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The summer is at its hottest and Jaehyo’s phone doesn’t stop buzzing.
“pls call me asap”
“it’s urgent”
“i need ur help i’ll pay back tho”
“pls just CALL ME”
Jaehyo sighs and rolls on his stomach. The towel under him crumples and he ends up lying partly on the grass but it’s fine. He shadows his phone with one hand as he types with the other,
“im out of minutes u call me”
Within a minute he has Kyung at the other end of the line, sounding extremely distressed as he babbles on about his friends who he hasn’t seen in years and who are now coming to town to spend the summer and “god, Jaehyo, please don’t hang up on me but I really need you to help me on this”.
**************
Jaehyo is way too conscious of what he’s not wearing (a presentable outfit) as he climbs out of the car – he hadn’t been given time to change when Kyung barged through the gate to his backyard and ushered him up and to his car.
“Just, be yourself, you’ll charm them in a minute and can go back home.”
“You better drive me, and you owe me a night’s drinks for a kiss, just so you know.”
“I know I know, just please pretend you love me.”
Jaehyo’s laugh at that is genuine.
***************
An afternoon at the beach restaurant turns into a night at the bar, which turns into a road trip, and Jaehyo’s holiday has critically changed direction. They check into a cheap roadside motel, and of course there are not enough rooms with single beds. This is such bad story-writing, Jaehyo thinks as he fights the thin covers from the snoring Kyung who takes up too much space for someone that small.
***************
The next week Kyung’s friends want to go hiking in the hills and Jaehyo’s attendance keeps being required.
“I’m not going to sleep in a tent with you.”
“C’mon, I’m small!”
“And you stink.”
“Okay, that’s a lie now, admit it.”
“You stink.”
“And I’ll write your stinking biology essays next semester if you come with us.”
“…you don’t happen to have an extra sleeping bag?”
They sit by the fire and laugh and watch the stars together and maybe this is not so bad after all.
***************
Kyung kisses Jaehyo’s neck at the movies and he doesn’t have to fight a flinch.
***************
They walk Kyung’s friends to their car in late August, five boys packing up their stuff into the trunk and giving emotional bro-hugs to each other. As the ratty Corolla pulls out of the parking lot, Jaehyo takes Kyung’s hand and gives a light kiss on his cheek. Kyung sighs.
“There’s no way they saw that, Jaehyo.”
“I know.”