Archive of Our Own ^beta

Merritt McKinney:

When I first met you, I thought you were kind of a... dick.

Henley Reeves:

And?

Merritt McKinney:

No, no. That's it.

J. Daniel Atlas:

That's very nice. I'm touched.

Merritt McKinney:

Yeah, just from the heart.

J. Daniel Atlas:

Well, I didn't say where I was touched.

— NOW YOU SEE ME (2013) dir. Louis Leterrier

I

Seungmin freezes in his spot when he realizes there's nothing but air where Felix is supposed to be walking beside him. He blinks once, trying to make sense out of his friend's sudden disappearance, and pivots to scan his surroundings for a familiar blonde head. It takes long enough for the littlest bit of worry to start brewing inside Seungmin, but eventually his eyes land on Felix's freckled face in the midst of a generously sized crowd. 

Seungmin can't really see well, his view blocked by too many bodies pressed together like sardines in a can, but as he approaches the first group in the list of suspects in Felix's abduction he manages to hear the telltale sound of cards being shuffled. Seungmin raises an eyebrow, curiosity successfully spiked. It's nothing out of the ordinary for Seungmin to witness a whole ballet routine in the hallways, or to walk into the bathroom to find someone practicing expressions and lines in front of the mirror, but Seungmin's been attending his guitar lessons in the art building for two years now, and he's pretty sure it's his first time witnessing a magic trick in public.

He elbows his way in between the mass of people, helped enormously by the huge guitar case hung on his back that simultaneously functions as a shield. Felix isn't just in the crowd, no— he's currently the magician's little victim, jumping excitedly as the magician shows the audience the card he chose before sliding it back into the deck. Seungmin rests his weight on his right leg and crosses his arms over his chest, forced to stay for the rest of the show because Felix is the one with a car that's supposed to drive him back to his place. 

The magician skillfully starts shuffling the cards with one hand, assuring the spectators he didn't know who Felix was prior to this very moment, which ensures this isn't planned. He looks young, perhaps a mere couple years older than Seungmin himself, though his face doesn't spark any memory in his head. Is he new? Is he just a street entertainer passing by? Has a new magic class that he doesn't know of opened recently in the building? 

"What do you do here, Felix?" The magician asks him conversationally, an innocent enough gesture if it weren't because he's probably trying to distract him from the rapid movements of his hands. Seungmin frowns, keeping an eye on his nimble fingers.

"I take a dance class!" Felix replies enthusiastically, the magician's intentions flying over his head and placing him right where the guy wants him to be.  

"Oh, nice. My brother dances here as well," The magician stops shuffling, cards perfectly organized into a neat deck once again. Seungmin has to give it to him— he does sound genuinely friendly, "Okay, Felix. We've all seen your card, right? King of Hearts. And you all saw me place it back inside and shuffle them— I have no way of knowing where it is," He lifts his eyes to scan the crowd, and he momentarily meets Seungmin's own, "Now, I want you to tell me to stop whenever you feel like it."

He riffles down the side of the pack with his thumb, fast enough that it's impossible for Seungmin to distinguish the cards except for which color they might be. Felix abruptly yells out stop, and the guy obediently freezes. There's a unanimous and freakishly coordinated gasp when the magician flips the card Felix had stopped at to reveal the King of Hearts. 

"No way!" Felix's jaw drops, and he begins to clap alongside the rest of the audience, "Seungmin, did you— Wait."

Seungmin rolls his eyes fondly. Apparently, Felix has just realized he'd gotten kidnapped. He pushes through the last two rows of people separating them and stands next to his friend, hand tightly clasped around the strap of his guitar case. 

"I saw," He says, "Very fun. We should go."

"Don't sound so excited," The magician snorts, voice dripping with sarcasm. He's shuffling the cards again, and this time it looks more like an unconscious habit rather than a deceiving plan.  

Seungmin raises an eyebrow; otherwise, he makes no other gesture to indicate he's heard him. The guy smirks, confidently taking a step forward and reaching an arm up to Seungmin's ear. Before Seungmin can step hard on his foot for even daring to get so close to him and take both himself and Felix away, the magician retreats. Between his index and middle finger rests a shiny coin, and the crowd erupts into another round of clapping, even if it's not as loud as the previous one. Seungmin's irritated look seems to stop them from celebrating the little cliché trick too much. 

"You should clean your ears more thoroughly," The guy says, flipping the coin into the air with his thumb. Seungmin's stupid instincts make him react instead of letting it fall to the ground, and he clumsily catches it in his hands. 

Seungmin may not have money in his ears, but he sure can feel the steam coming out of them as he and Felix leave the crowd behind and finally walk up to his car. 

II

On Fridays, Felix's dance class ends half an hour after Seungmin's guitar lessons, which means Seungmin has to sit on the floor in the hallway and kill some time until they can both leave together as planned. Usually, he pulls out any homework he may have left in order to get it done before the weekend starts— Jisung, the last puzzle piece in their trio, often calls him a nerd for that, yet Seungmin later basks in a peaceful two day vacation while his friend crams work for five different subjects in 48 hours. Who's really the one laughing?

Today, however, Seungmin can barely concentrate on the numbers plastered in the pages of his math book. The incessant murmur of voices mixed with the occasional loud clapping leads him to believe it might be the theatre club, but the huge poster with the schedule for every class printed on it hanging on the wall in front of him quickly shoots the theory down: the theatre club meets only on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

Knowing he won't get anything done with all the commotion, he puts the book back in the pocket of his guitar case and pushes himself up onto his feet. 

Seungmin follows the noise idly. He has nothing better to do, anyway, and Felix still has ten minutes left in class— Why not check out what the big deal is, maybe offer some claps himself? Seungmin sways with every step, following the rhythm of the muffled bass boosted music coming from the practice room the dance team is using, which slows his pace considerably. He doesn't have to walk that far off before he finds the cause behind the hubbub, though, and he stills his feet and buries his hands in the pockets of his hoodie at the speed of light. There's no way he's gonna clap for this. 

Annoying Magician Guy is doing card tricks again, this time offering an indoors performance. People have formed a circle around him much like the first time Seungmin had seen him, a week or so ago, and they look just as starstruck. Seungmin shrugs to get the straps of the case higher on his shoulders, decidedly turning to head back to his little spot on the floor, but a voice calls out for him before he can move an inch.  

"Seungmin!" Pompous beyond normal people levels, really— Seungmin wishes his ears were filled with coins so he wouldn't have to hear him, "You came back for more?"

Seungmin regards him with an unimpressed look, because he's not a coward, "You remember my name? Talk about obsessed."

Annoying Magician Guy grins, not at all deterred by Seungmin's response. If anything, he looks like he's been fueled to keep on speaking, "And you remember my pretty face."

"I wouldn't exactly use the word 'pretty' to describe it," The words roll off of Seungmin's tongue with ease, and it's only when someone coughs awkwardly that he realizes they might as well be doing the theatre club's job by putting on a show. His confident stance falters momentarily, and he rolls his eyes even as he feels his cheeks heat up, "I have to go." 

"Not even gonna stay for a trick?" He lets a single card travel around his fingers before making it disappear into thin air with a flick of his wrist. 

"You're so cool, Minho," A girl in the circle breathes out, completely spellbound by his actions. 

"I don't feel like watching a magician whose tricks I can probably find a tutorial for on YouTube," Seungmin says, a stark contrast in reactions.

"Ouch," With the way Minho acts like he's been shot in the chest, Seungmin thinks he might actually fit right in with the theatre kids, "Well, we all gotta start somewhere, don't we, Seungmin?"

Seungmin checks his phone. He's been standing there talking to Minho for five minutes; he's still got five more to kill. Seungmin bites his lip, contemplates for a total of ten seconds, and then sighs defeatedly. Better than staring at the ceiling, he thinks.

"One trick," Seungmin gives in, showing his index finger in case Minho doesn't understand the quantity. One, "Then I have to go."

Seungmin's a bit shocked when he catches the quick shadow of genuine surprise that washes over Minho's features, though he schools his expression back into a smug one before it can get too noticeable. Minho beckons him closer with his hand, and the crowd dissipates to let Seungmin in like Moses parting the sea. 

Minho extends his arm toward Seungmin, palm up, and bends his fingers as if he's calling for him. Seungmin's not quite sure what he wants him to do. His guess is that he needs them to hold hands for the trick and, although Seungmin would rather not, he begins to slowly lift his hand in Minho's direction. Minho gets impatient and doesn't let him reach destination— instead, he takes Seungmin's wrist and makes his palm face up as well. Oh.

He wanted Seungmin to copy him. That makes sense. Seungmin tries not to think too hard about how embarrassing it would've been if he'd grabbed his hand out of the blue.

Minho drops the deck of cards into his expecting hands, "Shuffle them." 

Seungmin raises an inquisitive eyebrow, though he complies without a word. He feels self-conscious under Minho's gaze, aware that his shuffling looks pathetic in comparison to Minho's professional one. In his defense, the only experience with cards Seungmin has is playing UNO occasionally. 

"Done," He announces, handing the deck back to its owner. 

Minho takes it and turns it over so everyone can see the faces of the cards, "They're all different and have been completely shuffled, correct?"  

