Late – that would be the best word to describe Kim Jongin. Late to class, late to dates, late to work and much too late to notice the person standing between his destination and his over-polished scooter. And if there is any other word in the English dictionary to properly describe Kim Jongin most of the time, it would be unlucky. His friends (read: fiends Oh Sehun and Park Chanyeol) have formulated a theory that the misfortune he carries around is contagious and that it may be permanent until he gets laid. They call it the Jongin Factor (who comes up with such a lame name? Oh Sehun and Park Chanyeol, of course).

 

“Dude, this could become a pandemic if we don’t find a cure,” Sehun reasoned.

 

“Exactly. And we’re practically risking our destinies for you, man. This is basically consenting to eternal ity, hanging out with you,” Chanyeol added.

 

“How is it my fault that nobody wants to hook up with any of you asses?” Jongin questions, incredulous.

 

The way they go around pointing out facts to him every time they meet convinced Jongin that they may have made this their new religion. Quite bold for empty-heads, if he does say so himself. But now that he is sandwiched between the cold hard road and an unknown heavy object – which is surprisingly warmer than the harsh chill on his back (and rather soft too but let’s not get to that just yet because he’s dying) Jongin is starting to find faith in their belief. It was only when he heard groaning did Jongin feel the pain.

 

But pain is good, right? It means I’m still alive right? No, don’t panic. Breathe, Kim Jongin.’

 

But he didn’t dare open his eyes until he felt the weight on top of his chest gets lifted off of him. The first thing he noticed was the blue spring sky, how bright and open it looked. ‘I never knew the sky could look this big,’ he thought. Then his gaze shifted down and sets upon a mask of anger and annoyance – he knows because that’s the face his sisters always make when he forgets (okay maybe just a teensy bit lazy, too) to put his dirty socks in the hamper. Then he tried lifting his head but gives up when he felt a shot of pain run through his muscles. When he opens his eyes again, the grumpy kid was still there.

 

“What do you want?” he groaned.

 

“I want compensation,” he replied with a surprisingly velvety voice that does not match his round features.

 

“Excuse me, but since you clearly haven’t gotten your eyes pushed back into your head I’m sure you could see how I’m the one in need of compensation. I’m basically dying here,” Jongin replied, body still plastered to the pavement.

 

“Obviously you’re the one who’s had your eyes pushed back. I wasn’t the one who ran into a civilian going downhill on a freaking scooter!”

 

SCOOTER.

 

Jongin forgot all about his pain at the mention of his baby. People may call him old fashioned but that particular scooter was the first thing his eyes fell upon the moment he stepped into the used bike shop. He had originally planned on getting a bike when his savings were enough to get him one but he couldn’t resist the sleek black finish of the metal frame and the golden decals on it made it stand out even more. It was love at first sight. Never mind the fact that he was tricked into getting it for twice its worth because the owner deemed it once belonged to a famous person. Of course he didn’t believe it but he wouldn’t miss it for the world. One could say that Jongin’s life motto is “sticks and stones may break my bones but put a scratch on my scooter and I’ll have your bones in a pile along with those sticks and stones, I swear to God”.

 

“I’m still taking to you,” the doe eyed boy said trying to gauge Jongin’s attention.

 

“Shh civilian, I need to examine by babe because she is more precious than my life and your life and life itself I- THERE’S A SCRATCH ON MY SCOOTER!”

 

“Who the cares about that old scrap of metal. You broke my priceless antique vase!”

 

“Antique my ! What am I gonna ride to go places now?”

 

“Oh get over it, it’s just a scratch. What are you gonna do about my shattered vase?”

 

“Oh get over it, just superglue it or something!” Jongin mocked.

 

And that marked the start of a beautiful friendship – not. They parted ways without getting or giving any compensation but both with hatred raging in the pits of their guts. It didn’t help the fact that Jongin found out later that same day that the guy works in the new flower shop that just opened three days ago, which wouldn’t be a problem if it wasn’t right across the bookstore he works part time in.

 

“To think being surrounded by that much flowers on a daily basis would make a person be less hostile,” Jongin grumbled to himself as he cleaned the bookshop’s window one Thursday afternoon, a week after the accident. He was glaring straight at the flower shop in front of him.

 

“You look happy,” his supervisor and also cousin, Junmyeon, said from behind effectively startling the glowering male.

 

“DON’T DO THAT!” Jongin lashes out putting a hand over his chest.

