Chapter 12 Philharmonic Love

Fourth week of February

Despite what his love guru said, Kyungsoo couldn't really take it to heart to let go of Kai, but that didn't mean he ignored Kris completely. He may have shed an ocean of tears the other night, and Kris was ever so gentle with him by paying for the movie and popcorns, yet he couldn't find it in him to just let go of everything in one night. It would raise suspicion, especially with Luhan, Baekhyun, and Kai. And truth be told, Kyungsoo's heart still pounded furiously whenever Kai happened to pass by and waved at him.

A few days later, Kyungsoo contemplated whether to attend the philharmonic concert. It was a Sunday, and he was supposed to meet the apple of his eyes in approximately six hours. Despite the ample time he had, his thoughts were still torn in two, and he really didn't want to disappoint Kai. But at the same time, he thought about what Kris said.

There was no doubt about Kai's growing popularity in school. After the last game, the school somehow worshipped the grounds that he walked, and more students signed up for the soccer team. Even students from other schools came to snap pictures with him, but he always managed to shake his way out of sight, and more often than not, Kyungsoo would always bump into him whenever he made his escape. It was unnerving at first, but after failing the sixh attempt of avoiding Kai, in less than 48 hours, Kyungsoo was slowly giving up his pretenses to forget about Kai, and the idea of going out with Kai alone, tonight, somehow threw out all his efforts to avoid Kai over the last couple of days. He was feeling slightly giddy as he picked out his outfit for the date later. The hour passed, when he still couldn't decide what to wear, he groaned in irritation, tossing the knitted sweater in his hands onto the bed.

"I hate this outfit." He declared, eyeing the article on his bed with disgust. It was his favourite sweater, the same one his mother made for him before he started high school, and he loved it because it kept him warm and snuggly under a cold evening. But today he felt like it was the most offending piece of clothing he had ever seen.

Baekhyun came in just then and raised an eyebrow when he saw his roommate glaring at a sweater, an intense aura burning in his eyes. "What's got your balls, Squishy?"

"I don't know what to wear for tonight." Kyungsoo fumed, pulling on his hair. "I don't have anything remotely decent for a date."

"That's nonsense." Baekhyun chuckled. "All your outfits are decent."

"That's...the...point." Kyungsoo hissed back. "Kai's might as well shrivel up and drop when he sees me later. He'll probably think I'm an embarassment to him."

Baekhyun narrowed his eyebrows, finally aware that Kyungsoo was serious about this, and that something was horribly wrong with his behaviour. He never thought he would see the day come when his little squish would be worried about what to wear. Heck, Kyungsoo was always on a geekier side of fashion when he wasn't wearing his school uniform, but it suited his looks. He looked ten times more adorable in a knitted sweater, than a Beatles tee. "He won't think of you that way, Soo." Baekhyun approached him slowly, his lips pursed into a thin line when he realized he was treading on egg shells. "Why would you think that way? Why would you think he won't like you? You've never been bothered about what he thinks, and he still talks to you anyway. It's not like he's disgusted with how you are."

"Because I know that even if I try hard to impress him, he would never notice me the way I want him to. I'll always be a friend to him" Kyungsoo bitterly  remarked, biting on his lips. He looked like he wanted to cry, really, and Baekhyun wanted to hug him so bad. But he avoided all attempts to touch the little squish, because Kyungsoo may not like it, and whatever Baekhyun planned to say next might get flushed down the toilet. 

"And who told you that?" He asked, wondering if Luhan was somewhat involved with this, but he doubted it was Luhan anyway. The older male had been too busy with Minseok lately, and he would never hurt Kyungsoo like this. The two of them knew how much Kyungsoo really likes Kai.

"Kris. He's the love guru. I was talking to him a few days back and he told me that Kai was too popular to notice me anyway. He said I might as well give up now before I end up hurting myself more. But I can't, Baek....I really like Kai." Kyungsoo's voice cracked at the end, and his lips wobbled. He was on the verge of tears by then, and Baekhyun could already see his eyes water.

Something clicked inside Baekhyun's head for a moment and he wondered, Kris? "He told you he's the love guru?"

Kyungsoo simply nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

"That's odd. Aren't love gurus supposed to help people, instead of putting them down like this? And why did he suddenly reveal his identity to you? As far as I know, no one has ever seen the love guru before. And how are you communicating with him outside of school?"

"We text." The first tear rolled down Kyungsoo's cheek, and Baekhyun immediately swooped in to pull him into a crushing hug.

