---

Just like with the first new year, the week after the lunar new year seems a bit more promising and exciting, with some of those who celebrate it chatting happily with friends about the money they received, while some just shrug when asked about their new year's day traditions.

Because not every holiday, even one that's supposed to be the most exciting one excites everyone. For Yifan, he's more on the apathetic side while Zitao would definitely be on the happier one.

Sure, Yifan's ma made sure to call all the way from Guangzhou (and berated him for the millionth time over him not coming to spend time with her this year). And sure, he had Zitao (and surprisingly Junmyeon) texting him over the new year weekend to make sure that he was doing alright. But, all in all, he spent the lunar new year alone once he came back home from work. No family to interact with in person, no gifts to give or get, no traditional foods to eat.

It was just him, some Chinese take-out, a can of beer, and a full DVD set of a show about a dude trying to fix his karma. So when his acquaintances that also celebrate the lunar new year ask what he did, he just shrugs and says, Not much.

-------

Later during that week, Sehun heads out of his home during the night to meet up with Zitao, Jongin, and Junmyeon. He and Zitao are gonna meet up with the other two for a game of mini-golf the next city over because Jongin's always true to his word. (And it's not like Sehun's driving.)

So, with some casual clothes on underneath his parka jacket, the usual appliance of eyeliner on, and a hint of a smile showing on his face, he climbs into his boyfriend's borrowed ride and buckles up while chatting with him. As Zitao drives, he raps along to some hip-hop songs that play on the car's stereo and Sehun watches him with fond eyes. Zitao doesn't even have to be doing anything for Sehun to just glance at him at times and feel so blessed.

To think that just in two months, their four-year dating anniversary will be coming up...

A content smile blooms on his face as he turns to stare back at the scenery and imagine what they'd be doing that day. Then, just as the light up ahead turns to red and Zitao slows the car down to a stop, Sehun turns his head to look at the person driving at their right only to whip his head away and immediately slink down into his seat.

"Woah! What...?" Zitao questions, looking at him and then the next driver over with furrowed eyebrows.

Then, he notices that the driver looks incredibly familiar somehow, and his eyebrows raise when the guy's expression matches his own before he's waving at him with a big smile on his face. He gives a hesitant wave back and Sehun looks at him from his hiding position while mouthing, What the hell?

Then the light turns back to green, and while still looking confused, Zitao drives on again and the car with the familiar guy zooms by them. He tries to remember where exactly he's seen that guy before and sees Sehun watching the car out of the corner of his eye before letting out an audible sigh of relief when the car turns onto a street that they pass by.

So of course he has to ask him who that was. "So...?"

Sehun turns to look at him. "Hm?"

"You gonna tell me who that guy was?"

"What? Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

"Unh-unh, I'm not the one trying to hide from the dude like he's an ex or something."

"What? An ex?" Sehun scoffs. "That dude's a fuc--no freakin'--" He pauses to take a deep breath after Zitao glances at him with confused concern. "...Remember that time I told you that I saw that guy who used to pick on me for no freakin' reason back in middle school?"

"That's him?!"

"Yeah. Brandon," Sehun says with disdain. He gets surprised though when Zitao doesn't say anything else for a moment as he continues to drive. Then, he remembers something. "So, how do you know him?"

"I...I don't think we know the same person."

"What."

"I mean like...that guy...I swear he was in my Wushu class back at the gym..."

Sehun's eyebrows raise as he echoes his last, What.

The light up ahead changes to yellow and so Zitao slows the car down to a stop again before turning to him. "I swear though, his name was Brian not Brandon." He scratches at his recently shaved chin. "You sure he didn't have like a twin or something?"

Sehun's eyebrows furrow even more before the vaguest memory pops up into his mind. His lips part a bit as he reminisces and his lack of a verbal response just seems to worry his boyfriend even more.

"Hunnie...?" Zitao says, placing a hand on Sehun's knee.

The light then changes back to green and he reluctantly removes his hand before placing it on the steering wheel and driving again. He's not sure what's running through his boyfriend's mind, but the way that Sehun rests a fist over his tight-lipped mouth makes him think that his noodle might've made a mistake somewhere.

-------

Meanwhile, Jongin and Junmyeon are already at the mini-golf place, waiting for the other two to show up. Junmyeon frowns and texts Sehun back after the latter says that they're almost there while Jongin alternates between texting Yixing and glancing at his own chapped hands with a frown. Junmyeon glances at them with a matching frown before pocketing his phone and asking, "Want some lotion?"

