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fic advent 2013: day three
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curledupkitten ♥
suho/kai
soooooooo g rated, 4.1k words
"something fluffy and painfully low-rated where high school senior kai is madly in love with suho the part-timer at the local bookstore and spends the summer before college getting to know him with book puns"
curledupkitten ♥suho/kai
soooooooo g rated, 4.1k words
"something fluffy and painfully low-rated where high school senior kai is madly in love with suho the part-timer at the local bookstore and spends the summer before college getting to know him with book puns"
“Hey, Jongin,” Chanyeol says loudly, and Jongin startles, nearly knocking over his iced coffee. He clutches defensively at the manga in his lap, doing his best to be both discrete and hasty when he slaps it closed and hides it beneath his hands. From the amused grin on Chanyeol’s face, he’s not doing so well. “What are you doing here?”
He was pretty sure he would be safe from Chanyeol in a bookstore, but apparently not. He looks completely out of place here, in his oversized hoodie and garish snapback pressed far enough down on his head to push his ears out. “Just, uh.” Jongin gestures at his coffee cup and nearly knocks it over again. That’s normal, right? Like, getting a drink and hanging around at a bookstore. That’s not weird. Jongin rubs his palms against his pants. “You know.”
Chanyeol looks pointedly down at the manga in Jongin’s lap. “Oh yeah,” he says. “Oh, I know.” He leers goodnaturedly, and Jongin turns pink. It’s not even like that.
He scowls at Chanyeol, hunching his shoulders and throwing his manga on the little table in front of him. It’s not like Chanyeol’s estimation of him can get a whole lot lower at this point. “Whatever,” he grumbles. His eyes fall on the book in Chanyeol’s hands, and he seizes his opportunity. “Maybe I should be asking you what you’re doing here, huh?”
“Picking up something for my sister,” Chanyeol shrugs, brandishing the romance novel. “I guess she needed a break from studying or something.” He squints at Jongin. “I thought you had big plans for the summer? Is this it?” He flicks at the cover of Jongin’s manga with one long finger and snorts.
Okay, so maybe it’s not the most impressive summer hobby. The original plan had spending a few months working at his uncle’s restaurant. It had meant he could save up a bit of money for when he heads off to school and still have his evenings and weekends free to spend time with his friends. It’d been a great idea, until his uncle had instead decided to rehire a university student who was home for the summer, and Jongin was out a job and at a bit of a loss. He’d ended up at the bookshop one afternoon, wandered in for an ice coffee, and found he liked it a lot. It was quaint and quiet, and the manager didn’t mind much if he borrowed a book to read by the window while he drank and that, among, uh, other things, was enough for him to return. “Shut up,” Jongin says, rubbing a hand across the back of his neck. “It’s just temporary.”
“Uh huh,” Chanyeol says, and he taps Jongin on the head with his book. “I gotta go. Take it easy, big guy. Don’t let the wild life burn you out.”
He’s gone before Jongin can muster up a response to that, and it’s probably a good thing, because the best Jongin had was ‘you take it easy’. He sighs and lifts his coffee, sucking vengefully on his straw. “Dick,” he mumbles, but he only sorta means it. He watches Chanyeol go up to the cash and slides down in his seat, hiding behind his drink.
Sure, this is a nice enough place to read for a bit, but maybe the real reason he’s here is parked behind the cash register, smiling sweetly up at Chanyeol as he rings him through. His name is Joonmyun, Jongin’s learned after careful scrutiny of his nametag (but only when he wasn’t looking), and Jongin thinks he’s in college. He’s tiny and kind of unbearably handsome, and when he hears the obnoxious shout of Chanyeol’s laughter, Jongin decides he must be funny too. Jongin thinks he’s kind of amazing.
Naturally, Jongin, well. Hasn’t managed to say a word to him. The first time he had come in, Joonmyun had caught him in the manga section and asked him if he needed a hand. Jongin had nearly stumbled into the bookshelves and shaken his head wordlessly. It was all he could manage. Joonmyun had been unphased, which was almost worse.
Jongin has tried, he totally has. Every time he comes into the store he buys a coffee and sits down, waiting for an opening to go introduce himself or something, but the right moment never really presents itself. Or, well, it probably does, but Jongin chickens out, shrinking down and burying his nose in his manga. It’s hard, alright?
Chanyeol heads out again, book in hand and when Jongin risks a glance up at the cash, Joonmyun is looking right at him. He smiles warmly at Jongin and Jongin chokes on his coffee. Everything is terrible.
-
“No, it’s not,” Kyungsoo says absently. He barely looks up from the book in his lap as he pats Jongin’s knee. “You have a crush.”
As much as he adores Kyungsoo, sometimes he’s not very good at the whole comforting thing. “Hyung,” Jongin whines. This is important. He sprawls out on the couch, burying his face in a pillow and only lifting his head enough to fix one baleful eye on Kyungsoo.
Kyungsoo sighs, marking his place in his book with a finger as he turns to look at Jongin. “Just say something to him, Jongin-ah,” he says. “You’ve been going there for weeks. I’m sure he’s noticed you by now. Just, you know, ask him for ice cream or something.”
“Ice cream?” Ice cream is childish. Joonmyun is in college. “Ice cream? Hyung. Guys don’t like ice cream.”
Kyungsoo raises one eyebrow. “You like ice cream,” he points out. Jongin groans and turns his face back to his pillow again. That’s not even the point, Kyungsoo definitely doesn’t get it.
