“He’s going to graduate in eight months you know?” Youngmin reminds Jeongmin for the thirtieth time this week as if Jeongmin doesn’t know that.

“Yes, I know exactly when he’s going to graduate thank you so much for reminding me again." But it’s not easy confessing to someone that’s always surrounded by upperclassmen. “They’re intimidating.” Jeongmin says in a hushed whisper, then flopped onto his desk, “Why are you even in this class? You’re only a first year!”

“Lee Jeongmin if I hear you talking one more time you’re going to learn algebra 2 in the principal’s office, I doubt you want trouble on the first month of school.” Mrs. Park shouts from the front of the room, not even looking up from drawing an equation on the board.

“Yes ma’am.” Jeongmin grumbled, he can hear Youngmin sniggering beside him.  

~

“Hyunseong’s going to graduate in eight months dude, what are you still waiting for?” Jeongmin gives Minwoo a deathly glare, and contemplates whether he should flick his mash potatoes into Minwoo’s eyes.

“I swear to god if one more person reminds me when Hyunseong is graduating one more time I’m going to-”

“Hyunseong?” Kwangmin places his try on the table and sits across from Jeongmin, “Isn’t he graduating in like, eight months?” Jeongmin makes a noise of distress  and buries his head into his crossed arms.

“Yes. Yes, Hyunseong is graduating in eight months.” Jeongmin mumbles. He repositions his head on his arms so he faces his side, taking a peek at his crush for two years, who was sitting about two tables away.

Hyunseong was part of the soccer team, the same team as Youngmin. Although Youngmin has no athletic abilities, the team was in danger of being shut down due to lack of members, always overshadowed by the football team. Jeongmin would sometimes watch them, saying he’s there only to cheer Youngmin on, but really, everyone knows he’s there in hopes of striking a conversation with Hyunseong.  

Donghyun, a student teacher and high school graduate they’ve befriended, walked over to Jeongmin and looked over to Hyunseong also, “Looking at him again? Isn’t he graduating in about eight months?” Jeongmin glowered at Donghyun and wondered why he hasn’t made any new friends.

Jeongmin gave his friends one last scowl then picked up his tray to throw it away. Jeongmin knows he should confess to Hyunseong before he graduates, but he doesn’t know how. Lost in his thought’s Jeongmin bumped into a very strong chest, splattering milk all over himself and the latter.

“, I’m sorry.” Jeongmin hissed.

“Ah, it’s okay.” Jeongmin looked up after hearing the familiar voice that is Shim Hyunseong. Crap.

“H-Hyunseong! I’m really really sorry, I wasn’t look where I was going and I-” Jeongmin was frantically trying to wipe the milk stained jacket, while quickly apologising. Hyunseong chuckled at the younger.

Hyunseong grabbed Jeongmin’s wrist to stop his wiping, “I said it’s fine, it’s only on my jacket. I think you need to be cleaned more than me,” He gestured toward Jeongmin who was equally as soaked. Hyunseong took the napkins from Jeongmin’s hands and started slowly patting his uniform,”If you go to the principal’s office you can probably ask for another shirt.” Hyunseong suggested, still focused on cleaning his shirt.

Jeongmin can hear his group of friends wolf whistling at him as he slightly blushed at the close proximity between him and Hyunseong. Is this the right time to confess?

“Hyunseong I-”

“There,” Hyunseong swiftly tossed the napkins into the trash and gave Jeongmin a small smile, “Your uniform should be fine. I’ll see you at gym okay?” Jeongmin nodded as he watched Hyunseong walk away toward his group of friends.

Oh yeah, gym. Hyunseong and Jeongmin have the same gym period and they would sometimes talk while changing in the locker rooms. That is if Jeongmin can distract himself from looking at Hyunseong’s toned abs.

~

Jeongmin changed slower than usual, waiting for Hyunseong’s class to enter the locker room.

“Jeongmin hurry up!” Kwangmin calls, annoyance clear in his voice.

“Go without me Kwangmin, I’m waiting for someone.” Jeongmin replied, as the upperclassmen class trickled in. Kwangmin rolled his eyes and left.

