Chapter Text
Yoo Joonghyuk suddenly found himself entering the huge dark movie theatre. He has a bag of popcorn on his hand, while the other unoccupied hand of his was currently held by this pretty stranger carrying two drinks on their other hand, leading them to their seats located at the back.
He blinked.
Why the hell is he here?
"Come on, handsome stranger!" The man infront of him sang as he felt Yoo Joonghyuk stopped walking causing him to stop and stare. "The movie's about to start!"
Without a word, Yoo Joonghyuk begrudgingly lets himself to be pulled by the stranger.
As they finally found their seats, they sat side by side and sets the popcorn between them to munch on. Soon enough, the movie started with the production company intro and so on and so fourth.
He sneaked a glance from his left, only to see the stranger looking at him with an annoying(?) grin on its face. He immediately looked away and finally payed attention to the movie rolling on the first scene.
In the midst of the movie that he just noticed, it was an action one, Yoo Joonghyuk thought of how did he ended up here with a mysterious stranger with soft and warm hand.
Right.
He now remembered how did he ended up here.
Earlier, he went here in the mall to buy a certain object his sister asked for, and ended up being tricked by his sister. Right.
"Ah, dont go home yet! You've been busy these days so what about give yourself a treat, Oppa?"
He remembered how his sister wheezed from the other line when he said that there is no "pink twirling dragon with fairy wings" on every store.
He was stupid.
He admitted that he got played by his goofy little sister. He can only close his eyes in embarassment as he remembered how he remembered the staffs' reaction of his request from every toy store.
"...so let me go to Yoosung-ie's house and we'll play there! We'll be good there, I promise!"
Yoo Joonghyuk closed his eyes and sighed in defeat after hearing his sister telling him that she'll just stay in her friend's house which is just beside theirs for the day until he come home. So, he finally gave permission to the goofy little Yoo Mia to go out and ended up walking around the mall absentmindedly.
Although he already thought of paying back by keeping Yoo Mia's sweet stash away from her hands.
But then, in the midst of him wandering around like a lost child, someone just grabbed his hand and smiled at him that he, unexpectedly, liked the way the man smiled at him.
"let's have fun, yes?" He heard him say after flashing a huge grin on its face. "But we'll not say each other's names until we end this date!"
"a date?" He repeated.
"A date. you heard that right, handsome stranger." The man chuckled softly.
Yoo Joonghyuk frowned. What the hell? He didnt even knew him.
"I dont even know you." said Yoo Joonghyuk as he resisted to walk.
"So do I!" The stranger laughed. "That's what makes both of us fair, right?"
Yoo Joonghyuk frowned deeper.
"Stop frowning and just go with the flow will you?" The stranger sang and locked their hands together. "And besides, you looked bored when I saw you pass by earlier. Come on, just this once!"
And that's how Yoo Joonghyuk got an unexpected date with a stranger today.
Yoo Joonghyuk blinked again noticing the warm soft hand accidentally held his as he took the wrong drink. He looked at the stranger who looked at him back with an amused expression on its face.
He silently looked away and took the cup and sipped on the straw. His eyebrows knitted at the taste. Is this his drink?
"Uh, its my cup...?" He heard him say.
For the second time of the day, Yoo Joonghyuk felt dumb and embarassed.
***
After watching the movie, the stranger immediately formed a conversation for them that was surprisingly, went relatively smooth as they talked about the movie they have watched.
As they talk, Yoo Joonghyuk found it amusing the way this pretty stranger talk, specially how its pale cheeks show a faint shade of red as he clumsily stumbled against him and ended up leaning on his chest.
"The claw machine!" The stranger said with excitement in the midst of their walk as he ran on the claw machine filled with variety of plushies.
It seems that they unconsciously went to the arcade on the midst of them being so lost talking to each other.
"How childish."
"Stop saying that! I need to bring something for my kid."
"....kid?"
"Stop staring at me like that." The stranger laughed as he looked at Yoo Joonghyuk who's showing an unexplained expression on his face. "Not literally, okay? I've been babysitting someone's kids and apparently, the kids has been pretty attached to me to the extent where they would cry if I wont go to their house."
