“Chinese Ramen Guy?”

Chanyeol grinned. “Well, I don’t know his real name, so that’s what I’ve been calling him instead.”

Baekhyun sighed heavily. “You’re kind of pathetic.”

The two friends were reclining in Chanyeol’s living room, spread out all over the couch in various socially unacceptable positions. It was a Saturday, and the weekend was the only time Chanyeol got time off from his summer job, so he wanted to enjoy it to its fullest. That meant one of his best friends was over—even though Baekhyun could be a little sometimes—and they were planning a long night full of video games, movies, and lots of sugary snacks.

“At least I can admit when I have a crush,” Chanyeol quipped.

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Baekhyun shot back.

“Huang Zitao.”

“Your pronunciation is terrible and I can’t understand you.”

Sighing loudly, Chanyeol stood up from the couch. “Fine. I give up.”

“Good.”

The taller male headed into the kitchen. “Do you want a snack, Baekhyun?”

“What do you have?” Baekhyun called back.

Chanyeol opened his fridge to see what was available, only to frown at the contents. Eggs, milk, some meat. Odd. Confused, he opened the pantry next, expecting to see the chips and cookies he’d had his mom pick up the day before.

Nothing.

The pantry had some cereal, bread, and a few boxes of his mom’s protein bars. Where had all his sugary, unhealthy snacks gone?

“I have some bad news, Baekhyun.”

The shorter man came into the kitchen, one eyebrow raised. “What?”

“There is nothing to eat.”

“… What?”

“All the snacks I bought! The soda! The cookies! They’re all gone!” Chanyeol pressed his head against the cool wood of the pantry. “I think my dad either ate them or hid them.”

“Why would he do that?”

“My mom is making him go on a diet and he doesn’t like it. He must’ve eaten my snacks out of spite.”

Baekhyun sighed. “Your family is ing weird.”

“We have more pressing matters, Baekhyun.” Chanyeol closed the pantry decisively. “I’m going to go buy more snacks.”

“How?”

“I can take my bike.”

“With what money?”

Chanyeol grinned and pulled a credit card out of his back pocket. “My mom’s card, duh.”

“… Do I even want to ask how you got that?”

“Probably not.” Chanyeol pocketed the card along with his phone and headed out the front door. “I’ll be back soon! Is there anything in particular you want me to pick up?”

“Just make sure you get the soda I like.”

“Roger that.”

Chanyeol had his bike in the garage, locked up just in case. It only took a matter of moments for him to get it unlocked. Then he was riding down the street, headed for the town and the nearest convenience store. He wasn’t planning on buying much: some cookies, a few bags of chips, the soda he liked, the soda Baekhyun liked, maybe some candy, a few boxes of pop-tarts …

Okay, maybe it was quite a bit after all.

The sun was still up when Chanyeol made it to the town’s main street. It had only been about six when he’d left, which explained why it was still so bright out. All the better for Chanyeol. He didn’t like riding his bike in the dark. 

Grinning at people he knew, Chanyeol maneuvered down the designated biking lane and came to a stop in front of a little 7-Eleven. It seemed strangely deserted, but Chanyeol wasn’t complaining. The less people there, the faster he could get what he needed and get home. He was planning on completely obliterating Baekhyun in a game of Mario Kart.

Chanyeol slid off his bike and hooked it up to the rack outside the 7-Eleven as he made a list in his mind of what he wanted to buy. While he did this, his eyes wandered down the street and came to a stop on a familiar ramen stand. It took about three seconds for Chanyeol to realize that he was staring straight at the tall blond owner of said stand, the really attractive one who smiled at Chanyeol and thanked him in soft Korean when Chanyeol bought his ramen.

.

Baekhyun would wonder what was taking so long if he didn’t hurry. The little er might even call his mom, and then Chanyeol would really be in trouble. He wasn’t supposed to go off into town so suddenly like that unless he was working or going to school. But Chinese Ramen Guy was standing there, looking beautiful and bored as he waited for someone to come up and buy something, and Chanyeol just couldn’t resist.

He was across the street in a microsecond, grinning too wide and getting a little too close. “Hi!” he chirped happily.

Chinese Ramen Guy blinked, surprised by Chanyeol’s sudden appearance and close proximity. “Uh … hi. Would you like to buy some ramen?”

“No.”

“… No?”

“I wanted to say hi.”

“Oh.”

Chanyeol felt stupid. “Um, well, I would buy your ramen, since I usually do, but I can’t stay too long. I have to pick up a few groceries and head home because a friend and I are having a movie night.”

Chinese Ramen Guy nodded. Chanyeol felt like he was rambling a little too much.

