He remembers the sweet taste on his tongue, the sugary flavour enveloping the muscle.

-

Kyungsoo’s first jellybean

He remembers begging his mother for it, reaching into the jar, picking out a plump, red, juicy looking jellybean. When he bites into it, it’s glorious, and the only thing that runs through his mind is:

Jongin should taste this too

-

The new neighbours had just moved in, occupying the house adjacent to the Do’s. It’s a pleasant place to live in, quiet, with a golfing range just 5 minutes away, a lake just beyond their backyard, and large trees overlooking the vast area.

Kyungsoo had sulked and hid when his parents had called for him to meet the Kim’s.

He didn’t like them already, not with their big, flashy sports car, or their luxury furniture being moved in.

He most definitely did not like, or want to, associate with their only son, a boy younger than him by a year, Kim Jongin. He’d seen the short little squirt from his bedroom window; walking with his twiggy little arms and legs, messy hair and tanned skin.

Jongin liked sports he heard, liked to play outside. He also took dancing classes, learnt jazz and ballet at an established dance school in the city. He was a city boy, living in the fast life where neon signs and tar roads lead the way to paradise. 

Kyungsoo had lived in the countryside his whole life, the autumnal leaves drifting down around him, the sound of wildlife beyond the bushes, and warm campfires with his parents.

“Kyungsoo!”

He ignores his mother’s call, for the fifth time in a minute. Instead he shuts the window, and curls up with a book on his quilted bed, a single, by the corner of the room.

Why did Chanyeol have to leave?

His old neighbour was perfectly fine. The Park’s were pleasant, and Chanyeol was funny and friendly. Kyungsoo reflects on his old camp adventures, and it tugs at his heartstrings.

Would Jongin be the same? Would Jongin be his new best friend?

Scrunching up his face, he throws the book to one side, and flops backward on his bed.

Jongin would never take the role of ‘best friend’.

“DO KYUNGSOO! If you don’t come out of that room-,” his mother yells, storming up the stairs and yanking the door open.

Kyungsoo doesn’t respond, merely rolling over into a ball and hiding under the pillow.

“You are the most anti-social 8 year old I have ever met,” she shakes her head, grabbing Kyungsoo by the ankles and pulling him out.

“Mom- No. I don’t want to meet the Kims,” he scrunches his face up, pulling his own leg out of his mother’s iron grip, a stray foot knocking his teddy off the nightstand.

“Come on, come on, Jongin is a sweet boy, I’m sure you’ll enjoy his company. Stop sulking about Chanyeol. You can call him tonight, I promise.”

At that, Kyungsoo’s face lights up, as he sits up immediately.

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

-

He hesitates at the door, peering outside where Mr.Kim was talking to his father. They were laughing, and already discussing plans for a neighbourly campout.

Kyungsoo screws his face up in disgust. He wouldn’t camp with anyone but Chanyeol. They had promised each other.

“Hey.”

Startled, Kyungsoo jumps away, turning to face the young boy- Jongin.

“I’m Kim Jongin, and I’m 7 this year,” he smiles, showing off a gap in his front teeth, and a charming grin. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Jongin was dressed like a city boy, with his designer clothing. Kyungsoo felt a little self-conscious, with his own worn-out overalls, and faded red jumper.

He merely eyes the younger, already large eyes widening further.

However, Jongin’s smile doesn’t falter at the lack of a response, and instead he pulls out a wrapped waffle from his pocket, ripping apart the packaging and offering half to Kyungsoo.

“This is my favourite snack. It’s from a con—um –conveni— conveni-nen-ce store in Seoul. It’s vanilla flavour.”

...it’s convenience store, Kyungsoo internally corrects the younger.

He takes it, nibbling the edge, and the thin wafer breaks under his teeth, melting in his mouth, the milky vanilla taste sending him straight to heaven. It was amazing.

Almost as good as his mother’s vanilla pudding.

Almost.

“Do you…like it?”

He nods eagerly, wolfing down the remaining piece in his hand, up the crumbs.

