#( one of those cafe style ones that u have to switch on and let warm up for 20 mins )

[hyunsracha]

some things — kim seungmin

word count: 2.6k

summary: your life with seungmin was full of routines. but some things change.

Some things never change, you assumed.

The cool metal of bleachers was a constant under your thighs, as was the open binder that sat in your lap. The contents of said binder changed with the seasons, but your eyes scanned them the same. The analytical glare you always wore stayed the same, eyes only ever softening when they came into contact with him. 

Him, with his perfectly styled hair, hours of practice barely messing up the strands. Fitted baseball uniform snuggly pressed against his tall frame, beads of sweat forming at the brow. The sounds of his heavy steps on the bleachers were music to your ears as you pulled your attention from the papers in front of you. 

“What are you studying?” He breathed out, accepting the water you offered to him out of habit.

“Cost-benefit analysis.”

“Again?”

“Unfortunately so. A majority of the class failed our last test on it, so we’re doing it again.”

He chuckled, “But you passed, right?”

“94%.” You grumbled down at the paper. You shouldn’t have to relearn things you already knew. But you had familiarized yourself with every part of this course the first week; you weren’t learning anything new at this point. You closed the binder when he cleared his throat.

“Wanna take a trip to Smith’s? On me.” It was always Smith’s, and it was always on him. But that’s just the way the two of you were. Since you were freshmen in high school, 4 years ago. Your father had gotten a job at a firm in a different city, causing you to uproot your entire life just after middle school ended. On your first day in a completely new area, Seungmin saw you eating lunch alone and decided to join you.

“C...Can I sit here?” You remember him saying, pointing a shaky finger to the seat beside you. And you had nodded, forcing yourself to hide an excited smile.

“What’s that?”

“Oh!” You frowned at the heavy book you had placed next to your tray, “It’s a law textbook. My dad is a lawyer, and he wants me to be one, so I have to read all of this stuff.” You didn’t know what you wanted to be yet, but you certainly didn’t want to be a lawyer. You would frankly rather die than argue with strangers in stuffy ties all day long. But apparently, Seungmin did, “I wanna be a lawyer! Can I see it?” You nodded again, pushing the book his way. You allowed yourself to smile once you saw the way his eyes lit up at the words on the pages. 

Seungmin hasn’t left your side since.

Maybe that’s why you fell in love with him years ago. Because he never left your side. Even after you broke each other’s hearts on a set of bleachers identical to the ones you were sitting on now, too young and too dumb to be good for each other, he never left you. 

You forced yourself up, collecting all of your things and putting them in your bag before following Seungmin to his car. You knew how to drive, and you had a car of your own that you bought in high school, but Seungmin’s car was nicer, and he was nice enough to drive you around all the time. You knocked impatiently on the window for Seungmin to unlock the passenger side door, as you always did. And you immediately plugged your phone into the aux once you were seated, as you always did. Full of routines, you and Seungmin. But that’s what worked between the two of you. How could you ever want to do anything different? 

Well…

You watch him while he drives, a playlist of Dean and Day6 songs soft in the background. He drove with one hand, the other resting on the center console, tapping mindlessly. Maybe you did want to do something different. Maybe you wanted to reach out and wrap your fingers around his. Maybe it would feel like it used to.

You shook your head. You already knew you and Seungmin wouldn’t work out. But then, why was your face suddenly red at the mere thought of holding your best friend’s hand?

Smith’s was a small cafe on the outskirts of town. The two of you have had many a study date here. The warm atmosphere mixed with its cheap coffee made it one of your favorite places in town. Bonus points for the cute barista you had made friends with at the beginning of the year. 

“(Name)! Seungmin! My favorite customers! Your regulars, I assume?” The previously mentioned barista chirped. How Jisung could be so cheerful all the time, you didn’t know. But you always appreciated the extra brightness he brought to your days. You made small talk with the boy as Seungmin paid, not failing to notice the brightness of his cheeks and the small sun he drew on your cup, but not your friend’s. You knew Jisung had a bit of a crush on you; he had practically admitted it to you one night when you were studying alone. And you would go for it, honestly, but there was something holding you back.

That something pushed the warm cup of coffee into your hands, tilting his head toward your favorite table. You followed his footsteps, situating yourself in the booth. The two of you always sat here. Same table, same drinks, same boy. And it felt right.

