Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Joshua is so close to ripping his hair out. Being stuck trying to understand a topic— which he loved (not) when he was an undergraduate, by the way— was not on his bingo card today. Freaking Taxation. The bane of his existence, honestly.

He glowers at his laptop, finding the urge to slam it close and throw his calculator away. He decides against it, realizing the flair of drama he wants to do in a public space. Groaning, he buries his head in his palms, feeling the slight ache present from studying non-stop (and staring at his screen) for four hours.

Joshua sighs, making up his mind. He should order. Yup. Order another coffee because if he wants to get to the bottom of whatever curse etched into this blended tax rate thing, he’s gonna need a ton of coffee in his system. And maybe a slice of cheesecake. And a cookie. He deserves that much.

As he goes down the stairs of the cafe, debating if he should get his favorite matcha latte or his soy latte, he hears his phone ping.

Boo Seungkwan 💛

shuuuuu!

did you finish answering the self-test questions on the handout discussed earlier? 😞

babe, did you even take breaks :(((

After ordering, he goes back to his spot on the cafe’s second floor, relieved that his stuff are all still complete and that not much people are upstairs that he would be distracted by their noises. He takes a sip of his favorite soy latte before taking a bite of the creamy carbonara he ordered, closing his eyes because he had been craving it for days.

He wiggles his shoulders out of giddiness, his eyes turning into the shape of crescents while eating his beloved carbonara.

Finished, he settles the plate on one side of the table he is currently occupying, having a refreshed mind. He sets up his materials in front of him again, his laptop on the side while he answers problems on his iPad, scribbling endlessly.

Joshua has a short attention span. A fact he was able to establish during the start of his review, his attention span from when he was studying in undergraduate seemed to have vanished after graduation. Maybe it’s the nerves, maybe it’s the pressure, but there’s only one way he’s sure that can help him keep his focus.

He taps open his laptop, typing a particular site he’s been visiting for a few months now and clicking the icon for a certain idol named who goes by the name of ‘Jeonghan’.

He scrolls down the “LIVE” tab, scanning for a live he hasn’t watched yet, clicking a video where the idol was eating kimchi-jjigae with his oversized gray shirt and a bit long black hair with the most comforting smile.

Don’t get him wrong, it’s just that whenever he studies, he doesn’t like the complete silence because then, he would just spiral into his thoughts, overthinking a lot of stuff and one thing about Joshua is that he overthinks. A lot. And most of that happens when he’s supposed to study.

He tried listening to classical music, but he gets distracted with the sudden high keys. He also tried to use those binaural beats but he has found himself dozing off and waking up, realizing that he fell asleep. Again.

Until he ended up watching Yoon Jeonghan’s live on random day he went live and he was still studying.

He wasn’t a big fan— no. He knew some of the singer’s songs but one time he happened to watch a live and he was so so endeared by the boy making tiny noises and just casually speaking to the camera while eating that he managed to block out his thoughts and actually focus on his readings. Yoon Jeonghan managed to calm the chaos in his mind and since then, he started using his live videos to focus on what he’s doing.

Joshua was listening to the live, wearing his airpods while aggressively pressing his calculator when he suddenly felt a continuous poking on his shoulders.

Removing one bud from his ears, he turns to look at the persistent person who’s disturbing his recall (he’s very stressed, okay?), only to be rendered speechless because the person standing in front of him is the man he’s been using as his study buddy.

Yoon Jeonghan. In front of him. He stares at the guy, taking in his sweet smile and sharp but gentle eyes staring at him. He notices the idol’s hair— now slightly longer than his hair from his most recent live (he just watched it yesterday).

“—-hey, hello? Hi?” The celebrity in front of him waves his hands in front of Joshua, snapping him out of his trance.

“Hey, you okay?” So his voice sounds more calming in person, Joshua realizes.

“Oh, hi. Um, yeah, all good!” He removes the other earbud on his ear, eyes still in a state of shock upon realizing that the person he watches on his screen is in front of him. In the flesh.

“As far as I know, I’m not currently live and you don’t look like you’re watching it as a replay so…” Jeonghan smiles, his eyes lidded with amusement and wonder and tone light with a softness in it.

Joshua’s eyes widen upon realizing that the live is indeed still playing. He shuts his laptop close with urgency, looking at the idol who is obviously biting his lip to stop himself from laughing.

“It’s not what you think.” Joshua mumbles shyly, a deep shade of red tinting his cheeks.

