Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Choi Seungcheol prided himself on being a lone wolf: completely fine on his own, completely content with himself.

And being a lone wolf, he decided that he was more than capable enough to move homes by himself, not bothering to inform his friends or to ask for their help in managing his things.

Thus, there he was, lugging a heavy box of books from the trunk of his car and up the front steps of the apartment building. He was doing alright. In fact, he had already lugged up the other boxes to his apartment on the second floor. Just a few more were left in his car and he thought that it would only take him two or more rounds before he could completely settle in his new apartment and get to sorting his belongings.

Cheol marched up the steps, huffing as he carefully took each step, looking down at the ground to make sure that his feet landed where they should. Hence why he didn’t notice when an oncoming force was about to hit him and topple the box to the ground.

Just as Cheol made it to the landing, someone shouted, “Wait—hold on!”

Before Cheol could ever manage to step aside, a man bumped into him hard, causing him to lose balance and fall to the ground along with the box which flew open. Books began flying out of it and settled in a heap around him.

“Hyungjae! Wait up!” another man said, running after the perpetrator. “Fine! Just…call me!”

“Ow…” Cheol murmured, feeling his butt hurt from the impact.

“Oh, shit,” the man said, looking down at Cheol on the floor. “He bumped into you, didn’t he? Oh, God. I’m sorry.”

The man who had a head full of blond hair, crouched down and helped Cheol in putting the books back into the box.

“I’m so sorry,” he said again.

“It’s fine,” Cheol replied, still trying to get up so he could help the man in packing his books. “Wasn’t your fault.”

When Cheol got up, he dusted himself off with a slight wince. Oh, his ass might need some cold compress later, he thought.

“You don’t need to pack up everything. It seriously wasn’t your fault,” Cheol said.

The blond man paused, holding a book mid-air and looked up at Cheol.

Heavenly . That was how Cheol began to describe the man before him. Soft-looking hair illuminated by the morning light, dark-brown eyes that blinked up at him, a high nose that looked like it was sculpted to perfection, and thin pink lips parted as though to say something.

God’s own angel.

Cheol had to swallow a lump in his throat.

“It’s kind of my fault, actually,” blondie said and then grinned. “I kind of chased him out of my apartment.”

Taking his eyes off of the man, Cheol bent down to get a hold of some books and to distract himself from the other’s beauty.

“It’s really no problem. I’m sure your boyfriend didn’t mean to bump into me,” Cheol managed to say.

“Oh, he’s not my boyfriend. He’s just…someone,” blondie said with a wider grin. Then, he turned to Cheol, “My name’s Jeonghan, by the way.”

Cheol looked over at him and tried hard not to squint—the early morning sunlight was literally illuminating Jeonghan’s face, making him  look nothing short of ethereal.

“I’m Cheol,” he muttered with some effort.

Jeonghan smiled at him, his eyes turning into cute little crescents. “Hi, Cheol! Welcome to the neighborhood!”

˖ . ݁𝜗𝜚. ݁₊

Much to Cheol’s chagrin, Jeonghan managed to convince him to help him move the other boxes up to his apartment.

Just this early on and he had already charmed me into letting him have his way, Cheol thought with a grumble.

“Where should I put this?” Jeonghan said as he carried a smaller box containing Cheol’s plates and other tableware.

“Just set it on the breakfast island, thank you,” Cheol said, setting down his box of clothes.

After putting down the box where Cheol told him, Jeonghan dusted his hands off and looked around Cheol’s apartment full of boxes and plastic bags.

“I should probably help you unpack,” Jeonghan said. “You have too many boxes. I think you could use a hand.”

“I’m fine. Thank you. You’ve done enough,” Cheol rushed out.

“Nonesense! I don’t have work today so I can totally help!”

Before Cheol could even answer with insistence, Jeonghan was already marching to the small living room where an empty shelf was placed and began opening the box of books.

“Do you have any preference on the arrangement of the books?” he asked, already holding up one book.

“Nope. You can, uh, arrange them any way you like,” Cheol replied meekly. He turned to the box of tableware and began unpacking it.

They worked in silence for a while until Jeonghan decided to break it first.

“Oh, you have a lot of Choi Seungcheol’s books! You must be a fan!”

Cheol pursed his lips before answering, “I guess you can say that…”

“I’ve read some of his books myself, you know.”

“Really?” Cheol piped up. “You have?”

“Yeah,” Jeonghan nodded sagely. “My favorite’s ‘Nine Steps to Seduction’.”

Cheol looked down at the box and busied himself with unloading the forks and spoons, doing anything at all to appear nonchalant. “And…how was the book for you?”

“Great! Pretty hefty stuff. I learned a lot, actually,” Jeonghan said, putting more books onto the shelf. “Although I think he could’ve delved more on the psyche of the seduceé—is that a word? Anyway, it was good, just needed a little tweak.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Cheol said, finally taking out the last of the tableware from the box.

Meanwhile, Jeonghan continued placing the books on the shelves, arranging them by color, until he picked up a worn-down copy of “The Little Mermaid”.

“Ooh, Little Mermaid! This is my favorite children’s story!”

Cheol looked up from setting aside the now-empty box. “Is it?”

“Yeah! I used to read it a lot when I was a kid. Even stole my kindergarten’s copy of it!”

“What?”

“That’s how much I loved it!” Then, thinking that Cheol might take his words the wrong way, Jeonghan quickly added, “I swear I’m not a klepto!”

“I wasn’t thinking you were.”

“Just want to set the record straight,” Jeonghan grinned. “Mind if I open it?”

“By all means,” Cheol said.

And Jeonghan did flip the book page to page, admiring the old copy’s worn-out pages and its intricate drawings. He continued on in silence until the last page, and then—

“You say you like Choi Seungcheol’s books?” he looked up from the book.

Cheol, too, looked up from lugging the box of clothes to his room. “Yeah. Why?”

“You like him enough to have his name stamped on the last page of this book?”

Jeonghan held up the book and presented the last leaf which, indeed, had “Property of Choi Seungcheol” stamped on it.

Cheol gulped. Moving places, he was never intent on letting any of his new neighbors know who he was, and yet there was Jeonghan, standing across the room and looking at him like he was a weirdo.

Cheol paused for a moment, contemplating whether or not to tell Jeonghan that he was, in fact, the writer Choi Seungcheol. But, then again, even if he lied there was a strong chance that Jeonghan would know his name anyway, especially if he planned on staying in the apartment complex for a long period of time.

“That is my property,” he began as he put down the box carefully. “I’ve had it since I was young.”

“Then why is Choi Seungcheol stamped on the last leaf?” Jeonghan asked.

Cheol supposed there was no other way out of this if he didn’t want his neighbor to think that he was some sick, obsessed Choi Seungcheol fan.

He sighed in resignation. “Fine…I’m, uh, Choi Seungcheol.”

“As in the writer Choi Seungcheol?”

“Yes…”

“No freaking way!”

Cheol bit his bottom lip, cheeks burning hot. “I can show you my driver’s license if you want.”

“Perfect!” Jeonghan stalked closer to him with intent. “Yes! Lemme see it!”

Cheol fished out his wallet from his jeans pocket and opened it to reveal his driver’s license. And, sure enough, there was his face on the plastic card with “Choi Seungcheol” printed on it.

“Holy smokes…” Jeonghan murmured, just above a whisper. “And just right after I grilled your book.”

Cheol closed his wallet and shoved it inside his pocket again. “You didn’t grill it. You only said what you thought. And it’s not like I don’t hear the same things from the critics.”

“I am so sorry,” Jeonghan stepped back, face truly apologetic. “Your work is amazing! I love them—really, I do!”

“Relax, Jeonghan,” Cheol stammered. “No, uh, no offense taken.”

“Great! Still, let me help you unpack more of your stuff as penance!”

Without letting Cheol protest, Jeonghan whipped around and went back to his work on the shelves. After that, he helped Cheol unpack his figurines and vases and helped him put them around the apartment where they should be.

They continued on their tasks until all of Cheol’s boxes were stowed away and his apartment looked virtually less of a storage unit and more of an actual home. He supposed he really did need Jeonghan’s help, after all.

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The next morning, Cheol awoke to the insistent knocks on his door.

He got up and felt the earth tilt a little—a byproduct of him skipping dinner the previous night in place of going to sleep.

Groggily, he made his way to the door, not even bothering to look through the peephole to check who was on the other side. He opened the door just the slightest bit and was immediately welcomed by Jeonghan’s smile.

If it looked too bright and sunny for the early morning, Cheol wasn’t about to tell him.

“Hi, Cheol!” Jeonghan said, voice an octave too high. “I made baked mac!”

“Morning, Jeonghan,” Cheol replied, opening the door wider and stepping aside to let Jeonghan in.

“I made too much baked mac last night so I thought why not share it with the new neighbor? A welcome gift, sort of!”

Without waiting for Cheol or needing to be told what to do, Jeonghan padded to his kitchenette and took out plates and forks for them to use.

Cheol, meanwhile, was still trying to rub off the remaining sleep from his eyes, totally unable to stop Jeonghan.

“Come sit,” Jeonghan said, gesturing to the chairs at the breakfast island as though he owned the place. Cheol just let him as he sat down.

Jeonghan placed a plate in front of him and took his right hand and shoved a fork into it.

“Let’s eat!” Jeonghan exclaimed  merrily.

He forked out some gooey macaroni and placed it on Cheol’s plate. “Eat it while it’s hot! The other tenants say I’m really good at baked mac, you know! So dig in!”

Still a bit too sleepy, Cheol could do nothing but oblige. He forked a small amount and brought it to his mouth. Instantly, the savory flavor filled his senses and abruptly made him feel more awake than ever.

“Holy smokes…” he said. “This is so good…”

“See?” Jeonghan said, watching Cheol as he chewed and swallowed, his own chin perched on his hand. “Told you I’m good.”

“Thank you for this,” Cheol said, eating another forkful. “So you’re a cook?”

“Nah. I’m bad in the kitchen. Making baked mac is the only exception.”