Conversation with Seungmin was always easy. How was class, how was practice, is that one professor still seemingly trying to flunk you? You could flow from topic to topic with the brunet without skipping a beat. This was the purest version of yourself; no schoolwork, fathers, or expectations making you act differently. Seungmin always brought out the real you, and you figured one day you would have to thank him for that.

Some things do change, you discovered.

You looked past Seungmin’s sheepish grin as his words sunk in. 

You were sitting on the bleachers again. This time, your binder was open to a print-out

about personal finance. Seungmin wore the same baseball uniform with the same perfect hair. But this time, something was different. 

Seungmin was telling you about his upcoming date.

It wasn’t the first time either of you had started seeing somebody else, obviously. It had been over two years since you broke up. 

Let’s see...you had dated Hwang Hyunjin junior year. It ended horribly. You also went on a few dates with Lee Minho last semester. And Seungmin had dated Choi Lia that same year. And Shin Ryujin senior year. And Yang Jeongin senior year. None of those relationships ever upset you. Well, except for the breakups. Especially his breakup with Ryujin. That one was messy.

So why did the idea of Seungmin going on a date with someone new make your stomach flip with something besides excitement for your closest friend? But you smiled anyway, shutting your binder firmly, “Tell me about it!”

“Well..” He started rambling about this boy named Felix that he had met in his algebra class. You could see how excited he was in the way his eyes shone and his hands shook. You couldn’t not be happy for him. So you swallowed your unnamed feelings and placed a hand on his shoulder, “You got this, Min. He’s gonna love you.”

And love him, he did. As did you.

You couldn’t be mad, you really couldn’t. Especially not at Felix. He was probably one of the sweetest people you had ever met. 

Seungmin introduced the two of you at Smith’s, at your favorite table. At first, you were upset. How dare someone come and stain the perfect routine you have with Seungmin? But then you got to know the boy, and you understood why Seungmin liked him so much. Felix was a pretty boy with a face full of stars, yet he shone like the sun. You tried to ignore the burn in your chest when you looked down and saw their hands intertwined. 

When Felix left to go to the bathroom, Seungmin turned to you with the brightest smile you had ever seen, “He’s cute, right?”

You forced a laugh from your throat as you nodded, “He really is. I can tell he likes you a lot.” Of course you know what it looked like when someone liked Seungmin. All you had to do was look in a mirror. 

The three of you stayed at your table for a few hours, chatting and giggling until Seungmin said he had to take Felix home. After they waved goodbye, you let out the groan you had been holding for hours, resisting the urge to slam your head on the table. 

You needed a drink. Not alcohol, but hot coffee to warm the coldness inside of you. Approaching the counter, you plaster on a smile, “Hey, Jisung.”

He smiled back, something big and bright and beautiful, “Hey, (Name). The usual?” You nodded in response. As he turned to prepare your drink, he spoke again, “Why do you always get the same thing? Why don’t you try switching it up?”

You hummed. He did have a point, you supposed. You liked your drink, and you liked your table, but sometimes you itched for something new. Seungmin was breaking from your routines. Maybe it was your turn. 

Perching on one of the stools near where Jisung was currently working, you answer him, “I think I will try something new today. I’ll get an iced matcha latte instead. And…” You heaved a sigh. Maybe it was time to move on; start new routines, “...and your number.” 

Some changes are necessary, you’re still learning.

Being with Jisung was good. Jisung was good to you. You felt good around Jisung. He was a perfect gentleman, the type to open doors for you and pull out your chair. He made you laugh, and he was one hell of a kisser.

Seungmin unfortunately had to discover that when you showed up to your spot on the bleachers late one day with messy hair and swollen lips. He just stared at you, an unknown feeling bubbling in his chest. He knew that your appearance was because of Jisung, and he didn’t like it one bit. Maybe he was feeling protective. His best friend was messing around with some barista boy they barely knew. That was it, right? 

He pointed to your neck, clicking his tongue at the purple mark present on your skin, “What is that?”

Your hand followed his finger, face flushing a dark red once you realized, “Shit! Sorry, that was...Jisung...he- yeah.” The collar of your shirt was too low for you to cover it, so you just kept your hand over the spot, unable to make eye contact with the boy in front of you. His eyebrows shot up, and you could see his jaw clench before you, “Okay.” He turned to go back to practice, his break long over. He seemed upset, and you couldn’t help but wonder why. Maybe he was just being protective. But you were an adult, you could handle a hickey or two. You shook your head to rid yourself of the thought, opening your binder once more.

