Minseok looks at his smartphone and rereads the message he got from Lu Han the day before which includes the time and place where they’ll meet. Due to the manager’s insistence that he should drive for them, the Chinese male had given him his address. The manager originally wanted to take the metro instead because he wanted to have a very casual feel for their first date and also to avoid the traffic. However, he realized that although Lu Han isn’t an actor, he is still quite popular as a director both for his works and his looks. Minseok himself is quite known since he is Yifan’s manager so there is no doubt that someone will eventually recognize them and the Korean doesn’t want the other to feel uncomfortable at any point.

The manager swallows and looks the clock at the top of the screen. He turns his head to the side where his closet is, his feet taking him there in an instant. 

He had politely declined his talent’s offers to have his own styling team dress Minseok up for the special day. The Korean knows Yifan just means well and that the stylists will not be bothered by the small favour. He wants to pick clothes himself, though, since he thinks wearing an ensemble chosen by somebody else for him will not reflect who he is. Besides, he’s no talent or famous person to be worried about what he wears. He wants to impress Lu Han, yes, but he wants to do that all by himself.

Minseok chose two places to go to that night, both simple and cozy places that he thinks Lu Han might like. Hoping to have a laid-back night with the director, the Korean chooses a simple black dress shirt before throwing a navy blue cardigan over it, opting for a khaki coloured trousers and brown loafers. He doesn’t accessorize aside from the watch he usually wears. The manager doesn’t bother styling his hair either, brushing the brunet strands to fall over his forehead. Looking at himself in the mirror, Minseok remembers himself years ago when he had just finished college with a business degree under his belt looking for a job, any job, to help him pay for his bills. He smiles to himself as he fixes his hair in place before standing back. He might look the same as he did before but now instead of winning himself a place in a company, he’s trying to find himself a spot in Lu Han’s heart. But he knows that to be able to do that, he has to open it first and he hopes that tonight will be the key that will help him with it.

A buzzing from his bed makes him jump, his phone lighting up with Yifan’s name and face on the screen.

“Nervous?” Is the first word his talent says when he answers the phone, foregoing the greetings to get to the point.

Am I? Minseok asks himself. He was sure he was last night when he received that message from Lu Han and even before he dressed himself. He was able to distract himself enough to forget for a moment but now that Yifan is asking him again, he is feeling it once more.

“Now I am,” the manager answers as he sits himself down and second guesses everything he’s done so far even to the clothes he’s wearing. It dawns on him then that presenting himself to Lu Han as he is might not be what the director wants and for a moment he wonders if it’s already too late to ask for the stylist’s help.

“Oops, sorry.” Yifan sniggers on the other line, the fakeness in his apology piercing through the radio waves.

“Shut up,” Minseok answers back against gritted teeth.

His talent stops snickering, realizing how serious it must be for the other. Yifan reassures him after a few beats of silence, “Relax, man, just be you and he’ll like you.”

“You think so?” The Korean huffs out, already imagining the look of disgust in Lu Han’s eyes when he sees him looking like his plain and boring self.

“Ge, just be natural, I’m sure Lu Han will like seeing that than you pretending to be this cool guy when you’re already awesome as it is.”

“You really think so?” Minseok chews on his lower lip afterwards, looking at the mirror once more to find this awesome guy Yifan is talking about.

“Yes, I really, absolutely, think so.” He can hear the actor smiling from the other end of the line but he’s unsure if it’s genuine or a mocking one. “Good luck tonight. I’m certain Lu Han will like what you’ve planned.”

“I’m not sure if I should see that as you boosting my morale up or giving me false hope.”

“False hope!?” The taller male sounds offended at the elder’s accusation. “Man, you’re really not appreciating my efforts here.” Yifan clicks his tongue and seems to be thinking as he hums. “I didn’t want to tell you this but,” he pauses for suspense, Minseok feeling his heart creeping up his throat with every second that passes without his talent saying anything, “Yixing told me a while ago that Lu Han was showing signs of nervousness.”

“Oh.” The Korean sounds relieved even though he knows he shouldn’t be but getting news that he’s not the only one who’s afraid of what might transpire hours later somehow calms his heart and reassures him that he’s not alone in that boat.

