Running away was the best idea Yixing ever had.

He had to get away. He couldn’t stay there anymore, not with Zitao and Jongin constantly bickering and Sehun and Luhan attached at the mouth. It was too much for him. So he just did it. He left.

                Until the day before, he didn’t know where he’d go. He just knew he had to leave Seoul. He kind of just bought the plane ticket home. Back to China. Back to his hometown and his father. Back to peace and quiet at last. Yixing didn’t even think when he made the decision; it really just made itself. Home was comforting. It was the exact opposite of his god-forsaken school and crazy roommates.

                “I’m leaving,” he said to them that morning.

                “So?” Jongin asked, completely unfazed. “Why tell us?”

                “I’m leaving for good. I’m going back to China.”

                “What?” Zitao choked on his breakfast. “What about the rent?”

                Of course. The rent was their concern. Yixing had always paid the largest share and without him they’d have to muster up the funds to continue living their relatively cushy lifestyle. All he was to them was a source of income. He was just the rent and nothing more to them. It only further intensified his desire to leave.

                “I’m sure you’ll find someone to replace me. Bye, guys.” As soon as Yixing shut the thin door behind him, he could hear that Jongin and Zitao had immediately started yelling at each other. Good riddance, he thought as he boarded the bus to the airport.

 

---

 

                “Baba!” Yixing grinned as he made it through customs and noticed his father waiting for him with open arms. “I’m so happy you could come on such short notice!”

                “When you suddenly told me you were coming home, I was worried! I had to come and pick you up. Yixing, I missed you. I’m glad you’re home.”

                “Me too, baba.”

                “What happened?”

                “It just...got to be too much. My roommates were insane, school was just a bunch of busywork where we didn’t learn anything, and I was working three jobs after classes to pay the rent that my roommates couldn’t afford.”

                “Oh, Yixing,” his father sighed. “I wish I could have been there for you.”

                “You are now,” Yixing smiled. “All I need is a break.”

                “You deserve one. Let’s go home.”

                “Has a lot changed since I’ve been gone? How’s the town?”

                “There’s a nice new bookstore that opened on our street, and Mr. And Mrs. Yu moved to Beijing.”

                “Finally,” Yixing laughed. “I’m glad to be home.”

                “I’m glad you’re home too, Yixing.”

 

---

 

                He hadn’t expected life at home to be nearly as boring as it turned out to be. He didn’t miss Jongin and Zitao’s arguments or Sehun and Luhan’s uncomfortable makeout sessions. But the quiet of this small Chinese town was missing something. He was the only guy there. All the other people under the age of forty were much younger than his twenty-two years old. It was an unfortunate consequence of coming home from college early. There was nothing to do. The one bar in the town closed at eleven at night, and there was nothing else worth doing. Hanging out with his father was fine, but he did have work, and business trips to Hong Kong and Beijing were frequent.

                He was taking his fifteenth walk down the street that week when his feet carried him in a different direction than usual. In particular, that different direction was into the new bookstore his father had mentioned.

                If he hadn’t known it was new, Yixing would have thought that it had been there for a century. It smelled like old books, and distinctly like sandalwood as well, which Yixing found curious. It was dim, paneled on the inside with rich wood. Books were stacked all over the place, some well organized and others strewn about, but they all looked to be in good condition.

                He inhaled the comforting scent of the books as he looked around. The store was deserted.

                “Hello?” he ventured. “Hello?” He got no reply.

                Leaving wasn’t really an option unless he wanted to resume his habit of walking up and down the street. Anyway, looking at books was always something he’d liked to do.

                He’d picked up a very old-looking copy of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland when he heard movement behind him. He whipped around to see a very tall, slightly irritated-looking blond boy rearranging a stack of books. The sandalwood scent made a sudden reappearance.

                “Uh, hello,” Yixing said. “I didn’t realize anyone was here.”

                “Yeah, sorry, I was upstairs,” the guy said. “Can I help you with anything?”

                “I’m just looking, thanks,” Yixing replied.

                “Okay, let me know if I can help you at all. I’ll be around.”

                “Uh, yeah, I do have one question. When’d you guys open?” Yixing asked.

                “Eight months ago, maybe? It’s felt like a lot longer than that, though,” he laughed, and when he laughed, his irritated look disappeared and in its place came a wide, bright smile. He suddenly looked friendly.

