Archive of Our Own ^beta

⋆☕︎⋆♫⋆

“Hey, Hannie?” 

From where he’s sprawled out on the cramped studio couch, Jisung keeps his eyes shut and only offers a light hum to show he’s listening. 

“I don’t think ‘though our time together is fleeting, my heart stays frantically beating’ is gonna fit this assignment’s vibe.”

Suddenly, Jisung is very awake. 

He bolts upright, his eyes snapping to Changbin’s hands that are currently holding his notebook. 

“Hyung! Don’t read that!” Jisung whines, trying to surge forward and swipe it from his hands. 

Although Changbin isn’t taller than him, he is much stronger than him, and so when Jisung’s first attempt is unsuccessful, he plans to haul himself to his feet and try and retrieve it, though a yelp immediately echoes around the cramped space as Jisung is pushed back onto the couch with a strong palm to the chest. 

“No way!” Changbin laughs. He starts to spin around in the chair, but he’s almost instantly turning back to Jisung with wide eyes and jaw agape. “Wait a minute,” He pauses with very purposeful taps to the scribbled pages, “This isn’t just a sappy love song based on a drama, you’re actually describing someone here!” 

At first, Chan had been keeping his focus on the monitor in front of him, more than happy to tune out the others’ bickering and leave them be. But, now that his attention is caught, he hurries to click ‘save’ before whirling around in his chair to face Changbin. 

“Let me see.”

“Wha- Channie Hyung!?” Jisung whines again, his shoulders slumping in defeat as Changbin holds out the notebook and points to a particular line on the page. “Not you as well.”

As Chan follows Changbin’s finger, his smile becomes wider and wider. When he finally reaches the end, his eyes are crinkled up from the weight of his amusement as he looks at Jisung. 

“Jisungieee?” He sings, joyful laughter soon following while watching the youngest drop his head to his hands and muffle a drawn-out groan. “Just who is this lovely someone, hmm?”

“No one!” Jisung yells. The mirth from the older two prompts Jisung to pull his hood over his head and cross his arms over his chest as he leans back against the couch and sulks. 

“Aw, come on, Hannie,” Changbin coos, closing the book to place it on the desk top. He shuffles forward in the wheeled chair so he can rest his hands on Jisung’s knees, playfully shaking them to try and coax a smile. “You won’t even give us a hint?”

“NO!” Blindly, Jisung reaches out and shoves Changbin’s hands away, continuing to keep his face hidden as he can already feel the warmth settling under his chubby cheeks. 

Deciding to ease up a little, Changbin holds up his hands in surrender. 

“Okay, Hannie, Okay.” He placates. He then slowly leans forward and flips the hood back from Jisung’s face, cooing at the adorable pout he’s now holding. “We’ll drop it,” The sweet smile Changbin wears slowly but surely morphs into a smirk as he glances back to Chan who is positively beaming at the sight of them. “...for now.”

Jisung huffs. Throwing his body backwards he begins to roll his body side to side along the backrest while whining, much to the pair’s hilarity. 

“It’s okay to have a crush, you know, Jisungie.” Chan attempts to appease, only for Jisung to bring his palms to his thighs and gape at him. 

“You just said that you’d drop it!” He complains, his eyebrows turning down in an almost comical frown. “First you keep me in here for hourssss, and now you’re interrogating me!”

At his petulant behaviour, Changbin rolls his eyes, though he can’t quite wipe the smile off of his face with how fond he is. “Hannie, it’s only been two hours since we started in here, and we are not interrogating you!” 

While Jisung groans in exasperation, Chan turns back to the monitor and gives a soft hum as his eyes flick to the bottom left of the screen. 

“It is past twelve,” He then looks back towards Jisung, holding back a laugh at the perfect blend of a pout and a glare he’s directing at Changbin. “Would you like to break for lunch?”

Suddenly, Jisung’s eyes widen, and he feels the way his heart skips a beat in his chest. 

It’s already twelve? 

All of the frustration evaporates from his body as the full focus of his mind shifts to something else entirely. The tension in his shoulders eases, and he looks around the room before settling his gaze back on Chan. 

“Um, yes, please, Hyung.” Jisung nods, and within seconds he starts to pack up his things and shove everything into his backpack. 

“Great,” From where he’d pulled out his phone and had already begun to survey his options, Changbin speaks up, “Shall we order something?”

Meanwhile, Chan had kept his eyes on Jisung, and so answers the younger's question with a light tap to his arm. “I’m down, but I think our baby Jisungie might have something else planned for lunch, hmm?”

“N-No,” Jisung clears his throat, blinking back at the hawk-eyed pair in front of him. “Not really. Just, you know, planning to get some fresh air is all.”

He turns his attention back to his belongings, already knowing Chan and Changbin are sharing a knowing look behind him. 

