The room was already crowded when they made their way into Corner Pizza, the Friday night  unwinding kicked in full swing. Even though they had ditched their jackets and ties in the car, and in Kyungsoo’s case, added a pair of thick framed black glasses, they were still ridiculously overdressed, standing out in the room full of jeans and sweatshirts as they squeezed through the crowd.

 

Kyungsoo headed straight for a booth by the left side wall. That section was a little darker and more secluded, away from the larger groups gathered together in the middle and the loud, repetitive sounds of the arcade games lined up in the back. 

 

“Is this okay?” Kyungsoo asked, falling into one of the small, two person booths. Jongin sat down across from him gingerly, first looking around the room and then up at the large, metallic pizza hanging on the wall beside them as if it were going to tell him the answer to the question. 

 

Or maybe he’s just trying to figure out what in the hell he’s gotten himself into.

 

It occurred to Kyungsoo that maybe he should have given Jongin the chance to run while he still had the chance, while they were back in the car. During the silent, three block ride over to the restaurant Kyungsoo was busy panicking about what he was going to say to this strange enigma, but now realized that he probably should have spent the time asking Jongin if really wanted to come instead of unthinkingly going through the motions of the plan that had been laid out for them. 

 

Too late now, he thought as their usual waitress, Irene, threaded her way towards them.

 

“Hey Kyungsoo, I didn’t see you over here. How bad was today? I didn’t totally screw up. At least, I don’t think I did. But I don’t know because they never say anything.” Tonight had been so distracting and stressful that Kyungsoo had almost forgotten about this morning’s test and his terrible mistake. 

 

“I don’t want to talk about it.” He groaned, taking a menu from the back of the table and handing one over to Jongin. 

 

“Whatever. You always say that and you always do fine.” She dismissed him and paused, looking at the person across from him for the first time. “Wait a minute. Where’s Minseok? Who’s this?”  She fired off the questions, tucking a long, dark strand of hair behind an ear while looking back and forth between the two of them. He had known Irene since middle school, but hadn’t actually become friends with her until they had started college, the three of them entering the same program together. Lately, though, she had taken a particular interest in Minseok, but he hadn’t noticed until now exactly how much of one. 

 

“Irene, this is Jongin. Jongin, Irene.” He waved a hand between the two of them, deciding to skip saying who Jongin actually was. If he was lucky she wouldn’t recognize him on her own.  “I don’t know where Minseok is. Probably self-medicating like I am about to do. What else can we do after practicals?”

 

“Some of us have to work.” She reminded him archly. He didn’t feel too sorry for her, though, because even though his family took care of everything for him, she had her own apartment, her own life. It seemed like a fair trade to him. “Maybe I should text him though?” She wondered, her mind still on his best friend.

 

“Sure, whatever. But first, can you bring me a beer?” That was a definite if he was going to get through the next hour. “And whatever...Jongin wants.” He finished awkwardly.

 

They both looked at Jongin then, who seemed to wilt under their scrutiny.

 

“I’ll get a coke.” He said, his words directed towards the table.

 

Irene looked between them again, a slow grin spreading.

 

“Wait, Kyungsoo, are you on a date?” She breathed out, voice full of excitement. Kyungsoo glared at her, begging her to go away with his eyes. He did not have the energy for this. “Okay then. I’ll just go get your drinks then while you two look over the menu.” 

 

Kyungsoo took a breath, taking a moment to collect himself before facing an even bigger challenge. “Sorry.” He finally said, “She’s always like that.”

 

Jongin nodded, his attention turned to the menu in his hands. He turned it over, and studied the other side carefully.

 

“Oh ,” Kyungsoo exclaimed, Irene’s reminder of this morning still heavy on his mind. “I didn’t even think to ask, did you have exams today too?” 

 

“Monday,” Jongin answered, a slight grimace marring his features.

 

“But then, can you eat this?” Kyungsoo held up the menu, the wheels turning. This was probably why Jongin hadn’t eaten anything at the other restaurant, either. For him, it didn’t much matter what he did before a performance, as long as he didn’t use his voice too much. But for Jongin, whose body was his instrument, most food was probably out. Especially cheesy, fatty, wonderful pizza. 

 

“It’s okay. It’s just the day before.” Jongin reassured, finally looking up to meet his gaze. “I don’t really stick to it anyway.”

 

The drinks landed hard on the table, making them both jump.

