Sunday, 15th Oct 2017

6.00pm

Donghae emerged from the shower, freshly showered and squeaky clean, smelling of his favourite cinnamon and spices aroma. He dried his wet hair half-heartedly with his semi-wet towel before draping it over his bed. He knew it wasn’t hygienic to put it there but he couldn’t be bothered to do it, especially since neither of his housemates was home to nag him about it. Heechul was out dating with that Chinese boyfriend of his. Ryeowook was at a school camp because his crush was there. And Siwon was at the gym because he was courting his trainer. Donghae was kind of used to being home alone anyway. He was almost always the only one home because his boyfriend was working outstation and they only got to meet once or twice a month, and today was the day. Donghae could hardly wait.

Humming softly, he decided to fix himself a snack in the kitchen because it was still early to prepare for his date. Hyukjae had told him to get ready at seven, and he had an entire hour till then. He put on a pair of boxers, closed the door behind him and trekked to the kitchen, Ryeowook’s territory, and looked for the jar labelled with his name. It was kept full of his most favourite treats that Ryeowook would so generously make for him fresh every week, actually to keep the careless Donghae away from burning the kitchen down every time he wanted something to eat, which was practically every fifteen minutes or so. He took out a yogurt bar and headed towards the living room before switching on the television.

6.30pm

Donghae decided to start getting ready for his date. He switched off the TV and brushed the crumbs off his chest to the floor, knowing that Ryeowook would sweep it up when he came back tomorrow – never mind that Ryeowook would lecture him for a good half hour about leaving crumbs out for cockroaches to find. He could recite the speech in his sleep already. He stretched lazily on the couch and popped a few joints before hopping up and doing a full somersault over the back of the couch. He grinned. He certainly had to show Hyukjae that neat little trick of his sometime later tonight.

Donghae hunted for his phone next. He wanted to see if Hyukjae had texted or called him in case he arrived early and surprised Donghae in his underwear (it had happened a few times before). Realising that he had left it back in the room, Donghae simply walked over to the door and gave it a gentle push, expecting it to open at once.

It didn’t.

Eyes wide, Donghae shoved a little harder against the door, but it held and stayed in place. He twisted the door knob and pushed again, hoping that it was just something that had gotten stuck behind the door, but to his dismay he found out that he was well and truly locked out of his own room. How did it happen, he had no idea, but he knew he was in big trouble. He put his ear at the door and heard Hyukjae’s ringtone, probably muffled under some blankets.

Donghae’s eye flitted around the apartment in panic. Hyukjae had called him half an hour early – did that mean that his boyfriend was coming up soon? Was he stuck in a traffic jam? Was he getting robbed? Did someone steal his phone? Was that the kidnapper who kidnapped his boyfriend and was demanding ransom? Was it the police calling him to inform him that Hyukjae had been involved in an accident? WAS HYUKJAE GOING TO BREAK UP WITH HIM?

“Ahhhh!!!”

Donghae yelled out in frustration and pounded severely at the door, ending up with sore knuckles and a still-locked door. He suddenly remembered that Ryeowook used to keep a spare key somewhere in the apartment in case anyone got locked out, but he didn’t know where. He would have called him only if he could… but the camp Ryeowook was at banned phones, and besides, it wasn’t like Donghae had a phone to call him with in the first place.

He rushed into the kitc