"Class outing!" 

"Class what?" 

Kyungsoo decided to change their regular routine. Although the baking was fun, not much progress was being made, neither for him nor Monggu. "Yeah! Class outing," said Kyungsoo. "Me, you, Monggu, out." Chanyeol looked unsure of the idea, saying that he was afraid of Monggu running off again. "I'll carry him for now," assured Kyungsoo. "We'll go to the pet store first to get a leash, and then you can walk him." Upon hearing this, Chanyeol agreed wholeheartedly and was excited at the thought of finally controlling Monggu. With that leash, he could do anything. "Come on," said Kyungsoo, grabbing his keys. "I'm driving." Kyungsoo carried Monggu to the driver's seat and placed him in his lap. Chanyeol joined him by his side and they were soon off to the pet supermarket. 

"WOOOAH," exclaimed Chanyeol. It was his first time seeing such a place; the mega store was five storeys high, with each level dedicated to a different animal. Kyungsoo, Monggu, and Chanyeol took the lift up to the top most floor for dogs. They grabbed a trolley and put Monggu in.

"I thought you said we were just getting a leash," asked Chanyeol. "What's with the trolley?" 

"Little Monggu here doesn't seem to have many belongings, does he?" Said Kyungsoo, petting the puppy's head. "Food, toys, clothes, and a bed! He can't sleep on that rug forever you know. And if I continue feeding him rice he'll get fat and-"

"Hey, relax...It's not like Monggu's staying with you forever," said Chanyeol. Kyungsoo realised this too and apologised for getting carried away. His excitement for shopping died down a little but he couldn't show Chanyeol his disappointment. 

"I just really like animals okay," defended Kyungsoo. "And make sure Jongin thanks me for all this." 

Chanyeol went silent and Kyungsoo just continued strolling around, happily pushing Monggu in the empty trolley.

"Free samples!" A saleswoman shouted from the food aisles. Chanyeol's attention went straight to the bone-shaped biscuits on the her tray and he pulled the trolley towards her, along with Kyungsoo and Monggu. The woman looked at Monggu and smiled, but when she looked at Kyungsoo and Chanyeol she smiled even harder.

"What a cute couple!" she said, batting her eyelids. 

Chanyeol immediately burst out laughing. His roaring voice echoed through the entire level and it gathered a few howls from other owners' dogs. Kyungsoo just stood there dumbfounded. Did Chanyeol really find that much hilarity in them being a couple? 

"Thanks, but we're not a couple." replied Kyungsoo, tugging Chanyeol's shirt and pulling him away from the creepy lady. Chanyeol quickly took a biscuit before being dragged off. 

"That lady really made my day," said Chanyeol, taking a bite of the treat. Kyungsoo cringed. "You know that's for dogs, right?" Chanyeol looked at the cookie in his hand, confused at how it tasted so good. "But it's delicious..." His eyes glistened, and he stared at the treat as if searching for the answer to the universe.

Kyungsoo was going crazy at how adorable he was. Without thinking, he reached up and gently wiped a crumb off Chanyeol's lips.The taller guy was startled by their sudden contact and his large ears slowly turned red. "Uhh, thanks." Chanyeol said. Kyungsoo immediately drew his hands back to the trolley's handlebar. He gripped it hard and swore to resist anymore temptations to touch Chanyeol. 

Kyungsoo snatched 2 bags of kibble before exploring the next aisle of clothes. Chanyeol brought his hands to his face and squealed, "SO CUUUUTE!" He ran straight to the costumes and picked up a small bunny suit. "KYUNGSOO CAN WE MAKE HIM WEAR THIS PLEASE?!" Chanyeol begged. Kyungsoo's mood lightened too after seeing all the adorable costumes. He took the suit from Chanyeol and waved it in front of Monggu. 

"Monggu ya, do you like this?"  

He sniffed it and turned away.

"He's probably gonna hate you more if you disgrace him with this outfit." 

Chanyeol bit his tongue to stop himself from cursing again. "How about this?" he said, holding up a blue shirt with a big pink cupcake printed on it. 

"Now that is nice." Kyungsoo said. He held the little shirt in his hands and the soft fabric. He pictured Monggu in the cute outfit, bouncing around the house like a little chocolate ball. As the bakery's mascot, he would attract more customers and make this neighbourhood a much happier place. He and Chanyeol could run the business together and live happily ever after.

But reality hit him hard when he thought about what Chanyeol said earlier, about how Monggu wasn't his. 

About how Chanyeol wouldn't stay forever.

