onemorechansoo | 2015: a little company (for prompt 20)

Author: ANONYMOUS until July 15, 2015

Title: a little company
Rating: PG-13
Length: 18,031 words
Summary: Kyungsoo's plan to backpack around Europe was dampened when Chanyeol decided to trail along. His enthusiasm and puppy-like excitement would cover for his lack of knowledge on backpacking, right? Wrong. Madness, problems, and fluffiness ensued (in that order).

Notes: I hope I didn't butcher the prompt oh God. I did travel around Europe but that was 3 years ago and Google saved me this time around tbh. Thank you for this A+ prompt and I really hope you prompter enjoyed this? Also, I'd like to say many many many thanks to L and G and A for without them, this fic would suck, big time.

Kyungsoo wasn’t expecting the sight he was greeted with.

The room itself was great; it was a bit on the small side but that was to be expected with the kind of payment that went with it. The walls were painted white and apple green and it sort of tranquilized Kyungsoo. Two single beds were pushed close together and Kyungsoo could see that the covers were clean, pristine white and not yellowish. There was a small LCD television hung on the wall opposite the beds and it was convenient. But the bathroom – that was what he didn’t expect to see. He almost wanted to storm out of the room and demand a cancellation if not for Chanyeol’s lanky, clumsy body knocking him from behind.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he let out a heavy sigh. Chanyeol wasn’t helping the situation in the least, his stupid mouth groaning out wows and oohs and sweets incessantly. Kyungsoo almost wanted to smack his well-packed travel backpack into his annoying face, almost being the keyword. He just couldn’t find the energy in him to do so.

“Damn, this is sweet! And the fact that we only had to pay so little to get this kind of room? Wow. Amazing!” Chanyeol exclaimed, dumping his dark blue backpack onto the right single bed, the bag bouncing comically.

Kyungsoo shuffled over to the left bed, the one next to a pair of glass windows and a small desk, and placed his bag on the bed gently.

Only after he had made himself comfortable on the bed did he speak up, head turning towards the lying figure on the bed next to him, “You didn’t notice the bathroom, did you?”

Chanyeol turned his head to the cubicle that was so close to his bed and from this angle, Kyungsoo could see the frown marring his best friend’s face. He didn’t know what was running through Chanyeol’s mind until he shrugged and mumbled “doesn’t matter,” under his breath. Kyungsoo’s eyes widened at that.

“Excuse me?”

Chanyeol dragged himself up on the soft bedsheet, propping his head on the fluffy pillow, arms crossed behind his head, “I said it doesn’t matter. It’s just a transparent cubicle, Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo stood up then, not able to comprehend what Chanyeol had just said so nonchalantly. It was a transparent box containing a simple toilet and shower head. Kyungsoo wasn’t going to let Park-fucking-Chanyeol ogle him while he was bathing or doing his business.

“Stop being so overdramatic. Okay, how about this?” Chanyeol sat up against the soft green plastic headboard, “When you want to bathe, I’ll just close my eyes, alright?”

Kyungsoo shook his head. He would overlook this matter if he had gone here alone, but as it was, Chanyeol decided to trail along, citing waste of Mr. Lee’s money as the reason. Kyungsoo didn’t add that it would be a glorious waste of money as long as Chanyeol didn’t go with him, but he liked to think that he still had a heart beneath the ivy wrapping around his ribcage. Besides, Junmyeon, that devil hiding behind an angel’s mask, had persuaded him into letting Chanyeol in on his travel plans. He also, apparently, liked to think that he was a good dongsaeng to the older man, so he complied albeit begrudgingly.

…Which brought him into the matters at hand. Transparent bathroom box plus annoying, stupid Chanyeol.

“I want you to leave the room whenever I’m about to shower,” Kyungsoo announced, arms crossing on his chest, lips pursed. He was sure he radiated a serious aura.

Chanyeol’s eyes widened a little, his straight eyebrows high up on his forehead, “Why should I? I have as much right to be in this room as you do! Kyungsoo, come on,” he whined, long legs and arms (everything about him was frustratingly long) flailing around, messing the bedsheet, “It’s just a shower. I swear to God I won’t peek at you while you’re bathing, cross my heart.” He grinned then, all flailing abruptly stopping when he did the exact same gesture as in Up. Kyungsoo couldn’t find it in himself to argue and be mad anymore as a smile slowly curved its way up on his lips.

“There’s my beautiful heart smile. I never thought I’d get to see it,” Chanyeol chuckled, arms opened wide before him, inviting Kyungsoo into a hug, signalling the end of their argument. This was like their routine after every single time they had had a fight or even a little argument. Kyungsoo might not be the friendliest guy in the world, but with Chanyeol, he felt like he could let himself free and loosen up sometimes. That was what Kyungsoo had thought of while deciding whether or not to let Chanyeol join him backpacking in Europe. He might not be able to cope with stress all alone, and even though Chanyeol was stress personified, Kyungsoo thought it wouldn’t be all that bad to have Chanyeol with him.

He had to remind himself to ask Chanyeol to be less noisy once their journey began as he snuggled into Chanyeol’s warm embrace, not forgetting to pinch one of Chanyeol’s forearms. The brunette’s loud yelp made Kyungsoo feel much better than before.

***

Kyungsoo had woken up earlier than planned. He stepped into the cubicle quietly, fingers making an effortless work at turning the tap on. He made sure all suds were gone before turning the tap off and dried himself with the big fluffy towel provided by the hotel.

By the end of it, Chanyeol hadn’t even moved a muscle, still in his previous sleeping position; arms and legs hugging a pillow in between, mouth opened a bit with drool steadily streaming down onto the pillow under his head. Kyungsoo felt like a set of boulders were lifted off of his shoulders.

God, he really needed to chill.

***

“So, what’s on our agenda for this glorious morning?” Chanyeol’s deep voice hit his eardrums rather pleasantly as they walked side by side on the narrow cobblestoned-street, various cafés and other shops already opened around this time. They were just sightseeing, really, since Kyungsoo had longed to feel these cobblestones beneath his feet (or shoes more precisely). A few heads would turn to look at them as they walked down the road, but the looks gracing the locals’ face were not of hostility, but rather plain curiosity. He imagined not many Asians would grace this part of town with their presence.

“Just sightseeing. I heard there are some interesting churches and landmarks here in this part of Bruges. I’d like to snap some pictures.”

Chanyeol simply hummed, understanding. Kyungsoo liked inhaling the crisp, fresh morning air, the air leaving damp trails on his exposed skin. It differed so greatly from the air in Seoul. Kyungsoo could see that Chanyeol agreed with his little sentiment, seeing that his friend was sneakily sticking his tongue out to taste the air. Kyungsoo thought he reminded him so much of a puppy, an adorable new-born one. It managed to make him chuckle.

Finally realizing that Kyungsoo had been watching him making a fool out of himself, Chanyeol scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed look on his face, tips of his endearing ears reddening. Kyungsoo knew it wasn’t due to the chilly air, but he didn’t say anything as he focused back on the road and numerous shops. He was going to buy some of the famous chocolates in one of the stores soon, but he wouldn’t worry about it since they were everywhere here.

They were now at Rozenhoedkaai, dubbed as one of the romantic spots here in Bruges. Kyungsoo was enthralled by the medieval architecture, rows and rows of buildings lined up neatly. Taking Chanyeol’s hand in his, he tugged the taller boy to the bridge ahead of them. He wanted to take a picture there, sitting on the ledge, overlooking the canals. He heard Chanyeol’s breathless laugh behind him as they finally got on the bridge, causing him to chuckle a little bit too. He wasn’t going to admit it soon, but having Chanyeol here with him was starting to be fun.

He took out his DSLR camera from inside his bag and after taking the lid off, he snapped a few pictures of the canal and buildings around it. Chanyeol was whining next to him about how they should be in the picture too, but he ignored the other man as he turned around and took some more pictures. He was an expert at this so when he browsed through the gallery, he felt pride surging through his veins at the photos which came out to be more than fine.

“Kyungsoo,” Chanyeol grumbled, hands tugging the hems of Kyungsoo’s blue-checkered shirt, “I want to be in the pictures too!”

Kyungsoo sighed, “You’re going to ruin the scenery.”

Chanyeol gasped dramatically, hand placed on his chest, “You offend me with your words!”

“Stop ruining my shirt!”

“Don’t want to.”

Pressing the heel of his palm onto one of his shut eyes, he let out a shaky exhale, “I’m starting to regret bringing you here, Chanyeol. You better behave.”

Instantly, his shirt was released from Chanyeol’s insistent grip. Well, that was easy. He handed a confused looking Chanyeol his DSLR. “You wanted to take a picture, right? Take it then.”

“I wanted to take a selfie with you though… We can just use my phone for it. This… thing is big as fuck! I don’t know how to handle it.”

With a grind of teeth, he snatched the camera from Chanyeol’s hands and stuffed it back into his bag. He was going to get annoyed really fast if Chanyeol continued this act of his.

He sat down on the ledge begrudgingly, looking over at a still standing Chanyeol expectantly. When it seemed that Chanyeol was not getting the signal, he called out to the guy, “You said you wanted to take a selfie?”

A look of understanding passed Chanyeol’s features and an ahhh escaped his lips. Kyungsoo rolled his eyes and patted the space next to him. Chanyeol bounded up to him with a grin so wide Kyungsoo feared for his lips. His best friend could be such a dork sometimes.

***

Chanyeol had been whining, again, this time on how Kyungsoo didn’t even show his face in the pictures, but Kyungsoo blocked out all the annoying sounds since he was focused on choosing the right type of chocolate on the racks, not that he could do it wrong. All of them were good anyway.

“I don’t care, I’m going to take more selfies after this and I’ll make sure your face will be in it!”

“Suit yourself,” Kyungsoo mumbled, frowning while reading the description on the chocolate box. It was written in Flemish if Kyungsoo wasn’t wrong. He wasn’t going to search the meaning of the words on his phone now, so he simply picked two square boxes and brought them to the counter. He wasn’t sure if he was going to like it, but if the illustrations on the boxes were any indicator, then at least he would like the look of it.

Just as he was about to step out of the small, homey store, he realized that Chanyeol was nowhere in sight. Going back to the section he was at a few moments ago, he found a frowning Chanyeol holding two round tins in his hands. He looked like he was having a hard time choosing one to buy.

“We’re going to be late for our canal cruise. Just choose one, please.”

Chanyeol grumbled something along the lines of ‘leave me alone!’ and ‘ugh, all of them look good!’

Kyungsoo had half a mind to actually leave him alone, but he didn’t because he was a good friend. See, he could be nice!

After a few more minutes of staring and grumbling, Chanyeol finally decided to buy a silver round tin embossed with the words ‘GODIVA Chocolatier.’ Kyungsoo considered telling his friend that it might cost more than he thought, but Chanyeol was already gone, heading to the counter. He took out a few paper bills and handed them to the blonde cashier with a pretty teeth smile.

Well, it was his money to blow anyway, and if Chanyeol was short on money later, Kyungsoo was going to throw it into his face. Wasting money like this… Even Kyungsoo wasn’t as careless. Regardless, he stayed quiet all throughout their walk to the nearby canal, and even though he knew Chanyeol was dying to talk to him, the guy didn’t initiate any conversation. Rather, he opted to taking pictures of the sceneries around them as they walked, marvelling under his breath at how beautiful Bruges was and how he felt like living here. Kyungsoo heard all that but he merely kept a smile to himself. Seeing Chanyeol like that, like a kid who was brought to Disneyland, made Kyungsoo’s heart flutter.

Kyungsoo strolled nearer to the walls of the buildings and dragged his fingers along the wall as he slowly walked ahead, feeling the rough brick textures on his skin. He liked it. Locals were scattered all over, some blondes, some brunettes, some long haired, some short, some bald, they came in all different colours and sizes and it excited Kyungsoo to no end, knowing that he was a part of this. He inhaled the crisp afternoon air, a small smile playing on his lips.

