SH: Are you excited? :D

Dae: Why?

SH: For the date silly! >.<

It wasn't for another three days, but Seunghyun had it all planned out. In light of how their last date had ended, he had decided it was time to up his game, he had cleared this level so leveling up only made sense. He was bursting to tell Daesung about it, but it was supposed to be a surprise. That way it would be more romantic. He had reserved the place last week and had even taken a couple of lessons, just so that he wouldn't ruin everything with his clumsiness. He really didn't get why his body insisted on embarrassing him repeatedly with its inability of moving as smoothly and cool as he intended.

Why did it always take him forever to learn all those pesky dance steps when the others seemed to have danced their way out of their mother's wombs, nothing standing in their way? Why was it that things kept falling apart in his hands and only his hands? He did exactly the same as everyone else, yet he was the only one that ended up with pieces of what used to be a whole. He didn't get it. Perhaps it was a curse that had followed him from a previous life.

Luckily, after some initial growing pains, the lessons had gone better than expected. He was proud of himself, bursting with confidence, sure that things would go his way three days from now. Absolutely positive. His heart jumped. Three days. He could hardly wait, trying to force the time to go faster by pestering poor Daesung, teasing him with messages whenever he got a free moment between photo shoots.

Dae: What! How do you know BoA asked me out?!

SH: Ha ha, very funny Xp

Dae: You don't believe me? ㅠㅠ

Seunghyun was pretty sure Daesung was pulling his chain, not even in a parallel universe would BoA ever ask him out. Unless. Daesung had been doing quite a lot of solo activities lately. If they met through those and she experienced first hand the sunshine that he projected, that warm feeling he unwittingly planted in your gut, making even the most horrible of days seem pretty alright, fantastic even, she wouldn't be able to help it. It would just happen. At first without her suspecting a thing, thinking he was just really nice to be around. Then she would start to notice his absense, wishing that she could always have him by her side, just as friends of course. Anything else would be ridiculous. But then, little by little, the denial mountain she had built would come crumbling down. Daesung was like a river, having it rush by was refreshing at first, but then the continuous movement of the water started to wear the riverbank down, cutting at its very foundation until it had no choice but to fall into the river, head first, unwillingly being carried away by the strong currents, having no idea where it would end up or what the future had in store for it.

He couldn't keep the doubt away, it had managed to squeeze through the cracks of his heart's armor. It was a good thing he didn't become a blacksmith, since the armor he had built was apparently not worth more than two cents. He knew it would come out as idiotic and insecure, but he had to ask. He had to know for sure.

SH: She really asked you out???

Dae: No, but it could happen! I've got charm ^-^

SH: Oh, do you now.. >.<

Dae: I do!! You know I do! :p

SH: Not sure that I do.. ^.<

Dae: YA!!

SH: Ok.. charm me then...

By the way that the staff was staring at him with surprise painted all over their faces, Seunghyun realized that he was giggling out loud in anticipation, smiling like a schoolgirl swooning over her crush. He tried to compose himself a little, but Daesung's next message didn't help one bit.

Dae: 

SH: That's called a bodygag, not charm!! XD

Dae: Ok, ok, hang on...

Seunghyun dried his eyes carefully before the tears of laughter had a chance to materialize, he couldn't risk ruining his make up. They were adjusting the lighting and then it would be time for the next shoot to start. Aigoo, that Daesung was just too funny, tickling his insides even when he wasn't there.

Dae: The night sky holds a million stars that all twinkle to their own tune. I have made my body dance to them all, yet your tune is the only one that makes my heart dance.

SH: Seriously, do you ever read anything other than the YG bathroom walls... ?!

Dae: kkkkkkkk aish.. busted... kkk *^^* >.<

“Seunghyun hyung..”

Ah, he was planning to add some snide remark, since it was such a perfect opportunity for some covert flirting, but the junior photographer was calling him. It would have been like taking candy from a baby with Daesung still vulnerable from being caught in the act. It would take him a while to close those heavy iron doors to his impenetrable fort, built to keep everyone out. But every once in a while Seunghyun managed to steal a sneak peek into the sweet paradise that lay within. This would have been an opportune moment to try and use his foot as a doorstopper, but maybe it was just as well. He shuddered to think what it would feel like to have a ton of metal squishing his foot as the closing door hit it. Oh, how he longed to visit that magical place, but the guards wouldn't grant him a visa, not even for a day.

