Ring! Ring!

Ring! Ring!

Mingyu glanced over to the side of his desk and saw his phone screen light up. For a second, he was just surprised that it wasn’t on silent before he registered that someone was calling him. Picking up the phone, he found that it was an unknown number.

That’s weird, he thought. Literally the only people who call me are already in my contacts.

Ring! Ring!

It kept going off so Mingyu ignored his thoughts and answered.

“Hello?”

“Hello? Mingyu?” a familiar, soft voice asked from the other side.

Mingyu shook with a start. Surprised, he quickly replied, “Oh! Wonwoo’s grandma?”

With a light chuckle, Wonwoo’s grandmother said, “Mmm, I’m glad I got a hold of you, Mingyu-ah.”

Completely taken aback, Mingyu just stared blankly at the wall in front of him. He was working on some math homework before she called, trying to get his mind off his troubles as well as attempting to maintain his grades during these times of emotional turmoil. It was proving to be way harder than he expected. Still, a call from Wonwoo’s grandmother was so unexpected that he was able to forget about his pain for just a moment.

“Ohh, yes,” he nervously said back. Awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck, he said, “It’s good to hear from you, grandma.”

He couldn’t see, but she smiled. “You too, dear. I had to get your phone number from Wonwoo’s phone. It’s so hard to find you kids now. Thank god I didn’t have to go through any of that crazy stuff online or something.”

Mingyu chuckled and nodded. “Things are definitely...complicated nowadays.”

“You could say that again.” Wonwoo’s grandmother took a second as she glanced at her watch to check the time. 6:02pm. Her grandson was off in some random part of the world, giving her a chance to talk to the person she knew was on his mind. “Anyway, Mingyu-ah, I wanted to call you and ask you over for dinner again. What do you say?”

Mingyu’s breath caught in his throat. At this point, it seemed like Wonwoo’s grandmother didn’t know what was going on between the two boys and that they weren’t talking. The idea of going over to Wonwoo’s house was...terrifying. “Uhh, grandma that’s really kind of you but—”

“I know things are tense with you and Wonwoo right now.”

Mingyu stopped. He didn’t know what to say to that.

But Wonwoo’s grandmother just went on with her kind voice. “But it would be nice to see a friendly face, wouldn’t it?”

Somehow, that made Mingyu lighten up a bit. Still, he couldn’t imagine accepting such an invitation. He was in no state to have dinner with anyone. “Thank you grandma but—”

She cut him off again. “It’s my birthday, Mingyu-ah,” she said, that slight aggression in her voice that all grandmothers have when they’re trying to get their grandkids to do something. “So you can’t say no.”

Even though she wasn’t there, Mingyu could imagine the bright smile on her face. This was a woman who seemed to always be determined, pushing until she got what she wanted.

I guess that’s where Wonwoo gets it from, Mingyu thought to himself.

Thinking things through, Mingyu paused before he answered. Ever since his talk with Minghao just yesterday, he had a lot to think about. He was beginning to question his emotions more and more. Not because he thought he could possibly feel differently about Wonwoo, but he was trying to see if he was truly justified in giving up on them so easily. With everything that Wonwoo was going through, it was almost reasonable that he exploded. But Mingyu wasn’t completely certain. Maybe talking to someone much wiser and much older would be helpful.

Mingyu gently chuckled and closed his eyes. With a strong nod, he replied, “Okay.”

“Ahh, that’s great!” Wonwoo’s grandmother exclaimed. “You should come by in a couple of days, after 6 o’clock if you would prefer.”

“Mmm,” Mingyu agreed, able to softly smile. “Sounds great.”

Pleased, she nodded. “I’ll see you soon.”

— — —

“Seokmin! Order for Seokmin!”

Seokmin shoved his phone into his pocket and stepped up to get his drink. “Thanks,” he said with a gentle smile before turning around. Unfortunately, he didn’t really look where he was going.

“Oh my god!” he shouted as he rammed into the blonde boy who was walking by. His drink immediately flew out of his hand.

Thankfully, this boy had fast reflexes. He quickly caught the cup mid-air and stood back up straight. With a shy smile, he meekly said, “You’ve gotta hold onto you drinks better.”

Eyes wide, Seokmin was caught off guard. “Soonyoung!”

Handing the drink back to him, Soonyoung got goosebumps when his fingers grazed Seokmin’s. “Hey,” he said.

Seokmin was so surprised, he just stared at the boy he was so confused about. It wasn’t until the barista called the next order did he catch himself and move to the side. “What’re you doing here?” he asked.

“Ever since that first day I ran into you, I’ve been hooked on the boba here,” Soonyoung explained, raising his own drink. “It’s addicting.”

Seokmin nodded as he watched Soonyoung take a sip. “I know the feeling.”

Soonyoung swallowed and tried to keep his cool. He really wasn’t expecting to run into Seokmin any time soon, but it was probably what he needed. For the past few days, he had been feeling terrible about what happened with Mingyu, but at the same time he couldn’t help it. He was so...confused. And Seokmin did that to him. All he could do was think about this boy and how great it was to just be around him. Now that they were face to face again, Soonyoung wanted to let him know that.

“I’m really sorry, Seokmin,” Soonyoung apologized suddenly. “What happened the other day in the bakery was all my fault and…” He sighed and slumped his shoulders. Looking into Seokmin’s eyes, he tried to find compassion. “I didn’t mean to come between you and your friend.”

Seokmin had been beating his insides over this exact issue for days. All he could do was feel disappointed in himself for failing Mingyu because of this boy before him. It was because he trusted Soonyoung that he turned his best friend away in his time of need. He hated himself for that, but it was strange. He hated himself. Part of him was obviously mad at Soonyoung, but not enough to completely discredit how enjoyable he was to have around. Caught between all of his thoughts, Seokmin didn’t know what to think of Soonyoung anymore. But seeing him again was helping him figure it out.

