Only One [1/2]
Title: Only One [1/2]
Author: FloweryMisha
Pairing: KrisHo
Warning: BoyxBoy love. Enough said.
Summary: Junmyeon might have chosen Yifan by random, but it was never a mistake.
Author's Note: Based on a prompt by sekmeth ;; It's not like what you wanted, but I hope you like this one bb <3 It started as drabbles so, I’m sorry if some parts are confusing... And so sorry for being such a failure sobs. Please, no translations allowed!
Our greatness weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.
--Thomas A. Edison
“Please...”
Yifan watched the male before him unblinkingly. It happened so suddenly that Yifan couldn’t even react. He was about to go home when the male stopped him. Yifan must’ve had a dumb expression on his face because the other male’s eyes widened in horror (damn, did he look that ugly?). After a while, Yifan finally managed to get a grip of himself and cleared his throat.
“Uh...so let me get this straight,” Yifan said slowly as he adjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder. “You want me to...go with you to the charity event.”
“Yes.”
“Even though you don’t know who I am.”
“Yes.”
“Of all the people you could pick, you just decided to pick a stranger in the street.”
“Ye-“
“Are you out of your mind? Is this some kind of a joke to you?” Yifan snapped angrily and the male before him flinched. “Didn’t your parents ever tell you about strangers? What if I’m a bad person? You don’t just go to someone and ask them this kind of question! Worse, what if I’m in a relationship?”
“Well then, are you?”
“Am I what??”
“A-a bad person? In a relationship?”
Yifan gave the male a disbelief stare. He wanted to scold him, but then it struck Yifan that the male was actually pretty...no, beautiful was the right word. Heck, beautiful wasn’t even the right word to describe him. The male had delicate, petite body, smooth fair skin and pretty thin lips-Yifan had no idea why he noticed those of all things-and the way he spoke indicated that he was just as unsure as Yifan.
“Are you...?”
The beautiful male repeated his question, softer this time. It got Yifan to narrow his eyes, examining him closely. Beautiful. Simply...beautiful. The way the male spoke indicated that he was unsure, indeed, but his eyes showed otherwise. He was determined to make Yifan go with him.
“What’s your name?” Yifan finally asked after a moment of silence.
The male looked a bit taken aback by the sudden question, but he answered anyway. “K-Kim Junmyeon...”
“Junmyeon. How old are you?”
“Me? I’m twenty-three years old...”
He’s obedient, Yifan absently thought. Why so obedient?
“Well then, Junmyeon, I’m a year older than you, and I’m freaking busy since this is my last year. I’m sorry,” Yifan said sternly. “But it looks like you’re gonna have to find someone else.” With that, the Chinese male turned around to leave. Something akin to guilt bubbled within him, but Yifan knew he didn’t have the time to play around anymore. Tuition fee wasn’t exactly cheap, and he needed to graduate soon.
“Wait...”
Yifan could hear Junmyeon’s footsteps following closely behind him.
“Please, I’m begging you...”
Yifan’s heart ached at Junmyeon’s cracked voice. Nevertheless, he kept on walking.
“T-they want me to marry...”
Yifan shut his eyes and his steps slowly came to a stop. Junmyeon stopped right before he crashed into Yifan. Yifan took a deep, exasperated breath, because he knew he was going to regret it.
He should’ve just walked away.
“It’s not my business who you’re going to marry,” Yifan nonchalantly said.
He shouldn’t have stopped.
“I know, but please, hear me out...”
I’ll definitely regret this.
Yifan cracked his eyes open and glanced over his shoulder, waiting for Junmyeon to finish his sentence.
Junmyeon’s eyes were tearing up as he spoke, and Yifan wondered for a second why there was a massive urge to wipe those tears away. “I don’t want to marry someone I barely know...please, if I have someone with me at the charity event, they would leave me alone...”
But you barely know me!!! Yifan wanted to scream, but he managed to hold it inside. He face-palmed in resignation and frowned to himself. But you’re so obedient. Why aren’t you obeying this one?
“Please...”
Yifan lost count of how many times Junmyeon had said ‘please’ that night. The taller of the two fixed his gaze on Junmyeon, who seemed to be genuinely scared. Again, there was a sudden urge to make Junmyeon know that there was nothing to be afraid of. Yifan mentally kicked himself at the thought.
“Charity event, huh?”
Junmyeon blinked.
“I don’t have any decent clothes to wear.”
“I’ll-I’ll buy them for you,” Junmyeon hastily said. “And...and I’ll pay you if you go with me, I swear.”
Yifan grimaced darkly. “I’m not that kind of person.”
“I-I know! I know you’re not, it’s just-it’s a token of my gratitude! Just-just please...name your price and I’ll...” Junmyeon trailed off, his face flushing. The male dropped his gaze to the ground, avoiding Yifan’s eyes. “Please, don’t be mad at me...”
Yifan would definitely snap if he heard ‘please’ one more time from Junmyeon. Junmyeon was still glaring at the ground when Yifan sighed in defeat. How come someone like him existed...? It was obvious that Junmyeon was scared, but he was also stubborn at getting what he wanted.
Spoilt rich kid.
“Very well then, Junmyeon.”
Yifan stepped closer to Junmyeon and a soft gasp escaped the latter’s mouth. Yifan didn’t miss the way Junmyeon gulping when he closed the gap between them, but the latter didn’t back away. Yifan couldn’t help but smirk, admiring the shorter male’s courage.
“You’d better prepare a fortune.”
***
“Hello. Um, I’m looking for a set of tuxedo...”
Yifan watched the back of Junmyeon’s head unblinkingly. It happened so suddenly that Yifan couldn’t even react. The Chinese male had just stepped out of the library when he found out that Junmyeon had been waiting for him. Yifan must’ve looked like hell because Junmyeon’s eyes widened in horror (damn, did he look that ugly?) upon seeing him.
“Hi,” Junmyeon shyly smiled. “Um, we’re going to get you decent clothes for the charity event?”
It was when Yifan realized that Junmyeon was really serious about the whole thing.
The next thing Yifan knew, they were at a huge clothing store. A formal clothing store, to be exact. Junmyeon immediately went to one of the clerks-a bald man with unbelievably tight clothes-and the latter examined Junmyeon like he was some kind of dessert before nodding in satisfaction.