Seungmin nods. A couple people in the crowd reply with enthusiastic and certain yeses. Seungmin has to admit that it's impressive, the way Minho engages with the audience and keeps them hooked to his every move, awaiting for the final step that'll blow their minds. In a way, Minho really is an actor, and begrudgingly, Seungmin will concede that he's a good one. 

"Now, please pick a card," Minho fans the deck of cards open, this time face-down, and lets Seungmin run his fingers along them until he finds the one, "I'm gonna turn around, and you're gonna take a good look at it, okay? Show the rest, too."

Ace of Clubs. Seungmin holds the card in front of him so everyone can see, and once he's sure they've all managed to get a glance he tells Minho he's ready.  

Minho spins in place, "Put it back in, wherever you want," Seungmin thrusts the card gently against the deck until it gives in, sliding back into place with the rest, "Nice. Now it's completely lost. Some people think I'm controlling the card at the top, or something," Minho picks up the aforementioned card, a 5 of Hearts, "But you can see it's clearly not. Do you trust me, Seungmin?"

"No," Seungmin replies instantly. Minho's lips curl into a smile, as though that's exactly the answer he was expecting. Seungmin doesn't like that he's already something predictable to him, a calculated factor in his trick, "Magic is lying."

"Lying to entertain," Minho shrugs, somewhat agreeing with him, "You'll have to trust me on this, anyway. I'm gonna go behind my back, and I'm gonna make a prediction."

Minho hides his hands away from the watching eye— even his own. Seungmin is torn between trying to catch a glimpse of what he's doing with his hands and returning the stare Minho's keeping on him. It bothers him, how hard it is to catch the twist in his tricks. Seungmin wants to find a way through the veil that fools the audience into believing this is magical, tell him I know how you did it. He can't, though, no matter how hard he tries, and the whole thing it's starting to feel achingly similar to an annoying rock in his shoe. 

"Mm," Minho hums, acting as if the cards are actually telling him something no one else can hear, "Wow. I think… yes. Mhm. Interesting— my vision is telling me you're gonna ask for my number after this trick."

Seungmin blinks, momentarily caught off guard. What is he trying to do, distract him from something he isn't meant to see? His eyes flicker downward and in the direction of Minho's hands, though these are still entirely hidden. He squints at him, "Are you done?"

"What was your card?" 

"Why should I tell you?" Seungmin crosses his arms over his chest, "Aren't you supposed to know?"

Minho rolls his eyes, "Can you not be difficult for five seconds?"

Seungmin looks at the crowd and finds that at least a dozen pairs of eyes are darting between him and Minho as they bicker. He clears his throat, "... Ace of Clubs."

"Funny you say that, Seungmin," Minho chirps, bringing the deck back to the front, "Because behind my back I took one card and reversed it in the middle of the pack. Can you guess which card it is?" 

No way. Minho fans the deck open once again, and the only card facing up is indeed the Ace of Clubs. Seungmin stares at it like he has something personal against the poor piece of paper and plastic as the people gathered around them clap for Minho one more time. 

Minho stretches his hand forward, palm up. Seungmin has nothing to give him, so he simply glares. Minho sighs impatiently, "Your phone? So I can put my number in?"

"Your 'vision' said I'd ask for it," Seungmin says, already starting to walk away. He throws one last look at Minho over his shoulder, "I didn't."

_______

"Where were you?" Felix asks when he spots him coming out of the building. He stands up from his place on the entrance stairs, phone clutched in his hand, "I got out, like, six minutes ago. I was about to call you."

Seungmin huffs, "I ran into a nuisance." 

III

The nuisance has a name, Lee Minho, and it's becoming more and more common to hear it uttered in the hallways at least once a day. People retell his tricks to their friends as one would retell a meeting with BigFoot, a one-in-a-lifetime occurrence they just have to experience for themselves. It's great, free publicity, Seungmin supposes, since a satisfied spectator is probably the Ace under the sleeve all magicians talk about. Or something.

Seungmin has spotted Minho surrounded by both big and small crowds in the last couple of weeks, in and out of the building. Although he hasn't stuck around to watch again, somehow Minho still manages to always find him. If Seungmin looks in his general direction (even for the briefest of seconds), Minho will already be looking back. Then he'll wink obnoxiously, and Seungmin will keep on walking with an added bit of irritation weighing his steps; a frown on his face. Annoying.

Seungmin may have managed to slither away from his tricks for now, but his friends have not. Felix has participated in three more of his magic acts since the first time, perpetually eager to be part of it, and a couple of his class-friends have been enthusiastically roped into one or two, as well. Jisung doesn't take any classes in the art building, which means he's the only one safe, and yet—

Seungmin halts his steps. 

"Ah, Seungminnie!" Jisung greets him, a bright heart-shaped smile showing off his gums, "I wanted to pick you and Felix up so we could do something together. You in?"

"Yeah, sure," Seungmin agrees with a small smile. His eyes then land on the person standing in front of Jisung, his friendly face dropping. 

"What, no smile for me, Seungminnie?" Minho teases, sickeningly sweet. Seungmin opens his mouth to give him a piece of his mind, but Minho lifts his index finger up to his own lips, silently shushing him, "I'm in the middle of a trick. Okay, Jisung, is this your card?" 

Jisung looks at the card for a second, then up at Minho with a pitiful expression, "No, sorry."

"Damn," Minho pouts, "What about this one?" 

He flicks the card with his finger, and the 3 of Diamonds changes into the 10 of Spades right before their eyes. Jisung gasps, delighted, and claps for Minho all by himself. 

"That was good!" Jisung says, "You fooled me for a second."

"That's the whole point of magic," Seungmin grumbles, fingers wrapped tightly around the straps of his guitar case.

"What?" Minho asks with a tilt of his head, "Making the other person look like a fool?"

"Isn't it?" Seungmin raises a challenging eyebrow. 

"Seungmin, honestly," Minho dramatizes a disappointed sigh, and he pairs it with a light shake of his head. Jisung looks between them, a clueless bystander in their squabble, "Yee of little faith. Is that what you think of magic?"

"Magic isn't real."

"That's what you believe. But… magic, it's—"

Minho clutches his stomach with an abrupt movement, brows furrowed. He doubles over slightly, face contorted into a mixture of pain and confusion, and Jisung doesn't hesitate to take a step closer to him. Seungmin's hands let go of the case straps, eyes blown wide in surprise. 

"You okay?" Jisung asks gently.

"Ah, yes, just…" Minho's lips twitch in discomfort, and he bends even further, "I got a bit nauseous all of a sudden, is all."

Seungmin approaches him, too. He and Minho may have this sort of rivalry going on, but it doesn't mean Seungmin is heartless. With such a violent reaction, Minho seems like he might need medical assistance.

Seungmin lays a hand on his shoulder as he looks around frantically for either the school nurse or anyone that might be of help, "Minho, are you sure you're okay? Do you want me to call someone?"

"Seungmin," Minho breathes out, voice strained. He reaches blindly for Seungmin's shoulder, giving it a squeeze when he finds it, and slowly begins to straighten up, "It's… it's—"

He retches once, twice, and then he's throwing up all over his hands and in Seungmin's face. Seungmin flinches instinctively, expecting to smell and feel the gross odor and weight of vomit on his clothes. Instead, his mouth drops open and anger bubbles within him at the sight. 

Minho's coughing up cards.

The surprise trick catches Jisung off guard, as well, though he manages to laugh at it once Minho makes it clear he's not actually sick. Minho looks satisfied with both reactions, finally pocketing the deck like that was just the closing act at the end of his show. Seungmin blinks.

"... An illusion," Minho says, completing the sentence he'd left hanging before his little performance. He looks at Seungmin with an innocent smile, as if he isn't the last person Seungmin wants to see right now, "Magic, I mean."  

"Do you think this is funny?" Seungmin practically hisses, hands trembling by his sides. The unexpected wave of worry for Minho's wellbeing had washed over him like a tsunami, and its sudden exchange for a feeling of outrage now leaves him with a strong sense of whiplash. 

Minho blinks in quick succession, apparently startled by Seungmin's outburst, "Uh… yes?"

Unbelievable. 

"Jisung," Seungmin calls his friend's attention, "Felix will come out of his class in ten minutes or so. I'll wait for you two by the gates." 

"We can both wait there for Lix," Jisung suggests, realizing that Seungmin wants to flee as quickly as possible. When Seungmin nods, he gets on the move, "Let's go, then. Bye, Minho!"

"Bye, Jisung," Minho bites his lip, hesitates for just a moment before weakly reaching for Seungmin's arm, "Seungmin, I—"

Seungmin pulls his arm away, "Have you ever thought about doing a disappearing act?"

Minho flinches, a flash of hurt clouding his eyes. 

IV

Okay. In hindsight, Seungmin is aware that he was a bit too harsh.

It's not that he doesn't think Minho's little trick was in poor taste anymore— he still believes so, and there's leftover ashes from his fiery anger that burn when he remembers the whole scene. Minho had taken advantage of his genuine concern only to make a stupid statement about magic, and had proceeded to claim it as funny. When Seungmin had voiced his doubts out loud, Jisung had assured him that his reaction wasn't exaggerated, and that he would've gotten mad too if he knew Minho like Seungmin does . 

