Just Jongin

 

 

 

Luhan finishes the recording for the last music show of the day and spots his manager waiting for him backstage, arms crossed and glasses on, the sight making him chuckle lowly. He greets a few other idols passing by, exchanging polite and respectful bows and supportive smiles with them all, and feels a hand closing around his arm to pull him away as he stares, probably too much, at B.A.P's leader Bang Yongguk walking away in tight, lather pants. 

 

His manager makes a displeased face and Luhan rolls his eyes, accepting the water he is given. "Don't look at me that way, Kris. You are the one wearing glasses in a closed space."

 

More than a manager, the young Chinese/Canadian boy chosen by Luhan's label to be his shadow 24/7 is more like a personal assistant, a handyman who takes care of Luhan's everyday's activities and needs, and the fact that the two both happened to be Chinese and have the same age made things extremely comfortable since the start, not forcing them into formalities of any sort, at the point that to Luhan, Kris had almost become a brother.

 

Brotherly is the way they treat each other, at least, except Kris' life depends on Luhan's success and safety, and Luhan is extremely hard to deal with. 

 

"Go straight to your changing room." Kris orders with a sigh, ignoring the way Luhan childishly pouts, and keeps on pushing him forwards. Luhan whines, "Let's go greeting the B.A.P boys first."

"You just greeted them."

Luhan whines harder, "Please, I never happened to have a comeback the same time as them."

 

Being an idol singer is not easy, especially when you belong to no group, you have arrived in the country you work in only eight months before getting casted, you have debuted after others eight months of training and your life has changed so much in such a short time that you find yourself surrounded by no one who really knows you, and you have no time to make friends, on top of everything. Luhan is all of this. 

 

His entire career since he has entered SM Entertainment had been an escalation of quick improvement and debut concepts because Luhan was so cute, so pretty, so surprisingly talented and irresistible with his shaking Korean that everyone in the entire South Korea would have died over him, not to make him debut as soon as possible. SM Entertainment needed new talents to show off to the world, but had not enough material to make a new group, and finding Luhan shopping in Myeondong had been a revelation. 

 

As a result, Luhan had started a very successful career, but everything was so fast and unexpected that his debut arrived even before he could speak properly to his own teachers. 

 

Despite knowing this all pretty well, Kris doesn't let Luhan's big puppy eyes affect him the slightest. He has been another one to see his life changing quickly, when his aunt and uncle helped him in finding a job in SM Entertainment as a trainee manager and sent him in Korean with a very basic knowledge of the language. If his family wasn't in friendly terms with the big ones in the company, Kris well knows he would have never dreamt to get a job there, and that's why he takes his job extremely seriously now. The one suffering for this, being Luhan.

 

"Kris," the idol begs again and snorts loudly as the taller, very taller boy, places himself a few inches away from him and stares down to show his immense superiority "Fine."

 

Luhan flips his sweaty, honey hair and walks back to his changing room with heavy steps, making Kris grin in satisfaction. Then he follows and Luhan starts singing 'My Heart Will Go On' from the Titanic Movie in such a loud voice the entire building will probably hear him but Luhan doesn't care, because the song makes Kris cry instantly like a kid seeing an ugly monster, and that's enough to take revenge. 

 

 

-

 

 

Whenever Luhan would try to talk about the 'friends' issue, Kris would just snort loudly and roll his eyes, declaring Luhan should focus on his activities rather than acting like a frustrated loner. It makes Luhan cringe, but there is nothing he can do about it. His fellow artists in SM have never being unfriendly to him, but none of them have had the time or the wish to enter Luhan's life more deeply either, so every of Luhan's relationship in the label is confined in that formality of the sunbae/dongsaeng stereotype. Luhan doesn't even want to get started with relationships with idols from other companies. 

 

Those, his boss manager had said once, were mostly prohibited except the relationship weren't prior the debut. Luhan thinks the reason behind such a stupid rule is a total mystery to him, but then Kris would tells him that competitiveness among companies, different and packed schedules and a ridiculously small amount of time to get to know each other better are valid reasons to abandon the idea. 

 

Luhan still wants some friends. 

 

His only one, apart from Kris for how unusual their relationship was, is a boy one year his junior living in Changsa, China. Zhang Yixing has been Luhan's pen friend since he was fifteen, the two of them having happened to chat through an online game extremely popular in China years before. They have been talking unstoppably since then, met several times also, once Luhan got old enough to afford to travel, and manage to still chat often even now, despite Luhan's schedule. Yixing himself works in a dance crew in China now, so he is very busy himself. 

 

"He is making me go crazy." Luhan announces through their video-call, making a pouting face directly in his laptop lens and making Yixing chuckle from the other line.

"Hyung, I don't want to see your mustache."

"I don't have mustache."

Yixing takes a small pause to smirk, unconvinced, before nodding, "Sure…"

 

Luhan makes a face and sighs, pointing an accusatory finger to the screen. "You are not helping." Yixing only giggles, because annoying Luhan is one of his favorite part of the day, those days they manage to talk. 

 

"So, what do you plan to do?" he challenges "I mean, it's been two years since your debut now, and every time we talk, you whine over the same things."  Luhan raises a judging brow as he is sure he can hear a glimpse of resigned annoyance in Yixing's statement, but Yixing is usually so lovely and angelic he discards the idea a moment later. He still makes sure to look offended.

 

"What can I do? Last time I tried to tell him I would like to have permission to go around a bit he shoved a spoonful of rice into my mouth and declared I was disturbing his Keroro Marathon." Luhan pauses, raising a brow "This happened early at dinner, actually." 

The boy from the other side of the screen chuckles and makes a patting motion almost as he could reach Luhan's head. Luhan puffs his cheeks. 

 

"I don't know how it works for idols, but aren't you guys supposed to dress up to cover your identity and then go out? That's how it's done, isn't."

Luhan lets out a displeased noise that makes his bangs flip at the strength. "Do you remember what happened last time I tried to cover my identity and go out?"

 

Yixing does his best not to let his deep amusement explode in a loud laughter, but the memory of Luhan covering himself from head to toe, hopeful, only to find five cars parked outside his dorm and a patient Kris pumping his feet on the ground waiting for him to wide his eyes in shock, snort loudly, turn around and go back inside, makes him burst out laughing eventually. Kris made sure to have one of his colleagues filming the scene, to throw his superiority into Luhan's face when it was needed, and Luhan felt so miserable he had to share the video with Yixing that night, even if the laughter it cause did not really help his cause. 

 

Luhan rests his chin on a palm, patient, and sighs a few times as he waits for Yixing to be done. He feels highly offended again, of course. 

 

"Point taken." Yixing says eventually, still giggling, and Luhan feels the corner of his lips curving into a smile at the sight because his friend is too cute not to melt down in front of his smile and adorable dimple "By the way, I think you should try again, perhaps making up some good plan not to get caught."

"Are you serious?" Luhan mumbles "Kris controls everything."

"Then do something to confuse him." 

 

Yixing shrugs with simplicity, "He can't prevent you from even walking down the streets, Lu-ge, it's time to gain some freedom." The calm, composed tone in Yixing's voice still manages to make Luhan's eyes get bright and big in excitement, almost as the younger boy has just chanted a deep speech about freedom and peace in the world. Yixing sees the sudden burning light in Luhan's doe-eyes and goes "Oh-Oh", bringing a thoughtful finger to touch his chin "Gege, you will not do something stupid, won't you?"

 

"How dare you?" Luhan scoffs "Of course not. You just gave me some good ideas, Yixing."

"Such as?" 

 

Seeing that mischievous grin making its way on Luhan's angelic face makes Yixing blink in confusion a few times, worried, but before he can say anything else, the older boy declares it's time to say goodbye and greets him with a ridiculously cute and hight pitched 'Good night Yixing~', accompanied by a furious hand waving that makes Yixing lose all his colors. 

 

Luhan shuts his laptop closed and throws himself on his bed, eyeing the ceiling with such focused eyes he could almost dig holes in it. He reasons hard, forehead narrowed, while humming to his latest single, the hot topic of the month in the entire country. Kris finds him in that position and raises a brow, "Luhan, why are you not sleeping yet?" he scolds "You have a photo-shoot at 7.30 tomorrow mor-"

"I got it, Kri-Kris."

 

Kris freezes. One, Luhan calling him Kri-Kris is one of the less promising thing on the entire planet and two, Luhan not whining over his scolding at night is probably the second less promising thing and now he has both happening at the same time. He feels a shiver of horror running down his long spine but he says nothing, snorting at the big, angelic smile Luhan offers him from his bed.

 

"Turn the lights off, please."

Kris shivers again but he is too tired to investigate so he just does as he is said, making sure to let out a "Don't call me that." before closing the door of Luhan's room and leaving for his own. 

 

In the dark, Luhan smirks. 

 

 

-

 

 

It's an apparently normal day when Luhan decides his plan couldn't be more perfect and hurries to try it out. 

 

Kris is off with Luhan's manager to take an appointment at some popular Radio Show and Luhan is glad to notice the boy has let his guard down and hasn't posted any bodyguard outside their big apartment to look after him. Smiling triumphantly, Luhan steps out the main door with a small jump, like a proud thief who has just managed to deactivate the lasers of some really important museum. 

 

Luhan has already taken two buses and walked in the centre of the city for some good minutes, a big grin plastered on his face as he manages to walk past the crowed streets passing absolutely unnoticed, when his phone predictably rings. He enjoys some seconds of his VIXX's On&On ringtone before answering, in the most casual way he can.

 

"Lu Han." Kris says through gritted teeth, from the other line "Where the are you." 

 

Luhan smirks widely as he hears the slow, deadly Chinese words. Both Kris and him have the kind of duty to speak Korean even in their private lives, for how unnatural it is, to improve their skills, and the fact that Kris has just sent the rules to hell makes Luhan giggle crazily.

 

"Uhm, around. I went out to take a walk." he answers, still so casually, and Kris risks a heart attack.

"What?" his voice is high-pitched and so girly Luhan actually can't hold his laughs back anymore "Lu Han, what the are you thinking? Come back home immediately."

"No."

 

The insult makes Kris turn into stone. "Lu Han."

"Look, I'm just walking around, okay? Don't worry."

"Don't-don't worry?"

 

Kris fans himself with a hand while walking around the spacious dining room of their apartment, completely hysteric, as the most horrendous images starts taking form in his mind: Luhan getting kidnapped by an ocean of fangirls, Luhan getting hit by a car, Luhan getting eaten up by hungry, greedy dogs and eventually SM making him disappear in the absolute nothing as a consequence to his losing the star. 

