It’s nearing four in the afternoon when the bells hanging from the door jingle as a new customer enters the shop. Jinyoung looks up from behind the counter to see two boys walking in, one after the other, accompanied by a wave of warm June air. The boys look young, probably no older than eighteen, and the taller of the two, the one who walked in second, seems somewhat uncertain as he looks around.

Jaebeom is nowhere in sight, which Jinyoung knows can only mean he’s hidden away somewhere among the shelves, playing with the cats. Jinyoung has, of course, reprimanded him about neglecting his responsibilities as co-owner of their shop before, but Jaebeom loves their cats and Jinyoung loves Jaebeom, so despite it being rather bad business sense, his attempts to change Jaebeom’s behavior haven’t been particularly effective.

Jaebeom’s absence does mean that Jinyoung has to take charge, though, so he walks out from behind the counter and steps towards the newcomers. “Good afternoon,” Jinyoung says, keeping his voice soft so he doesn’t startle them. “Welcome to JJ Paradise. Is there anything I can help you boys with?”

“Um, hi,” the taller boy says timidly. He glances at the boy at his side for a moment, who nudges him encouragingly, and he clears his throat before continuing. “This is – we’re allowed to study here, right?”

Jinyoung blinks, surprised. He’s not sure why the boy looks so nervous, but it makes Jinyoung’s parental instincts flare up (which are quite strong, considering he isn’t actually a parent), and he has to actively stop himself from pulling this complete stranger into a hug. “Of course,” he says, offering them a reassuring smile. “We have a few places to sit among the shelves, as long as you’re okay with the cats wandering around. Or you can sit in the cafe, if you prefer that.”

The tension in the boy’s shoulders seems to dissipate a little. “Thank you!” He turns to his friend again, exchanging a few quiet words before he straightens up and looks back at Jinyoung. “How many cats are there?”

“We just got a new one recently, so there are five,” Jinyoung says, struggling not to break into a dopey smile as he remembers the day Jaebeom showed up with a hopeful look on his face and the fifth kitten in his arms.

The boy speaks with his friend again before smiling at Jinyoung shyly. “Okay, I think we’ll stay in here for now.”

It’s not the choice Jinyoung was expecting them to make – in the two years he and Jaebeom have owned this shop, his only experiences with teenagers have always involved them ignoring the bookstore entirely and making a beeline for the cafe. It comes as a pleasant surprise that these two have defied his expectations. “Okay, just let me know if you need anything else! Oh, and by the way, if you find Jaebeom-hyung back there, could you send him to the front?”

The shorter boy speaks up for the first time. “Who’s ‘Jaebeom-hyung?’”

Right, Jinyoung realizes belatedly. How would they know who he is? “He’s my – the other owner of this shop.” He hopes neither of them noticed his slight hesitation. The boys look relatively harmless, but Jinyoung learned a long time ago that he can never be too cautious when it comes to sharing who Jaebeom really is to him.

“Oh,” the first boy says. “Are you the other owner?”

“Yes,” Jinyoung confirms with a smile. “I’m Jinyoung.” He lowers his voice conspiratorially. “Don’t tell anyone, but I’m the one who actually does all the work around here.”

It puts a smile on both their faces for the first time since they walked in, and Jinyoung feels a little rush of pride at the accomplishment. The shorter boy speaks up again a moment later. “It’s nice to meet you, Jinyoung-ssi. I’m Bambam and he’s Yugyeom.”

Jinyoung smiles at them. “It’s nice to meet you both too. I’ll let you go study now, but like I said, just let me know if I can help you with anything.”

“Thank you,” Yugyeom says, sending Jinyoung a final grateful smile before he and Bambam disappear among the shelves.

Jinyoung watches them go, feeling strangely fond. Moments later, Jaebeom emerges with Odd in his arms and an apologetic smile on his face. “Sorry Nyoungie, I heard the bell and I was going to come, but then Odd crawled onto my lap and –”

“Save it,” Jinyoung says, hoping he’s coming across as stern (but judging by the way Jaebeom’s smile doesn’t dim at all, he isn’t doing a great job).

“I said I’m sorry,” Jaebeom says, pouting a little and cuddling Odd closer, and Jinyoung has to hand it to him – over the years, he’s gotten incredibly good at making Jinyoung melt.

Still, Jinyoung tries to keep his face as straight as he can, resisting the incredibly strong urge to smile. “Watch the counter for me?” he manages to say instead. “Some new books came in earlier and I’ve been waiting to add them.”

“Yes sir,” Jaebeom says, placing Odd next to the register. He looks around cautiously before reaching out and squeezing Jinyoung’s hand, just a fleeting touch, before he breaks the contact between them and goes behind the counter. “Don’t work too hard.”

Jinyoung finally lets himself smile at that. It’s frustrating that they can’t be open about their relationship, but the brief moments they share throughout the day keep him going. “I won’t,” he says, lifting the box of books hidden behind the counter. “And you don’t get too distracted by the babies.”

Jaebeom grins widely. “No promises.”

Shaking his head fondly, Jinyoung makes his way into the aisles. Stocking the shelves is a somewhat boring job, but Jinyoung actually kind of enjoys it. He loses himself in a tangle of genres and authors and titles and before he knows it, it’s already nearing closing time.

Jinyoung makes his way to the front of the shop in time to see Yugyeom and Bambam at the counter, Yugyeom with his arms full of books and Bambam with his arms full of Koonta. “Hello again,” he says, happy that he caught them before they left.

“Jinyoung-ssi!” Bambam smiles at him. “Jaebeom-ssi was just telling us about this cutie.” Jaebeom beams at him from behind the counter, clearly delighted to have someone else to talk about cats with.

“It seems like you had a nice time here,” Jinyoung says. “I hope you two will come back soon!”

“We will,” Yugyeom says immediately, before flushing a little. Jinyoung thinks it’s incredibly sweet, how eager he is underneath the shyness. “Thank you for having us.”

“Of course,” Jaebeom says as Bambam passes Koonta to him. “Koonta, say bye!” He waves Koonta’s paw at the boys, much to their amusement, and they laugh and wave back enthusiastically. Jinyoung watches the scene unfold affectionately, feeling unreasonably pleased that Jaebeom has also connected with the boys so quickly.

He hopes they see more of Yugyeom and Bambam in the future.

~~~

“Jinyoung!” A familiar voice drifts to the back of the shop where Jinyoung is rearranging the cushions in the corner where people like to sit sometimes. “Where are you?”

Jinyoung walks to the front to find Seungyoon and Minho, two of Jaebeom’s college friends, grinning at him. “Hi, you two,” he says. “What brings you to JJ Paradise?”

“It’s been too long,” Minho says, feigning distress. “I missed you.”

“I thought it might be something like that,” Jinyoung says, shaking his head in amusement. They were Jaebeom’s friends first, but Jinyoung has spent enough time with the two of them that he feels fairly attached to them, too. “Even though you’ve conveniently forgotten that you and Jinwoo-hyung visited us just last week.”

Jinyoung shares a look with Seungyoon as Minho sighs. “Of course I didn’t forget! I just think a week is too much time between visits to see my two favorite shopkeepers.”

“Do you know a lot of shopkeepers?” Seungyoon asks mildly, looking quite entertained.

Jaebeom chooses this moment to enter the conversation, saving Minho from having to come up with a response. “Are you two bothering Jinyoungie again?” He eyes the two guests with mock suspicion as Jinyoung smiles at his antics.

“Why do you always assume it’s us bothering him?” Seungyoon complains good-naturedly. “It could easily be the other way around, you know.”

“That’s a dumb question,” Minho says dismissively. “He isn’t in love with us .”

“Hey, keep it down,” Jinyoung says nervously, glancing at the cafe out of habit. It’s mostly empty, but being paranoid about who can hear their conversations is ingrained in him. Jaebeom, obviously noticing his distress, takes a moment to squeeze Jinyoung’s hand gently, a fleeting action that’s enough to bring Jinyoung some comfort.

Minho looks at them apologetically. “Sorry,” he says, lowering his voice. “It really doesn’t get any easier, huh? Even after living like this for so long.”

“Unfortunately,” Jaebeom says with a wry smile. Hiding their ualities is something all four of them have had to deal with for years, but it still feels just as painful as always.

“Still,” Seungyoon says, his voice quiet too, “you guys must be happy that you get to start planning for the wedding, at least.”

Jinyoung exchanges a soft smile with Jaebeom as his hand instinctively flies up to touch the ring he’s kept on a chain around his neck since the night Jaebeom proposed. “We’re still trying to figure out how to afford plane tickets and everything at the moment,” Jinyoung says. “But it’s definitely exciting.”

Minho and Seungyoon smile too. “You’ll figure it out,” Minho says confidently. “The two of you are like, the dream couple.”

“Yeah,” Jaebeom agrees, his eyes never leaving Jinyoung’s face, and Jinyoung can’t help flushing a little under his gaze. “We sure are.”

“We didn’t just come here to catch up, though,” Seungyoon says, like he’s only just remembered – which, knowing him and Minho, is most likely actually what happened. “Hoony is still trying to train his dog, so we thought we’d grab a book for him.” He rolls his eyes a little as he mentions his flatmate, but there’s a fond smile tugging at his lips.

“Well, you know where the animal books are,” Jinyoung says, gesturing towards the shelves.

As Seungyoon wanders off, Minho crouches down to pet Cake, who’s been sniffing around at his feet and rubbing against his legs this whole time. “I feel like I don’t say this enough,” he says to Jinyoung and Jaebeom, “but the whole concept of this shop is awesome .”

“You just want to steal our cats,” Jaebeom says accusingly.

“Guilty as charged,” Minho says without an ounce of shame. “If only Jinwoo-hyung weren’t so allergic to them...”

Seungyoon returns with his book a few minutes later, and Jinyoung and Jaebeom wave the pair out the door with matching smiles. A bookstore can be a fragile business to run, just like being gay can be a fragile truth to live, but moments like this make Jinyoung sure that he wouldn’t want to choose any other life.

~~~

Jinyoung is in the middle of feeding the cats their afternoon snack when Bambam and Yugyeom walk in. He says his usual greeting when the bell rings, dusting off his hands and standing up. “Welcome to JJ Paradise!” Then he realizes who he’s looking at and his mood lifts immediately. “Yugyeom, Bambam, you’re back!”

Yugyeom smiles bashfully. “We liked it here last time,” he says. “And I’ve been interested in reading more recently.”

“I haven’t,” Bambam says unabashedly, and Jinyoung has to admire his confidence. “But I love cats, so I liked it too.”

“You have Jaebeom-hyung to thank for that, then,” Jinyoung says with a laugh. “It was his idea to let our – the cats wander around the shop.”

“Do you two live together?” Bambam asks, evidently catching Jinyoung’s slip-up.

“We’re...flatmates, yes,” Jinyoung says carefully. “Our apartment is above the shop, so it’s just more convenient for us this way.” Part of him really hates describing his living with Jaebeom as an arrangement of convenience rather than a major life step for them, but he’s used to it – they do what they need to.

“That’s cool,” Yugyeom says, and he sounds almost hesitant as he continues. “My brother has a, um, a flatmate too.” Jinyoung isn’t sure whether Yugyeom is actually implying what he thinks he is, but he’s too wary to ask. “Anyway,” Yugyeom adds hurriedly. “We thought we would come do work again.”

“Of course,” Jinyoung says, smiling at them. “You’re the only ones here right now, so feel free to sit anywhere. And the cafe is always open too.”

“Do you have ice choco in the cafe?” Yugyeom asks.

“And different flavors of coffee?” Bambam adds. “Plain coffee is too boring. I need more excitement than that.”

