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Jisung is nervous. 

Usually, he tries to hide it (especially in a public setting) but he doesn’t think his facial muscles are cooperating with him right now. It doesn’t matter because everyone's attention is fixed on Changbin. It’s his turn to open his Secret Santa gift and for some reason, everyone is more excited to see what’s inside the box more than the recipient himself. It’s most probably because Changbin is their team leader.

Felix screams. “Drum rolls everyone!” 

It’s impossible not to listen to Felix who is the certified angel of the group. Everyone in the department has a soft spot for him. Seungmin and Jeongin play along immediately. However, Jisung is too busy overthinking to join them. If anyone would spare him a glance, it would have been crystal clear that Jisung was the one who was Changbin’s secret Santa.  

Time slows down as Changbin tears apart the wrapping paper. His eyes go wide in shock as he scans the bottle of perfume in his hand. It’s an ELOREA perfume. The bottle is shaped in the zodiac sign, Leo with a sticker that says 'for Leo, who’s a tender firecracker.’

When Jisung first got Changbin as Secret Santa, he had zero idea what to get him as a gift. Sure, Changbin has been the leader of the audit team for over a year now – more years before Jisung joined the firm – but they were never close. Not even as colleagues. For some reason, Jisung has been unsuccessful in breaking the ice with Changbin. Which is weird because Jisung is friends with Lee Minho, the assistant chief financial officer. He is in an entirely different department and is notorious for being a ruthless senior. But, Jisung has been able to break down all the walls that he put up. As it turns out, Minho is just a big softie pretending to be tough on the outside. 

(Or maybe it’s because Jisung made a fool of himself on the first day of his job. Minho was the one who was giving him a tour of the office. During the interview, Jisung had heard rumours that he had made countless subordinates cry before. This piece of information rattled him and when he introduced himself to Minho, he panicked. 

“I'm Ham Jisung,” he stuttered. 

One raised eyebrow and 14 seconds of silence later – yes, Jisung was counting – Minho burst out laughing. 

Jisung started crying out of relief right after which only made Minho laugh harder. It was one of the embarrassing moments of his entire life but Jisung is glad that he, at least, got a reliable friend out of it.)

Like with any task he is assigned with, Jisung started stressing about the gift. He had no idea what Changbin liked or disliked. He could have played it safe by getting him a gift card to a clothing store but Jisung wanted to put more thought into the gift. It was the perfect opportunity to get close to Changbin both as a colleague and a friend, if Jisung got lucky. 

In the end, after endless research and sleepless nights, Jisung had found the perfect gift: a customised perfume matching your zodiac sign’s characteristics. It was a limited offer so Jisung jumped right into it. 

And judging by the smile spreading on Changbin’s face right now, it was the perfect choice. The stress leaves Jisung’s body in an instant and he joins in the commotion as the perfume bottle goes from one hand to another for inspection. 

“So, do you like it?” Jisung manages to ask as the bottle goes back to its rightful place, in the hands of Changbin. 

Changbin opens the cap, sprays a little on his wrist and takes a sniff. The cologne is strong so Jisung smells it even if he is at the end of the table. It smells so much like Changbin that Jisung feels like he is sitting right next to him. 

“I love it,” Changbin declares and puts back the bottle in the box gently. 

Everything is going good and well until Felix starts pestering Changbin into guessing who his Secret Santa was. Jisung tries to stay aloof in order not to reveal his identity but he leans in a little in anticipation. He is curious to know what Changbin’s response will be. He doesn’t take too long to answer. 

“I think it was Seungmin.” 

Jisung’s stomach does a funny thing but he ignores it. 

Jeongin steals the follow up question right from Jisung’s mouth. “Why?” 

“Because it's a very thoughtful gift and Seungmin is definitely more observant that he lets on. He even knows my zodiac sign which is very impressive. I don’t know how to explain it but the gift is giving me Virgo vibes.” Changbin finishes his analysis with a confident nod. 

Seungmin immediately debunks it. “It was not me.” 

Changbin straightens up in his chair, clearly taken aback by this revelation. Changbin being wrong is such a rare occasion that he lets the surprise show on his face.

“Oh well, it must be Felix,” he says, “he’s the only Virgo left in the team.” 

The whole table goes silent, taking his words in. Then, everyone makes the mistake of looking at Jisung and hence, forcing Changbin to stare at him as well. Jisung swallows a lump which gets stuck in his throat. He doesn’t know how to act under a crowd’s undivided attention. 

He laughs awkwardly, internally cringing at his inability to act like a normal human being. “I'm also a Virgo.” 

Jisung’s heart sinks into his stomach. This time, he knows why - he is hurt. He always assumed that Changbin was a naturally reserved person and that was why they were never close. But Changbin knowing everyone’s zodiac sign except his is a kick in the gut. Has he done or said anything to warrant hostile behaviour from Changbin? He can't seem to remember. 

“Oh I'm sorry. I didn’t know,” Changbin sincerely apologises after recovering from the shock. He smiles. “Thank you for the gift. I loved it.” 

Jisung reassures him that it’s no big deal. He is just glad that Changbin liked the gift. He is ready to delete this moment from his brain permanently when Jeongin speaks up. 

“Sunbae. Who’s your favourite virgo?” 

Great. This night really couldn’t get any worse. Jisung really wants to go home. Changbin looks embarrassed from being put on the spot again and Jisung feels bad for him a little. 

“Uhh,” Changbin trails off awkwardly, “Felix.” 

Shocker. Jisung knew that it was definitely not going to be him. They all raise their bottles to make one last toast and while doing so, Jisung makes eye contact with Changbin. He cannot figure out what his team leader is thinking. Jisung averts his gaze because the eye contact becomes too intense for his liking. While he downs the remaining liquid from the bottle, Jisung can feel Changbin’s gaze lingering on his face a bit too long. 

He ends up being the first one among the group to leave first. A headache has started to form at the base of his skull. If he stays longer in the booming music and cheers, it will only get worse. He bows to the table of his colleagues and they all wave him goodbye. When he makes his way towards the exit, Jisung can feel someone boring holes in his back. He thinks it’s Changbin but he is probably making a mistake because of the alcohol. 

As soon as Jisung changes into his pyjamas and swings himself on his bed, he relives tonight’s event. One thing that it taught him is that he is the only member of the team that Changbin is not close to. Before Jisung closes his eyes, he makes up his mind: he is going to be the No.1 Virgo in Changbin’s heart. 

♍♌

Step 1: Become part of his routine 

When Jisung walks in the office on the third day of January, he already has a plan set in mind. His new year’s resolutions have taken a totally different path and he is going to ensure that he pulls it off. Unlike the past ones where he just gave up on them: going to the gym more often, stepping out of his comfort zone and reducing his intake of caffeine. 

“Good morning,” he greets cheerfully as he takes off his messenger bag and places it on his desk. 

Felix, who was leaning against Seungmin’s cubicle, stands up straight. His brows knit in confusion as he assesses Jisung. Even Seungmin, who is usually unaware of his surroundings when he has his head buried deep in files, looks up. The surprised faces they both are holding are amusing. Jisung knows exactly what they are thinking. 

“Seungmin. Please pinch me,” Felix asks in awe, presenting his arm to his colleague, “I want to check whether I'm dreaming or not.” 

Seungmin indulges his request and pinches him a little bit too hard. Felix winces in pain and wrenches his hand away, sending Seungmin a glare. The culprit just shrugs his shoulders like he doesn’t like to create chaos on purpose on a daily basis. When their attention is once again diverted to Jisung, he decides to take them out of their misery. 

“What?” 

“Why are you clocking in so early?” Seungmin questions.

“Because it’s my job and I'm supposed to be at work on time,” Jisung answers and switches on his computer. 

Felix’s jaw drops even further. Jisung will never fail to understand how Felix always reacts like he is in a cartoon. “Who are you and what have you done to Han Jisung?” 

Jisung has never been on time ever since he was transferred to the audit team. Even Changbin gave up on lecturing him on the importance of discipline everyday and made peace with the fact that the world will end one day but Jisung will never come to work on time. Hence, it is obvious that his colleagues are blown out of their minds. 

“New year, new me. I guess,” Jisung proposes as a reason. 

Seungmin and Felix don’t look 1% convinced but fortunately, Jisung is saved by further interrogation by the entrance of their maknae, Yang Jeongin.

