They immediately divert their faces from each other, and the tension of awkwardness rises in the atmosphere between the two.
The rusted leaves and the waves of the trees are the only things you can hear. Leansei took his phone out and started capturing the beautiful view instead.
"What are you doing?" Xerchin asked.
"The view is too beautiful. I can't help it but to capture it. " Leansei said as he continuously clicked his phone on the camera. Xerchin stared at Leansei for a few seconds before taking out his phone too and starting to capture two photos.
Leansei glanced at Xerchin, who immediately put his hand down. "You're capturing too?" Leansei's voice crackles with amusement, since he never thought that Xerchin was that kind of guy. He thought that he only knew how to be mysterious and serious all the time.
"We should head back--" Xerchin stopped when a 10-year-old boy and an elderly lady came past them and overheard their conversation.
"Mama, we haven't sold half of the flowers today," a sad tone from the boy while looking at the flowers in the basket. Leansei put his hand down and glanced behind him, looking at them.
He felt warm in his heart after resembling them as him and Grandma Delin a few years back.
"My child," the old lady said, and she caressed the boy's head. "Not every day is a lucky day. There might be times we can sell all the flowers, but some days they cannot be sold. "
"But how about our food, mama? We haven't eaten anything in a day.What if you stay here, mama, and I'll try to go to the other streets to sell everything we have today--"
"Silly, my child, " the old lady said with a pure smile on her lips as she messed up the little boy's hair. "I have a little money we got the other day. We can use that to buy your favorite food. "
Leansei looked at them with a pain that pierced his heart. The genuine relationship they had was more precious, and that resembles his grandma Delin at some point.
Xerchin was staring at Leansei with a familiar look in which he couldn't determine who and where he saw this. Leansei walked towards them with a smile on his face.
"Hi. Are those roses still available? " Leansei asked politely. The boy's disappointed look was lifted, and the old lady was surprised but smiled in relief.
"Yes, Sir. How many will you buy? It costs 50 pesos per rose. The rose was fresh and had a good scent." A jovial tone of voice from a little boy.
"How much does it cost for all the roses?" Lean asked. The little boy and the old lady shaped their mouths round in surprise.
"T-that will be.." The old lady stuttered and counted all the flowers in the basket. The little boy's eyes twinkled with happiness. "One thousand and five hundred pesos for all the roses."
Leansei smiled and took out his money, but someone offered him three pieces of paper money consisting of three thousand pesos. Lean was surprised and glanced at Xerchin.
"Th-this is too much, young man," the old lady said.
"The rose usually costs one hundred per rose. If you total it, it will be the same amount as this. " Xerchin said with an expressionless face and gently put it in the old lady's hand. Leansei stared at Xerchin as he felt a warmth within his body and gently took all the roses.
The boy took a red ribbon and wrapped it around the stem of the roses, and luckily the torns were cut out.
The little boy and the old lady bowed their heads in respect and thanked them for giving them too many tips. Leansei put his hand up as a goodbye. His eyes were glowing under the moonlight, and he glanced at Xerchin, who was staring at him.
"Thank you. Here I'll pay--" Leansei took his wallet, but Xerchin turned his back and walked away from him.
"No need to pay me back. I bought them since they are to your liking. " Xerchin said, while walking. Leansei blushed as he looked at the rose before following Xerchin and walking beside him.
As they started walking, he realized that he was holding a bouquet of roses with a man beside him. That may have looked normal to Lean's eyes, but people started staring at them.
"What a cute couple."
"Are they gay-ish?"
"Wait, is that Xerchin?"
"Who is the guy beside him?"
"Are they a couple?"
People began staring and whispering about them, which prompted Lean to look at Xerchin, but Xerchin's face only has a poker face.
' It looks like he doesn't care any less about it. '
Lean signed it as a relief.
but still blushed while looking at the rose. It was the first time he had received a rose from someone else, but he also blushed from the embarrassment.
' C-couple? How can two guys---but it's impossible since he said he has a girlfriend. That's why he isn't affected at all. There is nothing for me to worry about! '
-////-"
.
The car stopped at Kean's condominium building. Leansei climbed out of the car, but he didn't walk away. He is doubting if he should ask since he would probably reject it.
But he doesn't ask now. Then, how could he repay him?
Leansei bends down and knocks on the window of Xerchin's car. The window opened as the front door's glass came down. Leansei bit his lips inside as he slowly rubbed the back of his neck.
"D-do you want to go inside first?" Leansei asked with a bashful tone.
Xerchin turned off the engine of his car and climbed out, then locked it. He ambled towards Lenesei and they walked together to go to the condo room.
' This is kind of awkward. He just got here yesterday. '
"Come in and take a seat. What do you want to drink? " Leansei asked as he looked for a vase and put water inside before putting the roses inside the vase.
