It’s that time of the year again, and unfortunately, Seunghyun is far from merry. Don’t get him wrong, he loves Christmas, God he loves Christmas, but he has been working the full shift since Monday, he hasn’t had more than 12 hours of sleep combined, he doesn’t recognise his reflection in the mirror anymore because he looks so haggard and worn out, and he’s 100% positive that his face resembles a balloon right now because his diet for the past week has been consisting of instant ramen (Youngbae brought them along during his last weekly visit of making sure Seunghyun is still alive) as he hasn’t managed to go grocery shopping because Karen, their manager, just had to make them go home way past after their shift has ended (and most stores’ closing time) to decorate the store for the holiday season.

And to make matters worse, today is the last day to shop before everything closes for the festive season and the store has been congested with people who are eager to shop till they drop. At this point, Seunghyun would be glad if he’s the one to drop first. He has been dealing with customers since early morning and he hasn’t had a single cup of coffee to keep his misery in check.  He can’t feel his legs as he has been running around the first and second floor of the store and he is dying to close his eyes even for just a measly 10 minutes. Thankfully, he’s on cashier duty now so he can relax a bit. Seunghyun really hopes that he won’t misscaned any customer’s stuffs as he attempts to fight through his sleepiness.

The electronic bell dings, signalling people’s entrance. As he adjusts his Santa hat, Seunghyun announces in which he hopes as a cheerful voice, “Welcome to Badger’s!”

A chorus of voices is soon heard across the store as his co-workers parrot the sentence. Seunghyun resumes his duty and bags the items on the counter before passing the shopping bag to the customer. As he takes a breath, he takes a look around the store before his eyes settles at the little corner where they place their sunglasses display.

A figure stands in front of it; dressed in the coziest knitted cardigan that Seunghyun has ever seen. There’s a pair of red heart-shaped sunglasses perched on top of his lime green head, one pair with a round frame perched on his nose bridge, and another rectangular pair on his hand. He squints in front of the mirror, trying to get a good look of his face before breaking into a fit of giggle. He takes the round one off his face, before taking the heart-shaped one and putting in onto his face. He giggles again before taking his phone out and taking a selfie. Upon looking at his phone, his shoulders shake as he breaks into a giggle fit again.

Seunghyun looks at the guy in amusement as he puts on a pair after another pair after another pair of sunglasses on his petite face. This time around, the guy puts on a Hello Kitty-like pair and Seunghyun almost gushes at how adorable he looks. Another giggle slips out of his mouth as he takes out his phone again to take a selfie. Seunghyun is too absorbed staring at the guy that he doesn’t hear his co-worker calling him.

“Dude, stop staring, it’s getting creepy.” His co-worker, Soohyuk says as he slaps Seunghyun’s shoulder lightly.

“Wha– I wasn’t staring!”

“Fine. You’ve been ogling at him for the past 10 minutes. You’re lucky Karen didn’t catch you.”

That seems to sober Seunghyun up. “Karen was here?”

Soohyuk nods, “Yeah, she passed by just now, I think she went up to check on the stock. Hey, you’re up for lunch? There’s a new food truck around the corner and I heard they make the meanest tteokbokki.”

However Seunghyun isn’t listening to Soohyuk anymore, his attention shifts towards the young man with the green hair again. He’s trying on a pair of cat-eye sunglasses that almost takes half of his face. Seunghyun would laugh at how ridiculous the guy looks if he isn’t so charmed by his adorableness.

“I can’t believe – Choi Seunghyun! Wipe that stupid grin off your face!” Soohyuk says as he slaps Seunghyun’s head with a paper bag. Seunghyun lets out a surprised yelp at the action, which seems to stop the lime green guy on trying the next pair of shades. He looks behind his shoulder and his eyes catch Seunghyun’s. Soft pink colour begins to appear on the young man’s cheeks as he takes off the glasses he had on and slowly puts them back on the display.

“Oh no, oh no no no he’s taking off! Soohyuk, the cute guy is taking off – what should I do!” Seunghyun whispers in panic.

