Jinki was watching TV, cross-legged on the sofa, a bucket of fried chicken in his lap. He was glomping on the drumstick, obviously not paying attention to the drama he was watching because he was smiling goofily at the actress bawling her eyes out on the screen. Kibum, one of his flatmates, passed him by, his brows furrowing at Jinki’s sight. But he didn’t say anything and headed into the kitchen where Taemin and Minho were making dinner together.

 

“What’s up with him?” Kibum asked, sitting down at the dining table and dragging the glass and jug of water towards him, “He’s being weirder than usual.”

 

“Dunno, hyung,” Taemin chirped, carefully breaking the eggs into the bowl as Minho watched him from the corner of his eye, the ladle he was stirring with halting mid-air. “It’s probably because he likes chicken too much.”

 

Kibum thought a while before sighing, “Yeah, quite possible.”

 

---

 

Kibum wouldn’t really be that bothered about Jinki being a glutton and acting like a total weirdo for chicken if it hadn’t been the winter break. Kibum just had too much time on his hands. Taemin and Minho were too caught up in each other to find Jinki’s behavior different and would even shrug it off as his “love for chicken”. Kibum couldn’t help but believe it too. Jinki was indeed acting like a chicken loving lunatic.

 

Jinki took a bus in the cold to go to the fried chicken joint in the next neighborhood instead of just walking for 10 minutes to get to the one just down the street. He came back and ate it with so much love, enjoying every bite...and he wouldn’t share sometimes like he always did. He saved a few pieces once that Taemin hogged down in the middle of the night (along with Kibum’s macarons- that kid woke up from hunger in the middle of the night sometimes) and Jinki was so sad seeing the cardboard box in the trash the next morning.

 

One day he skipped in happily with a bucket of fried chicken and the moment Minho put his hand in, Jinki was in total defense mode, not wanting to share. Once he had been sent to buy chicken (more like, he volunteered) but returned almost over an hour later, saying he ate already at the restaurant.

 

“Why would you eat all alone? Couldn’t you wait until you got home?!” Kibum exclaimed, and Jinki had just giggled, handing the bag.

 

Kibum began unpacking it, finding a small box, “Complementary special order from your server-”

 

Jinki had snatched the box right away, “Mine!”

 

Kibum just gaped at how childish his flatmate was being. He was supposed to be the oldest in their bunch.

 

“Didn’t you just eat?!”

 

Jinki just humphed and went into his room with his little box of fried chicken.

 

---

 

 

“I ordered it online. We just have to pick it up-” Taemin said the next day. The chicken craze had successfully been passed on and even Taemin was ordering fried chicken at least once a week.

 

“Is it from the place in next neighborhood?” Jinki would ask right away and when Taemin would nod he would be at his feet, putting on his coat, “I’ll pick it up!”

 

Kibum had never seen Jinki’s lazy be so active like this before.

 

A couple of days later, Jinki was sitting on the sofa, eating chicken again. This time he had a partner in crime- Taemin- who was nibbling at a drumstick while watching TV. Jinki again was smiling goofily instead of wearing a tensed face like Taemin was (they were watching a detective show).

 

Kibum couldn’t just pass him by this time. Honestly, fried chicken was all he had seen this hyung eat for the past month. It was seriously unhealthy.

 

“Hey, hyung~” Kibum sat on the other sofa, suddenly hesitating because of how happily Jinki was eating. Should he let him finish first? Kibum shook his head. No, if I give in once, I will give in every time.

 

“Hmm?” Jinki finally looked at Kibum after finding him quiet down instead of continuing to speak.

 

“Eating so much fried chicken...it’s unhealthy, hyung,” He started out softly, politely, “How about cutting it down to once a week?”

 

“Don’t wanna,” Jinki replied immediately, looking down into the bucket in his lap and handing one piece to Taemin before picking one for himself. He looked at Kibum, extending the bucket towards him, “Want some?”

 

Kibum grumbled but the delicious smell of fried chicken made him pick one piece up. “I’m serious, hyung! You’re gonna get fat! You’re gonna get indigestion and what not!”

 

“It will be worth it~” Jinki snickered, glomping on the piece in his hand and Kibum just sighed, biting into his own.

 

---

 

 

Kibum and Minho were returning from grocery shopping and were about to head for the bus stop but Kibum grabbed Minho’s arm, halting him, “Look, Jinki hyung.”

 

Minho followed Kibum’s gaze and found Jinki entering the fried chicken place across the street. Kibum signaled Minho and Minho understood right away; and they both quietly approached the fried chicken place, getting inside from the other door so Jinki wouldn’t notice them.

 

“He ate fried chicken just yesterday!” Kibum softly exclaimed as he took a seat at a faraway table and Minho followed, “Why the hell is he eating fried chicken so much lately? He loves fried chicken...but this!” He pointed to Jinki swinging on his feet while waiting in the queue, “This is an obsession!”

 

Minho rested his chin in his hand, watching Jinki thoughtfully. And when Jinki’s turn to order came, Minho smiled, “Kibum hyung, maybe it’s not about the fried chicken.”

 

“Huh?” Kibum looked at Minho, confused.

