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The walk back from the Nike store is a long one, for whatever reason.
Jihoon has a hunch as to why it feels so miserably long, but if he can ignore the nagging words in his brain, he will. So he does. Things are just easier when you’re in denial.
It’s perfectly normal for a 22 year old man to buy a brand new pair of running shoes, in fact he wagers with himself that he’s just one out of the millions to do so on that day. There’s nothing odd about taking up running as a hobby, and if Seokmin called him out on it, he could convince people it was his New Year’s Resolution. And if Seokmin pressed further by pointing out that New Years was over nine months ago, Jihoon could just throw his empty shoe box at his roommate’s face.
There was no use in overthinking, so he didn’t. Easy as that.
But then a chime goes off, and it’s coming from his front pocket and it’s the chime. The one he set special for a certain someone only a few nights before, and suddenly overthinking is becoming less of a choice and more of an involuntary action and Jihoon is wondering what sick creator gave the human mind that sort of power.
A beat passes and he’s fishing the phone out of his pocket, despite agreeing with himself earlier that he would wait until after 8 PM to answer any of his texts. So much for his practiced impulse control.
>> we still on for running in the morning? :^)
Jihoon sighs and suddenly wonders if Mingyu is some sort of mind reader, because the last thing he wants to think about right now is running. The message is a taunting reminder of what he just threw away sixty dollars for, not some health kick or lifestyle improvement, but an excuse to hang out with Mingyu.
If anyone asked (read: his annoying roommate), he would deny this accusation until his last breath, of course. He isn’t proud to admit that he’s taking interests in Mingyu’s interests just because he likes him. In fact, he isn’t proud to admit he likes him in the first place. The whole ordeal feels very schoolyard to him, and just the thought of the word crush makes him cringe. He’s 22 years old and he has a very real, very nagging crush on a man he met in a coffee shop. How disgustingly cliche.
Still, the message makes him smile, adding fuel to the fire of embarrassment and shame that burns beneath him. It makes him smile, because first of all, Mingyu uses those ridiculous emojis. Jihoon doesn’t think he’s ever met someone who adds a nose to their text faces, but there he is, sending him messages asking if they’re going to go for a run in the morning. Second, the very thought of Mingyu remembering half-assed plans they made after one too many drinks is flattering. Jihoon is only human, he likes being remembered, is all. At least, that’s what he tells himself when the butterflies in his stomach won’t die.
Jihoon remembered, of course, but Jihoon was the one with the crush here.
He knew it was possible his feelings were reciprocated, because in his mind just about anything was possible, except maybe Flat Earth, but he didn’t let himself dwell on this too much. If he didn’t let himself believe Mingyu had interest in him romantically, there would be disappointment down the road when he found out his hunch was wrong. Easy as that, logical, secure, level-minded. He was proud of his reasoning.
That didn’t mean he didn’t sort of wish he was Mingyu’s crush, however.
He sighed, looking back down at his phone as he stood outside the door of his apartment, trying to decide whether he should even go in and face the wrath of his nosy roommate. He could easily just run away, what with his new purchase and all.
He typed out a hasty “yes.” to Mingyu’s message, stalling just enough before he absolutely had to walk into his apartment. Seokmin always seemed to have a certain intuition for knowing if someone was standing outside their door, and Jihoon definitely did not want to be caught trying to answer a simple question from Mingyu.
“Oooh!” Seokmin cooed the moment Jihoon stepped through the door, “what’d you buy? Is that a Nike bag? What do you need running shoes for? You only wear those slippers anyways! Are they a new pair of slippers?”
“Do you not have anything better to do than pester me,” Jihoon grumbled, sliding his slippers off and pulling his cap down further, hiding the embarrassed flush on his face.
“No, not today anyways,” Seokmin pouted, “Hannie is out with Shua, I had to stay home and finish this dumb essay but your life is much more interesting.”
“Well my life is none of your business,” Jihoon huffed, hugging his purchase closer to his body, “tell Jeonghan to bring me back food, I know they’re bringing you something and if the three of you are going to be cuddling on our couch all evening, I want compensation.”
