Length: 19K+

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Fluff

Warning: Mentions of death.

(Based on Yehet_hyung's'Prompt)

Summary: Cupid makes a mistake of hitting the wrong people with his Golden arrows and Jongin’s life plan gets sabotaged.

 

 

 

 

 

Jongin’s life wasn’t extraordinary at all. He was a normal high school student, good-looking and quite famous, yes, but not too famous to actually surpass that of resident bad boy Wu YiFan and his gang. He was 18, still curious and nervous of what the future holds yet, he believes that he sure has it figured out already.

 

At the age of 18 and already a senior High school student, Kim Jongin learned that life is a gamble and in order for him to survive and be happy with his life, he needs to grow first. Not necessarily physically (because he sure has done puberty the right way), but in heart and in mind. He had planned his life and even made a sketchbook for it just to be extra sure he doesn’t forget any details.

 

He would, at the age of 19, enter college and take up Architecture and then possibly meet the first person he would give his heart to.

 

That’s true; in all of his eighteen years of gloriousness and despite his oozing iness (he knows he is y and damn is he proud of himself), Kim Jongin never have had a girlfriend—or a boyfriend before. Gender doesn’t really matter to him as long as it’s the person he is in love with. Somehow, he had come to a conclusion that there really is no one to fall in love with at this age. Everyone he knows—or everyone at school or in their neighbourhood is either friends that he could never look at romantically or just people he would rather not get acquainted with. And after his best friends’ failed relationships, Jongin had come to a conclusion that he would rather wait for the right age and the right moment when the brains of the people around him would mature enough that they would not date him only because of his fame (like the girl Chanyeol once dated but dumped soon because what kind of girl friend would ask you to choose between her and your best friends?) or because of lust (like the guy Baekhyun dated before who looked kind of nice at first but was punched in the face by an enraged Chanyeol after finding out he tried to force Baekhyun into having with him). Kim Jongin would rather wait for the right time, at the right place, and at the right age. That’d be during his University days or after.

 

At the age of 23, he would have already graduated along with his best friends and they would get high paying jobs because they were, he’s sure, good university students who have achieved high degrees and the companies would be begging to have them work for them. They’re awesome, Jongin thinks knows.

 

Maybe at that age too, he would start looking for the person he would marry if still not found during his five years in university because he was too busy being a good student.

 

Or maybe..

 

 

☁☁☁

 

A ball of snow hits Chanyeol, hard on the face. He stumbles forward, eyes closing tight as he tries to get his bearings back. A loud shriek comes before he could even react.

 

“How dare you!” Baekhyun exclaims at the direction where the snow ball came from. He glares but he couldn’t really look any scary because of his cute appearance. Baekhyun stood protectively there next to Chanyeol crouched down beside him.

 

“Snow ball fight!” And that was Kim Jongin, hands fisted as he holds up snowballs. He has a huge grin on his face. He’s always like that, extremely energetic in the mornings after he successfully drags himself off his bed.

 

Chanyeol watches, laughing, as Baekhyun throws snow balls towards Jongin’s direction.

 

“You can’t just throw snowballs at someone’s face like that! Especially not to your best friend!”

 

But Jongin only laughs and continues to dodge Baekhyun’s weak attempts of taking revenge for Chanyeol.

 

Their senior year is soon ending and nothing feels more nostalgic than being in their hometown, being able to play like when they’re kids, uncaring of the judging stares thrown by the adults nearby.

 

Few minutes after the snowball fight, where Jongin ends up bombed with snowballs from his best friends who decided to team up, they found themselves lying onto the backyard of Jongin’s house, on the iced ground and although they’re cold, they still manage to smile, breathing heavily and laughing with their cherry red cheeks and nose.

 

“Your neighbours will think we’re retarded.” Baekhyun huffs and the other two watch puffs of cold air becoming visible when the smallest of them speak.

 

“Shh, they already know we are retarded.” Jongin and Chanyeol laughs loudly while Baekhyun pouts and hits Jongin on the chest.

 

The laughter dies down and they’re left staring at the tree branch above them. The leaves are gone but the life remains and Jongin thinks that they’ll be like that too in the future. They’ll be old but the life will remain and all he can hope for is for the three of them to remain friends like this. Turning to Baekhyun on his left and then to Chanyeol on his right, a brilliant idea began to make him smile.

 

“My head hurts. Give me that,” Chanyeol flinches at first, thinking that Jongin is up to something that will cause trouble again, but relaxes when he realizes the other would only use his arm as a pillow.

 

“Ah, better.”

 

“You’re making good use of my body parts, Kim Jongin.”

 

Jongin laughs. “That sounds naughty, Park Chanyeol.”

 

“Hey! What are you two saying! And why are you using Yeol’s arm as a pillow again!” Baekhyun heaves him up on his elbows to glare at the two. Sometimes he gets all jealous over the two being sweet.

 

Jongin snorts but turns to Chanyeol’s side to swing an arm around Chanyeol who only laughs in his deep voice. He finds it very amusing and extremely cute when Baekhyun fumes over Jongin’s teasing.

 

Baekhyun hasn’t always been like this. There was a time when Baekhyun was just as mischievous as Jongin however, somewhere along their summer vacations as they spend night and days together, enjoying their times before they start their junior year in high school, Chanyeol sees Baekhyun as he began to change into something else in his eyes. Something the word ‘friendship’ can not simply define.

 

Baekhyun sits up and huffs. He ends up gasping in surprise when Jongin sits up and pushes him down to take his place in Chanyeol’s arm. Jongin even protectively wraps Chanyeol’s arm around his shoulder.

 

“It’s cold,” he says as he pushes himself to stand up, “so you keep each other warm. I’ll go get my stuff so we can go back to Chanyeol’s house. I’m excited to eat Mama Park’s chicken soup again!”

 

The two lying down snort in unison. “Chicken again.”

 

Baekhyun rolls his eyes but Jongin doesn’t fail to see the look in his eyes and he’s convinced that the red tint on his cheeks is not due to the cold but rather due to the warmth coming from Chanyeol.

 

Jongin turns around and whistles a happy song as he skips inside the house and upstairs to his room to retrieve his PSP. He kisses his mom good bye and tells him of his overnight stay at the Park’s before he exits through the back door. A wide grin began to form on his face as he stares at his best friends. Chanyeol still has his arm wrapped around Baekhyun while Baekhyun compares the size of their hands.

 

He sees it, that special kind of smiles on their faces.

 

 

☁☁☁

 

..Or maybe, at the age of 23, he can finally see his best friends get married.

 

Baekhyun and Chanyeol are in love. Anyone with eyes and a heart would know that once they see the two. Although it was only Baekhyun who had confessed this to Jongin, he believes that Chanyeol doesn’t need to tell him for him to know as well. Just the lingering stares and the extra-special attention they give to each other are enough to for him to know. Sometimes hanging out together makes Jongin feels like he’s being a third wheel in a date the other two planned together.

 

But then one person holds back when things get into the territory of what-lovers-would-do.

 

Ah, skinny love. Jongin thinks that Chanyeol and Baekhyun perfectly define what it is.

 

Jongin promised to himself that he will not stop until he sees the two married. It will be like lifting a giant weight off his shoulders at the time the two finally stops running in circles and comes to term with their own feelings.

 

It’s a win-win situation. His best friends would stop acting like dumb s and he would have a peaceful time trying to look for his other half without having to worry over his best friends.

 

Baekhyun would probably be the first to move since he’s the first who declared he’s gay and is pretty much open about it.

 

Chanyeol is still confused, probably, Jongin thinks. He’d let them work it out and if he doesn’t, he’ll make sure things happen because that’s what best friends are for.

 

 

 

 

However, this winter, something unusual seems to float in the air. The coldness bites on the skin and seems to go past the protective layer to send shivers down his spine. There’s a hint of uneasiness bubbling in Jongin’s heart. Like something wrong is going to happen. And he worries that it might ruin the life plan he had secured in his scrap book.

 

They’re already fast approaching the age of maturity and Jongin isn’t sure if he should be scared or excited of what’s to come.

 

 

➸      ➸     ➸

 

“Guardian!”

 

The smile on Suho’s face was sweet as if he’s watching his own children lovingly. But it wasn’t his children he’s watching. He’s watching teenagers laughing and playing with snow balls like when they were little children.

 

“Guardian!”

 

Puffs of clouds appear in front of Suho and comes a skipping chubby boy with blonde hair and pink cheeks. He smiles back as sweetly as he swirls his hand, closing glassy hole on the ground.

 

“Cupid, you are two moons early for Valentine’s day.”

 

The little boy—Cupid, as what his mother Venus called him, giggles. Suho’s heart flutters with the warmth of the little boy laughing. It’s like listening to thousands of babies giggling in the heavens.

 

“I know! I was very excited, I don’t know why! And mother allowed me to visit the Guardian of the South which is you!”

 

The Guardian nods his head in understanding, he lifts his hand and a bench forms out of the cloud ground and he invites Cupid to sit beside him. The latter does and he swings his legs that hardly reach the ground below.

 

Cupid was one of the favourite of the guardians. He brings love and happiness to them with his smiles and giggles that seem to call the angels of heavens.

 

“And how may I be of assistance?”

 

The boy tilts his head to the left, blinking once, twice with his lips before he clicks them.

 

“I’m aware that you watch over humans below in this part of the human world and this year, I want to ask you what kind of love would you like fulfilled.”

 

The guardian raises his brows in question. As far as he knows, Cupid’s work is to fulfill love or to separate them according to his own judgement. How come he is being asked now?

 

“Last Valentine’s Day, I decided to ask the guardians if they have a certain love they want to fulfil for the humans they watch over. After all, you know humans better than I do..”

 

“But Cupid, it is not our place to—“

 

“Mother has no objections when I asked her and I want to try this time..”

 

Cupid stares at him with his golden eyes and Suho could no longer say no.

 

“Alright,” he swirls his hand again to open the glassy hole on the ground. Puffs of white dust appears and no matter how many times Cupid has seen this, he will never not get amazed at its beauty. He still thinks guardians are very amazing. He had once envied them for being the second highest angels in the heavens.

 

"What kind of love do you want to see fall into place, Suho?" Cupid swings his short legs hanging off the bench.

 

"Hmm.. I don't know.. maybe setting afire an old flame.."

 

Cupid smiles, he's already thousands of years old yet he remains the youngest of all angels. Despite how long he's been around, he still has not acquired enough knowledge to fully know everything about love. He's only a child, made to fulfill or draw apart love. Why does he need to understand?

 

"Or lovers that are finally reunited after a long time," Suho continues as he lifts up a hand to widen the magical glass showing the humans

 

"Hmm.. can be," Cupid answers.

 

“This human,” Suho says, pointing at a tall person walking inside what seems like a corridor of some sort. “His name is Chanyeol.”

 

Cupid nods his head, still staring at the certain human.

 

".. is he.. is he in love?" He asks, tilting his head in curiosity.

 

"I am not sure, Cupid. Aren't you the one who's supposed to know that?"  Suho asks, looking thoughtfully at Cupid.

 

Cupid stares at the human. He has a wide smile on his face and his pearl white teeth are showing. He's tall and his eyes light up as he talks to the other two humans by his side. But that's not what caught

Cupid's attention and made him smile. There's a glow that the human starts to emit. It's mesmerizing and Cupid, the only being able to see such occurrence, feels his heart beat steadily fast.

 

"This Chanyeol is in love.."

 

Suho nods in agreement and he flashes the child a sweet smile. “He is in love with his best friend  but both of them are yet to know that.”

 

Cupid began to smile.

 

“He doesn’t know he is in love with his own best friend?” Cupid whispers and lifts his gaze up to Suho.

 

The guardian smiles and lifts a hand to pat the child’s head. He shakes his head in response.

 

“And who is his best friend? Is this best friend in love with this Chanyeol too?”

 

“Yes. As obvious as it is, Chanyeol’s best friend is also in love with him. But they can’t seem to admit it to each other.”

 

Cupid’s eyes light up. This kind of love is perfect. This is the kind of love that needs him the most. He smiles and looks back onto the magical glass.

 

“His best friend’s name is—“

 

“Guardian!”

 

The strong wind puffs past them that makes both of them look up at the angel that landed in front of them.

 

“Luhan, what is it?”

 

“We need your help, Guardian. There is a problem in the North.”

 

Suho immediately stood up, wings already unsheathed from his back, ready for flight.

 

“I apologize, Cupid. I am needed. I have to go now,” he says, looking back to the child sitting on the cloud bench.

 

The child smiles at him and then to Luhan.

 

“I understand. Thank you for this,” Cupid says pointing at the magical glass.

 

Suho nods and smiles before he flies away, his right hand angel following after.