“Apparently he bites his nails when he’s nervous and he does some other things too,” Yifan informs him, sounding bored and a but disgusted of what he just said.

“Awhhh,” Minseok coos which the man on the other line mistakes for the opposite reaction.

“I know. Gross, right?”

“That’s adorable.”

“What…” The manager can imagine Yifan shaking his head in disbelief, cutting himself off to change his sentence, “Ge you need to get your screws tightened.”

“Shut up,” Minseok instantly shoots his talent down, “I’m sure Yixing does something weird too and you find it cute.”

“No. My Yixing is perfect.” Yifan sounds proud and even with the distance between them, the manager can hear that clearly.

“My Yixing. Wow, Yifan. Wow.”

“Whatever Ge.” Even with the younger sounding like he doesn’t care what the other thinks, Minseok can hear a tint of embarrassment from the taller male’s voice that he can’t help but snigger. His laughter is broken, however, when Yifan shooes him away by saying, “Go, pick up your date and enjoy. Both the date and him.”

“God when did you become this erse?”

“Am not.”

“Goodbye, Yifan.”

Minseok doesn’t let the shouts of ‘I don’t get a thank you?’ deter him from pressing the red button to finish the call. He lifts his head once more, stands up and fixes his clothes.

“I’ll be fine. It’ll be fine. We’ll have fun. Yes, yes, fun.” The manager peps himself up, nodding his head as he repeats the words like a mantra even as he gets to his car and drives to the high-rise building where the director lives. He doesn’t even bother turning on the radio to listen to some music that might take his mind off of their date, afraid that if he does that he will become complacent and completely forget what he’ll be doing with Lu Han.

Minseok inhales deeply when he finally puts his car on park and releases the break. To his right he can see the building where he thinks the director is living. The residences are nothing fancy with simple architectural design. One will only know that this place is expensive because of the security. But nonetheless, everything looks the same as other condominums.

He immediately reaches for his phone in his pocket, almost having a heart attack when he doesn’t find it there. The manager’s heartbeat only goes back to normal when he remembers he placed it in the glove compartment to stop himself from sending a message to Lu Han about backing out on the date when he’s the one who asked for it. The corner of his bottom lip is trapped between his teeth the whole time he’s typing down a text for the other to know that he has arrived along with information of what his car looks like and its plate number.

After hitting send, he almost throws the device to the back seat but opts to just place it on the passenger seat while he waits, starting the mantra he has picked up on a while ago to hopefully calm his nerves. When he receives a message from Lu Han in reply to his text telling the Chinese male that he’s already parked in front of the entrance to the building, the mantra stops and changes.

“It won’t be fine. Oh my god. It won’t be fine. What if he laughs at what I’m wearing or doesn’t like the food? What if–”

His frantic questions are stopped by two knocks on the window on the passenger side of the car. Minseok slowly twists his neck and when he looks towards the source of the sound, he surprisingly feels calm; all the worries he’s been having disappear when he gets a view of Lu Han’s face on the other side of the glass pane.

Clicking sounds dominate the rather quiet space as Lu Han taps on the keyboard of his laptop, typing words and forming sentences as he tries to put into a concrete form the ideas he has been having the past few days. Yixing has been encouraging him to write them down or type them if he can and that’s exactly what he is doing. His long hair that he hasn’t been able to go to the barber shop to have it cut gets in the way, so he reaches for a hair band, combing through the silky strands with his fingers before tying them up in a half ponytail. He pushes his glasses up using his middle and ring fingers before continuing what he has been doing ever since he finished his lunch. Words flow out from his brain to the tips of his fingers as his imagination supplies him pictures of the world he has created in his mind.

The director almost jumps from his seat when his mobile device suddenly rings, buzzing beside his laptop. He closes his eyes briefly and places a hand over his chest, feeling his racing heartbeat. Looking at his smartphone, he sees that it’s his best friend calling.

Probably to squeal about seeing Yifan tonight, the elder thinks while rolling his eyes.

