“Oh god why did I agree to this?” Junhoe whined, laying face down on his bed.

Hanbin was currently going through his closet, deciding on the best outfit for him to wear. “Because you’re a complete er when it comes to your pride taking a hit.” Black pants for sure, but he was undecided if he wanted Junhoe to make a statement with his outfit or just blend in. He’d asked Jinhwan for his advice, and Jinhwan had said that his mother actually appreciated interesting fashion choices, preferring bold to boring.

Junhoe grumbled into his pillow, because Hanbin had a point. How many times now had Hanbin ered him into doing things, all because Junhoe had refused to say no? You’d think he’d have wised up to Hanbin’s manipulative ways by now, but no.

“So Jinhwan said that you don’t have to wear a suit jacket if you wear something really nice,” Hanbin mused, eyes lingering on a bright teal shirt he didn’t remember ever seeing Junhoe wear, “and she likes interesting fashion.”

“What’s your point, Hanbin? I don’t really own anything that interesting.” Junhoe didn’t bother looking, still slumped against the pillows. Just earlier he’d been fine with going, hadn’t felt that nervous. But now that Hanbin was here, picking out his clothes, suddenly everything felt way more serious. He was meeting Jinhwan’s mother. What was he thinking?! He barely had a hold on his friendship with the guy, and he was about to meet the family?

“When did you get this shirt? Does it still fit you?” Hanbin took the shirt out, turning to face Junhoe. “Hey, look at me!”

Junhoe sighed loudly before rolling onto his back. He immediately made a noise of displeasure. “Ah, that shirt, really? Yejin bought it for my birthday, I’ve never worn it. That colour’s over the top.”

“Yeah, that’s kinda the point! You wear the black pants with this, and then wear a black vest and a black tie, and it’s gonna look awesome.” Hanbin walked over to the bed, draping the shirt over Junhoe’s chest. “It looks so good with your blonde hair!”

“You want me to wear a vest? Are you crazy?” Junhoe didn’t like it. He liked simple fashions when he had to dress up—plain black and white, maybe a little grey to mix things up. Yejin had tried to convince him to add some colour, but he just wasn’t having it.

“I know you don’t own a vest, but my dad has some really awesome ones! You’re practically the same size, they’d probably fit you. Actually, ooh, what size are your feet?”

Junhoe sighed, afraid to answer. “275. Why?”

“Because my dad has these awesome shoes that’ll be perfect with your outfit!” Hanbin exclaimed. His father travelled overseas a lot for business, so his personal style was quite flashy for the average Korean man.

“Hanbin--” Junhoe warned, but he was cut off almost immediately.

“Seriously, they’re like the same shade as the shirt, but snakeskin!” Hanbin could picture it in his head, and he was jealous already. He loved those snakeskin shoes, but his father had bigger feet than he did, and they’d never fit him. “I could totally get him to lend them to you!”

“Hanbin! That’s ridiculous, I’m not wearing snakeskin shoes!” Junhoe grumbled. What would anyone think of him, he’d look stupid!

“You’re totally wearing snakeskin shoes! Don’t be a baby, take a chance.” Hanbin threw the shirt at him. “Try this on, I need to make sure it fits before I get ahead of myself.” He stood with his arms crossed over his chest, annoyed glare on his best friend.

Junhoe sighed dramatically again before getting up. “Ugh, fine! I’ll try the stupid shirt on.” He pulled his t-shirt off and pulled the button down over his arms, annoyed out of principle. “What’s Jinhwan wearing? I’m not gonna stand out, am I?”

“I don’t know, but he’s already given you the green light to wear something interesting so you’re doing it.” Hanbin pulled out his phone, texting his dad to see about borrowing the shoes. He knew they were probably expensive, but this was a very important occasion.

Junhoe sighed again and started buttoning up the shirt. It fit him perfectly around the chest, but the arms were a little short. “Uh Hanbin, sorry to burst your bubble, but the sleeves are too short.”

Hanbin shook his head and kept texting. “It’s fine, we’ll roll them up. It’s a hot look these days!” His dad replied immediately, asking why he wanted those shoes in particular. “Junhoe, look at me!” Hanbin waited until Junhoe turned to face him, confused expression captured in the picture that he sent to his dad with the caption “he needs all the help he can get!! can he borrow a vest too??”

“What did you take my picture for? Could have waited til I was ready at least,” he grumbled.

