。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。

Jeon Wonwoo.

Mingyu was in awe. The male that he thought of for so long was finally in front of him again. He was so captivating.  He was finally here. The tall giant had made up scenarios in his head on how he would finally see the mysterious male. It was a little silly to him, but he couldn’t help it. All the scenarios he thought of all lead back to seeing him at the bus stop – and it finally happened.

He stared at him, awestruck at how he was finally close to him. Mingyu didn’t bother trying in calming down his racing heart, he just let it happen.

“Are you going to keep staring at me like that or should I join you in staring at you back?”

Mingyu jumped in hearing Wonwoo’s deep voice again. The shorter male covers his mouth with his hand as he chuckles.

“I don’t bite, you know. You can talk to me”

It’s silent between them again, only hearing the light pattering sounds above. He walks under the bus stop shelter next to the smaller male. Mingyu takes in a deep breath and exhales. He thinks Wonwoo is truly breath-taking.

“The weather is quite nice, isn’t it?”

“Wow, what a conversation starter”, Mingyu thinks.

“You like the rain?” The shorter male looks up to the tall giant.

“Uh, yeah? I don’t see a reason to hate it”

“Oh…” Wonwoo looks straight ahead at the road again, watching the rain glisten up the concrete.

“I didn’t see you as the type to like rain”

Mingyu is a little startled. “Really? Why not?”

The shorter male glances up at Mingyu, and looks straight ahead again.

“I don’t know. You just seemed like the kind of person who hates rain and prefers the sunny weather”

Mingyu looks down at Wonwoo. “I do? Why is that?”

“Well, most people would consider rain to be gloomy, you know. You don’t seem like the gloomy type; you seem cheerful”

Mingyu stops to think. He thought it was kind of weird to assume that the rain was something gloomy. “I don’t know about you, but the rain isn’t really gloomy when you think about it. Sure, you can get drenched or get a cold, but it’s quite beautiful isn’t it?”

The shorter male glances up at the tall figure again and smiles. “You’re right.”

Mingyu smile back. “As cliché and cheesy as it sounds, I like looking out the window when it rains. It’s calming, especially when I’m doing papers – it helps me think”

“Ah, I know how you feel” Wonwoo says, closing his eyes. “I like the smell of rain too”

The tall giant smiles even more, “Me too! It’s so nice, isn’t it?”

Wonwoo chuckles again. Mingyu looks down at Wonwoo as he takes inhales deeply and exhales. “Yeah, it is”. The tall giant notices how his eyes soften, staring at the road.

Mingyu does the same, inhaling the aroma of the falling rain, and exhales. He smiles and decides that he wants to drag on the conversation a bit more.

“So… what do you do? Like, do you attend university?”

“No, I don’t. I actually attended a business college, but I resigned”

“Oh, why is that?”

Wonwoo stays silent, sorting out words in his head. Mingyu sees his concentrated expression, immediately regretting his question.

“I-I mean, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to-”

“No! It’s okay. It’s just that I don’t really think much about it. It’s just that when I first entered it, I didn’t really know what I was doing. I stayed there for about a year, but I realised the business industry wasn’t really my thing. I told my mum about it. She wasn’t really happy but she supported me, so she offered me a job at her store”

“Oh, that’s good then”

The shorter male nods. “What about you? What do you do?”

“I’m in psychology major at the university near this area. I also work at the book store near the university too”

“Oh, I think I know which one you’re talking about. I never went in though because I usually go to the local library when I want to read.”

“Oh, saving on money, I see?”

“Yep, basically”

Mingyu laughs, “I know how you feel”

Silence feels the atmosphere around them once more, but Mingyu doesn’t mind, and he’s sure that Wonwoo doesn’t either.

Mingyu sees a bus driving up the side of the road, and he wishes that it hadn’t come, or that it isn’t his or Wonwoo’s bus – that way he could stand there with him awhile longer.

“Ah, that’s my bus…” Mingyu sighs.

