"Can you get me a cup of coffee?"

 

"I need a photocopy of this file, can you do it for me please?"

 

"Chanyeol, open the window please."

 

"Can you give that to the boss?"

 

Chanyeol was almost running all over the office he had been working in as an assistant for two long years. He was trying his best to answer each request of his co-workers, but they were all asking for something at the same time and Chanyeol was starting to believe that, maybe, they were doing it on purpose. Just because his status in the office wasn't as high as theirs didn't mean that he had to do everything they were asking for. However, Chanyeol knew that it was the only way for him to climb higher in the company.

 

It had been two years since he had started this job after graduating from a lowgrade business school. It had been hard for Chanyeol to find a job after his graduation, and this company that managed one of the biggest fashion magazine, Radiante, had been the only one willing to hire him. So even if he wasn't doing a lot of things, Chanyeol felt lucky to have found a job there, even if it meant doing other people's chores.

 

Not all of his co-workers took took advantage of him by asking him to do their work. Chanyeol was actually pretty close to his boss, who was always very nice and helpful. More than once, he gave Chanyeol days off, letting him rest because the poor guy always spent his entire days running in the office.

 

"Hey, Chanyeol. We're going out tonight, with Jongdae, do you want to tag along?"

 

Chanyeol was surprised to hear Junmyeon, his boss, offering him to go out with him and another co-worker. He put the tray carrying a few cups of coffee aside and smiled politely to his superior. He wasn't the kind of guy to go out after work, especially in the middle of the week, but since it was his boss offering, Chanyeol felt that he couldn't decline the offer.

 

"With pleasure, where are we going?" Chanyeol questioned and his polite smile was still drawn on his lips widely, revealing his dimple that made him look like he was genuinely interested in their destination.

 

"A new club in town just opened, we thought that we could go and see if it was worth the hype," Junmyeon answered and he put a hand on the taller's shoulder while laughing a little bit.

 

After these two years in the same company, Chanyeol had noticed that Junmyeon wasn't the average CEO everybody imagined. He was kind hearted, and always there for each of his employees. He was genuinely interested in their well-being and it was common for him to invite them to meet up outside of work. He always said that it created a 'harmony' inside the company and made everyone comfortable with each other.

 

Well, that was also what Chanyeol thought until he entered the strip club Junmyeon had taken them to. It wasn't the kind of place he was used to going to, it was actually the first time Chanyeol went to a place like this one, and he felt uneasy standing next to Junmyeon and Jongdae who were already laughing and, basically, having one of their best nights.

 

"Let's sit here, it's right in front of the stage. We'll see everything there's to see," Jongdae laughed, settling on the velvet couch.

 

Junmyeon nodded and joined him on the couch while Chanyeol preferred sitting on the simple chair in front of them. The club seemed a little empty, and Chanyeol thought that it probably was because they were there early. He knew that people usually came there later, when the streets were already empty and when the only eyes watching them were the Moon's.

 

Chanyeol didn't feel comfortable in this place he didn't belong in. His eyes scanned the whole place, hoping to find something familiar that would make him feel better but there was nothing he was used to. It was a completely new place and Chanyeol didn't really know how to enjoy his night.

 

"Relax, we’re here to have some fun. You shouldn't overthink it, just be yourself," Jongdae said in a teasing voice. His arms were spread on the couch, and his legs parted provocatively. Chanyeol didn't really know what Jongdae was looking for in this place, but judging by the way he behaved, casual and relaxed, he seemed to be a regular club-goer.

 

"First time, huh?" Junmyeon asked with a small, reassuring smile. He wasn't teasing him like Jongdae was, and once again it seemed like he genuinely cared about Chanyeol's well-being.

 

"I don't often go out, especially in this kind of place..." Chanyeol answered, scratching his neck a little bit. It was a nervous habit he’d had for many years.

 

Junmyeon slowly nodded and Chanyeol had expected to disappoint him but it didn't seem to be the case. On the contrary, his smile didn't leave his lips, and Chanyeol wondered why. What was Junmyeon planning to do? Maybe he was just trying to bond with him since their relationship was strictly professional and Junmyeon had always been the kind of man to be friendly with everyone.

 

Suddenly, the lights dimmed even more and the music changed. Chanyeol looked around himself, not really understanding why the mood was suddenly changing like that. He seemed lost, his eyes trailing over every corner of the room to try to figure out what was going on. He noticed that both Jongdae and Junmyeon looked really comfortable on the couch, maybe a little bit too much. Their eyes were fixed on the stage that was still empty, but Chanyeol felt like it wasn’t going to remain so for too long.

 

The walls of the room were now painted in a deep, dark color that was probably a midnight blue, but Chanyeol wasn’t sure of it. The lights were dancing, shifting between red and blue, and it turned the whole place into different shades of purple. It was another world, and Chanyeol was almost ready to dive in.

 

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you our new family member… The Papillon," a voice said deeply, almost in a seductive way, sending a chill down Chanyeol’s spine.

 

A man, dressed in casual clothes, went under the white light showered into the stage. He didn’t look like he belonged in this place, and Chanyeol couldn’t help but think that it was something they had in common. However, one of them was hiding in the shadows whereas the other stood under the lights, ready to offer to his audience a show to remember.

 

"Who’s that? We never saw him before," Junmyeon wondered silently, almost to himself.

 

"He’s new, right? He could’ve at least worn a more decent outfit," Jongdae added while frowning, showing that he was far from enjoying his night.

 

"If by decent you mean something more revealing, I couldn’t agree more with you," Junmyeon concluded, laughing a little bit along with Jongdae.

 

However, even if both men were not excited about the night’s show, Chanyeol’s eyes couldn’t leave the man who danced shyly, and a little bit clumsily he had to admit. It seemed like it was his first time having a pole as a partner, and even if the Papillon’s moves were not exactly what could be expected in a club, Chanyeol thought that he had a lot of grace and beauty. His arms were elegantly moving around the silver pole, slowly, as if the man had real wings on his back, like a butterfly.

 

He was starting to remove his clothes, and it made Chanyeol blush when he noticed that his body was finely chiseled. Right, they were in a strip club, Chanyeol had almost forgotten. But this man was too fine to be in this kind of place, he had this fragility, this delicacy that made him look like he could stand in a better place, somewhere his full potential could be used for something greater, and Chanyeol wondered how a man like him had ended up in a place as depraved as this one.

 

Chanyeol couldn’t see his face properly, but he knew that the same nostalgia that he could feel in his movements could be read on his features. The Papillon’s eyes were not entirely closed, and he was not looking at anything in particular, it was as if he was lost in some other place, a place far away from the strip club, a place from the past that was almost haunting him.

 

And the man’s fragility was haunting Chanyeol.

 

Chanyeol jumped out of his chair a little bit when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up, his eyes leaving the man who was dancing with so much melancholia, and meeting Junmyeon’s tired gaze instead. Chanyeol noticed at that moment that the two other men were already standing up, ready to leave the place, and that they were probably waiting for him to leave.

 

"We’re leaving, tonight’s show is not interesting," Junmyeon said, pointing out to the exit with his chin.

 

Chanyeol nodded, and he then got up as he had no other choice but to follow his coworkers out of the strip club. He looked at the dancer one last time before heading towards the door, the man still dancing beautifully around the pole like a wild butterfly around a light during a Summer night.

 

The next day at work, Chanyeol could really feel the remain of the night he had spent outside. He wasn’t used to it, as his routine wouldn’t only consist of him waking up, going to work, then going back home and doing the same thing again and again, days after days. He was a little bit tired, and he had spent the entire day yawning and being lost in his thoughts all the time. He had only one thing in mind, and it was the picture of the mysterious man that had been dancing at the strip club the night before.

 

Chanyeol had never been the kind of person to be interested in the art of dancing, but the way the man had told him a real story just by his body moves had ignited something inside of him. He could still remember, and feel, that strange melancholia, and it was crazy how Chanyeol couldn’t forget about it so easily. It was as if he had been hypnotised that night, as if it had turned into an obsession.

 

"Stop daydreaming and bring me the photos from the fashion department," one of his coworkers working on the upcoming article snapped, annoyed that Chanyeol was spacing out that easily on this day.

 

"Ah, yes, right away Joonyoung…" Chanyeol answered with a weak smile to try to ease the tension in the man’s shoulders.

 

The fashion department was one floor under the editing area, where Junmyeon was spending most of his time in his office since he was the key to the well-being of the magazine. Chanyeol mostly helped him and the others in their tasks, and that was why he didn’t go on the other floors of the company that often. It was something that was still a little bit scary to him since he didn’t know all the people working there, but Chanyeol still took a deep breath and pressed the button of the elevator.

 

It was so small, yet so big and intimidating. It was something really common, but looking at your own reflection in the mirror while being alone was something that Chanyeol never quite understood. So instead, he looked down at his two feet while listening to the unnerving music that would be stuck in his head for a couple of hours if he didn’t already have something else in his mind.

 

The Papillon.

 

A smile drew to his lips at the thought of the young man. His beauty was on another level, and Chanyeol thought for a second that he would perfectly fit on the cover of the magazine the company was publishing. He was sure that even the most beautiful models wouldn’t look as good as him.

 

The doors of the elevator opened and Chanyeol walked out of it. He eyes grazed the room, looking for someone he knew that could possibly give him the pictures Joonyoung had asked him. His coworker wasn’t really the kind to be patient, so Chanyeol knew he had to hurry before he would get yelled at for being late.

 

"Excuse me, where is Taeyeon-shi? I need to collect some pics for the picture editor," Chanyeol asked one of the women passing right in front of him at that moment, her nose hiding behind a binder filled with different piece of silk, cotton, and other fabrics.

 

"She’s taking a break in her office, probably doing yoga or something like that," the woman said while smiling friendly at Chanyeol who nodded while thanking her in return.

 

Taeyeon was the fashion editor ever since Radiante had been created but Chanyeol never had the chance to properly talk to her. He had heard more than once that she was a little bit intimidating and that when she wanted something, she wanted it to be done very quickly. Chanyeol didn’t know if these rumors were true, and he preferred not to believe in them but he still took his time to calm down a little bit before going in front of her office and knocking twice on the heat-tempered glass door.

 

"Come in," a feminine voice said and Chanyeol entered the office slowly, trying not to be rude.

 

There, he saw that Taeyeon was wearing sport pants and was sitting on a purple yoga mat, legs crossed together and her back was straight while her hands rested peacefully on her knees. Her eyes were closed, and she seemed to be focusing on her breathing more than on anything else. She looked calm, and didn’t move nor say anything for a few seconds and Chanyeol grew hesitant. Did he have to say something first? Should he simply leave? It would seem rude, since he was already in her office.

 

"What can I do for you?" She simply asked, but she kept her eyes closed. Her voice was very smooth, and she didn’t seem as intimidating as people seemed to make her.

 

"I’m coming to collect the pics the picture editor had asked for…" Chanyeol answered, slowly and calmly, in a way to show that he was being considerate. Taeyeon was in the middle of her yoga session, he had to show that he didn’t mean to interrupt her for something not important.

 

Taeyeon let escape a small sigh and finally opened her eyes. She looked at Chanyeol who was standing in front of the door, ready to leave if anything happened.

 

"Joonyoung is so lazy he can’t even come personally… What’s your name?" Taeyeon slowly got up and went in front of her desk, browsing through all the papers to finally find the file Joonyoung had asked.

 

"Chanyeol," he simply said, not sure if he had to develop about his position in the company or not.

 

"Well, Chanyeol-shi, you seem very nice and very helpful but the next time Joonyoung asks you something, tell him simply to off, okay? He’s not a king," Taeyeon smiled and gave the file to Chanyeol who was surprised by her attitude. She truly was a strong, independent woman, and he was now admiring her for that.

 

"Thank you, I’ll make sure of that," Chanyeol laughed a little bit and then left Taeyeon’s office happily. She was an experience, and Chanyeol was more than happy to have finally met her.

 

Chanyeol was exhausted. This day at work had been very hard for him, running everywhere to satisfy everyone’s needs. Joonyoung had had his pictures, but it hadn’t been enough and he had still  asked Chanyeol for a cup of tea from the coffee shop next to the building. However, Chanyeol had remembered Taeyeon’s words, and he had simply told Joonyoung that he had other things to do than to deliver him a cup of tea.

 

Chanyeol was learning, and he was quite satisfied with it. Taeyeon had been an inspiration, and even if it was a little step, it still felt pretty big to him.

 

At the end of the day, Chanyeol felt that something was missing, a piece that would fulfill that void he was feeling deep inside his body. During the day, as he was running everywhere, he hadn’t felt anything like that since he had been doing something all the time. But now, as he was heading home, the hard reality of being alone hit him and Chanyeol only wanted one thing, being with someone.

 

The beautiful silhouette of the Papillon was still in his mind, lingering there like a tattoo that would never leave, and Chanyeol understood that he wanted to see the man again, he wanted to learn more things about him. Chanyeol wanted to understand why he felt so hurt and sad while he was dancing, why his wings seemed to be chained up by this sadness, and that was how his steps led him in front of the same strip club he had come to the day before with Junmyeon and Jongdae.

 

Even if he had been there the night before, the place remained unfamiliar to him and Chanyeol almost regretted not being with his coworkers who were far more used to this place than he was. His steps were small, unsure of where he had to go. Where could the Papillon be? On stage, like the night before? Or could he possibly be in one of these private rooms? Chanyeol really had no idea, and he was lost in this foreign place.

 

"Are you a lost puppy?"

 

Chanyeol jumped out a little bit of surprise as he had heard these words so clearly it had felt it was just inches away from his ear. He looked at the woman standing just next to him, her high heels allowing her to be closer to Chanyeol’s face. Her lips were painted in a bold, red color and her glittery eyes were devouring Chanyeol just by a stare.

 

"I-I’m actually looking for the Papillon…" he whispered, swallowing up nervously as he tried to avoid her intense gaze.

 

"Oh, that was unexpected. I didn’t think he would be asked for his first official night. I’m not judging you, he’s quite hot. Follow me, I’ll show you the way," she said with a wink, and Chanyeol took a deep breath before following her to an unknown place.

 

He should have started to be used to it now, going to unfamiliar places. But Chanyeol was still nervous, and the nervousness grew stronger in his stomach as the woman showed him a small private room at the end of a corridor only decorated with black silk on the wall and purple neons.

 

"He’s alone, you can go inside. There’s one rule, though. No touching, except if he says it’s okay," she explains with a smile and then she left Chanyeol alone, facing his own destiny.

 

Slowly, Chanyeol opened the door and entered the room without saying anything. He was nervous, so he tried at first to analyse the room. There was a large, red sofa, a coffee table with what looked like a bottle of champagne on it. The light was dimmed, but it was enough to notice the most important thing in the room, the most beautiful man Chanyeol had ever seen.

 

"You can sit down, I’m… I’m the Papillon," he said, and he was probably a little bit uncomfortable with the whole situation since it was his first night, as Chanyeol had learned a while ago from the woman that had brought him there.

 

The first thing that really made Chanyeol shiver a little bit was the Papillon’s voice. His timbre was deep, rich, but it was still very pleasant to him. It felt as velvety and comfortable as a nice pillow, somehow it made Chanyeol feel at peace. It was a sweet, sugary voice, full of texture and color, and Chanyeol was sure that it tasted like honey.

 

Chanyeol didn’t know what to say, or what to do in order not to scare the man. So he simply sat down on the sofa next to him, leaving some space between them to show that he was being considerate. The situation felt strange, and Chanyeol looked at the Papillon but he felt that he was another person. The man he had witnessed dancing the day before was nothing close to the man sitting next to him and Chanyeol wondered if it was how things worked in a strip club. He wasn’t wearing a lot of clothes, his whole chest was shining under the blue lights, and his hairstyle let his forehead breath, revealing a little bit more of his angelic face.

 

He was stunning, way too much for a place like this one. He didn’t belong in the night life, and Chanyeol only wanted to know him a little bit more.

 

"I’m Chanyeol… I saw you dance yesterday," Chanyeol started, breaking the ice. He didn’t want to do anything to the man, he only wanted to have a nice conversation with him and, maybe, become friend with him.

 

"You saw me? Are you… A regular? I’m not sure I can meet your expectations," the Papillon said, his voice lowered by his shyness.

 

"It was actually the first time I came to a place like this one and… tonight’s my second," Chanyeol laughed a little bit nervously, but he noticed that the man next to him smiled faintly.

 

"And why are you back? You don’t seem to be the kind of men who likes going out to strip clubs," the Papillon stated, and the tension that had appeared to be on his shoulders a few minutes ago seemed to have now flown away.

 

"I’m not, but your moves… were mesmerizing."

 

Chanyeol stopped talking for a second and looked at the other’s eyes, trying to decipher anything. He didn’t know if his words were a compliment to a dancer, or to a stripper, but Chanyeol had truly felt hypnotized by the way he had danced, alone, on the stage. It had been almost as if his wings only asked for one thing, to fly freely. Junmyeon and Jongdae had not felt this, but Chanyeol had sensed that something was wrong and it had led him to this little private room.

 

"I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that, I know nothing about dancing anyway…" Chanyeol continued, apologizing for his lack of sensitivity as he noticed that the Papillon wasn’t saying anything.

 

"Don’t be… Actually, thank you, dancing was once my whole life, so it means a lot," the other comforted Chanyeol, smiling a little bit and Chanyeol wondered what he meant by these words. He wanted to dig into his past, learn more about him, understand why he was broken like that, and maybe try to fix him.

 

"Can I… Ask you your real name?" Chanyeol questioned, hoping that maybe he would be able to at least know the real identity of the man he had been talking to.

 

The Papillon smiled, and he leaned forward Chanyeol, reducing the distance between them. He took Chanyeol’s hand in one of his and drew circles on top of it while his other hands cupped Chanyeol’s cheeks, slowly, but with a feathery touch that felt heavenly. Chanyeol closed his eyes feverishly, feeling suddenly hot.

 

"You don’t have to know my name to appreciate me, it’s part of the whole mystery…" the Papillon whispered in Chanyeol’s ear and he shivered a little bit.

 

It was intimate, way too intimate, and Chanyeol’s heart was almost going to explode in his ribcage. He knew that everything was part of the game established by the club, but Chanyeol couldn’t help himself but feel that his body was melting under the man’s touch. He had to leave before anything he would regret could happen, because Chanyeol liked a little bit too much the fever burning him at this moment.

 

"I… I should go, it’s getting late," Chanyeol murmured slowly, opening his eyes to face the Papillon who was already returning to his previous place on the sofa. He also seemed a little bit uncomfortable with was he had just done, and he simply nodded before smiling to Chanyeol.

 

The night had been intense, that was for sure, and Chanyeol knew that this experience would leave a mark on him. He was now walking in the night streets of Seoul, heading towards his apartment, but a single image still lingered in his mind. The Papillon smiling to him.

 

He wasn’t only fascinated, Chanyeol was obsessed with him.