“Nah, it was better that you look lost and confused.” Hanbin replied, grinning as he read his father’s answer. “Dad said you can borrow his shoes, and he’ll get you a good vest too!” He tossed his phone on the bed before reaching for Junhoe’s arm. “Come here, let me do your sleeves.”

Junhoe stood while Hanbin went to work, still feeling nervous. “Hanbin are you sure about this?” He asked, genuinely concerned.

“What are you worried about?” Hanbin asked, finishing with one sleeve.

“I don’t want to look stupid,” Junhoe answered, “especially because his mom will be there! I’ve never met his mom or his sister, I don’t want them to think I’m an idiot or something.”

“They won’t,” Hanbin replied, “you’re going to look good, Junhoe! Even if you do stand out, better to stand out looking good than blend in looking bad.” He moved on to the other sleeve, rolling it up while Junhoe pouted.

“Are you sure I should do this?” Junhoe asked, feeling indescribably insecure. It was awkward enough to think about spending all night with Jinhwan only, but adding his family to the mix?! He’d been crazy to agree to it. “What if his mom starts grilling me about classical music? I couldn’t even name a composer the other day! I’ll be even more nervous with his mom there.”

“Here’s an important piece of advice my dad gave me,” Hanbin finished with the sleeve, nodding to himself as he took in the fit, “if you’re talking to someone who you want to make a good impression on, and they ask you for your opinion on something you know nothing about—don’t try to bull them, just be honest. Tell them you don’t really know anything, but then tell them that you’d like to know more about the subject, and then ask them for their opinion. People love to hear themselves talk, and the best way to make a good impression on someone else is to be a good listener.”

Junhoe frowned, because he hated pretending to care about other people’s opinions.

“Trust me! If she asks you who your favourite composer is, or what your favourite concerto is, say you don’t have one. Then ask her which one is her favourite!” When Junhoe still didn’t look convinced, Hanbin grinned and shoved the black dress pants at him. “Put these on. You have to remember, she’s a musician herself, right? She’s going to be full of opinions on music! Ask her about them. Ask her what her favourite piece to play is, what her favourite one to listen to is. Tell her you like to sing.”

Junhoe left his jeans on the floor and pulled the dress pants on, not sure if he could do what Hanbin was suggesting. “Sounds easy coming from you, but you know I’m not good with this stuff! What if I don’t sound sincere? I don’t want to sound rude.”

“I don’t think Jinhwan’s going to let you sound rude to his mom, he’ll help you out. And honestly, why are you so worried anyway? Not like you’re ever going to have to see her again, right?” Hanbin couldn’t help but put the thought in his head.

Junhoe wasn’t sure how much Hanbin’s advice was helping. On one hand, he did have a point—would he ever see her again after this? He couldn’t see why he would... Unless she came to see Jinhwan fight at the next tournament? Why else would he see her? And even then it wouldn’t matter anyway! Well, unless he had to fight Jinhwan. Oh god, what if he made himself look like an idiot and offended Jinhwan’s mother, and then she did come to the next tournament and then he choked and Jinhwan beat him again? She’d think he was useless!

This was potentially going to be a disaster.

“God, calm down! I can hear you fretting without saying anything!” Hanbin , standing back to look over Junhoe’s outfit so far. “Those pants fit you really well, they go good with the shirt! That colour looks so good with your hair.”

“It’s weird, I feel stupid.” Junhoe couldn’t help but grumble.

“Junhoe, seriously, it’s going to be fine! Better than fine! I don’t know why you’re convinced she won’t like you.”

“We don’t even know what she’s like, Hanbin! What if she’s responsible for the side of Jinhwan’s personality? What if she’s mean?”

“Do you think he’d bring you if she was mean?” Hanbin had thought that Junhoe’s concerns over the concert were kind of cute at first, but he was clearly very worried about it, and he wondered if maybe he’d pushed him a bit too early? While Junhoe clearly liked Jinhwan now, their friendship was still in a delicate stage. “He’s not a jerk anymore, you know that, right?”

Junhoe sighed and nodded. “Yeah, I know, you have a point. He’s a lot better than I expected. But I just can’t help but be nervous. I’d be fine if you were going to be there, but, I don’t know. I also don’t want to up in front of him, either, you know? We’re finally getting along now. I don’t want him to regret that.”

