Minhyun’s eyes fluttered open, regaining consciousness enough to realize that he had drifted off to sleep.

“How long was I out?” Minhyun asked Aron guiltily.

“An hour or so,” Aron answered.

“Hyung, I’m so sorry,” Minhyun replied, wiping the sleep from his eyes, “I promise I'll stay awake with you the rest of the way.”

“Don’t be sorry, I’m okay. Sleep if you want.”

“Nope, I’ll keep you company.”

“There’s only like half an hour left. We’re already in the city,” Aron pointed out.

Minhyun glanced at the time. 11:56 PM. They’ll arrive around 12:30 AM, meaning everyone will probably be awake by the time they arrive. Meaning they probably are going to get the scolding that night. Minhyun wasn’t mentally prepared for it. He really just wanted to go home and sleep, and not face the consequences of his actions until he was well-rested.

“Hyung, let’s not go back just yet,” Minhyun beckoned.

“Why not?”

“I want to be back in the dorm when everyone’s asleep so I don't have to face anyone until tomorrow.”

“I agree,” Aron said with a nod, “let’s, perhaps, go on a date?” Aron suggested a little nervously.

Minhyun nodded in agreement, accepting his first date ever.

Aron found a little coffee shop, where they both got a bite to eat and drank some coffee to help them stay awake until they get back.

“So,” Minhyun said as he sat back in his chair, “I’m new to this whole dating thing, so I need you to teach me. What do people talk about when they go on dates?”

“Nothing specifically,” Aron said with a shrug.

“Alright then, can I ask you a question?”

“Of course. Anything.”

“Why not JR? Or Ren? Or Baekho? Why did you end up liking me? I’m anything but special. I mean Ren’s better looking. JR’s kinder than me. Baekho has a hotter body…”

“Min you can’t just ask people about why they fell in love with a person. Love just happens.”

“I think you romanticize love,” Minhyun said, “I think love is a social construction.”

“You think everything’s a social construction,” Aron rolled his eyes, recalling how Minhyun gave him the talk about dating being a social construction.

“No but seriously. Surely something must have drawn you to me.”

“You drew me to you. It’s as simple as that. Plus, I think you’re more attractive than Minki, kinder than JR and hotter than Baekho.”

“Then your love for me has clouded your judgment,” Minhyun said with a laugh.

Aron smiled and said, “and I love your laugh.”

Self-conscious of his laugh, Minhyun stopped and blushed slightly. He looked away from Aron, and said, “this is actually kind of weird.”

“What?”

“Flirting. That’s what’s happening right now isn’t it?”

“One-sided flirting,” Aron corrected, “does it make you uncomfortable.”

“It’s actually very flattering,” Minhyun said with a smile, “and I’ll try to turn this one-sided flirting into two-sided flirting.”

“You don’t tell people you’re going to flirt. You just flirt,” Aron pointed out.

“Okay, okay. Just give me a minute to think of something to flirt about.”

“You are officially the worst flirter EVER,” Aron said rolling his eyes and laughing.

“Wait, wait, wait I got something,” Minhyun said, “you have good taste in romantic partners,” Minhyun told Aron, raising his chin up high comically.

Aron laughed, “wow. Coming from you though, that’s not really a compliment because you think romance is a social construction or whatever.”

“It is. What is romance but people attaching artificial importance to a relationship between two people?”

“I don’t know, Minhyun. Stop with your existential philosophies. They hurt my head.”

“Hey if you’re going to be my boyfriend, you’re going to have to humor me and my existential philosophies,” Minhyun warned jokingly.

“Fine. If you think love is a social construction, then this social construction has consumed me. I am a puppet, living in absolute conformity. I’m a robot to the socially constructed norm of falling in love with you…”

And that was probably the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to him…

Minhyun found himself blushing. He felt obliged to say something in return, but he was tongue-tied. How was one supposed to reply to something like that? It wasn’t the first time that Aron delivered a love confession to him, but this time was quite special for Minhyun because it was the closest he’d ever felt to reciprocating Aron’s feelings.

He knew he wasn’t exactly in love, but there was something stirred inside of him, something that made him feel abnormally drawn to Aron in ways he never felt before.

Minhyun bit his lip and smiled in Aron’s direction. He managed a “thank you,” but he couldn’t say anything else. He couldn’t express what he felt, and so he really couldn’t fairly reply to Aron.

The rest of the date, the sleepiness was getting to their heads and making them delirious. They began to say stupid things and unreasonably laugh about them for a very long time. It was fun for both of them, a very successful first date.

And with every passing minute, Minhyun began to feel that maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if Aron kissed him after all.