Kyungsoo cleaned up the kitchen as he let out a yawn. He wiped down the counter as he turned around and saw that it looked clean enough now. He rubbed his eyes as he slowly opened them again. Work had been a little more stressful than usual today. He had to stay a little later because the flow of customers began to increase when they least expected. He was just the baker at the little coffee shop he worked at, but it had gotten so busy. He had no choice but to help the baristas with the orders, he wasn’t as fast as them, but could still manage. Eventually, the flow died down and he was able to come home. He came home exhausted and hungry which lead to making himself something to eat. But, now that the kitchen was cleaned up, he could head straight to bed. He had immediately jumped in the shower once he arrived home and quickly into his pajamas shortly after.

He let out another louder yawn as he put away the rag. He had a habit of needing everything to be clean, he was a person that needed his things to be organized. The fact that he and Minseok had decided to live together was more than perfect. The both of them liked when things were tidy and in place. They both got along very well, not only because of the fact they wanted everything to be clean all of the time, but because they were both introverts. They both didn’t need it to be loud all of the time and didn’t mind if there was a comfortable silence. If anything, Kyungsoo preferred it to be quiet instead of obnoxiously loud. They got hired at the same time, Kyungsoo always made the pastries while Minseok was assigned as a barista. Now, the both of them are supervisors at the little place. He washed his hands quickly and headed towards the living room where Minseok sat on a desktop. He was typing away rapidly, probably finishing a last minute assignment for the class he needed to take.

Kyungsoo leaned in slowly on Minseok’s shoulder, his chin resting gently on top of it as he looked at the screen. “Almost done?” Kyungsoo asks, voice soft.

He felt the corner of Minseok’s mouth tilt upwards. Minseok stopped typing and instead hit “save” on top of the screen. “I just finished.” He said with a smile. Kyungsoo smiled as well and straightened up. “You can go to bed then, right?” Kyungsoo had noticed that Minseok’s sleep schedule had been getting very messed up lately. He spent a lot of time awake and not enough time sleeping.

Minseok looked up at him with half lidded eyes. “Yeah, I’m just going to—“Minseok got cut off as they heard a small vibration from the desktop. Kyungsoo’s eyes dart towards the sound and they see Minseok’s phone trembling slightly as it alerts that someone is calling him. Kyungsoo’s eyebrows furrow a bit. It’s already late at night, to be calling someone this late was usually because of an emergency.

Minseok stares at the phone and slowly raises an eyebrow. “Jongdae?” he mutters loud enough for Kyungsoo to hear.

Kyungsoo didn’t know much about Jongdae. All he knew was that Minseok had a couple classes with him back when he still attended university. Apparently Jongdae had graduated earlier and Minseok needed just one more class to finish. He saw as Minseok answered the call and put the phone by his ear.

“Hello?” he answered.

There was silence and Kyungsoo simply looked at Minseok.

“No, I’m not busy.” Minseok responded. “I actually just finished typing up a report for tomorrow.”

There was silence again as Minseok processed what the person on the other line was saying.

“I’m not sure, but I can check for you.”

Kyungsoo took the folder by the desktop and began putting Minseok’s things away. He was never one to pry into someone else’s business. Plus, he was tired.

“You know someone that wants to move?” Minseok inquired.  

Kyungsoo placed the folder on the desk and Minseok looked up at him giving him a gentle smile as he listened to the other end. “Well, I’ll let you know by tomorrow for sure.” Minseok replied. “Bye Jongdae.”

Minseok clicked and took the folder. “Thanks.” He said as he looked over at Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo nodded slightly, “I’m going to bed now, I feel exhausted.”

“Oh, Soo. Before you go, is the apartment next door still for sale?”

Kyungsoo bit his lip as he thought. He passed by it this morning, but he isn’t sure if he saw the sign by the window or not. He used to see it all of the time a couple of weeks ago when the elderly couple had barely moved out. He would pass by and notice the big red “For Sale” by the window. But, as time went on, it just became a regular thing. He can’t remember the last time he actually looked by the window.

“I don’t know.” Kyungsoo replied honestly. “Is your friend looking for a place?”

Minseok shrugged. “I guess so. He just said he wanted to know if it was for sale.”

Kyungsoo nodded slowly. “Well, you can ask Junmyeon tomorrow.”

Minseok smiled at him as he placed the folder into his bag, “Yeah, I’ll call him tomorrow.”

Kyungsoo felt exhausted and with that, he headed towards his room and shut the door behind him. The darkness in his room was calming. He enjoyed being able to live in a place where he could have his own personal space. He threw himself on his bed and buried himself under the covers. He loved the solitude he had right now. It was nice to know that he could have peace and quiet in his home. The only noise that could be heard were the cars outside that were driving by and Kyungsoo didn’t mind. He let the bustling of the city rock him to sleep.

***

Kyungsoo woke up to his alarm going off in the morning. He let out a groggy sigh as he reached out to shut it off. He curled up a little more into the covers as he wrapped himself like a cocoon. He didn’t feel sleepy, if anything, he felt so much more refreshed than the night before. It was nice to be able to fall under a routine. He would wake up, go to work with Minseok and come back. Soon, the both of them would own their own café and be their own bosses. The thought made Kyungsoo smile. He already had his degree in business management, but Minseok and he had always decided to run it together. He didn’t mind waiting for Minseok to finish his last class.

After a short while of staring at the ceiling, he decided to get up. He quickly got into his work clothes, which was simply a plain, formal, white, shirt, and made his bed. He made sure to smooth out every single crease to keep it just the way he likes it, neat.

Kyungsoo walked out into the hallway and saw Minseok’s door, right across his room, was still closed. He let out a pout, Minseok must be exhausted from last night. He probably didn’t sleep when he told Kyungsoo he would. He needed to wake him up, but he felt bad doing it, considering that Minseok had been working so hard lately. With a heavy sigh, Kyungsoo knocked on the door, “Minseok.” He said in a deep voice.

No answer.

Minseok must be very tired and Kyungsoo hated having to wake him. He opened the door slowly and peeked inside, but there was no Minseok. The bed was already made and Minseok’s work clothes weren’t there. He raised an eyebrow in confusion as he walked inside. They both usually went over to the café at the same time. They would wait for each other and go together, maybe Minseok was in the kitchen already.

Kyungsoo got out of the room and headed towards the kitchen. He stood by the counter as his eyes darted around, but there was no sign of Minseok. The kitchen still looked exactly like it did when he cleaned it last night. It was a little odd, but Kyungsoo decided that he shouldn’t make a big deal of it. It wouldn’t be the first time that Minseok had forgotten to tell him he was heading somewhere. There was just once that Minseok needed to head earlier than him to work. Maybe one of the employees that opened this morning had called Minseok for help. Yeah, that’s probably what happened. Kyungsoo simply shook his head as he began heating up oatmeal for himself. Getting worked up over Minseok going to work a little earlier is pointless, he would see him soon enough.

