Guest # 1

Feeling the tense and awkward rising with each second, he finally decided to mumble some excuse and drag the cause of tension out of the room. Thankfully, none of the boys looked too keen on holding him back and Yongguk was able to successfully escape to the backyard, Himchan quietly following behind. Yongguk was baffled at himself for his sudden and downright uncalled outburst. He had never found Himchan's jokes funny or tasteful or even remotely tolerable but somehow, today, his body had betrayed him and he had laughed. And to top it all off, the source of evil, the mighty Mr. Kim Himchan himself, had stared at Yongguk as if the latter had broken some unbreakable vow. 

"Ya, Kim Himchan!" Yongguk half-called, half-yelled at the said person's back.

"Mm"

Yongguk hated the way his anger immediately seemed to vanish with one word, no, one sound from Himchan. He sighed and patted the seat next to him. On every other day, Yongguk would savor the times Himchan's face came close to his and secretly admire each individual feature but today, he found himself being thrown off by the distant, strange smile that refused to leave his friend's lips. He quietly sighed to himself while mumbling incoherently.

"whaoidt....sieuld....aish.....I don't know anymore....why are all the strange things happening today..."

With a light thud, Yongguk felt Himchan's head drop on his shoulder and the wonderful scent of lavender shampoo enter his nostrils. A second later, he felt Himchan's head lightly tap his shoulder again, this time, as a way to show his interest in Yongguk's earlier words. At the second tappng and release of lavender scent, Yongguk found his lips slowly breaking into a smile. He would've revealed all his thoughts right that instant if not for the fact that, knowing his friend, Himchan probably had something to say first. A small chuckle escaped his lips when he heard Himchan's voice.

"You're really on a roll, huh? What's so funny?"

Yongguk scoffed and pushed Himchan's head off his shoulder. "Would you listen to this guy! Ha!! Yah, I-I-I did that to-to...actually, I don't really know why..."

Himchan gently pulled Yongguk back on the chair and resumed his earlier leaning. "It's okay because I know."

He didn't know how long Himchan talked for but it must have been at least an hour since Himchan was yawning now which meant he had lost interest and was getting sleepy. Yongguk looked at the way his friend scrunched his nose and scratched his temple, slightly sad to feel his own shoulder immediately cold and weightless. By this time, Himchan had stretched and seemed ready to pounce on the birthday cake. Not wanting to feel the wrath of a hungry Himchan, Yongguk stood up and motioned for his friend to make his way inside. 

"Himchan?"

"Yea?"

Yongguk hesitated, awkwardly grabbing his friend's hand and pulling him back from the door. He could see that Himchan was clearly alarmed but was waiting for Yongguk to speak. "Did something happen on the way over with Youngjae? Is that why you were smiling so strangely before?"

Himchan seemed momentarily shaken but quickly regained his composure and playfully punched Yongguk's toned shoulder.

"Is that why you decided to be Mr. Dramatic? Pulling me back and stuff....I thought you were going to confess or propose to me or something.....and as to your question, no, nothing happened. Except that we talked and bonded, I guess, in a way....I was smiling because in all this time, never before did I feel so lonely, so detached from you...."

Yongguk noticed the way his own heart skipped his tedious beating and his hand yearned to reach over with each word that left his friend's lips but alas, all he could do was wait for Himchan to finish. 

"Yongguk ah....you know I always thought you were mine, even though you went around dating and doing things on your own, I always thought, 'Yongguk will return to me'.....and then, today, one car ride later with Youngjae....I...I feel like I really have lost you....and I know I'm being selfish....but I jus—"

"Stop, will ya? I'll always come back to you. Know why? Because I'm yours. To take, to destroy, to do whatever pleases your heart. So please, no more of this.... I've seen enough tears already.."

Yongguk couldn't ignore the immediate smile on Himchan's face and if it wasn't for all this complicated misunderstandings and strange timing, he would've kissed the life out of his friend right at that minute. For now, he settled for a light hug and a back pat and quickly entered the house before his impulses overpowered his head. He would've have to talk to Youngjae and discuss their ways to reveal the truth to Himchan as soon as possible. Yongguk didn't know about Himchan but he, himself, was almost at his wits end from holding back his feelings.