At first, all Seungcheol saw were costumed kids, just like all the other one’s strolling along the walkway. But these four didn’t carry bags half full of candy.

Toilet paper rolls went over trees, were caught or picked up and thrown anew.

And because the universe loves to kick those that are down, the quartet of troublemakers randomly selected his property needed more Halloween spirit.

Normally he wouldn’t yell at children. To his memory he had never done so before. Especially over something so simple as paper strips that could be picked up in five minutes. But there was a lot of anger in Seungcheol’s stomach.

“Hey!” he yelled as soon as he ripped the door open. Half running, half jumping he made it down the few stairs.

“What do you think you’re doing, little brats? You’ll clean all that up, right now! I’ll kick you into the sun and tell your parents, in that order. I’m gonna-“

Close enough to make out details in the light from his house and the street lamps he saw a ghost, a skeleton, a pirate – with parrot! – and a kid wearing tablecloth below the neck. Weren’t those…?

The boy with hair like strawberry flavored shaved ice cream came bolting from across the road. He, too was yelling at the kids but much less coherently and with a vocabulary Seungcheol wouldn’t have used I front of the little one’s even with all the pent up rage coming through.

What had been his name? Ah, right.

“Jihoon!”

Pink hair boy turned to him, not a trace of rememberance on his face.

Seungcheol tried again. “You are Jihoon, right? Jeonghan’s friend. The Minion. And don’t you dare tell me that isn’t a costume, you malicious, mean spirited, disgusting little punk.”

“Oh,” Jihoon said, his voice still loud, but calmer now. “You’re scoops-guy, then! Listen, I lost control over these rascals but we’ll just leave-“

In any other case Seungcheol would have liked to be left alone and said his goodbyes. But today, this moment, he needed someone to yell at.

“Shut up. You’ve got to be kidding me. All I wanted was a nice evening and you come along and teepee my house and you make me feel like an idiot even though that’s really a costume and you act all smart and you never stop being on Tumblr when I talk to you and you stole my boyfriend!”

As he took a breath to continue he realized that this wasn’t the boy he wanted to yell at. Not that he wanted to yell at Joshua either, he just really had thought he might have a shot at being less lonely after tonight.

Jihoon looked a lot less threatening than the first time they had met. Seungcheol wasn’t particularly tall but with his face reddened from anger and the light from his house giving him an ominous aura, he practically loomed over the boy.

“S-sorry?” Jihoon said, his shoulders pulled up and his arms unconsciously crossing. He was pouting, but not the irritating way Joshua did on purpose. This was the pout of a boy who felt really, really bad and wanted someone to make him feel better.

Keeping his breath deep, Seungcheol got his mind to slow down. He saw four little kids close to tears from being near the scary, shouty man.

“I… I just need a cookie. I think we all need a cookie. Actually,” he turned to the children, “There’s an orange haired boy inside. I’m thinking he needs some paper rolls to his face. …Not too hard, okay?”

The group looked at their leader Jihoon, who in turn showed no sign of relaxing. Seungcheol didn’t understand anymore why he had thought of this boy as a cruel menace, when he was clearly just a fun loving sweetheart who had gone a bit too far. Maybe it was the pouting, but… he was kind of cute, even.

“Care to come in for a second?” Seungcheol tried to sound apologetic. He wasn’t actually going to apologize, though. “Grab a cookie. They’re pumpkin flavored.”

“You’re weird.”

That was all Jihoon cared to say, but he didn’t move from the spot.

“I’m not,” insisted the elder.

“Well, who else gives out toothpaste for Halloween?”

“That wasn’t- Alright, just forget about it.”

“About the coming inside part?”

“Um, no? I mean Jeonghan already left, but Josh and I are still watching… Oh, I guess that’s not children-appropriate. Anyway, I think we were off to a bad start.”

“And this Josh is the one you want to end up wrapped in toilet paper?”

“Definitely.”

Jihoon was his old self right away, commanding the group of one-digit-agers with the tone of a man who takes no s***.

