"Hyungggggg~ Youngbin hyunggggg~"

Youngbin kept on walking. Dawon knows where he lives anyways and if there's one thing he's learned about the guy, it's that his persistence is on a whole different level. Dawon's the type to do whatever it takes, no matter how crazy, if he wants something. And so he kept on walking, knowing that Dawon would surely catch up to him; which he did in a matter of minutes. Although a little bit out of breath from running, Dawon still has that stupid smile on his face. 

"Hyung!! How are you? Did you miss me?" he asked, walking backwards so as to look at Youngbin. 

Youngbin stopped in his tracks. "You! Don't you have manners? How can you just leave without saying a proper goodbye!" he exclaimed.

"I left a note though... didn't you see it?" Dawon pouted.

"Is that how you say goodbye to the person who saved you though?" Youngbin countered, hitting Dawon's shoulder lightly.

"If you remember, i didn't ask for any help. You went ahead and knocked out the guy that was towering over me and then escorted me back to your apartment," the young man answered. "In no way did i obliged you to help me. You did it by yourself," 

"Aish, whatever," Youngbin said pushing past him.

Somehow, a part of him expected Dawon to follow, to continue pestering him with question after question but after a minute or two, he realized that he was walking all alone. Youngbin looked behind just as the was about to turn the corner and saw Dawon standing in the same spot, shoulders sagged and head bowed. That  made him stop in his tracks. 

"Aish," Youngbin muttered, going back the way he come from. 

Dawon didn't even look up at his approach and they both stood there for a second or two, the silence hanging thick and awkward. 

"Dawon-ah," Youngbin started. "I'm sorry," 

Dawon looked up then, an unreadable expression on his face. "Yah, i already said sorry. I don't even know for what," Youngbin said, trying to console the other guy. 

And just like that, Youngbin saw how Dawon's facial expression turned from empty to glee. Dawon cracked a huge smile, slowly and returned to his normal, talkative state. 

"Ha, i knew you would fall for it. What do you think? I did well, right? I can be an actor right?"

Youngbin raised his hands in defeat and turned his back on Dawon.

It's getting late, he thought but the sound of the other man's constant chattering and the sound of their footsteps clacking on the concrete makes him feel warm. 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Youngbin would call it an acquaintance. But if you ask Dawon, Youngbin is his bff, his loving hyung and just the person he's closest too. Mina sometimes makes fun of how clingy the younger guy can get and Dawon would just that she's jealous and honestly, Youngbin thinks that Mina and Dawon must be long lost siblings, always at each other's throat and yet there are moments where in they let the act fall and just take care of each other. 

"Oh, by the way, have you noticed that the weirdo hasn't come in for awhile now?" Mina said. 

It was a slow afternoon and the cafe only has two customers. "Who?" Youngbin asked. 

"You know, that guy you talked to? The one who's always on his laptop and sits at the far corner," Mina reminded him, even gesturing towards the said corner.

"Oh him," Youngbin exclaimed, remembering the time he talked to the guy. "Yeah, i remember-"

"Remember who?" Dawon exclaimed fixing his apron as he joined them behind the counter. "Chulmin?"

"Aniyo." Mina answered. "There's this weird customer who's always on his laptop and sits at the same spot, and orders the same thing and Youngbin talked to him and since then he hasn't come in anymore," she continued in one breath. 

"Well, that's Youngbin hyung for you. He has a way of discouraging customers. It's his charm-

"Yah!" 

"Anyway, what's so weird about the guy?" Dawon asked, ignoring Youngbin's outburst.

"Well, his laptop has one of those anti-spy screens where no one can really see what you're doing except for you," Mina explained. 

"But that's common nowadays, Mina. Even cellphones have that," Dawon countered. "Privacy is important and the information you exchange online can be used against use, hence it's priceless," he continued. 

The two of them continued the argument as always and Youngbin was just listening to them talk nodding along to some of their points. There's something about what Dawon said that tickled his memory but he can't clearly place it. 

The sound of the cafe door opening and the faint bell that accompanies it brought them all up short. Dawon headed towards the kitchens and Youngbin and Mina greeted the customer. 

"Speak of the devil," Mina muttered under her breath when he entered. 

"Welcome!" The two greeted with huge smiles on their faces. 

