Jongdae led Yuwon to the rocky outlook over the city. The lights dazzled in the distance, and wisps of clouds above still held the glow of sundown. The summer heat subsided into a pleasant warm with breezes of the night. Yuwon looked out over the railing, making noises of awe and trying to take pictures with her phone. Jongdae glanced at the view but more fumbled with his shirt hem.

Everything had more or less gone the way he hoped and planned for them for their day in the city. They had taken the bullet train to downtown, visited the arboretum, gone window shopping at the biggest mall in the district, ate delicious snacks and dinner, took more pictures than Jongdae could count in a human language, and now they were atop of the city. Just like he planned. But the most important thing, the one thing that he wanted to be perfect, he couldn't plan for.

"Do you think he's going to choke?"

Kyungsoo slapped Jongin in the arm for that comment and leaned on top of the wall of the outlook. They stood a good distance away from the two, but if Kyungsoo strained his ears and if Jongin stopped slurping his already empty soda drink, then he could make out what his friends were saying.

After the qiao'uyi courts had judged that Jongdae could remain on Earth if he did enough community service for the human society, he told Kyungsoo that he realized something: his decision to stay on Earth was not always his. He vowed to control himself so that he could stay and be with him and Yuwon. Kyungsoo reassured him that he was already doing a good job of that and to not think too harshly of himself. He also helped him attend some community service events or covered for him when Yuwon asked why his allegiance with service events changed like the weather. 

Now that they graduated high school, Jongdae had sat Kyungsoo down to tell him that he would confess to Yuwon by the end of the summer and to ask him if he could be there as moral support. Kyungsoo agreed one-hundred and forty percent even if that meant tailing the two for the entire day. When he had mentioned it to Jongin, his former tutee showed up at his doorstep and said that he would go too.

Kyungsoo was still wondering about why Jongin wanted to go. He hadn't had a chance to ask when he constantly lost sight of his friends through the crowd or whenever Yuwon spotted something interesting and dragged Jongdae towards said something.

But now that his friends were just talking about the city and their day and their anticipations for the coming future, Kyungsoo glanced at Jongin, who was walking back from finally throwing away his empty drink cup.

"Hey, Jongin?"

"Yeah?"

"Why'd you want to come with me today?"

He came up next to him at the railing, his arm lightly brushing against Kyungsoo's.

"Just 'cause."

Kyungsoo gave him a look. "Somehow, I'm not convinced."

Jongin smiled and looked out over the city. Kyungsoo did too, marveling at the little dots of lights. 

"Did you have fun today?" Jongin asked.

"Hm? Yeah, it was fun to see the arboretum and that huge mall."

"Did you like downtown?"

"Well, it was definitely a change. There were so many people."

Jongin nodded.

"What about you? Since you decided to tag along, was it fun?"

Jongin watched the city for a little longer before turning to Kyungsoo.

"I guess."

"You guess? What do you mean?"

"Today was fun, but I don't know if that's because of where I went or because of who I was with."

Kyungsoo didn't have time to decipher those words because he heard Jongdae clear his throat. Kyungsoo signalled Jongin to be quiet, and they both turned their ears towards the other two.

"You have something in your throat, Jongdae? Want a sip of my boba?"

"Uh, no, thanks. Actually, Yuwon, I have something to tell you."

"Mm. What is it?"

"Can... you face me?"

Kyungsoo peeked a glance and saw Yuwon turn her head, then lean off the railing and set her drink down. Jongdae was grasping the end of his shirt like his life depended on it and and chewing on his lips. Kyungsoo was also sure that green swirled behind his brown colored contacts.

"So, Yuwon, we've been friends for four years now, and maybe that's a short amount of time to the universe, but it's enough for me. It's enough for me to... honestly, make a real scary decision, but I want to believe in our friendship and my feelings."

She nodded. Jongdae took a breath.

"I... I'm... Is it bad if I... Would you be willing to..."

He sighed and covered his eyes. Yuwon waited for him, and Kyungsoo was silently sending him encouragement, but he turned back towards the outlook.

"Nevermind."

Yuwon didn't move for a moment as Jongdae glared down at his hands. Then she pulled him from the railing and set him back in front of her. He wouldn't look at her face.

"Jongdae, is what you're telling me a secret?"

He hesitated then nodded.

"Is it the one that only Kyungsoo and Jongin know about?"

Jongdae's eyes widened, and hhis head snapped up. Kyungsoo too because if Yuwon could specifically pick out him and Jongin knowing, then she must have already known.

"I've always noticed you three sneaking off and whispering to each other and making excuses that are very obviously excuses or small lies. Some things you can't even hide because it was just so big. The times when you roped Minseok oppa or Yifan oppa into it especially were obvious. But I didn't say anything because I figured that there would be a time where you would tell me on your own. But I get that it can be