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Jisung doesn’t know why he keeps logging on to reddit.
r/DCcomics is meant to be a forum for comic fans to appreciate and discuss the artful storytelling and lore of the works they read. Yes, there’s the common troll, but they’re usually buried deep down by the hyperspecific inquiries and theories from dedicated fans.
Maybe the trolls have gotten better though.
He doesn’t really comment or post on the forum, instead just upvoting or downvoting to influence his feed and leaving it at that. Reading comics and consuming the online content was fun, but the only friend that shared his interest was Seungmin. He was into marvel and didn’t talk about it much anyways.
He swivels boredly in his gaming chair. Besides, watching people argue online was amazing free entertainment.
Until it goes too far.
“Why Jason Todd is the best Robin (and nobody can convince me otherwise)”
Was the title of the stomach-ache-inducing 2 page long post he’d stumbled across.
Maybe it was because of the late hour, or the fact that he was doing anything to put off real life responsibilities, but for the first time ever, he clicked “comment”.
“What is wrong with you? Have you ever picked up a comic in your life? Jason failed at being Robin the second he put on the mask…” He types. Minho says if he put as much effort into his english essays as he does talking about fictional characters, maybe he’d be passing. English class doesn’t have superpowered metahumans though, so he’ll pass.
He’s already posted his one-page rant before he pauses and blinks. He just got genuinely upset over a take about a comic book character that he read on reddit. He’s no better than Chan. Maybe it’s time to close the laptop shut for the night.
-
You’re not sure why your friends are so excited to get you out of the house. Maybe it’s because you’re usually the self-appointed designated driver and they never get to see your “wild side”.
The few times they do drag you out for a night on the town, they’re reminded why.
They could’ve sworn they’d only given you two shots, but apparently it’s enough to make you run off. Their hopes of you having found someone to go home with for the night (finally) was crushed when they’d searched the bathroom.
You were huddled in the corner on the dirty tile floor, furiously typing something on your phone with one hand and nursing a bloody mary in the other.
Right. Instead of going party girl crazy when you were intoxicated, you redownload reddit and info-dump on the sub you claim to hate.
As much of a challenge as it was to tear you away from the phone, you were passed out immediately.
In your drunken haze, you’d forgotten to delete the app again.
-
Your head is pounding. You lift your head and examine your surroundings. Mascara smudged onto the pillow case below you, small beams of light peeking through the window, and your alarm clock ringing nonstop at what feels like 600 decibels.
Groaning, you reach over and shut it off before your neighbor can start banging on the shared paper-thin wall with the top of her broom again. You don’t really know why she does that. She’s only putting dents in her own wall, but you guess it worked. You never let that alarm ring for longer than 30 seconds.
The impending morning shift you're scheduled to work is what wills you to wake up. You really believe that working mornings at the comic shop is like a blessing personally sent down from god.
Nobody ever visited a comic store before midday, so you didn’t have to interact with anyone other than the rare coworker for 6 hours. You could just pop in an ear bud and catalogue all morning. It wasn’t too far from what you’d be doing at home, so it didn’t really feel like work at all. It also fits into your schedule. Morning shifts, evening classes. Perfect.
Working around so many comics and characters has influenced you to read a bit. A bit transformed into a lot and now you were an incognito lexicon of DC knowledge from your hours of empty shop time spent reading.
You like to think you were pretty lowkey about it. Mostly.
You wait until you board the bus to check your notifications. You don’t fully trust yourself to stay on schedule in the morning with a phone in hand.
The bus stop is a small bench with an overhead cover. You know a few of the regulars whose schedules overlap with yours, but they’re not very chatty. The only exception was Martha, the elderly woman across from the stop who got her nephew to install a small heater above the bench for the winter. You know this because 1. You use the heater often, and 2. She’s always trying to set you up with said nephew.
Luckily, nobody’s here today, so the music stays on.
The driver nods at you as you enter, claiming your usual window seat near the middle and leaning your head against the glass. It’s nice and warm from the sun. It’s a nice spot. Nobody really sits in the middle unless they have to, so you get your space.
You finally pull your phone out of your pocket. There’s 12 notifications from…reddit..?
Weird, you thought you’d deleted that app months ago. Some of the people there were just too negative for your taste. You were trying to keep your inner peace (you know, aligning your chakras and all). You click it.
“What is wrong with you?...”
There’s a two page rebuttal to the drunken lovepiece you wrote about Jason Todd. Defending DIck Grayson.
The worst part? It’s extremely well written. MLA formatted, CER based. They’ve even pulled out online statistics and cited comic issues from the 80’s. (So what if Jason got voted the least favorite robin in the 60’s? Times change…)
By the time you’ve finished reading it (and clicking through all the links they attached), you’re already at your stop.
-
The shop is simple and it’s not hard to find. Bright colored posters are hung up outside with a big sign that says ‘COMICS’ (pretty lowkey…). The inside is lined with shelves and boxes sorted alphabetically by company, character, etc. The organization is incredibly neat, and not to toot your own horn or anything, but it's mostly thanks to you.
You’ve spent a bit of your own cash on the store. Just small things like a new softer rug, strawberry candle or refilling the candy bowl, but it makes the place feel homely and warm (and really nice smelling). Your boss hasn’t said anything bad about it yet, so you suspect he kind of enjoys it.
Green Lantern stares you down from his plastic stand on the register. You slowly sign in, counting up the amount of purchases made the day before, but your mind keeps wandering back to the thread you read earlier.
Yes, you hate arguing with strangers online. It’s a waste of time and you would never give a random person the satisfaction of seeing you upset over something you could’ve just deleted and forgotten about. However, maybe you’ll entertain this. They did give a well thought out response, and it’s not like they’re just saying whatever they can to provoke you, so maybe you’ll justify this with a response. Only because you’re quite bored (and definitely not because you don’t have anyone else in your life to talk comics about, even if it’s an argument).
13 sales yesterday. That’s…really good actually. Comics aren’t really a high demand item and they’re pretty cheap, so there’s not an incredibly steady flow of sales everyday. Most of the income the shop receives is from actually preserving the comics that people bring in.
Opening shift duty #2, restocking the shelves. You've only been here for a few months, but being one of the only people with the job, it’s become second nature to you. There’s only a few new issues, but they’re rarer. Rare comics need to be packaged up behind the register. You pause your music as you examine them, squinting.
‘Robin; vol 2, The Triumphant’.
A collectors edition. You hadn’t read it, but doors technically didn’t open for 12 minutes. Maybe…?
