“No Jongin, for the last time, you can’t go to the cosplay event dressed up like Krong–”

Chanyeol felt the impact of another body slamming against his own before he even managed to finish his sentence. The person who collided against him was quite on the short side, which was the reason why he was able to retain his balance even though he stumbled a little to support the two of them. His hands were holding either side of the shorter guy before mumbling, “Are you all right?”

“Bo Xian!” A voice shouted from three meters away, stealing both Chanyeol’s and Jongin’s attentions. However, the said man was not paying attention to either of the two. His whole concentration was on the boy on Chanyeol’s hold. “Are you okay?” He worriedly asked before yanking “Bo Xian” away from the giant and inspecting him from head to toe.

“Wǒ méishì, Jing Xiu,” the said boy mumbled.

All the while throughout the exchange, both Chanyeol and Jongin had their brows scrunched up. The two short guys were talking in Chinese and even possess Chinese names, but they look nothing Chinese at all! The two friends’ minds were muddled.

When the guy who bumped into Chanyeol assured his companion that he was fine, that was the only time when “Jing Xiu” turned to them. “Annyeonghasaeyo,” he politely greeted with a heart-shaped smile which had Jongin gasping. Thankfully though, the wide-eyed boy didn’t seem to notice it. “I am Do Kyungsoo, and this is my cousin, Byun Baekhyun.” Baekhyun snorted at the way Kyungsoo introduced him.

To be brutally honest, Baekhyun didn’t like Korea at all. He spent twelve years of his life on China with his Chinese cousins along with Kyungsoo, and if it weren’t for his mother’s urging for him to “see the world outside of Beijing”, never would he decide to transfer to Korea for college.

Kyungsoo, on the other hand, was excited at the prospect of leaving China behind. They had their good memories, he reasoned out to Baekhyun, but he thought that Korea would be another exciting experience for them.

“–oh,” Chanyeol reacted after almost a minute of staring. He thought Jongin would say something, but it seems as if the tanned boy was glued staring at Kyungsoo’s face. If Kyungsoo noticed it, he didn’t let it show. “I thought the two of you were Chinese.”

Kyungsoo smiled again before explaining their circumstances to Chanyeol. “We’re both new here. Baekhyun is running away from me because he wants to escape goddamned Korea.”

Chanyeol slowly nodded his head before scrunching his nose up, turning to Baekhyun with a bright smile (which people usually regard as creepy). “Well, I’m sure you will find Korea’s finer points soon, Baekhyun-ssi!” He slung his arm over Jongin’s arm. “I, Park Chanyeol, and my friend here, Kim Jongin, will make sure you and Kyungsoo-ssi will have your best Korean experience ever!” He enthusiastically grinned.

Kyungsoo smiled and clapped his hands along, while Baekhyun only muttered “shǎzi” under his breath to pertain to a certain gangly boy.

--

“Hi Kyungsoo-ssi, Baekhyun-ssi!” Baekhyun’s ears hurt at the sight of the Ramyeon (he decided to call the boy this way partly because he doesn’t remember his name, and mostly because his hair does resemble a ramyeon) with his bronze-skinned friend. Baekhyun could tolerate the bronzed kid better, since he looks a lot more normal than Ramyeon and he’s quieter.

Kyungsoo, much to Baekhyun’s chagrin, smiled warmly at the two before inviting them inside their dorm room. “Please drop the formalities, Chanyeol. We’re all friends here, right?” His cousin says in a slightly accented Korean. Living more than half their lives on China rusted up their Korean a bit.

“Of course, of course!” Ramyeon clapped once more. “That’s nice between friends, being informal.” He said before blabbing about everything that Baekhyun doesn’t care about.

Baekhyun chose to drown Ramyeon’s voice as nothing but a buzz in his ear. He hates hearing him speak and he doesn’t even know why. Actually, he just doesn’t like Ramyeon’s whole existence in particular. Perhaps it was because of the real reason why he slammed against him the first time they met, that he had been so mesmerized by Chanyeol that he didn’t even notice anything else– BIAN BO XIAN, SHUT THE HELL UP!

Taking a deep breath, he turned to the other three occupants in the room and was surprised to find them all staring at him. “…What?” He asked in his bored voice.

“We’re asking you if it’s okay to go to Han River! It’s a good place to start and there are lots of things to do once we’re there and–”

“If it will make you shut up, then yes, Ramyeon,” he responded in a flat voice.

Ramyeon scrunched his nose up (Baekhyun noticed that it was one of his quirks other than the eye-twitching, not that he observes the giant, OF COURSE NOT!) before speaking. “I’m Chanyeol, not Ramyeon!”

“Okay, Chalyeon.” Baekhyun dismissively answered before going back to his book.

Jongin soundlessly laughed while Chanyeol pouted followed by Kyungsoo apologizing for his cousin’s behavior. “Please don’t mind him; he’s just not well-adjusted yet. I’m sorry Chanyeol.”

