Archive of Our Own ^beta

South Korea’s premier matchmaking service, HeartSync™, boasts the most well regarded A.I. compatibility algorithm in the game. After a comprehensive analysis of your personality, interests, and desires in a partner, HeartSync™ compiles a list of matches from the available profiles in the system. Your matches will include a probability-of-success percentage, a brief overview of the profile, and a photo. 

With such a large pool to choose from, nearly everyone is guaranteed to have at least one match between 90 - 100%; that said, it’s entirely possible to find your forever with a match within the 80 - 89% range as well. You’re encouraged to talk and meet with your matches, though once you choose one, you’ll probably feel like you never need to consider anyone else ever again! With HeartSync™ going global, there are more potential matches out there than ever. If for some reason your forever is cut short, HeartSync™ will work with you to find your true love.

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Seungmin closes the tab with the article, bringing his fingers up to rub small circles over his temples. He can’t believe so many people are so enamoured with this bullshit program that it’s launched overseas. It’s becoming harder and harder to find people willing to give traditional dating a try. Algorithms are great and all, he’s not anti-technology or anything, but A.I. can’t understand feelings, not truly. It can’t predict love, because no one can; love can grow anywhere if you want it and are willing to try. 

Not only that, but HeartSync™’s ever-growing popularity means that his parents and even some of his friends will not let the subject drop. He’s been able to put off signing up, but now that he’s built a firm place in his career, he’s out of excuses. With his sister’s second baby on the way, his parents have decided to take matters into their own hands; so now he’s sitting here in the waiting room of the downtown office, waiting to have his consultation. 

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“Seungmin-ah!” Changbin welcomes him with a hug, guiding him to a stool with a fresh beer in front of it. “How’d it go?”

Seungmin sighs and considers avoiding the question in favor of literally anything else, but Hyunjin and Felix’s wide eyes and smiles win out. “It was fine. You know what it’s like.”

“But after seeing how thorough the intake is, don’t you feel at least a little better about it?”

“Lix…” Seungmin sighs again. “You know I’ve done a bunch of research already. Can we just hold off on talking about it until I get my matches or whatever?”

Changbin takes his hand, rubbing his thumb over his knuckles. He knows just how Seungmin is feeling; he has his own consultation scheduled for tomorrow. “Of course, Mini. Hyunjin-ah, tell Seungmin about how your class went today.” 

“Thanks, hyung,” Seungmin whispers as Hyunjin jumps into his story. He hmms and ahs when appropriate, but his mind is still on stupid HeartSync™.

Seungmin loves his friends, but ever since Hyunjin and Felix took the leap and were told what everyone who knows them already knew, that they are the coveted 100% match, they’ve been lobbying extra hard for he and Changbin to join the matchmaking system. However, Hyunjin and Felix are legitimately perfect for each other. They had been together for years and all getting their matches did for them was confirm that even science shows that their love is true.

Their love is like a fairy tale, but they’re the exception, not the rule. As a divorce attorney, Seungmin has intimate knowledge of just how often matches fail or couples’ perfectly happy lives are disrupted when they suddenly are alerted to a newer, higher compatibility score. The fact that the system still alerts people who are already in a relationship under 95%, if they happen to get a higher match, is absurd in itself. It goes to show that the company doesn’t give two shits about whether or not people end up happily ever after, just that they get their fees for connecting more potential couples. Now that they’re going worldwide, Seungmin is expecting an uptick in calls to his office.

Before his thoughts spiral into the grittier reasons his business is booming, he really tries to focus in on the tail end of Hyunjin’s story.

“I really didn’t think I’d like hosting such a young class, but really, it was adorable.” Hyunjin’s eyes are sparkling with the memory. “The way he was so concerned over something so minimal was too cute. And the way he asked if they’re still friends? Priceless.” 

“Makes you wanna go home and try to make a little one of our own, doesn’t it?” Felix asks with a smirk and a wink.

“Now Yongbok-ah,” Changbin rolls his eyes with a grin. “How many times do I have to explain that neither of you can get pregnant, no matter how often you try?”

Felix lets out a booming laugh, drawing eyes from people at the tables around them. “Yet, it doesn’t make me wanna try any less.” Hyunjin wraps his arms around his husband, giggling. 

They might not notice, but Seungmin clocks several sets of eyes still on them. It’s less unusual than he’d like it to be, the way people are drawn in by the surprisingly deep voice then are near-forced to stare upon realizing it came out of such an angelic-looking man. Nowadays, it’s kinda weird, especially when they know people keep watching when equally beautiful Hyunjin starts clinging to him. He can’t blame people for it too much, though. Hell, the whole Felix effect got him, too, the first time he met him. 

It takes Seungmin a minute to realize he’s let his brain go off on another tangent, but when Changbin pinches his side, he snaps back to the present. “Sorry, what?”

“I asked if you wanted another beer or anything.” Changbin scrutinizes him for a moment. “Or do you need something stiffer to get you out of that head of yours?”

Seungmin leans forward to tap their foreheads together for a second. “Yeah, maybe something else. My results are gonna come in any minute, and the love birds are making my head spin for some reason.” 

“Coming up, jagi.” 

Changbin heads toward the bar, so Seungmin tries to turn his focus back to his favorite couple. Before he can say anything, his phone buzzes on the table in front of him; he glances down to see a notification from the HeartSync™ app pop up. He groans, bringing his friends’ gazes down to the phone where they no doubt can see the logo, if not the message itself. 

“Mini!” They cry in unison. 

Changbin slips back onto his stool to add a ‘Mini!’ of his own to the mix. He places a shot glass in front of him. “Why are we Mini-ing? Are they in?” 

Seungmin grimaces. “I thought you were gonna bring me a cocktail?” 

“Woo’s at the bar, he said he’d bring them over. Drink this for now.”

Seungmin gives him a side eye, but picks up his phone. After the little screen of congratulations, he’s looking at a list of his potential love matches. He actually has six matches over 90%. If he didn’t know how much it truly doesn’t matter, he’d be excited. He knows his friends will be, even Changbin. Rather than having to talk about it right away, he hands the phone off to Felix and excuses himself to the bathroom, despite their protests. 

When he returns, the three of them are talking excitedly with their favorite bartenders, large blue drinks in front of each of them and a plate of fried chicken and french fries in the center of the table. 

“What on Earth are these, Woo hyung?” Seungmin takes a whiff of the cocktail and has no idea what it might contain.

“Well Seungmini, you remember our recent trip to the U.S., right?” Wooyoung asks instead of answering. An annoying habit, in Seungmin’s opinion, but on a night like tonight, he welcomes anything Wooyoung has to offer. He loves to reference Wooyoung when talking about the HeartSync™ issue; Wooyoung and his boyfriend did get matched, but their score was less desirable. Still they chose to stay together and are obviously just as in love as Hyunjin and Felix. “I had this lovely drink, and when I learned you were waiting on your matches, I knew I just had to share it with my friends. It’s called an AMF.”

“AMF?” Hyunjin looks between him and the drink. “What does that mean? What’s in it?”

Wooyoung caresses his cheek with a mischievous smile. “Don’t worry your pretty, little head about what’s in it, Jinnie-yah. Just know that it’s Friday, so you’re all free to get wasted. AMF stands for Adios Mother Fucker, so clearly they’re meant to get you fucked up!”

Felix, of course, matches Wooyoung’s energy; he whoops and cheerses with him (after he grabs Changbin’s drink). Hyunjin takes a tentative sip and makes a ‘not bad’ face. Changbin looks slightly worried at the amount that both Felix and Wooyoung drink after their impromptu toast. 

“So!” Wooyoung hands the beverage to Changbin and motions for him and Seungmin to drink. “Are you guys planning on staying for a while? I can tell San to come down.”

“Probably not,” Seungmin answers before Felix can let his excitement at seeing San win. “Bini hyung has his appointment tomorrow, so we shouldn’t actually get super wasted.”

“What I’m hearing is that everyone except our sweet Bini baby should get super wasted.” Wooyoung smirks. “So drink up, gentlemen! Especially you, Mini, cause you know I’m only delaying the inevitable.” 

With a shake of his head, Seungmin grabs his glass with the rest of them and takes a swig. Better this than talking about my stupid matches.

By the time San shows up, Seungmin, Felix, and Hyunjin are already two AMFs deep. They were able to move to a booth when it opened up, which half of them feel is better, half think it’s worse. Seungmin is very happily leaning into Changbin’s warmth, while watching Felix seat dance as Hyunjin starts retelling his class story to San. 

Wooyoung drops off four more drinks before glaring at the half full glass in front of Changbin. He’s still on his first, but despite telling him that he wasn’t trying to drink like that tonight, Wooyoung seems to be taking it as a personal affront. “Changbini! I said next time I come to the table you needed to be done with that!”

Seeming to somehow forget Seungmin’s ear’s proximity to his mouth. “Yah! Youngie, I told you I have to be up early tomorrow! Plus, someone’s gonna need to make sure these lightweights make it home in one piece.”

“I dunno who you’re callin’ a lightweight, hyung,” Hyunjin slurs, making Changbin’s point for him. “Woo hyungie! Hit me with another AMFer!”

Seungmin sits up to take his drink, watching as Wooyoung wraps his arms around San’s neck and kisses him far too long considering the fact that he’s currently working. Still, they make his point. “See! You can see how much he loves him. They don’t need a stupid robot to tell them who to be with.”

“But Mini!” Felix actually stills in hopes of focusing on Seungmin, hands out as if to guide his gaze. “Maybe they’d be like us! And like, Ji Sung and Park Jin Young! Their chemistry on screen just goes to show that their matching was the right move!”

“Lixie, they’re actors!” Seungmin sighs. “I know you’ve seen the same things I’ve seen. When they’re caught ‘candidly,’ it’s clear they’re faking. The match was just convenient since they were filming The Devil Judge ; it created an extra buzz. I 100% believe he’s still actually with Lee Bo Young. That was real love!”

It’s Hyunjin’s turn to chime in. “Sorry, babe, I actually kinda agree with him there. Jinyoung has totally been in love with JayB since they got together for the JJ Project... But what about, like, Minnie noona? She was soooo excited when she matched with Bammie hyung, and they’ve been happily married for almost two years!”

Seungmin breaks out the finger quotes. “Oh yeah, they’re so ‘happily married’ that I have another appointment with them on Tuesday.”

There’s a collective gasp around the table as Changbin slams a hand over Seungmin’s mouth. A chorus of ‘what do you mean,’ they’re getting divorced,’ ‘not Bambam and Minnie,’ and other questions/exclamations of disbelief come flooding in after.

Not understanding why he’s being censored in his current state, Seungmin pries his hand off, to say, “It’s fine, hyung! Don’t worry about it, it’s okay. But yeah they’re get–” 

Changbin’s other hand comes up to replace the one still in Seungmin’s grasp. He pulls Seungmin with him as he slides out of the booth before hoisting him over his shoulder. “Alright, I’m taking this one home before he gets disbarred. Sannie, can you handle those two?”

Like Changbin, San ignores Seungmin’s shouts of outrage and confusion and the hysterical laughter from the other three. “Yeah, I’ll make sure they get home alright, and probably soon.” He eyes the pair of them then Wooyoung. His boyfriend pouts before running off, presumably to grab waters, as Changbin, and a now resigned Seungmin, head out of the bar.

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When his feet hit the ground a block down the road, Seungmin huffs and slaps Changbin’s shoulder. “What the fuck, hyung?”

“You know adding ‘hyung’ to the end of that sentence doesn’t make it seem any more respectful.”

“My bad. What the fuck, Changbin?” He’s decidedly less agitated about the situation as he was initially, leaning into the silliness of it.

Changbin barks out a laugh and keeps walking in the direction of his apartment. “Oh yeah, much better.” When Seungmin raises his brows and juts his chin out pointedly, he continues. “Mini, baby, you can’t just air your clients’ dirty laundry at the bar, ‘cause you’re mad about getting matched.”

“I told you it was fine!” Seungmin rolls his eyes. He’s going to explain when Changbin speaks again.

“Min, you’re a lawyer! You know it’s not fine, just cause they’re our friends.”

“No, Bini hyung, you don’t get it.” He holds up his hands to stop Changbin from disagreeing. “Minnie noona asked me, told me really, to tell Hyunjin for her. She’s kinda feeling sensitive about it and thought it would be good if I helped share the news so she doesn’t have to.”

“Ah, I see.” Changbin pulls his phone out, most likely to text San or the group chat. “Would’ve been helpful to know that before you blurted it out like a secret.”

“I tried to explain, but you silenced me!”

Changbin’s laugh punches out again. “I’m sorry! I was just trying to protect you.”

Seungmin squints at him, mouth all pursed up in a pout, before blowing out a breath. “I do appreciate it, hyung. But I also feel as a punishment, you should have to carry me for the rest of the way; this walk is taking forever.” He drapes his arms over Changbin’s shoulders, letting his lean frame slump against him.

“Yah, alright; climb on, lazy.”

Seungmin hops onto his back, and Changbin doesn’t put him down until he can drop him onto his own bed. Seungmin lands with an ‘oof,’ but doesn’t react beyond that. Somewhere along the way to Changbin’s apartment, he’d started dozing off. Changbin pulls his shoes off, taking them back to the front door before grabbing water and pain killers and tucking Seungmin in properly. 

“Hyung, pants,” Seungmin mumbles, barely conscious. 

“You’re so needy when you’re drunk, Mini,” Changbin teases as he strips the slacks off and tucks him back in. When he gets in on the other side, Seungmin immediately cuddles up to him and falls asleep.

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Seungmin settles into his office first thing Monday morning, determined not to think about the email from HeartSync™ sitting in his inbox. No more friends pestering him to check it, no more calls from his mom where he has to lie about not having gotten it. He can just focus in on other people’s problems and work. Until his coworker decides to interrupt his peace. 

“Knock knock!”

Seungmin resists the urge to roll his eyes. “You can knock with your hands; saying it is ridiculous.”

“Seungmin-ssi, you crack me up!” Yoon Eun Woo bounds into his office. “Guess what happened this weekend?”

“I imagine you’re going to tell me either way,” Seungmin murmurs, actively keeping his eyes on his computer screen. It’s not that he doesn’t like interacting with his coworkers; it’s just that he prefers to do so in the break room or hallway, not when they come into his office uninvited as Eun Woo is wont to do. “Get on with it, I’m busy.”

“You know how we both went over to HeartSync for our consultations on Friday?” He barely waits for Seungmin’s grunt of acknowledgement before continuing. “Well, I met my 93% match, and she’s so hot! We hung out all weekend, and I’m already head over heels. What about you, trying to go ring shopping with me later?”

Seungmin takes a steadying breath before turning to face him. “Eun Woo ssi, I would advise you to wait on that, lest you end up needing my services by the end of the year.”

“No way!” His bewildered expression would be funny if Seungmin was at all interested in having this conversation with him. “What is your match not pretty? I’m sure you’ll warm up to her, man.”

Luckily, as he tends to do, Yeosang interrupts from the doorway. “Pardon the intrusion, but Seungmin and I need to discuss a matter related to the Baek Enterprises case.”

Eun Woo is quick to bow and make his way out the door. “Of course, please excuse me Yeosang sunbae. Have a good morning.”

Seungmin watches him leave before flicking his eyes over to Yeosang who’s still leaning against his door frame. “And what might I have to do with Baek Enterprises, hyung?” He gestures for the Yeosang to come into the room; he doesn’t mind taking time to talk to him . 

“Nothing, but Yoon doesn’t know that and doesn’t need to.” Yeosang smirks as he enters, closing the door behind him. “You only looked like you wanted to push him out a window today; that’s progress.”

“Thank you, Yeosang hyung. I know it’s important for me to be willing to socialize with others at the firm, but I still fail to understand why I’m expected to do so while working and with all of them.”

“You know that will change when you’re made junior partner.” 

Seungmin sighs. “Will it, though?”

“Maybe not, but tools like Yoon won’t feel as comfortable barging into your office to talk about… what was his nonsense about this time?”

He sighs even deeper, earning an appraising glance from his friend. “He got matched and ‘fell in love’ this weekend, and he assumed I did the same. He’s literally talking about getting engaged after two days. It’s foolish.”

Yeosang gives a slightly pained looking smile. “You never know, maybe it really was love at first sight?”

Seungmin gives him a look that kind of comment deserves. “We both know that’s not it. He was told this woman is who he should love, so he decided he loves her. He’s lucky he thinks she’s pretty or it would’ve been harder to fake enthusiasm.”

“Seungmin-ah,” Yeosang starts but is interrupted by a gentle alarm. “I have an actual meeting to attend, but I hope you’ll at least try to have an open mind about your matches. You know someone is going to reach out to you soon.”

“I know, hyung. I’ll try.”

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He would have rather spent the evening alone, but Seungmin made these plans weeks ago, before the consultation was sprung on him. So, he walks into Hyunjin and Felix’s house at seven on the dot, wine bottle in hand. He reaches the kitchen without encountering any of his friends, just to find Hyunjin pinning Felix to the counter, with the latter’s hands tucked firmly into the back pockets of his pants. Seungmin watches them kiss like it’s what keeps them breathing for just a few seconds before clearing his throat. 

“Oh Seungmini!” Felix turns a dazed smile to him.

