Chapter Text
Jaehyun woke up to a single aggressive stripe of sunlight peeking through the blinds, landing directly on his eyelids. He jerked awake, hands automatically flapping around the bed for his phone. The screen lit up, adding to the assault of his, now, half-open and already strained eyes.
7:29AM
A minute before his alarm. He sighed, eyebrows scrunched in frustration. What did he do to deserve this kind of inconvenience?
Then his phone buzzed with an answer.
Dongmin: did you sleep well?
He went on a date with the cutest person in the company— no- the whole world— is what he did.
Reading the message, Jaehyun felt a shot of electricity run through his chest all the way down to his legs, which were now kicking the bed in excitement. His blanket pooled at the edge before gracefully slipping onto the floor. Then he commended himself for not overreacting, as he began typing.
Jaehyun: did you?
The reply came almost immediately.
Dongmin: not really
Jaehyun frowned. He couldn’t tell if the response was good or bad. All he knew was that he, personally slept so snugly, he thought yesterday had been a dream. And now this gorgeous man had just asked him if he slept well? And to make matters worse, apparently said gorgeous man, did not.
Jaehyun: why not :(
Dongmin: i couldn’t stop thinking about you
Jaehyun could feel his cheeks heat up in real time as his heart picked up its pace from that single message. He almost launched his phone across the room from how ridiculous it was.
Jaehyun: man shut up
Dongmin: send a pic
Jaehyun: …
He sent a picture anyway.
Jaehyun glanced at the photo he’d sent— messy hair in every direction, one eye slightly more open than the other, the same strip of sun accentuating the pink spread across his mock-angry expression. He cringed.
“Oh my god,” he muttered, dragging a hand down his face. “Why did I send that.”
Because he was basically acting like a highschool girl.
Dongmin: gorgeous
But who wouldn’t?
。。。。。
Jaehyun slipped through those large automated glass doors with a skip in his step. The receptionists looked up from the front desk almost instantly.
“There he is,” one of them sang, nudging the other.
Jaehyun slowed, already suspicious.
“You look like you’re blooming today,” the other added, eyes narrowing playfully. “Did something good happen?”
Jaehyun felt his stomach drop. Were they psychic? He forced a smooth smile, dipping his head slightly. “If anything, it’s you two who look prettier today.”
They laughed, clearly pleased, waving him off as he escaped toward the elevators around the corner. And then he saw him. Standing there like he hadn’t just single-handedly ruined Jaehyun’s ability to function like a normal human being… was the prettiest person he’d ever seen.
“Good morning,” Dongmin said.
“Morning,” he replied quickly, as he stepped beside him. His eyes immediately dropped to the floor. Jaehyun refused to look at his face.
But from the corner of his vision, Jaehyun noticed the faint redness at the tips of the other man’s fingers. Slowly—despite himself—he let himself glance up, tracing the line of Dongmin’s arm trailing up to his neck. Just to be met with the same soft red dusting the tips of his ears. Jaehyun’s chest squeezed. Because he knew exactly why it was there.
The elevator doors slid open and they stepped inside. Then it closed, sealing them into a space that suddenly felt far too small. They stood side by side in the quiet hum of the elevator, the soft ding of passing floors doing absolutely nothing to calm the way Jaehyun’s pulse kept tripping over itself.
Jaehyun stepped out first— professional and composed. Or at least, that was the goal.
“Morning—oh?” Sungho’s voice cut through the office space the second he spotted them. He leaned back in his chair, eyebrows lifting as his gaze flicked between the two. “Why are you guys walking in together?”
Jaehyun’s brain short-circuited.
Say something normal. Say something normal.
He cleared his throat, forcing his shoulders to stay relaxed as he set his bag down. “We just got here at the same time.”
Sungho hummed, clearly unconvinced but thankfully, not invested enough (yet) to push it further. “Right.”
Jaehyun exhaled quietly as he slid into his seat. Beside him, Dongmin pulled his chair out— and promptly knocked his drink over.
The cup tipped with a soft but devastating thud, liquid spilling across the desk in a slow, traitorous spread.
Then Jaehyun let out a small chuckle before he could stop himself.
For a second, Dongmin just stared at the mess, then at his own sleeve, now damp at the edge. And when he finally looked at Jaehyun, his expression was as unreadable as ever— calm, composed. But Jaehyun knew better now.