“If I tell them to get you food will you tell me why you bought running shoes?” Seokmin asked, looking up at Jihoon with his horrible puppy dog eyes that worked too well on him. He really was too sweet to say no to, despite how badly Jihoon wanted to deck him at times.
“You’re such a pain in the ass,” Jihoon sighed, “I’m running with Mingyu in the morning, okay? I haven’t owned running shoes since high school, so I needed to buy a pair.”
“Running?” Seokmin snorted, “no offense, but I don’t think I’ve seen you do as much as power walk since I’ve known you. You make me carry you upstairs sometimes, Jihoon.”
“I can run!” Jihoon exclaimed, “anyways, there’s no canceling now. We’re going at 5 AM.”
“How did he rope you into this anyways?” Seokmin said between his loud laughter, and Jihoon had never considered murder before, but it was seeming like a pretty good option at the given moment.
“We hung out the other night, and I might have had a few drinks,” Jihoon mumbled, “and I might have lied and said that I run every morning before school.”
“Why would you say that,” Seokmin laughed even louder, “why on Earth would you say that?”
“Because maybe I want to impress him!” Jihoon threw his arms up, “there, I said it! I want to impress Mingyu, so I’m going to go on this stupid run and probably die, but it’ll be worth it because I’ll get to hang out with Mingyu before I go out! Is that what you wanted?”
Seokmin sobered up quickly, his eyes widening and mouth gaping at Jihoon’s words, “oh, oh! You like him!”
“Shut up,” Jihoon groaned, trying to make a beeline to his bedroom, but it was already too late. Seokmin was climbing over the back of their couch, tackling Jihoon to the floor.
“You so like him!” Seokmin cheered, “finally, little Jihoon has a crush! I can’t wait to tell Jeonghan--”
“Shut up,” Jihoon repeated, shoving Seokmin off of him, “and don’t call it a crush, I hate that word. And you are not telling Jeonghan. He’ll just try and meddle and mess everything up.”
“But it is a crush!” Seokmin said excitedly, “you have a crush, after all these years! And I have to tell Jeonghan, he’s the only one that can help you out, because I know you’re going to be absolutely useless and not do anything about this. Oh you two would be so cute together! This is so exciting!”
“We’re not going to be together,” Jihoon shook his head, “Mingyu doesn’t see me like that, we’re just friends. Don’t get Jeonghan involved, if Mingyu finds out it’ll just make things weird.”
“But,” Seokmin frowned, his eyes too big for his face, “don’t you want to be with him? You two get along so well!”
Jihoon shrugged, “I mean, in an ideal world, sure. But I’m okay with us just being friends, I promise. I just like spending time with him.”
Seokmin blew out a frustrated breath, his brows furrowing as he seemed to study Jihoon, “fine,” he finally said, “I won’t meddle, but I think you should at least try and tell him how you feel, Ji, you deserve to be happy, you know?”
Jihoon blushed, smiling softly at his annoying roommate who in moments like these, reminded him of why they were best friends.
“Maybe,” he said, patting Seokmin’s shoulder, “Maybe I’ll try, but no promises.”
Jihoon is reminded rather quickly why he never took up running as a hobby, much to his dismay.
Currently, he’s trailing a few paces behind Mingyu, panting heavily and too shy to admit that his feet are aching as he tries to break in his new running shoes. It’s too warm, and he hates sweating, and on top of everything, it’s far too early. If he was with anyone else he would have left thirty minutes ago, but of course he is far too smitten to even think about ditching Mingyu now.
“Almost there!” Mingyu called, turning his head to smile at Jihoon over his shoulder as he continued to jog at a steady pace. Jihoon smiled back, secretly fuming over how effortlessly beautiful he looked, even when his tan skin was covered in a thin film of sweat. It really wasn’t fair, Jihoon thought, one guy couldn’t be that attractive and have a brain. Mingyu was proving more and more each day that aliens might actually exist, because there was no way he was human.
“Where is there?” Jihoon asked, trying not to sound too out of breath. He placed a hand on his hip, willing his short legs to take longer strides in order to catch up with Mingyu.