“Hi, Lix, Jinnie.” Seungmin hands off the bottle so Felix can put it into their little wine fridge then turns to Hyunjin. “Bini hyung’s late? That’s not like him.”

“Oh no, he’s here,” Hyunjin looks a touch shifty. “Just grabbing a couple things from my studio.”

Before he can ask, Felix is putting a glass in each of their hands and urging them to leave the room. “Dinner is almost ready, go relax in the living room.”

Seungmin follows Hyunjin out, sniffing the wine. “A rosé?”

“A pinot noir rosé! I think you’ll like it.”

They settle on the couch, and he asks Hyunjin about his day. After a minute, Changbin joins them, and they all chat for several minutes until Felix summons them to the dining room. Beside the head of the table is an easel covered with a sheet. Occasionally, Hyunjin likes to show them new projects and get their feedback, though typically he does this in the studio or maybe the living room. Still, it’s not unusual enough for Seungmin to feel like he needs to ask about it. 

When they’re nearly finished with the meal, Yoon Eun Woo disrupts his day yet again. Yeosang must’ve talked to Changbin. “So, Mini, I hear you had an interesting talk with a coworker today.”

“I’m not sure I would categorize the conversation as interesting. Pointless, irritating, tiresome, idiotic. Any of those words feels a bit more fitting.” Seungmin shoots off a quick text rescinding his gratitude for interrupting this morning. “In fact, I think I’ll go with idiotic; Eun Woo is so typical, pretending to fall in love with his match immediately. It’ll just end in frustration, heartbreak, or both.”

“I mean, you never know, Min–”

“But I do know.” Seungmin thought about it a lot after this morning. This was a very unproductive Monday. “I’m so tired of seeing everyone and their mother just blindly listen to a stupid algorithm. If you’re going to just decide to love someone, you might as well make your own choice. So that’s what I’m gonna do.”

Felix looks adorably confused. “What do you mean, Mini?”

“It means I will consider my matches,” He lifts his hand to halt the still confused celebration that starts. “But, I’m not looking at the top ones. I’m going to pick the person at the bottom of my list.”

He’s met with a range of surprised faces. Then Hyunjin pouts and pulls the sheet off the easel. “Does that mean we did all this for nothing?” He reveals a board that says ‘Finding Seungmin’s Match’ in big flourishy letters across the top and has a bracket with six women’s names, pictures, and what appears to be a brief synopsis of each of their charming points.

“I have one statement, three questions, and four sub questions.” 

Changbin tries to stay ahead of the game. “How about you just thank them for loving us, and we move on to finding out who you’re going to attempt to romance, since we clearly aren’t going to be able to change your mind.”

“Wait, but what if I wanna hear his questions?”

Felix pats Hyunjin’s cheek gently. “Oh honey, you don’t wanna hear his questions.” 

“Fine, fine,” Hyunjin sticks out his tongue at a giggling Changbin. “I have one question before we just accept Seungmin’s obstinate determination to prove science wrong without question.”

Changbin’s hand lands on Seungmin’s just before he brings it up to point as he counters Hyunjin’s statement, and he shakes his head. Reluctantly, Seungmin remains quiet. “And what’s your question, Hyuni?”

“If you were going to go with one of your top matches, just based on the bracket here, who do you think you’d pick?”

Seungmin surveys the information on the board. “Kyujin. What’s her percentage?”

Changbin checks his phone. “98%. Does that change anything for you?”

“Nope,” Seungmin says simply. “But it does confirm my suspicion that you were in on whatever this is.”

For his part, Changbin doesn’t deny it, his ears go a little red. “Alright, well I didn’t keep your entire list so pull it up.” 

Seungmin decides to text the first picture on the profile to their group chat before reading off the basic info of the match ‘title card.’ “Bang Chan. Age 29. ENFJ. Personal Trainer. Definitely wants kids. Korean-Australian. 171 cm. He speaks English, Korean, Japanese, and a bit of Chinese. He can play the guitar and the piano. His life motto is ‘just enjoy.’ His hobbies are lifting/working out, sports, ghost hunting, and making furniture.”

“Wow, when they said your least compatible match, they weren’t kidding,” Felix laughs. “Are you sure you wanna do this?”

Seungmin bites his lip. “I want to try. What’s that old adage? Something like magnets?”

“Opposites attract? Kinda like complementary colors.”

“Yes, thank you, Jinnie.” Seungmin gets that look in his eye. “I have decided; I’m going to fall in love with Bang Chan.”

“Seungmin…”

“Actually, not only that, I’m going to make him fall in love with me!”

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Chan

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“Channie hyung, you have a new match message!” 

HeartSync™ has a certain, special tone for the first message from one of your matches. Jisung has taken to turning the volume on Chan and Minho’s phones on when they hang out, so they’ll all know when a new contender has entered the ring. Chan doesn’t mind, but he also knows that Minho is plotting some kind of small but noticeable inconvenience as his revenge. 

“Okay, but actually, what the fuck?”

Chan hurries back into the room at that. “What is it, Innie?” He sees that the younger man is holding his phone, his boyfriend trying to peek over his shoulder. 

“This dude sent you a message when your compatibility percentage is literally 15%.” Jeongin looks baffled. “Why is he bothering to talk to you? Is it even possible for that to be his highest match?”

“That is insane, but first,” Jisung turns to face Chan head on. “Why is Innie allowed to have the password to your phone, and I’m not? That doesn’t seem fair at all!”

Chan purses his lips. “Ji, do you remember what happened the last time I gave you unlimited access to my phone?”

“What I recall is that we now get unlimited pickled cucumbers at our third favorite ramen shop, which is a big win.”

Before Chan can argue, Minho interjects. “Can we get back to this 15% match? ‘Cause I need to see what this fool thought was an appropriate opening line.” 

They all turn their attention back to Jeongin. He clears his throat, opens the message, and reads it aloud: “Hello, Bang Chan-ssi. I can imagine you are surprised to get a message from me, but I would love the opportunity to discuss meeting with you… Because I know all the letters of the alphabet, but I really wish I knew U better.” Jeongin immediately fake gags as Chan starts to giggle the way he does when someone flirts with him.

Jisung nearly falls off his chair laughing after Minho snatches the phone out of Jeongin’s hand. “I’ll block him for ya real quick.”

“Wait no!” Chan tries for the phone, but Minho holds it out of his reach. “Come on, Min! It probably took a lot for him to get the courage to send something. We can check out his profile at the very least.”

“Yeah, hyung!” Jisung manages to get out as he quells his laughter. “We’ve gotta learn more about this guy.”

“He did manage to make Channie hyung blush with that lame ass line, so I am curious to see if he’ll do it again.” Jeongin shrugs, a smirk on his lips. 

“It was cute!”

“Fine, whatever,” Minho hands the phone back to Jeongin. “Tell us about 15%.”

“Why am I suddenly the HeartSync™ reader?”

Jisung wraps his arms around Jeongin’s waist. “‘Cause you have a sexy voice, babe.”

“No,” Minho groans. “Don’t make this gross. It’s because you’re the maknae, and it’s easier to talk shit immediately when you’re not the one reading.”

“Aww, does hyungie think it’s gross when I love on my man?” Jisung starts kissing at Jeongin’s face and neck with barely suppressed giggles. The latter is back to fake gagging as he attempts to push Jisung away from him.

Minho has that look on his face that Chan knows can lead to way more mischief than he’s up for tonight. “Min, chill. Ji, unstick and go grab a couple more beers, please? Innie, I’ll read them, give it here.” As expected, Minho rolls his eyes, but he looks less murderous. Jisung salutes him and heads for the fridge. 

Jeongin does surprise him a bit, making him chuckle. He pulls the phone close to his chest. “Hey, I never said I had a problem with it; I just wanted to know why.”

“You got it.”

When Jisung returns with the drinks, Jeongin clears his throat, flourishing the phone before he starts to read. “So he’s Kim Seungmin. Age 26. ISFJ. Oh, he’s a divorce attorney.”

“Divorce attorney, that’s interesting,” Minho muses. “I bet he has some good stories.”

Jeongin glares at him. “As I was saying, he’s open to having kids. Korean, obviously.” 

“I mean, you can’t say obviously like that when you didn’t show us his pictures before you started reading.”

“Dude, let me read the profile!” The three of them try not to laugh at Jeongin’s exasperation. “He’s 178 cm –”

“Ooh, he’s taller than you!”

“Et tu, Sungie?” Jeongin shakes his head. Jisung blows him a kiss with a wink. “He speaks English well. He loves singing and can play the guitar. His life motto is ‘Today you spent in vain is the day as tomorrow someone who passed away really wants to live through.’ Damn. Hyung, what’s yours again?”

“Hah!” Minho looks smug. “Innie interrupted himself this time.”

 Jeongin sighs heavily. “I’m going to murder all of you.”

“What did I do?” Chan shouts as Minho says, “You can try, but you’re going to be very disappointed in the result, Baby Bread.”

“You’d never murder me, jagi. You love me too much.” Jisung plucks the phone from Jeongin’s grasp and sits on his lap. “Anyway, his hobbies are journaling, photography, doing puzzles, and learning new things. Bro sounds like a big nerd, Channie. Are we texting him back?”

It’s Chan’s turn to snatch his phone out of Jisung’s hands. “With the way you guys are baggin’ on him, I don’t think we’re texting him back. But I will.”

“No!” Jisung whines. “You can’t leave us out! What am I supposed to do for entertainment?”

“I mean, we could go make out,” Jeongin shrugs. 

Jisung is out of his seat and dragging Jeongin toward his room in the next two seconds. “Later, hyungs!” He throws over his shoulder with a giggle. 

“God, I hate them.”

Chan grins. “You know they’re cute, Minho-yah.” He hesitates for a moment. “You don’t really think it’s a bad idea for me to message this guy back, do you?”

“Kim Seungmin,” Minho sighs. He leans over so he can peek down the hall to make sure the other two are really gone. “If you want to, I support you, hyung. As always. And you know I’m not completely sold on the compatibility matches anyway. If anything about his profile sticks out to you, it wouldn’t hurt to humor him.”

Chan wraps his arms around Minho, smiling broadly despite the groan and eye roll he gets in return. “Aww, you love your hyung, don’t you?” He tries to plant a kiss on his cheek only to get shoved away.

“Get off me, old man. Text your weirdo.” 

Minho heads into the kitchen, presumably to get snacks and more drinks. Chan looks at 

Kim Seungmin’s profile for the first time. He scrolls up from the bottom, recognizing that at least based on what’s here, they don’t have much in common. But he knows that sometimes people aren’t good at writing dating profiles. When he reaches the top and sees the first of his pictures, he lets out a soft “oh.”

The first photo seems to be a candid shot. His pretty, dark hair is parted slightly off center, looking lush. Chan takes in his stunning profile. Lovely almond shaped eyes sit above a straight and strong nose, slightly downturned at the time. His lips. His lips are plump and pink with a subtle smirk. He’s wearing a white button down with a black tie, sleek and simple; he was caught in the process of rolling up his sleeves, and why is that so hot?  

Chan swipes through his other pictures. He has a couple in suits, looking professional and elegant. A few more candids have Chan’s heart speeding up just a little. Whether he’s dressed to the nines or rocking sweats and a simple tee, he’s just lovely. In the one with his friends, seeing the genuine smile on his face brings one to Chan’s own. It’s decided. 

♡˚🔁 Chan

Well hello, Kim Seungmin. You have caught me a bit by surprise, but it’s a
welcome one. I’m curious to see what encouraged you to reach out.

Seungmin 🔁˚♡

Thank you for replying. I knew it was a long shot when I sent 
the message, so I appreciate I’d rather explain in person, if
you’re open to meeting me forcoffee?

Chan jumps when Minho speaks directly into his ear. “Well, he certainly moves fast.”

“Jesus, Minho!” He tries to reign in his breathing, feeling silly for being so easily startled. “I swear, one of these days, we really are gonna get you a bell.”

“I prefer ‘Minho Christ,’ thank you very much,” Minho smirks. “It’s not my fault you’re so jumpy, hyung. Anyway, back to the matter at hand: are you gonna meet up with him, try to get him to talk via text, or just ghosting him?”

“I’ve told you before –”

“Yes, yes, it’s immature and rude to ghost people, blah, blah blah.” Minho rolls his eyes. “What do you think? He didn’t give you much to go on.”

Chan thinks about it for a moment. Minho is right, without any conversation and the whopping 15% compatibility score, it doesn’t really make sense to give him a chance. Then again… He clicks back to swipe through his pictures again, pausing on the one where he’s laughing with his friends. Part of the point of HeartSync™ is so that you don’t date people solely based on looks and a cheesy pick up line. 

Once again, his phone is plucked from his grasp. “Oh, he’s cute. Looks kinda like a happy puppy.” Minho swipes through the rest of the photos. “And hot. That’s why you’re saying yes, I suppose?”

Chan blushes, turning away from him. “I know that’s not a good reason to meet him.”

“And yet.” Minho hands the phone back. It’s on the message screen again.

 Chan🔁˚♡

?Sure. Where and when are you thinking

Seungmin 🔁˚♡

Can you meet tomorrow morning? Maybe around 8:30?
We could meet at the Blueprint Café.

Chan🔁˚♡

8:30 at the bluprint cafe it is. See you tomorrow!

Seungmin 🔁˚♡

Excellent. See you then.

“Min!” Chan is simultaneously happy that his friend took the choice out of his hands and irritated that he’d set him up for a date so early on a Sunday morning. “8:30! Why does he even wanna meet that early? He knows what time it is right now!”

Minho is doing his evil little chuckle, and Chan leans more into being irritated at him. “Better head to bed, hyung.”

“Ugh, maybe I don’t want to meet him.” Chan drops his forehead to the table with an exaggerated sigh. “Like would I even wanna be with a morning person?”

⋆˙⟡♡˚🔁˚♡⟡˙⋆

True to his nature, Chan did not go to bed when Minho suggested it. In fact, he stayed up a couple hours after he left. So now he’s trying not to trudge into the café, rubbing at his tired eyes. He’s a few minutes late, but at least he didn’t snooze his alarm more than once. He makes it two steps inside before he hears him. 

“Bang Chan-ssi?”

To his credit, Chan doesn’t flinch, but he was a tad startled being addressed immediately. He turns, dawning the best smile he can muster. Seungmin looks incredible. Dressed and styled so simply, and yet so put together. Chan, of course, looks like a sack of potatoes by comparison. Despite the wave of insecurity washing over him, his smile brightens. “Hi, you must be Seungmin.”

The younger man reaches out to shake his hand. “Yes, thank you for meeting me. I already have a table back here.”

He follows Seungmin to a table in the corner. He’s clearly been here a while, a nearly empty cup sits beside his computer and a couple of file folders. He quickly shuts it and puts everything into the laptop bag on the extra chair. At the seat across from his sits a fresh iced coffee. 

“I got you an iced americano; I hope that’s alright.”

“Oh, thank you, but I don’t really care for coffee,” Chan says sheepishly, hand coming up to rub at the back of his neck.

Seungmin just nods and gestures toward the counter. “Is there anything else you’d like instead? We can get pastries as well.”

They order and return to their seats, Seungmin taking the drink on Chan’s side and taking a sip. They begin with idle small talk while they wait for Chan’s smoothie and their food. Once they’re delivered, it’s almost like he can see a switch flicked in him. 

“So,” Seungmin begins, setting his hands on the table in front of him, fingers interlocked. “I know you’re likely confused about my reaching out to you, and with good reason. The intention of getting matched is to meet up with those with whom you have a high compatibility score.

“To be frank, I am not a fan of HeartSync™ for reasons I can get into later if you wish. Despite our low score, I do find you attractive, and I would love to try to get to know you. The algorithm isn’t perfect; it does show that we at least have a baseline probability of connecting. Knowing that, I’d like to take numbers out of the equation now to see if we might have a better shot than a computer program can predict.”

Chan is stunned. It must show on his face, especially when he doesn’t say anything right away. Before he can even come up with some kind of response, Seungmin stands. A flash of panic goes through him, for some reason, at the thought that after saying his piece and not getting an answer, that Seungmin is already giving up on him. 

“I’ll grab you another croissant.” Seungmin’s smile is sweet, but also vaguely reminiscent of Minho’s, which tends to carry an air of mischievousness. He pauses next to Chan, a large, warm hand landing on his shoulder. “Take your time to process this; I know it’s not the most conventional dating proposition.” 

I think that’s an understatement, he thinks. Seungmin basically explained that he chose to do what Chan himself did in agreeing to come on this date. Okay, what Minho assumed Chan would wanna do. It’s not like people don’t just ask people out anymore. He’s asked out, and been asked out by, plenty of people without being matched. Just never someone who off the bat knew that their relationship was almost destined to fail. 

When in doubt, consult the group chat. He lays out the situation as briefly as he can, looking over his shoulder to check if Seungmin is on his way back. He’s talking to another customer, so Chan seems to have a little time. 

⊹Channie⊹

So basically this guy doesn’t like HS and thinks since since we’re at
least a partial match and he thinks I’m attractive?? He wants to go out?
Do I say yes?
Is he crazy? 
I’m not awake enough for this!!! 
Help!!!
Be awake and answer!!!

⊹Minho⊹

Well. Does he seem crazy?

⊹Channie⊹

He actually seems super grown up and like smart?
He’s really well spoken and obvi put a lot of thought into his uh
proposition as he called it

⊹Minho⊹

And you think he’s hot, right?