 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” Junmyeon replied with a kind smile. Jongin always thought the older man has a smile that can melt every mother in law’s hearts. He even wears his hair like a young CEO. Top it off with a classic suit and tie, and if Jongin didn’t know any better, he can say he just came back from a meeting with the president and Jongin would’ve believed him. Not that he has seen Junmyeon in a tux but a guy can imagine, you know.

 

“You’ve been glaring at that shop for a solid half an hour like it stole your chicken wings or something. What’s up?”

 

“Well, hyung, if you must know. There’s a rude person who works in that shop and it would make the world a better place if he doesn’t exist.”

 

“Who, Kyungsoo?”

 

“If you think I care about his name, you’re wrong,” he replied with malice dripping in every word as he brushed past Junmyeon.

 

“You’re such a cutie,” the older chuckled as he reached (or rather strained to) for Jongin’s head to ruffle his hair and went about his day, leaving the younger to his misery.

 

Contrary to his belief, Jongin isn’t exactly that hard to read. He’s the type of person to get rid of stuff that he doesn’t like or avoid them at best. But Junmyeon likes to tease his baby cousin and always tries to find ways for Jongin to interact with his source of menace, Kyungsoo, just to mess with his sanity. He would make Jongin deliver unnecessary stuff to Kyungsoo – it goes from something as petty as delivering a message about how Junmyeon might need to park his car right in front of the flower shop because he needs to move some stuff, to something as ridiculous as delivering a “friendly” home cooked meal even though the guy could barely make instant ramen taste decent (Jongin almost did a victory dance for the torture Kyungsoo would be going through, though).

 

It was not a lie that none of the forced encounters spawned anything relatively civil between them. Jongin could practically count the amount of times they exchanged pleasantries (if one could call five minutes of not stabbing the other with snarky comebacks that) with just one hand. At least in his defense, Jongin tried to be as polite as he could in front of the person responsible for the scratch on his beloved, but apparently Kyungboo, or whatever he was named, was still very offended over his broken vase. Not that he cares, really because the smaller man is apparently not friendly at all. And if his “I plan to kill your family and your dog” look doesn’t give it away, Jongin’s theory was proven correct when he didn’t even stay that long while talking to Junmyeon.

 

“You know what, Hyung? I think you have the hots for that guy. If that’s the case, stop making me play matchmaker. I have a life too you know,” he confronted Junmyeon.

 

“Stop being silly, I’m just being friendly,” he replied waving Jongin off with a hearty chuckle.

 

It’s not that he really minded doing these extra delivery works, it meant he gets to get out of the bookshop. But if it includes a one on one glare contest with a very anti-social midget, he’d take staying inside the stuffy bookshop any day. Dear God, does he hate that one human being.

 

“I thought you loved being surrounded by the endless amount of books?” Chanyeol chortled one day at their usual café in campus.

 

“Of course I do but even I need some fresh air once in a while, you moron,” Jongin replied with his face plastered to the table – the cool surface a nice contrast to his feverish skin. He hasn’t been feeling very well these past few days and Junmyeon’s pestering was becoming more frequent if not absurd. There was one instance where Junmyeon made Jongin deliver a parcel he deemed was wrongly addressed to his shop which turned out to actually be his (which meant Kyungsoo to step in his sanctum to return the parcel). He was about to drift into dreamland when he felt thin fingers grasp the hair on the back of his head. He didn’t have any time to react before his head (and his consciousness) was yanked back by the intrusive hand.

 

 “Goddamnit. What the ?!”

 

“It’s not nice to take the Lord’s name in vain, Jongin. And that table is dirty, you’re gonna get nasty breakouts on your skin,” Sehun said matter-of-factly as he took a seat in the small round table on the only empty seat.

 

“Since when were you religious and since when do you care about the well-being of my skin?” he replied giving the younger male his best version of the evil eye, hoping for some kind of reaction. But of course Sehun is the kind to not care about what people make of him – especially not Jongin’s glare (or even his murder threats, to be honest).

 

“I’m God’s son, shut up and I don’t care about your skin, it already makes me look bad walking next to a hideous person like you, imagine how much more hideous you’d look with nasty pimples. I’d have to put on a paper bag over your head.” It was amazing how he could refute without flinching or stumbling over his words like Jongin usually did. He admired Sehun’s talents but that doesn’t mean he was about to admit defeat to the blond brat.