Letting out his own sigh, Seokmin returned Soonyoung’s gaze. “It’s not your fault. It’s just...your job.” Reminded of that, Seokmin felt his arm twitch.

Feeling just as guilty, Soonyoung replied, “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Seokmin said, finally poking the straw through his drink. Holding it to his lips, he took a sip before shoving his emotions aside and saying, “Well, it was nice seeing you.” Seokmin continued to drink as he tried to head towards the door.

But Soonyoung quickly got in his way. “Woah, wait,” he said, not expecting Seokmin to leave so fast. “I thought we could talk for a sec.”

Seokmin met Soonyoung’s eyes, knowing where they both stood. “There’s nothing to talk about.”

“Seokmin…”

“It’s your job, Soonyoung,” Seokmin said clearly. Noticing more people standing by them, Seokmin pulled Soonyoung by the arm and moved them further away. “It’s your job to learn things about the people I want to help protect, so there’s nothing for us to talk about.”

Sensing the distance between them, Soonyoung said, “But you know that that has nothing to do with why I want to be around you.”

“I know,” Seokmin sighed, lowering his head. “I always trusted that part of you.” Looking up again, he said, “But it doesn’t matter. As long as you do what you do, I don’t—”

“Seokmin, please,” Soonyoung interrupted. Without a thought, he reached down and held Seokmin by the hands. Startled, Seokmin jumped and stared down at them as the other boy gently spoke. “Seokmin, we’ve only gotten to know each other a little recently so I don’t know if you feel the same way I do. But…” Squeezing his hands a little tighter, he continued, “You’re someone I don’t want to lose.”

Shocked, Seokmin just stood there with his heart racing. As someone who had spent so much time fantasizing about this very person in front of him, he didn’t feel like this situation real. It felt like a dramatic scene you would run in your head just to get yourself to smile because your love interest would do something so dramatic. But Seokmin was far from smiling.

Closing his eyes, Seokmin took a deep breath and pulled his hands away. “Do you know how ridiculous you sound right now?”

Soonyoung paused. Nervous and afraid, he listened to the person who was somehow holding his heart.

Seokmin tilted his head. “We’re on opposite sides of the fight right now,” he said sternly. “Soonyoung, we barely know each other, but somehow I know you’re the bad guy. I’ve spent my whole life worrying about the day I would run into someone like you. What you and Jihoon are doing to my friends is something I can’t stand behind.”

“I’m not asking you to—”

But Seokmin didn’t let him finish. “Mingyu is one of my best friends, and I can’t stand to think of how I’ve hurt him just because you were around. We’ve only talked a handful of times, Soonyoung. And it was nice…” He sighed and dropped his shoulders. “But you’re not someone I can hold onto.”

As he spoke, Seokmin felt his confused heart ache. Of course he meant what he said, about how Mingyu made him think these things, but part of him desperately wanted to hang onto Soonyoung. Part of him wanted to work past all of their differences and be normal people who just met and grew fond of each other. The part of him that loved fantasizing over Soonyoung wanted to make it work. But from what he learned, it just couldn’t.

But Soonyoung refused to accept that. “I know…that we seem like enemies,” Soonyoung admitted as he tried to stay strong. Hearing Seokmin say those things was painful, but he could fight through it. “Seokmin, I know it feels like we’re meant to hate each other.”

“We are,” Seokmin agreed.

“But we don’t,” Soonyoung pointed out.

Seokmin paused. Anxious, he listened to the person who was somehow giving him his heart.

Scratching the side of his neck, Soonyoung tried to find the right words to explain their complicated relationship. “Seokmin, our story isn’t the one that involves Wonwoo or Jihoon or Mingyu or any of that. What I do for a living and who you’re best friends with...have nothing to do with why I like you as a person.” Biting the inside of his cheek, Soonyoung was letting it all out there. “That’s...just a side story. A secondary piece. A related article advertised on the same page as our headline.”

For some reason, that made Seokmin chuckle.

Seeing that tiny smile made Soonyoung smile right back. “I know it seems like something that’s a big deal and should be enough to keep us apart, but it doesn’t have to be.”

Hearing more of this ridiculousness, Seokmin scoffed and finally sat down at the table nearest them. Staring up at Soonyoung, he said, “You’re crazy.”

Taking the seat in front of him, Soonyoung put his drink down and asked, “Why am I crazy?”

“Because you actually think we can get past this!” Seokmin explained.

“What makes you think we can’t?”

Seokmin could think of a million reasons, but his lips wouldn’t let him say them. Stammering, he just shook his head. “We’re not even together!” he finally exclaimed. “You’re fighting for something that doesn’t...exist!” Looking into Soonyoung’s eyes, he asked, “What happens if we can work it out? What do we do? Just hang out like we have been?”

Even when he was on the verge of having Seokmin refuse him entirely, Soonyoung smiled and said what he’d been dying to say. He’d just been waiting for the right moment.

“Go out with me.”

Seokmin’s heart sunk. His breath caught in his throat and he could barely hear properly. He stared back at Soonyoung’s smiling face and he had no idea what was going on. He had just come to the cafe to get a drink. Why does everything dealing with this guy have to be timed so weirdly? Seokmin couldn’t help but think.

Timing seemed to be a pattern with Soonyoung and Seokmin. Had their timing just been a little better, they could’ve met before Wonwoo and Mingyu were ever involved. Maybe they could’ve met after everything was sorted out. Maybe Soonyoung could’ve visited the bakery another day, a day that Mingyu didn’t stop by. It was their timing that always got Seokmin thinking about what could have been,

Still just baffled, Seokmin finally said again, “You’re crazy.”

Soonyoung smiled even bigger and leaned over the table, reaching over and again wrapping his hands with Seokmin’s. “Go out with me, Seokmin.”

