Play The Game [1/2]
Title: Play The Game [1/2]
Author: FloweryMisha
Pairing: slight!KaiSoo, bff!BaekSoo
Warning: BoyxBoy love. Enough said.
Summary: It’s easier to destroy what you have and leave than to hold on and stay.
Author's Note: This will be edited later. I suck at this so please forgive me ;; And please, no translations allowed!
Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.
--Dr. Seuss
Their friendship started in the kindergarten.
Kyungsoo was about to take a Pororo plushie when his hand brushed with Baekhyun’s. They stared at each other for a moment before Baekhyun broke into a grin and willingly handed him the item, as if to show that he didn’t mind. Kyungsoo received the plushie half heartedly, wondering if he should be the one to take it, but then Baekhyun managed to find a plushie of Crong and he shook the item excitedly. Kyungsoo’s expression brightened at that and they ended up playing together.
The next year, Kyungsoo got into an elementary school.
The boy was awkward in making friends, but when Kyungsoo spotted Baekhyun in his class, he beamed and approached Baekhyun shyly, wondering if he remembered him. Baekhyun did. The other boy looked just as happy as him and he dragged Kyungsoo to the empty seat beside him and declared that they would be friends forever.
Friends forever.
Kyungsoo liked that term.
Baekhyun had always been the stronger one. Stronger didn’t always mean good, because Baekhyun would stand up for his opinion (he easily got irritated if someone disagreed with him) even though he wasn’t always right and really, really stubborn. Even the teachers sometimes gave up on him and they just kind of let Baekhyun did whatever he wanted.
They grew older as time passed by, but Kyungsoo didn’t think anything had changed.
There were times when Kyungsoo wanted to protest or scold his best friend when he was wrong about something, but he hadn’t been able to. Simply because he didn’t want Baekhyun to be angry and leave him. That was why Kyungsoo held on everything inside and followed what his best friend’s wanted. They weren’t in the same class anymore for the past few years, but of course it didn’t affect anything. Baekhyun was known for his moodiness and grumpiness that Kyungsoo’s classmates sometimes wondered why he was willing to stick to Baekhyun’s side when all he did was nag and complain. He only smiled in return at their questioning gazes because he himself didn’t understand why.
But friends accepted each other the way they were, right?
Right.
Kyungsoo didn’t want to be left out so bad that he ended up liking everything that Baekhyun liked.
When they were in high school, Kyungsoo had liked a girl group called Girl’s Day. He honestly thought their music wasn’t so bad and the members were pretty, but when he was about to tell Baekhyun that, the latter had stated that he was a Sone. Baekhyun proudly showed the new album he had just bought and pointed at each member while informing Kyungsoo their names. Apparently he needed to memorize because-Baekhyun pressed on this part-Kyungsoo needed to like them too.
The doe eyed male only smiled in amusement even though his heart dropped a bit at that. However, Baekhyun had a good taste so if he told him that the group was good, then it was. Kyungsoo then excused himself to the restroom while Baekhyun ordered their food-they had been friends that long that they knew each other’s favorites. He stared at the mirror blankly before taking out the Girl’s Day’s album from his bag.
“Sorry,” Kyungsoo muttered. “Baekhyun means a lot more to me.”
He simply tossed the album into the trash can before going back to their table.
***
They ended up taking different majors in the university, but still in the same department.
Kyungsoo got accepted in English Literature while Baekhyun took Chinese. They had different schedules, but old habit died hard. If Kyungsoo’s class was done first, he would wait for Baekhyun and vice versa so that they would be able to go home together.
He didn’t know when Baekhyun was starting to like soccer. Before Kyungsoo knew it, his best friend had become a hardcore fan of DBSK FC. And just like typical Baekhyun, he tried to drag Kyungsoo into the pit with him. Kyungsoo wasn’t a big fan of soccer, but DBSK FC was all right. They were one of the big clubs with big supporters and one of the Korean banks even endorsed some of the famous players as the background of their credit cards.
Kyungsoo kind of liked Kim Jaejoong. Baekhyun had a different taste, of course. His friend was a huge fan of Shim Changmin that he almost couldn’t stop rambling of how flawless and godly the player was. But Jaejoong was also perfect for Kyungsoo. The male had such a delicate feature and yet the way he ran in the fields amazed Kyungsoo.
One night, Baekhyun dragged him to a cafe downtown. Kyungsoo’s eyes widened at how many people gathered there and he unconsciously gripped the end of Baekhyun’s shirt. He never really liked crowded places. Baekhyun lead him to the table full with people clad in DBSK’s club jerseys and he greeted all of them politely. He got excited mentions of his name in return. Clearly Baekhyun knew all of these people.
“Baek,” Kyungsoo whispered. “What are we doing here?”
“We’re gonna watch a match, what else?” Baekhyun pointed to the big screen behind them with a roll of eyes, as it it wasn’t obvious enough. “These guys are all Cassies. I met them all online in the forum.”
Kyungsoo was about to dumbly ask what Cassie was when he realized it was a short term for Cassiopeia-DBSK’s fan-and nodded in understanding. “Oh. Um, what club are they playing against...?”
Baekhyun snatched his hand and they sat beside each other on two unoccupied chairs. Instead of answering right away, he narrowed his eyes first in disgust at the table across them, which was also full with people wearing similar club jerseys-they must be another club’s fans. “JYJ United. Please, the club isn’t even famous. The only player that’s good in the club is Choi Minho and they had to hijack him from Shinee City.”
“O-oh,” Kyungsoo stammered in confusion. He never thought Baekhyun knew a thing or two about other clubs. “Then it shouldn’t be a problem.”
