Kyungsoo wakes up and makes short work of some dozen photographs before Jongdae comes looking for him in their cabana slash headquarters, jokingly scolding him to have breakfast first because “Jongin looks like he’s looking for his Cinderella right now.”  Upon hearing the name Jongin, their blonde haired companion rubs his eyes sleepily and asks:  “What’s with that name again?”

“Kyungsoo here is his new friend.” 

Junmyeon yawns and turns, muttering something along the lines of “cheesy hard heart mouth.”

“What did he say?”  Kyungsoo asks, a chuckling Jongdae already halfway out.

“He said, you should be careful, that guy has a cheesy mouth and a hard heart.”

Kyungsoo ponders on those lines as he looks back at the picture he was fixing: the melancholic Jongin looking at his best friend getting married.  He decides not to give the picture in when asked for the edited ones, keeping that picture and that picture only as a souvenir.   He then shakes the life out of Junmyeon and laughing, the two go to the hotel restaurant and have their breakfast.

Jongin approaches their table and makes small talk to Junmyeon, and as they tell their story Kyungsoo makes mental notes about the other guy.  He also takes mental note of the caution Junmyeon said a while ago.

Jongdae and Junmyeon excuse themselves and leave the two to eat with each other, Kyungsoo slightly conscious of the proximity in which they are in. 

“Good morning, sweetheart.”  Jongin says as a greeting.

“Why good morning, Jongin.”  Kyungsoo answers back and they fall into yet another cheesy pick up line war, laughing at each other’s lame answers at this time of the day. 

The whole day was spent by the other guests looking at the expanse of the resort they were in with the bride and groom, while the photographer and videographers were holed up in their cabana trying to finish their job.   Kyungsoo does not get to see Jongin save for parting words, Jongin leaving earlier than the smaller.  For the first time, Jongin gets his phone from his pocket and practically s it in the other’s hand.

“Number, please.”  Jongin says.  “For safekeeping.”

Kyungsoo laughs and excitedly punches his number, not forgetting to put “Kyungsoo honey” as his name.  When Jongin sees this, he laughs as well and texts something to the number.  Kyungsoo’s phone vibrates on his pocket and he starts to reach it but Jongin shakes his head.

“Look at it later, okay?  I need to go, bye honey.”  Jongin jokingly says, but Kyungsoo feels his heart pump faster and his cheeks go redder by the moment that he just waves goodbye and watches as the other walks to the cab, up until his cab drives away.

Kyungsoo looks at his phone when the cab is finally out of sight.

“If you’re honey then I’m a bee because without me there won’t be you.”

He laughs and saves the number under “Jongin bee.”

 

--

Back in Seoul, Kyungsoo tries to settle back into his usual life—taking pictures, processing them, then submitting them—but he knew something has changed.  Something that involves the everyday vibrating of his phone in the morning, and as he looks at it he smiles to himself before replying.

The cheesy line of Jongin back when he asked Kyungsoo’s number threw its way back to him when Kyungsoo replied rather cheesily too.  Thus started their texts back and forth, calls when Jongin isn’t that busy or Kyungsoo wasn’t processing pictures, and one day Jongin asks Kyungsoo out for lunch, something that was both expected and unexpected.  Of course, who would beg to pass?

The date came and Kyungsoo walks over to where Jongin is waiting in the restaurant, looking for all the world calm and dapper in his casual clothes.  Kyungsoo takes in the blue checkered polo, the maroon jeans and the loafers, and wonders to himself how he got so lucky with someone looking like this having lunch with him.

They take their sweet time talking, getting to know each other well and making enough progress to make each other conscious of how fast they were going—that is, until they walk along the side of Han River when Jongin accidentally brushes his hand against Kyungsoo’s, eliciting a soft gasp and a side glance from the latter.   They keep walking, and Jongin keeps brushing over Kyungsoo’s hand that the smaller stops walking altogether.