“For you, cupcake, I have just the perfect size.”
“Oh, but it’s not for me. It’s for him...”
Yifan noticed how the clerk craned his head toward his direction and the Chinese male held the urge to roll his eyes (and stuck his tongue out mockingly). Junmyeon was clad in a simple set of clothing, but with a single glance, everyone could tell that he came from a high-class family. As for Yifan, well...he had visible eye bags from excessive studying-blame his paper-and besides, he never really cared about how he looked whenever he went to campus.
Okay, maybe I should. I definitely look like hell now.
The bald clerk sent him a nasty stare before pouting. He then turned Junmyeon with a sympathetic expression. “He’s so tall, isn’t he? Very well. I’ll see what I can do. I think I still have his size here, somewhere...”
“They don’t have my size, let’s go,” Yifan grunted the minute the clerk walked away and beckoned Junmyeon to go. But Junmyeon shook his head and motioned the taller male to step closer instead. Yifan still preferred to leave the store, but Junmyeon’s expression made him sigh in defeat. “Are you sure it’s the right store? Just look at the way he stared at me earlier.”
“I’m sure, Yifan. I asked some of my tall friends and they said they got their sizes here, so...”
Yifan slightly gaped at that. Tall friends. So I’m considered as one of your tall friends, huh? He didn’t know if he should feel complimented or offended by Junmyeon’s statement. “Huh. Lucky you, then, I guess, for being the perfect size.”
“Hm? I’m not perfect. It’s hard to find my size, too. My family has personal tailor.”
Yifan snorted as he crossed his arms. “Sure.”
“Did-did I say something wrong...?”
Yifan let out a long sigh. Of course Junmyeon didn’t mean anything. He even asked his friends about the specific store, which meant that Junmyeon was really serious about this whole thing. Yifan had no right to feel offended whatsoever. “No. Sorry.” The taller of the two took another sigh and shook his head. “Let’s just wait for him, then.”
Then it was awkward.
Junmyeon walked from a mannequin to another, observing the displayed suits thoroughly while Yifan stayed still on his spot. It felt like it was just the two of them at the store, and Yifan’s eyes followed everything that Junmyeon touched. After a moment that seemed like forever, the clerk finally came back with a few pieces in his hand.
“Blue, black, gray, purple.”
“Definitely not purple,” Yifan breathed.
“You should try the gray one,” Junmyeon’s expression brightened as he took the set from the clerk’s hand. “It has nice model.”
“Gray,” Yifan deadpanned. “Can’t I-can’t I just have black?”
“Black? Do you want black...?”
“Yeah. Black never dies. Simple. Favorite of all time. Vintage. Whatever.”
“But...but the gray one is better...”
“You should listen to your boyfriend, Mister,” the clerk grunted and offhandedly handed Yifan the gray one, startling the latter. “Just look at how gorgeous your boyfriend is. What he chooses will definitely suit you-even an underwear. Go on, try.”
At the mention of the word boyfriend, both Junmyeon and Yifan exchanged a weird glance. Junmyeon was the first one to look away, and Yifan dismissed the feeling that crept inside, caused by the former’s glance. He halfheartedly accepted the gray tuxedo and headed toward the changing room. Just as Yifan stepped inside, he heard Junmyeon calling out for him.
“Yifan?”
“Yeah.”
“When you’re done...come out for a moment, all right? Let me see it.”
Yifan huffed silently as he changed. Even though the clerk was annoying-he seemed to take a liking toward Junmyeon, but not to him-it amazed him how the clerk managed to get him his size. As Yifan put on the shirt and the vest, he wondered if he had a concussion last week for saying yes to Junmyeon.
‘I don’t have any decent clothes to wear.’
You and your big mouth, Wu Yifan.
Oh dear, what did I get myself into?
“Yifan...?”
“I’m coming out,” Yifan said heavily and dragged a hand down his face in exasperation. He stole a glance in the mirror one more time before walking out of the changing room. The Chinese male could sense Junmyeon’s gaze on him and he chose not to stare back at the beautiful male.
For the first time in his life, he felt awkward for trying a set of clothes.
“Wow,” the clerk commented and clicked his tongue. “You are one fine puppy. Gray looks good on you. Maybe you should dispose your daily clothes and let your boyfriend choose for you from now on?”
If Junmyeon wasn’t there, Yifan probably would’ve retorted something just as rude. But right then, his nervousness was bigger than anything else, and it got even bigger when Junmyeon came closer. Yifan still avoided Junmyeon’s eyes, but when the latter placed his hands on Yifan’s arms, he braved himself to stare.
Yifan instinctively held his breath.
Junmyeon’s gaze on him was soft, and his eyes were gleamed with genuine fondness. It was different than his usual stare, and Yifan suddenly felt weak under his stare. Something strange was formed in Yifan’s chest, and he couldn’t figure out what it was.
“You look really good,” Junmyeon said quietly with a smile as he leaned closer to Yifan. “Not that I agree to what the clerk said-I think you still look handsome in your daily clothes, but you...”
“Handsome?”
Junmyeon fell silent. “I-I mean...”
“You think I’m handsome?”
Junmyeon chose not to reply as he reached up for Yifan’s hair. “We’re just going to style your hair like this later, and-“
“You think I’m handsome.”
Junmyeon faked a desperate sigh. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
Yifan chuckled earnestly. “Really, I’m glad you think so. I’m obviously not that clerk’s type.”
Junmyeon laughed back and playfully whacked Yifan on his shoulder. It got Yifan to grin. He let Junmyeon playing with his hair for a while, but when the beautiful male accidentally brushed a few strands of hair away from Yifan’s forehead, both of them stopped moving. Junmyeon sucked in his breath and Yifan’s eyes immediately went down to Junmyeon’s lips.
Beautiful.
“Okay, you two are perfect, love is in the air, yada yada...just kiss already.”
The clerk’s teasing voice jerked them out of their thoughts. Junmyeon quickly pulled away, face blushing madly as he turned to the bald male. “U-um, I’ll take that one...please.”
When they got out of the store, it was already dark. Junmyeon did some more window-shopping with Yifan following closely behind him. Too close, in fact. Neither of them initiated a conversation, but both seemed to enjoy the silence. It was, surprisingly, comfortable.
