Seokjin had dreamed of his future after graduation for a long time, from when he still was a kid in elementary school and he was asked that question that every child in the world hear at least a dozen time in his life.

“So, what do you wanna be when you grow up?”  and Jin, well, he had his plans figured out back then in year 3 when looked firmly at his teacher and said “When I finish school I’m gonna become a famous actor” and, surprisingly, that dream had never changed in his mind, not even with years passing and reality unfortunately striking him right like it always does. Cause, now he really had to admit, maybe he had to realize his plan wasn’t as easy as he had always imagined.

At the age of 9 obviously he thought that in the moment he had moved to the big, shining, full of opportunities Seoul he would have been discovered and begged to become some idols’ company new shining star, or at least a first-page model if he had to content himself.

Instead, at 20 years old (closer to 21 than anything actually) and at the beginning of his second year of university he had to, sadly, admit to himself that he wasn’t even close to be famous yet.

Sure, he indeed live in Seoul and studied film and acting at college but his apartment was actually a little bit more than a show box and every time he had tried to do an audition for any kind of drama or movie the response was always the same: “Definitely a pretty face but lacking of emotions” (and yes, had to bite his tongue to don’t show all those directors how “full of emotions” he could be).

So, for how much sad it could be, had ended up doing of his part time job (found during the first year to don’t be a burden for his parents) the best and happiest part of his life. Maybe was the simple fact that he loved cooking or that every time he wanted a break he had a big variety of pastries to keep him company but every time he entered in the little bakery shop not far from university he couldn’t help but smile and feel like home in a way his tiny apartment could never be.

In that day at the end of the summer was, though, a little bit distracted for his standards, too absorbed in his own thoughts to focus properly on the fruit canapé he had to do and ending up being send behind the counter to serve the customers.

Not that there were many: the main clientele of the shop were students and teachers from the close university and the college now were still almost empty, just some freshmen around to take introduction course and those other activities that Seokjin had hated the previous year when it had been his turn.

But summer was anyway coming to its end and he himself was going to start lessons again in a little bit more than a week, which meant sleepless night to watch stupid fifty-year-old movies and endless papers, and, obviously, less hours in the bakery shop, all these thoughts (with the nth audition gone bad) being the ones that kept him too distracted to cook or even hear the little bell on the door when it was opened.
He came down back on earth just when a low and extremely polite voice called him so close to him to almost make him jump. Almost, cause with his usual grace he immediately looked up at the customer with a bright warm smile.

“Hello, how can I help you?”
The guy in front of him blinked for a couple of seconds, almost like he had to recover from the dazzling smile in front of him and Jin had to stop himself from giggling a little bit proud of himself to had caused such a similar reaction in him. Instead he decided to study him while the boy diverted his eyes from him to examine the pastries. He was maybe a little bit taller than him, probably younger even if not much, not with that mature and sophisticated look that the black-framed glasses gave him, matching with the dark clothes (so odd for that season) and the platinum hair appearing unstylized and messy from under his beanie.

He wouldn’t have definitely define him as “handsome” (he studied arts he knew very well the common standards of beauty and that face didn’t fit in them) but in his entire figure there was at the same time something that caught his eyes, something “charming” that he couldn’t really figure out.

“One of those please”
He pointed toward the apple strudels trail and Jin hurried to put one in a paper bag and hand it to him, his nice smile never faltering a bit, not even when the guy paid and left with an awkward greeting, stumbling on the way to the door.

Actually, for a reason he couldn’t even explain to himself, he didn’t stop smiling for the rest of the day, feeling oddly fine and light till he fell asleep at night, his bad thoughts long forgotten in the depth of his mind.

