Prompt # 25 : And the best bromance of the year goes to…

[100xoverfest]

Prompt #: 25
Word Count: 11,035
Season: Winter
Title: And the best bromance of the year goes to…
Genre: Romance
Rating: NC-17
Side Pairings: Sehun x Kyungsoo, Baekhyun x Z.Hera
Warning/s: some smut, fem!Sehun
Summary: Junmyeon and Yifan are playing a love interest and second lead in a drama. The drama gets good ratings, but the audience finds better chemistry between the two love interests rather than between the lead actress and her two suitors.
A/N (Author's Note): as mentioned, there’s a brief explicit scene. I hope I did justice to the prompt though…

Yifan looks up from his script and as his gaze lands on the man trying to not yawn and attract attention to himself, he finds himself smiling at the tousled hair and eyes nearly shut from sleep. Who knew superstar Kim Junmyeon looked so adorable in the mornings?

Junmyeon feels eyes on him, so he opens his eyes, blinking away the tears of being awake too early. He notices Yifan peering over his glasses at him with an amused expression and Junmyeon doesn’t understand it, but he sends back a smile anyway. The Chinese actor is a huge deal back in his home country and he was looking to build up a fanbase here in Korea as well; since his last Chinese-Korean production was successful, he decided to try his hand in a romantic drama filled with clichés, mostly. Junmyeon has seen his work and he was thoroughly impressed, and he is looking forward to work with him (also, it doesn’t hurt that Yifan is even better looking than his pictures make him out to be).

Yifan didn’t expect Junmyeon to smile back at him, all sleepy and apologetic. The man is a former idol who left his life of singing and dancing behind to pursue his first love—acting. Yifan did look him up since he wasn’t too acquainted with the Korean television drama scene. Junmyeon has five megahit shows under his belt and with him on board, Yifan knows this one might become a hit as well.

The show is as cliched as it gets, one girl, two boys but with one twist—there is a murder mystery in it as well, which doesn’t become obvious until the third or fourth episode. In short, the story was interesting and the main female lead was going to be played by Park Sooyoung, who shares a considerable age difference with both Yifan and Junmyeon, but that too is part of the plot and all the actors are excited to start work on it.

Sooyoung yawns, trying to not hit her head on the table as she fights sleep. Six is too early for her as well, since she stayed up most of last night practicing the choreography for her next comeback with her group. She is an idol who is looking to expand her resume and push herself out of her comfort zone of bubbly, candy-cotton romantic dramas. Also, it doesn’t hurt her that she has two extremely handsome men as her co-stars (who are both seven and eight years older than her, respectively, but who cares about specifics).

The director too yawns and wonder why they had to do their first reading so early. Do Kyungsoo had planned to get some more shut-eye, but his fate was sealed when the producers and writers teamed up to arrange a meeting at the last moment. He pushes his glasses up his nose and looks at the producers, Kim Hyoyeon and Kwon Jiyong, and the famous sibling writer duo responsible for three hit shows, Kim Taeyeon and Kim Taehyung, shuffling sleepily through pages.

Yifan looks around the table and smiles. They all look so sleepy and tired—his ‘love interest’’ looks ready to make the table her pillow while his ‘rival’ looks like he needs a coffee, or dozen. The same goes for the director too, who looks too young to helm a show but Yifan knows appearances can be deceiving.

Jiyong finally raises his head and smiles, “I think introductions are in order, yes?” Behind him, his assistant rolls her eyes. “I am Kwon Jiyong and this bright young lady is Kim Hyoyeon. We are very excited to work with you!”

Taeyeon coughs, “Well, we should start then. I am Kim Taeyeon and this is my brother and partner-in-crime, Kim Taehyung. We have worked hard on this story and we look forward to working with you!”

Taehyung grins, “You may call me V, that’s my nom de plume, if you may.” His sister smacks the back of his head and hisses, “Shut the fuck up, will you?”

Yifan cracks a smile as Kyungsoo shifts and sighs, which clearly tells how much he is suffering, “I am Do Kyungsoo. The director, you will see me plenty.”

Hyoyeon makes a face at that brief and dry introduction but lets it go, as Junmyeon sits up, beaming, “Hello, I am Kim Junmyeon and I will be playing the character of Choi Taesun and I am very excited to start this journey with such talented people!”

Sooyoung too shakes off her drowsiness and smiles a little, “I am Park Sooyoung, or Joy from Red Velvet, yes Red Velvet of that song that gets stuck in your head whether you like it or not.” Everyone laughs a little at that, including Yifan. “I will be playing Lee Dahyun and I look forward to work with all of you.”

It is finally Yifan’s turn, and he knows they are looking at him in various levels of curiosity. He is after all, an outsider, the only non-Korean person here. He straightens his back, puts down his reading glasses and smiles, “I am Wu Yifan, playing Han Jian. I am very excited to work here and I am eager to learn more about this country and their people.”

The other supporting cast introduce themselves as well. The show has also casted other famous actors like Jung Soojung, Byun Baekhyun, Kim Jisoo and Im Yoona.

Junmyeon grins after the introductions are over, “I know you may have heard this too many times, but your Korean is perfect.”

Yifan laughs, and he doesn’t miss the way everyone’s posture relaxes. He knows he can look quite intimidating and people have told him too many times how his smile changes his persona. He satisfies Junmyeon’s curiosity, “I spent two years here, I did some of my schooling here.”

Taehyung frowns, “But your wiki says you did your schooling in Vancouver and China as well?”

Yifan smiles, “Well, I spent my elementary years in China before moving to Canada, and then to Korea. And back to China again.”

Yoona chuckles, “That sounds exhausting!”

Yifan laughs along, “Oh, I don’t know where to begin even!”

Baekhyun leans forward, his eyes twinkling, “By the way, I became a huge fan after I saw Blossoms. You were so good!”

The tips of Yifan’s ears turn warm as he fights the embarrassment from becoming too obvious on his face. He dips his head and says, “Thank you. And, I must say, you have a wonderful voice.”

Baekhyun laughs, waving his hand. He is an actor, but also part of an indie band and Yifan had casually checked him out on YouTube, only to get floored by the man’s voice. “Thank you, thank you!”

And like that, the ice melts, and the myriad group of people start conversing lightly amongst themselves. Taeyeon finally reminds everyone about the real reason for being there, and the first reading starts. The production house’s digital marketing intern clicks a few pictures.

Three hours later, when the meeting breaks, Yifan makes a beeline for the washroom, his bladder protesting. After he is done and exits from the stall, he finds Junmyeon washing his hands and when their eyes meet in their reflections, the shorter smiles, “Oh, hi!”

Yifan chuckles as he turns on the tap, “Fancy meeting you here.”

Junmyeon laughs, and Yifan notes the way the former’s eyes curve into half-moons underneath his thin-wired glasses. “So, how has been your return to Korea so far?”

Yifan pulls out a paper towel and shakes his head, “I left when I was eighteen and twelve years later, cannot even find the apartment we used to stay in.”

Junmyeon smiles, “Quite a trip down memory lane, then?”

Yifan nods. “Something like that.” Junmyeon yawns and Yifan gets an idea. “Say, where do you find the best coffee in this area?”

