Chapter Text
It’s hot in the shop when Subin finally lifts the last of the crates onto the counter. To be fair, it’s always hot in the shop, since they have to keep the air at a certain humidity and at the perfect temperature to keep the plants from dying, but the physical exertion makes it even worse than usual. He’s wearing a simple, thin shirt (thankfully Seungsik isn’t really strict about work attire) but even that seems to be too much against his sweaty skin.
It’s been a long day, physically demanding, but he’s in a good mood. Productivity has always felt great to him. They’ve had a particularly big delivery today, and he’s spent most of his shift moving boxes and crates full of flowers from one place to another. The one he’s just left on the table is the last one, and he’s eager to get it done with. As much as he loves being busy, it also feels good to take a break.
He only has to take the remaining flowers to their spot. Thankfully the ones he has to take care of at the moment will all stay near the counter (or rather, he’s left the easiest for the end; no one won’t tell him he doesn’t think ahead). The geraniums look lovely, their vibrant pink standing up against the dull color of the wood pallets.
All around him, all kinds of plants paint a beautiful canvas, full of life and different stories. He fell in love with the place the moment he put a foot in it, and to this day it still fills him with happiness when he takes it all in. Even after such an exhausting day, he can’t regret the choice to work here. He’s never felt more satisfied with a part-time job.
He’s busy rearranging the last of the potted plants for the day – he has still a little over an hour left in his shift, but once he’s done with this task he’ll be mostly waiting for clients to show up – when Seungsik appears from the backstore.
He’s wearing his usual pale mint apron, with a sunny smile to go with it. There’s some dirt on his cheek, probably from when he was repotting plants in the back, but it just makes him look more charming.
“Do you need some help,” he asks, patting his hands on his lap to shake off some of the soil.
“It’s okay, I’m nearly done here,” Subin waves him off. “You’re done with the cacti?”
“Yes, those cuties really needed bigger pots. They’ll never grow strong if they’re too snug!”
Subin doesn’t say anything, only humming in response. Seungsik doesn’t really need his input about plants – he knows way more than Subin will probably ever do and he can rant on his own without needing anyone to spurr him. It’s an endearing trait of him, but Subin has been subjected to the same discourse more than once: even small plants need appropriately sized pots, some nurseries send them plants in too small pots, and that won’t do because every form of life deserves a decent space to live, and people need to care a little bit more about plants, and... He can go on for hours, no matter how much Subin openly agrees with him.
It's one of the quirks he’s come to accept about his boss and he truly doesn’t mind, not when Seungsik is the best one he’s had so far. He treats him well, never asks him more than he would do himself, and he’s understanding. Seungsik is nice, too, and he’s taken him under his wing, teaching him as much as Subin is willing to learn. As a college student, Subin can’t ask for better.
This time, Seungsik doesn’t go on about unfitting plant pots. He’s probably just as tired as Subin, having worked on repotting the cacti all afternoon, without talking about his morning shift. Subin knows he works every day, and more often than not he covers both shifts.
He’s asked him once, why he works so many hours when he has employees who can help him, and Seungsik answered something along the lines of parents having a hard time separating from their children. Subin still wonders if the children in question are supposed to be all the plants he houses in his store – which he is more than happy to sell, but Subin doesn’t think too much about the implications – or about the store itself. In any case, he spends more hours here than Subin thinks is healthy, but then again Subin isn’t here the whole day to see how it really is.
He’s about done with the geraniums when Seungsik speaks again.
“Subin, can I ask for a favor?”
Subin turns to look at him, curious. He’s never asked him anything since he started working for him a few months ago – at least, not anything outside of his work-related duties. He’s apprehensive: his curiosity has been piqued but at the same time he’s pretty happy with how things are going here and he’s not pushing for a change. A favor can be many different things, and not all of them are good for employees.
“What is it,” he asks with caution. He won’t promise anything until he knows what it is about, even if he feels he can trust Seungsik. He’s worked too many part-time jobs since he started college not to be weary of that question.
“Would you mind closing the store alone tonight? I have to leave early.”
Subin relaxes immediately. It’s not that bad. He normally stays until the end of the day and helps Seungsik with closing, although he’s often let off a few minutes before Seungsik actually closes the door. He knows how to do it and it won’t make him work overtime.
“I know you know how to do it but I’ll explain everything to you if you need to, and we have a copy of the keys you can keep until tomorrow,” Seungsik adds in a rush, as if he’s afraid Subin will say no.