Without a word, he grabs the other’s wrists, holding on it tightly—then milky hands slide downward to tanned ones, holding it tightly.  Jongin is, for once, at loss at words with the gesture.  He looks at Kyungsoo and sees the other’s cheeks tainted in red which further makes him hold the other’s hand tightly.  Taking a bolder step he interlaces their fingers and squeezes it lightly.

“Do you or do you not want some ice cream?”

They end up walking to the nearby ice cream parlor, hand in hand, Kyungsoo’s head unconsciously leaning on Jongin’s shoulder. 

“Tell me, Kyungsoo—is It just me or my dreams are slowly coming true with you here by my side?  We’re perfect.”  Jongin says and it makes Kyungsoo go back to the first time they met.

“I guess we both need to see a doctor; we seem to be hallucinating that we are perfect for each other.”  Kyungsoo replies rather jokingly but the other looks at him with a smile so pure and so gentle it makes the smaller’s heart race—as if it wasn’t racing fast enough.  Jongin leans in, slowly, unblinkingly that makes Kyungsoo open his eyes wider in alarm; and then soft, tanned hands are suddenly the mess away from his lips, a smirk on the lips of the other.

“You’re quite a messy eater, aren’t you?”  Jongin chuckles and Kyungsoo wipes his mouth with his own tissue.  Both continue eating in comfortable silence, listening to the shrieks of laughter that were all around them, the light breeze that made the leaves of the tree flutter and the sound of cars moving, distant but adding to the moment.  Kyungsoo takes these all in and he wants to capture the moment.  Whipping out his phone, he takes pictures but then reviewing them, shakes his head.

“Something wrong?”  He hears the other say, looking at him with a cocked head and a questioning expression.  Kyungsoo smiles and shakes his head.

“I just miss taking pictures with my baby.”  The smaller says rather melancholically, making the other stutter as he repeats the last word.

“Oh—right, baby meaning my old but reliable camera.”  They both laugh at the ambiguity and Jongin stands up making Kyungsoo look at him.

“Let’s get your camera, then.”  He offers.  “I insist.” 

Kyungsoo ends up opening the door to his apartment minutes later, stepping inside before almost closing the door on Jongin’s face.   He mutters apologies and gestures for the other to come inside, which Jongin did so.  Kyungsoo rummages through his bags and whips out the old camera, checking how much film was left before going back to the living room and sees the other amusedly looking at the pictures hanging on the walls.  He takes a picture and the sound startles the other, making him jump a little in surprise.

“Didn’t know you were there.”  Kyungsoo hints a tone of surprise.  Jongin looks to where Kyungsoo went and notices two doors.

“Is there someone living with you?”  He gestures to the other bedroom.  The smaller shakes his head and lifts the camera up.

“That’s where my babies—or in this case the babies and their mothers—sleep.”  He says, still using the ambiguity.

“Babies?  Mothers?”

“By babies I meant pictures and by mothers I meant the cameras.”

“Can I take a look inside?”

Kyungsoo never lets anyone inside the black room, not his sister and absolutely not his parents.  Even Baekhyun isn’t allowed to step inside.  Just like the kitchen, this place was absolutely off limits. Now that Kyungsoo ponders on it, he is sure it is because his privacy would be compromised; the last strings that held him private even to his own self untangling.  But now that this apparent stranger is here in front of him, it felt like Kyungsoo had to let go and give in—which he did, when he opened the door and cautioned the other to be careful.

It was like he opened a part of himself, that part which he held close to himself for so long, to someone—and he felt wonderful. 

He explained how processing and developing pictures worked, and before long Jongin was patiently waiting for his first manually processed picture to dry.

“If you want,” Kyungsoo says, “I could give this to you the next time we meet.”  There wasn’t much subtlety in what he said, and Kyungsoo marveled at the idea of a definite next time.  Jongin nodded and before long they were saying goodbyes.  Kyungsoo feels a wave of disappointment run through his body as Jongin stands in the doorway, almost but not quite going out.  The smaller sigh and puts on a coat, making sure that every moment, even their goodbye, will not break the apparent spell.