“Oh, well…it was nice talking to you”

Mingyu didn’t want this. He didn’t want the male he longed for to disappear on him again. So he takes a risk.

“Um, if it’s okay, c-can I get your number? Y-you don’t have to if you-”

“Give me your phone. And do it quick before your bus ditches you”

Mingyu’s eyes widen and his cheeks burn up. He fishes his phone out of his pocket and hands it to the shorter male.

Wonwoo quickly unlocks his phone and taps the contact app, and creates a new contact file, adding in his name and phone number.

Mingyu sees the bus doors open as the shorter male quickly hands it back to him. “T-thanks, Wonwoo!”

“No problem”

Mingyu scurries onto the bus on time and the doors close behind him. Paying his fee, he stumbles down to the back of the bus as the bus drives away from the previous location. He sits down onto the seat and sighs. He retrieves his phone from his coat pocket. He blushes for the umpteenth time that night as he wears a smile, looking down at his unlocked phone screen.

Contacts

Jeon Wonwoo (message me soon)

Kim Mingyu was smiling like an idiot. It had been two days since he had met the shorter male and he was still awestruck. He squealed like a teenage girl every time he looked at his contacts to see the short male’s name and number in his phone.

Mingyu was at the store again, at the counter with Seungkwan, and his brunet friend was absolutely disgusted with him.

“You are gross, please stay away from me”

“I finally get my crush’s number and you’re not happy for me?” Mingyu pouted

“No, no, I am happy, but please keep you school girl feelings to yourself”

“Says the guy who stalks his soulmate’s Instagram. By the way, how is it between you guys? Did you talk to him about how you were feeling?”

“I did! H-he…” Seungkwan’s cheeks started to turn as red as a tomato.

“Wow, okay I’m guessing it went well”, the taller says as he smirks.

“I know what you’re thinking and nothing like that happened you ert”

“Then you want to explain why your face looks like it got caught on fire”

“First of all – shut the up, I don’t need your sass, Mingyu. Second of all – it’s just… he’s still really perfect, okay? When I told him about my insecurities he told me how much he loved me the first time he saw me – that he wouldn’t change me for anyone in the world, and that he was glad that the system gave me to him”

By the time he had finished his sentence, the brunet’s face, as Mingyu said, looked like it had been caught on fire; cheeks burning a bright red.

“Wow, and you tell me not to act like a school girl”, Mingyu smirks

“Shut up!”

“Both of you are so gross” Soonyoung exclaims as he sweeps the floor by the counter.

“Says the man who had a hot date with their boyfriend last night. How was it, by the way?” Seungkwan asks

“Okay well, it wasn’t hot, it was totally romantic and cute” Hoshi says as he hugs the broom.

“No, no, it wasn’t hot, it was steaming last night” Seokmin winks at Soonyoung as he’s walking out the back room door, carrying a cardboard box of newly arrived books in his arms.  Soonyoung blushes lightly with a light pink colour creeping upon his cheeks and hits his boyfriend’s with the broom.

Seungkwan face palms himself watching the couple’s antics.  “Ew, I didn’t need to know that”

Mingyu just chuckles.

Usually he would actually agree with Seungkwan on going against the lovey-dovey atmosphere that the two other co-workers brought into the store, but he couldn’t help in being happy since he was happy that maybe his love life was going somewhere. His past relationships didn’t do too well, whether his partners got bored or found their own soulmates. Mingyu had almost not believed in the whole soulmate system as he thought he would be lonely for the rest of his life. He wasn’t too sure, but a part of him wished that the mesmerizing male he met at the bus stop was his.

There’s no way the system could be cruel to him this time. There had to be a reason why Wonwoo was basically on his mind 24/7, and how they always coincidentally met. Another small part of him held himself back, as he didn’t want to give his hopes up before falling so deeply. He sighs. His spirits were lifted in the thought of having Wonwoo’s number, but were put down at the thought that his little crush could be nothing more.

