Kangin is in the middle of confusing situation. His head is almost flatten because he squezzes it with both hand. Yes…No…Yes…No… He can’t decide so he quickly shows it to Kibum. He is not only showing it, he almost sticks the paper to Kibum’s face. Kibum is upset. He just gets out from bathroom and Kangin has freak out. “What?” He almost shouts. He takes the paper and holds it on good distance to read. “Marathon? Why you confuse?”

“It’s half-marathon. Go or not? It looks interesting” He must surpress his guts.

“And maybe lots girls?”

“Yeah” He answers brightly, happy that kibum understand the point.

With his cold face, he answers “And old woman, aunty, man in your father age and transgender”

“I hate you!”

“Just go! I’ll go too. Sounds interesting” Kibum suddenly changes his behavior. He just wants to tease Kangin after all. He owes Kangin’s family too much; he won’t do anything bad seriously to this friend.

“We can ask the other” He suggests.

Kibum frowns, “I doubt Kyu will go… too tiring. Jaejoong… he’s not going out with his boyfriend? Changmin… maybe… if he is not busy… But he doesn’t really like the heat.”

“God! It’s a sport!” He is not understand why his friends not really in to sport like him.

“We can try”

 

 

 

When Kibum brings this advertise to him, he is not interested at all. Very very not interested. What’s with running under the sun? He work out for health and keeps his body shape but sun doesn’t always required. Besides, it’s a half-marathon, 21 some kilometers is not a good distance. But he brings the paper with him because Kangin insisted. Kyu scoffes at that, even bet that Chanmin will not go. The paper abandoned at coffee table, until Yunho comes home.

It’s a very rare time when they have dessert. Even Yunho himself doesn’t sure why he made it. Panna cotta with blueberry sauce. He sort of misses it but hold hiself for putting strawberries. He forces himself to make some variation. Changmin likes it, because it’s not too sweet.

“You will join the marathon too?” Yunho asks.

“Too? You too? But don’t you have to work?” Because it’s held in Saturday.

Yunho nods few times, looks slightly depressed. “I am. But Hanggeng, Junsu and Yesung signed me. I’ve to leave my work” He is not really happy. “I hate crowd. It will be a huge crowd right?” there is a worry on Yunho’s face.

Changmin says, “At least it will hold on open space” Sure, how would Yunho forget that? Actually, he is not. Yunho face is not getting better. “Come on! I’ll go too. It’ll be fun” Changmin regrets that words. Not because he is not fond with marathon but how will his words makes Yunho happier or calmer? He won’t. It doesn’t relate at all. Yunho is resting his cheek on his palm, thinking while looking at his half eaten panna cotta. Silent covers them.

 

 

Kibum waves his hand to Changmin. “Glad you make it! Twice glad actually” Changmin frowns at Kibum’s words. “I get 300.000 won from Kyu. He betted you won’t come”

“Oh” Changmin is not angry at all. His head is contented with something else now. “Kyu and Jae not come?”

“No… You know their skin is too pale for this”

Changmin frowns “What’s with pale skin?”

“Nevermind!”

Kangin comes and unlike usual days, he looks high-spirited. Because Changmin finds it so weird he asks Kibum who answers with plain and bored tone. “You know… girl’s attention”. Changmin makes understanding expression. Minutes after he starts searching freshman students from Chemical, he searches yunho to be exact. But he’ll with his chemical friends right?

There is someone jumping comically at the back gathers Changmin attention. But then he sees Yunho nears him, and Donghae and Junsu. They all look at the jumping one. Changmin wants to go there before Kibum holds his arm and Kangin pushes his back. The race is about to start and they quickly pushed to the front. Damn! He loses Yunho. Now he has to focus on his track or to his back.

Yunho on the other side has to hold urge to start running before the race start, but running to other way. His room perhaps or rooftop so he can smokes alone or with Changmin because last time they met there, Yunho can forget his problem, just by talk… to Changmin.

Okay! He told himself. These peoples won’t hurt you. They come for the race, to win this marathon, for the prize and for fun, but not for hurting. They won’t hurt you. You’re safe. There are lots spaces. You’ll be fine.

Yunho inhales deeply than narrowed his eyes to the front right before the race start. They all run very fast at first.

 

Changmin can’t find Yunho. He has no choice but keep his pace steady. With all of these peoples it’s impossible to even look behind. He runs besides Kangin and Kibum. His long legs are pretty good for running. But he knows more, he doesn’t like the sun burned him down. Why today’s sun feels hotter than usual? He curses.

