Kyungsoo could say he felt a little nervous when he exited work that Tuesday afternoon.

“Don’t be nervous, you’re just getting information on it.” Yunhyeong had told him as Minseok was in the back.

Yunhyeong was right. He was just getting information on the place, nothing was set in stone. Minseok and he would simply get information and decide when they get home.

“She said to meet her at 6 pm in front of the address right?” Kyungsoo asked as he drove around the buildings.

“Yeah, it’s…right there!”

Minseok practically stood out of his seat as he pointed to a little spot in between a clothes store and pizza place.  A lady stood in front of it with a clipboard in hand.

“Is that her?” Minseok asked as Kyungsoo looked for a parking spot.

Kyungsoo parked across from the building, he got out of the car and saw the lady looking around the street. He assumed it was her by what she was wearing, a black suit with a white shirt underneath, her hair was styled nicely and reached her shoulders.

Minseok walked over to Kyungsoo. “You ready?”

Kyungsoo gulped. He suddenly felt nervous, this would be the first place they look at for their café. “Yeah.”

The both of them crossed the street as they made their way towards the woman.

“Excuse me?” Minseok asked as they got closer. She looked up at the both of them. She was shorter than them and looked much older.

“Are you the real estate agent?”

She smiled and Kyungsoo saw slight wrinkles by her lips. “Yes, are you Kyungsoo and Minseok?”

Minseok nodded. “Yes.”

Her smile widened, “It’s so nice to meet you two! You both are so handsome, I didn’t expect that.”

Kyungsoo and Minseok both let out a light chuckle.

“Ok, so,” She lead them both towards the door of the place as she took out a key. “What interested you about this place?”

“Well, I’m getting my degree in business, we want to start our own.”

The lady turned around, still smiling wide, “Oh, that’s wonderful! Two young entrepreneurs. Imagine when you find your dream place and set up.”

She opened the door and gestured for them to go in. “Do you know what this place was before?”

“I think, was it a shoe store?” Kyungsoo answered as his eyes looked around.

She nodded. “Yes, it was! You both are more than welcome to look around.”

Kyungsoo walked in and his eyes scanned the area. It was small and not too flashy. The walls were painted brown and the floor was brown as well. It seemed like a shoe shop from the 1800’s. But, Kyungsoo could fix it up. He could add a bit of color to the walls and put a couple of decorations to spruce the place up.

“We would need to buy a stove.” Minseok whispered to Kyungsoo.

That didn’t even cross his mind, but it was true. He always knew they would need to buy kitchen essentials, but this seems like too much.

“So, what do you guys think?” the lady asked as she stepped in between them.

“It’s really nice.” Minseok replied. “But, I don’t know if it’s what we’re looking for.

“Well, what kind of business are you boys trying to run?”

“We want a coffee shop.” Kyungsoo answered. “Combined with a bakery.”

“This place is perfect for that! It’s just the right size for it.” She walked over to the center of the space. “The tables and chairs could go here,” She then paced towards what Kyungsoo imagined was the back area of the shoe shop. “The kitchen could be here and the counter just a bit up ahead. You boys could put decorations on the walls, and all you need to buy is an oven.”

Minseok chuckled. “You make it seem easy.”

She shook her head, “You and I both know it won’t be easy. Both of you are extremely bright to know it will take a lot of hard work, it is very admirable to know that you two have this all planned out.” She gave them a tender smile, “But, I guarantee that you won’t find a better place than here. Imagine all of the students that will want to come down here for coffee.”

She gestured out the window, Minseok and Kyungsoo followed her finger. There was the school that Yunhyeong had told Kyungsoo about. It was a high school, meaning teenagers would want coffee.

“How long have you two been having this dream?”

Minseok and Kyungsoo chuckled. “For a while now.” Kyungsoo answered.

“A while? More than a year?”

Minseok and Kyungsoo nodded, smiling.

“And you two are going to let this opportunity go to waste?”

She placed a hand on both of their shoulders, “As a mother myself, I would tell my son to take advantage of this. You can for browse for more spaces after this, but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

She smiled sweetly at them and tilted her head, “Could you imagine people passing by and saying they want to get something to eat from your café. You two would be your own boss, doing whatever you please.”

Kyungsoo envisioned what she said, tables lining up the area outside. He would have his own kitchen, make his own recipes. He wouldn’t have to rely on someone else’s pastries, they would finally be his own.

“Unless, you boys aren’t that interested. Actually, there have been a couple of people I have seen throughout the week. They all want to have something related to food or beverages.”

Kyungsoo and Minseok looked over at her as she spoke. Their eyes had wandered to the walls, but she garnered their full attention when she mentioned other people.

“They all knew that this place is a once in a lifetime opportunity, because of the area and low price.” She looked up as she pondered, “Now that I think about it, they were going to give me a deposit by tomorrow.”

“This place will be sold by tomorrow?” Minseok asked.

“Yes…unless one of my other clients were to pay me today.” She sighed. “But what are the chances in that right?”

Minseok and Kyungsoo looked at each other, then back at her. “What if we meet you in your office now and discuss it?”

She smiled wide, “Of course! Are you done looking at the place?”

Kyungsoo and Minseok nodded, “Yes, we would prefer to speak with you in your office about it.” Kyungsoo said as he smiled at her. The three of them walked out into the street, she locked the door quickly. “Would you boys like to follow me to my office? Or would you like the address so you can get there yourselves?”

“We can follow you, I think that would be easier.” Minseok responded honestly.

She smiled again. “Wonderful!”

Kyungsoo and Minseok gave her a slight bow before walking towards their own car. They climbed inside, “What do you think of the place?” Minseok asked as he put his seatbelt on.

“The area is really good, we have enough to make a deposit.”

Minseok nodded, “We can ask her about it, but it would make sense to get it here.”

“We can pay it off little by little, and when you graduate, we can begin moving our stuff in little by little too. Then when it’s fully paid off, we can set up completely.”

Minseok smiled wide. “This is really exciting!”

Kyungsoo followed the lady down the street as she made swift turns through them. “It is.” Kyungsoo was very enthralled by the thought of finally having a spot. The area was good and the place was a perfect size for their dream. Things could not get any better.

