13th of January  1/2

January 13, 2010

Today is the 9th year since Kyungsoo had known Jongin. They had known each other for so long and hey were almost like brothers and they could never be separated by anything since the day they met each other.
The two of them became friends in a blink of an eye and no one knows how but now, Kyungsoo woke up only to realize that it has been exactly 9 years since he met the dark kid at the playground.

"Kyungsoo! Hurry up, Jongin's here and we're going to be late if you're being as slow as a turtle." His mother shouted from downstairs.

They're about to go to a fancy restaurant to celebrate both Jongin and Kyungsoo's birthday. Actually, today is the 13th of January, the date between Kyungsoo and Jongin's birthday and yes, it was also the 13th of January when they met 9 years ago.

Kyungsoo hurried downstairs like a kid and he almost fell down at the last step but fortunately, his best friend caught him before he even did.

"Be careful, hyung. You're already 18, you should know how to act your age." Jongin reminded him using his sweet voice and breath taking smile that Kyungsoo always falls for.

Yes. He is in love with his best friend for exactly five years. He doesn't know how it happened as well but he realized it while he was in the same table as Jongin while celebrating their birthdays on January 13, five years ago. He knows he doesn't have a chance but he didn't even try to stop his feelings. Stupid right?

"Yes I do. Don't lecture me as if you know everything, Kim Jongin. You're younger than me, remember?" Kyungsoo, as usual, acted like the way he usually does, or should I say, he pretended like he's not in love with his best friend and instead, he's a y older that hates being lectured.

Because Jongin can't know or else, their 9 years of friendship will be forgotten in a blink of an eye as well.

"I remember that. You always remind me every single day." Jongin laughed as they make their way to Mrs. Kim's car while Kyungsoo was fighting the urge to get his phone to record his best friend's laugh.

*****

Kyungsoo doesn't know how long will he be able to keep his feelings and lock them in a cage to hide them from everyone's eyes and ears. 

Especially when Jongin started dating someone a month after their birthday.

It killed Kyungsoo to see Jongin holding hands with someone else. It was only him that's allowed to hold Jongin's hands. But maybe that was before. Way back when they were still playing with toy cars and water guns.
Kyungsoo was dying slowly each time Jongin would kiss Krystal in front of him and he could never do anything about it except to pretend that he was happy for his best friend.

But he was ing not.

And that was not the end of Kyungsoo's suffering. 

The worst part about Jongin dating someone was that Kyungsoo could not even bear to hate Krystal because she was perfect. Krystal was nice. She cares about Jongin and she even brings him food for lunch that even Kyungsoo finds delicious. She is smart and one of the top students in her class. She's beautiful yet humble. She is friendly and she was loved by almost all of their friends. Almost because Byun Baekhyun hates her. Nobody knows why but whenever Baekhyun es about something to her, she would just smile innocently.

Kyungsoo wished that Krystal would just be a so he could finally hate her.

But whatever he does, he would still wake up and be greeted by her who was standing just outside Jongin's house that was just next to theirs and his heart would break each time.

*****

It was a night in early November when Jongin knocked at their door. Kyungsoo's parents were gone that night because of some business related stuff so he was alone in the house. When Kyungsoo opened their door, he was surprised to see his best friend crying and sobbing like there's no tomorrow and worse is that Jongin smelled like alcohol. 

"What's wrong Jongin? Tell me.." Kyungsoo wanted to scold the younger for drinking but he knows this isn't the right time. Jongin looked wasted and broken.

"Hyung..." Jongin's sudden sob broke Kyungsoo's heart. What the hell happened to Jongin for him to cry like this?

"Stop. Stop. Stop. Don't cry. Just tell hyung what happened. I'm right here.." Kyungsoo was trying to calm his best friend but he himself could not hold it anymore if Jongin would continue crying.
This was the first time he had seen Jongin cry like this. Something serious must have happened but if Jongin can't tell him, he wouldn't ask anything further.

Jongin calmed down after an hour but his eyes were still red from crying and he won't speak a word about his problem to Kyungsoo but the older just gave his best friend a glas of water and a blanket for him to be comfortable.

It was almost midnight when Kyungsoo finally gave up and accepted the fact that Jongin is not going to tell him anything. He was about to go to his room upstairs when Jongin's soft voice was heard.

"Hyung.. Krystal and I.... We broke up."

That time, Kyungsoo thought that he was the worst best friend on Earth because instead of pity, he felt happiness and relief.

*****

It was a week before Christmas when Kyungsoo and Baekhyun went shopping to buy their relatives and friends some gifts.

"You know, call me an , jerk or bastard but I'm really glad that Jongin and Krystal broke up." Baekhyun said while scanning the guitars in front of them. Kyungsoo just stared at him and when Baekhyun felt his friend's gaze, he smiled.

"What? Don't tell me you aren't? You're in love with Jongin after all, right? Oh, what's with that face? Yes yes. Shocking that I know right? But it's because I know that I hated that angel Krystal. She's so nice that I hated her even more because I knew you can't despise her.."

Kyungsoo's heart stopped and he dropped the drum stick he was holding.

*****

A Christmas party was held in Chanyeol's house. All twelve of them was there since they couldn't spend their time together lately.

Jongdae wanted to play a game. Minseok suggested the usual truth or dare. But Sehun disagreed. So Luhan suggested to put a twist in the game.
And as the host, Chanyeol suggested that if the person cannot answer the question given or cannot do the dare, then he need to strip all his clothings except the underwear and no one would want that since it's already freezing cold tonight.

