Cafeteria would be convenient, but based on Minseok’s Hyung’s text, Chanyeol was convinced to find an empty practice room. Jongin had both his arms around Kyungsoo’s shoulder and would simply burrow into his neck when someone crossed them. It fell on Chanyeol to scout for an empty room. Sometimes, the loud sobs of Jongin would bring him back to pat his head. Jongin’s sobs had slowed but not completely stopped. No matter how much Kyungsoo wanted him to let loose, they needed to find a safe place. Neither Chanyeol nor he had any idea what went wrong, but they were truly concerned for Jongin to rush out in front of a senior like that.

Jongin clung to Kyungsoo. He was worried that Kyungsoo would soon push him off. But till then he raspingly Kyungsoo held his hands and guided him out and in. He didn’t care where they went, he just did not want to hear the spiel again. He didn’t want Chanyeol and Kyungsoo to hear what the senior had said. He didn’t want to believe anything they said because what they said sent shivers down his spine. He felt cold all over, blood rushing out; like he was on a cold day without blankets, drowning in that cold lake when they had gone on the trip, and he did not like it. When the door opened to Chanyeol and Kyungsoo, he suddenly felt as if the sun had entered. Clinging to Kyungsoo and pats from Chanyeol, made him feel warm, even though the cold premonition remained. He tightened his grip every time he thought about it. Kyungsoo bore with it, never stopping in his ministry of guiding Jongin and rubbing his hands.

``We will have to clean it up,'' Jongin heard the chatter, but did not pay attention to it.

‘Or we could sit down’

‘It is cold, so no. We will also need some water.’

‘Water bottles are behind the sofa, I checked. I’ll clean up the sofa, how do I start?

‘Take him, I’ll clean it up’

‘How do I take him? You remove yourself from him!’

‘I can’t do that Chanyeol!’

‘Why the hell not?’

‘I can’t, he is holding me too tightly’

‘Dislodge his arms and do it’

‘I can’t, you’ll have to pull him towards you and wrap him in your arms.’

‘Okay, got it!’

He suddenly felt cold when someone ripped Kyungsoo away from him. A whine escaped from Jongin’s throat and a sob was about to, when someone much taller than Kyungsoo hugged him. They engulfed him, laying his lead on their shoulder, under their chin, and arms completely pulling Jongin into their chest. 

It was Chanyeol hyung.

As he laid his head on Chanyeol’s shoulder, he felt a different warmth. Kyungsoo was right, he was a lamp post and hugged like one too. He opened his eyes to see Kyungsoo clean up the sofa. He kept staring at Kyungsoo. It was a short time before Kyungsoo was done and looked up to meet his stare. Kyungsoo always knew when he was staring at him. Before he could look away Kyungsoo smiled, so he had to smile back. When Kyungsoo looked away to continue cleaning, he felt Chanyeol’s chuckles reverberate. As tempting as it was to look up and see him smile as well, he chose to burrow into Chanyeol’s neck. Chanyeol’s only response was to hug him tighter.

Seeing Jongin nuzzle his neck, Chanyeol thought back to the time when Kyungsoo had cried and the three of them had huddled on the floor. He did not regret the talk they had with Jongdae a week back. Jongdae had already caught them staring at Baekhyun and Kyungsoo, in fact even laughed at them. Jongin had the courage to voice his feelings then. That’s why he had decided to have courage and speak to Jongin.

“Jongin, are you free?” Chanyeol asked.

He and Jongin saw Baekhyun grab onto Kyungsoo. They did not have vocal training but Baekhyun practiced even after practice. Usually he would invite anyone available to guide him or accompany him. Now, it was always Kyungsoo and Jongdae. Much less Jongdae, more Kyungsoo, thought Chanyeol uncomfortably. His expressions were pretty much reflected in Jongin’s eyes.

“Jongin,” Chanyeol said to draw his attention back.

“What,” Jongin replied irritably, looking away from the pair exiting the door to Chanyeol.

“Are you free?” He asked again.

Jongin brushed his bangs away from his face angrily. A sneak peek at the door, hoping Kyungsoo came back (but he didn’t). He looked up to see Chanyeol’s face with a pout and knitted brows. Guilt rose in his chest.

“Yes Hyung?” He asked.

“Can we…um… can we talk? Go outside and talk?” Chanyeol gestured towards the doors.

“Yes of course,” Jongin replied and waited. They stood awkwardly, before he said, “Right now?”

“Yes,” Chanyeol replied and started walking towards the door. He turned after a bit to see if Jongin was following. And he was, like a duckling.