Kangin apparently lost from his sight. He really wants to win this marathon. If Changmin thinks this will be good idea to run and spent time with Yunho (who knows he might needs company, he hates crowds right?), he should think twice. Not just because it’s so tiring and his body sticky, but also because he can’t find Yunho. Yunho probably already passed him before he realizes. Maybe when there were so many people running surrounds him.

Now, except from Kibum, there probably 10-12 runners. Kibum looks so enjoying this. Why? Changmin asks himself. He maybe is not really born for outdoor activities; aside from eating outside. Changmin decides to slow down and maybe he can just walk or take short cut. Kibum throws him confusing look, “I’m tired” Changmin says. Kibum just mouthed “Oh” and keep running. This, however is a marathon, you need to keep stamina rather than pace up and wasted stamina on the beginning of the race.

Minutes passes as Changmin runs for half race. He saw Donghae when he turns his head. Donghae runs besides him “Hi” he greets Changmin. After asks Yunho, he in the term to get close to Changmin. Maybe someday he’ll confess that he made the photos for cash.

“Pace up?”

“Yup!” And Junsu passes them. “He won’t look us, too serious right now” And then a Chinese and someone who jumped near Yunho before the race start also pass them. Changmin hopes Yunho will also pass them. “Uh, that kid! He really not going to pace up?” Donghae grumbles while looks behind.

“Who?” Changmin asks him.

“Your roommate.” Donghae answers. “He maybe means to run. Runaway from this race, I mean. He never shows interest on anything, right?”

Changmin must agrees “Sort of”

“You too… not gonna pace up too?”

“I just run for fun, not for win.” He lies.

“At least you’ll finish this race. Ok! See you at finish line” He leaves Changmin. After Donghae is no longer seen, Changmin stops, not fully stops but he really slowed down. Another 5 minutes Changmin almost gives up. Heat can be a bad news for patience; his patience. And then after long heated waiting, he sees Yunho, running slowly 15 meters behind. Changmin no need second thought, he slower again so he can run besides him. Yunho sense someone closer to him and instincly makes a gap, not much. “Hey!” it turns out to be Changmin. Yunho is relieve and closer their gap. “Hey” Yunho voices his relieve too loud. Changmin notices this.

“All of your friends have passed me. Who the one jumpin before the race start?”

“Uh… Yesung. He can be so animated”

“Like character from Japanese comic book” Changmin agrees.

Yunho likes this. He knows he can trust Changmin. Alliance, as long as the goal doesn’t change is still good. But maybe something else. Yunho is no longer feels tensed now. “You don’t pace up?” Yunho asks. Truth is he hopes Changmin is not leaving him so fast.

“I come for fun” there, he lies. His reason is right besides him, he doesn’t want to part soon.

“I thought you want the prize. Donghae and Junsu want them. Yesung also bragged he can win” He doubts it.

“What the prizes? Money?”

“Yeah. Gadget too. And they have vouchers at new Japanese restaurant in town. Sort of promotion.” Yunho knows the prizes even he doesn’t want to race. Food should be a magnet for Changmin, but not today.”Maybe 30 first people will get something”

“So? That doesn’t attract you? You can get fast money, or by selling the prize. So you can start collect money for next semester”

“Uh… That?” He should be excited about it, “I’m tired” Yunho says.

“You never work out?”

Yunho remembers the same question has been throw up by his cousin, “I’m busy” Same answers.

“Even before college?”

“I’m…” He meant to say busier. But hell, this college life has his energy more than not being in. “I used to do sport, not wasting my time in gym”

Changmin quite interested by that. “What sport?”

“Basketball and hockey” He meant to add some more but maybe Changmin will not agree with that. Throws dagger is probably not a sport, but it’s good to train his focus and win dart. Shooting is a sport, since they have it on Olympic but he’ll sound a psycho. It isn’t supposed to sounds like that. Even maybe sometimes he hopes he turn to psycho and doing insane things like killing someone, it never happened. Changmin won’t happy if he knows he lived with someone who can kill him, whenever, if he wants. He is no longer do basketball one on one with his cousin and has left hockey klub too. He sometimes slides on ice, without body protector and stick, just a pair of sharp blade shoes.

