“What is love?”

Kris’ eyes opened slightly after hearing the voice faintly.

“Okay, remember that you have to give your assignment next week. And remember, one word, and then describe it. That’s all for today. You may go.”

“Hey, Kris!” Someone shook his shoulder, “Oh, you’re awake.”

Kris raised his head up then rubbed his sleepy eyes, “It’s over?”

“Yep. Did you hear the assignment?”

Kris turned his face to his friend, Tao, “What? That ‘what is love’ thingy?”

“Yep.” Tao smiled brightly, “One word. Then describe it.”

“Damn…” Kris hit his forehead onto his table, “Why did I take this philosophy class again by the way?”

“Because this is the required class.” Tao answered matter of fact, “Well, it’s not hard, I think. I’ve even made the one word.”

“What?”

“It’s a who.” Tao pouted, “Of course it’s Xiumin. The description will be added later. About how Xiumin treats me, loves me, misses me, kisses me, ma...”

“Ew!!!” Kris covered his ears, “Too much information!”

Tao grinned and slung his bag on his shoulder, “Come on! I’m hungry!”

“You just want to meet Xiumin in the cafeteria.” Kris rolled his eyes.

“Good for you to know!”

Kris just could sigh.

Kris was a third wheel, a fly, a statue, whatever you called him. He was sitting in front of that lovey dovey couple, sulking.

“Xiumin, say aaah~”

The chubby guy opened his mouth so Tao could feed him his cake.

“You have to eat some more too, Baby.” Xiumin said to his lover.

“I will.” Tao smiled brightly and chewed his own meal.

“Oh, God.” Kris sighed, “I’m sick of this. I’ll be leaving.”

“See you.” Tao and Xiumin waved him.

Kris looked at disbelievingly, “Aren’t you going to stop me or telling me ‘oh, Kris, where are you going? Just sit down with us!’???”

The couple exchanged glances before shaking their heads.

“ you…” Kris grumbled, getting up from his table and walking away.

It was when Kris was wandering aimlessly at the hallway when his teacher called him.

“Here.” The teacher gave Kris a piece of paper with the list of books on it.

“What should I do with this?”

“You have to go to the bookstore and find these books.” The teacher folded her arms on her chest.

“But, Mrs. Kim!”

“No, but, Wu Fan, Kris, Kevin, whatever your name is.” She threatened, “Why don’t you help your teacher for once?”

“The money?”

“Use yours first.” The teacher left dumbfounded Kris after saying that.

“ my life…” Kris stomped his feet out of his campus.

The book wasn’t far away. Kris found it after ten minutes of walking. What he was worried was how he could bring the books back. There were about ten titles on his list.

“Excuse me.” Kris called the cashier who was reading a book.

Kris realized that the cashier had white pale cheeks and there was a dimple on his right cheek when he was smiling.

“Can I help you?”

“Well,” Kris put the list on the counter, “I need these freaking books.”

The cashier looked shocked by words Kris used.

“Sorry, I mean I need these books.” Kris corrected his sentence.

“Hmm…” The cashier nodded and read the list, “I don’t think we have some of these titles but let me check for a while, okay?”

“Take your time.” Kris shrugged, sitting on the chair near him.

The cashier skipped (cutely, in Kris’s opinion) to the back of the bookstore.

“Thanks for waiting,” The cashier boy was back with books in his arms, “Phew, that’s heavy. Hmm, so, like what I told you, there are some books we don’t have. We have to order it to the publisher so it may take a week or more. You’ll wait or you want to look in other bookstores?”

Kris cringed to see the stack of very thick books on the counter, “What the hell…?!”

“So…?” The cashier asked him again.

“I’ll wait. I don’t want to look in other bookstores further than this.”

“Hmm…” The cashier checked the price, “These are 50.000 won.”

“My money…” Kris sighed, paying the books half heartedly.

“Do you need help to bring these…?” The cashier offered.

“Of course! I’ll really appreciate it!” Kris clapped his hands together.

“Well, but after my shift, is it okay? It’s over in about ten minutes.”

“I’ll wait.” Kris nodded.

Kris didn’t know he had fallen asleep on the table before the same cashier shook him up.

“Ah!” Kris raised his head quickly, “Sorry, I fell asleep.”

“It’s okay.” the cashier smiled, making his dimple appear again.