“You heard Scoops. There’s a ginger inside who’s waiting for your attack.”

Seungcheol yelled after the tiny army. “There are cookies on the table. Leave some for me, though.”

In the end, Jihoon took the first step into the houses direction. They walked in silence, slower than necessary, both glad to be out of the children’s noise range for a moment. Joshua’s screams could be heard from outside just fine.

For the first time since reading Jeonghan’s note, Seungcheol smiled again.

It was surprisingly easy for Joshua to get his attackers under control and before long they took turns racing him through Bowser’s Castle.

Jihoon joined the house owner at the other end of the room, where they just kind of stood there. At least it wasn’t awkwardly quiet.

“I see the pirate got his bird back.” Seungcheol tried to break the ice.

“Thanks to you, I suppose. Look, Scoops-“

“That’s not my name. I don’t know if you actually think it is or what Jeonghan texted you but he just made that up.”

“Oh, well it suits you.”

“How so?”

“I dunno. It just does.”

“Your hair looks kind of like ice cream.”

“Huh?”

Seungcheol wanted to slap himself for this total non sequitur. It made sense to him, since ice cream came in scoops after all.

“Strawberry, I mean,” he tried to correct himself. “Strawberry flavored ice cream.”

That still didn’t sound more coherent.

How odd that he was so nervous again. He had been like that around Jeonghan because gorgeous boys did that to him, but now… he was almost giggly. What was it about this pink mopped guy?

A pumpkin shattered on the floor.

Jihoon’s attention went to the rascals who had grown bored and left Joshua’s control. After yelling at the children, using slightly fewer bad words than before, Jihoon ushered them to the door. He sent them out on the street and turned around again.

“I never got your name.”

“Seungcheol.”

“Seems I have to go. Can’t stay long in one place or that bunch goes berserk. Sorry about earlier. And sorry about now.”

“It’s fine. It’s just paper. I can pick that up. Part of the holiday spirit, I suppose.”

“Nah, just wait a second.”

Jihoon shouted four names and told them to clean up the mess they had made. Astonishingly the children complied without hesitation. For someone so easily overlooked the boy had power in his voice.

Seungcheol looked on as his garden was restored to its former glory. Jihoon in the meantime was fiddling with the four candy stuffed bags.

There were a few things Seungcheol would have liked to say, but nothing seemed appropriate that very moment.

“Thanks,” he tried, “For cleaning up. And, I guess, for making the night less terrible.”

“Was it that bad before?”

“You have no idea.”

Finished rummaging, Jihoon took out a bar of chocolate. Why had he been looking for this one for a good minute?

The boy pressed the bar into Seungcheol’s hand. “Here, have this. I thought about giving you back your toothpaste but I can actually use that, especially after all that candy. And it wouldn’t have fit on there.”

“What wouldn’t have fit? I don’t really need any choc-“

But apparently Jihoon was unwilling to discuss or even acknowledge the subject as he dashed away, hurrying the kids along. “Bye,” he shouted.

Seungcheol waved until the boy turned away and eventually he looked down at the unexpected gift. Comprehension dawned on his face.

The hastily scribbled note said:

Was a lot nicer meeting you the second time around.

Have a great night.

-Strawberry Ice Cream Haired Boy

Below was a number. Jihoon’s phone number.

Why he felt so fuzzy all of the sudden, Seungcheol couldn’t say. But he felt it. And he felt it deeply.

After spending an embarrassing amount of time staring at the night sky as if he expected Jihoon to came running back, he turned around to see Joshua occupied inside the house. To his credit, the orange haired boy had diligently cleaned up the broken pumpkin.

Regardless, he had another thing coming.

Seungcheol picked up the last roll of toilet paper still on the ground at his front entrance. Josh’s next costume would be a mummy, whether he liked it or not.

After carefully folding Jihoon’s note and tugging it in his pocket, Seungcheol began his attack.

“Hey Joshie, Happy Halloween!”

=== THE END ===