"I'm free tonight. Same hotel?"

"Is it from a woman?" Kyungsoo asked when he saw the message on display.

"Of course, it's from a woman," Jongin answered with a hint of irritation. Why should he get such a message from a man? Why could Kyungsoo even consider that this message could be from a man?

"Are you going?"

"Can you stay home alone for a while?" For a short moment, he thought of calling Suho to come over. Yet for some reasons, he erased this idea.

"That's not what this is about," Kyungsoo replied.

"Then what is it about?" Jongin asked but feared to know the answer to his own question.

"Will you continue seeing others?"

Jongin was right. He knew this conversation was overdue. Still, he had hoped to delay it as long as possible.

"Do you expect me not to?"

To counter a question with a counter question, an ever-working strategy which Kyungsoo immediately noticed. But the smaller male could play this game as well.

"And what would you think about me dating other men? Because last time a man kissed me, you broke my leg. Remember?" Kyungsoo got right to the point.

"Is that what you’re expecting me to do? That we would love each other? Like… for real?"

"What if I do?" That was the moment Kyungsoo noticed he went way overboard. He should silent urgently. He knew that. Yet, he couldn’t help it. He was fired up for Jongin’s response.

"I'm not gay, Baekhyun. For God’s sake." Jongin literally screamed as if he wanted the world to hear. "Do you expect me to never have again?"

"Because you and I, that will never happen. Do you hear me?" Jongin lowered this voice after a short pause.

"I got it." Kyungsoo replied, looking straight at Jongin as a certification. Jongin escaped from his house right away as he couldn’t bear seeing that sad expression on the younger’s face.

Arrived at the hotel, Jongin couldn’t forget the argument. For some reason, he had forgotten how much he hated that Byun Baekhyun person at the beginning. When did he start to care so much about that boy’s feelings? He had never given a damn about others. He shouldn’t start doing it now. Empathy was poison for business. Because that's so ... human.

"What's wrong with you today?" A female voice disturbed his thoughts.

"What do you mean?" Jongin sighed.

"You are not… into it," the young woman said as she lifted her head from between his legs.

"Got someone you like?" This question annoyed Jongin. Why did everybody want to talk about feeling today?

"What bull are you talking about?"

"Well, your little man doesn’t want to wake up. That’s never happened before, " she chuckled.

"Then maybe you’re not trying hard enough."

“Oh honey, I’m not the one who’s not hard enough,” she said, mocking.

“Be careful,” Jongin warned, grabbing her by her neck.

“Calm down. I just meant I can’t do anything if it’s not me you want to ." The woman explained through her breaths.

She might be right, but that was something Jongin would never admit. Nevertheless, it was a clear sign when you're thinking about the fight with your fake husband while a star was lying in your bed.

"Where are you going?" She asked as Jongin let go and got dressed.

"Home,” Jongin stated before leaving.

Ever since the first day, Kyungsoo had already thought that Jongin's living room was way too large, even for such a residence. But as he waited for the elders, the room even seemed to expand. He should be familiar with being home by himself. Yet the last weeks he hadn’t spent one minute alone. Kyungsoo had almost forgotten how much he hated to be alone.

When Jongin was finally home, Kyungsoo wanted to ask so many things.

"Where have you been?"

"Whom did you meet?"

"Did you sleep with her?"

But he fell silent. He felt Jongin's staring behind his back.

"Do you want to say something?"

"Do you want to apologize?"

"Do you even feel guilty?"

Second by second, the silence became unbearable.

"Can you help me stand up?" And Kyungsoo broke it.

Jongin didn’t say a word. Yet he approached Kyungsoo to help. Close up, he noticed Kyungsoo's red nose. Did Kyungsoo cry? Or maybe it was just an allergy? If he cried, his eyes would be red too. Lost in his thoughts, Jongin didn’t realize how close they came. Their eyes couldn’t escape each other. Their breath was synchronized. Finally, their lips touched. Kyungsoo's warmth and the bittersweet taste of Chardonnay – Kyungsoo’s favorite wine. Jongin needed more of it.

---------------------------

Chanyeol put down the test tube with a grin as someone knocked on his lab. He had been looking forward to it all day.

"Channie, are you ready?" Chanyeol smiled even wider when he heard Baekhyun's voice.

"God, I love men in white coats," Baekhyun added. "You look so y."

"What’s y about this? It's nerdish." Chanyeol blushed.

"I love nerds," Baekhyun said.

"You're really strange, you know that?"

"I’m not strange. I’m a limited edition." Baekhyun joked, looking around. Did all doctorands at an elite university get such a large and modern laboratory? Or was that the privilege of a minister’s son?

"Is this all researches for your dissertation?" The smaller male joked.

"Yes, everything except for this DNA analysis. I’m doing my dad a favor."

That sounded suspicious to Baekhyun. Why did the minister ask his son to do the test when he surely had professional staffs for that? Did it concern the investigation against his father?

“Your father? Is it