 

“If I remember clearly, you were the first person in this group to take the Lord’s name in vain. In which case got all of us in trouble with your mom since you just had to scream “ing God” at the top of your lungs because a freaking cockroach flew past your feet.”

 

Any other day, the said incident would be something to laugh at rather than made into a rebuttal in one of their typical quarrels. They were twelve – an awkward age where girls started to become weird beings and some of the guys were suddenly hit with a growth spurt and had their voices changed over the summer. Chanyeol was one of them (the story of how the other two late bloomers got the scare of their lives when they heard Chanyeol’s new deeper voice is for another time). They were at Sehun’s house playing on his new PlayStation he got for his birthday, being as quiet as they can manage – in the disguise that they were having a study group. In the middle of his concentration trying to beat Jongin’s high score in Street Fighter, Sehun didn’t notice the little cockroach right beside his right foot and only realized its presence when he stepped on it.

 

It was a split second thing – he lifted his foot, took his eyes off the screen and suddenly the evil thing flew past his feet. In his disoriented state, Sehun’s mind could only form two words “ing God” and signaled for him to scream them. How was he to know that his mother was right behind his bedroom door wanting to check up on them at the exact moment? His punishment was doubled because not only did he curse, he also lied about studying. Chanyeol and Jongin also received an earful (plus a report to their parents, courtesy of Sehun’s mom, which meant they too were punished). It took Sehun two whole weeks of begging and bribing them with snacks to gain their forgiveness.

 

“If you must know, Mr Kim, cockroaches are devils and they bring out the worst in all of us. Besides, I didn’t know those ers could fly at that time so it isn’t entirely my fault.”

 

“He’s got a point, though,” Chanyeol finally spoke up.

 

“You’re lucky I’m too tired to fight,” Jongin replied put his cheek back on the supposedly dirty table again, just to annoy Sehun. The latter merely rolls his eyes at Jongin’s childishness.

 

“Why were you late anyway?” Chanyeol asked when their banter died down. Jongin could only sigh remembering the incident that very morning.

 

Junmyeon has asked Jongin to house sit for him because he would be out of town for three weeks. He didn’t mind especially when the older man told him he could make himself at home just as long as nothing breaks and that he doesn’t waste electricity and all that . It was a nice change from his too small campus dorm room that he has to share with another guy. Junmyeon’s apartment was close to his college anyway and he as his trusty scooter, so why the hell not?

 

The only problem, though, was that when he was about to leave for class that morning, he was met with Kyungsoo’s round eyes. Well, actually he bumped into the smaller man first (again).

 

“Do you always collide into other people or do you have anything against me?” Kyungsoo said in an eerily calm voice.

 

“Don’t flatter yourself. Maybe it’s just because you’re too small for me to notice,” Jongin retorted. He didn’t really mean to sound mean but he wasn’t going down without a fight, even if the small man looked like he could make the whole city bow down to him.

 

“Have you ever considered that maybe you’re too big to notice anything like that ugly face of yours?”

 

The squabble dragged on for about an hour with insult after insult thrown at each other since neither man wanted to back down until Chanyeol rang Jongin’s cellphone to ask about his whereabouts. Only then did he realize that he was late for his first class. He was let off with a warning but his anger only burned more.

 

❋

 

“He’s kinda cute,” Sehun mused that following evening. All three of them were huddled at the bookshop’s window, sneaking glances at Jongin’s nemesis.

 

“I’ve always kinda envied your intelligence but I guess not anymore,” Jongin replied in disgust.

 

“I take that as a compliment.”

 

“Hush, both of you idiots. I think he’s coming over here!” Chanyeol exclaimed as they quickly ducked under the large see through glass. They came up again when they heard a thump on the window. They were met with Kyungsoo’s retreating back and a piece of paper that says “I can see you fools. If you need anything from me you can ask. Stop being morons.”

 

“Wow, feisty. You should date him,” Sehun said to Jongin and received a slap to the back of his head.

 

❋

 

Things didn’t get friendlier between him and Kyungsoo. If anything, he finds himself thinking of new insults just in case he encounters another Kyungsoo episode. They cross paths in the apartment complex sometimes and would glare holes at each other.

 

“You’re gonna end up falling in love with him, I can just tell,” Sehun tells him for the third time that week when they were getting ready to sneak into Kyungsoo’s flower shop (Chanyeol’s idea, he doesn’t even know why he’s there).

 

“Shut up, I don’t need to hear your bogus fortune telling.”

