“So the sales on the hotel went up by 15% compared to the last year’s wave of holiday. The new plan for the indoor pool will be approved if-“

Sigh.

Kyuhyun looked bored at the overhead presentation, they were just a bunch of numbers and statements, he already know that he’s a genius and there’s no need for any of them to report the plans he had rejected and approved yet they would all still go on and on about it.

Anyways, he wasn’t that pissed off, well his travel from Jeju became a meaningful one, first it’s because it had cleared up some misunderstandings and second because well… they were officially in the next level.

He and Sungmin are on the ‘more than friends’ terms and just thinking about it made the young CEO sport a giggle.

But then again, that was the start of all his worries, bringing him a sullen week.

Because his baby, (Another giggle at the endearment) refuses to come with him to Seoul, insisting about the project he might’ve left if he just leave, patting him in the head when he stomp his foot and pouted about this decision, he is not a puppy, but being one might work for convincing his bestfriend to come with him.

But that Sungmin, with his puffy red-tinge cheeks shook his head in disagreement, and urge him to continue his work in Seoul while he continue his work in Jeju.

What a bummer.

And his annoyance peaked when Sungmin didn’t even call him or ask him how he’s been, He sent him a text that he arrived at Seoul in one piece but the other didn’t even call him back and just texted him “It’s nice to know that you’re back, rest well.”  And never replied to his elaboration on how his trip has been.

Is that what a boyfriend should be?

“Kyuhyun…”

He heard a whisper and when he chose to ignore it, a kick on his leg followed by, making him looked at his hyung from the side of the table.

“What?!”

And there he realizes what the commotion was about.

“Uhm, President… we would like to hear your comment about the expansion of the hotel in Okinawa?”

“Aren’t we talking about the indoor pool?” Kyuhyun asked dumbfounded

“We were now talking about the expansion now, what you were saying about the indoor pool was a couple of minutes ago.” Leeteuk sniggered despite the look of composure plastered on Kyuhyun’s humiliated state.

“Well, what are we talking about the expansion?”

The poor manager choked on his own saliva before shuffling through his files.

“S-Sir, it’s the plan and the construction of the hotel, we were about to seal a deal on the location, but the plans of architectural designs and who would do it is still a working progress…”

“Well I-“

Bzzzzzzz

Kyuhyun’s phone in vibration mode caught, yet again the attention of the people at the meeting, and the CEO’s bored/annoyed expression went over to his phone when the caller’s picture made him jolt up and smile from ear to ear.

“Take 5, everyone!” the CEO hurriedly picked up his phone and almost run to the balcony to take that phone call.

“Hi!” he gleefully greeted with a huffed and the other person in line sighed.

“Hello, did I disturb you?” Kyuhyun almost died to the sound of the voice he hasn’t heard for almost a week.

“No, not at all.” Kyuhyun rolled his eyes when he realized he sounded like a teenage girl being called by her first love.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to call or message you, I was a bit busy. Have you been okay?”

Leeteuk appeared beside him carrying a sketch board with the words “You look like a lovesick bastard get a grip” written on it, he mouthed a curse and went back to concentrating on talking with Sungmin.

“Hmm, beside the fact that you never contacted me for a week, I’m fine… I’m surprised you even ask.”

That’s right Cho, be a man. Kyuhyun smirk, proud that he can cover his longing with his sarcasm, and he can actually pictured Sungmin shivering, and asking for his forgiveness when Leeteuk tapped him out of his reverie once again with the sketch book now with written words “Smooth move lover boy.”

“Kyu, don’t use sarcasm on me, you know it’ll never work.”

Sungmin’s mother-like apprehension made him stand on alert, being the one who’s worried about the other being angry about what he had done…

“What a change!” Leeteuk wrote on the sketch and Kyuhyun kicked him on the shin earning a painful cry from the older man.

“Did someone get hit? Where are you Kyu?” Sungmin worriedly asked and Kyuhyun had that look of triumph when Leeteuk cursed at him writhing in pain.

“No I just kicked some really annoying cat.” Kyuhyun said smugged. “So, I mean… when are you available? I really want to see you.”

The straightforwardness of his words shot up to his brain and the chills it sent down his spine were so refreshing and heart jumping at the same time he almost crawled on the ground in this new found feelings.

“I- I still don’t know when I will be able to go back…” Sungmin sighed defeated and Kyuhyun couldn’t respond at a moment, mixture of disappointment and sadness came as soon as his happiness. His reply didn’t come as soon as he wanted it to be. He paused to catch his breath for a mean time. And Sungmin’s labored silence didn’t help it at all.

“Okay, maybe you have so many things and… yeah.” Kyuhyun sighed heavily suddenly loosing the appetite to do anything. “Actually Min, I’m on a meeting right now, so I’ll call you back later?”

“Oh, okay… Sorry to disturb you…” Sungmin apprehensively replied.

“No, you did not disturb me, I’m glad that you called. Later then…” Kyuhyun said with a smile and ended the call looking somewhere else other than his conceited Hyung.

Leeteuk placed his hand on Kyuhyun’s shoulder tapping it sympathetically.

“That means no for a while huh.”

And as the words sink in, Kyuhyun almost fainted at the realization.