He is panting by the time he reaches his desk, which is next to Jisung. His messy hair and flushed cheeks are clear proof that he was running. He unceremoniously sprawls down on his chair and leans his head back with his eyes closed. Once he catches his breath, he opens them and properly bows to the trio. Jisung doesn’t miss the flicker of shock in Jeongin’s eyes when they make eye contact. He doesn’t mention the miracle of Jisung showing up to work earlier than him. This is why Jeongin has always been his favourite. 

“Sorry. I missed my bus and didn’t have the time to get everyone coffee. I'll go get the-” 

“Don’t worry. I'll do it.” Jisung intervenes. 

Jeongin, who was in the middle of standing up, freezes on the spot. Seungmin and Felix look at Jisung like he has grown a second head. This is the second time that Jisung has rendered them speechless in the span of five minutes. 

It’s a tradition that the intern always buys the whole team a cup of coffee everyday. Before Jeongin came, it was Jisung’s duty – a task that he has never missed an opportunity to complain about to his friends. Two months earlier, he gladly passed the torch to Jeongin. Everyone knows how Jisung hated it so volunteering is a big deal. Taking their shock as an advantage, Jisung grabs his wallet from his bag and slips his coat on as he makes his way to the doors. The last thing he hears is Seungmin’s exasperated sigh followed by the voice of Jeongin, “What the hell is going on with him today?” 

The coffee shop that Jeongin regularly visits is thankfully not too far from the office building. Jisung is grateful that he doesn’t have to walk too much in this chilling cold. The snow has been harsh for a few days and hasn’t taken the name to stop. He heaves a huge sigh of relief when the sign bearing the name Ddaeng Cafe appears above him. As soon as he enters the place, he is met with a cacophony of noises ranging from baristas yelling at the customers to fetch their coffee to people engaged in animated conversations. The aroma of coffee beans being crushed to powder immediately warms up Jisung. It makes the short trip worthwhile. 

Jisung marches to the queue lined up at the order counter and sees a very familiar broad back just in front of him. As if he can sense Jisung’s mere presence, Changbin turns around and sees him. 

Jisung bows. “Good morning, sunbae.” 

The surprise that was in Changbin’s eyes upon running into Jisung vanishes in a flash. He politely smiles at him and offers to stand next to him in the line which Jisung gladly accepts. 

“What are you doing here, Jisung-ssi?” 

“Oh. I'm here to buy coffees for the whole team,” Jisung casually replies while studying the menu, “what do you usually take?” 

“A double shot Espresso.” Then, as an afterthought, he adds, “wait. Isn’t Jeongin usually in charge of this?” 

Jisung types Changbin’s coffee order in the notes app he just opened on his phone. His phone pings with a message from the kakao group chat. Seungmin has replied with everyone’s preference. He texts back a sticker of a kiss before noting down the remaining orders. He scans the complete list again and mentally recites what he is going to say when it’s his turn to place the order. He doesn’t want to stutter in front of the barista and he most definitely doesn’t want to make a fool of himself in front of Changbin. 

“He does,” Jisung nods, agreeing to Changbin’s earlier question. They move a few steps forward until there is only a couple in front of them. “But he looked tired today so I decided to do it for him.” 

“That’s really nice of you.”

Jisung shrugs off the compliment. He’s not really nice. He had a selfish reason to volunteer taking Jeongin’s place today and the motive is standing a few inches beside him: Seo Changbin. 

Jeongin had once mentioned that he sometimes runs into their team leader on the way to the office because it’s also the route that Changbin takes to come to the office. Apparently, his apartment is a few blocks away from Ddaeng Cafe and he prefers walking to driving. Jisung was hoping that he would bump into Changbin outside and initiate a conversation with him as they both made their way to the office. That would be the stepping stone to their lifelong friendship. He wasn’t expecting to meet Changbin in the coffee shop itself but he isn’t bummed out. In fact, this means that Jisung has additional time to charm his way into Changbin’s heart. 

When it eventually comes to their turn, Jisung is able to order without messing up or stammering. Changbin orders a grilled cheese sandwich. Jisung takes out his card to give it to the barista to make the payment but Changbin stops him. 

“No sunbae. I'll pay for it.” Jisung thrusts his hand containing his credit card towards the barista. The teenager barely batting her eyelash at their exchange is a statement of how tired she is. 

Changbin sighs – a thing that Jisung is not accustomed to. As far as Jisung can remember, Changbin has always been prim and proper with him. So the fact that he was able to induce such a reaction from him means that he is one step ahead in his plan. 

Changbin encircles his hand around Jisung’s wrist and pulls it down. The action is so out of the blue that it makes Jisung's brain stop working which in turn gives Changbin the opportunity to present his own credit card to the barista. The sound of the swiping of the card breaks Jisung from his trance. 

He pouts at Changbin. “I was going to pay.” 

They shuffle towards the other end of the counter behind which another worker is already busy preparing their orders. Changbin tells him not to worry about it. 

“Fine,” Jisung relents, “but next time, I won’t let you pay.” 

If the mention of a next time shocks Changbin, he doesn’t let it show on his face. Instead, he chuckles and shakes his head a little. They pick up the coffees once they are done and exit the bustling cafe. They make small talk as they walk but it’s mostly related to work. New year means a new beginning for most people but for corporate workers in an accountancy firm like themselves, it means a huge workload often ending in overtime. 

The whole team is already working when they reach the office. While everyone greets Changbin, Jisung goes around to deposit every member’s coffee on their desk with a grin, in the hopes that they won’t further question his weird behaviour today. 

Jisung, a bit worked up from the walk, settles down at his desk with a satisfied groan. God. He has been aching to sit down and relax his calves. As he retrieves a pencil from his penholder, he sees a wrapped sandwich on his desk. 

He swivels his chair to take a look at Changbin only to see that he is already watching him. Jisung grabs the sandwich to show it to him and mouths a thank you. 

Changbin sends him a full blown smile which makes his dimple pop out and redirects his attention to his computer. Jisung’s heart skips a beat at the thoughtful gesture and his sweet smile. Perhaps, it won’t be that hard to become friends with Changbin. 

♍♌

Step 2: Spend some time alone with him

“No.” Chan states with a final tone. 

“But why?” Jisung whines, his lips overturned in a pout. 

Chan takes one look at his face and curses under his breath. Jisung knows that Chan has had a soft spot for him since their college days and he is not ashamed to use it for his own benefit. That has always been the foundation of their friendship. 

“Because,” Chan repeats with gritted teeth, making sure each syllable enters Jisung’s brain, “it’s a huge responsibility and extremely stressful. You already have a lot on your plate especially since Bank One's fraud case.” 

Chan is right. He and Seungmin haven’t been able to breathe ever since an anonymous tipper revealed that the directors of Bank One were committing fraud. The person also leaked the information to various news channels and the topic has been the headline for weeks. Their firm was hired to look for evidence of money laundering and the task was handed over to him and Seungmin. Jisung has been spending his nights on the office couch, belly filled with convenience store boiled ramen. 

“But, we are almost done. We just have to finish writing the report,” Jisung argues. Chan has moved from sitting on his chair and is currently waiting at the printing machine. He snatches the papers that the machine just printed out and reads them. He sits back down again.

Judging by the furrowed eyebrows on Chan’s face, he has been closely examining the contents of the papers and hasn’t properly heard Jisung. So, he tries again. 

“I swear I will be fine. You know how great I work under pressure. Changbin-sunbaenim will receive a helping hand as well. It’s a win-win situation.” 

Chan slaps the papers against his desk and pinches the bridge of his nose. A tiny flicker of hope lights up in Jisung’s heart. Chan is considering it, running the pros and cons in his mind. 

“Please, hyung.” Jisung begs and he knows it’s the final nail in the coffin. Jisung rarely calls Chan ‘hyung’ at work – he respects that Chan is his senior and above all, their head of the audit department. 

Chan rakes his hand through his hair, messing up his gelled up hair. It makes a few strands fall over his forehead. Jisung is jealous of how effortlessly handsome he looks. He gets why Minho has an embarrassing crush on him. 

“Okay.” Chan consents at last. “You can help Changbin review the financial accounts of JYPe Ltd.” 

