“Ha, ha, ha. Look at this one! Your nostrils look so big!” said Jeonghan as he looked at the photo booth sticker on his hand. They were at the arcade area of their town’s theme park.

Mingyu didn’t look at the photos. Instead he was looking at Jeonghan’s face with a gentle gaze and a smile. After a few moments Jeonghan noticed Mingyu’s gaze and flashed a smile towards his boyfriend.

“What?” Jeonghan’s eyes gleamed in curiosity.

“Nothing,” replied Mingyu. The gentle gaze was still there, but the smile had turned into a silly grin.

“What is iiiiiit?” Jeonghan pouted at Mingyu’s reply.

Mingyu just chuckled and shook his head. When he stopped laughing and turned his face, Mingyu’s eyes looked straight at Jeonghan’s. They were shaky from worry. And probably guilt, Jeonghan thought. They had been seen in Mingyu’s eyes from time to time since the day he walked out on Jeonghan at the cafeteria.

Jeonghan looked back at Mingyu and smiled. Then he took Mingyu’s hand in his and leaned closer, dropping his face onto Mingyu’s arm.

Mingyu could feel Jeonghan giggling into his arm. It made Mingyu smiled too.

“Anyway, why am I Minnie?” Mingyu wiggled the mouse-ear-shaped hairband on his head. It’s identical to the one on Jeonghan’s head, but there was a red ribbon with white polka-dot on Mingyu’s.

“Because I like Mickey.” Jeonghan said as-a-matter-of-factly.

“I like Mickey too.” Mingyu pouted. Jeonghan just laughed. Mingyu didn’t mind. He loved Jeonghan’s laugh.

“Next time... Let’s wear Minions...” Jeonghan felt hesitation in Mingyu’s voice. He also sensed the tense in Mingyu’s body. Or maybe it’s his own body. It’s hard to know for sure and it made Jeonghan jittery.

But in a second Jeonghan got his composure back. He tightened his grip around Mingyu’s hand and said, “Okay.” He was rewarded with Mingyu’s hand squeezing back. This made Jeonghan happy. He was right for not letting worry about tomorrow spoil a day with Mingyu. Jeonghan’s smile remained bright for the rest of the day.

---

Jihoon, Jeonghan, and Mingyu were already seated with food in front them when Jun passed their table at the cafeteria. The brown-haired stopped to have a chat with them.

“Get your food and sit here,” said Jeonghan.

Jun replied, “Nah. I’m waiting for Wonwoo.” Jeonghan looked obviously disappointed, but he smiled and said casually, “Okay.”

Not long after they saw Wonwoo near the door, turning his head around. After he spotted them, he walked straight to their table.

When he was close enough, Wonwoo said hi. His face was his usual impassive one, but there’s hesitation in his voice. After the rest of them replied to his greeting, he turned to look at Jun and then Jihoon before sitting next to Jeonghan.

“Will you get me the soup and chicken cutlet set?” he said to Jun.

“Why don’t you get it yourself?”

“I’m already seated, you’re still on your feet. Besides, aren’t you my babysitter?”

Jun reached out his arms towards Wonwoo, but Wonwoo, sensing the ill intentions, quickly countered them with his own. When Wonwoo almost caught Jun’s hands, he felt a different pair of arms on his waist.

“Ugh, Jeonghan-hyung! Stop clinging!” Wonwoo was panting from the attack of both sides.

Jeonghan let out a hearty laugh before removing his arms from Wonwoo. “Mom will get your lunch. Jun too. What do you want?”

Jun stopped attacking Wonwoo. “Nah, I’ll go with you.”

After Jun and Jeonghan left, the table went quiet until Wonwoo took a glance towards Mingyu who sat on his side of the table.

“Stop grinning.” Wonwoo snapped. “You too, Jihoon. It’s creepy.”

Jihoon only snickered in response. Wonwoo wanted to get back to him but decided it’d be wiser to get to Mingyu instead. He turned to Mingyu and his surroundings to find anything that he could use to wipe that grin from his face. Then he spotted Mingyu’s phone lying on the table. The back of the phone was covered in black casing with a square-shaped sticker just under the camera. Wonwoo leaned forward and grabbed the phone before Mingyu could register what happened.

“Hey!”

“Let’s see.” Wonwoo took the phone in his hand and looked at the sticker on the back. It was a picture of Mingyu and Jeonghan with the side of their heads touching, hairbands shaped in mouse ear on their heads.

“Ew.” Wonwoo deadpanned as he put the phone back to the table.

Mingyu looked offended. Then he looked over Wonwoo’s shoulder and said, “Jeonghan-hyung! Wonwoo-hyung mocked our photo sticker.” He pouted.

Jeonghan and Jun were back with trays on their hands. Jeonghan slipped between Wonwoo and Mingyu, while Jun sat next to Jihoon.

