Work Text:
Sometimes Han Jihoon looks at himself in the mirror and reflects on his life.
How could he get a successful, full time job, before getting a boyfriend?
He's laying on his bed, the sound of the morning accompanying him as always, his phone buzzing with messages. If he has to guess they are either from Dohoon or Kyungmin, today their schedules was a bit busy so its normal he's being hurried to make it to the agency as early as possible, so, letting out a long sigh, he gets ready for his day, mentally preparing himself for a slightly grumpy Dohoon and a probably still sleeping Junghwan.
Jihoon never thought idols could be fun, as someone who only used to focus on dancing and sports, his knowledge on idols was zero, but maybe not knowing who “ Yudoz ” were was better for his job. They are not some untouchable idols, they are people who have struggled a lot to reach their dream, and they are simply trying to keep it that way.
But since they were, in fact, normal people on the inside, it means they like to tease, to bother and to pick on him.
Just like they are doing right now.
Dohoon was looking at him with a dumbfounded expression, his hand covering his mouth in shock as Junghwan laughs, letting his head rest on Dohoon’s shoulder.
“I am not surprised, you're too… Jihoon , you know?” Junghwan says, a smirk on his face as Dohoon hits him on the leg, but the older just rolls his eyes and goes back to napping.
“A-And you're too Shin Junghwan yet you managed to pull him !” Jihoon whines, pointing back at Dohoon who blushes and opens his mouth, but nothing comes, he lets out a small sigh and nudges Jihoon to sit straight on the car, “Am I that unattractive? Maybe I'm not fun enough? Do people even think I'm nice? I-”
“ Ugh , Jihoon-ah, you're literally a sunshine , the people who hate you are asshole we've been through this” Dohoon says as he interlock his fingers with Junghwan’s, humming to himself and looking at Jihoon, who was still not sitting correctly on the car, “The right person just hasnt appeared yet, be patient yeah? I'm sure someone will love you despite being adorably annoying”
“I hate you so much!”
“We hate you too Jihoonie” Junghwan mumbles, Dohoon only laughs and Jihoon whines, stomping his foot and finally sitting straight, looking outside of the window, trying his best to ignore the lovey dovey couple on the back of the car, their giggles and kisses messing with his head.
Thankfully they arrive at the spot of the event quickly, he unpacks everything and helps the rest of the staff set up the tables for the small fanmeeting. He gets the idol’s receptive mics, he goes to buy their favorite drinks and snacks, he helps Dohoon fix his outfit and then reminds Junghwan the full schedule of the event. Life as a manager was not easy, but he knew that since the start, even with the event already going, the rest of the groups also sitting on different tables, he has to keep running around.
Kyungmin needs some papers he forgot at the agency, Dohoon wants some coffee, Junghwan needs his vitamins, some fans faint or start fighting, so he needs to get security.
At least he gets to chat a little bit with the other managers and even some of the other idols, and luckily the next part of the event is mainly singing, some talking and posing for photos, the only work Jihoon has to do is help Dohoon with some accessories since he always manages to mess up how they go, so he runs to him, scolds him and yes , maybe even laughs at him a little bit, making the older pout and start grumbling. The fans find it cute so it's a win-win situation, and Junghwan laughs as well of course, completely unaware that he's also wearing one of the gifts wrong.
After a few more water bottles and snacks, the event is done, they are giving their final speech and passing out some gifts for the fans, if Jihoon stole one of “ Yudoz ” ribbon pins it was only because they had a few left and not because he actually wanted one, he just didn't want the cute ribbons to go to waste! He puts one on his hoodie and then starts running once again, packing up stuff and calling both Junghwan and Dohoon so they could change, Kyungmin helps him move some things to the van, but Jihoon is faster and tells him to just wait in the car. Now he only has a few bags on him when the duo is ready to go, but it seems neither of them notice the hoard of fans that stayed at the place of the event, they came rushing to them first, taking photos with flash and trying to touch them, but they quickly run to the other side after a few min since another idol appears from a room.