⊹Channie⊹

Even more than before… He’s soooooo cute Min

⊹Minho⊹

I mean HS does kinda suck, so I say go for it if you’re feeling it

⊹Channie⊹

I mean… I know you’re not super into HS but 15% is pretty bad…

⊹Bby 🍞⊹

hyungs
i swear to god if you keep blowing up my phone, i will do a murder
say yes to you stupid smart boy and if you get to know him and if
aren’t feeling it stop seeing him

⊹Channie⊹

Oh Innie you’re so smart. What would I do without you 🥹🥹🥹

⊹Bby 🍞⊹

prolly die. goodnight.

⊹Minho⊹

In you know it’s like 9am, right?

⊹Bby 🍞⊹

MURDER HYUNG
GOODNIGHT

⊹Channie⊹

He’s so cute when he’s angy 😊

⊹Minho⊹

I’m so proud of him And glad that he’ll be in your apt when you get
home and not mine

⊹Channie⊹

😨😨😨

“Everything alright?”

Chan does jump when Seungmin returns to his seat, hand flying up to his chest like he’s an old woman. “Hi, yes. Yes, everything is fine. Everything is good.” 

The side of Seungmin’s mouth quirks up in a smirk. “Happy to hear it. Sorry that took me a minute, I ran into a client and didn’t want to be rude. I hoped you’d like the extra time to think. If not, I apologize for the delay.”

“You’re so polite, Seungmin-ah.” Chan says it without thinking. When he sees Seungmin’s head tilt to the side, a different little smirk gracing his lips now, Chan realizes that he probably shouldn’t have been so informal. “Um, so I thought about what you said. I can’t say I’m on the same page as you, but I guess to get a better idea of why you’re thinking, I’ll need to get to know you.”

Seungmin’s smile widens. “I’m happy to hear it. I can start getting into –”

Just then his phone starts ringing. Seungmin excuses himself, saying it’s a work call. He takes it out on the sidewalk, so as not to bother other customers. After a couple minutes, he comes back inside. “I’m sorry Chan-ssi, there’s something I need to go into the office to handle. Can I text you about setting up a date?”

Despite the fact that dating is what they’ve been talking about this entire time, Chan blushes at that. “Oh, yeah, of course. Did you drive here or do you need a ride?”

Chan doesn’t swoon even a little bit because of Seungmin’s answering smile. “I’m good, but thank you for offering. I look forward to seeing you again.” 

They both stand, and Chan’s happy his drink is in a take out cup, since he can head right out and get back in bed. They step out of the cafè and start to turn in opposite directions. For the first time, Seungmin looks less than confident. Luckily, parting gestures are Chan’s specialty; just as he’s about to go for a hug, Seungmin offers his hand to shake. 

“I’ll text you tonight.”

“Right. Have a good day, Seungmin.”

⋆˙⟡♡˚🔁˚♡⟡˙⋆

Chan’s woken by an animated Han Jisung, plopping down on his bed and all but yelling, “Channie hyung!”

He nearly falls out of bed scrambling away from the sound. When he recovers enough to be aware he looks from Jisung in his bed to Jeongin leaning against the door frame, grinning. “Rise and shine, hyung.”

“Hi guys,” Chan rubs at his eyes wearily. “What’s up?” 

“Minho hyung is bringing lunch over and requested that you…” Jisung scrunches his face in faux concentration. “What was it, Innie?”

“He said, and I quote, ‘get that muscled up teddy bear in the shower and at the table by the time I get there.’”

Jisung giggles, “Oh yes, that’s right. So into the shower, hyung!”

“Okay, okay, I understand the need to get up, but did you have to scare me half to death to do it?”

“Actually, yes.” Jeongin holds up his phone. “You wake me up annoyingly, I wake you up annoyingly.”

Jisung springs up and joins Jeongin at the door. “Also, he said that maybe 20, 30 minutes ago? So you better get to it.”

“30 minutes! It takes five to let the shower warm up!”

The pair just laugh as they walk away, leaving Chan to rush to his bathroom, hurriedly getting clothes out and searching for his phone. By the time he emerges from his room, his friends are all gathered around their dining room table, and Minho is glaring at him from the head of it. 

“I gave you plenty of time and yet, you make me wait?” Minho tsks. “I’m disappointed in you, hyung. We were all so excited to hear about your date, and you don’t even care.”

“Minho-yah,” Chan whines. “You know I hate when you go all disappointed father –” 

“Mother!” Jisung interjects.

“Disappointed mother on us.”

Minho squints at him. “I’m pretty sure you love it when I do it to the children.”

“Yeah, dad,” Jeongin teases. “Can’t have it both ways.”

“Don’t you start, Yang Jeongin, when you know it’s your fault that I’m late!”

Before Jeongin can give his retort, Jisung interrupts. “Okay, I’m tired of the family bit; can we please eat now? My stomach is eating itself.”

“So dramatic, Jisungie,” Minho rolls his eyes but starts doling out the food. “Really, hyung, how did it go this morning?”

Chan hesitates. “I think it went well. I still don’t really know what to think. It’s hard to imagine I could have any kind of future with him, but he sounded so confident. I wish he’d been able to explain more.”

“Wasn’t the whole point of meeting with him so that he’d explain why he asked you out?”

“Yes, but he got an emergency call from work and had to go.” Chan grimaces slightly at their expressions in reaction to that. “He seems very devoted to his work. He was even working before I got there.” 

Jisung’s eyebrows rise. “Not that being hardworking is bad, but what if the reason things aren’t working out for him with his high matches is because he’s a workaholic and doesn’t make time for his relationships?”

“Very valid point, Ji,” Jeongin agrees immediately. “I don’t know about this, hyung.”

“That’s not it,” Chan pauses, actually considering the thought. Okay, maybe it’s possible but I wanna give him the benefit of the doubt. “He just isn’t a fan of AI matchmaking. He said that it shows that we have basic compatibility, but now he wants to figure out if we can work even though our score is low.”

“Did he say why he chose you specifically?” 

Chan blushes. “Just that he thinks I’m attractive.”

Minho shrugs. “Well, what’s the worst that can happen if you see him again? You think he’s attractive, too, and he’s not wrong; you wouldn’t have been matched at all if it wasn’t possible that you could work out.”

“Minho hyung…” Jisung looks a little troubled.

“It’s the truth, Jisung-ah.”

“True or not, we know how this can turn out.”

Jeongin squints his eyes at him. “Am I missing something?”

Chan sighs heavily and nods at Minho to tell the story. Unlike Seungmin, Chan does believe in HeartSync™ to help him find his perfect partner, but he does still believe in fate, too. He knows he can’t just blindly go with his highest match; he’s done that before, and it didn’t work out for the best. So, he can’t 100% count on the algorithm to find his soulmate, but he believes that if he can meet his true match organically, things will click into place. HeartSync™ just gives him a leg up on knowing who to look for. 

“He actually brought the new match with him when he dumped you?” Jeongin all but shouts the question, knocking Chan out of his thoughts. He winces at the memory. 

“I know it sounds harsh, but he felt like he found his true love.” He tries not to sound too sad about it. It’s been long enough, he’s (mostly) over it. “Do I wish we’d waited to get serious, knowing we weren’t a 95% match? Yes. But now I know better. I’m waiting to find the right person.”

“I can’t believe people actually do that,” Jeongin scoffs. 

Ever the mood maker, Jisung says, “Well, on the plus side, this confirms it. Innie will never leave me for a better match.”

“Excellent, now it’s just your personality we have to worry about.”

“Minho!”

“Hyung!” 

Minho, and possibly more importantly Jeongin, start cackling. In a rare show of (sober) affection, Jeongin caresses Jisung’s cheek. “Don’t worry, jagi. I won’t leave you unless someone very rich and beautiful matches with me.”

“This is what happens when you let Minho in the house, hyung,” Jisung whines. “Innie-yah is so sweet to me when he’s not around. 

“That’s Minho hyung to you, brat.”

“Ji, come on,” Jeongin rolls his eyes, but his smile is genuine. “You know how I feel. Plus, we’re getting way off track.” He turns to face Chan. “If that’s why you aren’t dating someone now, what sense does it make to even consider this guy? Your score is so low. It just seems like a waste of time. “

“I know, but –”

“I don’t think you’re looking at it the right way, Innie.” Minho insists. “The fact that that happened with a 92% match goes to show that the number isn’t everything. You need a quality person, and AI just can’t quantify that.”

“Min has a –”

“Yeah, but it’s not nothing either. 15% tells me that something must be wrong with the guy. Why can’t he get someone with a higher score?”

Jisung jumps in before Minho can retort. “Maybe we should let Chan speak since he’s the one who met the guy and has to decide if he wants to see him again?”

Minho and Jeongin both look at him with a huff before turning their eyes back to Chan. Jeongin mumbles, “Sorry, hyung.”

Chan reaches out to squeeze Jisung’s hand in appreciation. As chaotic as the man can be, he can always count on Jisung to look out for him. He thinks back to the moment his heart constricted when he thought Seungmin might leave when he didn’t answer right away. It felt very silly in the moment, but maybe it was a sign? “I think you both make good points, but this comes down to not having enough information. Like Minho-yah said this this morning, the only way to learn more about him and his point of view on all this is to talk to him.”

“You have to at least have gotten a vibe this morning, though, right?” 

He contemplates the question. “I guess so? He was very polite. He had a coffee waiting for me when I got there, and he made sure to get it at just the right time, cause the ice didn’t seem very melted or anything.”

“You drank coffee for this man, hyung?” Minho almost looks affronted. 

“Oh no!” Chan laughs. “He ended up drinking it. And when I told him I don’t like coffee, he immediately bought me a smoothie. He also actually went to get me another croissant after his little speech so that I would have time to think without him sitting in front of me.”

Jisung squeezes his hand this time. “That does seem promising?”

“I guess he doesn’t sound like he’s the worst,” Jeongin grumbles, and Jisung lets go and leans over to reach for him instead. His boyfriend, of course, swats at his hand instead of taking it. “I just don’t want Channie hyung to get hurt.”

Chan feels a surge of warmth within him at the words. Jeongin is a great friend, and he’s beyond happy that Jeongin matched with Jisung. He knows that Jeongin is averse to public displays of affection, romantic or platonic, so it means a lot for him to say so and that he’s arguing so fiercely against Chan going out with Seungmin. 

Unbothered by the momentary rejection, Jisung turns back to Chan. “Maybe Innie is right. I know you were burned before, but” – when he reaches out this time, Jeongin does slip his hand into his – “I know you’ll find the one for you if you just hold out.”

Minho is quiet. “We’re glad you found each other that way, but I don’t think he should turn down a chance for something that isn’t certain. Chan, this might just be that special something that you talk about.”

They all sit in silence for a minute. “I really appreciate all of you. Really. But I think Minho is right. There’s no harm in a single date. I know I won’t be falling after a couple hours. And after, you’ll probably be here to remind me of the possible downfalls when I get home after it.” 

The joke falls a little flat, but Jisung gives him a pity laugh before standing and coming over to pat him on the shoulder. “Alright, hyung, we trust you to make good choices, and we will be here for you when you need us. What do you say we watch a movie while you anxiously await his text?”

Chan gives him a big smile. “You know me so well, Jisungie. I’m so lucky to have you.” He grabs Jisung around the waist, pulling him into his lap and peppering his cheek with kisses. He resists for about half a second before he starts giggling.

Minho and Jeongin both roll their eyes. The former just says “barf” and starts clearing the table, while the latter, heads to the couch. He calls over his shoulder, “Ji hyung, come pick a movie.”

Jisung gives Chan a single kiss on the cheek in return then jumps off his lap to follow. He and Minho grin at each other. When it’s just them, Jeongin doesn’t typically call Jisung hyung unless he wants something. In this case, probably just to get him back to trying to cling to him, even if he doesn’t intend on reciprocating. 

They end up watching the original Jurassic Park movies, as Jeongin had never seen them. As the third one begins, Jisung bolts upright at the HeartSync™ tone. All eyes turn to Chan as he fishes his phone out of his pocket.

Seungmin🔁˚♡

Good evening, Chan-ssi! I wanted to thank you again for meeting up

with me today. 

♡˚🔁Chan

Hi Seungmin! Of course. It was nice meeting you!

Seungmin🔁˚♡

If you’re up for it, I’d love to set up a date sometime this week.

♡˚🔁Chan

Yeah, let’s do it. I’m still really  curious about your mindset 
with all this. 
What do you have in mind?

Seungmin🔁˚♡

I actually have tickets to the Lotte Giants game tomorrow, if you’d
be interested in going.

Chan looks up to see everyone still looking at him, the movie apparently forgotten. “You can’t all just be watching me?”

“We’re all invested now, Channie hyung,” Minho deadpans. “Deal with it and read the texts out loud for us so we don’t have to wait for recaps.”

Jisung pauses the movie and claps his hands. “Start from the top!”

“‘Now,’” Chan laughs. He reads their exchange. “Aren’t baseball games, like, 3 hours long?”

“Yeah. Do you even like baseball, hyung?”

Chan makes a face. “I mean I don’t hate it, but I never played. It’s not particularly fast paced or exciting.”

“Gives you plenty of time to talk?” Jisung shrugs.

“True.” Chan isn’t the most excited about the prospect of the game, but the point is to get to know Seungmin and understand why he thinks them dating is a good idea. “I guess I’m going to a baseball game tomorrow.”

Chan 🔁˚♡

Sounds good! What time is the game?

♡˚🔁 Seungmin

It starts at 18:30. Would you be alright with meeting there?
I’d offer to pick you up, but I have a late meeting tomorrow.
Meet at the stadium?

Chan 🔁˚♡

Okay! What gate should I meet you by?

♡˚🔁 Seungmin

The Home Plate Gate at 18:15?

Chan 🔁˚♡

Awesome! See you tomorrow ☺️

⋆˙⟡♡˚🔁˚♡⟡˙⋆

Chan glances around nervously. He’s on time today, but it seems Seungmin is not. Chan knows that this is likely a strike against him in Jeongin, and probably Jisung’s, book but it’s only a couple minutes, and he said he was coming from work. Despite the fact that he’s actively looking for and expecting him, Chan still manages to jump when Seungmin taps him on the shoulder a minute later. 

“Oh, sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you.” His tone is apologetic, but Chan can see the amusement in his eyes. “And I’m sorry to make you wait, things ran a little long today.”

“Ah, it’s alright,” Chan gives him a smile as he takes him in. Seungmin looks sharp in a navy suit; it’s tailored perfectly to highlight his broad shoulders and tiny waist. His hair is slicked back, giving an unobstructed view of his absolutely stunning face. A face that starts to take on a look of concern as Chan realizes he’s been staring and has no idea what he said. “Sorry, could you say that again?”

Seungmin’s expression evens out. “Are you ready to head inside?”

“Yes, yes, of course. After you.”

Seungmin leads him to the gate, which is surprisingly empty. Most people must already be in the venue or at other entrances. There are plenty of people within, though, lined up for concessions and souvenirs, bustling about to find their seats or friends. When a large group of teens shove their way between him and Seungmin, seemingly unaware of anything outside of themselves, Chan has to stop or be caught up in the nonsense. 

Seungmin realizes what happened almost immediately and waits for him. He hesitates just a second before taking Chan’s hand before he sets off again. When they ultimately end up outside one of the boxes, he lets go; Chan might’ve been put out by the abrupt end of contact if he couldn’t see the pink painting the tops of Seungmin’s ears. As they walk into the box, Chan realizes how fancy it is compared to what he at least thinks they’re regularly like and wonders if Seungmin upgraded for their date or if this is just how he lives. 

Seungmin sets down the briefcase Chan forgot he was carrying and indicates a little menu plaque on the counter with a QR code. “I just want to get a little more comfortable, but in the meantime, feel free to order whatever and take your seat. The first pitch will be starting in a minute.” 

Chan nods and tries not to stare as Seungmin loosens his tie and removes his suit jacket. He realizes he failed when Seungmin stops rolling his sleeve and tells him again that he doesn’t need to wait on him. Chan turns then, scans the code and heads to the small balcony to sit down. Their seats are excellent, just to the left of home plate and not too high up. 

Seungmin plops into the seat beside him. “Did you order already or should I do it for us?”

“Oh!” Chan turns his attention back to his phone, noting the lack of prices on the menu. “I can do it. Do you know what you want, or?” He holds his phone out in case Seungmin just wants to choose himself. 

He waves it away, eyes drifting to where some idol is gearing up to throw the ceremonial first pitch. “Just a beer and a hotdog combo is fine for me.”

Chan puts in the orders, and trains his gaze on Seungmin. A small smile touches his lips when Seungmin laughs after the pitch. 

“That’s great.” He gestures toward the pitcher. “You’d be surprised how often people don’t even make it halfway. Might not have been a strike, but still. Man.”

“You’re really into this, huh? Think you could do better?” 

“Oh, I know I could.” Seungmin looks hot when he’s confident. “You know, I wanted to be a baseball player when I was young. I ended up getting hurt, though, and giving up on that dream… Anyway, um, I believe I owe you an explanation.”

Chan decides to go along with his subject change. It is why he’s here after all. He just nods, not sure what to ask and believing in him to get the ball rolling.