Weeks passed, and you believed you were settling into a new routine. A routine that involved more Jisung than before. Not quite joined at the hip, you and Jisung spent lots of time together. And you always pushed for more. He was so good, so kind, so sweet. But something was missing. So you planned more dates, hoping to light that spark that would start a fire. 

It never came.

On one of those dates, you spilled your guts. You had drank a little too much. You were still conscious, but you were feeling a little loose-lipped. Blame the Desperate Housewives drinking game the two of you were playing. Your guts just so happened to be filled with love and affection for your best friend, as opposed to the boy sitting across from you who looked at you with stars in his eyes. He had only sighed, taking your cup from you and dumping the remnants in the sink.

“You’re not mad?” You had pouted. 

He breathed out a sad chuckle, “No. I sort of expected it. I’ve seen you two interact...I knew I was only a placeholder. It’s okay.”

He walked you home that night and helped you get ready for bed, only leaving after he was sure you were asleep, plugging your phone in in the living room so you didn’t drunkenly text anyone.

You were thinking too much. Thinking too much about a certain boy, which only made you feel more guilty, considering that boy wasn’t the one you broke up with the night before. So you came to your spot on the bleachers. A part of you hoped he would sense you here and come running, wrap you up in his arms and make it all better. But he was probably out with his boyfriend right now. God, you felt so stupid. Falling in love with your best friend again? Not to mention the whole ex-boyfriend thing. Maybe you never stopped. Maybe every time you looked at him and felt your heart rate increase, it wasn’t in a friendly way. You wrapped your arms around yourself. The wind was cold and you were only wearing a thin t-shirt. You should’ve thought about this before running out here, but the bleachers were the only place you wanted to be right now. You couldn’t cry; you weren’t sad enough to cry. Your phone pinged once, twice, three times. No doubt texts from Jisung, probably saying that he wasn’t mad and he would see you at the cafe and you were still friends. 

The sounds of his heavy steps on the bleachers were music to your ears as you pulled your attention from the baseball diamond in front of you. You furrowed your brow, “What are you doing here?”

He took a seat next to you, “I could ask you the same.” He paused, “Felix and I broke up.”

Well, that was surprising. You turned to face him, concern lacing your features. He felt your eyes on him. He always did. “I realized some things and...we just weren’t meant to be.” You wouldn’t pressure him to speak, but you couldn’t help your curiosity. 

“Jisung and I broke up, too.” His head snapped in your direction, making surprised eye contact with you. He reached out, placing a warm palm on your knee. Your skin burned at the touch, like it usually did. “I’m sorry.”

You shook your head, “It’s not your fault. It’s mine. I realized some things, too.”

“Count of three?”

“Count of three.”

This was a thing the two of you had always done. If you both had news to share, you would say it at the same time, so one piece didn’t overpower the other.

“1...2..3...I still love you-”

“I still love you-”

The wind seemed to suddenly halt its attack on your shivering frame. The two of you stared at each other blankly, your minds taking their time processing each other’s words.

I still love you.

You’re opening your mouth to respond when Seungmin takes the initiative, leaning forward and crashing into your lips, rough and gentle at the same time. Your entire body feels like it’s been set on fire, scalding skin set ablaze by Seungmin’s lips over yours. His hands are on your cheeks, your neck, your waist; anywhere he can grab to pull you closer. This is what he was missing. He liked Felix, but the boy was unable to light a fire inside of him like you did. Powerful yet warming, every movement of his lips was laced with the adoration he had been holding in his heart since you broke up all those years ago.

Some things change for the better. You and Seungmin change for the better. 

[onyourzeus]

11:48 am | pjh

title: 11:48am pairing: park jaehyung (of day6) & you genre: fluff, bullet style words: 2.1k

author’s note: mmm i’m kind of meh about this but i jus really needed to write so i don’t lose motivation, but this is just a short fic requested by this anon asking for a lazy day scenario with jae. hope it’s still an okay read.

any requests? check my pinned post if i’m accepting any at the moment, thanks!

once you receive a specific text from jae on a regular day

“whatchu doinnnn” 

you know he’s wondering if you’re not busy, and if you come hang out at his place

which, for the majority of the time, you always tell him “not much. y?”