Jisung breaks out in a mini dance which brings a fond smile on Chan’s face. “Thanks hyung. I'll do a good job.” 

“Don’t make me regret my decision, Jisung-ah.” Chan threatens him by pointing a finger at him but Jisung knows it’s a joke. But, he still reassures Chan that he won’t disappoint him and bids him goodbye. 

When he returns to his desk, he is in a jovial mood. Jisung, for the past week, has diligently been on the errand to buy coffees for the whole team in order to get close to Changbin. Jeongin was initially suspicious of Jisung but quickly gave up when he realised that he didn’t have to work so hard anymore. Although he and Changbin walk together to the office, Jisung hasn’t been able to make much progress. They often get interrupted by another colleague or a phone call, minimising the chance of having a proper conversation with Changbin. 

Hence, Jisung decided to take his plan to the next step. Changbin was recently entrusted by Chan to audit the financial statements of JYPe Ltd alone. By offering to help Changbin, Jisung would ensure that they work together alone. He never had the chance to work with Changbin one-on-one before – from what he has gathered from his other colleagues, Changbin is a strict senior but he also mentors you. There is a reason why he is the youngest team leader of the audit team in the history of the company. Jisung can’t wait to experience that. 

He is lost in these particular thoughts when Changbin interrupts him. 

“Jisung-ssi,” Changbin calls out. He is gathering his stuff in his laptop bag. “Chan-sunbae informed me that you are helping me with the JYPe's case.” 

“Yes.” Jisung nods enthusiastically. 

Changbin removes his coat from the back of his chair and puts it on. “Great. Then, let’s go. We need to get there in half an hour.” 

Jisung hurriedly packs up important items that he will need and follows Changbin out of the sixteenth floor. It’s going to be a long week. 

♍♌

Jisung’s plan of working one-to-one with Changbin in order to get closer to him has proved to be successful. They are not exactly best buddies; it’s just a matter of a few more weeks before they get there. Baby steps. 

Overnight shifts have allowed Jisung to get to know Changbin better. When they are exhausted from hunching over the huge piles of papers, they often talk. It turns out that talking with Changbin is easy. Jisung is not a conversationalist – he usually finds it hard to keep a conversation going, sitting in awkward silence when he no longer knows what questions to ask to the other person. But, with Changbin, it’s different. Their conversations flow smoothly like butter. 

And till now, Jisung has learnt a lot of new things about Changbin. He has an elder sister who lives in Busan after she was married three years ago. He has a little niece and she has him wrapped around her little fingers. He likes watching football and his favourite team is Tottenham. He prefers summers to winters. He hates carrots. 

Jisung has kept all these facts like a treasured possession in his heart. In exchange, he has also shared a few things about himself. He is an introvert but he often gets mistaken as an extrovert due to his loud nature. He likes staying at home all by himself and spends his time watching his favourite anime. He has a dog called Bbama back at his parents' house. He could kill for cheesecake which made Changbin snort. 

“This is never-ending, sunbae,” Jisung complains as he flips through the tenth stack of paper on a Wednesday night. 

It’s been two weeks since he and Changbin started working together on the JYPe audit report. It has also been two weeks of non-stop working. His eyes are threatening to close on their own. He has been surviving on 3 to 4 hours of sleep per day. For Changbin, it’s worse because he is the one who is answerable to the management of both their company and JYPe ltd. Sometimes, he had to stay up all night. Jisung would accompany him even though Changbin insisted that he should go back home. But, Jisung didn’t listen to him. 

“This is nothing,” Changbin replies amusedly while typing the draft audit report on his laptop. “Back when I first joined the company, I didn’t go home for days. My seniors delegated me with all of their tasks.” 

Jisung gasps. “That’s unfair.” 

“It was but that’s how it used to work. I couldn’t exactly go against the hierarchy so I used to let them walk all over me.” 

Changbin has now stopped typing and is staring out of the floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s past midnight and yet Seoul is alive. Lit up skyscrapers merged with the lamppost lights lining up the roads make a breath-taking view. It’s a shame that they don’t have the time to soak in the view.

Changbin is silent, probably reminiscing the times where he was in Jisung’s place, working alongside with his seniors. Except he had no help and had to manage everything on his own. It must have been really tough. 

He turns towards Jisung with a determined stare. “That’s when I decided that I wouldn’t burden my subordinates with extra work load. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I made the team go through the trials that I had to go through.” 

The revelation doesn’t surprise Jisung but it does elevate his respect for Changbin. Working with him has been a fruitful experience. He has learnt new things during these two weeks which broadened his experience and his skills. He has been patient with Jisung even though he was an amateur in this work. 

“That’s why you usually work on big cases like this alone.” Jisung concludes. His heart pains imagining an alone Changbin doing all this work under tenuous pressure. 

“I do.” Changbin confirms. “Until you decided to volunteer to help me.” 

There is a tiny smile etched on his face as he says, “I didn’t get the opportunity to tell you but thank you for helping me. It’s been a while since I had so much fun working with someone.” 

The sincere confession makes Jisung blush. He shrugs it off like he does every time he is rendered flustered. Changbin is still staring at him. In order to deviate his attention from him, Jisung groans and slaps the files on his desk.

“It still sucks though,” Jisung sighs, referring to all the remaining work they still have to complete. 

“It sucks a little less when I get to do it with you,” Changbin states and then goes back to whatever he was doing on his computer. 

Jisung stops breathing. Stunned, he can only stare at Changbin helplessly who is fervently typing. The fact that he is so calm but Jisung’s heart is racing uncontrollably inside his ribs is maddening. How can he go back to his work after what he just said? 

Jisung is still in a trance, replaying Changbin’s statement in his head when he stands up. He stretches his whole body and moans when he feels relief coursing through his body after sitting in an upright position for so long. 

“Jisung-ssi. Can you finish up this draft report for me and mail it to Mr. Park of the JYPe company? They need it tomorrow for a meeting. And don’t forget to cc it to Chan-sunbae as well.”

Jisung nods. Changbin sends him a thumbs up and leaves. At least physically. He lingers in Jisung’s thoughts even when he is going to bed.

♍♌

“Hey Jisung,” Seungmin greets as he bumps into him at the entrance. “Chan-sunbae needs you in his office right now. Apparently it’s urgent.” 

Jisung furrows his eyebrows in confusion. “Now?” 

“It’s concerning the audit you are carrying out with Changbin-sunbae. He’s already there by the way,” Seungmin informs him. 

Jisung quickly drops his belongings on his desk and scurries away to Chan's office. He racks his brain, trying to figure out if something went wrong during the hours he left the office. From what he can remember, he finished the draft report last night after Changbin ordered him to. His laptop died right before sending the email. He went home only to pass out on the couch itself since he was so tired. 

But the very first thing he did as soon as he woke up this morning was send the email to Mr. Park. He might have been late but he did send it. Still, a dreadful feeling spreads in his stomach and it makes him want to throw up the muffin he ate on the bus. 

When he enters Chan's cabin, he is busy on the telephone. He keeps apologising to whoever is on the other line in a high pitched voice. Changbin is standing in front of desk and he is observing Chan. He goes to stand next to Changbin and waits for Chan to end the phone call. He has a bad feeling about this.

Chan cuts the phone and sighs out loud. He looks stressed. He crosses his arms against his chest, a pointed look on his face. Jisung knows that look. He is disappointed and angry. God. This is not going to end well. 

“Can someone care to explain how such a big blunder occurred? Not only did Mr. Park get the report ten minutes after the deadline but he got the wrong one.” Chan demands. “You know that we are not dealing with a small company here. It’s JYPe for god's sake. It’s the leading company in the entertainment industry. Their management had a meeting with their shareholders today and they couldn’t even proceed with it.” 

Jisung’s heart drops to his stomach. This is all his fault. He was so distracted by Changbin’s comment last night that he fucked up such an important task. 

“Changbin-ah. You are not usually careless. What happened?” 

Jisung spares a glance at Changbin. He is staring straight ahead with his shoulders squared and jaw clenched. He mentally prepares himself for the onslaught of insults that will rightfully leave his mouth. He looks furious. 

“I'm sor-" Jisung whispers but someone else speaks over him. 

“It was my fault. I went home early and forgot to send the report. It won’t happen again.” Changbin says in a steel voice. It’s admirable how he stays calm and collected in a moment like this. 