"But what does Jongin like?"
"Hm?"
"Jongin," said Kyungsoo. "What does he like?"

Chanyeol smiled again. The same hearty smile that'd grow on his face everytime Jongin was mentioned. 

"Dancing," he replied. "He likes dancing." 

Jongin the dancer, thought Kyungsoo. He looked through the colourful array of costumes and picked up a pink ballerina tutu. He showed it to Chanyeol and laughed.
“Too much?” he asked.
“Worse than the bunny.” Chanyeol replied.

They looked through the pile of clothes again and Chanyeol quickly spotted another outfit. “This is perfect.” It was a pair of mini pyjamas, sewn together with dark blue cloth that had small yellow stars printed on it. It felt incredibly soft, and it was definitely thick enough for the colder seasons.  

“Jongin liked sleeping too, so..."
"So pyjamas it is!" Kyungsoo said. He gained approval from Monggu and put it in the trolley. He was leaving the aisle when Chanyeol suddenly shouted.
“Kyungsoo, look at this!” He turned his head and saw Chanyeol holding the biggest doggy shirt he had ever seen. “Apparently it’s for Great Danes!” Chanyeol said excitedly. “But damn, I’m pretty sure you can fit in this.” Kyungsoo smacked him hard and walked off, leaving Chanyeol laughing to himself in that section.

Having fooled around enough, they eventually got the rest of the stuff and left, accidentally catching the eye of the overly-friendly saleswoman near the lift. Chanyeol tried waving goodbye but Kyungsoo was too quick to swipe his hand back down. 

"Let's go before she follows us home..." Kyungsoo warned.

They returned to Kyungsoo's place and unpacked Monggu's new belongings. His home was starting to look more like a doggy day-care but Kyungsoo didn't mind one bit. Maybe in the future he could reel in another cute dog with an equally cute owner. 

"WE SHOULD BATHE MONGGU NOW," Chanyeol demanded, holding the new bottle of shampoo while pinching his nose. "HE'S REALLY STARTING TO STINK." 

Kyungsoo was intrigued by the idea. The two of them sitting by the tub, trying to clean the mischievous little puppy and getting incredibly wet in the process. Kyungsoo would slip on the tiles and fall right into Chanyeol's arms, causing both men to break into giggles and share a playful kiss.

"No, no," Kyungsoo said, suddenly remembering his plans for the evening. "He might get dirty again later."
Chanyeol looked disappointed. "Why?"
"Because," said Kyungsoo, whipping out a pair of sunglasses and sliding it over his face. "We're going to the beach!"
Chanyeol's face lit up again and he clapped excitedly. "Class outing part two?"
"Class outing part two," said Kyungsoo. He hopped into the kitchen and started preparing the ingredients for his pasta.
 "Waaah, we're having a picnic?" said Chanyeol. "How romantic."
Kyungsoo fumbled (again) with his knife but luckily this time, Chanyeol was there to keep him steady.
"Hey, relax." he said, grabbing Kyungsoo's wrist. "Gently, like this." He positioned himself behind Kyungsoo and held the onion in one hand, wrapping the other around Kyungsoo's fingers on the knife. "Slowly, chop chop chop."

Thankfully Chanyeol was doing all the work because Kyungsoo felt absolutely numb. His petit body was enveloped by Chanyeol and he was too busy swooning to pay attention to anything else. 

"I learnt from a great teacher, didn't I?" said Chanyeol, murmuring into Kyungsoo's ear.
"Hm, mm? Oh, yeah."
"Ha, look at you." said Chanyeol, breaking away from Kyungsoo. "You're growing red like a tomato." 

Kyungsoo felt his face heating up and he shyly turned away to check on the boiling pasta. He continued working in silence until their meal was done, straightaway packing the food in containers and putting it all in a picnic basket. Chanyeol helped gather their things while Kyungsoo put on Monggu's new leash and soon, they were out of the house again. Kyungsoo breathed in the cool air and relaxed, causing the blood in his cheeks to rush back down. 

"Can I walk him now?" asked Chanyeol. It had been 2 minutes since they left and Monggu was still stuck to Kyungsoo's side. He gave the leash to Chanyeol but the moment he touched the maroon rope, Monggu immediately sat down and refused to move. Chanyeol tugged the rope to no avail so Kyungsoo had to take over before Monggu's was forcefully dragged on the concrete pavement. 