After the young man finished his breakfast and made sure he looked presentable enough to start his day, he headed out the door towards the little café. It wasn’t far from where they lived, it was actually really close. It was a five minute drive and fifteen minute walk and Kyungsoo preferred the exercise, plus he saved a little gas this way. Where he lived wasn’t a place where someone rich would reside, but it wasn’t run down either. The streets were clean and the stores had what they needed for low prices. He wouldn’t mind living in a place like this even after his income got a little higher, but for now, he liked living with Minseok in their small apartment.

He opened the door to the café, the bell hung on it swung as it made a gentle sound.

“Welcome to-…oh, hi Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo smiled at the barista behind the counter, his brown apron over a light sweater.

“Did you set up the pastries yet?” Kyungsoo asked as he walked behind the counter next to Yugyeom.

The younger shook his head. “Not yet, the door was locked so I needed to come from behind. I just got in.”

Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow as he tied a black apron around his waist. “Where’s Minseok?”

Yugyeom shrugged. “I thought he was coming in with you. He always does.”

Kyungsoo bit the inside of his cheek. If Minseok had left earlier than him, he assumed it was because he was going to open up the shop.

Yugyeom began to put the macarons behind the glass. “I’m sorry, I’ll come earlier next time.”

Kyungsoo shook his head. “No, it’s not your fault.” He went towards the back to check everyone’s schedule for the day. The log shows that Yugyeom signed in 30 minutes ago, Minseok’s signature is nowhere to be found.

“Is Minseok coming in today?” Yugyeom asked as he grabbed coffee beans from the back.

“He should.”

“He’s helping me with the coffees today. No one is as good as Minseok hyung.”

Kyungsoo looked up to see Yugyeom with a cheeky grin on his face.

Kyungsoo smiled at him. “Go check if there’s a customer.”

Yugyeom smiled wider and walked away. “Ok.” He replied cheerfully as he was halfway through.

Kyungsoo looked back at the log and wrote his own name in it. At this point, Kyungsoo had no idea where Minseok was. Minseok was very punctual and if not, he would always call to tell what was going on. Kyungsoo shook his negative thoughts away. Thinking bad things wasn’t going to help him and now he had to find someone else to help Yugyeom with the coffee. Kyungsoo needed to bake the pastries, he didn’t have time to help today. He let out a sigh and looked at his phone, maybe he could call Kunpimook to help out Yugyeom.

The day at the coffee shop consisted of Yugyeom and Kunpimook fooling around. But Kyungsoo didn’t mind, as long as they got their work done and didn’t bug him as he finished the small errands that needed attending. Jeongguk and Lisa came by later to take the afternoon shift, Yunhyeong came by a little after them, which was Kyungsoo’s cue to clock out.

“Hey Soo.” Yunhyeong told him with a smile as he put on an apron.

Yunhyeong was a shift leader at the little place. Minseok had offered him the position after they had noticed how much of a leader the younger was. He was a very responsible person that they could both rely on.

“Hey Yunhyeong.” Kyungsoo replied as he hung up his black apron.

“How was it today?”

Kyungsoo shrugged, “Not too bad.”

Yunhyeong looked behind Kyungsoo and raised an eyebrow. “Where’s Minseok?”

Kyungsoo looked up at him. “He couldn’t make it today.”

“Yunhyeong,” Lisa called from behind them. “We have a big order, could you help us?”

Kyungsoo patted his shoulder as he walked by him, “I’ll let you go.”

Yunhyeong nodded and quickly turned around to face Lisa. “What am I making?” He told her with a smile.

“Good luck guys.” Kyungsoo called out as he exited the coffee shop and headed into the street. He looked up at the sky, then slowly let out a sigh. He took a step forward and picked his phone out of his pocket.

Something came up, sorry. I’ll see you at home later.

He had received the message from Minseok at noon. At least now Kyungsoo knew that Minseok was alright. Before that, Kyungsoo had been thinking the worst. It wasn’t like Minseok to just suddenly disappear without a trace and that was exactly what had happened today. One thing was for sure, Minseok needed to explain what happened.

He walked into his apartment a little tired and hungry. He had been craving stew all day at work, now he decided that was exactly what he was going to cook once he got home. But, once he got closer to the kitchen, his craving changed from stew to something else. He tilted his head a little to the right as he stepped in and took one last whiff—dumplings.

Minseok heard footsteps approaching and turned around. He smiled as he met Kyungsoo’s eyes, his cheeks going up slightly. “Want some?”

Kyungsoo smiled and walked next to him. His eyes darted to the little balls on the steamer. “They smell really good.”

“Well, I just made them.” Minseok answered, pleased. “We can just wait a couple of minutes for them to cool down if you want.”

Kyungsoo nodded as he set himself down on the table and ruffled his hair. He stretched his legs out under the table as he let his body settle into the seat. Minseok had been missing all day and now it seemed as though nothing was wrong. It was as if Minseok was simply waiting for him at home.

“Where were you today?” Kyungsoo asked. He wasn’t about to let Minseok off the hook that easy.

Minseok turned to look at him again. “An emergency with a friend came up.” He quickly turned around again to grab something from the refrigerator.

Kyungsoo hummed in response. He knew Minseok very well, he would tell Kyungsoo what happened. But, at his own pace.

Minseok came back to the table with a liter of juice in his hand. He placed it down on the table next to a cup he had placed there earlier. He pulled the chair in front of Kyungsoo out and sat himself down. Kyungsoo continued to look as Minseok began fumbling with his fingers, he looked the other way then back at Kyungsoo.

“He…I was walking to the store to place an order on coffee beans, but instead I see someone I know getting beat up by an alley.”

Kyungsoo was slouching in his seat, but immediately sat up straight.

“I drove him home and stayed by his side until I knew he was going to be okay.”

“Is he?”

Minseok nodded, “Yeah, now he is.” Minseok shook his head and smiled. “Sorry, you must have been worried about me.”    

Kyungsoo rested his chin on his hand “A little, yeah. But it’s okay, next time though, text me right away.”

Minseok’s smile faltered a bit. “Next time?”

“Yeah, if you ever need to miss work. Tell me ahead of time.”

Minseok let out a forced chuckle, “Oh yeah.” He quickly got up to grab plates from the cupboard. “How much dumplings do you want?”

Kyungsoo smiled, “As much as you want to serve.”

