Work Text:
Mixed voice would sound better here
“Hey, dude– Move away or I'll knock you out with my board!”
Then a falsetto on the 'hey'
“What are you doing, you can't hit the guy–”
“Donghyuck!”
It wasn't the unanimous scream of someone's name that brought Doyoung to a stop (though he did hear it through his bluetooth headphones—that were ironically in the color blue). It was the sudden thin object made out of maple wood that came into view, slamming on top of Doyoung's notebook. It made him drop his click pen, startled by the unforeseen circumstance.
Just a few hours ago, Doyoung was minding his own business in the usually unpopulated park located near his place. He was sitting on a simple steel bench—with no arm and back rests—and staring at the blank white wall in front of him. He only had words on his notebook, scribbling them with his pen. Maybe he had a few lines of erasures, but still, it was all in black ink. Right now, however, his notebook was filled with the same color (and a bit of brown), though instead of ink, the material was rather of filth and dust with particles of rocks in it.
Staring at the skateboard with the dirtiest wheels, Doyoung was scared for his life thinking that it was some thug on drugs. It's not like he'd harm me in broad daylight right? He thought, but there were no bystanders that would witness if it would actually happen. They were in the secluded area of the park where it was all cement with no signs of grass while the very few people who visited there preferred to stay on the greener side of it.
He looked up hesitantly, trembling in fear. He was blinded by the light of the sun meeting his eyes, so he shut them tight. But truly, he still wasn't ready to see the face of his doom (he still had to finish his EP after all, and he hadn't even started writing his side tracks). The other must have noticed Doyoung's contorted face because he moved a little to the right to shield him from the light—casting his shadow upon him. Then, he took his board off of Doyoung's notebook and made it stand vertically while he loosely held the end of it.
“Hey.” The guy—Donghyuck—mumbled, nudging him with his shoes and dirtying Doyoung’s pants in the process.
Doyoung didn't dare to open his eyes yet. Instead, a series of hush whispers of apologies was the reaction he gave to Donghyuck (something the boy hadn't expected at all).
“Dude, just”—he used his freehand to take off Doyoung's headphones—“here, catch!” he said as he let go off his board, making it fall forward.
Doyoung opened his eyes in confusion, letting out a yelp at the sight of the skateboard falling towards him again. Though this time, he caught it. And now that his eyes were open, he looked up again at the other boy—his face now coming into view instead of the sun. But instead of an old and nasty criminal, he was greeted by the face of someone in his young adulthood with bright orange hair and skin that shined a natural warm glow.
He had a thin smile on his lips as he bobbed his head to the melody playing in Doyoung’s headphones. The latter thought this boy in front of him was the embodiment of the sun itself—it made him want to close his eyes again thinking that he wasn't worthy to lay them on such beauty. Ironically though, Donghyuck had his eyes closed while listening intently to the track playing from—
“HEY!” Doyoung grabbed his notebook and marched towards him, letting go of the skateboard. “Don't listen to that!” He grumbled angrily with a hint of embarrassment on his cheeks, since a total stranger had just listened to his vocal draft.
Doyoung took his headphones back, and at the same time did a once-over of the boy—who was surprisingly a few inches shorter than him. This entirely wasn’t at all what he expected.
Donghyuck, on the other hand, was laughing at Doyoung's outburst. “Holy—was that your voice?” he asked with wide eyes. “I haven't heard that song before, what's it called—no, wait!”
Upon realizing why the taller one was so busy for him to not notice Donghyuck's warning earlier, the sunlit boy harshly snatched Doyoung’s notebook. He ran fast, stepping on his board as he knew the other would try to get it back.
And he was right, Doyoung did indeed try to grab hold of his notebook as Donghyuck skated away on his board while dusting off the page and reading his unfinished lyrics. The former yelled at the other to return it as he ran after him. He was only answered with Donghyuck reading his cheesy lyrics out loud, exaggeratedly, that it made him cringe at his own writing. Successfully, he managed to take the notebook back but much to his dismay he had stepped on Donghyuck's skateboard making him trip.
Doyoung thought that of all days, today was his most unfortunate.
And that was where it all began, Doyoung's new-found nuisance (that he really wasn't hoping to find). The moment he heard noises owned not by one, but by six teenagers who were bursting into laughter. He could never forget how the rowdy bunch were laughing at him while his rear end ached from having fallen onto the hard concrete. Though (not-so) luckily, he still stopped him from reading everything. Even if Donghyuck had already read a full page of it (which would've been equivalent to the boy seeing him topless because Doyoung had bared himself in that notebook).
