Himchan has an obsession with scents. It wasn’t something he was ashamed of, but not something he would announce to the public either. It was just a quirk of his, a personality trait, a personal preference that he had. He liked how things smelled, particularly on people.

            When he walks into a clothing store, he can admire how fresh and crisp the new clothes smell. But it was only when he slipped on the shirt over his head that he truly appreciated the intensity and the multi-dimensional musk and leathery smell of the cologne that the people had sprayed. A perfume was only a decent smell unless it was spritzed alluringly on a woman. It was just something he liked and he wasn’t embarrassed of it.

            However, the only slight cause of alarm for Himchan was just how much he liked Yongguk’s scent. Bang Yongguk, his best friend, and also one of the most infuriating people he had ever met in his lifetime, smelled amazing. There was something tantalizing about the aroma he oozed, the scent that he gave off. And Himchan didn’t know what or why he was so attracted to it.

            It was just something that he found absolutely enthralling and it may or may not make his heart pound a little bit harder than it’s supposed to. When Himchan tried to pinpoint what exactly about the scent that called to him, he couldn’t.

            It wasn’t all cologne. Yongguk wasn’t big on that so he sometimes, rarely, sprays a few spritzes. It was mainly a mix of after shave and just his general body scent. For some reason, no matter how much they practiced, he still managed to smell fresh. Maybe there was an undertone of sourness but the detergent and the naturally fresh smell of Yongguk’s body wash masks it.

            It bothered Himchan that the scent called to him so much. Sometimes he figures life would be so much easier if he could just ignore how good his best friend smelled. But the fragrance was constantly around him, especially when they were working together.

            Himchan was just a cameo in the music video, but that meant he could spend time with Yongguk. When it was time to take a break, he snuck up next to his best friend and tried to resist the urge to sniff him. Don’t sniff him, Himchan. You are not a dog, he chanted to himself.

            But the clean smell of freshly washed laundry and natural maleness had him leaning in slowly. He pressed up against Yongguk’s back and breathed in the heavenly aura. One could truly be addicted to the way Yongguk smelled.

            “What?” Yongguk turned around, catching Himchan off guard and the culprit blushed.

            He quickly straightened and cleared his throat, looking away. “I was just wondering how close I could get to you before you noticed I was there.”

            Yongguk sighed. “You’re so weird sometimes.” But there was a hint of a smile and Himchan knew that he had successfully avoided making himself out as a creeper, and Yongguk was convinced that he had no other ulterior motives.

            “Hey, good job on the video. You and Zelo need to represent us before we debut, you know.”

            Yongguk gave a shy gummy smile and looked down, allowing Himchan to playfully grab his arm. “It feels a lot better with you and Jongup here backing us up. It almost feels like the entire team is here.”

            The comment made Himchan’s heart feel gooey inside and he mumbled an embarrassed, “Stop, you’re making me blush.”

            Yongguk tugged his arm away and laughed. “Come on, let’s keep filming.”

            At the end of the day, both were exhausted. Even though Himchan’s part in the music video was short, he still had to stay and monitor, mainly because Yongguk asked him to. They collapsed into the van, and in the backseat, Jongup and Zelo were already fast asleep.

            Himchan tried to keep his head from tilting but he couldn’t help it. It dropped down and landed on Yongguk’s shoulder. He heard a surprised “oh,” but didn’t bother picking up his head. Yongguk, bony as he was, had very comfortable, wide shoulders to sleep on. And that was when Himchan’s nose twitched.

            Somehow, even after sweating buckets, his best friend still managed to smell so good. Himchan adjusted his head so that his nose was right against the collar of Yongguk’s shirt. There it was; the magic scent! He inhaled deeply and he felt Yongguk turn his head to stare at him. He kept his facial muscles still, not wanting anything to give him away.

            Yongguk chuckled and leaned his head against the window, consequently making Himchan need to lean closer to smell him better. He took in another deep breath and held it, wanting to savor the smell. Forgive him, he was tired.       

            Himchan slowly drifted off to sleep. Sometime, whether in his dreams, or goodness forbid, in real life, he remember mumbling, “You smell so good,” to Yongguk.

            If he recalled correctly, Yongguk had laughed and replied, “Is that why you were always taking deep breaths whenever you stood next to me.” He had nodded in confirmation.

            And now, as Himchan bolted upright in the car, he looked at Yongguk and could only pray it had been a dream. The car was turning into the driveway of the dorm so he snuck a look at Yongguk.

            His best friend was smiling at him, eyes twinkling and looking as if they held back an amusing secret. Himchan’s heart sank. Darn it, the obsession was really out. “We’re back,” he said, trying to diffuse any awkwardness.

            Yongguk nodded. “Excellent observations. I see your eyes work as well as your nose does.”

            “Did I say anything?” Himchan asked.

            Yongguk blinked his eyes, the picture of absolute innocence as he shook his head. “No, of course not. What could you have said when you were fast asleep?” But Himchan saw from the corner of his eye, Yongguk slowly lifting his collar to his nose and smelling himself. He slipped down in his seat and decided he was going to not sleep with Yongguk in the same room that night. Things just escalated too quickly.

cracky Banghim ^^