BG

"Kai. Kai. KAI!"

Beomgyu grins as Huening Kai wakes up with a bit of drool dripping off his face, a light flush on his cheeks from the champagne they drank during the flight. Although they sat side by side in business class, Beomgyu barely interacted with the youngest member of their duo HUEGYU, except for when they decided to recommend each other their favorite movie from the beginning of the flight.

Beomgyu slept for the majority of the flight from Seoul to Singapore. If Beomgyu is guessing right, Kai spent most of the time watching movies and playing games, until eventually succumbing to his sleep deprivation.

"Remind me why we decided to head to Singapore early," Kai groans.

Beomgyu tsks, trying to remember the true reason as well. "Vacation, remember? One day to ourselves."

Before the continuation of the world tour. One day in Singapore, completely to themselves, sounds like bliss. Beomgyu can think of a million things to do in the city, and all include a variety of vibrant foods that can't be found anywhere else.

A little sharp knife nudges his heart. He knows the true reason why he invited Kai here. Sure, it involves finally gaining the bravery to try chili crab and laksa. It also includes an echo of brokenness, a deep divide that he's been trying to make sense of.

Why couldn't he take the first step in the airplane? Why does he have to wait until they've landed in the heart of Singapore?

"Cab or train?" Beomgyu asks, a little itch tugging at his throat.

He wishes he could just let Kai decide everything on this trip. Perhaps that would make it up to him. Perhaps it would cast light on the confusion that swirls within his stomach.

As they make their way off the plane, Beomgyu tries to infuse some pep into his legs, forcing himself to draw on the performer and the master of channeling his energy.

"You look like a crab," Huening Kai comments while adjusting his duffel bag's straps over his shoulder.

Maybe it's the easy way that Kai says it, as if they're back in their first dorm and Beomgyu decided to steal the last bag of chips. Again.

"No, no. You have a lot to learn, Kai."

He laughs, surprising himself when his giggles stay with him even after a few minutes of walking through the airport. They can skip baggage claim thanks to their light packing, and that fact gives Beomgyu even more energy.

Beomgyu hums. "Now, how exactly do we call a cab here?"

Huening Kai strides forward. "I got it."

The younger member of HUEGYU speaks in English to one of the airport staff. "Excuse me. How do we call a cab to Tiong Bahru?"

Beomgyu gulps and finds his chest heating up. He coughs into his palm, trying to calm himself down.

Perhaps... he has to be honest. Perhaps when Huening Kai also entered his twenties, he changed. Not much his kind soul, but the way he carries himself. The way he even looks at Beomgyu, as if he is considering breaking him apart.

He sits with his knees close together in the cab, but before Kai can lose himself in another mobile game, he juts out his hand.

His pointer finger brushes Kai's forearm, but he doesn't apologize like he would before the flight. "Kai. You still didn't confirm what you wanted to do today."

"Uh." Kai scratches his chin, and the light through the car window captures his newest shade of hair, going back to a classic brunette that Beomgyu adores. "I don't know. That's why I was counting on you to form the itinerary."

Beomgyu could growl. Instead, he rests his back completely against the faux leather seat. He knew Singapore would be hot. But this hot? Even with the AC on full blast, he could probably shed his shirt and pour a bucket of ice on his head.

By the time they reach Tiong Bahru, Beomgyu is dreading opening the car door. After paying the potbelly driver with his card, he enters the full heat and scurries over with Kai to the shade.

"Our Airbnb should be close by," Kai says. "I figured it out. We should just put our things down and then explore. Be spontaneous with it."

"Oh. So now you've decided to use your P."

Kai blushes. "What?"

Beomgyu waves his hand in the air, creating a wide arc. "Your personality type. Also, maybe that is a good idea."

In the elevator, Beomgyu tries to hide how exactly he's scared for his life. The lift is rickety, and since it goes so fast, he has an image of himself plummeting down to the ground.

Kai sets a strong hand on his back. "It's okay, Beomgyu."

When did the sunlight become captured into the touch of his friend? When did he start to see him in a different light?

Was it when they shared a meal?

Or when they comforted each other after sobbing together for an hour? They had reflected back then on mortality, about the uncertainty of their future as singers. They love their lives, but somehow they both were filled with dread that night a few months ago.

That was the first night Huening Kai hugged Beomgyu with a desperate tightness. His lips had brushed Beomgyu's cheek as they drew together for the last time.

Beomgyu shakes the memory away as they reach their floor. At the very end of the hall, they turn right and punch in the passcode.