Jeonghan proceeded to fork out his own serving and eat. Cheol ate in silence for a while, savoring the food and allowing Jeonghan to yap and complain about the apartment complex’s rules while listing down the names of the tenants Cheol should meet as soon as he was completely settled in.

“I just remembered, I never asked you why you moved,” Jeonghan asked after a while.

“Because,” Cheol said around a mouthful and then swallowed. “My previous apartment building was so old that it no longer passed the city’s safety standards so they had to tear it down.”

“Ah, I see…” Jeonghan said. “Hey, mind if I fix us some coffee?”

“Sure. The pods are in the cupboard to your right.”

“Got it. Thanks!”

As Jeonghan went about grabbing the nearest pods of coffee for the Nespresso machine, Cheol busied himself with watching him move around. Even this early in the morning, Jeonghan looked so put together, so lively. Cheol thought he could never be like him.

And so, he decided to ask something in order to keep his mind from thinking of Jeonghan, Jeonghan, Jeonghan.

“You said you chased down that guy from your apartment?”

Jeonghan whipped his head toward him. “You can say that.”

“Why was he running away from you?”

“Well he farted while we were kissing,” Jeonghan said way too casually.

Cheol choked on the baked macaroni and cheese. “What?”

Jeonghan shrugged, noncommittal. “I guess that was like social suicide for him so he ran off.”

“Right…right…” Cheol said, finding the conversation so weird.

When their cups were filled with steaming hot coffee, Jeonghan carefully carried them back to the breakfast island.

“Oh, God. That smells wonderful,” Jeonghan said, setting down the cups. “You have good taste in coffee pods.”

“Thanks,” Cheol said, taking his own cup. “Although, I should be the one serving you coffee.”

“Nah, we’ve hung out enough yesterday that there’s no need for formalities!”

Jeonghan took a sip of his coffee. “Ah, so good…” then, after a while, “So, what’s it like being a writer?”

Cheol looked at him, not really knowing the right way to answer so he settled with saying, “It’s cool.”

“I bet you get all the girls…” Jeonghan asked and then caught himself “...and boys.”

“Not really. First of all, I don’t go about telling people I’m a writer—”

“A best-selling author—”

“Right. I don’t tell them I’m that. Also, I don’t really date.”

Jeonghan hummed. “Too busy writing hit after hit?”

Cheol chuckled, just a short bark of laughter. “That…and because I don’t have the energy for it.”

“You don’t go out much?”

“Nope.”

“Oh man…so you are a recluse,” Jeonghan said matter-of-fact as he leaned back on his seat.

“I’m not going to try to deny it,” Cheol replied.

“So you’re a sigma male?” Jeonghan asked, grin wide and teasing.

“What the heck is a sigma male?”

“You know…” Jeonghan gestured vaguely with his hands. “A strong but silent type. You’re like an alpha but emo .”

“That’s a strange description, but I don’t think I am.”

“Oh, come on. Best-selling author of multiple novels but insists on being a recluse? Totally sigma material.”

Cheol furrowed his brow, not entirely sure what Jeonghan was getting at. “Let’s just say I am, for argument’s sake.”

“I always liked sigma guys,” Jeonghan said before he could stop himself. “I mean—they’re really cool guys! They’re chill!”

“Right,” Cheol said, shaking his head slightly.

“So, when are you planning on meeting the other tenants?” Jeonghan said by way of shifting the topic.

“Not sure…Actually I don’t think I need a proper introduction. We’re all going to meet at some point in the laundry room anyway.”

“I guess you’re right,” Jeonghan hummed thoughtfully. “But, then again, it’ll be nice to get to meet them properly, you know?”

“What—knock on their doors with bags of cookies?”

Jeonghan nodded enthusiastically.

“Nope,” Cheol said. “I don’t do well with people.”

“And that, my friend, is why you have me ,” Jeonghan grinned once more.

“I’d rather just meet them in the laundry room, really.”

“Ah, you’re such a killjoy!” Jeonghan lamented.

“Nope, I’m a sigma male,” Cheol replied cheekily and turned back to eating his baked mac.

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It had been a full week since he moved and Cheol settled in pretty easily in his new apartment—ordering food and groceries online and avoiding any unnecessary human interaction.

Yes, he was comfortable. Alone, but comfortable.

At least alone during times when Jeonghan didn’t knock on his door with fresh batches of cookies—which Cheol was convinced were bought from a local bakery—and gists from the latest gossip he heard from the laundry room.

Although he was quiet and reclusive by nature, Cheol couldn’t say that Jeonghan’s presence didn’t bring him much-needed comfort. In spite of the blond’s continuous flow of yapping, Cheol found that it was nice having someone else’s voice fill up the still-somewhat-foreign apartment.

It was Saturday then, and Cheol planned to head down to the local hardware store to purchase a few things he would need to set up a new bookcase when Jeonghan suddenly knocked on his door.

“Dress up! Put on some nice pants!” he said as soon as Cheol opened his door.

“What for?” Cheol asked, stepping aside to let Jeonghan in.

“Seungkwan and Hansol just got home from their Jeju trip and you need to meet them!”

“Who’s Seungkwan and Hansol?” Cheol closed the door behind himself.

“The married couple two doors away from here!”

“And why do I need to meet them?”

Jeonghan rolled his eyes. “Because they live two doors away from here!”

“Again, why do I—”

“Oh, come on, Cheollie!” Jeonghan whined and Cheol tried hard to ignore his use of a cute nickname. “You’ve been cooped up in here for the whole week! It’ll be nice if you could get out and stretch those legs!”

“I stretch my legs well enough, thank you.”

“That’s it!” Jeonghan said way too loudly. “You’re coming with me, whether you like it or not!”

Before Cheol could register what was happening, Jeonghan was already pulling his arm and dragging him out of his apartment, the slam of the door behind them echoing through the halls.

Just then, a man had exited the apartment two doors away from Cheol’s and was on his way to the elevator.

“Seungkwan-ah!” Jeonghan yelled, his voice bouncing off the walls. “Meet our new neighbor!”

The man, Seungkwan, whipped around quickly and plastered on a wide grin. “Hyung! Hi!” he said. “Who’s this you’re dragging around?”

“This is Choi Seungcheol,” Jeonghan said when they were standing face to face with Seungkwan. “He just moved here last week while you guys were away.”

“Oh, I see,” Seungkwan smiled at Jeonghan then shifted his eyes to Cheol. He extended a hand. “Hello, Seungcheol-ssi. I’m Seungkwan.”

“H–hello,” Cheol stammered, taking the proffered hand. “Seungkwan-ssi.”

“Oh, please. Just call me Seungkwan.”

“Righ, uh, Seungkwan. You can just c–call me hyung.”

Jeonghan watched the painful exchange before stepping in to rescue Cheol. “Seungkwan, he lives in 208. You should come say hi sometimes.”

“I will,” Seungkwan smiled politely, bowing his head slightly at Cheol.

“So, how was your trip to Jeju?” Jeonghan asked.

“Great!” Seungkwan suddenly piped up. “Actually, we brought home some tangerine-infused beer. Do you wanna come try them with us?”

“Totally!” Jeonghan exclaimed.

The two turned their gazes to Cheol as though waiting for an answer, and Cheol had never felt more under the spotlight before. Thus, with much hesitation, he replied, “Sure. I’d love to.”

“Awesome!” Seungkwan said. “You guys can come in. Hansol’s inside, just sorting out some of our souvenirs.”

That was how Cheol found himself inside Seungkwan and Hansol’s apartment. It was surprisingly bigger than Cheol’s and had more light in it. Cheol was, for a brief moment, envious.

But then this envy was overpowered by a sense of awkwardness. He had never been invited into someone’s apartment before. How was he supposed to conduct himself? What was he supposed to say? Should he be the one to begin small talks?

Thank God for Jeonghan.

The man seemed to know the married couple well enough that he was able to ask them the important questions and was able to have them tell stories about their recent anniversary trip.

Still, that left Cheol silent for long moments, just nodding along to what Seungkwan and Jeonghan animatedly said while Hansol drank his alcohol in silence.

Should I spark a conversation with Hansol? Was what Cheol began thinking while Seungkwan was painstakingly telling them about the juiciness of Jeju oranges compared to those in the supermarket.

“Oh, I forgot!” Jeonghan suddenly said. “I’m supposed to water my plants!”

“What?” Seungkwan and Cheol said at the same time.

“I have to water them every 4 PM so they won’t wilt! I got to go!” Jeonghan took one last lone swig of his alcohol and made a run for the door. He opened it but before he stepped outside, he turned back to Cheol. “Cheollie, don’t forget to tell the love birds about your anime toys collection!”

And then he was out into the hallway.

The door clicked shut and Cheol sat frozen, wide-eyed while Seungkwan grinned at him.

“So,” Hansol finally said. “Anime toys, huh?”

Cheol considered passing out. That seemed like the least embarrassing option then, wasn’t it?

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In the last week and a half of Cheol’s stay in the new apartment, he’d been able to list down the top three most important rules if he wanted to stay sane in the apartment complex:

One, avoid small talks at all costs.

Two, time his laundry runs at 2 AM.

And, three, avoid Jeonghan whenever he said “Trust me”.

But then there was Jeonghan again, barging into his apartment that Sunday afternoon, a glorious but shit-eating smile on his face.

“What now?” Cheol asked, looking up from his place on the carpeted floor of his living room, his laptop, where he was surely writing a new bet-seller, lay open in front of him.

“Jun is home.”

“Who’s Jun?” Cheol asked, adjusting the glasses perched on the bridge of his nose.

“The cat dad who lives in 301. I ran into him in the lobby and told him that I’ll introduce the new guy.”

“No,” Cheol said curtly, looking back down to his laptop and typing furiously.

“Ah, you know I don’t do well with your refusals, author-nim…”

“Jeonghan—”

“Come on!” Jeonghan pulled Cheol’s arm, willing him to get up from the floor. “It’ll be fun! He has three cats and they’re all lovely. Well, at least they are when they aren’t trying to claw the skin off my bones.”