Either way, Lu Han picks up the call, sandwiching the gadget between his ear and his shoulder so he can still type, albeit a bit uncomfortably.

“Are you dressed?” Yixing doesn’t bother with greetings. They have long foregone such fake pleasantries anyway. The director can hear an idol group’s song playing in the background, interrupted by an announcement which leads the elder to believe that the other is out doing groceries.

“Umm, if you mean whether I have clothes on at the moment then yes.” Lu Han decides to just put the call on speaker phone because his neck is already feeling some pain and nobody else will be able to hear it other than him anyway.

There is a short pause from the other end when the younger seems to be debating on which brand he should buy before he addresses the director again, “I mean if you’re ready for your date with Minseok.”

“. I forgot.” Lu Han breathes out a few more expletives – he also accidentally typed some of them – before he remembers to correct Yixing, “And I told you, it’s not a date.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever makes you sleep at night.” There’s another announcement about free samples on aisle 11 which makes Lu Han wonder of what they’ll be eating that night. “So I’m guessing you’re still in your pyjama bottoms with your hair sticking out to every direction. And here I was thinking you’d be nervous. I thought you were gonna chew your fingers off last night.”

“For your information Mr. Zhang, I already took a bath and my hair is neatly tied, thank you very much.”

“So sassy.” Lu Han rolls his eyes once again at the younger’s tone, hearing the smile the other is wearing just by the way his voice curves. “Anyway, have you decided on what to wear?”

“Is what I wear important?” His fingers slow down from typing, finding it hard to focus on one task while he’s talking to his best friend. “Can’t I just go meet him wearing what I usually do?”

“Of course it’s important!” The author exclaims, “You have to dress up for Minseok Ge!”

“Why do I have to dress up for him?” Lu Han questions when Yixing tells him through the phone that wearing his usual hoodie or zip-up jacket will not be acceptable for the occasion. “And there is no occasion?”

“There is.” Emphasis is put on the words as an announcement threatens to drown out the younger’s voice. “It’s the first time in almost two years that you’re going out on a date.”

Lu Han can’t help it when his eyelids close and his eyes roll to the back of his skull at how Yixing is treating everything as a big deal when he himself doesn’t feel the need to do so.

“So you’re celebrating that with Yifan tonight?”

“Of course!” The director can already imagine the wide grin on his best friend’s face. “You know we support your relationship very much.”

“I don’t know why you and that guy have to celebrate on our behalf. Besides there is no relationship yet.”

“A friendship is a relationship.”

“Ugh,” the elder unhelpfully groans, “There’s no point in talking to you.”

“Ah ah ah!” Yixing warns, sensing that the director is just nanoseconds away from tapping the red button to end the call. “Before you hang up, promise me you’ll dress properly.”

“My hoodie is a proper attire,” Lu Han replies, pressing on not changing anything about his choices.

“Pretty please?”

The elder closes his eyes, shutting his eyelids tight before asking, “Is a sweater good enough for you?”

“It’s Minseok you’re going out with, not me.”

Lu Han’s mouth hangs agape, tilting his head briefly in defeat, “So why are you bothering?”

“I just want you to look great for him.” The younger sing songs from the other end, humming afterwards.

“You’re forgetting something here, Zhang,” the silence he receives from the other end means that Yixing is probably pursing his lips to remember what Lu Han is talking about but before he can even think too much about it, the elder continues, “I always look great.”

“Right.” Yixing answers uninterestedly which the taller one thinks he earns the right to wear a smug look for. “Fine, sweater is good.” 

It doesn’t take long before the younger is satisfied with bothering him, ending the call shortly after telling Lu Han that the director needs to behave himself during his date with Minseok. Checking to see that he has enough time, the director types down a few more ideas that he wants to expound further later on when he has the time before finally saving the document and shutting down the laptop.

As he promised Yixing, he ditches his hoodie and sweatpants for a more proper attire, rummaging his closet for a combination that doesn’t scream trying hard. After having chosen which sweater to wear and what pants to pair it with, Lu Han looks at the mirror and zones in on his hair.

