The sky is dark.

The rain is pouring.

The day is gloomy.

But the world is beautiful..

Because in it, there is you.

[ Spring. March 2014 ]

****

The light sound of the ballpoint of the pen scratching against the paper fills Kyungsoo’s ears as he mouths what he is writing. A few more scratches and then a period comes, ending it. He pauses for a while as he stares at the paper, not really reading what is written on it, before putting down the pen on the middle of the leather notebook and looking ahead, forearms leaning on the counter table.

He stares outside as the sunshine reflects into the center aisle of the convenience store. Living in the outskirts of Seoul, far from the busy center of the city, has its perks. And one of those are the mornings like this. There are not much people who visit the store, so he almost knows everyone who frequently visits the store. There’s peace and serenity in this place. Kyungsoo had always been busy when he used to work in the National Seoul Hospital and that means not being able to appreciate the beautiful little things that this place has to offer. After resigning in his work and taking over his father’s convenience store, Kyungsoo had been experiencing and admiring things that the life of a busy person living in the busy part of Seoul could not even spare time to think of. He never noticed how beautiful the world could be despite the tragedies and how unfair life could be.

And now, someone even adds to the beauty of his world.

He grabs a pencil and flips the paper to the next page. With brows scrunched together in concentration, he lets his hand take control as he draws a certain someone. Silence almost becomes deafening as he concentrates on his drawing; only the sound of the pencil lead gracefully touching the paper with every smooth and shades and the light sound of the eraser scratching the paper when a small error detail is noticed. And after awhile, a smile blooms on his face as he holds the notebook in front of him.

Ah, he looks handsome even in drawings.

He puts down the paper and picks up the fountain pen.

“Kim...” he whispers in his soft voice. “Jong...in.”, He ends it with a period and smiles again.

A sigh escapes his lips as he runs his fingers through the canvas note paper, feeling the texture of the canvas on his fingertips. He flips the paper and reads what he had previously just wrote. 

"The sky is dark... The rain is pouring...", and he had to stop as a thought crosses his mind. How cheesy everything is in this notebook.

and Luhan...

He flips the paper to the page where his recent drawing is. Luhan would probably be teasing him about the cheesiness of everything in this notebook. If Luhan was here. If only Luhan was by his side. There are so many things he wants to tell his best friend. Luhan has always been the only friend whom he can share his personal concerns to. From the things that make him happy to those that make him sad, Luhan knows all of that. Sometimes it's even his best friend who knows what he wants when he doesn't. Luhan always knows what to do and what to tell him. When he's happy or sad, it's always Luhan who learns about it. And now that Luhan's away, he feels a sense of emptiness because there isn't a Luhan who would sweet-talk him into sharing his personal concerns. He wants Luhan to be there. But it's not like he could and would want to interrupt his best friend's business. He knows that his best friend had always been wanting to make it big in the business world and now that he is in his way to achieving his dream, Kyungsoo wouldn't just interfere with it. Even if it means not being by his best friend's side all the time.

But right now... Right now he just misses his best friend so much. It is almost already three months since Luhan went to this business trip of his and until now, the only call he received was that one time when the latter was yet to go to wherever he is going. Only that once. Kyungsoo doesn't understand this business trip, or the business world to be general, but isn't he at least allowed to call home?

He fishes out his smartphone from the back pocket of his pants and goes to the list of numbers he has dialed. All, except the three others for his colleagues, are for Luhan. And the latter has not even picked it up… not even once. 

Well it's not like Kyungsoo is really expecting his best friend to contact him often. But at least...

He hasn’t been this far from his best friend. When he lived far from home at a condominium in the busiest part of Seoul, Luhan would always make sure to visit him at least three or four times a week. He was too busy to visit his real home but seeing Luhan always makes him feel like nothing really changed.

A sigh follows suit as he slumps down on the table.

Then it hit him. 

What if something wrong happened to Luhan? What if he got into an accident that's why he was never able to contact home? A wave of euphoria and worry hits Kyungsoo. He can't say that he's a paranoid person as a whole, but still when it comes to the few people he cares so much about, anxiety and paranoia hits him to the point that it scares every fiber of his being.

It can't be, right? Luhan's okay... Luhan's okay... 

He repeats that to himself over and over again like a mantra as he dials his best friend's number again, hoping that there would be an answer although the possibility of it is so miniscule. 

Luhan had always been clumsy and sickly. Sometimes he even tries to hide it when he’s sick but being his best friend and the professional doctor that he is, Kyungsoo can figure out that his best friend it out just by hearing his voice—at least most of the time. Luhan isn’t hiding something, is he? Kyungsoo feels his heart twisting in worry.

And just when it feels like his heart is about to stop, it starts ringing. 

Luhan's phone is ringing!

He didn't have to think twice before he let his feet switch to autopilot. Next thing he knew, he was running outside the store, heart racing with worry and mind completely occupied by the thought of his best friend.

****

“K-Kyungsoo…” The man with pale skin stutters as he looks with wide eyes at his best friend glaing at him although bent down, hands on both knees, while panting hard.

