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Yeonjun’s in love with the cashier at the convenience store.

Well, maybe “in love” is a bit of an exaggeration, but he really likes her, okay? She’s drop-dead gorgeous and always talks to him when he checks out, and no, Taehyun, she’s not just doing her job because she doesn’t do it with any other customers.

“Dude, are you seriously paying attention to the way she talks to other customers? You are so down bad, holy shit.”

“Shut up, Taehyun! It’s not like you were any better with Kai.” Yeonjun crosses his arms across his chest. They’re in the living room of Taehyun and Yeonjun’s shared apartment, Taehyun sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table with his physics work spread out in front of him. Honestly, just looking at the worksheet gives Yeonjun a headache, so he’s on the couch furthest from the table, watching cartoons on the TV with Kai, except it’s turned into a debriefing session with him about his crush.

“Well, I think it’s really sweet,” Kai says, “I can’t remember the last time you’ve been so starstruck over a crush. It’s cute!”

“Kai, my angel, I love you. Come here.” Yeonjun throws his arms around Kai’s shoulders, pulling him to his chest. "I don't even know why you choose to be with Taehyun. You can do so much better than him." 

“It’s not my fault I have game, hyung,” Taehyun rolls his eyes, punching something into his calculator aggressively, “not that you would know anything about that.”

Yeonjun pulls back from Kai, turning to glare at Taehyun, “Clearly, I do if she likes me!”

“‘Likes’ is a bit of a stretch, don’t you think?”

"I don't know," Kai says. "The way Hyung talks about her is pretty convincing."

"Thank you."

"He didn't say she liked you back."

“Just you wait, Kang Taehyun, I’m going to ask her out, and she’ll say yes, and we’ll fall madly in love, and then I’ll propose and make Kai the best man at my wedding and not you. You won’t even be invited if I have any say in it!”

“Don’t you think you’re being delusional, just a bit?”

“No. I’m telling you, it’s love at first sight. Not that an anti-romantic like you would understand.”

“You’re literally cuddling my boyfriend right now.”

Yeonjun has no good response to that, so he settles for sticking his tongue out instead.

“Tell me again how you know she likes you?” Taehyun asks.

“Because I know her! She’s really nice to me.”

“That is not evidence.”

“It is to me.”

“Hyung,” Kai says carefully, “how many times have you actually talked to her?”

Yeonjun opens his mouth, then pauses. “...Twice.”

Taehyun drops his calculator. “TWICE?”

“Okay, but hear me out—”

“No, absolutely not,” Taehyun says. “You've built an entire relationship in your head after two conversations?”

“It wasn't just two conversations.”

“How many conversations was it then?”

“Two conversations,” Yeonjun admits. “But they were really good conversations.”

Kai laughs. “You're unbelievable.”

“Look, the first one happened during finals week, okay? It was a very vulnerable time in my life.”

“Finals week does not count as a vulnerable time.”

“It absolutely does. I was surviving on instant ramen and caffeine.”

“So every week.”

“Anyway,” Yeonjun says, settling deeper into the couch. “At the height of finals week…

Yeonjun honestly hates finals week with a burning passion. While most people are busy cramming for exams, like his roommate, Taehyun, Yeonjun’s slammed with projects back to back, barely given time to breathe. It definitely doesn’t help that he reverts to his most self-destructive habits whenever he’s stressed.

Normally, Taehyun cooks and Yeonjun cleans. During finals week, however, neither of them has the time or energy for anything that isn't directly related to passing their classes. Their kitchen sits mostly abandoned while they live off instant ramen and cheap convenience store snacks.

Thankfully, a brand new convenience store had opened right outside their apartment complex.

One night, or technically morning, considering it was nearly three o'clock, Yeonjun finally finished a project for his fashion marketing class. He still had another due that afternoon, but at least one crisis had been temporarily averted.

He went to the store and grabbed a six-pack of Taehyun’s favorite energy drinks, an armful of ramyeon, and an iced americano before dragging himself toward the register.

“Nice haul you got there,” the cashier says, beginning to scan his items. “Late night?”

“What? Oh, yeah, I had a project…”

Yeonjun trails off as she looks up at him. She’s gorgeous, with brown hair a little past her shoulders tied into a half-up hairstyle. Her ears are pierced with dangling silver jewelry that catches the fluorescent overhead lights, and she has snake bites with spiky ends. Her name tag reads “Gyu” with a little doodle of a bear next to it. She smiles at him, and Yeonjun swears he falls in love.

Yeonjun snaps back to himself. “Sorry, yeah. I had a project due at nine, and I have another due at one that I still need to finish.”

“Oh, cool.”

She scans the last item.

“That'll be ₩25,000.”

Yeonjun pays and takes the bags she hands him. “It was nice meeting you.”

“Nice meeting you too.”

Yeonjun walks home in a daze. The second he opens the apartment door, Taehyun looks up from his laptop.

“You were gone for twenty minutes.”

“There was a girl.”

Taehyun stares at him. “A girl?”

“The most beautiful girl I've ever seen.”

“Jesus Christ.”

“I think I'm in love with her.”

“Do you even know her name?”

“I do!!”

“What is it?”

Yeonjun pauses. “Her name tag said Gyu.”

“That is not helping your case.”

“And I stand by what I said.” 

“Shut up, Taehyun, you’re such a hater! She had no reason to be kind to me, but she was anyway!”

“She wasn’t even that kind!”

“She was interested!”

“She was just trying to stay employed!”

Kai immediately chokes on his drink. “Baby,” he says, trying not to laugh.

