So it starts with a summer apart and a clumsy confession on Hansol's part.

It kinda starts sometime in sophomore year. If you ask Hansol, he can’t tell you how it happened. It just did.

The thing is that he and Seungkwan have known each other forever. Not since diaper days or whatever, but young enough for Seungkwan to thoroughly dissuade eleven-year-old Hansol of the presence of cooties by soundly handing his to him in various playground games.

So, yeah, they’ve been friends for a really long time.

Except… well, Seungkwan’s gotten a lot prettier over the years.

It’s not that he’s saying she was ugly before (if he tries that, he’d probably wind up speaking an octave too high for a week), but he was desensitised. But a summer away from each other is more than enough for Hansol to realise that he is well and thoroughly ed.

A summer on Jeju Island leaves her with a healthy golden glow that Seungkwan hates and Hansol loves. It makes her eyes stand out more, her lips pinker in the sunlight and her smile just that little bit more deadly.

It takes a full week for him to realise he’s in love with her.

And okay, it's not just because Seungkwan’s gotten more beautiful. She's always been that pretty. It’s just that he sees her so often, he never realised just how much she was a part of his life until she wasn't there. She filled every crack in his life, making it that much more colorful and interesting. Three months worth of crappy Skype calls and KakaoTalk messages weren't nearly enough. No, over the summer, he realised he needed to see her, touch her, smell her floral body wash and hear the way she whined whenever he couldn't pick a movie.

So it starts with a summer apart and a clumsy confession on Hansol’s part.

To be honest, Hansol never meant to confess – if anything, it had been the furthest thing from his mind. They had been arguing, because Hansol was being a jealous and Seungkwan had been way too happy about getting a duet with Seokmin oppa.

Hansol ends up yelling at her. In the courtyard. At school. In front of so many people. She yells back, but she can't hide the tears in her eyes or the way she delicately brushes them away when she stomps off. He knows her too well.

He’s frozen stupid. He never meant to make her cry –

Mingyu’s nudge snaps him out of it. “Go after her,” the elder says and Hansol nods once before dashing after her.

Seungkwan’s fast, but Hansol’s still faster. His long strides beat her hurried steps by a long shot. He grabs her wrist and her other hand is flying through the air, palm impacting his cheek with a loud crack.

“How dare you,” she hisses, tugging away from him while she beats at his chest with a small fist. “Who the gave you the right, Hansol Vernon Choi?”

Oh, , he's in trouble. She used his full name. He knows he's in trouble. His cheek stings, but it’s a minor pain compared to the ache in his heart at the sight of her tears.

“I’m sorry,” he murmurs, pulling her into his chest so she’ll stop hitting him (and so he can hug her close and never let go). “Babe, I'm so sorry – ”

“I don't want to hear your stupid apologies!” She pushes away from him and it cuts deep. “You can't just – just babe me and think everything is okay, Hansol! Nothing – absolutely nothing gives you the right to yell at me like – ”

“I was jealous! It’s because I like you, okay?” Hansol yells, frustrated at all her accusations. He’s her best friend. He likes her. The least she could do was take that into account before she decides to fall for some other guy.

Seungkwan freezes. “What did you say?” she says, voice dangerously soft.

Hansol freezes too. Did I just…?

He did. He’d just blurted the words out. He could take them back… but he doesn't want to. Then she’d think he wasn't being sincere, but he is. He's never been more genuine in his entire life (all sixteen years of it).

“Hansol?”

“I like you,” he blurts – the dam has broke and he has no way of patching it up. He rests his hands on her small shoulders, looking into her wide eyes and willing her to hear him. “And not just like friends. I like you and I don't want to hear you gushing about – about some other guy because you should… you should look at me. I'm right here.” His voice drops. “Please look at me.”

The next few moments last for an eternity. For once, he's rendered the ever-articulate Boo Seungkwan speechless. He’d be proud if he weren't so goddamn nervous.

His hands drop from her shoulders, dread creeping up his spine. Oh , oh crap. He's done it now. He's ed things up so badly, they're never coming back from it.

Her hands go up to his lapels and pulls him down, her lips pressing up into his. He’s so shocked he doesn’t respond, but she doesn’t seem to mind. Her eyes are twinkling and her lips are curved upwards in the cutest smile ever when she pulls away.

“Idiot,” she says softly. “I’m always looking at you. You just couldn’t see it.”

And, well. It kind of makes sense, doesn’t it? Standing in front of her, he can see it – how she puts more time into him than anyone else, how she gives him more liberties than the other, heck, even the way she’s a lot less violent towards him. Not to mention all the smiles that she only reserves for him…

Hansol lets out a surprised laugh as he lifts her up by the waist and twirls her around. “I’m blind,” he says when he finally puts her down. “I’m so sorry.”

Seungkwan smacks his shoulder repeatedly. “Damn straight you are. Don’t do that again!”

“Will you – that is, if you don’t mind – I mean – ”

“Spit it out, man!”

“Will you be my girlfriend?”

She grins, pulling him down for another kiss. “Finally,” she sighs against his lips. “I thought you’d never ask.”