Do I like him?

Weeks pass, and it becomes routine for Beomgyu and Soobin to take Chewie on a walk every day. There's some mornings though, where he's still sleeping, or he's just not feeling up to the trek; but either way, it's something Soobin looks forward to every night as he lays his head against his pillow. That summer had been pretty uneventful, until Beomgyu came into town.

It's just another summer evening, and Beomgyu texts Soobin that he was going to take him somewhere special. Soobin wondered where that somewhere was. Despite getting to know one another more and more over the past several weeks, he didn't have any clue about where he might be taking Soobin. Either way, Soobin dressed nicely, hoping to impress him a little more than usual.

Soobin is rather surprised when Beomgyu takes them into town. It's rather busy, and so Soobin wonders exactly why he's brought him here, but either way, an excitement bubbles up inside him.

They walk the streets of the town, beneath the somewhat-dark night sky, moon shining bright thanks to the absence of clouds. Beomgyu walks slowly, sure to look at every window of the small shops, nodding and smiling to every vendor along the sidewalk.

"Why exactly are we here?" Soobin asks under a laugh. Beomgyu pauses.

"Don't worry, we won't be here long."

They finally come to a stop, and it's at a vendor station, selling different treats. But the scent that fills Soobin's nose is rather familiar.

"Hotteok," Beomgyu says as he looks at Soobin with a grin. Soobin smiles at him, then they both chuckle. He leads Soobin closer to the stand. Soobin impatiently waits as he pays for the food, Soobin's stomach growing more hungry, anticipation thriving. The scent reminds him of the moment he first met Beomgyu up close; the fresh sight of his beautiful eyes, his marvelous smile; the first time Soobin ever wondered about him.

Soobin thinks about it, and sure, before that day, he wondered about Beomgyu; people like Beomgyu. Boys Soobin thought didn't exist. Boys who cared about his interests, his life story, his favorite foods; boys that were also cute. Beomgyu is all of those things, it just seems too good to be true.

Beomgyu completes the transaction before handing Soobin the snack. He immediately dives in, savoring the taste of the sweet treat. Beomgyu guides the way back to the car, but asks Soobin at each storefront if he wants to go inside. They end up going into a small bookstore.

In high school, Soobin loved to read. He was always finishing exams early just so he could read an extra chapter of the novel he had in his backpack, and people may have judged him for doing it, as well as reading in the library during lunch, but he didn't care. Books were his comfort.

He finds a signed copy of his favorite book, and Beomgyu notices Soobin's excitement.

"This is my favorite book of all time," Soobin informs as Beomgyu stands next to him. "But look." Soobin points to the signature on the title page, smiling excitedly. Beomgyu holds out a hand, gesturing for him to hand it over, and Soobin does exactly that. However, his heart begins to race as Beomgyu speedwalks to the cash register.

"Beomgyu, are you—"

"Shh," he replies. Soobin shoves him in the shoulder, and he chuckles as he pulls out his wallet.

"Stop it, you don't—"

"Yes, I do. I want to."

Soobin rolls his eyes as he groans. The woman behind the counter hands Beomgyu the receipt, which he immediately crumples up and puts into his pocket before handing over the book to Soobin. He's speechless, and he smiles small, evidently flustered by Beomgyu's gesture.

"Beomgyu, that was too nice. Thank you, truly," Soobin says sincerely.

"Don't worry about it," he replies. "Gifts are my love language, in a way."

Love language. Is Beomgyu in love with Soobin? He can't help but wonder.

"Where to next?" Soobin asks once they reach the car as he sits in the passenger seat. Beomgyu starts the engine before answering.

"My beach."

" Your beach?" Soobin asks with a small chuckle.

"Yes. It's all mine." Beomgyu looks over at Soobin, and he smiles.

They drive down the main road which soon turns into the back road, then Soobin realizes why Beomgyu said my beach. The sands and water are completely secluded from the rest of the world. There's no possible way anybody else could ever find it without taking a good 10 minute hike, but Beomgyu knows exactly where to drive to avoid the thick forest that separates it from the rest of town.

Beomgyu leads as they progress closer to the trillions of soft granules slinging the waters. He seems to know this place inside and out.

"I've been coming here a lot lately. The beach is more calm than anywhere else."

Soobin nods. They both find a spot in the center of the shore, which is a good distance away from the water. He can still feel slight mists as the tides roll in, though. The sensation, combined with the calmness of the night and Beomgyu's presence, is intoxicating, in a way.

"It's nice," Soobin comments. He looks around, and to the right is a large, rocky cliff. There are several rocks lining the bottom of it, the trail ending once it reaches the water. Behind them are patches of dry grass, and to the left is the mound of sand combined with the meadow.

"Any updates on your music?" Soobin asks Beomgyu.

"Just writing, playing. It's all the same," Beomgyu replies without enthusiasm. "How about you? What have you been up to?"

"Well, I've been worrying about you."

Beomgyu stays quiet, and so does Soobin. Except he's doing that thing he always does when he's with Beomgyu, which is admiring his being right beside him. He examines the way he stares at the waters before the two of them. His eyes are squinted, studying each foamy wave that crashes onto the shore, measuring the height and time difference of each swell; watching the moon as its reflection on the water grows brighter as the sky grows darker.

Beomgyu finally stops his examination on the landscape and looks towards Soobin.

"You brought the book," Beomgyu notes.

"I brought the book." Soobin laughs.

"Read me your favorite part," Beomgyu commands, and on instinct, Soobin pulls out his phone for light and flips to the very end.

"Maybe he is that flower that suddenly bloomed on the rhododendron bush I thought had died long ago; maybe he is that cloud, that wave, that rain, that mist. It isn't only that he died, or how he died; it is what he died believing. And so I try to be kind to everything I see, and in everything I see, I see him."

They both sit in silence for a moment after Soobin closes the book. Beomgyu looks out at the water, and when Soobin turns his head towards Beomgyu, he looks down at his lap.

"Sorry if it's depressing," he apologizes. "It's just...it's beautiful."

"It is," Beomgyu replies, "but you spoiled the ending."

They both burst into harmonious laughter. Soobin smacks himself on the forehead. "I didn't know you'd want to read it!"

Beomgyu shakes his head. "You can still read it to me. We can come here every weekend and just...read. I don't know."

They sit quiet for a moment as Soobin imagines his idea; his heart races, his stomach becomes filled with butterflies, and he can't help but let a foolish smile grow upon his lips. "Yeah, we can do that," he answers. "Might take a while, though. This is a big book."

Beomgyu takes the book from Soobin's hands, flipping through the pages, stopping every few seconds.

"We can do it," he says, the small, sincere smile still visible upon his lips.

"Okay," Soobin says.