“I think the answer is yes to both of those questions,” Jinyoung says. “But to be honest, Youngjae – he’s our barista – is more likely to actually know. He’s worked here since day one, basically, so the cafe has sort of become his. I mostly just buy the ingredients he asks me to.”

“Oh, okay,” Yugyeom says. “Well, we’ll see if we want to check it out later. Come on, Bam.”

“Let’s actually go to the cafe today, then I can see if I have more reasons to tag along next time,” Jinyoung hears Bambam say as the pair disappears between the aisles.

“Being my friend should be reason enough for you,” comes the exasperated reply, and Jinyoung has to stifle a laugh. He hopes they really do stop by the cafe today – he has a feeling they’ll get along well with Youngjae.

Jaebeom finds him like that, staring reflectively off into space, a few minutes later. “Nyoungie? Everything okay?”

Jinyoung breaks out of his trance and turns to Jaebeom. “Fine,” he says, offering him a reassuring smile. “Just thinking about those two boys, Yugyeom and Bambam. They’d probably get along with Youngjae, don’t you think?”

“Hmm,” Jaebeom says, considering it. “They would, actually. Are they back today?”

“Yup,” Jinyoung confirms, gesturing towards the shelves. “They went off to do homework again, but they said they might try the cafe today.”

“Youngjae will appreciate the company,” Jaebeom says. He eyes Jinyoung thoughtfully. “You seem strangely attached to them already. You become all soft when you talk about them.”

Jinyoung shrugs. “They seem like sweet boys,” he says. “There’s something about them...I don’t know, I can’t really explain it. I just want to protect them, somehow. And anyway, you know how I love kids.”

“I do,” Jaebeom says fondly. He looks around the shop before dropping his voice slightly. “And one day, after we’re married, I’ll give you a family, Jinyoungie. I promise you that.”

Despite the threat of someone walking in and seeing them, Jinyoung can’t help kissing Jaebeom’s cheek quickly. “I know you will. Thank you, Jaebeommie.”

~~~

It’s nearing closing time when Jinyoung is abruptly drawn away from his careful inventory of the shop as the sounds of an argument drift his way.

“Ugh, I just can’t believe you!” a familiar voice says, sounding annoyed.

“Whatever, it’s not like you tell me everything about your life either,” retorts a second voice, which Jinyoung also recognizes.

“Jisoo, Doyoung,” Jinyoung says, stepping out from where he’s hidden in the aisles to interrupt their bickering. He shakes his head at both of them, grinning in amusement. “When will you two learn to get along, huh?”

“Never,” they say simultaneously, immediately grimacing at each other as Jinyoung laughs.

“Well, what are you two doing here?” Jinyoung asks. “Not that I’m not happy to see my favorite duo, but shouldn’t you both be in class right now?”

“We both only have morning classes this term,” Jisoo explains. She smiles sweetly at Doyoung, her eyes full of fire. “Doyoungie, care to tell him what we’re doing here?”

Doyoung sighs, looking at Jinyoung pleadingly. “She’s been nagging me all morning, hyung. It’s not even that big of a deal!”

Jisoo puts her hands on her hips and gives him a withering look. “I think you no longer being single is a pretty big deal. Don’t you agree, Jinyoung-oppa?”

Jinyoung is genuinely surprised by the news. The siblings were his next-door neighbors growing up, and in all the time Jinyoung has known them, Doyoung has never dated anyone before. “Doyoung!” he says incredulously, and Doyoung groans. “How can you say it isn’t a big deal?”

“Because,” Doyoung says, his voice bordering on a whine, “I knew you two were going to be like this!”

“Did I hear that Doyoung is dating someone?” Jaebeom asks, smoothly emerging from one of the aisles with Junior and Koonta trailing behind him, and Doyoung buries his face in his hands as Jisoo and Jinyoung continue to look at Doyoung pointedly. “Who’s the lucky person, then?”

“He’s a freshman,” Doyoung mumbles. “I met him in choir.”

“Does this freshman choir-boy have a name?” Jinyoung asks, amused.

“Jaehyun,” Doyoung reveals, still looking embarrassed.

“They’ve been dating for almost two months, apparently,” Jisoo cuts in. “But guess how I found out?” Jinyoung has to stifle a laugh at her irritated expression as she continues talking without waiting for anyone to actually guess. “I walked in on them kissing in one of the recording booths in the music department!” Suddenly, Jinyoung understands why Jisoo is so distressed – it was never just about Doyoung not telling anyone.

“Noona,” Doyoung says, looking genuinely upset. “I said I was sorry for being so careless. It won’t happen again.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that anyone could have seen you!” Jisoo says, and for the first time, Jinyoung notices that her eyes are a little watery. “Do you even know how scared I was when I realized it was you in there?”

“Jisoo,” Jinyoung says gently. “I know you’re worried about him, but you have to let him make decisions for himself.” He looks at Doyoung meaningfully. “But you really should be more careful, Doyoungie. The world is...cruel.” He smiles sadly as Jaebeom discreetly takes his hand and squeezes it lightly.

“I know,” Doyoung says quietly. “We just got caught up in the moment, and – it really . Having to hide.”

Jisoo wraps him in a hug at that, patting his back comfortingly. “I hate it too,” she says. “I’m sorry, Doyoungie. I was just...I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

“I know,” Doyoung says again. “I would have probably reacted the same way if I was the one who found you and Jennie like that.” He smiles hopefully at her. “I promise I’ll be more careful, and you have to be careful too.” Jisoo nods, returning the smile.

Jinyoung exchanges a fond look with Jaebeom as the watch the siblings make up. “Well, Doyoung,” he says when Jisoo and Doyoung finally separate. “I hope you know that you need to introduce Jaebeom-hyung and me to Jaehyun so we can make sure he’s treating you right. Bring him here soon, okay?”

“Seriously?” Doyoung sighs, but they all know he isn’t actually bothered. “You two aren’t actually my brother and brother-in-law, you know.”

“If Jennie had to go through this, then so does Jaehyun,” Jisoo says matter-of-factly. “It’s only fair.”

“She’s right,” Jaebeom agrees with a grin. “Don’t worry, we won’t scare him off. You like him a lot, right?”

“I do,” Doyoung says, looking uncharacteristically shy. “He’s really – I’ve never liked anyone the way I like him.”

“Then we’ll like him too,” Jinyoung says warmly. “The most important thing is that you’re happy.”

Jisoo and Doyoung leave a little while later, after Jisoo is done picking out the next book in the series she’s been reading recently, and they walk out with a promise to return soon with their significant others.

Once he and Jaebeom have finished closing the shop for the evening, Jinyoung shows Jaebeom the picture Doyoung just texted him of the bouquet Jaehyun bought for Doyoung earlier that day. “There’s nothing like young love, right?” Jinyoung sighs happily.

Jaebeom walks up behind him and wraps his arms around Jinyoung’s waist, and Jinyoung melts into the touch as Jaebeom presses a kiss to his shoulder. “Hmm, I don’t know,” Jaebeom says lightly, one of his hands coming up to find the ring hanging around Jinyoung’s neck. “I think there’s something to be said for old love, too.”

Jinyoung laughs softly and turns his head so he can kiss Jaebeom properly. “You sap,” he says affectionately. “I love you.”

Jaebeom’s smile is as breathtaking as always as he kisses Jinyoung again. “I love you too.”

~~~

Yugyeom and Bambam show up one day with a girl accompanying them. It’s the first time in the month they’ve been coming to the shop that they’ve brought someone else along, and they seem excited for her to meet Jinyoung and Jaebeom.

She introduces herself as Lisa, bowing politely to Jinyoung and Jaebeom as they greet her back. “Bambam wouldn’t stop talking about ‘the cats in JJ Paradise,’” Lisa explains with a smile. “So I made him bring me along this time.”

“Another cat lover?” Jaebeom asks enthusiastically.

“Calm down, hyung,” Jinyoung says with a laugh. “You’ll scare her off.”

Lisa doesn’t seem particularly bothered, though, because she looks delighted at Jaebeom’s question. “Yes!” she says. “I have a bunch of cats at home.”

“I have four cats too,” Bambam adds. “Look, I have lots of pictures.” He and Lisa both pull out their phones and hold them out for Jaebeom to see.

Jaebeom’s eyes light up in excitement, and he eagerly looks on as Bambam and Lisa swipe through their photo galleries. “They’re so cute!” he sighs. “Aw, Bambam, they sleep on top of your chest? Ours do that, too!”

Jinyoung watches fondly as Jaebeom coos over the pictures. He’s known his boyfriend for a long, long time, of course, but seeing how soft Jaebeom becomes when cats are involved is something that never gets old.

“Jaebeom-hyung is your boyfriend, isn’t he?” Yugyeom’s voice is so quiet that Jinyoung could hypothetically pretend that he didn’t hear the question.

But he can’t ignore it, not when Yugyeom is looking at him so expectantly without a trace of judgement, not when he knows it was his own facial expression that gave him away. “Yes,” Jinyoung admits. “He is.”

Yugyeom nods. “Remember how I said my brother has a flatmate? That flatmate is his boyfriend too.” He smiles reassuringly at Jinyoung. “I won’t say anything about it. I just wanted to ask because you and Jaebeom-hyung look at each other the same way they do.”

“It’s okay if you tell Bambam, I’m sure he’ll find out eventually anyway. It’s just that we know we need to be careful,” Jinyoung explains with a sad smile. “We can’t even tell Jaebeom-hyung’s parents because of how they feel about – well, people like us. We’ve only told our closest friends, the ones who can relate to us, and my family knows because they’re a little more accepting. But I’m sure you understand that we have to be cautious.”

“I know,” Yugyeom says, and his voice is heavy in a way that a seventeen-year-old’s voice should never have to be. “My parents kicked Mark-hyung out because of it.”

“What?” Jinyoung’s eyes widen in surprise.

Yugyeom smiles wryly, and it feels wrong to see such heavy sadness in his eyes. “He’s probably around your age, but my parents disowned him a few years ago, after they found out he was dating Jackson-hyung. So I don’t get to see him, really. It’s been years since I even talked to him.”

Jinyoung’s heart aches for Yugyeom and his brother. “I’m so sorry, Yugyeom,” he says softly. “No one should have to go through that.”

“It’s actually part of the reason I decided to start coming here,” Yugyeom says. “I’m not the best student, but lately it’s been feeling kind of...impossible, living at home. So I decided that I need to start studying harder so I can get into a good university and move out for good.”

“Yugyeom, that’s amazing,” Jinyoung says sincerely. “I wish more than anything that you didn’t have to do that at all, but the fact that you’ve taken the initiative like that – it’s really incredible. You should be proud of yourself.”

Yugyeom ducks his head, hiding a shy smile. “I still have a long way to go,” he says, “but thank you, hyung. It means a lot to hear you say that.”

Jinyoung can’t help reaching up to ruffle Yugyeom’s hair. “I’m here for you, okay? And Jaebeom-hyung is, too. If you ever need help with anything, just let us know.”

“I will,” Yugyeom promises. He hesitates for a moment, before his curiosity seems to get the better of him. “Is – is that necklace you wear a gift from Jaebeom-hyung?”

Instinctively, Jinyoung’s hand flies up to touch the ring. “Oh, um –”

“Sorry, I don’t want to pry,” Yugyeom says, backtracking hastily. “It’s just, you don’t really wear any other jewelry, so I thought it might be special or something.”

“It is,” Jinyoung admits, because now that Yugyeom already knows the truth about his relationship with Jaebeom, he sees no reason to keep the ring a secret. He holds it out for Yugyeom to see. “It’s actually my engagement ring.”