But all good things must came to an end.
“It’s pretty late,” Yifan said as he glanced at his watch. “I need to work on my paper...”
“Oh,” Junmyeon responded. “Y-yeah, sure... Last year of college is tough, right?”
“Yeah. When’s the charity event anyway?”
“Next week...”
“Okay. Just text me the date and time and I’ll be there.”
Junmyeon bloomed into a small smile and nodded. “So I guess...I’ll see you next week?”
Yifan licked his lips. “Yeah...”
“All right. Thank you for today, Yifan. I hope you like the tux.”
Junmyeon waved him goodbye with a sincere smile and turned around to the opposite way. Yifan wanted to walk away, too, but it was as if his feet were transfixed to the ground. He’s walking away, Yifan. Do something. Wait. What was that? Did I really just think that- What was it that he feel? Yifan stared at Junmyeon’s back in uncertainty.
Shoot.
“Junmyeon.”
Junmyeon turned around with a confused expression. “Yes?”
Yifan gulped. He would definitely going to regret this.
“Can I see you again tomorrow?”
***
“Yifan?”
Yifan watched Junmyeon unblinkingly as the latter poked his side. It happened so suddenly that he couldn’t even react.
Junmyeon fixed Yifan an inquisitive stare, one that the latter found truly endearing. Yifan made a mistake by looking at Junmyeon’s lips and cleared his throat. Pretty, thin lips. The Chinese male shifted in his seat as he tried to look away. He tried to distract his thought by drifting his gaze to his cup of coffee, but it didn’t last long.
His line of sight would always, always go back to the beautiful male before him.
“Yifan?”
The said male hummed in response, still unable to stare at Junmyeon.
“When you asked me if you could see me again, I honestly didn’t think it would be like this...”
“Like this?”
“Sitting at a coffee-shop and stay quiet for the rest of the day?”
Yifan imagined himself rolling away in embarrassment, screaming ‘I am so sorry!’, but his face stayed expressionless. “Right.” He pondered momentarily before clearing his throat. Why was he so nervous? And why did Junmyeon look so beautiful?
Damn it. Control yourself, Yifan.
Yifan fidgeted with his fingers for a while. “Uh...okay. Remember when I snapped at you last week? When I told you that I could be a bad person?”
Junmyeon’s eyebrows knitted together. “Yes...?”
“Well, what if you are?”
Junmyeon’s jaw dropped involuntarily. “Huh?”
“What if you’re the bad person? What if...you’re the one who’s in a relationship?”
Junmyeon’s expression changed drastically at Yifan’s remark. It took the beautiful male a few seconds to understand what Yifan had said, and he went pale. “Do I-do I look that bad to you...?”
“No, but...” Yifan hastily held up his index finger. “Wait, that’s not the point, Junmyeon.”
“Then what is...?”
“The point is, you came out of nowhere, asking me to accompany you to a charity event, bought me an expensive suit, but we hardly know each other. You don’t know me, and I don’t know you.”
“So...? We’ll get there, right...?”
Yifan smacked his palm against his mouth and almost groaned in frustration.
Why does it sound like we’re dating?
“Nevermind. I don’t know how to explain it to you... You’re totally clueless.”
Junmyeon opened his mouth to retort, but closed it back because Yifan’s eyes weren’t on him. Desperate and a bit confused, the male wordlessly took his phone out of his pocket. The sound of Junmyeon’s fingers clicking on the screen got Yifan to look at him. Junmyeon hastily shoved his phone to Yifan’s direction, and the latter automatically backed away if he wanted his nose to be safe.
“Look,” Junmyeon said, waving the phone slightly. Yifan gave the screen a nonchalant stare. It was a picture of a dog. “Star, my favorite pet.”
Before Yifan even got the chance to react, Junmyeon took his phone back, clicking on another picture before showing it back to Yifan. It was a picture of Junmyeon with a tall, handsome male. The two of them were smiling in the picture and there was resemblance at the way they smiled. Yifan frowned slightly as he stared at Junmyeon, and he noticed the latter’s lips were quivering as he spoke.
“Taecyeon-hyung, my favorite sibling.”
Junmyeon didn’t give Yifan the time to respond and quickly showed him another picture. This time, it was a picture of food.
“Kimchi spaghetti, my favorite food.”
“Junmyeon.”
“My favorite fall outfit.”
“Junmyeon.”
“My favorite shoes.”
“Junmyeon-“
Junmyeon was about to show Yifan another picture, but the latter stopped him by grabbing his wrist. Yifan’s grip on him was firm, and Junmyeon gasped as he looked up with a terrified expression.
“What are you doing?” Yifan asked sternly.
“I want you to know me better...”
Yifan was dumbfounded. He wasn’t sure if he heard that right. “What?”
“You said-you said we hardly know each other, right...?” Junmyeon sounded very sad as he looked down. Yifan still trapped his wrist, and Junmyeon’s other hand was on his lap, holding his phone tightly. “I know we just met...but...but please believe me, I have no bad intention...”
Yifan mentally berated himself. The sight of sad Junmyeon pained him so bad, and he didn’t want it. Junmyeon was too precious and he didn’t want him to feel sad. Yifan chewed on his lower lip, exhaling softly and patted Junmyeon’s head. He quickly thought of a topic to make Junmyeon smile.
“Hey. Tell me about your brother.”
“Taecyeon-hyung?” Junmyeon’s tone was still laced with sadness, but he smiled a bit at the name. Yifan nodded. “He’s the nicest person in the whole world. He’s three years older than me. He’s married, but he still calls me several times a week to ask me how I’m doing. Taecyeon-hyung takes good care of me. I really, really love him.”
Yifan sincerely smiled. He could feel the love Junmyeon had for his brother. “He sounds great. Do you have any sister? Or a younger brother?”
“No. It’s just me and Taecyeon-hyung.”
“...but you said he’s your favorite sibling?”
“I did. Because he’s the only sibling I have, he’s my favorite.”
Yifan dumbly stared at Junmyeon, who seemed to be in a bliss talking about his brother. He diminished the urge to protest at Junmyeon and
shrugged it off. “So, do you like kimchi spaghetti?”
