Following after the smile, Yuto was practically floating in the clouds. His mind was so far away from the current activities he was engaging in that he very nearly killed himself twice with a toaster and a plate.

Yuto refused to remember what led to that, banishing those embarrassing moments to a deep, deep, deep box and tossed it to the furthest corners of his mind and taped it shut.

Fortunately for him, his job wasn’t suffering due to his inattentive behavior. In fact, it was thriving. He was doing much better than he’d ever done since he began and Hwitaek was truly impressed by him and praised him at every turn, which made Yuto very happy, but a ‘sudden passion for work’ was not why he was doing better.

Kino was.

Yuto had tried to be realistic and hold on to the thought of their next meet-up being months, if not weeks away, due to the hectic schedule of a famous company, but Yuto still had hope, every time he went to work, that he would see Kino, and every time, he never did,

“Yuto!” A voice called out loudly, and Yuto turned around to see who it was, surprise showing on his face when he recognized the voice and extreme height.

“Wooseok-ya!” Yuto waited for the younger male to come closer and pulled him into a tight hug, patting his back enthusiastically.

“Wah, look at you,” Wooseok leaned back and patted Yuto’s thick arms and chest. “You’ve gotten so big.”

“And so have you,” Yuto chuckled, looking Wooseok up and down, “Did you get taller?”

Wooseok laughed as well and lightly scratched at his nape. “Yeah, a few centimeters.”

“But anyway, how have you been, man? Its been years.” Wooseok asked, falling in step with Yuto as they walked towards the lunch area in CUBE studio.

“I’ve been good, and you? You look good.” Yuto glanced over at Wooseok and back at his phone.

“Same, same.” Wooseok said, “How’s work? You’re still in charge of lighting?”

“Yeah,” Yuto nodded and tried ignoring the way his mind twisted Wooseok’s words into something more malicious and hurtful than the simple question it was. “I’m still in charge of lighting. Its really fun actually.”

Wooseok laughed again an slung a hand over Yuto’s shoulders, dragging the older male closer and affectionately rubbing his arm. “You said that the last time I asked you about it.”

“Why do you still want to work there? You can advance so much further than that, you know.” Wooseok said kindly, gently, not as an annoying co-worker but as a friend, as someone who cares.

“I know, but,” Yuto hesitated and tried finding the right words to explain the beauty in being a technician. “There’s something magical, wonderful actually, at being able to handle how someone looks. A look is something that everyone has, its something that people describe you as when they see you, be it by your hair, your eyes, your mouth, whatever it is, that’s how people can identify you as, and being in the front of it all was great and all, but the true beauty is in the back. Its in the workers behind the scene, doing their best to portray whatever look it is. And that, is...” Yuto laughed, breathless, and finished his mindless rant, “incredible.”

Wooseok looked astonished at Yuto’s statement and even took a deep breath. “I didn’t know you felt that way about it, Yuto.”

“Well, yeah.” Yuto laughed and shrugged it off, swiftly changing the subject to more neutral areas as they went down one floor, down two hallways, took one right and another left and reached to the lunch area at one of the empty studios.

The two males were immersed in a conversation about their past in college and high school -coincidentally Wooseok transferred into Yuto’s middle school and the two had been friends and school-mates since- and failed to notice the people inside the room.

“Ah!” A voice called out loudly, “It’s you!”

Yuto and Wooseok looked up together and the former froze in place while the latter looked back and forth at Yuto and the short, dark-haired man, holding a cookie and pointing it at Yuto.

Yuto, on the other hand, was frozen, mentally and physically, in place. He stood there, mouth slightly open, eyes wide, looking at Kino in wonder and astonishment.

“Its you, from back then, at the photo shoot!” Kino said and came closer, nibbling on the cookie in his hand.

“Ah...” Wooseok said, voice high and questioning. “Who might you be?”

Kino slowly turned away from Yuto and looked at Wooseok, offering a timid, slightly nervous smile. “Hi, I’m Kino, a new dancer at CUBE, please take care of me.”

Wooseok bowed as well and said in response. “I’m Wooseok, director and producer.”

Kino’s eyes widened in surprise. “You’re Wooseok?”

“Yeah,” Wooseok nodded.

“That’s incredible. I’m a huge fan of yours.” Kino said, and went closer and offered his hand out for a shake.

Wooseok looked back at Yuto, still frozen, but his expression was blank and empty, and back at Kino, taking the offered hand and shaking it, “Thank you, I really appreciate it.” “So,” Wooseok nudged his head in Yuto’s direction, “How do you know Yuto?”

Kino’s eyes lit up in acknowledgement and realization. “We met in a shoot, a few weeks back. He was taking care of us.” Kino smiled at Yuto, the kind of smile that made Yuto feel like melting into a puddle of Yuto Adachi onto the floor.

“Eh..” Wooseok said, eyebrow arched and quickly excused himself from the two to grab a drink and some food. “I’ll be right back.”

Kino nodded and quickly turned that beautiful face towards Yuto and gave him that heart-wrenching smile. “Hi.” Kino said and gave him a small wave.

“...Hi...” Yuto said after a moment, hesitantly smiling and hating himself for it.

“How are you?” Kino asked, “Its been a while since I last saw you.”

“Yeah...” Yuto replied awkwardly, and quickly changed the topic from him to the dancer. “How have you been?”

“I’ve been incredible. There’s so man things to do now, and there’s also dance practice and going on tour with other artists. It’s been...” Kino released an impressed sigh and looked back at Yuto, eyes shining excitedly, “-so worth the wait.”

Yuto summarized Kino’s training had been longer than most, or the usual but didn’t want to bring up a possibly unpleasant memory, and curved the obvious question there.

