Archive of Our Own

Subin walked into Smooches N’ Pooches Pet Store with only one thing on his mind. Cat food.

The door jingled as it shut behind him, and he was met with walls of cages and shelves of supplies. He didn’t see any staff around, so he just wandered into the aisles, looking for anything with a cat on it. There couldn’t be that many options.

Turns out, there was a lot of stuff with a cat on it. Shelves and shelves of food looked back at him as he scanned the different types. Wet food, dry food, cans and bags, fish and chicken and meat he couldn’t even identify, nor did he want to. He was starting to regret telling his sister he could ‘figure it out himself’.

“Hello, can I help you with anything?” A voice spoke from down the aisle, and Subin turned to find a smiling employee.

“Actually yeah, I’m looking for some cat food,” he answered as the employee walked closer.

“Well you’ve found it,” he said lightly. “What kind?”

Subin looked over to him. His shirt had a little dog doodle printed underneath the store name, and his smile was warm and friendly.

“That’s the thing-” his eyes landed on his nametag, “-Seungsik. I have absolutely no idea,” he admitted, looking back at the wall of food.

Seungsik chuckled. “Are you a new pet owner?”

“No, it’s for my sister’s cat. I’m supposed to be pet-sitting this week, but it’s a lot more stressful than I thought it would be.”

“Ahh, yes, understandable. Could you tell me a bit about the cat so I can help you pick the right food?” he asked kindly, flashing a perfected customer service smile.

“Yeah, uh, it’s white. With long fur, and it’s pretty big but not that big, you know? I think it’s mostly hair,” Subin said, trying to remember anything else. “It’s not very friendly, it gives me this scary glare whenever I accidentally look it in the eye.”

Seungsik grinned, eyes warm. “Cats can be territorial, so they might not like you in their space. Don’t take it personally. Anyways, that’s all good, but I meant things like age, dietary requirements, and exercise habits. Although, judging by your expression, you don’t know much of that, huh?”

Subin just shook his head with a sigh, raking a hand through his hair. He wasn’t expecting cat food to be so complicated.

“That’s fine, don’t worry about it. About how long as your sister had the cat? Does it stay indoors?”

“Maybe 2 years? I’m not sure exactly, but it stays in her apartment, yeah.”

“Okay, great, that’s good,” Seungsik nodded and started scanning the shelves. “I’ll show you your best option.”

His finger trailed across the tags as he mumbled to himself quietly, stopping when he found what he was searching for.

“Here, this one,” he said, pulling a bag off the shelf. “It’s for young adult cats, and it’s great for long hair because it keeps it smooth and healthy.”

Subin took the bag that was handed to him, not even bothering to read the print on the front.

“Will that work?” he asked with a smile.  

“It sounds perfect, thanks Seungsik,” Subin dipped his head in gratitude and he returned it.

“No problem, have a nice day! I hope your pet-sitting goes well.”

With a wave, Subin turned to make his way to the register as Seungsik rounded the corner and disappeared. The store wasn’t that big, but he still couldn’t remember exactly where he’d come from, so he walked a few aisles aimlessly, looking for a check out sign to point him in the right direction.

What he found instead, when he turned down a different aisle, was a wall of bird cages and crates. Some of them were even taller than him, and he walked slowly past each one, eyeing all the different birds sitting inside. He saw small, colourful ones that could fit in his hand, and bigger ones with long tails that reminded him of a pirate’s parrot. One was a particularly bright green colour, catching Subin’s eye as he approached. It sat quietly, alone in its cage, and watched him as he stopped walking. It was the least intimidating of all the birds he’d seen, but when he mistakenly leaned closer, it squawked in his face, sending him stumbling backwards like he’d been shoved.

“It can’t reach you,” a voice spoke from nearby, and Subin’s face bloomed red. Of course someone had walked into the aisle just in time to see him make a fool of himself.

“I wasn’t scared, it just-”

Subin turned towards the approaching figure and froze mid-sentence. He was an employee as well, a different one, and he was ridiculously good-looking.

He coughed, ripping his eyes away as his face reddened further. “It just seemed angry.”

“It’s not, really. That breed is just more vocal, she’s actually really friendly.” He stepped closer to Subin, making his eyes go wide, only to reach past and stick a finger through the cage bars, stroking the very bird that had caused the scene.

Up close, he could confirm there was not one flaw on the man’s face. Skin of an angel, smooth black hair, expertly tousled waves, possibly the best nose he had ever seen. He was gorgeous.

Suddenly, the man bent down. With his face out of sight, Subin snapped back to reality. Get a grip, Subin. Play it cool.

“Here, sorry it scared you,” he stood back up with a bag of cat food in his hands, extending it towards him.

Subin looked at his, now empty, hands in confusion before accepting the bag. When had he dropped the food?

“I wasn’t scared!” Subin huffed, and the employee smiled at him, teeth peeking through his lips. God, even his smile was perfect.

“Right, sorry,” he teased. “If you’re looking for a new pet, the birds actually eat bird food, not cat food.”

Subin was ready to stomp away before he crumbled in embarrassment, but the joyous sound of the man’s laughter was enough to make him do the whole thing over if it meant he could hear it again.

“Sorry, really I am, it was just too easy,” He’s still smiling, and Subin can’t even be mad at him.

“I was just looking at them, I’m getting the cat food for my sister,” Subin answered. “I don’t even know the first thing about birds.”

“Do you want to?” he asked. “They’re actually really great pets, they don’t need a lot but they’re really smart and can be affectionate if you’re patient.”

He really didn’t need a bird. He had no business adopting a pet, he didn’t have the time to care for one properly. He should just buy the cat food and go.

But Subin could tell he was passionate about them, he had that look in his eye. His warm, sparkly, inviting eye. He didn’t really have anywhere important to be…

“Sure, tell me about them.”

The man’s face lit up, and Subin couldn’t help but smile back. His eyes glanced over his shirt, the same staff top that Seungsik had on, except his name tag was missing. Just his luck.

“No one ever comes in looking for a bird, it’s always the puppies and kittens. They’re just as good, really. She’s just like a puppy, the one that scared- sorry, spooked you. They all have different personalities, like this conure,” he pointed, walking off to a different cage before Subin could even register what was happening.

He followed behind, nodding when he should, listening to his words but mostly watching the way he looked from Subin to the birds and back again, voice so warm and sweet Subin felt like he was introducing his children.

Once he had been properly acquainted with every bird, the man turned back to him expectantly. Subin stumbled over words.

“I- uh, they’re… cool. Yeah, really cool,” Subin finally got out, and the man beamed. “It’s cool that you know so much about animals.”

“Just birds,” he corrected softly. “Knowing the basics is our job, but we all have a soft spot for something. Seungsik likes the cats, the birds are my thing.”

Subin just smiled, nodding in understanding.

“Are there any that caught your attention? That you might like to take home?” he asked politely, but he was so excited that Subin couldn’t bear to say no to him.

He was halfway to convincing himself that he could be bird dad, sure, before a voice spoke from down the aisle.

A head had popped around the corner. “Did I hear my name?”

The man rolled his eyes as he turned around, and Subin held in a giggle.

“Stop forcing your birds down every customer’s throat, Seungwoo! He just needed cat food!”

Subin turned to catch Seungsik smiling at him from the end of the aisle before he laughed at the groan he got in response. So his name was Seungwoo.

“I don’t! He asked, anyways!” Seungwoo yelled back, before looking back to Subin. “Sorry if I was too pushy, I don’t want to pressure you.”

“No, no, it’s fine, I didn’t feel pressured,” Subin rushed. “I think it’s cool that you like them so much.”

Seungwoo smiled at him, and Subin swore his insides melted a little.

“Let him go, Woo. I’ll ring him up,” Seungsik gestured for Subin to follow him, probably to the cash register he couldn’t find earlier.

Subin took one slow step after him, wracking his brain for anything else he could say to keep him there a little longer.

“Hey, think on it for a bit and see if it would be a good fit for you,” Seungwoo said, and Subin almost sighed out loud when he realised he was following alongside him.

“Yeah, I will. Thanks,” Subin said. “I liked the small one, the… conure.”

Seungwoo’s smile was priceless. “That’s right! The conure! It’s also one of my favourites.”

Subin grinned, the praise turning his cheeks pink again, and opted to inspect the flooring for the rest of the walk to the cash register.

Seungsik was waiting behind the counter as he placed the bag of cat food on it for him to scan, and Seungwoo had busied himself with reorganizing a shelf nearby.

“Sorry he talked your ear off, he’ll ramble for hours if someone didn’t stop him,” Seungsik joked lightly, and Subin smiled, stealing a glance at the shelves and wondering if they were within earshot.

“It’s my job to educate people about them! They can’t talk!” Seungwoo retorted, confirming Subin’s thought.

“As if you could let go of any of those birds anyways. I told you not to get attached and what did you do? Give them all names!”

Seungwoo gave Seungsik a pout and he relented with a chuckle, holding his hands up in surrender.

“I can’t keep them forever, and he seemed like a good candidate,” Seungwoo locked eyes with Subin, and he almost choked on his own spit.

Him? A good candidate? That couldn’t be farther from the truth. He wouldn’t trust himself with a fish. But if Seungwoo thought so…

“I’d have to… check with my roommate. He’d be mad if I brought a bird home without asking him first,” Subin said finally, and both heads shot up to look at him.

“Really?” They exclaimed in near unison. He nodded shyly.

“Hear that, Sik? Sounds like a win for me!” It was Seungwoo’s turn to tease as Seungsik just stared at him like he’d grown a second head.