By the time he looks up again, Chanyeol is standing in the doorway. Jongin isn’t sure exactly why Kyungsoo always lets Chanyeol in when he knocks on the door, because he definitely doesn’t help when he’s trying to study and he eats all his food. “Ice cream?” Chanyeol asks hopefully. “I could go for some of that right now.”
“No,” Kyungsoo says with a wave of his hand. He shows no sign of stopping and Jongin’s stomach drops with dread. Oh no. “No, Jongin is trying to figure out how to ask the guy at the bookshore on a date.”
Now Jongin really has a reason to hide. “Hyung,” he says. “You didn’t have to tell him.”
Chanyeol shoves Jongin’s feet off the couch so he can sit down and peers at him with interest. “So there was a reason you were there!” he asks. “Which one is it?” He jabs a finger into the back of Jongin’s leg. “The great big handsome tall one or the one with the smile that could fit in your pocket?”
Jongin squirms around and raises an eyebrow at ‘handsome’ but he has more pressing issues at the moment. Like how his whole life is embarrassing. “The short one,” he mumbles.
Chanyeol nods solemnly. “You do have a type,” he says, and he grins. Like Jongin needs to be reminded of the mortifying three months last year he’d been convinced that he was in love with Kyungsoo. He kicks back viciously at Chanyeol, his heel catching him squarely in the thigh.
Thankfully, Kyungsoo ignores the whole thing. “I told him to just ask him out, but apparently that’s not good enough.”
Something in Chanyeol’s grin gets devious, and it’s kind of alarming. It’s the way his eyes go wonky, Jongin decides. “He’s gotta be smooth,” Chanyeol says. “He’s gotta really butter him up.”
“I’m smooth,” Jongin protests. Kyungsoo turns back to his book and pats his knee again. He has terrible friends.
“I’ve got it,” Chanyeol says. “He works in a bookstore, right? Why not use a couple of bookstore pick up lines? Foolproof.” He beams at Jongin, pleased as punch that he’s solved the problem.
The look that Kyungsoo fixes on Chanyeol is icy and dismissive. “That is probably the dumbest thing i have heard in my entire life,” he says. Jongin kind of agrees.
“No, no,” Chanyeol says, gesturing widely with his hands. “Think about it! They’re lame, but like, in a cute way. It’s totally endearing, right? Trust me.”
Trust Chanyeol. Jongin narrows his eyes in suspicion. That really doesn’t sound like something he wants to do right now. The thing is that Chanyeol is also mysteriously good at getting dates, a fact that has always puzzled Jongin, considering that Chanyeol is gangly and twitchy and way too loud for his own good. There must be something he’s doing right. “I don’t know...” he says slowly.
Chanyeol taps his nose and narrows his eyes, nodding sagely like he has just imparted sage wisdom on Jongin, passed down generation to generation. Jongin hates him. “Trust me,” he says again, and then he reaches for Kyungsoo’s remote and flicks on the TV.
Pick up lines. It sounds pretty dumb. Jongin pulls at the hem of his shirt and Kyungsoo resolutely ignores them both.
“I’ll go with you, if you want,” Chanyeol says casually. He looks away from the tv for a second and smiles at Jongin in a way that he probably thinks is reassuring. It’s not, really. “As like, moral support.”
“You just want to see my embarrass myself,” Jongin accuses, and Chanyeol shrugs a shoulder.
“No way,” he says. “My plan will work.” He grins wider. “I mean, if you do embarrass yourself and I happen to be there to see it, well. That’s just a bonus.”
Jongin squints at him and says nothing. He has his misgivings, but maybe Chanyeol’s got something there. Anything has to be better than going up to Joonmyun like a kid and asking him if he likes ice cream. Right?
-
Jongin clutches his iced coffee as he approaches the counter. This is a bad idea. He turns back to glance at Chanyeol, camped out at his usual table, and he flashes Jongin a great big thumbs up. Great. Real subtle. Still, he’s here, right?? He’s wearing his best jeans and the paper shoved in his pocket has a list of book-related pick-up lines. He’s well prepared. He can do this. Right?
Joonmyun looks up as he approaches, and Jongin nearly trips over his own feet. He’s wearing this kind of horrific button-up shirt and Jongin knows he’s really sunk, because he somehow finds that endearing. “Hey,” Joonmyun says with a blinding smile, and Jongin’s heart pretty much stops. His tone is familiar, like he knows who Jongin is, and Jongin didn’t know it was possible for things to get better and worse at the same time, but they do. “What can I do for you?”
Clearing his throat, Jongin leans over the counter, doing his best to make it look natural. “Um,” he says. “Is your name Scarlett?” Joonmyun’s smile slips for a second, replaced by a little bewilderment. Jongin plows on. “‘Cause when I saw you, my heart was gone with the wind.”
Joonmyun blinks at him for a second, and Jongin uses that time wisely. He knows where all of his immediate exits are. His best bet is a bolt to the door. The bookshelves are closer and would provide cover, but eventually he’d have to see Joonmyun again, and at this very instant, Jongin isn’t sure that’s a good idea. But then Joonmyun is laughing, the corners of his eyes crinkling up, and Jongin’s is certain his knees are literally melting. “No,” he says gently. “I’m Joonmyun. And you are?”
