Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

"Wait. Can you say that again?" Seungkwan says. 

Jisoo sighs in response, looking at Jeonghan for support, but he's only giggling like the evil creature sent to torture him for eternity that he is. Chaewon isn't even paying attention, too busy texting under the table. 

"I met a gorgeous man at the art fair I went to with Jeonghan."

"Yes, I got that. What did you say his name was?"

"Jun. Um, Junhui."

"Junhui? Moon Junhui? Hyung, I've told you about him before. I cannot believe this."

Jeonghan stops laughing to pointedly say, "Don't worry Kwannie, Jisoo-yah might not listen to you, but I do all the time~~"

Jisoo resists the urge to bang his head against the table, and instead takes a sip of his second mimosa of the day. He's not sure what he was expecting, as if choosing to tell the story about Junhui might mitigate the reaction he had to him, make it less real. Instead, Seungkwan is drawing a big red circle and forcing him to face it head on. 

Chaewon interrupts Seungkwan in the middle of a rant about how he's known Junhui for ages, and he's obsessed with him, and he'd be really good for you, hyung, seriously, to go: "Hurry up with the story, then. I have to leave in a bit."

"Oh?" Jeonghan smiles, deviously, "So soon? Meeting up with someone?"

"None of your business." Chaewon says, but the way her cheeks redden is enough indication that he's right. 

Jeonghan clicks his tongue, seemingly choosing to let Chaewon go for now, and pounces back on Jisoo. "Come on, tell them about it. Or I'll do it, and I know you hate it when I tell your stories."

He rolls his eyes, and once more settles in with the longest sigh he can manage. He's trying to act nonchalant, but knows it's not fooling anyone. "So you know Jeonghan begged me to go to Seungcheol's art fair with him." 

To be honest, Jisoo did not want to go. Jeonghan had pleaded for weeks, telling him that Seungcheol was in charge of the pottery table, and he would not be able to leave, and he'd die of boredom alone. Jisoo knew that Jeonghan would sit next to Seungcheol for hours, customers be damned, and leave him alone right away. In the end, the little voice that told him that otherwise he was looking at another boring normal Saturday alone won out and he said yes. 

He couldn't remember the last time he visited the Hongik University art campus. He thinks it was back when Jeonghan and Seungcheol started talking and he'd find excuses to be at the campus to "bump" into him. He stopped asking once Seungcheol made it clear he was not going anywhere, and proposed to him a bit too quickly. 

But it worked out for them. Jisoo, however, had no more reasons to visit the school. Even when Jeonghan's circle began to naturally include Seungcheol's faculty coworkers and friends, Jisoo tried to avoid any direct contact with them. His life was perfectly defined by his 9 to 6 work routine, brunch every Sunday, shopping with Jeonghan and Chaewon every other week, working out, and going to sleep by 10 pm. Most people would call him boring. He'd say it was a perfectly balanced life. Safe. He'd gotten used to it. 

So here he was now, strolling at a leisurely pace with Jeonghan (who had not separated from Jisoo's side), looking at the different stands that students and professors had settled along the walkways in the school. They'd already said hi to Seungcheol, and surprisingly Jeonghan had stayed by Jisoo's side after smacking an obnoxious kiss to Seungcheol's beet red face, so he had no choice but stay with him until Jeonghan had enough and they left to get lunch.

"He's very stressed today." Jeonghan eventually said, after arduously staring at a baby faced student's handmade sketchbooks for five minutes. He wordlessly bought a small one, likely a gift for Seungcheol, and turned to the next stand. "None of his senior students could man the stand today; they're swamped with their final projects. Mingyu is out sick as well, so it's just him and the freshmen who are clueless about selling art." 

Jisoo hummed in response, "So he said no distractions?" 

"I told him I would help!" Jeonghan let out a desperate sigh, "But he said he wouldn't be able to focus with me around. I don't know if I should be offended or flattered." 

"He's in love with you," Jisoo turned on his sickly sweet voice, "And you're a temptress who can't stay still around him." 

Jeonghan clicked his tongue, "You're annoying."

He giggled in response and grabbed his arm, continuing to walk around the busy fair. It was almost the end of the semester, summer about to burst open, and the trees that surrounded them were full and green. The sky was clear, and even though the sun was shining down hard, there was a slight breeze that cooled down the sunshine. He felt a pang of annoyance at Jeonghan, because once more he was right, and he was having a good time just by walking around with him.

Eventually, they bumped into one of Seungcheol's coworkers. Jisoo knew they'd already been introduced, so she jumped into conversation immediately. He could vaguely remember her - knew her name was Haseul, at least, since Jeonghan had screamed it right next to his ear when he spotted her - but they'd never interacted outside quick moments like these. While he tried to stay interested at the start of the conversation (Haseul's senior group were the ones taking care of the glass art stand, so she was just making one round around the fair before leaving), eventually they delved into half told stories about people he didn't know, and Jisoo preferred to do something with himself instead of standing awkwardly in silence. 

He squeezed Jeonghan's arm to let him know, and turned around to check out the stands around him. They'd reached a sort of designated zone for prints. He didn't know much about the slight differences or details about technique, but he recognized certain styles and forms that differentiated them from paintings or illustrations. Everywhere he turned he saw blocky strokes, affordable sizes, and popular images: animals, gorgeous landscapes, and a lot of prints that he could tell were influenced by the Joseon period, if he remembered his college history classes correctly.

Something caught his attention from the corner of his eye: huge, delicate, beautiful prints. At least, he thought they were prints, but they looked more like drawings made with pencil or charcoal. Once he got closer, though, he noticed the telltale numbers on the corner of the image that clearly meant it was a print. 

"Do you like cats?" Said a voice in front of him. 

Jisoo had lost himself in figuring out the drawn details of the print that he didn't notice the person behind the stall had gotten closer to talk to him. Looking up to ask about the technique, his words were immediately forgotten as he stared at an outrageously handsome man who was blinking owlishly at him. Wispy hair - dyed blonde in contrast to the rest of his dark hair - framed his alert eyes, which were staring back at an intensity Jisoo was not prepared for. Cat-like. A sharp, striking face, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips. He was almost geometrical. Jisoo was losing his mind. 

He realized five seconds too late that he'd been asked a question and that as a response he had looked this man up and down like he was his next meal. The only way forward was to commit to it.

"It depends. Are these yours?" 

The man fully smiled, bowing his head for a second, "No, no, these are from the litho program students. Though I do admit I tend to show them a tad too many cat prints as references." His eyes twinkled, "I'm Junhui, I run the Lithography program here."

Jisoo craned his neck to his best side, looking Junhui up through his eyelashes, playing with a smile he knew drove many men crazy. "I admit I've never heard of that." 

"You've definitely seen it, though. Think of really old posters, magazines, books - most of them came from litho. Especially in the early 1900's." He was very expressive, mouth charmingly stretching to accommodate the speed of his words, hands moving like they had a mind of their own. Large hands. Jisoo couldn't stop staring at them. "You probably know the poster with a black cat? French poster? Litho print!" 

Jisoo quite liked the sound of his laugh: big, pronounced hahaha's that settled deep in his chest. His own laugh escaped from his lips, almost involuntarily. "I do, yeah. What makes it special though? I noticed it's quite different from other prints. These are so-" He waves a hand around the different pieces in front of him, "detailed."

Junhui nods, using almost his entire body, "Exactly! The difference from, say, woodblock printing, which is what is most popular here, is that for litho you use a stone. You draw directly on it, with materials similar to pencil and ink, that's why it looks almost like a drawing." He comes closer to Jisoo, turning the corner of the table and standing next to him, leaning into him to point at different prints in front of them. "Then you do some magic. Chemistry, really, but I've always thought it so magical. The stone reacts to acid, absorbing grease and repelling water. The ink stays within your drawing, but not the blank spaces." 

He opens his palms, making a lilted ta da that tore another giggle out of Jisoo. He finishes his explanation for him. "And so, prints on paper." 

Junhui turns to him, soft smile on his gorgeous face, head tilted to the side, "Just like that."

Looking into his eyes a second too long, Jisoo turns around, collecting himself but using the opportunity to show Junhui the length of his neck. "So, are any of these yours..?" 

Junhui snaps back into himself, straightening his back like a cartoon character, "Ah, no. These are all from my students. I work with a larger format." 

"How big?" Jisoo smiles. Right into his trap. 

Junhui's only noticeable change is the red tint on his ears, but he actually laughs and leans slightly closer to Jisoo. "I'd have to bring you around to my studio to show you." 