                “You live around here?” Yixing asked.

                “I live here. Upstairs.”

                “Really? I live just down the street!”

                “I haven’t seen you around before.”

                “I moved back here from Seoul two weeks ago. What’s your name?” Yixing asked.

                “Wu Fan,” he replied, still smiling. “You?”

                “Yixing. Nice to meet you.”

                “You too,” Wu Fan grinned. “So this is your hometown then?”

                “Yeah,” Yixing replied. “I hated school in Seoul so I moved back here, but I didn’t expect it to be as boring as it is.”

                “It’s a quiet town,” Wu Fan agreed. “How old are you?”

                “Twenty-two.”

                “I’m twenty-three.”

                “Wu Fan-ge,” Yixing chuckled. “So you work and live here?”

                “Yeah,” Wu Fan said proudly. Yixing breathed.

                “Wow,” he replied. “That’s pretty cool. Are you the only one here?”

                “Yeah. I moved here because I heard the demand for old books was high.”

                “It’s true, there are a lot of old people and scholars in this town,” Yixing replied, nodding. “They like the old books a lot.”

                “But that’s the problem. Sure, I’m getting business,” Wu Fan explained, “but there are a lot of old people here. There’s nobody my age, and the bar closes at eleven.”

                “Well, I’m here now. I’m your age,” Yixing pointed out.

                “That’s true,” Wu Fan grinned. “How busy are you these days?”

                “About as busy as a rock,” Yixing sighed. “I’m literally doing nothing. I’ve walked down the street for ‘fun’ about fifteen times this week already.”

                “Do you want to work here?”

                “We just met!” Yixing exclaimed.

                “Well, yeah. But that doesn’t mean I can’t hire you.”

                Yixing pondered this. It would be something to do, maybe he’d earn a little money, and he’d have someone to spend time with.

                “How much do you pay?” he asked jocularly. Wu Fan smiled.

                “Enough. So, what do you say?”

                “I guess I’ll do it,” Yixing replied in a mockingly grudging fashion. “At least it’s a way to kill time.”

                “I promise it’ll be better than walking up and down the street,” Wu Fan laughed. “Can you start tomorrow?”

                “I can start whenever you want me to.”

 

---

 

                “Ge, where does this one go?” Yixing called, holding a copy of a very old book.

                “Shelf twenty-two, third row from the top,” Wu Fan replied after only glancing at the book. Yixing was always impressed with how much Wu Fan knew.

                In fact, Yixing had been working in the bookstore for almost three weeks, and it seemed like there was nothing that Wu Fan did that didn’t impress Yixing. He really was remarkable. He knew more about books than anyone else Yixing had ever met. And it seemed like he’d read almost all the books in the shop too, even the ones in English. But despite being so well-read, Wu Fan was fun, too. Yixing actually looked forward to working with him every day.

                Yixing walked over to shelf twenty-two and put the book on the third row from the top. The bell on the shop door jingled.

                “Yixing, can you go take care of the customer?” Wu Fan called. “I’m busy.”

                “Sure, ge,” Yixing replied, stepping into the main part of the shop. A young woman was standing there, looking around.

                “Oh! Hello,” she said with a bright smile.

                “Hello,” Yixing said politely, “can I help you find anything?”

                “Yes, actually,” she said, putting her finger on her lips. “I figured this seemed like a store that might have what I’m looking for. It’s a very old book—Xifeng Dehua—have you heard of it?”

                “Ah…” Yixing thought, wracking his brains to see if he could remember such a book, to no avail. “I guess I’ll have to ask Wu Fan ge; excuse me for a moment.”

                “Of course,” she said graciously. Yixing slipped into the back room, where Wu Fan was going through ancient-looking books and fixing their binding.

                “Ge,” Yixing said, standing in the doorway.

                “Yixing,” Wu Fan smiled, saying Yixing’s name in the gentlest way.

                Ah, that smile, Yixing mused to himself. Makes him really handsome.

                “Yixing,” Wu Fan said again. “Did you need something, or are you going to just stand there staring blankly?”

                “Oh, yeah, uh…the woman in the shop wants to know if we have a book called Xifeng Dehua. I couldn’t remember if we did or not.”

