1. bangkok.

if he has to mention which country in south east asia he hesitantly visits, it will be thailand. it's not like the country is unsafe or something; in fact thailand is truly beautiful and looks more beautiful with handsome guys and pretty girls there.

it's just because thailand's cuisine has a lot of seafood.

because. of all dishes, he hates seafood the most.

but because of his job as a magazine reporter and photographer, he has to travel all alone from beijing to bangkok just to fulfill his company's wish to add article about traveling to thailand to the upcoming month issue. and for his apartment's sake, he took the job.

being a reporter for a magazine which serves about traveling, of course he has been in many foreign countries, when his mom even lives in vancouver, canada. it makes him fluent in english and some languages. rather than being tired, he prefers calling it as fun experience to travel around the world to see that earth not only has china or usa. he likes meeting new people, new places, and of course new dishes but please no seafood. like when he was in japan, he greedily asked for meat and meat and meat till finally he decided to be a two-days vegetarian because he was sick of meat.

speaking for meeting new people, he likes to recall the time when he met someone in bangkok. on the plane from beijing to bangkok, he saw a guy in dark blue shirt and looked like he was wearing light blue sleeveless shirt inside it. he had his earphone plugged in and he liked the guy's purple backpack; it suited him. blue jeans with dark brown belt were wrapping his lower body from the hips and he was kinda afraid if they... oh, forget it.

he thought he looked very nice, indeed.

but sadly they didn't get to sit next to each other. the reporter's seat was behind the nice guy's.

the reporter started to think that maybe they weren't made for each other.

but it's how the story goes.

-

the next day, the reporter started his adventure in bangkok. with his canon dslr camera, he had snapped many photos of the attractive spots. the weather in bangkok was too hot for a foreigner like him who came from east asia but he thought it would be nice if his skin become tanner so he decided to wear white tank top and short khaki pants. he tied up his black shirt around his waist. people who were passing by looked at him with amazed look, but he didn't give a damn about it because it seemed like people liked to watch him like that. he was truly handsome, even if he told people he was pure chinese, they wouldn't believe it, ever. he looked like having european blood in his body, but no. he was tall, too tall for a asian guy. that's why people assumed he was half chinese half european. but no.

with basic thai language he learned from books, he asked people there about the recommended dishes around there but ended up asking in english because he was struggling much. luckily, thai people were nice so they didn't mind conversing in english.

but they recommended a restaurant which served seafood tom yum goong.

actually they served cane bread too, but really? he was going to report only cane bread? no.

then, someone bumped into his back that made him stumble and almost fall down. "sorry," a soft voice mumbled in english. the reporter turned his head to meet the face of him.

it was him.

the guy he saw on the plane.

"oh!" the reporter said. "you're the guy on the same plane with mine!"

the guy blinked a few times, and the reporter could say he was spacing out. "am i?"

"yes... you don't remember?" he asked, a bit disappointed with the answer.

"truthfully no... i'm sorry," the shorter guy bowed thrice. "i'm really forgetful and i'm sorry."

the reporter smiled. "it's okay. but finally i have a fellow chinese friend here. are you gonna have lunch?"

"well yes! are you? maybe we can take a seat together?" the shorter guy jolted happily with wide smile, clasping his hands together.

it was the reporter's turn to blink because hey, isn't that dimple on his right cheek? and the cute dimple made the guy look cuter. and he fell for it.

"sure, sure," the reporter finally responded after the shorter guy swayed his hand in front of his face. "well... shall we take a seat now?"

so they asked the waiter to find seat for two persons and gladly they got nonsmoking room. after they sat down on their own seat, the waiter gave a menu before leaving them.

"so... what do you want to order? tom yum goong? cane bread?" the dimple guy asked, eyes were still scanning the menu. "whoa, they surely have a lot of food..."

the reporter rested his chin on his palm, trying hard to look at the menu instead of the cute guy in front of him. he found him amusing; his look when he was paying attention seriously like that was really amusing.

"well?" he asked again.

"um... i don't eat seafood. actually," the reporter said.

the dimple guy then looked at him. "then why did you visit this restaurant?"

"because people recommended it," he simply answered. "i just didn't think it would be a restaurant that serves seafood tom yum goong."

"but i want to order it."

the reporter smiled. "then just order. i'm going to order it too, anyway."

"you're weird. you're going to order it but you won't eat even a bite?" the dimple guy asked with mocking tone, making the reporter let out a soft laughter.