***

Paying for the ride at the counter was a quick work, so Kyungsoo marvelled at the white houses lined in rows adjacent to where the many cruises were. He registered where they were right now, at Katelijnestraat 4, and adjusted the camera bag almost sliding off his shoulder properly while walking slowly along the rickety wooden deck.

Kyungsoo had resisted Chanyeol’s offer on helping him board the cruise. He could do a simple crossing from wood to a shaky cruise, thank you very much Park Chanyeol. From the corner of his eyes, he saw the looks Chanyeol shared with the boat driver and he instantly recalled what Junmyeon had told him once, about communication knowing no barrier.

“You were talking behind my back, weren’t you?” Kyungsoo whispered, lips pursed and fingers about to pinch the delectable skin on Chanyeol’s arm. Chanyeol had a horrified look painted across his face as though Kyungsoo was trying to do something so mean to him. Putting his hand back down by his side, he sauntered over to the farthest seat at the back of the cruise. He sat down, put his camera bag down on the polished-wooden table carefully and relaxed against the wooden seat. It wasn’t exactly the most comfortable seat in the world, but it would do. He had been doing so much walking that his feet and back were starting to ache. If Chanyeol noticed, he didn’t say anything about it.

He knew his moment of peace would be rudely interrupted by his Godzilla of a friend. Soon, he was being tugged out of his seat and out into the open area of the cruise where people would clutter around and take pictures of the beautiful sceneries as the cruise moved slowly across the canal. Thankfully, it wasn’t too crowded and he found himself standing back against chest at the front of the deck, Chanyeol wrapping his stupid gangly arms around his shoulders. He wanted to push the giant off of him, really, because he was starting to suffocate him, but a part of him wanted to continue feeling the warmth radiating from his best friend. At last, the irrational part of him won, and he let himself be loosely embraced by a quiet Chanyeol. But because Park Chanyeol was not Park Chanyeol unless he ruined something, the guy made the mistake of opening his mouth and saying in an excited manner, “Should we re-enact Titanic, Soo? Oh my God, why did I just think of this? I should get the blonde guy to take a pic–”

“No,” Kyungsoo said, body stiffening under Chanyeol’s weight.

He could feel the confusion radiating off of Chanyeol in thick bundles when the guy mumbled a, “What? Why not?”

“Just because.”

“Soo…” Chanyeol whined, feet stomping like a child and arms tightening around his shoulders. Kyungsoo didn’t understand the motive.

“Why on earth do you want to re-enact the scene from Titanic?”

Chanyeol lifted his head off Kyungsoo’s, and what a relief that was because his head was fucking heavy, and muttered, “You’re such a party pooper.”

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes but stayed quiet. He’d rather enjoy the sceneries. Without him realizing, Chanyeol had wrapped his arms around his waist and snuggled the side of his neck. Kyungsoo was tolerant of skin-ship, of course, but when Chanyeol took it up a notch, he found it hard to be accommodating. And this was what he felt then.

“You never do the things I ask you to do,” Chanyeol muttered. Kyungsoo could feel his pout against his neck and it was unnerving. He was here to backpack and travel and inhale the European air, for God’s sake, not to babysit one giant Park Chanyeol!

“Chanyeol, please get off my neck. You’re salivating.”

He felt Chanyeol shake his head and it caused mini heart palpitations on Kyungsoo’s part. “People are looking, Yeol.” Nope, that was a lie.

“Nobody is looking though…”

Damn Chanyeol and his psychic powers. “Regardless, I’m not going to turn into Kate Winslet just so you could be my Leo DiCaprio.”

He heard something akin to snorting and soon, he had an armful of a snorting plus chortling Chanyeol in his arms and he shot the other passengers an apologetic smile.

***

It was 10 pm when they arrived at the rundown motel.

It wasn’t particularly dirty or unkempt, instead, Kyungsoo could see that the owner tried hard to maintain the building. But it didn’t concern Kyungsoo all that much as long as the bed provided as much comfort as rundown motel beds could anyway. The 14 hours on a plane from Bruges to Paris was starting to get to him and sleep was the only thing playing on his mind.

He climbed up the stairs with Chanyeol in tow and wished that the ground level rooms weren’t full. Nevertheless, he adjusted the strap of the black travel backpack on his shoulder. He heard Chanyeol groaning about the weight of his bag and Kyungsoo chuckled.

“Should’ve listened to me and packed lesser things. Regretting it now, Chanyeol?”

“I know, I know,” the other male whined softly.

***

Morning rolled around pretty quickly. He woke up to the intrusive sunlight burning on his skin from the slightly mouldy window. The curtains were a poor excuse of curtains as they were so thin it wouldn’t have made any difference if they weren’t there. Kyungsoo blinked his eyes several times just to try to get the sleep out of them, hand scratching an itch on his stomach. Lolling his head to his right, he observed the way the sun brought out the beauty in Chanyeol – showcasing his long eyelashes, straight-bridged nose, slightly plump pink lips and that well-defined jawline.

Kyungsoo must have been sick if he thought Park Chanyeol was beautiful, so with a shudder, he got out of bed and took a shower. He could wake Chanyeol a little later. He hoped this motel at least provided him with hot wat– Ah, there it was, thank God.

***

Chanyeol had asked him while they were still in Seoul, the human-sized koala clinging onto his back, the reason why he didn’t just book hostel dorms because obviously, it would be cheaper that way? At the time, Kyungsoo was too blinded by the thought that ah, at least Park Derpyeol had made his research, that he had ignored the latter’s question.

Sure, he could simply rent hostel dorms, but Do Kyungsoo was not a person who mingled well with people. It took Chanyeol 4 years to lure him out of his antisocial shell, and another 2 years before they decided to be housemates. Of course, this was a story to tell another day.

So, to say that he was unwilling to stay in a tight confine with probably 14 other people (he might be exaggerating here, do mind) would be an understatement of the century. He was not going to let these strangers watch him as he changed, slept, and other personal, intimate actions. The prospect of those strangers doing something terrible to him was horrifying and therefore, no, Kyungsoo would not rent a hostel dorm just to simply save a little bit of money. He didn’t mind spending money on matters like renting a hotel or a motel, as long as he didn’t have to share it with other people.

Obviously, his situation was sabotaged when a certain Park Chanyeol decided to trail along with him across the globe to Europe. Now, he loved Chanyeol with all his heart and brain and chest and everything, but he simply didn’t love Chanyeol enough as to let him follow him backpacking.

“But Chanyeol’s your best friend, Kyungsoo ah. How can you call someone your best friend if you’re not going to treat him like one?” Junmyeon had asked, face drawn into a frown as Kyungsoo went about wiping the kitchen stove and counter. Junmyeon had a point, and it was a good point, but Chanyeol was an idiot.

“I want to have some me time and this is really the only chance I would ever get, hyung, you understand that right?”

He heard Junmyeon sighing, “But he’s really excited, you know, about the trip.”

Before Kyungsoo could correct him on the term, Junmyeon put his hands up and explained, “I know, I know, it’s called backpacking, but you know he didn’t know the difference anyway.”

“And that is precisely why I don’t want him to trail along.”

“Kyungsoo, he’s really excited. He’s been asking me what to pack and googling the weather forecast in Bruges and France and fuck, Kyungsoo,” he sighed out, surprising Kyungsoo with the sudden curse, “Just bring him, okay? I’m not going to stand him making those stupid puppy faces and whining about how much he misses you and all.”

The not-so-new revelation brought a smile on Kyungsoo’s face as he recalled Chanyeol calling him constantly while he was on a business trip 2 months back. He had been so cute whining about how Junmyeon cooked like shit and how he missed snuggling Kyungsoo during the rare times they got to spend together.

So, with a begrudged look on his face, he swore an oath with Junmyeon to let Chanyeol join him backpacking.

***

“I heard that at night the Eiffel Tower lights up. Do you know about that?”

Chanyeol’s deep voice sounded from his right as they walked around Paris. Kyungsoo nodded and when he heard a satisfied sound coming from Chanyeol, he continued his admiration on the white flats with flowers on their balconies just like how films had portrayed them. He felt a sense of satisfaction running down his spine as he inhaled the air. His doe eyes were busy cataloguing everything into his mind. He wished he could live here forever. He was sure he suited Paris well.

They had decided–well, Kyungsoo had pushed Chanyeol to agree with him, was more like it–to visit the famous tower in the morning, seeing that he couldn’t even take pictures of the tower at night anyway. Chanyeol had begged him to go at night because he had wanted to see the ‘light show,’ but Kyungsoo shot the idea down, although deep inside his heart, he wanted to see it too. But if anyone was being a responsible adult here, it was him, so he had to maintain that position.

“Soo, let’s go up the tower!” Chanyeol had said, all the while tugging the hems of his shirt annoyingly like a kid, a toothy grin on his handsome–on his stupid face.

“No. The tickets are expensive.”

“Soo, you’re so mean.”

“It is expensive. We can just admire it from here, right? It’s not even worth it.”

He had almost missed the next words pouring out of Chanyeol’s lips, but seeing that his height was conveniently around Chanyeol’s shoulders, the wind brought the words smoothly into his ears. “It’s worth it when it’s with you.”

He felt his palms turning clammy as he held the camera in his hands and he willed himself to stop getting affected by his best friend’s words. That was what best friends did, right, saying cheesy stuffs like that and knowing that it wouldn’t mean anything to the other person?

“I want to eat croissants after this,” Chanyeol low-key ordered him, lips pouting as he trailed behind Kyungsoo like some sort of a loyal puppy. Kyungsoo hid his smile with his DSLR–not that Chanyeol could see it, but he liked to take precautions–as he snapped a few pictures of the garden surrounding the Eiffel Tower and people bustling around.

***

By the time the whole photography session had wrapped up, Chanyeol had forgotten all about the croissants as Kyungsoo watched him stare at a nearby souvenirs stand. He felt bad about their little argument earlier and he had missed seeing the creepy grin that had always been a sort of permanent fixture on Chanyeol’s face. Ignoring the alarm bells ringing in his head, he captured Chanyeol’s wrist in his hand gently and walked together to the stand. He knew Chanyeol had questions to ask, but as soon as they stopped in front of the stand, Chanyeol’s eyes had lit up so brightly as though he was a kid standing before an ice-cream stand.

His lips quirked up a little when Chanyeol all but skipped inside the little store, body twisting right and left as though he couldn’t decide which section he should go to. Kyungsoo had a hard time trying to stifle his laughs and not look like an idiot.

Joining Chanyeol, he scanned the various keychains and dices and other forms of souvenirs filled in little baskets fitted on the wall-mounted square racks. He snickered at the cliché words written on some of the souvenirs, but chose a few that would not cost so much. Just as he was about to pay at the counter, Chanyeol had stopped him with an arm across his chest, looking like he had just swallowed a really sour lemon. “Soo, I think we should get this for Junmyeon hyung.”

He glanced down at the small dice kept tight in Chanyeol’s palms and when he really focused on it, his mouth fell opened and his hand immediately smacked Chanyeol’s arm, hard. “What the fuck?”

Chanyeol was stifling his chortles now as he whispered back, hunched over Kyungsoo, “It’s a Kamasutra positions dice, Kyungsoo, oh my God. Can you imagine the look on hyung’s face when he sees this?”

Hiding his laughter against Chanyeol’s chest, he nodded his head yes. He could so imagine the pinched look Junmyeon would have on his face whenever either of them mentioned anything sexual to him. Junmyeon was such a prude that it had never failed to make them laugh hard at him. It wasn’t nice, he knew, after all it was better to be a prude then to be a manwhore–not that Kyungsoo would judge him, as long as Junmyeon was happy–but the man was 28 years old and he still blushed at the mention of ‘jacking off.’