                “We do,” Wu Fan replied. “Let me come with you.” Wu Fan put his hand on Yixing’s shoulder as they left the room, and Yixing felt a shiver run down his spine, and the smell of sandalwood wafted around Yixing’s head. He whipped his head around to look up at Wu Fan just out of instinct, but Wu Fan wasn’t looking back at him.

                The shiver must have just been from a breeze.

                “Hello, miss; you’re looking for Xifeng Dehua?” Wu Fan asked the woman once they’d returned to her.

                “Yes,” she replied. “I’ve looked all over. Do you have it?”

                “Yes,” Wu Fan nodded. “Yixing, come with me. It’s in the stacks on the landing.” Yixing followed Wu Fan to the stair landing, where Wu Fan started lifting up books and handing them to Yixing. “Just for a second,” he grinned as he stacked more and more books on Yixing’s arms.

                “Ah, ge,” Yixing said as the tall stack of books began to totter precariously. “Ge…”

                “Gotcha,” Wu Fan smiled, steadying Yixing.

                Okay, yes. Yixing’s heart was definitely palpitating.

                “Here it is,” Wu Fan said. He placed the book on top of a different stack and took the pile that was in Yixing’s arms and returned it to where it had been earlier. “Give it to the customer. It’s one hundred and sixty yuan.”

                “O-okay,” Yixing stuttered. He glanced at Wu Fan one last time before going back downstairs to the woman who was waiting there.

                “It’s one hundred and sixty yuan,” Yixing repeated to her. She smiled kindly.

                “Thank you so much,” she replied. “Here you are,” she handed him the money. “I’m so happy that this store is here. You two seem to make a good team.”

                “Thank you,” Yixing responded. “Have a good day!”

                “You too,” she said as she left. Wu Fan reappeared next to Yixing, touching his arm like he always did when he wanted Yixing’s attention. From the very first time he did it, it hadn’t stopped sending a spark through Yixing’s nerves and the scent of sandalwood through Yixing’s mind.

                “We’ve worked hard today,” Wu Fan said, looking Yixing directly in the eye. “Do you want to go get a coffee or something?”

                “But…what about the shop? Someone needs to—”

                “We won’t be gone long. I’m sure we won’t miss whoever needs books.”

                “I forgot my wallet at home,” Yixing continued, looking at the ground, but Wu Fan grasped Yixing’s chin gently and pulled it up, looking at Yixing once again.

                “It’s my treat,” he smiled. Yixing looked up at him, absolutely sure that his eyes were betraying his eagerness. Wu Fan smiled knowingly but didn’t say anything more. He looked back at Yixing, waiting for his answer.

                “Okay then,” Yixing breathed, feeling a blush appear on his cheeks. He’d never felt so vulnerable before, but somehow his vulnerable state wasn’t worrying to him at all.

                “Great,” Wu Fan said. “Let me grab my wallet. You lock up and I’ll be right back.”

                Yixing locked the front door of the shop with shaking hands and returned to the back room.

                “Ge, everything is locked up.”

                “Sorry, Yixing, I just can’t seem to find my wallet,” Wu Fan muttered, running his fingers through his hair. Yixing gulped. He knew Wu Fan was handsome, of course, but he hadn’t realized just how good-looking Wu Fan really was. “Yixing?”

                “Sorry, what?” Yixing asked, looking around wildly.

                “I asked if you could help me look for it.”

                “Ah, of course I can, ge. Ah…” Yixing looked around, still embarrassed that he’d been caught staring. “Oh! Ge, is this it?”

                He picked up a leather wallet that was buried under a few books. Wu Fan looked pleased.

                "That’s it. Yixing, you’re the best,” Wu Fan chuckled, ruffling Yixing’s hair, sending another chill down Yixing’s spine. “Shall we go, then?”

                “Yeah,” Yixing said, looking up at Wu Fan. To say that Yixing was excited would have been an understatement.

 

---

 

                “So, Yixing,” Wu Fan began, sitting down in front of his companion, sipping his cappuccino. “I don’t know much about you. And I figured that since you’ve been my employee for a few weeks…well, it’s about time.” He let out a chuckle and smiled at Yixing, who smiled back without a second thought.

                “What do you want to know?”

                “Well,” Wu Fan said, “I guess…I mean, you said you were in Seoul before, right? Why?”

                “School,” Yixing replied simply. The memories that the mention brought back weren’t pleasant. “I went to school there. For almost four years.”