It takes Jongin a beat to reply. “Oh, uh, Kim Jongin,” he fumbles out, squeezing the sweaty drink cup in his hand. Honestly, he hadn’t really thought it through past the line and the delivery. He throws a look back at Chanyeol, and this time, he points a finger at Jongin, eyebrows raised. See? Told you. Whatever, Park Chanyeol.
“Nice to finally meet you, Kim Jongin,” Joonmyun says. His eyes flick back towards Chanyeol, parked at the table, and his smile widens just a little. Jongin is too busy fixating on that ‘finally’. He’d noticed him? That’s a good thing, right? Like, a flirty thing, not a ‘yeah, I’ve seen you stalking me, you weirdo’ kind of thing. “I always see you reading your manga but you’ve never said hello.”
“I, um. Yeah, I like to come here,” Jongin says. He holds up his coffee, shaking it a little so that the ice cubes rattle against the plastic cup. “For the coffee.”
“The coffee, sure,” Joonmyun says. It’s not accusing or anything, it’s just kind of warm and friendly and Joonmyun is even better than he’d thought he would be, and he’s making Jongin completely tongue-tied. He feels jittery and nervous and totally elated and terrified all at the same time.
But there’s a problem. Jongin’s not really a great conversationalist on the best of days and right now, he feels like all his words have just dried up. This is it! This is his moment, his opening, and he has no idea at all what to say. “Uh,” he says. Joonmyun watches him patiently and Jongin’s resolve vanishes. “I have to go, I have a...thing. But. It was nice meeting you?”
He bolts. Good thing he’s got that coffee to fuel him as he makes a quick exit. “See you later, Jongin,” Joonmyun calls after him, and Jongin feels a little bit weak when he hears him use his name. It’s silly how just that can have such an effect on him. He’s going off to university in a matter of months, and he still turns into a tongue-tied idiot around the guy he’s got a thing for.
Chanyeol catches up with him a few blocks later. “What was that?” he says. “You were doing good!” He shakes his head. “I can’t believe you pussied out like that.”
Jongin scowls at him. “Whatever, hyung,” he says. Chanyeol is annoying but he can’t actually dampen Jongin’s spirits too much right now. Sure, he ran. But Joonmyun knows his name. He totally remembered him! Jongin is floating right now.
They stop at the corner, waiting for the light, and Chanyeol just stares at him pityingly. “You didn’t even ask him out,” he says.
“Yeah, but…” Chanyeol doesn’t get it. Jongin’s never been any good at these things. He knows he’s pretty good looking, he’s gotten his share of confessions through high school. But he’s never really done any of that himself. He’d busied himself in school with his studies and with his dance and he’d never really had the time to let a crush get to the point where he actually pursued it. So this is kind of a really Big Deal. “Whatever,” Jongin says. He takes a long sip of his coffee. He’s totally counting today as a win.
-
“I wish I could’ve seen it,” Sehun says. He stuffs another bite of tteokbokki in his mouth and frowns. “How come you took Chanyeol with you? I didn’t even know about this guy.”
“It’s not a show,” Jongin grumbles. He knew this would happen as soon as Sehun knew. He’d made the mistake of confiding in Sehun in first year when he had a crush on Soojung, and even after the feelings had faded, Sehun had torn into him mercilessly for months. He was just trying to protect himself for a little while longer. “And it totally wasn’t that entertaining. I just said hi.”
Chanyeol knocks the back of his hand against Jongin’s arm. “With a terrible pick-up line. And then he ran!” he adds. Jongin might have to kill him. “It was beautiful.”
“Dude, you’re really bad at this,” Sehun says, licking sauce off his lips. “The whole point of a pick-up line is like, you actually pick someone up.” He sighs. “At least tell me you’re gonna try to get a date out of this guy this time.”
Jongin buries his face in his arms. “I’m gonna!” he insists, voice muffled. He totally is! It’s just that - well, it’s not like it’s that easy. Joonmyun’s all older and so friendly with everyone who comes into the store and handsome. Jongin can’t quit thinking about his easy smile and his small hands and the way he dresses like an old man. He wants to ask him out. It’s just - he’s gotta work his way up to it. That’s all.
“Thank God for that,” Sehun says.
Jongin flinches as Chanyeol’s hand comes down heavily on the back of his head. He’s pretty certain that Chanyeol thinks it’s a friendly gesture, even if Jongin’s forehead might be bruised from hitting the table. “And I’ll be there for you, man, one hundred and ten percent,” Chanyeol assures him. “Don’t you worry about it.”
Considering that last time around, Chanyeol had mostly sat back at the table and eyeballed Joonmyun’s coworker, Jongin isn’t really sure what kind of help he was actually providing, but whatever, sure. “Yeah,” Jongin says. “Thanks.”
“Anything for you, buddy,” Chanyeol says solemnly, stealing the last piece of tteokbokki from Sehun. It was probably not his best move. Sehun punches him hard in the arm, and the two of them begin squabbling noisily, Chanyeol trying to wipe sauce on Sehun’s face despite Sehun’s protests. Jongin sits up again and props his chin up in one hand. At least they’re not making fun of him anymore.
-
“Don’t be a dweeb this time,” Chanyeol whispers, and he shoves Jongin forward. It’s been a week, and Chanyeol has decided that that is enough time for Jongin to rebuild his courage. Jongin’s avoided the bookstore the whole time, because, well. But Kyungsoo is getting tired of Jongin camping out on his couch and Chanyeol is really taking a shine to his role as wise teacher, so here Jongin stands again. He doesn’t have anything to occupy his hands this time, and he rubs his sweaty palms against his pants, trying to relax.