Yugyeom’s eyes widen as he admires the black and white stones embedded in the band. “Wow,” he says. “It’s so pretty.”

Jinyoung smiles, gazing at the ring and remembering how he had cried tears of unadulterated happiness the night Jaebeom gave it to him. “Jaebeom-hyung wanted it to be symbolic,” he explains, “so he customized it with black and white stones to represent yin and yang.”

“That’s so sweet,” Yugyeom says, still in awe. He smiles at Jinyoung. “I’m glad you have each other, hyung. You deserve to be happy.”

“Thank you, Yugyeom,” Jinyoung says, sincerely touched by Yugyeom’s earnestness. “You do too.”

“Yugyeom, come on, Lisa wants to meet Youngjae,” Bambam says, breaking the moment between them. “Sorry we spent so much time talking about cats with Jaebeom-hyung.”

Yugyeom glances at Jinyoung, and Jinyoung offers him a knowing smile. “It’s fine, Bam,” Yugyeom says. “I had a good conversation with Jinyoung-hyung too.”

“Ooh, tell us too!” Jinyoung hears Bambam say as the three friends make their way towards the cafe.

He laughs softly, and Jaebeom gives him a questioning look. “What did you two talk about? I thought I saw you showing him the ring.”

“He asked if we’re dating,” Jinyoung says. “Apparently his brother got kicked out for being gay.” Jaebeom’s eyebrows furrow at that and Jinyoung nods in understanding. “I know, I was angry too. But he’s a good kid. And he was curious about the necklace, so I couldn’t resist showing off a little.”

Jaebeom smirks a little. “You’re that excited to get married, huh?”

“Like you aren’t,” Jinyoung retorts, rolling his eyes fondly.

“Of course I can’t wait either,” Jaebeom says, his expression softening. “One day soon, we’ll officially be each other’s, and no one will be able to take that away from us.”

Jinyoung smiles at the love of his life and thinks that day can’t come soon enough.

~~~

It’s a fairly uneventful September morning when a man walks into the shop, striding in purposefully. He’s fairly young-looking, probably no older than Jaebeom, and he looks around before walking over to the counter where Jinyoung has been helping Jaebeom sort through receipts.

He stops in his tracks when Jaebeom looks up and smiles his customer-service smile at him. “Welcome to JJ Paradise,” Jaebeom says, though he looks a little confused by the man’s actions.

“Hang on a second,” the man says incredulously. “There’s no way...Im Jaebeom?”

Jinyoung, bewildered by the fact that this stranger apparently knows Jaebeom, watches as Jaebeom looks at the man in confusion before his eyes widen. “Youngjae?” he says, his voice full of disbelief. And that’s a name Jinyoung has heard before – Jaebeom has definitely mentioned a childhood friend named Yoo Youngjae, someone he used to hang out with in school but fell out of touch with.

“The one and only,” the man, Youngjae, says with a grin. Jinyoung can’t resist the urge to smile at that, and he exchanges a quick glance of amusement with Jaebeom, thinking about the other Youngjae in their lives.

A moment later, he notices Youngjae looking between them curiously. Sighing internally, he turns to give Youngjae his full attention – because as much as Jinyoung loves Jaebeom, he can be a little useless sometimes, so Jinyoung has to take matters into his own hands and introduce himself. “Hi, I’m Jinyoung," he says, bowing politely. "Jaebeom-hyung and I own the store. I’m guessing you must be Yoo Youngjae?”

“That’s me,” Youngjae replies, returning Jinyoung’s bow. “Nice to meet you.” His eyes slide back over to Jaebeom, and he glances between them one more time before raising an eyebrow. “So, Jaebeom, the two of you, are you – you know?”

A chill makes its way down Jinyoung’s spine. He knows what Youngjae is asking, and it’s nothing short of terrifying that he was able to see through them within five minutes of meeting them. But to Jinyoung’s surprise, Jaebeom just smiles easily and nods. “Yeah, we are. Almost six years now. In fact –” He pauses and shows Youngjae the ring he always wears that matches the one hanging around Jinyoung’s neck, and Jinyoung watches Youngjae’s eyes widen in understanding.

“Oh, wow!” Youngjae says. “Congratulations!”

“Hyung,” Jinyoung says, because even though Jaebeom seems calm, Jinyoung is always wary.

“It’s okay,” Jaebeom says reassuringly, reaching out to squeeze Jinyoung’s hand. “He knows. He was the first to know about me, actually.”

“We were the first to know about each other,” Youngjae says, smiling. “God, how old were we? Thirteen? Fourteen?”

“Fourteen,” Jaebeom confirms. “It was about a year before you moved. Speaking of which, when did you come back?”

“I moved here a couple of months ago,” Youngjae explains. “My partner – wait, what am I saying, you already know this – he’s my boyfriend . Anyway, we got our first apartment together recently.” His face morphs into an expression Jinyoung knows all too well – it’s an expression he’s seen on Jaebeom’s face countless times, the same one knows he makes when he talks about Jaebeom.

“That’s awesome,” Jaebeom says with a grin, and it makes Jinyoung melt a little, seeing how happy Jaebeom is for his friend. “So, what brings you here? I seem to recall you being – what was it? – ‘allergic to books’ in school.”

Youngjae laughs. “Believe it or not, reading has actually grown on me over the years. Maybe it was the influence of my nerd best friend following me around after I moved.”

‘Well, you won’t hear me complaining about it,” Jaebeom says, amused.

“I actually heard about this place from a friend, Younghyun,” Youngjae says. “Maybe you know him? He said he visits pretty often.”

“Oh, yeah, of course we know him!” Jinyoung says, happy to hear the familiar name. “He comes here all the time, my best friend Wonpil is really close with him.”

“That makes sense,” Youngjae says, nodding. “He mentioned that this shop is ‘safe.’ I wasn’t exactly sure what he meant, but I get it now.” He smiles at them warmly. “Anyway, I did actually come here for a book. Could I possibly have some assistance?”

“I’m on cashier duty right now,” Jaebeom says, “but maybe Jinyoungie doesn’t mind taking over for a bit, and I can help you find whatever you were looking for?” He turns to Jinyoung hopefully, and Jinyoung knows he’s whipped, because how can he possibly say no?

“Go hang out with your friend, hyung,” Jinyoung says, not even bothering to pretend to be annoyed, because he really isn’t. Jaebeom beams and gives him a fleeting kiss on the cheek. “And leave some food out for the cats while you’re at it!” he calls as Jaebeom and Youngjae wander deeper into the shop together.

Jinyoung is content to spend his time alone cleaning off the counter and watching Odd and Cake play-fight in the corner where he and Jaebeom keep all the cats’ toys. It takes almost twenty minutes for Jaebeom and Youngjae to reemerge, but when they do, Youngjae has a book in hand and the two friends are still deeply engrossed in conversation.

“...and we definitely need to catch up soon, now that I know you’re around!” Jaebeom is saying.

“We should do a double date!” Youngjae says enthusiastically as he approaches the counter. “I’m sure Daehyun would be up for it too. And it’s not like anyone will really question four guys hanging out together.” He smiles at Jinyoung warmly. “What do you think, Jinyoung-ssi?”

“I think it’s a great idea,” Jinyoung says as he rings up Youngjae’s book. “We hardly ever go out with friends.” He hands the  book back and returns his smile. “And you really don’t need to be formal with me. You and Jaebeom-hyung are clearly really close.”

“Well, you can call me hyung too then,” Youngjae says cheerfully. “And it was nice to meet you, Jinyoung. I’m shocked Jaebeom was able to get with someone as cute as you.”

Jinyoung laughs softly as Jaebeom playfully shoves Youngjae’s shoulder with his own. “Get out of here, idiot,” Jaebeom says. “I’ll text you later.” Youngjae leaves with a final cheeky grin and a wave, and Jinyoung just watches Jaebeom smile, his own heart flooded with warmth.

That night, as they’re settling into bed, Jinyoung asks more about Youngjae. Jaebeom has mentioned him in passing many times, but after seeing them interact today, Jinyoung is sure that they were a lot closer than Jaebeom previously let on.

“He was my first real crush,” Jaebeom admits with a soft laugh. “It was the one thing I never told him.”

“Are you going to?” Jinyoung asks, turning onto his side to look at Jaebeom. He thinks maybe he should feel jealous, but he isn’t, because he trusts Jaebeom with his life. He’s really just curious.

“What, tell him? Why would I?” Jaebeom asks.

“Some people like to get closure about these types of things,” Jinyoung says with a shrug. “I want you to have that chance, if you need it.”

“I don’t,” Jaebeom says without an ounce of uncertainty in his voice. He smiles at Jinyoung and kisses his forehead lightly, and Jinyoung hums contentedly, his eyes fluttering shut as he nestles his head on Jaebeom’s chest. “I already have the love of my life right here.”

~~~

It’s a sunny afternoon in September when Yugyeom and Bambam stroll into the shop with three new people in tow. “What’s this?” Jinyoung says, grinning at them from behind the counter where Youngjae has been taking a break from his cafe shift to help Jinyoung go over inventory. “Your friend group seems to multiply every time you come here!”

“We’re making it our mission to drag all of them here eventually,” Bambam explains. “Dongmin and Jungkook were too busy, like always, but we got Mingyu, Minghao, and Seokmin to come this time.” He points to each boy as he says their names, and they all wave politely as they’re introduced.

“What about Lisa?” Jaebeom asks, appearing at Bambam’s side with his phone in his hand. “I have some pictures of the cats from over the weekend that I thought the two of you would like.”

“She went shopping with Chaeyoung. She’s another one of our friends,” Bambam says.

“It’s too bad Jungkook is always busy,” Mingyu says, exchanging knowing looks with the other boys. “Yugyeom really wants you two to meet him.”

“Oh, really?” Jinyoung asks, noting that Yugyeom seems somewhat flustered and deciding to not  too much. “Now I want to meet him too.”

Yugyeom pouts at his friends, but he doesn’t actually look that upset. “It’s really not that big of a deal,” he says, turning to Jinyoung and Jaebeom. “They’re just jealous because Jungkook is my closest friend.”

“Besides me,” Bambam adds helpfully. “But he and Jungkook get all sappy sometimes, kind of like you two, actually. In your case it makes more sense though, since you’re dating.” Silence follows his statement as everyone stares at him. “Oh, wait,” he says belatedly, clapping a hand over his mouth guiltily. “I’m so sorry!”

“It’s okay,” Jaebeom interrupts, smiling reassuringly at him. “We trust you and your friends, and Youngjae already knows. Just try not to blurt that out when there are other people who we aren’t familiar with here.”

“I won’t,” Bambam says, still looking a little apologetic. “But how long has Youngjae-hyung known?”

“A while, since I’ve worked here so long,” Youngjae says. “I used to have singing lessons with Jaebeom-hyung, and he recruited me. I didn’t find out about their relationship until later, though.” He sends them a look, pretending to be offended. “And they didn’t even tell me in the first place. I had to figure it out for myself.”

Jinyoung shakes his head, laughing a little at Youngjae’s theatrics. “We would have told you eventually.”

“How did you find out, if they didn’t tell you?” Seokmin asks curiously. “You didn’t – see anything, did you?”

“Seokmin!” Jinyoung says, slightly affronted but mostly amused by what the boy is implying. “What kind of unprofessional shop do you think we’re running here?” 

“Yeah, Seokmin,” Mingyu says pointedly. “You’re gonna get us banned from here and then Yugyeom will hate us forever.”

“Anyway,” Youngjae says, clearing his throat. “I found out like, three or four months after the shop opened. There was a pretty bad storm, and these two refused to let me go home by myself.”