                “Almost?”

                “I left just before the first semester of my fourth year ended.”

                “Why?” Wu Fan asked. “Did you get a degree?”

                “I didn’t get a degree,” Yixing sighed. “But it was all becoming too much for me. I don’t think I’d wouldn’t have gotten a degree even if I’d stayed, because my school didn’t get me into all the course requirements. And my roommates were from Hell. I had to work three jobs after school to cover for their rent.”

                “Man, you must be glad you came back,” Wu Fan breathed. Yixing looked up at him and saw the sincere concern in Wu Fan’s eyes. It was touching, and Yixing could feel his face heating up once again.

                “You don’t know how glad,” Yixing smiled, keeping eye contact with Wu Fan. He had his hellhole of a school to thank for meeting Wu Fan. The fact that it was so awful that it made him leave was probably the only positive point of ever attending that school.  

                “I’m glad you’re here too,” Wu Fan said to Yixing, who felt his heart leap with joy.

                “It must have been hard running the shop all by yourself,” Yixing said, providing an explanation for Wu Fan’s statement, but Wu Fan shook his head.

                “Nah, that’s not it,” he chuckled. “You’re great company.”

                “T-thanks,” Yixing stuttered. “You are too.”

                They sat in silence for a few seconds, staring into each other’s eyes until they both looked away awkwardly, Yixing absolutely sure he was bright red.

                “So…so, uh, tell me about yourself then,” Yixing said. “I hardly know anything about you either.”

                “There’s nothing interesting to say. I had a pretty normal life and now I run an ancient bookstore,” Wu Fan explained.

                “Then tell me your deepest, darkest secret,” Yixing joked, and Wu Fan laughed.

                “I’ll tell you when the time is right,” Wu Fan replied, “but the secret’s not all that dark. But if I tell you mine, you have to tell me yours, deal?”

                I like you came into Yixing’s head immediately, and he felt himself panicking at that thought. He couldn’t possibly tell Wu Fan something like that. It would mean the end of his job and, more importantly, the end of their friendship. He couldn’t tell him.

                “D-deal,” slipped out of his lips anyway, and Yixing kicked himself mentally for it as Wu Fan grinned at him.

                “You look worried,” Wu Fan noted, but Yixing shook his head.

                “Why should I be?”

                “Well, you’ve just agreed to reveal your deepest, darkest secret.”

                “So have you, but you’re not worried,” Yixing observed. Wu Fan smiled slyly.

                “Yixing, do you want to go on a walk?”

                “But, the shop—”

                “Yixing,” Wu Fan laughed, “stop worrying about the shop! It’ll be fine. We deserve a break.”

                “If you say so,” Yixing sighed, standing up along with Wu Fan. Wu Fan’s height was just another reason Yixing found him attractive. Being much shorter than Wu Fan, he could imagine being embraced by Wu Fan’s strong arms and completely wrapped in Wu Fan’s hug.

                “Yixing, I get the feeling that you don’t want to hang out with me,” Wu Fan said, looking hurt.

                “No, I do! I do!” Yixing hurried to correct him.

                “Then when your boss tells you not to worry about the shop, don’t worry about the shop,” Wu Fan smiled. Yixing laughed with a little bit of relief.

                “Okay,” he said, “okay.” He felt Wu Fan’s fingers press into his shoulder blades as Wu Fan guided him out the door of the café. It was hot outside, and suddenly Yixing felt even warmer as they began their walk.

                “Ge, I have a question,” Yixing said.

                “Ask away, Yixing,” Wu Fan smiled.

                “What made you decide to become a bookseller? Did you go to college?”

                “I went for two years. But books were all I really cared about. And my father was a bookseller, and my grandfather. It’s in my blood,” Wu Fan laughed. “So I dropped out and took over the family business when my father died.”

                “I’m…I’m sorry,” Yixing said quietly, but Wu Fan shook his head.

                “He was sick for a long time. Don’t worry about it, Yixing. You…why were you living with your roommates if they were so awful?”