 

"Lu Han, okay." he almost screams, horrified at his own thoughts "I will find you using the GPS of your phone."

"I deactivated it."

Kris gasps a few times. "..You did WHAT?! Okay, you have obviously lost your mind. Any fan can recognize you, you , it's only 11 in the morning and-"

"No one is going to recognize me." Luhan interrupts his girly, annoying voice with nonchalance "My camouflage is infallible."

 

Only then Kris takes a long breath and patiently smiles a nervous smile, calm abandoning him "Why, what are you wearing?"

 

Luhan smirks, glancing down at his big, accurate Hot-Dog costume. It wasn't hard to get one, and he is annoyed by the fact that he couldn't think of such a brilliant plan before. He simply had to show up at that little snack bar near the company, the one most of the idols and trainees would usually order their foods during practice at, and the owner of the place accepted to lend him the costume in exchange of only ten signed CDs and a photo with the beloved Chinese prince Luhan was. 

 

Luhan adjusts his big, dark shades on his little face, walking past all the people who look at him with narrowed eyebrows and amused expressions, but who notice nothing else apart from his ridiculous outfit, with the biggest smile on his face.

 

From the other line of the phone, Kris panics at the lack of answer. "Lu Han?" 

"I have to go, I'll be back in the afternoon, I promise. A good day is waiting for me." 

 

Kris panics just a little more as he frantically calls Luhan's name out at least fifteen times in three seconds, the time the idol gives him before hanging up and going back wandering around the capital city joyfully, proudly wrapped in his Hot-Dog costume.

 

Sadly, Luhan has to decline a few requests of snapping a photo with the people who stop him and laugh at his sight, unwilling to have his beloved fans scanning through photos and unmask him with their incredible CIA skills. He claims he is walking around like that 'for work', and makes a very dumb face behind his shades as a couple with a kid makes him notice he is not distributing any leaflet, and that it's pretty unusual to see an Hot-Dog wearing shades in the first place. Luhan honestly thinks the only unusual thing here is seeing a man wearing a Hot-Dog costume, but then the kid claims he is about to pee in his pants and the three leave for the idol's joy. 

 

While standing in line to buy himself - no, he hasn't done it on purpose - a hot dog, Luhan also puffs his cheeks offendedly as he thinks Kris has not even appreciated the fact that he has gone out in the morning, when most of his fans are still in school, giving proof of his high sense of responsibility. He starts walking again and sends a look to his phone-screen, thinking he shouldn't be so amused by the fact that Kris has already left 24 calls and 32 messages. Once he gets home, he guesses he won't find the whole thing as amusing, but Luhan doesn't want to care now. 

 

He spends the next 20 minutes walking around and trying to escape from a couple of dogs who probably find his figure highly inviting, ending up in a hat store and bringing the shopkeeper behind the cash desk to stare at him with his mouth literary gaping open. Luhan gets frustrated over the fact that he can't try a gorgeous koala hat on and makes a mental note to come back in the place with Kris - and his wallet - soon, groaning when he notices the two dogs have waited for him outside diligently. 

 

"Seriously? I am not tasty, puppies, go away."

 

The dogs insist, making Luhan even more frustrated. Maybe, next time he should try dressing up as an ice-cream instead, or a bar of chocolate. He starts running away while 'Bar Bar Bar' from Crayon Pop starts playing into his mind. 

 

Of course, during his brave escape Luhan has not thought of the possibility of bumping into a poor someone standing on the sidewalk, making said someone stumble into his big costume and eventually fall on top of him, ruinously, on the ground. 

 

Luhan has to thank every good thing in the world he is wearing a big, soft costume, because the impact on the ground would have been painful otherwise. The person on top of him, that Luhan hurries to check out worriedly once he recovers from the shock, has a very lost expression on a face that, as soon as Luhan focuses on it, makes him lose his breath. 

 

Wow.

 

The boy - it is a boy - has a face so gorgeous Luhan could think he has just died and ended up in Heaven, with tanned skin and dark, tousled hair framing it and cute, sleepy eyes, full soft-looking lips now slightly parted in surprise. The boy blinks a few times to register the situation, failing so much as he notices he has just fallen on a Hot-Dog. 

 

Luhan squirms. "I'm sorry."

 

The boy raises both his brows as his eyes finally wander from the costume to Luhan's face, where he stops for long enough to make Luhan become as red as the ketchup designed on his outfit. He has an angel standing on him, he thinks, and he is a Hot-Dog, with two actual dogs standing there watching him with hunger. After a few seconds, the boy stands up and immediately helps Luhan to do the same, ending up holding his hands not to make him stumble down again. 

 

He smiles a little embarrassed, gentle smile to Luhan, and Luhan's eyes sparkle from behind his shades at the beauty in front of him. The boy then proceeds to shoo the two dogs away with firmness, going back to look at Luhan's face with cheeks slightly pink.

 

"They must have been a nightmare."

The boy's voice is so low and incredibly y. Oh, Kris is going to kill Luhan for sure now. He makes to smile but then realizes he is still a Hot-Dog, and he wants to die at the deep, painful embarrassment he feels. The boy is still holding his hands.

 

"I'm sorry." he only repeats, and would like to touch his neck because this is what he does when he normally feels so embarrassed and shy, but is neck is long forgotten inside his outfit, for God's sake. The boy shakes his head and then moves to the side slightly, to remove dust and dirt from Luhan's costume.

 

"Do you need anything?" he then asks, a finger pointing to the store immediately besides them that Luhan discovers being a baking shop going by the 'Kim Family, since 1986' name "Something to eat, drink? I work here."

Luhan is about to decline the shy offer but the boy is already pushing him inside, "Don't worry, I run the place with my family. I'm a Kim, one of the Kim.. Kim Jongin." 

 

The Jongin guy smiles bashfully and Luhan feels his face muscles not cooperating in letting out the shy smile he wants to reciprocate. He ends up making a little embarrassing noise, something similar to a low 'ah-ah', and that's all he manages to do. Jongin blinks, and Luhan thinks he was probably expecting him to introduce himself as well. Sure. 

 

"Uhm, I work here with a friend.. Kyungsoo, he's over there." 

Luhan goes looking behind the cash desk of the pretty shop and almost jumps in shock at finding a pair of unnaturally big eyes staring at his entire figure in what can be shock. The Kyungsoo guy, contrarily to Jongin, never blinks, Luhan notices, and the fact makes him want to disappear. 

 

Before he can think of how not much of great idea dressing up as a Hot-Dog was eventually, Jongin gently asks him to follow him through the shop, until they reach a few tables staying at the end of the space. He looks at Luhan expectantly as Luhan stares at the little chairs. 

 

"You want to come out from that costume, perhaps?" 

Luhan panics at the only thought of losing his camouflage, "Oh no no no, I'm fine." he is definitely going to prove himself, Jongin and the wide-eyed boy he can fit the chair he has set his eyes on despite his pompous outfit. Jongin watches his attempts with a grin plastered on his face, but of course, Luhan can't see him and luckily, he can't see the unblinking, judging expression on Kyungsoo's face either.

 

When Luhan manages to sit, almost five minutes later, he feels so ing proud of himself not even receiving the award as the best rookie artist of the year he has won two years before could compare. Jongin acknowledges his victory with a smile, "Then, at least remove your shades."

Luhan's stomach goes all dancing in his body because oh, Jongin sounds hopeful, and the softness of his expression is making Luhan heat up and this is not a good sign. For different reasons. 

 

He does as he is told anyway, also because keeping shades in a closed space is something Kris always does and Luhan has always found it so annoying. The way Jongin smiles as Luhan's eyes get free and meet his own makes Luhan's heart flutter. Oh, he thinks, no one is supposed to look this pure at a grown-up age. 

 

"You are.. so beautiful." Jongin can't help saying, blushing as hard as Luhan does immediately after. The two gazes at each other's stupidly giggling faces for long enough to bring Kyungsoo to snort from his position meters away.

 

"So, Mister Hot-Dog, what do you want to eat?"

 

Luhan honestly feels so strange he doesn't even manage to get a shock at the sudden, annoyed voice speaking that little perfect English, so he starts sending glances all over the exposed sweets because he is definitely not going to stand up from his chair anytime soon. He thinks he would like to stay on it forever, actually, if Jongin is going to be there.

"Uhm, Japanese spongecake, maybe?" 

"Great choice," Kyungsoo says, nodding positively "They are Jongin's speciality."

 

The good-looking boy next to Luhan smiles bashfully. "I am Jongin."

Luhan giggles, "You told me."

"Oh right."

 

Jongin blushes, smiling a very stupid smile that Luhan hurries to reciprocate immediately and they stay like that, the world forgotten. Kyungsoo rolls his eyes at the scene. Just then, the shop's door gets opened and a new customer enters, making the little bell near the entrance ring loudly in the space. Except the newcomer is not a customer, and Kyungsoo's nostrils go wide in disappointment at his sight. 

 

"That ChanAss!" the good-looking, well dressed young boy exclaims, making Kyungsoo go "You again." with a snort. Looking highly offended, the boy makes to reply when he sees Luhans and Jongin standing there around a table.

 

"Why is a Hot-Dog here?" comes the obvious question, and Luhan coughs embarrassedly. The newcomer then narrows his eyebrows and walks to the two, an inquisitive expression plastered on the cute face, "Wait, aren't you Luhan, the idol singer?"

 

.

 

Luhan's face drops so quickly he may have seen a ghost for what matters, and he is so absorbed in thoughts concerning Kris killing him he doesn't even notice Kyungsoo and Jongin looking at him in surprise.

 

"Did you dress up in that ridiculous way to hide from fans?" his game ruiner asks, eyes wide, and Luhan can nothing if nothing blush, nodding. He is surprised to see the boy opening up into a wide, amused grin "Wow, you are so smart."

"Yeah?" Luhan blinks, suddenly delighted someone shares his brilliant point of view "I think that, too!"

 

The two of them laugh together, "You are so cute. Oh, wait. You are older than me, aren't you? I should be more respectful.. Uhm, you're still cute. I'm Byun Baekhyun by the way, hairstylist who works at the saloon across the street. Don't worry, we will keep your secret." Luhan chuckles at the boy's vomit of words, a reaction completely different from Kyungsoo's one, as the thin boy comes and slap Baekhyun's arm while bringing Luhan his slice of cake. Luhan looks enchanted at the sweet's sight so he sends Jongin, who blushes, a delighted look.