You cling wrap like you never had before. Wrap, label, to the top of the shelf, repeat. Your morning regular comes in around 8:30 whenever he decides to drop by, so you always mentally prepare each shift (even if he never shows).
You tell yourself it’s because he’s the only recurring morning regular (even if that’s not true) and you like to keep your customers happy. That’s why he’s your favorite. No other reason. Definitely not because of his awkward stuttery charm, round glasses, messy black hair and insane comic book knowledge. He’s just a regular.
By the time the clock hits 8, all of your duties have been completed, leaving you just enough time to settle down behind the counter with the collectors item. Green Lantern looks at you disappointed. He can suck it. It’s not illegal to check over an item before you put it up for sale.
-
In, 2, 3, 4,
out, 2, 3, 4
Breathing exercises never work to calm his nerves, but he tries everyday anyways. As if the caffeine running through his veins wasn’t bad enough, he was going to brave the storm again today.
Jisungs heated reddit rant from last night (which he is so embarrassed about that it will be taken to the grave) had subconsciously given him the courage to visit the comic shop again.
If he could write a 2 page analysis on Dick Grayson's legacy in one night, he could will himself to spark up a conversation with the pretty girl behind the register. During his evening visits, he can back and forth about Superman's abilities with Chul, the comic enthusiast decades older than him. There’s just something about you that gets him nervous.
You’ve even thrown him a rope, asking about the issues he purchases or who his favorite character was, but every time he just kind of…stares. The second you look at him with those sparkling eyes and kind smile, he turns into some regular Joe that’s never touched a piece of media in his life. Like Changbin (don’t tell him he said that).
But not today.
If it comes to it, he will recite his essay line by line. He will never score a date with you unless he can wow you, and the awkward stuttering and stiff nods weren’t gonna cut it.
The recognizable ding of the bell is missing today when he opens the door. Jisung lets the glass close slowly, sweater sleeve falling over his fingers as he lets go, scanning the room. It smells nice as always. He likes to think that it’s just because it’s your shift. The strawberry aroma doesn’t follow into the afternoon, instead leaning towards old books more. It’s not a bad scent, but it’s not yours.
Nobody’s at the counter. He hopes you’re on shift today and just working in the back or on your break. This amount of courage wouldn’t find him again for months. He had to do it today. Preferably before his 9:15am class…
If you’re busy…he guesses it wouldn’t hurt to look around. He hasn’t come by in a little over a week and there's new content shipped in daily. His favorite thing about comics and this store especially, is (you) the fact that they’re so cheap. Felix always complains about how expensive physical manga is and he gloats inside every time. An average 2-4$ comic is a steal for a struggling college student.
He scans the aisles like he has so many times before. He’d like to avoid anything with Robin featured in it. For his sanity.
The display behind the counter catches his eye. They look a bit nicer and thicker than most of the floor level ones, but it wouldn’t hurt him to take a look right? Maybe a bit of window shopping could keep a flow of gas on his little flame of courage before he loses it to time.
They’re wrapped and labelled very neatly (you're doing. Not that he watches you or anything, but you mentioned it in passing one time and even though he just awkwardly smiled, he always remembered).
His sweater pawed hands support his weight on the counter as he leans forward, trying to get a closer look. The wood creaks a bit, and he hears a quiet gasp. Your head pops up from under the counter quicker than the speed of light, throwing him into a panic. The startled scream he let out will haunt his dreams forever. His fingers raise to brush under his jawline, checking his pulse and he collects himself. You’re staring wide-eyed at him with your hands behind your back and a sheepish smile.
Confidence gone.
“Hi! How can I help you today?” Your tone is friendly, but your motions are awkward. You sidestep over to the register, body angled towards him the whole time, and lean down until your hands are level with the counter, dropping a comic down with a quiet ‘thud’.
He catches a glimpse of it. He can’t read the full title, but he can make out the word ‘ROBIN’ and the Boy Wonder with his adoptive father on the front page. He makes his move.
“You um, do you like…Robin?”
So he could've strung the sentence together without so many pauses, but this was an improvement from anything he’d done before, so he gives himself some grace.
What happened to avoiding Robin today?
You freeze, looking caught between being surprised (probably at the fact that he can actually speak. This is so humiliating) and embarrassed. You nod over-enthusiastically at him.
“I love them! You?”
He nods, then realizes he needs to make conversation. You don’t want to speak to a wall.
“Mhm. I like Dick.”
You smile amusedly. Shit.
“Uh Grayson. Dick Grasyon. The first one… the um… acrobat. Nightwing.”
Great to know that even if he can’t make conversation with you, at least he knows all of Dick Grayson's titles. Woop-de-fucking-doo.
A giggle breaks him out of his deprecating train of thoughts. You pick up the comic you were ‘secretly’ reading and offer it to him, cover facing him.
“I’ve heard a thing or two about him I think. I still think Jason Todd’s the coolest though.”
He takes the comic, looking down. Dick Grayson is on the cover, cheesy smile and all. He’s not the biggest Jason Todd enthusiast (as he’s shown anonymously online), but he knows enough about the guy to pretend. He’s read a whole think piece about it on reddit afterall.
“Jason does have a pretty cool backstory.” He nods, still flicking through the page. He kind of pulled that from the post, but technically it had used the term ‘emotionally rich and tragic’.
It seemed like the right thing to say though, because your eyes lit up.
“Exactly! His character is so well written and his development? Especially with the Lazarus pit?”
You lean forward, palms planted on the desk. Jisung feels like he hit the jackpot.
“His relationship with the Al Ghuls is cool too. We don’t see much of that with the others. Not even Batman.” He didn’t actually pull this one from the post, but he didn’t agree with it completely. He didn’t like the Al Ghuls, but he liked you. That was enough.
You nod even harder.
“Dick and Jason are a cool duo too! He’s a good older brother figure and it gets overlooked by a lot of people I think.”
He thinks he just fell in love again. Even after his awkward introduction, you still tried to bring up his favorites. He could drop to one knee right now.
The conversation continues, and he leans on the counter to match your stance. It almost feels like a long talk with an old friend. Comic knowledge is something he’s experienced and confident in, and he forgot how exciting it was to talk about them with someone his own age. (Not that Chul wasn’t great company, but you were different. Butterflies didn’t erupt in his stomach when Chul laughed at his jokes).
Nobody came in the whole time, which slightly surprised him. It was also slightly exciting to him though. If you didn’t usually have customers during your shifts, maybe he could drop by and chat more often? He’d have to do some homework on Jason Todd, but he’s sure he could review that reddit post. Maybe provoke them a bit so they share more good info.