 

“So you two, what can I get you?” Irene asked, and Kyungsoo pretended not to hear the teasing lilt of her voice as she pulled a pad out of her apron.

 

“Uhhh, I usually get pepperoni and mushroom. Thin crust of course. Is that okay with you? Do you want to add anything?” Kyungsoo leaned over, pointing to the toppings on Jongin’s menu.

 

Jongin shook his head, resorting back to silence. “I guess that’s it then.” Kyungsoo said, picking up his drink and taking a sip. The beer was bitter and slightly sour, warming his throat on the way down. He took another, longer pull on the beverage, starting to feel better than he had since this day started.

 

“You’re late, so it’s going to be a minute.” Irene warned, tucking the pad back into her apron.

 

“Fries first then. I’m starving.  And another one of these.” He added as an afterthought, picking up his half-finished drink to show her before polishing off another quarter of the amber liquid. Kyungsoo knew he was going to have to slow down soon unless he really wanted to embarrass himself, but not quite yet.

 

And then finally they were alone. Kyungsoo wanted to go back to a minute ago, where for half a second Jongin looked like he wasn’t just going to sit mutely, picking at the corner of his menu all night.  It was just a matter of how. He didn’t have a clue.

 

Kyungsoo had been too busy to go on dates the past year, and his experience before that was limited to a long-term high school boyfriend who had cheated on him right before prom and the occasional hook-up after a night of heavy drinking. Nothing substantial. His last date had been with a music major, Park Chanyeol, in his freshman year. They had come to this very pizza place too, and had played that guessing game that let him know in about 5 minutes that there wasn’t going to be a second date. 

 

“I have an idea,” Kyungsoo announced, perking up. The memory gave him an idea. “Let’s play a game. I mean, a get-to-know-you game, here at the table.” He amended as Jongin’s attention strayed to the arcade cabinets in the back. Kyungsoo took another long swig of his drink for courage, draining the glass before continuing. “It’s called two truths and a lie. Have you played it before?”

 

“No,” Jongin answered, not sounding at all as though he was interested in playing it now, either. Kyungsoo knew how he felt. He had been resistant when Chanyeol had suggested it at first, too. But the game itself had been fun, even if finding out about his date hadn’t been. 

 

“It’s easy, and it helps us to get to know each other fast.” Kyungsoo said, starting to warm up to the idea. “We tell each other three things about ourselves, and two will be true and one will be false. The other person’s job is to guess which is the lie. It doesn’t have to be anything too personal.” That he wanted to emphasize. He did not want a repeat of last time, hearing about someone’s particular es before the pizza had even come. But he was dying to know anything about Jongin, even if he was planning on never going through with this whole marriage idea. “Just random stuff. I’ll start.”

 

Irene walked by, dropping off his second beer without a word, but he didn’t pick it up, too busy racking his brain for basic things he could tell Jongin. “One,” He finally started, holding up a finger, “my favorite color is black... Two, I watch movies when I’m falling asleep. And three,” He paused, leaning back in his chair. The first two were easy, but thinking of a convincing lie was much harder. “And three...I have five dogs. Now, which of those is true and which is the lie?”

 

Jongin didn’t say a word, but just stared at him, his forehead puckered in confusion as the seconds ticked by. Expectation shifted into mortification, and Kyungsoo could feel the heat moving from his neck to his cheeks and up into the tips of his ears while he wondered what Jongin might be thinking. Maybe he’s asking why he would want to play such a childish game, Kyungsoo guessed, contemplating if it would make things better or worse to crawl under the table.

 

“I thought you had two dogs?” Jongin finally asked. He said the words as a question, as though he had already heard the answer before.

 

“What?” Now it was Kyungsoo’s turn to be confused. “How did you know that?”

 

“I mean, I don’t-” Jongin sputtered around the question, visibly folding in on himself again. 

 

“Oh, My mom right?” Kyungsoo guessed, interrupting him. She probably told him all kinds of things since he was supposedly coming to live in his room. “You guessed the lie. I do have two, but they are more like spoiled children than dogs. I couldn’t handle five.” He laughed easily now, feeling lighter now that he knew it was the confusion over the lie that had given Jongin that perplexed expression and not the game itself. 

 

After another moment Kyungsoo pulled out his phone, scrolling to a folder of pictures of his babies until he found a particularly cute one, and pushed it across the table. The dogs were asleep in the photo, one laying on her back and the other laying directly across, a pile of dark, curly fur. 

