Chapter Two

Two Days Later

Dessert always came before lunch when the four of you hung out together. You had all breezed into and out of the little shop Cookie for Your Thoughts, which was situated downtown amidst all of the stores. Now, you were back out in the cold air.

Xero -- one of you best friends, a guy who was all sugar and spice and a little bit of bite -- held his heart-shaped sugar cookie up. Then he broke it in half in front of your eyes. "Like that," he said with a shrug, showing off his cute little smile, which was above a sharp jawline, "Sometimes, that's what you have to do with a bromance." He took a bite out of each half of the cookie. "Why are you asking about that? Have Hansol or B-joo been making plans without me again?"

You laughed. "No, Xero, this isn't about your bro-triangle with Hansol and Byungjoo. But while we're talking about that, don't you ever feel awkward about being the third wheel? What about that saying that three's a crowd?"

"Oh, come on, three is a party," Xero said happily, wrapping his arm around your shoulders as all of you strolled down the city sidewalk. "And who wouldn't want to hang out with me? Hansol and B-joo are very lucky that I invite myself to their outings. They love when I'm around. Besides, I'm Hansol and B-joo's best friend."

Seogoong paused and pointed at his broad chest. "Hey, I thought you were my best friend, Jiho."

Xero shot him one of his most charming smiles. "I am your best friend, too. Of course." Then he disappeared into a small clothing-accessory boutique called Keep It Classy.

Ah, Seogoong. A big goofy grin always locked and loaded on his cheek-alicious face, body like a football player, personality of Winnie the Pooh -- a heart as sweet as honey. He bumped his shoulder against yours. "Our Xero, I'm beginning to think he's everyone's best friend."

Atom -- the fourth member of your out-on-the-town hanging-out group -- held the door of Keep It Classy open with his foot. His hands were clasped around the handles of several shopping bags.

"Sweetheart, Atom, I really don't think it's a good idea to walk around with wet hair," you said, your maternal instincts leaking out as you looked at him, "It's winter, kid. I even heard there might be a big snowstorm later this week."

"Don't be worried. It's only gel that Jenissi's letting me test out," and Atom offered one of his very Atom-ish smiles: one of his eyes squinting more than the other eye, one dark eyebrow arched higher than the other eyebrow, every one of his small pearly teeth visible. He'd just graduated high school, yet you weren't ready to stop seeing him as the baby of your friendship group.

Seogoong linked his arm with yours like a brother escorting his sister. As he led you into the shop, he whispered (which for Seogoong, his whisper was loud enough for everyone to hear), "Atom's trying to learn how to get a girl. Jenissi said he'd teach him how."

Keep It Classy was one of those tiny places that crams a lot of stuff into a small space. You all were surrounded by shelves packed with hats, containers filled with bracelets and watches, stands jammed with scarves, and a wall completely devoted to purses.

It was obvious from the sparkle in Seogoong's eyes that he thought the idea of Atom being interested in girls was the cutest thing in the universe. You thought it was, too.

"Aww, Atom...do you have a crush for Valentine's Day?" you asked excitedly as he came into the shop with the rest of you.

"No, I don't really have a crush on any one lady," Atom said, shifting his shopping bag handles all to one hand. "I want to know about all ladies. Jenissi said that women love when a guy has hair that looks wet. Like that just-out-of-the-shower look. Natural beauty. And the poet Edgar Allan Poe once said 'Beauty of whatever kind, in its supreme development, invariably excites the sensitive soul to tears.'"

"And Jenny, Jenny, Jenissi told you that wet hair makes you beautiful?" Seogoong joked.

"Nope. Jenissi said wet hair will make ladies think I look y," Atom answered with a smirk, his free hand exploring a nearby rack. "He said I need some dark mysterious sunglasses, too."

Seogoong exploded into his usual laughter that was almost loud enough to shake the dust from the shelves around you. Then Seogoong said, "Atom, you're like a little brother to me, so I'm going to tell you the real secret of how to get girls. Just two things you need. One: always be hungry. Really, I mean it. Girls will take good care of you when you're hungry and haven't eaten yet. And the last thing you got to have to get girls?"

You and Atom watched as Seogoong pointed at his own thighs. He nodded and beamed proudly.

"Women love a guy who has strong leg muscles. I'm serious!" Seogoong held up one of his own thick thighs. "My thighs are no joke! Go ahead, give it a squeeze. Go ahead."

As Xero walked back towards the rest of you, he caught sight of you and Atom standing in the center of the shop -- squeezing on Seogoong's thigh.

"Are we testing to see if Seogoongie is ripe? What is this?" Xero smiled, now donning a stylish red hat on his head.

You gave him a recap. "Atom wanted to know how to get girls. Seogoong was bragging on his lady-catching thighs. And here we are."

"How to get girls, huh?" Xero gave an expression like this was something he was an expert at -- which was possible, with natural charisma like his. "It's all in the look. It's how you look at her. Give her a look that says 'I am perfection. Don't you want to kiss perfection?' And if a girl doesn't realize that what I have to offer is good, then I just dance for her."

Right there, Xero gave you all a taste of his dancing -- popping his chest, and moving his arms with purposely jerky movements. Somehow, he looked smooth. You wondered how many hearts had fallen for his moves. No, you knew that many had. Then he stopped, looking very confident about himself.

"Okay, so we've danced seductively and we've touched thighs. I don't think we're keeping it classy enough for a shop called 'Keep It Classy,' do you?" You joked, and the guys laughed.

"Hey, it's your lover, Kidoh," Seogoong teased, pointing toward the store window.

You turned around and saw Kidoh standing just outside the window -- smiling and looking at you. He was in a white cable-knit sweater with nice dressy pants. Tall and lanky with long arms that you loved being wrapped around you...yes, you were happy that your boyfriend Kidoh had somehow bumped into you here. He beamed at you with his lopsided smile and he was so lean-bodied that you wanted to go out there immediately and help keep him warm.

Jin came to stand beside Kidoh. Oddly enough, they really could have been brothers -- they looked so much alike. Same tall bodies, even the same hair-cut. But Jin had more noticeable lips than Kidoh -- lips that one of your female friends once said looked made for kissing. And you'd promptly groaned in response to that.

You glanced once more at Kidoh's beckoning eyes and smile. Then you asked, "Guys, do you mind if I leave a little early today?"

"We get it, we get it," Seogoong said, smirking. He enclosed you in a big bear hug. With the most quiet voice you'd ever heard come from him, he said close to your ear, "You were asking about Kidoh and Jin's bromance, weren't you? That's unbreakable, my friend. Don't worry too much."

Xero pressed his cheek to yours as he said goodbye. Atom bounced up and down -- always full of energy -- as he briefly wrapped his arms around you, too.

And when you looked toward the smudged store window once more, you noticed very quickly that Kidoh was no longer smiling.

Hello! Wow, I can't believe I'm actually writing my first Topp Dogg short fic for V-Day, yay!