Doojoon and Yoseob looked at each other, they looked at them and they looked at each other again. And with their secret code of exchanged glances, they must have decided that the best option was not asking, so they didn’t.

The rest of the afternoon went by peacefully, they chatted and ate like nothing had happened, until it was time for Kikwang to say goodbye. He had to go back to his hotel, because the recording would start again very early in the morning.

“Sorry, Kiki~” Yoseob said sadly, holding his hands, “I forgot you had to wake up early.”

“No problem~” Kikwang replied, smiling and pulling away from him. “You guys have fun.” He winked at Yoseob, who blushed a deep red.

When he turned to leave, he found his one-day date in front of him and his smile vanished. His shoulders tensed and he opened his mouth, but words failed him.

“Am I that scary?” Dongwoon asked, his face coming closer to Kikwang’s, which made him close his mouth immediately. He covered his mouth with both hands, then sheepishly shook his head. His face started flushing darker, like his friend’s.

He moved away his hands and his already pink cheeks turned red. He looked so cute… so cute that he felt the urge to test if he could see his face blush even one shade darker. Without releasing his hands, he moved his mouth closer to Kikwang’s full lips, but he didn’t touch them. He could feel his shaky breath on his skin. He could also see how Kikwang closed his eyes slowly and his face gained a new touch of colour. Yes, he could.

After his test he smiled, he pulled away and he poked Kikwang’s forehead. As expected, Kikwang opened his eyes and he started rubbing his forehead where he had been flicked.

“Idiot,” he grumbled quietly, sticking his tongue out. Dongwoon started laughing out loud, which earned him a death glare from Kikwang. Then he felt Kikwang brushing past him, on a rush to get to a subway, a taxi or whatever got him far from that place as soon as possible. Dongwoon would swear he saw him crying. Again…

“Hyung! Have fun, and watch what you do,” Dongwoon shouted to Doojoon and Yoseob, whom he’d left speechless, and he started running after that idiot who made him feel like he wasn’t himself.

He saw Kikwang turn at the corner but before he could lift a hand to get a taxi, Dongwoon jumped on him and trapped him in his arms, Kikwang’s back to his chest. It was then that he realized how fragile and vulnerable Kikwang was. He felt that pang in his chest again.

Kikwang was tense, scared and he was breathing heavily, but he wasn’t trying to escape or break free from Dongwoon’s hug. He calmed down slowly, his muscles relaxing. It seemed he’d stopped crying.

“You’re too sensitive, y’know?” Dongwoon said, without letting go.

“And you’re a jerk” he replied, without looking back at him.

After what seemed an eternity, when Dongwoon was almost sure he wouldn’t try and run away again, he released Kikwang and waited for him to turn around. But he didn’t, and Dongwoon was starting to feel nervous. Was he still mad?

“Take me to the hotel,” he commanded quietly, still staring at the road.

“Of course,” he answered, making Kikwang look at him. “But only if you stop crying.”

He his cheekbones with both hands to make sure there were no tears left, feeling how the skin underneath them warmed up and Kikwang was blushing again. Why couldn’t he stop thinking about how cute and endearing he was?

As he was holding his face he could see how Kikwang was staring at him, but he couldn’t stop himself from looking at his shaky lips, he could tell how Kikwang was chewing at them nervously and that was driving him crazy. He wanted to feel those full lips on his again and into his mouth, he wanted to feel those hands toying with his hair like they had earlier. He wanted to smell his cologne and feel his lashes tickle him when they brushed against his skin. He wanted to hug him, feel him in his arms…

When he realized what he really wanted, he let go of his face and he started looking for a taxi. It was getting late and he wasn’t familiar with Osaka’s subway. Fortunately it didn’t took long for them to find a taxi that could carry them through those streets with no names.

The journey wasn’t long actually, but as they didn’t exchange a single word, it looked like forever. Kikwang didn’t take his eyes off the window, and he had his hands clasped together on his lap the whole time. Dongwoon tried to talk to him several times, but when he opened his mouth, he didn’t know what to say. He was completely lost. That had never happened to him before. None of the guys he’d been with during those years had had this effect on him. If he wanted to kiss them, he did it. If he wanted to scream at them to off, he did it with no regrets. If he only wanted them for a one night stand, he wasn’t worried in the slightest. Why was it different, with Kikwang? Why the mere thought of spending only one night with him made him feel so miserable? Why did he feel guilty if he screamed at him? Why wasn’t he capable of kissing him again? Why wasn’t this journey over yet?

He stopped thinking when he heard a door opening. They had arrived to the hotel Kikwang was staying at with the rest of the staff. To the place where they’d say goodbye, until who knew when. Because Dongwoon was sure that no matter how long after that, they’d meet again.

He didn’t like what he saw when he got off the taxi. Kikwang wasn’t alone, and to make things worse, he was chatting and laughing with another man. Another man that didn’t stop touching him. His arms, his shoulders, his hair… Dongwoon shut the door with a bang, which startled both men.

“My, my… Looks like our Kiki isn’t wasting time!” the stranger said, resting his arm on Kikwang’s shoulders.

“Eh?” Kikwang had his signature what’s-going-on face, looking from one man to the other with quick glances.

“The one who seems to be wasting his time is me… Good night, Kikwang,” Dongwoon said, with a combination of anger and sadness, before turning away and leaving.

“Eh?” Kikwang repeated, but this time he seemed to realize what was happening. “Dong… Dongwoon!” he screamed, running after him.

“My, my, my…” the stranger said again, looking at them both in the distance.

“Dongwoon!” he shouted again, begging him to stop. “Dongwoon, please!” He stopped, because he wasn’t getting anywhere. His vision became blurry and he felt the moisture in his eyes.

“I told you to stop crying…” Dongwoon said, coming closer to him. “Hey!” he said, cupping his face, trying to stop the tears that streaked down Kikwang’s cheeks. “Stop.... Stop, or....”

And he did. He stopped when he felt a passionate kiss on his lips that left him breathless. He was going to take a liking to kisses with a taste of salt.