Kyungsoo and Jongin walk to the nearest bus stop near a lamp post.  Kyungsoo stands there, with Jongin holding his hand.

“I guess goodbye for now?”  Kyungsoo hears himself say. 

“I guess it’s a short goodbye, after all.” 

Then in a flurry of movements, of Kyungsoo being pulled forward and Jongin cupping his face, soon the smaller’s lips come in contact with the other’s plump ones.  Kyungsoo felt something –like he was zapped by thousands of watts per second and it feels wonderful and magical.  Maybe this is what Baekhyun meant by the electricity and shock of the moment.  The kiss is gentle, just enough to let Kyungsoo know what Jongin is feeling but not more than that.  He leans in and kisses back, just enough to let Jongin know that yes, he feels the same way too. 

They pull away just as quickly as they start. The bus is just a few meters now and   Kyungsoo sees Jongin smile: this pure and gentle and bordering vulnerable one that makes him weak to the knees. 

“See you in my dreams.”  The blonde guy says to Kyungsoo before boarding the bus, the black haired one hanging on to the kiss that is.

--

“And then?”  Kyungsoo hears his friend say as they sit down on the couch, both cradling a hot mug of chocolate.

“What do you mean and then?  That’s it.”  The small one ends his story with cheeks burning, telling the story of his latest date with Jongin that involves a trip to the zoo and amusement park, with a bonus cotton candy kiss.  He sees Baekhyun become suddenly uninterested, sipping on his mug.

“I don’t see any problem with you getting together.  You’ve been-what- dating weekly, and it’s been three months, Kyungsoo.  Three months, and I guess he can’t be kept waiting long.”

“You know what my problem is.”

Kyungsoo looked at Baekhyun and immediately the other knew.

One day while Kyungsoo sits on the couch, absentmindedly clutching his cell phone in high hopes that Jongin would buzz a message, there was a knock on his door and soon he was holding an envelope from the school in London where he applied for a scholarship.  Shaky hands rip it open and he was greeted by a bold font of “Congratulations!”

He had been accepted for the two year photography class scholarship.

Kyungsoo immediately grabs his phone and almost called Jongin in mistake before the implications presented themselves.  He was to be apart from Jongin for two long years.  Their relationship had just bloomed, and there was no way he could say no to either of them, but he knew he must.

So he called his sister and told her the good news to be relayed to his parents when they came home from their trip, then called Baekhyun and told him the bad news.  Here they are now, the problem present again like a disease.

“Honestly, I’d pick the scholarship over anyone else but: one, that’s just me and two, I see you love Jongin more than you should; so it’s going to be hard choosing which is which.”  Flawless hands ruffled its owner’s hair, and Kyungsoo threaded his fingers over his hair and tugged on it lightly.

“I know, I know—I can’t bear to be with Jongin apart.”

“But you can’t let that scholarship go and we both know that.”

“You know you’re no help, Baekhyun.”

“Thank you for stating the obvious Kyungsoo.”

It makes the owl eyes water quickly just thinking that he should let go of something and soon enough he was crying; frustrations present in every sob that he lets out. 

“Why did I make that selfish decision anyway?”  He hears himself say, sniffing and wiping his eyes but the tears just keep flowing anyway.

“You made it for your own good.” 

Kyungsoo sleeps disturbed that night by his emotions that already reached a certain decision.

--

It is their usual Friday date and Kyungsoo composes himself for the worst to come.  As he walks to their usual meeting place under the lamp post where they had their first kiss, every step he makes is heavy, full of dread and fear of the future.

“Kyung!”  He sees Jongin waving at him so gaily it makes his heart constrict with both happiness and sadness.  Taking a huge breath Kyungsoo walks to the other man and slips his hand to the tanned ones.

“Are you okay?”  Taller guy says, looking at the other.

“Y-yes, yes of course.”  Kyungsoo lies, putting on a smile.