Junghwan reacts fast and grabs Dohoon’s arms, keeping him close and speeding up, shouting to Jihoon that he should also walk fast and to stay close, Dohoon tries to reach out to him, but the older of the two pulls him with a bit too much strength. They fight for a few minutes about it, still walking to the car, thinking that Jihoon was right behind them, but in reality, the poor young manager had fallen to the ground thanks to the crazy fans, the bags flying away from him and nasty hitting the floor. Jihoon just hopes nothing too expensive was there, like a phone or a laptop.
“Of course this happens to me, they didn't even bother to check- ugh ! Those idiots in love, I wish they would stop looking at each other and-”
“ Hey - uh, are you hurt?” a soft voice suddenly comes from above him, startling Jihoon and making him look down to the floor in fear, eyes glued to the mess he made.
“I-I’m fine, just- uh- tripped, and well.. I-I’ll clean this in a second just- a-ah! shit - What the- ” when Jihoon tries to stand up to bow to the person, his ankle hurts, making him lose balance and almost fall forward, but he's catched by the random person, who he finally dares to look at.
And maybe it was a bad idea to look, because the most handsome guy he's ever seen is holding him, his nervous face is cute, brows furrowed as he looks at Jihoon with concern, he quickly steadies himself and bows to the guy, whispering a thank you before kneeling down and picking up his things.
To Jihoon’s surprise, his knight in shining armor also starts to clean, grabbing the bags and bringing them to him, he kneels beside him and offers Jihoon a shy smile, to which Jihoon reciprocates, smiling brightly and feeling his face heat up.
He wasn't one to believe in love at first sight, but he does like to think that fate is something real.
So maybe, thanks to his usual bad luck and clumsiness, he finally got to meet the right person, just like Dohoon said. He stays with him until everything is packed and ready, he helps him stand up as well and holds his hand until Jihoon lets go of it, a faint blush appearing on his soft looking cheeks as he scratches his neck, looking around the place.
“Well, I-I probably have to get going now, make sure to check your foot, yeah?”
“Y-yes, of course! And thank you, for helping me… you didn't have to”
“I just- “
“Youngjae hyung! Where are youuuuuuuu!!!”
A black haired guy comes running from a hallway, looking around desperately until his eyes land on Jihoon’s dream guy and practically throws himself on top of him, hugging his arm and smiling.
“Found you! Manager nim is looking for you, we have to go!”
“Hanjin-ah Im- well, I’m kind of-”
“Oh!” The new guy, Hanjin, turns to see Jihoon, an even bigger smile replaces the last one, he extends his hand and, a bit reluctantly, Jihoon accepts it, “Im Hanjin, Youngjae’s partner!! Do you know Ascana? We are-”
“Hanjin-ah, he seems busy.. I-I don't think we should keep him from going to where he needs to go”
“Oh… Okay, still, make sure to check us out!! Have a good day, uh…”
“Jihoon, Han Jihoon… “
Hanjin smiles and waves at him happily, dragging his knight, Youngjae , with him, who can only give him a quick wave before his partner starts to talk his ear off about something Jihoon can't really care about, because the man of his dream just got introduced to him and now he was taken away by another guy???
And what did he mean by partner ???
“Oh no please, don't tell me he's… taken ?” Jihoon can't help but let out a long whine, grumpily making his way towards the van, not saying anything to Dohoon or Junghwan, putting his headphones on and scrolling through his phone.
He tries searching up what Hanjin said, Arcana? Ascara? He tries to recall but nothing shows up, only some games and weird small shops, but absolutely no sign of the, probably and hopefully , love of his life. He whines and sighs, loudly groaning when he cant find anything even after arriving at the agency, his eyes stuck to his phone as if he was waiting for something important, that's why at first no one approached him, Dohoon watches silently, following him around, while Junghwan glances at him from time to time, not used to a not noisy Jihoon.
