Frost

the race to day zero

The countdown clock ticked. Every day was one day closer to the end, one day closer to goodbye.

As if it was mocking him, the cafe began setting up decorations for Valentine's day. Ostentatious red hearts and overly sweet candies.

It was largely an American holiday, and a very commercial one at that, but it was a hit with the younger high-school and University generation. They flocked in by the dozens, posing with the cute bear-shaped mochis and blushing at the male staff.

The tip jar filled twice as quickly, and the whole place smelled like flowery perfume. It was cute, but also nauseating.

The ahjumma kept winking at him, having found the gift bag in the back rooms today.

"For your sunshine boy?" She asked, and cackled with delight when he blushed. "Good, good. Bring him some dessert, too, he's so skinny!"

And then she was off on a rant about how teens these days ate so little, walking around like bags of skin and bones. Knocking a heavy knuckle against his rib cage, she clicked her tongue, and shoved chocolate in his mouth, much to the amusement of the girls at the corner booth.

Head in the clouds as he served, all he could think about all day was swinging by Kai and Soobin's apartment after work, maybe staying the night.

As he was leaving, the ahjumma called out for him. "Summer boy! You better bring Kai to see me! You hear that? I want to see you two in this booth right here, 9 o'clock on the dot! It's been too long."

Laughing, Yeonjun blew her a kiss as he walked out, shaking his head. As if he would bring Kai anywhere else.

Yeonjun hyung.

"I love it when you sign my name." He did. Loved the way the boy's fingers folded around the letters, the way he looked up at him, so cute and wide-eyed.

Yeonjun hyung, what is that? He was referring to the giant stuffed toy sitting innocently on his bed, taking up a good quarter of it.

"A plushie." he clarified like an idiot.

Why is it the size of a healthy potted plant?

Yeonjun choked back a laugh. "I was thinking more along the lines of big enough to hug, but..." Trust Kai to make the weirdest comparison known to mankind,

Ppangya.

"You're naming your bread plushie 'bread-yah'?" This time, the laugh spilled freely.

Yeah.

"Checks out. I approve." He smiled, watching his smile mirror on Kai's face. "Ppangya's here for when you miss me."

Which might happen sooner than he'd like.

Thank you.

"Really, with your giant collection, you should've expected it at some point." Yeonjun sat at the edge of Kai's bed and reached a hand to pull Kai down next to him. "Introduce me to them." He pointed at the walls of plushies in Kai's room, eyes already roaming over the shelves.

He had no doubt that they all had names and backstories, and there was nothing he wanted more right now than to relax and immerse himself in the younger's world, watch him go off on a tangent and laugh along with him.

Are you sure? There's a lot. He seemed unsure, but the excitement was there, bubbling beneath the surface, waiting to be let out.

"If it's with you, I don't care if it takes a lifetime." Truer words couldn't be spoken.