 

Minho pointed at the cashier and Kibum stared at him a while. The cashier was a young guy, not really chubby but he had slightly chubby cheeks. His features were delicate and when he smiled he looked like a soft, fluffy puppy. Kibum’s eyes darted to Jinki, who was a little flustered, his smile the same kind of goofy he always ate his chicken with. There was no else behind Jinki so the cashier prepared Jinki’s order and as he packed it in a bag, Jinki was staring at him so shamelessly that Kibum cringed.

 

After taking his order, Jinki quietly waded to a table in the corner and both Kibum and Minho watched him eat, sneaking glances at the cashier.

 

Kibum tapped the table softly, a little smirk on his face as he gestured to Minho. Minho smirked as well and both of them got up and headed to Jinki’s table.

 

“Hyung!” Kibum exclaimed, taking a seat next to Jinki, making Jinki flinch in shock at his presence. He turned his head to find Minho take the seat on his other side.

 

“What are you guys doing here?” Jinki asked, his voice leaking of nervousness as he smiled awkwardly.

 

“To eat chicken, duh.” Kibum picked up a piece from Jinki’s small bucket and bit into it. He leaned closer, “But hyung,” He lowered his voice, “You aren’t here for the chicken, right?”

 

Jinki blushed, “What-What do you mean? I’m here for the chicken, of course!” He bent his head low and began nibbling at his drumstick furiously when Kibum began chuckling.

 

“Goodness, it’s okay, hyung,” He said, “We figured it out.”

 

“Jonghyun, right?” Minho asked softly, “I saw his name tag.”

 

Jinki dropped his drumstick back into the bucket, his cheeks rosy, his lips curving upwards a little as he admitted, “Yeah.”

 

Kibum heaved a deep sigh of relief, “And here I was...thinking you had a fried chicken obsession or something.”

 

“Well,” Jinki began in a very soft voice, “To see him I have to buy something, right…and not eating it after buying is a waste.”

 

“Then why don’t you just ask him out?” Kibum shrugged and Jinki just bit his lip.

 

“Hmm...no need,” Minho said, pulling out the receipt that was under the chicken bucket, concealed by the bag Jinki had been too lazy to get the bucket entirely out of. Minho picked it up, smiling at it before he pushed it towards Jinki.

 

A phone number was scrawled in green ink on the top with the name “Jonghyun” and "Coffee?" Written below it.

 

Jinki stared at it, his eyes wide before he immediately looked at the cashier spot, his sudden gaze catching Jonghyun staring at him red-handed as well. Jonghyun blushed, averting his gaze only for a few seconds before he looked back at Jinki, his lips curving up shyly.

 

“Omg…” Jinki breathed, his blush reaching his ears.

“What the hell are you doing?” Kibum smacked his shoulder, “The counter’s free! Go talk to him!”

 

Jinki scrambled up and was gone, his strut ridiculously flustered.

 

Minho took a piece from the bucket too, “They’ll be cute together.”

 

Kibum watched Jinki and Jonghyun converse in embarrassment and smiled, humming in agreement.

 

---

 

 

Kibum entered their apartment after class one day and the moment he got in, the smell of fried chicken hit his senses. He walked into the living area and found Jinki chewing, a drumstick in one hand and his phone in the other. He was giggling at his phone screen, forgetting to take the next bite of his chicken.

 

Kibum sighed, “Hyung...didn’t we have fried chicken just a day back?”

 

“I know~” Jinki answered, smiling at his phone before he began to type something with his left hand carefully, “But Jonghyun is covering for his friend this week so we can’t meet up-”

 

“And you went to see him at the restaurant and ended up buying fried chicken.”

 

Jinki beamed, “Bingo.”
 

“Great,” Kibum sighed, flopping down on the other sofa.

 

“I’m home~” Taemin entered the apartment right then and sauntered in, removing his jacket. His senses caught the smell of fried chicken and his eyes lit up. He flopped down beside Jinki and took a piece from the bucket, “Jinki hyung,” He spoke as he chewed, “Kibum hyung is right, you really do have a fried chicken obsession.” He swallowed, “My classmates were talking about it too! About how they see you “pig out” at the fried chicken restaurant almost every day.” He laughed but murmured a sorry before grabbing another piece and resting back on the sofa.

 

“But, Taemin...it’s not the chicken that Jinki hyung’s-”

 

Jinki immediately offered his bucket to Kibum and exclaimed, “WANT SOME?!” shutting off his next words.

 

Kibum smiled playfully, “No, thanks.”

 

“If that’s the case, gimme more~” Taemin leaned ahead and picked out more pieces. He grabbed napkins and took off towards his room, calling out to Minho.

 

When Taemin was gone, Jinki glared at Kibum, “Let him believe I’m a chicken lunatic. He’s a little devil, he will tease the hell out of me if he finds out- no- he’ll go and tease Jonghyun- and I don’t want that right now. It’s barely been a month we’ve been together! I don’t want my weirdest friend to scare him off!”

 

“Fine,” Kibum got up, smirking, “Don’t blame me if people start calling chicken your girlfriend or something.”

 

Jinki just grumbled before biting into his drumstick and getting all smilingly engrossed in his phone back again.