He may have wanted to start with a question anyway; Seungmin does. “Have you ever considered how many people end up getting married quickly after they match and end up living unhappily, for one reason or another?”

“Unhappily married?” Chan thinks through his friends and acquaintances. Obviously he himself has had a less than successful match, but they hadn’t been married. Plus, he doesn’t know anyone else who’s had an experience like his; clearly he, that relationship, was an outlier – the exception not the rule. “I really don’t think so. Everyone I know who’s matched and married is happy. Isn’t that kinda the point?”

“That is the point, yes.” Seungmin nods, turning to face the field again as he speaks. “But intention doesn’t actually mean much in terms of results. You say you don’t know anyone in that situation, but with that ‘happily ever after’ being the expectation, most people feel too embarrassed or ashamed to let even their loved ones know that they’ve made a mistake. You wouldn’t believe how many inquiries I get in a week, hell even a day, about the process of divorce.

“And the number of them that ultimately can’t go through with even attempting a separation? That stay with people who weren’t really right for them, despite what HeartSync™ says? Just because an algorithm shows that people are compatible, it doesn’t care about whether or not they’re actually good people.”

Chan can feel the tension pouring off of Seungmin the more he talks about it. He considers what he’s saying. If anyone would know about this kind of thing, it would be a divorce attorney. Yet, even Chan knows that there’s been a decline in practicing divorce law in recent years, so maybe Seungmin’s view is a little skewed, too. “That does make sense. But aren’t there safeguards to avoid matching people who have major red flags? I believe that you see and talk to a lot of people who are in bad spots, but maybe some of them don’t do anything past that because they work it out?”

Seungmin does turn back to look at him now. “I get why you want to think that, and I hope you’re right, but I don’t think so. There are plenty of people who get by any red flag protocols that HeartSync™ has, because there’s so much that is based on self reporting or that people have gotten unofficial citations or warnings about. Luckily domestic abuse reporting has gone up in recent years, but there’s so many complaints that get dropped or go unreported still. And that’s only half the problem.”

“God, do I even wanna know the other half?” This has taken a dark turn for a first date, Chan thinks. Though I guess I am here to find out his perspective.

Seungmin seems to realize that he’s tanking the mood and tries for a smile. Before he can speak up, a server comes in, handing off their food and drinks. Seungmin gestures to his food. “Nachos were a great choice. Do you wanna take a break? I know this is a lot, especially if you’re not used to looking at things from this side.”

Chan offers the nachos over to him, watching the small, satisfied smile grace his lips after eating a loaded chip. “No, that’s alright. Better to get it all out of the way first, right?”

“Alright.” Seungmin purses his lips and nods his head. 

Instead of continuing, though, he starts yelling. It takes Chan a solid seven seconds to understand what he’s saying and why. Big play, I guess. He takes in the field and the score, trying to see what could be so exciting in the first inning. He fails. Contrary to Chan’s initial impression of him, Seungmin seems to have completely lost focus on him and their conversation. He goes for a subtle prompt, “Alright, so…”

“Oh,” Seungmin snaps his head back to Chan for a moment. He slowly faces forward again as he starts talking. “So, the ugliness of domestic violence aside, there’s also the fact that people cheat, regardless of how high their match is; sometimes they say it’s for love, sometimes it’s because they’re scum.”

Chan grimaces. “I’ll never understand why people don’t just break up if they’re willing to go so far as to cheat.”

The look Seungmin gives him makes him feel the naivety of what he just said. “That’s because you’re not scum.”

“You must not be either, given that’s how you feel.” Chan gives him a smile. Seungmin tilts his head to the side with a cocky smile. 

“I’m glad you recognize this already. But, yeah, that is a valid question if you assume the best of people, but typically it’s the solution when you’re dating or not ‘in love’ as some people decide they are once they match.” Seungmin pauses a little longer than necessary, pumping his fist when the batter hits the ball. 

“You think people decide to be in love?”

“Ah, that’s not quite what I meant,” Seungmin sighs. “But there is this phenomenon that accompanies meeting your match. Some people believe so strongly in it that once they meet their match, they’re confident that they’re meant to love that person so they just tell themselves that they do almost right away. It’s most common with those people we see that get engaged within the first month of meeting their match.”

“I mean, we see that happen on occasion, but it can’t be that often?”

Seungmin gives him another look . “Then let’s shift gears. There are some people, great people even, who think they’re doing everything right, but come to find out that they weren’t ready to make such an important decision. Like, I have a friend who has recently become a client.”

Chan is about to tell him that he doesn’t need to break confidentiality to prove his point, but Seungmin puts a hand up to stop him. “Don’t worry, I’m allowed to talk about it. So when signing up for HeartSync™, the man answered all the questions truthfully; he was ready to start looking for love. He met up with a couple matches, found the girl he thinks he loves and saw a future with, and things seemed great. 

“Fast forward through a marriage and a couple happy years together, and he meets someone. Never before in his life had he ever been attracted to a man like this. Not that he was homophobic or anything, he just thought he was straight. Now, he realizes that he isn’t, and as much as he loves his wife, the feelings he has for this man outshine his feelings for her, romantically.” 

Chan could cry for this couple that he doesn’t even know. Sometimes it takes a while to figure yourself out, and the fact that this man wasn’t able to until after he committed himself to another person is heartbreaking. “Is she… Is his wife okay? Does she know yet?”

“You’re very sweet, Chan-ssi.” Seungmin’s smile is gentle as he takes the hand that’s still resting on his knee. “She’s alright. He talked to her almost immediately after meeting the other man. Luckily, they do truly love each other; the love they share is just more platonic than they’d ever hoped for it to be. And now she’s free to find the person who will actually be her best match, regardless of what HeartSync™ has to say about it.”

Chan lets this sink in. Seungmin doesn’t press him to say anything. In fact, once he finishes the story, he seems to get reabsorbed into the baseball game. So absorbed in it that Chan is loath to break his silence. He orders another beer for both of them, another hot dog for himself. When they arrive, Seungmin gives him a quick thank you but remains focused on the game. Still, there’s a couple more things Chan wants to know. 

“So, I’m starting to understand why you don’t like HeartSync™, but I really don’t see why you’d sign up for it?”

“Oh, simple.” His eyes don’t leave the field. “I try to be a good son. My parents do really believe in the algorithm; it brought them together as well as bringing them their wonderful son-in-law and subsequently what will soon be two grandchildren. I was just about out of excuses to put it off, but they didn’t even wanna let me try again. They simply informed me that they’d signed me up and to show up on the right day and time.”

“Alright, that tracks,” Chan laughs. “And congrats to your sibling, if I understood that correctly.”

“I’ll pass that along to her.”

“Okay, I guess there’s only one more thing I want to ask about today.” Seungmin chooses now to give his undivided attention. Chan looks down at his hands, fiddling with a string on his pants; he can feel his ears heating up. “Why did you choose to message me?”

Seungmin purses his lips, looking back out onto the field. For a minute, Chan thinks he might have to ask again. Or take the question back completely. He glances over at him again before speaking. “I’ll admit, I’m nervous to tell you this part.”

Chan sucks his bottom lip between his teeth, preparing to remind both of them now. “I can imagine, but –”

“But that’s why you’re here.” Seungmin takes a bigger than average gulp of his beer, and Chan follows suit. “And I value honesty. Basically, I decided to message you specifically because… you are not the type of person I would choose to approach on my own. That’s not to say that you’re unattractive, of course. You’re very handsome, even more so in person. My highest matches were entirely women who are younger than me. When I did reach the men on my match list, they tended to be a bit more, um, effeminate. And the majority of my matches’ interests leaned more into academia and the like.”

Chan isn’t sure what to do with this information. It’s hard to be too flattered about being told he’s attractive, when he’s also being told he was chosen specifically because he’s not Seungmin’s type.

“But one of the most annoying aspects of the compatibility algorithm is that it tends to match people with others that share their interests and attitudes.” Seungmin’s knee has started to bounce. “Obviously it’s important to agree on certain aspects of life, but there’s a reason there are proverbs like ‘variety is the spice of life.’ ‘Opposites attract’ isn’t just about magnets; my friend likens it to the importance of complementary colors.”

“I get what you’re saying,” Chan says, standing. Seungmin stands with him, the proximity reminding him of their height difference. 

“Please don’t leave yet, Chan-ssi,” he starts.

Chan stops him, though. “I’m not gonna leave, I just need a second to think. I’m gonna go… get another drink.”

Seungmin bites his lip but doesn’t say anything, watching Chan leave before sitting back down. 

Once he’s in the hallway, he paces outside the door to their box. Luckily the hall is nearly empty. Chan can’t help but feel a little overwhelmed and confused. He basically just said why he shouldn’t date me. Like he said so himself, we don’t really have anything in common. Saying his other matches are interested in academia… maybe he would do better with someone who’s on his level, intellectually, but I’m sure he doesn’t see that in me? And maybe he’s right? He did say that I’m handsome, but looks aren’t everything. Plus, I feel like he was backed into a corner with that one. 

He opens the group chat and contemplates texting about this, but he knows that it’ll likely start another argument between Minho and Jeongin. He pulls up Jisung’s contact instead. 

“ Channie hyung! The game can’t possibly be over already; what’s wrong? ” Even just hearing his voice helps ground Chan.

“Hey, Ji.” Maybe he should’ve thought through what to say before calling. “I’m just not sure how I’m feeling right now, so I wanted to check in. What are you up to?” 

Jisung sounds only a little worried. “ Innie’s picking up take out and maybe Minho hyung. Do you wanna talk about it? ” 

“I don’t know, Ji. Basically Seungmin just told me that he asked me out because I’m not his type.”

“ Why would he do that? ”

“To prove that opposites attract, I guess?”

“ Is that what he said? ”

“I mean, more or less. He told me all his high matches were young women; he probably doesn’t date men very often at all. I’m older than him, I’m definitely not effeminate, and I’m probably not smart enough for him anyway.”

“ Hyung, stop that right now. You’re one of the smartest guys I know. So, what if you’re not a lawyer or whatever,” Jisung insists. “ You’re an awesome guy, and something about your profile attracted him, right? ”

“Yeah, I guess he said he thought I was handsome…”

“ Don’t say it like you think it’s a lie; I’ve seen your profile pictures. You’re downright fuckable. Don’t tell Innie I said that. Scratch that, Innie knows. Don’t tell Minho, I’ll never hear the end of it.”

Chan can’t help but laugh at that. “Thanks, Jisungie. It’s our secret.” For now, at least .

“Look hyung, you know I’m more in favor of you dating a high match than not, right?” Jisung doesn’t wait for a response. “ But there’s a reason you decided to go on this date. Unless it was to make Minho hyung happy or annoy Innie, I think you should find out exactly what he meant.”

Chan sighs. Calling him was the right choice. “Yeah, I think I just got a little overloaded on info. I should probably go back in and finish hearing him out.”

“ Call back if you need to, hyung. I’ll be here .”

Chan heads back inside, belatedly realizing he doesn’t have a beer to show for his absence. Seungmin doesn’t seem to hear his approach. He wasn’t sure how he’d find him – cheering and having a good time or watching the door, maybe even waiting in the little foyer space. Turns out to be neither. Seungmin is still in his seat, eyes forward. When the Giants player hits a triple, bringing in three runs, he just claps quietly. Annoying as it was when Seungmin seemed to forget he was talking to him a few times, Chan is sad to see his exuberance gone. 

“Is this a golf match or a baseball game?”

“Chan-ssi.” Seungmin stands again. “I don’t think I was clear before.”

Chan nods and gestures back to their seats. They sit and he watches as Seungmin takes in his empty hands and immediately orders another round of beers while he waits for Chan to say something. “Go on.”

“On the surface, we don’t seem to have a lot in common, but that’s the thing – it’s on the surface.” Seungmin turns in his seat, offering a hand out to Chan. He takes it, hesitatingly. “But even just from our conversation today, I can tell that we hold at least some of the same values. Even if you’re not exactly who I would typically approach, or who would be chosen for me, that doesn’t mean that you’re not someone I should want to date. I went into this intending to pick a low match, because I believe that anyone can fall in love. Something about your profile spoke to me, and it felt confirmed when you responded kindly and again when you met me for coffee.”

He squeezes Chan’s hand gently. “I’m hoping that you being here today means that something about me speaks to you, too. I do know this is extremely unconventional, and much more complicated than being with a high match would be. I’m just asking you to give me a chance. I’ll accept your choice either way.”

⋆˙⟡♡˚🔁˚♡⟡˙⋆

Seungmin

⋆˙⟡♡˚🔁˚♡⟡˙⋆

Seungmin hasn’t been this nervous in a long time. It wouldn’t be the end of the world if Chan turned him down, but the not knowing is getting to him. And if he’s being honest, so far he’s enjoyed being in Chan’s company. Plus, explaining this to a new prospect seems like a pain. 

When they left the stadium, Chan had opted against going for a drink or walk, citing the need to think things over on his own. So now Seungmin is pulling up to his apartment building wondering if he should’ve gone to Changbin’s instead. Maybe he needs a little outside perspective to try to get a better read on whether or not Chan might say yes to seeing him again. 

I just need to be patient. He shakes his head and walks inside. After a shower and settling in on his couch, he pulls up the HeartSync™ app. New messages from Bae, Jiwoo, and Kyujin, three of his highest matches, sit at the top but nothing new from Chan. He’d already messaged right after they parted to thank him for coming and tell him to take his time and text if he has any questions. All that’s left to do now is wait.

⋆˙⟡♡˚🔁˚♡⟡˙⋆

The wait ends up being longer than Seungmin anticipated. Luckily, he took on three new clients by Tuesday, so the week is going by quickly. True to his word, he hasn’t messaged Chan again, and Chan hasn’t messaged him.

It’s frustrating, to say the least.

It’s not that Seungmin can’t handle rejection. It’s the not knowing for sure . He’s not typically ghosted; plus, he doesn’t think Chan seems like the type to ghost someone; granted he doesn’t actually know the man, but part of Seungmin’s work is being a good judge of character, and he is very good at his job. Maybe that’s why he’s been spending a couple extra hours a day there. It’s just a coincidence that he keeps his phone on Do Not Disturb while he’s in the office and doesn’t feel the need to check it. 

“Kim Seungmin.” It’s Friday evening, and Yeosang is leaning against the door jamb when he looks up. “I’ve been tasked with taking you home.”

Seungmin doesn’t respond beyond cocking his head to the side slightly and raising one eyebrow. If there were a logical, work-related reason, Yeosang wouldn’t have that smirk on his face. He goes back to updating his file.

“Seungmin-ah, come on,” Yeosang’s voice is uncharacteristically whiny, an interesting change in tactics. “If you don’t want me to get involved, you need to stop ignoring your friends when you’re here after hours. They’re worried you’re overworking yourself again.” 

Seungmin lifts his gaze back toward the door. “First of all, my friends? If you’re not claiming them, why should I? Second, overworking myself is an exaggeration, then and now, and you know that already.” 

Yeosang laughs as he finally comes into the room, sitting in one of the chairs in front of Seungmin’s desk. “If it helps, they don’t want me to bring you to a bar or club or anything. They just want you to relax some. It’s not like you’re going to get behind on things or anything, new clients or no.”

Seungmin can acknowledge that he’s not being unreasonable. He’s not even wrong. Seungmin sighs. “Fine. Give me five minutes to wrap things up here. But I drove today. You don’t have to wait; I swear I’ll actually go.”

“Only problem with that is the fact that in preparation for this evening, Changbini may or may not have taken your extra key so Jjongie could drive your car home after he stopped by for lunch earlier.”

I love Changbin, even if he’s a ridiculous meddler, Seungmin reminds himself, sighing heavily and leaning back to stare at the ceiling. He saves the last document on his computer and stacks the files he was using before slipping them into one of the desk drawers. “Whatever, let’s just go.”

As an insignificant act of protest, he decides not to turn his phone off DND until he’s settled at home. Though he does still check the notifications that have built up while it was on. By now, most people in his life know not to message during the workday, so it’s not too many. A few, however, arrived much earlier in the day and make him wish he’d thought to check it at some point during the day. 

Chan 🔁˚♡

Hey Seungmin
Sorry it’s taken a while for me to get back to you
I know this is super last minute but do you maybe
have time to meet for lunch today?
Or maybe dinner or a drink later? 
If not, it’s cool. Just let me know when you have time
to talk, if you still want to that is

“Damn.” 

Yeosang’s eyes dart over to him before looking back at the road. “You good?”

“Yeah, I just should’ve checked my phone earlier.” Seungmin shakes his head, rereading the messages. “Why did you wait so long to make me leave?”

“My life doesn’t completely revolve around you, Min. I had my own work to focus on.”

Seungmin rolls his eyes. Maybe this is still salvageable. 

♡˚🔁Seungmin

Good evening! I’m sorry I’m only just now getting back to you. I 
leave my phone in my desk during work, and it was a busy day. 
I know it may be too late now, but if you’d still want to meet up
tonight, I can do a late dinner or drinks if you’ve already eaten.

He looks up from his phone when he doesn’t get a response within 30 seconds. It takes another few to realize what he should’ve noticed immediately. He groans. “Yeosang hyung, you said you were taking me home.”

The other man grins. “Yes, but I didn’t say I’d take you to your home.” They’re nearly to Changbin’s already. “And this is on you for only just noticing now.” 

“What can I give you to take me home instead?”