 

Cupid stares until his friend is nowhere in sight and then he sighs. He is still didn’t know who Chanyeol’s first love is. He looks at the magical glass and his eyes widen, he can still see the humans!

 

Jumping off the bench that immediately disappears once he was off it, Cupid crouches down to stare at the glass. A smile began to etch on his face when he sees the human called Chanyeol hugging a smaller man and twirling him around with a huge grin. This must be the person he loves.

 

Cupid hears a name before the magical glass completely closes on its own.

 

“Kyungsoo!

 

 

➸      ➸     ➸

 

The unusual event or thing that is supposed to come shows up by Chanyeol’s door one Saturday night.

 

The three of them likes to have sleepovers in each other’s houses. Sunday nights are spent at Baekhyun’s house because it is the day before weekdays and the only way they can all finish their homeworks is if they stay somewhere without any distraction. Baekhyun’s an only child and doesn’t possess gaming tools. Saturday nights are spent at Jongin’s house because it’s the night they play the most for Jongin always gets to buy the latest versions of gaming tools and have a huge basement game room. It’s the night they indulge in games. Friday nights are spent at Chanyeol’s house because it’s the nearest to their school and he has a theatre room he earned as a reward from his dad when he won his first game as a Basketball team captain. Friday’s are spent sprawled all over the couch to relax their dying brain neurons as they watch every movies that interest them.

 

The movie they were supposed to watch that night was his favorite action movie. So when Jongin gets kicked off the couch by Baekhyun to answer the persistent ringing of the doorbell, he stomps off while muttering curses to whoever dared to disturb their movie night. He angrily munch on his popcorn when he opened the door to a...man that looks like a caterpillar.

 

Wait.. What? A caterpillar?

 

A caterpillar with doe eyes that looked up at him like they can see through his soul, unveiling his deepest, darkest secrets.

 

Jongin blinks once and then twice.

 

The man standing in front of him, warmly shielded against the biting coldness of the winter by a black full-body coat, stares up at him looking confused and he looked so adorable even with his red nose that Jongin forgot of his prior annoyance because this was the person who kept on pestering them with the doorbell and even got him kicked off of his comfortable position on Chanyeol’s couch. And he looked up at Jongin with such innocence and confusion rather intensely that Jongin couldn’t even feel the cold biting on his skin with the way he feels his cheeks heat up.

 

He couldn’t even pause to think and try to analyze what’s happening with him and his heart that is doing somersaults without his permission. Neither was he able to hear Chanyeol approaching and telling him to close the door because the cold is getting in the house.

 

“Who are you?”

 

Those are the words he hears from the man in front of him, as his confused stare turns into a glare with his thick eyebrows knitting together. The man’s voice is thick and husky and it distracts Jongin from thinking of an answer to why a stranger who was persistently ringing the doorbell just a while ago asking him who he is. If he was in the right thinking, he would have  asked the man the same question. The other man is the stranger here, not him.

 

“You’re not Chanyeol.” The stranger says, eyes flickering up and down the length of Jongin’s figure.

 

Obviously, since I don’t look like a giant branch stick, Jongin’s brain sarcastically retorts. But he doesn’t say it out loud. It’s not that he doesn’t want to, it’s just that he forgot he has a mouth that’s there to enable him to speak. Totally not his fault.

 

“Kyungsoo?”

 

Jongin hears Chanyeol from behind him but wasn’t even given the time to turn and face his best friend to ask about the strange stranger before he was being shoved aside to the door, his favorite caramel-flavored popcorn getting spilled all over the floor.

 

“Kyungsoo!”

 

And for the first time in his lifetime, Jongin witnesses his best friend smiling so wide that his teeth could fall off while hugging a man by the waist and twirling around like in those overly-cheesy romance movies in a beach scene. The boy who was glaring at him just awhile ago smiles, his face lighting up as he squeals back a Chanyeol’a! and hugs back the latter. Even his giggles sound strangely melodious to Jongin’s selective hearing. Everything about the stranger is strange.

 

Jongin doesn’t realize that he is pouting and it’s not because of his precious spilled popcorns.

-

-

If Jongin wasn’t so busy staring in awe and curiosity at the stranger, he would have noticed the sad look on Baekhyun’s face as he stand by his side. They have literally been trailing after Chanyeol and his new friend as they skip from one part of the house to another.

 

After the man has taken off his coat, Jongin realizes that the stranger is nothing close to a caterpillar. If any, he would be a butterfly, beautiful and flying around free.

 

The thing about the newcomer is that he prances around Chanyeol’s house as if it was his own and Jongin finds that fascinating. He and Baekhyun stays at a distance from the two but close enough for Jongin to fall mesmerized of the stranger’s voice. From such a small man, a deep yet soft and husky voice comes free. Jongin’s ears perk up every time he hears the man’s voice. His wide eyes seem to compel Jongin to look only at him, watch him as he waltzes around the house, listen to how his beautiful voice rise up in excitement when he sees something that reminds him of beautiful memories he claims he had with Chanyeol and how that same voice lowers in gloom when he talks of sad memories.

 

Jongin is seeing and hearing the man talk, however, none of the words get registered in his head. If he was only listening properly, he would have known the reason to the frown Baekhyun, beside him, is sporting. It would have registered in his mind that the man is mentioning his experiences in the very house with Chanyeol as his best friend, he would have learned that the man knew about Chanyeol and this house more than him and Baekhyun ever did, that the man was already mentioning about how nothing much has changed around the house and most importantly, he would have noticed and comprehended the reason as to why Chanyeol is smiling sheepishly, blushing, and rubbing his nape as he answers the stranger. Unfortunately, Jongin’s attention is fully absorbed by the newcomer and only Baekhyun was able to notice that.

-

-

Baekhyun and Jongin stands and fidgets by the door of Chanyeol’s room, staring confusedly at Chanyeol and the stranger by the name of Kyungsoo seemed to have finally become too tired and plopped down on Chanyeol’s bed, limbs sprawled all over the sheet. Chanyeol sat beside him, peering down at him.

 

“I miss all of these, Chanyeol.”

 

Chanyeol laughs lightly, looking around his room. Nothing much changed—actually, he made sure to not change much except those that he can’t avoid adding to the environment of their home. He wanted Kyungsoo to still feel familiar about his home when he returns.

 

“I’m pretty sure this home missed you just as much, Soo.”

 

Chanyeol doesn’t mind it when Kyungsoo suddenly sits up but he does mind and he can’t not mind when Kyungsoo faces him and wraps his arms around his neck.

 

“And I missed you so much, Chanyeol.”

 

Chanyeol’s eyes widen in surprise and he gulps. The other two watching them have different reaction as well. Baekhyun’s frown deepens and Jongin, after finally being able to take his attention off the stranger, raises a brow.

 

“I—of course I miss you too, Soo. You know that already. How can I not?”

 

The smaller man lets out a satisfied smile. He heaves a deep breath before speaking once more. “And I want to spend a lot of time with you.”

 

Chanyeol cannot hide his cheeks that have turned tomato red. “O-of course we can do that. We have all the time together.”

 

“Really?”

 

Chanyeol’s brows knit together for a moment before he answers, “Really.”

 

The smaller stares at him straight in the eyes, as if weighing his options, before he purses his lips to the side.

 

“Then what are they still doing here?”

 

Chanyeol looks straight into Kyungsoo’s eyes, brows knitted back together as he asks, “Who?”

 

“Those two weird strangers who kept following us.”

 

Chanyeol follows Kyungsoo’s gaze and it falls onto his other best friends: Jongin and Baekhyun.

 

Jongin would have retorted an ‘excuse me, we can hear you and you’re the stranger here, not us’ had he not been too busy thinking ah, so he actually noticed us.

 

Chanyeol shifts his gaze from Kyungsoo to the other two before he clears his voice.

 

“Right,” he says, pushing himself off the mattress and walking to stand in the middle of the room. “I forgot to introduce you guys. Sorry.”

 

Chanyeol smiles apologetically at the two whom he kind of forgot about because of Kyungsoo’s arrival.

 

Baekhyun fakes a smile while Jongin fakes a stoic face although he was secretly getting excited with the thought of getting introduced to the stranger.

 

“Soo, come here. I’ll introduce you to each—”

 

“I don’t need to get to know them, Chanyeol. I said I came here only because I want to spend time with you.”

 

There was awkward silence. One that has Baekhyun shifting from one foot to another. Chanyeol looks back at Kyungsoo who only closes his eyes and plops back down and curled in on himself on the center of the bed.

 

“Guys, I’m really sorry,” Chanyeol starts as he steps out of the room with the other two trailing after him. Jongin watches as Chanyeol carefully closes the door to not make any sound. “But can we cancel tonight?”

 

Baekhyun did not say a word but lifts his gaze up to Chanyeol in a silent protest.

 

“I swear I’ll make it up to you next time guys. I promise.”

 

Baekhyun nods, trying to not frown.

 

It was Jongin who protested, mouth gaping for good three seconds.

 

“But I already started the movie. Man, you know I can’t not finish a movie I started or else I’ll be bothered for days!”

 

Jongin stomps his foot and Chanyeol’s eyes widen.

 

“Dude, be quiet! Soo is trying to sleep!” Chanyeol hissed.

 

Jongin doesn’t budge and only glares at Chanyeol. Because how can Chanyeol do this to him? This is their time together! No one and nothing should be allowed to cause the cancellation of their schedules. Not even a pretty man-stranger who came in like caterpillar with doe eyes!

 

Jongin had no choice though, for he was half carried-half dragged down the stairs by a pleading giant human branch stick.

 

 

 

☁☁☁

 

Jongin finds out how much of a bull the saying is about how first impressions last forever. A week in and that impression he had about Kyungsoo, Chanyeol’s childhood best friend, flew out the window and jumped off the building. Not only that, the caterpillar-man-stranger also made sure Jongin’s impression about him makes a darker turn until Jongin sees him as nothing but a spawn of the devil himself.

 

Do Kyungsoo, Jongin was sure, is a deceiving person who commits his life to torture others’ lives. Jongin was sure his current victim is Chanyeol, him and Baekhyun’s this time. The little devil was able to squeeze himself into the their tight-packed life in such an incredibly fast manner that Jongin wasn’t even able to fully realize it at first. He thought the supposed to be stranger was there for just a few days of vacation but that was where he was wrong.

 

It’s been three weeks and Chanyeol’s promise of making it up to him and Baekhyun was never fulfilled and that means Jongin still was not able to watch that movie he started three weeks prior. Strangely though, Jongin wasn’t annoyed because of the movie he couldn’t watch but was because Chanyeol began to spend almost all of his time with the caterpillar man.

 

The change was obvious, Chanyeol developed some kind of over protectiveness over the small man and wished to be around him all the possible time. The other does the same and was able to take full control of Chanyeol’s life. It irked Jongin that Chanyeol was willing to let such a small man just barge into his life and take control of it.

 

He is jealous, he knows. Chanyeol is one of his best friends yet he chose to spend most of his time with a man who left him years ago for the city life. Jongin knows that Baekhyun is jealous too, although the reason is a bit different. Baekhyun and Chanyeol are in love, Jongin is very sure of that, but why does Chanyeol choose the company of this seemingly plain man over the man he wishes to spend a lifetime with? Jongin will never understand.

 

Through the course of time, Jongin was only able to take glimpses of the life-intruder because he’s always around only to steal Chanyeol and drag him away. But Jongin need not spend time with this Kyungsoo for him to know that nothing good will arise from being friends with him.

 

Jongin doesn’t understand it, this Kyungsoo obviously can never do Chanyeol any good yet their friend does not even protest. Chanyeol already missed four tests when that Kyungsoo dragged him away and did not return him until the next day. They all know how missing those tests can pull down Chanyeol’s grades and so he and Baekhyun pleaded for the teachers to allow Chanyeol to take a special test, saying Chanyeol had been very sick. Often times, he and Baekhyun had to make excuses to their teachers as to why Chanyeol’s still not back from the restroom when he excuses himself.

 

Weekends that he’s supposed to spend with his best friends had gone boring too. He and Baekhyun were forced to spend time together. Without Chanyeol. Now it’s not like Jongin doesn’t feel happy being with just Baekhyun but it really just feels different when it’s the three of them hanging out. Not to mention Baekhyun sighing every once in a while, even when he’s already winning a game for the nth time with Jongin. It’s just really difficult to ignore Kyungsoo’s sudden interference to their once normal lives when the little intruder has already expanded his power far and wide.