“So, we’re going now?” Kris pulled his jacket.

“Yep. I’ll bring half of them.” The cashier arranged the books carefully in his embrace.

“Thanks so much.”

“So, I haven’t known your name.” The cashier said after few minutes of walking.

“Kris. And you are?”

“Lay. Nice to meet you, Kris.”

Kris smiled at Lay, “So, are you working part timely there?”

“Yep. And you, a student of literature major?”

“A wrong choice, exactly.” Kris sighed, “It was my father’s choice.”

Lay chuckled, “But, I don’t think you don’t get along with it.”

“I just hate the books. But, over all, I don’t have any problem.”

“Good to know.”

After a short talk with the teacher, Kris and Lay walked out from the building to go home.

“I don’t know we have the same direction.” Lay chuckled.

“Me either.” Kris smiled, “But, it’s nice to have a companion to go home. I usually walk alone.”

“Can I have your number?” Lay suddenly asked.

Kris widened his eyes. He never expected to hear it from Lay.

“Well, don’t get me wrong. I need it to tell you if the books are ready.”

Oh.

“Of course.” Kris nodded, slightly embarrassed of what he thought earlier.

“I’ll call you if they’re ready. See you, Kris.” Lay took the right way and disappeared in the night.

It was a week without meeting Lay when suddenly his phone rang in the early morning of Saturday.

“Hello?” Kris answered the phone grumpily because it woke him up from the deep slumber.

“Hello, Kris?” A familiar voice was heard, “This is Lay.”

“And what is it to call me this early in Saturday morning?” Kris sighed, sitting up lazily.

“Ah…I’m sorry!” Lay voice was panicked, “Just get some sleep again! I’ll call you again later.”

“Lay…” Kris chuckled, “I’ve been woken up and you want me to sleep again?”

“Sorry…”

“Naah, it’s okay.” Kris got up from his bed and took a glass of water, “So, what is it?”

“The books you ordered, they’re here.”

“Okay, I’ll take them today.”

“No, give me your address. I’ll send them to you.”

“Are you sure?” Kris asked, “Don’t you have a work to do?”

“Well, after my shift. It’s over in about six p.m.”

“Well, if you insist.” Kris chuckled then gave his flat address before hanging up.

“So, maybe I have to serve some snacks.” Kris decided before heading into his bathroom.

A row of soft knocks on his front door signed him that Lay had come. He jumped off the sofa and opened the door just to see a high stack of thick books surrounding a face behind them.

“Lay…?” Kris hesitantly asked because he couldn’t see the face.

“Ca…can I get in…?” Lay panted.

“Of course…” Kris opened the door wider and let Lay in to put the books on the wooden floor.

“Damn…my back…” Lay cracked his back painfully, “Ouch…”

“I…don’t know that the books were so thick!” Kris said guiltily, “I should’ve helped you! I’m sorry!”

“Naaah, it’s okay.” Lay smiled cheerily, “So, it’s done then.”

“Where are you going??” Kris stopped Lay.

“Hmm…” Lay frowned as if it was obvious, “Go home of course.”

“Get some rest first!” Kris pulled Lay’s wrist and sat him in the sofa, “I would be a bad host if I let you go home after helping me with those damn books.”

“It’s nothing, really.” Lay chuckled, seeing Kris hopeful eyes, “Okay, you insist it.”

“Good.” Kris sighed then skipped into the kitchen. He brought back two glasses of orange syrup and a bowl of mixed snacks.

“Thank you.” Lay said, taking his own glass, and the he sipped the syrup.

Kris could say Lay was thirsty because it seemed he would take the syrup in one shot. Unconsciously, Kris stared at Lay exposed milky neck.

What am I thinking?!, Kris shook his head to clear his mind.

“Ah~!” Lay moaned in delight after finishing his syrup, “I never knew a glass of orange juice would be this delicious!”

And I never knew you could moan ily either.

Kris’s dirty mind was interrupted by a ringing from Lay’s phone.

“Oh, Luhan?” Lay said on the line, “No, I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

There was silence for a while before Lay exploded, “Sehun is sleeping over?! What the…are you kicking me out again?! Noooooooooo, I don’t want to sleep in the bookstore again! Wait, Luhan! WAIT! HELLO?? HELLO?! GODDAMMIT!”