It’s not long until his phone ringing snaps you out of the conversation. The screen lights up with Felix’s face on the front, accompanied by a ‘where r u?????’ text. It’s 9:30.
It’s 9:30.
-
Your compsci professor is droning on about some type of quiz happening on some day. You’re not really paying too much attention.
An empty google document is pulled up on the screen of the open laptop in front of you. It was meant to be used for notes, but you haven’t really heard anything noteworthy yet. Not that you’d really been listening.
The conversation with your regular, Jisung, as he’d said out the door, was stuck on replay in the little tv screen that was your mind. He was even cuter than you’d imagined with his oversized knitted sweater and bulky backpack that he wore on both shoulders, hands holding the straps.
Talking to him was unlike conversing with anyone else you’d ever met. Maybe you’d just been subtly crushing on him for a few months, or maybe you just didn’t have a friend who wanted to listen to you drone on about a superhero and his universe for a whole hour. Jisung was different. He listened when you spoke and he rambled about things you hadn’t even thought of. All of his takes are so insightful and well thought out. His awkwardness only adds to his charm.
You’d spoken for one day and he was already killing you. You really needed to get out more.
When he’d brought up the robins and Jason, it had weirdly given you a boost of confidence. You were glad that, of all the different characters there were, was who he picked. You eat, sleep and breathe the Robins.
So much that you got into online arguments with strangers about it.
Your fingers are moving with a mind of their own, filling up the empty document line by line.
“I think that you don’t fully understand his character. Jason Todd………”
-
Jisung blinks at the screen.
They’d replied with an even longer, even more detailed response than his own. He’d thought that he’d be over it by the next day, that it was just a one night thing, but he was wrong.
He could pretend to like Jason Todd for you, but he owed this stranger nothing. He still read it though.
“Whatcha lookin at?” Changbin peeks over his shoulder. His roommates were in his room (having been the only soundproofed one) and came in to mess with the studio every so often. Now was one of those times.
Chan had called a break to pick up some take out, which Jisung took as his permission for some nice computer time. He looks to Changbin, trying to figure out how to word it.
“I’m arguing with this person on reddit about who the best Robin is.”
No deniability there.
Changbin’s grin grows, leaning in from behind Jisung to get closer to the screen and taking the mouse into his hand to skim the text.
“They’ve got you writing essays here dude….” He scrolls down, reading their latest response a little slower. “Ouch.”
“Ouch? What’s ouch?” Chan asks from the doorway, locking the door behind him. He drops the food onto the table, coming up behind the computer to join the two.
“Jisung’s getting his ass beat by a comic book nerd in the comment section.”
Jisung's head perks up, offended.
“I am not. Look, I even cited sources.”
Chan scrolls down, connecting the story quickly.
“So did they…”
“Whatever.” He shuts the laptop before the conversation can continue further. He’ll just have to make a better rebuttal tonight. He’ll show them.
Chan brought chinese food. It was a big favorite throughout the group because of the ‘share-a-bility’ as Jisung called it. They’d set everything out in the middle of the table buffet style and pick out of there and eat off of each other's plates. It was cheaper, yes, but it was also a surefire way for them to all have dinner together once in a while. It was a mandatory bonding night every month that started after Chan hadn’t left his room for 4 days straight.
He dips a piece of chicken into the red sauce, stuffing his cheeks. Changbin talks about how he watched I.N. stumble through an english presentation that he had accidentally created on the wrong topic. They all laughed at that. It seemed like such a him thing to do.
Chan turns to him, gesturing with a chopstick full of noodles.
“Did you visit the comics store today? You were pretty late to the lecture.”
He shouldn’t kiss and tell really, but the guys have given him so much advice that it would be a crime not to tell them. So he recites his entire morning from his entrance up until the lecture with a giggly grin on his face. He doesn’t mention his stuttering, but he’s sure the others assume it just from knowing him.
They look surprised, as if they hadn’t expected him to be able to work up the courage to speak more than 3 words to you. Changbin squints.
“Wasn’t Jason Todd the one that you wrote that hate rant about though?” Chan nods.
“Well first of all, it wasn't a hate rant. It was an argumentative essay in favor of Dick Grayson.”
Changbins is already grinning at this, but he digs his stupid nerdy hole even deeper. “And two, I would talk about any character with her. Even some random marvel dude.”
They share an amused look.
“Did you get her number atleast?”
Jisung pauses, staring into his chicken.
“We’re not…there yet.”
Changbin nudges his shoulder a bit roughly. He turns back and glares, slightly pouting.
“That’s how you get there.” he winks exaggeratedly. Chan nods in agreement again, shoveling more food into his mouth.
He doesn’t answer, choosing to stuff more food into his cheeks and sulk. Good things take time, right? He can use the Jason Todd textbook of things to like about him and use them on you.
Maybe he’d have to talk about himself at some point, but. Baby steps.
-
Jisung comes in again the next morning as you’re dusting the shelves.
You’d spent the night using him as confidence to battle your e-enemy. You even had the thought of asking Jisung what he thought of your takes, but you didn’t feel like your friendship was to that point yet. He might think you’re some freak that argues with people online (and you are, but he doesn't need to know that).
It’s not common for him to come in two days in a row. You push down the small glimmer of hope that he came in specifically for you. Technically, he didn’t buy anything yesterday, but it’s not like he really had time.
You’re surprised he knows Felix though. You didn’t want to come off as a stalker, but you’d recognize your neighbor’s face popping up on his phone when he called. If you were anyone else, you’d bring it up to Felix, maybe have a little laugh about it. Unfortunately, you prefer not to talk to many people unless you need to, with Jisung being the only exception.
“Do you have any comics, um….” He starts, biting his lip in thought. You take the chance before he finishes.
“That’s pretty much what we sell, yeah.” You joke with a teasing smirk. His face goes red and the corner of his lip curls up a bit.
“About romance.” He says.
You pause. Romance? You didn’t really see him as a romance reader, but maybe you’d read him wrong? The thought of him cozying up with a lighthearted romance book is kind of cute though.
“You read romance?”
It’s his turn to pause. He looks around for a second before slowly nodding wordlessly, not making eye contact. It’s adorable, and it makes you want to scream. You set the duster down, skimming the shelf in front of you.
“I’m sure we have something here. Superhero romance? Or not dc related?”
He answers immediately.
“Superhero. I like reading about how they find love even though they’re a bit different.” He teeters back and forth on his feet.
It’s like he really is trying to kill you. You ignore how his words make your heart clench in your chest, leading him over to the section labelled with the S’s as he blindly follows.
“We don’t really sort by genre, but Superman has a lot of issues about him and Lois. I think if we dig deep enough we can find a thing or two!”