“So, should we expect you back here in about an hour’s time then?” Chan offers, grinning when Jisung not so subtly looks down at his shoes, turning his feet outward as though he actually cares about the state of the soles. 

“Hmm, what?” Jisung quickly snaps his head up. It takes longer than it should for him to understand what was just said, but as soon as the question registers in his mind, a warmth soon settles beneath his cheeks. “O-Oh, yeah, sure.” He manages to reply, hiking his backup a little higher on his shoulder. 

“Hannie?” Changbin calls, waiting until Jisung turns back from where he’d already started walking towards the door. “Don’t forget your notebook.”

Jisung hurries back, swiping it off of the desk top to then clutch it tightly to his chest. 

“I won’t.” He stresses with a glare, angling his body so he can shove it far into his backpack, keeping his narrowed gaze on Changbin as the crisp sound of his zip closing with intent echoes around the small studio. 

Spinning on his heel, Jisung walks to and out of the door with his two best friends’ laughter as an irritating backing track, though he soon breaks into a smile while echoing their goodbyes that follow him down the hallway right up until the door closes behind him. 

Since he’s alone and so not able to be teased, Jisung spends the ride down in the lift checking over his appearance- lightly fluffing his hair and turning his head this way and that to make sure his tired eyes aren’t too noticeable. 

He reaches the ground floor and steps out of the lift, letting out a sharp exhale to then stride forwards to head out of the music building. As he passes through the revolving doors, the corners of his lips curl up into a smile when he takes in a deep inhale and the crisp, late autumn air pleasantly curls around him. 

While walking through the campus, the colours pass him by in a blur of orange, red, and brown, though he hardly pays any attention to his surroundings now the quaint café that’s become a staple in his routine comes into view. 

It was a relatively new addition to the university- having opened only a couple of months ago, yet Jisung had been visiting exceptionally often over the last few weeks after seeing him behind the counter for the first time. 

Approaching the cosy looking building, Jisung takes in a deep breath before he pushes open the door and steps inside. He notices there’s only two other students in the café- both of them wrapped up in their own little studious worlds- though his focus is quick to shift forward as the bell above the doorway ringing catches the attention of the barista. 

His features are captivating- a sharp nose, high prominent cheekbones, and a defined jawline. The cat-like and attentive eyes have an intensity that had slightly intimidated Jisung the first time they fell on him, along with his neutral expression that made him appear slightly cold. However, the moment Jisung had braved walking up to the counter and the barista had noticed his presence, he’d looked at Jisung and had broken out into a wide smile that caused his eyes to crinkle and lips to pull back to reveal endearingly crooked teeth that instantly melted his cold exterior and made way for a warm, friendly demeanour. 

It had taken Jisung eight visits to ask for his name, and although he had heavily embarrassed himself when he watched the barista point to his chest to bring Jisung’s attention to his name badge, the sweet, high-pitched laughter he’d elicited made his flushed red cheeks worth it. 

“Jisungie, hey!”

Jisung feels his cheeks warm at the kind voice calling out to him, and he wills his legs to move across the café so he’s soon standing opposite the older. 

“H-Hi, Minho hyung.” He returns the greeting, mentally cursing himself for stuttering on something so simple. 

Minho’s eyes hold that same fond look Jisung has become more than accustomed to, and he gestures out to nowhere in particular when he speaks, “Same as always for today?”

Smiling at how Minho always seems to remember his order- albeit as simple as it is- Jisung subtly curls his fingers into the hem of his hoodie as he nods. 

“No problem,” Minho answers with a light shake of his head. And, despite how difficult he finds it to look away from the shy man in front of him, Minho briefly looks around the inside of the café. “It’s quite a slow day today, so you’re more than welcome to wait at the counter here with me.”

When barely three seconds pass without Jisung responding, the barista instantly feels heat rise to the tips of his ears. 

“O-or you can sit, you know, it’s up to you,” The fast spoken words are followed by an awkward laugh, and Minho smooths his hand across his nape as he shrugs. “Not like I control the seating in here or anything…heh.”

Jisung’s smile only deepens, though he tries not to show his amusement at how flustered Minho is by slightly ducking his head. “I’ll take it to my usual booth. Thank you, hyung.”

A noticeable warmth spreads through Minho’s chest at the realisation that Jisung has graciously refrained from commenting on his awkwardness. After the younger has lifted out his wallet to pay for his drink, Minho offers Jisung a nod before he turns to begin making his usual drink order. 

Jisung watches his deft fingers with rapt attention, always finding it fascinating to see how effortless Minho makes everything look, though his eyebrows draw into a slight frown when he sees the barista finish the drink, but instead of handing it over like usual, Minho walks towards the cakes on display and lifts out a piece of chocolate cheesecake. 