They eat their lunch with silence that was riddled, at least to Jongin.  When both cannot take it anymore, they simultaneously speak:

“Will you be mine?”

“I’m going to London.”

Both look at each other, shock evident in their faces.  It was clear that both weren’t expecting such words to come.

“W—what did you say?”  Kyungsoo finally finds his tongue and speaks.

“You’re going to London?”  Jongin says after a hearbeat.

“Wait, wait this is confusing—Jongin what did you say?”  Kyungsoo asks again.  He needs to know that wasn’t just some figment of his imagination.

“I—I said will you be mine.”  The other says, cheeks getting redder by the second.  The smaller’s owl eyes widen, and he puts a hand over his mouth, unable to speak.  Jongin continues.

“I’m cheesy to everyone but with you—with you it just feels right.  Quite frankly at first I thought of you as just another one of my—conquests, shall we say—but after a while you start occupying my mind and I just sit there and smile like an idiot thinking of you.  I guess I’ve never felt this way: not in a long time, I guess.  I’ve always thought of love as something that I can play with but you changed that.  You changed me.  Now cheesy lines are only directed to you, and this is why I want you, I hope you would be mine.  Now what’s this about London?”  Jongin says in a ,Kyungsoo notes, rather exasperated way.

“I—I ‘m sorry, I didn’t say about this earlier,” Kyungsoo starts, “but I got accepted in the two year photography class in London.  It’s going to be a long wait, Jongin, and I wanted to say that we—we cannot be committed to each other.  But with what you said. . .”  Kyungsoo trails off, not wanting to say that he is confused.

“Why didn’t you tell me about this earlier?” Kyungsoo looks down at his food at this question, pushing the food on his plate.

“B—because I didn’t want us, this, whatever we are, to end.  I wanted this to last and I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry Jongin—“  Kyungsoo’s voice cracked, “I’m so sorry for the selfishness I am exuding right now.”  In front of the one he loves so much, Kyungsoo cries.

“When are you leaving?”  The question makes Kyungsoo’s heart constrict more.

“The day after tomorrow.”

It was the longest, most excruciating walk from the lamp post to his house that Kyungsoo ever makes when he and Jongin parts ways, the latter making sure that it was all alright, and the smaller unceasingly saying sorry.

--

Nothing was alright afterwards.  Kyungsoo did not receive a single text from Jongin that day after their date which made him feel that Jongin already gave up on him.   He enters the black room and immerses himself in processing the pictures left for him to make.

He sees one particular picture that makes his heart hurt like hell.  It was the picture he took when Jongin first stepped in his house and was looking at the photos on the wall.  Kyungsoo reaches for it and remembers that he never gave the first picture the other processed, now hanging with the rest of the pictures.  He takes the two and puts them in the black photo book, making sure to remember the memories as they were.

The black haired guy calls for Baekhyun afterwards to help him pack.  His parents were on vacation and the only contact he got so far was a postcard with “Congratulations!” at the back, and his sister has work so he had no one to rely on except Baekhyun and Jongin, one not contacting him since last night.  He knows that without Baekhyun’s incessant need for chat and his impeccable fashion sense (that Kyungsoo must admit), he wouldn’t survive tomorrow or London without talking to Jongin.  Promptly his friend comes and starts filling Kyungsoo’s empty pad with laughter and talk.

They start picking out clothes, Kyungsoo distracting himself with the talk.  Baekhyun continues chattering about how the stupidhead back in the bar was trying his best to woo him back and he does not know what to do, only to be cut by someone knocking on the door of Kyungsoo’s unit.

“I’ll get it.”  Baekhyun says, approaching the door.  A long silence is heard and Kyungsoo, confused, goes out of the bedroom to find Jongin standing in the doorway, seemingly out of breath and holding a wrapped box.  Upon seeing the smaller, blonde guy straightens up and smiles apologetically.

“Sorry for not contacting you; my phone gave up on me too, apparently.”  There was an implicated double meaning but Kyungsoo couldn’t care less because here he is, talking to him.