Hanbin could barely keep the grin off his face at Junhoe’s last line—there was clearly something there in Junhoe’s brain, already putting Jinhwan on a pedestal. “You won’t up. Come on, you’re usually not this nervous about things! Just be your confident self and you’ll be fine. Let me take a picture quick.” Without giving him much chance to prepare, Hanbin grabbed his phone and snapped a full body picture of Junhoe to send to his dad. “Even if you do say the wrong thing to his mom, I don’t think Jinhwan’s going to hold it against you. He’s been really nice lately, I can tell he likes you.”

Junhoe frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. He really needed to stop letting Hanbin talk him into things. “Yeah, if you say so.”

Hanbin tossed his phone back on the bed. “Okay, take those off and hang them back up. Dad said he’s got some good options picked out for you, so come back home with me after class tomorrow to pick them up.”

“Are you gonna have time to come over and help me get ready?” Junhoe pleaded, because there was no way he could prepare on his own. He’d probably cancel in a fit of panic.

“Of course! I can’t let you get all dressed up on your own.” Besides, it’s not like Hanbin really had anywhere to go tomorrow night—he’d lied about having a game of his own, his was still on Friday. As much as he would have liked to go with Jinhwan, he hadn’t been able to resist setting up this perfect opportunity for a “date”.

Junhoe felt a little better knowing that Hanbin would still be around to help him get ready. Which was kind of stupid because it didn’t really matter how he looked. It’s not like he was trying to impress Jinhwan or anything… He didn’t need to look good. He just needed to not look dumb.

“Thanks, Bin. I, uh, appreciate you helping me.” Junhoe carefully slid the shirt off, passing it to Hanbin and pulling his t shirt back on.

“Well, someone has to! You can’t help yourself, after all.” Hanbin teased, and two seconds later Junhoe threw the pants at his head.

“Wow, you uh, look really fancy!” Jinhwan was actually at a loss for words, looking at Junhoe. He would have pegged him as the type to wear the most boring suit possible to an event like this.

, Hanbin was going to die when this was over! “Uh, Hanbin dressed me!” Junhoe quickly said, nervous and on the spot. He was overdressed, wasn’t he? He was going to stick out like a sore thumb, he knew it!

“Man, those shoes are sick!” Bobby exclaimed, impressed with the outfit. “Are they snakeskin?”

Junhoe was contemplating ways to kill Hanbin in his head as he answered. “Yeah, they’re actually Hanbin’s dad’s. So’s the vest.” Ugh, they didn’t need to know that! 

“Seriously? Hanbin’s dad has some really cool stuff,” Jinhwan replied, still a little in awe of the whole picture, “I think you should let Hanbin dress you more often!”

Junhoe couldn’t tell if Jinhwan was being honest or joking, but he didn’t get the chance to ask before they were joined by a woman who could only be Jinhwan’s mom.

“Ah, is this the new friend?” She asked, her eyes lighting up as she took in Junhoe’s appearance. “Such a unique style! You’re going to turn all the right heads tonight, my dear!”

Junhoe bowed and thanked her, still feeling a little over the top. But at least she seemed happy with what he was wearing? Turning heads was a compliment, right? She wasn’t just being sarcastic?

“Yeah, this is my friend Koo Junhoe! This is obviously my mother!” Jinhwan waved between the two of them. “And here comes my sister, Seiyeon!”

Seiyeon actually paused to give Junhoe a long look, before nodding in appreciation. “It’s nice to meet you!” She looked at Jinhwan then, winking at him. Jinhwan just grinned back at her, still too shocked to joke around as usual. He was saved by the appearance of Bobby’s brother, Jiun. Jinhwan took advantage of the influx of new people to grab Bobby’s arm and drag him down the hall to his room.

Bobby figured Jinhwan probably needed help with his tie, or something, and was surprised when Jinhwan rounded on him as soon as they made it to his room.

“Okay, Bobby, what the ?!” Jinhwan exclaimed in a loud whisper, a look of near panic on his face.

“What?” Bobby looked at him with concern; he rarely ever saw Jinhwan so worked up.

“What do you mean what? Did you see him?” Jinhwan hissed. “He looks really ing hot! How am I supposed to not stare at him all night?” Jinhwan almost couldn’t believe it. He’d always thought Junhoe was attractive, but the clothing choices just made him stand out in a way that had Jinhwan reeling.

Bobby suddenly remembered his bet with Hanbin. . The did it on purpose! “Uh, make your sister sit next to him instead?” Bobby teased.