“They don’t sound lovely at all!” Cheol whined.

“Just meet them. Come on,” Jeonghan said but, being bulkier than him, Cheol pulled his arm back, causing Jeonghan to crash into him on the floor.

Jeonghan fell right into Cheol’s space. Like that, they were suddenly face to face, just a hair’s breadth away from each other, and for a moment it was like the world paused.

Cheol could hear his heart suddenly beating loudly in his ears as he looked into Jeonghan’s eyes, while Jeonghan’s cheeks immediately burned red hot as he met Cheol’s gaze.

Then, a second too soon, Jeonghan pulled away, straightening up on the floor beside Cheol. He cleared his throat. “Jun isn’t around much because of work, so you got to meet him today. He’s a great guy.”

Cheol, clearing his own throat and mentally shaking off the image of Jeonghan’s stunned face, said, “Sure. Fine. Let’s go.”

And with that, the two of them climbed the stairs to the third floor and marched to Junhui’s apartment silently.

Jeonghan, giving Cheol one bright smile, knocked on the door thrice. Not a moment later and Jun was opening the door with a smile.

“Jeonghan hyung, hi!” he said, holding a white cat to his chest who sneered at the sight of Jeonghan.

“Hi, Junhui! Hi, Open!” the cat hissed. “This is Seungcheol. Our new neighbor.”

Junhui smiled at Cheol and extended a hand, which Cheol took. During the process, the white cat suddenly jumped from Junhui’s arms and landed on Cheol’s shoulder, purring as he did so.

“Sorry,” Junhui said. “Usually, he’s hostile to new people, but I guess he likes you.”

Cheol’s brain short-circuited. He was still calculating how to gently remove the cat without losing an eye when two other cats, one black and one gray, came to the door and brushed their torsos against Cheol’s legs.

“Close and Lock!” Jeonghan giggled. “This is great! Jun’s kids already love you!”

Jun chuckled along with Jeonghan, bending down to pet his cats. “I guess they do.”

“Well, “ Jeonghan said, patting Cheol on the back. “I’ll leave you two to bond now. Jun, call me if Open hisses or if Cheol faints. Bye!”

Just like that, Jeonghan sashayed away from them with a grin, while Cheol stood there, cats purring around him and a stranger looking at him amusedly.

He seriously considered passing out.

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It was a lazy Thursday afternoon and Cheol had just finished a chapter of his new book. He’d been in his most comfortable hoodie and was enjoying his cozy day so far. He had a cup of warm coffee in his hand and an anime paused on his wide TV screen. It was definitely a good day.

Until Jeonghan came barging in through his door.

“Emergency. Put on some shoes,” he said.

“Why? Is the building about to crash?”

“Worse,” Jeonghan fixed him with a serious look and for a moment Cheol thought that there was actually something going on in the building. “Seokmin and his boyfriend Jisoo are home and you still haven’t said hello.”

“Oh, for Pete’s sake!” Cheol closed his eyes in mild frustration. “Not again!”

“Cheol! This is serious!” Jeonghan strode toward him and took the cup out of his hands and placed it on the coffee table. “Jisoo and Seokmin are my apartment besties so you really gotta meet them!”

“I don’t need to,” Cheol pouted. “They probably enjoy not knowing me.”

Jeonghan rolled his eyes and ignored Cheol’s complaint, choosing instead to run to his windowsill and grab whatever plant he could find.

“Here,” he said, shoving the small pot of succulent into Cheol’s hands. “Housewarming gift.”

“Aren’t they supposed to give me a gift instead of the other way around?”

“Just trust me! Jisoo adores plants!”

About five minutes later, Cheol and Jeonghan found themselves in front of apartment 304, with Cheol gripping the pot tightly like a life raft.

Jeonghan knocked and the door swung open to reveal a man with reddish brown hair and doe-like eyes. 

Behind him, the apartment was in chaos—half-open boxes were everywhere and a ceiling light was dangling by a wire while another man with paint stains on his cheeks was holding a hammer.

“Hi, Jeonghanie,” the doe-eyed man said. “Sorry, Seokmin and I are in the middle of not electrocuting ourselves.”

Jeonghan grinned. “Perfect! Jisoo, this is Seungcheol and he’s going to help you with whatever that is your boyfriend’s doing.”

Cheol whipped his head to Jeonghan way too quickly. “I will?”

“Yep!” Jeonghan smiled cutely then turned to Jisoo again. “He’s good at fixing things, he’s basically a handyman! And—” he glanced down at his watch. “Oh, no, I think my laundry’s done! I gotta go!”

Thus, Jeonghan ran down through the hall and down the stairs, leaving Cheol holding a succulent in the doorway of a disaster zone. 

Jisoo beamed at him like he was salvation personified.

“So, you’re good with wires?” he asked.

I’m going to kill Jeonghan, Cheol thought.

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In the past month that Cheol had been living in the apartment complex, Jeonghan had been well-acquanted with the fact that Cheol was quiet…the textbook definition of a recluse. Yet he never knew that Cheol could malfunction.

It was Friday afternoon and Jeonghan had managed to pull Cheol out of the apartment and actually step into the outside world.

They decided to go to a nearby Italian restaurant, one that Cheol chose because it served delicious complimentary bread.

They sat at the table by the window, with Cheol quietly observing the passersby and Jeonghan gossiping about the neighbors when—

“Oh, no,” Cheol muttered silently, loud enough for only Jeonghan to hear.

“What’s wrong?” Jeonghan asked, following Cheol’s line of sight.

“It’s her…” Cheol muttered.

Jeonghan spotted a waitress with ash-blonde hair making her way toward them, smiling brightly as she tucked her hair behind her ear. She had the casual kind of charm that could make a romcom director sigh.

Cheol gripped his phone hard as he turned into a furious shade of pink and mumbled something incoherent to nobody in particular.

Jeonghan blinked slowly as realization dawned on him. “ Oh my god. You like her.”

Cheol whipped his head toward him too abruptly. “What–I mean, no—she’s just, just…nice.”

The waitress came over with a small basket of complimentary bread and asked the two of them, “Hi. Can I take your order?”

Cheol completely short-circuited. He stammered “Bo–bolognese for me, p–please,” and said thank you three times even when the waitress had turned to Jeonghan for his order.

Jeonghan had never seen him quite like so and he found the guy amusing…adorable, even.

The minute the waitress walked away, Jeonghan  leaned over the table and quietly said, “This is actually dangerous…you get pathetically adorable around people you like.”

Cheol flushed hard. “W–what do you mean? I don’t—”

Jeonghan leaned away with a smirk that challenged the Cheshire cat. “I’m weaponizing this.”

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The next time Jeonghan had the chance to drag Cheol out of his apartment, it was to go to the local gym with the reasoning that Cheol should “touch some grass.”

When they arrived at the gym, however, it was empty, save for one other man using the treadmill on the far side of the place.

Cheol froze mid-step, eyes boring holes into the man. He was petite, almost as petite as Jeonghan and had his hair tied in a ponytail.

Jeonghan followed Cheol’s eyes once again and found the man. Without another thought, he waved at him and yelled, “Hi, Sunghoon! I see you’re working out, too!”

The man turned to Jeonghan’s voice and waved back. “Hi, Jeonghan! It’s leg day!”

The moment the man smiled, Cheol felt all choked up. He gripped his water bottle tightly while his ears turned pink.

Jeonghan turned back to Cheol and instantly, almost instinctively, he clocked the situation. “Hold on a second…you like him, don’t you?”

Cheol shook his head adamantly. “N–no. It’s just that…the treadmill looks dangerous!”

When Sunghoon glanced over at them again and waved, Cheol attempted to wave back, dropping his water bottle which rolled all the way across the gym floor.

Jeonghan nearly choked from keeping his laughter at bay.

Sunghoon promptly stepped off of the treadmill and went to pick up the bottle. He strode across the room and handed the thing to Cheol, who was blushing and stammering his thanks.

Jeonghan watched, delighted. “Wow,” he whispered under his breath when Sunghoon walked away. “I’ve definitely found your weak point, author-nim.”

˖ . ݁𝜗𝜚. ݁₊

Jeonghan burst into Cheol’s apartment again one Wednesday morning, a month-and-a-half since Cheol had settled into his new abode.

“I have just the plan for you!” Jeonghan announced into the room.

“How do you keep barging into my apartment?” Cheol looked up from his laptop, glasses perched on the bridge of his nose.

Jeonghan shrugged nonchalantly. “Your new passcode’s your birthday, it wasn’t hard to guess.”

“You remember my birthday?”

“I remember so many things about you, author-nim, you’d be surprised. Anyway—”

Jeonghan padded to Cheol’s kitchenette and helped himself to a pod of coffee.

“I’m gonna give you a makeover!” he said, starting up the Nespresso machine.

“No, you won’t,” Cheol yelled from the couch.

“Oh, come on! You need one!”

“What do I need it for?”

Jeonghan didn’t answer for a while, busy with watching the machine pour coffee into his mug. When that was done, he returned to the living room nursing the steaming cup in his hands.

“You need it to lure in the people you like,” he said, waggling his eyebrows at Cheol.

Cheol frowned. “What the hell are you even talking about?”

“The girl from the restaurant? Sunghoon from the gym? Ring any bells?”

“I–I don’t l–like them!”

“And yet you s–stutter!” Jeonghan chided. “Come on, you can’t just sit here in your apartment writing best-sellers! You gotta get out of here and find love!”

“For your information,” Cheol punctuated each word. “I am more than content with writing. I don’t need to date. I thought I told you that before?”

“Yes, you did and I’m not convinced—ah, fuck!” Jeonghan sipped his coffee and it burned his tongue.

“Blow it before putting it in your mouth!”

“That’s what he said,” Jeonghan chuckled, to which Cheol rolled his eyes. “Anyway,” Jeonghan set his mug down. “I’ve decided that it’s my duty to change you.”

“Change? Me?”

“Yep.”

“I don’t need to change.”