“Hey Jeongmin,” Jeongmin turned and grinned at the cheerful voice, “I didn’t think you would still be here, coach wouldn’t let us in until everyone finished their fifteenth lap on the field.” Hyunseong scratched the back of his neck and quickly chucked off his gym shirt, searching for his uniform.

Jeongmin swallowed at the sight of Hyunseong’s back muscles, tugging at his collar, Jeongmin started to pack his gym bag, “Don’t worry I usually change slowly, I’m surprised Kwangmin doesn’t ditch me all the time,” Jeongmin noticed the locker room was almost entirely empty, save for four other people.

“That’s Kwangmin for you, he’s too nice to ditch people on a daily basis, he likes making things surprising,” Hyunseong was still digging through his locker, “I can’t… Find my uniform?”

Jeongmin scanned the floor for a lost uniform, seeing nothing,”Here, let me look in your locker.” Jeongmin set down his bag to dig through Hyunseong’s locker, trying to ignore Hyunseong’s lack of shirt.

Jeongmin felt hands grab his waist and yelped.

“H-Hyunseong?” Jeongmin gulped. Hyunseong leaned in so his lips were right next to Jeongmin’s ear, he could feel Hyunseong’s chest on his back?

“Hyunseong what are you doing?” Jeongmin thought he did his best on not sounding as flustered as he sounded. Hyunseong rested his chin on Jeongmin’s shoulder, arms encircling his waist.

“I think I see my uniform,” Hyunseong lifted one arm from Jeongmin’s middle and pointed to an article of clothing in the locker, “Mmm, thanks Jeongmin.” Hyunseong untangled himself from Jeongmin and put on his shirt. That was strange.

~

“And then he just put on his shirt as if nothing happened?!” Jeongmin shrieked into his cellphone.

“Jesus christ Jeongmin, I thought the interference of the phone would lower your chances of making me go deaf but it seems like I was wrong.” Youngmin complains.

“Youngmin! This is serious!” Jeongmin flopped on his bed phone still in his ear, “Do you know how nervous I was?”

“Um, I don’t know how nervous you were because I wasn’t there? Hyunseong’s always been pretty touchy though, I don’t think you should be panicking so much.”

“But that’s not what I’m worried about…” Jeongmin whispered.

Youngmin stayed silent, probably thinking, “Well, if you’re worried he’s trying to get into your pants I doubt it. Even Hyunseong’s lips are , he’s never dated.”

“Huh? I’m not worried he’s trying to get into my pants either I- Wait he’s never dated?”

“Nah, too shy I guess, I never asked about it too much.”

“Too shy? You’re telling me he’s shy? When he was flat out flirting with me?” Jeongmin inhaled really quickly, puffing out his cheeks.

“Jeongmin. Breath out.” Youngmin commands

“IThinkIMightHaveAChance.” Jeongmin says, all in one breath.

“What did you just say?” Youngmin sounded annoyed but Jeongmin doesn’t care.

“Hello Jeongmin hyung!” Jeongmin hears Kwangmin say, although a little muffled.

“Kwangmin! I think I might have a chance with Hyunseong.”

“Here you talk to him.” Jeongmin hears Youngmin pass the phone over to Kwangmin.

“Eh? We told you a long time ago you have a huge chance with Hyunseong but you never listened until now?” Kwangmin was starting to sound irritated at Jeongmin too but Jeongmin still didn’t care.

~

 

Jeongmin is laying face down on his desk ten minutes before AP chemistry starts. There are about eight other people in the classroom and Jeongmin is irritated by all of them. Ten minutes pass and Jeongmin isn’t sure whether he wants to punch everyone around him or himself, while thinking about his inner conflict, the teacher walks in, “We’re switching seats today students, quickly choose where you would like to sit so we can start class.”

In the back of the room Jeongmin smirks. The back of the room doesn’t attract as much attention as the front, especially since Jeongmin is behind a tall buff guy so he is hidden from the teacher’s view.

Just as class is about to start, a tall mildly buff guy walks into the room, repeating apologies to the teacher and rushing to the back of the room toward the seat on Jeongmin’s right.

Jeongmin wondered why Hyunseong just walked into his classroom, is he dreaming?

