“Did you know that Subsaharan Africa contains most of the genetic diversity in the human race? We’re all basically inbred outside of Africa,” Seungcheol said as he and Mingyu sat at the front of the bakery.

Mingyu took a second to just stare at him, thoroughly confused, before he said, “What the hell, Seungcheol.”

Seungcheol stretched out his arms, leaned back in his chair, and replied, “Then you’ve never taken anthropology, literally the most BORING class ever.”

Now catching his sarcasm, Mingyu giggled. “Seungcheol, I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say a good thing about one of your classes.”

“That’s cause I’m always stuck taking the crappiest classes,” Seungcheol pointed out. “Seriously, I can’t wait until next semester.”

“I’m sure anthropology’s not that bad.”

“Oh you wanna start?” Seungcheol contested before he went on to argue his case.

Mingyu shook his head. “No, I really don’t,” he laughed.

Before Seungcheol could say anymore, Seokmin came rushing out of the back. “Okay guys,” he said as he took off his apron. Coming out from the other side of the counter, he smiled at the remaining customers. Still with a bit of frosting on his face, he stood in front of his friends and said, “Good to go. Thanks for waiting.”

“No problem,” Mingyu said, handing him his jacket he’d asked them to bring.

Seungcheol chuckled and rubbed his own face where there was stuff on Seokmin’s. “Uhh, you’ve got a little something there.”

“What?” Seokmin took his palm and tried to wipe it off, but missed.

“I got it,” Seungcheol said, scraping off the frosting from his cheek and proceeding to it off his finger. “Mmmm, strawberry.”

Seokmin scoffed as the three of them headed out of Carat Bakery. “Thanks. That’s what I get for working here. My acne’s probably gonna get worse.”

“Yes, but you make the best cupcakes in all of Seoul,” Mingyu smiled.

“All in a day’s work, my friend.”

Seungcheol grinned as he lead the way to 10/10, not too far from Seokmin’s work. “Do you catch a lot of undercover workers when you bake?” he teased.

“Oh ha ha, very funny,” Seokmin flatly replied, “You know I don’t. I’m too busy putting icing on stuff.”

As Seungcheol was laughing and continuing to pester Seokmin for his lunacy, Mingyu was busy scanning the areas closer to the ground. He’d made a couple friends down this block and he still hadn’t gotten the chance to introduce them to his newest friend.

“So when’s Wonwoo meeting us here?” Seungcheol asked as he held the cafe door open.

“Umm, soon I think,” Mingyu replied as they stepped inside.

Seokmin nodded. “I’ll order. You guys sit. Mingyu, do you know what he would want? I can get it.”

“Yeah, just a regular milk tea,” Mingyu said, not even having to think about the order. “Boba and egg pudding.”

“Cool, I’ll get it. You guys sit down.”

“Thanks, Seokmin.” Mingyu turned to head towards their usual booth when he noticed the smug look on Seungcheol’s face. He knew what triggered that. “Shut up.”

“I didn’t say anything,” Seungcheol defended himself, holding his hands by his ears.

“So I know his order. I know your order too.”

Seungcheol chuckled as they slid into the booth, sitting across from each other. “I just think it’s cute.”

“Uh huh,” Mingyu scoffed. “And by that logic, Seokmin and you are cute too.”

“Don’t get me wrong, we’re freakin adorable,” he joked. “But you and Wonwoo are a completely different level.”

“You’re unbelievable.”

“You’re smitten.”

“If you’re gonna be like this, I’m not letting him come here,” Mingyu said.

Seungcheol smiled. “Come on, I’m just messing. We’ve hung out before. I can behave.”

Mingyu opened his mouth to argue some more, but he was interrupted by a knock on the window beside them. Turning to the side, he smiled and so did Seungcheol.

Wonwoo stood on the outside waving and grinning at the both of them. “Hey guys!”

“Hey Wonwoo!” they both said.

Wonwoo gave another soft smile before heading in. Immediately, Mingyu stared and pointed at Seungcheol. “Best behavior.”

Again, Seungcheol laughed. “Of course. Lighten up, Mingyu. You’re all wound up like this is a date.”

Unamused, he just glared. “Best. Behavior.”

Seungcheol smirked to himself as Wonwoo approached the table. “Hey guys,” he said, slightly out of breath as he plopped himself down next to Mingyu.

“Good to see you, Wonwoo,” Seungcheol greeted him.

Mingyu turned and watched Wonwoo take off his jacket. “You find the place okay?”

“Yeah, yeah,” he quickly replied. “I’ve walked past it a lot. Never had the chance to come inside.” He took a second to glance around. It was pretty crowded that day. “It’s pretty nice.”

“We come a lot since it’s right next to the school,” Seungcheol said. “And cause they have good drinks.”