He waits until Joonmyun comes out of the back, and he’s gotta admit, the way that Joonmyun breaks into an immediate smile sends a total rush through him. “Hey!” Joonmyun says. “Jongin, right?”
He remembers. “Oh,” Jongin says, flushing. “Yeah, that’s me.”
Joonmyun drops his stack of books on the counter and then turns to face Jongin. “It’s been a few, huh? What can I do for you?” He gestures back towards the bookshelves where the manga is kept. “The new one came in the other day, were you looking for that?”
Oh, huh. He’ll have to check that out. He considers it for a second, but then he hears Chanyeol clear his throat. “Later, maybe,” he says. Here goes nothing. “You know, you remind me of a library book.”
There’s this look on Joonmyun’s face as he leans one elbow against the counter, and Jongin can’t quite read it. He thinks it’s a good one, though. “I do?” Joonmyun asks. He tips his head. “How so?”
“Well, uh, ‘cause I can’t stop checking you out.”
Jongin really, really likes the way that Joonmyun’s eyes look when he laughs. “You’re adorable,” he says, and to his credit, he doesn’t even seem embarrassed by Jongin. That’s impressive, considering that even Jongin is embarrassed by Jongin. “Even if this is a bookstore, not a library.”
“Close enough?” Jongin tries.
Joonmyun laughs again and there is a part of Jongin that is in total disbelief. How was Chanyeol right about this? How is he right about anything? He always looks like he’s doing everything by accident. “Close enough,” Joonmyun agrees. He leans in a little, and it takes all of Jongin’s willpower to resist the urge to shy away. Proximity is good, Kim. “Is that why you were coming in here all the time?”
Jongin cringes. “Maybe,” he says.
Pressing his fingers to his mouth thoughtfully, Joonmyun takes a step forward. “Hey,” he says. “Do you want to maybe get coffee some time?” Jongin stares at him, astonished, and only belatedly remembers to close his mouth. “I seem to remember that you’re a big fan of that.”
Blood is rushing in Jongin’s ears. “Um,” he says. Holy shit. He never expected that Joonmyun would ask him out first. He throws a desperate glance over at Chanyeol, but he’s flipping through a hip hop magazine and not-so-discretely staring at Joonmyun’s coworker as he reshelves biography. Whatever, Chanyeol was never useful in the first place. “Sure. Coffee’s good. Coffee’s great. Or like. Ice cream? Or whatever. Whatever you want.” He can hear himself babbling so he cuts himself off, trying on a shaky smile. Good job, Kim.
“You are so, so cute,” Joonmyun tells him, and Jongin simultaneously wants to melt into the floor and also float away. It’s a weird feeling, makes his stomach shift. “I like ice cream, too.” He pauses, and then he digs his phone out of his pocket and holds it out. Jongin stares at it blankly. “Can I have your number?” Joonmyun clarifies. “So we can plan our ice cream coffee date.”
Date. Jongin grins dreamily at Joonmyun. “Oh, yeah, duh, of course.” He hands over his own phone, and it takes him a bit of fumbling, but he manages to figure out how to put his number in.
As he hands it back, he’s overly aware of how badly he’s doing with conversation. Still, Joonmyun seems patient. He’s buzzing with hope, and the realization that Joonmyun has been watching him too, but now there’s pressure. Now he’s gotta be a good date too. Man, he really needs to start thinking about what he’s gonna do after Joonmyun says yes to things. “Hey,” Joonmyun says, and Jongin looks up from his phone. joonmyun hyung, it says. His stomach swoops. “Relax, alright?”
Jongin rubs at the back of his neck. “Sorry,” he mutters. He stares at Joonmyun’s shoes. They’re old man shoes. Practical. He likes them. “I’m not very good at this stuff,” he admits.
“I know,” Joonmyun says easily. “But you’re doing pretty good.” He nudges Jongin with his knuckles and though Joonmyun is half his size, Jongin feels like he could bowl him over right now. “Those lines are pretty good.”
When Jongin smiles again, it’s a little more genuine. “It was Chanyeol’s idea,” he says. “But I looked them up myself.”
“Cute,” Joonmyun says again, and Jongin kinda wants to die. Lucky for him, they get interrupted by a woman in an expensive coat, carrying an armful of books and clearing her throat pointedly. “I have to get back to work,” Joonmyun says, and Jongin can’t help but be pleased by how regretful Joonmyun sounds. “Text me, alright?”
Jongin bobs his head. “Promise,” he says, a bit giddy.
Joonmyun glances at the woman, and then he stretches up to speak right into Jongin’s ear. “Do you know what they say about book lovers?” he asks. Jongin shakes his head, doing his best not to think about how close Joonmyun is or how his breath against the shell of Jongin’s ear is sending shivers down his spine. “They never go to bed alone.”
He winks at Jongin and then he’s gone, sliding behind the counter to take the sale. He deals with the impatient customer with impeccable politeness and a bright smile, like Jongin isn’t still standing there, frozen to the spot and bright red. He finally gathers himself enough to walk away, and Joonmyun gives him a little wave and a grin. Jongin hadn’t even - he’d only been thinking about a date! Not...that. Not that that was a bad thing. But.
“You look dazed,” Chanyeol says, prodding him in the forehead. “How’d it go?”