Jinhwan glared at him. “I just can’t get over how hot he looks tonight. Spiking his hair up like that too? , I’m in trouble.” Jinhwan grinned then, still torn between wanting to thank Hanbin and wanting to strangle him. The shock of seeing Junhoe all made up was slowly wearing off. “You don’t think Hanbin will get mad if I hit on Junhoe tonight, will he?”

Bobby laughed back, though on the inside he couldn’t help but wonder if Hanbin had made Junhoe up for this sole purpose? “I think you should be more worried about Junhoe! But Hanbin would probably advise you to behave. You know how finnicky Junhoe can be.” it. He wasn’t going to try and influence this thing yet. It was too early.

Jinhwan frowned playfully at the answer. “Ugh, such a boring answer. Okay I gotta get back out there. I just had to say something otherwise I was probably gonna explode.” Jinhwan ran a hand through his hair. “Hey, I look good too, right?”

Bobby grinned and shook his head. “Yeah, you look cute.” He knew that cute was not the adjective Jinhwan wanted to hear at the moment.

“Bobby!” Jinhwan whined. “Tell me I look hot!”

Bobby grinned and shrugged. “You know I don’t like lying to you.” He barely dodged out of the way of a kick from Jinhwan. “Okay fine! You look hot. Not quite as hot as Junhoe, so people will probably question what you’re doing there together.”

Jinhwan glared at him again, though he appreciated the teasing because it helped to calm his nerves. “Yeah well, you’d know all about that, right? I’m sure that’s what everyone thinks when they see Hanbin with you!” He stuck his tongue out before darting out of the room, leaving Bobby to shake his head and laugh. Typical Jinhwan. He followed him down the hall, smiling when he saw how relaxed Junhoe looked talking to his brother. Knowing Jiun, they were probably talking about jiu jitsu.

“Alright well, I gotta get going for my game, but you guys have a good time tonight!” Bobby hugged Seiyeon, who wished him luck at his game, before hugging her mother, who also wished him luck.

“Kick tonight, Bobby hyung!” Junhoe told him, and Bobby couldn’t help but smile. It was still rare for Junhoe to call him hyung, and every time he did it made Bobby smile. He left the apartment with Jiun, who was going to drive him to the gym. Once he was in the car Bobby took out his phone, sending a quick text to Hanbin.

-good job wit jun he looks good!!!!- 

He got a reply almost immediately.

-thanks! what did jinan think of it?- 

-he wuz freakn out wen i left cuz he looks to hot!!!- 

-good :)- 

Bobby grinned at the message, all the proof he’d needed that Hanbin was doing all he could to speed the process along.

-u cheater!!! u did it on prupose!!!!- 

-i did nothing wrong! im innocent!- 

Bobby laughed at the message, feeling good before his game tonight. It was the first game in the preliminary round of the playoffs, and they were playing a low ranking team. He wasn’t worried about the game, but talking to Hanbin made him feel calmer anyway. It was too bad they both had games on the same night, because it would be the perfect opportunity for them to get together afterwards by themselves.

-hey good luck tonite wit ur game!!!!- 

-oh you need luck more than i do tonight :)- 

Bobby shook his head at the reply—even though he had always preferred to be the confident one in his relationships, he found Hanbin’s sometimes bratty arrogance to be kind of hot.

-u won 1 game by 1 point dont get cocky!!!- 

-not being cocky! youll see what i mean soon :)- 

Bobby read the response and couldn’t help but feel curious about what he meant? He was going to reply but Jiun was just pulling up to the front of the school now, so he slid his phone into his pocket and grabbed his bag.

“Thanks for the drive, hyung!”

“No problem! Call me when you’re done, if you need me to come pick you up.” They bumped fists and Bobby got out of the car, turning back to wave to Jiun before making his way towards the entrance. He took his phone back out of his pocket, eyes on the device as he walked towards the front stairs. He was almost at the door (and midway through typing a reply to Hanbin) when someone reached out and grabbed his shoulder.

He barely restrained the annoyed huff (in case it was his coach, or an adult) and was shocked when instead it was Hanbin. What…?

“Surprise! Thought I’d come cheer you on.” Hanbin grinned, clearly amused at his reaction.

“I thought you had a game?” Bobby asked, standing in front of Hanbin, his fingers closing around Hanbin’s forearms. He couldn’t believe he was here!

“I do, but not until tomorrow.” Hanbin explained, grinning mischievously.