“As much as I like you for who you are—”

“Gee, thanks—”

“—you need a total makeover. A 360, so to speak. To make your crushes like you back.”

“What, like I’m your little project?”

“Exactly!”

“Nope. I’m not gonna be your guinea pig.”

“Don’t think of it that way! Think of this as me being your fairy godmother.”

“And I’m Cinderella? I thought your favorite tale’s Little Mermaid?”

“Stop distracting me from the awesome thing I’m trying to say!”

“Look, Jeonghan,” Cheol said, closing his laptop on his lap. “As much as I want your help…sort of…I’m really, genuinely content with what I am right now.”

“Are you a hundred-percent sure about that?” Jeonghan gestured at Cheol’s outfit. “You’re forgetting, I’m a fashion designer. I can totally make something work for you.”

Cheol crossed his arms on his chest like a peevish child. “This is comfortable fashion and I’m very comfortable.”

“Right. Of course you are,” Jeonghan said, totally disbelieving. “Listen,” he put his hands on his hips. “I know I always kid around but—seriously—social skills are crucial for effective human communication, building strong relationships and navigating through various social situations in life. And you won’t be able to evade social situations for life.”

Cheol was dumbfounded for a moment. “Wow, that sounded profound.”

“Thanks. I read that on WikiHow before I got here.” Jeonghan winked playfully. “Seriously, though, you gotta learn to be social, Cheollie. You need a change. Do it for yourself.”

Jeonghan picked up the mug once again and took a long swig. Then, finishing it halfway, he set it back on the breakfast island before he spoke. “Think about it, okay? When you’re done figuring things out, you know where to find me.”

Cheol watched Jeonghan smile then promptly pad across the foyer and step out of his apartment.

He heard the door softly click shut and sighed.

“I’m alright like this…I really am,” he mumbled to himself.

Chapter Text

Cheol endeavored to take his trash out. Just that. He estimated that it would only take him three minutes—five minutes max—to get out of his apartment, run down the stairs and throw the garbage bag into the garbage chute. He had a clear plan.

Thus, slipping on his hoodie, he opened the door of his apartment, peeked down the hallway and slipped out quietly.

He was halfway down the hallway, when the door to apartment 201 opened and revealed his neighbor, Minghao as Jeonghan previously told him, carrying a huge basket of laundry.

“Hello,” Minghao said, smiling kindly at Cheol. “You’re Cheol, right?”

Cheol froze. He nodded quickly, the garbage bag swinging in his hand like a pendulum.

“Great to see you,” Minghao said. “I rarely see you around the building.”

Cheol tried his best to come up with a respectable reply yet his head was a tangled mess and his mouth, much to his chagrin, moved before he could realize it.

“I’m trash,” he said abruptly instead of “I’m throwing out the trash.”

The silence that followed was deafening.

Minghao blinked at him slowly. And then he laughed. “You’re funny! Well, uh…I hope you’re pertaining to the garbage bag.”

Cheol attempted to laugh casually with him in spite of his face turning as red as a fire alarm.

“Anyway, I’m on my way to the laundry room. I’ll just see you around?” Minghao said.

Cheol nodded without another word and turned, only to trip over Minghao’s rug in the hallway, nearly sending the trash bag flying into the laundry basket.

By God’s grace, the bag only managed to split a little, revealing an empty pint of ice cream and about five cups of instant ramen.

Cheol looked on in horror as Minghao’s eyes darted to the trash on the floor. When he looked up to meet Cheol’s eyes, he smiled awkwardly. “Rough week?”

“Rough month,” Cheol said timidly.

˖ . ݁𝜗𝜚. ݁₊

After the debacle with the trash bag, Cheol made it his life’s mission to never bump into a neighbor in the hallways ever again.

But right now he needed to stock up on his groceries if he wanted to live comfortably in his unit.

Which left him to anxiously hatch another genius, fool-proof plan.

He was going to run through the hallway, down the stairs and across the parking lot to his car.

Easy, right?

He thought so, too, as he ran through the halls of the second floor, practically flew down the stairs and speed-walked to his car.

Not once did he come across another tenant. Perfect. You’re like Bond. Seungcheol Bond,  he thought, patting himself on the back.

He decided to drive to the farthest grocery store from his apartment complex—the greater the distance, the lesser the chances were to run into a neighbor and small talk.

God, he hated small talks.

Thus, pulling up to the grocery store across from town, he went about the motions happily.

He had a strict rule: in and out of the store in under fifteen minutes. No small talk, no wandering about. Just shopping for essentials.

But of course, the universe had other plans.

As Cheol stood in the breakfast aisle, debating whether he should buy his usual Kelloggs or try the adventurous Koko Crunch, a stranger accidentally rolled his cart right into his ankle.

Cheol flinched, nearly dropping the box of Kelloggs. “Ow!”

“Oh, my gosh! I’m so sorry!” the man said.

“It–it’s okay! I mean, my ankle’s okay—I don’t use it that much anyway—I mean—”

The stranger laughed but then coughed as though to stop his laughter. “I’m sorry, that was just so funny!”

Cheol looked back at him from under his lashes and decided that the man looked eerily like a hamster.

“Hey, uh,” the man said, clearly amused. “Are you sure your ankle’s alright? I can buy you a new foot if it’s broken.”

Cheol let out the most awkward half-laugh known to man and tried to step aside. “It’s fine, really. Please go ahead.”

But as Cheol made way for the man and his cart, he accidentally knocked over an entire display of Honey Stars, sending boxes toppling to the ground.

“Holy shit—” Cheol muttered as he crouched down to pick up the fallen boxes.

The stranger crouched down alongside him and began picking up boxes, too.

“Well, at least we know your reflexes work,” the man said with a grin. And then, “Hey, wait a minute. I think I’ve seen you in the laundry room before. Aren’t you the tenant of apartment 208?”

So much for driving across town to not meet neighbors, Cheol thought begrudgingly.

“I’m Soonyoung, by the way. Apartment 405.”

“I’m Cheol. And you’re right, I’m 208,” Cheol said, praying for the earth to open up and swallow him whole.

When Cheol finally glanced up, having put back the last box of cereals back to the display, the stranger gave him a warm smile.

He smiled back, albeit awkwardly. “Thanks for helping me.”

“It’s fine. We’re neighbors, anyway.”

Cheol choked on air, nodded too fast, mumbled something resembling “Kelloggs,” and bolted for the self-checkout.

By the time he made it to the parking lot, he seriously considered never grocery shopping again.

˖ . ݁𝜗𝜚. ݁₊

Cheol sat on a chair at his breakfast island and stared at his reflection in the blackened screen of his laptop, staring at himself and replaying scenes from his awkward encounters with his neighbors throughout the whole week.

He sighed heavily.

And then he remembered what had transpired that morning when he dashed to the building’s mailboxes and sighed even heavier.

Much like his previous encounters, his early-morning mailbox run had been a disaster. He bumped into two neighbors, tripped on a huge parcel and squeaked out a small “hi” that sounded more like he was drowning.

“This can’t keep happening,” he said to himself, a sense of determination slowly and silently bubbling inside him.

Thus, he closed his laptop with a thud, got up from his seat and made his way out of his apartment, not even bothering to brush his mussed up hair.

He knocked on apartment 204, not totally expecting Jeonghan to be there but, alas, the door opened on his third knock.

“Hi, Cheollie!” Jeonghan chirped as soon as he opened the door. “Change of location, I see.”

“Can I come in?” Cheol grumble.

And as though only remembering that he should be letting the other in, Jeonghan opened his door wider and stepped aside.

“So what do I owe this visit?” he said while Cheol stood in the middle of the room, surveying the neatly designed space.

“For someone who’s loud and chaotic, you sure have a very minimalist apartment.”

Jeonghan chuckled. “What can I say, I have an eye for design. So, what do you want?”

Jeonghan made his way to his kitchenette while Cheol made himself comfortable in the soft cushion of Jeonghan’s cloud couch.

“I went down to get my mail,” Cheol said miserably.

“Uh-oh,” Jeonghan said, pouring the lemonade he fetched from the fridge onto a tall glass. “And how was your little escapade?”

“Terrible. I had to squeak hi to two people and I tripped on a delivery box.”

“Oof. Tough morning,” Jeonghan said, padding to the living room. “They didn’t have to call the emergency service, did they?”

“Ha-ha. Very funny,” Cheol took the proffered glass of lemonade.

Cheol glared half-heartedly, but he couldn’t deny the pit in his stomach. He’d been living here for two months, and the closest he’d come to “social” was accidentally locking eyes with the neighbors.

Sighing, Cheol muttered, “Okay…I think I might actually need your help.”

Jeonghan stood straighter, eyes widening in surprise. “Sorry, what was that? I think the heater’s humming overpowered your voice.”

“Don’t push it,” Cheol glared up at him without heat. “I’m just tired of living like I’m some kind of hermit.”

Jeonghan’s grin was instant and terrifying. “Perfect! You’ve come to the right place!”

“Now, why am I suddenly scared?”

Jeonghan ignored him in place of clapping his hands. “First, we gotta give you a makeover. Two, teach you how to not die when trying to make conversation. And three, world domination.”

“Wait,” Cheol asked, suddenly nervous. “Define makeover. ”

“Haircut, clothes, maybe teach you how to smile too without looking like you’re in pain.”

Then, Jeonghan sat beside him on the couch and leaned forward, face a little too close for comfort. “I almost forgot, I have to teach you how to flirt.”

Cheol sank lower into the couch. The idea of all that attention on him made his chest tight but the memory of tripping over a delivery box made him wince harder.

“Okay…fine…” he conceded, looking right into Jeonghan’s pretty eyes. “Make me less awkward.”

“Great!” Jeonghan leaned back, absolutely thrilled. “First order of business, burn that hoodie!”

Cheol glanced down at his oversized, faded black hoodie. This was going to be an excruciating process.

˖ . ݁𝜗𝜚. ݁₊

The next time Jeonghan barged into Cheol’s apartment, it was with a heap of clothes.

He dumped them onto the floor of his living room with a huff.