Jongin manages to wave back at Joonmyun, and then he pushes Chanyeol out the door. “I think I have a date,” he says in disbelief.
Chanyeol puffs out his chest, bumping Jongin with his hip. “See!” he says. “Told you. I’m always right.”
He’s not sure about that, but Jongin ignores him, choosing instead to pull his phone out of his pocket. joonmyun hyung. He grins. Now he just has to figure out how to do the whole date thing. It can’t be that hard, right?
Right?
He was pretty sure he would be safe from Chanyeol in a bookstore, but apparently not. He looks completely out of place here, in his oversized hoodie and garish snapback pressed far enough down on his head to push his ears out. “Just, uh.” Jongin gestures at his coffee cup and nearly knocks it over again. That’s normal, right? Like, getting a drink and hanging around at a bookstore. That’s not weird. Jongin rubs his palms against his pants. “You know.”
Chanyeol looks pointedly down at the manga in Jongin’s lap. “Oh yeah,” he says. “Oh, I know.” He leers goodnaturedly, and Jongin turns pink. It’s not even like that.
He scowls at Chanyeol, hunching his shoulders and throwing his manga on the little table in front of him. It’s not like Chanyeol’s estimation of him can get a whole lot lower at this point. “Whatever,” he grumbles. His eyes fall on the book in Chanyeol’s hands, and he seizes his opportunity. “Maybe I should be asking you what you’re doing here, huh?”
“Picking up something for my sister,” Chanyeol shrugs, brandishing the romance novel. “I guess she needed a break from studying or something.” He squints at Jongin. “I thought you had big plans for the summer? Is this it?” He flicks at the cover of Jongin’s manga with one long finger and snorts.
Okay, so maybe it’s not the most impressive summer hobby. The original plan had spending a few months working at his uncle’s restaurant. It had meant he could save up a bit of money for when he heads off to school and still have his evenings and weekends free to spend time with his friends. It’d been a great idea, until his uncle had instead decided to rehire a university student who was home for the summer, and Jongin was out a job and at a bit of a loss. He’d ended up at the bookshop one afternoon, wandered in for an ice coffee, and found he liked it a lot. It was quaint and quiet, and the manager didn’t mind much if he borrowed a book to read by the window while he drank and that, among, uh, other things, was enough for him to return. “Shut up,” Jongin says, rubbing a hand across the back of his neck. “It’s just temporary.”
“Uh huh,” Chanyeol says, and he taps Jongin on the head with his book. “I gotta go. Take it easy, big guy. Don’t let the wild life burn you out.”
He’s gone before Jongin can muster up a response to that, and it’s probably a good thing, because the best Jongin had was ‘you take it easy’. He sighs and lifts his coffee, sucking vengefully on his straw. “Dick,” he mumbles, but he only sorta means it. He watches Chanyeol go up to the cash and slides down in his seat, hiding behind his drink.
Sure, this is a nice enough place to read for a bit, but maybe the real reason he’s here is parked behind the cash register, smiling sweetly up at Chanyeol as he rings him through. His name is Joonmyun, Jongin’s learned after careful scrutiny of his nametag (but only when he wasn’t looking), and Jongin thinks he’s in college. He’s tiny and kind of unbearably handsome, and when he hears the obnoxious shout of Chanyeol’s laughter, Jongin decides he must be funny too. Jongin thinks he’s kind of amazing.
Naturally, Jongin, well. Hasn’t managed to say a word to him. The first time he had come in, Joonmyun had caught him in the manga section and asked him if he needed a hand. Jongin had nearly stumbled into the bookshelves and shaken his head wordlessly. It was all he could manage. Joonmyun had been unphased, which was almost worse.
Jongin has tried, he totally has. Every time he comes into the store he buys a coffee and sits down, waiting for an opening to go introduce himself or something, but the right moment never really presents itself. Or, well, it probably does, but Jongin chickens out, shrinking down and burying his nose in his manga. It’s hard, alright?
Chanyeol heads out again, book in hand and when Jongin risks a glance up at the cash, Joonmyun is looking right at him. He smiles warmly at Jongin and Jongin chokes on his coffee. Everything is terrible.
-
“No, it’s not,” Kyungsoo says absently. He barely looks up from the book in his lap as he pats Jongin’s knee. “You have a crush.”
As much as he adores Kyungsoo, sometimes he’s not very good at the whole comforting thing. “Hyung,” Jongin whines. This is important. He sprawls out on the couch, burying his face in a pillow and only lifting his head enough to fix one baleful eye on Kyungsoo.
Kyungsoo sighs, marking his place in his book with a finger as he turns to look at Jongin. “Just say something to him, Jongin-ah,” he says. “You’ve been going there for weeks. I’m sure he’s noticed you by now. Just, you know, ask him for ice cream or something.”
“Ice cream?” Ice cream is childish. Joonmyun is in college. “Ice cream? Hyung. Guys don’t like ice cream.”
Kyungsoo raises one eyebrow. “You like ice cream,” he points out. Jongin groans and turns his face back to his pillow again. That’s not even the point, Kyungsoo definitely doesn’t get it.
By the time he looks up again, Chanyeol is standing in the doorway. Jongin isn’t sure exactly why Kyungsoo always lets Chanyeol in when he knocks on the door, because he definitely doesn’t help when he’s trying to study and he eats all his food. “Ice cream?” Chanyeol asks hopefully. “I could go for some of that right now.”