                “I…I guess it’s…I mean, I went to Seoul with my friend Luhan. And we roomed together for the entire time. It was fine for the first two years. Jongin came at the end of the second year, which was alright. A few months later Jongin brought Sehun in with us. And Luhan and Sehun were…hm, how do I put this…well, they fell in love, I guess. They—that is to say, their mouths—became pretty much inseparable. That’s when our house started falling apart. We needed one more person to help pay the rent, so we took on Zitao. But he and Jongin didn’t exactly see eye-to-eye, and so everything sort of exploded and it was too much for me after a few months. I couldn’t do it anymore,” Yixing sighed. “Sorry. I guess that was kind of a rambly story.”

                “Sounds rough,” Wu Fan said, looking down at Yixing. “But you’re okay now that you’re with me, right?”

                “Right,” Yixing smiled. “You’re a million times better than my roommates were.”

                “Yixing, I have a question now too,” Wu Fan said, stopping on the sidewalk. Yixing stopped and turned to look at him as well.

                “What is it, ge?”

                “What do you…what do y—” he cut himself off. “Ah,” he said with an odd laugh. “I forgot what I was going to say.”

                “That happens to me too,” Yixing replied. “All the time. It’s okay.”

                “Let’s go back to the shop,” Wu Fan sighed.

                “So soon?” Yixing asked as they continued walking.

                “We might miss customers,” Wu Fan responded.

                He was uncharacteristically quiet for the rest of the walk.

 

---

 

                “Ge, you misplaced this book,” Yixing pointed out, re-shelving the book. “That’s the fifth time today.”

                “Sorry, Yixing,” Wu Fan replied. “I guess I’m preoccupied.”

                “Are you okay?” Yixing asked, pausing what he was doing. “Do we need to take a break?”

                “No, no,” Wu Fan said quickly. “I’m fine.”

                “Ge,” Yixing sighed, sitting down next to Wu Fan, “you’ve been acting weird all week. Ever since we went out to coffee. Are you sure everything’s okay?”

                “Yixing, can I ask you a question?” Wu Fan asked.

                “Go ahead, ge,” Yixing said, looking into Wu Fan’s eyes. Wu Fan took a deep breath.

                “What do you think of me?” he asked.

                “Eh?” Yixing inhaled. “I mean, ge, you’re a nice boss and a good friend and…I mean, what do you want me to say?”

                “Do you like working here?”

                “Of course I do,” Yixing said. “Ge, are you okay?”

                “Yixing. Do you like spending time with me?”

                “Have I ever done anything to make you think that I don’t?” Yixing asked. “Ge, really, I don’t know where this is going, but—”

                “Just…if I were to go away, what would you do?” Wu Fan wondered aloud, looking away from Yixing.

                “You’re not going away, are you? You wouldn’t leave, would you?” Yixing asked, panicking. “But, the store! What about the store?”

                “The store can move too,” Wu Fan sighed.

                “What about me?” Yixing choked. “Please, don’t go.” Wu Fan smiled.

                “I’m not leaving, Yixing, don’t worry,” he said, patting Yixing’s back comfortingly. Yixing looked at him, offended.

                “Then why did you scare me like that?” he demanded. “God, gege, you don’t know how worried I was getting.”

                Wu Fan smiled brightly, and Yixing was reminded of just how much he loved that smile.

                “Sorry, Yixing, it was just a hypothetical question,” Wu Fan practically sang. Yixing was confused, but he was glad that Wu Fan wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

 

---

 

                Yixing was shoulder-to-shoulder with Wu Fan as they shelved books. They were touching, and every now and then Wu Fan would reach over Yixing and graze his jawline with his fingers as he put away a book. Every time that happened, Yixing would inhale and the distinctive smell of Wu Fan would enter his mind. It was a fresh scent, yet it had that deep note of sandalwood that Yixing couldn’t get enough of.

                Yixing paused, just breathing with his eyes closed, and he heard Wu Fan breathing as well. He looked up at him and smiled. Wu Fan grinned back at him, keeping eye contact. Yixing’s mind was suddenly clouded by that sandalwood scent and he could swear that Wu Fan’s face was getting closer to his. He felt his heart pounding and watched as Wu Fan’s face got nearer…nearer…

                Suddenly, the bell on the shop door jingled and Yixing turned away quickly.

                “I’ll get it!” he laughed awkwardly, his face hot. He bolted for the door and shook the cloudiness out of his head. What was I thinking? Yixing asked himself. He reached the bottom step of the stairs before looking up at the customer.

                “Luhan?” he asked, but Luhan was already in his arms.