"If they'd cry if you're not there with them, then how did you ended up here?" Yoo Joonghyuk asked in amusement.
"I was tricked by those kids with their neighbor friend." The stranger rolled his eyes fondly at the mention of the certain kid and fished his money from his pocket. "I was so embarrassed because they just made me buy things that actually dont exist."
Yoo Joonghyuk suddenly feels deja vu. The same thing happened to him, too...
"Alright. Watch me get a plushie without wasting the rest of my money..."
He didn't talked after as he just silently watched the stranger shout in annoyance as the claw cant even grasp the plushie that keeps falling down before it reaches the end.
This stranger really loves jinxing himself, didnt he?
Its been a few attempts since he tries to get the plushie but he always failed.
Yoo Joonghyuk kept quiet the whole time as he continued to watch the stranger started cursing the claw machine. He laughed as the stranger squints their eyes as they tried to get the small dog plushie once again, only to fall immediately as the claw rises to move.
"stop laughing!"
"you suck in this." The only thing Yoo Joonghyuk said as he ignored the fuming stranger beside him and shoo him away from the controller. He muttered 'i got this' and fished his money out of his wallet and started aiming for the small circle furry plushie located at the corner.
As the claw grasped the furry plushie, the stranger can only watch Yoo Joonghyuk in awe thinking the fact that he looks so good while concentrating and he's good in this kind of games.
"This is yours. Dont give it to the kid." Yoo Joonghyuk said as he handed the plushie on the stranger who immediately named it 'biyoo' because of its fluffiness.
"Thank you!"
"Let's just buy for the kid you're watching over. Im gonna buy something for my sister, too."
"Alright."
***
They both ended up in the toy store on the other side of the floor they're in. As they entered the store, the stranger emitted a soft laugh when a teen with white locks just ran to Yoo Joonghyuk asking for an authograph while blabbering things infront of them like: "Joonghyuk hyung-nim, Im a big fan!" and "I always watch your live stream every Thursday!" and so on, and so forth.
As the white haired teen boy blabbered things infront of them while waiting for his autograph to finish on his extra black clothes (he said he always bring shirts in case if he unexpectedly meets someone famous with a white marker), the stranger looked at Yoo Joonghyuk who has a weird expression on his face while signing the shirt with the white marker.
"Thank you so much, Joonghyuk hyung-nim!" The teen bowed and left while muttering 'Jihye-ah will sure be jealous about this kekeke...'
"Im sorry for that."
"Its okay, 'Joonghyuk'-ssi" The stranger smiled and dragged Yoo Joonghyuk in the stuff toy isle without sparing Yoo Joonghyuk a time to speak to him.
...Yoo Joonghyuk actually liked the way this stranger call his name.
Yoo Joonghyuk chose to stay silent afterwards when they arrived in the stuff toy section. The stranger beside him started to look for some nice looking stuff toys for the kids he was babysitting, and Yoo Joonghyuk just watched him look over the other isles of the stuff toy section when he finally found a small dokkaebi stuff toy in a suit.
It took time when the stranger was looking for a fluffy dog stuff toy and a weird looking grasshopper toy that was now resting on his arms. Yoo Joonghyuk looked at him with a weird expression on his face but just shrugged off by the stranger and headed to the cashier to pay for the toys.
As they paid for the toys, the blonde angel-looking cashier gave them a weird smile on their face as she finished packing the toys in a yellow bag and handed it to them. In Yoo Joonghyuk's perspective, the cashier looked like she's about to faint when she smiled dreamily at them–is that a nosebleed?
"Are you okay?" The stranger asked as soon as the blood peeked out from the cahier's nose.
"I am hehe." The cashier answered sheepishly.
"Oh. I think you'll need this–"
Before the stranger could give the cashier his gray handkerchief, Yoo Joonghyuk held his hand resisting him to give the handkerchief and handed the cashier a small pack of tissues from his pockets.