Chan appears to be unconvinced, which is not surprising considering Changbin is far too professional to miss the deadline of an important report. But, his tone leaves no room for argument so Chan cannot prod any further. It won’t get him anywhere. 

“Fine. Be more careful from now on.” Chan instructs. “Send the right report immediately. I'll talk to the director.” 

He nudges his head towards his office door. “You are both dismissed.” 

Jisung and Changbin bow their heads and exit Chan's office. They walk in silence until Jisung cannot take it anymore. The relief of not getting reprimanded is soon replaced by guilt. He is very grateful that Changbin has taken the blame on his head but he doesn’t understand why. 

“Sunbae.” Jisung stops walking. “Why did you lie?” 

Changbin, who was a few steps ahead of him, halts to a stop as well and turns around to face Jisung. He is expecting to see anger, disappointment or any negative emotion in his eyes but there are none. There is light amusement but most importantly, there is understanding shining in Changbin’s brown eyes. 

“I told you last night, didn’t I? I won’t let my subordinates suffer from my fate.” 

“But still-" 

“You are under my leadership. The mistake was a result of consecutive working night shifts. I’m just doing what a team leader should do. And we are a team, right?” 

Jisung opens his mouth to counter argue but Changbin steps forward until he is standing right in front of him. He then places his pointer finger on Jisung’s lips, effectively shutting him up. 

“No ifs and buts. It’s over now. I don’t want you to beat yourself up over a mistake that any one else in your place would have committed. Okay?” Changbin says. 

Jisung can only shake his head in agreement. The movement causes Changbin’s finger to slide up and down his lips. His stomach lurches and he is suddenly aware of the closeness between the two of them that would be considered unacceptable in a workplace. There is a half smirk on Changbin’s face when he realises that Jisung doesn’t put up a fight. He knows how Jisung can be stubborn. The upwards twitch of his mouth soon drops when it dawns on him in what position they are currently standing. 

Jisung gulps as Changbin’s gaze, scorching and intense, flits all over his face. He eventually retracts his hand which hangs by his side. Jisung doesn’t miss the way his hand flexes as if there is an invisible string tying it to Jisung’s mouth, tugging it. 

Changbin clears his throat and the charged tension in between them evaporates. Jisung tears his eyes away from Changbin’s hand and looks at him. The mask of calmness makes an appearance on his face. 

“Let’s have drinks tonight, Jisung-ssi. My treat.” Changbin slaps a hand against his own chest. 

“Okay.” Jisung agrees. He doesn’t have any other choice anyway. 

When they go back to their respective cubicles, Jisung’s lips are still burning from Changbin’s finger. 

♍♌

Jisung is really drunk. As soon as they entered the tiny barbecue restaurant, popular with the employees of their office, greeted by the warm and familiar face of the owner, Jisung ordered a bottle of soju and finished it in less than fifteen minutes. Changbin looked impressed by the speed with which Jisung was eating the pieces of meat he was grilling and downing the shots of soju. 

By the end of the night, Jisung managed to drink his guilt away and started telling his heart's content out loud. They consisted of him complaining about how his job was sucking the joy out of his life and how the latest episode of Jujutsu Kaisen made him feel. He often jumps from one topic to another when he is wasted which becomes a source of entertainment for his friends. The sound of Changbin laughing at his rambles confirmed it. 

When Jisung started hiccupping incessantly, Changbin decided to call the night quits. He drank as much as Jisung but he is still fairly sober. It’s not fair. How come Jisung is a lightweight but Changbin is standing straight, looking absolutely dashing in his long black coat? 

They are currently waiting for the taxi that Changbin called for. Apparently, the driver won’t take too long to come; he is just a few streets away. 

Jisung is leaning unashamedly on Changbin’s side, his whole body melting against the hard muscles. He’s really warm. Jisung nuzzles his face into Changbin’s bicep and he lets him. It’s nice. Jisung can definitely spend the rest of the night like this. 

“Jisung-sshi,” Changbin murmurs softly like he's afraid to break the cocoon that Jisung has wrapped himself into. “You still haven’t told me where you live.” 

Jisung frowns, trying to remember where his apartment is located but his brain feels fuzzy. Instead, it has decided to latch on one word that Changbin has said. 

Jisung opens his eyes, slowly trying to get used to the onslaught of light he is greeted by. Sensing his movement, Changbin turns and immediately stabilises Jisung by gripping his shoulder when Jisung struggles to stand straight. There is an amused grin on his face. 

“Hyung,” Jisung says as he watches the grin freeze on Changbin’s face. “Why do you keep calling me Jisung-ssi? 

He stabs a finger in Changbin’s chest accusingly. “You call everyone on the team by their first names informally. Except for me. Why? Why are you so formal with me?” 

Changbin goes eerily silent. It encourages Jisung to keep talking. 

“It’s been eating me for days. Did I do something wrong? Do you hate me, hyung?” Jisung asks, voice cracking at the end of the last sentence. 

He belatedly realises that he’s close to tears. He stares at Changbin – or two Changbins since his vision is blurry. He cannot read the look on his face. Jisung gets distracted by the honk of a car. He turns his head to see that their mode of transport has pulled up. The taxi driver nods at them and waits patiently. He redirects his attention to Changbin who now has a poker face on. Jisung doesn’t like it at all. 

Aware that he is crossing a plethora of boundaries tonight, Jisung leans closer to Changbin’s face. He brings his pointer finger to Changbin’s mouth and pokes at the dimple hidden right underneath the soft skin.  

“Hyung. You should smile more,” Jisung reveals. His words are slurred. “You have a pretty smile.” 

And then, he faints right into Changbin’s arms. 

♍♌

“Rise and shine, jagi.” 

Jisung squints his eyes in discomfort when Minho loudly opens his curtains the next morning. He is not surprised to see his best friend in his bedroom – he has a key to his place. A pounding headache welcomes him as soon as he opens his eyes. He hears shuffling of feet on the parquet flooring. 

Groggy, Jisung steadily rises until he is leaning against his headboard. He glances down to see that he is still in his work clothes, the fabric sticking to his sweaty skin. His mouth stinks and Jisung wants to throw up. 

Minho soon appears in front of him with a glass of water and a painkiller. Jisung swallows it in one gulp and finishes the whole glass. Minho retrieves the glass from him to which Jisung gratefully sends him a smile. He places it on the nightstand and takes a seat beside Jisung on the bed. 

Minho is smiling funnily at him. His eyebrows are quirked as if any second now, he will burst out laughing. Jisung knows that look – it only spells trouble. 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Jisung questions, knots growing in his stomach. 

Minho snorts. “Don’t tell me that you don’t remember anything from last night.” 

Last night? What happened last night? As the cogwheels in his mind start running, Jisung remembers little by little what transpired yesterday. He and Changbin went for drinks. He got totally wasted and invaded Changbin’s personal space. The last thing he recalls is his vision going black. 

“Oh no. What did I do?” 

“Well, you fainted last night when you went out with Changbin.” Minho stands up, pulls the blanket from the bed and starts to fold it. “Since Changbin didn’t know your address, he called me and asked me to pick you up. You are lucky that I was free at that time.” 

Relief washes over Jisung. 

“It wasn’t that bad then.” 

Minho walks to the end of the room and dumps the blanket in Jisung's laundry basket.

He hums. “I mean if you exclude the fact that you were clinging on Changbin’s arm during the whole ride and refusing to leave his side despite being unconscious, then yeah, I guess it wasn’t that bad.” 

Jisung takes his pillow and screams into it. He is never drinking again. 

♍♌

Changbin isn’t sitting at his desk when Jisung clocks in for work. He had stealthily tip-toed towards his own cubicle, eyes wandering back and forth to make sure that Changbin is indeed not here. After Seungmin finishes judging him, he tells him that Changbin has gone out for a conference with Chan. Jisung almost screams with relief. 

Today is a Friday and if he avoids Changbin for the rest of the day, then it will be highly likely that over the weekend, he will forget what happened last night. They will go back to normal by Monday morning. But, of course, his joy is short-lived. Since when has his luck been on his side? 

