Chapter 13

Fate-given clues

Yifan was sitting at the dining table, staring at the glass of juice and the can of coke that was left by his two guests. They never were the subtlest of friends, but they help a lot especially during times like this. Yifan was about to grab the coke when he heard his phone. It was a message; he found out as he took it out from his pocket.

 

                From Luhan:

Hey. Yixing said he’ll spend the night here. He told not me not to bother telling you, but I figured you’d yell at me. Did something happen?

 

Yifan guessed as much. He knew Yixing didn’t like awkward situations. He figured that Yixing would probably think of something and pretend that some things are keeping him busy.

 

                To Luhan:

                Take him away from the TV. He’ll never sleep if he finds the movie channel.

 

                From Luhan:

                He’s laughing at a variety show right now. Loudly.

 

With that, Yifan locked his phone. “Just like him,’” he thought as he placed the phone back in his pocket. But his hand felt something else inside the pocket. A bracelet; he remembered as he took it out. It was the one he got from his ex-girlfriend. Why did he even bring it with him? Was he planning to show it to Yixing? Was he planning on throwing it today? Yifan isn’t really sure; it just felt like he had to hold on to the bracelet that day. He remembers buying that bracelet just before Valentines. The first real gift he’d ever bought for a girl.

 

“Excuse me, can I see that bracelet?” Yifan asked the father-like salesman in the jewelry store.

                “This one?” the man asked. “Oh-ho, you sure have a good eye.”

Yifan examined the silver bracelet. It was like a small and like a dog collar; a thin, solid circular band with one side left unconnected. The other side had two millimeters of chain connecting to a charm. The charm was a small sphere that looked like a sun or a star, Yifan isn’t sure what it is.

                “Can I have two of this, please?” Yifan asked, satisfied with the item.

“Two? Oh, you’re a thoughtful boyfriend aren’t you?” the man asked with a smile as he bent down to reach the drawers.

                Yifan didn’t answer to the question but simply smiled.

“You know,” the salesman continued. “As beautiful as this bracelet is, it’ll look even better when you see the person you love wear it,” he mumbled.

 

Yifan puts on the bracelet, twisting his hand to do so. This one is a bit smaller size than the other. His hand was, after all, bigger. Still, he managed to wear it. The bracelet looked great, no doubt about it.

“I saw a beautiful bracelet the other day. I think someone living in our building lost it or something…”

Yifan remembers Yixing say one day.

“I’m actually wearing it now…” Yixing said as he raised his right hand.

 "It looks good on you,” Yifan said.

“You know,” the salesman continued. “As beautiful as this bracelet is, it’ll look even better when you see the person you love wear it,” he mumbled.

 

It appears the salesman knew what he was talking about, Yifan thought with a smile. And then he heard that question again in his head: “So when did you realize?” in the same tone as Sehun used a while ago.

“When?” he asked himself as he kept playing with the bracelet’s charm. “It’s a bit of a blurry question,” he thought.

 

“Great shot! Let’s move on!” the photographer shouted at him during the shoot.
“Oh, re-really?” Yifan asked, surprised by the sudden compliment.
“Yes, it’s the perfect expression! What were you thinking about?”
“Nothing… really… just, I was just watching stuff outside, people,” he replied.

 

"Can you see the clock from there?”
“Huh? Yeah, why?” Yifan answered as he looked up and saw the wall clock.
“Can you do me a favor?”
“What?”
“Can you countdown two minutes for me?”
“Countdown for what?” Yifan managed to ask before he felt two thin arms wrap around his waist. It felt so warm. It felt soft and pleasant- the way Yixing’s arms circle him. Yifan felt his body go warm. Whatever it was that he was feeling, he wanted more than just two minutes of it.

 

“Xing, two minutes” Yifan reluctantly said before he felt Yixing arms slowly release the hug. “Can you re-heat the bread for me? It got cold… I’ll just go change quickly then we can eat…” he added as he stepped away and walked towards his room.
But he didn’t go to straight to his room. He stopped by the bathroom and splashed water on his face.
“What’s wrong with you, Yifan?” he asked himself. “Why are you being like this? Calm down. Why did you think of turning around and looking at Yixing? What were you thinking?” he questioned himself in panic. He tried to calm himself but his heart was beating too fast to even consider it.

 

“We didn’t. We just went straight to her apartment…”
“I see,” Yixing responded quickly “You didn’t have to tell me that…”
“We didn’t have time to eat…” (“…because we broke up, and I know that-“ Yifan was forming the sentence in his mind before he heard the other speak)
“I get it,” Yixing answered in a tone that’s a bit harsher than what he intended. (“Why are you so angry?”)
“You… you must be really enjoying everything now, huh?” the younger asked. (“By ‘everything’ you mean what?”)
“I guess…?” Yifan replied randomly as he tried to see what the younger was trying to say.
“Everything must be working out.”
“It should be…” (“…but I’m so confused right now. I’m not really sure.”)