“That worked? You actually want a bird?” Seungsik’s tone was playful, but his jaw was still hanging open in genuine surprise.

“He’s pretty convincing,” Subin admitted, scanning his card to pay.

“Yeah, right, okay. Guess you can have this one, Woo, but stop harassing everyone!” he scolded before turning back to Subin and flashing a smile, handing the cat food back with a receipt.

“It’s called being politely persistent, and clearly I’m doing a good job,” Seungwoo countered, and Seungsik rolled his eyes at him.

Subin took the food with a respectful nod and turned to head towards the door.

“Don’t be afraid to come back if you decide you’d like a bird!” he heard Seungwoo call from the shelves. He looked back to catch his eye one last time, but he was already gone.

“I will,” Subin mumbled, already wondering how long he could hide a bird in his bedroom before his roommate noticed.

Once the door had closed behind him, Seungsik slipped past the counter and towards the aisle he knew Seungwoo would be in. When he spotted the crouched man in front of the conure cage, he chuckled to himself.

“He was kinda cute,” Seungsik said casually as he strolled up to a different bird.

Seungwoo laughed, dropping his hand from the bars.

“He seemed mildly terrified of the birds, but still listened to every introduction. Usually, people say they have somewhere to be after the first few,” Seungwoo sat back on his heels, looking up at him.

“You introduce them to every single bird? God, I would run too!” Seungsik exclaimed, swatting at his head playfully.

“So what if I do! Not the point, anyway.”

“Right, the point is his interest was sweet. I can’t believe he listened to you talk about birds for nearly an hour,” Seungsik narrowly avoided Seungwoo’s outstretched arm with a laugh.

“It wasn’t that long. Plus, I would’ve stopped if he looked bored.”

The front door jingled, signalling a new customer had walked in, and Seungsik turned to walk back to the front of the store.

“Hopefully you didn’t scare him off, Woo!” he called as he rounded the corner, leaving him to chatter to the conure about maybe finally having a new home.

══════════════════

Subin had plenty of time to think about his unexpected encounter on the train back home, and the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to hide in his room and never come out again. He had probably terrified Seungwoo, basically threw his bag of cat food at him, and definitely stared for much longer than was socially acceptable. He could never show his face in there again.

When he finally shut his apartment door behind him, he kicked his shoes into the pile already there and draped his coat on the mountain of jackets that used to be a coat rack. He and Chan were never great at organization.

He dropped the cat food and his bag on the table as he passed it to walk into their living room. Chan was sprawled across the couch, only narrowly managing to yank his legs in before Subin collapsed onto them with a groan. He sunk into the couch, head flopping back and limbs lifeless. 

“Cat food mission was a bust?” Chan asked, reaching to turn down the TV volume and sitting up to face him.

Subin didn’t move, only lazily pointing a finger at the table before letting it fall against the couch again.

“See, I told you it wouldn’t be that hard, Subinie,” Chan praised him with a pat on the shoulder. “Something else happen?”

He picked his head up and met Chan’s waiting eyes, his own head tilted like a puppy. He must’ve looked as bad as he felt, because Chan reached over and squeezed the back of his neck comfortingly. Subin knew this sympathy would be gone the instant he told him what he was sulking about, but he enjoyed it for a second.

“Subin?” Chan pushed, and Subin almost cringed at the genuine worry in his voice. He took a deep breath before he caved.

“What do you think about getting a pet bird?” he blurted out.

Chan gave him a look of confusion. “A what?”

“A bird.”

“I think,” he started, eyebrow raised, “that I don’t want any pets. You know that.”

“Okay, what about me getting a pet bird?”

Chan’s soft, concerned eyes were disappearing by the second. “You want a pet bird?”

“Maybe? I just think it’d be… fun.”

Chan started laughing. Subin crossed his arms with a huff.

“You’re going to take care of a bird? That’s completely dependent on you for survival? That’s gonna squawk all night and poop everywhere, and you want that? You can’t even take care of yourself without me!”

“Chan,” Subin whined. “I’m serious.”

His laughter died down as Subin continued to pout. “Sorry, I’m sorry. I just don’t get where this came from, Subinie. You know we can’t keep a pet alive.”

Chan was probably right. He knew it, but the thought of gorgeous Seungwoo and his little birdies made Subin wish he wasn’t. If he killed one, he’d have no choice but to change his name and move to South America.

“This can’t be about a bird. What happened at the pet store?”

Wow, maybe Chan was smarter than Subin gave him credit for. He huffed, giving in, and covered his face with his arms.

“I met a really cute guy and accidentally told him I’d adopt one of his birds,” he mumbled through his sleeves.

“You what?”

Subin threw his arms down. “I said I met a cute guy! Like, extremely, should-be-an-idol cute, and my brain short-circuited.”

“That sounds like you,” Chan teased, narrowly dodging an outstretched arm with a laugh. “I don’t understand why you told him you’d adopt a bird, though.”

“I don’t know,” he whined. “I felt like I needed to redeem myself and still have a reason to come back that didn’t make me look like a stalker. I also sort of… threw my cat food at him before that.”

Chan choked on his own spit, sputtering out ‘how’s and ‘why’s. Subin just held his hands up in a shrug.

“So, let me get this straight,” he started. “You’re saying you somehow made a fool of yourself but don’t want to accept defeat like a normal guy, so you’re trying to figure out how to save your, albeit already slim, chance at getting this poor, harassed employee’s number.”

Subin was almost shocked at how simply he put it. He nodded as he thought it over. That was his dilemma in a sentence. Wait.

“I didn’t harass him! He was really sweet, and he was so excited about the birds that I couldn’t interrupt him. Also, I don’t think I expressed how absolutely gorgeous he is. Sculpted by the gods, maybe even a god himself. You’d shoot your shot, too.”

Chan looked offended. “I have a boyfriend!”

“Yeah, well! I’m not suggesting you should! I’m just saying,” Subin grumbled at him.

“Understood, although I never thought I’d see you go this crazy over a guy before.”

“I’m not crazy. Just because Sejun practically begged on his knees for one date doesn’t mean it works like that for everyone,” Subin bit back.

What he’d meant as a dig, Chan took as an ego boost, and he grinned. “It’s not easy being perfect.”

Subin stuck his tongue out at him before falling back against the couch again. Chan leaned back against the couch as they quieted, thinking about everything he had told him.

“So, you’re really gonna adopt a bird just to get some brownie points and hope he thinks you’re cute, too?”

Subin looked at him just as Chan looked up. He shrugged.

“It can’t be that hard. I’ve been feeding that demon cat for almost a week now, and it’s not dead yet.”

Chan laughed his usual, contagious laugh, and Subin couldn’t stop his smile. He felt better. His roommate was a pain in the ass sometimes, but he didn’t know what he’d do without him.

“Guess you’re getting a bird, then.”

“No, WE are getting a bird.”

Chan shook a finger at him immediately. “No, Subin, nonono I don’t want ANY part of this. I don’t even know what they eat, or how much to feed it. Do we have to take it on walks? Does it need a birdbath? Where will the cage even go?”

Subin was grinning. “Those sound like questions a future bird dad would be asking.”

“Subin!”

“Channn,” Subin begged, turning on his best puppy dog eyes. “I can’t do this by myself, and you said you’d always be there when I need help.”

“This isn’t what I meant,” Chan sighed, but he knew he wasn’t winning this battle.

Victorious, Subin pumped his fists in the air. He turned to Chan, who was watching silently, and threw himself onto him, arms outstretched to squeeze him. Chan screeched, barely shielding himself from the colliding force, and groaned as Subin continued to giggle, laying on top of him.

“You’re paying for the damn bird,” Chan grumbled once he’d climbed off. He rubbed his side, where he’d been jabbed by Subin’s elbow.

“Of course! You’re the best roommate in the world!” Subin teased, and Chan shoved him with his foot.

Subin gave him a finger heart as he got up to put the cat food away and decide what they wanted for dinner (their choices were ramyeon or delivery). He wasn’t feeling that hungry, so he flipped the kettle on and grabbed two cups of ramyeon from their, otherwise desolate, cupboard.

Once he’d filled them with the boiled water, he grabbed two sets of chopsticks and returned to the couch, handing one to Chan. They settled to watch whatever drama episode was airing that evening, mocking the cheesy acting and chattering in between.

When they finished, they threw the trash away and cleaned up. Chan washed their cups and chopsticks and Subin dried them before putting them away.

“By the way, what kind of bird do you want?” Subin asked, shutting the cabinet with their dishes.

“One that talks, like a pirate bird,” Chan giggled, arching his finger like a hook and dancing around.

Subin smacked him playfully. “I don’t know which ones talk, we’ll have to do some research tomorrow.”

“Or you could just ask your hot bird expert crush,” Chan replied.

Subin’s arm froze mid-shove. Hm. He hadn’t thought of that.

══════════════════

Subin had considered asking Chan to go with him to the pet store a few days later, but eventually decided against it. If he was going to make a fool of himself again, it was better if there were no witnesses. He wasn’t going to do that, though.

He had a mission, and he had been mentally preparing himself all day. He just needed to ask Seungwoo about the different types of birds and figure out which one of them talked, because that was Chan’s only condition. He could be cool about it, just casual talk, in and out. Find Seungwoo, stay calm, and not say anything dumb. Or throw anything.

As he swung the door open, the bell chiming above him, he already felt like his stomach was in his throat. He swallowed dryly, wrapping one hang tightly around the strap of his bag and stuffing the other into his pocket.

A new employee he didn’t recognize stepped out from the shelves.