Minseok smiled wider. “You’re eating them all.” He proceeded to pile them on Kyungsoo’s plate.

He quickly served the both of them and sat himself down on the chair from before. Kyungsoo didn’t know how hungry he was until he bit into the dumpling. It tasted so good, he noticed he began eating them quicker than he had anticipated.

“I forgot to check if the apartment next door was still for sale.” Minseok said as he took a sip of juice.

Kyungsoo looked up at him, eyes wide. He swallowed what was in his mouth and wiped himself with a napkin. “I think this morning there was still a “For Sale” sign by the window. But, you might want to double check it.” Kyungsoo thought for a bit then spoke up. “You can call Junmyeon, I don’t think he would be sleeping yet.”

Minseok nodded. “Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Maybe he can give us a good deal on it.”

Junmyeon was the real estate agent in charge of getting the apartment sold. But, he was also friends with them. Knowing him, they would probably be able to get it for a lower price. When the elderly couple that lived next door moved away, Minseok referred them to Junmyeon.

“Your friend, Jongdae, wants to move in?” Kyungsoo asked as he poured himself juice.

Minseok nodded, “Yeah, him and his roommate want to move out of their home.”

“The area here is really nice. I don’t blame them.”

Minseok bit into one of the dumplings before he spoke. “It’s safer than where they’re at too.”

 Kyungsoo let out a small hiccup as he covered his mouth. “Hopefully Junmyeon can help out.”

Later in the evening, after the kitchen was clean, Minseok called Junmyeon. Apparently, the place next door was still for sale and he would be more than happy to give them a tour of it. Minseok looked extremely pleased as he told Kyungsoo the news. Kyungsoo smiled as Minseok picked up his phone. “I have to call Jongdae.” He said as he walked off to his room.

Kyungsoo looked after him until the door shut. He adjusted his glasses as he looked back down at the book he was reading. He hopes that whoever this Jongdae was, would be able to move in next door. He and his roommate seemed as though they needed to get out of where they were as soon as possible.

***

Sundays are supposed to be considered a day to relax and enjoy with loved ones. But, that couldn’t be said for Kyungsoo. Sundays were one of the busiest days at the coffee shop.

“What happened?” He asked as he looked over a receipt that a customer had given him.

“One of you didn’t get my order right!” She yelled as Kyungsoo eyed the receipt.

“I apologize. We can make you whatever you want free of charge if you—“

“No! I want my money back!” She yelled at him.

“Of course.” Kyungsoo responded as smoothly as he could. He wasn’t usually in the front. He would stay in the back making pastries and would only come out if he went to drop them off at the counter. This lady had begun yelling at him though, he couldn’t just ignore her.

He quickly went to the cash register and took out the refund. He looked up and handed it to her. “I apologize for the—“She snatched the money before he could even get the chance to finish his sentence and stormed out the door.

Kyungsoo sighed as he headed towards the back, but was caught by Jeongguk. “Kyungsoo, I swear she said she wanted the green tea cold, not hot, we all heard it.”

Kyungsoo looked over at him and nodded. “I believe you, just ignore that.” He patted his shoulder and gave him a smile before turning back around.

He walked back into the kitchen to find Lisa placing more cookies into the oven.

“Did you place the oatmeal one’s in too?”

Lisa nodded quickly, “Yes, I’m going to the front to see if they need help with drinks.”

Kyungsoo chuckled before answering, “Yes, they do.” He began placing the flour on the counter to start making more macarons.

The rest of their work day consisted of being busy. To help get him through the day, he told himself that he just needed to wait for Minseok to finish the final class and then they could start looking for their own little place for their café. That way, they could be their own boss and not have to tolerate rude customers.

“Today was annoying.” Minseok said as he cracked his neck.

Kyungsoo got into the car next to him as he agreed. “That lady pissed me off.”

Minseok started the engine as he looked on ahead. “You think Junmyeon will mind if we’re late?”

Kyungsoo pouted then released it. “No. He knows us.”

The evening that Minseok called Junmyeon about the apartment, he made an appointment to meet with him. He said he would give him the information needed for the two people that wanted to move in. Kyungsoo didn’t understand why they couldn’t come themselves, but he wasn’t going to question Minseok about it. He knew that Minseok was a reliable friend, whatever the reason behind it, he knew it was a good one.

“Can you come with me on Sunday to Junmyeon’s?” Minseok had asked him a little after he had made the appointment.

Now, the both of them were on their way to go see Junmyeon and discuss the apartment next door.

“I hope it’s not too expensive.” Minseok said as he took a left.

Kyungsoo shook his head, “I doubt it. Junmyeon tries to make it as affordable as possible for others.”

In about twenty minutes, they were parked outside of the office and heading into it.

Junmyeon stepped out in a suit and tie, he looked much different than what they were accustomed to. They don’t go out as much as they used to, but when they do, Junmyeon wears simple clothing. But while he worked, he looked like such a professional. He had dyed his hair again, a light brown this time.

“Hey guys!” He waved as he held the door open for them.

Kyungsoo gave him a smile as he shook his hand in a friendly manner.

“You dyed your hair again.” Minseok said playfully as he rubbed Junmyeon’s head.

“Yeah, I got tired of blonde.” He said as he smiled at Minseok.

He led the both of them to his desk and they all sat down.

“Do you guys own the coffee shop yet?” Junmyeon asked as he rummaged through a folder to find paperwork.

Kyungsoo shook his head. “Not yet, but we’re getting close.”

Junmyeon’s bottom lip went downwards and he nodded. “Well, I hope you get it soon.”

He placed paperwork onto the table and Minseok eyed it.

“Ok, so” Junmyeon began as he gestured to papers in front of him. “I calculated the price that the home would go for every month.”

Kyungsoo saw as he circled a number at the very bottom of the paper work.

“And that’s with utilities?” Minseok asked.

Junmyeon nodded, “Yeah, everything is included in that price already. And the inside is exactly like the one you live in, two bedrooms, one bath, kitchen, and living room.”

Kyungsoo eyed the price, it was very low and actually cost a little less than what they were paying for their own home. Their home wasn’t very big, but was perfect for two people. If the one next door was exactly like theirs, then two people would definetly enjoy it.

Minseok nodded. “Is it okay if I take these?”

Junmyeon handed them to him with a smile on his face. “Of course. These are yours.”

Minseok smiled as he looked over the paperwork. “I’ll show these to my friend.”

Junmyeon spun around in his chair to grab something from behind them, then turned to face the both of them again.

“Tell them to call me if they want to see the house or want to get additional information.” Junmyeon told them as he gave Minseok his business card. “Give them that too.”

