There is small playground around the corner from Lu Han’s apartment building. It’s old, wooden, and most likely unsafe, but it hasn’t fallen over yet and therefore Lu Han deems it okay to visit. A slight breeze rattles the chains of a small two-seat swing set. Steadying the swaying metal rope, he plops down onto one of the swings. He lazily moves his legs back and forth just enough to get a good rhythm going but not enough for people to actually think he’s swinging.

The swing shrieks and, in some random form of amusement, Lu Han hums to match the sound. His humming settles into a soft, under the breath rendition of the song he has to sing in a few days. As he mutters the song, he supposes he should be practicing seriously. There isn’t anything more embarrassing than flubbing a line or a note in front of strangers and at the moment Lu Han has faced enough embarrassment in front of his friends and Minseok alone that he can’t bear anymore. But he was asked to come out today and so here he is, swinging and singing and waiting.

A shuffling of feet causes Lu Han to turn his head in the direction of a slide to his right. The first thing he sees is a familiar blinding smile and a pair of naturally bloated cheeks. Minseok waves and Lu Han instantly feels a smile of his own bloom. From their previous meetings, he’s noticed that Minseok wears a lot of oversized clothes. That’s fine, of course, but Lu Han wouldn’t have guessed that Minseok has a thing for baggy clothing when they first met. He’s also noticed how Minseok tugs at the end of his sleeves around his wrist when he’s nervous.

Lu Han thinks it can’t possibly be healthy to notice something like that so early on.

Minseok takes a few steps back to push off the ground on the swing. Lu Han watches as the other male tries to go as high as possible (with a bit of unspoken fear for his life as the structure rattles and shakes every time Minseok descends), a gentle smile playing at his lips. Five minutes zoom by, their sense of time almost forgotten as Minseok loses himself in childhood activities and Lu Han tries to pull his smile into a thin line, knowing he shouldn’t be letting his guard fall just because Minseok looks so carefree.

Thankfully, Minseok comes down from his high, dragging his feet to bring himself to a stop. He turns to Lu Han, face flushed and glowing with mirth.

“Why do you look so down? It’s a lovely day. Swing a little bit,” Minseok says, reaching over to push at Lu Han’s swing.

With a laugh, Lu Han shakes his head and waves his hand dismissively. “I don’t think it’s safe for two people to be going at the same time. Last thing we need is to end up in the hospital.”

Minseok joins him in laughing and when the two of them fall into small giggles, Lu Han clears his throat.

“So,” he starts, turning to Minseok with a cheesy grin, “you come here often?”

Minseok stares at him wide-eyed and tight-lipped. Lu Han sees how the corners of his mouth twitch upward and how Minseok struggles to keep himself composed.

“Laugh if you’re going to and stop fighting it.”

Without hesitation, Minseok is overcome with laughter again; his fingers curl around the swing chains and he hunches over, shaking. Lu Han won’t be surprised if it turns out that he’s crying.

He fights a frown when Minseok lifts his head and there are translucent tear marks trailing down his cheeks. What he said wasn’t that funny. Or at least he doesn’t think it was.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.” Minseok places a hand on his chest. “That was the worst way to start talking. With a bad pick up line.”

Lips pushing out into a pout, Lu Han twists his body and the swing, kicking his leg out at Minseok. He misses. “I don’t appreciate you hating on my swag, okay? This friendship thing isn’t going to work if you’re going to be a hater.” Lu Han kicks at Minseok again (and misses again).

Rolling his eyes, Minseok bites back a chuckle.

“But in all seriousness, why did you want to meet here? I actually don’t live all too far from this playground.” Lu Han looks at the street that leads toward his apartment building. In his peripheral vision he sees Minseok shrug.

“I like to come around this part of town to clear my mind. There isn’t much to do where I live,” he says blankly. “Plus, we don’t have playgrounds. Just a bunch of back alleys and the occasional questionable old guy.”

Lu Han nods. “I see. Wouldn’t be good to invite me to meet questionable old guys, I guess.”

“Not at all. You’d never talk to me again,” Minseok jokes. “All my efforts would be in v-”

He cuts off when his phone rings one of the cute default twinkles.

Lifting a finger, he smiles apologetically. Pressing the phone to his ear, he stands and walks off into the direction of the slide.

Lu Han knows he wants his privacy but the breeze carries the conversation over and he can’t help but eavesdrop. He can’t help but pick up Minseok’s numerous questions to the other person on the like — questions of why the caller is upset, why can’t he go out without reporting every small detail. His inquiries spark the birth of questions in Lu Han’s mind about who his new friend is talking to and why Minseok is glancing at him, tugging at the ends of his sweater. And while he’s mildly curious, he faces the street again and ignores the other male, assuming it to be his parents or a roommate or someone on the line.

It isn't long before Minseok hangs up, muttering a small 'I'll talk to you at home' to the person on the line. He comes back over to the swings with his shoulders slumped and exhaustion written in bold across his face.

Falling back onto the swing, the chains rattle and Minseok turns to Lu Han with a strained smile like the one he gave him at the boba shoppe.

“Did you know hippopotamus milk is pink?”

“Excuse me?” Lu Han glances at him, one eyebrow raised.

“Hippopotamus milk is pink. I hope you don’t drink strawberry milk.” Minseok smirks, presumably at Lu Han’s disgusted face.

“Oh my God, I drank strawberry milk earlier! How could you say such a thing? How could you ruin my life like this?” Lu Han sticks out his tongue and looks like he’s searching for traces of hippopotamus.

“Is it not the job of friends to ruin the life of each other?”

Lu Han whines. “But that’s no fair. I don’t know random and life-ruining animal facts.”

Minseok only shrugs, pushing back to start swinging again. The air is filled with Lu Han’s whines and the creak of the swing set.

“I got it!” Lu Han jumps up from the swing and points at the still swinging male.

Surprised, Minseok flinches. Lu Han has this very terrifying grin on his face.

“You’re fat!”

Immediately Minseok glares at him and stops swinging. “Pardon?”

Lu Han’s eyes widen when he realizes what he just said. “Nonononono, I didn’t mean it in a bad way. You’re not like ten thousand kilograms fat, you’re like baozi fat.”

Minseok continues to glare. If anything, the daggers in his gaze sharpen.

“You look like you’re about to hit me. Don’t hit me. I’m a foreigner. It’s a compliment. You’re cute. Like steamed buns. Baozi.”

Pink stains Minseok cheeks (it actually looks like his entire face is red) and his gaze softens a bit. He curls his index finger in, beckoning Lu Han over. The Chinese male takes two steps toward him and stops. Rolling his eyes, Minseok waves his hand.

“Come here,” he demands. With a groan, Lu Han continues until he’s standing in front of him.

Lu Han does not expect to be punched in the chest. Lu Han does not expect to be punched in the chest that hard.

He clutches the front of his shirt as pain spreads around where he was hit. “Who are you, Superman? Why do you hit so hard?”

“You don’t call a person fat to their face, stupid. Even if it is a compliment.”

Lu Han rubs at his chest, pouting. "I think you secretly hate me. Are you sure you're trying to befriend me? You are my arch enemy, baozi."

Minseok punches Lu Han half-heartedly in the thigh. "You are not calling me baozi."

"Or am I?" Grin stretching across his face, the singer wiggles his eyebrows.

Minseok raises his fist again, about to hit the younger student. Before he's attacked, Lu Han raises his arms in surrender.

"Okay, okay. I'm not calling you baozi."