“Hello! Can I help you with anything?” he asked politely.

“Hey, uh yeah, I was just looking for-,” Subin stuttered, and cut himself off.

He wasn’t really supposed to know Seungwoo’s name. He’d heard Seungsik call him that, but he’d never properly introduced himself, and he wouldn’t know his own name either. He couldn’t come marching in here asking to see Seungwoo like they were friends.

“Sorry? What did you need?” The employee replied, and Subin just stared at him. He was already crumbling.

“I, uh… I was wondering if you guys had birds here?” Subin said before he could think twice, and had to physically restrain himself from facepalming.

“To adopt? Yeah, we’ve got a few! I can show you them, they’re just down this aisle,” he motioned for Subin to follow him, and he prayed they wouldn’t find Seungwoo around the corner.

They walked to the bird cages, Subin already well-acquainted with them, and he feigned interest as the employee stumbled over the types. Birds were clearly Seungwoo’s thing in this store.

“I’ll just leave you to look at them, let me know if you need anything else,” he turned to walk away, but Subin interrupted him.

“Sorry, I was just hoping someone had a little more information on the different… breeds? Is there another staff member that might know more about them?” Subin spoke as smoothly as he could, but he was barely keeping it together.

The employee gave him a slightly strange look, and Subin nearly ran for the door, but someone else stepped into his way.

“Need help, Byung?”

Subin sighed in relief. Seungsik was looking at the employee with a warm smile, two big boxes stacked in his arms.

“No, he just came in asking if we had any-”

“Hey! You’re the kid from a couple days ago!” Seungsik cut him off as his eyes landed on Subin, his smile widening.

He couldn’t lie, being called kid stung a little. Sure, he had a baby face, but he was almost 22. A full-grown adult. Even so, Seungsik had saved him from the embarrassment of getting caught pretending he’d never been there before. That was worth the accidental jab at his pride.

“Hey, Seungsik,” Subin replied, ignoring the confusion on the other worker’s face.

“I’ll help him out, Byung. Could you go take these boxes to the back, please? Put them with the other food shipments from today,” Seungsik passed the boxes over to him and patted his shoulder as he walked away.

He turned back to Subin. “Came back for a bird, did you? Seungwoo will be happy to hear that.”

The mention of Seungwoo made Subin’s cheeks heat up, and he couldn’t control his grin.

Seungsik watched him, his eyes turned crescents, and laughed lightly. “He’s working in the back, I’ll just go let him know you’re here.”

“Thank you,” Subin got out before Seungsik had turned the corner.

He just smiled. “No problem. He’s lucky you even came back.”

Seungsik left Subin with the birds as he pushed through the door that went in the back room, where they kept extra stock and cages that didn’t fit in the front. Seungwoo was organizing a new shipment of food by species, then by food type, and then by packaging colour, because he liked it that way. Seungsik never argued, because it was his store after all.

Seungwoo looked up when he heard the door, putting down his clipboard and checklist.

“Byungchan said there’s someone asking for a ‘bird guy’? A little weird, but oddly endearing? Would be cuter with glasses?”

Seungsik laughed, looking around for the new employee so he could scold him. “Byungchan needs to learn to not gossip about customers.”

“Fair point. I was too stunned to say anything before he ran off. Who’s out there?” Seungwoo was already glancing towards the door. “Are they interested in the birds?”

Seungsik smiled. “It’s the nice boy from a couple days ago. Looks like you really sold him on it. He came back.”

His eyes lit up. “Really? Does he really want to adopt one?”

Seungsik reached up to ruffle his hair. “I don’t know, why don’t you go out and ask him.”

Seungwoo gave Seungsik a smile as he slipped past him and out the door, back into the store. He walked towards the bird aisle, but before he could turn the corner, he heard faint whispers coming from that direction. He peeked slowly around the shelves to see what it was.

Subin was looking into a cage of birds, fingers ghosting up and down the metal. He was murmuring to them, watching as they flew around, landing on different perches to look back at him. They replied in various notes and calls, and Subin smiled as if they were conversing and the bird made a joke.

Subin was actually thinking about how he’d somehow gotten into this situation. Standing in a pet store, adopting a bird, absolutely wrapped around the employee’s finger. All for a bag of cat food. He copied the little noises they made, hoping it translated to I hope I don’t end up flushing you down the toilet. He smiled when the bird whipped its head around as though it understood.

“I’m honestly surprised you came back.”

His voice startled Subin, and he jumped away from the cage. When he turned to meet his eyes, his heart thumped in his chest the same as it had the first time, except now he had no cat food to throw.

Seungwoo smiled warmly, the tops of his teeth peeking through his lips. He looked genuinely happy to see him, and Subin pretended it wasn’t only because he was buying a bird.

“Remember me? Bird guy?” he joked, but Subin’s eyes went wide.

“I’m- I’m sorry, I didn’t know what else to call you,” he sputtered, but Seungwoo just laughed.

“It’s okay, that’s a good nickname. I always forget to wear my name tag, but I’m Seungwoo,” he smiled and looked to Subin expectantly.

It took him a second to realize what he was waiting for. “Oh! I’m Subin.”

“Subin, nice to see you again. So, you think you want a bird?” Seungwoo brought his attention back to the cages they were stood next to.

“I think so, yeah. I talked to my roommate, he’s on board.”

“That’s great! Birds aren’t like fish or hamsters, but they can be really rewarding pets if you give them enough attention in return.”

Subin nodded, suddenly regretting having to ask about Chan’s ridiculous request. Why couldn’t they just get the one Seungwoo thought was best?

“My roommate, though, he just had a… a wish,” Subin said slowly, trying to word it as maturely as possible.

“What’s that?” Seungwoo asked.

“He wants a bird that can… talk,” Subin gritted out. “Like a pirate bird.”

“A pirate bird,” Seungwoo said slowly. He was grinning. Subin could hear it in his voice, but he couldn’t make himself look up.

Seungwoo reached out and ruffled the hair on his bowed head. When Subin shot up, his ears were bright red, but Seungwoo didn’t say anything.

“Well, unfortunately ‘pirate bird’ isn’t an actual species, but we do have some birds that can mimic speech. I wouldn’t recommend the full-sized ones to a new bird owner, but there are a few smaller ones that are easier to care for.”

Seungwoo walked over to a different cage, and Subin followed behind. He was still embarrassed about the whole thing, but it was mixed with the warm sensation of affection.

“This would be my suggestion,” Seungwoo said as he pointed to a single bird in its own cage.

It was the same bird that had spooked Subin the first time they’d met. Seungwoo probably didn’t remember, but the way the bird looked back at him made him certain that it definitely did.

“She’s quiet usually, so she wouldn’t be disruptive, but can be very chatty when she wants to be,” he continued.

Subin caught a flash of something in his eye before he was getting closer and closer.

“She’s also my favourite, but don’t tell the others,” he whispered, and before Subin could even react, he was stepping back again.

Subin let go of the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. His head was spinning a little, but he blinked it away rapidly. He was not going to let Seungwoo get the best of him.

“I think she sounds like a good candidate. Are you okay with potentially letting her go?” Subin said as soon as he could gather his thoughts coherently.

Seungwoo glanced at the bird and then back at him with a nod. “She can’t live in the pet store forever. She deserves a good home.”

Subin wanted to take that as a compliment, but he knew Seungwoo was truly thinking about the bird. It was kind of extremely adorable how much he cared about them.

“Well, if you think you’d like to adopt her, you’re going to need to bring your roommate here another day, just so we can make sure he likes her, too. It’s part of the adoption process,” Seungwoo clasped his hands in front of him with a smile.

“Right, I can do that. Do I need an appointment?” Subin asked.

“Nope, anytime is fine.”

Subin nodded, shuffling his feet. He didn’t want to leave yet, but he also didn’t have anything else important to ask.

Seungwoo made the decision for him. “Well, I hope I answered everything for you. I’ve got to get back to work, shelves need restocking.”

“Of course, I don’t want to keep you,” he lied through his teeth, forcing a smile onto his lips as Seungwoo waved and turned to walk away.

“Come back soon!” Seungwoo called over his shoulder, and Subin caught it just as he was heading towards the front door.  

“You, too!” Subin yelled back before he realized what Seungwoo had said. He swore under his breath as he shoved the door open, bell jingling wildly, and prayed that Seungwoo had already left the main store area.

He hadn’t, of course. He snickered as he walked the last few paces to the door and pushed through. Seungsik was stood, clipboard in hand, finishing up his colour sorting.

“Hey, thanks for cleaning that up,” Seungwoo gestured to the pile of food and started collecting a section to carry to the shelves.

Seungsik smiled. “No problem. Didn’t know how long you’d be talking to him for.”

“I got his name. Subin.”

“Subin. He’s a funny kid,” Seungsik said, and Seungwoo nodded.

“I told him ‘come back soon’ and he said ‘you too’ as he was leaving,” Seungwoo said softly, and Seungsik laughed.

“He’s a very funny kid.”

They both began picking up boxes and bags of food, walking to restock the shelves in the front.

“You know, if I didn’t know better,” Seungsik continued, “I’d think he had a reason for coming here, other than the birds.”

Seungwoo set his last bag down, lining it up with the others. “But you know better?”

“Maybe.”

“But he could just want a bird,” Seungwoo said.

“Maybe,” Seungsik repeated lightly, smiling at him. “He did come in for cat food, though.”

“Yeah, he nearly dropped it on my foot when I first spoke to him.”

Seungsik’s eyes widened. “Maybe you startled him!”

“Apparently I startle him every time I speak, because his ears are red and his eyes go wide whenever I look at him,” Seungwoo muttered.