Jaehyun reached over instinctively, grabbing a handful of tissues from his drawer. “Here—”
But before he could even lean in— a woman appeared out of nowhere, already crouching beside Dongmin with tissues in hand, moving with the urgency of someone responding to a minor emergency.
“Oh my gosh, are you okay?”
Dongmin blinked, clearly caught off guard. “You don’t have to—”
“It’s alright,” she said quickly, already dabbing at the spill. “I was holding these anyway when I passed by.”
Jaehyun sat back slightly, watching. He scoffed under his breath. She was holding tissues at that exact moment?
He let his gaze drift around the office. He could feel the subtle glances. The attention. The way people noticed. Then his eyes landed back on the scene unfolding right next to him.
Dongmin still looked composed, as always, but for a split second, his eyes flickered helplessly toward Jaehyun.
A small, crooked smile tugged at Jaehyun’s lips. He rested an elbow on his desk. “I spilled my drink too, noona,” he said lightly. “Why aren’t you helping me too?”
She paused, eyes widening as she turned to him. “Really? Oh—I’m sorry—”
She leaned over slightly, peeking at his desk. But it was dry. Completely, undeniably dry.
She looked back at him.
Jaehyun winked.
She laughed, swatting his arm lightly. “Yah.”
Jaehyun laughed along with her, already reaching for more tissues as he scooted his chair closer to Dongmin. His arm came up naturally, resting along the back of Dongmin’s chair as he leaned in, taking over the cleanup.
“It’s okay, noona. I’ve got it,” he said easily. “You can go do what you were heading to.”
She gave Dongmin one last look, then Jaehyun, clearly amused, before standing. “Alright, alright. I’ll leave it to you.”
Jaehyun flashed her a quick grin. “Thanks for the help.”
Jaehyun focused on the task, patting the remaining moisture off Dongmin’s sleeve with careful, deliberate movements. And then— Dongmin smiled.
“Thanks,” he said, looking at Jaehyun with those eyes.
Jaehyun almost slammed his head straight into the edge of the desk. He stopped himself just in time, jerking back slightly before clearing his throat, shoving the remaining tissues into Dongmin’s hand a second too quickly.
“No problem.” His voice came out steadier than he felt.
Which, all things considered— was a miracle.
。。。。。
By the time lunch rolled around, Jaehyun was desperate for solitude. His brain had been running at approximately 9000 RPM since 8:58 AM and Sungho had spent most of the morning pestering him with whispered questions and dramatic gestures every time Dongmin wasn’t looking.
But at least, the boss had called Sungho away for training halfway through the morning. Jaehyun had never been happier to see someone else suffer. So when lunchtime came, he escaped.
He grabbed his food and found a quiet table in the cafeteria. It was finally just him and his lunch. He exhaled slowly and picked up his chopsticks. No Sungho, paperwork, coworkers or clients. For the first time all day, his brain started calming down.
Then, much to his dismay, someone pulled out the chair across from him. Jaehyun looked up as his biggest— for a lack of a better word— problem, sat down.
The cafeteria froze. Jaehyun didn’t know how he knew it froze, but he could feel it. It was like the entire room had collectively paused to stare.
Dongmin looked at him— and smiled. It wasn’t his polite office smile, or the calm, composed one he’d been using all morning. It was a small and cute smile. This guy and his darn mouth.
“Hi,” Dongmin said.
Jaehyun stared at him. “…Why do you have to sit here now??” He asked, mourning his fleeting solace.
Dongmin blinked. His expression softened slightly. And a pout— an actual pout —threatened to appear on his lips. “…Can’t I?”
Jaehyun knew instantly he was in trouble. The kind of trouble that ended reputations, including the one he was trying to maintain. “…You can,” he muttered in defeat.
Dongmin brightened immediately and sat down fully. He rolled his sleeves up to his forearms and picked up his chopsticks. Which should have been normal. But as previously established —Myung Jaehyun was not normal when it came to the person, sitting in front of him.
His brain helpfully supplied the mental image of himself drooling. He quickly wiped his mouth just in case. Nothing. Which was good, because that would have been catastrophic. Then he tried to focus on eating his food like a regular employee, trying to ignore the fact that the office celebrity was sitting with him, for reasons currently unknown to the public. Except every time he looked up someone was looking at them.