Hurrying up to the counter after they had calmed themselves down, they tried to negotiate with the scruffy-bearded man with green eyes on the price. Kyungsoo’s French was rusty and Chanyeol’s was hopeless, so he could only signal with his hands. The man still didn’t budge, merely blinking disinterestedly at them.

Suddenly, though, he felt a gentle pat on his forearm as a man with tanned skin and sharp jawline came into his view, sidling up next to him. The man smiled, a small one, and said in heavily accented English, “Excuse me, are you Koreans?”

Kyungsoo nodded dumbly, momentarily awestruck at the perfection standing before him. The man’s smile curved up wider at that and offered his hand to be shaken. Chanyeol took it first.

“I’m sorry but the cashier isn’t really that friendly to foreigners who can’t speak French. May I…?” The man transitioned to Korean and the dialect was so familiar that Kyungsoo felt at home. His beautiful eyes dropped to the Kamasutra dice on the counter and he looked up to address it to both Kyungsoo and Chanyeol. “Yours?”

Kyungsoo had never wanted to bury himself in the ground this much before. Chanyeol cleared his throat before answering a sheepish ‘yes.’ With a grin that was nothing short of adorable, the man spoke in fluent French with the cashier, and only then did the cashier smile and begun putting the souvenirs in a small plastic bag. It was all a blur and soon, all three of them found themselves out of the store, the plastic bag firmly held by the man.

“Um, I’m so sorry about that just now,” Kyungsoo explained, his voice scratchy. The man smiled again and shook his head, “No, no, it’s okay. It’s a pleasure to meet you two! Koreans don’t often come here, so I’m just delightful to have met you. That’s not… That’s not creepy, right?”

Kyungsoo laughed, “No, no it’s not. Thank you for saving us back there.”

“Yeah, thanks,” Chanyeol chirped in politely.

“Are you two lovers?”

Kyungsoo choked on his saliva while Chanyeol’s eyes widened to the size of saucers. They must have put on such a display seeing that the gorgeous man was now chuckling.

“No, no, oh God, we are not lovers. Nope, never ever.”

Chanyeol’s reply was a bit late but there was something about his tone that made Kyungsoo felt guilty about his own response before. Nevertheless, the man nodded, understanding, and introduced himself as Jongin. They made a short walk from the stand to nowhere in particular, making short conversation in Korean. Kyungsoo was glad to have someone other than Chanyeol to talk to... not that Chanyeol wasn’t entertaining enough.

“I moved here when I was 16, I think. It’s been too long. I’m a ballet dancer.” That revelation caused Kyungsoo to swoon dreamily. He was gorgeous, probably around Kyungsoo’s age, and he was a ballet dancer. He was the perfect package! “You guys should visit the Arc de Triomphe. It’s just nearby. Maybe I can be your tour guide for the day?”

Kyungsoo was not going to pass up the offer even though technically he didn’t need a ‘tour guide’. So he agreed, excitement probably splashed across his face, and dragged a sour looking Chanyeol with him. He didn’t know what had crawled up in his best friend’s ass and died, but he wasn’t going to let him ruin this perfect day with his never-ending pout.

***

Hours of walking, talking; and laughing had somehow drained Kyungsoo. He really couldn’t thank Jongin enough for guiding them through the city, helping them cross the road and everything.

They were now resting on the grass at Parc du Champ-de-Mars (honestly Kyungsoo was just parroting Jongin now), legs stretched out before them, toes wiggling in their sneakers. Kyungsoo noticed that all throughout their tour, Chanyeol had grown quiet and it somehow worried him. Yes, of course, he quite liked the silence, but it was also so uncharacteristic of Chanyeol to keep quiet for 4 hours straight. That had to be his newest record.

The sun was setting now, bathing the city with a beautiful orange glow, and Kyungsoo bit down on his lip to contain his smile.

The wind was blowing so softly now, rustling his bangs, his shirt. He held out a palm and felt the wind caressing his skin oh so gently. He felt his lips curving up into a smile and this time, he let it free. Paris was a beautiful city, no one could deny that. If he had more time, he would definitely drag the days more, just to truly explore the city with Chan–

He was hit by a sudden realization.

Clearing his throat and pushing the thought to the recess of his mind, he watched in silence as Chanyeol and Jongin engaged themselves in a conversation about anime and whatnot. Kyungsoo would pitch in as well if his knowledge on the topic was vast, but it wasn’t.

“You and Kyungsoo seem very close. You must have been best friends for a while,” Jongin suddenly mentioned, the smile on his face warming Kyungsoo up. Kyungsoo was about to respond to that, but Chanyeol beat him to it.

“I am nothing but a speck of dust in Kyungsoo’s life.”

Kyungsoo whipped his head to where Chanyeol was sitting at to stare wide-eyed at him. Many thoughts were running in his mind, the most prominent being why on earth did Chanyeol say that? There was no glint in Chanyeol’s eyes at all and the worry from further resurfaced. His eyes quickly darted to Jongin who had a deer in headlights look.

“Haha, what are you talking about?” He faked a small laugh, nudging Chanyeol’s shoulder in what he hoped was a light-hearted gesture. Chanyeol merely shrugged, face devoid of any kind of the jovial expression he used to wear.

Jongin scratched his nape at that, a frowny, unsure smile painted on his plump lips. “Ah, you know what, I can’t believe I forgot to bring this up before but I have a show tomorrow morning at a ballet theatre. Would you guys attend? I’ll give you free passes.” The unsure smile was now completely wiped off, replaced by a genuine, excited one.

Kyungsoo brought his glance to Chanyeol, hoping that his best friend would say something or decline the wonderful offer, but nothing happened. The green grass spilling between his longer fingers had his focus instead. Sighing quietly as to not be noticed, Kyungsoo nodded at a hopeful looking Jongin, “Yes, sure. It’d be an amazing experience, I bet.”

Jongin nodded enthusiastically while rummaging into his coat, trousers, shirt pockets and when nothing came up, he gave Kyungsoo a sheepish grin, his the corner of his eyes crinkling.

“Uh, I didn’t bring the tickets with me… Okay, how about this, when you arrive at the theatre, just say that you’re a friend of Kim Jongin and the guard will let you in. I’ll tell them about you later. Is that alright?”

Kyungsoo said alright while glancing at a still quiet Chanyeol, the worry doubling in amount at a fast rate. The sun was nowhere in sight.

***

They had parted ways with Jongin just after they had finished eating croissants at a nearby beverage stand. Kyungsoo had thought that Chanyeol’s mood would get better. It didn’t.

Before parting ways, Jongin had made them promise to come to his show tomorrow, and it took a few convincing and promises on Kyungsoo’s part before Jongin deemed it enough. With a gentle smile from him and a tight-lipped one from Chanyeol, they waved Jongin off as he went the opposite way.

The atmosphere turned awkward the instant Jongin faded away from their view.

Not knowing what else to say, Kyungsoo started walking towards the direction of their motel, eyes raking in the beautiful night view in this part of town. Parisians were scattered scarcely, some occupying the nearby bar and some at a few shops. The yellow street lamps lit the street, oozing a romantic aura around them. Clearing his throat in an attempt to reduce the awkwardness hanging in the air, Kyungsoo thought of way to coax a conversation out of Chanyeol, but in the end, he lamented over being such a bore seeing that his proposed ideas for a ‘conversation’ was so stilted. Honestly, ‘the weather’s good, huh?’ and ‘so, did you like the croissants?’ were not really effective conversation openers.

“Soo, you go ahead. I wanna... roam around for a little bit.”

“What?”

Chanyeol continued walking ahead, leaving Kyungsoo alone on the street.

“Yeol?” He called out. He expected a reply but when none came, he continued. “What’s wrong? I don’t understand.”

Chanyeol brushed a hand in the air behind him, his other hand stuck in his pocket as he walked away. Swallowing heavily, Kyungsoo croaked out a, “Fine, o-okay, fine.”

When he could no longer see Chanyeol’s back, he felt a vibration against his outer thigh. He realized it was his phone and there was a message.

chanyeollie
20:45
don’t wait for me. i’ll be back soon. i’ll pack up my bag then. be careful on the streets, kyungsoo.

Okay. Kyungsoo was okay.

***

When one was in a problem, one ought to seek help from a wise person, and in this case, Kyungsoo saw Junmyeon as fitting for the title.

Kyungsoo was standing in front of the counter, arms folded on the counter top as he waited for the receptionist to give him the wifi’s password.

“C’est; absolutebudget123,” the man said, deep set of eyelids drooping and tone bored.

Kyungsoo nodded, said his thanks, and went out of the door to the stairs waiting for him. He hoped Junmyeon was still awake at this ungodly hour.

The phone in his hand was unlocked as soon as he set himself down on the bed. After connecting to the wifi, he ran the Skype application and pouted glumly at Junmyeon’s current status.

junnie0591 do not disturb

He sent a message either way.

do.kyungs go online right now

junnie0591 i don’t want to

do.kyungs hyung!!! you’re online!!!

junnie0591 i’m skyping with my colleague!

do.kyungs hyung... what kind of person talks with a COLLEAGUE at... what time is it there again?

junnie0591 uggggh just know that i hate you. it’s almost 4 am here!! what is it then?

do.kyungs now, that’s better. it’s Chanyeol. i think there’s something wrong with him

junnie0591 you /think/?

do.kyungs well... it’s not my fault i’m not receptive towards my surroundings. you know that hyung

junnie0591 thank god you’re aware of that...

do.kyungs i didn’t go online ON MY PHONE just to receive sarcastic remarks from you okay.

junnie0591 just tell me what the problem is already

do.kyungs he’s acting weird. oh btw i met a korean guy while we were walking around in paris this morning! i think sehun would like him. he’s a dancer too! oh... sehun would totally like him...

junnie0591 that’s good then. any pictures?

do.kyungs ... you do realize that’d be creepy right?

junnie0591 what? taking pictures of a kind foreigner is creepy?

do.kyungs HE’S KOREAN!!!

junnie0591 does he, or does he not, live in france?

junnie0591 he does live in france right? so that makes him a foreigner!

do.kyungs sometimes, i wonder how you even got a job when you’re THIS dumb

junnie0591 i was just kidding! back to the matters at hand... since when did chanyeol turn weird?

do.kyungs when jongin appeared.

junnie0591 jongin?

do.kyungs the ‘foreigner’

junnie0591 don’t mock me. okay. well that settles it then!

do.kyungs ... meaning?

junnie0591 my dear kyungsoo, pls open your eyes and OBSERVE the world around you

do.kyungs your words are all twisted. i don’t understand???

junnie0591 sometimes i wonder how you even got a job when you’re THIS clueless

do.kyungs be more creative, please. hyuuuuuung what do you mean though??

junnie0591 hahaha this is the first time i ‘see’ you whine like that! pls whine more pls pls pls!!

Kyungsoo refrained the urge to throw his phone to the wall. Junmyeon wasn’t being of any help at all. Not to mention, his fingers were aching too from all the vigorous typing. He decided to end the conversation then.

do.kyungs goodnite.

junnie0591 ungrateful brat...

junnie0591 offline

Kyungsoo put his phone down on the bed. He frowned, hard, and thought about all the signs Chanyeol had shown. He wasn’t sure he understood what Junmyeon implied, but it did make something click.

He felt vibrations near his thigh and saw Chanyeol’s picture flashing on the screen. Quickly, he picked it up and answered the call.

“Kyungsoo... um, could you please... uh, come get me here? Bring my hoodie as well.”

“Where are you now?”

There was a pause and a rustling of something before Chanyeol answered, “I–I don’t know how to pronounce it but it’s a metro. It’s, uh, somewhere near our motel.”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he let out a sigh. He said a curt, “Wait for me,” and ended the call. Trust Chanyeol to get himself in trouble like this.