 

Relief settled upon Chanyeol’s shoulders as he remembered that it was his day-off. For a moment, he had almost panicked after waking up, thinking that he was late for work and that he had to hurry up to get ready and get to the office, quickly. Fortunately, Saturdays were not meant to be spent inside a building, working and running everywhere to bring coffee to everyone, and Chanyeol was very pleased with it.

 

If he could, he would stay in bed all day long, basically doing nothing except watching tv shows on his computer or playing games on his phone. It would have been the perfect day at home, under his blanket, but Chanyeol knew that his apartment was a mess at the moment and that he had to clean it up at least a little bit if he didn’t want to drown under dirty clothes.

 

He gathered all of his clothes in a basket, slowly, his feet heavy on the ground. He had just woken up and he really didn’t want to move for the whole day but if he didn’t force himself a little, nothing would be achieved.

 

His hair was messy, falling on his glasses a little bit as it had been a few month since he last cut it. He was wearing sports pants and a black hoodie, and Chanyeol was really comfortable in this outfit. It was far from the suit he had to always wear at work and Chanyeol wondered why he couldn’t go to work with a more casual outfit.

 

At the laundromat, Chanyeol mechanically put all of his clothes in one of the machines and once the clothes were getting cleaned, he sat on a bench in front of it as he was waiting. It was still pretty early in the morning, and the laundromat was empty. Nobody was here yet and Chanyeol was quite pleased with it since he really wasn’t feeling like talking to anyone he didn’t know.

 

Chanyeol was playing one of the games he had on his phone while waiting, and he was so into the game that he almost got scared when the door of the laundromat opened in his back. He looked up, wondering who was disturbing him in his peaceful bubble and he really wasn't expecting to see the person coming in the small room to also wash their clothes. Chanyeol let his phone fall on the ground from the surprise, and the young man who had just arrived picked it up to give it back to him, with a smile.

 

 

"You should be careful with your phone, you might break it," he said, giving the phone back to Chanyeol who was still surprised.

 

 

"You are the Papillon..." Chanyeol whispered, taking his phone back. He really wasn't expecting to see the man who had been haunting him all this time in a place as common as a laundromat.

 

 

Chanyeol noticed that the Papillon didn't seem to understand what Chanyeol was saying, as he probably didn't recognize him. They were far from the artificial blue and red lights from the strip club, and their clothes were more casual. Even Chanyeol wouldn't have recognized the man if he hadn't paid enough attention to his voice the day before when they had finally met for the first time.

 

 

However, the incomprehension let its place quickly to something else, a shyer expression that painted a beautiful peachy pink on the Papillon's cheeks. It was a soft color that gorgeously emphasized the honey color of the man's skin, and Chanyeol loved this view.

 

 

"And you are... Chanseok?" He asked, as he started to remember the memories from the night before.

 

 

"Chanyeol," he corrected with a shy smile. He knew that they had just met once but he was still a little bit disappointed that the man didn't remember his name correctly.

 

 

"Ah, yes, Chanyeol..." he nodded slowly, and this time Chanyeol knew that he was engraving his name in his mind since he was repeating it to make sure he wouldn't forget.

 

 

Silence settled in the room, as they both didn't know what to say. The whole situation was a little bit awkward, but at the same time they didn't feel ashamed about it. The dancer went closer to a washing machine and started putting his clothes in it while Chanyeol was watching him. He noticed that he had a lot of sports clothes, especially tights, and dance slippers.

 

 

"Are you a ballet dancer?" Chanyeol couldn't help but ask.

 

 

The man stopped in his movements, turning a little bit to face Chanyeol with a surprised expression. He was probably wondering how Chanyeol could know something like that, but then he understood that Chanyeol had probably only deducted it from his slippers that he threw in the machine before closing the door and starting it up.

 

 

"You are curious," the man said, one of his eyebrow arching in a way to show that he was suspicious.

 

 

"I just want to get to know you," Chanyeol smiled to try to ease the man's suspicions.

 

 

He let a long sigh escape and finally went to sit down next to Chanyeol on the bench. He didn't say a word, and the silence lasted for what felt like an hour while he seemed to be lost in his thoughts. Chanyeol was observing him from the corner of his eyes and he didn't want to bother his meditation.

 

 

"Jongin."

 

 

Chanyeol was surprised to hear this melodious voice after that much time spent in silence, only the sound of the machines washing their clothes lulling them.

 

 

"I'm sorry?" Chanyeol didn't understand what the other man was saying, and he hadn't really heard him well since he wasn't focused on his voice.

 

 

"Jongin, that's my name. Don't call me Papillon outside of the club, it is only a part-time job after all."

 

 

Chanyeol nodded, understanding why Jongin wanted to keep his identity a secret outside of his work. Jongin. It was such a beautiful name, Chanyeol thought, and he was genuinely so happy to be now able to put a name on this mysterious man. It was a step forward in leaning more things about him.

 

 

"I didn't recognize you, you're not wearing the same outfit... You were wearing a suit yesterday."

 

 

"It's my day off, I don't have to wear one outside of work," Chanyeol explained with a smile.

 

 

"You must be someone important. I heard that only important people can wear this kind of outfit."

 

 

Chanyeol laughed a little bit at Jongin's remark and he was about to deny everything when Jongin got up and went in front of the machine that was now done washing his clothes since he had started a quick wash. He gathered all of his clothes in his basket and Chanyeol thought that he was probably living nearby, which meant that he was probably going to see him again, sooner or later.

 

 

"I'm leaving first, have a good day Chanyeol," Jongin finally said with a smile, waving at Chanyeol before leaving the laundromat.

 

 

Chanyeol felt really alone once Jongin had left him, but he still had the hope of seeing Jongin again.

 

Being home made Chanyeol remember how lonely it could feel sometimes. He had always been a little bit introverted, but spending his time with someone comforted him, and being with Jongin had been a peaceful moment that he hadn’t wanted to come to an end.

 

However, Chanyeol wasn’t entirely alone, and it was with pleasure that he hugged his little dog when he entered his apartment. He had only been away for less than an hour but the black poodle was greeting him with joy and it brought a smile on Chanyeol’s lips. He put the basket with the clothes in it away, telling himself that he would store them in his closet later, and took the animal in his arms lovingly.

 

"Did you miss me, Tobennie?" Chanyeol asked while cuddling the little dog who was Chanyeol’s fingers in a way that showed that yes, he had missed him.

 

Chanyeol nodded to Toben, and went to the kitchen to give him his food because Chanyeol knew that his dog was like him. He was always hungry. Sometimes, Chanyeol was amazed at how his dog looked so much like him, they were both always so energetic, they both loved staying in bed cuddling, and they both loved eating delicious food. Chanyeol loved his dog, and Toben loved him back.

 

Chanyeol was hungry too, but it was still a bit early in the morning and he wanted to wait a little bit before eating anything. Or maybe he was too lazy to actually cook something, he didn’t know, so he simply turned the TV on and sat on the couch with a loud and heavy sigh. There wasn’t anything really interesting on TV at the moment, but he still watched a program while Toben’s head since the little dog was now lying on Chanyeol’s lap.

 

The apartment was peaceful, maybe a little too much, as only the sound of the television and the soft breathing of Toben were lulling Chanyeol. That was why he jumped a little bit out of surprised when he heard someone knock on his door. That was unexpected, Chanyeol wasn’t waiting for anybody to show up at his place, especially at this hour. Maybe it was the adorable old lady living next door that was coming to bring him extra food since she was most of the time cooking way too much and she liked sharing with Chanyeol.

 

He doubted that it was her, but he still went to open the door and was way more surprised to discover a smiling man in front of him.

 

"Happy Birthday! Don’t tell me you forgot I had to come today," said the man with a teasing smile.

 

So, it was his birthday. And Chanyeol had forgotten about it, obviously. He scratched his neck a little bit nervously and laughed to try to wash away the fact that he had indeed forgotten about his own birthday.

 

"Of course not. You’re so silly sometimes, Taewoo. Come in," Chanyeol offered to his friend who was carrying plastic bags in each of his hands.

 

Chanyeol had always spent his birthday with his friend, Taewoo, who would always bring a lot of delicious food to celebrate Chanyeol getting one year older. It was never anything too fancy, but Chanyeol was always feeling happy that his friend would take care of him.

 

"I brought you a cake!" Taewoo said happily while opening a box to reveal a chocolate cake with fresh strawberries on it. It was way too big for two people, but it looked delicious. "Did you already eat?"

 

"Not yet, I’m gonna make some ramyeon, I’ll be back," Chanyeol was already heading to the kitchen when Taewoo grabbed his arm and forced him to sit down on the floor in front of the coffee table.

 

"You’re not going to eat ramyeon. It’s your birthday, I brought you miyeok guk," Taewoo smiled and started to set out the dishes on the coffee table. He had brought soup, rice, and a lot of other side dishes that Chanyeol loved.

 

"You’re so traditional, but thank you," Chanyeol laughed a little bit and took his spoon to start eating the seaweed soup.

 

They started eating peacefully while Toben was sleeping in a corner of the room, unbothered by the visit of Taewoo. The dog was so used to it now that it probably felt like something usual to him.

 

"How’s everything going at the studio?" Chanyeol asked in the middle of the meal.

 

Taewoo was a choreographer, and the proud owner of one of the biggest dance studios in Seoul. He was usually very busy with his classes, as he was most of the time teaching choreography for shows and Chanyeol knew for a fact that his workshops were always full. Taewoo was proud of his achievements, especially when younger generations came to his studio to learn how to dance.

 

"It’s going well, we’re working on a new project. It’s a little bit challenging, but it’s going to be a lot of fun," Taewoo explained with a smile, showing how proud he was about his project.

 

"Challenging? How so? You love challenges," Chanyeol teased and he grabbed his glass to drink a little bit of water.

 

"It’s something… unusual, at least for our team. Here’s your birthday gift, two tickets for the next show in March. It’s going to leave you some time to find someone to go with," Taewoo put the two tickets on the table and chuckled a little at the end of his sentence, probably teasing his friend.

 

"I can totally go alone," Chanyeol stated, and he took the tickets while sighing.

 

"Chanyeol, you’ve been single since high school. We’ve known each other for years and I’ve never seen you in love. It’s time to change."

 

Once again, a long, heavy, and deep sigh escaped Chanyeol’s mouth. Taewoo was right, and he knew it. Chanyeol was twenty-five, and he knew that it was probably time to find someone to live with, but unfortunately, Chanyeol knew that professionally speaking, he was still lacking. He knew that he still had to improve a lot in the company before settling and finally being able to find someone to share his home, or to simply fall in love with. Who would want someone like him? Someone who’s simply bringing tea or coffee to his coworkers?

 

"I still have a lot of time to think about it, but thank you for the tickets," Chanyeol smiled to his friends and he finally looked at the pieces of paper and got surprised when he read the red letters on them. "Ballet? That’s so uncommon, you’ve never done ballet before."

 

"It’s risky, I know it. It’s my first time producing this kind of show and I got to admit that everybody thinks I’m crazy at the studio. They are all panicking," Taewoo laughed and shook his head a little. "The dancers at the studio have never done ballet before, and even it they learn quickly, they’ll never make the great soloist I’m looking for," he continued, and Chanyeol could see that Taewoo was feeling a little bit down about the whole situation. He had seemed genuinely happy when he had talked about his project, but the hard truth of the situation was probably making him sad.

 

"Are you holding auditions? It could help."

 

"We already saw the first batch, and we’ll continue next week… I’m mostly looking for the two soloists of the show, Nikiya and Solor."

 

Chanyeol seemed confused, as he knew absolutely nothing about the world revolving around ballet. He guessed that those names were those of the main dancers in the ballet Taewoo wanted to produce, but other than that, Chanyeol thought that his friend was speaking in a foreign language. However he still nodded as if he was understanding everything, but he couldn’t fool Taewoo who laughed at his confusion.

 

"We’re doing La Bayadère, Chanyeol. You can find it on the web," Taewoo said, as he cut a piece of the cake he had brought, giving it to Chanyeol.

 

Chanyeol had to admit that he was discovering and learning a lot of new things about dancing through this conversation and he thought that it was really interesting. For a moment, he remembered how Jongin had danced at the club, slowly, and Chanyeol thought that he would probably be the perfect soloist for Taewoo’s show, even if Chanyeol wasn’t sure if Jongin would be interested. Maybe he would, as Chanyeol clearly remembered seeing ballet slippers in his clothes this morning. He could to talk to him about it, but he didn’t want to be intrusive, which would probably be the case, unfortunately.

 

Taewoo stayed at Chanyeol’s place for a couple more hours and then decided that he had to leave, saying that he had to go practice. Chanyeol nodded and thanked him again for the cake and his gifts, and he was once again left alone in his small apartment, with only Toben and the thought of Jongin dancing ballet beautifully under a warm ray of sunlight.

 

After Taewoo’s departure, Chanyeol finished cleaning his apartment but the task was more difficult than he had thought it could because Toben had decided to wake up and to want to play with Chanyeol. He had given up more than once to sit on the floor and play with the black poodle happily, but in the end, he still managed to finish everything he had to do and he was quite satisfied with it.

 

Now that everything was done, Chanyeol decided that he could treat himself to a good coffee since it was his birthday, and he had worked well. Chanyeol would usually make himself coffee at home, but the coffee from the shop on the street next to his home was so good that Chanyeol wanted to change his routine for once.

 

He put on his black hoodie, and went outside after telling Toben that he would be back quickly. It was still pretty cold outside, as Winter was starting to settle in Seoul. Chanyeol was quite happy about it, it allowed him to wear oversized and comfortable hoodies all the time without being ashamed of it. Everybody was wearing extra-sized clothes during this period of the year, and it was one of the perks of winter that Chanyeol loved the most.

 

The place wasn’t as crowded as Chanyeol thought it would be, and it was a good thing since it was cold and Chanyeol didn’t want to wait too much outside. The barista was talking on the phone in what seemed to be a very animated conversation. He probably hadn’t even noticed Chanyeol who had just entered the café since he didn’t cut the exchange and continued talking to the person on the phone.

 

"The auditions are next week Jongin! We have to go…" He stopped, probably listening to what the other was saying. "You’re so stubborn… Maybe if it was Joohyun asking you would say yes."

 

Without actually noticing, Chanyeol found himself listening to the barista’s conversation from one side only. One name had caught his attention, Jongin. Was he the same Jongin he knew? The Wild Butterfly he had met at the club? Chanyeol didn’t know, but he knew that it would be a huge coincidence if there were two Jongins dancing ballet.

 

Chanyeol was lost in his mind when he got finally noticed by the barista who hung up the phone. He went behind the counter, ready to finally do his job with a big, commercial smile.

 

"Hi, welcome to Coffee Bear. What can I serve you?" He asked, reciting a catch phrase that he had probably said a thousand times already.

 

"An americano, please," Chanyeol replied, as he watched the man nodding and preparing the hot beverage. "I’m sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear what you said earlier on the phone… Were you talking about the auditions for La Bayadère?"

 

"Oh? Are you a dancer too?" The man asked, and he seemed surprised that Chanyeol had guessed what he had been talking about, but also maybe a little bit annoyed to know that his conversation had been listened to.

 

"I’m not, but I know the choreographer of the show," Chanyeol explained with a soft voice to try to reassure the barista.

 

"You know Kim Taewoo? And you are not a dancer? You must be very close to him then, I heard that Taewoo only talks to dancers," the barista laughed, and Chanyeol smiled a little bit at that. Taewoo had often been seen as a monster in the world of dancing, but Chanyeol knew him and he knew that he was far from being the monster that everybody seemed to depict him as.

 

"We are friends, I just saw him this morning. He told me he’s still looking for the soloists of the show," Chanyeol continued, taking the cup of coffee that was finally done and searching his wallet in his pocket. "I’m sure that your friend has all his chances, and so do you."

 

"Thank you, but my friend doesn’t want to go. He would make a great Solor, believe me."

 

And Chanyeol did believe in the barista’s words. Deep inside of him, he knew that he was probably talking about the same Jongin he knew, but what were the odds? Chanyeol still didn’t believe that both Jongins were probably one, unique Jongin, and he started to think that it was truly fate.

 

Chanyeol paid for his coffee and even left a small tip before leaving the Coffee Bear shop as he wished a good day to the barista.

 

The next day, Chanyeol was woken up by Toben who had been nibbling his ear as a sign that it was time to finally get up. Chanyeol grumbled a little bit, turning in his bed while taking the dog in his arms to cuddle him softly. Toben was so soft, almost like a plush, and only the on Chanyeol’s face reminded him that Toben wasn’t an average plush.

 

He then got up, smiling at his dog who was jumping at him to tell him that he was hungry. He was so cute, and Chanyeol gave him his food quickly before eating a slice of bread with orange juice. He was still pretty much asleep, and he was standing up in the kitchen with his eyes closed while eating. It was a funny view, but Chanyeol decided that a good shower would finish waking him up. And it did. The water was too cold, and Chanyeol let escape a small scream since he wasn’t expecting the water to be freezing. But at least now, he was well awake.

 

When he was done taking a shower, he noticed that Toben was quietly waiting in front of the door while holding his leash in his mouth. If Toben could talk, he would tell Chanyeol that he wanted to go outside. Unfortunately, he couldn’t talk, but his actions were louder than words.

 

"I get it, we’re going out," Chanyeol said to the dog with a smile, and Toben seemed to understand him since his tail started to move happily.

 

At the park, Chanyeol decided that he could let Toben run freely since there wasn’t anybody. He unleashed the small dog carefully and watched him start to run everywhere with energy. So much energy that it made Chanyeol laugh a little bit. He was so cute. Chanyeol still kept an eye on him because he didn’t want the small dog to go too far from him and when it was the case, he started to run after the black poodle. At least he was doing some exercise, which was good.

 

"You made a new friend Tobennie?" Chanyeol asked, as he got closer to his dog who was now playing with a new dog he had never seen before. He crouched down and started patting the head of the brown dog, a huge smile on his face. "Hey, little guy, are you lost?"

 

The dog jumped on his leg happily and it made Chanyeol fall backward, making him lend on his miserably. But Chanyeol didn’t care, because the two dogs seemed to have fun and it was all that mattered to him.

 

"Jjanggu! You could’ve waited!"

 

Chanyeol looked at the newcomer, probably the master of the dog, and his eyes sparkled when he recognized the beautiful face of the man he had met a few days ago. They were meeting each other more and more, and Chanyeol couldn’t help but think that it was fate.

 

"Oh, Jongin, hi," Chanyeol said whiled waving at him.

 

He got up to be able to properly greet the dancer who smiled at him before carrying his dog in his arms. Chanyeol thought they were really cute together, and he also thought that Jongin was also a dog-person, which was a very good point to him.

 

"Good morning Chanyeol."

