It's 8:30 in the morning. Kris is sitting at his desk and sipping at hot coffee as he leafs through a stack of files. The pages in his hands originate from a manila file folder that sits atop his desk. With its fading colors and wears at the edges, the folder has also grown heavier with age; it can barely contain the vast array of papers it holds. Its title tab is neatly marked in black--Do Kyungsoo. 

Report 14Q2 P. 1

Do Kyungsoo continues to live at XX Street Apt ## with roommate Park Chanyeol. Park has recently been hired as spokesperson for A Mart and is filming commercials for its home shopping channel. Park and Do have been seen to walk home together after work. . . .

. . . .Further, on May 7, 2014, Do entered Kim Jongin's car. They appeared to be driving to Do's place when Do stepped out of the car. They were still some minutes away from reaching Do's apartment; Do walked the rest of the way home. There may have been a dispute. . . . . .

Kris hums a tune under his breath and taps rhythmically on the wooden table as he processes the information.

"Sir, Do Kyungsoo from accounting here to see you."

"Yes, send him in."

***

"So, you're friends with Kim Jongin."

Kyungsoo sputters into his coffee. "Huh?"

"Just wondering, that's all." Kris hands him a tissue from across the desk. "Saw you getting into his car the other day."

"Ah, no...well, it was raining." Kyungsoo shifts uncomfortably in his seat. "Look, I'd rather not talk about that. We were classmates back in the day, that's all. He was just being courteous, there wasn't anything to it--"

"He's a spy."

Kyungsoo pauses for a moment, dumbstruck. "Say what?"

"A spy, "Kris repeats flatly. "Corporate espionage. Him and Lu Han. Surely you've noticed them snooping around the company?" Kris allows himself a brief, indulgent smile at Kyungsoo's shell-shocked expression. "Lu Han especially, chatting up everyone from my VPs down to the janitors. Like to learn more about the company, he tells them, what do you know about this, or that, or the other, he asks. Quite the charmer, that one."

Kyungsoo lets out a breath of air and chuckles nervously. "Oh I see. But I'm sure you're mistaken. Lu Han's just naturally chatty. He was like that back in high school too, friends with everyone."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, it's in his nature. He just has a way of putting people at ease."

"Yes, I'm sure that's why they sent him."

"Wait, what? No. Who's they?"

"Here, come take a look."

Kyungsoo follows Kris's beckons and walks to the other side of the desk. He feels increasingly queasy as he squats down next to Kris's chair and peers into his computer screen. Kris, catching whiffs of Kyungsoo's freshly showered scent, tilts his head and stares thoughtfully at the shorter man. Kyungsoo stares back, trying but failing to hides his anxiety. 

Kris clicks open a video file. There are a few moments of darkness before quite suddenly, Jongin's face materializes, zoomed in and larger than life. The camera appears to be positioned in some file cabinet--Kyungsoo can hear the rustling of papers as Jongin reaches his hands in--and it's angled so that it catches the perpetrator straight in the face. 

"What's...happening?"

"Shh, just watch."

Do you have a flashlight?

A sudden light floods the screen. It becomes difficult to see, but Kyungsoo could still hear the sounds of rustling papers and quiet breathing.

Are you sure it's here? Kyungsoo recognizes the voice; it's Lu Han.

No, not sure at all. But maybe we could find something, anything. This is the only locked cabinet in the room.

Are we sure there isn't some electronic paper trail? E-mail? Seems more plausible than keeping hard copies.

No. Already had Falcon go through all his electronic stuff. Nothing that traces back. But maybe there's something--I mean, maybe they signed something to verify the exchange. 

Seems unlikely. I would've done it all under the table.

Sure but--

--Hey, do you think we're being watched?

No, Falcon's been scoping out the place for months. He says he's disabled all the cams.

But it's Kris. I'm sure he has something up his sleeve. 

Maybe. But I'm sure he suspects us already, and this is our best bet. We'll have to look carefully.

But whatever we're looking for, it may not exist.

No, but we know he did it.

The video clip ends, and Kyungsoo is left with more questions than answers.

"What was that? What were they looking for? Who's Falcon?" 

Kris shrugs. "Unclear. But whatever it was, they didn't find it." Taking in Kyungsoo's frozen expression, Kris explains, "It's nothing unusual. This sort of thing happens all the time, especially in the pharm industry." He guides Kyungsoo back to his seat, one hand on the small of his back. "Companies are always out for secrets."

