Chapter 02: Friends

 

Being an introvert, it wasn’t really something Kyungsoo could control. He just preferred being the quiet type, comfortable in his own space that consisted of him and him only. Throughout high school, Kyungsoo was never bullied nor was he ever really important enough for people to notice his existence. Not that he was complaining, but he knows everyone thinks he’s just the guy they used to walk past to in the hallways and he is perfectly fine with that.

 

Kyungsoo never really cared, he liked it. He liked not being looked at, being recognized over a title, and even though he was always 2^nd place in school, nobody really cared about him as much as they cared about the valedictorian. It was relieving for him, to be able to be at the highest spot in school and maintain a low-profile as he prefers to be.

 

In all his life, he always planned things too. If he could see himself in another view of a person, he would call himself an introvert, and the guy who always had contingency plans. He plans everything beforehand and would try anything he can to do it. He planned his study schedule, he plans his everyday diet, he plans what grades to get and plans what level of effort he has to give. He was always organized and planned.

 

That was until he meets his vitamin of a best friend and his wild and sassy with behavioral issues boyfriend. Park Chanyeol and Byun–Park Baekhyun.

 

Kyungsoo never guessed it. He least expects to have two best friends who were completely the opposite of him. Baekhyun and Chanyeol shared similar traits like how they were always talking, socializing with other people but Kyungsoo was always a closed book. He never opened up to anyone and always listened instead of talking, which riles up his two best friends ever than so. It wasn’t like he didn’t want to talk, he wanted to.

 

He just doesn’t know what to say.

 

Kyungsoo thought the friendship he had with Baekhyun and Chanyeol was only worthwhile, just for the remaining high school years, but he was beyond surprised when he realizes that both of them will be attending the same college Kyungsoo attended.

 

He remembered those days where Baekhyun and Chanyeol would sneak into Kyungsoo’s dorm room, the two beagles getting high on weed and Kyungsoo opening up a sleeping mat on the floor for them, with Kyungsoo’s roommate, Hyunsik, giving them the cold look but had nothing against the two.

 

He also remembers when Baekhyun would go all out and start cheering very loudly with a Go Park Chanyeol banner on top of his head at Chanyeol’s championship football game. He also remembers that one time when Baekhyun and Chanyeol tried to surprise Kyungsoo on his birthday but they were just so obvious Kyungsoo couldn’t help but laugh when he enters an hour early to his dorm room where Baekhyun and Chanyeol were fighting and his cake was on the Maplewood floor, ruined and spotched. It was sad but Kyungsoo remembered laughing so much to it, he remembered it was his first time to ever drink and get drunk.

 

Those were good times. Times Kyungsoo will always remember.

 

As he recalls these memories, he wonders how did he ever have them in his life.

 

Even now. When he was sitting in the couch sideways with a little girl lying on the soft sofa next to him, looking up at Kyungsoo with wide, bewildered eyes. This was Park Luna, the Parks’ 4-year-old princess. She had wide elfish ears, high cheekbones and soft plushed pink lips. She is the most beautiful princess Kyungsoo has ever seen.

 

“What’s wrong, Luna?”

 

“Soo-papa, I want brownies.” She pouts, and Kyungsoo sits her down on his lap, playing with her hair as he does so. “Soo-papa, pleaaaaase? Can we bake brownies?”

 

“Park Luna, what are you on about?”

 

The little girl gasps and jumps down from her position on Kyungsoo’s lap, and decides to bolt to her room when she hears her father coming onto her. She fails when the male catches her off guard by the kitchen door and hoists her over his waist, above his belly bump and pinches her cheek with his free hand while doing so.

 

“Brownies?” The brunette male calls out, his eyes filled with mischief and anger at the same time. A gaze very familiar to Kyungsoo, who rolled his eyes and stood up on his feet, just in time for the male to look at him. “Stop getting my princess high on sugar, Kyungie.”

 

Byun–Park Baekhyun, is an excellent event planner, from simple elegant weddings to high-top end-of-the-year galas, you name it, he has organized quite a few famous events. Even the ministers of the Korean government come to him to have their birthdays or weddings planned by him exclusively.

 

Cut it short, Baekhyun was worth $5,000 for every event he has organized. And so far he had organized around 500 of them, which explains why he was a busy man. He was hardworking and bossy, but in a good way, Kyungsoo knows that. He knows Baekhyun the best throughout the years he grew up with him. And he knows how miserable Baekhyun must have been to be on maternity leave considering the fact on how much he really loved his work.