“What? Am I wrong?”

“Yes!”

“Hyung,” Taehyun says, setting his calculator down. “All she did was ask about your project.”

“She also said it was nice meeting me.”

“She said that after you said it first.”

“Because she's polite!”

“Exactly!”

“No, not exactly!”

Kai presses his face into Yeonjun’s shoulder, shoulders shaking with laughter.

“Thank you, Kai.”

“He’s not on your side.”

“He’s supposed to be on my side!”

“I am on your side,” Kai says. “I just don't necessarily think you're right.”

Yeonjun gasps in betrayal. “Unbelievable. Both of you are unbelievable.”

“Tell us about the second interaction,” Taehyun says.

“Right,” Yeonjun says seriously, “The second interaction is where things started getting serious.”

The next time, Yeonjun goes to the convenience store after a failed battle with a box of red dye, his arms stained all the way up to his elbows. He grabs his usual armful of ramen and a few energy drinks off the shelf and dumps them onto the counter. The girl behind it starts scanning his items, and Yeonjun awkwardly scuffs the toe of his boot against the ground.

“You need any help with that?” she asks, pointedly looking at the stains up his arms. 

“What? Oh, nah, I just got into a bit of an accident.”

“Well, if you need help, let me know. My sister’s a lesbian; she knows where and how to dispose of bodies.”

“What?? No!! Also, I don’t think there’s a correlation between those two.”

The cashier’s nose scrunches up cutely, “I know. I was joking.”

“Right.”

“That’ll be ₩15,000.” Yeonjun taps his phone against the machine and grabs his bags. “Though if you did actually kill someone, could you not bring it around here? I really need to keep this job.”

“I uh- didn’t. I just lost a battle with box red dye.”

“I figured,” she nods at his hair. 

“What?”

The cashier shrugs. “Nothing. It suits you.”

Yeonjun blinks, “Oh.”

A customer clears their throat behind him, and she glances past his shoulder. “Well, see you around.” She half-nods at him before gesturing for the next customer to step forward.

Yeonjun walks directly into the door on his way out.

“So, anyway, I’m going to ask her out.”

“You’ve had two interactions with her.”

“And through those two interactions, I could feel something. She’s falling for me; I know it.”

“I don’t know, hyung…” Kai pipes up, “Maybe Taehyun’s right on this one, and you should hold off.”

Yeonjun gasps, “Not you too, Kai!”

“I just think you’re being a bit hasty with the love declarations!” Kai defends, “I mean, you’ve only talked to her twice. Do you even know anything about her outside of her job?”

“Well, no, but-”

“Exactly!” Taehyun jumps in. “You barely know anything about her, and you're already jumping to ask her out! Don't you think you're being a bit hasty? She might just be doing her job!”

“She complimented my hair.”

“She said it suited you.”

“That's a compliment.”

“That's customer service.”

“It's flirting.”

“It's literally not.”

Kai looks between them. “I think maybe you should get to know her a little more first?”

Yeonjun gasps. “You guys are unbelievable.”

“Hyung–”

“No. No. I see what's happening here.”

“What is happening here?” Taehyun asks.

“You're jealous.”

Taehyun blinks. “Of what?”

“My future relationship.”

Kai immediately dissolves into laughter.

“Fine!” Taehyun exclaims. “Go ask her out, then!”

“Really?”

“No!”

“Too late, I've already decided.”

Taehyun groans. “God help that poor girl.”

──  ♡ ──

Despite Taehyun and Kai’s discouragement, Yeonjun goes to the convenience store the next day, grabbing his usual ramyeon and iced americano. When he’s next in line at the checkout counter, he takes a deep breath, steeling himself for his confession.

“Next in line,” the cashier calls, and Yeonjun does his best to project confidence as he walks forward.

“So, uh, I really like you, and I get the feeling you really like me too, so unless I’m not misreading anything, would you like to go out with me maybe possibly?” Yeonjun facepalms internally. This is not what he had rehearsed!

The cashier, however, just blinks at him slowly, head tilting to the side a bit as if studying him.

“Uhm… this is a convenience store,” she says.

“Well, yes, but, you know, I thought maybe we could… hang out sometime? Maybe? If you want?"

She smiles a bit condescendingly, “While I'd love that, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?”

She looks around awkwardly, “I'm uh. I'm not really your type."

Yeonjun accepts it, nodding resignedly and grabbing his bags. He's halfway to the door before he processes what she said, doing a full 180 in the middle of the store. "Wait, what do you mean you're not my type?! You're so my type! You're literally the prettiest girl I've ever seen!!"

The cashier, who’s in the middle of checking someone else out, looks at him a bit weirdly. “Look, man, I’m still at work right now. Can you do this later?”

All of the wind leaves Yeonjun's sails when he realizes that there is, in fact, a line of people behind the person she's checking out, all looking at him a bit weirdly. “Oh. Uh. Yeah, sure.”

He points vaguely at her. “I'll see you... later.”

Then he turns around and speedwalks out of the convenience store. The automatic doors haven't even fully opened before he hears someone snort behind him.

Yeonjun doesn't stop walking all the way back to the apartment. He makes it home, dumps everything onto the counter, and throws himself face-first into bed, content to remain there until the complete death of the universe.

──  ♡ ──

“Yeonjun-hyung, are you okay? You haven’t left your room in 3 days. It’s kinda concerning.” Unfortunately, his plans to stay in bed until he’s quite literally become one with his mattress are interrupted by his incredibly annoying roommate and his much less annoying boyfriend.