"I really thought the leash would work," said Kyungsoo. "I guess we just need more time."
Monggu happily strolled again under Kyungsoo's control and this made Chanyeol hiss with frustration. "Monggu ya, how could you do this to me...." he whined. Kyungsoo giggled and gave him a comforting pat on the back. "Soon, my friend." 

They continued walking together as Kyungsoo daydreamed about Chanyeol despite him just being a few inches away. So near yet so far, he thought. Their arms were brushing against each other and Kyungsoo swore he could feel Chanyeol's fingers laced with his. He wished he didn't have such an active imagination because at times like these, it hurt to think too much.

Kyungsoo tightened his grip on Monggu's leash but instead of feeling the stiff rope, he felt the steady pulse of Chanyeol's palm.

Kyungsoo sensed his warmth and it felt too real to have been a dream. He thought he had finally snapped and lost his marbles. He stopped in front of a lamp post and was about to smash his head against it when Chanyeol screamed at him.

"What are you doing?!" Chanyeol said. Kyungsoo looked at him, then back down at their interlocked fingers. He realised that they were now holding onto Monggu's leash together and he let out a quiet "Oh."

"Look," said Chanyeol, frantically pointing at the brown poodle. "He didn't sit down even though I'm touching the thing, THE THING!!" It's true that Chanyeol was touching the leash, and that Monggu hadn't reacted, but Kyungsoo was still the one handling it and he was doubtful of Chanyeol's idea. Nevertheless, they were now holding hands and Kyungsoo was in heaven. 

Hand-in-hand, they resumed walking with little Monggu marching in the front. Chanyeol giggled at the thought of deceiving the puppy but he didn't care; Monggu was finally walking under his control.

"If I let go, will it still work?" asked Kyungsoo, even though he secretly hoped it wouldn't.

He regretted saying that.

"We can try!" replied Chanyeol. Kyungsoo loosened his grip and slowly slid the leash through Chanyeol's fingers. He let go completely and Chanyeol was now walking Monggu on his own.

"What a weird dog," said Kyungsoo. He was a little bitter that Monggu had to separate them, but at least now Chanyeol was happy. 

The sun was already setting when they arrived at the beach. Chanyeol gaped at the warm horizon with such wonder that he trampled over a little girl's sandcastle without even realising it. The girl started to cry but Kyungsoo quickly cheered her up by letting her play with Monggu. He then grabbed the extremely dazed Chanyeol before he could sacrifice his body to the ocean. 

"Hey, get back here." Kyungsoo said. He took Chanyeol's hand and led him away from the shore. "You can play later. Let's eat first." 

Chanyeol wordlessly sat down on the mat and Kyungsoo started to worry. Ever since they stepped onto the sand, all Chanyeol could do was stare at the sea with a distant look in his eyes. Kyungsoo ate his food quietly and left him alone to ponder. Chanyeol ate too, but he never once took his eyes off the setting sun. 

"Monggu ya," said Kyungsoo, combing his fingers through the puppy's hair. "I hope you like the beach. Chanyeol seems to like it too! Maybe a little too much..." He glanced at the boy who was still in a trance. "Go on," he told Monggu. "Go play with Chanyeol." Surprisingly, Monggu stood up and slowly walked towards Chanyeol. He was about to nudge him in the back when Chanyeol suddenly turned around and hollered.

"WAH, THAT WAS GREAT!" 

His sudden outburst made Kyungsoo and Monggu yelp. The frightened puppy skittered back into Kyungsoo's lap and Chanyeol stared at them, puzzled by their stunned expressions. "What's up?"
"Nothing," Kyungsoo replied. "Just concerned about the extensive damage you've done to your eyes just by staring at the sun for like, half an hour."  
"Ha, I'm fine." said Chanyeol. "The sun's gone now so my eyes have time to heal."
Kyungsoo laughed at his silly remark. "You were literally watching the sun set?" he said. "You've got some great perseverance."
Chanyeol lowered his head and smiled. "I just felt like it needed some appreciation." 

Kyungsoo and Chanyeol lay under the stars, munching on chocolate cake and teasing Monggu with the sweet treats he couldn't have. Through the night, they shared stories with each other and laughed till their cheeks ached, and made so much noise till everyone on the beach was driven away. It was late, and they had the whole place to themselves. Amidst the chirping crickets and lapping waves, Chanyeol spoke softly to keep the mood. 

"Thank you,"
"For what?" Kyungsoo asked.
Chanyeol looked at him before leaning closer and planting a soft kiss on his lips.
"For being here." 

Even though his eyes were closed, Kyungsoo could still see the stars.