 

That being said, it had become quite obvious to Jongin how his attention gets fully focused on the said intruder whenever he is around. His gazes turn to glares whenever it gets directed to the said man and just by that, Jongin knew that he garners a very strong sense of dislikeness towards Kyungsoo. They never really had a chance to have an exchange of more than three words and Jongin was glad because he knows that if they even try to talk, whatever it is that he will be spewing out won’t be anything nice at all. He distates Kyungsoo's sudden interference in their normal lives, the time they would have spent enjoying before they face their college lives.

 

With that, Jongin makes sure not to look at the other at all and limit his responses to no more than three words, to not stir any fights that would probably offend his best friend Chanyeol who seemed like a protective brother or lover to the unwanted stranger. Both he and Baekhyun hated this attitude Chanyeol suddenly developed.

 

The day Jongin crossed his three-words-limit rule towards the stranger happened one fine afternoon while he and Baekhyun are waiting for Chanyeol by the gates so they can study together for their preliminary exams. Baekhyun was reviewing his notes in excitement and was leaning on the wall as Jongin whistles a tune. The ground is covered with snow and Jongin peers down at his best friend whose nose had already turned red in cold. Smiling, he huddles close to Baekhyun to prevent the smaller from getting too cold.

 

“He’ll be out soon. No need to be too excited.”

 

“I’m not,” Baekhyun mutters, pulling up his notebook to cover half of his face as his cheeks accompany his tomato-red nose.

 

“Psh. Liar.”

 

Jongin chuckles. He’s kind of excited too. It’s been nearly a month since they have hungout with Chanyeol. What, after that Kyungsoo came in and kept dragging Chanyeol away from them, not only did he made their days boring, he also made Baekhyun extremely sad. Jongin was sure that Kyungsoo is only jealous and wants to tear them apart so he can take away Chanyeol from them. Maybe he even likes Chanyeol (he openly makes flirtatious comments to Chanyeol) and wants to break away from Baekhyun. Like hell will Jongin ever allow that. Chanyeol and Baekhyun getting married in the future and confessing to each other this Valentine’s Day is part of his life plan and no one is ruining that plan. No one.

 

“Hey dumb guy, where’s Chanyeol?”

 

Jongin need not look to check who’s asking for Chanyeol. The voice is obviously owned by that life-intruder. The man he so distastes also began calling him dumb and Jongin is sure calling him dumb is what’s really dumb because he’s one of the top 15 in their class. Where the annoying intruder got that out, he doesn’t care. Jongin’s mature enough to ignore the people who only wants to pick a fight with others because they don’t have a life.

 

Jongin doesn’t answer and only rolls his eyes. He doesn’t really want to deal with this little plague of a person.

 

“Hey, I said where’s Chanyeol.”

 

The voice wasn’t questioning and if it’s any, it’s demanding. Jongin had learn from his very short encounters with the intruder that he’s nothing but rude and demanding. He acts like he knows better than anyone and is better than anyone. Jongin mentally rolls his eyes again.

 

“Are you deaf? Can’t you hear me?”

 

Jongin doesn’t answer but this time he turns to look at the guy whose voice starts getting anxious and somewhat desperate. But he wouldn’t give a damn about that. He’s finally going to spend time with his best friends—all three of them together again— and this intruder would just come barging again to steal the little time they can have together?

 

“Hey, you,” the intruder says, directing his gaze to Baekhyun who softly answers a ‘yes?’

 

“Go call Chanyeol. I need him now.”

 

Baekhyun hesitates for a moment, pursing his lips, before he pushes himself off the wall to enter the school. He doesn’t get far away when Jongin calls him and he stops on his tracks to turn to them.

 

“Who do you think you are to order Baekhyun around like he’s your servant?”

 

Kyungsoo, despite how he seemed to be feeling uncomfortable, manages to scoff and glare at Jongin.

 

“Wow so you can talk and hear. I’m glad you can. Because you’re already dumb so I think that wouldn’t be a very good combination.”

 

Jongin decides to let the comment slide and pushes himself off the wall as well.

 

“You’re in no place to order any of us around,” he starts, pocketing his hands as he looks down at the smaller man. “Actually, no, you’re in no place to be around any of us, especially Chanyeol.”

 

Kyungsoo was a lot smaller than him but Jongin feels the anger beginning to boil inside him as he glares up at him through his ivory fringe and it makes him feel kind of.. small.

 

“And who gave you the right to forbid me from seeing Chanyeol?”

 

Jongin, for the first the first time, sees something else flicker in Kyungsoo’s eyes and it amuses him. It’s the first time he is seeing the other lose control of his naturally authoritative stance and right there he decides he would revel in it.

 

“I don’t need anyone’s approval to keep you away from Chanyeol.” Jongin’s glare doesn’t falter even when he sees Kyungsoo clenching his fist and jaws. “Chanyeol’s my friend. And it’s obvious you will never do him any good. It’s only been a month and Chanyeol’s falling behind in our class. Ever since you came, nothing good happened.”

 

“Jongin, don’t—”

 

“No, Baekhyun,” Jongin says, glancing at Baekhyun for a moment. “He’s no good to any of us and he needs to know that. You know this too.” He turns to Kyungsoo and marvels at the way the latter is taking deep, calming breaths. Jongin likes this reaction from Kyungsoo. He likes to know that he is finally able to gauge a reaction from Kyungsoo other than the usual egoistic remarks he receives.

 

“Jongin, please,” Baekhyun pleads again but Jongin doesn’t stop from that. No, not when he’s seeing Kyungsoo getting riled up.

 

“Obviously,” he continues, “you have so much time in the world. Why don’t you just go somewhere else, leave us alone, and screw your own life instead of adding Chanyeol’s to your already screwed up life?”

 

The words came out before they could even sink in his head and once they do and he sees the look in Kyungsoo’s eyes, Jongin knew he already crossed the line. But he receives a punch to the face before guilt could even wash through him.

 

“What do you ing know anyway, huh?!”

 

“Jongin!” Baekhyun rushes to his side to help him up in worry. “What’s wrong with you!” He exclaims at Kyungsoo.

 

Kyungsoo still breathing heavily, fists clenched as he stares down at Jongin.

 

“So what if I want to spend time with my best friend? huh?! You don’t ing own him!”

 

Just that and Kyungsoo turns to leave in anger.

 

Now to be completely honest, the punch he received didn’t really hurt that much. Kyungsoo was weak. But it wasn’t his cheeks that was hurting. Something else inside Jongin hurts after seeing the look of sadness in Kyungsoo’s eyes.

 

Kyungsoo’s eyes were like a deep well. It’s dark in it and you don’t know it’s depth. Maybe that’s where Jongin made a mistake; he didn’t know what’s inside those big eyes. For all he know, there could be a dying soul inside those eyes.

 

“Jongin! What’s wrong?”

 

Chanyeol runs to his side, immediately crouching down to help him up. Jongin doesn’t answer as he still looks at the direction where his attacker disappeared to.

 

“It’s Kyungsoo.. they had an argument..”

 

Baekhyun slowly says.

 

“Kyungsoo?” Chanyeol repeats, looking at Baekhyun and Jongin. “Oh . Where’s he?”

 

Jongin his head to point at the direction he was staring off to.

 

Chanyeol immediately sprints without a word, his face filled with worry as he runs off to Kyungsoo’s direction. Baekhyun only stares in disbelief because Jongin just got punched in the face but Chanyeol still chose to look for Kyungsoo. Is he that into Kyungsoo? He asks himself that again but of course he receives no answer. He could only sigh.

 

The words “tell him I’m sorry” is already at the tip of his tongue but Jongin couldn’t voice it out. Saying he’s sorry wouldn’t really change anything. He already said those words, he couldn’t take them back anymore. He really wasn’t the type to stir an argument especially with people he barely knows but to Kyungsoo, it was different. There’s something inside him that makes him feel emotions so strong towards Kyungsoo and he can only interpret it as hatred because what else could he feel for an intruder, a troublesome person who keeps stealing his supposedly quality time with his best friends?

 

“Well… I guess it’s just two of us again..” Baekhyun mutters beside him.

 

He looks at Baekhyun who looks so sad then to to the direction where Chanyeol ran off to. All he sees is white and more white. Chanyeol isn’t returning to their side any time soon and he thinks it’s his fault.

 

“I guess…”

 

Jongin grips tightly at the strap of his bag pack.

 

 

 

 

☁☁☁

 

 

 

 

Surprisingly, and adding more to his guilt, Kyungsoo didn’t say a word to Chanyeol about why they argued. Chanyeol came to visit him the next day after the incident to say that he’s sorry for how Kyungsoo acted, says he knows Kyungsoo was never good at handling his temper but he didn’t expect him to actually throw a punch so easily at someone he barely knows.

 

Jongin feels worse and wanted to explain that he was the one at fault but Chanyeol interrupted him saying that Kyungsoo had told him he didn’t want to talk about and wants to forget about it. Chanyeol said it’s better for all of them to forget about it and put it behind and for him to forgive Kyungsoo as well. But Jongin could obviously not forget about it. He had hurt Kyungsoo and worse, he’s the one holding the victim card when he knows he is the one at fault.

 

Jongin made it a promise to himself to talk to Kyungsoo when he sees him again and apologize however, a week had passed without a single sign of Kyungsoo. The man didn’t show up again to drag Chanyeol away but in exchange, Chanyeol leaves early, sometimes even before he can bid them goodbye, to meet with his childhood friend. Jongin sees how this affects Baekhyun but he couldn’t say a word about it because after all, it’s still his fault Chanyeol started leaving early. He’s still at fault.

 

The next time Jongin meets Kyungsoo was a week after. Just seven days but it felt like forever to Jongin with the guilt continuously gnawing at the pit of his stomach. Jongin opens the door to his house to a Chanyeol with a wide grin on his face as he shifts from one foot to another.

 

“Hi, Jongin. I hope I’m not too late for game night.”

 

Jongin did not answer. If he could, he would have hit Chanyeol hard and pull him inside the game room while complaining about things and how he would finally beat his on Call of Duty. But right now, his attention gets preoccupied when his gaze falls onto a man wearing full body coat, making him look like a caterpillar, standing by Chanyeol’s side.

 

“Chanyeol," Jongin refers to Chanyeol but his eyes only lands on said man for a second before it falls back onto the smaller man by his side. “You didn’t tell me you’re coming.”

 

“I didn’t think I need to tell you? Besides it’s winter break, of course I’d come to play with you guys!” Chanyeol comes in, eyes roaming the inside of the house as he takes off his shoes. “But you don’t mind Kyungsoo coming, right? It would be boring for him to stay at home.”

 

Jongin’s mouth is slightly ajar. “No, of course not. It’s cool, man.”

 

Chanyeol proceeds to take off his coat and hang it on the rack.

 

“You should come in..” Jongin averts his eyes from the smaller the moment the smaller lifts his eyes to look at him, annoyed. “It’s cold outside so..”

 

There was no response and Jongin only heard the muttered curses and protests from Kyungsoo. Jongin noticed though, how Kyungsoo did not avoid their arms brushing against each other when he walks past him to the main area. There was no skin contact for Kyungsoo is still wearing a bright red sweater that is obviously too large for him and must be owned by Chanyeol but it didn’t stop the hitching of Jongin’s breath.

 

“Where’s Baek?” Chanyeol asks after emerging from the second floor of the house. “You’re alone at home?”

 

Jongin enters the gaming room with an extra console in hand, Chanyeol trailing after him.

 

“Yeah everybody’s got somewhere else to go. Baek’s still preparing some stuff. Says he’ll be here after finishing his house duties.”

 

Chanyeol frowns. “It’s his break, they should let him off the hook every once in a while.”

 

Jongin glances at Chanyeol with a teasing smile that he does not try to hide. “Then why don’t you go tell Baekhyun’s mom that? I’m sure she’d listen to you since you’re their favorite.”

 

“Hm, maybe I should.” Chanyeol plops next to Kyungsoo on the couch and trains his attention onto the screen where the opening screen of Call of Duty is showing. He stares as the ‘START GAME’ button continues to blink. He stares and he stares harder until he decides, it, “I’ll go fetch Baek.”

 

Jongin hums, a wide smirk on his face as he begins to set up the consoles. He stops himself when the figure sitting on the couch began to rise up and walk towards Chanyeol.

 

“Soo, I’ll be quick. It’s too cold outside and there could be a blizzard or something. Just stay here with Jongin, okay?”

 

“No. I don’t want to be stuck here with that person.” Jongin hears the grumbling man mutter.

 

“You’re going to be fine, Soo. Besides you said you’re cool with him now, didn’t you?”

 

Kyungsoo clenches his fist and purses his lips, thick brows meeting.

 

“I just want to talk to Baekhyun alone. Please..?”

 

A short silence occurs before the smaller huffs and crosses his arms over his chest. “Fine. Be quick, okay?”

