A light summer rain pelted the window front of Minho’s tattoo parlor, streaking the outside world in vibrant shades of green. Minho smiled as he flipped the Open sign on and leaned against to door, looking down the sidewalk. A woman stepped out of the flower shop next door, holding a small bouquet of peach roses tightly in her hands as she passed by Minho’s shop.

He grinned at her as she passed, but she did not notice.

Shrugging, he pushed away from the door and pulled his phone out of his pocket, unlocking it with a swipe of his thumb. He scrolled through his calendar as he leaned against the counter, mentally cataloging his appointments for the day. Two touch ups plus someone coming in at 1 o’clock for a cover-up…

Something flashed in the corner of his eye and he glanced over to see a pink-haired man peeking into his storefront window. Minho set his phone down on the counter, keeping his eyes on the stranger until he noticed him watching. The stranger’s eyes widened, and Minho waved as he moved away.

“Huh…”

Minho watched the spot he disappeared to for a minute, tearing his eyes away when the bell above the door alerted his attention to his first customer for the day.

– – –

Weeks passed before Minho saw the pink-haired stranger again. He was sitting on the floor with his back against the counter, eating a cup of ramyeon for lunch when he noticed him. His arm was linked with a pretty woman’s, colorful boba teas in hand as they breezed past his storefront. He glanced in the direction of the tattoo shop, but his sunglasses made it difficult to tell if he was actually looking inside. Minho slurped his ramyeon with a smile.

The next time he saw the pink-haired stranger was an accident.

– – –

The storefront windows rattled as the autumn wind blustered by. Minho glanced over at the noise for a second before grabbing the cloth to wipe the excess ink off the arm of Chanyeol, one of his regular’s.

“It stings,” he said, audibly wincing when Minho applied the needles again.

“Yeah, well, it’s the wrist this time. More bones.” Chanyeol snorted, his eyes squeezing shut as Minho finished up the first letter of his newest tattoo. “One down!” he said, dabbing away the blood and ink.

The silver bell rang as a new customer walked in. “Welcome,” Minho said without looking up at the curtain partition that blocked his view of the storefront. “Be with you in a minute.” He wiped at Chanyeol’s skin again. “Do you mind?” He shook his head. Minho peeled off his gloves and tossed them into the waste bin on his way around the curtain.

Minho froze for a second when he saw the customer – or rather, the pink-haired stranger. The bell jingled once again as he opened the door to leave and Minho blinked himself out of his trance.

“Can I help you?”

“Uh,” the stranger pushed up the sleeve of his oversized sweater, his eyes darting around the tattoo parlor before meeting Minho’s. “Sorry, I was…distracted,” he said with a small bow. “I meant to go to my shop next door.” He pointed to Minho’s left.

“Oh! You own the flower shop!” Minho said, grinning. “It’s nice to finally meet you!” He pressed his hand over his heart and bowed. “My name’s Minho.”

“Uh,” he let out a nervous sort of chuckle – Minho’s heart fluttered at the sound – and pushed up his sweater sleeve again. “Jonghyun. I’m Jonghyun. And,” Jonghyun glanced out the window, “I’ve got to head back.”

“Okay. Don’t be a stranger!” he called out as the door closed behind Jonghyun. He looked back at Minho, waving with a shy smile. He sighed when Jonghyun disappeared out of his view. Chanyeol cleared his throat and Minho started at the sudden noise.

“Oh. Right.”

Minho made his way back around the curtain and headed over to the counter, pulling out a pair of gloves. “Make a new friend?” Chanyeol asked, and Minho was about to answer but then he looked up and found him smirking.

“Maybe,” he said, snapping his glove onto his wrist. “We’ll see.” Chanyeol looked as though he was about to say something again, but Minho flicked on his tattoo machine and started on the next letter.

– – –

It rained the next day.

Business was slow during the morning – Minho only did two tattoo consolations. One of them he was sure she only came inside because of the weather. He had two appointments scheduled later on, but that was not until after lunch.

Which he would take…now.

There was a cup of ramyeon awaiting him beneath the counter. He plugged in his electric tea kettle before he plopped down on his stool. Minho pulled out his phone, swiveling around as he unlocked it. The water in the tea kettle started bubbling when there was a knock at the door.

Minho’s brow scrunched as he looked up to find Jonghyun huddling by the door, two cups of what he assumed was coffee in his hands. He dropped his phone on the counter and went to the door, flipping the deadbolt and opening the door for Jonghyun to come inside.

“Hi!”

Jonghyun bowed in greeting, Minho following suit a second later. “I thought you might want some coffee.” He held out one of the drinks. “Because of the weather.”

“Thanks,” Minho said, taking the offered coffee.

Jonghyun glanced around the parlor, inspecting the tattoo designs adorning the wall. His eyes lit up when he looked above Minho’s head at the realistic flower drawings. Minho smiled as he took a sip of coffee. “Do you like tattoos?”