“Um, hyung? I didn’t ord-”

“-I know, Jisungie” Minho gently interrupts, placing a pink plate alongside Jisung’s matcha latte on the counter. “But I’ve seen you eyeing it enough that I think you should finally try it.” He lightly teases, watching Jisung bite back a wider grin before sliding his backpack off of his shoulder. 

Already anticipating what he was planning to do, Minho quickly speaks up. 

“What are you doing?”

Jisung freezes with his backpack held at his chest. He looks back at Minho to find his eyebrows furrowed with a noticeable pout on his lips, and instantly recognises the expression to be faux stern. 

“Well,” Jisung shrugs, knowing better than to resume what he was doing, “You only charged me for my latte so-”

“-Go and sit down, Jisungie." Minho softly dismisses, kindly shaking his head while gesturing his hands at the cup and cake. 

It’s not the first time Minho has offered to put Jisung’s order ‘on the house’, but every other time Jisung has managed to let Minho let him pay for himself. This time, however, he decides there’s no use in trying to change the barista’s mind, and so he simply collects his things with an appreciative bow of his head and holds a wide smile as he totters over to his usual booth. 

Since the very first time Jisung had visited this café he’d always liked this particular spot- two couches sitting side on to the large window on the same side as the door, allowing for a clear view of both the campus and the interior of the café no matter which couch Jisung sits on. He settles himself on the right side and appreciates the quiet and peaceful atmosphere surrounding him. 

At first he’d planned to take a sip of his latte before getting stuck into scribbling a little more in his notebook, but a thought stops him. Jisung turns his head towards the left and watches Minho startle when he realises he’s been caught staring at the younger. A soft chuckle escapes Jisung’s lips and he quickly decides to ease what he assumes is curiosity swirling through the barista’s mind. 

Taking the small fork between his fingers, Jisung looks back towards the cake and cuts off a small piece. The moment the delicious taste fills his mouth he hums happily and looks back at Minho to give a bright nod and an enthusiastic thumbs up. 

The barista acknowledges his approval with a shrug and a smirk that has Jisung almost hearing the words ‘I told you you’d like it’, and the younger grins at his antics before turning away. While his gaze is averted, he misses the way Minho’s smug expression soon becomes an extremely fond look, and his mischievous eyes soften while he lets his eyes linger on Jisung for a few seconds longer before he pulls himself away and busies himself with tidying up his station. 

Soon enough, the two other customers finish up and exit the café, leaving only Jisung, Minho, and his coworker, who usually keeps to himself in the back, inside. Since no one had been able to catch him doing so, Jisung had often been shifting his attention between the table top and Minho. 

A few minutes after the café had been devoid of customers, Minho had opted to lean against the wall that bordered the serving area and the kitchen while absentmindedly scrolling on his phone. And so, after Jisung had realised he wouldn’t be taking the barista away from his work, he summons enough courage, swallows the small lump in his throat, and turns towards Minho. 

“Hyung?” He calls, trying to hold onto that same courage when Minho lifts his head and those pretty eyes settle on him. “Um, would you maybe like to join me?” He asks, gesturing to the cushioned seat opposite him. 

Minho looks a little taken aback, but before Jisung can even begin to regret and retract the question, he blurts a very firm ‘Yes’. 

Jisung’s lips curl up into a shy smile, and his heart skips in his chest as he watches Minho walk over to him. The expression the older holds is incredibly kind as he moves to sit opposite Jisung, and he mumbles a gentle ‘thank you’ which is quick to be dismissed. 

“...So,” Minho begins, giving a pointed look to the now closed notebook on the table and to the bulging backpack resting next to Jisung. “What’s on your agenda for today?”

Jisung hides his soft chuckle around his straw as he takes another slow sip of his drink, still struggling to believe Minho is literally sitting across from him right now. 

“Not much, just the usual.” Jisung answers, his eyes constantly flickering between the cup as he fidgets with it on the table, and the warm, attentive gaze Minho watches him with. “I had some free time, so,” He lightly shrugs, unable to hold back a wide smile when he sets his focus on Minho. “Thought I’d swing by.”

Minho mirrors his smile, noticing a warmth taking over the tips of his ears. 

“And can I ask how the song is going?” Minho settles a little more into his seat, crossing his forearms atop of the table which he rests his upper body on. “I know the last time you were in here you mentioned you weren’t quite sure of the chord progression, was it?”

Jisung tries not to blush at how Minho always seems to remember so many of the little things about him. Sometimes, even what he’d mentioned in passing had been asked about later on, which often needed Minho to remind Jisung of what exactly had been said. 

“Y-yeah, it was the chord progression,” Jisung gently nods, noticing Minho’s smile widening as he answers. “It’s really come together after we got past that part- and even though we still have more than a month until the deadline, I think we’re well on track to getting it finished very soon.”

