“Sehun is cool,” Jongdae stuffs himself with the Ben&Jerry he ransacked from Minseok’s fridge, “And I have met him myself. He is my friend actually, so I can vouch that he is cool. Nothing at all like that Luhan.”

“Haven’t I told you not to mention that crazy druggie ever again?” Minseok’s annoyed face appears from behind the kitchen’s counters, “And stop eating my B&Js.”

“Fine, fine, I will not talk about Luhan,” Jongdae waves a sticky spoon in the air, “Besides, today, it’s all about Sehun. And really Minseok, Sehun is a swell guy. He knows how to dance really well, and he hates taking drugs.”

“Dances just as well as your Jongin friend who is taken?”

Jongdae waves his hand flippantly. He has been long past the period when he feels guilty for that slip up, “He is totally different from Jongin. Sehun is not as lame as Jongin, and he is cuter too.”

“I don’t care.”

“Minseok, you need to get over your sordid past and move on. Sehun wouldn’t mind that you have met that many guys before.”

At this, Minseok appears before Jongdae, hands held angrily akimbo and Jongdae knows that he has pushed too far.

Oops, looks like he just crossed the line.

“Kim Jongdae! I do not have a sordid past. And even if I do, whose fault is that?”

“Your handsome looks’ fault?”

“Flattery is not going to bring you anywhere!”

“Aww, Minseok, I am just saying the truth.”

Minseok remains unmoved and he narrows his eyes at Jongdae, “Don’t speak unless you are sincere.”

Jongdae promptly says, “I think you should give Sehun a chance.”

“This is not what I mean.”

“Look, I have a picture of him—“

“I told you, I don’t care about—“ Silence for a second before, “Oh.”

“Oh.” Wriggly eyebrows and suggestive looks.

“I didn’t know it is possible for guys to look good in rainbow puke.” A contemplative tone.

“I told you Sehun is hot.”

-

Minseok does not know what possessed him to actually say yes to another of Jongdae’s harebrained attempt to set him up with a friend of his. He supposes it must be the kind nature of his that always seems to relent whenever Jongdae starts getting pushy, but Minseok cannot help but be a tiny bit intrigued by this Sehun character.

You see, Jongdae didn’t give Minseok much to work with.

Whenever Minseok asks for more details on Sehun, Jongdae simply brushes him off, avoiding the topic.

(“Things to do, birds to kill,” Jongdae dismisses flippantly, “Where did I put my spectacles again?”

“Jongdae, you need to give me more to work with. I can’t walk into a first date blind and be expected to impress.”

“Oh?” a cunning smile thrown Minseok’s way, “Wait a minute, didn’t someone say that he was only reluctantly agreeing to the dinner so that I will get off his back? What’s with this interest in impressing Sehun now?”

“It’s basic courtesy to know more than a man’s name and when you are going out for dinner with him. How am I going to make small talk, Jongdae?”

“Minseok, you should allow for more mystique in your life. Let Sehun be the charming rogue to sweep you off your feet.”

“No thanks to mystique,” Minseok rejected, “Just tell me more about Sehun now. Like his occupation and hobbies for example.”

“No thanks to a boring listing of facts,” Jongdae pulls a face, a wicked grin returning to his face, “We don’t want a repeat of The Luhan Incident, do we?”

“He was just high,” Minseok answers flatly, “High and dumb and ing weird.”

“Well, I have already decided that this time round, the two of you shall go for the dinner knowing next to nothing about each other,” Jongdae says, “More for you guys to discover about each other anyway.”

“What if we don’t even have any common interest whatsoever?” Minseok bursts out frustratedly.

“Not my problem,” Jongdae shrugs before returning to looking for his spectacles. He pats his body all over, “And enough about Oh Sehun. Where the hell are my spectacles?”

Minseok frowns. , and he was just about to tell Jongdae that his spectacles are on his head, but looks like that’s not going to happen.)

So, other than the fact that Minseok knows Sehun looks good in rainbow puke, he knows nothing else about his potential boyfriend. Minseok doesn’t think kindly of this new-fangled approach to matchmaking, but he rolls with it because there is very little he can do at this point of time.

Minseok looks to his phone. It’s 7pm, Sehun should be arriving any moment.