“No,” Kyungsoo says with a wave of his hand. He shows no sign of stopping and Jongin’s stomach drops with dread. Oh no. “No, Jongin is trying to figure out how to ask the guy at the bookshore on a date.”
Now Jongin really has a reason to hide. “Hyung,” he says. “You didn’t have to tell him.”
Chanyeol shoves Jongin’s feet off the couch so he can sit down and peers at him with interest. “So there was a reason you were there!” he asks. “Which one is it?” He jabs a finger into the back of Jongin’s leg. “The great big handsome tall one or the one with the smile that could fit in your pocket?”
Jongin squirms around and raises an eyebrow at ‘handsome’ but he has more pressing issues at the moment. Like how his whole life is embarrassing. “The short one,” he mumbles.
Chanyeol nods solemnly. “You do have a type,” he says, and he grins. Like Jongin needs to be reminded of the mortifying three months last year he’d been convinced that he was in love with Kyungsoo. He kicks back viciously at Chanyeol, his heel catching him squarely in the thigh.
Thankfully, Kyungsoo ignores the whole thing. “I told him to just ask him out, but apparently that’s not good enough.”
Something in Chanyeol’s grin gets devious, and it’s kind of alarming. It’s the way his eyes go wonky, Jongin decides. “He’s gotta be smooth,” Chanyeol says. “He’s gotta really butter him up.”
“I’m smooth,” Jongin protests. Kyungsoo turns back to his book and pats his knee again. He has terrible friends.
“I’ve got it,” Chanyeol says. “He works in a bookstore, right? Why not use a couple of bookstore pick up lines? Foolproof.” He beams at Jongin, pleased as punch that he’s solved the problem.
The look that Kyungsoo fixes on Chanyeol is icy and dismissive. “That is probably the dumbest thing i have heard in my entire life,” he says. Jongin kind of agrees.
“No, no,” Chanyeol says, gesturing widely with his hands. “Think about it! They’re lame, but like, in a cute way. It’s totally endearing, right? Trust me.”
Trust Chanyeol. Jongin narrows his eyes in suspicion. That really doesn’t sound like something he wants to do right now. The thing is that Chanyeol is also mysteriously good at getting dates, a fact that has always puzzled Jongin, considering that Chanyeol is gangly and twitchy and way too loud for his own good. There must be something he’s doing right. “I don’t know...” he says slowly.
Chanyeol taps his nose and narrows his eyes, nodding sagely like he has just imparted sage wisdom on Jongin, passed down generation to generation. Jongin hates him. “Trust me,” he says again, and then he reaches for Kyungsoo’s remote and flicks on the TV.
Pick up lines. It sounds pretty dumb. Jongin pulls at the hem of his shirt and Kyungsoo resolutely ignores them both.
“I’ll go with you, if you want,” Chanyeol says casually. He looks away from the tv for a second and smiles at Jongin in a way that he probably thinks is reassuring. It’s not, really. “As like, moral support.”
“You just want to see my embarrass myself,” Jongin accuses, and Chanyeol shrugs a shoulder.
“No way,” he says. “My plan will work.” He grins wider. “I mean, if you do embarrass yourself and I happen to be there to see it, well. That’s just a bonus.”
Jongin squints at him and says nothing. He has his misgivings, but maybe Chanyeol’s got something there. Anything has to be better than going up to Joonmyun like a kid and asking him if he likes ice cream. Right?
-
Jongin clutches his iced coffee as he approaches the counter. This is a bad idea. He turns back to glance at Chanyeol, camped out at his usual table, and he flashes Jongin a great big thumbs up. Great. Real subtle. Still, he’s here, right?? He’s wearing his best jeans and the paper shoved in his pocket has a list of book-related pick-up lines. He’s well prepared. He can do this. Right?
Joonmyun looks up as he approaches, and Jongin nearly trips over his own feet. He’s wearing this kind of horrific button-up shirt and Jongin knows he’s really sunk, because he somehow finds that endearing. “Hey,” Joonmyun says with a blinding smile, and Jongin’s heart pretty much stops. His tone is familiar, like he knows who Jongin is, and Jongin didn’t know it was possible for things to get better and worse at the same time, but they do. “What can I do for you?”
Clearing his throat, Jongin leans over the counter, doing his best to make it look natural. “Um,” he says. “Is your name Scarlett?” Joonmyun’s smile slips for a second, replaced by a little bewilderment. Jongin plows on. “‘Cause when I saw you, my heart was gone with the wind.”
Joonmyun blinks at him for a second, and Jongin uses that time wisely. He knows where all of his immediate exits are. His best bet is a bolt to the door. The bookshelves are closer and would provide cover, but eventually he’d have to see Joonmyun again, and at this very instant, Jongin isn’t sure that’s a good idea. But then Joonmyun is laughing, the corners of his eyes crinkling up, and Jongin’s is certain his knees are literally melting. “No,” he says gently. “I’m Joonmyun. And you are?”
It takes Jongin a beat to reply. “Oh, uh, Kim Jongin,” he fumbles out, squeezing the sweaty drink cup in his hand. Honestly, he hadn’t really thought it through past the line and the delivery. He throws a look back at Chanyeol, and this time, he points a finger at Jongin, eyebrows raised. See? Told you. Whatever, Park Chanyeol.
