Part Two

Minho had gotten a head start at retouching Taemin’s pictures and his annoyance with the guy’s manager had him putting extra effort into them. The way Chulsoo had been looking at the pictures and seemed unconvinced that Minho could match the professional standards of distribution and publication had triggered him quite a bit and he was putting his all so he could shut him up with the end results. It wasn’t something personal; he wanted the manager to understand the effort that went into it and acknowledge the difference it made to the quality of pictures. It wasn’t something simple as pulling up a photo editing app and adding a filter, which was what his skeptical gaze seemed to convey.

But Minho had to admit Taemin’s pictures were good even without retouching. He was good-looking; he had poise and grace; he carried himself with air, and he knew what worked for him. All of that was captured in the pictures and Minho decided to not delete the pictures that didn’t make the cut and keep them untouched. He would share them separately with Taemin, just in case he’d like to keep them. They seemed too good to delete without at least being viewed by him.

His phone pinged, and it was a message from Seonho in the group chat. She was asking them to gather to help Joseph with the surprise he was planning for his mother. Minho didn’t have much to do that night so he was about to reply that he’ll come but Jieun’s message had popped in right then, saying that she was on her way.

He sighed, pocketing his phone and calling it a day at work. As he packed up, a part of him really wanted to go. He wanted to see her. He wanted to ask for another chance. He wanted to tell her that he didn’t care if she was seeing someone else. He was going to do everything he can for her in his limits and wait until she had a change of heart. Tell her that he wouldn’t even mind if she never did. That was exactly the conclusion he had come to when Seonho had taken him out to cheer him up. He didn’t want to give up easily this time. He wanted to try more. Take it to the end.

That was why he was waiting at Jieun’s workplace the very next day so he could talk to her in person. But she had stepped out with Namjin and Minho couldn’t move from his spot.

Because they looked happy. Jieun looked so happy. It was the smile he had missed for so long, the laugh he had cherished and fallen for. And then he remembered the expression she had made when he had confessed to her. She was disappointed and angry. He had made her feel that way. Back then and even now. And he realized then that his determination to passively pursue her, to tell her he would be at her dispense, waiting for her… it was so wrong.

At first, he’d felt that he was wronging her, but now that he had thought it over countless times, he had realized that he was wronging himself too. Not only would it burden Jieun, but seeing her happy with someone else when he still hoped to be with her in the same way… would be so cruel to his own self. It would hurt folds more than the time she had rejected him. He would get his heart broken every day… or many times in a single day.

Sometimes he felt it would be worth it if his efforts paid off and she came back to him.

But sometimes he felt he was just wasting himself away for a lost cause.

He sighed as he finally finished packing up. His mind was a mess again. He needed a distraction, but nothing seemed to work. He needed a place that wouldn’t remind him of Jieun, but it seemed impossible because every place he knew was one he had been to with her. He needed company, but his friends were Jieun’s too and he didn’t want to see her in the unresolved state that he was in. See them and end up saying and doing something that would cause a rift between all of them.

He could ask and hang out with his sisters but then he immediately retracted that thought. They were doting, and he loved them but they were too nosy and noisy. And as much as Minho tried to keep his love life private, they always got every detail out of him in one way or the other.

They knew about Jieun and that they had broken up before. Though they knew he still liked her, they didn’t know he had gotten rejected by her again. They would definitely make a great deal out of it. One would start consoling him, one would get angry on his behalf, one would about it and one would tell him to be lighthearted and practical about it. And collectively they would decide he had to move on right then and they would try setting him up with someone. Or worst, dare him to ask out the first girl that walked into the bar. They had done it before. Minho wasn’t denying that it hadn’t helped him last time, but this time, it hurt more and all of that… it would be hella chaotic and Minho just wasn’t in the mood for all that. He needed to process and accept it at his own pace. In his own way.

He sighed and stepped out of the elevator, getting reminded that he could grab dinner with Doyoung, but saw his message that he was out of town with his girlfriend this week. He was crossing the lobby when he saw someone familiar in the small cafe that was in the building. Taemin. He was still dressed in the clothes Minho had photographed him in and he was reading something calmly yet intently. A server had replaced his empty plate with a steaming cup of coffee and Taemin had thanked him with a polite smile before continuing to read again.

Minho probably should have just walked away. He had no reason to approach Taemin, especially when he probably won’t see him again. But spotting him had brought back what his manager had said.

Are you seeing him?

Minho entered the cafe and looked around a bit before he approached Taemin’s table and sat across from him.

Taemin had looked up from what he was reading—Minho noticed it was a travel magazine. He lingered on that intriguing detail for a moment before he looked up and gave him a small smile. “Do you mind if I sit here?”

“You are already sitting there.” Taemin sighed as he went back to his magazine.

“I just wanted to ask something–” Minho stopped because the server had greeted him and handed over a menu card. Minho ordered some pasta and when the server had left he continued. “So, I wanted to ask you something.”

“What?” Taemin asked in a bored voice, not looking up still.

“Your manager asked me if I’m seeing you.”

Taemin looked up then, and Minho sensed the shift in his demeanor.

“Is that why you asked me not to talk to you?”

Taemin took a minute to answer. “Yes. If I am nice to any guy, my manager is quick to assume I’m ing him. Sometimes he’s right, but it doesn't change the fact that he’s a damn bigot.”

“You…” Minho was startled at how carelessly frank he was, “You could have just denied it, but you just explicitly came out to me. You’re a celebrity, is that fine?”

“Maybe not. But if you wanted to be considerate, you shouldn’t have asked in the first place.”

He was right. Minho hadn’t actually thought this through when he had decided to approach him. He was just acting on an impulse and that question had been just an excuse. He felt a bit gutted. This was a new low for him. Seeking distraction and company from a complete stranger. Acting on a whim.

“Honestly,” The server had returned with his food and when he was gone, Minho turned to look at Taemin again and decided to be honest, “It was just an excuse to speak to you.”

“Why? Are you into me?”

Minho furrowed his brows in amusement “No.” He decided to take that lightheartedly. “I just wanted company… for a bit.” He sighed as he twisted the fork to round up some spaghetti on it, “A brief escape… from my thoughts.”

Taemin had finally picked up his cup of coffee, his eyes still on his magazine as he said, “I hope it worked.”

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