Love The Way [1/2]
Title: Love The Way [1/2]
Author: FloweryMisha
Pairing: KaiSoo
Warning: BoyxBoy love. Enough said.
Summary: Jongin has a plan, and Kyungsoo is willing to try anything.
Author's Note: I'm sorry this is very crappy... ;; thank you tikibuddy91 for the beta work! When will I ever be a better writer sobs AND PLEASE, NO TRANSLATIONS ALLOWED!
I like the feel of your name on my lips
I like the sound of your sweet gentle kiss
The way that your fingers run through my hair
And how your scent lingers even when you’re not there
I like the way your eyes dance when you laugh
How you enjoy your two-hour bath
How you’ve convinced me to dance in the rain, with everyone watching like we were insane
But I love the way you love me
Strong and wild, slow and easy
Heart and soul, so completely, I love the way you love me...
This semester, Kyungsoo was never happy whenever it was a Tuesday.
Simply because it was the only day in the week where he had three classes, and none of the subjects were his favorites.
The doe-eyed male woke up with great difficulty and grunted endlessly to himself every Tuesday morning. If only he could skip his first period, he would’ve done so. Unfortunately, his professor was killer in the first subject, and Kyungsoo had somewhat bad luck with him because the professor knew his name. In a class where there were twenty-five students, Do Kyungsoo was the only name his professor remembered the most.
Kyungsoo started his day just like any other day.
He took a shower, cooked his own breakfast, and then got ready for university. When the male shoved some of his books into his bag, it was then that he realized his phone had been neglected since early morning. Kyungsoo casually reached for the device as he shouldered his backpack and opened his inbox. His mornings were usually filled with smiles and chuckles at the incoming text messages, even the simplest ones like ‘good morning’ or ‘have a nice day’.
But he received nothing, not even a text.
Kyungsoo’s expression faltered. He frowned slightly, panicking if he had accidentally deleted the text, but it hadn’t seem like it... Kyungsoo unconsciously pouted. He was about to call and nag at his boyfriend, before he froze in his tracks.
He and Chanyeol were over.
Kyungsoo pressed his lips into a thin line as he recalled what had happened. They had a big fight last Saturday and Chanyeol was the one who said those mean words. Kyungsoo spent the rest of his weekends crying, half waiting for Chanyeol to call him. But the taller male never did. Grimacing, Kyungsoo tucked his phone back into his pocket and tried to hide the broken feeling that seeped into his heart. He glanced at the watch and sighed.
He hated this Tuesday even more.
***
“Chanyeol dumped me.”
Junmyeon didn’t even have the chance to say ‘good morning’. The fair-skinned male slowly looked up from his book upon hearing Kyungsoo’s voice. Junmyeon tried to stay expressionless, but Kyungsoo could tell from his eyes that the other male was inwardly saying ‘I knew it would happen’.
“O-oh.”
“It’s not a big deal,” Kyungsoo shrugged. He tried to act nonchalant as he sat beside his best friend. To others, Kyungsoo might looked like he was all right, but the moment Kyungsoo rested his head on Junmyeon’s shoulder, Junmyeon knew he wasn’t.
“Are you okay...?”
Kyungsoo nodded. “Yeah.”
“Are you sure...?”
“Yeah.”
Junmyeon didn’t seem convinced at Kyungsoo’s reactions, but he smiled anyway. He wrapped an arm around Kyungsoo’s shoulder and pressed their heads together. “You’re going to be okay. It’s his loss. He’s gonna regret it.”
The warmth of Junmyeon somehow reminded him of Chanyeol, and it made him sag his shoulders in hopelessness. Kyungsoo’s throat was choked as he was reminded with his fight with Chanyeol. “He-he said I nagged a lot...”
Junmyeon tried to pull away from Kyungsoo to stare at him, but the latter just buried his head against Junmyeon’s shoulder more. “He said that? But-but you guys had been dating for almost a year. I mean, if Chanyeol didn’t like it, then why did he put up with you this whole time?”
Kyungsoo wished he had an answer.
“Besides, what’s wrong with nagging? I mean, you guys are boyfriends...”
Kyungsoo blinked his tears away as he lifted up his face to stare at Junmyeon. “You nag at Yifan too? Seriously? And Yifan is all right with it?”
Junmyeon’s cheeks turned crimson as the male sputtered. “Um...I-I didn’t say who nags at whom-”
“...Yifan nags at you?” Kyungsoo drew his head back in surprise, his eyes widening. “The man who rarely talks in front of us nags at you??”
Junmyeon waved a hand dismissively, hoping to change the subject and cleared his throat nervously. “Uh-anyway, like I said, what’s wrong with nagging? I, um, happen to think that it’s very adorable...”
Kyungsoo pondered at Junmyeon’s words momentarily before letting out a long sigh. He wasn’t able to recall a single moment about his nagging where Chanyeol protested. Or was it just an act...? Could it be that Chanyeol was hurt, but he never told Kyungsoo...?
“Did you guys ever talk about it...?”
Kyungsoo hesitated. "I don't think so..."
Maybe I've hurt his feelings...
Junmyeon hummed. “Then why don’t you ask him, Kyungsoo-yah?”
Kyungsoo dropped his gaze to the checkered pattern of Junmyeon’s shirt.
“You should ask him,” Junmyeon said softly as he patted Kyungsoo’s shoulder. “No matter what the reason is, you have the right to know...”
Kyungsoo wished he had the courage to do that.
***
It was funny how Kyungsoo and Chanyeol stopped being in a relationship, but they didn’t stop being friends.
Chanyeol was still nice to him. They talked sometimes regarding assignments and classes. It took everyone quite a while to realize that Chanyeol and Kyungsoo had broken up. Junmyeon and Yifan were the first ones to know; fortunately, Yifan didn’t take sides. Though Yifan was Chanyeol’s best friend, the Chinese-Canadian male never seemed to comment on their break-up. Chanyeol still sent Kyungsoo a glance or a kind smile whenever their paths crossed and Kyungsoo felt grateful for it.
Everything was, surprisingly, all right between them. Maybe they just needed some time to cool down. There was a possible chance for Kyungsoo to win Chanyeol back. Maybe next week. Maybe someday. Maybe soon enough. But right now, Kyungsoo was content with what they had.
Or was he?
Everything was okay until Kyungsoo received the wedding invitation from Song Qian, Yifan’s cousin. They weren’t exactly close, but Kyungsoo had met her a few times, when he was still dating Chanyeol. The lovely woman was several years older than all of them and she treated them like her brothers. If it was just an invitation addressed to him, then Kyungsoo probably wouldn’t be affected. He knew Song Qian didn’t mean anything; heck, she probably didn’t know if it was over between Chanyeol and Kyungsoo.