Baekhyun snorted as he waved a hand dismissively. “Of course it’s not problem. DBSK is the best! Anyway, the match is going to start soon. What are you going to order? I’m hungry.”
Kyungsoo let Baekhyun skimmed the menu first and nodded when the other male pointed to a meal. He looked around the place cautiously and shifted closer to Baekhyun. It was the first time for him to watch something like this together in a cafe. His eyes drifted across the room, to the fans of JYJ United. Kyungsoo gulped thickly because what if one of the clubs lost and they started fighting...? Maybe it was a mistake for him to be there... He didn’t realize how long he had been spacing out, but when Baekhyun nudged him to pull him out of his trance, Kyungsoo’s gaze collided with a male by the table across.
A tan, blond haired male.
Kyungsoo felt himself stiffening because he would get a glare for sure because he was a (half) Cassie who happened to stare at the fans of...what was the name of JYJ fan...? His mind told him to look away, dammit but his body seemed to betray his mind.
The male’s lips curved upward.
Kyungsoo’s jaw almost dropped at how genuine the smile was but then he really looked away because of Baekhyun.
“Kyungsoo-yah? What’s wrong?”
“N-nothing,” Kyungsoo lied. His heart was thrumming loudly against his ribcage as if he had done a terrible thing. “Um, what are you ordering...?”
Baekhyun didn’t answer.
“Baek...?” Kyungsoo turned to him and deadpanned when he saw Baekhyun made a face.
“Don’t ever talk to them,” Baekhyun said warningly and Kyungsoo noticed the usual demanding tone. “It would be a waste of time.”
“I won’t,” Kyungsoo replied quickly. “So what are you ordering...?”
It seemed to distract Baekhyun as he stared at Kyungsoo and shrugged. “I’ll just order for you, okay?”
“Okay.”
Kyungsoo braved himself to steal a glance across the table few moments after that, but the tanned male was laughing with his friends.
He didn’t know why he felt a bit disappointed.
***
DBKS FC won simply because of good luck.
Jaejoong managed to score at the last minute and his club won 3-2 from JYJ United.
Kyungsoo automatically covered his ears when Baekhyun and the others screamed and jumped in glee like some kind of lunatics. Well, he thought to himself in amusement. It’s acceptable, though. Kyungsoo couldn’t help but smile at them. If only he was as hardcore as Baekhyun, he probably would have done the same.
The JYJ United fans looked gloomy at their loss, but then the tanned male smiled. He was the first one to lift up his chin and flicked his friends’ arms playfully. “Hey, don’t put on such a face. It was a great match! We did hold them off, right?”
Kyungsoo was stunned.
Indeed, it was a great match.
But they were probably greater fans.
Baekhyun couldn’t stop talking all the way home. “Served them right!” He said mockingly. “They should know that DBSK FC rocks!”
Kyungsoo’s heart died a little at that because they had win, all right, but it didn’t mean they had the right to badmouth the other fans. Everyone deserved to feel good about their idols, but... Kyungsoo couldn’t bring himself to say it. In the end, he only managed to nod and forced himself to smile.
Few weeks after that, Kim Jaejoong quit DBSK FC.
It caused chaos to Cassies because he was the queen of DBSK FC and no, how could he quit? There didn’t seem to be anything wrong-everything was all right between him and the other players. Everyone loved Jaejoong. Cassiopeias loved Jaejoong. Heck, the whole world loved Jaejoong.
But the decision was final and there was nothing anyone could do about it.
Statements were given and questions were asked, but nothing seemed to lead to conclusions.
Not until it was confirmed that Jaejoong had signed the contract with JYJ United.
Kyungsoo remembered Baekhyun fuming when he found out about the news. It scared Kyungsoo badly because Baekhyun had never been like that before. It’s just a club, he wanted to stutter, but a hardcore fan like Baekhyun probably wouldn’t be able to take it as light as that. Needless to say, Baekhyun ended up cursing and badmouthing Jaejoong-along with JYJ United and their fans. Kyungsoo was a bit hurt because he liked Jaejoong a lot and Baekhyun knew it. His heart sank when Baekhyun turned to him with a raged expression, saying,
“Don’t like him anymore.”
Kyungsoo held his breath.
“Fuck Kim Jaejoong, he’s not worthy anymore.”
Baekhyun looked so angry and hurt. Kyungsoo felt his eyes were burning with unshed tears because-just because. His lips were trembling and he wanted to say something, anything to defend his idol, but he couldn’t. He didn’t want Baekhyun to get angrier.
So Kyungsoo faked an understanding look and nodded.
He simply played along.
***
It only took Kyungsoo an hour to realize that he really, really liked Jaejoong.
And it was the first time for him to ever feel this way toward something-or someone, for that matter.
Kyungsoo wished there was a good way to tell Baekhyun that he was still going to idolize Jaejoong no matter which club he belonged to, but it was impossible. Baekhyun had been such a fan that Kyungsoo didn’t think he would be able to forgive the soccer player. Besides, he was a fan of DBSK FC so if the players ever changed, he probably wouldn’t really care.
That day, Baekhyun told Kyungsoo to not wait for him because he needed to do his group assignments with his friends. “Oh,” the male paused. “Can I ask you a favor? The SM Magazine is reviewing DBSK’s performance for this month’s issue, do you think you can drop by at a bookstore and purchase it for me?”
“Sure, no problem,” Kyungsoo smiled and waved a hand. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Baekhyun-ah.”
“Thanks,” Baekhyun grinned happily and waved back. “See you, Kyungsoo-yah.”
All of his doubts vanished instantly because Baekhyun’s smile meant a lot to him.