“You’re going on tour, already?” Yuto was sure it had been less than a month since he’d last seen Kino when they were debuting. He thought it’d take them months of promoting, and appearances and showing up in some shows before they’d gain sponsors to send them touring, let alone with other artists.

“Yeah.” Kino said and smiled widely, wider than any of the ones Yuto had been graced with. “We started a few days ago.”

“That’s incredible!” Yuto said and congratulated Kino and his team for their achievement. “That is really great. I’m proud of you,” Yuno didn’t notice he was smiling but once those words left his mouth, the corners of his mouth pointed downwards and he stammered a reply. “I-I mean, I’m not proud of you, but I am but not like that,”

Kino watched Yuto blather on foolishly with a cute smile that showed off his rather plump, chipmunk like cheeks. He cut Yuto off with a loud laugh that resonated through Yuto and left him nearly shaking in his boots.

“You’re cute.” Kino said and Yuto became a statue, “You’re so cute.”

Yuto tried responding like a normal human being but was stopped by one of Kino’s fellow dancers calling him over, saying that their break was over and they need to go.

Kino turned and told them to wait a minute, and that he’ll be right there before turning to Yuto apologetically. “I’m sorry, I have to go.”

Yuto crushed the disappointment in his chest fiercely and waved off Yuto’s apology. “Its fine. Go, you’ll be late.”

Kino nodded and began walking away. He didn’t turn around and walked backwards, somehow managing to avoid knocking into anyone, and kept eye-contact with Yuto. Yuto got the vague feeling Kino didn’t feel like leaving but he refused to think on it. He instead laughed at Kino’s weird way of avoiding the objects in his path, and ignored the fluttering feeling in his gut when Kino waved like lunatic before rounding the corner and disappearing leaving Yuto there, alone, standing in the middle of the lunch room, grinning like an idiot.

“So...Kino...” Wooseok, in all the years Yuto had known him, had never been subtle or cunning and it seems that hadn’t changed in over a decade. “What was that all about?

Yuto busied his hands and mind with assisting the workers in charge of clearing up the set. He grabbed one of the suitcases belonging to one of the artists or photographers and took it to its rightful place.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Yuto said, evading Wooseok question and playing dumb.

“Please, Yuto.” Wooseok was giving Yuto that look of ‘really? after all those years you think you can lie to me’ and Yuto was, just like his question, acting like he didn’t know what Wooseok was going on about. “I saw you practically drooling when you two were talking.”

“I was not drooling!” Yuto turned to look at Wooseok when he said that. He sighed and heaved a heavy bag filled with all sorts of products crucial to some famous person high on his arms, his biceps bulging and flexing with the strain.

“We met during their debut photo shoot.” Yuto said and gave Wooseok a blank stare. “That’s all.”

Wooseok hummed and watched his best friend go off into the back and return dusting his palms. He clearly didn’t believe Yuto and it wasn’t in his nature to ignore things he didn’t believe in or saw a problem with.

“That doesn’t explain why you were frozen, definitely drooling, when he talked to you.”

“That-that is something different.” Yuto stammered over his words and knew exactly when he made a mistake.

Wooseok grinned and off the pudding from the plastic spoon and let it hang from his tongue, using his saliva as pseudo glue. “You like him.” It was no question but a statement and the bright flush and quick movement from Yuto further confirmed Wooseok’s statement.

Wooseok had been one of the first people to be told about Yuto’s uality once he’d found out which gender he preferred. Or, Wooseok figured he should say ‘genders’. The realization happened in college when Yuto had been involved with another girl from another school, but came up and told Wooseok, casually but with a hint of anxiety, that there had been a guy hitting on him back in the cafe he’d gone to for a date with his girlfriend, and Yuto’s anxiety sky rocketed when he said he didn’t mind it, and actually enjoyed the male’s company.

Suffice to say, Wooseok had been stunned silent and gaped at Yuto, eyes bulging comically. He ran all the different kinds of words he could say, or the different kinds of statements he could say in that moment, in that situation, but found none. He, genuinely did not know what to tell Yuto or how to comfort him. If that was what Yuto even wanted.

Wooseok was silent for nearly ten minutes; all the while Yuto’s mood worsened but he managed to keep quiet and fidget nervously where he sat. Eventually, Wooseok found his voice and the first thing he said was a disturbing pun involving coffee and cute faces that had Yuto cringing and crumbling onto the floor in laughter and tears. Wooseok figured the tears were from relief and soon found himself joining in on the laughter and tears.

“No, I don’t.” Yuto said strongly and his deep voice brought Wooseok back to the present time. “He’s just an acquaintance. Someone I met at work. A work friend. That’s all.”

“Are you convincing yourself or me?” Wooseok retorted and managed to silence Yuto and use that opportunity to compliment his best friend’s new romantic interest. “He is cute though. Adorable, really. Sort of like a baby in an adult’s body.”

Yuto grunted and lifted another heavy box and took it to its rightful place, quickly and efficiently clearing up the set before changing and going home. He figured since the taller make had yet to leave, they were both going back together, and mentally, he sighed at the questions he knew were going to come later on.

“Yes, he is adorable, Wooseok, but that doesn’t mean I like him.” Yuto finished soon after taking the third and final box back and taking a quick moment to change out of his jumpsuit and back to his normal clothes.

Wooseok hummed again and went over to the dustbin near the door and tossed his empty desert container and spoon, and waited for Yuto to appear again with his keys and jacket in hand.

The two walked down several hallways and out of the CUBE building and towards the parking where Yuto’s car was parked at. They entered the car and Yuto started the engine and a few moments after Wooseok said cheekily, “I’m just saying if you need any help with him, I’m here for you.”

Yuto was incredibly tempted to reach over and smack Wooseok repeatedly but held it back and focused on driving them out and away from the parking lot and towards Yuto’s home.