Today was the day. Reality arrived at this point, and Kyungsoo needed to face it. Today was the day he was meeting up with Jongin to go to the café. Jongin hadn't talked about it since school resumed from winter break, not even during or after their tutoring sessions. A few days ago though, he texted Kyungsoo, asking if this Saturday was okay for him. The text itself was short and to the point, and Kyungsoo felt that texting-Jongin aligned with in-person Jongin that time. Kyungsoo gave an enthusiastic confirmation, and now he simultaneously checked the address Jongin had sent in GPS while picking out some clothes.

A casual hangout between two acquaintance/getting-to-know-each-other-still/tutor-tutee people. Yeah.

Excitement shook Kyungsoo like a motor, and he bounced from his closet to his phone GPS to the mirror in his bathroom. After his fifth pace to the mirror, he shut his bathroom door, dropped his phone on his bed, and focused on picking his clothes. 

Kyungsoo wouldn't dress too fancy, but since he was leaving the house and the destination wasn't school for once, he decided that he could dress in the new clothes that his mom got him from holiday present part two. He took out his new blue and gray sweater and a pair of jeans, setting them on his bed before poking his head out of his room.

He had to ask his mom for permission, but he didn't think that getting a yes would be too hard. She was always telling him to go out more and have fun. 

Sounds clattered in the kitchen, so he moved down the hall and to the kitchen. He perched his chin onto his mom's shoulder and watched her slice up pieces of raw beef.

"Morning, Mom."

"It's noon, hon," she chuckled.

"Oh, right. Mm, Mom, can I go out today?"

She whipped her head towards him, her eyes wide, in a grin.

"Where to?"

"A café in a place called Hua Plaza. We haven't been there before, but it's apparently really good."

"Alright. Are you taking the car? Who're you going with?"

Kyungsoo lifted his chin up and put his hands on her shoulders, hesitating.

"I don't think I'll need the car. It's not that far."

"And who're you going with?"

"...Jongin-shi."

She gasped and nudged him with her elbow.

"The pepper classmate?"

"Yeah... He wanted to get me boba for helping him with school."

"You said no at first, didn't you?"

"Yeah..."

"But he convinced you?"

"Yeah... Well, I also did want to become friends with him, and I thought hanging out with him outside of school would help."

"Of course! When're you going? Are you meeting up with him there or here? Will Mom be able to meet him?"

"Mom, we're not friends friends yet. We're still so awkward," he whined. He usually never used that tone, but being with his mom let him be a little more playful. "We're meeting there, so Mom probably won't meet him today."

"Mom will see him next time then. And Kyungsoo, That's why you hang out with them more to become comfortable. Don't worry, my little penguin. He'll want to be friends with you."

"I hope so..."

She nudged him with her elbow again. "No doubts! Go get ready to meet your soon-to-be friend, Kyungsooie."

Humming his okays, he moved back to his room to change. He was meeting Jongin at a bus stop outside of their neighborhoods. He gathered his keys, wallet, made sure his hair was combed in place, and texted Jongin that he was on his way to the bus stop.

"Don't forget your coat, Kyungsoo!"

"Okay!"

He smiled at the reminder and grabbed his coat, pulling on his shoes. His mom came out from the kitchen and messed up his hair from the way he liked it while combing her fingers through it. Just as he was about to complain, she pulled out a couple of money bills from her apron.

"I have some leftover money from the groceries."

"That's grocery money. This is have-appropriate-and-school-age-fun money."

"Mommm. Thanks, Mom." 

He kissed her cheek, slipped the money into his wallet, and waved before leaving the house. The January air refreshed him as he walked out of the neighborhood. The breeze didn't blow, setting the world in crisp, undisturbed cool air. Winter was Kyungsoo's favorite season for taking a walk, and it brought a skip in his step as he sat down at the bus stop bench. He checked his phone and saw Jongin had texted that he would be there soon, so he waited, watching a few clouds float by in the sky. He was watching one that looked a little like a hedgehog when he leaned back to stretch. His right arm knocked into something, and he turned to see an ear. After moving his arm a little, he saw who it was and jerked back.

"Jongin-shi! Sorry. I didn't see you there."

