The Street Fighters

Kwan did not care for anything right now except the mug of warm hot chocolate in her hands. She did not even bother that Junmyeon was seated right across her with a small smile, his index finger tracing his lips.

She had originally come here with Joy and Irene and they were about to order when Junmyeon disturbed them by coming in and taking her away. She got her drink so she did not mind besides Irene and Joy looked like they’re catching up just fine.

“I’ve been thinking…” Junmyeon began bringing his own hot chocolate to his lips. “perhaps you want to really wash dishes for me? I’ll pay.”

He looked comically nervous and Kwan squints at him. Does he even have the money to pay her? Is he trying to scam her? No one can be trusted after all.

“Why are you looking at me like that? You think I’ll scam you?” He replies, his face reddening a little as his hand goes up to sweep his hair away from his face.

She nods after taking a huge gulp of the chocolate loving its smoothness and sweetness.

“You really-You really think I’ll scam a poor, stupid girl like you? I have my own morals too.” He blurts out looking rather baffled like he couldn't believe that she was saying such things.

“I have a lot of jobs already,” She says wiping her lips with a tissue, quite satisfied with the sweet intake. “No time.”

She checked her watch and glanced at Irene and Joy happy to see them smiling and laughing together. In few minutes, Chanyeol was going to pick her up and they were going to the chicken shop together, so she was waiting excitedly.

Junmyeon scoffed at that and tapped the table a little harshly making Kwan raise an eyebrow at him.

“No wait-I did not mean to hit it that hard.” He exclaims, hand at the front looking defensive but she just picked up her cup.

“It doesn’t matter even if you break it. I just can’t find the time.” She sighs finishing off her chocolate drink. This time Junmyeon did not seem to mind too much. In fact, he chuckles a little.

“This is officially my first time asking a girl to wash dishes for me.”

“That means you’ve been doing it all this time by yourself. Good job.” Kwan tells him, actually proud but by the look he was giving, he did not seem to feel that way.

“Is it just me or are you getting cheekier?”

“It’s probably just you,” Kwan replies, taking her bag and standing up giving him a full bow, “I’m thankful for the hot chocolate.”

He looks like he was about to say something but Kwan catches Chanyeol coming so she jogs out, eager to get to him. Chanyeol had always been a sweetheart to her but these days it seemed as though he was somewhat sweeter than before.

As usual, as soon as they meet Chanyeol ruffles her hair, his lips in a huge smile flashing those wonderful dimples. This has recently been a thing he does often and Kwan thinks it is precious.

“Ready to go wash some dishes?” He asks with a huge smile making Kwan nod excitedly with a little laugh. It was great to have someone to talk to and simply walk with.

It made mundane things… interesting. Should she say… even more interesting with Chanyeol than walking with anyone else?

“Did you have a good day today?” She asks as Chanyeol and she turns to go.

"Mm..." He nods, "what about you?"

At that, Kwan lets out a little huff. “Our coach made us sprint about 4 times without stopping today. I think my soul left my body for a minute.”

“A hundred meters?”

“Nope. 200.”

Chanyeol groans at that looking like he was the one going through it. “As in without stopping?”

Kwan nods cringing at the thought of it. “The thing is that our timing was some seconds later than our usual time. So he was angry saying that we were missing out on practice.”

“Including you and Joy?”

It was no secret that Joy was the fastest runner in their team.

Kwan shakes her head making the tallboy grin. “Nope. We were faster but we’re still on the team. Everyone receives equal treatment.”

Chanyeol looks proud at that coming to ruffle her hair even more. “My little runner! Good job. Good job.”

Kwan smiles shyly loving the feel of his warm hand on her head. It was really the little things like this. Walking together, discussing their day, and complaining to each other.

“By the way,” Chanyeo's beautiful grin transformed into a huge pout making him look like an overgrown teenager, “Sehun said something in our practice today. He said something like taking my photos for the publication… so I told Baekhyun about it but he did not really seem surprised. I don’t know what’s going on.”

Kwan frowned at that, clearly worried. Sehun and she have had few opportunities to talk and be friends so she really knows nothing about him.

“You think he meant those photos that… um… the paper said it was taken by those girls?”

Chanyeol nods solemnly. “I pieced two and two together and I realized that all the photos in there were actually when Sehun and I were together. I never actually went outside with any girl nor took them inside my dorm. I guess I was just too blinded by anger to see anything. I am really the stupid bloke Sehun says I am.”

“Don’t say that,” Kwan bit the insides of her cheek looking at the crestfallen Chanyeol. To think that he had always been exuberantly vibrant and now he looked really, really down. It made Kwan really angry towards that certain playboy. “You’re not… a stupid bloke.”

He grins at that, his lips rising up appreciatively but Kwan could still see the tiredness behind it.

“It just…” He huffs running his hand through his hair. “I feel as though I don’t even know my friends anymore. For one I don’t really give a and for two, I really, really trust them.”

Kwan nods knowing that she doesn’t really have a proper reply to that.

“You think they’re… as in all of them hates me in some way? I’ve been an for most of my life…” He looked uncertain, like a child who really wanted to play in the playground but having no confidence if they're going to accept him or not.

Kwan bit the inside of her cheek again not really knowing what to say. What does she say to that?

“You’re… rough with your words… but you always mean well.” She says after some moment, “You’re a good person at heart. Those around you surely see the good heart you have.”

Chanyeol gives a tiny lopsided grin and leaned his head down on her shoulders, slouching a lot because he was really tall before giving out a loud sigh. “I hope that is the truth.”

Kwan knew Chanyeol was feeling quite down but it did not help that her heart was racing a little too fast… probably as fast as some hours back when she was running on the track with her coach screaming at them. She hopes he cannot hear it.

“It-it is.” She stammers, her face heating up automatically. She and Chanyeol had slowly started holding hands, ruffling hair, and just... slight touches here and there but it never failed to make her feel like her head was burning with all the blood rushing there.

The feeling of his head, comfortingly heavy on her shoulders made the butterflies run amock in her belly all the while feeling blessed. It felt as though someone really needed her presence and she was there.

She liked it. A whole lot.

“MY. A scene straight from the dramas…?” A loud voice makes Chanyeol bring his head up to look around. Kwan is a little surprised to see Junmyeon there, hand inside his jeans pocket. “You two sure make a lovely couple… A couple of stupid.”

Kwan unconsciously gripped Chanyeol’s arm again feeling it tighten under the layers of cloth. Thankfully it relaxes a little at her grip but it felt a little uneasy when Junmyeon’s eyes lingered over that as though it was offensive.

She gave it a hard t