But still, Kyungsoo felt awful when he read the wedding invitation Junmyeon had given him. Song Qian had swap to them:
To Kyungsoo and Chanyeol <3
Kyungsoo felt his heart breaking at the sight of the header. When Kyungsoo came to Junmyeon’s house with the invitation and the latter saw the look on his friend’s face, he knew something was wrong; something Chanyeol-related.
“I can’t go to her party,” Kyungsoo said to Junmyeon as he curled feebly into a ball on the latter’s bed. “But Yifan-hyung will kill me if I don’t. How should I even say it to Chanyeol...? Wait, what if he doesn’t want to go? He probably will go, right...? Even if it’s not with me? But how do I say it to him without showing the invitation? He’ll definitely want to see the invitation, right?”
Junmyeon was still quiet.
“I want him back,” Kyungsoo sniffled as he murmured in his hands, his shoulders shaking slightly. “I want Chanyeol back, Junmyeon-ah...what should I do...?”
Junmyeon bit his lower lip in uncertainty. “I-I think I have an idea. It’s crazy, but...”
“Try me,” Kyungsoo desperately replied as he reached for Junmyeon. “I just-I want him back.”
Junmyeon’s eyes were anywhere but at Kyungsoo. “How about...pretending that you’re happy with everything that had happened, and showing him that you’re over him?”
“But...haven’t I done that enough...? I mean, the way I respond to him whenever he approaches me at the university-“
“That’s not enough. I mean, like dating someone...? Or fake-dating someone, whatever...”
Kyungsoo hesitated. “Is that going to work?”
“We’ll never know until we try, right? We’re gonna have to find a very decent boyfriend for you. Someone who will make everyone’s jaws drop upon seeing your new boyfriend-fake boyfriend, whatever-and let Chanyeol know that he had made a very big mistake of letting you go.”
“Right,” Kyungsoo grimaced, obviously disapproving Junmyeon’s idea. “He must be tall and good looking. And I only have Yifan-hyung as the perfect candidate.”
“I have a feeling you’d say that, but you do know I will kill you if you touch my boyfriend, right?” Junmyeon rolled his eyes as he not-so-playfully flicked Kyungsoo’s arm. Kyungsoo hissed in pain as a reaction. “There are a lot of tall, good-looking guys in our university. You’re just blinded because of Chanyeol. I could set you up with one of Yifan’s friends.”
Kyungsoo opened his mouth to say something, but Junmyeon interrupted him before he had the chance to.
“But you have to be serious about this,” Junmyeon stated.
“Serious about what?”
Both Junmyeon and Kyungsoo turned their heads to the door and saw a blond-haired male peeking with a curious expression.
“What did I tell you about eavesdropping?” Junmyeon snapped like he was annoyed, but Kyungsoo knew better. Junmyeon always had a soft spot for his younger brother.
“Not good, but it can be done,” Jongin snorted as he stepped into their views and he gave Kyungsoo a kind smile. “Hey, Kyungsoo-hyung.”
“Hey, Jongin-ah,” Kyungsoo smiled back. “Wow, is it just me, or you’re getting taller?”
“I think I grew a few inches taller,” Jongin said with a grin and Junmyeon rolled his eyes. He leaned down to peck on his older brother’s cheek-a habit Jongin had done since he was a kid whenever he came home-before settling down on the empty space beside the fair-skinned male. Junmyeon would always be his first destination whenever he came home-not their parents. Kyungsoo had witnessed this a long time ago and he had always thought it a sweet gesture.
“So what are you guys talking about? Fill me in, please.”
“Kyungsoo’s looking for a perfect date to make Chanyeol jealous,” Junmyeon explained lazily and gave his brother a sideways glance. “Do you have any gorgeous friend? Not Sehun, please. And not Zitao, too.”
“You broke up?” Jongin turned to Kyungsoo with an incredulous look. “And what, do you want him back?”
Kyungsoo sheepishly scratched his nape.
“And the plan is to make Chanyeol-hyung jealous?”
“That-that’s Junmyeon’s plan, but-“
“How about me?”
Both Kyungsoo and Junmyeon fell silent at the tan male’s words. Kyungsoo blinked a couple times, almost caught off guard by Jongin’s bold proposal. He searched for a hint of joke on Jongin’s face, but there was none; Jongin’s face had ‘serious’ written all over his face. In fact, it almost made Kyungsoo uneasy about how unwavering Jongin was being as they held eye contact.
“Y-you?”
Jongin shrugged as he ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah. I think I have a few good ideas to make him jealous. Besides, Chanyeol-hyung never seemed to like me-which is a good fact, actually. I would be-no, I am the perfect candidate to make him jealous. He’s definitely gonna want you back.”
“Oh no no no no,” Junmyeon said with a strong disapproving tone as he crossed his arms in a shape of a big X. “No, abort all plans, let’s think of something else, Kyungsoo-yah-“
“Can you do that?”
Junmyeon froze.
Jongin simply stared at Kyungsoo. “Do what?”
“Make Chanyeol...” Kyungsoo swallowed nervously. “...want me back?”
Jongin eyed Kyungsoo momentarily before smiling. “Do you have a deadline?”
Kyungsoo’s eyes shifted to the neglected purple-colored invitation that was lying near Junmyeon’s feet, then to the words of Kyungsoo and Chanyeol <3 on it. He licked his dry lips, feeling his heart beating with anticipation. “...until Victoria-noona’s marriage...?” Kyungsoo whispered to himself before looking up at Jongin.
“Deal.”
“Deal?” Junmyeon sputtered, surprised at the turn of events. “J-Jongin-ah-“
“It’s going to work, hyung,” Jongin said casually as he leaned closer to Kyungsoo. “Just give me a chance, and I’ll prove it to you.”
Kyungsoo had never known Jongin had beautiful eyelashes.
***
Junmyeon didn’t seem like he approved whole-heartedly to the idea, but he said nothing more.
Honestly, Kyungsoo wasn’t sure either. To think that Jongin was a year younger than him...
Kyungsoo had been friends with Junmyeon since high school. Throughout the years, he noticed the significant changes in Jongin, but it was nothing special. How Jongin still grew taller than them (Junmyeon pouted at his brother at this fact) while neither of them did. How he had become a great dancer (Junmyeon had taken Kyungsoo to the street dance competition once where Jongin and his friends participated, and both of them gaped involuntarily at finding out how talented Jongin was). How Jongin broke into a happy smile whenever Kyungsoo dropped by, but the latter was sure the tan dancer treated all of Junmyeon’s friends the same.
Okay, so maybe Jongin was special, but Kyungsoo thought nothing more than that.
Kyungsoo had always considered Jongin as his brother.
And now he just realized that fake-dating Jongin was going to feel like...incest.
