CHAPTER FIVE
PURPLE had always been kihyun's favourite colour.
maybe even lavender or violet- if he wanted to be really specific. but when changkyun walked into the arena wearing a ruby-red button up shirt, kihyun decided that red was his new favourite colour. the outfit looked absolutely flawless on the boy; the cuffs kind of danced around his wrists and fingers when he moved his arms, it was cute. kihyun just wanted to tell changkyun how beautiful he was without even trying.
he didn't want to scare him away, though, so maybe keeping his mouth shut was the best option.
especially after the countless times he had already unintentionally humiliated himself in front of his crush- emphasis on the word countless. also unintentionally.
spinning around on the chair at the counter, kihyun was contemplating whether changkyun would like orange juice or flavoured milk better. he didn't want to just walk up to the boy, empty handed, like some heartless creature. he wanted to surprise him with something nice, because he deserved something nice.
so, after twenty minutes, kihyun finally walked up to the vending machine, spending a further five minutes deciding between banana or strawberry milk.
strawberries are sweet, he thought, like him. so just like that, kihyun knew which drink he was buying.
he had to give himself another motivational talk, before he started descending the stairs. with each step, he felt like his heart would burst out of his chest. kihyun fiddled with the bottle in his hands, thinking too intently on the what if's; because what if changkyun didn't even like strawberries. maybe he despised them so much, that just being in the berries presence, made him feel terribly nauseous.
before he could even turn around, run back to hide behind the counter for the rest of his shift, he was suddenly standing next to changkyun.
looking down at the boy, then the milk drink in his hands, he didn't even know what to say.
"kihyun? is that you?"
the boy felt as if he couldn't breath, cheeks turning incredibly hot. gosh, he's going to think i'm a creep.
"yeah," he muttered, taking a seat next to him. "how did you know i was there?"
"well, you don't exactly walk silently," he laughed.
usually, kihyun would attempt to look anywhere other than the person's face, considering he could literally feel the heat radiating off of his own cheeks, but he felt a sense of calmness when he looked at changkyun.
maybe it was because he knew the boy couldn't see him, so he wouldn't exactly judge him. but maybe it was more deeper than that, because it was like the whole world slowed down, and the words kihyun were always trying so desperately to search for in his cluttered mind, gradually formed a sentence and left his mouth. he knew he didn't screw up, especially when he saw the smile on changkyun's face.
"i have a present for you," he said.
changkyun tilted his head to the side, wordlessly questioning the other.
"wait," kihyun suddenly remembered his worries, "do you like strawberries?"
the boy grinned, letting out a breathy chuckle, then glided his tongue over his bottom lip - it was something he most likely did it out of habit - which made kihyun almost fall off his seat.
voice smooth, he answered: "i love strawberries."
"great!" too enthusiastic. "great." he reached over and carefully took one of changkyun's hands, giving him the bottle. "it's strawberry milk, by the way."
changkyun uncapped it, slowly bringing it up to his lips. kihyun's eyes shifted from the boy, to nayoung skating. it would be a bit weird if he was just staring at him while drinking, quietly admiring the delicate details of his face, without him even knowing. huffing, kihyun covered his eyes with a hand, wishing his brain would have a break from thinking about the navy-blue haired boy.
it wasn't working out. at all.
suddenly, kihyun felt warm fingers on his thigh, and his head shot up, looking at the other. eyes glinted with worry.
"a-are you okay?"
changkyun's fingers felt like fire against his leg, even if he was wearing jeans, his touch could probably burn through the fabric if they stayed there.
he was not okay.
kihyun shuffled in his seat, causing changkyun to move his hand away.
"i'm okay, don't worry." he realized his voice didn't sound convincing, the smile on his face might as well be invisible. so, he gently rested his hand on changkyun's shoulder, "believe me?"
nodding his head, changkyun placed a hand on top of kihyun's, "yeah, i do."
he abruptly retreated his hand, as did kihyun. now they sat there, among the quietness, watching the girl attempt to master a skating routine- or, in a different case, listen. the dark haired boy's skin still felt so alive, begging for more affection from a specific someone.
shyly, kihyun turned his head towards changkyun, seeing the faint tinge of scarlet blossoming on his cheeks.
kihyun never thought he could love the colour red so much.
