Flashback, 2010

Senior Year of High School

(18)

After hearing from the teacher that Baekhyun was taken to the infirmary, Chanyeol abandons the huddle of his classmates celebrating his victory in the High Jump event. Panicking and worrying, he bolts and runs, heading to the nurse's office.

"Hey, Chanyeol! Where are you going? Sports Day isn't finished yet! You still have one more event!"

"Find someone who can cover for me, thanks!"

Forcing the door open like he was some hero in an action movie, Chanyeol barges inside the clinic while catching his breath. Still wearing a varsity uniform and a bandana, he swishes away each curtain only to find the beds empty. At the last stall closest to the window though, is where he spots two people--one lying on the bed with his foot covered in bandages, and one sitting on a chair, holding an ice pack and a tray of medical supplies.

Both guys turn to look at Chanyeol, startled and appalled.

Chanyeol, as if he was out of his mind, suddenly cups Baekhyun's cheeks and checks for any wounds and scratches on the other's face. Baekhyun can only stay frozen while Chanyeol literally scans every inch of his body. A deep and loud sigh of relief is heard from him before he finally releases a confused Baekhyun who was just practically molded like dough by Chanyeol's big hands.

"Ahem. I'm still here?"

Jongdae, the guy with the injury, unfortunately, gives Chanyeol a disappointed headshake. Chanyeol offers his neighbor slash friend a sheepish smile, before genuinely asking him what happened and if he's okay.

"Jongdae rolled his ankle while he was participating in the baton relay," Baekhyun answers for him. Jongdae shrugs. "I carried him on my back and went straight here but the school nurse is off duty. I hope I did a pretty good job administering first aid."

"The bandage is nicely tied. I didn't know you could do that," Chanyeol comments. He sits on the foot of the small bed, making it dip because of his weight. "Almost thought a professional did it."

"My brother's girlfriend works in a hospital. Oh, and her cousin is studying to be a nurse in college, too. I just copied what I saw."

"Really? What a genius. And you even took Jongdae here yourself? Baekhyun, you're a hero! A true lifesaver!"

"No, I'm not a hero! Anyone would do the same, I think..."

"Well, if that would happen to you-of course I'm not hoping that to happen, never! I'd definitely do the same. No, I'd even take you to the hospital myself and stay by your side until you're all better."

"Pfft. Haha. You're crazy... You just wanna skip class."

"How's your Track and Field event, by the way? Did you win?"

"I got second place."

"Wow! That's amazing! As expected of the fastest runner in school, Byun Baekhyun! This deserves a celebration!"

"Stop flattering me!"

Jongdae, noticing the usual flattery coming out of Chanyeol's mouth, side-eyes the guy and smirks to himself. Ah, when will this bastard stop being so obvious?

"Anyway, aren't you supposed to go back to your classmates now that you've found out that it was me who got hurt and not Baekhyun?" Jongdae says with a hint of sarcasm, raising an eyebrow.

"And what, leave you guys here all alone? No, I can't do that!" Chanyeol briefly pauses when he realizes he sounded like a jealous wife. Baekhyun and Jongdae are just staring blankly at him. "W-what I'm saying is that I'm not gonna leave yet. I'm still worried about you, Jongdae."

"Worried about me stealing your first lo-"

"Sshhh!"

Chanyeol is fast to cover Jongdae's mouth before he can utter something dangerous.

Jongdae shoves him away.

"Just so you know, Chanyeol. I have a girlfriend," Jongdae sighs, rolls his eyes, and shakes his head. He sends telepathy to the taller using his glare, "And I'm not interested in what I already got down there. I have my own and that's enough."

"What're you talking about? And what does Jongdae having a girlfriend have to do with anything?" Baekhyun cluelessly asks, looking alternately at his two friends. "Wait. Are you two sharing a secret behind my back?"

"Really? You do? Heh. That's good then," Chanyeol tells Jongdae, showing a relieved face. "Ahem. I mean, good for you! Congratulations."

"Thanks. Best of luck."

"Just don't say a thing."

"Treat us to the arcade after class. Plus, buy us some snacks."

"Deal."

Baekhyun scowls, knitting his eyebrows together, feeling lost and out of place.

"I don't fucking understand a single thing."

Jongdae sweetly--but teasingly--smiles. He places his palm on top of Baekhyun's hand.

"Honey, you don't have to. Not now, but soon."

Chanyeol gets in between the two, separating them. He slings an arm around Baekhyun's shoulder and hisses at Jongdae like a cat.

"Don't call him honey."

Jongdae whispers to Baekhyun:

"He's just jealous."

Baekhyun, feeling like he might've been totally getting the conversation, agrees, and whispers back:

"I know, right? He should better get a girlfriend of his own."

Jongdae cackles.

"I'm pretty sure he doesn't want one."

"What?"

"You know what he really wants, Baekhyun? He wants a boyfr--"

Chanyeol aggressively shoves into Jongdae's mouth some candy and treats he found in his pocket.

"Eat that, you son of a bitch."

It's 45 minutes past six in the evening when the trio decided to call it a day from playing at the arcade. Night study sessions are put off in light of the Sports Day celebration so they are now bound to go home and rest. Baekhyun's still at the counter exchanging his won tickets for a stuffed Pikachu while Chanyeol is already at the door with Jongdae, waiting for Baekhyun to finish.

"Thanks."

Jongdae receives the offered can of soda. The lid is already opened by Chanyeol.

"Tch, you shouldn't have come," Chanyeol jokes, pertaining to Jongdae's limping foot the other is dragging against the floor. Jongdae has a crutch under his arm to aid him from walking. "You okay? Can you go home like that?"

"I'm fine. My Mom's gonna pick me up with her car. Wanna come home with us already?" Jongdae asks. "We practically live beside each other."

"And leave Baekhyun by himself? Nah. I'd rather walk home. Thanks for the offer, though."

Chanyeol looks over his shoulder to watch Baekhyun doing his business with the arcade owner.

"Hey... You know... Just wanna seriously ask. Like, for real this time," Jongdae mutters out of the blue, "Are you, uh, you know? Into guys, too?"

"You mean, bisexual?"

"Well, yeah... I'm asking because we're friends and I just wanna know the truth about you... Sorry if that sounded a bit rude."

"It's okay."

"So. You like Baekhyun, don't you?"

Chanyeol stops sipping his cola.

Jongdae waits for the answer while looking straight into his friend's eyes.

"What I'm saying is you have feelings for him. I'm not imagining things, right? You like Baekhyun in a romantic way."

Once finished with his drink, Chanyeol crumples the soda can like it was paper before shooting it into the trash. He faces Jongdae and laughs embarrassingly.

"Am I really that obvious?"

"The first part? Not really. But the thing with Baekhyun? Very."

"Haha... I should've tried harder hiding it."

Jongdae weakly punches Chanyeol's shoulder.

"Yeah, you're not really good at hiding it, you fool."

"Don't tell him, please. You're the first one to know."

"I won't tell him, of course. But I think you should confess the soonest."

"I will. I'm just finding a good time."

A red car pulls over in front of the building before a woman in office clothes comes out, introducing herself as Jongdae's Mom. Chanyeol bows at her. The mother and son shortly leave after Jongdae tells Chanyeol to say goodbye to Baekhyun for him.

"Where's Jongdae? Did he leave already?"

Baekhyun, while hugging the yellow Pokémon plushie that is half as big as him, asks. To see the shorter guy better, Chanyeol steals the toy away, cuddling it on his hip and carrying it for Baekhyun instead.

"Yup. His mother picked him up. She told me to say thank you to you for taking care of her son."

"You're welcome," Baekhyun grins. "So. Are we going home now?"

"Unless you still have to drop by somewhere?"

"Shit. I just remembered. Grandma asked me to buy some cabbages on the way home. She's making kimchi tonight."

"Alright, then. I'll come with you."

Chanyeol is holding Baekhyun's stuffed Pikachu on his right and a plastic bag of cabbages on his left. He does it while walking behind Baekhyun at the market, following him wherever he goes like a chaperone.

Baekhyun suddenly halts on the sidewalk, looking at the confectionery from the outside.

"Why? What is it?"

Chanyeol, whose hands are full, also pauses, tracing where the other is focusing his gaze at.

"It's White Day tomorrow," Baekhyun says, reading the poster outside the sweets shop.

50% Off Sale on all Chocolates! Buy now for your loved ones!

Chanyeol smiles dreamily.

"Yeah. It is."

Baekhyun suddenly faces Chanyeol.

"Do you think Jongdae will give chocolates and flowers to his girlfriend?"

"Hmm. Probably? He's the type to do that."

I don't really care, is what Chanyeol's face is saying.

"Have you known since then that Jongdae's seeing someone?" Baekhyun asks.

"Nope, I just found out this afternoon. How about you?"

"I've known for a while. He told me about it."

They resume walking but this time, they're walking side-by-side.

"So you didn't let me in on that little secret, huh?" Chanyeol says, acting like he was hurt and disappointed, "Just because you and Jongdae are in the same class, let alone seatmates, doesn't give you the right to leave me behind. I'm your friend too, you know?"

"You've also got a secret with him that you're keeping from me."

"Huh?"

