“Hello everyone!” Jongdae greets.

“Hello!” Yixing and Minseok say in unison.

“Welcome back to Love House. Last episode, we had our first matching session and one couple went to the Love villa.”

The three of them clap enthusiastically.

“Jongdae and I are very excited to see what will happen this week and Yixing is on cloud nine.” Minseok smiles at Yixing, who’s barely holding back a smile.

“They’re just too cute and their chemistry is amazing.” Yixing says.

“Kyungsoo and Jongin have great chemistry.” Jongdae nods. “We’ll have to wait and see how this weekend together treats them. We saw some awkwardness in the beginning, but I think they could move past that.”

“I think it’s normal, especially when you find yourself all alone with this other person.” Minseok says.

“True. However, Xing don’t be too happy yet. There are three weeks left and a lot can change.” Jongdae mentions.

“If the other seasons are any indicators, then that’s true.”

“You guys can’t let me dream. God.”

• - -

Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo is happy.

Maybe because of the overall environment and because he’s having a good time with Jongin. Away from everything.

Maybe because of the few glasses of wine he had.

He doesn’t know, but he’s happy.

Dinner came and went, and they found a bottle of wine that they did not hesitate to open as they ate some strawberries for dessert. They were sitting on opposite sides of the couch at first, but somehow they got closer with time. Kyungsoo stopped overthinking things long ago.

He’s here to enjoy the moment and see if they have a connection, and that’s exactly what he’s going to do.

It’s easy to talk to him, it’s easy to laugh with him.

Everything feels so easy and nice, and maybe that’s the alcohol speaking, but Kyungsoo doesn’t think so.

Jongin leans against the couch, his hair falling over his face, almost covering his eyes. Kyungsoo feels a sudden urge to run his fingers through it. On a normal day, he would probably think it’s too soon, but his fuzzy and clouded brain couldn’t care less. So, he reaches out and runs his hand through the other man’s hair.

It’s as soft as Kyungsoo imagined it to be.

“I need a haircut.” Jongin then says. He doesn’t move, however, Kyungsoo can tell he stopped breathing for a moment.

“Really? I think it looks good this long.” Kyungsoo chuckles. “Most rockstars have long hair, don’t they?”

Jongin laughs. It’s deep and contagious and Kyungsoo realizes he likes it a lot. “I’m not really a rockstar.”

“Well, you would look good even if your hair was longer.” Kyungsoo shrugs.

There’s a moment of silence.

“Then I’ll let it grow more since you like it.” Jongin smiles.

Kyungsoo narrows his eyes playfully at him. “I’m sorry sir, are you flirting with me?”

“I don’t know. Are you flirting with me?”

“Maybe.”

“Then maybe I am too.”

Kyungsoo giggles. “Silly.” Although he feels silly, too. What even was this conversation?

“That I am.” Jongin nods. They stare at each other for a few minutes. It’s a comfortable silence.

“Do you know about the four-minute stare?” Kyungsoo questions and Jongin frowns, apparently confused at the change of topic.

“What?”

Kyungsoo laughs. “The four-minute stare experiment. Apparently, some experts, I don’t know, don’t quote me on that, made random people tell each other personal things, or ask each other questions.” Kyungsoo then frowns. “I don’t remember… the thing is afterward, they had to stare into each other’s eyes for four minutes and after that apparently, they would feel closer to each other… or in love, one of the two.”

“So, if I look into your eyes for four minutes, you’ll fall for me?” Jongin raises an eyebrow.

“Allegedly, but that would also mean you’ll fall in love with me too.” Kyungsoo smiles.

“Sounds weird. Let’s test it.” He sits up.

Kyungsoo laughs. “Why? Are you trying to get me to fall for you?”

Jongin blushes a bit, however, the wine seems to pump boldness through his system. “Isn’t that the reason we’re here?”

“Okay, I see… first you have to tell me something personal. Something not many people know.” Kyungsoo smiles, lifting three fingers. “Tell me three things, and I’ll do the same.”

Jongin hums as he thinks about it, his eyes gazing at the ceiling as he looks for this information. “I always tell people I’m allergic to onions, but in reality, I just don’t like them. I think I might be addicted to the feeling of getting a tattoo… and… I’ve written five songs that nobody has ever heard because they’re too personal.”