He's about to open his mouth and ask him for a time and address, when Jeonghan's voice cuts through the thick tension they'd built around each other. 

"Jisoo-yah!"

Both Junhui and him snap their heads to look at the approaching Jeonghan, holding three new bags in his hands. He comes right next to Jisoo, takes one look at Junhui, and smiles evilly. 

"Oh, Junhui, how are you~"

"Good! It's nice to see you here, are you visiting Seungcheol?"  Junhui takes a step back. Jisoo looks away, focusing his entire energy in a rather cute print of a cat climbing a tree. He thinks it's the most interesting thing he's ever seen. 

"Just for moral support. Mingyu couldn't be here, so he's by himself."

"Yeah, Minghao told me about it. He was sick first, I think they took turns getting the flu."

Jeonghan nods. "But at least I managed to drag this one out of his hiding place." He yanks Jisoo, both physically and verbally, into the conversation. "Have you met? This is Jisoo. We've been best friends since forever." 

"Ah, we just-"

"I was asking Junhui for the price of this piece. I really want to get it." Jisoo says, taking the cat print and putting it in Junhui's hands. "Please?" He smiles, urging Junhui to take it. 

"Sure, here-"

While Junhui returns to his place behind the stall and goes about the process of charging Jisoo, he has a silent conversation with Jeonghan. He raises his eyebrows, smirking at him. Jisoo narrows his eyes. Jeonghan smiles with all his teeth, scrunching his face, looking ridiculous. Jisoo rolls his eyes, glares at him. Jeonghan pouts. Jisoo gives him a sardonic smile. 

They turn at the same time towards Junhui, who is standing with the print wrapped in an envelope in his hands, staring at them with huge eyes. There's a funny smile on his lips, like he is keeping in a laugh. Jisoo wishes he would let it out, he wouldn't mind hearing it one last time. 

God, Jeonghan is turning him into a drama queen.

"Thank you so much, Junhui. It was nice to meet you." He says, paying and taking the work without really looking. "We should really get going now." 

"Ah, sure." He brightly responds, twitching his long body, "I'll see you around, hope you enjoy your print!" 

Jisoo doesn't know if there's disappointment laced in his voice, or if his own feelings are seeping into everything he hears. He smiles, and pulls Jeonghan away, but not before he twists around in Jisoo's hold to wave and exclaim, "Bye bye Junnie~~ Don't worry, I'll bring him back for you!" 

"Shut up," Jisoo hisses, and Jeonghan just cackles in response. "I can't stand you."

He knows Jeonghan like the back of his palm, so when he sees him opening his mouth, ready to ask him about Junhui, he forcibly pivots the conversation. 

"I was only gone for five minutes and you managed to buy the entire show."

"Not fair! You left me alone with Haseullie, you know I'm weak for the sob stories she tells me about her students. Why does glass have to be so fragile?"

He clicks his tongue, "Any gifts for me?"

"As if! Your birthday is still months away. These are all for Cheollie."

"So for yourself, then."

"Yah, you're so annoying."

He giggles, but the way Jeonghan looks at him, he knows he's not out of the woods yet. It's just a matter of time until he gets confronted. 

He just thought he'd have a bit more time to gather his thoughts, but he made the mistake of mentioning a certain gorgeous face to Seungkwan, not really thinking about it, and now he is here, with three faces in different disdained expressions staring back at him.

He finishes his second mimosa of the day. Maybe it's time for a third one.

Jeonghan goes first, sighing, "I didn't want to say it yesterday, but I know what this is." 

Jisoo tries to drain the last drops of his drink, looking for something to do. "What?"

Rolling his eyes, Jeonghan leans in. He resembles the most out of a serpent, tracking its prey, in times like these. "It's your obsession with this idea that you're jinxed."

Seungkwan's eyes widened, leaping in, "Ah, the one where you think you keep dating the same type of people that Jeonghan does, and it ruins your chances of a real relationship?"

"I do not think that." He snarks, "And it's not the same type of people. We've never done that."

"It's just that, ever since we mind-melded into the same person in college, Jisoo and I have always dated in the same social circles. If I went for a jock, he had a jock. If he dated an actor, I met one from a different show. It really is freaky!" He exclaims, especially at Chaewon's unimpressed face. "Even when we met people from totally different places, they always had something in common. Until Cheollie." 

"Which is why you don't want to ask Junhui hyung out, because you think you'll jinx it again." Seungkwan nods, like he figured something out. 

"No." Jisoo sputters. "I'm not looking for a relationship right now. And you know I swore off casual sex. So, stop laughing- I am not doing anything about it. He can stay a beautiful memory for myself, and I'll keep on living my life."

Jeonghan sighs. Seungkwan pouts. Chaewon looks at him like he's stupid. 

"I think you're stupid. But it's not my life you're throwing down the drain, so." She shrugs, putting a few bills on the table and standing up. "I have to go now. But I'll see you and Jeonghan oppa on Thursday, yeah? Or, if you decide to get your head out of your own ass, call me." 

She waves prettily at them and starts walking out of the restaurant. Jeonghan points out the car waiting at the curb, and Jisoo calls out, "Hey, say hi to Hyeju for me, will you?" 

Chaewon glares at him, clearly fighting the urge to flip him off, before opening the door and promptly walking to the car.

For a moment it seems like they'll pounce on the don't-talk-about-it-or-mention-her of it all of Chaewon and Hyeju's not-not-relationship, but one look at Jeonghan tells him he is not going to drop it. 

He starts fiddling with his napkin, thinking of the cat print in his house, in a newly bought frame, in his living room. Like it was always meant to be there. 

"I just think it's time you do something nice for yourself. Even if it's for a short time." Jeonghan says, voice becoming that sickly earnest tone that has always managed to disarm Jisoo, without fail.

"And he really is nice, hyung. Junhui." Seungkwan says. "He's gone to all of our improv shows, and he always laughs. Even when we suck." 

"I'm not going to keep pushing if it really upsets you, but you do deserve to have someone." Jeonghan finishes, squeezing his knee and smiling at the waitress who drops off another coffee for him. "Don't push someone you had a genuine connection with away just because of a silly idea that has not been true in so long." 

"Just stop." 

"Fine. But I can ask Seungcheol for Junnie's contact whenever you want."

"I can send it to you right now!" Seungkwan says, taking out his phone.

"No I- I'll let you know. Thank you." He manages to pull a half hearted smile towards them, feeling exhausted right down to his bones. He does not want to jump to anything right away. "I'll think about it. I promise."

Jeonghan sighs. "Yah, the last thing you should do is think. You do too much of it at work already." He knocks Jisoo's head, "Aigoo, it's empty up here." 

He snorts, pushing him away. He stops thinking of cat prints, handsome noses, and beautiful hands, and asks Seungkwan about how Hansol is doing. He gladly launches into a story about his work, Hansol, and Hyeju, and they finally switch gossip victims. 

Still, there's a slight pull in Jisoo's chest that he hasn't felt in a long time. He hopes that by burying it deep down, next to the deeply rooted sadness that has started growing in his heart, he'll be able to ignore it and continue living his perfectly placid and boring steady life. 

The Wave, A Lithograph, 1990, David Hockney

Junhui has a problem. He's been distracted all week. 

He barely managed to tend the litho print stand by himself before Hyunjin came to relieve him of his duties and he could go home. He somehow managed to mumble to her about how one of her prints (that she managed to sneak into the stall, never mind the fact that she wasn't a student anymore) had been sold, before aimlessly getting home. He almost tripped when the subway stopped, and he kept doing it all week during his commute to work. He messed up the nitric acid ratio for his latest work, and had to spend hours undoing his mistake. The breaking point came when he was helping a student balance the pressure for the printing press, and Hyunjin had to step in because he almost sent the stone in with catastrophic force. He could not afford to break  a litho stone from the university, so Hyunjin sent him home early and told him to put his head on right before coming back on Monday. Never mind that he was the authority in the workshop. 

Junhui has a problem. And his name is Jisoo. 

Last name pending, he told Kahei, because he couldn't manage to get it, or his number, or how to find him again, after he left quickly dragging Jeonghan away. At least he knew Jeonghan, he said. That was Seungcheol's husband, remember? The pottery department head. You know him.

"I know of him. Mingyu's friend, right?" Kahei said. She was used to Junhui's long monologues, so she was cleaning up the remnants of their dinner while he put the leftovers away, listening to him and making sure to make a sound of agreement at the right times to urge him on.

"Yes! They're both potters." Junhui says. "Seungcheol is in charge of the pottery studio, and he once had an art faculty party at his place, that's how I met Jeonghan. Apparently they got married, like, right after they met."