Minho lets out a playful low whistle, "You must be incredibly talented to have a work ethic as good as that, huh?" He asks, his tender smile growing perceptibly smug when Jisung shyly ducks his head with an audible scoff. 

“Ah, you’re just saying that.” Jisung waves off, keeping his eyes averted while he shakily runs a hand through his hair. 

“Well,” Minho drawls, exaggerating a shrug when Jisung looks back at him. “Maybe I would sound a lot more convincing if I actually got to listen to one of your songs?”

Many times before Minho has teased about this- asking for all of the songs the trio and Jisung alone make to be sent over to him so he can blast them through the café and ‘share their genius’. Of course, he’d always followed the playful remarks with the assurance that there was no pressure behind his words, and that if Jisung wanted to keep every song held close to his heart, he wouldn’t pry or try to change the younger’s mind. 

For some reason today, however, Jisung feels a lot braver than usual, and so before Minho can even dismiss the request, Jisung rolls his shoulders back and meets the older’s eyes.

“Would you like to?” He asks, letting a weighted silence linger for a few seconds before continuing. “I-I could show you one of our older songs?”

For the second time today, Minho looks stunned. His lips are parted, revealing his endearing bunny teeth, while his wide eyes are continuously blinking. 

Eventually, he manages to come back into his body and bring himself out of his stare. 

“...You’d really show me one?”

“Sure.” Jisung shrugs, attempting to appear nonchalant despite how he is feeling very chalant right now. “Lemme just find one.”

After seeing him lift out his headphones and phone, Minho waits with bated breath for Jisung to find a song worth sharing. It’s ridiculously endearing how his eyebrows sit in a light frown, and his teeth nibble on his pouty bottom lip. Then, when he finally seems to find the right song, Minho’s heart melts as Jisung’s eyes light up and he slips the headphones to his neck. 

“Okay!” Jisung nods enthusiastically, immediately blushing when he lifts his gaze to see Minho looking at him with pure fondness. “Um, this is one we made just last year.”

Minho carefully takes the headphones and positions them over his ears, shuffling to fold his arms over the table- and from the second Jisung starts the song, he’s locked in with his eyes cast downwards to the table.

Jisung keeps his attention completely fixed onto Minho’s expression, his nails biting into his palms as he tries to stop himself from snatching the headphones back and sprinting out of the café. 

Jisung can instantly tell when Minho reaches his verse in the song, if the way his eyes flick over to him as he lets out a soft gasp is anything to go by. After their gazes meet, Minho lets out a half laugh half disbelieving scoff, and lets his eyes fall back to the table, though the sparkle in them remains unmissable while he nods his head in time with the soft beat. 

His hands remain fidgeting in his lap as he continues watching Minho- while his first verse consisted of a fast-paced, hard hitting rap, the last few moments of the song shows off his higher register with a much more gentle feel.

His rapt attention only strays from Minho’s expression when he notices the song is coming to its end, and he hurries to pause the music before another song could automatically start. 

When he shifts his line of sight back up to Minho, his heart skips in his chest, and he’s sure his cheeks blush a deep red, with how the barista looks to be in pure awe. 

“Wow.” Minho exhales, taking off the headphones to then carefully hand them back over to Jisung- his movements slow since he’s clearly struggling on what he could possibly say. “That was…Jisung your voice is incredible. You’re incredible.”

Jisung’s cheeks ache with the force of his smile, his heart racing in his chest as he soaks up the praise. 

“And,” Minho continues, and although there’s a playfully wide smile at his lips, his words drip with sheer sincerity. “Now you know that I’m not just saying it.”

The confidence that he’d felt when offering Minho a chance to hear one of his songs is quick to leave his body, resulting in Jisung shyly dropping his head, rubbing over his nape as a soft chuckle escapes him. 

Minho is incredibly endeared by the younger’s complete shift in behaviour- but, just as he’s about to speak, the pair are suddenly snapped out of their moment as somebody walks into the café and causes the bell at the door to ring. 

Jisung watches as Minho turns back to him with a regretful look. He lets out a soft sigh and leans slightly forward with a gentle smile. 

“Well, I should get back.” Minho watches as Jisung offers a small nod in reply- and, before he can chicken out, he gives a gentle pat to the back of the younger’s hand. “Thanks for inviting me over, Jisungie.”

Rendered practically speechless, Jisung stares at Minho as he shuffles out of the booth and moves to stand at the side of the table. Before he can get too far, he luckily manages to choke out a weak ‘thank you’ that causes the older’s eyes to light up in delight. 

“Finish your cake, Jisungie.” He encourages, tagging on a bold wink- which is more so a blink- to then hurry back towards the counter so he can serve the new customer after offering a polite apology for the wait. 

The moment Minho is back in work mode, Jisung flips open his notebook to a blank page, and his pen moves furiously across each line as he attempts to scribble down every racing thought now passing through his mind.

