Kyungsoo is 14 when the first paper plane hits him in the head the moment he exits the school’s building. It’s a sunny day of March and his mother waits him outside the car, in front of the gates once more because he chose, today too, to finish his homework after classes, inside the library. He is in hurry, wishing to make her wait no more, but he still stops to pick the paper off the ground, firstly thinking of making a few steps back and throw it inside the recycle bin. He changes his mind though when his eyes catch a glimpse of ink in between the two wings of the plane. He slowly unfolds it only to frown at the plain, lame message. ‘Boy,’ it read and Kyungsoo’s gaze shifts upwards to see if anyone threw it out of a window or from the rooftop. He chuckles though when he realizes he should be the only one still inside the school so he simply sighs and looks at the paper one last time. The handwriting is neat and Kyungsoo find the curly tail of ‘y’ so beautiful that instead of tossing it away like anyone else would, he pushes it inside his backpack.

Later that month, his mother decides to clean up her son’s room seeing Kyungsoo is nothing but a messy brat. She can’t complain though since he does very well in school and listens to his parents just as much. She starts with his closet, following to get lost inside the boy’s desk and finally gather everything from under the bed only to throw all the papers away, not caring if there is something the son would need. “That’s because you’re such a pig,” she tells him when he questions the reason for which she did that. “Just like your father. One day I’m going to go insane because of you two.” Kyungsoo laughs at that and although he feels a little bit empty for losing the paper plane, he just shrugs it off. It is just a paper after all; it was trash since the first beginning.

The following year Kyungsoo makes friends with the transferred student, Byun Baekhyun, who moves from Seoul to Wonju because his father is to receive a better working place. Baekhyun is bubbly and funny and maybe he doesn’t have the highest grades and school may not be his best of friends, but Kyungsoo still likes him. They get very close in a small amount of time and they make a habit of sleeping at either one’s place each Friday night until Monday morning. They exchange bracelets and share clothes and thoughts and dreams and opinions and by the end of the school year Kyungsoo can proudly recognize Baekhyun is his friend no more, but his beloved brother.

He forgets about the paper plane until the ending ceremony. It’s the beginning of June and their homeroom teacher calls Kyungsoo up on the stage to reward him for his great results on the Math Olympics. He shyly thanks his tutor and mother for the support they showed and says he wouldn’t have done it without them. As he walks down the stairs a paper plane stops at his feet. He laughs thinking he may have a weird attraction for them. ‘Paper Magnet,’ he calls himself as he bends down to pick it up and everything is just so déja-vu; only the location is different, and the season and he is alone no more but instead surrounded by tons of people. When he unfolds the plane, he sees the word is not the same either. He isn’t that sure of what last year’s plane said but he’s sure it was a message just as irrational. It’s a simple ‘will’ written in the same black ink and if it wasn’t for the curled end of ‘l’, Kyungsoo wouldn’t have recognized it. It’s not neat anymore but it rather seems scribbled down in hurry and just the realization of it makes the boy smile. He has no idea if the plane is supposed to arrive in his hands but he doesn’t really care either.

He hides the plane behind his back when Baekhyun comes running to hug him and congratulate him once again. He doesn’t overlook the paper though and he allows himself to ask, “What’s that?”

“Just found it on the ground and I was going to throw it away.” Kyungsoo lies, not wishing to share his little secret with anyone else yet. Baekhyun seems to bite it as he shrugs and wraps an arm around his best friend’s shoulders only to drag him away, there where they mothers are. Kyungsoo slips the plane in between his diplomas and happily skips along with the latter, ignoring the intense gaze he is receiving from somewhere in the crowd.

He just turns 17 when Baekhyun comes and begs him to give a chance to the school’s winter ball. Everybody knows by now that Kyungsoo isn’t one outgoing child. Although he is quite easy to talk to and has an optimism to die for, he just feels uncomfortable surrounded by so many people. He is passionate by astronomy and technology and foreign places and has no idea what the trend in matter of teenage nowadays is. He is outdated regarding others’ tastes of music and cinematography and fashion so he simply chooses to stay away because it simply isn’t his style. Baekhyun is stubborn though and he kneels in front of the latter’s house, feet seeming bare touched through the sneakers by the hard wind of January. It’s freezing cold and the snow wetting his denim doesn’t help at all and even when Kyungsoo’s mother pleads him to hurry inside, the teenager refuses. It all ends up with the woman scolding her son for being so wild and heartless and by the end of the week Kyungsoo is dressed in tight black jeans and a navy blue shirt and he sits together with his beloved brother in their mother’s car, as they are being driven to the party.

They are left alone short after and as soon as it happens, the beast inside Baekhyun awakens. They go through the entire menu and he forces Kyungsoo to take at least a sip from each drink the school has prepared for them. It’s true they aren’t really legal to drink but since it happens once a year, the winter ball makes an exception.

It’s not even an hour in the party when Kyungsoo runs to the nearest bathroom to give the Earth back its possession and the sound of him puking is all his ears can hear. He ignores the music, the laughter, the chatter, Baekhyun’s half-drunk comforting whispers and just takes his time throwing all back out. “It’s normal,” his friend whispers. “It’s your first time drinking after all. Don’t expect too much out of it.” He hugs Kyungsoo closer and rests his head on the other’s back while said boy can only curse his fate for bringing Baekhyun in his life.

Afterwards, the desire of partying disappears completely – not that it was there in the first place – and Kyungsoo finds himself quietly sitting in the back, somewhere in a corner, away from the mess of bodies and spirituous breaths. His head is heavy and he sighs as he wonders what’s wrong with him as an individual. He calls himself socially awkward and laughs at that, the drug in his system seeming to finally be doing its effect.

He doesn’t tell Baekhyun when he leaves. He doesn’t even look back to see what his friend is doing. He skips outside, glad for the chilling air which hits him straight in the face and ignores the shivers his delicate skin emits. It isn’t that cold though and Kyungsoo assumes it is the alcohol again because he has a sudden urge to rip his clothes off and expose his ness to the world before he jumps in the snow in the hope of getting rid of the hotness maybe just a bit.

He thinks he has gone mad when his feet start acting on their own and he’s swirling around like a ballerina. His mind is aware of everything yet it can’t control a thing. He doesn’t try to gain lead that much so he simply allows his body to have its freedom as he laughs out loud at the silly sight of himself fighting with another him, a new him, a wilder, crazier him, directed by the few – not really – drinks he had. “Nice to meet you, Kyungsoo!” he shouts, hugging himself. He chuckles afterwards and shifts his gaze above, to the night sky, only to gape at it proudly shining over his head. And then he realizes he’s actually outside, in the middle of the street, with snowdrifts surrounding him. He’s drunk and all by himself and just by thinking about it for a bit, something new awakens; fear.

“It’s alright. I’ll just call mom.” He assures himself before he pats his pocket, there where cellphone is supposed to be. A deep frown marks his face though when he realizes his jeans are emptied of whatever he used to have in there and his eyes go wide and his mind go blank and for a second, he just feels like dying.

It seems everything suddenly becomes clear afterwards as the happiness is replaced by something stronger but it still frustrates the teenager not knowing where he actually is. And Kyungsoo tries hard to remember his surroundings, but nothing helps. He keeps on walking though and as the winter makes its presence once more, chilling air hits his skin like a knife and the boy wishes he would collapse already so he will feel nothing anymore.

He curses Baekhyun for being so dumb and stubborn and he curses his mother for being so convincing and the school for throwing the party and himself for not having enough will to say ‘no’. He should have been home now, sipping from a cup of hot chocolate while watching some T.V. show; being warm and safe and not living with the thought of being able to end up murdered at any point now. All he hopes for, however, is Baekhyun to not lose his precious phone and this only because he doesn’t want his mother to slice his throat afterwards.

Wind blows again, trees bow sadly, and Kyungsoo find a bus station and even though he knows he is going to be even colder, he can’t argue his feet actually hurt. He sits on the wooden bench, over the snow and he groans as he feels it melting under his denim. He gets used to it, eventually, and his attention shifts to something else instead; to the air coming out of his mouth. “It looks like I’m smoking,” he whispers, chuckle coming right afterwards. He takes a deep breath before resuming his activity; this time trying to shape perfect circles out of steam.

He stays like this a few minutes perhaps and his mind drifts to nothing. It’s an ocean of blank inside his head and Kyungsoo has no idea what is to follow. He wouldn’t be surprised though if the ground is to open up and throw him inside the abyss only to cause the boy return to the reality; out of this dream. A dream, he smirks and right before he has the chance to bring some sarcastic comment, his entire body freezes. Something hits his nape. Something. Hits. His. Nape.

He is stunned by the contact and doesn’t dare to turn around. It’s not the impact because if Kyungsoo didn’t know better, he would say it’s only a snowflake. But he knows, it’s not only a snowflake. The tip is sharp and once it touches the said teenager’s skin, it falls downwards, tracing its way over the shirt. Kyungsoo gulps, eyes twitching. His muscles are stiff and if he is to be required to scream, he knows he won’t be able to.

If one says the boy doesn’t think of the worst, they’d lie.

Silence falls over him and the only thing his ears are able to hear is the sound of the wind dancing through the atmosphere; through the bald trees and lonely rooftops. He swallows hard before he decides that yes, he cannot live like a coward his entire life. It takes all he has for his body to slightly turn around and there it is, paper plane frozen in the snow. Kyungsoo breaks into a smile and not long after, he starts to laugh. This can’t be happening.

“All hail the Paper Magnet!” he shouts, picking it off the ground, same laugh clogging his ears, replacing the dull sound of emptiness. He isn’t even surprised anymore. It seems a part of him actually expected a plane to arrive; it didn’t know when, it just knew it will. Kyungsoo doesn’t question where they come from, who are they meant for, who sends them; he doesn’t care.

‘You’, it reads, and Kyungsoo scoffs. “It doesn’t make sense.”

He stares at the paper, eyes boring in it. It’s the same writing, he tells himself. “Boy,” he whispers. The curly tail of ‘Y’ reminds him of the curly tail the first ‘y’ had. “It said ‘boy’. Now I know.” He smiles, gripping tight on the edges of the paper. “Boy, will you…” his voice trails off and for a second there, he is confused. “I don’t understand...”

He shrugs the thought off, together with the heaviness it brings, and returns his gaze above him, on the proud sky. He feels kind of lame now, if he stops to think, seeing he’s left alone with no one on his side exactly on the winter ball’s night. “How romantic,” he mocks himself. “Ladies and Gentlemen, you are now spectators of the best date in the history of dates!”

“—which is over.”

He’s a bit shocked at first when his gaze falls over his mother’s car; her messy bed-hair coming out of it. He beams though at the realization he’s not alone anymore, and hurries to her, thankful for the warmth inside the vehicle. “We go back there, get that brat, and home with you two!” she tries to intimidate her son by frantically pointing her finger but Kyungsoo can only shrug. “You smell like !”

“Baekhyun’s fault.” They look at each a couple of second before eyes are being rolled and laughter fills their lives.

“Why am I not surprised?”

For the first time today, Kyungsoo feels safe and sound; he feels comfortable, he feels he belongs. This is his right place; his home. He thanks the skies for bringing his mother to him and inside, he cries. Tears of joy, he calls them. I love you, mom.

“How did you know I was here?” his mouth questions, and before the boy realizes, the words are left out. The woman only purses her lips into a thin line while watching the road.

“Someone called me.” Before Kyungsoo can interrupt, she adds, “No, it wasn’t Baekhyun.” The teenager frowns. “He told me you’ve been out, in the cold for more than half an hour now. He told me you’re not dressed properly and you’re here. He told me you probably forgot your phone in Baekhyun’s possession; no reason given here.” She raises an eyebrow, suspiciously eyeing the younger.

“Oh, he didn’t tell you I’ve been drinking.”

“Apparently, he didn’t.”

But then it hits Kyungsoo; who are they talking about. “He?”

Mrs. Do nods, mouth opening just a bit. She looks like she’s trying to remember something; Kyungsoo is not sure. “I’m pretty sure it was a boy; around your age, perhaps.” Her gaze goes downwards where she sees her son gripping tight on something. Kyungsoo’s body is tense. “What’s that?”

The teenager follows her eyes and stares, too, at the piece of paper. “I don’t know.” He really doesn’t.

The principal decides to organize a trip to Jeju for the seniors after their end-exams are over and after many pleads and cries, 3rd year are allowed to go, too. Baekhyun is in the 9th sky and although Kyungsoo would love to stay home his first week of summer holiday, he is dragged along, as well. He is happy though when they are both roomed together and that only because there is no other person that his best friend to bear his bad sleeping noise.

The end of 3rd year is Kyungsoo’s year. The teenager realizes he loves the sea. He happens to be outside one evening, sitting by the beach while fingers make their own way, drawing random stuff on the sand, when someone comes running from behind him and dives inside the water at the speed of a hurricane. And then Kyungsoo is left watching, eyes boring in front, into the clearness of the sea and wonders how someone can look so graciously dancing against the waves. He stands up only to stare at legs glued together and the teenager, for a second here, imagines they are replaced by a tail. It bends along with the flux and it rises before it sinks deep into the water only to cause drops jump in the air. Kyungsoo is mesmerized by the beauty and the young, 17 years old his brain is, sees the boy in the sea rather as a mermaid, fair skin shining in the moon’s light, causing Kyungsoo’s hand to lean forward, like wanting to touch it.

When the latter comes out of the water with jet black hair swinging from a side to another and water trickling on his chest, they lock eyes and Kyungsoo can swear the sun shows up on last time here, in this early night of June. They don’t talk but simply stand still and stare and somehow, in the middle of their unspoken conversation, Kyungsoo hears his heart skipping a beat. And then it skips one more, and then another, and when the stranger’s lips part wholeheartedly into a smile, the waves and birds and barks and distant car engines all disappear as his heart creates a sweet sonata only for his ears to hear. He doesn’t know the song, but he’s more than willing to give it a try.

He forgets about the mermaid guy as his last year of high school comes. He could have been only a tourist for what Kyungsoo knows so it didn’t matter that much, anymore. He has more important things to be concerned about now; like for example, their exams. They come one after another and Kyungsoo is all stressed out. He spends all his weekend on either one of his or Baekhyun’s place and it’s amazing how the latter actually starts taking things seriously. His grades drastically go up and by the end of March he is done with all the novels they need for their Literature class. The many boyfriends, and clubs, and drinks and parties are all long forgotten in the past, back, one year earlier.

“You really want to pass those, don’t you?” Baekhyun smiles knowingly and rests his head on Kyungsoo’s lap, book brought up to his eyes.

“Of course,” he chuckles. “How else I’ll get in the same college as you, then?”

Kyungsoo feels warm, like drinking a cup of hot tea and enjoying his favorite T.V. program. Baekhyun makes him happy and he thanks the Lord for giving him such a wonderful person to lighten his darkest days. And just by watching the other study so hard and succeed so well, Kyungsoo, too, feels motivated to do the same. They spend sleepless nights revising the Literature subjects and going through innumerable math equations. English is not Baekhyun’s forte but he seems to like it a lot as he tries so hard to translate the text they just read together. Said boy’s accent is very good and Kyungsoo sees in him a great potential. He encourages Baekhyun to keep going. “You’d make a lovely translator.”

“You think so?” and there’s a spark inside the latter’s eyes Kyungsoo can do nothing but adore. He nods, huge smile lightening his face.

“I actually do. Or perhaps a teacher,” his voice trails off. “Oh! Or a guide!” he turns his attention back to his papers. “You have the power to be whatever you want to be. You’re good at many things. You are just lazy.”

They exchange small smiles afterwards and both feel grateful for one another. “I’d make a y guide, wouldn’t I?”

“You would,” Kyungsoo admits and Baekhyun is left shy by the lack of playfulness in the other’s words. He sheepishly mumbles a ‘thank you’ before they go back to study in silence, eventually making small talks about the subjects. It isn’t awkward. It’s just comfortable.

By the end of the school year, they are very pleased by how all comes out. They pass their exams; Kyungsoo with nearly perfect score and Baekhyun with a lot better than sufficient. It’s a new achievement for him and he is very happy. They find their heaven when in mid-July they are announced they both made it in Yonsei.

Baekhyun can’t believe it. His face travels from nervousness to blank then shock to happiness in only a few seconds and not long after, he jumps in Kyungsoo’s arms and they hug tight in the middle of the hallway with tons of other students around being maybe as happy as they are.

To celebrate finally being out of high school and having their ideal come to life, they decide to go by themselves, this time, back to Jeju and enjoy the sea after all the stress has ended. Only the two of them; without teachers to nag them, and parents to scold them, and classmates to annoy them. Only them; Kyungsoo and Baekhyun, as legit 18 years old men.

The ocean reminds Kyungsoo of a year earlier. He can still picture inside his mind, although not so well, the moon reflecting its beauty in the deep water and he can swear the smell of burning sand from that certain night still trickles in the air. He breathes in the familiar surroundings and wishes he would have born there instead of the congestion of the city.

For a moment, he wishes he would have talked. That night, when everything seemed so perfect, he should have talked. He should have said, “Hey, what’s your name? Mine is Kyungsoo.” And he would have lived with the thought that, the boy didn’t forget it; his name, because Kyungsoo for sure wouldn’t have forgotten the latter’s.

Baekhyun doesn’t even disturb to unpack his things. He throws the luggage over the bed and skips out of the hotel room, dragging Kyungsoo along, towards the beach. He stripes at the speed of light and gets lost between the waves. Kyungsoo watches, smile inevitably spreading on his face, and he tries to guess where Baekhyun’s head is going to come out from.

He gets rid of his clothes too eventually, but chooses to enjoy the sun for now. He sits on his towel, eyes boring into the sky and just breathes in. He feels relaxed. He hears a soft chuckle coming from somewhere his right though, and his head involuntarily jerks in that direction. There’s a girl there, pretty and a little bit shorter than him. She watches him and smiles and Kyungsoo is sure she tries to flirt, but he’s not interested. He returns the smile, a bit forced, and goes back on enjoying the weather. That should be enough to give her his answer.

Kyungsoo is happy. All he wants is to enjoy his holiday and Baekhyun’s presence. He’s really grateful for these two.

Happiness never lasts long though. It happens so fast that the boy doesn’t even know how to react. Just a moment before he was floating above the water thinking about things, being nervous regarding college; meeting new people, making new friends. He thinks he’s dreaming – or perhaps having a nightmare, when he hears waves splashing over him and he struggles to get out. He tries to scream; he tries to make himself be seen. He doesn’t know if everything has a point until he feels water going down his throat and there is no more sand under his feet. At that moment, Kyungsoo knows he has lost it. His vision turns blur and although there’s Baekhyun’s voice coming from somewhere far, far away, the boy doesn’t know what his friend is saying; he doesn’t understand what his friend is saying. “Don’t leave me, Kyungsoo!” But I’m not going anywhere; he forces a smile and at that time, he becomes one with the sea; so warm and quiet.

When his eyes open, he finds himself lying on the grass. Above him there’s a proud, shining sun surrounded by its army of beautifully shaped clouds. His arm comes to rest over his orbs only to stop the sudden outburst of light. He doesn’t recognize the place. It’s foreign; it’s colorful and quiet and somehow, Kyungsoo feels at ease. His elbow comes to rest on the ground only to raise his upper body. The boy gawks at the garden the nature has to give him. It smells like flowers; he can’t recognize any of them or maybe it’s just their scents being mixed together. He smiles though. It feels nice.

“Kyungsoo!” Baekhyun. Kyungsoo’s body would jerk in a particular direction, but he has no idea where his friend’s voice is coming from. “Kyungsoo, come back!”

“Where are you, Baek?!” and maybe he doesn’t get an answer to that, but he still sits there in silence, waiting; hoping.

“Come back to me!” Baekhyun sobs and Kyungsoo’s heart aches, maybe just a bit. Baekhyun is crying. “What am I going to do without you?! Come back to me!”

“But I don’t know how!” Kyungsoo shouts back and, just by imagining the state Baekhyun has to be in now, the latter’s eyes water, too. “I don’t know how…” he whispers. He thinks he should stand up; he should run away somewhere far, far from there. Something tells him he’s in danger; he’s safe no more. He has to disappear – completely, and forget he has ever been here, in the wonderful field.

He gets no chance to do so though. Massive ocean waves come angrily after him and Kyungsoo’s eyes widen in terror. Next thing he knows, he’s back in there, inside the water, not being able to breathe and feeling like dying with every blink he takes. “Baekhyun…” he manages to whisper. “Baekhyun…”

First thing he does when he comes back to his senses is yell his brother’s name. Kyungsoo doesn’t seem to know what’s going on around him. He wonders where is he, why he feels cold, why his chest is wet and most important, why is Baekhyun crying? Said boy’s face looks terrible; hot tears trickling on his cheeks. He seems tired; tired of crying perhaps. Kyungsoo’s hand rises to brush the other’s bangs away. “Hey,” he whispers, small smile lightening his face. “How’s it going?”

“Don’t smile, you moron! I thought I’d lost you!”

The rest of the summer is more like a nightmare. Kyungsoo is afraid every time he gets inside water and all the times he takes a shower, there’s always his mother by his side to hold his hand and assure him everything is going to be alright. It’s kind of lame, seeing he is a fully-grown up 18 years old now but his parents understand him because under the tough skin of an adult, still lays their little boy. His best friend is extra careful too – sometimes way too much, and even though Kyungsoo keeps telling him he’s fine, Baekhyun never disturbs to listen. “It’s my fault you almost died in there. If I was by your side, none of these would have happened,” he tells Kyungsoo once and the said one’s heart hurts since that day.

Everything about university is amazing, one has to admit. The pair meets lots of new people; weird people, interesting people, loud people, quiet people. Kyungsoo is in the Computer and Telecommunication Engineering division and he loves it to the bone. He has always been keen of learning more and more about technology and now that he has all his time to focus on it, one can say he’s in the ninth sky. There’s no more wasting time on useless classes and sleeping only to avoid the irritating voices of the teachers. There’s no more high school. The true challenge begins now.

He and Baekhyun decide to get an apartment somewhere near the campus with the money they had put aside along the years. They are meant for a holiday away in Europe but after God knows how many sleepless nights in the dorm where a certain guy chooses to practice his drums when he’s supposed to spend his time in the common Dreamland, the two throw away their plans. They aren’t sent to waste completely when Kyungsoo’s parents find out about their son’s problem and together with Baekhyun’s, decide to help the boys get another place to stay in. It’s kind of in vain though because it seems Kyungsoo is most of the times at his parents’ house but Baekhyun understands it. Kyungsoo is still his momma’s boy. When he asks his best friend if he’s going to be fine all by himself, Baekhyun only nods and hushes him with a smile. “Tell your mommy I love her.”

It’s two weeks away from Christmas now and the halls are all beautifully decorated with tinsel and Christmas balls and Kyungsoo really feels the 25th December feeling getting to him. There’s a huge tree outside, in the middle of the campus. It’s not fir but spruce and yet it looks so stunningly beautiful with all the colorful lights and stars and fake presents and little toys that it warms the boy inside. He happens to walk past it one Thursday afternoon; hands sunk deep inside the pockets of his coat, trying to loosen the coldness maybe just a bit. A sweet melody comes from somewhere under the spruce and Kyungsoo feels himself like being pulled over by an unseen force. He’s mesmerized and for a moment he just sits there and listens, eyes closing from time to time to take in the harmony. It’s a music box and a ballerina is slowly swirling on top of the disk. Kyungsoo smiles at it, huddling just so he is closer and able to touch it. The plastic is freezing under his fingers but he likes the feeling anyway. It’s something else that gets his inside jump in joy though. As he stands up, a plane falls off one of the tree’s branches and the boy can’t help but be relieved. He laughs as he bends down to pick it up and then he only stares at it, like afraid of reading its message. He laughs again, this time a tear accompanying the sound of his voice. And then another comes. And without realizing, Kyungsoo is crying. They aren’t sad tears; they are tears of happiness. ‘Be’, the paper says. Be, Kyungsoo thinks. He feels like his heart is squeezed by something, or someone, and his body is heavy. His mind is heavy, too. “Be,” he whispers, bringing his sleeve to whip the tears away. “Where were you last year?” he asks the plane. “Where were you last year, when I needed you the most?”

Valentine’s Day catches Kyungsoo alone inside the auditorium where a few students are practicing a play. He sits somewhere in the far back, away from the lights and noise and people. Baekhyun is still having his English course and Kyungsoo knows he wants to burden nobody else to waste their time on him while they can better spend it with their partners. Kyungsoo isn’t a fan of Valentine’s although he loves chocolate a lot. However, he decides he should buy some in his way back home together with a cake to sweeten his parents’ day a bit more, too.

“Yo,” someone sits next to him and Kyungsoo flinches, gaze still fixed on the stage where a girl recites Shakespeare with such a passion she’s worths all the claps. “Kyungsoo, right?”

“Yeah,” said boy looks to his right where his eyes fall over the tanned skin of a male which however seems a bit younger than him. There is an adorable spark in his eyes and Kyungsoo can’t help but smile. “That’s me.”

“I’m Kim Jongin, some acquaintance of Baekhyun. I’ve seen you around before and since you were here all by yourself, I said it’d be nice of me if I came and greeted.” Eh, Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow, studying the latter’s face and the way his orbs would look everywhere but in Kyungsoo’s owned ones.

“That’s sweet of you. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jong—“

“Call me Kai please.”

Kai is nothing Baekhyun is. Although Kyungsoo believes he would make a good friend, there still is a feeling the new guy knows something he doesn’t. This Kim Jongin hides something and he is very bad at keeping it that way. They get closer though. Jongin is loud and crazy and kind of what Baekhyun used to be once. He is in the digital arts division and whines all the time about how boring he finds the courses. He’s into technology though, like Kyungsoo, and the two have many things to talk about. “I’m going to lead a video game company someday. You just watch me, moron,” he tells Baekhyun once when the latter makes fun of his skills and lack of maturity. “You’ll be stuck teaching in kindergarten – where your place is, together with tons of crybabies who’ll pee all over your stuff.”

Kyungsoo would lie if he says he doesn’t laugh at that.

As April hits, Kyungsoo finds himself helping Kai with some of his studies. The library is huge and quiet and it’s exactly the place Kyungsoo would see himself dying in. Jongin is late today, like always, so the other decides to pick a random book and go through it only to kill the time. ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’, its title is and after the first 5 pages, Kyungsoo feels himself deeply drown into it. He keeps reading and he finds so interesting the chase for the throne. It’s daring and dangerous and the action is so intense the boy can do nothing but praise the author for writing such a novel. He’s almost by its middle when he’s tapped on the shoulder by someone. Only then Kyungsoo checks his phone to see he has been waiting for Jongin more than three hours now and the bastard is so to not be coming anymore.

“Excuse me,” Kyungsoo turns around, a bit annoyed, and the stranger flinches when he meets the cold glare. “I’m sorry,” he mumbles and for a moment here, Kyungsoo feels kind of guilty for scaring the poor guy away.

“No, I’m sorry,” he smiles, placing the book aside and deciding that yes, he’s going to take it home no matter what. “Can I help you with something?”

“Actually…” the male starts, voice trailing off. “You aren’t answering your phone.”

Kyungsoo is taken aback and titles his head on the side, trying to understand what the other is talking about. He then looks down at his phone only to see he has 11 missed calls from a number he hasn’t got saved in his phonebook.