Jongin blinked his left eye where Kyungsoo had accidentally touched him and rubbed it, turning to look at Kyungsoo.

"Hi."

"H-Hi."

"Your jacket's really soft."

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I picked it because it's soft. It's also pretty warm."

Jongin nodded and looked back out at the street. As the air settled into silence again, Kyungsoo glanced over at his tutee. He wore a black blazer, ripped black jeans, and a patterned scarf wound snug around his neck. His shoes were Converse style, checkered in red, gray, white and black, matching his scarf. He looked good in casual clothes.

Kyungsoo turned away and resisted the urge to slap himself for that thought. Everyone looked good in casual clothes. He was simply reacting to seeing Jongin wearing something other than a school uniform. This had to be normal. Right?

He didn't have time to argue with himself because he heard Jongin shift and turned to see if he wanted to say something. Jongin paused a little when he turned, as if he hadn't expected Kyungsoo to notice him.

"The bus to Hua Plaza is number two-six-one. It should be here in eight minutes."

"Okay, sounds good."

Watching the clouds again, Kyungsoo didn't feel that the wait took that long, and he hopped up from the bench as the sighs and rumbles of a bus neared. While pulling out his wallet for bus change, Kyungsoo snuck a glance at Jongin. His eyes narrowed and his mouth pressed together in a frown of disgust. When the bus stopped and he stood, Kyungsoo saw the defeat trudging in his footsteps. He turned to the bus driver. 

"We'll take the next one." 

The bus driver nodded and closed up the doors, and Kyungsoo waved at the diesel smell before turning to a wide-eyed Jongin.

"You looked sick before we even got on the bus, so we can just walk instead. It's not too far, right?"

Jongin took a second to shake his head. He looked away, and his hand reached to rub the inside of his elbow. "Was it that obvious?"

Kyungsoo couldn't help but chuckle. 

"Just a little. But only because I already know that you get motion-sickness. I like winter walks anyway. It's this way, right?"

Jongin pointed in the opposite direction, and Kyungsoo puffed out his cheeks.

"Nevermind. That way."

He scuttled past Jongin in the correct direction to hide his facepalm. After a few steps, he walked slower for Jongin to catch up to him, but he didn't come up. Kyungsoo looked behind him and saw Jongin walking a whole cement square behind. He was staring ahead too, and only looked at Kyungsoo when he had turned to look. Kyungsoo stopped and so did Jongin, and Kyungsoo didn't get it.

"Why're you so far away?"

His eyebrows shot up.

"What?"

"Why're you walking like there's a shopping cart in front of you? Come here."

Confusion swam through his eyes, but he walked up to Kyungsoo's side.

"That's better. And now we walk."

He started back down the path, and this time Jongin kept in step with him. Mostly. A few times Jongin trailed behind him again, and each time Kyungsoo would stop and wait for him to realize and catch up next to him. They didn't walk close enough to accidentally bump into each other, but Kyungsoo felt like his presence hovered close to him. Maybe it was because Jongin stood a whole head taller than him or his mostly-black outfit contrasted against the white road. They didn't speak much, only a question and answer about the directions every now and then.

Once, while nearing an outlet, Kyungsoo saw Jongin peeking in through a shop window, so he backtracked instead. Jongin had stopped at a car and bike shop, and inside, an employee hoisted two motorbike engines in their arms. Kyungsoo remembered that Jongin had wanted to be a mechanic when he was younger and that his mom was good at fixing cars. He smiled a little at how intently Jongin watched the employee and watched with him. The employee was wiping the machinery with a cloth when they looked up and in their direction. Jongin's shoes scuffed the sidewalk, and he made a polite bow before walking back down the road. Kyungsoo gave a polite nod and went to catch up with his tutee.

The slightest hint of pink colored Jongin's face. Kyungsoo couldn't stop all the teases that popped into his mind, but he gave Jongin the benefit of the doubt and pretended that the cold must have been nipping at him.

The last few blocks, Jongin pointed out more directions. They took a side alley shortcut, walked around someone's backyard fence, and came out at another road. After another minute, the plaza opened into view. Hua Plaza was small—six or seven stores huddled together at the end of a restaurant supply center, and its welcoming sign stood hidden behind a tangle of burly branches. In the spring, when the trees leafed out, the sign would probably be completely covered. The parking lot was mostly empty, save for a few cars at the far end, which Kyungsoo guessed belonged to the employees. 