And true to his expectations, Sehun arrives in his lanky limbs glory not 3 minutes after. Minseok notes with slight disappointment that Sehun is no longer sporting his rainbow-coloured hair, but rather, a boring brown instead.

And a teeny, tiny portion of Minseok feels let down, because part of his reason for agreeing to this dinner is to see the dye job Sehun had.

Minseok, however, decides to deal with his disappointment like a man. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Minseok will simply use his new hair colour as a topic for discussion. Maybe he can ask Sehun why on his change of hair colour.

“You must be Minseok,” Sehun introduces himself the moment he reaches the table, “I am Sehun. Oh Sehun.”

“Nice to meet you, Sehun,” Minseok shakes his hand. He is starting to become an expert at this, “You have very pretty hair.”

Minseok does not allow grass to grow beneath his feet. This is his 3^rd time in just as many weeks going for a blind date, and Minseok is no longer so unsure as he was when he met Jongin or Luhan.

Besides, Minseok has decided, he is going to be the aggressor now. (Minseok says he is going to give it his all because he doesn’t want to go for a fourth meeting; Jongdae says he is just desperate.)

Sehun reaches up to touch his bangs, “I guess so. Thank you.”

Minseok notes with another vague sense of disappointment that Sehun’s pale cheeks remain perfectly pale, no hint of pink whatsoever. Is his attack not strong enough? Does he have to come across in a more flirtatious manner than this?

Minseok wishes he has taken notes when he met with Jongin. If only he has the easy charm that Jongin has, Minseok is certain this will be a cinch.

“What are you thinking of, Minseok?” Sehun reaches his hand to sweep the bangs that has fallen across Minseok’s eyes. “You should focus on me tonight. I am your date.”

Minseok flushes and he laughs nervously. What’s happening? Has he become the sitting duck instead?

Nonetheless, Minseok recovers his wits and he says smoothly, “Just thinking of ways to make you take me out for dinner a second time.” Minseok even throws in a wink to seal the deal (he has been practicing before mirrors).

Sehun blinks and a beautiful smile blooms on his face, “Are you flirting with me, Minseok?”

Minseok truly laughs at that because there goes the undercurrent tension.

“Yes, I am,” Minseok arches an eyebrow, “But I thought the point of flirting is to not openly tell the other party you are flirting?”

“It slipped out of my mouth,” Sehun shrugs easily before he darts a coy look at Minseok, “I can’t help it. I need to double confirm if a gorgeous man by the name of Kim Minseok is truly interested in me.”

“I am,” Minseok enjoys seeing the bright gleam in Sehun’s eyes, “Ever since the very start. And now that you have shown yourself to be charming and witty, I am getting more and more attracted to you—“

Minseok stops mid-sentence. He does a double-take, “Wow, I think that’s the first time I have ever been so honest.”

“You like me that much huh, Minseok?” a small smile tugs at Sehun’s lips and Minseok swears that it looks positively like a smirk.

And to continue this trend of honesty, Minseok has to admit to himself that he finds the smirk hot. Not that he is going to tell Sehun though. He has a feeling that Sehun is confident as he is, and there is no need for him to boost his ego that much.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Minseok does not know what has gotten into him tonight to make him act like this. He playfully holds his fingers up to indicate a small gap, “Just this much, maybe.”

“That,” Sehun plays right along, “Can be easily changed.”

Minseok fakes doubt, but he ends up bursting out into laughter when Sehun wriggles his eyebrows meaningfully. Sehun, seeming to take delight in that reaction, begins making faces at Minseok and Minseok has to holds his hands to his mouth.

Minseok tries to keep his laughter under control. “You look so childish, Sehun.”

“You mean charming,” Sehun laughs right along.

“I mean ugly.”

“Me? Ugly?” Sehun’s laughter would have come off as arrogant if not for the fact that he is so damn good-looking, “The girls in school can’t get enough of me.”

“Oh, only the girls? Looks like you are not that charming after all—“ Minseok pauses and he frowns, biting down on his lips. “Wait a moment, what did you just say, Sehun?”

“What’s wrong, Minseok?” Sehun jokes, “Why so serious?”

“Girls in school can’t get enough of you?”

“Yup, but don’t worry, I like guys,” Sehun winks, “Cute guys, like the one I see sitting before me—“

“School?” Minseok cuts him off roughly, incredulity evident in his voice, “Sehun, you are still in school?”

