Still drenched from head-to-toe due to Jongin’s mischief, Kyungsoo makes his way down the long, almost unending (at this moment, that is) hallway of the Do family’s mansion at a surprisingly slow rate. He thought he would be furious afterward and perhaps actually revert back to the pleasant idea of shredding Jongin’s pathetic soul before burning it in the deepest part of hell, but none happened. Instead, here he is, the great Do Kyungsoo whose heart has never once looked back after a tragic accident, is baffled at the way Jongin makes him feel. The swelling in his heart when he sees the man smile, perform, and just simply being next to…it traps Kyungsoo in an unbreakable trance.

Kim Jongin is kind.

Kim Jongin is patient.

Kim Jongin is a good person.

But Kim Jongin is also stupid.

He’s stupid to the point that Kyungsoo finds it amusing, so amusing that it makes the corners of his lips tug upward into an unwilling smile. It is a smile that he tries so hard to fight against, a smile that Kyungsoo masks with a frown and glare so Jongin would stop. But Jongin just never seems to notice the small detail, the hint that screams for him to stop being so – so Jongin, the Jongin that Kyungsoo has become fond of throughout the months they’ve been together. Jongin always seems to make his heart stumble with confusion these days, and the CEO despises it. He despises it because they’re not supposed to be this close. They’re supposed to be strangers, strangers who will only benefit one another for a limited time only.

But they’re past strangers now, way past strangers.

It hurts; his heart aches with the pain of emptiness and yearning for something more.

Something that Kyungsoo can’t possibly have the confidence to grab and take hold of.

He can’t repeat the same mistake twice.

He can’t let Kim Jongin in.

Kyungsoo has to destroy those lingering feelings within him.

But…but it’s difficult to do so.

And in the end, the helpless CEO can only heave a long sigh with a remaining thought.

What are we, really?

After the ill-fated incident between the two of them, Kai dejectedly got out of the pool and dried himself off with a towel that Kyungsoo – willingly – brought for him to use before they got awkward again. With a burdened heart, the idol makes his way back to the guest room where he’ll be staying for the night, only to see Kyungsoo’s forgotten electronic devices and paperwork laid out on the table. The male turns to look at the hallway in front of him, sighs, and turns his heels.

Kai swings the towel over his shoulder and walks up to the CEO’s forgotten items. Carefully checking to see that the documents on Kyungsoo’s laptop are saved, he closes the laptop and begins to gather the male’s physical documents together. Putting them together in a neat stack, the idol cautiously makes his way out of the building (specifically made for the swimming pool). He walks through the hallway that connects the mansion to the building and arrives in the huge living room in no time. The idol glances around the room, hoping to see the CEO’s presence somewhere, but realizes that he is the only person in the room.

“I guess I’ll put you guys here…” Kai mutters and places Kyungsoo’s things down on the glass table. Pursing his lips together, he turns around to leave. Only then, does he see Kyungsoo entering the room with a new casual outfit on and his breath hitches in surprise.

Kyungsoo, upon hearing the faintest gasp, looks up to find the idol still in his swimming trunks and toned chest revealed for the whole world to see. The flustered CEO instantly furrows his eyebrows, presses his lips together in a thin line, and forces himself to look away because god damn, he isn’t supposed to have any feelings for the male in front of him. His cheeks redden and he awkwardly stands there, heart beating oh-so-fast.

This sight brings back an old memory to the two of them.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps catches Kyungsoo’s attention. Gaze becoming sharp and strong, he straightens his posture and fiercely makes his way back to the living room. “Kim Jongin, I thought I told you to stay still, you f—” his words come to an abrupt halt when he sees something very unpleasant and disturbingly revealing.

Standing in front of Kyungsoo, just a few feet away, is Kai who’s wearing an ed dress shirt while drying his damp hair with a white towel. As his hands work to move the towel around his head, his ed dress shirt moves too and reveals almost all of chest.

“Oh, sorry, I was just trying to dry myself since you know…you dumped water on me…?” the idol nonchalantly replies as he continues on with his business.

“ing hell,” an almost flustered Kyungsoo mutters.

“Sorry?”

“You – do you think this is some kind of strip club? Button that shirt up!”

Kyungsoo frowns and decides it’s best to speak up. Clearing his throat, he turns to look at the idol, forcing his gaze to not trail down. “Put on some clothes!”

Kai widens his eyes and nods quickly, “Sorry!”

“This isn’t some damn—”

“Strip club?”

They gaze into one another’s eyes for a few seconds before smiling at how similar and amusing the situation is.

The older male rolls his eyes, although the smile still remains on his face. “Put on some clothes, Kim Jongin!”

Seeing Kyungsoo’s smile, the burden in Kai’s heart vanishes and he nods his head. “Okay!” He then runs past the CEO, his grin widening as their hands slightly touch.

Kyungsoo only sighs softly and turns his head to watch the male leave. Once the sound of running footsteps fade, the CEO turns around and sees his forgotten things neatly placed on the coffee table. “Jongin,” the familiar name leaves his lips in a whisper. His heart flutters at the sight and he immediately pushes the feeling away.

After changing into a t-shirt and dark blue jeans, Kai makes his way down one of the big staircases and enters the living room to find Kyungsoo working diligently on his laptop. Without realizing, he quietly leans against the wall and observes the working male as a fond smile appears on his face.

Despite the loud sound of raindrops splattering against the large windows and his typing, Kyungsoo knows, he knows Jongin is here. Something about the room just automatically changes the moment said male appears, and Kyungsoo’s heart can’t help but skip a small beat. Swallowing dryly, the CEO forces himself to stay focus on his work and ignore the obvious male that’s constantly staring at him. Apparently, this proves to be a difficult task because now Kyungsoo can hardly stay focus on his work. He can feel Jongin’s stare on him.

“What do you want?” the CEO speaks up, snapping Kai out of his daze.

The idol widens his eyes and bites his lower lip because he knows he’s caught red-handed by Kyungsoo. Immediately, he tries to make up a poor excuse to avoid the embarrassment that follows after. “I – uh – I’m hungry!”

“Really now,” Kyungsoo mutters under his breath, feeling slightly annoyed by the obvious lie.

Kai takes out his phone and glances at the time displayed on the bright screen. “It’s almost nine, anyways. We should be eating dinner, you know…” At the mention of dinner, the two of them both seem to stiffen – Kyungsoo stops typing and Jongin stops shifting his weight between his two feet. The memories of the regretful night rushes back along with the kiss they shared the next night in Macau following after.

“Sorry,” Kai says softly.

“Whatever,” the CEO replies as he puts the laptop back on the table. He then stands up and stares at the idol. “What do you want to eat?”

Startled at the unforeseen reply, Kai blinks several times. “What?”

Kyungsoo gives him a knowing look, as if to say his usual line, “I don’t repeat myself.”

“I – I guess anything’s fine.” The idol says after a few seconds.

“Th