VII

Even though he had said goodbye to Hyunjin hours ago, he could still feel his touch on him as well as his kisses. The subtle scent of jasmine still lingered in the air and the taste of coffee and honey still lingered on his lips.

He remembered what Minho had told him and sighed heavily. He should text him. He reached for his phone and opened the chat in question.

[Bang Chan] Fri, 10:28 p.m.

You were right...

[Lee Know] Fri, 10:31 am.

???

In what?

[Bang Chan] Fri, 10:33 p.m.

Remember how you said to try to kiss Hyunjin for five minutes, and then I'll see?

[Lee Know] Fri, 10:34 am.

Well? :O

[Bang Chan] Fri, 10:36 am.

I did it today...

[Lee Know] Fri, 10:36 am.

And? :O

[Bang Chan] Fri, 10:39 p.m.

...for a few minutes dozen longer than you told me...

...and I liked it...

[Lee Know] Fri, 10:41 am.

Bisexuality: achievement unlocked :D

[Bang Chan] Fri, 10:42 am.

Asshole :D

You almost made me choke on my water :D

[Lee Know] Fri, 10:45 p.m.

Sorry, I couldn't resist :D

What all did you do together? :D

[Bang Chan] Fri, 10:47 am.

Nothing happened, if that's what you're referring to :D

[Lee Know] Fri, 10:48 am.

I hope so :D

How do you see things going with Jin? :)

[Bang Chan] Fri, 10:50 p.m.

I'm giving it a free pass :)

But I'm not going to lie to you, I'd be happy if it turned into something more :)

I really like him, Minho...

[Lee Know] Fri, 10:53 am.

I get it :) I wish it works out :)

Anyway, what do you think about bowling on Saturday at 7:00? Jin, Seungmin, you and me? :)

Please? :)

[Bang Chan] Fri, 10:54 am.

Sounds good, looking forward to it :)

I'm gonna go lie down, goodnight, and say hi to the cats :D

[Lee Know] Fri, 10:56 am.

Good night, they say hi, too :D

***

Saturday evening was still cool, but it was above freezing point. According to what Christopher had read on the internet, there was no frost anywhere and no threat of natural disasters, so he could comfortably ride his motorcycle to the bowling centre. He had packed an extra helmet just in case someone wanted a lift.

He arrived at the scene in half an hour. He parked, made sure he had everything with him and went inside. He found his friends at one of the many round tables that were in the bowling alley.

"Sorry I'm late, I caught all of the red lights. Have you been waiting long?" He smiled apologetically at them and sat down on the vacant chair between Hyunjin and Minho.

"It's okay, we just got here a few minutes ago too," Seungmin assured him.

Christopher nodded and allowed himself a moment to look at the boy beside him. He was wearing a black turtleneck and blue jeans. Although his clothes were simple, they showed off his dancer's physique.

"You look very handsome," he smiled at him.

"Thanks, you too," the younger man smiled back, his cheeks flushing.

"Can we play?" interrupted an impatient Minho.

"Sure," Hyunjin nodded.

They changed their shoes and made their way to the rented track. The game wasn't serious for even two minutes before it turned into a competition for the most interesting style to send the bowling ball and successfully knock down at least two pins in the process. Minho scored the most points in this regard.

Christopher, of course, rejoiced with the others when they threw a good score, but he also noticed how close Seungmin was to Hyunjin. The way he stroked his hair, grabbed his hands and pulled him by his waist. And Hyunjin didn't resist at all. Sure, he and Hyunjin hadn't told each other is they were a thing yesterday, and the two of them had been friends for years, but still, he couldn't help the twinge of jealousy.

He wanted Hyunjin for himself, and only himself.

"Chris? Are you okay?" Minho squeezed his arm with a questioning look.

"What...? Yes, I am," the eldest nodded, trying to hide his feelings with a wide smile.

The taller one nodded, but it was clear he knew what was going on.

He took a deep breath and exhaled before it was his turn in the game.

***

"Excuse me," Hyunjin smiled and headed towards the restrooms while Minho went to get a drink. Christopher took this moment to talk to Seungmin.

"He looks really good today," he began.

Seungmin nodded with a smile.

"Are you two a thing?" He wondered, tilting his head slightly to the side.

The youngest of the group had probably figured out by now what his friend was referring to and started to look serious. "We're friends, really."

"Really?" The oldest raised his eyebrows. "You two seem to be very close."

"Yes, but in all the time I've known him, I've never thought of him as anything but my best friend. Plus, I know he likes you, and from what I understand now, he likes you."

The eldest nodded. His jealousy had passed a little.

"But don't you dare hurt him, Chris," he warned him half aloud.

"I don't plan on it either."

"Okay, but if you do anything to him, knowingly or unknowingly, we're going to have a problem," the boy with braces finished just before Hyunjin returned.

"I'm back. Did I miss something?" said the tallest one. He patted Christopher on the shoulder before sitting down.

The man in question turned his head to him and smiled. "Nothing happened, don't worry."

"Somebody come help me with this!" Minho called from the bar. Seungmin voluntarily stood up.

"Chris? Do you think I could stay at your place tonight?" Hyunjin raised a pleading look to the eldest. "My mum has her boyfriend over tonight, and I don't want to disturb them."

The person addressed nodded. "Sure, no problem."

"Thanks."

"I hope you don't mind riding a motorbike," laughed the eldest.

"You didn't say you had a motorcycle," the younger man bit his lower lip with a smile.

Christopher smiled back and nodded. He felt his cheeks flush.

"Are we ready for the next game?" Seungmin asked as he and Minho placed their glasses on the table.

***

They said their goodbyes a little before 11:00 PM and Christopher and Hyunjin headed towards the motorbike.

"Nice. I don't know much about motorcycles, but it looks well kept," the taller man smiled as the older man handed him the helmet.

"Thank you," Christopher smiled, then put his helmet on and got in. The younger man sat behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist.

"Are you holding on?" He asked with a smile, turning his head towards him. Hyunjin's grip grew even tighter in response.

He drove carefully, taking his time. He enjoyed the feeling of finally giving the long-haired boy a ride, and he wasn't going to spoil it with anything. Nor was he going to get upset about bad drivers. He had much better things to do now.