If it were any other customer you would have shown them the section and been on your way, but you liked spending time with Jisung. If anyone asked, it was just good customer service.
“Any morning classes today?” you try, sinking to your knees and pulling out one of the white file boxes that stores the low priced comics. He does the same, grabbing another box.
“Not until noon. I made sure to schedule around my visit this time.” He smiles, flitting through the books. That means he has more time to spend here, you note.
You take your time pulling out issues with the couple on the cover, flicking through the pages and putting them back.
“What do you major in?”
If only Martha could see how conversational you were now. She once said getting you to talk about yourself was like pulling teeth.
He looks over to you, hands pausing.
“Music Composition.”
You look up to him surprised.
“Music composition? That's insane. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone doing that. I didn’t even know they had that here.”
He smiles a sheepish smile, shrugging.
“It’s busy work, but I’m humble.” You giggle, earning a smile from him.
When he asks about your major, you actually answer truthfully. (Usually you just tell people you study finance so they’ll leave you alone. Nobody wants to talk about accounting).
“I’m doing Computer Science.” His eyes widened more than yours had.
“So you’re like, crazy smart then?” He’s not even touching the box anymore, arms wrapped around his legs, knees up to his chest.
“Well,” You tease, “I’m humble.” He rolls his eyes playfully.
Jisung gets easier to talk to by the minute. Your headphones aren’t even around your neck, having been cast off to the side the second that he walked in. He asks about your job, favorite spots to eat around campus and friend groups, and you tell him. He has a way of extracting information from you with a simple interesting question.
You learn that he has two roommates, Chan and Changbin, but his friend group is bigger. They’re all in some type of arts program. He writes lyrics, but only ever publishes music with his roommates. He likes cats but he's always been a bit scared of dogs because of a rabid pitbull that bit his leg when he was twelve. He’s the most interesting person you’ve ever met. (He gets shy when you tell him that, though.)
He’s halfway through a story about an accidental blind date his friend went on when a cover catches your eye.
“Aha!” You shout. He flinches back a bit, and you lower your voice. “Sorry. Look.”
You hand him the issue. It’s thicker than most comics in this section. On the front page is a picture of Clark Kent and Lois leaning into each other at both ends of a desk, teasing smiles on their faces. The issue is titled ‘Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane’.
He goes silent, taking it from your hands and quickly skimming a few pages. He smiles.
“I like this one.” You take another look at it.
“I’ve never read it, but it looks pretty long. Only 5$ though. Not bad at all.” He hums in agreement.
You don’t want to ring him up just yet, but you do anyway. You’d spent nearly an hour and a half on the ground “sifting through boxers” and talking. He’s starting to become the highlight of your shift (and your day).
-
You pat down your pockets, searching for your keys. Jisung hadn’t come in for a few days, and you definitely weren’t disappointed. Nobody needs to buy a new comic everyday. He was probably busy reading the one he’d just gotten.
To fill that conversational hole in your heart, you’d logged onto reddit on your break and responded to your e-enemies (second? third?) rebuttal. Your conversations had expanded from the two characters into comparing different arcs and plotlines. Their messages were a bit angrier every time, and while you did feel bad riling someone up so much like this, you really quite enjoyed it. It became a little guilty pleasure of sorts.
Now you just need to get in your apartment and curl up in bed. The heating had gone out on the main floor, making the lobby freezing cold. You weren’t sure if the separate rooms had heat or not, but you weren’t worried. You’d stocked up on enough blankets to keep you through the apocalypse.
The key is in your hand, but just as you’re sticking it in the lock, a voice peeps in from behind you.
“Hey (name)!”
It doesn’t sound like Martha, so you’re already safe. You swivel around. Lee Felix is waving at you, limping over with bags of groceries overflowing in his hands.
You give a small wave, readying to turn back around and enter your apartment again.
“I hate to ask this, but could you grab the door? My hands are a bit full” He lifts his arms, showing you the bags. “It’s already unlocked.”
You nod, pushing the door open and letting him though. He doesn’t let you stop there though.
“Did you just get off shift?” He inquires, using his heels to slip off his shoes without hands.
You nod again. “Comic store.”
He stills for a second, lighting up. “Morning shifts?” You glance around, nodding again. He probably thinks it’s all you know how to do.
“Actually,” he grimaces, “do you think you could help me put away some of these? I hurt my ankle pretty badly, it’s kind of hard to move around.” That checks out. Jisung had mentioned something about his friend spraining his ankle and just now getting off of crutches. It also explains the way he was limping earlier.
You nod again, following him in. He starts to unload the bags, nodding you over to where the different items need to be put. It’s a fairly quiet task. There’s your good deed for the day.
“The least I can do is make you something. Dinner maybe?”
You freeze. You don’t want to get ahead of yourself or anything, but you know what ‘dinner’ means in a casual context, and you are one-sidedly loyal to a specific pair of glasses-wearing regular at your shop.
Felix must notice your hesitation because he stops and rephrases.
“I’m hosting a dinner with my friend tonight and I was gonna make a lot anyway. You could even…come over if you want? They’re a pretty nice group, they don’t bite.”
You’re not sure why he’s offering this. You and Felix are neighbors at best. You’ve had the odd elevator interactions, but that was about it.
He makes a show of walking on his limp, titling his head. With the way he’s giving you puppy eyes right now though, it’s near impossible to say no. You internally debate. You could fake an allergy, but you’re sure he’d just end up finding a workaround.
“What time?” you pull out your phone, checking the time. “I have a class tonight.”
“It’s a game night so we usually start a little later. Around 8?”
Damnit. He’s got you.
“Okay…” you nod. He brightens again, grinning and nodding, “Do you think your friends would be okay with that?” He nods even harder.
“Oh definitely.”
And with that, you’re left with one lecture and a new dinner scheduled. Maybe you need to rehearse with Martha. Practice your social skills and all.
-
“Get your feet off of my dash.”
Jisung sticks his tongue out, digging his heels further into the plastic.
Minho’s car has become the designated non-profit friend group uber, because he’s the only one that could afford one. He’d called the front seat before Minho had even arrived at their apartment, forcing his bulky roommates into the backseat.
The driver drops his hands to his lap, leaning back into his seat and going still.
“I’m not driving until you take them down.” and he pulls out his phone, mindlessly scrolling. Changbin kicks the back of the passenger seat.
“Dude come onnnn. I’m hungryyyy.” He whines. Chan just rolls his eyes, reaching over to pull the boy's heels down. Jisung accepts the defeat with a huff. Minho clicks back into gear, hand coming to the other seat to steady himself as he reverses. They all wolf whistle at that, like they do every time.