Once they stepped out, Chanyeol led him to the cafeteria. At his gesture, Jongin sat down on the table with two chairs.

They sat in silence, Jongin staring at Chanyeol and Chanyeol staring at his own hands.

“Hyung,” Jongin called out in a low voice. When Chanyeol did not respond he tried again, this time a little loudly, “Chanyeol Hyung?”

Chanyeol was startled by the voice and Jongin’s hand holding his, “yes! Umm so, I wanted to ask you…that uh… Minseok Hyung said that… um …we… you and I… that Kyungsoo…”

“Hyung? What is it?” Jongin asked worriedly.

Chanyeol took a deep breath and said, “Minseok Hyung said that you and I are behaving oddly with Baekhyun and Kyungsoo. He asked me if we resent Baekhyun for what happened. Or if we hate him?”

“WHAT!! No, that’s not…” Jongin interrupted, “that is not what happened. But why?” He paused when he realized what Chanyeol had said, “wait, you and I?? We? What is that supposed to mean?”

Chanyeol decided it was time to jump onto the horse of courage and confessed, “you and I, we. It seems we both like Kyungsoo and…”

“What!” Jongin said, “I don’t!”

“Jongin,” Chanyeol grabbed his receding hands and said, “I know you do as well. I have seen you give looks and stare at him and anyone who clings to him. You know how I know this?”

“How?” asked flabbergasted Jongin. He was still trying to take his hand back when Chanyeol said,

“Because that is what I do as well. The reason why I used to be annoyed was because you could hang out with Kyungsoo more than I could. That is why we even had that fight. And after seeing you behave like I do, I did something.”

“What did you do?” Jongin asked.

“I started looking at you and spending time with you. It was fun doing stage activities with you as well. Soon I realized something, I started enjoying time with you as well. I like you and Kyungsoo now, which is why I know that you like him as well.”

He stopped fighting completely and tightened his grip on Chanyeol’s hand. Chanyeol still thinks it was the scariest and the bravest thing he had ever done. It was worth it. Jongin and he….

 

“Guys,” Kyungsoo’s voice broke through Chanyeol’s internal movie screening.

“Yes, Kyungsooshi?” Chanyeol asked in a mocking voice, “what can we do for you?”

Kyungsoo rolled his and heavily sat down on the sofa, “come, and the sofa is clean.”

“We don’t want to! You took so much time, now we are perfectly comfortably standing,” Chan replied.

“Fine, then continue standing, while I relax my on this soft and clean sofa,” said as Kyungsoo rolled his eyes again. Chanyeol smiled despite himself and saw Jongin smile as well. There was fondness filled in their eyes.

“Yes, you can do so all by yourself, right Jongin?” Chanyeol said as he pushed his chest back to look at Jongin, “we are comfortable here.”

“Suit yourself,” Kyungsoo said as he stretched out his arms to the length of the sofa, “this seems like memory foam though.”

“Memory foam? No way,” Chanyeol said, “Jongin?” He asked as he felt Jongin’s grip losing around him.

Jongin smiled at him and tickled to escape his iron grip, and ran to join Kyungsoo on the sofa. Chanyeol dramatized his surprise by looking absolutely affronted. Kyungsoo and Jongin smirked back at him in unison, which made the fondness meter in him dial up. Jongin had immediately engulfed Kyungsoo in a hug, cuddling into him, and yeah that was definitely cute. Kyungsoo was still smirking at him. When Jongin looked up through his eyelashes at Chanyeol there was a question,

‘Are you going to join us?’

Chanyeol rolled his eyes just to see Jongin and Kyungsoo smile at him, ‘you know I am.’

Jongin looked at Kyungsoo and back at Chanyeol. There was a question again, but Chanyeol did not get it.

“Fine, you can rest your flat on the cold ground,” Kyungsoo said, surprising Chanyeol.

“You take that back!” Chanyeol pointed at Kyungsoo and approached him haughtily, “my is not flat!!”

“Maybe that is why you don’t want to sit on this sofa, what do you think?” Kyungsoo ignored Chanyeol and asked Jongin. When Jongin giggled into his shoulder, Kyungsoo continued,

“Maybe it will make no dent on the sofa, that is why he doesn’t want to sit. Is that it Park Hyung?”

“Yes, is that it, Park Hyung?” Jongin mirrored the question.

Chanyeol sat down heavily on the other side of Kyungsoo, that was not occupied by Jongin, and pulled both of them towards himself,

“I told you to call me Chanyeol!”