“It’s a surprise!” Mingyu sang back, not turning his head this time but Jihoon could hear his adorable smile all the same. He really was in deep.
They continued on for this for what seemed like ages to Jihoon, but in actuality was probably only ten minutes. Mingyu jogging at a pace that seemed humanly impossible, Jihoon eventually catching up, only to fall behind again once his feet screamed for him to slow down. By the time they reached their destination, Jihoon knew he’d be regretting his decisions later that day.
“Here we are,” Mingyu breathed out, and Jihoon was pleased to hear a slight struggle in his voice. At least he knew he wasn’t a complete super-human and was in fact capable of tiring out.
Jihoon finally unbended his body, standing up straight and taking in his surroundings.
He had never been somewhere so beautiful before, and while he had always enjoyed playing sports, he had never been the outdoorsy type. But here, at a clearing in a forest he didn’t even know existed, he was absolutely wonderstruck by nature.
“What is this place?” he whispered, spinning around to take in the beautiful wildflowers that pointed towards the sky, seeming to shimmer under the sunrise.
“Shhh,” Mingyu hushed, “just, listen. It’s like magic.”
Jihoon nodded, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, listening intently to the magic Mingyu had described. The quiet breeze, flowers and grass blowing beneath it’s gentle reach, the sound of birds chirping as the world woke up, running water somewhere far off, no buzz of traffic or angry people yelling. Jihoon thought maybe running might actually pay off it meant waking to this every morning, especially if it meant getting to experience it with Mingyu.
“Magical, right?” Mingyu whispered, wrapping an arm around Jihoon’s shoulder and tilting his head so it rested on top of Jihoon’s own.
“Yeah,” Jihoon breathed out, “thank you, for showing me.”
Mingyu ruffled his hair, smiling brightly at the older boy, “no need to thank me, Hoonie, I’ve been wanting to show someone special.”
Jihoon gulped, his cheeks surely flushing bright red under the rising sun. Yes, he definitely was getting in too deep.
Later that evening, Jihoon had fully planned to soak in the bath for three hours, ignoring his guilty conscience as he refilled it every time the water got lukewarm.
He deserved it, he figured, considering all the physical and emotional torture he had been through that morning, followed by a grueling day of school and work. He more than deserved it, but of course, the moment he got a text from Mingyu asking if they could hang out, all his relaxing plans were thrown out the window.
Their movie nights had become somewhat of a tradition, at least twice a week they’d squish together in Jihoon’s tiny twin bed, his laptop resting in Mingyu’s lap as they watched whatever movie seemed interesting on Netflix. Mingyu was a scaredy-cat, and much to Jihoon’s enjoyment, he tended to get clingier when they watched horror films. Jihoon had never really been a fan of horror, but he was starting to understand the charm. If it were up to him, they’d watch nothing but scary movies each time they hung out.
But tonight was Mingyu’s choice, and in true Mingyu fashion, he picked yet another Disney movie that Jihoon would usually groan at the thought of watching. Tonight's pick, The Emperor's New Groove , a classic as Mingyu called it, but at least Jihoon got free pizza and a warm shoulder to lean his head on for the evening. It wasn't like he was paying attention to the laptop screen in front of him anyways, not when Mingyu was sitting right there, looking like some sort of god with his glowing, tan skin and soft features. Watching his overdramatic reactions to the cartoon was heaps more interesting than anything Walt Disney could have dreamt up anyway, so there was no complaining to be had on his end.
Jihoon was thankful that the other boy was helplessly clingy, almost always initiating physical affection whenever he had the opportunity. That meant Jihoon had free reign to hang off of him whenever he liked, his arms draped around his broad shoulders or his hands carefully smoothing his bangs evenly over his forehead. He wanted more of course, he wanted to be able to trail his fingers down his spine, scratching his back as he lulled off to sleep, or to be able to kiss the mole on the tip of his nose, followed with a soft kiss to his pouty lips. He could nearly gag at how sickeningly romantic he was becoming over someone who was meant to be his new friend, but the daydreaming haze he was stuck in was much too pleasant for him to just shake off.