It wasn't until practice that Dohoon decides to do something, telling Junghwan to go and buy something for Jihoon, so now, they were alone, the older trying to catch his breath first before going to Jihoon, who was sulking in a corner, still looking at his phone.
He makes his way silently towards the younger, a cold bottle of water in his hands, and as sneakily as possible he puts it right against his nape, Jihoon jumps and drops his phone, letting out a high pitched and loud scream, turning around and smacking Dohoon’s arm.
“What the hell?! If you want more coffee go to the mini fridge and-”
“I don't want coffee!”
“Then why did you do that???”
“ Because - Because you're acting all weird and it's making us worry, idiot! What's wrong? Did… Did something happen with that group of fans?” Dohoon’s voice got softer, he reaches out to Jihoon’s face, dropping the bottle and cupping his cheeks with his hands, squeezing them and looking at the younger with concern, “If something happened then-”
“I'm fine!... I just tripped, my ankle kind of hurts? But- uh, someone helped me, a cute guy, nice too- I mean, like, he asked if I was fine and held my hand and all that so, yes, I'm- like- okay..”
“Oh! A cute guy?” The tone in which Dohoon was talking now didn't make Jihoon feel any better, that teasing tone he likes to use with him and Junghwan every time he reads them like books, he smirks and keeps squeezing Jihoon’s face, “Did Jihoonie find his prince charming?”
“Shut up… I-I can't even find him anywhere, couldn't get his full name… Do you, uh, do you think I'll meet him again?”
“Awww, our Jihoonie is so adorable!” Jihoon groans and starts to push Dohoon away, but the older didn't let go and instead hugs him tightly, patting his head and giving him a kiss on his forehead, “You know, since you meet him at the event, maybe… maybe he's a manager! Or something like that! I'm sure you'll meet him again and if not… we’ll just find him for you!”
“Stupid hyung…. Thank you”
Jihoon lets Dohoon trap him in a hug, the older keeps talking about how cute their meeting was, and after a few minutes Junghwan walks through the door, staring at the two guys practically cuddling in a corner of the practice room, but instead of bothering them, he simply hands the ice cream he bought and then sits beside Dohoon, one of his hands making its way to Jihoon’s hair and ruffling it.
As Jihoon eats his ice cream and records the idols newest dancing routine, he starts to daydream, images of him and Youngjae meeting again, of Jihoon asking for his number, of Youngjae giving it to him with a promise of regularly texting and a new meeting between them.
But maybe it doesn't have to be a dream, maybe if he wishes hard enough, if he thinks about it daily, he will meet Youngjae again and this time he will do everything in his power to have a chance with him, he just hopes he doesn't get weirded out by his intensity..
A full week passed by and Jihoon didn't know if the universe hates him or he's simply too unlucky, since no sign of Youngjae has appeared in his life since that day.
He goes to class everyday, he trains and goes to his usual places, he tries to keep going with his life pretending that Youngjae didn't live in his mind rent free. It was stupid, how a guy he met once is now consuming a big part of his life, wasn't it embarrassing? How could he say that he fell for a random person that showed him a bit of kindness? He was starting to lose focus at school and even at work, so, Dohoon once again offers help. Maybe they can ask Kyungmin for help, but what could they do? The best Jihoon can give them is a probably idealized description of his appearance and half of his name.
He kicks the air as he starts to pack his things, he thinks about distancing himself, it's been a while since he's gone to his favorite bookstore, they should have the new volume of the comic he's reading and he has some money left from his last paycheck, so why not?
He waves goodbye to his classmates and runs to the one place he can always relax in, it didn't matter if it was a Sunday or if it was 3 a.m, this cozy bookstore was always open, with a few tables and chairs to sit and read, a coffee machine that was always ready to make Jihoon a warm americano.
“I think Junghwan hyung would like this place..” Jihoon says as he confidently walks in, bowing to the cashier that already recognizes him, he goes to the coffee machine and happily waits there.