The car pulls up in front of Changbin’s building. “Nothing this time. I recommend you brainstorm for next time I kidnap you, and if you have an offer right off the bat, I’ll consider it.”

Seungmin tsks, getting out of the car. To his surprise, Yeosang is getting out as well. “What are you doing, hyung?”

“I also recommend unmuting the group chat,” Yeosang laughs. “It’s movie night. Come on.”

Seungmin glances at his phone.

Chan🔁˚♡

No worries, I can understand  needing to lock in for work. 
I actually am just finishing up for the day myself!
If you don’t mind a late dinner, I think that will work. Just need
to wrap things up here and grab a shower.
Can you meet in like an hour?

Seungmin hesitates, and Yeosang clocks it immediately.

“You promised you wouldn’t flake on the next movie night. It’s part of why we went through this whole rigmarole tonight.”  

♡˚🔁 Seungmin

Thank you for understanding.
An hour sounds fine. Anywhere in particular you would like to go?

“Well, if I’d known it was movie night ahead of time, I wouldn’t have to flake.”

Yeosang gives him a disapproving look. “I reiterate: unmute the group chat, and you’ll get plenty of notice. Or at the very least, check it more than once every two weeks. And what about your promise; thought you were a man of integrity?”

“First of all, Bin hyung is the one with the jutdae. But fine, I’ll unmute it.” Seungmin checks the message from Chan. “And I won’t completely bail tonight. I have like half an hour before I need to leave. Longer if I steal one of your cars.”

Yeosang shrugs as if to say ‘good enough for me’ as he opens the door to Changbin’s apartment. Their shoes are barely off before they hear Wooyoung call down the hall. “Is our precious Seungmin-ah here at last?”

“What am I, the delivery man?” Yeosang rolls his eyes. 

As they enter the living room, Wooyoung launches himself into Seungmin’s arms, nearly bringing them both down. He babbles on about having missed him as if it’s been a year since they last saw each other rather than two weeks. Before he can even complain, long arms wrap around his waist from behind as Hyunjin joins the whine-fest. 

Seungmin scowls. “Someone save me from these idiots. It’s not like I’m back from deployment. Jinnie, I literally saw you three days ago.”

“Come on, hyung, he’s right.” Felix pulls Wooyoung away from him, which of course leads to fake sobbing. Seungmin nearly thanks him, but Felix just takes his place, hugging Seungmin and Hyunjin as best he can. “We can’t help missing you, Mini. You’ve been so busy lately.”

“Hyungs,” Seungmin groans, counting on Yeosang and possibly Changbin to save him from his overly affectionate friends.

“Well, you better let go so everyone else has a chance to say their hellos before he leaves.” 

Felix pulls back. “You’re not staying for movie night?”

A chorus of boos and shouts ring out at that bit of information. Someone even throws a pillow at him. “Hey, I’m sorry. I already told Sangie hyung that I’d pay closer attention to the group chat. I offered to meet my match for dinner before I realized our plans for tonight.”

“Oh, your match!” San looks excited, pulling Wooyoung down into his lap and nuzzling into him. “Who did you end up choosing? My vote was Jiwoo.”

“No, babe, Bae is super hot; he obviously picked her.”

Changbin laughs. “I see you told everyone about your plan.” 

“And I see you shared my match list with more than just these two.” Seungmin indicates Felix and Hyunjin with a nod of his head. He feels a surge of satisfaction when he sees the tops of Changbin’s ears go pink. 

“Yes, invasion of privacy, whatever, whatever,” Jongho pipes up for the first time since they arrived. “Are you going to answer the question?”

“I could, or I could just leave and let Bin hyung tell you,” Seungmin pouts before directing a glare in Changbin’s direction.

“Yah, stop being like that.”

He cracks a smile and sits directly on Changbin’s lap. “Yeah, no, not either of them. Any other bets on who I chose?”

Yeosang and Jongho lock eyes and nod. In unison they say, “Kyujin.”

Seungmin laughs. “You know me so well, but not well enough, I fear. If I had chosen from my top matches, I likely would’ve gone with Kyujin. But I decided to go with the last person on my list; his name is Bang Chan.”

“Ah, that makes much more sense,” Yeosang nods. “Considering the way you talk about HeartSync™.”

Predictably, Wooyoung is asking about a hundred questions at once, loud enough that San and Jongho’s are indecipherable. When he finally stops talking, Seungmin gives an abridged explanation of his plan. “So now, we’re going to meet for dinner, and I’ll find out if he’s willing to actually try dating me.”

“He’s going to say yes,” San says after a minute. “I mean, this will be his third time meeting with you, right? Why else would he want to see you tonight?”

“Honestly, he seems like the kind of guy to let you down easy in person. Plus, it took him a week to get back to me; that can’t be a good sign.”

San pinches Seungmin’s cheek. “But you’re so handsome, successful, and kind; who wouldn’t wanna date you?”

Seungmin swats at him. “You think that because you know me. Not everyone is quite so enamoured by me. Plus, he seems put off by the whole only 15% compatibility thing.”

“Can’t say that’s not valid,” Jongho admits. “But San hyung isn’t wrong. He might not know you well, but if he’s at all intelligent he’ll at least give you a chance.”

Hyunjin gasps loudy. “What a compliment from Jjongie! What do I have to do to get one?”

Of course Jongho has a snippy retort to that. So, Seungmin listens to them bicker as he sinks further into Changbin, head tilted back and pressing lightly against his. He has missed being together as a group like this. 

Soon, though, he must leave. It’s Changbin that reminds him, speaking softly into his ear. “You’re probably going to be late if you don’t head out, unless your dinner is right near here.”

Seungmin peeks at his watch and sighs. “Yeah, I should get going. Can I borrow your car since you had mine stolen this afternoon?”

Changbin laughs too loudly considering their proximity. “Of course, Mini-yah. Are you bringing it back tonight?”

“I’ll text, but yeah, probably. Especially if you’re still going to be watching a movie tonight. Everyone might still be here.”

“Aww, are you saying you wanna spend time with all of us?”

Seungmin rolls his eyes and moves to stand up, but Changbin’s arms lock around him. “Hyung, you’re the one who told me it’s time to go,” he whines.

“Seungmin just told me he loves and misses everyone here!” Changbin yells, squeezing him tighter. “I think a group hug is in order before he goes on his date.”

Before he’s even finished saying it, Wooyoung and San are on top of him. Felix and Hyunjin are moving ridiculously fast to pile onto them, too. Luckily, cuddle puddles aren’t Jongho’s favorite, so he stays seated, and Yeosang simply reaches over to ruffle his hair with a laugh.

“I’ve changed my mind; even if we end up just having a drink instead of dinner, I’m never coming back here,” Seungmin groans as he gives up on fighting the affection. Felix and San even manage to land kisses on his face. 

“Alright, we don’t want him to be late and overly wrinkled, let him up.” Yeosang comes to his rescue yet again. 

⋆˙⟡♡˚🔁˚♡⟡˙⋆

Fifteen minutes later, Seungmin’s walking into the small ramen shop. He’s kind of wishing that he’d spent less time at Changbin’s so that he could’ve gone home to put on something more casual. A quick glance around the room shows that he’s arrived first, so he claims a table in view of the door. He needn’t have bothered, though. He hears Chan nearly as soon as he walks through the door.

“Imo, I’m here!” The man immediately approaches the woman carrying a tray full of steaming dishes and takes it from her. “Where are we going with these?”

“Oh, Channie-yah,” She slaps his shoulder playfully. “You spoil me. Come, over to table three with it.”

“Well, someone has to.” Chan throws a faux glare over his shoulder at the man behind the counter, who shakes his chopsticks at him. 

He helps to deliver the food, then gives a big hug to the older woman. Seungmin couldn’t keep the smile from his face if he’d tried. It’s incredibly endearing watching Chan interact with the owners. He’s clearly very close to them, even stepping behind the counter briefly to hug the old man as well. 

Of course, Seungmin also can’t help but notice how good Chan looks right now. His slightly damp hair is curling a bit around his ears. He’s sporting a tight, black tank top, so his toned arms and shoulders are on display. Seungmin barely manages to tear his eyes away from the swell of his ass when the woman speaks again. 

“Channie-yah, you sit, and I’ll get you a plate while you wait for your noodles.”

“Oh, um,” Chan’s smile goes shy and a blush starts to creep across his cheeks. He peers around the room. “I’m actually meeting someone tonight. Ah, there he is.” 

They wave at each other. Before he can walk over, though, she grabs his arm. “Oh, he’s so handsome; is he your new match?”

Chan ducks his head, rubbing at the back of his neck. Seungmin tries not to look too invested in his answer. “Something like that, yeah.”

She tuts at him and sends him Seungmin’s way. As he gets to the table, Seungmin stands and bows his head a little. “Chan-ssi, I’m so glad we could meet tonight. This must be a special place for you. I’m honored that you invited me here.”

“Seungmin-ah, if we’re going to do this thing, you’ve gotta stop being so formal. Call me ‘hyung.’”

Seungmin smiles wide. “So we’re doing this thing, Chan hyung?”

The shy smile is back. “Yeah, I think we are.”

The owner drops a plate of sashimi off in the middle of the table with a few side dishes. “You take good care of our Channie, young man.” Her expression is stern for just a second before she’s smiling as well.

Seungmin inclines his head. “Of course, ajumeoni. And thank you, this looks wonderful.”

“Only the best for our boy.”

Once they’re alone again, Chan elaborates. “My friends and I have been coming here since I was about 13. The owners are like family at this point. Plus, they make the best ramen in the city.”

“So now when you come in you take care of them and they take care of you?”

“Something like that,” Chan laughs.

Seungmin finds he really likes the sound of it. “I like that; and I like getting to know things about you… Can I ask what made you decide to give me a chance?”

Chan takes a few beats, sampling the different dishes on the table. “I’d be lying if I said I 100% believe in the way HeartSync™ matches you. I’ve seen how much love can come out of a match, but based on those scenarios you talked about and my own personal experience, I know it can’t be the end all be all. Honestly, you seem really passionate about this whole thing, and that kinda sold me on it.” 

Seungmin grins, but before he can respond, Chan tacks on, “That smile definitely worked in your favor, too.” Then he’s blushing as if Seungmin’s the one who complimented him. 

“I’ll do my best to show you my other charming points as well.” Seungmin groans at himself internally at having sounded like an idol talking to their fans. Then he turns back to what Chan said. “So, um, can I ask what you mean by your own personal experience?”

The light in Chan’s eyes dims a bit, and Seungmin kind of regrets asking. “Well, I actually was in a relationship with a high match until last year. His name is Cho Ju Won.”

“Aish,” the owner is back, setting steaming bowls of ramen in front of them. “Only thing you need to know about that man is that he is not good enough for Channie-yah. No matter what that heart nonsense says. Chan-ah deserves to have someone with a heart as warm as his.” With that, she pats Chan on the cheek and leaves Seungmin with a look that says if he’s not that man, he better shape up or ship out. 

He barely has time to thank her before she’s sweeping off to talk to another table. The food smells heavenly. “We don’t have to talk about it, Chan hyung. Let’s just eat and enjoy.”

“That’s sweet, Seungmin-ah, but you laid out so much for me; it makes sense for me to do the same.” Chan sighs, closes his eyes, then locks gazes with Seungmin. “How about this? Long story short, we were a 92% match, and I thought I’d found my person, you know? We didn’t get married, or even engaged, because why rush? At least, that’s where my head was.”

Seungmin shakes his head, already knowing where this is going. Poor Chan. 

“One day, he asks me to meet him for coffee. When I get there, it seems like normal; we said hello, got our drinks and were just chatting as usual, but then he started to look nervous. I asked him what was up, and he asked if I remembered the 95% policy in HeartSync™.” 

Chan pauses and Seungmin has half a mind to tell him he doesn’t need to finish, that he knows exactly what must’ve happened. But he doesn’t. If Chan feels it’s important to tell him, he can listen. Even if it breaks his heart for the man. 

“I was confused and still believed that we were in love; I figured something happened with a friend or his brother. Then this guy gets up from the table next to ours and sits down. He takes Ju Won’s hand, and they explain that they’re a 99% match. They ‘fell in love at first sight,’ and if I really loved him, I’d be happy for them.”

Seungmin’s stomach turns. He reaches out tentatively, placing his hand over Chan’s on the table. He hopes his sincerity comes through the simple words. “I’m so sorry, Chan hyung. I can’t imagine how you must’ve felt.” He wonders if it would hurt or help if he could tell Chan about the file that came across his desk Wednesday. Next week, he’ll be meeting with Cho Ja-hyeon to go over the evidence of his husband Ju Won’s infidelity. 

Chan gives him a sad smile. “I do still believe that what HeartSync™ does is worthwhile. But kind of like you, I guess, I’d rather use it as a baseline than a true solution. Maybe a cheat sheet for who I should be hoping to meet, you could say. Though I never thought of starting at the bottom of the list.”

The rest of the meal has a more somber tone. They both stay away from more serious topics, choosing to learn about each other’s families and work. When it comes time to pay, it’s a three-way standoff. The owner, whose name is Mi Sook, he learned, tells them that it is on the house. Chan and Seungmin both insist that they will pay.

“I invited you here.”

“Yes, but I’d love to show my appreciation for you taking this leap with me.”

Mi Sook claps and puts a hand on each of their shoulders, looking at them in turn. “Channie-yah, you will be here on Sunday to fix the computer, yes? And Seungmin-ssi, this is my gift to you; pay me back by being good to our boy and coming back to see us.”

Considering her tone and expression, they both just agreed and thanked her. Seungmin expects to walk Chan to his car, but finds that he didn’t drive. 

“Yeah, we decided that we wanted to stay close,” he explains. “Mi Sook and Taejo live above the shop. They’re like surrogate parents for Jisung and me. So far from our families, it only made sense.”

“Well in that case, can I drop you off then?” Seungmin gestures toward his car. 

Chan shakes his head with a smile. “That’s alright. It’s been a long day for you; you should head home.”

Seungmin thought about his friends, piled on Changbin’s couches, no doubt anxiously awaiting for him to return to tell them all about his date. “Alright, this time. But next time I walk you to your door like a gentleman.”

“Can’t wait.” Chan wraps him in a hug before he can do something lame like offer a handshake. 

⋆˙⟡♡˚🔁˚♡⟡˙⋆

“So, he basically took you to meet his parents on the first date?” Felix asks from where he’s inexplicably sitting upside down on the armchair. 

Jongho hands Seungmin a beer before sitting on Felix’s chest, causing the other to huff out a big breath. “Isn’t that a bit of an exaggeration?”

“Yeah, babe, wasn’t this like not even an official date?”

“That’s the part you thought was exaggerated?” Changbin laughs.

Hyunjin pouts. “I mean, obviously they’re not his actual parents; I figured that went without saying.

“For the record, I said basically, not literally!” Comes Felix’s voice from under Jongho.

“Lixie, are you just gonna let him sit on you like that? Aren’t you being crushed to death?”

“Watch yourself, Yeosang…” Jongho cuts a glare in his direction. “Hyung.”

Before an argument can break out, Seungmin speaks up. “The main thing to focus on is that he agreed to go out with me. Now, I feel bad that we’ve paused the movie so long for me; let’s finish it while I think about where to take him.”

“Aye aye, sir,” Wooyoung salutes him, and presses play.

“But also,” Seungmin playfully shoves Hyunjin’s shoulder. “Get out of my seat and go save Lix from Jongho’s ass.”

He ducks the pillow thrown toward his head and sinks into Changbin’s newly vacated lap.

When the movie ends, talk turns back to HeartSync™, though this time Seungmin is not the focus of the conversation. 

“Let me see his profile again?” Hyunjin takes Changbin’s phone and swipes through the photos. “Alright, it’s decided: if things work out, you have to bring him by the gallery so I can ask him to sit for me.”

“Funny, you never asked me to bring Chan by so you can draw him,” Seungmin teases, peeking over his shoulder. “What does this Lee Minho have that Chan is lacking?”

“Oh!” The phone nearly goes flying across the room as Hyunijn flails. “You should bring Chan to my gallery for your first date! I could even organize a little tour! And of course I’d love to draw him, too.” He turns to Yeosang. “You didn’t see his pictures yet, did you? You have to see that man’s side profile.”

“Back to Bini! What’s your score with him? How long have you been talking? Have you gone on a date yet?” Wooyoung barely breathes between questions. 

“We started talking about a week ago, and tomorrow will be our first date.” Changbin hesitates for a moment. “It’s not anything like Seungmini, but our score is just 78%.”

There are a few murmurs of surprise. San is the first to ask, though. “Did you not wanna try with a higher score?”

“Well, you know I wasn’t that concerned with finding someone for right now,” Changbin explains. “Soonish I was going to start actively looking through my matches and trying to figure out exactly what I want, but I didn’t want to ignore anyone who messaged me. He was one of them. His first message actually kind of reminded me of Seungmin-ah.” 

Changbin pinches Seungmin’s cheek, and he bats him away. “He pointed out that our score isn’t in the 90’s, but he’s interested in getting to know me, that it doesn’t mean we wouldn’t make a great couple. He said he really loves my smile.” Changbin’s ears start to turn red at the tips.

Wooyoung plants himself on top of Seungmin, causing both he and Changbin to grunt. He wraps his arms around Seungmin to squish Changbin’s face. “Of course he does! Our Bini baby is the cutest!”