Even his cousin has saving to bought him everything he need for hockey, he used the shoes only. His cousin is not mad at him. Never because of abandoned the gift. Not just because Yunho transferred money as the price of hockey tools minus shoes, but because Yunho said he starts another sport. His cousin asked him what sport Yunho chose with investigate eyes. And get wall climbing as a reply. That is Yunho, different to his so called fraternal twin, his cousin. His cousin likes to work out to shapes his muscle under a trainer. On the other side, Yunho likes to stay outside and sharpen his combat skill, to swims on a lake or beach, or trekking on a forest and mountain. But they both have trophy collection from different martial arts because they prefer to add more thropies rather than compete to each other. Yunho chosed aikido while his cousin picked taekwondo.

“Why stop? I did badminton at school and sometimes go to club to play, single or double”

“Busy”

“We can play basketball sometimes, 1 on 1, before your weekend job” Changmin suggests. “Or maybe at night?”

Yunho really imagines the suggestion he just heard. It’s more like invitation. Maybe Changmin pities him for rarely doing sport. He nods.” Yeah, we can do it next time, but you don’t like to wake early at weekend”

Changmin pouts “I can wake earlier than you” he scoffs. “Bet! Just between us! Whoever lose must clean whole apartment for two weeks” Changmin runs, not that he wasn’t. But he goes faster like he’s going to win the race.

Yunho is still dumbfounded, watching Changmin who leaves him quickly. “Come on old man!” mocks Changmin to Yunho. He shows a laugh to Yunho. His eyes go uneven. So weird. Changmin still in his pace, even he has gives up that Yunho will ever run faster than a snail. At least he has try, at least he won’t do cleaning for two weeks so he can work on his Thesis. That is, until he feels a hand sneaking on the side of his stomach. Only couples of fast tapping but hell ticklish, he almost jumps to his side. He turns his head and finds a devilish smirk. Damn! That y!

“I’m not gonna lose from you!” he claims confidently.

Changmin can’t be happier now. He’s in for the bet. He tickles Yunho back, earning a pair of hand avoid him to do it. And they run side to side in high speed with each other hand disturbing the other, just like a pair of elementary school. They have smile plastered on their face, clearly happy.

They pass Donghae and the other, not a big deal for their long legs. “What the hell?” Donghae mumbles when a pair of roommate passes him without saying anything. They’ve lose on their small world. Yunho knows he lets himself fall, drowns on this childish and fun act. He stopped this kind of things years ago, after he felt there is no one he can trust. Because the person that looks so kind and beautiful can and abuse him. But this is so fun, so natural feeling him longing. His body and mind might miss this but he refuse to get some pleasure. Until his roommate offers an invitation to act as he want, to be more cheerful. He can be careless now and not just that, he doesn’t care if he smiling and laugh loud. He doesn’t want to win this marathon or this bet, it just simply FUN.

Yunho can be 2 cm shorter than Changmin, but he has longer legs and don’t forget with all training which sometimes sent him to hospital. Easy for him to beat Changmin, even his roommate is not giving up. He really dashed up when they only 20 meters away from finish line, quickly followed by Changmin.

Yunho bends down, his palms are holding his knees. He really knows this is because he hasn’t do sport for too long. Changmin pats his back, still smiling but also tries to catch his breath. “This is what happens when you not work out”

Yunho looks happy but tired, “I win”

Changmin pretends he’s not satisfied with the result. “I know! Come on! Let’s chill down” Changmin hand is still on Yunho’s back. He is not shoves it. Yunho straighten his back and Changmin guides him with his hand. They go to rest under the trees. Yunho’s breath is slowly backs to normal. They lose, absolutely, it’s not unpredicted. Kang in is not come out as first, there are 9 runners before him, at least he’ll get 200.000 won (and 100.00 won from Kyuhyun who betted he won’t be the first 10 runners to reach finish line)

“If you run like that 5 minutes earlier, you’ll get first place” Changmin tells him.

Yunho scoffs, “You were not approach me 5 minutes earlier. What’s the different?”

Changmin loses his words, almost blushing. Lucky for him, their friends join. Donghae, Yesung, Junsu and Hanggeng. All of them look at Yunho with angry and disappoint eyes. “Why the hell did you told us earlier that you didn’t want to pace up?” Yesung asks.

“I changed my mind” Yunho says, Changmin laugh at his remark, Yunho follows, earning stunned gazes not only from Yunho’s friends but also Kibum and college students nearby. It’s a very rare sight, Yunho laugh.

“You two are so weird” Donghae says.