⋆☕︎⋆♫⋆

The moment Jisung closes the door to the studio behind him, he freezes as he watches Chan and Changbin turn simultaneously in their chairs to face him- the action almost looking rehearsed with how they’re now the mirror image of each other. 

In many ways, Jisung wouldn’t be surprised if they had discussed it beforehand, and had been excitedly waiting for his return just for this moment. 

“And where have you been, hmm?” Chan questions, crossing his arms over his burly chest with a raised eyebrow. 

Jisung’s eyebrows lightly furrow, he flicks his eyes downwards as he lifts out his phone- checking his lock screen before he looks back at Chan. 

“I’m not late?” He responds, looking between them both. “You said we could break for an hour, and I’ve only been gone for forty five minutes.”

“Yes, that’s right that you’re not late.” Changbin agrees with a slow sweep of his head. Once his gaze reconnects with Jisung’s, his lips curl up into a smug smile. “It’s just that you looked particularly happy when you walked back in here.” He remarks, giving a rather exaggerated shake of his shoulders as he settles even further into the chair. 

Immediately, Jisung’s expression switches to a frown.  

“What?” He almost scoffs, though his tone is still light enough to be read as playful despite his defensiveness. “So now I’m not allowed to look happy?”

At the pair’s light bickering, Chan chuckles to himself and breaks his stern demeanour. He pats his hand against Changbin’s arm and orders for him to drop the subject as he swivels back in his seat and fixes his attention back onto the monitors. 

“Come on, Jisungie, I wanna hear your thoughts on this part- I just added a few tweaks while you were out.”

Jisung walks forward but makes sure to childishly stick out his tongue at Changbin. He’s quick to let out a panicked yelp when Changbin threateningly raises his fist, and hurries to leap to Chan’s side for safety. 

As though he could see what was happening behind him, Chan lets out a disapproving tut and wrangles Jisung into his side, soon slipping into work mode as he presses play on their demo. 

Before he’s swept back into the task at hand, Jisung notices the way his shoulders relax, and he smiles at the thought that he successfully evaded yet another interrogation from his hyungs.

⋆☕︎⋆♫⋆

A few days later Jisung sluggishly shuffles into the studio, much later than the time that was agreed on. 

He quietly closes the door behind him, mumbles a gentle ‘sorry’ to Chan and Changbin while ducking his head in an apologetic bow, and slumps down onto the couch with a perceptible huff. 

From where they’d turned around in their chairs at the sound, the pair’s eyes meet in concern. At first, they’d refrained from checking up Jisung when he hadn’t arrived on time- assuming that the younger might have just overslept or been caught up in one of his classes- but now that they can see how off the younger looks, they notice the worry beginning to build. 

“Hey,” Chan softly calls, leaning forward in his chair to rest a hand on Jisung’s knee, soothingly smoothing his thumb over the fabric. “What’s up, hmm?”

“Ah, sorry, i-it’s nothing.” Jisung attempts to dismiss, though the wobbly smile he holds fails to convince either of them. 

Changbin scrutinises him closely, and his eyebrows soon furrow as a particular thought comes to mind. 

“Is this about this guy you like?” He asks, falling into his typical stern and protective-of-Jisung behaviour. “Has he done something? Because I will march right down to wherever he is and beat him up if he has, Hannie, I swear.”

“You don’t have to beat anyone up, Hyungie.” Jisung sighs, and although the appreciation is clear in his voice he can’t maintain a smile for long. “I-It’s not his fault.”

Once again, Chan and Changbin’s eyes meet. 

It’s Chan who speaks when they simultaneously turn back to Jisung. 

“What’s not his fault?”

Jisung lets out a deep sigh, feeling a mix of embarrassment and frustration when he notices the tears beginning to sting his eyes. Sitting up, he slumps forward and drops his head into his hands. 

“Ah, Hannie.” Changbin tsks softly, moving to sit next to Jisung on the couch so he can curl an arm around his shoulders and pull the younger into his body. Meanwhile, Chan lowers himself to his knees and presses both of his palms against Jisung’s thighs, applying a grounding pressure he knows helps him when he gets a little lost in his head. 

“I-I like him so much but I don’t know how to tell him.” Jisung confesses, crossing both of his hands over his chest as he draws in a ragged breath. 

Although Chan and Changbin have been teasing him about his crush, there’s not an ounce of humour present at this moment as their full focus is on providing as much comfort as they can. 

“He’s so sweet a-and kind, but what if he’s just like that with everyone? A-and that if I tell him I like him, it turns out that I read everything wrong and then it’ll be too awkward, and then what if he then feels too uncomfortable with me and doesn’t even want me to talk to h-”

“-Hannie, Hannie,” Changbin interrupts, bringing Jisung’s head down to his shoulder while his palm rubs over his back. “Just take a second, yeah?”