 “I’ll tell them when I see them tomorrow. Do you want to jot their names down, so that when they call you’ll know who they are?”

Junmyeon’s lips turned into a little “o” and he quickly grabbed a pen and notepad. “Yeah, that’s a good idea.”

Kyungsoo couldn’t help but chuckle at how frazzled Junmyeon could be sometimes.

“Ok, one of them is Kim Jongdae.”

Junmyeon scribbled down the name as he muttered it quietly to himself. “Ok. So he is the one that will be calling?”

“Most likely, but his roommate might call too.”

Junmyeon put the pen on paper again. “Ok, can you tell me his name too?”

Minseok nodded. “Yeah, I doubt he’ll call, but better to make sure.”

“Yeah, better to be prepared.” Kyungsoo agreed.

“Byun Baekhyun.”

***

It was a Wednesday afternoon when Kyungsoo went over to his neighbor’s house. Apparently, Chanyeol wanted to make his boyfriend, Jongin, a cake for their anniversary. But, none of the recipes he found online looked “good enough” for him. Therefore, he called Kyungsoo and asked him—more like begged—to come over and help him make a cake perfect for Jongin. Kyungsoo decided he could spare an hour or two helping Chanyeol out with his cake.

“What kind of cake are we making again?” Chanyeol asked as he poured the batter into a cake pan.

“It’s called a zebra cake.” Kyungsoo told him as he wiped down the counter with a wet paper towel. “It’s like a marble cake, but a zebra design instead.”

Chanyeol nodded in understanding. “Does it taste good?”

Kyungsoo flinched and looked at up at him. “Why the else would I make it, if it didn’t?”

Chanyeol let out an embarrassed laugh, shutting the oven door with the cake inside it. “You said 20 minutes right?”

Kyungsoo smirked at him then went back to cleaning his mess. “Yeah.”

Chanyeol grabbed a seat and plopped himself down in front of Kyungsoo. “Thanks Soo. This means a lot.”

Kyungsoo shrugged at him without lifting his gaze. “Don’t mention it. I enjoy coming over.”

Chanyeol smiled wider. “We should go out sometime. You, me, Minseok and Jongin.”

Kyungsoo looked up at him, still smiling. “And listen to you talk all night?”

Chanyeol laughed. “It’ll be fun!”

“I don’t know about that.” He responded in a playful tone.

“Unless…you finally met someone and are getting lucky every night.” Chanyeol suggested as he wiggled his eyebrows.

Kyungsoo laughed and punched Chanyeol’s arm. The taller one grabbed onto it as he dramatically got on the floor and let out a yell.

“You have a big mouth Yeol.”

Chanyeol used the chair he was sitting on for support and lifted himself onto it. “So, you do?”

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes. “No Chanyeol. And I gotta go.”

Chanyeol’s eyes widened. “Already? But we haven’t decorated it yet.”

Kyungsoo was already walking out towards the front door. “You have the icing, you just need to let your creativity take control.”

Chanyeol looked at the oven then back at Kyungsoo. “But, what if I mess it up?”

Kyungsoo shook his head. “You won’t, just do your best.” Kyungsoo opened the front door. “Plus, Jongin’s gonna like it either way.”

Chanyeol pouted. “Why can’t you stay?”

“Laundry day.”

Kyungsoo shut the door before Chanyeol could ask any more questions. He hadn’t washed in a couple of weeks now and he was starting to run out of clean clothes. Since Wednesday was his day off, this is when he usually did his washing.

“I’m sure you’re going to love it here.” A cheerful voice from ahead of him said.

He turned his face towards the voice to find Junmyeon opening the door of the apartment that was empty. He was wearing a suit and tie which meant he was working. There were two people next to him, one with light brown hair that had a cat like smile. The second person had dark black hair and was biting on his thumb as he looked at Junmyeon.

Junmyeon entered the apartment first and the one with the brown hair followed quickly. The one with black hair must have seen Kyungsoo from his peripheral vision, because he suddenly turned around to face him. He had tender brown eyes and a childlike innocence to him as he looked directly at Kyungsoo. He wore a long sweater that covered the other hand as it rested at his side. The guy seemed as though he may be the same age, if not a little younger.

Kyungsoo was never much of a talker and was actually known to be a bit shy, but he felt inclined to say something, even if it was just a simple greeting. He opened his mouth, but suddenly saw the one with brown hair come out from the apartment. He gently pulled on the guy’s shoulder and he easily leaned into the touch. Kyungsoo looked over at the one with brown hair to find his eyebrows furrowed into a glare. It wasn’t menacing, but it did make Kyungsoo feel a bit uneasy. Then again, who was he to judge? He wasn’t wearing his glasses right now and maybe he was doing that scowling thing.   

The gaze that was glaring at him earlier suddenly softened as he looked over at the one with black hair. “Baekhyun, go see the inside. It’s really nice.”

The one he referred to as Baekhyun simply nodded and walked inside.

Kyungsoo gulped and decided he should go into his own home and gather his clothes to go wash them. It wasn’t any of his business who tours the place, his business begins when the neighbors move in. He placed his hand on the door handle, but before he could turn it, he heard a voice break his thoughts.

“Hello.”

Kyungsoo looked up, now in front of his own apartment. A mere couple of feet from where the other guy was standing. He cleared his throat, “Hello.” He replied.

“Do you live there?” The guy gestured with his finger towards the front door of Kyungsoo’s home.

“Yeah.” He replied.

“Oh, so you know Minseok?” He asked, a hint of curiousness in his voice.

Kyungsoo nodded. “He’s my roommate.”

The other guy’s cheeks went up as he smiled. “I’m Jongdae, Minseok and I are actually friends.”

So this was Jongdae.

“I’m Kyungsoo.”

Jongdae’s smile got friendlier, “We might be neighbors.”

Kyungsoo smiled back at him. “Minseok actually mentioned that one of his friends wanted to move in next door. I’m sure you’ll like it here.”

Jongdae’s eyebrow went up in a playful manner. “Yeah, the price is right, we’ll talk about it when we get home.”

Just then, Baekhyun came out from inside the apartment. Junmyeon followed behind, rambling on about what a nice neighborhood the surrounding area was.

“Oh, Kyungsoo!” Junmyeon looked over in his direction as he gave him a wide smile. “Are you making friends with your future neighbor already?” He sent a wink over in Jongdae’s direction and Kyungsoo mentally face palmed. Junmyeon could be a little (very) cringey sometimes.

Jongdae chuckled, “Yeah, we were bonding over Minseok.”

“Minseok?” Baekhyun looked over at Jongdae, a small smile on his lips.

Jongdae smiled. “Yeah, apparently he’s friends with him.”