“It’s only available in the city, so my parents let me buy a few big boxes to take here. Um- actually, I could let you taste the rest too, if you come over.”

Kyungsoo doesn’t want to.

He doesn’t want to like the new boy-next-door.

But Jongin was making it hard to hate him.

-

“Jongin!,” he yells, knocking on the Kim’s sliding glass door.

Soon, it’s pulled open by Mrs. Kim, who looks delighted to see him standing there.

“Kyungsoo, how nice of you to visit us,” he beams.

Kyungsoo shuffles awkwardly, holding out an opened pack of candy, “U-um, does Jongin like candy?”

“Are those jellybeans? Jongin loves jellybeans, but we didn’t have time to get him any.”

“I know,” Kyungsoo shuffles his feet shyly. “I brought them so he could have some.”

She lets him in, and he flies up the stairs, running and knocking on Jongin’s door thrice in a tap-taptap rhythm, a secret they had thought up between folding wafer wrappers into origami animals.

He hears a soft whisper through the keyhole, “Password?”

“Scribble.”

Jongin pulls the door open, pulling the elder into a warm hug. He smells of strawberries and cocoa, a delectable scent wafting off his skin, and Kyungsoo doesn’t pull away.

“Are those jellybeans? No way!”

Kyungsoo grins, opening the package and offering it up.

“The red ones taste the best.”

Picking one out, he pops it into his mouth and chews, his excited face transforming into one of pleasure, as he gushes about the taste unintelligibly. Kyungsoo doesn’t mind that he can’t understand the words. He feels strangely happy at pleasing his new friend. It’s a tingly feeling in his heart, and it makes him feel happy too.

They share the jellybeans, ruining their dinner appetite, as Jongin shows Kyungsoo his favourite storybook.

-

Chanyeol finally calls him back, after a week.

Kyungsoo’s overexcited, but Chanyeol’s not. He seems fidgety, as if he wants to hang up immediately.

“Chanyeol! I missed you! Did you know, there’s a new kid who moved in next door, his name is Jongin, and he’s from the city.”

“Yeah? That’s cool, I guess,” Chanyeol replies distractedly. It’s hard to hear him over the din of the background.

“So how’s Seoul?,” Kyungsoo asks quietly. “Is it better than the countryside?”

“It’s way better! There’s cool things like console games here. My mom got me one. I even made a new friend in school. His name is Baekhyun and he’s moved from the countryside too.”

“Jongin has one of those…consoles too. I’m going over to play it tomorrow.”

“I’m going camping tomorrow.”

“Camping with your family?”

“No, with Baekhyun.”

At that, Kyungsoo’s face drops, his mood shattered. Chanyeol had promised. They would only go camping with each other. That was what best friends do, right? Was Chanyeol making a new best friend?

“…oh. T-that’s nice, I guess.”

“It’s gonna be amazing!,” Chanyeol yells excitedly. “Anyway, I have to go now, mom’s calling. Bye Kyungsoo.”

Before he could return a goodbye, the elder had already hung up, and Kyungsoo was left hanging on a dial tone and a betrayed friendship like a fool.

It doesn’t hurt for long, though, when the Kim’s are invited over for dinner, and Jongin is allowed to have a sleepover at Kyungsoo’s place.

-

With the arrival of winter, comes steaming mugs of cocoa, and melting marshmallows. There’s warm turkeys from the oven, and hot mushroom soup from the pot. Log cakes are served, and for the daring, ice-cream from the freezer.

He’s 12 now, but the snowflakes haven’t lost their charm. Kyungsoo spends his time outside with Jongin, having snowball fights and building charming snowmen.

“Look here, Jongin!” Kyungsoo yells.

As he turns, the younger is pelted in the face by a freezing ball of snow. His cheeks and nose are flushed from the cold, but it doesn’t stop him from giggling loudly, diving behind his fort for defense.

“You sneaky little fox, Kyungsoo.”

“Keep your wits about you,” Kyungsoo smirks triumphantly, tossing another snowball in his palm.