“And gross,” someone else mutters. 

Yeonjun groans, throwing a pillow behind him in the vague direction of his doorframe. He’s lying face down in bed, head buried in his stuffed plushie. “Shut up, I have left my bed; you just weren’t here.”

He hears soft footsteps, and the bed dips next to him. “Okay, but hyung, are you okay? Even when you have left your room, you’ve just been sighing and looking really sad. It’s kinda worrying.”

“I just want ice cream,” Yeonjun mumbles into his sheets.

“What was that?”

“I want mint choco ice cream.”

“So get some,” the person in the doorway says.

“I can’t,” Yeonjun turns over and pouts up at the figure on the bed next to him, “I finally asked the pretty cashier out, and guess what, Kai, she rejected me! I can’t believe I ever thought I had a chance. How am I ever supposed to face her again?!”

“Wow, hyung, I’m really sorry. Do you want me to get you some ice cream?”

“Would you?” Yeonjun pouts up at Kai, trying his best to seem sad and pathetic. Not that he has to try very hard to begin with.

“Okay, no, absolutely not.” The figure in the doorway stalks over and grabs Yeonjun by the collar of his shirt. “You are not making my boyfriend buy you your disgusting mint chocolate ice cream just because you’re too pathetic to do it yourself. Get up, come on! Up!” He pulls Yeonjun out of bed and to his feet, Kai scrambling to move out of the way. “Look at you, hyung. All that over some girl. There’s no way she’s that pretty.”

“She’s literally the most beautiful girl I’ve seen in my life,” Yeonjun says. 

“Gross.” Taehyun scoffs. Come on, we’re going. Grab your wallet, come on, hyung, I’m doing this for your own good.” He bodily shoves him outside the door and into the living room. “Put on your shoes, we’re leaving.”

“Seriously, Tyun, you’re actually taking him there?” Kai asks, following them out into the hallway. “Are you sure that’s the best idea?”

“Yeah, are you sure that’s the best idea?” Yeonjun asks, mid-lacing up his boots.

“Shut up, hyung, and tie your stupid ass gay boots.” Taehyun’s still holding onto the collar of his shirt, even though Yeonjun is bent over to tie his shoes. “Baby, I know it seems bad, but you don’t know hyung like I do, okay? Trust me, this is what he needs.”

“If you say so.” Kai shrugs. “Come back soon, though; I’m ordering pizza.”

Taehyun drags him all the way to the convenience store and shoves him in the direction of the door at the side entrance. “What, you’re not coming inside with me?” He crinkles his nose. “Absolutely not. I’m not touching that disgusting ass concoction you and Kai call ice cream.”

“But Taehyunieee,” Yeonjun whines, “Please, I can’t go in there alone.” 

“Yes, you can.”

“No, I can’t.”

“Yes, you can, hyung.”

“I most definitely cannot.”

“You absolutely can.”

“I really can’t, Tae.” 

Taehyun quirks an eyebrow, “Really?”

“Really!” 

“Okay then,” and before Yeonjun knows it, the door to the convenience store is ripped open roughly, and he’s shoved inside before the door slams shut behind him. Yeonjun tries to push it open, but Taehyun is holding the other side of the door, not allowing him to leave. Someone clears their throat behind him, and Yeonjun turns to see the same pretty girl from a few days earlier looking at him a bit concernedly. He awkwardly walks to the freezer aisle, ignoring her eyes on him the whole time.

Yeonjun grabs the first pint of mint chocolate ice cream he sees and walks it to the checkout, avoiding eye contact.

“You doing okay?” she asks, and Yeonjun has never felt more pathetic in his whole life, which is saying something because he’s literally Choi Yeonjun.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Okay, so, just place your item on the counter, and I can scan it for you.”

Yeonjun looks up, fully intent on placing his item down, but makes eye contact with the pretty girl behind the counter, and all logical thoughts exit his brain.

“Uh, dude? I still need to scan your ice cream.” The girl’s frowning at him, “Yo, I like, need the ice cream so I can scan it. Sir?” She reaches out, grabbing the ice cream and yanking it from his grip. “Ugh! Why is it wet, ew?” She sets it down on the counter and immediately reaches for a towel underneath it. “God, it’s literally only been a few minutes, why is it fucking condensing?!”

“What did you mean when you said you weren’t my type?”

“Ugh, what? You know, why don’t you just put this back and grab another pint? This one’s fucking disgusting.”

“I just don’t get it, I mean, were you trying to let me down easy? Because let me just say, nothing about that was easy?”

“Seriously, you want to take this home? Look, it’s not like I own the convenience store, okay, I honestly don’t give a fuck what you do, and you look like you really need this ice cream.”

“And like, why would you even– wait, what?? What do you mean I look like I need it?!”

She looks him up and down, “No offense, but did you look in the mirror before you left your house? Or was this like… a conscious decision?”

Yeonjun looks down at his outfit, a bit offended. Yeah, okay, his pants were a little rumpled, and half tucked into his boots, and his shirt was untucked, but in his defense, he hadn’t been expecting to get dragged out of bed and tossed into a convenience store.

“So uh. Are you going to grab another pint or not, because I do need to wipe this counter down after this?”

“Please, I just. I really like you, and I thought you liked me too! Unless I was just mistaking your feelings for customer service, in which case I’m really sorry, and I’ll also go now.” Yeonjun turns on his heel, ready to leave.

“Wait, your ice cream!”

“Oh, right,” he blushes red to the roots of his hair and turns back around.