It should be all right, Kyungsoo grimly told himself as he pressed his palms against his face. It’s just an act. Jongin had asked him to give him the chance, and for the sake of winning Chanyeol back, Kyungsoo was willing to. The doe-eyed male believed in Jongin just as much as he believed in Junmyeon. He just wanted Chanyeol to feel jealous and preferably regretful for dumping him. Kyungsoo had no idea how they were going to do that-nor what Jongin intended to do, but he was willing to try.
It had been a few days since Jongin had boldly proposed to him. The days passed by in a blink of an eye, and Kyungsoo wondered when his mission with Jongin would start.
His class was just done for the day and the doe-eyed male went to the canteen to meet up with his friends. Kyungsoo immediately sucked in deep breath when he stepped into the place and his heart almost stopped beating upon seeing his ex-boyfriend.
Chanyeol was there.
Kyungsoo was thinking of an excuse to tell Junmyeon that he needed to go home, but right at that moment, his best friend lifted up his face and their gazes collided. Kyungsoo sighed in defeat before forcing himself to smile at Junmyeon. So much for wanting to run away...
Unlike any other couple who preferred to get away as far as possible from each other after the break-up, Kyungsoo and Chanyeol remained...close, physically. Chanyeol was still occupying the usual table where he and Yifan used to sit, which was next to Junmyeon’s usual table. Kyungsoo was grateful at the fact that the other couple didn’t take sides, but the endless glances Yifan sent to Junmyeon indicated just how annoyed he was feeling. Yifan wanted his boyfriend to sit beside him, obviously, but Junmyeon decided to sit with Kyungsoo that day.
Luhan and Jongdae, Junmyeon’s classmates, stared at each other before sending questioning looks back and forth between Chanyeol and Kyungsoo, but neither of them asked anything. All of them were embraced in a deafening silence.
Chanyeol was staring at his iPod in a serious manner. Kyungsoo found himself staring as well at the general direction of his ex-boyfriend, wondering what had gotten him so interested in the screen. Songs? Videos? New games?
Kyungsoo didn’t know how long he was staring until his phone vibrated in his pocket, and he jerked out of his daze. Retrieving it, he looked down to his device with a frown, because the number wasn’t saved in his phonebook. Kyungsoo cradled the phone momentarily before finally deciding to pick up.
“Hello?”
“Kyungsoo-hyung?”
Kyungsoo immediately straightened up in his seat. “Yes?”
A chuckle was heard on the other line. “It’s me, Jongin. Say ‘hey’ with a toothy smile.”
Kyungsoo stiffened for a second. He could feel his friends’ gazes on him, including Chanyeol, but then he was able to get a hold of himself and relaxed with a grin. “Hey~”
“That’s good. Now turn your body away slightly, just to show your friends that you’re in a private conversation and you don’t want them to hear you.”
Kyungsoo did as told, still with a stupid grin, and cleared his throat. “Is this your new number? I’m pretty sure I saved your old one...”
“Oh, yeah. I bought this so that we could communicate. It’s the same provider as yours, just in case you didn’t notice.”
“Really?” Kyungsoo’s grin turned into a sincere smile. “That’s very thoughtful of you...”
“Don’t sweat it. I’ve been wanting to change my number, anyway. Well, I guess it’s enough for now. I think your ex-boyfriend is watching...intently. By the way, are you free on Friday, Hyung?”
“Friday...?” Kyungsoo recalled his schedules and shook his head, even though Jongin couldn’t see him. “I only have one class, and it will be done at three...”
“Good. I’ll see you then.”
“Eh?”
“See you, Hyung.”
“S-see you...”
Jongin was the first one to hang up. Kyungsoo slowly lowered the phone in his hand to his lap, gazing wordlessly at his phone. What just happened? He had no idea. Kyungsoo felt his face flaming and his chest flooding with something he didn’t understand. The doe-eyed male decided to shrug it off, and when he shifted his eyes back up, it was then he realized that his friends had been staring.
Including Chanyeol.
“New boyfriend?” Jongdae’s display of interest was huge, judging from his sparkling eyes.
Kyungsoo swallowed. Did Jongin just call him to make his friends curious? He directed his gaze at Junmyeon, who had an unreadable expression plastered on his face. It was easy for Jongin to ask Junmyeon about their whereabouts, since most of the time, they were always together.
“In process,” Junmyeon said and more than two pairs of eyes turned to him. The beautiful male acted like it was no big deal and fixed his attention back to Kyungsoo.
“In process?!” Luhan squealed in excitement. “Oh Gosh, how long has it been since he made a move on you? Details, please!”
“Yeah, details!” Jongdae demanded.
“It-it’s-“ Kyungsoo stammered nervously.
“I’m leaving,” Chanyeol said all of a sudden. The male stood up abruptly as he grabbed his bag and walked away without even saying goodbye.
“See you,” Yifan replied. The Chinese male looked a bit too happy because the minute Chanyeol walked away, he scooted over to Junmyeon’s side.
Kyungsoo’s mouth went dry.
Was Chanyeol...jealous...?
***
Not a single word about Kyungsoo’s mysterious relationship slipped out of Junmyeon’s mouth, not even a name-even when Luhan and Jongdae gave him the puppy eyes and pleading stares (“If he’s not telling you, then he’s not telling you. That’s it,” Yifan warningly said and Luhan pouted in disappointment). Kyungsoo was thankful for that, and he was also amazed by the fact that Junmyeon managed to keep everything to himself. He and Junmyeon still talked, but somehow Kyungsoo felt like there was a sudden gap between them. It bothered Kyungsoo, but he didn’t get the chance to talk to Junmyeon in private because Yifan was always there beside the beautiful male.
Rumors about Kyungsoo being close to someone spread wildly among his classmates. And before Kyungsoo knew it, it was already Friday.
The sound of the bell ringing pulled Kyungsoo back to reality. His classmates were rising to their feet and each of them was eager to exit the class. Kyungsoo glanced over his shoulder to look for Junmyeon, but the latter was already walking toward the door with Jongdae. He felt his heart dropping slightly at the sight.
Something was definitely wrong.
Did I do something that offend him...? Kyungsoo absently thought to himself as he inserted some of his books into his bag. Junmyeon never left him, not even once, not even when he was in a hurry or when Yifan had already waited for him. Sighing, Kyungsoo slung the strap over his shoulder and started walking. He half expected everyone had gone away, but when he reached the hallway, some of his classmates were still there.
“Is that Junmyeon’s new boyfriend?”
“Are you kidding me? He’s dating Yifan...right?”
“But holy shit, that is one hot guy...”
Kyungsoo frowned in curiosity. He cut his way through the small crowd, earning some disapproving glares from his friends. What he saw before him almost made his heart stop.