Everywhere he glanced, people quickly looked away or pretended to be deeply invested in their meals. Now Jaehyun didn’t know where to look anymore, so the grains of rice in front of him suddenly became the savior of his soul. He began to stare at them with intense dedication, which probably made him look more suspicious.
Across the table, Dongmin watched him quietly for a moment. Then he asked. “Are we still getting drinks with Sungho tonight?”
Jaehyun nodded quickly. “Oh yeah. We gotta ask him.”
Dongmin nodded. Then, after a brief pause, he spoke again—more quietly this time. “Are you free this weekend?”
Jaehyun looked up.
“…For a date.” Dongmin continued calmly.
At least he had learned to ask in private this time. Jaehyun genuinely appreciated that. Unfortunately, appreciation did not prevent him from choking.
He inhaled wrong. A grain of rice betrayed him.
Jaehyun started coughing. Hard. And to make things worse— The tables around them were only about three feet away. He could literally see two coworkers on each side leaning slightly toward their table like radio antennas trying to catch the conversation. They could definitely hear and he was going to die.
Then Sungho appeared right on schedule.
Jaehyun bent forward, coughing violently while trying to keep his mouth covered. He prayed—truly prayed—that rice was not coming out of his nose.
Across from him, Dongmin shot to his feet. “Jaehyun—” He grabbed a cup of water and pushed it toward him while reaching for tissues. His hand came up to pat Jaehyun’s back, his expression full of genuine concern.
Sungho stood there watching the entire situation unfold like it was the greatest entertainment of his life.
Jaehyun finally managed to swallow and drink the water. The coughing slowed, then stopped and he sat there breathing heavily, dignity in absolute ruins.
Dongmin crouched slightly to look at his face. “Are you okay?”
Sungho leaned down too. “Yeah, are you okay sunbae?”
Jaehyun swiped his mouth with his sleeve. “…Yeah,” he croaked. “Thank you.”
Dongmin looked relieved. Then he reached forward again, gently wiping the corner of Jaehyun’s mouth with a clean tissue. As if that wasn’t enough, he brushed Jaehyun’s bangs back into place afterward.
Jaehyun didn’t know if he should spiral into a breakdown or sprint out of the building.
Sungho looked between them, clearly taking in every detail. After a moment, he shook his head with a small laugh. “You two are being really obvious, you know.”
。。。。。
Later that afternoon, after a client meeting that Jaehyun had, unsurprisingly, handled perfectly (despite his early morning trials), Sungho walked beside him back toward their department.
Jaehyun loosened his tie slightly, exhaling. “I’m tired.”
“Why are you tired?” Sungho said, “You did great.”
“I barely survived,” Jaehyun corrected. “There’s a difference.”
Sungho hummed, glancing sideways at him. “…So.”
Jaehyun groaned immediately. “Don’t.”
“I didn’t even say anything yet.”
“You’re about to.”
Sungho smiled. “How was the date?”
Jaehyun dragged a hand down his face. “…It was fine.”
“‘Fine,’” Sungho repeated, unconvinced.
Jaehyun shot him a look. “Why are you like this?”
“Because,” Sungho asked simply. “Why were you choking on rice?”
“Don’t remind me,” Jaehyun winced. “I’m actually scared.”
Sungho tilted his head, watching Jaehyun carefully. “Scared?” he repeated. “Of what, exactly?”
Jaehyun let out a long sigh, dragging his hand through his hair in frustration. “Too many people saw it.”
Sungho blinked. “…The life-saving act of patting your back and giving you water?”
“You know that’s not what I mean,” Jaehyun shot back. “They’re gonna come after me now.”
“Huh?”
“I’ve stolen their idol.” Jaehyun said flatly, already walking again. “Have you seen how people are about him?”
Sungho just snorted.
Jaehyun whipped his head toward him. “Why are you laughing?”
“Because,” Sungho said, barely holding it together, “you won’t have to worry about that.”
“…Why not?”
Sungho gestured at him like it was obvious. “Because they’re like that about you too.”
Jaehyun immediately shook his head. “No, they’re not.”
“Yes, they are.”