Knowing Minho like Seungmin does means nothing if thought about in depth. Seungmin doesn't know Minho. Not really. Rather, he knows how he argues. Minho is quick witted and hard to catch with his guard down, probably the result of being a magician who has to be careful so as to not make mistakes or, if he does, to make sure it escapes from the audience's grasp. Minho likes to keep the crowd oscillating at the edge, and perhaps that trait seeps into his conversations with Seungmin as well— even when he's not taking part in his tricks. In a way, Minho makes sure their bickering stays afloat at all times, pulling Seungmin in to respond with jabs of his own— which Seungmin can admit he finds entertaining— yet at the same time Minho's constantly toeing close to the line that'll make Seungmin simply turn around and leave. 

He'd crossed it by using a vulnerable moment to prove his point. And by telling him to disappear in such a way, Seungmin had crossed his own.  

In a rare change of roles, Seungmin has become the one to scan the many faces he walks by every time he's at the art building, in hopes he'll find Minho's eyes already looking back at him just like before. He pays special attention to the crowds, expecting to see a familiar, confident smirk among them, and feels the weight of guilt sinking down in his stomach every time he doesn't. Felix hasn't seen him, his classmates shake their heads when he gathers the courage to ask— It's just been a week, but it almost feels like he took Seungmin's advice seriously. 

Seungmin thinks about it as he walks to the bookstore his Literature professor had recommended earlier in class to pick up some books, and the remorse coursing through him isn't a nice bag to carry when there's weather so lovely outside. He tries to leave it out on the sidewalk before pushing the door open and stepping into the place.

He pulls out the piece of paper where he'd scribbled down the titles, marching off to the sections most likely to have what he needs. He'd ask an employee, but there's no one at the entrance desk and the few other people in the bookstore with him look like normal customers. Seungmin struggles for an embarrassingly long time, only managing to find one out of the four books he'd come for after a full hour. He's thinking about the possibility of scouting the internet for free PDFs when someone clears their throat behind him. 

"If you need any help, feel free to ask!" The tone and delivery of the practiced phrase are clear enough signs to let Seungmin know the person works here. Seungmin sighs in relief.

"Actually," Seungmin pivots to face the worker, "I need to..."

"Oh," Minho looks just as surprised when their eyes meet, though he still offers him a small, hesitant smile, "Hi, Seungmin."

"Hi, Minho."

"Which books were you looking for?" Minho asks, not beating around the bush. Seungmin feels bad all over again. Knowing Minho like Seungmin does means knowing he probably would've already found something lightheartedly teasing to say if they weren't in this situation. 

Seungmin takes his crumpled list of books and tries to smooth out the paper as much as possible before handing it to Minho, "These."

"Hm," Minho hums, scanning the titles, "Okay. Follow me."

Seungmin does. He trails behind Minho like a lost puppy, and they amble through the same aisles Seungmin had walked through by himself. Minho makes quick stops, runs his fingers along book spines until he finds the one he needs, and hooks his index finger on it to pull it out of the shelf and drop it into Seungmin's arms. It's all done in uncharacteristic silence, and Seungmin hates how awkward it all feels. 

He may not have Minho's way with words, but his throat itches with the need to take the opportunity to apologize. As they search for the fourth and last book, Seungmin decides to speak up.

"Minho," He calls. 

Minho glances at him from the corner of his eye, "Hm?"

"I'm sorry," Seungmin says, "For what I said the other day. I was an asshole."

For a moment, it almost seems like Minho hasn't heard him. He keeps his eyes trained on the books in front of him, and he bites down on his lip as he searches for the title. When he finally spots it, Minho grabs it gently with both hands and turns to Seungmin with a sheepish expression. Seungmin thinks that if the book wasn't so big, Minho would probably try and twirl it around as he does with his cards.

"I'm sorry, too," He says, "You were right. It— it wasn't funny. You were worried, Jisung, too, and I turned it into a joke. You were right in getting mad at me… I don't blame you." 

Seungmin momentarily carries the books with only one arm, reaching for the one Minho's holding and putting it on top of the pile. It threatens to fall, wobbling in his hold, and Minho lifts his own hands up to the sides of the stack as a sort of barrier. Seungmin sincerely appreciates the apology, and he knows Minho's being genuine, but he can't forget the look in Minho's eyes after Seungmin had spat those words at him. 

"Still," Seungmin says, carefully accommodating the books back into both of his arms, "I shouldn't have said that. I went too far," He shifts his weight from one leg to the other, attempts to make it funny: "So if you're thinking of going through with the disappearing act, I'm sorry to tell you I didn't actually mean it."

The corners of Minho's mouth quirk into an amused smile, and Seungmin can feel himself relax a little, "What a pity. What about escapology, then? I think I'd make a great new Houdini."

Seungmin raises an eyebrow, "Didn't he die performing one of his stunts?"

"No, actually," Minho gestures for Seungmin to follow him to the register. Seungmin dumps the books on the counter while Minho starts clicking and typing away on the computer, "I don't know where people get that from. He died because a fan punched him in the stomach so hard his appendix broke."

"Jesus," Seungmin breathes out, nose scrunched like he's just witnessed such a thing right in front of him.

"Yup," Minho scans the barcodes with practiced speed.

"I guess that should be your answer, then. A big no to escapology."

"Don't worry," Minho says, throwing the books into a bag, "I don't have fans, so no one will kill me."

Seungmin wraps his fingers around the handles of the bag, pulling it towards himself, "So what you're saying is that you're immortal as long as you don't have followers."

"Basically. Your total is $52.25"

Seungmin fishes for his wallet, pulling out a couple bills, "I think you already have fans, though. People at the art building have been asking about you and your magic tricks."

It's true. Seungmin hasn't been the only one to notice Minho's absence. He'd left quite the impression on the students, who kept on saying his name in the hallways, though this time curious as to why he might have not visited the building that week. A lot of people had started to wait excitedly for the days he usually showed up and, in true entertainer fashion, Minho had left them begging for more.

Minho takes the money, opens the cash register to organize it and takes out the change, "Really?"

"Yeah."

Minho closes the register with his hip, sets his elbows on the counter to lean in. There it is— that confident smirk, back in full force.

"Are you included in 'people'?" Minho asks, back to his usual annoying self. For once, Seungmin decides to let it slide. 

"I am a person, yes. Occasionally, I also happen to ask questions."

Minho's grin widens at the barely conceded yes under all those words. Suddenly, he asks, "What's that in your ear?"

"Huh?" Seungmin lifts a hand up to touch it and, really— he shouldn't have fallen for it so easily.

Minho straightens back up, drums his fingers on the wooden surface for a little before stretching his arm forward and in Seungmin's direction. Seungmin barely feels Minho's touch on his skin before he's already pulling away. 

"Ah, what have I told you, Seungmin?" Minho tsks. He opens his hand to reveal a bunch of coins, "You should really start cleaning up there."

Seungmin raises an unimpressed eyebrow, "Is that my change?"

"... Yes."

"Thanks," Seungmin takes the coins with an eye roll, pocketing them along with his wallet. He checks that all of his books are in the bag and then awkwardly stands in front of Minho with pursed lips, "I'm sorry, again."

"Don't worry. It's all forgotten," He waves his index and middle finger together in front of his eyes and makes a funny face, as if he's wiping his own memory.

Seungmin snorts, "I'll see you, then." 

Minho winks, "See you, Seungminnie." 

V 

Without realizing, Seungmin starts to spend the half hour long wait for Felix to finish his dance class standing next to Minho and surrounded by those who come to watch his tricks. He mostly sticks to the sidelines, observing Minho's quick, agile hands as they make the impossible happen— disappearing cards, cards that somehow fly into his pocket without anyone noticing, cards he coughs out of his mouth (this time, Seungmin does find the trick funny)— yet still unable to figure out how. Seungmin swears he doesn't take his eyes away, gaze fixed on Minho's every move. Discovering the secrets behind the tricks is starting to feel a lot like a challenge, and Seungmin is nothing if not stubborn.

Minho usually entertains the crowd for 15 minutes or so before pocketing his deck and politely signaling the end of his performance. People wave him goodbye as they disperse, smiling big, and then there’s only him and Seungmin for the remaining time. Today is no different.

"You always get this… look on your face when I'm doing a trick," Minho mentions after the last person disappears down the hallway, shuffling the cards one more time before hiding them back inside their box. 

"What look?" Seungmin asks. 

"That's the thing. I still can't tell if you think I'm fascinating or if you want to kill me."

“Definitely the latter," Seungmin says. He presses his back against the wall and slides down until his butt touches the floor. Minho copies him, “Maybe I’ll be the one to punch you in the stomach so hard you die.”

“Aw, Seungminnie,” Minho ruffles Seungmin’s hair, and Seungmin’s too confused at the cooing as a reaction to his death threat to think about pulling away, “That implies you’re my fan.”

“Forget it,” Seungmin huffs, ducking his head so that Minho’s hand falls back onto the floor, “It just bothers me that I can't figure out how you do your tricks.”

Minho nods, as if to say ah, I get that a lot. Seungmin stares at him in silence, expecting something more. It doesn’t come. Minho takes one look at his face, successfully reads his intentions, and scoffs.

“I’m not revealing my secrets. What kind of magician would I be then?”

“Ugh,” Seungmin crosses his arms over his chest, frustrated, “I don’t understand. I never take my eyes away from your hands, and yet there’s always something I can’t catch.”

Minho hugs his legs to his chest and rests his cheek against his knees with a small smile, “The closer you look, the less you’ll see.”