It was Jongin.
Kyungsoo, Chanyeol and Yifan were probably the only people who had ever seen Junmyeon’s brother. Jongin was talking cheerfully to his brother, and Kyungsoo saw Jongdae’s jaw drop in awe as Jongdae examined the interaction between the two brothers.
Jongin is indeed a hottie.
Junmyeon and Jongin were brothers, even though they didn’t look like so sometimes. Junmyeon had fair skin while Jongin had dark skin; Junmyeon may be the older one between the two, but it was always Jongin who was more protective. Even though Junmyeon was dating Yifan, it didn’t stop Jongin to constantly call his brother to ask him where he was, or when he was going to go home because apparently it was over the curfew-Jongin’s curfew, more like, for Junmyeon.
All of a sudden, Kyungsoo felt his confidence shrinking and he was about to turn around and leave-
-when Jongin caught his eyes and he smiled widely.
“Kyungsoo-hyung! There you are!”
Kyungsoo froze in his tracks. The others turned to stare at him, and he felt like crawling into a hole and hide; it was too late to turn away. There was nothing he could do but to smile back and wave his hand. “H-hey, Jongin-ah.”
“Are you done?” Jongin asked as he motioned Kyungsoo to come closer and the latter obliged automatically. Maybe Jongin was an expert in hypnotizing people. “Shall we?”
“Shall we?” Kyungsoo parroted dumbly. “Shall we...what?”
Jongin’s smile widened slightly as the taller male leaned closer to Kyungsoo. “Your ex-boyfriend is watching,” he mumbled quietly, his tone was laced with pride. “We should go now.”
Kyungsoo almost spun around instinctively to see if Chanyeol was really looking, but Jongin managed to grab his hand before he did so. Kyungsoo’s heart almost stopped beating when he felt Jongin touching his wrist.
“It’s better if you don’t look at anywhere but me.”
Kyungsoo’s gaze collided with Jongin’s for a few seconds, but it seemed like forever. Jongin gave him a kind smile before waving a hand at his brother.
“See you later, Hyung.”
“Be careful,” Junmyeon reluctantly replied.
Kyungsoo wanted Junmyeon to smile at him, but the latter had already turned around to approach Yifan, who was standing with Chanyeol (Oh God, Chanyeol was really watching-). It saddened Kyungsoo, but then he felt a gentle pat on his lower back, getting a signal from Jongin that they should be going. He still felt a little sad, though sulking for a bit, his frown turned into a smile when Jongin, ‘the pretend-boyfriend’ asked him how his day was with a sincere smile.
He had never known that Jongin smelled good.
***
Jongin stood too close in his personal space, but Kyungsoo thought it was for the sake of everyone to believe that they were dating.
Not that Kyungsoo hated it. It was nice to have Jongin standing close to him like that. It made him feel protected. It didn’t take long for Kyungsoo to realize that Jongin was probably as tall as Chanyeol, too, and Kyungsoo liked it. He liked tall people. He liked having them around.
He liked...Jongin.
Kyungsoo didn’t have the courage to ask what was Jongin’s intention of coming to the university, but when he recalled the younger male’s words of ‘your ex-boyfriend is watching’, he realized that it was merely an act. He was just acting...wasn’t he?
Jongin didn’t seem to have a specific plan of where to go, so all they did was wander around in the mall, doing some window-shopping, talking about the latest fashion trend and some other topics. After a long time of walking, Kyungsoo felt a bit tired. He didn’t mean to show it, more or less even to talk about it, but somehow Jongin knew. The younger of the two asked if he wanted bubble tea or ice cream, and Kyungsoo opted for the first one.
The bubble tea place was filled with girls who immediately sent inquisitive stares in Jongin’s direction the moment the couple stepped inside.
Kyungsoo felt himself holding back a smile at their reactions, but Jongin didn’t seem to mind.
The doe-eyed male accepted the drink from Jongin and uttered a small thank you. They chose to sit at one of the empty tables in the corner. He could hear the girls giggling over Jongin’s tall figure and he felt like sending them a glare this time, but in the end, Kyungsoo only sipped his drink and stayed quiet.
Jongin chuckled knowingly. “I’m on a date with you, so just ignore the girls.”
Kyungsoo was too shocked to even react.
“Hyung?”
“Y-yes?”
“Do you mind if I ask you a question?”
Kyungsoo hesitated. He had a feeling he knew what Jongin was about to ask. “...no, go ahead.”
“Did Chanyeol-hyung cheat on you?”
It wasn’t the question Kyungsoo expected and the drink almost slipped out of his hands. Kyungsoo’s cheeks reddened. Did Chanyeol...? Cheat...? He didn’t know. All he knew was that everything was over and that was it. They didn’t even have a fight. It just happened out of nowhere.
“I don’t know,” Kyungsoo honestly replied in a low voice.
“Hm,” Jongin furrowed his brows thoughtfully. “It would be better if I know the reason, so I’d know what to do next...”
“He...he said I nag a lot.”
Jongin watched Kyungsoo unblinkingly. “Oh. Well. Did you?”
“Eh?”
Jongin leaned forward to prop his elbow on the table before resting his chin on his palm. “Did you nag at him a lot?”
Kyungsoo dropped his gaze down onto the flat surface on the table. Did I...? Did bother Chanyeol with my nagging? Wait. What did I nag about exactly...? Kyungsoo pressed his lips together and his expression dimmed.
Why couldn’t Chanyeol just tell him what was wrong instead...?
“Maybe,” Kyungsoo said after a long moment. “I don’t know...”
Jongin didn’t say anything else after that and Kyungsoo was glad for it. If there was anything similar between Jongin and Junmyeon, it was that they were understanding.
“Are you tired? Maybe we should go home.”
Kyungsoo smiled. He wasn’t that tired, actually, but it was enough for the day. “Um...maybe we should.”
Jongin willingly took some of Kyungsoo’s books for him and waited patiently until Kyungsoo was done with his drink. The way Jongin treated him somehow reminded him of the way Yifan treated Junmyeon, and it hurt. Kyungsoo didn’t know why it hurt, but it just did. Chanyeol had never treated him like that before. They were walking side by side to exit the place when Kyungsoo suddenly spoke up.
“J-Jongin-ah?”
“Yes?”
“What if I do nag a lot?” Kyungsoo asked sadly, but it was addressed more to himself than to receive an answer.
“And you think I don’t?”
Kyungsoo gasped softly as he looked up, and Jongin poked his nose caringly. Jongin was smiling sweetly at him before offering his hand.
“It’s still a date, right? I have the right to hold your hand.”
Jongin’s smile widened when Kyungsoo let him intertwine their fingers.
He had never known that Jongin’s fingers were slender.