They parked in front of a little office by the edge of a curb. It wasn’t the nicest of areas, but they just needed to talk quick business, nothing more. They let themselves inside, the place was a little messy, with papers scattered all over the desk. “Have a seat.” She motioned towards the chairs in front of the desk. “Please excuse my mess, I was doing paperwork for clients all day.” She got the papers and settled them in manila folders, then placed them in storage bins behind her. “Ok, so,” she took out a paper from on the storage bins and placed it in front of them on the desk. “This is the contract for it, but before I get into details, did you boys like it?” The “contract” seemed more like a pamphlet. It was very thick and held a lot of pages that were stapled together.

“Yes, we were discussing it in the car, we both found it to be what we’re looking for.” Kyungsoo responded eagerly.

Minseok agreed quickly, “The area was also to our liking.”

The woman smiled as she nodded. “Excellent, do you have any questions before I discuss prices?”

“That’s what we wanted to talk about.” Minseok answered.

She began to speak to them about how they would need to leave a deposit first, to prove they are interested. She also explained that the price was set in stone and could not be negotiated. She calculated how much the space alone was in total and that utilities would be separate. She also emphasized how they can’t technically begin working on it until at least half of it was paid off.  At the very bottom of the paper that she had been using as scratch paper, she circled a number. “This would need to be the minimum deposit that should be given for it to be yours.”

Kyungsoo and Minseok looked over it, it was in their price range. They had been saving up money ever since they both had begun working specifically for their cafe.

“All you two would need to do, is sign the contract,” she flipped to the last page, “and it will be finalized.”

Minseok looked over at his friend. “What do you think?” he asked.

Kyungsoo looked back at him. Everything sounded good, great even. They could pay off half of it and move in their stuff in a couple of months. By this time next year, they would have their coffee shop. He smiled at Minseok. “I say we do it.”

Minseok bit his bottom lip in anticipation. “I was thinking the same thing.”

The lady took a pen from her drawer and handed it to them. “All you need to, is sign the dotted line.”

Minseok sighed and put his full name on the bottom, Kyungsoo quickly did the same.

“Congratulations!” She said as she took the contract from the both of them.

***

Kyungsoo placed his dirty laundry in the washing machine. He hadn’t had time to wash the last couple of weeks because he had been so busy, his clothing had turned into a pile of dirty clothes in his room. He pressed the button to have the machine start. It began to spin as it washed them. He placed the soap all on the top, meaning he would just need to wait until the clothes were done to set them in the dryer.

Form the corner of his eye he saw the washing machine next to his stopped turning, someone ran up to it and opened it wide. He recognized the black hair right away.

“Baekhyun?”

Baekhyun turned around, a cookie was halfway in his mouth and he slowly lifted his hand towards his mouth to bite it off.

“Hey Kyungsoo.” He said, a slight smile fighting his lips.

“You wash clothes on Wednesday?”

Baekhyun swallowed the cookie, “Yeah. Well no, I don’t have a set day, but my clothes were dirty.”

Kyungsoo smiled at him, “You don’t work Wednesdays?”

Baekhyun shook his head. “The company I work at gave the day to all of the employees.”

Kyungsoo nodded and looked at his washing machine. Baekhyun continued pulling out his wet clothes.

“You…I haven’t seen you.” Baekhyun said.

Kyungsoo looked over at Baekhyun, Baekhyun was now placing his wet clothes in a dryer.

“No, I been busy lately.” Kyungsoo replied earnestly.

Baekhyun smiled over at him. “They don’t get our mail mixed up anymore?” He asked him in a playful tone.

When Jongdae and Baekhyun had just moved in, Kyungsoo needed to constantly knock on their door because of the mail. Their mail would always be in Kyungsoo’s mailbox, but that was three months ago.

Kyungsoo chuckled, “No, not anymore.”

Baekhyun sat down next to him as his clothes dried. “Are you busy today?”

Kyungsoo raised his eyebrow up a bit. “Not today, I just need to wash, why?”

“I have yet to explore, can you be my tour guide?” Baekhyun’s full smile came out, soft and sweet. Kyungsoo didn’t have anything planned today and he wouldn’t mind hanging out with Baekhyun. He was a really fun person to be around and was beginning to open up more and more as time passed.  

“Sure, where do you wanna go?”

Baekhyun shrugged. “I don’t go out much. Surprise me.”

“You don’t? I would have imagined you would. You’re so outgoing.”

Baekhyun laughed. “Jongdae and I stay home most of the time.”

Kyungsoo smiled at him, “Really? You both seem outgoing.”

Baekhyun chuckled. “We just…get busy.”

Kyungsoo nodded. He understood that things could get hectic out of nowhere, it happened with him all of the time.

“Yeah, I can show you around after this if you want. Do you have a place in mind?”

Baekhyun pouted and looked up at the ceiling as he pondered, “Mmmmm…not really.”

After Baekhyun’s clothes dried, Kyungsoo put his in the dryer. Kyungsoo helped fold Baekhyun’s clothes, he didn’t mind at all. They were both just making conversation as they folded, time was going by very fast. It turns out that Baekhyun and Jongdae were the same age and had met when they were fourteen. Baekhyun told him that they were best friends and got along right away when they had just met. Kyungsoo told him about how he met Minseok and how they were best friends too. Baekhyun’s clothes were eventually done being folded and Kyungsoo’s were next. Baekhyun was easy to talk to. He listened and kept the conversation going when it would begin to die down. Kyungsoo wishes he could be a little like that.

“Ok, we’re done!” Baekhyun said excitedly. Kyungsoo laughed at how happy Baekhyun looked.

“We can drop these off at home.” Baekhyun said as he scooped up the bag that his clothes were in.

Kyungsoo shook his head. “You don’t need to, the parking lot is for the plaza. We can just leave them in the trunk of the cars and I’ll show you around.”

“Oh, I um…I took the bus here.” Baekhyun admitted sheepishly.

Kyungsoo chuckled, “Well, you can leave them in the trunk of my car, and then we can go home when we’re done.”

Baekhyun had been looking out the door, but his head suddenly flung around to meet his eyes. “I—I don’t know.”