 

"I'm sorry I could.. recognize you?" Jongin sounds confused, and Luhan chuckles as he eats "I am sure you are amazing."

"Not as amazing as this cake." he replies, pink on cheeks, making Jongin blush more. They share a short, bashful look before smiling again.

Kyungsoo and Baekhyun share a pointed look.

 

"What's with this lovesick air." the latter hisses, to Kyungsoo principally, because Luhan and Jongin don't really hear him in their busy giggling moment. 

"Look at who's talking."

Baekhyun sends Kyungsoo the grimmest look he can afford. 

 

Jongin then notices Baekhyun fuming with anger and, still too happy for the boy's liking, asks him what has made him so hostile today.

"Are you really asking?" Kyungsoo says, incredulous "He came here blabbering about it this morning, you idiot, I don't want to hear the story again."

"I was in the laboratory, this morning." 

Kyungsoo groans. Baekhyun sighs theatrically at that, walking to Luhan and Jongin's table with the best kicked puppy face Luhan has ever seen, probably also because he hasn't really seen a lot of natural faces in the last three years, expect for Kris' one.. and that was a lot to say. Thinking about it, Jongin's delicious cake tastes even better at the thought that he is actually living minutes of the most ordinary life he could think of, and he likes the feeling. Baekhyun plops his weight on a chair besides him.

 

"Chanyeol bumped me."

Jongin raises a careful brow, "We.. knew this already?" 

"He bumped me for a dancer." 

"Uhm, we knew this, too?"

"Yes but now I know who the ing dancer is, and I've seen him, and his name is Oh Sehun, and he is younger than me, taller than me, skinnier than me, prettier than me, and he is a professional ing dancer so he is also richer than me, and I swear I literally want to throw myself down a cliff and bring Chanyeol with me now … Uhm, maybe, I'd rather push him down alone, actually."

 

Luhan eats his cakes extremely slow, confused, and a bit scared too honestly, while Jongin listens and smiles a small, supporting smile at the other, leaving some pats on his back. Luhan is then hit by something.

 

"Oh Sehun, you said?" Baekhyun nods "I know him. He works in my company, too. He has been the back-up dancer for some of my music videos.. cute boy, so talented and good-looking." Luhan trails off, embarrassed, as he sees the three boys looking at him pointedly. Baekhyun pretends to cry. 

"Uhm, I'm sorry.. I didn't want to make it worse for you." 

"Don't worry." the boy sniffs "I have to get over it, anyway. Chanyeol has lost his mind over him after all." 

 

Luhan nods in understanding, without really understanding. He has never dated anyone before. He was popular with girls in high school, but none of them could ever bring Luhan to wish for a date or similar things. He had later moved to Korea, and his already shy self had only become more reserved in the new country, so yeah. After debut, Luhan's any chance to date someone normally had died hopelessly, and he honestly feels a bit strange now, listening to a stranger's love problems while a boy he finds too adorable to be real sits besides him, making his heart feel as light as a cloud. 

 

Said boy smiles a scolding, yet extremely soft smile at him just then. Luhan can't see the color of his face, luckily, but he can slightly imagine it from the heat he feels all inside him and that's another bad sign. He chuckles in embarrassment, the little moment being interrupted by Baekhyun sighing loudly. 

 

Kyungsoo comes to save the situation, slapping both Jongin and Baekhyun's heads in front of a shocked Luhan. "Are you guys done working for today?" The answer is obvious, and it brings the two to stand up with a pout plastered on their faces. Luhan observes as Jongin leaves him a little, soft smile before adjusting his apron and walking back to the cash desk. Halfway his walk, the boy meets the shop's door and a brilliant idea crosses his mind, though.

 

"Kim Jongin, what are you doing?" Kyungsoo asks in horrified terror as the boy switches the shop's signboard from open to closed. 

"I don't want people to enter and recognize Luhan-sshi." Jongin smiles triumphantly, making Luhan's heart miss a beat. Kyungsoo stares. 

"Your parents are going to kill you."

Jongin waves him off with a hand. "Just the time Luhan-sshi stays, and he can stay as long as he wants." 

 

"Above all, I think it's gonna take me quite a while to get out from this chair." 

 

Luhan makes a very cute, sad face, and the sight makes all the others, Kyungsoo included, chuckle. The wide-eyed, thin boy gives up and takes a seat at Luhan's table, too, listening quietly as Luhan shyly tells them how the idea of dressing up that way hit his mind. 

 

"Do you really have to do this just to go out for a walk?" comes Jongin incredulous question, and it makes Luhan smile bitterly. Especially now that he has met three very cute guys, the idea of having to start a world war at home with Kris every time he would feel like going out is unbearable. 

"You wouldn't believe the things idols can't do." he says is a small voice, but a bright smile is still gracing his face "It is nice to meet people like you. You are such cute guys, and good friends." 

 

From the way Kyungsoo and Baekhyun glare at each other, Luhan can say the two are in a deep denial, but Jongin smiles knowingly at his direction and he understands the two are probably better friends than they think, or want to think. "I honestly think this manager Kris of yours needs to get laid. This way, maybe, he'll leave you alone. Also you know, you can be our friend, too." Baekhyun winks cutely, receiving another slap from Kyungsoo at his offer. "Idiot, he just told you they can't do a lot of things, and you ask him this? He probably can't even share his phone number. Besides, idol's schedules are packed."

 

Baekhyun pouts, while Jongin goes looking at Luhan' neutral face with a little pout. "Will it be hard to see you again?"

 

The wrong, intense heat makes its way in Luhan's body again. He smiles softly, "I hope it won't."

And for how much he knows it will, Luhan still wants the moment to arrive before he even leaves. When Jongin takes him to the door, about half an hour later, Luhan feels in duty to rush home for Kris' mental sanity, hoping he still has one, but he feels bitter. He sees Kyungsoo and Baekhyun getting close, too, and smiles. 

 

"It was so nice meeting you guys, thank you. This morning I went out wanting to feel like a ordinary Hot-Dog, but I didn't expect to meet such nice people."

 

The three laughs at his words, making Luhan bite his lips. Jongin finds his eyes. "Whenever you can, come back, will you? We will make sure to close the shop for you." Luhan feels so, so light as he reciprocates the boy's sweet smile, he doesn't notice Kyungsoo shivering in horror again at the prospective. Baekhyun chuckles. 

The sweet guy Jongin is then puts on his shades for him, a gesture that makes Baekhyun hold an adoring sigh and manages to make Luhan's breath leave his lungs. Luhan gets a bit too addicted. 

 

"You are a pretty, safe Hot-Dog again, now." 

 

Luhan can only think he can't wait to get back there and see Jongin's sweet, adorable face smiling at him again soon.

 

 

-

 

 

Oh, Kris is so angry.

 

He spends literally one hour and half yelling at Luhan so loudly and angrily the entire neighborhood could hear, and follows Luhan around the apartment as he goes taking a shower, gets changed, cooks something easy for lunch, almost like the idol was really listening to his sermon about how to live a safe life when being a star. The only time Luhan feels the urge to answer back is when Kris criticizes his  beloved Hot-Dog costume, yelling a "But it worked, didn't it?" that makes Kris clench his fists dangerously.  

 

Luhan rolls his eyes at one point, starting to have a headache, also because Kris is so angry he speaks Chinese most of the time but then he remembers his duty to speak Korean and switch to that, only to get angrier suddenly and going back to Chinese again, making Luhan feel dizzy. He gestures to his cup of ramyun and sets a pointed look on the other, and only then Kris dares to ask, "Luhan, have you listened to me, all this time?" 

 

The way Luhan sends a look at the sky makes Kris suggest the idol hasn't. He growls, especially because Luhan seems too unbothered by his long, deep scolding to be in his ordinary mood. He sits down to eat with him, wondering if walking down the streets in a Hot-Dog costume alone could really bring Luhan to appear so peaceful. 

 

"Did you enjoy your time?" he investigates.

Luhan looks offended. "Thanks for asking, eventually. You can act like a friend, too, then."

"I am your manager first. Next time you want to do this crazy , you have to tell me."

"No way, you wouldn't let me."

"For your sake." Kris points out.

 

Luhan sends him a pleading look. "I am all healthy and safe, okay? I know what I do, my camouflage was perfect."

"It was dumb."

"You don't want to start this again, do you." Kris rolls his eyes as he obviously doesn't want to. Luhan flips his hair nonchalantly "I am definitely doing this again, and if you don't accept to cover me, I will deactivate my GPS again." 

 

Kris shivers at the only thought of another morning spent into dying over the fact he has no idea where his ing idol has ended up to. 

He growls again, "Okay."

 

They consume their small lunch in silence for a little while, Luhan finding his thoughts stuck on the pretty boy met by chance that morning, Kris studying him cautiously as he notices he looks even more out of the world than usual. Luhan even has a glimpse of a smile on his face, and after an hour and a half listening to his scoldings Luhan shouldn't have a glimpse of a smile on his face.

 

"Uhm, something happened?" he asks as wearily as his raised brow suggest he is, and Luhan only then lets out a long, dreamy sigh that sends shivers of terror down Kris' spine.

"I think I fell in love." 

 

Kris falls from his chair. When he manages to get up, pale as a ghost, Luhan is staring at something undefined with his chopstick dumbly staying still mid-air. "No, no no no no no no, Luhan, NO. You are absolutely forbidden to have relationships already, this could be the end of your car-"

"It's a guy." Luhan interrupts, dreamy, letting out another sigh "Kim Jongin. So adorable, so cute."

"You have spoken to him?!" 

 

The terrified expression on the manager's dumb face intensifies as Luhan simply says, "Of course, to him and to his two friends."

"Okay, I'm gonna write a public statement to release after the scandal breaks-out."

"That will be useless." Luhan firmly states, making Kris go 'Ah-Ah'.

"Luhan, this just proves you have nothing inside that pretty head of yours." of the sentence, Luhan makes sure to focus on the 'pretty head' only "That's how idols get in scandals, because they trust people they have just met, and the day after photos of them and fan-accounts are spread on the internet."

 

"Okay, one, no one believes proofless fan-accounts except from dreamy fangirls mostly and two, they took no photo. They are nice guys, I assure you."

Kris sighs patiently. "I better finish the statement before this night."

"Kris~"

 

Luhan stands up from his chair and moves in little steps to Kris' one, gracelessly falling on his lap a moment later. First he pouts, then he makes sure to let the bigger boy have a close look of his clenched fist. 

 

"That guy is the man of my life, okay? I'll kill you."