 

Jongin doesn’t usually invite other friends over. The only friends he usually invites to hang out in his house with is Chanyeol and Baekhyun and the two are basically already part of their family so they can do whatever they want in the house. So when he finds himself in an awkward situation, being alone in his house with the man who punched him and whom he said mean things to, he realizes he does not have any idea how to be a hospitable host. The air is thick with awkward silence and only when Kyungsoo went back to sitting on the couch does he try to play as the nice host.

 

“So,” he starts, rubbing his neck as he moves to sit on the couch albeit significantly far from the other male, “What video game do you play? I already set up the fourth console for you—”

 

“I don’t play video games,” Kyungsoo interjects without so much batting an eye towards him.

 

“Oh, okay..” Jongin places the console he set up especially for Kyungsoo on the coffee table. “So.. do you want something to drink? I got cola and yakults if you want?” Jongin side glances at the other who keeps staring at the screen. “Alright, I’ll just—”

 

“It’s winter.”

 

Jongin stops in the middle of the room and turns around to Kyungsoo.

 

“What?”

 

“It’s winter so why would I drink cold stuff?” Kyungsoo asks, finally looking straight at Jongin.

 

And only then does Jongin realize that all he offered him are cold drinks. He really is dumb, isn’t he?

 

“Oh,” Jongin lightly laughs, trying to cover up the stupid mistake, “Then how about coffee?”

 

Kyungsoo doesn’t look at him, eyes glued onto the screen that doesn’t really show anything interesting.

 

“Can’t drink coffees..”

 

“T-then.. teas?”

 

“I hate bitter things.”

 

“O-oh. Then hot choco?”

 

“Too sweet.”

 

“Oh.. alright then,” Jongin mutters turning around to stare at the smaller who refuse to accept any of his efforts. He must have really been upset, Jongin thought. But he really can’t blame Kyungsoo. He was such a jerk. “Then is there anything I can—”

 

“Jongin.”

 

His eyes flickers before they fall onto Kyungsoo, breath hitched.

 

Kyungsoo’s voice..it was..Did Kyungsoo just call him by his first name?

 

Jongin isn’t sure which one is it that cause the strange feeling in his chest. Was it the sound of Kyungsoo calling him or is it the way their eyes met and never seem to want to look away?

 

It was Kyungsoo who looks away first.

 

“You don’t need to bother with me.” Jongin sees Kyungsoo take a deep breath, eyes staring down at his own hands. “I only came here because Chanyeol wanted to spend time with you.. If I had known he’d leave, I wouldn’t have come at all.”

 

Jongin’s shoulders droop and he didn’t know what it is with Kyungsoo’s words that made his heart clench painfully.

 

“Listen, Kyungsoo..” A pair of huge eyes look up at him and Jongin had to clench his fist to not avoid those gaze. He wants to show Kyungsoo his sincerity. “For last time… I’m really sorry. I was such a jerk. I shouldn’t have said that.”

 

Jongin watches as Kyungsoo stare at him, face devoid of any reactions as he rambles on and on about things he thought about Kyungsoo and how he was wrong because really, he knows nothing and he is in no position to tell Kyungsoo what he said and how sorry he really is.

 

“You were right.” Jongin sees the tip of Kyungsoo’s lips curve up as he leans onto the couch, head resting onto the back head so that he’s instead staring at the ceiling.

 

“What?”

 

“You were right,” Kyungsoo says in a soft voice that Jongin almost doesn’t hear him. “I’m no good as a friend to Chanyeol.”

 

What is it? Why is Kyungsoo sounding like this?

 

Jongin doesn’t understand Kyungsoo, he doesn’t understand where this is all coming from and all he can do is step a little closer.

 

One step.

 

Two steps.

 

Halt.

 

If he can just.

 

“It’s okay so you don’t have to bother about it.”

 

Jongin wants to tell him it’s not okay. That he was the one at fault but his voice dried up and there’s something about Kyungsoo’s voice that makes him pause..hesitate.

 

“But can’t you lend me Chanyeol for just little while more..?”

 

“Chanyeol.. he’s not anyone’s property so you don’t need to ask for anyone’s permission to spend time with him.”

 

Jongin stood there still, gaze fixed unto Kyungsoo’s face. He wants to see what’s behind those unexplainable faces that Kyungsoo makes.. He wants to know. He wants to feel.

 

“But you’re his best friends now. And looking at it, you’ve done so much better things to him than I did and could. When we were young and he was with me, I knew he didn’t have fun at all but I was greedy and ignored that fact. I wanted him by my side so I made sure he is. In the end, I was the one who left him. I’m such a horrible friend.”

 

Kyungsoo laughs and Jongin could only stare because there was something about Kyungsoo’s laugh that makes it sound so sad. It made Jongin think that maybe, laughing was Kyungsoo’s way of crying.

 

“You’re his first love.”

 

Jongin held his tongue. Why did he say that?

 

“And he was mine.” Kyungsoo jerks his head up to look at Jongin.

 

Silence ensues and Jongin fidgets where he stands, feeling the gaze of the other on him. Why did he say that just now?

 

“Is that the reason why Baekhyun is avoiding Chanyeol?”

 

“Wha— How did you know?”

 

“I’m not blind to not see the obvious, Jongin.”

 

Jongin.

 

Jongin feels his knees grow weak and he tries to subtly take a seat on the bean bag. He leans back all the way until he’s now the one staring at the ceiling. He tries to act normally but Kyungsoo’s voice keeps echoing in his head.

 

Jongin.

 

—and he was mine.

 

Was.

 

“Funny how someone who just came was able to notice that when those two.. They’ve been running in circles for a long time.”

 

“Chanyeol needs to stop hesitating all the time. You need to tell him that.”

 

Jongin leans up on his elbows but doesn’t look at the other. “Why don’t you tell him that instead?”

 

Kyungsoo shrugs. “If I do, they might start dating right away. I’ll be left with no one to spend my time with.”

 

“So you do still love him?”

 

Jongin started counting the seconds of hesitation.

 

One..

 

Two…

 

Three…

 

Four..

 

Five..

 

S—

 

“I.. the doctor said I need a heart transplant soon. They said my rate of surviving is low, after all, it’ll be my third time. It’s useless to keep me imprisoned in a closed place with nothing but boring whites and seeping sunlight through the window drapes. So why would I waste my time in a boring place if I can go and spend it with my best friend instead?” Jongin turned his face to see Kyungsoo watching him. It was painful watching as Kyungsoo starts to smile. Even his smiles cry. “But it turns out he already has both you and Baekhyun. He’s not waiting anymore.”

 

When talking about death, especially if it’s theirs, other people would have been crying or would at least look completely wrecked but here was Kyungsoo, watching him with a stoic face as he talks about his impending death like it’s a natural occurrence. Kyungsoo’s way of concealing his emotions is so incredible that if you do not look longer and deeper, you wouldn’t have notice that slightest change of his lips’ curving down and the furrowing of his brows in less than a quick second.

 

Any other time and he would have started laughing at what he heard, teasing the other. But this was Kyungsoo, the man who veils his cries with laughter. And he does not need to think it over to know that Kyungsoo was serious. Jongin doesn’t know how to react to someone telling him about something as tragic as his own death coming soon so when he stays still and he knew the look of surprise and taken aback shows on his face. He regrets it the moment he sees Kyungsoo smirk and chuckle. Jongin opens his mouth to ask or say something. Anything. But questions run in his head too fast for his mouth to voice them out.

 

Why did Kyungsoo choose to tell him this anyway?

 

How did they reach this kind of topic?

 

How much does it hurt?

 

Why… why does it hurt him?

 

Does..

 

“Does Chanyeol know?”

 

Kyungsoo doesn’t give an answer, merely shrugs with the corner of his lips tugging up.

 

Chanyeol doesn’t know.

 

 

“You’re not going to die, Kyungsoo.”

 

Kyungsoo stares at him for a long time that it makes Jongin feel almost fidgety in his seat.

 

Jongin sees the fake smile again. “You’re really are dumb, aren’t you?”

 

Pity is the worst thing you can give to someone who’s only have shards of what he used to be. Kyungsoo, as Chanyeol used to describe him to be, was nothing close to the Kyungsoo sitting on Jongin’s couch. Kyungsoo tried to say it as normally as he could and true enough, was able to conceal any emotions that would reveal truths even he could not admit to himself. But Jongin sees nothing but sadness, hears nothing but soft sobs like the ones heard by the shore when the tide is strong but somewhere in it, you feel a rumbling of something barely holding on and is about to break free.

 

 

So what he offers Kyungsoo instead—

 

“When Chanyeol isn’t around..”Jongin doesn’t know why he’s going to say what he is going to but he wants to. He can’t understand but he knows he wants to. “...I can hang out with you.”

 

A chuckles comes after a short while and Jongin already knows he’s going to be rejected. Kyungsoo seemed to have closed his doors and double-locked them.

 

“I’m not that pathetic, Jongin. I wasn’t begging for a friend. Did I seem like that?”

 

And Jongin thinks he wants to keep hearing Kyungsoo calling him by his name.

 

“No. I just.. I want to be friends with you too, is that not possible?”

 

Kyungsoo stares at him for the longest time as if calculating, trying to reach the deepest parts of his soul and lay it out in front of him.

 

“You act as if you’re concerned about me being alone. That’s pretty nice of you.”

 

“I might have been a jerk to you but I’m not that terrible of a person. I mean it when I said I’m sorry and yes, I am concerned about you. Also, I truly want to be friends with you.”

 

Kyungsoo chuckles but Jongin hears something else instead.

 

“Really now.”

 

Kyungsoo picks up one console with his left hand and runs his fingers through his hair with his other free hand.

 

Kyungsoo does not agree nor reject his offer. Jongin still hears doubt laced in Kyungsoo’s response.

 

Really.

               

               —is a friend.

 

 

☁☁☁

 

 

 

 

The change was significantly huge and obvious.

 

“Hey, dumb guy, what time are those lovebirds finishing their band practice?”

 

Jongin lifts his head from the granite table at the feeling of something hitting the back of his head.

 

“Seriously, Kyungsoo, I don’t know. And do you really have to throw something at me every single time you want to catch my attention?”

 

Jongin reaches under the table for the pencil that has rolled off of the table. He’s lucky all Kyungsoo have now is a pencil and a music sheet. One time he gets a book thrown right at his face. Kyungsoo did look apologetic after that but he didn’t stop throwing random things at him anyway.

 

“You would ignore me if I don’t throw things at you.”

 

“That was before,” Jongin answers as he places the pencil on top of Kyungsoo’s music sheet. “I’m pretty sure your technique has already taken its toll on me. And my name isn’t 'dumb guy'. It’s Jongin.”

 

Sometimes he wonders if that night Kyungsoo called him by his name would be the last time. He really hopes that won’t be the case.

 

“But to me, you’re dumb.”

 

Jongin only rolls his eyes. There’s no point of arguing with Kyungsoo about this. They’ll never stop and Kyungsoo will never accept the fact that it’s not nice calling someone dumb.

 

Kyungsoo blows his cheeks and only tilts his head to stare at his music sheets. Jongin takes a peek at the music sheet with more doodles than actual notes.

 

“Why don’t you just continue that,” Jongin says, cocking his head to refer to Kyungsoo’s music sheets.

 

“I can’t. I don’t know why. Maybe because you’re here and your dumb is rubbing off on me.”

 

Jongin glares at Kyungsoo although he knows it won’t affect the little devil anyway.

 

“..and I’m hungry.”

 

Jongin continues to glare at Kyungsoo who started doodling on his music sheets again. He peeks at the sheet and sees a stick figure of man with an arrow pointing at it with the saying ‘Jongin The Stupid’.

 

Of course, that would be what Kyungsoo would doodle about him. What would he expect.

 

 

 

Kyungsoo halts doodling and only lifts his eyes to look at Jongin’s back as he walks away.

 

 

Weak, he whispers. Jongin is weak against his insults. Actually, no one really tries hard to try to understand him or his irrational actions. That’s what he wants. He didn’t want friends. He’s tired making friends only for him to end up watching them dwindle down to one. Chanyeol. Chanyeol was the only who stayed.

And this Jongin asked to be his friend but there he was, walking out just after a few insults and a pencil thrown at him. Kyungsoo didn’t even go hard on Jongin because he knew Jongin would give up trying soon anyway.

 

What a waste, though.

 

 

He didn't expect Jongin to return after that, not after Jongin receives the usual mean treat from him, and definitey not with a big plastic bag full of convenience store food.

 

“I don’t know what you like so I bought my favorites. I don’t think they’ll be bad for you.”

 

Kyungsoo stares at the now stack of food in front of him on the table.

 

“What’re these?”