But this time, Seokmin didn’t pull away. “I can’t just go out with you!” he frantically answered.

Seeing him so flustered made Soonyoung feel warm all over. “Sure you can!”

“Did you completely forget the conversation we were just having?!” Seokmin pointed out, genuinely amazed with how easily Soonyoung could jump from reality and fantasy. Seokmin needed to plant himself very firmly in the world they were actually living in.

But Soonyoung just wanted to live out the dream he always imagined with Seokmin. “Seokmin, I told you! None of that matters as long as we feel the same way about each other.” Leaning even closer, he locked eyes with the nervous boy. Smiling, he said, “What do you say?”

Conflicted and flustered, Seokmin dropped his head so his forehead was resting on top of Soonyoung’s hands. Breathing against the table, he had to pull himself together. Sitting back up, he leaned back in the chair. Unable to deny his own feelings, Seokmin felt his insides turn as he stared into Soonyoung’s smiling eyes. He could vividly remember how adorable he found those slanty things. But he could also remember everything he had just said.

“I can’t go out with you.”

Soonyoung frowned. “Seokmin—”

But Seokmin held up a hand and continued. “I can’t go out with you...right now.”

Soonyoung’s heart skipped a beat.

Seokmin let out another deep breath. Cracking a tiny smile, he said, “Right now, I still can’t look past what you do. You’re a reporter, and I get it. I respect it. But I can’t respect the way you’re doing it, and who you’re doing it to.”

Listening carefully, Soonyoung could understand. “I get it,” he said with a nod. Looking hopefully at the boy who hinted at a chance, he asked, “So when?”

“When that no longer stands between us,” Seokmin said. “I like you, Soonyoung. But we just don’t know each other that well yet. I can’t ask you to just give up your work to be with me.”

Thinking it through, Soonyoung knew this was right. Everything he and Jihoon had ever worked for...could he so easily throw it aside for Seokmin?

“So…”

Seokmin sighed. “I don’t have a problem with what you do until it hurts Mingyu.”

“I won’t hurt Mingyu,” Soonyoung said firmly, knowing how important that was.

“Prove it,” Seokmin said back.

Soonyoung waited.

Holding Soonyoung’s hands tightly, Seokmin thought of his friend and just how broken he’d been. Feeling that guilt all over again, Seokmin said, “You know what that means, right? If you hurt Wonwoo...you’ll hurt Mingyu.”

Soonyoung nodded. “I know.”

“If you can prove that you won’t hurt them,” Seokmin said, “I’ll go out with you.”

Soonyoung couldn’t tell, but Seokmin was beyond nervous just proposing this. For so long, he’d been trying to figure out how to feel about Soonyoung. But his feelings were already defined. So this time around, he figured out how he would be allowed to feel for Soonyoung. How he could like Soonyoung without feeling guilty. This was the solution. And he really hoped Soonyoung could do it.

Relieved to hear that Seokmin wasn’t truly ready to let him go, Soonyoung smiled. He didn’t care that he had no idea how he was going to prove this to Seokmin. He was just glad nothing was over. Holding their hands up, he shook them gently. With a soft nod, he said, “I can do that.”

— — —

“This is a really nice cafe,” Jeonghan said as he sat down and glanced all around them. It was a rather mellow shop with a very comfortable vibe. Taking off his coat, he smiled at Joshua across the table. “What’d you say it was called again.”

“Adore U,” Joshua said with a grin as he gazed at Jeonghan. Since he was familiar with the place, he could focus all his attention on the cutie in front of him. And he hoped that Jeonghan was distracted enough to not notice how shaky his hands were.

Jeonghan flashed a big smile as he looked back at Joshua. “There’s a similar place in Seoul. I think it’s called Akkinda. Maybe? I don’t know. I only went a few times.”

“Cute name,” Joshua replied, not knowing the actual English translation. His Korean was nearly perfect, but he had some holes here and there. “I really like this place,” he continued as he scanned down at the menu. “It’s cozy and the food’s really good. I hope you don’t mind that it’s not really fancy.”

“Not at all,” Jeonghan chuckled, looking down at his own menu. Obviously he couldn’t read anything too well, but the pictures were helpful. “It’s a nice place for a date, Jisoo.”

Hearing the boy say his name again made Joshua tingle. Trying to slyly glance up at him, he was so nervous. Joshua had been on plenty of dates, but none that ever made him feel this antsy. It was a scary feeling, but one he was glad to go through for Jeonghan. “I’m glad you agreed to go on a date with me,” he replied.

A faint blush came onto Jeonghan’s cheeks. Looking over at his watch, he said, “Thanks for agreeing to such an early dinner. I know it’s kinda weird that it’s only 4 o’clock.”

“No worries,” Joshua said, never bothered by anything before 6pm. “Our schedules work well together, Jeonghan.

“You think Hansol’s lonely at home?”

With a chuckle, Joshua tried to figure out what to order, but Jeonghan was so hard to ignore even for a second. “Trust me. He’s much happier than if he were on a date with us.”

Jeonghan laughed. Staring over at his date, he couldn’t help but be pleased with what he saw. “You look great, by the way.”

Joshua blushed as he looked down at his white button up. He never liked it buttoned all the way, so the collar opened at his neck. “Oh, thanks!” he stammered, “Ye-yeah, it’s something from my closet. I didn’t really have anything too...date-like.”

Jeonghan chuckled. “Well it looks really good.”

Trying to calm himself, Joshua looked back at Jeonghan. He was wearing a white t-shirt with a blue and white flannel outside. Nothing too fancy, and Joshua loved it. “You look really nice, too.”

Jeonghan had a hard time deciding what to wear that evening since he didn’t pack for the States expecting a date. Still, he was glad he could make Joshua smile. “Thanks.”