“No,” Jaehyun repeated firmly. “You don’t understand. Dongmin might work in marketing, but there have literally been petitions to make him the one being marketed.”
Sungho’s brows lifted slightly.
“I’m serious,” Jaehyun continued. “I’ve seen it. The number of people who walk past our desks for no reason? They’re not walking. They’re doing rounds.” He pointed vaguely behind them. “They slow down, pretend to check their phones, and glance over. Every single day. Like that noona this morning.”
Sungho opened his mouth—
Jaehyun cut him off. “It’s been like that for a year.”
Sungho closed his mouth. Then, he said thoughtfully, “You know they probably weren’t just coming for Dongmin, right?”
“What does that mean?”
Sungho clasped his hands behind his back, rocking slightly on his heels. “The marketing team’s been talking about you guys. They’ve even got a name for it.”
“…I don’t like where this is going.”
Sungho grinned. “The Bueoppas.”
Jaehyun blinked. “The what?”
“You and Dongmin.”
“What the hell is that weird ass name,” Jaehyun said, horrified. “I refuse to be a part of that.”
Sungho lost it. He laughed outright this time, clutching his stomach slightly. “You don’t get a choice! They’ve been calling you that since you both started working here.”
Jaehyun frowned slightly. “Where are you even getting this? You’ve been here less than a week.”
Sungho didn’t even hesitate.“There’s a reason I got the job,” he said lightly, tapping the side of his head. “I know things.”
Jaehyun narrowed his eyes. “That’s not reassuring.”
“And for your information,” Sungho added, a little too proudly, “I’m also part of the marketing team’s Bueoppas now.”
Jaehyun stopped walking, then he made a face. An incredibly judgmental face. “Please stop saying that word,” he said, voice tight. “I’m actually about to cry. That’s so embarrassing, are we the three musketeers in a drama or something? Why are you so proud of it too?”
Sungho grinned, completely unbothered. “Because,” he said, shrugging, “it means I’m handsome.”
Jaehyun stared at him with disgust. “It means you have no shame.”
“That too,” Sungho admitted easily.
Jaehyun let out a long, suffering sigh, dragging a hand through his hair again. Whatever energy he had to argue about the name was clearly fading.
”You still worried?” Sungho asked.
“You didn’t see the way people were looking,” Jaehyun replied with another sigh.
“I did,” Sungho said. “They looked entertained.”
“They looked invested,” Jaehyun corrected.
Sungho hummed thoughtfully, then nudged him lightly with his elbow. “Okay, but think about it this way. You’ve been sitting next to each other for a year,” he continued. “It’s not weird if you start acting a little more familiar. So the whole mouth wiping, hair fixing thing?”
Jaehyun immediately covered his face. “Please stop embarrassing me.”
“It can pass as platonic,” Sungho finished anyway. “Some people are just like that.”
Jaehyun thought about it for a second, then peeked at him through his fingers. “…You think so?”
“Yeah. I mean, it’s not like he confessed in the middle of the cafeteria or anything.”
Jaehyun froze.
Sungho blinked. “…He didn’t do that, right?”
“…No,” Jaehyun said quickly.
“Then you’re fine.”
。。。。。
As they stepped back into their department, Jaehyun was immediately surrounded.
“How did the meeting go?”
“Was the client difficult?”
“You handled it, right?”
“It went well,” Jaehyun replied, nodding slightly. “They had a few concerns, but nothing we couldn’t fix.”
A few concerns, Sungho repeated in his head. You rewrote half their strategy in ten minutes. Sungho confirmed to himself that this guy was absolutely clueless. About everything other than direct work matters.
For one— from where he stood, it was obvious that it wasn’t just coworkers asking Jaehyun about the meeting.
These people lingered. They leaned in. Their questions stretched just a little longer than necessary, laughter coming a little too easily.
One brushed Jaehyun’s arm like it was nothing, another tilted her head, smiling up at him in a way that had nothing to do with work. And Jaehyun—completely, hopelessly unaware—met it all with that same easy smile.
He wasn’t flirting on purpose, but he wasn’t not flirting either. Jaehyun was just naturally like that, which was part of the reason he was called a Bueoppa. He was effortless, handsome in that unfair, head-turning way, kind without trying, and good at his job on top of it. It really didn’t take a genius to figure it out.