Jongin led them to the store called 'Stay Mallow,' pushing open the doors for them both. The chime of a bell and the tinge of sugar, tea, and soil in the air greeted Kyungsoo as soon as he walked in. Devil's ivy coiled along trellises that acted as walls and booth dividers. When Kyungsoo peeked at one of the plants, he saw that they sprouted from troughs of soil built into the walls. Some troughs were filled, some empty, and others looked like they had been recently dug up.

The counter greeted him second. No one was in sight, but Kyungsoo could see teas steeping in the kitchen. A long chalkboard hung above, various drinks and snacks listed and drawn on it. Another smaller chalkboard sat on the counter, advertising the day's special, which was a fried chicken bite dish. Jongin stopped at the counter and looked at Kyungsoo.

"We order first, then go up when it's ready."

Kyungsoo gave him a deadpan look then remembered that he wasn't Yuwon or Jongdae and reset his expression.

"I know how cafés work. I have been to places other than home and school."

Jongin blinked at him before a small smile pulled up his lips.

"Like the city library?"

Kyungsoo sputtered out a laugh, perhaps a bit louder than was polite in a public place, but he hadn't expected Jongin to joke along with him. Jongin didn't seem to mind though, because he laughed too.

"I've also been to grocery stores and local markets. So what do you think is good here?"

"I can answer that," a different voice said.

They both turned, and Kyungsoo nearly jumped when he saw an employee at the cash register. He hadn't seen or heard the person walk up to the counter.

"My bad. Did I scare you?"

"Uh, no, it's fine."

Pointing up at the chalkboard, the employee smiled, and so did his eyes. His smile wrinkled his temples in a joy, genuine and friendly, and Kyungsoo found himself smiling too.

"My personal favorites are the fruit teas and today's special, fried chicken bites. I can get you a free sample if you want to try it first."

Kyungsoo nodded because free food—no need to say anymore. The employee disappeared for a moment before reappearing with a basket of chicken bites, all stabbed with toothpicks.

"No one has allergies, right?"

Kyungsoo shook his head, popped one into his mouth, and hummed his approval.

"Tasty?"

"It's so fresh. The chicken flavor is retained wthin the fried batter but not overly oily. Crunchy and not dry. It's really good."

"Why, thank you. I batter and fry these myself."

"Really? They're fantastic. Jongin-shi, try one."

Jongin took one, chewed on it, and nodded. His expression didn't change too visibly, but Kyungsoo could see the way his eyes lit up at the bites.

"Do I not get a compliment from my favorite customer? I'm hurt."

Kyungsoo looked between the two and raised an eyebrow, not holding back his surprise as Jongin's eyes widened.

"They're good."

"Wow. Two words. It's like we're back to when we first met again." The employee clutched his chest in pretend hurt and turned to Kyungsoo. "Between typing and pointing at what he wanted, the only words this kid would say to me was 'change, please.' Imagine the joy I felt when that got upgraded to 'keep it.'"

Kyungsoo covered his mouth and laughed. He could imagine Jongin doing exactly that.

"I get what you mean."

"What's the first thing he said to you?"

"He told me to wait."

The employee's eyebrows shot up, and he put a hand to his mouth.

"Oh my."

"Joonmyeon hyung, not like that."

Jongin put out his hand to swat the employee's, but he dodged out of the way.

"What're you thinking about, Jongin? I was just thinking how aggressive that could have been."

"I wasn't... Was I?"

Jongin turned to Kyungsoo, curiosity and a tad of worry in his eyes. Kyungsoo brought up his hands in a frantic wave.

"No, no, no! Uh, no, I just wasn't expecting you to ask me the thing afterwards."

"My, my. Please keep this conversation PG-13 for the kids."

Jongin shot a look at the employee, and Kyungsoo watched the irritation crinkle Jongin's features. He didn't see that often, even when tutoring him and the math specially tripped him up, because this irritation also had the snicker of playfulness.

"It wasn't like that, Joonmyeon hyung."