“Ah, classic dad culture,” Bambam says sagely, nodding like he expected this.

“We were just worried,” Jaebeom says indignantly. “It was your safety at stake.” Jinyoung pats his arm comfortingly, not having the heart to point out that his words only make them sound even more like concerned parents.

Youngjae has no such qualms though, because he nods in agreement. “In true dad fashion, they made me stay in their apartment for the night.”

“Oh my god,” Minghao says, his mouth dropping open. “Did you hear –”

“Why do you all think we would do something like that with our son around?” Jinyoung asks, not even noticing his slip-up in his incredulousness.

The boys collapse into giggles, and Jaebeom lets out a soft laugh of his own. “Jinyoungie,” he says with a smile, “I know they called us dads, but you do know Youngjae isn’t actually our son.”

Jinyoung figures he has two options: admit defeat, or stand by his words. “I didn’t tell you?” he says, deciding on the latter. “We just adopted all these kids.” He turns to the boys and grins at them. “Congratulations! We’re your dads now.”

“I always knew you loved me,” Youngjae says, grinning at Jinyoung.

“You should have known that from the second we let you stay in the guest bedroom,” Jaebeom points out.

“The unused guest bedroom,” Youngjae emphasizes. He turns to the group of boys with a triumphant smile. “That was how I figured it out. The guest bedroom was totally untouched, and there are only two bedrooms in their apartment.”

“You would make a good detective,” Seokmin says appreciatively.

Jinyoung laughs at that. “Maybe, but for now, we need him here.” He hugs Youngjae overdramatically. “Right, my wonderful son?”

“Eww,” Bambam says, watching the scene unfold gleefully.

Jaebeom laughs. “Watch out, Bam, or you’ll be next. Jinyoungie is very clingy.”

“Like you aren’t,” Jinyoung teases back, finally letting Youngjae go. “Don’t worry, hyung, I’ll make sure to give you lots of hugs later.”

“And kisses too, right?” Youngjae adds mischievously, and everyone laughs.

Jinyoung meets Jaebeom’s eyes as the boys continue to chatter amongst themselves, takes in the  pure happiness there, and thinks he’s never been quite so content with his life.

~~~

Jinyoung is clearing the aisles of excess cat hair when a harried-looking customer comes barrelling into the shop, followed by a younger, exhausted-looking companion. “Come on!” the first man says impatiently.

“Hyung, calm down,” the younger one pants. “There’s no reason to be this worked up, and anyway, you’re probably disrupting the other customers.”

Clearing his throat, Jinyoung steps out to greet them. “Welcome to JJ Paradise! If you’re worried about disturbing people, you’re actually in luck, because you two are the only customers right now. Is there anything I can help you with?”

“Sorry for barging in here like that,” the first man says, and he does sound genuinely apologetic. “I’m just looking for a book on music theory.”

“Music books are down that aisle, towards the middle,” Jinyoung says, pointing the pair in the right direction.

“Thank you,” the first man says, offering Jinyoung a bright smile. He tugs at his companion’s sleeve. “Let’s go, Donghyuk.” Jinyoung watches them move into the aisle together, listening as they continue bantering back and forth.

“Seriously, hyung,” the man addressed as Donghyuk says, sounding slightly exasperated. “Like I’ve said a million times, you’re panicking over nothing.”

“Yeah, well forgive me for trying to do something nice for my boyfriend,” the first man says.

Jinyoung tenses at that, shocked to hear such an open declaration of uality. Donghyuk seems surprised too, because he hisses, “Jiwon-hyung!” and glances back at Jinyoung, clearly concerned.

“What?” the man, Jiwon, asks, unfazed. “We’re the only ones here, and anyway, Minho-hyung and Seungyoon-hyung said this place was safe, remember?” He spots Jinyoung watching them a moment later, and his voice falters a little. “I-It is, right?”

“Of course,” Jinyoung rushes to reassure them, because the last thing he wants is for these two kids (okay, they’re probably not exactly kids, but they’re certainly younger than Jinyoung) to be distressed. “I assume you’re talking about Song Minho and Kang Seungyoon, right?”

They both nod. “They’re our close friends,” Donghyuk explains. “My name is Donghyuk, by the way, and he’s Jiwon.”

 Jinyoung offers them a smile. “It’s nice to meet you, I’m Jinyoung. The two of them are both friends of mine, as well, and they weren’t wrong. But you should still be careful.”

“I know,” Jiwon says sheepishly. “I’m not usually so open about it, I just...since I knew it was okay here, I wanted to not have to hide it. I hate having to pretend.”

Jinyoung’s heart clenches, because he knows, and he wishes he didn’t, wishes neither of them had to conceal such an important part of their lives. “I know,” he says softly. “I feel the same way.”

Jiwon’s expression turns hopeful at that. “You do?”

“Every day,” Jinyoung confirms. “Jaebeom-hyung, my boyfriend, owns the store with me, so I have to spend the whole day pretending that he’s just – nothing more than a friend.”

“Me too!” Jiwon says, and he looks so relieved to be able to talk openly about this – it makes Jinyoung feel really glad they’re having this conversation. “I just want to be able to hold his hand when we walk around campus together, you know?”

Jinyoung smiles sympathetically. “I get it.” He looks between Donghyuk, who’s been nodding in agreement this whole time, and Jiwon, and though he doesn’t want to overstep, he is a little curious. “So, are you two –?”

“No!” Donghyuk says immediately, before Jinyoung can even complete the thought. “We’re brothers,” he explains. “I’m just here for moral support, because he always freaks out about buying Hanbin-hyung presents.”

“No I don’t,” Jiwon mumbles, mostly to himself, but he’s a little pink. Jinyoung thinks it’s sweet – he must really like this “Hanbin” to be so invested in finding a gift for him.

Donghyuk shakes his head in exasperation. “You know he’s going to love anything you get him.”

“Yeah, but I want it to be special,” Jiwon says, still blushing slightly. “He deserves the best.”

“You’re a good boyfriend,” Jinyoung says with a smile, and he knows he’s said the right thing because Jiwon beams at him in return. “You remind me of Jaebeom-hyung when we first started dating. He was always trying to find the perfect gift too.”

“Did he find one?” Jiwon asks, and Jinyoung has to bite back a laugh at how curious he looks.

“Well,” Jinyoung says, and before he can think too hard, he’s leaning towards them conspiratorially and revealing the ring hanging round his neck. Jiwon and Donghyuk stare at it in awe. “He gave me this and promised me a future together, so I guess he did.”

“Wow,” Jiwon breathes. “That’s so romantic.” He’s quiet for a moment before he speaks up again. “Do you think you could help me find something for Hanbin?”

“Of course I can,” Jinyoung says patiently. “Let’s find a really great music book for him!”

They find something within ten minutes, and Bobby cradles the book in his arms after he’s paid for it, looking proud of himself. “Thank you for all your help, Jinyoung-ssi,” Donghyuk says politely. “We appreciate it.”

“And thank you for talking to me about, you know, boyfriends and stuff,” Jiwon adds. “That was nice of you.”

“It was my pleasure,” Jinyoung says honestly, smiling at them. “And of course you’re welcome to come back any time, for books or just to talk. Bring Hanbin too, if you want!”

Jiwon grins. “I might just take you up on that.” Jinyoung watches him and Donghyuk walk out together, and he finds himself hoping that Jiwon keeps his word and comes back soon.

He’s strangely happy for the rest of the day, reminiscing about the early days of his and Jaebeom’s relationship, when Jaebeom was always trying to impress Jinyoung with the latest gift he bought – they were never elaborate or flashy, just little things that had made him think of Jinyoung during the day. (Jinyoung loved and kept every single one of them.)

Of course, Jaebeom notices and asks him that night over dinner what he’s so smiley about, and Jinyoung just laughs softly. “It’s just a little thing. We had a customer today that reminded me of you when you were still trying to woo me.”

“Hey,” Jaebeom says, pretending to be offended. “I never needed to woo you. You liked me right from the start.”

And Jinyoung is feeling a little sentimental tonight, so instead of retorting playfully like he usually would, he smiles fondly. “Yeah,” he says, leaning over to kiss the corner of Jaebeom’s mouth. “I really did.”

~~~

It’s Jinyoung’s turn to clean the litter boxes today, so he doesn’t get to see Yugyeom and Bambam walking in, though he certainly feels the brisk late-October air that drifts in with them. When he finally joins Jaebeom at the counter, he finds Bambam bubbling with excitement and Yugyeom watching his friend in amusement.

“Guess what?” Bambam doesn’t wait for an answer before he presses on enthusiastically. “It’s almost Yugyeom’s birthday!”

“Really? When is it?” Jaebeom asks.

“November 17th,” Yugyeom says. “But it doesn’t really matter that much. I don’t usually celebrate my birthday anyway.”

“What? Why not?” Jinyoung is immediately wary – he’s sure it probably has something to do with Yugyeom’s parents.

“His parents don’t let him,” Bambam says, making no effort to hide his contempt as he confirms Jinyoung’s suspicions. “They think he hangs out with the wrong crowd.”

Jinyoung sighs, because he thinks he can guess exactly what Yugyeom’s parents mean by that. He asks the question in his mind anyway, his mouth dry. “Why do they think your friends are the wrong crowd?”

“It’s mostly me, I think,” Bambam says, though he seems entirely unbothered by Yugyeom’s parents’ opinion of him. “I dress up a lot, you know? And I wear makeup sometimes, and I dye my hair different colors even though technically we’re not allowed to...”

“Most of your friends dye their hair, don’t they?” Jinyoung asks. “Lisa’s hair has changed colors a couple of times since I met her, and I’m sure Mingyu’s hair isn’t naturally grey.”

“Yeah, well, when they see things like that, they automatically make assumptions about us,” Bambam says, rolling his eyes. “Obviously you can’t dye your hair and be straight.”

“You still spend time with them, though, right?” Jaebeom points out. “You’re in here a lot with the whole group.”

“I’m allowed to be out of the house for school and after-school activities,” Yugyeom says. “They let me join the dance club a few years ago because it was hip hop, which is more ‘masculine,’ I guess. But this year I’ve kind of been...pretending that I still go there and coming here instead.” He shrugs at Jinyoung and Jaebeom’s startled expressions. “It’s not like they came to my performances anyway, so they don’t know.”

“But that’s why you always leave at the same time every day,” Jinyoung says, everything falling into place. “So that you can get home in time.”

“And none of us are allowed to go to his house,” Bambam adds. “They can’t control who he hangs out with at school, but they sure as hell don’t let him be around us when he’s home. Which is why he never has birthday parties.”

Yugyeom swallows and tentatively speaks again. “They always say that they already lost one son to ‘the homouals,’ and they won’t lose another one.”

Jaebeom inhales sharply at that, and it hurts so much because Jinyoung knows he’s thinking about phrases he used to hear in his own youth. “God, Yugyeom, I’m so sorry.” Jaebeom reaches out and squeezes Yugyeom’s shoulder comfortingly. “I can relate to that a little bit, hearing things like that from your own parents, knowing what would happen if they ever found out the truth about you...”

“That’s the thing though,” Yugyeom says miserably. “I don’t even know if I’m not straight. I’ve always been too scared to even think about whether I see anyone in a more-than-friends kind of way.”

Jinyoung’s heart breaks for Yugyeom, who should be enjoying his teenage years and exploring his likes and dislikes, but instead has been forced to live in fear of his own parents. “You know what?” Jinyoung says, his mind suddenly made up, and everyone turns to look at him. “We’re throwing you a birthday party, Yugyeom.”

Yugyeom blinks a few times. “Huh?”