 

“I don’t know,” Jongin sarcastically answers, slumping onto the bench. “Maybe food? I don’t know, I’m really not sure..”

 

Kyungsoo averts his gaze to Jongin and realizes the other is panting as he blows on his frost-bitten hands.

 

“I didn’t ask for food.”

 

“Fine, don’t eat it then.” Jongin feels the other staring at him but he didn’t look and only continues blowing on his hands.

 

“If you’re going to run out in the cold, you should at least wear mittens or something. What, did you think you’re invincible or something? You’re really dumb, aren’t you?”

 

Jongin only rolls his eyes in response. Of course he wouldn’t receive a thank you. He saw that coming.

 

“You’re not listening to me again.”

 

And Jongin’s face gets hit by something again. Annoyed, he picks up the thing that hits his face with the intent of throwing right back...

 

“The least you can do is thank me, you ungrateful—”

 

...only to realize it was a hot pack.

 

“Dumb,” Kyungsoo mutters as he picks up a cup of ramen from the stack of food on the table.

 

The tables are turned. Jongin’s now the one staring at Kyungsoo and Kyungsoo’s the one feeling the stare but doesn’t bother about it.

 

“Give me that, I’ll pour hot water on it. They have a dispenser somewhere around here,” Jongin says as he reaches for the cup noodle in Kyungsoo’s hand.

 

“No, you stay put. Does it look like my hands and feet don’t work?”

 

Jongin can only watch as Kyungsoo rises up from his feet and walks away. His gaze falls onto the cup noodles in Kyungsoo’s hand. One hand with the shrimp flavored and the other with the Chicken-flavored ramen.

 

How did Kyungsoo know that he likes...

-

-

-

Chanyeol wasn’t sure how to explain the sudden change in Kyungsoo or what caused it. Usually, he would protest when he sees the need to meet with Baekhyun and Jongin and guilt-trips him into staying instead. That dragged on for a month until one day, the answer he received when he invited Kyungsoo to come play with Baekhyun and Jongin was a simple “whatever” which basically means yes in Kyungsoo language.

 

He notices how Kyungsoo has developed a civil relationship with Baekhyun whom he talks to when they have to. A simple heys and hellos gets exchanged but they don’t go past the casual talks at first. Eventually, the two started talking more and more and Chanyeol’s relieved that two are finally opening themselves to each other.. Or just talking. Chanyeol thinks that’s a better development in contrast to Kyungsoo’s constant bickering with Jongin.

 

“You idiot! You’re supposed to fry it sunny-side up. You have one job and you can’t even do it right!”

 

Jongin yelps in pain after getting his arm hit by Kyungsoo with a pair of cooking gauntlets.

 

“You didn’t tell me that beforehand!” Jongin exclaims as he rubs his arm.

 

“You’re  so dumb, I swear! You’re supposed to know that already!”

 

The two seemed to have developed a relationship where they argue about almost every single thing which always ends with Jongin cursing as he avoids (and mostly fails) Kyungsoo practicing his ‘Throwing stuff-makes-people-listen-to-you’ Theory.

 

“Look at you getting riled up over meaningless things. Look! Look at you, if you haven’t been throwing stuff at me, maybe you wouldn’t have been tired like this!”

 

Jongin throws the gauntlets on the table counter, glaring at a Kyungsoo heaving after coming down from his attack on Jongin.

 

“Just go watch things or read stuff with Baekhyun in the study room.”

 

After the flying stuff attack is a heaving Kyungsoo and a Jongin who scolds him for things even Chanyeol doesn’t understand. Kyungsoo never listens to Jongin and ends the argument by calling Jongin idiot or dumb. Jongin grumbles but shuts his mouth.

 

“I’m not letting you ruin the eggs ag—”

 

“I’m going to fry another for you so get your back in the study room instead! You’re distracting me from what I’m doing!”

 

Kyungsoo huffs. “You can’t tell me what to do! Idiot!”

 

For Baekhyun, the change in Kyungsoo wasn’t bad at all. Kyungsoo’s being around always means Chanyeol being around as well. He still doesn’t understand the reason as to why Chanyeol has to spend so much time with someone else so suddenly but after a while of spending time with Kyungsoo, Baekhyun began to think the latter isn’t really a bad person and it’s actually nice to spend time with him. Kyungsoo is an intelligent person, someone who seems to know much and Baekhyun enjoys the times they can talk about topics that he can’t usually talk about with Chanyeol and Jongin. He has always been the bookworm between the three of them and he had given up trying to bring the two to his side ages ago.

 

At first, Baekhyun thought that Jongin must have done or said something to Kyungsoo because of the sudden changes but after a few meetings with Kyungsoo, he thinks that maybe Kyungsoo did begin to think of them as less than strangers.

 

Baekhyun flips to the next page, shaking his head with a smile on his face as he listens to Kyungsoo and Jongin bickering about eggs as they prepare the dinner.

 

Chanyeol and Baekhyun watches the other two bicker every single day multiple times but they never get tired of it, even finds it amusing. Maybe it’s because most of the times, they were too busy trying to be subtle about their own feelings for each other that they don’t notice the little details about the two; like the sheepish smiles Jongin hides after Kyungsoo accepts his apology and talks to him after they finished calling each other names or realize that the true reason behind why Kyungsoo’s pale cheeks are almost always tinged red is not because of the cold but because of their friend. They don’t notice that.

 

But perhaps, the other two does.

 

 

 

☁☁☁

 

Jongin and Baekhyun jogs to the bench where they see Kyungsoo sitting, hands pocketed in their winter coats.

 

Kyungsoo does not lift his gaze up to look at them, merely glances at the two pairs of feet in front of his.

 

“Where’s Chanyeol?”—is what he says after the two stood still for a few seconds.

 

“Seriously, is Chanyeol the only person you would care about? We just arrived and the first thing you say is ask for him. A simple ‘hey’ would have been nice, you know.” It’s too late before Jongin realizes what he asks.

 

Did he see Kyungsoo smirking just now?

 

“Weren’t you with him?” Baekhyun asks, looking around for any sign of Chanyeol.

 

“No,” Kyungsoo swipes across his phone to open his music playlist.

 

“Move over, fat ,” Jongin says as he kicks snows onto Kyungsoo’s boots before he slumps next to him. “Baek, sit here.” He pats the seat next to him.

 

Kyungsoo mutters strings of curses as he glares at Jongin and kicks him in the shin. “ing idiot.”

 

Jongin yelps in pain. Kyungsoo kicks hard. “I’m not idiot, you —”

 

“Can you guys not fight, at least today?” Baekhyun says, holding his bag pack close to his chest. “It’s Valentine’s Day..”

 

Jongin pauses half-way from cursing at Kyungsoo and only faces  Baekhyun. He sees the nervousness in Baekhyun’s face. It’s today. Baekhyun’s going to tell Chanyeol today.

 

“Not like you guys have someone to spend this day with anyway. Why do you even celebrate it?”

 

“Like you have a date today too!” Jongin quickly answer-yells at Kyungsoo.

 

“I’m playing with Chanyeol today.”

Seeing the visible tensing of Baekhyun’s shoulders and the small frown on his face, Jongin turns to the other side to glare at Kyungsoo.

 

“You’re with Chanyeol everyday, why don’t you give us time with him too!”

 

Raising a brow, Kyungsoo side-eyes Jongin.

 

“Oh! You’re all here already!”

 

“What took you forever?” Kyungsoo asks, rising up from his seat.

 

“Oh, I forgot to bring something so I had to go back for it,” Chanyeol answers  while shifting from one foot to another, grinning as he takes a quick glance of Baekhyun who’s frowning down at his boots.

 

“Alright,” Kyungsoo replies, “Let’s go, I’m freezing.”

 

Jongin sees Baekhyun hang his shoulders as he lifelessly rise up to his feet. And Jongin curses as he does the next thing he could think of—

 

“A-actually, there’s somewhere I want to  go with you to..”

 

Chanyeol and Baekhyun turns to Jongin. Kyungsoo’s forehead wrinkles and Jongin continues to freak out in his head.

 

“Why would I go with you,” Kyungsoo says as he pulls his arm out of Jongin’s hold. Kyungsoo continues to walk ahead and Jongin hears him mutter idiot. “Hey, Chanyeol, let’s go! I’m ing hungry already!”

 

But Chanyeol and Baekhyun are still staring at their best friend, surprised of his sudden actions. As far as they know, Jongin and Kyungsoo have not been in a relationship that would include eating out together, or more specifically being in the same place together alone.

 

Jongin laughs awkwardly as he avoids the questioning looks from his best friends.

 

“I’ll treat you to my favorite restaurant then!”

 

Chanyeol and Baekhyun watch as Jongin runs after Kyungsoo, still asking for him to go somewhere with him. Jongin holds onto Kyungsoo’s arm and Kyungsoo looks back with a death glare straight at Jongin.

 

“What the do you think are you doing?”

 

Jongin smiles through gritted teeth, obviously unaffected by the glares he’s already used to receiving.

 

“Remember that special food I told you about? I’ll treat you today so let’s go!”

 

“I never had a conversation with you that—”

 

A cold hand clamps over his mouth and Kyungsoo’s eyes widen.

 

“Ah! You forgot!”

 

Kyungsoo’s cheeks reddens and Jongin already knows that the probability of him being beaten to a pulp by Kyungsoo is extremely high at the moment.

 

 

“You stup—”

 

But the persistent Jongin doesn’t let go of him, his other free hand holding onto his arm to keep him still. Chanyeol and Baekhyun are now walking closer to them, worried of what’s happening and Kyungsoo pushes Jongin and he pushes him so hard that they ended up falling…

 

               

 

➸      ➸     ➸

 

 

 

“You seem excited, Cupid.”

 

The little angel grins up at the guardian. “Of course I am. It’s Valentine’s Day! It’s my birth day!”

 

Cupid hops from one cloud to another, each showing up right after another disappears. Golden curls bounces up along as he hops and hops.

 

“And I‘m here to fulfill my promise to you,” the little angel says as he finally halts in front of Suho.

 

Kneeling to level with the little one, Suho showcases an angelic smile.

 

“Really?”

 

“Mhm!” Cupid nods his head, grinning as he raises his bow on one hand. “I brought my bow with me!”

 

 

Suho glances at the bow and then nods once before rising up on his feet to open a portal to the human world below.

 

For a moment, the surrounding misted over and Cupid tries to hold his giggle in as he waits for the portal to open. This year, he’s going to aim arrows by the side of the guardians.

 

Suho watches adoringly at Cupid as he tells him stories about the love he wants to fulfill while he aims his golden arrows into the portal. The arrows, they’re somehow attached to Cupid and it doesn’t matter where Cupid is looking when he aims them for they know they are connected and knows where Cupid wants them pierced.

 

Cupid giggles as he watches a human staring at another whom he has in his arms.

 

“Love is beautiful, isn’t it Suho?”

 

Suho smiles at first before answering. “It is, indeed.”

 

The little angel takes a deep breath for this one particular aim.

 

“I watched them twenty nights ago. They’re definitely in love.”

 

Suho keeps his attention onto the angel by his side.

 

Cupid carries two kinds of arrows, one with a sharp golden point, and the other with a blunt tip of lead. A person wounded by the golden arrow is filled with uncontrollable desire, but the one struck by the lead feels aversion and desires only to flee. Cupid draws out two golden arrows.

 

“One for Chanyeol… and another for Kyungsoo.”

 

Suho’s brows furrow.

 

Kyungsoo?

 

It’s a mistake. He never mentioned about Kyungsoo and Chanyeol being in love. It’s not Kyungsoo. He opens his mouth to stop Cupid from releasing his arrow only to realize that Cupid had already released an arrow. Worried, he averts his gaze onto the humans. If someone who isn’t supposed to be aimed at was hit.

 

What he sees is even more unexpected.

 

“That.. that’s weird.”

 

Suho follows the little angel’s gaze and sees a golden arrow hitting two humans at once, right at their chests, connecting their hearts together.

 

“I never make a wrong hit,” Cupid murmurs, eyes still gazing at the two before he slowly glances at Suho. “Guardian, I made a wrong hit.”

 

“I don’t think that you made a—”

 

“I aimed it well! It’s supposed to hit just Kyungsoo but he fell to the other human and—”

 

“Cupid,” Suho says, trying to stop the impending panic, “the arrows are connected to you, they hit whoever you wanted them to hit.”

 

“But it pierced through Kyungsoo and reached the other human’s heart! I can hit Chanyeol with its paired arrow but that would only result to complications.”

 

Cupid frowns. The second arrow began to fade on its own.

 

“I made a mistake.”

 

“Cupid, your arrow isn’t made to make mistakes. It knows you better than you know yourself. You didn’t make a mistake.” Suho caresses the little angel’s hair with a kind smile on his face.