Hyunseong flops on the seat next to Jeongmin, “Hi Jeongmin.” Hyunseong whispers.

“Hey Hyunseong, what are you doing in this class?”

“I switched my schedule.” Hyunseong answers.

All of a sudden a strong flowery scent overwhelms Jeongmin. It’s not bad, smells nice even, but Jeongmin is allergic to flowers.

Jeongmin sneezes so loud he interrupts the teacher in the middle of her sentence. The one big sneeze is followed by 3 more continuous sneezes. Jeongmin turns to see a tissue in his face (offered by Hyunseong), quickly snatching it and blew his nose.

“Are you okay?” Hyunseong asks, looking at Jeongmin with great concern.

Jeongmin nods while furiously wiping his nose , wondering what made him sneeze so much. Hyunseong reached down to open his bookbag to retrieve another tissue paper for him, when Jeongmin sees a whole bouquet of of sunflowers stuffed into his bag.

What the ?

The rest of the period is filled with Jeongmin’s sneezes and Hyunseong continuously handing him tissues.

~

When the period ends Jeongmin stops Hyunseong before he can leave to his next class, “Why do you have a bouquet of sunflowers in your bag?” Jeongmin thinks for a bit, “Is it for a girl?” He asks, although he wasn’t too sure if he actually wanted to know.

Hyunseong chuckled at Jeongmin’s assumption, “No, it’s not. The sunflowers I have to bring to work after school, but I was late today so I couldn’t bring it to my locker. Were my flowers the reason you were sneezing so much?”

“Work? Where do you work it? But yes I’m actually a little bit allergic to flowers…”

“Hmm? I work at the floral shop that’s a few blocks from the school. But if you’re allergic to flowers I’ll try not to bring them too much, or just for you, I’ll bring hypoallergenic flowers!” Hyunseong pinched Jeongmin’s cheek then left to go to his next class.

Jeongmin watches Hyunseong leaves, slightly confused. Hyunseong, the buff soccer player, works at a floral shop?

~

After school Jeongmin, Kwangmin, and Minwoo are all sitting in the bleachers as they watch Youngmin (and in Jeongmin’s case, Hyunseong) practice. The three were all cheering and laughing loudly as Youngmin constantly misses the goal.

“Jeongmin have you talked to Hyunseong yet? Honestly you can’t just fawn over him for the next few months then spend senior year crying how you didn’t do anything.” Minwoo suddenly asked.

Jeongmin turns to Minwoo and glared at him, “You’re really mean to me you know that?”

”Watch out!” Jeongmin hears someone shout then turns to see a circular objected heading toward him. Everything goes dark.

“Jeongmin? Jeongmin! I’m so, so sorry are you awake?” Hyunseong asks, voice slightly panicky. Jeongmin sat up to see the elder on his hands and knees, “Please forgive me Jeongmin. I’m so sorry! Are you okay?” Hyunseong lifts his hand to examine Jeongmin’s forehead. Although his head hurts, it’s worth seeing Hyunseong’s broad shoulders through his soccer uniform and the sheen of sweat on Hyunseong’s forehead, ”Jeongmin! Can you hear me?” Jeongmin shuddered then looked at the older boy.

“Yeah, don’t worry I’m fine. My head hurts a bit though.” Jeongmin says.

“Are you sure?” Hyunseong asks, stands up too, still examining Jeongmin’s forehead, “Do you need some ice?”

“I’m fine hyung, no need to get so worked up.” Jeongmin laughs nervously at the close proximity of Hyunseong. Jeongmin can hear Minwoo and Kwangmin fleering behind him.

“Hyunseong are you done yet? We have to finish practicing for Saturday’s game!” Youngmin called out, ruining Jeongmin’s moment.

“I’m sorry Jeongmin I gotta go I hope you feel better!” Jeongmin didn’t want Hyunseong to leave just yet.

“Hyunseong wait!” Jeongmin called out.

“Yes?”

“U-Uh I… Call me sometimes?” Jeongmin stuttered. Minwoo and Kwangmin burst out laughing.

“Hm? Sure! You have a pen?”

“Not with me right now but-” Minwoo threw a pen at the back of Jeongmin’s head, making Jeongmin want to strangle him but at the same time grateful. Jeongmin picked up the pen and handed it to Hyunseong.