“Well,” Junmyeon scratches the back of his neck. “There are a handful of shops…”

“Great!” Yifan chucks the paper towel in the recycle bin and smiles, “I haven’t had my cup of caffeine yet, and you look like you need one!” When he sees the way Junmyeon’s eyes widen slightly, he raises his hand, palms up, and says, “That is, if you are free right now.”

Junmyeon’s eyes crinkle again as he smiles, “I am free Yifan-sshi.”

“Yifan, just call me Yifan.”

“Then you call me Junmyeon.”

“Deal.”

They went for their coffee that day, and they would eventually go for more coffee in various places in the city Yifan was getting acquainted with again. Five months pass by, and they are wrapping up their indoor shots, holed up in a studio under harsh lights. Thankfully, it is the end of November and no one had to worry about their BB cream melting like popsicles on a summer day off their faces. The first two episodes have been completed and ready to hit the public channel in a week. Everyone is nervous, but excited and each actor and crew member has a gleam in their eyes, wanting to push themselves to be better.

Meanwhile, the casting choice of Junmyeon and Yifan as the first and second lead respectably has already garnered enough attention. Fans of both stars and casual viewers cannot stop raving about them or their looks. And when a Junmyeon fansite managed to click some pictures of them at a café, the internet went crazy over their friendship. So much so, digital marketing intern, Kim Jongin, thought that poor Sooyoung was almost forgotten by fans.

Yifan is aware of such gossip—he has developed a friendship with Jongin and the young man keeps him updated. Yifan is doing this purely because he wants to know what the Korean audience thinks of him. He is just doing market research, he has not been smiling at the pictures of him and Junmyeon that fansites or paparazzi take of them. If he is lying to himself, no one has to know.

As shooting wraps up, Yifan seeks out Junmyeon and the latter looks he was almost expecting him to show up as his eyes widen and a smile lights up his face. Yifan grins back, “Dinner?”

Junmyeon nods and rushes off to get his makeup off his face. Yifan patiently waits for him by his chair. Yifan didn’t have much filming to do, but he stayed back to watch the others (not Junmyeon). Junmyeon returns soon after, out of his cop costume and back in his oversized sweater and jeans. He shoves his red beanie over his head and some assistant hands him his trench coat. Yifan can’t help but smile when Junmyeon’s bangs poke underneath the beanie, brushing over his brows. His styled-up hair makes him look cooler, makes him the tough cop he is playing, but when he is out of costume and in that favourite red beanie of his, Yifan’s heart starts doing funny things. He had no idea a human, that too an adult nearly thirty, can look that soft, that adorable—but he keeps learning every day.

Junmyeon wraps a scarf around his neck and they walk to Yifan’s car with Junmyeon’s bodyguard discreetly following them. They decide to head to the small restaurant close to the studios, haunted only by people from the studio at the unholy hours of the night. So, not only does it always have a table for actors coming from the studio, no fans are aware of this place and they are thankfully never prowling around at eleven in the night.

They take their seats, the bodyguard stationed at a table behind them, giving them a little privacy. The restaurant serves a mishmash of Korean, Chinese and Thai dishes that are tasty and affordable. The interior is lighted by pink, purple and white fairy lights with a low-power bulb hanging over every table. It is small and cozy, and Yifan won’t lie, he loves coming here. Also, the lamb hotpot here is amazing.

They place their orders and Junmyeon sighs before smiling up at Yifan, whose breath strangely gets stuck in his throat. The neon light splays on Junmyeon, washing him out a little, making him look oddly ethereal and unreachable. Like some mythical creature who lures innocent people with their beauty. Yifan shakes his head to stop thinking such strange things and asks, “What?”

Junmyeon purses his lips and tilts his head to the side. “I always wonder why you like getting dinner with me after every shoot.”

Yifan chuckles, a little nervous, because that is a legitimate question. It is not like he hasn’t made friends, or gotten closer to his other co-stars or crew members. Do Kyungsoo has become a friend, surprisingly, and some off days they end up at his house and enjoy the baked goods his wife makes. But of all the people, Yifan loves spending time with Junmyeon the most, and he cannot figure it out yet. Yifan cups his face in his palm and leans over the table and smirks, “Well, you say the worst jokes and someone has to laugh at it, so this is like charity.”

Junmyeon narrows his eyes and presses his lips, but Yifan can see through it and starts laughing. Junmyeon flicks Yifan’s nose and the latter makes an affronted noise, but then Junmyeon starts giggling and Yifan quite forgets what to do, or say.

The flushed peach cheeks that lift upwards, and the half-moons that the eyes become, Yifan enjoys a happy Junmyeon too much. Maybe that is why he is always here with Junmyeon, wanting to get him out of the professional gear and into this, where he is softer like this, giggles too easily, says terrible jokes and then feels proud of them.

Yifan cannot pinpoint exactly when and how it happened. All the days they spent working and getting to know each other, Yifan found himself drawn to the Korean actor—they connected to each other. Junmyeon tried to be funny, is a terrific actor and overall, there is very little to hate about him—and Yifan just wanted to be around him all the time.

Junmyeon, now, leans forward on the table and says, “You are a terrible person Mr. Wu.”

Yifan leans forward as well, crossing his arms on the table, “Oh? I thought you liked me.” He watches, under the terrible light, Junmyeon’s cheeks darken and his eyes widen a little before a voice says, “Lamb hotpot?”

The men both lean back with a jerk and the food gets placed on the table. Junmyeon picks up his chopstick and clears his throat, “Well, if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here now, would I?”

Yifan laughs as he picks up a piece of meat and blows on it. He pops it in his mouth and watches as Junmyeon carefully picks out all the coriander in the soup. Something tugs under Yifan’s ribs; he cannot name it but as he watches Junmyeon fishing out the herb he hates, he feels warm inside. Junmyeon not only remembered how much he hated coriander, he also takes it upon himself to remove it from the hotpot. As Junmyeon picks out the herb, he starts talking about the show and Yifan drags his teeth over his lower lip.

Okay, he can stop lying to himself and face the facts. He has a massive crush on Kim Junmyeon and he doesn’t know what to do about it.

As the realisation sucker punches him in his face, Yifan sighs and fights the urge to bang his head on the table. He is pushing thirty, now is not the age to get crushes and feel like a fool watching your object of affection do something as mundane and stupid as getting rid of the thing you don’t like eating. Suddenly, Junmyeon looks up at him with a smile, his perfect teeth gleaming, the mole above his lip bared after removing all the makeup is distracting, and his eyes are doing that stupid cute thing again, and Yifan wants to cry.

“Kyungsoo and Hyoyeon are just so entertaining to watch, I swear,” Junmyeon comments before chuckling.

Yifan chuckles along, having no idea what Junmyeon said. But he tries to pay more attention, even though his stomach has twisted itself into some elaborate knot and his heart is lying somewhere near his ankles. He likes Junmyeon, like really likes him and he hates how his heart races like some pubescent boy’s. He is done—done with those cheeks, that smile and that soft and kind gaze, and just everything.