In his haste to rummage for Chanyeol’s hoodie in the bag, he forgot his own as he dashed out of the room, wasting no more time. He was much too afraid that the cold would eat Chanyeol alive.

***

Turned out the metro was not really that far away. A few left turns and right ones ended up with him going down the stairs leading to the underground subway. The walls were full with graffiti and incomprehensible scrawls, the paint peeling away revealing cemented cracks.

The tunnel was lit with fluorescent lights and Kyungsoo was grateful for it. He didn’t particularly feel like having a one on one with death. When he stepped down from the last stair, he tried to search for any sign of his friend. There weren’t a lot of people at nearly 10PM but there was still some scattering around, waiting for their ride to arrive.

He scrounged his phone from inside his pocket and dialled Chanyeol’s number. It was picked up after a few rings.

“Soo? Where are you?”

Kyungsoo frowned, “I was about to ask you the same thing. I’m at the metro now. Which part are you at?”

“The farthest from the entrance.”

He rolled his eyes, “No wonder I couldn’t see you. Wait a sec, I’ll be there.”

Before he could end the call, he heard a soft, “Thank you, Soo ah,” and out of reluctance, he felt the corners of his lips rising.

He encountered two drunk guys on his way to reaching Chanyeol and although they were harmless (sort of), Kyungsoo still felt shudders racking his body at the thought of them smashing his head with the bottle in their hands.

Chanyeol was sitting with his hands under his bottom on the wooden bench when Kyungsoo finally saw him. He sighed softly as he made his way there and sat beside the absent-looking male. As he draped the lightweight hoodie on Chanyeol’s lap, he saw the male twitching a little. He turned back to stare at the empty railway tracks. Silence enveloped them for a while, the occasional drunken mumbles echoing throughout the tunnel.

“Chan–”

“Soo–”

Small laughs erupted between them. Chanyeol picked up the hoodie and wore it, his movements slow.

“Um, Chanyeol, what did you mean with the whole dust thing?” He started. That had been plaguing his mind since that evening and he would really like to hear Chanyeol’s explanation. He didn’t think he treated Chanyeol that bad, did he?

“I’m sorry for troubling you. I’d have gone back to the motel but I was like, frozen here.”

Kyungsoo sighed, “It’s okay. So, mind explaining?”

Two freezing hands suddenly squished his cheeks. He felt his head being turned and he found himself facing a chattering but grinning Chanyeol.

“Thank you, Kyungsoo, for letting me experience this trip with you. I’d never thought that there’d be a day that, you know, I get to travel here with my best friend. I mean, Europe, wow. It’s like the best thing that’s ever happened to me and I wish that it didn’t have to end.”

Kyungsoo covered the hand on his face with his own, his fingers gripping Chanyeol’s palm. His eyebrows were drawn in the middle as he gazed at his best friend questioningly.

“Yeol...”

“Heh,” Chanyeol ruffled Kyungsoo’s wind-swept hair, teeth biting down on his lips as he did so, “I guess I really do love you.”

Kyungsoo’s eyes widened. He could feel his heart rate picking up as soon as the words left Chanyeol’s mouth. His own reply was stuck in his throat. The air suddenly became chillier and Kyungsoo moved himself nearer to Chanyeol, seeking what warmth he could get from him.

It seemed so easy for Chanyeol to say those words while he himself struggled to let Chanyeol know that he appreciated the latter’s help around the house when he wasn’t there. He wanted Chanyeol to know what he had in mind, too, and he was willing to try for once.

Slowly, though, he made sure to word his sentence carefully, hoping that Chanyeol could feel his sincerity through that, “Chanyeol ah... I–I’m sorry. I know I’ve been like... a total bitch to you this whole trip and I’m starting to... I don’t know, enjoy you being here with me, I guess. I mean... once you stop being so annoying then yeah...”

Chanyeol threw him a glare, though there was no malice in it, before chuckling, his arm moving to wrap tight around Kyungsoo’s shoulders. “I know. It’s been fun. I mean, we missed the light show, but I guess we could always come here another time.”

“I have to work harder to get the bonus then... and also I need to lick Mr. Lee’s ass more–”

“Nah, you do the work harder part, I’ll do the licking.”

Kyungsoo slapped his thigh lightly. “Don’t even joke about it. It must be all wrinkly and stuff.”

Chanyeol laughed rather boisterously and Kyungsoo felt a surge of satisfaction tingling down his spine. He was glad Chanyeol was back to himself again.

“Mr. Do?” A deep, hoarse voice interrupted his focus on the pile of papers stacking on his desk. Glancing to the side, he was met with a grinning Mr. Lee. It was a weird sight.

“Yes?”

“Congratulations, Mr. Do.” Mr. Lee was still grinning and it was starting to freak Kyungsoo out. His boss wasn’t the type who liked to smile, much less to grin like that, and Kyungsoo was slowly becoming wary as each second ticked by.

“C-congratulations? For what, Sir?” He asked, voice shaky.

The almost bald man suddenly handed him a white envelope, the tourism company logo engrossed on the front. Kyungsoo accepted it with eyes wide, apprehensive.

“It’s your bonus, Mr. Do, for being the staff of the month.”

Head cocked to the side, Kyungsoo asked as he frowned, “There is such thing in the company?”

Mr. Lee’s booming laugh startled him, and eyes were abruptly on them. The old man bent down so that he could talk to Kyungsoo discreetly, “Well, your case is special...”

“Sir?”

“Congratulations, Mr. Do.” He repeated, back straightening once more.

Kyungsoo watched in confusion as Mr. Lee returned to his office in the far corner of the room. He felt a familiar pair of eyes trained onto his figure. Not wanting to explain the bizarreness to anyone, not even to him, Kyungsoo re-directed his focus onto the papers once again, burying his nose in the towers.

chanyeollie
10:15
i want every detail. spill the beans at lunch.

Kyungsoo didn’t think he needed to listen to Park Chanyeol, but he kind of wanted to tell someone about it, so he relented, although he didn’t reply to Chanyeol’s text message.

“Well,” Chanyeol finally said, their heads pushed close together, “What time did Jongin say his show is tomorrow?”

Kyungsoo frowned, trying to remember what Jongin said a few hours before. “9 I think? Yeah, 9. We could ride the bus early, go to the theatre and catch our next ride then.”

Now that they were talking about it, Kyungsoo could feel himself getting excited over Jongin’s show. He wasn’t really interested in ballet before, or any kind of dance really, but he bet it would be a great experience.

“Sounds good. Wanna go back and sleep?” Chanyeol asked, an underlying contentment lacing his tone, and Kyungsoo nodded.

It was quiet when they made their way out of the metro station, his arm wrapping loosely around Chanyeol’s as the chilly air settled deep in Kyungsoo’s bones.

There were still people here, this time younger in age as they filled the bars lining the streets. Kyungsoo was tempted to try one out if tiredness wasn’t already eating him.

It didn’t matter, though, he was quite content just being with Chanyeol like this. He realized that if he had just been nicer to Chanyeol, then he would’ve enjoyed their trip much, much more. Sometimes, being too grumpy wasn’t good for your own self, Kyungsoo had learned.

***

Kyungsoo was lamenting over the waste of money seeing that they needed to check out of the motel early, unlike the usual ‘checkout-at-12’ rule. Chanyeol offered to pay for the fees and he let him, standing behind Chanyeol’s lanky figure and trying not to show that he was pouting. When Chanyeol initiated skinship while they were walking towards the bus stop nearby, though, that was when he knew he had been caught.

It was easy navigating their way to Jongin’s ballet theatre after that (although that was hugely credited to the fact that they were going there by bus). He had given the directions to Kyungsoo via email and soon enough, they found themselves boarding a number 60 bus. Chanyeol offered to pay for the ride (again) and Kyungsoo didn’t quite mind. It was worth seeing his best friend’s toothy grin plastered on his face once again.

The bus moved into the traffic swiftly, causing Kyungsoo to stumble a little on his footing. Kyungsoo had packed lightly but meticulously so his backpack didn’t drag him down with its weight. The same couldn’t be said for Chanyeol. His backpack was almost bloated, full of useless things. But the taller male never let out a whine or a complaint regarding the weight, and Kyungsoo was thankful for it. He didn’t really want Chanyeol to spoil his great mood. He guessed there was a perk to being lean and tall after all.

They chose the farthest seat at the back and Kyungsoo noted pleasingly at the almost empty transport. He didn’t have to fight with Chanyeol to get the seat next to the large windows as the latter simply swept his arm aside, gesturing for him to go in first in that over the top manner. Kyungsoo held in a chuckle, though his eyes still crinkled around the edges.

It was almost an hour journey to Théâtre de L'étoile du nord. The sceneries they passed by were beautiful, tranquilizing. Every time the bus jerked, they would follow its motion and giggled to themselves like two schoolkids. It was fun and Kyungsoo was giddy with excitement. Chanyeol would sometimes point out the window and ask Kyungsoo if the cafés looked nice and vintage-y (he wasn’t sure if the word existed but didn’t bother to correct Chanyeol) and Kyungsoo obliged, nodding to every word.

“Coffees in France are something else.” Chanyeol remarked, a distant look etched on his face. He was probably reminiscing the taste of the drinks they had last night with Jongin. It did taste good, the way the bittersweet tang bursting on his tongue as he took a sip was really something else. These days, he didn’t even have time to go to a proper café back in Korea and indulge in the aromatic scent.

Wanting to open up another topic, Kyungsoo chimed in, lips turning heart-shaped as he smiled, “I can’t wait to watch Jongin’s performance.”

He felt Chanyeol’s gaze on him and when he turned to look, the other male whipped his head back to the window. Chanyeol could be so transparent sometimes. Kyungsoo held himself back from chuckling.

“What’s wrong, Yeol ah? D-did–” He paused, swallowing down his pride, “Did I say something wrong again?”

“Do you think we should buy Jongin some flowers?” Chanyeol muttered, voice muffled by the fingers resting above his lips. Kyungsoo wondered what could cause the sudden change of mood. He didn’t think he said anything offensive.

Thoughts swirled inside Kyungsoo’s mind. Was there a possibility that perhaps... Chanyeol was jealous? He decided to gauge Chanyeol’s reaction by bringing up Jongin’s name again.

“I-I bet he dances really well... I mean, you saw him right? He has the whole package... Like, if that was my boyfriend, then whoo, I don’t even–”

“Oh, another vintage looking café. They’re everywhere.” Chanyeol suddenly said, palms plastered onto the windows as he stared at the café. They were currently waiting for the green light and Kyungsoo wanted to snort at Chanyeol’s poor excuse of a diversion.

“We could buy him some flowers like you suggested.”

“Yeah, sure.”

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes at that short reply. He knocked a fist against the back of Chanyeol’s head, and when the latter yelped in pain, he grumbled, “Is there something the matter with you? I don’t have the mood to play games with you, okay?”

“Who’s playing any games?” Chanyeol mumbled while soothing his aching head. Kyungsoo heard that. Sighing, he did something uncharacteristic of him; he reached out and rubbed the part where it hurt. Chanyeol had an indescribable look on his face and he fought the urge to blush under the latter’s scrutiny. Best friends did this to each other too, alright?

When had they become so awkward around each other, Kyungsoo wondered. They had been best friends since they were 19 and here they were, words tripping out of their mouths, unsure, and mannerisms stiff. Was it because of the time lost due to their working hours? Sure, they worked at the same company, but Kyungsoo had always pushed himself to the limit, kept working the extra shifts and when he came home, both Chanyeol and Junmyeon would have been already asleep.

“Next one is our stop, I think.” Chanyeol murmured, wide eyes trained on the destinations board. Kyungsoo nodded, knowing that Chanyeol could see it from his peripheral.

Silence descended upon them until they reached the destination.

***

They picked a bouquet full of chrysanthemums. The florist had convinced them to choose that specific bouquet in heavily-accented English, so they did. It was nice, too, seeing the genuine eye smile on the elderly woman’s face when they paid for it.