Kahei frowns, shaking her head, "No way. Stories like that are never true. They're probably shortening the time to seem more romantic."

"I swear! Jeonghan told the story." He said, eyes wide, rice scoop forgotten mid-air. 

Kahei blinks, unimpressed. "Well then, wow." She nods for him to continue.

"Anyway, I thought he was really funny. He teases Seungcheol a lot, which is fun to see, because he's usually very serious during meetings."

Kahei finishes up washing the dishes, and Junhui puts all the leftovers away, so they both walk to the couch in the living room, without breaking off the conversation. Kahei waits briefly to open the window, cooing to see if any of the cats are up to a visit, before sitting down and looking at Junhui. 

"Do you think you could ask him for Jisoo's number? Or at least his full name?"

Junhui folds his legs, chin resting on his knee. He figures he could. At least Jeonghan would be willing to share. He doesn't know Seungcheol that much, but Junhui isn't really shy with him. "Maybe. I could probably talk to Minghao first about it, though. He spends a lot of time with Seungcheol and Jeonghan, maybe he's met Jisoo. I can do research first."

Kahei's eyes widen, letting out a simple ah~ "Seems smarter." 

Junhui covers his face, "I know he'll make fun of me. But I want to be sure about him."

Right then the lock to their front door turns, signaling the arrival of Jungeun and Jinsol. Usually when Kahei's off days synced with Junhui's, the couple were letting themselves into their shared apartment, mainly to see Kahei but to tease Junhui as well. He didn't know when Kahei gave them a copy of their keys, but he guessed it was right after they moved in together. He didn't mind. He liked feeling like his home was open to everyone. A warm place to land and be fed.

"Did he really make such a big impression on you?" Kahei asked, switching to Korean. She refused to speak anything but Cantonese to him, complaining of his stumbling and unsure words when they first met, making it her mission to get him to practice and recover his rusty dialogue. They cleanly switched to the other language, though, as they always did around their friends. 

"You don't understand. He's so delicious. I need to bite him." 

"Ew, oppa." Jinsol says, at the same time Jungeun shudders, "Keep that to yourself."

"Okay. Sounding like a vampire aside, it seems like the only solution is to contact him somehow, so you can fuck him and get over," Kahei waves her hand around his entire body, "whatever this is."

Jungeun drops into the empty space in the couch between them while Jinsol rummages through their fridge, "Oh, Bbihaeng, I don't think it's that simple."

Kahei's head twitches in a silent question. 

Jungeun pats Junhui's face, squishing him, until he shakes her off. "Look at him, he's halfway in love already." 

"Be quiet." He says, "You don't even know who I'm talking about."

"The fact that you're telling Vivi unnie that you want to eat this guy is enough. How could you do that to her?"

"The pain is relentless." Kahei drones back, getting up and greeting Congee, who had just hopped through the window. 

Jinsol sits in her place, putting her legs up on Jungeun's lap. They laugh at whatever expression is on Junhui's face, and he decides he's had enough. He stands up, stretches until he hears his back pop, and slowly retreats to his room. "I'll talk to Minghao tomorrow, see if I can get his number like that. And I promise to come back with no disgusting details until I am ready to introduce him to you."

"Wow, he really is serious." Jinsol whispers to Jungeun, who simply raises an eyebrow. "I'd rather know no details." 

Junhui laughs, somehow feeling elated at just the concept of getting to talk to Jisoo again. "A tiny bit of detail?" He bends his body sideways, the way it makes him look silly and charming at the same time, and knows he won when Jungeun rolls her eyes.

"Whatever. You will tell us all about it right away." She grunts, exasperated. "You're lucky you know you're so cute."

"Of course~" He sing-songs, before closing the door to his room. 

He gets ready for bed at a cheery pace, humming the entire time, heart beating loudly in his chest. He knows it's a bit ridiculous to be this excited about someone he has barely talked to, and he's been a victim of letting his mind wander before having to reel it back to reality, but he can't help but remember how electric Jisoo felt next to him. As if they could power the entire city just by touching each other. He didn't mind if he made a fool of himself in front of Seungcheol, if it came to that, or if Minghao called him crazy. He needed to see Jisoo again. At least once more, to prove he wasn't losing his mind alone. 

"Just for the record, I don't think you're losing your mind." Minghao said the next morning, after setting up his brushes for a long painting session. He doesn't even look up from the paint he was mixing, "We went out with Seungcheol and Jeonghan last night, and they kept whispering about something and looking at me. I really thought I had something on my face. Turns out, Jeonghan thinks his friend really likes you." 

Jun almost drops the pencils he was holding. He straightens up from the uncomfortably doubled over position he was holding over the stone he was working on, and turns to look at Minghao. He glances back at him, "He didn't really get into it, because he said his friend was sort of cagey about it-"

"Jisoo," Junhui interrupts, needing to get it out. Minghao's soft hmm? makes him continue, "Jeonghan's friend. His name is Jisoo."

"Ah right, you told me last week." He muses, laughing lightly at him. "I think there's a lot of mutual interest. But you really need to ask Seungcheol about it. I haven't really met him before, maybe once at Jeonghan's last birthday, I don't really remember. Mingyu says he is really nice, but kinda evil, like Jeonghan."

"I got that same impression." He sighs, dropping the pencil and stretching out his hands. He couldn't concentrate on fine drawn details, so he figured it would be a better use of his restless energy to level a couple of large stones he's left behind. "I guess, unless I suddenly get a text message from a mysterious unknown number, I'll have to wait until Monday to talk to Seungcheol about it."

"Can't you text him right now?" 

"I don't want to bother him during the weekend!" 

Minghao laughs, "You're so sweet, Junnie." 

He walks up to Minghao's side of the workshop, resting his chin on his head and staring at his work in progress.

"Out of your rut already?" He asks, breathing in the dizzying smell of oil paint. 

"Not really," Minghao sighs, "This is a commission for a high paying client. He owns a gallery. Has a clear vision of what he wants."

"Ah," Junhui says. "Well, I'm going to the patio to level the stones. Bang the door if you need anything." 

Minghao gestures with his free hand while Junhui gathers the materials to spend the next grueling hours outside. He has time before Hyunjin is supposed to come by and they have to print, and he prefers to do soothing, repetitive work to keep his mind at bay. He has always told Minghao about how a lot of the process for lithography was almost meditative, but he's never been able to convince him to give it a try, even after three years of sharing a private studio. For now, he loses himself on the push and pull of the stone, the smell of the metal, the weight on his hands. He uses his entire body to grind the stone, and enjoys the soreness in his body. He thinks only once of bringing Jisoo here, but cuts himself off before he can't come back up from that rabbit hole. 

When he comes back to the studio, Minghao is nowhere to be found, the late afternoon sun is trickling in, and Hyunjin's apron is not in its usual place. He cleans his hands and checks his phone. Right under Soonyoung's invitation to their next improv show, and Wonwoo's confirmation for dinner plans at his place, there's a message from an unknown number.

Rock Foam, (L'écume des roches), 1959, Jean Dubuffet

A week. That is how long Jisoo lasted before he caved in and asked Seungcheol for Junhui's Kakaotalk contact. He wasn't about to ask Seungkwan, who'd be genuine, but way too excited for what Jisoo could handle at the moment. He was only delaying the inevitable by asking Seungcheol, though, because he couldn't keep anything from Jeonghan. At least he had a couple of hours to stew in his own thoughts before Jeonghan called him. Or made his way into his apartment. 

He had just finished his post work-out shower, skin smooth and fresh, his entire place smelling nice and bright. He lit a new candle he bought recently, which smelled curiously like fresh cut grass and clean linen (he wasn't sure about it yet), since scented candles had turned into his new collection hobby after he realized he was buying too many perfumes with no reason to wear them out.

He sat on his bed. Stared at his clothes. Arranged neatly by occasion, and then by color. Laying back with a sigh, he let his hand trail down his stomach, shivering slightly at the contact. He was tired from the gym, but with nothing else to do, he circled the edge of his underwear, teasing his fingers. He wasn't really feeling anything, so he tried licking his palm and dipping his hand under the fabric. A few halfhearted tugs later, he was more frustrated than satisfied.

Maybe he could go for a run. 

A third into his usual route, he came to a stop after getting distracted by a cat cafe. He usually passed by it without a second glance, but this time he walked close to the window, staring at the cats inside. He watched two of them play right next to the window for a minute, retreating before someone could come out and offer him the day's specials. On his way back to his apartment, he pulled Seungcheol's contact and asked him to send him Junhui's number. He'd think about it later. 