For a moment, the two of them just smiled at each other before Joshua shook and broke the spell. Staring down at the menu, he asked, “So what should we order?”

As the two of them got situated, finally deciding what to eat and having the waiter take their order, Joshua could barely get past how fast his heart was thumping. Have I always been this awkward around people? he thought. It literally feels like everything I say is stupid. How is he doing this to me? What is going on? How to date? I seriously don’t know.

But Jeonghan wasn’t getting any of that on the outside. He found Joshua to be so adorable and so charming and so clever. It left him amazed. As they spoke about school and life and culture, it felt so easy. But for sure, Jeonghan had his fair share of nerves.

I wonder if he can feel my foot tapping the ground at a million miles per second, Jeonghan thought as he kept his cheeky smile. What is the matter with me? Jisoo and I have been talking for weeks and now I get all flustered? How do I even manage to live in the same apartment as him without passing out? God, he’s so cute. Just keep it together man. Keep it together.

Obviously, these inner dialogues weren’t affecting how enchanted the other became. It was natural to be nervous. It made the whole date even more meaningful. There was already a lot of laughing and a lot of smiling and a lot of blushing. Jeonghan got to hear even more of Joshua’s dorky jokes while Joshua got to enjoy even more of Jeonghan’s witty responses. Every time Jeonghan answered him, it felt so heartfelt. Every time Joshua laughed back, it seemed so genuine. The two of them were just having a great time talking about anything and everything, something that everyone should be able to do on a first date.

When the waiter finally interrupted their conversation again to bring their food, Jeonghan and Joshua thanked him before getting ready to dig in. “This looks so good!” Jeonghan exclaimed as he stared down his mushroom ravioli.

Pulling out his phone, Joshua his lips as he got ready to take a picture of his pesto chicken pasta. “This looks amazing.”

Smiling, Jeonghan glanced up at Joshua but immediately frowned. His shoulders slumped as his head drooped. “Oh my god,” he said flatly.

As Joshua snapped the shot, he looked up. “What?” he asked, surprised.

Nearly glaring at him, Jeonghan said, “This isn’t going to work.”

Feeling a sudden rush of panic, he was taken aback. “Why? What’s wrong?”

Pointing at the boy’s phone with his fork, Jeonghan said, “I can’t go on a date with someone who takes pictures of their food.”

Now sensing the sarcasm, Joshua burst into laughter. Slamming his phone onto the table, he objected, “Why can’t I take a picture of my food?!”

Cracking a smile, Jeonghan aggressively jabbed his fork into the air. “Because it’s dumb!”

“The food’s so pretty!” Joshua argued, smiling from ear to ear.

Leaning over the table, he said, “It’s a waste of time! Just eat the food! When is that photo ever going to come in handy?!”

“It’s aesthetically pleasing!” Joshua explained. For some reason, it was incredibly enjoyable to banter with Jeonghan over something so trivial. It was cute and made Joshua like him even more.

Oddly enough, Jeonghan liked teasing the boy he liked for something he really didn’t like. Somehow, it was tolerable when Joshua took a picture of his food. But he still had to call him out for it. “Now your food’s cold!” he laughed.

“Well your food’s cold, too!” Joshua teased, pushing the other boy’s bowl forward. “You taking the time to yell at me made your pasta wait for you.”

Unable to contain his smile, Jeonghan replied, “I didn’t want to just start eating if you weren’t going to.”

Finding that so adorable, Joshua grinned. “Thank you for waiting for me. Now let’s eat.”

“Finally,” he jokingly said under his breath.

As the two of them ate, they continued their conversation in all sorts of directions. Going from why Jeonghan hated people taking pictures of their food (because it was stupid, as he explained) to why Joshua was so fond of food pictures (because it reminded him of all the good meals he’d had, he elaborated) to what their favorite foods were (Jeonghan’s being Japanese ramen, Joshua’s being chicken) to what place they wanted to visit the most (Jeonghan: Sweden. Joshua: outer space) to where they saw themselves in ten years (neither of them knew). There was so much joy as they spoke and so much energy just flying all around them. And as they talked and talked, both of them desired to know their date even better.

“So, ten years from now, you’re not sure if you’ll still be a swimmer?” Joshua asked before he took another bite of his pasta. All the talking made him eat a lot faster.

Covering his mouth as he chewed, Jeonghan tilted his head. “Mmm, it’s not that I don’t see myself as one,” he explained as he swallowed. Lowering his hand, he admitted, “It’s more like I’m not sure if I’ll make it.”

“What’re you talking about? You’re literally out here for a huge international competition!”

Appreciating the compliments, Jeonghan nervously chuckled. Pushing his food around, he said, “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I’ll end up doing this for the next ten years. A lot of things could happen.”

Curious himself, Joshua asked, “Like what?”

“I could get injured. I don’t make enough money to support myself. I might not get recruited anywhere. My parents end up really disagreeing with this huge life decision. People just end up beating me more often than not.” These were all things that Jeonghan often thought about when it came to his future in swimming, so it wasn’t difficult to list them out. “So many things could happen, Jisoo.”

Hearing all of those possibilities was enough to get Joshua shaken. He could only imagine how Jeonghan felt considering it was his life. Thinking it over though, he could see all the other possibilities. “Okay, yeah those are all terrifying and definitely possible,” he said. “But look at the path you’re going on right now.” Counting them out on his fingers, he said, “You keep yourself healthy and you practice every day, so you’re constantly reducing your chance of getting hurt. Knowing you Jeonghan, money is not enough to keep you from your dreams. I bet you’ll take on any side job to support what you’re doing. You’ve already been recruited by a university and a huge tournament like this will definitely get your name out there to professional sponsors. Your parents sound like lovely people based on what you’ve said before and they’ve already been supporting you in this since the beginning. I highly doubt they’ll change their minds now. And last but not least…” Holding up his whole hand to emphasize the fifth point, Joshua said, “A winner like you will never lose more often than not.”