“I knew it!”

Seungwoo looked up from his shelf to find Seungsik wiggling his eyebrows at him. He tilted his head in confusion.

“Somebody has a cruuush,” Seungsik sing-songed with a laugh, and Seungwoo’s eyes widened.

“Do not! What are you talking about!”

“Not you, idiot!” he giggled, smacking his bicep.

Seungwoo was about to retort before he realized who he was talking about.

“You think… on me?”

“Well, what do you think? I only know what you tell me,” he put his hands on his hips, pretending to be serious.

“I don’t know… He really could just be interested in the birds.”

The look Seungsik gave him said enough.

“Alright, fine! You have a point, but just because you won’t learn their names doesn’t mean no one else will,” Seungwoo huffed, turning to bring more food out.

“I told you not to name them!” Seungsik exclaimed, following him. “By the way, did he end up picking one?”

“I think so, he requested one that could talk. I recommended Kiwi because she’s a good beginner bird. Not that you would know which one that is.”

Seungsik scoffed. “Yes, I do. The green one.”

“You just guessed that because she’s green!” 

“I got it right, though, didn’t I?”

He couldn’t argue there, so he just grumbled as he lugged a bag of dog food off the pile.

“He’s going to bring his roommate in so they can meet her,” he said, hoisting it over his shoulder.

“He’s got a roommate?”

Seungwoo shrugged. “Said so. He seems college-aged to me. Not much younger than us.”

“Guess I should stop calling him kid, then,” Seungsik laughed.

He dropped the bag onto the others with a thud. “Guess so.”

They continued to move the shipment out to their respective shelves, helping customers as they came, until it was closing time.

While Seungsik locked up the cash register and flipped the OPEN sign around, Seungwoo said goodnight to every pet, leaving the birds for last. He went around each cage, giving little tiny waves and soft words as he passed by. When he reached the birds, he spent a little more time whispering and cooing to them as he gently covered each one for the night. Running a pet store was really just his excuse for having as many pets as he wanted.

“Come on, Woo, or I’m locking you in!” Seungsik called to him from the front.

Seungwoo reached the end of the birds, covering Kiwi’s cage last, and whispering good night. Seungsik often gave him a ride home, since they lived close to each other, and he was always impatient to get home to his cat.

He turned the corner and headed towards the front, where Seungsik was waiting. He stepped out first, waiting as he locked the door behind them, and then walked towards his parked car.

Their drive was short, and they sat in comfortable silence for most of it, radio barely audible over the noise of the traffic.

“Do you think he actually wants a bird?” Seungwoo said out of the blue.

Seungsik raised an eyebrow. “Huh?”

“Subin.”

Seungsik grinned when he understood. “Yes. I think he does.”

“But only because he likes me?”

The genuine tone of realization in Seungwoo’s voice made him muffle a laugh.

“Not only that, but I think it plays a role,” he struggled to sound sympathetic.

Seungwoo thought it over, eyes on the road as they neared his apartment building.

“So he thinks if he adopts one of my birds, I’ll fall in love with him?”

Seungsik gave up, laughing freely as his friend pouted. “I don’t know, you’ll have to ask him. Sounds pretty foolproof to me, though.”

He pulled over in front of Seungwoo’s building, unlocking the door so he could get out. He grabbed his bag and reached for the handle, but paused midway.

He looked back at Seungsik. “So he doesn’t actually want a bird?”

Seungsik’s eyes disappeared in his bright smile, shoving him towards the door as he laughed.

“Go home, Woo!”

Seungwoo couldn’t help but grin. “Alright, alright, I’m going. See you tomorrow.”

Seungsik waved, still laughing as he pulled back onto the road.

Seungwoo walked into the building and up to his floor, stepping in and throwing off his shoes and coat. He boiled some water, made ramyeon for dinner, and watched whatever drama was playing that evening. He showered, washed his face, cleaned up his dishes, and fell asleep wondering if Subin knew that Kiwi had at least 20 years of life left.

══════════════════

The short answer was no. He’d done some research, sure, but his search history was more like ‘can birds learn swear words’ and ‘do birds have noses’. He was unprepared and he knew it.

In all honesty, Subin hadn’t thought that far ahead yet. As in, he hadn’t thought past bringing the bird home. It still seemed so ridiculous, that he was adopting a bird because he had a crush on the shop owner. He couldn’t just meet a guy at a coffee shop or in one of his classes like a normal person. Of course not.

It took Subin over a week to figure out how to tell Chan he needed to come meet the bird, (and Seungwoo), before they could take it home. He was pretty sure he had enough money saved for all the supplies, but it would be very embarrassing if he didn’t and Seungwoo decided he was unfit to be a bird dad. That seemed like an important question that needed to be answered before he brought Chan, which called for another trip to Smooches N’ Pooches.

On his way home from feeding his sister’s demon cat, he stayed on the train until it reached the neighbourhood where the pet shop was. He got off, left the station and headed down the street. He wasn’t as nervous this time, and even though they’d only met twice, Seungwoo was on his mind so often he couldn’t remember what he even thought about before. 

When he stepped into the store, Seungsik was right there to greet him.

“Hey, Subin! I thought you were never coming back!” Seungsik smiled, crescent eyes warm.

Subin grinned. He remembered his name. He wondered if Seungwoo did, too.

“Hi, Seungsik,” he replied, “I’ve been a little busy. Didn’t mean to make you think that.”

Seungsik chuckled, turning back to the display he was organizing. Subin walked past him and into the bird aisle, feeling confident, but all he found was birds. No crouching man, or standing man, or any man at all. Seungwoo wasn’t there.

He peeked around the other end of the aisle to the cash register, but the other worker from before was sat there on his phone. No Seungwoo.

He walked back to the front of the store, unsure how to ask Seungsik about where he was. Lucky for him, Seungsik saw his confused face and understood.

“Oh, Seungwoo isn’t here right now. He kind of works his own hours and said he wouldn’t be in this morning. Sorry, Subin,” Seungsik sounded genuinely sympathetic, and Subin couldn’t be upset.

“That’s okay, I can come back another time,” he replied, trying to mask his disappointment.

“Is it something I can help with?” Seungsik asked him kindly.

It probably was. He was sure Seungsik would know all the basic things he needed to buy and could help him total up the cost. It was an easy question, but if Seungsik helped him, then he wouldn’t have another reason to come back. The logical answer was yes, but Subin said-

“No, that’s okay. I just had a… really important bird question,” Subin made up on the spot, throwing on a smile for assurance. “It can wait. No worries.”

Seungsik looked a little worried. “Are you sure? If it’s really important, I can just text Seungwoo, I’m sure he would answer-”

“No! No, that’s fine,” Subin cut him off. “Really, don’t worry about it. I can find some time later this week.”

His schedule was basically empty. He could come back in an hour, but that sounded too desperate. Also, he needed to think of a really important bird question.

Seungsik gave him a funny look, but smiled. “Okay then, Subin. He’s usually here, so you hopefully won’t miss him again.”

He nodded. “Thanks, Seungsik, really.”

He smiled at him before turning back to his display. Subin debated walking out right then, but decided against it and headed back towards the bird aisle. Even if all he came for was to talk to Seungwoo, he didn’t need to act like it. He was taking one of them home, after all.

He walked past all the cages, stopping at the green one Seungwoo had suggested for him. The one that had spooked him the first time and made him drop his cat food. It was one of the larger birds there, flecked with yellow and orange. It was pretty, Subin could definitely agree.

He was more cautious this time as he approached. It stared at him as he kept a safe distance, slowly stepping closer and closer until he was within arm’s reach. The bird was silent, unlike many of its neighbours, cocking its head back and forth on its perch.

“Hello, birdie,” Subin said softly, “Long time no see.”

It made a small noise, like a door unlocking, and hopped along the rod until it could reach across to another one, closer to Subin. He watched silently as the bird climbed around the cage. It made another clicking sound, staring back at Subin.

“We could be friends, huh?” he murmured, copying the clicking noise back to the bird.

It suddenly bobbed its head rapidly, and Subin giggled. The bird made a rumbling noise, like a purr, and spun around on the perch, one foot over the other. Subin leaned closer, wiggling his hands playfully.

“Yeah? You seem pretty nice. I think you’d be a great roommate. Certainly a quieter one.”

The bird puffed up its feathers and shook them out before smoothing them down again. It chirped once, clicking its tongue, and climbed across the bars to reach the bowl of food.

“Alright, I’ll come again later. You be a good birdie, okay?” Subin waved as he stepped back, and the bird squawked, watching him as he turned away.

Maybe the bird could be a good fit for him. He’d never liked dogs, cats never liked him, and he’d killed many a fish as a child, but he’d never considered a bird as a pet. It could work out.

Subin bowed his head a few times to Seungsik and the guy at the cash register as he left the store. He breathed in deeply as he headed back towards the train station, raking a hand through his hair. Sure, that hadn’t gone exactly as planned, but it wasn’t that bad. Plus, the bird seemed to like him. If only it could tell Seungwoo that.

Subin got back on the train to go home, and Seungsik continued with his daily tasks until Seungwoo walked in the door.

“Hey, sorry. I was visiting my parents last night. Meant to get here earlier but they forced me to stay for lunch,” Seungwoo rushed, dropping his coat and bag with Seungsik’s.

He chuckled. “No worries, it wasn’t very busy. I hope your parents are doing well.”

“They are, thanks. I have enough food for weeks.”

“Sounds like your mom,” Seungsik laughed. He was always invited over to finish his mom’s food before it went bad, but he wasn’t complaining.