That night, Jongin sends Yifan a screenshot of a comment written under an article written about him and Junmyeon. Yifan was expecting another comment on their casting or about how excited people are to see them act on screen together. But no, what he read after plopping his glasses on, is:

Wouldn’t it be cute if Yifan and Junmyeon dated? They would make such a cute couple! Like look at the height difference!! It’s so adorable that my heart hurts.

His eyebrows inch up his forehead at the comment and he can feel his face warm up. An image of Junmyeon tucked under his chin as he digs his face into that fluffy-looking hair forms in his head, and he groans. He drops the phone on the mattress and makes a note to go punch Jongin when he sees the boy next time. In the meantime, he punches his pillow and groans into it.

In his head he is trying to remember when and exactly how he got here. The first time they got coffee together, Yifan was just looking for a friend in this alien-yet-not-really city, and Junmyeon looked the amiable type who wouldn’t say no. They exchanged numbers and started hanging out more together with Junmyeon taking Yifan to all his favourite restaurants and cafés. The friendship happened easily between them when they found they had a lot to talk in common and in contrary. So, maybe somewhere between hot chocolate on Saturday afternoons and a bowl of samyetang on Friday nights, Yifan had started to slip.

Yifan picks up the phone and opens the picture gallery. He scrolls through the camera roll before finding the one candid picture he took of Junmyeon. It was a Sunday afternoon and the winter sun was weak as it fell on Junmyeon, who had his head down, looking a little upset at the now empty Styrofoam cup of hot chocolate. His eyebrows were furrowed, and his lower lip jutted out. He looked so cutely distraught that Yifan couldn’t resist taking a picture of him. The tip of his nose was red, and his lips looked dry but under the mellow golden light, he looked so beautiful.

Yifan sighs as he closes the gallery tab and puts his phone on his abdomen. He doesn’t know what to do about his feelings, to be very, very honest. He doesn’t even know which team Junmyeon bats for—the man doesn’t even have a single dating scandal. He doesn’t know if Junmyeon has a secret girlfriend/boyfriend stashed away somewhere and Yifan knows he can ask anytime, but he is sort of scared to know the answer. Anyway, his time in Korea is limited; he will have to return to China as soon as shooting, post-production and promotions wrap up.

He puts his phone on the bedside table and covers his head with the quilt. The strong smell of detergent infiltrates his olfactory senses and he thinks about the way Junmyeon’s hair smells like green apple sometimes and groans again.

Sehyun places a tray filled with snacks and her husband, Kyungsoo, follows with another tray filled with drinks. They place it on the coffee table and Kyungsoo pushes Jongin to the floor and sits down on the couch, taking his seat. Jongin makes a sound of protest, but shuts up when Sehyun hands him the plate of chicken nuggets. Sehyun takes a seat beside Yifan and they both grin at Jongin’s enthusiasm at eating anything chicken. Yifan shakes his head and says, “I bet if you test his blood, it will be eighty five percent chicken.”

Sehyun laughs, “I am sure it is a ninety percent!” Yifan laughs along with her and notes how Kyungsoo looks over at his wife laughing with a slightly dopey look on his face. Yifan smiles inside; Mr and Mrs Do are one cute couple, even though they might look odd together what with Sehyun standing a good four inches taller than her husband. Sehyun was a former model who quit the business and went into costume designing. She met her future husband on a set of a shooting of an advertisement, and married him a month after their second-year anniversary. They have been married for six years now and still Kyungsoo looks at her like he can’t believe she married him. And honestly, Yifan finds that amazing, even though he gets a tiny bit envious since someday he wants to look at someone like that too—with love in his eyes.

Yifan’s thoughts get derailed when Kyungsoo grabs the remote and says, “Oh, it starts!”

Junmyeon returns from the bathroom and sits beside Yifan. He picks up the cup of coffee and passes it to Yifan, who smiles as he takes it. Their fingers lightly brush against each other, and Yifan nearly drops the cup. Junmyeon doesn’t notice as the opening theme of their drama begin. Today was the day the first episode is going to be aired and Junmyeon and Yifan decided to catch it at Kyungsoo’s home (Jongin somehow knew about this and showed up at the Do’s doorsteps).

They got a member of Red Velvet sing the theme and Yifan is not hearing it for the first time, so he hums along with. Junmyeon shoots him a smile as he picks up a corn chip and leans back into the couch, his knees spreading and knocking into the person beside him. Their knees brush and Yifan almost drops the steaming cup of coffee on the carpet again. At this moment, Yifan is just exasperated with himself, to be honest. He tries to ignore how he almost ruined Kyungsoo and Sehyun’s living room. He tries to focus on the show, even though he doesn’t show up till the very end of the first episode.

The episode starts with Dahyun (played by Sooyoung) getting ready to go to college and then ramming her scooter into a stationary police van, from which Taesun (played by Junmyeon) descends, and wow, Yifan didn’t think Junmyeon would look this good with his hair slicked back, aviator glasses and his sharp uniform. Dahyun falls from her scooter and Yifan understands. Angry words are exchanged and “sparks fly”. The show goes on, the usual generic spiel with a background of Dahyun’s life, and then Taesun’s professional life. Halfway into the show it is showed that Dahyun and Taesun knew each other—they were neighbours ages ago. They don’t remember each other, especially Taesun and the very end, when Yifan’s Jian enters, the audience gets to know that Taesun’s memory lapse has something to do with Jian.

The five of them watch the show in absolute silence and when the closing theme starts, Sehyun claps her hand and grins, “Holy shit, I liked that!”

Jongin joins her and smiles, “Fuck, you guys were so good. Like I saw you all acting, but this was still quite an experience!”

Junmyeon is blushing under all that praise, and his cheeks become pinker when Yifan says, “Junmyeon was great, wasn’t he?”

Junmyeon scoffs, scratching his neck, “You were great too Yifan.”

Yifan shrugs his shoulder, “Ah, I was hardly there.”

Kyungsoo coughs, “Hello, I directed that, put up with you all idiots, where is my compliment?”

Sehyun chuckles and walks over to her husband to cup his face and drop a kiss on his forehead. “There, there director Do, you were amazing as well.”

As Kyungsoo blushes at his wife’s praise, Jongin cackles, “Aw hyung, someone should see how Sehyun-noona makes you blush! No one will be scared of you anymore!”

Yifan and Junmyeon laugh as Kyungsoo reaches forward and tries to strangle Jongin, who moves to hide behind Sehyun. Jongin runs towards the kitchen as Kyungsoo chases him. Sehyun shakes her head and mutters, “Better make sure they don’t actually break anything.”

Junmyeon falls back on the couch and rubs his face. “You know, I am still so embarrassed to watch myself on screen!”

Yifan chuckles and falls back as well, putting his head sideways, resting it on his palm to look at Junmyeon. “You have done this enough.”

Junmyeon drops his hands and pouts. “It’s just embarrassing to see my own face.”

“Why? You have such a nice face.”

Yifan proceeds to chew the inside of his cheek as Junmyeon’s eyes widen and splotches of red concentrate on the tips of his ears. But Yifan is smiling as Junmyeon suddenly doesn’t know where to look; it is adorable, just like anything he does really. Junmyeon, however, tries to recover with a, “You were really impressive.”