Seungmin blinks, “Is that magician lingo?” 

“Magician lingo,” Minho snorts, “It’s a quote from a movie.”

Seungmin starts toying around with his hoodie strings, "What does it mean?"

Minho lifts his head so that his chin rests on his knees instead, "The more you focus on a singular thing, the bigger your chances of missing the crucial move are. You said your eyes never leave my hands, but I have two of them and they're never in the same place. I don't only use my hands because that's what I hold the cards with— I'm doing lots of things at once," He opens his hands wide. There's a couple paper cuts that wrap around his fingers, most probably because he's constantly handling cards, and some of their edges are sharp, "You can't follow them both. I make sure of it."

Seungmin knows Minho's quick with his fingers— he has to be, if he practices magic— but maybe he's underestimated just how quick he really is. He's never noticed anything out of the ordinary exactly because Minho's movements are imperceptible to the eye of the untrained, and even if Seungmin were to notice a wobble in his hands, a mistake, he still wouldn't be able to tell what's actually going on. A single chain link is useless if it's not tied to the rest— a single chain link is not a chain, which means: there are at least a dozen movements in Minho's every trick, but catching just one will never be enough to decipher the rest. 

"You have that look on your face again," Minho's voice pulls him out of his thoughts. He's stretched his legs, and his hands dip inside his pockets where his cards are like he can't stay away from them for too long. 

Seungmin pulls his eyes away from Minho's without a word, trying to erase whatever trace of the look might be left on his face. He won't admit that, this time, it's because he thinks Minho's fascinating. 

"That means you should start running," Seungmin says instead, clenching his hand into a fist and aiming for his stomach. He starts punching playfully, and Minho's ticklish nature gets him giggling uncontrollably. 

Seungmin can't help but smile at the sound. 

VI

Seungmin's YouTube search history:

magic trick tutorial

card trick tutorial beginners

card trick 

famous magicians 

movies about magicians 

the closer you look the less you'll see

now you see me trailer

Dave franco

VII

"When did you start getting into magic?"

Minho hums as he pushes a book back into its rightful place. Seungmin swears he only made a trip to the bookstore to buy some more of the ones he needs for his classes, but he'd somehow ended up helping with Minho's tasks instead. Currently, he carries a heavy stack of various new titles with him while he follows Minho around the different sections as if he were a new employee in his training period.

Minho raises an eyebrow, "You've been awfully curious, lately. Do we have ourselves a little magician in the making?"

"Excuse me for trying to engage in conversation," Seungmin deadpans. 

Minho rolls his eyes and takes another book from Seungmin's pile, "I guess… when I was 14, maybe 15? A kid at my school performed a card trick for the entire class, and I thought it was cool."

"Do you remember what the trick was?" Seungmin is quick to follow him as he starts to walk away toward a different aisle. 

"The one I performed for you the second time we saw each other."

"Ace of Clubs," Seungmin says. He remembers it clearly, the way Minho had pulled him in with his words until he'd found himself willingly participating, and how the crowd seemed to vanish every time they talked. Though still confusing to him, he also remembers Minho insinuating Seungmin would ask for his number by the time he was done. As far as distraction techniques go, that one was certainly on the odd side.

"Ace of Clubs," Minho confirms with a smirk. This time he takes two books from Seungmin's arms, lessening the weight considerably, "You have to admit it's a good one."

Seungmin shrugs, "That's the only one I've been a part of. I have nothing to compare it to." 

"C'mon," Minho scoffs. This specific shelf seems to be a bit too high for his height, which is why he has to pull up a wooden step stool to help himself reach better, "You've seen me perform a dozen others for other people." 

Seungmin takes a step back to give him space, "I told you. I focus too much on trying to figure out what you're doing with your hands to even try to pay attention to the rest."

"Seungmin," Minho stops everything he's doing with a gasp, turning his head to look down at him, "Are you asking me, begging me, to perform a magic trick specifically for you? Is that what's going on right now?"

"Those are not the words that came out of my mouth."

"I read between the lines."

"Please never do it again."

"Okay," Minho jumps off the stool, "My turn to ask. When did you start playing the guitar?"

"Um," Minho picks up the last book from his arms, and Seungmin has to speed up his steps to catch up to him when he starts to walk away, "Just, like, three years ago. I wanted to start learning an instrument, and it was the first one to come to mind."

"You can never go wrong with a classic," Minho says.

"Yeah. I kind of started to teach myself through YouTube videos before Felix mentioned there was a new class opening in the art building. So I signed up."

"I can't believe you shamed me for learning magic tricks on YouTube while you were doing the same with your little guitar," Minho shakes his head as if he were truly upset, "The hypocrisy."

Seungmin opens his eyes wide, "You really did learn from YouTube?"

Minho laughs at his startled expression, "Yeah, at first. Then I started reading about magic, and watching other magicians' performances— famous or not. My parents used to have to physically drag me away from street entertainers. If I heard the shuffle of cards, I was immediately drawn to the sound."

A brief glance down at Minho's hands shows Seungmin that he really means it: Minho's fingers have unconsciously pulled into the usual position they're in before he starts to shuffle his own deck. Seungmin feels the corners of his mouth quirk up slightly.

"Sometimes, you…" Seungmin bites his lips, trying to find the words, "You hold the books like you hold your cards. Like— like this," He takes a random book off its shelf and cages it between the tips of his thumb and middle finger, "Like you're about to spin it around. Or as if you wish you could."

Minho slowly raises an eyebrow, "I think your intense hand watching might actually be doing something.

Seungmin blinks, confused, "What do you mean?"

"Which third finger would you use to get it to spin?"

"Uh," Seungmin looks down for a second, "My index finger, right?"

"That," Minho points at Seungmin's hand, "Is perfect. You could spin a card around yourself if you wanted to."

Seungmin tries not to show how exhilarating that is to hear, pride buzzing under his skin, but the way Minho's eyes crinkle happily when he grins at him tells Seungmin he isn't doing that great of a job at hiding it. 

VIII

"So," Seungmin points at the new Harry Potter paperback editions displayed at the entrance desk, "How much of that book would you say is realistic?" 

Minho blinks a couple times, then picks up The Chamber of Secrets to smack Seungmin on the arm with it, "They're wizards." 

"Same thing."

Minho lands a second smack on the back of his head.

IX

Seungmin zips his guitar case closed and fits his arms through the straps, bowing politely to his teacher before leaving the classroom to go find Minho. After following the same route every Friday for a bit over two months, Seungmin's legs now move by muscle memory, and his eyes have been conditioned to look for the usual crowd that engulfs Minho as soon as he pulls out his cards. 

Unlike the routine he's grown used to, however, today the hallway seems devoid of people, except for the janitor and two or three other students talking amongst each other. Seungmin frowns, confused, though he lets his limbs continue to guide him forward. 

"... Seungmin? Hello?"

Seungmin freezes. He turns around and finds Minho sitting on the floor, eyebrow raised at him. There's no enthusiastic crowd around him this time and Seungmin, who had been acting on autopilot, had walked right past him. 

"Oh," Seungmin says, retreating a few steps and shrugging his guitar off his back so he can sit next to him, "Didn't see you there. Where are your fans?"

Minho tilts his head with a slight pinch of his eyebrows, "You're right here?" Seungmin stares, expressionless, which in turn makes Minho smile, "I told them I was feeling too tired for tricks today."

Seungmin's eyebrows shoot up in surprise, "Oh?"

"I didn't sleep well last night," Minho shrugs. He stretches his legs with a yawn and then curls in on himself, arms wrapping around his own torso. 

"Why are you here, then?" Seungmin asks. A quick scan of Minho's face reveals his barely concealed eyebags and drowsy eyelids, "You should go get some rest."

"And miss my weekly Seungmin time?" Minho closes his eyes, trying to find a comfortable position against the cold, hard wall behind his back, "I'm fine. I'll sleep early tonight."

It takes a moment for the words to register in his brain, but when they do Seungmin can't help but frown. He shakes his head and tries to think of a different meaning besides I only came to see you, because that doesn't make sense. Minho keeps his eyes closed and his mouth shut, probably giving in to his tiredness, so Seungmin takes the chance to dig back into his memories without him noticing. Why is Minho there? 

The first day he showed up was a Tuesday— Seungmin remembers this because Felix had brought a batch of brownies with him, as he always does on Tuesdays—, and then he saw him again on a Friday. The pattern repeated for a while, stretching up until recently. Seungmin only attends his classes two times a week, which means he has no way of knowing if Minho visits the art building the remaining three days. What he does know is that Minho is not a student there, and that he has no real obligation to come every week. If Seungmin really thinks about it… he rarely sees Minho on Tuesdays anymore. 

He shakes his head, again.

"I just realized I never asked you how you ended up here," Seungmin voices his doubt out loud, a question implied behind his words, "I mean— I'd never seen you around until this year."

"I mentioned a brother that dances here, too, remember?" Minho says, applying herculean effort to keep his eyes open, "He started his classes a couple months ago. The first time you saw me, I was actually killing time waiting for him to finish. He asked me to pick him up, and I read the hour wrong… got here forty minutes earlier."

"Stupid."