“Nice to finally meet you, Kim Jongin,” Joonmyun says. His eyes flick back towards Chanyeol, parked at the table, and his smile widens just a little. Jongin is too busy fixating on that ‘finally’. He’d noticed him? That’s a good thing, right? Like, a flirty thing, not a ‘yeah, I’ve seen you stalking me, you weirdo’ kind of thing. “I always see you reading your manga but you’ve never said hello.”
“I, um. Yeah, I like to come here,” Jongin says. He holds up his coffee, shaking it a little so that the ice cubes rattle against the plastic cup. “For the coffee.”
“The coffee, sure,” Joonmyun says. It’s not accusing or anything, it’s just kind of warm and friendly and Joonmyun is even better than he’d thought he would be, and he’s making Jongin completely tongue-tied. He feels jittery and nervous and totally elated and terrified all at the same time.
But there’s a problem. Jongin’s not really a great conversationalist on the best of days and right now, he feels like all his words have just dried up. This is it! This is his moment, his opening, and he has no idea at all what to say. “Uh,” he says. Joonmyun watches him patiently and Jongin’s resolve vanishes. “I have to go, I have a...thing. But. It was nice meeting you?”
He bolts. Good thing he’s got that coffee to fuel him as he makes a quick exit. “See you later, Jongin,” Joonmyun calls after him, and Jongin feels a little bit weak when he hears him use his name. It’s silly how just that can have such an effect on him. He’s going off to university in a matter of months, and he still turns into a tongue-tied idiot around the guy he’s got a thing for.
Chanyeol catches up with him a few blocks later. “What was that?” he says. “You were doing good!” He shakes his head. “I can’t believe you pussied out like that.”
Jongin scowls at him. “Whatever, hyung,” he says. Chanyeol is annoying but he can’t actually dampen Jongin’s spirits too much right now. Sure, he ran. But Joonmyun knows his name. He totally remembered him! Jongin is floating right now.
They stop at the corner, waiting for the light, and Chanyeol just stares at him pityingly. “You didn’t even ask him out,” he says.
“Yeah, but…” Chanyeol doesn’t get it. Jongin’s never been any good at these things. He knows he’s pretty good looking, he’s gotten his share of confessions through high school. But he’s never really done any of that himself. He’d busied himself in school with his studies and with his dance and he’d never really had the time to let a crush get to the point where he actually pursued it. So this is kind of a really Big Deal. “Whatever,” Jongin says. He takes a long sip of his coffee. He’s totally counting today as a win.
-
“I wish I could’ve seen it,” Sehun says. He stuffs another bite of tteokbokki in his mouth and frowns. “How come you took Chanyeol with you? I didn’t even know about this guy.”
“It’s not a show,” Jongin grumbles. He knew this would happen as soon as Sehun knew. He’d made the mistake of confiding in Sehun in first year when he had a crush on Soojung, and even after the feelings had faded, Sehun had torn into him mercilessly for months. He was just trying to protect himself for a little while longer. “And it totally wasn’t that entertaining. I just said hi.”
Chanyeol knocks the back of his hand against Jongin’s arm. “With a terrible pick-up line. And then he ran!” he adds. Jongin might have to kill him. “It was beautiful.”
“Dude, you’re really bad at this,” Sehun says, licking sauce off his lips. “The whole point of a pick-up line is like, you actually pick someone up.” He sighs. “At least tell me you’re gonna try to get a date out of this guy this time.”
Jongin buries his face in his arms. “I’m gonna!” he insists, voice muffled. He totally is! It’s just that - well, it’s not like it’s that easy. Joonmyun’s all older and so friendly with everyone who comes into the store and handsome. Jongin can’t quit thinking about his easy smile and his small hands and the way he dresses like an old man. He wants to ask him out. It’s just - he’s gotta work his way up to it. That’s all.
“Thank God for that,” Sehun says.
Jongin flinches as Chanyeol’s hand comes down heavily on the back of his head. He’s pretty certain that Chanyeol thinks it’s a friendly gesture, even if Jongin’s forehead might be bruised from hitting the table. “And I’ll be there for you, man, one hundred and ten percent,” Chanyeol assures him. “Don’t you worry about it.”
Considering that last time around, Chanyeol had mostly sat back at the table and eyeballed Joonmyun’s coworker, Jongin isn’t really sure what kind of help he was actually providing, but whatever, sure. “Yeah,” Jongin says. “Thanks.”
“Anything for you, buddy,” Chanyeol says solemnly, stealing the last piece of tteokbokki from Sehun. It was probably not his best move. Sehun punches him hard in the arm, and the two of them begin squabbling noisily, Chanyeol trying to wipe sauce on Sehun’s face despite Sehun’s protests. Jongin sits up again and props his chin up in one hand. At least they’re not making fun of him anymore.
-
“Don’t be a dweeb this time,” Chanyeol whispers, and he shoves Jongin forward. It’s been a week, and Chanyeol has decided that that is enough time for Jongin to rebuild his courage. Jongin’s avoided the bookstore the whole time, because, well. But Kyungsoo is getting tired of Jongin camping out on his couch and Chanyeol is really taking a shine to his role as wise teacher, so here Jongin stands again. He doesn’t have anything to occupy his hands this time, and he rubs his sweaty palms against his pants, trying to relax.
He waits until Joonmyun comes out of the back, and he’s gotta admit, the way that Joonmyun breaks into an immediate smile sends a total rush through him. “Hey!” Joonmyun says. “Jongin, right?”
He remembers. “Oh,” Jongin says, flushing. “Yeah, that’s me.”