“Yes!” Junmyeon’s eyes turned to two beautiful crescents and Yifan’s heart skipped a beat. “Kyungsoo was born to cook, I swear you have to try everything he makes!”
“Kyungsoo?”
“Um,” Junmyeon nodded happily. “My favorite cousin.”
Yifan shook his head in amusement. “You like to play favorites, don’t you?”
Junmyeon looked worried. “Is it...bad?”
Yifan shifted his eyes back to his cup of coffee. It must have gone cold by now. “No,” he replied softly before catching Junmyeon’s gaze. “It’s not bad at all.”
Junmyeon’s shy smile made Yifan’s heart stutter.
They spent the rest of the day talking and walking around the mall. Junmyeon seemed to enjoy their conversation-although it was Junmyeon who talked more and Yifan only listened intently. Junmyeon randomly pointed at a lot of things while informing Yifan.
His favorite color. Favorite brand. Favorite cologne.
It was after twenty minutes or so that Junmyeon realized Yifan wasn’t commenting anymore, and he slowly stopped talking. Yifan noticed the sudden quietness, but he didn’t think it was a big deal. Too bad, because he kind of liked it whenever Junmyeon spoke. Maybe he’s tired...? Yifan raised his hand to pat Junmyeon’s hair, wanting to soothe him, but he hesitated halfway. Maybe I should take him home.
“It’s pretty late, I’ll walk you home,” Yifan turned to Junmyeon. “Is your house far from here?”
“My house?” Junmyeon looked slightly surprised at the question. “Ah, it’s all right, my driver will pick me up...”
“Your driver?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh. Okay then. Where is he picking you up?”
Junmyeon glanced at his watch. “Anywhere is fine. It’s not that late.”
“How about we’ll take the subway, and tell him to pick you up at the next station, then?”
Junmyeon looked a bit unsure at that, but he nodded anyway. “Okay.”
The station was a bit crowded than usual. Yifan didn’t know why he repeatedly glanced at Junmyeon. Junmyeon is tiny, Yifan thought defensively. You’re just worried. He wasn’t that tiny, of course, but in the sea of people, it was easy to lose him. They stood closely while waiting for the train, and Yifan stole another glance at Junmyeon who was still busy with his phone.
It must have been instinct that when the train arrived, Yifan automatically held Junmyeon’s hand. He had no idea why he did that, maybe because there were a lot of people and he just didn’t want to lose the other male. Yifan could’ve sworn that Junmyeon’s face was red, but it was probably caused by the lack of oxygen in the crowded space. A minute later, Yifan regretted taking the subway-damn it, he should’ve taken the bus or a taxi instead.
Junmyeon tugged Yifan’s fingers to get his attention.
Are you okay? Yifan mouthed worriedly at Junmyeon, who weakly smiled at him and nodded as a silent answer. Hang on. Just a few more minutes. Junmyeon nodded once again, and Yifan felt the former tightening his grip on his fingers. Yifan could feel how delicate Junmyeon’s fingers were in his and he gave it a calming squeeze.
Yifan didn’t look away from Junmyeon, not even for a second.
He needed to make sure that Junmyeon was safe.
When it was finally their station, Yifan tugged Junmyeon’s hand as a sign that they needed to get out. He was certain that his grip was strong, but all of a sudden, Yifan was being pushed by the other people who were eager to step out. Somehow he lost Junmyeon, and it got him to panic. Yifan felt blood rushing to his head as he looked around.
Junmyeon was nowhere to be found.
Shit.
Yifan’s heart almost stopped beating. The Chinese male ignored the sounds of protest that came from the people who bumped into him for stopping abruptly and he felt like pulling his hair in anger. Dammit, if only he didn’t take the train!
“Yifan, help-“
Yifan saw Junmyeon (miraculously) emerging from the crowd and without thinking, he lunged forward to reach the latter’s arm. He breathlessly pulled Junmyeon closer by the waist, but he certainly didn’t expect Junmyeon smashing his head against his chest. Yifan winced at the sudden pain, but when he realized the Junmyeon’s shoulders were shaking, the pain vanished instantly.
“Are you okay?”
“Y-yeah. Sorry,” Junmyeon murmured with a cracked voice. “It’s just-being tiny sucks...”
“No, it’s my fault,” Yifan replied apologetically. “I’m sorry, I should’ve held your hand tighter.”
“You held it tight enough, I was-I was scared, and I let go...”
“It’s all right, you’re safe now. Just promise me you won’t let it go next time. Okay?”
“...person.”
“I’m sorry?”
Junmyeon’s voice was muffled on his shirt, and Yifan leaned down to hear what he was saying.
“...my favorite person...”
Yifan held his breath at Junmyeon’s words. He wasn’t sure if Junmyeon meant him, but the way Junmyeon curled his fist against Yifan’s chest showed that it was him. Everything seemed to fall silent around them, and Junmyeon’s heartbeat was the only thing he could hear.
Favorite person.
The corner of Yifan’s lips twitched. What was it that he feel? Proud? Oh, he was proud, alright. Still, Yifan was the worst at expressing his feeling, and in the end, he commented nothing.
“We should go, Junmyeon. Your driver’s probably waiting.”
Junmyeon sighed as he peeled himself off of Yifan. “Yeah...we should.”
Yifan protectively wrapped his arm around Junmyeon’s shoulder, and Junmyeon leaned his head on Yifan’s long arm. It was nice to have the smaller male pressed against him. It felt really nice that Yifan selfishly didn’t want the night to end. He wanted to know more. He wanted to know more about Junmyeon.
“Yifan?”
“Yes?”
“Can we meet again...tomorrow?”
Yifan looked down at Junmyeon, but the other male had his eyes straight to the stairs in front of them. He pressed his lips into a thin line, wondering if it was a wise decision, because...because the deal was just to accompany Junmyeon to the charity event, and definitely...
...definitely not this.
“It’s okay if you’re busy,” Junmyeon added quickly.
He was busy. He needed to work on his paper and meet his professor soon. But...the feeling of wanting to spend the time with Junmyeon was incredibly huge, and Yifan felt a bit scared. It was the first time he ever felt this way toward anyone, and it scared him.
It scared him, but it didn’t make him doubt.
“Yifan...?”
Yifan wasn’t sure if he was going to regret it.
“Only if you let me pay for dinner, Junmyeon.”
