Jongdae only spared Chanyeol a nod and went back to eagerly wrapping his arms around Kyungsoo, whose squishy cheeks were rising and laughing the loudest that Chanyeol had heard him in the last three weekends.

“How have you been?!” Jongdae asked, his voice carrying over the entire cafe it seemed.

Kyungsoo chuckled shyly, could feel his face grow hot as the chairwoman’s son curiously looked on. “Uh... good.”

“I haven’t seen you in, like, what? 6 years?!”

Kyungsoo bit his lower lip. That was when he had dropped out of church choir suddenly, and he hadn’t been able to go to school the following year. That was when he had been diagnosed with arrhythmia that progressively worsened to heart failure... “Well, have you been to Ilsan since then?”

Chanyeol then nodded in understanding. Jongdae had some relatives in Ilsan with whom he would spend the summer months.

So that was where Jongdae and Kyungsoo met?

“The last time I was there was three years ago, when Appa could still walk,” Jongdae relayed, shrugging. “I came by the old church, and was told that only a few choir members from our year had remained to serve. Father Choi told me that you and your family had moved to Seoul, but he didn’t know where.” And then he made a face at Kyungsoo. “I was thinking: That brat. He didn’t even contact me.”

Kyungsoo only laughed, even more embarrassed. While he was sure that Jongdae would understand if he were to divulge what really happened to him in those 6 years, he didn’t want Chanyeol to know, for some reason. “Mianhae. The move to Seoul was a very urgent one for my parents. My father was also relocated to a job here.” He blinked his big eyes at Jongdae, wondering. “You said... when your appa could still walk? Wae? What happened?”

“Oh...” Jongdae’s expression became deflated, looking over at Chanyeol in despondence. “Um... Appa has diabetes with severe nerve pain. He used to work for Chanyeol’s abeoji as the family driver, but he had to retire early because he has to go around in a wheelchair now.” Then he impishly nudged the taller one at the side. “So that’s why I know this pabo.” (idiot)

“Yah!” Chanyeol protested, to which caused Kyungsoo to suppress his laughter because he shouldn’t be laughing by what his friend just revealed.

“I’m sorry to hear that, Jongdae-yah,” Kyungsoo did say sympathetically after a few moments, patting Jongdae’s hand.

Jongdae gave Kyungsoo a small, earnest smile. “But Appa is healthy, so that’s what matters now.” Then he looked at each of his friends in bewilderment, could not understand the common demonimator—except maybe for him? “How did you two know each other, anyway?”

“Kyungsoo volunteers for my mom’s organization,” Chanyeol divulged as Kyungsoo’s heart-shaped smile came in full display again.

The taller one could not help the giggle that almost escaped him. 

“Oh, so that’s where you were complaining to me about having to waste your Saturdays—” Jongdae’s voice got muffled as Chanyeol clamped his hand over his friend’s big mouth.

Kyungsoo laughed for real this time. “Uh, yeah, because we’re the only volunteers there of the same age...”

Jongdae’s eyes grew wide at the sudden realization, removing Chanyeol’s hand and teasing the taller one. “OH! So Kyungsoo’s the diamond in the rough you were telling me about?!”

Chanyeol’s gaze lowered, couldn’t look at Kyungsoo now. “Louder, Jongdae-yah. I don’t think they heard you in Pyongyang!”

Kyungsoo felt his entire face grow warm. Chanyeol talked about him...? To Jongdae?

Jongdae was suddenly in Kyungsoo’s face, clapping enthusiastically. “Chanyeol kept going on and on about how good you sounded!” He glanced over at Chanyeol, who was on the verge of fuming, but Jongdae only gave him a mischievous wink. “Looks like you got yourself a fan, Kyungsoo-yah.”

Just then, someone hovered over Jongdae, clearing his throat.

Jongdae looked up in attention and cringed, as Kyungsoo and Chanyeol bowed in respect to the stocky-built manager who was already giving them the evil eye.

The manager merely grunted and proceeded to mind the counter.

Jongdae looked sheepishly to his friends. “I’ll be off in 30 minutes so wait for me, araseo?”

Kyungsoo and Chanyeol nodded, excited to be catching up with their friend as well.

Jongdae produced his tablet to get their order, suddenly sounding polite and professional. “So what can I get you, sirs?”

Chanyeol’s laughter spurted out of him, fighting the urge to back.

Jongdae only rolled his eyes at him and turned to Kyungsoo, the more sensible of the two, obviously. “How about you?”

“Um... orange juice?”

Jongdae nodded and entered it into the system, glowering silently at Chanyeol, throwing him a Give-me-your-damn-order-or-I’ll-be-fired kind of look.

Chanyeol tried on his serious face, but to no avail, and managed to spill out, “Americano, juseyo.”

Jongdae sighed and plugged in the taller one’s order, and then subtly glanced over at his manager, who was preoccupied counting the cash on the register. Once he was certain that he would not be seen, he immediately scanned his employee ID on his tablet and whispered. “It’s on me.”

Kyungsoo’s and Chanyeol’s jaws dropped.

“A-Aniya, Jongdae-yah,” Chanyeol declined softly, fully aware that his chingu didn’t have a lot of spending money for himself. He reached for his wallet when Jongdae stopped him, informing them gleefully, “I’ve applied my employee discount, so don’t worry.” He laughed, turning for the kitchen to get them their orders.

“Aigoo...” Chanyeol muttered under his breath, sighing.

Kyungsoo was smiling gently at him. “Same old Jongdae.”

“Yeah...” Chanyeol couldn’t help returning the smile. It didn’t seem as if what Kyungsoo had heard Jongdae say made him feel awkward, so at least that was a