He doesn’t look nervous exactly, more so bracing himself for Subin to deny him the favor. Which is not necessary. Subin doesn’t mind, and it’s actually nice to know he’s trusted enough to be asked to close on his own. Although he’s learned a lot and built a good relationship with Seungsik in the past months, he still feels like the new kid around, sometimes. He’s proud to know Seungsik sees him as capable enough to take this responsibility.
“Yeah, of course,” he answers. “No problem.”
He’s rewarded with the happiest grin he’s seen in a long time. Seungsik’s mouth stretches full and open, revealing a gummy smile and round cheeks, and Subin knows he’s given the good answer. Not that he has any reason to say no, but it’s hard to regret a choice when he’s faced with a man who could replace the sun itself.
“Thank you! I’m sorry, I know it’s really last minute and I usually take care of it myself, but my boyfriend wants to take me on a date… Something about an old movie they’re only projecting tonight, I don’t really know the details. He seems excited about it though and I didn’t want to say no to him!”
Subin watches him ramble with something akin to fondness – which is strange, considering Seungsik is older than him by a few years – and doesn’t interrupt him. He tries not to let any of it show on his face but he is quite surprised. He didn’t know Seungsik had a significant other.
He doesn’t know that much about him, now that he thinks about it. He knows he’s friends with Chan – the nice neighbor he met a few months back when he moved in his new small studio, the one who actually got him this job –, that he likes plants and that he’s so bright that Subin sometimes suspects the sunflowers they keep in the store follow him around, instead of the sun. He doesn’t need to know him intimately to see he’s one of the kindest people he’s ever met, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that someone like him has a boyfriend. But he doesn’t talk about his personal life a lot and since the beginning Subin has the impression he spends most of his days in the shop, and he wonders how that works out with a relationship. It’s not his place to ask.
Something in him relaxes, though, hearing those words. It’s definitely comforting to know he won’t be judged by Seungsik when it comes to his own relationships. He can’t say the same for every job he’s had.
“It’s okay,” he finally cuts Seungsik off. The man doesn’t really have to justify himself. “You’re always the last one to leave, I think I can take care of it today! I’ve seen you do it lots of times, anyway.”
“Thank you,” Seungsik says with another one of his blinding smiles. “You won’t be alone for long, I’ll leave just a little before closing time.”
“It’s fine, really. I can do it.”
“I know you can. You’ve been doing great, Subinie, I’m glad you took the job. You’ve helped me a lot.”
Subin feels his face warm up under the praise. He doesn’t doubt his own abilities, but he’s never been good with compliments and he’s certainly not used to such open praises from a boss. Seungsik is always vocal when he does a good job, but it’s always nice to hear he’s appreciated.
All the geraniums are in their place by now but he checks they’re all where they’re supposed to be, with enough space between all the pots, in an attempt to keep busy and hide his face. He doesn’t know how to act, faced with this gratitude, and he feels self-conscious.
“I’m glad you gave me the job,” he finally mumbles under his breath. “I like working here.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Seungsik says with a warm voice, and he sounds sincere.
He must sense that Subin feels shy, because he doesn’t let the moment linger for long.
“I’ll clean up in the back and get ready before he comes, then,” he claps his hands as he crosses the door towards the back of the store. “Call for me if you need anything.”
“Will do.”
With that, Subin finds himself alone again, cheeks still rosy and a smile fighting for appearance. He really likes Seungsik. Working for him gives him a sense of satisfaction he hasn’t found before, and he feels safe with him. He’s grateful he moved where he did and he’s lucky Chan is his neighbor – and actually came to his door to introduce himself. Subin is too much of an introvert to go out of his way to meet his neighbors, but Chan has no such problems, and within the span of a week Chan had adopted him. Subin doesn’t complain. It’s nice to have a friendly neighbor, one older and nice enough to help him out – and find him jobs. He’s definitely happy about the free meals when Chan feels lonely and orders too much food. Free food is always a bonus when you’re a student.
There’s not much to do, now that he’s done with the geraniums and doesn’t need an excuse to hide his face from Seungsik. He kills time by swiping the counter clean and going around the store, making sure all the plants have their needs covered. He didn’t know he would end up caring so much about them, when he first started, but there he is. He delicately trails his fingers through fragile petals, dips his fingers in soil to check if they’re watered enough, flattens some wrinkles from plastic wraps. All and all, he mostly walks around. The store looks fine. They keep it as clean as a flower shop can be, and every detail is laid out with care. There’s nothing to do, really, he just likes being surrounded by the different tones of green and all the other colors.