That wasn’t the last time the guy entered in the bakery shop and indeed for the next days, around half-morning, the door opened and Jin showed him a warm smile from the kitchen window or behind the counter, never talking more than necessary and earning always in return embarrassed glances from the “apple-pie guy” like he had started calling him in his mind and in the brief moment he had mentioned him talking with his best friend. But soon, those moments ended, making him start lessons again with a grumpy attitude. Apple-pie guy never showed up during the afternoon shift he had to do now and suddenly something seemed missing in his work life, the customer becoming a nice part of his routine just in a couple of days.

 

Fate intervened suddenly, during his day off, while he was busy snorting and grumbling against the first paper of the year in the university library.

“Is this seat taken?” someone interrupted his internal coursing toward the French director he was studying at the moment and Seokjin raised his gaze, his jaw almost falling at the sight in front of him.

Cause the mysterious customer he had found so fascinating was right there in front of him, looking as surprised as him to see him there, in probably the last place he had thought of meeting him.
And indeed, how he hadn’t thought about that before? The guy was around the university during school hours, he HAD to be a student there too.

He shook his head, both to make that “you’re an idiot Seokjin” thought disappear from his mind and answer the other’s question, gesturing toward the chair in front of him at the wooden table.

The boy seemed to hesitate for a second, but the library was crowded enough that day to convince him he wasn’t going to find a better seat and place his books down, settling on the chair under the curious and still surprised gaze of baker.

“Apple-strudel, right?” he asked after a couple of seconds and two amazed dark eyes stared immediately back at him behind the glasses’ thick lens.

“You remember” he just replied, not a question but a simple, a little bit surprised and slightly pleased confirmation that he wasn’t hallucinating or confusing him with someone else.

“You came for days ordering always the same thing off course I do”

His smile seemed to affect the other once again like the first time they met, forcing him to lower his gaze on the still closed book in front of him (philosophy, Jin noticed) before replying.

“You weren’t there the last times I passed by”

And Jin couldn’t help but feel his smile growing in a wider one, taking the fact that he had notice his absence and, who knows, maybe looked for him at least a little bit.

“I had to take the afternoon shifts when lessons started again… By the way, I’m Seokjin”
“Namjoon” he nodded in understanding, then opening his book, the conversation ending there but leaving the baker someway satisfied by it while returning to his paper.

Especially when next day Namjoon went to take his daily pastry during his shift and not in the morning, starting their quiet meeting habit again.

 

“So, do you often come here?”

It was his day off again after weeks and again he had headed to the university library to study, spotting almost immediately the by now familiar figure sitten at an isolated table that he had hoped to meet.

Namjoon jumped lightly on the chair when he addressed to him, surprised and probably too focused on what he was reading to notice him standing a few steps away.

“Hi… Oh, yeah I guess so” he answered, immediately starting to free part of the table to make space for him, a kind gesture that make Jin smile warmly, accepting his silent offer and settling down in front of him.

“Is it tough? Philosophy?” he asked sincerely interested and even more to have at least a little bit of a conversation with the guy this time too.

“Kind of, really interesting anyway… It’s actually my minor, I’m taking a major in Educational Psychology”
At that the baker couldn’t help but be a little bit taken aback, definitely impressed.

“Oh wow… I’m at the second year, film and acting”

“Seems cool, I’m just at the first year… I should still be in high school but I’ve skipped a year”

“You must be really smart” this time his admiration should’ve been palpable in his tone cause the younger guy lowered his face embarrassed, but before he could reply Seokjin remembered something and exclaimed “I almost forgot, I have something for you”

The other looked at him curious while he looked for something in his bag and placed a paper bag between them.

“What is that?” he asked without touching it, still not completely believing it was really for him.

The oldest grinned, staring straight in his eyes behind the glasses.

“Apple strudel right?”

Namjoon stared from him to the bag for long seconds, awareness building up in his mind as the redness on his cheeks, so cute that this time Jin couldn’t help but chuckle a little behind his hand.

The boy directed his gaze back at him again scratching his nape embarrassed before talking in an unsure, adorable voice that made the baker’s heart skip a bit.

“So… Do you wanna go out one of these days?”
And the answer was, inevitably, a yes.