                “Oh, Yixing, I’ve been looking everywhere for you; you don’t know how happy I am to have found you! You left without saying goodbye!”

                “What are you doing here?” Yixing asked, still completely dumbfounded.

                “Yixing…Sehun broke up with me,” Luhan said, looking up at Yixing with tears in his eyes. “I’m so alone. I need you back. I came to find you, gege.”

                Yixing heard Wu Fan’s footsteps coming down the stairs, and he had the sudden urge to throw Luhan off of him. But no matter how hard he tried, Luhan wouldn’t let go.

                “Yixing, I—oh, who’s this?” Wu Fan asked, reaching the bottom of the stairs.

                “This is…this is my friend,” he said, placing special emphasis on the word, “Luhan-ge. Luhan-ge, this is Wu Fan-ge.” Luhan smiled at Wu Fan but turned back to Yixing right away.

                “So you’re coming back with me, right? I need you, please,” Luhan begged. “Please. Don’t leave me alone again.”

                “Luhan-ge,” Yixing sighed, casting a glance at Wu Fan, who looked slightly disapproving. “I can’t. I have—”

                “You owe me, Yixing,” Luhan said darkly, and Yixing turned to Luhan with panic in his eyes. He gulped. “You have to come back with me.”

                “T-to Seoul?” Yixing whimpered, and Luhan nodded. Wu Fan stepped up.

                “You can’t just take my employee away,” Wu Fan said. “This shop can’t run itself, you know.”

                “I’m sure you’ll be able to find another employee who doesn’t have a huge debt to an old friend in need,” Luhan said with a smile on his face and venom in his voice.

                “What huge debt?” Wu Fan demanded. Luhan looked up at Yixing, as if willing him to tell Wu Fan.

                “I’ll come with you, then,” Yixing sighed. Wu Fan made a strange, strangled-sounding noise.

                “But…what about the shop?” he sputtered.

                “You’ll find someone else,” Yixing said quietly.

                “What about me?” Wu Fan said slowly, looking up at Yixing. “Please, don’t go.”

                “I’m sorry,” Yixing whispered as Luhan dragged him out of the shop. He turned back once more to see Wu Fan standing there in shock, and he regretted not going back to say anything.

                But it was too late, he realized once he’d boarded the plane to Seoul. It was too late.

 

---

 

                “Yixing, you’ve hardly spoken since you left that shop. What’s up?” Luhan asked as the airplane took off.

                “I didn’t think you’d hold it against me,” Yixing said quietly, still looking out the window.

                “Against you? Were you really that invested in that old bookstore?” Luhan asked. “I didn’t think that it would be that much of a sacrifice to pay off the debt you owe me. You should be grateful that you don’t have to go through what I went through for you.”

                “It’s more of a sacrifice than you know,” Yixing spat.

                “Really? That bookstore meant that much to you? Or—oh, Yixing, you liked that guy, didn’t you? You did!”

                “He was—is—just a friend. He’s just a friend,” Yixing clarified. He willed himself to believe that. Wu Fan was just a friend, and that was all. It wasn’t that much of a sacrifice to leave just a friend behind.

                “Well then I don’t understand why you’re so torn up about leaving. You owe me.”

                “If I’d known—”

                “If you’d known nothing. I saved your and got punished for it while you got off with no consequences. You owe me, and this is what you’re going to pay me back with. Just one more year in Seoul. Then you can go do whatever you want. Yixing, we’re friends. I need you right now. They kicked me out of the apartment. I have nobody. I need you.”

                Yixing sighed and leaned against the window, not saying anything. It was going to be the longest year of his life.

 

---

 

                Five months had gone by, and it was almost as bad as it would have been had Yixing stayed in Seoul. Not surprisingly, Luhan had a new boyfriend, a somewhat clueless guy named Minseok, but it seemed like Luhan loved him just as much as he’d loved Sehun. Unfortunately, this meant that Yixing had to stay out of their way whenever they were together, which, since they all lived together, was often.

                It was a strange situation. Yixing had asked Luhan if he could leave now that Minseok was staying with them, but Luhan insisted that he stay for the year.

                “We’ve been looking for other people to pay the rent for a few months now. And besides, I like your company. Yixing, I’m kind of offended that you want to leave me like this,” Luhan had replied. Yixing had just sighed, and he hadn’t asked since.