“Go after him, you idiot. Ask for his name and number!” Soohyuk pushes him out of the cashier counter.

Seunghyun stumbles out, but he manages to get his steps in line as he walks towards the sunglasses display. Unfortunately, the lime green guy is fast-walking his way out of the store.

“Hey, wait!” Seunghyun yells after him, but the guy trudges on.

Suddenly, the lime green guy stops. He seems to realize something as he stands before the security tag sensor. He walks towards the store again and stops in front of where Seunghyun is standing. Surprised and speechless, Seunghyun just stares as the guy takes off a pair of the unpaid sunglasses on top of his lime green head, and s it on Seunghyun’s palm. With a meek smile on his face (Seunghyun almost melts at the sight), the lime green guy utters softly, “Sorry.” He turns on his heels again and walks out of the store.

“Hey – wait a second!” Seunghyun yells again, after coming around to his senses. But it’s too late, as the guy is already out of his sight. He looks at the heart-shaped sunglasses on his palm, and sighs.

“So, tteokbokki?”

Winter break is over, and Seunghyun is back in college, already running around the campus trying to submit his assignments on time. He’s still on his ramen diet, as he deems himself too busy to cook proper nutritious meals. He can hear Youngbae’s incessant nagging in his head everytime he tears open a new packet of the instant noodle. “You’d certainly have the time if you weren’t so engrossed with your phone until early morning!”

Seunghyun is lost in his thoughts as he walks across the field to get to his next class.

Hydraulics assignment is due next Monday..

.. Ah, I need to send in my part for the group assignment too..

My shift ends early next week, I’ll probably have some time to buy groceries..

..Oh, mom is coming this weekend! Great, I can pass my laundry to her – BAM.

Something, or rather someone, smashes against Seunghyun, making him lose his balance. Without thinking further, Seunghyun grabs onto the thing/person as he falls, making the person falls on top of him. Seunghyun opens his eyes to a head full of lime green hair.

“Oh God, oh I am so sorry! I wasn’t looking! Are you okay? I am so sorry oh my God –“ The guy stammers as he tries to stand up, but fails because Seunghyun’s arms are still wrapped around the small guy. “Um..”

Seunghyun is still in a daze after the fall, and he is flat-out staring at the guy in front of him. The gears in his brain are turning, trying to remember something.... something important concerning the guy who is currently lying on top of him..

“Hey, um.. Do you mind? I need to go to cla–“

“You’re that guy!” Seunghyun exclaims as he tries to sit with the lime green guy still on his lap.

“.. Excuse me?”

“You’re that guy! That cute guy who was trying on sunglasses after sunglasses after sunglasses and taking selfies at Badger’s last Christmas!” Seunghyun explains as he shakes the guy in front of him.

The lime green guy’s face immediately turns red at Seunghyun’s words. So adorable, Seunghyun muses.

“I think you got the wrong person – ”

“No, no, no! It’s you! Hey this is great! I didn’t think we’d meet again!” Seunghyun says with a bright smile on his face.

The guy has a confused and embarassed look on his face as he tries, yet again, to get out of Seunghyun’s hold. “I’m sorry but I really need to get going, my class starts in five, so do you mind..?” he says as he nods towards Seunghyun’s arms.

“What..? Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t realize..” Seunghyun utters lamely as he lets go of his hold and the guy finally stands up. His face is still red.

“Uh, I’m sorry I ran into you just now, I wasn’t looking,” the lime green guy mutters as he dusts his pants.

Seunghyun is staring at him, yet again. He can’t believe that the cute guy from the store is standing in front of him right now. Really, what are the odds that they’re in the same university?

“Um... I”ll just go now, if you’d excuse me...”

Seunghyun is again in daze as the lime green guy walks away towards the building in front of him.

Coming to his senses, Seunghyun turns around and yells, “Hey lime green guy! Let’s get coffee the next time we see each other!”

He waves excitedly at the guy who now has stopped in his steps and turns around slowly as he hesitantly return Seunghyun’s wave.