And he did, when Jeonghan called him while he was in the middle of chopping the ingredients for the weekly portion of cucumber kimchi he made every Saturday. He put him on speakerphone, calling out a soft "Yes?", and freeing his hands to keep cooking.

"Joshuji~~" Jeonghan's voice called out, slightly distorted by the phone. 

"Oh, it's serious when you pull that one out." 

He can feel Jeonghan's eye roll as an answer to that. "It's not serious! I'm happy."

"Really?" He says, smiling. 

"Can't I be happy for no reason?"

"Sure you can." He says, mixing together the sauce. He knows he doesn't have to say anything else before Jeonghan brings it up. Right on time.

"So have you messaged him yet?" He says.

"I did, like an hour ago."

"Has he answered?" 

Jisoo glances at his phone, before dropping the sauce in and mixing with his hands. "Not yet."

He hears Jeonghan mumble something away from the phone, but he quickly comes back to say, "Cheollie says not to worry, that he's very busy, and that it might be a while until he gets back to you, if he's working."

"I wasn't worrying." Jisoo huffs, finishing up with his kimchi and washing his hands. "You know I don't care about writing back right away." 

"Aish, that's what you do. But I know you like them to be ready and attentive." 

"We should know less about each other." 

"It's too late. What did you say to him?" 

"Just who I was, and where I got his number from. Don't want him to freak out on me for trying to talk to him."

"He won't. I haven't talked to him a lot, but he seems sweet. Seungcheol says he's really good at what he does. But that he's weird, which I can confirm." 

When he finishes putting his carefully crafted cucumber kimchi in a container to put in the fridge, he gets a notification on his phone from Junhui. He bites his lip, but decides to keep it to himself. Instead, he leans against the counter, and brings his phone close to his face. 

"Why are you so invested in this?" 

Jeonghan is silent for a moment, probably knowing that Jisoo was not in a joking mood, and, since he knows him so well, probably taking him to another room to give him the semblance of privacy. "I want you to be happy, too. You've been pretty down for a while now, and you deserve to have something fun."

Jisoo closes his eyes, trying to stave off the burning sensation of a headache approaching. "I'm fine." He says. Jeonghan's click of tongue as a response tells him he did not convince him of anything. "I think I've been feeling a lot more homesick than I've felt in a while." He bites out, eventually. Not the whole truth, but a little kernel of something to stop Jeonghan from digging his fingers further in. 

"Let's plan a trip soon to visit your mom." 

Jisoo smiles, genuinely. "I'd really like that." 

They give it a second, and then Jeonghan starts telling him about Sooyoung and Jiwoo's newest fight. He feels his heart grow, quietly comforted by his best friend. He returns Jeonghan to the table, and hears him talk while he cleans up his kitchen. Afterwards, he honestly thanks him, and promises to update him at brunch the next day. Once he hangs up, he opens Junhui's messages, and finally responds to him.

Moon Junhui

Of course I remember you. I’m glad you reached out!

Hong Jisoo 

I wanted to show you that I got the print framed and everything. 

[Picture attachment]

I think it looks great here, right?

Moon Junhui

Wow, it looks amazing!!!

I guess you do like cats then?

[Picture attachment]

Congee says hi

Hong Jisoo

Adorable

Depends on the kind of cat

Yours seems nice

Moon Junhui

He’s not really mine. Comes and goes as he pleases

If you think he’s cute wait until you meet his sister 

Jisoo smiles, clicking on the picture again and looking at the round, fluffy white cat staring impassively at the person behind the camera. He actually does not care that much about cats, he actually thinks they're a bit stand-offish and difficult, they never come when they are called. But Junhui seems to love them, and he finds himself thinking about him now every time he looks at a cat. He locks his phone, shaking off the smile that crawled onto his face without permission, and settles into his couch with a book, determined to not think about what he's getting himself into.

The Offering, 1961, Cecil Collins

Wen Junhui now finds himself constantly looking forward to the constant flow of messages between him and Jisoo. It's not everyday, and they're not even super long conversations, but they naturally began to talk to each other without needing to end or start with small talk formality. Topics and questions rose and fell like waves, naturally bleeding into each other even after days of silence. It was fun. He was having fun. 

It's one of those moments, a rare alone time in the studio, where he's giggling, typing out an answer to whatever Jisoo wanted to tell him that day, and finishing it up with a picture of himself, grinning to the camera, peace sign next to his face. He carefully lines up the workshop in the background so the stone he's drawing on is visible, with another one in the middle of the acid process next to it. He gets a pretty cute picture of Jisoo in response: chin resting on his hand, sitting in what it looks like to be his office. Soft brown hair meticulously arranged to frame his face prettily, eyes curved in a smile, and those soft lips he couldn't stop thinking about tugged in a smirk. He's wearing a navy tie with little baby blue patterns, and he looks downright edible. Junhui had never felt so much envy towards office workers in his life.

Junhui tries to get back into his work, but he's been having trouble concentrating on his own pieces, the Jisoo thing aside. He was a fun addition to his day, of course, but in the back of his mind the fact that he'd been in a creative block weighs him, and he has been trying to shake it off for the last month. He teased Minghao about his art blocks, but only because he was a lot more vocal when he was going through them and liked talking them out, saying it helped clear his creative mind. When Junhui was like this, though, he could never express it. Felt like he needed to get over himself and barrel through, keep working until something was done. If he wasn't at the University, giving classes and offering tutoring for projects, he was at his studio working on his own art. Very little time spent doing anything else. Usually if he distracted his brain long enough with more work, he could somehow get through and he'd find himself spurting out a few ideas and prints until they died out and he was back where he started. It was an okay process that usually worked for him.

This time, he groaned at what seemed the millionth failed attempt at some tusche ink strokes, and yelled at his stone Shuihu. She did not deserve it, of course, since this was on him for working without a sketch and not having the patience to work with tusche. He apologized to Shuihu, and tried to clean up and salvage what was possible. He'd still try and print it, but he had an inkling that it'd turn out pitch black because of his overhand with the wash. If that happened, he'd try to etch some lines and salvage it. Still, it was another failed experiment. He'd been this way for a month. He sighed as he prepared the stone for the next step, not having a lot of hope for it. 

He knew, in the back of his mind, that it was the hurrying date of the gallery opening that was bothering him. He'd usually not agree to work with a gallery with unplanned and unfinished pieces, but this was a curator friend of Minghao who wanted him specifically. He talked out a few ideas, even tried to offer his already completed work, but he was adamant that he wanted something new for his next show. He only said yes because he agreed to include Hyunjin, and Junhui knew she was having trouble getting some of her work in galleries to sell. She was ecstatic, and they spent hours talking about her ideas and going through her existing portfolio. She was already spending most of her free time doing tests at Junhui and Minghao's studio, and he knew it was a matter of time until she was printing her final pieces. So he'd keep at it, hoping eventually something would work out for him, because he wanted to share this with Hyunjin. 

Still, being unable to work smoothly had always bothered him. He hated feeling like he was stuck, unmoving. It felt like his movements were restricted, unable to do anything about it. However, working more just kept making it worse. Minghao always said it was best in these moments to take a step back, talk it through with someone, do something he enjoyed to give his mind a break, but that was impossible for Junhui. Feeling like he was not working forward made him restless. He'd stayed up for nights, in the past, whenever he got like this. One remarkable moment was back in college, when he spent an entire semester with insomnia because of his ceramics class. He even stayed up entire nights with Wonwoo, joining him on whatever game he was playing just to have something to do. He was so thankful when he passed that class and could leave everything behind (he slept for two days straight once finals were done, and scared Wonwoo so bad he had to call Jihoon to try and wake him up). And maybe it was his stubborn nature, but he felt like maybe if he kept forcing his work it would resolve itself in time. So he didn't need to rest, Minghao, no matter what you say, thanks. 

He decides to give his poor stones a break, knowing, for their sake, that his energy was not helping them. So he grabs his sketchbook and moves to a clean table, deciding to sketch around for the next hour or so until he has to go. He doesn't know how, but somehow he manages to draw out multiple sketches of Jisoo. Maybe it's from all the pictures he's been sending him lately, or maybe it's just the fact that he hasn't stopped thinking about him, but the result is a bunch of embarrassing drawings spread out on his page. He closes his notebook. Maybe it is time for a break. 

Instead of that, he takes a picture of the best sketch, and sends it out to him. Beautiful men love being drawn, so he feels confident that Jisoo will enjoy it, and hopefully will send him another picture to think about. 

Hong Jisoo

Oh my god

I love it, Junnie

Thank you

Wen Junhui 

😆

You're really fun to draw!!