"Don't cry, Soo. We'll figure out what you could wear. I'll lend you my clothes, or we could just use Luhan's clothes. I'm sure he'll understand." He allowed Kyungsoo to cry on his shoulder for a while until the tears stopped, and only then did he continue. "Anyway, I'd like to meet this love guru of yours. You don't mind, right, Soo?" He was actually suspicious about Kris. After all that advise given to Kyungsoo (yeah, Baekhyun had secretly read every one of the notes Kyungsoo kept inside a shoebox under their study desk), it was strange for the love guru to suddenly turn around and stop Kyungsoo's advances on Kai. Very, very strange indeed.

Kyungsoo shook his head, "No, I don't."

"Perfect. Now, come on, let's get you dressed up and ready for your date." Kyungsoo simply nodded his head numbly and followed his best friend to Luhan's room, where they picked out an outfit for him to wear. While he tried on different shirts and slacks, Baekhyun tried hard to cheer him up, and in the end, Kyungsoo felt bad for lashing out on his best friend like that. He was behaving irrationally, and Baekhyun didn't deserve to be treated in such a way. He hugged his best friend and mumbled an apology, and Baekhyun lovingly ruffled his hair, telling him that everything is alright.

They walked together to Kai's dorm room after that, and Chanyeol greeted them at the door, immediately setting up fireworks in Baekhyun's eyes. He stared at Chanyeol like predator would on its prey, while Kyungsoo only shook his head and asked if Kai was ready.

"Oh, he's getting ready. He couldn't decide which hair gel to use for the last three hours. Sehun and I kept telling him it's the same, and he won't believe us cause he has like...a gazillion hair gels on his dressing table."

"It's all the same." Baekhyun chirped in, out of amusement. Even Kyungsoo couldn't keep the smile off his face.

"Yeah, I know right! I swear he's trying too hard to impr---" A hand suddenly shoved Chanyeol's face aside and Kai's own handsome face came into view. A set of pearly white teeth beamed at the two boys waiting outside their dorm, and Kai was only too lucky to have stopped the giant before he spilled any more beans.

"Hey Kyungsoo."

"Hey." Kyungsoo greeted back with a cute wave and a shy grin.

"Ready to go? Wait, let me grab my phone first." He retreated back into the living room to get his phone, which was charging near the television area. And when he turned back to the door, Chanyeol was...wait, what the hell?

"Yah, hyung, what on earth are you doing?"

The giant's large frame was covering his view, and he could only see Kyungsoo's face at the side, eyes wide with shock, while Baekhyun was leaning up against Chanyeol on his tiptoe. Kai's own eyes went wide with shock when he heard a popping sound like two people kissing, and when Chanyeol pulled away, both their faces were red. Baekhyun couldn't even meet anyone's eyes after that, and the floor was suddenly so interesting.

"K-Kai, you should get going, you know. Or y-you'll be late." Chanyeol said, after clearing his throat loudly.

Kai simply narrowed his eyebrows at his best friend. Chanyeol would never call him 'Kai' unless he did something he shouldn't. "Were you two kissing?!"

This time, it was Kyungsoo's turn to clear his throat, in order to save his best friend from total humiliation. He could see how nervous Baekhyun was, and no, the both of them weren't kissing. Not intentionally, anyway. Baekhyun actually had something in his eyes, and Chanyeol had noticed it. So when the giant attempted to remove said dust from the smaller boy, he accidentally tilted Baekhyun's face towards him too fast and this in turn caused a liplock collision. And now both of them were a blushing mess, and Kai looked like he was ready to throw the couch, but Kyungsoo didn't know why though.

A small part of him was suddenly envious at the thought that Kai may have liked Chanyeol, or he's just protective. Or worse, what if he likes Baekhyun. Kyungsoo shuddered, his emotions already going haywire just by the simple thought he placed in his mind. But he had to take Kai away for now, and the only way to do that was to grab the younger male's hand and drag him away.

Kai feigned a shocked look for a moment, but he followed after Kyungsoo nonetheless. He was just slightly confused about Chanyeol's relationship with Baekhyun now, and another part of him was a little hurt that Chanyeol didn't say anything. Best friends share everything, don't they?

The two of them jogged over to the entrance, and wow, Kyungsoo can surely run, given his short legs. But Kai could match his speed easily, and when they arrived at the entrance, Kyungsoo was the only one panting.