When it's ready he goes to the comics and graphic novels, searching the name of his new reading project, but he's having a bit of trouble finding it, only to realize it was higher in the shelf, completely out of his reach, there was a small staircase close, but he didn't see any worker, so, ready to go and ask whoever he finds first around the place, a hand lands softly on his shoulder. He stays still for a minute, since the hand stays there, on his shoulder, but no one said a thing, was someone parking him? Maybe one of his friends or classmates? So, slowly and with his eyes closed he turns around, opening them cautiously, but his expressions changes from nervous to shock as his eyes land of fucking Youngjae, wearing a dark apron with the logo of the library on the right corner, a pair of glasses adorning his face and a faint blush on his cheeks.
“Oh! I-It is you, we meet again, Jihoon-ah”
“We- We meet again…” He sounds way shakier than he wants to be, his eyes wide open as one of his hands go to hide his face away from Youngjae, who tilts his head in confusion and retracts his hand from Jihoon’s shoulder, “I- uh- Oh my God”
“A-Are you alright? Hows, uh, your foot doing?”
“G-Good! Amazing really- just- just great! And you? How, uh, how are you doing?”
“Im fine, it's… nice to see you again”
“I-I- Yes! Its- Its amazing, I was.. I was hoping we would meet again…”
Jihoon bites his lips and feels his face get warmer, he’s surely blushing, but Youngjae’s smiling, he nods and walks to the staircase, bringing it closer to where they were, he glances at Jihoon to then get on the staircase, looking down with a charming smile that makes Jihoon weak, so he leans on the shelf, hoping Youngjae didn't notice his state.
“Did you need something from here? Let me get it for you!”
“Oh, no- I mean, yes? I-I just wasn't- I didn't have anything in mind! I just- I was looking around!”
“Mh, then can I recommend something to you?” Youngjae says softly, his eyes scanning the shelfs until they land on something, he takes it out carefully, come down and hands the book to Jihoon, whose eyes shine when they notice what it is, “I've been reading it from time to time, i think it's pretty cool…”
“T-Thank you! I'll read it ! I'll definitely read it!!”
“Im… Glad you seem excited”
Jihoon couldn't help but get excited, the book in his hands, the comic, it was the same one he wanted, the one he was looking for, and now Youngjae was recommending it to him? He wants to scream, to roll on the run and jump, he wants- no, he needs to hug him. If they go on a date maybe they can discover more things they like, maybe they are similar, but what if they're not? Jihoon couldn't care less, anything Youngjae says he likes would be engraved in his brain, remembering as if it was a matter of life and death.
He was getting too excited, too happy.
So, without thinking, adrenaline filling his body, he reaches out to Youngjae, holding his wrist and looking at him with expectation.
“D-Do you wanna go on a date with me?”
Youngjae looks at Jihoon for a few minutes, expression completely unreadable, it almost makes Jihoon back down on everything, his hold becoming weaker as he feels himself get warm, his face probably fully red. He takes a step back when Youngjae opens his mouth, yet nothing comes out, he simply lets out a small, quiet and soft chuckle, he nods and clumsily takes out his phone from the pocket of his apron.
“Oh!, well, should I give you my number? So we can talk, of course”
Jihoon could only nod back, eyes sparkling as he grabs his phone and passes it to Youngjae, who does the same with his phone, they exchange numbers slowly, pressing the numbers and laughing a little, Jihoon feels like he could faint, glancing at the guy in front of him with what could only be described with “ heart eyes ”.
They had to part ways thanks to someone calling Youngjae, he was clearly surprised, face slightly flushed when he noticed Jihoon’s eyes on him, he smiled and gave the phone back, waving and disappearing in between the shelfs, leaving the younger with a pair of weak legs and a fast beating heart, he stays in the same spot for a few more minutes, his phone ringing in his hands, but he can't even bring himself to turn it off or to end the calls that keep coming in, the thought of work completely forgotten thanks to this miraculous interaction with the man of his dreams.