Jonghyun looked back at Minho, his eyes still bright – Minho almost choked on his coffee. “Very much.”

He cleared his throat. “Do you have any?”

“T-tattoos?” Minho nodded. “Someday…someday I will.”

Behind them, the tea kettle started whistling, the sound startling both Minho and Jonghyun. “Oh, I forgot I was making lunch.”

He hurried around the counter, setting his coffee down on the counter before pouring water into his ramyeon. Minho sat back on his heels, looking up to find that Jonghyun had followed him to the counter. He pulled the open portfolio that Minho had out for consultations toward him.

“Did you do these?” he asked, flipping the page. Minho nodded, feeling around beneath the counter for his chopsticks. “They’re good.”

“Thanks,” he said, grinning at Jonghyun when he glanced over at him. “I could do you.” Jonghyun’s eyes widened and Minho slurped a mouthful of noodles before he processed what he had said. He struggled to swallow as quickly as possible, his face heating with each passing second. “I-I…didn’t…I…what…I meant I could do your tattoos.”

Jonghyun laughed, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he leaned away from the counter. Minho snorted, hiding his face behind the cup of ramyeon. “I know…” Jonghyun said, his voice still breathy from laughing, “I read between the lines.”

Minho kept his eyes on his ramyeon as he stirred it. “Well, that’s a relief.” When he looked up, Jonghyun was perusing his portfolio again, smiling softly as he flipped the page. “If you don’t mind me asking, why don’t you? Have any tattoos, I mean.”

Jonghyun shrugged, leaning in to look closer at a photo. “My mom. She doesn’t approve. And before you say anything, yes I’m my own person and I can make my own decisions when it comes to my body.” He rolled his eyes, sighing as he flipped the page. “But I respect her too much to go against her wishes, you know?”

“I get that. A lot of people don’t approve of tattoos because of the permanence. That’s why I don’t have any myself.”

Jonghyun’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “Really? Then why be a tattooer?”

“I like doing them, and I feel like I’m good at it.” Minho wiped away a droplet of broth with his thumb. “It’s a nice way to be creative and share my art with people...if that makes sense.”

“Yeah, it does.” Jonghyun reached for his phone in his coat pocket and the screen. “Hey, I gotta head back over. I’m actually late.”

“Okay,” Minho said, waving with his chopsticks. “Bye.”

“Bye! Enjoy your lunch!” The bell jingled as Jonghyun opened the door. “See you tomorrow!”

Minho watched him disappear behind their shared wall, slumping a little in his stool when he was out of sight. “I hope so.” He swiveled back and forth while he blew on his ramyeon to cool it off. “I really do.”

– – –

He did.

He saw Jonghyun the next day and the next day and the day after that. They started taking lunch at the same time, Jonghyun bringing a little extra in his dosirak to share with Minho, while Minho provided the drinks. It was a simple system that they easily slipped into over the next few months. Autumn soon turned to winter, and then winter to spring.

– – –

Minho woke up one morning to a series of texts from Jonghyun that were nothing but exclamation points. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes before he sent back a couple of question marks. He tossed his phone onto his pillow and pulled his blanket over his shoulder. His phone buzzed and he opened one eye to check his new text.

Jjong

6:23 am // I’m just really excited about today

Minho squinted at the bright screen, tapping the screen and opening the keyboard.

6:23 am // what’s happening?

He opened his calendar and scrolled through, looking at his appointments for the day. Minho pouted a little at the appointment scheduled for 11:30 am – he hoped it would not cut too much into his lunch. Based on the description, the client just wanted a simple design, as it was their first tattoo. So it should not be that bad. Hopefully.

Jjong

6:26 am // I’ll tell you when I see you later

6:26 am // lol okay

Minho dragged himself out of bed with a yawn and pulled on his bright green Thrasher tank, grabbing a pair of jeans on the way to the bathroom. He was ready for work within minutes, combing through his hair with his fingers before grabbing his sunglasses and heading out the door.

It was a long train ride into the city. His music and Jonghyun’s texts made the trip more bearable. He kept sending pictures of Roo – his adorable dachshund – and even a picture of his breakfast when Minho told him that he forgot to eat this morning.

The walk from the train station to his shop was short. Minho looked into Jonghyun’s flower shop as he walked by. His stomach growled as he unlocked his door. He found himself hoping that the 11:30 appointment would not drag on too long.

By the time 11 o’clock rolled around, his stomach was practically eating itself. The customer whose tattoo he was sketching kept giving him weird looks. “Sorry,” he said, patting his stomach. “Like an idiot, I forgot to eat this morning.”

“Happens to the best of us.”

“True.” Minho looked back down at the drawing, penciling in a few more before flipping it around so she could see it. “All right, so…this is just the initial sketch. The way I’m envisioning it, the violets will curve over and around your shoulder like this – “ Minho gestured with his hand over his shoulder. “And, I don’t think we’ve talked colors yet but – “

“Oh the traditional violet and then some blue violets, for sure.”