His mind is idle too – now that he’s done with the delivery, none of his tasks are very demanding. He starts thinking about Seungsik and his date for the night. Now that the surprise about him having a boyfriend has passed, he realizes it shouldn’t have come as such. Seungsik is handsome and above all, nice as one can get. Of course he would be taken.
Subin doesn’t want to speculate about things he doesn’t know about, but his curiosity gets the better of him and he lets his mind wander, trying to imagine how this boyfriend looks like. He doesn’t have much of a basis to go off. He doesn’t know Seungsik’s type. He only knows he likes all living things – plants are the ones he decided to dedicate himself to, but Subin knows first hand he can ramble about animals just as much – and he’s friends with Chan. He’s picked up on his personality, of course (which could be briefly summarized as in the one of an oversized puppy), but not enough about his life outside of work to get an idea of what kind of people he would date.
That doesn’t deter him from imagining the boyfriend in question, coming up with deduction after deduction. Subin comes up short when it comes to physical appearance. Maybe he’s taller than Seungsik (although Seungsik is fairly tall himself), maybe he’s shorter. Blond or brunette, fit or not, tall or short – he won’t know until he sees him. What he knows for sure, though, is that it must be a nice man, just like Seungsik himself. One who probably smiles just as much as him and wears nice clothes to go with Seungsik’s cute outfits.
He’s such a colorful, bright person. Subin was quick to realize he likes color in his clothes, but he doesn’t want to outshine the flowers (as he’s said himself). Every day, he wears something different: a baby blue button-up that makes him look quite the business-owner; a light pink sweater that always ends up covered in soil but somehow is pristin the next time he wears it; a mauve cardigan that makes him look soft as a rose petal. In any case, he looks like a pinterest pastel palette personified and Subin can only imagine someone as colorful as him by his side. Maybe with an edge – nobody is as nice as Seungsik. He can’t believe there are two people like him in the world. Still, when he pictures Seungsik’s boyfriend, he can imagine a wide smile and a warm personality to go with. Someone to match him.
His daydreaming soon pulls him in other directions, though. Imagining Seungsik’s boyfriend is fun and all, but even as curious as he is, that trail of thought quickly turns into a dead-end – there’s nothing much to guess, given how little he knows – so his mind naturally wanders to other problems. Such as what he’s going to eat for dinner. Maybe Chan will have too much food again, and he’ll be spared the need to cook for himself. Or maybe he can call Sejun and Byungchan to give him company over pizza. Thinking about his boss going on a date makes crave for company. He doesn’t feel like going back to an empty studio.
He’s back to the counter, sitting on the stool and facing the front door without really seeing it, thinking about his options. He can’t ask Chan upfront if he’ll have him for dinner – that’s a tad too direct for him, and he can’t invite himself over. But he’s afraid Sejun and Byungchan will both have other plans. Well, Byungchan might, social butterfly that he is, and Sejun is always a wild guess. It can’t hurt to ask them, anyway.
Just when he’s about to take his phone out, the front door opens, followed by the ring of the bell Seungsik insists on having. The jinggle jostles Subin out of his bubble, and he quickly shoves his phone back in his pocket.
He looks up to greet the newcomer, putting his best customer smile, the one that gets him free cookies in the coffee shop in his block and makes people buy in extra flowers for their bouquets.
“Welcome to ‘Flower’beez’,” he says brightly.
When he sees who got in, he barely holds back a double take. The man in front of him is not like the usual clientele. The first thing he notices is black: from his hair, to the clothes and the shoes, and also the tattoos. Those are the second thing he sees, the amount of tattoos he has. With only a quick glance, Subin can see a few peeking out from his sleeves and his collar, and something tells him there’s more under the shirt. They’re black, as far as he can see. The light coming from the window falls directly on him and something in his face shines with the last rays of sun: on closer inspection, he can see a piercing on his lip and it just adds to the intimidating aura the guy gives off. It would be an exaggeration to say he’s scared, but he is definitely taken aback by his appearance. He’s different from the kind of customers they normally have, to say the least.