Kyungsoo smiled at him. “Don’t worry, it’s no problem really. We live right next door to each other.”

Baekhyun bit his bottom lip. “You…we’re friends right?”

Kyungsoo stared into his eyes and that look had just appeared, that wall had just been built up again. The guard had been completely down, but now, judging by Baekhyun’s stance and gaze, it was up full force. Usually, Kyungsoo wouldn’t push and instead give space, but now, curiosity was getting the best of him. What was Byun Baekhyun hiding behind that wall?

“I thought we were friends.” Kyungsoo answered. “I assumed you thought the same.”

Baekhyun continued to stare, walls high.

“But, if you’re uncomfortable, you don’t have to.”

The tension was beginning to leave Baekhyun’s shoulders.

“I don’t want you to feel like I’m forcing you to do anything you don’t want to.”

The wall that was up before was slowly coming down, his eyes getting friendly again. “I just don’t want to be a burden.”

Kyungsoo lifted up his hand, “You’re not a burden Baekhyun, we live right next to each other.”

Baekhyun smiled and the wall was completely gone now. “Ok, thanks Kyungsoo.”

Baekhyun and Kyungsoo both left their clothes in the back of Kyungsoo’s car. Kyungsoo put Baekhyun’s on top of his to make it easier for them to take it out when they arrived home.

“Ok, so where first?” Baekhyun asked as they walked away from the car.

Kyungsoo shrugged. “What do you like?”

“I’m a little thirsty, do they sell drinks around here?”

Kyungsoo lead him towards a smoothie shop across the street. “Yeah.” He answered enthusiastically.

They both walked inside the smoothie shop that Kyungsoo mentioned. The smoothies were really good and only used natural fruits. A lot of places used syrups to get the flavor, but not this place. One could taste the difference right away.

They both got their smoothies quickly, another reason why Kyungsoo liked it.

Baekhyun settled himself on a table by the back, Kyungsoo followed after him.

Baekhyun took one sip and smiled wide before going back to drinking it.

Kyungsoo smiled at Baekhyun, he did a lot of things that were really cute.

“This place is good, have you been here before?” Baekhyun asked as he looked up at Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo swallowed, “Yeah, Minseok and I used to come here all of the time.”

Baekhyun smiled. “I want to go out and explore, but Jongdae is always busy.” He pouted.

“You can explore alone, can’t you?” Kyungsoo suggested.

Baekhyun laughed, “No way. It’s not fun alone.”

“But, you went to the laundromat alone.”

Baekhyun twisted his mouth to the side. “Well, that was a necessity. I would have preferred to go with Jongdae.”

Kyungsoo smirked. “Are you guys dating?” He teased.

Baekhyun flinched and nearly spit his drink out. He began to cough and Kyungsoo’s eyes widened. “Are you okay?” He stood up and began to pat Baekhyun’s back. Baekhyun reached for a napkin and Kyungsoo kept his hand placed on Baekhyun’s back even after his coughing fit.

“I am not dating Jongdae.” He responded.

Kyungsoo laughed and sat back down. “Ok, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t even consider that, it won’t happen.” Baekhyun said, making a disgusted face.

Kyungsoo laughed harder. “Ok, ok. Change topic then.”

Baekhyun took another sip of his drink, “Are you dating Minseok?”

Kyungsoo chuckled as he covered his face. “I get it Baekhyun that was a dumb question.”

Baekhyun smiled. “I actually met Minseok in University.”

Kyungsoo uncovered his face and looked at him. “You went to the same University as Minseok?”

Baekhyun shook his head. “No, I met him ‘cuz of Jongdae.”

Kyungsoo sipped his drink as he nodded.

“I went to the University across the street.” Baekhyun said proudly.

Kyungsoo thought about it. He never paid much mind to it, but there was a University in front of theirs. The one he went to specialized in business and accounting the one across the street focused on…

“Doesn’t that specialize in acting and stuff?”

Baekhyun nodded. “Yeah, I have my degree in musical theater.”

“Really? You do musicals?”

Baekhyun grinned in happiness. “I love it, singing on stage.”

Kyungsoo smiled. “Have you been in any?”

“Of course! I have come out in a couple. My dream is to make it to Seoul.”

Kyungsoo smiled. “Seoul isn’t far from here, why don’t you try going?”

Baekhyun had been beyond happy before. But now, Kyungsoo noticed the happiness was beginning to escape away from him.

“Sometimes, our dreams get shattered before we can reach them. We realize that there are certain instances in our life that won’t let us achieve them no matter how much we may want them.”    

Kyungsoo didn’t say anything, he didn’t know what to say. Did he just cross a line? He remembers how defensive Baekhyun had gotten when he asked him about his major that rainy day. Baekhyun was beginning to show himself to Kyungsoo at his own pace, he didn’t want to jeopardize the trust that was beginning to build between them. Baekhyun was looking out the window, eyes locked on something outside. Kyungsoo doubts he was actually staring at something, there was something going on in Baekhyun’s mind.

“Life is . It’s how we grow from the experience that matters.” Kyungsoo finally responded.

Baekhyun looked over at him, his smile was small, but visible.

Kyungsoo stirred up his drink as he looked down at it. “Dreams are like clouds, sometimes they change and we don’t notice it.” He looked up at Baekhyun. “And there is nothing wrong with that.”  

Baekhyun looked at Kyungsoo, taking little sips of his drinks. “Maybe I can make a new dream huh?”

Kyungsoo’s eyes got gentle and his smile grew tender as it began to show. “Of course. You can do whatever you want Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun smiled wide at him and looked down into his lap before his eyes peeked up again.

Kyungsoo chuckled and stood up from his chair, smoothie in hand. “I want to show you around. We can walk, drink, and talk.”

Baekhyun stood up shortly after. “Okay, I’m free all day.”

They walked through the plaza, Kyungsoo was supposed to be the tour guide, but spent most of his time following Baekhyun around. He went into clothing stores and would look at clothes, but never bought any.

“Is window shopping normal for you?” Kyungsoo asked playfully.

“Yeah, I’m more into video games.”

Shortly after saying that, the both of them stepped into a video game store. Baekhyun walked through what Kyungsoo assumed was League of Legends. He was never really into videogames himself, but he had seen commercials sometimes.