After the embarrassment sank in, he quickly got up, walking his path of shame and leaving the park despite hearing the rowdy skateboarder calling for him (partly teasing him). And Doyoung hoped that he wouldn't get to see them again.
But the universe just loved to prove people's assumptions to be wrong.
Doyoung met the view of the (not-so) blank wall again seeing it now filled with graffiti, a bold 'dream' written on it in large uppercase letters. Still the same spot. He still sat in the exact same spot the day after two tomorrows. He wasn't going to let a group of emo, cool-boy-wannabe delinquents with mops of paired up bright-colored hair that certainly crossed the school dress code, get him out of his quiet place—his peaceful haven.
That which would soon be the opposite as the sound of wheels rolling against the cemented floor became louder and louder, and closer and closer. Doyoung increased the volume of his headphones to tune them out—the noise—and by that he realized why he couldn't stay on beat when he sang.
He noticed yet another flaw in this musically-inclined path of his. He focused on the layer of piano chords playing in the background, only to be disappointed as it went off key. He remembered how tired he was when he mixed that piece with the bass track. He kept passing out as he reckoned his head had fallen on his laptop one too many times last night.
“Hey, that's a nice laptop!” Donghyuck had pulled one end of his headphones so he could hear him.
Doyoung wasn't one to believe that a voice could be disruptive, he thought everyone deserves to be heard. Not to mention the uniqueness in each, even if some were similar to others, they still had their own distinction. He believed voices were special and worth listening to.
Not until, of course, he heard Donghyuck shouting in his ear—that it made him want to tape up his mouth or cut off his own ear (whichever was better). This voice was indeed very distinctive, but hell was it very annoying too.
“Don't pull on it! You're gonna break Azula.” Doyoung took his headphones off his head, setting it on the bench.
“You name your gadgets after fictional characters?” Donghyuck responded in no time, shocked and exhilarated by the sudden information. “Is your laptop called Zuko? Greetings Prince Zuko—no he's the fire lord now—My humblest greetings to you, Fire Lord Zuko—” the younger yelped when he bowed.
Doyoung had shut the laptop right at his face quite harshly (he could only hope he didn't break it).
Donghyuck was glaring at him. “Rude! I was trying to start a conversation here.”
Rolling his eyes, Doyoung corrected the boy who had wrongly assumed his laptop's name. “Zuko is my dog. This is Bum Ju.” He was slightly amused that Donghyuck knew what he was talking about.
“Bumi's spirit friend Bumi Junior?”
Excited by the fact that Donghyuck knew what he meant, Doyoung's enthusiasm grew. “Yes! I named my first laptop after King Bumi, and then the second one was Bumi, Aang’s son. But both aren't functional anymore. I'm hoping this will last long since Bum Ju is a spirit.” he laughed, finding his own joke funny. “Get it? Because spirits don't…” he trailed off as he realized that the two of them had other company.
Of course Donghyuck was with his friends, and of course they would be laughing at him, again.
“That's so lame,” the boy with pink hair—who had the height of everyone's dreams—said.
“Shut it, Korra anti.” The shortest of them all sent glares at the boy with the same hair color as his.
“Naming your laptop, who does that?” said the blue-haired eye-smile.
“Lonely people, hyung.” the one with the same mop of bright orange as Donghyuck responded to the previous boy.
“Oh come on! It's just like naming your plushies~ I do that, too!” the other boy with blue hair said as he grinned from ear to ear like a cheshire cat.
“I think it's cute, his enthusiasm, it's very adorable.” Donghyuck finally spoke.
Doyoung didn't know if it was sarcastic or not but the smile the boy gave him made his anger dissipate, replacing it with a different flame.
He added. “But Chenle is right, only lonely people do that. You're single, you don’t have friends, and you live alone, don’t you?”
Appalled by the backhanded compliment (and astoundingly accurate assumption), Doyoung scoffed and pointed a finger at all of them. “You all might be friends but I doubt even one of you is in a relationship right now! And if so, you won't last a month.” he spat glaring at them.
They responded by laughing again, refueling his anger. One more set of laughs and Doyoung would think he’d blow up. He hated people laughing at him.
“Duh, we're actually dating each other. We even have matching hair colors,” the orange—Chenle—deadpanned.
Shocked at the response, Doyoung's jaw dropped along with a gasp as he stared dumbfounded at the six boys paired in pink, blue, and orange.