Kyungsoo blinks. He wasn’t sure exactly what he was expecting. He smiles as he thinks of his own facts to tell. “Hmm… I love onions and mayonnaise.” He giggles. “Opening my restaurant was the scariest thing and also the greatest thing I’ve ever done in my life. It’s been four years since my last relationship.”

Silence.

“Now what?” Jongin leans closer and his voice comes out more like a whisper.

“Now we stare into each other’s eyes.” Kyungsoo quickly grabs a kitchen timer, setting it up and returning to his original position. “Four minutes.”

“Can we blink?”

Kyungsoo laughs. “Of course… unless you can look at me without blinking for four minutes.”

Jongin tries his best, but it isn’t long until his eyes are all watery and he has to blink again. “I can’t.”

“Hmm… I figured.”

Neither of them says anything after that. They just stare into each other’s eyes. Jongin’s eyes are deep, and despite his appearance, they’re quite innocent. So much curiosity and life in them. He likes Jongin’s eyes a lot. A moment later, he can see Jongin’s cheeks blushing. It’s adorable. He stays silent to avoid breaking the moment.

Four minutes doesn’t seem like too long, but it feels like forever.

“You’re smiling.” Jongin whispers.

“Am I?” He doesn’t take his eyes off of his, but his hand reaches out for his own lips. Indeed, there’s a smile there. “Why are you looking at my lips? You should look at my eyes.”

“I’m looking at your eyes…” Jongin chuckles.

Kyungsoo hums, sliding closer to the other man. “We’ll see.”

Jongin’s entire face turns red then. Kyungsoo likes that he has this effect on him. He likes the way his eyes are looking back at him. He likes that he can feel Jongin’s chest rising and falling irregularly, and before he knows it, his own heart is racing.

Is this what he’s supposed to feel?

Did this mean he was in love with Jongin?

The timer goes off eventually, however, neither of them move.

“Time’s up,” Jongin says.

Kyungsoo hums.

Neither of them breaks eye contact. They’re glued to each other.

“This is a dangerous experiment.”

Kyungsoo nods. “I think so too.”

Very dangerous indeed.

…

The next day feels different.

As they make breakfast and hang out in the living room together. Kyungsoo learns more things about Jongin, about his sleeping habits, about his childhood and teenage years, about what he wants to do with his tattoo shop, and where he hopes to take their band. In return, Kyungsoo tells him about his dreams and aspirations, about his life growing up too, about his friends.

Jongin has a few funny band stories.

Kyungsoo exposed his parents a time or two.

And it becomes so easy. To talk to each other, to spend time together, to close the gap between them when they sit on the couch.

Thinking about how this weekend started and how awkward it was, to the way he can now simply laugh with Jongin and drink wine and be silly and have fun.

They watch the sunset together and when it’s time to leave, Kyungsoo realizes he’s sad about it. Having to get back to the house with the others with these feelings would be a challenge for him. However, they still have a few weeks left of the show.

This could be a one-time thing. Things could change.

Right?

When they set down their bags back at the house, they’re surprised to find everybody in the living room. They look like they were waiting for them. Baekhyun smirks as they walk past the entrance. Sehun is the first to throw his arms around their shoulders.

“Welcome back! How was it?” He asks, guiding them towards the living room.

Kyungsoo and Jongin exchange a look.

“Was it that good huh?” Baekhyun says, his eyes are sparkling with amusement.

“It was nice.” Kyungsoo shrugs Sehun’s arm away. “We had fun.”

Jongin simply nods.

“Well, tell me everything. I’m so curious about this place.”

Chanyeol, who had been silent all this time, also nods. “First things first, right?”

“Oh! That’s right, you guys have to meet the new guy.” Baekhyun claps excitedly.

Both Kyungsoo and Jongin frown.

The new guy?

Just as Kyungsoo’s about to ask, another person enters the living room from the backyard. He’s wearing a swimsuit and his black hair is dripping wet. He glances up at them and instantly smiles as if he had known them his entire life.

“Oh! You guys are back. I’ve heard a lot.” He walks over, wiping his hands with the towel he’s holding before shaking theirs. “I’m Kim Junmyeon. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m-”

“Kyungsoo, I know.” He then glances at Jongin. “And you must be Jongin.” The way he smiles at Jongin makes something in Kyungsoo’s stomach turn.

“He arrived just as you guys left.” Baekhyun mentions.

“Ah, well, it’s nice to meet you.” Kyungsoo smiles.

“Oh, no, the pleasure is all mine.”  

....

Twitter: @VanillaNini1