It was a really slow afternoon. Jinki and Kibum were sitting at the bleachers as they waited for Minho and Taemin to finish soccer practice, as they always did. As usual, Jinki was already busy working on his homework and the younger man couldn't help but stare at him as he did so. 

He had been noticing him more and more the past few weeks. The way his hair fell across his forehead... The way he quietly watched over their close-knit group of friends... This was his favorite thing to watch, though. Seeing Jinki concentrating over homework was fascinating, to say the least. Kibum watched him quietly mutter to himself and purse his lips as he was deep in thought. It was torture; he couldn't keep it to himself anymore.

"You're cute, Lee Jinki. Did you know that?"

The older man looks up from his notebook and is taken aback by the question--especially since it came from the one person that he had been pining over for so long. "Huh?"

"I knew it. You have no idea, do you?" Kibum says, with a smirk on his face. "They talk about you, you know? Almost everyone at school... I can hear them."

Jinki still didn't know how to respond. He sat there with his tongue caught in his throat, staring as Kibum went on his strange interrogation. The older man's heart was starting to beat furiously in his chest and there was nothing else to hold onto but the pen in his hand. Kibum was in one of his playful moods again, and Jinki braced himself. He knew that whatever it was that Kibum was plotting, he was about to get his way. He had no choice but to play along. 

"They keep talking about how cute you are, how kind you are, how strong you are... They're not wrong. But they're missing out on a lot, too. We have that advantage--Taemin, Minho and I... We know the truth," he says, looking out at the soccer team, who all looked half-dead doing drills over and over again. 

Jinki swallows the lump in his throat. He wasn't quite sure where Kibum was going with this. "The truth?"

"Yeah, Jinki. You're more than just a pretty face. You're loyal and hardworking and you sacrifice a lot for the ones that you love." Kibum looks over at the older man, who was by now positively pale. Jinki was frozen in place and Kibum could see that he was growing more nervous by the second. There was no point in making this go on any longer. "I know you've liked me for a long time. Right?"

"Uh..."

"Are you going to deny it? You don't have to... Minho told me. Taemin too. Well, they didn't have to but they did... I'm not dense, Jinki. You treat me differently. I can tell for myself."

Jinki heaved a huge sigh and didn't know what else to say. He looked like he had been caught like a deer in headlights. Kibum was right, there was no sense in trying to deny it now. He nervously looks around and catches Minho's eye. The younger man looks up at the bleachers with a concerned look on his face, but there was nothing that anyone could do for him now. 

Kibum goes on. "So here's the deal: You like me, and it turns out I like you too. I got so mad... I don't really like it when other people talk about you like that, which is why I told everybody to shut up." The younger man takes a deep breath and decides to just go for it. "Do you want to be together? You and me. So I can officially get mad at other people when they try to scope you out like tomorrow's harvest."

"Wh-What?" The older man's heart was about to beat out of his chest. Was he really hearing everything correctly? After all these years, he finally had a shot?

"I've been thinking about it and it kind of makes sense. No one knows me better than you guys do--most of all, you. And I know you well, too. If I was going to do this, you would be a perfect choice, don't you think?" No one could be able to tell but Kibum's heart was racing, too. No matter how you look at it, being this forward was a leap of faith. The young man was scared of being rejected... But the thought of missing the chance to be with Jinki scared him even more. Kibum's courage was met with a shocked face and a prolonged silence. "What's wrong? Don't you want to be together?"

"NO! NO, IT'S NOT THAT," Jinki says, flustered. His things almost fall through the cracks of the bleachers as he tries to get a hold of himself. The older man hastily puts everything away and tries to wrap his mind around what's going on. "I just mean... A-Are you sure?"

"Aren't you?"

"Sir."

Kibum is awakened by gentle tapping on his shoulder. 

"I'm sorry to wake you, Sir, but we're about three minutes away from the terminal. I just thought you would want to know," the conductor says with a smile on his face. 

"Oh, th-thank you very much," Kibum replies, rousing from his sleep. He realizes that it was a dream and looks around to remind himself where he was. The young man straightens up and ruffles his hair. "I appreciate it."

"It's nice to see you, Kibum-ssi," the conductor replies. "You've grown up well."

Kibum suddenly notices that this was no stranger tapping him awake. It was a face that he recognized from his youth--aged, but still definitely the same kind eyes that watched him grow from two houses down the road. 

"Lee Sooman-ssi? Goodness!" Kibum snaps up from his seat and gives him a warm hug. "What are you doing here? You're a conductor now?"

"Hello, Son," he says, returning the quick embrace. "Yes, well, after my wife passed, the house got too big and empty. I've always wanted to see more of the country. And this way, they pay me to travel. What more can I ask for?"

Kibum's eyes shifted at the news. Mrs. Lee had always given him and his friends treats whenever she would have a batch of them fresh out of the oven. It was confirmation that life went on without him. "I'm so sorry to hear that... She was a lovely lady. One of my favorite people."

"The feeling was quite mutual," Sooman says. "You've made us all very proud. The entire town is eager to see you... I see a few of them now." The old man nods to the window as the train gently pulls to a stop. Clear as day, there were a couple of friends eagerly waiting for his arrival in the middle of the terminal. Kibum's heart skips a beat as the moment was finally here.

"Welcome home, Son."

*****

Taemin is steadfastly holding his homemade banner to his chest and craning his neck to see better over the horizon. "I don't see him anywhere," he says.