 

“How are you, Baekkie?” Kyungsoo smiles, his eyes showing concern upon seeing his best friend, his belly protruding and his eyes glistening with exhaustion, his lips pale and cracking but Kyungsoo wasn’t at all fazed by that, limping his way through the room. He notices Baekhyun’s pregnancy glow, and how he could feel the glow radiating from him, and Kyungsoo couldn’t stop himself from smiling so wide.

 

Baekhyun was 7 months pregnant with his and Chanyeol’s second child.

 

“Tired. Youngjae moves a lot.” Baekhyun pouts, putting Luna down after having been peppered kisses to his face as a compensation, her little footsteps printing the Maplewood floor of his house as she dashed towards her room. Baekhyun places his hand over his back, trying to walk properly as he makes his way towards the couch afterwards

 

“Youngjae?” Kyungsoo asks, puzzled. He stands next to Baekhyun as he moves, watching his every move intently and carefully as he thinks of the possible risks that could happen to the pregnant male. Baekhyun finally sits down and grabs a hold of Luna’s elephant plushie by the edge of the couch, hugging it to his chest as he looks at Kyungsoo sitting down next to him. “We’re going to name him Youngjae, Kyungsoo-ya.”

 

“That’s a good name. You chose it?”

 

“Chanyeol did.”

 

“It’s pretty.”

 

Silence engulfs soon after, and Kyungsoo realizes how quiet Baekhyun was, which was shocking since Baekhyun was never quiet. Especially not with Kyungsoo. Then Kyungsoo sees how Baekhyun was looking down on his long female-like fingers, twisting and turning on the silver shiny ring that hugged his finger.

 

Kyungsoo instinctively scoots closer and wraps an arm around Baekhyun’s shoulder, who immediately laid his head on Kyungsoo’s shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

 

“Chanyeol doesn’t understand me.” Baekhyun’s voice was hoarse, and his eyes were droopy. “He thinks I’m being selfish and insensitive, when it’s just the hormones kicking in.”

 

“Did you tell him that?”

 

“He thinks I’m making pregnancy hormones as an excuse for my behavior.” Baekhyun bursts out suddenly, and Kyungsoo scoots even closer as he hugged the male in his arms. “It’s not like I want to be like this, Kyungsoo. I don’t like being pregnant either sometimes. The pain of having people to look at you like you’re a disgusting piece that inhibits the trash only because ‘males don’t get pregnant’, they say. Chanyeol got mad because I just told him this morning about it, and he walked out without saying goodbye to me or the kids.”

 

“You two had a fight about that?” Kyungsoo softly asks, Baekhyun’s arms soothingly. “I’m sure he was angry that you felt that way, and you didn’t tell him until now. He’s just worried for you and you know Chanyeol, right? He can’t express his feelings well and lashes out.”

 

“I know but.”

 

Kyungsoo waits but Baekhyun doesn’t say anything. “Talk with him when he gets home, okay? I’m sure he still loves you and he doesn’t mean that.”

 

Baekhyun was one of the few males in the world who could procreate despite his gender. It wasn’t something Baekhyun could prevent or make. He had it in his genes and due to his medical condition, he was treated like scum to most people.

 

Kyungsoo knew because he remembers when he was out with Baekhyun a few months back and some pedestrians started calling him a freak because of his baby bump, and Kyungsoo remembered how Baekhyun wouldn’t go out for weeks after that, somewhat ashamed.

 

Kyungsoo doesn’t know what Baekhyun must have felt going through the shuns, but Kyungsoo knows Baekhyun was stronger than that. Baekhyun was a fierce leader, his words cutting people hard like a sharp blade. But that was never his real image. Baekhyun was always the soft type of person and he rarely breaks down, and even if he did, it was always with Kyungsoo.

 

Kyungsoo never knew how to deal with it but he tries. He tries to give advice but sometimes he thinks it doesn’t work so Kyungsoo just do what he does best: he listens. He knows it may not be enough but it was the least he can do.

 

“Are you going to get married, Kyungsoo?”

 

“What?”

 

“You heard me,” Baekhyun hisses, pushing himself away a bit to face his best friend. “Are you seeing anyone? You’re not getting any younger, Kyungsoo.”

 

“Not this conversation again.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“Luhan-hyung talked about this, too. And Chanyeol asked me the same thing a week ago when he was picking Luna up from school.” Kyungsoo sighs, leaning back against the sofa chair. “It’s not that I don’t want to get married and have children and–”

 

“–waste the given opportunity to bear children–”

 

“Baek, I haven’t checked yet.”

