Wow, it's been months since the last chapter; I really didn't mean to take so long. Anyway, enjoy!

"I did it!"

"Who is this?" Woohyun's voice is groggy on the other end of the phone.

"It's Myungsoo," the young barista clarifies, anxious to share his big news. "Anyway, I did it— I finally talked to Sungyeol."

A full minute of silence passes before he hears a distinct click followed by the dial tone. He might've chosen a bad time to call, but he couldn't sleep after everything that had happened the night before and he wanted the date doctor to know he followed his advice. He tries again a few hours later once the sun has had time to break the horizon. Woohyun sounds a lot more alert now (and less likely to hang up) and he reacts just as Myungsoo had hoped. The praise and admiration flowing from the speaker is enough to make him blush and giggle, though he tries his hardest not to.

When he finally settles down, Myungsoo hears Woohyun say something about them meeting up to "discuss battle strategies", which is confusing to say the least. He had actually been planning on freaking out for a few hours and then hastily getting ready as he pestered Hoya for last minute advice. It's a pretty solid plan and he tries to get the date doctor to see it too, but he isn't having any of it. In the end Woohyun manages to convince him with one word: food. Myungsoo knows he shouldn't give in so easily, but his stomach is much stronger than his brain.

Getting ready in record time, he meets Woohyun somewhere downtown. He's happy to see the older man (even though he saw him a couple of days ago), but he's even happier to see the paper bag in the other's hand. He gets ahold of it soon enough and, after saying a quick thanks, eagerly devours the awaiting pastry. As grateful as he is, Myungsoo still feels like he should apologize for his earlier transgression.

"Sorry about earlier. I wanted to call you last night, but I thought it would be too late."

Smiling fondly, Woohyun nudges the younger boy with his shoulder. "So you thought the crack of dawn would work better?"

"Well, you never really gave me any office hours."

"I'm going to let you in on a little secret: the only thing I love more than love is sleep."

"I'll keep that in mind." Myungsoo knows he's joking, but he wouldn't blame him for being even a little annoyed; he isn't much of a morning person either. Distracted by the food in his hands, he blindly follows Woohyun as he leads him down the street. It isn't until he's shoved the last bite into his mouth that he even thinks about asking where they're going. "Where are you taking me, anyway?"

"We need to get you some new clothes. You can't go on a date looking like that." The older man looks way too happy giving that insult.

With his cheeks still full, Myungsoo glances down at his black pants and plain black t-shirt; he thought he looked pretty put-together. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

"Nothing," Woohyun replies with a shrug. "But don’t you think you’re overdoing it with all that black?"

"It's my favorite color. And whatever happened to being myself? Won't it seem like I'm trying too hard if I show up looking like I just got off a runway?" Myungsoo still doesn't see what the problem is; his style is plain and simple, but it's still his. He just wants Sungyeol to know and like the real him— lousy fashion sense included.

Ushering the barista into a nearby store, the date doctor clicks his tongue at the other's naive logic. "There's no such thing as trying too hard if you're intentions are pure. I'm here to help you— Why don't you trust me?"

"I do trust you, just not so much the things that come out of your mouth."

Woohyun doubles over in a fit of laughter, loud and obnoxious, as Myungsoo stands awkwardly beside him. He doesn't see the humor in what he said since it's the truth, but the older man must think he's joking. Everyone is looking at them now and Myungsoo wonders if he should just walk away and save himself any further embarrassment. As he slowly starts inching away, Woohyun finally gets ahold of himself, his shoulders shaking slightly with silent chuckles.

"I really like you, Myungsoo."

Myungsoo decides to put some faith in the date doctor; he wouldn't have gotten this far without him and he wants to believe the older man only has his best interests in mind. Although it's a bit hard to keep that faith when Woohyun keeps picking out the most hideous clothes for him. He repeatedly insists that good fashion is about wearing things that don't suit him, but Myungsoo would rather die than be seen in half the outfits the date doctor makes him try on. Eventually, they come to an agreement on a plain blue sweater; Woohyun is happy because it definitely isn't black, Myungsoo is just happy this ordeal seems to finally be over. He's never really been a fan of shopping and this experience did nothing to change that. He just hopes Woohyun knows what he’s doing.