Mingyu continues to stare at his crush’s number on his screen, leaning the side of his head onto his palm, elbow on the counter. He doesn’t realise that Seungkwan is trying to get his attention until a Cosmopolitan magazine is thrown at his head.

“Hey, snap out of it and do the work you’re supposed to do. Seokmin needs you in the back” Seungkwan exclaims. “Also you might as well call this guy. He gave you his number to message him, not to stare at it”

As much as he wants to tell Seungkwan that he doesn’t need his sass; he’s right. What could go wrong?

He stands up from his stool, shoving his phone in his jeans pocket and walks to the back room.

“Took you long enough! I need you to restock aisle five with these for me” Seokmin states. He’s sitting at a table filled with piled up books and cardboard boxes.

“What? Isn’t that Soonyoung’s job today? Why do I have to do it?”

The blond friend, who was lying on a row of chair with his head on his boyfriend’s lap, perks his head up at the mention of his name.

“Because I’m tired, and you love me too much to say no anyway”

Mingyu scoffs. “Ok I’m pretty sure Seokmin is the only one that loves you, and we’re all tired. What makes you special?”

Seokmin starts to clear his throat oddly loud and start to cough into his fist while the blond male body turns stiff, red painting over his cheeks.

Mingyu starts to get the gist of what their implying, and gives them a facial expression of disgust. He then rolls his eyes, and takes the cardboard box of textbooks waiting on the table for him. Picking up the box, he sighs.

“Where do these go?” Mingyu says with a dead voice

Seokmin smiles widely, pearly teeth on display. “The romance novels section!”

The tall giant walks out the door with the heavy items in his arms, dragging his body to the directed aisle. He pulls out the old books, replacing them with the new ones. In alphabetical order of the authors’ names, Mingyu carefully places them in order.

After putting the books in their place, he puts the old books back into the cardboard box and makes his way to the back room.

The cardboard box carried within his arms, he walks to the table which Seokmin is still tagging prices on novels, while his soulmate dozes off on his lap. A part of the dateless male wants to nag at the couple for not doing work properly. But the other part of him doesn’t want to admit that it’s cute; but it’s kind of really cute, he thinks. He sighs for the umpteenth time that day. Quietly, he places the brown box onto the table and leaves the couple alone.

Mingyu’s bright mood from before suddenly starts to drop, and his diva of a friend notices. At the counter, the tall giant sits on the wooden stool, continuing to stare at the listed numbers on his mobile screen. Seungkwan decides to be a decent friend, and puts down his phone. Seungkwan thinks to himself that he needed to stop staring at his soulmate’s photos anyway.

“Mingyu, seriously man, if you genuinely like him, just call or text him already. There’s literally nothing to be afraid about”

The tall giant sighs. “I know it’s just…I don’t know if he’s my soulmate”

Seungkwan looks confused “What? I’ve seen you date people here and there and nothing stopped you before. Why is it only affecting you now?”

Mingyu stops and thinks. Seungkwan was right. It wasn’t like he hadn’t dated other people before. When he accepted someone’s confession, he didn’t stop to think for a second whether that person was his soulmate or not. But then again, no matter how much he put into that relationship, it seemed that his efforts were futile, and his relationships ended. The tall giant may or may not have known that his partners were only after his looks anyway. He had always been told about how attractive he was from a young age. The tall giant was being complimented here and there from college girls to his mum’s friends. Mingyu saw it as flattering. A small part of him in the past hoped that his partners thought of him as a genuine person; that his looks were just a bonus and that they weren’t just trying to get into his pants. But at the end, it seemed that all of his negative assumptions were correct.

But even with all of those negative assumptions, not only had he hoped that his crush would return his feelings, but that his crush’s feelings were genuine, not based off of judging books by their covers.

It was certainly weird and borderline creepy in a sense. The tall giant had literally only seen Wonwoo a few weeks back at the bus stop, completely mesmerised by his looks. If anything, Mingyu was a hypocrite. Which was why he suddenly wasn’t too sure on whether to contact the other male or not.