"You thought I wasn't noticing? You guys would sometimes talk in whispers when I was around. Just because you two are neighbors doesn't mean you can leave me behind. I'm your friend too, you know?"

Chanyeol chuckles to himself.

"This is why trio friendships don't usually work out."

"What?"

"I mean, it's nothing. It's no big deal."

"Oh, really?"

"Yup. It's just about a TV program that we're watching we were talking about. Don't worry about it."

Baekhyun squints his eyes suspiciously.

"Okay, then. If you say so."

"Hey, it's me who should be worried, though."

"Why?"

"You might replace me one day."

Arriving at the bus stop, both sit down on the bench to wait. Chanyeol places Baekhyun's Pikachu on his lap as he takes the space next to the guy.

"Say, Baekhyun. Who do you like more, me or Kim Jongdae?"

Baekhyun scoffs, giving Chanyeol a look of absolute disbelief. What kind of question is that? It's too childish.

"Me or him. Just pick one."

"Dude. Stop being silly."

Chanyeol tugs Baekhyun's arm like he was begging for candies.

"Just answer it, come on! Say for example. If you were gonna be stuck in an island with someone for a day, who would it be and why?"

"Of course, it's gonna be-" Baekhyun cuts off his words, realizing the way Chanyeol is intently staring at him as if his response will really matter. He tears his gaze away and clears his throat. "Of course, it'll be you. Obviously."

"Yeah? It's me?" Chanyeol's smile becomes wider and brighter. "You wanna be stuck in an island with me?"

"Maybe for a vacation, yes."

"Does that mean you like me more than Jongdae?"

"Yeah."

"So... You like me? You're choosing me over anyone else?"

"Of course, I like you. You're my best friend, after all so I'll choose you no matter what. It's gonna be you among everyone else."

"Me, too."

"You, too?"

"Yeah. I like you, too, Baekhyun. More than anyone else in this world."

The honking of the arriving bus seems to fade in the background while Baekhyun quietly drowns into Chanyeol's deep expressive eyes. It was as if had fallen into a state of abyss. Chanyeol is still clutching his arm and smiling at him like they're the only people who exist right here, right now. Baekhyun is at loss of words.

"Hey! Are you two students gonna get in or not!?"

The bus driver impatiently beeping the second time pulls Chanyeol out of his trance. Startled, Chanyeol stands up and collects the stuff he's carrying, his ears turning a deep shade of pink as he gets into the bus first.

Baekhyun shakes his head and snickers, watching the taller scurry inside the vehicle, hugging the yellow stuffed toy.

"Dumbass."

*

After using his locker, Baekhyun rubs his ear, annoyed, as he passes by the cluster of screaming girls along the hallway. Apparently, there's a romantic scene straight from a movie happening this morning considering it's White Day. A guy from the other class is publicly professing his love for a girl who must be his crush. Said guy is giving a bouquet of flowers and chocolates to her while the crowd chants for her to say yes. Baekhyun has no idea what happened next as he now enters his classroom full of students chattering and bickering away.

"Good morning," Jongdae greets him in the middle of his conversation with his girlfriend on the phone.

"Morning," Baekhyun chirps back, aimlessly pulling his chair so he can sit on it, and then that's when he immediately notices something dropping on the floor.

It's a Hershey's chocolate bar.

Picking it up, he cautiously looks around to guess who might have given him the chocolate. Nobody seems suspicious, though.

Wait. What if it's from an admirer in the other class?

"It's from me. That's for helping me out yesterday," Jongdae mutters with a cheeky smile, "Happy White Day, my man."

"Oh," Baekhyun chuckles, shaking his head. He sits on his chair and waves the Hershey's bar in the air. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. All for you."

As he quietly stares at the chocolate on top of his table, Baekhyun lets the classroom noise fades into pure silence in his subconscious. Drumming his fingers against the desk, he absorbs himself into his own thoughts while a random idea crosses his mind.

Opening his backpack, he then grabs a pen and paper and starts to write.

Meet me at the riverbank. I have something to give you.

"That'll do."

Baekhyun locks his phone and places it beside his pillow after sending that short text to Chanyeol. Sprawling on his bed and staring at the box of Pepero he "stole" from the fridge, he also has a folded paper tucked inside it. It's a simple handwritten letter.

"Hmm. Isn't this a bit too cheesy? I should've just handed it to him casually at school..."

Baekhyun lies sideways and puts the stuff away as he keeps talking to himself.

"Well, it'll be a bit embarrassing considering I'm not the type to do this kind of stuff... Ah, whatever! Jongdae gave me chocolates so it's fine if I also give Chanyeol one, right? After all that he's done for me? Yup, it's just a small thank-you."

Bzzt. Bzzt.

Baekhyun quickly grabs his phone and reads Chanyeol's reply.

Okay. I'm heading there now!

"Hyung! Let me borrow your bicycle!"

"What!? No! Don't touch my bike!"

Running down the stairs and greeting his brother's girlfriend in the living room with a bow, Baekhyun doesn't pay Baekbeom any heed as he now snatches the keys. He wears his sling bag and slips on his shoes.

"Thanks!"

"You little shit, come back here!"

The afternoon breeze is crisp and gentle as Baekhyun carefree pedals the bike. He rings the bell when a dog passes by his way. The riverbank isn't that far from his house. It's quite close to Chanyeol's residence that's why he chose that spot to meet up. Aside from that, the riverbank has the most perfect view for watching the sunset among the places in the entire neighborhood. Chanyeol loves sunsets. He can already imagine Chanyeol taking pictures of the setting sun.

Hitting the brakes and coming to a full stop, Baekhyun leans the bicycle against a tree. There are also a few people in the vicinity having picnics and sitting on the grass.

And Baekhyun is right; Chanyeol brought an old camera with him and he's snapping photos of everything here and there.

"Hey," Baekhyun greets, approaching his tall friend.

Click!

"Hi."

Chanyeol puts down his polaroid camera and grins after shooting a candid picture of Baekhyun.

"Did you wait that long?" Baekhyun asks.

"Not really. I was at the store when I received your text so I just went straight here."

"And you already had that camera with you?"

Chanyeol shrugs, smiling.

"Coincidentally, yeah."

Baekhyun hums, naturally sitting on the space beside Chanyeol, their arms brushing faintly against each other. Baekhyun stretches his legs on the grass and groans as if he was an old man suffering from arthritis.

Chanyeol flinches at the sudden contact. He puts the camera to his eyes and focuses the lens at the pretty, orange sunset.

"What are you gonna give me anyway? The notes I lent you?" Chanyeol asks.

"No," Baekhyun answers.

"My change? I told you you can keep it."

"It's not that."

"Oh, there's a kite in the sky! I wonder who's flying it?"

Baekhyun grasps Chanyeol's camera with one hand. He moves it away and throws it to the grass.

"Hey, that's expensive," Chanyeol frowns.

"If you're just gonna play with your camera all day then I might as well go home," Baekhyun says in a threatening tone.

Chanyeol appears guilty.

"Heh, just kidding."

Baekhyun gets his sling bag and unzips it in front of Chanyeol. He fishes out something and hands it to the other.

"Here."

Looking at the green box of chocolate sticks being given to him, Chanyeol stares in total confusion and awe. He even glances around him just in case someone is filming a prank video and Baekhyun is the actor.

"It's for you."

It's Pepero, one of the most common snacks in the country. Anyone could buy it from any store in town because it's really cheap. It's nothing extraordinary. If today was just a normal day, Chanyeol would have just grabbed the Pepero, said thank you, ate it, and went on with his life like usual.

Except it's not. Today is White Day.

"Happy White Day, Chanyeol."

Baekhyun kneels on the grass, leans towards Chanyeol, firmly holds his shoulders, and gently pecks him on the cheek.

Smooch.

Chanyeol feels his entire body freezing.

Baekhyun shyly smiles.

"Hehe. Sorry if this is all I could give you. Someday, I'll give you something so much better. I promise."

Chanyeol's mind goes blank as if the whole world comes into a complete stop.

No, Baekhyun. This is more than enough. This is honestly too much. Is this for real? Chanyeol is so happy he could cry. This is unbelievable. Baekhyun is giving him a chocolate--not just chocolate--but a Pepero. Chanyeol swears he'll forever treasure this wonderful memory in his heart. Not only that, Baekhyun also gave him a kiss on the cheek. Is he already in heaven?

Fingers tembling, Chanyeol receives the chocolate gratefully.

"T-thank you. I'll eat this well..."

It must be because of how Chanyeol responded that makes Baekhyun suddenly pause and clutch the box like he was refusing to give it to Chanyeol.

"Why won't you let go?" Chanyeol asks hesitantly with a look of uncertainty in his gaze, "Isn't this for me, after all?"

Baekhyun blinks.

Huh? What was that... What kind of reaction is that?

"Oh, uh." He looks away, drops his hands, and laughs. "Of course, it's all yours."

"And this is?" Chanyeol asks, showing the folded piece of paper Baekhyun sneaked in with the Pepero. "A receipt?"

"That's..." Baekhyun rubs his nape as he avoids eye contact. Ah, fuck... Why is this so embarrassing!? "Uh. You don't have to read it now. Just open it when you get home-"

Chanyeol doesn't let Baekhyun finish his sentence as he begins to read the letter.