He doesn’t want to be rude and stare, so he forces himself to act as he always does, although he wonders if the man has mistaken the store for another place. It’s hard to miss they sell flowers, but maybe he was distracted – it sounds far-fetched, but Subin can’t say he hasn’t done worse himself.
“How can I help you today, sir,” he asks with his most pleasant voice.
The man seems surprised too, at first, but it doesn’t last long. He closes the distance to the counter in a few short steps, smiling with something akin to mischief. That rings a few alarms in Subin’s head, who looks around him as discreetly as he can in search of something to defend himself in case he needs to.
“We have many sorts of plants and flowers if that’s what you’re looking for,” he tries again, smiling nervously.
The man stops in front of him and puts his hands on the counter that separates them – Subin is grateful for that, at least.
“You’re Subin, aren’t you?”
Subin does a double take then, startled. How does this man know his name? He’s certain he’s never seen him before. Even if they had just crossed paths by coincidence, he’s hard to forget. He’s never met him at a party or in college, and definitely isn’t one of his teachers. He starts to worry – either this guy has confused him with another Subin (which doesn’t sound very believable) or he’s some creepy man who likes to follow people around.
“E-Excuse me?”
Slowly, he backs off from the counter, getting closer to the door that connects the front to the backstore, keeping his eyes on the strange man. If he tries anything, he can run and go to Seungsik for help. The guy is about Subin’s height. Between the two of them, they could take him down, if need came to be.
“You’re Subin, right,” the man repeats. “The new guy Seungsik has been talking about for weeks.”
Subin stops, eyeing the apparently-not-a-customer with wariness. Something in him relaxes at the mention of Seungsik, though – maybe he’s a friend or a regular, but if he knows his boss then he feels somehow better. He’s still suspicious: if he’s a crazy stalker, he could be saying this to lead him on. He won’t let his guard down.
“Yes, I’m Subin,” he replies finally. “Who are you?”
“I thought Seungsik had told you I was coming,” the man says, moreso for himself than for Subin. He hums, looking at him from head to toe. “You’re exactly as he describes you.”
That last part is said in a cheerful and somewhat surprised tone, as if he wasn’t expecting Seungsik to be right but is happy to be proven wrong.
Subin clears his throat, uncomfortable under the close examination.
“And you are…”, he trails off, expecting an answer this time.
“I’m Hanse.”
The name doesn’t ring any bell and Subin is definitely sure he’s never met him before and Seungsik hasn’t talked about him. Maybe he’s a frequent customer. He might usually come in the morning, which would explain why they’ve never met each other yet.
Before he can ask again if he needs anything, the man – Hanse – speaks again.
“Do you know if Seungsik is ready yet?”
Before Subin can answer (he doesn’t have time to ask ready for what exactly), Seungsik emerges from the back, fixing his collar. He’s out of his work clothes, and is now dressed in some nice black slacks and a soft-looking sweater. It’s light pink and it makes him look even more welcoming than he normally is.
“There you are,” Hanse says happily.
Seungsik looks up from where he’s meddling with his sweater and smiles when he realizes who is there. The smile is small, but there’s something about it that makes Subin pause. Maybe it’s the warmth that overtakes Seungsik’s eyes, or the way he seems to relax the moment he sees him.
“Oh, you’re here.”
He makes his way around the counter, getting on the other side to stand by Hanse, who stands on his tiptoes to press a kiss on his cheek.
“Hmm…” he hums. “Flowers and puppy. My favorite scent.”
“Shut up,” Seungsik says. It lacks any force though, and his words are softened by the blush that immediately takes over his whole face. He quickly glances at Subin, as if to check if he’s seen it, and the later pretends he’s busy fiddling with the cashier.
Subin himself feels his cheeks heat up – partly because he feels like he’s intruding on something private but mostly because he feels stupid. There’s no mistaking who this man is: he’s the boyfriend he’s been speculating about for nearly half an hour. He should have known. Seungsik told him he was going out with him and, even though he didn’t mention Hanse was going to pick him up, he should have thought about it. He knows he was misled by Hanse’s looks and, for that, he feels embarrassed. He didn’t know what to expect Seungsik’s boyfriend to look like, but never in his wilder dreams would he have thought about a man with so many tattoos and piercings.
He can only hope his surprise wasn’t too evident on his face. He doesn’t want either of them to think he assumed anything – even if he did, kind of. He risks a look towards the couple: Seungsik seems to be checking something on his phone, while Hanse is looking at him with an amused expression. Subin squirms under his gaze, flustered. Somehow, he feels like Hanse knows exactly what is going on in his head.