The both of them were enjoying each other’s company, so much so, that they didn’t notice that the sun had begun setting. It was the cue that they needed to get home, Minseok was probably wondering where Kyungsoo had gone off to.

“We should hang out together again.” Baekhyun told him as they both made their way towards the car.

Kyungsoo nodded, “We should, it was fun.” Kyungsoo answered as he took a quick glance at him.

There was many things that Kyungsoo still didn’t know about Baekhyun, he got a hint of one of Baekhyun’s secrets that night.

“Excuse me?” A voice called out from the side Baekhyun was walking on.

They both turned towards the voice, Kyungsoo saw how Baekhyun quickly took steps back to hide behind Kyungsoo.

“Do you guys have the time?”

Kyungsoo pulled out his phone and took a glance at it. “8:32.” He responded.

“Thanks,” the guy replied.

Baekhyun took a peek from behind Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo looked up at the guy to see he hadn’t moved at all. “You’re welcome.”

Baekhyun tugged on Kyungsoo’s sleeve. “We need to leave.” Baekhyun whispered.

Kyungsoo looked over at him, Baekhyun’s eyes never left the guy. He felt Baekhyun’s fingers intertwine with his and he squeezed hard.

Next thing he knew, they were sprinting in the parking lot. Baekhyun lead Kyungsoo towards the car, his head never turning back.

“Unlock it!” Baekhyun yelled as they got closer.

Everything was going so fast, Kyungsoo was confused and lost but did as he was told. He fumbled the keys out of his pocket and clicked on the button that unlocked the door.

“Get in, get in!” Baekhyun ordered as he let go of his hand.  Kyungsoo quickly got into the driver’s seat while Baekhyun climbed into the passenger’s side. Baekhyun quickly clicked on the button that locked all four doors in the car, then Kyungsoo heard someone fumbling with the handle on his side. He turned his head to see a guy trying to open the door.

“What the !?” Kyungsoo yelled out.

“Kyungsoo, we need to go, please!”

Kyungsoo started the engine and took a quick glance at Baekhyun who had a frightened look in his eyes. He put the car in reverse and quickly made his way out of the parking lot. They were on the street and Kyungsoo stopped at a red light. “Will they—“

“They won’t follow us.” Baekhyun answered before Kyungsoo could ask.

Kyungsoo let out a sigh as he looked ahead. “What the actual .” They stayed at the red light for a little while longer, until it turned green. Kyungsoo allowed the road to distract him from his thoughts, taking in the landmarks as he passed them. They stopped at another red light.

“One serves as the decoy, while the other sneaks behind with a lead pipe, piece of wood, a bat, whatever they have.”

Kyungsoo looked over at Baekhyun again, eyes wide. “What?”

Baekhyun looked at him, the broken smile was back on Baekhyun’s face, there was hardly any light, but Kyungsoo could see it. “I know these things from experience.”

“You been mugged before?” Kyungsoo asked.

“Yeah.” He threw his head back on the chair. “Not one of my nicest memories.”  

Kyungsoo let out a sigh as he pressed on the gas. The light had just turned green.

“Well, I’m glad you were with me. I would have been mugged.”

“You were put in the situation because of me.”

Kyungsoo flinched and his hands tightened on the wheel. “Don’t say that.”

“It’s true. If I didn’t convince you to show me around, this wouldn’t have happened.”

Kyungsoo pulled over to the side and put the car in park. His eyes quickly went over to Baekhyun, eyebrows furrowed.

Baekhyun was looking down at Kyungsoo’s hand that was gripping the shift gear. His eyes darted up to look into Kyungsoo’s, “I—I’m sorry. Please don’t…” Baekhyun gulped as he pierced his lips together. “I’m sorry.”

Kyungsoo’s features quicky softened after seeing the fear in Baekhyun. He had never seen someone look so scared, “Baekhyun, don’t apologize. This isn’t your fault.” Kyungsoo told him, voice tender. “We both had fun today, don’t ruin this.” Kyungsoo’s heart shaped smile began to show as his lips quirked upwards. “You saved me Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun had been tense, but began to ease up. “You…you’re not mad?”

Kyungsoo shook his head slowly. “No, a little shaken, but not mad. There’s no reason to be mad. I had fun today, okay?”

Baekhyun stared into Kyungsoo’s eyes, searching for something. He tilted his head a little to the left, then gave him a small smile. “I had fun too.”

Kyungsoo gave him a slight nod as he placed both hands on the steering wheel. “Good, let’s go home now.”  

The ride was silent. There wasn’t much to say. Kyungsoo knew that there was more to Baekhyun than meets the eye. How much more, he wasn’t sure. But, if Baekhyun could see him as a friend, he would be content.

“Did you have like the plaza?”

Baekhyun looked over at him, “Yeah, thanks for being my tour guide.”

Kyungsoo parked the car in the parking lot of the apartment. “Next time, we can invite more people.” Kyungsoo told him as he opened the trunk of his car.

Baekhyun smiled at him, tension beginning to lift. “Yeah, that would be fun. Jongdae can go too.”

Kyungsoo nodded as he shut the trunk, “Yeah and Minseok, maybe Jongin and Chanyeol too.”

They both walked up the steps towards their home. The tension that they both felt before was beginning to ease. Instead, it was being replaced with fond memories of their day at the plaza.

They made it to their floor to see Jongdae by the front of their home. He was shutting the door behind him, as if he was getting ready to step out.

Kyungsoo and Baekhyun walked towards him, “Hey Dae.” Baekhyun greeted him. Jongdae turned around and stress was overwritten with relief as he looked at them.

“Baekhyun, where have you been?” Jongdae asked as he approached him.

“I was out with Kyungsoo.”

Jongdae gave Kyungsoo a quick glance then looked back at Baekhyun.

“Doing what?”

“We explored the plaza, right Kyungsoo?”

Baekhyun looked over at Kyungsoo, who was carrying a bag full of clothes. “Yeah, I showed him around.” Kyungsoo answered.

Jongdae let out a sigh as he looked at Baekhyun.

“Don’t worry so much.” Baekhyun told him cheerfully.