Yes, he might have arrived a bit late at work, Kyungmin waiting at the entrance for him, his voice was something Jihoon hears, but he can't process the words, he's not listening, since his mind is still full of Youngjae, of his nervous smile, of his sweet words and warmth that made him shaky, the ecstatic that he felt when their fingers brushed while exchanging phones, and he keeps repeating the same phrase over and over.
‘I have a date, I have a date, I have a date, I have a date, I have a date, I have a dateIhaveadat-’
“Jihoon-ah!”
“H-Huh? What- What happened?”
“You're spacing out more than usual… Everything good? Do you want to go home early? I mean we don't have schedules today so-”
“No! I'm fine, gosh I… I couldn't be more fine, hyung” Jihoon says, letting his body slowly fall to the floor, he stays there, and even if he is, technically still, the two oldest can see how he's vibrating, eyes shining and a smile as big as his whole face.
“Ookay… Do you want to, uh, talk about it?”
This makes Jihoon sit up, his legs crossed, looking up at both Dohoon and Junghwan, who without much choice, sat in front of him, after all, a break was well deserved. They got comfortable, with Dohoon leaning on Junghwan, their hands finding each other easily, and Jihoon couldn't help but stare at them.
When Dohoon’s eyes follow Jihoon’s he unconsciously moves his hand away, Junghwan giving him a sad look but he doesn't push, simply lets the fingers slip away, but Jihoon shakes his head, hugging his legs and letting his chin rest on his knees.
“So… you remember Youngjae?”
“ Yes ” The couple answers fast, their hands once again together, which makes Jihoon smile softly, he nods to himself and tries to think about how to lay the news to them.
Dohoon was probably going to be too excited, Junghwan would definitely try and help him with the date, the thought of them helping was cute, nice even, so taking a deep breath, he simply lets it out.
“I-I have a date with him, this weekend… and, well, we exchanged numbers, a-and when we did he smiled at me, he.. He said he was happy to see me again”
When he looks up at them, his face heats up in seconds, Dohoon’s eyes are shining, was he going to cry ? Jihoon swears he could see tears in the corner of his eyes, while Junghwan was nodding, eyes closed, but he was smiling so brightly it made Jihoon want to hide away. But before he can, Dohoon is already at his side, hugging him and squeezing his cheek with his own, rambling about how he's going to help Jihoon find clothes, style his hair, prepare a nice gift and even more, Junghwan was on his other side, softly saying encouraging words to Jihoon, telling him to just be himself since he's surely going to make Youngjae at least laugh a little.
It was weird, but it didn't feel wrong, being so spoiled and taken care of by these two.
Thor dynamics is usually only teasing, harsh words that had no meaning, silent actions that showed how they actually cared. But now he was being dragged to clothing stores, to aisle full o perfumes and colognes, Dohoon and Junghwan fighting because the shirt that the oldest chose didn't go well with Jihoon’s hair, or how Dohoon didn't know how to choose a fragrance because everything was too sweet.
Of course , Dohoon got mad, immediately sulking and spraying him with one of the “too sweet” fragrances he chose while shouting “Well you never complain when I use them!” before storming out of the store, leaving a very flustered Jihoon to apologize to the workers while Junghwan goes and follows his boyfriend.
After what was an atrocious, but very funny first attempt at buying new clothes, a few kisses and an apology with an ice cream, everything was forgiven and Jihoon is once again the center of attention. This time, they try and listen more, they let Jihoon picks things, showing outfit after outfit, Dohoon trying his best to not let his personal style win over, giving the younger advice on some things, like how accessories can be good, a hat or a bracelet working nine out of ten times! The other hyung is a bit more calm, giving his honest opinion about what looks better and how some colors made him look more like himself.
Paying was a whole other discussion, Jihoon was ready to pay for everything, he had money left so it wouldn't be too much of a problem, but then both Dohoon and Junghwan took their cards out, they exchanged a single look, this time though Junghwan stole a quick kiss from Dohoon, his face flushing as he takes a step back,taking the opportunity to pay for everything.
The day luckily, or unfortunately, did not end there!