Seungmin attempts to dump him off his lap, but it just results in Wooyoung dragging him to the floor and play wrestling ensues. San picks his boyfriend up, squeezing him to his chest like a plushie. “Go on, Bini, tell us more about him.”

“He’s kind of hard to read via text, but when we video chat, it’s clear he has this dry, sarcastic sense of humor.”

“Also not unlike Mini,” Wooyoung smirks.

Jongho raises a finger. “Question: how high is your score with Mini?”

Seungmin and Changbin eye each other. They’d talked about it before, privately. It’s not like they hadn’t considered trying to turn their friendship romantic in the past. They both knew they’d have to sign up with HeartSync™ to appease their families at some point. Eventually they’d agreed to wait to see how things shake out with their matches, and if they didn’t feel good about it, they’d give a relationship a go. They didn’t need a computer to tell them that they’d be happy, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t still look for happiness and love in others.

Seungmin speaks first. “87%.”

“Wow, that’s higher than mine and Youngie’s,” San looks impressed. “And you didn’t want to…?”

“Like I said before, I planned on approaching my matches a bit more traditionally than Mini, but I guess he did kind of inspire me. Of everyone who messaged me, Minho has been the most interesting,” Changbin explains. “If it doesn’t work out, I’ll try things with my highest match.” 

“Well I can’t wait to hear how your date goes tomorrow!” Yeosang says before anyone else can ask another question and unintentionally, or not, make Seungmin and Changbin’s match score revelation more complicated. “Honestly, though, today was super long for Seungmin and me, so I’m ready to head out. Who’s catching a ride with me?”

⋆˙⟡♡˚🔁˚♡⟡˙⋆

Chan

⋆˙⟡♡˚🔁˚♡⟡˙⋆

Seungmin is leaning against his shiny, black car when Chan steps out of the gym. This is by far the most casual he’s seen Seungmin. His legs look extra long in those jeans, the light green polo helping to highlight his broad shoulders. His hair hangs like a curtain over his forehead; it makes him look a little softer. When he looks up and smiles, Chan feels like he could swoon. 

“Seungmin-ah!” He shoots him a little wave. “I hope you haven’t been waiting too long.”

“No, not really,” Seungmin explains. “I just wanted to take in a little sunshine. I was in a conference room literally all day.”

Chan faux shudders. “Sounds like a literal nightmare.”

Seungmin’s laugh is adorable. “It’s not all that bad. It’s just when it’s a few days in a row like this where we’re only stalled out because some douchebag refuses to let anything go, including his spouse.”

I guess his look isn’t the only thing that’s less formal today. “Wow, they must really be under your skin,” Chan laughs.  

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have called him that,” Seungmin blushes. Chan finds that he likes to see him looking bashful. He also appreciates the fact that he’s clearly emotionally invested in his work; lawyers always seem so detached. “I guess he is under my skin a bit more than usual.”

“You can just be yourself, Seungmini. Don’t feel like you need to hold back around me. The point of dating is to get to know each other, right? So if someone’s a douche, call it like you see it.”

Seungmin puffs out his cheeks in a pout. “True. Though, to be fair, it’s natural to wanna put your best forward when you’re on a date with a hot guy, right?” The smirk he gives says that he knows just what the effect of words will be. Even recognizing that, it’s still Chan’s turn to blush. “Speaking of, shall we head out?”

Butterflies take flight in Chan’s stomach when Seungmin opens the passenger side door for him with a flourish. He tips his imaginary hat at him in thanks. They’re both laughing as Seungmin rounds the front of the car.

When they arrive at Sunny’s Dining, Seungmin turns to him with a smile. “I know you like pastries, so I figured it might be fun to take a class on how to make some. It’s making macarons tonight.”

“Oh!” Chan wishes he’d asked what Seungmin was thinking for their “first” date. ‘Cause cooking is not his thing. “Well, I do like eating macarons…”

“Great! Better head inside then.”

Seungmin immediately moves to the front of the room, greeting the instructor, and settling in at the station Chan probably least wanted to be at: front and center. Still, he wants to make the most of it. Seungmin’s enthusiasm is cute. Plus, he knows these kinds of classes can be full of nice little intimate moments. 

They chat for a few minutes about their days until the instructor returns to the front and claps her hands. “Hello and welcome to Sunny’s Dining! We’re here today to whip, fold, and fall in love—with macarons! Things are about to get sweetly sandwiched , but first, we must go over the expectations and safety regulations.” She goes on to explain how not to burn down the kitchen or accidentally maim your partner, and Chan laments their position in the room as he’d love to try to make a bet with Seungmin on how many more puns they’d hear over the course of the next hour. 

When they get started, dividing and conquering the first two steps without issue, earning them an “Eggcellent!” from the instructor. Chan giggles. Once she’s on to the next group, he leans over and lowers his voice. “Oh yeah, I was thinking maybe we should bet on how many baking puns she has up her sleeve? Whoever’s closer pays for our next dinner?”

Seungmin cocks his head to the side in contemplation, and with the fluffier state of his hair, he looks like a puppy. It makes Chan want to ruffle his hair, but he resists the urge. “Well what’s she up to, three? There can’t be many more to make. Maybe another three?”

“Hmm, I don’t know. I think she could make it to at least ten.”  Chan smiles. They shake on it.

As if on cue, the instructor claps her hands. “Alright class! Things are about to get whisk-y in here! It’s time to make the meringue!” She goes over the instructions through the demonstration before setting them off with a wink and a “Don’t be afraid to take whisks —that’s how love rises.”

Seungmin groans. “I feel like that should only count as one – it was the same pun.”

“Nope, Chan giggles, nudging him with his shoulder. “Two separate sentences, that’s two puns. Honestly, it’s actually three with the whole ‘rises’ bit.” 

As they follow her next steps, Chan gets a little heavy-handed with the sugar. He’d noticed how Seungmin gets ‘in the zone’ while completing tasks, but he hadn’t anticipated him getting snippy if Chan isn’t. 

Seungmin grabs his hand just as it starts tipping the container into the mixer. It’s not harsh, but the quickness and firmness of it startles him. His voice is sharp when he says, “You can’t just dump it in; that’ll mess it up.”

“Sorry.” Chan hands off the sugar and watches as Seungmin takes over without sparing him another glance. It’s really not much, and Seungmin’s already moving on, but it sticks with Chan. He wasn’t rude — just... sharper than expected. Maybe he’s taking this more seriously than Chan thought. 

Soon Seungmin pauses the mixer and gestures to the counter. “Wanna add the vanilla and food coloring?”

They fall back into step, though Chan has to pause to reevaluate their relationship when he makes a ‘fold in the cheese’ joke and Seungmin is completely unfamiliar with the reference. Two inappropriate puns about piping and a couple jokes about size mattering and tapping bubbles later, and Chan has decidedly won their bet; they’re also a little over their instructor. 

While their batter cools then the cookies bake, they make a couple different fillings: a lemony French buttercream and sweet milk chocolate ganache. With things slowing down, there’s also more time for conversation. They decide to bring things back to basics and learn a bit more about each others’ families. Chan hopes to breach more personal topics, but the couple next to them pulls them into a little game debating if various foods fit into the category of soup, salad, or sandwich. 

“This isn’t half bad!” Chan smiles and offers Seungmin the other half of the chocolate macaron. “How’s the lemon?”

Seungmin laughs, waving off the cookie and offering his own. “It’s pretty good. Here, try it.”

They pack up the rest, as the instructor recommends refrigerating them for a couple days for ‘peak satisfaction.’ Chan is once again baffled by Seungmin when he reveals he’s not actually much of a sweets person. He also assumed that Seungmin would’ve planned for them to do something else after the class, but it looks like that was their whole date. 

“Would you like me to drop you off back at the gym or at home?” He must be able to see Chan’s surprise. He looks guilty. “I guess I forgot to tell you I wouldn’t be able to have dinner or anything after, didn’t I?”

“You did indeed.” Chan pulls his lips between his teeth and thinks of how Seungmin told him when he picked him up that he’d been in what he can only imagine is an extremely draining work situation all day. I guess if I wanted to get to know him better, I should’ve tried to talk more during the class. With a sigh, he smiles. “Don’t worry about it. Head toward the gym, and I’ll direct you from there.”

⋆˙⟡♡˚🔁˚♡⟡˙⋆

“I’m telling you, Ji, this lady just got more and more risque with her puns,” Chan laughs. Dinner with his friends is definitely salvaging this night. “And his ears got really red when she said the one about bursting early. She was looking him dead in the eye when she said it.”

The guys laugh, then Jisung is standing up, waving over to Minho, who just came in the door. 

“I can’t believe we’re meeting his guy before we meet yours, hyung,” Jeongin sounds put off by it, but looks kind of excited. 

They exchange greetings, and Changbin clearly takes a minute to size Chan up. He surprises him with his first question. “How’d things go with the baking class today?”

Jisung and Jeongin swing their wide eyes between the two of them. Chan’s mouth may have dropped open as well, but he recovers quickly. “It, um, it was good. Just, uh, a little awkward.”

Changbin grins at him. “I’m guessing neither Minho nor Seungmin clued you in?”

Chan, Jisung, and Jeongin all look at Minho in confusion. He, of course, has that cat who ate the canary smile on his face. “Oh, did I not mention that my match is Seungmin’s best friend?”

“This,” Jisung says, gesturing wildly at Minho. “It’s this shit! One day, something huge is going to happen, and we just won’t know, and it’ll cause some sort of international incident!”

Jeongin pats him on the forearm. “Don’t you think you’re being a little dramatic, Ji?”

“No, I don’t think so! I think—“ 

Jisung is cut off by Minho shoving a dumpling in his open mouth. “Anyway. Tell us how the date went, Channie hyung.”

“Well…” Chan rubs at the back of his neck and feels the blush creeping over his ears as he eyes Changbin. “It was okay.”

Four sets of eyes are watching Chan as he takes a sip of his drink, his throat suddenly dry. 

“Are you planning on elaborating?”

“There were just a couple moments that felt off .” Chan takes a deep breath. It’s not the end of the world for him to speak candidly in front of Seungmin’s friend. “He forgot to tell me that we wouldn’t be getting dinner or anything after the class. If he had, I would’ve tried to learn more about him during the class. If he would’ve let me.” 

He trails off a bit on that last sentence, trying to come up with the best way to word it. “He was very concerned with following the directions to a T. I wouldn’t say he snapped at me perse…”

Jeongin’s eyes narrow, and Jisung’s lips purse. Minho is turning, likely to question Changbin, so Chan presses on. “It really wasn’t a big deal, he just didn’t wanna ruin the meringue. I could tell he just, like, really cares about doing things well.”

“Did you have fun at least?” Jisung ventures. 

“I don’t know; I guess so? It just wasn’t really my thing, ya know? And I feel like maybe we do need to have a little more in common for this to work.” Chan starts fiddling with his bracelet to avoid looking at them. “When he proposed this whole thing, it sounded worthwhile, but maybe he’s less serious about it than he seemed? Like really getting to know me doesn’t seem like a priority?”

“I know I’m biased, but could I say something?” Chan blinks up at Changbin before nodding. “Seungmin cares a lot . About everything. But he doesn’t like to show when he’s struggling. He’s always been really focused on work, but in the last couple weeks there’s been something a little different. He’s clearly preoccupied by a situation at work, but he really did want to plan something special for you. And to be fair, I think our one friend kinda led him astray when in the idea phase.”

When Changbin giggles, it’s a little contagious. The rest of them smile, Jisung even laughs a little. Chan does appreciate that Seungmin had a date brainstorming session with his friend and knowing that he’s apparently struggling makes Chan want to give him a break. 

“I know you haven’t had the chance to get invested in him yet, but I hope you’ll consider giving him another chance.” 

The hopeful look in Changbin’s eye is pretty persuasive. And what he knows of Seungmin is pretty interesting. And Seungmin is very pretty.

“But honestly, if you do, you should probably plan the next date. The man is hella smart, but he doubts himself when it comes to romantic stuff.” Changbin considers him seriously. “And if you want me to throw him in a headlock and tell him he needs to get his shit together, I gotchu.”

This time they’re all laughing. When it subsides, they shift gears to talk about Minho and Changbin. Chan can see the chemistry between them and a genuine smile on Minho’s face. Their match score might be higher, sure, but watching them, Chan thinks maybe one more date with Seungmin wouldn’t hurt.

⋆˙⟡♡˚🔁˚♡⟡˙⋆

Chan is pleased to see the camera hanging around Seungmin’s neck when he pulls up to his building. 

“Thanks for picking me up, hyung,” Seungmin smiles shyly as he climbs into the car. 

Chan returns it with one of his own. “Of course! You picked me up when you planned a date, so it’s only fair for me to do the same. Your shoes are comfortable?”

“Yeah, I always wear these ones for stuff like hiking.” 

“Have you ever been to Achasan?”

“I actually haven’t. I’m excited to see it.”

Chan preens a bit at that; there’s something satisfying about being the first to show Seungmin a place like this. “My friend Minho likes to come here, especially when he’s feeling stressed with work.” He tries not to look too interested in Seungmin’s reaction to the statement. 

“Hopefully it’ll be just what I need then,” Seungmin says mildly with a small nod. His expression turns a little sheepish. “I’m sorry if I’ve seemed a bit flaky. Work has been a little… extra stressful lately. I’m not usually so forgetful. But I am all yours today, I made sure this weekend would be completely clear.”

“I’m happy to hear it,” Chan nods. “I’m sorry you’ve been stressed; do you wanna talk about it?”

Seungmin looks thoughtful for a minute, likely deliberating with himself about what would be appropriate to share. He goes on to explain, in as much detail as he can without revealing any sensitive information, the celebrity divorce case he’s been working that’s required an abnormal amount of work outside of his typical office hours. 

“Obviously I try to devote as much of my time and effort to my clients as I can all the time, but the pressure from the partners, along with very particular expectations from the client, have been unlike anything I’ve experienced before.”

“Yeah, I can only imagine.” Chan is actually very impressed by the balance Seungmin has been trying to achieve after hearing all this. He pulls the car to a stop and turns to him with a grin. “Well, time to work out a little of that frustration; are you ready?”

They talk a lot as they hike the area, finally getting to know each other a bit better. Chan loves hearing about Seungmin’s relationship with his sister and hopes he feels the same listening to stories about his own siblings. He learns that Changbin has been his best friend since the two met in high school, along with their friend Hyunjin. From their dinner, Chan knows Changbin has good vibes, but getting Seungmin’s insight makes him even happier and hopeful for Minho.

There are also stretches when they don’t really talk at all, especially when Seungmin stops for a few pictures, but the silences are comfortable. Seungmin actually asks Chan to pose a few times. Chan is bashful and tries to tell Seungmin not to waste time capturing him when there’s so much beautiful nature to photograph. Seungmin’s responding declaration of Chan’s beauty has him turning red as a fire truck and muttering about a trick of the light. He’s feeling even more embarrassed to be photographed following the compliment. 

“This is really a wonderful place, Chan hyung.” They’ve reached the focal point of their hike, one of the lookout points, with a perfect view of the Han River and edge of the city, the scene softened by the gold of the lowering sun.

One more picture and Seungmin gently tucks his camera away. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

There’s something about his expression and earnest tone that makes Chan feel a wave of fondness. “Of course, Seungmini. I’m happy I’ve gotten to share it with you.”

As they head back, Chan stumbles over a root. He wouldn’t have fallen, but it’s kind of Seungmin to reach out and steady him. Rather than completely let go of his arm, Seungmin lets his hand slide down to take Chan’s. His grip is warm, a little tentative, but firm enough to send Chan’s heart into his throat. He can feel the blush creeping up his neck at the gesture and would feel sillier about it, if he weren’t able to see the pink taking over Seungmin’s ears as well. He doesn’t let go until they reach the car. 

They end up heading straight to the restaurant. The conversation continues to flow well; Chan explains his solo move back to South Korea and getting the gym started with Jisung, Seungmin asks thoughtful questions, and they end up trading stories from work for a bit when someone approaches their table. 

“Bambam!” Chan and Seungmin greet him in unison before turning to each other in confusion. 

“Channie! Seungmin! I didn’t know you guys knew each other. How are you?” The man hugs them both, and Chan is relieved to see he looks much happier than the last time he saw him. 

Once it’s established that everyone’s doing well, Chan addresses the elephant in the room: “So how do you two know each other?” Bambam and Seungmin don’t seem like they run in the same social circles. 

Bambam’s smile dims just a touch. “Seungmin is pretty good friends with my, um, with Minnie, so we met through her.”

“And, even if it’s been a minute, Bammie hyung’s a great pickleball partner.”

“Hell yeah!” Bambam’s excitement is back as he high fives Seungmin and turns back to Chan with a dazzling smile. “We should all go out for a few games one of these days. Have you ever seen Seungmini’s competitive side?”

Chan eyes Seungmin who is trying too hard to look innocent and docile. “I haven’t had the pleasure. We haven’t been seeing each other long.” 

It’s comical seeing the way it dawns on Bambam that they must be on a date. Chan laughs and denies him as he tries to apologize for interrupting, especially when he knows how work has been for Seungmin lately. Bambam doesn’t work with him or anything, and based on the brief description of how they know each other, Chan’s curious about how Bam knows that. He’s about to fish for more information when a soft expression settles over Seungmin’s face. Bambam catches it, too, so they both turn to see who he’s looking at.