“No way, you're what?” he glanced at Donghyuck for confirmation instinctively—since the latter was the only one he ever spoke to (even if it wasn't a casual conversation).
Of course, again, everyone laughed. “Dude, you're so gullible.” Donghyuck pushed Doyoung's arm—a habit the latter had observed in their last meeting when he laughed with his friends.
Doyoung jabbed his gut using his elbow as payback. But unlike Donghyuck, it was harder and definitely wasn't in a joking manner.
“Hey, that hurt!” Donghyuck huffed as he kneaded the spot on his side.
“If you don't want to get hit again, then leave.”
He put his headphones back on, sliding to the opposite side of the bench from where Donghyuck was. He sat the farthest he could from him, moving his laptop bag and making sure he wasn't gonna fall—leaving a bit of allowance from the edge of the bench. But little did he know that Donghyuck would just ignore his threat and now had himself seated next to him, almost too close if it weren't for the bag between them.
“If getting hit means I get to stay. Then, I'll gladly receive one.”
And so, Donghyuck did stay but Doyoung didn't have to hit him. He couldn't hit him again, no matter how annoying he was while the former was editing the piano chords. He didn't have the heart to do so. Truthfully, it was an accident that he hit Donghyuck's side hard and he was guilty of it. And he felt even more guilty every time he caught Donghyuck subtly massaging it.
Taking off his headphones and putting it around his neck, the sound of wheels, laughter and someone crashing into someone else was heard from a distance. But Doyoung couldn't care less of what Donghyuck's friends were doing. Instead, he focused his full attention on the boy, facing him.
“Are you okay?” He had asked with utmost concern.
“Oh, finally! I thought I was gonna get nothing out of you, it was like talking to a wall. Sorry, I get really hyped about Avatar—wait, could you even hear me?” Donghyuck had adjusted himself on the bench that now he was facing his body towards Doyoung, bringing his legs up and crossing them together. “And no, I'm not okay. You hit me really hard…” he said, rather sadly, contrasting his cheerful personality from just a few seconds ago.
This alarmed Doyoung, not quite knowing why, but a frown involuntarily made its way on his face—which was enough to tell that he was indeed very worried about the boy.
“Shit, does it hurt even when you don't move? How much, on a scale of 1-10?” he frantically said.
And his first instinct was to look it up—what remedy to ease the pain. Though he paused for a moment, staring at his screen. His mouse floated above the search bar as he thought of what exact keywords he should type in it.
But he didn't have to think long now that Donghyuck snickered and cackled (he had successfully fooled the other again).
“You really are gullible,” Donghyuck said with a grin that irked Doyoung, “I mean, look at you. Dude, do you think you're that strong?”
And that was it. Doyoung had reached the limit of his patience.
“You know what? I'm leaving. I've had enough of your blabbering.” He picked up his bag, putting his laptop in it carefully but with a loud and aggressive pull on the zipper.
“Oh! So you did hear me,” Donghyuck said in amusement, “So what’s your take on the separation of social classes in Ba Sing Se?”
Doyoung ignored him even if he was tempted to answer, walking away in hurried steps.
Donghyuck stood up as well, following him. “You know, we should binge-watch it sometime. I have a huge TV in my room,” he said, reaching for his arm.
Doyoung turned around as he felt Donghyuck grabbing his wrist. “No comment. And please, why would we do that? We barely even know each other and you act like we do, you creep.” he said as he pulled his arm back from Donghyuck's hold.
“I can’t help it that I’m friendly!”
Doyoung didn’t bother to reply, he continued to walk away from him without even glancing back. But by hearing the rushed footsteps, he knew the boy chased after him.
“Wait, you forgot something!” he muttered, clearly out of breath, as he finally catched up to Doyoung.
“Look, Donghyuck, I appreciate the friendly gesture but do you have any other hobbies besides hitting things with your board and invading the privacy of a peaceful stranger in the park?” Although he complained, Doyoung still stopped to face Donghyuck and waited for whatever nonsense he thought the latter would tell him.
“No, really. You forgot something the other day.” The panting boy reached for his left pocket, pulling out a pen colored in gray with a bit of blue here and there. As Donghyuck held it towards him, Doyoung could clearly see what it was. It was his click pen that he had dropped from the fiasco days ago. “And before you say anything else, I didn't waste the ink or replace it with the color red. I’m not a third grader.” he clarified upon seeing the taller one was in doubt.