Now, they were walking along the pavement to the theatre. Kyungsoo didn’t know about Chanyeol, but he was experiencing some kind of jitters. He wasn’t sure whether or not to contribute it to excitement or nervousness. He wasn’t much of an artsy person, and ballet sure was a form of art, and attending one of the dances would be nerve-wracking. What was the proper way to behave in events like this one? Kyungsoo had always been an awkward person, so to be one of the attendees in today’s show was starting to get to him.

Chanyeol looked absolutely fine, though, and Kyungsoo was jealous of that.

“You nervous?” Chanyeol questioned out of the blue. Pouting to himself, he shook his head and answered a soft, “No.”

Chanyeol seemed to sense his inner distress (or maybe it was the look on Kyungsoo’s face; that frowny, worried expression he loved to wear) because in under a minute, Kyungsoo’s shoulders were squeezed gently.

“What... are you doing?” Kyungsoo asked, even though it was quite obvious, tone cautious.

“Massaging your fears away. Really, relax. Calm your nerves down. It’s not like we hadn’t been to dance shows before. We used to go to Sehun’s right?”

Chanyeol had a point. “But still, Sehun’s were different. His was like popping and locking and all those kinds of street dances. Jongin’s is... well, it’s art.”

He felt a tighter squeeze on his shoulders before he was let go. Chanyeol faced him and squished his cheeks (and instantly his mind played the image from last night). “Don’t say that in front of Sehun, or else he’d say–”

“All kinds of dance are art.” Kyungsoo finished, lips pursed in that defeated ‘I know, I know’ look.

“Atta boy.” Chanyeol teased, ruffling his kempt hair. He threw the older male a glare, his fingers busy fixing the strands. Chanyeol merely grinned.

***

“Whoa, guys! Looking good!” Jongin greeted them as soon as they were about to enter the theatre. Kyungsoo didn’t have time to hide the bouquet.

Jongin shook their hands and gasped at the flowers. “You bought this? For me?”

“Y-yeah. Sorry if it’s a bit... uh, yeah.”

“Thank you so much! I mean it.” Jongin said, tone dripping with sincerity and Kyungsoo found himself smiling. He was going to miss Jongin.

“Well, come in then,” Jongin clapped his hands once, asking the guard to open the big metal door. The bald, bearded man nodded, face neutral of expressions.

“Wow, this is pretty cool!” Chanyeol marvelled, and from the corner of Kyungsoo’s eyes, he could see his friend exaggeratedly exhaling and chuckling at the cloud of air laced with particles of dust that blew out. A few people were seated already and Kyungsoo felt the nerves from before climbing up his spine once again.

“Hah, it is, isn’t it? Welcome to my workplace, I guess. You can sit wherever you want here. I’m gonna go and change, alright? See you after the show?” Jongin asked, and although they did need to rush over to the train station as soon as possible, Kyungsoo realized that he couldn’t ever resist that puppy look the younger male had on his face, and so he agreed.

They chose two seats near the exit and made themselves comfortable. Kyungsoo liked the feel of the velvety red cushion. It reminded him a lot like seats in a movie cinema. Their backpacks were seated on the carpeted floor, leaning upright against the back of the front seats.

10 minutes in and more people flocked inside, chattering in French. Kyungsoo wondered what they were talking about. They were probably excited to watch the show.

Out of boredom, he puffed his cheeks, eyes darting everywhere; to the stage at the front designed minimally, to the ceiling, the speakers lining along the walls and lastly, the people in the room. This part of community seemed to be invested in art and culture; they were banners for cultural events hung on lampposts and pasted on tree trunks on the way here and Kyungsoo liked it. He wondered if he’d fit in this little community. Probably not, but it was worth pondering.

The theatre’s lights dimmed precipitously, the animated chatters settling into a hush. Kyungsoo took it as a sign that the show was starting.

A bald man donning a ragged thin white shirt and equally thin pants appeared underneath a single spotlight on the stage. A classical note began to resonate within the small theatre as the man started to dance. Kyungsoo liked watching him; his movements gentle and flowing smoothly, the footwork seemed light and gestures meaningful. Other performances emerged in each passing minutes and hours.

In the midst of it all, he realized that he was anticipating badly for Jongin’s performance.

His bottom was literally at the edge of the seat as the lights on the stage completely dimmed and only a silhouette of a person could be seen. Kyungsoo had to strain his eyes since he couldn’t quite see who it was, but Chanyeol patted his arm and whispered, “It’s Jongin, I think. He’s the last one.”

Biting down on his lip, he nodded before settling back more comfortably on the seat. An upbeat classical piece flared out of the speakers and Jongin started to twirl, his movements precise and sharp. Kyungsoo straightened his back and watched as he pranced around on the stage as though he owned it. Kyungsoo liked the aura of confidence he emitted.

A yellow spotlight uncovered the crazed look Jongin had, and Kyungsoo could feel shivers tingling down his spine at the mischievous twinkle in Jongin’s eyes as he grinned creepily at the audience.

He is the most beautiful in his element, Kyungsoo remarked.

A few minutes drifted by and soon, he found himself standing, giving Jongin the applause he deserved. Chanyeol was a bit slow but he followed, clapping rather boisterously. Kyungsoo shot him a genuine smile, the one that made the edges of his eyes crinkled, and Chanyeol ruffled his hair, his lips stretching into a slight smile.

***

“Jongin! You were beautiful up there, oh my God,” Kyungsoo gushed as soon as the crowd was out the door. Jongin was still in his clothes; white oversized shirt and black three quarter tights, when he greeted them outside.

“Thank you, Kyungsoo. Hey, I really appreciate you two coming today. To be honest... I didn’t expect you guys to come... but yeah. Thanks again,” Jongin admitted, a slight blush decorating his tanned cheeks. Kyungsoo wasn’t sure whether to blame it on his sudden blurt of honesty or the fact that he had just finished his performance not a moment ago.

“No problem, man, anytime.” Chanyeol said, taking Jongin’s hand into a rough shake. Kyungsoo rolled his eyes good-naturedly at that.

“Well, we have to go now. Our train’s about to leave in an hour or so,” Kyungsoo informed.

Jongin nodded and said his thanks again but without forgetting to remind them to contact him through email. Kyungsoo reassured him many times and a bashful smile appeared on Jongin’s lips.

Kyungsoo had initially wanted to tease Jongin for being a little teary-eyed while they were hugging but he didn’t have the heart to do that... Not because he was teary-eyed as well, totally...

Chanyeol and Jongin both delivered a strong pat on each other’s back and Kyungsoo watched them in apprehension.

Was that supposed to be a manly hug? Kyungsoo wondered in amusement.

Jongin turned to him again and smiled, “You guys know how to get to the station, right?”

Kyungsoo nodded and looked up expectantly at Chanyeol who was now standing beside him. The taller male nodded too before slinging an arm around Kyungsoo’s shoulders, pulling him closer to his side. He ignored the frisson surging up his spine and focused on the mischievous glint in Jongin’s eyes instead.

“What?” He asked. Jongin pursed his lips as though he was trying to hide a grin and shook his head.

“Just... be safe. Enjoy your trip to Basel.”

“It’ll be fun, right? Basel is beautiful, isn’t it?” He asked again. This time, he couldn’t help the worry lacing his tone. He heard good things, of course, regarding Basel, but since it was their final destination, he wanted to end it on a perfect note.

Jongin chuckled, his eyes crinkling. “It will be fun. You guys went to Bruges, didn’t you? The feeling is pretty much the same. Don’t sweat it.”

Kyungsoo felt better hearing the assurance. Chanyeol took a look at his wristwatch and reminded them that they needed to leave now.

With one last awkward group hug, they began to set off.

***

Thanks to Kyungsoo’s advanced booking and the Eurail Global Pass courtesy of Mr. Lee, they were on board pretty quickly. People were clamouring here and there at the station. Kyungsoo wondered where these people were going. It was only a Tuesday.

They settled in the economy section quietly. The seats were fading in colour but Kyungsoo didn’t mind it as long as it was comfortable enough for his back. From the corner of his eyes, he watched Chanyeol playing with the armrest, pulling it up and down and the creaking sounds annoyed Kyungsoo. Exhaling heavily, he turned to stare at the commotion out the window, tuning out the sounds. A woman with long blonde locks flying free behind her rushed past the window, a large suitcase in her grip and a phone pinned between her ear and shoulder. A heavily bearded man with black, thinning hair, walked slowly as he reached the steps to the train on the other lane. Kyungsoo wondered why no one around him felt the urge to help the poor old man.

Just then, a male voice announcing departure came from the speakers and Kyungsoo took that as a sign to buckle up.

Gradually, more people filled in and took their designated seats. He stretched upwards to adjust the air-conditioner above his head. A brunette probably in his thirties met his eyes as the latter stuck his small suitcase in the bag compartment. Lips pursed, Kyungsoo stared at the man with wide eyes and the man smiled just slightly before shutting the little door closed and sat in the front seat.

That was awkward, Kyungsoo noted. Chanyeol had dozed off beside him, a sleeping mask slid over his eyes and head resting still against the headrest. Kyungsoo had originally wanted to have a little chat with him but it seemed that he had to forego it.

The train began to move slowly and just as it glided out of the station, light rain pitter-pattered on the windows. It reminded him of the time he travelled around New York on a train and light drizzles hit the earth. He didn’t know why but he had always like the smell of rain; that metallic, earthy tang, and the feel of soft breeze of coldness spreading across his skin. He liked New York although he had to keep everything extremely under budget. That was one of the perks of solo backpacking, but now that he had a taste of backpacking together with someone else, the craving to travel alone diminished indolently.

Glancing over at the sleeping male beside him, his lips lifted upwards on its own volition. They would arrive at Basel in roughly five hours. He should be able to squeeze some nap in between.

Light rain continued to pour.

***

As usual, the first thing they headed for was the money changer counter. They simply meandered around the big SBB train station, hoping that the counter was anywhere close to them. Kyungsoo silently admired the architectural beauty of the station. He likened the interior to the airport back in Incheon, although of course, this was a bit more subdued. Nevertheless, he could already feel the gentle droning of fervour running through his veins at the prospect of exploring this town.

Chanyeol drew his attention away when he tapped on his shoulder and said, “There, the counter with the neon blue signboard.” Chanyeol pointed towards a large counter ahead of them and they started walking there.

“Should we combine our money?” Chanyeol asked, rows of teeth biting down on his lip. Was it a good idea to combine their money together? Kyungsoo noticed that Chanyeol had been spending most of his money on the expenditure in Paris and he felt guilty.

“No, it’s okay. If–If you’re short on money later, I guess we can just share mine.”

“Yes?” A woman with short chestnut brown hair greeted them in English. Kyungsoo was aware of the look Chanyeol sent him but he brushed it off.

“Um, this is for money exchange?” Kyungsoo asked. He had more confidence speaking in English now as he had been practicing while they were in Europe. The woman nodded, a polite smile etched on lipstick red lips.

“Which currency are you trying to convert?” She inquired, her voice sounding soft and pleasant to his ears.

“Korean Won,” Chanyeol answered while counting the paper bills in his worn-out leather wallet.

She nodded and waited for them to hand her the banknotes. Kyungsoo took out an appropriate amount and watched as Chanyeol did the same. She softly asked them to wait for a little while and they obliged.

“This really gives off some Bruges vibes,” Chanyeol said out of the blue, brown eyes darting to every nook and cranny of the station. Kyungsoo hummed in agreement.

“Here you go, gentlemen. I wish you a nice day.”

“Thank you.” Kyungsoo said, unconsciously bowing. Chanyeol cleared his throat and pretended to be interested in his wallet. Kyungsoo felt his cheeks heating up and hurriedly dashed away from the scene, ignoring Chanyeol’s ‘wait for me!’s.