Honestly… who wouldn’t fall for that?
Sungho’s gaze drifted past the group and somehow landed on Dongmin, who was walking down the aisle with a file in hand. He slowed as he approached. His eyes lifted and stopped on Jaehyun, who was letting someone tug lightly at his sleeve as they said something that made him laugh again.
Sungho watched as Dongmin’s grip on the file tightened slightly. His gaze dropped and then he walked away, crumpled papers in hand.
Upon seeing this, Sungho clicked his tongue quietly. “…Idiots,” he muttered under his breath.
。。。。。
From Woonhak’s cubicle, the office buzzed with the usual end-of-day energy. Keyboards clattering, phones ringing, printers whirring, but one sight made him pause mid-swipe on his tablet.
There they were.
Jaehyun, Dongmin, and Sungho— the three Bueoppas in full effect— walking together toward the elevator like a casual parade of charisma. The three of them together was almost too much.
He watched as Jaehyun leaned toward Dongmin, whispering something that made him smile a little. Sungho’s eyes flicked between them, expression unreadable.
A few minutes later, Woonhak overheard the snippet that confirmed it: Jaehyun, cheerful as ever, telling Dongmin that Sungho had said yes to drinks. A low, almost envious smile spread across Woonhak’s face behind his monitor.
“Figures,” he muttered under his breath. “Of course they’d go together.”
Eunchae, sitting across the aisle, leaned back in her chair, following Woonhak’s gaze. “Seriously… what is it with the CEO and the marketing team?”
It made Woonhak think, why were they all in marketing? Of course. It was marketing, where charm and presentation were king. Not sales— not the trenches he had to slog through every day.
He shook his head, a mix of frustration and reluctant admiration stirring inside him. “Couldn’t he have at least tossed Sungho-hyung into sales? Imagine what someone like that could do in front of clients.”
A small laugh escaped him. Ridiculous. He was a little jealous, sure— who wouldn’t be? But who was he to complain?
“At least we get to see those faces everyday,” Eunchae smiled.
“…Yeah,” he admitted. “Can’t argue with that.”
。。。。。
The three of them ended up squeezed into a noisy little bar that Sungho insisted on going to, gathered around a small round table barely big enough for their drinks. He seemed completely at home, already halfway through his second drink while Jaehyun and Dongmin were still settling in.
Jaehyun watched him for a second, then leaned forward. “How do you already know so much about everyone? It’s been, what—three official days?”
Sungho grinned, tapping his glass. “I have sources.”
“Sources,” Jaehyun repeated flatly.
“There’s this kid in sales who knows everything. I talk to him sometimes.” He shruggged. “You two are also just oblivious.”
Dongmin chuckled at that, a little too easily.
Jaehyun scoffed, but he couldn’t really argue. Instead, he raised an eyebrow, saying,“that source doesn’t sound very credible.”
Sungho let out a short laugh, unfazed. “You’d be surprised.”
“I doubt it,” Jaehyun shot back, but with a hint of amusement tugging at his mouth. He opened his mouth to ask something else—probably to poke more holes in Sungho’s so-called intelligence network— but Sungho beat him to it.
“So,” he said suddenly, setting his glass down with a soft clink, “what do you guys like about each other?”
Dongmin blinked. “What?”
Jaehyun just stared at him. “That’s your question?”
“Yeah,” Sungho said easily, like it was the most normal thing in the world. “You’ve been working together, a while now? I’m curious.”
Dongmin huffed out a quiet laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “We met you yesterday. That’s… kind of a weird question to just drop.”
“Is it?” Sungho tilted his head. “Feels efficient. Saves me time figuring it out myself.”
Jaehyun narrowed his eyes slightly. “Or you could just mind your business.”
“But where’s the fun in that?” Sungho grinned.
Jaehyun rolled his eyes, “Unbelievable.”
“Answer the question,” Sungho said immediately, tilting forward like locking onto prey.
“No.”
“Come on.”
“No.”
Dongmin snorted under his breath, lifting his glass like he was trying to hide behind it. “We’re not doing this with you.”
Sungho groaned, long and dramatic. “You guys are so boring. I gave you a perfectly good conversation topic.”
“You forced a conversation topic,” Jaehyun corrected.
“Just one answer. One. Don’t be stingy,” Sungho continued, undeterred.
