“Star light, star bright. First star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have this wish I wish tonight. Please please let me see my soulmate now, Mr. Universe. Pleaseee.” The child sported the most adorable pleading look, gazing upon the starry sky, seemingly talking to the one above.

“Why do you want to see your soulmate now, Binnie? We’re only six. Mom said Mr. Universe will only tell us when we become big. Like really really big.” His eyes when wide, gesturing how big they have to be.

“Really really big? Like Taekwoonie hyung?” The child intrigued, now looking at his friend.

“No. More more big than Woonie hyung. Bigger.” His friend answered. “Don’t worry Binnie. We will grow big one day. We just have to eat veggies and lots and lots of meat. Yeonnie hyung said it helps kids grow.”

“Hakyeonnie hyung is lying, Shikkie. We always eat together, and he eats lots and lots of meat and veggies, but he still doesn’t grow.” Confused, he stared ahead of him, to the darkness adorned by twinkling lights, thoughts of happy lunches and loud dinners playing at the back of his mind.

“Maybe the monster inside his stomach ate all those.” His friend quipped, looking at him with a smile.

“What about you, Shikkie?”

“What about me, Binnie?”

“What is your wish?”

“I wish for the universe to let you see your soulmate now, Binnie.”

A child’s dream. A fantasy.

The lovely male chuckled, replaying in his mind memories of late night stargazing, of wishes and late night talks about random things that intrigues children’s minds. Looking at, it does seem dreamy, a perfect childhood with perfects adventures and perfect memories.

Except, it wasn’t.

He is amazed at realizing just how hopeful he is as a kid. Dreaming about things that seem so possible in a kid’s mind. He feels laughter bubble out of him at the thought of his little self, talking the universe into letting him see his soulmate so soon.

It was all so surreal.

And there’s his friend. His precious friend Shikkie who supported him with whatever he wants to do, no matter how nonsensical and stupid it is. Wonshik was the perfect definition of friend. The perfect definition of a lover.

The friend you can never help but fall for.

If you ask Hongbin about it, it does seem a little traitorous. How can he feel something for someone like his best friend? It’s like breaking all the rules set by the universe about how best friends should be. Which is why he kept it all to himself. Pushed the feelings and thoughts aside. Acted as if everything is fine when Wonshik is too close to proximity he can feel his warm breathe on him, as if his heart is not beating so fast. As if he wasn’t falling for him more and more.

No one has to know. No one.

An opportunity abroad opened for him, and he grabbed it without second thought. He supposed a whole two years without his best friend will dim his feelings for him, will make his heart forget about a certain puppy-eyed male he calls his best friend.

The whole two years in the US helped a lot. His job mostly occupied his thoughts. Socializing and making a name for himself took a lot of his time. The initial plan of forgetting about his feelings for the other seemed to be going really well. And two years after, he thinks that the separation really did serve its purpose.

It was now time to go back and meet his friend again.

---

That was what he thought upon arriving at the airport, sporting an expensive look that just barely move passed the lines of a winter attire for someone who came from US.

Walking leisurely as if he owned the whole airport, the dimpled male battled the mob of tourists and Koreans alike towards the exit. It was the last week of January and people are having their last minute vacations before the New Year come back full force, which is why he expected that much crowd and purposely avoided them.

What he didn’t expect though was to see a giant baby and a puppy-faced baby-aspirant in the airport’s waiting area, a banner in their hands read “Welcome back Kongbean~”. He contemplated if he should walk back to the plane and go back to US again but before he even managed to take a step back, the puppy saw him and the most annoying scream was heard by everyone.

“Hongbin! This hyungie missed you!” Jaewhan was waving maniacally, obviously excited with seeing their beloved bean after two years of just pixelated Skype calls and never enough chat messages. Beside him was Sanghyuk, covering his ears, looking at Jaehwan with a dead stare, yet somehow wearing a fond smile of affection directed to the male beside him.

Hongbin couldn’t help but smile. He was certain that a lot of things changed, yet with this two, it seemed like they were still the same as before, their same old goofy and in love selves.

Good for them. Hongbin thought for a moment.

“I wasn’t expecting you two.” His way of greeting the two as he reached them.

“Sure you won’t. You must have expected Wonshik but alas, he’s busy with his girlfriend so we were sent here instead.” The youngest of the three quipped. “How are you hyung? It’s been so long.”

Ignoring the comment about Wonshik, he smiled his wide smile, “It was more than I could have imagine, Hyogi.”

“So you were happy, hyung. That’s good.” Sanghyuk returned the smile, his a little bit more genuine than Hongbin’s. The older looked at Sanghyuk, answering him with a subtle nod that gives nothing away about his true feelings.

