CH 2: BAD ADVICE

Hongbin is stalling time, and he knows it.

Hongbin swears he’s never seen someone look so attractive while asleep. He places his drink on the counter and wipes his hands on his jeans, looking at Taekwoon again. He’s lovely. Hongbin would love to learn more about the man—there’s no way Taekwoon can be one hundred percent stoic, cold, and reclusive, especially if he’s friends with Jaehwan. Hongbin would imagine that Taekwoon would have shut him out.

Hongbin raises his hand up and then drops it back down again. He sinks down on the sofa, frowning at himself.

He can’t do it—he absolutely does not want to wake up Taekwoon. Hongbin fears that Taekwoon will be agitated and will hate the boy forever and ever and—

Maybe I should just leave.

After apologizing to Jaehwan in his head, Hongbin stands up quickly and abruptly, the change in weight prompting one of the cats to jump off of Taekwoon’s lap. Another one jumps onto his lap instead and Hongbin nearly dies when Taekwoon shifts in his seat.

A loud signal in his brain is telling him to leave; to run, but Hongbin continues standing in the same spot, feet seemingly stuck to the wooden floor.

Taekwoon’s eyes slowly flutter open and Hongbin can’t think straight anymore.

Taekwoon rubs his eyes and then looks down at the cat in his lap, petting it softly on the head and the fur on its back.

It takes him a moment to realize Hongbin is staring.

Hongbin’s eyes grow large and he averts his gaze. Red creeps up onto Hongbin’s cheeks, his breath hitching in his throat.

He wonders if Taekwoon remembers him.

Hongbin waits for Taekwoon to say something, but he doesn’t and Hongbin inches his gaze back to Taekwoon, who is still staring at Hongbin with those sharp eyes.

“Um…” Hongbin utters out shyly. “Jaehwan wants to see you.”

Taekwoon gives Hongbin a curt nod and continues playing with the cat in his lap.

Hongbin can’t stand the suffocating feeling in his chest so he turns around and leaves.

“You forgot your drink,” Taekwoon’s voice stops him in his tracks.

Hongbin doesn’t know how he’s still breathing at this point.

“Your drink,” Taekwoon repeats himself when Hongbin doesn’t reply. Hongbin turns around, confident he’s still pink in the face, so he pulls his scarf up higher. He nods obtusely, walking around Taekwoon’s long legs to retrieve his hot chocolate.

Hongbin turns away quickly, sipping at his drink to get rid of the dry feeling in his mouth and throat.

He doesn’t know if the drink got sweeter or if he’s just going crazy.

“Dude, are you okay?”

Hongbin is awakened from his clouded thoughts. He looks up at his teal-haired friend, shrugging.

“I’m whatever, Wonshik,” Hongbin mutters.

“Did something happen? You look more stressed than before, which makes no sense, considering the fact that you just came out of a cat café.”

Hongbin’s grip on the train pole tightens and he begins to slam the side of his head into the pole.

“Bin!” Wonshik exclaims, pulling Hongbin back by the shoulders. “What’s wrong?”

Hongbin stares tiredly at Wonshik, eyebrows furrowed and lips sealed.

“Cat got your tongue?” Wonshik jokes, earning him a glare.

“It’s stupid. So ridiculously dumb,” Hongbin sighs.

“Just tell me, c’mon. I’m open-minded—you know how I am!” Wonshik urges. Hongbin eyes him, feeling very very tentative about telling him. Hongbin had never ever told Wonshik about one of his crushes.

“I’ll tell you when we get off,” Hongbin finally agrees.

Hongbin is sitting on a hard wooden restaurant chair ten minutes later, feeling nothing but regret for agreeing to tell Wonshik about his stupid crush, because Wonshik gives nothing but crappy advice.

“Just talk to him and get to know him.”

Yeah right.

Wonshik’s words only prompted Hongbin to give him a malicious look (which Wonshik thought was more cute than mean). Hongbin grips his glass of cold water tightly, veins bulging from his hand. Oh, how much he wanted to throw it at Wonshik.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Wonshik laughs, leaning back into his chair.

Hongbin doesn’t stop.

A waiter comes with their meals, sets them down, and Hongbin is still staring at Wonshik spitefully. Wonshik snorts, picking up his chopsticks.

“Eat up Hongbinnie,” Wonshik coos, and begins to blow at his steaming noodles. Hongbin finally breaks his gaze away.

“You’re a real idiot, Kim Wonshik,” Hongbin says, shaking his head. “You think I can go and just talk to a dude who looks like he hates everyone and everything that isn’t small and fluffy?”

“Hab pun longin abter hm den,” Wonshik replies, mouth full. Hongbin grimaces, sending him another nasty look, which Wonshik doesn’t catch.

“I am never going back there again,” Hongbin declares before picking up his chopsticks triumphantly.

It was a simple solution to his problem.

…

So why was he standing in front of the cat café, again, only three days later?

“Shall we go in?” Wonshik smirks, patting Hongbin on the back. An unsettling knot forms at the pit of Hongbin’s stomach as he stares at the terribly familiar glass door.

His jaw is slack and he feels a mix of emotions: annoyance, anger—and just the slightest bit of happiness.

“I hate you. I hate you a lot. Die Wonshik,” Hongbin mutters darkly. His sour remarks bounce off of Wonshik and Wonshik only smiles in response.

He opens the door. 

A/N: wow im so surprised at the amount of love this is getting ♥ thank you everyone!
chapters seem kinda short orz hope its not too much of a problem haha they seem longer in my 
word document LOL olsdhojfiksf ill try to write longer ones & also stay consistent with updates
yay teal ravi!! my fav fav fav hair on him which is why i chose it HEHAEH
pls dye it teal again rav ♥

"I got your back Bin."