"DEAR, CHANYEOL."

Flustered, Baekhyun's eyes widen in horror.

Chanyeol coughs into his fist and stands up, carefully unfolding the handwritten letter. Smiling proudly, he even raises it in the air so that his shorter friend can't snatch it away.

"I just wanna say thank you for all the things you've done for me--"

Baekhyun pulls Chanyeol down.

"AH, SHIT! Stop! Don't read it out loud, you bastard!"

"You know I'm not good with words so I'll just say it through this handwritten letter--"

"Seriously, if you don't shut up now!"

"I'm glad to have met you in my life--"

Baekhyun covers his ears, refusing to listen any longer not to feel this cringeworthy and excruciating shame. Hearing what he wrote is extremely embarrassing, to say the least.

Chanyeol reads aloud the last line with a huge and bright smile on his mouth.

"I hope we could stay together for a very long time. I..."

He stops saying the words out loud.

Instead, he mutters the sentence in his mind.

I love you.

Before revealing the final part of the letter under his thumb.

...my dearest best friend and my most favorite person in the world.

Baekhyun uncovers his ears when Chanyeol pauses reading midway.

Sincerely yours, Baekhyun.

Chanyeol drops his arm, still clutching the paper in his hand after he finishes reading.

"Ah."

He turns around and rubs his sleeve against his eyes to hide his face, standing across from the horizon showcasing the breathtaking sunset. He stays like that in silence, unmoving like a rock as the chilly wind blows in his direction.

Baekhyun clasps a fistful of grass and pulls it just so he can have something to do. He pouts and mumbles under his breath:

"See... I told you to read it at home."

The moon is already up when they decide to go home. Baekhyun is walking his (Baekbeom's) bicycle up to Chanyeol's house nearby. They say their farewells upon reaching the front gate--Chanyeol telling Baekhyun that his family is home and asking him to have dinner with them--and Baekhyun declining the offer saying he needs to return the bike to his brother immediately. Before Baekhyun can leave with his bicycle, Chanyeol apologizes for not giving anything to Baekhyun on White Day. He should've been more thoughtful.

"Do you know what White Day means in Korea?" Baekhyun asks, and then proceeds to answer his own question, "White Day is celebrated every 14th day of March. Traditionally, it's a day when men thank women for the gift they received on Valentine's Day. Well, I just read it from the internet."

Baekhyun kicks the stand of the bicycle.

"You gave me a laptop in February, right? I'll just think of it as your Valentine's present for me."

Chanyeol laughs, tilting his head coyly.

"Does that make me the woman?"

Baekhyun shrugs in response to Chanyeol's silly joke. He mounts the bike and rings the bell when he's ready to go.

"See you at school. I'll get going now."

"Yeah. Be careful on your way home."

"By the way. Come hang out at my house this weekend. Let's play video games and eat some roasted peanuts made by my Grandma."

"Roasted peanuts?"

"Yup. They're my favorite. The one she gave you in a bag last time?"

"Oh, okay... Sure! I'll come over."

"It's all set, then! Goodnight. See you tomorrow."

"Alright. Bye!"

Waving goodbye, Chanyeol waits for Baekhyun to disappear into darkness before he can get inside the house, giggling and running to the stairs like a lovestruck teenage girl. His sister accusing him of having a date with his crush doesn't go unnoticed by their parents. Chanyeol disregards everyone and slams the door to his room, jumping on the bed and hugging the Pepero and letter to his chest. His jaw hurts from too much smiling, imagining how Baekhyun kissed his cheek ever so softly.

"Oh, my god... I really like him so much."

This is the happiest day of his life so far.

"Right. I'll put this in my box!"

Under the bed is where Chanyeol keeps a special box of items given by Baekhyun. It's his treasure. Putting the chocolates away so that he can eat them later, he folds the Pepero box nicely and places it inside the box together with Baekhyun's polaroid picture. He'll hide the handwritten letter with them after he rereads it ten times before going to sleep.

"Pfft... Haha. His handwriting is so ugly."

The translucent lampshade serves as the only light in the bedroom. Lying on the bed and boring holes on the thin piece of paper, Chanyeol traces with his eyes each curve and stroke of Baekhyun's small handwriting. Using his thumb, he covers some of the words on the letter.

I love you, m̶y̶ ̶d̶e̶a̶r̶e̶s̶t̶ ̶b̶e̶s̶t̶ ̶f̶r̶i̶e̶n̶d̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ my most favorite person in the world.

He smiles dreamily and giggles to himself.

"That's better."

Remembering something, Chanyeol promptly gets up. He sits on his study chair and gets one book from his bookshelf. He flips the pages and takes out a piece of folded paper.

"Right. I still haven't given this to him..."

This letter is supposed to come with the laptop for Baekhyun but Chanyeol ended up not giving it. The letter stayed with him just like his hidden feelings. It's because he's a big fucking coward. He can't even confess to Baekhyun with words, how much more through a love letter?

Opening both letters, Chanyeol tries comparing them.

"Come to think of it. The contents are pretty similar except for the last part."

March 14, 2010

Dear Chanyeol,

I just wanna say thank you for all the things you've done for me. You know I'm not good with words so I'll just say it through this handwritten letter. I'm glad to have met you in my life. I hope we could stay together for a very long time.

I love you, my dearest best friend and my most favorite person in the world.

Sincerely yours,
Baekhyun

-

February 14, 2010

Dear Baekhyun,

I want to thank you for everything you've done for me. I'm not really good at expressing my feelings so I'll just write you this love letter. I'm so happy that I met someone like you. I wish to be together with you for the rest of my life.

I'm in love with you, my first love and my most favorite person in the world.

Sincerely yours,
Chanyeol

Chanyeol releases a sigh. He quickly wipes the sole tear that fell from his eyes, staring at his one-month-expired love letter.

"I hope I could give this to him soon."

****

Present, 2022

(30)

The thick dust accumulating on the box of treasure makes Chanyeol cough. Removing the lid, he smiles, feeling melancholic, seeing the collection of old stuff. There are some Polaroid pictures, wrappers of candies, a box of Pepero, and a can of Sprite. The Charizard Pokémon card Baekhyun gave him is also kept safe inside. Why is a tub of aloe vera here anyway?

"This is embarrassing... Haha. Didn't know I was such a hoarder."

Before he can forget the reason why he dug up this box of mementos hidden in his dresser, Chanyeol takes the love letter he wrote 12 years ago with him. Rereading this letter feels weird and funny as he imagines his young, naïve self. Securely tucking the folded paper inside his coat pocket, he taps his chest and grins.

"I'll take this with me. My lucky charm."

His phone rings by the time he wears his jacket. Answering the call, he collects his car keys from the table and closes the door to his bedroom.

"Hello, Kyungsoo? Yup... I'm already leaving the house so order the drinks already... Okay, it's fine! Just take Jongin with you... Sure. Yeah, that place is perfect."

Welcome! Please come in!

The door chimes clang upon Baekhyun's arrival at the local coffee shop. A kind barista greets him together with the nutty aroma of coffee wafting in the air. Looking around the cozy place, Baekhyun searches for a familiar face among the few customers. His eyes light up in recognition, spotting Sehun lazing at a table with someone.

"Here, Baekhyun hyung!"

Sehun waves his hand in the air. The man with Sehun turns his head, smiling, to acknowledge Baekhyun's presence.

Baekhyun takes a seat on the chair across from the two guys who are both his friends. He's confused and mildly surprised by the odd combination.

"What an interesting combo. How did you guys know each other?"

Jongdae, the one who ordered the latte for Baekhyun, returns the menu to the female barista. He stirs his coffee and smirks.

"Sehun and I are almost brother-in-laws. Just almost! Oh, and we're also neighbors. Sehun moved in next to our place. Right, Sehunnie?"

"Yup! My girlfriend is Jongdae hyung's younger sister," Sehun answers. "While Jongdae hyung's wife, the CEO of SMsoft Holdings, is my cousin."

"Wow. I didn't know that," Baekhyun says, "What are the odds, right?"

"One time we were having a conversation, Sehun kind of mentioned a hyung from college who exactly fits your description, and viola! You Byun Baekhyun turned out to be our common friend," Jongdae explains.

"Hey. We should name our group," Sehun suggests.

"How about The Heartthrobs?" Jongdae says.

"The Pussy Magnets. How's that? Cool, right?"

"If your fiancee heard that, you'd be dead. And the name's super lame, by the way."

"Not as lame as Oreo. I mean, who still names their dog like that? You're so basic."

"What, it's cute! My wife thought of it!"

Baekhyun shakes his head and laughs. This is crazy. To think that his high school buddy and his college roommate are connected. Now, these men are the most dangerous, life-threatening people on earth. They know him to the bones. There's nothing he can hide from these two.

"Ahem. So, Baekhyun," Jongdae starts the conversation, "I heard you went on a vacation with Chanyeol on a private island this weekend. How did it go?"

Feeling the kick on his shin under the table, Sehun side-eyes Jongdae knowingly. He receives an eyebrow wiggle from him.

"Yeah! Tell us some deets. Did you and Chanyeol hyung have fun on your getaway?"