“I don't even see you as someone who goes to school,” Doyoung said as he grabbed the pen—well, attempted to.
“You're so wrong for that.” Donghyuck swiftly moved the pen away from his outreached hand, and in order to stop Doyoung from grabbing for it again—“I'm just too smart to listen to a boring guy talk about stuff I already know”—he held his hand instead.
Doyoung got startled by how close they were right now, because Donghyuck did not just hold his hand—he pulled Doyoung towards him, grabbing his side with his other hand.
“Hey—Donghyuck!—what are you doing?” he said, obviously pissed at the firm grip that he didn't expect the boy to have.
And just as he was about to yell at him to let go, Donghyuck leaned in even closer. Doyoung couldn't believe that the boy could even come near him more considering that, to Doyoung, that was the closest he'd ever been in contact with a stranger (save for that one time he accidentally knocked into someone while typing lyrics on his phone). But now, Donghyuck had his face inches from his own—so close that the latter could feel the heavy breaths he let out.
“You know, it's really unfair that you know my name and I don't know yours,” Donghyuck said casually like he was whispering in a stranger’s ear at a bar. “You creep, did you stalk me or something?” he laughed as he brought his hand up from Doyoung’s hip to his face, tucking in a few strands of hair behind his ear as he tucked the pen behind it too.
It was a shock to Doyoung that a stranger that kept pestering him could get even more infuriating than having writer’s block. He was usually unfazed with this type of situation. But there was something different about the way Donghyuck held him right there.
“I assumed it was your name, since your friends yelled at you before you slammed your skateboard on my notebook!” Feeling overwhelmed, Doyoung stepped back and pulled his hand away as he glared deep into Donghyuck’s eyes now that he wasn’t leaning anymore in his ear (which the former wouldn’t want to admit made him blush a bit). “Besides, you didn't even correct me earlier—”
“So you did hear me when I told you to move—and you didn't even budge!—you're stubborn as hell,” Donghyuck said with a betrayed look on his face, “Serves you right that I hit you with my board.”
Doyoung scoffed. “If I'm stubborn, then you're insufferable—the park is literally so huge! Why did you want me to move?”
“We were going to use the bench, you ass.” Donghyuck huffed as he crossed his arms in front of him, rolling his eyes and poking his tongue on the inside of his left cheek. That made Doyoung stare at him—specifically, at the said gesture. (He wasn't going to ever say it out loud but, to himself, he admits it—Donghyuck looked hot.)
“Well, you could've tapped me on the shoulder and asked nicely.” Doyoung hadn't seen this side of him (Donghyuck's annoyed state), and damn was he enjoying it. It was true—what they say—it's always fun when you're not on the receiving end of playful teasing. And Doyoung hoped that maybe just for today, he wasn't going to walk his path of shame.
“What's the point? I mean… uh whatever!—the hell I care.” Stumbling on his words, Donghyuck shot daggers at Doyoung's head that you would think holes would form from how intense it was.
But contrary to that feeling, it actually gave a relaxing wave in his mind. Finally, he wasn't the one being embarrassed between the two of them. He laughed at Donghyuck.
“Stop laughing!” he screamed, turning to look behind him. And that's when Doyoung realized that Donghyuck's friends were laughing along with him.
“I guess it's safe to assume you're a dumbass, too. Donghyuck the Dumbass,” Doyoung said, rendering various reactions from the group, some ooh's and woah's with hands over their mouths in shock at Doyoung's unexpected comeback.
“Just wait until I find out what your name is. I'll make fun of it everyday, even if you're not there to hear it, because I'm funny and it brings me joy to make fun of you.” Donghyuck stuck his tongue out at Doyoung, still standing there as he didn't want to walk away since that would mean he had given up and accepted his defeat.
“You want to know my name?” Doyoung said with a smug look on his face as he stared at the spot on Donghyuck's cheek that the latter had been poking with his tongue earlier. “Why don't you go and play a guessing game with your friends instead. Clearly, you need a new hobby.”
“I don’t know what you mean—”
Donghyuck didn’t even get to finish as he was startled by Doyoung—who was leaning in towards him. He mirrored what Donghyuck did earlier when he leaned in his ear, except he had his hand loosely on the boy's chin, tilting it upwards. He also had his click pen in his hand, the inked tip pointing at Donghyuck's cheek so closely to the point where it almost touched his skin.
“You go make a fool out of yourself.”