Jisung is returning from Minho's office when he bumps into Changbin and Nayeon, the head of the marketing department. He usually has lunch with Felix, Seungmin and Jeongin but his best friend insisted on eating with him. Under the pretence of feeding Jisung with home cooked kongnamul gukbap in order to get rid of his hangover, Minho kept reminding him how embarrassing he was last night. 

(“I really hope you die,” Jisung said, munching around the rice. He didn’t actually mean it. He never does. 

“It’s my duty as your best friend to make fun of you.” Minho defended as he placed a piece of kimchi on Jisung’s spoon. “And I take my duty very seriously.” 

Against his own will, Jisung smiled.) 

His hangover was fully gone when lunchtime was over. But, Jisung feels it coming back when Changbin sees him and smiles. Oh god. This cannot be happening. 

Changbin stops talking with Nayeon at once. She is puzzled by the action but recovers when she notices Jisung. Her eyes twinkle with amusement as she pats Changbin’s shoulder. 

“I'll catch you later.”

Jisung is not that far from them so he can clearly hear how teasing her tone is. Changbin nods. Nayeon leaves them alone, her heels clicking behind her. 

Jisung inspects his surroundings, searching for any way to escape. But, it’s useless. The only other option is for the ground opening up and swallowing him up. The visual is broken when Changbin approaches Jisung. 

“Hi, Jisung-ah,” Changbin says with a husky voice. The tone that he uses is completely informal. 

What. The. Actual. Fuck. 

Alarm bells go off inside Jisung’s brain, alerting him that his whole body is shutting down. His heart stutters in his chest and he feels his cheeks burning up; if he didn’t know any better, he would have thought that he was having a cardiac arrest. 

Memories from one of the most embarrassing nights in Jisung’s life flashes in front of his eyes. Changbin taking him out for drinks. Jisung getting so drunk that he shredded all his filters. Jisung whining about Changbin calling him Jisung-ssi. It is pretty obvious that not only Changbin remembers what Jisung said last night, he also listened to him and changed his way of addressing him. 

“H-hi.” Jisung replies like a stammering fool, way too late for a normal response. 

Changbin cocks his head sideways, eyes drinking in Jisung’s reaction. It’s so attractive that Jisung feels like he is going insane. 

“No hyung, today?” He teases. 

Jisung doesn’t know how to respond to that so he just makes an intelligible noise in his throat. Changbin, thankfully, ignores it. 

“Did you get home safely last night?” 

Jisung grabs the olive branch that Changbin offers to bring this conversation back to a safer territory. 

“I did.” Jisung smiles cordially. “Thanks for calling Minho-hyung last night.” 

Changbin shrugs his shoulders. “It was no big deal.” 

They stand in an awkward silence – mostly from Jisung’s part because he is still trying to process the fact that Changbin called him Jisung-ah – until Changbin registers that Jisung is not going to contribute to this conversation any further.

“Shouldn’t you be getting back to work?” 

“I am.” 

Changbin nods, turns around but immediately stops. He tilts his head sideways with a smug smirk. Jisung hates that he waits in anticipation. The next words that tumble out of Changbin’s mouth sweeps Jisung off his feet. 

“By the way, Jisung-ah, I also think that you have a gorgeous smile.” 

And then he walks away. 

♍♌

Step 3: Have a crush on him (This was not part of the plan) 

The auditing for JYPe Ltd. finally comes to an end after gruesome months of work. Jisung finds the weight lifting off his shoulders once Changbin confirms that he has already emailed the audit report to all concerned parties. 

Fatigue slams into Jisung like a truck. He cannot wait to go home and sleep the whole weekend off. It’s just going to be him, Howl's Moving Castle and an unlimited amount of fast food against the whole world. It’s the perfect date.

As March starts chasing away the gruelling winter, work also starts dwindling away. Apart from the JYPe audit report which came to a finish today, Jisung doesn’t have any big projects lined up. He only has some routine check ups on start up companies which he will share with Jeongin and Felix. This means that he can properly enjoy the upcoming delightful spring. 

“Tired?” Changbin asks when he sees Jisung yawn. 

“Hmm.” He massages his sprained neck. He wonders if he can convince Minho into paying for a massage for him. 

“I can’t believe that we are officially done.” Jisung presses the down button for the elevator.

“Me too,” Changbin replies. He looks at Jisung and smiles. There are bags under his eyes – he is tired but his smile still manages to light up his whole face. 

“You did a good job, Jisung-ah. I know it must not have been easy. Thank you for hanging in there until the end.”

Changbin shifts his briefcase that he is carrying in his left hand to his right one. It gives him full freedom to ruffle Jisung’s hair as a token of appreciation. 

Ever since Changbin has dropped the honorifics with Jisung, he has been more friendly and touchy with his gestures. It’s what Jisung always wanted but it’s not enough. He has a long way to go to dethrone Felix as Changbin’s favourite virgo.

“Hyung,” Jisung whines like a petulant child. He pats down his stranded bangs which went haywire due to Changbin’s gesture. “You ruined my hair.” 

The elevator opens with a ding and they step inside. Changbin presses the button for the ground floor and soon, the elevator starts going down. 

“It’s okay. You have no one to impress.” 

The dig at Jisung’s dry dating life is unmissable. Jisung wants to feel offended but the joy that he feels when he realises that Changbin is roasting him like a friend is much more important. He bites back a grin and sends a glare towards Changbin. It makes him laugh. The sound echoes off the walls of the elevator and settles in Jisung’s stomach like a butterfly incessantly flapping its wings

Jisung is on the verge of defending himself when the elevator halts to a screeching stop. It shakes violently and sends Jisung stumbling right into Changbin’s arms. 

“Are you okay?” Changbin asks softly like he is afraid to hurt Jisung. 

He is grateful for the firm grip that Changbin has on his shoulders to stabilise him. It aids Jisung to focus on the scent emanating from him – and not on the fact that they are currently trapped in the elevator. Changbin is wearing the cologne that Jisung gifted him for Secret Santa. 

Changbin doesn’t leave Jisung’s side until he meets his eyes and confirms out loud that he is okay. His eyes scan Jisung’s face like a hawk, making sure that he is not lying before he steps away. Changbin rings the red emergency button on the panel. The security guard informs them that help is coming soon. 

When Changbin returns by his side, he silently grabs Jisung’s hand to offer his support. It can only mean that he has failed to tamper in his discomfort about being stuck in here. It’s unbelievable how Changbin can read Jisung with such ease despite knowing him for less than a year. 

It feels extra stifling hot in the elevator and Jisung wants to strip down all his clothes. He tries to focus on his breathing pattern – in and out, praying that the elevator starts functioning again. But, then, the elevator jolts again and Jisung genuinely thinks that he is going to die. The dim ceiling lights turn off, enveloping them in stark darkness. Jisung squeezes Changbin’s hand hard. It must hurt because he makes a whimpering noise. 

The gravity of the situation in which they have found themselves finally dawns on Jisung. He hates constricted spaces. Afraid that the walls of the elevator will start closing on him, Jisung panics. The pounding of blood in his ears and the loud thudding of his heart in his chest block his sense of hearing. He feels short of breath like millions of daggers are being pierced into his lungs unable to make him breathe properly. He closes his eyes, tears automatically falling down his cheeks. 

“-sung. Jisung. Jisung.” 

He hears Changbin calling for him. Too frightened to open his eyes, Jisung can only hum back in response.

Changbin’s hands come forward to cup his cheeks. It’s warm. “I need you to look at me.” 

It takes him a lot of effort to open his eyes. The lights have come back on. Even though his vision is blurry from the welled-up tears in his eyes, he can see the flicker of relief that passes through Changbin’s face. 

“That’s it. Good job.” 

Changbin’s familiar and stable voice is comforting. Jisung’s hands find their own way towards his hands that are currently cupping his face and hold on to them for dear life. 

In his panic, it seems like Jisung had slid down to sit on the floor. Changbin is kneeling in front of him, briefcase discarded away. Jisung is still having trouble breathing. 

“Jisung-ah,” Changbin says, “can you name 5 things that you can see right now?” 

Changbin waits patiently until Jisung registers the order in his brain. He nods shakily. His voice comes out croaked but he doesn’t have the time to be embarrassed about it. Jisung observes the man kneeling in front of him. 

“Your hands.” 

“Your tie.”

“Your pen.” 

“Your nose,” Jisung whispers, “and your eyes.” 