 

“You should… learn how to take care of yourself more,” he told Yixing.
“But I do take care of myself! I’m just not too used with cold water suddenly showering me…”
“Then you should’ve not played with it in the first place.”

 

“Go to sleep now and -“ Yifan said before he felt arms hugging him from behind. “Yixing…?” he asked as his heart once again stopped for a second.
“I’m sorry, hyung. I… lost… again,” Yixing lied.
“You guys should really stop getting me involved in your games,” Yifan managed to finish the sentence.
“…I’m sorry. This’ll be the last time, I promise…”
“Why is this the last time?” Yifan thought.
"Has it been two minutes?” Yifan heard himself ask Yixing. (“Please tell me it hasn’t…”)
It has, indeed, been two minutes. So Yixing slowly removed his arms. (“No, don’t…”)
Yixing said a soft: “Thanks, sorry…”
“What are you sorry for?” Yifan wondered. He couldn’t talk. His mind was in a daze and his mouth was as frozen as the rest of his body.
“I’m going to sleep! Finish the dishes, my slave!” Yixing exclaimed as he walked towards his room.
Yifan was left in the kitchen, eyes on the spot where Yixing’s arms were a while ago.
“You thought about it again, Yifan. What were you even thinking of saying before? Was it real? Was I just imagining that feeling?” he thought as his head hurt once again because for the second time, he didn’t know what he had to do.

 

But what prolonged the shoot was not Suho’s inexperience; it was Yixing’s constant teasing of the newbie.
Yifan was by the door of the studio, watching. “He keeps acting like he’s too tired everyday at the apartment, but look at him playing around…” he thought angrily.
“Do a cute pose…” Yixing suppressed laughter.
“…like this?” Suho said as he put air in his cheeks and posed like a pre-schooler, causing Yixing to burst out. “Stop bullying me!” Suho shouted.
“He doesn’t even laugh like that nowadays!” Yifan protested in his mind. “I can do cute poses…” he thought as he unconsciously puffed his own cheeks.
“Your height… can you be any shorter?” Yixing managed to say before laughing loudly.
“It isn’t really that funny,” Yifan said before he slowly opened the door. Luhan and the others left the studio as soon as he entered.

 

“Last night, where were you?” Yifan repeated the question because Yixing remained silent.
“Slept over,” the younger replied weakly, hoping that a simple answer would end the conversation.
“Why? You suddenly didn’t feel like staying at our apartment?” (“I know we haven’t been talking much, but completely avoiding me is too much.”)
“I slept at Suho’s apartment, okay?” Yixing answered.
“You didn’t even bother telling your roommate about this?”
“Why should I?”
“What?! Didn’t it ever occur to you that I could be looking for you?” Yifan thought. Last night, when Yixing didn’t come home, Yifan was restless. They were supposed to eat together that night, once again, after a long time. Yifan was supposed to apologize for being distant lately; he was supposed to admit that he and his girlfriend broke up. But he understood that Yixing would want some time with Chen.

He was sitting at the couch, constantly looking at the clock. “Where is he?!” he asked for a hundredth time. He contemplates calling either Luhan or Chen, but those two would just immediately assume that something was up between he and Yixing; and Yifan didn’t want that. The last thing he needs is someone else confusing him even more about the issue. With nothing else he could do, he settled for angrily scratching his hair every five minutes that Yixing didn’t arrive.

 

“For some time now; I think I’ve realized it weeks ago…”

 

              Let’s make Thursdays our day then,” Yifan announced happily.

 

“Do we really need different types of cleaners?” Yifan asked.
"Leave this to the expert,” Yixing teased.
“Fine, Lead the way,” he was defeated again. “You be the wife and I’ll be the husband.”
“What?”
“Because it kinda feels like we’re a married couple shopping…”
“Oh… ah… whatever…” Yixing said before coughing a bit in embarrassment.

 

“What are you doing?” Yixing asked as his eyeballs followed Yifan’s fingers.
“Forcing your dimples to show.”
“That’s not how it works.”
“It’s worth a try,” he said as he kept poking the place where he’s sure Yixing’s dimples are.

 

“But… I think I’ve known about it long before… felt it…” Then Yifan thought about the times when Chen got angry at him every time he popped in while they were with Yixing. Even Yixing had times when he was surprised. It happened at least twice if Yifan would recall.

 

Yifan added: “But when do you think you should welcome it? Like, from whom should I welcome it?”
“I think you’re the only person that can know whom to receive it from…”

 

“And I think I would’ve known sooner… if I paid attention...”