***

“Hyung, you shouldn’t deny someone you like the way you deny your bestfriend if you’re going to sulk like that.” Ryeowook’s sharp intuition reprimanded Sungmin when he slumped (yet again) in front of his desk 2 hours after calling Kyuhyun still with furrowed brows and complicated expressions fiddling with his phone looking if a text followed up his fail conversation with Kyuhyun.

“I think I overdid it.” Sungmin sighed letting his head fall over his desk table.

“Well, the person you just called is someone who parted with you after declaring his ‘gayness’ for you in front of the whole Jeju airport, and someone you surprisingly cared about more than anything and you didn’t call him or texted him after creating such a lovey-dovey atmosphere. Put yourself in his shoes will you?” Ryeowook said sarcastically and Sungmin sank deeper in his sorrow.

“I think I really do ed up.” The blonde sighed heavily. “It’s just that I didn’t know what should I tell him, should we date? Should we be in a relationship? He’s my bestfriend for ’s sake! And if I screw this up what would happen to us?”

“Oh?!” Ryeowook gasped. “I didn’t think you were so keen not to screw things up when you’ve done a good job disappointing the poor lovesick bastard.”

Sungmin pouted. “Why the are you so harsh yet so right!” he blurted out.

The door opened to Jongwoon crouching over the couch where Ryeowook sat planting a tender peck on the younger’s crown.

“Sorry babe, I’m late. I’m in demand.” The older boasted making the younger scrunch up his nose.

“And why is that when your customers demand you, you give yourself freely, and when I do, you always hesitate?” the younger complained pushing back the older’s arms that’s planning to hug him.

“Baby did you intend a pun on that?”

“OH GOD!” Sungmin grumbled disgusted. “Don’t start flirting now!”

“What’s the matter?” Jongwoon whispered sitting at the couch beside his lover.

“Don’t mind him. He’s just depressed and obviously deprived.” The younger said matter-of-factly. “I mean, he has avoided his urge to fly towards Kyuhyun, who obviously had caught up with his indecisiveness.  That is a smart one after all; he had known that Sungmin’s actually avoiding him because he’s still a natural-born scaredy-cat.”

“So, you still haven’t called him?” Jongwoon asked. “That kid must be in a lot of pain and hell.” He laughed.

“Well, he called him but instead of filling up the space, he let down Kyuhyun by being an .” Ryeowook butted in.

“You’re not helping.” Sungmin sulked even more. “I wanted to see him you know, to ask if he’s fine… I just, I just don’t know where best friends end and where lovers begin.”

“Well, that’s unnerving to be honest.” Jongwoon said with a thoughtful smile. “But you’ll just end up hurting him, something that I know you never want to happen. So I do think, since you do not know where to begin… you should start with this…”

Jongwoon threw a huge envelope which Sungmin caught just in time for it to hit the ground.

“That’s one step.”

***

“You still look pale.” Leeteuk apprehended Kyuhyun who looked up at him with a glare.

“You! I don’t want you in the meeting…” Kyuhyun pointed at the elder who sat at his usual side of the table in their weekly progress report.

“Oh don’t be such a baby, you can’t expect me to believe that you’re not thinking of doing ‘it’ with him.” The elder whispered.

“I will surely kill you Hyung.” Kyuhyun sent him daggers when the thought once again made him shook. It’s not that he didn’t like the idea, but he was shaken with the thought of the unknown feeling it gives him.

The managers lined up one by one towards their respective seats and the tourism head stood in front and started the boring part of the meeting which Kyuhyun didn’t really want to partake.

“But Kyuhyun, did you miss him? I mean it seems like he doesn’t want to be near you at the moment, is he avoiding you?”

The sulking feeling returned followed by the heavy sigh. “He’s avoiding me and I want to see him but you ed it up by saying we should have ‘’. Maybe Sungmin is afraid that I would lunge at him the moment I see him.”

“Won’t you?” Leeteuk laughed and Kyuhyun kicked him on his shin once again.

They both heard the manager clear his throat and all attention was on the two of them once again. Eyeing Leeteuk with daggers, he turned his expression at the awaiting panel.

“What are we talking about again?” Kyuhyun asked with his bored expression.

“Uh-Uhm, I was about to introduce you, we invited the prospective engineer for the Okinawa resort project.” The manager stammered.

“Well, where is he? I-“ The expression died on his face when the engineer entered the room with a reluctant smile and a polite bow.

“You were saying?” Leeteuk asked Kyuhyun who seemed in a complete standstill after he stood up abruptly at the sight he didn’t expect to see.

The manager cleared his throat once more. “I introduce you to the Architect and Engineer of the-“

“Sungmin!”

Sungmin’s smile was apprehensive and unsure but nonetheless sincere.

“I’m back.”

TBC

I hope it’s not bad. Kkkk, I was pretty excited with their meeting, and I hope this has a lighter tone than any other of my fics, I want to take a break from angst, so I’m venturing to this genre further. Those who voted ‘Storm’ I’m sorry if I disappoint you in any way, I will still continue that fic, but I would like to take it easy on angst. Hope you understand.

Send a lot of love by commenting below, give me your thoughts ^^