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Kyungsoo will end Jongdae’s life when he sees him later in the dorms. It’s a Monday and Kyungsoo was wise enough not to schedule any classes on Mondays, preferring to have three-day weekends every single week. Sure, every school day ends up being jampacked and busy for him, with classes and extracurriculars and his limited social life, but it works for him.
But not today.
The term just started but Jongdae is still indefinitely predisposed, too busy to be seen before ten in the evening in the dorms. Kyungsoo’s best friend is neck deep into rehearsals for a musical he wanted to be in since freshman year. Last night, Jongdae called him with a favor and he was all too ready to deny him, but he also knows that he’ll never hear the end of Jongdae’s whining if he didn’t agree. So he just agreed to shut him up, Jongdae all too happy that he got his way. Again. All the time. Kyungsoo likes to act like he’s perpetually annoyed at Jongdae but they both know that it’s all an act.
So that’s how Kyungsoo finds himself going around Seoul’s coffee shops collecting cup sleeves and freebies for Kai’s birthday today.
Kai, of course Kyungsoo knows Kai. Nation’s First Pick, Nation’s First Love, Nation’s Actor-dol, and Jongdae’s “love of my life”. Jongdae has spent too many nights waxing poetic and fanboying about the idol in their shared dorm room, so it’s impossible not to know Kai. In fact, Kyungsoo probably knows Kai like a fan, having served as Jongdae’s spazzing tray ever since the idol debuted. He had always humored Jongdae, let the other play a neverending queue of videos of Kai as they watch it together.
For all of Jongdae’s efforts to convert him into a fan of Kai, and for all of Kyungsoo’s open-mindedness and willingness to be, it never really stuck. He admits that Kai is a very talented man but he’s always been a bit more into balladeers and rockers, which is why he’s a fan of Kang Seungyoon. Seungyoon composes his own songs, plays his own guitar, and sings them all live. Just his voice and his guitar. That’s how you make Kyungsoo swoon.
Kang Seungyoon just released a winter album and it’s the only thing that calms him as he goes from one café to another, falling in line and ordering non-caffeinated drinks after the first coffee shop. At least Jongdae gave him more than enough money for a drink and a pastry in all the cafés he’s tasked to go to. There were initially fifteen in his café itinerary but he negotiated that he’ll just go to ten, and Jongdae agreed with a pout.
This last coffee shop on his itinerary is so out of the way and far from the station’s exit that Kyungsoo can’t help but grumble while brisk walking all the way to it. It’s in Anam, quite an unpopular place to organize a fan event like this. With Kang Seungyoon crooning in his ears, Kyungsoo enters the coffee shop and goes straight to the counter.
After ordering an avocado frappe (he knows it’s caffeinated but he can’t resist getting avocado frappes whenever it’s available) and requesting for a cup holder and the cute bear sticker gifts, he sits down on the individual stools facing the window while waiting for his order. The shop, despite being not in Hongdae or in Gangnam, is still full of Kai’s fans, probably doing a coffee shop tour like what he’s doing. He curses Jongdae under his breath once again, when the alarm buzzes and he leaves his coat by his chair before getting his drink by the counter.
When Kyungsoo comes back to his seat, a masked man is already sitting beside him and Kyungsoo would mind, but he also sees that that’s the only available seat in the whole café. Not heeding any mind to his seatmate, Kyungsoo sits down and proceeds to enjoy his avocado frappe. Despite tiring himself from doing this huge favor for his best friend, he does enjoy sitting down and drinking coffee while people watching by the window. The other man leaves his seat to get his order and Kyungsoo wishes that he won’t come back so he can have some semblance of privacy as he drinks his coffee.
But his wishes remain as wishes when the guy gets back to his seat, armed with a cup sleeve and the bear stickers the barista’s giving away. He chuckles lowly to himself, wondering if this guy is a fan of Kai or if he’s like him, doing favors for other people. The other guy then removes his face mask to blow on his hot beverage and Kyungsoo’s quiet gasp calls the other’s attention. “You’re… You… You’re… Kai,” Kyungsoo unhelpfully mumbles, as if Kai doesn’t know who he is.
Kai realizes that he’s been recognized so he immediately places his face mask back, looking around if other customers saw him. He heaves a big sigh of relief when he sees that only the man beside him saw his face. He just wishes this guy wouldn’t be loud about it.
“Hi, good afternoon. Hope you can keep quiet that I’m here. Are you a fan? I can give you an autograph,” Kai offers, smiling at the other even if his mouth is covered. Kai thinks that that’s probably a great compromise for the other not to reveal his identity.
Kyungsoo removes his earphones, not wanting to appear rude. “Why are you even here?” Kyungsoo asks, eyebrows raising at the other.
“Well, I saw that my fansites were giving away some gifts to my other fans and they were cute so I wanted some too,” Kai answers back, careful to keep his voice low and soft.