Baekhyun looks at Jongin and smiles then gestures for him to come in which the latter did not indulge himself to, instead holding up the parcel.

“It’s okay; I’m in a bit of a hurry—Kyungsoo this is for you, just open it in the plane okay?”  The smaller takes the box and nods, saying a quick goodbye to a rushing Jongin.

There was a card in front that read:

Remember to bring a coat and beanie to London; the weather there is more erratic than my heart beating for you.  Signed, Jongin.

It becomes hard packing when you know you’re intentionally leaving something behind for another person.

The next day, Kyungsoo wakes up to knocking on his door which ends up with him almost tripping to open it, expecting his sister.  Instead he finds Baekhyun and Jongin smiling at him.

“Happy trip!”  Baekhyun chirps almost happily, Kyungsoo notices, but proceeds to hug his friend tightly and whispers a “I hope you never had to leave”, then there were tears in Baekhyun’s eyes which made Kyungsoo smile as he cooed the other into not crying.

Jongin, on the other hand, smiles at him and opens his arms out for a hug.  Sensing that this could be the last time they would ever do this, the smaller rushes into his arms and hugs him tightly, never wanting to let the moment pass by his fingertips.

“I’ll miss you.”  Kyungsoo could feel his heartbeat quicken as fingers brushed through his hair, lips murmuring on his head.  “I’ll wait for you, I promise.”

The smaller looks up and sees the other smiling at him before pecking his lips much to the joy of Baekhyun who faked a disgusted face.  The three laughed and Kyungsoo invited the two to lunch which they graciously accepted.

Before long, Kyungsoo’s sister knocked on the door and the three friends looked at each other.  This was it.  The calm guy in the trio was about to leave.  Baekhyun cannot help but let his tears fall before Taeyeon called him and Jongin to accompany them.  The ride was full of anxiety and nervous smiles, of Kyungsoo comforting Baekhyun and Jongin looking at the guy who stole his heart.

They arrived two hours before the boarding time which meant more time to talk and say the things they needed to say, with Kyungsoo holding the parcel Jongin brought with his whole heart.  Goodbyes were filled with more crying on Baekhyun’s part when Kyungsoo’s flight was about to board.  Little did he know he was about to board the biggest surprise of his life.

He sat on his designated seat, passengers slowly coming in the plane.  His hands open the parcel, slowly tearing the wrapping to reveal a scrapbook, the size of a letter-sized paper.  On the front page was a picture of them as if taken in a Polaroid with the handwriting of Jongin:  “To the sweetest honey I’ve ever met.”

Kyungsoo opens the scrapbook and puts a hand to his mouth to keep from crying.  Inside are candid pictures of him, all taken by Jongin with their respective cheesy quotes and lines.  He continued flipping, every memory as fresh as the next, until he reaches the last page which read:

“Maybe I’m stupid for doing this: making my boss agree that a working trip to London is good.  Maybe I’m just deeply, irrevocably, madly and crazily in love with you. Maybe this is true love, and maybe I’m not ready to let you go.  Maybe as you’re reading this, I’m boarding the plane, ready to chase you to London and make sure you’re alright there.  Maybe—“

Kyungsoo stops reading and cranes his neck.  Jongin has got to be here.  He just hinted it in his note.  Not finding him, the smaller goes back to reading it.

“Maybe I’m just behind you, watching as my planet is in your universe.”

Kyungsoo looks behind him and spies an all too familiar blonde head sticking out from the crowd, looking at him intently. 

Jongin has followed him.

Slowly, not wanting the moment to end, Kyungsoo stood, too flabbergasted to speak, let alone move.  He just stands there and lets the entirety of Jongin in the plane with him to London sink in.

“Hello, honey.”  Jongin’s voice pierce through him and he feels his whole body being electrified once more as the other pulls Kyungsoo for a gentle kiss, a kiss that ends his worries and fears.  

A kiss that is.