Chapter 16: I Am (Not) Irate

“So, how about it? That date?”

“The what?”

It felt like Yongguk had drowned in his soda. He was quietly sipping his cold glass after one performance, just chilling with Himchan and his new gal pal. But it felt like the cold airy liquid passed through the wrong hole and he was gasping for air choking. Himchan was obviously given a start as well. With Jieun’s question, or Yongguk’s sudden convulsion, he really can’t tell. But the man rubs the dying rapper’s back to help soothe the stabbing sensation. It felt like with each small rub, the small spikes in his chest dies down.

He coughs trying to regain his breathe back, and splatters small drops of soda on the table. Yongguk noted how quick Himchan was to tidy up the table with a stack of tissue paper. He wanted to smile, but he soon brings his brows together, incredulous of Jieun.

“I asked Himchan if he wanted to see this little someone,”

“Little what?” It was Himchan’s turn to ask.

“Yeah, and you too, Yongguk, I wanted to introduce you to someone,” she continues.

“Is Saturday a good time?”

She had a solid plan. She’ll have to pave the way for these two to meet eye to eye. And what else could spring people into action? Threats, of course. Competition. And Himchan’s definitely just the type you will spring into action with threats leering by. Yongguk, too, while silent, can be pretty territorial.

Jieun had a solid plan. Asking friends to play along, setting things into motion, orchestrating fake group dates if only to spark something. And will you look at that, nothing’s even started and she’s already getting great reactions. Jieun laughed as she felt Himchan burning a hole through her soul.

- - -

“Is it going to be a long wait? Yongguk needs some rest after that performance, you know,” restless, clearly irate as he drummed and tapped his fingers on the table, shaking the untouched root beer float in front of them.

Himchan was clearly irritated, not to mention antsy. They had only been sitting in the shop only for good full five minutes. Jieun checked, and yes, it has not been a while. Yongguk, on the other hand, sat himself quietly in a corner, his snap back covering most of his face together with his hoodie as he slumped and focused on downing his smoothie.

“Are you okay, cowboy?” Jieun asked, hitting the man’s cap upward, to see him startled. He was quite quick, pulling the hat down. But not quick enough to cover his burning face, he was red all over.

“W—what’s wrong with you, Gukkie?!” Himchan stood from his chair, clearly alarmed, hitting the chair in the process.

“Ah—I’m fine! I’m fine! Don’t make a scene, please, don’t make a scene, please pick your chair up,” he said, as if hushing his own voice.

“What’s wrong with you, why are you so flushed?” Jieun asked, her feline smile showing.

The man definitely was, as he lowered his head even further and placed his head between his folded arms.

“We’re not supposed to be doing this, we shouldn’t be doing this,” he says like a chant.

“Blind dates are crazy, and stupid, and, and, and—”

Jieun catches the fond look Himchan gave the quivering man. Jieun had to admit, he really looked too cute, doing that. He was impossible to resist. Which was why she knew Himchan had to get his act together. He knows what he wants, what is there to doubt? He should be getting it straight, or else some other predator will catch his prey.

Himchan smiles softly and scratches his brows to hide the smile he couldn’t defeat. Yongguk was really adorable, she had to admit. He catches the gaze Jieun throws at him and in a split second changes face.

“He’s right, Ji. Let’s just go, this is pointless, what respectable man would agree to—”

“Come on, we haven’t been here a few minutes and you want to leave?”

“Yongguk had three sets tonight, and he has to do it again tomorrow, let him rest,”

“Oh, wow, how considerate of Himchannie, when in fa—”

“Jieun-ssi?” came the fourth voice.

---

This wasn’t a part of the plan. No, it wasn’t part of Jieun’s plan at all. She had arranged with a couple of friends that they’ll meet the duo, and maybe, strike a reaction. But the plan had buckled with said friend gone, and now replaced with this. No, she didn’t ask for this.

“Hyung couldn’t make it, so he asked me to cover for him,” the man sheepishly scratches the back of his head and bows a couple of times. Himchan eyed the man from head to toe, he had a goofy smile plastered on his face. He was… quite adorable. Himchan wanted to punch his face in. What kind of guy did Jieun bring? And a guy? For a blind date?

Seriously.

“O—okay, you didn’t have to do that, he shouldn’t have asked you,” Himchan noted the stutter and the uncharacteristic shake on Jieun’s voice. If anything, he’d think the woman had gone nervous.

“It’s okay, I had free time, and I was in the area,” the young man said.

He didn’t have a good feeling about this. No, he didn’t. Looking at him, he looked quite a cool fellow. Dressed in a fashion similar to Yongguk’s, maybe just a bit more casual than the man. He also had quite a cute smile, and a funky eye smile to boot. WHAT WAS HE THINKING?!

He looked at the man as he stood there, still bouncing in his spot and swaying left and right with his hand tucked in his pocket and the other still scratching the back of his head. Himchan would have liked him as a friend, based on first impression… if the little er wasn’t too obvious in his glances towards the embarrassed man in the corner.

One, two, three, four.

Either this guy had shaky eyes or he just had no shame, looking at him like that.

“Ah, where are my manners,” Jieun suddenly shakes her head as she tries to dismiss her thoughts away.

“Have a seat, come on, sit anywhere you like,” she urged.

Himchan eyed the available seats, there was one in between him and Jieun, another one in between him and Yongguk and the last seat between Yongguk and Jieun. Himchan muses that if he doesn’t take the seat next to him and Jieun, heads will definitely roll.

“Ah, please, please introduce me first, Jieun-ah,” he said politely, too polite, Himchan knew he made quite an impression as Yongguk suddenly looks up at the young man and surely captures his interest.

“Ah, right, right,” Jieun agreed.

The woman gestures to Himchan who was right next to the standing man, “This is Kim Himchan, a good friend of mine,” the man bows in front of him.

“Pleasure to meet you, uh, Himchan-hyung,” he says, bowing one last time with a smile towards the completely and undeniably irritated ulzzang. At the corner of his eyes, Himchan sees Yongguk’s eyes fixed on the young man.

This one’s a nice guy type, is that it?

“Yes, I think he’s your hyung, and this little slumped turtle over here is—”

“Jepp Blackman-sunbae,” he says, catching everyone in surprise.

 “It’s a pleasure to meet you, I am a fan, my name is Woo Jiho,”

“But my seniors call me Zico,”

Himchan swears he heard thunderbolts going off.

- - -

Note: Dundundunduuuuuuun.

So, what's your dream date like?