“Yeah? Should I go order something?” Wonwoo asked.

“No it’s okay. Seokmin’s got us,” Mingyu said.

“Oh.” Wonwoo twisted around and found Seokmin in the line. “I didn’t even see him when I walked in.” Waving his hand over his head, Wonwoo called out, “Hi Seokmin!”

Seokmin flinched. Once he saw who was calling, he flashed a toothy smile. “Hey Wonwoo!”

Satisfied, Wonwoo sat back down. Beside him, Mingyu was entertained. “I thought you tried to lay low.”

“What can I say? I get a little eager when you let me see your human friends.”

Seungcheol giggled. “That reminds me. I have to thank you for all of the cats in our house,” he said sarcastically.

“You know you love it,” Mingyu commented.

“Well, yeah I love them,” Seungcheol admitted. “But I never thought they’d all be inside at the same time.”

Wonwoo chuckled and asked, “Are they all still indoors?”

With a happy grin, Mingyu nodded. “And they’re all still clean.”

“I’ve never seen Mingyu so happy,” Seungcheol teased. “And I’ve never heard so much whistling in my life.”

“For the guy with no name?”

“For the guy with no name,” Mingyu confirmed. “He keeps thinking we’re gonna throw him out, so he hides everywhere. Times like these I really wish he had a name.”

“The name ‘Wonwoo’ is still a viable option,” he jokingly pointed out.

“Trust me. I’ve already tried it.”

Immediately after he said that, Mingyu froze. He’d never mentioned that to Wonwoo before and he had no idea what the boy could be thinking from that.

But Wonwoo just grinned, surprised and glad to hear something like that. Looking away from Mingyu, he decided not to torture him in front of his friends. He looked up at Seungcheol and asked, “So you guys come here cause it’s close to the school?”

Noticing his friend’s bashfulness, Seungcheol did as he promised. He was on his best behavior. “Yeah, and cause Seokmin works on this street.”

“Where does he work?”

“Carat Bakery just a few doors down,” he answered. “Yeah, the guy’s a crazy conspiracy theorist but he bakes a mean red velvet cake.”

Wonwoo chuckled and was about to say something when Seokmin joined the picture. “Isn’t that true,” he said, sitting down next to Seungcheol. “Although I think my egg tarts are better.”

“No way,” Seungcheol argued. “I mean, yeah they’re delicious, but I die everytime I eat that cake.”

As the conversation continued and Wonwoo found a comfortable flow with Mingyu’s friends, he couldn’t help but be a little proud of himself. Just sitting next to Mingyu in that booth was enough to get his heart racing. They had come a long way.

Since his first “confession” weeks ago, Wonwoo’s feelings just kept growing every time he interacted with Mingyu. Since Mingyu first walked away and turned him down, Wonwoo couldn’t control how his emotions intensified. They just always got away from him. And even though weeks ago, it seemed like they were destined to fail, Wonwoo had never been happier. Being with Mingyu was the most refreshing thing. Seeing Mingyu smile over his cats made Wonwoo smile right back. Hearing Mingyu talk about himself was music to Wonwoo’s ears. So weeks after that blow out, Wonwoo was proud that he got the chance to know this amazing person.

Chatting with Mingyu and his friends was just another thing Wonwoo could add to that list of what he loved about this person. Every chance he got, Wonwoo would steal a glance at Mingyu from the corner of his eye, trying not to be too obvious in front of Seungcheol and Seokmin, two people he found to be very charming. Just talking in that cafe was so nice. It was so normal. It made Wonwoo crave even more normalcy with Mingyu. Going to the grocery store. Studying for exams. Talking late into the night.

But thoughts like that last one always made him remember that some normal things weren’t possible. It pinched his insides to think about and it reminded him of how much he hated who he was, or at least the part of him he couldn’t control. As Seungcheol and Seokmin talked about the camping trip they forced Mingyu to go on a while ago, Wonwoo could only think of how he would never be able to go with them. I just need to stop jumping already. I’m done with it, Wonwoo thought far too often. I need to stop. The universe needs to let me stop. When this came to mind, he looked at Mingyu again.

“There was so much dirt, I thought I was going to die,” Mingyu commented, getting all the others to laugh.

“That’s what camping is Mingyu,” Seokmin pointed out.

Taking a sip of his drink, Mingyu replied, “That’s why you guys had to drag me. No way I would do that voluntarily.”

Wonwoo smiled at him. Mingyu could help me stop. But he immediately shook that from his head. No good could come from thinking like that. He found that out pretty clearly already. But sometimes he couldn’t help it.