 

“You haven’t?!”

 

“The doctor says I need the presence of a husband first, then they would go through the procedures or else I have to pay $10,000 fine or much more to go through it alone.”

 

“Ugh, government law.”

 

In Seoul, there was no doubt that there are only a few number of males who could bear their own children, and to know who, they had to do a check up and see if they were given the opportunity. Seoul had made this their special cases, and if you were one of the gifted (as Baekhyun likes to call themselves), the government were to give them special rewards such as monthly allowance, free education and hospital fees for their children. But of course, to be able to check if you were one of the gifted males, Seoul proposed a law that one must have a spouse first to be able to do a check-up and go through the procedures. If not, they would have to pay a fine.”

 

“But you are on a hunt for potential guys, right?”

 

“…”

 

“Do Kyungsoo!”

 

Baekhyun sits up abruptly and gives Kyungsoo a nasty look, and he widened his eyes up defensively. “I-I I’m busy with work! Yes, busy with work.”

 

“You only work 6 hours a day, Kyungsoo. Whatever you do that makes you stay late in school ‘till 5pm is beyond me.”

 

“I never signed up to be a kindergarten teacher, Baek,” Kyungsoo swiftly removes the topic out of his head. “I wanted to own a restaurant.”

 

Unfortunately, Baekhyun wasn’t easy. “Don’t change the topic, Mr. I-wanted-to-be-a-chef!”

 

“Baekhyun!”

 

“Kyungsoo!”

 

Kyungsoo and Baekhyun shared intense gazes, Kyungsoo’s eyes of shy and defensive, while Baekhyun’s were of fire and sharp. Kyungsoo pulled away first, losing the staring contest while Baekhyun quirked his lips in a proud smirk.

 

“Date, Kyungsoo.”

 

“Baekhyun.”

 

“I don’t want any more excuses. For Luna’s birthday, I’m throwing the grandest party ever, so you better be coming with a date or consider yourself uninvited.”

 

“But that’s two weeks away!”

 

“Then, I suggest you–” Baekhyun stands up on his feet with a struggle, Kyungsoo sinking deeper into the comfort of the sofa cushions, looking at the brunette male who raised an eyebrow at him. “–get started.” He walks off soon after, and Kyungsoo groans inwardly.

 

How was he supposed to get a date in 2 weeks when he could barely get anyone to date him for over 26 years of his entire life? But then, he would never miss his god-daughter’s birthday.

 

He wouldn’t miss it for the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jongin felt like crying. He didn’t know what to do, but he knows what did he do to cause this mess himself. It was his fault, he should have never made promises that he couldn’t keep, never ever again.

 

Now here he was, in the middle of two little boys who bawled like never before only because Jongin promised to take them to their grandmother’s today. The place Jongin really wanted to avoid going to as he was sure he would get missed the date his mother set him up with two nights ago because he lost track of time.

 

Not because he was thinking of a particular doe-eyed male from Happy Kindergarten. Nope.

 

“Appa, you promised! Y-hiccup-you p-p-pro-hiccup-promised!!” Jaehyun started to sob louder, and Jongin felt like his head was going to burst out because Jonghun started doing the same. “You said grandmeoni got us new toys and a new playground set at her house, and you promised to take us there today! Today!”

 

“Jae, Hun, appa is very busy today. Can we go see grandmeoni another time?”

 

“NO!” They chorused angrily, before proceeded with their loud wailings. “YOU PROMISED!”

 

Jongin buried his face on the palms of his hands, trying to rest his back on the leather chair of his work office, and he was so sure everyone could hear the noise even from the first floor and he really couldn’t care less. He just wanted some peace, just for a day.

 

The cries were too loud and he swears his ears were about to bleed that he didn’t even listen to the sound of his office door opened, his best friend entering with bags of McDonald’s at the edge of his fingertips, a four-cup cardboard holder at his other hand. He notices it when the crying dialed down, and footsteps running away from him made him lift his face up from the darkness of his palms.

 

He sees his tall pale-skinned with shiny raven hair of a best friend by the door, the children running over to the hand that held the McDonald’s happy meal boxes and ran to the couch with it, their cheeks stained with hot tears and eyes puffy. Jongin could see the excitement and tiredness from those eyes, so Jongin stood up on his seat and walked over to the sofa.

 

“Bad day, huh?” His best friend, Oh Sehun, the famous editor of Seoulize magazine, raises a cocky brow at him as he handed Jongin his cup of coffee. “Don’t make fun of me, .” Jongin spats, but mumbles a soft thank you for the coffee.

