Jiho shifted in his seat, leaning over the cold marble counter of the bar. It was a quiet, starless night. The bartender arranged the empty glasses that previous patrons left behind, clinking them together occassionally. In the background, a soft melody with a grand piano and saxophone traveled through the room. Jiho brought his half full glass to his lips, tilting his head back to let the amber liquid burn his throat. The now empty glass met the counter, clattering in an almost unnoticeable manner. The dusty lamp above him flickered, and Jiho sighed, sliding over crumpled bills to the young bartender.

Jiho felt a heaviness in his heart that couldn't be willed away by the alcholic content in the drinks he had eagerly swallowed down in the past hour. To think that a man he met a few months ago would lead to this somber night in a run-down bar.

Flashback

Before he knew it, Jiho fell down on the sidewalk after a forceful push from someone behind him.

"Hey, who the fu-"

He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder and saw someone crouch down next to him.

"Hey, are you alright? Sorry, I shouldn't have been running, but I needed to catch the bus to my gig. I'm kind of late," the blonde explained. Jiho, whose anger began to dissapate, looked closely, wondering if he was looking into a mirror. The man had cat-like eyes, a tall nose with a soft curve at the very tip, and pink, heart-shaped lips. His lips were molded into a lopsided, apologetic grin, and at that moment Jiho oddly felt the sudden urge to...kiss them. Shaking his head, he abruptly stood up. The young man held his hand as he stood, brushing off Jiho's pants. A bus zoomed past by them as they looked at each other, and the young blonde sighed, ruffling his hair.

"I would have missed it anyways," he said regretfully. Jiho felt sorry for the boy. As an artist himself, he understands how gigs, no matter how small they are, are the most meaningful. You get to see people who care about you no matter how unknown you are. They are special bonding moments with your supporters, and when he looked at the guitar on the blonde's back, he forgot about being pushed to the ground.

"I wasn't really about to go anywhere special, so if you want, I can drive you to your venue," Jiho offerred sheepishly, not sure if he would accept. He avoided eye contact, choosing to glance at the very interesting weed that was sprouting from a crack in the sidewalk. The man's eyes flew wide open and his mouth hung loose, trying to formulate his thoughts and words.

"I would say no and assure you that I can go myself, but right now I'm very desperate because I have, like, 8 minutes, so I think taking your offer would be the most logical, even though I'm the one who pushed you and you're doing this for m-"

His dialogue was cut off by a chuckle from Jiho.

"You're ranting. Just follow me," he replied, guiding him to a black vehicle.

In the car, the blonde finally revealed his name.

"The name's Seungyoon by the way. Kang Seungyoon," he announced after throwing his guitar in the backseat.

"Nice meeting you, Seungyoon. I'm Jiho. Woo Jiho," Jiho replied. Seungyoon pushed in his buckle, and Jiho zoomed away, following Seungyoon's rushed directions. The minute they arrived in front of a small cafe, Seungyoon rushed out with his guitar, not noticing the wallet he dropped behind in his seat.

"Wait-" Jiho tried calling out to Seungyoon, but he had already disappeared behind the glass doors. Jiho opened up the leather wallet, seeing Seungyoon's ID.

"So he's two years younger than me," he noted, closing the wallet and shoving it in his pocket. He parked his car on the corner of the street in the artsy district of Itaewon, walking over to the cafe to the beat of the jingle of his car keys. He slightly pushed open the doors, and was suddenly met with the beautiful strumming of a guitar.

Before his eyes was Seungyoon, whose fingers skillfully picked away at his acoustic guitar, singing soulfully with a velvet voice into a shining, silver microphone. His instrument rested on his left leg while his right leg dangled off of the stool, his foot tapping away to the beat of the song. He was with four other men who looked like they were around his age, but Jiho's eyes were drawn to Seungyoon. He noted how his silk green button-up shirt flowed nicely, and appreciated how they were tucked neatly into his dark, denim jeans. His eyes then trailed up back to the blonde's face, getting lost in the other's dark orbs which were tickled by loose waves of recently dyed hair. Their eyes met for a brief second, startling Jiho, who now shifted his feet and pulled his eyes away from the scene, choosing to dust off what wasn't even there on his pants.

"There's a guy who was totally checking you out during our performance," Minho whispered into Seungyoon's ears once they were tidying up the stage after the performance, pointing to a tall guy with fierce eyes, a defined yet soft nose, and full lips, much like Seungyoon's. Seungyoon blushed when he realized who he was.