If Mingyu and I were so in love, the universe would have to see it, he thought. I would have to stop jumping so I could be with him. If that could just happen...life would just be better. I’d never wind up in another random country. I’d never have to steal people’s clothes again. I’d never have to worry about getting a good night’s sleep before night even came. Goddamn, wouldn’t that be amazing. And it’s all freakin possible if I could just get Mingyu to…

No! Stop that! Wonwoo screamed to himself. Do you hear yourself? You can’t just use Mingyu like that…

Well, it’s not really using him if he feels the same way about me, Wonwoo reasoned with himself. Right? If I can get him to fall in love with me then that means he really does love me, right? That’s not wrong. And it’s not like I’m faking it. I am genuinely falling for him...I think. I mean, I’ve never been in love so…

What is wrong with me! Just stop thinking like this. Fall in love with Mingyu on your own time. Just let it happen because it’s already happening. And Mingyu...he’ll catch up. He says what he says about relationships but...if I feel this way...he has to be feeling...something? Right?

Keeping a calm, cheerful face to shield his inner turmoil, Wonwoo looked back at Mingyu as the other two were debating another silly topic.

“You were the one who forgot the bug spray!” Seungcheol complained. “How do you not remember this? We had to walk seven miles to the drug store to get some! Mingyu nearly passed out.”

“I remember that, but it wasn’t me who forgot it!” Seokmin argued. “I packed it and you were the one who took it out for some reason!”

“That’s so stupid! Why would I ever take it out?!”

“That’s what I was asking you!”

Mingyu snickered as he watched his roommates go off about something they’d already gone off about. As they bantered, he turned to the side to make sure Wonwoo was still comfortable. He found the boy listening with a gentle smile resting between his cheeks. Mingyu couldn’t help but grin back at him, softly perking up his lips.

Wonwoo could feel his heart beat faster. But for some reason, the first thing that popped into his head after seeing Mingyu’s smile was, I need to stop jumping.

As for the thoughts running through Mingyu’s head, they were a lot less distressed and a lot warmer. He’d been having so much fun with Wonwoo over the past few weeks. He’d truly never felt that with anyone else before.

I’ve never felt this way about anyone else, he thought. This just reminded him of the conversation he had with Seokmin two days ago. Sitting with the three of them, Mingyu paid close attention to his own feelings. It doesn’t make sense. Even now, when we’re all together, Wonwoo feels...different. Why was it like that? What was different about Wonwoo compared to his other friends? Why did it feel different when Wonwoo smiled at him compared to when Seungcheol or Seokmin did? What was it about Wonwoo that made Mingyu just react differently?

Mingyu had no idea what to do about all of this. All he knew was that no matter how different he felt around Wonwoo, it still felt good. I guess that’s all that matters.

And as the two boys sat there, minds clouded with their own concerns, Seungcheol and Seokmin kept the conversation alive.

“You don’t get an opinion on this.”

“You’re such a dork. You should’ve just talked to the guy if you really thought he was that cute,” Seungcheol teased.

Seokmin rolled his eyes and leaned over the table. “What do you think Wonwoo?”

Slightly distracted, Wonwoo didn’t notice when the conversation shifted. Shaking back into focus, he blurted out, “I’m sorry, what?”

“A few weeks ago,” Seokmin started to explain, “we were here and there was a guy I bumped into. Like I physically bumped into him. And, I don’t know, he was really cute and I’ve been thinking about him a lot.” Yesterday, Seokmin had told Seungcheol what he told Mingyu. Talking about it for a third time didn’t stop him from blushing. Shrugging, he continued, “I don’t know. He was cute and I don’t know his name or anything about him so I don’t know why I even bothered to tell anybody.”

Hearing this was weirdly endearing to Wonwoo, making him smile. Mingyu, on the other hand, just scoffed. “Seokmin, I agree with Seungcheol. You’re a dork.”

“I think it’s kinda sweet,” Wonwoo admitted.

Shaking his head, Mingyu smiled and sipped his drink. “Of course you do,” he said under his breath.

But Seokmin appreciated the support. “Thanks, Wonwoo. It’s nice to know someone doesn’t think I’m completely lame.”

Seungcheol laughed. “You’re not completely lame. Just weak for cute boys apparently.”

“I’m not that thirsty!” Seokmin argued. “He was really cute!”

Everyone chuckled. Wonwoo leaned over a bit and clutched Seokmin’s arm. “I believe you, Seokmin.” With a sly grin on his face, he looked over at Mingyu. “Some people are just that cute.”

Seungcheol and Seokmin exchanged knowing glances, but Mingyu just rolled his eyes. “Yes. I know. I’m adorable. I get it.”

— — —

Knock! Knock!

“I’ll get it mom!” Minghao shouted as he ran and slid across the floor to the front door. Unlocking and swinging it open, Minghao smiled immediately at the person on the other side. A hand on his hip and some sarcastic attitude written on his face, he said, “Well look what the wind blew in.”