~*~

In all honesty, Myungsoo hasn't dated in quite a while— mostly by choice. Although he has had many opportunities, he's been holding out for the one person he's truly interested in. But even before his year-long crush on Sungyeol he never had much of a love life as his stoic features were often mistaken for indifference. Still, none of that matters because he has a date with Sungyeol. He is still so incredibly nervous, but he's been waiting for this for the longest time and Woohyun is counting on him to see it through.

When Myungsoo gets to the café he spots Sungyeol almost immediately, partly because the drummer is so ridiculously tall and partly because of how good he looks in his blue plaid shirt, his fluffy brown hair hanging in his eyes. Then he nearly panics because Sungyeol is already there and, oh god, he must be late. But a quick peek at his phone tells him he is actually five minutes early, which means Sungyeol is also at least five minutes early. Taking that as a good sign, Myungsoo smooths a hand down his new sweater and walks over to the older boy.

"Hey," he says when he gets closer, unsure if he should shake his hand or give him a hug. Instead, he settles for a little wave.

An enormous smile breaks out on Sungyeol's face when he catches sight of the young barista, his gums on prominent display. "Hey, you made it."

Myungsoo wouldn't miss this for the world, but Sungyeol probably doesn't need to know that. Unsure of what else to say, he reaches for the café door when the other boy grabs ahold of his hand, stopping him from opening the door. And from breathing.

"Actually, I was hoping we could go somewhere else, if that's alright with you," Sungyeol suggests, offering another dazzling smile. "I've had so much coffee over the past few days, it's probably in my veins by now."

Myungsoo lets out what little air he has left in his lungs in a short laugh. He's sure he'll enjoy wherever he ends up as long as Sungyeol is there too. "That sounds great. Not the coffee thing. I meant the 'going-somewhere-else' thing."

Chuckling at his rambling response, Sungyeol tugs on his hand and starts leading him down the street. "Let's go; we don't want to be late."

That definitely catches Myungsoo's attention, his eyes sparkling with interest. "Where are you taking me?"

"You'll see." Sungyeol doesn't say anything more and the smile on his face reveals just as little.

"Can I at least get a hint?" Now that his nerves have settled he really feels like he's getting the hang this talking thing. It also helps that the other boy isn't looking at him.

Pausing at a crosswalk, the drummer glances up towards the sky, humming slightly in thought. He makes up his mind shortly and turns to smirk at the other boy. "All I can say is there'll be food."

"Well, I figured that much out already," Myungsoo grumbles, peering down at his feet. They are still holding hands, he notices, but he's much too curious about where they're going to be nervous. "Can't you tell me anything else?"

"Where's the fun in that? Besides, it wouldn't be much of a surprise if I told you everything now." Sungyeol gives his hand a squeeze and Myungsoo looks up to find him grinning back at him.

A part of him swoons at the sight, his heart beating a bit faster at the feel of the drummer's warm hand in his. But another part of him is less than impressed with the ambiguous response. He knows it is all teasing, yet that doesn't stop him from pouting like a bratty child. Sungyeol finds it highly amusing, his chuckles ringing through the air as he tugs him along.

Myungsoo isn't too distracted pretending to be upset that he doesn't notice how much quieter and darker the streets seem to get the farther they walk. He wonders if he should be a tad concerned, but he trusts that Sungyeol is a good guy and Woohyun wouldn't have urged him do this otherwise. That doesn't stop him from being somewhat wary when they stop in front of a plain-looking building on some random backstreet.

"It's not as bad as it looks," Sungyeol assures, noticing his apprehension. "I wasn't too sure about it at first either, but I promise you'll like it."

Taking in the place's unassuming exterior, Myungsoo tries to figure out what could be so great about it. It only takes one word, written in large letters on the sign above to convince him: noodles. He has always been one to think with his stomach rather than his head and now is no exception. This will definitely be a good date.