 

“Who uses ‘bogus’ anymore in this era. You’re an embarrassing git.”

 

“If you two don’t quiet down, I will literally set both of you on fire,” Chanyeol scolded his two best friends.

 

“I cannot believe I’m friends with an idiot who thinks he can see the future and another idiot who might be a pyromaniac,” Jongin grumbled.

 

“You’re an idiot too, just FYI. An idiot who-”

 

“Finish that sentence, Park, and you see where you wake up tomorrow morning,” it was an empty threat but Chanyeol shut up with every intent on getting back to him later.

 

They were hiding behind a very organized bush of flowers – daisies, Jongin thinks. He’s not exactly a flower expert. The store was of decent size and despite the number of plants decorating every nook and cranny, it doesn’t look messy at all. In fact, even Jongin would admit the flowers made him feel very comfortable. Their target of surveillance, Kyungsoo, was talking to a customer quite a distance away so they couldn’t really listen well.

 

“Why are we doing this again?” Sehun grumbled as he adjusted his position.

 

“We’re helping out poor Nini, remember? You know that saying, “keep your friends close but your enemies closer” thing? We gotta learn the enemy’s nature first if we intend to take him down,” Chanyeol reasoned.

 

“That is so stupid but I gotta admit he’s right, Sehun.”

 

When the customer left, Kyungsoo went to the back room for an eternity (15 minutes) before returning with a spray bottle to tend to his flowers. It was a long stretch of silence before Kyungsoo began to hum an unfamiliar song but it sounded nice and Jongin didn’t want to concede that he was somewhat captivated. Because at that moment, it was as if he was looking at someone completely different and all thoughts of hatred, for whatever reason, vanished from his mind. All of a sudden Kyungsoo was not the midget he has set out to ruin until he admits defeat. Not that grumpy person that looks like a paid assassin who is capable of making your death look like a ing accident. This time his face looks like it’s lit up with some beautiful emotion he can’t find words to describe – it looks serene, graced with the smallest of smiles and Jongin couldn’t help but stare in awe.

 

Jongin thinks the universe could be plotting something against him because right at that moment, Kyungsoo came towards their hideout and Sehun chose that exact moment to let out the biggest sneeze of his entire 22 years of life, catching the attention of the only person whose attention they were trying to avoid. The following events was pretty easy to predict – they were busted which lead to awkward apologies and Jongin wanting his life to end right then and there.

 

“We were just… admiring your flowers. You take good care of them and we’re interested in plants in general. Also there’s this project we’re working on-” Chanyeol began to ramble but Sehun stopped him with a slap to the mouth subsequently dragging the tall human out of the premise.

 

“Sorry, he forgot to take his medications. We’ll be going now,” Sehun said hurriedly leaving a dumbfounded Jongin alone in the battlefield. Kyungsoo turned his attention to the young man in front of him, arching a questioning eyebrow – daring him to explain.

 

“I- We- Yeah, what he said,” he said lamely and left Kyungsoo’s flower shop like his life depended on it (in which case it does).

 

❋

 

He couldn’t sleep that night. He kept tossing and turning as his mind replayed that brief period of time where his thoughts of Kyungsoo took a 180 turn. He felt his heartbeat quicken when he remembers said man is just in the apartment right in front of his. When he did fall asleep, his thoughts still centered on Kyungsoo and he ended up with a cold shower at an ungodly hour, later refusing to sleep. But hey, at least he managed to attend class on time.

 

“You look like ,” Chanyeol commented.

 

“Thanks,” he replied and fell on his arms. He told them about his problems later that afternoon, ignoring Sehun incessant “I told you so”, not giving him the pleasure of admitting him being correct.

 

“What am I supposed to do now?” Jongin whined.

 

“Flowers! Send him flowers for apology because he’s a florist, you get my drift?” Sehun chirped in.

 

“Yeah, yeah! Isn’t there like meanings for flowers? There’s gotta be something for apologies,” Chanyeol agreed. Sure, no big deal. The only problem? None of them spoke flowers.

 

It took them three days of arguing over contradicting information that they gained from the internet to agree to one flower – white lilies. Jongin decided to put the flowers at Kyungsoo’s doorstep but of course he doesn’t have very nice luck because Kyungsoo had to open his front door before Jongin could make a run for it.

 

“I was just- it was to say I’m sorry,” he stammered as his hand extended to give the flowers and his other hand scratched the back of his head nervously. Awkwardness began to bite Jongin’s as the clock ticks but Kyungsoo takes his time with replying.