“Oh, you did miss a visitor,” Seungsik mentioned. “Subin came by. He was definitely looking for you. Said he had a ‘very important bird question’.”

Seungwoo cocked his head, eyebrows furrowed. “What was it?”

“I don’t know, he wouldn’t tell me,” he chuckled. “I offered to text you, but he said he’d come back later.”

 Seungwoo looked up at Seungsik, eyeing his expression. He was smirking.

“You think..”

“He didn’t actually have a question? Yeah, I do think, Woo.”

Seungwoo leaned against the wall and rubbed his temple as Seungsik laughed.

“He’s kind of adorable, like a puppy,” Seungsik said. “Did you cast a spell on him without telling me?”

Seungwoo groaned and swatted blindly at him. “I didn’t do anything! It’s sweet, yeah, but I’ve only talked to him twice.”

“He’s adopting a bird for you! What other guy would do that!”

Seungwoo had no answer.

Seungsik ruffled his hair and pulled on his ear playfully. “You’ve got to give him credit for putting himself out there. We both know you’d never be the first to openly express any level of interest for someone. Who knows, he could be a millionaire and you two could fund the pet store forever and rescue every bird in the world.”

Seungwoo gave him a small smile, smoothing his ruffled hair. “He’s pretty cute.”

“He’s very cute.”

Seungwoo huffed at him, and Seungsik laughed again.

“I think he likes the birds, too. When I went out to see him last time, he was talking to them just like I do. They like that.”

Seungsik pulled a dramatic shocked face. “Wow, you guys can be crazy bird ladies together!”

“Not funny,” Seungwoo rolled his eyes and went to check some emails at the desk.

Seungsik grinned. “Very funny.”

He busied himself as Seungwoo went through all the things he usually did in the morning, before closing the computer again.

“Did he say when he would come back?” Seungwoo asked him.

He shook his head. “He said he’d find a time later this week, not sure when.”

Seungwoo hummed in acknowledgement, fidgeting in the chair before deciding to go see the birds. When Seungsik saw where he was heading, he chuckled.

“At least if he adopts the green bird, your favourite one,” Seungsik pointed out, “maybe it won’t be the last time you see her.”

Seungwoo stopped in his tracks, but didn’t say anything. He couldn’t argue there.

══════════════════

Subin waited three days before making another appearance at the pet store, just so he could pretend he was busy and not thinking about Seungwoo and his birds all day. Long enough that they wouldn’t think he was crazy, but not so long that he actually went crazy.

He headed there in the afternoon, hoping that if Seungwoo had missed the morning, he’d be there by now. He stepped through the door and immediately saw two familiar faces.

“Hey, Subin! Back again!” Seungsik greeted him warmly, and Subin flushed.

“Hey,” he replied, returning the greeting with a smile.

His eyes flickered to Seungwoo, who was sitting at the register. He dipped his head first with a shy smile to test the waters. Seungwoo returned it, and raised a long, slender hand to wave at him gently. Good, so he didn’t think he was a creepy stalker.

Subin approached the register, preparing his line in his head, but Seungwoo beat him to it.

“I heard you stopped by a couple days ago, but I wasn’t in,” Seungwoo said. “Sorry about that. My parents kept me longer than I was anticipating.”

Subin wasn’t expecting him to know about that.

Seungwoo continued without pause. “You had an important question?”

He wasn’t expecting him to know that either. Uh oh.

“Oh, uh… Yeah. I did have a question. About birds.”

No, he didn’t. He never had a question. He wanted to know how much a bird cage cost, but that was easily googleable. He didn’t have to come all the way here to ask him.

Seungwoo waited patiently for him to finish his sentence. Subin could hear that Seungsik had stopped whatever he was doing, too. It was silent, except for the animals. Subin gritted his teeth and took a deep breath.

“Right! I did have a question, and I was going to ask you it, but then you weren’t there, so I went home and googled it and now it’s all cleared up,” he rushed out.

Seungwoo’s mouth was hanging open slightly, like he was ready to say something but didn’t know exactly what.

“It was a dumb question anyway, you don’t even wanna know,” Subin assured him, and thought he heard Seungsik giggling behind them. When he glanced back, he appeared to be inspecting the ingredients of a cat food can.

He turned back to Seungwoo, who still hadn’t moved. Subin desperately wanted the awkward vibe gone, so he did the first thing that came to mind. He put on his best cute smile and made two finger guns, shooting them at Seungwoo.

The first person to burst out laughing was Seungsik, who was still watching from behind his cat food can. Subin giggled a little as his ears heat up, thankful that at least one person found it funny. Seungwoo was stunned, his jaw hanging open, but when he looked from Seungsik back at Subin, he cracked.

Seungwoo doubled over in laughter, disappearing behind the counter, and Subin watched proudly. He did that. Seungsik came over, still laughing, and patted his shoulder affectionately.

“You’re adorable, Subinie. If I did that, Seungwoo would probably fire me,” Seungsik got out, his cheeks aching from laughter.

Subin beamed at the nickname. “Works like a charm.”

“It does,” Seungwoo said as he stood up again, regaining his breath. “I have to admit, no one has ever done that to me at the cash register.”

“Someone’s done that to you not at the cash register?” Seungsik exclaimed, and they all broke into laughter again as Seungwoo rushed to rephrase.

“There’s a first time for everything,” Subin said, shrugging.

“I’m glad I got to witness that,” Seungsik answered. “I just wish I was recording. Woo’s never laughed that hard in his life.”

Subin smiled at that.

“Okay, okay,” Seungwoo said, still regaining his composure. “If you answered your question, what did you stop by for today?”

Seungsik’s hand was still on his collar, and he smiled sheepishly.

“I just had some questions about the supplies I need to get to prepare for the bird,” Subin told him. “I figured you’d know the best things to buy.”

Seungwoo smiled and moved to step around the counter. “Sure. I can show you the basics, we’ve got a few choices for food and stuff.”

“Subin and the green bird had a heart to heart while you were gone, I think it’s excited to get out of here,” Seungsik teased as they headed to the bird aisle.

“Her name is Kiwi, Sik,” Seungwoo emphasized, but ignored the rest of his comment.

Subin followed as they walked down the bird aisle, focusing this time on the other side, where the shelves held different types of food, cage accessories, and toys.

“Kiwi is a cute name,” Subin said, smiling to himself as he peeked at the green bird sitting in her cage.

“Sorry, I guess I forgot to mention it earlier,” Seungwoo replied. “You can change it, of course, but I think it’s pretty cute, too.”

“No, I like it. It suits her.”

While Seungwoo looked over the shelves for Kiwi’s favourite food, Subin walked over to the bird.

“Kiwiii, Kiwi,” he cooed, giggling when she tilted her head at him. “Look! She knows her name.”

Seungwoo was watching Subin already, but chuckled at his excitement. He didn’t have the heart to tell him that Kiwi did that to any sound she liked, which was most.

“She’s a funny bird,” Seungwoo agreed, finally pulling a bag of seed off the shelf.

Subin returned to his side, listening as Seungwoo explained the importance of a balance between seeds, pellets, and fresh vegetables for bird diets. He listened as Seungwoo pointed out different toys that would keep her busy, explained how long she should be let out of her cage each day, and what a proper nighttime routine looked like. He listened, nodded, and tried to stuff everything into his brain without losing any of it.

“Okay, I think that’s the most important things. Does that all make sense?” Seungwoo finished up, looking to Subin for confirmation.

He nodded, even though he sort of wanted to ask him to say everything over again so he could record it.

Seungwoo looked conflicted, watching Subin carefully, and he immediately felt smaller.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Seungwoo said suddenly.

Subin cocked his head. “Do what?”

“Adopt Kiwi. Pay for all of this, commit to it. You know,” he waved his hands, gesturing around. “This.”

Subin paused. He knew he wasn’t sure. He’d never really stopped to think about it, what adopting a pet, any pet, meant for his life. He could never be gone more than a day without a bird sitter, he’d have to clean her cage even if he hadn’t cleaned his own room, buy fresh vegetables even if all he ate was packaged ramen.

“I…”

“Listen,” Seungwoo cut him off, “I know you didn’t come here looking for a pet, much less a bird. I also know that it can be hard to say no to someone if they push it enough, and that’s a really bad habit for a pet store owner. I only want people to adopt if they really think it’ll be good for both them and the pet. Not because… because it would make me happy.”

Oh. Seungwoo had figured him out. Fantastic. He almost winced as Seungwoo trailed off, because it definitely sounded worse when he said it like that.

“I don’t want to hurt your feelings, actually that’s the last thing I want to do. I think it’s really sweet that you let me talk your ear off about the birds, and I was surprised when you actually came back. You’re kind of- well, you somehow became a favourite customer despite only buying one thing.”

Subin laughed, despite the heaviness settling in him. He didn’t like where this was going.

“I’d be sad if you never came back, Seungsik too. I just think, maybe you’re doing this for… the wrong reasons.”

The look on Seungwoo’s face reminded Subin of when he’d seen a dead squirrel on the side of the road when he was seven. Except now, he was the dead squirrel.

The urge to duck his head and flee was stronger than ever, but he stayed still. He tried to keep it together, frantically trying to piece together a response to explain himself, but he came up empty. Maybe Seungwoo was right.

“Okay,” he finally breathed out, his voice thankfully still clear.

“Okay?”

He couldn’t force his head up, the lump in his throat heavy, so he kept it bowed, like a scolded puppy.

“You’re right, I’m sorry,” he was afraid to say more, his voice starting to waver slightly. “I’m really sorry.”