Resigned, he mutters a tiny “Nevermind, you won’t believe me anyway,” giving up trying to explain himself.

Jeonghan laughs softly, shaking his head and patting the stressed stranger in front of him. “Hey, hey. It’s fine, I find it endearing, is all. You’re cute.”

Joshua lifts his head at that, brows furrowing and mouth opening slightly because did he hear that right? Yoon Jeonghan told him he was cute?

Recovering from his fluster, Joshua starts explaining. “Uh, so a quick explanation of what you just saw me at is that um, I use your live to help me focus while studying and maybe because your voice calms me down…?” He bows his head again, feeling the shyness creeping in.

Jeonghan was surprised. He knew that a lot of his fans watches his lives, even had a record of breaking the app that one time because he suddenly went live after a long time and people apparently was very eager to listen to him eat and yap.

Jeonghan smiles, endeared at the boy in front of him. He thinks for a bit, thinking if he had any other schedules for today before offering.

“Hmm, is that it? I’m free and I can talk to you today. Of course, no pressure but I can yap all day for you if it meant that I’d be able to help you, you know?” He smiles at the boy who turned an even deeper shade of red and Jeonghan has decided that he does have a crush on the pretty boy in front of him whose name, he realizes, he doesn’t know yet.

Joshua composes himself before answering, his mind currently running with several thoughts. Oh gosh, why did Yoon Jeonghan had to offer him that.

“No! I mean— no, it’s fine! I just really find you comforting and I.. gosh, I look weird don’t I?” He covers his face with his palms.

“No, I kind of think that the longer I look at you, the longer I’m developing a crush on you, honestly. Could you maybe tell me your name though? I have no problems with calling you ‘pretty boy’ in my head but I also want to know your name.” Jeonghan chuckles, patting his head again.

Joshua flushes more, looking like a tomato at that point. “Please stop, I can only take so much, Yoon Jeonghan! You can’t say that! But um, I’m Joshua Hong. Or Hong Jisoo. You can call me whatever you prefer.”

Jeonghan smiles at the cute boy in front of him, fondness seeping in because who would have thought that on the rare days he has a free time, he would meet a boy as cute as him?

He gestures for the unoccupied seat in front of Joshua Hong, asking for permission if he can occupy the empty space. And maybe the boba-shaped boy’s heart too.

Joshua nods and Jeonghan sits in front of him, his hands propping up his face as he looks at Joshua fondly. “Okay, Joshuji! Is it okay if I call you that?”

Joshua pouts at the nickname Jeonghan has apparently given him, mumbling a small “That wasn’t even the choices but okay. Whatever you want.”

The idol smiles and stares at Joshua. “So Joshuji, what do you got there? Big exam coming up?”

Joshua, calmer than he was earlier, answers, “Yeah, I guess you can say that. Also I know it’s kinda random with the situation you just caught me but thank you. For the lives, I mean. It kept me sane.” He smiles, and Jeonghan swears that this boy might be the love of his life for real.

“Hmm, I’m kind of in a break so if you maybe want to, I mean, not forcing you and please know that this is not me taking advantage of you! I swear it’s not, but I can keep you company if you’d like? Call you or something so you don’t need to watch replays of my live because what if you already watched it all, you know?” Jeonghan mutters the last sentence so fast Joshua almost didn’t catch it.

Joshua laughs because why is the idol in front of him so endearing? “Just say you want my number and go, Yoon Jeonghan. Do I dictate it or are you gonna hand me your phone for me to type it? I won’t look for anything scandalous, I promise.” Jeonghan releases the breath he didn't realize he was holding, fishing for his phone while laughing.

He unlocks it, tapping the plus sign on his phone’s contacts to create a new one and hands it to Joshua. He stares at the man in front of him, fully in awe with the way he was typing in his number on his phone while smiling and his nose scrunching from amusement.

“Here you go,” Joshua hands the phone back to Jeonghan who looks like he’s won the lottery. Jeonghan giddily takes it back, noting to set the contact name as “Joshuji 🤍” and making sure to click the ‘Done’ button.

Joshua shakes his head, laughing at the idol’s unexpected shy smiles when putting his phone back to his pockets. He stares at Jeonghan, a fond smile settling into his face because who would’ve thought that watching a live in a cafe under extreme stress would lead him to this? Meeting the idol himself? Unreal.

The idol looks at him suddenly, realizing that the he still calls him by his full name. “You know, you can stop calling me by my full government name, right? Jeonghan is fine. Or baby. I don’t know, which do you prefer?” He winks and Joshua stifles a laugh, shaking his head.