"That guy," Kris answers while pushing him away so Luhan finds himself on his "Is a crush, and you're gonna get over it quickly so both of us can live a happy life."

Luhan crosses his arms, highly offended. "Happy life? I can't go on with you being the only one person in my life! I hate you for how much I love you, Kris, and I think I could kill you in your sleep if you keep on being the only annoying face I get to look at in my everyday life."

 

Kris has his eyes teary at the offense but of course, he will never admit it. He scoffs, "The feeling is mutual." He makes the singer stick his tongue out at him with his words, but then Luhan puffs his cheeks and when Luhan does it, trouble is coming. Before an apocalypse occurs, he rolls his eyes and help his idol to get back on his feet. 

 

"Okay, one point for you. This forced fake marriage life between you and me is unbearable."

"Well thank you." 

 

They face each other for a long minute, each of them waiting for the other to give up but eventually, Kris knows he has to be the one to.

 

"What do you want me to do? Drag your crush here?"

Luhan's face twists in horror. "No no no no, I don't want Jongin to think I am some kind of megalomaniac." he sobs "That's why I need to go out again, Kri-Kris."

"Don't.Call.Me.That." he gets ignored.

"I promise you to answer all your calls and not deactivate the GPS again." Luhan swears with his most honest face. 

"And, I come too and hide in the shadow."

 

Luhan's face twists in horror again, "No way."

 

The forced truce gets stuck into a huge problem after not even a minute. 

 

"Luhan," Kris says as patiently as he can with his head already hurting at all the unwanted news "I'm doing this for you."

"You are actually threatening me."

"For your sake."

 

The idol singer snorts loudly and throws his arms up in defeat before he crosses them, exasperated, and plants himself in front of Kris' challenging eyes with his own flaming.

 

"Ask me everything." he says "Everything."

Kris considers the offer with a curious smirk making its was on his face and he crosses his arms as well, sending Luhan an even more challenging look. 

 

"You will answer all my calls," he points out "And do the laundry for a week. No, two weeks."

"Okay."

"And the dishes, too. And you promise not to steal money from my cards for at least five days."

 

Luhan suffers oh so much, but he accepts.

 

"And you buy me the new XBox One, plus you promise to learn how to cook rice on your own because I can't stand being woken up even during free days to cook your breakfast."

Inside, Luhan is dying and for a moment he feels the urge to give up, but he stays strong. "Deal, if you let me out without problems."

Kris' face falls miserably.

 

"Are you really accepting? This crush is far more serious than I expected.."

 

Luhan only sighs, in his own fairytale world again, and runs to wrap Kris up in a thankful hug.

 

"Get me a Chicken costume, Baby."

 

 

-

 

 

Luhan has already understood why Kris had insisted so much on the 'answer all my calls' matter. Not even fifteen minutes since he has gotten out and his manager has already called five times.

 

"Okay, Kris, you've lost your mind. You aren't even letting me walk properly with all these calls!"

Kris snorts nonchalantly from the other line, "A promise is a promise, Luhan." his words make the idol singer fall in an incredible bad mood.

"Smart of you to make me angry when I can easily get rid of you."

"Well, you have to come home sooner or later."

"And meanwhile, what could happen to me?" 

 

Luhan smirks, because he can clearly see the way Kris has lost of his colors at the threat. "I should have asked you where this Jongin guy is." To that, Luhan clicks his tongue.

"Luhan 1- Kris 0." as Kris groans, he adds "One call every half a hour, take or leave."

" you, Lu Han."

 

The Chinese curse makes Luhan smile proudly before he hangs up and happily goes back walking to Jongin's family shop in his big, yellow costume. A chubby boy stops him with wide eyes near the station, interrupting Luhan's deep process of trying to remember how has happened to arrive at that hat store and then the bakery shop last time, and for a moment the singer fears he might have been recognized. Except this chubby boy is wrapped in a chicken costume, too.

 

"Where do you work, friend?" Luhan is asked, and he takes a short moment to sigh in relief "The Chicken shop near the bus stop? Or the one across the central station?" 

"Uhm.. none of them?" the singer tries, in deep difficulty "I'm actually lost."

"You are?" the other chicken seems sympathetic, but the look on his face is more of a challenging one "But where do you work?" 

Luhan would like to face palm, "Would you believe me if I told you I just came out with this costume because I felt like it?" 

 

The long, heavy silence that follows makes Luhan think the boy wouldn't. Then he narrows his eyebrows, suspicious, and once again Luhan can't help but fear. "You're a strange guy." 

Sighing, Luhan nods "Do you know where the Kim Family bakery shop is, by any chance?" he happily notices the boy nodding, although he is staring at him suspiciously no-stop.

"You're on the way. After the bus stop you turn to the left and you'll find this big hat store, the bakery shop is about 50 meters to the right." the chicken boy sees Luhan bowing, with difficulty of course because of the costume, and can't help feeling highly confused. The singer thanks him with a messy hug and then hurries to walk away, adjusting his big shades on his face and leaving the other wondering how on earth people like this could exist.

 

Luhan finds Jongin's shop easily, and makes sure to learn the way carefully this time. With no dogs chasing after him and, possibly, no other people to bump into, he makes to enter the shop with his hands suddenly jittering in nervousness. He has looked forward this moment with a sincere heart but to think about it, he couldn't be sure Jongin and the others actually cared about seeing him again. It has been two weeks already.

 

Just as he is about to open the door, a hand wraps around his own and drags him away with force. Luhan confusedly recovers and notices Baekhyun gesturing him to stop and keep quiet. 

"Jongin's father is inside." the boy explains hurriedly, and Luhan lets out a long, understudying noise. 

"Shall I go away?"

"No, don't worry. I saw you walking closer from the hair shop and sent a text to Jongin. He is sending his father to the laboratory now."

Luhan smiles in delightfulness at Baekhyun's reassuring words, and tries to give him a small hug. When he fails, they both giggle "You saved the day."

"I often do." 

They send a quick look inside to see if they can enter already, and see Kyungsoo miming a free way from behind the cash desk. 

 

When Luhan enters, safe as the shop is empty except for Kyungsoo and Jongin now, the latter immediately runs to greet him with such a happy expression Luhan's every fear melts away like an ice cube under the hot sun of August. 

"I'm so happy to see you again, Luhan." 

Luhan removes his shades and blushes, catching a small glimpse of Kyungsoo waving to him as Jongin steals all his attention. The boy chuckles and then gestures to the same table from last time with expectance, and Luhan immediately snorts.

 

"This again."

"Your costume is as big as last time, what did you expect." Kyungsoo says with an amused smile, just as he is trying to push Baekhyun out of the store already. Luhan snorts again but this time, Jongin helps. The way the boy circles his body in the attempt to decrease the volume of his outfit, pressing his hands on the fabric until they ghost on Luhan's back as the singer tries to sit down is distracting. Luhan has missed Jongin's presence and that mind-blowing smell of sweet and sugar his entire figure lets out a bit too much.

 

Baekhyun acknowledges their success with a clap of hands. "Want to eat, Luhan-sshi? Wait, what should we call you?" he receives a slap behind his head from Kyungsoo, and Luhan still can't help getting surprised. "Let us run our shop and piss off, Byun Baekhyun."

Jongin sends him a patient look as the two start fighting and whispers, "Don't mind them. Yesterday Baekhyun-hyung ate the last slice of pizza and Kyungsoo is still very angry at him."

 

Luhan wows, surprised, and enjoys the little show the two arguing friends put on with daze, yet amused eyes while Jongin prepares him a big tray of sweets to try. "Jongin…sshii, you don't have to give me all this stuff."

"Jongin, just Jongin is more than okay." the boy smiles, gesturing to the tray with expectant eyes "Most of them are still warm. Eat, they're delicious."

Luhan can't help but doing as he is said. He starts eating the different types of sweets, a slice of a delicious Sacher Torte, a slice of a double-chocolate cake, three different types of cookies and of course, Jongin's speciality, his perfect Japanese Sponge Cake, while the baker sits besides him and exchanges shy, soft looks with him whenever their eyes would meet. "Did you do all this?" Luha asks in delightfulness at one point.

"It's my job." Jongin answers with simplicity, blushing as Luhan can't stop eating with gusto. Baekhyun closes the shop like Jongin has done last time and sits with them then, soon followed by Kyungsoo as they have gotten tired of fighting, eventually. 

 

"So, you're a chicken this time." Kyungsoo says, and from the way his lips curve in an amused smile, Luhan understands he has gotten past that slightly cynical phase he has been into the first time. He feels glad. 

"I'm proud because this time, it was Kris himself to give me the costume." he explains nonchalantly, telling the boys about his 'little' contest at home and how smartly he has managed to win, gaining permission to be there once again. Although everyone finds the whole story highly amusing, Jongin still keeps a puzzled expression on Luhan as he animatedly speaks, in his flawless Korean, with that adorable accent of his. He doesn't know if he will ever be able to accept the fact that the boy - because for how popular he was, and Jongin has made researches that brought him to understand how popular he was, Luhan was still a person - has to do the strangest thing just to go out for a walk. 

 

"By the way, you guys can call me Luhan." the singer says after a while, bringing Baekhyun to excitedly clap his hands. 

"This means I can finally be the dongsaeng, for once? I'm so tired of being the oldest. Oldest pay."

Kyungsoo snorts at his words. "Coincidence wants that despite you being the oldest, you're also the most childish."

"Ah-Ah. Jongin is." 

"Why are you dragging me into this, now?" Jongin snaps, affronted "I always defend you!" as Baekhyun shrugs and falls into just one other witty fight with the thin Kyungsoo, Jongin feels the urge to turn to Luhan with his most honestly embarrassed expression ever "I'm not childish, really."

Luhan, who has his face a few inches away from his, doesn't really believe him but it's okay. Jongin is adorable like that, and Luhan is feeling that heat again. "You're cute." 

Jongin's cheeks get flushed and Luhan chuckles. "I mean, that's probably what Baekhyun meant." 

 

He curses mentally for how convincing he has failed to sound because Jongin smiles bashfully, and the sight makes him blush childishly, too. He starts thinking this boy is unhealthy for him. 

 

"Ehm, Jongin? What are you doing sit down with a.. chicken?"

 

Jongin's father perplexed voice suddenly coming from the door which connects the shop with the laboratory makes everyone, except Luhan of course, for tightness problems, jump up from their chairs sacredly. Jongin pales, but Kyungsoo does more than him.

 

"Dad, uhm.."