"Chanyeol and I," Baekhyun says, Jongdae and Sehun are all eyes and ears to him, "We kissed on the island."

Baekhyun says that without batting an eyelash, making the two gentlemen cough and spit their drinks. An uncomfortable pause ensues among the three as the background noise in the cafe seems to get louder.

"Does that make me gay?" Baekhyun seriously asks. "I just made out with my guy best friend."

Speechless, Sehun opens his mouth but no voice comes out, same with Jongdae who is just ogling at Baekhyun, the man in question. Neither of the two expected to hear this story directly from Baekhyun. Although they might be hoping for juicy and interesting progress, nobody is prepared for the actual thing happening for real.

"W-well, it happens, I think? I mean, if I have a best friend as hot as Park Chanyeol, although I'm straight and I'm married... I guess I'd probably... Uh, make out with him, too? Like, once in my life? Haha..." Jongdae says, or so he tries to blabber just so he can have something to say, "Right, Sehun?"

"Yeah. I-I agree?" Sehun mutters, still in a state of bewilderment, "I'm definitely sure all best friends in the world have kissed perhaps once in their lives-"

"Twice."

"WHAT?" Jongdae and Sehun altogether yell.

"We did it twice," Baekhyun confesses, "No, I mean thrice. Including our first kiss. So, yeah."

Both men's jaws literally dropped.

Baekhyun looks away, flustered.

"S-shouldn't I have mentioned that? Sorry."

Jongdae exhales, firmly gripping Baekhyun's shoulders.

"Byun Baekhyun, my friend. You're surprising me quite a lot today."

Sehun looks like he's gonna cry.

"Hyung!!!! Why am I hearing this just now!? What is this!?"

Baekhyun covers his face with his palms, letting out an exhausted sigh.

"I don't know, Sehun. I have no idea... I just went on with how I felt that night."

"Do you regret it?" Jongdae asks.

"No," Baekhyun answers quickly, "I don't regret it."

Sehun stares, before breaking into a genuine smile. He suddenly recalls a very faint memory in college. He caught Chanyeol kissing Baekhyun (he's not sure) in their dorm room when Baekhyun was passed-out drunk. Should he tell Baekhyun that? Well. He better hears that story from Chanyeol himself.

"Pfft. Haha. You're whipped, Baekhyun hyung."

Baekhyun's face slowly turns red.

"Ah, seriously... This feels strange! Why am I even telling you guys this? So embarrassing..."

"So. Do you like him or not?" Jongdae asks.

Baekhyun blinks.

"What?"

"Wanna date him?" Sehun asks next.

"Chanyeol finally confessed to you, right?"

"And then that was when you guys kissed?"

"What are you even waiting for, man? Just do what your heart wants."

"But that will make you not straight anymore, though."

"You're officially bi now, Baekhyun. Congrats."

"Does Baekhyun hyung even care about that?"

"Nah, he doesn't care about shit like that."

"Byun Baekhyun can be anything he wants."

"We love a versatile king."

Baekhyun rests his cheek on his hand and stares at his latte getting cold.

"What we're gonna be from now on, we haven't talked about that matter yet..."

"I see," Sehun nods. "Just make sure you're already a thing before I get married. I don't need complicated and awkward groomsmen in my wedding."

"Well, you better figure it out soon before I have my third kid," Jongdae says. "The last thing I want is to see a couple of adults dilly-dallying around like the past 12 years in front of my children."

"Thanks for your input but why are you two so cool about this?" Baekhyun asks.

"What do you expect us to do? Cry? Get angry?" Sehun snorts and chuckles, "Dude. We've known this was bound to happen. We just didn't know if sooner or later. So yeah, I personally might be pretty shaken up but that's it. I'm honestly happy for you two. Whatever you and Chanyeol hyung decide to do from now on, I'll fully support you."

"Give Chanyeol a chance, Baekhyun. He's been waiting for this all his life," Jongdae says, "I understand that you might be curious and confused but please be careful with his heart. You are his first love."

"Hyung. Just don't think about anything else and be together with him, okay? Well, looking back on your dating history, since when have you thought about stuff when it comes to relationships anyway? Haha. You just dated whoever asked you out."

"Hey! That's foul! But you're right. Hahaha... No wonder this dude got so many exes."

Baekhyun glares sharply. Are these two dissing him or what?

"Look. It's not just anyone. It's Chanyeol, for heaven's sake, so of course, I have to think somehow!"

"Does he make your heart race?" Sehun asks.

Baekhyun touches the tip of his ear, suppressing a blush to come out.

"Kinda...? Yeah, he does."

"Then that's love. End of story," Jongdae shrugs.

"I still don't know if what I feel about Chanyeol can already amount to his level of love," Baekhyun states, "I love him as my best friend and I love him as a person, but I'm not confident if my kind of love is enough." Sehun and Jongdae are attentively listening. "Right now, I'm sure about one thing... I do like Chanyeol and he's very special to me. And I want to make him happy for the rest of our lives."

Both Sehun and Jongdae hold hands, screaming because of what Baekhyun has just confessed.

"Kyaaah~ Am I really hearing this right now!? I'm having butterflies!"

"Jongdae hyung, this fucker fell head over heels, no doubt!"

"Right? He's so fucking in love with Chanyeol, I'm sure of that!"

"This is so not you, Baekhyun hyung! But whatever!"

"Go to your man already and make it official!"

Having a tiny sip of his surprisingly sweet coffee, Baekhyun bites his bottom lip and shyly smiles.

"Should I?"

"Yeah, you should!!!" Sehun and Jongdae exclaim happily as they both shake Baekhyun violently.

That is all it takes for Baekhyun to decide. Looking at his two supportive dudes, he nods convincingly.

"Alright, then. I'll ask him out."

The almost-brother-in-laws yell and do a double high-five and a double low-five. Although feeling ashamed of what these two are doing in a public place, Baekhyun can never deny that he feels happy having his two friends backing him up.

"One question, though. Are you sure you guys just kissed?" Sehun mutters out of the blue. "Nothing more?"

Baekhyun pauses.

"What?"

"Yeah, I mean. It's a private island and it was just the two of you alone. Anything could happen," Jongdae says with a shrug. He coughs. "If it were me, I would... Ahem."

"Huh? What are you two trying to say?" Baekhyun asks, looking cluelessly at both men. "We really just kissed. Nothing more."

"You didn't do it?"

"Inside the tent?"

"BEACH--"

"--SEX!?"

Baekhyun's eyes slowly widen when hears that word from these perverts.

"W-what the fuck are you guys saying!? Of course not!"

"HAHAHAHA! Look at this bastard's face, Jongdae hyung. He's blushing!"

"Heh. You're imagining it right now, aren't you, Baekhyun!?"

"Oh, he's a virgin. He must be embarrassed~"

"He hasn't had sex in a long while, that's why~"

"Won't you two shut the hell up? And I'm not a virgin."

Jongdae and Sehun smirk at each other before saying:

"You're an ass-virgin."

*

The beer is harshly poured into a glass at the table in front of Chanyeol. The death stare he is receiving from the couple doesn't help ease the worry in his anxious heart. They're inside a private karaoke room so it's loud and clear how Kyungsoo curses at him.

"YOU FUCKING DID WHAT ON THE ISLAND!?"

"Babe, calm down."

"Chanyeol, you know Baekhyun is not gay, right? You're just gonna end up getting hurt, I tell you. All straight men are the same. You shouldn't have confessed!"

"Yeah, Kyungsoo hyung is right. Baekhyun must've only kissed you because he was curious about making out with a guy. Been there, done that."

Happiness is long gone, and Chanyeol is devastated and heartbroken. He glugs a shot of alcohol and ignores the upbeat song playing in the background. It's his turn to sing next but he's not in the mood anymore.

"I'm sure he'll tell you to pretend it never happened," Kyungsoo says, crossing his arms over his chest. "Because it was all just a one-night mistake."

"He'll tell you to act like how you guys are used to. He'll ask you to stay friends because it's gonna be easier for the both of you," Jongin says, nodding.

"Or? You and Baekhyun could be fuck buddies. That's the worst-case scenario. That way you can still maintain your previous relationship."

Chanyeol aggressively shakes his head, rejecting that opinion.

"No, I don't wanna be sex friends! I respect and treasure Baekhyun a lot. We can never stoop down to that level. I'd rather suffer than use him like an object."

So I was used like an object, Kyungsoo mutters to himself.

Jongin pats Chanyeol's shoulder.

"Well, have you and Baekhyun talked about what you're gonna become from now on?"

"No, not yet... And I'm scared to know."

"See? It's not yet clear if you two are going to be boyfriends or not. You were too risky, Chanyeol. This isn't like you," Kyungsoo comments. "Sex partners or strangers? Choose. There's nothing in between."

"I don't want any. All I want is to make it official with him," Chanyeol says, pouring himself another glass of liquor. He drinks it sluggishly and burps. "Baekhyun kissed me back so there must be a slim chance, right? Even just a little bit? He even kissed me first the morning after," Chanyeol looks hopefully at his two drinking buddies. "Come on, say something... I thought you guys are my friends. Why won't you just encourage and support me in this?"

Kyungsoo and Jongin offer Chanyeol a pitiful stare.