Hong Jisoo

You're too nice

Do you do this for everyone you meet?

Wen Junhui

Only the really handsome ones

"Ahh, I'm so screwed!" He says aloud to the empty studio. He then laughs, giddy, feeling the telltale fluttering in his stomach that tells him his crush is well underway. He enjoys this part a lot, and hopes Jisoo agrees to stay at it for a bit. He's not in a hurry. 

He checks his watch after glancing at his windows and realizing it had gotten very dark. He finishes up, cleaning out his materials, moving the stones into their places, and taking a quick look around the entire space before turning off the lights and leaving for the night. He notices that one of the lightbulbs in Minghao's area has gone out, and makes a mental note to switch it out the next day. Since Minghao is a bit more strict about his schedule, he doesn't tend to stay until nighttime, as he prefers to work with daylight and is serious about trying to keep a work and life balance. Plus, in between his art block and getting the move ready for his and Mingyu's new house, Minghao has been spotty at the studio. He probably will never notice, but Junhui likes helping him in any way he can.

He grabs his tote bag and locks the studio behind him, setting off into the night. While he is less stern about his own schedules, he does have a fondness for working late: walking around Seoul late at night is one of his favorite activities to do, and sometimes he does it on purpose. Is that enough of a break from work?

He spends most of his walk taking pictures as is his duty as an artist constantly trying to find inspiration everywhere. The shadowy trees against lampposts, the lights of the city bouncing off the windows in the street, the silhouettes of passersby going about their night. He takes a deep breath. The weather has been warming up increasingly fast, leaving the chilly spring nights behind but still being cool enough to enjoy. He takes a look at his pictures, and adds them to a special album on his phone. Junhui has wanted to work with the concept of night walks for a while, and has been saving an archive for inspiration, though he hasn't really been able to tap into the full idea. The pieces are there, but he doesn't know yet how to approach them. After buying his usual milk tea at the café he always goes to at this time of night, he thinks of the traces of himself he leaves every day while doing his routine: the people he sees and talks to, the places he walks, the tiniest imprints of himself in a huge city. The place he has made a home out of. Over there he met the cow print cat he now greets every morning on the way to his workshop. Here is the restaurant Soonyoung really likes and where they've celebrated several joint birthdays together. And this-

"Junhui?"

His sprawling thoughts are interrupted by a soft, melodious voice. In front of him, walking in the opposite direction, is Jisoo. He is no longer in the work shirt and blue tie from the picture he sent earlier, but a really soft looking grey sweater, V-neck dipping dangerously down his chest. Junhui glances at his collarbones, enjoys the way the fabric hugs his waist, and looks back up to smile at him. He is on the phone, eyes wide open but glistening. His mouth is slowly rising to a smile, and he interrupts the other person on the phone to say, "Seungkwannie, I'm sorry, but I have to go right now. I'll make it up to you later, I promise. Bye. Yeah, I know. Bye!"

Junhui feels a satisfied warmth travel through his body, and he smiles even wider at Jisoo, if it's even possible. "Hi"

"Hi." Jisoo grins, taking a step closer to Junhui, like there's something pulling them together. "I'm surprised to see you here. Do you live around here?"

"No, but the art studio I share with my friend Minghao is close by. I'm taking a bit of a detour getting home."

"Really? I've never seen you before. My place is right around the corner."

"We weren't meant to meet yet." Junhui says, leaning into Jisoo's space. He's overdoing it, he thinks, but Jisoo makes him want to act like a fool. He doesn't want to push back on what feels right. The smile he gets as an answer is enough to push him forward.

"Well, I'm glad we did now."

They grin at each other stupidly for a second, before Junhui cranes his neck to look behind him. "Were you going somewhere?"

Jisoo shakes his head, "Not particularly. But sometimes I like taking walks during the night. Clears my head."

"That's funny," Junhui laughs, "I really like doing that as well."

Jisoo's eyes shine for a second, and he looks like he wants to say something. He hesitates, so Junhui closes the breach first.  "Do you want some company?"

"Yes." Jisoo sighs, like he was waiting for it. He steps next to Junhui, and they begin a careful pace towards the night. 

Even on a Wednesday, the streets of Seoul are bustling. They walk away from the nosiest streets brimming with nightlife, finding a quiet space where they can talk to each other clearly. Jisoo asks him about his home, and how long he's been living in Korea.

"I've been living here since I went to art school. I was interested in printmaking history in high school, and did a bunch of courses for lithography. Got offered a scholarship here, since it's a bit of a niche art, so that is why I moved." He answers Jisoo's questions happily, finding so much common ground with him it makes it easier to talk to. "So about 12 years? Give or take." 

Jisoo nods, eyes wide and bright. "I've been here almost the same time, but I moved here permanently a little later. I went to college back in the US, but I had  an exchange semester here which I really enjoyed. After getting my degree I moved here for my Master's degree, and then I just stayed." 

"It's weird, isn't it?" Junhui says, making Jisoo look up at him. "Being so far away from home, but having been here so long that it is now the place where you belong."

"Like being pulled apart in two directions."

He nods, and pulls Jisoo's attention to a tree on the other side of the street. "Look, there's a cat up there. Do you see it?" 

Jisoo squints, cranes his neck, and even tries to get closer, but finally shakes his head. "I don't see anything. It's too dark."

"Here." Junhui says. He leans into Jisoo's back, grabbing his hand and raising it to point at where he can see the two bright eyes of a cat hiding in between the branches of the tree. Jisoo is warm, his sweater is soft, and he smells very nice. A bright, clean scent, with a hint of vanilla. Junhui tries not to give in to his urge to take a deeper breath on the back of his neck, and instead wraps his other hand on his waist, basically hugging him from behind. Jisoo leans back into him, letting his weight get carried by him, and follows their hands to find the cat. 

"Oh, I think I see it!" He says, "I don't think he's too happy we found him."

He is right: the cat seems to squint at them, and starts retreating without taking its eyes off them. 

"He's probably talking to himself right now, about how these two pesky humans ruined his late night hunt. Now he's going to go home without dinner! Sorry Mister Cat. We won't bother you again." He drops Jisoo's hands and bows in apology to the cat. Jisoo laughs when the cat seemingly meows in displeasure, and finally retreats into the darkness. 

Junhui really likes his laugh. It's light, feels like he's floating in the sky, and he needs to hear more of it for as long as he can. 

"I need to tell you the truth about something." Jisoo says, suddenly serious. Junhui looks at him with wide eyes, mouth still pulled into a toothy smile. "I don't really like cats."

Immediately Junhui puts his hands to his chest, near his heart, he makes a wounded noise. "Argh! I cannot believe this. You've betrayed me, how could you?!" 

Jisoo's blank face breaks, giggles falling into place around them. He doubles over, and grabs Junhui's arm. He feels warm, and sated. His own laugh rumbles deep from his chest, and they get weird looks from a group of people walking in front of them. 

Junhui couldn't care less about them.

"Really though, I didn't really care for them before. But I'm warming up to them."

"You need to meet Congee and Mala, then. They'll steal your heart."

"Those are yours, right?" Jisoo says, as they continue their walk.

"Kinda. My roomie and I, we're a bit too busy to fully care for a pet, but we both love cats. She found those two outside our place one night, and we started leaving food and water for them. Eventually they trusted us enough and we could take them for a check up and to get spayed and neutered, then we gave them names and it was too late for us. They officially are still outdoor cats, but between you and me they are starting to spend more time inside than out. I think they like getting spoiled." He starts gesturing widely with his hands, and eventually takes out his phone to show Jisoo a picture of Mala, curled into a little orange ball. He swipes to show a picture of the both of them, loafing on their couch.

"Cute." Jisoo says, "It's not even that I'm a dog person, either. I've just never really had any pets, so I'm unfamiliar with them." 

Junhui nods, and puts his phone away. "I won't hold it against you, by the way. I'm sure the moment you meet my cats you'll warm up to them in no time."

Jisoo smiles, eyes hiding behind two crescent moons, and nods at him. They continue walking in comfortable silence, broken shortly when Junhui points something out to Jisoo, and tells him the story behind whatever they are looking at. He really enjoys the way he is looking at Junhui, and he finds himself not wanting to end the night. 

Eventually, they circle back to where they first found each other, and Jisoo has to say goodnight. They look at each other for a second, before Jisoo ducks back into the door of his apartment complex. 

"I'm glad we bumped into each other tonight. You really cheered me up, Junhui." 

"Me too, um, Jisoo-ssi. Sorry, I just realized I've been terribly informal with you. Even after all this time I'm still not used to it." Junhui mutters, rubbing his neck. 