 

Cupid only stares at him and he offers a weak smile.

 

He looks back at the humans. He’s still seeing his arrow pierced through the wrong human.

 

➸      ➸     ➸

A beating heart, an overwhelming sensation hitting them like an arrow all at once and cheeks that definitely doesn’t suit the coldness of the winter in Gwangju.

 

Kyungsoo pushes himself up, eyes still wide as they meet with those of Jongin’s that are also wide and somehow he cannot look away. It’s the  first time he’s really seeing Jongin’s face properly; most of the time he would glare at Jongin but not really look at him. This time, he stares completely enraptured and doesn’t notice that Jongin too, is completely mesmerized by the close proximity for the first time without receiving a violent attack from the other.

 

Did time stop? Definitely not. Kyungsoo can still feel the cold blow of the wind and frost biting against his cheeks but inside he feels warm and he just wants to continue staring and staring and—

 

“Are you guys okay?”

 

Chanyeol’s deep voice rips through the silence that both Kyungsoo and Jongin fell into and that’s when Kyungsoo starts to scramble out of his hold to stand up, eyes still wide.

 

“Are you guys having a glaring contest this time or—”

 

“It’s his fault!” Kyungsoo quickly exclaims, pointing at a Jongin who’s getting rid of the snow stuck on his hair.

 

It’s an unusual occurrence.

 

Do Kyungsoo is stuttering.

 

Chanyeol stares at Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo only stutters when he’s feeling embarrassed and that’s not something that happens a lot. Kyungsoo always owns up to whatever he does and doesn’t really get himself in any embarrassing situations.

 

“How is it my fault! You were the one who pushed me!”

 

“Because you were pulling me!”

 

And Chanyeol and Baekhyun could only  stare in silence as the two continue to argue and yell at each other from the previous original  reason why they fell and then to how Jongin at cooking and to how Kyungsoo never cared about anyone else but Chanyeol. It seemed like they would  be arguing, yelling at each other, and Chanyeol continuously tries  to cut in to tell each other they need to get going already but fails every single time. The yelling finally stops with Jongin blurting out something, pulling them back to his previous offer without much thought.

 

“Would it really hurt to just accept my offer and come with me?!”

 

Maybe Kyungsoo was too into the argument that he didn’t get to stop and think twice before he yells back an answer to Jongin.

 

“No!”

 

“Then come with me! I told you I’ll treat you somewhere!”

 

Kyungsoo’s glare doesn’t diminish.

 

“You know what, fine!”

 

There was silence. Even Baekhyun who was nervous about the day finally faces the other two.

 

Jongin stares at Kyungsoo, his answer finally registering in his head.

 

“O-okay..”

 

Maybe only then did Kyungsoo also realize what his answer was because even he looked surprised.

 

They walk to the bus station in silence, the awkward type of silence. They didn’t know what to talk about, in fact they never really talk properly around each other. They never had a reason to be alone together before and whenever they have verbal interactions, it’ll always consist of only yelling and more bickering. Without nothing to argue about or reason to throw something at Jongin, Kyungsoo feels even more and more embarrassed for some reason he couldn’t even figure out. He feels like he should fill something in the silence but he couldn’t find any and he doesn’t really want Jongin to think that he’s trying to start an interaction with him because that is definitely not true.

 

Well, maybe just a bit because, it’s making him feel fidgety and he doesn’t like it. He curses in his head for not thinking clearly and just blurting out his answer like that, putting himself in one of the situations he hates the most in the world.

 

Kyungsoo blows on his hands to keep his attention off of the situation he’s in. It’s a weak attempt but at least...

 

“You’re calling me dumb but look at you, you’re the one freezing right now.”

 

Kyungsoo halts blowing on his hands and glances at Jongin.

 

“You’re not even wearing enough to keep you warm.”

 

Jongin starts to take off his coat and Kyungsoo’s eyes widen. He’s not thinking of making wear that, is he?

 

“What’re you doing?” Kyungsoo asks as Jongin starts to put the coat on him.

 

“If I don’t want Chanyeol murdering me because you froze to death, I better keep you safe and warm.”

 

Safe and warm.

 

Kyungsoo doesn’t like what Jongin said.

 

“I’m not cold,” he retorts, starting to untie the belt of Jongin’s trench coat.

 

“I understand you don’t like people thinking you’re weak and personally, I don’t think you are— I’ve had enough experience to prove it— but you’re still human and you feel cold and I can see that,” Jongin holds Kyungsoo’s hands to stop him from untying the belt. “So just keep it on, okay.”

 

Kyungsoo stares at the hands on his and lets go of the belt so that Jongin would do the same.

 

“And you think you won’t feel cold just as much?” He asks with sarcasm. He really dislikes an argument ending like he was the one who lost.

 

“I’m wearing a hoodie over my jacket.”

 

Kyungsoo’s eyes rakes down to Jongin’s chest and indeed, he’s wearing a grey hoodie with graffiti design. He rolls his eyes and pockets his freezing hands

 

“Why’re you still not wearing mittens?” He blurts out after noticing Jongin rubbing his hands together.

 

“They make my hands clammy.”

 

“And not cold, you idiot.”

 

Jongin doesn’t answer. Or more specifically, couldn’t answer because Kyungsoo takes a hold of his left hand and shoves it in the pocket of the trench coat he’s wearing.

 

 

 

“It’s not fair to feel warm on my own,” Kyungsoo mutters, looking ahead to the other side of the road.

 

 

 

It’s at times like this that Jongin thinks that maybe, the true Kyungsoo is the Kyungsoo in front of him right now. The one that is gentle and caring. And maybe, the one he’s seeing every day is just a fraction of a whole but Kyungsoo only lets so few people get to see the whole.

 

Realizing that he still has Jongin’s hand grasped in his inside the pocket, Kyungsoo lets go of Jongin’s hand and is about to pull it away when Jongin holds his in his instead, opting to intertwine their fingers. It’s a very dangerous move that would either have him end up with a broken hand or a black eye but he would take his chances.

 

“Just until the bus arrives.” Jongin mutters as well.

 

Kyungsoo doesn’t respond, but he doesn’t retract his hand either.

 

 

 

 

 

“I did some research and asked Jae-In noona since she’s a medical student so I figured she would know some stuff,” Jongin says when he notices Kyungsoo looking around in the restaurant they entered, obviously wondering why they travelled for twenty minutes just to eat in a restaurant that seemed quite normal anyway.

 

“So.. this is your favorite restaurant?” Kyungsoo asks, eyes onto the red lantern hanging above the table. “Seemed.. normal?”

 

Jongin grins. “Actually, I lied when I said this was my favorite restaurant. You seem to not eat with us whenever we go to the restaurant and I wondered why…”

 

Kyungsoo listens to Jongin, words floating in his head as if Jongin is speaking in slow motion as he tries to take it all in. Jongin was blabbering fast about what he notices in him when they all go out together to eat.

 

“...even though most of the time you look like you’re drooling over the food we’re eating but you never tried them and then I realized maybe it’s because you didn’t want Chanyeol to notice. And then I found this on the internet and they only serve food that is good for the heart so it's completely safe so that’s why I came here to treat you out. I mean,” Jongin eyes widen when he realizes everything he’s been blabbering about, “I didn’t really mean to bring you here alone—I mean yeah I did intend to bring you here alone because Baekhyun and Chanyeol aren’t supposed to know but yeah so,” he pauses again. “But I—I didn’t mean for it to be this day! It’s Valentine’s day so it seemed like I brought you on a date, right? But it’s not a date! I swear I didn’t—“

 

“I didn’t ask any of that, you idiot.” Kyungsoo cuts in, rolling his eyes as he picks up the menu book in front of him.

 

Jongin shuts his mouth, fidgeting because why was he blabbering like an idiot and why is it that he manages to make himself look like an idiot 99% of the time around Kyungsoo?

 

“Thank you, by the way.”

 

Two words.

 

Just two words and he thinks an ice spiked up in his spine.

 

“What?” Jongin asks, leaning on the table to catch Kyungsoo’s attention as he flips through the menu book.

 

“I’m not saying it again. Once is enough.”

 

“But I didn’t hear it! You have to say it again!” Jongin wails.

 

“Your fault, not mine.”

 

Jongin grumbles as he exasperatingly flips through the menu book as well, completely missing the smile Kyungsoo doesn’t try to hide.

 

 

 

 

 

Kyungsoo shifts his weight from one foot to another and glances at Jongin who’s busy texting Chanyeol and Baekhyun.

 

They’re back to the awkward silence again, since he really doesn’t have anything to tell Jongin and Jongin seemed to have run out of ideas since he only kept cutting him off. Kyungsoo felt guilty about that but there’s nothing he can do about regret coming only after the deed’s done.

 

Kyungsoo mentally groans, realizing they have a twenty minute-ride back to Gwangju and the silence would only make it all worse.

 

Jongin clears his throat, tucking his phone in his back pocket.

 

“So, how was the food? Did you like them?”

 

Kyungsoo refuses to look at Jongin.

 

“They’re delicious. I’m so full I think I’m going to fall asleep in the bus.”

 

Kyungsoo bit his lips. That’s one of the dumbest excuse he had ever made in his life. Jongin seemed to have rubbed off on him. The day went on smoothly, except the parts when it’s awkward. Or maybe he’s the only one feeling awkward because he’s minding everything too much? But he’s tired and he’s really full and he’s feeling something he doesn’t like feeling—something he hasn’t felt for many years.

 

He can’t feel this way right now.

 

 

So when Jongin offered for him to sit by the window, he immediately proceeded to take his iPod out and plugs on his ear buds. A few minutes after the bus takes off, Kyungsoo rests his head onto the window and closed his eyes, pretending to sleep.

 

 

Jongin must not have minded it at first and honestly, Kyungsoo prefer he did not but then after the third small bump onto the glass, Kyungsoo feels Jongin’s arm wrapping around his shoulder and pulling him close. Kyungsoo would have pulled back but he didn’t want to be embarrassed by Jongin finding out that he was only pretending to sleep.

 

He would have flinched the first time it happens, but then again he remembers he was supposed to be asleep and he’s nuzzled against Jongin’s neck, making him quite occupied and unable to process both the fact that Jongin smells nice and he’s caressing his head ever so gently and still with hesitation in worry of waking him up.

 

Kyungsoo doesn’t fall asleep for the rest of the trip and only relished in the soft touches and the warmth Jongin emits all the while wondering when was the last time he let someone be this close to him.

 

Maybe, Kyungsoo thought, this time would last a little longer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jongin stares at the ceiling, only the light coming from his digital clock that says 12:00 A.M. in bright red color illuminating the outlines of the room.

 

Sleep doesn’t come by fast, or at all.

 

Jongin lifts his right hand over his face and stares at it although he doesn’t really see it clearly. He can still feel it; the soft hair of Kyungsoo that he was able to caress while the latter is asleep. He wasn’t taking advantage of Kyungsoo, he was merely trying to prevent Kyungsoo from bumping his head on the glass window. What made him caress Kyungsoo’s hair, he doesn’t know, he couldn’t control himself. He could say it was just a spur of the moment-kind of reaction but he would be lying to himself; he had been wanting to do that for a long time now but couldn’t because, well, his relationship with Kyungsoo was never really the type that would include physical contact that isn’t violent.

 

He really did start off at the wrong foot with Kyungsoo.

 

Sighing, Jongin rests his hand on his chest, closing his eyes to try and fall asleep. He flinches when he hears the intense vibration of his phone on his bedside desk. Not expecting to receive a call from anyone at a time like this (since he’s not really the gadget-y type of person), Jongin squints his eyes to check the caller I.D whilst trying to get his eyes acquainted to the blinding light from his phone screen.

 

It’s an unknown number.

 

Now, usually, Jongin wouldn’t bat an eye and swipe the red button to ignore the call but something about the call makes him want to opt to the green button instead. That or he’s just so bored that he would accept a call from any stranger at midnight.

 

 

 

He waits for the caller to talk first.

 

“You know, normal people would say ‘hello?’ when they answer a call.”

 

A zap, a heart beating fast, a pair of eyes widening, and a Kim Jongin quickly sitting up at the sound of the caller’s voice. The first thing he does is check on the caller’s name and then bringing  it back against his hair while his other hand runs through his hair, pushing it to the right side and fixing his crumpled shirt before realizing he’s being stupid. He’s on a voice call so his physical appearance wouldn’t matter at all. But before he could resolve the first problem, his second problem arises: He doesn’t know what to answer the caller. Should it be ‘Hey what’s up’ or a ‘Good evening’ or a—wait, why does Do Kyungsoo have his number and why is he calling at midnight?