 

“Your favorite color really is black,” Jongin murmured to himself. 

 

Kyungsoo grinned, introducing the two in the picture before reaching over to scroll through a few more of the two in more awake poses. He watched Jongin’s face soften as they moved through the collection, his lips pulling up into an indulgent smile. He looked a little like a puppy himself, Kyungsoo noticed, with his soft, slightly curly hair falling over his eyes. 

 

“What about you, do you have dogs?” Kyungsoo asked, pulling the device back, wishing he had asked that first before pushing family photos down Jongin’s throat. What if he was a cat person?

 

“We have three, and they are toy poodles too. Well, at least two of them are.” He amended. “Do you…” He hesitated for a moment, and then held up his own phone. “Do you want to see?” 

 

Kyungsoo nodded, thrilled to the idea that they had managed to find something in common so quickly. 

 

The first photo showed three adorable dogs all trying to lay on Jongin’s lap at the same time, who, in the picture, was shirtless, grinning down at the trio. Kyungsoo tried to focus on the animals and not on the person holding them, wondering if Jongin had shown him this particular picture on purpose to show off how good he looked. He shifted his attention to the animals, forcing himself to listen as Jongin listed off their names, explaining how the big one wasn’t supposed to get so big.

 

But as Jongin reached over, swiping through the collection of photos, Kyungsoo began to realize that being topless seemed to be the other boys' everyday at home look. Would he wear one at my house, Kyungsoo wondered, in a breath as they scrolled past a particular picture of Jongin sprawled out in bed and holding a puppy over his head. He pushed his thighs together, willing his thoughts back on to safer terrain. It was becoming very obvious that either Jongin was really smart or really clueless.

 

“It’s your turn now.” Kyungsoo declared as soon as they were finished, ready to change the subject. Or at least give his frying brain a break. It was obvious that the topic had been successful in thawing Jongin, who was now looking much less like he was ready to bolt at the first chance, but it had the opposite effect on Kyungsoo. If he wasn’t going to make any bad decisions, like agreeing to stupid plan of his parents so he could see topless Jongin in real life, he needed a distraction. 

 

“I’m not sure what I’m supposed to say.” Jongin confessed. It seemed clear he wasn’t used to talking about himself.

 

“Anything you want. This is just to help us get to know each other, right? Not like secrets or anything. Just make sure to include a lie.” He added, still not sure that Jongin quite understood that part of the game.

 

“Okay, How about….”Jongin trailed off, thinking, “One, Chicken is my favorite food. Two….I play a lot of sports. And three,” Jongin paused again and Kyungsoo knew, like for himself, that Jongin was probably having a hard time thinking of a lie. This was going to be easy. “Three, I hate wearing shoes.”

 

“Three.” Kyungsoo guessed confidently.

 

Jongin shook his head, but didn’t elaborate. It was up to him to figure it out.

 

“Here are your fries. Pizza is still going to be a little while.” Irene interrupted, dropping the basket of golden brown potatoes between them. “Do you need another drink?”

 

They both looked at his glass, untouched since she dropped it off since he had been so distracted with their conversation, and shook his head. Jongin’s was full as well. 

 

“Okay you too, have fun.” She winked at him. Kyungsoo reminded himself to strangle her later as she disappeared back into the room.

 

“So,” he cleared his throat, trying to sound normal, “Can you eat fries? They’re really good here.” 

 

Jongin responded by picking one up, dipping almost the entire length in the ketchup container, and popped it in his mouth. “They are.” Jongin agreed, chewing slowly.

 

“You mean the ketchup is good,” Kyungsoo teased, munching on the end of his own, his mind going back to the puzzle Jongin had given him. “Number three is a lie. So you don’t like wearing shoes?” 

 

“Not really,” Jongin said, and then after another second pulled out a leg from under the table. He was wearing generic men’s leather black dress shoes to match his outfit, but what Kyungsoo hadn’t noticed earlier was that the stiff backs had been pressed into the shoe and stepped on, the heel of Jongin’s foot free to move in and out. The second thing that he saw was that Jontin wasn’t wearing any socks, either. 

 

“I would wear slippers all the time if I could,” Jongin confessed, pulling his foot back out of view. “My feet like to breathe.”