"Look, truthfully speaking, Chanyeol. It's really hard to tell. His exes were all women. He even had a girlfriend for five years. He's never been in a relationship with a man. And you, dude? You were just a catalyst for his bi-curiosity," Jongin explains, "If Baekhyun were bisexual though, I think a romantic relationship could be possible between you two. But he's not. He's straight as a ruler!"

"Uh, actually," Kyungsoo interferes, tapping his chin as he thinks. "I don't think Baekhyun is all that straight."

"Yeah?" Jongin asks, "How come?"

"Just look at him. He's got the androgynous vibe. He's a beautiful man."

"Oh. You're right. He has this feminine energy in him, deep down."

"Now that I think of it, if Byun Baekhyun were 99% straight, that remaining 1% could be gay for Chanyeol. He's his best friend after all."

Chanyeol's eyes grow sparkles.

"You really think so?"

"Yup," Kyungsoo hums, "But he's a top, though. That, I'm sure of."

"Oh, fuck. That's so hot," Jongin teases, whistling like he's cat-calling, "I knew from the get-go that Baekhyun has potential."

"I thought you said it was really hard to tell?"

"Disregard that."

"Anyway. If ever Byun Baekhyun is going to date a guy, he's definitely gonna be the man in the relationship, and Chanyeol knows that. Right, buddy?"

"You should already prepare your ass, dude. Hahaha."

Chanyeol appears stunned and dumbfounded. He's imagining all sorts of things inside his head, both platonic and non-platonic.

"Hah. Look at this idiot's face," Jongin snorts, shaking Chanyeol as he laughs, "AHAHAHAHA! Oh my god, this is gonna be so interesting!"

"Well," Kyungsoo casually shrugs, "Did I ever go wrong, Jongin?"

"No, baby. You're always right," Jongin says.

"I don't care," Chanyeol desperately says. "If what Kyungsoo said is true, it doesn't matter to me. I could adjust. It's no big deal. Actually, it's a blessing in disguise. I have to be thankful for that! As long as I get to be with the person I love, I could sacrifice my virgin ass."

"He's so whipped," Kyungsoo mutters.

"Totally," Jongin agrees.

"But why are we thinking that far ahead already?" Chanyeol asks, "I'm not even sure yet if Baekhyun can see me as a romantic partner or not."

"Easy. Just ask him," Jongin mutters.

"How?"

"Do you wanna be my boyfriend, Baekhyun? You're not entirely straight, right? For you to find out, I could suck your dick right now if you want-"

"HEY!" Kyungsoo and Chanyeol react.

"Don't waste more time and just be direct to the point! Since you already confessed to Baekhyun, there's no use regretting things anymore. The only way is to go forward," Jongin says like a true love expert. "Let him know your true intentions, that you wanna get serious with him, and start a new relationship with him. Not as friends. But as lovers!"

"And if he says he's not sure and he needs more time to think about it," Kyungsoo adds, "Suggest being friends with benefits for the meantime."

"HEY!" Jongin and Chanyeol react.

"Can we stop being horny for once in our lives? My friendship and my love life are at stake here!" Chanyeol exclaims, "Please? Let's look at my situation with a clean and unperverted mind."

"Coming from the one who said he would sacrifice his virgin ass," Kyungsoo mutters.

Chanyeol is about to say something more in response to that but an incoming call suddenly cuts him off. Falling silent, all eyes land on his phone screen displaying Baekhyun's caller ID.

"H-hello?" Chanyeol says in a gentle voice, hushing Jongin and Kyungsoo by making a keep quiet gesture. Here the dumb couple is, making faces, smirking, and acting like they were about to disturb the conversation by attempting to say something inappropriate.

[Are you still outside?]

"Yeah. I'm still out drinking with Kyungsoo and Jongin right now. We're probably gonna be done in an hour or so..."

Tell him you wanna fuck, Jongin mouths without a sound, making a vulgar intercourse sign, sliding his index finger inside the hole formed by his hand. That earns him a strong slap on the arm from Kyungsoo.

[I see... I was just curious about what you're up to so I called. I didn't interrupt you guys, did I?]

"Nope! Not at all. Are you at home already?"

[Yeah, I just got home. I'll take a shower later after I prepare myself dinner.]

"How did your date with Jongdae and Sehun go? Did you guys have fun?"

[Yup. We went golfing. Sehun was indeed a pro.]

Chanyeol fondly smiles in the middle of the call, forgetting that he's currently hanging out with Kyungsoo and Jongin.

"I'll call you before bedtime so don't sleep yet."

[Alright... By the way, Chanyeol.]

"Mm? What is it?"

[Tomorrow, let's talk after work. Can you make time?]

"Sure. What are we gonna talk about?"

[About my answer to your confession. About what our relationship is gonna be from now on. Let's be clear about that.]

Chanyeol feels his heart thump nervously, hearing it from Baekhyun in such straightforward manner. As expected of Baekhyun. He doesn't beat around the bush. He never takes the ambiguous path.

What, what did he say? Jongin and Kyungsoo are just watching Chanyeol curiously and waiting for a change in his facial expression.

"Okay. I'm looking forward to it."

[I'll hang up now. Enjoy your night.]

"You, too. Rest up and wait for my call, okay?"

[Got it.]

"I miss you."

A short, silent pause.

[Me, too.]

Giggling, Chanyeol needs to turn around so that he can hide his face and break into a wide, blinding smile.

"Say it back, please?"

[Pfft. I miss you, too... There. I'm ending this call now. Bye.]

Beep.

"What the fuck did I just witness," Kyungsoo grimaces, feeling goosebumps, "Eew."

"I miss youuu~ Say it back, pwease~ Pfft. Hahaha!" Jongin teases, making Chanyeol shamelessly blush, "Oh, I remember when Kyungsoo hyung and I started dating back in high school. We were like that, too. Right, babe?"

"No."

"Aww. You're really no fun."

*

Labyrinth of Odyssey: Valor's Empire Unraveled or LOVEU for short. This will be the name of their game's sequel in the making. After the successful launch of LOVE, its second part is already undergoing the planning and pre-development phase. While presenting the last slide, Baekhyun calls the game his and Chanyeol's second child, earning him a few chuckles from his team leader and team members.

"That's all for today, everyone. Thank you for your support and trust. We will do our best this time again."

The applause from the left side of the conference hall is more enthusiastic than the rest. It is where Chanyeol has been sitting, proudly beaming, silently admiring Baekhyun from afar ever since the presentation began.

As he greets Mr. Choi who patted his shoulder, and Mr. Lee who joked with him about a free dinner, Baekhyun can still sense Chanyeol's heavy, unwavering gaze that seeps into his soul. It's been that way the entire duration of his talk. Baekhyun was stealing glances as Chanyeol enjoyed his view. Needless to say, the other's enthralled and adoring stare solely trained at him made him sweat and stutter a couple of times. But Chanyeol breaking into a smile behind his hand resulted in the corners of his lips curling up too, and he had to cover it up with a cough before finally going on with his presentation. If stares could kill he'd be already dead by now.

Waiting for the last person to file out of the room, Chanyeol stands up and helps clear the table by stacking papers and putting away water bottles. After turning off his laptop, Baekhyun plops on the swivel chair to take a break. He leans back comfortably and places his crossed feet on top of the desk. It's fine to let loose once in a while, no one's looking. He and Chanyeol are the only ones left here.

Stretching his neck side to side, Baekhyun also exhales and loosens his tie.

"Argh... I'm so tired."

Chanyeol glances at him and smiles.

"Hey, you did a good job."

Baekhyun turns to him and smiles back.

"Yeah, I know."

It's 4 in the afternoon. The ticking of the clock and the buzzing of the air conditioning is audible. It's plain quiet but not uncomfortable. It's still bright and busy outside. As Baekhyun rests his eyes and wiggles his feet, Chanyeol then goes around the room to stack more papers.

"Ah--! Shit."

The papers clatter on the floor.

Baekhyun jolts in his seat.

"What, what happened!?"

Chanyeol, while clutching his bleeding index finger, offers Baekhyun a sheepish smile.

"Paper cut?"

Baekhyun comes and snatches his wrist.

"Let's disinfect it."

The fact that Baekhyun's hands are beautiful is already a given but it still amazes the hell out of Chanyeol, having a closer look at those dainty fingers working on putting ointment on his one-millimeter wound. That chocolate chip mole on Baekhyun's thumb is so adorable. Baekhyun is eagerly and carefully plastering a bandaid on the small cut while Chanyeol behaves like a kid. It's electrifying, the way Baekhyun is gently touching his skin like it was fragile. He can do nothing but stay mesmerized and awestruck.

"There you go."

Baekhyun closes the first aid kit once he's done. Turning around, he's about to return the kit to the cabinet when Chanyeol suddenly grabs his arm. He pulls him close without a chance of escape. Questioningly, Baekhyun looks at him, but he right away understands the moment their gazes connected.

"Wanna talk now?" Baekhyun asks.

Chanyeol nods.

They choose their joint office to hold their conversation. No one comes around to knock at this hour.

Baekhyun gets them two cans of soda from their mini fridge; Chanyeol locks the door behind him with a swift click.

"Baekhyun."

"Yeah?"