Baekhyun’s eyes flickered over to Kyungsoo and Kyungsoo gave him a slight quirk of the lips.

“All of the neighbors here are really friendly!” Junmyeon suddenly burst out. “Not only that, but the location is close to markets for your convenience.”

Jongdae smiled, “Baek and I will definetly talk about it tonight.”

Kyungsoo decided this was his cue to leave. This was not a conversation that he should be hearing. If anything, them contemplating whether they want the place or not is their private matter and he had no reason to be eavesdropping.

He turned the handle and opened door slowly. “It was nice meeting you.” He said before he went inside.

Jongdae turned away from Junmyeon to look at him. “Nice to meet you too.”

Kyungsoo gave him a final smile before closing the door. He walked into his living room, the sofas were the color of coffee with milk, while the curtains matched. Minseok and him had purposely wanted their home to be welcoming for others, but most of all for themselves.

He walked through the living room into the hallway that lead to his room, made a quick right and entered into it. His room was spotless, except for the laundry basket in the corner that was full of dirty clothing. He sighed and picked it up without making much of an effort.

He needed to go to the laundromat a couple of blocks down, he would definetly need to take his car for that.

He made his way down the stairs to his car quickly. He placed the dirty clothing in the back and walked over to the driver’s seat, but not before seeing Junmyeon with the two from before in front of the apartment. They were all smiling brightly, that probably meant good things for Junmyeon. He started the engine and drove off towards the laundromat. From the rearview mirror, he saw the three of them getting smaller and smaller until they ultimately disappeared as he made a left.

Later on in the evening, Minseok returned home to find Kyungsoo watching television in the living room. He was sitting across from it with a bag of popcorn in his hand.

Minseok chuckled as he shut the door. “LaLaLand again?”

Kyungsoo looked up, eyes wide and mouth full. He nodded briefly before returning to the task at hand.

“I made Jajamyeon, it’s in the kitchen.” Kyungsoo told him after he swallowed.

Minseok was loosening his shirt before he smiled wide. “That’s good, I’m starving.”

Kyungsoo saw as the elder made his way towards the kitchen, but his eyes went back to the movie. Minseok came back with a bowl of jajamyeon and plopped himself next to Kyungsoo. He was slurping the noodles and shut his eyes as he chewed. “So good.” He muttered at one point.

“How was the café today?” Kyungsoo asked.

Minseok shook his head as he chewed. “I was teaching the new girl the ropes. She got it pretty fast.”

Kyungsoo nodded. “Imagine when we own our own place.”

Minseok looked over at him and gave him a small smile. “Actually, I was talking to Yunhyeong about that. He said he would quit to come with us.”

Kyungsoo smiled. “What did you say?”

“I told him I would hire him right away.”

Kyungsoo smiled wider. “We could make him manager.”

Minseok’s smile widened. “I was thinking the same thing!”

Kyungsoo loved having these conversations with Minseok. Kyungsoo has been dreaming of owning his own place to sell pastries and it was nice to know someone else shared the same dream. They would make the best drinks and baked goods the world would ever see! People from everywhere would come to get a taste. It would be like a bakery/coffee shop, Kyungsoo could see it now. All of their friends would come to support them, he already knew that much.

“Oh!”

“Hm?” Minseok questioned.

“I just remembered, your friend came over to see the apartment next door.”

Minseok’s eyes widened. “Jongdae?”

Kyungsoo nodded. “Him and someone else, I’m assuming his roommate.”

“Baekhyun?”

Kyungsoo furrowed his brows as he concentrated. “I think that was his name.”

“He has black hair? Unless he dyed it.”

Kyungsoo nodded slowly. “I’m guessing that’s the one.”

Minseok smiled and looked down at his noodles. “That’s good. I hope they move here.”

Kyungsoo plopped some popcorn in his mouth before looking at the screen. It made Minseok happy to know his friends would move here, so he hoped they would.

“Wouldn’t it be cool to date someone who does musicals?” Minseok suddenly said as the two leads danced and sung together.

Kyungsoo laughed. “I guess.”

“Or maybe they would be too cheesy huh? Sing to you all of the time.”

Kyungsoo shrugged. He couldn’t imagine himself dating someone who did musicals, they would probably be very extroverted. But then again, you never know what life will throw at you.

They spent the rest of their evening finishing the movie, then heading off to bed to get ready for tomorrow, just another typical day.

 

***

It was a Friday morning when Minseok got up to visit his parents. He had decided the night before that he would visit them for the weekend. He usually had to work weekends, but the day prior, something had gone wrong with the pipes at the cafe. Kyungsoo called the owner immediately and told them that there was a big problem. Everyone was lead outside and it was revealed that it would take the whole weekend to fix what was wrong. All of the employees headed home and had a whole weekend off. Minseok immediately decided he wanted to see his mom and dad.

“Are you gonna pack anything else?” Kyungsoo asked as he looked over the suitcases in the back of the car.

Minseok shook his head as he brought a water bottle out with him. “No, that’s it. I locked the front door already.”

Kyungsoo nodded as he shut the trunk. “Ok, I’m ready too.” 

Minseok got in the front seat. “I think we’ll get there at like two if we leave now.”

Kyungsoo quickly climbed into the passenger seat and glanced at his phone for the time. “It’s 9:54, if there’s no traffic, then yeah.”

Minseok put the car in reverse and left their home for the weekend. The both of them were excited to be able to visit their family. Minseok and Kyungsoo had met when they were in their first years in school, Minseok was three years older than Kyungsoo, but that didn’t stop the both of them from getting close. They became friends after they met, then later they became inseparable. When Minseok graduated high school he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. All he really liked was coffee so while he decided what to do with his life, he got a job at a coffee shop. He quickly realized that he loved making it. He wanted to somehow make a living doing this, he wanted to find a way to make his passion into a lifelong career. About two years after working there, he didn’t just want to be a regular employee, he wanted to own his own coffee shop. He had a talent that drove people in, ideas he knew would work better, but most of all, he had the drive to accomplish his goal. Kyungsoo’s dream had always been to own his own bakery, so when Minseok told him he wanted to own a coffee shop, Kyungsoo got the idea that they could own it together. Minseok loved the thought and quickly agreed to it. That day was when the both of them decided to work hard to achieve what they wanted. Kyungsoo and Minseok enrolled at the same time to universities and got accepted to the same one.

“There’s hardly any traffic.” Kyungsoo told him as he looked out the window.

Minseok had on his sunglasses as he sped on the road. “We might get there earlier if it keeps up like this.”

Kyungsoo smiled as he looked on ahead. “Remember how scared we were when we drove on this road for the first time?”