 

“You’re poor shoes,” Kyungsoo teased, shaking his head. “They live such a rough life. I guess that means chicken isn’t your favorite food?” It sounded like a weird thing to make up, but the sports thing was too obvious not to be true.

 

The grin that followed the second head shake told Kyungsoo that Jongin was enjoying watching him fail. 

 

“I’m surprised you don’t play sports, “ Kyungsoo grumbled, annoyed at himself, “you do look like you’re...athletic.”

 

“First semester freshman year I broke my ankle playing soccer with some friends and couldn’t dance for almost a year.” Jongin made a face, and Kyungsoo could only start to  guess what it had cost him as a dance major. “So now I just watch.Your turn.”

 

Jongin coated another fry in ketchup, keeping his eyes on the plate, seeming to want to end the conversation. Kyungsoo took the hint. 

 

The game continued, and they started to slowly learn about each other. Kyungsoo talked about his favorite movies and songs, about being able to tap dance and play the piano, and of course, about how much he liked to cook. Jongin was surprised to hear that Kyungsoo sometimes thought about being a chef, which was his back-up plan if singing didn’t work out.

 

“I don’t have a back-up plan.” Jongin said simply when Kyungsoo asked what he would do instead of dancing. “Dancing is fun and it makes me happy. If it stops being fun then I’ll do something else, but that hasn’t happened yet.”

 

“But there has to be other things you like to do.” Kyungsoo objected, not being able to accept Jongin’s simplistic view.

 

“It’s what I like the most, and it’s all I have ever wanted to do.” Jongin persisted. “When I was younger my parents wanted me to do normal kid things. Play the piano, learn taekwondo, but I always wanted to quit as soon as it started.” 

 

Kyungsoo nodded along, his parents having put him in the same classes. Those were standard for kids with their type of parents. 

 

“But when they put me in dance class, everything changed, and it has been the same since then.” He shrugged, as though everything were really that easy. Kyungsoo didn’t know what it felt like to be that sure about anything.

 

For a moment, Kyungsoo thought about telling Jongin about how he had won a singing competition back in high school and offered a place at a company as a trainee, eventually to become an idol. It was everything he had ever wanted, and couldn’t have, when his father rejected the idea, as though being in a boyband would bring nothing but embarrassment to their family. If he was going to do something artistic, it would have to be tasteful. After that, Kyungsoo had still gone through the motions towards the goals he had set up for himself, staying in his singing programs and moving on to the university, even stressing to do well and outperform the others, but deep down he didn’t know why he bothered. He had no idea what he was going to do when he graduated, especially now that he was too old to be taken by a company when he finally had the freedom to say yes. But thinking about that was hard enough, the idea of saying it out loud made him sad, and he already had enough of that for one day.  Besides, he thought, his fingers straying back to the cool handle of his glass, it’s too late now anyway. He took a sip, saying nothing.

 

They picked up the thread of the game easily enough, though, neither of them quite ready to give it up. It was fun, finding out so much about another person so easily, and their lies got more outrageous as they went on, becoming a seperate game in itself. 

 

Kyungsoo had to admit Jongin wasn’t anything like he expected. For one, they had a lot in common. That part he would almost expect, growing up in a similar household with similar fathers. He was a little jealous though, listening to Jongin’s stories about his sister’s putting make-up on him or his mother setting up picnics for them around the house when they couldn’t go out, only able to match with his own stories about different ways his mother managed to embarrass him over the years. 

 

Jongin’s father was also noticeably absent from his stories, all revolving around his mother and sisters, his best friend Taemin, but never his father. They had that in common, too.

 

The second reason, though, and the most surprising, was that Jongin was interesting, something he would have never guessed and wouldn’t have easily believed if someone else had told him. But listening to the other boy describe things, everyday mundane things with so much consideration, like why winter was his favorite season, it was impossible to ignore.

 

 “Since winter is cold, you layer on clothes.” Jongin explained patiently at Kyungsoo’s disbelief that anyone could love freezing their off. “There’s that warm feeling. A warmth, different from what you feel in hot weather. I like seeing people in the streets dressed warmly.” Kyungsoo only blinked in response. He’d never thought about it before, the difference.  

 

Or when Jongin confessed he liked books more than movies, Kyungsoo argued fiercely. He loved watching movies, even telling Jongin about the time he had sat through five movies in a row at the theater once. “But they’re boring.” Jongin insisted, “I like the fun of imagining when reading fiction. You watch movies, you see the story and what’s visually pre-planned, but you can imagine things while reading books. Even if the same characters are portrayed in a novel, I like that each reader sees a different image. I think that’s why I read a lot of books.”