After Doyoung said those last words, he pushed the pen even further, poking Donghyuck's cheek. There, he wrote on it as if the smooth skin was a blank canvas. But it wasn't as blank as he seemed because just as he finished writing, he noticed the small details on the boy’s skin—the moles scattered on it.
How could someone glow like this, he thought. Considering Donghyuck hadn't moved since, Doyoung took his time to explore the rest of his features—from his eyes, to his nose, and down to his lips. It was like looking at a map that highlighted the best places. And now that map had Doyoung's name on it—like he had made his own mark on Donghyuck. With one last look, Doyoung drew a heart around one of the moles (a habit he does when he'd space out—doodling hearts).
Meanwhile, Donghyuck had stayed frozen all throughout like an inanimate figurine. You could say he resembled a paper doll since he just let Doyoung be, writing on him like paper, as if it was something so normal. He didn't move at all, but who could blame him for it? Not even a minute ago, Doyoung was about to leave claiming Donghyuck had already bothered him enough for the day. And the next moment, he was all over him. His eyes all over Donghyuck as his hands were on his skin—feather-like touches grazing its surface.
“No mirrors, and don't erase it until tomorrow.” Doyoung said, making Donghyuck stir away from his thoughts.
Doyoung’s voice had pulled him out of his trance he reckoned was an endless loop from how it kept repeating the moment all over again. Whether it be the way Doyoung carefully caressed his chin, tilting it upwards; or the way they made eye contact, staring into the depths of their vulnerable self; or the way Doyoung looked at him in awe as if he was the most beautiful star in the universe.
“Why not?” Donghyuck finally moved a muscle, furrowing his eyebrows and mumbling quietly since he still hadn't quite recovered from the shock.
“It's me making fun of you because I'm funny and it’s a pleasure to do so even just this once.” Doyoung had mocked Donghyuck with a huge grin on his face that showed off his gummy smile and his eyes that turned into crescents—which the latter found cute.
“You smiled…” Donghyuck trailed off as he realized this was the first time Doyoung had smiled at him. “It’s cute, you should do that more often. Makes you look less mean.” he stuck his tongue out at the taller, regaining his bravado.
Chuckling, Doyoung shook his head as the hand that was holding Donghyuck’s chin squeezed the latter’s cheek. “Wow, you really don’t wanna give up, do you?” he said in disbelief, “I’ll be going now, have fun guessing!”
“What makes you think my friends would agree—”
“OH, we agree! Right, Chenle?” a rather nervous blue-haired boy interrupted while he settled an arm around Chenle’s shoulders.
“Yeah, what Jeno said! And if you don’t get it in five tries... you’ll buy us sushi!” Chenle replied as he gave the other boys a knowing look.
“And bubble tea!” one of the pink-haired piped up.
“Don’t push it, Renjun” Donghyuck huffed, sending glares at his friends who were now whispering to each other and probably planning on making him lose on purpose.
But Donghyuck wasn’t mad, in fact, he felt a different warmth in him—not one of anger, but of happiness. Their friend group had always tolerated the boy’s antics and teasing nature, most of the time they avoided fighting back because Donghyuck tended to be moody sometimes.
He could tell they were excited that the tables had turned, but were also hesitant.
“Okay, how about this? I know a sushi place near here, let’s go,” he said, “Then, you can all come over mine, we’ll play video games and I’ll buy us bubble tea.”
“Now that sounds like a better plan than Jisung’s.”
“Jaemin hyung!” The tallest pink, Jisung, smacked the other blue haired boy’s arm, hiding behind his back in embarrassment. The boy, Jaemin, just cooed at him mumbling about how cute the former was.
After taking his moment in admiring the bond Donghyuck and his friends had with each other, Doyoung silently left smiling to himself. It reminded him of his high school friends who had moved forward with their lives—who had moved Doyoung out of their lives. Except two who were in the same path as him, but they were mostly busy considering they had debuted as a duo under a famous company. They were very known by the general public, too popular and skilled for them to be labeled as rookies in the industry. Doyoung would admit, he missed his friends more and more each day. But he believed nothing was ever permanent nor consistent.
“Can you stop being so dramatic, walking away like that out of nowhere?”
Ah… Donghyuck. It seemed like the boy wasn’t planning on letting him leave so easily like last time.
“Did I forget something again?” Doyoung gave him a wide smile (remembering how the latter had told him to smile more often).
He glanced at Donghyuck who had his nose scrunched, sticking his tongue out in response. Doyoung could see the evident heart around the mole on his cheekbone.