Kyungsoo felt like buying a bubble tea on his way home, so he dropped by at a different bookstore this time. He immediately found the SM Magazine Baekhyun was asking for and snatched one without thinking. Kyungsoo absentmindedly grabbed a woman’s magazine and wondered if he should buy it because Girls Generation was on the front cover and Baekhyun would definitely be more than happy to have the issue.
He shrugged and placed the magazines in his arms. Kyungsoo was about to head to the cashier when he saw another magazine with Kim Jaejoong on the front cover. He stopped walking and his eyes widened in disbelief. Kyungsoo cradled the other magazines in one arm while his other arm was extended to take the magazine.
Should he buy it...?
He wanted to, but if Baekhyun found out...
“Hey.”
Kyungsoo almost jumped at the sudden voice. He half threw the magazine back onto the rack and spun around in a second. His heartbeat increased dramatically-what if it was one of Baekhyun’s (hardcore) Cassiopeia friends? “H-hey-huh?”
It was the tanned male from the other day.
As if his quick heartbeat wasn’t enough, it was starting to speed up. Kyungsoo was afraid his heart would leap out of his chest upon seeing the tanned male-who looked extremely handsome upclose, by the way.
“You’re that Cassie from the other day, right?” The male asked and casually laughed when he saw the magazines Kyungsoo was holding. “Right.”
Kyungsoo wanted to retort, but the image of an angry Baekhyun at him for talking to the other club’s fans scared him. He bowed slightly before trying to make his way past the male-
-only to get his arm grabbed.
“Whoa, wait,” the male said. “I want to talk to you.”
“I-I can’t,” Kyungsoo whispered as he dropped his gaze to the ceramic tiles.
“Why?”
“B-because you’re-“ Kyungsoo fell silent. What he was about to say was ridiculous.
“I’m...?” The male frowned as he bent his body a little bit to level with Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo felt the heat was starting to creep to his cheeks and he took a step backward. “I’m what...?”
You’re not a Cassie and Baekhyun will kill me if he ever finds out, Kyungsoo helplessly whimpered. He thought he was saying it internally, but the tanned male’s blank expression showed him otherwise.
“That’s stupid, you know,” his frown deepened.
“I’m sorry, I need to go-“
“I’m not letting you go,” the taller male stepped in front of him to halt Kyungsoo’s steps and it caused Kyungsoo to look up in fear. He sighed in defeat. “Well, can’t I at least have your name...?”
Kyungsoo deadpanned. His name?
“I’m Jongin. And I work here, by the way.”
There was a hint of hope laced underneath Jongin’s tone as he spoke which would make Kyungsoo smile in a normal situation. He didn’t think it was normal at the moment, but something in his heart told him to reply.
So Kyungsoo did.
“K-Kyungsoo...”
Jongin’s smile was the same as the one he gave him at the cafe the other night and Kyungsoo felt his insides melting.
“Nice to meet you, Kyungsoo-yah.”
***
When Kyungsoo was about to pay-the cashier’s name was Chanyeol and he realized it was one of the guys who was at the cafe too the other night-Jongin appeared with the magazine he had been staring at earlier. Kyungsoo stuttered that his money wasn’t enough and he wasn’t planning to buy anyway, but Jongin only shrugged in response and smiled at him.
“I know you’re a fan of Jaejoong.”
Kyungsoo still tried to protest but Jongin told Chanyeol it was on him and Chanyeol only gave him a toothy smile.
“If Kai says it’s on him, then it’s on him!”
Kyungsoo ended up going home feeling a bit happy because he got to know Jongin’s name and how lucky he was to get the magazine. He spent the night reading each paragraph thoroughly and smiled because Jaejoong looked extremely beautiful in the photoshoot. The interviewer told him that a lot of Cassies had turned to hate him and asked what did he feel about that.
JJ: (smiles) I really can’t do anything about it. I mean, it’s my life and I’m gonna live it the way I want to. I’m grateful to have a chance to play in DSBK FC for a few years. They’re my family and nothing’s gonna change that. I just wish the fans would understand my decision. It was hard on me too...
Kyungsoo pressed a hand on his mouth. He felt a pang in his chest, like he himself was able to feel the pain Jaejoong had been through. Kyungsoo read the article until the last paragraph and closed the magazine when he realized it was late. He hugged the magazine closely to his chest and sniffled. His idol was so beautiful and strong and he wished he could be like him.
He was determined to be a Jaejoong stan for the rest of his life.
Kyungsoo let out a sigh as he placed the magazine on his desk, and that was when he realized that the magazine was expensive.
He gasped in horror.
***
Baekhyun was talking animatedly to Kyungsoo when his cheerful expression was replaced by dislike.
Kyungsoo blinked in confusion and turned his head to follow his best friend’s line of sight. “What’s wrong?”
“He’s an Orion,” Baekhyun snorted as he gestured his hands to a laughing male.
“Orion...?”
Baekhyun gave him a look. “That other club’s fan.”
“Oh.” Kyungsoo didn’t even want to know how Baekhyun found out who was who. He wondered if it was a good time, but then he decided to take the opportunity to ask. “Baekhyun-ah...? Why do you hate that other club so much?”
“Because of the fans,” Baekhyun rolled his eyes. “Didn’t you hear? They’re annoying as fuck. And their management is corrupted!”
Kyungsoo wasn’t sure if he wanted to know why were they annoying, because sometimes Baekhyun just being irrational. “Um...but, I’m sure it’s not all of them...”
“Are you kidding me? International fans, Kyungsoo-yah, international fans.”
“But...isn’t it unfair to hate the club because of their fans...?”
“Why are you siding with them?” Baekhyun snapped in disbelief. “Hate is hate, okay? Why are you like this? Don’t tell me-you still like Jaejoong?”