"I have a confession to make."

"What is it?"

Sitting on the couch across from each other, Baekhyun crosses his legs and focuses only at the man in front of him struggling not to fidget.

"You know, every time we'd agree to talk," Chanyeol laughs and shakes his head, "My heart would always beat so fast like it was about to explode." He massages his chest to prove his point. "You've got this effect on me, no kidding."

"Haha. Why? It's just me."

"Yeah. It's because it's you. That's why."

I think I've heard this line before, Baekhyun says in his mind.

"But, more than anything, I'm just happy," Chanyeol continues. He rolls the cold soda on his palm, "Because after everything, I could still sit down with you like this. To me, it's more than enough."

For a certain reason, hearing this from Chanyeol sends pain in Baekhyun's heart.

"Are you sure? Don't you wanna be greedy for once?"

"Greedy? After all I've done, I'm not deserving."

"It's me who's not deserving."

Baekhyun puts down his drink after taking a few sips.

"You told me you have feelings for me."

"Yeah, I did..."

"And you expect me to do nothing about it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't suffer anymore. I want you to live freely without hiding anything from me. Just stay right by my side and be who you are, because I'll hold your hand from now on."

Looking at Baekhyun, Chanyeol is unable to speak; he's at a loss for words.

No. This has to be a fucking dream, this is just some wild paranoia. He can't definitely wrap his head around this current situation--never--as he's just staring at Baekhyun with a bleak expression on his face.

"Do you still not get it?"

Baekhyun needs to transfer beside Chanyeol so that he can talk to him closer. Staring sincerely into Chanyeol's deep eyes, he cups the man's cheeks and says:

"You and I, let's make this official."

Chanyeol stops breathing.

"Should we start dating?" Baekhyun asks.

Poof!

That's the sound of Chanyeol's heart bursting like a balloon. It must be an epiphany when he suddenly gets visions of dancing angels and unicorns in the sky, celebrating by blowing trumpets and letting rose petals rain. Has he gone mad? What kind of sensation is this? Is this already paradise? He's so glad he can't explain in words the happiness he is feeling right now.

"So, what do you say? Can I be your boyfriend?" 

This is borderline unfair. It took him 12 years to confess and it cost him multiple heartbreaks to get this far, while Baekhyun, the man of his dreams, took--what--only a couple of days to ask him out?

"This is so unfair, seriously..." Chanyeol exhales and lowers his head, frowning, welling up tears of joy, "You know I can't say no to that, right?" He clasps Baekhyun's wrists and feels his warm hands around his cheeks. "Yeah, let's do it. Let's be lovers."

Feeling emotional, Baekhyun nods and wipes the wetness in Chanyeol's eyes. Look at this crybaby.

"Are you that happy?" Baekhyun asks.

"Yeah, I'm so happy right now," Chanyeol replies.

"Me too, Chanyeol... I'm happy seeing you happy."

"Do you even know what you're getting yourself into? There's no turning back anymore."

"I'm not one to back out, you know that. I'll take responsibility of you."

"Isn't it the other way around? I should be taking responsibility of you..."

"We'll take responsibility of each other, then."

"I'm not perfect, you see. I have so many flaws... I'm insecure. I'm selfish. I'm possessive. I get jealous easily. I'm immature. I'm too soft-hearted. Do you still wanna be with me?"

"You think I didn't know that already?"

"Have you ever thought about what your family would say? Your friends? The people at work? What if they found out about us?"

"It's bound to happen soon so I'm prepared for it either way."

"What if rumors start spreading you're dating a man?"

"Fuck those rumors. I'll punch those gossipers in the throat."

"We won't be best friends anymore. Are you fine with that?"

Baekhyun can trace genuine happiness and concern in Chanyeol's gaze. Seeing Chanyeol's eyes getting sparkly and shiny makes him teary-eyed as well. This is contagious. He doesn't wanna cry right now but seeing Chanyeol sniffle makes him sniffle as well. Since when did they get so emotional like this?

"Don't worry. We're still gonna be best friends who do romantic stuff."

"But you've never been with a man before..."

"I've been with you almost half of my life. Does that make any difference?"

"Of course, it does!"

"Just show me the ropes. I'm a fast learner."

"Last question. Uhm... Do you even like me?"

"Would I kiss you if I don't? Twice?" Baekhyun asks, and then he adds. "I stand corrected. Thrice."

Scooting closer, Chanyeol leans forward and lightly pecks Baekhyun on the mouth.

Muah.

"Four times?"

"Yup, and many more to go."

"So. You like me?"

Baekhyun looks away, feeling embarrassed.

"I like your presence?"

"Oh, come on! Just tell me an honest answer."

"You're special to me, Chanyeol. When I'm with you, I'm happy. When I'm with you I feel safe. If that counts as liking someone then yes, I feel that way about you."

Chanyeol genuinely smiles. For now, this is enough.

"Me, too. When I'm with you, I'm complete. When I'm with you, I feel invincible."

Baekhyun chuckles.

"Man, that's so cheesy."

Still in the adjustment phase, he sighs in pleasure and collapses in Baekhyun's arms. He rests his head on the other's shoulder and mumbles:

"Haa, this feels too good to be true, Baekhyun..."

He takes Baekhyun's hand, holds it, and squeezes it tenderly.

"Hey, prove to me that this is not a dream."

Baekhyun gives his back a powerful slap.

"Ouch! That hurts!"

"Heh."

"Hug me please, and tell me that we're now real."

To ease Chanyeol's uncertainty and give him the assurance he needs, Baekhyun pulls Chanyeol into a comforting hug. He soothes the man's back gently as he whispers:

"Park Chanyeol."

"Yes?"

"You're now mine, and I'm all yours."

Chanyeol melts and relaxes, letting himself absorb the reality that he and Baekhyun have now upgraded into a next-level relationship--boyfriends.

"There's a lot of things I wanna say but for now, I'll just tell you this. I'll make you the happiest person on earth, Baekhyun. I promise you that."

"Okay."

Tenth, Chanyeol tells his mind as they hug but he realizes he just uttered it out loud.

"Why do you always keep counting whenever we hug?" Baekhyun asks.

"To keep track. And today is our tenth hug ever since the first time."

"Do you still remember the first time?"

"Yeah, and I can still recall each time."

Baekhyun just listens as Chanyeol enumerates them all.

First was when they were 18 at the storage room of Baekhyun's convenience store. It was when Chanyeol let Baekhyun borrow his Nintendo. Baekhyun hugged him out of happiness.

Second was at Chanyeol's house when Chanyeol gave Baekhyun a brand new laptop. Baekhyun hugged him as a thank-you.

The third hug was when they were 23 in their shared dorm room. Chanyeol consoled Baekhyun when he was crying because of his family problem. He hugged him to comfort him.

Fourth was when they were 28 during the newspaper dance at the Christmas party 2 years ago. It was needed for the game. Everybody at work witnessed it.

Fifth was already at the present time. They're now 30. It was a sneaky and stolen back hug that happened at Chanyeol's condo unit. It was the morning before Baekhyun's ex broke up with him over the phone.

The sixth time was in Baekhyun's bedroom when Chanyeol came over one night. They cuddled to sleep before flying to Copenhagen the next morning.

Seventh hug was at work, particularly at the fire exit when Baekhyun and Chanyeol made up. Chanyeol finally welcomed Baekhyun back after his business trip. He also kissed his cheek that time.

Eight was at Chanyeol's tent. They were on a private island for a vacation. That night, Chanyeol confessed to Baekhyun and they kissed inside his tent.

Ninth time was part two of their weekend trip, it happened the next morning. They kissed again on the island in front of the sea.

Tenth hug is today, the hug when they officially became lovers.

Baekhyun is stunned and amazed. This is touching at the same time heartbreaking. He can remember those hugs, but he can't seem to accept the truth that he and Chanyeol only hugged ten times within the course of 12 years. He should make up for it for the rest of his life.

"Look, from here on out, you don't need to count anymore, okay? You're just gonna end up losing track because I'll hug you every day whether you like it or not."

Chanyeol feels his heart getting warm and mushy.

"Will you kiss me every day, too?"

"No. I'll kiss you every hour."

Our conversation, it's different but it's the same, Baekhyun tells his mind as he embraces the man he didn't expect he'd be telling these intimate words with. This is Chanyeol, his guy best friend since high school. They watched each other grow as they created a dream together. They've seen each other date people in the past. They've also seen how those relationships ended. To think that at 30 years old he'd end up being romantically involved with the same person he used to play video games with at 18. To think that at 30 years old he'd end up choosing the same guy who came out as gay to him at 23.

It's making Baekhyun laugh but in a good way, of course.

"So who's gonna be a monk now," Chanyeol blurts out randomly. He leans away from the hug so he can smirk at Baekhyun teasingly, "You do remember what you said, don't you? That'd you'd rather be a monk than be with me?"

"Huh? Did I really say that?"

"Yeah. When I told you you had a bad taste in women and it must be a man whom you're destined to be with, you said that."

"Well, coming from the one who said he couldn't imagine liking a Neanderthal like me back in college?" Baekhyun retorts back, crossing his arms, and then he quotes, "How gross. Why would I confess to you? You're not even my type. No wonder your exes dumped you. You're a walking disaster. You're a 2 out of 10 in terms of everything. Even if become a woman, I'll never find you attractive. You do remember telling me all that back then, right!?"