 

The greetings were simple, yet so warm, and it made Chanyeol’s heart happier. His voice was as soothing as he remembered it, it was dripping honey and Chanyeol loved this sweet sugary taste. Was it weird to like someone’s voice that much? Because it was the case, Chanyeol could listen to Jongin talk all day long, even about stuff he wasn’t interested in because he actually loved his beautiful voice.

 

However, for some time, they didn’t say anything. They simply walked together as their dogs had started to play together again when Jongin had let Jjanggu on the ground with Toben. They were walking slowly, and they weren’t saying anything, but Chanyeol didn’t feel uncomfortable about this situation. On the contrary, it was calm, soothing, he simply liked spending time with Jongin.

 

Chanyeol thought about the conversation he had overheard the day before at the coffee shop. He was certain that there was only one Jongin in this story and that it was his Jongin. The one he knew, the one he was walking with while their dogs were having fun together. Should he try to talk about it to Jongin? Should Chanyeol start the conversation by saying that ballet is great? Maybe if he said he was interested in ballet, it would be a great conversation starter, he didn’t know.

 

"You’re a dancer, right? My friend is giving auditions next week for a new ballet, maybe you can be interested," Chanyeol tried to break the silence that had settled on their shoulders for too long now.

 

Jongin stopped in his tracks and stared at Chanyeol without any emotions on his face. For a second, Chanyeol thought that he had probably said something bad and he scratched his neck, showing that he was nervous.

 

"You are not the first one who’s telling me about these auditions," Jongin sighed and started walking again, his gaze focused right in front of him.

 

Chanyeol was now looking at Jongin from the corner of his eye and Chanyeol noticed that the same melancholia he had seen the first night he had met Jongin was emanating from him. It hadn’t been ballet at that time, but Chanyeol had still thought that he had a lot of talent and was very gracious and beautiful.

 

"You don’t want to do it?" Chanyeol asked slowly.

 

"It’s been a long time since I was in a dance studio."

 

His voice held this particular shaking tone that Chanyeol probably mistook for fear. It couldn’t be fear, Chanyeol didn’t want to believe it, but at the same time, he couldn’t understand the situation Jongin was in. He still tried to understand, but it was hard since he had never experienced the same things Jongin had. It had probably been a very long time since he had been in a dance studio, that was for sure, and Chanyeol thought that it was normal to be scared of going to a place like this one after so much time, especially for something as important as an audition.

 

"I may not be the best one to say that but… You sometimes need to overcome your fears," Chanyeol whispered as he was looking directly at Jongin to show that he was serious and that he genuinely cared about Jongin’s well-being.

 

Jongin, on the other hand, was looking at him with a smile mixing amusement and melancholia, "A friend always told me the same thing. You both look alike," he then called Jjanggu and put a leash on him to be able to keep him next to him. "I’ll think about it, but I can’t promise anything. Have a good day, Chanyeol."

 

Chanyeol looked at Jongin leaving ahead with Jjanggu. He didn’t really know why he was so interested in him but Chanyeol had always been the kind of person to help everybody and Jongin seemed to be needing help. He wanted to help him, Chanyeol would do anything to see Jongin dance again, and this time he wanted to see him on a real stage.

 

Days had passed by, leading to a whole week, and Chanyeol had never ceased to run everywhere in the office to help his colleagues. He had returned to Taeyeon’s office more than once during the week because Junmyeon had wanted him to take the responsibility for Joonyoung’s work since he hadn’t been doing it correctly. Taeyeon had always been happy when Chanyeol had gone to see her, and it may have been one of the few good things of the week.

 

During all this time, Chanyeol hadn’t seen Jongin again, not at the park, not at the laundromat, and not even at the coffee shop next to his apartment. It was as if he had never existed and yet, each day, Chanyeol had thought about him at least once. He had thought of him when he was walking Toben in the park, he had thought of him when he had talked to Taewoo on the phone, and he had also thought of him when he had gone to the Fashion department and seen beautiful honey colored fabric laying everywhere.

 

Jongin was haunting Chanyeol, it was an obsession.

 

Chanyeol was wondering if Jongin had thought about the auditions for La Bayadère again and if he had finally accepted to participate. He also wondered if Jongin was still working at the same club where Chanyeol had seen him for the first time. He hadn’t gone back there since the last time, and he was asking himself if he should, just to check if Jongin was fine. But maybe it was a little bit intrusive, and Chanyeol didn’t want to look like a stalker. After all, they didn’t know each other that much.

 

A growl echoed in the elevator and Chanyeol was relieved to be alone as his stomach had decided to make a huge noise out of hunger. He was hungry, but he still had to give Junmyeon the template from the Fashion department for the next month’s issue.

 

"Ah, Chanyeol! Perfect, can you go to the café next to your place to bring us something back? Jongdae will come with you," Junmyeon appeared in front of Chanyeol right when the doors of the elevator opened and he was surprised by his precise timing.

 

"I can totally go, here’s for you," Chanyeol gave Junmyeon the file he had gathered at the Fashion department. "What do you want? A cappuccino, as usual?"

 

"Yes, yes, perfect. Jongdae! Go with Chanyeol, and take my credit card," Junmyeon said as Jongdae appeared in the scene with a large smile. "Bring coffee for everyone in the department, except for Joonyoung. I can’t believe I still haven’t fired him, he does nothing," Junmyeon continued while laughing and went back to his office.

 

"Joonyoung is the worst, but he knows how to write. Junmyeon never edits his articles," Jongdae added as he entered the elevator next to Chanyeol who sighed a little bit as he remembered all the times Joonyoung had bossed him out even when he shouldn’t have.

 

Chanyeol didn’t have anything to say since he was in no place to criticize anyone in the company. He had no real powers, and he wanted to keep his job no matter what. Jongdae knew how Chanyeol functioned, how he was thinking, and luckily for Chanyeol, Jongdae was one of the few that was treating him like his equal.

 

"Destiny told me you went back to the club? I thought you didn’t like the place," Jongdae continued with a teasing voice and Chanyeol’s cheeks turned red.

 

"Who is Destiny?" Chanyeol asked, trying to avoid the obvious question.

 

"The most beautiful girl in Seoul, and my dearest confidant. She works at the club we went to with Junmyeon," Jongdae explained and Chanyeol understood that he couldn’t avoid facing this conversation.

 

"I did, I was intrigued by the man we saw."

 

"Oh, you mean the Papillon or something like that? French names are always so mysterious," Jongdae stated as he got out of the elevator, soon followed by Chanyeol.

 

"It’s French? I didn’t know that."

 

"Yes, it means ‘butterfly’, or something like that."

 

Chanyeol nodded a little bit and smiled. It really suited Jongin. The first time he had seen him dance, Chanyeol had thought he had been witnessing the flight of a beautiful butterfly. It was perfect for him. Jongin was a majestic butterfly, whose wings were painting a poetic story.

 

They walked together to the coffee shop that wasn’t really far from the company as Chanyeol had found an apartment close to his work place when he had first entered it. Chanyeol could already smell the bitter aroma of coffee beans and he loved it, so he entered the place with a huge smile to greet the barista.

 

It was the same barista as the last time, but Chanyeol was surprised to see him talk to another man. This time, he wasn’t on the phone, and Chanyeol now understood that the man he had been on the phone with the last time had been his Jongin. Yes, his Jongin was standing in front of him, his arms crossed against his chest, frowning.

 

"Jongin, let’s make a deal. I quit smoking and we take the audition together."

 

Chanyeol could hear some snippets of their conversation but Jongdae soon interrupted him in his concentration when he noted that Jongin was the dancer they had seen the last time they had gone to the club together. Meaning that it was Jongin that Jongdae had made fun of.

 

"Do you think he’s going to start dancing in the middle of the café now?" Jongdae wondered as he laughed a little bit.

 

Chanyeol didn’t find it funny, but he still smiled at Jongdae because he didn’t want to seem rude. He hid his trouble by walking towards the counter to hopefully catch the attention of the barista. It worked, and Chanyeol noticed that Jongin had seen him too, so he smiled at him before focusing back on the barista that was now in front of him, ready to take his order.

 

"I would like two cappuccinos, an americano, and two lattes, please," Chanyeol enumerated, knowing the orders of everyone at the office perfectly.

 

"And a caramel macchiato, please," Jongdae added.

 

Chanyeol nodded and gave Junmyeon’s credit card to the barista to pay the order. They waited a little bit until every hot beverage was be ready and, during this time, Chanyeol noticed that Jongin had been staring at him the whole time. Did Chanyeol have something on his face? Had he forgotten to clean the toothpaste around his mouth this morning? Probably not, someone would have already made fun of him if he had. Chanyeol didn’t know why Jongin was staring at him like that, but it was making him a little bit uncomfortable now.

 

"And here’s everything you ordered, enjoy," the barista said as he gave all the beverages in a cup holder so that it would be easier to carry around.

 

"Thank you, have a nice day," Chanyeol said as he took the cup holder.

 

They were already leaving when Chanyeol heard a loud chair slide on the floor and he stopped in his tracks when Jongin’s beautiful, melodious voice echoed in the room.

 

"Alright, Sehun. Let’s do it. Let’s go together, but you have two days to quit smoking before the auditions."

 

Chanyeol felt something warm up in his heart. It was fascinating how a few words could procure him delight and excitement. He was so happy that Jongin had finally accepted to go to the auditions, and Chanyeol thought for a moment that he may have taken  a part in the whole process of convincing him.

 

Jongin would dance ballet again, and it was the most satisfying feeling Chanyeol had ever felt.

 

"The auditions are this afternoon, I’m so nervous."

 

Two days later, Taewoo had come to pay a visit to Chanyeol the morning of the auditions. It had been a whole week since the last time Taewoo had come to his place, even if they had talked on the phone since this time.

 

Taewoo was nervous, and it was natural, but Chanyeol was also nervous because he knew that Jongin would take part in the auditions as well and he was praying that he would do well and succeed. He deserved to become a great dancer, and Chanyeol knew that Jongin would impress Taewoo.

 

"You’re not the one who’s going to dance," Chanyeol said as he smiled. It was funny to see his friend so nervous like that.

 

They were drinking their tea on the coffee table as Toben was laying between Chanyeol’s legs, peacefully. Taewoo had always preferred coffee but Chanyeol had told him that tea was better to relax so he had had no choice but to accept because Taewoo knew it, Chanyeol was always right.

 

"I know someone who’s going to audition today," Chanyeol continued, thinking of the beautiful movements of Jongin.

 

"You know another dancer? I’m not the only one in your life? Chanyeol, I’m very jealous right now," Taewoo put a hand on his chest as if his heart was broken but it only made Chanyeol laugh.

 

"Come on, you know that you are my favorite dancer."

 

Taewoo smiled at Chanyeol’s words, he seemed very pleased to hear him say that since Taewoo had always only wanted to be the best and that was mainly why he had been practicing everyday for hours since his young age.

 

"What’s his name? I’ll text you what I think about him after his audition," Taewoo said as he drank a little of his green tea that seemed way too bitter for his taste.

 

"Jongin, but I don’t know his last name," Chanyeol answered, then he thought for a second of a way to describe him to his friend so that he would recognize him right away. "His face is very soft and beautiful, and there’s a strange melancholia in his eyes."

 

"His face is very soft and beautiful? Chanyeol, do you hear what you’re saying? Are you in love with this Jongin?"

 

Chanyeol felt his cheeks turn red and his heart beat very quickly in his ribcage. He had never experienced what love really was, and he barely even knew Jongin. He couldn’t tell if what he was feeling was really a feeling as strong as love, but one thing was for sure, he liked him.

 

"He’s someone that I like, and I can tell when someone’s pretty. Look at Toben, he is the cutest dog on Earth and you, you are the iest when you dance," Chanyeol tried to explain so that he could avoid Taewoo’s question.

 

Taewoo smiled, and his back straightened in a way to show that he was proud of himself. He absolutely loved when people complimented him, especially Chanyeol since they were so close.

 

"Toben is the cutest, I’m the iest, that’s a fact," Taewoo nodded.

 

They kept drinking their cups of tea happily while Chanyeol was Toben’s head softly so that he would not wake the small dog up. Chanyeol knew that his friend had to leave soon, so he sighed a little bit because he didn’t really want to be alone in his apartment again. He wanted to leave his comfort zone, discover new things and let go of his routine.

 

"You wanna come?"

 

Chanyeol blinked, as he was brought back to reality by his friend who had noticed the pensive look on his face. Had he just read in his mind? After all this time, Taewoo could always know exactly what his friend had in mind, so it wasn’t really a surprise.

 

"Come? Where?" Chanyeol asked with a smile, even if he knew exactly what Taewoo meant.

 

"To the auditions. You’ll know how things work behind the scene."

 

Chanyeol was surprised by this proposition, but at the same time he was happy to be included in something as important as this project for Taewoo. Could he really accept? Chanyeol thought that he would get in the way if he came since he knew nothing about this world. He didn’t even know what the ballet was about.

 

"No, I can’t…" Chanyeol started saying, even if he wanted to go with his friend to discover new things.

 

"Of course you can, idiot."

 

Taewoo got up and went to Chanyeol’s bedroom as if it was his own apartment. Chanyeol wasn’t surprised because he was used to it anyway, so he looked at him searching through all of his clothes to gather an oversized black sweater, a cap and a pair of sunglasses Chanyeol didn’t even remember he had.

 

"Here, put all of this on. Your cutie won’t recognize you like that."

 

Chanyeol smiled. He was really going to the auditions with Taewoo after all. He was ready to witness Jongin’s talent. And it was such an exciting feeling.

 

Chanyeol was silently following Taewoo throughout the hallways of the dance studio. It was a foreign place, and Chanyeol realized at this moment how important Taewoo was for this school as the dancer kept saying hello to every person they met in the hallway. Chanyeol noticed how everybody was looking at Taewoo, with pride and respect, and he couldn’t help but admire his friend now.

 

"We should directly go to the dance room, the other judges must already be there," Taewoo explained as he kept walking, Chanyeol following him while nodding.

 

It really was another world. People were stretching on the ground in the middle of the hallway, music could also be heard from other dance rooms where dancers were practicing. Chanyeol felt like he was on another planet, but it was refreshing.

 

Taewoo opened the door to the room and Chanyeol followed him inside it. There was a long table at the back of the room, with a huge, intimidating mirror all over the wall. A woman was already waiting at the table, her eyes staring at her phone as if she hadn’t noticed Taewoo and Chanyeol coming into the room.

 

"Hyoyeon, this is Chanyeol, a friend. He is here as a spectator today," Taewoo explained but Hyoyeon didn’t answer, nor did she look at them. Taewoo sighed but invited Chanyeol to not be bothered by her behavior.

 

They sat at the table, Taewoo in the middle and Chanyeol on his left. They waited a little bit since Chanyeol knew that somebody else would join them and finally, the door opened on a young man, panting.

 

"Missed your bus?" Taewoo asked teasingly.

 

"The usual…" The man smiled, took a deep breath to calm himself and went to sit next to Hyoyeon. "I’m Yixing, nice to meet you."

 

"I’m Chanyeol, Taewoo’s friend."

 

"Yeah, he told me you would be coming today. I hope you’ll have fun."

 

Yixing seemed to be really warm hearted and it reassured Chanyeol a little bit. Even if he wasn’t the one who would be dancing in front of the judges, he was still feeling a little bit nervous since he wasn’t in his comfort zone. It was the first time he had ever come to a dance studio, and it felt unreal to be there, at the judges’ table. It wasn’t his world, but it was still fascinating to the point where Chanyeol wanted to stay.

 

"Well, I think we can start. Yerim, can you call the first candidate?" Taewoo asked a girl who Chanyeol noticed had been waiting next to the door.

 

The first candidate was very young, and he was still lacking a lot. He had learnt the basics, it seemed, but Taewoo felt that he wouldn’t be able to lead the ballet. He said that he was looking for someone more mature, more tragical, and he kept asking to see more dancers, again and again.

 

The second candidate was a woman, her dancing was very powerful and Chanyeol noticed in her movements that passion was running through her veins. It was like she was emanating a hot fire in every move, and Taewoo smiled with contentment when she was done showing her skills. He thanked her, and asked for the next candidate as he wrote some things next to her name.

 

An hour later, the auditions were still on-going and Chanyeol was starting to feel a little sore even if he was just watching, and not actually judging the dancers. He heard a long, heavy sigh coming from next to him and he looked at Hyoyeon who seemed annoyed. Yixing, on the other hand, was dozing off a little bit since there were no dancers who had charmed the judges until then. Even Taewoo was silent. He seemed desperate to find a good dancer, and in one hour, only one dancer had shown that she could be a part of the show.

 

"The next one is Kim Jongin," Yerim announced as she let the man enter the room.

 

Chanyeol was now perfectly awaken. All of his attention focused on Jongin, his Jongin, as he adjusted his cap on so that it would hide his face a little bit more. He didn’t want Jongin to recognize him.

 

As soon as the music started playing, Jongin closed his eyes and let his arms lead the way as his legs showed him the way. He seemed so fragile, so melancholic, yet so strong and Chanyeol was seduced by his performance. It was poetic and tragically beautiful, and even if Chanyeol knew nothing about ballet, he knew that Jongin’s dancing was one of the best they had all witnessed since the beginning of the auditions.

 

Once Jongin was done performing, he opened his eyes as if he was back to a world that wasn’t his, thanked the judges quickly and left the room. Chanyeol’s heart was pounding really fast in his chest, and he wondered for a second if that was what it felt like to really connect with someone, to feel like they belonged together. Was Chanyeol starting to fall in love? Probably, and as scary as it seemed, Chanyeol felt ecstatic about it.

 

"What happened to him? He is so fragile…" Taewoo whispered as he looked at his paper with Jongin’s biography.

 

"His performance was really moving," Hyoyeon added and Chanyeol noticed it was the first time she had said something about one of the participants.

 

"I think we found our soloist, he is the perfect Solor."

 

Chanyeol was silent, but deep down he felt proud for Jongin. He had the role, the most important one, and he was happy that it was Jongin and no one else.

 

"He studied at the American Ballet Theatre, this is not a surprise. But I’m still wondering why he came back here, he probably had a wonderful career in New-York," Taewoo asked himself as he kept reading Jongin’s informations.

 

Chanyeol wondered if there was a connection between his melancholic stare whenever Jongin was talking about ballet and the fact that he had come back to Seoul. It probably was the case, but it was way too soon for Chanyeol to ask Jongin for an explanation about it.

 

"Alright, we still have to find our Nikiya. Let’s take a break," Hyoyeon had gotten up and was already heading outside of the room.

 

"Ten minutes, is it okay Taewoo?" Yixing asked as he was stretching his back a little and after Taewoo’s approval, he also left the room to get some fresh air.

 

Chanyeol stretched a little too. He wasn’t used to staying on a chair for so long while doing nothing and his limbs were starting to feel sore. Taewoo noticed it and smiled at him as he chuckled.

 

"What, you seem so happy now," Chanyeol said as yawn escaped his mouth.

 

"We found a rare gem, and I’m relieved. This Jongin is our savior," Taewoo explained as he got up and Chanyeol followed his movement, happy to finally do something else than staying in this room.