Jisoo shakes his head, "It's okay. I'm the same, it's just not natural for me. But, if you want... I'm older than you, right?" Junhui nods. "You can call me hyung." He smiles, blindly. Junhui almost stumbles back. 

"Okay, hyung. I had a lot of fun. I hope I get to see you again soon." He says, walking back without taking his eyes off Jisoo. The other man is fumbling with his keys, and he flutters his eyelashes once he gets his door open.

"Goodnight, Moon Junhui." 

Junhui grins, and waves at him long after the door is closed. He checks his watch again. Now it is incredibly late for him, and his trip home is going to be tiring, and Kahei is probably about to be home after her shift at the hospital, and will probably tease him about it - but he really really couldn't care less. He feels like he is floating, warm all over his body, cheeks flushed, heart thumping loudly in his chest. He wonders if 10 minutes after he said goodnight is too early to text him again. He waits another 5, and decides to just write to him again. 

Wen Junhui

Hyung

Next time I'm at the studio and you're free, you should come visit!

I'd love to show you how litho works

Hong Jisoo

That sounds nice

I'll let you know if I'm free

Wen Junhui

😻

Later, after hashing out the story to Kahei and getting incredibly made fun of, he says goodnight to her with the biggest grin his face could handle. 

"It's nice to see you this excited for someone." She says, "I really hope it works out for you."

"Me too," He answers, hugging her tight and swaying left and right until she giggles, "But even if it doesn't, I think just having these moments make it worth it."

“You’re such a sap.”

“Hey! You started it!”

Quiet Scherzo II, 1983, Earl Stroh

Holding a pair of striking red leather boots, Jisoo wonders if having his lunch break ambushed by Seungkwan and his boyfriend is enough of an excuse to treat himself that day. He shows the shoes to Jeonghan, who makes a face, so he puts them back with a groan. 

"And you didn't kiss him goodnight?" Chaewon asks, hidden by a rack of shirts she is browsing through. Her sickly sweet voice raises through to him, but he knows from experience it's a ruse and she is making fun of him. 

"No, I didn't, because it was not a date." He grabs the next pair of boots, but Jeonghan stops him and shakes his head. Did he suddenly develop terrible taste in one week?

"You're distracted. When would you wear this?" He says, grabbing Jisoo's shoulders and turning him to another section of the store. "You need summer shirts." 

He rubs his forehead, suddenly annoyed. The day had already started off on the wrong foot, since he avoided the million messages Seungkwan sent him after he hung up on him to talk to Junhui, and he'd showed up at his office during his lunch break, Hansol in tow. He said he was ready to go to his house last night, but Hansol stopped him and told him it was a better idea to ambush him at the office. Never mind that neither of them worked there. Apparently he couldn't wait, and needed to know how his impromptu date with Junhui went. So it wasn't Jisoo's first time that day emphasizing the fact that it was not a date. 

"It was just a coincidence. I don't think I'll see him again." He buries his face in the same rack of shirts Chaewon is at, and she violently whips her head towards him with her eyes bugged out. He would laugh at her if he wasn't too busy biting his lips into a bloody mess.

"I know you enjoy being extra difficult, but are you seriously still sabotaging your own life?"

Jisoo clenches his hands, trying to stay calm. He has been trying to control his temper all day, and he would definitely hate to snap and yell at Chaewon, even if she deserves it. Jeonghan notices immediately, and he steps between them like the Libra he is, for once trying to pacify things instead of stoking the flames. 

"Chaewon." He says, not gently. 

She looks away, and tucks her hair behind her ears. It's freshly dyed: a gorgeous ginger that looks strangely natural on her. She had texted them that morning in a panic, and Jeonghan and him had snuck away to an empty meeting room to video call her. Hair wrapped in aluminium sheets, eyes shiny with unshed tears, she told them how she'd made a stupid impulsive decision and ruined her life. They stayed with her while she unwrapped and washed her hair, and then showered her in compliments until she was smiling again. Jisoo has never had siblings, but he's sure, if he had a little sister, she would feel exactly like Chaewon. 

"I'm sorry, oppa." She mutters, voice genuine. "We are prying too much. I'll dial it back."

He nods, grinning softly at her. The conversation had only taken this turn because Jeonghan mentioned Seungkwan and Hansol's abrupt presence at the office, but he hadn't been planning on mentioning Junhui at all. Chaewon had simply sniffed out the story and demanded to be kept in the loop. He knew it was better for her to hear it from him, rather than a distorted, stunted version that filtered from Hansol to Hyeju.

He hated feeling like he was being studied under a microscope: anything he said or did dissected and discussed between his friends. He knew it came from love, and concern, but he was usually reserved about certain things. His love life being one of them. At least, the people that mattered to him. 

Junhui was someone Jisoo was trying to be careful about. He didn't want to expose him to the light too much, afraid of losing what he was carefully discovering. It was getting closer to feeling like it was too much. And he didn't want to accept to anybody, not even himself, that it scared him to death. 

Thankfully, Jeonghan knows him very well. He grins at Chaewon, and pulls out a perfect little crocheted top, blue color contrasting her new hair beautifully. Ever since their phone call, he has pulled back about Junhui. He definitely knows how terrified Jisoo is, but understands that he wants space to process it by himself first. Jisoo knows he'll be waiting, ready, whenever he needs him. He is terribly grateful for having him in his life. 

He decides to give up on trying to distract himself with retail therapy, choosing instead to follow Chaewon around and giving her unnecessary opinions about what she's trying out. He's not even being mean about it, but he knows the excessive chatter is grating on her. It's his personal revenge for the way she acted, petty enough for her to realize it but not be malicious. She eventually grunts in annoyance and begs him for a truce. He feels satisfied in giving it to her. Afterwards, she pays only for the crocheted top Jeonghan found, and they continue walking around different shops. Jeonghan had been distracted from the start, and Jisoo can tell that he's itching to look for a new Lego set, and trying his best to wait them out. He admires his patience for the day, so they head into a toy store. 

While he is crouching in front of the shelves, palpably excited for his future afternoon plans, Jisoo and Chaewon each separate to wander around the store and gawk at the bright colors and loud noises. He can't help but think of Junhui when he sees several games, especially a card based one that is beautifully illustrated and based around telling stories. He thinks he would enjoy that, just from the little things he's come to know about him. He resists the urge to text him a picture, knowing that he needs to get a handle on himself, and instead returns to Jeonghan's side to see the outrageous new Lego he chose.

"Being a lawyer is worth it for this," He mutters, before standing up and protesting in pain. "Ow- my back hurts so bad."

"Busy night?" He teases, after grabbing the box in Jeonghan's hands and examining it. It's a car, Jisoo is not sure what model, but it's bright blue and it claims to be 3,599 tiny pieces. He can't judge him, however, since a few years back he got really into beaded jewelry and spent every day sorting beads and threading them into different accessories that he gifted around. Jeonghan got several bracelets, even a matching one with Seungcheol; Chaewon and Seungkwannie received a lot of necklaces; and even Jisoo's ex-boyfriend, who he tries not to think about, kept several of the tasteful keychains made him for him and never used. So, why would he judge Jeonghan's predilection of spending hours hunched over attaching tiny pieces of plastic together when he used to do the exact same thing? He hasn't kept up with that hobby of his, though. It's been a long time since he tried to sit down and create something. 

Jeonghan smacks him, walking past him to pay, so Jisoo fetches Chaewon and they wait by the store entrance. She starts telling him about her new pet, and after a while it becomes clear to him that she is not talking about changing the decoration of a tank for a fish, but of a moss ball. He nods at her, and when Jeonghan joins them, he asks if he knew about it. 

"Oh, Myomyo? Of course~ I helped Wonnie pick him out~" 

"I don't know why I'm surprised. How's Jjongddol?" Jisoo added, leading the way back to the street. 

"Just peachy. He's been enjoying some quiet time, since he almost got lost on a walk at the park." 

"Oh no, did he get back okay?" Chaewon droned.

"Yes yes, without a scratch! But traumatized." Jeonghan solemnly answered.

"Ah," Jisoo uttered, while Chaewon put a hand to her mouth with a gasp, "I'm so very glad your pet rock is okay."

"Thank you for your kind words."

"Well, Myomyo is settling in great." Chaewon interjects, "I  really think he loves his new gothic castle decoration."

"Of course." Jisoo nodded, "I'll have to meet him soon."

"Let's do brunch at my place this Sunday, yes? I'll put it on the group chat so we won't forget."

