If Jongwoon could, he would give into the fluttering feeling in his stomach and reciprocate Kyuhyun’s advances wholeheartedly.

However, it doesn’t take a genius to see the obvious difference in status between Kyuhyun and himself. God knows how many men and women would die just to be in the mere presence of the other man, let alone be in a relationship with him.

It would have been easier if Cho Kyuhyun was any less charming, maybe if he had really been a condescending rich bastard that Jongwoon had feared that day, he would find it easier to get the man off his mind. But no! Cho Kyuhyun took care of him well, showered him with sweet, flirty praises, had a cheeky and youthful smile that made him feel all warm, looked at him in fondness, and took all his jabs and punches in stride. Kyuhyun was always sincere, especially when those doe eyes twinkled whenever he looked at something he adored — a good bottle of wine, his nephews, Jongwoon.

Jongwoon would have worried that he was presumptuous to think that someone as eligible as Kyuhyun would be interested in him, but the fond looks and dark gazes from Kyuhyun made it pretty damn clear that the younger wanted something more.

But they had only met once! And that was because Jongwoon was paid to do so! Weren’t they moving too fast?! After Jongwoon scampered off from Kyuhyun’s penthouse like a frightened kitten the other night, he thought long and hard about how a possible relationship with Kyuhyun would play out. Did he really like Kyuhyun or was he just nervous around a good-looking man? Would he become a gold digger if they got together? Did Kyuhyun just see him as a temporary fixation? Was Kyuhyun like this to all the escorts he meet?

And when Kyuhyun looked at him with hurt in those wide eyes in the classroom… when he found out that Kyuhyun had been looking for him for the past week… Jongwoon was at a loss. He felt like an to be the cause of those puppy eyes, but the thought of taking the leap to trust and get to know someone he barely knew, it just made him nervous to no end. Throughout the drive to the restaurant for their dinner date, Jongwoon had to pretend that he didn’t notice the furtive glances towards him that Kyuhyun kept stealing too.

Even now, as Jongwoon looked down at his plate full of food that Kyuhyun had scooped onto his plate, he wondered what all of these were supposed to mean.

So he asked. “Are you always this nice to everyone you meet?”

Kyuhyun, who had been busy cutting up a piece of steak for Jongwoon, froze and looked up like a deer in headlights. He set the cutleries down carefully and swallowed thickly.

“What do you mean, hyung?”

“I’m just wondering… er… if you’re always so thoughtful to everyone around you?” The unspoken ‘or is it just towards me?’ did not go unnoticed by both men.

Kyuhyun did not answer immediately, and his silence unnerved Jongwoon. , did he offend Kyuhyun for assuming that he had ill-intentions with him? That was not what he was trying to say! Now, what was—

“Hyung.”

Jongwoon shook himself out of the reverie. “Yes?”

“Why did you run away from me that day?”

Now, it was the older's turn to look like a deer in headlights.

“I…”

“Why did you hide from me too? And just now, back in the classroom, you wanted to run away from me again.”

Jongwoon stayed quiet.

“Did I do something wrong? Do you just not like me? I know we’ve only just met… but— I really like you, Jongwoon hyung. And if you want me to stop bothering you, you should tell me now. Otherwise, I’m not going to stop chasing after you. Even if you run away, I’m going to find you to pursue you.”

Once again, Jongwoon could detect the undertones of hurt laced in Kyuhyun’s voice. Oh god, why was he so bad at this? 

Internally, the dilemma between reciprocating the younger's feelings and staying away from him surfaced in Jongwoon again. But one look at Kyuhyun's earnest face who was still waiting patiently for his answer made him make up his mind there and then. 

“Kyuhyun-ah, I— I’m sorry. I’m sorry for running away that day… and today. I just— you— I get so—”

Even as Jongwoon struggled to find the words to make himself seem less of a loser, Kyuhyun simply waited quietly for him with sincere and imploring eyes. And Jongwoon realised, it, what’s wrong with letting Kyuhyun know the truth?

“You make me nervous, okay? Cho Kyuhyun? You and your handsome face and cute smile and nice hands and you treat me like a princess but you make me so annoyed and flustered with all your stupid teasings too — it’s too much for my heart! And I can’t help but be reminded of how different we are, I don’t want you to think that I like you for your money, okay?!!”

There was a pregnant pause.

“You like me?”

“You idiot, do you think I’m this nervous around everyone?!”

Jongwoon swore that it looked as if the younger was glowing in that moment. The grin on Kyuhyun’s face only got wider and wider as he took in what the older had just revealed. It was as if all the pent-up sadness in him had magically evaporated instantly after Kyuhyun learnt that his feelings were reciprocated.

“I make you nervous?”

Jongwoon decided that he had enough of the teasing smile and gloating tone from Kyuhyun, so he viciously stabbed a piece of steak and shoved it into the other’s mouth. He expected Kyuhyun to whine and complain about him being violent once again, but the younger simply glowed even brighter, the sides of his eyes crinkling cutely as he chewed the food happily with a big smile.

“Ahhh, Jongwoon hyung, even the food tastes more delicious because you fed it to me!”

“S-shut up!”

“I will literally never shut up around you.”

“You’re so—”

“—annoying. I know! You’ve only said it to me, like twenty times. Get used to it, though, hyung. I’m going to annoy you so much that you will never think of anyone else but me.” 

Kyuhyun smiled, his eyes lit with determination and interest.