"He is a costumer." Kyungsoo finishes, just as Luhan confusedly turns around and finds the man's puzzled eyes staring at him in disbelief. He squirms. "I am." The man frowns.

"A costumer," he repeats, unconvinced "Dressed up that way?" his words bring Luhan, Kyungsoo and mainly Jongin to feel a shiver of horror down their spines but then, Baekhyun shrugs nonchalantly, sending the older man a little look.

"Why uncle, can't people dress up the way they feel more comfortable with, now?"

His undignified question meets a long silence, broken by Jongin's father a moment later as he points a finger to everyone but Luhan, careful. "Baekhyun, go working, for god's sake. You two as well. Uhm, enjoy our sweets, sir." he finishes, eyeing Luhan suspiciously, and the boy nods, "I will!"

 

When the man goes back to the laboratory, shaking his head, the boys hear him whispering a 'I can't with this generation anymore.' that makes them burst out laughing as soon as the door closes behind him.

 

"Oh my god, that was scary." Baekhyun says in between his laughter and Kyungsoo, who is laughing not to cry mostly, sends him a pointed look, "Seriously, though. Go working."

 

Jongin puts a hand on Luhan's shoulder - or when it should be at least - and smiles, "Sorry. Did you get scared?" 

"For you, yes." Luhan says. He looks at Jongin's gentle features as he shakes his head and, once again, can't help taking the initiative. When Luhan takes the initiative, Kris instinctively feels his stomach twisting. 

 

"This can be troublesome to you. What about.. you guys come at my place, sometimes?" 

 

Baam, his phone rings. 

 

Luhan picks up with his cheeks flushed as Jongin seems genuinely surprised by his shy offer, and thinks of how incredible it is that his only hearing Kris' voice has managed to destroy the atmosphere.

 

"What."

"Luhan, what are you doing?"

"What do you think? I'm robbing a bank." Kris pauses for too long and he sighs "I'm with the boys, Kris. And you shouldn't have called yet. Did half a hour pass already?"

"No," Kris honestly says "But my 'Luhan's dumbness' radar has alerted me." 

Luhan can't help but think of how scary that all honestly is. "You scare me."

"Luhan, what have you done." it is not even a question, but a resigned order to confess a crime and Luhan puffs his cheeks, bringing the boys to send him a confused look. 

"We'll talk at home." 

 

Unwilling to fall into a fight in front of Jongin and the others, Luhan hangs up feeling slightly hopeless. He already pictures another hour and half of Kris' unbearable sermons. Luckily, Kim Jongin distracts him with a soft smile and a hand waving in front of his unfocused eyes. 

"Everything's okay?" 

 

Luhan nods, finding his smile back. He repeats his offer and promises the boys to contact them soon for details over their future encounter which, he is sure, won't be at the shop getting Jongin in trouble anymore. He takes the deep courage to exchange number with them, and can't help thinking Kris will probably starve him for this, but he wouldn't be able to explain anyway. He trusts these boys, that's all.

 

As he could read his mind for unexplainable reasons, Kyungsoo puts a hand behind his back and smiles bashfully. "Thank you trusting us, hyung."

 

That unexpected softness is enough to convince Luhan he is doing the right thing. He has always wanted some friends, and now he is positive he has. 

 

Before he goes away, a few later, Baekhyun stops him at the door to whisper something in his ear.

 

"Hyung, can you do me a favor?"

 

 

-

 

 

If Luhan has to be completely honest, he didn't know what to expect when Baekhyun had asked him that question. He admits he thouht the boy was about to ask him something idol-related, whatever, and for how much Luhan thought it wouldn't have bothered him since Baekhyun was a friend, he was happy to know it wasn't.

 

What Baekhyun asked him was something personal, something Luhan thought only a friend could ask another, and that made him happy at the point that, together with the fact that he had seen Jongin again and it had been just as beautiful as he hoped, Kris' scoldings at home didn't bother him at all.

 

So here he is now, standing outside the practice room where Oh Sehun is learning a new choreography to accompany Luhan during his special performance at the upcoming SMTOWN concert.

 

When the tall, skinny boy finally finishes his routine and exits the room with the other dancers, breathless and with his hair and clothes completely sweaty, he is surprised to find Luhan asking of him with a gentle smile.

 

"Hyung." Sehun says, widening his eyes slightly as Luhan hands him a bubble tea. The idol singer was powerful enough to gain information about whatever or whoever he wanted without gaining attention, and it didn't take long for him to learn Oh Sehun loved Bubble Tea. Precisely, Banana flavored bubble tea. Luhan internally shivers at the horrible flavor.

 

"Kris brought me two of this after practice.. he probably thinks I need to gain weight or something. Want to share?" 

Flattered and with pale cheek flushed, Sehun accepts. Luhan accompanies him to the changing room, congratulating him for his hard work and precise moves for the choreography. 

"You're the youngest, aren't you. Your talent is outstanding." 

 

Oh Sehun thinks this is his luckiest day ever. 

 

Blushing, he thanks Luhan while taking little drinks of his bubble tea while his other hand he dries sweat from his neck and face using a towel. 

 

"Okay, I'll leave you now. You need a shower." Luhan says, smiling his rare 'I know I can make you tell me everything I want' smile that brings Sehun to let out a disappointed noise.

"Thank you for your support, hyung. I would like to talk more, but I have a date in half a hour."

 

Luhan feels kissed by a divine light. "A date, really? Who's the lucky one to have stolen your heart?" as Sehun blushes even more, smiling in a way that was rare to see on his usually grumpy face, Luhan smiles "Oh, you really like her."

"Him." Sehun corrects immediately "It's a him, a boy I've met in a Bubble Tea shop last Christmas.. and I immediately fell in love with."

"This is sweet," Luhan honestly says, finding that softness in Sehun's eyes disarming "I'm happy he reciprocates your feelings."

 

He sees Sehun letting out a small smile at that. "It took me a year and half to have him looking at me.. He had a boyfriend. I thought I just had to forget him, honestly, but for how much I tried.. I couldn't. Now I feel bad for his ex-boyfriend." 

 

Luhan thinks of Baekhyun. "I'm sure that was just destiny, Sehun. Don't worry, and be happy." 

 

When Oh Sehun leaves for the shower cab, his young and pretty face thankful and smiling as he greets Luhan, the singer feels sympathetic. For how unexperienced he was in that kind of stuff, he is sure Park Chanyeol was not Baekhyun's meant-to-be.

 

 

-

 

 

Kris doesn't speak to Luhan the whole day, when the singer organizes a pizza+movie night at their place with his new friends. 

 

It's not that he is not happy inside to see how light-hearted and excited Luhan is, because he can't deny it's sad the singer's only friend lived a ocean away, but he still feels highly weary.

 

"It's not like my fans don't know where I live, you silly." Luhan scolds him in the afternoon "Besides, everyone has friends and you know it. I'm tired of being the exception."

 

Kris has to give up. Maybe, he considers, if Luhan's friendship with these boys goes well, they won't be lonely anymore at home, none of them. 

 

"Okay, but I have to accept them." Luhan only sends him an amused look, and the discussion ends.

 

The singer takes his car to go picking the boys up from the back of Jongin's shop after their shifts's end, leaving a whining Kris claiming he should go too at home, with the order to set a table for dinner and order seven portions of pizza, because he doesn't know how much the boys eat. Kris surely eats a lot, and he is no joke either. 

 

Jongin gets pushed to sit on the passenger seat besides Luhan, all flushed and handsome in his casual clothes and styled, dark hair. Luhan barely remembers to greet Kyungsoo and Baekhyun at his sight but luckily, the latter's noisy self brings him back to earth. 

 

Kris and Luhan's apartment is huge, modern and with stylish furniture. The predominant color is metallic grey, and there are glimpse of an electric blue in the smallest details of the place. The decorator had class, and Luhan had always loved the final impact of her work on the apartment. If they hadn't called her, Kris would have decorated the place himself, claiming to be perfect considering his innate talent for art, and that would have been a nightmare. 

 

The singer is happy to notice his three friends like the place a lot as well. Jongin is genuinely impressed, looking around with mesmerized eyes while Kyungsoo's ones are wide opened, more than usual, and Baekhyun is tugging Luhan's shirt in childish excitement. Kris greets them with a weary smile, and Luhan immediately rolls his eyes. He watches as Jongin and Kyungsoo politely introduce themselves, probably scared after the stories they have heard about him, and then bursts out laughing as Baekhyun eyes the taller boy with a flash of interest and says, "You're the one who forced Luhan-hyung to buy him the new XBox One just to come to us, right?" 

Luhan sees Kris sending him a 'Did you really have to tell them' glare as Baekhyun shakes his hand and adds "You're such a jackal. I'm Byun Baekhyun by the way."

 

Luhan thinks he should have filmed the humiliating moment and sent it to Yixing. Kris is lost, and gets even wearier as he blushes and snorts at Baekhyun's introduction. 

 

Besides him, Jongin sends him a look and whispers, a hand casually leaning on the arm he is seeing for the very first time, free from every absurd costume, "He's a bit scary."

"I know, Baekhyun can be scary sometimes."

"No, not Baekhyun-hyung. Your manager." 

Luhan flashes him an amused look, "Kris? Nah.. he's the tallest, biggest, dumbest child at heart you'll ever met." 

Jongin lets out a weary 'If you say so' while Kyungsoo looks at Kris's impossibly tall figure, unconvinced, and then Luhan walks them around for a little tour. Baekhyun is screaming over the absurd bigness of Luhan's closet, which takes an entire room actually, just like Kris' one, when the manager leans close to his idol and whispers, a bit roughly "The chubby one scares me, he's sneaky as hell. And the wide-eyed one scares me more? Does he even blink? Couldn't you look for more normal people, Luhan?" 

Luhan sends him a quick annoyed look, "They are normal. And hey, what about Jongin?" he sees Kris suddenly widening his eyes stupidly, and that makes him roll his eyes.

"Right, Jongin. He's okay.. I guess."

 

Luhan sends him an offended, bewildered glare. His silly manager has not just dared to define the man of his life just 'okay'. Kris seems to read his mind because he snorts. "This man of your life bull again." He receives a proper kick on his shin, and has to bite his lips not to scream and get the boys' attention on them. Luhan walks away with the most nonchalant, superior expression he can afford.

 

"Are you scratching your shin, Mister Jackal?" Baekhyun mocks Kris as Luhan starts waling them out to reach his bedroom, and Kris answers with a shocked look. 

 

It's gonna be a long night.

