RENDEZVOUS

35 | hot tub tantrum

"helloooooo summer!"

donghyuck announced his arrival to every plant and shrub in xiyeon's back garden, welcoming the hot sun and blue skies with open arms and a contented sigh. he was almost as blinding as the midday sun itself, having showed up to his girlfriend's mansion in white shorts and a hawaiian shirt in reds and yellows too bright to look at.

although, xiyeon did insist that her house was not a mansion, and that he needed to stop making her sound like a stuck-up billionaire in front of his friends.

even if xiyeon's house wasn't a mansion like she said, however, the garden was beautiful with a marble patio, a glistening pool, comfortable seating on said patio, and a hot tub large enough to stretch your legs but small enough to make it the perfect place for a secret make-out session.

"if you're talking to the garden, it can't hear you, right?" xiyeon was laughing, in good spirits as she crossed the patio to join her boyfriend.

donghyuck smiled at the sound of her voice and turned to greet her, picking her up off the patio and spinning her around in his arms. "bold of you to assume i care what your garden thinks of me," he laughed, breathing in the scent of her hair before placing her down carefully again.

xiyeon rolled her eyes at how ridiculous he was being, but she couldn't keep the smile off her face. things had taken a definite turn for the better since she'd made up with donghyuck and she just couldn't stop smiling these days. admittedly, it wasn't like her parents knew they were back together, or that donghyuck was even there, but that didn't really matter. trusting xiyeon's confidence in how the exams went, her parents had left that morning for a business trip slash holiday, leaving her at home alone to host a fabulous pool party. now it didn't even matter that donghyuck had snuck over the minute they'd left the premises. it wasn't like they would ever know he was there.

the two of them sank into the sun loungers on the patio that overlooked the pool, lying back and enjoying the shade. donghyuck slid on a pair of big daisy petal rimmed sunglasses, and xiyeon slipped on an almost identical pair except the petals were yellow sunflower ones.

"now this is the life," donghyuck smiled smugly, satisfied to have his girlfriend back, and the exams over and done with, and a long hot afternoon in front of him.

yep, this really was the life.

and donghyuck personally was going to enjoy this moment for as long as it lasted, because it wouldn't be long until renjun and jeno showed up, separately, and the afternoon would either be completely fine or completely ruined. in an idealistic scenario, donghyuck was hoping that the pool party would provide the perfect opportunity for the two of them to make up, but it wasn't exactly a guarantee.

at exactly two o'clock was when it began, and renjun showed up on the doorstep.

ding-dong!

"i'll get it," xiyeon said rather unconvincingly, looking far too comfortable on the sun lounger to move.

"nah, stay there, i'll get it," donghyuck told her, squeezing her hand in his before letting go and heading up the patio in his flip-flops and through the house to answer the door.

renjun's dad was just pulling away in the car as donghyuck opened the door to see the (slightly, renjun would protest) shorter chinese boy standing there waiting.

"hi," renjun murmured, glancing around as if an angry jeno would jump out of the neatly-trimmed hedgerows at any second.

"hey," donghyuck greeted him warmly, pulling him in for a reassuring hug before welcoming him inside. "xi-xi's out the back, but there are food and drinks in the kitchen if you want something before going out."