So that's how Tao ended up admitting that he's in love with Yifan, Jongdae having a scandal in which he dances ily in front of Minseok on top of a table, Luhan having to cross dress as a maid in a revealing costume, Joonmyun and Yixing having bruises because of different reasons and Baekhyun admitting that he already had with Chanyeol.

Everyone was laughing their hearts out until the bottle ended up pointing at Kyungsoo.

"Truth or Dare, Kyungsoo?" Yixing asked while smiling innocently.

"Truth."

"Okay I'll ask the question!" Jongdae shouts and Yixing didn't have a choice but to give way. Jongdae thanks Yixing and a weird smile forms on his face.

"So Do Kyungsoo, I know you're in love with someone but I don't know who. May I ask who the lucky person is? And hold it. I can tell if you're lying or not." Every word that Jongdae says makes Kyungsoo's get goosebumps. What the hell? Does Jongdae really not know or is this bastard just playing with him?

All eyes were now on him and he was out of words and he's feeling like his throat is already dry.

"Yah Jongdae. That's a little too personal." Baekhyun was trying to defend his friend but maybe he just can't because Jongdae knows how to control the situation.

"What? No way! Tao just admitted his undying love to Yifan and you just confessed, finally, that you and Chanyeol did it. So this can't be that personal right?"

Kyungsoo sighed then stood up, making all the attention to be directed to him once again.

"Fine. I'll strip."

Everyone's mouth fell open but they couldn't say anything. Kyungsoo was in the middle of removing his sweater when Joonmyun suddenly stopped him.

"Wait! How about let's give him a dare? If he can't do it, then he'll just have to strip. Oh god, just please. You know Kyungsoo gets sick easily."

"It's kind of a special treatment but no one disagrees to it so maybe it's fine~" Jongdae said then turned to Chanyeol for him to give Kyungsoo a dare.

"Soo, because we love you, we'll give you an easy one..." The smile on Chanyeol's face made Kyungsoo nervous and when Chanyeol continued talking, he knows why that smile cannot be washed off Chanyeol's face.

"Kiss the recently broken hearted guy on the lips passionately." Chanyeol said while looking at Jongin who was slumped down on one corner.

Where is the easy part on that dare?! Kyungsoo could almost faint on the spot.

"What the hell Chanyeol?!" Jongin suddenly stood up because he's the 'recently-broken-hearted' guy obviously but he almost fell down since he's not that sober anymore himself.

"What? This is just for fun."

"No. I'll just strip. Sorry guys. I can't do that to my best friend. He looks so fragile at the moment."

But before Kyungsoo could even start, Jongin's hands stopped him.

"No, wait! I won't let you catch a damn cold." Jongin said before placing his lips against Kyungsoo's.

*****

January 12, 2011

Kyungsoo was going crazy. Jongin was not talking to him for weeks and he is obviously avoiding Kyungsoo.

It was because of that ing party. Kyungsoo thought as he replays the night in his mind.

The way Jongin kissed him passionately just to save him from stripping and catching a cold, the way they didn't stop and went further than that, the way their friends told them to do whatever they're planning to do in a room and not in front of them, the way Jongin pulled Kyungsoo towards an empty room effortlessly, the way Jongin made love to him that night was unforgettable.

But the moment he woke up the next day to find the other side of the bed empty was also never going to leave his mind.

How Jongin avoided him like plague will haunt him forever.

"Kyungsoo-ah. Happy birthday, son." His mother's head popped out of his door and she was smiling.

"Mom, you never greet me at the 12th. It's always at the 13th." Kyungsoo said then covered himself with a blanket.

*****

January 12, 2011 / 8:48 PM

"WHAT?!" Kyungsoo slammed his palms at their dining table when his mother told him that Jongin and his family are moving out tomorrow.

"Kyungsoo, I thought you knew." His mother looked at him, surprised. Why the hell would he know?! He never left his room for 's sake!

"I don't! I didn't! Why did you only mention that now?!" But Kyungsoo didn't let his mother answer because he stormed out of their house and ran to the house next to theirs.

Kyungsoo slammed his fists at the door while shouting Jongin's name. He didn't stop until finally, Jongin's mother opened the door.

"K-kyungsoo..."

"Mrs. Kim! Please! Let me talk to Jongin.. Even for the last time.. Please please.." Kyungsoo was almost begging but Mrs. Kim looked down and shook her head.

"I-i'm sorry Kyungsoo but, Jongin doesn't want to see you."

That night, Kyungsoo cried himself to sleep.

*****

January 13, 2011

Kyungsoo didn't leave his room. He didn't want to see Jongin moving out at their birthday. Kyungsoo, for the first time in a long time, sang so loud that his throat hurt because he didn't want to hear the noise of the truck. He sang all the songs he knew he could reach until he was crying.
It was an hour ago when the truck left, so did Jongin, and that made Kyungsoo cry even more.

He was already 19! So why the is he crying over his best friend moving to some place else, you ask?

Well, maybe it's because that Kyungsoo is in love with his best friend for a long time and something happened between them last Christmas and Kyungsoo would not just forget about that.

If only he knew where Jongin was moving, he wouldn't be crying like this. If Jongin only talked to him even for the last time, Kyungsoo would not feel like dying.

But it was too late for the both of them.

Kyungsoo's heart was already shattered to pieces and he does nothing to bring them back together. 

While Jongin was as clueless as he'll ever be.