A beautiful man is walking toward them, flashing a smile and equally soft eyes at Seungmin. He’s tall, lean, and sharp, a decent contrast to Chan’s own appearance. He finds himself sitting up a little straighter. When Seungmin stands to hug him, Chan for some reason is reminded of their conversation earlier. Chan had shared about his ex before, and while Seungmin hasn’t had a tumultuous break up like that, he did talk a bit about his dating history. He’d revealed that he’s only gone out with one man, and that he’d definitely been much more effeminate than Chan. When they pull back from the hug, they don’t separate immediately, arms lingering around Seungmin’s shoulders, the man’s waist. Surprisingly, Chan feels a stab of jealousy. It’s over almost as soon as it begins when they do release and the man latches on to Bambam’s arm. 

Bambam is blushing more than Chan has ever seen; in fact Chan isn’t sure he’s seen the man blush for any reason other than straining while lifting. “Channie, this is Hu Yetao; babe, this is Chan, he runs the Saiyan gym.”

Chan tries not to let the shock show on his face as he greets him. Seungmin shoots him a look that says he knows what Chan’s thinking and will fill him in later. Luckily, Yetao is there to tell Bambam that their table is ready, so with promises to text about setting up a hang, they take their leave. 

“He’s gotta stop doing that,” Seungmin chuckles, shaking his head. Chan’s mind goes back to the lingering hug for just a second. “Bammie hyung has gotten used to relying on me to explain to any and all mutual friends. He and Minnie are divorcing. Amicably, of course. I actually already told you about this, I just didn’t know you knew them at the time.”

Chan thinks back to what Seungmin’s told him about people getting divorced. “Oh, that story you told me where the husband recently realized he isn’t straight? That’s Bam?”

“Yep. And the man he fell for.”

“Wow,” Chan trails off, memories of times training with both Bambam and Minnie floating through his head. “And Yetao… did you know him before they met, too?”

“No, I only met him when Bambam hyung asked me to talk to him,” Seungmin shakes his head, smiling a little at the thought. “Despite their instant connection, Yetao had several concerns about getting together, which were exacerbated by Bam hyung almost immediately filing for divorce.” 

Chan nods along, still not understanding the intimate looks between the two men but realizing he feels better knowing that he wasn’t his ex. 

“As the resident advocate about disregarding HeartSync™ among our friends, and being the person Bam hyung and Minnie noona confided in about the true state of their relationship, he wanted me to talk with him about everything. He’s a sweet guy, and it all seemed to be happening so fast; he needed reassurance from someone more neutral.”

“Yeah, I imagine it was a lot,” Chan lets his mind drift back to the way Ju Won handled things. Would it have hurt less with someone like Seungmin around to help? He throws that thought out almost as soon as he thinks it. Their situation was much different. Still, it might be interesting to hear how Seungmin would handle something like that. “Bammie does look happy. I should’ve told him I’m happy for him.”

“You’ll get the chance.” Seungmin reaches over and pats the hand Chan has resting on the table. “We do have to get together for pickleball soon, apparently.”

They chat for a bit longer about the divorce and new couple. Chan is glad to be having this conversation with Seungmin rather than Bambam after all; it allows him to be a bit noisier than he would be typically. It’s a little crazy how well Seungmin can transition their talk of divorce into one of love. It’s the first time Chan sees Seungmin as a romantic rather than a pragmatist. It’s a good look on him. 

Seungmin is in the middle of a story about his friends Hyunjin and Felix when he gets that shy smile on his face again. “Sorry, am I talking about them too much?”

“No, not at all. It’s nice seeing you talk about the people you love.”

He does this adorable little pout. “Then why are you looking at me like that?”

Chan cocks his head to the side. “Like what?”

Pink is working its way from his ears to his cheeks. “I don’t know, it feels like you’ve caught me doing something bad.”

Chan laughs. “Are you often caught doing bad things?”

“Listen,” his face is just this side of serious, his tone a bit harder, and he’s gesturing in a cutting motion. “I know you spent time with Bini hyung the other day, but you shouldn’t believe him. If anyone’s a menace, it’s Felix. Don’t let his angelic visuals fool you.”

“Very believable,” Chan nods solemnly. “Considering this is the first I’m hearing of it, I have a few doubts. I’m also wondering if I should see this Felix.”

The pout is back. “You shouldn’t doubt me; I never lie.” 

Chan giggles again even though Seungmin keeps a straight face. They both show off a few group photos with their friends, telling who’s who and giving little anecdotes about them all. When the dessert comes, Seungmin finishes the story that has kicked off the friend talk. They leave the restaurant hand in hand; Seungmin picks it back up once they’re back in the car, reaching over the center console to softly run his knuckles over the back of Chan’s hand a few times before simply taking it and resting their interlocked fingers on Chan’s thigh. It’s cute the way he doesn’t acknowledge it, just starts talking about things they could do tomorrow since they’d discussed making the most of Seungmin’s confirmed free weekend earlier. 

The last couple minutes of the drive are spent in silence, a new tension in the air. Chan decides to walk him to the door of his building. He’s pleased when Seungmin doesn’t hesitate to hug him goodbye. Chan starts to walk away when Seungmin grabs his wrist, pulling him back so that they’re chest to chest; Chan tilts his head back to look him in the eye. 

“Chan, can I…” Seungmin’s gaze dips down for just a second. Chan can’t help but track the movement as he licks his lips. “Can I kiss you?”

It’s something Chan had considered on and off today. Typically, he’s not shy about kissing but this situation is unique. He’s really enjoyed the day with Seungmin, but he can’t help but keep their match score in the back of his mind. Kissing might send the wrong signal, that he’s more in it than he is right now. But he obviously hesitates a touch too long. Seungmin takes a half step back, sad puppy dog eyes shining as he starts to apologize, and that breaks Chan out of his internal conflict. 

“Yes,” he blurts before Seungmin can say more than ‘I’m.’

The responding smile makes Chan’s heart skip a beat before large hands are framing his face and plush lips make contact with his own. It’s just a peck, Seungmin already backing away until Chan’s hands land on his waist, squeezing slightly. Then he’s done with the tentative touch, kissing Chan like it’s his favorite pastime. When Chan feels the slide of his tongue across the seam of his lips, he’s all but helpless to open up and let Seungmin deepen the kiss. 

It really doesn’t last long, but when Seungmin pulls back again, Chan feels a little breathless. The clear look of satisfaction on his face makes Chan want to swoon and maybe ask to come up with him. Seungmin must be thinking more clearly than he is, though. He steps back, grabbing one of Chan’s hands and bringing it up to press a final kiss to it. 

“Goodnight, Channie hyung.” He steps back, reaching for the door behind him. “I had a great time. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Chan watches him go, shooting him a little wave. When he disappears inside, Chan returns to his car and fires off a text to the group chat before heading home. 

⊹Chan⊹

Fuck guys. I think he redeemed himself today.

⋆˙⟡♡˚🔁˚♡⟡˙⋆

Seungmin

⋆˙⟡♡˚🔁˚♡⟡˙⋆

Seungmin leans his head back against the wall of the elevator with a sigh. He had been on the fence about trying to kiss Chan when they left today, but he’s so happy he got over that and went for it. He’s a great kisser. He toes off his shoes when he gets home, not even looking to put them in their spot for once. 

This, of course, is his downfall. He enters his living room, eyes down on his phone to pull up the group chat or maybe call Changbin, and nearly jumps out of his skin when Hyunjin yells, “Seungmini!”

“Jesus balls, dude!” Seungmin looks up to see Hyunjin and Felix on one end of his couch with Changbin’s feet in Felix’s lap for a massage. “What are you all doing here?”

“We wanted to hear how your date went!” Felix beams, that smile intended to curb any angry emotions Seungmin has at their intrusion.

“What if it went well enough that I brought him up here? You would’ve ruined it!”

“No offense, Mini, but there’s no way that was happening,” Changbin says it with a straight face, but the other two are cackling. Seungmin attempts to refute the claim, but Changbin shuts him down, citing ‘insider information.’

“Enough arguing, Mini-yah, spill! How’d it go? What all did you do?”

Seungmin sighs, grabbing his laptop and settling in on the loveseat with his camera. “It was really nice. We went for a hike then I treated him to dinner since I lost our pun bet.” He starts pulling up the photos he took as Changbin turns the tv on so he can share them. 

He goes through trying to pick the best ones to show based on the thumbnails until Felix convinces him to just display them all as a slideshow. As they flip through, Seungmin tells them about the conversations and small touches they shared. He feels a blush crawling up his neck when he notices just how many pictures he took of Chan. 

Hyunjin obviously notices as well. “He’s really handsome, Min, and you captured him so well. You really like him, huh?”

“I mean, you don’t really need the pics to see that, jagi.” Felix shoots him a wink.

Cheeks aflame, Seungmin feels the need to deny, even if the point of this is falling in love. “I still don’t know him very well. I like him well enough, but not so much to warrant that face, Lix.” He sticks his tongue out at the blond, who in turn flips him off. 

“Now now, children, be nice,” Changbin scolds with a smile. “Well Mini, what had you so smily when you walked in here?”

“Oh, um,” Seungmin rubs at the back of his neck. He doesn’t know why admitting he likes Chan and that they kissed feels so awkward. “Just had a nice goodnight kiss.”

“A kiss!”

“Why didn’t you lead with that!”

“What the fuck, Seungmin! How dare you hold out on us like that!”

Ah, maybe it was anticipation of all the simultaneous yelling that kept him quiet. It definitely would’ve been way easier to deal with over text. “It’s not that big a deal, guys. I’ll kiss Bini hyung right now, and I’d have just as much to say about it.”

Changbin immediately starts making a kissy face in his direction, but Felix isn’t deterred. “Come on, Mini, tell us about it!” 

One more big sigh and Seungmin complies. Without realizing it, his fingers come up to touch his own lips as he tells them in greater detail than he intended to. When he finishes, his friends are worryingly quiet. 

“I wanna meet him,” Hyunjin insists, Felix nodding aggressively beside him. “It’s not fair that Bini hyung already got to.”

“Yeah, and Minho, too,” Felix adds with an extra squeeze on Changbin’s foot. “Do you think we can organize something?”

Seungmin and Changbin lock eyes; one shrugging while the other nods. 

“Actually, I meant to tell you guys that I told Chan I’d see him tomorrow –”

Hyunjin gasps in his signature dramatic style. “You were going to cancel on us for a man ? If I wasn’t already sure you were down bad, that would’ve been a dead giveaway.”

“I’m not down bad,” Seungmin fears that if he rolls his eyes one more time tonight, they may get stuck up there. “You heard what Bini hyung said, I haven’t made the best impression so far, so I need to do what I can so that he won’t give up on dating before I can start operating like a real person again.”

“Not down bad,” Changbin repeats in a mocking tone. “But yeah, we get it, Mini-yah. He’s just teasing. Still, a group date, hang, whatever might be a great idea. I’d love for you guys to meet Minho; if things work out, it’s important to me that you guys like him.”

“Yeah, same. I’ll ask Chan hyung. What would you guys wanna do?”

“Bowling?”

“Aw, hyung, you ready to get beat again so soon?” Hyunjin has to duck the throw pillow soaring toward him. “Hey, you could’ve hit Lix!”

“He would never,” Felix smiles and blows a kiss Changbin’s way.

Changbin ‘catches’ it and slaps it onto his cheek. “Of course not, my sweet angel.”

Seungmin opts to tune out the nonsense that follows, pulling up his texts with Chan, happy when he responds almost immediately. 

Seungmin 🔁˚♡

I had a really good time today, hyung. Thank you for spending
it with me.

♡˚🔁 Chan

I did, too!! and thank you for dinner!

🔁˚♡ Seungmin

Of course! I owed you, after all. Plus, I wanted to treat you anyway.

♡˚🔁 Chan

You did lol I cant believe you doubted her punability!

Seungmin 🔁˚♡

What ever was I thinking 🙄

♡˚🔁 Chan

🤣🤣🤣

Seungmin 🔁˚♡

Anyway, I was thinking about  tomorrow. Do you like bowling?

♡˚🔁 Chan

Yeah! bowling is fun! though I dont usually think of it as a
1 on 1 activity

Seungmin 🔁˚♡

That actually brings me to my next question.. Would you be interested
in meeting my friends? Bin hyung is going to invite Minho, too. And I’d
be happy to meet Jisung and Jeongin, too, if you want?

♡˚🔁 Chan

OH! Thats a great idea! lemme check if theyre available and
let you know? what time are you thinking?

Seungmin 🔁˚♡ 

Umm late afternoon sometime maybe? We can get that sorted once we
know who all is available and when?

♡˚🔁 Chan

Sounds good!

⋆˙⟡♡˚🔁˚♡⟡˙⋆

When they reach the bowling alley, Seungmin sees Chan’s car is already in the lot. Changbin claps a hand on his back. “You good, Mini?”

Seungmin tears his eyes away from the car. “I’m fine. Do I not seem good?”

“You just tensed up for a second,” Changbin squints at him then ruffles his hair. “It’s okay to be nervous, you know? I am, too. This is an important day for our relationships.”

“Yeah, I know, hyung.” Seungmin shrugs him off and takes a deep breath. “But I am fine. Hyunjin and Lix are the best. They’ll make us look good.”

Changbin’s signature laugh sets him at ease, even if Seungmin constantly complains about how annoying it is. “I don’t need them to look good, but we’ll do all we can for you, Mini.”

Seungmin can hear Chan’s laugh, cheerful and unrestrained, as soon as they enter the building, and it fills his chest with warmth. They get their shoes and make their way over to the lane; Seungmin knows the moment they’re spotted, shouts erupting from the small group of men. 

“Well Bini hyung clearly made a great impression when he met them,” Hyunjin giggles, slipping an arm around Seungmin’s. He lowers his voice a little, “I’m sure you will, too.”

Introductions are made; Jisung seems happy to be there, Jeongin a little less so, and Seungmin tries to think back to anything Chan might’ve said about him that would lead him to be less enthusiastic about meeting him. Minho smiles, but his eyes are hard to read – still, Seungmin chooses to believe in Changbin saying that Minho would love him. His hyung doesn’t lie about things like that. Jisung volunteers to set up the line up, taking care to intermix their group as he goes. 

“Alright! Who is your best bowler?” Jisung looks them all in the eye one by one. “Obviously, I’m good at everything, but I’m gonna hold back today so Channie hyung can shine.”

“Oh, how magnanimous of you, Sung,” Chan laughs. 

“Clearly I’m–” Changbin begins, but Felix cuts him off.

“Not as good as Hyuni!” He looks thoughtful for a second. “Or Mini, honestly.”

Changbin throws a glare his way, but doesn’t deny it. “I’m better than you, Lix.”

Minho squints at him. “What are all those muscles for if you’re not good at sports?”

“Yah!” It’s comical how quickly Changbin’s ears turn bright red. “I’m not bad at sports! You don’t need muscles to be good at bowling! Plus, it’s barely a sport!”

It’s nice having them all teasing and laughing together. Seungmin almost feels silly about being nervous. Almost. But there are ways to fix that. “I’ll go grab some snacks and drinks. Anyone want something in particular?”

Felix and Jisung say “Cheese fries!” in unison and trade matching smiles. 

“I know what everyone likes; I’ll just come with you,” Jeongin says as he stands. 

Seungmin’s eyes slide over to Chan, and he’s pretty sure the concern he feels is reflected in the man’s face. When he sees Seungmin looking, however, he gives him a bright smile and nod. So he follows Jeongin over to the snack/bar area. 

“Does everyone drink beer?” Seungmin figures it’s a safe bet for bowling, a necessity, even if Hyunjin is to be believed. “I can order a couple pitchers.”

“I’ll get something else for Ji; he’ll drink it if you give it to him, but we all know he’d rather not.” Jeongin looks him up and down. “So, is this all just about proving a point?”

Seungmin’s eyebrows shoot up. “Proving a point?”

“Yeah, that HeartSync™ isn’t worthwhile.” His tone is fairly even, but Seungmin gets the feeling he’s upset. “Jisung is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and that wouldn’t have been possible without HeartSync™. I don’t want Chan hyung to miss out on a great love or end up heartbroken just because you decided to do an experiment.”

“Whoa, hold on,” Seungmin holds up his hands as if he can stop the words from reaching him. “I get what you’re saying, but it isn’t like that. I think it’s great that you’re looking out for your friend like this, but I wouldn’t be here right now if I didn’t think it was possible that we’re compatible outside the bounds of HeartSync™.”

Jeongin looks like he might interrupt, so Seungmin presses on, “It’s not that I don’t believe it can get it right. I think it’s wonderful that it brought you and Jisung together; I know without a doubt that it was right to call Hyun and Lix a perfect match. I just have seen a lot of when it doesn’t or can’t make the right call. I just want to find love on my own terms, using HeartSync™ as a stepping stone or a guide rather than an absolute truth. I chose Chan hyung. I want to see if we could have a future, and I hope he chooses me back.”

Jeongin stares him down, face impassive. Seungmin doesn’t usually feel the need to squirm under scrutiny, but he’s nearly to that point now. He means what he says. Maybe Jeongin is right to an extent about it being an experiment, but that stopped mattering after Chan said he’d try. Now, being around Chan and his friends makes him nervous; not because he might end up being wrong, but because he doesn’t want this to end before it truly begins.