Minho opens an eye fully only to make sure he sticks his tongue out in retaliation in the right direction, "I was carrying my cards with me, so I said why not? People got interested pretty quickly, and… If I'm being honest, I liked the attention, so I put on a show," Minho shrugs, though the way his tongue darts out to lick at his lips bashfully shows how embarrassing it is for him to admit that out loud, "One thing led to another, and suddenly I found myself telling this random kid to clean his ears," He finishes, poking Seungmin's leg.

"Lovely, as always," Seungmin rolls his eyes. Minho gathers enough strength to clash his shoulder against Seungmin's, and Seungmin sways to one side with the light force of it, "Is your brother in class right now, then?"

"No," Minho closes his eyes again with a sigh, "His lessons are on Tuesdays and Thursdays."

Seungmin thinks he has enough information to draw his conclusion by now, but he refrains from letting the full thought form in his head anyway. He finds that the speed in which the blush rushes up to his neck is similar to that of a lightning and, just like Minho's words, it doesn't make sense to him. Seeking to clear his head, his hands fly to the zipper in his guitar case, carefully pulling it down and open. Seungmin uncovers the instrument and positions it on his lap, picking at the strings to see if they need any work. 

The sound stirs Minho out of his zombie-like state. 

"I finally get to hear you play," He says, lifting his enthusiastic yet sleepy fists in victory with a small smile on his face. 

"You could've just asked," Seungmin twists the tuning pegs until he's satisfied with the results. This, he understands. 

"I wanted it to come from you," Minho shrugs. 

Seungmin's fingers press down on the rough strings with enough strength to make his skin turn white, contrasting with the tender touch of his right thumb as he sounds out a chord. Minho points at the guitar case in a silent question, and when Seungmin nods his head yes he picks it up and folds it into a makeshift pillow, lying his body down horizontally and closing his eyes to the soft tune. 

I only came to see you. 

Then I'll play a song only for you.

X

When a hand closes around Seungmin's wrist as soon as he steps out into the hallway, he almost throws a blind punch. Thankfully, his eyes find Minho's in the middle of the jumpscare, and his clenched fist slowly relaxes at the sight of him. Seungmin's heart beats fast against his ribs as he comes down from the sudden rush of adrenaline, and Minho's face contorts into a guilty expression when he realizes he's startled him half to death.

"Sorry," He says, "I didn't think you'd react like that." 

"Who grabs someone like that without warning?" Seungmin complains, "Heathen."

"Don't talk to me about being a heathen. Your first reaction was to beat me up."

Someone clears their throat behind them, and it's then when they notice that they're still standing at the door, blocking the exit. Minho tugs him out of the way as Seungmin dissolves in apologies, even if the other person nods kindly at him to show they aren't really bothered.

"I learned a new trick," Minho says when they're sufficiently away from the door to not be an obstacle. His fingers have slid down slightly so that they now wrap around Seungmin's hand instead, "I wanted to show you."

"And you couldn't have waited for me to find you?" Seungmin says, an eyebrow raised.

"Someone already asked me to guess their card. I'm escaping."

"Oh my God, it's starting. They want to land the lethal sucker punch that'll take you out."

Minho rolls his eyes. He starts walking toward their usual meet-up spot, pulling Seungmin along with him. Seungmin's hold instinctively tightens as he feels Minho's hand slipping away from his own, then he lets it go lax when he regains common sense. Minho doesn't seem to notice, simply letting their hands detach and fall back to dangle by their sides. Seungmin's face feels uncharacteristically hot.

Seungmin leans his guitar against the wall before crossing his feet and letting himself fall butt first onto the floor. Minho plops down right in front of him in similar unceremonious fashion, cards out and ready— when did he even pull them out? Minho stretches his arm forward, palm up, and this time Seungmin knows he wants him to do the same. Minho drops the deck in his hand.

"Shuffle them."

Seungmin does. He's still inexperienced and clumsy, with a couple cards spilling out onto the floor every now and then, but when he looks up to meet Minho's eyes these aren't mocking— they're bright, instead, and they're filled with excitement. Seungmin huffs out a tender laugh, handing the deck back to its owner. 

"Okay," Minho says. He turns the deck around so that the cards face up and starts skimming through them, "I actually need two helper cards for this. Let's see… let's go with face cards..." 

"How about the red kings?" 

Minho's gaze flickers toward Seungmin's face, and he smirks like he knows exactly what he's trying to do. Seungmin looks back, bottom lip between his teeth. It's not hard to figure out that Seungmin's looking for an ounce of control in a trick where he'll be mostly blinded— this way, at least he knows the choice in helper cards isn't part of the trick. 

"Alright, let's go with those," Minho pushes the King of Hearts and the King of Diamonds away from the rest and drags them aside, "We'll get to them later. For now, I just need you to pick a card."

Seungmin doesn't stop to think too hard about it, letting his hand pick whatever card it lands on first. He pulls it out and takes a look at it, 3 of Hearts, and then hides it back into the deck. Minho loses the card in three different ways right in front of him: he gives the deck a couple cuts, shuffles them as usual and, finally, gives them a riffle shuffle. Seungmin gets a bit lost in the speed of his movements, but he rests his elbows on his legs and leans forward to try and follow better. 

"This is where I'm gonna need these bad boys," Minho says, picking up the red kings. He runs his thumb along the side of the deck and stops at a random spot, inserting the two cards halfway into the deck and face up so that they stand out, "'Cuz they're gonna help me find your card."  

"You need assistants for this trick?" Seungmin jokes.

"Hey, sometimes even the greatest magicians need a little help," Minho winks. He spreads the cards open to show Seungmin there's no other card between the Kings, then pulls it all back together, "It doesn't matter if your card is above or below the helpers— they'll always find it. I trained them well."

Minho hesitates for a moment, fingers twitching where they touch the deck. It's odd to see Minho nervous over something he's usually so confident about, but Seungmin remembers that this trick is new, and that although Minho has probably practiced it by himself, it's always different with an actual spectator. Seungmin leans back, pulling his eyes away from Minho's hands.

"Do you remember your vision from that one time?" Seungmin speaks up, successfully catching Minho's attention, "When you said I'd ask for your number."

Minho blinks, confused, and a soft pink hue colors his cheeks, "Yeah. Why?"

"Did you just want to distract me?"

"... Partially."

Seungmin looks down at his own hands. Goddamned Minho and his halfway answers that still tell him everything, "Well, I think it got the timing a little off."

Minho still seems lost, "Which means…?" 

"If you get my card right, I'll ask for your number after this trick."

Minho's eyes grow impossibly bigger, and he looks delighted. Nerves be damned, he immediately pushes the Kings fully into the deck, which causes a different card to pop up at the opposite end. Seungmin's eyebrows inch closer to each other in a frown, and his mouth drops open in surprise.

"How did it even get there?" Seungmin asks, snatching the deck away from Minho's hands to inspect it, "What?"

"3 of Hearts, is this your card?" Minho waves the card in front of him.

"You didn't even try to add suspense to it."

Minho snaps his fingers repeatedly to hurry up the process, "Is it, or is it not?"

"Yes. But, Minho—"

"I'm about to start dictating my number. Ready? It's three, one, two..."

Seungmin lets out a baffled laugh, heartbeat going faster than usual. He sets the deck down on the floor to pull his phone out of his pocket and start typing. By the time he finally saves the contact under the name of Magic Minho, the smile on his face is too obvious to hide.

XI

Seungmin 

Hey. It's Seungmin

Magic Minho 

Seungminnie!!! 

Think of a number 1 to 10

Seungmin 

4

Magic Minho

No don't tell me 

Seungmin

Ok

I picked another one

Magic Minho

Is it 7 

Seungmin

No

Magic Minho 

Mentalism is just not my thing...

Maybe if you think of a number and then send me a selfie so I can read your face...

Seungmin 

[Image attached]

Magic Minho

That is a picture of a hedgehog

Seungmin 

Lol

Magic Minho

Is it 2

Seungmin 

No

It was 3

Magic Minho 

This is terrible

XII

It doesn't take long before Minho suggests they meet outside of the library or the art building for the first time. Seungmin contemplates the wording of his text for a moment (do you wanna go out with me this weekend) but ultimately decides against overthinking it and ends up agreeing, coming to the conclusion that having only two places to hang out in at this point in their friendship is way weirder than… whatever Minho is saying most of the time. Minho picks him up from his house at 7pm on a Saturday, and they take a drive around town before stopping at a food truck for something to eat. 

(Seungmin had had his doubts, at first. Would they still be able to act the same as they always do if they changed up what they're already used to? Then he'd rolled his eyes at himself, because of course they would. Their dynamic is not determined by the dull beige walls in the art building or the books at the library, but by themselves. Minho can still annoyingly rile him up, and Seungmin can still reply with his own jabs— here, there, and everywhere else.)

"That hotdog is bigger than your face," Seungmin says, nose scrunched while watching as Minho attempts to take his first bite. 

"Can you not stare at me while I'm trying to fit a sausage in my mouth?"

"My God," Seungmin says, and then starts walking away from him.

Minho trots to catch up to him with a chuckle. They start a stroll around the plaza where the truck is parked at, side by side, as they munch on their food with no rush. There's a couple street vendors lined up along the sidewalk, and someone is juggling colorful plastic balls in the air as people clap. Seungmin offers his fries to Minho; the other picks up two and adds them to the humongous monstrosity that is his hotdog. Seungmin judges him not so discreetly.

