It took even less than an hour to get there by train. It's been about two months, maybe a little more since Chanyeol last visit the big city. Other than different commercials appearing on the many big screens around the streets, nothing has changed at all. One thing is certain, the heat is a lot more bearable here in the city. The shade buildings are casting down on the street is many degrees colder than when you stand in the sun. 

Chanyeol had already planned the day out. First, the audition. Then, lunch at their favourite place and generally a hang out. Since his good friends are part of the same company he's auditioning to, they made sure he wouldn't need to bring his own instrument. The audition would be held in the studio, which means all musical equipment could be used to show his skills. That was a big relief for him. It'd be a problem to bring the guitar and his keyboard with him on his own through the train ride.

He finally arrived to the enterance of the big building. With a confident smile he stepped in and entered the elevator, he already knew exactly where he's supposed to be going. So while passing through the floors he checked his phone. Ah, there are a few messages from Kyungsoo. He sent a blurry picture of a misshapen lemon that fell off their tree in the morning apparently. Hahaha, why is it just so adorable. He could see a random office worker who shared the elevator journey with him was looking at him weirdly because Chanyeol couldn't hold back his smile. Who cares? It's better so smile from texts than to cry. Chanyeol quickly typed back a lengthy 'Hahaha' with a few smilies before sliding the phone back in his pocket. He didn't bring his own instruments with him, but he surely brought his notes and laptop with some samples and works in progress.

The elevator's door opened and he entered the long hall of the eleventh floor. There were many doors on both sides of the hallway, but it didn't take him long to find out his destination. At the end of the hall was a little waiting area where a few other people were sitting and waiting for their audition turn. Oh.. That might actually take a while if everyone are waiting for the same exam. Right as Chanyeol was about to take a seat on the little waiting bench, a door opened and a girl walked outside, it looks like she cried. They called out a name and another girl entered. If it goes like this, Chanyeol's turn would be after three more people.

But to his surprise, another door opened and when a guy was walking outside the room another name was called. That's a lot better, it means there are two rooms where people will be doing their auditions. Nice. While sitting and waiting Chanyeol tapped his fingers on the bench in a rhythm only he could hear, and even checked his phone again. He saw a few messages from his groupchat with Baekhyun and Jongin. They are probably waiting to hear how the audition went. He was happier to meet his friends again than he was nervous about the audition itself. Which was great for him. Baekhyun and him have been classmates since high-school, and when they were seniors they met freshman Jongin and bonded immediately.

Before he could become bored of the wait his name was already called into one of the rooms. It wasn't exactly a studio as he imagined, but inside were placed all of the instruments he masters. Three judges made of one old man and two adult women were sitting behind a table with a bunch of papers to rank his performance. It seems that by simply entering and bowing to them with a respectful smile he already earned half of their heart, because they all returned the smile quite enthusiastically. He was asked various questions about his education, about his lifestyle, about his knowledge of music, and then the practical exam began. Chanyeol let them hear a few samples on his laptop first, then he played an emotional piece on the keys, and to finish the audition on a good mood he sang a cheerful song while strumming the acoustic guitar.

Just as expected, it passed smoothly. Chanyeol didn't mess up once. Even if he did the judges would have probably not minded it one bit. At least to him it felt like they completely fell for him, which is most likely the case, considering when he entered at first they looked exhausted and unhappy. 

"Yah, where are you two? Already there? 'Kay, I'm on my way. See ya in a few~!" He hummed into the phone while making his way down the street to their favourite spot. Normally walking in the city like this would feel just like home. But after moving out and spending a while in the peaceful town that is so much more quiet and less judgemental than the city, Chanyeol felt a little out of place. His appearance was definitely fit for the city, that's for sure. His fashion sense is very chic and simple, so he matches well. He does stick out of a crowd due to his height and good looks, and it wouldn't have bothered him if he lived there. He used to love the attention, but right now he is just foreign.

When he got closer to the restaurant he noticed two other guys who stood out a little from the crowd, and without hesitation went right to them with a smile and spreaded arms.

"Chanyeol-ahh~!" Baekhyun and Jongin called out in sync and gathered into a small group hug of the three of them.
"Wassup guys, I haven't seen you in ages!! It's good to be back. Even though after spending some time at a rural town, the air here is really filthy..." Chanyeol said with a shrug when the three stepped inside and sat down to the same table they always get when they go there.
"So! How did the audition go? I bet you stunned them." Baekhyun said while leaning back in his chair and taking off his sunglasses, folding them and hanging on the collar of his shirt.
"I did actually, yes. It was cool, a big help for setting the instruments there. The judges were whipped! Haha." Chanyeol cheered with satisfaction before giving a glance to Jongin who was busy on his phone.
"Yah, kiddo, I haven't seen you in ages and you're on the phone?" He scrunched his nose with a pout.
"Sorry sorry, my girlfriend keeps sending me pics of her art projects haha. I don't really understand it well, but I still love it, ya know? She made it herself." Jongin replied with a chuckle and showed the other two a few of her photography pieces on his phone.
"Psshh~! I'm glad you two are still holding though, especially after all the uproar the fans brought up before."
"Of course, we've been friends forever. We can handle it." 