“Cute.” he had unconsciously mumbled out loud making both pairs of their ears turn red.
“I-I was just wondering if you wanted to come with us…”
Doyoung thought it was very kind of Donghyuck to invite him, but he also thought it was time he reached out to his friends. Because, truthfully, Doyoung only assumed they were busy, he had never even texted them to ask if they actually were. “No thanks, you should go spend time with your friends while you still can. Treasure every second of it with no regrets.”
“So that’s why your lyrics were so… raw. What happened?” Donghyuck asked as he suddenly got hit by the realization (even if it was still blurry, he gets it—what Doyoung meant).
“Nothing big, really. It’s just that people grow up and they get busy as they progress into the next chapter of their lives. So, as much as you can, show them how thankful you are of their presence while they’re still there. Farewell thank-you’s hurt more than silent goodbyes.”
Donghyuck could only nod to that, stunned by the weight of it all. They stood there on the sidewalk staring at each other in silence, Doyoung waiting for the other to walk back to the park before he would turn around in case the boy would follow him for the umpteenth time.
But it seemed as though Donghyuck still had more to say. “You said I shouldn’t erase it until tomorrow. So basically, you’re saying you will come by the park then—to check if I did?” he said, sounding hopeful and albeit expectantly.
He didn’t think it was necessary, but he promised. “I will, yes. You have my word.”
With that Donghyuck pursed his lips to hide his excitement (though he still nodded profusely). “See you tomorrow!” he said as he waved at Doyoung before turning around and retracing his steps. But before he got far, he looked back at him.
“Donghyuck, do you miss me that much? Just go!” Doyoung said, gesturing shoo-ing motions with his hands in an attempt to make Donghyuck leave as if he was a stray dog.
“One last, I just want you to know that you’re my friend,” he said. “Even if you don’t consider me as one. But, just… I’m here for you or whatever. And I’m thankful for you—for putting up with my shits and giggles.” Donghyuck flashed him a smile before he rushed back to the park, running away in embarrassment as the entirety of his face burned red.
But, truthfully, he needed an excuse for his elevated heart rate. Donghyuck wanted to believe it was because he ran—that his heart beating rapidly was because of the rush of adrenaline and exhaustion. Sure, he could say that. But you all know he would be lying if he did. Because Donghyuck’s heart was pounding in his chest from the wave of feelings that washed over his body every time he was with Doyoung. Or even when he thought about him, and even when he finally saw him again after coming back to the park three days straight—waiting for hours for a stranger who just so happened to never leave his mind.
Doyoung on the other hand froze in his spot as he stared wide-eyed at Donghyuck’s frame which quickly disappeared out of his sight before he could even process what the latter had said. And just like Donghyuck, his heart was doing somersaults in his chest, then it melted into a puddle—and so did Doyoung. He melted, feeling his insides—and himself—turning into mush.
Donghyuck is his friend.
And he repeated that to himself every minute as he walked to his lonesome apartment. Notebook in hand as he opened a clean page writing more lyrics, the words and melodies gushing out so naturally. Quite ironic that he had feared he wasn’t going to finish his b-side when he thought he wouldn’t see the light of day during his first encounter with Donghyuck. But now, he was halfway done with his first draft of pouring his emotions on paper as the image of Donghyuck kept flashing in his mind—the few memories they had, yet to him they lasted a lifetime. Because as he reached home and even as he laid in bed, Donghyuck hadn’t left his mind since.
Doyoung believes nothing is ever permanent nor consistent, but with Donghyuck—consistency was his forte (if you count him making Doyoung: want to be buried alive in embarrassment, feel like he had too much anger in him that he was about to combust, and especially making his heart flutter all at once every time they crossed paths consistent, then yes).
In contrast to that, he believes in the power of choices. Doyoung doesn’t know if Donghyuck was the permanent something in his life, but he’s willing to make his choice. And that is to visit that unpopulated park the best he could, in hopes of growing closer to Donghyuck.
And if they meet up somewhere else other than the park (may it be the streets on a rainy day, their homes, the 24/7 convenience store, or Doyoung’s friends’ first fansign), Doyoung will still choose to see the bright boy everyday. That when he complains, Donghyuck sees right through the lie. And he wants Donghyuck to be there—on the day he performs his album live in public. He wants Donghyuck to hear him sing his heart out.
Because Donghyuck is his friend. And his album’s b-side is dedicated to him.
“Am I Just A Friend To You?” by DOYOUNG, for those who wished they could be more than just friends.