"Yeah," Kyungsoo whispers, "But I just didn't think..." His voice trails off as his mind returns to the video clip. What the was going on.

"I need your help."

"What? My help? With what?"

"I need you to find out what they're after, and I need you to report to me if it looks like they've found anything."

"--Wait, no, I--"

"You're moving into their office space tomorrow morning. You can take your intern with you, so that it looks less suspicious. You'll tell them that you need to collaborate closer on the auditing project."

"--You want me to spy on them?"

"I want you to distract them and keep tabs. They trust you, and they like you."

Kyungsoo starts shaking his head, "No, I don't...I can't. I mean it's been years, we don't really even know each other anymore, and I really don't think I'm fit to--"

"You know," Kris interrupts, leaning back into his chair. "You've been a pretty good accountant these last couple of years. But there are lots of good accountants these days."

Kyungsoo feels his heart beginning to sink.

"I would hate to have to train someone new, but it's important to me and the company that employees contribute all that they possibly can. And your value add, you know, is your connection with Kim Jongin and Lu Han."

Kyungsoo clenches his fists under the table.

Kris is a teddy bear, really.

Teddy bear my , Kyungsoo thinks to himself. He's a capitalist, nothing more or less than a cold blooded, efficiency-fueled capitalist. And me? I'm just a laborer. 

"Alright." Kyungsoo's voice is professionally stable. "I'll be ready to move in tomorrow morning."

"Good."

***

When Kyungsoo steps out of the elevator onto the first floor lobby at seven in the evening--it had taken some extra time to pack--he is feeling somewhat more optimistic. The shock had gradually worn off so that in its place, he felt a numbing acceptance. And really, it wasn't even that surprising. Of course they weren't accountants. Corporate spy seemed much more their style. Kyungsoo didn't look forward to working with them, but well, what could he do? Bite the hand that feeds you, and all that comes of it is starvation.

He'll talk to Chanyeol about it, is what he's thinking as he walks toward the department store, where Chanyeol is filming yet another commercial of the series (is it refridgerators today, or vacuums?). He'll tell Chanyeol everything about his past with Lu Han and Jongin, and Chanyeol would help him figure out what to do. He feels ready. It would be difficult, but just the thought of finally telling someone brings him a measure of relief.

"Kyungsoo!" 

Kyungsoo smiles as he follows the voice. Chanyeol's running toward him--he waves in greeting and was just about to shout a response back when he notices Chanyeol pause by the camera crew where he catches the attention of a pretty young woman. To Kyungsoo's puzzlement, Chanyeol takes her lightly by the arm and leads her over. 

"Dara noona," Chanyeol says as they come to a stop in front of Kyungsoo, "this is Kyungsoo!"

The woman smiles prettily and exclaims, "Ah, so you're Kyungsoo. So nice to finally get a chance to meet you!"

"Oh...hello," Kyungsoo greets stiffly while shooting looks of confusion at Chanyeol. He'd never been any good at meeting new people.

"This is Dara noona," Chanyeol introduces with a grin. "She's my co-star for these commercials and we've been working together a lot."

Kyungsoo glances at Dara and is taken in by her beauty almost despite himself, a beauty enhanced by a natural charm and unfeigned friendliness. 

Of course Chanyeol would gravitate towards her.

"Chanyeol's told me a lot about you. All wonderful things, of course," Dara winks conspiratorally at Chanyeol, who waves his hands frantically in panicked protest. "Noona!" Peels of laughter rings from Dara.

She even sounds beautiful, Kyungsoo thinks. His heart sinks for unknown reasons as he watches Chanyeol's face redden, but he smiles with what he hopes looks like understanding when Chanyeol sneaks glances at him. 

They chit chat about nothing at all for a bit longer, but Chanyeol must have felt his awkward discomfort, because soon enough, Chanyeol's whisked him away and they're on their way home. No different from any other day, Kyungsoo sitting quietly atop the back seat of Chanyeol's bike as  Chanyeol pedals them smoothly into the the fading dusk.

"Hey, sorry about that," Chanyeol shouts from the front.

"About what?"

"I didn't meant to put you on the spot. I just really wanted you guys to meet. Thought you'd hit it off you know? Dara noona's a nice person."