 

Kyungsoo couldn’t argue with any of Jongin’s reasons. He didn’t think about things like anyone he ever met, making Kyungsoo look about everything in a new light, even though he promised himself he would win Jongin over on the films in the end. That one he couldn’t quite let go.

 

He found himself making a lot of promises like that to himself, promises for later, for the next time he would see Jongin, and for the next after that. If he was in danger before finding this boy a little attractive, he was definitely in trouble now. 

 

And he also had some new guesses about what their parents were up to now, why they were setting the two of them up. It had to be a mutual decision of their fathers, their last attempt at control, trying to make sure their son’s don’t end up marrying another artist or someone they couldn’t show off at dinner parties, just like always. Marrying their children would probably look like a safe bet, something they could finally brag about with their ‘artistic’ children, that they were at least attached to another name. He would hate to let that happen, for them to win such a big battle in both of their lives, but it was just as hard to think that he might not get to meet Jongin again, either. 

 

But there was something else that troubled him, something else about Jongin he hadn’t figured out yet, nagging at the back of his mind. Where was the Jongin he saw on stage? How could that person be buried under a love of vanilla ice-cream and a secret stuffed bear collection?

 

The pizza had come and gone, and Kyungsoo had finally put back enough alcohol to feel confident enough to ask. Sort of, anyway.

 

“One, I was cheated on right before prom in high school. Two, I’m a . And three, I had a girlfriend all through sixth-grade.” They hadn’t talked about their relationships yet, steering clear of the topic all together, and he wondered how Jongin was going to take the bait.

 

Earlier, after Jongin had gotten used to the game, to talking to Kyungsoo, and talking about himself in general he hadn’t had any trouble responding to all topics. Kyungsoo had seen him visibly relax over the last few hours, easily teasing Kyungsoo about his habits or openly laughing at the more outrageous lies, his shyness mostly gone. The only points he reverted back into his silent shell was whenever Irene would swing by, checking on them. So when Jongin didn’t answer the question immediately, didn’t give Kyungsoo the usual grin or the headshake he came to expect when another fact about himself slid in place and his personality became obvious, he suspected that he might have ed up.

 

Jongin shifted in his seat, taking a sip of his coke, his blank face giving nothing away. Kyungsoo watched him, remembering then that it was only he that had been drinking beer. One of Jongin’s personal facts made it clear that he didn’t really like alcohol or coffee, but in his own haze Kyungsoo had forgotten that, had forgotten how awkward it had been for him whenever Chanyeol, although a lot more explicit, had tried something similar. Relationships didn’t seem like that taboo of a topic, but he couldn’t help but to feel like he crossed an invisible line, one that he had set up himself, and now that he was stranded on the other side he had no idea how to get back.

 

“The second one is the lie, but the sixth-grade thing doesn’t actually count. Everyone called themselves girlfriends and boyfriends back then, but we didn’t really know what it meant.” Kyungsoo answered himself after it became clear Jongin wasn’t going to try and answer, hoping to make a joke out of the whole thing.

 

“What about now?” Jongin asked softly, and even though he expected Jongin’s eyes to slide towards the table, to the middle of the room as they did the other times his tone was this unsure, this time Jongin’s chocolate brown eyes held Kungsoo’s instead. 

 

Kyungsoo squinted back at him, not exactly sure what Jongin was trying to ask.

 

“Do I have a girlfriend now? Didn’t my parents tell you? I’m gay.” Kyungsoo tried to remember again his conversation with his mother. They had gone over this, hadn’t they?

 

“No, I meant are you dating anyone?” Jongin clarified. He was still looking at Kyungsoo so intensely that his stomach gave a little flip before answering. 

 

“Me? No.” He tried to sound casual, trying to remember what his voice sounded like when they discussed their favorite video games. “What about you?”

 

“No.” The answer came low, but with a kind of finality. “I’ve...I’ve never had a boyfriend or a girlfriend before.”

 

“Lie.” Kyungsoo called out, laughing. This whole thing had been an act, a set up for Jongin to deliver that line, and he had fallen straight for it.

 

But instead of laughing along, Jongin’s face stayed blank while he asked Kyungsoo “Why do you think that?”