[2]
Author: FloweryMisha
Pairing: KrisHo
Warning: BoyxBoy love. Enough said.
Summary: Junmyeon might have chosen Yifan by random, but it was never a mistake.
Author's Note: Based on a prompt by sekmeth ;; It's not like what you wanted, but I hope you like this one bb <3 It started as drabbles so, I’m sorry if some parts are confusing... And so sorry for being such a failure sobs. Please, no translations allowed!
Our greatness weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.
--Thomas A. Edison
“Please...”
Yifan watched the male before him unblinkingly. It happened so suddenly that Yifan couldn’t even react. He was about to go home when the male stopped him. Yifan must’ve had a dumb expression on his face because the other male’s eyes widened in horror (damn, did he look that ugly?). After a while, Yifan finally managed to get a grip of himself and cleared his throat.
“Uh...so let me get this straight,” Yifan said slowly as he adjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder. “You want me to...go with you to the charity event.”
“Yes.”
“Even though you don’t know who I am.”
“Yes.”
“Of all the people you could pick, you just decided to pick a stranger in the street.”
“Ye-“
“Are you out of your mind? Is this some kind of a joke to you?” Yifan snapped angrily and the male before him flinched. “Didn’t your parents ever tell you about strangers? What if I’m a bad person? You don’t just go to someone and ask them this kind of question! Worse, what if I’m in a relationship?”
“Well then, are you?”
“Am I what??”
“A-a bad person? In a relationship?”
Yifan gave the male a disbelief stare. He wanted to scold him, but then it struck Yifan that the male was actually pretty...no, beautiful was the right word. Heck, beautiful wasn’t even the right word to describe him. The male had delicate, petite body, smooth fair skin and pretty thin lips-Yifan had no idea why he noticed those of all things-and the way he spoke indicated that he was just as unsure as Yifan.
“Are you...?”
The beautiful male repeated his question, softer this time. It got Yifan to narrow his eyes, examining him closely. Beautiful. Simply...beautiful. The way the male spoke indicated that he was unsure, indeed, but his eyes showed otherwise. He was determined to make Yifan go with him.
“What’s your name?” Yifan finally asked after a moment of silence.
The male looked a bit taken aback by the sudden question, but he answered anyway. “K-Kim Junmyeon...”
“Junmyeon. How old are you?”
“Me? I’m twenty-three years old...”
He’s obedient, Yifan absently thought. Why so obedient?
“Well then, Junmyeon, I’m a year older than you, and I’m freaking busy since this is my last year. I’m sorry,” Yifan said sternly. “But it looks like you’re gonna have to find someone else.” With that, the Chinese male turned around to leave. Something akin to guilt bubbled within him, but Yifan knew he didn’t have the time to play around anymore. Tuition fee wasn’t exactly cheap, and he needed to graduate soon.
“Wait...”
Yifan could hear Junmyeon’s footsteps following closely behind him.
“Please, I’m begging you...”
Yifan’s heart ached at Junmyeon’s cracked voice. Nevertheless, he kept on walking.
“T-they want me to marry...”
Yifan shut his eyes and his steps slowly came to a stop. Junmyeon stopped right before he crashed into Yifan. Yifan took a deep, exasperated breath, because he knew he was going to regret it.
He should’ve just walked away.
“It’s not my business who you’re going to marry,” Yifan nonchalantly said.
He shouldn’t have stopped.
“I know, but please, hear me out...”
I’ll definitely regret this.
Yifan cracked his eyes open and glanced over his shoulder, waiting for Junmyeon to finish his sentence.
Junmyeon’s eyes were tearing up as he spoke, and Yifan wondered for a second why there was a massive urge to wipe those tears away. “I don’t want to marry someone I barely know...please, if I have someone with me at the charity event, they would leave me alone...”
But you barely know me!!! Yifan wanted to scream, but he managed to hold it inside. He face-palmed in resignation and frowned to himself. But you’re so obedient. Why aren’t you obeying this one?
“Please...”
Yifan lost count of how many times Junmyeon had said ‘please’ that night. The taller of the two fixed his gaze on Junmyeon, who seemed to be genuinely scared. Again, there was a sudden urge to make Junmyeon know that there was nothing to be afraid of. Yifan mentally kicked himself at the thought.
“Charity event, huh?”
Junmyeon blinked.
“I don’t have any decent clothes to wear.”
“I’ll-I’ll buy them for you,” Junmyeon hastily said. “And...and I’ll pay you if you go with me, I swear.”
Yifan grimaced darkly. “I’m not that kind of person.”
“I-I know! I know you’re not, it’s just-it’s a token of my gratitude! Just-just please...name your price and I’ll...” Junmyeon trailed off, his face flushing. The male dropped his gaze to the ground, avoiding Yifan’s eyes. “Please, don’t be mad at me...”
Yifan would definitely snap if he heard ‘please’ one more time from Junmyeon. Junmyeon was still glaring at the ground when Yifan sighed in defeat. How come someone like him existed...? It was obvious that Junmyeon was scared, but he was also stubborn at getting what he wanted.
Spoilt rich kid.
“Very well then, Junmyeon.”
Yifan stepped closer to Junmyeon and a soft gasp escaped the latter’s mouth. Yifan didn’t miss the way Junmyeon gulping when he closed the gap between them, but the latter didn’t back away. Yifan couldn’t help but smirk, admiring the shorter male’s courage.
“You’d better prepare a fortune.”
***
“Hello. Um, I’m looking for a set of tuxedo...”
Yifan watched the back of Junmyeon’s head unblinkingly. It happened so suddenly that Yifan couldn’t even react. The Chinese male had just stepped out of the library when he found out that Junmyeon had been waiting for him. Yifan must’ve looked like hell because Junmyeon’s eyes widened in horror (damn, did he look that ugly?) upon seeing him.
“Hi,” Junmyeon shyly smiled. “Um, we’re going to get you decent clothes for the charity event?”
It was when Yifan realized that Junmyeon was really serious about the whole thing.
The next thing Yifan knew, they were at a huge clothing store. A formal clothing store, to be exact. Junmyeon immediately went to one of the clerks-a bald man with unbelievably tight clothes-and the latter examined Junmyeon like he was some kind of dessert before nodding in satisfaction.