With assistance- Chan increasing and decreasing the pressure at his legs, and Changbin continuing to encourage deep breaths into his back- Jisung’s breathing soon returns to a much calmer pace, and he looks up to find Chan’s comforting smile as he gives a proud nod of his head. 

“S-sorry.”

“Don’t be silly.” Chan lightly chides, tapping Jisung’s thighs in a familiar enough rhythm that manages to elicit a minute chuckle. “...You really like this guy, huh?”

Subconsciously, Jisung’s lips push out into a deep pout as he nods his head. 

“Okay,” Chan grins. “So, what if me and Binnie go with you and help you ask him out? We’ll be right behind you for support, and if for whatever reason it doesn’t go the way you’d hope, you’ve got us to turn to right away.”

Jisung gives a contemplating huff, twisting his lips to the side as he thinks. 

“Ahh, it’ll all work out exactly how Jisung would hope!” Changbin assures, turning away from Chan’s amused expression to look at the youngest. “How could he not like our baby Hannie?” He then coos, shaking Jisung just enough to coax an unwilling laugh.

“Hyunggg,” Jisung then whines, though he can’t quite hide his smile as he turns his wide, shining eyes onto the other. “I’m being serious.”

“And so am I!” Changbin fires back, laughing as he pinches his reddening, chubby cheek. “You’re so cute and lovable I’m sure he won't know what to do with you.”

In return, Jisung rolls his eyes and looks over to Chan for some actual advice. Since he clearly understands the cry for help, Chan nods and pats his thighs encouragingly. 

“Alright, Jisungie. How about we take a little break in here-”

“-But Hyung,” Jisung frowns and immediately tries to protest. “I didn’t even start-”

“-Nope,” Chan interrupts with a shake of the head, even going as far as holding up his palm in a very fatherly way. “We’ll take a break, and maybe grab some snacks, and in an hour or so we’ll go and get you that date.”

Jisung knows there’s no use in fighting and so relents by slumping his shoulders. He sniffs lightly, and when he swipes at his cheeks he scoffs. “I look a mess.”

“You look adorable.” Changbin counters, and reaches up to gently brush the hair back from his face. “But, we’d be happy to swing by the dorm so you can get yourself dressed up a bit,” His comforting expression is quick to shift into something much more smug. “You should definitely do this today before your confidence disappears entirely.”

“Wha-Hyung!?” Jisung whines, his bottom lip once again pushing out sulkily. “That was mean.”

Changbin lets out a sharp yelp when Chan palms at his chest in a reprimanding manner, clicking his tongue in disapproval before he turns back to Jisung- his narrowed gaze becoming bright. 

“We’ll save our work here and wrap up, and then head to the flat before taking you to this guy.”

“...Okay.” Jisung exhales. He then switches his gaze between Chan and Changbin while pointing a stern finger at the two of them. “But when we go there, you are not allowed to scare or threaten him.”

The pair have the gall to look shocked- Changbin pressing a hand to his chest as though scandalised while Chan firmly shakes his head. 

“Jisung,” Chan then grins, briefly glancing at Changbin before looking back to Jisung. “We will do no such thing.”

⋆☕︎⋆♫⋆

A little over an hour later, Jisung is stood outside of the café with Chan and Changbin tucked closely behind him. His bottom lip is tucked under his top teeth as he anxiously nibbles on it, and his fingers pull at his upper lip as his eyes remain stuck on Minho from where he’s blissfully unaware of the staring trio at the window. 

“So that’s Minho at the counter?” Chan asks, his pointed finger very quick to be pushed downwards by the youngest as he only offers a nod. “Oooo, he’s cute, Jisungie.”

“Mhm,” Changbin agrees, giving a pat to Jisung’s shoulders. “Very much your type.”

“Stoppp.” Jisung whines, slumping his shoulders as he turns around to look back at the grinning pair. “I brought you here for support, not to mock me.”

“We know, Jisungie, we know.” Chan soothes, clearly picking up on how this is not the best time to tease the youngest, “We’re right behind you.”

Jisung is somewhat assured by the sincere look in both of their eyes, and takes one last deep breath in and out before he nods to them and leads the way into the café. 

At the sound of the bell above the door, Minho lifts his gaze from the counter to see who’s arrived. The elation he feels when he sees Jisung walking towards him after so many days without him visiting dwindles ever so slightly when he notices how the younger is struggling to look at him more than usual. It’s then he notices the two extremely muscular looking men trailing behind him, both of them holding a stern demeanour when they come to a stop in front of him. 

“Heya, Jisungie.” Minho greets, attempting to break the unusually tense atmosphere between them. “Would you like your usual?” He then asks, already planning to reach for a cup with one hand and the powdered matcha with the other. 

“U-Um, actually, hyung,” Jisung chokes out, meeting Minho’s eyes. “Do you maybe have a couple of minutes you could spare right now?”

