Jongin lies there in bed, next to a sleeping Kyungsoo, with his heart pounding widely inside of its cage. His breath seems to be caught in his throat, and every time he tries to breathe, he’s afraid that everything will disappear from his grasp. He’s afraid to make a move – any slight movement – because he still doubts himself. Is this all a dream? But the very moment he feels Kyungsoo’s hand slightly twitch in his grasp, Jongin is reassured that no, none of this is a dream.

Everything is real.

Kyungsoo wants him to stay.

Kyungsoo wants Jongin to stay with him.

This isn’t a dream; this is reality.

Swallowing out of nervousness, his gaze slowly shifts to their intertwined hands. The way their hands fit so well together, it’s as if they’re two long lost puzzle pieces finally finding each other in the midst of other puzzles. It brings a sense of comfort and joy to the idol’s heart, and he goes back to observing Kyungsoo’s serene expression. The CEO has long fallen asleep by now, and it’s Jongin who will be the one watching over him from this point on.

He remembers the look in Kyungsoo’s eyes – so exhausted, so vulnerable, yet so…so warm and full of love. The person he just witnessed wasn’t the cunning and strong Do Kyungsoo, but the Do Kyungsoo that’s hidden from the public’s judgmental eyes – the secret Do Kyungsoo that only Kim Jongin gets to witness at rare times.

Stay.

This was the very word that Kyungsoo softly uttered to him.

Of course, Jongin knows that his feelings haven’t been returned directly, but to him, this is a step forward. One simple word can put his trembling heart to rest, and one complicated person can turn his whole world upside down. This wasn’t how he planned to fall in love – not like this, and especially not with Do Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo is such a complicated person for him to understand, but Jongin is patient.

If Kyungsoo ever breaks down, Jongin wants to be the person to mend him.

Jongin wants to be there for Kyungsoo no matter what.

Although the idol is dense at times, he knows that life isn’t one big amusement park of endless play and fun. There’s hardship and troubles behind every person and despite not being able to figure out Kyungsoo’s own problems yet, Jongin is willing to stay by his side and wait. Wait, he’ll wait until the day the CEO’s cold exterior completely cracks and breaks down. He knows only then will he be able to enter Kyungsoo’s heart completely. Even if it takes years of waiting, Jongin doesn’t mind.

He’s already head over heels for this cunning CEO.

And if he’s made it through the impossible stage, he’s sure he can do anything.

Jongin is content.

“This is good enough as it is now,” he whispers softly.

Stay.

“Even if you can’t return my feelings just yet, I’m happy.”

Stay.

Jongin leans in quietly until his lips are touching the sleeping man’s forehead.

“Thank you for telling me to stay, Kyungsoo.”

“Kyungsoo, do you see that building?” a young boy asks him as he points to the huge building in front of them. The two of them are sitting in the backseat of an expensive car on their way home from school.

“What about it?” a young Kyungsoo questions with curiosity.

“My dad built it before he passed away.”

“So, it’s going to be yours when you grow up?”

“No,” the boy shakes his head with a laugh, his voice low and eyes suspiciously glancing at the driver. Not wanting for the driver to hear their conversation, he leans into Kyungsoo’s ear. “I want to be a writer, remember?”

Kyungsoo frowns, “You know that can’t happen. But what about it?”

“Your parents bought it, but I got to name it.”

“Junmyeon, did you give it a lame name? Because if you did—”

“Enchantment; I named it Enchantment.”

Kyungsoo gasps for air as soon as his eyelids flutter open in shock. He stays still for a while as he regains control over his breathing. Letting out an exhausted sigh, the CEO sits up and realizes that the young night has long pass. The morning sunlight seeps through the glass windows and marks its territory on the wooden floor. He runs a hand through his black hair and frowns at his dream.

No, it wasn’t a dream – it was a flashback to his childhood.

Junmyeon was the one who named the building that he adores.

Enchantment.

Yet, something feels oddly strange to him. Of all memories after reuniting with his childhood friend, why did that one surface? From a young age, he knew that Enchantment was not part of his family’s business plan. Only when Junmyeon’s father died did it somehow became a part of the Do Group’s (his family business) management. What was the reason? Kyungsoo never got around to figuring it out after he inherited the company.

“What is this, seriously?” he grits his teeth in annoyance.

When his hand lands on the mattress, Kyungsoo only then realizes that Kim Jongin is not by his side. He furrows his brows in confusion and glances around the room for any signs of the idol – none. Immediately, abandoning all thoughts of his past and what Junmyeon had to do with it, the CEO throws the blanket off his body and gets off the bed.

A memory from last night comes back to his mind, and Kyungsoo starts to feel fear.

He frantically searches around the room, then he runs down the stairs, and looks in every possible room to see if Kim Jongin is anywhere in the house.

“Jongin…”

“Yes?”

“. . . Stay.”

Was this all a dream, perhaps? Did he end up imagining everything? It must be so, because no matter where Kyungsoo search, he can’t find a sign of Jongin. In the end, the restless CEO slumps down on the couch and bury his face in the palms of his hands. “Damn it,” he mutters.

Maybe this was for the best.

Maybe not letting Jongin stay with him will be better.

Maybe—

There’s a big splashing sound against the glass wall, and Kyungsoo instantly looks up with startled eyes. Turning around, he finds the one person he was looking for dressed in a simple white t-shirt and a pair of jeans holding a water hose and pointing it right at the glass wall of Kyungsoo’s house.

“Jongin,” he breathes out in relief.

It wasn’t a dream – it was real.

Kyungsoo did ask Jongin to stay with him.

And Jongin listened.

He’s staying.

CEO Do gradually stands up from his seat and turns to observe the smiling Jongin quietly. There, in front of him and only separated by a glass wall, stands the optimistic idol that seems to be dazzling brightly under the beautiful sunlight. Jongin is still pointing the water hose at his direction, and it makes the other side of the wall wet. He’s waving at Kyungsoo with all of his stupid might.

“First you waste my time, and now you waste my water?!” Kyungsoo growls under his breath, eyes narrowing in suspicion as he glares back at the idol. Deep down inside, the tough and cunning Do Kyungsoo becomes no more than just a façade. In fact, now knowing that Jongin won’t leave his side, Kyungsoo is feeling all sorts of warmth and fuz