even though you’re 99% sure of what he wants out of you

you have already made your way to a coffee shop before he had replied 

“same. wanna do nothing together? :)”

so u get two coffees: one americano and one vanilla latte (as much as you want to cut down calories here, there is no way you can drink just water and espresso by itself

you decide on getting two sandwiches as well, it’s close to noon and there’s a high probability that jae just woke up and he hasn’t even moved from the bed

you’re lowkey happy that jae texts you first (assumingly) during days like this because, honestly you miss the 6 foot lanky nerdy soft boy a lot

jae has a habit of keeping to himself during his downtime, especially now 

but with him streaming and having new friends through the platform has helped him socialize and feel a sense of normalcy from the world, which you are really glad for 

he’s mentioned how much he misses doing band activities but doesn’t really elaborate on them

he think he talks about it too much and that you wouldn’t want to hear his repetitive whining

you don’t have the needed bravery in your heart (yet) to tell him you will never get bored or feel burdened by his thoughts, no matter what they entail

so for now, when he asks of your presence in his lovely abode— you make time for him. always. 

even if it’s just a lazy day of doing nothing

you knock on his door and text him at the same time. you look around his neighborhood and enjoy the peace and quiet outside. you wonder if jae’s soundproof walls work well enough for his next door neighbors this time. you had told him multiple times that sungjin wouldn’t appreciate the noise too much, and he if he wanted to play he can do so at your place 

however you never suggested that last thought. it swam in the sea of your thoughts one too many times but it never came to shore. you thought too much about the implications of that idea

besides, what good came out of reminding him of his streamer noises is that he finally has an apartment of his own

and you don’t feel as shy or out of place whenever you came over to the one he shared with the boys 

“oh hey, wasn’t expecting you,” jae had opened the door and you snap out of your wondering

he greets you with drowsy eyes, a full yawn and long strands of hair sticking out everywhere 

you huff out a breath and show the goods in your hands. “you’re definitely gonna need this.”

his eyes light up as he recognizes the contents of the paper bag

“whaaaat you shouldn’t have, i was about to order for delivery,” he tries for an innocent tone but the goofy smile on his face makes that extra trip to the cafe worth it

“you’re welcome, jae.”

lazy days with jae come in two ways

number one: absolutely the title. you crash on the bed, he scolds you for it but then you feel his crushing weight on top of you for revenge or

you hog the couch, splay your legs until jae does the same thing and entangles all your limbs together it becomes a semi wrestling match

number two: he’d end up wanting to do something all this time, either jam on his guitar or play WoW with you in the background, just watching

commenting on things you have 0 knowledge about, and him dismissing every words you say with a random scream from his end

“you’re so bad at this lmao”

“NONONO STOPSTOPSTOP NONONO”

“is the riff supposed to sound like that? ew” 

“you want your face to meet my guitar? :)” 

yeah, banter between you can be brutal like this which is why it gets a little embarrassing to be your true self with him when the others are involved 

today, jae seems to just enjoy sipping on his iced coffee while tippy tapping on the floor to sit next to you on the couch

??? how can a grown man do something puppies so effortlessly pull out… just as cute if not even better??? 

usually, silence isn’t how the two of you spend lazy days together. once he’s thought of a topic to talk about, however out of this world or mundane it could be— the conversations you share are what you cherish the most bonding with jae

“you ever think about the first piece of a roll of sliced bread?”

“you mean the weird looking pieces no one ever chooses first and leaves it there until there’s none of the good slices left?”

“the very one” “what about it?”

“you’re that slice of bread”

“well yeah? jokes on you, you’re the OTHER piece. there’s two in a pack dumbass” 

one would mistake this as insulting, but this is how jae shows his affection to you, and you wouldn’t want it any other way

there’s a certain comfort in just.. not deliberating whether you’d overstep a line or say something that would be misconstrued. with jae, you appreciate the candid friendship you mutually benefit from

his sarcastic personality can be a pain at times when not needed, of course, but when you’ve missed him so much it just feels right

“jae your legs are too long for the couch get a new one.” he had taken over the other end of the couch with his legs over yours, and you’re trying your best to make the position comfortable

but being inches close to his socks and noticing that he’s intentionally moving his feet about just to annoy you

“you get me a new couch so we both fit here”

“bro do you know how empty my wallet is rn” 

“as empty as your love life?”