Kangin and Kibum join them later. Kangin seems to be not very pleased. “What? You’re not satisfied? You’re strong but not that fast.” Kibum scoffs

Yunho has problem with his breath. “That’s what you get when you smoke” Changmin says, Yunho looks at him. No offense. That’s broadly true, especially since he smokes more and more in college, depressed. “Quit that! You’ll die young”

Their friends are busy with their conversation and too distracted by a woman come to them. She however is Hangeng’s sister in law. She is in Korea for some thing and only able to visit his brother in law today. She gives a medium size box and 5 minerals water then go. She is busy. But Hanggeng is not complain and says something in Chinese. Almost the entire boys look at them in awe, hearing two native speaks so fast. Yunho is not care about it. After she leaves, there is a girl comes to them. She only gives a can to Kibum and almost dashed of with obvious blushes on his face. “Congratulation Kibum. Seems like you have admirer” Kangin half mocking him.

“No… She is my girlfriend. She is still to shy to you guys.” Kibum says in triumphant, earning a hurtfull looks from Kangin because they’re roommate but he doesn’t know about it.

Changmin frowns, they didn’t really talk about girls these days. “What major?” he asks, he feels he ever see her somewhere.

“Art”

“She’s not modeling for the sake of art or will draw your whole body right?” Changmin asks, earning a yell from Kibum.

Kangin takes what should be Yunho’s water. Hanggeng sister in law brought 5 because Hanggeng said he with his 4 friends. “If Kibum’s girlfriend comes with something in hand for him, you two shouldn’t worry” He reasoned. Changmin and Yunho look at each other. They didn’t tell their boyfriend and girlfriend. Changmin will be very awkward if his girl come. It’s so uncomfortable for him, maybe feels like caught up cheating. Changmin consider him lucky because his girlfriend is come home to see her sick grandmother.

Yunho isn’t going to eat or drink anything that Jaejoong touched. Even he knows Jaejoong is not going to put sleeping pills in his food in front of other, it still scare him. He knows it ridiculous but he can’t help it. “Yunnie… Why didn’t you tell me that you’re in for the race?” He sounds whinning when he comes, no shame at all. Donghae pulls the other to find some snack that sponsor might offer. Kangin sort of distracted by a group of girl that giggling while looking at them or ‘him’ in Kangin’s mind. Kibum is wiser by texting his girlfriend, smiles never leaves his face. Jaejoong gives Yunho a bottle of pomegranate juice. He is not going to take it. Changmin snatches it instead, earning a yell and a slap from Jaejoong. But they just look like playing their usual childish play. Changmin opens the bottle and drinks it before gives it to Yunho. Yunho keeps watching at Changmin since he snatched the bottle that should be his. The moment Changmin offers the half drunk juice, he knows, the juice is really safe. So he takes it without second thought and almost finishes it. Yunho knows, he can trust that round eyes, that Changmin has makes sure nothing is wrong with the juice, conscious or not.

“Why you drink it first?” Jaejoong pouts. He sits between Yunho and Changmin; blocking them.

“I’m thirsty, okay. My girlfriend is visitting her family”

“You want to steal my boyfriend’s kiss?” Indirect kiss. Like Yunho will care about it. Changmin can’t answers that, he has kissed Yunho couples time when he sleeps on their couch. But he is not going to apologize for that.

“So?” Yunho challenges jaejoong when he finds Changmin looks loses his tongue somewhere. “It’s not like we only sharing this time”

Jaejoong hits him playfully; He really tries hard not to hurt Yunho. “What? Are you cheating? What you sharing?”

“Milk, juice, kimchi, seaweed, soup, pasta, fish, tofu, chicken, beef…” Yunho straighten his fingers one by one, counting.

“That’s your dinner” Jejoong cuts Yunho.

“You get the point Jaejongie, it’s not new for us to share food. We even share oxygen in our apartment. Oh! And toothpaste, sorry, I forgot to ask you. Mine was running out”

“That’s okay. I ever used your shampoo too”

They smiles to each other and Jaejoong pouts more then cling on Yunho’s arm, stickes his tongue out to Changmin. Changmin rolls his eyes in return, hiding that he actually uncomfort with the sight. “Don’t cling like this! I’m sweaty and sticky” Jaejoong let him go. But he notices that Yunho doesn’t put on their couples ring, only the zirconium ring he wears.

“Why didn’t you tell me you join the marathon?”

Bacause I don’t want to go. Yunho want to say that, but instead answers with. “I don’t have to work today”

“We should spend this day together, just two of us. Why you decide to spent it with these peoples”

“They’re my friends.”