“Fine, Hannie. Also, won’t this get you in trouble? They might think we’re dating and I know that could be a huge mess to clean up.” Joshua says.

At the mention of that, Jeonghan’s eyes widen, remembering his status as a public figure. “Oh, I forgot about that. But it’s fine, I don’t mind a dating rumor if it’s with you,” he flashes a hopefully reassuring smile at the soft-looking boy. “Ah, weren’t you studying? I’m sorry, oh gosh, am I disturbing you?”

And how can Joshua even have the heart to say that the man giving him comfort for the past few months is disturbing him?

He shakes his head no, offering a small smile to the man in front of him. “No, it’s fine. I can take a break for the rest of the day. I think I’m the one that might take your time though.”

“Nope, absolutely not. I’m on a break for about a month, I think? So I’m all yours, if you want.” Jeonghan fights off a huge smile, seemingly endeared by the man in front of him wearing a soft-looking gray sweater looking at him with his doe eyes that seems to always make him want to stare at him forever.

“Hmm, is that so?” Nodding, Joshua once again smiles. “So what made you come here? To the cafe, I mean. I’m frequent here and I think this is the first time I saw you here.”

The idol smiles sheepishly, scratching the back of his head shyly. “I don’t really go out as much aside from my schedules. I do live nearby though— just that whenever I have time off, I just sleep in or lie around my house.” In a tiny voice, he continues “I’m glad I did now, though. If I didn’t then I wouldn’t see you.” Jeonghan flashes him a tiny smile, a small blush settling in on his face.

Joshua laughs softly, an undeniable fondness growing on his heart. "Hmm, if you're on a break for a month, then do you want to go out? Maybe explore the area or something? If you like going to cafes, I know a number of cafes with great food, too. You know, with all the studying that I do may have tried every single one near here. "

Jeonghan's face visibly lights up at the invitation, his giddiness sipping in as he leans in the table, looking at Joshua with his eyes widening in excitement. "Really? Wouldn't that disturb you or something? I mean, you probably have a schedule worked out already, I wouln't really want to intrude."

"Hey, I was the one who brought it up, right? Don't worry. I may have a few hours to spare. Besides, my friend did say that I need to get out even just for a few hours to take a break," Joshua reassures the other.

Jeonghan then makes a humming sound, nodding. With hopeful eyes, he asks, “Maybe we can get to know each other, too, along the way?”

Joshua lets out a small smile, “I’d love that, Yoon Jeonghan,” he says, staring back when he saw the older’s eyes when he caught him staring at him.

Not breaking eye contact, the idol nods again slowly. “So what time works well for you? I’m practically free all day because of the break thing,” Jeonghan asks, a tint of eagerness in his voice.

Joshua thinks for a while, his lips unconsciously pouting while thinking, an action that doesn’t go unnoticed. Jeonghan smiles secretly, feeling more endeared at the boy in front of him.

“Does seven in the evening work for you? Uh, we can get dinner? And we can meet here, I think?” Joshua looks at him with wide questioning eyes, his forehead raising a bit while waiting for the older’s answer.

Jeonghan quickly thinks but unless his manager suddenly sets a schedule for him, he thinks he’s all free. He nods, “Seven is perfect, Shuji.”

Joshua beams at him, “Alright. I think it’s getting late now and more and more people are coming in and you might get recognized so..”

Understanding the situation, Jeonghan stands up, dusting off the imaginary dust in his shirt. He helps Joshua fix his things, holding his bag for him as they went downstairs to go home.

As they went out of the cafe, they face each other. Jeongan smiles at the younger and Joshua shies from the other’s gaze at him, choosing to stare at his shoes.

Clicking his tongue, Jeonghan then asks, “Do you live far away from here?” Joshua shakes his head to say no, “I actually live nearby, like a bit of a walk or so. Did you bring a car or…”

“Okay, and no, I also would just walk to go home,” the celebrity says, even pointing the direction he’s going.

Joshua nods in understanding, “I go that way so I guess see you tomorrow?”

Jeonghan hums, “Can’t wait to see you again, Shuji. I’ll see you at 7, okay? Take care, alright?”

Joshua smiles, “Yeah, I’ll see you at 7. Take care on your way home, okay? Bye, Yoon Jeonghan! It was nice meeting you!” Joshua says before turning around to walk home.

Jeonghan smiles to himself. And if he waits until Joshua is out of his sight, well, no one has to know.

He can’t wait for tomorrow to come.