“oh we’re talking about ourselves right now? ok cool”

he scoffs at your comeback, but he remains speechless and gives you room to breathe. you panic for a second thinking maybe, this is the unexplained boundary he has to draw a line on? love? 

but he puts down his already finished americano, and looks back at you a deadpan expression

you sit up as well, nerves creeping up on your arm. you didn’t want to take it too far and in your defense, this isn’t the first time you teased each other about your, well, non-existent romantic endeavors

“jae, i—”

“oh my god did you see your face?? i was kidding chilllll” he starts to burst into a fit of laughter, the kind where he loses air and lolls his head back 

this time you pout, reaching over to flick him on the forehead. his 6th sense had improved a lot overtime being with you as he blocks your hand away from his face, and sticks a tongue out

“you think i wasn’t prepared for that anymore?” he taunt, locking his grip around your wrist

“now you’re just making fun of me” >:(

“you get really puffy cheeks and look adorable when you’re mad” 

“THAT IS NOT A VALID REASON!!”

eventually he lets you go, pats your head then proceeds to just ruffle it as messy as his, and in an instant your mood changes again

you shouldn’t lie to yourself anymore, you love jae’s company and it would kill you if he’d one day decide he’s too old or too “mature” for moments like this

you get winded up with denial of having a crush on your best friend, and you’re so sure he knows at this point

because he reels you back into the present and challenges you to a game os super smash bros

and when he loses, he does it again. and you win again, and this time he says it was just a warm-up and he shouldn’t go easy on you anymore

and then you win again, and you’re the one cackling in the air at his look of defeat as well as the 6 losses he had endured during the matches

“man you’re getting rusty”

“am not! i’ve just been playing WoW too much i’m not used to switch controls anymore…”

“sure buddy”

“HEY, 1v1 me in league right now, i dare you”

“no”

“WHY?”

“you only have one desktop, stupid. i didn’t bring my laptop”

“oh so by default I win :D”

nothing can ever get away with jae, he always needs to have the last laugh with you and at times it’s frustrating, but his carefree charisma has grown on you so much that you anticipate what else he has in store to give you a hard time 

jokes on him, you fall for jae just an inch deeper the more he treats you comfortably this way 

it’s only been an hour or two, but jae had decided that he’s done enough productive stuff for the day (read: losing too many times) and invited you over to chill on his bed

it’s not an uncommon sight for the both of you to lie next to each other, taking turns with queueing up music on spotify. songs you and jae love together, and those that are new to your ears 

sometimes, you’d talk over the playlist— it becomes more of background noise as jae asks you about your day, the days before that, and what you’re planning on doing in the future

he doesn’t ask for specific answers, he likes to hear how you’ve been feeling, emotionally so

jae has always been intrigued by other people’s perception of themselves, of the things around them, and of what they think of the universe in the back of their minds

it was a little too much to handle, those questions of his, when you first were just getting to know each other

but he eased into it naturally, confessing about his love for the moon— its beauty in appearance, and the beauty of its purpose

which made you think… you’re in love with the moon too, not just what you see in the sky

but what you see right next to you right now

jae had given you enough time before to open up about your own thoughts, struggles, and share secrets with him. it didn’t take long until you found the trust between you and held onto it for dear life

lazy days with jae can be just that— lazy, loafing around the house, stealing a chip or two from each other’s bag, falling asleep to the sound of lofi music on the speaker

but it can go this way too: with jae explaining how good this one song can be, the metaphors every verse carries with the melody. “you’ve always heard of chocolate eyes or whatever, but blueberry? and to describe the setting sun as strawberry skies? amazing, GENIUS” 

and you laugh, and listen to the same song over and over as per jae’s request until he overpowers the original vocals— and you don’t complain, there’s not a sound you love to hear on a lazy afternoon than his low register, the kind of singing he does just for the heck of it. he’s not exerting too much range, too much work on the words he sings— he’s just doing so to comfort him, to bring life to the room, to dwell on each poetic verse’s meaning

i’m so lost in your blueberry eyes

he finishes singing, and the playlist shuffles to an instrumental lofi track with an upbeat, charming rhythm to it

jae keeps his eyes closed, smiling to himself probably proud for his faux performance

“you done gloating in your head yet, jae?”

“shut up i’m feeling the moment”

you poke his shoulder with yours, and you’re suddenly hyper aware at how close the two of you are.. physically, right now

he turns his head towards you, eyes fluttering, lips slightly open. he catches you staring, and it’s too sudden for you to look away and pretend it’s not awkward at all

“what are you doing?” he asks, a lilt of teasing on his voice but his eyes never leave yours 

“sh..shut up,” you quip in a small voice, looking down on your laying bodies before turning away, cheeks warm

“wait what? what i was asking a genuine question—”

“i was.. feeling the moment, okay? god jae you’re annoying” you mutter under your breath, a lousy response to cover up the pounding in your chest

“this moment feels really nice, doesn’t it?” he says next to you, quiet but gentle

you pause for a second, taking in his words and letting go of the smile you’re trying to hold off on

your heart is still racing, but there wasn’t a need to worry about stumbling with your feelings

if jae himself is enjoying your own company right now 

“it is. if it’s with you, it really is.”