Seungkwan watches Mingyu in silent frustration while he stares off into space, probably thinking about how to reply to him. He doesn’t get the tall giant. He liked the other man, so why not just talk to him already? Not to forget that Mingyu accepted people’s feelings when he liked them back, without any second thought about the soulmate system. Seungkwan grunts in annoyance.

He loved Mingyu (as a friend), he really did. He was glad that his tall friend was there to listen to his rants and gossips. It was only time to return the favour.

Seungkwan snatches the phone from the tall giant’s hand, and makes a run for it.

Mingyu snaps out of his thoughts to see that his phone that was previously held in his hand is missing, and is now in the hands of his friend’s. He realises what’s happening when Seungkwan stumbles off the tall wooden stool. His eyes widening, he bolts off the stool to chase after his friend.

“YOU BETTER NOT BE DOING WHAT I THINK YOU’RE DOING”, Mingyu shouts.

The tall giant chases the brunet throughout the store, weaving in and out of the aisles.

“TRUST ME YOU HOE, I KNOW WHAT I’M DOING”, Seungkwan is frantically typing on the small keyboard, tapping the backspace button constantly since he was unable to type properly while trying to escape from his friend’s wrath.

“OH MY ING GOD, SEUNGKWAN. COME BACK HERE YOU LITTLE ”

“THIS IS FOR YOUR OWN GOOD, YOU CRUSTY ”

They run in and out of the aisles like mad men. They occasionally bump into the shelves when turning a corner, knocking off some books onto the ground. Their footsteps are so loud that it erupts a certain blond from his sleep. The blond and his soulmate step out of the back room to see what all the racket is about.  Stepping outside, they watch their co-workers running furiously, Seungkwan still tapping his fingers on the phone.

Mingyu – with his long legs – catches up to Seungkwan, tackling him down to the ground. Mingyu is on top of his friend, wrapping his arm around his body while his other hand tries to reach for his phone.  

“GIVE IT BACK”

“I WILL. JUST TRUST ME ON THIS”

While Mingyu desperately tries to reach for his phone, he is unable to do so due to Seungkwan’s hand pushing his face away. The brunet shoves Mingyu’s face away from him with one hand while typing on the phone with the other.

“WHAT THE MAKES YOU THINK I WOULD TRUST YOU ON ANYTHING?”

“ YOU, I’M ACTUALLY OFFENDED. YOU’LL THANK ME FOR THIS LATER”

Seungkwan types in a few more keys before clicking send. As if time slowed down, Mingyu catches a glimpse of Seungkwan’s actions through his fingers. His eyes widen.

Seungkwan lets go of Mingyu’s face as he rips the phone from his hand. Mingyu looks down at the screen in shock and disbelief

To: Jeon Wonwoo

Hey there. I find you attractive. We should hang out some time ;) 6:47PM

“‘I FIND YOU ATTRACTIVE’ WITH A ING WINKY FACE? WHY THE WOULD YOU TYPE THAT? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?”

Both still on the floor, Mingyu stares down hard at his phone on his knees while Seungkwan just sits up and holds up both his hands in defence.

“I THOUGHT IT WAS FINE. IT DOESN’T MATTER BECAUSE IT’S TRUE ANYWAY”

Mingyu groans. He face palms himself, dragging his hand down his face.

“What on Earth is going on here?” Soonyoung asks.

The two employees look up at the Soonyoung and Seokmin.

“I’m helping the boy out. He needed to man up and ask him out, so I did it for him”, Seungkwan states as he stands out, wiping off his apron.

“I can’t believe you! You typed that he was attractive with a winky face! It’s going to make me seem creepy!”