 

They walked throughout the hallway where all the candidates had been waiting, and of course some asked them when they would have the results of the auditions.

 

"We’ll put the official list in the lobby when we’re done auditioning everybody. We’re just taking a ten minute break," Taewoo answered, continuing to walk.

 

Chanyeol noticed that Jongin was also waiting there with Sehun. He kept his head down so that Jongin would not see him, but as he walked past them, he couldn’t help but hear some parts of their discussion.

 

"No, Sehun, I didn’t do the second movement correctly, I’ll never pass the audition," Jongin said, pouting a little bit.

 

Chanyeol wanted to tell him, to scream that he was wrong, that he danced perfectly and that his performance was the best of the day, but he couldn’t. He wanted to reassure Jongin, to take him in his arms to congratulate him, but he couldn’t. He just said nothing, and walked away, still following Taewoo who was leading them to the rooftop of the building.

 

Hyoyeon was already there, smoking, and when she noticed Taewoo, she gave him a cigarette before he could even ask anything. She was probably used to it after all this time spent at the school. However, Chanyeol frowned a little in disapproval. He hated the bitter scent of smoke, he hated how it felt like a cloud embraced his lungs and made him suffocate even if this killing thing wasn’t between his lips.

 

Ha hated it, but he didn’t say anything. Taewoo was his friend and a grown-up man, he knew what he was doing and Chanyeol had never seen him smoke outside of the studio. Maybe it was a dance thing.

 

"Seulgi is a great dancer, she could lead the show easily. She’s my first choice right now," Hyoyeon started, and Chanyeol was surprised that she would even start the conversation.

 

"Nikiya is way too gentle for her. She’d play Gamzatti’s fire perfectly," Taewoo explained as he nodded to Hyoyeon’s remarks.

 

"So, we still have to find our star," Hyoyeon ended in a puff before stubbing out her cigarette on the floor.

 

They waited a little bit more on the roof and Chanyeol felt a soft breeze of freedom brushing his skin. Being there changed him, he was out of his comfort zone and, strangely, it didn’t feel as foreign as it had felt at first. He liked being in a new place, meeting new people, doing things that he had never done before. It was refreshing, and Chanyeol loved it.

 

"We should go back now, I’m sure our little dancers cannot wait," Taewoo laughed a little and invited Hyoyeon and Chanyeol to follow him back to the studio.

 

Yixing was already there, eating a piece of stuffed bread. Chanyeol smiled, remembering how good this treat was. He used to eat a lot of it when he was still in kindergarten, and it was a sweet feeling to see that this treat was still very well loved by everybody.

 

"I also bought one for you, I thought it could bring you energy," Yixing gave everyone a packet with the delicious treat and Chanyeol’s eyes sparkled at the sight of the sweet, honey colored bread.

 

Chanyeol opened it quickly, thanking him at the same time, and the first bite he took was as sweet as Yixing. He let out a small sigh of satisfaction that made Yixing smile, and Chanyeol blushed a little bit. Yixing was genuinely nice.

 

When Chanyeol took place on his sit, Taewoo didn’t waste another second and he asked Yerim to bring the next dancer. He was probably tired after all this time and wanted to end these auditions quickly. It was understandable, even Chanyeol was tired and he wasn’t even analyzing each movement of the contestants like a professional would. It was Chanyeol’s first time going to a dance studio and he was already understanding how ecstatic this whole world was.

 

"We’re especially going to focus on the girls since we have our Solor," Taewoo whispered just before a girl entered the dance room.

 

She seemed young, and looked like a lost lamb in the forest, running away from a wolf. She was beautiful, and very graceful in her movements, and without even looking at the other judges, Chanyeol knew that she would be perfect for the role that Hyoyeon had described a while ago on the roof. She had said that Seulgi was way too fiery to be the first role, meaning that Nikiya was softer, maybe cuter. And considering these adjectives, the girl dancing in front of them at the moment seemed to be the perfect representation of Nikiya.

 

Taewoo wrote a thing on his paper, nodding a little bit after the presentation. He thanked her with a smile and asked Yerim to bring the next contestant. Chanyeol saw the satisfied look on Taewoo’s face. He knew that he was thinking the same way, and it made Chanyeol’s heart warmer. Maybe he was getting used to it, after all.

 

After watching what seemed like a hundred contestants, Yerim told the judges that they were done and that they could deliberate on the roles now. Taewoo let out a long sigh, followed by Hyoyeon who was stretching her arms at the same time and Yixing who was also yawning.

 

"Alright, I think we all know who Nikiya is, right? Chanyeol, who do you think it is?" Taewoo asked, including his friend in their choice.

 

"Well…" Chanyeol wasn’t sure if he had the rights to say what he was thinking, but after noticing Yixing’s heartwarming smile and Hyoyeon’s nod, he knew that it was alright for him to say what he thought. "I think that the first girl we saw is perfect for Nikiya. She is calm, and graceful…"

 

"Ah, Myoui Mina, yes," Taewoo read the name on his paper while nodding happily. "Yes, she is indeed perfect, I think the same as you."

 

"I also think that Mina is perfect for Nikiya," Yixing added as he scribbled some things on his paper. "You should come here more often Chanyeol, you’re made for this job."

 

Chanyeol blushed at this comment and couldn’t hold a smile from drawing itself all over his face. Joy filled him as he looked at the three other judges who were validating him at this exact moment. Even Hyoyeon, who had seemed a little bit cold at first sight, was now smiling at him with satisfaction.

 

"Then it’s settled, I guess. I’ll put the results in the hallway."

 

Taewoo got up and Chanyeol noticed that the others were also getting ready to go to the hallway, so he did the same and followed them there. His heart was beating fast, and Chanyeol didn’t really understand why he felt like that. Maybe it was the excitement filling the hallway, the waiting that was coming to an end, the pleasure to see the happy faces of the lucky ones getting to be in the show.

 

Chanyeol stayed aside as he looked at the curious faces of the candidates who were crowding around the piece of paper that Taewoo had just pinned on the wall. He could already hear happy screams from girls who had been able to get smaller roles in the ballet. He also saw that some of them were getting teary, as they were probably disappointed with the results, but overall, it was such an interesting experience to watch all of these reactions mixed together.

 

And then, he saw him. He saw the bewildered look on Jongin’s face who was almost frozen in front of the paper while Sehun was jumping around him, giving him excited hugs. They were both in the show, and Jongin was the luckiest of them all. He was Solor, the most important one, and this fact seemed to be a shock to Jongin whose lips were slowly curling into a satisfied smile.

 

Chanyeol was happy to see him like that. He liked the smile on Jongin’s face, he liked how it was as blinding as the Sun himself. Chanyeol had never seen Jongin smile this way. It was a smile that was warming his heart up strangely, but it was such a sweet feeling. Chanyeol couldn’t wait to see Jongin dance more, he couldn’t wait to properly congratulate him. He also couldn’t wait to taste his smile.

 

Monday came quickly and Chanyeol was back in the editorial department of Radiante. After the amazing experiment he had been able to have at his friend’s studio, Chanyeol felt a little bit gloomy to be back at this place where he had nothing really important to do. Joonyoung was still true to his nature this morning, and kept asking Chanyeol to bring him papers from every place around the office.

 

It was the same things, as always. Pictures, coffees, teas, everything. And Chanyeol was willingly doing it because it paid bills. He had thought of quitting once, but he didn’t have a lot of experience in any other field, he still needed money, and Joonyoung was one of the few who was actually being awful to him. So Chanyeol had stayed, even if it wasn’t the most interesting work.

 

"Chanyeol-ah? Can we talk in my office please?"

 

Chanyeol looked at Junmyeon with surprise. He was smiling, and was inviting Chanyeol to join him in his office with excitement. Chanyeol didn’t really understand, but he knew that he had to expect the unexpected from Junmyeon. This man was so unpredictable, all the time.

 

"What can I do for you?" Chanyeol asked as he sat on the chair in front of Junmyeon’s desk and straightened his jacket a little bit.

 

"You’ve been working here for so long, and you’ve helped us a lot," Junmyeon started, his eyes showing how excited he was, and it made Chanyeol wonder why he was there. "You are trustworthy, efficient, and that is why I want you to become my personal assistant."

 

Had Chanyeol heard right? Junmyeon was actually offering him a new position in the company, new responsibilities, and of course it meant that Chanyeol would have a little more freedom in the office. He would not be doing whatever his coworkers were asking him to do anymore, and he would work closer to Junmyeon. It was a big promotion, Chanyeol knew it, and he was flattered that Junmyeon had thought of him for this position.

 

"I know I can trust you with my life, and I’ve come to a point where I can’t do all the things I have to do alone. A little bit of help will be welcomed," Junmyeon continued with a sigh. He looked tired, Chanyeol noticed. Heavy bags were drawn under his eyes, probably from lack of sleep. Being the editor of a magazine was far from being a simple work, and Chanyeol wanted to help him.

 

"It’s a big promotion, and if you think that I can do it, then I accept, of course… Thank you," Chanyeol stood up and offered his hand to Junmyeon for a handshake to seal their partnership. Chanyeol was smiling as he shook Junmyeon’s hand warmly, and the other seemed to be relieved now that he knew he could lean on someone.

 

"That’s perfect, thank you Chanyeol-ah. You’ll have your own desk, even if we share the same room. You’re going to be like my perfect little secretary, that’s cute right?" Junmyeon laughed after shaking Chanyeol’s hand and settling back on his chair. He pointed at the wooden desk on the other side of the big office and Chanyeol nodded, smiling. He finally had his own working space.

 

"Do you really think I’m fit for this position? Being a personal assistant is a lot of responsibilities," Chanyeol said, expressing his doubts.

 

"Chanyeol, I’ve been watching you for a long time. You’re careful and thorough, with everything, even the little things. We all make mistakes, and you will probably make some in the beginning. But I believe in you, and I trust you."

 

Chanyeol really couldn’t believe it. He was finally evolving in the company, and he was thrilled to have this new position. He liked Junmyeon, and he was happy to work with him like that.

 

"We should go out tonight to celebrate. I think Jongdae will come with us," Junmyeon continued with a laugh. Chanyeol nodded, and just prayed that they would not go to a strip club like the last time they had all gone out together.

 

Fortunately, Chanyeol found himself in the most regular bar of the city and he was satisfied with Junmyeon’s choice. He had probably chosen this place on purpose, knowing that Chanyeol wasn’t comfortable in strip clubs. He was being considerate, Chanyeol thought, and it showed that Junmyeon really cared about the well-being of his coworkers.

 

Jongdae had obviously come with them, and he was the one leading them inside the place, taking them to a booth on the other side of the bar where he said they’d be alone. He had an excited smile on his face, and his eyes were grazing the room as if he was searching for something, or someone. Was Jongdae here to find someone to take home for the night? Or had he invited someone else to join them?

 

"Minseok! Right over here!" Jongdae almost screamed, his arm lifted in the air to catch the attention of his friend.

 

Chanyeol concluded it was his second thought, he indeed had invited someone. Jongdae’s friend had a beautiful, gummy smile, and he chuckled a little as he sat next to him, saying hello to Junmyeon and Chanyeol at the same time. He seemed very friendly, maybe a little bit shy, and Chanyeol was happy to meet someone else. Lately, Chanyeol was meeting a lot of different people. He had used to think that having too many friends would end up being intoxicating but in the end, he felt very refreshed.

 

"This is Minseok, my closest friend," Jongdae introduced him and Chanyeol shook his hand while telling him his name.

 

They talked about a few different things after that after asking for beers : the weather, the last basketball game, and even their favorite desserts. Throughout the talk, Chanyeol was mesmerized by the way Jongdae’s eyes sparkled whenever he was looking at Minseok. It was as if a new flame had lit up in his eyes the moment Minseok had entered the room. The same burning embers glowed in Minseok’s look, and Chanyeol guessed that they were sharing something more than a simple friendship.

 

"By the way, congratulations on being promoted," Jongdae said happily as he put a hand on Minseok’s thigh, playing with one of the hole in his black pants.

 

"Thank you, I’m very honored that Mister Kim offered me this opportunity," Chanyeol smiled, blushing a little as he wasn’t used to being the center of the attention.

 

"Mister Kim? Please, Chanyeol, I’m not my father. Call me Junmyeon."

 

They all laughed and Chanyeol’s cheeks colored into a deep tomato red, even if he laughed at his clumsy behavior too. He wasn’t nervous anymore, on the contrary. He was comfortable now, and his smiles were genuine. Chanyeol was learning more and more about social interactions, and maybe he would someday call Junmyeon and Jongdae his friends. Maybe Minseok too, he seemed like a good person, and Chanyeol could see how lovingly he was looking at Jongdae.

 

Cute.

 

A couple of hours later, the four of them were still at the same place, still laughing about the tiniest thing, but they were now way tipsier. Chanyeol was sometimes hiccuping between his words, or after laughing at one of Junmyeon’s dad jokes. He had a good sense of humor, Chanyeol liked it.

 

"Hey Jongdae, do you know which park I want to visit? Linkin Park."

 

Another joke, and Chanyeol was laughing heartedly with happy tears. Minseok was in the same state as him, Chanyeol had understood that he was also a great competitor to Junmyeon when it came to dad jokes. They were both alike, and Chanyeol loved it. Maybe it was the alcohol that he had consumed that made him like it that much, but he didn’t mind. He was having a lot of fun, and his stomach was starting to hurt a little bit from all the laughter.

 

"Very funny, thank you. Maybe we should go home now," Jongdae said, and he was probably the most sober one. Chanyeol was sure that he had drunk as much alcohol as them, and yet, Jongdae didn’t seem to be in the same state as him.

 

"You’re a party killer, dad," Minseok whined as he leaned his chin on Jongdae’s shoulder while pouting. He was cute, too cute, but it made Jongdae smile and kiss the tip of his nose.

 

Were they lovers? Chanyeol was kind of jealous. He wanted to be kissed on the tip of the nose like Minseok, he wanted to play with someone’s jean holes like Jongdae. They were cute together, too cute, and Chanyeol’s heart whined silently. It was craving for affection too.

 

"Jongdae, are you a witch?" Chanyeol asked, tilting his head a little bit. There was no way he would be sober like that without any touch of magic.

 

"I’m a wizard, Chanyeol," Jongdae teased as he got up, holding Minseok to prevent him from falling.

 

"I want to eat a tartare… With potato chips, okay dad?" Minseok muttered, his eyes holding all the sleepiness in the world at once. Drunk people always craved for crazy things, but Minseok craved for something fancier. Well, at least it sounded fancy, because Chanyeol didn’t know what a tartare was. Could you eat it? He hoped it was edible, it made Chanyeol hungry. Great. Now he was drunk, and he was hungry.

 

"Can I call you dad too?" Junmyeon looked at Jongdae with hope in his glistening eyes. He looked cute too, everybody was so cute. Chanyeol liked it when everybody was cute.

 

"Yes, please call me dad tomorrow at the office," Jongdae said with a laugh, then he waved goodbye and left the bar while holding onto Minseok who was still talking about the precious tartare he was dreaming about.

 

Chanyeol stared at the door for a few seconds, his eyelids heavy and his head tilting. He felt something against his cheek, so he turned a little bit and saw that Junmyeon was poking his cheek with his finger while looking at him, amused.

 

"You have a dimple here when you smile. And be careful, your head might fall if you don’t pay attention," Junmyeon explained slowly, careful with his words. He blinked a few times, and then let his finger trail over Chanyeol’s face until it was resting on the tip of his nose. "Boop."

 

Chanyeol stared at Junmyeon, waited a second, and then smiled. Cute. Junmyeon was so cute, and even more when he had just booped his nose. Would Jongin be this cute if he had been the one booping him? Absolutely, Chanyeol was sure of it. Jongin would be the cutest. Jongin was always the cutest.

 

"I have somewhere else I need to go," Chanyeol said as he started to get up, soon followed by Junmyeon who was nodding vividly.

 

"Yes, of course, be careful on your way home," Junmyeon gathered his belongings clumsily, sometimes giving Chanyeol a few items that he recognized as being his phone, and his keys.

 

"Alright mom, see you tomorrow," Chanyeol smiled, leaving the bar with hazy steps.

 

Once outside, Chanyeol closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he let the wind graze his face softly. Now that he thought about it, the wind was really weird. He could produce wind by blowing out candles with his mouth, so was the wind produced by a giant trying to blow out his birthday candles? It had to be.

 

He wanted to see Jongin. He had seen a lot of cute things tonight, but Jongin was still the cutest and he wanted this night to end with the cutest puppy. Or bear. Jongin looked like a fluffy, cute teddy bear. Chanyeol settled on this choice to describe Jongin, and the more he was thinking about him, the more he wanted to see him.

 

He missed him. Too damn much.

 

It was a lovely night, and Chanyeol didn’t mind walking, especially now that he was heading to the place where Jongin was working. He hoped that he would be there tonight, Chanyeol really wanted to see him.

 

The strip club didn’t feel as foreign as the first time Chanyeol had visited it. He recognized some parts of it, at least the ones he could distinguish through the red and blue lights that were making him dizzy. Would Jongin even be there? He had to be, Chanyeol was dying to see him.

 

He looked around him, his eyes not really trailing the room perfectly, and he had to blink a few times to be able to properly see every detail of the room. Jongin wasn’t there. Maybe he was in the individuals rooms? That would be lovely, Chanyeol would be able to stay with him, alone, and in peace. So he started to walk towards the small hallway leading to these intimate rooms but a big, and tall ogre stood in Chanyeol’s lane. That was weird, Chanyeol thought. Why would an ogre be in a strip club?

 

"Where do you think you’re going?" The ogre asked, in a very unfriendly tone.

 

"I’m going to see my friend, let me in," Chanyeol said, and he had to squeeze his eyes to decipher the word ‘security’ on the ogre’s shirt.

 

"You’re drunk, man. You should leave this place."

 

But Chanyeol didn’t want to leave. Chanyeol wanted to see Jongin. So Chanyeol frowned and tried to go over the ogre but Chanyeol didn’t expect him to be so strong. Of course he had to be strong. This ogre was big.

 

"I told you to leave," the ogre’s voice was loud, and Chanyeol didn’t like it. His head was hurting now, and it was because of him.

 

"And I told you I want to see my friend," Chanyeol punched the ogre’s arm sloppily. He thought that he had maybe punched him with all his strength, but he wasn’t sure of it since the ogre didn’t move. It felt like Chanyeol was playing a video game and his character wasn’t strong enough to beat the final boss to save his princess. The princess here being Jongin, of course.

 

"Chanyeol? What are you doing here?"

 

A voice, as beautiful as Heaven’s bells, resonated in Chanyeol’s back and when he turned around, his face suddenly glowed up with a huge smile. He opened his arms and hugged the man he had been looking for all night, snuggling his face into his neck.