 

 

-

 

 

By the end of the fifth pizza - Luhan quickly understood Jongin and Baekhyun had the hunger of starving people - Kris has already managed to convince their three guests he is just a kid trapped in a tall, hot and handsome's boy body. Kyungsoo can't eat anymore for the laughter, seeing the big Kris eating so gracelessly and having already stank his clothes with Baekhyun shamelessly mocking him like they have been knowing each other for years. Kris has lost forgotten his average skin color, blushing all the time, and when Baekhyun grabs his hands to prevent him for making other disasters and offers to feed him, a mischievous grin on his face, he sends Luhan a begging look.

 

Except Luhan is too busy laughing and eating with Jongin's body casually brushing his own besides him, sending shivers of excitement all over his body, to notice. The singer is in another dimension. He is spending a very enjoyable night and to his immense joy, his three friends have quickly managed to get Kris' approval, so he already pictures a lot more of that. Besides, there's Jongin.

 

He steals a quick glance of the handsome, sweet boy and blushes as he notices Jongin is already looking at him, so lost into studying his features his slice of pizza stays mid-air. Kris takes advantage of the ridiculous scene to stop Baekhyun from torturing him and bring him, and Kyungsoo, to look at them.

 

They laugh. "We know already, you should have seen them on the first day." Baekhyun says.

"You should have seen Luhan at home." Kris challenges.

"You should have looked at yourself a moment ago." Kyungsoo finishes, and with that, he wins the round.

 

Oblivious, Luhan and Jongin keeps on giggling at each other's chin, and when Jongin brings a hesitant hand to clean Luhan from some sauce, the singer blushes severely while the other three roll their eyes. 

 

They later opts for a horror movie, reclining Jongin's hopeful request of watching some romantic comedy with Kyungsoo saying, "Please, I've had enough of this love sick air already" and even if he has accused no one in particular, Jongin and Luhan still feel busted. 

Luhan gets to sit between Baekhyun and Jongin, and as the supposedly horror movie goes, he uses his time to whisper in Baekhyun's ear as silently as he can. 

 

"I went to Oh Sehun, eventually." he gets a look of surprised and in a moment, Baekhyun is already begging him to elaborate "I think.. he really likes this Chanyeol guy. He looked genuinely in love."

"Did him?"

Baekhyun seems saddened, but not surprised this time. Luhan nods. "He is not a bad guy, Baekhyun.. and I think your ex-boyfriend isn't either."

"I know." he sighs, going back to focus on the gloomy movie as he adds "It's not their fault I did not fit in their lives."

Luhan feels sad at knowing him so defeated, but he can't help thinking it is for the best. "Now you can look foreword."

 

He sees Baekhyun opening up into a little smile, and blushes as he hears his soft 'Like you did?' as Kyungsoo scolds them of being too noisy. Luhan goes back sitting properly with a pout on his face, affronted, but luckily the dark of the room covers up for his burning cheeks. 

 

Besides him, Jongin performs a little jump as a scary cat suddenly appears on the screen, and he can't help smiling adoringly. The boy snorts and coughs, embarrassed, claiming he did not get scared as it seemed, and Luhan nods just because he likes the way his trust brings Jongin to smile bashfully. 

He could look at that smiling face his entire life.

 

To everyone's surprise, it's Kris to ask the boys to come back soon for one another of this simple, funny night when they are all in Luhan's car, hours later.

 

"This means you will stop torturing Luhan-hyung?" Baekhyun challenges "And that you won't write public responses to prevent us from creating scandals anymore?"

The only thing Kris manages to do is turn to glare at Luhan with accusation, and Luhan suppresses his laughter not to make him angry even more, bringing his hands up defensively. 

Baekhyun takes the freedom to pinch Kris' cheek while he's driving, totally uncaring he is probably being too much for someone he has just come to know. Byun Baekhyun is just like this. 

 

Kris groans and nods, making the entire car sigh in relief. "But, I can't guarantee for the coming out part. I have to look after him and keep him safe, and he knows he wouldn't be-"

"If I wouldn't be wearing my beloved costumes." Luhan finishes, and his manager glares again "Okay, I know. You're right. You're a great manager."

"Well thank you."

 

Kris snorts, so affronted. He knows he is for God's sake, who accepts to live with his idol and deal with his annoying behavior unconditionally every single day of his life. 

 

"He could hang out with us sometimes, though, right?" comes Jongin's hopeful question, and Kris looks at him funny while Luhan blushes from his position, closing in his shoulders and looking at Kris like a son looking for his severe father's permission. A moment later he curses mentally at his own silly thought. 

"I can." he says then, nodding positively "I'm old enough to do what I want."

 

Kris sends him a 'Don't get me started on this again' look and he snorts, then Baekhyun jumps from his seat and hits Kris' one with his knees and the manager has to collect his breath not to snap up in annoyance, because that's the third time Baekhyun can't stay still and disturbs him. "Don't worry, Luhan-hyung. He's just acting bossy because he wants to get invited, too."

 

Everyone tries his best not to laugh, and Kris wonders if he has been an in his previous life just before he remembers he has been superman, in his previous life. 

 

Baekhyun pinches his cheeks again, "You're invited, too, don't worry."

 

When Luhan finally finds himself alone with Kris and they're hurrying to head home, his head is full of happy thoughts and handsome Jongins making his stomach twist, but he knows Kris is dying to tell him something so he stares, knowing, and laughs when Kris takes a long breath before almost yelling, high-pitched

 

"That Baekhyun guy is ing crazy!"

 

 

-

 

 

 

Luhan has always liked fan-signs. 

 

They were all about gentle greetings with his beloved fans, exchange of gifts, smiles, little conversations to make Luhan feel loved, and the fans happy to know their support and love toward their idol is never forgotten. 

 

The crowd for today is impossibly big, and Luhan can't help but gasp as usual as he sees how many people have gathered in the square, in the chill weather, just for a smile and an autograph. He asks the staff to begin immediately not to let the fans freeze or get too tired, and meets the most entertaining people as the day goes. 

 

He meets few kids too, and lots of boys, and he can't deny it has made him impossibly happy and grateful. Fanboys are his favorite thing, even if only for the fact that he knows boys find it hard to show appreciation for singers and entertainers. 

 

When he sees another pair of definitely not girly hands entering his sight, holding a photo of him, he instinctively smiles. 

"Hello, what's yo-"

 

His mouth falls open as he looks up, and sees Jongin's flushed face standing there, inches away, in the most unexpected moment.

 

"Jongin."

 

Jongin smiles and it makes Luhan do the same, bashful, and he can already see the fans stealing photos of his embarrassment moment while sighing in adoration.

 

"It's not right you're the only one who has to disguise himself." 

 

Luhan blushes more, too much probably, but he doesn't care. His heart is racing so fast and as he steals a glance of Jongin's impossibly soft features, he feels the urge to just jump up from his seat and grab the boy's arm while shouting out loud 'Look, everyone, he's the man I want to love for the rest of my life'.

 

He curses mentally at his silliness, and doesn't even want to think of what Kris would do to him if he knew he has dared to actually think of such a thing. Jongin gives him the photo, acting perfectly, and he signs. 

 

"Thank you, Jongin." 

"Thank you, Luhan." Jongin says instead and then lowers his voice, carefully whsipering "For letting me be someone to you."

 

Luhan sees him walking away and thinks he is a lot more than just someone, to him, but things should envelope with the right timing. As for now, he asks a staff woman to call Kris for him and when the man arrives, Luhan tells him to invite the boys out for the next day. 

 

"Baekhyun, too?" 

 

And Luhan sigs at the horrified expression that makes its way on Kris' face.

 

 

-

 

 

Actually, Luhan wonders why on earth Kris doesn't seem able to leave Baekhyun's side even after having claimed - only five times since that afternoon - that he couldn't really stand the boy. 

 

They have opted for a bowling night in a disco bowl run by an old man Kris has gotten in friendly terms some times after his arrival in Korea, who would always do his best to let Kris and Luhan and other idols, at the occurrence, spend a peaceful night without having to worry about fans stalking them. 

 

Everything is going well as expected. 

 

Luhan eyes Kris wearily all through their game, still confused over his behavior, and then thinks that maybe Kris is trying to annoying Baekhyun after his "My name is going to be Better than Kris" which came as a consequence for Kris' "My name is going to be Kriscasso" to which Baekhyun had asked "Why on earth would you call yourself that?" followed by a "Because I am an artist." which only made Baekhyun stare in annoyance while Kyungsoo rolled his eyes disbelievingly.

 

Not that he really cares anyway, because Jongin and him are playing for the first place, and because Jongin's hips would bend just so beautifully during his swings and that's just something Luhan can't manage to remove from his mind. 

 

"Kris, that strike was made of pure luck I swear."

"Shut up!" Kris turn to Baekhyun with wide opened eyes "We're fighting for the last place so why do you care anyway."

 

Luhan sees Kyungsoo smiling naughtily. "Finally, he's found someone else to torture." his words make Jongin and him chuckle. The latter then brings him his ball, the only one Luhan manages to hold properly, and his gentleness makes Luhan blush. Maybe he could let Jongin win, after all.

 

He decides he won't. Jongin hugs him hesitantly every time he gets a strike, or not, but that doesn't matter. He likes Jongin's hugs, and he likes to do well in front of him. He gets another strike, making his younger contestant frown at the close battle, but then it's Kyungsoo's turn and everyone can't help to stare a him in awe. He throws the ball like a kid, slow and with both hands, and still he manages to make seven/eight skittles per time fall. The ball takes absurd directions when it's Kyungsoo playing, at the point that even members from the staff has to stop and stare when they can.

 

He strikes nine skittles this time, and if Luhan and Jongin hadn't been so good to get a strike every time, he would probably be winning.

 

"Absurd." Kris comments in disbelief, just as Kyungsoo goes back to his position nonchalantly. 

 

They close the battle with a first place for Jongin, a very happy Jongin, a second for Luhan and a third for Kyungsoo, while Better than Kris ends fourth and Kriscasso gets the humiliation of being last, with only 43 points scored. 

 

"Don't mock me." Kris begs Baekhyun over dinner, already noticing that little flash of mischief in the other's eyes as he turns to him, and Baekhyun shrugs. "I was just about to ask you if you wanted some coke but you know what? I'm keeping it."

Kris snorts, and Luhan notices he has gone sitting besides Baekhyun again. 