"Are you okay, Soo?"

"Y-yeah." Kyungsoo nodded, breathing hard. He had never ran so much in his life, and his energy was already draining.

"Do you want me to carry you?"

The older male shot Kai a level look, but there was no amusement in soccer player's eyes. He was genuinely worried about Kyungsoo, and suddenly, Kyungsoo felt bad about doubting Kai that way. He knew Kai would never ignore him, no matter how popular he is. And Kris may have thought wrong about Kai. After all, the love guru would know nothing about Kai's caring personality because he wasn't the one who spent hours, and days, and months to learn about the soccer player.

"It's okay. I'll manage." Kungsoo thanked him, but he's mentally slapped himself for turning down such an offer.

Kai, however, insisted on carrying the smaller boy, and Kyungsoo soon found himself latched onto Kai's back as they made their way to the musical theatre in town. It was a peaceful evening, the wind blowing a cool breeze against their faces, and Kai was enjoying the soothing hum of Kyungsoo's voice.

The boys eventually arrived at their destination, and the first person who greeted them was Kris. Kai immediately tensed when he saw the tall blonde male, and Kyungsoo noticed the change in Kai. For one, the younger male's grip tightened considerably, and he was glaring daggers at Kris. "Put me down, Kai." Kyungsoo told him.

Kris snickered at Kai when the younger male refused to let go of Kyungsoo, but Kyungsoo insisted. So in the end, he had to let go.

"You guys are late." Kris said. He had known that Kyungsoo planned to bring Kai along to see the orchestra. After all, the night they spent talking to each other wasn't a complete waste, but that didn't mean he was just going to sit by while Kyungsoo hung out with the soccer player. "Ready to go in?"

"Kris is coming along, Kai. You don't mind right?" Kyungsoo asked the younger male. He didn't want to invite Kris along, but the senior had insisted on it, and Kyungsoo ended up giving in.

"Sure." Kai said between gritted teeth, annoyed to have a third wheel in their midst now. He wasn't angry at Kyungsoo for not telling him, but Kris was really pushing him to the edge with all the mindless touching he was doing on Kyungsoo. Unable to get rid of the senior student, Kai did the next best thing he could think of. He squeezed himself between the two, and basically ed every little conversation Kris tried to initiate with Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo didn't notice this though. He was too busy searching for their seats, and when he finally found three empty seats in one row, he dived for them. "Here, guys. Who wants to sit in? I want the middle seat."

Kai immediately offered to sit first, pulling Kyungsoo along to his side. When Kris saw this, he gritted his teeth and angrily crossed his arms. There was so much of annoyance that he could take in one day, and Kai was just pushing it.

The orchestra started ten minutes later, and Kyungsoo was honestly enjoying himself tremendously. Kai had a sparkle in his eyes, like he dreamt to be there and his dreams were finally coming through. He was too exicted to even sit still, swaying his head along to the slow beat. The orchestra was playing a modern piece by Frank Sinatra, Fly Me to the Moon, and the music was just so soothing and romantic at the start that Kyungsoo absentmindedly took Kai's hand into his. The soccer player looked surprised for a moment, staring down at their intertwined fingers, but then a smile graced his lips, and really, he felt like the luckiest man alive.

Kyungsoo was holding his hand. Kyungsoo was sitting next to him. Kyungsoo was actually going out with him. The thoughts hit him so hard that he felt like crying, and the song simply fueled his emotions even more. Kyungsoo, on the other hand, was having a mental breakdown when he realized, , I held his hand! I actually HELD his hand! Oh god, what if he pushed me away? What if he hates me?!

Beads of sweat formed on his forehead out of worries, despite the air-conditioner blowing on full speed. The cold was enough to warrant the use of coats and jackets, but Kyungsoo actually felt like taking his own off. His hand began to feel sweaty too, and he hoped---no, he prayed---that Kai didn't notice. 

The second piece was an old favourite, which Kyungsoo had heard countless of times, back when he was still in the third grade. Before his older brother left for high school in Seoul, Kyungsoo would always hear his brother play the collection of Bach's masterpieces he kept in his laptop. Nine-year-old Kyungsoo would stuck his ear close to the door and pull his knees up to his chin as he sat outside the room. His mum would find him a few minutes later, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she watched her son sway to the classical piece. 

"Hey Soo." Kris's voice suddenly popped the bubble of thoughts away from his mind, and he whipped his head around to meet the older male's gaze. "Let's get out of here. I'm bored. We could hang around outside for a while and get something to eat. I don't really like this piece." 