“No, Subin, you don’t have to be sorry,” Seungwoo soothed. “Don’t feel bad. I should be the one that’s sorry.”

The pity heavy in his voice just made his eyes water more. He had to go.

He coughed to cover his sniffling as he reached up to smooth his hair down, shielding his eyes in the process. He glanced past Seungwoo, looking for a clear way out.

“Subin, I-”

“It’s okay, Seungwoo, really. I understand. I have to go now,” Subin said, giving up on trying to keep his voice stable.

“Wait, let’s just-”

He didn’t hear the rest of his sentence as he all but ran past him and towards the door, thankful for once that Seungsik wasn’t there to say goodbye. He let the tears fall as soon as he was safely on the street.

He’d just been rejected by a man he didn’t even ask out. That must be some sort of achievement. He couldn’t wait to crawl into his bed and never come out again.

Back in the store, Seungwoo couldn’t believe what had just happened. It escalated before he could even process what was happening, and then Subin was gone. Out the door, probably never to return, and leaving Seungwoo, stunned, with his stomach twisted in guilt.

Seungsik came around the corner with a puzzled look on his face.

“Did Subin just run out the door? What happened?” he asked.

Seungwoo looked at him, a hand twisted into his hair. “Honestly, I don’t know.”

“Did you say something bad?”

“No,” Seungwoo started. “Well, maybe.”

“Seungwoo,” Seungsik said in his mother tone, the one he only ever used on Byungchan.

“I tried to be as nice as possible!” Seungwoo defended, explaining what had happened.

After explaining to him, he realized how narcissistic he sounded, which only made him feel worse. Seungsik was no help.

“I get that you thought you were leading him on,” Seungsik said after he’d finished, “But you didn’t have to break his heart like that. I liked having him around.”

“Sik,” Seungwoo whined, begging for sympathy.

“What! You did this to yourself! What harm was he really causing?”

He knew he was right, but he didn’t know what to do. He didn’t have Subin’s phone number, or even his last name.

“I didn’t want him to be upset, I thought I could do it nicely. It’s not like I told him he couldn’t have a crush on me.”

Seungsik put a hand on his hip. “You didn’t have to say it for him to understand it that way.”

Seungwoo groaned. “God, if I wanted a scolding I’d call my mom, Sik.”

“I liked him, and you scared him off! Did you really dislike him that much?”

“No! I actually-,” Seungwoo yelled, before lowering his voice, “I really liked him.”

“You’re such a mess, Woo. Your way of flirting is to indirectly tell someone to stop liking you. I’d run, too.”

Seungwoo just looked at him, eyes so heavy that Seungsik sighed, dropping the joke and walking over to wrap his arms around him.

“It’ll be okay, Woo. He’ll sleep on it, and maybe he’ll come back. You bruised his ego a little, he just needs a few days to heal. Okay?” Seungsik comforted him, rubbing his back gently.

He sighed. There was no way he was coming back, but he nodded against his shoulder anyways.

“At least you get to keep Kiwi,” Seungsik offered honestly.

Seungwoo shoved him off, wailing dramatically. Seungsik laughed.

“You’re terrible at comforting, Sik.”

“Trust me, you’re worse.”

Seungsik took off before Seungwoo could process the insult, racing around the store and screeching for help.

Byungchan, sat in the back room on his phone, only clicked the volume up on his earbuds without a thought to move. Anyone who messed with Seungwoo was a dead man, and he was not about to step in the way. 

Oh, why couldn’t he have just taken the job at the chicken place?

══════════════════

When Subin finally walked in the door, he barely had the energy to throw off his shoes. He headed straight for his room, but unfortunately, to get there he needed to go through the living room. He silently prayed that Chan was in his room, because if he had to face him he would definitely-

“Hey Subinie, where’ve you been?” Chan called to him from the couch.

Cry again.

“I waited to watch- Subin?”

He sat up on the couch when he saw Subin’s quivering lip, instantly concerned. Subin debated what to answer with, but opted for the shortest choice.

“Chanie,” he sniffled, barely above a whisper.

The tears he’d worked so hard to quell began to wet his face again, and he stepped into Chan’s arms as soon as he leapt up to engulf him.

Chan stroked his hair as he stood, face shoved into his hoodie, nose running and snotty. After a minute or so, Chan pulled him back to look at him.

“My little crybaby,” Chan cooed, wiping his cheeks, and Subin giggled through his tears. He was sick of crying. “What happened, huh?”

He took a deep breath. “I went to the pet store,” he said, sniffling between each word, “to ask about food and stuff for Kiwi.”

“Who’s Kiwi?”

“The bird we’re adopting!” His voice was higher because of the tears, and Chan looked scared for his life.

He threw his hands up in self-defense. Even though he’d never heard that name before, he didn’t dare argue. “Right, right. Sorry. The bird. Continue.”

“Well, I don’t think we’re adopting her anymore,” Subin mumbled, frowning.

To Subin’s surprise, Chan looked sad too. “Why not? I was getting excited about a pirate bird!”

“Seungwoo basically thought I was adopting her to make him like me and said I was ‘doing it for the wrong reasons’,” Subin made air quotes as he spoke.

Chan raised an eyebrow. “Is he wrong, though?”

“Yes, he’s wrong!” Subin protested. “I mean, maybe not completely, but I’m not that dumb! I just thought he’d maybe… consider it.”

Chan stayed silent, which said enough for him. Subin huffed, frustrated.

“Okay, fine, maybe my logic was a little… illogical. He didn’t have to say it to my face, though! I would’ve got the hint eventually.”

Chan laughed. “Yeah, after you bought the bird. Then you’d have a bird AND no date. At least now you just don’t have a date.”

“But I wanted the bird AND the date!” he argued, but Chan just shrugged.

Subin huffed. “You’re supposed to comfort me.”

“I did.”

“Barely.”

“I still did.”

Subin scowled at him as he stomped off to his room, leaving Chan to plop back onto the couch and finish whatever he was watching.

A few hours later, after Subin had had enough time to sulk in his bed, Chan knocked on his door for dinner. He’d been oh-so-courteous and ordered chicken for them to share, (because he’d eaten the last ramyeon and forgotten to pick up more after Subin asked him). They ate on the couch, as always, and watched the newest episode of the drama they were currently on. Even if they made fun of it the whole time, they didn’t miss an episode.

After they’d cleaned up, washed faces and brushed teeth, they exchanged goodnights and headed to their rooms. Subin collapsed onto his bed, exhausted from the day. He still felt heavy, but not as bad as before. It should’ve been hard to be heartbroken when he’d really only known Seungwoo existed for less than a month, but he still managed.

As he lay in bed, he found his mind wandering to Kiwi, and what if would be like if she was sitting in his room right now. She could’ve sat on a perch in the living room, eating her vegetables as they ate, too. She might’ve squawked when they pretended to gag at the cheesy scenes, bobbed her head to the ending song. He could’ve ranted all about the day and she would’ve listened intently, as though she understood.

The more he daydreamed about it, the more upset he was that she would never come home with them. He’d been brutally rejected AND lost Kiwi in the process. He wondered if he could put a mask and bucket hat on and somehow manage to slip in undetected and visit her.

Over the next few days, his pride slowly healed but he was constantly thinking about Kiwi. He found himself researching things, and actually remembering it. He learned that birds did actually have ears, but also that they can’t eat avocado, the clicking noise she made meant she was happy, and that her breed could live past 25. He looked at different types of cages, toys, diet supplements, and behaviour signs to know. He studied more than he ever had for any final he’d taken. Maybe even combined.

When he talked to Chan about it the week after, he was still on board.

“I’ve been watching videos of these crazy birds screeching at random inanimate objects and running around on the floor and just being so chaotic. I think she’d fit in perfectly with us,” Chan said between mouthfuls of cereal.

Subin smiled. “Kiwi is a little calmer, but I’m sure once she feels comfortable with us, she’ll have her moments, too.”

“You’re back to Kiwi? I thought you were never stepping foot in that pet store again,” Chan laughed.

“I didn’t think I would be this attached to her,” Subin admitted. “Plus, you’ve still got to meet her. If Seungwoo will consider it, I can swallow my pride for a day. THEN I’m never stepping foot in there again.”

They joked around as they finished up their food, talking about where they’d put a perch in the kitchen so Kiwi could eat her breakfast with them.

Subin might’ve lost his chance with Seungwoo, but he wasn’t giving this one up as easily.

══════════════════

Days turned into weeks at Smooches N’ Pooches as Seungwoo silently hoped that every bell jingle would be Subin walking in the door. He wouldn’t admit how much he still thought about him, but he knew he wasn’t being his normal self.

He hadn’t missed a single open hour since then, first in and last out every day. He worked mostly at the cash register or in the front, so he had a clear view of the door. At first, it was guilt spurring him, but eventually, it just became habit. Seungsik and Byungchan worked around him, spending more time in the back and helping customers. Seungsik even organized the shipments by colour for him, earning a grateful smile each time.

He spent a lot of time thinking about what he would say to Subin if he ever came back. I’m sorry, I was too harsh, I wasn’t thinking. I wish I could go back and erase that conversation, I wish you’d come back. I miss you.

It didn’t help that Seungsik made it very clear every day how much he missed Subin.

“Remember this cat food,” he said, holding up a bag to Seungwoo like he was cradling a small child. “This is the same one I gave Subin the first time he visited. I can still hear his voice describing his sister’s demon cat to me. Sometimes I think he’s still here.”

He sighed dramatically, placing the bag back on the shelf and wiping a fake tear from his cheek. Seungwoo glared at him.

