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Bam woke up late. He couldn't even tie his hair right and for sure he forgot some books at home. He can mourn about it laterーright now, he needs to go meet Khun at their usual spot before his best friend thinks Bam ditched him. (Which is impossible because Bam would never!)
Quick on his feet. He sees Khun from afar, fiddling with his phone. Bam is suddenly filled with eagerness and energy he never thought he'd have today.
With a big smile on his face, he shouts. "KHUN!!" Said person whips his head to Bam's directionーseconds before the brunet meets him with a tight hug with such force they almost got sent into the ground if Khun hadn't regained his footing.
Hair disheveled and slightly sweaty, Bam laughed at Khun's bewildered reaction that soon turned into a scowl. "Bam! We almost fell!"
"But we didn't!" Bam retorted and his smile turned smug, which Khun just sighed on.
Khun reached out on his pocket and took out his handkerchief, immediately wiping out the beads of sweat on Bam's face, with Bam leaning unto the touchーmaking Khun's heart skip a beat, cheeks tinted pink. He never gets used to this.
He clears his throat. "Why were you even rushing? You couldn't even tie your hair properly." Khun questioned and pinched Bam's cheek.
"Ahー! Ow ow ow ow!" Bam's arms let go of Khun's waist and tried to pull on his arm, eyes shut and brows furrowed adorably. "Khunーshtop!!!"
Khun pinched it tighter before releasing it, Bam glared at himーtriedーhe just couldn't so he sighed and smiled at him sheepishly instead. "I forgot to set my alarm properly and woke up late, I didn't want you to wait long."
Khun looked thoughtful for a second then looked around his bagーtaking out his comb. Bam looked at him with curiosity, Khun's hair looked perfectly okay already so why-
When Khun gestured for him to come closer, then he gets it. Khun has never done this before so he can't help but act so giddy and excited. He stepped closer then is told to turn around after.
"Khun?" Bam asked, Khun hummed in reply, took out his hair tie and started brushing Bam's hair.
As expected, it's soft. Khun had asked what Bam used on his hair before for it to be so softー"I just? Use shampoo? Do I have to use something else?" to Khun's surprise. Soft skin and silky hair without that much work? Could Bam be any more special?
"Aren't we going to be late?"
Khun paused, then went back to work. "I guess I didn't tell you then."
Bam made a noise of confusion which Khun smiled on. "Isu postponed the practice for tomorrow because of some urgent problems with the props. He was on a hurry that he just asked me to tell everyone else."
"But you didn't tell me?"
"I thought I did? I guess I kinda forgot about it because I was getting really into talking with you last night."
Bam laughed, a music to Khun's ears if Bam just hadn't unintentionally ignored his blatant flirting.
The bluenet finished brushing the other's hair and took small strands of hair from the left and right side of Bam's headーleaving the bangs behindーthen tied it to the back in a swift but delicate touch.
When Bam turned around with a look at him with a 'It's not my usual hairstyle?'ーKhun smirked. "Just felt like it. Besides, you look cuter."
Bam's lips tugged upwards, amused. "Well, since we have a free time, should we hang out at your place or something?"
"Thought you'd never ask."
______
Bam was just finishing on putting his things away for the day when Shibisu went to him and handed him a large stack of paper.
The brunet looked at the paper then at Isu's face, trying to figure out what was the paper for. It must've showed in his face cause Isu smiled apologetically.
"Adjustments that the scriptwriter added because of the issues we had with the props."
Bam's eyes looked at the paper with horror. More things to memorize? That stack was even thicker than the last one.
"Bam relax, the horror in your eyes is showing." Isu laughed and gestured to the paper. "It's not additionsーit's just a revised version of the older one. Some of the scenes before got removed and got replaced with scenes fitting with our limited props." The man sighed and ran his hands through his face. "Seriously! Why did professor Hansung had to give us a limit on how much money we should spend with the props?!"
Bam frowned. He never really liked the teacher throughout his years with Hansung as their professor. "He likes seeing his students suffer. I'd say he's secretly a sadist."
"Not a secret. I overheard him admit it one time at the teacher's office." An arm slung into Bam's shoulder, a bright smile made it's way to the brunet's face as he look at whom it belonged to. "Khun!"
Said person smiled crookedly at him, "Hey Bam."
Isu cleared his throat, catching both of their attention. "Honestly, the second Khun got in here, Bam's attention is suddenly just on him. I feel hurt Bam, my beloved." He put his hand to his heart, feigning hurt.
Bam laughed, "I didn't forget about you Isu, I was just greeting Khun!"