"Water will do." Xerchin said as he sat down on the sofa. Leansei served him a glass of water and turned on the air conditioner and the TV to keep him entertained.
"I want to thank you for taking care of me last night, " Leansei said as he put an apron around his neck. "This will be quick. Make yourself at home."
Xerchin stared at Leansei, who was busy cooking in the kitchen--instead of watching the TV. He didn't really watch TV shows or any of the media. He never agreed to go to other people's houses, especially to drive them home personally.
' Those eyes. Where did I see that? Why does it look so familiar? ' Xerchin said in the back of his mind.
He immediately changed his posture when Leansei finished cooking. Leansei walked carefully and put the dish on the living room table.
"What is it?" Xerchin asked while looking at the delicious scent of food.
"That's all I have left in my kitchen. It's called, fried rice and fried noodles."
"Is it edible?" Leansei's excited face faded away in an instant, and he glared at Xerchin.
He changed his posture and took the plate as he looked at it. It looked good and smelled delicious. Xerchin tried the dish, and Leansei's twinkled eyes with puffy cheeks, seemingly waiting for Xerchin's review.
Xerchin stopped when he realized he had never tried this delicious food in his entire life. He was a picky eater, but he couldn't deny how delicious the food was.
"How was it? Is it delicious? " Leansei asked.
Xerchin chewed it and finished all the food on the plate. "It is not."
Leansei's cheeks puffed in irritation when he looked at the plate that was empty.
' He was able to finish it, but he says it's not good. What a bastard! ' Leansei said in the back of his mind.
Leansei grabbed the plate in irritation and walked away towards the kitchen. He was grumpy while washing the dishes.
"It is good, mooncalf." Xerchin said that made Leansei stop and feel heat in his face. He immediately shook his head, and the grumpy face and annoyed feelings faded away.
Lean was busy washing dishes while Xerchin took the glass, stood up, and walked towards him.
"Mooncalf." Xerchin called him.
"Yes," he answered without looking back.
' Why does his voice sound so close?' Leansei said in his mind.
"You forgot this." Leansei turned his head to look, but he felt his soul left Kean's body when their faces were inches apart, just like what happened back then in the school clinic.
Leansei was standing behind Xerchin, leaning his face down. That made Leansei stare at his jaw and look upwardly as their eyes met. The enchanting blue murcial eyes make his heart pound with a million heartbeats.
Xerchin unconsciously leans towards Leansei and closes his eyes. The world slowed down, and only the heartbeat was the only sound they could hear. The reddening cheeks and inches apart from their lips make something scurl inside their stomach.
It wasn't nasty or painful, but more like a warm and cozy sentiment. It was the same feeling in the school clinic.
They were only one inch apart when a phone suddenly rang inside Xerchin's pocket. Leansei immediately opened his eyes and diverted his face away from him, hurriedly washing the dishes in embarrassment.
Leansei said as he closed his eyes in embarrassment, with reddening cheeks. Xerchin stared at Leansei first before annoyingly taking the phone from inside his pocket.
It was the secretary of their company.
"I'll just take this call," Xerchin said, to which Lean nodded, and Xerchin exited the condo room.
He answered the phone with a dark face. "If you called me for nonsense, I'll cut your head off." Xerchin said in a cold baritone voice.
[ S-Sir, I'm sorry for bothering you, but the president wants you to come into the company, sir. ]
"What is it for?"
[ H-he didn't tell me about it, but your father looks like he's not in the mood. ]. Xerchin gave a deep sign before ending the call. He went inside the condo, and he saw that Leansei had just finished washing the dishes.
"H-how did it go?" a stuttering Leansei asked, hiding his reddish face behind his hands.
"It's from the company. I need to go now. " He felt Leansei's glance before responding.
"S-sure. Take care."
Xerchin walked toward Leansei, and that made Lean's cheeks flush a little more. He looks like an innocent tomato that is about to explode at any minute.
Xerchin put his hand above his head and messed up his hair like a cute little kitten. Leansei was dazed in surprise and looked up into his eyes.
Xerchin immediately took his hands away and turned around when he felt heat going up to his face. "It was a relish to spend the day with you. The food was delicious too. See you in school, Mooncalf." Xerchin said before walking outside his condo.
At first, Xerchin felt like he wasn't himself these past few days. He misidentified himself as someone else. The way he felt, the way he talked, the way he moved, and the things he let himself do when he was with him. He felt like the wall around him was slowly crashing down.
It was a feeling he had never tried before, felt before, or especially experienced before. It was strange to him, and he had no idea what it was or if it was because he resembled someone he knew.
Xerchin took his car key and opened the door as he sat down in the driver's seat and started the engine to drive towards their company location.
Xerchin focused his gaze on the road, and a glance at the seat beside him where Leansei sat earlier made a curve in his lips.
' This is absurd. But it doesn't matter if he is Kean or not. ' He said it in his mind as he accelerated his car.
______