Chapter Ten

The New Manager

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Yifan was swiming on the outdoors pool alone. He already went into couple of laps already but he was still nervous, his heart beating fast and he knew it wasn't because of the swimming.

Jongin and his friends already had their own appointment to do. More like their own dates actually and it made Yifan sad when he called the younger man.

"You will have more fun without us, hyung."

Was what Jongin said and Yifan could hear his famous smirk from his voice.

Yifan stopped himself and went to the edge. He rest his back on the wall, facing the building so he could see when Suho will come. He stared boredly at the glass wall seeing no one before he lifted his gaze, eyes catching the dark night and none of small blinking stars were there.

"Kris-ssi?"

The manager shifted his eyes down and found Suho staring at him with small smile. The man was already sitting on the edge of the pool, his pale legs were seen as he wore knee length pants and a baby blue shirt. His foot were inside the water and Yifan could only stare at the man.

"Why are you alone? Didn't you said Jongin and his friends will come too?"

Yifan gulped, shaking his head trying not to concentrate at how pale Suho's skin was. "I'm sorry. They cancelled it. They said they already got plan tonight."

Suho's lips turned downward before he lifted it into a smile. "It's okay. Let's have our own date, then!!" he said cheerfully before going inside the water, making a small splash as he laughed. "Wanna go on a race?"

"Loser got to call for night snack. Deal?" Yifan ignored the word date coming from the smaller man.

Suho gave thumb up at the manager before they got ready for the race.






Yifan amazed at how fast Suho swam. He almost lost if it's not because of his long limbs and he looked down on the smaller man, thinking that he won't be able to win over him but he almost did. Suho scrunched his nose as he surfaced from the water.

"Of course you will win. You're taller than me, Kris-ssi." the smaller wiped his face with both hands and pushed his hair back, showing his forehead to Yifan who shook his head before doing the same.

"Do you want me to do it now?"

"No, it's okay. Let's race again. I didn't give my best earlier."

Suho gasped, "You didn't give your best yet you won! No, I won't do it again..."

"Oh come on. What do you want to do, then?"

"Hmm... Why don't you swim while I got the snack? I'm kind of hungry actually..."

Yifan frowned at Suho's grin, "You haven't eat dinner?"

"Uh...works are pilling up so I have no time." Suho tried to climbed out of the pool and Yifan gulped seeing how his pants and shirt sticked to his skin, showing his body shaped as he noticed how small and thin the man was.

"What do you want?" asked Suho, shaking his head to make the water splattered from it.

"Anything. Not really hungry actually."

"Okay. Be back soon." smiled Suho.

Yifan groaned hard when Suho was out of sight, slapping his own forehead couple of times. "Stop staring, Yifan..." he scolded himself. He went under the water, shutting his eyes as he held his breath and started to count. He did it for around two minutes before going back up. The image of Suho's body was still printed on his mind and he rolled his eyes, getting ready to swam couple of laps until the smaller man back.

Yifan climbed out of the pool and took a seat on the sunlounger. He leaned comfortably, eyes gazing to the sky and smiled as waves of calm washed over him. He forgot everything for a moment and just stared, imagining he's lying on the fluffy clouds, reaching out his hand as if he can touch the sky.

A sound of steps reached the manager's ears and he turned his head to see Suho bringing a tray. He put it down on the table beside Yifan before he sat on the sunlounger the taller was sitting in. There were two tall glasses with pink and blue liquid that he guessed were cocktails, a plate of french fries with cheese on top of it and a plate of seafood fried rice.

"Want to try?" Suho gave the spoon to the taller as Yifan straightened up and folded his legs to have easier position to eat.

The manager hummed and gave the spoon back to Suho. The smaller smiled before he started eating his food, the taller ate the fries as he watched for Suho only for a moment. He realized he's been staring a lot tonight and he reminded himself to stop.