 

“What, you don’t even recognize my voice?”

 

“Kyungsoo—” He answers in a heartbeat before pausing to clear his throat. “Hey. I didn’t expect you to call so I was, um, surprised.”

 

There’s a snort on the other side and Jongin can almost hear Kyungsoo rolling his eyes again.

 

“Of course you weren’t expecting me to call. Do I have any reason to call you at a time like this?”

 

Jongin pouts and pulls his phone away to glare at it.

 

“Stop glaring at your phone, stupid.”

 

“Are you like a psychic?”

 

“No, I’m not. You’re just so predictable.”

 

Jongin thins his lips plopping back down onto his bed while taking a deep breath. And then he waits and listens to the silence on the other end.

 

“So listen, Jongin,” Jongin smiles. Kyungsoo called him by his name again and it’s so rare that he couldn’t stop himself from smiling whenever he hears the latter do so.

 

“About what you did for me today..” Jongin hums, urging the other to continue,

 

“The food’s really delicious so I think you deserve to properly hear this.” Jongin rises to sit, resting his back against his bedpost.

 

“Yeah, well,” He’s so into whatever Kyungsoo would say that he doesn’t recognize the loud thumping of his heart. “Thank you.. really.”

 

It’s like fireworks went off in his chest and he knows he looks dumb with his wide grin and so he tries to calm himself down, to keep his voice neutral for the other to not notice it.

 

“It was nothing, really. But you’re welcome.”

 

And then a long silence arises and Jongin waits,

 

“I actually think you’re quite.. fine.”

 

Jongin lets out the breath he was holding in without realizing it. Of course, why would he expect a mindblowing, heart numbing grateful adjective from Do Kyungsoo?

 

“Wow, we’ve known each other for a long time now and the only level I achieved is ‘fine’?”

 

He hears the soft chuckle from the other line and he realizes he wants to see how Kyungsoo chuckles right now. Jongin’s grip on his phone tightens.

 

“And that thing you told me..”

 

“Hm?”

 

The pause made it seem as if Kyungsoo wouldn’t continue what he was about to say anymore but just before Jongin could talk, Kyungsoo’s voice reaches his ear again.

 

“When Chanyeol is not around.. I don’t think it would be that bad to hang out together too… sometimes.”

 

This time, Jongin is unable to smile, too aware of his heart that seems to be having an attack  and could only manage to answer with “Cool.” and they ended the call after a lot of uhs and awkward yeahs.

 

Jongin  continued to stare at his phone after the call and slowly, he was able to piece everything together until he came to one conclusion: His life plan seemed to have been sabotaged by Do Kyungsoo.

 

Because Jongin is only nineteen and he’s still not in the university and so it definitely is not the right time (according to what he had written in his life plan book) but he’s sure of what he is feeling. He has fallen in love at the wrong time, at the wrong place, and worse, with the wrong person.

 

His life plan is now, obviously, officially ruined.

 

☁☁☁

 

 

The word ‘sometimes’ must be synonymous to ‘often’ in Kyungsoo’s dictionary. But it’s not like Jongin is complaining or anything. The hanging out together sometimes becomes often which eventually turns to every day.

 

Usually, Kyungsoo would be moping around the house, asking him to play with him more because he’s already bored so when the days of Kyungsoo waking up early up at 8 AM to hang out with Jongin and comes back at dinner time becomes a successful streak of nine, Chanyeol began to feel suspicious of what the two had been up to. Sure, the thought of the two hanging out together on their own was suspicious itself but seeing Kyungsoo smile at something Jongin has done (when he thinks no one is looking) is something even more suspicious.

 

Suspicious isn’t the right term. Chanyeol was actually fascinated and happy that finally, Kyungsoo is opening up to someone else and he couldn’t thank Jongin enough for causing that.

 

On the streak of twentieth-something day, Baekhyun’s tongue accidentally slips and he asks something he had been keeping to himself, thinking it is something that shouldn’t be mentioned at all.

 

Jongin enters Baekhyun’s dining room while lively chatting with Kyungsoo and his usual emotionless face. Baekhyun watches as Jongin pulls a chair beside him for Kyungsoo while they continue to chat happily and then takes a seat by his side. He was able to zip his mouth at that moment but it was when Jongin rises up on his seat to get another spoon for Kyungsoo’s slips out of his hold and fell under the table.

 

“At this rate, are you guys sure you’re not dating already?”

 

Jongin chokes on his food, eyes shooting towards Kyungsoo who didn’t seem fazed by the question at all then glares at Baekhyun, mouthing a shut up.

 

Kyungsoo only tilts his head to the side for a moment, as if considering something then he hums, immediately having three pairs of eyes directed to him.

 

“What?” Chanyeol carefully asks, as if not sure if he heard Kyungsoo right.

 

“Well.. We’re both fine with each other’s existence anyway.. and we’ve been hanging out a lot of times already,” Kyungsoo answers before he continues to eat.

 

Baekhyun and Chanyeol transfer their gaze from Kyungsoo to Jongin whose mouth fell open, completely gaping at Kyungsoo.

 

“Soo, I don’t think that’s all that it would take to date someone—”

 

“Unless you dont think I’m an okay-type of person?” Kyungsoo asks, raising a brow at Jongin who couldn’t even form a word and is only able to shake his head until it hurts him. “See? We’re dating.”

 

“We are?” Jongin finally finds his voice. He hasn’t even confessed yet! How is this possible? He feels ripped off of his personal rights already, something Kyungsoo never fails to achieve.

 

Kyungsoo hums again. “You even said you like me, didn’t you?”

 

All three mouths from the people around him fell open and Kyungsoo scowls in disgust and continues eating.

 

Chanyeol and Baekhyun then avert their gaze to Jongin who starts stammering on his own words in an attempt to explain why he had never mentioned any of this to them.

 

“I-I did say I like him but I didn’t mean it that way—” Jongin stops halfway when Kyungsoo raises his head to look at him and then he stammers again to correct himself. “I mean I do really  like you like that but at that moment when I said it to you, I didn’t mean it that way—” Kyungsoo only frowns at him, not understanding him stuttering at all, “I mean I really like you okay—” And Jongin finally realizes what he’s been stammering over and over again to, what’s the main point. “Okay fine! I like him okay!” Jongin exclaims, glaring at Chanyeol and Baekhyun.

 

Chanyeol and Baekhyun both have a -eating grin on their faces as they wiggle their eyebrows at him. But Jongin doesn’t see that because he himself has dumb grin on his face after seeing Kyungsoo blushing while eating, eyes downcast.

 

The night was full of surprises. It turns out his best friends already are a couple and is the true reason why they’re having a small feast at Baekhyun’s house.

 

Jongin was too preoccupied with Kyungsoo that the information he acquired about his best friends, which is part of his long life plan,  only gets processed by his brain later that night, when he’s staring at his ceiling again, replaying his conversation with Kyungsoo on the phone just a few moments back.

 

☁☁☁

 

 

One would think that the two would have turned all mushy like most frenemies do when their relationship turns to that of a romantic one but no, Kyungsoo seems to be very intent on shying away from the norm.

 

They’re a couple, indeed, but they still have the meaningless debates that Jongin can never win (like a certain dress being color blue and black or gold and white), Kyungsoo still calls Jongin an ‘idiot’ or ‘dumb’ or ‘stupid’ (to which Jongin had grown tired opposing to) and Kyungsoo still throws stuff at Jongin (not because he couldn’t catch the latter’s attention but because he reasons he’s not used to not throwing stuff at Jongin, reasoning out that he doesn’t throw things that would hurt Jongin badly..anyway).

 

They’re a couple, you can just see it from the way they look at each other, rarely from Kyungsoo while Jongin almost literally has a heart shape-super Mightybond-glued over his eyes when Kyungsoo is around. Other times, Baekhyun wouldn’t think Kyungsoo really likes Jongin, especially with how all they do most of the time is bicker for absolutely stupid reasons.

 

“Why is that so hard to do for me?!” Baekhyun hears Jongin whine from kitchen. It seems like they’re arguing again, and Jongin, as always, is the one whining and not getting any response. Frowning, Baekhyun steps in the kitchen to possibly stop Jongin from pushing Kyungsoo’s buttons. It would be nice for Jongin to not have something thrown at him for once.

 

“All you have to do is open your mouth for me! You’re so unfair!”

 

Baekhyun stands by the door, hands on hips as he throws a judging look at the two.

 

“Shut up, Jongin. Just eat.”

 

Baekhyun’s mouth opens in a silent scoff. Sometimes they make him want to puke over their weird way of flirting.

 

Baekhyun scrunches his nose up as Kyungsoo proceeds to feed Jongin with the spaghetti they cooked.

 

“But I want to feed you too! This is unfair!”

 

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. “You should eat more. You’ve gotten really thin already.”

 

Baekhyun stomps away, grumbling about why the two have to flirt so weirdly like that and proceeds to call for Chanyeol. He really doesn’t understand the two at all.

 

Even Jongin sometimes questions if Kyungsoo really feels the same way for him at all. For a long time at first, he had a small voice in the back of his head telling him how Kyungsoo doesn’t really feel the same way towards him. He tortured himself that way, kept himself awake and paranoid at night. He wanted to ask Kyungsoo but could not, afraid that it could possibly lead to Kyungsoo wanting to stop all of this. So he continued hurting on his own.

 

Jongin sees his phone blinking, with an incoming call a few seconds after texting Kyungsoo how he’s doing.

 

“You never really text at all, huh?” Jongin says, chuckling.

 

There was a short pause before Kyungsoo’s voice comes alive.

 

“Why, do you not like it?”

 

“No, I like it!” Jongin was quick to answer. “It’s just, what if you get tired of hearing my voice every night.”

 

“No,” The answer comes within in a heartbeat and Jongin grins, “I won’t get tired hearing your voice.” Jongin covers his mouth with the back of his right hand that is holding the phone and he bites his lips to stop the impending unmanly noise he is so close of letting out. He places the phone back over his ear. “Because it sounds so dumb that I can imagine how dumb you also look as you speak.”

 

And the grin disappears, replacing it with a pout. Trust his boy friend to kill the fun.

 

“I really sound dumb to you  even over the phone, huh,” Jongin mutters, sighing.

 

There was a pause, a long one.

 

“Yeah. But it’s the kind of dumb that I like,” it sounded like a dramatical pause for emphasis and Jongin’s breath hitched in anticipation, “You’re the kind of dumb that I like. One that’s only for me.”

 

It’s at the very rare times like this that Jongin realizes that maybe, just maybe, Kyungsoo does feel the same way too. Only that he’s too bad at showing it himself. Jongin realizes he also like this about Kyungsoo. How it’s so rare to see Kyungsoo showing his care and love for people but once he does, it feels like a million stars exploding in your chest. Like it’s a blackhole and you’ve no choice but to be by the ever so rare love that Do Kyungsooo can provide.

 

Jongin loves it because he knows that he wouldn’t have to worry about sharing Kyungsoo with others. Kyungsoo basically already had his  forehead stamped with ‘KIM JONGIN’S BOY FRIEND, STAY AWAY, UNWANTED HUMAN’ in bright red, bold letters.

 

Jongin's -eating grins doesn’t leave his face.

 

“Man, I’m so in love with you,” he mutters under his breath, trying to calm himself down.

 

“I can almost see the dumb look on your face, Jongin. Get a hold of yourself.”

 

And even though Jongin never hears a response, he doesn’t, couldn’t, stop. He’s already impossibly, unconditionally in love with the man who came in his life, looking like a caterpillar.

 

☁☁☁

 

 

The day everything seemed to have fallen to pieces, the day Jongin regrets so much, happens on the first day of Spring. Chanyeol shows up at his door, alone, and just the look on his face makes Jongin worried and a little bit… scared.

 

“You knew?”

 

Chanyeol refuses to enter the house and insists for Jongin to listen already as they stand by the doorstep.

 

Jongin looks at Chanyeol in disbelief. All this time, he and Kyungsoo believed nobody knew about his impending heart operation. He couldn’t believe Chanyeol lied to Kyungsoo when Kyungsoo had done so many things just to keep it hidden from him.

 

“Did you really think I wouldn’t notice it? I’ve grown up with him, I know it when something’s going wrong with him. I’ve witnessed it happen to him many times before. I already know the symptoms.”

 

“Then why did you lie—”

 

“I didn’t want to lie, okay! But his mom asked me to and—”

 

Jongin’s voice began to rise up in anger, how come even Chanyeol lied to him? Chanyeol was Kyungsoo’s only childhood best friend. Jongin couldn’t imagine how sad Kyungsoo would feel if he finds out Chanyeol lied to him all this time.