[lionaut-blog]

[aesjae]

Walk You Home | Chen Le

hiatus special scenario this is a special scenario for @markcherrybaksu, as a mini birthday gift :-)

Summary: "Let me walk you home."

Style/ Genre: Scenario/ Fluff maybe

Word Count: 2,569

Date Posted: 17 Oct 2017

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to (Y/N), happy birthday to you~” Your group of friends who were surrounding you chorused harmoniously, a light and cheery mood dancing in the air.

You looked at the cake that your friends had brought in. It was a simple, yet wholeheartedly decorated cake. It was a plain, white frosted round cake, the surface of the cake having been evened out smoothly. On the side of the cake, a strip of elegant lace twirled around the circumference of the confectionary, a mini red ribbon bow holding the two ends of the lace together. In neatly spelt out velvet coloured frosting, the top of the cake read ‘Blessed birthday (Y/N)’. 

You stared at the cake, enamoured of its simplistic beauty. A hand was automatically brought up to cover your gaping mouth, your friends’ sincere efforts rendering you speechless as gratefulness spilt over the walls of your heart. 

“I-I... This is wonderful guys... I can’t express how I feel right now. Thank you all so much.”

You glanced around at your circle of friends, only to be greeted by their wide grins. 

These friends were all from your tuition class. Since most of them did not attend the same school as you did, you were never really that close to any of them. Hence, you never thought that they would know your birthday, what more plan a birthday celebration for you. Throughout the whole 2 hours of tuition lesson, your tuition mates were all nonchalant to and did not show any signs to the significance of the date. When a group of them abruptly suggested to hang out at the new cafe nearby after lessons, you didn’t think much about it and just went along with the plans. 

“Hehe, I hope you enjoyed your surprise,” Yoon Hye who was standing beside me giggled. You looked at my best friend. You were lucky that your best friend was in the same tuition class as you were, as when you first started attending the tuition class, it was not as awkward for you to blend in since Yoon Hye was practically a social butterfly. Wherever she went, you followed. Gradually, you managed to become friends or at least good acquaintances with everyone in our tuition class.

“Did you suggest this?” Your voice thinned with playful accusation, you frowned and pursed your lips in sceptic.

“Oh, well, it wasn’t me actually,” Yoon Hye said with an enormous grin on her face. What’s with that expression? “It was Chen Le who suggested this surprise.” 

Chen Le?

Suddenly, the significance behind Yoon Hye’s huge smile struck you. Being your best friend in school and in tuition class, Yoon Hye was well aware that you had a tiny crush on Zhong Chen Le, who was initially only your tuition mate before he unexpectedly transferred into your school this year. 

Your eyes skimmed across your circle of friends.

Jeno... Jaemin... Taehee... Mark... Daehwi... Minjae... And lastly, Chen Le.

Your eyes locked with Chen Le’s, and you witnessed Chen Le rub the nape of his neck, clearly embarrassed after Yoon Hye’s revelation. 

“Yeah, Chen Le suggested this about a week ago, that was how most of us got to know your birthday.” Jaemin perked.

“Haha... Erm, yeah, I did. I hope you enjoyed what we planned for you.” Chen Le glanced up at you, an awkward chuckle escaping his lips.

You felt the tips of your cheeks warming up and you unconsciously fiddled with the ends of your fingers under the table.

“Yes, I really liked this. Thank you, Chen Le. Thank you, everyone.”

Everybody gleamed brightly, satisfied with their successful birthday plan. But amongst everybody’s glistening smiles, only the Chinese boy’s shimmered with the most vibrant glow.

“Goodbye, guys, and happy birthday once again (Y/N)!” Daehwi exclaimed, his arms waving frantically at the rest of us as he ran for his coming bus. 

“My parents are here too! Bye guys, see you next week!” Taehee waved a simple goodbye before she crossed the street. Soon, one by one, your tuition mates went their separate ways, and only Yoon Hye, you and Chen Le were left.

“Oh shit! (Y/N), I hate to break this to you but, I forgot that my family is receiving guests today at our house. I can’t go for a movie with you,” Yoon Hye turned towards you abruptly, holding the sides of both of your arms as her face displayed an apologetic expression.