Jeonghan felt his entire body get warmer as Joshua listed every reason why he shouldn’t be worried about his dream. Not only were his words comforting, but just the fact that Joshua could so simply and so easily reassure Jeonghan of himself was beyond him. He’d never met someone who made him feel so secure in his own decisions. Also, the fact that Joshua believed so strongly in him made Jeonghan beam.

Smiling a big smile, Jeonghan bit his bottom lip, an act that was enough to make Joshua squirm. “You’ve never even seen me swim,” Jeonghan pointed out. “How can you be so sure of all of that?”

Grinning right back at him, Joshua lowered his hand and picked up his fork. Nervously, he said something that he’d heard a lot growing up, “I wouldn’t need to hear Mozart play to know he was a master. I wouldn’t need to see Einstein solve a problem to know he was a genius. I wouldn’t need to see Washington with an army to know he was a leader.” Looking at Jeonghan, he nodded. “When a person exudes excellence in their craft, all you need is to hear their passion and see their eyes light up when they talk about what they love. That’s all I needed from you, Jeonghan, to know that you’re amazing.”

Stunned and baffled by just how...Jeonghan couldn’t even find words to describe it. Joshua mesmerized him. Letting out a soft chuckle, he tried not to blush. “That sounds like something from an inspirational movie.”

Joshua laughed and swirled his pasta noodles. “Actually, that’s something my mom used to say a lot.” Thinking about his mom in a time like this made Joshua gently smile. “She told me that whenever I doubted myself playing the guitar.” Letting out a soft breath, he looked at Jeonghan and continued, “She told me that I exuded excellence, and that it was something that could be easily seen.”

Since hearing about what had happened to Joshua’s parents, Jeonghan always felt his heart give out a little when Joshua mentioned them. He couldn’t imagine what it must’ve been like to lose his mother, but Joshua spoke of her so fondly. It was impossible not to smile back. “Your mother sounds like a beautiful person.”

“She was,” Joshua said, always pleased to be reminded of his wonderful mother.

Thinking it over, Jeonghan now realized that he’d only ever really heard about Joshua’s mother, even though it was his father who Joshua visited every single night. For so long, he didn’t want to be intrude and ask just out of curiosity, but Jeonghan felt like now was the time to know even more about Joshua. “Is your dad like her?”

Pausing his motions, Joshua didn’t say anything at first. He stopped at the mention of the man he loathed for abandoning him and for treating him so coldly his entire childhood. For a second, Jeonghan was afraid he’d asked something that he wasn’t supposed to. But Joshua felt a connection with Jeonghan and decided to tell him the truth. Well, mostly the truth.

Putting down his fork, Joshua forced a small smile. “No,” he replied. “He’s nothing like her.”

Surprised, Jeonghan wasn’t sure how to go on from there.

But Joshua saved him from trying to ask any questions. He sighed and continued, “If I’m being honest, I actually don’t have the best relationship with my dad.” Scratching his forehead, he looked over at Jeonghan’s kind eyes. “There’s always been a sort of...resentment when it came to my dad. He wasn’t warm like my mom and he never…” Just thinking about it made Joshua’s blood boil. Laying his hand down on the table, he said, “He never seemed to even...love me.” Shaking his head, Joshua closed his eyes for a second. “He was not a good father to me growing up. Maybe it was because of him that I loved my mom so much, but…” Going back to what happened haunted him. Opening his eyes to see Jeonghan, he almost forgot how heavy all of this information could be to someone who’d never heard it. But then again, he’d never shared this to people outside his family or his Jumper friends. Sitting up straight, Joshua collected himself. “I’m so sorry! You’re not my therapist, I don’t need to bother you with all this.”

Immediately, Jeonghan leaned over the table and grabbed Joshua’s hand. “No, no!” he cried out, feeling his fingers tingle as they touched. Looking at Joshua with concern, he could feel all of the boy’s emotions as he spoke. Ever since they met, Jeonghan found him to be good at that, speaking with such conviction that whoever listened could easily understand where he was coming from. Meeting the his gaze, Jeonghan told him, “Don’t be sorry. Jisoo-ah, you never bother me. Ever.” He smiled gently. “I’m so so sorry about your dad. He sounds...just completely the opposite of your mother.” With a sigh, Jeonghan tried to find the right comforting words, but it was hard.

And Joshua could easily understand. Holding his hand, he managed to smile. “Thanks.” Collecting his thoughts, he let them linger in silence before saying anything else. He sighed and dropped his head. “I don’t know,” he said softly. “For as long as I can remember, it felt like I only had one parent who truly cared about me. Maybe it was partially my fault. I don’t know, but maybe I was cold to him first.” Spilling his guts made Joshua fidget. These uncomfortable thoughts clouded his mind for years. He was still coping.

Listening sympathetically, Jeonghan asked, “Is that why you visit him every day? That despite everything...you want to make it work?”

Joshua felt a pang in his chest. Tilting his head up, he forced a small smile. “Yeah,” he lied. “That’s why.”

It was at a time like this that Joshua wanted to tell Jeonghan the truth. He wanted to tell him that his father wasn’t in the hospital and he wasn’t in a coma from the car accident that killed his mother, but that he actually abandoned him years ago. He wanted to tell Jeonghan that his father left him alone in the world and disappeared off the face of the planet. He wanted to tell him it was that man’s fault that he stopped for the first time in his life. He wanted to tell him he hated his father. He hated him so much. And that he actually hadn’t seen the man in years, not every single night from 6pm to 6am. He wanted to let out his rage and disappointment when it came to his dad…

But he couldn’t. That clear explanation left Joshua with no reason for being gone 12 hours of the day. So he kept it in, like usual.