“And you’re telling me you’re not creepy?!” Seungkwan retorts. “You literally have been staring at that number for hours. Not to mention you’re fawning over him because he’s attractive; you barely know the guy. That’s why you have to meet up with him to get to know him more”

Mingyu hated it when Seungkwan was right; which was especially hard for him to admit since Seungkwan was rarely right. He inhales and exhales an exaggerated sigh.

“…fine, it’s too late to do anything anyway”

“See? I knew you’d agree eventually. Now all we have to do is wait”

“You guys are ridiculous. I’m going back to sleep”

Soonyoung, who was grumpy about his interruption of sleep trudges back into the back room with his boyfriend following close behind.

Mingyu says his goodbyes to his co-workers and exits the store. A gust of wind blows past him, making him clutch onto his bag strap tightly. He shoves his hands into his coat pockets, making his way down to the bus stop again.

He trudges down to the path, tired from all the mayhem that had happened. As usual, the surroundings around him are the same. The passers-by – college students, business men – walking along, the stores along the path preparing to close and the occasional cold weather making Mingyu shiver.

Walking by the flower store, he sees Joshua inside, sweeping the floor. Mingyu knocks on the glass, grabbing the orange-haired male’s attention. When Joshua looks up, Mingyu gives a small wave. The other male just waves back, giving a soft smile. Mingyu smiles back, and continues his path to the bus stop.

When arriving, he settles down on the metal bench. Mingyu puffs out a small breath of vapour and takes out his phone. He turns on his phone and stiffens. He freaks; silently panicking.

Jeon Wonwoo 

Hey there. I’m assuming that you’r… 8:31PM

“He replied!” Mingyu cries in his head. Mingyu slides the notification, opening up the messaging app to read the rest of the sent message.

Hey there. I’m assuming that you’re Mingyu. I’m glad that you finally messaged me 8:31PM

And I’m glad you find me attractive too. It’s very flattering haha 8:31PM

I’m sorry for replying late. I was busy with work 8:32PM

Mingyu’s heart starts to race. It’s pounding so hard that it feels like his heart is going to fall out of his chest. He replies back.

Hey! I’m sorry if what I said earlier was weird. 9:05PM

I would love to get to know you though 9:05PM

Mingyu hopes that what he’s typed is okay, and shoves the phone back into his pocket. His bus arrives a few moments later, and does his usual routine. Sitting down on the bus seat, he takes out his earphones – per usual – and plugs it into his phone, playing a random song.

As the music resonates within his ears, he boringly looks out the glass window. He thinks back about the incident back at the store that day. The boring job of monitoring the front, carrying heavy cardboard boxes filled with new books, shoving new books into shelves in alphabetical order of authors’ names, the bickering and chase between him and Seungkwan, Soonyoung and Seokmin being gross…Jeonghan wasn’t in the usual equation of what made up the bookstore.

Mingyu pulls out his phone, accessing the messaging app.

Hey Hannie 9:17PM

Are you okay? 9:18PM

Call or message me anytime. You know I’m here for you 9:18PM

As Mingyu was about to switch off his phone, he hears a notification sound effect. He goes to the contacts section on his phone to see that Wonwoo had replied to his text. Not wanting to seem desperate and replying right away, he turns off his phone and waits until the song he’s listening to be over before turning on his phone again to reply.

Sure. We could meet up if you’d like 9:18PM

And dw. What you said wasn’t weird 9:19PM

It was cute :) 9:19PM

A very unmanly squeal escapes Mingyu’s mouth, and he immediately shuts himself up as he realises he’s not alone on the bus, and realises that the other passengers were now probably judging him. He awkwardly clears his throat and looks out the window for a while to avoid the gazes of the passengers. After thinking very carefully about what words to type, he replies.

Sure thing! Are you free this week? 9:22PM

Maybe we can meet up at the coffee shop near the flower shop 9:23PM

The flower shop that’s near the bus stop 9:23PM

He turns off his phone and continues to gaze out the window. It’s slightly dark out; the sun setting. The sky is painted with various shades of orange and purple. Mingyu sees that the sky is quite clear, barely any clouds in sight. The tall giant sees his transparent reflection in the window pane, noticing how much lighter his dark circles have gotten. He’s been getting better sleep, but he knows how close he is to failing his classes. He wants to give up but he knows he can’t.