Seungsik, bless him, puts him out of his misery.
“Ok, everything’s settled for tomorrow, I can go now,” he says, putting his phone away.
Hanse finally looks away from Subin – who lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding – and turns towards Seungsik.
“Let’s go then. We have to make it early so we can take good seats.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll get there with plenty of time,” Seungsik answers in an exasperated yet clearly fond voice. He rolls his eyes for good measure, although the smile he rewards Hanse with is nothing short of adoring. He faces Subin, who is trying his best to look like he wasn’t listening to their conversation.
“We’ll get going now, you know how to close for the night. There, here’s a copy of the keys”, he says, reaching over the counter to give him a single key. “Just make sure everything is inside and the back door is closed too. Leave the money in the safe, you know where it is, and leave the register open. And-”
“Seungsik,” Subin interrupts him before he goes too much on a tangent. “I know how to do it, I’ve seen you close the store enough times. Go and enjoy your movie.”
Seungsik closes his mouth and rubs his nape in embarrassment.
“Sorry, sorry. I know you can do it, but it’s your first time and I know how nerve-wrecking that can be.”
“It’s my first time closing here, but this is not my first job,” Subin reminds him, not unkindly.
“Right. You’re more than capable.”
Seungsik looks around him, as if he’s bracing himself, and claps his hands once.
“Okay, you got this, we’re going. If you need any help, call me.”
“Please don’t,” Hanse intervenes, reminding them both of his presence. His tone is joking, but Subin vows not to interrupt their night out. Not only does he want Seungsik to enjoy himself, he also doesn’t want to get on Hanse’s bad side. He’s honest enough with himself to admit he kind of is intimidated. A little bit.
“Hanse!” Seungsik reprimands him, indignant.
“Come on, you know I’m joking.”
“I do, but he doesn’t,” he huffs. He turns to Subin again. “Don’t listen to him. If you have any problem, give me a call.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got it,” Subin insists. “Now go.”
“You’ve heard him,” Hanse says while he takes Seungsik’s hand to tug him towards the front door. “Now we go.”
Seungsik doesn’t try to resist, letting himself be dragged by his boyfriend.
“Ok, ok.”
He turns his head to talk to Subin one last time.
“I’ll see you tomorrow. Thank you again!”
“Have fun,” is all Subin says, waving a hand, but they’re both out the door before he can add anything else, led by a visibly impatient Hanse.
Through the storefront window, Subin watches them cross the road. When they get to the other side, Seungsiks stops and tugs Hanse’s hands to drop a quick kiss on his lips, cutting off his protests. Even from the distance, Subin can see the soft smile on both their faces, and he looks away, once again feeling like he’s intruding. It wasn’t meant for him to see.
He waits for a minute, arranging the few things he has on the counter even though they’re fine where they are. Once he feels like enough time has passed, he looks up again. They’re gone, probably on their way to their movie, but he feels unsettled. He's not sure if he's flustered about the display of affection – more than the display itself, the fact that it was his boss – or by his own assumptions.
He doesn't feel bad exactly, but definitely like he's received a reality check. He does feel kind of guilty that he assumed the worst of Hanse because of his looks: he was intimidated by some tattoos and black clothes, and with some retrospection he knows it was ridiculous.
There's not much he can do about it now, except swear he won’t let appearances lead him on, and try to put the whole incident behind him. It doesn't stop him from thinking about Hanse, more specifically Hanse and Seungsik together. They're definitely an odd couple, at least as far as looks go. But then again, he doesn't know Seungsik that much and he definitely doesn't know anything about Hanse, so he can't really judge.
It is funny, though. Hanse looks like the complete opposite of Seungsik, from the outside, with his dark look and his body art. Seungsik wears so much color, mostly soft and light tones; the contrast is striking.
While he goes about his last tasks of the day, mostly getting everything ready before closing, he thinks about it. They looked cute, if he's honest. He wasn't expecting to see Seungsik so shy and blushing. He's always so sure about everything at work, so reliable and firm in his directions, it was funny to see him blush under Hanse's words.
It’s nearing closing time, and he gets busy to make the time pass quicker. It's been a slow afternoon as far as business goes and he doesn't expect many customers to come until then. He goes around the store, swiping the floor and checking nothing is out of place – everything is where it should be, of course, because that's basically what he's been doing all afternoon – humming under his breath.
