“You’re really not going to tell me where we’re going?”

Kai and Baekhyun haven’t even gotten halfway down the block from the studio. It’s barely 8:30 pm and the sun has been set for an hour already. Baekhyun shivers in his light jacket, and he almost walks faster than Kai.  His companion for the evening, however, refuses to be hurried.

“You’ll find out. Just be patient.”

“But I’m not a patient person. I also feel yucky from dancing all afternoon and evening. You should’ve given me a least a little bit of a warning so I’d know what to prepare for.”

“What did you think we’d be doing?”

“I don’t know. I figured you’d probably corner me in a dance room and lecture me again about my layouts or something stupid like ‘flow’ or how my rhythm is too structured.” 

“That was Plan A. But I changed my mind.”

“So this is what, Plan B? What am I now, an afterthought?”

Kai smiles indulgingly and glances at the backpack slung between Baekhyun’s shoulders. “Did you pack any clean clothes in that bag?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, then good. Let’s make a detour.” They turn left at the end of the block.

While Baekhyun yaps nonsense, still trying to uncover Kai’s mystery plan, they make the five-block walk relatively quickly. Kai tries not to come across too smug at the wide-eyed look on Baekhyun’s face when they stand before his apartment door, but it seems Baekhyun didn't consider this possibility. Too bad this isn’t their final destination, but with Kyungsoo due home within the half hour, it’s not really conducive to his plans, nor will it be helpful with what he think Baekhyun needs.

He kicks in the door, mail flying off a table from the sudden air flow, and the two step into a room lit only by the lamppost outside. Kai flips a switch, glad for once that he made his bed this morning. He’s gladder still that his roommate’s tidier side is the first thing a person notices upon entering, while his side is for now partially obscured by the angle.

 “Home, sweet, home. There’s only one mystery room in this place as you can probably tell by now. Here, quick. Go take a shower and then you’ll feel better.”

“What?”

Kai peers at him. “I said you can take a shower.”

“You want me to take a shower here?”

“You said you felt yucky. My place was on the way, and it has a shower.”

“Something feels fishy. You just want to get me in your bathroom, don’t you?”

“Awww, you’re no fun, already solving my master plan. Congratulations, by the way.”

“Don’t be cheeky. I bet you have a camera installed in there for occasions just like this.”

“Of course, but I only turn it on for Kyungsoo.”

“What?!”

Kai tries to laugh but at Baekhyun’s livid, tormented expression, he stops with only a wide grin and smiles silently so that his nose scrunches up. He gives him a half-hearted push in the direction of the bathroom before he crouches down to raid the tiny apartment fridge. Baekhyun stands still and huffs for a moment and then he too turns away. Kai hears the bathroom door close with a small thump, and then the exaggerated sound of Baekhyun turning the lock.

Baekhyun opens the door a short while later, by which time Kai’s had a chance to pick up his dirty clothes from yesterday, and shove a few things underneath under his bed to hide the clutter. With Baekhyun out of the shower, he stands just outside the doorway, admiring the view.

“Now do you feel better?”

“Clean, I guess.” Baekhyun bends forward to stare at his complexion in the bathroom mirror, wiping away imaginary dirt from under his eyes. He’s already put on his fresh clothes and jacket from earlier. Kai grabs the damp towel lying on the sink and dumps it back over Baekhyun’s head. “Huh?” he utters.

“Dry it well. I made us food to go.”

“You made us food?” Baekhyun continues to blot dry his wet hair.

“Well… I made sandwiches…”

“Wow, I feel honored.”

“Hey, they’re gourmet sandwiches. They even have lettuce on them.”

“Oohhh, lettuce. Very gourmet. So where’re we going, huh? Huh?” Baekhyun trails him out of the bathroom, eyes wide and smile eager. He stares around the room as if it will reveal any hint of their destination.

“You’ll find out! Now here, take this. Stuff it in your backpack, alright?” He tosses Baekhyun the bag with their sandwiches before returning to the bathroom himself.

Baekhyun completes his examination of Kai and Kyungsoo’s apartment. He doesn’t know how two people manage to share such a tiny space, but it is a half step larger than Chanyeol’s place, and much, much cleaner. The table by the doorway catches his eye, or rather the untidy pile of mail on the table does. He doesn’t mean to snoop, but right on top of the pile is an open letter with a local university seal addressed to a Mr. Jongin Kim. Whoever opened it hadn’t returned the letter all the way back into its envelope. From the cross section still viewable, Baekhyun reads the fine print notice accepting Jongin Kim’s degree plan, with the following requirements to be met this semester. The rest of the message remains hidden within the folded paper in its envelope.  

Baekhyun’s body jolts violently at the sound of Kai coming out of the bathroom, and he hastily turns his back on the mail table.

“What’s up?” Kai looks at him, confused.

“Nothing. Just ready to go! Can we go now?”

Kai opens his tiny closet and pulls out another jacket. “How can you be so excited?” he laughs. “You don’t even know where we’re going! Here, take this for now.”

