Chapter Text
Jihoon always find himself walking out of his studio at 2 AM in the morning. Hungry and tired. His team members (mostly Jeonghan) usually scolds him if they realized that he didn’t eat his dinner last night. Jihoon really didn’t do it on purpose. It just so happen that he ended up playing his incomplete song repeatedly to find out why it didn’t sound right yet.
Jihoon walks out his building into the cold night. Inhaling the cool air, Jihoon stuffs his hands into his jacket’s pocket, stepping gingerly to the direction of a 24-hour restaurant nearby where he always had his late night (or a very early morning) meal. There are still a few cars passing by, the road is not exactly empty considering how late it is.
Jihoon yawns, pulling the hood of his jacket up to his flurry of dark hairs. He drags his sandal clad feet towards the bright restaurant’s door. The doorbell chimes, signalling the owner of a new customer.
“Welcome!” Jihoon hears the familiar greeting, “Oh! Jihoon-hyung!”
“Chan?” Jihoon looks surprised seeing the younger, “Don’t you have school in the morning?”
“It’s Saturday, hyung!” Chan rolls his eyes. “You must be locking yourself in the studio again, don’t you? You don’t even notice the days,”
“What did I do to receive a scolding from a high schooler?” Jihoon scoffs.
“Forgetting to eat and locking yourself in the studio what is,” Chan scolds. Jihoon chuckles.
“Okay, fine, kid. Now, let me eat.” Jihoon ruffles the pouting boy’s hair before turning to his usual seat only to stop when he sees someone else is already eating on the table.
“Ah!” Chan quickly leads him to another table next to the other person, “He arrived a few minutes ago. I can’t tell him that the seat is reserved for you, now, can I?” he whispers.
Jihoon only shrugs at him, “Actually, you can. You own the place,”
“My parents OWN the place,” Chan corrects wiggling his forefinger. Jihoon laughs. “The usual, hyung?” Chan pulls out a note, and as Jihoon nods, starts writing his orders. “I’ll be back with your orders!” Chan says as he serves Jihoon water.
“Yeah, thanks, Chan,” Jihoon answers as Chan turns back to the kitchen with his orders. Jihoon leans back against his chair, closing his eyes while waiting for Chan to return with his food.
His mind runs back to the song he is currently working on. He has been working on the song for a few days. He is rather stuck with how to properly write the chorus. Nothing that he’s been writing so far sounds right.
Jihoon unconsciously starts humming to the melody. Mentally going through every single note, trying again to find which part of the melody that he can tweak. Jihoon has been repeating the melody for a few times before a rhythmic taps accompanies his hums. Okay, that sounds better, a faster drumbeat?
Jihoon stops humming, but the tapping doesn’t cease. That’s when he realizes that the tapping was not only in his imagination. He slowly opens his eyes, turning his head to the only other customer in the restaurant. The guy who sits on his usual table.
The guy is using his phone with his right hand, while his left hand taps the table beside his empty plates. His feet also move around below the table, moving in rhythm to his tapping, as if it was dancing.
Jihoon stares at the guy who seems busy scrolling through his phone screen. He might be tapping to another song, but Jihoon is quite sure the guy is following his hums. When the guy finally puts his phone down at the chorus, eyebrows furrowing as if thinking hard, his right hand shots up with his forefinger pointing up, the guy swings his arm as if he was pointing at someone.
Looking satisfied, the guy put his arm down. He might have realized that Jihoon is no longer humming, or maybe he realized that Jihoon is watching him, the guy freeze his movement and turns his head to face Jihoon.
The guy has small eyes, which points up, making him looks like a character from a comic book. His cheeks are fluffy, his black hair is pulled back sleekly, a contrast to how the guy looks like a hamster when he throws a nervous smile to Jihoon.
“I’m sorry, did I disturb you?” he asked gingerly. Jihoon shakes his head.
“Did you dance to my hum?” Jihoon pointedly asks. The guy looks surprised at Jihoon’s bluntness. The surprised look lasts for a few seconds, before the guy laughs sheepishly, nodding at Jihoon’s words.
“I’m sorry, it sounds good, I can’t help but move my body,”
Jihoon feels his stomach flips. He is sure that his face is warming up already. He is never good with compliment, what is more when it comes from a stranger. He has been working on this song for a few days. Only his team members have heard the songs, in its incomplete form.