Yifan snorts, “I was there only for ten minutes.”

“Thirteen, and I bet they will be talking only about you for the next week.”

“Oh?” Yifan smirks. He is about to add something when they hear Kyungsoo shouting, “Hey guys, dinner’s ready!”

Junmyeon bolts out of the couch and Yifan follows, unfurling his legs slowly. Yifan is still smiling at the way even Junmyeon’s neck is blushing. Yifan knows he is going to go watch this episode again, just to pause at certain moments in the episode.

Jongin, Junmyeon and Yifan are in the van returning from shooting a variety show. Jongin is on the passenger seat, so he turns around to address Yifan, “Yifan-hyung, you okay?”

Yifan rubs the small of his back. “Honestly, I don’t know.”

Junmyeon chews his lip in worry, “You should have told them that you can’t bend backwards!”

Jongin agrees with Junmyeon and Yifan waves it off. He smiles, “Nothing a hot pack cannot fix. I have been living with my back pain for years now.” The variety show host threw a sudden limbo game at them and Yifan had tried, thinking it would be fine, but then his back kind of gave away and betrayed him. At least he had the mind to laugh it off, and he is sure his dorky fall will add to the TRP ratings.

Jongin scoffs. “Yeah, old man we get it.”

Yifan is hurting because if he wasn’t, he would have reached forward and slapped the back of the younger man’s head. Junmyeon adds, “Twenty-nine is not old.”

“I still have nine years to go, what do I know?” Jongin grins.

Junmyeon frowns at him before inching closer to Yifan. He puts a hand over Yifan’s back and gently prods, “How did this happen?”

“Basketball injury,” Yifan replies. He feels Junmyeon’s knuckles gently kneading into his flesh through the thick sweater he is wearing, and it is comforting.

“You played basketball?” Jongin asks, eyes wide.

“Yeah, competitively in school in Canada. Almost made it to the NBA,” Yifan says with a cocky grin.

Jongin’s eyes widen. “Holy crap, what happened?”

Yifan grimaces as he remembers the accident that ruined his athletic career. “I got into an accident. My bones healed but my muscles and nerves were never the same again. Also, we had to move to Korea after.”

“And that’s why you became an actor?” Jongin asks. “I read somewhere, you called yourself an ‘accidental actor’.”

Yifan grins and tries to ignore the soothing circles Junmyeon is drawing on his back. “A friend’s sister suggested I try my hand at modelling, and here I am.”

Junmyeon chuckles. “Funny how life works out, isn’t it? If you were in NBA now, you wouldn’t be here.”

Yifan chuckles along. “I am glad I am here.” He makes sure to hold Junmyeon’s gaze, who looks away after a couple of seconds, his eyes dropping to his lap coyly.

Jongin realises they are close to Junmyeon’s place and announces it. Junmyeon looks out of the window and then looks back at Yifan. He drags his teeth over his lip before saying, “Yifan? I can help you with your pain. Your apartment is pretty far from here, why don’t you come with me and maybe stay the night?”

Yifan is surprised, but Junmyeon is right. His rented apartment is far and if he remains sitting, his pain will only worsen. So, he slowly nods his head, “Okay.” Then to his utmost dismay, Junmyeon invites Jongin as well to stay over, who gladly agrees, no matter how much Yifan prays he doesn’t. For the rest of the ride, he proceeds to glare at the back of Jongin’s head, which Junmyeon takes to be a grimace of pain and keeps asking about his wellbeing.

They reach Junmyeon’s modest one-storeyed Korean, traditional-style house in Apgujeong that he tells Jongin and Yifan that he bought extremely dilapidated and renovated without hiring an interior designer over a span of two years. He beams when he tells them about his home as they make their way through the small front yard with a massive cherry tree, and Yifan’s heart constricts at the happiness on the man’s face, even though the pain keeps him from grinning and he leans heavily on Jongin as revenge. Jongin grumbles about his weight and Yifan is mighty pleased at his suffering. Junmyeon unlocks the door and Jongin gasps when the light is turned on. Yifan has never been here and Jongin has only seen the house from the outside, and they are both impressed.

The traditional structure of the house has been maintained, like the sturdy beams running vertical over their head, the slate roof and the wooden floor, even the small square open space dividing the house into two parts. However, the rustic stone wall with a modern fireplace, a curving staircase leading to the attic space and an Italian modular kitchen painted in a cheerful tone of lime green gives the place a modern touch.

Junmyeon pushes Jongin towards the kitchen and says, “There are takeout menus in the first drawer. Order anything you like, just don’t order only chicken, okay?”

Jongin pouts but doesn’t say anything. He would order fried chicken and fried chicken only if left to his own devices. Yifan grins at the way the younger slouches to the kitchen while murmuring how chicken is life under his breath. Then, he feels a touch on his wrist and looks to his side to see Junmyeon gazing up at him. He puts a hand on Yifan’s back and silently asks the latter to use him as a support if needed. Yifan nearly melts to the floor because the way Junmyeon is looking at him is too much. He wonders how does the world survive with Kim Junmyeon gazing at it with his soft, diffident gaze, because he might not survive for very long.

He lets Junmyeon swing his arm over the latter’s shoulder and Yifan tries to not make a sound at the way how convenient Junmyeon’s height is and the way he easily tucks himself under his arm and moulds to his side. His mind flashes back to the comment Jongin had sent him and he swallows. He is pretty sure if his heart beats any louder, Junmyeon will be able to hear it.

Junmyeon helps him walk to a room with a huge bed taking up most of the space. Yifan figures it is a guest room of sorts. Junmyeon slowly places him down on the firm mattress and rushes off with a promise to be back. He returns a couple of minutes later with a small brass jar in hand. He tells Yifan to lie on his stomach and raise his sweater till the middle of his back. Yifan obediently listens and presses his face into the pillow that smells like peppermint.

Junmyeon uncaps the jar and asks, “You are not allergic to bee sting venom, are you?”

Yifan looks over his shoulder and says, “No. But what is that?”

Junmyeon scoops up a blob of thick, pale yellow ointment and smiles, “Bee venom ointment. My grandfather used to use for his knee pain, that he got from sports as well. I use it now for sprains. It is very effective, so relax now.”

Yifan chooses to trust Junmyeon and presses his face back into the pillow again. Soon, he feels fingertips gently knead across his waist in a slow, rhythmic movement. Yifan sighs into the pillow at the perfect amount of pressure. Junmyeon asks, “Is the pressure okay?”

Yifan just nods his face, his face dragging across the linen of the pillowcase. Junmyeon puts his thumbs on both sides of his spine and presses a bit harder, and Yifan downright moans. He is glad his sounds are muffled by the pillow, because if Junmyeon could look, he would have laughed at his flushed face. Junmyeon says, “My grandfather taught me how to give massages to relieve strain on his muscles. Much later in life, he would only allow me or my mother to help him if he was in pain, refusing to be touched by his nurse.”

Yifan’s heart swells; in the few months he has known Junmyeon, he has learnt that the younger is a very filial person. And god, he really is a sucker for that. He comes from a broken family himself and having seen his mother go through so much, he is very close to her. When Junmyeon shows his obvious affections and love for his parents and brother, and shares the same sense of responsibility that Yifan has, it makes Yifan weak.