                But Minseok didn’t like Yixing. He, like Yixing, didn’t see why Yixing had to live with them. Yixing was just an awkward third wheel, and Minseok was constantly suspicious of Yixing. Yixing understood that, because Luhan would never explain why exactly Yixing was staying with them.

                He’d never regretted the day he and Luhan snuck into the Xiaoyue factory more. He’d almost drowned in the pool, and Luhan had not only rescued him, but had taken all the blame while Yixing was in the hospital. Luhan had pushed for Yixing to tell the authorities that it had been partly his idea, but Yixing didn’t want to get punished like Luhan had. He never admitted to it. Luhan been so angry that he threatened to tell them if Yixing wouldn’t, and that led Yixing to desperation. He finally told him that he’d do anything Luhan needed him to do to repay him. Luhan accepted (graciously, Yixing had thought back then) and neither of them had spoken about it until Luhan appeared in Wu Fan’s bookstore.

                Wu Fan. Yixing had almost forgotten the scent of sandalwood. The sound of Wu Fan’s voice. That smile.

                He didn’t know why he hadn’t contacted Wu Fan. He knew the phone number. He knew the address. He knew the email address. Maybe part of the problem was that Wu Fan hadn’t contacted him, either. Maybe he had just been a friend, and nothing more. It tore Yixing apart as he sat in the apartment, trying not to listen to Minseok and Luhan going at it. He missed Wu Fan.

                Yixing picked up the phone and dialed. He heard it ring a few times before the person on the other end finally picked up.

                “Hello?”

                “Baba, it’s me,” Yixing sighed.

                “Yixing!” his father said, and Yixing could hear the smile in his voice. “How are you?”

                “I’m fine,” he lied.

                “Did you get my present?” his father asked.

                “Uh, I haven’t gotten anything recently, baba. You don’t need to send me stuff.”

                “Yixing, I was about to call you, actually,” his father said.

                "Really? How come?”

                “I had a nice chat with your friend from the bookstore just a few days ago. You should really come back to visit him at some point.” Yixing fell silent. He’d called his father so that he wouldn’t have to talk about Wu Fan, yet here he was.

                “I’ll come back in the summer,” Yixing said slowly.

                “Whatever you say,” his father said. “You’re still living in that same apartment as you were a few months ago?”

                “Yeah, with Luhan and Minseok. We’re still looking for one or two more renters, though. It’s kind of expensive for all of us.”

                “I’m sure you’ll find someone soon,” his father reassured him. “Don’t worry, Yixing. Good things come to those who wait.”

                “I know, baba.”

                “You sound sad. Is everything okay over there?” his father asked.

                “Yes,” Yixing lied again. “Everything is fine. Listen, baba, I have to go, but it was nice just to talk to you for a little bit at least.”

                “Yixing, if you ever need anything, just call me, okay? You’re not alone over there.”

                “Thanks, baba. Bye.”

                “Bye, Yixing.” Yixing sighed as he heard his father hang up on the other end. He stood up and found a piece of paper and a pen. “I’m going out,” he wrote, “I’ll be back soon.” He stuck it on the fridge, as he’d been doing for months, and he left the apartment to wander the streets.

                School wasn’t fun. It was just as miserable as it had been. Luhan must not have realized just how much Yixing hated being in Seoul. All he wanted to do was to go back to China, like he’d done in the first place. Somehow, everything felt less meaningful in Seoul. The streets were bustling yet Yixing didn’t want to be anywhere but home.

                He heard laughter and saw two boys coming towards him. They looked to be about his age, and the tall one was holding the shorter one’s hand tightly.

                Yixing glared at them as they passed. He didn’t want to say he was bitter, but he knew he was anyway. He knew he shouldn’t be moping; after all, it was he who hadn’t said anything, and even if he had, there was no knowing whether or not Wu Fan would ever reciprocate his feelings.

                But there was that last day, Wu Fan’s face getting nearer and nearer to Yixing’s…

                Yixing turned into a café and sat down at a table in the corner. He stood up again, realizing that he should probably buy a drink. He stood in line, waiting his turn.

                It wasn’t as if he hadn’t thought about calling Wu Fan every day since he left.

                But today’s urge was much stronger than it had ever been. Yixing blamed the boys he’d seen on the street.