Kyungsoo’s expression faltered at that. He felt hurt at the accusation expression Baekhyun had on his face, but he managed to gather his strength and shook his head.
“I-I don’t.”
Baekhyun said something in Chinese and Kyungsoo blinked.
“What?”
“It means, you’d better be.”
Kyungsoo went home earlier without Baekhyun that day. He reasoned that he didn’t feel well, while he actually just wanted to cry. Baekhyun was a hardcore fan, but it didn’t mean he have to be that mean. Did he forget that his best friend used to be (still was, actually) a fan of Jaejoong?
His parents went out of town for a few days, so Kyungsoo was alone by himself. He had some money to buy dinner, but then he decided to cook because by doing so, it always managed to distract him from his problems. Kyungsoo ended up making a lot of spaghetti. Usually when he made this much, he would call Baekhyun and the male would come over to eat, but not tonight... When he was done washing the dishes, he stared blankly at the pot and decided that he would bring it to someone else.
Jongin looked surprised when he dropped by.
“Hey,” Jongin greeted. “There isn’t any new magazine with Jaejoong in it yet.”
Kyungsoo’s cheeks reddened at the remark and he shook his head. “It’s not why I’m here.” He handed Jongin a lunchbox and the latter stared at it nonchalantly. “It’s-it’s dinner.”
“Dinner?”
Kyungsoo nodded even though his eyes were anywhere but Jongin. “The magazine was quite expensive and I just...” He didn’t finish his sentence. All of a sudden, he felt stupid. What if Jongin declined? What if Jongin had already eaten and he didn’t feel like accepting the generous offer?
“Well, my shift is over in a few minutes...”
“O-oh. Well, you can just throw it away if you don’t want to-“
“Are you kidding me? I’m starving,” Jongin snorted as he pointed to a direction behind Kyungsoo. “There’s a park nearby. Would you mind waiting for me for a moment?”
Kyungsoo was dumbfounded. “Th-there?”
“Yeah. We’ll eat together?”
“I-I’ve already eaten-“
“Then you’ll accompany me until I finish eating?”
Kyungsoo swallowed. This wasn’t what he expected. He thought he would just drop by and give him the food as a token of gratitude and go home and sleep. He opened his mouth to decline, but Jongin’s expression was so kind and hopeful and Kyungsoo had a strange feeling of wanting to be with him just a bit longer.
“O-okay...”
“Great,” Jongin smiled. “I’ll just grab my things and I’ll see you there, alright?”
A few minutes after that, Jongin appeared with a jacket and a backpack. He approached Kyungsoo who was sitting on an empty bench.
Kyungsoo stayed silent as Jongin shuffled closer. It wasn’t late and few people were still passing by alone or with their dogs. He could only hope that none of Baekhyun’s friends were there or even if one of them was, they wouldn’t recognize him.
Jongin settled down beside him and childishly opened his arms with a grin. “Where’s my dinner?”
Kyungsoo broke into a small smile at his expression and handed Jongin the lunchbox. “I’m not sure if you like spaghetti...”
“I like it,” Jongin grabbed the fork Kyungsoo had prepared for him and started eating. He swallowed as quick as he chewed. “Wow. Are you a chef?”
Kyungsoo flicked his arm softly on Jongin’s shoulder. “Don’t mock me.”
“But I’m not,” Jongin continued slurping his spaghetti. “It’s really good.”
Kyungsoo kept himself quiet but the small smile on his lips showed Jongin that he was staring. Jongin finished the meal not long after that and he gratefully accepted the bottle of water Kyungsoo handed him.
Jongin turned to him with a smile but it morphed into a frown at Kyungsoo’s expression. “Are you okay?”
Kyungsoo flinched. “Huh? Y-yeah.”
“Are you sure?”
The doe eyed male hung his head. He had his feet crossed at the ankle and Kyungsoo fixed his gaze on the damp ground. “...how did you know that I’m a fan of Jaejoong?”
Jongin put the lunchbox on the empty spot between them. “Do you really want to know?”
Kyungsoo snapped his head to him. “Why wouldn’t I want to know?”
“Because it’s embarrassing,” Jongin sheepishly ran a hand through his hair. “The match was supposed to be important but I kept on glancing on you.” Kyungsoo consciously pressed his lips together and his heart skipped a beat. “I could tell that you were bored, but every time the commentator mentioned Jaejoong’s name, your eyes gleamed.”
“...just like that?”
“That’s why I said it’s embarrassing.”
Kyungsoo was grateful that it was a bit dark because his face was definitely flaming. He brought his palms to his cheeks, pressing on them slightly before putting them back on his lap.
“Kyungsoo-yah?”
“Yes?”
“You know, JYJ United is having a match with Shinee City this week...” Jongin looked thoughtful. “If they win...would you have dinner with me?”
Kyungsoo took a bit longer to digest Jongin’s words. When he did, his face went pale and Jongin became panicked.
“I said if. There’s always a possibility we won’t win... I mean, the club.”
But Baekhyun-
“I-I can’t,” Kyungsoo shook his head.
Jongin sighed in disappointment. “Is it because of I’m an Orion and you’re a Cassie?”
No, it’s Baekhyun-
Kyungsoo couldn’t bring himself to answer. No, he didn’t mind about the fact, but if Baekhyun ever found out...besides, how would he lie...?
“Please,” Jongin whispered. He sounded a bit desperate and Kyungsoo felt like kicking himself for that. “Could you just please think about it...?”
Jongin’s hand on his arm was calming and Kyungsoo’s heart stuttered badly at such simple touch.
After a moment, he finally nodded in reply.
Jongin’s relieved smile made his heart swelled three times larger.
Somehow, Kyungsoo prayed that the JYJ United would win.