“What are all these?” Cheol asked, looking down at Jeonghan and the clothes like it was a danger zone.

“The first step to your makeover, duh!” Jeonghan said, splayed on the floor like a starfish.

“Where did you even get this many clothes?”

“The warehouse,” Jeonghan said, flopping to his side. “We have so many extra clothes there, since me and my staff always design  and sew extras. Now, I’m gonna dress you like a runway model.”

“Isn’t this a bit too much?” Cheol asked, lifting up a pair of skinny jeans like it offended him. “I mean, can’t I be in my old clothes?”

“Oh, Cheollie, Cheollie, Cheollie,” Jeonghan tutted dramatically as he got up to sit in front of the heap. “Changing your wardrobe is a powerful storytelling move, because it’s a visual and symbolic way to show internal transformation!”

“Wow, you really are a fashion designer, huh?”

“One of the best in all of Seoul!” Jeonghan beamed brilliantly. “Now, put on those skinny jeans. I have just the right shirt for it.”

“Why do I need to dress up now? We’re just at home.”

“Nope,” Jeonghan wagged his finger at Cheol. “We’re going to the salon. We’re cutting your long ass dishevelled hair.”

And that is how Cheol found himself seated in one of the best salons in the area, a cloth wrapped around his shoulders to keep the hair from falling directly onto his clothes.

“Give him a cut that’ll emphasize his facial shape more,” Jeonghan told the hairstylist, who was apparently a close friend of his.

“I think a chestnut cut would do it, no?” the stylist asked Jeonghan.

They spoke to each other as though Cheol wasn’t at the receiving end of their antics, yet all Cheol could was merely gaze at them through the floor-to-ceiling mirror.

“Oh, yeah. Chestnut cut it is,” Jeonghan agreed. Then, he laid his hand on Cheol’s shoulder and squeezed. “I’ll be at the waiting area, alright? Let Chan do his little magic. He’s the best at this salon.”

“Oh, hyung! I’m not!” Chan said bashfully to which Jeonghan only smiled before sashaying away.

“Alright, Seungcheol-ssi,” Chan said from behind him. “Let’s transform you.”

˖ . ݁𝜗𝜚. ݁₊

Surprisingly, Cheol was pretty pleased with his new, shorter hair. He found it easier to manage, not needing to be brushed or tied back like his previous hairstyle

“When was the last time you had a haircut?” Jeonghan asked as they made their way up the stairs to Cheol’s apartment. “Chan cut a whole lot of hair back there.”

“I don’t know,” Cheol said. “Probably six months ago?”

“And you weren’t nervous about talking to the stylist?”

“I usually go to a barber shop. Less talking needed there.”

“Ah, I see…” Jeonghan hummed in consideration. “But from now on, only see Chan at the salon, alright? Let him take care of your hair.”

“It’s more expensive!”

“Shush,” Jeonghan giggled. “Transformations cost a bit of money!”

When they had settled inside Cheol’s apartment, Jeonghan immediately sprawled on his couch, much like he already owned the place.

As Cheol padded to his kitchenette, Jeonghan watched him and patted himself on the back. He knew Cheol looked good before—even in his oversized hoodies and messy hair, even when he was knee-deep into writing with his brows furrowed and his glasses slipping down his nose—but right now, Cheol looked immaculate. More than good. So damn hot.

Jeonghan felt an unfamiliar feeling furling and unfurling in his guts at the thought.

“So, step one is over. What now?” Cheol asked, making his way back to the living room and sitting on the floor in front of the couch.

“Now, I’ll teach you how to talk to people. To flirt ,” Jeonghan emphasized the last phrase with a waggle of his brows.

Jeonghan sat straight on the couch and fixed Cheol with a serious look. “Since we got the looks down, we’ll start with ice breakers,” Jeonghan nodded to himself sagely. “You’ve written the nine steps of seduction, I’m sure you already know some of the things you need to say.”

“I have a confession…I only wrote that from reading too many romance novels and through watching too many rom-coms. I…don’t really have any experience in seduction.”

“Oh, boy…” Jeonghan withered on the sofa. “I’m not sure whether I’m in awe of your creativity or disappointed that you wrote all of that out of theories.”

Cheol chewed on his bottom lip. “Sorry?”

“Anyway! Not to worry!” Jeonghan clapped his hands together as though to say “Alright, let’s get our heads in the game!”

“What are we supposed to do now?” Cheol asked.

Jeonghan tutted. “Good thing you have me, no? I’m the master at ice breakers.”

“Does ice breaking involve you chasing a guy out of the building and bumping into someone?”

“Don’t go sassy on me, I’m here to help you!” Jeonghan laughed in spite of himself. “Anyway, first things first—the importance of conversation starters in social interactions—”

“You’re really turning this into a crash course, huh?”

“Stop distracting me!”

Cheol put his hands up in surrender and Jeonghan continued. He cleared his throat. “It’s important for you to create a positive first impression and set the tone for the conversation. You know, ice breakers are rooted in the psychology of human interactions.”

Cheol looked on in awe. “You’re surprisingly good at this so far…”

“Thanks. Reviewed Google articles last night. Anyhoo! You got to have a sense of self-confidence in order to start convos and shove the fear of rejection to the back of your mind.”

“How do I do that exactly?”

“Just think of rejection as a natural part of life. Not everyone we approach will be receptive to the convo and that’s totally fine!”

“Okay, I can do that…”

“Now, for the convo starters!” Jeonghan gestured with his hands. “Use open-ended questions to engage the person you’re talking to. For example, if you’re at a party, ask them what they enjoy during their free time or ask them what they’re most memorable trip was—what are you doing? Stop using your phone, I’m trying to teach you!”

“I’m just taking down notes! Continue…”

“Right,” Jeonghan cleared his throat again. “You can use compliments as ice breakers, too. Compliment their style, their appearance or, in some cases, their accomplishments.”

“Compliment them…” Cheol typed on his notes app.

“And find a common ground between the two of you. Discover shared interests that can create immediate connections.”

“Find…common…ground…”

“Now, another important thing—read their body language and non-verbal cues.”

“What are those exactly?”

Jeonghan hummed, thoughtful for a moment. “Just try to read whether or not they appear engaged and interested and then adjust your approach accordingly. If they seem disinterested, try to shift the convo onto other topics or just politely excuse yourself.”

“Wow, you really did review a lot, huh?”

Jeonghan shrugged casually. “What can I say, I commit to the bit. Now, let’s test out the theories. Put on your shoes!”

“Where are we going?”

“I told you, to test out the theories!”

“Yeah, but where?”

Jeonghan smiled mischievously at Cheol, “At the supermarket.”

And that’s how they found themselves at the nearest supermarket, the one Cheol tried to avoid in case he’d bump into a neighbor.

Jeonghan told him during the short car ride that he should stick around him closely while Jeonghan “worked his magic”, whatever that meant.

Jeonghan had also promised him that there would be no chaos and no drama—just Jeonghan applying their lessons into a real-life situation.

But merely fifteen minutes in and that promise was broken.

They were at the breakfast aisle when Jeonghan spotted his prey —he was tall with bleached-blond hair and a soft heart-shaped face. He was good-looking, the kind that screamed boy-next-door.

Cheol saw Jeonghan’s eyes lock on him and was already dreading what was about to transpire.

“Jeonghan, don’t,” he said but Jeonghan was already smiling his cheshire smile and was letting go of their cart’s handle.

“Stand and observe,” he said before striding toward the stranger.

Jeonghan  reached for the box of Honey Stars at the same time the stranger did, their hands brushing against each other in the process.

“Oops—sorry!” Jeonghan exclaimed with a giggle. “I guess we both have good taste.”

Cheol hovered behind them, pretending to check out the shelf of Kellogg cereals.

The stranger said something that Cheol couldn’t quite hear and Jeonghan leaned in closer, just slightly, all relaxed poise. The stranger chuckled and then—before Cheol could process what was happening—Jeonghan reached over and touched the man’s arm while giggling.

It was light. Effortless. Dangerous.

“How is that even allowed in public?” Cheol murmured lowly to himself as he side-eyed the two, pretending to read the nutritional facts on the back of a cereal box.

“You can have the box,” Jeonghan said, looking up at the stranger from under his lashes and the man blushed.

“No, you have it. Pretty guys need something sweet in the morning,” he said and Cheol thought that was such a lame line. Yet it seemed to give Jeonghan the go signal he needed.

“Oh, I’m pretty?” Jeonghan fluttered his eyelashes.

“Yes, you are,” the man nodded. “So take it.”

“Ah, such a gentleman,” Jeonghan beamed brightly, enough to make the stranger stutter and flush.

By the time Jeonghan returned with the box of Honey Stars in hand, the stranger had walked away smiling, and Cheol was just about to pull his hair out screaming.

“See that?” Jeonghan asked, grinning.

“Yeah, I saw that, alright,” Cheol muttered. “Who knew you could flirt in the breakfast aisle.”

Jeonghan shrugged, setting the box in their cart. “I can flirt anywhere. It’s a gift.”

Cheol opened his mouth then closed it, then opened it again to say, “Unbelievable.”

Jeonghan laughed teasingly. “Don’t worry, Cheollie. Just stick around with me and you’ll soon learn how to talk to someone without sounding like you swallowed a frog.”

True enough, the same kind of scenario happened throughout their grocery run. Jeonghan had managed to charm his way out of three more strangers—one even insisted on paying for the groceries and Cheol was, needless to say, floored by Jeonghan’s skills.

He mentally took note of each word, each gesture, each flutter of Jeonghan’s lashes, willing himself to learn.

By the end of the ordeal, Jeonghan had turned to him in the car and said, “Now it’s time for you to apply our lessons.”

˖ . ݁𝜗𝜚. ݁₊

The following day, Jeonghan decided that it was the perfect time to test out everything he taught Cheol and to see how his makeover worked on everyone.

“You’re pretty hot, Cheol. You got this,” Jeonghan murmured to him as they took their seats at the restaurant they had been to some weeks ago—the one where the cute waitress, Cheol’s absolute crush, was working at.