There is a knock on the door and Jongin enters after Junmyeon gives permission. Jongin leans against the doorframe and smirks, “So, what do you think hyung, will the old man live?”

Yifan would like to say something snarky, but Junmyeon’s magical fingers have made him almost comatose. Junmyeon answers on his behalf and he hums, “I think he just might.”

Jongin chuckles. “I ordered soba noodles, is that okay?”

Junmyeon answers in affirmative and Jongin leaves fiddling away on his phone. Then, much to Yifan’s dismay, Junmyeon stops and presses his palm over his lower back and Yifan tries to not shiver at the warmth seeping into his skin. He hears Junmyeon say, “Lie down for a while, okay? I will call you when the food’s here.”

Yifan just hums in response and hears Junmyeon leave with a subdued chuckle. A gentle lull settles on him and he is about to give into sleep when he hears footsteps. He opens one eye and looks over his shoulder to see Jongin grinning down at his phone. Yifan asks, “What?” Jongin shoots him a shit-eating grin and shoves the phone in his face. Yifan squints since without his glasses he cannot read shit on a phone. He grumbles, “I cannot see you twat.”

Jongin laughs, “Then let me read it out.” The younger clears his throat and reads, “The fourth episode of The Realms of Night and Day aired a day ago, and the suspense is nearly killing us! We won’t say much about the episode to avoid spoilers, but there’s one thing that cannot not be mentioned—the amazing chemistry between the two male leads: Han Jian played by Wu Yifan and Choi Taesun played by Kim Junmyeon. The cop and the criminal and the damsel-in-distress-in-denial are involved in a highly complicated love triangle made more complicated by the serial killer on loose, but what remained with me after the episode ended were the dynamics, and the crackling tension between Jian and Taesun. The confrontation scene had me breathless! Again, I won’t say much because spoilers, duh!”

Yifan has a small smile on his face as Jongin finishes reading. The intern says, “Won’t be surprising if they write fanfiction about your characters. Poor Dahyun.”

Yifan scoffs. “Shut up.”

Jongin pockets his phone and the evil grin is back on his face. “You know hyung, I only send you these articles. Never sent Junmyeon-hyung any.”

Yifan tries to rise a little on his elbows and slowly sits up while marvelling how the pain is basically a dull ache now that doesn’t bother him. He frowns, “What?”

Jongin jumps to his feet and starts walking backwards as he inches towards the door, that annoying smirk still glued to his face. “Your obvious crush is so obvious!”

Yifan’s eyes widen and before he can say anything, Jongin skips out of the room. That little piece of shit.

Not only Jongin who teases Yifan about his “crush”, soon the internet is flooded with people dissecting every interaction Taesun and Jian have in TRND. Fans and non-fans alike take to discussing the two (very handsome) male leads and the tension between their characters. Yifan cannot help but grin at this unexpected development. However, Sooyoung bears the brunt of it when one day, she flops down on the couch in the office of Hyoyeon and says, “Seriously? They only invited Yifan-sshi and Junmyeon-sshi?”

Hyoyeon nods as Junmyeon sits up straighter in his chair. He splutters, “W-why?”

Hyoyeon raises an eyebrow, and with her pen, points at the two men sitting in front of her. She says, “Have you even seen what the viewers are telling about you two?”

Yifan knows, very, very well, and judged by the deep red on Junmyeon’s face, so does he. Sooyoung, too, notices that and starts laughing, “And the best bromance of the year goes to…”

Junmyeon turns to look at her and cry, “Sooyoung!”

Yifan, meanwhile, hides his grin under his hand. Bromance, sure. But as he peeks at Junmyeon and his obvious discomfort with the topic, he feels his heart plummet. He quickly clears his throat and says, “Well, whatever helps the ratings, right?”

Hyoyeon nods her head and presses her lips. She twirls the pen and says, “Yep, I know it might be too weird, but whatever helps.”

Sooyoung chuckles, “It’s actually kind of cute.”

Yifan turns to look at her now. “Cute?”

Sooyoung grins, her gums on display. “You and Junmyeon-sshi do look cute together.”

Junmyeon startles. “Sooyoung!”

Yifan frowns a little at Junmyeon’s reactions, but says nothing. To say he is hurt at it is such a gross understatement. He likes Junmyeon, he really does and after the last few months they have spent together, he thought maybe, just maybe, there was something from Junmyeon’s side too.

It is somewhere after midnight again and Junmyeon drags Yifan along the Han river for fresh air and “to clear his head”. All the cast and crew of the drama were invited to a show of Baekhyun and his indie band. After the show ended, they got introduced to Hye-ran, Baekhyun’s girlfriend and actor herself, who insisted on all of them staying and having a couple of drinks together. Then, two drinks became five and Junmyeon whined about feeling stuffy, so he wanted to leave. Yifan couldn’t trust a tipsy Junmyeon on his own, so he obediently followed.

The night is crisp and cold, but the three layers Yifan is wearing, plus the rum running through his blood, keeps him warm. He is slightly less drunk than Junmyeon, who decided that peach vodka was an amazing invention and downed five glasses of it like it was nothing; Yifan stuck to boring ole rum and coke.

Yifan sneaks a look at Junmyeon, who is covered up in a large parka and his nose is covered by a soft maroon scarf, and Yifan has never seen anything this cute. Junmyeon has been quite throughout their walk, just gulping in air and possibly trying to lessen the buzzing in his head. But the silence wasn’t uncomfortable—it never is between them. When they run out of things to say, the air isn’t heavy, but shared and basked in without expectations of filling it. Yifan never thought he could share his silences with anyone like this.

Suddenly, Junmyeon sways sideways and Yifan acts fast—grabbing him before he hits the ground. Junmyeon’s silky hair brushes Yifan’s nose and the distinct smell of summer flowers hits his senses. Junmyeon mutters a subdued exclamation of surprise and twists his head to look up at Yifan, who is kind of gobsmacked at how close Junmyeon is to him. Yifan wonders if Junmyeon can feel the loud beat of his heart through all the layers he is wearing.

Junmyeon smiles; and Yifan can tell because his cheeks lift up. Then, Yifan gets surprised when Junmyeon, instead of pushing himself off, snuggles into his chest. He pulls the scarf down from his nose and places his head very close to Yifan’s rapidly beating heart. Yifan swallows as arms snake around his waist. He hears Junmyeon say, “My head is still swimming. Why didn’t you stop me?”

Yifan feels brave—blame the alcohol—and lifts his arms to wrap it around Junmyeon. He chuckles, “I tried, remember? You said not be a mom and let me enjoy your life?”

Junmyeon shakes his head and whines, “What kind of a friend are you?”

Yifan laughs and rocks Junmyeon, who shouts about his brain falling out of his ear due to the sudden movement. When Yifan looks down, he cannot wipe the grin off his face when Junmyeon tilts his head up to glower at him with a pout on his face. Yifan doesn’t know from where exactly he is finding his bravado from, but he raises his hands to cup Junmyeon’s face. Junmyeon’s frown melts and his eyes widen. Yifan rubs his thumbs in circles over both his cheeks and says, “Your face is so cold.”