 

“Those are white lilies,” he finally says.

 

“Y-yeah,” he mentally kicks himself for stuttering. “I read somewhere that they meant apologies so this is me saying I’m sorry. I know I’ve been a jerk. So.”

 

“White lilies mean ity, stupid,” Kyungsoo replies monotonously before leaving Jongin standing like a paralyzed fish.

 

And that was essentially how Sehun and Chanyeol ended up with bruises on the back of their heads.

 

“HOW THE HELL WERE WE SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHITE LILIES ACTUALLY MEANT ITY?” Sehun complained, rubbing the sore spot on his head as they were walking towards the bookshop. Nobody really knows when it was established between them that Junmyeon’s bookshop would be their turf.

 

“Yeah, and we, which means all three of us, including you agreed to it. It’s not our fault you have rotten luck,” Chanyeol added.

 

Sehun then suddenly stopped in front of Jongin, extending his arms towards him before grasping his shoulders. “We need to end the Jongin Factor. And the only way to break the curse is by winning Kyungsoo’s heart.”

 

Jongin doesn’t quite understand why or how he was friends with the Oh and Park duo and he doesn’t quite get why he consented to Sehun’s suggestion. Maybe it was the urgency in his voice or the seriousness in his reasoning or maybe both but he wanted to destroy the Jongin Factor too (even if he still thinks the whole thing was stupid but a curse needs to be lifted, nonetheless).

 

❋

 

“But we don’t even know if he’s into guys.”

 

“Jongin, my man. Even if he isn’t, we’re gonna transform you into something even a straight gentleman would want to screw,” Chanyeol assured him.

 

“You’re making it sound like you guys are trying to turn me into a e.”

 

“No but if that’s what it takes-”

 

“You cruel son of a .”

 

Plan A was to catch Kyungsoo’s attention as much as possible which translates to cleaning the shop window every two days (because apparently “Every day is too much, you wanna lay low”, Sehun’s words), monitoring the times when he leaves his apartment every morning (“You have about over a week before Junmyeon comes home, utilize every second!”) so they can catch each other by ‘coincidence’ and also went as far as ‘accidentally’ dropping stuff in front of the flower shop.

 

They didn’t really have a Plan B as of yet, partly because Jongin is actually a shy person who would rather not do anything too bold and mostly because they’re lousy planners. But Plan A wasn’t bearing much results because Kyungsoo still doesn’t even give him a second glance let alone take any sort of interest in his weird antics and Jongin was growing antsy.

 

“I don’t think it’s working and Junmyeon’s gonna be home in three days,” he wailed, one side of his face planted on the cashier counter.

 

“Great things come to those who wait,” Chanyeol said, his words muffled by the food in his mouth.

 

“Stop putting your face on random surfaces and you, giant, stop talking with your mouth full. Disgusting,” Sehun complained.

 

“That quote is so overrated it’s not even inspirational anymore,” Jongin replied, audaciously ignoring Sehun’s comment.

 

“Yeah, ignore me.”

 

“All I’m saying is that you just gotta keep going if you want this to work,” Chanyeol added.

 

“And if it doesn’t?” Chanyeol was quiet for a moment. One would think he’s contemplating his answer but in all honesty he’s just taking his time devouring the Chinese takeout – Yixing makes the best fried noodles in town, hands down.

 

“Well maybe Kyungsoo isn’t the solution for the Jongin Factor,” he finally spoke.

 

“Insightful,” Sehun commented, rolling his eyes and returned his attention to the magazine he has been reading for the past twenty minutes.

 

The silence was short lived (none of their silent moments are any longer anyway because Park Chanyeol) because someone came into the shop. Jongin straightened up from his pathetic position with every intention of putting on his “Do not talk to me, customer, or I will kill you” face. Except it wasn’t a customer (well, he could be but he most likely isn’t). Chanyeol almost swallowed his chopsticks when he saw Kyungsoo standing in front of the counter. And Jongin’s soul basically left his body.

 

“C-can I help you?” he stuttered.

 

“I found this in my shop yesterday and figured it must’ve belonged to one of you,” Kyungsoo said, putting a pair of sunglasses on the counter. Aviators, Chanyeol’s, but nobody dared to admit – refusing to be reminded of the sneezing incident. “I’ll be leaving then,” he said without missing a beat.

 

“Um,” Jongin said just before Kyungsoo reached the front door. “Thank you.”