"But I do." Kyungsoo replied back, disappointment evident on his face. He could feel Kai's long boney fingers tightening around his own, but the younger male's eyes never left the stage. Kyungsoo was once again torn between two worlds; the world he wanted to be but knowing it would never work, and the real world. After all, Kai was just holding his hand because they were friends, right? Friends can hold hands too. It would be weird if Kai did it because he likes Kyungsoo. That is just the most impossible and improbable thing to ever happen in his life right now. Reality hits him like a brick wall and all he wanted to do now was to get away 

On one side was Kris, this strikingly good-looking senior student who claimed to be his love guru, and on the other was the love interest of his life, Kai, who also had looks to die for, and was just perfect in everything. He never once told Kyungsoo off, despite the world of difference between them, and whenever Kyungsoo spent time with him, there was always a smile on his face; never faltering, never wavering, never fading.

And right now, Kyungsoo wanted to be on neither side. So he pulled his hand away, a wave of guilt instantly eating him from inside when he saw the smile on Kai's face fading into a frown. And he told Kris that he was just going to the restroom for a bi, seeing the smile fade from the other male too. He took off like a bolt of lightning, short legs running forward in every step he took and he never once looked back to see if anyone was following him.

Everything in his head was just uber ed up at the moment. He didn't know which was real anymore, and it used to be so simple. Oh god, it used to be much much more simpler. And now he had to choose between two contradicting choices and one of them just HAD to make more sense. Stupid Kris. Stupid love guru with his stupid love advices. He knew it was trouble from the beginning, but Kyungsoo didn't know why he ended up falling for that .

And now, he was knee deep in doubt.

Stupid stupid everything! And oh god, he missed cursing at people too.

"Soo, is everything alright?" Kai's voice suddenly penetrated the heavy silence in the men's restroom, and Kyungsoo was still hunched over the sink, eyes filled with tears. There was no way he could hide himself in a stall before Kai sees him, so he simply washed the tears away by splashing water to his face and faked a smile to let Kai know he was fine.

But the younger male saw through everything in just one glance and he approached the older male to give him a hug. "Hey, why were you crying? What's wrong? Are you sad about something?"

"N-no." Kyungsoo's voice wavered, and he mentally cursed himself.

Kai pulled away and leveled a hard stare at his face. There was no hint of humor on Kai's face, only curiosity and concern. He was genuinely worried about Kyungsoo. "Do you want to go home? We could just leave now, you know."

"And waste the ticket? No, let's finish through the whole performance at least. I do love classical music." Kyungsoo stated out of honesty. He really wanted to sit through the whole performance, because it wasn't everyday he could afford something like this.

"Ok then, will you at least tell me what's bothering you? Is it Kris? Do you want me to kick his ?"

Kyungsoo's eyes went wide with shock. He didn't think the soccer player felt so strongly against Kris. Heck, they looked fine the whole evening. "Y-you don't like him?"

Kai simply shook his head and sighed, wiping away the tears on Kyungsoo's face with his thumb. It was only then that he realized he was still tearing up. "Don't cry, Soo. Please tell me what's wrong. I don't like him because he keeps hogging you for himself, and I thought it was just going to be the two of us."

"I'm sorry."

"No, don't be. I'm not angry at you. I'm pissed off because of him. But I really do want to enjoy this performance, you know. I told you, didn't I? I said that I love orchestras."

"Y-yeah, you did." Kyungsoo nodded, recalling the conversation they had at the convenience store few weeks back.

"And I want to enjoy it with you. I don't know anyone else who likes classical music as much as you and I do. Chanyeol's into soul music and rap. Sehun likes whatever Chanyeol likes, and none of them care to share the same opinion as me when it comes to my music preferences. You're the first I know who actually cares about it, and I was happy when you told me you like classical music too."

A smile was slowly forming on Kyungsoo's face, and really, Kai was just downright adorable at that moment, trying his best to cheer him up. "I get it, Kai. Let's go back inside. I hope they haven't started on that Mozart piece yet. I really like Mozart too."

"But you're a Bach fan all the way, right?"

Kyungsoo was surprised again. "How did you know?"

"I noticed how your face lights up when the piece was played. I'm a Beethoven fan, so I'm looking forward to the fourth piece after the short intermission."