He’d just wait for him at the entrance.

***

“We’re going to walk to our hotel. Will that be alright with you?”

Chanyeol gave him an ‘are-you-kidding-me’ look and Kyungsoo shrugged.

“Like we haven’t been walking all this while?” Chanyeol snorted.

“Well, I just wanted to be caring but I guess some people just can’t–”

“Alright, alright,” Chanyeol cut him off, chuckling. “Lead the way, Mr. Caring.”

Kyungsoo gave him a dirty look.

***

“One thing I got from all this travelling is that we should paint our houses brown, wait, no, mocha, to give off that classic feel.”

“Yeah, well, every country has its own uniqueness and what sets it apart from another. Korea has its own culture and there are already so many modern buildings there. We have to preserve what we can. Maybe we consider Europe beautiful with its old, medieval looking buildings, but foreigners who come to Korea will like the way our Hanok looks, you know?”

“As expected, Mr. Backpacker giving us the most exclusive answer,” Chanyeol clapped, that grin showcasing all his teeth plastered on his face. Kyungsoo rolled his eyes at the antics, albeit he himself was smiling, and unlocked the door to their room.

A wooden double bed stared them right in the face. Chanyeol, in charge of being the kid per usual, had his jaw dropped as he slowly entered the spacious loft.

Kyungsoo shut the door close behind him and made his way over to the bed. Adjacent to it, hung on a wall was an antic mirror. He didn’t quite mind the fact that he had to share the same bed with Chanyeol. During the rare occurrences of a power outage back in the apartment, he was used to being cramped together on Junmyeon’s queen sized bed. It usually ended up with him being almost squashed to death in between Chanyeol and Junmyeon.

“The toilet’s really clean!” Chanyeol announced, his voice echoing throughout the room.

“Let’s take a rest. We’re going to explore the town tonight.”

“What? Already?” Chanyeol whined, head popping from the bathroom’s entryway. Kyungsoo made himself comfortable on the bed and repeated what he said.

“But I’m still tired...”

“Then you can stay here and sleep while I explore alone, although I very much wanted company...”

“How could you still have energy from all the walking we did today? From Paris to this hotel...”

“Why are you exaggerating?” Kyungsoo chuckled, then promptly buried his face in the pillow on the side of his bed. It smelled faintly of floral detergent. “I’m a backpacker. This is what I do. Walking is essential and there is no time to be tired.”

“I can’t hear you.”

Oh right, the pillow. Before he could lift up his head, though, he was met with Chanyeol’s startlingly brown eyes near the side of his face.

The sun began to set outside the window and Kyungsoo didn’t know how long they had been staring into each other’s eyes and he wondered why this was the most comfortable he had ever been.

“You’re an admirable person, Do Kyungsoo.”

“Hm?” That was sudden.

“I’m going to take a shower. No peeking,” Chanyeol teased, and they were back to themselves again. Kyungsoo raised a hand to smack him in the head but the older male was faster, jumping out of the bed in record’s time.

Kyungsoo revelled in the deep baritone in the form of Chanyeol’s laughter as he ambled towards the bathroom, plaids shirt puddled on the carpetless floor.

When the white door to the bathroom clicked close, Kyungsoo found himself drifting into a short nap.

***

He decided to don a simple attire for tonight since they would only do some visiting around the town. Since it was night time, not many of the attractions were opened and he didn’t find it necessary to wear lavishly. A simple long-sleeved black shirt and a pair of dark denim would do just nice. Chanyeol took his sweet time in getting ready, endlessly styling his already perfect hair (not that he’d admit it in front of the older male) and fixing the collar of another of his plaid shirt. Inside, a ‘The Simpsons’ family graphic shirt could be seen as he let the buttons loose.

“Are we ready to go now, Park Chanyeol? It’s already 8.”

Chanyeol grumbled a little before reaching towards Kyungsoo who was already at the door.

“You look good enough already,” Kyungsoo said, feigning nonchalance when in reality, he was sweating inside. He had never been comfortable enough to be vocal about Chanyeol’s appearance or anything regarding Chanyeol really. It’d take some time getting used to.

He could practically hear Chanyeol’s breaths as he had that distinct pattern of breathing whenever he got excited. It amused Kyungsoo to no end; he was really like an overgrown puppy.

“We’re going to Old Town, okay? Just going to roam around. And take pictures, of course.”

“You bring your camera?” Chanyeol reminded. Kyungsoo was about to answer before the latter continued, “If you didn’t, we could always use my iPhone.”

Kyungsoo scoffed, eyes downcast at the stairs as they descended. “Your iPhone is no match–”

“With your professional camera, I know, I know.”

“Why do you always cut me off?” Kyungsoo asked, thrown off by the many interruptions. He saw Chanyeol shrugging beside him.

“You say the same things all the time I kind of had them memorized.”

“Then you shouldn’t be saying the same thing to me since–”

“I know, I know.”

“Chanyeol...” Kyungsoo growled, feeling his temper rising.

Chanyeol was giggling (yes, giggling) when they finally made their way out of the hotel. “I actually missed getting you all riled up.”

Kyungsoo didn’t say anything to that. The night air felt pleasant on his bare skin. The streets were lit up by yellow streetlights and that was one of the things he loved about Europe. They could shove a yellow light above anything and it would still exude extravagance.

“I think my sneakers are about to get torn by all the walking. I bought this probably like a year ago,” Chanyeol stated without anyone asking. The beat up soles and ripped sides came into his sight and he let out a sigh.

“Should’ve bought new shoes since you know we’re going to backpack.”

“Yeah, I should have. Ah, never mind. It’ll survive one more day. We’re going home tomorrow, aren’t we?” Chanyeol asked as they walked along the pavements leading to Hochstrasse.

“No, we’re living here forever.”

“Wah, Do Kyungsoo is a joker now!”

“Shut up, dork.”

“Make me, make me.” Chanyeol sang while pulling off funny faces, prancing around in front of Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo burst out laughing at that.

“You’re so ridiculous!” He attempted to grab the annoying male but the latter dodged his hands well. Men and women passed by them and tilted their heads in confusion as they watched two grown men chasing each other down the street. In that moment, Kyungsoo could care less about the looks being thrown their way. This was the most fun he had in a while. He felt bubbles of laughter rising out of his throat as the wind swept over his face and rustled his hair as he dashed ahead.

He was brought back to 5 years ago in an instant as Chanyeol’s laughing face came into his view.

“Go talk to him!” Chanyeol urged, pushing him out from the pillar he was hiding behind. He stuttered out a, “N-no,” but the grey haired senior changed his expression from one of encouraging to stern.

“Do Kyungsoo, you’ve been pining over Yixing almost three months! Don’t you think you should make a move now?”

“I don’t want to make a move! That’s n-not part of the plan. I’m comfortable just... seeing him like this...”

“Stalking you meant?”

“No!” He yelled, but he noticed some of the students were sending him dirty looks and he cleared his throat. “N-no. I just... I don’t want him to know that I like him. He’s just... perfect and I’m... aish, it’s no use explaining to you!”

“Excuse me?” Chanyeol laughed, disbelief marring his face. “I’m your senior by one year, okay!”

“And yet you’re still repeating the same class for 2 semesters in a row,” Kyungsoo deadpanned, and Chanyeol suddenly burst out a laugh at that. He was reminded of the reason why he had taken a liking to Chanyeol; his smile, his grin, the way the edges of his eyes crinkled when he let out a boisterous laugh. It was all endearing.

“You’re too sassy for me to handle, Do Kyungsoo.”

“Stop calling me by my full name,” he grumbled, and ducked away from Chanyeol’s hand on his head. Damn him and his habit of messing Kyungsoo’s hair up!

“Heh, I’ll call you a duck for all I care, so hush!”

“I hate you.” Kyungsoo declared, a slender finger pushing the black-rimmed rectangular glasses up the bridge of his nose.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, Duck Kyungsoo.”

“You son of a bitch!”

Chanyeol chortled as Kyungsoo started to chase after him across the campus yard.

“Jupiter to Kyungsoo? Roger?”

“Huh?” He snapped out of his thoughts, and found a concerned-looking Chanyeol gazing at him. Licking his dry lips, he gave Chanyeol a lopsided grin. The brunette harrumphed and ruffled his hair.

“You had me worried there for a second.”

“Let’s go.” Kyungsoo said, dodging past Chanyeol as he walked ahead.

***

The town was pretty much alive even at night and Kyungsoo marked that as a difference from Bruges’ quiet night life. Kyungsoo found a liking in the simple, contemporary as well as classic architectures surrounding on each of his sides. The streets carried wineries and chocolate shops and bars and Kyungsoo felt a sense of satisfaction thrumming steadily across his systems. The backpacker in him quickly snatched the camera from the bag he’d been carrying around and took a few snaps of the buildings and trams available on the road.

Chanyeol had gone over to a nearby café, standing before the glass window and staring at the locals inside. A ghost of a smile appeared on Kyungsoo’s lips as he snapped a few pictures of his best friend without the latter realizing. It came out extremely well. He heard Chanyeol calling out for him, waving him over to where he stood. Kyungsoo stored the camera back in the bag and jogged to him.

“What’s up?”

Chanyeol pointed towards the chalkboard with menus written on it inside the café. Kyungsoo frowned and strained his eyes to see the writing.

“What’s with it?”

“I want to try it,” Chanyeol said, sounding suspiciously obsequious.

Kyungsoo gave him a look. “Right now? Aren’t coffees for... I don’t know, morning?”

“You’re such a coffee noob.”

“Can’t we try it tomorrow morning before we go back to Korea?”

“Wouldn’t that just drag the time?”

“Uh, no? I was planning to visit some museums around here.”

Chanyeol seemed pleased, then. “Okay then. Tomorrow it is.”

“I think that’s the Town Hall building, the red one, see?” Kyungsoo said, gesturing towards a long, big building painted in red standing a few feet away. “Pics?”

Chanyeol nodded and they began to walk along the road. A woman on an electric bike cycled past them. Enthralled by the beauty of the bike, he glanced behind him as the woman’s back started to fade away from his sight. Kyungsoo had made it no secret that he wanted an electric bike.

“What are you ogling that woman for?” Chanyeol murmured, deep voice laced with amusement. Kyungsoo huffed and continued walking.

“I was looking at the bike, okay. It’s cool.”

“Cool, yeah.” Chanyeol parroted and when Kyungsoo raised a threatening fist, he laughed and held the fist in his hand. “Violence is not allowed.”

Kyungsoo ignored the warmth radiating from Chanyeol’s skin on his, trying to pull his hand out from the other’s grip to no avail. Damn Chanyeol and his bull strength.

“It’s cold,” he said simply and dragged Kyungsoo along, hands still clasped together. That was a bullshit reason and they both knew it, but Kyungsoo was in a mood to be nice, so he followed without much resistance. It was a little chilly, the wind nipping at his nose and causing him to sniffle.

“Do you think the chocolates we bought from Bruges could have melted?” He suddenly remembered about that. He had shoved the packages in the bottom of the backpack. Granted, the weather wasn’t really that warm all throughout their days of travelling, but there was a small possibility of it melting. If it did, Kyungsoo was going to be thoroughly disappointed.

Chanyeol shrugged, then stopped, Kyungsoo almost bumping into his back. Scowling, he was about to ask what was happening when the sight of the red building registered from his peripheral.

It was... big. And red. Extremely red. It was squashed in between soft mocha buildings and yellow lights from inside the building highlighted its majestic look.

“Stand in front the entrance,” Kyungsoo instructed, already moving away from Chanyeol, hands busy unzipping the bag and retrieving the camera.

“You’re taking my picture? Am I dreaming?”