As he lists these items, he feels air returning back to his lungs again. He breathes slowly, following the rhythm of Changbin’s pulse in his wrist. It takes him a while but eventually Jisung gets his breathing back under control. 

When Changbin deems that Jisung is doing okay now, he proceeds to pull his hands away. But, Jisung stops him immediately. He usually hates when people invade his personal space, but having Changbin this close soothes him.

“No. Don’t go. Please hyung.” 

“Shhh,” Changbin mumbles kindly. “I'm right here, baby. I'm not going anywhere.” 

The elevator starts going down again after a few minutes. When the doors open to the ground floor, the security guard is waiting outside with a man clad in blue overalls whom Jisung assumes is the technician. Changbin thanks them heartedly and gently helps Jisung to stand up. 

The journey from the office to Changbin’s car in the parking lot passes by in a blur. Jisung takes this time to process what happened and by the time he is seated in the passenger seat, he feels like himself again.

Changbin buckles his seat belt for him and starts the car. 

“I'll drop you home.” 

Changbin doesn’t push his boundaries by consistently asking if he’s okay when they drive off like other people tend to do when they witness Jisung having a panic attack. He understands that he needs space right now and Jisung doesn’t know how he can ever repay the kindness that Changbin has shown him. 

At a red stop light, Changbin points at the glove hand box. 

“There’s a bar of chocolate in there. Eat it. You'll feel better.” 

Jisung obeys. When he opens it, he is surprised to find out that it’s his favourite chocolate bar. A little fact that Jisung mentioned in a conversation in passing. Once. 

Jisung whips his head to look at Changbin but he is busy peering at the traffic light, waiting for it to become green. If there is doubt that this is just a coincidence then it clears away at the sight of Changbin’s red ears. 

Jisung decides to be merciful and drops the teasing question he was about to ask.

“Thank you, hyung.” 

It’s only when Changbin drops Jisung off at his apartment, when the chocolate has been melted on his fingers, when he is in the sanctity of his home, that Jisung realises that Changbin called him baby in the elevator. 

♍♌

It takes Jisung two nights and one day to digest the fact that – 

“I have a crush on Changbin-hyung!”

Minho, that bastard, pays no mind to this earth shattering revelation. The sci-fi movie currently playing on his television is much more significant than his best friend having an emotional crisis over his love life. 

Okay. Jisung knows that using the whole weekend to figure out this simple fact is embarrassing. But, give him a break. He is a bit oblivious when it comes to his feelings. The signs were there from the beginning: his heart skipping a beat whenever Changbin flashed him a smile, blushing like a school girl when Changbin complimented him on his work and constantly looking for excuses to hang out with him. Was Jisung truly that blind? 

Jisung keeps pacing back and forth. 

“Hyung. Are you even listening to me right now?” 

Minho makes an irritated noise at the back of his throat. Then, with amazing aim, he throws the cushion that was on his lap at Jisung despite his eyes being locked on the screen. The cushion hits Jisung’s stomach and falls down. It has the desired effect; he stops walking. 

Minho smirks in victory but it’s short lived when he sees Jisung approaching the couch and sitting next to him. 

Jisung dramatically laments. “What should I do?” 

“Did I or didn’t I tell you that this plan was going to backfire on you?” 

(Back in January, when Jisung had excitedly declared that he was going to be the No. 1 Virgo in Changbin’s heart, Minho had taken one look at his enthusiasm and with a deadpan look, had said, “I'm warning you right now that this is not going to end well. But I'm going to let it happen because my life lacks entertainment.) 

And would you look at the irony? Minho was right. 

Jisung pouts. “You’re not helping.” 

Minho sighs and pauses the movie that he was watching. He gives a stern yet empathetic look towards Jisung. It’s a familiar expression – one that Minho wears whenever he has to deal with the aftermath of Jisung’s bad decisions.

“Listen to me very well, Han Jisung. You have feelings for Changbinnie. So what? It’s not a big deal,” he rolls his eyes, ”it’s normal to have crushes on your colleagues. I mean look at me. I like Chan-hyung but do I make it everyone’s problem?”

He doesn’t know about everyone but Minho definitely makes it Jisung’s problem. He gets bombarded by passive aggressive messages from Minho whenever he meets with Chan. Messages like why is he so fucking cute? i'm going to kill him. 

“I mean y-" 

“Don’t answer that question unless you want all your teeth knocked out.” 

Jisung clamps his mouth shut. Minho resumes talking about the topic of the night. 

“Just go with the flow. Enjoy the feeling you get when you like someone and then you can decide whether you want to act on them or not.” 

He pats Jisung’s head thrice. “Stop overthinking this. Everything will work out in the end.”

Minho sounds too confident about this dilemma.

“How can you be so sure?” 

There is no answer as Minho diverts his attention back to the tv. Jisung knows that he’s already lost his best friend to the clutches of aliens and space crafts. He takes it as a sign to stop wallowing in self pity and grabs the popcorn kept on the coffee table. 

♍♌

Company dinners are the worst. It’s just an excuse for seniors, backed by their position and power, to make their subordinates lick their boots. Jisung tries to avoid them as best as he can but this year, he cannot. He worked with Changbin for an important audit, automatically putting him on the map for working on other big projects. Which means slaving for almost every night and not getting any form of remuneration in exchange. 

Jisung pours soju in the shot glass of the executive director. The middle-aged man with yellow teeth and reclining hairline pats him on the back as a thanks. He can only smile even though every skin of his cell is screaming at him to get out of this packed room. 

Felix and Seungmin are busy chatting with Mrs. Yoon. Jisung has no intention to indulge in any more conversation about financial statements and accounts. When the executive director gets distracted, Jisung stealthily stands up and gets out of the restaurant. Once he’s out, he loosens his tie and breathes in a lungful of fresh air. He was suffocating inside the packed room. 

“Got fed up?” 

Startled by the sudden interruption in this quiet night, Jisung yelps. 

Changbin laughs airily, a few feet away from him. 

“Aish hyung. You scared me,” Jisung snaps. 

Changbin grins. The moonlight hits him in the right angle, lighting up his face, dimple creased into his cheek. Jisung feels like the main character starring in a kdrama – awestruck by the love interest. It’s unfair how the universe is out to get him. He shakes his head in the hope that his embarrassing thoughts will also disappear.

Jisung asks, “What are you doing here alone?” 

He gets his answer when Jisung fully takes in Changbin’s appearance. Clad in an all black suit, he is holding a cigarette between his deft fingers. As he brings it to his mouth, Jisung can see that it’s halfway burnt. Changbin inhales, the tip lighting in an orange hue and blows out the smoke after a few seconds.

Jisung’s stomach swoops. God. He cannot believe this. Changbin looks even sexier when he smokes. How is that possible? 

He dislikes smokers. He was always the kid who coughed on purpose when he walked beside a smoker on the street just to make them feel bad. Now, he grew up to find it attractive just because his crush does it. Where are his morals? 

Apparently, they are dead in a ditch somewhere because when Changbin takes a drag again and exhales the smoke – he does it while staring at Jisung directly with his glazed eyes – Jisung almost moans out loud. 

Fuck. This is bad. Really bad. 

Changbin mistakes his heated gaze for interest because he offers the lit cigarette to Jisung. “Here. Want a drag?” 

Jisung, who is the biggest idiot in the whole world, says yes. He has never smoked in his entire life. He should say no. But, as he takes the cigarette from Changbin, he realises that he wants to impress him. He doesn’t want to appear like a loser in front of him.

And that’s when he accepts that the silly crush he claimed to have on Changbin is not just mere infatuation. It’s not going to fade away with time as he tried to convince himself these past few days. 

His feelings are much deeper than that. He really likes Changbin. To the point that he is willing to smoke. 

Aware that he is being scrutinised by Changbin, Jisung acts nonchalant. He puts the cigarette between his teeth. He sucks in his cheeks and inhales too quickly. Jisung regrets it immediately. The smoke enters his lungs, instantly sending him into a coughing fit. 

After he stops coughing, no longer feeling the nicotine in his lungs, Jisung hands back the cigarette to Changbin. 

He says,” Why did you take it when you don’t know how to smoke?” 

It sounds like a reprimand but he can’t hide the underlying fondness behind it. Jisung ignores the question.

“I didn’t know you smoked.”

