Chapter Text
“You’re haunting this apartment with your sullenness.”
Resolutely ignoring his friend’s teasing voice, Hyunjin picked up more ochre on his paint brush. He returned his gaze to the canvas. And his gaze was not sullen at all, anyways.
“This is my apartment. I can haunt it if I want to”, he answered eventually.
“You’re missing the point, princess. You’ve been here for two months now and it looks very pretty and everything but you still wander around like you’re a sad ghost haunting these immaculately painted walls.”
Minho was lounging casually on his assigned chair, eating the grapes that Hyunjin was trying to integrate into the composition of this study painting.
“Feels like it too,” Hyunjin muttered under his breath.
“It’s why I got you here, no?”, he said louder, frustratedly swiping his brush across canvas, rough strokes he knew he was gonna regret later. Minho had sharp features but the mood of the painting demanded softness, a softness Hyunjin’s harsh lines were not given to.
“But, alas, as much as I love playing model for your practice studies or whatever, I need to leave in ten minutes latest and that leaves you alone and sullen again.”
“What would you have me do then?”, Hyunjin said with enough drama to rival a cheap actor. He pointed his brush at Minho with a flourish. “And don’t tell me to get a boyfriend.”
“You could still afford to buy a nude model!”
“I feel vulnerable about my art at the best of times. You’re here because you blackmailed me into letting you help me!”
Minho shrugged lazily and smiled at him sickly sweet.
“I'm a good friend.”
He ate another grape. Any more and Hyunjin would have trouble seeing them beyond the rim of the ceramic bowl.
“You could buy the silence of the model.”
“No.”
Minho tipped the rest of the grapes into his left hand. Hyunjin sat down his brush with a sigh.
“Anyways, not what I meant to suggest. You have a lot of money, yes?”
“Yes? You know that. If you have enough money to pay a person to tell you how to invest and have the name Hwang”, Hyunjin interrupted himself with a shrug, “ I’m privileged enough to have been able to do that. Unless I start spending thrice my budget suddenly…I’m set for the next 10 years. Properties and mortgages or whatever pay lots of bills.”
“But your parents still send you money.”
“Yes. Probably as an enticement to continue my stupid business major.”
Completely fed up now, Hyunjin let his art supplies clatter messily onto the old table to his right.
“See! I have the perfect fix for that spite. You’ll be able to spend your parents’ money on something more frivolous than your expensive skincare and get some company.”
“Are you suggesting I-“
“Yes again. A sugar baby.”
“Minho. No. You cannot be serious.”
“Minho yes”, his friend sing songed. With a cat like stretch, Minho got up from his chair. “Think of it. Company, nude modeling, throwing money at someone who probably needs it.”
“But-“
“There doesn’t have to be an explicitly sexual component to it. You can set boundaries. You can literally pay them for just hanging around your apartment. Chat with you to get you out of art blocks. Dress them up- don’t give me that look, you love fashion, you’d enjoy having your own little doll to dress up and show off at some fancy restaurant.”
Minho stares him down with that smug little face he gets when he knows he’s right.
“…I guess.”
“Perfect!” Minho was already on his way to grab his jacket. “I know just the person. I’ll set you up to meet.”
Hyunjin scrambled up from his own chair, chasing after his friend.
“Minho. You’re-“
With a frustrated huff Hyunjin blocked his open front door, stretching an arm across the frame. “You’re not gonna even show me a picture?”
“No”, Minho said while ducking under Hyunjin’s arm. “I should warn you, he’s a terrible cook! Very cute though.”
Minho sent him a lazy wave over his shoulder before disappearing around the corner, making his smug way to the elevators.
Hyunjin closed his door with a sigh, leaning his head against it for a second. He turned around, sullenly looking at his empty apartment.
“I’m not haunting this apartment with my sullenness”, he repeated to himself pettily.
_______________
Because Hyunjin was nothing but a sucker for his friends, he was now clutching a mug of hot cappuccino in his hands. He arrived early to the coffee shop that was to be the meeting place between him and his potential…sugar baby. Oh god, what had Minho gotten him into. The man in question had reassured him several times via texts after their, according to Hyunjin, very one sided conversation.
You’ll see, the two of you will get along just fine.
He’s perfect for the spot. Cute, funny, talkative once he’s comfortable.
He also happens to really need that money. Give it a chance.
Please.
That last message had given him away, apparently this meant something to Minho. More than just a cleverly executed prank on a friend. Hyunjin repeated that thought to himself like a mantra when he had gotten dressed for this outing. Classy, casual but subtle. And maybe so he could hide his unstyled hair under a soft beige beanie. The long tresses were nice and looked great on him usually, but he’d felt too out of place to bother putting them into order. His hair also tended to draw attention with his height and generally appreciated looks. Hyunjin felt no need to gather any more attention than necessary while discussing giving his money to what was essentially a stranger.