“What do I do with you?” His neatly tied hair from earlier is now gone after haphazardly pulling a shirt on before throwing the sweater over it. Humming to himself, the director decides, “I’ll just keep that.” He pulls the band that’s tied around his loose hair, fixing the brown locks with a comb this time before tightening the black elastic around the bundle of hair. “You too.” Lu Han points to his glasses that he has placed on his nightstand, pushing the accessory up his nose bridge, seeing as he doesn’t have the time to struggle with his contact lenses.

It’s surprising, even to Lu Han, how calm he is. Just last night he had to call Yixing many times and even barge into the author’s house to help him lose the nerves about meeting Minseok alone especially when he knows where this will eventually lead to. He doesn’t get to overthink about it though because his phone buzzes again to take his attention. Even as he reads the message from the manager, he still doesn’t feel any anxiety related to meeting the other. 

Hoping to carry on with his peaceful state, the director pockets the mobile device after giving a short reply, making sure he also has his wallet before finally leaving his apartment. He does a final check of his clothes on the mirror inside the elevator, clicking his tongue whenever he finds a stray untied hair. He easily spots Minseok’s car what with all the details the manager texted him about the vehicle. Walking closer, the Korean’s form becomes more prominent and so is the slowly increasing beat of his heart. When he leans down and knocks on the glass and finally meets Minseok’s eyes, he feels the fear from last night return. But it’s too late to turn back now, not when the manager is giving him a welcoming, blinding smile.

“Hi.” Minseok greets Lu Han, feeling all the anxiety he had before meeting the director dissipate into thin air when he sees the Chinese male on the other side of the door.

“Hey.” Lu Han fiddles with his safety belt, his fingers trembling as he pulls it across his chest, hurrying it along so the other will not notice the way his hands are shaking lightly in his attempt to hide his sudden nervousness. Strange, he thinks, how the sleeping butterflies in his stomach were suddenly roused when he caught a glimpse of the manager meters away.

“You must be hungry.” A gentle voice comes from Minseok, hoping he doesn’t sound too eager, now that his nerves have miraculously calmed down.

With a tentative smile on his face, Lu Han replies, “A bit, yeah.” He glances away quickly, fearing that if he makes eye contact with the other, he will have a breakdown from the sudden surge of emotions.

They are met by traffic when Minseok’s car exits the premises of the director’s apartment building, something common in the heart of the city. Silence fills the air as they both make the effort to not say something that will ruin what has just started. The manager, although calm, is still unsure of what to talk about, despite having been able to get to know the other more in the recent weeks leading up to this day. Lu Han, on the other hand, just doesn’t really want to open a conversation, lest he croaks out something unintelligible and blow his cool, composed façade.

In an attempt to escape the awkward silence, both of them reach for the power button of the radio, realizing then that there is no silent music playing in the background just the angry horn blowing of the other drivers’ cars.

Accidentally, their fingers touch and it takes them approximately two seconds to realize that they have contact before each pull away and glance toward the other consciously. A light dusting of pink colour their cheeks and the manager loses count of how many times he clears his throat to be certain that when he opens his mouth next, he doesn’t show the effect of the short contact they just shared. The Chinese man just looks away, pretending to be fascinated by what’s going on outside. Minseok, once he finally catches the other’s attention, gestures for Lu Han to choose a channel he wants after switching the radio on.

The ride to Minseok’s chosen restaurant is quiet from then on with the occasional “I like this song” or “This singer is good” comments from him, even though he knows Lu Han doesn’t care and probably isn’t even listening to what is playing. There is obvious shock in the director’s face when they pull up and park in front of a run-down building, the sign hanging above the entrance looking like it’ll fly away if Lu Han blows on it. 

From the looks of it, with residential spaces above it, the place is a family-owned and ran restaurant which means they will be served home-cooked food. The Chinese male doesn’t comment on Minseok’s choice, however, and follows the slightly shorter male into the ill-maintained building.

Once seated, Minseok calls the owner who seems to know the Korean very well, asking if he’ll have his regular to which the other answers yes before introducing Lu Han against his will. The owner doesn’t seem to be the kind who pries about things not concerning them, thankfully, and just suggests a few of their in-house favourites to the director. The manager observes the Chinese male when their orders have been taken and no one else is there but them. The other seems to be amused by the simplicity of the place, probably wondering why Minseok brought him there and not in a fancy restaurant if his goal was to impress Lu Han.