“It’s bad enough he’s wearing that stupid hat. He should just walk.”
He looks at Minho, offended.
“How dare you? This is a gift.”
Atop of his inky waves is a baby pink bucket hat, with a strap tied around his chin. In hot pink comic sans are the words ‘SWALLOW QUEEN’.
It was a hat he, Felix and I.N. liked to pass around. They’d leave it at each other's house in some random spot, and then text the other ‘check the dishwasher/sugar jar/etc.” and today, it was Jisung’s turn to swallow queen Felix.
Chan chimes in, “I think it looks great on you, Jisung.” Changbin giggles.
“Really fits his character.”
He reaches behind him and blindly smacks his friend, missing anyway.
“You guys just don’t get it.”
Minho smoothly brakes into the parking space. Jisung is kind of jealous of how good of a driver he is, even though it’s to be expected.
The boys load into the lobby at 7:59. They’d been around so many times that the doorman already knew them. Minho pulls his jacket a bit tighter around himself and Changbin rubs the growing goosebumps forming on his arms.
“It's kind of chilly in here..”
“I’ve got a hat you can wear!”
-
“Hyunjin, can you get the door?’
He groans, setting his drink down. Felix had promised an “extra special” guest for tonight’s dinner (that they’d all just kind of assumed would be his Wii for Mario Kart night), but he’d been weirdly excited about it all night.
Seungmin was the last to arrive at 8:17, Felix having written down everyone’s arrival times.
Everyone had started picking at the appetizers he’d set out. Felix really was an amazing cook. They’d tried to do a potluck once, but it didn't….go well. So they left most of the food stuff to Felix.
Most of the boys had been huddled around the snack table, debating on what game was the hardest to beat. The voted lineup for tonight was charades, monopoly, and then whatever else they could get to (because they’ve never been able to complete a full game of monopoly in their life).
He pulls the door open, slightly curious. It’s not uncommon for Felix to introduce them to his friends, but he doesn’t usually keep them a secret. You stand there, surprised. You were probably expecting Felix. He gives you a once-over. There’s a box of what he assumes to be store bought cheesecake from his view through the foggy plastic. He smiles, opening the door further to invite you in.
“There she is! (Name), our guest of the hour!” Felix announces.
He pulls you inside, closing the door quickly, as if you were going to bolt out any second. He wasn’t entirely wrong though. You did look pretty on edge.
The guys perk up smiling. Seungmin pauses, the only one that recognizes you.
“Don’t you work at the comic shop by the campus?”
You pause, nodding slowly with an awkward smile. Chan and Changbin's head pop up immediately, staring you down and sharing an awed glance, eyebrows perched high.
“She’s also my neighbor, and we wouldn’t have this dinner if it weren’t for her,” he takes the cake from your hands, "Everyone say ‘thank you (name)!”
Varied voices repeat it.
“Thank you (name)!” Changbins still smiling a huge, cheesy grin, motioning you over to join them at the table, you accept tentatively, introducing yourself.
“Did I miss the special guest?” a voice pops from the bathroom.
-
Han Jisung doesn’t know what he did in his past life, but it must have been really bad. Like, burning villages and killing orphans bad, something to deserve this.
He excused himself from the table for one second. Went to the bathroom for one second, and now he’s face to face with you. The object of his utmost affections is sitting with his friends in Felix’s living room, and he has nothing prepared.
It took him forever to build the courage when he had prep time, but now? It’s over for him.
Changbin’s grinning wickedly from behind you, a friendly hand on your shoulder. He had to have known. Your eyes are wider than he’d ever seen them. You probably weren’t expecting him here either. Oh my god, what if you think he’s stalking you?
Your gaze lifts to above his head, eyebrows furrowing the tiniest bit.
The hat. He forgot about the hat.
He’s standing in front of who he hopes to be his future white picket fence partner in a ‘swallow queen’ hat.
Chan breaks the silence with a snort he attempted to restrain. Seungmin catches on, lips quirking up as he introduces you.
“This is (name). She works at that comic store you go to.”
“We’ve met a few times!” you add more to Seungmin than him. He just gapes, mouth opening and closing like a fish.
He wants to dig a hole and die.
“I like your hat, by the way.”
-
It’s slightly embarrassing to admit, and you don’t know why, but you’re kind of enjoying the company of Jisung and Felix’s friends. They have a way of making you feel included but not coming on too strong. It’s weirdly comfortable for a first meeting.
You definitely weren’t expecting Jisung to be there though. You hadn’t gotten to talk to him one on one yet, but he’s been slightly awkward all night. His friends must have been used to it though, because with every stutter came a chorus of giggles or teases from them. You felt similar to him, but hid it a little better.
It happened when Felix passed out the cheesecake.
“How far are you in the romance issue?” you sit next to him with your plate, whispering in case he was embarrassed about reading romance around his friends. He looks over, and quickly chews and swallows his bite. There’s a bit of cream on the side of his mouth. He wipes it with his sleeve quickly, then realizes what he did and flushes. He just nods.
“70 pages.”
He’s got the number memorized and everything. He must like it.
“Is it everything you thought it would be? And more?”
He smiles for a second and nods again. “It’s really sweet. Kind of just a series of oneshots, but they’re in chronological order. It’s like seeing little snippets of their relationship.” You hum.
“They do have a fun relationship story. I like how Lois keeps trying to figure out his identity. I know a lot of people don’t, but the chase is fun to read. It’s cute.”
“I like how it shows Clark's awkward side. It makes him feel human. Lois brings it out of him. Like yeah, he’s superman and all, but he’s also just an awkward guy sometimes.” He contemplates.
“Like you.” You poke his side teasingly. He recoils and giggles.
“I guess…”
Superman talk opens up the Jisung you know again. He sits with you as you get lost in conversation, even feeding him a piece of cheesecake off of your fork.
"It tastes better when you eat it with the fork upside down," you'd told him. (Was it a boldfaced lie so you could feed him? Maybe. Did he have to know that? No).
Even when the others drag you into a game of charades, he’s still bubbly and charming.
throughout the night.
You have to work a shift tomorrow and Felix has an early class, you all depart around 11:30.
Changbin pats you on the back again, and you exchange all of your pleasantries with the guys. Felix promises to invite you to more events, and you smile. (You might actually take him up on that…).
Jisung approaches you as you’re walking out, (not that you’re going far, given you’re the next door over).