 

"Jongin, you’re finally here! I missed you," he whispered, closing his eyes a little bit. Jongin smelled like apple cider, and Chanyeol loved it.

 

Being drunk really made things easier for Chanyeol who didn’t even notice Jongin’s small smile as he wrapped his arms around his shoulder to lead him into one of the small rooms. Chanyeol couldn’t believe that his princess had saved his from the ogre, but he wasn’t surprised. Jongin was the best after all.

 

"Chanyeol, you’re drunk, and your cheeks are very red," Jongin laughed a little bit as he helped him sit down on the couch next to him without falling on the ground.

 

"And your belly is very cute. Crop tops suit you," Chanyeol smiled as he pointed to Jongin’s belly button, giggling.

 

"My abs aren’t cute," Jongin pouted while brushing Chanyeol’s hand off. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

 

"I wanted to see you, silly," Chanyeol’s face was as bright as the one of a happy puppy, and Jongin couldn’t hold his smile anymore. How could he be mad at a baby boy like him?

 

"You’re happy now, right?"

 

"Of course, I’m the happiest," Chanyeol nodded cheerfully, then decided to lay down on the couch, his head resting on Jongin’s lap. He hadn’t even asked, he’d just done it, and he closed his eyes to avoid the surprised look on Jongin’s face.

 

"C-Chanyeol? What are you doing?" Jongin stuttered a little, as he probably wasn’t used to this kind of contact. After all, the clients of this strip club were not supposed to touch the strippers.

 

"Can I have your phone number?"

 

Chanyeol eyes were now opened, and he was looking straight into Jongin’s shimmering eyes. Chanyeol hadn’t noticed before, but he had a nice rose gold on his eyelids that made his look so much more heavenly. Jongin’s features were so nice, Chanyeol could easily look at him for hours and hours without getting tired. Maybe he loved Jongin more than he wanted to admit.

 

Jongin nodded, slowly, and smiled as he started to brush Chanyeol’s hair softly. Chanyeol was happy,he simply smiled back and closed his eyes as he was enjoying this marvelous moment spent with the man who was driving him crazy.

 

It was a huge headache that made Chanyeol wake up the next day. He rolled down on his bed as a frown landed upon his features. He didn’t want to get up, his head was about to explode but Chanyeol knew that he still had to go to work, especially now that he was Junmyeon’s personal assistant.

 

Thinking of Junmyeon, the memories of the last night were very blurry in Chanyeol’s mind. He remembered that they had all gone to a bar to drink, he remembered that they had talked about things like moms and dads, but other than that, Chanyeol had no memories of what had happened. He thought that he had probably gotten home by cab, which was the most realistic possibility, but since he couldn’t remember anything, he wasn’t even sure of that.

 

As he got up, Chanyeol massaged his nape and went to the bathroom to take a shower. The cold water fully woke him up, and he sighed from satisfaction as soon as the water turned hotter. He closed his eyes, a smile crossing his face as Chanyeol simply rested under the hot water.

 

However, he hadn’t realized that the ocean of time would bring the memories he had forgotten back, and the remembrance of the night before was returning. Behind his closed eyelids, Chanyeol could see the glowing smile of a man, his honey skin, and feel his feathery touch on his head. The memories all had different colors, different aspects, and they all merged like watercolors in the rain.

 

Chanyeol could remember Jongin clearly, he could also hear his soft ‘goodnight’ after taking him back home. A shiver went through his spine as he remembered the way Jongin had been so helpful, how he had smiled at him, how he had been the sweetest.

 

But how had Jongin been able to take Chanyeol home? He wondered for a second, then concluded that Jongin might have remembered that they lived in the same area and had found his keys in his coat. Again, Chanyeol smiled, and he got out of the shower, happy that the water had been able to unlock his memories.

 

He started dressing up, but then he caught a glimpse of the time on the alarm clock and Chanyeol let out a gasp as he quickened his pace. He was going to be late, and, in addition to that, it was his first day as Junmyeon’s personal assistant. He quickly gave Toben something to eat, put some painkillers in his pocket, took his keys and didn’t even wait for his hair to dry down before leaving his apartment in a hurry.

 

Half an hour later, out of breath, Chanyeol was waving hello to Jongdae who was drinking his coffee with a smirk, his back resting against a wall as if he had been waiting for Chanyeol this whole time.

 

"You’re late," Jongdae said, welcoming Chanyeol with a little laugh. "Junmyeon’s still not here, you’re a lucky ."

 

"How come you’re already here?" Chanyeol asked after taking a huge breath. They had all stayed out late the night before and yet, Jongdae was acting like nothing had happened.

 

"Minseok makes the best coffee in town, it’s a real life-saver."

 

Chanyeol nodded and went to the water fountain to treat himself to a good glass of fresh water. It was only a brief quiet moment before Junmyeon arrived, ignoring everyone and going straight to his office.

 

"What’s going on?" Chanyeol whispered to Jongdae, knowing that he might have a better idea of the situation.

 

"Hangover. Junmyeon may be the most joyful one while drinking but the morning after, he is the worst," Jongdae explained, laughing a little. He seemed to be used to it, and Chanyeol wondered how long this state would last.

 

He felt his phone vibrating in his pocket so he took it out and noticed that he had a text from Junmyeon.

 

Painkillers. Now.

 

Chanyeol read the text a few times before finally understanding that Junmyeon was asking, or ordering, to bring him painkillers. So that was his first task as his personal assistant? Chanyeol met Junmyeon’s heavy gaze staring at him from his office, and he knew at that moment that he had to act fast or he’d probably get killed. He searched through his pockets, knowing that he had taken some this morning before leaving his apartment, and finally found them, but Chanyeol was also surprised to have taken out a piece of paper with a number written on it. What was it? Whose number was it? Chanyeol wanted to know, but he didn’t have time to think about it.

 

He took a tall glass of water and quickly went to Junmyeon’s office to give him everything he needed. Junmyeon took two pills, and drank the whole glass before letting out a huge sigh. Chanyeol was looking at him the whole time, worried about his superior.

 

"You’re gonna stay like that the whole day? Sit down at your desk," Junmyeon said, frowning. He was in a bad mood, Chanyeol knew it, so he didn’t say anything and simply went to his desk, in the same room as Junmyeon’s.

 

Chanyeol felt that it was the kind of day where he had to stay quiet. He simply had to do his work, and not bother Junmyeon, leaving him alone to get better.

 

"I want you to reply to my emails today. I wrote everything down in this file, just add a few words, that’ll be great," Junmyeon explained and then got up. "I have a few things to do with Taeyeon, you can leave once you’re done."

 

And like that, Junmyeon was out of the office and Chanyeol was left alone. He thought that replying to a few emails wouldn’t take long, but once he had opened the file, and the email box, Chanyeol understood that completing this task would take the whole day. He let out a huge sigh, massaged his nape a little bit, and then started typing and working in the best way he could.

 

As expected, the task had taken him the whole day to be completed and Chanyeol had only been able to eat a sandwich that Jongdae had brought him during lunch time. He had getting used to it, and Chanyeol had discovered that covering for Junmyeon wasn’t as easy as he had thought it would be.

 

Once he was done, he stretched his arms a little and got up. His back was sore from sitting  on a chair the whole day, but it wasn’t as bad as bringing tea or coffee to his co-workers. It was actually quite nice, it felt new and Chanyeol like having new responsibilities.

 

After the day had ended, Chanyeol left the building after saying goodbye to Jongdae. He hadn’t see Junmyeon after the morning, and he didn’t know if he had left the building yet or not. After all, Junmyeon was working on the first issue of the next year which had to make a big impact, and that was probably why he had to spend that much time at the fashion department.

 

He left the building and decided to go home by bus. He found a seat in the front, and he suddenly remembered the number written on a piece of paper in the pocket of his jacket. Chanyeol took it out, and wondered if it was a number he had already saved in his phone. He looked it up, and frowned when he noticed that it wasn’t saved. He tried to search through his memories and the only possibility he thought of was that it was Jongin’s phone number.

 

He taped on his phone the number, starting a new text, but his fingers stopped midway. What should he say? What if it wasn’t his number? He didn’t want to seem rude by asking who it was straight away. He pouted a little bit in front of his screen, watching the blank chat box.

 

Hello, it’s Chanyeol.

 

It was a good start, Chanyeol thought. He knew that he had received this number the night before, and at that time, Chanyeol wasn’t really in a good state of mind. So he was hoping for a reply leading him to guess who the mysterious number was supposed to belong to.

 

I’m terribly sorry about yesterday night, I don’t really remember everything.

I hope I didn’t embarrass you.

 

After sending the texts, Chanyeol locked his phone and stared at the landscape outside the window. He didn’t really know why, but he was nervous, and maybe a little bit scared of the reply he was about to get. And just like that, his phone vibrated in his hand.

 

Don’t worry about that. It was actually very funny to see you like that.

Your cheeks were all red, and you told me my bellybutton was cute…

But Chanyeol, remember that my abs aren’t cute.

 

Chanyeol’s eyes grew bigger as he read the reply. His drunk self was so brave, and now he had no doubt that he was speaking to Jongin. After all, he was the only person he had seen the abs of.

 

Let’s forget what happened yesterday night…

And congratulations for your part in the ballet. We should celebrate!

Do you work tonight? We can eat together :)

 

I’ll never forget, you were so cute ;)

And how did you know about the ballet? Are you a stalker??

It’s my day off, of course we can eat together.

 

The choreographer is my best friend!

My place? Tobennie will be happy to see you, and I believe you already know the address ^^

 

Wait, the great Kim Taewoo is your best friend?! omg

Perfect, I’ll be there at 8 :) See you soon~

 

As soon as the bell rang, Chanyeol hurried to open the door and discovered a smiley Jongin in front of him, holding a bag with snacks and drinks. Chanyeol smiled at him and let him enter his apartment. He had had just the right amount of time to clean a little bit, even if Toben had slowed him down since the small dog had only wanted to play with him.

 

"I brought beers, and potato chips," Jongin showed him the bag as he was walking to the living room.

 

"That’s very nice, thank you. I couldn’t go buy anything, so it’s perfect," Chanyeol said, showing Jongin where he could sit. He wasn’t used to having someone at his place, Taewoo was the only one who would pay him a visit, so Chanyeol was a little clumsy, and a little lost as to what he had to do.

 

"It’s alright, I’m not picky."

 

"So ramyeon is fine?" Chanyeol asked. It was the only thing he could cook quickly, and his fridge was so empty that it was their only solution.

 

"Of course, it’s perfect," Jongin laughed a little bit as he sat down on the floor. He was already putting the snacks and the beers on the coffee table.

 

Chanyeol went to the kitchen and took two bags of ramyeon. He carefully read the instructions before boiling the water and, even if it wasn’t his first time cooking ramyeon, Chanyeol still managed to burn his finger with the fire.

 

"Is everything alright?" Jongin asked after hearing Chanyeol cussing. Chanyeol might have been an adult, but he was still a big baby at heart and hated getting hurt.

 

"Yes, don’t worry!"

 

Chanyeol noticed that Jongin was behind him, staring at him with a worried look on his face. He came next to him, took his red finger in his hand, and frowned. Chanyeol blushed a little bit, but he still let Jongin put cold water on his burned finger.

 

"You’re so clumsy, Chanyeol-ah," Jongin whispered, and Chanyeol felt his heartbeat quickening. His cheeks were probably very red at the moment, but he still hoped that Jongin wouldn’t notice.

 

"It’s not my fault," Chanyeol pouted, and only then did he notice that Jongin had called him ‘Chanyeol-ah’. It sounded so cute, and how could Chanyeol’s heart handle that much cuteness?

 

"Let me help you," Jongin said, smiling, and he started cooking on Chanyeol’s behalf.

 

Chanyeol was looking at him cut an onion he had found in the fridge, and he was almost surprised to see Jongin act as if this was his home. Maybe he belonged here, in Chanyeol’s apartment, and if it was the case, Chanyeol wouldn’t mind. He was actually quite fond of this scenery, watching Jongin cook in his very own kitchen so casually.

 

Sometimes, Jongin would explain to Chanyeol what he was doing, giving him tips so that he would not burn his finger the next time he’d try cooking something. Chanyeol was nodding, listening to each word carefully. He loved Jongin’s voice, it had a lot of texture and color, but it was very sweet at the same time.

 

"You’ve never told me what you do for a living," Jongin suddenly stated as he was putting some kimchi on a plate.

 

"I’m working for the chief editor of Radiante, the fashion magazine," Chanyeol answered, looking at Jongin’s hands working on the plate. Such beautiful hands, he thought.

 

"It explains the suit, then," Jongin laughed, pointing to Chanyeol’s outfit. He hadn’t had the time to change, and was still wearing his suit pants and his white shirt.

 

Chanyeol nodded and he scratched his neck shyly. He had never thought about it, but it was true that wearing a suit could totally change someone. Chanyeol was used to wearing it, but he had to admit that he liked, by far, wearing an oversized hoodie with sweatpants.

 

Once Jongin thought he was done cooking everything, Chanyeol placed the plates on the coffee table in the living room and they both sat around it. Chanyeol even left a small place between his legs for Toben, but the dog seemed to like Jongin more at the moment and went next to him. Chanyeol couldn’t blame him, he totally understood Jongin’s charm. If he could’ve, he would have snuggled between his legs too.

 

"I think Toben likes you a lot," Chanyeol said with a hint of jealousy.

 

"I like him a lot too, right Tobennie?" Jongin smiled and scratched Toben’s head happily. Chanyeol liked this vision, he liked how Jongin fitted perfectly into his lifestyle.

 

They started eating together, and Chanyeol complimented Jongin on his cooking skills. It wasn’t a lot, but to Chanyeol it felt like the best meal he had ever had. Even his mom couldn’t compete, or maybe she could, but he was so smitten that he thought that nobody could cook a more delicious meal than this one.

 

They chatted about various things, and Chanyeol learned that Jongin had come back to Seoul only a month prior to this day after living abroad for almost five years. Back then, he had been one of the best coryphées, and Jongin had to explain what this rank meant since Chanyeol’s lost face made him lost.

 

"Let’s say I had small solo roles, but I was not ranked as a soloist," Jongin explained and Chanyeol nodded. He had absolutely no idea that there was a hierarchy in the ballet world, but it made sense.

 

"Can I ask you something?" Chanyeol started after a while, the plates now empty.

 

"What is it?"

 

Chanyeol hesitated, and he bit his lower lip. He was nervous, and didn’t know if he was allowed to talk about the subject, but he was curious, and he wanted to know.

 

"Why… Why did you stop doing ballet?"

 

Jongin stopped everything he was doing, the sun shining on his face now veiled by a shadow. His gaze travelled throughout a foggy and foreign ocean, and Chanyeol wondered for a moment if Jongin was about to drown.

 

"I lost my inspiration," he whispered, his voice so close and yet far. He blinked a few times, getting rid of the small tears that were close to falling on his cheeks. "I think… I think I’m gonna go home now," Jongin continued, standing up.

 

"I’m sorry, Jongin. I didn’t mean to make you sad I’m… just so curious, I’m very sorry," Chanyeol apologized, but he knew that he couldn’t go back in time to save the situation. He hated himself for hurting Jongin like that, especially when everything had seemed to be fine at the moment.

 

"I need time to heal, maybe I’ll talk to you about it someday."

 

Chanyeol didn’t say a word after that, and he simply watched Jongin leave his apartment. Toben seemed to have understood the situation, as he was laying down of the floor, his ears dropped and his face sad. Chanyeol hoped that Jongin would be fine, and that one day he would trust him enough to tell him everything that was bothering him. Chanyeol had seen the melancholia and the sadness in Jongin’s eyes, and he wanted to help him. He wanted to bring happiness in his Sun’s eyes back.

 

A whole week flew by and Chanyeol hadn’t even seemed to see the days pass by. Being Junmyeon’s personal assistant meant that he had no time for himself as soon as he stepped into the building of Radiante, and his tasks went from bringing him coffee to managing his appointments with famous designers.

 

During the week, Chanyeol hadn’t had any news from Jongin, and he hadn’t wanted to bother him so he hadn’t sent him a text after the little incident at his apartment. He had wanted to apologize in a better way, but he thought that Jongin might need a little bit of time to settle his mind and feel better. However, even if they hadn’t been texting each other, Chanyeol had been thinking about Jongin every single day.

 

The last day of work, Friday night, Chanyeol was about to go home after a very tiring day when his phone rang in his pocket. He took it out, hoping that it would be the man haunting his mind, but a hint of disappointment could be read in his eyes when he read the name popping on his screen.

 

"Hi Taewoo, is everything alright?" He said, knowing that his friend was more the kind of person to send a text rather than call.

 

"Yes! You’re not doing anything, right?"

 

"Not at all, I’m going home right now," Chanyeol replied, and even if he was disappointed that it wasn’t Jongin speaking, he was still happy to talk to his friend.

 

"So you’re free tonight? You can come to the studio? We’re having a party to celebrate and get closer to the cast," Taewoo explained and Chanyeol could hear that he was excited for this party.

 

"Ah… I’m very tired, so I’m not sure…" Chanyeol started, not knowing how to decline the offer.

 

"Come on, Yeol, it’ll be fun! And Jongin will be there…" Taewoo whispered the last part with a teasing voice, knowing perfectly that this information could be the one thing that would make Chanyeol come.

 

And Taewoo was absolutely right, Chanyeol had to admit it.

 

"…Alright, you win. When should I be there?"

 

"I’ll come get you in an hour, see you soon!" Taewoo finished, and he hung up after Chanyeol’s approval.

 

Fortunately he was almost home so he hurried up and it left him enough time to take a quick shower and put on his most elegant outfit, a black suit with a black turtleneck sweater under his jacket. Taewoo had once told him that it was his best outfit, and that he should wear it more often, so Chanyeol thought it could be a good idea to follow his advice for once.

 

Before getting out, Chanyeol gave Toben his meal while patting him on the head. He then left his apartment and stood in front of the building, deciding to wait Taewoo there. It was getting colder lately, so Chanyeol kept his hands in the pockets of his jacket, his nose snuggled into the scarf he had taken before leaving.

 

He was nervous. Chanyeol was nervous because he would see Jongin again. Would he be happy? Surprised? Or would he ignore Chanyeol? It was possible, Chanyeol had made him sad the last time they had seen each other, and just the thought of him made Chanyeol’s heart clench.

 

After a few minutes spent in the cold weather, lost in his thoughts, Chanyeol finally saw Taewoo’s car slowing down in front of him. He hurried and entered the car while sighing loudly from satisfaction since Taewoo had had the brilliant idea to turn on the heater.

 

"How long have you been waiting outside? Your nose is red," Taewoo teased as he started driving again towards the dance studio.

 

"Not long, but it’s still your fault if my nose’s red," Chanyeol replied, rubbing his hands together to warm them up.

 

"I’m gonna cry, you’re hurting me," Taewoo put his hand on his heart, his face suddenly turning sad but the act didn’t last for long and he smiled after a few seconds.