Yifan sipped his drink and grimaced a little, "Why are you bringing cocktail?" his eyes followed at Suho's tongue which was his own lips before trailing up to the smaller orbs.

"Oh. I'm sorry, you don't like it? The waiter recommended me and I... He said it tastes good as it's a new menu and I want to try so... Do you want me to take you another drink?"

"Nope. It's okay. I'm just asking." Yifan gave a gentle smile, reassuring the smaller that he doesn't need to do anything.

"Okay..."

They were enjoying the night breeze with none of them say a word. Yifan stared up to the sky again while Suho faced the pool, moving his legs back and forth slowly in what Yifan saw as excitement.

Suho turned his head after minutes and covered his mouth as he yawned. Yifan saw this and asked if he's tired.

"I still want to play for a little bit. Can we?"

"I think you better go to sleep, Suho. You don't work shifts anymore and you have to work in the morning." suggested the manager who gave worried look to Suho who pouted.

"Just two laps?"

Yifan rolled his eyes but nodded anyway which made Suho grinned. He stood up and ran to the water, jumped in and made loud splashed. After he surfaced he looked at the manager, "You don't want to join me?"

"Nope. I'm tired already." said Yifan.

Suho shrugged before he swam around the huge pool. The manager watched him as he lied down again, a smile tugging on the corner of his lips. When Suho almost finished the taller stood up and waited for the smaller to approached him and helped him get out of the water. Suho said thank you when Yifan pulled him out, he tumbled slightly as his legs gave out and giggled.

"Sorry." Suho said while looking up to the manager.

Yifan had his hands around Suho's torso, making sure to balance him and had him in enough distant as he didn't want the smaller to get too close. Suho's hands were pressing on his bared chest and he suddenly aware at how the smaller could feel how his heart was beating fast. "No problem." Yifan forced a smile as he let go of Suho.

Suho stopped him with one hand grabbing on his arm, "Kris-ssi?"

"Yeah?" the smaller was bitting his lips, his eyes were staring up at Yifan and the latter could see Suho's eyes glinted with something. He lifted his lips into a smile, "What is it?"

"Thank you."

Yifan chuckled, he raised his hand to patted Suho's wet hair. "It's nothing. We can do it again next time."

"No, not this." Suho dropped his head, his grip tightening around the manager's arm and Yifan knitted his eyebrows.

"Suho?"

"Thank you for giving me strength when no one believe in me anymore. My family are already tired of me, they let me do anything that I want where in fact I want them to support me, not abandoning me like this. I know I'm hopeless, I'm not the son they wanted and expected me to be, but this is me."

Suho's voice was getting smaller and Yifan worried he might cry again. Putting his free hand on Suho's back, he brought the smaller to him with a sigh. "Please don't cry anymore. I told you you're amazing. You finally took a step and you don't have to worry. Your family might not show it but they're always there for you whenever you need them, right? This is just the beginning, I'm sure they will see you in a different way once you're succeed in your job."

The drops of water on his chest telling Yifan that indeed, Suho was crying again. He rubbed the smaller back, letting Suho hugged him tight as if he's afraid he will fall if he let go of the taller man.

"I still have a long way to go...I need to be great, I need to climb up the stairs and it's too high I'm afraid I won't reach the top. You're too good, Kris-ssi. I can't compete with you. You love your works and I won't be able to win because I hate this. I don't want this. I already sacrifice someone and I feel guilty. It should be my burden, not him. I should be the one behind that desk, working overnight and looked tired all the time after reading those documents instead of serving the guest."

Suho pressed his forehead to Yifan's chest, he bit his lips, not wanting to let out any sound but it hurts. The pain on his chest was unbearable that he felt like drowning in the water, filling his lungs with it to make him lose conscious and wake up in his dreams where he can do anything he wants.