“Hold on, so you lied?” Bobby’s mouth dropped open in shock. Had Hanbin planned this just to get Junhoe and Jinhwan together??

“I plan on winning our bet.” Hanbin replied, stepping closer to Bobby.

“I can’t believe you!” Bobby replied, though he had to laugh a second later. “And you made Junhoe get super dressed up on purpose too!”

“Of course I did! It worked, didn’t it?” Hanbin answered, laughing when Bobby shook his head, his expression clearly a mix of being amused and being annoyed. “But I also did it so we could have a night by ourselves. Well, after the game.”

“And what if I’m busy after the game?” Bobby teased—even if he did have plans, they’d be cancelled in a heartbeat.

“I have a feeling you’ll find a way to not be busy.” Hanbin expected that they might have to hang out for a bit with some of Bobby’s team mates in the event of victory, but even that was okay. Any opportunity to see Bobby was welcome.

Bobby couldn’t even pretend to dispute that, and instead of replying he kissed Hanbin on the lips and tightened his arms around Hanbin’s back. He was going to destroy that other team tonight.

Jinhwan couldn’t help but bounce his legs in nervous excitement, anxious for the concert to get started. He still couldn’t believe he was actually going to see his idol live in person! Even though it was the full orchestra, he was still hoping that maybe, if he was lucky, he’d get to hear her playing a non-trumpet concerto like she’d released on her recent album. Vivaldi, maybe?

“Would you control your legs? At this rate you might pound a hole in the floor.” Seiyeon .

“I can’t help it!” Jinhwan whined.

“You’re worse than a child!” Seiyeon retorted, elbowing his arm.

“I was just thinking though, what if she plays Vivaldi? I might die.” Jinhwan grinned at his sister while she rolled her eyes back at him.

“Don’t be so dramatic! How do you deal with him, Junhoe? Is he like this all the time?”

Junhoe had been listening to their exchange, though he hadn’t had a single clue what Jinhwan had been referring to. He did recognize the name of Vivaldi. Not that he knew anything about him. Just the name sounded familiar. God, why hadn’t he done some research? Listened to some music?

Seiyeon’s question caught him off guard and he nearly panicked before getting a hold of himself. “Not all the time,” he said with a forced laugh, “just half the time.” He suddenly wondered exactly what Jinhwan’s family knew about him? What had Jinhwan told them?

“Noona, I’m serious! The amount of nights I’ve spent lying in bed listening to her version of Vivaldi, I can’t even count!” Jinhwan couldn’t help but grab his sister’s arm, laughing when she shook her head in mock disgust.

“Quit being embarrassing!” Seiyeon couldn’t help but smile at him.

“It’s Alison Balsom, though! I can’t help it.” Jinhwan couldn’t help but be excited, regardless of how much he’d probably regret it in the morning.

“I knew I should have told mom to get us seats away from you! It’s not too late, Junhoe can come and sit with us so he doesn’t have to listen to you squealing.” Seiyeon grinned and winked at Junhoe.

“Oh Junhoe’s fine, he probably has no idea what we’re talking about.” Jinhwan turned to look at Junhoe, who looked slightly panicked again. “You don’t, do you?”

Junhoe remember Hanbin’s advice—no point in lying. “Not a clue.”

Seiyeon laughed, a soft smile gracing her lips. “Ah, you’re lucky, then!”

“Alison Balsom’s my favourite trumpet player,” Jinhwan explained, “honestly she’s the greatest! Recently she put out an album, and she transcribed a few pieces that were originally written for the violin, so they’re quite difficult to reproduce on a trumpet. But she does it beautifully! Honestly she’s my biggest musical inspiration.”

Ah, the violin! That’s why Vivaldi had sounded familiar! “That sounds pretty cool.” Junhoe replied, and he meant it—not that he knew much about classical instruments, but he didn’t think the trumpet could sound as nice as a violin?

“I know it might not seem that exciting, but wait until you hear her!” Jinhwan replied, certain Junhoe would be wowed by her. Or at least he was hoping he would be.

“No, it is exciting!” Junhoe said, not wanting them to think he was completely indifferent to the show. He just wasn’t always the best at expressing himself.

“I’m going to interrupt your little squabble to go to the bathroom before the show starts. If mom gets back before me don’t let her sit next to you! I miss you.” Seiyeon stood up and ruffled Jinhwan’s hair before leaving their seats. As soon as she was gone Jinhwan turned to Junhoe.