 

"People are going to think that I’m a part of the crew, you’re always inviting me to the studio," Chanyeol continued, ignoring Taewoo’s terrible acting.

 

"Well, it’s thanks to you that we have our Solor."

 

Chanyeol shook his head negatively, denying that he had had anything to do with Jongin’s audition. Maybe he had, after all, but Chanyeol was too humble to take all the credit. Jongin was the one who had danced beautifully that day, it had been his work paying off, that was all.

 

Chanyeol still remembered very vividly how pretty, elegant, yet very sharp Jongin’s moves had been. He could still feel, deep down, the emotions, the sadness and the melancholia he had felt at that moment. It was almost as if the memory had been tattooed in Chanyeol’s mind, it couldn’t leave him. And at the thought of seeing Jongin again, Chanyeol’s heart raced.

 

They finally entered the building of the studio and Chanyeol followed Taewoo to the dance room where they had held the auditions. It was now decorated with balloons, tinsels, and even tables with appetizers and drinks on them. There were already a lot of people there, and the music wasn’t loud enough to cover their voices.

 

"In theory, only the dancers and the donors are invited, but I can do whatever I want here," Taewoo explained as he was still leading Chanyeol to one of the tables.

 

"Only here or a little bit everywhere?" Chanyeol while taking a glass of a golden, bubbly beverage. Chanyeol tasted it, and his tongue confirmed that it was champagne. Only one glass, he thought. He didn’t want to get drunk.

 

Taewoo also took one after hitting Chanyeol’s arm jokingly. Chanyeol couldn’t help himself, he was scanning the whole room, searching for Jongin. There were too many people, but Jongin stood out and Chanyeol smiled when he saw him in the corner of the room with Sehun. They didn’t seem to blend well with the rest of the dancers, but Chanyeol still hoped that they were both going to be fine.

 

"Jongin is very shy, he’s always with Sehun and doesn’t really talk to the others. That’s what I could at least see this week. He really needs to bond with Mina, they are the stars of the ballet," Taewoo said as he noticed that Chanyeol was looking at them.

 

"He just needs some time, I’m sure everything’s going to be fine," Chanyeol stated, and his attention left Jongin to focus on the buffet.

 

They ate a few appetizers while talking about other unrelated stuffs, and then Taewoo excused himself, leaving Chanyeol who looked at him walk towards an old man. He was probably one of the donors of the ballet, Chanyeol thought, and he understood that Taewoo had to go talk to him and be nice to thank him for his donation.

 

As he was now alone, Chanyeol observed the crowd chatting joyfully. He noticed that there were a few groups here and there probably talking about things Chanyeol didn’t know about since he knew close to nothing about the world of ballet. Finally, his gaze met the one he had been searching for, and Jongin seemed surprised to see Chanyeol at this party. He waved shyly, and saw that Jongin was typing something quickly on his phone. A few seconds later, Chanyeol’s phone vibrated in his pocket.

 

Are you following me?

Or do you really know Kim Taewoo? I thought it might have been a lie.

 

I’m the worst liar, Taewoo is my childhood best-friend.

 

Chanyeol sent his reply as soon as he had opened Jongin’s text. If he had followed Jongin, he would have found him way sooner than tonight, Chanyeol thought. He looked at Jongin who was now smiling at him, and Chanyeol took this as a way to tell him that he was welcomed to come talk to him.

 

"Do we know each other?" Sehun asked as soon as Chanyeol was close to them.

 

"Worst way of flirting," Jongin said, laughing a little bit, soon followed by Chanyeol.

 

"I’ve been to your coffee shop, once or twice," Chanyeol explained, his eyes going from Sehun to Jongin quickly.

 

"The world is really small," Jongin added, his cheeks beautifully painted with a peachy color.

 

They chatted a little bit together, and Chanyeol laughed in front of Sehun’s surprised face when he told them Taewoo was his best-friend. Sehun then started asking him a lot of questions about the choreographer, and Chanyeol didn’t hesitate to tell them embarrassing stories about Taewoo.

 

The atmosphere was light, and Chanyeol felt at ease. He laughed, he ate, he didn’t drink that much, and he simply enjoyed the moment. He discovered that Sehun made the silliest jokes, and he pouted every time they didn’t laugh. He also discovered a more carefree Jongin, a Jongin enjoying life at its finest. It was a good night, Chanyeol was having a lot of fun.

 

"I think I’ll go home now, I have to practice tomorrow morning," Jongin said as he stuffed one last appetizer in his mouth.

 

"I’ll go with you," Chanyeol followed, putting his glass on the table.

 

"Why would you go with him?" Sehun asked, frowning a little bit. Even if they had had a lot of fun together, he probably didn’t trust Chanyeol yet.

 

"We live in the same neighborhood, relax," Jongin explained and patted his friend’s shoulder. "Let’s go, Chanyeol-ah."

 

Chanyeol nodded and he smiled at Sehun. He was Jongin’s friend, there was nothing weird about him worrying about his safety, Chanyeol totally understood that. However, he was glad that Jongin had accepted to go back home with him, it meant that he wasn’t blaming Chanyeol anymore for what he had said the last time they had seen each other.

 

Things were getting better, Chanyeol thought.

 

They didn’t say anything while they were waiting for the bus, but it wasn’t a heavy silence. On the contrary, it was a comforting one, even warming Chanyeol’s freezing ears up a little bit. His hands were resting deep inside his pockets and his nose was still snuggled into his big scarf. He looked at Jongin, and noticed that he didn’t have a scarf, and that he was probably freezing.

 

Chanyeol’s scarf was big. Big enough for two people.

 

So, saying nothing, he rolled up a part of his scarf around Jongin’s neck so they would both share a good part of it. Chanyeol smiled as he slowly patted Jongin’s cheeks in a comforting way, and he saw that his eyes were holding beautiful glitters. They were shining, and pretty, and for a moment Chanyeol simply stared into his eyes without moving his hands away.

 

Jongin’s lips were calling him, and Chanyeol wondered for a second if he could taste the delicious honey he had been dreaming of.

 

No, not yet.

 

"Chanyeol?"

 

Jongin’s voice was soft, and it woke Chanyeol up from his enchantment. He blinked a few times, blushing, his hands found their way back into his pockets. He didn’t know what to say and, luckily, the bus stopped in front of them. They both sat on the back, next to each other, silently. Chanyeol’s heart was still pounding loudly in his chest and he was afraid that Jongin might hear it, so he found a solution. He took his headphones out and gave one to Jongin. He didn’t say anything, and simply scrolled down his music tracks.

 

He chose to start his random playlist with a track of Coldplay, Magic, which he thought was perfect for the mood. He saw from the corner of his eyes a smile drawing itself on Jongin’s lips as he recognized the song and Chanyeol was satisfied when he heard him humming the song.

 

"You have great music taste," Jongin said after the fourth song.

 

"Thank you, that’s one of the things I’m the most proud of," Chanyeol smiled and he chose another song. He noticed the cute frown on Jongin’s face, and it made Chanyeol laugh a little bit. "It’s Billie Eilish’s Six Feet Under," he continued, answering Jongin’s silent question.

 

"I like her voice, it’s very soft, yet it holds so much emotion…" Jongin stated, closing his eyes a little bit to focus on the song.

 

"It’s like when you dance, your moves are light but sharp and you tell a story," Chanyeol whispered as he was looking at Jongin’s side face.

 

"What did you say? I didn’t hear," Jongin asked.

 

"Nothing," Chanyeol smiled and started singing the song softly to change the subject of the conversation.

 

"I didn’t know you could sing! You’re seriously good," Jongin said excitedly.

 

Two round and surprised eyes were looking at Jongin and Chanyeol started laughing heartedly. It was the first time anyone had ever told him his singing was good, and Chanyeol remembered all the times his sister had made fun of him. Maybe Jongin was lying, maybe he was also making fun of him, or maybe he was tone deaf and knew nothing about music. However, Chanyeol knew that the last option couldn’t be possible, Jongin was a dancer, he had to know a thing or two about music to follow it, step by step.

 

"And I’m serious," Jongin added, seeing that Chanyeol wasn’t taking him seriously.

 

"You’re nice, thank you," Chanyeol finished, his heart full of happiness. He didn’t care if Jongin was lying, he loved hearing compliments coming from him.

 

Actually, Chanyeol loved every word coming from Jongin, he loved his smile, he loved his laugh. He loved his eyes, he loved his lips. There were a lot of things Chanyeol loved about Jongin, and maybe this love was bigger than Chanyeol thought. Maybe he loved Jongin a little, a lot, passionately, madly.

 

A couple of weeks later, Chanyeol had created a small ritual. Every morning, he would text Jongin a new song and Jongin would reply to him with what he was thinking about it. Chanyeol liked this little interaction they had every morning, it was now a part of his daily routine, and after these two weeks, he was now understanding Jongin and his music preferences a little bit more.

 

On Christmas Eve, Chanyeol’s sister, Yoora, came to visit him. She was happy to spend the holiday season with her dearest brother since they hadn’t had the chance to see each other for months because of work. Phone calls didn’t feel the same as seeing each other for real, and the first thing she had done after coming to Chanyeol’s apartment had been giving him a big hug.

 

"My dear little brother, your cheeks are so round, just like a baby. You’re still my little baby brother," Yoora smiled as she pinched Chanyeol’s cheeks, turning them red.

 

"Noona, I’m not a baby anymore," Chanyeol whined as he massaged his cheeks afterwards.

 

He told his sister to sit in the living room and he saw her hugging Toben joyfully. Yoora had always been the happy virus of the family, and Chanyeol had always tried to follow her steps and make others happy. It was a thing they had in common, they both wanted to spread happiness around them.

 

"So, Yeol-ah, are you seeing someone?" Yoora asked all of a sudden, making Chanyeol choke on his orange juice.

 

"I’m sorry?" Chanyeol coughed.

 

"You are 25 now, maybe you should find someone to live with?"

 

"You’re the one to talk. Noona, I’ve never seen you with someone," Chanyeol said while frowning. How could he tell his sister that he had someone in mind, someone his heart was beating for?

 

"You are wrong, Yeol-ah. I found the perfect man, and I’m very happy about it," Yoora smiled as she sipped on her own orange juice.

 

Chanyeol was dumbfounded. His sister had a boyfriend? He couldn’t believe it, he wasn’t even aware of it. He didn’t want her to go out with someone who would not love her the way she deserved it, he wanted to protect her and make sure she was fine.

 

"Who is it? Is it someone I know? Does he treat you well?" Chanyeol started questioning.

 

"Calm down mister policeman, he makes me the happiest," Yoora calmed Chanyeol down by putting her hand on his shoulder to reassure him.

 

It seemed to work, but Chanyeol was still pouting. He wasn’t acting like a responsible brother anymore, and he just became the baby brother Yoora cherished. They kept talking for the rest of the night, remembering some of the foolish actions they had committed when they were still two little kids. Happiness hugged Chanyeol in its warm blanket of love and it felt good to be there, with his sister, simply having fun.

 

Yoora yawned a little bit after a while, and it was at this moment that Chanyeol felt that his eyelids were starting to be heavy. They probably should’ve gone to sleep by now, and what was better than sleeping with his sister, in the living room, just like they used to do during their childhood.

 

"I have blankets and a lot of pillows, even a pink one for you," Chanyeol said as he gave the pink pillow to Yoora who was already laying on the floor. She had stolen one of Chanyeol’s sweatpants and a hoodie, and Chanyeol smiled a little bit. She was so tiny in his big clothes.

 

"My brother is the best," she hugged the pillow and Toben came close to her to hide his face under her arm. "And Tobennie is the cutest," she continued with a smile.

 

Chanyeol couldn’t agree more. Toben was the cutest dog, Yoora was the cutest woman, and Jongin was the cutest man. Chanyeol was circled by cuteness, and he loved this fact. As he was laying under his blanket and putting one on Yoora’s shoulders, he wondered what Jongin was doing at this moment. Was he already sleeping? Or maybe he was celebrating with his family? Chanyeol didn’t know, and he missed him. It had been so long since they had seen each other, and Chanyeol missed him.

 

He took his phone out, and stared at the screen. Could he send him a text? He wanted to wish him a good night, but at the same time, Chanyeol wondered if it was the right thing to do. His heart was screaming, telling him that he wanted to see Jongin. So before he knew it, Chanyeol had pressed the send button, and he closed his eyes as sleepiness was washing his worries away.

 

Merry Christmas, Jongin-ah. I miss you.

 

The next day, Yoora had wanted to go to the Christmas market with Chanyeol since she wanted to bathe in the Christmas spirit as much as possible. Chanyeol called Taewoo to invite him too since the three of them had basically grown up together. He thought that it would make Yoora happy to see her childhood friend.

 

However, the situation didn’t turn out the way Chanyeol had wanted it to be. It was a little bit awkward, but it felt like only Chanyeol was feeling this way. He felt left out a little bit as they were roaming around the Christmas market. Yoora had been laughing at Taewoo’s jokes only, and Taewoo had wiped some chocolate Yoora had on the corner of after eating a crepe off.

 

Chanyeol frowned. He couldn’t take it anymore. Yoora had told him the night before that she had someone in her life, and now she is basically flirting with Taewoo. She wasn’t the kind of person who would play with two men at the same time, so Chanyeol didn’t really understand.

 

"What’s going on between you two," Chanyeol suddenly asked, stopping in his tracks. He couldn’t keep going as if nothing was happening.

 

"What do you mean?" Taewoo said nervously, hinting that he was probably hiding something.

 

"You know exactly what I mean. I see you two, I see how you treat my sister, and I see how Yoora’s only laughing at your jokes," Chanyeol frowned. He wasn’t angry, just a little bit annoyed because he didn’t know what was going on.

 

"Yeol…" Yoora started, slowly, searching for the right words. "Taewoo’s the one I was talking about yesterday night… We started dating two months ago. We’ve been waiting for the right time to tell you."

 

Chanyeol was shocked. He was shocked because neither Taewoo nor his sister had told him the truth sooner. Two months was such a long time and Chanyeol felt betrayed. A war was happening in his mind at this moment, should he have been angry? Sad? Should he have been mad at Taewoo or at his sister? Both?

 

"…Why didn’t you tell me sooner?" Chanyeol asked calmly, a little bit pained that none of them had trusted him enough to tell him the truth.

 

"It was my idea, Yeol-ah. We didn’t know how you would have reacted," Yoora explained as she cupped Chanyeol’s face in her small hands. She was rubbing his cheeks softly, just like she used to do when they were kids to reassure him.

 

Chanyeol looked in Yoora’s eyes and he saw diamonds glittering beautifully. She was in love, and she was radiating because of it. How could Chanyeol be mad at her for feeling like this?

 

"…As long as you’re happy," Chanyeol whispered to her sister and Yoora’s smile reassured him. He hugged her and she lightly kissed his cheek, thanking him for his approval. "Taewoo, you’re my best friend, but if you hurt her I will punch you in the face."

 

Yoora laughed a little bit, she loved how her brother was so protective of her. She was also very happy that Chanyeol was taking the news this way, as it meant that deep down, he was happy for them.

 

Chanyeol told them that he would leave them alone now to give them some space. He hugged his sister one last time and waved goodbye to Taewoo before walking away from them. He didn’t want to be the third wheel, so he started roaming around the Christmas market alone, and it gave him the freedom he had been missing for the past few weeks.

 

He stopped next to the ice-skating rink, and watched kids play around it. Some were falling on the ice, but they were still laughing, and Chanyeol noticed that some adults were also skating there with a little bit more skills. Chanyeol wondered if he could go ice-skating too, even if he knew that his balance was poor. It still seemed funny, and Chanyeol really needed to have some fun after learning the truth about his sister’s relationship.

 

The christmas spirit blowed its magic on Chanyeol and he found himself on the ice, his hands grabbing the rim of the ice-rink in order not to fall. It was slippery, and Chanyeol hadn’t expected it to be that hard.

 

He took a deep breath, and finally let go of the rim to try to skate a little bit but Chanyeol had never gone ice-skating before and he fell miserably on the ice.

 

"Need some help?" A laughing man said, so Chanyeol looked up to be blinded by the Sun’s smile.

 

"Yes, thank you so much Jongin," Chanyeol smiled and got up thanks to Jongin’s help. He was still laughing a little bit and, strangely, he didn’t let go of Chanyeol’s arm.

 

"I saw you coming on the ice rink, I thought you were very cute until you fell," Jongin stated and, instead of his arm, he took Chanyeol’s hand. "We can do it together?"

 

Chanyeol blushed. Jongin’s hand was holding his, and it felt very warm. So he nodded, not being able to say anything else since his heart was beating too fast and too loud. If he had any doubts before this, now it was crystal clear, Chanyeol had more than just a small thing for Jongin. He was totally in love and smitten.

 

Jongin showed him a few ice-skating tricks but Chanyeol was clumsy, and he couldn’t really skate over the slippery ice.

 

"I’m a lost cause," Chanyeol said, totally worn out after trying not to fall for almost half an hour.

 

"Not at all, you’re actually getting better!" Jongin exclaimed with a cheering smile. It gave Chanyeol the strength to keep going so he squeezed Jongin’s hand harder and tried one last time.

 

However, Chanyeol was still lacking so he fell, again, and this time, Jongin fell with him too since he was still holding his hand. They both laughed like two idiots, and at this moment Chanyeol forgot all his problems. Nothing could bother him when he was with Jongin.

 

"We should probably go drink a hot cocoa, what do you think?" Jongin asked as he helped Chanyeol get up.

 

"I think that’s an excellent idea."

 

Jongin had invited Chanyeol to his place to get warmer and to drink a hot cocoa since the Christmas market was way too crowded and they both hadn’t wanted to wait an hour to get their hot beverage. It had been naturally that Jongin had invited Chanyeol over, telling him that it was his turn to treat him at his place. Chanyeol had accepted, happy to know that Jongin wasn’t blaming him for anything that had happened between them the last time they had seen each other.

 

Jongin’s apartment wasn’t decorated with a lot of things, and Chanyeol felt that the living room was quite lonely. There was nothing on the white walls, and the only decoration was a small frame on the table. Chanyeol looked at it closely, and recognized a much younger Jongin with Sehun and a woman he didn’t know. Was it Jongin’s sister? Sehun’s sister? Or maybe his girlfriend? Chanyeol hadn’t heard anything about a woman sharing her life with Jongin, so he wasn’t sure if she was his lover. He really didn’t know.

 

"Who is it?" Chanyeol asked as Jongin was putting two cup of hot cocoa on the coffee table.

 

Jongin stayed silent for a few seconds as he was staring at the framed picture. He didn’t feel sad, but melancholia washed over him and he sighed a little bit.

 

"Joohyun. She was my best friend. I started ballet for her," Jongin said slowly, his voice fragile.