Wonwoo grinned and stepped inside to hug his friend. “Seoul’s finest, at your doorstep.”

With a laugh, Minghao patted his back and closed the door behind them. “Ya know, you might start getting sick of me if we see each other this often.”

“I’m already sick of you,” Wonwoo scoffed, taking off his coat.

Minghao took it from him and went to the hall closet to put it up. “How was your jump?”

“It was fine,” he replied, heading for Minghao’s room. “I was near the river, so everything was really pretty.” Wonwoo glanced around him. “Just like the pictures you took.”

One of Wonwoo’s favorite things about coming to Minghao’s apartment was how so many of his friend’s works were displayed. All over the place, canvases of Minghao’s best photos decorated the walls. Minghao explained that his mom and Junhui helped him pick which ones to develop. Minghao told Junhui that his father had taken the one’s from different countries. Each shot was gorgeous and it just made Wonwoo happy to look at them.

Minghao smiled. “Thanks. Yeah, I love it near the water. Junhui takes the best pictures at night from there.”

“I’m sure he does,” Wonwoo chuckled.

Minghao was about to retaliate with something when a different voice interrupted the conversation. “Is that Wonwoo I hear?”

He smiled and called back. “Yes, Mrs. Xu! It’s me!”

Coming out from down the hall, she smiled and hugged him like he was her nephew. “Dear! How are you? Did you get here okay?”

He laughed and hugged her back, always grateful for her kindness. “I’m great! Yeah, I got here alright.”

“Good good,” she replied. “It’s always great to see you dear. Minghao loves having you over.”

Minghao scoffed. “Yes, I just sit at the foot of my bed and beg the universe to send me Jeon Wonwoo.”

“We all know you do,” Wonwoo replied.

Seeing the two boys interact just made Minghao’s mom light up. “Well, you two have fun. I’m gonna go nap for a little longer.”

“Okay mom,” Minghao said, kissing her on the head as she walked past him.

She smiled. “Be safe, sweetie. You’ve only got another hour, so eat something. Make yourself at home, Wonwoo.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Xu!” Wonwoo called as she went back to her bedroom.

As the two of them went to Minghao’s room, he asked Wonwoo, “So how’ve you been for the past week?”

Making himself comfortable on his friend’s bed, Wonwoo answered, “Ya know, pretty good, pretty good. Not much has changed, I guess.”

“Uh oh,” Minghao said, sitting down on his desk chair. “That’s not good.”

“What do you mean that’s not good?” he chuckled.

“That means no progress with Mingyu, doesn’t it?”

Wonwoo understood and shrugged. “No, there’s definitely some progress. I mean, not much has like drastically changed, but...I don’t know...I think he’s opening up more.”

“What does that mean?”

Wonwoo tried to think it over. “Well, today for instance, I hung out with him and his friends for the first time.”

“Really?” Minghao said with a smug smile. Crossing his arms, he asked, “How’d it go?”

“It was a lot of fun. I mean, I’ve met and talked to them before. They’re Mingyu’s closest people. I mean, they’re his roommates and his best friends that don’t have claws,” he chuckled. “It was really cool being part of Mingyu’s normal life though. It felt...right. Like I could just fit with him daily. And that was…”

“A good feeling,” Minghao finished for him, knowing what must be running through his friend’s head.

Wonwoo nodded. “It was a very good feeling. I even got to meet some more of his friends who do have claws. There are a lot by the cafe they hang out at.”

“What were their names?” Minghao asked. He greatly approved when he found out Mingyu named them after different foods.

Smiling, Wonwoo remembered, “There was Latte, this beautiful chocolate colored cat who Mingyu met when he was studying really late there one night. She was really sweet. Then there was Lemon. Mingyu said he named him that cause he’s a real sour puss, and I have to say I agree. I mean, he loves Mingyu, but he couldn’t stand me or the others.” Minghao and him exchanged some laughs as he went on. “Let’s see...oh! And there was one named Pizza! She might’ve been my favorite of the afternoon. She sleeps in a pizzabox in the alley behind the store and all the employees know to never throw it away.”

“That’s so cute,” Minghao laughed. “Was that all of them?”

“No there was one more that I think you’d actually like a lot, not just from his name but he was really great,” Wonwoo said. “Mingyu named him Dr. Pepper.”

That one made Minghao burst out. “Did he really name one Dr. Pepper?!”

Smiling and nodding, Wonwoo explained. “Trust me when I say this. The guy truly smelled like Dr. Pepper. Mingyu doesn’t know if it’s cause he was soaked in soda somehow or he was born with it flowing through his veins, but he smells just like it and it’s amazing. Next time you jump to Seoul, have Mingyu take you to meet him. You’ll fall in love.”