 

“That’s still not an excuse. He trusted you, Chanyeol. If you knew he has a heart problem then you should know that we’re not supposed to upset him because—”

 

“Jongin!” Chanyeol exasperatingly cuts him off. “This is not the important thing I came here for. You need to stop him.”

 

“What?” Jongin searches Chanyeol’s eyes and suddenly breaks into a cold sweat. “Stop him from what?”

 

Somehow, even watching Chanyeol draw out a piece of paper from the back pocket of his pants makes Jongin scared and he didn’t like that feeling. Something’s wrong. Or maybe, something already went wrong.

 

“What’s this?” Jongin asks, glancing up at Chanyeol as he unfolds the white piece of paper that was handed to him.

 

“It’s a Donor Cancellation Form.”

 

It’s slow, heart-racing, and perplexing. Jongin didn’t know whatever that means.

 

Understanding the lack of answer, Chanyeol continues, “Kyungsoo rejected the third donor. Jongin, you have to stop him. I tried to reason with him last—”

 

“He already knows that you knew?”

 

“That’s not the problem, Jongin!” Chanyeol exclaims, exasperated, and rubs his face with his palms, “Are you listening to what I’m saying? If he rejects the only donor who matched with him, he wouldn’t have an operation! Don’t you get what that means?”

 

Only then does it click in his head and for the first time, Jongin feels as though something inside him is breaking to pieces. Fears shoot up and he began to panic.

 

“Where is he?”

 

“I don’t know, Jongin, he got mad at me when I mentioned it to him. Please, Jongin,” Watching the unshed tears b in Chanyeol’s eyes, Jongin began to feel even more scared. “Please, you have to stop him.”

 

The smoldering sun against his exposed skin doesn’t get noticed. Jongin feels as if he’s running towards a hurricane, his vision’s a blur but he continues to run anyway.

 

Kyungsoo stares at Jongin, staring at him while tears flow down his face.

 

“Don’t do it, Kyungsoo, please.”

Jongin doesn’t step closer and keeps his stand by the platform, staring up and begging Kyungsoo to stay. The people rush past him and into the bus, bumping against him, giving him weird looks as he stood there but he could only care less. He’s losing Kyungsoo and he doesn’t know what he would do if that happens. It feels like he’s standing at the world’s end, hanging by a branch and falling, falling, with no one to catch him.

 

“Jongin, you’re not supposed to be here,” Kyungsoo says, almost inaudible due to the noise around them.

 

Jongin shakes his head, falling forward but picking himself up again to look at Kyungsoo.

 

“If you really love me, or at least,” He’s sobbing now, realizing what he’s saying, “loved me, then come back. Please, don’t go.”

 

Please stay.

 

Please tell me you love me.

 

Please.

 

“I have to, Jongin.”

 

His falling,

and falling.

 

Crashing

 

and breaking.

 

The door is closing and Jongin wipes his tears away but they don’t stop falling anyway, so even with his blurry vision, he maintains his gaze onto Kyungsoo’s as the doors close. Kyungsoo takes a seat on one next to the window and opens it for Chanyeol.

 

“I don’t understand, Jongin..”

 

And what hurts the most is that the person he thought loves him, watched him break.

 

“Am I not enough of  a reason for you to want to live longer?”

 

The doors closed just as Jongin falls to his knees, not seeing the way Kyungsoo bangs on the door, calling for his attention just as the bus starts to move.

 

It’s funny how one place can remind a person of his happiest and saddest memory at the same time.

 

No good byes.

 

No ‘see you later’.

 

Nothing.

 

Jongin stood there for what seemed like forever, cheeks with trails of dried tears, eyes staring off to space as if he doesn’t have a soul anymore.

 

It’s not until the moment Jongin has made it into his own room that the tears slam back and shatters his whole body into a thousand pieces he knows he can’t piece back together anymore.

 

☁☁☁

 

 

It’s mid-spring when he receives a call.

 

Kyungsoo never liked texting him, he said. Kyungsoo liked hearing his dumb voice.

 

But he was broken, shattered beyond repair, barely hanging on, and so when he received the first call, he ignored it. And the many other calls after that. 

 

The time he was able to gather his courage and answer the call with trembling hands is already too late. He hears not Kyungsoo's voice, but of a woman whose voice is full of despair.

 

“He’ll be having his operation today.. He told me, he wanted to see you or at least hear your voice before he enters the operating room but right now.. It’s not possible anymore.. Either way, thank you so much for changing Kyungsoo’s decision. Thank you for at least letting him try and get a longer life.. I love my son so much. He’s too young, so precious to me and—“ There was a loud sobbing that cut through.

 

Jongin couldn’t hear the rest, couldn’t process whatever he’s hearing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jongin is frustrated, he pushes them away, tries to move fast enough, tries to push hard enough, strong enough but he couldn’t. They’re talking and moving in slow motion and Jongin’s fear only heightens, his tears never drying up as he continues to push past the nurses trying to pin him down.

 

“Please! I just want to see him!”

 

Jongin, I have lived my life preparing for the time when I finally have to go. I have pushed away people because I didn't like it every time I have to watch them fade away in my vision, watched them leave one by one because I was never enough. Never. I didn't like it that this miserable life gets extended with every operation, with every heart I steal from another whose life could have been better. I didn't want to be greedy anymore. I didn't want this life— or this heart anymore.

 

“Sir, calm down, you can’t get in the operating room, sir!”

 

This winter, as the world turns colder, I thought and believed to myself that I was ready. That finally, I am brave enough to let myself go. I thought I was sure that there will be no one left hurting when I pass away. But I was wrong, there was Chanyeol—my best friend, my first love whose heart I broke into pieces. I went back to his side to try and make up for the time I couldn't give him before, thinking he was still waiting for me. However, he already has Baekhyun and I was relieved.  He wouldn't be that sad anymore.

 

“He needs to hear my voice! He just wants to see me! Please! I beg you! Please!”

 

And then there is you, Jongin. I tried so hard to block out the thoughts of you for I am not supposed to. I can't afford to have another life attached to the one I am giving up. But you're different, persistent, dumb, and I couldn't not think of you. And then I realized I'm not ready at all. I can't leave you. I still want to spend the most times I can with you. But the wait for the operation is killing me, Jongin. I am scared for the more I wait, the more I became anxious. The operation could only mean I can live or die and I didn't want to wait and give you hopes. If I am to die,I must as soon as possible leave before we get too attached and it becomes difficult to leave. I have already fallen, Jongin, and you caught me. I do not want you to watch me fall again because this time, you cannot catch me anymore. I do not want you to watch me wither, Jongin. And so I have moved the operation sooner so that if I have to leave, you wouln't  be in so much pain. And if I were to live, we will have more time together at ease, without feeling the torture of waiting for an outcome that could mean death or life.

I am scared and I want to hear your voice so, so much. But I will be strong and will not back out again. This time, I want to be greedy and face my fear for you, for us.

 

 

He looks around, but no one is there to help. He sees a woman sobbing by the side, looking at him so helplessly and distraught.

 

I hope to see you when I wake up, Jongin. If I do. 

 

Jongin pleaded, and yells until he’s reduced to just screaming Kyungsoo’s name. 

 

He needs to hear my voice...

 

I need him to see me..

 

I need to see him..

 

Please.

 

A jab on his right arm and Jongin’s world began to fade to black.

 

 

 

Sunlight drifts into Jongin’s dream and even in his dreams, Jongin cries.

 

He cries because sun lights and spring time could never, from now on, remind him of happy memories and instead remind him of his world that has ended on such a beautiful sunny day.

 

He looks at the familiar place and realizes he’s back in the bus stop where they first waited at in the cold of February 14th. He looks ahead and the other side of the road began to rise up, up, up until it transforms into a familiar looking place. And then Jongin realizes what the place was. It’s the uphill that leads to the restaurant where he brought Kyungsoo.

 

And Jongin cries, but his vision doesn’t turn blurry, he looks down and lifts a hand, open palm up, and watches droplets of his tears falling onto his palm.

 

It’s unfair, Jongin thought, because even in his sleep, he is alone. Even in his dream, his world shatters.

 

Jongin lifts his gaze, he’s not in the same place anymore.

 

He’s at the bus stop where he let Kyungsoo go. Where he was stupid enough to just let go of Kyungsoo like that. All because he was scared of being there when Kyungsoo leaves, all because he was a coward.

 

If only… if only he could turn back time and let Kyungsoo stay..

 

Jongin takes a step forward, hands outstretched to the bus window where he sees Kyungsoo staring at him. Jongin is calling Kyungsoo but the Kyungsoo in front of him only stares at him and just when Kyungsoo moves to open the window, everything shatters.

 

Even the image of Kyungsoo.

 

Jongin sobs, he falls to his knees and sobs hard but he couldn’t hear himself.

 

Jongin screams but there was nothing.

 

He screams and screams and yells. Maybe this could end his life too. Maybe.. just maybe..

 

“Jongin..?”

 

It’s that familiar voice that makes Jongin whip his head up in search of the owner of the voice. The gloomy clouds and the roads of Gwangju is replaced by a window with the sunlight seeping through the drapes, a transparent tube and more, more white linens and tiles. Everything is white and only then does Jongin realizes where he is.

 

His eyes fell onto a pair of wide ones.

 

Jongin starts sobbing again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“So this new heart of yours.. how is it?”

 

Kyungsoo stares at the Kim Jongin sitting by his bed, fidgeting with the sheets.

“Hm? What do you mean? I heard it’s quite healthy.”

 

“No I mean.. with me.. is it..you know..”

 

Kyungsoo’s voice is raspy due to the operation but his small laugh is still as beautiful as ever.

 

“Are you asking if this new heart I have is also in love with you?”

 

Kyungsoo began to grin as he sees Jongin blushing.

 

“W-well.. it’s a new heart and it wasn’t yours so—”

 

“My god, you’re so dumb. Do you think I would not love you anymore if I have a new heart?”

 

Jongin rubs the back of his neck. “W-well..”

 

“Of course I still love you, dumb.” Kyungsoo says and Jongin hears his heart go baddump because it’s the first time Kyungsoo admitted to loving him. “I can have thousands of heart surgeries and change every time but I’ll still love you nevertheless. It’s still me, Do Kyungsoo.”

 

Jongin nods, gaze towards the sheets, trying to hide his blushing cheeks. “Okay.”

 

“Okay? I just told you I love you and that’s all you have to say? Okay?”

 

“W-well, what am I supposed to say anyway?”

 

“Stupid, you’re supposed to say you love me too. Do you think it’s easy for me to say that to you, you stupid idiot! It took me all of my pride to say it out loud!”

 

Jongin yelps as he covers his face from a Kyungsoo who’s busy throwing flower petals at him.

 

“Alright! Alright! I.. I love you too.”

 

Kyungsoo nods, satisfied. “Alright. That’s more like it. Now we’re even.”

 

Silence reigns, but unlike their first date (Jongin came into a conclusion that Valentine’s Day was their first date), it was a comfortable kind of silence.

 

“Kyungsoo.”

 

“What.”

 

“When you said it takes all your pride to say it out loud..”

 

“What about it,” Kyungsoo asks, tilting his head to the side.

 

“So did you mean you say it all the time in your head?”

 

Kyungsoo stares at him, brows knitted together and cheeks flaring.

 

And just when Jongin thinks Kyungsoo would say no he answers with so much vigor, “O-of course, idiot! Because it’s true!”

 

Jongin laughs and hugs him. He takes a deep breath.

 

“Man, I’m so in love with you.”

 

Kyungsoo laughs, and this time, he opts to think out loud.

 

“Me too. I’m so in love with you too, it’s crazy.”

 

➸      ➸     ➸

 

“So, do you still think you made a mistake?”

 

Cupid doesn’t answer yet but the beautiful smile on his angelic face is enough for Suho to understand.

 

“I don’t think I did, Guardian.”

 

The Guardian of the South smiles back, making a small hand gesture and Cupid watches as it starts to drizzle on Earth.

 

☁☁☁

 

“Kyungsoo, look! The heavens are welcoming you back in the Earth and had sent a rainbow to celebrate it!”

 

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. “Dumb, there’s a scientific explanation for that. Stop making stupid assumptions on your own.”

 

Kyungsoo then proceeds to wrap his arm around Jongin’s waist and rests his head on his lover’s chest, smiling to himself as Jongin pouts and slightly grumbles about how what he said is true, the heavens are sending them the rainbow, while he caresses Kyungsoo’s hair.

 

Kyungsoo lifts himself up slowly and shuts Jongin up by kissing him on the lips.

 

There was an unmanly gasp emitted and Kyungsoo smiles in the kiss.

 

He loves this dumb Jongin that belongs only to him.

 

 

 

 

***Caterpillar Kyungsoo