"Suho, please stop it...I know it feels good to cry but you can't do this all the times..." Yifan pulled himself away just enough to lifted Suho's face. The smaller cheeks were wet with tears, red nose with little snot and lips facing downwards. The manager cupped Suho's face with his big hand, wiping the fallen tears with his thumb. "If you can't do it then don't force it. Tell your parents the truth, tell them you can't do this, they will understand. They're your parents, you're the most precious thing they ever have."

Suho shut his eyes, shaking his head and parted his lips. "I can't...they want the best for me and they knew that I can do this. It's just me, I keep doubting myself. Comparing myself to you, to my brother, to everyone around me...I can't help it I'm just like that, I feel like--"

Suho snapped his eyes open when something touched his lips, stopping him from talking. He saw the manager's closed lids, his eyelashes and it came to him that the taller man was pressing his lips against his own.

"Stop it, Suho." Yifan whispered on Suho's lips. He opened his eyes, staring back at the warm orbs opened wide that full of shock belongs to Suho. "Just stop talking for a moment, will you?"

Suho parted his lips, nodding once as his mind went blank. He felt the manager's thumb rubbing on his cheek which slowly start to dry as no more tear came out of his eyes. The warm from Yifan's arm on his back and his bared chest pressing into his wet shirt. Watching Yifan had a frown on his forehead make his hand reached up to touch it. The manager was thinking of something and he wondered if it's about his problem.

"I'm sorry." Yifan said, referring to the kiss. He smiled a little when Suho touched his forehead, knowing that he's frowning again. "But you just keep talking, losing yourself on your own thought and I don't want that. I'm here, Suho. I can help you. I did, I am doing it now and I will. But if you refused my open hand, what can I do?" his eyes trailed down to the pink yet dry lips. It was cold and he realized Suho's shivering on his hold. "Let's get inside first and continue talking, okay?"

Suho could only nodded and let the manager guided him inside.





Suho let the manager dried his hair with the hair dryer, couldn't say no when the taller gave him a glare after Yifan finished taking a shower, seeing Suho's waiting for him. He was sitting on the wooden chair, closing his eyes and listening to the sound coming from the machine.

Yifan hummed to himself, it felt nice to touch Suho's hair. He'd been wondering if it felt as smooth as it looked and even if the hair was wet now he was satisfied. He paused for a moment after realizing how wrong that sounded inside his head.

"Done."

Suho whispered a thank you, shyly staring down instead of looking up at the manager. Yifan put the hairdryer back before he sat down beside Suho. The smaller man flinched when he sat and Yifan was confuse at the reaction he got. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, just..." Suho mumbled the last word that the manager couldn't hear it.

"Hmm?"

"Nervous."

"Because of me?"

Suho took a glance at Yifan, the latter finally took notice that Suho's cheeks were slightly pink. "You kissed me."

"Oh that." Yifan gulped. "I'm sorry, I...truthfully I don't know why I did that. Seeing you looking so desperate like that make me think that I have to stop it and sadly that's what came to me. Will you forgive me? I know you might can't forget it and--"

"What did you feel?" Suho turned his face towards the manager, his expression was unreadable.

"Huh?"

"I can't think of anything. Like suddenly my memory being erased, it was blank. I admit it was effective but at the same time it makes me scared...like why? I kissed before but that never happened. I will feel uncomfortable or it will makes me relax." the smaller man slowly pulling himself away from Yifan and the taller felt hurt by that.

"Suho..." if Yifan voiced out what he has in his mind, of how he felt when he touched those lips he was sure the smaller will be even more scared of him. Yifan liked the taste of Suho's lips. When he close his eyes, images of Suho's smiles flashed and he knew that feel. He felt it before when he kissed his boyfriend and he too know that it meant he's not just attracted to Suho. He might feeling something more, the one that he kept denying when Jongin .

"What do you want to do, then? It's my fault, I will receive anything that you want to do to me." smiled Yifan weakly.

Suho knitted his brows, shaking his head lightly. "I won't do anything to you. It's not your fault, like I said, you do the right thing to stop me from falling deeper into my negative thoughts."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I will forgive you. You're my friend, and I will think of it as your way to comfort me."