“I think I already have,” Minghao commented. Just observing his friend’s glowing face as he talked about Mingyu and the cats made him feel all warm inside. “And I think you have too.”

Wonwoo felt his heart beat a little faster, but he batted the air and blew off the comment. “Come on, Minghao. I’m definitely falling for Mingyu, but I don’t know if I can call it love just yet.”

“Oh, come on!” Minghao uttered, disbelief just spewing through his voice. “You don’t think you’re in love yet?”

A little embarrassed, Wonwoo grabbed one of Minghao’s pillows and held onto it. “I don’t think so.”

“What makes you say that?”

Wonwoo sighed and looked up at the ceiling, trying to find the right words. “I don’t know. I mean...I feel so much for Mingyu. Just...so, so much. But each time I’m with him...I can feel those feelings...get stronger. Like, even stronger. And every time, after we hang out, when I get home and I’m just high off Mingyu, I think to myself, ‘There is no way in hell I could possibly feel more for this person.’ But the very next time I’m with him...it becomes more,” Wonwoo explained. He closed his eyes and let those emotions take over. “And the only feeling I can equate that to would be falling. I can’t say I’m in love with him yet because...where do you go after that? I’m falling in love with him, yes. Because I can physically feel myself falling deeper and deeper every day.”

Minghao listened closely and waited for Wonwoo to be finished. As he took in what Wonwoo was saying, he knew what he was experiencing. Once he was done, Minghao gently said, “Wonwoo.”

Wonwoo opened his eyes and looked over at him. “Yeah?”

He smiled and said, “That’s what love is.”

Now it was Wonwoo’s turn to listen.

“Everything you just said,” Minghao continued, “is what you feel when you’re in love. That’s how I feel about Junhui. When you say you’re in love with someone, it doesn’t mean you’re done. It’s not until you’re already in love with that person do they start to make you feel more and more. Falling in love is just the beginning. Being in love is what you described. Love isn’t static, Wonwoo. It’s dynamic as hell and will never stop amazing you, because it just keeps growing and growing. The day that stops, it doesn’t mean you’ve ‘reached’ love. The day that stops means you’re not working hard enough to keep love alive.”

Wonwoo listened closely to learn about this emotion he never knew much about. “Love is terribly consuming,” Minghao said, relating to himself. “And I’ve been in this state for years, my friend. It’s kind of cool to finally have somebody here with me.” They both laughed. “It’s one of the strongest feelings out there and it’s one that the universe uses a lot to give us reasons to stop jumping. When you’re in love, you always feel like you’re falling. But the day you find out that person feels the same way about you…”

Wonwoo waited to hear more, but he noticed that Minghao wasn’t going to go on. Extremely curious about what he was going to say, Wonwoo asked, “What happens then?”

Minghao smiled and looked into his eyes. “I don’t know,” he said softly. “But I’ll let you know if that ever happens.”

Wonwoo scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Wow, Minghao! You’ve got me on the edge of my seat over here!”

Minghao laughed and tapped his desk, thinking about where his train of thought was taking him. “I have some guesses as to what it must be like, though.”

“Oh yeah? And what’s it like?”

“Well if being in love is that powerful and can feel that good,” Minghao said. He turned to smile at his friend. “Then being loved by that exact person must be a million times better.”

Wonwoo thought it over and could only imagine what he could possibly feel if Mingyu told him he felt the same way about him. If Mingyu confessed that his heart would beat just as fast or his mind would spin just as much or his smile would grow just as big because of Wonwoo…

Wonwoo smiled into his chest. “Yeah, I bet you’re right.”

— — —

“There’s extra noodles in the fridge if you’d like some, Wonwoo.”

Wonwoo smiled and watched Minghao’s mom grab her purse and coat before heading for work. “Thanks so much, Mrs. Xu. I really appreciate it. I’ll probably sleep in Minghao’s room for the next few hours.”

“Good, get some rest dear,” she said to him. “It’s nice that someone gets to use his room at night.”

Wonwoo nodded, knowing how much pain must be behind her words. Wonwoo and his Jumper friends had always known Minghao’s mom to be very hardworking. They assumed so since she was a waitress who always worked the late night shift. Just as she was about to leave, Wonwoo decided to finally ask her about it. “Mrs. Xu.”

She turned back to face him. “Yes dear?”

Wonwoo didn’t want to be rude. “Can I ask you something?”

She tied her apron around her waist. “Of course.”

“Why do you work such late hours?” he asked politely. “I’ve noticed you always leave for work around this time and don’t come back until really early morning.”

Throwing her coat on and tossing her hair out by the collar, she smiled. “I guess it’s been like that for years, hasn’t it.”

