It had been three months since the first time he stepped in Jihoon’s music studio. And a decision he had once feared now felt like the best decision he had taken.

Meeting Jihoon at the café after that had been pretty awkward. The other wasn’t fully convinced they could actually be some sort of friends, but it was worth the try. If anything, they would be seeing each other for work more frequently as Choi Company got the exclusive for a new boy group that was about to debut.

During their second meeting Jihoon made them talk about their respective partners and how they got to know them. It was a delicate balance between trying to smile while Jihoon told him about Kim Mingyu and trying to stop the feeling that things could have been different if he had been the one the other had met during university.

But as they kept meeting things started to change. Jihoon started to smile more, eating more and singing more. He had such a beautiful voice Seungcheol didn’t want to stop listening. And if Seungcheol hadn't been already captivated by the other, he would definitely have after seeing the other work. The passion Jihoon had for music and when he worked with other musicians was something that let Seungcheol in awe.

And when the other finally let him return to his music studio alone, Seungcheol had been completely excited. He still felt a bit nervous of being seen. The guilt of being more excited to be there than having dinner with Jeonghan was still present. He had already rejected other dinners with him to be with Jihoon, but he didn’t want to stop this.

At the beginning his mind had been a mess because he didn’t understand his attachment to a person he barely knew, but now he knew him better. His attraction went beyond being entranced by Jihoon’s beautiful eyes and smile. His knowledge had gone further than knowing his different tastes in music or food, and now he knew his honest thoughts about the industry he worked in, his family and after a few drinks he even mentioned the distance in his relationship with Kim Mingyu.

And Seungcheol had been completely honest with him too. About his doubts over taking a higher position in the company and how he actually got an easier life than the heirs of family businesses that came from several previous generations. He told the other about his grandmother, his mother and about Chan. And Jihoon had even taken his younger brother to Kwon Soonyoung’s dancing studio. Soonyoung didn’t seem very happy with them going out together, but he accepted Chan and the younger seemed happier every time he returned from the studio. And Seungcheol also felt happier after every meeting with Jihoon, even when he had started gaining weight from eating so late.

But there was something that was still killing Seungcheol inside. He was dying to talk to Jeonghan about their imminent breakup, but the other had stopped showing up at their shared apartment more than often, and if Seungcheol saw him he was in a hurry to leave or was already sleeping. If he called or met him it was all business related, not letting Seungcheol talk about anything else and not even mentioning a word about his absences for dinner. The new hotel had been doing incredibly well with parties, weddings and receiving famous guests that only attracted more influential people. And from what he had heard, the board meeting was ready to accept Jeonghan as the new general manager; while Mr. Yoon had complained to his father about Seungcheol’s lack of support.

On the other hand, Jihoon had not given him any cue that he was planning to break up with Kim Mingyu, and Seungcheol didn’t say a word about it as he didn’t want to overstep the boundaries they had somehow created. But Seungcheol had to admit it was difficult to stay like this. Because he had to stop himself so many times before he hugged the other when he got excited or kissed him when the other smiled so beautifully, or tell him about all those conflicted emotions Jihoon created in him.

“You are such a bad singer.” Jihoon said with a mischievous smile.

Seungcheol had gotten distracted in his thoughts and stopped following Jihoon’s instructions on how to sing one of his favorite songs. But it was totally worthy after seeing the other smile.

“It’s because I’m getting dizzy with all these neon lights.” He said smirking and Jihoon glared at him.

Jihoon had taken as a personal offense that Seungcheol had once said his studio looked like a nightclub with all the neon lights.

“Let’s go to eat before you decide to give up on my singing lessons.”

“Fine.” Jihoon said with a serious expression before a small smile appeared on his face. “I saw this small restaurant the other day that we could try. And I thought…”

Seungcheol let the other talk as they left the studio. They had been trying all kinds of small restaurants around the city, so Seungcheol had started feeling weird when he went to a fancy place with his father or the Yoons. They were even banned from one of the restaurants because they started a food fight in which they had to run away from the angry owner. He felt so alive when he was with the other.

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Jihoon took the subway to his apartment after having dinner with Seungcheol. It had been fun as always and he felt his soul full just like his stomach.

Jihoon felt surprised that in three months they had found the time to eat together more times than he actually got to eat with Mingyu when he was around. He still refused to acknowledge their meetings as dates and he would stand by that idea no matter what Soonyoung said; but he got to realize that the more times they met, the more he wanted their next meeting to be.

Mingyu had called him after he told him he was free to talk, only to tell him he had been scouted as a model for a European brand and had decided to stay about two more months in Europe than planned. The time difference with him had not helped them with the phone calls and their messages had turned into checking only if the other was eating and sleeping well. He had received a few ‘I miss you’ messages, but he had a hard time before he could send the same message back. It wasn’t like he didn’t miss Mingyu at all; it’s just that he felt content with how his days were passing by, even if he couldn't see the other in person.

And that had put him thinking of when was the last time he had said ‘I love you’ to Mingyu or the last time the other had said those words to him. Even Soonyoung said that when he received a big favor from him, but him and Mingyu had never been like that.

Had they fallen out of love with time?

Was Jihoon spending his time with Seungcheol just because he didn’t want to feel lonely?

If it was like that, then why did he get so happy when the other smiled? And why did their little bickering make Jihoon think of kissing the other to shut him up?

Because as much Jihoon had wanted to keep his distance and think of the other as Mr. Choi, Seungcheol was always there, telling him about his tastes in movies and furniture, about his mother and the pressure of his father, about his younger brother and his grandmother.

And Jihoon could see how conflicted the other felt about being the heir of Choi Company. It was obvious how much pride Seungcheol had in his job as a manager of his team and how responsible he was when he had to do the field work.

He had learnt to find the other attractive, way beyond his looks and that made him feel- just feel something inside-; but then one sentence could make every happy feeling disappear, even when Chan had talked with all the innocence in the world.

“Jihoon hyung, you definitely need to sing at my hyung and Jeonghan-hyung’s wedding.”

And the reality was back in place. Seungcheol barely mentioned his fiancé, but it didn’t mean he didn’t exist or that he wasn’t a reality in Seungcheol’s life.

And Jihoon hated that he felt somehow betrayed because of that when he had Mingyu.

He hated the papers that now were filled with songs he had written based on his feelings after his meetings with Seungcheol. How the other’s quirks could turn into a verse and his painful past could make a sad melody in the piano.

But what he hated the most was that he couldn’t write any song based on Mingyu.