"Ah, long story short. I accidentally pushed a guy while running to the bus, so I helped him get up. I said I missed my bus here, so he offered to drive," he revealed, making Minho smirk as he packed up the keyboard.

"Hm, love at first sight?" Minho joked, making Seungyoon laugh heartily.

"He's cute, but I doubt this is going anywhere. He was just being nice," Seungyoon reasoned, but Minho didn't look like he was taking that as a response.

"Nobody just offers to drive a person somewhere when they were physically hurt by someone else in a span on five minutes. He even stayed to watch the gig! Go hit him up or something. It's been a long time since you went on a date anyways; you're always so focused on being our leader. Go out and have fun for the day, and who knows, maybe it can turn into something more, " Minho replied, nudging him. At that moment, Jiho looked up and waved with a toothy smile. Seungyoon punched Minho's shoulder before he climbed down the small stage, jogging over to Jiho.

"What's up? I didn't expect you to stay," Seungyoon asked. Jiho rubbed the back of his neck.

"Ah, the thing is, you dropped your wallet in my car, but by the time I realized it, you had already gone inside," he explained, and Seungyoon gratefully accepted the blue item.

"Oh my gosh, thank you so much!" Seungyoon exclaimed. "How did you like our gig, by the way?"

Jiho's face lit up.

"Seungyoon, 'like'? I loved it of course! You're amazing! I'm a producer actually, although I started off with rapping, and from all perspectives your band is so talented. You guys are called 'Winner', right?" Jiho raved. Seungyoon full out smiled.

"Wow, that's cool! I guess musicians are really destined for each other. I'm glad we met! Maybe we can work on some music together," Seungyoon suggested, visibly excited with the fact that the other loved music just as much as writing music, just like he did.

"That would be cool. But, um, I'm going outside for a few minutes and, um, you can come with me if you'd like. Just....just open your wallet and look inside before you do. Okay?" Jiho suddenly asked, feeling embarassed. Seungyoon was confused, but nodded.

"Uh, sure," he answered as Jiho quickly made his way outside. Seungyoon walked up to Minho while the other members chatted away, tilting his head in confusion.

"So, so, so, what did he say?" Minho asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Well, he gave me back the wallet I dropped in his car, and told me to...open it. Now, he means," Seungyoon explained. 

"Well what are you waiting for? Open it!" Minho urged, looking over his shoulder as Seungyoon fiddled with the strap. Inside his wallet, a note was tucked in.

An Uber would have cost you $15, and coincidentally, dinner at my favorite restaurant costs the same. 

We're in the era of unconventional payment methods, don't you think?

Seungyoon immediately flushed, and Minho cackled with glee.

"You just got asked out on a date, didn't you?" Minho asked, playfully nudging his leader's arm. Seungyoon wanted to protest, but his fluttering heart just made him smile.

"I guess I'll see you later tonight. Tell the kids the same," he shyly answered, grabbing his guitar and heading out the door.

Jiho waited anxiously in his car, tapping his feet out of nervousness. He didn't know what came over him, but his hands just wrote the cheesy note and stuffed it in the blonde's wallet without thinking. He was about to buckle in and drive away, but he heard someone tapping his window. Jiho unrolled the window, which opened up to Seungyoon's smiling face.

"Are you in the mood for some spaghetti?" he asked, and Jiho couldn't help but smile. Seungyoon came in and sat next to Jiho, unable to wipe the grin off of his face.

"I think I am," Jiho confirmed, leaning back in his seat before driving away.

Jiho came to a stop in front of a quaint brick building. Seats with tables outside were shielded by black umbrellas, and people were amicably chattering away. Evening was fast approaching, and the sky was painted with purplish and pink hues, perfected with the puffs of orange clouds. Jiho opened Seungyoon's door, escorting him to the small restaurant.

"I kind of expected going to a quiet, dark place, so I'm glad you brought me here! It's full of life, just how I like it," Seungyoon commented, earning an odd look from Jiho. "You just seem like a quiet, thoughtful person, that's all," he explained, taking a seat at a corner table. Seungyoon liked the feeling of the humid breeze making its way through his curled locks of hair.