“For you, cupcake, I have just the perfect size.”
“Oh, but it’s not for me. It’s for him...”
Yifan noticed how the clerk craned his head toward his direction and the Chinese male held the urge to roll his eyes (and stuck his tongue out mockingly). Junmyeon was clad in a simple set of clothing, but with a single glance, everyone could tell that he came from a high-class family. As for Yifan, well...he had visible eye bags from excessive studying-blame his paper-and besides, he never really cared about how he looked whenever he went to campus.
Okay, maybe I should. I definitely look like hell now.
The bald clerk sent him a nasty stare before pouting. He then turned Junmyeon with a sympathetic expression. “He’s so tall, isn’t he? Very well. I’ll see what I can do. I think I still have his size here, somewhere...”
“They don’t have my size, let’s go,” Yifan grunted the minute the clerk walked away and beckoned Junmyeon to go. But Junmyeon shook his head and motioned the taller male to step closer instead. Yifan still preferred to leave the store, but Junmyeon’s expression made him sigh in defeat. “Are you sure it’s the right store? Just look at the way he stared at me earlier.”
“I’m sure, Yifan. I asked some of my tall friends and they said they got their sizes here, so...”
Yifan slightly gaped at that. Tall friends. So I’m considered as one of your tall friends, huh? He didn’t know if he should feel complimented or offended by Junmyeon’s statement. “Huh. Lucky you, then, I guess, for being the perfect size.”
“Hm? I’m not perfect. It’s hard to find my size, too. My family has personal tailor.”
Yifan snorted as he crossed his arms. “Sure.”
“Did-did I say something wrong...?”
Yifan let out a long sigh. Of course Junmyeon didn’t mean anything. He even asked his friends about the specific store, which meant that Junmyeon was really serious about this whole thing. Yifan had no right to feel offended whatsoever. “No. Sorry.” The taller of the two took another sigh and shook his head. “Let’s just wait for him, then.”
Then it was awkward.
Junmyeon walked from a mannequin to another, observing the displayed suits thoroughly while Yifan stayed still on his spot. It felt like it was just the two of them at the store, and Yifan’s eyes followed everything that Junmyeon touched. After a moment that seemed like forever, the clerk finally came back with a few pieces in his hand.
“Blue, black, gray, purple.”
“Definitely not purple,” Yifan breathed.
“You should try the gray one,” Junmyeon’s expression brightened as he took the set from the clerk’s hand. “It has nice model.”
“Gray,” Yifan deadpanned. “Can’t I-can’t I just have black?”
“Black? Do you want black...?”
“Yeah. Black never dies. Simple. Favorite of all time. Vintage. Whatever.”
“But...but the gray one is better...”
“You should listen to your boyfriend, Mister,” the clerk grunted and offhandedly handed Yifan the gray one, startling the latter. “Just look at how gorgeous your boyfriend is. What he chooses will definitely suit you-even an underwear. Go on, try.”
At the mention of the word boyfriend, both Junmyeon and Yifan exchanged a weird glance. Junmyeon was the first one to look away, and Yifan dismissed the feeling that crept inside, caused by the former’s glance. He halfheartedly accepted the gray tuxedo and headed toward the changing room. Just as Yifan stepped inside, he heard Junmyeon calling out for him.
“Yifan?”
“Yeah.”
“When you’re done...come out for a moment, all right? Let me see it.”
Yifan huffed silently as he changed. Even though the clerk was annoying-he seemed to take a liking toward Junmyeon, but not to him-it amazed him how the clerk managed to get him his size. As Yifan put on the shirt and the vest, he wondered if he had a concussion last week for saying yes to Junmyeon.
‘I don’t have any decent clothes to wear.’
You and your big mouth, Wu Yifan.
Oh dear, what did I get myself into?
“Yifan...?”
“I’m coming out,” Yifan said heavily and dragged a hand down his face in exasperation. He stole a glance in the mirror one more time before walking out of the changing room. The Chinese male could sense Junmyeon’s gaze on him and he chose not to stare back at the beautiful male.
For the first time in his life, he felt awkward for trying a set of clothes.
“Wow,” the clerk commented and clicked his tongue. “You are one fine puppy. Gray looks good on you. Maybe you should dispose your daily clothes and let your boyfriend choose for you from now on?”
If Junmyeon wasn’t there, Yifan probably would’ve retorted something just as rude. But right then, his nervousness was bigger than anything else, and it got even bigger when Junmyeon came closer. Yifan still avoided Junmyeon’s eyes, but when the latter placed his hands on Yifan’s arms, he braved himself to stare.
Yifan instinctively held his breath.
Junmyeon’s gaze on him was soft, and his eyes were gleamed with genuine fondness. It was different than his usual stare, and Yifan suddenly felt weak under his stare. Something strange was formed in Yifan’s chest, and he couldn’t figure out what it was.
“You look really good,” Junmyeon said quietly with a smile as he leaned closer to Yifan. “Not that I agree to what the clerk said-I think you still look handsome in your daily clothes, but you...”
“Handsome?”
Junmyeon fell silent. “I-I mean...”
“You think I’m handsome?”
Junmyeon chose not to reply as he reached up for Yifan’s hair. “We’re just going to style your hair like this later, and-“
“You think I’m handsome.”
Junmyeon faked a desperate sigh. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
Yifan chuckled earnestly. “Really, I’m glad you think so. I’m obviously not that clerk’s type.”
Junmyeon laughed back and playfully whacked Yifan on his shoulder. It got Yifan to grin. He let Junmyeon playing with his hair for a while, but when the beautiful male accidentally brushed a few strands of hair away from Yifan’s forehead, both of them stopped moving. Junmyeon sucked in his breath and Yifan’s eyes immediately went down to Junmyeon’s lips.
Beautiful.
“Okay, you two are perfect, love is in the air, yada yada...just kiss already.”
The clerk’s teasing voice jerked them out of their thoughts. Junmyeon quickly pulled away, face blushing madly as he turned to the bald male. “U-um, I’ll take that one...please.”
When they got out of the store, it was already dark. Junmyeon did some more window-shopping with Yifan following closely behind him. Too close, in fact. Neither of them initiated a conversation, but both seemed to enjoy the silence. It was, surprisingly, comfortable.