Wonwoo nodded and didn’t say anything else. She just chuckled and replied, “Being a non-Jumper mother to someone special like yourself makes the nights a lot harder. After Minghao’s dad disappeared, it was even worse.” She sighed but kept up her cheerful grin. “I like being with my son in the day. I don’t want to spend those hours working. And working at night keeps me distracted from all the danger he could be in. It keeps me at ease, dear. So don’t you worry. The late hours don’t bother me at all.”

That reply struck a core with Wonwoo and all he could do was weakly smile.

But she knew he understood. “Have a good night, Wonwoo. Try to get some rest. Keep your mind off of things.”

“Thank you,” he said. “I will.”

She gave him one last smile before she left for that night’s shift. She’d be home in 12 hours. Just in time for Minghao.

For the next hour and half hour, Wonwoo did as she told him and napped in Minghao’s room. But he emerged with too much on his mind.

I’m in love with Mingyu. Dear god...he’s gonna hate me.

As much as that thought made him laugh, it crushed him a little. He hadn’t texted the boy in a few hours, but that was okay. It wasn’t like they were dating or anything.

Thankfully Minghao had shown Wonwoo where the spare apartment key was years ago so he could go out and clear his head. I just need to do something right now. Take a walk. I mean, thinking about Mingyu’s not a bad thing. It’s just...a lot to process right now.

Wonwoo got his jacket and was about to leave. But the second he opened the front door, he stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes grew wide as he just stared.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” the boy with dark brown hair in front of him said in Chinese. He sounded just as confused as Wonwoo was feeling. “I didn’t think anyone was home.”

Having jumped to China several times, Wonwoo picked up a significant amount of Mandarin. Unfortunately, all of it flew out of his head at that moment. The only thing that came out of his mouth was, “Junhui.”

Junhui furrowed his eyebrows and nodded. With a confused but polite smile, he said, “Yes, hi. Have we met before?”

Being the dork that he was, Wonwoo replied, in Korean, “No, sorry. We haven’t met yet.”

Now just surprised, Junhui chuckled. Switching languages himself, he said in perfect Korean, “Oh, I’m so sorry. I thought you were Chinese for a second. But...okay…” He took a second to examine Wonwoo’s bewildered face. “Yep, now that I look at you, you are very clearly Korean.”

Shaking himself, Wonwoo finally got a grip. “I’m so sorry!” he apologized again. “I didn’t mean to just...I’m sorry you weren’t expecting anyone home. And, yeah, obviously we haven’t met.”

Junhui laughed. It wasn’t until now did Wonwoo notice he was holding a stack of canvases in his arms. “It’s okay. But is it alright if I ask who you are, since you’re Korean and standing in Minghao’s house.”

“Right!” Wonwoo stuck out his hand. “I’m Wonwoo. I’m…” He stopped for a second. How was he related to Minghao? He couldn’t just say they were friends. That made no sense. Then he would’ve introduced him to Junhui before. Wracking his brain for something that would work, the first things that popped into his head were Joshua and Hansol. “I’m his cousin. His Korean cousin.”

“Oh!” Junhui exclaimed, shaking the boy’s hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Junhui.”

“I know,” Wonwoo couldn’t help but say. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

For a moment, Junhui just processed the fact that Minghao talked about him. Getting a little shy, Junhui chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “Really? That’s nice of him. Sorry I’m so surprised you’re here, but Minghao didn’t mention that his cousin was in town.”

“I’m only here for the night,” he said, pulling stuff out of his . “I’m actually on my way to…Japan,” he managed to choke out, trying to think of anything. “Yeah, my connecting flight got really delayed so...I decided to stay here...for the night.” Wonwoo felt like a complete idiot.

But Junhui just laughed. “That’s so cool. I’ve never been to Japan.”

“It’s really nice over there,” Wonwoo said. He was still distracted by Junhui’s presence in general. He didn’t think he’d be meeting him like this. But something that shocked him even more…

“I’m sorry, this is gonna sound weird,” Wonwoo said. “But Minghao never mentioned that you spoke Korean.”

Junhui scoffed. “Of course he didn’t mention that to his Korean cousin. Minghao’s kind of a dunce sometimes,” he teased. Wonwoo laughed as he explained. “I really like Kpop and Kdramas and that stuff so I took a lot of Korean classes in grade school until now, so I’m pretty fluent. Thanks for noticing.”

“That’s really impressive,” Wonwoo complimented him. “And yeah, Minghao’s a dunce cause I love Kpop too. Can’t believe he didn’t mention that we had that in common.”

Smiling, Junhui replied, “You should tell him to give you my SNS info. We could talk for ages.”