“Yea?” Sehun seems confused at the question, “What’s wrong with that?”

Minseok closes his eyes and tries to regain his equilibrium. You are still in public, Kim Minseok. Do not disgrace yourself with a hysterical outburst. Breathe in, breathe out. Calm down, Kim Minseok.

Minseok opens his eyes when he feels that he has somewhat gained control of his emotions. “Sehun, how old are you?” Minseok asks in a strained voice.

“17,” Sehun begins sensing that something is obviously wrong, “Why?”

Minseok struggles to keep his emotions tamped down. “Sehun, I am 29 years old.”

“Oh,” Sehun purses his lips. He then shrugs, “Ok. You look young for your age.”

“We are 12 years apart.”

“So?”

“12 years apart, Sehun. When I was finishing elementary school, you were just born.”

“I don’t really care, Minseok.”

“I am not a cradle snatcher, Sehun.”

“I will be 18 next year, Minseok.”

“And I will be 30 next year, Sehun,” Minseok shakes his head violently, “But that is beside the point. The point is, Sehun, I am too old for you. You should go and find someone closer your age to date, and not an old man like me.”

“I don’t care, Minseok,” Sehun repeats, as if exasperated, “I think old guys are hot, and I think you are hot. You look younger than me anyway.”

“It is not safe to date someone so much older than you, Sehun,” Minseok falls into a lecture, “What if he is a ual predator? What if he is there to prey off your naivety? Just go back to college and find some nice boys your age, Sehun.”

“Minseok, I am not as immature as you think I am.”

“I am not saying you are immature. I am just saying that the world is frightful—I am terribly sorry for forcing you out on this date, Sehun.”

“You didn’t force me,” Sehun snaps, “No one forced me.”

“And I apologise on Jongdae’s behalf too. I don’t what sort of drugs he was on when he came up with this harebrained idea, but he is a nice person really—“

“Minseok, I was the one who asked him to introduce me to any single, hot guys he knows.”

“Well, I don’t know what he was thinking when he agrees to that then. Jongdae doesn’t know any guys your age—“

“I am not looking for guys my age. Guys my age are snotty and awkward and dumb. I am looking for older guys, who know what they want and are not just looking to experiment.”

At this, Minseok pauses. He revaluates Sehun’s words and an empathetic look immediately falls across Minseok’s face. “Oh, Sehun.”

“Don’t ‘Oh, Sehun’ me,” Sehun says harshly, “I don’t need your pity.”

“I am not pitying you,” Minseok struggles with his words, “I have been through what you are going through now, and I know how hard it can get. But you still shouldn’t rush things, Sehun. There’s a natural progression to things, and no happy endings will come if you force your way through.”

“Just like you, Minseok?” the words are meant to cut.

Minseok does not take the bait though. “Not just like me, Sehun. Better than me, because you are brilliant, beautiful boy and I can see men falling over their feet to have you in years to come.”

A heavy silence descends over the table then, only broken when Sehun next speaks.

“B—but,” Sehun chokes and swallows thickly. Is that moisture Minseok spots swimming in Sehun’s eyes?

Sehun says finally, hands tearing the serviette to tatters, “I just want to be loved.” Sehun sighs a sigh that sounds far too old on a young beautiful boy like him, refusing to meet Minseok's eyes.

Minseok heart breaks a little at the sight and he stands up, walking over to draw Sehun into a tight embrace. He pats at Sehun’s head and rubs comforting circles on Sehun’s back, because no one deserves what Sehun is going through and it is really not fair. But there is nothing Minseok can do other than whisper soft nothings into Sehun’s ears, because they are too far out of each other’s social circles for Minseok to lend a helping hand.

“I just want to be loved,” Sehun repeats a bit brokenly, when he feels secure enough in Minseok’s arms.

Minseok whispers you will be, you will be and he hopes that Sehun believes him.

-

When Minseok has finally sent Sehun off with a stern warning not to pull this type of again, he takes out his phone and types a quick message to Jongdae.

i just played chaperone to a minor for 3 hours, you terrible .

wth? Is Jongdae’s succinct response.

sehun is a minor you . you set me up with .

holy , minseok. i met sehun in a club though??

i don't know what happened, but this chapter turned serious midway. sorry about that >< it was supposed to be funny lol.