Jongdae rolled his eyes, “Maybe if you answer your phone, I wouldn’t need to.”

Baekhyun playfully rolled his eyes at him. “It died. You know I won’t do anything stupid.”

Kyungsoo wanted to interject, but it felt as though this was a conversation between Jongdae and Baekhyun only.

“Thanks for showing me around.” Baekhyun told Kyungsoo.

“No problem,” Kyungsoo looked over at Jongdae, who was giving him a strange look. His eyebrows were furrowed a bit, but he didn’t look mad. He looked as though he was looking Kyungsoo over, scanning him as if he was a computer that needed to be checked for viruses. “Maybe you can come  with us next time?”

Jongdae’s eyes widened in surprise. “Next time?” Jongdae questioned.

“We can invite more people right?” Baekhyun added.

Jongdae looked at Baekhyun, “Sure.” He said carefully.

“I gotta get going, I need to put my clothes away and get ready for tomorrow.” Kyungsoo said. “I’ll be seeing you Baekhyun. Night Jongdae.”

“Goodnight Kyungsoo.” Baekhyun responded.

“Night.” Jongdae replied.

Kyungsoo shut the door behind him and made his way towards his room to put away his clean clothing. He quickly got into his pajamas and settled himself in bed. He laid down and shut his eyes, taking in a heavy breath. He thought about his day as he began to drift off to sleep, the laundromat, the plaza, his almost mugging, his last thought before he slept was of Byun Baekhyun.

***

Kyungsoo sat at the kitchen table as he reached over for the fruit in the center. He had woken up early and couldn’t go back to sleep, so he made breakfast for his roommate and himself. He had peeled fruits and placed them in the center. An assortment of colors were in the center while his oatmeal sat in front of him on a bowl.   

Minseok sat with him on the table. He was placing peaches in his oatmeal with a big smile on his face. The elder loved to experiment with things that Kyungsoo recommended. He took a bite of the peach and chewed like a little hamster. Kyungsoo thought it was kind of cute.  

“Where were you yesterday?” Minseok asked suddenly. He wasn’t even done chewing on the peach when he asked.  

When Kyungsoo had arrived home yesterday, he went straight into his room. He put his clothes away and went to bed shortly after. He didn’t see Minseok at all yesterday.

Kyungsoo used a napkin to wipe his lips before he answered, “I went to wash and I bumped into Baekhyun.”

Minseok’s chewing suddenly stopped as his eyes widened a bit. “Baekhyun?” Minseok’s tone had a question to it and a perplexed look on his features.

Kyungsoo nodded. “Mmm hm. He was washing at the laundromat.”

Minseok raised an eyebrow. “By himself?”

Kyungsoo nodded. “Yeah, then we went to the plaza.”

Minseok chuckled. “That’s weird. He usually doesn’t go to places alone.” He began pouring juice into a cup that was in front of him. “It’s also rare for him to accept invitations when Jongdae won’t be going.”

Kyungsoo swallowed an apple that he had just plopped in his mouth, “I didn’t invite him. He asked me to give him a tour.”

Minseok was sipping the juice when he suddenly began to choke on it. He sputtered and Kyungsoo gave him a napkin.

“He…what?” Minseok looked up at Kyungsoo, eyes wide in surprise.     

Why was Minseok so surprised? Baekhyun was a grown man, he could do whatever he wants.

“He invited me to the plaza.” Kyungsoo shrugged. “We hung out for a while, then it got dark and we—“A flash of what had happened last night came into his mind. How they had almost gotten mugged and how if Baekhyun hadn’t been there, who knows what would have happened to Kyungsoo.

“And you…?”

Kyungsoo blinked as the memory of last night began to fade away. Minseok was his best friend he could tell him, in fact, he probably should tell him, “We went home in my car.” but he didn’t. Kyungsoo didn’t keep secrets from Minseok, but this felt private. There was no reason for Minseok to worry when nothing happened.

Minseok’s mouth dropped. “Baekhyun went in the car alone with you?”

Kyungsoo couldn’t quite understand the tone in Minseok’s tone. He sounded surprised and the way he worded that sentence was strange. He was acting as though being in a car with someone was a big deal. “Yeaaaah…what of it?”

Minseok shook his head. “Nothing, It’s just…well” Minseok put his lips in a straight line before he opened his mouth again. “He doesn’t usually do stuff alone with others. He only really trusts Jongdae.”

Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow. “Really? He seemed fine when we were alone.”

Minseok let out a soft laugh. “Well, he must think you’re a trustworthy person.”

Kyungsoo merely let out a soft chuckle as he continued eating his breakfast. He didn’t really know what to make of what Minseok was saying. He didn’t really see Baekhyun and him hanging out as such a big deal, he simply saw it as two friends wanting to get to know each other better.

“Oh, that reminds me, I have plans after work.” Minseok told him as he washed his dishes.

Kyungsoo his lips as he finished his meal. “Alright, school again?”

Minseok turned his head to look at him. “Kind of. Remember that person I was talking to?”

Kyungsoo’s eyes widened. “You got a date?”

Minseok’s hands were up in seconds and waving them in the air. “No, no! It’s just a tutoring session.”

Kyungsoo laughed as he stood up and placed his plate in the dishes to wash. “Yeah, sure. Is she pretty?”

Minseok turned slightly red and looked away, “Maybe a little, but I’m just helping with their Korean.”

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes as he scrubbed his bowl. He can’t remember the last time Minseok had a crush on someone, much less, when he had blushed. To say that he was happy for his friend was an understatement, he was glad that Minseok might have found someone who he could have a relationship with.

“Have fun Minseok.” Kyungsoo teased as he continued scrubbing.

Minseok let out a chuckle, “We’re just studying.”

The both of them headed to work shortly after and were confronted with a lot more customers than usual that morning.

“They’re here because they heard the barista here is really talented.” Yugyeom said as he began pouring coffee into a mug.

Kyungsoo smiled as he placed pastries on the display. “You’re alright.” He teased.

Yugyeom snickered, “Not me, Minseok!”

Kyungsoo looked up at him. “Minseok?”

“Yeah, word is spreading quick that Minseok is a really good coffee maker.” Lisa responded from behind the both of them.