[2]
Author: FloweryMisha
Pairing: KaiSoo
Warning: BoyxBoy love. Enough said.
Summary: Jongin has a plan, and Kyungsoo is willing to try anything.
Author's Note: I'm sorry this is very crappy... ;; thank you tikibuddy91 for the beta work! When will I ever be a better writer sobs AND PLEASE, NO TRANSLATIONS ALLOWED!
I like the feel of your name on my lips
I like the sound of your sweet gentle kiss
The way that your fingers run through my hair
And how your scent lingers even when you’re not there
I like the way your eyes dance when you laugh
How you enjoy your two-hour bath
How you’ve convinced me to dance in the rain, with everyone watching like we were insane
But I love the way you love me
Strong and wild, slow and easy
Heart and soul, so completely, I love the way you love me...
This semester, Kyungsoo was never happy whenever it was a Tuesday.
Simply because it was the only day in the week where he had three classes, and none of the subjects were his favorites.
The doe-eyed male woke up with great difficulty and grunted endlessly to himself every Tuesday morning. If only he could skip his first period, he would’ve done so. Unfortunately, his professor was killer in the first subject, and Kyungsoo had somewhat bad luck with him because the professor knew his name. In a class where there were twenty-five students, Do Kyungsoo was the only name his professor remembered the most.
Kyungsoo started his day just like any other day.
He took a shower, cooked his own breakfast, and then got ready for university. When the male shoved some of his books into his bag, it was then that he realized his phone had been neglected since early morning. Kyungsoo casually reached for the device as he shouldered his backpack and opened his inbox. His mornings were usually filled with smiles and chuckles at the incoming text messages, even the simplest ones like ‘good morning’ or ‘have a nice day’.
But he received nothing, not even a text.
Kyungsoo’s expression faltered. He frowned slightly, panicking if he had accidentally deleted the text, but it hadn’t seem like it... Kyungsoo unconsciously pouted. He was about to call and nag at his boyfriend, before he froze in his tracks.
He and Chanyeol were over.
Kyungsoo pressed his lips into a thin line as he recalled what had happened. They had a big fight last Saturday and Chanyeol was the one who said those mean words. Kyungsoo spent the rest of his weekends crying, half waiting for Chanyeol to call him. But the taller male never did. Grimacing, Kyungsoo tucked his phone back into his pocket and tried to hide the broken feeling that seeped into his heart. He glanced at the watch and sighed.
He hated this Tuesday even more.
***
“Chanyeol dumped me.”
Junmyeon didn’t even have the chance to say ‘good morning’. The fair-skinned male slowly looked up from his book upon hearing Kyungsoo’s voice. Junmyeon tried to stay expressionless, but Kyungsoo could tell from his eyes that the other male was inwardly saying ‘I knew it would happen’.
“O-oh.”
“It’s not a big deal,” Kyungsoo shrugged. He tried to act nonchalant as he sat beside his best friend. To others, Kyungsoo might looked like he was all right, but the moment Kyungsoo rested his head on Junmyeon’s shoulder, Junmyeon knew he wasn’t.
“Are you okay...?”
Kyungsoo nodded. “Yeah.”
“Are you sure...?”
“Yeah.”
Junmyeon didn’t seem convinced at Kyungsoo’s reactions, but he smiled anyway. He wrapped an arm around Kyungsoo’s shoulder and pressed their heads together. “You’re going to be okay. It’s his loss. He’s gonna regret it.”
The warmth of Junmyeon somehow reminded him of Chanyeol, and it made him sag his shoulders in hopelessness. Kyungsoo’s throat was choked as he was reminded with his fight with Chanyeol. “He-he said I nagged a lot...”
Junmyeon tried to pull away from Kyungsoo to stare at him, but the latter just buried his head against Junmyeon’s shoulder more. “He said that? But-but you guys had been dating for almost a year. I mean, if Chanyeol didn’t like it, then why did he put up with you this whole time?”
Kyungsoo wished he had an answer.
“Besides, what’s wrong with nagging? I mean, you guys are boyfriends...”
Kyungsoo blinked his tears away as he lifted up his face to stare at Junmyeon. “You nag at Yifan too? Seriously? And Yifan is all right with it?”
Junmyeon’s cheeks turned crimson as the male sputtered. “Um...I-I didn’t say who nags at whom-”
“...Yifan nags at you?” Kyungsoo drew his head back in surprise, his eyes widening. “The man who rarely talks in front of us nags at you??”
Junmyeon waved a hand dismissively, hoping to change the subject and cleared his throat nervously. “Uh-anyway, like I said, what’s wrong with nagging? I, um, happen to think that it’s very adorable...”
Kyungsoo pondered at Junmyeon’s words momentarily before letting out a long sigh. He wasn’t able to recall a single moment about his nagging where Chanyeol protested. Or was it just an act...? Could it be that Chanyeol was hurt, but he never told Kyungsoo...?
“Did you guys ever talk about it...?”
Kyungsoo hesitated. "I don't think so..."
Maybe I've hurt his feelings...
Junmyeon hummed. “Then why don’t you ask him, Kyungsoo-yah?”
Kyungsoo dropped his gaze to the checkered pattern of Junmyeon’s shirt.
“You should ask him,” Junmyeon said softly as he patted Kyungsoo’s shoulder. “No matter what the reason is, you have the right to know...”
Kyungsoo wished he had the courage to do that.
***
It was funny how Kyungsoo and Chanyeol stopped being in a relationship, but they didn’t stop being friends.
Chanyeol was still nice to him. They talked sometimes regarding assignments and classes. It took everyone quite a while to realize that Chanyeol and Kyungsoo had broken up. Junmyeon and Yifan were the first ones to know; fortunately, Yifan didn’t take sides. Though Yifan was Chanyeol’s best friend, the Chinese-Canadian male never seemed to comment on their break-up. Chanyeol still sent Kyungsoo a glance or a kind smile whenever their paths crossed and Kyungsoo felt grateful for it.
Everything was, surprisingly, all right between them. Maybe they just needed some time to cool down. There was a possible chance for Kyungsoo to win Chanyeol back. Maybe next week. Maybe someday. Maybe soon enough. But right now, Kyungsoo was content with what they had.
Or was he?
Everything was okay until Kyungsoo received the wedding invitation from Song Qian, Yifan’s cousin. They weren’t exactly close, but Kyungsoo had met her a few times, when he was still dating Chanyeol. The lovely woman was several years older than all of them and she treated them like her brothers. If it was just an invitation addressed to him, then Kyungsoo probably wouldn’t be affected. He knew Song Qian didn’t mean anything; heck, she probably didn’t know if it was over between Chanyeol and Kyungsoo.