Jeonghan glanced at Mingyu while setting Wonwoo’s food on the table. “It is kinda over the top, Mingyu.”

“What? But you loved it when we took them! Don’t tell me...” Mingyu’s eyes widened in horror. “You threw the pictures away?”

“No, silly. I put it here.” Jeonghan took out his wallet from his pocket and showed him the pictures neatly tucked inside. It made Mingyu grinning in satisfaction.

“Anyway, it was a great theme park. You know, the one just opened a few weeks ago?” said Jeonghan.

“I heard there’s an illumination park inside,” said Jihoon.

“Yeah! It’s beautiful. There’s even this small lake, the lights are on the water. Looked like stars on dark sky. So romantic,” said Mingyu with a foolish grin.

Wonwoo raised his eyebrows. “...On the water...” he muttered.

“Like the illumination park in Japan, the set of Corridor of Light,” said Jun. Wonwoo nodded. The title Jun mentioned was from a novel book Wonwoo read a few months ago. He had lent it to Jun. They both love to read novels and exchange recommendations from time to time.

“What’s that? A book?” Jeonghan asked. Wonwoo nodded and Jeonghan said, “You should go and see if it’s similar to the book!”

Wonwoo rolled his eyes. “Going to a theme park alone? No hyung, no thanks.”

“I’ll go as your babysitter, Won Won,” Jun said while chewing his food.

Wonwoo took one of Jeonghan’s meatballs and threw it towards Jun. Jun somehow caught it with his mouth and chewed on it cheerfully. Mingyu clapped like a seal, Jeonghan cooed, Jihoon shook his head, leaving Wonwoo with his deadpan look.

---

“You knew?” said Mingyu. He was at Jihoon’s kitchen-slash-dining-room, sitting across Jihoon. It was a little past 6 PM. Jihoon went straight home after lunch and been working on a song when he received a text from Mingyu. It said that Mingyu needed to talk so Jihoon told him to come over.

Jihoon nodded at Mingyu’s question. “I was there when the talk happened. And the producer asked me to help him working on hyung’s songs.”

Mingyu fiddled with his cup, running his fingers over the handle and rotating the cup at random directions. When he said nothing, Jihoon asked, “So, what did you say?”

“We didn’t get to finish our talk. Seokmin came, and then Minghao came, and we just, yeah.” Mingyu dropped his head on the table, his right cheek plastered on the wooden surface.

“I don’t like it,” he said. “Jisoo won’t leave him alone. I know, I know, I’m paranoid. And I’m acting like I don’t trust Jeonghan-hyung. I trust him, I do, but... I just don’t like it.”

Jihoon didn’t say anything. He just pour some drink into Mingyu’s cup. Mingyu straightened his back again and took a sip.

“Hyung didn’t have to consult me. He wants it, he can just do it. But he did...” Mingyu closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them back, he said, “He cares for what I have to say about this matter.”

Mingyu looked at Jihoon. “I guess what I can do for him is to let him live his dreams.”

Jihoon smiled, “See. You figured it out yourself.”

Mingyu replied with a weak smile. “But I’m not sure if I can really handle it. You know how I can be.”

“Yeah, you can be an emotional jerk.”

“You and Wonwoo-hyung are the worst listeners.”

Jihoon let out a strained laugh before saying, “You’re willing to make the effort. I know it’s not easy, but you do it anyway. That’s admirable.”

Mingyu smiled a bit brighter. “I take it back about you being the worst listener. Well, at least you give better compliments. I feel a lot better now.” He stood up from his chair. “Let me cook you something. We have to go to the supermarket first though. We can’t cook anything healthy with the junk in your fridge.”

Jihoon said, “Okay”, but didn’t move from his seat. When Mingyu gestured him to get up, he said, “You’re going to repay me for my compliment and comfort, right? Then you should do all the work.”

“No. You’re coming with me.” Mingyu said as he dragged Jihoon by the shoulder. “You spend too many hours holed up inside your room.”

Jihoon protested, but he was smiling.

---

Jun and Jihoon were inside a gazebo in their neighborhood’s park, hunched over some notes and text books. Not quite far from the gazebo were Jeonghan and Mingyu, sitting on their bench (well, it’s not their bench, but they did make it themselves).

At some point Soonyoung came with a plastic bag. He fished out some drinks and snacks from the bag and gave them to Jun and Jihoon. He was responded with sincere thanks from the worn-out students.

Jun eyed the bottled coffee Soonyoung put in front of Jihoon. “It’s not good to pamper him too much.” Jun was never the type that nags, but he always took the chance to reprimand Jihoon for his addiction to caffeine.

Jihoon just grunted, not stopping the pen in his hand nor moving his eyes from his note. Meanwhile Soonyoung flashed an apologetic smile towards Jun before turning towards Jihoon. “They run out of the avocado mix, so I got you the mocha. Sorry.”