Isu looked at Bam then at Khunーwho's still staring the brunet with unmasked adorationーa smirk pulled itself into his mouth. "Oh yes! Sureee, I believe you." The man winked at them. "Anyways, the practice is tomorrow's tomorrow! Don't be late, you two."
"It's the day after tomorrow notー"
"Same thing!" Isu cut off Khun and took off, waving as he did so.
Bam shook his head, his friend can be really silly sometimes. He then turned to look at the man beside him, who's already looking at himーarms still around his shoulder, not that Bam minds.
"Should we go home?"
"Not yet, I gotta show you something new at the city that you'll truly love!"
Khun's eyes crinkled when he smiled at Bam, tugging out a fond smile from the him too, heart feeling full and warm.
He really loved being this close to Khun.
______
"Aaandーcut!" Isu's voice rang through the room and Hatz pressed stopped. Multiple sighs of relief were heard, being the loud one from Wangnan.
Wangnan jogged towards Bam, who's currently getting ready for the next scene, with a look like the blond just solved the most hardest problem of his life. The brunet greeted him with a sympathetic smile.
"I can't believe you had to take 37 takes just for your first scene, Wang."
Wangnan resisted the urge to pinch his brother on the face so hard. "Give me a break, 'Ole! I didn't expect to get casted in this! I was already doing good as one of the crew!"
"Hey, don't shout at me." Bam motioned to the direction of a certain enigmatic red haired companion of theirs. "Complain about it to Ryun."
Wangnan's surprise was clear. "What the hell? Did she really just added me just to get revenge at me for what happened last Sunday?!"
Bam didn't know what his brother was talking about, but he knew Hwaryun was extremely petty so he must've done something really bad for her to do thisーwhich is kinda hilarious.
"At least someone's amused at this."
"Sorry, Wang." The brunet offered a sympathetic pat at the blond's back. "You had it coming."
Wangnan squawked "You don't even know what Iー"
"Viole?" Goseng's soft voice called out beside Bam. "Are you ready? We're gonna shoot your next scene with Khun."
"I think I am?" Bam smiled, lightly scratching his cheek, a nervous tick he never grew out of on.
Wangnan's mouth formed into an 'O' before a wide smile took it's place. "Oooohーthat scene?"
"Mhm." Bam was busy nervously tugging at his clothes to see the smirk tugging on his brother's mouth.
"You'll do great!" Goseng cheered as she dragged Wangnan away. "Just relax, Viole."
"Yeah." Bam chuckled. "Thanks."
____
Bam will never get used to the instant switch of Khun's personality when he has to play a certain characterーdespite watching his best friend act on many theater plays before. Sometimes when Bam watches him act, he ends up just focusing on Khun and gets really into it. So you can't really blame it when Bam gets distracted a lot of times during their previous practices, really. But Bam does his best every practice to not zone out, and he got better at controlling himself! So this should be easy, right?
Oh boyーthe cut hasn't even started yet but as soon as he saw Khun, in full costume looking etherealーBam knew he has to put on an extra effort on playing his part.
Khun must've saw him fidget because he sent him a comforting smile and a wave from the opposite side of the room. Bam felt his heart swell, he's not sure if it helped him or just made the brunet even more nervous.
He takes a deep breath, andー
"Action!"
_____
___
Like a switch that got flipped, Khun stepped into the scene and the softness disappearedーreplaced with a mask of the character he currently plays. Bam almost got a whiplash.
____
"Eric!" Alex exclaimed as he held up a finished flower crown. Eric admired his enthusiasm beside him, wordlessly reaching for Alex's hand. Humming as he did so.
"I finally gotー"
Bam froze as he felt Ericーno Khunーor Eric? Kiss his hand. This wasn't in the script, was it? Did he just forgot?
KhーEric!! Looked up at his eyes, searching for something. He must've found it because he smirked and started trailing kisses on BーAlex's!!!!! open palm.
Bam's heartbeat grew quicker as he stared at Khun pressing soft kisses, cobalt blue eyes fixed on his golden irises.
"K...Eric? What are you...?" Bam's voice came out wobbly, he'd be embarrassed about it but his attention is fully at Khun. He's pretty sure this wasn't part of the scriptーIsu would've told him if there were changes. He feels so lost and it's probably showing.
Khun smiled, his normally sharp eyes, softening. He let go of Bam's palm but sat closer and put a hand on the brunet's cheek.
"Isn't obvious?" Khun laughs, caressing his cheek. "Showing affection towards my beloved."
Beloved.
Beloved?
Oh. That's right.