“You said they think you’re in the dance club still, right?” Jinyoung is determined now, and he looks around at the three of them intently. “So tell them you have an extra session for an upcoming performance or something.

Jaebeom nods, easily taking Jinyoung’s suggestion in stride. “That’s a great idea. We definitely have enough space for all your friends in the apartment.”

Bambam looks delighted by this plan. “You guys are the best!” he exclaims. “Yugyeom, you have to say yes. Imagine how fun it’ll be!”

“Well...” Yugyeom looks like he’s torn between saying yes and thinking about all the possible consequences.

“You don’t have to agree if you’re not comfortable with it,” Jinyoung says, sensing Yugyeom’s inner turmoil. “But I think you deserve a little bit of happiness. And if we can be the ones to give it to you, then we’re going to try to do it.”

Yugyeom is quiet for a few moments before he nods slowly. “Okay,” he says, and a smile starts to spread across his face. “Okay, let’s have a party.”

~~~

It’s been a slow day for business, and Jinyoung is in the middle of sorting through a box of new arrivals when a boy who looks around Yugyeom’s age walks in. “Welcome to JJ Paradise!” Jinyoung greets as usual.

The boy smiles tentatively at Jinyoung, his long hair falling over his eyes, but before Jinyoung can ask if he needs help finding anything, he disappears amongst the shelves, apparently already set on finding something. Jinyoung’s curiosity is piqued, but he decides to wait until the boy comes back and returns to his own task in the meantime.

The boy emerges about ten minutes later, his arms filled with a pile of at least seven or eight books. For a moment, Jinyoung is impressed by the relative ease with which he’s carrying the not-insignificant weight of all those books, but then he snaps back into shopkeeper mode. “Here, let me help you with those!”

“Oh, it’s okay!” the boy says insistently. “I can manage.”

“Are you sure?” Jinyoung asks, still a little concerned, but the boy smiles and nods reassuringly as he approaches the counter.

“Hi,” the boy says shyly. “My friend’s birthday is coming up, and he’s been coming here a lot recently, so I was wondering if you would possibly know if he’s read any of these already?” He holds out the stack of books, his eyes wide and hopeful.

Jinyoung smiles – there’s only one person the boy can be talking about. “I’m assuming your friend is Yugyeom?”

“Yeah,” the boy confirms, a smile blossoming on his face, and Jinyoung can’t help but mirror his expression. He thinks he can knowledgeably make a guess as to which one of Yugyeom and Bambam’s friends this is – he must be either Dongmin or Jungkook, since those are the only two Jinyoung has yet to meet. And considering that Yugyeom specifically mentioned how close he and Jungkook are, Jinyoung is personally leaning towards the latter.

“Am I right in guessing that you’re Jungkook?” Jinyoung asks.

The boy looks taken aback. “How did you know?”

“Yugyeom has mentioned you a lot,” Jinyoung explains, letting out a soft laugh at Jungkook’s pleased expression. “It was sweet of you to think of coming here to get him a gift.”

“Yeah, well.” Jungkook shuffles his feet, a bashful smile on his face. “He and Bambam keep telling me about how nice this place is, but I’m always busy with singing lessons and dance classes after school so I never get to come with them. Are you Jinyoung, or Jaebeom?”

“I’m Jinyoung,” Jinyoung says. “And you can call me hyung. I feel like I know you already from how much your friends mention you!”

Jungkook seems surprised to hear that his friends talk about him so much. “I hope it’s all good things,” he says, looking contemplative.

“Of course,” Jinyoung says reassuringly. “They always talk about how you have a lot of other commitments that you’re dedicated to, so I’m glad you finally made it here. Yugyeom will be so happy when he sees your present for him.” Jungkook beams at that, and despite only having interacted with him for about two minutes, Jinyoung is already soft for this boy.

“I know you probably don’t know everything he’s already read,” Jungkook says, “but I thought I would ask for your help anyway.”

“I’m happy to help,” Jinyoung says warmly. “I have a pretty good idea of what books Yugyeom has already bought, at least, so I can help you choose one that he definitely hasn’t gotten here.”

“Thank you!” Jungkook says happily. “I picked a bunch of different ones because I know he likes these kinds of books, but I’ll give him the two best ones.” Jinyoung is charmed by his enthusiasm.

Just then, Jaebeom walks in, cradling Cake in his arms. “Who’s this?” he asks, smiling politely at Jungkook as the cat leaps out of his hold.

Jungkook clears his throat. “Um, I’m Jungkook. Are you Jaebeom?”

Jaebeom grins. “Yes, and please call me hyung, you’re Yugyeom’s friend, after all! It’s nice to finally meet you, we’ve heard so much about you.”

“He’s here to buy a birthday gift for Yugyeom,” Jinyoung explains. “He’s picked out all those –” he gestures to the books – “and he wants to decide on the perfect two.”

“Wow, that’s quite a selection,” Jaebeom says, eyeing the stack and looking impressed. “You two must be pretty close.”

Jungkook nods, smiling again. “He’s my best friend,” he says. “I don’t get to spend that much time with him, though, because his parents –” He breaks off suddenly, looking uncertain.

“It’s okay,” Jinyoung says gently. “We know about his parents and their, um, their ideologies.”

Jungkook exhales, looking somewhat relieved. “They think me and him are too close,” he says quietly. “They like Bambam even less, but he’s better at defying people than I am, so he doesn’t care. It makes me feel like I’m a bad friend, but I just...don’t want them to be angry at him because he spends time with me.”

“You’re not a bad friend, Jungkook,” Jaebeom says firmly. “Yugyeom clearly loves being friends with you, and you obviously feel the same. And you’re only doing what you think is best to protect him, right?”

Jinyoung is surprised to see mild amusement mixed in with the grateful expression on Jungkook’s face. “I didn’t know what they all meant when they said that you two are our dads, but I get it now,” Jungkook says, smiling slightly. “Thank you, Jaebeom-hyung.”

“It’s no problem at all,” Jinyoung says, filled with affection. “Now, let’s help you find Yugyeom the perfect gift.”

Jungkook leaves half an hour later – after promising he wouldn’t miss Yugyeom’s birthday party for the world – with two books in tow and a smile on his face, and Jinyoung goes through the rest of the day feeling quite content.

“You’re looking happy today,” Jaebeom comments as they’re cleaning the dishes together that evening, a knowing smile on his face.

“I’ve been thinking about Yugyeom and Jungkook,” Jinyoung says, drying off the plate in his hands. “I’m glad they have each other.”

Jaebeom’s smile widens. “I thought it might be something like that. It’s sweet, how invested you are in making sure those kids are happy. You’re going to be the best dad when we have our own kids.” He kisses Jinyoung’s temple lightly as he hands him the next dish. “I love you so much, you know that?”

It’s amazing, Jinyoung thinks, that even after years of hearing it, he never gets tired of Jaebeom saying the same phrase over and over. “I love you more,” he says.

“Nope,” Jaebeom says, grinning. “I love you more.”

Jinyoung hits Jaebeom lightly with the dishcloth, laughing. “No, it’s me who loves you more!”

“Stop lying,” Jaebeom says, his eyes twinkling with humor. “We both know I love you the most .”

Refusing to let Jaebeom get the last word in, Jinyoung presses a sloppy kiss to his mouth to shut him up, which Jaebeom eagerly returns. When he pulls away, Jinyoung grins triumphantly. “I win,” he says.

Jaebeom just smiles indulgently, his eyes shining, and leans in again.

~~~

A week after his birthday party, Yugyeom comes into the shop alone for the first time since Jinyoung met him. “No one came with you today?” Jinyoung asks as Yugyeom readjusts his backpack.

“I’m, um, I’m meeting someone today,” Yugyeom says, fidgeting with one of the straps of his bag. “She’ll be here in a few minutes.”

Jinyoung is momentarily speechless. “Do you have a girlfriend?” he asks before he can stop himself.

Yugyeom immediately shakes his head. “No! Nothing like that,” he says hastily. “She – the entrance exams are over, but my grades still aren’t as good as they could be, so...”

He trails off, looking a little embarrassed, but Jinyoung understands now. “Ah, you found a tutor?” he asks. “Why are you trying to be so secretive? There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“I don’t know,” Yugyeom says, looking at the floor. “I guess it’s partly because it’s a little hard to tell all my friends that I’m struggling so much. But it’s also because I don’t want my parents to know because they, um, well, they won’t be happy if they find out I need extra help.”

Jinyoung sighs, trying to quell the familiar anger he feels when he thinks about the negative influence Yugyeom’s parents have been exerting over their son for years. Before he can think too hard about it, he’s pulling Yugyeom into a hug. Yugyeom exhales shakily, and Jinyoung feels him melt into the embrace before he hugs Jinyoung back.

“I’m sorry, Yugyeommie,” Jinyoung says softly. “You shouldn’t have to deal with this.” He pulls away and offers Yugyeom what he hopes is a comforting smile. “But just think about how worth it this all will have been once you graduate and move out.”

Yugyeom manages a little smile of his own at that. “Yeah,” he says. “Thank you, hyung.” He glances at the door. “Well, like I said, she’ll probably be here soon, so I’ll go set up everything. Could you tell her I’m in the cafe?”

“Of course,” Jinyoung says, and Yugyeom smiles gratefully before walking into the cafe. Jinyoung is left wishing he could do more to help the boy.

A few minutes later, a boy and a girl who look like they’re probably college students wander in, the boy clinging to the girl’s arm. Jinyoung wonders if the girl could be Yugyeom’s tutor, but Yugyeom hadn’t mentioned that there would be anyone with her, so he waits for them to approach him.

“Sooyoung, look at how cute those cats are!” the boy says, making grabby hands towards the corner where Junior and Nora are basking in the sun. “Let’s take pictures for Yerim!” He pulls out his phone with his free hand and takes a few pictures.

The girl, Sooyoung, sighs, looking like she’s used to this kind of behavior. “Hanbin, I’m sure she’ll appreciate it, but please try to remember why we’re here.”

Hanbin, Jinyoung thinks, his memory triggered. Before he can stop himself, he’s already talking. “Hanbin,” he says out loud, and both customers turn to look at him, startled. “Sorry,” he apologizes hastily. “I didn’t mean to overhear, but she said your name is Hanbin, right?” Hanbin nods slowly, and Jinyoung continues speaking. “Could you possibly be Jiwon’s –”

“Yes,” Hanbin interrupts, much to Jinyoung’s surprise. “I am Jiwon’s! And he’s mine.” Sooyoung clears in apparent warning, and Hanbin falters slightly. “Best friend, I mean,” he finishes lamely.

Jinyoung smiles at that. “Don’t worry,” he says reassuringly. “I’ve met Jiwon before, and he told me about you two already.”

Hanbin looks pleasantly surprised. “He did?”

“I told him about my boyfriend too,” Jinyoung continues, lowering his voice slightly, and the way Hanbin’s eyes light up in recognition makes the admission worth it.

“Oh!” Hanbin says. “You’re Jinyoung, the nice shop owner! Jiwon-hyung told me about how you helped him pick out the book he got me for our four-month anniversary.”

Sooyoung’s eyes widen. “Wait, that means this is the same store that Jennie and and Jisoo-unnie told us about, remember? I might actually pick up a book or two, since we’re here anyway.”

“What were you here for originally?” Jinyoung asks.

“Oh crap,” Sooyoung says, checking the time on her phone. “I’m late, that poor boy must be wondering where I am.”

“Who, Youngjae?” Hanbin asks, looking confused. Jinyoung is equally puzzled, because he had been sure Sooyoung was referring to Yugyeom.

“No, dummy,” Sooyoung says. “ You’re working with Youngjae, and I’m meeting Yugyeom. I’ll join you two after the tutoring session is over.”