By the small interaction, the cashier squealed as quiet as she can and looked like she was about to faint. Luckily, another girl entered the cubicle and noticed her.
"Oh my god, Uriel unnie! Youre bleeding too much..!" The girl said as she recieved the pocket of tissues from Yoo Joonghyuk's hand politely and covered the bleeding nose of the blonde cashier.
"Heewon-ah... they...."
"You and your weird BL thoughts again." The newcomer, Heewon, sighed in defeat as she silently excused themselves to enter the door behind them.
Leaving the two males on the other side of the cubicle with weird expressions on their faces, they felt relieve and weirded out at the same time because of the sudden sight. Yoo Joonghyuk carried the bags, insisting he would do it and guided the stranger to the exit.
"....that was a weird one.." The stranger muttered with an amused expression on his face.
"yeah..."
They quietly left the floor theyre in and headed downstairs to eat something before they part. Yoo Joonghyuk led the both of them to a restaurant that was still inside the mall, telling the stranger that he actually know the owner of the dumpling restaurant.
When they got inside, the owner, a very tall woman, greeted them and looked at the stranger with an amused look on her face and led them in a seat away from the other people.
"I feel like a VIP" the stranger muttered in excitement as they waited for the meal.
"Because we are."
As the food had been served, the stranger emitted a satisfied hum as the first Murim dumpling entered his mouth. He can feel the soft and the rough surfaces of the dumpling as well as the savory taste invading his mouth.
"This taste so good!"
Yoo Joonghyuk can only hum in agreement as he was busy eating his all-time favorite dish.
***
Time flies so fast. As they both exited the mall with full stomachs (they had a free meal from the restaurant because the tall lady was so good to them), the sky was already coated with peachy colors from the darkest to the lightest hue.
"I guess the fun ends here..." The stranger smiled sadly as he retrieved the bags from Yoo Joonghyuk.
"You know, I really had fun today. I thought you were just a stingy punk—I mean, you still are—but you're really a great companion for today." The stranger added.
"....me too."
"All right, I need to go now. Good bye, Joonghyuk-ssi. And thank you for the plushie." The stranger offered the happiest smile he could muster as he showed the fluffy fur ball to Yoo Joonghyuk and finally turned back from Yoo Joonghyuk.
Yoo Joonghyuk watched the stranger walk away from him, unconsciously counting the steps the strangers take as he strode away from him. 1...2...3....
"Hey, stranger!" Yoo Joonghyuk called once again, slightly making his voice a little bit loud for the stranger can hear his voice.
The stranger stopped his tracks and turned back at Yoo Joonghyuk with a confused expression on his face, pointing his self. Something just clicked on Yoo Joonghyuk that made his heart flip and feel the warm feeling exploded on his chest seeing the breathtaking view infront of him.
With the stranger facing him a few steps away from him, the sky displayed behind the strsnger with its pretty shades of peachy hues from the lightest to darkest just elaborates the stranger's petite figure as its coat hugged its waist properly. His jet black hair dancing in the air as a soft gush of wind passed by them, and the stranger's smile....was enchanting.
"...Joonghyuk-ssi?" The stranger asked in confusion as he looked at Yoo Joonghyuk directly in the eyes.
...was he staring to much?
"Since you already knew my name earlier, may I know what's your name?"
The stranger smiled (Yoo Joonghyuk can clearly see the white teeth flashing towards him).
"Dokja. Kim Dokja." The stranger said and finally left, leaving a lovestruck Yoo Joonghyuk who took minutes to realize a mistake until the stranger, Kim Dokja, went inside a taxi and left.
Did he just asked for a name instead of a number?
"That was dumb." Yoo Joonghyuk muttered as he sighed and walked towards his car parked somewhere on the big space infront of the mall.
But despite of not having a chance to ask for Kim Dokja's number, Yoo Joonghyuk unconsciously smiled as he sat on the passengers seat and looked at the dokkaebi stuff toy on the other seat.
Whatever it is, he's having the feeling of seeing Kim Dokja again. Then if he'll do, he'll finally ask for the man's number...and might as well ask him for another date.