She hands him the bag and leans in to speak to him. “Look, you’re right, okay? I did think you were cute, but I meant it when I said, I’m really not your type.”

“What does that-” 

“Look, please just take your ice cream and get out of here. It’s dripping all over the place.”

“Right, uhm. See you… Tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” she smiles slightly, “same time.”

“Right, bye,” Yeonjun calls out over his shoulder and then promptly runs into the door. It makes the cashier girl giggle, though, so maybe it’s worth it.

“Dude, I watched you through the window, and you’re such a fucking lo- what the fuck, why is there a puddle of water in your takeout bag?”

“She told me to come by tomorrow,” Yeonjun says dreamily.

“Seriously, you know Kai likes mint chocolate too, what the fuck am I supposed to do with this??”

“She said she liked me.”

“How the fuck did it condense that fast, hello?? Why is it defying the laws of physics??”

“SHUT UP, Taehyun, she basically asked me out on a date.”

Taehyun looks unimpressed. “That is absolutely not what happened.”

“No, I definitely still have a chance.”

“Whatever, dude. Just throw that away, you are not bringing that goop into my apartment.”

“Yeah, it’s so gross I don’t even know how it did that so fast.”

──  ♡ ──

Yeonjun shows up at the tail end of the cashier's shift, just like he'd been told to.

He's sitting outside at one of the plastic tables when the convenience store doors slide open, and the pretty cashier steps out, a backpack slung over one shoulder. She stops when she sees him.

“You’re on time.”

Yeonjun blinks. “You said at the end of your shift.”

“Yeah, but I figured you’d just crawl in eventually. Are you always so punctual?”

“Only for the pretty girls.” Yeonjun grins cheesily.

Something in her shifts at his words, her smile turning slightly more strained, but before Yeonjun can address it, she sets off down the street. “Let’s go.”

“Where?”

“Coffee.”

Yeonjun brightens immediately. “Is this a date?”

“No.”

“Oh.” Yeonjun pouts unconsciously.

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Look disappointed.”

“I'm not disappointed.” Yeonjun continues pouting.

“You are. You literally pouted.”

“Well, anyway,” Yeonjun changes the subject, “are you ever going to tell me your name?”

The cashier looks over. “You know my name.”

“Your nametag says Gyu.”

“That's not my name.”

“See? That's what I've been saying!”

“You've never said that.”

“I've thought it very loudly.”

She rolls her eyes. “It's Beomgyu.”

“Beomgyu?” Yeonjun turns the name over in his mouth. It's a little masculine, maybe. Not that there's anything wrong with that; plenty of girls have masculine names. Still, it catches him off guard.

“It suits you.”

“Thanks,” she says.

They walk in silence for a few minutes. Well, Beomgyu walks in silence. Yeonjun spends most of the walk trying very hard not to stare at her. It's difficult.

Eventually, they stop in front of a small café tucked between a stationery store and a flower shop, and the bell above the door jingles as they step inside.

“Welcome in—”

The barista behind the counter freezes.

His eyes move from Beomgyu to Yeonjun, then back to Beomgyu, then back to Yeonjun.

“Oh.”

Beomgyu closes her eyes. “Soobin, I don’t want to hear it.”

The barista's mouth twitches. “I wasn't going to say anything.”

“You were. You literally made your ‘I’m-going-to-say-something-stupid’ face.”

“I did not.”

“You literally did!”

The barista looks between them before his gaze settles on Yeonjun. “So you're Yeonjun.”

Beomgyu groans. 

“You know who I am?” Yeonjun blinks.

“Unfortunately.” 

“Choi Soobin.” Beomgyu says.

“What?” Soobin asks innocently. “You talk about him all the time.”

“I absolutely do not.”

“You do.”

“No, I don't!”

“You literally called me yesterday to complain about him.”

“I called you to complain about a customer!”

Soobin points at Yeonjun. “Him.”

For some reason, warmth blooms in Yeonjun's chest. Beomgyu talks about him!

Beomgyu immediately notices the stupid smile spreading across his face. “Don't.”

“Don't what?”

“Whatever's happening right now.”

“Nothing's happening.”

“You're smiling.”

“Can I order now?” Yeonjun loudly asks, “Because I’d like one iced americano, and I think Beomgyu would like the raspberry danish latte. She strikes me as that type.”

Soobin stares, caught off-guard for some reason. “...She?” Soobin repeats.

Beomgyu kicks the side of the counter. “Coffee.”

“Right. Coffee.”

Soobin rings them up and waves off payment. They sit at a booth in the corner of the cafe by the window. Yeonjun opens his mouth to say something, but he’s beaten to it.

“Beomie, can you–”

Yeonjun turns and nearly falls over. Another Beomgyu is standing by the kitchen door. Well, not exactly another Beomgyu, but close enough that for a second, his brain completely short-circuits.

The newcomer blinks, looks at Yeonjun, then at Beomgyu, then back at Yeonjun.

“Oh.”

“No,” Beomgyu says immediately.

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Is this him?”

“MINJEONG.”

The girl grins. “Oh my god, it is.”

Yeonjun looks between them. “Is this the lesbian sister who knows how to dispose of bodies?”

The other Beomgyu grins wickedly, making her way over. “Why yes, that’s me. Choi Minjeong, at your service.” She slides into the seat next to Beomgyu uninvited, ignoring the other girl’s eye roll.

“You two look really alike.” 

“Thank you,” Minjeong says.

“We're twins,” Beomgyu says flatly.

“That explains a lot.”

“Does it?”

They’re interrupted by their order being called, and Beomgyu has to crawl over Minjeong to go get it because she refuses to move. 