Hyunseong grinned and wrote his number on Jeongmin’s arm, “You should come with me to my work tomorrow, I’ll buy you some coffee after my shift ends.” Hyunseong flashes Jeongmin a smile then runs back onto the field. Jeongmin thinks his heart is fluttering.

“You’re such a little girl,” Kwangmin comments looking at Jeongmin, who is staring at his arm with great awe.

~

When school ends, Jeongmin spots Hyunseong waiting by the school gate for him. Hyunseong waves enthusiastically at Jeongmin as he walks toward him.

“Hey Jeongmin, you don’t mind waiting for me while I’m at work right?” Hyunseong asks as he drapes his arm over Jeongmin’s shoulder and starts walking toward the floral shop.

“No I’m okay with that. As long as you buy me a cookie from the coffee shop after.” Jeongmin joke.

“Of course!”

Hyunseong and Jeongmin continue walking. Jeongmin tells Hyunseong a story about how Kwangmin got his arm stuck in the sink once when he dropped his mom’s ring down the drain. Hyunseong told Jeongmin about different cutting styles of fruit he can do. The two also cracked lame jokes, but laughed at each one with loud giggles.

When they got to the front of the floral shop, that’s when Jeongmin remembered: he’s allergic to flowers. It’s as if both Hyunseong and Jeongmin remembered at the same time.

“Oh! Jeongmin I forgot, you’re allergic to flowers!” Hyunseong digs through his bookbag and pulls out a face mask, “I think this might help…”

Jeongmin takes the mask from Hyunseong and puts it on. Before they go inside, Jeongmin takes a deep breath.

The floral shop is beautiful. The flowers still make Jeongmin’s nose a little bit itchy but the mask is helping a little. The shop is decorated with tulips, snapdragons, roses, sunflowers, and many other flowers that Jeongmin doesn’t recognize.

The pair walk up to the cashier and a small man popped up, “Hyunseong! You’re here! Who’s this?” He gestures toward Jeongmin.  

“Hello Joonmyun hyung. This is Jeongmin, we’re going to get coffee after my shift.” Hyunseong grins.

“Alright, Jeongmin would you mind helping Hyunseong with tulips?” Jeongmin eyes widened. Hyunseong chuckled at Jeongmin’s reaction and took his wrist to guide him to the tulips.

“Don’t worry, tulips are hypoallergenic. You can probably work with them without a problem.” Hyunseong explained. Hyunseong showed Jeongmin how to cut the stems and how to arrange them to look just right.

The two couldn’t work with each other for two minutes without goofing off.

Hyunseong lifted up a purple tulip and compared it to Jeongmin, looking back and forth between the two.

“What are you doing?” Jeongmin asks.

“This shade of purple goes really well with what you’re wearing today,” Hyunseong grinned, “Here.” Hyunseong tucked the tulip behind Jeongmin’s ear.

“What am I a little girl?” Jeongmin, although sounded a little irritated, was actually slightly pleased at Hyunseong’s gesture.

“No… But you’re close enough to it.” Hyunseong joked.

Jeongmin threw a yellow tulip at Hyunseong, hitting his chest and falling toward the floor with a soft thump. The both move to pick it up, accidently hitting their heads against each other.

“Geez, your head is harder than a rock Jeongmin.” Hyunseong laughed, rubbing his head. Jeongmin thinks Hyunseong looks really pretty when he laughs.

Hyunseong catches Jeongmin staring at him and locks on his eyes to him too. Hyunseong really wants to kiss Jeongmin.

“Are you two done yet?” Hyunseong hears Joonmyun yell out. Their meaningful look is broken.

“Almost hyung! Hurry up Jeongmin, I’m getting hungry.” Hyunseong says, but Jeongmin is still slightly dazed.  

~

After they got their coffee, Hyunseong walked Jeongmin home.

“How far do you live?” Jeongmin asked.

“If I take the bus, it takes about 40 minutes I believe?”

“40 minutes? Oh my god you live really far? You shouldn’t have walked me home!” Jeongmin exasperated.