“If you let me win, I’ll let you have a taste of my snowy rice ball pudding,” Jongin peeks out, bribing the elder shamelessly.

It sounds tempting, and it is. What was a single win, for a delicious treat by the warm fire? Jongin’s mother was an excellent cook, and often Kyungsoo’s mouth would water at the smell emanating from the Kim’s kitchen.

Stepping out from behind his fort, Kyungsoo concedes defeat, holding up his hands in surrender.

Jongin laughs, throwing a snowball at Kyungsoo, who giggles and blocks it. He grabs the elder’s warm hands, encased in a mitten, and pulls him back to the house, pulling off his coat and cap and instructing him to sit by the fireplace.

When he returns, he’s wielding a small bowl and a silver spoon.

Kyungsoo looks down at the white pudding balls, floating in a golden syrup.

“Have a taste, Kyungsoo. I’m sure you’ll love it.”

Scooping a portion, he holds it up to eye-level and inspects it. It’s glowing a little red, from the reflection of the fire, and it looks delectable.

He shoves the spoonful into Jongin’s mouth.

Jongin raises his eyebrows in surprise, but swallows the mouthful, grinning.

“How would you describe it?,” Kyungsoo questions him, taking a bite himself.

Looking at Kyungsoo, he simply radiates, brighter than the fire itself.

“Heavenly.”

-

Kyungsoo hasn’t gotten such a horrid cold in years. He’s 16 now, so shouldn’t his immune system have toughened up by now?

Sneezing and sniffling, he huddles under his duvet, in the same bed he’s spent his childhood in.

There’s a soft knock on the door, and Jongin enters, wielding a bowl of steaming chicken noodle soup.

“Your mom told me to bring this up to you. And she told me to make sure you eat every single bite, even if I have to force feed you.”

“I think I’ll throw up if I eat anything,” Kyungsoo moans, burying further into his pillow.

“No you won’t. Eat it, here, I’ll feed you.”

Jongin scoops a spoonful, blowing the smoke away gently, before bringing it to Kyungsoo’s awaiting lips.

Sparing him a withering glance, Kyungsoo takes a bite, letting the taste flood his tongue and wash away the bitter taste of medication.

The soup tastes salty, the broth a little peppery, while the glassy noodles slither down his throat.

It doesn’t make him throw up, and he eagerly swallows the next spoonful Jongin offers him.

“I told you, it’s not so bad, right?”

“I suppose not,” Kyungsoo concedes, eagerly swallowing each spoonful while silently pondering to himself.

If it hadn’t been Jongin, he probably wouldn’t have taken a bite.

-

Springtime blooms, along with the budding tulips by the garden’s edge, a cool breeze blowing through the air. Kyungsoo’s recovered from his cold by now, and he’s perched on the wooden chair in his backyard, sipping a cup of strawberry camomile tea.

Jongin’s gone back to the city to visit his old friends and relatives, and Kyungsoo’s alone for once, sitting and listening to the sound of the birds chirping; the ripples of the lake as the wind rushes over the surface.

He remembers splashing in it as a child with Chanyeol, pushing the elder in with a gasp and a giggle. They would fool around the shallow side, taking turns dunking each other.

Lately, the memories of Chanyeol had grown fuzzy, slowly replaced by another face.

More tanned, more kind, and much more handsome.

Last summer, he and Jongin had jumped in the deep end, holding an all-out war in the water, neither winning nor losing, until Kyungsoo had been grabbed by the ankles and pulled under, Jongin staring at him with laughing eyes under the clear blue freshwater.

It’s as blue as the iced tea his mother serves up by the shore, calling them up for a break.

The syrupy drink is every bit as cool and refreshing as it looks, and it matches the atmosphere perfectly.

Kyungsoo doesn’t realize he’s fallen hard for Jongin, until the younger gives him a dazzling grin under the warm sunlight, the reflection off the glass turning his tanned chest a bright blue, and Kyungsoo’s heart skips a few beats.