Minho barely looks around the café before nodding. “Yeah, sure, I can take my break.” He answers warmly, tacking on a nod in case Jisung needs any more of a confirmation. 

After informing his coworker where he’ll be, Minho follows behind Jisung to sit at the same booth as last time, watching how the other two men do the same but on the other side. Instead of copying them and sitting opposite each other, Chan and Changbin sit side by side- facing Minho. 

The barista lightly gulps and looks back to Jisung, instantly furrowing his eyebrows when he realises how anxious Jisung looks. 

His shoulders are curled in, his eyes restlessly darting everywhere but Minho’s eyes, and his teeth are nibbling on his bottom lip while his fingers fiddle together atop of the table. 

“Is everything alright, Jisungie?” Minho treads carefully, trying not to rush the younger despite how his visible nervousness is beginning to affect his own mind. 

In response, Jisung nods, and takes a deep breath before the words spill from his lips. 

“I really like you,” He forces out, splaying out his fingers as he does so, “I have done for a while but never knew how to tell you. For so many weeks now I’ve been telling myself that I’d just come clean, walk up to you, and spit it out instead of backing out at the last minute and just sitting here beating myself up about it. Last week I even managed to show you a song- a song! I hardly even show my parents the stuff I’m working on, and yet I managed to show the guy I’ve had a crush on for so so long, and it’s just been eating at me and it got to the point where I was feeling as though I was running out of time to confess, and then I started putting too much pressure on myself that I was too nervous to even come here and that’s never happened before. A-and then today I just felt so off and had to drag myself to the studio, which again I hardly ever feel off before going the studio, and then I’ve now brought them here with me for moral support which must be so pathetic-”

“-Jisungie, Jisungie,” Having noticed how quickly Jisung was working himself up, as well as how Minho had been worrying about how many words the younger had just said despite hardly taking a breath, he gently reaches forward to take Jisung’s hands in his own. He’s successful in momentarily stunning Jisung and pausing his rambling, and Minho lets out a soft huff. 

“Jisungie,” He repeats, holding a tender smile while his thumbs caress over his knuckles. “Please, remember to breathe.”

The exhale Jisung lets out is audible and shaky, and heat rises to his cheeks in embarrassment at needing such an instruction, as well as how he’d just laid his heart bare for the older. He takes a moment to let his heart rate slow, and watches as Minho’s expression grows a little shy as he shrugs. 

“You know, you really don’t have to worry since I really really like you too.”

Jisung sucks in a surprised gasp, his eyes widening and almost appearing to be sparkling underneath the warm lights above them. 

“...You do?” Jisung asks quietly, hope blooming in his chest while his eyes flick between Minho’s. 

“Yes.” Minho speaks firmly through a laugh. “For some time now I’ve been thinking of how I could ask you out, but you haven’t come by in a couple days,” Growing slightly shy, Minho fiddles with his hands and shrugs. “Honestly, I was getting a little worried.”

Jisung’s poor heart skips in his chest at the thought of Minho waiting for him, and he lets out a playful sigh. 

“Yeah, I got a little freaked out and ended up crying to my hyungs about it.” He admits, gesturing his hand over his shoulder. 

Minho follows the movements and suppresses a laugh when he watches Chan and Changbin simultaneously nodding as though backing up the youngest’s words. 

“Well,” Minho brings his attention back to Jisung, unable to hold back the fond look in his eye at Jisung’s wide eyes and slightly upturned lips. “You’re here now.”

Twisting his lips to the side, Jisung nods and averts his gaze to the table top, feeling a little too shy to keep his focus on the extremely tender look in the other’s eyes. 

“So, Jisung,” The barista begins- the teasing lilt to his voice eliciting a quiet chuckle from the younger opposite, “If I could take this opportunity, I was wondering if you’d maybe like to go out with me this Saturday? I know you’re a big fan of Hayao Miyazaki’s films, and the cinema is showing a bunch of them so I thought we could go, and you could pick the one you’re in the mood for.”

Jisung is almost speechless with how thoughtful and truly attentive Minho is to his interests, and nothing but pure elation flows through his entire body- his lips breaking out into a wide heart shape smile while his cheeks dust a soft pink. 

“I-I’d love to.” He replies, surprised that he’d managed to voice a single coherent syllable. 

“Great,” Minho returns, offering a very pleased nod as the tips of his ears grow warm. “It’s a date.”

The rush of confidence Jisung feels- one that fires him up and prepares him to throw caution to the wind and surge forwards- suddenly halts as he remembers how him and Minho still have an audience, and so he remains in place and subtly clears his throat before he turns back towards the onlooking pair. 

“Channie hyung, Changbin hyung, you can go now.”

The pair blink at the youngest, share a confused glance, and then turn back to Jisung. 