"Hoonie," Mingyu whined, shaking Jihoon's head gently with his shoulder, "are you even paying attention?"
"Yeah, he's a llama, I get the general idea," Jihoon rolled his eyes, looking up at Mingyu with a playful smile on his lips.
"You're the worst," Mingyu pouted, crossing his arms, "won't even pay attention to your boyfriend's favorite movie."
Jihoon giggled quietly, it was so typical of the other boy to get dramatically upset over something so-- oh.
"My what now?" Jihoon asked, sitting up quickly and looking at Mingyu with wide eyes, "please repeat that last part, slowly."
Mingyu furrowed his eyebrows at him, as if he's the one who is supposed to be confused , "my boyfriend? Why are you freaking out?"
Jihoon gaped at him, he's never been someone to be at a loss for words, especially in situations that require him to speak out, but Mingyu has sent him spiraling at this point. A curveball at everything he thought he had figured out.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't notified that we were dating," Jihoon finally stuttered out, his head still spinning.
Mingyu looked hurt by this, and suddenly Jihoon is regretting opening his mouth.
"I didn't think I had to write you a formal letter," Mingyu huffed, pushing the laptop off of his lap, "I should go, right?"
"No," Jihoon said quickly, "that's an awful idea, dummy."
Mingyu settled back into his spot on Jihoon's bed again, but his frown remained and Jihoon thought he saw a glimmer of tears forming in his eyes. Shit.
"I didn't know we were dating," Jihoon said carefully, and he thinks there's no way he could make things worse but he's learning that he might find a way against all odds to do so anyways.
"Clearly," Mingyu snorted, "what did you think this was? Cuddling in your bed, watching movies, seeing each other every day. Jihoon, I have a gross pet name for you."
"I thought we were friends!" Jihoon said, and if he had any idea this was going to happen, he would have suggested a bottle of wine.
"Well, I thought we were more," Mingyu whispered, staring down at his lap, "I understand if you just wanna be friends though, I just really like you and-"
Jihoon has never been spontaneous. He takes pride in his careful, practiced, composure. He takes pride in being able to control his emotions when others around him crumble under every day stresses. He takes pride in his impulse control, his ability to say no to the things he wants but doesn't need. He's never known true need he realizes, not until he's sitting in front of Kim Mingyu and he really needs to kiss him.
So he does just that, without a second thought he leans in and kisses Mingyu, despite all the rules and boundaries he instilled in himself. He kisses Mingyu because he feels like it, and there's a sort of childlike glee that surges through his veins when he does. It occurs to him once their lips are connected that Mingyu feels like pure magic and he suddenly doesn't hate himself for having a dumb crush anymore.
Mingyu pulled back, looking at Jihoon with a surprised expression, giving the older boy a chance to lean in and kiss the mole at the tip of his nose, quickly followed with another kiss to his warm lips. They both let out breathy laughs as they separate, and Jihoon thinks he's the silliest person in the world for holding back for so long.
“I’m sorry,” Jihoon sighed, “I really didn’t think you were interested, you kind of have to spell things out for me. I like you a lot too, Gyu.”
Mingyu smiled, the big, goofy smile that made Jihoon’s entire world flip beneath his feet, “I kinda got that now, sorry for not letting you in on the secret.”
“We’re quite the match, aren’t we?” Jihoon laughed, “both kinda dim.”
Mingyu nodded, laughing softly, “yeah, but it worked out anyways, so I guess we’ll be okay.”
Jihoon hummed, tracing Mingyu’s cheekbone with his thumb, “there’s one more thing I have to tell you.”
Mingyu’s eyes widened, looking concerned.
“I hate running,” Jihoon sighed, “like, so much. I love that place you took me to, but I don’t think I can run there ever again. Maybe if we got like a carriage or something we could hook you up to--”
Mingyu giggled, leaning in to quiet Jihoon with another soft peck, “I can tell you hate running, big dummy. We can just park closer next time and walk.”
Jihoon hummed, leaning his head into Mingyu’s shoulder and feeling perfectly content. Maybe being disgustingly cliche wasn’t so bad afterall.