He still couldn’t shake the feeling of awkwardness, sat in his loose pants and a knit sweater, his leather shoes giving away that the clothes didn’t just look expensive, they were. Hyunjin nervously ran his front teeth over his lower lip. Maybe he could still leave. He was actually tempted to throw his phone and wallet back into his bag and just up and leave this place. The tinkling of the doorbell froze him in his tracks.
He couldn’t see who came in, he had put his back to the door for exactly that reason. He did not want to look up like a scared animal of prey every time that little doorbell rang, thank you very much. Still clutching his cappuccino, Hyunjin almost laughed at himself for how tense he was. What was the worst that could happen? A stranger would find him weird, would forget all about him and move on. Maybe he’d try to sell his story to some cheap gossipy magazine but luckily the Hwang name was not big enough to make it worth the onslaught of lawyers his father would send their way. Hyunjin had found out the hard way, namely when he went on his first public date with another boy. It had been a surreal experience to find out his parents supported his sexuality but not his distaste for his current business major. Sure, it was a safe degree to have but who were they kidding? Hyunjin would not take over his family’s business in anything but name. He was pretty much safe for life if he played his cards right. And those cards included finishing his business major. The goal was in sight but he also… he also really wanted to get his portfolio polished to a point where he felt -
“Hyunjin?“ A voice interrupted his thoughts. Startled, but trying to hide it, Hyunjin tried to casually take a sip of drink, in turn managing to look very casual while burning the tip of his tongue. Hiding the wince with a small smile, Hyunjin finally turned a little in his seat to look at the newcomer.
The young man standing next to his table seemed just as nervous as Hyunjin. He had that particular energy about him that people had when they were insecure but extremely talented at hiding it. It immediately made Hyunjin feel less nervous. Did that make him a bad person?
“Yeah, that’s me”, Hyunjin finally found his voice,” and you must be Jisung, I assume?”
The young man suddenly fixed him with an intense stare, making Hyunjin almost shrink back a little.
“Hyunjin as in…Hwang Hyunjin?”
“Yes?”, Hyunjin returned, feeling himself get frustrated at this person’s tone. Who was this? Couldn’t they at least sit down?
“I’m Han Jisung.”
Oh. Hyunjin let out a surprised laugh. But not because it was funny, but because -
“Han Jisung as in-“
“Han Jisung as in Han-Jisung-who-fought-you-at-an-art showcase-in-12th-grade, yeah.”
“No way”, Hyunjin said to that, feeling more helpless laughter work its way up his throat. Oh this was just perfect. He could see it though. Now that he knew what to look for he could see the angry boy in this stranger. The same sharp eyes, same full cheeks, same strong eyebrows. He had not grown much taller it seemed but he looked… healthier now? Hyunjin couldn’t pinpoint it but the boy back then who had been ready to throw hands at a stupid art showcase had had a haggard look to him, like he was constantly on the brink of exhaustion. This version looked more energized. But still not rested, if the dark circles under those eyes were anything to go by.
“Dude”, Jisung piped up, barely holding the laughter down as well, it seemed. “If I had known it was you, I would have told Minho off way harder than I already did.”
Hyunjin was still kind of holding in his giggles, the whole situation just too weird to not be amusing. Jisung gave him a bashful little grin, left hand coming up to fiddle with the small silver jewelry in his ear. It was pretty, fit him well, Hyunjin noted absently.
“I’m really sorry about this. Don’t worry, I won’t bother you any further”, Jisung said.
He made to turn and leave once more but Hyunjin reached out a timid hand to stop him.
“No, please,” he smiled at him, “at least sit down. Have a coffee.”
Jisung still looked a little unsure.
“You look like you could use the caffeine”, Hyunjin taunted softly. If he remembered anything about this Han Jisung, a soft challenge to his ego would be the most effective method. It could also make him turn around and walk out immediately. Hyunjin bit his lip to smother his laugh when Jisung huffed and let himself flop into the soft armchair opposite from him. If he had looked awkward a minute ago, he immediately looked like he belonged in that chocolate brown leather armchair. Hyunjin liked this coffee shop for their cozy seats, low lights and excellent coffee. It had been a good decision to set the meeting up in this location. His companion seemed to agree.
“I have to order at the front, don’t I?”, Jisung asked with a weary look towards said front counter.
“I’m afraid so”, Hyunjin answered with an apologetic frown. He watched in amusement as Jisung heaved himself up again with a dramatic sigh, making it look like it was the hardest task of his young life so far. Taking small sips from his by now lukewarm cappuccino, Hyunjin tracked Jisung’s way towards the server at the cash register.
Eventually he returned with a giant iced americano and a piece of cheesecake.
“You want any cake, too?”, he questioned, not sitting down yet. “I can get a second fork.”
“No, thank you.”
“Your loss”, Jisung quipped, forking up a small piece before he was even properly sat down again.
“So”, Jisung spoke up once more after having swallowed the sweet treat. “I’ve heard you’re looking for a sugar baby?”
“I can’t believe Minho got me to do this”, Hyunjin whispered into his mug, heartened by Jisung’s laugh.
“Yes”, he said louder. “I am.”