Even after just a few minutes of interacting with him, Wonwoo could see what Minghao described in Junhui. He had a certain charm that was incredibly friendly and all around approachable. Then he remembered that he wasn’t there to meet Wonwoo. “Sorry! You were here to do something and I completely got in the way.”

“No, don’t worry!” Junhui said. Extending his arms, he held the stack of canvases in front of Wonwoo. “I just came to drop these off. I was gonna put them on the doorstep, but since you’re here could you bring them in?”

“Yeah, no problem.” Wonwoo carefully took them from Junhui, who tenderly placed them in this stranger’s hands.

“These are canvases of Minghao’s best photos over the past few months,” he explained. “He asked me to help pick them out and get them developed. Hopefully he likes how they turned out.”

Glancing down at the first one, Wonwoo could already tell that they were gorgeous. “Cool. I’ll make sure he gets them.”

“Thanks.” Junhui took a second to look over Wonwoo’s shoulder. “He’s locked up in his room, isn’t he?”

“What?” Wonwoo looked behind him and remembered Minghao’s excuse. “Oh, yeah! He’s pretty wiped right now, actually. He’s been asleep for a few hours now.”

“Should’ve guessed,” Junhui said with a weak smile. Letting out a low sigh, he nodded. “Can you tell him I stopped by and that it was really hard to narrow down which pictures were best?”

Wonwoo could tell Junhui wanted to see Minghao. I definitely know that feeling, Wonwoo thought, putting Mingyu back into his head. “Definitely.”

“Thanks, again,” he grinned. “It was really nice meeting you.”

“You too, man,” Wonwoo said as the boy backed away.

“Have a fun time in Japan.”

“What?”

Junhui raised an eyebrow at him. “That’s where you’re going, right?”

“Right! Right,” Wonwoo exclaimed. “Thanks! Have a good night.”

With one last smile and nod, Junhui turned around and disappeared down the hall. Wonwoo watched him before he was out of sight.

Coming back inside and locking the door behind him, Wonwoo headed for Minghao’s room. He placed the canvases on his friend’s desk and processed what had just happened.

Junhui seems like a really cool guy. He chuckled when he realized something. Minghao has nothing to worry about. He totally likes him back.

— — —

“Final boarding call for flight 1810 to Charlotte, North Carolina. That’s final boarding call for flight 1810.”

Joshua stood in the airport and checked his watch again. 12:12pm. He was waiting where all of the eager families lined up to find their loved ones. In comparison, it was funny to him how he was picking up a stranger. Well, not a total stranger.

Joshua glanced around and smiled when another announcement came over the PA system. He’d always liked coming to the airport. There was something about organized and regulated travel that made him happy.

Jeonghan’s flight was supposed to get in at noon, but Joshua wasn’t surprised. These flights always came in later than scheduled, not that it really concerned him.

Joshua finally looked up again when he noticed the people around him start to get rowdy. That’s when he saw the wave of people who had just arrived.

Okay, he thought to himself. Wonwoo said he would be impossible to miss. Just look for the guy with the long hair. He watched as person after person stepped out from the terminal. No one fit the bill. That’s actually not that descriptive, now that I think about it. There could be anyone who looked—

But his thoughts were brutally interrupted when he saw the boy with the notorious long hair. Jeonghan had it up in a ponytail to keep it out of his face, but it was still just as gorgeous. And Joshua couldn’t help but stare. In a swim jacket and some tight sweats while lugging a backpack and one suitcase, Jeonghan looked like a lost puppy, trying to find it’s owner. Wow, he’s cute, Joshua thought. It took him a second to realize that Jeonghan looked so lost because he was looking for him.

Coming to his senses, Joshua put on a big smile and started waving from the crowd. “Jeonghan!” he called out. “Over here, Jeonghan!”

Immediately, Jeonghan found the boy with the noticeable voice. “Ah, Joshua!” he cried back as he rushed over.

Joshua could hear the strong accent in Jeonghan’s voice as he said his name. He pushed his way through to meet the boy. Now that they were closer, Joshua could see that Jeonghan was pretty exhausted. Rightfully so, too. It was a 14 hour flight. But still, he could see that the boy was excited to have arrived. “Hi!” Joshua exclaimed. “It’s so nice to finally meet you!”

Jeonghan laughed and nodded back at him. He took a second to just stare into Joshua’s sparkling eyes. “Nice to meet you too! And, again, thank you so, so much for...everything. Letting me stay with you and picking me up…”

“Trust me, it’s no big deal.” Joshua insisted. “Like I said, any friend of Wonwoo’s is a friend of mine.”

Jeonghan smiled. “I have to thank him too then.”

Joshua grinned and reached over for Jeonghan’s luggage. “Here, let me help you with that.”