But still, Kyungsoo felt awful when he read the wedding invitation Junmyeon had given him. Song Qian had swap to them:
To Kyungsoo and Chanyeol <3
Kyungsoo felt his heart breaking at the sight of the header. When Kyungsoo came to Junmyeon’s house with the invitation and the latter saw the look on his friend’s face, he knew something was wrong; something Chanyeol-related.
“I can’t go to her party,” Kyungsoo said to Junmyeon as he curled feebly into a ball on the latter’s bed. “But Yifan-hyung will kill me if I don’t. How should I even say it to Chanyeol...? Wait, what if he doesn’t want to go? He probably will go, right...? Even if it’s not with me? But how do I say it to him without showing the invitation? He’ll definitely want to see the invitation, right?”
Junmyeon was still quiet.
“I want him back,” Kyungsoo sniffled as he murmured in his hands, his shoulders shaking slightly. “I want Chanyeol back, Junmyeon-ah...what should I do...?”
Junmyeon bit his lower lip in uncertainty. “I-I think I have an idea. It’s crazy, but...”
“Try me,” Kyungsoo desperately replied as he reached for Junmyeon. “I just-I want him back.”
Junmyeon’s eyes were anywhere but at Kyungsoo. “How about...pretending that you’re happy with everything that had happened, and showing him that you’re over him?”
“But...haven’t I done that enough...? I mean, the way I respond to him whenever he approaches me at the university-“
“That’s not enough. I mean, like dating someone...? Or fake-dating someone, whatever...”
Kyungsoo hesitated. “Is that going to work?”
“We’ll never know until we try, right? We’re gonna have to find a very decent boyfriend for you. Someone who will make everyone’s jaws drop upon seeing your new boyfriend-fake boyfriend, whatever-and let Chanyeol know that he had made a very big mistake of letting you go.”
“Right,” Kyungsoo grimaced, obviously disapproving Junmyeon’s idea. “He must be tall and good looking. And I only have Yifan-hyung as the perfect candidate.”
“I have a feeling you’d say that, but you do know I will kill you if you touch my boyfriend, right?” Junmyeon rolled his eyes as he not-so-playfully flicked Kyungsoo’s arm. Kyungsoo hissed in pain as a reaction. “There are a lot of tall, good-looking guys in our university. You’re just blinded because of Chanyeol. I could set you up with one of Yifan’s friends.”
Kyungsoo opened his mouth to say something, but Junmyeon interrupted him before he had the chance to.
“But you have to be serious about this,” Junmyeon stated.
“Serious about what?”
Both Junmyeon and Kyungsoo turned their heads to the door and saw a blond-haired male peeking with a curious expression.
“What did I tell you about eavesdropping?” Junmyeon snapped like he was annoyed, but Kyungsoo knew better. Junmyeon always had a soft spot for his younger brother.
“Not good, but it can be done,” Jongin snorted as he stepped into their views and he gave Kyungsoo a kind smile. “Hey, Kyungsoo-hyung.”
“Hey, Jongin-ah,” Kyungsoo smiled back. “Wow, is it just me, or you’re getting taller?”
“I think I grew a few inches taller,” Jongin said with a grin and Junmyeon rolled his eyes. He leaned down to peck on his older brother’s cheek-a habit Jongin had done since he was a kid whenever he came home-before settling down on the empty space beside the fair-skinned male. Junmyeon would always be his first destination whenever he came home-not their parents. Kyungsoo had witnessed this a long time ago and he had always thought it a sweet gesture.
“So what are you guys talking about? Fill me in, please.”
“Kyungsoo’s looking for a perfect date to make Chanyeol jealous,” Junmyeon explained lazily and gave his brother a sideways glance. “Do you have any gorgeous friend? Not Sehun, please. And not Zitao, too.”
“You broke up?” Jongin turned to Kyungsoo with an incredulous look. “And what, do you want him back?”
Kyungsoo sheepishly scratched his nape.
“And the plan is to make Chanyeol-hyung jealous?”
“That-that’s Junmyeon’s plan, but-“
“How about me?”
Both Kyungsoo and Junmyeon fell silent at the tan male’s words. Kyungsoo blinked a couple times, almost caught off guard by Jongin’s bold proposal. He searched for a hint of joke on Jongin’s face, but there was none; Jongin’s face had ‘serious’ written all over his face. In fact, it almost made Kyungsoo uneasy about how unwavering Jongin was being as they held eye contact.
“Y-you?”
Jongin shrugged as he ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah. I think I have a few good ideas to make him jealous. Besides, Chanyeol-hyung never seemed to like me-which is a good fact, actually. I would be-no, I am the perfect candidate to make him jealous. He’s definitely gonna want you back.”
“Oh no no no no,” Junmyeon said with a strong disapproving tone as he crossed his arms in a shape of a big X. “No, abort all plans, let’s think of something else, Kyungsoo-yah-“
“Can you do that?”
Junmyeon froze.
Jongin simply stared at Kyungsoo. “Do what?”
“Make Chanyeol...” Kyungsoo swallowed nervously. “...want me back?”
Jongin eyed Kyungsoo momentarily before smiling. “Do you have a deadline?”
Kyungsoo’s eyes shifted to the neglected purple-colored invitation that was lying near Junmyeon’s feet, then to the words of Kyungsoo and Chanyeol <3 on it. He licked his dry lips, feeling his heart beating with anticipation. “...until Victoria-noona’s marriage...?” Kyungsoo whispered to himself before looking up at Jongin.
“Deal.”
“Deal?” Junmyeon sputtered, surprised at the turn of events. “J-Jongin-ah-“
“It’s going to work, hyung,” Jongin said casually as he leaned closer to Kyungsoo. “Just give me a chance, and I’ll prove it to you.”
Kyungsoo had never known Jongin had beautiful eyelashes.
***
Junmyeon didn’t seem like he approved whole-heartedly to the idea, but he said nothing more.
Honestly, Kyungsoo wasn’t sure either. To think that Jongin was a year younger than him...
Kyungsoo had been friends with Junmyeon since high school. Throughout the years, he noticed the significant changes in Jongin, but it was nothing special. How Jongin still grew taller than them (Junmyeon pouted at his brother at this fact) while neither of them did. How he had become a great dancer (Junmyeon had taken Kyungsoo to the street dance competition once where Jongin and his friends participated, and both of them gaped involuntarily at finding out how talented Jongin was). How Jongin broke into a happy smile whenever Kyungsoo dropped by, but the latter was sure the tan dancer treated all of Junmyeon’s friends the same.
Okay, so maybe Jongin was special, but Kyungsoo thought nothing more than that.
Kyungsoo had always considered Jongin as his brother.
And now he just realized that fake-dating Jongin was going to feel like...incest.