“So, Yeonjun—”

“Minjeong,” Beomgyu says, already returned.

“What? I'm being friendly.”

“You never want to be friendly.”

“That's not true.”

“It's objectively true.”

Minjeong ignores her completely. “It's nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you.”

Beomgyu makes a sound that strongly suggests she wants the floor to open up and swallow her whole.

Yeonjun, meanwhile, can feel himself smiling again. He'd only known Beomgyu for a few days, but apparently, she'd been thinking about him too.

“So,” Minjeong says, stirring her drink. “Are you seeing anyone?”

Beomgyu nearly chokes on her coffee. “MINJEONG.”

“What?” Minjeong blinks innocently.

“What kind of question is that?”

“A normal one?”

“No, it isn't.”

“It absolutely is.”

Yeonjun laughs awkwardly. “No, I'm single.”

“Hm.”

“Hm?” Beomgyu repeats.

“Just making conversation.”

“You are incapable of making conversation with strangers.”

“That's rude.”

“It's true!”

Minjeong turns back to Yeonjun. “So what's your type?”

“Minjeong, stop interrogating him!”

“I'm not interrogating him!”

“You absolutely are.”

Yeonjun looks between them. “Uh.”

“Well?” Minjeong asks.

Beomgyu drops her forehead onto the table.

Yeonjun thinks about it for a second. “I don't know.”

“That's not an answer.”

“Okay, uh.” He glances at Beomgyu. “I guess… pretty?”

Immediately, Beomgyu sits up. “Okay, Minjeong, go back to work, now.” She stands up, giving the girl space to leave.

“But Gyu…”

“Go.”

“Fine!”Minjeong points two fingers at her eyes, then at Yeonjun. “But this isn't over.”

She disappears through the kitchen door, and Beomgyu lets out a long sigh before dropping back into her seat. “Sorry about her.”

“She does this often?”

“She thinks everyone else's lives are her business.”

“She'd get along with my roommate.”

That earns a laugh.

“I'm serious.”

“I believe you.”

Yeonjun stirs his drink absentmindedly. "...Do most people know what their type is?"

Beomgyu shrugs. "I guess?"

"Huh."

"What?"

"Nothing." Because the truth is, he has absolutely no idea what his was. He'd never really thought about it before.

──  ♡ ──

It turns out Beomgyu is impossible to say no to.

That's how Yeonjun ends up spending the next two months painting pottery, getting kicked out of a photobooth for taking too many pictures, decorating cakes, watching terrible horror movies, and sitting through a three-hour lecture on why pigeons are misunderstood.

The pigeon lecture had been entirely Beomgyu's fault.

“Look at him,” Beomgyu says, pointing at a bird pecking at the sidewalk.

“He's eating a cigarette butt.”

“He's trying his best.”

“That's your argument?”

“Well, he is! It’s not his fault humans domesticated his species, then abandoned them!”

Yeonjun smiles fondly. Somewhere along the way, the whole thing stops feeling like a consolation prize.

He still isn't entirely sure what they are. Friends, maybe. Friends who spend every weekend together, who text constantly, who accidentally fall asleep on opposite ends of the same couch during movie nights.

Normal friend things, probably.

Today finds them tucked into their usual booth at Soobin's café. Minjeong had disappeared into the back nearly twenty minutes ago after loudly announcing that she was "going to do actual work for once," and Soobin was busy behind the counter pretending not to eavesdrop.

Beomgyu's halfway through a story about a customer who'd somehow mistaken a can of cat food for tuna when Yeonjun blurts, “What did you mean?”

Beomgyu stops. “What?”

Yeonjun immediately regrets opening his mouth. “You know.”

“No, I really don't.”

“Back at the convenience store. You said you weren’t my type.”

Understanding flashes across Beomgyu's face. “Oh.”

“Yeah.”

For a moment, neither of them says anything. Beomgyu looks down at her pastry and Yeonjun suddenly becomes very interested in the condensation running down the side of his americano.

“You don't have to answer if you don't want to,” he says quickly.

“No, I—” Beomgyu sighs. “No. You deserve an explanation.”

“Okay.”

It’s painfully, awkwardly quiet for a bit, then Beomgyu says suddenly, “I'm trans.”

Yeonjun blinks. “What?”

“I’m trans. I’m a guy.”

“Oh.” For once, Yeonjun is totally… speechless.

“That's usually how people react.”

“No, I just...” Yeonjun rubs the back of his neck. “I wasn't expecting that.”

“Most people don't.”

Silence settles between them. “It's cool, though.”

Beomgyu looks up. “It's cool?”

“Yeah.”

“Wow. Thank you for your blessing.”

“That's not what I meant.” At Beomgyu’s unimpressed look, Yeonjun continues, “No, seriously!” he leans forward. “One of my best friends is trans.”

Beomgyu immediately groans. “Oh my god.”

“What?”

“Please don't pull the ‘I have trans friends’ card right now.”

“I wasn't—”

“You absolutely were.”

“I was trying to say I know what being trans is!”

“Mm-hmm.”

“My roommate's boyfriend is trans!”

“You're making it worse.”

“I'm literally trying to help.”

“Please stop helping.”

Yeonjun drops his head onto the table.

Across from him, Beomgyu laughs. The sound makes something in Yeonjun's chest loosen. “Sorry,” he mutters.

“It’s not the worst reaction I’ve had so you’re chill.” Beomgyu shrugs.

Yeonjun lifts his head immediately. “That's somehow not reassuring.”