The restaurant was buzzing but Cheol wasn’t focused on the other diners. He was simply focused on her. The waitress that Cheol had never had the chance to talk to aside from making his orders in the past.

Now, though, Jeonghan declared it was high time.

“Okay. Now, you’re ready,” he said.

Cheol quietly panicked. “I don’t think I am.”

“Come on, you’ve seen me flirting,” Jeonghan hissed under his breath. “Eye contact. Smile. And compliment her without sounding like a creep.”

“You make it sound so darn easy.”

“She’s coming! Go and make me proud!”

Cheol took a deep, steadying breath as the waitress made her way toward their table while Jeonghan took his phone out and pretended that he was busy scrolling.

“Hi! Are you ready to order?” she chirped.

From the side of his eyes, Jeonghan could see that Cheol was a bit stiff.

“Uh, yeah…” Cheol began. “We’ll get the margherita pizza with extra hot sauce…hot just like you.”

The waitress’ eyebrows shot up while Jeonghan choked on his own spit.

The woman laughed airily. “That’s cute.”

Cheol blinked. “It was?”

She nodded. “Would you like some buttered bread with that? On the house.”

“No—I mean, yes—sure…” Cheol scrambled. Then, without missing a beat, he said, “You’re very nice. And very pretty.”

“Why, thank you.”

Jeonghan pursed his lips, trying hard to hold back the laughter from bursting out of his system.

Cheol was definitely sweating in his seat, definitely stammering. But at least he was trying.

By the time the waitress walked away, Cheol let out a tensed breath. “Holy crap. I think I lost ten years of my life. How did I do?”

“Not bad…” Jeonghan said. “You actually flirted like a real human being.”

“I called her hot. What the fuck?”

“You did and now we’re getting buttered bread for free. You got this, Cheol! I’m so proud I can actually cry!”

Cheol sank in his seat with trembling hands while across from him, Jeonghan smiled as he did a slow clap.

˖ . ݁𝜗𝜚. ݁₊

The next time Jeonghan coerced Cheol into testing out his skills , it was on a Thursday afternoon.

“I always bump into Sunghoon at the gym every Thursday, so I’m sure your little crush will be there.”

Cheol had lamented that he could barely even ask if he was done using the treadmill, much less flirt with him—especially not when he was wearing skimpy clothes.

“You’ve been learning from the master!” Jeonghan whined as he pushed Cheol into the elevator that would lead them up to the gym. “You got this!”

And that’s how Cheol found himself at the gym, peaking once in a while to see if there was an opening for him to come and approach Sunghoon who was, yet again, doing a round at the treadmill.

Jeonghan stood a few feet away, pretending to stretch, but he was watching like it was the Olympics.

“You got this!” he whisper-yelled at Cheol. “Self-confidence. Smile. Compliment!”

Cheol was sweating, not from stretching, but from his nerves. “If I die, send all my manuscripts to my editor.”

“Don’t be dramatic!”

Cheol inhaled deeply and then exhaled, imagining the nerves leaving  his body. It wasn’t quite working. Still, willing his knees not to buckle, he made his way across the gym and toward Sunghoon.

“Hi, uh…” he began. “Do you mind if I use the treadmill for a bit?”

Sunghoon turned to him and smiled, then he turned off the machine. “Sure. I’ve been on this for fifteen minutes anyway.”

“Cool. Thanks. Also—” Cheol swallowed the lump in his throat. “I, uh, like your form. I mean—it’s strong so, uh, yeah…”

His mind was slowly spiraling and he had half a mind to abort his mission.

Bu then Sunghoon laughed, the sound echoing in the small gym.

“Thanks!” he said. “That’s probably the best compliment I got today.”

Cheol replied, his voice small, “It sounded way cooler in my head.”

“Well, it was cool!” Sunghoon piped up. “You’re cute when you grumble.”

Cheol froze. Did he really just hear him call him cute?  Then he smiled back shyly.

“Oh, my God,” Jeonghan whispered to himself from across the room. “I feel like a proud father.”

He watched as Cheol and Sunghoon exchanged a few more words, laughter and— holy shit— numbers.

By the time Sunghoon walked away and out of the gym, Jeonghan sprinted toward Cheol with a wide grin. “You did it! You actually did it!”

“I think I blacked out when he gave me his number,” Cheol said, dumbfounded.

“Oh, you were charming!”

“Did I drool?”

Jeonghan shook his head vigorously. “Hey, don’t fall in love and ditch, okay?”

“I won’t,” Cheol said, still a little breathless. “You’re my coach forever.”

˖ . ݁𝜗𝜚. ݁₊

Cheol used to find the communal laundry room to be the scariest place in the apartment complex—too many people, too many chances of someone trying to talk to him. Hence why he always did his laundry past midnight.

But now there he was, folding a freshly washed blanket while he chatted with Minghao and Junhui. He was laughing— laughing— at Jun’s story about his cats trying to gnaw holes into his socks.

Jeonghan stood by the entryway, folding his own blankets and pretending not to pay attention to their chatter. But, in truth, he was listening to every word—especially Cheol’s.

“And then Open just took off! Full freakin’ zoomies!” Junhui exclaimed dramatically.

Then Minghao added, “He sprinted down the hallway in his boxers trying to catch his cat. Can you believe this guy?”

Cheol snorted quietly. “That’s kind of…impressive.”

“Do cats really do that?” Junhui asked Cheol.

“I wouldn’t know,” Cheol shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t have cats anymore. But when I did, he usually just glared at me until I brought him his toys.”

The three laughed in unison.

Jeonghan’s stomach did a little swoop. He knew Cheol was funny, interesting, but only in private. He had never truly seen Cheol chide around other people and the sight made his heart flip. It made his heart ache with something sweet.

He caught the moment Cheol instinctively looked toward him as if checking for an escape—and then spotted Jeonghan. They made eye contact but Jeonghan didn’t say anything. He merely gave him a smile and a small nod.

Cheol smiled back at him, but he didn’t run. Instead, he spoke to the other two again.

“Hey, uh…I cook sometimes. Do you guys want me to make you something?”

“Oh, really?” Junhui piped up. “What kind of food do you usually make?”

“The kind I don’t burn,” Cheol replied, to which the two laughed warmly.

Meanwhile, Jeonghan laughed quietly to himself. “Look at him—all grown up and joking. My little social butterfly.”

˖ . ݁𝜗𝜚. ݁₊

The next time Cheol socialized was at the common area where Seokmin, Jisoo and some of the neighbors he hadn’t met yet were lounging around, talking and laughing.

Cheol felt nervous, more nervous than he was when he began talking with Minghao and Junhui. Yet he felt a little more at ease, especially as Jeonghan sat down next to him and took care of introducing him to the other tenants.

It was Saturday night and the common area buzzed with conversation. Someone was playing something on their bluetooth speaker as the group couldn’t quite decide on which film to watch for movie night.

Cheol sat stiffly on the couch, a cup of warm tea in his hands, while Jeonghan sat cross-legged next to him like he blended in well.

“You good?” Jeonghan whispered to him.

“Yeah,” Cheol said. “Just…warming up.”

Jeonghan smiled at him and mouthed, “You got this.”

Across from the room, Seungkwan was telling a story about him getting stuck in the elevator once while it climbed up to the fifth floor and the emergency bell didn’t work.

A bunch of others reacted and chimed in with their own apartment horror stories. Then, Soonyoung turned to Cheol. “You’ve been living here for more than two months, right? Have you experienced any weird shit?”

“Uh, well…” Cheol blinked slowly, feeling so under the spotlight, and he looked over at Jeonghan. The blond smiled and nodded for him to go on.

Cheol subtly cleared his throat. Here goes nothing. “Well, my bathroom sink used to whistle.”

A beat of silence and then Soonyoung spoke, “What?”

“Like an actual whistle?” Hansol asked.

“Yes,” Cheol nodded enthusiastically. “Only at night, though. For a few days I thought I was being haunted until I had a maintenance staff check on it. Turns out I had a piece of foil stuck in the drain.”

Laughter bursted out of the entire room and Cheol ducked his head, he couldn’t quite believe that they all found the story hilarious. He couldn’t help the bashful smile that pulled at his lips.

“That’s the most polite haunting I’ve ever heard of,” Seungkwan said mid-laugh.

Jeonghan leaned in slightly, just enough for Cheol to hear. “You’re killin’ it.”

“I’m sweating in my armpits,” Cheol whispered back.

“So hot,” Jeonghan teased.

Cheol turned his face away quickly, hiding a smile in his tea. He felt warm—but not from embarrassment. It was something else. Something good .

As the conversation around the common area drifted, Cheol found himself speaking more than three times—telling them a story about his editor, his problem with the piping and the current events he heard from the news channel.

People laughed, nodded and asked questions in turn.

He was speaking to the neighbors properly. Finally . And he didn’t want to run away.

Jeonghan felt pride and something unnamed bloom in his chest. Jeonghan didn’t interrupt him, he merely sat beside him and squeezed Cheol’s thigh once in a while to communicate how proud he was.

When the tenants decided that it was getting too late for a movie night and they all got up to leave the common area, Jeonghan smiled at Cheol like they had won something.

And perhaps they did.

Cheol was coming out of his shell. And Jeonghan got to sit beside him while he did.

Chapter Text

The apartment complex was a relatively quiet, peaceful place. At least that’s what Jeonghan thought and that’s why he decided to reside there.

But now he was afraid that this belief was about to be shattered.

It started with the announcement that the tenants’ association was holding a mixer—a social event that would help neighbors meet and mingle with each other. Like a neighborhood party.

It sounded wonderful to Jeonghan at first, thinking that it would be a great avenue for Cheol to spread his wings and to try out his newfound social skills. But then the first proposal came in.

Jeonghan was humming a soft tune as he made his way to the mailbox room to fetch one of his many online orders when someone approach him quietly.

Tenant 405, Nan Hee, a petite girl who he guessed was around the age of 25. She was hanging out with them at the common area some days ago.