He only becomes more sure when they finally enter the restaurant and he takes a good look around. Unlike its misleading façade, the place is actually pretty nice and not shabby at all like he had expected. It's a small space filled with dark wooden tables, the dim lighting giving it a cozy feel. The autographed pictures of famous musicians and framed records match the vintage rock music warbling through the equally dated speakers. There is no obvious air of romance, but Myungsoo feels like he's getting to see a very special part of Sungyeol's life and that just makes this night even more special.

He turns to inform Sungyeol of his revised opinion only to find the spot beside him empty; he didn't even notice when the other boy let go of his hand, yet he is already halfway across the room. Following at a slower pace, Myungsoo watches with curious amusement as the drummer skips up to the counter situated toward the back of the restaurant and leans over the top to speak to an older man standing on the other side.

"Hyungdon," Sungyeol calls out, bouncing lightly in his spot. His excitement is quite palpable and though he can't see his face, Myungsoo can practically hear the smile in his voice, which makes him smile as well.

The man looks up at the sound of his name, his hands pausing for a moment before he turns his attention back to his task of chopping vegetables. "What are you doing here? I thought I kicked you out."

"You can't get rid of me that easily," Sungyeol snickers, not at all affected by the man's harsh words. "Anyway, I brought a friend and he's never been here before so you can't kick us out."

The older man's eyes shift over to him and, taking that as his cue, Myungsoo steps up to the counter. Now that he is the center of attention his nerves are far from settled, but he tries not to think about it too much. "H-hi, I'm Myungsoo."

As it turns out, he has nothing to worry about; Hyungdon is beyond welcoming, treating him like a close friend. The older man is unexpectedly warm and inviting, much like the restaurant he runs and Myungsoo feels like he already knows the place by the time they grab seats to wait for their meals. It would be awfully cliché, he thinks, to say everything is perfect, but it is quite close to his ideal date. He can't help but wonder if Woohyun had a hand in any of this— he certainly wouldn't put it past him.

"I'm sorry about Hyungdon; he can be a bit much." Sungyeol's voice pulls him from his thoughts, his eyes taking in the adorably embarrassed smile on the drummer's face.

"I actually kind of like him." Myungsoo really means it, even if the other boy doesn't quite believe him; he is fairly surprised himself at how comfortable he's become in the short time he's been here. And even more surprising is how comfortable he is talking to Sungyeol. He had imagined himself clamming up and not saying a word the entire time, but he has actually managed to hold a decent conversation like a normal human being. Woohyun would be proud. With that in mind Myungsoo tries to keep the flow going. "I really like this place, too. How did you find it?"

Sungyeol leans back in his seat, that dazzling smile making another appearance. "Well, technically Dongwoo found it. And he wouldn't shut up about it so we had to come see for ourselves. Now we pretty much live here. This is actually where we started the band."

"Really?"

"Yeah. We weren't all that good, but we liked playing together and since we didn't have anywhere else to go we would practice here. Hyungdon would always tell us to go make noise somewhere else, so we took his advice and found a studio to record some songs and everything just took off from there."

Myungsoo feels like he could listen to Sungyeol talk all night— and not just because he really likes him. At the risk of sounding like a total creep, he has to admit he knows quite a lot about the band, but it is rather fascinating getting a first-hand account of their early days. "That sounds pretty cool. I feel like I should ask for your autograph or something."

"You don't have to do that." Sungyeol drops his gaze to the table for a moment before his eyes lock back on Myungsoo's, his smile slightly smaller but just as bright. "Besides, I don't think it'll be worth anything."

"Maybe not now, but someday it might."

"How can you be so sure? Have you ever even heard any of our songs?"

"I've been to a few of your shows." That's a bit of an understatement, but Sungyeol doesn't have to know that. "I don't know much about music, but I'm sure you guys are going to make it."

Pursing his lips, the drummer peers at him, something akin to wary curiosity passing over his features. "You didn't just ask me out so you could get something from me, did you?"

"Of course not! I did it because I really like you... I mean— I—" Myungsoo quickly shuts his mouth before anything else can come out; that's definitely more than he meant to reveal. He wants Sungyeol to get to know him better, but he doesn't want to scare him off in the process.