“Oh, thanks Joshua,” Jeonghan said as he was being lead out of the crowded area.

With a chuckle, Joshua looked back at him. “Please, you can call me Jisoo.”

“Jisoo,” Jeonghan repeated in his perfect, native tongue. “Hong Jisoo.”

“At your service.”

The two of them got acquainted as they made their way through the airport and to the parking lot where Joshua’s car waited them. LAX was always busy, so Joshua was lucky to even have found a spot.

“Jesus, it’s so hot here,” Jeonghan commented, taking off his jacket before he got in the car. “It’s the beginning of spring. I mean, I always heard LA was hot, but I didn’t expect this.”

Laughing, Joshua joined him inside. He the car and blasted the AC. “Yeah, it’s always like this in California. It’s shorts and flip-flops year round.”

“I’ll be sure to remember that next time,” he chuckled. “The second I stepped off the plane I was sweating buckets.”

“I hope your flight wasn’t too bad,” Joshua said as he buckled himself in.

“It wasn’t,” Jeonghan replied. “Just really long. Good part was I sat next to this guy who just slept the whole time. Bad part was I can’t really sleep on planes. It’s too uncomfortable for me.”

“Is it really that bad?” Joshua asked.

“Have you never been on a plane before?” Jeonghan countered, a bit surprised.

“No I have. Lots of times,” he lied.”I just never thought it was that hard to fall asleep.”

Jeonghan chuckled and leaned back in his seat. “Well, you’re one of the lucky ones. It’s terrible sometimes. 14 hours of movies I’ve already seen. Thank god they had a ton of Pixar stuff.”

“Oh, Pixar’s the best!” Joshua exclaimed as he started driving. “What’d you watch?”

It was only a fifteen minute drive to Joshua and Vernon’s apartment. In that time, Joshua and Jeonghan got to know the person they’d been texting a little better. Over text, they mostly just talked about the basics: what they were studying, what they did for fun, how they would describe themselves. Now they got to see how those first impressions held up.

So far, Joshua found Jeonghan to be just as charming. He was easy to talk to and had a contagious laugh. Wonwoo didn’t mention how cute he was, he thought. Obviously, Wonwoo had never looked at Jeonghan like that. But Joshua was seeing him with fresh eyes, and he was very happy with what he was looking at. Not only was Jeonghan’s smile gorgeous, it seemed so genuine. He’s like a freakin angel.

While Joshua was enjoying Jeonghan’s company as he drove, in the passenger seat, Jeonghan was feeling the same way. Wonwoo was right. We get along really well, he thought. I wonder why he never mentioned how charismatic Jisoo is...or that his name’s also Jisoo. Jeonghan decided that last part was appropriate enough to ask about.

“Hey Jisoo.”

“Yeah?” he replied, pulling into his building parking structure.

“Why doesn’t Wonwoo call you Jisoo? He calls you Joshua.”

Joshua chuckled. “I guess it’s just been that way since we first met. He’s just disrespectful like that,” he teased, getting Jeonghan to laugh. “He does call my cousin by his Korean name though.”

“Oh yeah, Hansol, right? His real name’s Vernon,” Jeonghan made sure.

“Yeah, you’ll meet him later. He’s at school right now.”

“Well, if he’s as cool as you then we should get along fine,” Jeonghan said with a smile.

As someone who was accustomed to swooning other people, Joshua was never one to be easily flustered. But for some reason, he couldn’t hold back his blush. “I dare say he’s even cooler,” Joshua said in an attempt to stay chill.

After parking and heading up to the right floor, Joshua lead the way to apartment 17. “Here we are,” he said as he unlocked the door. Swinging it open to reveal the inside, he announced, “I present to you our humble abode.”

With a giggle, Jeonghan stepped inside and slipped out of his shoes. “Wow,” he remarked, moving to the center of the apartment and spinning in a circle, marveling at what anyone else would take as a normal living space. “I’ve never been in an American apartment before.”

Joshua laughed and closed the door behind as he wheeled in Jeonghan’s suitcase. He put it to the side and joined the boy. “It’s not all that special.”

“It’s pretty special to me,” Jeonghan said. He looked over at the old furniture that Joshua and Vernon bought years ago. They scraped together enough money to get a seemingly decent couch, but overall the place looked pretty shabby. It wasn’t dirty or messy, but it definitely wasn’t extravagant. Still, in Jeonghan’s eyes, it was amazing. “This place is awesome.” He turned to smile at Joshua. “Thanks, again, for letting me stay here.”

And for the second time already in their short encounter, Joshua had to stop himself from flushing a shade of pink. Looking at Jeonghan in that moment gave him a weird feeling, but it was a good weird. Trying to contain himself, Joshua grinned back, spread out his arms, and said, “My home is your home.”