It should be all right, Kyungsoo grimly told himself as he pressed his palms against his face. It’s just an act. Jongin had asked him to give him the chance, and for the sake of winning Chanyeol back, Kyungsoo was willing to. The doe-eyed male believed in Jongin just as much as he believed in Junmyeon. He just wanted Chanyeol to feel jealous and preferably regretful for dumping him. Kyungsoo had no idea how they were going to do that-nor what Jongin intended to do, but he was willing to try.
It had been a few days since Jongin had boldly proposed to him. The days passed by in a blink of an eye, and Kyungsoo wondered when his mission with Jongin would start.
His class was just done for the day and the doe-eyed male went to the canteen to meet up with his friends. Kyungsoo immediately sucked in deep breath when he stepped into the place and his heart almost stopped beating upon seeing his ex-boyfriend.
Chanyeol was there.
Kyungsoo was thinking of an excuse to tell Junmyeon that he needed to go home, but right at that moment, his best friend lifted up his face and their gazes collided. Kyungsoo sighed in defeat before forcing himself to smile at Junmyeon. So much for wanting to run away...
Unlike any other couple who preferred to get away as far as possible from each other after the break-up, Kyungsoo and Chanyeol remained...close, physically. Chanyeol was still occupying the usual table where he and Yifan used to sit, which was next to Junmyeon’s usual table. Kyungsoo was grateful at the fact that the other couple didn’t take sides, but the endless glances Yifan sent to Junmyeon indicated just how annoyed he was feeling. Yifan wanted his boyfriend to sit beside him, obviously, but Junmyeon decided to sit with Kyungsoo that day.
Luhan and Jongdae, Junmyeon’s classmates, stared at each other before sending questioning looks back and forth between Chanyeol and Kyungsoo, but neither of them asked anything. All of them were embraced in a deafening silence.
Chanyeol was staring at his iPod in a serious manner. Kyungsoo found himself staring as well at the general direction of his ex-boyfriend, wondering what had gotten him so interested in the screen. Songs? Videos? New games?
Kyungsoo didn’t know how long he was staring until his phone vibrated in his pocket, and he jerked out of his daze. Retrieving it, he looked down to his device with a frown, because the number wasn’t saved in his phonebook. Kyungsoo cradled the phone momentarily before finally deciding to pick up.
“Hello?”
“Kyungsoo-hyung?”
Kyungsoo immediately straightened up in his seat. “Yes?”
A chuckle was heard on the other line. “It’s me, Jongin. Say ‘hey’ with a toothy smile.”
Kyungsoo stiffened for a second. He could feel his friends’ gazes on him, including Chanyeol, but then he was able to get a hold of himself and relaxed with a grin. “Hey~”
“That’s good. Now turn your body away slightly, just to show your friends that you’re in a private conversation and you don’t want them to hear you.”
Kyungsoo did as told, still with a stupid grin, and cleared his throat. “Is this your new number? I’m pretty sure I saved your old one...”
“Oh, yeah. I bought this so that we could communicate. It’s the same provider as yours, just in case you didn’t notice.”
“Really?” Kyungsoo’s grin turned into a sincere smile. “That’s very thoughtful of you...”
“Don’t sweat it. I’ve been wanting to change my number, anyway. Well, I guess it’s enough for now. I think your ex-boyfriend is watching...intently. By the way, are you free on Friday, Hyung?”
“Friday...?” Kyungsoo recalled his schedules and shook his head, even though Jongin couldn’t see him. “I only have one class, and it will be done at three...”
“Good. I’ll see you then.”
“Eh?”
“See you, Hyung.”
“S-see you...”
Jongin was the first one to hang up. Kyungsoo slowly lowered the phone in his hand to his lap, gazing wordlessly at his phone. What just happened? He had no idea. Kyungsoo felt his face flaming and his chest flooding with something he didn’t understand. The doe-eyed male decided to shrug it off, and when he shifted his eyes back up, it was then he realized that his friends had been staring.
Including Chanyeol.
“New boyfriend?” Jongdae’s display of interest was huge, judging from his sparkling eyes.
Kyungsoo swallowed. Did Jongin just call him to make his friends curious? He directed his gaze at Junmyeon, who had an unreadable expression plastered on his face. It was easy for Jongin to ask Junmyeon about their whereabouts, since most of the time, they were always together.
“In process,” Junmyeon said and more than two pairs of eyes turned to him. The beautiful male acted like it was no big deal and fixed his attention back to Kyungsoo.
“In process?!” Luhan squealed in excitement. “Oh Gosh, how long has it been since he made a move on you? Details, please!”
“Yeah, details!” Jongdae demanded.
“It-it’s-“ Kyungsoo stammered nervously.
“I’m leaving,” Chanyeol said all of a sudden. The male stood up abruptly as he grabbed his bag and walked away without even saying goodbye.
“See you,” Yifan replied. The Chinese male looked a bit too happy because the minute Chanyeol walked away, he scooted over to Junmyeon’s side.
Kyungsoo’s mouth went dry.
Was Chanyeol...jealous...?
***
Not a single word about Kyungsoo’s mysterious relationship slipped out of Junmyeon’s mouth, not even a name-even when Luhan and Jongdae gave him the puppy eyes and pleading stares (“If he’s not telling you, then he’s not telling you. That’s it,” Yifan warningly said and Luhan pouted in disappointment). Kyungsoo was thankful for that, and he was also amazed by the fact that Junmyeon managed to keep everything to himself. He and Junmyeon still talked, but somehow Kyungsoo felt like there was a sudden gap between them. It bothered Kyungsoo, but he didn’t get the chance to talk to Junmyeon in private because Yifan was always there beside the beautiful male.
Rumors about Kyungsoo being close to someone spread wildly among his classmates. And before Kyungsoo knew it, it was already Friday.
The sound of the bell ringing pulled Kyungsoo back to reality. His classmates were rising to their feet and each of them was eager to exit the class. Kyungsoo glanced over his shoulder to look for Junmyeon, but the latter was already walking toward the door with Jongdae. He felt his heart dropping slightly at the sight.
Something was definitely wrong.
Did I do something that offend him...? Kyungsoo absently thought to himself as he inserted some of his books into his bag. Junmyeon never left him, not even once, not even when he was in a hurry or when Yifan had already waited for him. Sighing, Kyungsoo slung the strap over his shoulder and started walking. He half expected everyone had gone away, but when he reached the hallway, some of his classmates were still there.
“Is that Junmyeon’s new boyfriend?”
“Are you kidding me? He’s dating Yifan...right?”
“But holy shit, that is one hot guy...”
Kyungsoo frowned in curiosity. He cut his way through the small crowd, earning some disapproving glares from his friends. What he saw before him almost made his heart stop.