After Jeonghan and Jisoo both agreed, they decided they'd had enough and chose their sweet treat to close their biweekly shopping date. Chaewon wanted churros, and Jisoo knew it was only because she had a not-date with Hyeju that night and she wanted to bring one to her, but Jeonghan was adamant that it was an ice cream sort of day. He did not care for settling the debate, so he told them they would get crepes and that was final. They both grumbled but followed his decision. Usually they would push back and argue for another ten minutes, but they could tell he was still sensitive from earlier, so they gave this to him. It annoyed Jisoo just as much as it warmed his heart. 

They sat around a cute little table at the crepe place, not really needing to talk to each other anymore. They have been doing this weekly for a while now, at least a year into knowing Chaewon. Jeonghan had been Jisoo's best friend and codependent companion since he moved permanently to Korea, but things had shifted easily to include Chaewon when they met her through Seungkwan. She was a lot like them: beautiful, a little bit evil, and very lonely. It was just natural to make special time to give each other space to feel comfortable and breathe like they couldn't with other people. 

While sitting comfortably in silence, Jeonghan caught Jisoo's eyes. He raised his eyebrows, and Jisoo knew from many years of being psychically linked he was checking in on him. Jisoo smiled, thanking him with a simple look, and Jeonghan's eyes softened. Even without talking about it he seemed to know everything that was going through Jisoo's mind, and sometimes it scared him how well they knew each other. He closed his eyes and nodded, sending a comforting wave that seemed to reach into every cold cranny of Jisoo's heart. Don't be scared. It said, You'll be okay. I'm here.

Jisoo looks away so he doesn't get caught up in the emotions, but he squeezes his hand where it is laying on the table, just so he knows he got the message. As he turns, he sees Seungcheol walking up the street, waving across the window when he finds them. As the little bell at the door of the place rings, Jeonghan immediately looks up, his entire face brightening up when he finds Seungcheol walking through.

"Ah, Cheollie~~" He coos, slightly lifting up his chin to receive the kiss Seungcheol bends down to give. He traps him with his bony arms by the neck, and giggles when Seungcheol tries lifting him up. 

He's always a bit jealous when he looks at them, he thinks. They settled into each other so quickly, knowing right away they were special, that they were meant to be. Even if it meant a lot of effort - from both of their parts - to make it work, since Jeonghan wasn't used to stable long term relationships and Seungcheol was too important to him. Jisoo remembered many nights of Jeonghan talking circles around if he was making the right decisions, if he thought Seungcheol was right for him, and promising him to keep an eye on him if he went love crazy and ignored many red flags. It wasn't necessary, of course, since Seungcheol was perfect for Jeonghan. He was wary of him at first, naturally, and he tried to talk down Jeonghan from getting married too quickly just from the aforementioned lack of long term experience. They didn't quite fight about it, Jeonghan simply said that he appreciated what Jisoo was trying to do, but it was not something to worry about. He was right, as always, and Jisoo had the luck to witness first hand the way love changed Jeonghan for the better. He loved seeing him happy, felt something settle inside him knowing he'd found it. 

And yet. 

He wanted to, as well. It felt weirdly off-kilter for Jeonghan to be somewhere different than him in life. After all, they went through the same phases together. Hooking up and playing with their men, breaking hearts and comparing sex notes, especially during college and the years after; calming down and trying out dating, with the whole dinner-and-a-movie special, complete with rules about kissing and when to invite the men into their place; and serious boyfriends that didn't seem to last longer than a month for Jeonghan and six months for Jisoo. Seungcheol threw a wrench in their routine. Afterwards, Jisoo tried his own luck at love. But nothing worked for him. He was too cold, too restrained, too much of a control freak: too many walls up that the men that wanted him did not enjoy trying to bring down. He'd heard a lot throughout the years.

It was better if he didn't try at all. If he stayed in the comforting places that he knew, without trying to offer a part of himself and getting rejected for who he was. Even if he felt such a cold, cruel loneliness, when there was nothing to do, no one to see. Even surrounded by his closest friends he felt like he was constantly guarding his heart, trying his best not to show its vulnerable underbelly, not wanting to be hurt by what couldn't be.

This is why Junhui was dangerous. 

Jisoo liked him. He was sweet, handsome, and funny. Every moment he spent talking to him was electric, and it didn't harm that he was absolutely gorgeous. He wanted to let him in so badly, to get to know him better, to have a taste of possibility. But it was better if he kept him at arms length. No need to try and pursue something bigger, he'd settle for the fantasies that lived inside his head, where everything was perfect and there was no real danger of hurting himself. A voice inside him that sounded like Yoon Jeonghan said he was an idiot, but it was muffled by his own catastrophic thoughts. His life was fine. No need to shake it up with unnecessary risks. 

"Joshuji~" Jeonghan drones, snapping him out of his thoughts, "Cheollie and I are going now, but call me later, yes?"

"Why don't you ask me to call you?" Chaewon whines, petulantly crossing her arms and pouting, Seungcheol laughs at her reaction, and Jeonghan looks at him with shiny eyes.

"Aish, you have a date tonight. You can tell me about it tomorrow, I don't want to interrupt you."

For once, Chaewon did not protest at him calling it a date, so Jisoo figured things were finally starting to move along with Hyeju. She rolls her eyes, but waves her hand goodbye. Jisoo also waves, watching as Seungcheol grabs Jeonghan's hand and drags him out of the place. He can hear Jeonghan giggling, and Seungcheol talking softly to him. Something hurts in his chest. Chaewon doesn't say anything, but she pushes her strawberry crepe to him, sharing the last bites. As he eats, he decides that he really can't afford to get his heart broken. 

The Forest, 1973, Henry Moore

Junhui is bouncing in place, helping Hyunjin prepare her own stone for printing, passing a wet sponge by the surface while she spreads sticky ink with a roller bigger than her head. She's printing the first part of her pieces for the gallery: some delicious textures she made that will work as a base for her metal etching prints. When she's satisfied with the amount of ink, Junhui places her paper on the stone, and she starts turning the press, arms working out the pressure of the machine. She has been telling Junhui a story about her dog and how she's teaching him how to play Jenga, so it's a really good day for printing. 

Minghao is across the workshop, earbuds firmly in his ears, working with some huge pieces of fabric spread out on his table. A few years ago, he used to work mainly in textiles, but pivoted to oil painting when he started to see a lot of positive response to his work. He told Junhui that he was trying to return to textiles and find a way to connect the two mediums. He usually tried to ignore Junhui and Hyunjin on printing days, not wanting to distract them from the work, but he stayed almost the entire time to make sure they got something to eat. They had just started but Junhui was already craving whatever Minghao would order for them. 

These are Junhui's favorite days.

The windows are open, airing out the dizzying smell of printing ink and turpentine. They have a floor fan a few meters away hoping to bring the temperature of the room down so the water doesn't evaporate as quickly and the ink stays somewhat firm. Junhui thinks this printing is going to go fairly quickly, but he's dreading the quickly approaching heat of summer that's going to make printing into a much more drawn out and difficult process than it already is. 

"You're distracted." Hyunjin says, after Junhui returns from hanging the first test print by the wall behind them. "Didn't even yell at me to hurry up!"

"You already know what to do." He says, but keeps an eye on her and makes sure she rolls the ink on again before they both turn to see how the test turned out. 

Hyunjin giggles, "But you enjoy nagging so much!"

"Hush," Junhui grumbles, "What do you think?"

The print is still too faint to give concrete details, but Junhui can tell Hyunjin did a great job with the acid. The entire print is soaking up ink uniformly, and the textures she really wanted to show up are slowly making their way in. 

"It's good!" She turns back to the press, loading up more ink and waiting for Junhui to pass the sponge again. They get back into the rhythm again: water, ink, water, ink. Hyunjin counts the passes and adds another one at the end. Junhui settles the paper and sends the stone again into the press. She's happy and comfortable, which is why she doesn't stop talking. Junhui is a little bit distracted, which is why he can't follow the conversation as easily as he usually would. On a normal day, they are talking without breaks, barely taking time to breathe, during the entire time they work together. Junhui's senior students are used to it, having had four years to synchronize their insane energy. Freshmen, however, always looked dazed whenever Hyunjin was assisting Junhui, and he'd had issues before of students not knowing how to interrupt them to ask for something, spending the entire class lost and trying to follow their irrelevant conversations. They've worked on dialing it back, at least during class, but in Junhui and Minghao's studio there is no need to hold themselves back, which is another reason Minghao keeps his earbuds firmly in when they're working together. 

"I really am distracted." He blurts out, making Hyunjin raise her head in alarm. 

