CHAPTER ELEVEN
TYING shoe laces were a relatively easy task to do.
well, not for everyone.
the two were currently sitting on changkyun's front step, putting their shoes on. the navy-blue haired boy had the idea of going for a walk. it didn't sound too impulsive, but after being in the house for most of the day, watching movies, it was like the greatest idea in the world. and kihyun would say it was, in fact, the best idea in the entire universe, simply because of how brightly changkyun smiled when he brought it up. it was like a spark went off inside him, and all he wanted to do was be free.
kihyun was the first to finish, standing up and patiently waited for the other. he could see how changkyun fumbled with the laces; he was getting it all right, until his grip seemed to have loosened and the strings slipped from his fingers.
"i can't do this," changkyun mumbled under his breath. "why is it so hard just to tie a shoe lace?"
he was upset and frustrated with himself, the smile that was art on his lips had now been erased. kihyun's chest ached seeing him so hurt. changkyun's eyes desperately searched for anything around him, he wanted to see again.
"it's okay," kihyun knelt down, putting his hands on the boy's. "i got you."
steadily, he began tying the other's laces in a knot. taking a quick glimpse at changkyun, he noticed how he looked more relaxed than he was before. when kihyun was done, he reached for changkyun's hands, lifting him up to his feet.
they strolled along a path, changkyun gently swayed their linked arms.
most of the time together were spent lacking something: sound. it didn't matter if they were talking, laughing over ridiculous things, or having the ability to admire the scenery around them- nothing was as important as how they appreciated one another. the silence carried a whole different story, something only kihyun and changkyun found themselves feeling one hundred percent comfortable in. whereas, some people may find the quiet confronting.
it was never like that for them. but other times, sound was okay.
"thank you," the navy-blue haired boy suddenly said.
"you don't need to-"
"yes, i do," he cut kihyun off. "stop being so modest for a second and let me be thankful for you."
kihyun laughed softly, a grin painting his lips as he mumbled a fine. he kept his gaze ahead, attempting to ignore how fast his heart was beating, when it honestly felt like it was about to explode any moment.
"tell me what you see," changkyun spoke up as they continued walking with no particular destination in mind.
so, kihyun did.
at first, he was naming the basic surroundings, like 'there's a tree, a person walking a dog', but then kihyun decided to exaggerate his storytelling, to make it more interesting. he didn't care he was talking complete nonsense now, because changkyun was laughing and smiling like he had never done before. it only made kihyun want to tell the boy about every stunning aspect in the world- tell him that he was the specific stunning thing in the world.
they stopped at a bench, taking a short break. kihyun continued talking, saying how the sun was now setting.
changkyun's lips curved upwards, eyes closed, listening intently on kihyun's every last word. the navy-blue haired boy said he used to sit in the park some afternoons, watch the sunset while people around him paid no attention to it.
he said, "i didn't understand how people could ignore something so beautiful like that."
kihyun's eyes stayed on his face as he spoke, taking in his sentence. he liked changkyun's mind, his thoughts, him. even on his bad days; when he cried, when he was scared, when it felt like he was the only one in the universe, slipping away from reality and his positive thoughts. kihyun understood him. he reached over and took changkyun's hand, earning a head tilt from the latter.
"sometimes beauty goes unnoticed, but sometimes it's deeper than appearance."
changkyun turned away.
"you're right." he took in a breath, still smiling, "some things are beautiful and i can't even see them."
kihyun's head spun in circles, teasing him with, changkyun's talking about you. it was unrealistic, obviously, he'd retort, burying those thoughts away. he sighed, watching the sun slowly hide behind the horizon. changkyun scooted closer in his seat and, wordlessly, placed his head on kihyun's shoulder.
minutes later, dark sky, changkyun quietly said, "we should go back."
"right now?" kihyun looked down.
shaking his head against kihyun's shoulder, he replied, "not just yet." changkyun closed his eyes, "i wanna stay like this for one more minute, is that okay?"
he admired changkyun, rather than averting his sight away out of the nervousness running over his skin. even when the cold breeze brushed past kihyun's cheeks, they felt warm.
"it's perfectly okay."