"Thanks, by the way," Seungmin says after he's done processing Minho's food choices, "You didn't have to pay for my stuff, too."

 Minho shrugs, "You can pay next time."

"Who said there'll be a next time?" Seungmin argues, just for the sake of being difficult. The truth is that he's having a nice evening and, hypothetically speaking, he would say yes if Minho invited him to do something else some other weekend. 

Minho scoffs, holding his hotdog with one hand to start listing things with the other, "I pick you up, I drive us around in my car, I pay for your food…" He puts on a fake accent, The Godfather style, "And all you do in return is call me and my hotdog stupid."

Seungmin can't keep the laugh in, and it spills out into the air between them cheerfully, "That was an awful impression."

"On the day of my daughter's wedding, no less!"

Seungmin shakes his head, a smile lingering on his lips, "Have you even read the book?"

"There's a book?" Minho asks genuinely.

"You work at a library, Minho."

"Doesn't mean I read."

"Oh, you don't know how to?"

Minho squints at him, mouth twisted in defeat. Seungmin puts a fry between his lips as cowboys would a bundle of wheat in movies, and winks. It's stupid. It's cringey— he regrets it immediately after. But it makes Minho crack a smile, and Seungmin knows he's won this round. 

(Whatever it is that they're playing at.)

-------

They march towards a nearby trash can to throw away the plastic containers and used napkins as soon as they're done with their food, but as Seungmin crumples his empty cone to fit it into the overflowing pile he notices that Minho has stopped to look at something. Seungmin doesn't see anything new, at first, though he does hear it a mere seconds after. 

The shuffle of cards.

Seungmin observes the scene in front of him with an amused glint in his eyes— Minho looks like a cat startled by sound. Although Minho had told him he used to do this when he was younger, it seems that the habit has grown alongside him and refused to leave. It's not the first time Seungmin finds Minho's dedication to magic admirable, but tonight the thought ignites a warmth in his chest that hadn't been there before. It's not unwelcomed.

"Let's go," Seungmin speaks loud enough to pull Minho out of his trance. Minho turns to look at him, cheeks reddening in embarrassment due to getting caught, and reaches the trash can in two long steps. 

"I know," Minho says as he dumps his own residues. He shakes his hands free of crumbs and starts to walk back to where they came from, "Sorry, I got distracted."

Seungmin wraps his fingers around Minho's wrist, halting his movements, "Let's go watch the performance."

Minho blinks. Seungmin tugs at his arm and gets them both moving, finding the magician in no time and joining the small crowd that's beginning to form around her. Though Minho still looks a bit shocked that Seungmin hadn't pulled him away but toward the show instead, his demeanor also shows he's clearly pumped. 

Seungmin understands little to nothing about magic, but the build up is exciting nonetheless. The magician announces her name and tells the crowd she'll be performing four tricks total, for which she asks to have volunteers. A lot of people raise their hands enthusiastically; two young teens and two adults get selected. Minho's gaze focuses on the performer, a concentrated frown on his face— he's ready to watch, study, and learn. He's not just a spectator, like Seungmin and everybody else is, he's also an evaluator and a student. 

A couple minutes into the show, Seungmin finds himself hooked as well. The magician is good at what she does, and the crowd follows her like Seungmin's watched people follow Minho; both of them seem to ooze charisma and confidence with their cards in their hands. Seungmin discovers that though he probably would've walked past this just a few months ago, now he's glad to have found a good spot in the audience. 

At some point, Minho links his pinky finger with Seungmin's to call his attention. Seungmin turns to face him, even if Minho keeps his eyes forward and all he gets is a clear view of his side profile, "Are you watching her hands?" He whispers.

"Kinda," Seungmin replies.

"She's mostly using her left hand for the big gestures," Minho tells him, "The ones meant to distract. Everyone will follow the more eye-catching movements rather than the ones she needs to hide."

Seungmin follows her right hand for a minute or two before whispering back, "I don't see anything different." 

"She's combining lots of things to make the trick go smoothly," Minho says, awed, "I can barely catch it myself. She's incredible."

Seungmin's eyes travel back to Minho's profile, starting from the sparkle in his pupils to the curve of his mouth. The warmth from earlier still has its place within his chest, and it only seems to expand when Minho claps the end of a trick by lightly patting the hand connected with Seungmin's without letting go. Seungmin thinks he's toeing close to a different line here— not the one from months ago that would pull them apart, but rather one that could pull him dangerously forward and into something he's too nervous to admit is undeniably there.

Seungmin turns his hand and intertwines the rest of their fingers one by one. Ring finger, middle, index. This time Minho does look at him, though Seungmin faces forward just as quick as their eyes meet. 

"What else is she doing?" He asks. Half to distract him, half because Seungmin actually enjoys hearing him talk about magic. His heart gains enough speed to climb out of his body. What am I doing?

Minho blinks rapidly. Then, he smiles. 

Seungmin's feet touch the line. He doesn't dare take a full step, but he bravely inches a centimeter closer to the other side. 

XIII

Magic Minho 

Seungminnieee 

Think of a number 5 to 10

Seungmin

Oh? 

Ok I got one

Magic Minho 

Is it 5

Seungmin

Nope

8 

Magic Minho

Great

8pm next Saturday?

We can try other food trucks

Or we can actually go get a pizza

Seungmin

Are you picking me up again?

Magic Minho

Yes!!!

Seungmin

Okay :)

I'll pay this time 

Magic Minho 

Not if I pay first

XIV

Standing next to Minho while he performs his tricks for other people gives Seungmin a clear view of what he's doing, an advantage he solely uses to continuously stare at Minho's hands in order to discover what goes on behind the magic. 

At least, that's what he would say if asked.

Lately, however, his eyes seem to have developed an affinity for Minho's face. Seungmin would be able to lie and say they move on their own accord and he has no control over it if it weren't because their target is identical to the one plaguing Seungmin's brain, which means he has no one to blame but himself. 

His new focus uncovers another layer to Minho's performances: he uses his face just as much as he uses his hands. Every flick of his wrist is paired with a quirk of his mouth, a twitch in his eyebrows; he makes a pop sound with his lips after almost every shuffle, and his eyes widen when he talks to whoever has picked a card to keep their attention on him. He has a pre-trick smile, and an end-of-the-trick satisfied grin; a oh they're gonna be so shocked by this look and a don't fuck this up concentrated expression. Minho's face is a window to a different part of his magic that Seungmin doesn't regret opening, no matter the reason why he was pulling at the window lock in the first place.

The most troubling realization comes when Minho turns to Seungmin after everyone has left, and his eyes have a different kind of brightness to them. The muscles in his face seem to relax, letting his guard down now that he doesn't have anything to hide, which makes the curve of his smile much more softer. It's the same hint of off-duty magician Minho Seungmin sees every time Minho looks for his eyes halfway through a trick, as if to check he's still there next to him. 

It makes it harder for Seungmin to pretend the heat on his cheeks is an unsolved mystery. Seungmin is just keeping the evidence under a rug, but one day it will form a lump too obvious to excuse.

XV

"Hi, sorry. Excuse me. Are you Seungmin?"

Seungmin has no idea who the boy is, but he doesn't look at all threatening, which is why he actually slows his steps down until he comes to a stop. Felix's puzzled face signals he doesn't know his identity, either. 

"Yes," He answers truthfully, "And you are…?"

"Oh!" He offers his hand, "I'm Hyunjin."

Seungmin shakes it, still confused, "Uh. Do I know you?"

"God, I'm sorry. Of course you don't know me," He slaps his forehead slightly— silly me! "I'm Minho's brother."

Seungmin's eyes widen in recognition, "Oh! The dancer, right?"

"Yup. The dancer," Hyunjin nods. He shifts the weight of his body onto his right foot, biting his lips nervously, "Look, this is gonna sound weird. But… Do you think I can use your phone to make a call?"

Seungmin lifts an eyebrow. It is weird. But Hyunjin looks more like a friendly ferret than someone who wants to steal his phone, so he nods and pulls the device out of his pocket. Hyunjin lights up, and he stays right next to Seungmin and Felix as he types the number from memory with quick fingers. He puts the phone against his ear and gifts the pair with a thankful smile while he waits. 

When the other person picks up the call, Hyunjin rolls his eyes so hard they could've fallen out of their sockets. Felix and Seungmin share yet another puzzled look. 

"Of course you would pick up a call from Seungmin while ignoring me," Hyunjin says in lieu of hello. Seungmin is startled by the mention of his name, "I've been waiting for you for 20 minutes. You said you'd pick me up— where are you?"

Oh. Minho. Felix chuckles, and Seungmin can't help but join in. Hyunjin looks annoyed, his amiable dimples replaced by a scowl typical of sibling-induced anger. 

"You know what? Don't even bother. Seungmin and his friend are nicer than you and they will give me a ride," Hyunjin covers the phone to whisper you don't really have to at them before returning to his brother, "I'm gonna tell Seungmin every story about beginner magician Minho. Oh, yeah, I will. And when you perform another trick for him all he will see will be 16 year old Minho bending his cards so tightly that all of his decks are C shaped."

Seungmin and Felix watch the scene unfold in front of them with similar slack jaws. Hyunjin seems to get tired of listening to whatever Minho says in retaliation and hangs up without even saying goodbye. 