“My name’s Park Chanyeol!” he exclaimed, figuring introductions were in order. They kind of knew each other, after all. Chanyeol bought his ramen a lot; that had to count for something.

The corners of Chinese Ramen Guy’s lips twitched up into a smile. “Wufan.”

Chanyeol blinked. “Wufan?”

“That’s my name.”

“Oh, well that’s a really cool name! It sounds like the name of some sort of Chinese, fire-breathing dragon. Wufan. Dun dun dun.”

Wufan laughed. Chanyeol felt his heart jump into his throat.

“Um, well,” he swallowed nervously, glancing down at his shoes, “Are you doing anything tomorrow?”

“Not really, no. I don’t work on Sundays.”

“Why not? Religious reasons?”

Wufan shrugged. “I just like to have at least one day off.”

“Oh, I feel you. I don’t work the weekends, and I thank the good Lord every day that I do not. I need my beauty sleep.”

Wufan smiled. “I’ve seen you delivering mail around here.”

“You have?”

“Mmhmm. You ride your bike around and deliver mail and almost mow people over in the process.”

Chanyeol grinned. “Hey, the key word there is almost, because I haven’t mowed anyone over.”

“Yet.”

“Nah, it won’t happen. I have mad skills. I’m an acrobat on a bike. My reflexes are flawless; I can never be bested!”

Wufan laughed again. Chanyeol was glad someone found his insane rambling funny. Most of his friends just stared at him like he’d come from another planet.

“Anyway,” Chanyeol said. “We got off track. I wanted to know if you’d like to hang out with me and some of my friends tomorrow. We’re going over to that old basketball court near the running track to play around.”

“Basketball?” Wufan’s eyes lit up. “Are any of you good?”

Chanyeol shrugged sheepishly. “Well, not really. None of us exactly know how to play, so we kind of just run around and try to get the ball through the hoop.”

“I could teach you guys. I used to be on the basketball team at my old high school.”

“Oh, really? Cool! It’d be nice to know what we’re doing for once.” Chanyeol smiled. “So you’ll come?”

“Yeah. It sounds like fun.”

“Awesome. Meet us there at eleven tomorrow morning.” Chanyeol’s heart fluttered in his chest as he backed away, towards the 7-Eleven. “Bye, Wufan!”

“Bye, Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol turned and ran.

He got what groceries he needed in record time and quickly biked back to his house, a huge, stupid grin on his face and a weightlessness that had him feeling like he could fly. Chinese Ramen Guy—er, that is, Wufan—had smiled at him and talked to him and laughed at his rambling idiocy, and he’d even agreed to hang out with him!

Chanyeol just hoped his dumb friends didn’t ruin anything. It wouldn’t surprise him if Baekhyun put itching powder in his underwear or told Wufan embarrassing stories of him from when he was younger; that was just how Baekhyun was, the little . 

Of course, Chanyeol didn’t actually have to tell Baekhyun anything. If Baekhyun asked why he was so happy, he could just say that he got to talk to Chinese Ramen Guy and got to introduce himself. Baekhyun would probably for that, but at least he wouldn’t have time to prepare anything that would ruin any of Chanyeol’s chances with Wufan.

Pleased with his plan, Chanyeol dismounted his bike, locked it back up in his garage, and went inside with an armful of groceries. Baekhyun was lying on the couch, watching a reality show of some sort, but he jumped up when he heard Chanyeol come in.

“Park Chanyeol, what the hell took you so long? And why do you look so ing happy?”

Chanyeol grinned. “I ran into Chinese Ramen Guy! And I introduced myself and found out that his real name is Wufan! Isn’t that cool?”

“Amazing.” Baekhyun didn’t sound all that interested. “You’re still pathetic. Did you get my soda?”

“Of course.”

Chanyeol took the groceries to the kitchen to put them away, even more pleased with himself than before. He was an evil mastermind. An amazing, intelligent, evil mastermind. Baekhyun had no idea that Wufan would be joining them the next day; Wufan would just show up and the look on Baekhyun’s face would undoubtedly be priceless.

“Chanyeol, why are you cackling to yourself?” Baekhyun asked, walking into the kitchen and grabbing a cup from one of the cabinets like he lived there.

“Oh, no reason.” Chanyeol hadn’t realized he was cackling out loud.

“It’s creepy. Stop.”

Chanyeol cackled some more. “Make me.”

Baekhyun rolled his eyes, poured himself some soda, and left, muttering something about how ing weird Chanyeol was. Chanyeol, however, had the vague sensation that he’d just dodged a rather large, dangerous torpedo and won something in the process. He grinned as he finished putting the groceries away.

Chanyeol; 1. Baekhyun; 0.