“We can what?”

“W-Well,” Jisung huffs, attempting to maintain such courage as he speaks. “I’d like to kiss Minho now.”

Minho now feels the tips of his ears burning, and averts his gaze from Chan and Changbin- completely unable to look either one in the eye as a soft cough escapes him. 

When neither of his best friends make a move, Jisung widens his eyes and pushes his bottom lip out into a devastating pout. 

Changbin quickly turns his head away, looking at Chan desperately. “You know I can’t look at him when he does that!”

Admitting defeat, Chan pats over Changbin’s shoulders and nods to Jisung with a teasing smile. The two of them stand from their seats and make their way over to the table he and Minho are sitting at. 

“We’ll scoot. But, you know that we’ll be at the studio when you’re done here, waiting to hear everything that went down after we left-”

“-Alright, alright, I know, yes.” Jisung sputters out, wildly gesturing his hands in a shooing motion. “Please just go already.” He then hisses. 

Changbin scoffs, placing a hand over his heart as though wounded. “Wow, Hannie.”

Bending down, Chan rests his elbow on the table to prop his chin in his palm, playfully shaking his head at Minho.

“Ah, kids these days,” Chan sighs dramatically. “You give them everything, and suddenly you’re just cast off to the side.” As he speaks, he waves his hand up into the air, staring at the ceiling forlornly until he hears Jisung’s sounds of protest. 

“Channie hyung,” Jisung whines, “I’m not a kid.”

Exaggeratingly cooing at the younger, Chan reaches forward to pinch at Jisung’s chubby cheeks, breaking into pleased giggles when he only whines harder and swats the grabby hands away. 

Luckily, Chan quickly relents and instead turns his attention to the barista. 

“You take care of him.” He instructs- and although it’s spoken in a gentle way, Minho can hear the subtle threat underneath. 

Meanwhile, Changbin is of course anything but subtle. 

“And if you don’t,” He continues from the oldest, looking sternly at Minho. “Believe us, we’ll make you regret it.”

Before Jisung can admonish either of them for doing what he specifically told them not to do, Minho answers with a firm shake of his head. 

“You have nothing to worry about, I wouldn’t dream of hurting Jisung.”

From where he was about to speak, Jisung snaps his jaw shut and looks to Minho with hearts in his eyes and rapidly warming cheeks. 

Assured, Chan and Changbin wave goodbye to the youngest and make their way towards the café door. 

With being too excited, feeling as though the anticipation is coursing through his veins, Jisung leans forward on the table with a beaming smile the moment Minho turns back to him. 

“Can you kiss me now?”

Minho fights back his grin and meets the younger halfway. He gently takes ahold of both of his chubby cheeks and softly presses their lips together in a tender kiss. 

The moment is fleeting, but causes their hearts to warm in their chests all the same as they slowly pull back, and their eyes simultaneously flutter open to be met with the other’s blinding smile. 

However, the sweet moment is shattered when the bell atop of the café door sounds, and Jisung is suddenly filled with dread when he finds Chan and Changbin watching the pair with smug expressions. 

“Sorry about this,” Chan firstly apologies to the barista before turning his mischievous gaze to Jisung. “We forgot to remind you to show Minho the song you wrote about him.”

The face of the youngest is one of pure horror- his lips parted in utter shock as he stares between the pair. 

“Sorry, Hannie,” Changbin scoffs, pushing Chan out of the door. However, instead of following him out of the café, he remains in the doorway and smirks. “I think Chan meant to say songs. Plural.”

Burying his face into his crossed arms atop of the table, Jisung is unable to block out the sound of his two best friends' cackles as they finally leave him in peace and exit the café. Unfortunately, even though Minho’s laughter across from him is much, much softer, it does little to calm the redness now covering his chubby, puffed out cheeks. 

“Sooo,” Minho drawls, tilting his head in a ridiculously endearing way as he bites his lip and raises his eyebrows. “Do I get to hear any of the songs?”

Jisung narrows his eyes into a glare and petulantly crosses his arms over his chest. “Keep that up and you’ll be going to the cinema by yourself.”

Minho giggles at his antics, and slowly reaches forward to hold out his hand, “What if I promise that I’ll buy you all of the snacks you want when we go?”

Jisung’s eyes soften, and he twits up his lips as he thinks before relenting to let his fingers slide across Minho’s palm. “...Fine.”

The barista’s lips relax into a pleased smile, though it slightly drops when he looks over Jisung’s shoulder to where the other two had been sitting previously. 

“Um…” Minho softly clears his throat. “Will Chan and Changbin be joining us on our date?”

When the realisation dawns on him, Jisung lets out a whine and slumps forward, clinging to Minho’s hand like a life line.

“Honestly,” He huffs, “I don’t think I could stop them if I tried.”

⋆☕︎⋆♫⋆