 

Chanyeol noticed that Jongin was speaking about her in the past tense,he thought that they may have lost contact and he wondered why. Chanyeol wanted to know, but he also didn’t want to make Jongin sad. He had seen how Jongin always had this nostalgia in his eyes every time he talked about his past. Jongin had once told Chanyeol that he had stopped ballet because he had lost his source of inspiration, and Chanyeol wondered if it had anything to do with Joohyun.

 

"You once asked me why I stopped doing ballet, do you remember?" Jongin asked and Chanyeol simply nodded, he didn’t want to interrupt him. "Ballet dancers are often compared to angels. Joohyun was more than an angel to me, she was a Venus within mundanes. She was a real goddess, an inspiration, a muse…"

 

Jongin stayed silent for a few seconds as he was still staring at the picture, his eyes glistening with water pearls that didn’t want to slide down his cheeks.

 

"She was the best dancer at our school. Every time she was dancing, it was magic. She had been my mentor for years when, one day, she was diagnosed with lung cancer. She battled with it until the end and… When she passed away, it was as if a part of my soul had left with her. Sehun helped me, a lot, but I always refused to dance again. It was always reminded me of her, and I was suffering…" Jongin finally let the crystal pearls roll down on his cheeks. He wiped them right away and smiled at Chanyeol. "You have the same kindness and goodwill as her. You even made me start ballet again. What kind of power do you have on me?"

 

Chanyeol felt his heart skip a beat after hearing Jongin’s words. He stayed silent, not knowing what he should say, so he simply took Jongin’s hand in his. He drew comforting circles on the top of it, and Jongin let him do it as he let a small satisfied sigh escape.

 

"I saw your interest in me, and I still don’t really understand why but I know I can trust you. Fully."

 

Jongin’s breath landed on Chanyeol’s skin like a warm tattoo. They were getting closer to each other, and Jongin intertwined his fingers with Chanyeol’s. He felt a foreign flame burning slowly in his heart, it was an intoxicating warmth. Chanyeol didn’t really understand what was happening, and maybe Jongin was in the same state as him.

 

Everything was fuzzy, exhilarating, and Chanyeol loved the sweet honey hugging his lips when he finally kissed Jongin. His mind wasn’t in his control anymore, his heart had decided give Chanyeol the courage to finally taste the richness of Jongin’s lips. The fever of their bodies clinging to each other was winning over and Chanyeol’s hands bravely lifted Jongin’s shirt to softly caress his sun-kissed body.

 

"Is it alright? What we’re doing," Chanyeol wondered between two heated kisses.

 

"It’s more than alright," Jongin smiled, his gaze immersed in Chanyeol’s eyes. He understood at this moment that they were sharing the same fire.

 

Chanyeol lifted him up, and Jongin circled Chanyeol’s body with his legs without breaking their kisses. Jongin’s back met his bed a second later and he let escape a long moan when Chanyeol trailed his whole body with the same heated pecks. Chanyeol loved this sound, so he kept going until Jongin took the lead, switching their positions and taking Chanyeol’s shirt off. It was just not fair if he was the only one half-.

 

For now.

 

During the rest of the night, Chanyeol gave Jongin all the love he deserved and Jongin returned his pleasure and happiness the best way he could. They both smothered each other with kisses and heated caresses and Chanyeol finally felt whole in Jongin’s arms. Finally, he was happy.

 

The next morning, Chanyeol woke up in a room he didn’t recognize at first. He wondered for a second where he was, then he remembered the heated session of the night before. He gazed at the ceiling with a dreamy expression, as he could still feel the lovely kisses of Jongin on his bare skin. He could still feel the way his fingers had grazed his back, probably leaving marks there, like tattoos from the best night.

 

He was smiling, and he chuckled as he rolled around in the bed, hiding his face under the pillow. A sudden charge of happiness rushed in his whole body. Chanyeol felt great. Greater than he had ever felt. He then hugged the pillow, his smile spreading even more on his face as he could almost taste the honey of Jongin’s lips.

 

He was already missing it.

 

It was at this moment that Chanyeol noticed that he was alone in Jongin’s bed. He had probably left when Chanyeol was still asleep, and as much as Chanyeol would have loved to wake up in his arms, he was happy that Jongin had left him sleeping in his bed. He hadn’t asked him to leave his apartment right after waking up, on the contrary, and it made Chanyeol happy to know that it didn’t bother Jongin to have him in his life.

 

Chanyeol got up after a while and went to the living room after putting his clothes on. On the coffee table, he found a paper with a message from Jongin, and he smiled at his sweet words.

 

"Good morning, Chanyeol-ah~ I hope you slept well. I had to leave to practice with Sehun, do not think that I’m trying to avoid you. Your sleeping face is really cute~ Jongin-ah," Chanyeol read out loud and he blushed a little bit. Jongin thought he was cute. But how could he tell him that he thought Jongin was the cutest?

 

He reached for his phone that he had left on the coffee table to send a text to Jongin to tell him that he had woken up but he got surprised by the number of missed calls he had gotten. They were all from the same number and Chanyeol got nervous when he recognized Junmyeon’s number.

 

"Hello?" Chanyeol said after calling Junmyeon back. He didn’t know what he had to tell him since it was his day off, but as he was now his personal assistant, he knew that his job would never be entirely done.

 

"Chanyeol?You’re finally calling back! You overslept?" Junmyeon’s cheerful tone suggested that he wasn’t mad at Chanyeol for not answering his calls earlier.

 

"I did, I’m sorry…" He apologized a little as he sat on the couch in Jongin’s apartment.

 

"It’s nothing, don’t worry. You must be tired after all. I have an important diner tonight, and I’d like you to come since you’re my assistant," Junmyeon explained and Chanyeol could overhear cars honking. He was probably driving.

 

"Tonight? Well, I…" Chanyeol started. He knew it was part of his job to always be there for Junmyeon but at the same time, Chanyeol had hoped to spend his evening with Jongin. But maybe it was going too fast, Chanyeol thought.

 

"I’ll text you the restaurant’s address. Let’s meet there at eight," Junmyeon finished and he hung up, leaving Chanyeol with no choice but to agree.

 

He sighed, gathered his things and patted Jjanggu’s head. The day before, Chanyeol hadn’t even noticed the dog resting in its bed. Maybe Chanyeol had been a little too focused on Jongin to notice anything else. He thought about Toben, and remembered that he hadn’t gone to his apartment the night before and he was worried about his little baby. He hoped that he was alright and that he hadn’t destroyed anything.

 

He hurried to his place after closing the door to the apartment with the keys that Jongin had left behind and was greeted by a cheerful Toben who was probably very hungry. Chanyeol took him in his arms and kissed the top of his head.

 

"I’m sorry Tobennie, Dad’s home now," he said as he poured the dog water and gave him something to eat.

 

He was hungry too, so he opened his fridge to find something but he sighed. His fridge was empty. Once again, he had to cook ramyeon. He remembered the way Jongin had prepared their meal the last time he had come to his place, and it made Chanyeol smile at the thought. They had probably looked like a married couple.

 

He then decided to take a shower and the hot water made Chanyeol remember how heated the night before had been. The water running on his body was as hot as Jongin’s soft hands caressing his shoulders, as sharp as his nails digging in his back, as wild as his lips his skin. Every details of the intimate night they had spent together were crystal clear and each memory made Chanyeol ecstatic.

 

When he got out of the shower, he looked at his body in the mirror and trailed with his fingers the marks left by Jongin. He had scratches on his back and his shoulders, but he also had hickeys on his neck and his chest. These purple love bites were the proof that it had been real, and that Chanyeol had had the night of his life.

 

He put some clothes on then checked out his phone and noticed that while he had been taking a shower, he had received a text from Jongin. Chanyeol’s heart quickened at the sight of his name.

 

It was incredible, what happened last night. Thank you.

Also, it’s my turn to share a song, you should check out Seo In Guk’s BeBe ;)

 

That was all. Jongin hadn’t even told him why he liked this song, or why Chanyeol should listen to it. Jongin had never shared a song, and Chanyeol wondered if maybe he had something to say, a secret message or something like that. He opened his music app and searched for the title of the song, not really knowing what he should expect.

 

A chill ran down Chanyeol’s spine at the first notes of the saxophone. He closed his eyes, focusing on the lyrics and the sensuality the song held. He was very attentive to the emotions and the colors of the song, and he quickly understood that he had been right, Jongin wanted to tell him something through it. He wanted to tell Chanyeol that he shouldn’t worry, that it wasn’t too soon but he also wanted to tell Chanyeol he could take all the time he needed and that Jongin would always be there for him.

 

Chanyeol smiled. He smiled because he knew that Jongin was exceptional, that he was a beautiful diamond. He knew that Jongin liked him, and he knew that their relationship would only bloom beautiful like a magnificent red rose.

 

I really liked the song, the lyrics are perfect…

Thank you, Jongin

 

Chanyeol wondered if Jongin would understand that he was thanking him for this opportunity, for trusting him, and for loving him back. Chanyeol’s heart skipped a beat when he thought about Jongin’s hot breath against his skin. He really loved him, more than he had imagined.

 

The restaurant Chanyeol entered was way too classy and he wasn’t used to it. He felt a little lost, as he had been searching for Junmyeon as soon as he had gotten there. He was kind of relieved when he saw him sitting at one of the table, probably waiting for him, so Chanyeol hurried and went closer to him.

 

"Chanyeol, how are you? Yifan’s not here yet," Junmyeon said, inviting Chanyeol to sit next to him.

 

"I’m fine, I saw my sister today. And I’m glad I’m not the last one to get here," Chanyeol smiled as he remembered that not only had he gotten the chance to see his sister, but he had also seen Jongin and that had been the highlight of his day.

 

"Your face radiates, did something happen?" Junmyeon asked with a teasing voice.

 

"I don't know what you’re talking about," Chanyeol stated shyly, drinking the first sip of his glass.

 

It was a that precise moment that Junmyeon’s guest arrived, greeting Junmyeon like an old friend. He wasn’t alone, and Chanyeol guessed that he was probably with his assistant since the other didn’t seem to try to stand out on his way.

 

"Yifan! I’m so happy to see you again. Did you have a safe trip?" Junmyeon asked him and Chanyeol understood that the man was the chief editor of Radiante in China. He remembered seeing his name on one of Junmyeon’s important files.

 

"Yes, very pleasing. This is Baekhyun, my personal assistant, and you are…?" Yifan continued, looking at Chanyeol while sitting at the table in front of Junmyeon.

 

"Chanyeol, Sir. I’m Junmyeon’s assistant."

 

"He knows who you are, he just wants to tease you," Baekhyun whispered to him as he took place in front of him. Yifan had seemingly ignored Chanyeol, too focused on Junmyeon’s smile.

 

They quickly ordered their meal and Chanyeol was listening to Junmyeon’s and Yifan’s conversation more than he was actually taking part in it. It seemed to be the case for Baekhyun too, he was simply eating his green beans and enjoying his red wine. They were talking about the next special issue of the magazine, and Junmyeon wanted to collaborate with the China department to make something big and to have a bigger worldwide impact. It was ambitious, but doable.

 

"We should organize a shooting with Angelababy and Song Joongki. They are both very popular, they would be perfect for the cover," Junmyeon suggested while drinking his wine.

 

"That’s actually a very good idea. We could also feature overseas models, it would have more impact on other countries," Yifan added as he nodded at Junmyeon’s idea.

 

They worked well together, and Chanyeol could feel some sort of chemistry between them. He knew that it wasn’t the first time that they were seeing each other, but he would have thought that after all this time, they may have been awkward around each other. It was not the case, it was as if they had been seeing each other every day.

 

"You should spend New Year’s Eve in China with me, what do you think Junmyeon?"

 

"It will be my pleasure to go with you, to learn more about your country and about you," Junmyeon agreed with a large smile as he looked dreamingly at Yifan.

 

Chanyeol had no doubt, there was something between them. Junmyeon was laughing heartedly at Yifan’s jokes, even at the bad ones, and they hadn’t even even glanced at Chanyeol or Baekhyun for the rest of the meal. Chanyeol sighed a little bit and heard Baekhyun chuckling a little bit.

 

"We should leave them alone, right?" Baekhyun was still whispering and he was already gathering his belongings without a sound.

 

"Let’s go," Chanyeol happily nodded and he left the table slowly so that Junmyeon and Yifan would not notice them leaving.

 

Baekhyun was already waiting for him outside of the restaurant and Chanyeol smiled at him. Baekhyun seemed to be nice, but Chanyeol didn’t know him enough to be sure about it. Yifan didn’t seem to be terrible either, but he had made a bad impression on Chanyeol since he had ignored him for the entire dinner.

 

"I’ll take you home," Baekhyun said, and it was more an affirmation than a suggestion.

 

"You won’t get lost?" Chanyeol asked, surprised. Baekhyun was working in China, he probably didn’t know his way in Seoul.

 

"I won’t, I grew up here and only moved to China a year ago."

 

Chanyeol nodded and told himself that it was alright to go home with him. Baekhyun was lively, and Chanyeol liked the freshness of his personality.

 

On their way to Chanyeol’s place, Baekhyun kept talking about a lot of different things, but mostly about a game he had been playing on his computer after work. When Chanyeol had told him that had never played online games, Baekhyun had seemed offended for a second, but then he had laughed and told Chanyeol that he would show him sometime.

 

They finally arrived in front of the building of Chanyeol’s apartment and he saw a shadow waiting in front of the door. Chanyeol didn’t see who it was at first, so he frowned. Was it a thief? A gang member? Or worse? The shadow moved, and it was at that moment that Baekhyun took his arm protectively.

 

"Be careful, Chanyeol-shi. I’m not sure it’s safe," he said, his tone low.

 

"I’m sure it’s alright," Chanyeol stated and he continued walking towards the door, slower than before. Baekhyun was still holding his arm and Chanyeol didn’t find the courage to tell him to let go of it.

 

"Chanyeol?"

 

He could always recognize this voice, even in the darkest times and the foggiest nights.

 

The shadow frowned when it saw Baekhyun holding Chanyeol’s arm. It didn’t seem to fancy the view, but it said nothing and shook its head in disappointment before leaving towards the building in front of Chanyeol’s apartment, quickly.

 

Chanyeol couldn’t stand it. He couldn’t let him leave like that without saying anything. So he shook Baekhyun’s hand off, and started following the man who had been waiting in the dark.

 

"Jongin, please let me in," Chanyeol pleaded as he knocked on Jongin’s door twice. "This is really not what it looks like…"

 

But what did it look like? Baekhyun had been holding his arm, and Chanyeol hadn’t told him to let him go. He had let him do whatever he had wanted. And Baekhyun had tried to protect him from Jongin, who he had thought was maybe a thief. So what did it look like?

 

Was Jongin thinking that he had been on a date with Baekhyun? That was impossible, Chanyeol didn’t even know Baekhyun. He had just met him. But Jongin didn’t know that. He didn’t know that Baekhyun was a total stranger and that Chanyeol would never go on a date with anyone else besides him.

 

Chanyeol pressed his forehead on the door and closed his eyes as he tried to hear any sound coming from Jongin’s apartment. He frowned a little bit from sadness since he couldn’t hear anything and sighed. He had put in a lot of efforts to get close to Jongin, it had taken a lot of time, and he had blown their relationship up in the span of a second. What an idiot.

 

Suddenly, he heard the latch of the door being unlocked and Chanyeol felt a new hope blooming inside him. Jongin opened the door slowly but he didn’t say anything. He simply walked away, leaving the door open for him to enter. So Chanyeol followed him into the living room, nervously.

 

"Look… I’m sorry if you thought that anything happened with Baekhyun…" Chanyeol started, his hands shaking. He really didn’t want to hurt Jongin, and he didn’t want him to think that he had a fling with Yifan’s assistant.

 

"Baekhyun? That’s his name?" Jongin asked, his voice hinting at another question. He’s the one you like now? Jongin seemed to want to say. Chanyeol could see the disappointment on his features, and it was hurting him.

 

"We both work for Radiante. He works in China, it’s my first time meeting him. Our relationship is purely professional," Chanyeol added. He wanted to convince Jongin that nothing was happening between them, but it seemed more difficult than he had expected.

 

"So you do have a relationship," Jongin said as he crossed his arms across his chest.

 

Chanyeol smiled. Jongin was jealous, and he smiled. It meant that Jongin cared about him. It meant that Jongin shared the same feelings as Chanyeol did and it made him happy even if the situation they were in wasn’t the best.

 

"Are you jealous?" Chanyeol questioned with a little smirk.

 

"What if I am?" Jongin stated with a hint of challenge in his eyes.

 

Chanyeol chuckled. Jongin was way too cute for his poor, old heart. Jongin was the most precious man he had ever met, and Chanyeol only wanted to hug him in his arms and tell him that everything was alright.

 

"Do you think this is funny? I’m not joking right now, Chanyeol," Jongin continued with a frown.

 

"Let’s talk about this calmly, you’ll understand that there’s nothing to be jealous of. But can we sit first?"

 

Jongin nodded and showed the couch with his hand, telling him in silence that it was indeed alright to sit. They sat next to each other and Chanyeol noticed how Jongin was tapping with his feet on the floor nervously. Chanyeol guessed that he was impatient to know what he had to say. So Chanyeol took Jongin’s hands in his to try to soothe him and took a deep breath.

 

"Jongin, I always have the greatest time with you, I enjoy your company so much and…" He stopped for a few seconds to choose his words carefully. "I like you, a lot."

 

"That’s so corny," Jongin said, but Chanyeol noticed that, even if he was pretending to hate it, Jongin was secretly liking it as a small smile had appeared on his lips when he had said those words.

 

"You like it, when I’m corny," Chanyeol gently.

 

"I actually hate it," Jongin declared, but the smile that was spreading on his lips showed that it was a sweet little lie and it made Chanyeol’s heart jump in his chest.

 

Chanyeol leaned towards Jongin and he kissed him softly to taste the honey aroma of his lips. He loved how plushy Jongin’s lips were, he loved how they felt on his own lips, he loved how sweet they were, and he loved how he could easily feel Jongin’s smile under his lips. It was a feathery feeling, and Chanyeol thought for a moment that he had been blessed by the Gods who had given him the chance to meet Jongin.

 

Was everything going too fast? After what had happened between them the night before, Chanyeol felt a special connection with Jongin. But was he feeling the same? Well, the hands massaging Chanyeol’s thighs were telling him that Jongin was indeed feeling something similar.

 

"You know," Jongin started between two heated kissed. "I think I might like you a lot, too."

 

Chanyeol was filled with happiness at that moment and he let himself drown under Jongin’s kissed and soft caresses. It was an ecstatic feeling that Chanyeol was diving in, and he loved it.

 

Then he suddenly heard a long grow and they stopped kissing as they were getting disturbed by the noise. Chanyeol looked at Jongin with surprise, his eyes were bright opened and an amused smile appeared on his lips.

 

"Was that… Your stomach?" Chanyeol asked and started laughing at Jongin’s reddened cheeks. He was adorable, he always was, even if a few seconds ago he had been kissing Chanyeol with passion.