“Well, whose fault is it that I don’t know? And, thanks…” Baekhyun accepts the jacket, which is obviously much warmer than his own. Kai flips off the overhead light, and they leave.

They’re walking again tonight. Maybe this is to be their thing. Baekhyun imagines somewhere down the road in life someone will ask him, how did you come to like each other, when did you grow closer, when did you fall in love, and he’ll say, ‘While walking…’  But maybe that’s a little premature. They’ve only been walking twice, though the fact that Kai’s apparently liked him for a while now is a bit puzzling. So is the fact that Minseok knows about this, and maybe Luhan too. Because to Baekhyun’s knowledge they’ve never met face to face, and he only talked to Kai for the first time just over a week ago in Mrs. Kim’s office.

Jongin Kim. Jongin, Kim. Jongin Kim.

“Is Kai your real name?” he blurts out, shocking even himself to hear his thoughts spoken aloud.

Kai looks just as startled, mild terror starting to streak across his face.

“N-no.” He has no reason to lie.

“Your real name is Jongin?”

“Wh-where did you see that?”

“On a letter addressed to you in your apartment.”

Kai's brain panics, wracking his mind around what kind of mail Baekhyun could have seen, before assuring himself that there was really no reason to be so worried.

“Yes. It’s my birth name. Still on all of the official records, but nobody’s called me that since I was really little.”

“How come?”

The nosy Baekhyun returns, Kai thinks. He finds it doesn’t bother him as much anymore. So he answers, “It was a family name from my dad’s side of the family.  But uh, when he left us when I was a kid, my mom just kind of changed it. I don’t even remember being called Jongin. Even my dad uses Kai now.”

“Where’s your dad then?”

“In Texas. I lived near him there until recently.”

Kai’s jaw clenches a little, and Baekhyun resists the urge to ask him more about his family. Instead he says lightly, “So you’re in college now.”

“Yes…”

“Doing what?”

Kai keeps walking for a few moments, in silence and smiling slyly, as Baekhyun tries to guess what he’s going to say. “You’re not going to leave me hanging here, are you?” He pries.

“I bet you won’t guess it.”

“Well now that you say that, I guess I won’t. What is it, Engineering? I’ve heard that school has an intense program.”

“Do you really see me as an engineer?” Kai laughs and Baekhyun shakes his head. “Well, you’re right about that. Nope. It’s Bilingual Education.”

“You’re kidding.”

“I’m not.”

“They offer Bilingual programs in Korean?”

“Spanish, actually. Or did you forget I’ve lived here most of my life, and in Texas too.”

The world turns as Baekhyun suddenly imagines Kai, the teacher. Mr. Kim, educator. The casual jeans and baggy jacket Kai wears now fade away as he suddenly envisions him wearing suit jackets and slacks with maybe a striped tie and a more tamed hairstyle. Surprisingly, the scenario fits.

“I think that’s kind of cool, actually.”

He smiles as he looks into Kai’s eyes, and so he doesn’t realize that Kai has lead them across the last street they intend to cross this night. He glances up, unexpectedly mesmerized by an architectural landmark he can’t believe he didn’t notice before. 600 feet of Gothic walls, arches, windows and spires tower above the cityscape and literally dominate the neighborhood. Baekhyun’s jaw falls open, his eyes huge and in awe. Kai smiles knowingly.

“You brought me to a…”

“Cathedral? Yes and no. Come this way.” He leads them through a crop of trees which give way to a small enclosure, encircled by greenery, shrubs, and more trees. In the center stands a 40 foot statue in bronze which Kai ignores until he’s past it and seated on the bench-like steps placed there to admire the artwork. He rests his hands behind him and leans back while Baekhyun stares alternately at the statue lit by moonlight and at Kai. He sits beside him tentatively, pulling off his backpack and laying it to the side.

“Why did you bring me here?” he asks.

Kai hums. He closes his eyes and breathes in deeply, his features relaxing with every passing second. He looks peaceful, rested, and happy.

“It’s called the Peace Fountain.”

“Huh?”

 “The Peace Fountain. Something about the battle between good and evil.” He points lazily at the statue with one index finger. “That’s the Archangel Michael and there’s the defeated Satan. Spoiler alert: the good guys win this round.”

“I don’t understand?”

“It’s peaceful here.”

Baekhyun squints his eyes, still not understanding Kai’s point.

“Okay it’s not a perfect illustration. Except that I like this place. It’s peaceful. I used to come here as a kid, and even though the city is loud and chaotic and there were so many things to do and places to be, I liked it here, because I always felt that here I could relax. No worries or anything. It’s quiet and not a lot of people come here.”

“So, you’re sharing this place with me?”

“Kind of.”

Baekhyun waits for him to explain; for once he is content to listen.