Her hands hover over the stone, holding the heavy roller with a lot of effort. She huffs dramatically, and continues inking. "I noticed the moment you walked in. The fact that I was here earlier than you!"

"I was having breakfast with Kahei." 

"Why didn't you tell me? You know I love her." 

"Her shift was changed at the last minute! But next time I'll plan something for us."

"Let her know that I am thinking of her all the time."

"She'll love that." 

They churn out six more test prints, and stare at them all together. Junhui thinks it is ready for the nice paper, and Hyunjin agrees. She washes her hands to prepare the precious dakti ji paper, and Junhui's stomach twists in excitement. This is always the most nerve-wracking part of lithography - though almost the entire process was quite uneasy - as the test prints could turn out perfect, but anything could act up when printing in the final, expensive paper. Sometimes the pressure was dodgy, or the ink was wrong, betraying the way it behaved during tests. When the print was perfect, however, it was the best feeling. And this is what Hyunjin's work was turning into, as Junhui lifted the first final print, and the delicate details of her hand showed through in a beautiful grayscale. Junhui laughed in excitement, skipping to the drying rack, while Hyunjin inked the stone to protect it and squealed.  

Minghao walked up to them, giggling at their excited reactions, and he leaned to look at the print, hands held tight behind his back. 

"Oh, Hyunjin-ah, it's looking gorgeous!" He wondered, physically holding back from touching the textures in the paper. 

"Right! It's perfect! And I'm going to pair it with two zinc plates I already have. They're at the school though, I had to borrow the workshop, since Junhui doesn't have the space to make an acid bath set up here. I'll show you when we print them, though, I'd love your input for the colors."

"Yeah, of course." 

"Ah! Oppa!" She said, calling Junhui, "Would you mind taking a picture? And one of me with the print, too? Oh, Myungho, can you take one of Jun and me?"

Her requests are complied without any complaints, and then they settle into their places to continue printing. They're both excited and full of energy, almost vibrating on the spot, Junhui grins at her with all his teeth visible, and she scrunches her face in delight. Minghao, meanwhile, hovers around at a safe distance from any ink or path, not wanting to block their way. He watches for a couple of prints, until he takes out his phone and types on it for a bit. 

"Is jjajangmyeon okay for today?" He comments, looking up to make sure they heard him and are paying attention. 

"Yep!" Hyunjin chirps while Junhui hums in affirmation. Minghao nodded and presumably ordered the food on his phone, before pocketing it and watching them for a beat longer. 

"You both are in a good mood today." He grinned, after listening to their mindless chatter for a few minutes. They were both used to Minghao's predilection to silence, but when he had something to say they made sure to listen.

"Hyunjinnie makes it fun. I've been dying by myself in this studio lately." 

"I noticed, you've been a lot more restless than usual." Hyunjin adds, while she mixes up more ink. This means they have a little break, and Junhui notices that Minghao chose this short pause on purpose to talk. 

"I just can't seem to get anything done," He laughs, looking down and hoping to downplay 

his frustration, "But I'll figure it out."

"How long until you finish Hyunjin's prints?"

"Like another hour?" Hyunjin answers, and Junhui hums in affirmation, "But cleaning up takes at least an hour too."

"Any plans for after?" Minghao asks, leaning against the tall table that holds the paper. 

Junhui and Hyunjin look at each other at the same time, and shrug in the same breath, they look back at Minghao as Junhui says: "Sketching, I guess."

Minghao rolls his eyes at their antics, and checks his phone when it chirps with a notification. "The food will be here in 30 minutes, but we can eat after you finish printing so you're not interrupted." 

They both agree, and Hyunjin grabs the roller once again, signaling at Junhui with her head to get ready for the printing to restart. 

"But!" Minghao interjects, stopping them in their tracks, "I want you out of here afterwards."

"What? Why?" Hyunjin whines, at the same time Junhui yells out a loud "Ha?"

"Mingyu is coming over, we are having a critique night." 

Junhui rolls his eyes. Of course. "Can't you do that at your place?"

"Both our places are mostly packed up, and they're disasters. It would just be terrible. It's just for tonight, after we're all moved in together we won't have to borrow the studio anymore."

"Fine. I guess you can have the studio for your little date."

"I wasn't asking for permission, but I appreciate it."

Junhui puts his arm on his hip and tries to throw his most annoying look at Minghao, the one that drove him crazy when they first met, but he is swiftly ignored. He's been losing his power. 

Hyunjin interrupts them, "What are we supposed to do then, oppa, since the college is closed today?" 

"I was thinking both of you could take a little break." 

They stand there, looking at Minghao like he just grew another head, not knowing what to say. The reason Hyunjin and him functioned together so well was because they both were a little bit obsessed with constantly running around. They had similar work ethics, and that meant they pushed each other into working for several hours, sometimes forgetting to stop and breathe for a second. 

Sighing in annoyance, he continues: "Just for today, you've both been working very hard. Do something fun for the afternoon, like, I don't know-"

Junhui turns to look at Hyunjin, who looks at him with the same blank expression he knows is in his face. "Karaoke?"

Hyunjin's eyes widened, as Minghao's "Yes!" resounded around the room. For a quiet guy, he could easily get what he wanted, as he had the patience to listen and observe, waiting for the right moment.

So, this is how hours later, Junhui finds himself belting a ballad duet with Hyunjin, starting their second hour at a karaoke a couple of blocks away from the studio. It is maybe his second time going to karaoke with Hyunjin, he usually goes alone whenever he has time and is looking for a quick fun afternoon activity. He's slowly coming to love singing with Hyunjin though, since she gives it her all and has no shyness when it comes to taking the stage. 

Throughout the entire thing, he's been messaging with Jisoo. He had been quieter than usual during the week, but still reacted and made sure to answer Jun's messages by the end of the day. He didn't mind - his work involved a lot of complete attention and focus for long hours, and in the past he'd had trouble with partners wanting him to answer right away, which was physically impossible for him to do, lest his phone get covered in thick ink. Jisoo had no qualms about how long it took Junhui to answer, and he always gave the same tolerance back, since it seemed like Jisoo's texting behavior was spotty at best.

Hong Jisoo

Really?

What's your go-to karaoke song

Wen Junhui

It Must Have Been Love

😆😸

Hong Jisoo 

I wasn't expecting that

Wen Junhui

I love to serenade

They weren't really flirting with a purpose in mind, but Junhui was starting to get the itch to see him again. Before, he had felt like a distant dream that he sometimes saw on the screen of his phone, but after coinciding that other night and spending time together, he couldn't stop thinking about seeing him again. 

Hong Jisoo

And who are you serenading?

Wen Junhui

You, hopefully

As Hyunjin finishes up a fun rendition of Love Battery, Junhui types out a message to Jisoo asking him out for another walk, this time with milk tea included. He writes that he really wants to take him out and show him his favorite spot, with a promise of delicious desserts to pair it with. He hopes starting out with something light and fun is good, as he can read that Jisoo is a bit nervous about the entire thing. He won't deny the fact that there is mutual attraction, since every time they've talked to each other has been charged with something that just pulled them even closer together. Still, Junhui was good at reading people. He knew what they wanted. Jisoo definitely wanted him. It was just a matter of how he would like to be approached, so as to not spook him away: like offering food to a deer slowly, carefully, and steady. 

He watches the typing bubble's dots show up, disappear, and show up again. Junhui gives him a second, he cheers at Hyunjin when she sits down next to him, letting out a satisfied sigh. 

"Junhui oppa, let's come here more often."

"Let's do it. It's so fun singing with you."

She takes a long sip of her iced americano, big round eyes looking at Junhui who is not staring at his phone. 

"Talking to someone?"

His screen lights up, a message from Jisoo covering the picture he has of Congee and Mala in his background. He reads it quickly, and then puts his phone upside down on the table. 

"Yes, but it can wait. I need to focus and demolish this next song." He says dramatically, lowering his voice and making Hyunjin giggle. She cheers for him as he cues up the song. 

Hong Jisoo

Ah, Junhui

I don't think I can go out with you right now. 

I'm sorry

Let's stay just texting for now, okay?

As the opening notes of It Must Have Been Love wrap around the room, Hyunjin starts recording him on his phone, most likely to send it to Minghao so they both can tease him during the week. He relaxes, tries to unknot the tightness he feels in his chest. Wouldn't be the first time he has read the timing in a relationship slightly wrong, but he is not about to give up or wallow in pity. Things are just going to go slightly differently, and he is really good at adjusting to new situations. He settles into his known and trusted song, Hyunjin's loud laughter, and the warm lights of the karaoke room. He'll text back Jisoo when he's done.