Not knowing just how grand Joshua’s inner turmoil was, Jeonghan smiled. Patting the boy’s arm, he finally pulled his hand away. “You’re a good son, Jisoo-ah,” he said, comfortingly. “I have no idea how much weight that holds coming from me, but it’s what I think, even if your father doesn’t right now. But who’s to say he doesn’t wake up from this thinking the same?”

Feeling the warmth from Jeonghan’s easy words, Joshua managed a chuckle. “You never know,” he said, even though he did know that wasn’t going to happen. “No matter what he thinks of me, I’ve done all I can do.”

Jeonghan grinned. “Well if it means anything,” he said, slyly raising an eyebrow. “I think you’re  a pretty great guy.”

All of a sudden feeling his heart race, Joshua got nervous all over again. Averting his eyes to stare down into his bowl, he tried to stop the blush. But it was no use. “It means a lot.”

Pleased with that reaction, Jeonghan took a sip of his water. “I’m glad.”

For the next few hours, the two of them got lost in conversation. After talking about something so personal, Joshua actually felt even closer to Jeonghan. And Jeonghan was just so happy that Joshua felt like he could be so candid. As much as they had liked each other before, both of them were growing more and more fond of the other as they spoke.

With little dating experience, Jeonghan had never experienced this before. He’d never felt such a desire to know somebody. He’d never been so enchanted by someone’s presence. His insides were doing somersaults, but he’d never felt more alive.

And even though Joshua had gone on his fair share of dates, he’d never felt this way either. He’d only ever gone out with people to try and help himself in this world. Obviously, he wasn’t so proud of the shadiness, but it kept him going. But Jeonghan was a completely different story. This wasn’t some girl he met on some street corner who could give him a place to stay for the night in, say, Switzerland. No, this was real. A real date. And it was amazing.

It felt like they never ran out of things to talk about. By the time of them moved onto dessert, they were discussing what else Jeonghan wanted to do while he was in the US.

“So what else do you really want to do here?” Joshua asked as he ate another spoonful of their shared Sunday.

his lips, Jeonghan thought it over. “Mmm, I really don’t know. I’ve got just about a month left here, but it’s felt like we did so much already.”

Joshua chuckled and admitted, “Yeah, we’ve hit up most of the touristy places.”

With a smile, Jeonghan slightly blushed before he even said, “Maybe you could take me to a few other places. Maybe...if you want to go out again some time.” As every word left his mouth, Jeonghan felt his nerves go crazy.

Joshua nearly fell out of his chair. Smiling from ear to ear, he couldn’t contain his excitement. “Are you...asking me out, again?” he asked, teasingly raising an eyebrow at the other boy. He was being playful, but he was nervous beyond belief.

Shy and embarrassed, Jeonghan tried not to make eye contact. Eating another spoonful, he said, with his mouth slightly full, “Not again, cause you asked me out the first time…”

Super pleased to know that he wasn’t the only one wanting to go out again, Joshua said, “We can go somewhere even nicer on our next date.”

Jeonghan smiled back at him, brushing aside part of his hair that fell in his face. Joshua loved that he kept it down that evening. He just looked so good. “And if that one goes well…”

“...we can go even more places,” Joshua laughed, thrilled to hear about what could lay ahead for them.

Jeonghan laughed with him, but part of him was saddened as he realized what he’d already said. His laugh turned into a softer grin. Lowering his tone just a bit, he said, “I’ve got just about a month left here.”

Hearing it again finally made Joshua realize what that meant. His shoulders drooped as his body registered their limited time together. He suddenly felt defeated. “Right,” he quietly replied.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. They were so eager with this date and the next few that they forgot how their days were actually numbered.

Feeling the doom and gloom, Joshua finally took a deep breath and sat straight back up. With a reassuring smile, he looked to Jeonghan and said, “Well, I’ll take whatever days we can get.”

Hearing that confidence made Jeonghan feel it too. “Me too.”

Grinning at the boy who could make his heart leap so easily, Joshua acknowledged how they were both feeling. “I know we’re both just starting to get to know each other, and I know after a month we’ll be on completely opposite sides of the planet…” Reaching out, he held Jeonghan’s hand. “...but like I said before. I think the universe has a plan. So whatever happens for us, happens.”

Jeonghan had never been in love before, so he wasn’t sure if this was the feeling that people described when they were falling. But even if it wasn’t, it was pretty convincing. Squeezing Joshua’s hand, he nodded. “I couldn’t agree more.”

Joshua chuckled and let himself take a moment to just remember this beautiful moment with this gorgeous boy. It was just too amazing. When he was finally ready to let time continue, he asked Jeonghan, “You must miss Korea at least a little, don’t you?”

Jeonghan laughed and ate more of the ice cream with his free hand. He knew the other was busy holding onto Joshua. “Mmm, I guess you’re right. It’s been like a dream over here, but there’s always that small part that misses home.”

“What’s your life gonna be like when you get back?”

“Well part of it depends on what happens out here,” Jeonghan explained. “If I win this tournament, I could get scouted to some really insane training camps. That could take me anywhere in the country. Otherwise, I’ll just be back swimming for the university. Probably hang out with my teammates. Maybe get Wonwoo to come see more often.”

Chuckling, Joshua some of the ice cream off the corner of his mouth. “He’ll definitely want that.”

Smiling, Jeonghan suddenly got an image of Joshua there in Korea with him. He pictured Joshua walking around campus with him and dropping him off at practice. He could see Joshua sitting at the edge of the pool as he swam laps, always happy to come back and find the boy smiling at him in the water. His mind so quickly fantasized these things that Jeonghan was disappointed when he remembered how unlikely all of it was.

“What about you?” he asked, trying to distract himself. “What are you going to do once I’m gone?”