Changbin takes a final drag. He throws the cigarette on the concrete and stomps it out with his shoe. Putting his hands in his pockets, he then inclines his head to look at the night lit sky. Jisung copies him.

“I don’t,” Changbin explains,” I mean. I don’t do it often. Only when I'm stressed or I have a lot on my mind.” 

Jisung hums in acknowledgement. He has so many questions but Changbin doesn’t seem to be in a mood where he wants to be prod further, so he lets it go. 

A chill breeze flies which makes Jisung shiver. As always, as if he is attuned to his every movement, Changbin notices. He takes off his jacket and wraps it around Jisung’s shoulders. He must be really living in a kdrama. 

“Let’s head inside, Jisung-ah. You’re gonna catch a cold.” 

Jisung pulls the jacket tighter around him, inhaling the flowery scent that he always associates with Changbin. He is still wearing the cologne that Jisung bought. 

“Okay,” Jisung agrees and follows Changbin inside. 

♍♌

Step 4: Try to get over him 

Jisung distances himself from Changbin. It’s crystal clear that he likes his team leader a lot more than he thought. In order not to jeopardise his professional life, he needs to stop interacting with Changbin. If he keeps talking to him, Jisung will always be distracted by his stupidly attractive face, deep, husky voice and manly hands and this will hinder his work. Trust him. It has happened before.

Changbin was delegating tasks for the whole team, eyebrows scrunched in concentration. Instead of looking at the powerpoint presentation and taking down notes like his other colleagues, Jisung kept ogling at Changbin’s hands. Were they always this large and calloused? Were they capable of leaving prints easily if Changbin put enough pressure?

Then, Changbin started rolling his sleeves, revealing thick forearms in its wake. The white fabric of his cotton shirt stretched around his biceps whenever he was pointing at the screen. Jisung felt the temperature in the room spike to a thousand degrees. A quick glance at the air conditioner which was regulated at 20 degrees, proved that he was the only one feeling hot. 

By the time the meeting was over, Jisung's brain was plagued with inappropriate thoughts about his colleague who could file a complaint against him if he ever found out about them. 

“-sung. Hey Jisung-ah.” 

Jisung tunes back to reality when Changbin snaps his fingers. He immediately straightens up in his seat. The others have already left the room, probably dismissed by Changbin. He’s the only one left.

“Are you okay? Your face is all red.” Changbin asks concernedly. 

Jisung slaps his hands on his cheeks. The hot cheeks are an obvious indication how much he is blushing. He avoids Changbin’s eyes; he stares at a spot behind his head, on the wall instead.

“I'm fine. Just feeling a bit peachy.” 

Changbin, bless his soul, steps forward. He places a hand on Jisung’s forehead to confirm whether he has a fever or not. Jisung feels like he’s really going to be sick. 

He stands up abruptly, making Changbin’s hand fall back. He haphazardly collects his notebook and pen. He scurries away from the room without even saying a proper goodbye, leaving behind a very confused Changbin. 

When Jisung gets back to his desk, he occupies himself by opening a blank excel sheet on his computer. He feels Changbin pass behind him to go to his own seat. He pretends to be engrossed by work, randomly entering data entries so that Changbin doesn’t disturb him. 

It’s only when he no longer feels Changbin’s piercing gaze on him that he relaxes a little bit. He opens his notebook to see what he has scribbled down in the meeting. The page turns out to be blank. He has no idea what kind of work Changbin has ordered him to do. 

With a groan, he slams his forehead on his desk. This crush is going to cost Jisung his job. 

♍♌

One thing Jisung has learned about himself this year is that once he sets his mind to something, he can actually commit to it. He stuck to his plan of becoming the No. 1 virgo in Changbin’s heart and now he is sticking to his plan of avoiding Changbin at all costs. 

It’s indisputably not easy. They work on the same team and Jisung has to report to Changbin for every single work. He will have to talk to him at one point in time. But, outside of work settings, Jisung will do his best to avoid Changbin.

At least until his feelings go away. 

Whenever he speaks to Changbin, he ends up ogling at him like a pathetic loser. He keeps getting distracted, imagining different scenarios where Changbin reciprocates his feelings. It’s affecting his work. 

Unfortunately, he cannot behave like a normal person around Changbin. His organs conspire against him: he keeps blushing like a tomato, stuttering when he talks to Changbin and being a nervous mess overall. If he continues like this, Changbin is going to find out. And that is mortifying. So, Jisung’s best solution is to interact with Changbin only when it’s necessary. 

It works. Jisung stops going on coffee errands in the morning so that he doesn’t have to meet with Changbin on the way. Jeongin throws a deservedly tantrum when Jisung asks him to resume his task. He reluctantly agrees when Jisung promises to buy him a meal every two weeks. His bank balance will be depleted but it’s worth it. 

If Changbin notices the change, he doesn’t comment on it because Jisung doesn’t even give him the chance. Whenever he tries to talk to him, Jisung makes up an excuse on the spot and runs away. He knows that Changbin doesn’t deserve this kind of treatment but Jisung has no other option. 

The other day, when Jisung was eating lunch with Seungmin and Felix in the office cafeteria, he spotted Changbin from a mile away. Carrying his tray laden with food, he was walking towards their table. Jisung’s head whipped to the empty seat beside him. Jisung stuffed a few pieces of sausages along with some rice in his mouth with his chopsticks. 

“I gotta go,” Jisung announced to the duo.

His words came out jumbled because he was chewing hurriedly. Seungmin and Felix shot him quizzical looks when he stood up and took his tray. Changbin was getting close so Jisung made a dash to the counter to place his tray at the counter. He sent a mourning look at the plate still full of delicious food and exited the hall. He heard shouts from behind but pointedly paid them no mind. 

Jisung, against his own will, has become an athletic person with all the running around he has to do to avoid Changbin.

♍♌

As the quote goes “all good things must come to an end", it also happens to Jisung. The saga of successfully keeping Changbin at an arm's length is cut short on a regular Tuesday. 

Jeongin is being promoted from an intern to a permanent employee in the company. Naturally, the team decided to throw a surprise celebration party for him. Minho has taken him for a little stroll, giving them ample time to decorate the break room. 

“Jisung,” Seungmin says while taking out the congratulatory banner from its plastic container, “can you go get the cake from the fridge while I hang this up?” 

“Sure.” Jisung ties up the last balloon and places it gently on the floor. 

Cake acquired and securely balanced on one hand, Jisung is on his way back to the break room when he gets a text message. He unlocks his phone with his free hand. 

Minho-hyung 🐰💕

Heading up with innie rn

Is everything ready? 

12:25 am 

Jisung replies with a thumbs up, a smile lighting up his face. He is so busy imagining Jeongin’s reaction that he doesn’t hear footsteps behind him. 

“Jisung-ah,” Changbin cries. “Wait up.”

He doesn’t turn around. Seungmin said earlier that Changbin wasn’t going to be able to make it to the party because he had to attend a lunch meeting with some foreign delegates. Maybe the meeting finished early.

Jisung doesn’t think he can face Changbin after the stunt he pulled at the cafeteria the other day. He's too embarrassed. Fuck. Why is his life so complicated? 

Jisung walks quickly, the door to the break room a few feet away. Once he enters the room, he can busy himself in the preparations and as such, he won’t have to talk to Changbin

Changbin shouts. “Why are you running?” 

“Seungmin is calling me,” Jisung lies. 

“No one is calling you!” 

Jisung bursts into the room like a tornado. He places the cake on the table and scans his surroundings to plot his escape. Seungmin is on a ladder, trying to attach the end of the banner to a hook on the wall. 

“Get off the ladder,” Jisung barks. “I'll do it.”

Seungmin gawks at him. “What?” 

Jisung pulls his sleeve like a spoiled child asking his mother to buy him another ice cream. “Hurry up.” 

Bewildered, Seungmin steps down. Changbin chooses the right moment to make his entry. The door swings dramatically as Changbin crouches down to catch his breath.

A squeak leaves from Jisung’s mouth. He is in so much trouble. He has never seen Changbin look this mad before. It’s kind of hot. And it’s kind of disturbing to have this thought while he has been actively trying to ignore this man. 

“Han Jisung,” Changbin bellows. 