 

“You’re welcome,” he replied with a nod.

 

It took a tremendous amount of effort on Jongin’s part but his friends weren’t having any of it. He instead received a scolding about being lame and unromantic and about how that being the ugliest pick up line in the history of mankind. But all Jongin could register was Kyungsoo’s smooth velvety voice and the way his lips moved as he talked. That was when he knew he was whipped.

 

❋

 

The day before Junmyeon’s return, Jongin decided to finally confront his demons. He was going to talk to Kyungsoo and straighten things out. Except it proved to be much more difficult than how he imagined. He was currently pacing in front of Kyungsoo’s front door (after going back and forth inside and outside Junmyeon’s apartment five times) going over the words he has diligently rehearsed for the past twenty four hours.

 

“Hi, I’m Jongin and I’m sorry I’ve been a jerk in the beginning and I probably should’ve brought correct flowers this time but I still don’t know which flower means sorry. So can we start over?” he repeated the words like a mantra and was just about to knock when Kyungsoo opened his door (apparently the Jongin Factor is still intact).

 

“H-h-hi there. I’m J-jongin and I like you,” he stumbled over his words as carefully structured sentences left the confines of his mind. “No, I mean,” he began again, breaths coming out uneven as he mouth dries up.

 

“Jongin.”

 

“Yes?” he squeaked.

 

“Relax. I’m not gonna eat you,” Kyungsoo told him with an amused smile. It’s pretty, Jongin thought.

 

“Okay, listen. I’m sorry because I’ve been a jerk to you and I haven’t been really good at apologizing so I thought I’d just say it. You’ve been this really grumpy person – no offense – but I think you’re not really that and I really like it when I’m right. So can we – no pressure, though. Like it’s totally up to you but it would make me feel better if we started over?” his rambling unintentionally came out as a question. His heartbeat picked up its pace when he heard Kyungsoo chuckle, his mind throwing unpleasant theories and ugly images of how he would be rejected.

 

“You’re really amusing, you know that? And sure why not.”

 

He didn’t expect the answer. Hell, he didn’t even expect Kyungsoo to catch what he was saying. But a yes is a yes and that’s a good start right? Jongin may be a little bit on the naïve side, and his luck is just starting to improve but the Jongin Factor has been very convincing as of late so it isn’t exactly his fault that he somehow suddenly developed paranoia. But he also wanted this to work out.

 

“So how do we do this?” he said awkwardly.

 

“I’m kind of busy today but we can meet up tomorrow.” There was an air of authority in Kyungsoo’s voice but goodness gracious this being is beautiful, Jongin thought almost forgetting to respond.

 

“Tomorrow’s good.”

 

“Okay. See you around,” Kyungsoo said as he left without as much as a second glance.

 

❋

 

Tomorrow came around way too slow but when it finally comes it feels like he was never ready in the first place. Jongin was contemplating his choices – he could run away while he still can which will probably make Kyungsoo hate his guts forever and he won’t have that gorgeous smile thrown at his direction anymore – but then Kyungsoo came. They need to work on their timing once they have everything (or some things) figured out.

 

They went to a coffee shop and talked – about themselves, their interests and just about everything. Jongin learned that Kyungsoo was a year older than him and that the flower shop was a family business.

 

“Why aren’t you in college?” Jongin blurted out. “I’m sorry I have no self-control. You don’t have to answer if it’s too personal.”

 

“It’s fine, Jongin,” Lord, he never knew his name could sound so divine coming out of a person’s mouth. “It’s not that I haven’t thought of it. I just realized that college isn’t for me. Besides, there was no one to take care of the shop.”

 

It still amazes him how Kyungsoo was a totally different person from their first encounter. He spoke with a pleasant voice that makes Jongin wonder how he would sound like singing (then he felt his cheeks warm up and tried to hide behind his coffee mug). He’d be lying though if he said he wasn’t the least bit scared because he’s diving in way too fast and he doesn’t quite know how to slow down.

 

Jongin was falling in love with the beautiful person in front of him and he was falling hard.

 

❋

 

“Look at our Jonginnie. He’s grown up so much,” Chanyeol mused, wiping a nonexistent tear under his eye.

 

“Wasn’t just yesterday he said he’d marry your noona, Chanyeol? Now he’s gone off and gotten himself a boyfriend,” Sehun added. Jongin just rolled his eyes at their antics, resisting the urge to dunk both of their heads in a toilet bowl – yes, both at the same time.