“Hi, Jeonghan-ssi,” she began.

“Hello, Nan Hee-ssi. What can I do for you?” Jeonghan smiled as he opened his mailbox to check inside. Huh, no parcel, he thought to himself. I could’ve sworn my toner was going to arrive today.

“I can’t help but notice that you’re really close with Seungcheol-ssi from 208,” she said, clutching her phone like it might leap out of her hands.

Jeonghan hummed, noncommittal. “You can say that.”

“I was just wondering..” she bit her bottom lip and looked up at Jeonghan from under her lashes. “Since the mixer is coming up this weekend…”

Out with it! Jeonghan wanted to say teasingly but he kept it to himself. “Yes, and?”

“Well, I was thinking of asking him to go with me.”

Oh, interesting… Jeonghan looked at her amusedly, shaking his head. Well, well…

“That’s… sweet of you,” he said, with a perfectly polite tone, despite the sudden tightness in his chest.

“I just think he’s very funny and it would mean a lot if he went with me to the mixer,” she flushed furiously to her ears.

Jeonghan stared at her wordlessly for a moment. “Well, why don’t you ask him out yourself?”

“I—I’m a bit shy, so I was hoping you could—”

“Ask him out for you?” Jeonghan finished for her.

“Yes…but if it’s too much, you don’t have to!” she rushed out.

“No, no…it’s fine. I’ll try to ask him.” Jeonghan kept smiling, though something about it felt sharper than usual.

“T–thank you.”

“Well, I gotta go water my plants. See you around,” he waved a hand breezily.

He turned and walked away, suppressing the sigh clawing up his throat.

Cheol, his adorable, awkward neighbor was officially wanted property now.

Jeonghan should’ve been proud. He really should’ve.

So why did it feel like he’d just shot himself in the foot?

˖ . ݁𝜗𝜚. ݁₊

The next time someone asked about Cheol, Jeonghan was at the apartment’s gym, working on his legs on the treadmill.

Jeonghan had been at it for about ten minutes when Sunghoon approached him—tall, lean, pretty Sunghoon from 307.

“Hey, Jeonghan,” he said. “Do you have a sec?”

“Sure,” Jeonghan said, turning off the machine. “What’s up?”

Sunghoon looked at him sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “So, I was wondering…since you’re good friends with Cheol…”

Jeonghan blinked. Oh no. Not again. He hummed, trying to sound neutral. “Yeah, we are. Why?”

“Cool, cool.” Sunghoon smiled. “He’s been coming out of his shell lately, huh? It’s kinda cute.”

Jeonghan wiped the seat from his forehead, trying to will down the twitch in his jaw. “Yeah. He’s made a lot of progress.”

“Well,” Sunghoon continued, “I was thinking of asking him to the mixer this weekend.”

Sunghoon uttered the words casually but they hit Jeonghan like a smack in the face.

“Ah, really?” Jeonghan said smoothly. “You wanna ask Cheol out?”

“Yeah,” Sunghoon chuckled shyly. “You think he’d say yes?”

Jeonghan crossed his arms on his chest and felt his smile stretching just a little too tightly. “Hard to say. He’s still a little shy, you know. Not very used to attention just yet.”

“Well, I don’t wanna pressure him or anything,” Sunghoon said, genuinely considerate. “Just thought I’d check with you first so I don’t make things awkward.”

Jeonghan internally scoffed. What the hell does everyone think I am—Cheol’s secretary!?

Jeonghan hummed once more then gave a casual shrug. “Go for it. Ask him out. I’m sure he’d appreciate the gesture. You have his number, don’t you?”

Sunghoon grinned. “Thanks, Jeonghan. Appreciate it!”

As Sunghoon walked away, Jeonghan stared at the back of his head, unsure if he was still amused or annoyed altogether.

Cheol, sweet oblivious Cheol, had no idea the kind of storm his dimples were stirring.

And Jeonghan, apparently, was the idiot who taught him how to flirt in the first place.

˖ . ݁𝜗𝜚. ݁₊

The next proposal came when Jeonghan was dutifully shoving his clothes into the dryer at the laundry room.

After the debacle with Sunghoon, the rest of the afternoon had gone quite peaceful for Jeonghan, peaceful enough for his mind to drift into more mundane things—like doing his laundry.

But, then again, this short quiet moment was ultimately broken when two of his neighbors, Jinki and Fei, came almost barrelling into him in front of the machine.

“Jeonghan oppa!” they yelled in unison, voices bright and coordinated like they’d rehearsed this moment.

Jeonghan blinked as they skidded to a stop in front of him, nearly making him drop his fabric softener.

“Glad we found you!” Jinki said.

“We have something to ask you!” Fei said.

They were practically vibrating with excitement, and Jeonghan, still gripping the dryer handle, gave them a wary smile. “Should I be worried?”

The two thrummed with so much enthusiasm that Jeonghan could imagine their heads exploding in candy.

“What do you girls want?” he said kindly, a little awkwardly.

“It’s about Seungcheol-ssi!” they said in unison again and Jeonghan was sure they were running on shared brain cells.

Underneath the amusement thought, his stomach gave a quiet, inexplicable twist. “What about him?”

“We want to ask him out to the mixer!” they said.

“Like…the two of you? At once?”

The girls nodded. “We’re a bundle.”

“Well…I’m not sure if Cheol could handle that.”

“Oh, I bet he can,” Jinki said, waggling her eyebrows at Jeonghan.

“He’s a big guy,” Fei supplied.

Jeonghan forced out a chuckle, though it sounded hollow in his own ears. “Yeah. Big guy. Great shoulders. Total heartthrob.”

The girls giggled, clearly delighted.

Fei asked, “So, will you help us ask him out?”

Jeonghan’s eyebrows rose. “I’m not his booking manager.”

“But you’re always with him!” Jinki lamented.

“Come on, put in a good word for us,” Fei said.

Jeonghan smiled, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Fine…I’ll mention it.”

“Yay! Thanks, oppa!” they chimed before darting off toward the vending machines, giggling about who’d bring the better side dish to impress Cheol.

When he was left alone, Jeonghan stared at the spinning dryer drum with the intent of a serial killer. He scoffed then muttered to himself, “Great. I teach him how to talk and wear fitting shirts, and now he’s the mixer’s main course!”

˖ . ݁𝜗𝜚. ݁₊

Jeonghan wasn’t sure why—perhaps it was because there were too many people asking him about Cheol instead of asking the man themselves—but he was pissed.

Now, every time he so much as stepped out of his apartment, someone would come to him to ask about Cheol and the mixer. He had half a mind to roll his eyes at them and to tell them to speak to Cheol themselves, but he was too polite for that.

So, that morning, he decided to go to the area less frequented by the tenants—the courtyard.

He lounged on one of the daybeds and cracked open a book.

But he supposed he was wrong about the courtyard being vacated because, not even a minute after settling down, Jisoo came sitting beside him on the next daybed.

“So…” Jisoo began. “When are you asking Cheol to the mixer?”

Jeonghan didn’t look up from his book. “I’m not.”

“What? Why not?” Jisoo asked, genuinely surprised. “I thought you two were, like—you know— a thing .”

Jeonghan sighed. Loudly. “We’re not a thing. We’re friends.”

Jisoo hummed. “But you gave him a makeover.”

“And?” Jeonghan spared him a glance. “Doesn’t mean I own him.”

Jisoo raised his hands in front of himself defensively. “Sure. Sure. But now you made him hot and everyone wants him.”

“Not everyone.”

“Right…”

Jeonghan’s eye twitched. He had heard four people asking about Cheol and he already had enough.

Apparently, turning the building’s most reclusive resident into a soft-spoken, sharply dressed man had unintended side effects—which would’ve been great if Jeonghan didn’t have the sudden urge to throw hands every time anyone had any idea of flirting with Cheol.

He thought he was merely being a good neighbor by transforming Cheol, but now he wanted to pull his own hair out.

Cheol smiled more, talked more, joked around even. He made people feel at ease in the laundry room, had easy banter with neighbors in the common area and confidently bumped into people in the hallways.

And now, apparently, everyone wants to ask him out.

“So, you’re really not going with him? Jisoo tried again. “Because I heard 502 is planning on asking him out to the mixer.”

Jeonghan slammed his book shut with a loud thud. “You know what, Shuji? Cheol is single and is very capable of saying yes to whoever he wants.”

“Wow…you sure sound like you’re jealous.”

“I’m not!” Jeonghan said way too loudly, then he cleared his throat, adjusting his voice again. “I’m not jealous.”

“Sure you’re not.”

Jeonghan sighed and got up from the daybed. “Tell 502 good luck. She’s gonna need it.”

“What does that supposed to mean?”

Not gratifying Jisoo with an answer, Jeonghan marched out of the courtyard and into the building, carrying his book with him and the small voice screaming at him:  If you didn’t want him, why do you care who does?

˖ . ݁𝜗𝜚. ݁₊

After all of Jeonghan’s chagrin at people asking him for Cheol like he was his personal booking manager, everything came to head one afternoon when Sunghoon came knocking on Cheol’s door.

Jeonghan barely stepped out of his apartment when he saw the man standing in the hallway as Cheol opened the door to him.

Sunghoon was holding a metallic tray of what he assumed was baked macaroni and cheese which, with a scoff, Jeonghan assumed was bought instead of made like his own baked mac.

“Hi, Seungcheol!” he heard Sunghoon say. “I was wondering if you’d thought about who you’re bringing to the mixer yet…”

Jeonghan didn’t listen to the rest of the conversation, choosing to turn on his heel and stomp back into his apartment, slamming the door behind himself.

Looks like Sunghoon grew balls and really asked him out personally like I said, Jeonghan thought glumly, kicking off his slippers with enough force that they flew across the foyer. Goddammit!

Ten minutes later, Cheol knocked on Jeonghan’s door gently, almost shyly, as he held the tray of baked mac in one hand.

Jeonghan opened the door for him with a frown he couldn’t quite hold back.

