Man’s best friend is a dog. So, a zoo? A pet shop? Or a place with a name related to a dog?

Mino sat down on a bench, chewing on his late dinner for today – a butter bread bought from a convenience store. Shaking his head at his poor self, never would he thought of having just bread on Christmas Eve, let alone running around Tokyo while everyone else is caught up in the fun Christmas spirit.

For the first time in this game, he has no idea where he should head to next. He has just rejected an offer of a hint from Taehyun which he believed will help him a lot but he really, really wanted to do this on his own.He tried to recall if they had talked about pets or dogs in their previous conversations or if maybe Taehyun had dropped any hints about wanting a puppy in the past.

He was about to walk away when someone tapped him on his shoulder.

“Hey mister, your phone”

Mino didn’t realize that he had left his phone on the bench. Thanking the man profusely because he couldn’t imagine being able to navigate through Tokyo without the help of the GPS app in the phone. He’ll be lost forever in this maze. Then, it struck Mino like how a lightbulb lights up so suddenly.

❆

“Why do you always forget your stuff? The other time, you lost your phone and it was in the fridge all along. I bet you left it there during your secret midnight supper. And this time, it’s your bag. Oh gosh Mino, you frustrate me sometimes. “

They had just came back to the hotel from a morning trip to Kawagoe when Mino found out that he had lost his bag. Since it contained his wallet and passport, he was on frantic-mode and turned the entire hotel room upside down, wishing that perhaps he had just misplaced it somewhere when they returned to the room. Taehyun had spent the entire morning nagging at Mino over it while Mino quietly searched the room.

“It’s in the cake shop in Kawagoe. I just called your phone and one of the waitresses picked it up. They will keep your bag for us until we retrieve it back. “

Mino let out a sigh of relief as he plopped down on the bed.

“You know, you keep losing your stuff. You worry me sometimes.” Said Taehyun with his arms on his hips.

“Aww..why are you so worried ? I have you by my side so I’ll be fine.”

“What if we get separated in Tokyo? It’s a maze out there. I know I’ll survive for sure but what about you?  I doubt you even know how to use the subway to get back to the hotel.”

“Simple. I’ll call you.” Mino chuckled at his own witty answer.

Ignoring Mino's answer, Taehyun continued on.

“Let’s decide on a meeting spot just in case we ever got separated and also just in case you lose your phone too. There is a statue of a dog in the intersection of Shibuya. The Hachiko Statue. It’s like a very famous tourist spot. If we ever get separated in Tokyo, let’s meet up there. I’ll wait for you.  Just don’t keep me waiting for too long, alright? I have my limits too.”

❆

The pedestrian light is red. Mino is now standing at one of the corners of the infamous Shibuya intersection. This huge intersection is now the only thing separating him from Taehyun.

Taehyun’s little games sometimes do frustrates him because he so bad at them but this time, he has to agree that the game has somehow reignited a flame in him. He has never felt so much love and appreciation for Taehyun. Or perhaps he had just forgotten about it amidst the norm of daily life. The treasure hunt had been a journey of soul searching for him. If it was possible to fall in love with the same person again and again, Mino just did.

He had once thought of how it would feel to have a normal relationship instead. A normal life where everything will be a bed of roses, where there is no need to sneak around and no hurtful comments being thrown at them. Where people will not stop and stare.  If he turns back now, he might still have a shot at that normal life.

But looking at everything that they had been through together, no matter the ups or downs, and especially after today, he realized that a life without Taehyun is incomplete. Be it a bed of thorns, as long as they are in it together, Mino is willing to endure it. And to be honest, isn’t their own happiness the most important thing? It shouldn’t have been about pleasing others. Mino had knew this all along but still had let himself being affected by those bad events. Not anymore now.

The light turns green.

❆

“Hey.”

Taehyun looked up to find an out-of-breath Mino looking at him, with a smile plastered on his face.

“Hey you”, Taehyun answered back with a grin.

“So, here you are. I looked all over Tokyo for you.”

Taehyun stood up and looked at him nervously.

“So how was it?”

“I learnt two things today. One is that I really need to exercise more. My legs are killing me. And second is that I’ve been acting like a fool lately. I’m really sorry. I know now that there are far more important things in life than worrying about what people think about us. You are very important to me and I will hang on to you for dear life even if you want to kick me away. “

A sense of relief washed over Taehyun. "Well, just to assure you, I don't push people away easily, unlike someone.  But are you really really sure about this?"

Just then, the sound of firecrackers explodes all around them. Both of them looked up into the sky where fireworks of various colors can be seen. Cheers of Merry Christmas can be heard everywhere as a new day ushers in.

“To answer your question Taehyunnie, yes I'm very certain. And looks like we are just in time to join in the celebrations. So, Mr Nam, may I have the honour of celebrating this Christmas with you? And the next Christmas, and also the next next one. All the Christmases in our lifetime to be exact.” asked Mino as he stretched his hand out towards Taehyun.

“Of course, you drama king”, laughed Taehyun. 

Mino can’t help smiling as he grabbed his partner's hand. It is hard to predict what will happen in the future but they are both more certain than ever that come what may, they are both in it together. He held Taehyun’s hand tightly as the two of them crossed the intersection together , slowly disappearing into the sea of people.

A/N : Pheww..finally I am able to finish it. This is the first fic which I've completed. Hope you guys will like it. Honestly, writing is an outlet for all the thoughts that I have running in my mind. Never would have thought that I would receive the support that I've been getting T.T Really appreciate all your comments and feedbacks. I am on holidays now so hopefully I will be able to finish some of my drafts and post up a couple new ones. Last but not least, happy holidays and Merry Christmas everyone ^.^