He sighs.

His bus finally arrives at his stop, and he scurries off. Walking to his apartment, he feels his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulls out his phone from his coat pocket to see a notification from Wonwoo again. He accesses the building, walking to the elevator. The tall giant opens the messaging app to see Wonwoo’s reply.

Oh, I think I know what coffee shop you’re talking about 9:34PM

Cool, what time do u wanna go? 9:34PM

Mingyu types back.

Whenever you’re free 9:35PM

I’m free all week except monday and wednesday 9:35PM

The doors slide open for Mingyu to step inside. He clicks the button to the fifth floor, and the doors close. The light above the door creeps upon the numbers, indicating the levels that the lift goes by. He feels his phone vibrate in his hand again.

I’m free all week from morning til 4 since I have work except Sunday 9:37PM

Let’s meet up on Sunday 9:37PM

12pm? 9:37PM

Sounds good to me 9:38PM

The elevator doors to the fifth floor open, and Mingyu once again lets out an unmanly squeal. He couldn’t help himself. Two days until he sees his crush again. He was so excited. The tall giant could feel his heart leaping out of his chest.

He jumps up and down running wildly to his apartment door, wide smile on his face. He jams the key into the keyhole, and slams open his door. He slams his door shut, throwing his bag and coat on the ground. Mingyu runs to the couch and slams his body down. Taking a pillow into his arms, he stuffs his face with the pillow and screams.

Holy , holy , holy , oh my ing god, is all the muffled screams that Mingyu lets out.

He’s smiling so hard that his jaw starts to hurt. The tall giant takes out his phone and stares at the conversation he had with Wonwoo, not believing what just happened. He finally asked him out. But Mingyu knew that it wasn’t a date. He calms himself down, noting to himself not to get his hopes up before they get crushed.

Mingyu didn’t know what to do. He knew that it wasn’t a date, but with how nerve-wracking it was, it sure felt like it. The tall giant thinks about the outcomes of his hangout with Wonwoo.

Should he confess? Maybe it was creepy. What if Wonwoo rejects him if he does? What if the other male was already seeing someone?

Mingyu sighs again. It was such an emotional rollercoaster. One time he’s so happy and thrilled about his crush, and feeling down the next. All that Mingyu knew was that Wonwoo made him insane.

The tall giant calms down and sighs. He walks to the bathroom, leaving his phone on the couch. He turns on the faucet, splashing water onto his face. He takes his toothbrush and runs it under the running water. He then takes his newly bought toothpaste and applies it onto his toothbrush. Mingyu shoves the toothbrush in his mouth and starts brushing, looking into his reflection. His hair is a mess, and his dark circles are still a little evident. Mingyu considers buying make-up to cover them up for when he meets Wonwoo. After brushing for three minutes, spitting out the contents from his mouth, he washes out his mouth and leaves his toothbrush on the sink bench.

He walks into his bedroom, and looks at his desk. It’s filled and piled up with papers; incomplete papers that he was bound to finish. He groans. Mingyu proceeds to stride to his desk and slumps down onto his seat. He’d totally forgotten about the paper that was due within the next few days. Mingyu then sorts out his papers and continues to work. Looking at his alarm clock, the bright digital light shows 9:45PM. He predicts that he’d have to stay up late again, forgetting about his grumbling stomach as he hadn’t eaten. The tall giant reads over his incomplete papers, eyelids already falling heavy. He opens up his laptop, tapping away on his keyboard on a word document.

Meanwhile, his phone left alone on the couch vibrates. A notification pops up.

Jeonghannie

sorry for not replying befor… 9:46PM

hey mingyu 9:45PM

A/N: I love Boo Seungkwan with all of my heart (even with Jeonghan being my bias)

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