“I used to frequent this place when I was in college.” Minseok opens, startling the director. “The apartment I shared with my friends was just a block from here. Pretty shabby just like this place.” The manager moves his head to look around the space as if there is still something about it that he has not taken into account and put to memory. “It was cheap but the food was, and still is, good. But that’s not what I came here for every time I walked into that door.” He points to the same one they passed through when they entered.

Lu Han is expecting Minseok to say that he found a lover there, maybe someone who worked there before that’s why he kept returning, which to him would sound very offending considering the fact that he was brought here as a date – even if he vehemently denies that it is one.

“There was a worker here before,” Minseok continues and the director manages to stop himself from smiling because he got that part right. “She was Korean, like me, but she was brought here by her parents to work. Every time I come by she always looked happy to see me and always made sure I had extra serving. When I asked her why she seemed so fond of me, she said I looked like her younger brother, the same brother she lost to people who her parents owed money to. They escaped Korea after learning that her brother was taken by the gang along with what could still be sold from their house. She said she didn’t want to leave but there was nothing she could do and every time she saw me she felt guilty about leaving her brother behind.”

“Why are you telling me this?” There is obvious perplexity in Lu Han’s voice when he breathes out the question.

A sad smile gives the Korean’s lips a small curve, warming up his hands around the small cup where he poured himself tea earlier. “Because I later found out, after she died in an accident, that I was that same boy.”

The director can’t help his hand from flying to his mouth, trapping the end of a gasp before he sputters on his words, “Minseok, I’m…”

“Nobody else knows this about me other than you and the owners of this restaurant,” the manager looks thoughtfully at his cup, swirling the hot beverage inside it as he watches the colour stain the porcelain, “not even Yifan.”

Shock rippled through Lu Han’s features after knowing that he’s been entrusted such a fact. He shakes it off and blurts out some of the questions floating in his mind, “How did you end up here? How–?”

“I don’t really remember much from that time because I was still so young. All I remember is that I was raised in an orphanage ran by nuns and when I grew older I decided to move here after graduating high school.” Silence envelope them as Lu Han tries to digest everything Minseok just told him, said male sipping his tea slowly as he looks around the restaurant as if reminiscing back when he used to see his sister there.

Lu Han decides to break the quiet, the hubbub around them slowly becoming a noise he didn’t feel is helpful in filling the silence between them. “Why did you tell me about it? For all you know I can use this against you.”

The shorter male can’t fight the chuckle that leaves his mouth, “To do what?” When he looks up to make eye contact, he’s met by a mixture of shock and confusion on the director’s face. “Besides, I don’t think you’re going to do that. You’re not that kind of person.”

“You still haven’t answered the why.” Minseok notices the slight tremble in the director’s hand when he reaches for the tea. Afraid that the other will spill the drink on himself and acquire a burn, the manager takes the container swiftly and pours a good amount of it into Lu Han’s cup, answering the posed question while he does so.

“I’ve noticed that you’re still wary about sharing things about you to me and I thought I should set an example.” The Korean smiles as he pushes the porcelain towards the other, the steam rising from the cup contrasting greatly with the grey sweater that Lu Han is wearing. “I’m not saying this so that you’ll feel obliged to disclose to me every little detail about yourself especially when I know that our feelings are not on the same page.” Minseok notes the way the director’s hand tightens around the cup at his words, his face twitching slightly but not enough for the manager to understand the meaning behind it. “I will never force you to reciprocate what I have for you but as long as you allow me to be part of your life, I’ll be glad.”

The apples of Lu Han’s cheek are tinted a light shade of pink and Minseok is unsure whether it is because of his words or of the drink that is hiding the director’s mouth.

“Uh, sorry,” the manager immediately apologizes, “That was too romantic, wasn’t it? I must have been reading the script too much.” The Korean shyly scratches the back of his head, thankful that the first of their orders have arrived.