 

"I waited for you all night long, I… I wanted to eat with you," Jongin admitted with a shy expression and Chanyeol smiled fondly at his honesty.

 

Jongin was like two opposite poles. For a second, he could be the dangerous wild butterfly that Chanyeol had met a few months prior. He could devour him with passion, just like he did the night before, in a feverish dance that he was leading. But the second after, he could also appear as a soft puppy who only wanted to play outside. He could pout like a child, and act in the cutest way possible.

 

"Let’s go grab something to eat then, I don’t want to let my puppy starve," Chanyeol said as he started getting up.

 

However, Jongin didn’t see it that way and suddenly grabbed Chanyeol’s wrist to pull him back on the couch. He then sat on his lap, one leg on each side of Chanyeol’s body. One of his hands was on his shoulder whereas the other was cupping his cheek tenderly. His touch was very soft and loving, but his eyes were burning with fire.

 

"A puppy? Do you want me to bark? And bite you?" Jongin asked with a teasing smile.

 

"You look more like a wolf right now, but bite me, puppy. I might like it," Chanyeol answered on the same teasing tone and they both looked into each other’s eyes with a spark of challenge. It only lasted a second though, and they started laughing together. Everything was only a game in this heavenly world they were living in.

 

"Fried chicken?" Jongin suggested after kissing Chanyeol’s lips. It was only a little peck, but it still brought a smile on his lips.

 

"Fried chicken it is," Chanyeol nodded and he kissed Jongin back.

 

"Let’s sit here," Jongin said with a smile and Chanyeol sat down on the small wooden chair right in front of him.

 

Jongin had taken him to one of his favorite places, telling Chanyeol that they served the best fried chicken in town. Chanyeol had simply nodded as he was totally trusting Jongin and his taste in food. After all, the last time Jongin had cooked something for him, it had been delicious. Knowing that Jongin liked to go out to eat was one of the small things that made Chanyeol happy and made him feel closer to Jongin.

 

"Kyungsoo makes the best fried chicken in town, I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I do!" Jongin continued happily after ordering two sorts of chicken. One crispy sesame and one spicy.

 

"Who’s Kyungsoo?" Chanyeol asked, genuinely curious. He was guessing that he probably was the chef of the restaurant, but he wanted to have a confirmation.

 

"One of my closest friends with Sehun, even if Kyungsoo’s much quieter than him," Jongin explained while laughing a little bit.

 

Chanyeol laughed with him, and he felt relieved to be there. Jongin wasn’t mad at him anymore, and the storm jeopardizing their relationship was now gone.

 

"If he’s your friend, I’m sure that he is a good man. I can’t wait to meet him."

 

The waiter brought them their order quickly and they both thanked him for it. Chanyeol had never tried the chicken from this place, so he was excited to taste it. The plates looked very appetizing, and Chanyeol noticed that Jongin seemed to be really enjoying his meal from the first bite. His eyes were glistening with those light beams that Chanyeol recognized to be genuine happiness.

 

"Can I ask you something?" Jongin asked after eating another piece of fried chicken.

 

"Of course," Chanyeol answered while nodding and brought his beer bottle to his lips to sip a little bit of the beverage.

 

"Are we together? As in, you know, dating?" Jongin voiced out so easily, without any hesitation in his voice, and it made Chanyeol cough a little bit as he wasn’t prepared to hear a question like this one.

 

"Well, we… We’re pretty close and…" Chanyeol’s cheeks reddened as he remembered the night they had spent together. Shyness was sweeping his assurance away and he looked at his hands cupping his beer bottle. "I mean, I really like you, so if it’s okay with you…" Chanyeol whispered, slowly. Of course, he wanted to date Jongin, but he also didn’t want to embarrass Jongin and force him into something he didn’t want.

 

"So we’re dating?" Jongin asked, once again, his voice hinting at the fact that he only wanted to be sure of their relationship.

 

"Yes?" Chanyeol nodded lightly and looked up to meet Jongin’s happy smile. He seemed delighted about the situation and Chanyeol was finally able to breath properly again. He was relieved to know that his feelings were mutual.

 

"Of course it’s okay with me, Yeol. I really like you too," Jongin continued and, in a way to furthermore reassure Chanyeol, he took his hands in his and drew little circles on top of them.

 

They stayed like that a few seconds, both of them with a pinkish blush on their cheeks. Then, they heard someone clear their throat next to them, so they both looked up to see who was the cause of the disturbance.

 

"Am I interrupting something?" The man questioned, a frown on his face as he sat next to Jongin at the table.

 

Chanyeol didn’t know what to say, nor did he know who the man was. His big, round eyes seemed to be analyzing him and it made Chanyeol nervous.

 

"Hyung! This is Chanyeol. Chanyeol, this is Kyungsoo, the friend I was talking about earlier."

 

"Hi," Chanyeol bowed a little bit and he now understood why Kyungsoo had sat at their table without asking beforehand.

 

Kyungsoo simply nodded and Chanyeol noted that he was indeed very quiet, just like Jongin had said earlier. He didn’t seem to be the kind of person to lead the conversation, but the fond smile he had on his lips when Jongin was talking showed that he still cared about him, even if he didn’t say anything.

 

"Hyung, it was so good, as usual," Jongin started giving a thumbs up before getting up. "I’m going to the bathroom, I’ll be back shortly."

 

A weight fell on Chanyeol’s shoulders as soon as Jongin left and he didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know Kyungsoo, he didn’t know what his interests were.

 

"Are you dating him?" Kyungsoo broke the silence between them and Chanyeol looked at him with a surprised face because Jongin had told him that he was very quiet, and yet, he was the one initiating the conversation.

 

"I am," Chanyeol nodded slowly and shyly. Had he done something wrong? Maybe Kyungsoo was only making sure that his friend was dating somebody trustworthy. Chanyeol could totally understand that. "Jongin is actually the first guy I’ve ever felt something so strong for. I really care about him, and I was genuinely so happy when he decided to dance again. He looks so beautiful, and so graceful when he dances… It’s as if he’s telling an untold story…" Chanyeol stopped in his explanation, noticing that a faint smile had appeared on his lips as he was speaking. He cleared his throat a little bit and resumed talking, with a little bit more assurance this time. "I only want him to be happy, and I’d do anything for him. I really mean it."

 

Kyungsoo’s features relaxed and he finally smiled at Chanyeol. His words had seemed to please him, and Chanyeol was proud to have passed Kyungsoo’s test.

 

"Then I trust you. You seem like a good guy."

 

The atmosphere was now lighter and Chanyeol was happier. He felt validated by Kyungsoo, and it meant a lot to him. He loved Jongin, and he wanted to show his friends and family that he could take care of him and love him the right way, the way he deserved it.

 

"Why are you smiling like that?" Jongin asked as soon as he had returned from the bathroom.

 

"It’s nothing," Kyungsoo chuckled and patted Jongin’s shoulder.

 

Chanyeol could see that their bond was probably stronger than the one Jongin had with Sehun. Kyungsoo was like a big brother to Jongin, Chanyeol could see the way he was looking at him with pride. Maybe he had even taught Jongin how to cook, that wouldn’t be a surprise. It pleased Chanyeol to know that Jongin had caring friends like Kyungsoo close to him.

 

"I think we’ll go now. Wanna tag along hyung?"

 

"No, I still have some clients left. Go and enjoy your night, okay?" Kyungsoo smiled at both him and Chanyeol as he was getting up to finish his work.

 

Jongin nodded happily and he took Chanyeol’s hand after standing up. He whispered a small "shall we go?" and Chanyeol knew at that moment that he would follow Jongin anywhere, anytime.

 

"It would be a shame to waste such a beautiful night by going home now, right?" Jongin voiced out with a large mile and it made Chanyeol’s heart flutter at the sight. His smile was so pretty. Too pretty.

 

"What should we do then? Do you have anything in mind?" Chanyeol asked as he was walking by Jongin’s side.

 

"Let me think…" Jongin silently thought for a moment, one on his hands cupping his chin as if it could help him think about anything they could do during the witching hour. A few seconds passed by, and then Jongin smiled triumphantly and he took Chanyeol by the hand and started walking faster, leading the way.

 

"Where are we going?"

 

"It’s a surprise, you’ll see when we get there."

 

They walked together, holding hands and intertwining their fingers, and Chanyeol was the happiest. Jongin’s huge smile and sparkly eyes showed that he was happy too, and Chanyeol thought at that moment that he was floating on a cotton ball. It was too dream-like, too perfect. Maybe it wasn’t the kind of perfect others were looking for, but it was Chanyeol’s kind of perfect. And it was enough.

 

They took the subway, and Chanyeol was standing against one of the windows. Jongin pressed his back against Chanyeol’s chest so that he could stay on his own two feet, and when he stumbled a little, Chanyeol always circled his arms around him to prevent him from falling.

 

"Are we almost there?" Chanyeol whined cutely, just like a child would do on the road every five minutes.

 

"Almost," Jongin smiled, kissing Chanyeol’s cheek softly to reassure him. It made him blush a bit even thought he was very merry about this sweet little move.

 

They continued walking for a few minutes after getting off the subway and Chanyeol started recognizing the neighborhood they were in. He had come there a few times already, but there was only one place they could be going to.

 

"What are we doing at Taewoo’s dance studio?" Chanyeol asked, surprised to stand in front of the building after having walked for that long. "What do you want to do here? It’s probably closed at this hour."

 

"Dance, of course. That’s what this studio is for, right? And I have a spare key," Jongin was proud of himself as he showed Chanyeol the key that indeed opened the front door of the building. Chanyeol thought that if Taewoo saw them at that moment, he would kill them right on the spot. But since they were pretty close friends and he was dating his sister, Taewoo wouldn’t do anything to them. Right?

 

Jongin took Chanyeol’s hand once again and led him inside one of the practice rooms of the building. It wasn’t the biggest, but Jongin still let escape a long sigh of satisfaction. It was his favorite place to be in, after all, and he probably felt the most comfortable when he was in an empty dance room. Chanyeol saw him taking his shoes off and putting them in a corner of the room, his jacket on the ground. Was it something dancers usually did as soon as they entered a dance room? Get barefoot and leave their things on the ground, unwatched? Did Chanyeol have to do the same to feel at ease in this place? Was it a part of some ritual?

 

"You can just sit here, I want to show you my dancing," Jongin said as he showed Chanyeol a spot where he could sit. So Chanyeol listened to him and settled on the ground, his back resting against the studio mirror.

 

The setting was quite intimate, Chanyeol could feel it, and Jongin was choosing to share something as personal as his dancing with him. Chanyeol already wanted to thank him  for wanting to show him his emotions through his moves and the story he was telling in his dance. He couldn’t wait.

 

He watched Jongin take his phone out of his jacket resting on the floor, and he seemed to scroll down his music library, probably searching for the perfect music piece to go with his dance. He finally nodded with a smile, satisfied by his choice, and hit the play button before putting his phone down in the corner.

 

As soon as the angelic notes of the violins started playing, Jongin’s face expression changed. He was now fragile, and he carried the celestial feeling of reminiscence. Chanyeol was surprised by how clearly his emotions could already be read and felt throughout his movements. He was dancing so beautifully, Chanyeol was mesmerized and aware of how talented Jongin was.

 

Chanyeol was drowning in the story told by Jongin. Each movement made him travel to another world, each note sent shivers through his spine. It was beautiful.

 

When Jongin was done dancing, he stood in the middle of the room panting a little bit, but he was still wearing a charming smile on his lips.

 

"This was the third male variation of the Swan Lake. I learned it a long time ago but I wanted to share it with you because… You are the one who made me start dancing ballet again. So thank you, Chanyeol. Thank you for your patience, and for everything."

 

Chanyeol didn’t know what to answer to this confession, so he simply looked at Jongin with sparkles in his eyes, stood up, slowly, and walked towards Jongin before taking him in his arms. He closed his eyes to fully appreciate the moment for what it was, a serene and soft memory he was going to cherish forever. He then moved a little bit and kissed Jongin on the lips tenderly. It was a gentle touch, but it still held all the feelings Chanyeol had in his heart.

 

"I think I may be falling a little bit more in love with you right now," Chanyeol whispered slowly, his forehead resting on Jongin’s.

 

Jongin giggled a little bit and Chanyeol smiled fondly at his cute reaction. Jongin tiptoed slightly and it was now his turn to kiss his giant back.

 

"I know, and I love you too."

 

☼ ☼ ☼

 

There had been a lot of "I love you"s after the first one they had shared in the dance studio. The past few months had been filled with care, love, and sweet little kisses stolen after waking up, while cooking, and even before going to bed. There had also been a lot of hugs and caresses, a lot of smiles and laughter, and of course a lot of intimate moments that had brought them closer.

 

Chanyeol had been in Heaven for the past months, and it was all thanks to Jongin.

 

His fingers were playing with the bracelet that matched the one he had bought for Jongin’s birthday. He was nervous, and it showed on his face. He knew he had nothing to be nervous about, he knew that everything would go perfectly and that nothing bad would happen, but Chanyeol couldn’t help it.

 

He was waiting, and his heart was beating furiously in his chest from nervousness. His feet were tapping on the floor at the same rhythm as his heart as, back was resting against the backrest of the red velvet seat. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, but it was far from being a success.

 

"Chanyeol-ah, calm down. You’re not on stage."

 

Chanyeol turned his head towards the voice of the man sitting next to him. Kyungsoo was looking at him with an amused smile, he was obviously making fun of him. Chanyeol sighed, tilting his head to the side. Kyungsoo was right, he shouldn’t be the one stressing out like that. He was only a spectator, and yet, Chanyeol couldn’t help it.

 

"I’m still very nervous for Jongin," Chanyeol voiced out slowly. He knew that Jongin would be able to dance beautifully and give the spectators the best show they had ever watched. But Chanyeol knew that this was a big thing for Jongin, and even if he trusted him, he was nervous.

 

"He’ll be perfect, he’s your angel after all," Kyungsoo said nicely and his eyes focused on the program of the show. He was probably looking for names he knew, and a smile appeared on his lips when he read Jongin’s and Sehun’s name.

 

It was the big night. Tonight was the final presentation of La Bayadère, the ballet Taewoo had been working on for months now. The ballet in which Jongin was going to shine, just like the most majestic sun. Chanyeol had asked Kyungsoo to go with him since he had the two tickets that Taewoo had gifted him on his birthday. He had told Kyungsoo that it would make Jongin happy to see him in the audience, but it had only been an excuse for Chanyeol to not be alone.

 

The lights were dimmed all of a sudden and Chanyeol understood that the ballet was about to start. He straightened his back on his seat, but his hands kept playing with the same bracelet Jongin probably had around his wrist at the same time. He had told him that he would wear it during the show, only for Chanyeol, because it meant a lot to him.

 

The thin silver bracelet represented their bond, their love.

 

The ballet opened with a few different dancers of the corps, and the violins sent a shiver through Chanyeol’s spine. He was focused on the story, and soon, a smile drew itself on his lips when Jongin appeared on stage in his Solor costume. He looked majestic in his green and gold outfit, and it looked like he was flying on stage.

 

Throughout the whole show, Chanyeol was mesmerized by Jongin’s movements, by his emotions and his story. He smiled, he cried, and he felt them, he felt the deep emotions of the ballet. It was the first time Chanyeol had ever come to watch a ballet, and he was enjoying it.

 

He also fell a little bit more in love with Jongin and his talent.

 

When the curtains closed, Chanyeol was the first one standing up, applauding proudly. He had been moved by the story of the ballet, by all the emotion in the music and the movements of the dancers, especially Jongin, and he was happy that his lover had had so much success. The whole theatre was applauding, some were even whistling to make more noise.

 

Chanyeol could hear in his back someone say that the Solor of the show was perfect, that his moves were on point and that he had so much talent. He smiled. They were talking about Jongin, his Jongin, and it made Chanyeol proud to know that others could also see his talent. He was a gem, gold, and shining, and he had so much more to show.

 

"You should go backstage, I’ll wait outside. Taewoo said you could go after the show was over, right?" Kyungsoo said as he was putting his jacket back on, ready to leave the theatre.

 

"Right, but don’t you want to come with me? Jongin will be happy to see you," Chanyeol followed his movement, and his heart quickened its pace at the thought of seeing his lover.

 

"I’m sure you should both have some privacy. I’ll see him tomorrow at the restaurant," Kyungsoo smiled, and he waved goodbye to Chanyeol before heading towards the exit, leaving Chanyeol alone.

 

Chanyeol didn’t really know where he had to go to see Jongin. He looked around and spotted Mina, the girl who had played Nikiya in the show. She was talking to two other girls, probably her friends, and Chanyeol wondered if Jongin had already left the backstage. He had only one solution to be sure, and it was to ask Mina.

 

"Excuse me? You’re Mina, right?" Chanyeol asked as he was getting closer to her and her friends.

 

"Yes, I am," she smiled, and Chanyeol thought that her features were much softer than he had thought. He had never talked to her, nor seen her after the auditions, but she really seemed like an angel. "How can I help you?"

 

"I’m looking for Jongin, I’m his boyfriend," Chanyeol said with pride. He heard the two other girls squeal a little bit at his words, and he chuckled a little. "I was told I could go see him after the show."

 

"Right! He told me someone special would visit him. It must have been you. If you go this way, you’ll find a door leading backstage. One of the rooms is Jongin’s, his name is written on the door," Mina explained slowly, to make sure that Chanyeol would understand her explanation. She seemed very careful with her words, probably because she wanted to make sure that she wasn’t forgetting any details.

 

"Thank you so much, you’re a lifesaver. You were stunning on stage," Chanyeol thanked her with a compliment, bowed a little bit, then headed towards the door Mina had indicated.

 

He quickly found his way backstage and then Chanyeol was looking at the names on every door to find Jongin’s. It was only on the last door that he finally recognized his name, and he knocked twice before hearing a loud "come in!" coming from the room.

 

"How’s my little angel doing?" Chanyeol said as soon as he had entered the dressing room.

 

"Yeol, you’re here!" Jongin exclaimed happily as he ran towards Chanyeol to jump in his arms. He kissed Chanyeol softly on his lips then rested his forehead against Chanyeol’s. "I missed you. I could only think about you on stage."

 

"I missed you too. You were perfect, so beautiful, so… gorgeous," Chanyeol whispered as he hugged Jongin a little bit more. "I can’t believe I have the most talented boyfriend."

 

"And I can’t believe I have the loveliest boyfriend," Jongin laughed mellifluously.

 

"I love you, Kim Jongin," Chanyeol stated as he cupped Jongin’s face with his hands.

 

A myriad of glitter appeared in Jongin’s eyes after Chanyeol’s statement. Their love was so strong that no word could describe how they were feeling at this moment, how euphoric, joyful, and excited they were. They were both resting on cloud nine as they looked at each other with sparkling eyes. Chanyeol knew that he wanted to spend his forever with Jongin and that, with him, he would always be happy, bathing in his own sun’s warmth.

 

"My forever is yours."