“Hey,” Cheol said. “Sunghoon said you looked angry.”

Jeonghan narrowed his eyes at him.

Of course, I’m angry! Jeonghan thought as he stepped aside and allowed Cheol in.

“He brought me some baked mac and I thought we should share it,” the man said, setting down the tray on the breakfast island.

Of course, I’m angry! Jeonghan thought again. I’m angry because you were standing there with your hair still damp and the fitted shirt I got you! 

“Jeonghan?” Cheol asked, turning to him with innocent eyes.

Of course, I’m angry because you looked like a daydream!

“Can I ask why you’re angry?”

“I’m not angry,” Jeonghan lied through his teeth. “I’m just wondering how many more people are gonna knock on your door to ask you out so I can make a waiting list.”

Cheol blinked, confused. “I—I didn’t ask him to come by. He just—”

“Yes, I know. He just came by with food to ask you out. And then next time, someone’s gonna come by with a lame excuse to help you fix your curtains or help you with your piping problems or whatever. And you’re gonna be too polite to say no.”

Cheol stepped back a little, raising his hands defensively. “Okay…breathe…What are you yelling at me for?”

Jeonghan let out a sharp breath. “Because I’m sick of it, Cheol! I’m sick of people asking me if you’re available!”

“What?”

“I don’t wanna keep pretending like it’s fine to watch you getting snatched up by other people like you’re the community prize!”

Jeonghan breathed heavily, trying to catch his breath after his tirade. He knew he had said too much, but it was too late now. There was no going back.

Cheol stilled before him, a little dumbfounded. “But…you helped me be likeable…desirable, even.”

“I know!” Jeonghan said before he could catch himself. “I helped you because I like you! I liked you before anyone else did! I liked you before they saw just how handsome you could be! And now I’m losing my goddamn mind because I feel like I fixed you up for everyone else!”

A deafening silence followed suit. And Jeonghan wished he had never opened his mouth at all.

Cheol’s mouth opened, then closed, then opened again like a freaking fish out of water.

“You like me,” he said quietly.

Jeonghan ran a frustrated hand down his face. Might as well get it out in the open, huh? “Yes. If that wasn’t obvious already.”

There was another pregnant pause. Then, Cheol took a step forward and asked, “Then…why don’t you ask me out to the mixer yourself?”

Jeonghan didn’t dare to look up.

He had always taken pride in how he could face things head on without flinching, without batting an eye. But that moment, alone with Cheol and all his feelings aired out, Jeonghan felt—perhaps for the first time in his life—the need to bolt.

And that’s exactly what he did.

Before Cheol could get another word in, before he could ever cross the foyer to where Jeonghan was standing, the blond had already yanked his door open and bolted through the halls, down the stairs and out of the apartment complex.

˖ . ݁𝜗𝜚. ݁₊

When Jeonghan ran out of his apartment, wanting to put as much space between himself and Cheol, he hadn’t quite figured out where he was supposed to go. Thus, there he found himself that late afternoon at a nearby playground, sitting in one of the children’s swing sets and grumbling to himself about letting his mouth run faster than his brain.

“Now, Cheol’s gonna be so awkward around me,” Jeonghan muttered, kicking one of the pebbles at his feet. “Great fucking going, Jeonghan!”

He’d been sitting there ruminating for about an hour already, dreading having to go back to his apartment and perhaps bumping into Cheol in the hallway.

“What if I just don’t go home? Maybe I can just move to the studio for a while—I mean, I own it anyway…”

He was busy thinking of all the places he could run to, places Cheol could never find him, when the aforementioned man—catching his breath and flushing from perhaps running so much—spotted him.

“There you are!” he yelled over the bushes and Jeonghan immediately stood from the swing set and was about to bolt again. “Don’t even think of running away from me!”

Jeonghan paused with his back to Cheol. He closed his eyes and heaved a steadying breath/ If only I’d chosen a farther place to stay! You’re really the biggest dummy, Jeonghan!

Cheol jogged to where he was, huffing as he did so. “I’ve been looking for you all over the apartment and the perimeter!” he said. “Why did you run away from me?”

Slowly, Jeonghan whipped around to face him, all red and bashful. “Well…” he started slowly. “If you haven’t heard, I just confessed to you.”

“Yeah, I heard that part loud and clear. But why did you have to run away?”

Jeonghan rolled his eyes in spite of the shame. “Oh, God. I can’t believe you’re really gonna make me say it!”

“I’m confused, Jeonghan!”

“What the hell are you confused about after everything I said!?”

“Because you don’t get to treat me like your personal project and then get mad when people actually want to ask me out.”

Jeonghan couldn’t believe it—Cheol was playing mental Olympics with him, wasn’t he?

Still, he took the bait. “Well, I never thought things would work out this well—God, you’re so annoying!” Jeonghan yelled for all of the playground to hear.

“And yet, you like me!” Cheol yelled back just as loudly, catching the attention of the kids and their guardians, some even pulling their kids away from the danger zone.

There were a few beats of silence between them as they looked at each other eye to eye, the only sound being the gentle laughter of the children around them. Then Cheol decided to break the silence first—

“Why didn’t you ask me out to the mixer, Jeonghan?” he asked, voice sounding gentler this time.

Jeonghan thought that he had already made a big fool of himself an hour ago, had already put his friendship with Cheol in jeopardy, so what more could he say that would turn this whole situation into a worse one.

So, he chose to just speak the truth. “I didn’t think you’d want me.”

Cheol snorted—absolutely had the gall to snort—and shook his head as if to say “Can you believe this guy!?”

Cheol took a step forward and Jeonghan took two steps back.

“Jeonghan, for someone who kept teaching me how to be confident, you sure think so little about yourself.”

Cheol’s smile was sweet, a little shaky, but sweet.

“What do you mean, I think highly of myself—this is just a matter of preference—"

“And my preference is you,” Cheol cut in quickly.

“What?” Jeonghan murmured as Cheol took another step forward, but this time Jeonghan couldn’t move. He stared at Cheol’s eyes, searching for something there that would tell him that this was all a joke, that he was merely muttering things for the sake of the situation. Yet he found nothing but sincerity.

“I, uh…You know well enough that I’m not good with words…”

“Oh, totally.”

“Right. So I don’t know how else to say this,” Cheol rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “I was actually hoping to say this eventually, when the time and place are right…but you beat me to it.”

Jeonghan gulped. Why couldn’t Cheol just say what he wanted to say!? Why couldn’t he just end Jeonghan’s agony!?

“I like you, too, Jeonghan,” Cheol mumbled way too quickly and way too softly that Jeonghan wasn’t sure if he heard him right.

“What the heck did you just say?”

“You’re just trying to embarrass me, aren’t you?” Cheol frowned at it was adorable—ah, Jeonghan could freely say it now: Cheol looked cuddly and adorable whenever he frowned.

Cheol gnawed on a knuckle for a moment, gathering his wits about him, before he opened his mouth again. “I…I like you…a lot…”

Jeonghan let out a sharp breath he didn’t know he was holding and allowed his shoulders to droop. “Oh, God…you really do?”

Cheol looked down at his feet and nodded, blushing from his neck to his ears.

“Oh, my God!” Jeonghan yelled, allowing the tension to leave his body. Now, everyone at the playground was staring at them. “You like me!”

“I already said so twice, darn it,” Cheol muttered, too self-conscious of the looks they were receiving.

But before he could wish for the earth to open up and swallow him whole, Jeonghan had launched himself onto him, hugging him and kissing his cheek over and over.

“What the hell…” Cheol murmured, arms on his sides, unsure if he had the gall to hug Jeonghan back just yet.

“Oh, my God! You like me back!” Jeonghan exclaimed as he pulled back just enough to look Cheol in the eyes.

“Yes, I like you even though you’re annoying,” Cheol said with a smile in spite of himself.

Jeonghan absolutely trembled with exhilaration, excitement and pure, unadulterated affection. “Does this mean you’ll go to the mixer with me?”

“Your invite was the only one I’ve been waiting for,” Cheol replied and, before he could think twice, leaned in to place a chaste peck on Jeonghan’s lips.

˖ . ݁𝜗𝜚. ݁₊

Gossip about the playground encounter spread around the apartment complex like wild fire.

Apparently, one of the tenants was babysitting in the playground during Cheol and Jeonghan’s confessions and took it upon herself to tell everybody at the laundry room and common area about it.

Now, there was Cheol and Jeonghan, being shipped together by the entire complex.

When the mixer happened that very weekend, Jinki and Fei brought with them banners which read “JeongCheol”. They shamelessly waved them around as they squealed at even the slightest interactions between the two.

“Hey,” Cheol said, voice quiet but firm as he leaned to the side to whisper into Jeonghan’s ear. “Did you see the banners?”

“It’s hard not to when the girls are waving them around like that,” Jeonghan whispered back.

“I think it’s nice—a little gaudy, but nice,” Cheol said with a small grin. “Though I think it’s missing something.”

“Oh?” Jeonghan pulled back, tilting his head to the side.

“Yeah,” Cheol replied, leaning into Jeonghan’s space. “An actual couple.”

Jeonghan stared at him, confused but definitely spellbound by his eyes.

The whole yard had gone suspiciously quiet. And the two thought that someone was definitely recording the interaction—probably Fei.

“You’re ridiculous,” Jeonghan muttered, but there was no heat to it.

Cheol smiled wider. “So? Wanna prove the girls right?”

A beat passed between them and then, huffing a sigh, Jeonghan leaned forward and planted a smacking kiss on Cheol’s lips.

The neighborhood exploded .

Suddenly there were cheers and wolf-whistles and about two people screaming “Finally!”

When Jeonghan pulled away, he rolled his eyes but couldn’t fight the smile that tugged at his lips.

“You know this means we can never break up now, right?” Cheol said. “You know I won’t be able to find a better boyfriend than you, coach.”

“Ah, so I’m your boyfriend now?”

Cheol squeezed his hand. “Yeah. Unless you want an instant upgrade already, Hannie?”

“You’re ridiculous, Choi Seungcheol.”