"There's still an hour left before that." Kyungsoo chuckled. They walked back to the hall, and surprisingly, Kris was still there. Kyungsoo thought he had left because he said he was bored.

"Soo, where did you go?" The blonde male asked.

"I went for a break. Why?"

"Nothing. I got bored. Mozart's next, by the way. Do you want me to get you anything?"

Kyungsoo didn't want anything honestly, but he noticed that Kris looked like he didn't want to be there, so he purposely said he wanted juice, and the senior student raced off before Kyungsoo could say anything else. He turned back to the performance and for the next three hours, it was the best performance he had ever watched.

Once the concert ended, it was time to head home. Kris insisted on sending Kyungsoo home with his car, but Kyungsoo strongly insisted that he walked back with Kai. In the end, Kris relented. He bade the boys farewell, and drove back in his dad's car. He wasn't living in the dorms anyway, because his parents had always been living in Seoul.

Kai took Kyungsoo's hand in his and the both of them walked back, hand in hand, a large smile on their faces. It didn't feel awkward at all, and Kyungsoo's heart was beating at full speed again, threatening to fall out from his ribcage any moment. Even Kai was having his mini fits attack, praying that his hand wouldn't suddenly perspire from all the nervousness he was feeling.

When they arrived at their block, Kai wished Kyungsoo a good night and cutely waved at him. The older male simply chuckled back in return, and before they parted ways, something Kai said caught Kyungsoo's attention. But it didn't occur to him until he was already standing in front of his doorstep, his hand inches away from the knob.

His mind flashed back to the last conversation they had before they parted ways. "Good night, Kyungsoo. Sleep well tonight."

"Good night, Kai."

"Jongin." Kai said. "Please call me Jongin from now on. Don't call me Kai anymore. That's the name everyone calls me. But only those who are close to me can call me Jongin."

Kyungsoo legitly blushed at the remark. "Oh o-ok, J-jongin-ssi."

"Just Jongin, please." Kai insisted. "Or do you want me to call you Kyungsoo-ssi. Or hyung."

"No, just Kyungsoo." Kyungsoo replied hurriedly. He wanted to think that he and Kai had a close relationship.

"Perfect. Well, I'll see you in school tomorrow, Soo. And don't be late. God bless." Kai shot him a wink after that and he marched off towards his dorm, while Kyungsoo returned to his own.

And now, as he stood in front of his door, with a key in his hand and his eyes on the knob, he just realized one crucial thing that Kris had never said to him. Even in the messages he exchanged with Kris, the blonde senior had never once closed their conversation with a good wish, which he usually did before he revealed his identity.

See you tomorrow. God bless.

Don't be late. God bless.

God bless.

Holy ing blessing. And there were other noticeable things too, like the concert tickets. Kai enjoyed classical music tremendously, so it wasn't hard to deduce that he, out of all people in the entire school, would get those tickets for Kyungsoo. Also, the fact that Kai kept asking about the guy that Kyungsoo liked. It was a lucky thing Kyungsoo didn't reveal anything obvious. He would have died of utter embarrassment if Kai ended up rejecting him. But the ironic thing was this:

Kris wasn't his love guru. It was Kai all along.

In other words, Kai had been helping Kyungsoo to get the same guy who was giving him love advices, and it's a wonder that Kai had not noticed this yet. Kyungsoo literally laughed his head off when he entered his dorm and faced his two moronic friends. They looked like they'd seen a ghost, staring at him with wide eyes. '

"I assume you had a good time?" Baekhyun asked.

"More than good, Baek. It was perfect." He laughed even more as the night passed on. And when morning came, he woke up laughing his head off again like a lunatic on the loose. Even Luhan became worried. "You alright, baby soo? Did your tickle button malfunction last night?"

"No one really. And I'm fine. Just fine. Everything's perfect."

A/N: 

Language bomb! Kiss in bahasa is 'cium', pronounced chi-om. So if you want to kiss someone, just say 'cium saya!' (kiss me!) or 'saya nak cium kamu' (I want to kiss you). Or you can rojakkan (mix up) everything and say, "Can I cium you?" Lol.

Muahxx

Get ready for a very twisty chapter next. Very very twisty. Hahahaha. We're at the point now, lovelies. This is where everything gets revealed. Nothng angsty, I assure you. This is strictly a romcom. Well congratulations to those of you who stayed on team Kai. Lol. There's a story on Kris later, on why he acted that way. And really, it'll be cute. Anyone wants a Baekyeol-only special chapter?