Jaehyun exhaled sharply through his nose. “You’re insufferable.”
“Thank you,” Sungho said brightly. “Now answer.”
Dongmin laughed again, he was definitely a bit tipsy now, shoulders a little looser than before. He felt words come easier, his usual restraint slipping just enough.
“Fine.”
Jaehyun immediately turned to him. “Don’t—”
“I liked him at first sight,” Dongmin blurted, his gaze, suddenly fixed on Jaehyun. “Everything about him is kind of—” he gestured vaguely toward Jaehyun, searching for the word, “—charming.”
“Thank you Dongmin,” Jaehyun said slowly, voice low with warning, “but, what did I just tell you yesterday about saying things like that to me?”
Dongmin just laughed, lightly, a little too prettily, completely unbothered. “But it‘s true.”
He didn’t look away. If anything, he leaned in slightly, eyes still on Jaehyun like he’d forgotten there was anyone else at the table. “I also like that look on your face right now.”
Jaehyun inhaled, then immediately looked away, pressing his lips together. He could feel the heat creeping up his neck, the alcohol hitting all at once, his composure once again, slipping away in ways he absolutely refused to acknowledge.
“Don’t,” he muttered under his breath, though whether it was a warning or a plea wasn’t entirely clear.
When he finally forced himself to glance back up, his eyes landed on Sungho. He almost forgot he was there. Sungho was just staring at them with a look of pure, undisguised disgust. Not even subtle either.
Sungho tipped back, grabbing his drink. “I regret asking.”
Dongmin let out another laugh. “You’re the one who—”
“I wanted an answer,” Sungho cut in, pointing at them accusingly. “Not to watch whatever this is.”
Jaehyun scoffed, still not looking directly at either of them. “You asked.”
“I didn’t ask for flirting.” He took a long sip of his drink, still looking deeply offended. “I need another round after this.”
Jaehyun dragged in a breath, then blurted, a little too urgently, “Can we change the subject.”
“No,” Dongmin said immediately, almost too quick, like he’d been waiting for that. “You haven’t answered the question.”
Sungho let out a long, suffering groan, tipping his head back. “Oh my god, I don’t think I want to hear the answer if you’re just going to flirt again.”
For a split second, Jaehyun was almost grateful. But then he looked at Dongmin— who was watching him. There was a flicker of expectation in his eyes, and just for a second, something that looked a little like desperation.
“Actually yeah— you don’t have to say it if you don’t want to,” Dongmin added, voice lighter, like he was trying to take it back. “It’s fine.”
Jaehyun exhaled slowly.
How was he supposed to win against that?
“I’m not completely sure,” he started, already sounding like he regretted it, “I think I like your smile. Or your face. Or—” he let out a quiet, breathless scoff, “your whole… being, I guess. I don’t know. It was like—what? Twenty-four hours ago?”
Dongmin stopped moving and Jaehyun kept going, like he couldn’t stop now that he’s started. “You’re different with me. Since yesterday. The… things you do.” He gestured weirdly, clearly struggling to explain it. “It’s cute. And you don’t do it with anyone else.”
His voice dropped a little. “I think I like that it’s just for me.”
When Jaehyun finally looked back at him, Dongmin was absolutely red— ears, cheeks, all of it. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, clearly failing to come up with a response.
Sungho suddenly slammed a hand lightly against the table. “Okay no. Stop.”
Both of them blink, startled.
“I asked for one word,” Sungho said. “One. Singular. Word. You need to calm down.”
Jaehyun dropped his face into his hand for a second, letting out a quiet, defeated exhale. “Sorry,” he muttered, voice muffled. “Can we just pretend that didn’t happen.”
Honestly, he kind of wanted to disappear. The alcohol was settling heavy in his system now, his thoughts too loose, his mouth moving faster than his pride could keep up. Today had been nothing short of embarrassing.
After a beat, he shot Sungho a glare. “This is your fault, by the way. Why’d you have to ask that?”
Sungho, for once, doesn’t argue. “I’m sorry,” he said flatly. “I know, right? I’ve learned my lesson. So please stop.”
There was a brief, awkward silence.
Dongmin cleared his throat, only now attempting to change the topic. “So… um. That client from earlier today… Did they ever get back to you?”