Cry because you’re gone, Joshua immediately thought, but luckily didn’t say out loud. “Well, it’s spring so I’ll still have classes for a little while. Aside from that, I’ll probably try to get some more singing gigs at coffee shops. I haven’t really been focusing on that for a while but, I don’t know.” He beamed at Jeonghan. “Having you around makes me want to chase my dream too.”

Blushing, Jeonghan swirled his spoon in their now empty dessert bowl. “Do you ever imagine that dream taking you to Korea?” he couldn’t help but ask, still nervous that Joshua would find it too forward.

But Joshua’s heart leaped at the idea of being in Korea with Jeonghan. He’d imagined it for so long. Going to class together. Exploring the city together. Being...just...together! It was a beautiful fantasy, but he knew it was impossible. Being a Jumper didn’t really give him the option to relocate unless it was some crazy act of the universe. He’d never heard of a Jumper being able to leave their home city, but then again all his Jumper knowledge was pretty much limited to what his mom had taught him. Still, it was fun to fantasize.

Smiling a big smile, Joshua said, “If my dreams took me to Korea, I would run across the ocean to chase after them.”

Happy with such a cheesy answer, Jeonghan smiled back at him. “You better let me know if you’re ever playing in Seoul. I’m going to want a front row seat to that show.”

“Don’t worry,” Joshua laughed. “You can even get a backstage pass.”

“Really?” Jeonghan jokingly gasped.

“Oh yeah,” he said smugly. “Anything for my only fan.”

Laughing, Jeonghan brushed his hair behind his hair again. He didn’t want anything obstructing his view of Joshua. “It’s a date,” he said with a huge smile.

And Joshua returned the favor. “Definitely.”

For another however long, the two of them talked and laughed and smiled until it was finally time for the bill to come around. Even with the little money he had, Joshua insisted on paying.

Standing up for the first time in hours, Jeonghan could feel it in his knees. But the only thing that made him sad was that the date was coming to a close. “Thanks,” he said as Joshua walked beside him. Tossing on his jacket, he smiled at the boy who was just about his height. “This was…”

“Really great,” Joshua finished for him. Without hesitation, he reached over and took Jeonghan by the hand. Thankfully, those other dates had taught Joshua some moves, even if he’d never felt so amazing just holding someone’s hand.

Jeonghan smiled and fixed his eyes on his date as they headed for the exit. “You really know how to treat someone on a first date.”

“Well, let me just tell you,” Joshua started to say, his eyes never leaving Jeonghan’s. “I’m even better on a second date.”

Laughing, Jeonghan swung their arms as they stepped out the door. “You’re on.”

Joshua didn’t need to reply. His smile spoke for itself.

But as the two of them made it outside for the first time in hours, Joshua finally noticed something. He froze as his feet hit the sidewalk.

“Wow, I guess we lost track of time,” Jeonghan said as he, too, finally noticed the night sky. Their date had started at 4. No way it made it all the way till night fall. Stunned, Jeonghan checked his watch. “Oh my god!” he exclaimed. “It’s seven o’clock! Oh my god, I missed practice! My coach is going to kill me!”

Jeonghan must’ve said some other things as he realized how quickly their date went by, but Joshua didn’t hear any of it. All he could hear was the time.

7 o’clock.

Joshua looked all around him at the familiar sights of downtown Los Angeles. The streets were busy as usual. The people were making their way to wherever they were going. The street lamps stood every few feet. But something was strangely different now. The car headlights were much brighter. The people were all heading home. The street lamps were...on. It was night time...in Los Angeles, a sight that Joshua was very unfamiliar with.

His heart was pounding. He couldn’t believe it. He had to hear it again.

“Jeonghan, what time is it?” he quietly asked. He was having a hard time breathing.

“It’s already 7pm,” Jeonghan laughed. “I can’t believe we talked for that long. It didn’t even feel like an hour.”

7pm, Joshua thought. It’s...7...pm. That means…

For the second time in his life, Joshua stopped.

Immediately as he realized what this all meant, he turned to find the smiling Jeonghan. The boy chuckled at Joshua’s stunned face. “What?” he asked, cutely tilting his head.

But Joshua knew exactly what. The universe decided.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Joshua threw his arms around Jeonghan’s waist and picked him up. Before Jeonghan could even respond, Joshua had locked their lips in an amazing kiss.

Staying there for just a second, Joshua unlocked with a “mwah!” and a giant smile.

Having had no time to react at all, Jeonghan’s eyes grew wide as he stared down at Joshua. His hands on the boy’s shoulders, Jeonghan felt his whole body tingle from that sudden kiss. He was surprised, but a very very good surprised. “Jisoo-ah!” he screamed with a huge smile. “What was that for?!”

Joshua couldn’t help it. As he held Jeonghan in his arms, he knew he was staring at someone even the universe knew meant a lot. He was falling in love, and this just proved it. Joshua just wanted to kiss the boy over and over again, but first he had to explain. Smiling just as big, he said, “It’s just…” He paused to just take in the moment. “...you’re very special, Jeonghan.”

His heart soaring out of his chest, Jeonghan had never felt so happy. Without a second thought, he grabbed Joshua by the face and pulled their lips closer together. Before they kissed again, he pressed their foreheads together and whispered, “I think you’re special too.”

The only difference was Joshua knew for a fact that Jeonghan was special.

— — —

5:52pm.

“Wonwoo, put the plates in the sink, please.”

With a weak smile, Wonwoo went over and took the plates from his mom and walked them over to his grandmother at the sink. “Here you go, grandma.”

“Thank you for the cake, sweetie,” she said, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek. Usually, she would pull him down by the collar, but she didn’t want her soapy hands to ruin his shirt, so she let him lower himself.

He smiled back at her and said, before standing up straight, “I know it’s your favorite.”

“No, that’s not right,” she said. “You’re my favorite.”

Even when he was feeling so down, Wonwoo could find comfort from his grandmother’s always loving words. “You’re the best, grandma.”