“It’s fine Jeongmin don’t worry,” Hyunseong reassured, “Besides if I didn’t walk you home I wouldn’t have gotten to do this.” Hyunseong pecked Jeongmin on the cheek.

The simple kiss made Jeongmin’s cheeks heat up really fast and turned him into a stuttering mess, “I-I…”

“You’re really cute, you know that Jeongmin?” Hyunseong chuckled.

Jeongmin buries his face into his palms.

~

It’s been a month since Hyunseong kissed Jeongmin on his cheek, and it’s killing him. Jeongmin realized the kiss on the cheek could’ve just been platonic but at the same time Jeongmin hasn’t really kissed his friends on the cheek and called them cute after he dropped them off home.

Jeongmin would talk to Hyunseong still, but they haven’t really went out yet. Both are too busy doing their own things. But today’s the fall festival that their school throws every year and Jeongmin is hoping to going on the ferris wheel and eat cotton candy with a certain someone named Shim Hyunseong.

Jeongmin is pulled out of his thoughts when Minwoo taps him on the shoulder, “Jeongmin how would you feel making a few extra bucks this fall festival?” Jeongmin gulps, knowing that Minwoo’s ‘schemes’ never lead to anything good.

~

Jeongmin doesn’t know how, but Minwoo forced Jeongmin into a kissing booth. $2 to kiss Lee Jeongmin on the lips. Jeongmin thinks he might cry.

He quickly scans the festival for any sign of the small devil, but Minwoo is no where to be seen.

Jeongmin props his elbow on the booth and keeps looking around for customers. He’s had about five already, but Jeongmin thinks some of them were pity kisses. Who even goes to kissing booths anymore?

Jeongmin soon spots Hyunseong with Joonmyun and some other kid he doesn’t really recognize. Jeongmin waves to Hyunseong and Hyunseong beams back at Jeongmin. Hyunseong stops, and looks at the sign above Jeongmin, then starts laughing.

Jeongmin groans as Hyunseong makes his way over to Jeongmin’s booth with Joonmyun and the other kid in tow, “Jeongmin! I didn’t know you were gonna have a booth today?”

“Minwoo made me do it,” Jeongmin whined, “I wanted to enjoy the festival not kiss random strangers…” Hyunseong chuckled at Jeongmin’s whining.

“Aww, if it makes anything better, I’ll pay for a kiss.” Hyunseong fishes out two dollar bills and hands it to Jeongmin.

“W-What?” Before Jeongmin knew it, Hyunseong’s soft, plump lips were on his for a split second.

“See you around Jeongmin! I’ll bring you a taffy apple later if you want?” Hyunseong waves goodbye to Jeongmin and winks. Jeongmin doesn’t think any of the kisses after Hyunseong’s could top it.

~

“See? Putting you in the kissing booth ended up being a good thing!” Minwoo pointed out to Jeongmin on the phone.

“Shut up.”

~

Jeongmin decides to visit Hyunseong at work. He starts to wonder what happens to the flowers in the shop after the winter season starts to roll in. Heavy snowflakes start to fall as Jeongmin enters the shop. He quickly greets Joonmyun and

The flowers were all in boxes, since it was the winter season and not many people buy flowers at this time, it kind of made Jeongmin sad.

“Jeongmin? What are you doing here?” Hyunseong looks up from boxing up a few wilting roses.

“I was wondering if you wanted to get so ramen later with me. I’ll buy.” Jeongmin asks, slightly nervous.

“Of course! I’m almost off, wait about twenty minutes okay?” Jeongmin nods, grinning to himself.

~

In that twenty minutes, small piles of snow start to form on the green around them. Hyunseong and Jeongmin walk toward the ramen shop that’s about three blocks from the floral shop.

“What made you want to ask me out to eat all of a sudden?” Hyunseong asks.

“We haven’t hung out in awhile so I just thought I should treat you to some food.” Jeongmin says coolly, trying not to sound like he’s been planning to ask Hyunseong for weeks (even though he did).

“Well thank you, I’ve been wanting to eat ramen but I’ve been a little too busy. It’s kind of strange how it’s already snowing this much in November don’t you think?” Hyunseong holds out his hand to catch a few snowflakes, which melt in his hands instantly.