“Stop acting like he died. You met him twice.”

Seungsik exaggerated a gasp, gripping his chest. “Three times, actually! One more than you, so if anyone has a reason to mope, it’s me.”

“I’m not moping,” he grumbled.

“What are you doing then? Pining?”

Seungwoo’s eyes went wide, and Seungsik disappeared into the shelves, cackling.

“Don’t make me fire you, Kang Seungsik!” he hollered after him.

A laugh echoed from down the aisle. “I dare you! Send me away just like you did Subin!”

Seungwoo made a move to chase him, but he stopped halfway. Seungsik was annoying, but he had reason to be. He’d messed up, big time. He was desperate for just one chance to fix it, or else he’d succumb to the guilt eating him up.

It was another week before his chance walked in the door.

Seungwoo was behind the counter, as always, with Seungsik (who still had a job), balancing the cash register. They’d had a slow day, so Seungsik was helping him with extra work he normally did outside of open hours.

When the bell over the door jingled, Seungwoo didn’t even look up from his spreadsheet. He waited for Seungsik to go over and greet them, but he didn’t move. After a moment, he kicked Seungwoo in the calf.

“Ow!” he hissed, looking over at him.

Seungsik’s eyes were wide, and he jerked his head so subtly to the front that he barely registered it. He turned, rubbing his leg.

“What…oh.”

Seungwoo’s eyes locked onto Subin, who was standing silently by the door. Another man, bucket hat covering his eyes, glanced around the shop from where he stood behind him. He wasn’t much taller than him, but his gym shorts showed off thighs of steel.

Seungwoo froze. He wanted to get up, to start spitting apologies as fast as he could, but he stayed stuck in place. His feet were suddenly cement blocks.

“Oh my god, he’s brought his roommate to beat you up,” Seungsik whispered by his ear, and Seungwoo choked on the air he suddenly sucked in.

Subin and the other guy both turned to look, and Seungsik slapped him on the back hard before rushing out from behind the counter to walk over. Seungwoo watched as they talked, still coughing weakly, and tried to get a grip.

Subin was here, in the store, and he didn’t look all that upset. Actually, he didn’t look upset at all. He looked like Subin usually did, his cheeks a little pink, his smile gentle. He wore thin-framed glasses Seungwoo had never seen before, and he wondered if he usually wore contacts.

Seungsik was speaking too quietly for him to pick up anything, but he suddenly waved an arm in front of them and the three walked into one of the aisles, out of sight. Seungwoo debated getting up and following, but he wasn’t sure what Seungsik’s plan was. Maybe he was trying to calm down the roommate that wanted to tear him to pieces by showing them the new kittens they’d just received. He focused on calming his heart rate and breathing before they came back.

He did that for approximately 2 minutes before he couldn’t stand it anymore. He needed to talk to Subin before he lost his chance again, and this is most certainly his only shot. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a second, before he stepped slowly from behind the counter and headed towards the aisle they disappeared down.

Seungsik was not in the kitten area. He followed the voices and turned down the bird aisle, spotting the group at the end of it. They were looking at Kiwi.

“Hello, Seungwoo,” Seungsik greeted him loudly, making the other two aware of his presence as he quietly approached. They turned around.

Instead of angry eyes, Seungwoo was surprised to find shy smiles. His roommate had taken off his hat, revealing a fluffy head of black hair that made him much less intimidating.

“Hi,” Subin said, making an obvious effort to look him in the eye.

Seungwoo was stunned. “…Hey.”

“This is my roommate, Chan,” Subin gestured to the other man, and he smiled warmly.

“Hi, Chan,” Seungwoo replied slowly, confused by the normalcy of their conversation.

Chan bowed his head politely, and Seungwoo returned it right after. He was pretty sure he wasn’t there to beat him up, but he wasn’t taking any risks.

“Chan and Subin are still interested in adopting Kiwi,” Seungsik said carefully, eyeing Seungwoo.

Seungwoo stuttered, bewildered. “They want to- you want to what?”

“Only if it’s okay with you,” Subin rushed. “You can say no.”

He felt like he was missing something. Subin acting like nothing had happened, but still wanted the bird? It wasn’t adding up.

“Wh…why?”

Subin looked at Kiwi, who was sitting silently and staring back at him, before glancing over at Chan, and finally back to him.

“I know you think I’m not prepared to be a bird owner,” Subin started, giving him a look when he opened his mouth to object, “but I studied really hard, and Chan too. I know everything now, really. I even took notes to remember it all.”

Seungsik looked as confused as Seungwoo felt. Had he gotten it wrong? Did Subin really just want a bird this whole time?

Subin continued. “I know all the food types, like you told me, and what food is bad for birds and how much to feed them, and I looked up different mannerisms too, like when Kiwi clicks her beak it means she’s happy. Right, Kiwi?”

He turned to the bird, clicking his tongue to her, and she copied it back. Subin looked up at Seungwoo, eyes glowing with pride. He couldn’t help but smile.

“I really did learn everything. Give me a test, I can prove it. Ask me anything!”

Seungsik chuckled at his enthusiasm and reached out to ruffle his hair before he could think twice. Subin grinned at him.

“You sound pretty prepared to me, Subinie. I’m impressed,” Seungsik praised, glancing at Seungwoo.

Subin revelled in the compliment, following his gaze to look at him, too. Seungwoo was struggling to process what was going on.

“Isn’t he prepared, Seungwoo?” Seungsik prompted him, ripping him from his thoughts, and he nodded.

“Yes, yeah. You’ve done a great job, Subin,” he got out.

No one spoke for a moment, all eyes still on Seungwoo. He tried to make sense of the situation, but every possible scenario led to more questions. He just couldn’t pretend like it was normal.

“Oh! I just realized we were supposed to feed the kittens at 3, and it’s already 3:15. I’m sure they’re very hungry,” Seungsik exclaimed. “Chan, would you mind helping me out? They can be very wriggly.”

Chan looked at him in confusion, but the look on Seungsik’s face would make anyone comply without question. He glanced at Subin, who gave him a nod, before going back to Seungsik.

“Sure, I can do that,” he replied, bowing his head to Seungwoo again as they left the aisle.

Seungwoo knew the kittens weren’t meant to be fed until 5. He also knew Seungsik wasn’t great at subtlety, but he appreciated the effort in that moment.

“So…,” Subin started, trailing off as he waited for Seungwoo to reply.

He opened his mouth to respond, but closed it again. He was so confused.

“You’re not… mad at me?” he asked softly, cautiously. Subin cocked his head to the side. “Mad? Why would I be mad?”

Now he was even more confused. Had he made up the whole thing?

“Because I made you run away? You were being sweet, and I was awful about it,” Seungwoo said, wincing a little at the memory.

Subin laughed awkwardly. “Right, yeah, I did. I’m sorry, really, about all of that. If I made you uncomfortable or anything, I totally get it.”

“No, that’s not-”

Subin cut him off. “I wasn’t planning on bothering you again, but I didn’t anticipate how much I really wanted to adopt Kiwi. I promise, if you’ll let us adopt her, that I won’t come back again.”

He looked genuinely guilty, and all of Seungwoo’s emotions were colliding within him.

“I understand if you-”

“No!”

Subin froze mid-sentence, the next word on his tongue.

“No, Subin. I’m not upset, or uncomfortable or anything. I’m the one who should be apologizing, not you. I’m really sorry, REALLY sorry about how I acted. I’ve felt guilty ever since, and I thought you would never come back and I’d have to live like this forever and-”

“Wait,” Subin said, “why do you feel guilty?”

Seungwoo looked at him like he was crazy. “Because I totally overreacted and panicked? You weren’t doing anything wrong, in fact you were probably doing it completely right. I should’ve said ‘wow, this guy is so sweet AND cares about the birds, what more can I ask for’, but instead I assumed the worst and scared you off. So I feel guilty, yeah, because you didn’t deserve that.”

It was Subin’s turn to look stunned.

“Oh.”

“And now you’re in here, a complete bird whiz and still asking to adopt Kiwi, and all I ever did was think about myself. I’m really sorry, Subin. I don’t want you to leave forever, I never did.”

Subin listened silently, and to Seungwoo’s relief, the guilty look was fading.

“I… I wasn’t expecting an apology when I walked in here. I think I prepared for every scenario except this one,” Subin admitted, his cheeks flushing a familiar pink.

Seungwoo smiled. “I didn’t expect you to walk in here at all. I’m less prepared than you, I promise.”

 Subin grinned at that, and Seungwoo felt relief washing over him.

“So, does that mean we can adopt Kiwi?” Subin asked hopefully, offering his biggest smile, and Seungwoo couldn’t dream of refusing him.

Subin cheered, making the birds erupt in squawks, and immediately slapped a hand over his mouth. His muffled giggles and crescent eyes made Seungwoo melt a little inside.

“I missed you,” he murmured as the birds calmed down, and he would’ve thought Subin didn’t hear him if it wasn’t for his face and ears blooming tomato red.

Seungwoo burst out laughing, reaching out to pinch his ear as Subin rushed to cover them with his hands, whining playfully.

“Your ears are cute,” Seungwoo commented. “I like your glasses, too. They make you look older.”

“They’re not real,” he giggled. “I wear them just for that purpose.”

“Cute,” Seungwoo repeated, and they shared warm smiles.

Suddenly, a loud noise rang out from one of the cages.

“Kiwi!” Subin yelled, and Seungwoo turned to look in her cage.