“Hmhm”, Jisung hummed around another mouthful of cheesecake. “And what would that… sugar babying entail?”
“It’s - that is- that would entail uh”, Hyunjin tried to get out,” it’s… oh god, have you ever done this before?” He fixed an exasperated look at his coffee partner.
“Obviously I haven’t, or I wouldn’t be wearing this hoodie with three separate holes in the right sleeve, now would I?”
“Maybe it’s your favorite hoodie”, Hyunjin shot back. The garment in question did indeed look well loved, soft and stretched with age. It looked good on Jisung too, the yellow just soft enough to not clash with the dyed blond of his hair but bright enough to compliment the tan of his skin.
“Admittedly, yes”, Jisung conceded with a little grin. “But my point stands, I obviously am not swimming in money and I’ve never sold my…time before.”
That little pause made Hyunjin think about all the other things sugar babies were usually associated with. Willing the blush he could feel on his neck to not reach his cheeks, he gave another nervous chuckle. This was a train wreck.
“Your time is quite literally what you would be selling in this situation”, Hyunjin carefully ventured forwards. “I’m not looking for any…sexual favors. I recently moved into a new, spacious apartment and it’s been feeling…terribly empty.”
Jisung kept quiet, silently chewing on more cake but his gaze was firmly fixed to Hyunjin’s face. His brows scrunched slightly. Confusion? Disgust? Interest?
“Which I realize now makes me sound like I have no friends but that’s really not it!” Hyunjin hastily added.
Jisung snorted, quickly pulling up a hand to cover his mouth. Hyunjin sighed but continued when Jisung waved at him to encourage him.
“I’m… a business major, trying to finish up…a different project. A creative project and the emptiness of the apartment seems to…”, Hyunjin trailed off, unsure on why he felt so reluctant to divulge information about his portfolio to Jisung. “You would be paid to spend afternoons and or other times at my apartment. And…I’d uh…maybe like…can take you shopping for fancy things or something and then you could accompany me to those terribly boring fancy dinner events and stuff, I don’t know, I don’t even know why I agreed to meet you here in the first place.” Hyunjin rambled off, hiding his face in his hands for a second. “Should we just forget about this? Move on like nothing happened?”
“ Spend the rest of our lives desperately trying to avoid the wrath of Minho?”
Hyunjin harrumphed into his hands. “Good point.”
Jisung sent him another one of those small smiles. They looked fake but you could feel the good intentions behind them. A little as if he didn’t feel like smiling himself but wanted you to feel better still? Hyunjin had trouble connecting him with the angry boy from years ago and yet there was something familiar and comforting about him. They've had a terrible interaction but knowing that Jisung had seen Hyunjin crying and screaming obscenities before definitely lessened the pressure of wanting to make a good impression. It could only be better than back then.
“How about you finally drink that drink of yours and I’ll tell you a bit about myself before we try to come to an agreement. Maybe you won’t even want me around.”
Fair point, Hyunjin thought. Except of course that he was already pretty sure he wanted to spend more time with this man. Sure, he was nervous right now, a little embarrassed but he felt…safe nonetheless. A rare occurrence for someone that he had just met. Or met again? Hyunjin took time to ascertain which position a person would be able to take in his life and Han Jisung…definitely fit in somewhere.
So while Hyunjin sipped his cold cappuccino, Jisung’s basically confirmed what Minho implied already. He was a music major, producing and songwriting especially, almost done and gunning for an intern position at one of the big shot companies. Two of his friends (we call ourselves 3racha! …like the sauce? Yeah!) were already in and felt sure Jisung had the next spot secured already - he’d just have to reach his next birthday. The company’s program preferred a certain age. So now it was basically just a waiting game. Finishing last assignments and exams and trying to make enough money to survive in capitalism. He wasn't starving or anything but Minho was afraid that all those extra activities outside of music were wearing him down and wearing him thin. Hyunjin chose to not comment on how wise Minho was on occasion. So some extra money would be nice.
“So you’d pay me for…existing in the same space as you?”
Not quite.
“For now,” Hyunjin said. He’d bring up nude modeling and all that jazz up at another time. Maybe it wouldn’t work out after all and he’d never have to bother him with it. “Other works might come up in the future.”
“Sure, Daddy.” Jisung quipped in a high pitched voice, wiggling his brows obnoxiously.
“Don’t!” Hyunjin laughed but could feel his ears go hot again. Urgh. Terrible.
Jisung let the joke drop, the soft little smile coming to his round cheeks.
“Should we just give it a try and maybe work out further details as we go?”
Hyunjin nodded. “Sounds good to me.”
“Alright, gimme your phone. I’ll put my number in.”
They exchanged numbers. Hyunjin watched with suspicion as Jisung grinned at his own screen.
“What did you save me as?”, he asked him with no little trepidation in his voice.
“From now on you’re my Glucose Guardian. Sparkle emoji.”
“Cancelled.”
Jisung broke into loud laughter. The sound was quite contagious, Hyunjin would admit. Maybe this could work out. He kinda hoped it would.