Jihoon lifted his head to face Soonyoung and gave him a smile. “Thanks,” he said, before burying his face in his notes once again.

Soonyoung looked like he was about to say something when Wonwoo came, grumbling something about a girl buying the only copy of a rare book he wanted to buy.

“You didn’t get your book. Jun-hyung and I have to deal with all this assignments. Life’s tough.” Jihoon deadpanned.

“I know. I just wanted to vent out. You’re a bad listener.”

“I don’t want to hear that from you.”

“Good point.” Wonwoo sighed as he finally sat down next to Jun. “I’m so pissed. I think I’ll go to that illumination park. Let people say what they want. I don’t care. I need to fresh my mind.”

“Let’s eat first before going,” said Jun.

“You don’t have to babysit me. I can go by myself.”

“There’s this delicious noodle shop on the way to the park.”

Wonwoo sighed at Jun’s blatant act of ignoring his will. “Fine. You really want to go that park, huh?” Jun replied with a decisive nod.

“Which park are you talking about?” Soonyoung chimed in.

“That new one near the bridge. The theme park. There’s an illumination area inside,” Wonwoo explained.

“Sounds fun! Let’s go too, Jihoon!” Soonyoung exclaimed.

Jihoon looked up from his notes. He could see Soonyoung’s excited face and Wonwoo’s “whatever” look. He also saw Jun’s cold stare towards Soonyoung. The target of the the said look was busy googling the park from his phone, while Wonwoo was busy munching the snacks on the table, so Jihoon was the only one who noticed.

To be truth, Jihoon had never seen Jun looked so scary.

“Nah, I’ll pass,” said Jihoon.

“Aw.... Busy working again? Okay, it’s just the three of us then. Oh! Let’s ask Jeonghan-hyung and Mingyu too!” said Soonyoung.

“No!” Jihoon quickly blurted out. “Why don’t we just go to that dance club you mentioned last week?”

“Ooh! Let’s go! But...” Soonyoung tilted his head. “You’re not busy?”

“No, it’s just that... I’m not interested in the park.”

Soonyoung didn’t even doubt. “Okay then! It’s settled! You two, the park. Us two, dance.”

Wonwoo hummed in agreement before standing up. “I’m going to get some drinks. Who wants some?”

Soonyoung shook his head while Jun refused by saying he still had some. Jihoon said, “I’m already out of mine. Can you get me some coffee? It’s on Jun.”

Wonwoo nodded and took his hand out to Jun. Jun raised his eyebrows but give Wonwoo some money anyway. After Wonwoo walked away, Soonyoung suddenly jerked his head and said, ”I forgot! I need something too! I’ll go with him.” And so Jun was left with Jihoon.

“You owe me,” said Jihoon.

Jun smirked. “I don’t know. This arrangement might benefit both parties.”

Jihoon raised his eyebrows. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Jun just shrugged.

“He’s a good friend and I enjoy hanging out with him, but I don’t see him like the way you’re suggesting. And I think the same goes to him,” said Jihoon.

Jun tilted his head. “I just have this hunch. When I see his eyes. I thought I recognize that look.” Jihoon didn’t look satisfied with his answer.

Jun continued, “I might be wrong, but who knows.”

That was the end of the talk. Jihoon and Jun went back to their notes. Jihoon didn’t have any problem focusing back on his assignments, but he couldn’t help thinking about Jun’s words when Soonyoung came back with Wonwoo.

Jihoon glanced at Soonyoung who was chatting with Wonwoo. Jun’s words brought some questions in his mind and somehow Jihoon thought that he might find the answers by looking at Soonyoung. A few moments later he realized that it was silly of him to think that he could do that just by looking at someone’s face.

Then he turned his head towards the bench where Mingyu and Jeonghan were sitting. The couple were intertwining their hands. They looked relaxed, shoulders touching each other’s.

Jihoon looked at them for a while until Mingyu turned his head and their eyes met. Mingyu noticed Jihoon and mouthed a “thanks” before giving him a big smile.

Jihoon felt his own lips automatically formed a smile.

---

Soonyoung clutched his stomach. His face flushed after sharing a good laugh with Wonwoo. He knew the guy was funny, but he never thought he was this funny.

Wonwoo was laughing too. When he stopped, he said, “I need a break.”

“Yeah, me too,” said Soonyoung.

They stopped chatting. Wonwoo lay down while Soonyoung leaned back with his hands on his back for support.

Soonyoung looked around to see if there’s anything else interesting when his eyes caught Jihoon. The pink haired boy was smiling.

Soonyoung stared at Jihoon. He didn’t even realize that he was staring until Jihoon stopped smiling and went back to face his notes.

That moment Soonyoung realized another thing. He loved Jihoon’s smile. The thought brought a warm feeling to his chest and a smile to his own lips.