“Yugyeom is in the cafe,” Jinyoung interjects, still a little lost. Sooyoung nods gratefully and gently pries Hanbin’s hands off her arm before walking off to the cafe. Jinyoung turns to Hanbin as she leaves. “And coincidentally, so is Youngjae, since you’re apparently also looking for him.”

“Thank you!” Hanbin says. “We’re both Youngjae’s classmates and we’re doing a project together, but Sooyoung already set up a tutoring session with Yugyeom today. But then Youngjae told us he works here, so we decided to just all meet here.”

“Ah, okay,” Jinyoung says, finally understanding. “Well, I’ll let you get to it then, and just let me know if you need anything else.” Hanbin nods enthusiastically before he runs off to the cafe too.

Jinyoung is left to reflect on the way this shop has touched the lives of so many of the people in the community who need it the most – it’s a really good feeling.

~~~

Jinyoung is at the counter, going over their budget for the month when two men walk in, looking determined. The sun is shining outside, but the air that follows them inside is cold enough to bite, and Jinyoung shivers a little, actively forcing himself to resist the urge to call out for Jaebeom to come over and hug him for warmth.

“Are you Jinyoung or Jaebeom?” one of the men asks.

“Um,” Jinyoung says after a stretch of silence, looking taken aback. Out of habit, he blurts out the usual greeting before addressing the issue at hand. “Welcome to JJ Paradise. I’m so sorry, but do I know you?”

“Mingyu, Minghao, and Seokmin told us about this place,” the same man explains. “Apparently they come here a lot.”

“Ah, some of my favorite customers who never buy any books,” Jinyoung says affectionately. Now it makes sense that these men know their names already.

“Yup, that sounds like them,” the second man says, nodding. “They told us this is like, a safe place to come.”

“Yeah,” Jinyoung says readily, because he’s gotten used to hearing that phrase. “I’m Jinyoung, by the way. Jaebeom-hyung is around here somewhere, probably playing with the cats.”

“I’m Jeonghan, and this is Jisoo,” the first man says. “Do you have any good tips for getting a boy to stop being dumb and realize that he’s the love of your life?”

Jinyoung blinks, taken aback by Jeonghan’s bluntness. “Uh, well –”

“Sorry about him,” Jisoo says, elbowing Jeonghan pointedly. “See, it’s just that there’s this guy who Jeonghan has been pining after since forever.”

“He’s my best friend,” Jeonghan interjects. “Besides Jisoo, of course.”

“Yes,” Jisoo says, rolling his eyes, but he looks fond. “The point is, this guy is totally head-over-heels for Jeonghan, but he’s somehow convinced himself that Jeonghan doesn’t like him that way.”

“He thought I was dating Jisoo, back in the day,” Jeonghan says, shaking his head. “The foolishness, honestly.”

“Hm,” Jinyoung says, considering the situation. He’s about to speak again when Jaebeom suddenly appears at his side.

“What’s this?” he asks. “A book club meeting I wasn’t invited to?”

“Even better,” Jinyoung says, smiling at Jaebeom’s confused expression. “We’ve turned into a dating advice center.”

“Oh, okay,” Jaebeom says, turning to Jeonghan and Jisoo. “What advice are we offering?”

“Well, Jeonghan here is having boy troubles,” Jinyoung says.

“You came to the right place,” Jaebeom says approvingly, looking unreasonably proud of himself. “Not to brag, but Jinyoungie and I are a success story if I’ve ever seen one.” Jinyoung can’t help rolling his eyes fondly at that.

“We know,” Jisoo says. “Mingyu said you two are getting married soon, that’s why Jeonghan begged to come here and talk to you.”

“I did not beg,” Jeonghan protests, affronted.

“Let me ask you this,” Jinyoung interrupts. “How do you know this guy, uh –”

“Seungcheol,” Jeonghan supplies helpfully.

Jinyoung nods gratefully. “Seungcheol, then. I don’t want to be cynical, but are you sure Seungcheol likes Jeonghan, you know, the way Jeonghan likes him?”

“Definitely,” Jisoo says confidently. “A few weekends ago, Jeonghan had to babysit his brother, but me and Seungcheol got kind of drunk together and he asked me why Jeonghan didn’t like him enough to date him.”

“Yikes,” Jaebeom says. Jinyoung gives him a look, just to let him know he isn’t helping, and he raises his hands in surrender, though he still looks a little amused.

“Ignore this one,” Jinyoung says, nudging Jaebeom in the side playfully. “This might be a little out there, but Jeonghan, have you ever thought about just...asking him out yourself?”

“But what if he was just saying things because he was drunk?” Jeonghan asks, frowning.

Jaebeom clears his throat and glances at Jinyoung, who sees the glint in his eye and knows exactly what he’s about to bring up. “You know, if it makes you feel better, I was drunk the first time I confessed to Jinyoung.”

Jisoo and Jeonghan both stare at them in shock. “You were?” Jisoo asks, amazed.

“I was too scared to do it sober,” Jaebeom admits, ducking his head bashfully. “Jinyoungie was really intimidating back in college. So I drank a bit and just...told him exactly how I felt.”

“How did you react?” Jeonghan asks Jinyoung, visibly eager to hear the response.

Jinyoung grins. “Well, I told him I was happy to hear it, but I was a little worried about how slurred his words were getting.” He still remembers the way Jaebeom’s whole face lit up when Jinyoung said he was happy about the confession. “So I gave him some water, and then told him to sleep and tell me again in the morning.”

“I woke up in his bed and remembered everything,” Jaebeom says. “I was absolutely mortified, even though it was actually pretty nice to wake up and find Jinyoung smiling at me.”

Jisoo and Jeonghan look enraptured. “What happened then?”

“He tried to leave, but I didn’t let him,” Jinyoung recalls. “We had been flirting with each other for months, at that point, and since he had already confessed first, I figured it was my turn. So I took his hand before he could get up and looked him in the eyes and said –”

“I really like you, Jaebeom-hyung,” Jaebeom murmurs. “I like you so much.” Jinyoung catches his eye and they share a private little smile, momentarily lost in reliving that magical moment.

“That’s so cute,” Jeonghan says in a hushed tone. “And you’re still together now, and you’re about to get married. Like, that’s the happy ending we’re all holding out for.”

“It hasn’t always been easy,” Jinyoung says honestly. “There have been a lot of times when we seriously wondered whether this was worth Jaebeom-hyung isolating himself from his family, or us having to set aside money just to get married somewhere where it’s legal. But then I look at him and I look at the life we have together, and I know I love him enough that getting to be with him is worth any price.” When he looks to his side, he finds that Jaebeom is gazing at him with so much love in his eyes that Jinyoung feels like he could drown in them.

“You’re worth it too,” he whispers. “Always.”

Jinyoung smiles before turning back to Jeonghan. “So my advice is, if you really like this boy, then tell him. Because it seems like he’s just waiting for you to do it.”

Jeonghan nods. “Okay,” he says, a determined look on his face. “Okay, I will.” He flashes Jinyoung and Jaebeom a grateful smile as he grabs Jisoo’s arm. “We’ll go buy a book now, but thank you so much. This was really helpful.”

“We were happy to help,” Jaebeom says cheerfully. “Just make sure that the next time you come here, you have a boyfriend named Seungcheol, okay?” Jisoo and Jeonghan both laugh and agree, and they leave the shop after buying a book with matching smiles on their faces.

~~~

“Jinyoung-hyung! Jaebeom-hyung!” Yugyeom’s delighted voice fills the shop, and Jinyoung has never heard him speak so loudly before, so he knows this must be something important.

Jinyoung arrives at the front of the store at the same time Jaebeom does, and they’re both startled to see a group of teenagers crowded in front of the counter. Yugyeom stands at the center, a piece of paper clutched in his hand and raised triumphantly over his head.

“What happened?” Jaebeom demands, and Jinyoung can relate – he wants to know what’s going on just as much

“I got in!” Yugyeom says, smiling so widely it’s a wonder his face doesn’t hurt. “I’m going to college!”

Jinyoung gasps out loud and automatically pulls Yugyeom into a hug. “Congratulations! I knew you could do it!”

Jaebeom joins them a moment later and ruffles Yugyeom’s hair affectionately. “We’re so proud of you, Gyeom!”

“Hey dads, aren’t you proud of the rest of us too?” Bambam asks, and Jinyoung looks over to see him pouting exaggeratedly as he holds out an acceptance letter of his own. Around Bambam, all his and Yugyeom’s usual friends, including Jungkook and Dongmin, who Jinyoung has only seen at Yugyeom’s party before this, are also beaming with pride and holding envelopes.

“You guys all got accepted?” he asks, his chest warm. All these kids just received one of the most important pieces of news in their lives, and they chose to come here and share the news with him and Jaebeom.

“Me, Bambam, and Minghao all got into the dance program we wanted,” Lisa announces happily.

“Seokmin and I are going to the same school too,” Mingyu says, wrapping an arm around Seokmin’s shoulders gleefully.

“The school I got into will let me do acting and also study another subject of my choice,” Dongmin says, smiling widely.

“I’ll get to live with Yugyeom,” Jungkook says, his eyes shining. “We got into the same place and we get to request our roommates.”

Jinyoung feels like he could cry of happiness looking at the beaming faces in front of him. “You guys are all going to accomplish so much,” he says, trying to keep his voice steady. “I can’t wait to hear about everything you do.”

“We’ll come back and tell you all about it,” Yugyeom promises. “How can we not keep our dads informed?”

“You better!” Jaebeom says, grinning. “We’ll be waiting to hear every detail!”

“Well, not every detail,” Jinyoung amends, and everyone laughs at that. “Some stories are probably better left untold. But please come visit us, okay?” They all nod enthusiastically in agreement.

“All right, kids, let’s take this into the cafe,” Jaebeom says. “I’m sure Youngjae will be happy to hear the news too.”

The group shuffles towards the cafe obediently, still laughing and chattering amongst themselves, and Jinyoung can’t stop smiling as he looks at Jaebeom once they’ve left. “You know, there are a lot of parts of our lives that aren’t easy to deal with,” Jinyoung says. “But sometimes I think that we’re really lucky, too.”