Weeks have passed before Seunghyun runs into the lime green guy again. Just that now, he’s not lime green anymore, his hair has changed into a soft orange colour. Seunghyun is at the coffee shop across his faculty building, queuing for his cup of iced caramel latte as he lets his eyes wander off. They suddenly focus on a guy occupying one of the table, legs dangling off the sofa as he scrolls on his laptop. He seems familiar...

“Lime green guy!” He excitedly whispers to himself. He pays for his drink before making his way towards the lime green (now orange) guy.

“Lime green guy..?” Seunghyun greets nervously.

The guy looks up from his laptop, and behold, it’s the lime green guy (orange now, Seunghyun constantly reminds himself).

The orange head immediately turns red as he realizes the guy standing in front of him and takes off his feet from the armrest, “Um, hello.”

Seunghyun interprets this as an invitation to take a seat at the vacant sofa in front of the orange guy. “Hi! I didn’t manage to introduce myself when you smashed into me last time. I’m Seunghyun,” he extends his hand towards the now (if it’s even possible) redder guy. The guy reluctantly shakes Seunghyun’s hand with a sweater paw. “I’m Jiyong,” he says bashfully.

“Ah, Jiyong! Finally, I can put a name on the face. I’ve been calling you the lime green guy in my head since I saw you trying on those sunglasses. Oh, you’ve changed your hair too!”

At the mention of the sunglasses, Jiyong turns redder (if possible) and begins to stack the strewn paper across the table. “Ah, yeah.. I was getting bored with the color, hence the change.”

“It suits you,” Seunghyun says without realising it.

Jiyong drops the papers unceremoniously onto the table. “What?”

“What?”

“What did you say just now?” Jiyong asks.

“Uh. The colour. Orange suits you,” Seunghyun mumbles quietly.

The red spots never seems to leave Jiyong’s cheeks as he began to collect the papers again. “Thanks,” he says with a soft smile on his lips.

Seunghyun too smiles at that, and runs a hand across his hair. Cute, he thinks. “Sorry if it seems like I’m intruding you. It’s just that you were so cute back then at the store and I couldn’t help staring at you. And I didn’t know if I’d ever meet you again.”

Hearing that, Jiyong looks at him with the biggest eyes he could possibly muster. “Uh..” Again. That soft, bashful smile.

“Ah, sorry. Were you doing your assignment? I didn’t mean to bother you. It’s just, well, I got too excited when I realized it was really you so I had to make sure I don’t let the chance fly away again,” Seunghyun winces as he finally sees the papers and books on the table.

“Oh, no, no worries. I was just finishing up anyway,” Jiyong says as he tidies up the table. His cheeks are still tinged with pink as he tries to make sense of Seunghyun sitting in front of him. “I don’t mean to be rude but can I help you with anything..?”

“Oh!” Seunghyun remembers why he’s actually sitting in front of Jiyong. “Um.. I just thought it’d be nice to have a little chat with you and maybe we can get to know each other more or.. yeah um this is awkward but I think I’ll just go. Yeah, I’ll go, uh it was nice meeting you, Jiyong,” Seunghyun stands with his drink in hand as he runs his hand through his hair again. “So, um yeah, bye Jiyong. I’ll see you around.”

Eloquency at its finest, Seunghyun. Congratulations, Seunghyun chides himself. As he’s about to walk out from the coffee shop, he hears a soft “Wait!” and faint footsteps nearing him. He turns around and sees Jiyong walking towards him with a shy smile on his face. He’ll be the death of me, help me God.

“Do you have class after this?” Jiyong asks.

“Nah, I’m done for the day. But I need to run to the computer lab for a bit, I need to check on my thesis with my supervisor.”

“Oh. Okay,” the smile disappears a bit, “Um I guess this is goodbye then,” Jiyong shyly says as he chances a glance towards Seunghyun. “It was nice meeting you as well, Seunghyun. Maybe we’ll see each other on campus again.”

