“You can’t be serious.” Chanwoo’s eyes were threatening to bulge out of their sockets. It wasn’t like he was expecting to be the best dressed of the three of them at the dance. Donghyuk was the fashionable one, after all. But he definitely didn’t expect this.

“Duuude, you look great!” Donghyuk enthused, disbelief laced in his voice, mouth agape.

Junhoe, for his part, knew his best friends would react this way when he showed up at the winter formal looking like a chaebol’s son – crisp white button down with the top buttons unfastened, a dark suit that perfectly showcased his broad shoulders, hair up, forehead out, a drop earring on one ear, and eyes a little smoky with the expertly-drawn eyeliner (thanks to his noona).

The looks on Donghyuk’s and Chanwoo’s faces were priceless, and definitely boosted his confidence.

“Wow Junhoe, you’re looking sharp. Do you have a date or something?” Chanwoo asked as Junhoe took a seat beside him at their table. He couldn’t think of any other possible reason why his friend, eternal lover of ratty white shirts and sweatpants, would show up suddenly dressed to the nines.

Junhoe sat up straight and shrugged his shoulders. “What if I do?”

Chanwoo didn’t think his eyes could get any bigger, but they did. Did Junhoe really have a date?

“Seriously? Oh man, that’s awesome!” Donghyuk chimed in, giddy with excitement. It was the first time any of them had ever taken a date to a dance, and the momentous occasion undoubtedly required further discussion.

But both Donghyuk and Chanwoo have known Junhoe long enough to recognize when the latter was nervous, and at that moment, despite looking his best and turning more than a few surprised heads when he walked across the dance floor to their table, Junhoe was a mess with first date jitters. It was not the right time to pry and ask questions.    

Donghyuk placed a hand on Junhoe’s shoulder. “Well, good for you, man. Can’t wait to meet your date.” As a new song came on through the speakers, the energy of the crowd visibly lightened, Donghyuk included.

“But for now, I love this song and it’s calling me to the dance floor, and Chanwoo needs new content.” Donghyuk squeezed the other boy’s shoulder, as if to wish him luck and assure him he’ll do great on his date, before he stood up and turned to the dance floor, Chanwoo following suit, camera at the ready.

Halfway to the dance floor, Chanwoo turned back to Junhoe. “Hey, I’ve got no curfew tonight, so we can stay out as long as we want,” he screamed through the music. “Meet up at the diner afterwards for burgers, okay? Bring your date!”

Back at the table, now empty except for him, Junhoe sat by himself, perplexed. He did not expect to be alone at the winter formal. But there was still no sign of Hanbin. As soon as he arrived he sent Hanbin a message, but he still hadn’t gotten a reply.

Starting to feel sorry for himself, he stood up and walked around the perimeter of the dance floor. He scanned the crowd, and as he towered over pretty much everyone else, he was able to look at every face at the dance, hoping to find the only one he wanted to see. Except he was nowhere to be found.

Junhoe was starting to look a little sulky, hands in his pockets, shoulders a little hunched, as he kept weaving through the crowd of his classmates dancing, laughing and taking pictures.

One song played, then two, then three. Still no sign of Hanbin. Junhoe was ready to call it quits, realizing he might’ve been stood up. As a new song came on, he spotted Donghyuk and Chanwoo across the dance floor with Donghyuk’s other dancer friends and decided he’d just join them, ego bruised, feelings hurt.

And then he saw something amidst the crowd, right under the edge of the spotlight. A head of messy, shaggy hair. Red suit, dark pants, red Vans. A pair of sharp cheekbones, a nervous gaze and that unmistakable, shy, lopsided smile.

Junhoe couldn’t help but smile back. As they walked slowly towards each other, their smiles grew brighter.

No one turned to watch them meet in the middle of the dance floor. The crowds didn’t part to make way for them. But Junhoe distinctly heard the song that was playing as they did. And he knew then, that for many more years to come, that song would remind him of that moment, and of Hanbin.

You’re the coffee that I need in the morning,

You’re my sunshine in the rain when it’s pouring…

“Hey.” Junhoe didn’t know words all of a sudden.

“Hey.” Maybe Hanbin forgot words too.

“You look—”

“Thanks. I mean, I look…you were saying?” Hanbin blushed a violent shade, embarrassed for assuming Junhoe was going to compliment him.

Junhoe found the slip-up the most adorable thing. “I was gonna say, you look great,” he said, smile bright, gaze boring into Hanbin.

Hanbin in turn aimed his gaze towards the floor, his lips forming that lopsided shy smile of his again. “Great. I mean, great that you think that. About me.” His cheeks remained flushed. “Thanks. Great. I mean, you look great too. And I'm sorry I'm late, I was...preoccupied. With something important. Not that it was more important than this dance. Or you. It was definitely not more important than you--”

As Hanbin rambled on in a panic, Junhoe took the opportunity to take the other boy’s hand in his and pull Hanbin closer to him. In an instant, Hanbin was quiet, shocked at the sudden skinship.  

“Dance?” Junhoe asked, his voice even lower and more husky than usual.

Hanbin took a deep breath to collect himself. “Sure.”

The thing is, Hanbin wasn’t good with words unless they were song lyrics, but one thing he was good at was dancing. And at the winter formal, on the dance floor, he was going to sweep Junhoe off his feet.

*****

“Drop the beat yo!”

The diner’s neon sign shone an electric pink light on the parking lot where Donghyuk and his dance crew danced while Chanwoo filmed them documentary-style.

Meanwhile Junhoe and Hanbin were the only two customers inside the diner, watching the shenanigans outside while they enjoyed their post-winter formal burgers and milkshakes.

It had been a great night – quite possibly the best school dance they’ve ever attended. They spent the entire night dancing, happy in each other’s company.

At almost 3AM they were both exhausted, but neither of them wanted to go home. Because that would mean being apart from each other.

Junhoe rested his head on Hanbin’s shoulder, half-asleep, tired from all the dancing. Under the table, his fingers intertwined with Hanbin’s.

“I just wanna see how, beautiful you are…” he crooned absentmindedly. Even after all the upbeat songs they danced to that night, that song wouldn’t leave his mind.

“You know, your voice is amazing,” Hanbin muffles into the other boy’s hair.

“Thanks.”

“Do you ever want to sing seriously? Like, record songs and stuff?”

“But I don’t know how to write songs.”

“I do. Wanna try to make a song together? We can turn your poetry into lyrics.”

Junhoe tried to stifle a yawn. “I guess.” He might not have sounded excited on account of how sleepy he was, but he did think it was a good idea.

“Great. Also…" Hanbin abruptly cut short what he was about to say. "Never mind.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“Seriously, what?”

Hanbin cleared his throat, as Junhoe felt him tense.

“I had a really good time tonight.”

Junhoe couldn’t help but smile as he nuzzled deeper into the nook of Hanbin’s shoulder. “Me too.”

“Thanks for going to the dance with me.”

“Thanks for asking me to go with you.”

“I think…” Hanbin cleared his throat again. “…we should do this more often.”

“Do what?”

“You know, go to school dances. Eat at diners at 3AM. Together. Just the two of us. Exclusively. Like, always.”

At 3AM, under the diner’s harsh fluorescent lighting, amidst their unfinished burgers and milkshakes, tired feet, soaring hearts, secret smiles, and sore legs, Junhoe said yes.