(my mistake, I wrote down that KS was graduating with a masters. He is graduating with a bachelor. The first chap was one year ago, he's in college again but for his master. This chapter is the present. So sorry for the inconvenience.) 

surreptitious 

kept secret, especially because it would not be approved of

.

       It's around the month of October, cold yet warm, runny noses and nonstop sneezing - great. The young boy walking towards the grocery rummages inside his jacket pockets for his trusty Kleenex tissues his mother gave him. He pushes down his mask to wipe his nose, which was as red as Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer. Sighing, he sluggishly walks inside the grocery market.

       As he was holding the red plastic basket in his hand before he rummages through the snack aisle, he bumps into another male, slightly shorter than him with light brown hair with round wide glasses. The bump was pretty harsh since it sent the smaller lad down to the ground, the bags of chips he was holding falling onto the floor as the stranger grunts. 

       Kyungsoo widen his eyes, yes the action was a little bit dramatic - he wasn't even a bull, so why did this man fall down like he was hit by a bus? He panics as he brings himself down on the ground, gently patting on the boy with a worried and hurried tempo. "Sir! Are you okay? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to push you down that roughly, I didn't even know I was being rough towards you. I'm so sorry, please don't sue me. I'm-"

       The stranger on the ground giggles and laughs at the panicked boy as he pushes himself up from the ground, holding his head. "No no, it's fine. I recently went to the hospital and the drug they gave me to be drowsy is still evident, so my body is super light. Don't worry," he points out, holding the hand that Kyungsoo offered to give him as he stands up, "I won't sue you, but I will call the cops."

       Kyungsoo panicked once again. WHY WOULD HE CALL THE POLICE ON ME? The stranger laughed once again, "-if we don't become friends. Hehehe, nice to meet you, I'm Mi-"

       "MINSEOK HYUNG!" a loud voice echoed in the busy store. The stranger in front of Kyungsoo looks behind him, to a tall and lanky man wearing sweats and a beanie, carrying the same basket Kyungsoo was holding. The said male, Minseok, waves at the boy, gesturing his hand to the other man next to him. The taller man looks over at Kyungsoo, who had his mask on his chin and a nose the colour of the red basket they were holding, standing nervously as he waves at him. "Who?"

       "Ahhh." Minseok laughs, turning his body to Kyungsoo once again. "Silly me. What's your name?"

       "Kyungsoo." he answers, smiling a little bit when he saw Minseok grinning at him. The latter was too adorable for his sake. Minseok turns around to the tall lad that was picking up the chips and putting them back onto the shelf. 

       "His name is Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo-" he calls out, "-this boy's name is Sehun. Kyungsoo. Sehun. Sehun. Kyungsoo." Minseok greets. The two said male awkwardly waves at each other, bowing as a sign of greeting. Minseok looks at the two boys that were being awkward with each other, he laughs a little bit too loud as he hooks his arms with Sehun and dragging the lad next to him, so he was closer to Kyungsoo. "We became friends because we bumped into each other, funny right?"

       "Bu- bUMPED INTO EACH OTHER? You could've fell! You're lighter than a feather right now!" Sehun shrieks. Minseok slaps the screeching male upside the head, causing Kyungsoo to snicker at the two. Sehun grumbles to himself, creating a shield on his head so the shorter male won't hit him anymore.

       "What did I say about yelling? I'm older than you for goodness." Minseok grumbles, irritation showing on his face as he pinches the boy's biceps. Sighing, he turns towards Kyungsoo, who was busy chuckling at the two dudes in front of him. "Well, we should probably go, but I'll give you my number. Let's be friends and hang out soon okay?" Kyungsoo smiles at that, taking out his phone so Minseok could punch his numbers in before watching the two leave. Before he could turn back to the snacks in front of him, Sehun was still grumbling while Minseok hooked his arms. He sees Minseok leaning up to peck a kiss on the pouting boy's cheeks, which instantly shut the boy up.

       The boy smiles warmly at his two new friends, unplanned and random as he takes a handful of chips that will probably only last a day.

       Kyungsoo walks back to his flat, which was on the 8th floor of the apartment. By means, it was pretty small, but it did have a great view of the neighborhood that was surrounded by telephone poles and flowering trees. For a studio apartment, it was nice, cheap, and roomy. It fit him, so what else would it matter? As he lifts the flap that covered the keypad, he smiles at the sound of his puppies running towards the door. 

       When he finished punching in the code, he was welcomed to the loud barking of his two black poodles. Kyungsoo puts the bags on the table so he could properly hug and pet the two dogs, but the loud sizzling coming from the kitchen made his turn his head towards the said place. Since a tall pillar was covering the stove, he walks closer to it, only to see a very familiar male with a white button up and slacks. The male was bopping his head to whatever song was playing inside his head, stirring the chicken porridge inside the pot - the one that Kyungsoo's mother made for him. 

       He smiles as he steps quietly inside the kitchen. The man in front of the stove turns his head the minute he heard the padding of the feet. He smiles warming at Kyungsoo, bringing down the hot boiling soup to a simmer so he could walk towards the sick boy. "Ah. I knew it was you." he sighs, wrapping his lanky-ish arms around Kyungsoo.

       The said male knocks on his head, "Of course it would be idiot." he grumbles, but nonetheless tightening his hold on the man's neck (probably putting him in a choke hold). "If you knew it was me, why didn't you even greet me?" Kyungsoo mumbles, loosing his grip on the neck to pick up his puppy, Mongmool, that was pawing on his legs for some attention from his owner. 

       "Is it bad to say that, you're sick as hell and I don't want to be sick either since I'd always kiss you every time you walk inside that door?"

       "Mmh, point taken." Kyungsoo nods, laughing as he lets Mongmool on the floor once again so he could put away the groceries. "OH, you won't believe this, but I made a friend with a guy that I bumped into, also I sent him on the ground. Hehehe, his boyfriend looked scary with those eyebrows so I thought he was going to beat me up." he laughs, recalling the incident that happened just minutes ago. 

       Jongin, who was scooping up the soup into a white bowl, turns his body at the boy that was crouching to put the vegetables inside the fridge, holding the plastic ladle in his hand. "If he fought you, I'm sure you'd win." he laughs, wincing when he remember tha