"Thanks, Seungmin," He gives the phone back to its owner, "And sorry about that. I better call a taxi now."

"No… no problem," Seungmin struggles to find the words. He looks down at his phone screen, reading over the call log to see Minho's contact name next to the number 2:45— that was certainly interesting. 

"We can actually give you a ride," Felix shrugs. 

"Really?" Hyunjin beams, "Thank you!"

_

Magic Minho 

Anything Hyunjin says is false and a lie and untrue

Seungmin

C shaped decks 

Magic Minho 

SEUNGMIN

_

Against all odds, having Hyunjin in the car with them isn't as awkward as they all thought it would be. He's the same age as them, and he's as talkative as Felix himself is. They engage in conversation fairly quickly into the ride, and they're soon even laughing together over the littlest things. Hyunjin seems to be as extroverted as his brother, not letting a single dull moment of silence linger for too long.

"I'm glad I finally got to meet you," Hyunjin says, leaning forward and in between the two front seats to look at Seungmin, "Minho talks about you all the time."

Seungmin is momentarily caught off guard, so Felix replies on his behalf with a snicker, "Oh, does he?"

Hyunjin nods, "Seungmin this, Seungmin that. Sometimes it feels like he's as obsessed with you as he is with magic."

Hyunjin and Felix laugh the comment off with ease, but Seungmins can only muster a weak attempt at a chuckle. His heart jumps embarrassingly fast into overdrive, and he has to look out the window to hide his flushed face. He knows Hyunjin only meant it as a joke, but the implications behind it are too strong for him to simply brush it away. It might be light-hearted, but it gets Seungmin thinking nonetheless— the statement is overwhelming, though he does know, for example, that he's usually the first person Minho performs his new tricks for. Magic is something so obviously important in Minho's life, and knowing he wants to share part of it with him is already enough to make Seungmin feel tingly all over.  

He thinks back to Minho's own excited reaction the first time Seungmin had pulled out his guitar, how he'd fought against sleep to hear him play. Although he could've asked Seungmin to do it any time he wanted, he'd chosen to wait until he brought it up himself. I wanted it to come from you. Music is to Seungmin what magic is to Minho, and they're both aware of what sharing it with each other means: trust, mostly; that every Friday spent together has never been anything but comfortable.

Seungmin might not know for sure if Minho feels that way, but he has full and free access to his own thoughts and emotions. Minho's presence resembles the sound of softly strummed chords, and talking to him is like playing a new song without looking at the frets, not making any mistakes. God. That's it. Seungmin wishes he could press his face against the cold window to get rid of his blush without seeming like a total weirdo.

"Seungmin?"

He turns to Felix, hoping his face is no longer an incriminating shade of red, "Huh?"

"This is my stop," Hyunjin announces. 

"Oh," Seungmin says. He feels kinda bad for completely zoning out on them, "Well. It was nice to meet you!"

Hyunjin laughs softly, "Likewise. See you, guys!"

He pushes the car door open and steps onto the sidewalk, leaning down to wave goodbye at them before closing it. They stay until Hyunjin disappears inside the house, and Felix honks one last time as the entrance door shuts behind him. 

XVI

Seungmin's Google search history:

how do i know if he really likes me back

signs someone likes you

flirting

this is so stupiddnfnfmgk 

now you see me 2

why is now you see me 2 not called 'now you don't'

dave franco movies

XVII

"And your pinky goes here," Seungmin says, pointing at the correct string and fret.

"You're joking, right?" Minho says, blinking down at his hands, "That is physically impossible. How do I go from here— to there?"

"You need to stretch your fingers. It's not that hard."

"For you, maybe," Minho scoffs, "You have huge hands. Mine are so small," He opens them to show him, "I have magician hands, not guitarist hands. My fingers need to be quick, not long."

"The size of your hands doesn't matter," Seungmin rolls his eyes.

Minho squints at him, "I'd like to see you attempt to handle cards with those noodles you call fingers." 

Seungmin shrugs, "I can try. Because I'm not a coward."

"Oh, wow. Alright, let's see, then."

Minho carefully hands him his guitar back, and Seungmin tucks it into its case while Minho pulls out his deck. Once the instrument is zipped up and propped against the wall, Minho gives him a single card and then also picks one up for himself. The hallways seem to be empty once again, which means it's just the two of them and the murmur of Felix's dance class going on in the back.

"We're gonna see if you can really spin a card," Minho says, alluding to the perfect finger-position Seungmin had shown at the library all those weeks before, "Do you remember how to hold it?"

Seungmin nods, "Like this?" He pinches it between his thumb and middle finger.

"Are you using the tip of your middle finger?"

"Uh," Seungmin tries to check, but he can't know for sure, "... I guess?"

"Try to use the side," Minho suggests, showing him his own hand to demonstrate, "Like this. It'll make it easier."

"Okay."

Seungmin tries his best to follow, brows knitted in concentration. When Minho explains how to spin it, a seemingly simple slide of his index finger, Seungmin thinks: this will be easy. Turns out the easy level of the trick is as much of an illusion as everything in magic is, because no matter what Seungmin does, the card just won't spin in a full circle. He tries not to show how frustrated he feels, because Minho is starting to smirk at his struggles like Seungmin had rolled his eyes at his'. Minho spins his own card smoothly all the while, like he's rubbing it in his face. 

"This is—" Seungmin bites back the impossible threatening to slip off the tip of his tongue, "... I can do this." 

"I'm sure you can," Minho says, and his tone isn't the slightest bit sarcastic. He drops his card back onto the deck and focuses only on Seungmin's attempts. After a minute of observation, he says: "Actually, let me… Uhm."

Minho shifts shyly until he's pressed against his side. Seungmin's hand stops moving altogether, and he watches with bated breath as Minho's own comes to wrap around it. Minho guides his fingers into a better position, and then helps him with the move his index is supposed to perform. He even places his other arm over Seungmin's shoulders, and Seungmin has to fight back a laugh that's stuck between i can't believe you're doing this (you're ridiculous) and i can't believe you're doing this (you like me, you actually like me). That's what it has to mean, anyway— right? The previous hints, the special smiles, this. Seungmin can feel Minho's shaky breath fanning over his ear, and the arm on Seungmin's shoulder keeps twitching, like he's unsure whether he should move it away or not. Seungmin thinks it is all terribly cliché and overused but it doesn't mean he can't feel his own heartbeat punching at his ribcage.

"Like that," Minho says eventually, "Try it again."

Seungmin contemplates not doing anything about it, but the potential to make fun of Minho is right there in front of him, and he is a simple man with simple moments of joy. He takes a deep breath: "I can't believe you just used the move on me."

Minho tenses for a brief second, and then he's back to normal. His hold around Seungmin now feels more secure, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure," Seungmin snorts. He tries to pretend he's not as affected as he really is, focusing back on the card between his fingers, "You just missed the fake yawning step."

"Well," Minho starts, and the tone of his voice lets Seungmin know he already has something to fight back with. However, he can also detect a hint of hope in it, "You don't seem to mind it…?"

He doesn't. The weight around his neck is comfortable, and the rise and fall of Minho's chest against where it meets Seungmin's back is nice. Seungmin really doesn't mind it, he just doesn't know how to say it without giving Minho the satisfaction of hearing it— they might like each other, but Seungmin won't ever let himself become the loser. 

"Seungminnie. If you want me to pull away, just tell me."

… Maybe he'll become the loser just this once.

"It's nice," He admits. The card almost slips out of his grip when he tries to spin it again, "I don't mind it."

Seungmin isn't looking at him, but he can practically sense Minho's grin. When he speaks, he sounds relieved, "Okay. That's good."

They sit in the same position for minutes that feel like hours, with Seungmin still stubbornly using his index finger to push the card where he wants it to go. Blinded by his determination to be able to do it at least once before Felix walks out, he unconsciously (maybe a bit consciously) ends up sticking to Minho like he's melted against his side. They don't mention it. Minho makes a couple of comments in between, to try and help, but nothing seems to be working for him. It's even more frustrating than trying to decipher the tricks when Minho is performing them. 

When the murmur of music and voices becomes loud enough to signal the end of dance class, both of them breathe out a sigh. 

"Do you have cards at home?" Minho asks.

"My mom might have a deck somewhere," Seungmin says, "Why?"

"You can take this one. To practice," Minho gathers the full deck and offers it to Seungmin, "These cards are lighter and thinner than the normal ones."

"What?" Seungmin looks down at the colorful cards like they're a bar of gold, "No, I can... really, you don't have to."

Minho rolls his eyes, "I have, like, a dozen at home. I promise I won't miss it."

Seungmin slowly accepts the deck, putting it in the pocket of his guitar case immediately. He pats it twice once it's zipped closed, "I'll take care of them."

Minho smiles, "I know you will."

-

Lix

Rumour has it someone spotted you cuddling with Lee Minho in the hallway

I'm someone btw

Saw it with my own 2 eyes

Seungmin

You're so nosy 

Lix

I guess there really is one step from hate to love ~

Seungmin

He is an annoyance 

So are you

Lix 

I already told Jisung 

Seungmin

Ugh

Ok 

I might like him

Lix 

Wait I didn't think I'd get you to admit it

I'm sending this to Jisung too

Seungmin

We literally have a group chat

-

Virg00s

Lix

Seungmin likes Minho

Sung 

OMGGGGGGG

Seungmin

Go to hell

XVIII

"What are you doing?"