Kyungsoo knew that Minseok was talented. He had a passion for what he did and loved it. It was no surprise that he was beginning to get recognized for it.

Work seemed to go by quick because of how busy it was. The crowd slowly began to die down just as Yunhyeong entered the cafe and clocked in.

“Busy today?” He asked as he placed an apron around himself.

Kyungsoo nodded. “Yeah, I had to put a lot of new batches in just to catch up with orders.”

Yunhyeong let out a chuckle, then a playful sigh “It’s my turn now.”

Kyungsoo laughed, “It died down, don’t worry.”    

Yunhyeong smiled at him. “Minseok seems in a rush to leave today.”

Kyungsoo gave him a half smile. “Yeah, we have stuff to do today.” That was a lie, only Minseok had something to do. Kyungsoo was free for the rest of the day. Earlier his roommate had claimed that he needed to meet someone, Kyungsoo didn’t imagine he wanted to meet this person that bad.

“Do you need me to make batches for tomorrow? I can freeze them overnight.”

Kyungsoo looked over at Yunhyeong as he put his apron, “Yeah, that would be a good idea. Is there enough people to make drinks?”  

Yunhyeong nodded, “Yeah, its Jeongguk and Bam with me today. And the new girl is coming in about thirty minutes.”

Kyungsoo had almost forgotten that they had hired a new girl. He was mostly around in the day, it was no wonder that he hadn’t seen her. “Alright, see ya Yunhyeong.”

Yunhyeong waved him off as he headed towards one of the ovens. “See you tomorrow hyung.”

Kyungsoo walked out of the kitchen and proceeded towards the counter. He looked up to find Minseok with his apron off and sitting on one of tables from the café. He was sitting with Jongdae who was obviously telling him something funny. Minseok was laughing as he threw his head back in his seat. Kunpimook was standing behind the counter and crept next to Kyungsoo. “Who’s that with Minseok?” he asked.

Kyungsoo looked over at Kunpimook who was looking back at Kyungsoo with mischievous eyes.

“That’s our neighbor.”

Kunpimook smiled mischievously. “Are you hiding stuff from me?”

Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow, “No…?”

“ ‘Cuz Jeongguk and I heard him talking to someone on the phone then later he showed up.”

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes and playfully punched the younger’s arm.

Kunpimook grabbed his arm and laughed. “Ok, ok. I won’t ask anymore.”

“Kyungsoo,” Kyungsoo turned his head to see Minseok waving him over. “You ready to go?”

Kunpimook quickly punched Kyungsoo back playfully then hid behind Jeongguk. Kyungsoo merely looked over at him smiling as he shook his head. He quickly turned back around to face Minseok. “Yeah, I’m ready.”

The younger walked over to Minseok and Jongdae who were now standing up. Minseok had on the usual uniform, a simple white collared shirt. While Jongdae had on a t shirt and cap. Jongdae looked like he was dressed simply, he probably didn’t need to go to work today. “Hey Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo smiled, “Hey, you were in the mood for coffee?” he asked as he eyed the cup in Jongdae’s hand.

He smiled wider as he took a sip. “Yeah, i was walking by and suddenly craved it.”

“Jongdae needs help finding the post office.” Minseok told him as he held the door open for them to walk through.

The trio began walking down the street, “It actually isn’t too far from here.” Kyungsoo said as he looked on ahead.

“I knew it was close, I just couldn’t pinpoint it.” Jongdae responded.

Kyungsoo chuckled, “Yeah, it can be a little difficult to spot ‘cuz it’s so small.”

Minseok was walking along them when he looked down at his watch, “Guys, I actually need to be somewhere.” Minseok looked up to lock eyes with Kyungsoo. “Would it be cool if you show him where it’s at?”

Kyungsoo and Jongdae both looked over at Minseok who had stopped in his tracks. Kyungsoo didn’t mind showing him around. Jongdae was a really nice guy and the both of them were beginning to get closer, not just as neighbors, but maybe even as friends. “I can show him around.”

Jongdae looked over at Kyungsoo then back at Minseok, “Nice to know I have friends that won’t ditch me.” He told him, a playful demeanor in his voice.

Minseok laughed. “I’m sorry! I’ll make it up to you guys.”

Kyungsoo waved him off, “Bye Minseok, ditch your friends for someone else.” He smiled.

Minseok pouted as he took steps back. “I’ll see you guys later.”

The three of them parted ways. Kyungsoo and Jongdae walked towards the post office while Minseok went somewhere else. Kyungsoo just realized that Minseok didn’t actually tell him where he was going. But, he didn’t care too much, he wasn’t his babysitter or anything like that.

Kyungsoo and Jongdae both made small talk as they walked to the post office, sometimes even making an occasional joke. Kyungsoo found Jongdae to be really nice company, he could see why he had become friends with Minseok so quickly.

“Have you been friends with Minseok since you guys were kids?” Jongdae asked as the both of them walked ahead.

Kyungsoo nodded, “Yeah, we met really small.”

Jongdae chuckled, “That’s really cool. So, I’m assuming, you guys are best friends?”

“Yeah, you could say that.”

Jongdae nodded, “Makes sense.”

“Is Baekhyun your best friend?” Kyungsoo asked. The post office was just up ahead, the both of them had gotten to it much faster than Kyungsoo had originally thought they would.

“Yeah, he is.”

The both of them walked up the steps and Kyungsoo opened the door for them. “It’s easy to see. Baekhyun always wants to be around you.”

Jongdae chuckled as he dropped off his envelopes in the mailbox. “Yeah, hey Kyungsoo, I actually want to ask you something.”

Kyungsoo’s eyes were on the mailbox, but they looked up once Jongdae said that. “Hm?”

“When you hung out with Baekhyun yesterday, what did you guys do?” Jongdae looked at him smiling.

“We just walked around the plaza.”

Jongdae held the door open for the both of them this time. “You invited him?”

The tone in Jongdae’s voice had Kyungsoo feeling a little uneasy. “No, he asked me to show him around. Why?”

Jongdae shrugged as they walked down the steps. “Just curious.”

Kyungsoo chuckled. “It was fun. He’s easy to get along with.”