Jisung steps on the ladder. He has always been prone to making bad decisions but this one takes the cake. He makes the mistake of turning back to look at Changbin and misses a step of the ladder while climbing. He loses his footing and falls off the ladder. Before his body hits the cold ground, his head thumps into the sharp corner of the table. Jisung sees stars behind his eyes and then, everything goes black.

♍♌

Jisung is awoken from his slumber by a beeping sound. He lazily opens his eyes to see that he is in a hospital room. Changbin is sitting by his side, round eyes filled with worry. 

“How are you feeling?” Changbin whispers. 

Jisung clears his throat. His head feels heavy but there’s no lingering pain unless he squints his eyes or frowns. “I'm fine.” 

Changbin breathes a sigh of relief. He moves closer to Jisung and gently grabs his hand. 

He confesses. “You scared me, you know?” 

Me. Not us. Not the others. He’s talking only about him.

Here, lying in a hospital bed, Jisung admits defeat. He can’t keep doing this. Not when Changbin is concerned about Jisung despite avoiding him like a plague for all these days. Changbin deserves better than that. 

“I'm sorry, hyung,” Jisung says, staring into Changbin’s earnest eyes. There’s nowhere else to look. 

Jisung anticipates the question before Changbin plucks the courage to ask him. 

“What’s going on with you? You've been acting weird. You’ve been avoiding me. I mean. Did I do something wrong?” Changbin pauses, swallowing. His voice breaks. “Did I hurt you?”

“No. Never. You could never hurt me.” 

Changbin sighs. “Then, talk to me. I thought we were friends.” 

Jisung gives up. Doing his utmost best to avoid Changbin has only negatively affected him. It also had the opposite effect: instead of getting over Changbin like originally planned, he started missing him like crazy. He thought of him more and as a result, his feelings for him became more serious. 

Jisung might as well make one final bad decision. He’s going to tell Changbin the truth, wait for him to awkwardly reject Jisung and suggest that they stay friends. 

“That’s the problem,” Jisung divulges sadly. “I don’t wanna be friends.” 

Changbin's eyes widen by a fraction. Jisung witnesses how he puts the pieces together until an acknowledgement look passes on his face. Changbin straightens his shoulders.

“Jisung, I-" 

He doesn’t give Changbin the chance to complete his sentence. He already knows what’s coming next. 

“Save it, hyung,” Jisung mumbles, “I already know what you’re going to say.” 

Jisung removes his hand from Changbin’s tight grasp. He internally chastises himself for instantly missing it. 

“Look,” Jisung starts, frustration bubbling inside him when Changbin continues sitting there like nothing happened, “I know I shouldn’t like you because it’s unprofessional. But, I don’t have control over my feelings. Okay. And you know what? This is all your fault anyways. If you hadn't said that night that Felix was your favourite Virgo, then I wouldn’t have noticed that we are actually not close.”

His voice gradually rises as he lets out his pent up feelings about this whole ridiculous situation. 

“I wouldn’t have been competitive and I wouldn’t have made up my mind to become your favourite Virgo. I wouldn’t have to spend so much time with you so that I could win your heart. And, oh god, I wouldn’t have noticed how kind, smart, sensible and attractive you are and how you are so gentle with me and I wouldn’t have fallen for you. Hard.” 

Jisung closes his eyes and hisses. “It’s all your fault.” 

He waits for the embarrassment to flood his entire body but it doesn’t. Instead, he feels light, like he could fly away if he wanted to right now. It’s surprisingly nice to let out all his feelings. For some excruciating seconds, Jisung can only hear the hustle bustle outside the hospital room. 

He thinks that maybe Changbin has taken mercy on him and left the room. But, no. Jisung isn’t that lucky.

“What?” Changbin breathes out. He sounds stupefied. 

Jisung is very close to crying. “Please don’t make me repeat all that.” 

He hears some shuffling and then, he feels Changbin’s hand cradling one side of his face. 

“Jisung-ah.” His voice is so soft and warm. “Look at me.” 

He is bad at disobeying Changbin so Jisung opens his eyes. There is a wide smile on his face as he stares at Jisung as if he is the key to all the treasures in the world. 

“Han Jisung. You are not my favourite Virgo-"

Jisung rolls his eyes even though the statement actually hurts. “I knew that. You don’t have to rub it in.”

“- because you are my favourite person.” 

Changbin waits patiently as Jisung takes the time to comprehend what he just said. It robs Jisung’s capability to speak. Seriously. He is going to file a complaint against Seo Changbin for hacking his organs. They never seem to work properly ever since he started liking him. 

Changbin grabs Jisung’s hand again. Jisung lets him. He then brings it towards his mouth and presses a feather light kiss on his palm. Jisung wants to burst into flames. 

“You were right. It’s all my fault,” Changbin admits, “if i hadn’t pushed you away from the start, you wouldn’t be lying in this bed right now.” 

Jisung tilts his head in confusion. It makes Changbin chuckle. The tension between them ebbs away as well. 

“Remember the first day you were transferred to my team?” 

Jisung does. After working one full year as an assistant account, he was transferred to one of the best audit teams in the company. He was scared, afraid that he wasn’t going to fit in or that he wasn’t experienced enough to be on the team. He was proven wrong though. Changbin, Seungmin and Felix were considerate and made him feel part of the team right from the moment he introduced himself.

“You smiled at me and complimented my earrings. You said that they were nice. That they suited me,” Changbin recalls. 

He intertwines their fingers together. “My immediate thought was to take them off and give it to you. It’s kind of embarrassing. I thought it was just affection at first – the one I get for all my dongsaengs. But soon enough, I knew that it wasn’t just affection. I liked you. A lot.”

Jisung stops breathing. 

“That’s why I decided to keep distance between us because I didn’t want my feelings to affect our professional relationship. In my head, if I interacted with you less, then my feelings would eventually go away.” 

It’s downright comical how Jisung had the same thought process. 

Changbin tightens his grip and apologises. “I promise my intention wasn’t to make you feel left out. I'm sorry. I didn’t realise how much that would actually hurt you. If I could go back in time, I would have definitely changed my behaviour towards you.” 

Jisung's chest feels lighter now that he knows the real reason why Changbin wasn’t close to him. 

“Thank you for apologising,” Jisung says. He squeezes Changbin’s hand so that the message comes across more sincerely.

And because the information was handed to him on a silver platter, Jisung has to make good use of it.

“So,” Jisung wiggles his eyebrows while smirking. “You liked me, huh? To the point that your brain cells stopped working.” 

As expected, Changbin groans.

“Shut up. You are literally so annoying,” Changbin says. Then he adds shyly, “I still like you, dumbass.” 

“Cool,” Jisung replies like the dumbass he is. “Me too.” 

“Wow,” Changbin states in awe, “I am overwhelmed by the urge to kiss you right now.” 

“Then, you should.” 

Changbin wastes no time to lean and capture Jisung’s lips in what must be the best kiss in his life. His lips are soft and fits perfectly against his own lips. The kiss is short but sweet – the type that makes you view the world in rose tinted glasses. Changbin pulls away but not before leaving an obnoxiously loud kiss on Jisung’s mouth. 

Changbin doesn’t go far away. He remains close to Jisung. So close that he can see all of his beautiful face. So close that he can’t escape Changbin’s fond look, filled with so much love. 

And because Jisung is Jisung, he has to put his foot in his mouth by blurting the following: “Did you know that Leos and Virgos have amazing sex chemistry?” 

Changbin tries his best to hold in his laughter but he can’t. He tilts his head down, cackling. The sound is contagious and soon Jisung is laughing with him. 

“I'm sure we could test that but let me take you out for dinner first.”

Jisung grins. “Cool.” 

“Very cool.” Changbin agrees with a blinding smile. 

Result: You will either gain a boyfriend or a concussion by following this guide. Proceed at your own risk. 

♍♌💜

Man of his word, Changbin takes him out on a fancy candlelight dinner the very next day. It’s everything that Jisung could ever dream of. And so much more. 

“Wait,” Jisung muses while Changbin cuts his steak for him, “if you liked me from the start, then how come you didn’t know my birthday?” 

Changbin pauses the cutting and thinks. “Well, I asked Minho-ssi once because I know you guys are close.” 

He places the cut steak on Jisung’s plate and motions him to eat. “He told me that your birthday was on the 16th of October.” 

“I'm going to kill him.”