“Yeah actually...” Jeongmin replies. He looks at the snowflakes that land on Hyunseong’s hair and proceeds to brush it off, mildly surprising Hyunseong, “You need a hat, or your head is going to get cold.”

Hyunseong looks at Jeongmin with wide eyes and smiles, “You’re adorable Jeongmin.”

“T-Thanks?” Jeongmin stutters.

Hyunseong chuckles at Jeongmin’s stuttering and stops at the front door of the ramen shop, “Ladies first.” Hyunseong says, holding open the door for Jeongmin.

“Whatever.” Jeongmin stifles a laugh and goes inside, Hyunseong following him in.

“Table for two please,” Jeongmin says to the waitress, who nods and leads them to a table.

Hyunseong and Jeongmin take a seat, carefully looking at the menus, “Hmm, buy me the most expensive thing on the menu.”

“Which is…?”

“No wait… Buy me tonkatsu ramen please.” Hyunseong looked at Jeongmin like he was asking Santa for a present on Christmas.

“Do you like tonkatsu or something?” Jeongmin asks, carefully looking over the menu.

“Yes, a lot.” Jeongmin wants to giggle at how lovestruck Hyunseong looks talking about tonkatsu.

~

When Hyunseong and Jeongmin finish eating, they leave the shop, Jeongmin offering to wait at the bus stop with Hyunseong, “No, it’s fine Jeongmin. It’s getting late you should be getting home soon.”

“But it takes you about 40 minutes to get home, you’re really not letting me wait 10 minutes with you at the bus stop?” It was obvious Jeongmin wasn’t going to let Hyunseong win this argument, so he just allowed Jeongmin to go with him to the bus stop.

While they waited for Hyunseong’s bus, Jeongmin pulled a speaker out of his bag, plugging it into his phone and started dancing.

“Be careful Jeongmin, you might slip on some ice.” Hyunseong warns, although still slightly amused at Jeongmin’s floppy dance movements.

“Don’t worry Hyunseong, I’ve been through many things. Slipping on ice won’t hurt this heart of steel.” Jeongmin patted his chest with pride then continued to dance.

Doing a particular explosive move, Jeongmin did fall on his , landing on a pile of snow. Hyunseong starts laughing uncontrollably, clapping like a seal.

Jeongmin’s cheeks are slightly tinted from embarrassment or the cold he’s not sure. Whichever it was, something possessed him to drag Hyunseong into the snow with him.

“Hey! Oof-.” Hyunseong lands on top of Jeongmin (which wasn’t Jeongmin’s motive, really). Jeongmin may be imagining it, but he feels a lot of going on here as Hyunseong just stays on top of him and stares into his eyes.

Hyunseong laughs, “You’re so cute.” and kisses Jeongmin on the lips.

~

“What are we?” Jeongmin shouts in frustration to an irritated Donghyun through the phone.

“Why are you talking about this to me and not any of your other friends?” Donghyun asks, completely skipping over Jeongmin’s question.

“Minwoo says he’s too busy to listen to my whining, Youngmin says he has better things to do, and Kwangmin said something about rather listen to you talk about your skin for five hours straight. Which gave me the idea to talk to you instead.”

“Listen Jeongmin, in school, I will listen to your problems and I will help you. But outside of school I don’t care. Honestly if you want to know what you and Hyunseong are just ask him.” Donghyun hung up making Jeongmin want to cry.

~

A few weeks later, Jeongmin still hasn’t clarified what he and Hyunseong are. They would occasionally go out and eat lunch, or sometimes go out for a movie, yet Jeongmin is still afraid to ask whether they’re dating or not.

“You’re such a boy Jeongmin.” Minwoo whispers to Jeongmin in the school library.

“Shut up Minwoo…” Jeongmin whispers back.

“Maybe you can find out what you guys are at the Holiday dance. Word on the street is that Hyunseong’s gonna be there.”

“First of all, Hyunseong told me that he’s going to the Holiday dance already. I do not need to listen to the word on the street okay? And he asked me to go and I said yes…” Jeongmin thinks, “Which reminds me I need so friends to come with me can you Youngmin and Kwangmin go to the dance too?”

