the apartment. He removed his shoes before stepping inside and grabbed the slippers Taekwoon placed beside the door for him. It was the slippers they bought together when they were shopping for the things Taekwoon needed in his new apartment. “This is for you okay? Use it when you come in the apartment. The apartment floor is cold. This will make you more comfortable when your inside.” Taekwoon said with a smile. Wonshik blushed at the memory. It was as if Taekwoon was implying that the apartment was theirs and he can come anytime. “Aish Taekwoon. The things you do to my heart.”

“Wonshik!” Taekwoon called out, rubbing his eyes tiredly while pushing Wonshik inside to go to the living room. “Hey. You did not even give me a good morning and you’re already pushing me into your living room.” Wonshik said teasingly. “Sorry. Too tired. No sleep. Need rest now. Sit.” the sleep deprived artist was now muttering incoherent words while pushing down his best friend to sit on the other side of his sofa. Wonshik was expecting that Taekwoon will probably hand him the manga right now. He was surprised when Taekwoon sat down on the other side, embracing a pillow. “I’ll sleep for a couple of hours? I’m too tired. Sorry Wonshik. Need sleep please.” What happened next almost gave Wonshik a heart attack. Taekwoon laid his head on Wonshik’s lap. Wonshik gasped in shock. What? What is happening? Oh my god! My heart. This is not good. It is beating so fast. Seriously Taek! Give me a warning at least! I swear… You’re going to be the death of me. He was panicking inside but when he saw his best friend’s sleeping face, he immediately calmed down. He knows Taekwoon is tired and probably stayed up to finish his work. He the hair of the man sleeping on his lap. Ruffling the other man’s hair gently to soothe him and help him sleep. After a few minutes, Wonshik fell asleep too.

When Wonshik woke up it was almost time for lunch. He suddenly bolted up but did not move because the other male was still sleeping. He saw Taekwoon’s burrowed eyebrows while he was sleeping. Hmm.. Maybe he is having a nightmare… Wonshik gently rubbed Taekwoon’s back to help him relax. When Wonshik heard a soft “hmmm…” he knew that Taekwoon is now okay. No more nightmares. A small smile crept on his face. Wonshik got up carefully. Placing the other man’s head on a pillow as substitute for his lap. He needs to make some lunch because he knows Taekwoon hasn’t eaten anything yet.

He stood up and silently walked to the kitchen, careful not to wake the other up. When he got into the kitchen he decided that he’ll cook some stir fried vegetables for the both of them and maybe some fried fish but to his disappointment, Taekwoon’s fridge was empty, except for some bottles of water and cans of coffee. “Aish.. That guy is impossible. He forgot to go grocery shopping again. I’ll just run down the store and buy some ingredients.” Wonshik sighed. He went out to the nearest grocery store. By the time he got home, Taekwoon was still sleeping soundly.

Wonshik unpacked the things he bought into the fridge. He started chopping the vegetables to make their lunch when suddenly he heard Taekwoon walking into the kitchen still rubbing his eyes. “Hey sleepy head. Want some stir fried vegetables and fish for lunch?” Wonshik asked, still focused on chopping the vegetables. Taekwoon nodded in agreement. Wonshik doesn’t even need to ask what he wants to eat. Because Taekwoon would eat anything that Wonshik cooks even if it is a burnt toast. “Go take a bath first okay? Lunch will be ready in a few minutes. I bought some groceries over. You did not even have a single thing edible for lunch” Wonshik stated with a sigh. “Hey. I have tomatoes. That’s edible.” Taekwoon defended. “No. You don’t have tomatoes Taek. YOU HAD ROTTEN TOMATOES in your fridge. R-O-T-T-E-N” Wonshik said emphasizing on the “rotten” part. Taekwoon blushed. Embarrassed that his best friend had to see that disgusting thing in his fridge. Wonshik just laughed it off and motioned for Taekwoon to go to the bathroom to take a bath.

"Aigoo. That pout again. Aigoo. My heart. Calm down. I'm having mutiple heart attacks. This is going to be long day." Wonshik said to himslef as he clenched his hands into his chest trying to slow down his fast beating heart. Sighing in defeat.