Jaebeom smiles softly at him and risks pulling him in for a brief hug. “Yeah,” he agrees, lingering for just a second longer than he probably should. “I think we really are.”

~~~

“Excuse me.” A woman’s voice drifts through the shop, and Jinyoung rushes out from the aisle he’s been restocking to greet the customer.

“I’m so sorry,” he says, trying to catch his breath. “Welcome to JJ Paradise, I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.”

Almost simultaneously, Jaebeom emerges from a different aisle with Nora in his arms. “Sorry to keep you waiting, what can I help you with?” he asks before gently placing Nora on the floor.

The woman looks between the two shop owners for a few moments in silence. She’s incredibly beautiful, Jinyoung thinks absently, but her perfect features are arranged into a carefully blank expression, not a flicker of emotion visible on her face. Jinyoung glances at Jaebeom, who just shrugs slightly.

“Are you –” the woman starts speaking before cutting herself off abruptly. “I’m looking for a specific kind of book as a gift.” She pauses, as if considering how to phrase her thoughts. “Let me put it this way. A friend of mine recommended this shop because you have a selection of, um, unusual romance stories.”

Jinyoung exchanges another glance with Jaebum and finds in Jaebeom’s eyes the same question lingering in his own mind. What does she mean?

Jaebeom clears his throat. “Would you mind being a little more specific?”

The woman purses her lips, like she’s thinking of a good way to make her request. “The friend I’m talking about, the one who recommended this shop, is Jennie Kim,” she says slowly, and Jinyoung thinks he might know where this is going. “She said she came here with her friend, Jisoo, a few weeks ago. And I wanted to find a book for my own friend.”

“Ah, okay,” Jinyoung says, his suspicions confirmed, and he meets Jaebeom’s eyes one more time, smiling faintly, before turning back to the woman. “Yes, we definitely have books that would be of interest to you.”

Relief floods the woman’s face and her neutral expression shifts into a little smile. “Thank you. Jennie said this place was safe, and so did Sooyoung, but you can never really be too sure...”

“We know what you mean,” Jaebeom says reassuringly, walking over to Jinyoung and placing an arm around his waist. Jinyoung leans into the touch automatically. “But you don’t have to, you know, hide in here.”

The woman eyes the hand on Jinyoung’s waist for a few seconds before nodding. “That’s good to know,” she says, sounding genuinely grateful. “It’s nice to have a place that’s – somewhere we can be ourselves.”

“Our door is always open,” Jinyoung says. He smiles and adds a little cheekily, “As long as the store isn’t closed, anyway.” It earns him a laugh from the woman and a fond smile from Jaebeom, which is a victory in itself.

“I’m Joohyun, by the way,” the woman says. “I have a feeling I’ll be coming here again in the future. There aren’t a lot of places where, well, I can let my guard down like this.”

“Nice to meet you, Joohyun-ssi,” Jinyoung says, returning her bow. “I’m Jinyoung, and my boyfriend is Jaebeom. Now, about the books you’re looking for, our selection is towards the back.”

“Thank you,” Joohyun says, offering them another smile before she walks in the direction Jinyoung indicated. She emerges a short while later with two books in tow.

“Did you find everything you were looking for?” Jinyoung asks as he rings up her purchases.

“These are perfect, thank you again,” she says. “I’m sure I’ll be back soon, Seulgi would love to see this place too.” From the way Joohyun’s expression softens just the slightest bit, Jinyoung assumes she must be talking about her girlfriend.

After she leaves, Jaebeom turns to Jinyoung, a contemplative look on his face. “So, is it just me, or have we had a lot of people in here calling this a safe place recently?” he asks.

“It isn’t just you,” Jinyoung says. “I’ve noticed it too.”

“It could be dangerous,” Jaebeom points out tentatively. “It seems like people are telling their friends that it’s safe for people like us here, but if word gets out to the wrong person...”

“We have to trust that it won’t,” Jinyoung says firmly. “You know from personal experience that you would never speak about anything like this to anyone you weren’t absolutely sure you could trust. And I’m sure everyone we’ve met feels the same way.”

Jaebeom relaxes a bit at that. “You’re right,” he agrees. “It’s kind of nice, in a way, isn’t it?”

Jinyoung smiles. “Knowing that our shop has managed to have such a big impact? It feels amazing. Like we’re making life a little easier for them, somehow.” He bumps Jaebeom’s shoulder with his own. “We’re doing a pretty good job, aren’t we? Us, with our shop and our babies.”

“We sure are,” Jaebeom says, laughing a little. “And soon we’ll have enough saved up to go out into the world and get married for real.” He draws closer to Jinyoung and brushes Jinyoung’s cheek with his thumb. “I’m counting down the days.”

Jinyoung catches Jaebeom’s hand with his own and squeezes it. “Me too. We’re almost there.”

They’ve waited almost a year now, but Jinyoung is willing to wait just a little longer. After all, the end result is going to be absolutely worth it.

~~~

Jinyoung is dusting the counter and Jaebeom is wiping down the door in preparation for closing when a tear-stained Yugyeom suddenly appears outside the shop. He looks devastated, his eyes so full of tears that it’s a wonder he was able to make it all the way here.

“Yugyeom, what’s wrong?” Jaebeom has the door open in a heartbeat, dropping the cloth in his hand in favor of taking Yugyeom into his arms and gently tugging him inside.

“H-hyung,” Yugyeom sobs, and it’s almost impossible to understand what he’s saying. “I – I c-can’t –” He stops abruptly, his crying so intense that he can’t get another word out.

Jinyoung is at his other side immediately. “Yugyeommie,” he breathes, pulling the boy into a hug. Yugyeom’s head finds Jinyoung’s shoulder and Jinyoung brings up a hand to Yugyeom’s hair comfortingly. “Shhh, it’s okay. We’re here.” He meets Jaebeom’s eyes over the top of Yugyeom’s head and they reach a silent agreement to bring the distraught boy upstairs.

“I’ll bring him some water,” Jaebeom says quietly once they have Yugyeom seated comfortably on the couch, Jinyoung’s arm securely around his shoulders. He squeezes Jinyoung’s free hand, then hesitates for a moment before kissing the top of Yugyeom’s head lightly and heading to the kitchen.

Yugyeom’s tears have slowed a bit by now, and he wipes his eyes, sniffling. “Th-thank you, hyung. You and Jaebeom-hyung, you’re always there for me when I n-need it...”

“No need to thank us, Yugyeom. We’ll always be here for you,” Jinyoung says firmly. Jaebeom returns with a glass of water and sits on Yugyeom’s other side. “You don’t have to tell us anything specific if you don’t want to, but you aren’t hurt or anything, are you?”

“No,” Yugyeom says hurriedly. “No, it’s just –” He breaks off, fresh tears spilling from his eyes.

“Take your time,” Jaebeom says soothingly, handing Yugyeom the water. “Here, drink this first.”

Jinyoung meets Jaebeom’s gaze and exchanges a worried look with him as Yugyeom takes the glass gratefully. When he’s finished drinking, Yugyeom puts the glass on the coffee table and takes a deep breath. He seems calmer now. “I had to get out of there,” he finally says quietly.

“Did something happen?” Jinyoung asks carefully.

Yugyeom sighs and nods slowly. “Jungkook came over today,” he says. “My parents weren’t supposed to be home until later, so we thought it would be okay.” His voice starts trembling again as he continues. “We were in my r-room and it was just – I was only brushing some hair off his forehead, because it’s so long, but then –” He stops, taking a few deep breaths, and Jinyoung rubs his back comfortingly, even though his heart is aching because he knows what’s coming next. “They came home,” Yugyeom whispers, looking at Jinyoung with broken eyes. “And they saw us.”

“Yugyeom,” Jaebeom says softly, taking Yugyeom’s hand. “If they hurt you –”

“They didn’t touch me,” Yugyeom says. “Th-they made Jungkook leave, and then they were just saying s-such horrible things, like how I’m a disappointment just like M-Mark-hyung, and I’m worthless and I’ll never be able to do anything with my life...”

“None of those things are true,” Jinyoung interrupts, unable and unwilling to hear any more. He does his best to contain the rage boiling inside him as he speaks. “You’re so wonderful, Yugyeom. You work so hard, you dedicated yourself to getting into a good school and you did it. And we care about you so, so much.” He barely registers that there are tears rolling down his own cheeks until Jaebeom brushes one off his face. “You’re like a son to me and Jaebeom-hyung.”

“We’re so proud of you,” Jaebeom adds, squeezing the nape of Yugyeom’s neck lightly. “And even if things seem impossible at home, you’re always going to have us. We’re always on your side, okay?”

Yugyeom nods, his eyes watery. “I...thank you. I love you both.”

“We love you too.” Jinyoung hugs him tightly, only to be joined by Jaebeom a moment later, and they stay like that in silence for a while.

“I’m tired,” Yugyeom eventually says, rubbing his eyes, and Jinyoung takes in the dark bags under his eyes for the first time since he got here.

“Well, you’re staying here tonight,” Jaebeom says, leaving no room for argument. “I have some clothes you’ll probably fit into, and you can shower before you sleep, if you want.”

“Do you want to eat anything first?” Jinyoung asks.

“I just want to sleep,” Yugyeom says, shaking his head. “Can I shower tomorrow?”

“Of course you can,” Jinyoung agrees. “Whatever you want.”

Once Yugyeom is settled in the guest bedroom and Jinyoung and Jaebeom have finished fussing over him and tucking him in, they return to the living room.

“I’ve had enough of those – those monsters,” Jinyoung snaps after a few seconds of silence. “Look at how much he’s suffering, hyung. He doesn’t deserve any of this.”

“I know he doesn’t, Jinyoungie,” Jaebeom sighs, his voice heavy with regret. “I want nothing more than to go give those despicable people a piece of my mind. But you know why we can’t.”

“It’s not fair,” Jinyoung whispers, collapsing on the couch, defeated. “My whole life, I’ve wanted to be a parent, even though I knew it was going to be hard because of my uality. And there are people like them who are privileged enough to become parents easily, and they behave like this. Like the lives of their kids don’t even matter.”

Jaebeom sits next to him, wrapping him in his arms and kissing his temple softly. “We are going to be parents one day, Jinyoungie. I promised you. And our child is going to be the most loved kid in the world.” He takes one of Jinyoung’s hands and presses a kiss to Jinyoung’s knuckles. “And in the meantime, we’ll do our best to protect Yugyeom. It’s only a couple more weeks before he graduates.”

“It’s still too many weeks,” Jinyoung says, leaning into Jaebeom’s embrace. “I can’t wait until he never has to see those terrible people ever again. I know he’s strong, but he shouldn’t have to be.”

“I know,” Jaebeom says, holding Jinyoung more tightly. “We’ll see how he’s feeling in the morning and go from there, okay? Maybe we can figure something out for the next two weeks to prevent him from seeing them unless he absolutely has to.”

“Okay,” Jinyoung whispers, burying his face in Jaebeom’s neck. “I just want him to be okay.”