Minwoo side glances Jeongmin, “If I see Hyunseong I’m gonna steal him from you.”

“You wouldn’t…”

“Try me.”

~

As soon as Jeongmin pulls up to the hotel their school rented, Youngmin and Kwangmin groan, “You said we were going bowling!” Kwangmin cries out.

“I’m not even dressed for this how dare you do this to me Lee Jeongmin.” Youngmin, in a casual shirt and jeans, holds up his bowling ball to Jeongmin’s face.

“I was wondering why you guys were dressed up so nice to go bowling…” Kwangmin notes, now feeling slightly dumb.

Jeongmin and Minwoo drag the twins out of the car and into the ballroom.

Jeongmin ditches the three and spends thirty minutes trying to find Hyunseong. Minwoo pops up next to Jeongmin while he’s at the punch bowl, startling Jeongmin, “Did you find him yet? Is he going to take you home? Because the twins are misbehaving. Kwangmin is trying to bribe the DJ into letting him sing for the rest of the night and Youngmin keeps stacking up cups and using his bowling ball to hit them.”

Jeongmin sighs, “I can’t find Hyunseong anywhere. Where could he be?” Minwoo quickly scans the room and gasps quietly.

“Actually, I don’t think we should look for him, we should leave right now.”

“What? Why?”

“No reason, Hyunseong’s probably not even here.” Minwoo pushes Jeongmin toward the door, sloshing his drink.

“Minwoo chill, I’ll look for him a little longer maybe he’s-”

“Jeongmin don’t look now but Hyunseong looks like he’s about to make out with Dasom over there!” Youngmin shouts and points to the darker side of the room.

Hyunseong is with a pretty senior named Dasom. Hands on her hips, her arms are around his neck, it makes Jeongmin sick. It could’ve been Youngmin’s yelling, or Jeongmin’s eyes on the back of his head, whatever it was, something made Hyunseong look up and look straight up at Jeongmin.

Jeongmin darted out of the room.

~

Jeongmin doesn’t cry. He’s mostly frustrated he thinks. Jeongmin’s phone beeps.

Minwoo

Hey kid, you can leave without us. We’ll find a way home alright? Chin up kid :-)

Jeongmin closes the text message and gets up to leave when his phone beeps again.

Minwoo

Btw Hyunseong’s leaving too, presumably on the way to you I’m not sure…

Jeongmin looks at the entrance of the dance and see Hyunseong, who has red lipstick smeared on his own lips. Jeongmin’s stomach feels sick.

“Jeongmin?”

“What do you want Hyunseong?”

“A-Are you okay?”

“I’m perfectly fine of course, why wouldn’t I be?” Jeongmin is absolutely aggravated and he’s not entirely sure why.

“I just thought-”

“Well you thought wrong.” Jeongmin walks toward the elevator, Hyunseong following him.

“Jeongmin…” Hyunseong tries to place a hand on Jeongmin’s shoulder. Jeongmin dodges Hyunseong’s hand and hits the down button for the elevator.

“Why won’t you go to Dasom? You just left her like that? That’s not very gentlemanly of you.”

Hyunseong stays quiet as Jeongmin waits for the elevator, listening to the quiet ding as the elevator makes it’s way up four floors.

“Well?” Jeongmin voice slightly wavers, but he still keeps his tight posture.

“Let me walk you to your car then.” Hyunseong offers.

“Whatever.” The elevator door opens and Jeongmin walks in, Hyunseong still following him. Hyunseong presses the button to the lobby.

Jeongmin thinks he’s on the slowest elevator ever. They ride in silence.

Suddenly the elevator stops.

“What’s going on?” Hyunseong mutters to himself.

Hyunseong presses the emergency button in the elevator, “Why isn’t this working?”

Jeongmin pushes Hyunseong aside, “Let me try,” Jeongmin pushes the button multiple times, “Does this hotel not regularly check it’s elevators?”

Hyunseong tries prying open the elevator doors, “They won’t budge.” He sighs and leans against the door, arms crossed. Hyunseong slides his back down the door so that he’s sitting, leg’s out arms crossed.

Jeongmin pulls out his phone, “I can’t get signal from here.”