Minseok smiled at the memory. “Yeah, I was terrified. I didn’t know if I was making the right choice.”

Kyungsoo’s chuckled. “I didn’t know either. I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to find a job to help you pay for the bills.”

Minseok smiled as he reminisced about the memory. The both of them were still so small back then. They didn’t know what to expect. It was true that Minseok had some money saved from working at a coffee shop, but he would still need to work as he went to school at the same time. He wasn’t sure if he would be able to do it. But now, he is taking the final class necessary to get his degree.

Kyungsoo wasn’t much better, he was an eighteen year old fresh out of high school. He had never held a job before and hoped that he would be able to find one, he would have taken anything. But, he got lucky and got hired at a café, where he could exert his talent. Now, he has his degree and just needed to wait a couple more months for Minseok and they would finally be able to buy a place for their café.

It was a comfortable ride as they both talked about how scared they were leaving home for the first time. Throughout the car ride, however, they would stop talking and instead sing along to whatever song was playing. They arrived a little after two to their destination, Minseok’s parents were waiting by the door with big smiles on their faces.

“Minseok!” His mother called out with her arms open wide.

Minseok ran over to her and hugged her tightly.

She grabbed her son’s face and patted it. “Minseok, you’re getting so skinny. Are you eating?”

Minseok laughed, “Yes eomma.” he whined.

She looked over to see Kyungsoo walking towards them. “Make sure he eats, okay Kyungsoo?”

Kyungsoo nodded as he gave them a big smile. “I will.”

She immediately took him in her arms as she squeezed him gently.

Kyungsoo wasn’t their son, but they did see him like one. They have known him for as long as Minseok has and treated him like their second son. They loved him as if he truly was Minseok’s brother, not only that, but Kyungsoo and Minseok’s parents got along as well. They were all like a big family.

She patted Kyungsoo’s face softly with her hand. “Kyungsoo, you have gotten so handsome. Is there any lucky lady in your life yet?”

Kyungsoo looked down in embarrassment as he let out a soft chuckle.

“That’s a yes, isn’t it?” She squealed in delight.

Minseok’s dad wrapped an arm around his wife. “You’re embarrassing the boy. Let them both unpack first then you can ask all the questions you want.”

Minseok and Kyungsoo both brought their suitcases into the home. Kyungsoo placed his in the spare bedroom, where he usually stayed when he slept over at Minseok’s house. The room was exactly as he last remembered it. The walls were still a light yellow and the floor still had the same carpet as years ago. It was nice to come back to it, welcoming and secure.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. “Kyungsoo, the food is ready.” Minseok’s father told him through the closed door.

“Thank you, I’ll be right down.” He responded.

Kyungsoo made his way downstairs, following his nose as he walked. The smell of meat filled his nostrils as he got closer, it smelled like home.

The table was already waiting for him as he sat down, the four of them sitting together.

“The seollangtang is really good.” Kyungsoo said as he looked down at his soup. “Did you let it simmer all morning?”

Minseok’s mom looked up at him. “I did. I know you both loved it when you would come from school.”

Kyungsoo looked up at her, giving her a genuine smile. “It tastes exactly like back then.”

Her eyes crinkled upwards as she smiled wider at him. “You always had a passion for cooking, Kyungsoo. Remember when Minseok and you would play in that little toy kitchen your parents got you?”

Minseok and Kyungsoo began to laugh as they remembered the silly games they would play in Kyungsoo’s room.

“He always HAD to be the chef.” Minseok said.

“It’s too bad your parents are out of town Kyungsoo. They would have loved to see you.”

Kyungsoo looked over at Minseok’s dad, who had an apologetic look on his face. Kyungsoo merely shot him a small smile. “It’s okay.” He knew it wasn’t really okay. He wanted to see his parents more than anything in this world, but there was no use crying over something that was beyond his control.

“Next time, we can visit them too!” Minseok exclaimed excitedly.

Kyungsoo looked over at him. The elder was smiling at him with bright eyes. “I wanna see them too.”

“Maybe by then, you both would have achieved that dream of yours, huh?”

The both of them smiled ear to ear once they heard Minseok’s dad say that. Their parents were so supportive of what they wanted to do. Kyungsoo felt like one of the luckiest guys in the world. He had everything he could ever want—family and friends that loved and supported him and a best friend who shared the same dream as he did.  His life couldn’t be any more perfect.

Minseok’s mom pouted. “But don’t forget that you two also need to think about finding someone that you can spend the rest of your life with.”

Kyungsoo mentally rolled his eyes as he took another sip of his stew. That “special person” could wait. He had bigger things to worry about.

***

 The weekend passed by in the blink of an eye. Before Kyungsoo knew it, the sun was shining in his room on a Monday morning. He loved the fact that he was able to visit his hometown, he just didn’t like how time went by so fast. He left a note for Minseok on top of the kitchen table as he took a quick bite of something.

Had to leave early.

Need to help Lisa make cookies and cake.

Now, at seven in the morning, he locks the door behind him as he exits his home. The wind is cold as it nips at his nose. He debates taking his car to work, but it seems like such a waste of gas to drive when he could walk and get there in fifteen minutes. He walks by the window belonging to the apartment next door and turns his head, preparing to see the “For Sale” sign placed on it, but is instead greeted with something else.

Instead of a sign, there are curtains draped over the windows. Kyungsoo stops in his tracks and stares at them, curtains? He stayed staring at them for at most five seconds before he sees a slender hand pull them back. He holds his breath as he met with brown eyes. Kyungsoo realizes how weird this may seem, opening your curtain to find some guy staring at your window.

The guy holding the curtain open is the one from last week. The one with black hair only this time, he has on a long gray shirt, now Kyungsoo can see how tiny this guy is. The guy seems like he lets out a small gasp before he shuts the curtain again.

Kyungsoo gulps and quickly makes his way to leave. Did Jongdae and his roommate move in already? It would seem so. That was not how he wanted his first impression as a neighbor to go.

Kyungsoo arrived to work trying to push away his awkward encounter from this morning away. Luckily, he could keep himself busy with baking instead of worrying about how his new neighbor probably thinks he is some weird stalker.

Minseok came in later at opening time, Yugyeom trailed behind him. The coffee shop opened at 9 am, so once Kyungsoo heard Minseok’s voice, he knew it was time to take the pastries out for display.

“Lisa, have you finished cutting the cake into slices?”

Lisa nodded as she held a tray full of slices of carrot cake. “They’re ready to go, Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo smiled as he held the door open for her. “Okay, you know where they go.”

Lisa smiled at him as she walked out. “Kyungsoo, your recipes always taste so good. When you have your café, people are gonna go crazy.”