“How are you holding up?”

“Fine, I’m fine.”

Jinhwan grinned at him. “Thanks for coming, by the way. I promise it’ll be more fun once the music actually starts!”

“It’s fine, really. I’m not bored or anything, I swear!” Oddly enough, Junhoe meant it. He’d been content sitting around, watching people and listening to Jinhwan and Seiyeon tease each other. It was actually comfortable. 

“You look really hot tonight, by the way.” Jinhwan couldn’t help but compliment, just for an excuse to stare at him again. He knew Bobby’s advice was good, no matter how much he wanted to ignore it. Besides, he didn’t think Junhoe liked him quite enough to agree to make out with him just yet. But maybe, if Jinhwan kept working at it.

Junhoe swallowed hard at the compliment, his voice felt like it was literally stuck in his throat. “I look hot every night!” He replied, because sarcasm was always easy to fall back on.

“Well, I won’t disagree with you there. But you look extra hot tonight. Not to like, make things awkward or whatever! I’m still not over those shoes.”

Junhoe had never had a problem with accepting compliments (and it wasn’t that he was having a problem with it now) but it felt weird to be getting compliments from Jinhwan? It was nice (especially when the alternative would be insults) but still. Was Jinhwan just saying it to give a compliment, or did he mean something else?

Jinhwan wondered if he ought to keep going or stop. He didn’t want to freak Junhoe out, but at the same time… Even though Jinhwan had no intention of dating anyone right now, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to have something casual? He wondered if Junhoe would even do casual. Was Junhoe even experienced? Maybe he’d ask Hanbin, because he felt like asking Junhoe would probably be nothing short of a disaster.

Junhoe felt like the silence was getting a little awkward, and he struggled to find a topic of conversation that didn’t revolve around his looks. “So, Hanbin said your mom does music too, right? What instrument does she play?” Might be good to gain at least a bit of knowledge now in case he got drawn into a conversation.

“Mom plays the violin, and Seiyeon plays the flute.” Jinhwan had a flash of sudden panic, looking up and seeing his mother making her way back towards them. “Hey, Junhoe, if mom asks, can you do me a favour and not mention jiu jitsu? Like, at all?” He felt bad for dropping the request on him suddenly. He really should have mentioned it to him in advance, but he’d been too excited over the show. But what if his mother started asking questions about how they’d met? Would she be frosty if she knew Junhoe was a friend from jiu jitsu? He’d like to think she wouldn’t be, but he wasn’t willing to risk the chance. He’d have to fake something on the fly if it came up.

Before Junhoe could ask why, Jinhwan’s mother was back, carrying a glass of wine. “My apologies boys, just had to catch up with an old colleague!” She sat down beside Jinhwan and looked past him to Junhoe. “So, we haven’t really had a chance to chat yet, and I’m curious about how the two of you met? Jinhwan’s actually never mentioned you before, Junhoe!”

Jinhwan spoke up before Junhoe had a chance to say anything. “At school, of course! Junhoe played basketball with Bobby last year, and turned out he likes singing, too, so we just naturally formed a friendship.” Jinhwan gave Junhoe a pointed look, as if to say ‘don’t dispute any of this, even though it’s all wrong!’ that left Junhoe quiet but perplexed.

Why the lies? What was he supposed to say if she asked him any direct questions?

“Why did you give up basketball?” Jinhwan’s mother asked, and Junhoe quickly looked at Jinhwan to see if he wanted to step in and fabricate something. When he was met with silence, though, Junhoe pulled a lie out of his .

“I just wanted to concentrate on my studies.” A plausible excuse.

“Ah, a serious academic! I remember when my Jinhwan-ie used to be more concerned with his schoolwork, in all subjects!” She reached out and brushed her fingers over his hair.

“I was a total nerd back then, mom!” Jinhwan retorted, grinning at her before shooting Junhoe a sheepish but grateful smile.

“Ah well, no matter anyway! All you need to do is pass your music exam and you’ll be set! I look forward to the day when the three of us can play on stage together.” She patted his head before taking a sip from her glass. “What are your plans for after high school, Junhoe?”

“Uh, well to be honest, I haven’t decided yet,” Junhoe said, unsure if it was wise to be admitting this to her, but then he remembered Hanbin’s advice--it’s not like he was ever going to have to see her again! “Probably something business related, but I wanted to leave myself some options.”