 

In the fast food they're in, Kyungsoo makes a big effort to eat whatever Luhan gently offers him, while Jongin explains his friend has big problems accepting junk foods, so Luhan immediately sends Kyungsoo a bewildered look. "This means you don't like french fries? Or milkshakes?"

"I like cooking. Healthy foods." Kyungsoo answers defensively, and is honestly flattered when twenty minutes later they are walking down the Discobowl and Luhan and Jongin come back after a short disappearance, with some healthy ramyun from a restaurant near there in hands. 

 

Kyungsoo eats, relieved, while Jongin and Luhan share bashful words with smiles on their faces as they stand close, the world forgotten. 

"I had fun." Jongin says, and a moment later he is leaving a little touch on Luhan's pointy nose, bringing the other to pout slightly. 

"I did, too. I don't know how long it has been since I had so much fun.. peacefully, with nice people."

"Friends." he is corrected, and the word makes him feel butterflies in his stomach. 

He eyes Jongin's belt with a shy smile. "Friends. I've always had.. only Kris, and my old Chinese friend Yixing. Since I came here I had started thinking I was just different from everyone else around me. It was so lonely."

 

With a gentle finger posing under his chin, Jongin slowly brings him to look up. Luhan sees something protective and sincere in his expression. "It won't be anymore. You're jus a boy, for how wonderful you are.. you're still just a boy. It's people being ugly, mostly."

"They know how to be mean, yes." Luhan agrees "Except for you. You don't know how to be mean, do you, Jongin."

 

 

Luhan sees Jongin is the one to look down now. The sight is sweet. "I'm happy I bumped into you, that day."

"Me too." Jongin nods "Me too."

 

Meanwhile, at Kyungsoo's right, Baekhyun and Kris observe them with cautious expressions as they stand close. Baekhyun feels a shiver shaking him as the wind blows suddenly, awaking him from the trance the sight of Jongin and Luhan has brought him to face, and after a moment something warm circles his body. He turns his face to see Kris wrapping his coat around him with uninterest. 

 

"You don't have to."

"You're cold." 

 

Baekhyun gives up, he really is. 

 

 

-

 

 

Luhan speaks with Yixing through their video-call the entire night, unable to get sleepy. 

 

"Remember when I told you I've fallen in love and you told me I had no reasons to say such a thing after only a hour? Yeah, well.. I am in love, Yixing. It's been a month now, and I have no doubts anymore."

It begins like this, and Yixing gets weary. "Tell me what happened, gege. You fast things up too much, usually."

"I don't! I just feel it."

He is excited, and sees his friends slowly giving up, unable to destroy his happiness "Tell me about him."

 

Luhan tells him about Jongin, everything about him, from the smallest details of his adorable personality to the kind gestures the boy always manages to make him feel mesmerized with. He tells him about Jongin's body and the way it makes him heat up, about Jongin's blinding smiles and the cuteness of his soft face when he is happy and his eyes curves in two little half-moons. He tells him about how considerate Jongin is towards his friends, polite towards his family, passionate about his job. He tells him how silly he looks when he makes jokes no one but him understands, yet everyone still smiles because he looks too adorable not to.

 

He tells him everything, and by the time he is done, his addiction truly hits him for the first time.

 

"I am in love.. ."

"You really are." Yixing agrees, kind of worried, because being in love is always something to be weary about "Like.. you're lost, gege. I only hope this guy won't break your heart, because I'm not good at killing people."

 

Luhan laughs, and as Yixing tries to make a threatening face, he thinks of how Jongin seems like that kind of safeness he could always depend on. 

 

"Like.. Maybe I could hire a ninja to do the dirty job for me?"

 

Luhan laughs again, calling Yixing silly, and two minutes later they find themselves talking about Ninjas and the latests episodes of the Naruto anime, but Jongin's voice still sounds clearly in his mind.

 

 

-

 

 

 

Baekhyun has to thanks his mother and father they have given born to such a handsome, charismatic and most of all smart son. He has learnt the way to Kris and Luhan's apartment by going only four times, and he easily finds himself down the big building after a long walk and ride in a few buses, asking the old receptionist - hell, were they in a hotel or what - to call Kris to let him up.

 

"Who should you be?" the man investigates. He looks polite, but still highly weary and Baekhyun supposes he has every right to, considering how many people have surely tried to enter Luhan's private life before.

"Byun Baekhyun, a friend. Can you please ask them to let me in?"

"Byun Baekhyun?" 

 

It takes Baekhyun four minutes to make the old man understand his name, and other five for him to accept to call Kris and then run the elevator until the 12th floor. 

 

Kris welcomes him at the door with a big frown on his face. Trying to justify his sudden presence there, Baekhyun hands him the coat he has previously lent him, nonchalantly. 

"You didn't have to take it here."

"I was in the mood for a walk." Baekhyun shrugs, flipping his hair out of his eyes and then placing himself a few inches away from Kris' bigger body, eyeing him with a brow raised. "So? Aren't you going to let me in?" 

 

Kris moves to the side to free the way, looking away in the most casual way he can afford. Baekhyun steals a look, passing by him and waiting for the door to be closed before he asks, "Is Luhan home?"

"He's sleeping."

"Oh," Baekhyun smirks slightly "Then, I suppose you prefer me to leave." Kris sends him a weary look, walking to him in lazy steps and then pushing him to the kitchen.

"I know you think I'm some kind of idiot, but I know manners. Go sitting for some tea." to his order, Baekhyun clicks his tongue before sitting anyway. 

 

"-Would you like some tea, Baekhyun? Since you came all the way here alone just to bring my jacket back- That's mannered, you dumb."

Kris sends him a bored look and ignores him, making Baekhyun smirk more. He observes the taller man moving around the kitchen and gets a little sad at hearing that heavy silence ghosting in the immense apartment. His house is always noisy, with his mother watching her drama and making noises while cooking, always cooking, and it's not like he has really spent much time alone there anyway. He is always with Jongin and Kyungsoo, before, during and after work. 

 

"Quiet, around here." he says then, and he notices his voice echoes in the kitchen. Kris shrugs as he comes siting, too, serving them some tea. 

"Luhan is sleeping, and it's not like it would be different anyway. Sometimes we're both too tired to talk, sometimes we simply fight."

"That's sad."

 

He lets a small smile for Kris, but he sees him shrugging with simplicity. Seeing him like it, it could almost pass as he didn't care about his relationship with Luhan.

 

"Well.. I suppose being forced to live together is.. like this." he shrugs too, feeling like he doesn't have words to say anymore. Kris turns serious, and it's an expression Baekhyun still hasn't seen on his impossibly handsome yet constantly dazed face. 

 

"I love Luhan." he sees Kris being firm about his words "Not in a romantic way.. and not even in a brotherly one. We were forced to get together, me as his guard, he as my only worry. It's not an usual relationship.. it brings trouble, and we fight more than we don't, but at the same time.. when I look at him, I see home. I see a place that no matter how I've been brought there, will always be mine.. I see a person that reminds me of China, and that has suffered from a hard past and an even harder present. Luhan is an idol, and the idol life . I know I only make it harder for him sometimes.. but I do it because I want to protect him, and not because they pay me to. Luhan deserves the best.. I am the person who knows him the most, so I know he does."

 

Baekhyun studies him, fascinated, taken aback by the protectiveness and care he could clearly hear in those words. Another sign of Kris he has thought he would have never seen. Suddenly, all those stories Luhan has told them about his absurd manager make sense and, if he has to be honest, make him smile softly, too.

 

"Luhan is in good hands." he says, trying to reassure the older who is now looking a bit too melancholic at his eyes. Kris breaks up in a small smile.

"You're trying to say Jongin is a good boy?" 

"Actually, I was talking about you. But if you ask me, Jongin is a good boy. The best boy ever."

"Yeah," Kris sighs "Luhan thinks that, too."

 

Baekhyun chuckles at his defeat tone, finding that light flash of horror in his eyes kind of amusing. "You can't prevent him from dating someone, can you?"

"No no no no, don't say that verb yet. I beg you." his pleading, almost shaking voice makes Baekhyun laugh loudly this time. It rings all through the apartment. Kris pouts and in a moment, he is glaring.

 

Baekhyun shrugs nonchalantly, ordering him to take out something to eat, because he's kind of hungry. 

 

"If you lived here, I would kill you in a few days, I'm sure."

"Same here." Baekhyun replies "But if Kyungsoo and Jongin lived here too, we wouldn't have chances to argue. Kyungsoo cooks, cleans, expects silence and calmness and if you disobey his orders, he threats you with sticks you will never know where are kept."

After a little shiver running down his spine, Kris smiles a nervous smile.  The little, wide-eyed one has always scared him the most.

 

"Sounds… okay. Luhan would love that."

"And you?" Baekhyun challenges,     flashing him an expectant look although he can imagine the answer already. 

 

Kris shivers again. Having the apartment lively, sharing their lives with other, nice people.. it sounds okay, more thank okay, but he will never admit it to Baekhyun. Or to Luhan.

 

He ends up hiding a smile behind his cup of tea, but Baekhyun sees it, and it leaves him startled. 

 

Luhan wakes up two hours later to find a post-it on the table, where Kris has left a message in his horrible handwriting, and he almost can't believe his eyes as he reads it through. 'Baekhyun brought my jacket back.. now I'm taking him home."

 

Except the 'now I'm taking him home' part ends up lasting three hours since Luhan has woken up, so except Baekhyun lives in a completely different city, he has all the rights to set an expectant look on Kris when he gets back, raising a brow that immediately makes the taller smile nervously.

 

"I happened to have work." it's the lame excuse Kris finds, and Luhan snorts extremely loud. 

 

Sending his manger an offended look and ordering him to make dinner immediately, hair flipping, Luhan sits down in the kitchen and crosses his legs.

 

"It's okay, Kri-Kris. Baekhyun is cute, totally your type."

Kris grits his teeth, "Luhan, that name. I'll kill you." he gets ignored, but before Luhan can start mocking him again, he gets hit by his words "Wait, my type?"

Luhan smirks. "Sure. Pretty, witty, sassy and smart." 

The list of adjective makes Kris weary, so he dares to ask "While I am..?"

"Slow, dumb, ugly.. no, I'm joking. You're handsome, but you're too hysteric. Someone like Baekhyun could make you relax. Besides, I bet would be good."

 

Luhan smiles with mischief as he sees Kris's entire body getting of a bright red he is sure he has never seen on him in those long years, not even those times he had caught him jerking himself off in the shower. Traumatizing.

 

He thinks Kris could simply use the Jongin card to flip tables, but feels an adoring smile creeping on his lips as he sees his manager just going to cook dinner with his head kept down, making him feel guilty and amused.