They take Jihoon to a hair salon, a very nice and cute girl was already waiting for them, it seems to know Dohoon by the way they chat. It was true he mentioned he wanted to change his hair color, but maybe going to the first date completely changed wouldn't be so good, so instead, Jihoon asks for some highlights, and after a few hours his hair was now slightly different, yellow highlights decorated it, similar to what Dohoon used to have a year ago, but with his brown hair it looks softer, he likes quite it a lot. So, after a day full of new things he gets home, falling onto his bed but his eyes won't close, he's smiling, his hand grabbing his pillows, face buried in it as well, to his surprise his phone rings, and when he checks he almost can't believe it's actually Youngjae.
A simple “Are you still awake?” It took him a few minutes to reply, but Youngjae texts him back in seconds. It was almost 1 a.m, shouldn't he be sleeping? But of course he doesn't complain and simply keeps texting back, he tries being funny, teasing and joking, he can't see his reactions which makes him sweat, but the short laughs and funny emojis that his date, now 100% official, sends to him make him believe he is making him at least chuckle. The hours keep passing and somehow both of them are still wide awake, talking about their days, their work and their date.
Sadly at 4 a.m Youngjae has to leave, Jihoon thought about asking what exactly did he do for work, since it seems he has multiple ones, but his contact was offline before he could even type the question, so he only sent a good night message, a cute sticker of a bear sending a kiss, and he turns off his phone, this was probably going to be bad, sleeping only like 1 or 2 hours, but maybe if he lets his hyungs tease him and “help” him more on his date he can take a nap or two.
He just hopes the day goes quickly, that way his date comes faster so he can properly meet Choi Youngjae.
And for the first time in a while, the universe was on his side. He could take a few naps in between work and not too busy schedules, Dohoon wakes him up every time they have to move, Junghwan hides him and brings him some energy drinks, and this kept going through the other days as well, their excuse was that either way Jihoon was going to be distracted, thinking about the date, so they simply let him rest and daydream, calling him only when strictly necessary. For this Jihoon was extremely thankful, because he couldn't stop thinking about it, how he was going to go to a adorable Amusement park with Youngjae, how they will probably ride a rollercoaster, maybe they could buy cute headband, the food was surely going to be delicious, and to end it all they would go on a ferris wheel, they would sit face to face, and Jihoon can only wish they would share at least a kiss.
Was that too much to ask?
“You are sooo down bad, it's getting worrying,” Dohoon would say, calling him the night right before the date. It was true that Jihoon had flooded their groupchat with nervous texts, but he never expected the older to call him.
“I'm just scared, weren't you when your thing with Junghwan hyung started?”
“I was terrified, idols dating? That's a death wish, but.. We make it work, the fans like out chemistry, you could say we got lucky”
“What if I don't get lucky? What if he.. What if he doesn't fall for me?”
Dohoon sighs, long and tired, but his voice is still soft, still understanding.
“It's not like you're going to have only one date, right? You need time, I used to hate Junghwan, remember? But then things changed, I.. I'm sure it will turn out alright, yes?” Jihoon hums, his eyes getting heavy, Dohoon’s voice slowly getting him to relax, “And, well, if he hurts you we’ll take care of him for you”
“Hah! Of course you would… Love you hyung”
“Love you too Jihoon-ah, now go to sleep! You can't arrive late to your first date”
The call ends with Jihoon mumbling a yes, he knows he didn't end the call, so it's probably Dohoon who ends it, the sleepiness winning over him as he falls asleep holding his phone close to his ear. Turns out that thanks to sleeping with his phone close, even if it was an extremely uncomfortable position, the loud alarm he set up played straight to into his ear, he jumps and drops his phone, blinking fast as he stares at his phone that lays on the floor, everything coming to him in a few seconds as his eyes land on the hour.
10 a.m.
And they were meeting at 12.
He runs to his bathroom and showers in record time, he eats a quick breakfast as he dry his hair, running back to his room and putting all of his new clothes on his bed, he tries on at least six different outfits, he thought about calling Dohoon, but surely he's cuddling with Junghwan, its their free day after all, so just like he is going to spend it with his possible new boyfriend, hes going to let the couple enjoy they time they have together.