Outside, the sky is darkening, and by the time his shift is over comes he knows the sun will have disappeared already. Although it's not the first time he stays until closing, he usually walks part of the way home with Seungsik when he stays. This time he'll have to go alone. He's not scared, but he doesn’t feel like being alone, tonight.
He realizes he never texted Byungchan or Sejun, and he knows it's too late now: they'll definitely have plans and even if they don’t, they’ll be too lazy to come. He sighs, resigned. A lonely night awaits and he’s not looking forward to it. He usually doesn’t mind, but after seeing the loving couple, he feels somehow dissatisfied. He wouldn’t mind going to the movies with someone.
In all his daydreaming, he’s gone through his tasks quickly. There’s only a few minutes to go, and all the plants they normally display outside the shop are already inside, he’s made sure the back door is locked and nothing is out of place. There’s people outside, but none seem interested in buying flowers, and he doubts anyone will enter now.
He goes ahead and opens the cash register to count the balance of the afternoon shift. He starts with the dataphone and then counts the few bills there. The afternoon has been quite slow, more than usual, so it’s an easy task.
He’s about to put the money in an envelope for the safe when the bell and the sound of the front door opening interrupts him. He suppresses an exasperated sigh – who enters a store two minutes before closing time? – and puts his fakest and brightest smile for the customer who just put a damp on his plan to close on time. He secretly hopes whoever it is just takes a look and goes, even though he knows it’s better for business if they actually buy something. He just wishes people wouldn’t cut it so close.
“Welcome to Flower’beez,” he forces as pleasantly as he manages.
He looks up from the money he was counting, ready to attend the customer, as annoyed as he is, and he’s surprised to see Chan standing by the door.
“Hi!”
“Chan?” In his surprise, it comes out as a question. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, that’s not how you welcome customers, is it”, Chan jokes, coming closer to the counter.
Subin blushes, embarrassed. If Seungsik was here, he probably would have reprimanded him on his attitude. In his defense, he’s usually more polite with clients, but this is Chan. He’s his neighbor and his friend, kind of. He’s been fed by him often enough that he considers him more than a mere acquaintance, at least.
“Sorry,” he says sheepishly. “I was just surprised to see you here.”
“I’m just teasing you.”
Chan is smiling, proud of his own joke, and Subin has to look away. He tells himself it’s because he’s still flustered about being so rude towards a potential customer, but if he was honest with himself (which he isn’t) he’d admit Chan’s dimples may be the cause of his ears burning red. Which is weird, considering he’s seen them countless times. Maybe it’s because he wasn't expecting to see him here, at his place of work, completely unannounced.
“But why are you here,” he repeats, more calmly this time. “If you’re looking for Seungsik, he’s already gone.”
“Yeah, he told me he has a date tonight and he left the store in your hands. That’s why I came.”
“Did he tell you to check on me,” he asks, tilting his head in confusion. He thought Seungsik trusted him enough to close on his own, but maybe he wants to make sure he doesn’t mess up. Subin is more than capable and he doesn’t think it’s necessary, but it’s not his business. If Seungsik is anxious, that’s his right.
“Not at all,” Chan says “I just thought you might be lonely, and I was in the neighborhood. You’re about to close, right?”
Subin looks at the time on the computer screen – indeed, it’s a minute past the official closing hour. Chan is definitely not a customer, so he has no reason to stay beyond his scheduled hours.
“Yes, I was closing when you came. I thought you were a customer and I kinda wanted to…,” he shuts up before he says what he was really thinking.
They may be friends (kind of) but he doesn’t know if Chan will welcome the honesty. His worries are unfounded, though.
“Strangle me?” Chan laughs it off. “Yeah, I get that, people who get in a store just before closing are the worst. I wouldn’t do that.”
“Thank god, you’re not one of those,” Subin sighs in relief. “Thank you for coming then. The last half hour has been kinda lonely.”
“I figured. If you want to close now, we can walk home together.” He grants him another one of his dimpled smiles (Subin’s breath definitely doesn’t get stuck in his throat) but then something seems to cross his mind and he frowns. “Unless you already have plans, of course.”
“No! No plans,” he rushes to say. “I forgot to ask my friends if they wanted to do something, I guess I’m alone for the night.”