While Seungyoon was relaxed and browsed through the pasta selections, Jiho was nervous. The last time he went on a date was in high school, and that was with a shy girl who kept gushing over him instead of talking. He ended up never talking to her again after she tried kissing him when he wasn't looking. Always busy in the studio, he never gets the chance to meet new people out of his friend circle. In fact, the reason why he was walking outside that day was to buy a new cushion for his studio to make it more comfortable. Then Seungyoon bumped into him, quite literally, and Jiho probably blubbered like a fish and swooned like a hormonal teenager. His friend, Yukwon, had told him something just a few days ago that Jiho remembered while writing Seungyoon his note.

"Come on, Jiho. You're getting older by the minute. Next time, if you see a pretty boy, just find a way to ask him out and see how it works! Just try it once. Just once Jiho. If it doesn't work out then I won't push you, and I'll let you stay holed up in your studio for a few months before I make you do anything else," Yukwon pleaded, making Jiho storm off home grumbling. 

Yet Yukwon's words were stuck in the brunette's head, so he picked up the pen and wrote the cheesiest line he had ever written in his life. And somehow, by luck granted from the greater heavens, he managed to score a date. Or was it a date? Did both people have to agree that it was a date?

The problem now was what to do. Talk? Be funny? Music? What goes first? Should I let him eat?

"I'll take the seafood pasta," Seungyoon ordered, speaking to the tall waitress next to them. Jiho woke up from his thoughts and just realized that the waitress was waiting for him.

"Uh, yeah, I'll take the same. Thanks," he fumbled, hurriedly giving the lady their menus. Once she left, Seungyoon smirked.

"Deep in thought, huh?" he asked, and Jiho nodded.

"Yup. Just...I don't know how I came here. I mean, I know why. I mean, I'm the one who technically asked you to come, but I'm still kind of amazed and confused since you're in front of me," Jiho blurted out. 

"Well, I don't think I really know what you mean. I'm just here to make my payment, driver," Seungyoon teased, winking discreetly at him. Jiho almost melted into a puddle in that very moment, so he decided to change the subject before his apparent gushing would show. 

"You know, we kind of look alike. I was surprised when I saw you. We could pass off as twins if we ever wanted to," he mentioned. 

"Ha, it's funny you mention that because I thought the same! It's fate, really. Not only are we both musicians, but I happen to bump into my doppelganger as well. But just to clarify, I'm the more handsome one here," Seungyoon replied, trying to tease Jiho more. Jiho rubbed the back of his neck again, and by now Seungyoon could tell it was his nervous tic.

"I don't think I necessarily disagree with that statement though..." he trailed off, and now it was Seungyoon's turn to melt into a puddle.

"Is this your attempt at flirting?" Seungyoon asked pointedly with a straight face, and Jiho immediately sat up in his seat, his eyes blown open. It was becoming increasingly harder for Seungyoon to prevent himself from laughing. 

"Wait, I....it's not what-"

"Well, Jiho, I think it's working," Seungyoon cut him off, and luckily for the both of them, the waitress came with their food to save them from any more embarassment. They were greeted with large bowls of steaming pasta, and their mouths watered at the sight of clams and shrimp in the creamy sauce. Yet before they dug in, Seungyoon frowned.

"I don't really like asparagus.."

"I love asparagus but I despise sun-dried tomatoes..."

"I love tomatoes!"

"Uh...do you want to switch?" Jiho asked, seeing as how the two liked what the other hated. Seungyoon nodded, skillfully picking out seasoned pieces of asparagus with his chopsticks to place in Jiho's bowl. Jiho scooped out his tomatoes, giving them to Seungyoon.

Without any further ado, the pair started to eat, finding it comfortable to talk to each other. Jiho talked in great detail about his works and schedule, pulling out his phone to play his mixtapes. Seungyoon nodded to the beat, impressed with the elder's impressive lyrical prowess but also the intricate nature of his productions. Seungyoon showered him with compliments, in awe with the versatility of his music.

"We have to collaborate, okay?" Seungyoon asked in all seriousness. Jiho agreed, shooting him a thumbs up.

"Sounds like a plan. I'll call you when I'm working on something," he confirmed, and with that Seungyoon scribbled his number on a scrap piece of paper, sliding it over to Jiho. He entered the number on his cell phone, sending a quick text to Seungyoon.

"And now you have mine," Jiho added on. They both finished their meals, but neither wanted to leave each other. They had met only a few hours ago, and neither wanted to think about their upcoming nights of lonely work. Jiho would add more to his new song, and Seungyoon would be plucking away at his guitar; they were both tired of working alone.