“Another reason why I took you here,” Minseok starts once more when the waitress is gone, subtly pushing the food towards Lu Han, “is because I know how you feel and I don’t want you to think too much of this as a date but just as two friends hanging out. What do you say?”
 
Lu Han wonders then, as he looks at the genuine smile on the Korean’s lips, how come he had not allowed himself to fall for Minseok when he is obviously made of everything nice. There is nothing that he wants in return but gives his all to everyone he deems important and to everything that he does. With the other waiting for his reply, the director nods lightly, even if the whole premise of the setup and with how the shorter male treats him always reminds him that this is a date.
 

 
“I hope you don’t mind but I’m taking you somewhere else for dessert.” Minseok tells the Chinese male when they walk out of the restaurant, their bellies filled of what Lu Han didn’t expect to be extremely good food.
 
“Okay,” Lu Han answers without waiting for another beat. Dessert isn’t exactly necessary considering the fact that Minseok made sure Lu Han ate his fill and emptied his bowl. However, he didn’t want to disregard the effort the manager gave into planning out the night and he is also curious as to where the other is going to take him.

 
Lu Han’s jaw drops when they enter a door located in the second floor of the seemingly ordinary building they went into.
 
“How did you know that I love cats?” The director questions as he sees the small creatures padding around the heated floor from one customer to another, some of them perched on the windowsills that surround the café. He turns around to face Minseok, straining to keep his expression neutral when all his facial muscles want to do is break out into a smile.
 
“Yixing has his advantages sometimes.” A shrug accompanies the Korean’s answer, not stopping himself from showing the joy he feels at seeing Lu Han’s restrained reaction. After toeing off his shoes and placing them in the rack, he carefully places a hand on the slightly taller male’s elbow and Minseok urges him to go further into the café, “Let’s go.”
 
A girl points them to an available table that is near the window where a Himalayan is lounging on, head turned towards the city beyond the glass. Minseok allows Lu Han to sit on the side where the cat is peacefully looking at the big, busy city. The manager observes the other as he watches the white cat, eyes darting to the parts of the creature that are coloured brown and black, namely its ears and tail. When the girl from before comes to ask if they want to order with a menu in hand, the Chinese male asks if they can pet the cats. The girl answers with a perky “Of course!” letting them know as well that they can buy treats to feed the cats.
 
“We’ll get a pack of treat each,” Minseok decides for them when he sees Lu Han pet the British Shorthair that walks by their table, eyes smiling with his lips when the cat purrs under his fingers. “I’ll have green tea ice cream,” he adds after scanning the whole menu before turning to the director who already has the grey cat on his lap, his fingers disappearing in the creature’s soft, short fur, “How about you Lu Han? Iced Americano?”
 
“Huh?” The cat lover snaps his head up, fingers scratching the Shorthair’s chin. “Umm, yeah, sure.”
 
Lu Han reaches one hand out to finally open the menu when Minseok asks, “Anything to eat?”

Some of the customers leave as the night grows deeper, leaving more cats for the two to play with. The Himalayan finally turns its head when the doors open with the shuffling noise of the leaving patrons.

“The cat is like you,” Minseok comments, seeing the sharp yet majestic features on the Himalayan’s face. There is a stern expression on the creature’s face but when the manager lifts a hand up, waiting for the animal to smell and it, it changes into a soft one, closing its eyes and leaning into the human’s touch when the Korean scratches behind the cat’s ears.

Lu Han chooses not to reply to that, hoping it doesn’t mean that he grows soft for Minseok rather he also has a good side to him despite the snobby personality he puts upfront.

When the treat arrives, the cats start swarming around their table, their sharp sense of smell telling them that is where the food is, meowing when the packets are opened. The director can’t even be bothered to hide the smile that curves his lips when the cats slink around him, rubbing their faces and bodies to his torso and thighs in hopes of gaining his favour. His eyes flit to Minseok from time to time to see how the manager is holding up. The smile on his lips grow wider when he sees the Korean fumble to give all of the cats equal attention.