She was sitting on the nearest perch, holding a metal ball she’d ripped off of a toy, and banging it against the bars repeatedly. When Subin called her name, she squawked and flapped her wings.

Seungwoo was laughing. “I guess she really does know her name.”

Subin beamed at him before turning back to the bird. “Are you excited to come home with us? Huh, Kiwi?”

She dropped the ball in her grip so that she could climb along the side of the cage, clicking her beak at Subin.

“I think that’s a yes,” Seungwoo said, watching Subin fawn over her.

They continued to talk, playing with Kiwi and laughing until Seungsik and Chan had finished with the kittens. When they came back, they went over everything they’d need for Kiwi. No matter how much they teased Subin, Seungwoo was genuinely impressed by how much he’d learned since the last time he’d seen him. The overwhelmed, stressed look from before was now one of confidence and excitement about finally taking Kiwi home, and also knowing he could actually handle it. His commitment was endearing.

They collected everything together before finally moving Kiwi from her cage and into a travel box.

“Okay, Kiwi, you gotta be a good girl okay? Be nice to them!” Seungwoo told her as he set her gently into the box, carrying it to the counter.

“Did you say cause all the trouble I can?” Seungsik joked in a high-pitched voice. “Aye aye, captain.”

Chan gasped. “She really is a pirate bird!”

Seungwoo and Seungsik laughed at the pair as they collected all the items into bags and rang them up. Seungsik handed the bird to Chan and Subin picked up the bags to follow.

“Hey, Subin,” Seungwoo called to him, and he turned back.

“I just wanted to apologize again for… everything, you know. I’m really glad you decided to come back.”

Subin smiled. “Stop apologizing, it’s fine. I’m glad, too. I’ll be back whenever Kiwi’s food is running low, or just to stop by. Someone has to make sure you’re all doing your job.”

Seungwoo pulled a shocked face, laughing. “What do you mean! I’m always doing my job! It’s Seungsik that distracts me.”

“Heard that!” Seungsik hollered from where he stood with Chan by the front door.

Seungwoo gave an innocent smile to his colleague, and Subin giggled.

“Hey, to make up for the mess I made,” Seungwoo started, “let me buy you a coffee or something.”

Subin’s eyes went wide, and Seungwoo felt his own cheeks heating up. This was new.

“I mean… only if you’d like. Do you drink coffee? It could be tea, or lunch, or anything really. I’m not picky,” he rushed.

Subin was grinning now, enjoying seeing Seungwoo flustered for a change.

“Yeah? What’s in it for me?”

“Free food, for one,” Seungwoo answered.

“Chan buys me food all the time,” Subin countered, smirking.

“Maybe, but does Chan run a pet store? We can discuss… bird things. Important things you need to know to be a good bird dad.”

Subin raised his eyebrow at the offer. “Very tempting. What makes you think I don’t know it already?”

“I got Kiwi when she was 6 months old. I raised her like my own child, but I suppose I can share some secrets if you’re interested,” Seungwoo looked triumphant. “She’ll sing for a specific vegetable. You won’t find that on the internet.” 

Subin laughed. “Sounds like a deal. How will I know when this information exchange is happening?”

He chuckled. “I wrote my number inside Kiwi’s box. You’ll have to find it when you get home.”

“Why! What if you’re lying?” Subin complained.

“You literally know where I am 8 to 5 every day, Subin.”

“Oh. Good point.”

They laughed at each other until Seungsik interrupted them.

“Hey! Why’d we put Kiwi in this tiny box if you guys were just going to have your first date over the cash register!” 

Seungwoo pulled a face at him as he stepped around the counter, Subin following behind as they walked towards the other two.

 “We were discussing important bird things, actually,” Seungwoo contradicted him. “Not that it’s any of your business.”

“Yeah, whatever, I don’t want any of that sappy stuff in my pet store,” he replied.

Seungwoo chose to ignore his comment, sparing his life and only giving him a side-eye as he handed the bag of supplies to Subin. Seungsik enjoyed his small victory.

“Okay, good luck guys! Make sure she gets to stretch her wings tonight, and she usually eats around 5. You can slowly adjust to your schedule, but she’ll be grumpy today if it’s late,” Seungwoo told them as they stepped towards the door.

“Thanks, Seungwoo! We’ll be good bird dads, promise!” Chan assured him with a wide smile, holding the box to his chest tightly.

“Thank you,” Subin echoed. “I’ll text you when we get her settled.”

“I look forward to it,” Seungwoo replied warmly.

Seungsik held the door open as they made their way out, hands full. They were just about to shut the door when Subin stopped in his tracks and turned around.

“Oh, and Seungwoo,” Subin said with a grin, “I want the best beef in Seoul.”

Seungsik turned to Seungwoo with his eyes wide, but he just laughed.

“Unfortunately, that’s reserved for second dates only,” Seungwoo replied, “but I know a place that might work instead.”

Subin faked a look of displeasure. “You drive a hard bargain. I expect a chauffeur home as well for this inconvenience.”

“I can arrange that.”

Seungsik and Chan shared a glance. Seungsik pretended to gag and Chan tried his best not to burst out laughing, earning a dirty look from Subin.

“Come on, Chan, I can’t take this anymore,” Seungsik dragged a laughing Chan back into the store. “You guys let us know when you’re done!”

“Fine, fine. Let the poor boy go!” Seungwoo relented, sharing a warm smile with Subin.

They came back to the door, finally sending the two on their way. Chan carried the box carefully as Subin lugged the bags behind, and Seungwoo and Seungsik waved at them, watching until they disappeared into the walking traffic.

As the door shut behind them, Seungsik grabbed Seungwoo’s arm and shook it around.

“You must have been a hero in your past life, because I’ve never seen a miracle like that happen EVER!”

Seungwoo waved him off. “I deserve a miracle for having to deal with you all day.”

Seungsik gripped at his heart, gasping in pain. “I calmed down Subin’s raging bull of a roommate so you could fix things with him, and this is how I get treated? Not even a thank you?”

“He wasn’t here to beat me up!”

“You’ll never know, because you were too scared to come over and face him,” Seungsik teased as he strolled away. “I think I’m the real hero of the afternoon. Where’s my beef, huh?”

Seungwoo groaned, following after to shove his shoulder lightly. “I think you’re getting a little too sassy lately.”

“I like to keep you on your toes,” Seungsik said, putting on an innocent smile.

“Don’t think I forgot your little comment earlier.”

“What comment? I didn’t make any comment,” he shrugged his shoulders, backing away slowly.

“Nice try. Call this your pet store one more time,” Seungwoo threatened, “and I won’t hesitate to make you clean the reptile cages for the rest of the year.”

“Not the reptiles!” he wailed, throwing a hand over his forehead. “Anything but the reptiles!”

“Twice a day, spotless.”

“You monster!” he cried.

Seungwoo smiled smugly. “Your boss, actually.”

“What’s the difference,” Seungsik giggled as Seungwoo headed to the back room.

“REPTILES!”

“OKAY I’M SORRY! SORRY,” he gave in, running to catch up.

Outside, Chan and Subin carried their precious cargo onto the train, finding a seat to put Kiwi in between them. Subin cracked the top of the box and she poked her beak through it, making them laugh.

“She’s pretty cool, you’re right. I’m glad you came back for her,” Chan told him, tapping her beak as she poked it in and out of the box.

“Me too,” Subin agreed. “I’m honestly surprised Seungwoo wasn’t upset with me. I was so confused when he started apologizing.”

“Seungsik said he’s been sulking ever since then, and that he hasn’t missed an open hour in case you came back,” Chan said. “Sounds like a whipped man to me.”

“But I swear he showed no sign of it! Literally none! I thought he’d be thinking ‘good riddance, that kid was annoying’ and not blink an eye.”

Chan shrugged. “Seungsik said he tried to console him but Seungwoo just moped around. Sound familiar?”

Subin swatted his arm, laughing. “Really? Seungwoo told me that Seungsik pretended I died and cried every time he saw the cat food he sold me the first time I went there.”

Chan doubled over in laughter, earning a few looks from other passengers. Subin hushed him, still giggling.

“He offered me lunch, on him,” Subin said, twisting the strings on the bag in his lap. “I wasn’t just demanding beef out of the blue.”

“It’s called a date, Subin,” Chan teased. “Did you at least get his number?”

“He said he wrote it in Kiwi’s box. I can’t check until we’re home, or she might make a break for it,” Subin complained.

“Cute. Incredibly annoying, but cute,” Chan laughed, patting Subin’s shoulder.

“Oh! Seungsik also told me that they’re watching the same drama we are,” Chan continued excitedly. “You should invite them over so we can watch it all together!”

Subin laughed. “How much did you and Seungsik talk about?”

“Everything,” Chan replied. “You guys took a while, and he talks a lot.”

“I guess that could be fun,” Subin agreed, trying to picture the four of them squished on their tiny couch. “He’d like seeing Kiwi again, too.”

“Exactly! It’s a win-win for everyone. It could even be a weekly thing!”

Subin smiled at Chan’s enthusiasm. They both looked back at the box, tapping on it gently and smiling when she poked her beak back out.

“I think we owe Kiwi a thank you, huh Subinie?” Chan crooned. “She’s the reason you even went back there, and now everything’s worked out perfectly.”

Subin chuckled. “Yes, thank you, Kiwi. You’re a fantastic matchmaker.”

Kiwi’s chirping was barely audible over the noise of the train, but they both heard it.

“You know, you could even say that Kiwi is… a great wingman.”

“Oh my god Chan, I will move out if you make that joke again.”

“A divorce 5 minutes after adopting our first child? You’re a monster.”

“Try me.”