Oh no he’s walking away again come on Seunghyun think fast! “Hey Jiyong, wait up!” Seunghyun manages to catch up with Jiyong before the lime green guy (orange Seunghyun, orange) walks too far.

Jiyong looks up questioningly at Seunghyun.

“Um, maybe we can go for coffee soon when we’re both free? I mean if you’d like to, of course,” Seunghyun offers with hope. Lots of hopes.

Jiyong flashes him a small smile again, “Sure, I’d love to.”

Seunghyun returns the smile with a broad one of his own. “That’s great! Maybe we can go sunglasses shopping together too!” Seunghyun suggests excitedly.

Jiyong puts the back of his hand to his face as a blush begins to creep its way again, “What would it take for you to stop mentioning that incident, oh my God.”

“Why would I? You were so adorable that day!”

Jiyong mumbles something so very quietly that Seunghyun doesn’t hear him even when he strains his ears. “What did you say?”

“It was a bet.”

“What was a bet?” Seunghyun asks confusedly.

“The whole sunglasses thing. My friend bet that I won’t be brave enough to walk into Badger’s and talk to you.”

“Why would you and your friend make a bet about me?”

Jiyong mumbles quietly again while suddenly getting interested at Seunghyun’s worn out pair of Vans.

“Jiyong, I can’t really hear you.”

“I like you alright!” As soon as he says this, Jiyong gasps and clasps his hands on his mouth. His eyes look like they would pop out of their sockets if they can. His face, well, it could rival the color of the ripest tomato right now.

To say he’s surprised is an understatement. Seunghyun’s eyes shine and there’s a big smile on his face once Jiyong’s words sink in. “You like me?”

“Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh God. I can’t believe – look, just pretend you didn’t hear anything alright? I’m just gonna go now, bye!” Jiyong says hurriedly as he tries to walk past Seunghyun. But he isn’t fast enough before his backpack is caught by Seunghyun. Jiyong tries to fight against the hold, but it seems as the taller man’s grasp is a bit stronger than he thinks.

“Jiyong.”

Jiyong still tries to get away from Seunghyun’s hold. “Jiyong, look at me.” Determined not to turn around, Jiyong continues fighting for his way out. Seunghyun gives out a sigh before tugging on Jiyong’s backpack. Jiyong easily stumbles onto Seunghyun’s chest.

“Jiyong, please look at me,” Seunghyun says softly as he turns Jiyong around to face him. The latter still has his eyes down, still more interested on the pavement than the person in front of him.

Seunghyun ducks a little bit to be at the same level as Jiyong and tips Jiyong’s chin upwards. “So,” Seunghyun smiles at Jiyong.

Jiyong scrunches up his face and grumbles, “This is embarrassing.”

“What do you mean? There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

“I just confessed that I like you! Of course it’s something to be embarrassed about!”

“Jiyong, if there’s anything, I’m happy that you confessed.” Jiyong looks up at Seunghyun with the biggest eyes, Seunghyun feels like he could jump and swim in them. “You caught my eyes ever since that sunglasses incident.”

“Oh God,” Jiyong mumbles as he puts his forehead on Seunghyun’s chest. Seunghyun just chuckles as he puts an arm around Jiyong’s back.

“So.... this means we’re dating right? We can start to date? I can start courting you?” Seunghyun asks as he looks down on the small person who’s currently squishing his face against Seunghyun’s chest.

“How can you say stuffs like that so easily.. And who says ‘courting’ anymore these days, sheesh,” Jiyong mumbles into his chest.

“How can I not? I like you, you like me back, it’s simple. And I hope you know I plan to woo you very seriously.”

Jiyong just groans and blushes more furiously while Seunghyun smiles at him so widely that his mouth threatens to split.