“Aish, you’re so forgetful, but it’s fine! I know how your mum is always cranky about being punctual when your family is receiving guests. We can always watch the movie another time.” You smiled amiably at your best friend.

“Oh my gosh, thank you (Y/N)! I love you so much,” Yoon Hye hugged you tightly before she realised that Chen Le was looking at both of you with a semi-amused expression on his face. Yoon Hye pulled back and her eyes diverted between you and Chen Le. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow in school then (Y/N), you too, Chen Le!” 

“Yep, see you Yoon Hye.” Chen Le replied.

“Text me later,” Yoon Hye leaned in and whispered into your ear, taking off and running into the direction of her street almost instantly afterwards.

You looked distantly at your best friend’s silhouette, shaking your head in teasing disapproval. Suddenly, you remembered about Chen Le’s presence, and you immediately stopped, turning your body ever so slightly to glance at the boy beside you. Chen Le noticed your actions and looked back at you, his eyebrows lifted in a questioning manner.

“A-Aren’t you going home too, Chen Le?” Your voice sounded soft and timid but with the tranquil silence surrounding both of you, your voice was audible enough for the boy standing a metre away from you to hear.

The Chinese boy paused for a while, his gaze never leaving yours.

“Mmhm, yea, I am. Where do you live, (Y/N)?”

You were taken aback.

“Erm, not far from here. Just about a few blocks down, merely a walking distance away. Why do you ask?”

“I see.”

As the evening approached as the sky dimmed ever so slightly, the boy’s dark brown orbs sparkled under the streetlamps that had just been switched on.

“Let me walk you home.”

You choked. With your saliva threatening to enter your windpipe and block all access of oxygen into your body, your body bent forward as you coughed heavily. Almost instantly, you felt a pair of warm hands rested on your skin. One was gripping around your forearm, supporting you, and the other was patting lightly onto your back.

“You okay there?” Chen Le asked, his voice laced with concern when you lifted your upper body back up.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I almost thought you said you wanted to walk me home and I got choked up. Embarrassing, really.” You casually waved off Chen Le’s expression of concern, feeling ridiculous for even hallucinating Chen Le saying something like that.

“I did.” 

You looked at Chen Le, confused. “Sorry?”

Chen Le’s face now held a mixture of determination and slight traces of anxiousness. 

“I did say that. I want to walk you home.”

This time, you knew you didn’t hear wrongly, but with the loud sound of your heart beating against your ribcage and the strong pulsating movements of blood flowing into your ears, you couldn’t help but doubt yourself again.

Instead, you stared at Chen Le with wide eyes, but Chen Le’s expression did not alter a bit, and suddenly you found yourself thrown into the truth of reality: Chen Le offered to walk you home.

For the first two minutes, an awkward silence hung between Chen Le and you. Who would have thought that one day you would be standing beside your crush, walking side by side, and being walked home by the glory himself? Well, definitely not you that is. Those 2 minutes was not a long time, but with raging waves crashing the walls of your internals, and the systematic ticking of Chen Le’s watch, you couldn’t help but feel nervousness creep further up your spine by the seconds. Out of anxiety, your legs willed you to unconsciously pick up your pace.

All of a sudden, you felt a gentle tug pulling you back.

Surprised, you turned back to look at Chen Le, who has slight disappointment written on his face. You looked down at your right hand, which was being held back by Chen Le’s left. 

“Don’t walk so fast, I want to spend more time together with you.” Chen Le murmured, just audible enough for you to hear. You glanced back up at Chen Le; his head slightly bowed, eyes tracing along your held hands. You processed the boy’s timid words, feeling your cheeks warm up again. You didn’t know how to respond. However, looking at the Chinese boy in front you being bold of his actions, yet being shy to express them openly, you couldn’t help but feel your heart melt. Instead, you quietly backtracked your steps, standing beside Chen Le once again. Chen Le looked up at your face for a few seconds, eyes slightly wider than usual, and then he smiled warmly, showing his straight white teeth. You couldn’t help but grin back at him.

Walking side by side, you were suddenly aware of the warmness your right hand was feeling. Only realising that your hand was still in Chen Le’s, you stiffened. 

“U-Uh, Chen Le?”

“Hmm?” Chen Le hummed, bliss lingering in his tune.

“You’re still holding my hand..”

Chen Le turned to you, his eyes wavering slightly like a puppy’s.

“You don’t like me holding your hand?”

“hUh wHaT nO nO i didn’t mean to imply that- I- Uh-” You fumbled over your words, them spilling out almost incoherently as you flustered. 