[2]
Author: FloweryMisha
Pairing: slight!KaiSoo, bff!BaekSoo
Warning: BoyxBoy love. Enough said.
Summary: It’s easier to destroy what you have and leave than to hold on and stay.
Author's Note: This will be edited later. I suck at this so please forgive me ;; And please, no translations allowed!
Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.
--Dr. Seuss
Their friendship started in the kindergarten.
Kyungsoo was about to take a Pororo plushie when his hand brushed with Baekhyun’s. They stared at each other for a moment before Baekhyun broke into a grin and willingly handed him the item, as if to show that he didn’t mind. Kyungsoo received the plushie half heartedly, wondering if he should be the one to take it, but then Baekhyun managed to find a plushie of Crong and he shook the item excitedly. Kyungsoo’s expression brightened at that and they ended up playing together.
The next year, Kyungsoo got into an elementary school.
The boy was awkward in making friends, but when Kyungsoo spotted Baekhyun in his class, he beamed and approached Baekhyun shyly, wondering if he remembered him. Baekhyun did. The other boy looked just as happy as him and he dragged Kyungsoo to the empty seat beside him and declared that they would be friends forever.
Friends forever.
Kyungsoo liked that term.
Baekhyun had always been the stronger one. Stronger didn’t always mean good, because Baekhyun would stand up for his opinion (he easily got irritated if someone disagreed with him) even though he wasn’t always right and really, really stubborn. Even the teachers sometimes gave up on him and they just kind of let Baekhyun did whatever he wanted.
They grew older as time passed by, but Kyungsoo didn’t think anything had changed.
There were times when Kyungsoo wanted to protest or scold his best friend when he was wrong about something, but he hadn’t been able to. Simply because he didn’t want Baekhyun to be angry and leave him. That was why Kyungsoo held on everything inside and followed what his best friend’s wanted. They weren’t in the same class anymore for the past few years, but of course it didn’t affect anything. Baekhyun was known for his moodiness and grumpiness that Kyungsoo’s classmates sometimes wondered why he was willing to stick to Baekhyun’s side when all he did was nag and complain. He only smiled in return at their questioning gazes because he himself didn’t understand why.
But friends accepted each other the way they were, right?
Right.
Kyungsoo didn’t want to be left out so bad that he ended up liking everything that Baekhyun liked.
When they were in high school, Kyungsoo had liked a girl group called Girl’s Day. He honestly thought their music wasn’t so bad and the members were pretty, but when he was about to tell Baekhyun that, the latter had stated that he was a Sone. Baekhyun proudly showed the new album he had just bought and pointed at each member while informing Kyungsoo their names. Apparently he needed to memorize because-Baekhyun pressed on this part-Kyungsoo needed to like them too.
The doe eyed male only smiled in amusement even though his heart dropped a bit at that. However, Baekhyun had a good taste so if he told him that the group was good, then it was. Kyungsoo then excused himself to the restroom while Baekhyun ordered their food-they had been friends that long that they knew each other’s favorites. He stared at the mirror blankly before taking out the Girl’s Day’s album from his bag.
“Sorry,” Kyungsoo muttered. “Baekhyun means a lot more to me.”
He simply tossed the album into the trash can before going back to their table.
***
They ended up taking different majors in the university, but still in the same department.
Kyungsoo got accepted in English Literature while Baekhyun took Chinese. They had different schedules, but old habit died hard. If Kyungsoo’s class was done first, he would wait for Baekhyun and vice versa so that they would be able to go home together.
He didn’t know when Baekhyun was starting to like soccer. Before Kyungsoo knew it, his best friend had become a hardcore fan of DBSK FC. And just like typical Baekhyun, he tried to drag Kyungsoo into the pit with him. Kyungsoo wasn’t a big fan of soccer, but DBSK FC was all right. They were one of the big clubs with big supporters and one of the Korean banks even endorsed some of the famous players as the background of their credit cards.
Kyungsoo kind of liked Kim Jaejoong. Baekhyun had a different taste, of course. His friend was a huge fan of Shim Changmin that he almost couldn’t stop rambling of how flawless and godly the player was. But Jaejoong was also perfect for Kyungsoo. The male had such a delicate feature and yet the way he ran in the fields amazed Kyungsoo.
One night, Baekhyun dragged him to a cafe downtown. Kyungsoo’s eyes widened at how many people gathered there and he unconsciously gripped the end of Baekhyun’s shirt. He never really liked crowded places. Baekhyun lead him to the table full with people clad in DBSK’s club jerseys and he greeted all of them politely. He got excited mentions of his name in return. Clearly Baekhyun knew all of these people.
“Baek,” Kyungsoo whispered. “What are we doing here?”
“We’re gonna watch a match, what else?” Baekhyun pointed to the big screen behind them with a roll of eyes, as it it wasn’t obvious enough. “These guys are all Cassies. I met them all online in the forum.”
Kyungsoo was about to dumbly ask what Cassie was when he realized it was a short term for Cassiopeia-DBSK’s fan-and nodded in understanding. “Oh. Um, what club are they playing against...?”
Baekhyun snatched his hand and they sat beside each other on two unoccupied chairs. Instead of answering right away, he narrowed his eyes first in disgust at the table across them, which was also full with people wearing similar club jerseys-they must be another club’s fans. “JYJ United. Please, the club isn’t even famous. The only player that’s good in the club is Choi Minho and they had to hijack him from Shinee City.”
“O-oh,” Kyungsoo stammered in confusion. He never thought Baekhyun knew a thing or two about other clubs. “Then it shouldn’t be a problem.”