Chanyeol is flabbergasted.

How come Baekhyun still remembers the exact words 7 years ago?!

"Y-you thought I was the only one? Hah! You're gonna eat your own words when you remember the awful things you said about me. It still hurt my feelings, you know?"

Baekhyun takes a minute to pause and reflect. What did he tell Chanyeol that night again?

"...Even if I were to be reborn or reincarnated, I would never fall for an imbecile like you. Not in this life, not in the afterlife, and not in a parallel universe."

"I'd rather stay single for the rest of my life if it would only mean I'd get to be your boyfriend or your husband. It's better off living as a rock forever if I would only end up being your partner for a lifetime. Thank god, I am straight! I'll never cross paths with you."

"Assuming you were my lover I'm sharing a bed with every night gives me the creeps. Heh. No wonder you're single. Being in a relationship with you must be worse than experiencing a gore horror movie. Damn, how disturbing!"
 
Embarrassed and guilty, Baekhyun chuckles to cover up his shame, shaking his head. Wow. He was such an asshole back then. How could he say this to Chanyeol even if it was just a joke? What a jerk.

"Let's put the past behind us, shall we?"

Baekhyun brings his hand closer to Chanyeol's face, softly caressing his cheek while staring into his love-filled eyes.

"I'm truly sorry, baby. I mean it from the bottom of my heart.

Chanyeol gulps and blinks repeatedly.

"Come again? Who're you calling baby now?"

"It's you, of course~ My baby."

"It's the other way around, though~ You, Baekhyun, are my baby."

"No. You, Chanyeol, are my baby."

"Nope. I'm your husband. So don't call me baby."

"Okay, baby."

Chanyeol needs to bite his bottom lip to prevent himself from grinning wide but to no avail. He can't stop smiling, for fuck's sake. He's aware of how cheesy this is but he's too happy to care.

"You called your exes endearments too, right?"

Baekhyun rolls his eyes.

"Stop! Don't mention that word. From now on, we're not allowed to talk about those people."

"Yup. That's what I'm thinking, too."

"So. What should I call you, then?"

Chanyeol shrugs.

"Just call me anything. You can still call me by my name like how you used to, and I'll do the same to you."

Playing with each other's hands to pass time, they talk in whispers and giggles.

"How about I give you a nickname?"

"We've been friends since forever and it's just now that you thought of giving me a nickname? I'm 30, man. I don't need some cute, little nickname."

"Yeol."

"Yes, Baek?"

Flustered, Baekhyun hits Chanyeol's arm.

Dodging away, Chanyeol shrieks and snickers.

"Ouch--haha! Damn, what was that for?"

"This is just, pfft... I don't know. It kinda feels strange. All of this! Are we really gonna start dating?"

"Yeah, we are! We just agreed to it. We're now boyfriends."

Staring meaningfully and intimately at each other, Baekhyun fondly smiles.

"Do you really love me?"

"Mm-hm. I really love you."

"How much?

"More than you could ever imagine."

Baekhyun acts like he was shivering.

"Urgh! I'm cringing. This is so not like us."

"Yeah? That's what I thought, too."

Both share a hearty laugh.

"Say, haven't you really caught on? After all these years?" Chanyeol asks.

"Maybe I caught on, maybe I didn't. Because if I thought too much about the possibility of you liking me more than a friend, I think that'd only make me delusional. You're dearest to me, after all," Baekhyun answers truthfully, "Plus, you always took good care of me from the very beginning. Like simply cleaning the mess off my mouth every time we eat, driving me home, and putting me first among everything else. You'd treat me as if I was special to you so I took it for granted and believed you were just a very kind and thoughtful person."

"I'm only like that towards you."

"Really?"

Chanyeol hums and presses a gentle kiss on Baekhyun's knuckles.

"Really."

Baekhyun feels his chest flutter.

"Be honest. Did I ever confuse you?" Chanyeol asks.

"Yeah... A couple of times, actually."

"Really? When did it start?"

"I think it began when my ex and I broke up."

"No way, seriously?"

"After that, your presence became much more existent to me. Our game was launched and we worked more time alongside each other."

"Happiest moments of my office life~"

"Little things kept piling up. Like, when you constantly flirted with me but still knew your place. And when you asked me to hug you to sleep before we went on the business trip, or that time we soaked in the bathtub together and you said you didn't wanna get married if it wasn't with me..."

"Oh, I remember that."

"It also didn't help that you keep being nice to my family. Probably I was already confused by your actions back then. I wasn't just acknowledging it because I didn't want anything to change."

Chanyeol flashes a bright smile. He's on the edge of his seat now, loving how honest Baekhyun is getting toward him.

"So when can you say was the turning point?"

"I think the trigger was the night we had that phone call when I was in Denmark? You hinted things when you were drunk, saying you missed me, and you couldn't survive being far away from someone you love. And I was like, What the fuck is this dude saying!? Has he lost his mind?"

"Hahaha. I really did lose my mind back then."

"So right after that incident, every little thing you said and did just freaking confused the hell out of me... Even the things you said and did way before that? I started to put meanings behind it. Before I knew it, our vacation on the private island happened. You confessed. We kissed in your tent. It then finally dawned on me. Ah, so that was it. Now it all made sense..."

"You were pretty dense, Baekhyun. Took you a long time to figure it out."

"Not my fault that you've been beating around the bush and giving me mixed signals? We were on the edge of ambiguity, Chanyeol. I asked myself. Are we best friends or are we now more than that? But I'm straight? Oh, fuck. Whatever... This is Chanyeol anyway. We've been always like this so I'll just let things happen as it is."

Chanyeol inches closer and strokes Baekhyun's hair, playing with the strands of his fringe while they talk heart-to-heart.

"If only you knew how the tension between us killed me. It was unbearable... While we were walking on eggshells, I was like, I badly wanna kiss Baekhyun but I can't. So I'll just kiss him on the cheek, hold his hand, and say I miss him hoping he'd understand how I feel... And then it happened. Minseok and Kyungsoo were there. You fucking snapped. It was jealousy. I saw a silver lining."

Baekhyun hits him teasingly; Chanyeol catches his hand, laughing, and laces their fingers together.

"Excuse me? I didn't get jealous of those two! Why would I?"

"You sure about that? You didn't get jealous at all?"

"...fine. Maybe a little."

Chanyeol fist-bumps the air.

"Knew it!"

"You're really frustrating, aren't you? You could've just told me how you felt from the get-go."

"How could I? It's not that easy to confess. I had to consider lots of things about our current relationship. So I just chose the safest option rather than take the risk. I stayed on the sidelines and became a person you could rely on. A loyal best friend."

Baekhyun wants to apologize but he knows Chanyeol would rather not hear his sorry. Thank you, he mumbles, earning him a You're welcome from the man.

"How about you? When was the turning point for you?" Baekhyun asks.

Chanyeol sadly smiles, reminiscing his past heartbreaks.

"It was in college. We were 23. That was the peak of my feelings. I was on the brink of pursuing you and giving you up. I've had multiple attempts of confessing to you, but guess what? All of them failed. So I tried to forget you. I moved out of the dorms so that I could see you less. I tried my best to get you out of my system. I also fooled around a lot back then, right?"

"Yeah, you did..."

"You see, there were points in my life when I thought I'd already forgotten about you. Times when I thought I loved you less, times when I thought I'd totally moved on. But times would always come when I'd realize I still love you so much. It was just like a cycle for me, Baekhyun. At 24 I thought I didn't need you anymore so I met other people. At 25, I assumed my affections for you were all just a phase, and that I'd grow out of it someday. And then at 26, I became desperately in love with you again. I just couldn't make up my mind. So at 27, I secretly loved you while accepting my fate."

It is painful and heart-wrenching to hear but Baekhyun still listens. He can't simply imagine how miserable it has been for Chanyeol back then.

"And then at 28, when you were in a long-term relationship, I made myself believe that I was finally ready to be your groomsman and see you get married. So when I turned 29, I convinced myself that I was completely over you. But when we turned 30? Shit came back to me and bit me in the ass. Because I realized that fuck. Hell, no. I couldn't just give you up! I'll be nothing without you. I'll make you mine no matter what. I've come this far so I can't let go of you now. Hahaha... Crazy, right? Look at me, I've fallen madly, deeply in love with you all over again."

Chanyeol chuckles at the irony. He can't believe that he can finally let go of these harbored feelings. It feels liberating.

"So, at the end of everything, it all comes down to one fact. That I love you in the past and in the present, and it will never change in the future, too."

"I think everything happened for a reason. We were meant to be together at 30," Baekhyun says as he keeps holding Chanyeol's hand, "Had it been earlier, we wouldn't be like what we are now. Don't you think so?"

"You're right. That's a great way to look at things. And it's nice hearing about the situation from your perspective. This is what I love about you. You're always so sure."

"I love it, too. The way you're being honest with me right now."

"Uh. Actually, I still have some secrets I haven't told you."

"Secrets like?"

"You sure you wanna hear?"

