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Leo was sprawled across his bed, surrounded by the comforting mess of blankets, empty snack wrappers, and the flickering glow of his laptop screen. His fifth rewatch of that chaotic, low-budget reality dating show was in full swing — the one where contestants somehow fell in love after exchanging two sentences and a mildly traumatic group challenge. He knew it was objectively awful. He also knew he would never stop watching it.
His phone buzzed beside him. He lazily reached for it, already half-smiling.
Sangwon : Wanna catch that movie tomorrow? My treat.
Leo’s smile widened. He didn’t even hesitate before replying.
Leo: Obviously. Same time as usual?
There was a pause. The familiar three little dots danced, vanished, returned again.
Sangwon : Actually… I’ll pick you up.
Leo stared at the message for a moment, one eyebrow slowly rising. That was... different. They usually just met at the theater or grabbed snacks before walking over together. Sangwon never offered to pick him up.
Leo: You feeling okay?
Sangwon: Shut up.
Leo shrugged and tossed the phone onto his pillow with a chuckle. Weird, sure. But also kind of nice. Plus, free popcorn. He wasn’t going to question it. Across town, Sangwon stood in front of his open closet like it held the answer to a question he wasn’t sure how to ask.
“Okay,” he muttered, pulling out a cream-colored sweater and immediately putting it back. “Not too formal. But not too casual, either. Just enough effort. Right?”
Sangwon held up a light blue button-up to his chest, staring at himself in the mirror. It looked… good. Clean. Put-together. Maybe a little too put-together? He set it down and reached for another option, only to pause and glance toward his desk.
A small bouquet of white daisies rested there, carefully wrapped in brown paper and tied with a pale ribbon. The flowers weren’t anything extravagant just a few stems, fresh and simple. But he’d remembered, months ago, when Leo mentioned in passing that daisies were cute. It had been a throwaway comment during allergy season, when Leo was sneezing every other minute and still stopped to admire a roadside planter.
Sangwon hadn’t forgotten.
He took a deep breath, stared at his reflection again, and tried to convince himself this was fine. It was just Leo. His best friend. The person who made everything feel easier, lighter. And yet… nothing about tonight felt casual. Not to him.
The next day, at exactly 6:58 PM, Sangwon stood outside Leo’s apartment, bouquet in hand, shirt buttoned neatly at the collar, and nerves bubbling in his stomach.
When the door opened, Leo stood there in a slightly rumpled hoodie and joggers, hair damp like he’d just showered. His expression was relaxed until he noticed Sangwon’s clothes.
Leo’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You… dressed up?”
Sangwon shifted on his feet, awkwardly holding out the flowers. “A little.”
Leo’s gaze drifted down. He blinked at the bouquet. Then blinked again, slower this time.
“…Uh. What’s this?” he asked, pointing at the flowers like they might explode.
“They’re for you,” Sangwon said, a little too quickly.
Leo looked behind himself, as though someone else might be standing there. Then back at the flowers. Then back at Sangwon.
“…Me?”
“Yes, you,” Sangwon said, trying not to sound completely panicked. “You’re not allergic or anything, right?”
“No?” Leo said slowly, still staring at the bouquet like he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to take it. “But… wait. Did something happen? Is this, like, a graduation thing? Did I win something and forget?”
Sangwon cleared his throat. “Let’s just… head out. We’ll be late.”
Leo nodded, still visibly confused, but he grabbed his hoodie pocket and followed without argument — bouquet in hand, cradled like it might break.
The movie theater was busy, but they found their usual spot, center row, just far back enough that Sangwon could convince himself this was routine. Leo immediately dug into the large tub of popcorn they’d grabbed on the way in, throwing pieces into his mouth with the focus of someone entering a competitive sport.
Sangwon, on the other hand, could barely sit still.
He kept tugging at his sleeves, shifting in his seat, tapping his fingers against his knee. Every so often, he glanced at Leo who looked completely at ease, legs stretched out, eyes fixed on the screen, and an occasional dumb grin tugging at his lips.
Halfway through the movie, Leo leaned toward him and whispered, “Hey...did you know this director also made that weird sci-fi thing we watched last year? The one with the exploding frogs?”
Their hands brushed lightly in the dark.
Leo didn’t notice.
Sangwon forgot how to breathe.
Leo leaned back again, munching happily, eyes sparkling with excitement. “Man, this movie’s way better than I expected. I thought it’d be slow, but it’s actually—hey, are you okay? You haven’t touched the popcorn at all.”
“I’m fine,” Sangwon said quickly. “Just… watching.”
Leo really has no idea, Sangwon thought. Absolutely none. Leo was oblivious and dense.
When the credits rolled, the two of them stepped out into the soft night air. The city buzzed around them — warm wind, distant traffic, soft voices passing on the sidewalk. The theater’s glow faded behind them as they walked side by side.
Leo still had the flowers tucked under one arm, looking mildly amused every time someone glanced at them. “Man, thanks for the movie,” he said, stretching with a content sigh. “That popcorn was criminally good.”
“Yeah,” Sangwon said, his voice quieter. “Hey… can I ask you something?”
Leo turned his head. “Of course.”
They had reached the edge of Leo’s block, the sidewalk narrowing beside a quiet row of parked cars. Streetlights painted gold over the pavement. Sangwon stopped walking.
“Did you…” he hesitated, “think this was a date?”
Leo blinked. “What? No? I mean… we hang out all the time, right?”
Sangwon nodded slowly. “We do. But I was kind of… hoping it could be more.”
There was a long pause.
Leo stared down at the bouquet in his arms. His eyebrows drew together, lips slightly parted.
“You’re telling me,” he said, piecing it together aloud, “you dressed up, brought me flowers, picked me up, paid for everything and I didn’t know I was on a date?”
Sangwon let out a soft laugh, part fond and part exasperated. “You’re unbelievably dense.”
Leo stared for another second then suddenly burst into warm, startled laughter. The kind that made his whole face crinkle, that came from deep in his chest and made people nearby smile without knowing why.
“Okay, but in my defense,” he said, stepping a little closer, “you never said it was a date. You’ve gotta give me some kind of sign.”
“I thought the bouquet was the sign.”
Leo looked down at the daisies, then back up. His grin softened.
Then, without a word, he leaned in, gentle, a little unsure and kissed Sangwon.
It was soft. Just the press of warm lips, careful and a little clumsy, like someone learning a secret they’d waited too long to say out loud. Leo pulled back after a second, eyes wide, as if surprised at himself.
Sangwon stood completely still.
And then his hand flew to his mouth. His face turned bright red. A very real, audible squeak escaped him, like a balloon being pinched.
Leo blinked. “Did you just squeak?”
“No!” Sangwon gasped, voice cracking. “That wasn’t me. That was a...uh...I don’t know. You can’t just—!”
But he was grinning now, helplessly. Completely undone. His shoulders had tensed, his entire body buzzing like static, and he looked at Leo like he couldn’t decide whether to yell or kiss him back.
Leo was already laughing again, clearly pleased with himself. “I knew you’d break. You’ve been looking at me like a kicked puppy all week.”
“You kissed me first!” Sangwon accused.
“And I’ll do it again if you keep being this cute.”