 

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

 

“Oh, he will be, trust me and my fortune telling abilities,” Sehun replied.

 

❋

 

He doesn’t quite know how long it took for him to ask Kyungsoo out on a date again because all they ever did was exchange pleasantries and send some texts back and forth but it wasn’t enough and it was killing him inside.

 

He took Kyungsoo out for a movie and walked him home (no scooter because it was proper that way, Sehun advised, as if he knows even the smallest bit about being proper). Jongin dared taking Kyungsoo’s hand in his trembling one and even pressed a chaste kiss on his very plump lips before confessing.

 

“Look, I really like you. If that wasn’t explanation enough. I’m not implying that you’re too dense to notice or anything it’s just that I- God I should’ve said this before kissing you-” Jongin was cut off by Kyungsoo’s lips. It was a very nice interruption, honestly, and he’d love for it to happen more in the near future.

 

“You talk too much, you know that?” Kyungsoo said when they parted.

 

“I take that as a reciprocal?” he replied shyly.

 

“Yeah. Yeah, a reciprocal,” Kyungsoo chuckled at the peculiar choice of word but accepted it anyway. Jongin likes to believe it was his quirks that attracted the older man.

 

❋

 

They did end up dating but the Oh and Park duo insisted that the curse of the Jongin Factor has yet to be broken. Who cares though? He scored Kyungsoo in the end, that’s all that matters.

 

“But what is a Jongin if his Factor is not there anymore?” Chanyeol complained, dejected over the destruction of the theory they have worked so hard to formulate and prove.

 

“I don’t know, maybe just a great guy,” Jongin chortled, amused at his friends’ misery.

 

“An awfully conceited one at that, never forget,” Sehun added just to bruise his ego (and it worked because Jongin is a pretty sensitive guy, you just have to pay attention to these small things).

 

He would never admit it but dating Kyungsoo – he giggles with glee at that. Dating Kyungsoo sounds so nice he wants to tell everyone he passes by on the street – would not have been a possible thing if it weren’t for the two devils. To be brutally frank, he really loves said devils but they’re still devils and they won’t leave him alone with his boyfriend (insert Jongin’s excited giggling).

 

Dating Kyungsoo (or just about anyone but Jongin isn’t about to try that possibility) however, proved to be quite a difficult task when you add in two very overgrown toddlers in need of attention.

 

“Sehunnie,” Chanyeol started feigning horror. “What if the Jongin Factor has been transferred to us?”

 

“We never did finish researching if it’s contagious so it could be possible.”

 

“If I don’t already know what you’re talking about, I’d think you’re actually discussing a real disease,” Kyungsoo chirped in. Yes, Kyungsoo because “oh come on Jongin, you’re not about to abandon us now that you have a boyfriend, are you?” Kyungsoo (apparently a soft hearted teddy bear) agrees.

 

The Oh and Park duo had the decency to fill Kyungsoo in on their “Jongin is in this situation where he has used up a lifetime of his luck” theory. He had half a mind to salughter his two best friends for embarrassing him in front of his boyfriend. They were all lounging in Kyungsoo’s living room (after receiving incessant begging, of course) with notes strewn everywhere trying – in vain but at least there’s effort in their part – to study for their upcoming finals (Jongin wanted a day dedicated to cuddling but apparently that’s too much to ask for when you’re friends with Chanyeol and Sehun).

 

“Not my fault you come up with such stupid ideas. You’re gonna end up with a lonely and miserable love life and I will laugh,” Jongin seethed.

 

They did have the house to themselves that night – and also the much needed cuddling – after threatening Sehun’s and Chanyeol’s balls when Kyungsoo went inside to prepare dinner.

 

“You have nice friends,” Kyungsoo said from his position on Jongin’s chest.

 

“You like those s?” he said which earned him a slap across his pecs.

 

“Be nice,” Kyungsoo replied. “I mean they could be annoying but I see they’re really sincere.”

 

“I guess you could put it that way.”

 

“You should cherish them, you know. Friends like that don’t come around all the time.”

 

“I know. But enough about them, you haven’t kissed me all day long. My lips are lonely,” Jongin pouted for extra effect.

 

“Fine but you need to help me out with my flowers once your finals are over.”

 

“I still have work, you know.”

 

“I didn’t tell you to skip your job. Just on your break days.”

 

“You’re a cruel human being.”

 

“You love me though.”

 

“Kiss me already!”

 

 

Fin.