Jaehyun seized on it immediately. “Yeah. Sent an email around six. They want revisions on the second draft.”
Sungho groaned. “Of course they do.”
And just like that, the conversation shifted, slipping into safer territory. Deadlines, annoying clients, office gossip. Numbers, schedules, things that don’t make Jaehyun’s chest feel too tight or his thoughts spiral.
。。。。。
By the third round, Dongmin was quiet—unusually so.
Sungho eventually got distracted, chatting with someone he knew across the bar, leaving the two of them alone at their table. The noise faded a little, or maybe it was just the way Dongmin was looking at Jaehyun, eyes unfocused and glassy.
“Jaehyun,” he called.
“Yeah?”
Dongmin frowned slightly, like he was working through something complicated. “You never told me I was pretty.”
Jaehyun blinked. “What?”
Dongmin shifted in his seat, still pink, still visibly trying to recover, and then, like he couldn’t help himself, he added, a little quieter. “You’ve called me handsome and cute,” he muttered, eyes flicking up and then away again. “But you told those receptionists pretty this morning.”
“Are they prettier than me?”
For a second, Jaehyun just stared at him, trying to figure out if this was a joke. It didn’t look like one.
“Dongmin,” he said slowly, “we are literally going on a date this weekend. What are you talking about?”
Dongmin’s lips pressed into a pout.
And that— almost kills him. Jaehyun felt his chest hitch, like his heart forgot how to beat for a second. He looked away for the nth time today, dragged a hand over his face, then looked back. Dongmin was still pouting, still waiting.
“You’re the prettiest,” Jaehyun said finally, voice lighter than he felt. “That’s why I’m taking you out on a date and not them.”
He meant it as a tease, something to brush the moment off. It did not brush anything off. Because Dongmin goes completely still. Then his ears turn red. Then his face. Rapidly. Again.
“Oh,” he said. “Okay. Thank you,” smiling like he might actually faint.
In that moment, something clicked for Jaehyun. The way Dongmin couldn’t even look at him properly, the way his fingers curled uselessly around his glass, the way he was very obviously masking panic despite his cute smile. It was addictive.
Jaehyun rested his chin on his hand, studying him with open amusement. “You good?”
Dongmin nodded too quickly.
“Mm,” Jaehyun hummed. “So. What do you actually like?”
Dongmin blinked at him. “What?”
“For the date,” Jaehyun said. “Food. Places. Stuff you hate.”
“Oh,” Dongmin thought about it while poking at his food with chopsticks. “Not too many people please.”
Jaehyun nodded. “Okay.”
Dongmin glanced at him, then added a little softer, “Other than that I’m happy to go anywhere… As long as it’s with you.”
Something in Jaehyun’s chest tightened so abruptly it almost hurt. Maybe it was heartburn. Maybe it was his liver trying to crawl up his chest in protest after everything they’ve had to drink.
“Can you,” Jaehyun started, already reaching for a fry from his plate, “just let me be normal for one night?”
“Huh?”
Jaehyun held the fry out in front of him. Dongmin stared at it, then at Jaehyun, visibly confused. Slowly, he moved forward and took the bite.
Jaehyun watched, eyes tracking every small movement, holding back the urge to squish his cheeks, to pull him closer, to do something with all this unbearable fondness sitting under his ribs. “I seriously can’t get enough of you.”
There was a brief pause that hung between them.
Dongmin’s face remained stoic as he chewed, but Jaehyun swore he literally looked like he was about to pass out. His still ears red, eyes wide, fingers twitching slightly over the edge of the table.
Jaehyun straightened immediately. “Hey— are you okay?”
Dongmin nodded too quickly, flashing a small smile. He pushed his chair back as he stood. “Yes. I’m fine. Thank you for helping me.”
“That’s not what I—”
“Okay, bye.”
And then he was gone. Out the door, into a taxi before Jaehyun could even process what just happened.
Jaehyun stayed there, half-finished drink in hand, staring at the empty space across from him.
Drunk, confused, and utterly flustered.
。。。。。
Sungho returned to the table, where Jaehyun was sitting alone in a daze.
”Where’d he go?” he asked simply.
Jaehyun slowly looked up at him, glassy-eyed. “I don’t know. Home— I think?”
Sungho just shrugged. “Okay.”