 

He spends the evening with Kris peacefully like they haven't in months.

 

 

-

 

 

Luhan gets Kyungsoo, Jongin and Baekhyun tickets for the upcoming SMTOWN in Seoul. 

 

He is not sure Kyungsoo cares, knowing he is not interested in idols the slightest, but the gentle smile the boy has offered him as he gave the ticket was more than enough to make him worry no more. Jongin surely doesn't care about idols either, but he cares about Luhan, and somehow Luhan knows it. Baekhyun floats on air. 

 

"The only bad thing about this? I'm gonna see Oh Sehun performing on that ing stage. Like.. the same stage as Luhan-hyung, TVXQ.. I bet Chanyeol is around here, too."

Jongin sends him a little look as they look for their seats, Kyungsoo pushing through the flow of people like he was 2 meters tall. "I thought you didn't care anymore."

"I don't. It just.. annoys me."

"So you care." Kyungsoo intervenes from his position, and Baekhyun makes sure to hit his head with his Golden light-stick, the Luhan's one, but his short friends doesn't give up "Then you're simply being -hurt."

"Seriosuly, Do Kyungsoo, I hate you."

 

Jongin brings peace with two pats on their backs and a plead to behave in the middle of half of the Gangnam district population. He is there for Luhan, to listen to his smooth voice and be left mesmerized by his performances, after all.

 

Of course, soon after having met Luhan in that unforgettable Hot-Dog costume he had made researches about the boy, his career, his songs, his behavior as a star. If possible, learning how much of a beautiful person Luhan was to all the people around him, to his fans, and finding out how talented and passionate Luhan was in his job, it all helped to make him fall a little more. Yet, he supposes everyone could have fallen in love with that Luhan, the Luhan everyone knew. 

 

His phone shortly ringing in his pocket wakes him up from his trance, and Jongin looks at his screen to find a text from Luhan. 

 

You confirm you're in the D section, tenth row, seat number 345, on the right? I want to find you, if I can. 

 

Jongin loses a beat. No one could fall in love with this Luhan, he realizes.

 

Confirmed. That stage is yours, hyung. Shine bright.

 

The night flies away fast, between screaming crowds and charismatic people moving on stage while singing songs that bring the entire stadium to shake. Kyungsoo gets in the mood for the concert when Baekhyun forces him to stand up and moves his arms to the music, too, despite him knowing none of the songs that are being performed. Jongin easily lets go and has fun, getting a bit too excited every time it's Luhan moving flawlessly on that stage. 

 

When Luhan's performance slows down and he greets the audience with his sweet, flawless Korean, the boy announces he is going to sing his popular cover of 'Open Arms' with his beloved choir, and Jongin can clearly see him moving his head slightly as he is looking for something, someone. For him. 

 

Luhan only starts singing when he has made sure Jongin knows he has found him. 

 

 

-

 

 

Jongin stares at all the flow of people exciting the stadium with nervousness, hearing all their loving words about their favorite idols, how they would give their everything to be with them, to even spend a word with them. He feels inadequate even if he shouldn't care, because he knows, feels there's something between Luhan and him, and it's none of this people's business. He feels childishly jealous even if he has no rights to.

 

When Kris picks them up to go backstage, he is surprised to see the tall boy taking Kyungsoo and Baekhyun to give them a ride home immediately after having greeted Luhan. Baekhyun sends him an encouraging look and in a moment, Jongin feels his stomach twisting. 

 

Luhan looks devastated, with his sweaty hair falling on his eyes, make up slowly melting. He still looks impossibly beautiful.

 

"You've been great. Amazing."

"Are you turning into a fan of mine, Kim Jongin?" the singer challenges.

Jongin smiles, closing in his shoulders as his hands fly in his pockets. "Sorry. I think I'm more a fan of the Hot-Dog I bumped into on an apparently ordinary day, weeks ago."

 

Luhan breaks up into a little laugh, its sound sending shivers down Jongin's spine. The singers asks him to wait for him to get ready, and when Jongin sees him disappearing in his changing room, he wonders what for. Luhan only tells him they are going out. 

 

When they find themselves in Luhan's car, half a hour later, Jongin's nerves are already exploding. Luhan is just as beautiful as before despite the casual clothes, and there's this kind of hesitance mixed with softness in his eyes that are making Jongin melt.

 

"So, we're going out."

"Only if you want to."

He laughs drily, "Why shouldn't I." he instinctively goes to take Luhan's hand in his own as he sees the singer swallowing, nervous.

"Because this is.. a date, Jongin." 

 

The only thing Jongin manages to do with his heart jumping in his throat is nod, frantically, accepting as vigorously as he has never accepted anything in his entire life. Luhan can't help a low laugh at the sight, and holds Jongin's hand tight for a moment, while taking a deep breath.

 

"Did you really think I'd have refused you, Luhan-hyung?" Jongin asks, feeling unable to stop his other hand to remove hair from Luhan's eyes. 

He sees Luhan blushing, looking down. "I'm an idol, Jongin. This has always brought complications, and I can't know how you feel about it."

"But you know I like you." he is said, and the firmness in the other's voice makes him snap his head up. Jongin is way too pure to be real.

 

He sees Jongin taking both his hands in his now, shifting his body slightly closer despite their sitting positions in the car behind highly uncomfortable. He holds his breath, the boy of his dreams making him feel like a character out of a movie and still, so impossibly ordinary.

 

"You're living your dream, hyung, I'd never ask you to renounce to it, for anything, nor you should think to. I can be yours, if you want me to.. even if you're Luhan, and I'm just Jongin."

 

Just Jongin, Luhan realizes, has never felt so enough to fill all the missing pieces in his life.

 

"So.." Jongin trails off, swallowing all his nervousness down as he looks down from Luhan's eyes and focuses on his lips, not a better idea, but he feels unable to look anywhere but there "If I asked you to be my boyfriend, would you accept?" 

A hand cupping his cheek brings him to look up, to meet Luhan's eyes again and the sight makes his heart beat fast.

"If I asked you to be patient and love me despite my job.. would you accept?"

 

To answer the silly question, Jongin opts for a kiss. 

 

He pulls Luhan gently closer, and instinctively closes his eyes as his full lips meet the other's pointy, delicate ones in a soft encounter. It's the most bewitching sensation they have ever felt. Luhan brings his fingers to leave soft touches on Jongin's neck as they circle it, and pressures on the skin to push Jongin even closer while he tilts his head. Jongin's hands cup his cheeks and Luhan feels him softly on his lower lips, enough for him to feel his stomach writhing so he answers, seeking for Jongin's tongue when his own ghosts teasingly agains the other mouth. Jongin's breath leaves his lungs and he briefly meets Luhan's eyes stealing a glance of his pleased face, the sight mixed with Luhan's hot breath against him making him go eating Luhan's lips up until there's no air anymore.

 

Their eyes meet again as they separate, and is a softer encounter this time. 

 

Luhan smiles against the face he has come to love the most and realizes, his heart hammering in his chest, that he is finally dating Kim Jongin. 

 

 

-

 

 

For Luhan's birthday in April, Yixing surprises his best friend with a sudden flight to Seoul. He only texts Luhan with a quick 'Hey gege, I'm coming to Seoul by 6PM. Come picking me up?' that manages to make Luhan let out an excited, shocked scream and Kris falls down miserably on the wet floor of the shower cab. Hissing, he goes back to his feet again because he already knows, after all.

 

Luhan can't stay still. He jumps around every place he goes, like a kid, and Jongin doesn't manage to hold him with hugs or little scoldings, either. Kris looks at him defeatedly. 

 

Some people quickly gather around the airport after having learnt Luhan was there, but Kris does his best to keep the thing as private as possible. Yixing is welcomed by an almost screaming Luhan running to him with wide opened arms and a big smile plastered on his face. They haven't seen each other in nine months now, and Luhan can't even explain how much he has missed the Chinese boy. 

 

Jongin reserves a soft look for the scene, receiving a "You're lost, Jonginie." from Kris that makes him chuckle. It sounds funny coming from the guy who has had the admirable courage to officially ask Byun Baekhyun out for proper dates after months of mocking and pretending to hate each other. He makes sure to remind Kris of his situation. "Baekhyun-hyung is still angry you've forgotten to buy him the Mozhart Balls in Vienna, hyung." 

 

He can't help a grin at the way Kris panics. "I've bought him a ing ring, in Vienna!" and then Kris stars mumbling on his own, and Jongin can messily catch glimpses of his defeated words regarding Baekhyun being more impossible to deal with than Luhan and him being "So dumbly in love" to feel stuck.

 

As on clue, Baekhyun waits them in Kris and Luhan's apartment with Kyungsoo, who is busy cooking dinner, while he is setting all that's necessary to eat on the table and causally forgets to take chopsticks, glass and napkin for Kris, too.

 

Despite the absurd fight the two fall into, the night to celebrate Luhan goes smoothly. Yixing attempts to communicate with the three Korean guys at his best, showing off is basic knowledge of the language but eventually laughing at his own accent, bringing everyone to smile adoringly, too. Luhan mainly translates everything for him, and chuckles every time Yixing asks him things about Jongin and Jongin doesn't understand because smartly, Yixing nick-names him 'potato nose'. Luhan has tears in his eyes by the time Kyungsoo sets his birthday cake, made by Jongin that morning, on the table. 

 

He can't help bursting out laughing at the sight of a sugar made small Jongin with heart-shaped eyes standing on top of a hot-dog with shades on, on the street, with two dogs looking them with hunger. Their first encounter. After a moment to appreciate the silliness of that all, Luhan's wide smile turns into a touched one.

 

He goes kissing his boyfriend joyfully, smiling in the tight hug that follows as he thinks of how much that single day has managed to change his life. 

 

When Kyungsoo starts serving everyone the delicious cake, minutes later the birthday song, Jongin is softly gazing at the sight of Luhan waiting impatiently to have his own slice, and can't help jumping in shock at finding Yixing suddenly apearing few inches away from him, an expression that was supposed to be threatening on his face.

 

"If your hurt Luhan, I'll hire a ninja to kiss you." 

 

Jongin tries, tries very hard not to laugh. He fails when Yixing's expression falls and he turns to Baekhyun, who's face-palming, with lost puppy eyes.

 

"Kill, Yixing-sshi, not kiss!" 

 

 

 

 

 

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A/N

 

lol Yixing please XD 

 

I hope you all enjoyed, I've missed Kailu so much!! <3