Now, he’s a year older, sitting in the spring breeze with his camomile tea, but none of his feelings have changed.

He wonders if Jongin will come back with a city girl by his side, every bit as pretty as the daisies growing by the fence. The camomile was probably a good thing, calming his jealous heart in the chilly breeze.

When Jongin returns, Kyungsoo will probably tell him.

-

The weekend before their first day in college together—Kyungsoo’s first day in the city, they camp in Jongin’s backyard, by the big tree they would climb when they were young children.

Kyungsoo still hasn’t told him.

Jongin hadn’t returned from the city with a new girlfriend, only with a pamphlet to the Seoul College of Arts and an excited grin on his face.

He had also returned with a package of bibimbap, and it had tasted every bit as spicy and rich as the younger’s personality, but Kyungsoo wouldn’t tell him that. That was flirting, and he’d probably scare Jongin off.

“Kyungsoo.”

They sit by the warm fire, and crackling logs, smoke rising to the dark skies, with marshmallows on roasting sticks.

“Yeah?”

“Are you scared of going to the city?”

He fidgets a little, checking on his marshmallow. It’s a little burnt on one side, but the inside was still gooey and sweet. A little like Jongin as well.

“I’ve never been to the city. I suppose so.”

“Well, I’ll be there. Will you be meeting your best friend?”

Kyungsoo looks up in surprise, Jongin hadn’t mentioned Chanyeol before, so why was he bringing him up now?

“We haven’t been in contact for years. He’s no longer what I’d like to consider my best friend.”

“Am I your best friend?”

The elder ponders the question.

“Sort of.”

Jongin laughs loudly, stuffing a marshmallow in his mouth, and looking much like a squirrel storing for wintertime.

“I hope I’ll be more than a ‘sort-of’ soon.”

“I hope so too.”

They end their night with a few more marshmallows, and unspoken promises under the starry night sky.

-

The cafeteria food was mediocre at best.

A week in, and Kyungsoo had made his decision on it.

Jongin didn’t complain however, and wolfed down the sandwiches.

Despite having an of a year, Jongin had been allowed early entrance, known as a dancing prodigy. Kyungsoo had been accepted for his natural singing ability, something he hadn’t really polished.

Jongin had been placed in the same class as him, along with another young prodigy, Sehun.

Soon, Kyungsoo had made friends with another fellow 18-year old, a young male from up north, in China. Self-proclaimed best friend of Sehun, some kid called Tao.

Their ragtag group would often drop by the local coffee shop, a five-minute drive from the campus.

Sehun would usually order a black coffee, before getting lost on his phone, ignoring the real world for his network of friends and strangers on a social site (he always gets overexcited by someone called Luhan appearing in his notifications). Tao would spend his time by the counter, even after having made his coffee order, idly flirting with the handsome young bartender as well as irritating his fellow customers.

Kyungsoo would be left, with Jongin, to fill the awkward silence left behind by the absence of the others.

Jongin would never be affected by the awkwardness, instead regarding it as comfortable, as he cuts his cake and offers Kyungsoo a forkful of moist chocolate.

It’s dark, and sweet, like the owner.

-

The day when he finally spills it, is during Sehun’s 18^th birthday, a large celebration at the younger’s mansion— mansion! –when Tao has yet again disappeared, and he’s left behind with a rather inebriated Jongin by the quiet poolside. Apparently, the mysterious Luhan had shown up, and Sehun had vanished, minutes into the party, only to reappear with a large grin on his face and suspiciously ruffled hair.

So Kyungsoo had brought Jongin to the bar for his first taste of alcohol, eventually having to drag him away to the pool.

Jongin’s holding a wine glass, and it’s sloshing around dangerously, as he sways forward and backward, laughing at a joke.

“Jongin, calm down.”

“You’re really funny, do you know that, Kyungsoo?”

Kyungsoo an eyebrow, offering the younger a bottle of water.

“It may be, but you’re really drunk. And I think you know that, Jongin.”