“And your manager couldn’t come and get it for you?” Kyungsoo continues with his line of questioning because it doesn’t really make sense that the top star that is Kai had to get his own cup sleeve. With his own face on it. It’s either adorable or conceited, Kyungsoo isn’t sure which one yet.
“He could, sure. But I wanted to try getting one myself. The guy at the counter didn’t give me one right away so at first I thought they only gave it to girls…” Kai mumbles, and this is the first time Kyungsoo sees this side of the idol.
“Yeah, you have to ask for it,” Kyungsoo comments.
“I had to point at the stickers by the counter so he’d give me one,” Jongin adds, and while Kyungsoo doesn’t see it, he’s sure Kai is pouting.
Adorable , Kyungsoo thinks.
Kai remembers the drink he was initially cooling down and proceeds to pay it attention, taking great care now to not completely remove his mask while drinking. Kyungsoo then does the same, enjoying his avocado frappe Jongdae paid for. He thinks the conversation already petered out when he hears Kai talking to him yet again.
“Are you my fan? I was serious about giving an autograph,” Kai starts and Kyungsoo has no reason to lie and stroke the idol’s ego.
“About that… No offense but no, I’m not actually your fan,” Kyungsoo answers, eyes never leaving the idol’s as if challenging him to get mad at him.
“You’re not?!” Kai squeaks, surprise evident in his voice. Kyungsoo has to fight the eye roll from coming but he’s all too weak to fight his involuntary responses.
Conceited , Kyungsoo thinks.
“I’m not,” Kyungsoo confirms.
“Then why do you have my cup sleeve and my stickers! They’re for my fans, you know?” Kai righteously scolds Kyungsoo, a huff ending his complaint.
“I’m not your fan, but my best friend is so I’ve been getting these birthday freebies for him. That’s why,” Kyungsoo answers back, irritation clouding his features at having to explain himself to someone this conceited. And adorable.
“Oh, your best friend, right,” Kai mumbles and he goes back to drink, avoiding eye contact with Kyungsoo as he was chided by the other.
“But I’m not going to refuse the autograph, my friend would love to have it,” Kyungsoo mentions, feeling bad that the idol seems saddened by the fact that he’s not a fan.
“Oh, of course, sure!” Kai visibly brightens again and he looks for a marker in his bag.
Kyungsoo couldn’t help but laugh when Kai victoriously finds one from his bag, fist pumping in the air.
Adorable , Kyungsoo thinks.
Kyungsoo asks Kai to sign on the cup holder, even telling the idol to include Jongdae’s name in the dedication. He thanks the idol for what is seriously the best gift he could give his best friend. Both men go back to their drinks and Kyungsoo thinks that he can finally be at peace. Kai would probably leave now, having silenced him with an autograph. Kyungsoo’s about to put back his earphones in to listen to Kang Seungyoon’s one-in-a-generation voice, when Kai turns towards him again and casually starts a conversation.
A conversation.
Kyungsoo has to blink twice to confirm that Kai just asked him a question about himself.
“How come you’re here instead of your best friend though?” Kai starts, far too at ease talking to Kyungsoo, a practical stranger. A non-fan. Knowing how people could be rabid and scary, Kyungsoo is baffled at how comfortable Jongin is.
“He’s busy with theater rehearsals, he’ll be in a musical production soon,” Kyungsoo answers, brows furrowed in confusion why they’re still talking.
“And you’re not? Why?” Jongin won’t let up with the questions and surprisingly, Kyungsoo just keeps on answering.
“‘Cause I’m not?” Kyungsoo replies, voice laced with the questions he won’t ask. Why is he not leaving yet? Why is he still talking to me?
“If you’re not my fan, then who are you a fan of?” Kai inquires and Kyungsoo can’t stop himself from finally blurting something out.
“Why are you talking to me?”
The pout that he does not see but utterly feels is back and Kai looks down at his shoes the whole time he’s speaking. “I don’t know, I’m comfortable with you. Maybe because you’re not a fan so I feel like a normal person,” Kai manages to say, all shy.
“Really? Don’t you feel weird that I’m not at all going gaga over you? I’m sure that’s what you’re used to,” Kyungsoo replies, real curiosity mixed into his tone.
“I love my fans, sure, but I also like feeling like the next person talking about anything and everything in coffee shops,” Kai mutters, voice heavy with yearning.
“I actually don’t talk to strangers in coffee shops. People don’t generally talk to each other in coffee shops. This is not normal, Kai-ssi,” Kyungsoo responds, chuckling at the end.
“So why are you talking to me then?” Kai then turns cheeky and Kyungsoo’s shocked by the quick duality the other has shown.
“Because you keep on talking to me!” Kyungsoo huffs but he also smiles back at Kai, silently informing the other that he doesn’t mind the conversation.