It was Jongin.
Kyungsoo, Chanyeol and Yifan were probably the only people who had ever seen Junmyeon’s brother. Jongin was talking cheerfully to his brother, and Kyungsoo saw Jongdae’s jaw drop in awe as Jongdae examined the interaction between the two brothers.
Jongin is indeed a hottie.
Junmyeon and Jongin were brothers, even though they didn’t look like so sometimes. Junmyeon had fair skin while Jongin had dark skin; Junmyeon may be the older one between the two, but it was always Jongin who was more protective. Even though Junmyeon was dating Yifan, it didn’t stop Jongin to constantly call his brother to ask him where he was, or when he was going to go home because apparently it was over the curfew-Jongin’s curfew, more like, for Junmyeon.
All of a sudden, Kyungsoo felt his confidence shrinking and he was about to turn around and leave-
-when Jongin caught his eyes and he smiled widely.
“Kyungsoo-hyung! There you are!”
Kyungsoo froze in his tracks. The others turned to stare at him, and he felt like crawling into a hole and hide; it was too late to turn away. There was nothing he could do but to smile back and wave his hand. “H-hey, Jongin-ah.”
“Are you done?” Jongin asked as he motioned Kyungsoo to come closer and the latter obliged automatically. Maybe Jongin was an expert in hypnotizing people. “Shall we?”
“Shall we?” Kyungsoo parroted dumbly. “Shall we...what?”
Jongin’s smile widened slightly as the taller male leaned closer to Kyungsoo. “Your ex-boyfriend is watching,” he mumbled quietly, his tone was laced with pride. “We should go now.”
Kyungsoo almost spun around instinctively to see if Chanyeol was really looking, but Jongin managed to grab his hand before he did so. Kyungsoo’s heart almost stopped beating when he felt Jongin touching his wrist.
“It’s better if you don’t look at anywhere but me.”
Kyungsoo’s gaze collided with Jongin’s for a few seconds, but it seemed like forever. Jongin gave him a kind smile before waving a hand at his brother.
“See you later, Hyung.”
“Be careful,” Junmyeon reluctantly replied.
Kyungsoo wanted Junmyeon to smile at him, but the latter had already turned around to approach Yifan, who was standing with Chanyeol (Oh God, Chanyeol was really watching-). It saddened Kyungsoo, but then he felt a gentle pat on his lower back, getting a signal from Jongin that they should be going. He still felt a little sad, though sulking for a bit, his frown turned into a smile when Jongin, ‘the pretend-boyfriend’ asked him how his day was with a sincere smile.
He had never known that Jongin smelled good.
***
Jongin stood too close in his personal space, but Kyungsoo thought it was for the sake of everyone to believe that they were dating.
Not that Kyungsoo hated it. It was nice to have Jongin standing close to him like that. It made him feel protected. It didn’t take long for Kyungsoo to realize that Jongin was probably as tall as Chanyeol, too, and Kyungsoo liked it. He liked tall people. He liked having them around.
He liked...Jongin.
Kyungsoo didn’t have the courage to ask what was Jongin’s intention of coming to the university, but when he recalled the younger male’s words of ‘your ex-boyfriend is watching’, he realized that it was merely an act. He was just acting...wasn’t he?
Jongin didn’t seem to have a specific plan of where to go, so all they did was wander around in the mall, doing some window-shopping, talking about the latest fashion trend and some other topics. After a long time of walking, Kyungsoo felt a bit tired. He didn’t mean to show it, more or less even to talk about it, but somehow Jongin knew. The younger of the two asked if he wanted bubble tea or ice cream, and Kyungsoo opted for the first one.
The bubble tea place was filled with girls who immediately sent inquisitive stares in Jongin’s direction the moment the couple stepped inside.
Kyungsoo felt himself holding back a smile at their reactions, but Jongin didn’t seem to mind.
The doe-eyed male accepted the drink from Jongin and uttered a small thank you. They chose to sit at one of the empty tables in the corner. He could hear the girls giggling over Jongin’s tall figure and he felt like sending them a glare this time, but in the end, Kyungsoo only sipped his drink and stayed quiet.
Jongin chuckled knowingly. “I’m on a date with you, so just ignore the girls.”
Kyungsoo was too shocked to even react.
“Hyung?”
“Y-yes?”
“Do you mind if I ask you a question?”
Kyungsoo hesitated. He had a feeling he knew what Jongin was about to ask. “...no, go ahead.”
“Did Chanyeol-hyung cheat on you?”
It wasn’t the question Kyungsoo expected and the drink almost slipped out of his hands. Kyungsoo’s cheeks reddened. Did Chanyeol...? Cheat...? He didn’t know. All he knew was that everything was over and that was it. They didn’t even have a fight. It just happened out of nowhere.
“I don’t know,” Kyungsoo honestly replied in a low voice.
“Hm,” Jongin furrowed his brows thoughtfully. “It would be better if I know the reason, so I’d know what to do next...”
“He...he said I nag a lot.”
Jongin watched Kyungsoo unblinkingly. “Oh. Well. Did you?”
“Eh?”
Jongin leaned forward to prop his elbow on the table before resting his chin on his palm. “Did you nag at him a lot?”
Kyungsoo dropped his gaze down onto the flat surface on the table. Did I...? Did bother Chanyeol with my nagging? Wait. What did I nag about exactly...? Kyungsoo pressed his lips together and his expression dimmed.
Why couldn’t Chanyeol just tell him what was wrong instead...?
“Maybe,” Kyungsoo said after a long moment. “I don’t know...”
Jongin didn’t say anything else after that and Kyungsoo was glad for it. If there was anything similar between Jongin and Junmyeon, it was that they were understanding.
“Are you tired? Maybe we should go home.”
Kyungsoo smiled. He wasn’t that tired, actually, but it was enough for the day. “Um...maybe we should.”
Jongin willingly took some of Kyungsoo’s books for him and waited patiently until Kyungsoo was done with his drink. The way Jongin treated him somehow reminded him of the way Yifan treated Junmyeon, and it hurt. Kyungsoo didn’t know why it hurt, but it just did. Chanyeol had never treated him like that before. They were walking side by side to exit the place when Kyungsoo suddenly spoke up.
“J-Jongin-ah?”
“Yes?”
“What if I do nag a lot?” Kyungsoo asked sadly, but it was addressed more to himself than to receive an answer.
“And you think I don’t?”
Kyungsoo gasped softly as he looked up, and Jongin poked his nose caringly. Jongin was smiling sweetly at him before offering his hand.
“It’s still a date, right? I have the right to hold your hand.”
Jongin’s smile widened when Kyungsoo let him intertwine their fingers.
He had never known that Jongin’s fingers were slender.
[2]