The three ordered their food and spent a great time chatting and dinging together. They talked about the company a lot, about the workers and about the music itself. About their families and pets. Chanyeol told them all about the new town he moved to, about how Toben is doing, about the huge field behind his house, and finally began speaking about the next door neighbours.

"So my room has this really big window, and I can see the huge field I told you about before, but right in front of my window there's the neighbour's window! Now you'd all go crazy if you knew who's window it is.."
"DUDE!! You're peeking on a girl?! You have to invite me for a sleepover sometime HAHAHA!" Baekhyun interrupted in the middle and began laughing loudly.
"Bro, that's gross. The neighbours are the nicest people in the world. In the room right across from my window there's this guy, he's only a bit younger than me and he's literally the softest dude I know." Chanyeol began explaining with a smile and pulled his phone out of his pocket.
"A guy? Waah, that's boring." Baekhyun expressed his thoughts once again and sunk down on the table with his arms.
"He won't bore you, trust me. He's so... adorable? In a way I've never seen a guy before. His eyes are HUGE, and his lips are literally shaped like a heart!" Chanyeol tried to convince them. Jongin didn't seem to be impressed, and Baekhyun just raised his eyebrow with a pout while listening.
"I mean, he's a bit weird and all.. Like, he's very shy or something I guess. He barely speaks and when he does he has a weird accent.. But it isn't dialect, it's something I've never heard before." Chanyeol scrolled down his photos folder on the phone until he finally found what he was looking for.

He put it in front of the two, and on the screen was a picture of Kyungsoo sitting on the grass and staring up at the sky, behind him are the swings that Chanyeol and Kyungsoo often meet at to hang out. Chanyeol took that picture one day when Kyungsoo wasn't paying attention to him. Convinced he'd notice the shutter noise of his phone's camera, the picture came out a tiny bit blurry because of the panic. He wanted to take another one since Kyungsoo didn't notice it, but decided to give up. So he only has this one single picture of him on the phone.

"You're weird, and he is even weirder." Baekhyun replied before raising his upper body back into a proper sitting position and sipping the last bit of the drink he ordered.
"Yeah it's a bit strange you took a picture.. Do you take picture of us too when we aren't looking?" Jongin laughed out jokingly, which made Baekhyun join with a chuckle of his own.

They split the pay between the three of them, and were out on their way again. Baekhyun suggested they'd go to a karaoke booth so they could examine exactly how good Chanyeol is. Jongin and him knew exactly how good he was, they heard his progression through the years. But in spirit of the audition they all agreed and went into the nearest place that offers the service. Baekhyun tried to convince Chanyeol to sing first, but ended up starting the singing competition with a silly children's song that he messed up on purpose to make the other two laugh. Then it was Jongin who chose to sing a very well known song that has simple notes while improvising a sort of dance to it as well. Chanyeol sang a ballad that he'd been practicing on his own for a while, and went to the toilet once he was done.

When he came back he stopped at the door of the booth and listened, something was off. Chanyeol leaned his ear against the door and heard Baekhyun singing a song in a very weird manner while pronouncing words incorrectly. Huh? Well, Baekhyun always does these things when he tries to joke around. So Chanyeol shrugged and entered the room, only to find the two standing up and making extremely stupid noises and gestures. They stopped when they noticed Chanyeol returned though. Baekhyun had his fingers shaped into circles, and because he placed them over his eyes it looked like big glasses.
Are they.. imitating Kyungsoo?

"Yaahaha~ Chanyeol-ah~ You were so quick~" Baekhyun quickly placed a hand behind his head and smiled at him widely yet fakely. He knew them too well to know whether their smiles are honest.
"Chanyeol-- It's not--" Jongin began nervously.
"I don't wanna hear it. You guys are seriously disgusting me right now." Chanyeol said in a loud tone of cold anger. He grabbed his backpack and left the room without saying another word.

So the city's mentality hasn't left them. Chanyeol sighed with frustration. He knew he won't be able to stay angry at his friends forever, but why would they do such a thing? It's just so low and rude. Was he like that before he moved as well..? He thought they'd be grownups by now, but they acted even worse than bad children. Ugh, such a disappointment. He really didn't expect them to behave this way. He tried to calm himself down, but his blood kept boiling in his veins. It seems the people around him could sense his anger as well, because when he entered the train station to get back home everyone cleared a path for him.

All through the way back home all Chanyeol wanted was to see Kyungsoo, even for a moment, just to make sure that he is alright. He couldn't bear the thought of Kyungsoo being bullied by anybody, even not his own two good friends. It's true that Kyungsoo is very different from normal people. He is unique in his own way. So what if he speaks a little slow.. So what if he pronounces things a little strange.. So what if he is shy around strangers.. It doesn't make it okay to look down at him like this. Baekhyun and Jongin both tried to contact him through the groupchat, but he responded with a dry 'See you next time.' and hasn't bothered to check the rest of the replies.

By the time Chanyeol got back home his head was pounding and his fists were clenched really tight around the handles of his own backpack. The sun was setting from beyond the field and even though the air was pretty cool he felt like burning. Instead of getting right inside his own house, he took a few more steps and looked over the green bushes that were the fence of the Do family's residence. 