                “Excuse me, sir?” the barista said, and Yixing looked up from his phone. “I can take your order now.”

                “A…cappuccino,” he sighed, ordering the drink that Wu Fan would always get at the café near the bookstore. He paid the cashier and waited for his drink as he his phone once again.

                He couldn’t decide whether or not to call. He knew he’d regret it if he didn’t but at the same time, he didn’t want to be disappointed if he did call and Wu Fan was different than he remembered.

                He sipped his coffee, and for a moment, he thought he could smell sandalwood.

                He dialed. He waited.

                “I’m sorry,” the voice on the phone said, “the number you are trying to reach is no longer in service.”

                “No longer in service,” he breathed as he promptly ended the call. He was lost. Did Wu Fan change his number?

                The probability of speaking to Wu Fan again was decreasing sharply, and Yixing hated it. Suddenly he could no longer drink his cappuccino. He threw it away and left the café quickly, walking down the street with his phone in his hands, still unsure of what to do.

                Suddenly his phone started vibrating, and he looked at the screen. “Luhan,” it read. He picked up.

                “Yixing, you have to come home. There are some people here who might be interested in renting,” Luhan said. Yixing sighed. This was a regular occurrence. People always came by, “interested,” so they said, and they always left without signing a contract. But Yixing acquiesced as he turned back towards the apartment.

                The walk back felt like running a marathon with two broken legs, and the climb up the stairs felt like he was dragging himself up a vertical wall. He unlocked the door and walked in after what felt like an eternity.

                “Yixing, is that you? Come meet our prospective roommates!” Luhan called from the kitchen. Yixing trudged in, but stopped when he saw the “prospective roommates.”

                They were the two boys he’d seen on the street. They smiled at him, obviously not recognizing him.

                “Yixing, this is Chanyeol-ssi, and this is Baekhyun-ssi,” Luhan explained.

                “They say they know you,” Minseok piped up, but the one called Baekhyun shook his head quickly.

                “We know Kris-hyung,” Baekhyun clarified. “And Kris-hyung knows Yixing-ssi.”

                “I’m sorry,” Yixing said, looking between the people sitting in the kitchen, “I don’t know anyone named Kris.”

                “Eh?” Chanyeol wondered. “Oh…hyung, hyung,” he said, poking Baekhyun, “what’s Kris-hyung’s Chinese name again?”

                “Uh…Oo-pan?” Baekhyun replied. “Oo-pan?”

                “Wu Fan?” Yixing cried. Baekhyun and Chanyeol’s expressions brightened as they nodded. “You know Wu Fan-ge?” They nodded again. “But how…but how…” Suddenly there came a knock on the door, and Yixing’s hopes suddenly soared as he raced to the door.

                He threw it open.

                And there enough was Wu Fan, who scooped Yixing up under his arms and pulled him close, the long-missed scent of sandalwood suddenly bringing Yixing’s life back into color.

                “How…?” Yixing murmured.

                “It’s a long story,” Wu Fan replied, leaning back to look at Yixing’s face, smiling wide. “I’ll explain on the way home.”

                “Home? But I have to stay—”

                “I talked to Luhan-ge,” Wu Fan smiled, “and he says your debt’s been paid. He doesn’t want to keep you from being happy, and Baekhyun and Chanyeol are more than happy to rent.”

                “How’d you know I was here? How did you find me?”

                “Your father and I talked a few days ago. I’ve been saving up to come get you since the day you left,” Wu Fan laughed.

                “Why?” Yixing stuttered, looking straight into Wu Fan’s deep eyes.

                “Isn’t it obvious?” Wu Fan grinned. “I’d have thought you’d have noticed.”

                “I…really?” Yixing said eagerly. “But ge…”

                “I almost managed to kiss you the day you left, but that pesky customer,” he gestured to Luhan, who was now grinning as he stood in the hallway, “ruined my chance. So I figured I’d come get you so we could try it again.”

                Yixing grinned as Wu Fan took his face in his hands and kissed his lips lightly. That perfect, Wu Fan sandalwood smell swirled around Yixing’s head as he felt Wu Fan’s warm lips against his. He could still smell the sandalwood on his own skin once he and Wu Fan parted.

                “Was it worth coming all the way to Seoul for that?” Yixing asked, smiling up at Wu Fan, who nodded with a grin.

                “You have no idea.”