Kyungsoo feels a lump in his throat. It was stupid. Of course Chanyeol would like someone--he wouldn't have stayed around forever, even though it sometimes felt like an imminent possibility as they lived from day to day. Almost eight years of friendship by now. College friends, most of them Chanyeol's, have come and gone. There were colleagues from work of course, but they were just colleagues and everyone had their own lives outside the occasion social gatherings. Most of the time, there was just Chanyeol. Chanyeol to feed, Chanyeol to run errands with... Chanyeol playing the guitar at night, Chanyeol lending his shoulder in times of need...

And just like that, maybe one day soon, maybe Chanyeol will be gone too. 

"Kyungsoo?"

"...Do you like her?"

"What? I can't hear you."

"Do you li--" But Kyungsoo stops, because he doesn't really want to know. "She was nice."

"I'm glad you like her!"

There seemed nothing left to say. Kyungsoo suddenly doesn't find it appropriate to talk about what he had wanted to discuss originally. He'll wait, or maybe he'll just keep it to himself. They ride the rest of the way in silence.

In the end, Kyungsoo thinks, he'll just have to get over it himself. 

***

"I can't believe I have to share an office with them."

"If you roll your eyes any more, they might fall out."

"Like you're one to talk."

"...Anyway. Their office is more like a conference room, so it won't be that big of a deal."

"Yeah but we'll just all be working at one large table. Like there won't even be cubicle walls to hide behind!"

Kyungsoo cracked a smile at Sehun's despair. "Yeah, yeah. Guess you won't be able to play League of Legends anymore. Maybe you'll actually learn something from this job before you go back to school."

Sehun groans. "You're the worst."

Kyungsoo feels more relaxed after his mundane banter with Sehun, but the nerves come back when they approach their new office. He knocks rhythmically on the door as Sehun taps his feet impatiently. The door opens--it's Lu Han.

"Uh...hey." Lu Han looks confused as he takes in Kyungsoo and Sehun who have their laptops and boxes of office supplies in tow. "Did we...have a meeting scheduled for this morning?"

Kyungsoo blinks in surprise. "Huh? Didn't Kris tell you? We're moving into your office."

"What's going on?" Jongin's joined Lu Han at the door, and he's peering at Kyungsoo questioningly.  

"Oh, uh..." Kyungsoo's large eyes dart from Lu Han to Jongin and back, and he feels dizzy and faint. He isn't sure he can survive the next few weeks, and, more immediately, he's not sure how well he can lie to their faces. "Kris...Kris thought it'd be better if Sehun and I worked closer with you two. To help with auditing, you know. So we could go over any questions you might have and help you with the forms and stuff."

Lu Han and Jongin share a look, unreadable to Kyungsoo. He stands awkwardly at the door as neither Lu Han nor Jongin welcome him in. It's Sehun who makes the first move, elbowing him aside and stalking up to the two guarding the office. "Ok look, we don't want to be here either, but I'm really tired of carrying this stuff, so can you move?"

"Oh, yes, of course," Lu Han smiles apologetically as he steps aside. "Sorry, was just surprised. Come in. Of course you're welcome, if Kris thinks it's necessary." Beside him, Jongin frowns and looks sharply at Kyungsoo, but there's nothing Kyungsoo could do about it, so he files in slowly behind Sehun.

***

There's something familiar about the scene, minus the addition of Sehun. After all, he used to spend all his spare time with Jongin and Lu Han. 

The office is sparsely furnished with just one long table that can comfortably seat twelve and some plastic rolling chairs. Papers that belong to various reports and filings are scattered here and there, and the four of them sit silently, Kyungsoo and Sehun clustered at one end and Jongin and Lu Han at the other. Sehun, to no one's surprise, is playing League of Legends while Kyungsoo diligently punches numbers into excel to update the monthly financial report. 

Even so, he can feel their eyes glance at him every so often, sneaking peeks over the tops of their laptops. They were surreptious glances, not too open, nor too prolonged, but nevertheless, heated and questioning. Contrary to his purpose in setting up shop in their office, Kyungsoo felt like he was their prey, sweaty and nervous under their constant surveillance with nowhere to hide or run.

Sehun slams his laptop closed.

"Sehun? Is...something wrong?" Kyungsoo asks timidly, although he's secretly glad for the distraction. At least now, everyone was staring at Sehun. 

"I lost."

"What?"