“Let’s not keep Binnie here, Hyogi. I’m pretty sure he’s tired. Come on, Binnie~ let’s get you home. Yeonnie hyung is waiting for us.” Jaehwan led the two towards where his car is parked. They easily loaded Hongbin’s luggage onto the trunk and swiftly drove off home.

--

If asked, Hongbin could easily say that Korea drastically changed for the past two years he was gone. He saw establishments that weren’t there before, how people managed to keep to the harshness of time, the change in technology, and the cruelty of life.

It felt like home.

“--said he made him cook dinner. I just hope it wasn’t him who really cooked. Right, Binnie hyung?” Hongbin went back to reality, catching only the last few words uttered by Sanghyuk. “Ey? You were saying something? Sorry, I spaced out.” He mumbled, setting his gaze to the younger in the passenger seat.

Sanghyuk raised an eyebrow. “Thinking about Wonshik hyung already? Isn’t it too early for that?” The younger inquired, signature satanic smirk plastered on his ridiculously perfect face.

Okay, so maybe some people do know about his feelings for Wonshik. Some being the rest of the world, except his beloved best friend. That’s how dumb Wonshik is. It’s infuriating and painful at the same time. Hongbin doesn’t know how his friends knew, he just walked up to them one day and the next second, they were asking him about what he actually loved about the other male.

And okay, perhaps there are so much things to like about Wonshik. His poor mind just can’t list out those things because it’ll take him forever to finish.

Wonshik’s voice, his eyes, his cute little eye-smile, the way he laughs whenever something funny catches his attention, his fashion sense that doesn’t make sense at times, his taste for music that contrasts Hongbin’s, his biggest love for his dog, his tendency to be a marshmallow, his big heart, Wonshik being caring and lov---

“Yeah, he’s thinking about Wonshik. I can see his heart eyes.” The comment made him snap and return his eyes back to the rearview mirror, surprised to see that the two lovers in front were looking at him with judging eyes.

“Don’t judge me. I don’t talk about your cringey tendencies.” Hongbin scoffed, a noticeable blush present on his face.

“We know. That’s why we’re telling you to tell him already.”

“I don’t want to.”

“But don’t you think it’s easier?”

“No.”

“Binnie, it’ll be so much--”

“No.”

“Okay.”

“No.”

“What.”

“No.”

The last thing Hongbin heard before drifting to sleep was Sanghyuk high-pitched scream, awfully familiar to his poor ears.

----

“Hongbin.” The said male regarded the person who uttered his name with such warmth. The urge to hug the person was strong but he restrained himself. He’ll never get to hear the end of the teasing, especially with Jaehwan and Sanghyuk as the witness and so he resorted to that shy, yet meaningful smile he only reserve for his hyung.

“Hakyeon hyung.” The older spread his arms, waiting for him to drape himself over the older.

Perhaps, his hesitance was obvious because he heard Sanghyuk snickered, “Oh for Christ’s sake! We all know how much you miss hyung. Bet you’re dying to hug him.”

Hongbin glared at the two before landing his gaze to Hakyeon again. “Go on, baby. Hyungie won’t hurt you,” Jaehwan teased, doing his best imitation of a baby talk.

“Aish, you guys are--” He wasn’t able to finish his sentence as in a split second, he got an armful of Hakyeon. He felt his hyung wrap his arms around him, tightening the hug as he returned the gestured. He swear he heard a wolf-whistle.

“I missed you Kong.” Hakyeon whispered as he pressed his nose towards the joint between Hongbin’s neck and shoulder. He felt the older inhale sharply, taking in his scent that he surely missed.

Unknowingly, he buried his chin unto his hyung’s fluffy hair, inhaling his hyung’s scent. Only then did he realize how much he really missed his hyung, “I missed you too, hyungie,” the reply was simply, expected, yet it conveyed his raw feelings.

“Okay, love birds. As much as I ship you both, we can’t deny the fact that Hakyeon hyung is now taken, and you dearest Hongbin, is in love with someone.” The comment was heard sometime after when Hakyeon refused to let go of him.

He released his hyung, setting his gaze towards the couple watching them, “As if.”

Laughter was what followed his every step towards Hakyeon’s house.

--

He was seated inside a crowded fast food chain, legs bouncing up and down in nervous jitters and eyes darting from is the device in his hand and the restaurant’s door. He flinches every time he hears the doors open.

Tonight was the day. Or the night.

He was meeting with is best friend tonight. And he feels a little bit of an idiot if not pathetic. Who gets nervous with the thought of meeting with their best friend? If not for his stupid feelings, then maybe instead of being nervous, he’ll be jumping with excitement now, eager to finally meet his Shikkie again.

The dimpled male has been waiting for 15 minutes now when finally Wonshik arrived.

ing finally. He bitterly thought.