“Hmm.” Minho grabbed his coloring pencils and dug through the bag, searching for the right shades. He quickly shaded in two flowers, before looking back up at her. “I like that. What do you think?”

“I like it a lot.”

“Will your fiancee be pleased?”

Her eyes lit up, and Minho grinned. “Oh yeah, they’re her favorite. Do you think it’ll heal in time for the wedding?”

“Oh, for sure. July, right?” She nodded. “Let’s get your appointment set up.”

Minho got out his appointment book and started taking down her information. They finished up at 11:27, Minho glancing toward the door to see if his next client was arriving.

“I really want to take a picture,” she said, pouting at the sketch.

“I mean, you could, but then she might see.”

“I really hate surprises sometimes.” Behind her, the bell above the door announced the arrival of his 11:30. Minho peeked around her, his brow furrowing. It was only Jonghyun. He waved at Minho with a bright smile before Minho directed his attention back to his customer.

“Do you want to? Before I put it away?”

“No, no. I can wait.”

“All right then.” He stood, bowing to her. “I’ll see you next week then.”

“Thank you so much,” she said, returning his bow. She nodded to Jonghyun as she passed him on her way to the door.

“Hey, you,” Minho said once the door closed behind her. “Already on lunch?” Jonghyun nodded, carding his fingers through his now-black hair before leaning against the counter.

“Yeah, I took it a bit early today.”

“Well, I wish I could, too, but I have an appointment – “ he his screen “ – well, it’s supposed to be right now, actually.”

“I know.”

Minho squinted, looking up at Jonghyun. “You?” He nodded, and Minho jumped off his stool in excitement. “Really?” Jonghyun nodded again, giggling as Minho bounded around the counter and pulled him into a tight hug. “Oh my gosh, I’m so happy this is the best day ever! Are you excited?”

“Almost as much as you, it seems,” he said, his voice slightly muffled by Minho’s shoulder.

“Oh, sorry.” Minho put him back down on the floor, rubbing the back of his neck. “So, uh, do you want to get started?” Jonghyun bounced on the balls of his feet, nodding. Minho grabbed his hand and pulled him around the curtain letting go of his hand when they got to the chair. “Just make yourself comfortable. Still going with the same one?”

“Yeah. Taeyeon had a suggestion though.” Minho glanced over his shoulder, and Jonghyun went on. “Her idea was: instead of all black like we were thinking, maybe have the strikethrough be red?”

Minho nodded, pulling out the red and black inks. “That’ll look good. Let’s do it. Same place you were talking about? Right above the elbow?” When Jonghyun nodded, Minho turned back to the counter. “Go ahead and roll up your sleeve and lay face down on the bed so we can get started.”

He set his equipment down on a tray before heading over to the computer, scrolling through his saved images until he found the right one. “Inspiration, right? In English?”

Jonghyun let out a muffled “Yeah” across the room. Minho printed the design out on his stencil paper and cut it down to size before heading over to Jonghyun.

He prepped Jonghyun’s arm with a practiced ease, getting the stencil applied in under five minutes. “I’m about to start. Are you ready?”

“Yeah.” He shifted in the bed, huffing. “A little nervous.”

Minho rubbed his back. “That’s understandable. Do you want some music to help you stay calm?”

“How long do you think it’ll take?”

Minho glanced over the design again, thumbing the switch on his tattoo machine. “Not very. Twenty minutes at the most.”

“No, I’ll be fine.”

“Okay.” Minho patted his back before lifting his hand. “Try not to move and this will be over sooner,” he said, flipping on the machine.

Jonghyun did well, considering it was his first time. He only squirmed once, calming as soon as Minho laid his free hand on his back. He breathed a sigh of relief once the machine was off and Minho proclaimed that he was done.

“Does it look good?”

“Of course.” Jonghyun sat up, twisting around so he could see it. “What do you think?” When Jonghyun turned back around, he had tears in his eyes. Minho froze, his mind racing. It didn’t look bad, in fact, it was practically flawless. Did it not live up to his expectations? Or –

His worries were eradicated when Jonghyun surged forward and pulled Minho into a tight hug. “It looks so good. Thank you so much, Min.”

Minho smiled, closing his eyes and leaning his head on Jonghyun’s. “I’m happy you like it. That’s all that matters.” He patted Jonghyun’s back. “Hey, I gotta bandage this.”

“Oh, okay.” Jonghyun pulled away, turning around so Minho could tape the cling wrap to his skin. “So, I was thinking for the next one we could – “

“Jjong,” Minho said, pressing his hand on his growling stomach. “I think I’m actually dying. Can we talk about this over lunch?”

His eyes widened. “Sure, my treat!” He grabbed Minho’s hand and started leading him to the door. Minho fished his keys out of his pocket, smiling at Jonghyun’s exuberance as he bounced in place while he waited for Minho to lock the door behind them.

Once the door was locked, Minho hooked his arm over Jonghyun’s shoulders as he started chattering about his next tattoo.