The travel from Kyungsoo’s place to Luhan’s house takes 30 minutes by walking and 15 minutes by cab. Kyungsoo took a cab and begged-yelled at the driver to step on it, eyes b with tears. The instant he pays the cab driver, he jumps out of the cab and runs towards the narrow street that leads to Luhan’s house.

“Kyungie’ah, I was actually on my way to your—“, but then a hit on his arm silences Luhan.

“Ow! Kyungie that hurts!”, he rubs his arm that was hit and looks at Kyungsoo with a pout.

“You stupid, forgetful best friend who forgets about his only best friend.”. Kyungsoo yells at him while hitting his arms and chest with every word. Luhan flinches every time but only stares at his best friend with an apologetic look.

“Did you not miss me?!”, Kyungsoo yells again, eyes already b with tears.

Kyungsoo, even from the very beginning, isn’t like every child. He matured earlier than others, thought about mature things about, about his future. Being an only child made him a deep thinker and mature, distancing him from people he loves. But even though Kyungsoo mostly keeps himself away from others, Luhan knows how fragile he could be. How delicate of a person he is and how he, just like everyone else, yearns for company. For love.

Luhan brings up his hands to cup his best friend’s face.

“Of course I missed you... I missed you so much.” he softly answers, thumbs wiping away the tears beginning to roll down his best friend’s pale cheeks.

Kyungsoo is scared. He is very scared. He had lost his father not so long ago and now there’s only him and Luhan left together. He can’t lose Luhan too. He doesn’t want to.

“You missed me but you didn’t contact me for almost three months!” he chokes out.

“I’m so sorry, Kyungsoo. I’m so sorry,” he says, flinching as Kyungsoo keeps on hitting him. He doesn’t do anything to stop Kyungsoo. It really is his fault. How could he not contact Kyungsoo for that long? Even he had wanted to contact Kyungsoo but things happened and the circumstances didn’t allow him a conversation with his best friend.

“And you made me spend my birthday alone!” Kyungsoo chokes out and hit him hard again.

“I’m sorry... I’ll make it up to you, okay?”

But Kyungsoo continues to cry and hit him on the chest.

“I thought something happened to you! You scared me! You—“, Kyungsoo may have been too carried away by his emotions that he wasn’t aware he’d been hitting Luhan who has been accepting the blows. It was when a hand grabs his arm and yanks him away from Luhan that he realizes it.

“What do you think you’re doing?” the tall person with an infuriated look on his face yells at Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo looks at the man in shock. He’s that person… the person Luhan likes.

“S-Sehun! Sehun it’s okay! He’s my best friend!” Luhan exclaims, holding Sehun’s arm to stop him from doing anything further that can hurt Kyungsoo.

Sehun looks at the man he yanked away and narrowed his eyes at him, debating if he should or should not let him go. The man was just hurting Luhan just a while ago. He can’t let anyone hurt Luhan. No one is allowed to. But he feels a light tug of his arm and he looks back to Luhan holding onto his arm, looking at him with pleading eyes, so he lets go of the man.

He keeps his face stoic as he lets go of the smaller male although he feels like there are some small electric things sparking inside of him because of Luhan's touch.

Luhan lets go of him and walks toward the smaller male and hugs him. Sehun immediately had the urge to yank someone away, this time it’s Luhan he wants to yank away.

“Are you okay, Kyungsoo?”

****

“So we were so busy about these plans and all and one of the guests turned out to be a spy, trying to steal the ideas about the new ingredients or recipes we came out with. They confiscated our mobile phones after that and they had to fix the problem for two weeks so yeah, I was idle for two weeks, just strolling around the streets of Chicago.”

Kyungsoo nods his head in silence. Luhan leans on his best friend’s shoulder. They are currently at the kitchen overlooking the living room, standing by the table as they chat.

“But you could have emailed me...”

“They also had the internet connection cut off when out of the site and if I want I can use the one at the library but I’m always dead tired so I immediately fall asleep after the activities. Do you want to see our designs and recipes? I’ll take it out. It’s just upstairs.”, Luhan proudly smiles.

Kyungsoo smiles too and shakes his head. “No need.” His best friend doesn’t need to prove anything to him. The proud smile on the face of his best friend is enough as a proof to him.

Silence ensues as they both stare at the glass of water they are holding.

It was Kyungsoo who breaks it.

“You’ve become thinner...”

Luhan looks at him with wide eyes before laughing.

“American food doesn’t suit me at all. I’m so not used to their oversized foods and I’m always craving the food you cook for me, and just any Korean or Chinese food, so I only eat a little there. And I also had to skip some meals because we were busy…” Luhan mumbles while rubbing his nape. He knows how strict Kyungsoo is about his health and how much diet means to him.

Kyungsoo nods again quietly. “Then I’ll cook for you often. You have to visit me often okay? And I’ll visit you often too. I really missed you a lot...”, Kyungsoo says in a pout, eyes downcast. Although he feels relieved that Luhan is okay now, he still feels sad that Luhan has not been eating well and that he has not seen him for so long.