Kyungsoo chuckled. “Just do your job, Lisa.”

She pouted as she set up the display. “I’m serious! Maybe you can hire me?” she turned around and gave him her best aegyo. Kyungsoo couldn’t help but laugh.

“You’re gonna scare the customers away.” Yugyeom told her as he passed by with a wet rag to clean the tables.

Lisa scowled at him, “Just wait until we get out.” She threatened.

Kyungsoo shook his head at their playful antics before disappearing into the kitchen to pick up the next batch of pastries. The only pastries the coffee shop sold were cakes, cookies, and macarons. Kyungsoo wasn’t able to add more to the menu because it wasn’t his own. If it were up to him, he would add cake pops, sandwiches, egg tarts, and so much more flavors of cake.

He came out with the tray full of macarons and Yugyeom quickly circled him, like the way a vulture circles their meal before they attack. “Those look good.” Yugyeom told him.

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes. “Don’t you have to mop the floor?”

Yugyeom pouted as he made his way towards the mop. “Yes, hyung.”

He heard Lisa giggling from behind him and he turned swiftly to look at her. “The bathroom needs cleaning too.”

Her eyes widened and she quickly grabbed the key for it. “I’m on my way.” She scurried over to the far end to get to the restroom.

Minseok chuckled from his left as he poured coffee beans into the grinder. “You’re so harsh.” He said teasingly.
Kyungsoo shrugged as he placed the macarons in the display. “It teaches them responsibility.”

The bell chimed as the first customer of the day entered the shop.

“Welcome to—“Minseok began but suddenly stopped. “Oh, Baekhyun?”

Kyungsoo looked up from his display to see the guy walking towards the counter. He had on a brown jacket and black beanie over his black hair. A red scarf slung over his neck and he had on black pants. He quickly went back to putting macarons on display before Baekhyun could see him. Kyungsoo wasn’t very good at social interaction and he made things worse when he was caught staring at his neighbor’s window.

 Baekhyun loosened up his red scarf, “Hey Minseok.”

“What are you doing here?” Minseok asked with a smile to his voice.

Baekhyun shrugged. “Jongdae told me you worked here as we passed by yesterday. I wanted to see for myself.”

“Passed by?”

Baekhyun nodded. “We moved in next door to you on Saturday. We knocked a couple of times on Friday to tell you, but you didn’t answer.”

“Ah…Kyungsoo and I went out all weekend.”

Kyungsoo saw from the corner of his eye Minseok leave the counter to go over to Baekhyun. Kyungsoo watched curiously as Minseok hugged Baekhyun tight. “I’m glad you left Baekhyun.”

He let him go and looked at Baekhyun with gentle eyes. Baekhyun merely smiled at him. “Yah! I’m okay hyung, really.”

Minseok chuckled and walked back behind the counter. “Get whatever you want, no charge.”

Baekhyun shook his head. “I can pay for my own stuff. Thank you though.”

Minseok wrinkled his nose before answering. “Don’t worry about it, Baek. Consider it my gift to you as your new neighbor. What can I make for you?”

Baekhyun smiled and looked at the carrot cake on display. “Well…I was eyeing the cake.”

Minseok nodded. “Kyungsoo give him the biggest slice please.”

Kyungsoo looked over at Minseok and nodded as he grabbed the biggest slice there and placed it on the counter.”

He heard a gasp from the other end and did his best to not look over at Baekhyun.

“Kyungsoo, are you feeling okay?”

Kyungsoo looked up at Minseok. “Yeah? Why?”

“You’re getting a little red.”

Kyungsoo held his breath and heard a tiny giggle. This time he looked over to see Baekhyun giving him an amused smile.

Minseok looked at Baekhyun. “What did you do, Byun?”

Baekhyun shook his head as he took his cake. “I didn’t do anything.”

“I—I was looking for the For Sale sign by the window and instead saw him open his curtains.” Kyungsoo looked over at Baekhyun. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I’m sorry.”

Baekhyun stared at him, there was something in Baekhyun’s eyes that he couldn’t quite read. It seemed guarded, as if there was something he didn’t want to be seen.

His eyes immediately crinkled upwards. “It’s okay. Thank you for the free cake.”

He sat down on one of the empty tables and enjoyed his dessert. It was a little too early for sweets, but it wasn’t Kyungsoo eating it.

“Hello?”

Kyungsoo turned to see that Baekhyun was on the phone with someone.

“I went to where Minseok works at.”

Kyungsoo continued wiping off the counter to keep it clean.

“I am!”

…

“I’m going home right after this to look.”

…

“Yah! I know! I’ll see you later.”

Baekhyun hung up and stood quickly. “It was nice seeing where you work hyung.”

Minseok looked up at him. “You’re leaving already?”

Baekhyun nodded. “I have stuff to do, thanks again. I’ll see you later.”

“Be careful Baekhyun.” Minseok called after him.  

Baekhyun took one last look at Minseok, giving him a small smile before shutting the door.

Kyungsoo gave a soft chuckle. “So, they moved in, huh?” His eyes darted to look over at Minseok who was biting his bottom lip.

Kyungsoo quirked an eyebrow up. “Hey, you okay?”

Minseok looked over at him. “Hm?”

“You seem…distracted.”

Minseok shook his head. “No, no. I was grinding beans, right?” He turned around and placed more coffee to grind.

The customers came soon after Baekhyun had left and it became a normal day for everyone until it was time to clock out for Minseok and Kyungsoo.

“Are the people in charge of the late shift here yet?” Kyungsoo asked Minseok as he put away the baking supplies from the kitchen.

“Yeah, Yunhyeong just clocked in and Bam and Jeongguk are coming in now.”

Kyungsoo nodded and shut the drawers. He made sure to leave the kitchen clean, they shouldn’t need to use it, but if they did, Yunhyeong would be there to monitor.

“Not even a greeting today?” Yunhyeong asked as the supervisors walked by him. A mocking tone in his voice.

Minseok laughed. “I have an essay due tomorrow night that I’m barely gonna start now, don’t start with me.”

Yunhyeong made a little “o” with his lips, but bit his bottom lip, a smirk played on his lips quickly after. “You’re not that scary Minseok. You look way too cute for that.”

Kyungsoo laughed while Minseok sent him a scowl. “Next time you and me are on the same shift, you’re washing toilets.” Minseok told the shift leader.

“Ha! You’re on toilet duties!” BamBam piped in out of nowhere.

Yunhyeong looked over at him. “No, you are.”

The younger’s smile quickly faded as realization hit him; he had just teased his shift leader.