“I ran into Yixing today. I saw him after he’d had a talk with my mom about things – by the way, did you know he’s coming here as a dancer? – Anyways, he asked me what I was going to do later. I said I was waiting around to see you, and I didn’t know what I was supposed to do or plan or what, because I seriously lack at planning events or anything fun or exciting. He said I should go someplace that you would like to go to, and while yes, that is a brilliant thought, thank you Yixing, I couldn’t come up with anything. I don’t actually know the things that you like, or places you like to go, because I’ve never really asked. All I know is that you’re a dancer and you love to dance, and that you overwork yourself and you always look so exhausted—” Baekhyun swallows thickly. “—So I thought to myself, where could I drag you off to that wouldn’t make you even more tired, but where you could relax and just… be… and then I remembered this place.”

Baekhyun gapes at him, his mouth still hanging open, and Kai looks suddenly embarrassed.

“I’m sorry… I know it’s a weird place.”

“What? No. No it isn’t!”

“Yeah, it is. And you’ve been excited all night long just to sit and stare at a fountain statue.”

“I’m not! I mean, I’m not bored and this isn’t that weird of a place. Actually, it—it’s really beautiful. And, thank you for thinking of me like that. That’s… actually really thoughtful.”

Kai stares back at him like a man shocked at his reprieve from death row.

“Hey you know what we should do?” Baekhyun says.

“What.”

“Eat our sandwiches. Before the gourmet lettuce shrivels up.” Kai nods, so he immediately pounces upon his backpack and fishes the not-completely-squished sandwich bag out through the zipper opening. He separates the two sandwiches wrapped in their paper towels and gives Kai a thumbs-up as he chews his first bite. Kai does the same, and they eat their dinner in silence until only the crumbs and their crunched up napkins remain. Baekhyun collects the trash, shoves it into his backpack and looks at Kai eagerly.

“Okay since you picked the place, I’ll plan the activities.”

“Okay…?”

“We can talk.”

“What about?”

“About me! Since you said you don’t know anything about me.”

Kai scoffs. “Of course it’ll be about you.” But he smiles all the same.

“Well, would you rather talk about yourself?”

Baekhyun knows him too well. Kai bites his bottom lip, still smiling and shakes his head. He’d much rather learn more about Baekhyun.

“See then? Okay, ask me anything.”

“What’s your favorite color?” Kai begins.

“Black, grey. Boring answer for a boring question.”

“Favorite foods?”

“I like everything. You’re going to have to be more specific than this.”

“Do you play piano?”

“What an Asian thing to ask. Yes.”

“How long since you moved to the city?”

“Since this summer.”

“And I’m guessing you almost never go out and do fun stuff.”

“Is that a question or an assumption?”

“Hey I’m the one asking the questions here,” Kai growls.

“Sorry!” He throws his hands up in penance. “But yeah, I don’t go out much…”

“Because you’re so focused on dance?”

“Basically, yeah. Weren’t you that way too?” Baekhyun chokes before he can retract his words, but Kai only blinks once and ignores the question. “Sorry…”

Kai begins again. “You really only saw me once at a competition?”

Baekhyun tries to remember. Were there more times when they might have seen each other? Baekhyun swears they only competed against each other once, and while watching Kai dance was amazing, he’s still not too fond of the memory of his own loss. He went on to win several of the next regional events, but because of their respective age groups they just weren't in the same divisions again. But Kai said he’d seen him dance multiple times before this week...

“I really only saw you once. The rest I just heard of, or watched videos of when our class studied other companies' group competition routines.”

“You watched videos of me?”

“Well, yeah… I mean not specifically of you. Or intentionally…” Kai’s face falls a bit and Baekhyun thinks that was definitely not the right thing to say. “You saw me more than once though, didn’t you?”

“What?” Kai falters. “I… how, why do you say that?”

“Minseok mentioned something.”

Kai visibly pales. Even in the moonlight Baekhyun could see as much. “What—what did he say?”

“He said that you knew me from before.” Baekhyun deliberately changes the wording.

“Oh.”

“So that’s true?”

“Yeah, I mean I guess I must have seen you around more often than you noticed me.”

“I see.” Baekhyun rests his back against the steps behind him, ignoring the discomfort caused by the concrete edges. They sit in silence for a while, admiring the fountain and the cathedral behind it.

“Hey Kai?”

“Hmm.”

“I like this place.”

“I hoped you would like it.”

Baekhyun swallows, preparing himself. “Minseok said you liked me from before.”

He waits for the response, but there isn’t anything right away. Kai doesn’t react, doesn’t look away from the fountain, doesn’t lift his head or remove his elbows from where they prop him up. Finally he moves, sighing lightly. “Minseok was right.”

“Is he still right?”

Kai faces him directly. “Yes.”  

2,772 words

More surprises, more confessions. I give a little and I still don't reveal all. Heh heh

So, mom: was that 'shower scene' enough for you? Oh, and for those of you who thought it was awkward having my mom reading this, here's a shout-out to my husband who's also now reading this! Yay! Uh yeah, he's a bit traumatized, but I just can't keep a good thing to myself. :P

Rosie <3

Picture and a link to where the Peace Fountain actually resides at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine.