“No, you didn’t!” Chen exclaims, leaving the pins on a nearby dresser. He glares at Baekhyun with his sharp eyes. Baekhyun tries to act innocent to save himself.

“I sort of did though” he mumbles in a small, cute voice, which always manages to sway Chen, ever since they were kids. Chen seems to forget his irritation in an instant and he keeps on looking at him incredulously instead, placing his hands strictly on his hips.

“You wore black leather pants?!” he demands in a voice louder than necessary. Baekhyun nods guiltily in response. He should have thought a bit more about the details he would share with Chen... “Why wouldn’t you do it every time I suggested it? I’m the designer here, you are supposed to trust me!” he exclaims and Baekhyun lowers his head like a regretful puppy, knowing Chen is right.

But it’s not like he had planned to wear those pants! Kyungsoo nearly forced him in them! Baekhyun won’t say any excuses to Chen, because that might irk him even more, and let’s not forget who is a potential pin cushion here. And he is not entirely regretting wearing those pants at the club; the reactions he got from the crowd were surprisingly positive. A couple of people slipped him papers with their phone numbers, and even though attracting that sort of attention is not exactly something to be proud of, it still boosts your confidence. Baekhyun counts one more positive fact, that at least he wasn’t underdressed and completely invisible next to Chanyeol. Oh, and Kyungsoo and Kai of course.

Chen gives him one last glare and then he picks up the small container of pins again, stepping around the scarecrow-positioned Baekhyun to continue with his work, letting out a long sigh of frustration. Baekhyun feels a pinch but he pretends it never happened. He allows Chen to fume for a while, working on his clothes seriously while muttering ‘I am a well accomplished designer’ and ‘freaking leather pants’ with a frown every now and then.

“But you design women’s clothes” Baekhyun teases him at some point, when he thinks he can’t take remaining silent anymore and Chen needs to be pulled back to reality to have a proper conversation with him, if Baekhyun is ever to finish his narration. He glances around the studio, where there are too many dresses and skirts; but there are not any models or people here today. He gets a soft slap on the hips in response.

“I’m helping you with your clothes, am I not?” Chen points out in a strict voice, but Baekhyun can see a smile in the mirror.

“True; because you are the best-est friend anyone could ever ask for!” Baekhyun half-praises and half-teases him again. Chen slaps him on the hips in retaliation, wordlessly this time, focused on his work.

Chen’s work is really amazing. His designs are so good, that they make even the bony models look good, and he loves what he does. He has loved designing clothes ever since Baekhyun can remember his childhood friend. Every time they would watch a movie, especially old movies or historical ones, Chen scribbled a hundred different costumes in the next day and then he presented them to Baekhyun with the proudest smile to have ever appeared on earth. He used to explain every part of his designs in detail and Baekhyun found it fascinating or boring, depending on his own mood, but he was always paying attention to Chen’s presentations, because Chen was always so happy to share his talent with his friend.

It was obvious what the boy was destined to do in his life. Some kids used to make fun of him, about his designing interest, because they thought it was girly and not cool –because why would they need to think about what color their track suit was, if it was going to be covered in mud anyway after scoring a spectacular goal, and because who cared if navy and teal are not the same color, as long as it looked half-normal when they painted the sky? To Baekhyun, Chen’s interest never seemed weird; it seemed only natural, it was a part of who Chen was. And if we compare the present status of those boys with Chen’s, he who sells his work for more than at least three numbers a piece obviously has it better.

Baekhyun and Chen have been good friends almost all their lives and they are practically family after so long. Baekhyun has seen Chen with his face full of acne and Chen has seen Baekhyun with a few extra pounds on him, they have been with each other through highs and lows, and they can read each other’s expressions within milliseconds. They chide each other playfully or seriously whenever the other needs it, but, most importantly, they support each other whenever they need it. Like Baekhyun supported Chen when he decided to come to Seoul and study fashion, holding books for hours on end until Chen nailed the designs of tribal patterns –and he learned a few fashion-related things for himself in the process.

One of those things is how a well-tailored clothing item can make you look all sorts of fabulous and, since Baekhyun is on the sorter side and the clothes don’t always fit perfectly, he turns to Chen for help. Chen is always willing to help him modify his clothes and it’s a good chance to catch up every now and then. It’s almost like a ritual and they enjoy it to the fullest, even though they both work too hard to have enough free time. Today, Chen is rescuing a navy blue blazer and Baekhyun is filling him in on the situation with Park Chanyeol.

“So, leather pants huh…What happened to ‘it looks too promiscuous for me!’ or ‘my thighs look fat!’?” Chen presses, fixing Baekhyun’s arms in a different position to measure the sleeves.

“That was last year” Baekhyun dismisses playfully and flashes a smile when Chen throws him a glare.

“Just listen to me every once in a while, it doesn’t hurt” the designer murmurs, shaking his head but focusing his eyes on folding the sleeves.

“Yes, captain! By the way, what happened to your crew today?” Baekhyun glances around again, but the large room is empty, except for the two men and a hundred reflections of them in mirrors in the midst of colorful pastel clothes –pastel colors are in fashion for women for the coming spring season, apparently.

“Some of them are preparing a show room down town and some others took the day off. I don’t mind, since the season’s clothes are finished; let them slack for a day. Besides, we can’t talk if they are hovering around; especially since we are talking about the Park Chanyeol” Baekhyun sees Chen’s smirk in the reflection “I can’t believe you didn’t know who he was! If you so much as whisper his name in this room on a crowded day, half of the room will swoon and the rest will fangirl to exhaustion” Chen leaves the container of pins aside and instructs Baekhyun to spin once.

Baekhyun finds it fun to do this sort of awkward and uncomfortable posing and spinning; he is no model material but he feels like a play doll –which is a cute feeling, but the reason is hard to explain so let’s just leave it undefined. It just makes him feel innocent, and childish and cute and sunny. Baekhyun thinks that ‘sunny’ is definitely a feeling and you just know it when you have it; it’s like your insides are swelling up with bright, warm and glowing light.

“I need to work on the waist a bit more” Chen decides thoughtfully, after a short assessment “Hold your arms up for me” There goes the doll feeling again as Baekhyun complies and he smiles to himself cheerfully. “So…Park Chanyeol?” Chen reminds Baekhyun and the latter sighs lightly.

“Yeah…he’s a really nice person” he says simply, gazing at the ceiling.

Chanyeol is nice; nicer than Baekhyun expected. He thought that, during the morning they spent in his house, Chanyeol was trying to be nice and polite and friendly because he felt bad for imposing on Baekhyun. But then, they met at the art gallery and Chanyeol was just as bright and friendly; so maybe, just maybe, he is not like that only on mornings when he feels obliged, and that is just how Chanyeol is generally. That ‘maybe’ has become a ‘definitely’ in Baekhyun’s mind, because it was confirmed both on their business meeting last week and on their business date last Saturday. He is so nice that he even worried about Baekhyun getting home safely…

“Did he say anything about your leather pants?” Chen wiggles his eyebrows. It’s odd how his expressions are meant for Baekhyun but his eyes are always focused on some part of him other than his face.

“Can you get over those pants?” Baekhyun demands with a soft laugh.

“I don’t think so” Chen releases a playful grin on his lips; the mischievous grin is a signature expression of Chen, ever since he was a kid, and Baekhyun likes it very much, so he smiles as well, even if Chen is examining his waist and doesn’t even glance at his face. “But seriously, what does he think of you?”

“I don’t know…” Baekhyun runs his tongue over his lips uncomfortably. He knows that thinking about what Park Chanyeol might possibly think of him is a dangerous path to tread and he has avoided it at all costs during his bed-time analysis. But Chen is asking right now and Baekhyun needs to answer with something. “Maybe that I’m okay? He doesn’t look like he wants to run away from me every time we meet, so I guess he finds me tolerable, as a person. I hope he finds me really good at my job though…”

Baekhyun always wants to please his clients, and god knows how much he wrecked his brain for ideas that would impress Chanyeol before he came to a decision for the gala. But during the last few days he is starting to second-guess his decision –as always. Usually, when he hits this spot, he consults with his clients and works things out with their help. But this is not just any client, it is Park Chanyeol, and he is too busy and important for Baekhyun to simply ask to book a meeting with him…

“Hey, Baek, meet me before the event, will you?” Chen suggests while carefully sliding the blazer off of Baekhyun’s arms.

“Why?”

“I have a suit for you, for the occasion” Chen says casually but the mischievous grin is on his lips again, making Baekhyun suspicious.

“I have many suits already, thank you” he answers warily. Chen flashes a toothy smile.

“Correction: I have a fabulous suit that only you can pull off; so please wear it at the event?” Chen clasps his hands in praying position. “Please, please, please…?” he pleads, wiggling in place. It’s not a secret that Baekhyun often wonders which one out of the two of them is more childish. Baekhyun lets out a sigh; he is so weak-hearted when his best friend is concerned…

“Yeah, okay” he agrees half-heartedly and Chen cheers in delight.

--

“Hold the elevator please!” Luhan barks while making a run for the closing doors. He has to get into that elevator, if he is planning to have enough time for a proper meal on this lunch break. If he misses this elevator, then who knows when the next one will grace him with a stop!

The company is so crowded these days, with the preparations for the gala and the signing of business contracts going on, that the elevators are overly occupied whenever you need them. Yesterday, Luhan had to wait fifteen minutes for the next one.

He steps in the elevator and sighs in relief. The button to the ground floor is already lit, so all he has to do is wait for the next twelve stops and hope that there will not be too many people crowding the elevator until he gets off.

“Luhan?” a familiar voice asks behind him and Luhan turns around surprised; he had forgotten that there were supposed to be other people inside this elevator, let alone suspect that this person in particular would be in here.

“Sehun?”

“Hi!” Sehun smiles in that way that never fails to make Luhan feel like he is home. Is it vaguely disconcerting that this is not the time and place to feel like that, and yet Sehun has this very immediate effect on Luhan? Well, maybe it is, even though Luhan fails to notice. What is the kid doing here anyway?

“Why are you here?” he asks, noticing the box he is holding in his arms. The short girl next to him is holding an identical one.

“I’m helping Sunny noona take these to recycling, as per Do hyung’s orders” Sehun shrugs his shoulders casually and the girl next to him gives a small smile to Luhan.

Glancing at the paper contents of the boxes, Luhan makes out small pieces of crumbled paper; that idiot, Kai, must be still trying the note-slipping method to contact Kyungsoo, who is being surprisingly difficult…Luhan feels oddly disappointed in the mutt; for the playboy he is, you would think he’d be better at these things. Maybe Luhan needs to teach him a few smooth moves; add that to the long list of things that Luhan needs to fix in Kai’s brain.

“What about you?” Sehun asks, bringing Luhan’s attention back.

“Lunch break” he offers simply.

The doors open and three chattering people get inside. As a result, Luhan is pushed back and pressed on Sehun’s side.

May he just ask again: how the hell can the kid be so tall?! He looked so much shorter behind the counter! But, as it turned out, the kid has a good pair of tall killer legs. Luhan noticed them last time too, when he was found in the park, freezing like a crazy folk in the middle of the night. It was a really embarrassing encounter that he’d rather not remember.

But those long legs, oh those he remembers. He also remembers how nice Sehun looked, all dressed up in decent clothes and not just the café’s apron, with his hair styled neatly and his broad shoulders rocking that coat…

At this point, Luhan would like to add to the indictment that Sehun is just a kid and interested in the opposite gender for that matter, therefore Luhan should stop having that sort of thoughts about him. But there is only so much he can do when he is pressed on the rock-hard side of Sehun’s body; which, apparently, is not as skinny as it seems.

He avoids even glancing at Sehun’s face and keeps his eyes fixed on the collar of a chubby man’s shirt, trying to sift his focus and think of the meal he is going to have soon. It’s not helping much, but he won’t allow himself to think about Sehun or Sehun’s parts for more than a split second; his thoughts are bad enough as they are, thank you very much.

They wait in awkward silence until seven floors later the chattering people get out. Luhan steps away from Sehun immediately and focuses on the decreasing numbers of the floors. He feels like he has been electrocuted, he has so much spare energy in this moment that he would start hoping in place to get it out of his system if it wasn’t dangerous.

It’s just the adrenaline, it will pass. He wants to bang his head on the door; why. did the kid. have to be. so. hot? The air feels kind of hot, doesn’t it? He really hopes he is not flushed or anything. Can he just hide until this is over?