“Seunghyun hyung, what's up with you today? Your poses are good as always, but it's like there is nobody home in your eyes.” the junior photographer complained.

Seunghyun had never had as much trouble concentrating on a shoot, trying all his usual killer looks but every single one of them came up short. He mentally kicked himself as he thought about asking for a tiny break, just so he could check his messages real quick. That would calm him down and let him regain his focus. He was sure he left his concentration somewhere in his and Daesung's kakao chatroom, that was at least the first place he was going to look.

“Take five everyone, then let's try this again!”

Score! He kind of had to pee, but still he headed in the direction of his phone. There was no way he would have time for both, so he was just going to have to hold it. He grabbed his phone like an addict would reach out for a syringe, he just needed one hit, a little something-something to get him through this frustrating day. Ah! His eyes found the kakao icon, that bearer of good news, telling him he had a new message. Of course it could be from anyone, but he had a feeling he knew from whom it was.

A grin snuck onto his lips. His hunch had been right.

Dae: Omo, omo! You're not going to believe what just happened!!

Dae: Oh, you're not there?

Dae: Ah, I'll tell you anway..

Dae: Minzy just asked me out! :o

Seunghyun snorted at how bad Daesung was at flirting. Once caught, you had to change tactics. He at least wasn't going to fall for the same trick twice, he wasn't born yesterday!

SH: Aigooo *shakes head*

Dae: No, hyung, I'm not kidding. I know it's hard to believe because of my joke before, but she really asked me out. It was actually kind of super cute >.<

Dae: She pulled me aside and said she had had a crush on me for a couple of years already. Years, hyung, years! :o

Dae: Okay, she said a 'tiny' crush, but a tiny crush is still a crush!

He could feel as his blood vessels contracted, his blood slowly turning into ice. It didn't really sound like a joke anymore. It wasn't even that unbelievable. He had often caught Minzy's eyes sneaking a glance at Daesung when she thought he wasn't looking. And he hadn't been looking, he didn't have a clue, but Seunghyun was always looking and it didn't take a genius to put two and two together. She was obviously interested in him. He had never told Daesung of his suspicions though, since he also knew that Daesung wasn't completely immune to Minzy's charms. He just figured that if they wanted to be together, that they would have to figure it out for themselves. He was not getting involved. He knew it was selfish, but he didn't care. He was not going to be the one to stomp on the tiny candle of hope he had lit for himself.

SH: And.. what did you say?

Dae: I just told her the truth :)

SH: Which is?

The truth. How he longed to know Daesung's truth. What was he thinking? What was hidden in his heart? Was there a soft girly sofa waiting for Minzy to take a load off, making her life easier by sharing her burdens, or was there a manly chair waiting for Seunghyun to take charge and fill up that empty space? He honestly didn't know. Daesung was sending all kinds of mixed signals, he felt like he was slowly losing the ability to read them. It was like Daesung had changed from hangul to hanja, making it impossible for him to understand what he was trying to say.

“Type faster!” Seunghyun whispered at his phone through clenched teeth. He had to return to the shoot, but he was itching to know his answer. But it took too long, he couldn't keep everyone waiting. Instead, he used his anguish to his advantage, letting his pain pay the bills. If it was going to take up permanent residence inside him, the least it could do was pay rent.

“Wow! Amazing! Seunghyun sshi, you have outdone yourself! Beautiful! So soulful and mysterious, I'm speechless!” the photographer was in seventh heaven after the shoot, having finally gotten what he had been looking for. “Perfect!” he exclaimed as he reviewed the last few shots, “I think we're done for the day.”.

Seunghyun didn't waste a second, fishing his phone out of his jacket pocket. His heart was beating uncomfortably fast.

“Open, you stupid program, open!” he grumbled at his phone, not having the patience to wait for another nanosecond. He needed to know.

Dae: That I was super flattered, but that I was dating someone at the moment ;)

Seunghyun read it a thousand times. And then a thousand times more. He told her he was dating someone. Someone. And that someone was him. He let himself fall into the chair before him, imagining it was the manly chair that was hidden in Daesung's heart. It was his chair now.