"I have some leftover beer in my studio....so maybe we can work on something today even. You know, just playing around. It'll be fun. We'll create the stupidest song and let go of all of our frustrations in the world," Jiho suggested, pointing to his car. Seungyoon agreed, knowing that he himself was in need of some stress relief. Jiho summoned the waitress, paying for the meal. Seungyoon looked at Jiho with a mischevious smile.

"Aha. I guess I didn't get to pay my driver today. I guess there has to be a next time, right?" Seungyoon said, faking disappointment. "I suppose at this rate, I'll forever be in your debt," he added on, dramatically sighing.

"Take all the time you need, honey," Jiho replied, taking part in his act. He pondered for a bit as he pushed in his chair.

"Last to the car has to buy more beer!" he shouted, bolting out of the restaurant's vicinity.

"Hey, you bastard!" Seungyoon shouted, running quickly up to Jiho on the sidewalk. By the time they reached the end of the sidewalk, they were both out of breath, waiting for the walk sign to the next block. Jiho placed his hands on his legs for support, trying to breathe normally. A sweaty Seungyoon laughed. 

"I guess it's a tie. It's kind of hard to run after eating a meal," he commented. The red hand soon changed to a white figure, and Seungyoon grabbed Jiho's right hand.

"Come on, slowpoke. Let's go," he ordered, starting to run again. Jiho wanted to protest, still feeling a bit out of breath, but he lost all the breath he got anyways when the younger guitarist clasped his hand. He didn't know whether it was one of the boy's daily mannerisms or if his heart skipped a beat like his own when seeing the elder, but either way, Jiho liked the feeling of Seungyoon's warm hand enclosing his own. Although it was a few seconds before he let go, having reached Jiho's black car already (he wished he had parked it far, far away, maybe on the other side of the country), Jiho could still feel the warmth linger on his hands. 

Jiho drove to his studio, which wasn't far from the restaurant. He maneuvered through the main roads and side streets, reaching a small building with a mart downstairs.

"That's so neat! You can just get whatever you need whenever you want!" Seungyoon exclaimed. He picked up a few cans of Cass beer and purchased it, reminding Jiho that he had paid for the dinner. The honks and screeches of cars accompanied by the daily rush hour started to buzz down as they climbed the stairs to the small studio. Jiho thanked the heavens that he chose to clean it up yesterday, otherwise he would be scrambling to arrange the mess that accumulated for the past month.

Seungyoon, like a child, ran into the recording room with his guitar. 

"I'm ready!" he shouted from inside, making Jiho chuckle.

"Wait, wait, let me just turn it all on," he replied, rushing to press the power button for his computer and systems. It was only a matter of a few minutes before Seungyoon began aggressively strumming chords, eventually turning to the electric guitar that Jiho always kept inside. Jiho bobbed his head to the rough chords, clicking away at his mouse to arrange the chords in a proper order. At one point, Seungyoon angrily screamed " you haters!" into the microphone, startling Jiho, but he nevertheless made it the main point of their 20 second song. When Seungyoon finished screaming his voice out, he plopped down next to Jiho, taking a listen to the masterpiece he created out of his stress relief. He was pleasantly surprised.

"This sounds so good for something that's just me angrily hitting my guitar and screaming," Seungyoon complimented, patting Jiho's back. "And this definitely deserves some of that cold beer that's in the fridge."

As they drank the cool, refreshing liquid that soothed their throats, particularly Seungyoon's, they the small TV that Jiho kept for whenever he slept over night and couldn't sleep. He fought with insomnia, so listening to the news often knocked him out. Seungyoon took the remote, scrolling through the channels while Jiho leaned back, sipping whatever little was in his can before opening a new one. Seungyoon finally landed on his favorite show, "Gag Concert".

"Ah, I love this show. You watch it?" Seungyoon asked. Jiho shook his head in response.

"I actually don't watch anything besides the news to help me fall asleep. I'm kind of a workaholic," he admitted, making Seungyoon frown.

"Gosh, and I thought I was too obsessed with work. Anyways, I'm about to give you a favorite show because this is hilarious," he accentuated, leaning back in the sofa along with Jiho. Comedians were on stage, running around and belittling each other. Jiho didn't find it too funny (he hardly finds anything funny), but he didn't mind watching it when he was graced with hearing Seungyoon's beautiful, laughs that came from deep down within. Seungyoon would let his head almost hit t