“Great!” Chan’s smile comes back in full force, and he claps his hands once in resolution. “Then let’s get this old lady closed for the night and go home.”
Old lady? Subin muses. He guesses he’s talking about the flower shop, but the building seems quite new. He figures it’s just his way of talking and, somehow, he finds it amusing. Probably one of his quirks.
“Let me just finish this and I’ll be ready.”
He quickly counts the money again, making sure everything is correct, then puts the bills and the receipts in the envelope. He goes to the backstore to drop it in the safe, put his apron away and pick up his jacket.
All in all, it barely takes a couple of minutes to get ready. He leaves everything as Seungsik instructed, taking the keys’ copy with him, and turns to Chan.
“I’m ready. Let’s go!”
Both of them go to the front door and get out. With Chan’s help, closing the door and down the security grill is an easy task, and soon enough they’re walking side by side towards their apartment complex.
“So, how was your day,” Chan asks, breaking the comfortable silence.
“It was fine. School was fine. Work was fine. Kind of slow, but then again it’s a Wednesday afternoon. Nothing much happens on Wednesdays.”
He has a certain dislike for Wednesdays, for no good reason at all. They’re just not the best day: they’re in the middle of the week, too far from the week-end. It doesn’t help that he has his most boring classes on Wednesdays. It also explains why he feels so bummed about not seeing his friends tonight: there’s nothing good waiting for him at the end of a mostly boring day.
It would have been nice to have them home, or go out with them, even for a quick dinner in town. They all have obligations in the morning, but nothing stops them from doing something fun and coming back home at a decent hour. They could have gone to the movies, for example, just like Seungsik and Hanse have done. He wonders if they’re having a good time. By now, the movie must have started a while ago, if they left in such a hurry. He wonders what they’re watching – Seungsik said it’s an old movie, but he didn’t say which one.
It’s been so long since Subin last went to the cinema; he barely has time between classes and work, and when he has, he feels too tired to go. It doesn’t help that neither Byungchan nor Sejun like the same movies he does: one loves historical dramas and the other is too jumpy even for most action movies. Maybe if he had someone who liked horror and action films, he would go more often. It must be nice to have someone to go to these things, he thinks. To talk about the plot once you’re out, to hold their hand if they’re afraid… He sighs. He’s been daydreaming the whole afternoon, and it’s not something he usually does. He’s normally a down-to-earth person and he doesn’t really fantasize about having a boyfriend or a significant other, but something about Hanse’s visit has awakened a part of him that is longing for that person. Having someone come to pick you up from work – that would be lovely. He looks at Chan, walking in silence next to him with a faint smile on his face, and he blushes. Yeah, he thinks. It is nice.
Chan must notice he’s being watched, because he asks, “What are you thinking about?”
Subin is startled, flustered to be caught, and he blabbers for a couple of seconds before he thinks of something better than “I like to walk back home with you” and “Please pick me up from work every day”.
“I met Hanse today,” is what he finally says because somehow, Hanse is at the root of his turmoil tonight.
“Ah, I see,” Chan answers with a knowing smile. The sparkle in his eyes tells Subin he probably imagines what he thought when he first saw Hanse. He doesn’t say anything, though, letting Subin lead the conversation.
“He’s not what I expected.”
“And what did you expect?”
Chan sounds genuinely curious, but Subin perceives a hint of amusement too. He’s probably enjoying putting him on the spot.
“I don’t know. It’s not like I’ve even been thinking about it, I didn’t even know Seungsik had a boyfriend before today,” he explains. “But I guess I imagined someone… I don’t know, more like him. A softie.”
“Yeah, I get that,” Chan laughs. “But you know, despite how he looks, Hanse can be even more of a softie than Seungsik, sometimes.”
“Oh,” is all Subin manages to say. It’s hard to believe that, considering Seungsik is the living embodiment of warm and cozy, but then again he doesn’t know Hanse. “He looks…”
“Like your typical ‘bad guy’?” He uses air quotes for good measure.
“I was gonna say intimidating. I can’t imagine Seungsik would date a bad person, regardless of how they look.”
“Oh, believe me, there’s nothing scary about Hanse,” Chan answers with a snort. “He’s a good guy, really. Good enough for Seungsik, and that says a lot.”