"Uh-huh. I've got my fair share of secrets too, that I'm willing to tell you. If you share with me yours, that is."

Looking at the ceiling, Chanyeol lolls his head on the backrest of the sofa and thinks.

"Let's see..."

Baekhyun perches his elbow on the cleft of the couch and smirks.

"I'm listening."

"When we were 18, back in senior year of high school, you stopped by my place because it was raining outside. You took off your uniform in front of me. I got excited seeing you in your red underwear. I excused myself and jerked off in the bathroom while you were still in my house."

"No fucking way! Bro, why would you tell me this now?"

"Oh, and I also rubbed one out at your parent's house that night we had our first kiss. Your brother caught me sneaking out of the bathroom after I did it."

"Oh, my god. You sick pervert! How could you do that to my naïve self?"

"Sorry, I was a horny teenager. Beat that."

Baekhyun taps his chin as he thinks.

"Fine... Listen to this. When I was in my freshmen year of high school, I had a crush on your older sister."

Chanyeol is speechless. He has his eyes big, his face drained out of blood.

"I think she's my first love, Yura noona."

Baekhyun flashes an angelic smile.

"You're not mad, right?"

Chanyeol lost all sorts of willingness to live. How come he only found out just now? Why does it have to be his sister, out of all people!?

"I don't know how to feel about this... Let me process things... Oh, my god."

"It only lasted for ten days, I just thought she was really cool and pretty."

"You did?"

"Yup, I mean, she looked like the girl version of you back then."

"You really thought so?"

"Mm-hm."

All of a sudden, that made Chanyeol feel better real quick.

"Okay, if you say so."

"Your turn. Next secret, please."

Chanyeol clears his throat and moves on.

"Remember that night we got drunk in your dorm room back when we were in our senior year of college? I comforted you because you cried."

"Yeah, I still remember that."

"When I put you to bed after you blacked out, I tried to kiss you."

"What!?"

"But Sehun came in and saw me about to do it so the kiss didn't happen."

"S-so you're saying that Sehun knew all this time that you have feelings for me?"

"Yeah, you stupid. Even Jongdae knew."

"WHAT!? Since high school!? Jongdae knew!?"

"Yup. Oh, and Kyungsoo knew, too. Since college. He might've also told Jongin about it along the way, so yeah. They knew."

"HUH!? Even Do Kyungsoo!? But you two were fucking that time!"

"I was fucking him while thinking of you. Kyungsoo didn't mind, though. I bet he was thinking of Jongin fucking him while we were doing it anyway. We were just using each other and we were cool about it. No strings attached."

Baekhyun gasps in shock. What a vulgar mouth!

"You... You've got to be kidding me right now!"

"Pfft. I wish I was."

"But, but how about with Minseok hyung, huh?"

"Oh, Kim Minseok? It was real. We actually dated. He was my first boyfriend. I did like him for quite a while but not as much as how I liked you. You're my first love after all--wait, I thought we agreed not to talk about our exes. Why are we suddenly bringing him up now? Let's change the subject!"

Baekhyun isn't sure how to feel about this. He brought this upon himself, though. Can he still go on?

"Uhm, should we stop?"

"No! Let's see this till the end. It's my turn, right?"

"Yeah. Fire away."

Chanyeol is lowkey scared. Did he make Baekhyun mad? Then again, it's adorable when Baekhyun gets jealous. He feels like he's got the upper hand.

"Spoiler alert. That time when you tried to kiss me, I was just half-asleep," Baekhyun smirks, "Before you wrapped me in a blanket like a burrito, you kissed my eyes and my forehead, right? And then Sehun unlocked the door and came in?"

Blushing, Chanyeol is stunned and dumbfounded. What the fuck. What kind of plot twist is this!?

"Y-you were awake!?"

"At that time, I just thought you were also drunk. You probably didn't know what you were doing so you didn't mean trying to kiss me. And then I completely forgot all about it the next morning."

"Shit, that was embarrassing..."

"Hah, you fool. Your breath smelled like beer, tteokkbokki sauce, and fried chicken, how could I possibly fall asleep when you were breathing so hard right in my face? I just pretended to sleep so it would be less awkward."

Baekhyun watches as Chanyeol grovels in shame. His face is turning red now and it's super cute.

"Sometimes though, I'd get to think about that moment and wonder. What if Chanyeol really had a crush on me back then? Should I ask him just for kicks?"

"Fuck, if you actually did ask me about it, I'd probably end up confessing to you at a really awkward moment."

"Oh, wait. There's more."

"Huh? There's more?"

"The letter that 'fell off' your coat, you still remember that?"

"W-what letter!?"

"You didn't really drop it."

"HUH!?"

"Yeah, that love letter you wrote 12 years ago. I've read it and I threw it to the ground!"

Chanyeol just wants to disappear like a bubble right now. This is so humiliating he could die.

"This is unbelievable... Why would you keep these kinds of secrets?"

Baekhyun recalls the crime he did that exact night.

"When you lent me your padded coat, I kinda felt some paper inside the pocket. I peeked into the letter, got pissed, and chucked it away. And then I remembered you suddenly driving back and looking for the letter, so I pretended I didn't know what you were talking about. And then you saw the letter, picked it up, and kept it."

"Oh, my god... Did you really read what was inside!?"

"Of course, I already forgot what was written in there now, but I saw a couple of cheesy words. Heh. You were lucky the name was smudged by the snow so I wasn't able to see who you were writing for," Baekhyun squints and rolls his eyes, "But I knew back then that it was for your first love so I kinda felt annoyed and left the letter on the ground. I was a little evil and naughty, too."

Hah, thank god, Chanyeol breathes in relief through this painstaking embarrassment. At least luck was on his side at that time.

"Haven't you had the faintest idea who my first love is before I confessed to you?" Chanyeol asks.

"Well... I thought it was Jongdae, the guy from high school," Baekhyun says.

Chanyeol stares blankly, before exploding into a burst of laughter like a snorting pig.

"Pffft--hahaha! Say what?"

"You said he was already married so I thought of Jongdae immediately!"

"You've got a point back there."

"You said some Pandora's box and shit, so I somehow pictured someone from high school in my head. Then I forgot all about it the next day."

"Nice imagination."

Baekhyun shakes his dismissively.

"Ah, seriously... We were both idiots."

"Yeah, and we still are."

An angel must have passed by when it suddenly becomes all quiet. Looking at each other, Chanyeol faces Baekhyun and sadly smiles.

"I just remembered the most heartbreaking moment of my life."

Baekhyun has a questioning look on his face so Chanyeol continues.

"Speaking of the love letter, I was supposed to give it to you on that snowy day. I was about to confess to you at the coffee shop but you suddenly received an emergency call. I drove you to the hospital and insisted on coming with you. And then it happened... My heart broke into million pieces."

"I... I introduced her to you?" Baekhyun asks.

Chanyeol exhales and nods.

"When I was buying snacks at the convenience store for your girlfriend, I cried alone. But when I had to face you, I pretended I was okay. Do you remember what you told me back in the car? You said you already met your future wife. Hearing that from you was too painful. I could see it in your eyes that you really liked her. I had no choice but to be happy for you, so I came up with a lie that my first love was already married so I couldn't confess... Maybe back then, I had already realized that there was no way we could actually be together."

Baekhyun stays speechless. He's not sure if he has the right to say anything so he just listens while holding Chanyeol's hand.

"Fast-forward to seven years. We're now 30. You told me--in the most casual way ever--that you guys broke up. And I told you--in the most casual way ever--Ah, is that so. And then it was never brought up again."

Chanyeol opens Baekhyun's hand and plays with the other's fingers individually as he tells his story.

"When I came home that day, I looked at myself in the mirror. I thought I'd see myself smiling. I thought I'd see myself celebrating. But no. I saw a troubled and conflicted man. I was scared and confused. My comfort zone was taken away from me like I was pushed again to face my buried feelings. I was back to square one. I didn't know what to do. But there was one thing I couldn't deny. It's the fact that I saw again the light that I haven't seen since we were 18. And then a part of me was relieved. I prayed to God. If this was a chance, then please, give me a sign."

"What sign was it?" Baekhyun asks, clearly invested.

"The Copenhagen business trip," Chanyeol answers, "I asked you not to push me away when I take a step closer to you, and you said yes."

"Yeah, I remember that."

"Slowly and carefully, I planned on making you feel how I feel until it got to you no matter how long it took. Though it didn't work out like how I imagined--because instead of me confessing my love for you on my own, you confronted me about it. You asked me out instead of me doing it. But still, in the end, dating is possible between us after all. I'm so happy and fulfilled. It feels like a dream come true."

"You are the greatest thing that has ever happened to me," Baekhyun presses a sweet kiss on Chanyeol's mouth, muttering, "I'll make it up to you all my life so wait for me, okay?"

Smirking, he leans away for a while so that he can whisper into Chanyeol's ear:

"You might've fallen first but I will prove to you that I'm gonna fall harder. This is just the beginning of us. This is just the start of you and me, of Chanyeol and Baekhyun. Together."

"Looking forward to it," Chanyeol smiles into Baekhyun's lips, pulls him for a hug, and kisses him back like there was no tomorrow.

To be continued

(Updates every 5th, 15th, and 25th of the month!)