The guy didn't even acknowledge them, just placed his order, paid for it and walked to his favorite spot. Unfortunately, the only two customers in the cafe were there. Mina and Youngbin exchanged amused glances as they watched him stand there for about two seconds before settling on a table near the entrance. 

"Lee Dawon, come out here. He's here," Mina hissed, gesturing for the other man to come out of the kitchen. 

"Here, give him these and see for yourself." she said, handing him a tray with a slice of cake and iced coffee on it. Dawon looked confused at first until Youngbin prodded him forward, walking a few steps behind him. "Go," Youngbin mouthed, pointing at the guy. 

"Excuse me, customer, here is your order," Dawon started before approaching the guy. 

"Thank you. Just place it there," the guy answered without looking up from what he's doing. 

Dawon came closer then and placed the drink and plate just behind the guy's laptop. "Be careful you might spi-"

Youngbin watched curiously as Dawon's smile turn into something unreadable. His eyes flashed a couple of emotions before settling on something akin to wariness. 

"Fox?" Dawon breathed, eyes still fixed on the customer. 

Fox sat up straight, his hands freezing on top of his keyboard. The momentary hesitation was enough to tell Youngbin something. 

"Fox? It's you, right?" Dawon said again, more confident this time and also, a little bit tense. 

"I don't know what you're talking about," the guy replied, closing his laptop and grabbing his backpack from the floor. He strode towards the exit without another word. 

"What was that all about?" Mina asked as soon as Youngbin rejoined her behind the counter. 

"I'm not sure. I think they know each other. Dawon called him 'Fox' if that's something," he answered, looking at the door with some sort of trepidation. Dawon had excused himself and gone out the back after 'Fox' left and judging from the latter's expression, Dawon was also unnerved by the sudden meeting. 

The only two customers left a few minutes later and somehow, Youngbin started feeling anxious. It's like all the nerves in his body is tingling with something like excitement or fear or whatnot. 

"Is Dawon back already?" he asked, now pacing inside the cafe in order to work out the sudden uneasiness he felt.

Mina checked in the kitchen and returned a second later, shaking her head. 

Youngbin rushed out the back but there was no sign of Dawon. He walked a few minutes in the alley and finally saw him from a distance and judging by the looks of it, he was talking to someone. It was a narrow alley and Youngbin can only see his friend.  He was about to call out his name when two hands grabbed Dawon's shirt and pushed him towards the wall, the sound of his back hitting the concrete a loud thud in the silence. 

"Dawon-ah!" 

He saw the guy, fox, approaching slowly, threathningly as Dawon was staggering to get up. 

He wanted to ran towards his friend and help him, wanted to protect Dawon but his legs felt like lead, every single detail in that moment was so sharp that the colors felt like it was blinding him. It was the first time he felt such anger. He can hear his heart racing, his hands clenching into fists every nerve in his body wanted him to move, to hit, to fight but a terrible force was stopping him and he doesn't even know what. 

A blur of something red passed by him and he didn't even realize it was another person until he saw that 'fox' was being dragged away. 

He blinked a few times and slowly, the world returned to it's original state. As soon as he was able to, he rushed towards his friend. After making sure that Dawon was doing fairly okay, Youngbin fixed his attention on the two people in front. 

One was the 'fox'. He has probably calmed down by now, but the other guy was still restraining his hands behind him as if it was nothing. 

"Let me go!" fox said and the guy with the red hair just looked at Youngbin. He gave a slight nod and the guy obliged. 

Dawon and fox glared at each other for a few seconds before the latter took his stuff and walked away. That was the second time in that day that Youngbin saw his retreating back. 

"Are you okay?" the red haired guy asked suddenly. 

Youngbin can detect a little bit of an accent on the guys speech. 

"Ne. Thank you so much for helping us," he answered, holding up Dawon. 

"Fine," the younger one said weakly. 

"Come on then, i'll help you carry him," the guy offered, easily holding up Dawon with one arm.

"I'm Jaeyoon. Lee Jaeyoon," he said, extending his free hand to Youngbin. 

"Kim Youngbin. Nice to meet you... despite the circumstances," he replied shaking the guy's hand. 

"It's fine. These things are normal," the guy replied. "So where to?"