Baekhyun snorted as he waved a hand dismissively. “Of course it’s not problem. DBSK is the best! Anyway, the match is going to start soon. What are you going to order? I’m hungry.”
Kyungsoo let Baekhyun skimmed the menu first and nodded when the other male pointed to a meal. He looked around the place cautiously and shifted closer to Baekhyun. It was the first time for him to watch something like this together in a cafe. His eyes drifted across the room, to the fans of JYJ United. Kyungsoo gulped thickly because what if one of the clubs lost and they started fighting...? Maybe it was a mistake for him to be there... He didn’t realize how long he had been spacing out, but when Baekhyun nudged him to pull him out of his trance, Kyungsoo’s gaze collided with a male by the table across.
A tan, blond haired male.
Kyungsoo felt himself stiffening because he would get a glare for sure because he was a (half) Cassie who happened to stare at the fans of...what was the name of JYJ fan...? His mind told him to look away, dammit but his body seemed to betray his mind.
The male’s lips curved upward.
Kyungsoo’s jaw almost dropped at how genuine the smile was but then he really looked away because of Baekhyun.
“Kyungsoo-yah? What’s wrong?”
“N-nothing,” Kyungsoo lied. His heart was thrumming loudly against his ribcage as if he had done a terrible thing. “Um, what are you ordering...?”
Baekhyun didn’t answer.
“Baek...?” Kyungsoo turned to him and deadpanned when he saw Baekhyun made a face.
“Don’t ever talk to them,” Baekhyun said warningly and Kyungsoo noticed the usual demanding tone. “It would be a waste of time.”
“I won’t,” Kyungsoo replied quickly. “So what are you ordering...?”
It seemed to distract Baekhyun as he stared at Kyungsoo and shrugged. “I’ll just order for you, okay?”
“Okay.”
Kyungsoo braved himself to steal a glance across the table few moments after that, but the tanned male was laughing with his friends.
He didn’t know why he felt a bit disappointed.
***
DBKS FC won simply because of good luck.
Jaejoong managed to score at the last minute and his club won 3-2 from JYJ United.
Kyungsoo automatically covered his ears when Baekhyun and the others screamed and jumped in glee like some kind of lunatics. Well, he thought to himself in amusement. It’s acceptable, though. Kyungsoo couldn’t help but smile at them. If only he was as hardcore as Baekhyun, he probably would have done the same.
The JYJ United fans looked gloomy at their loss, but then the tanned male smiled. He was the first one to lift up his chin and flicked his friends’ arms playfully. “Hey, don’t put on such a face. It was a great match! We did hold them off, right?”
Kyungsoo was stunned.
Indeed, it was a great match.
But they were probably greater fans.
Baekhyun couldn’t stop talking all the way home. “Served them right!” He said mockingly. “They should know that DBSK FC rocks!”
Kyungsoo’s heart died a little at that because they had win, all right, but it didn’t mean they had the right to badmouth the other fans. Everyone deserved to feel good about their idols, but... Kyungsoo couldn’t bring himself to say it. In the end, he only managed to nod and forced himself to smile.
Few weeks after that, Kim Jaejoong quit DBSK FC.
It caused chaos to Cassies because he was the queen of DBSK FC and no, how could he quit? There didn’t seem to be anything wrong-everything was all right between him and the other players. Everyone loved Jaejoong. Cassiopeias loved Jaejoong. Heck, the whole world loved Jaejoong.
But the decision was final and there was nothing anyone could do about it.
Statements were given and questions were asked, but nothing seemed to lead to conclusions.
Not until it was confirmed that Jaejoong had signed the contract with JYJ United.
Kyungsoo remembered Baekhyun fuming when he found out about the news. It scared Kyungsoo badly because Baekhyun had never been like that before. It’s just a club, he wanted to stutter, but a hardcore fan like Baekhyun probably wouldn’t be able to take it as light as that. Needless to say, Baekhyun ended up cursing and badmouthing Jaejoong-along with JYJ United and their fans. Kyungsoo was a bit hurt because he liked Jaejoong a lot and Baekhyun knew it. His heart sank when Baekhyun turned to him with a raged expression, saying,
“Don’t like him anymore.”
Kyungsoo held his breath.
“Fuck Kim Jaejoong, he’s not worthy anymore.”
Baekhyun looked so angry and hurt. Kyungsoo felt his eyes were burning with unshed tears because-just because. His lips were trembling and he wanted to say something, anything to defend his idol, but he couldn’t. He didn’t want Baekhyun to get angrier.
So Kyungsoo faked an understanding look and nodded.
He simply played along.
***
It only took Kyungsoo an hour to realize that he really, really liked Jaejoong.
And it was the first time for him to ever feel this way toward something-or someone, for that matter.
Kyungsoo wished there was a good way to tell Baekhyun that he was still going to idolize Jaejoong no matter which club he belonged to, but it was impossible. Baekhyun had been such a fan that Kyungsoo didn’t think he would be able to forgive the soccer player. Besides, he was a fan of DBSK FC so if the players ever changed, he probably wouldn’t really care.
That day, Baekhyun told Kyungsoo to not wait for him because he needed to do his group assignments with his friends. “Oh,” the male paused. “Can I ask you a favor? The SM Magazine is reviewing DBSK’s performance for this month’s issue, do you think you can drop by at a bookstore and purchase it for me?”
“Sure, no problem,” Kyungsoo smiled and waved a hand. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Baekhyun-ah.”
“Thanks,” Baekhyun grinned happily and waved back. “See you, Kyungsoo-yah.”
All of his doubts vanished instantly because Baekhyun’s smile meant a lot to him.