Jiyong is waiting for Seunghyun to finish up his shift just outside of Badger’s. They planned out to have dinner together at a food truck just around the corner (Seunghyun says they serve the meanest cheese and tteokbokki combo) as they haven’t really seen each other properly for the past two weeks. Seunghyun has been busy with his thesis and his part time job while Jiyong is busy spending time at the studio, trying to finish up his model in time for the architecture students’ annual exhibition on top of studying for the finals. Life has been pretty hectic for the both of them, but they’re trying to make it work someway, somehow.

Jiyong glances up from his book as he spots few of Seunghyun’s co-workers walking out from the store as they finish up their work for the day. Jiyong just prays that they don’t see him beca–

“Ah, Seunghyun! Your sunglasses boy is here!” –use of that. Jiyong mentally groans as he unsuccessfully covers his face with the book. “Hey man, he’s just finishing up, he’ll be out soon!” One guy, Soohyuk, from the group says. Jiyong puts down his book and smiles at him, “Ah, yeah. Thanks.”

“I think he’s counting the stock for the sunglasses,” Soohyuk winks at him before walking away towards the group again. Jiyong just smiles resignedly from what he think is an over-used joke. Once Seunghyun’s co-workers found out that it was Jiyong who spent almost an hour trying on countless pairs of sunglasses to catch Seunghyun’s attention (Seunghyun had told Soohyuk, who spread the story like a wildfire), they never live it down and use it to at every chance possible. Seunghyun argues that it’s because of how easily flustered Jiyong is, and if he doesn’t blush and stammer everytime they mention about it, they will move on from it. But Seunghyun also says that his blushed face is really adorable which makes Jiyong turns redder and Seunghyun takes it as an invitation to squish Jiyong’s cheeks together before he plants a kiss on the pouty lips because Jiyong looks oh so irresistible like that.

Few minutes after that, Seunghyun comes out dashingly, not a single hair out of place, like he hasn’t just spent around 8 hours cooped inside the store, running around  trying to please the customers. Jiyong smiles at his boyfriend brightly as he stands up to give him a peck on his kitten lips.

“Hey there,” Seunghyun says as he wraps his arms around Jiyong’s waist.

“Hi,” Jiyong replies as he nuzzles into Seunghyun’s chest. “How was work?”

“Eh, the usual. I managed to stop Karen from firing Soohyuk again after she realized that he has been mixing up her coffee order on purpose,” Seunghyun smiles as he remembers how Soohyuk had run to hide behind his back as Karen chased him around the store.

Jiyong smiles at the story as well as they walk off together towards the food truck area.

“How are you?” Seunghyun asks.

“Everything was fine before Seungho almost set the whole studio on fire,” Jiyong replies.

“Ah, so it’s life as usual then,” Seunghyun smiles down at Jiyong. “Oh, before I forgot, I have something for you!”

Jiyong looks up to Seunghyun in surprise. “What’s the occasion?” he asked.

“Nothing, really. I just saw something that reminds me of you,” Jiyong’s heart warms upon hearing what Seunghyun says. That is before he actually sees what Seunghyun has gotten for him.

“You can’t be serious,” Jiyong mutters darkly at Seunghyun. His boyfriend just looks at him with the biggest and goofiest grin while he outstretches his hand towards Jiyong, something red in his large palm.

“Seunghyun!” Jiyong hisses as Seunghyun puts on the red heart-shaped sunglasses on his face. “No one wears sunglasses at 10 pm!”

“What? It looks amazing on you! Oh, hold on! We need a selfie together!” Seunghyun says as he fishes out his phone from his jeans’ pocket. Jiyong struggles against Seunghyun’s tight grip on his shoulder as the older man opens up the camera app. “Say ‘tteokbokki’!”

“You look so adorable!” Seunghyun says as he shoves his phone on Jiyong’s face. Seunghyun is smiling brightly in the photo while Jiyong’s menacing stare looks as though he can challenge the Grumpy Cat any day. Jiyong snorts while he tries to take off the sunglasses.

“No, no. Leave it on! I’ve been dying to put them on you!” To which Jiyong snorts again.

“My baby looks so adorable,” Seunghyun gushes as he put his arms around Jiyong as they reach the food truck.

“Shut up!”