"I lost the game, okay?" Sehun's voice is filled with a petulant frustration. "Where's the coffee? Can someone get me coffee?"

Jongin frowns from across the table: "I thought that was your job..."

"Well, I'm new to this location, I don't know where the coffee is. Someone do something," Sehun deadpans, lips turned downward like a displeased frog.

"I'll get it," Lu Han says with a pleasant, placating smile. "And you, Soo?"

Kyungsoo starts at the sudden address--Soo, he insists on calling him--and stares at Lu Han blankly.

"...I'll get you one too." Lu Han glides elegantly out of the room, leaving just the three behind. Jongin's still staring at Sehun with disapproval through half-lidded eyes, and Sehun's staring at no one in particular, arms crossed over his chest and feet tapping in irritation. Kyungsoo resists the urge to bury his face in his hands. 

"Is he allowed to just...just play games during work?" Jongin finally asks, unable to suppress it any longer.

Kyungsoo groans and mumbles, "It's not like you were any better during school. Didn't you just play your gameboy every day? That or just straight up sleep." With his eyes trained on the excel sheet he's working on, he doesn't notice Jongin and Sehun both staring at him in surprise. Jongin, especially, with an expression that bordered on hope. "Like seriously, I think you just copied all my homework that one semester."

It was only a few moments later that Kyungsoo realizes his slip up. He mentally slaps himself and breathes a sigh a relief when Lu Han trods back in with a tray of steaming coffee.

"And here's yours," he says, gently setting down a cup before Kyungsoo, "Extra cream and sugar, right?"

"Hyung likes his black though?" Sehun interjects, looking at the coffee suspiciously. 

An awkward silence permeates the room, and for once, Lu Han looks at a loss. "Oh I...I--" Lu Han's hand hovers by the cup, unsure whether to take it or leave it. 

"Don't worry about it," Kyungsoo says, and in an attempt to crack a joke: "I had to cut something to lose weight."

Both Lu Han and Jongin frown at this, but no one says anything. They work the rest of the afternoon in silence.

***

Kyungsoo is walking towards the department store after work on autopilot when he suddenly stops and realizes that Chanyeol's busy today. 

Sorry, Dara noona's birthday's today so everyone's getting dinner to celebrate. I don't think I can bike home with you today :(

Sure, no worries.

It's not a big deal, Kyungsoo rationalizes as he walks towards the exit instead. After all, he used to take the metro home by himself every day for six years, and he's only had Chanyeol around to bike him home for a week. And yet, if he were honest with himself, he would acknowledge this felt like a turning point, another step in a direction he didn't want to go.

"Hey," a voice stops him at the door. It's Jongin, hands in his pockets, leaning against the wall just outside the building. "You aren't going home with...your tall friend today?"

Kyungsoo feels like he should be on edge, but he's spent a whole day with Jongin in the same room, and it somehow feels ridiculous to put his guard up again. "He's busy."

"Oh." Kyungsoo is already some steps away when Jongin calls out again. "Do you want a ride then?"

"...Really, Jongin?" Kyungsoo asks with a tired roll of his eyes. "Because it worked out so well last time."

To his surprise, Jongin lets out a chuckle. "You know, you always did have a sarcastic streak in you." Kyungsoo doesn't answer for a moment, slightly taken aback. 

"Still, that's a no. I'll see you tomorrow--"

"--Can I at least walk with you?"

"What?"

"Walk with you...I won't bother you, I promise." 

"...I mean, I can't stop you, can I?"

Jongin smiles despondently, but he trails along anyway.

***

There was a period of time when Jongin's motorcycle was in the shop, and Jongin would walk home with Kyungsoo after school. At the time, Kyungsoo dad had somehow pulled himself together enough to go back to work, so the two boys had the apartment to themselves all afternoon. On the occasions when Kyungsoo thought about their relationship in retrospect and wondered why he had been carried along so easily, he thought of those quiet walks home and those long afternoons in the cool apartment. 

The truth was, Kyungsoo had never been good at making friends. Maybe it was his weight, or maybe it was just something inherent in his nature. He often felt panicked when he confronted others, even in casual conversation; he wondered whether they noticed his nervousness, whether they thought what he had to say was stupid, whether he was stuttering too much, whether he paused for too long, and the list went on. 