“Err…” Kris was shocked of the sudden outburst from his chubby friend, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Lay pouted, “It’s just my flat mate. His boyfriend is sleeping over so he kicked me out of the flat. Damn…I have to sleep in the bookstore again…”

“Well, you can sleep over here if you want.”

Kris really didn’t know why he said it. But, to see Lay’s thankful eyes, he thought it was worthy.

No, it was a wrong decision.

They had been watching a movie a second before and then Kris felt a weight on his shoulder a second later. Lay fell asleep on his goddamn shoulder.

“Lay…?” Kris whispered, trying to slip away from the beautiful guy. But, he realized the arm around his waist preventing him to do so.

“What did I make myself gotten into…?” Kris sighed.

He moved his body to get into a more comfortable position when his hand, which was supporting his body, slipped, making himself fell down on the couch with Lay on his chest, still sleeping soundly.

“Damn!” Kris cursed silently. Lay’s breath against his neck wasn’t a best thing.

Kris wasn’t sure to do. So, what Kris could was only circling his arms around Lay unexpectedly slender waist to arrange the comfortable position and fell asleep like that because he didn’t want the younger fall out of the couch.

Well, it wasn’t like Kris didn’t like it anyway.

Kris was awake when Lay was still sleeping on his chest.

Kris looked at the long eyelashes on Lay’s cheeks and smiled. The beautiful sight was rare to be found, Kris insisted, so he had to watch it. He tightened his arms around Lay and he shook the guy on top his body gently.

“Lay, wake up.”

The said boy grumbled about not wanting to be waken up, making Kris chuckled.

“Lay, I have to move. My leg is cramping.”

“Hmm~” Lay forced his eyes to open to meet Kris’s one, “Kris…?”

“Good morning, Sleepyhead.”

“Waa!” Lay squealed, making himself roll of from the couch with a painful thud.

“Aw, that must be hurt.” Kris knelt down in front of Lay.

“I…I’m so…sorry…!” Lay said with blushing face, “Di…did I fall asleep o…on you…?”

“It’s forgiven.” Kris chuckled, pulling Lay up, “Is your okay?”

“Yeah…” Lay nodded then blushed again, palming his face, “You shouldn’t have pointed that out…”

Kris just laughed and walked into the kitchen, “It’s Sunday. You don’t have to work in Sunday, right?”

“Hmm…no…”

“Let’s go for a date.” Kris pointed bluntly, “I’ll make the breakfast, and you bath first.”

“Date??” Lay squealed again.

How can this guy more cuter than this?, Kris thought.

“Yep, a date.” Kris nodded, “Now, go bath first. You can use my clothes, just take it in my bedroom, it’s right after the bathroom.”

Lay obliged with a red face, making Kris laughed silently in the kitchen.

“You look…” cute, Kris wanted to say to Lay who was wearing Kris’s shirt. It seemed over sized on Lay, “nice.”

“Thank you.” Lay smiled shyly before taking a seat in front of Kris, biting his lower lip on the way.

Damn those lips!

“Well, you can eat first!” Kris hurriedly stood up, “I will bath first okay!”

Then he rushed out of the kitchen before Lay could answer. He needed a cold bath. A long one.

The date was going well. Kris had to clear his mind for some times since Lay kept biting his lower lip, but other than that, he didn’t do anything crazy.

“Thanks for today…” Lay smiled shyly when Kris was accompanying him to his apartment.

“Thanks for you too.” Kris smiled back.

“Well, see you later then?”

“Yeah…” Kris nodded half heartedly; he just didn’t want to separate from Lay.

Lay smiled for a last time before closing the door slowly in front of Kris.

It wasn’t take a minute for Lay to slam the door open and yanked Kris into his flat. Lay pushed Kris against the door and kissed him on the lips, leaving Kris in shock.

“I like you…” Lay confessed, between their lips, “I gu-guess…”

“You guess?” Kris chuckled, circling his arms around Lay’s waist.

“No…” Lay breathed, “I love you…”

“Lay…I love you too” Kris breathed before claiming Lay’s lips on his again.

The rest of night was a bliss and pleasure.

“So, Wu Fan,” The philosophy teacher asked Kris who was standing in front of the class. It was his turn to present his assignment, “Tell us your answer for ‘what is love?’.”

Kris smiled to himself, imagining the dimpled smile of his new lover, before answering.

“Love is Lay.”