The small creatures come for seconds but the manager has his eyes on the Scottish Fold standing off to the side away from the litter that has gathered in front of him. The cat is standing on its legs, seemingly asking for the human’s focus with his dilated pupils, eyes wide as it cautiously reaches out its paws as if asking for food. When the Korean tries to take it to place on his lap, cooing at how adorable it is, the Himalayan that has been observing the whole thing from his perch jumps down to claim Minseok’s lap, making himself cozy there. The smaller male laughs a little at the possessiveness the creature is showing, feeding the Scottish Fold from afar while petting the Himalayan on his lap.

“Ooohh,” Lu Han lets out in awe when he sees a cat far larger than the ones surrounding them come from behind the counter where the café workers are. The cat looks attracted to the congregation of his kind where the two human males are, walking around while observing them before finally joining the others. The director quickly takes a liking to the newcomer, reaching out and petting the long fur that covers its body, cautious not to get on the bad side of the cat.

The owner of the café comes looking for it after a while, the elderly female looking fondly when she sees her pet happily sharing space with the other cats and allowing people other than her to his majestically thick fur. Lu Han eagerly asks about the creature that has decided to lay down beside him, sharp eyes keeping other cats away from the human. He tries out the words Norwegian Forest cat on his tongue while the fur of orange, black and ash gray mix on the creature’s long body. Its face looks menacing, the pointed ears and fur extending below its chin making it look like a Maine Coon’s older relative. But for all its regal and unfriendly appearance, the way it purrs and leans into the warmth of Lu Han’s hand makes it endearing.

Despite their favourites, the two males make sure they also give enough attention to the other cats, spotting a few breeds they recognize and even fighting over which one is the Bengal and which one is the Egyptian Mau. They only settle the argument when the owner clears it up to them, pointing out how the Bengal has larger spots on its body which are closer to one another compared to the Egyptian Mau’s smaller and more scattered print.

After almost two hours inside the café, their drinks and packets of treat emptied, Lu Han and Minseok leave the place reluctantly, promising each other and the cats that they will return. When the manager notices the Chinese one looking back longingly at the closed door of the café, he inquires, “Should we have stayed longer?”

“Huh?” The taller male looks at the other, tearing his gaze away from the café when they come to stop in front of the elevator. “No, I have to drive out early tomorrow.”

“We can just come again,” Minseok suggests as he steps into the elevator, not seeing the smile on the director’s lips when he pushes the button to the basement parking lot. Lu Han hums when the manager takes a step back and glances towards him, already looking forward to it.

Their ride back to Lu Han’s place is spent in relative silence once more but it’s more comfortable now and they both know that it’s not because of the quiet music playing from the radio.

Stuck in traffic again, Minseok decides to pass the time by talking, especially when he notices the director appearing to be deep in thought.

“What are you thinking of?”

Lu Han plants his forehead onto the cold window, eyes following the condensation his breath creates, “A lot of things.”

“Like?”

“The things you said today, the cats,” the director enumerates, keeping the last thing he is thinking about to himself.

How I feel about you.

“You really like cats, huh?” Minseok smiles sleepily, droopy eyes suddenly becoming alert when he hears a series of horn sounds from outside, moving his car forward to get out of the traffic.

Lu Han hums in reply, lifting his hand to draw a cat on the fogged up window. Once he is done with the whiskers, he stares at the big circles he has drawn on it, snickering to himself when his mind supplies him a comparison of Minseok and the grey spotted Scottish Fold in the cat café who kept asking for their attention from afar. Without stopping his mouth from opening, the director lets the other know what is currently in his mind.

“You said a while ago that I’m like that Himalayan cat,” he pauses, feeling the manager’s eyes on him when they come to another stop, “then I will say that you’re like the Scottish Fold.”

“I hope you mean it’s because I’m adorable.” Lu Han doesn’t reply but he smiles to himself.

Sure but also because you’re patient.

Notes: That will be all for Xiuhan. The following chapters will not have parts focused on them but they will still be mentioned as they are close characters to our main pairing. Thank you and I hope you continue to read Working Title. :)

Also, forgive me if I made mistakes in describing the cats, I literally just googled them and based it on photos I saw :p