There's no way he can laugh it off or pretend it didn't happen, especially not when the other boy is looking at him in what he can only guess is mortification, his eyes growing to saucer-like proportions. Fortunately, Myungsoo is saved from having to explain himself when Hyungdon arrives carrying two steaming bowls on a tray.

"Am I interrupting something?" The older man glances between the silent pair, obviously sensing the awkward atmosphere. Instead of answering his question, the two boys make a show of looking anywhere but at Hyungdon, Myungsoo taking a big gulp of water while Sungyeol pretends to clean his perfectly polished utensils. Hyungdon sets the bowls down in front of their respective owners, that same cheerful smile on his face, and claps a hand on Myungsoo's shoulder. Although his eyes are on the boy currently in his grasp, the older man's words are directed toward the boy sitting across the table. "Don't scare this one off, Sungyeol. I like him."

Myungsoo watches as the restaurant owner walks away, his words slowly sinking in, before he turns back to Sungyeol with furrowed eyebrows. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing— He likes to make terrible jokes." Smiling stiffly, Sungyeol picks up his chopsticks and starts shoveling noodles into his mouth; he doesn't seem to notice or care that it's still quite hot.

Myungsoo thinks he might have caught a glimpse of a blush on the other's cheeks, but it's probably from all the steam. Shrugging it off, he turns his attention to his own bowl, the sight alone making his mouth water. As much as he's been enjoying talking with Sungyeol, Myungsoo has been looking forward to this meal since he first stepped foot into the restaurant. He wastes no time slurping up a generous portion of noodles and is almost instantly blown away by an explosion of taste. Myungsoo has had a lot of noodles in his life— not that he likes to brag— but he's never had any as good as this. Except maybe his mother's. He can't decide if he should keep eating or go give Hyungdon a hug; it really is that good.

He is just about to get lost in his bowl when he remembers he is supposed to be on date. Cheeks full and eyes wide, Myungsoo looks up to find Sungyeol watching him, a faint smile on his lips. He must look absolutely ridiculous, he thinks as he quickly swallows his food; this is so not the image he wanted to show on this date. Biting his lip, he keeps his eyes trained on the half-empty bowl in front of him, too embarrassed to look at the other boy.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." There is a hint of laughter in the drummer's voice, but Myungsoo is pretty sure it has more to do with the situation rather than with him. "I was like that when I first came here too. I can order more, if you want?"

Whipping his head up at breakneck speed, Myungsoo nearly trips over himself trying to decline the offer. "Th-that's okay. I'm fine, really— You don't have to."

Sungyeol seems to be amused by the barista's rambling, his chuckles flowing softly between them, but he doesn't press further. Instead he turns his attention to Myungsoo and proceeds to ask him a multitude of seemingly random questions. The other boy happily indulges him, throwing in questions of his own every now and then. It isn't long before the meal is over and Myungsoo almost wishes he had accepted Sungyeol's offer; he would take just about any chance he could get to spend more time with the drummer.

He still can't believe this is actually happening and he can't help the huge grin that plasters itself on his face. His good mood doesn't go unnoticed by Hyungdon, although the older man seems to think it's because of his cooking. But Myungsoo has no intention of bursting his bubble since it isn't entirely untrue.

"Thanks for the food. It was really good— maybe even better than my mom's."

"Don't you think you're going a little too far?" It appears that wasn't the kind of compliment the cook was looking for.

"But I really mean it."

Hyungdon tries to argue a bit more until Sungyeol hands him a few bills and he is all smiles once again as he bids them goodnight. As they're leaving the restaurant Myungsoo realizes what just happened, the thought making him frown slightly.

"You should've let me pay. I was the one who asked you out and everything."

"It's fine; you can pay next time."

Myungsoo can't really argue with that— not that he even wants to. He's probably grinning like a fool, but he doesn't mind very much, especially since Sungyeol seems to be looking just as happy. For the first time since this all started he actually feels grateful towards Woohyun; maybe the date doctor really does know what he's doing.