“It's not supposed to be.”

“What was the worst reaction?”

“No.”

“Come on.”

“Nope.”

“Beomgyu.” Yeonjun narrows his eyes. “How bad was it?”

“It involved a church pamphlet.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. That's usually how people react when I tell them that story.”

For a moment, neither of them says anything, then Beomgyu nudges his drink with his finger.

“Anyway. It's not like I expected you to magically know.”

The knot in Yeonjun's stomach loosens slightly. “Really?”

“Yeonjun, when we met, you thought my name was ‘Gyu.’”

“In my defense, that's what your nametag said.”

“My nametag had a cartoon bear on it too. Did you think that was my legal middle name?”

“Maybe.”

Beomgyu laughs again. “See? You're fine. Anyway, it was about time I told you. Things are kind of happening all at once right now.”

“What do you mean?”

“I'm starting testosterone next month.”

Yeonjun's eyes widen. “Seriously?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you nervous?”

“A little.”

“A little?”

“Okay, a lot.”

That earns another laugh out of Yeonjun. “Fair.”

“Mostly excited, though.”

“Good.”

For the first time since the conversation started, Beomgyu looks genuinely relaxed. “Yeah,” he says quietly. “It is good.”

“I’m happy for you, Beoms.”

Beomgyu smiles softly and something warm settles in Yeonjun’s chest, “Thank you.”

──  ♡  ──

“I’m a terrible person!” Yeonjun yells, bursting into his apartment and dramatically throwing himself onto the couch.

Kai nearly drops the bowl of strawberries he'd been eating. “Oh my god, what happened?”

Meanwhile, Taehyun doesn't even look up from his laptop. “Did you finally get banned from the convenience store?”

“Worse!”

“You got banned from two convenience stores?”

“Kang Taehyun!”

“I'm just trying to narrow it down.”

Kai sets his bowl down and immediately moves to sit beside Yeonjun. “Hyung, what happened?”

Yeonjun groans and drags a pillow over his face. “Beomgyu's trans. He’s been a boy this whole time.”

The room goes quiet.

“...Okay?” Kai says carefully.

“I called him a girl and used ‘she’ for two months!”

“Oh.”

“I CALLED HIM A GIRL FOR TWO MONTHS, KAI!!”

“Did you know he was trans?”

“No!”

“Did he tell you?”

“No.”

“Did he correct you?”

“...no”

“Then you're fine.”

Yeonjun pulls the pillow off his face. “Really?”

“Yes.”

“But I should've known.”

“How?”

“I don't know!”

“Exactly. I’m telling you you’re fine, hyung.”

Yeonjun considers this, then immediately rejects it. “No, I'm still a terrible person.”

Kai sighs. “Hyung, you really didn't know.”

“But—”

“Nope! No more thoughts.”

Across the room, Taehyun suddenly starts laughing. Not a small laugh either, but a full-body, wheezing laugh.

Yeonjun sits up. “What is wrong with you?”

“You—” Taehyun points at him. “You spent two months thinking a man was the love of your life, and this is what you're worried about?”

Yeonjun blinks. Both Kai and Taehyun share a look and the apartment becomes very quiet.

“...What does that mean?” Yeonjun asks slowly.

Kai immediately smacks Taehyun with a throw pillow.

“OW.”

“You idiot!”

“You were going to have this conversation eventually!”

“Not like this!”

“Guys?”

Neither of them answers, still arguing

“Guys!”

“Nothing,” Kai says quickly.

“Absolutely nothing.”

“Then why are you both acting weird?”

“Because we're surrounded by idiots,” Taehyun mutters. Kai throws another pillow at him for that.

──  ♡ ──

The thing is, Beomgyu being trans doesn't actually change very much. At least, not at first.

The first few weeks after coming out to Yeonjun are mostly the same as before. They still spend every weekend together. They still text constantly. Beomgyu still sends him blurry pictures of pigeons with captions like look at this distinguished gentleman.

Life goes on.

“Okay, but that's not the point,” Beomgyu says from across the booth.

“It literally is the point.”

“No, the point is that the director clearly intended—” His voice cracks spectacularly on the last word, and Soobin, wiping down a nearby table, immediately loses his fight against laughter.

Beomgyu gives him a dirty look and Soobin throws his hands up in defense, “I didn't say anything.”

“You laughed.”

“You made a noise like a dying seagull.”

“It keeps happening!”

“That's because puberty is hard,” Soobin says, with the air of someone wise.

“Choi Soobin.”

Yeonjun laughs into his drink, and Beomgyu kicks him under the table.

“Not you too.”

“Sorry.”

He isn't sorry, though, not even a little, because Beomgyu's been on testosterone for a few months now, and while the changes have been gradual, they're definitely there.

His voice has dropped, not all the way, but enough that Yeonjun notices every time it catches him off guard, and there's more definition in his jaw than there used to be, as well as a little bit of stubble that he keeps complaining about. He'd cut his hair, too, into something shorter that constantly fell into his eyes, and every five minutes he'd absentmindedly brush it back behind his ear before it inevitably escaped again. 

Last week, he'd spent twenty minutes ranting about having to shave.

“It's itchy.”

“You've shaved like twice.”

“Exactly. That's two times too many.”

“Most people don't complain about growing facial hair.”

“Well, most people are stupid.”

Yeonjun had laughed so hard he'd nearly spilled his coffee, which is the problem.

Or maybe the solution. He's not entirely sure.

Because somewhere between the pigeon lectures and the pottery painting and the increasingly dramatic complaints about shaving, Yeonjun's feelings had stubbornly refused to go away. If anything, they'd gotten worse.