Junmyeon’s eyes flutter close and he leans into Yifan’s touch. He hums, “Your hands are warm.”

Yifan almost lowers his head to kiss Junmyeon, almost, because his face is splotched and he is beautiful and soft and Yifan can hear the blood rushing in his ears. His lungs feel like they are collapsing on each other, he can’t breathe. And Junmyeon? His eyes are wide and his mouth drops down a little in an inaudible gasp, a puff of air forming a cloud between their faces. Yifan watches Junmyeon watching his mouth. But then Junmyeon’s phone rings and he has to let go of him. However, Yifan notices the flash of disappointment in Junmyeon’s eyes and the subsequent annoyed voice with which Junmyeon talks to whoever called him.

But now, in Hyoyeon’s office, a week after that incident, Yifan is left wondering if he imagined Junmyeon’s displeasure at having to detangle himself from Yifan that night. He was drunk though and Yifan had doubts, but it seems like those doubts weren’t too wrong.

The meeting concludes soon after and Yifan heads for the restroom. As he exits, he finds Junmyeon and Sooyoung at the lifts, their backs turned to him, and the latter says, “Did I step out of the line oppa?”

Junmyeon rocks back and forth on his heels. He shakes his head, “No, no Sooyoungie it’s okay.”

“No,” she shakes her head as well. “You looked uncomfortable.”

Junmyeon sighs. “It’s…Sooyoungie I am not homophobic.”

The woman gasps. “I didn’t mean it like that, it’s just…”

“I know you didn’t, but I may have given off such vibes, I know. It’s just…”

Sooyoung eggs him on, “It’s what?”

“Just I feel like I cannot compare to Yifan? He is so out of my league you know? To know that people are coupling us like that just makes me feel like I am cheating them, because I feel like someone like me is not right for him? I know it’s all for fun, but still…”

Sooyoung chuckles, “Nonsense oppa!”

Junmyeon chuckles, but it sounds strained and bitter to Yifan’s ears. “No, I mean, people are going to forget about us when the show ends, and he returns to China.”

Sooyoung tilts her head and asks, in a low and soft voice, “Is that why you behaved like that? Because you know he cannot stay?”

Junmyeon whips his head around and Yifan, from his side profile, can see the open mouth and blinking eyes. However, Junmyeon is saved from answering as the lift arrives to the floor and the doors open. Yifan ducks behind a corner as Junmyeon and Sooyoung get into the lift.

Even though Sooyoung could be wrong, and he could have understood Junmyeon’s reaction wrong, a glimmer of hope rises. Maybe, just maybe, Junmyeon might feel the same way he did. Just maybe…

“Dinner?” Yifan asks as his heart pounds in his chest. Tonight, he wants to confirm some things and it can only be if Junmyeon agrees right now.

They are in the greenroom at the MBC building. Yifan has already taken off his makeup and back into his comfortable sneakers. He idles around for Junmyeon, who is now wiping the thin layer of BB cream off his face. Their eyes meet in their reflections on the mirror and Junmyeon smiles as he nods his head. He chucks the makeup wipe in the nearest bin and asks, “So, where to?”

Yifan crosses his arm and clears his throat, “At the Great Wu Restaurant?”

Junmyeon’s eyes widen as he turns around with a gleam in his eyes. “You are finally going through with your promise Mr Wu?”

Yifan laughs as Junmyeon’s grin widens. A long time ago Yifan had let slip that he used to work at his grandparents’ restaurant in Guangzhou and that he knew how to cook. Junmyeon, with his limited skills in the kitchen, badgered him to cook for him, and today, finally after months, Yifan has agreed. Junmyeon claps his hands and says, “Oh, I am excited!”

Yifan rolls his eyes, “Shut up. Let’s go.” As he turns his back, he puts a hand over his chest, trying to tell his heart to stop beating so hard. But Junmyeon’s adorable, excited expression nearly killed him back there. He hopes he doesn’t fuck up tonight—both the dinner and what he has planned for afterwards.

“Wow,” Junmyeon mutters as he watches Yifan fold the edges of the dumpling into elaborate folds. “This is like, art.” Yifan snorts in response.

The Chinese man says, “I spent an entire summer standing beside my grandmother learning how to make these dumplings.”

Junmyeon nods and points at the bamboo steamer on the stove. “The one you put in is shao mai, and this one is a har gow, right?”

Junmyeon’s Cantonese pronunciation is a little wonky, but it is cute and Yifan smiles. “And then we have yuntun mian, and shuangpi nai for dessert.”

“Shu—you know what, I am not even gonna try,” Junmyeon raises his hands up in surrender.

Yifan laughs as he finishes the last batch of the prawn dumplings. He puts the ceramic plate into the steamer. He is enjoying spending time with Junmyeon like this, in the kitchen of this rented apartment. A part of his brain supplies how he wouldn’t hate to keep cooking for Junmyeon like this for a long, long time to come. He hasn’t cooked like this for someone in his life, and he didn’t even mind the many questions Junmyeon asked; to him, it felt almost domestic and he is so comfortable.

Junmyeon is sitting by the breakfast counter with his face cupped in his hands, looking at whatever Yifan is doing with much enthusiasm. He did try helping, but after the third pork dumpling that fell apart, Yifan politely asked him to stop. He did get to help when Yifan needed some vegetables chopped for the noodles.

As Yifan heats up a wok to fry the vegetables, he suddenly starts laughing. Junmyeon straightens up and asks, “What’s so funny?”

Yifan looks over his shoulder, his gums on full display, “I just realised, your name in Chinese would be Junmian, and mian means noodles in Cantonese.” Junmyeon gives him a very unimpressed look, which only makes Yifan laugh more.

Yifan returns his attention to cooking and he hears Junmyeon hum, “Junmian? I like how that sounds though.” When Yifan turns around to look at Junmyeon again, he smiles at the very pink cheeks and slight smile.

After half an hour, the food is done and the two of them take turns setting up everything on the small dining table. Junmyeon digs in very eagerly, even though Yifan warns him to pace himself because the food is hot. Junmyeon keeps gushing compliments at each bite and Yifan has to try very hard to not grab his face and kiss him. An excited Junmyeon is an adorable Junmyeon and Yifan wonders if cute crescent eyes and flushed cheeks can lead to cardiac arrest.

As Junmyeon bites into a wonton, a bit of soup trickles down his chin and Yifan moves in fast to wipe it off with a tissue. With one hand, he gently cradles Junmyeon’s chin and with the other, he wipes the broth off. Junmyeon blinks at him with his eyes wide and mouth slightly unhinged. Yifan pulls back and shakes his head, “Careful now.” Junmyeon refuses to meet his eyes as the tip of his ears darken and nods. Yifan smirks, if he is right, then maybe tonight he can finally let Junmyeon know how he feels, which was part of the plan for tonight.

Yifan opens a bottle of cabernet sauvignon with the pudding and they both finish their desserts before they can finish their drink. Junmyeon scrapes the very last bit from the bowl and asks, “What is this? I have never tasted anything like this!”

