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All Sunggyu can think about on the car ride over – made slightly longer than necessary by the multiple detours he makes – is how much he hopes no one attempts to help him once he arrives.
He has no such luck.
“Hi, can I help you find anything?”
The voice reaches his ears before Sunggyu can even spot the body to which it belongs and he immediately regrets his choice to come to the store in the first place.
“No, I'm fine,” he mumbles, avoiding so much as glancing at the employee.
“Alright,” the man continues, clearly unperturbed if the smile Sunggyu can hear in his voice says anything. “If you need any help, my name's Dongwoo.”
Sunggyu nods his head silently and wastes no time disappearing behind the closest aisle, which happens to be the largest display of dildos Sunggyu has ever seen in his life. Once again he rethinks his decision to come here, but his social awkwardness stops him from leaving less than a minute after he's arrived.
After his mental debate has been settled he takes his first real glance at the shelves in front of him, face flushing at his lack of experience with any of the items. Even if he finds himself able to get past his own embarrassment he doesn't even know where to begin, and the employee's words from earlier ring through his mind. A small part of him wishes he had the nerve to ask for help.
As if reading his mind, he hears movement from behind the shelf and moments later Dongwoo appears beside him.
“Still doing alright or do you need a hand with anything?”
Sunggyu puts it off as his own nervousness immediately, but something about what Dongwoo says sounds sexual, and it definitely doesn't do anything to lessen Sunggyu's nerves.
“Uh,” Sunggyu starts, unsure of where he plans to take his sentence.
The other man has the nerve to laugh, and, good natured or not, Sunggyu wishes a hole would open up and consume him.
“You have no idea where to begin, do you?” he asks again, and smiles reassuringly enough that Sunggyu relaxes marginally, shaking his head.
“That's what I'm here for,” he explains, words coming easily as if he's said them a hundred times before. “Do you have any idea of what kind of product you're looking for?”
Sunggyu can feel his face getting hotter as he shrugs and sort of nods his head towards the wall in front of them. “One of those,” he mutters.
This time when Dongwoo laughs he has the sense to try to stifle it behind his hand, not that it helps much.
“I figured as much,” he says, giving Sunggyu a friendly smile. “I meant more like big or small? Vibrating? Realism? Any preference?”
It's then that Sunggyu realizes he hadn't thought that far ahead – his plan was to get in, buy one and get out. He hadn't thought about the in between, where he would actually have to pick one off the shelf. Now that the options are being laid in front of him his mind starts racing.
“I hadn't really thought that far,” he admits sheepishly. “Vibrating, maybe?” The second half comes out half as quiet as the first and he's honestly a little surprised that Dongwoo hears him.
“That's a start!” he exclaims.
Sunggyu really wishes he'd be quieter.
“Let's see,” he says, turning to look more closely at the products. “No offence, but you seem kind of new to this,” when he turns to look at Sunggyu he can't seem to stop the apologetic smile he gets. “I didn't mean that in a rude way, I just mean, judging by your nervousness, you seem like a first timer.”
Sunggyu sighs and nods his head in defeat.
“Is it that painfully obvious?”
“Just slightly,” Dongwoo jokes, bumping his shoulder against Sunggyu's. “So something small then?”
“Please.”
It doesn't take long after that for Dongwoo to help Sunggyu find something, and to Sunggyu's relief they start walking towards the till to check out. He distantly thinks that he hasn't been able to breathe fully since he stepped into the store.
“Well, you're all good to go,” Dongwoo says as he packs the item into a discreet bag. “That wasn't so painful now, was it?”
The smirk on his face as he says it both embarrasses Sunggyu further and makes him feel less tense and he finds himself letting out a short laugh.
“I don't know what I would have done without you,” Sunggyu replies with an air of drama, although part of him is serious. He really was lost and overwhelmed before Dongwoo offered to help.
Dongwoo smiles genuinely as he says, “Hey, it's what I'm here for.”
Sunggyu thinks that's his cue to grab his bag and leave, but as he picks it off the counter Dongwoo makes a quick move to rip off a piece of receipt paper and Sunggyu's feet stay in place.
“Also,” he adds, stretching the word to buy him some time as he scrambles to find a pen, “if you need any help with that, feel free to give me a call.”
Sunggyu wasn't even aware his eyes could widen as far as they do; he's so surprised that he doesn't even sputter, just stands still gaping at the other man. Without realizing what he's done he's sitting in his car, paper with Dongwoo's number clasped in a sweaty fist, and if he already finds himself planning a night to call the other, that's his business alone.