“Oh my god, are you even listening to me?”

Yeonjun blinks, and Beomgyu's staring at him.

“What?”

“I asked if I should grow my hair back out.”

Yeonjun considers it. “You'd look good either way.”

“…But?”

“…I like it like this.”

Beomgyu smiles. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Yeonjun opens his mouth to add something else, then closes it. Across the café, Soobin looks up from the espresso machine, slowly and suspiciously.

“Don't,” Yeonjun points at him, “say anything.”

“I didn't say anything.”

“You were about to.”

“Was I?”

Beomgyu rolls his eyes “Anyway,” he says, turning back to Yeonjun. “Why not?”

“It suits you like this.” Yeonjun says, “makes you look soft.”

Beomgyu grins, “Well that’s a relief. I was worried everyone would think it looks weird and was going to grow it out.”

“No one thinks that!” Yeonjun says, maybe a bit too loud, “and if they do, they’re idiots.”

Beomgyu laughs, “I didn’t know you felt so strongly about this, hyung.”

Yeonjun opens his mouth, then closes it, “Neither did I.”

Oh.

Oh.

Suddenly, a lot of things make sense.

Beomgyu gives him one of those soft smiles again, “Well, thank you, hyung.” Hyung. That’s another new development. 

The rest of the afternoon passes without incident. At least externally. Internally, however, Yeonjun spends the next two hours becoming increasingly concerned by several discoveries he'd apparently managed to avoid making for months. By the time he gets home, he's worked himself into enough of a state that the second he opens the apartment door, he immediately has a crisis.

"I think I like boys." Yeonjun falls dramatically to the floor beside the door, pulling his knees up to his chest and pushing his hands into his hair.

Kai, who’s watching Molang cartoons on the couch, stands up dramatically and yells down the hall, “Babe, Tyunie, darling, it’s happening!”

“What, RM finally hardlaunched his boyfriend?” Taehyun runs out into the hallway, shirt half-tugged on and missing one sock.

“No, the other thing,” Kai gestures to Yeonjun, still in the same position.

“Oh my god, Yeonjun hyung, did you finally realize you’re about as straight as a circle?” Taehyun turns to face him, looking almost as happy as the day Kai finally agreed to go out with him.

“What do you mean, finally??” Yeonjun lifts his head from his knees. “Did you guys know??”

Taehyun crouches in front of him, “Hyung, remember when I first came out to you?”

“Yeah, that was back in high school…”

Taehyun was over at his house, doing his homework at the kitchen table. Yeonjun’s across from him, playing tetris on his phone when Taehyun suddenly slams his pencil down onto the table and grabs Yeonjun’s phone. 

“I need to tell you something.”

“Ugh, couldn’t it wait, I was so close to beating your high score.” At Taehyun’s expression, he sits up seriously. “What is it? You can tell me anything, you know that.”

“Hyung, I’m gay,” Taehyun says bluntly. 

Yeonjun takes a minute to process it before grinning brightly, “Aw Taehyunnie, you know I’ll always support you!” He walks around the table, and throws his arms around the younger, pulling him to his chest, “I’ll always support you, okay? No matter what” 

“Thank you, hyung. Isn’t there something you want to tell me, too?” Taehyun’s voice comes out slightly muffled from where his face is shoved into Yeonjun’s chest.

“No, I don’t think so,” Yeonjun’s grip on him tightens, “I hope you weren’t scared to tell me or anything like that. I love you so much, okay? Nothing will change that.”

Taehyun fights his way out of his grip. “Are you sure you don’t have anything you want to tell me?”

“I’m sure, baby,” Yeonjun ruffles his hair, “you’ll tell me if you like anyone, right? 

“Of course, hyung,” Taehyun’s still studying him, something unreadable in his eyes. “If you ever need to tell me anything, I’m here too. I’ll always support you you know?”

“Aw Taehyunnie, you’re so sweet,” Yeonjun ruffles his hair.

Taehyun opens his mouth like he's about to say something else, but then he takes one look at Yeonjun's painfully oblivious smile and seems to think better of it.

"...Never mind."

"What?"

"Nothing, hyung."

In hindsight, Taehyun probably should've tried harder.

“That’s why you kept asking if I had something to tell you? You’ve known since then?”

“I mean, yeah?” Taehyun shrugs, “Would telling you that you helped me feel more comfortable with the idea of being gay help, or would it make your crisis worse?”

“What?” Yeonjun stares up at him in shock, “You just knew for the past five or so years and didn’t even tell me??”

Kai grimaces, “We’ve tried, hyung.”

“You knew too?!”

“Respectfully, literally everyone knew. Except you.”

Yeonjun decides he very much doesn’t have the emotional capacity to process this. “So what should I do?”

Kai and Taehyun share a look, “Ask him out?” Taehyun says, like it’s obvious.

“What?”

“Ask him out.”

“You make it sound so easy!”

“Because it is.”

“No, it isn't!”

“Hyung, you've been basically dating for months.”

“We have not!”

“You absolutely have.”

“We're friends.”

“You painted pottery together, decorated cakes together, and you spent an entire afternoon listening to him talk about pigeons.”

Yeonjun pauses. “Okay, but that one's different. We didn’t plan it, but Beomgyu saw a pigeon eating out of the garbage and got really sad. He’s so passionate about it.”

Taehyun drops his head into his hands. “Oh my god.”

“What?”

“You're hopeless.”

“I am not!”

“Hyung,” Kai says gently, “does Beomgyu know you like him?”