Seungmin jumps, startled. His mom stares at him with an eyebrow raised questioningly, her eyes flickering down toward the card he's holding. Seungmin's neck burns with the heat of embarrassment crawling up his nape.

"Um. Practicing," He says. 

"Practicing… for what?" 

"A card trick."

She hums in thought, "I didn't know you were into that, now."

Seungmin nods, because he doesn't feel like telling her he's into the magician rather than the magic itself, "Yeah."

"How's it going?"

Seungmin tries to spin it again. The card stops halfway. He sighs, "Not that good."

"Don't worry," She ruffles his hair lovingly as he walks past him, "You'll get there."

 XIX

Seungmin

These cards are so nice to the touch I keep stopping to just caress them

Magic Minho 

Seungmin???? Are you actually practicing???

Seungmin

Yeah?? You gave me your cards for a reason

Magic Minho 

Ah 

You're so cute

Ah I didn't mean to send that one

Seungmin 

Lol

Magic Minho

Quick fingers, and all that

Couldn't stop them

Seungmin

Lollll

Magic Minho 

This is embarrassing

How's the trick going then

Seungmin

Haven't mastered it yet 

But I'm getting there!

Magic Minho 

Niceee

Who knows? Maybe you'll become my first ever apprentice

Seungmin

Lol

Magic Minho

You're so mean to me 

XX

"Best hotdogs," Minho says, pointing at the food truck in the middle of a row of five. Then, he points at the one on its right side, "Best fries."

Seungmin scoffs. He selects the one on the left end of the line, "Best fries," he moves his index to point toward the one that follows, "Best hotdogs."

Minho looks bewildered, "Did we not eat the same food?"

"I assure you that we did," Seungmin says, sipping on what is left of his plastic cup of Sprite, "You just liked those hotdogs because they were twice the size of your head, and those fries because they were served swimming in oil."

Minho blinks, "Size and greasiness are fundamental factors to take into account for the classification of food as the best."

"That is just not true."

"You eat pizza with fork and knife," Minho says resolutely, like he's found the ultimate argument against him. End of the conversation.

"And out of the seven times we've been here, you've accidentally eaten a piece of napkin in at least five," Seungmin fires back.

Minho stands in silence for a moment, and then: "Let's just go back to the car."

Seungmin laughs, catching up to Minho who's already started to walk away. He bumps his shoulder against Minho's with a teasing grin, and Minho pushes back playfully with a smile of his own. By the time they're nearing the car, they've turned it into a game of who gets to step on the other's foot first, and families at the park stare at the two boys as they laugh and yell loudly while chasing each other. Eventually Minho steps on Seungmin's foot, Seungmin admits defeat, and that's the end of their temporary war. 

The night is chilly enough to guarantee a jacket, but the improvised exercise pushes them both to shrug theirs off as soon as they settle back inside the car. Minho turns on the radio and lets it play in the background as they get their breathing back to normal, chuckling softly at their red faces. 

"Alright," Minho says after a while, turning the key in the ignition to get the vehicle started, "Seatbelts on."

Seungmin fastens his own, and the click sound comes with a reminder that pulls a gasp out of him, "Wait! Before we go."

Minho rests a hand on the steering wheel and the other on the gearshift, ready to go but waiting for Seungmin to talk, "What's up?"

Seungmin retrieves his jacket from the backseat and digs into the pockets, pulling out the deck Minho had let him borrow a week ago. He blindly runs his fingers along the ceiling of the car until he finds the switch that turns the lights on, squinting at the sudden brightness. He grabs the top card and holds it between his thumb and middle finger, like he's been doing for seven days straight. Minho's eyes widen in excitement, and he starts smiling before Seungmin can even say anything.

"Look," Woosh. The card spins at least three times, stopping only when Seungmin wants it to. He does it again, and again, and again, "I can do it now!"

"Hell yeah!" Minho lifts a hand up. Seungmin meets him halfway for a high five. 

"I finally got it down, like, yesterday evening," Seungmin tells him, still whirling the Queen of Hearts in his hand quick enough to give her motion sickness, "I was so excited I told my mom. Barged into her room like I was seven again, yelling look, look, look over and over."

Minho chuckles softly, a happy sound that makes Seungmin's own lips tug into a smile, "We need to give you a magician name now."

Seungmin raises an eyebrow, "Do you have one?"

"Of course," Minho says, like he's offended Seungmin's even suggested that he might not. 

"What is it?"

"Lee Know."

"Lee Know?" Seungmin repeats, "What does it mean?"

"It just means I know everything that's gonna happen before the audience does. I know the how, the reactions I'll get, the final outcome. I need to in order to perform at my best, obviously, so it's not, like, a narcissistic kind of thing," Minho rants. He tilts his head to one side, eyes narrowed, "Though now that I say it out loud it does sound like that, a little. Um."

"First rule of magic," Seungmin muses with a sarcastic tone and a snort, "Always be the smartest guy in the room."

Minho turns to look at him like he's grown a second head, "Did you just quote Now You See Me at me?"

"You quoted it first. I just googled it," Seungmin shrugs, "It was entertaining, even if the magic seemed more like wizardry at some point."

Minho gulps, "Have you watched the second one?"

Seungmin rolls his eyes, "Yeah. The scene where he stopped the rain was just ridiculous," He searches for Minho's face, expecting to find him laughing along to the absurdity of the film. Instead, he's met with an expression Seungmin can't entirely decode, "... What?"

Minho looks forward and sets both hands on the steering wheel, lips pursed, "We've established that I like you, right?" He suddenly asks, "That's common knowledge?"

Seungmin's heart jumps all the way up to his throat, like a rocket just launched to the moon. He shifts, causing the leather seat to squeak underneath him. It's an out-of-place noise that, paired with the drumming of Minho's fingers, encompasses their nerves in a bubble that presses against the inside of the car.  

"Yeah," He finally breathes out. Has the radio been at such a low volume all this time? Seungmin swears all he can hear is his own heartbeat. 

"And… I don't think I'm reading this wrong, but just to confirm— you like me too, right?" 

Seungmin dries his sweaty palms on his jeans, "Mhm."

"Okay," Minho nods. When Seungmin looks at him again, his expression is easier to read: pure, unadulterated contentment, "Then I have something to show you, too."

"Huh?"

"There's something behind your ear."

Seungmin squawks indignantly, "You're so annoying!"

"No, I swear there is!" Minho unbuckles his seat belt to twist his body in order to face him fully, hands up to show him he means it, "Promise!"

"I'm not falling for it again," Seungmin pulls the sun visor on his side down to check, closing it once he deems his ears clean (of course they are), "Nothing."

"You can't see it from that angle," Minho insists, "Let me get it for you."

"Whatever."

Minho leans over the centre console, settling his hand on the edge of Seungmin's seat. Seungmin sits unmoving, waiting for Minho to pull whatever new item from his ear with a deadpan stare. His attitude somehow only helps Minho to smirk more confidently as he grazes his fingers over his skin. 

"It's really stuck in there," Minho says, even if he's barely touched him. 

Seungmin blinks, "You look uglier from up close."

"You just admitted to liking me five seconds ago," Minho says. The pads of his fingers trail down to the start of Seungmin's jaw. Seungmin has to suppress a shiver— that is not his ear. 

"I never said I had good taste," He argues, "Are you done?"

Minho bites his lip, takes a deep breath, and leans in. 

Seungmin's heart plays a game of pinball as it shoots to every possible corner of his body. From his throat, to his stomach, to his head, to the tips of his fingers. He can feel everything everywhere at once as Minho's lips slot with his own and the hand he was using finds its place cradling Seungmin's face. Seungmin kisses back fervently when he regains control of his mouth, afraid Minho will misinterpret his stillness and pull back. Unsure of what to do with his own hands, all Seungmin manages is to grab a fistful of Minho's shirt to keep him close. 

Minho kisses like he speaks to the audience, tantalizing in a way that makes Seungmin want to stay til the very end. He's hooked to Minho's every tilt of his head, every press of his fingertips against his cheek. Seungmin tries to follow as he would his hands during a trick, but Minho seems to be two steps ahead of him here, as well. This time, he doesn't mind not knowing— he's enjoying it too much to care. This moment might be magic all in itself, Seungmin thinks, and then tries not to cringe while their mouths are still connected. 

All too soon for both of them, Minho pulls away, "I got it."

"Huh?" Seungmin says, still caught in a daze. 

"The thing behind your ear," Minho explains. His self-assured smirk has faded into a timid gesture, cheeks blooming with a bright red, "A kiss— you had a kiss behind your ear."

"Wow," Seungmin teases, amused. He unclenches the fist holding onto Minho's shirt and slides his hand up to rest on his shoulder instead, "A kiss behind my ear."

"Shut up," Minho groans, his fingers coming down to circle Seungmin's wrist, "It's embarrassing now, but it was brilliant when I first thought of it."

"I'm being a hypocrite, anyway," Seungmin scrunches his nose, "I actually thought it was kinda cute."

Minho smiles adoringly, "Loser."

"You were still the one that had the idea," Seungmin steals a brief peck before gently pushing him to sit back in his seat, "Drive me home, Lee Know."

Minho turns off the car light, steals one last glance at Seungmin, and finally lets the engine roar to life.