“I was wondering if I could maybe get your number? Just so I can update you on the Superman and Lois comic obviously. Chan isn’t really great at conversation on the intricacies of their relationship, you know…” He doesn’t make eye contact with you, rubbing his sleeve.
“I can definitely see that. Here,” you gesture for his phone, he quickly pulls it out and hands it to you, almost dropping it. You type your number into the phone, leaving the contact name blank.
“I’ll um…I’ll text you!” He assures you endearingly.
You smile. “Okay.”
-
Jisung hasn’t gathered the courage to tell you about his reddit enemy yet. (It already sounds bad enough just using that term).
He’s been texting you for two weeks, talking about anything and everything under the sun. He’s so passionate about showing this random person who's boss.
It’s gotten to the point where he writes a response everyday. They’re not as long as they started out to be, but they’re definitely more frequent. He’s covered almost everything he could think of, and they have the worst takes on everything. The robins, Batman's morals and origin, the concept of the Joker's death. Everything.
The only thing they’ve found a middle ground on was Superman. To be fair, it’s Superman. You can’t really hate him.
Jisung may be a little biased though. When he reads a Superman comic, he likes to imagine himself in his shoes.
A lot of people like to say that Spiderman is the most relatable superhero. He’s not some fancy billionaire or a superhuman assassin with years of training. He’s just an awkward teen trying his best.
But he’s not Superman.
Superman is getting through life the best he can. He tries to be a good person even if he’s still learning about life. Even with everything he has going on, he goes through life with an optimistic outlook and tries to make everyone smile.
That’s exactly what Jisung wants to be.
It’s also a bit embarrassing, but he sees you in Lois too. Someone wouldn’t think it unless they’d met you. You don’t share the outward headstrong demeanor or pushy attitude, but you had the passion. You were determined and intelligent.
He thought that Superman and Lois made a pretty good pair.
He hoped you did too.
The comic had been finished and on his desk for a week, but he hadn’t told you that. Instead, he would pretend he’s been busy, only reading a few pages a day, so he could prolong it. He didn’t need to really. You both had expanded from talking about just comics.
But that was what he was most confident in. It was like speaking to you in a secret little language that only the two of you knew.
-
You’d picked up a small bit of information about your online friend over time.
They were an avid comic fan (obviously) and owned a lot of physical copies of what they referenced, (even inserting pictures into some of their responses).
You were able to see their wrist in the corner of one of the pictures. They had a temporary wristband on. The kind you’d get at a state fair or waterpark. You’d made out what letters you could, and looked it up (you’d blame it on boredom).
What surprised you the most though, was that it was for a local music event. One right on campus. You’d known about it because Felix had mentioned it in passing once. You’d asked about his ankle, but he claimed it was fine. Jisung later informed you that it was not, in fact, fine.
Jisung had gone too. He hadn’t come in the morning after, texting you and whining about how bad his head and feet hurt. Poor thing.
You turn the laptop brightness up. The cafe corner you were tucked back into was quiet and peaceful. It's how you liked it. It was also good that nobody was there to watch your investigative spiral.
In your mind, this person is your friend. You’ve been chatting weekly about comics (they even like Superman and Lois!). It’s fun to debate with them. You’d like to think they feel the same.
But you don’t talk to many people, and you’d like to know who you’re talking to everyday. Maybe you could even meet in person since they seem close. Jisung would like them.
The waitress comes and drops off your blueberry muffin, refilling your coffee. You go to pull out your wallet.
“Someone already paid!” She alerts you, nodding over to the counter.
Changbin and Chan are ordering, the former giving you a friendly wave. You stare for a second. How did they find you? You’d picked a spot tucked into the back for a reason, but who are you to say no to a free breakfast?
You return the wave and return to your screen, zooming in on the posted picture again. The duo joins you in the booth against your own will, sliding into the seat infront of you. Changbin leans over.
“You look so studious over here. What are you up to?” Chan breaks off a piece of his croissant, wordlessly offering it to Changbin. He accepts, turning to you again.
“Um…just some research.”
“For English?” He peeks at your screen before you can hide it. His eyebrows raise. “Oh, did Jisung send you that?” You still.
“What?”
He tilts his head. “No?”
You open the computer a bit more. “Why would you think that?”
Chan looks over, matching Changbin's confused tone. He licks his lips and wipes his hand with a napkin, pulling the screen towards him. You let him.
“That’s Jisung's room.”
What?
“It is?”
Changbin’s zooming into the picture. “Why do you sound so shocked?”
You shake your head. Not much left to lose now. The least you could do was be honest. They did buy your breakfast afterall.
“I’ve just been…talking… to someone on reddit. In the comments. And they posted that.” The duo's eyes widen comically at the same time. “I just saw the bracelet and recognized it from the music festival and…yeah…”
You’re still processing it. Jisung? His roommates had both confirmed that it was his room. Jisung and the mystery person both had crazy extensive comic knowledge. Their favorites were both Dick Grayson.
Wow.
The only two people you genuinely felt a connection with when talking to were…not two people at all. It was just Jisung.
You can’t even be mad. You should’ve realized it a lot sooner. Who else would argue with a random online about comics except for him? (and you…).
Chan realizes at the same time as you.
“You’re the one he was arguing with?”
“He told you about it?” Changbin nods.
“All the time. He hates you dude.”
Well ouch. To be fair, he doesn't really know it’s you. Does he?
You stare at the screen while the guys laugh. The hand looks like his, you suppose. The timeline is a bit blurry, but you posted that around the time he started coming in a lot.
The only problem is that Jisung likes Jason Todd. He agrees with most of your takes. The commenter doesn’t. Passionately.
“Why are you squinting so hard?”
-
Operation: Catch Han Jisung (a.k.a. Reddit user doolsetnet) started on a slow Tuesday morning.
Jisung had come in to visit you, part of his routine. He didn’t usually buy anything unless he really wanted to. You were at the point in your friendship where he could stroll in just to talk to you while you stocked shelves. Sometimes he had somewhere to be and only hung around for a few minutes, but on those lucky few days, he’d stay for an hour and help you do whatever it is you needed to finish. His presence had become commonplace in the shop.
You’d informed Changbin of your plan, asking him not to say anything. He agreed, but only on the condition that you update him (and include him!).
When the subject of said operation strolls in, you put the first trial into motion.
“You like Jason Todd, right?”
He nods without hesitation. “Who doesn’t?”
You shake your head innocently. “You’d be surprised.”
Jisung stills for a second, setting the labelmaker down. He really was an unpaid intern here.
“What’s that mean?”
“Nothing. Just some negative comments online I read. Got me thinking.” He pokes your side.