Yifan grins, “Double-skin milk.” When Junmyeon shoots him a quizzical expression, Yifan elaborates, “It is done by boiling full-fat milk and then mixing egg whites and sugar in it.”

Junmyeon licks the spoon and grins, the spoon on his lower lip. “It was delicious.”

Yifan guffaws as he gets to his feet, picking up the used dishes. He tries to stop Junmyeon from helping him, but the younger in unrelenting. As they work together, Junmyeon says, “You know, this is a good retirement plan. You can probably open a restaurant or something.”

Yifan chuckles. “That’s too high of a compliment!”

Junmyeon looks at up, his face beaming, “No, I mean it. You are really good at this.”

Yifan takes a bowl from Junmyeon’s hand and says, “So, will you come to my restaurant?”

“I will book a flight as soon as it opens!” Junmyeon grins.

“What if I open one here?” For some reason, Yifan’s heart picks up speed as he sees the way Junmyeon’s smile dims and his eyes widen. “Would you come to me if I stayed here?”

“Then I will be there every day,” Junmyeon whispers as he drops his gaze. He puts the glass he was washing on the counter and tries to move, but suddenly Yifan grabs his wrist.

Yifan is not drunk, not really. No one gets sloshed after one glass of wine, so he knows what he is doing, and he is waiting for Junmyeon, to push him away or to stop him. But he is doing neither; he doesn’t say anything as Yifan backs him into the kitchen counter. Junmyeon grabs the edge of the counter as Yifan cups his face and uses his thumb to trace the curve of his lower lip. Junmyeon just gasps and his eyes become wide as he blinks up at Yifan, who leans closer and their noses touch. It is warm, the air between them, and Yifan can count Junmyeon’s eyelashes if he wants to, but he is transfixed by the pink tint in Junmyeon’s lips.

Yifan swallows; they both know what is going to happen next, yet there are no words, and they are not really needed when Yifan finally puts his lips on Junmyeon’s. A full-body shiver passes through Yifan as Junmyeon kisses back. Junmyeon’s lips are trembling as he presses back, trapping Yifan’s lower lip between his own. Yifan sighs and tilts his head to the side to suck on Junmyeon’s upper lip, making the latter open his mouth, allowing Yifan to tentatively swipe his tongue under his lip. When Junmyeon doesn’t stop Yifan, he slides his tongue in, eager to taste Junmyeon.

The taste of wine lingers, but Junmyeon, Junmyeon, he is as sweet as Yifan imagined. Yifan spreads his palm on the back of Junmyeon’s head, his finger sinking into ridiculously soft hair, to push his body against his. He feels Junmyeon’s hands fisting his shirt, pulling him, as if wanting to do the same. Junmyeon curls his tongue against his, and Yifan groans. His other hand roams to grab Junmyeon’s waist, and he knows his grip is harsh when Junmyeon groans into his mouth, but Yifan wants to bring him closer, like this is not enough.

There is no space between their bodies and Yifan can feel Junmyeon’s heart beating rapidly against his chest. All Yifan can taste and feel is Junmyeon—his plush lips and firm body; and the heat of his skin on his fingers, seeping through the cotton of his shirt; his warm mouth and sweet scent. Yifan wants more.

Junmyeon is the one to break the kiss, probably dizzy from the lack of air. But Yifan is relentless; he moves his lips down Junmyeon’s chin, jaw and down the smooth, pale expanse of neck that has bothered him for so long. Junmyeon throws his head back with a choked sound and his fingers grab onto Yifan’s hair as the latter sinks his teeth into the base of his throat.

Yifan sucks a mark into Junmyeon’s neck, and he tries to soothe the bite with a lick. He hears Junmyeon take his name and it makes his head, and heart, pound. He wants Junmyeon so badly now, he can feel the pressure in the lower region of his body and he wants to make sure Junmyeon knows. So, he slots one knee between Junmyeon’s legs and when he feels something hard poking back on his thigh, he pulls back.

Junmyeon’s eyes are wild and his chest is heaving, the burgundy of the mark on his neck a tantalising contrast against his milky skin; his lips are swollen and red and Yifan thinks he has never looked this beautiful before. Junmyeon is as aroused as he is—and this excites him. He makes sure he is holding Junmyeon’s gaze as he splays his hand on the latter’s abdomen, before moving to stroke the front of his pants. Yifan puts a little pressure and Junmyeon closes his eyes, his head thrown back as he bites back a whimper. Yifan pushes Junmyeon slightly up the counter, and drops down to his knees.

Junmyeon opens his eyes and they widen when he realises Yifan is kneeling in front of him, both his hands splayed on his thighs. Yifan hesitates, looks up at Junmyeon, who still has this glazed look in his eyes. Yifan silently asks and he gets his answer when Junmyeon’s fingers move to rest in his hair. Yifan slowly unzips his pants, still expecting Junmyeon to stop him, but when he meets no resistance, he tugs Junmyeon’s jeans and underwear down his legs. Junmyeon hisses when the elastic band of his boxers brush over his erection and he downright moans when Yifan wraps his hand around his cock, stroking in a slow, torturous way that he understands Junmyeon is both hating and enjoying as judged by the sudden harsh pull on his hair.

The grip in his hair tightens as he wraps his lips over the head of Junmyeon’s cock, now leaking precum. Yifan swirls his tongue over the head and watches Junmyeon close his eyes and throw his head back with a low, deep groan. He moves, taking in of Junmyeon as much as he can and starts bobbing his head, and hollows his cheeks when he feels Junmyeon’s cock hitting the back of his throat. Junmyeon moans, and the sound hits Yifan straight in his lower region. Yifan looks up and the sight of a flushed, gasping Junmyeon is too much, too perfect.

As Yifan traces the bulging nerve on the underside of Junmyeon’s cock with his tongue, the pull on his hair becomes painful and tears pool in the corners of Yifan’s eyes. Junmyeon’s supple thighs shake and Yifan can tell he is fighting to not thrust deeper into Yifan’s mouth, who is only so willing. Yifan traces a circle on Junmyeon’s soft skin and loosens his jaw. The grip on his hair loosens as well and gently massages his scalp as Junmyeon looks down, his eyes wide and his chest heaving. Yifan just nods his head once in response.

Yifan splays his hands on Junmyeon’s bare thighs as Junmyeon grabs onto his hair again to pace himself as he lightly thrusts in. Yifan relaxes his gag reflex and he can feel his pants tightening at every lewd moan that drop from Junmyeon’s voice. He puts one hand down from Junmyeon’s thigh and palms the front of his pants, groaning around the leaking cock thrusting in and out of his mouth. Junmyeon feels the vibration along his cock, and he stutters, “I-I am g-going to come.”

Yifan lets Junmyeon come down his throat and when Junmyeon’s knees buckled from his release, Yifan carried him to bed. However, Junmyeon had noticed the bulge in Yifan’s pants and he moved on to help Yifan find his release with his small, deft hands. They fell asleep in each other arms after that and Yifan could feel his heart sing happy songs because he knew that tomorrow, when morning comes, he will ask Junmyeon out, properly. As Junmyeon fell asleep in his arms, his cheek pressed against his chest, Yifan couldn’t remember feeling this happy. However, when the morning did come, Yifan woke up to an empty bed and not a trace of Junmyeon anywhere to be found in the apartment, the disappointment and heartbreak settled in like cement in Yifan’s guts.