Kyungsoo felt like buying a bubble tea on his way home, so he dropped by at a different bookstore this time. He immediately found the SM Magazine Baekhyun was asking for and snatched one without thinking. Kyungsoo absentmindedly grabbed a woman’s magazine and wondered if he should buy it because Girls Generation was on the front cover and Baekhyun would definitely be more than happy to have the issue.
He shrugged and placed the magazines in his arms. Kyungsoo was about to head to the cashier when he saw another magazine with Kim Jaejoong on the front cover. He stopped walking and his eyes widened in disbelief. Kyungsoo cradled the other magazines in one arm while his other arm was extended to take the magazine.
Should he buy it...?
He wanted to, but if Baekhyun found out...
“Hey.”
Kyungsoo almost jumped at the sudden voice. He half threw the magazine back onto the rack and spun around in a second. His heartbeat increased dramatically-what if it was one of Baekhyun’s (hardcore) Cassiopeia friends? “H-hey-huh?”
It was the tanned male from the other day.
As if his quick heartbeat wasn’t enough, it was starting to speed up. Kyungsoo was afraid his heart would leap out of his chest upon seeing the tanned male-who looked extremely handsome upclose, by the way.
“You’re that Cassie from the other day, right?” The male asked and casually laughed when he saw the magazines Kyungsoo was holding. “Right.”
Kyungsoo wanted to retort, but the image of an angry Baekhyun at him for talking to the other club’s fans scared him. He bowed slightly before trying to make his way past the male-
-only to get his arm grabbed.
“Whoa, wait,” the male said. “I want to talk to you.”
“I-I can’t,” Kyungsoo whispered as he dropped his gaze to the ceramic tiles.
“Why?”
“B-because you’re-“ Kyungsoo fell silent. What he was about to say was ridiculous.
“I’m...?” The male frowned as he bent his body a little bit to level with Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo felt the heat was starting to creep to his cheeks and he took a step backward. “I’m what...?”
You’re not a Cassie and Baekhyun will kill me if he ever finds out, Kyungsoo helplessly whimpered. He thought he was saying it internally, but the tanned male’s blank expression showed him otherwise.
“That’s stupid, you know,” his frown deepened.
“I’m sorry, I need to go-“
“I’m not letting you go,” the taller male stepped in front of him to halt Kyungsoo’s steps and it caused Kyungsoo to look up in fear. He sighed in defeat. “Well, can’t I at least have your name...?”
Kyungsoo deadpanned. His name?
“I’m Jongin. And I work here, by the way.”
There was a hint of hope laced underneath Jongin’s tone as he spoke which would make Kyungsoo smile in a normal situation. He didn’t think it was normal at the moment, but something in his heart told him to reply.
So Kyungsoo did.
“K-Kyungsoo...”
Jongin’s smile was the same as the one he gave him at the cafe the other night and Kyungsoo felt his insides melting.
“Nice to meet you, Kyungsoo-yah.”
***
When Kyungsoo was about to pay-the cashier’s name was Chanyeol and he realized it was one of the guys who was at the cafe too the other night-Jongin appeared with the magazine he had been staring at earlier. Kyungsoo stuttered that his money wasn’t enough and he wasn’t planning to buy anyway, but Jongin only shrugged in response and smiled at him.
“I know you’re a fan of Jaejoong.”
Kyungsoo still tried to protest but Jongin told Chanyeol it was on him and Chanyeol only gave him a toothy smile.
“If Kai says it’s on him, then it’s on him!”
Kyungsoo ended up going home feeling a bit happy because he got to know Jongin’s name and how lucky he was to get the magazine. He spent the night reading each paragraph thoroughly and smiled because Jaejoong looked extremely beautiful in the photoshoot. The interviewer told him that a lot of Cassies had turned to hate him and asked what did he feel about that.
JJ: (smiles) I really can’t do anything about it. I mean, it’s my life and I’m gonna live it the way I want to. I’m grateful to have a chance to play in DSBK FC for a few years. They’re my family and nothing’s gonna change that. I just wish the fans would understand my decision. It was hard on me too...
Kyungsoo pressed a hand on his mouth. He felt a pang in his chest, like he himself was able to feel the pain Jaejoong had been through. Kyungsoo read the article until the last paragraph and closed the magazine when he realized it was late. He hugged the magazine closely to his chest and sniffled. His idol was so beautiful and strong and he wished he could be like him.
He was determined to be a Jaejoong stan for the rest of his life.
Kyungsoo let out a sigh as he placed the magazine on his desk, and that was when he realized that the magazine was expensive.
He gasped in horror.
***
Baekhyun was talking animatedly to Kyungsoo when his cheerful expression was replaced by dislike.
Kyungsoo blinked in confusion and turned his head to follow his best friend’s line of sight. “What’s wrong?”
“He’s an Orion,” Baekhyun snorted as he gestured his hands to a laughing male.
“Orion...?”
Baekhyun gave him a look. “That other club’s fan.”
“Oh.” Kyungsoo didn’t even want to know how Baekhyun found out who was who. He wondered if it was a good time, but then he decided to take the opportunity to ask. “Baekhyun-ah...? Why do you hate that other club so much?”
“Because of the fans,” Baekhyun rolled his eyes. “Didn’t you hear? They’re annoying as fuck. And their management is corrupted!”
Kyungsoo wasn’t sure if he wanted to know why were they annoying, because sometimes Baekhyun just being irrational. “Um...but, I’m sure it’s not all of them...”
“Are you kidding me? International fans, Kyungsoo-yah, international fans.”
“But...isn’t it unfair to hate the club because of their fans...?”
“Why are you siding with them?” Baekhyun snapped in disbelief. “Hate is hate, okay? Why are you like this? Don’t tell me-you still like Jaejoong?”