Jongdae’s eyes flickered to Kyungsoo, something unreadable flashed in them, but quickly disappeared. “Oh yeah?”

Kyungsoo nodded slowly, Jongdae’s reaction was unsettling him a little bit.

Jongdae smiled that feline like smile. “Baekhyun is sensitive, be careful with him, yeah?”

Kyungsoo wasn’t really sure how to respond to that. He knew that Baekhyun was hiding things. What those things were, he didn’t know. But the way that Jongdae was responding to him being alone with Baekhyun was getting him a little curious.

Jongdae looked ahead. “Anyway, are you hungry?”

“Um, I could eat.”

Kyungsoo and Jongdae ended up a small fast food place that was known for its hamburgers. Kyungsoo didn’t realize how hungry Jongdae was, but once their food came, it was practically gone.

Kyungsoo couldn’t help but laugh at how exaggerated Jongdae was eating it.

“Oh, sorry.” Jongdae replied. “I was hungry.”

Kyungsoo’s hand went up as he shook it gently in protest, “No, no. It’s fine.”

“I didn’t really get a good breakfast today, I was busy doing something for work.”

Kyungsoo picked up a french fry and plopped it into his mouth. “No, it’s fine. I didn’t know you worked from home.”

“I don’t work from home.”

“Oh.” Kyungsoo replied, a stunned tone in his voice. He didn’t mean to assume, but by the way Jongdae was dressed he would have never imagined he would go to work like that.

Jongdae let out a laugh. The reason for Kyungsoo’s stunned state was very easy to recognize, considering the flip flops Jongdae had on. “Today was my day off of work, what I meant was, I’m going on a trip to Japan soon for work. I needed to turn in a quick report this morning.”

Kyungsoo chuckled. “That makes sense. You have your own office?”

Jongdae nodded. “Yeah, I’m a video game designer, so they’re sending me off to a meeting in Japan.”

“That sounds fun. You get to travel.”

Jongdae laughed. “Yeah, but no sightseeing. I’ll be gone for a weekend and come back on a Monday.”

“Baekhyun told me he was a secretary. Does he work with you?”

Jongdae shook his head. “No, he works for another company. He says he likes it just fine.”

Kyungsoo nodded as he took a quick sip of his drink. “He told me he wants to do musicals, so it’s probably just a temporary thing, huh?”

Jongdae’s eyes quickly looked into Kyungsoo’s. “He said he wanted to do musicals again?” It came out quickly and rash.

Kyungsoo picked up his hamburger with his hands, “Yeah, why doesn’t he audition if he used to do them? Seoul isn’t too far from here.”

Jongdae opened his mouth then clammed it shut. “He…” Jongdae bit his lip and looked out the window. “Is that a double decker bus?”

Kyungsoo’s eyes looked out the window and sure enough there was a double decker bus. It was common to see them around here, but probably strange to someone who hadn’t been in this area.

“Yeah, sometimes they make stops in the city.”

Jongdae looked over at him, a wide grin on his face. “Would you go on one with me?”

Kyungsoo laughed as he covered his mouth with his hand. “Sure.” he responded.

Kyungsoo went home later that evening, after Jongdae and he enjoyed themselves on a double decker bus.

***

Wednesday had started off as such an easy day. Kyungsoo woke up a little later than usual, then made himself breakfast as normal. Shortly after that, he went to pay off his bills for the month, as well as, pay off a little bit of the space for their cafe. A little smile crept up on his face as he dropped the envelope in the post office.

He walked back to his apartment and put on his comfortable black slippers. His blue shirt and beige pants were already comfortable enough on their own, so he kept them on at home. He was home alone again, but Minseok would be home later. That meant, that he would need to cook later today, but he didn’t need to worry about that yet. For now, he can catch up on the episodes he had been missing. His shows had been updated and he had been behind because of work. He laid in bed and his phone, quickly going on his shows to watch what he had missed.

Kyungsoo loved watching movies and shows. It felt like an escape from reality, as if he could be stress free instead of worrying over things in his real life. He could spend hours like this and he still wouldn’t notice how much time passed, that is, until his stomach began to growl. He adjusted his black glasses and looked on the upper right of his phone screen. It was about time to start cooking for later. He was beginning to get hungry, he could only imagine how hungry Minseok was going to be when he got here.  

He quickly exited the app he was using and sat up in bed. His slippers were left next to his bed and he slipped his feet into them, pondering what he should make for later. He bit his bottom lip as he placed his phone on the bedside table. He thought and then had the perfect idea. He hadn’t had doenjang stew for a while now. He could make buchimgae and rice as a side dish for it. He had all of the ingredients and knew his mother’s recipe by heart. He smiled fondly as he reminisced on the many times he had helped his mother when he was a kid. He did his best to help her in the kitchen and as a result, he acquired all of her recipes by memory.

It was settled, that is what he would be making. He walked over to the kitchen and began taking out all of the vegetables from the refrigerator, carefully placing each one on a cutting board. He took out the beef and placed it on the sink for it to defrost a little bit. He put his gray apron over his head and washed his hands thoroughly before he began to mince the vegetables.

A little while later, as he was cooking the beef, he heard the front door open. A high pitched laugh flooded the home as Minseok walked in. Another voice accompanied the laugh, a voice that didn’t belong to Minseok. Kyungsoo wiped his hands on the apron and walked towards the living room. Minseok was there with grocery bags in his hands, Baekhyun was next time holding a paper bag full of items.

“Oh, hey Kyungsoo.” Baekhyun responded, a full smile spreading on his face.

Kyungsoo couldn’t help but smile back at him. Baekhyun just had a natural way of being able to light up a room.

“Hey Baek, you got Minseok to show you around today?”

Baekhyun chuckled, “If you mean helped him carry the groceries from his car to here, then yeah.”

“Thanks Baekhyun, you can just put it on the table by the refrigerator.

Baekhyun nodded quickly before placing the bag on the table.

“What did you get?” Kyungsoo asked as he peeked in the bag.

“Mostly yogurt.” Minseok responded as he placed the bag he was carrying on the table.

“Are you cooking?” Baekhyun asked, slight anticipation in his voice. Kyungsoo’s eyes traveled to him, curiosity evident in his smile.