With the time going so fast for no reason Jihoon ends up going with a more comfortable look than a fashionable one, he still looks good, but if his dear hyung sees him he would definitely make him change.
But when he looks at himself in the mirror he feels good.
He looks good, and his confidence raises, because maybe it is possible to get his incredibly handsome guy interested in him even if it's just a little bit.
Grabbing his bag, his sunglasses and a jacket just in case, he goes out at 11 a.m, taking the first taxi he sees and praying that if Youngjae is already at the park he has waited too long for him. He can't help but get a bit scared when his messages don't seem to be getting through, and none of his calls were answered, but he is positive, he won't let his mind play tricks on him, so when he arrives, he steps out of the car with a smile, the park they were meeting at wasn't that big, it was place full of dogs, so Jihoon stays entertained playing with some of them, throwing balls and sticks to them, but his legs are weak, the stress of not being contacted by his date at all getting to him slowly, he has to sit down for a bit, the dog he was playing with following him but quickly leaving once he sees the human no longer paying attention.
His legs bouncing, hand clutching his phone a bit too tightly, he stands up and sits numerous times, walking around in circles, getting dizzy and sitting back down. He starts to sweat, a feeling of being watched washing over him suddenly, but right as he looks up to search he's faced with Youngjae, running to him with a sad smile.
“Jihoon-ah! Ah, I'm so glad you're still here”
“You came”
“Of course I did! My, uh, my phone kind of died, and Hanjin wouldn't lend me his so I tried to come as fast as i could, I-”
“Oh god, you really came” Jihoon repeats, mostly to himself, eyes glued to Youngjae’s face, the way his smile turns softer, how his eyes move from head to toe, checking him out.
Choi Youngjae was checking him out.
He can't help but let a little laugh out, one of his hand going to cover his mouth, his ears are probably red, he can feel them burning, but Youngjae says nothing, he just stares, and watches and takes a step closer to him, extending his hand to Jihoon, who without wasting any second holds it with his other hand.
“This is.. New”
“I-I can't believe you've never been in a date before”
“I guess I was just waiting for the right one”
The sound Jihoon makes is a mix of a hum and a whine, his face exploding in embarrassment when Youngjae bursts out laughing, pulling him closer and starting to walk towards the exit of the park.
“So… I think you'll really like this place, I'm not so good with rides but if you want to try any of them I'll follow you, yeah?”
“Are you scared of fast rides?” At this, Youngjae blushes slightly, scratching the back of his neck and tilting his head to the side, Jihoon has to fight the urge to pinch his cheeks.
“... Kind of? I-I just get dizzy very quick, but I can try and be strong”
“What if you pass out in the middle of a ride?! I can't have you dying on me!”
They keep laughing and making small talk all the way to the Amusement park. Jihoon could start to see the entrance, the rides that could be seen from above the walls, it seemed fun, and noticing the worried expression of Youngjae was a priceless addition to the date.
Every short seconds that passed was proving that Jihoon was right, that today was going to be a good day and that finally the universe was giving him a chance at the one thing he always wanted to try.
But he was still unlucky, even when he feels like nothing can go wrong, when Youngjae is looking at him with such attentive and beautiful eyes, their hands interlocked as they walk through the gates of the animal themed Amusement park, a hand grabs him by his other arm, dragging him away from Youngjae, whose shocked expression makes him stomach hurt.
“Ugh, I knew that stupid name sounded familiar, I should've checked, I should've made sure it wasn't him!
“Why can't you let him try it first? You said it to him, it worked for us! Why can't it work out for them?”
“Because Jihoon is not famous, he's a manager of a rival group, a rival agency and there's stupid, crazy fans who will do things I- I-I don't even want to think about it!”
Wait, Jihoon thinks, I know those voices.