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes at the teasing tone, but smiled at Chanyeol’s happy grin. He really did love his best friend’s grin, no matter how unsettling it could look at times. Once, he had actually almost peed his pants when Chanyeol woke him up frantically due to a power outage at night. The sight of Chanyeol grinning with rows of teeth showing while delivering the news scared the shit out of Kyungsoo, although he should’ve been used to it already. Later, he learned that Chanyeol had a kink for sleeping in the same bed as he.

“Stand still. You’d be held responsible if the picture comes out bad.”

“Why is that so? Wouldn’t the blame fall on the amateur photographer?”

“Shut the fuck up,” Kyungsoo said lowly, camera already brought up to his right eye. Even through the lens, Kyungsoo could still see the aura Chanyeol radiated. It was physically impossible for him to compliment his friend for his looks, but he had to admit, Chanyeol was born beautiful.

“Are we done?” Chanyeol asked, hands stuck inside the pocket of his jeans.

“Yeah. Now,” Kyungsoo gestured his tall friend to come to him, “Now, it’s my turn. Press on this button to capture the picture and then this button to–”

“I get it, I get it.”

“Don’t drop it!” Kyungsoo warned as he walked backwards to the entrance.

He swore to God he felt dread seizing his body when Chanyeol pretended to drop the camera.

“Oh God, the look on your face is priceless!” He barked out a laugh and Kyungsoo almost, almost, cried.

“Fuck you, Park Chanyeol. That’s not funny!”

“I’m sorry, oh God. B–but, oh God.”

“Thanks for ruining my mood, dickhead!” Kyungsoo stormed off from the laughing male and tracked his way back to the hotel. He remembered walking along that particular lane, so he took a turn and walked briskly away. He could care less about Park Chanyeol or wanting to have a ‘fun’ time with him.

“Kyungsoo! Kyungsoo, come on! I was joking!”

“Well, I don’t like the joke!” Kyungsoo snapped, halting his steps to face a startled Chanyeol.

Good, that’s the look I want.

“I’m sorry, okay? You know that I won’t ever harm your things, especially those which you treasure a lot. I’m not stupid,” Chanyeol said. His voice wavered at the end and for a miniscule moment, Kyungsoo thought he was going to break down and cry. He wasn’t even really that mad.

“You’re so... infuriating sometimes,” Kyungsoo sighed out. Biting on his inner cheek, he hesitantly opened his arms, inviting Chanyeol in. The grateful expression gracing his friend’s face was worth the embarrassment he felt.

“I’m sorry. I won’t joke around like that anymore,” Chanyeol mumbled in his crown as his long arms wrapped tight around Kyungsoo’s narrow shoulders, the camera dangling in his hand and hitting Kyungsoo’s back gently. Not many people had the fortune to have a best friend like Park Chanyeol, and Kyungsoo relented, knowing that he was lucky to have such a doting best friend who stuck to him through thick and thin. If it was anyone else, they would’ve run away from him after he had peeled a layer of himself away. But not Chanyeol.

“Let’s go back. I’m tired already. We can explore more tomorrow.”

“Okay."

***

“I have a crazy idea.”

Kyungsoo halted all movements, wide eyes tinted in curiosity at Chanyeol’s words. They were back in their hotel room, in the midst of rearranging the items in their backpacks.

“What is it?”

“What do you feel about the old knock and run prank?”

He frowned, hard. “Well, that is crazy. I don’t want to be thrown out of the hotel.”

“Kyungsoo...” Chanyeol began his whining episodes again and Kyungsoo groaned out loud. He really wasn’t in the mood for this. “It’ll be fun!”

“What’s not fun is being kicked out for indecencies and having to sleep in the streets.”

“You know that’s not going to happen. The chance of that happening is like 0.00001%.”

Kyungsoo had a very bad feeling about it, but he didn’t know why he decided to go along with it nevertheless.

***

“Okay, you go stand behind that wall there and I’ll go first. The next one will be yours,” Chanyeol directed and Kyungsoo supressed the urge to run into their hotel room and lock the door. Instead, he sighed and dragged his feet to the white wall, hiding his little body in the corner. He really hoped the management wouldn’t find out about this... He couldn’t see any security cameras plastered on the ceilings.

He heard two soft knocks delivered onto the similarly white door before the hurried patters of Chanyeol’s heavy footsteps neared him. He was literally wide-eyed as Chanyeol squished himself close to him in the corner. He glanced up at the grinning idiot and felt his lips curving upwards slightly. Chanyeol really was a happy virus, bacteria, fungus, etc.

Nervousness filled him as the sound of door creaking open echoed through the narrow hallway. Chanyeol suddenly buried his face into his crown and before he could question the motive, he felt his best friend’s chest shaking against him. Of course, he found the situation funny.

A cracked, sleepy voice resonated, speaking in what Kyungsoo thought might be German. It sounded like a question. A few seconds passed by, Chanyeol already calming himself down, and soon the door clicked shut. The breath caught in his throat billowed out and he lamented over the fact that it was his turn now.

“I’ll wait for you at that wall over there. Run as fast as you can,” Chanyeol said, detaching his body away from Kyungsoo’s.

Before he could go further, Kyungsoo grasped his wrist and pleaded, “I really don’t want to do this. What if we get caught?”

Chanyeol pulled his wrist away and captured Kyungsoo’s cheeks in his hold. Slowly, Kyungsoo watched silently as two of Chanyeol’s fingers slithered to his scrunched eyebrows and smoothened down the crease in the middle.

“This is the reason why I want you to do this, need you to do this with me. You’ve been so worked up lately, and not just during this trip, but also back in Incheon. It’s... You look stressed, Kyungsoo, and I know you are stressed, so please, let yourself go and have fun for once, please? For me?” He whispered, his fresh, minty breath washing over Kyungsoo’s face coolly. The apprehension and fear of being caught were still there, undoubtedly, and Kyungsoo felt like whacking him in the head; Chanyeol sure chose the wrong time to be ‘romantic.’

“Yeol, I’m 98% sure they’re going to kick us out,” he replied, frowning again instinctually. Chanyeol sighed, his hands dropping onto Kyungsoo’s shoulders and said, “What does it matter? We can always sleep in the park... there’s one here, right?”

There was only one look that could be splashed across Kyungsoo’s face then and it was one in disbelief. Was Chanyeol being serious? He couldn’t possibly think that it was safe to sleep in parks, could he?

“Are you out of your mind? Do you think we're filming a movie? That’s it, I’m not doing it.”

“No, please! Just two more. Your turn, then mine, and then we can go back to sleep since that’s what you want so much.”

Kyungsoo didn’t miss the sarcastic tone in Chanyeol’s voice but he didn’t bother pointing it out. Was he seriously contemplating on doing this stupid prank? Yes, yes he was. And he felt liberated, excited, and of course, nervous as hell.

“You know what you just did was peer pressuring, right?” He sort of stated as he trudged away from the hiding place and into the open. He couldn’t see if Chanyeol was grinning or not but he could care less. He just wanted this to be over and done with.

“Kyungsoo, hwaiting!” Chanyeol whispered, his footsteps on the padded floor alerting Kyungsoo of him moving towards the next wall.

He couldn’t believe what he was about to do. Here he was, a man in his twenties, about to perform the most stupid prank ever known on earth just because he was pressured into doing it. Taking a deep breath and exhaling it heavily, he knocked on the door thrice before sprinting away as fast as he could to where Chanyeol was.

Adrenaline flooded into his system and he swore he could hear his heartbeat thudding in his ears. That was unbelievable! When he settled himself into Chanyeol’s front, he heard a faint sound of door opening and a man grunting lowly. As to be expected, the door shut close after a few beats of silence, their breaths intermingling as Kyungsoo tried to regulate his choppy breathing.

“How’s that? That’s not too bad, is it?”

Kyungsoo bit down on a grin and shook his head. The glaze misting Chanyeol’s eyes could be mistaken as soft but then, as quickly as it had come, it disappeared, the mischievous glint back in the pool of brown.

“My turn.”

Head leaning back against the wall, he stared ahead into nothing, his mind swirling with thoughts. Every minute spent with Chanyeol could make him lose his mind, but he wasn’t sure why he didn’t abhor the thought as much as he would before. Perhaps, this was the starting point of a revival of their close friendship. Chanyeol was right; he was stressed. Kyungsoo needed this; this portion of fun Chanyeol allowed him to taste.

“Sir, I will have to ask you to leave this premise.” A hoarse voice speaking in English alerted Kyungsoo of another presence in the hallway.

Huh, what was that? Kyungsoo whipped his head around and saw two men surrounding Chanyeol on both sides. Feeling panicked, he stayed rooted at the spot, unable to physically do anything.

Chanyeol scratched the back of his neck and shrugged, a grimace plastered on his lips. “Uh, um, kick... me out?” He struggled to string the sentences together and Kyungsoo wished he could just do something.

“Unfortunately, yes. We have received calls from our patrons, reporting us of a disturbance. I’m afraid we can’t compromise with you since you have broken one of our policies.” The man in a guard uniform on Chanyeol’s right stated, tone hard and apathetic.

He could see Chanyeol struggling to understand what had just been said so he decided to come out of the shadows.

“Hello, uh, Misters.” He greeted, bowing out of habit (again), before continuing, “I’m this guy’s friend... Um, is there nothing that we could do to–”

“Sir, I’m sorry, but no. This is a very rare case of disturbance and we don’t think we can tolerate this kind of act. I have to stress here; please leave the premise and check out at the counter before leaving.”

Oh, Chanyeol was going to pay for this.

***

So, that was how they ended ambling in the streets of Basel at almost 12 in the morning. Kyungsoo had succeeded in ignoring Chanyeol’s entire existence as the latter dragged himself behind him, his sneakers scuffling against the cobbled track. If he could lash out at that fucking idiot, he would, but he found no energy left in him anymore. All the anger managed to exhaust both his mind and body.

He adjusted the strap of the backpack on his shoulders before stretching his arms skywards, groaning satisfactorily at the cracking sound. Chanyeol was surprisingly, but appropriately quiet and Kyungsoo would like for him to stay that way.

He wouldn’t have been this livid if their stay at the hotel didn’t come with a free ticket ride on any of the public transportation. Now, they were left with nothing, even the deposit had to be compensated. Why did he agree to let Chanyeol drag him into this mess again? He had no idea.

His tongue longed to feel the taste of water and food, his throat parched, so he was ever so lucky to spot a 24 hour café on his far right. Not informing Chanyeol of his destination, he started for the little shop. A few locals glanced at him as he passed them by and he only put on a polite, unobtrusive smile. He only had one goal in mind and socializing was not it.

The small café was tucked in between narrow, multi-coloured buildings and even from this far, Kyungsoo could predict that it would be a good idea to spend some time there. After all, he didn’t have anywhere else to go for the night.

The bells chimed softly when Kyungsoo pushed open the glass door, and immediately the person sitting at one of the tables perked up, her shoulder-length dark brown hair framing her face attractively. She smiled, lips full, and Kyungsoo bowed his head a little. She quickly stood up and pocketed her phone. Kyungsoo appreciated the gesture.

“Good morning.” She greeted in English, tucking her hair behind her ears. Kyungsoo responded in kind and gestured towards one of the seats near the glass windows overlooking the streets. She nodded, still smiling.

He deposited the backpack on the floor under the table and sat up straight, legs crossing. His mind wandered off to Chanyeol and his whereabouts shortly before the waitress acquired his attention once again.

“What would you have, Sir?”

Kyungsoo bit down on his lip as he fiddled with the small pamphlet on the tablet, eyes skimming the words written in German. He still could understand bits and pieces, though, such as coffee and toast.

“Um, is there chocolate drinks?” He asked, glancing up at her.

She nodded. “Yes, Sir. We have a variety of drinks. I would like to recommend you–”

She was interrupted by the sounds of bells chiming again, this time Chanyeol’s tall stature appeared at the door. He was still trying to keep up with his act, so he motioned for the waitress to continue, not even batting a single eyelid as Chanyeol quietly sat himself down on the seat adjacent to Kyungsoo’s.