Jongin laughs again, that infuriatingly addictive trill, as he sips the dark crimson liquid in the bowl of the crystal, the mature taste tingling all the way down his throat, slinging dark chocolate notes and a twist of mandarin orange.

He turns to face Kyungsoo, expression surprisingly serious despite his drunkenness, and his piercing dark eyes cut straight into the elder’s soul.

The elder averts his eyes from the gaze and shivers in the breeze.

Jongin swirls the wine in the glass.

“You’re a really important person to me, did you know that?”

Kyungsoo nervously watches the reflection of the water, the submerged bright lights casting it onto the hewn stone ground.

“Am I?”

“I’ll never forget the day I met you. I moaned and complained so much when mother told me I was moving to the countryside. Typical country bumpkin, my friends would tease me. Actually, I had expected that too. I hadn’t expected you to be so…normal.”

Kyungsoo laughs a little, grazing the pool water with his finger.

“I’m overwhelmingly—or should I say, underwhelmingly— normal aren’t I.”

“Not to me, not anymore,” Jongin admits, setting down the crystal glass and leaning in close. “Look, I…haven’t felt the same way about you in a while. I may be your best friend, to you, but it’s been different for me…for a few months now.”

The elder nibbles his lip nervously, observing him owlishly.

“What do you mean? Has Sehun taken the best friend position away?,” he laughs quietly. “I knew I should’ve worked harder to defend it.”

“I guess you could say that,” Jongin chuckles. “But that isn’t the point.”

“Then what is?”

Jongin leans closer, letting his eyes drift shut, and oddly Kyungsoo can taste the alcohol on his tongue, even though he hasn’t taken a single sip all night.

Jongin leaves a sweet taste in his mouth and it reminds Kyungsoo of the red jellybean in his youth.

That same euphoric feeling is the same one bursting in his heart now.

-

~

“Do you remember what happened after that?,” Tao laughs wildly from across the cream-lined table, slamming his palm onto the fabric, “-me and Sehun came along and pushed you two into the pool-“

“-it’s Sehun and I,” Kris interrupts him smugly, earning a glare. “Haven’t I taught you nothing all those lessons at the café counter?”

“-I knew it, by the way,” Tao barrels on, further ignoring the barista, “You two always act so coyly around each other.”

Sehun nods from his seat next to Tao, “I’m on his side. You wanna know why we never spent so much time around you two? It’s because you would get all googly-eyed and gushy and it was gross.”

Jongin chuckles, tucking his arm around Kyungsoo, no longer the best friend, but now the fiancé.

“Speak for yourself. You and Luhan were gross, each other’s face off every 5 minutes. I couldn’t wait until we graduated so I wouldn’t have to hang out with you two.”

Tao’s excited face immediately changes into mild disgust, “That’s…also true.”

Kyungsoo ignores the banter, instead leaning over to cut the rich butter cake on the table, swiping the frosting on his thumb and it off slowly, letting the creamy taste melt in his mouth.

“Did you know that memories could be feelings conveyed by the five senses?,” he whispers to Jongin, under the loud jokes and laughing from the other four males. “For instance, I remember my childhood by the food I’ve tasted. It remains with me long after.”

“Really?”

“I remember the day I met you, when I shared my jelly beans and you were so excited. I remember you feeding me when I was sick, and I remember that one time you tried to bake me a cake, and it was a complete mess, but I ate it anyway.”

Jongin laughs, leaning in for a kiss.

“I remember, the day I kissed you by the poolside, you tasted like the cool breeze in spring, the warm swims in summer, the golden leaves of autumn, and the snowflakes in winter. I remember every moment I’ve spent with you.”

-

When it’s finally time for the grand day, it’s Jongin who feeds Kyungsoo a slice of the wedding cake, and it tastes like the vanilla waffle from his youth, the catalyst of their relationship.

It tastes a little like paradise.

-

a/n: ssup guys, I've been so busy lately, hence why no new fanfic releases, but I finally dragged myself to edit and publish this one for you guys. I hope you enjoyed it~