"i'm a reporter," he said, handing the dimple guy his namecard. "i come here in order to collect article for the upcoming issue."

the dimple guy read the namecard carefully and in the end he widened his eyes.

"you work in life's journey magazine? the traveling magazine?"

he nodded when the dimple guy threw amazed look at him.

"and your name is wu yifan," he smiled when reading his name.

"call me wu fan," the reporter corrected.

"ah, i see. wu fan. wu fan."

you know what? the way he said his name made the reporter named wu fan nervous. his voice was soft--and killing him softly. his sparkling eyes when mentioning his name were also beautiful. wu fan started to think about love at the first sight was true but the more he thought of it, it wasn't really first sight. it was the second sight. or more.

and wu fan had to know his name, of course.

"i'm not working anywhere currently, so i'm sorry that i can't give you any namecard," the dimple guy said even before wu fan could mutter a word. "but my name is yixing. zhang yixing. still a student, and i'm now struggling to graduate soon."

wu fan laughed of how innocent yixing was. yixing laughed too, although maybe he didn't have any idea why wu fan laughed.

"what major do you take?"

yixing stopped laughed, only his smile remained.

"it may sound a bit girly," he started, "but i'm going to be a nurse someday."

"really?" wu fan smiled too. "it's good. you'll be needed by many people. i hope you can graduate soon."

yixing muttered a 'thank you' before asking, "hey wu fan, we shall order something now."

-

wu fan and yixing walked down the streets, taking photos of the interesting things they passed, but then ended up in sight-seeing at the lumphini park. yixing decided to accompany wu fan because he thought the reporter would bring him to the attractive places and he wasn't wrong at all. wu fan was also happy to have a new company for his adventure in bangkok. at least he had friend to chat with.

at the restaurant, they ended up ordering spicy seafood tom yum goong when yixing only ate the seafood and wu fan took the soup. he actually wasn't allergic to seafood, he just didn't like seafood at all. but the soup was nice; it had sour and spicy flavor which made the taste really great. as expected, country that has many seasonings to its foods.

and they couldn't stop talking about that. wu fan loved to tease yixing about hating spicy food because yixing came from changsha, hunan, the city where the spicy foods in china exist, but the dimple guy couldn't eat spicy food very well. yixing loved to tease wu fan about hating seafood just because of the history of it; wu fan's mom used to eat seafood while wu fan was still in her womb. yixing thought it was too ridiculous that he couldn't stop laughing.

yixing paid attention to wu fan who was busy capturing pictures with his camera. he felt wu fan was cool; his job was cool. wu fan could travel around the world for free because of his job as reporter (and wu fan told yixing he was also a photographer and lately the company gave him chance to be the journalist of his own article, that's why he went to bangkok alone) while yixing could only count on his semester break to go on a vacation, with his own money. he worked as a part-timer in traditional medicine store actually, so he could collect money and book plane ticket.

because a nurse wouldn't be as free as reporter. nurse had to be engaged with hospital and its patients while reporter could go there and there and there. that's why yixing treasured his time before being a real nurse with spending holiday in foreign countries.

snap!

yixing was startled. he turned his head.

"good," wu fan said, looking at his camera. "your face is really funny."

"ya!" yixing yelled after realizing what wu fan had just done. "don't you steal my photo when i'm not looking!"

wu fan chuckled hearing yixing's strong changsha accent. "why, why? you're afraid you look dumb?"

yixing didn't answer that question. instead he requested wu fan to snap his photo like a model which made wu fan couldn't help but laugh out loud. he even was afraid if his camera would fall down because his hands wouldn't stop shaking.

"you're too much," yixing complained with pout.

"your dumb face is too much," wu fan replied sarcastically. he then went back to the objects of his camera's lens. but no, not yixing.

and yixing could only pout more.

-

they continued their adventure in bangkok with having a try of khlong saen saep boat. ("seems like in venice, don't you think?" yixing asked with wide grin. "have you ever gone to venice?" wu fan asked back. yixing shook his head and wu fan could only snort.) the weather in bangkok was actually nice but they couldn't deny the fact that it was hot. yixing tried to fan himself with his hands but it was useless. wu fan offered his breath and earned himself a slap on his arm from yixing. ("dare to blow my neck, you die," he threatened. but he didn't have any idea how ridiculous his face was when saying so.)

later that night when they were already tired from the bangkok adventure (it was yixing's idea) they decided to call it a day... night, supposedly. their hotels were different so they separated at the half way.

"so this is it?" yixing asked. "well, it was really a nice day. i hope you think it is, too."