“Heh, it’s fine. I get it,” Chen Le turned back to the walkway ahead, only this time, the smile on his face was brighter and ever more radiant than before. “You’re cute when you’re flustered, I like that.”

You dipped your head down in embarrassment, but a shy grin couldn’t help but waltz its way onto your face. 

Feeling a gentle and assuring squeeze on your hand, you squeezed back, hoping to deliver the same amount of comfort, happiness and warmth through your intertwined hands.

“And Yoon Hye was so dumb and clumsy, she tripped and fell into the arms of the young teacher she eye-candied!” You exclaimed, your facial features lighting up in amusement as you recounted the hilarious incident from 2 years back. 

Chen Le’s cheerful laughter resonated across the quiet street, it gradually diminishing down into a low chuckle. “Yoon Hye did that? I can’t imagine what happened afterwards.” 

“Well, I can’t remember what exactly happened after, but I can tell you, those are the kind of moments when I confirm that this girl is definitely my best friend.”

Other than a few families and couples walking along the narrow street, it was almost deserted. Despite your house only being a 15-minutes walk away, the lively interaction between Chen Le and you made the prospect of going back home suddenly a dull and dreaded one, and Chen Le and you easily took your time to literally take it ‘one step at a time’. Both of you had such amazing chemistry, you wondered how Chen Le and you had barely talked to school or in tuition class, but you were absolutely thanked the Gods for giving you this opportunity to now. Along the way, both of you talked about various topics, discussing and joking about everything from A to Z, and the atmosphere that danced around the both of you was one that was very relaxed and not a single bit awkward at all. With every word and sentence exchanged, and every glance of Chen Le’s twinkling eyes and vibrant smile, you felt your heart grow fonder, and you had never felt so at ease and comfortable around someone. Even with Yoon Hye, you had some walls of insecurities up, but with Chen Le, it was as if he effortlessly broke your walls down, providing you with his 4 walls that felt like ‘Home’.

Almost like an unspoken agreement, both Chen Le and you strolled towards the park that was just around the corner of your house. Walking into the direction of the deserted playground, both of you sat on individual swings, your handholding link finally being broken apart. You tilted your head up to the sky, admiring the sky that was now azure, feeling yourself being intoxicated with the beauty of the stars shimmering in the night sky. 

“Gorgeous, right?” You heard a voice emitted from your side. Without moving your head and your line of vision never straying away from the beautiful scenery above you, you replied, “Yeah, it’s simply dazzling.” The sky was a film of its own, providing different sights, different colours, different hues, different emotions at every second. The sky is always ever changing, and you felt that people do not seem to appreciate the sky enough. The way the stars bedazzled was a kind of luminosity that anyone would envy.

“I really like you.” 

Instead of snapping your head at the comment, your mind savoured the words, relishing in the abruptness and straightforwardness of them. Slowly, you faced the boy that was now closer towards your swing, his upper body leaning against his thighs on his forearms. You gazed into the eyes of the boy once again, this time actually realising how brilliant his eyes were. You thought: the world had one more thing to be envious of.

You gave a soft, tender smile, whispering your heartfelt words breathily, letting the wind deliver the light and airy words to the boy’s ears.

“I really like you too.”

Finally arriving at the front of your house, you turned to face Chen Le for the last time that day. Disappointment and dread clouded both of your eyes, and by the way both of you held onto each other’s hands so tenderly yet so firmly, it was evident that neither of you wanted to leave. 

Finally, you breathed, “Thank you for walking me home Chen Le. It was short, but I sincerely enjoyed every second with you.” 

A soft smile tugged at the ends of his lips. “I’m sorry I didn’t manage to get you a birthday present in the end, I had something on last minute.”

“Don’t worry about it. You sending me home today was more than enough.” It was sufficient for you -- Chen Le walking you home that day -- for you felt the sincerity behind his actions.

Both of you just stood there silently for a few minutes, as if waiting for either one of you to say your goodbyes, even though both of you knew neither of you wanted to.

Chen Le took a step forward closer to you. As if on instinct, your eyes fluttered shut as you felt a pair of lips pressed softly along your hairline. It was a gentle peck, but such a small force triggered tsunamis in your heart. 

“Goodnight, (Y/N). See you tomorrow.” One last glance.

“Goodnight Chen Le, get home safe.” You turned around, finally taking light steps into your house, the familiarity of the place enveloping you in an assuring embrace.

It was a birthday you would never forget.