“Stop reading stuff online. It’ll only make you upset.” He says, half teasing and half sincere. You grow a little braver, testing the waters.
“I just don’t understand why people put so much energy into saying stuff like that online.” You do understand why people do it. You have firsthand experience.
He freezes more visibly this time, laughing it off with an awkward chuckle and shaking his head, nose-deep in the labelmaker. “Yeah, some people just have no life.”
Your stare burns a hole in the side of his head. Trial one failed.
You will confess soon, Han Jisung.
-
Han Jisung is terrified of confessions.
All of his friends know this. In 3rd grade, he’d spilt milk over the rug and accidentally forgotten about it, leaving it to sour into the fabric over the weekend. When his teacher asked about it, he’d just broken out into inconsolable sobs. Anytime he’d ever had a crush, he sat there and let it simmer forever, waiting until they made the first move or grew distant and closer to someone else.
In short, he’s not a great confesser.
Unfortunately, Changbin and Felix have turned him into a paranoid conspiracy theorist. Every so often, Felix mentions seeing a random guy drop by your apartment in the later hours of the night. (They all know it’s a joke, Jisung included, but it still makes his stomach twist in a way that makes him feel sick).
Which is why he’s sitting on the floor with his roommates and the extra aussie, jotting down lines in his notebook.
“Make it romantic. She’ll probably like that.” Changbin offers. Felix shakes his head, almost looking offended for you.
“He'll scare her with that.” He turns to Jisung, “Don’t come on too strong. Just be chill.”
He nods, scratching ‘chill. romance is scary’ into the paper with his pencil. Chan leans over and erases the second sentence with his own pencil.
“Romance is not scary. You just need to do it in a way that makes you comfortable and confident.”
He nods again, writing ‘comfy and confident’ over the faded lines. Felix and Changbin hum in agreement.
“I don’t know…” he shuts the notebook, “maybe it’s too early.”
Changbin scoffs. “As if. She’s gonna be hanging off some other comic nerd's arm in a few days if you don’t grow a pair soon.” Jisung thinks that Changbin knows how uneasy the thought makes him. He knows where to hit to make it hurt, that’s for sure He hates that it’s working.
Chan rubs his shoulderblade. “Don’t listen to them. Just take your time with it. Go at your ace. Confident and comfortable, remember?”
Confident and Comfortable. He could do that. Confident and comfortable.
-
Plan 2 is more of a group effort. (Group being you and Changbin…).
Your response had been typed up before dinner. You knew that he had notifications on because of how fast your comments were responded to. Also because Changbin told you so, but he doesn't need all the credit.
The family-style restaurant that Felix had recommended for the group was nice and quiet, making it the perfect place to set up a mystery phone ping. It was only you, Felix and the 3 dormmates. Chan liked to call you guys the ‘apartment buddies’. The name never stuck. He definitely wasn’t bothered by it.
You’d clicked the post button right as the waiter left with the dirty dishes. A few seconds later, Jisung's phone pinged. Loudly. Did he really make his reddit notifications a different tone?
Felix, the only one not in on the plan, looks up. “Is that the reddit guy again?”
Jisung looks up like a deer in headlights, cheeks full. His eyes dart back and forth from you to Felix frantically. He quickly swallows.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Lix.” His tone hardens for a second as he pulls out his phone, trying to discreetly silence it.
“Reddit guy?” you try.
“No. Um,” he pauses, ”Just…someone. They like to text me a lot.”
“Oh? Got a hot date?” Felix teases. You know the notification isn’t from a random person, but Felix’s comment stings you a little bit. You swallow and go silent. Jisung answers awkwardly.
“Um. Maybe. I don’t know.”
Oh.
Changbin and Chan share a confused look.
You’re quiet for the rest of the night.
-
In, 2, 3, 4,
out, 2, 3, 4
He finds himself doing the same breathing exercise outside of the shop that he’d done a few months ago. Except this time, he’s not just going in to talk to you about comics. He’s going to confess his feelings for you.
He’d spent a week coming up with and preparing for how he’d do it. None of the guys knew about it though. He didn’t want to lose his confidence by explaining it. It was kind of embarrassing.
The bell dings, and you’re working the register again, eyebrows furrowed as you tap the same button repeatedly. He finds it cute.
“What did the register ever do to you?” His voice startles you out of your confusion. Another flashback to his first time talking to you. It almost feels sentimental for what he’s about to do.
“Oh, come off it.“ You look at the digital clock behind him. “You don’t usually come in on Thursdays.”
That’s true. He usually has lectures a bit earlier on Thursdays, but he planned this around his off day. It gave him some prep time.
He shrugs. “No lecture today.”
“So you decided to bless me with your presence? I’m so honored.” You tease, looking back down at the problem button.
“What are you working on?”
You huff. “This stupid button won’t work no matter how hard I press it.”
He crosses behind the counter, coming over to examine it. You move to the side and let him.
“Have you tried being gentle with it?” He smirks. You playfully roll your eyes.
“Obviously.”
His nimble fingers pull the key up a bit, gently sliding it around. He lets go and lightly taps on it. The ‘6’ shows up on the register.
“I hate you.”
“Don’t hate the player. Can you light another candle?”
His initial assumption of the nice aroma being from you had been correct. You had brought him out candle shopping a few weeks ago and he helped pick out a few new scents for the shop.
You nod, pulling a lighter from the desk drawer and lighting one of the open candles on the counter, propped up next to an Iron Man figure. The scent calms his nerves. Comforts him, even. Chan would be proud.
The confession lingers on his shoulders like a boulder. He wants to get it over with, but he’s also worried that if you rejected him, this would be your last moment like this in the shop. He wanted to enjoy it for a little bit longer. Just in case.
“Did you know Bob Ross used to be a drill sergeant?” he asks.
You set the lighter down. “No way. He’s too kind spirited.”
He nods eagerly. “Believe it. He didn't like how mean he had to be, so he retired 20 years later.”
You tilt your head at him, lips painted with an endeared smile. “How do you know this stuff?”
“Sometimes I go on a random fact generator and stock up on them. Just in case.”
Other people would think that it’s nerdy or lame, but he knows you understand. You’d never been one to judge anyone, especially him. You probably even empathized. (He might be getting a little ahead of himself).
“Well. Got any more? I’m interested to hear which ones you retained.” You put a hand to your ear, leaning in with a grin.
“Actually.” He stops. Now is the time. He can’t afford to chicken out. “I have something I need to tell you.” He reaches into his tote bag, thumbing the cover of the book.
Your face lights up, almost…knowingly?
You bite the inside of your cheek in an attempt to hide your grin.
“Jisung, I know.”