"i do. i'm glad encountering you, yixing. at least i'm not so lonely traveling around bangkok," wu fan said.

yixing smiled softly, exhibiting his dimple. "yeah. me too. what's your plan for tomorrow?"

"hmm... let's see..." wu fan paused for a while. "tomorrow will be a very long day, though. i'm planning to visit the temples and markets. since tomorrow is weekend, i guess the confirmed place i'm going to visit is chatuchak market. are you probably going there too?"

yixing shrugged. "truthfully i got no exact destination but maybe i'll take that. somehow i should buy souvenirs for my family in changsha."

wu fan giggled. "yes you should. well. see you tomorrow?"

"see you tomorrow," yixing waved his hand and went away from the reporter.

a few steps after that, wu fan suddenly remembered he hadn't asked for yixing's number but when he turned around, yixing had disappeared from his sight. he threw his hands in the air and sighed.

-

wu fan walked down the bangkok's streets, heading to grand palace. wu fan learned that grand palace used to be the residence of the kings of siam, but now it's for official events. also, there's a temple named wat phra kaew inside it. isn't it cool to have temple in a palace? although it's not for king's residence anymore.

wu fan really wished he could see yixing again since grand palace, he thought, was the most important place to visit for tourists. yixing should at least visit, or maybe just see it. he looked around to find a guy with light hazel hair, fair skin, and a dimple on his right cheek but all to no avail. he didn't find any signs of yixing being there. wu fan blamed himself for not asking yixing his phone number. well.

it was afternoon already and wu fan had been at erawan shrine. actually he was going to vimanmek mansion but he was wearing short pants so he couldn't enter the mansion. he cursed himself being careless about other country's culture but well later he would surely buy trousers. but he's leaving the next day. he wanted to go to the mansion because it's one of best thing in thailand; it was a pity he couldn't make it.

it was when someone tapped his shoulder.

"found you," greeted a somehow-familiar voice.

wu fan widened his eyes with wide grin. "yixing!" he chirped. "i was looking for you all day long!"

yixing smirked. "missed me already huh?"

wu fan's grin turned into scoff. "psssh. so full of yourself."

the dimple guy giggled. "you look troubled. what happened?"

"you see," wu fan started. "i'm wearing short pants right now. i couldn't enter vimanmek mansion. and... wait a sec," wu fan just realized something. "yixing! you can help me!"

yixing blinked his eyes few times, his face was just blank.

"yixing please."

"help you what?"

"you're fully clothed, collared shirt, long sleeves, and trousers! you definitely can enter the mansion! do you know how to use camera? this dslr?"

yixing nodded hesitantly.

"perfect," wu fan smiled in satisfaction.

-

wu fan leaned on a wall with arms folded in front of his chest, his fingers tapping his arms frequently. he was nervous waiting for yixing because for god's sake it's been two hours. could yixing be any longer? he started to worry; it was already 5 pm.

but then he saw yixing ran happily towards him, hugging the camera tightly. his smile was too wide, making the dimple his cheek more and more. if only wu fan was the one who had the camera in his hands, he would've snapped the photos of head-over-heels yixing at the moment. he just realized that yixing is just...

attractive.

in his own way.

"wu fan! look! i took a lot of photos!" he happily yelled when he reached the tall guy. "i hope they won't be disappointing...?"

"let me see..." wu fan checked out the photos yixing took. he noticed yixing had snapped around 200 photos and he thought it would be tiresome if he had to check them all so he just looked at some. not bad actually. for an amateur, yixing's photos were very good. just need some small edit.

"good, yixing, thank you," wu fan turned off the camera and met yixing's eyes. he smiled. he wanted to ruffle the light hazel hair but the more he thought of it, wasn't it a bit too intimate? remembering they had only known each other for two days.

"don't you see the rest?" yixing asked. he was really paying attention to wu fan because he was afraid he would disappoint the latter.

"i will, later. now, would you like an early dinner?"

that, yixing's smile disappeared. he bit his lower lip, seemed like thinking hard about wu fan's offer. the tall guy started to assume that yixing minded.

"not that i mind," he explained. "but i'm heading back to changsha tonight."

wu fan's face fell.

"tonight?"

yixing nodded slowly.

"what time...?"

"well... my flight will be at midnight... but since it's still 5 pm, i can make it!" yixing's smile came back. "so, dinner? chatuchak? i'm planning to buy souvenirs as well, though."

wu fan was gladly buying that.