“Jongin got caught in some stuff and couldn’t talk on the phone so he told me to call you and inform you. I’ve been looking for you everywhere until I remembered he always studies in here.” A colorful laugh breaks the silence before the guy adds, “Then I’ve seen you reading so peacefully and I didn’t have the heart to disturb you. Pretty dumb now, am I not?”

Kyungsoo would answer; of course he would, if his eyes aren’t glued on the other’s handsome features. It’s like a trance; he finds himself being lulled away by the boy’s voice and a sensation of familiarity runs right through him. What Kyungsoo finds the more fascinating though is the latter’s hair. It’s a bright, beautiful red; outstanding too. He has seen, of course, idols on T.V. with such a color, but never in his daily life. He has the urge to touch it and his muscles twitch with desire. He breathes in and tries to calm his mind down before his gaze returns on the other.

“So, that’s all. I just wanted to let you know you can go home now.”

Kyungsoo chuckles. He doesn’t know where it comes from but the way the boy seems so awkward makes something inside him want to laugh out loud. “Thanks,” he nods before he turns around to pack his things up. “What’s your name?”

“Joonmyun,” there’s hesitation in his voice. “Kim Joonmyun.”

They end up walking side by side and Kyungsoo doesn’t even know how it all happens. It’s so fast the boy has no idea how to react, so he agrees. He is ready to exit the library when Joonmyun grabs his forearm and sheepishly smiles. “It’s dark,” he says. “Let me take you home.” And he walks him home and Wonju’s streets never felt as nice as they do now. Joonmyun isn’t much of a talker like his step-brother is, but he’s easy to maintain a conversation with. Kyungsoo learns the latter is in the law division, a year older than him, and dreams of becoming a fair and worth following lawyer. “There’s too much corruption in this world,” his reason comes good naturally and Kyungsoo admires the other for the passion in his words.

It’s yet cold in the evening although it’s mid-spring and Kyungsoo never expected to be returning to his place this late. He shivers a bit but tries to be as subtle as possible, not to concern the other with anything. Joonmyun, however, pays attention and he can’t overlook the way Kyungsoo’s skin looks like. He offers to borrow the latter his jackets but Kyungsoo insists he doesn’t need it. The elder doesn’t press it and they return to their conversation.

‘Nothing compares to a beautiful conversation with a beautiful mind’, a quote says and at this time, Kyungsoo can’t agree more.

Baekhyun doesn’t seem to be such a big fan of Kim Jongin like everyone else is. Every time the latter tries to offer his help, Baekhyun refuses. Every time the latter offers to walk him home, Baekhyun refuses. Every time Jongin tries to do something nice for him, Baekhyun draws a barrier between the two of them, making sure to lock Kai on the other side. Kyungsoo is not blind; he sees all of these. He pities the younger, somehow, and he can’t understand why Baekhyun is so mean to him. “Jongin is a good kid,” he once says as they are having their lunch in their own apartment. It’s one of these days – rare days, Kyungsoo decides to sleep over. “Why are you ac—“

“That’s him; a kid.” Baekhyun cuts his friend, gaze and expression completely changing from what they were just moments before. He watches his food and seems to be thinking about something important. There aren’t many the times Baekhyun looks so serious and it concerns Kyungsoo. “He told me he likes me,” the boy adds afterwards, voice trailing off. “I told him I don’t—“

“—feel the same?” Kyungsoo smiles, hand rising to pat the latter on the back. “It’s okay. But he’s a smart guy, you know. He’s fun and cheerful and I’m sure he would be by your side whenever you’ll need him. He will grow up eventually—“

“You don’t understand…” Baekhyun murmurs, body tensing all of a sudden. “Let’s just drop it, Kyungsoo. I’m kind of tired. I’ll go sleep.”

It takes Kyungsoo a while afterwards to realize Jongin is not the only reason Baekhyun acts so strange lately. He is on the verge of fainting when he sees his best friend one Wednesday in the campus with hair all silver dyed, styled completely different, bangs covering his eyes which are now carefully outlines with black eyeliner. At this point, Kyungsoo knows somethin