Luhan giggles at his best friend pouting. Kyungsoo doesn’t usually pout. Because a pout is an aegyo to him so he doesn’t do it. But his best friend is pouting right now, plump lower lips jutted out cutely in ways Kyungsoo would probably not want it to.

Luhan hugs his best friend.

“I will. Of course I will...”

Kyungsoo hugs him back and after a while they pull away. Kyungsoo looks towards the man that is currently looking out of the window, an irritated look still on his face.

He doesn’t know Luhan and that man has already gotten in close terms for that man to actually get invited inside his best friend’s house or come without being invited. He was about to ask his best friend about it but Luhan asks something first that makes him panic.

“How’s the convenience store going?”

Kyungsoo’s mouth hangs open for a good two seconds with really wide, before he starts panicking.

“I left the store open!  IcompletelyforgotwhenIcamerunninghere!” Kyungsoo mumble yells as he runs to the doorstep to put on his shoes. “Oh my God, Luhan I gotta go! I’ll call you okay, I’ll call you!”, he yells as he runs out of the house, not even waiting for his best friend to answer.

Luhan is left staring at where his best friend disappeared to, not able to process everything that his best friend tells him. 

He blinks once before his eyes fall to the person now staring at him by the window. The irritated face of the man began to soften as he walks towards Luhan.

Luhan’s breath hitches when the man is already standing so near him.

“Welcome back.” The man softly says as he envelopes Luhan in a hug.

Luhan likes hugging Sehun, his distinct smell fills his nose. And Luhan feels as if he wouldn’t mind staying that way forever.

And for minutes they stayed that way.

****

Kyungsoo is panting hard because he ran on the uphill road to his convenience store. His heart is racing but it’s not because of that. It’s because of the man standing right in front of him.

“Y-you’re here…” he says as he looks at his wrist watch. It’s 9AM and it’s Tuesday. Although Kyungsoo will always be happy every time the man comes and he gets the chance to see him, but he will never get used to this. He had been so used to only seeing the man once a week and the torment of waiting for six days, that seeing him more often now never fails to surprise him and his heart, that immediately starts going berserk at the sight of the man.

“Uh...I... I saw you when you ran out of the store early this morning and... uh... you forgot to close the store so I decided to wait…” Kai was looking away when he was talking. “...for you.” he continues then he looks at Kyungsoo in the eyes.

His eyes widen even more. “Y-you waited for me? But it took me three hours...”

He hears a soft chuckle.

“It’s okay, I... I wanted to buy Ramen anyway that’s why...”

Kai is lying. Of course he is lying because his night shift just ended and he was supposed to go straight to bed to rest because he is always busy and dead tired on his Monday to Saturday shifts. But there he was waiting for the owner of the store who was dashing out when he was about to arrive and didn’t get to talk with. Waiting isn’t a problem to him. That is, if it's Kyungsoo he needs to wait for.

“I’m sorry...” Kyungsoo says, eyes downcast.

“Ah it’s okay!” Kai says waving a hand nonchalantly to dismiss Kyungsoo’s apologetic thoughts.

But then Kyungsoo gasps as his eyes falls to a leather notebook in Kai’s hands. Kai looks at where Kyungsoo is staring and lifts it.

“Oh...this...” He stretches his hand to give the leather notebook to Kyungsoo. “your drawing...is... really nice," he says as his other hand rubs the back of his neck.

And Kyungsoo had the urge to deny that it isn’t his. That it was left by some customer. And he was just looking after it. Because this is embarrassing. Kim Jongin saw his drawing. His drawing of him.

“Don’t worry. I didn’t flip through the pages. I just saw it when a woman came to buy something... and I closed it immediately, I swear.” Kai mumbles although the smile on his face looks beyond awkward.

Kyungsoo still doesn’t look up, his cheeks reddening in embarrassment with every second. Kim Jongin just saw it. He saw it. Even if he says that he didn’t read what was written in it but the fact that he saw the drawing. He saw. He saw. The existence of the leather notebook was supposed to be a secret, never to be mentioned to anyone (except of course to Luhan who knows about it already), let alone Kim Jongin who is the subject of every page, every sentence, every paragraph, every scribble, and every drawing. Kyungsoo feels his gut twisting as he wishes he could disappear into a bubble right this instant.

And Kai only stares at the smaller male with a smile on his face.

Kyungsoo looks adorable, he thinks.

Kyungsoo's pencil drawing of Jongin.

credits to yana15 :>

Omoooooo it's been so long since I last updated neh? ><

I'm so sorry. It's just because it was exams week last last week then after that I wanted to update but I ended up slacking off  because I still feel so tired after the sleepless nights and didn't get to update any of my fics except for that BaekYeol and then I was finally able to update WSGW but this.. this. T_T

Honto gomenasai! (/ TT^TT)/

ehhh why am I saying Japanese words.. -.-

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