-

no seafood tom yum goong! they bought nang kai thot, khaep mu, mamuang dong, and since they needed carbo, they also bought khao niao sangkhaya. since yixing loved taiwanese bubble tea, he bought thai pearl milk tea which is similar to the taiwanese version while wu fan chose nam phan. they decided to buy snacks because yixing still wanted to go sight-seeing at the large market and buy souvenirs so he had no much time to stop by at a restaurant and eat there. wu fan, as a sudden backpacker because of his job, didn't mind at all since he was used to it already.

wu fan decided to buy some souvenirs for his colleagues and boss and yixing was a big help, really. he chose the best quality ones and wu fan doubted him as a male which was earning him a soft punch on his arm. "call me gentleman," yixing corrected and wu fan snorted for the nth time.

wu fan still had a day more in bangkok. he was going to leave on the next day, in the morning. he thought he would spend his flight with yixing but the latter had explained that he had important class on monday. he should at least arrive in changsha on sunday and take a rest all day long after journey.

later that night, wu fan sent yixing off to suvarnabhumi airport. yixing had checked in via cell phone so it was already alright. yixing didn't bring many belongings; the things inside his purple backpack were all he brought so he didn't need to register his belongings to the baggage.

yixing and wu fan chatted while waiting for the announcement of yixing's flight. yixing actually didn't mind at all if the flight was delayed so he could chat more with wu fan but it seemed the company wouldn't let that to happen. better that way, though.

when the announcement from yixing's flight echoed the entire airport, yixing reluctantly faced wu fan. "this is it."

"ah, yes," wu fan smiled bitterly. "i guess this is farewell?"

yixing stared at the taller guy, and wu fan seemed lost in yixing's eyes. his eyes were just soft, unlike his; which people found them very intimidating.

"if we are destined to see each other again, then it's not literally a farewell."

wu fan tried hard not to fail registering yixing's words into his brain.

"and i really hope to see you again, sooner or later. i have your namecard, you know. i'd probably call you or something."

wu fan snapped back. yixing got his namecard! but why didn't he call him earlier?

when yixing's hand reached his, wu fan didn't think twice to gladly welcome it. he acknowledged his hand(s) is (are) too big because yixing's could be drowned inside his hand. and although yixing's hand are smaller, wu fan found it warm.

and without him knowing, yixing also found his hand warm.

"so," wu fan broke the ice, "see you again someday."

yixing smiled. "see you."

-

wu fan went back to his hotel after sending yixing off but he chose not to sleep because he was afraid he'd miss the flight. so he tried to stay awake, drinking instant coffee (which was least of his favorite; he loved americano the best) and scanning the photos yixing had taken. they were good, thanks to the bright sunlight in bangkok.

when he reached the last photos, he was taken aback. yixing took photos of himself. there were the photo of him smiling, pouting, acting cry, being cute, and spacing out like he always did. wu fan smiled inwardly seeing them, admiring how cute yixing was.

and he found photos of yixing's handwriting on pieces of paper. his handwriting was really tidy so it was easy to read.

i hope we can be friends forever.

and another one.

thank you for amazing adventure with you in bangkok~ ^^

and the last one was the photo of his cell phone number. and the caption below made him dazed.

i didn't call you earlier because i was busy following you :p you're fun to watch when you're confused. well. here's my cell phone number.

wu fan felt his heart was full of something he had been avoiding these years ever since his ex lover left him. but wu fan better not to call it 'love'.

it better be 'admiring'?

or maybe affection. anything.

a/n: so, here's the chapter one ^^ i'm kinda surprised when i found out i've got 5 subscribers already when i hadn't posted any chapters yet. what do you expect from this fic guys... it's not worth the wait and you've been warned TTATT

it's kinda boring chapter but i'll let you know that it's the beginning of their relationship so i hope you can bear with it.

lastly, thank you for dcyseokyu the first subscriber *hugs tightly* silentwords the subscriber of my 5 fanxing fics (including this), unsync aka mei who always supports me, shineesuju28 who finally shows off (yay! ^^) and kloh-ay (dear i really love your fic under the blue sky but i was a silent reader back then u.u)

thank you for everyone who drops by! i may not thank you properly if you subscribe my fics but i sincerely thank you all who anticipates my fics. i hope i won't be disappointing you guys. except the fact about me struggling in grammar. ok. #HOWTOGRAMMARSERIOUSLY and about my unability (?) to explain the thai dishes i mentioned in this chapter. i think you better go to google or ask the fellow thai friends u.u

well, happy holiday! *for those who are spending holiday like me* \(^0^)/