"That's because the train isn't even here yet," Minho replies, suppressing a chuckle. He looks down at the young man's shuffling feet and feels duty-bound to keep him calm. "Relax, will you? You're making me nervous."

"I'm just really excited. Do you think he still looks the same? I mean, he must have fancy city clothes on, but he'll still look the same, right? Aren't you excited, Hyung?"

"Of course I am," Minho says, his voice trailing off. "But my mind's still on Jinki Hyung if I'm being honest. I've never seen him like that, have you? Maybe he's still not ready to see Kibum again."

Taemin's face crinkles as he looks over at Minho with his brows furrowed together. "What do you mean he's not ready? But it's been years... You mean he needs even more time?"

"It's not that simple, Taemin," the older man replies. "What happened was really painful for Jinki Hyung... For both of them. You were there; you know what it was like."

Both of them think back on what it was like those first days that Kibum had left for the city. It was hard to see people they loved to be in such pain. Those times were tough on all of them. 

"You're right," the young man says. "I really shouldn't have nagged Jinki Hyung to come. You think Kibum Hyung isn't ready either?"

"I don't think he has that on his mind just yet... His Halmeoni--"

"THE TRAIN! THERE IT IS!!!" Taemin shouts as he sees the train approaching. His hands shoot up, raising his banners in the air with a huge smile on his face. He feels a rush of emotion and flies into a panic. "Oh no. I can't cry. Kibum Hyung is gonna tease me for it. Hyung, tell me not to cry."

"Don't cry, Taemin," Minho says, holding back tears of his own.

"Come back when you can, okay?" Taemin says in between sobs. "And you have to call us the minute you get into the city."

"I will," Kibum replies, tears in eyes. "You have to stand up for yourself now, okay? I won't be there to make them shut up anymore but I know that Jinki and Minho won't let anything happen to you. Take good care of yourself, okay? You little brat."

He and Taemin often teased each other, but it was always because it was the only way that they knew how to show affection. To not have someone to pester every day would be hard for them both. They release each other from the embrace and Kibum moves on to say his goodbyes to Minho. 

"He really isn't coming?" Kibum asks, trying to mask the hope in his voice.

Minho hangs his head in regret. "I'm sorry... I tried. I don't know what else to say... I guess this is all just too difficult for him," the younger man says. 

Kibum had never been more devastated in his life. "It's okay... Thank you," Kibum replies. Maybe not having him there was better. Having to say goodbye to these two was hard enough. He takes comfort in Jinki trying to save him from more hurt, as he takes Minho in his arms. "I'll miss you guys so much."

"Me too, Kibum. Take care out there," he responds, giving his friend the tightest hug he ever had. "We'll be waiting right here when you come back."

"Really?" 

"You can bet on it," Taemin says, wiping the tears from his cheeks. 

Kibum tries to swallow the lump forming in his throat as he steps off the train. He didn't realize until now just how emotional coming back would be. The air was fresher, the sun was brighter... Everything just felt better here; more comforting. There was love all around him.

He looks around at the platform, trying to find the people that he spotted a few minutes ago. But they spotted him first.

"HYUNG!! KIBUM HYUNG!!!" Taemin shouts, rushing towards him with such a great speed that Kibum got scared to be toppled over. "Kibum Hyung, Kibum Hyung!! We missed you!" 

Taemin engulfs him in the tightest embrace he has ever had in his entire life. It was hard to admit, but he did miss the little brat. He returns the embrace as his eyes fill with tears. "I missed you guys, too," Kibum says, feeling his neck get wet with Taemin's tears. "Are you crying?"

"No," Taemin says, immediately releasing Kibum from his embrace, wiping his cheeks and turning away. "Of course not. Why would I be crying?"

"Well, I'm not gonna hide it," Minho says, with tears in his eyes. He steps forward to take Kibum in his arms as well. "It's so good to see you. Welcome home."

"Hi, Minho," Kibum replies as they hug it out too. It was almost too much for Kibum to handle but he was able to control his tears. "It's nice to see you too."

The three of them stand there smiling at each other, completely joyful about being reunited. 

"How was your trip?" Minho asks.

"It was really convenient, to be honest. Things have changed a lot--that's for sure. Thanks for the banners, brat. I could see them from a mile away," Kibum teases. Taemin blushes as he was trying to get a hold of his emotions. Kibum taps his shoulders and is surprised at how not so little their little maknae had become. "Look at you! You're not so skinny anymore, huh?"

"Yeah, he's been helping out at our farm a lot. Lots of heavy lifting," Minho replied. "But you! You look so polished!"

"Wow. Hyung, your clothes are straight out of your magazine," Taemin says, amazed and trying to feel the unfamiliar fabric of Kibum's clothes.

"Thanks, but it's really just part of my job. A lot of these are free but don't tell anyone. I want them to think I can actually afford all this stuff," he says with a chuckle. "I snuck some out of the office for you guys."

Minho smiles widely. "Good to hear that you haven't changed much," he says with much love in his eyes. "Are you ready? Your Eomma has been calling us non-stop."

"Yeah, Hyung, everyone is so excited to see you! Let's get you home!" Taemin says as he grabs the older man's suitcase.

The word fills his heart with comfort. Home... He was finally back home. 

They walk towards Minho's car with much chattering in the air, mostly coming from Taemin. He tried to keep up but his brain really wasn't able to focus too much on what the young man was saying. Between the realization of how much he missed the countryside, his Halmeoni, and the dream he just had... Kibum knew this was going to be a tough visit. But for now, he was just glad to be in the company of people he loved and who loved him back.