Kyungsoo doesn’t mind the conversation. And this is where he should leave and slap himself on the face because Kyungsoo always minds conversations. He could definitely live without small talk and niceties but he’s actually okay with the one he’s having right now. No, he’s actually enjoying it.
“So, who are you a fan of then?” Jongin brings back the question from a while ago.
“Kang Seungyoon. Do you two know each other?” Kyungsoo asks, and Kai clocks in the sudden excitement in Kyungsoo’s voice.
“We know each other, sure, but we’re not close,” Kai hums, feeling sorry when Kyungsoo deflates immediately.
“Oh, okay then,” and this time, Kyungsoo doesn’t realize that he’s pouting, disappointed that the one time he meets a celebrity and it isn’t Kang Seungyoon.
“You’re so cute, I could have kissed you,” Kai mumbles under his breath.
“What?” Kyungsoo asks, hearing Kai mutter something. He’s sure he heard something about a kiss but whatever would Kai say that mentions that word? It doesn’t make any sense so he lets it go.
“What?” Kai asks back, only realizing what he just said out loud and mentally berating himself for doing so.
“You said something,” Kyungsoo tilts his head in question.
“Nothing. So Seungyoon released an album recently, right? Have you listened to it?” Kai restarts the conversation, thankful that the other seemed to have dropped the topic of his untimely opinions about the cute stranger.
And Kai thinks he finally found the topic where Kyungsoo will talk in sentences with more than five words in it. Kang Seungyoon . Kai shares some stories he has of the other idol, to which Kyungsoo listens with bated breath, waiting on his every word. Kai should feel irritated how the other wasn’t even excited that he’s talking to him but now that they’re talking about Kang Seungyoon, the other male is all smiles and eye crinkles. But all he thinks is how he needs more Seungyoon stories as conversation fodder.
Adorable , Kai thinks.
But Kai shouldn’t have worried because even though they’ve moved on from Kang Seungyoon as the topic, the turtleneck-clad male started being freer with his words and his answers. Kai learns that the smaller male is taking food science, and that he went to ten cafés today to collect these mini gifts for his best friend Jongdae. The other male shows his loot to Kai and even gives him some of his extras, especially when they’re of bears which Kai loves.
Kai’s phone rings, effectively stopping their conversation. Kyungsoo lets the idol take the phone call, as he suddenly realizes the time. Two hours have passed since they sat down and started talking. They ended up talking about random things. About skincare tips, which Kai asked him, citing and praising his bright and glowing skin. Kai talked about his three dogs, and Kyungsoo about his own two dogs.
The phone call ends and Kai’s eyes are already apologetic. Kyungsoo smiles, knowing the idol has to go.
“I didn’t realize two hours have passed. I actually have my birthday party to go to, the one I celebrate with my fans,” Kai sheepishly says, eyes obvious that he’s quite sad to end their conversation abruptly.
“Oh, that’s right, Jongdae was sad he didn’t get a ticket. Though he couldn’t have gone too given that he’s in rehearsals still,” Kyungsoo answers back.
“So, yeah, I have to go. My manager’s already waiting outside,” Kai mentions but he doesn’t make a move to leave, as if waiting for Kyungsoo to say something.
“It was nice talking to you, Kai-ssi,” Kyungsoo says by way of goodbye. “Happy birthday! I don’t think I’ve greeted you yet,” Kyungsoo chuckles.
“Please, just call me Jongin? We’ve already talked for two hours, I think you can already call me by my actual name,” Jongin shyly says, his gaze unwavering though as if wanting Kyungsoo to see how sincere he is with his request.
“Then, happy birthday, Jongin-ssi,” Kyungsoo readily complies.
Kai, or Jongin, it would take a while for Kyungsoo to regroup his brain, leaves the coffee shop. Kyungsoo gets back to his avocado frappe, long forgotten in the midst of his conversation with the star. He ends up playing with it, and figuring that he should also probably go, Kyungsoo moves to stand up to put his cup in the trash. The door of the shop opens and Kyungsoo instinctively looks at the newcomer, only to see Kai, or Jongin, moving towards him back to their table.
“I forgot something,” Kai, no, Jongin , gasps with effort, as if he ran all the way back to the café.
“Oh?” is Kyungsoo’s intelligent reply. “I don’t see anything you might have left,” Kyungsoo adds.
“I forgot to ask you something. What’s your name?” Jongin stammers.
Adorable , Kyungsoo thinks.
“Kyungsoo. Do Kyungsoo,” Kyungsoo answers back, smiling openly at the idol.
Jongin returns back a smile as he says, “Nice meeting you, Kyungsoo-ssi.”
Kyungsoo’s laugh rings in the small space the two occupy as he waves a goodbye to Jongin as the other leaves.
Kyungsoo’s laugh rings in Jongin’s ears even as he’s inside his car on the way to his birthday party.
Adorable , Jongin thinks.