They stop at the second floor and the girl makes her exit first, snapping Luhan out of his remorseful thoughts’ pit. Sehun follows after her, stopping to smile at Luhan for a moment when he gets out of the elevator. Dang that smile.

“See you around!” he chirps happily and Luhan manages a small, shocked smile in return. The reaction seems enough for Sehun, who turns around and starts walking down the empty hall, completely unaware.

Luhan is thankful for two things in this moment: one, that the hall is empty, and two, that he is alone in the elevator. Because both those mean that there is no one to see him gaping like a fish at the sight of Sehun’s back side. Just a pair of skinny jeans is enough to make Luhan’s insides boil and scatter his thoughts to every sort of indecent path. There is one answer to Luhan’s existence: the universe is trying its best to torture him.

Because how can the kid be a genius, be hard working, good looking, kind, tall, skinny, young and have an like that?!

--

“Do I have to redo all this?” the girl asks shyly, trying to hide her panic while she flips the pages.

“No, if you fix this part it will be okay” Kyungsoo circles with his pencil around the part where the numbers have been typed wrong and the girl sighs in relief. He is starting to think that this girl was hired as a secretary mostly for her looks and for social interaction purposes rather than for actual work…Well, the Park Corporation is huge, so it can afford a few employees just for show.

The girl leaves and Kyungsoo returns to his papers. After the secretary girl is done, he will have to go and visit the catering company again –because they still have not given their final price. He also has to pressure Baekhyun about the flower selection –seriously, when it’s Byun Baekhyun we’re talking about, just give him the bare minimum of options; because he can reject confidently many options he doesn’t like, but he can be indecisive for ages about the remaining likable options…

Kyungsoo shakes his head at the thought and searches his agenda for his appointment with the florist. Oh, he also has to stop by the printer’s office to pick up the invitations –and then his life is so exciting that he will have to check one by one and mail all those invitations… Maybe he can find some way to pass that responsibility to Sunny…

Just as Kyungsoo is half thinking about his plan to get rid of the invitations task while jotting down notes, a small piece of paper slips through the pages of his agenda. He watches in bewilderment as the white folded paper wafts to the ground; where did that come from?

He glances around but he is alone in the room. He picks up the paper reluctantly, trying to remember if he made any note and stuffed it hastily in his bag earlier. And then he remembers. No, he didn’t make any note; Jongin made about a thousand of them. Kyungsoo rolls his eyes; he thought he got rid of every single one of them. Jongin must have slipped this one purposely in his agenda, in hopes it wouldn’t have the same fate as the rest of his notes. Kyungsoo doesn’t know what to think about the guy’s persistence in writing him notes, even when he is so obviously rejecting them. Does he have something that important to say to him?

Holding the folded piece in his fingers, he deliberates whether to throw it away instantly or read it first. He didn’t read any of the other notes; he just glanced at them and then he threw them in the trash. He didn’t want to show any such signs of weakness in front of Jongin; he is resolved to staying away from him to the best of his ability.

But it’s just one note…

And no one is here to see him anyway…

What’s the worst thing he might have written? Kyungsoo glances around quickly and he deems it safe to read the note; just one read, really quickly.

‘Smile for me, Soo! Please, I need to know you’re always happy!’ 

Kyungsoo finds himself staring at the note for longer than he had planned. The note is written in round letters that seem…happy. Describing letters as happy sounds like something Baekhyun would do, but Kyungsoo has no other way of describing those letters. Little idiot…

He snaps out of his thoughts and glances around once to make sure no one is there, and indeed he is still alone. He feels like a child who is about to shove their hands in the cookie jar. He really shouldn’t do this…

But he folds the paper carefully and slips it quickly in his agenda pages again. His lips crack a small smile involuntarily. That was sort of…sweet.

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a/n. Hey loves! I realized I hadn’t mentioned Chen in a while, so there you go! Hunhan and Kaisoo updates to get them somewhere, finally –guess what the next huge chapter is going to be though…

I hope I can update soon, because there is this establishment called ‘university’, and those people are planning our annihilation, apparently, with the insane lecture hours…But I will do my best for you guys! Thank you for subscribing~!!! kitty