She nodded as though she thought that was a good idea, but Junhoe knew she was probably judging him for it. His parents harassed him all the time about picking a serious plan for after high school, but Junhoe really had no idea what he wanted. The only things he really enjoyed doing were singing, dancing, and jiu jitsu. Didn’t really leave him a lot of choices.

“Mom, are you bothering him over a career already? You’ve just met the poor boy!” Seiyeon returned then, patting Junhoe on the shoulder as she passed him. “Let him breathe.”

“It wasn’t an inquisition, Seiyeon-ah! Just a curious question with no judgement for the answer. It’s not always easy to know what you want in life.” She smiled at Junhoe in that motherly sort of way, as though she knew that he didn’t really have things figured out.

“So Jinan-ie, are you still freaking out over Alison?” Seiyeon asked, reaching out to pinch his cheeks. Jinhwan let her, even though he was just slightly embarrassed over letting her do it in front in Junhoe. But then he remembered Junhoe’s admission that his sister still used him for makeup practice. This was probably nothing to him.

“Of course! I think mom should let me have a glass of wine to calm my nerves.” Jinhwan joked, looking at his mom.

“Don’t pull those puppy dog eyes at me, they won’t work!” She replied, and Jinhwan huffed in pretend irritation.

Junhoe found it interesting, watching Jinhwan interact with his family. He was a different person around his sister, kind of bratty and whiny but almost in a cute way? Well, notcute as in physically cute (okay kind of physically cute?) but it was fun watching him push their buttons? Jinhwan’s sister reminded him of his own sister, which made him think of all the ways their sibling relationships were probably the same.

It was a lot of cute back and forth teasing, and even Jinhwan’s mom surprised Junhoe. She was a very sweet woman, almost the opposite of how Junhoe had pictured her. She seemed very warm and affectionate with both of her kids, and wasn’t as judgemental as Junhoe had anticipated.

Which again begged the question—why hadn’t Jinhwan wanted him to mention jiu jitsu? Maybe it was just because they hadn’t known each other that long? Maybe he didn’t want his mom to think that Junhoe was just a last minute stand in for Bobby. On that note, why was he here? Didn’t Jinhwan have other friends he could have invited?

He didn’t have long to ponder before the house lights went down and everyone was asked to take their seats. Despite it being a classical show, Junhoe still felt that there was an excitement in the air similar to a rock concert. When he thought about it, it wasn’t that surprising. When people truly loved music, they didn’t hesitate to show it. But still, Junhoe wasn’t really sure what to expect. Classical music was nice, but it was never something he’d been super excited over. Music was always better when it was live, though, and Jinhwan’s excitement for it was a little contagious.

But the moment the first note struck, it felt different, a palpable excitement that fell over the room. He was transfixed, the music sounded clearer and brighter than he would have imagined, and he had no idea what they were playing but it didn’t even matter. He loved it.

After a few pieces with the entirety of the orchestra, a lull in the music came and a blonde woman walked out to the stage to applause, and Junhoe could tell from Jinhwan’s audible gasp that this must be her—his trumpet idol. That was confirmed a moment later when Jinhwan grabbed his forearm, squeezing tightly. Junhoe looked at him in surprise, taken aback by the excitable smile on Jinhwan’s face.

Okay, it was kind of cute? Jinhwan stared at the stage, bright eyed and in complete adoration. Junhoe watched him instead, couldn’t help but stare. Jinhwan was still holding his arm but Junhoe didn’t mind. This moment obviously meant a lot to Jinhwan.

Junhoe focused back on her, watching as she played her pieces, and he couldn’t help but wonder--did Jinhwan play any of these songs? Was he learning them? Maybe he’d ask Jinhwan to play some time. Because Junhoe actually liked the sound of the trumpet, thought it was much prettier than he’d expected.

That might just end up being awkward, though. Best to scratch that idea. Maybe he’d just ask him about his favourite songs and maybe get an album, or something. When she finished her pieces and bowed to the audience Jinhwan finally took his hand back, clapping fervently. Junhoe clapped too, because she really had been extraordinary. He looked back at Jinhwan again, who sported an almost dreamy sort of smile on his face. It was cute, how happy the music made him. Junhoe wasn’t sure if there was anything that made him as happy as Jinhwan seemed right now. This was a different level of happiness, the sort you couldn’t get from yourself, the kind that came from loving someone else.

He almost felt kind of jealous.