Friend?



Yifan smiled bitterly. "Right. Thank you, Suho. I won't do it again. I will find another way to comfort you, one that won't make you...feel this way anymore."

The pain on his chest made Yifan think that he should stop seeing Suho for a moment. He wanted more, he knew that. But Suho was clearly didn't want that and the manager didn't want to torture himself so he should take his distance.

"And Suho?"

"Yes?" Suho still hadn't show his smile to the manager.

"I can't eat lunch with you tomorrow, have to finish my work asap and eat at my office." Yifan tried his best ignoring how his heart started to beat loudly.

Suho widden his eyes, gulping as he straightened his back. "Can I accompany you?"

"I'm sorry. I want to finish this quickly and I'm afraid you will distract me." Yifan knew Suho will definitely distract him, he's telling the smaller man the truth.

"But..."

"You can eat with Jongin, right? I will tell you when we can eat together again."

Yifan tried not to think much of the obvious disappointment on Suho's face. It was nothing, he said to himself. Suho just didn't want the trouble to find another person to spend his lunch time with.

Yifan stood up and smiled to Suho, telling him to go back to his room as it's late already. He wanted to walk him back but at this rate, it will only hurt him even more and reminded him that tomorrow he won't see the smaller man.

They walked inside the building, Yifan walked to the elevator while Suho will walk to the other side in the direction of his building. The smaller man followed Yifan and it confused the latter as why he did it.

"Aren't you heading that way?" Yifan pointed the way with his head to Suho who nodded.

"Will go after the elevator arrived."

Suho was kind. Yifan finally saw the affection he gave to him, maybe not only him, but to people around him. That's the reason why people took advantage of him, because he's nice. Suho looked like the type who won't say no and Yifan pitied him for that.

"Nothing will going to happen to me." joked the manager.

Suho grinned and it relieved Yifan to see that smile again, "I know. The least I can do is make sure you go inside the elevator instead of going somewhere."

"Why do you think that I will go somewhere but my room?" the manager tilted his head in confusion as Suho chuckled.

"Your frown shows me you don't feel like sleeping right now."

Suho was cruel. He was able to read Yifan while the later could only read him couple of times when he didn't show him his gentle smile which was rare.

The elevator came and Suho pushed the taller man inside. He showed his pretty eye smile along with his gentle smile, waving to the manager who blinked his eyes. "Good night, manager-nim. Thank you for today."

"Good night, Suho."

The elevator door slowly closed and as soon as it happened Yifan leaned his back to the wall. He stared down to his chest, at the spot where his heart was beating and he groaned.

"I should ask Baekhyun if he already find someone..."

 

Yifan needed a distraction from Suho and he needed it fast.
 

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Kakshu
#1
Chapter 17: It's sooooo cute!!!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️
ephemeral24
2412 streak #2
reading this again in 2019!!!
dulcimer_pL
#3
Chapter 17: Waa! Im so inlove this fic... Suho is so naughty :)
teufelchen_netty #4
Chapter 17: hach.. even after all this time it´s a lovely nice ff
kenxdesooin #5
Chapter 17: That was so cute little family....... llloooovvvveee it
HunieMineNahLuluis #6
Chapter 17: Finished in one go and am really love it
Hope i can read more of your work in future authornim (pst....cuz all couple you write is the on am ship on exo)
natinski #7
Chapter 17: i finally finished reading this! enjoyed it
teufelchen_netty #8
Chapter 17: Ah sweet. The family is really friendly and lovely. They can relay on each other.
Thanks for the extra
daedaejokers #9
Chapter 17: I NEED HEEEEEELPPPP ;____; I blushed like mad in chapter 15 >\\< this us very good.. I love this so much >_< please write for KrisHo :) thanks Authornim
dtdtdtdtdt
#10
Chapter 17: Authornim can you write how yifan handle the pregnant junmyeon? Kekeke ^^