“Let’s go somewhere, Yunnie!” Jaejoong pledges. “Come on! We can just eat street food or something.”

Yunho catches that Changmin is looking at him from the corner of his eyes, but quickly straighten his sight. Yunho almost forget that he supposed to act sweet to Jaejoong, so many peoples around. And he can’t reject his boyfriend’s wish in front of other. “Okay” Yunho says. It’s unexpected. Jaejoong not even really hope, but then his face looks so bright. “Let’s do something that’s not very tiring”

“Lunch? Movie? Should we go now?” Jaejoong says. He becomes impatience.

Yunho not even look at him. “I’m still tired. And I don’t want to miss the prize”

“Why? It’s not that worthy”

“I’ve running. I want the prize. Why don’t you go back and get ready? Pick me in one and half an hour?” That’s the only way to make Jaejoong go, and it works. Not as Yunho expected because he still looks at Yunho from a far. No voice he can hear, but just by seeing it, he feels jealous.

 

Yunho get the prize. Not that worthy as Jaejoong said, he is not comes out the big 5 after all. He gets a jar of honey and 3 vouchers at Japanese restaurant. Changmin gets 1 jar and 1 voucher on Thailand restaurant. Yunho passes the jar to Changmin, whose comment. “The colors are different” as he compares their prize.

“The darker one is good for health. It is sort of herbal medicine. The light one is good for cooking”

“Oh, I just know it” Changmin always interested with food, so no surprise if he examines both jar.

“Too bad I’m not confident with bakery. How about French toast or pancakes for tomorrow breakfast? It’ll also taste good for beverages. Just add some in water”

“Sounds good. And how they have different color?”

“Because the sources are different. The flowers, I mean”

“Now it sounds complicated”

“Don’t worry about it!” Yunho smiles to him. But when he looks at his four friends, he gets weird unsatisfied expression. “What?!”

Junsu speaks first “Why you give him only? He already got prizes”

“We’ll consume it together. Why?”

“You not even let us touch it” Yesung says; no one care about this.

“So? How about your vouchers?” Hanggeng asks him now. Makes it clear for Yunho of what they want. Yunho takes a glance to Changmin who still examines the honey.

“Okay, fine!” Take this!” Yunho gives 2 vouchers. 1 voucher for 2 peoples. Now he only has 1 left.

“So you’ll go with your boyfriend?” Yesung asks.

“That’s why we can’t go at same day and ruin their date” Donghae and Junsu won’t spy their date, just for now they’ll let Jaejoong goes with Yunho. Wait until they taken care of the blackmail thing.

“I won’t go with him” Only Hanggeng who doesn’t miss Yunho’s whispering words. The other three is busy argueing the right time to go to that restaurant.

The Chinese student looks at him with plain expression “But he is your boyfriend”

“I wouldn’t get this without his help” Yunho uses his chin to point Changmin.

Hanggeng looks at the direction and suddenly mouthed something in Chinese. “If you don’t love your boyfriend, you shouldn’t date him first place” This sentence in Chinese should get a ‘What did you say?’ as answers, but instead Yunho answers him. “Sometimes people do things against his will” in Korea. Hanggeng is surprised by that, he frowns.

“You understand me?”

“If you don’t love your boyfriend, you shouldn’t date him first place?” Yunho says the same words as Hanggeng, but he translates it to Korean. “See you guys!” Hanggeng feels stupid all of sudden. He sometimes says bad thing about his surrounding in Chinese, believe that no one understand what he saying, he’s wrong.

 

Yunho goes home with Changmin. Both Yunho and Changmin have takes a bath and now are in their kitchen, tasting their prizes. Yunho opens the light color honey and spoons it “Here!” he offers Changmin who gladly takes it. Before he can comment anything, Yunho is already spooning the dark honey. Jaejoong enters their apartment at this time, without knocking. Yunho is not feeding Changmin, but the sight of Yunho passing spoons with Changmin and sees them smiling are very annoying. “It tastes… I don’t know how to say. Heavier? Thicker?”

“Somehing like that. Mature?” Yunho suggest.

“What are you doing?” Jaejoong asks them, who seemingly lost in their own world.

“Eat some honey” Yunho says.

“Let’s go!” Jaejoong looks quite angry with this.

“Okay…” Yunho answers, quickly grabs his jacket. “See you!” He says to Changmin.

“See you!” Changmin is hiding his smile.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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