"See, when he gets like this, you just give him a coupon, and he'll be placated." Joonmyeon pushed the chicken bites towards them. "Consider this your coupon."

"Is that really okay?" Kyungsoo asked. "Will you get in trouble if we take the whole thing?"

Joonmyeon smirked at Jongin then gestured at Kyungsoo.

"You're way too considerate. Jongin, if I could tell from within a minute of meeting this guy, then you must just be dense."

Jongin snatched up the basket, rumpling the paper at every corner not touched by chicken bite, and walked deeper into the café.

"Don't worry. He's just finding a table for you two."

Kyungsoo nodded, though he wasn't entirely confident in Joonmyeon's statement. Jongin had done something similar during the math meeting before, though the atmosphere hadn't been amicable then.

"So what can I get you?"

Joonmyeon made a big gesture to the menu, and Kyungsoo glanced through it before settling on a red bean milk tea. He handed him a few bills but Joonmyeon waved it away.

"Don't worry about it. Jongin's going to pay."

"...He is?"

"Yup. He told me to not let you pay."

"When?"

"Hm, two or three days ago?"

That meant that Jongin had started finetuning their hangout since Kyungsoo confirmed the time and day. He didn't know if Jongin had been as excited as (if not more than) Kyungsoo or if he was just a careful person, but he appreciated the effort Jongin put into their hangout. Kyungsoo also secretly felt relieved that he hadn't been alone in his excitement.

"Friend of Jongin, what's your name?"

"Ah, sorry. I forgot introductions. I'm Do Kyungsoo."

"Kim Joonmyeon. Don't be sorry. The mutual person between us is usually the one who's supposed to do the introductions," he chuckled, and Kyungsoo noticed that Jongin had told him that phrase before on a few ocassions.

"You're his tutor, right? How's that been working?"

"It was rocky in the beginning, but now he'll even tell me what he needs help with on his own. He's doing really well."

"That's pretty amazing. That kid hates math with a passion, and if you managed to get him to pass, you're pretty amazing too."

Kyungsoo shook his head and covered his heating face.

"I'm really not. I'm just doing my job."

"Last I heard, the high school math club doesn't have payroll."

He had to concede to that.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yes, Joonmyeon-shi."

"You can call me hyung too if you want."

He chuckled, thrumming his fingers on the counter. His smile slackened, as if its joy was running out, but he looked back up to Kyungsoo, and it returned, even the ones in his temples.

"Are you sure you don't want the tapioca pearls? Because I can let it slide under the counter."

Kyungsoo wondered what Joonmyeon hyung was thinking of, of what could cause his smile to fade then change his mind. But he saw that Joonmyeon hyung's offer was genuine, and he would respect him if he didn't want to say anymore.

"Well, if you put it like that, then please put one scoop."

"Oh, so you are secretly sneaky?"

"Only because you offered."

He chuckled and gestured for Kyungsoo to head to the table area. Kyungsoo was surprised to see most of the seats filled, a laptop or a book or a spread of papers on almost every table. There hadn't been that many cars in the parking lot, but maybe people walked to the café more than they drove here. Stay Mallow must have been a popular study spot.

Kyungsoo maneuvered around the tables and booths until he came to the very end of the building. Jongin had claimed the last free table near a window and was tapping something on his phone. Kyungsoo walked up to him, and he paused, looking from his phone to Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo felt a buzz in his pocket and pulled out his phone. He saw that Jongin had texted him directions for their table, and he laughed a little.

"I got your text." He flashed his phone screen at Jongin. "But wow, this place is really full. I wouldn't have been able to tell from the parking lot."

"It's close to a university, so the college people just walk here." He picked up a chicken bite. "I'm going to go order."

Kyungsoo hummed an acknowledgement and sat down near the window. Cold seeped out from the glass, and he guessed that that was probably the reason this table had been unoccupied. He kinda liked it though. It prevented him from being stifled by the heat pumping through the building. He could just move his jacket to cover the leak if he got too cold.

As he waited for Jongin to return, Kyungsoo munched on chicken bites and looked around the café. Little flowers were painted along the walls, chairs, and tables, and fairy lights and lamps floated above the tables and on the ceiling. He pulled up his plant identification app and tried scanning the one painted in his corner of the table. The app recognized it as a variety of mallow flowers, and Kyungsoo nodded in approval that the decorations didn't just use a random flower to fit the plant theme of the store.