 

“What happened?”

 

“My mom.”

 

“Why?”

 

Jongin guiltily looks at his children; Jaehyun had his box of chicken nuggets on his lap, his legs stretched out neatly as his back touched the soft cushion of the sofa chair, the unwrapped toy he received followed by the box held firmly at his left hand while the other fed his mouth with chicken nuggets. Jonghun was unwrapping the plastic covering the toy red shiny toy car, his feet up on the sofa as he concentrates on trying to open the plastic bag with effort, his chicken nuggets long forgotten.

 

Jongin knows how much his kids like hanging around at his mother’s house, but Jongin couldn’t face his mother after what he did. His father he could handle because he knew his father would get it over with and yell at him at the top of his lungs, but his mother–that was a different story. His mother knows Jongin’s weak spots, how to crack him, and instead of the old-fashioned yelling that would have worked on his brother, Jongin would usually break when his mother guilt-trips him.

 

It works every time. Even now.

 

“She set me up on a date and––”

 

“Oh, I know about that one.”

 

Jongin groaned and rolled his eyes. “Hyung told you?”

 

“Nope. Your mother told me herself.” Sehun shaked his head and placed down the orange juice drinks on the coffee table, along with the cup holder while he sipped on his coffee, his eyes eyeing Jaehyun every now and then, who pushed himself to grab his orange juice. “Tsk, tsk. What have you got to say for yourself?”

 

“Shut up.”

 

“I was with her yesterday, I wanted to ask for opinions on the new cover I’m working on and she went on and on about it that we didn’t even get to discuss it.” Sehun sends him a glare. “It’s all thanks to you, .”

 

“Shut up.” Jongin sips his coffee once more. “I don’t get why she’s pressuring me when Jongdae-hyung is the same as well.”

 

“You’re wrong on that.”

 

“What?”

 

“Your brother is dating someone.”

 

“What the f–” He sees his children looking up at him in curiosity, and he blinks innocently. “-fish? How come I didn’t know about it?”

 

“So comical,” Sehun scoffs. “You’re too busy with work, you barely even try to contact him. He’s doing well in China, and he asked me to send his best regards to you and have you know that you’re the worst brother in the world.”

 

Oh Sehun had been Jongin’s best friend ever since they were in diapers. Their mothers were best friends at one point, and it was only normal that each other’s mothers considered the other as their own son, and with that being clarified, Jongin and Sehun were almost like brothers. They shared everything together, and went through high school and college together.

 

Sehun always had his back, when Jongin was mourning the death of his late wife, Sehun took in the kids for Jongin and watched them with care while Jongin took his time. While Jongin locked himself in his own house crying, Sehun was the one who broke in countless of times to get him food to eat, and lied to his mother and family that Jongin was doing fine. Even when he wasn’t.

 

But sometimes, at times like these, he hates Sehun. Only because Jongin had always thought about work and his kids that he forgot his responsibilities as a brother and a son, and Sehun was always the perfect person everyone thought he was. Jongin himself thinks so. Sehun was always there to clean up his mess and Jongin was grateful. But sometimes, he wishes he was doing a good job and never had to rely on Sehun to clean his mess anymore.

 

“I-I’m sorry.”

 

“Don’t apologize to me. But hey, it’s not your fault.” Sehun looks away, to Jonghun whose eyes brightened as he touches the soft curves of the shiny red car, while Jaehyun munched softly on his chicken nuggets, struggling to hold the big cup of orange juice with his tiny hands. “Don’t beat yourself too hard.”

 

“I know.” Jongin looks at his kids, and a small smile forms on his lips.

 

“Oh, your mom also asked me to tell you something.”

 

Jongin looks at him, eyebrow raised.

 

“She’s holding a welcome home party in 2 months since Jongdae is coming back soon after the company launches well in China, and she wants you to clear up your schedule for that day. June 30^th.” Sehun notifies like an informant, and Jongin nods in understanding but Sehun wasn’t finished with his sentence.

 

“Okay.”

 

“––with a fiancée.”

 

“WHAT.”

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omg, i have 26 subscribers over one chapter ksadjdsf i'm relieved and glad. thank you!! here's a longer chapter for you guys, and there isn't any kyungsoo-jongin interactions but more of like each other with their best friends to somehow get you guys a gist of the characters who are going to be around frequently throughout the chapters. but don't worry, exo ot12 will be present at some point. stay tuned and thank you! <3

 

next chapter would probably be around next week.