Subin notices his smile turns fond when he talks about Seungsik, and it makes him feel warm, in the same way watching airport reunion videos makes him feel. Chan obviously appreciates Seungsik a lot. He knew, of course, that Seungsik and Chan are friends: it’s the way he got his job in the first place. But he’s only seen them together once, when Chan introduced him to who was going to be his future boss. Beyond that, he doesn’t know much about their relationship, and he’s never asked about it to either of them. Tonight, curiosity gets the best of him.
“Have you known him for long?”
“Who? Hanse?”
“I meant Seungsik. Have you been friends for a long time?”
“Seungsik? Oh, yes, it’s gotta be…” he trails off, looking ahead of him with a pensive expression. “Gosh, I don’t know. At least 18 or something years. We were just kids when we met, we basically grew up together.”
“That’s such a long time,” Subin says with wonder.
He doesn’t have a friendship like that. Sure, he’s younger than them by a few years, but for Seungsik and Chan to have been friends for so long, they must have met when they were in primary or middle school at most. Subin doesn’t keep friends from that time. He still speaks with some of his high school friends, sometimes, but he mostly hangs out with the ones he’s made at college. He wonders if those friendships will last like theirs. He hopes Sejun and Byungchan will remain in his life for a long time, at least. Even if he’s only known them for a few years, they’ve become quite important in his life.
“Yeah, time is crazy,” Chan says. “For most of my life, Seungsik has been there.”
“It’s so cool that you’ve been friends for so long. You guys must really hit it off.”
“We bicker all the time,” he answers with a laugh. “But we’re there for each other, I guess. He’s my best friend. He’s the best person I know.”
Chan’s words turn heavy with an emotion Subin isn’t sure he gets, but he knows Chan truly believes what he’s saying. It’s humbling, somehow, to witness such an unwavering affection. The conversation has gotten more serious than he intended, but not in a bad way. It feels honest, but Subin is also not sure if he should prod more. He realizes he really doesn’t know either of them and there is a lot to learn, but he also thinks it’s something he would like to do. Seungsik feels like someone he could be friends with and rely on; and Chan… Chan feels special, too, in a different way.
“Anyway,” Chan dispels the heavy atmosphere with a cheeky smile and a shake of his head. “It’s not unusual for Hanse to drop by the shop. It’s strange you haven’t met him before, but I’m sure you’ll see more of him in the future.”
Subin takes the change in conversation for what it is and drops any lingering questions he has. He may not know Chan as much as he would like to, but he has learned he’s not the most comfortable person with intimacy – whenever Subin is over, he shies away from any conversation that gets too personal. He’s okay with that, he intends to crack him one day.
“I guess I will,” he simply says. “Maybe they’ll go on more dates, now that Seungsik knows I won’t burn the place down if I’m alone.”
“You would think that. He just doesn’t know when to rest. Hanse probably had to drag him out to watch that movie.”
“He did drag him out,” he agrees, laughing. “Seungsik was fussing about leaving me alone. I hope they made it in time.”
“I’m sure Hanse made sure they did,” Chan says. “Speaking of movies, do you want to come over for dinner? We could watch something, I have Netflix.”
“I wouldn’t want to impose,” Subin answers, although what he wants to say is ‘yes’. Accepting the offer means not spending the night alone, and it also serves the purpose of spending more time with Chan (the reason why that makes a fire burn in his stomach, he will ignore).
“You wouldn’t. I was thinking about ordering anyway.”
Subin still hesitates. Although he wants to go, he feels bad about taking advantage of Chan’s generosity. He can’t treat him to dinner in return most of the time, because at the end of the day he’s still a mostly broke college student. Which, to be honest, is also one of the reasons why Chan’s offer is so tempting: it’s hard to say no to free food.
“Please?” Chan puts on his best pitiful voice, pouting in his direction. “I don’t feel like being alone.”
The last bit of resistance crumbles under Chan’s cute technique, which Subin is unable to fight. He didn’t even want to fight him in the first place.
“Fine, you win, I’ll come,” he says with faux-exasperation. “Thank you.”
“Great! There’s this movie I’ve been meaning to watch, I’m sure you’ll like it…”
Chan keeps blabbering about the movie, a horror film someone has recommended to him, and he goes on about all its supposed qualities. Subin lets him talk, listening with a smile. He finds his excitement endearing and even if he’s heard a completely different kind of review about that particular movie, he can’t wait to watch it, if only to see Chan’s reaction.
He suddenly feels great about the night, where before he felt bummed out. This Wednesday is turning out to be better than what he expected.