He finally snaps after being dragged for what felt like thirty minutes, he frees himself of the grip and stands, turning around. And just like he suspects, he does know the voices of the culprits, and even if they are wearing dull clothing with masks and big sunglasses to hide their faces, there is no denying.
“Hyungs? What.. Why are you here? No- Why did you do that? Are you insane!?”
“I just.. You can't go out with him”
“Dohoon-ah-”
“Junghwan hyung, can you please for the love of god explaining what the fuck was that?” The youngest rubs his temple as he groans, feet impatient tapping the concrete floor of the sidewalk, he can hear the other two discussing something in low voices, but he pays no mind, his head filled with worry and regret because he left Youngjae alone, on their first date, with no warning and now the most important people in his life were telling him to not date him?
This had to be a nightmare. Yes. He was still sleeping, still in bed, this was just a very long, very weird and bad nightmare he needs to wake up from, because the real Youngjae was going to be waiting for him, the real Dohoon and Junghwan would not drag him away from his date, they would be happy, they would congratulate him as he tells them how he got a second date already.
This was just a nightmare.
But then Junghwan places a hand on his shoulder, a warm, firm, comforting hand.
“Jihoon-ah, look at me?” Jihoon shakes his head, arms crossed and head low, Junghwan chuckles, he squeezes his shoulder and talks again, “Look, we're sorry for this, Dohoon… He got a bit paranoid, and he is sorry for that, but you have to know that.. Uh, well, Youngjae is not exactly some random person”
“Ugh, what is that supposed to meeaan? Is he a spy? Some sort of mega super villain?”
“No! No, please, Jihoonie.. He's just- he is an idol, like us, did he tell you that?”
“A… A what now?”
Once again, Jihoon was trying his hardest to convince himself this was the weirdest dream he's ever had, pinching himself and biting his inner cheek so he could wake up. Yet it didn't work, nothing worked, Junghwan and Dohoon were there, standing in front of him, face full of worry as they threw some very important news about Youngjea. But he couldn't ask more since his hand was grabbed from behind, someone was pulling him to his chest, an arm protectively wrapped around him and everything was warm. He takes a peek, moving his head a bit upwards to see Youngjae, again, and he couldn't see his expression very well, but the way his grips slowly loosen up as his eyes land on the couple, Jihoon can guess he knows them too.
“What.. What are you two doing here?”
“We are here to pick Jihoon up, so-”
“Well, we are kind of busy right now, so!”
“Listen here you-”
“Okay, okay let's all calm down alright, we don't need any more attention” Junghwan steps innetwen Dohoon and Youngjae, he bows and greets Youngjae properly, while Dohoon simply hufs and rolls his eyes.
Meanwhile, Jihoon, oh poor Jihoon was still processing the fact that Youngjae, his date, the person he was planning on marrying if he was being honest, was an idol just like the people he worked for, just like his closest friends ever, his second family.
Unable to stay quiet and still any longer, he carefully slips away from Youngjae’s hold, ignoring, even if it hurts, the way his eyes lose the spark he saw when they meet a few moments earlier. He stood with Junghwan, arms still crossed, eyebrows furrowed. He takes a deep breath and lets it out immediately, looking at Dohoon and then at Youngjae.
“So you two know each other? Since when, if i can know??”
“It's a long story”
“Well,” Jihoon laughs, running a hand through his hair and looking at Dohoon directly in the eyes, “My date is kind of already ruined so, i think I- no, we got time to spare, hyung”
A silence follows Jihoon’s harsh words, the oldest of them all stays quiet, not really knowing what to say, Youngjae looks conflicted, his hand still reaching for Jihoon, and the younger secretly reaches out as well, taking the small amount of warmth he can get.
And lastly, Dohoon is simply worried, biting his lip and playing with his hoodie, his eyes are closed and he keeps walking back and forth, his steps being the only thing that made a sound for some long minutes, until he stops and sit down on the closes bench there is, he looks at Jihoon with pleading eyes and pats the bench.
“Alright, lets just do this quickly so we can end this awkwardness”