Jihoon coughs, hiding his embarrassment, “Thank you, I guess,”
The guy raises one eyebrow at Jihoon’s words. Jihoon mentally slaps himself. Of course, he won’t know that it is Jihoon’s song.
“Uh…”
“Hyung, here is your food,” Chan breaks the awkwardness as he arrives with Jihoon’s food. He stares at Jihoon who is currently trying to busy himself with his chopsticks, his intention to avoid the other’s eyes is apparent. Chan quickly turns his stare to the other guy.
“What did you do?” Chan quickly accuses the other guy, surprising Jihoon with how rude the younger sounds, towards a customer too.
Offended, the other guy quickly defend himself, “I didn’t do anything!” lips jutting in a pout.
“Seriously, hyung, Jihoon-hyung is probably tired, don’t bother him too much!” Chan crosses his arms in front of his chest. Jihoon tries hiding his chuckles, this kid has too many nerves to scold his hyungs.
“No, he didn’t bother me,” Jihoon intercedes before the other guy can retorts anything back. Chan still looks at the guy suspiciously while the other guy looks back at him defiantly. Jihoon chuckles at the scene.
“He actually helps me,” Jihoon smiles reassuringly to Chan. “You know him?”
“Uh? Yeah,” Chan says as he sits down on the chair across Jihoon. “You know that I take dancing class, right?” Jihoon nods.
“This is Soonyoung-hyung. He is also taking the class,” Chan says. “But, he is more like the professional dancer?”
At that, the guy, or Soonyoung, visibly blushes. “It’s not professional yet. Nice to meet you…” he offers his hand to Jihoon to shake.
“Jihoon. Nice to meet you too, um, should I call you hyung too?” Jihoon shakes Soonyoung hand.
“Um, no, uh, I think you’re older than Chan?” Soonyoung says carefully watching Jihoon. By the look of it, he is trying to guess Jihoon’s age. His eyebrows furrow, eyes scanning Jihoon's appearance up and down. Jihoon holds himself back from squirming.
“Um, I really can’t guess how old you are if you’re older than Chan,” Soonyoung gives up on guessing. “You look like you’re still in middle school,”
“Hey!” Jihoon exclaims. Chan wheezes.
“See? You’d pass as my younger brother,” Chan says as he pulls finger gun towards Jihoon. He scowls.
“I’m already 21, you know,” Jihoon grumbles.
“Oh! Then we’re the same age,” Soonyoung says excitedly. Jihoon chuckles at the other excitement.
“This is the first time I see you here,” Jihoon says. “It’s usually just me and my empty stomach during this hour.”
“Eat your jjajangmyun, hyung,” Chan interrupts as he takes the chopsticks and splits it for Jihoon before putting it back to Jihoon’s hands. Jihoon only watches him in amusement.
“I hope you don’t mind if I eat as we talk?” Jihoon raises his eyebrow at Soonyoung, “Otherwise, Chan might start calling Jeonghan, and I don’t want him to nag me at this hour,”
“Ah, yeah, sorry. You should eat. Um, I might be intruding if I stay instead, so I think I should go,” Soonyoung says, as he starts gathering his stuff. Jihoon feels his smile fall. If he is being honest, he has to admit he started enjoying the man’s company…
True. He only met Soonyoung a few minutes ago. But, Soonyoung helps him find inspiration for his song, and it means so much to him.
Noticing the change on Jihoon’s face, Chan stands up, puts his palm on Soonyoung’s shoulders before pushing the other man to sit back down.
“You’re not interrupting anything. If anything, can you watch Jihoon-hyung until he finishes his food? He usually stops eating because he overthinks about his works and left the food soggy. I need to check the kitchen,” Chan says earning a groan from Jihoon.
“Jeonghan has been rubbing off too much on you,” Jihoon says.
“Don’t let him stops eating until he finishes everything,” Chan ignores Jihoon and looks pointedly at Soonyoung before trudging back to the kitchen.
Soonyoung mumbles an okay before turning to face an embarrassed Jihoon.
“This is so embarrassing. Being babied by a high school kid,” Jihoon hides his face on his hands. Soonyoung barks a laugh.
“He did that because he cares for you,” Soonyoung says.
“Yeah, I know, but it’s still embarrassing, it looked like I couldn’t take care of myself,” Jihoon complains. Soonyoung gives another chuckle before moving his stuff to sit in front of Jihoon.
“I have to watch you properly, or Chan will kick my ass,” Soonyoung says as Jihoon raises a questioning eyebrow, earning him an exasperated groan from Jihoon. He starts stuffing his mouth with the food, giving Soonyoung a look as he chew his food, before making a show of swallowing it.