But there was something about Jongin's nondescript personality that put him at ease. Often, they went for hours with barely a word exchanged. They were comfortable silences. Sometimes they watched TV together; sometimes Jongin smoked and listened to music while Kyungsoo did his homework; sometimes Jongin would stare at Kyungsoo, lost in thought; sometimes he would lean over and press a kiss on an unsuspecting Kyungsoo's lips; and sometimes the kisses would escalate into moans that filled the silence.

Kyungsoo resisted the kisses on reflex at first, but as time passed, they seemed like just another part of their lives, a pleasant physical exchange that happened when Jongin felt like it. It was all routine, but indispensible. Sometimes, Kyungsoo forgot what life was like before Jongin, and he certainly couldn't imagine what it would be like after Jongin. There was just something complementary about the way they lived; Kyungsoo thought Jongin felt the same.

It was different with Lu Han. A week after Jongin's first kiss, Lu Han returned to school with his leg in a cast. He seemed neither surprised nor disturbed by Jongin and Kyungsoo's romance. He smiled his usual, friendly smiles at Kyungsoo and latched on without a moment's pause.

Can I see your notes, Soo? Wait, but how does this work?

What'd you pack for lunch? Aww, you only packed extras for Jongin, didn't you? No? You packed my lunchbox too? You're the best! Yum. 

Soo, did you hear? The Principal has a thing for ___, and that other girl from class B is into a boy from class C, and oh my gosh, did I tell you...Super weird, right?

At school, the three were inseparable, and their interactions took on a certain fixed quality. Lu Han would chatter, Kyungsoo would listen with a polite, star-struck smile, and Jongin would watch them both in silence. 

But after school time was reserved for Kyungsoo and Jongin only; there was no place for Lu Han's intrusion.

There was a time that stood out in Kyungsoo's memory. He had been feeling chatty that day and was recounting Lu Han's funny anecdotes to Jongin while they sat side by side on the couch. 

He's so funny, you know, Kyungsoo remembers saying. Jongin had turned to him with an unreadable expression, but he didn't notice as he blathered on. I don't know how he does it, but it's like he's perfect. Smart, handsome, nice, funny--

Jongin leaned over and kissed him before he could finish. Kyungsoo remembers the kiss because it felt different from the others--a little more forceful, a little more desperate, a little more angry.

Kyungsoo also remembers feeling butterflies in his stomach at the time--is Jongin jealous--but he realizes now that he was just being naive. Jongin could hardly care--he probably just wanted him to shut up.

***

They were almost at the metro. Jongin's trailing a few steps behind when Kyungsoo turns around to say goodbye.

"Or are you going to follow me all the way home?"

Jongin stares at Kyungsoo silently for a few moments. Just as Kyungsoo's about to turn away and walk into the dark, underground tunnel, Jongin says, "I love you."

Kyungsoo stares back, confused. "What?"

"I love you," he repeats, suddenly feeling the need to speak, to say everything. Words tumble from his mouth. "I've loved you for a long time. I don't know how it happened. Maybe I just felt comfortable with you, maybe you just always cared, adjusting my scarves and fixing my buttons and cooking my favorite foods, not caring what anyone else saw or thought. I don't know. I know we never even talked much, but before I knew it, I just felt like...you'd be around forever." A self-deprecating smile. 

Kyungsoo is frozen in place. He feels as if he walked through some portal and into a dream where his own feelings were pouring out from Jongin's mouth. This can't be real, he thinks. 

"Look, I know you don't believe anything I say anymore, but...I just wanted you to know, and I wanted to ask--"

"Kyungsoo!"

Jongin stops mid-sentence. They're both shocked by the sudden interruption. 

"Chanyeol?" Kyungsoo shifts his gaze to Chanyeol, who's pedaling towards them at break neck speed on his bike. This definitely can't be real. What is going on?

Chanyeol's almost breathless by the time he reaches them. "Sorry Kyungsoo! Dara noona got sick last minute so dinner was cancelled. I thought I might catch you before you got on the metro. I'll take you home?"

Jongin is staring at Kyungsoo, unblinking, his unfinished questioning hovering in the air. Kyungsoo avoids his gaze and mechanically swings himself onto Chanyeol's back seat. 

"I...I have to go," he whispers to Jongin, voice barely perceptible. Jongin doesn't say anything; Chanyeol is already starting to pedal off. 

1 meter. 2 meters. 3 meters. . . 

Kyungsoo resists the urge to look back.