Almost every evening, the two of them talked to each other on the phone. Every evening, just before the call, Felix was always so excited, just like now. His hands were sweating, and his finger trembled as he pressed the green receiver button on Friday night.

"Hey, Hyunjin-ah!" he answered the call, smiling.

By now, he had managed to talk to him a little more freely on the phone. But the blonde could hardly stop his heart from skipping a beat every time he heard the voice of his phone partner.
"Hey, Yongbok!" Hyunjin responded, though not as cheerfully as usual. A subtle tone had crept into his voice, which Felix immediately noticed.

"What's wrong?" he asked, more seriously, not believing Hyunjin's words when he said,
"Nothing. Everything's fine."

It wasn't in Felix's nature to push for answers, even though he desperately wanted to know what was bothering Hyunjin. But for some reason, he couldn't stop himself from speaking to Hyunjin in a concerned but familiar voice,

"Jinnie..."

Immediately, he covered his mouth with his hand. How could he address him like that? What had gotten into him?
The silence on the line was deafening, and Felix regretted addressing Hyunjin with such an intimate nickname.

"I... L-"

"-Sorry, what am I thinking, calling you like that? Forget what I said, okay?" Felix quickly interjected, trying to avoid saying anything that could hurt him. But when Hyunjin finally spoke, the blonde was left speechless.

"Please keep calling me Jinnie. But then, may I call you Lixie?"

The redness shot to Felix's cheeks, and he was relieved that his counterpart couldn't see it through the phone. He couldn't get a word out, afraid only squeaky sounds would escape.

"Lixie?"

As Felix lay on his bed, listening to the name Hyunjin used for him, his stomach tingled wildly, and the silence between them grew longer.

"Can I not call you that?" Hyunjin asked, now sounding concerned, and immediately, the words rushed out of Felix's mouth:

"Of course, you can call me that!"

A laugh came from the other end of the line, and Felix puffed up his cheeks. He didn't want to be laughed at.

"It's not funny," he grumbled into the phone.

"No! Please, forgive me, Lixie. But can you do me a favor?" Hyunjin calmed him down, making Felix curious with his question.

"Yes, what is it?"

"Say my name again."

"Huh? Hyunjin?" Felix didn't understand Hyunjin's request.

"No, the other one."

And that's when Felix understood. He couldn't stop the heat rushing to his face as he thought about saying the name so intimately.

"Please," and with that, Hyunjin had him.

"Jinnie..." Felix whispered almost into the phone, only to shout,

"Ahhh! Happy now?" and covered his face with the pillow.

"Thank you..." he heard Hyunjin's voice barely from the other end.

Once again, there was silence between the two. Felix removed the pillow from his face, took the phone off his ear, and checked the time.

00:28 AM.

Immediately, the blonde started yawning. They had been talking for over two hours. It was amazing how quickly time passed when they were talking, Felix thought.

"Oh, you're tired. I'll let you sleep then."

Even though Felix was tired, he didn't want to end the conversation.

"No, please. Just a little longer. Tell me about your last vacation," he yawned into the phone and settled under the blanket.

"Alright," Hyunjin said and began to tell the story. His last vacation had been in the Maldives. He had learned to dive there.

"What's it like to dive?" Felix asked curiously but sleepily.

"There were mostly sunny days," Hyunjin began, and his voice sounded more excited, "and when I dove below the surface, I immediately felt this incredible sensation of weightlessness. It was as if time slowed down, and everything around me was calm and peaceful. The colors underwater were simply surreal – the corals glowed in all kinds of colors, from bright pink to deep orange and blue. It felt like swimming through a living painting."

He paused briefly, as if reliving the moment.

"And then I saw the fish – so many different species. A school of colorful fish swam right in front of me, their stripes glowing against the deep blue water. There were also these huge, majestic rays that glided slowly across the sandy floor, their wings almost like those of a bird gliding silently through the air. But the real highlight was when a large sea turtle suddenly appeared in front of me. It swam leisurely and seemingly undisturbed, its flippers moving in a slow rhythm. I stayed completely still, following its every move – it was like a magical moment, where the turtle looked at me and just kept gliding as if we were in a silent, untouched world together."
Hyunjin sighed a little, "It was like the whole world down there existed in a different dimension – peaceful, beautiful, and free."

Hyunjin's voice was very soothing to Felix and almost lulled him to sleep. He could barely keep his eyes open and responded with a weak "Mhm" when Hyunjin asked a question.

"So, that's it. You're falling asleep on me while talking," he laughed. "Good night, Lixie." Those soft words came, and before Hyunjin ended the call, Felix mumbled into the receiver,
"Good night, Jinnie. I miss you."

...

On Saturday, Felix went grocery shopping and bought everything he needed for the next week. With three bags in tow, he made his way home. Before the grocery store, he had stopped by his favorite shop and bought a new outfit. He really wanted to look good for tomorrow.

A cold wind swept through the street, making the blonde shiver. Felix pulled his hat down over his ears. It had gotten really cold, and the temperatures signaled the arrival of winter.
When he got home, he took off his shoes, hung his coat and hat, and went to the kitchen with the bags.

There, he put the groceries where they belonged. He spent the afternoon reading. He had picked up an exciting book by Nora Roberts. Once he was done reading and it was already dark outside, he started cooking. He made himself Bibimbap.

The rice was cooking in the rice cooker, and most of the ingredients were ready. Felix decided to take a quick shower. Since he planned to wash his hair tomorrow for the date, it didn't take long, and as soon as he was back in the kitchen, the rice cooker beeped.

He arranged the ingredients in a bowl and placed the egg on top. Just as he was about to take the bowl and put it on the table, the doorbell rang.

Who could that be? Felix wondered as he casually strolled to the door.

He opened it, and there stood Hyunjin, with flushed cheeks. Out of breath, he barely managed to say "Hey" and grinned cheekily.
Felix was left with a stunned "Hey" as Hyunjin barged in and hugged a confused Felix without warning.