“What do you mean you're already on your way?” Jaejoong declared, flabbergasted, with his phone tugged between his ear and shoulder when he put away his dishes. His eyebrows furrowed when he leaned back against the sink and took his phone into his hand. “You did what? Changmin, seriously! I didn't even agree yet,” he complained and grumbled under his breath when his bell rang.

Scowling he opened the door, “You owe me for this stunt, Shim Changmin.” He ended the call once Changmin's grinning face greeted him. Arms crossed, he didn't let Changmin inside.

Changmin rolled with his eyes, “Oh come on, Hyung.”

“Don't Hyung me!” Jaejoong retorted still frowning when he gave Changmin permission to enter his flat. “You can't just decide to meet Kyuhyun here without my permission. Who gave you the idea that I'd say yes in the first place?” He scowled at Changmin's back when the latter got rid of his shoes.

Changmin sighed. “I told you I was sorry. I really won't do it again. Besides,” he replied and turned with a cheeky grin around, “You'd never say no to your favourite dongsaeng.”

Jaejoong narrowed his eyes in on him, “Try me. You're this close of getting kicked out.”

Changmin rose his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. I'm really sorry.” With a motion of his head Jaejoong signalised for their discussion to be continued in his living room.

“Why is it so important that you meet Kyuhyun here in the first place?”

Changmin flopped down onto Jaejoong's sofa. He pursed his lips. “Well, the Christmas market is far more closer from your place.” Jaejoong looked at him sceptically. Changmin rolled his eyes. “Okay, to be perfectly honest I just don't want him to show up in my embarrassing dorm. Satisfied?”

Nudging Changmin's shoulder Jaejoong flopped down next to him. “You could've said so, you know? Would've been better than to just demand me offering my flat to you for that purpose.”

Changmin pouted adoringly with a soft blush. It triggered an amused smile on Jaejoong's lips when he ruffled Changmin's hair. “When will he arrive though? I mean it's pretty early for you to show up already.” He cocked his head in wonder.

“Not before three p.m. to be honest.” Jaejoong raised an eyebrow at that. “I was hoping to grab some of your cooked lunch.” Changmin grinned cheekily.

Jaejoong rolled his eyes. “Of course.” He leaned back against the sofa with a sigh.

“And I was hoping you could distract me.” Jaejoong blinked at the soft utterance. A grin spread over his lips. “Don't tell me you're nervous? That's really a first.”

Changmin flushed. “Shut up,” he chuntered and pushed Jaejoong's shoulder when the other chuckled.

An hour later Changmin was playing away on a racig video game whilst Jaejoong was lounging next to him with a book in his hands. He absentmindedly a crumbled piece of paper that served him as a bookmark.

Changmin grumbled when once again his racing car was kicked off the route. Sighing he paused the game and dropped back against the sofa. He glanced at Jaejoong being completely engrossed in his novel. Curiously he eyed the crumbled paper between Jaejoong's fingers. “Did you message him yet?”

Jaejoong stopped reading mid-sentence and looked puzzled at Changmin. “What?”

Changmin pointed at the paper. “I asked if you messaged him yet.”

Jaejoong flushed, hurriedly stuffed the crumbled paper into his book which he then dropped onto the sofa when he rose to his feet. “No,” he barely whispered when he trudged over to his kitchen.

Changmin watched him silently working on their lunch before he grabbed Jaejoong's book. “Don't you want to or are you simply scared that he might or might not reply?” he further asked when he flipped through the pages until he reached the crumbled note. Silence greeted him and he shook his head sighing. A whispery chant reached his ears when he was about to close the book: “You turn my world upside down. I'd love to meet you again, Yunho. 010-5552374.”

Flabbergasted Changmin stared at Jaejoong's back before his eyes slipped onto the crumbled piece of paper. “Hyung,” he whispered when he realised how often Jaejoong must have read the note Yunho had left behind in Busan to memorise each detail. Maybe just as often as he had tried to throw it away whenever he couldn't get over himself to message Yunho.

A deep sigh pearled from Jaejoong's lips. “I just don't know what to text him after all those days.”

Changmin had joined him in the kitchen by then and offered him a helping hand. With a wary smile Jaejoong handed him a few vegetables to snip. “You could just ask him to meet because you have so many things on your mind to talk about.”

Jaejoong furrowed his eyebrows. “What kind of message would that turn out to be? Hi, sorry for not texting you but I was worried you're a cheater?”

Changmin seemed to think about this for a moment before he shrugged. “I probably wouldn't put it that way but at least it would be the truth.”

Jaejoong slapped his shoulder. “You're not very helpful,” he complained and quickly changed the topic before Changmin could think of a proper reply, “What are your plans with Kyuhyun later by the way?”

A little taken aback Changmin needed a minute to recollect his thoughts. “Mostly exploring the Christmas market together and then we'll see. We just, you know, want to spend time together.”

Jaejoong smiled softly to himself. “Sounds nice,” he murmured and stayed quiet after that. He barely said a word during lunch nor when Changmin paced through his flat with the hour of Kyuhyun's arrival approaching fast. Jaejoong barely registered his friend being a nervous wreck whilst wondering aloud whether he had picked the right outfit when he had left his dorm in the morning or would make a fool of himself.

Absentmindedly Jaejoong traced the brim of his book when he stared onto Yunho's note. “You look fine, Changmin,” he mumbled quite distracted when he let his eyes wander to his phone.

Changmin groaned. “As much as I appreciate you talking again, you're not really of much help here,” he all but whined and buried his face in his hands.

A smile scurried over Jaejoong's lips when he put his book aside. “Honestly. You look fine. I'm sure Kyuhyun will like you in any outfit.”

Changmin analytically eyed him. “Hm, sounds fair enough,” he muttered and took a sip of his glass of water. Curiously he eyed Jaejoong reaching out to get a hold of his phone. He didn't dare to say a word when Jaejoong intensely stared onto the screen of his unlocked phone while nervously gnawing on his bottom lip.

The sudden ring of the bell ripped him out of his observation when he swiftly jumped up and straightened his attire. Taking a few deep breaths he braced himself before he moved over to the front door. He didn't register Jaejoong's flushed face and trembling fingers when he hit the send button.

From: JaeJoong

To: YunHo

2018/12/23 – 15:02

Hi. :)

Oh, this is Jaejoong of you still remember! Sorry for messaging you so late ;;;

Been having so many thoughts about you. I … I'd love to meet you again to have a talk, you know, getting to know :'D

xoxo Jaejoong