“Yeah, I’m making doenjang stew.”

Baekhyun’s eyes sparkled as his grin got bigger. “It smells really good!”

Kyungsoo chuckled as he scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment. “You’re more than welcome to stay so we can all eat it.”

Baekhyun’s mouth opened wide in surprise. “Really? I can?” He asked.

Kyungsoo nodded. “Sure. I actually need to get back to it because I left the meat cooking.”

“I need to finish up a writing assignment, then I can come help you Soo.” Minseok spoke up from a couple inches away.

“I can help him!” Baekhyun yelled enthusiastically. This caused Minseok and Kyungsoo to turn their head to look over at him.

Baekhyun puffed up his cheeks and made a slight pout with his lips. Kyungsoo couldn’t help but smile at him. Who thought that a guy could be this cute?

“I mean...if you’re okay with it?”

Kyungsoo chuckled. “I’m fine with it.”

Baekhyun smiled again and grabbed Kyungsoo’s wrist, “Show me.” He said before he gently tugged Kyungsoo into the kitchen. Maybe if Kyungsoo hadn’t been focusing on how pretty and warm Baekhyun’s hand was, he would have noticed the stunned face that Minseok was giving the both of them.

They both entered the kitchen and Kyungsoo quickly went to stir the meat that was in the frying pan. It was almost cooked thoroughly.

“What can i do?” Baekhyun asked from behind him.

Kyungsoo stirred around the meat as he spoke, “Well first, you can wash your hands. Then you can cut up the tofu I have on the cutting board if you want?”

Baekhyun nodded and headed towards the sink. The water landed on his hands softly as he lathered the soap into them. He turned off the sink quickly and used a towel hanging by the sink to dry off his hands. He headed towards the tofu and grabbed the knife next to them, gently cutting it into tiny squares. Kyungsoo looked over at him and saw he was missing something. He headed towards one of the drawers and pulled out one of Minseok’s aprons. Kyungsoo wouldn’t want Baekhyun to get dirty as he cooked the meal.

He walked towards Baekhyun, “Look at me.” He told him.

Baekhyun’s curious eyes wandered over to him. “Hm?”

“I’ma put this apron on you, ok?”

Before Baekhyun could say anything, Kyungsoo was placing it over his head. HIs black hair bounced out first, then soon his head. His eyes were looking down at the apron as it covered his chest and belly. His face bolted upwards and Kyungsoo never really noticed how pretty Baekhyun was, he also didn’t realize how close they were until now.

Kyungsoo took a step back as he saw Baekhyun begin to realize the same thing, it was evident by the slight pink color in his cheeks.

“Thanks Kyungsoo.” Baekhyun told him as he went back to cutting the tofu.

Kyungsoo simply nodded. “You’re welcome.” He quickly went back to cooking the meat.

Baekhyun and Kyungsoo worked together to finish the meal. Baekhyun was such a fun person, he got along really well with Kyungsoo. He was even able to bring out the funny side of him. Baekhyun would do funny antics, causing Kyungsoo to laugh hysterically, but he didn’t let Baekhyun have all of the fun. He would also try to make Baekhyun laugh and would smile in success when he did.

“Are we done already?” Baekhyun asked as he looked over the stove.

Kyungsoo nodded, “Yeah, just let it simmer for a little while.”

“It smells really good Kyungsoo.”

“It’s my mom’s recipe.”

Baekhyun sat on the chair by the table and Kyungsoo followed after him. “Can you cook?” Kyungsoo asked.

Baekhyun chuckled. “Only in emergencies.”

Kyungsoo shrugged. “Better than nothing.”

Baekhyun smirked playfully. “I can’t wait to try it! You probably cook amazing food, huh?”

Kyungsoo hummed in response. “Not really, it’s just average.”

“That’s a really cool hobby, I mean it’s a life skill.”

Kyungsoo shook his head. “Well what’s yours? I’m pretty sure yours is cool too.”

Baekhyun tilted his head to the side as he smiled, “Singing.”

Kyungsoo gave him a not bad face as he nodded. “So, that’s why you did musicals? Makes sense now.”

Baekhyun tilted his mouth to the side, “Yeah, but mine...isn’t like yours. My hobby is..useless and--”

Minseok walked in the kitchen with a towel wrapped around his neck. His hair was wet from the shower he had just taken and he didn’t have any shoes on.

“Are you guys done already?” He asked as he ruffled his hair with the towel.

Kyungsoo stood up. “Yeah, it’s ready. You want some already?”

Minseok walked over to the pot on the stove, “Don’t worry Kyungsoo, I can serve myself from here.”

“You sure hyung?” Baekhyun asked.

Minseok nodded. “Yeah, I can serve both you guys too.” He reached for the bowls that were on the cupboard above his head.

Kyungsoo stood up and grabbed the side dishes that were placed next to Minseok.

“You guys made sides too?”

Kyungsoo nodded, “Yeah.” He walked towards the table and placed them in the center. “You can start if you want Baekhyun.” Kyungsoo told him. Minseok placed a bowl full of stew in front of Baekhyun, along with a spoon and chopsticks.

“Thank you.” Baekhyun replied as he straightened up in his seat.

The both of them quickly joined him as he blew on the stew. Once he took a bite of the meal, his eyes opened wide in delight. The flavor was unlike anything he ever tasted before. He looked over at Kyungsoo. “You have a gift.” He told him.

Kyungsoo looked up from his stew at Baekhyun, “We made it together, so you deserve just as much credit.”

“Well yeah, but you have a passion for this.” He gestured towards the food and smiled. “It’s really good.”

Kyungsoo smiled in embarrassment. He was never good at this kind of thing. He wasn’t really sure how to handle the situation in front of him.

“Thank you.” He told him as he looked up. Maybe if he wasn’t so busy looking at Baekhyun, he would have noticed Minseok’s eyes looking at the both of them. His suspicious eyes wandered to Kyungsoo then to Baekhyun and they both didn’t seem to be aware of it. Maybe if Kyungsoo would have been a little more attentive, he would have noticed the vibes that Baekhyun and he were giving off towards  each other, the atmosphere that Minseok was picking up on.