That was the moment all of the steam finally blew off of his chest. He saw Kyungsoo laying on his stomach on top of a picnic matt in his garden. There was a notebook by his side with a few pencils, but he was just resting and reading a book peacefully in the shade of the lemon tree. Ahh.. He is too precious. If anything would happen to Kyungsoo, Chanyeol would definitely go crazy. He didn't understand himself why he had such great attachment to the boy, but it's better not to question such things. Sometimes the heart just knows.

---

After the incident with Baekhyun and Jongin, Chanyeol's fondness of Kyungsoo only grew more. It'd take about two weeks until the answer regarding his audition will arrive, so until then, It's Kyungsoo time.

The ringing of their doorbell woke Chanyeol up from his accidental noon nap, and while still wearing his pajamas he made his way to the front door. Finishing his long yawn before rubbing his face a little and revealing the person who came to their doorstep. Chanyeol was stunned when he saw Kyungsoo standing there. He was looking up at Chanyeol with a bit of a surprise himself, his hands tugging slightly to the bottom of his own shirt out of shyness.

"Chanyeol, Ah..Uhm.. Do you want to paint with me?" Kyungsoo said it so softly, so gentle and warm, that Chanyeol felt like his heart would never continue beating again.
"Paint with you?" Chanyeol was still in a state of slight shock.
"Yes, in the field, and then dinner at home with me and mom." Kyungsoo's voice was a little shaken from how nervous he was. Chanyeol's surprise must have probably made him feel a little stressed for no reason.

It was silent for a few seconds, in which Kyungsoo was looking up at Chanyeol's face with an expression that fills with more and more hesitation.
Chanyeol's expression on the other hand, changed into a radiant happy smile that exposed all of his teeth before he nodded with excitement.

"YES! Of course!! I would love to paint with you, Kyungsoo!! Let me just quickly change my clothes, alright?"
"A-Ah.. Yes, okay." Kyungsoo's face seems to be shining as well. His tension was relieved in a second, and in it's stead came a bright smile that even with the attempts of hiding it, was still showing.

Kyungsoo played a little bit with Toben while waiting for Chanyeol to change and return, and once he was done the two went outside. It was the early afternoon, the sky was bright and clear except for a few small clouds here and there. Chanyeol helped Kyungsoo carry all of the equipment out into the spot in the middle of the field, and before Kyungsoo could reach it, he already set up the parasol at the correct position. They exchanged warm smiles and Chanyeol recieved not only a whole bunch of equipment to use, but also a grey apron that seems to have been in use before, to protect his clothes from the paint.

Ahh.. His heart was dancing with happiness inside his chest. He was nowhere as good as Kyungsoo, but he knew that Kyungsoo invited him not because he wanted him to paint a masterpiece. After a short while of staring at their blank canvases the two began painting the view in front of them. Even from the way they held their brushes it's easy to tell Chanyeol has no experience with such things. He finished his own piece fairly quickly. It looked simple and easy, as if a child drew it. But Kyungsoo was not even half way through with his.

They spent hours like that. Chanyeol just quietly watched Kyungsoo paint, from time to time they spoke a little. In the background there were the soft noises of the dry wheat brushing up and down lightly due to the soft breeze. It really felt like a sort of dream. So much that Chanyeol ended up falling into a nap on the picnic matt they brought with them.

By the time he woke up it was starting to get dark outside. When he looked up to see Kyungsoo's painting he noticed that Kyungsoo added a figure in the field as well, but this time the figure was dressed.. The same as Chanyeol. Was it supposed to be him? Chanyeol smiled to himself, feeling his own heart flutter a little, before he turned his head to the side and found Kyungsoo lying and napping right by his side. Ah.. His lips are slightly parted, and he looks so peaceful..Chanyeol's heart began beating a little faster. Maybe if he just.. Leans in, nobody would have to know..

But right before his own lips could touch Kyungsoo's, the other woke up and Chanyeol had to act out an excuse as to why he was this close to Kyungsoo.
They brought all of the equipment inside, and had a pleasant dinner with Kyungsoo's mother. It was the first time Chanyeol was invited to the Do house, yet he felt at home right away. Afterwards, they went into Kyungsoo's room and talked for at least another hour. About Kyungsoo's favourite books, about the different schools they went to, about food. 

Before Chanyeol left to get back home, he pleaded Kyungsoo to accept the invitation to his home. At first there was a lot of hesitation, but a soft to Kyungsoo's arm was enough to convince him. Yes! So Kyungsoo will be coming over next time! Just like Chanyeol promised at the very first time they were out at the middle of the field together, he would have to think of a refreshing drink to offer in exchange for the lemonade. Is he being a little too much? Kyungsoo probably doesn't even remember that Chanyeol said it.. But a promise is a promise. That night the two waved at each other with smiles from the windows, and Chanyeol had a reccuring dream. 

He was lying in a golden field, looking up at the sky and watching the clouds passing by. It was peaceful. It was quiet, but this time he felt that there was a person's palm in his hand. This time someone was lying there with him. He didn't feel lonely anymore.