“Tch,” the curly-haired boy sneered. “No one cares about that Bacon!” He immaturely replied.

Baekhyun slammed his book down on the desk before turning to Chanyeol. “Who are you calling Bacon, huh, Chalyeon?!”

“YOU!” Chanyeol answered, sticking his tongue out. “And I’m CHANYEOL! C-H-A-N-Y-E-O-L!”

Baekhyun smirked. “Real mature, Cheolyan.”

“UGHHHHHHHHHHH!”

Both Jongin and Kyungsoo shared a look. It’s going to be a long, looooooong day…

--

It had been two months since the four of them had been friends– oh sorry, the three of them with Baekhyun tagging along (he insists that he is not Chanyeol’s friend in any way at all). Throughout the whole of two months though, the two immature puppies still stuck to the name-callings. Kyungsoo knows that Baekhyun’s memory is bad, but by this time he’s 101% sure that his cousin was only faking because whether he admits it or not, he likes bickering with the giant.

“You two fight like an old married couple,” Kyungsoo commented as the four of them were sitting in the cafeteria. Jongin was next to Kyungsoo while the pups were sitting side by side in front of them. It’s ironic, both Jongin and Kyungsoo think, because as much as how the two “hate” each other, it seems as if they cannot function well if the other person is far or is not around.

Jongin remembered that one time that Chanyeol came down with a flu and wasn’t able to join them for lunch. When Baekhyun sashayed towards their table, his first instinct was to look around. He swept the whole cafeteria with his eyes indiscreetly before plopping down next to an empty seat. “Where’s Cheonyal?” where the first words out of his mouth, and both him and Kyungsoo didn’t fail to about it.

Baekhyun made a disgusted sound while pointing to Chanyeol. “ME? The amazing Bian Bo Xian a.k.a. Byun Baekhyun, married to this Egg Yolk?! NO, NO NO. That’s just,” he laughed harder, shaking his head. “that’s just a huge NO, Soo.” He vehemently denied while laughing.

Baekhyun was too busy keeping up with his laughter that he didn’t notice Chanyeol’s sudden silence. Kyungsoo and Jongin, on the other hand, were both quiet as they survey the scene in front of them.

“Wait, why is nobody laughing.” Baekhyun questioned when he noticed that their table had been dead quiet. No one answered, and they were all surprised when Chanyeol suddenly stood up and left without saying anything.

“…It’s your fault, Bian Bo Xian.” Kyungsoo reprimanded him with narrowed eyes. Baekhyun bit his lip. He knows that his cousin only uses his full Chinese name when he meant serious business. “You’re hurting Chanyeol’s feelings.”

Baekhyun’s eyebrows met. “What do you mean, feelings? All the feelings I know is Jongin’s undying love for you.” He grinned, trying to lighten the situation.

Jongin reddened but remained serious while Kyungsoo’s face remained impassive. “Alright then, go on being such a jerk. If that’s what makes you happy.” His cousin stood up with Jongin scurrying after him, and Baekhyun had never felt so bad his whole life. Not much for upsetting Kyungsoo, but…

…for Chanyeol.

Before he knew it, he was sprinting fast towards the dorm room that Chanyeol shares with Jongin. He was panting when he finally reached it, rapping his knuckles against the door loudly. It was noon and no sign of life was in the hallway apart from him.

“Not now, Jongin,” Chanyeol’s tired voice resonated through the door.

Baekhyun swallowed. Nervousness was now creeping up on him, but he had to do it now or never again. “It’s not Jongin,” he quietly answered. “It’s me.”

He heard a flurry of actions on the other side of the door. It opened about three minutes later, not that Baekhyun’s counting, really. “Bacon!” Chanyeol greeted in false cheer.

Baekhyun forced his way inside the room. “Don’t pretend to be happy when you’re not.” He commented as soon as he was inside. Chanyeol was leaning against the door, his arms across his torso.

“Why are you here?”

“Why did you leave?”

Chanyeol averted his gaze. “I was… tired.”

“Tired of what?”

“Just tired.” Chanyeol shrugged. “Why are you investigating me, anyway?”

Baekhyun quietly stepped towards Chanyeol. The latter straightened, his arms falling limply on either side of him as his eyes slowly widen. There was no trace of mischief or playfulness on Baekhyun’s demeanor. “Park Chanyeol.” Baekhyun whispered. Chanyeol’s indeed taller than he is, but it doesn’t stop Baekhyun from caressing the former’s face. The giant shivered under his touch. “I like you.”

Chanyeol’s breath got caught on his throat.

“YOU CALLED ME BY MY NAME!” He suddenly exclaimed, making Baekhyun facepalm himself.

“Way to ruin the moment, Eggyeol.” He sarcastically said, rolling his eyes.

Chanyeol laughed and Baekhyun could feel the vibrations as the giant pulled him closer. “I like you too, Bacon.”

____________________________________________________________________________________

Translations: Wǒ méishì = I'm fine ; shǎzi = idiot