Yifan is pissed, mighty pissed to be exact. It has been seven days since that ‘incident’ in the kitchen and Junmyeon hadn’t picked up a single call, or answered to any of the many messages Yifan sent. He also avoided coming to any gatherings Jongin or Kyungsoo organised. All in all, Yifan is angry, guilty and confused. He feels like his anger isn’t justified, but he didn’t force himself on the other and Junmyeon was very willing. They didn’t talk much during that night, but honestly, they were too blissed out for it. His guilt stems from that too, that maybe they should have talked more instead of fucking. Yet, the fact that he cannot figure out the problem keeps adding to his confusion.

Junmyeon wanted him back, and Yifan knows it. He thinks about the way Junmyeon kissed him, touched him. And he knows, he just knows that Junmyeon wasn’t faking any of it. So why was he avoiding him like this?

But today, he knows Junmyeon can no longer avoid him. Hyoyeon and Jiyong have organised a press conference, which will be followed by a fan-meeting, and all the actors have to be here. Yifan finds Junmyeon right away and takes his seat beside him. Junmyeon’s face darkens as his gaze drops to his lap; Yifan just glares at him and mutters under his breath, “We need to talk.” Junmyeon startles but still refuses to look at Yifan.

The journalists are soon given the cue to start and the questions keep flying in. Suddenly, a woman asks Yifan, “So Mr Wu, what are your plans after the show gets over?”

Yifan is a little bit surprised by this question, so he asks in return, “My plans?”

“Here, in South Korea? After twelve episodes, the Korean fans love you, so any plans to take up any other Korean project?”

Yifan laughs and the cameras blind him for a moment. Junmyeon is finally looking up and Yifan puts a hand on his thigh, which has Junmyeon swivelling his head to look at Yifan, his expression mimicking an owl. Yifan knows the media will go insane and he knows their agencies will go double the crazy, but Yifan doesn’t care, he has never wanted something so bad in his life, so he says, as genuine as he can be because he needed only one person to understand him, “Well, you see, it depends. I would need a very good reason to stay, and I think I have found a very good reason.”

Junmyeon’s eyes widen and his mouth drops as he realises the implication behind Yifan’s words. Yifan smiles to confirm Junmyeon’s realisation, and as he does so, Junmyeon jumps up from his seat and rushes down the platform and out through the service door. Yifan follows and he can hear the questions, shouts and shutters of cameras rise in crescendo, but he can’t care about all that now.

The service door has a staircase that leads to a terrace and Yifan finds Junmyeon there, clutching the railing with a deep frown on his face. Yifan calls out, “Junmyeon.” Junmyeon turns around and the late afternoon sun turns his pale skin golden and Yifan is entranced as he closes the distance between them. Yifan says again. “Junmyeon.”

Junmyeon shakes his head and says, his voice shaking, “What, what did you mean?”

“You know what I meant,” Yifan puts his hands on Junmyeon’s waist and pulls him close. Junmyeon tries to resist but gives up. “You know it Junmyeon.”

Junmyeon splays his hands on Yifan’s chest and shakes his head. “No, no, I don’t.”

Yifan cups his chin and shakes his head. “Yes, you do. What are you so afraid of?”

Junmyeon closes his eyes and says, “I am afraid of you.”

Yifan’s voice is barely above a whisper, “Why?”

Junmyeon opens his eyes and the sunlight turns his dark eyes into a rich amber shade and Yifan’s lungs forget to work. “Because I like you and I am afraid to like you too much. I didn’t want to run that day, but I got so nervous thinking that for you maybe this was a one-time thing and when you leave you will forget everything.”

Yifan chuckles and presses his lips against Junmyeon’s temple. “Is that why you were avoiding me?” When Junmyeon nods his head slowly, he continues, “Junmyeon, I like you, so, so much. I have liked you even before the show started shooting. I think I started to fall when you smiled sleepily at me the very first day I met you.”

Junmyeon’s eyes widen as he mutters, “That’s a long time ago.”

Yifan’s hand moves to cup Junmyeon’s cheek. “Yes Junmyeon. That night wasn’t a one-time thing. I want to take you out on dates, hold hands with you, and walk with you beside the Han when you drink too many glasses of peach vodka. And I want you kiss you all the time, and maybe wake up to you with your cheeks pressed on my chest. I like you Kim Junmyeon, very much.”

Yifan lays his heart in front of the man in his arms and he waits, with bated breath, for a response. Junmyeon cracks a smile but it turns into a scowl halfway as he says, “But you will leave and then—”

Yifan laughs, interrupting Junmyeon rudely, “Didn’t you hear what I said? I have found a good reason to stay a bit longer.”

Junmyeon now smiles, truly, his eyes sparkling, and his cheeks tinted the lightest pink. He rises to his tiptoes and presses his lips lightly against Yifan’s. Then, he grins, “I am sure visas don’t last that long.”

Yifan rolls his eyes and kisses Junmyeon properly, who smiles against his mouth before sighing and melting into his arms. Yifan is ecstatic and when Junmyeon pulls back for air with a soft giggle, Yifan’s heart soars.

A fortnight later, Yifan has his reading glasses on, perusing a script send by a Korean director, seated on the nice comfy couch in Junmyeon’s sitting room. The couch dips as Junmyeon plops down on it and puts his head on Yifan’s shoulder. Yifan throws an arm around Junmyeon’s shoulder and the latter snuggles into Yifan. It has been two weeks since the internet exploded with rumours about the two male leads dating and a week ago, both their agencies confirmed it. Yifan has decided to hire an agent here as well to supervise his Korean projects, so he could spend more time with Junmyeon.

Junmyeon has made plans to visit him in Beijing as well, whenever he returns. But for now, this, them on the couch, huddled together, is perfect. Yifan notices Junmyeon scrolling through his phone from the corner of his eyes and when the younger starts to laugh, Yifan puts down the script and asks, “What’s so funny?”

Junmyeon shifts and points towards his screen as he reads out loud, “Actors Kim Junmyeon and Wu Yifan seen out and about Seoul on a late-night dinner date. As a fan of the show and the actors, I have to say, I am so glad they are together! They make the cutest couple ever! Move over Baekhyun and Hyeran!”

Yifan chuckles and his breath gets caught when Junmyeon tilts his head up to grin up at him. Yifan lowers his head and kisses his boyfriend before saying, “I agree, we are cuter.”

Junmyeon giggles before moving to cup Yifan’s face and pull him down for a kiss. Yifan abandons the script and his glasses as Junmyeon moves to straddle him. Yifan slips his hand under Junmyeon’s shirt and the latter’s muscle jump as Yifan maps out the smooth, taut skin.

As Junmyeon pulls back for air, Yifan takes a moment to appreciate the flushed face, beautiful wide eyes and red lips. Yifan feels so, so lucky and he is also equally glad that he didn’t say no to The Realms of Night and Day, no matter how terrible he thought that title was the first time he received the script in mail.