 

“Oh, come on Jongin. Even if you’re not asking anyone, you can’t look like that, or dance like that, and not get asked out. That’s just not how it works.” Kyungsoo wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol buzzing in his mind that made the words come out or the fact that Jongin was challenging him. Even though he liked Jongin, like liked Jongin, it was still too hard to believe the other didn’t know about his body and the effect it had on other people. 

 

“I do get asked out. I mean, I’ve been on dates. I just haven’t had a boyfriend.” Jongin clarified, sounding defensive and Kyungsoo sat back, trying to figure out what the other boy was trying to tell him. Was this how Jongin explained that he wasn’t into anything serious? That he only plays around? It was hard to tell with Jongin sounding so dejected, as though this was the kind of thing people did to him and not the other way around.

 

“Why not?” Kyungsoo asked, unable to resist.

 

Jongin shrugged before explaining, “Even if my looks and impression is strong, my personality isn’t really. I think they’re disappointed when they find out I’m not some player. It’s like they want me to be an or aggressive or something.” 

 

Oh. Even though it was staring him in the face all night, it took Jongin telling him directly for everything to make sense. It was clear what anyone would expect from Jongin if they asked him out. He had expected it too. Sympathy welled up in Kyungsoo mixing with shame at the idea that he was the same as everyone else. He knew it must be frustrating for Jongin to go on these dates, knowing why he was being asked, hoping the person who asked might actually like more than their idea of him, and always being disappointed when they don’t. In that way, he reminded himself, he wasn’t the same as everyone else.

 

“I’m relieved, actually.” Kyungsoo admitted, trying to make the admission sound casual. “I was afraid you might be a jerk,” He laughed, sincerely laughed now, relieved at being wrong. “I like how you really are. It would have if you were a jerk. This is way better.”

 

They fell into silence, the confession sinking in around them. He wasn’t sure if the sweat pricking on his neck was from the warmth in the room or from what he just said.

 

“I’ve heard you sing before too.” Jongin said suddenly, so quickly that Kyungsoo wasn’t sure he’d heard right. 

 

“You’ve what?” 

 

Jongin appraised him for a moment before speaking, looking as though he wished he could take the last sentence back. “You said you’ve seen me dance. You knew who I was before. I knew who you were too.” 

 

“How?” Kyungsoo tried to think back through, remembering recitals and performances where the other might have seen him, wondering which one Jongin might have seen, which song caught his attention so much that he was able to remember Kyungsoo. 

 

Jongin started talking, so low that Kyungsoo had to lean forward to catch the words before they mixed in with the others in the crowded room, about how he had a hard time his freshman year, struggling to overcome the stiffness that persisted in his ankle even after the break healed, and how he practically lived in the practice rooms. But, even as he worked himself harder, Jongin admitted he was also afraid to be noticed, not wanting to stand out before he knew he could be told that he had done a good job, so he mostly practiced after hours, alone so no one would see him until he was ready.

 

This pricked a memory, something had mentioned earlier, how much he liked being in the practice room at night. That had been something they had in common, another connection between them. Kyungsoo liked it too, being at the University after hours when no one else was there. Kyungsoo spent so much time worrying about how he sounded or not messing up that sometimes he felt like the only time he could really sing was when he was alone. He could understand how Jongin felt about that, too.

 

Thinking about it now, he was surprised he hadn’t seen Jongin there before since a lot of the dance studios were on the same hall as the vocal labs. Kyungsoo got distracted remembering this, and almost missed Jongin’s next words, his voice dropping lower, the tone impossibly deep, confessing that he would often listen to the singer when he practiced after hours.

 

A thrill of excitement flitted through Kyungsoo's chest, and he couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face. He thought he should probably feel embarrassed, or even upset, but the thought of Jongin paying attention to him only stretched the smile wider.

 

“For real?” Kyungsoo asked, struggling to not sound as pleased as he felt. Jongin was still looking a little vulnerable across from him, as though he didn’t notice Kyungsoo’s reaction and wasn’t quite sure if he was in trouble. “I don’t mind. It was probably boring though, since usually I just sing the same song.” He added, knowing how he always used that time to focus on songs that he wanted to get just right.

 

“It was never the same song.” Jongin disagreed, shaking his head. 

 

Kyungsoo raised his brows in question. It sounded like Jongin meant something different from the obvious. 