Minseok and Kyungsoo left the duo as they began to bicker playfully. The walk home wasn’t too bad, they had each other for company and that was enough. They passed by the little clothes stores and markets until they finally arrived to the residential area and into their own building.

Kyungsoo’s stomach growled as they both stood in front of their apartment. Minseok laughed as he fumbled for the keys. “You skipped lunch huh?”

Kyungsoo shrugged. “I’ll whip something up right now.” Kyungsoo was so hungry, he’ll probably just make himself a sandwich and call it a delicacy. 

Minseok simply smirked as he put the key into the keyhole.

“Minseok, Kyungsoo!” A cheerful voice greeted them.

The both of them turned their heads to see their neighbor, Jongin, looking over at them. He was carrying a bag full of sodas in one hand. Judging by the sweats and flip flops, he probably ran to the store by the corner in a hurry to pick something up. Kyungsoo noticed he had gotten a haircut. His once long black locks were now dyed a brown and didn’t drape over his eyes anymore. He has been their neighbor for about two years now. Chanyeol and he had needed a place to stay after they came out as a couple to their parents, Kyungsoo isn’t really sure how their relationship with them is, but he isn’t one to pry.

“Hey Jongin.” Kyungsoo said with a smile.

“Did you guys just get home?” Jongin asked, his lips turning into little pouts as he spoke.

Minseok nodded. “We just got home from work.

Jongin’s smile widened even more. “Have you guys eaten?”

“Not yet, I’ll probably make something right now.” Minseok responded.

“That’s great! Chanyeol made me run to the store to get sodas.” He gestured towards the bag in his hand. “He made way too much food, would you guys like to come over?”

Kyungsoo knew that Chanyeol was a really good cook. At first, he thought the giant was all talk only, but after he got to know him, he saw he was actually a very talented person. Cooking was one of Chanyeol’s many talents.

Minseok twisted his mouth to the side. “I actually have an essay to work on.”

Jongin pouted and furrowed his brows. “You can just eat and leave hyung. I promise, I won’t make you stay.”

Kyungsoo smiled and looked over at Minseok who was contemplating. Jongin was a really cute kid, there was no way Minseok would be able to say no to him.

“That way you won’t be hungry and you can focus on your writing.” Jongin beamed as his eyes shined. He was smiling wide and Kyungsoo laughed as he heard a sigh from Minseok. 

“You win.” Minseok said with a sheepish smile on his face.

Jongin let out a laugh as he wrapped his arm around Minseok’s. “Follow me, hyung.”

Kyungsoo followed behind as Jongin opened the front door to his apartment.

“Chanyeol, I brought the soda and two more friends!” Kyungsoo shut the door behind him and saw Chanyeol turn his head from the kitchen. His eyes were wide as he took in the two guests. He let out a smile, “Hey guys.” He said in a cheery voice.

Kyungsoo smiled and noticed two more people behind Chanyeol.

“Jongin convinced us to come.” Minseok responded as he walked towards the table.

Kyungsoo trailed behind him, getting closer to the table. He had forgotten to wear his contacts, so he couldn’t make out the two figures sitting at the far end, but as he got closer, he saw it was Jongdae and Baekhyun.

Chanyeol gestured towards two empty seats. “It’s good that you guys came. I made way too much food.”

Jongin set himself in between Jongdae and Chanyeol. “See, I told you.”

The two new guests sat down at the circular table. Minseok sat next to Chanyeol, while Kyungsoo took the seat in between Minseok and Baekhyun. Kyungsoo’s eyes scanned the table, it had an assortment of colors everywhere. There were sides and meat placed right in the center. There was definetly enough food for at least a couple of days.

“Oh, guys, this is Jongdae and Baekhyun. The new neighbors.” Chanyeol said in between a bite of pickled radish.

Kyungsoo turned his head to see Baekhyun was looking at him, but quickly looked the other way once they made eye contact. It didn’t surprise him that Chanyeol invited the new neighbors to eat with them. Chanyeol had always been a friendly person. He always wanted to make friends with everyone, he had actually done the same thing when he moved in two years ago. He invited Kyungsoo and Minseok over for dinner.

Minseok smirked over at Jongdae. “I know them, don’t worry.”

Jongdae flashed him a smile, as he reached for some beef. “Do you really, Mini?”

“You guys met already?” Jongin asked curiously.

“Well, kind of.” Kyungsoo replied. He hadn’t actually introduced himself to Baekhyun.

Kyungsoo looked over at Baekhyun who was placing Kimchi on his plate. He cleared his throat, “I’m Kyungsoo.”

Baekhyun’s eyes flickered over to Kyungsoo. He looked him up and down before answering, “Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun seemed tiny, with his oversized sweater and round glasses. But was Kyungsoo really one to talk?   

Baekhyun gave him a soft smile, “Nice to meet you, Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo gave him a smile back then turned his head to reach for some meat. “It’s nice to officially meet you too, Baekhyun.”

If Kyungsoo was being completely honest, the meal that Chanyeol prepared was delicious. He got the flavors just right on each dish and he could tell Baekhyun liked it too by the soft moans he would give out after every bite. Kyungsoo tried to keep a poker face, but at one point he couldn’t help it and spat out some of the water he was drinking. Baekhyun and Jongdae were basically the clowns at the table and Chanyeol would join in on their antics.

Kyungsoo had a good time laughing along with everyone, he could tell Minseok was also having a good time by the way he screamed along. At one point, Baekhyun was imitating someone and brushed his shoulder against Kyungsoo’s. He quickly apologized, but Kyungsoo didn’t see it as such a big deal. It was just an accidental brush of shoulders, nothing to worry about.

“Honestly, I would love to stay longer.” Minseok said as he stood up. “But I really need to get going.”

Kyungsoo stood along with him. “Thanks so much for everything, Chanyeol.” His eyes moved over to Jongin. “Thanks for the invitation Jongin.”

Chanyeol stood up and placed his hand on Minseok’s shoulder. “Don’t mention it. We had fun! When can you guys come over again?”

“For sure, when we have time.” Minseok replied.

Jongin stood up. “We can all go bowling sometime or hiking.” A genuine smile was plastered on the younger’s face.

Chanyeol nodded as he smiled wide. “Yeah, all six of us!”

Jongdae stood up and stretched. His eyes looked down to meet Baekhyun’s. “You down Baek?”

Baekhyun smirked at him and used Jongdae’s hand to stand up. “You know I’m down for anything.”

Chanyeol beamed. “Ok, it’s settled then. Next time we all go out somewhere.”

Kyungsoo and Minseok left home shortly after that. Minseok went over to his room to start typing out his essay or at least an outline for it. Kyungsoo walked into his room to finish up a book he had just started. Today, he must admit, was a good day.