Joonmyun drops his stack of books on the counter and then turns to face Jongin. “It’s been a few, huh? What can I do for you?” He gestures back towards the bookshelves where the manga is kept. “The new one came in the other day, were you looking for that?”
Oh, huh. He’ll have to check that out. He considers it for a second, but then he hears Chanyeol clear his throat. “Later, maybe,” he says. Here goes nothing. “You know, you remind me of a library book.”
There’s this look on Joonmyun’s face as he leans one elbow against the counter, and Jongin can’t quite read it. He thinks it’s a good one, though. “I do?” Joonmyun asks. He tips his head. “How so?”
“Well, uh, ‘cause I can’t stop checking you out.”
Jongin really, really likes the way that Joonmyun’s eyes look when he laughs. “You’re adorable,” he says, and to his credit, he doesn’t even seem embarrassed by Jongin. That’s impressive, considering that even Jongin is embarrassed by Jongin. “Even if this is a bookstore, not a library.”
“Close enough?” Jongin tries.
Joonmyun laughs again and there is a part of Jongin that is in total disbelief. How was Chanyeol right about this? How is he right about anything? He always looks like he’s doing everything by accident. “Close enough,” Joonmyun agrees. He leans in a little, and it takes all of Jongin’s willpower to resist the urge to shy away. Proximity is good, Kim. “Is that why you were coming in here all the time?”
Jongin cringes. “Maybe,” he says.
Pressing his fingers to his mouth thoughtfully, Joonmyun takes a step forward. “Hey,” he says. “Do you want to maybe get coffee some time?” Jongin stares at him, astonished, and only belatedly remembers to close his mouth. “I seem to remember that you’re a big fan of that.”
Blood is rushing in Jongin’s ears. “Um,” he says. Holy shit. He never expected that Joonmyun would ask him out first. He throws a desperate glance over at Chanyeol, but he’s flipping through a hip hop magazine and not-so-discretely staring at Joonmyun’s coworker as he reshelves biography. Whatever, Chanyeol was never useful in the first place. “Sure. Coffee’s good. Coffee’s great. Or like. Ice cream? Or whatever. Whatever you want.” He can hear himself babbling so he cuts himself off, trying on a shaky smile. Good job, Kim.
“You are so, so cute,” Joonmyun tells him, and Jongin simultaneously wants to melt into the floor and also float away. It’s a weird feeling, makes his stomach shift. “I like ice cream, too.” He pauses, and then he digs his phone out of his pocket and holds it out. Jongin stares at it blankly. “Can I have your number?” Joonmyun clarifies. “So we can plan our ice cream coffee date.”
Date. Jongin grins dreamily at Joonmyun. “Oh, yeah, duh, of course.” He hands over his own phone, and it takes him a bit of fumbling, but he manages to figure out how to put his number in.
As he hands it back, he’s overly aware of how badly he’s doing with conversation. Still, Joonmyun seems patient. He’s buzzing with hope, and the realization that Joonmyun has been watching him too, but now there’s pressure. Now he’s gotta be a good date too. Man, he really needs to start thinking about what he’s gonna do after Joonmyun says yes to things. “Hey,” Joonmyun says, and Jongin looks up from his phone. joonmyun hyung, it says. His stomach swoops. “Relax, alright?”
Jongin rubs at the back of his neck. “Sorry,” he mutters. He stares at Joonmyun’s shoes. They’re old man shoes. Practical. He likes them. “I’m not very good at this stuff,” he admits.
“I know,” Joonmyun says easily. “But you’re doing pretty good.” He nudges Jongin with his knuckles and though Joonmyun is half his size, Jongin feels like he could bowl him over right now. “Those lines are pretty good.”
When Jongin smiles again, it’s a little more genuine. “It was Chanyeol’s idea,” he says. “But I looked them up myself.”
“Cute,” Joonmyun says again, and Jongin kinda wants to die. Lucky for him, they get interrupted by a woman in an expensive coat, carrying an armful of books and clearing her throat pointedly. “I have to get back to work,” Joonmyun says, and Jongin can’t help but be pleased by how regretful Joonmyun sounds. “Text me, alright?”
Jongin bobs his head. “Promise,” he says, a bit giddy.
Joonmyun glances at the woman, and then he stretches up to speak right into Jongin’s ear. “Do you know what they say about book lovers?” he asks. Jongin shakes his head, doing his best not to think about how close Joonmyun is or how his breath against the shell of Jongin’s ear is sending shivers down his spine. “They never go to bed alone.”
He winks at Jongin and then he’s gone, sliding behind the counter to take the sale. He deals with the impatient customer with impeccable politeness and a bright smile, like Jongin isn’t still standing there, frozen to the spot and bright red. He finally gathers himself enough to walk away, and Joonmyun gives him a little wave and a grin. Jongin hadn’t even - he’d only been thinking about a date! Not...that. Not that that was a bad thing. But.
“You look dazed,” Chanyeol says, prodding him in the forehead. “How’d it go?”
Jongin manages to wave back at Joonmyun, and then he pushes Chanyeol out the door. “I think I have a date,” he says in disbelief.
Chanyeol puffs out his chest, bumping Jongin with his hip. “See!” he says. “Told you. I’m always right.”
He’s not sure about that, but Jongin ignores him, choosing instead to pull his phone out of his pocket. joonmyun hyung. He grins. Now he just has to figure out how to do the whole date thing. It can’t be that hard, right?
Right?
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