“He will be,” Jaebeom promises. “We’ll make sure of it.”

~~~

Jinyoung is left alone in the shop one morning, because Jaebeom is out taking the cats to the vet. He’s entertaining himself by the counter when a man walks in, only to stop short, staring at Jinyoung with wide eyes.

“Welcome to JJ Paradise,” Jinyoung says slowly, wondering what’s wrong.

“Whoa,” the man says, blinking. “You’re beautiful. Like, really gorgeous.”

Jinyoung is frozen, unsure of how to react.

Customers flirting with Jaebeom is familiar territory. It actually used to bother him a bit, back when they first opened for business, but he’s come to terms with it over the years. Because really, who wouldn’t be at least a little attracted to Jaebeom, with his shining eyes, his perfect nose, his flawless skin, the piercings that decorate his ears and face, the hair he’s recently started pulling into a cute little ponytail atop his head? (Jinyoung didn’t fall in love with Jaebeom for his looks, but they’re certainly one hell of a perk, and even after all this time, it’s still embarrassingly easy to get caught up in thinking about Jaebeom’s face.)

But customers – especially male customers – flirting with him is something Jinyoung doesn’t have experience with at all. “Oh,” he says belatedly. “I – thank you?”

“So cute,” the man says, looking delighted, and Jinyoung is genuinely at a loss. Fortunately, he’s saved from having to reply by an interjection from a second man, who must have walked in without Jinyoung noticing.

“Come on,” the man sighs, looking both fond and exasperated. Jinyoung can relate – he’s adopted the same tone while speaking to Jaebeom too many times to count. “Leave the shopkeeper alone, Jackson.”

Jackson? Jinyoung thinks. There’s only one Jackson that he knows of, and it isn’t exactly a common name, so he takes a risk and addresses Jackson’s companion tentatively. “Sorry, but could you possibly be...Mark?” he asks.

The man’s eyes widen. “Uh,” he says. “H-how did you –” He pales slightly, glancing uncertainly at Jackson, and Jinyoung rushes to clarify himself.

“Yugyeom has mentioned you a lot!” he says hastily. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to –”

“You know Yugyeom?” Mark interrupts. He looks a little less startled, but there’s still some surprise etched on his face.

“He’s my favorite customer,” Jinyoung says honestly. “He comes here three or four times a week.” Belatedly, he remembers to introduce himself. “I’m Jinyoung, by the way.”

“Yugyeom, reading?” Jackson asks. “That seems...unusual.”

Jinyoung wonders how long it’s been since the last time either of them were able to actually speak to Yugyeom. “Are you in contact with him much?”

Mark sighs. “If he’s talked about me, then I guess you must know that I got kicked out a couple of years ago.” Jinyoung nods, trying not to let his anger show on his face. “Since then, I’ve tried to get in contact with him, but those people changed his number and they monitor his social media accounts.” It doesn’t escape Jinyoung’s notice how Mark refers to his parents, and it’s clear that Mark holds no regard whatsoever for them.

“I’m sorry,” Jinyoung says, and he knows it’s a hollow apology, but he feels like he has to offer something to this man.

“How...how is he?” Mark asks tentatively. “He must have just graduated recently, right? I wanted to go, but I don’t know what those people would have done to him if they saw me there. Knowing them, they’d probably try to pin the blame on him, somehow.”

“They weren’t there, actually,” Jinyoung says, and both Mark and Jackson look intrigued by that. “Jaebeom-hyung and I went because we wanted to support Yugyeom, and they were nowhere in sight.”

“That was nice of you,” Jackson says. “Who’s Jaebeom, though?”

“Oh, he’s my boyfriend,” Jinyoung says, and it’s really nice, the way the reputation of this shop has evolved to allow him to say that so comfortably.

“You attended my brother’s graduation with your boyfriend?” Mark asks, looking a little stunned.

“I’m not sure how to explain exactly how we got so close to him,” Jinyoung says. “I could tell you the whole story, but –” He swallows and looks between Mark and Jackson. “But maybe you would prefer to hear it from Yugyeom instead.”

Jackson reaches out to squeeze Mark’s shoulder comfortingly as Mark exhales shakily. “Do you mean – ?” Mark breaks off, looking at Jinyoung imploringly.

“I have his number,” Jinyoung says. “And I know he’s free right now.”

Mark blinks rapidly, his eyes becoming a little watery, and Jackson speaks up for him. “Please...please call him, Jinyoung. It’s been so long.”

Yugyeom bursts into the shop fifteen minutes later, windswept and panting. “M-Mark-hyung,” he manages to say. “Where is he?”

“Yugyeommie,” Mark whispers, and Yugyeom starts crying as he and Mark embrace for the first time in years.

“You’re here,” Yugyeom says like he’s still trying to convince himself this is real. “You’re really here, Jinyoung-hyung wasn’t making it up.”

“I’m really here,” Mark says, sounding equally disbelieving. “And so are you. You’re so grown up.”

Jinyoung starts to feel like he’s intruding, so he walks into one of the aisles to give them a little more privacy. Jackson seems to have had the same idea, because he follows Jinyoung. “Thank you for doing this,” he says quietly. “Mark always talks about how he’s glad those people are out of his life, but I know it’s been killing him inside, being away from Yugyeom for all this time. I never knew how to fix it.”

“It’s been tough for Yugyeom too,” Jinyoung says sadly. “He’s rarely talked about his brother, to be honest. I think it hurts him too much to think about. Hopefully this helps both of them.”

“It’s funny,” Jackson says. “We came to this shop because –”

“You heard it was safe,” Jinyoung guesses, smiling a little at Jackson’s surprised expression.

“Yeah, exactly,” Jackson confirms. “And it seems like it’s true.”

“I’m glad you think so,” Jinyoung says. “Jaebeom-hyung and I didn’t intend for this shop to become what it has. But it kind of took on a life of its own once people started spreading the word about it.”

“I think it’s good that it did,” Jackson says thoughtfully. “It gives us all a sense of community, you know? It’s reassurance that there are other people like us out there. That we’re not alone in this.”

“That’s...that’s really beautiful,” Jinyoung says, feeling a little overwhelmed. “Thank you, Jackson.”

Jackson shakes his head, smiling. “No,” he says, and Jinyoung thinks of Yugyeom and Mark hugging each other, thinks of all the smiling faces he’s seen because of the safety this shop has provided. “Thank you.”

~~~

“Don’t you think this is a little bit extreme?” Jinyoung asks. “I get that this is a surprise, but a blindfold seems like too much.” Ten minutes ago, Yugyeom and Bambam had pounded on the door of Jinyoung and Jaebeom’s apartment, demanded that they come downstairs, and proceeded to blindfold them and push them into a waiting car driven by Youngjae. There have been no indications of where they’re going since then, except an assurance that the destination is a surprise.

“Shh, we’re almost there,” Bambam says, dismissing Jinyoung’s concerns easily.

“Just let them have this, Nyoungie,” Jaebeom says, his voice coming from Jinyoung’s left. “We trust them, right?”

“Yes,” Jinyoung says. “But that doesn’t mean I like being blindfolded and driven to mysterious places by them.”

Jaebeom laughs at that and Jinyoung feels Jaebeom’s hand slide on top of his own. He leaves it there, and Jinyoung is immediately more at ease.

“We’ve reached!” Yugyeom says cheerfully as the car stops. Jinyoung feels his hands helping him out of the car and leading him somewhere.

They walk a short distance, and Jinyoung can hear the sounds of a door opening and closing, followed by a few hushed whispers. A moment later, the blindfold is removed, and he’s momentarily left wondering whether there was another blindfold, because the place, wherever they are, is pitch black.

Suddenly, the lights are switched on, and there’s a loud chorus of voices. “SURPRISE!”

Jinyoung has to stare for a few seconds before he understands what he’s seeing. The room is filled with people, all familiar and friendly faces, and Jinyoung instinctively reaches towards Jaebeom, whose hand is already reaching toward him too. He clings to Jaebeom’s hand tightly and tears up as he looks around, taking in the scene.

In the middle of the largest wall, there are two big banners that read “Thank you, JJ Paradise!” and “Happy Anniversary!” decorated with little drawings of books and surrounded by balloons and streamers. There’s an arch of flowers in front of something that looks like an altar with a seating area in front of it. A long table sits in the center of the room, loaded with food and drinks, and in the corner there’s a little enclosure which contains –

“Are those our cats?” Jaebeom asks, amazed. “They brought them here too. Who – who did all this?”

Yugyeom steps forward, smiling. “We all did.” He gestures to all the people in the room, and for the first time, Jinyoung takes in who exactly is present.

He sees Mark and Jackson, sees Hanbin, Jiwon, and Donghyuk standing by Seungyoon, Minho, Seunghoon, and Jinwoo, sees Doyoung and Jaehyun, sees Jisoo and Jennie with Joohyun, Seulgi, and Sooyoung, sees Youngjae and Daehyun waving at him from their spot by Younghyun and Wonpil, sees Jeonghan arm-in-arm with Seungcheol with Jisoo on his other side and Seokmin, Mingyu, and Minghao clustered around them, sees Bambam, Lisa, Dongmin, and Jungkook next to Youngjae, and of course, Yugyeom at the center of it all. It’s everyone who’s been to the shop over the last year, everyone who’s been impacted by their little bookstore.

Jinyoung doesn’t even realize he’s crying until Jaebeom is brushing a tear off his cheek gently with his free hand. “You guys did this for us?” he manages to ask.

“You’ve done so much for all of us,” Bambam says. “We thought it was our turn to do something for you.”

“These kids have crazy connections,” Seungyoon says, stepping forward. “Jiwon asked me when your anniversary is because some guy in one of his classes asked about it.”

“It was Seungcheol,” Jiwon reveals. “Because one of his teenager friends wanted to know.”

“These brats told me to ask,” Seungcheol says, gesturing to Minghao, Mingyu, and Seokmin.

“Yugyeom and Bambam wanted to make sure we held the party on the right day,” Mingyu says with a shrug. “And I figured someone older would probably know.”

“This is amazing,” Jaebeom says, and he sounds like he’s close to tears too. “Seriously, all of you –” he looks around the room, trying to smile through water eyes “– from the bottom of our hearts, thank you.”

“I think we should be saying that to you,” Joohyun says firmly. She raises the glass in her hand as Yugyeom hurriedly hands Jinyoung and Jaebeom glasses of their own. “Thank you for everything you and your shop have done for us. To Jinyoung and Jaebeom!”

Everyone repeats the toast and takes a drink, and Jinyoung feels Jaebeom squeeze his hand. He meets Jaebeom’s eyes and can’t help the smile that spreads across his face. “Can you believe this?” he whispers.

“Not even a little,” Jaebeom replies, lifting Jinyoung’s hand to kiss it. “But if it’s a dream, then it’s a really amazing one.”

“We haven’t even gotten to the best part yet,” Youngjae says eagerly, snapping them back into reality. “You see, we all heard that a certain couple has been saving up money to get married somewhere.”

There’s a flurry of movement as everyone takes out what looks like envelopes, passing them along to Youngjae. “Wait,” Jinyoung says slowly. “What are you –”

“We decided that instead of wedding gifts, we would give you something you want even more,” Yugyeom explains. “So everyone pitched in and, well, I think you should probably have enough for your dream wedding and your dream honeymoon.”

“This is too much,” Jaebeom says, sounding flabbergasted. “We couldn’t possibly accept –”

“Jaebeom,” Minho says. “You deserve this, man. Both of you do.”

“Thank you,” Jinyoung says, because he doesn’t know what else he can say. “Thank you, thank you all so much.”

“One more thing,” Jungkook says. “We also kind of planned a ceremony for you. Even though none of us will be able to be there for the real thing, we still want to support you on your big day. That’s why we brought the cats, so they could be here too.”

“Oh my god,” Jinyoung chokes out as he realizes that the arch and altar he spotted earlier are exactly what he thought they were. “Are you serious?”

“As long as you want to do it,” Wonpil says. “Then absolutely.”

“Yes,” he and Jaebeom say simultaneously, looking at each other through teary eyes.

And then Jinyoung is being walked by Yugyeom towards Jaebeom, who’s waiting for him with Seungyoon, gazing at him like he’s the only person in the room. They’re both crying as they join hands and Youngjae reads the ceremony off his phone.

“Jinyoungie,” Jaebeom says when it comes time to recite their vows, and Jinyoung thinks he’s never loved the way his name sounds rolling off Jaebeom’s tongue more. “You’re my whole world. I thought I would have to wait a lot longer to marry you, and I would have been willing to do it, too. But the fact that we’re closer than we’ve ever been to the real thing...I can’t wait to call you mine and be yours forever. I love you now and always, in this life and the next.”

“Jaebeom-hyung,” Jinyoung says, taking a deep breath. “My Jaebeommie. I first fell for you two weeks after meeting you, and I never stopped. I can’t believe we made it here, after all this time waiting and longing for it, but now I’m ready to go into the future together, wherever it takes us. If I have you, I don’t need anything else. I love you, Im Jaebeom.”

Lisa helps Jinyoung take his engagement ring off the necklace chain so Jaebeom can slide it onto his ring finger after they finish their vows. Jinyoung knows he’ll have to take it off again later, but right now, nothing has ever felt so right.

“You may now kiss the groom,” Youngjae declares once the rings have been exchanged.

Jaebeom wastes no time sweeping Jinyoung into one of the most spectacular kisses of his life. When they finally part to catch their breaths, Jinyoung can hear the cheers from all their friends, but he can only see Jaebeom and his beautiful smile. He leans in again automatically, smiling against Jaebeom’s lips and feeling truly, inexpressibly happy.

Finally, he and Jaebeom are one step closer to their very own paradise.