Just then, his phone buzzed from a text from Jongdae, and he tapped it open.

He chuckled at his best friend's panic and typed out his reply.

Kyungsoo jumped as his phone vibrated in his hands with an incoming call and quickly swiped to accept.

"Hello?"

"KYUNGSOO, WHAT DO I DO?"

"Jongdae, this really isn't a hard decision. You want to help her with homework?"

"Yes..."

"Then you go help her with homework."

"But you know how I have feelings for her! And emotions are magnified by a million for qiao'uyi! What if I do something really bad?"

"Like?"

"Like... I confess. I don't want to do that yet. I want to make it special."

Just then, Jongin came back with a tray full of food and drinks. He rearranged the baskets, set Kyungsoo's red bean milk tea near him, and sat down. Kyungsoo told Jongdae to wait and turned to Jongin to tell him that he would be fast, but Jongin pointed at Kyungsoo's phone and waved for him to go on. He nodded his thanks and turned back to the phone call, a little surprised at Jongin's preempting, though he knew that there was no reason to be surprised.

"Are you busy right now?" Jongdae asked. "Did I call at a bad time?"

"Uh, it's not too bad. But back to your dilema. If you don't want to confess, then don't, but if it feels right, then shouldn't it be okay?"

"Mmeh, I don't know. I can get kinda impulsive because of my emotions."

"Oh, I know about that."

"Kyungsooooo."

"Then think about it this way: when you feel like you want to confess, are you doing it because you want her to like you, or are you doing it because you want to actually start dating?"

"...I don't really get what you mean."

"Are you confessing because you want to know her response, or are you confessing because you're ready to date her? I know that you don't want to just tell her your feelings to get them off your chest, and I know that you said that you want to be with her in the future, but if you're not ready, then you shouldn't take that step yet. If you did take that step, and she was ready, but you back out, that wouldn't be fair to her, right?"

The line was quiet for a moment, and Kyungsoo waited for Jongdae. It had to have been a full minute before his friend spoke again, his voice wavering.

"What if I don't ever feel ready? Or what if I'm wrong, and I'm not as ready as I thought?"

"I don't think you'll be wrong. You always ask me beforehand, like right now, and I trust that you'll take my advice, her feelings, and your own judgement into consideration. And I'm sure that confessing can be scary, but being unafraid isn't what I mean by ready."

Kyungsoo thought for a moment in Jongdae's silence.

"I'm giving you my opinion, and it's up to you whether you agree or not. I'm not telling you what ready is, because I think that'll be different for everyone."

Jongdae didn't respond for what felt like a while. Kyungsoo stared down at his coat, waiting for his friend. The next sound he heard through the phone was a shuddering breath.

"Okay. Y-you'll be there when I feel ready, right? I don't think I could do it alone."

"If that's what you want, then yes. One-hundred forty percent."

Jongdae let out another sigh, this time in relief.

"Thanks, Kyungsoo."

"Of course. When're you meeting with her?"

"In an hourish. That's why I was freaking out, and Min hyung's been busy with work so I didn't want to call him. So... what're you doing right now?"

"Me? I'm out right now."

"WHAT?"

Kyungsoo jerked his phone away at Jongdae's volume, rubbing his ear and switching hands.

"Don't shout like that. It's not on speaker phone."

"Sorry. I was just surprised that you're not at home. You said your mom was home for the weekend, and you always spend every moment you can with her. Oh, wait, are you guys grocery shopping?"

"Well, yeah, I do. But no, we're not. She's at home. I'm out with..."

He glanced at Jongin, who was nose-deep in stirring up his drink to get the jelly pieces at the bottom, before whispering into the phone.

"I'm out with Jongin-shi."

"WHAT?!"

His phone almost flew out of his hand as he jerked it away from his ear again.

"Jongdae! Stop that!"

"Sorry! It's just— How did—" Then his friend chuckled evilly into the phone. "So not just tutor-tutee, eh?"

"For your information, that is entirely fine with me."

"Oh, is it?"

He could hear the suggestive tone in his voice, and worse—he could see in his min