 

“The first time I heard you I wasn’t trying to listen. It was a bad night, for me I mean. I was trying to get everything perfect and I just couldn’t. Back then there were a lot of nights like that.” Jongin paused, the frustration on his face evident, even now that so much time had passed. “and then I heard you when I passed the door. Even in the hall it sounded clear, and there was something...different about it, so I stopped to listen. You sounded really sad. Like you were so heartbroken that I almost wanted to come in and ask you if you were okay, but I didn’t know you…”

 

Jongin shifted in his seat, his fingers absently playing with the empty glass in front of him giving away how nervous he was. Kyungsoo was afraid to speak, afraid to even breathe if it meant Jongin might not finish his story. 

 

“And then you were there again the next night.” Jongin resumed after a beat, the color Kyungsoo had become used to coming back to Jongin’s cheeks as he spoke. “I stopped by the door to check, and then you were there. You were singing that song ‘What is love’ at that time, but for a little while I didn’t realize it was the same song as the day before because it sounded so different. Like whatever happened the day before was forgotten, and now everything was fine. It was almost playful.” He cocked his head to the side in thought, “Or maybe expectant. And then after that it became sort of a game, hearing the song and guessing how you were feeling that day.”

 

“It inspired me. I wanted to do that too.” Jongin continued easily now, warmed up to his story, while Kyungsoo turned embarrassed. He knew Jongin had a different way of looking at things, but he had no idea that he also had a different way at looking at him too. “It changed the way I practiced, the way I looked at the choreography, the entire way I dance…”

 

Jongin trailed off while Kyungsoo tried to digest this confession. It was almost too impossible to believe that all of this time he was having such a strong effect on this person, someone he had wanted to get the attention of, without knowing. 

 

Another thought replaced that one though, something that Jongin didn’t admit to. Kyungsoo wasn’t always alone in the practice rooms. Sometimes, if they were getting ready for a performance, Minseok would come with him. They would just take turns listening to each other to give feedback and point out the rough patches in private. After that, though, they would usually sprawl out on the floor and complain about whatever there was to complain about, going through the usual rounds of parents and classmates. Suddenly, something else clicked into place.

 

“Is that how you knew? I mean, about my dogs? How much do you know about me?” Kyungsoo didn’t mean to sound accusing, but couldn’t stop the question while playing back some of his more personal conversations with Minseok, getting more and more nervous remembering comments he had made about Jongin himself, although he had never used the other’s name, only his silly nickname. At least, he didn’t think he did.

 

“Not much. I didn’t really mean to listen, I swear.” Jongin answered quickly, and Kyungsoo was starting to figure out exactly why Jongin had been so reluctant to tell him this. “I just wanted to know more about you.” He admitted, and there was no way Kyungsoo could be upset with him after that.

 

This time Kyungsoo was grateful for the abrupt interruption of Irene, asking them if they wanted anything else before the check. He looked across to Jongin, who was looking dejected, not returning his gaze. He wanted to do anything to take the look away, reassure Jongin that everything was fine. More than fine, actually. Now that the moment had passed, the big moment where everything was out on the table, a giddy feeling was chasing off the nervous one. His parents couldn’t have accidently paired him with a more perfect person. The thought of being together with Jongin, giving their parents what they wanted, didn’t seem so bad anymore. But that thought of their upcoming marriage reminded him that not everything was out in the open yet. 

 

“What about dessert?” He asked brightly, reaching over to nudge Jongin’s hand. “They have really good ice cream. And they also have vanilla.” He teased, and Jongin finally looked at him and nodded. 

 

Kyungsoo ordered one bowl for them to share, and this time a water to drink. He needed to keep his head for what was coming next.

 

“Don’t worry about it Jongin, I’m not mad. It’s flattering, actually. I’m very happy to hear that I could have helped you, even if you had to listen to that song a million times.” Kyungsoo said as soon as they were alone, wanting to smooth the lines of worry completely from Jongin’s face. “I’m glad you told me.”

 

The smile that lit up Jongin’s face was enough to convince Kyungsoo that things were back on track. He took a deep breath before continuing, hoping he wasn’t going to ruin the mood. But he couldn’t let himself get carried away before he knew what Jongin thought about what was going to happen between them.

 

“So how do you feel about our...what our parents have planned for us?” Kyungsoo asked, not quite able to say marriage yet. Even if it seemed like they both liked each other, it was still a big word. 