His thumb stops.
“You do?”
You nod, giggling. “Yeah. I’m not upset though, don’t worry. I actually thought it was kind of funny.” His expression turns to one of concern.
“Funny?”
“Yeah. I mean, you’re just so…you. I didn’t really expect it.”
Oh.
He nods slowly, swallowing the lump that grows in his throat. He pushes his glasses back and clears his throat. You weren’t really wrong. He was just Jisung. You were you, and he was…him. It was kind of funny that he thought it would work.
He can’t laugh about it right now though. Maybe in a few years.
He drops the book on the table and speed walks out, ignoring your concerned shouts.
-
You didn’t think he would be that embarrassed about the reddit thing. You’d kind of assumed that he knew you were the other person since he was ‘coming clean’ to you about it.
Maybe you’d said something wrong? Whatever it was, it formed a large dull ache in your gut.
You glance down to the book he dropped.
‘Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane’
Why did he return it? He’d bought it, so technically it was his forever now. There’s an orange slip of paper peeking out from the pages. You open the cover, inspecting it.
“SuperHan and Lois (Name)”
There’s a little stick drawing of the two of you. Him in a cape, standing next to you, typing at a desk. It’s messy and cute and so Jisung.
You flip through the pages one by one. Each story has a sticky note or two.
A pink one in the first oneshot. It’s the one about them meeting. Clark bumps into Lois on his first day of the job and helps pick up her flyaway papers.
‘This reminds me of the first time we talked. I think I scared you a little bit, but I liked listening to your voice. I felt like Clark in this chapter.’
A blue one in another one. It’s a few pages about Lois having Clark try a new ‘human’ food that he’s never had before.
‘The cheesecake hack you showed me at Felix’s dinner party! The indirect kiss kind of flustered me. You were sure of yourself though, like Lois. I’ve only had cheesecake once since then, but I use the hack everytime.’
A yellow one in the next. Lois and Calrk visit a record store. She tries to help him look for a vinyl that his parents used to play, but he can’t quite remember the name of.
“When I came in asking for a romance book, I wasn’t actually expecting anything. I kind of just figured it would be hard to find and let me spend more time with you. Your dedication to helping me find one made me shy though. I’m glad you picked this one.”
There’s a sticky note and memory attached to every story. Each one you read brings more tears to your eyes. You’re on the ground now, hiding under the counter again, like you had been the first time you’d talked.
He wasn’t coming in to confess about reddit at all. It was a love confession. One that you’d been waiting for for months, and he did it in such a personal way.
Your secret language was comics and characters. He’d shown you exactly how he felt about you through your language. He’d connected it to the thing you’d understand the most. Nobody’s ever done something like that for you. Nobody's even known you enough to know that it would be an option.
Your bottom lip starts to tremble. You sit there and reread the book over and over again until your shift ends. You don’t tend to the shelves or take inventory. You just huddle up on the floor and cry.
-
The only word you could think of to describe Jisung's apartment was warm. Just like he was.
Changbin had let you in with no words exchanged. Jisung didn’t have any classes today, so you’d hoped he’d just gone straight home. You were right.
He’d pointed you down the hall to the boys room and retreated back into his own, wishing you good luck. You mentally reminded yourself to thank him later. He really is a good friend.
The halls were lined with pictures of the trio together and embarrassing childhood photos. It was your first time in the apartment, so you took your time. Definitely not because you were scared of talking to Jisung.
There was a squirrel keychain hanging off of his door handle, matching the wolf and pig on Chan and Changbins. You raised your hand, giving three light knocks on the wood.
“Not right now. Let me wallow in my own misery for a few more hours at least. God, you’re so impatient.”
You contemplated telling him who it was, but you’d decided to just open the door and let it do the talking.
It creaks open and you step through. He’s in a lump of blankets on his bead. His hair is messy and his glasses are folded up on the nightstand next to him. He turns his head, brows furrowed, but drops the expression when he recognizes you. He sits up quickly and coughs.
“Hi.”
“What are you doing here?” He leans to the side, looking out through the door. “How did you get in?”
“Changbin.” You drop the book on the blankets over his lap. He looks down at it, wincing. You shake your head before he can speak. “Read it.”
“Um…I kind of already have.” He looks up at you, not moving to grab the book. You take a seat next to him on the bed, motioning to the book.
“No, dumbass. Read it again.”
He warily picks the book up, flipping to the cover. He spots the sticky note under his own. It’s another drawing of the both of you, made by you this time. It’s a recreation of the cover photo. You and him leaning over a desk toward each other. It’s captioned ‘The first time you talked to me’.
“I added some of my own little memories in there too.” You’d made your sticky notes all the same color so that they were easy to spot. His eyes water and he looks down, closing the book.
You lift his chin up to make him look at you.
“I’m sorry. I thought you were talking about something completely different. I read it all wrong. I really like you, Jisung.”
His brows furrow, confusion glistening in his eyes through the tears. You explain.
“The reddit account. The other commenter is me.”
His jaw drops, grabbing your wrist.
“Shut up.” His voice is scratchy from the tears.
“I’m dead serious.” You giggle, he slowly joins you, hugging the book to his chest. His hand slids from your wrist to your palm, interlocking your fingers and squeezing hard.
“I like you too.”
“I kind of gathered that.’
-
>where do u wanna go for dinner<
You >why dont u text me like a normal person<
>god forbid a guy have a little fun with his secret identity<
You >whatever. eta?<
>outside<
You buzz him up and he’s in your living room at record speed. You’ve already ordered pizza and queued up Zach Snyder's ‘Justice League’ so it would be ready for him the moment he got out of his lecture.
Jisung tackles you into the couch before you can greet him, going limp on top of you.
“I’m so tired.” He whines, burying his face into your shoulder.
Your hand comes up to play with the curls that form at the base of his neck. “You can’t be tired yet. We still have pizza and a movie.”
He doesn’t move. “What movie?”
“Justice League.” He lifts his head, looking up at you.
“Zach Snyder cut?” You nod, self satisfied. You know what he likes. He smiles, and buries his head into your neck again, facing the screen.
“Play it then.” He instructs. You look over to the pizza on the coffee table in front of you longingly.
“What about the pizza?”
“Feed me.” He opens his mouth wide with a light ‘aaaahh’.
You roll your eyes. “Well I can’t reach it from here.”
His shoulders raise and drop in a low effort shrug.
“Oh well.”
You sigh, hand coming up to his hair again. “You’re such a baby.” He just hums, not denying it.
Grabbing the remote, you press play.
Not deleting Reddit may have been one of the best things you ever did.