Kyungsoo’s expression faltered at that. He felt hurt at the accusation expression Baekhyun had on his face, but he managed to gather his strength and shook his head.
“I-I don’t.”
Baekhyun said something in Chinese and Kyungsoo blinked.
“What?”
“It means, you’d better be.”
Kyungsoo went home earlier without Baekhyun that day. He reasoned that he didn’t feel well, while he actually just wanted to cry. Baekhyun was a hardcore fan, but it didn’t mean he have to be that mean. Did he forget that his best friend used to be (still was, actually) a fan of Jaejoong?
His parents went out of town for a few days, so Kyungsoo was alone by himself. He had some money to buy dinner, but then he decided to cook because by doing so, it always managed to distract him from his problems. Kyungsoo ended up making a lot of spaghetti. Usually when he made this much, he would call Baekhyun and the male would come over to eat, but not tonight... When he was done washing the dishes, he stared blankly at the pot and decided that he would bring it to someone else.
Jongin looked surprised when he dropped by.
“Hey,” Jongin greeted. “There isn’t any new magazine with Jaejoong in it yet.”
Kyungsoo’s cheeks reddened at the remark and he shook his head. “It’s not why I’m here.” He handed Jongin a lunchbox and the latter stared at it nonchalantly. “It’s-it’s dinner.”
“Dinner?”
Kyungsoo nodded even though his eyes were anywhere but Jongin. “The magazine was quite expensive and I just...” He didn’t finish his sentence. All of a sudden, he felt stupid. What if Jongin declined? What if Jongin had already eaten and he didn’t feel like accepting the generous offer?
“Well, my shift is over in a few minutes...”
“O-oh. Well, you can just throw it away if you don’t want to-“
“Are you kidding me? I’m starving,” Jongin snorted as he pointed to a direction behind Kyungsoo. “There’s a park nearby. Would you mind waiting for me for a moment?”
Kyungsoo was dumbfounded. “Th-there?”
“Yeah. We’ll eat together?”
“I-I’ve already eaten-“
“Then you’ll accompany me until I finish eating?”
Kyungsoo swallowed. This wasn’t what he expected. He thought he would just drop by and give him the food as a token of gratitude and go home and sleep. He opened his mouth to decline, but Jongin’s expression was so kind and hopeful and Kyungsoo had a strange feeling of wanting to be with him just a bit longer.
“O-okay...”
“Great,” Jongin smiled. “I’ll just grab my things and I’ll see you there, alright?”
A few minutes after that, Jongin appeared with a jacket and a backpack. He approached Kyungsoo who was sitting on an empty bench.
Kyungsoo stayed silent as Jongin shuffled closer. It wasn’t late and few people were still passing by alone or with their dogs. He could only hope that none of Baekhyun’s friends were there or even if one of them was, they wouldn’t recognize him.
Jongin settled down beside him and childishly opened his arms with a grin. “Where’s my dinner?”
Kyungsoo broke into a small smile at his expression and handed Jongin the lunchbox. “I’m not sure if you like spaghetti...”
“I like it,” Jongin grabbed the fork Kyungsoo had prepared for him and started eating. He swallowed as quick as he chewed. “Wow. Are you a chef?”
Kyungsoo flicked his arm softly on Jongin’s shoulder. “Don’t mock me.”
“But I’m not,” Jongin continued slurping his spaghetti. “It’s really good.”
Kyungsoo kept himself quiet but the small smile on his lips showed Jongin that he was staring. Jongin finished the meal not long after that and he gratefully accepted the bottle of water Kyungsoo handed him.
Jongin turned to him with a smile but it morphed into a frown at Kyungsoo’s expression. “Are you okay?”
Kyungsoo flinched. “Huh? Y-yeah.”
“Are you sure?”
The doe eyed male hung his head. He had his feet crossed at the ankle and Kyungsoo fixed his gaze on the damp ground. “...how did you know that I’m a fan of Jaejoong?”
Jongin put the lunchbox on the empty spot between them. “Do you really want to know?”
Kyungsoo snapped his head to him. “Why wouldn’t I want to know?”
“Because it’s embarrassing,” Jongin sheepishly ran a hand through his hair. “The match was supposed to be important but I kept on glancing on you.” Kyungsoo consciously pressed his lips together and his heart skipped a beat. “I could tell that you were bored, but every time the commentator mentioned Jaejoong’s name, your eyes gleamed.”
“...just like that?”
“That’s why I said it’s embarrassing.”
Kyungsoo was grateful that it was a bit dark because his face was definitely flaming. He brought his palms to his cheeks, pressing on them slightly before putting them back on his lap.
“Kyungsoo-yah?”
“Yes?”
“You know, JYJ United is having a match with Shinee City this week...” Jongin looked thoughtful. “If they win...would you have dinner with me?”
Kyungsoo took a bit longer to digest Jongin’s words. When he did, his face went pale and Jongin became panicked.
“I said if. There’s always a possibility we won’t win... I mean, the club.”
But Baekhyun-
“I-I can’t,” Kyungsoo shook his head.
Jongin sighed in disappointment. “Is it because of I’m an Orion and you’re a Cassie?”
No, it’s Baekhyun-
Kyungsoo couldn’t bring himself to answer. No, he didn’t mind about the fact, but if Baekhyun ever found out...besides, how would he lie...?
“Please,” Jongin whispered. He sounded a bit desperate and Kyungsoo felt like kicking himself for that. “Could you just please think about it...?”
Jongin’s hand on his arm was calming and Kyungsoo’s heart stuttered badly at such simple touch.
After a moment, he finally nodded in reply.
Jongin’s relieved smile made his heart swelled three times larger.
Somehow, Kyungsoo prayed that the JYJ United would win.
[2]