She chuckled and glanced up at the clock. “You should get ready, dear. Don’t forget anything at home.”

Turning to head to his room, he sighed. “You’re right.”

“Wonwoo-ah.”

Wonwoo glanced back to find her warm smile. “Yes?”

She looked over to make sure Wonwoo’s parents weren’t paying attention before she went on. “I know you’ve been really sad these days, dear,” she said. “But please know that everything happens for a reason. You’ll find your peace soon. Please, just don’t always be so sad.”

From all the heartache he suffered lately, Wonwoo truly didn’t know if that was possible. He hadn’t spoken to Mingyu in days and nothing felt like it was getting better. But as he looked back at his grandmother, he knew he couldn’t deny her wish.

Returning her smile, he nodded, “Mmm. I’ll try.”

Pleased, she nodded back. “Good. Now, go get ready.”

Wonwoo grinned as he opened the door to his bedroom. He had a few minutes so he took his time putting on his usual attire and checked his backpack. As things moved slowly, he had time to think about Mingyu again. It just hurt so bad every time he thought of how he messed up and how messed up his emotions were. He just needed to figure things out and then...everything would be okay.

After finishing his daily preparation, Wonwoo checked his watch. 5:58. He sighed and got ready for the jump. But before that even happened…

THUMP!

“MOM!!!” he heard his dad scream.

Startled, Wonwoo immediately rushed out of his bedroom to figure out what was going on. His eyes grew wide when he found his grandma on the ground by the sink and his parents right beside her.

“GRANDMA!” he shouted, joining them on the floor. His heart was racing and he had no idea what was going on.

His dad pulled her up in his lap and Wonwoo could see her face. She wasn’t smiling anymore. It looked like she’d fallen asleep, or much worse…

“GRANDMA!” Wonwoo shouted again, panic rushing all over him.

Wonwoo’s mom held him as his dad checked his grandma’s wrists. Her arms were limp. “I can’t find a pulse!”

Looking at his dad, Wonwoo had never seen him look so scared. Everything was happening so fast, he could hardly register it. But staring at his grandmother, already he knew something was wrong.

Wonwoo’s mom immediately pulled out her phone and called an ambulance. “Hello, operator? We have an emergency!”

As her voice filled the background, Wonwoo continued to sit with his dad and grandma. He reached out and held her hands. Squeezing them tight, he didn’t feel them squeeze back. Beyond afraid, Wonwoo was hyperventilating and he could feel tears already start to well up. Something was terribly terribly wrong.

“GRANDMA!” he screamed one more time.

Then the minute was up.

6:00pm.

Wonwoo’s mom was still on the phone with the operator, trying to get help as quickly as possible and trying not to lose it. Wonwoo’s dad was still on the floor holding his mother in his shaking arms.

But Wonwoo wasn’t there anymore.

He still jumped.

hey guys so im so sorry its been so long but im gonna take this moment and be really honest with you all cause ive been going through some rough stuff. sadly and ironically enough it goes with this huge bombshell that's going on at the end of this chapter. so at the very end of last year (dec.29th) my own grandmother passed away and it's been pretty terrible. my heart was broken that day and i honestly dont know when it'll be fixed again. and so my birthday was on jan 3rd and her funeral was the next day and i dont want you guys to have to imagine just how terrible that was. and so i went back to school on the ninth and ive been grieving ya know and just trying to get thru every day without crying. and if that weren't bad enough, just 4 days ago (jan 15) my grandfather passed away as my cousin and i were 20 minutes from seeing him in the hospital. so i lost my grandma on my dads side and my grandpa on my moms side in about the span of 2 weeks. his funeral is this sunday.

and i want to apologize for telling you guys this because its all just the depressing stuff that's happening in my personal life right now but i guess it just hurts even more because these events happened as i was writing THIS particular chapter. i'd been planning to write wonwoo's grandma's death since i started this fic. i knew it was going to be an important thing to happen in the story...and then it happened to me. and i know throughout this whole story, one of the biggest themes is just how cruel the universe is. it laughs at everyone's face one by one. and honestly, these days, it feels like thats exactly whats happening. why why would two of my grandparents get taken away from me so quickly?? everythings been happening so quickly that i dont think im processing it all correctly. i had all 4 grandparents for 18 years of my life, then i lost one then i immediately turned 19 and then immediately i lost another. it was the first birthday that i didnt have my grandma and apparently the last one i got with my grandpa. whats worse too is that i loss a grandparent on each side, so it's not even like they followed each other. my grandpa and grandma who are still alive are so heart broken that it makes me cry just thinking about what they're going through. everyone in my family is grieving, but only my immediate family is going through this double loss. and if you want to narrow it even further, only my brother adn i know the pain of losing these people as grandparents, so i just feel very alone in the sense that no ones really where i am right now. this chapter was really difficult for me to finish because of what happens to wonwoo's grandmother, but i'd been planning it for so long that i couldnt change it. i guess you can say that i'll be able to write the following chapters knowing full well what it's like to suffer from this loss i've written

anyway im really sorry for alll of that. you guys are wonderful readers and im so sorry to just do...that XD dont worry too much about me i know that all sounds super depressing but im still managing. seventeen and other artists still make me smile and i can find joy. the mourning comes in waves and the tears are always ready. thank you so much for reading and always being so kind. i also apologize because i didnt proofreed this chapter before posting. i wont change anything important, but i'll just go back and fix the typos and grammar. it's 4 am right now and i really wanted to post this. i know im going through a difficult time, but i truly hope that none of you ever have to suffer such loss. and my complete and utter sympathies to those who have suffered worse or any loss at all. i hope you all are well and im sorry but i dont know when the next time ill be updating is. hopefully soon because this is a really good place for me to cope with everything. you guys always manage to cheer me up w ur comments about the story XD thanks again and i love you all <3