Then Jeongin smiles. It’s not huge or anything, but internally, Seungmin sighs in relief. “Alright. But if you hurt him, I’ll hurt you. Got it?”

Seungmin knows better than to laugh, but the corner of his mouth does quirk up in a smile. “With those arms, I don’t doubt you could. But I promise I won’t give you cause to; I really am in this.”

They shake on it, and Jeongin’s chilly demeanor drops as they order and chat. By the time they rejoin the rest of the group, he learns that Jeongin works at one of the feeder schools for Changbin’s and he plays one of Felix’s favorite video games. They decide to suggest a little team competition to allow their groups to mingle a bit more, and the rest agree. 

Jeongin, Changbin, Felix, and Chan end up being on one team, with Seungmin, Minho, Hyunjin, and Jisung against them. It works not only to give their friends the opportunity to scope out their friends’ partners but to split the skill level more evenly than if they’d stayed in their respective groups. Chan and Hyunjin are clearly the best bowlers, but Seungmin isn’t too far behind them with Felix and Jisung helping to balance out the teams.

After the first game, they add more time and start attempting “trick shots.” The scores go down dramatically, but the laughter and camaraderie that builds between them makes the score almost obsolete. As they’re changing back into their shoes, Felix has a great idea.

“We’re actually going to our friend’s bar for trivia, if you guys would wanna join us?”

“Depends, would we be one team or competing against each other?” Jeongin’s got that teasing tone again. “Cause if it’s just me and these blockheads, I don’t even wanna go.”

A chorus of ‘heys’ and faux-outrage sounds, and Minho swats him on the butt, causing Jeongin to squeak and rush to put Changbin between them.

“Don’t worry,” Seungmin laughs. “We can all be on one team. I’m sure everyone has something they can contribute.”

Jisung is looking at Chan with a question in his eyes. Once again, that unfamiliar feeling of nervousness takes flight in Seungmin’s stomach. Chan pulls Jisung in for a half hug. “Go have fun with them, Ji. I’ll catch up later.” He turns to Seungmin. “I have a couple things to check over at the gym, but I can meet you guys when I’m done.”

“Could I come with you?” The question is out before he even really thinks about it. He does his best to ignore the look Hyunjin is giving him. “If I wouldn’t get in the way or whatever.”

Chan smiles brightly. “Yeah, I’d love to show you the place, actually.” He takes Seungmin’s hand, leading him away from their group, toward his car. 

Seungmin hands his keys off to Changbin as he passes him. “But Hyuni drives; I don’t want you messing with my seat and wheel positions.” 

Minho laughs and sets his hand on Changbin’s head to punctuate the point, while the shorter man grumbles about hoping Hyunjin gets a dent in it. 

On the drive over, their conversation flows easily. They reflect on how well their friends got along, and how well they feel like Minho and Changbin complement each other. When they step inside the gym, Seungmin is pleasantly surprised. Not that he didn’t believe in Chan to run a smooth ship, but he definitely has a preconceived notion of what a gym is like. Everything looks clean, there’s not the lingering stench of b.o. that Changbin tells him he’ll get used to if he just keeps coming to his gym, and he can already see a couple different people actually wiping down the machines they were using.

He also loves seeing the way that Chan interacts with his customers. Before they even get in the door, a couple greeted him as they left. He’s talking to the employee at the welcome desk when a middle aged man in a slightly outdated but nicely pressed suit emerges from the locker room.

“Bang Chan-ssi!” The man immediately drops into a deep bow, and Chan scrambles to stop him, trying to shake his hand instead.

“Lee Seunggil-ssi! The suit looks great on you,” Chan gives him a big smile, moving to take the tie hanging around his neck. He immediately begins tying it with practiced ease. “I bet you’re gonna nail it tomorrow.” 

“It’ll be all thanks to you, if I do. And thank you. I was going to ask this young man to help with that.” Seunggil chuckles, gesturing to the man behind the desk.

Chan and his employee both laugh. 

“You would’ve been out of luck.” Chan teases, as he loosens the knot and slips the tie over Lee Seunggil’s head, adjusting it for him. “Mingi-yah is forbidden from trying to tie anymore ties for people after the Choi Youngsoo Incident .”

“Hey!” Mingi protests, still laughing. “I swear I can do it if I take it off like you did! He specifically asked me to do it from the front!”

Seungmin can’t help but laugh at that, bringing the other men’s attention his way. He nods slightly at them, noting the pink beginning to color Chan’s ears. 

“Sorry about that! How rude of me. Seungmin, this is Mingi and Lee Seunggil-ssi; gentlemen, this is my bo- I mean! He’s my, um, friend; this is Seungmin.” Chan is visibly flustered, and it’s extremely cute. Mingi is laughing outright, and Seungmin has to bite his lower lip to keep from smiling. Chan was about to call me his boyfriend!

Seunggil claps a hand on Chan’s shoulder in a fatherly gesture before shaking Seungmin’s hand. “Pleasure to meet you, young man. You’ve found a very good one; try not to lose him.”

Seungmin feels his own blush coming on, but it’s nothing compared to Chan’s. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, too.”

He drops into the background a bit again as Chan and Mingi assess the fit of the suit and discuss shoe options. Mingi leads him back toward the locker room while Chan puts a ‘back in five’ sign on the desk. He threads his fingers through Seungmin’s, with just a little more hesitation than he did before. 

“Come back to the office with me?”

Seungmin takes in the room as Chan closes the door behind them. The space is bigger than he’d assumed it would be, but it also has two decently sized desks, one decidedly messier than the other. Chan pulls the chair to that desk around to the neater one’s side. 

“I just have a couple things I need to sort out in here. Um, feel free to look around. There shouldn’t be any sensitive info lying around.” He peers back over at the other desk, face cutely scrunched up a bit in thought. “I’m pretty sure. Ji’s usually good about that, despite the state of his desk.”

“It’s kinda nice that you guys share an office,” Seungmin notes, doing a small lap of the room to peruse the photos of the two of them with their friends and families, Jisung’s degrees in business, Chan’s B.A. in Kinesiology. He stops at the back wall, taking in an overflowing bulletin board: it has dozens of thank you cards and photos of the two of them with people who seem to be clients. There are some newspaper clippings as well, one for the gym’s opening, a few celebrating the gym’s community outreach, and the most recent praising their Bounce Back program.

He comes back around to sit in the chair beside Chan’s desk. “How are you with multi-tasking?” 

Chan grins over at him. “Depends on what the tasks include.”

“Talking while you do,” Seungmin peeks over his shoulder at spreadsheets and charts. “Whatever it is you’re doing.”

“That I can do. What’s up? Is this too boring for you? You could always —”

“No, no. I’m not bored,” Seungmin assures him, one hand landing on Chan’s arm to soothe his concern. “I also can read it myself, but I figured I’d ask you to tell me about Bounce Back?”

Chan’s full face lights up. “Oh, yeah! It’s important to us to give back to our community, y’know? So we do what we can to help those in need get hooked up with, like, hygiene products and facilities, professional clothes, and Ji even does these interview seminars on Wednesdays. Sometimes we’re able to do a little something extra, but it’s kinda case by case.”

Seungmin is genuinely impressed. Based on the other clippings on the board, they have programs working with single parent families and underprivileged youth. It’s clear that Chan, and Jisung, have very giving hearts. He’s flooded with warmth as he listens to Chan outline the finer details of the program, visibly proud of their achievements and plans for the future. 

After a few minutes, Chan realizes he’s gone far beyond answering the initial question as well as completely abandoned the work in front of him in favor of facing Seungmin more. 

“Oh,” he rubs at the back of his neck. “Guess I’m not as good at multitasking as I thought.” 

“Don’t worry about it,” Seungmin chuckles. “I’m sorry I distracted you, but thank you for telling me about it. You guys are really doing something special here. I assume Seunggil-ssi is a participant?”

“Yes! He has an interview tomorrow, so we wanted to make sure he’s all set tonight.” Chan’s blush begins to resurface. “And, um, sorry about the whole introducing you thing.”

Chan’s gaze is on his hands, so Seungmin leans down into his line of sight, inspiring a giggle. “Just so you know, I wouldn’t mind if that’s how you want to introduce me… as your boyfriend, that is.” 

He says it casually, but he can feel his heartbeat quickening along with an increasing desire to break eye contact with Chan. But the small smile he gets in return helps to calm his nerves. 

“I think I’d like that,” Chan admits, eyes returning to his fingers as he twirls a pen between them. Seungmin stands, bringing his attention back to him. 

“I’m gonna go check out the facility while you get your stuff done.” Feeling more sure of himself than he has all day, Seungmin leans down to press a kiss to Chan’s cheek before striding out of the office. 

By the time he gets back around to the reception desk, Chan is there again chatting with Mingi. 

“Done already?”

“Yep! Just had to tweak a few things before tomorrow,” Chan shrugs, but the tips of his ears still carry a bit of pink. 

The blush spreads when Mingi snorts and adds, “Not to mention he was too distracted by you agreeing to be his boyfriend to focus on anything else.”

“Mingi!”

“Really, he agreed to be my boyfriend,” Seungmin laughs, grabbing Chan’s hand and rubbing his thumb over his knuckles. “Well, I hope you’ll be able to focus enough to get a few trivia questions right, or you’re kicked off the team.”

⋆˙⟡♡˚🔁˚♡⟡˙⋆

By the time they arrive at the Lemon Drop, the first round has already begun. 

“Thank fuck!” Jisung yells as soon as he sees Chan. “Hyung, quick! Which joint is most commonly dislocated? 

“Answer choices are: the shoulder, knee, jaw, or ankle,” Hyunjin supplies. “They can’t agree; please tell me you know the answer.”

“It’s the shoulder! It’s the most mobile joint in the body, which also makes it the least stable. The head of the humerus is basically sitting in a shallow socket,” Chan explains, rotating his own shoulder as he does. “Honestly, it doesn’t take much to knock it out of place, especially in sports or when you fall.”

“I told you!” Felix jabs a finger in Changbin’s face. The older man takes a big breath to retort, but Minho’s hand flies up to cover it. “But what do I know, I just ‘do muscle stuff.’ Ridiculous.” He turns and takes both of Chan’s hands in his own. “Thank you for proving me right, hyung.”

Just like that, they seamlessly blend into their admittedly large team. As the rounds go on, they keep the lead nearly the entire time. There are even a fairly large number of teams competing tonight. San’s team is also decently sized and skilled; they manage to take round two with its absurd number of questions related to fruit. 

Everyone on their team is able to contribute, though some do more than others. Wooyoung comes over to deliver their first place gift certificate, and Seungmin makes sure to introduce Chan as his boyfriend. 

After a smattering of excited reactions from all their friends, even Jeongin, Minho says matter-of-factly, “Yes, and Changbin is actually my fiancè.”

That’s when all hell breaks loose, questions flying as Changbin wraps his arm around Minho, smiling brightly, and says, “When you know, you know.” 

Wooyoung yells loud enough that San rushes over to their table to make sure everything is alright.

“I can’t believe you’d propose without telling us!” Hyunjin is looking at their friend with the most bewildered look Seungmin has ever seen on him, and that’s saying a lot. 

Before anyone can ask anything else, the two of them burst out laughing. Changbin gasps out an apology, “You all seemed like you believed him immediately, so I had to run with it.”

Hyunjin is pouting majorly, and it doesn’t go unnoticed. Changbin moves to wrap his arms around him. “Don’t worry, Hyuni. If I ever decide to propose, I promise you’ll be the first to know.”

Once all the excitement dies down, more individual conversations start to pick up until Jeongin is pointing out that it’s Sunday; unfortunately just about all of them have to work in the morning. Seungmin and Chan walk out to the parking lot hand in hand. 

“I’ve really had a great time today,” Chan sighs. He leans his shoulder against Seungmin’s, and Seungmin has to resist the urge to pull him in closer. “I kinda wish it didn’t have to end.”

“Me too,” Seungmin hesitates for a moment. “I mean, it doesn’t have to. If you want, you could come back to mine for a nightcap?”

A warm smile spreads across Chan’s face. “That sounds great.”

They head off, letting their friends figure out the logistics of getting home, excited to have some one-on-one time. 

⋆˙⟡♡˚🔁˚♡⟡˙⋆

Chan

⋆˙⟡♡˚🔁˚♡⟡˙⋆

Chan knew Seungmin’s apartment would be nice, but he’s surprised to see it’s so large, considering he lives alone. The decor is very sleek and modern, with a few splashes of character here and there. It feels very Seungmin. 

They decide to turn on The Greatest Showman , since they both enjoy the film, though they talk for a while, only stopping at key points and to sing along. Seungmin’s voice is beautiful . He compliments Chan’s as well, but even without being part of the music industry, he can tell that Seungmin’s got something special. He tells him about how he considered auditioning to be an idol, but ended up not really giving it a shot. He admires that Seungmin decided to go into a career where he can help people, even if specializing in divorce was a bit of a left turn. 

This topic brings them back to the topic of community outreach. Chan explains more of the gym's programs, and the initiatives he’d like to be able to enact in the future as well. 

“I already allocate a portion of my time to pro bono work,” Seungmin says seriously. “Maybe I can shift some of that to helping people you refer to me. I have experience in multiple facets of family law, and I had to learn it all, you know. So, maybe I can help with Soo Harin’s custody hearing or something.”

Chan is stunned by the offer. He knows how busy Seungmin has been lately. Offering to help Chan’s people in whatever spare time he has left, and for free at that? The thought that I could really fall in love with him flashes through Chan’s head before Seungmin is shaking his arm. 

“ Rewrite the Stars is your favorite, right?” Seungmin is asking, eyes on the screen again. Right on cue, he turns to face Chan, taking hold of his hand. He sings in sync with the film, “You know I want you/ It’s not a secret I try to hide…”

Chan sees the blush creeping onto his ears at the words, making it all the more enchanting. He picks up the duet when the time comes, and they just sing to each other. 

It’s magical.

Despite the negative lyrics at the end, the mood remains as they finish. They stare into each other’s eyes, smiles wide, cheeks pink. Chan barely even thinks about it as he leans in, one hand cupping Seungmin’s jaw to guide his lips down to his. As one, their eyes drift closed and they relax into the feeling of each other. 

One kiss turns to two, then three, and before they know it, the movie is over, and they’re panting as they separate. Chan is basically on Seungmin’s lap, his shirt rolled halfway up his torso. Seungmin’s lips slightly swollen and pink. As if on cue, the Bedtime Reminder chimes on Seungmin’s phone. 

“Ah, it’s getting kinda late,” Chan feels a little out of breath as he says it. “I should probably head out and let you get to sleep.”

Seungmin tips his head forward to rest his forehead against Chan’s. “Bold of you to assume I can sleep after that, but you’re probably right.”

Their sighs mingle in the air between them. Seungmin presses kisses along his jaw, making him regret offering to leave already.

“Though, maybe if I can get to sleep quick enough, I can dream about this,” Seungmin chuckles softly as Chan gets up. 

He walks him all the way to his car in the garage, leaving him with a final kiss goodnight. And Chan smiles the whole way home.

⋆˙⟡♡˚🔁˚♡⟡˙⋆

Six months later…

Chan emerges from his office to see Seungmin holding Soo Hyojin while her mother hugs the two of them, happy tears trailing down her face. The young girl looks happy, if a little concerned for Harin. When Chan approaches them, she calls out his name.

“Oh, Channie-yah!” Harin rushes to hug him as well. “Thank you for bringing Seungmin-ah into our lives. It’s finally over; we won!”

“I’m so happy for you both!” Chan gives her a squeeze while high fiving Hyojin behind her. “Sounds like we have even more to celebrate tonight.”

“Oh yes,” Harin pulls back and moves to take Hyojin from Seungmin’s arms. “Seungmin-ah told me. Six months together, that’s an important milestone. I hope you have a wonderful time tonight.”

He thanks her as he shifts to Seungmin’s side, his arm easily finding its place around his waist. They chat for a few minutes more about their final day in court, but soon enough the ladies head out, leaving them alone. 

Seungmin follows him back to his office once more, pulling him in for a kiss as soon as the door is closed. 

“Congratulations, jagiya,” Chan is beaming with pride. “You don’t know how much I appreciate the work you’ve been doing with us.”

Seungmin grins. “I mean, you can try to show me, if you want.” He presses a kiss to his lips, and it likely would’ve went on for much longer than is appropriate in the workspace if not for Jisung loudly clearing his voice in the background.

“Sorry, Ji!” Chan’s cheeks are aflame. 

“All good, just didn’t want you to forget I was here and drop to your knees or something.”

“Han Jisung!”

Seungmin and Jisung are cackling as usual. Chan knows that he says things like that so he’ll react just the way he is, but he can’t help it. 

Seungmin manages to get his giggles under control quickly. “Fear not, I have to head out. Just wanted to say bye and see you tonight.”

“Yes, I’ll be ready by seven.” 

Seungmin’s hand is on the doorknob when he pivots back around and sweeps Chan into his arms. 

“I love you, Channie,” He whispers into Chan’s hair.

Chan’s heart swells. “I love you, too, Mini.”

⋆˙⟡♡˚🔁˚♡⟡˙⋆