Jinki watches with an amused eye as Jonghyun scuffs at a small pebble he has found along the roadside, seemingly intent on kicking it all the way to school.

"Your shoes are going to spoil," he notes.

Jonghyun shrugs and aims another light kick at the pebble, "I've been wearing them for years anyway."

"Your mum won't like it." Jinki warns.

"Here, do you want to try it?" Jonghyun decides that the best way to get Jinki off his back would be to make him a partner-in-crime. With a well-aimed movement of his foot, Jonghyun sends the pebble scuttling over to Jinki.

But Jinki seems to know his ulterior motives. And with a light laugh, Jinki kicks the pebble back before Jonghyun, saying "My shoes are new."

"You are no fun," Jonghyun complains, stuffs his hands into his pockets and goes back to kicking the pebble. Jinki walks beside him, a familiar, comforting presence, strides matching evenly with his. The two walked down the well-worn roads, feet bringing them closer to their destination without any conscious effort on their part, already so used to travelling the same path that they can safely say that they are able to reach the school with their eyes closed. Jonghyun pulls his blazer tighter as a sudden breeze of cool air blows against his back, causing the pebble to roll off the pavement and into a pothole. 

Jonghyun supposes he should be irritated. Instead, he turns around and asks, "Are you cold?"

Jinki smiles and simply gestures to the school blazer he is wearing too. He shakes his head, "No. How about you?"

"I'm fine," Jonghyun replies, rolling his shoulders as he works out a morning crick. "My hands are cold though." 

"So are mine," Jinki agrees, "Want to hold hands?"

"Ok," Jonghyun says easily, holding out his right hand, "What if someone sees though?"

Jinki interlaces their fingers together, hands fitting into the grooves and gaps seamlessly as he tucks them into the blazer's pocket, "Then they will learn of a good way to keep their hands warm."

Jonghyun nods knowingly as if that is a good answer. The two of them walk along the row of shophouses that has not yet opened, hand in hand as the occasional golden autumn leaf tumbles down from its perch on the branches to return back to the earth. The air is fresh and a gentle easterly wind blows, bringing with it a sort of salty brine that only the seas nearby can produce. Jonghyun watches in silence as the hanging signs sway on their hinges, some of them creaking, some of them squeaking. He looks to his right and sees Jinki's auburn hair getting lightly tousled in the breeze, his bangs slightly parting in the middle to give a most unbecoming look. Jonghyun reaches out and presses his free hand onto Jinki’s forehead, preventing the wind from having its way with his hair.

"What did you have for breakfast?" Jinki starts when Jonghyun is done with his ministrations and the breeze has died down.

Jonghyun scrunches up his nose. "Wholemeal bread. Linseed bread. Multigrain bread. I am not too sure myself."

Jinki makes a sympathetic noise, "Your mum is trying to get you to eat healthy?"

"She is trying to make everyone eat healthy," Jonghyun says with a roll of his eyes, "Now if only she would stop buying those chips and ice cream home, I think she would succeed so much easier."

Jinki laughs and Jonghyun can feel the vibration through the woollen fabric. "I have white bread at home," Jinki volunteers.

"Can you make breakfast for me tomorrow?" 

"Nutella?"

"You know me best."

"And I guess you want it thick too."

"Can you draw a heart on the bread for me?"

A short silence ensues and Jinki tilts his head to look at Jonghyun, "I hope you are joking." 

"Please?" 

"No." 

"Pretty please?" 

"No." 

"Come on, Jinki. It won't take you long." 

"No. And you do know that if I use the spread to make a heart, the sandwich won't have any nutella on the edges, right?" 

"It's ok. Just make one for me?" 

- 

Jonghyun takes a bite of the sandwich and chews on it slowly, intending to savour it well. "Peanut butter," he declares after a minute, "And nutella of course." 

"I only have those two spread at home." Jinki explains, "And I know you hate eating plain white bread."

"So I get a peanut butter heart on nutella background," Jonghyun says. He takes another bite and continues thoughtfully, "You do know the reason why I hate all those healthy bread is because I have to chew on them so much, right?"

Jinki frowns. Jonghyun doesn’t notice, “And well, you seem to have gotten me the chunky kind of peanut butter.”

Jinki attempts to swipe the sandwich out of Jonghyun’s hands. “Give it to me if you don’t like it,” he says, slightly upset with the fact that all his efforts to wake up early in the morning results in only this sort of reaction from the person he specially made it for.

Holding the sandwich out of Jinki’s reach as he fends off the marauding pair of hands, Jonghyun hurriedly denies, “I like it, I like it! How can you take back something you have given away?”

“I can eat it if you don’t want to.”

“I want to eat it. Anything you make, I will eat it.”

“Just give it to me. I will buy the creamy kind of peanut butter later and you can have it for breakfast tomorrow.”

“You’re stopping by the mart especially for me?”

“No. I also need to get more detergent for my mum.”

“You’re blushing, Jinki.”

“It’s the wind.”

“You are really cute, you know.”

“Jonghyun.”

I am glad I have written this chapter previously, because right now, I am in the midst of picking up and fixing together pieces of my heart.

Nonetheless, I hope this update is still able to put a smile on your face and make your day a better one. Thank you for reading.