But all good things must came to an end.
“It’s pretty late,” Yifan said as he glanced at his watch. “I need to work on my paper...”
“Oh,” Junmyeon responded. “Y-yeah, sure... Last year of college is tough, right?”
“Yeah. When’s the charity event anyway?”
“Next week...”
“Okay. Just text me the date and time and I’ll be there.”
Junmyeon bloomed into a small smile and nodded. “So I guess...I’ll see you next week?”
Yifan licked his lips. “Yeah...”
“All right. Thank you for today, Yifan. I hope you like the tux.”
Junmyeon waved him goodbye with a sincere smile and turned around to the opposite way. Yifan wanted to walk away, too, but it was as if his feet were transfixed to the ground. He’s walking away, Yifan. Do something. Wait. What was that? Did I really just think that- What was it that he feel? Yifan stared at Junmyeon’s back in uncertainty.
Shoot.
“Junmyeon.”
Junmyeon turned around with a confused expression. “Yes?”
Yifan gulped. He would definitely going to regret this.
“Can I see you again tomorrow?”
***
“Yifan?”
Yifan watched Junmyeon unblinkingly as the latter poked his side. It happened so suddenly that he couldn’t even react.
Junmyeon fixed Yifan an inquisitive stare, one that the latter found truly endearing. Yifan made a mistake by looking at Junmyeon’s lips and cleared his throat. Pretty, thin lips. The Chinese male shifted in his seat as he tried to look away. He tried to distract his thought by drifting his gaze to his cup of coffee, but it didn’t last long.
His line of sight would always, always go back to the beautiful male before him.
“Yifan?”
The said male hummed in response, still unable to stare at Junmyeon.
“When you asked me if you could see me again, I honestly didn’t think it would be like this...”
“Like this?”
“Sitting at a coffee-shop and stay quiet for the rest of the day?”
Yifan imagined himself rolling away in embarrassment, screaming ‘I am so sorry!’, but his face stayed expressionless. “Right.” He pondered momentarily before clearing his throat. Why was he so nervous? And why did Junmyeon look so beautiful?
Damn it. Control yourself, Yifan.
Yifan fidgeted with his fingers for a while. “Uh...okay. Remember when I snapped at you last week? When I told you that I could be a bad person?”
Junmyeon’s eyebrows knitted together. “Yes...?”
“Well, what if you are?”
Junmyeon’s jaw dropped involuntarily. “Huh?”
“What if you’re the bad person? What if...you’re the one who’s in a relationship?”
Junmyeon’s expression changed drastically at Yifan’s remark. It took the beautiful male a few seconds to understand what Yifan had said, and he went pale. “Do I-do I look that bad to you...?”
“No, but...” Yifan hastily held up his index finger. “Wait, that’s not the point, Junmyeon.”
“Then what is...?”
“The point is, you came out of nowhere, asking me to accompany you to a charity event, bought me an expensive suit, but we hardly know each other. You don’t know me, and I don’t know you.”
“So...? We’ll get there, right...?”
Yifan smacked his palm against his mouth and almost groaned in frustration.
Why does it sound like we’re dating?
“Nevermind. I don’t know how to explain it to you... You’re totally clueless.”
Junmyeon opened his mouth to retort, but closed it back because Yifan’s eyes weren’t on him. Desperate and a bit confused, the male wordlessly took his phone out of his pocket. The sound of Junmyeon’s fingers clicking on the screen got Yifan to look at him. Junmyeon hastily shoved his phone to Yifan’s direction, and the latter automatically backed away if he wanted his nose to be safe.
“Look,” Junmyeon said, waving the phone slightly. Yifan gave the screen a nonchalant stare. It was a picture of a dog. “Star, my favorite pet.”
Before Yifan even got the chance to react, Junmyeon took his phone back, clicking on another picture before showing it back to Yifan. It was a picture of Junmyeon with a tall, handsome male. The two of them were smiling in the picture and there was resemblance at the way they smiled. Yifan frowned slightly as he stared at Junmyeon, and he noticed the latter’s lips were quivering as he spoke.
“Taecyeon-hyung, my favorite sibling.”
Junmyeon didn’t give Yifan the time to respond and quickly showed him another picture. This time, it was a picture of food.
“Kimchi spaghetti, my favorite food.”
“Junmyeon.”
“My favorite fall outfit.”
“Junmyeon.”
“My favorite shoes.”
“Junmyeon-“
Junmyeon was about to show Yifan another picture, but the latter stopped him by grabbing his wrist. Yifan’s grip on him was firm, and Junmyeon gasped as he looked up with a terrified expression.
“What are you doing?” Yifan asked sternly.
“I want you to know me better...”
Yifan was dumbfounded. He wasn’t sure if he heard that right. “What?”
“You said-you said we hardly know each other, right...?” Junmyeon sounded very sad as he looked down. Yifan still trapped his wrist, and Junmyeon’s other hand was on his lap, holding his phone tightly. “I know we just met...but...but please believe me, I have no bad intention...”
Yifan mentally berated himself. The sight of sad Junmyeon pained him so bad, and he didn’t want it. Junmyeon was too precious and he didn’t want him to feel sad. Yifan chewed on his lower lip, exhaling softly and patted Junmyeon’s head. He quickly thought of a topic to make Junmyeon smile.
“Hey. Tell me about your brother.”
“Taecyeon-hyung?” Junmyeon’s tone was still laced with sadness, but he smiled a bit at the name. Yifan nodded. “He’s the nicest person in the whole world. He’s three years older than me. He’s married, but he still calls me several times a week to ask me how I’m doing. Taecyeon-hyung takes good care of me. I really, really love him.”
Yifan sincerely smiled. He could feel the love Junmyeon had for his brother. “He sounds great. Do you have any sister? Or a younger brother?”
“No. It’s just me and Taecyeon-hyung.”
“...but you said he’s your favorite sibling?”
“I did. Because he’s the only sibling I have, he’s my favorite.”
Yifan dumbly stared at Junmyeon, who seemed to be in a bliss talking about his brother. He diminished the urge to protest at Junmyeon and
shrugged it off. “So, do you like kimchi spaghetti?”
“Yes!” Junmyeon’s eyes turned to two beautiful crescents and Yifan’s heart skipped a beat. “Kyungsoo was born to cook, I swear you have to try everything he makes!”
