“I still don’t understand why I have to do this,” grumbles Junhong, staring at himself in the mirror that hangs on the back of his closet door. He doesn’t use it much but his parents had insisted on putting it in so here it is.

“Because you need a lover in your life,” explains Jongup patiently, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. Junhong sticks his tongue out.

“I don’t need a ‘lover’, I’m perfectly fine being single.”

“Are you though?”

“Hyung!”

“I’m kidding.” Jongup grins widely and it’s almost enough to make Junhong forget. Almost. “I’m the least of your worries. Just wait until the hyungs get here.”

“Oh God.” Junhong groans, flopping face-first onto his bed. “I’m so screwed.”

“They only want to help, Junhongie,” Jongup tries to reassure him but Junhong just puffs out a sigh.

“Just because they’ve found their significant other or whatever doesn’t mean I need to.”

“Junhong!” his mother calls from downstairs. “Your friends are here!”

Junhong closes his eyes. “I’m not here.” Jongup chuckles and pats the boy’s head.

“Thanks Ms. Choi.”

A minute later the door is thrown open. Junhong groans.

“Alright Junhongie, time to make you into a bomb.” Himchan pushes his way into the room, rolling his eyes as Junhong pretends to be asleep.

Himchan is a sophomore in college but grew up as Junhong’s next-door neighbor. The three-year age difference did little to alter their friendship, perhaps only making Himchan more protective. It didn’t change when he went to college either, only complaining more that he won’t be able to see Junhong a whole lot.

Yongguk follows him in silently. At first Junhong had been scared when Himchan had introduced him-he seemed so intimidating. An underground rapper, Yongguk also balanced another part-time job and college. He looked scary but Junhong soon found him to be another great friend.

“Here to help with the transformation too huh?” he says weakly and Yongguk just shrugs.

“Transformations never stop, they’re just always changing. The transformation you’re having today will be different from tomorrow or yesterday or even five minutes ago.”

Everyone stares at him for a second before dismissing it. They’d gotten used to Yongguk’s spouting of information a long time ago.

“So when do you have to leave?” asks Daehyun, nudging Junhong over so he sit down on the bed. It’s a twin bed so the three on it are making it a tight fit but none have any intention of leaving.

“It’s in two hours.”

“Two hours?” Himchan almost yelps. “You should’ve told us sooner!”

“We need more than two hours?” Youngjae’s confused. “I think that’s enough time.”

“No no no, we need all the time we can get,” Himchan shushes him. “First impressions are important and we need to make Junhongie the best of the best!”

Junghong glowers at Daehyun. “This is all your fault.” Daehyun had been the one to set him up in the first place. The guy was a brother of one of the girl’s in Daehyun’s music class and when she had mentioned he was single, Daehyun had jumped at the chance.

“He likes to rap and he’s cute too, Junhong, he’s cute. I think you’ll be perfect together, he actually wanted to learn how to skateboard sometime-”

Junhong had just agreed, hoping it would get Daehyun to shut up.

But it seems they were actually serious.

Daehyun just grins and ruffles his hair. “You’ll have fun, I promise.” Junhong just shrugs, watching as Himchan starts to go through the closet, muttering to himself.

“If only we had known earlier, we could’ve gotten new clothes. I guess we’ll just have to make do with what we have.”

“What are you saying hyung?”

Himchan sticks his head out of the closet, eyebrow raised. “You’re not meeting him in a T-shirt and jeans, what are you crazy?”

“But-”

“He’s right, you know,” Youngjae says knowingly. He’s the second fashionista of the group, just after Himchan. Everyone thought he’d do something like that in college but he actually is studying to be an architect. “You need something a little more...wow.”

“Everything about Junhong is wow,” Jongup says kindly, seeing Junhong’s mood start to darken even more.

“Thanks hyung.”

“Go take a shower,” suggests Daehyun. “Do you have any food for me?” Daehyun loves eating and cooking-Junhong’s lost time of how many times

Daehyun’s tried to teach him how to cook something simple, only for Junhong to screw it up.

“We have leftovers.”

“I’ll heat them up. They can be our snack while we work.”

“Why do I need to take a shower? I took one last night.”

“You can never have too many,” Yongguk says, settling himself at the youngest’s desk. He’s not going to do much, probably just watch and comment time to time so he may as well get comfortable.

“We need to style your hair,” Himchan adds from inside the closet, still picking through clothes. “Now go.”

Junhong frowns but inside he’s secretly glad that they’re so eager to help. He knows almost nothing about dating-especially blind dates-so this could go either really good or really bad.

“You guys are hopeless.”

“We love you too, Junhong!”

A little more lighthearted than the last one, which we all needed.

Not sure if I like this one as well as the others but oh well.