They're both are acting characters that are actually dating. It's not Khun and Bam. It's Eric and Alex. It's not real. It's only a play.
[Unaware of Bam's inner turmoil, Khun continues caressing the other's cheek.
"I love you," Khun pauses. "Alex."
Khun wanted to say Bam.]
_____
[The characters Khun and Bam that are playing are in an established relationship in the story.]
Bam realizes later that night as he found himself wishing that they were just like the characters in the story, that he's been in love with his best friend. With Khun.
And suddenly, everything made sense.
_____
Bam is hiding in the libraryーwell, not just hiding, but also studying. But mostly hiding.
Bam had been avoiding Khun.
Did it brought him peace of mind? Absolutely not.
He's absolutely loosing it. After his realization that night, everything changed but it's likeーthe same?
He was still doing what he was doing before but nowーhe had awareness. And that changes everything. He thinksーthought about Khun a lot! How did he not notice it?
He's glad that he can use finals as an excuse to just be alone. For what reason? Bam doesn't know.
(Wangnan has been teasing him a lot after the recording. Apparently, everyone in the set felt like they were intruding a private moment.)
He hates it. He misses Khun so much but the thought of seeing him makes Bam's knees go weak.
Bam audibly groans then proceeded to burry his face in his palms. He has to study! Goddamnit.
He then hears a slight thud of books being placed in the library table next to him.
The brunet freezes. Had he been wallowing in self pity so much that he forgot to pay attention to his surroundings? Yes he had.
"Bam." Khun's voice came out soft, and low. As if he's scared of him bolting offーwell actually, he might do that. Because any the more time Khun stays beside him, the more Bam's self control is thinning and he might just do something really stupid and impulsive if he doesn't do something about it soon.
"Can I talk to you?" No? Yes? What. "Please?"
Bam lowered his hands, no longer covering his face. He can never resist his best friend anything, can't he?
Khun took it as a sign to start talking.
"Look." He started solemnly, dropping his gaze to the table. "First, I just want to apologize if I made you uncomfortable during the shoot. I can totally understand if you hateー"
"No!" Bam almost bolted up his seat, getting a 'shush' from someone.
"But you were avoiding me?" Khun looked so confused, lips parted. Bam may have or may not have stared at it too long for it to be considered as platonic.
"I don'tーdon't hate you...I just." He bit his lip and felt the last of his resolve crumbling down. He pulled Khun upーdragged him out of the library to their empty classroomーshutting the door close.
"..Bam?" Khun called, his hands reaching for Bam's own but decided against it, and pulled it back. Bam turned to look at Khun, eyes wide with hurt, surprising the bluenet.
"What'sー"
"I don't hate you Khun, in fact it's the opposite! I justーit's just...I don't think I could explain it without risking youーour friendship." Bam lowered his gaze to the ground. "I didn't want you to hate me."
"Me? Hating you?" Khun's face shifted into bewilderment. "Bam, I'm confused. What's going on?"
Bam exhaled. Here it goes. "I found myself getting upset after the shoot because I realized how much I wished it was real. I'm so sorry."
Khun gulped, did he just hear that exactly?
He stepped forward until they're one feet apart. "Bam." Said person stubbornly held his head down, Khun sighed fondly and just pulled Bam to his chest, ignoring the others' sound of protest.
"Do you seriously think that I didn't feel the same?" The bluenet teased, his arm tightening around the brunet.
Wait what.
"I'm honestly offended that you think I'd just go around, touch and flirt with people that aren't you." Khun shook his head to feign disappointment. Bam abruptly pulled away from the hug to look at his best friend's face, looking for signs of dishonesty and signs thatー
"Khun.." Bam whispers, eyes wide and brows scrunched together. "Please tell me this is what I think this is."
Cobalt blue eyes softened, a teasing grin pulling on the bluenet's mouth. "Well, what do you think?"
"That.." Bam hesitated, but pushed aside his fear, face flushed. "..You also love me."
"Oh? Also? Does that mean you love me too?"
"Khun!" Said person laughed and took Bam's palm, pressing small kisses on it. Seemingly mimicking the affectionate gesture back on the set days ago.
But this time, it's the opposite of pretending that it's all act while hiding their true feelings.
Khun's palm makes it way to Bam's face, caressing his cheek. His heart flutters when he leans unto the touch. Khun presses his forehead against the brunet, eyes drunk in love. Bam allows himself to be seen and to see. And Khun allows himself to finally sayー
"I love you, Bam."
Face flushed and eyes glinting with pure happiness, Bam responds with a sweet kiss.