“I don’t know Chanyeol, if I don’t find someone to share rent with, I’m looking for a cheaper place right now.” Yifan spoke to the phone before he heard the doorbell ring.
“Hi! I saw this ad about sharing an apartment and thought that I could drop by and see…” Yixing spoke by the door.
The reason why Yixing and Yifan met was pure coincidence. Yixing just happened to be looking for a nice apartment to stay in and Yifan just happened to be looking for someone to split the rent with.

 

“No. We actually had this necklace even before we became roommates. We were surprised as well when we found out,” Yifan explained.

 

"It’s funny actually; a lot of the things I bought were only sold in pairs… " Yixing told him after the younger came back from shopping with Chen and Luhan.

 

“I think a proper relationship wouldn’t hurt…” he said before he failed to catch his new pillow which ends up falling on his face.

 

“If I thought about how you were these past days, it would’ve been easier for me to admit…” he thought about the times when he somehow felt Yixing was in the same situation. But it was all assumptions until now, when he put things together. Aside from the knowing gazes of Sehun, Luhan, and Chen, there were a couple of times when Yifan could swear that Yixing feels it.

“Oh… Thanks, I guess?” Yixing said as he wrapped his neck with the Yifan’s scarf. “It’s warm…” he said softly.
There was definitely a noticeable blush. And the way Yixing snuggled himself to the scarf. But Yifan thought that it was just Yixing being too cold and too happy about the sudden warmth.

 

“Hey Xing, listen; I’m sorry but I don’t think… I can, today… Thursday… but.” Yifan had trouble explaining.
“It’s okay!” Yixing smiled. “It’s probably a special thing because she even went to fetch you here…” he said without looking at Yifan. Yixing was staring at the floor directly behind Yifan.

 

“Does your girlfriend hug you… like this?"
“Mmm. Why?"
“Nothing. Just curious… you must’ve felt warm whenever she hugs you…”
“Must be great…” Yixing commented.

 

It was now when Yifan hated himself. He’s been stupid. He knows that now. There were more than enough hints that he was doing something wrong. There were enough clues given. He was the first one to fall in love, he concludes; he just wasn’t paying attention to it. He was the first one to notice the invisible thread; he was just too busy finding other threads.

 

Yifan decided that he needed to do some things. He was hopeful but scared. But he knew he had to do it.

This was the final thought that he had before he allowed himself to sleep on the dining table. He didn’t mind, he had slept while sitting down before. Nothing new. But he wasn’t aware that tonight was not like any other nights. Tonight, coincidentally, it was the first night when both pillows in the two rooms of that apartment had the smiling faces up. Fate was happy because at this very moment, the bracelets were in the right hands. The invisible thread has finally been noticed, and fate’s given clues had finally been discovered.

 

 

 

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A/N: Flashback frenzy!! Haha. but I wanted to show Kris’ PoV in some events, so, I hope you guys enjoyed it. You have no idea how embarrassing and frustrating it was for me to re-read the previous chapters. I wanted to choke myself. -.-

Anyways, I updated early this time! Does that mean that I can update late next time?? Teehee. Actually, I thought that it isn’t bad to end this fic here, a nice ending… hohohohoho. jk!

btw, thanks for voting this story!! Subscribers already make me happy. Votes, awesome! J

 

 

 

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Comments

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-xblackpearl
#1
Chapter 17: *so much lol
-xblackpearl
#2
Chapter 17: ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡ gosh i love this do much
ordinaryfangirl
#3
Chapter 17: I read this fic again..but so weird,i've never get bored..i really really like this fic..this one of my favorite..
fyeahkimjongin
#4
Woah. i love this fanfic a lot! my kray feels omg. off to read the sequel.
chri5sy #5
Chapter 18: hi my friend recommended me this fic since am a fan of Lay....and ur story sooo good....it flows naturally.....I read it at one go and it's 2 am no sooo past my bedtime...thanks authornim for such wonderful story....
kpop-angel
#6
Chapter 16: Im re-reading this again after a long time. I "never" re-read a fanfic. But i just had to read this again. It just gets better everytime. My favourite aspect of this fanfic is that thing about the camera and the strap. Did you come up with that yourself? That is sooo smart. I love the way you wrote this fic too. In a few months im probably going to be reading this again. Well, im off to read the sequel!
sorahsorah
#7
Chapter 16: This is so gooood. I shed tears.
Both of them are pabos lol sorry ^^
I love Yifan and Yixing their appearance is so natural.
Thanks alot. Good luck.
Vannnn #8
Chapter 18: I read this at one sitting and just finished reading. Really enjoyed this story a lot~
Thank you for sharing and making the sequel ^_^ Keep it up!!!!
blackjackvipbaby #9
Chapter 17: yes a sequel! WE LOVE U AUTHOR-NIM
leolliepop #10
Chapter 17: omg yes to the sequel!!!! \o/ im so glad to see you again!!!! :D