“No?”

“Then maybe start there.”

Yeonjun groans and falls backward onto the floor. “I hate this.”

“No, you don't. You spent three days moping because he rejected you,” Kai says cheerfully.

“Okay, well, when you say it like that—”

“That's exactly how it happened.”

“Fine.” Yeonjun stares up at the ceiling. “Maybe I'll ask him out.”

“Maybe?” Taehyun repeats.

“Maybe.”

“Hyung.”

“Okay! I'll ask him out.”

Kai claps, while Taehyun looks seconds away from throwing a pillow at him. “Thank fucking god.”

── ♡ ──

So that’s how Yeonjun finds himself outside the convenience store at midnight again. This time, however, he's significantly less confident.

“Why are you staring at the door?”

Yeonjun nearly jumps out of his skin. Beomgyu's sitting at one of the plastic tables outside the store, a convenience store coffee in one hand and his phone in the other.

“Jesus Christ,” Yeonjun clutches his chest. “How long have you been there?”

“Five minutes.”

“Why didn't you say anything?”

“You were making weird faces, and I didn’t want to interrupt whatever was going on.”

“I wasn't making weird faces.”

“You absolutely were.”

“Well, I was psyching myself up!”

Beomgyu eyes him suspiciously. “For what?”

Yeonjun opens his mouth, but nothing comes out. “...Never mind.”

“You know, for someone who studies fashion marketing, you're remarkably bad at selling things.”

“I'm having a crisis.”

“When are you not?” Beomgyu slides the paper cup across the table toward him. “Calm down before you keel over.” Yeonjun does what he says and takes a seat across him, taking a sip of the drink.

Neither of them says anything for a minute. Cars drift past on the road, headlights washing over the parking lot before disappearing again. Finally, Beomgyu checks the time on his phone and runs a hand through his hair. “I've got another five minutes.”

Yeonjun blurts, “I got you something.”

Beomgyu pauses, and Yeonjun digs through his tote bag with far more panic than should be necessary and triumphantly produces a milk chocolate bar, holding it out with both hands.

Beomgyu stares at it. “...You bought me chocolate?”

“You said milk chocolate was your favorite.”

“You remembered that?”

“Of course I remembered that.”

Something soft crosses Beomgyu's face before he reaches out and takes it. “Thanks, hyung.”

“Don't thank me yet.”

“That’s not ominous at all.” 

“No, seriously. I need to tell you something.”

“Okay.”

Yeonjun takes a deep breath. “The first time I asked you out, I thought you were really pretty.”

Beomgyu covers his face with one hand. “We're starting with this?”

“Listen.”

“Go on, then.”

“Then I got to know you, and you were funny, and weird, and somehow managed to make me care about pigeons. And after you came out, I kept waiting for my feelings to change.”

Beomgyu's hand slowly slips away from his face.

“They didn't.” Yeonjun laughs nervously. “If anything, they got worse. So I was wondering...” He rubs the back of his neck. “Would you maybe want to go on an actual date this time? Like one that's definitely a date?”

Beomgyu just looks at him.

“You know,” Yeonjun rushes on, “you can say no. Again. Statistically, you're actually one for one on rejecting me—”

“Hyung.”

“Yeah?”

Beomgyu smiles. “I'd love to.”

Yeonjun blinks. “Really?”

“Really.”

“As in... a date?”

“As in a date.”

“With me?”

“Hyung,” Beomgyu laughs, “please. Who else is annoying me outside my place of work?”

It takes Yeonjun approximately three seconds to process that before a grin breaks across his face. “Oh my god.”

“Please don't run into the automatic door again.”

“No promises.”

Their first official date isn't all that different from the unofficial ones. They get coffee at Soobin's café, where Beomgyu steals half of Yeonjun's pastry, and wander through the park afterward, stopping for nearly twenty minutes because Beomgyu insists on introducing him to "the really fat pigeon from last time."

For the first time in months, Yeonjun doesn't spend the entire day wondering what they are. He already knows.

──  ♡  ──

3 months later

“So this is the guy you thought was straight?”

Yeonjun’s at Soobin’s cafe again, this time with Beomgyu and his friends. He’s met Soobin and Minjeong, but Jeongin had been doing an exchange semester in Japan and is only now back. For some reason, Yeonjun gets the vibe that this guy doesn’t like him.

“In my defense, he thought he was straight too!” Beomgyu defends.

Jeongin eyes him, “you thought you were straight?”

“Very confidently.”

“When did you realize?”

“About three months ago.”

“And this thing?” Jeongin gestures between him and Beomgyu, “When did it start?”

“About five months ago.”

Jeongin turns to Minjeong, “are you hearing this?”

Minjeong sighs, “Unfortunately, I was watching it.”

“Well, whatever!” Yeonjun exclaims, “we’re together now so does it matter?”

“It matters because the two of you are clearly dumbasses and it’s concerning to society at large.”

“Exactly,” Soobin says, setting down another drink.

“Hey!” 

“What, it’s true!” Soobin says, sliding into the seat next to Jeongin. “You asked out the same person twice–”

“Well I thought he was a girl–”

“And you thought the fashion major with bright red hair and 50 billion piercings was straight.”

“Again, not my fault!”

“You know I hate to say it, but you do make a very cute couple.” Minjeong says.

Beomgyu rests his head against Yeonjun’s shoulder and takes his hand, “I know.”

Yeonjun blushes red like his faded, grown-out hair and thinks he should probably touch it up soon.

Good thing there’s a convenience store right outside his apartment.