“I left my phone at coat check.” Hyunseong sighs,“Might as well talk about this don’t you think?”

“Talk about what? I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Jeongmin is really ing stubborn.

“Jeongmin… We can never find closure if we don’t talk about it. I don’t want you to be mad at me.”

“Why were you kissing her?” Jeongmin starts abruptly.

Hyunseong sighs, “I guess… I craved for the affection? I wasn’t really sure what we were, and she said she really liked me. So I just… Went for it.” Hyunseong’s lips were still stained by Dasom’s lipstick.

Jeongmin sits across from Hyunseong, legs crossed,“Hyunseong… I’m going to ask. What are we?”

“What do you want us to be?” Jeongmin thinks, what does he want them to be?

“I think… I really like you Shim Hyunseong. I want you to be my boyfriend.” Jeongmin exhales, “Will you be my boyfriend?”

Hyunseong crawls slowly toward Jeongmin, “Lee Jeongmin, will you be my boyfriend?” Before either could’ve answered each other’s question, Hyunseong pulled Jeongmin into a kiss. Jeongmin thinks this is one of his favorite kisses he’s share with Hyunseong.

~

Twenty minutes of making out, someone gets them out of the elevator. Hair disheveled and lips numb, the two walk to Hyunseong’s car hand in hand. Jeongmin quickly texts Minwoo that Hyunseong will be taking him home.

~

“You guys are finally dating I take it?” Youngmin asks as he looks over at Jeongmin, who is sitting in Hyunseong’s lap, trying to take a selca. Pouting his lips and holding up a peace sign.

“No you , they’re just the best bros ever who kiss each other occasionally.” Minwoo exclaims.

Kwangmin watched as Youngmin starts to argue with Minwoo then faces the couple, “Has anything even changed since you two dated? Like do you all do the same things?”

Hyunseong looks up from Jeongmin’s camera and taps his chin, “Not really. Like we haven’t really done anything romantic like a candle light dinner.”

Jeongmin also looks up at Kwangmin, “Actually, I think I know something we can do.” Jeongmin stands up and takes Hyunseong’s hand, dragging him outside.

~

It’s Spring now, the trees are a light pink color, the colors coalesce together, forming a pallet that Jeongmin thinks is beautiful.

“Let’s carve our names into the tree.” Jeongmin insists. Hyunseong laughs but agrees anyways.

“Wait, watch this.” Hyunseong climbs the tree with his great upper body strength and sits on a branch.

“Show off, help me up there too!” Hyunseong thinks Jeongmin looks like a little kid who wants to be picked up. Nonetheless, he helped Jeongmin up the tree so that he’s sitting on the branch.

“W-Wait is this branch stable enough?”

Minwoo, Kwangmin, Youngmin, and for some reason, Donghyun all walk out and spot them in the tree.

“Hyunseong and Jeongmin sitting in a tree,” Minwoo starts, “K-I-S-S-I-N-G”

Jeongmin ears turn read as Hyunseong laughs next to him, “Might as well.” He hears Hyunseong say.

Jeongmin freaks out as Hyunseong gets closer to him, even though Hyunseong has kissed him plenty of times. Jeongmin feels like he’s falling.

~

Jeongmin really did fall.

“You’re a .” Jeongmin hears Youngmin say.

“Jesus H. Christ, you’re so lucky you didn’t get a concussion.” Donghyun murmurs.

“Jeongmin! Are you okay?” Hyunseong asks frantically. He’s kneeling next to Jeongmin, worry clearly in his eyes.

“What happened?”

“Hyunseong tried to kiss you while you guys were sitting in a tree and you freaked out and fell.” Kwangmin responded.

“I’m so sorry Jeongmin, I should’ve warned you that I was going to kiss you. You’re okay right? Do you need to go to the hospital?” Hyunseong is talking really fast. Honestly, Jeongmin’s fine. But the wind is blowing Hyunseong’s hair at the perfect angle, and a few flower petals are landing in Hyunseong’s disheveled hair. Jeongmin thinks Hyunseong looks really beautiful right now.

“Jeongmin? Say something to me? Are you mad? Jeongmin do you need to go to the-” Jeongmin kisses Hyunseong to shut him up.