“Uh, where was I... Oh! The drinks, um, we have Hazelnut Chocolate, Chocolate Caramel, and White Chocolate drinks, among others. These are all available hot and cold.”

He could feel the brunt of Chanyeol’s stare but he steeled his mind. “That sounds nice. Um, one cold Hazelnut Chocolate drink, please,” he said, a slight smile hovering over his lips.

“Anything else, Sir?” She was now looking at Chanyeol expectantly, but the latter shook his head. Kyungsoo rolled his eyes.

“Okay then, Sir. The order will arrive soon.”

“Thank you.”

“No problem.” She twirled around and disappeared into the kitchen behind the counter. Kyungsoo assumed she was a bubbly girl, judging by her eager-to-please tone and cheerful demeanour. How else could anyone still grin and smile while working such dreadful hours like this.

Boredom gradually crept up in him and he decided to play the games on his phone. If he played long enough, he could forget all the misfortunes that had hit him tonight and time would pass by faster too.

He didn’t even get to unlock the phone screen as Chanyeol muttered out an, “I’m really sorry, Kyungsoo.”

“I don’t care.”

“I’m thirsty... and hungry...”

“No one’s stopping you from ordering anything. Is there anything else?” He pretended to overlook Chanyeol’s crestfallen expression and immersed himself in the Word Search game. The café was empty save from the two of them and the waitress slash owner? Kyungsoo wasn’t sure what position the girl from before handled.

Chanyeol’s faint murmurings and twitching legs brushing against his own caught his attention. Kyungsoo decided he could be a little lenient towards him; he had suffered enough already, so he let out a noncommittal ‘hm,’ eyes still downcast on the phone.

“I’ll pay for everything.” Even without looking at his face, Kyungsoo could hear the pout in his voice and he refused to acknowledge that Chanyeol sounded cute.

“Okay,” he merely replied, acting as nonchalance as possible.

“I’ll pay for everything?” Chanyeol sounded confused now and Kyungsoo reined in his laughter, forcing it down his throat. No, he wouldn’t let Chanyeol worm his way to his heart.

“Yes, you’ll pay for everything.”

“Kyungsoo, if you want to laugh, just laugh.”

He did, though he hid his face in the bend of his arms on the table top. It would take some time for him to be able to grace Chanyeol with his smile. He wanted Chanyeol to work for it. It was kind of mean, but he’d like to think it was necessary.

The girl came back with his drink in a transparent plastic coffee cup, the ice forming condensation on the sides. Chanyeol, who by now could be seen salivating, subtly watched as Kyungsoo took a sip. It was only natural for him to put on a show, right?

“You’re so mean...”

“Chanyeol ah, this is really good! Better than the one at the shop Sehun always brings us to.”

“Kyungsoo... I want some...”

Kyungsoo rolled his tongue in his mouth and exaggerated a shudder. “Ah, so tasty! You’re paying for this, right? Can I get another one?” He gazed sanguinely at Chanyeol and almost spurted out the drink in his mouth at the grimace that was on the latter’s face. Anyone else would have thought he was going through a particularly bad stomach ache.

“Can I taste some? Please?” Chanyeol’s eyebrows were scrunched rather tightly in the middle and Kyungsoo felt sorry for him, so reluctantly, he nudged the cup softly over to the older male.

Chanyeol seemed as though he was going to cry his eyes out at the gesture and weirdly, something indescribable settled in Kyungsoo’s chest. The hard gaze in his eyes turned soft as he stared at his friend who quickly sipped the drink through the straw. A satisfied smile curved its way onto Chanyeol’s lips and unconsciously, he smiled too.

“Indirect kiss!” Chanyeol suddenly exclaimed, a Cheshire grin now replacing the more demure smile from before.

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re a dork?” Kyungsoo said, albeit with no bite. Chanyeol nodded, eyes crinkling, and said, “You tell me that all the time.”

“And you look so happy receiving such nickname.”

“Well, you could call me with any names in the world and I’ll still be the happiest man to ever exist.”

Kyungsoo would like to think the heat creeping up his cheeks was due to the sudden burst of cold air when another customer came through the door.

“Such a dork,” he repeated under his breath and snatched the cup from Chanyeol’s hold.

Chanyeol simply laughed.

***

After purchasing a 6-set box of assorted flavoured-macaroons and two Hazelnut Chocolate drinks, they left the café to set off into a walking journey until they were exhausted enough to stop.

Chanyeol had brought up the whole ‘sleeping-in-the-park’ matter again but Kyungsoo shot it down instantly. He decided that if there were any small churches around, they could crash the night there. He shared this idea with Chanyeol but the latter seemed unconvinced.

“I sure as hell aren’t going to sleep in the park. Do you know how dangerous that is?”

“It’s kind of... romantic...?”

Kyungsoo frowned. “Where on earth did you get that idea from?”

“Forget what I said. Church sounds good.”

Kyungsoo appeared sceptic but made no further comments regarding that. He continued walking, Chanyeol in tow, and they began their tour around the town. At almost 2 in the morning, not many were loitering the streets anymore. The moon shone brightly and blanketed the town with a faint glow, making the town looked even more surreal than usual.

It wasn’t long before they arrived at the bridge above the famous Rhine River, more commonly known as the Mittlere Brücke. As they walked across it, Kyungsoo gently trailed his fingers along the yarn bombing decorating the handrail. Kyungsoo had looked forward to this street art seeing that he had been searching all the attractions in Basel weeks prior. He didn’t think he could experience this while no other tourists or locals crowded this bridge.

Stopping on the middle of the bridge, he took out his camera with difficulty, and snapped a few pictures of the street art and the Rhine River below for memories. These would do nicely for his album. Chanyeol had grown quiet beside him.

“Want me to take your picture?” He offered, and Chanyeol smiled bashfully.

“I thought you’d never ask.”

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “Go ahead then. Stand... yeah, stand there. Hold the railing.”

“What for? I’m not trying to look like an amateur model.”

Kyungsoo gave him a glare for a reply and that shut him up good.

“You look handsome,” Kyungsoo said after a few beats of silence, tone soft as he admired the way the pictures turned out. Chanyeol joined him, slinging an arm across Kyungsoo’s shoulders and grinned at the slideshow.

“You’re a good photographer. I can see why you’re so passionate about it.”

“I’m not...”

“Don’t act all bashful now.” Chanyeol snorted out a laugh, shaking the edge of Kyungsoo’s shoulder with his big hand.

“Well, thank you anyway,” Kyungsoo haughtily said, nose turned up. They continued their journey then, and along the way, they met a few locals, some drunk, some sober, and even chatted with a few of them as they passed by an independent movie theatre and some bars. They were extremely friendly; Kyungsoo always had a soft spot for locals who were nice and humorous so that was a nice little thing to experience.

After walking through more cobbled streets and narrow steps in between colourful houses, they realized it was close to 4AM and they still hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep. All the churches they discovered were locked, either small or big, so they were unable to fulfil their need... which was why they decided to sleep at the spot underneath a big, shady tree in a small church’s compound.

As they leaned their sore backs against the sturdy tree trunk, Kyungsoo spoke up, “We’re going straight to the airport tomorrow... well, this morning when we wake up. I’m actually quite tired and I don’t think I have the energy to visit the museums.”

Chanyeol frowned, though, and said, “But museums are Basel’s forte... If we miss out on that, then we probably won’t get the chance to come here again.”

“I guess... but I think we’ll be passing by some museums on our way to the train station so,” he paused as his mouth shaped an ‘o’ at the escaped yawn. “So we’ll take a few pictures and we’ll head straight away to the station. Please don’t disturb me on the train, okay, I need more sleep.”

Chanyeol rolled his shoulder blades while nodding. “If you say so. Goodnight, Soo.”

Kyungsoo was already a goner.

***

Another set of sneezes flew out of Kyungsoo’s nose. Whining, he wiped out the goo with a piece of tissue (all thanks to Chanyeol) and grimaced at the sight.

“I am never sleeping out again and I am never letting you pressure me into doing things I don’t want to do ever again.” He swore, sniffling and voice slowly turning into a nasally quality. Chanyeol must have felt guilty as he was now incessantly rubbing Kyungsoo’s back and wrapping him in his big arm as they walked together towards the departure area.

When they woke up earlier this morning, he was shivering from head to toe. No amount of lightweight jackets could diminish the coldness and he was on the verge of breaking into tears. Chanyeol, that big oaf, despite being an idiot, apparently still cared about his well-being. He took care of Kyungsoo as they made their journey to the train station (very bravely on Kyungsoo’s part) until they arrived at the EuroAirport.

The love Kyungsoo had for Chanyeol might have increased by tenfold at the sight of him carrying two backpacks without complaining, plus half-supporting Kyungsoo’s weight, plus two paper bags full with keychains, postcards and chocolate packages bought at the airport.

“Yeol, it’s okay, I can walk by myself, I’m fine,” he sniffled, a new tissue pressed on his nose. Chanyeol shook his head, looking worried as he continued to hold Kyungsoo around the shoulders. Biting down on a smile, Kyungsoo obliged, snuggling even deeper into Chanyeol’s side and wrapping his own arm around the latter’s waist. He asked Chanyeol if he could carry the paper bags, to which the latter vehemently stated, “Just stay still and hold onto me. We’re about to reach the plane.”

Despite feeling quite bereaved at Chanyeol’s stern tone, he still appreciated Chanyeol’s overbearing behaviour. It was almost as if they were a... No, Kyungsoo wouldn’t let that thought penetrate his mind.

***

“Hyung!” Chanyeol yelled, enthusiastic, as Junmyeon came to pick them up at Incheon Airport. Junmyeon looked good if Kyungsoo were to be honest, or maybe it was due to the almost two weeks’ separation.

“Wow, you guys look... thin...”

Kyungsoo accidentally coughed and when two pairs of alarmed eyes fixed on him, he waved his hand as if to say, ‘no, I’m okay.’

“We have something for you, hyung!” Chanyeol said, and even in Kyungsoo’s drowsy state, he could hear the chuckles Chanyeol were holding in.

Junmyeon pushed the sunglasses up to his head and said, “Yeah? I’m so excited!”

Yeah, please be, Kyungsoo thought, and now he couldn’t help the bubbles of laughter rising from his stomach.

The evening sun could barely be seen behind the banks of cloud. Sounds of thunder rolling alerted them of an oncoming rain and Kyungsoo didn’t know why, but he liked it. He could already feel the air changing around him and it was refreshing.

As soon as he settled himself at the back seat of the car, he already felt at home. Chanyeol, as per usual, acquired the seat at the front and Junmyeon was the driver.

Kyungsoo wondered when Chanyeol was going to show Junmyeon the ‘gifts,’ but maybe he had developed a common sense and realized that he could be causing an accident if he did such thing.

“Hyung, look. Aren’t these beautiful?” Ah, he spoke too soon.

The instant Junmyeon peeked a look at the two dices in Chanyeol’s large hand, he pressed on the brake so hard all three of them jolted out of their seats.

“Hyung!” Kyungsoo shouted, heart almost leaping out of his chest as he clutched the back of Chanyeol’s seat tightly, knuckles almost turning white. They were lucky they were still in the basement parking area.

“I swear to God, Park Chanyeol...”

“It’s art!”

Kyungsoo and Junmyeon hit their heads respectively on the headrest and the steering wheel while Chanyeol watched them in half-amusement, half-dread.

“We bought chocolates too...?” He said, sounding unsure. Feeling childish and also quite mad the stunt he pulled just now, Kyungsoo pulled on a strand of his hair and revelled in his pained yelp.

Junmyeon returned his focus to driving again, tutting at the childish act and while turning the steering around to turn right at the exit, he said, “That’s better.”

***

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2015: a little company (for prompt 20)

it's maybe you but idk so i just go with my guess lol