Jongin looks up from his phone, a slightly bored pout on his face, and lets out a sudden yawn. "Nah, it's fine."

Junmyeon lets out a disagreeing hum though and reaches into his knapsack for the small lotion that he carries everywhere before he hands it to Jongin.

"No seriously--I'm good," Jongin whines, pushing the lotion away.

The two then end up shoving the lotion towards one another when Zitao and Sehun finally arrive. A hand reaches to grab the lotion from the both of them and they look up in surprise to see a slightly smiling Sehun and a full-on grinning Zitao with his arm around Sehun's waist. Then, after some greetings, the two sit down (or more like Sehun sits on Zitao's lap) and the lotion falls to the ground--leading to Jongin bending down to pick it up. When he bends back up with it, both Sehun and Zitao look in surprise at the white, dead skin cells between Jongin's fingers and knuckles.

"Damn. Why do your hands look like that?" Sehun asks.

"Do they hurt?" Zitao adds, eyebrows furrowed with concern.

"Nah, it's just--not really." Jongin pouts. "It's just the cold. Like I put on moisturizer and stuff, but my hands keep drying out..."

"Where are your gloves then?" Junmyeon asks, and Jongin inwardly groans.

"I didn't bring any?"

Junmyeon gives him a look. "Then how are you surprised that your hands look like that?"

"I'm not? It happens every year...I'm used to it."

"So, but why don't you have some gloves on then?" Junmyeon asks with a frown. "And please don't tell me it's like that sock thing."

"What? Socks just feel too constricting--so what?" Jongin responds, his voice getting whinier.

The other two just watch them argue some more before they both glance at each other. Then, Zitao steers the topic away from stupid gloves and asks if they're gonna play putt-putt or what. Surprisingly it works, and so they all get up to play a moment later--though Junmyeon doesn't stop nagging until Jongin begrudgingly lathers some lotion onto his hands.

---

The game quickly goes as Jongin expected it would. Junmyeon scores the most points while Jongin fake-gags as he watches Zitao press his body against Sehun's back and guide his swinging movements with his own hands. The two actually end up kissing more than playing, and ignore the glances and stares from a few other people playing as well.

Eventually, once he and Junmyeon are sitting and waiting for the other two to get back from the restroom, Junmyeon points out the obvious.

"Do those two seem a bit more...lovey-dovey nowadays, or is it just me?" he asks, his voice low.

"Nah, they do," Jongin responds, leaning back comfortably in his seat and yawning again. "But what's new."

"No...after--after Valentine's Day..." His eyes dim a bit as he seems to remember something. Jongin frowns. "They just seem more...ya know."

Then, Jongin gets what he means and bursts out into laughter. "Oh my gosh, you mean they boned, don't you? Ahahaha! Well, obviously!"

"What 'obviously'?" Junmyeon huffs. "Not everyone has with their partner on that day."

"Bull," Jongin says, still laughing. "If you're into , and you know someone else that is too and you're dating them? Or -buddies, or whatever--how the hell would that not be a day to--to bang hahaha?"

Junmyeon just stares at him. "So did you and that guy I've been hearing about...?"

"Aha, what..." Jongin says, his cheeks heating up as his laughter dies down. "What does that have to do with--"

"I rest my case."

"B-but we just--just because we haven't..."

Junmyeon lifts an eyebrow at him and Jongin lets out a breath, trying to will himself to not think of Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo and him. Kyungsoo and his nice and his pillowy lips and--

Right then, Sehun and Zitao return--looking even more lovey-dovey than before with smiles on their faces and their hair messed up a bit.

"What'd we miss?" Sehun asks, plopping down into the seat next to Jongin. His eyebrows then raise at the sight of Jongin's blushing face and raise even more when he notices Jongin's...little problem. "Um...?"

Jongin quickly gets up from his seat to use the restroom at that, mentally cursing Junmyeon in his mind, and Sehun swiftly files this memory under the 'Things he'll never know or want to ask about' cabinet.

-------

All the way over in Changsha, late in the morning, Yixing walks towards his grandma's room to tell her something when his mind suddenly goes blank once he's past the threshold. She's not doing anything spectacular, just napping actually, but somehow just him passing through that doorway wiped his t