“There! I’m eating!” Jihoon points his chopsticks to the laughing man. After a few more mouthful of jjajangmyun, Jihoon voices his question again.
“Back to my question, why haven’t I seen you around?” Jihoon asks.
“Because maybe this is my first time eating here?” Soonyoung answers, tilting his head. “Last night was my recital. I stayed in the studio trying to fix my choreography before the next recital later tonight,”
Jihoon slurps another mouthful of jjajangmyun, signalling Soonyoung to continue.
“Before I knew it, it was already 2 AM, and I was hungry. I remembered Chan said his parents’ restaurant was nearby, so here I am,” Soonyoung shrugs. Jihoon swallows his food before saying,
“So you are a professional dancer after all,”
Soonyoung blushes. “Not that kind of professional dancer, but, yeah I dance, pretty much,”
Jihoon nods.
Cleaning up the last piece of his food, Jihoon looks up to the staring guy in front of him, slowly munching his food when suddenly he tenses. Soonyoung has raised his hand and then wipes the corner of his lips. Jihoon looks at the guy incredulously. He pretends he doesn’t feel his heart skips a few beats. Soonyoung chuckles, “You really look like you need to be taken care of,”
Jihoon blushes hard. “I’m not!” he says defiantly. “God, what’s with these people trying to baby me when I’m completely capable of doing it myself?” Jihoon huffs only earns a few more amused chuckles from Soonyoung.
While Jihoon is busy fuming, Soonyoung has poured another cup of water to Jihoon’s empty glass. Jihoon stops his fuming only to look at the smiling guy. These people really should stop babying him. Now, even a stranger babies him.
Begrudgingly, Jihoon gulps down the water.
“Whoa, easy there!” Soonyoung motions Jihoon to slow down as he slams the glass back to the table. Jihoon is huffing. He really didn’t mean to get annoyed, but he is annoyed.
“Okay, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to baby you,” Soonyoung looks apologetic, which makes Jihoon, feels bad. Soonyoung has helped Jihoon with his song, and now Jihoon is being rude just because the guy is taking care of him.
“No, it’s… my bad,” Jihoon slows his breath down. “It kinda makes me feel bad because it seems like I’m burdening people around me. I’m sorry,”
Soonyoung gives him a soft smile, “You’re not burdening anyone. They must have been doing it because they want to,”
“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Jihoon’s returns his smile. “Thanks again,”
“Oh, about that,” Soonyoung suddenly looks like he remembers something. “Why thanks? You also said I helped you which I don’t remember doing anything for you?”
Jihoon stammers. “Ah, that, um…”
“Hyung!” Chan bursts out of the kitchen holding his phone surprising the both of them. Chan thrusts his phone to Jihoon’s ears.
“…HE NEEDS TO KNOW THAT HE HAS A PHONE FOR A PURPOSE!” Instantly Jihoon pushes the phone away.
“Boo,” Jihoon sighed.
“LEE JIHOON! HOW DARE YOU SIGHED AT ME! I’M DYING HERE BECAUSE I THOUGHT YOU WERE KIDNAPPED!” Jihoon grimaces at the loud voice.
“Can you like shut up? You are so fucking loud,” Jihoon speaks over Seungkwan who still rambles on the other side. “I forget I was charging my phone.”
“YEAH FORGET THAT AND KILL US SLOWLY!” Seungkwan still screams at him.
Jihoon chuckles. “You’re so dramatic, Boo,” he says, while standing up. “Yeah, I’m going back now. I’m just at Chan’s place. Geez, calm down.” Jihoon adds as Seungkwan lectures him about the importance of mobile phone.
“Okay, okay, I hear you. Let me return Chan’s phone. I’ll be there in a sec, Boo,” Jihoon says as he tap the end call button and return the phone to Chan.
“I can see why Seungkwan-hyung is mad,” Chan says.
“Oh no, don’t you start too.” Jihoon gives the youngest a look. “I got to go,” finally looking at Soonyoung, who wears an unreadable expression. Jihoon shrugs it off.
“Nice to meet you, Soonyoung,” he offers him a hand. Soonyoung gingerly shakes it.
“I’ll see you around,” Soonyoung smiles.
“Yeah, I’d like that,” Jihoon answers. Maybe it’s only Jihoon’s imagination, but he somehow can see Soonyoung’s face gets brighter.
***