 

“Do you mind?” Jongin asked, and Kyungsoo noticed that there didn’t seem to be a hint of discomfort, only curiosity.

 

“I don’t know. It just seems so...sudden.” 

 

“I guess.” He shrugged nonchalantly, “Dad’s been trying to get me to do something like this forever, and I’ve always said no. But when they told me it was going to be with you.” He shrugged again, making everything sound so easy.

 

“So you don’t mind, because it’s with me?” He repeated, struggling to keep up.

 

“Well, it would be nice to make some money too.” Jongin added, laughing, but his face turned serious in an instant at Kyungsoo’s obvious confusion. “Are you worried because I’ve never worked before? If you don’t want me to do it, I understand. I thought it would be fun, though.”

 

Kyungsoo stared at the boy across from him, his words started to blending together in Kyungsoo’s mind. He sifted between them to figure out what exactly Jongin was talking about, but no matter how he replayed the sentences, though, they didn’t make any sense. 

 

“Jongin, what are you talking about?” He finally asked, giving up. 

 

“Us working together this summer. At your parents company. Well, now our parent’s company I guess.” Jongin answered carefully, watching the other closely. “Why? Is something else happening too?”

 

A boulder settled in the pit of Kyungsoo’s stomach as the pieces fell into place around him. He had been in this situation too many times in his life to not see the big picture, but he still had to check.

 

“What about you coming to stay this summer? In my room? Is that part of...working too?” He hesitated a bit about asking the last part, not quite sure how that fit into the horrible truth that was starting to unfold in front of him.

 

“Your mom didn’t tell you?” Jongin asked, and when Kyungsoo shook his head explained, “It’s only for a month while my parents are in China. Mrs. Do thought it would be better for me to stay with you than alone since I don’t drive. That way we can go to the work together. You don’t mind, do you? I don’t have to stay in your room for real. I can sleep on the couch.” He added quickly, and Kyungsoo didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Probably both. There wasn’t any doubt left. He had been tricked. Again.

 

“I really don’t mind. We have plenty of space. I was just worried about you.” Kyungsoo said soothingly, mind spinning on how to salvage the situation before Jongin really started to notice. “I’m excited to be working with you too.”

 

This time Kyungsoo was able to return the smile Jongin gave him, although not quite genuinely yet. 

 

“I’m just going to go to the bathroom for a sec.” Kyungsoo stood up, needing to get away for a second, and weaved his way towards the back of the room.

 

Kyungsoo stood outside the bathroom door, leaning against the brick wall, and took one deep breath before pulling out his phone. His mother answered on the second ring.

 

“Is everything okay honey? We are just on our way home.” She asked, and he dug his toe into the wooden floor at the smugness in her tone. 

 

“It was all a lie right? An arranged marriage? With Jongin? I can’t believe I believed you.” He hissed, trying to keep his voice low in case the other came looking for him. 

 

“I couldn’t help it Kyungsoo. You’re just so easy to tease.” She admitted, and he barely heard her, phrases from dinner coming back, about him giving Jongin ‘real world experience’. How could he be so stupid?

 

“I thought you were calling to thank me. That boy obviously likes you.” Kyungsoo pressed the button to hang up before she could continue, too frustrated to hear more of her gloating. He was never going to live this down.

 

He made his way back through the crowd slowly, not quite sure if he was more disappointed about the marriage being fake or excited that, even if it was, he and Jongin were about to spend a lot of time together in his bedroom. 

 

Jongin grinned at him when he slid back into the booth, the bowl of vanilla ice cream he ordered in the middle of the table between them, a spoon pointing in both directions. It hit him all at once, how he was on a date with Lean Cuisine, who sounded like he might actually like him, and who he might have an real chance with, all because of his mother’s stupid prank. He couldn’t help it, the laughter came out, bubbling from him on its own, all the stress of the night coming out with it. The thought of how the person he had obsessed about for so long was actually adorable Kim Jongin, who, pretty soon, would be sharing his queen size bed, and laughed harder. It was too much.

 

“What’s so funny?” Jongin asked, brows raised as he the ice cream off the back of his spoon.

 

“Nothing,” Kyungsoo shook his head, trying to catch his breath. “It’s just my mom. She’s really funny.”

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Thanks for reading everyone! Sorry to arrainged marriage lovers!!! I hope you liked my story!