“Kyungsoo?”
“Um,” Junmyeon nodded happily. “My favorite cousin.”
Yifan shook his head in amusement. “You like to play favorites, don’t you?”
Junmyeon looked worried. “Is it...bad?”
Yifan shifted his eyes back to his cup of coffee. It must have gone cold by now. “No,” he replied softly before catching Junmyeon’s gaze. “It’s not bad at all.”
Junmyeon’s shy smile made Yifan’s heart stutter.
They spent the rest of the day talking and walking around the mall. Junmyeon seemed to enjoy their conversation-although it was Junmyeon who talked more and Yifan only listened intently. Junmyeon randomly pointed at a lot of things while informing Yifan.
His favorite color. Favorite brand. Favorite cologne.
It was after twenty minutes or so that Junmyeon realized Yifan wasn’t commenting anymore, and he slowly stopped talking. Yifan noticed the sudden quietness, but he didn’t think it was a big deal. Too bad, because he kind of liked it whenever Junmyeon spoke. Maybe he’s tired...? Yifan raised his hand to pat Junmyeon’s hair, wanting to soothe him, but he hesitated halfway. Maybe I should take him home.
“It’s pretty late, I’ll walk you home,” Yifan turned to Junmyeon. “Is your house far from here?”
“My house?” Junmyeon looked slightly surprised at the question. “Ah, it’s all right, my driver will pick me up...”
“Your driver?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh. Okay then. Where is he picking you up?”
Junmyeon glanced at his watch. “Anywhere is fine. It’s not that late.”
“How about we’ll take the subway, and tell him to pick you up at the next station, then?”
Junmyeon looked a bit unsure at that, but he nodded anyway. “Okay.”
The station was a bit crowded than usual. Yifan didn’t know why he repeatedly glanced at Junmyeon. Junmyeon is tiny, Yifan thought defensively. You’re just worried. He wasn’t that tiny, of course, but in the sea of people, it was easy to lose him. They stood closely while waiting for the train, and Yifan stole another glance at Junmyeon who was still busy with his phone.
It must have been instinct that when the train arrived, Yifan automatically held Junmyeon’s hand. He had no idea why he did that, maybe because there were a lot of people and he just didn’t want to lose the other male. Yifan could’ve sworn that Junmyeon’s face was red, but it was probably caused by the lack of oxygen in the crowded space. A minute later, Yifan regretted taking the subway-damn it, he should’ve taken the bus or a taxi instead.
Junmyeon tugged Yifan’s fingers to get his attention.
Are you okay? Yifan mouthed worriedly at Junmyeon, who weakly smiled at him and nodded as a silent answer. Hang on. Just a few more minutes. Junmyeon nodded once again, and Yifan felt the former tightening his grip on his fingers. Yifan could feel how delicate Junmyeon’s fingers were in his and he gave it a calming squeeze.
Yifan didn’t look away from Junmyeon, not even for a second.
He needed to make sure that Junmyeon was safe.
When it was finally their station, Yifan tugged Junmyeon’s hand as a sign that they needed to get out. He was certain that his grip was strong, but all of a sudden, Yifan was being pushed by the other people who were eager to step out. Somehow he lost Junmyeon, and it got him to panic. Yifan felt blood rushing to his head as he looked around.
Junmyeon was nowhere to be found.
Shit.
Yifan’s heart almost stopped beating. The Chinese male ignored the sounds of protest that came from the people who bumped into him for stopping abruptly and he felt like pulling his hair in anger. Dammit, if only he didn’t take the train!
“Yifan, help-“
Yifan saw Junmyeon (miraculously) emerging from the crowd and without thinking, he lunged forward to reach the latter’s arm. He breathlessly pulled Junmyeon closer by the waist, but he certainly didn’t expect Junmyeon smashing his head against his chest. Yifan winced at the sudden pain, but when he realized the Junmyeon’s shoulders were shaking, the pain vanished instantly.
“Are you okay?”
“Y-yeah. Sorry,” Junmyeon murmured with a cracked voice. “It’s just-being tiny sucks...”
“No, it’s my fault,” Yifan replied apologetically. “I’m sorry, I should’ve held your hand tighter.”
“You held it tight enough, I was-I was scared, and I let go...”
“It’s all right, you’re safe now. Just promise me you won’t let it go next time. Okay?”
“...person.”
“I’m sorry?”
Junmyeon’s voice was muffled on his shirt, and Yifan leaned down to hear what he was saying.
“...my favorite person...”
Yifan held his breath at Junmyeon’s words. He wasn’t sure if Junmyeon meant him, but the way Junmyeon curled his fist against Yifan’s chest showed that it was him. Everything seemed to fall silent around them, and Junmyeon’s heartbeat was the only thing he could hear.
Favorite person.
The corner of Yifan’s lips twitched. What was it that he feel? Proud? Oh, he was proud, alright. Still, Yifan was the worst at expressing his feeling, and in the end, he commented nothing.
“We should go, Junmyeon. Your driver’s probably waiting.”
Junmyeon sighed as he peeled himself off of Yifan. “Yeah...we should.”
Yifan protectively wrapped his arm around Junmyeon’s shoulder, and Junmyeon leaned his head on Yifan’s long arm. It was nice to have the smaller male pressed against him. It felt really nice that Yifan selfishly didn’t want the night to end. He wanted to know more. He wanted to know more about Junmyeon.
“Yifan?”
“Yes?”
“Can we meet again...tomorrow?”
Yifan looked down at Junmyeon, but the other male had his eyes straight to the stairs in front of them. He pressed his lips into a thin line, wondering if it was a wise decision, because...because the deal was just to accompany Junmyeon to the charity event, and definitely...
...definitely not this.
“It’s okay if you’re busy,” Junmyeon added quickly.
He was busy. He needed to work on his paper and meet his professor soon. But...the feeling of wanting to spend the time with Junmyeon was incredibly huge, and Yifan felt a bit scared. It was the first time he ever felt this way toward anyone, and it scared him.
It scared him, but it didn’t make him doubt.
“Yifan...?”
Yifan wasn’t sure if he was going to regret it.
“Only if you let me pay for dinner, Junmyeon.”
[2]