You finally looked at me

by shuahna

Summary:

Lee Seokmin is a quiet, shy top student who secretly harbors a huge crush on Hong Joshua, a popular, pretty, and effortlessly attractive cheerleader he only ever watches from afar, convinced their worlds have nothing in common.

But one day, their paths finally cross for real and everything between them begins to shift...

 

 

In the constant bustle of the university, some people go unnoticed, never seeking to exist in the eyes of others. Lee Seokmin was one of them: discreet by nature, calm, reserved, deeply shy. A litterature student and top of his class, he invariably occupied the front row, dressed in impeccably pressed shirts and his faithful glasses carefully adjusted on his nose.

He went unnoticed by everyone, except the professors. To them, he was the model student and favorite; to the others, he remained just another silhouette among many.

He did, however, have two friends, even though they were not in his class. Two childhood friends he saw from time to time, rarely at the university; each absorbed in their studies and activities: Kim Mingyu and Choi Seungcheol.

They were his complete opposite.

Where Seokmin faded into the background, they drew attention. Sociable, charismatic, popular, they seemed to naturally take up space. Moreover, they were sports students and part of the university’s renowned football team, so when he walked beside them, Seokmin felt almost invisible, clutching his books to his chest like a reassuring barrier. Sometimes, he even felt… different.

And yet, his friends never left him on the sidelines. On the contrary, they always made sure to include him, to remind him that he fully belonged by their side.

Today, dressed in his usual cream cardigan, an impeccably pressed shirt, and perfectly matching black pants, Seokmin walked through the vast hallways of the university’s main building. His hair, neatly styled downward, slightly concealed his gaze behind his glasses. Mingyu and Seungcheol had suggested they spend lunch break together, their schedules exceptionally aligning that day due to a professor’s absence.

He adjusted his glasses before heading calmly toward the cafeteria. As soon as he entered, he spotted his friends already seated at a table. After grabbing a tray, he joined them without delay.

“Hello, you two!” he said with a smile. If he was reserved with others, with them, everything became easier.

“Ah, there you are, finally!” Mingyu replied cheerfully as he saw him approach.

“Sorry for being late, I had to ask the professor a few questions about the last lecture…” Seokmin explained as he sat down.

Seungcheol smiled at him and gave him a light pat on the shoulder.

“Don’t apologize. It’s been a while since we last saw you. You’re always either at the library or buried in your books…”

“Oh… yes… I don’t really have much to do outside of that…” he admitted shyly, adjusting his glasses.

“Then come play football with us!” Mingyu immediately suggested enthusiastically, quickly backed up by Seungcheol.

“Yeah! We’ve got a quick practice tonight. We can get you in, no one will say no.”

“Uh…”

“Before you refuse, think about it!” Mingyu insisted. “You loved playing with us back in middle school!”

“I was thirteen…”

“So what? Don’t tell me you haven’t touched a ball since then! And even if that’s the case, we don’t care. We just want to spend time with you.”

“Yeah, and what better way than to share that through our passion?” Seungcheol added.

Seokmin gave a faint smile. “And why not through mine…?” he murmured.

“Your passion?”

“The library. We could study together instead of running after a ball and sweating…” he replied, amused by his friends’ exasperated expressions.

“Of course… let’s make our brains sweat,” Mingyu sighed, rolling his eyes.

All three of them burst out laughing.

“Anyway, you don’t have a choice, you’re coming,” Seungcheol insisted.

“I’ll come watch you then,” Seokmin conceded. “I don’t feel like playing and embarrassing myself in front of your teammates… And I won’t be able to stay long, I have to—”

“Work on an assignment, blah blah… we know the drill!” Mingyu cut him off, rolling his eyes but amused.

It wasn’t mean, and Seokmin knew it. He simply smiled and nodded. Soon, the conversation drifted to other topics, and as always, none of them noticed time passing.

 

—

 

“Wonwoo hyung!” Mingyu exclaimed joyfully as he approached the person he had just called out to. The latter turned with a smile and walked over to him.

“Mingyu.”

“What, just Mingyu? No ‘baby’ today? Or ‘my love’?” he teased.

Wonwoo felt his cheeks heat up but didn’t show it. He rolled his eyes and pinched Mingyu’s cheek before joining a group of people and sitting down on the bleachers. Mingyu watched his boyfriend go sit down to watch him. For two months now, they had been together—after months of chasing after him, Wonwoo had finally given in to Mingyu, and now Wonwoo came to watch Mingyu at practice whenever he could.

“Not even a kiss, huh…” Mingyu sighed.

Mingyu observed the small group in the bleachers, about ten people. They were some friends of his teammates who came to watch practice. He looked around, trying to see if his friend had come as promised, but apparently not.

“He’s late,” Mingyu said to Seungcheol.

Seungcheol shrugged. “He’s very busy with his studies, you know. We can’t blame him for putting his studies before a simple football practice.”

Mingyu pouted. “Yeah, I know… but I miss him. I want to spend more time with him, like before…” Mingyu had always been the closest to Seokmin, since they were the same age. Seungcheol, on the other hand, was two years older and like a big brother to them. They used to see each other more in high school, but with university, in recent years, they had unfortunately drifted apart a little.

“Cheol!!” Two voices called from behind them. They turned around and smiled as they recognized two members of the cheerleading team.

“Hannie! Shua!” Seungcheol replied, pulling his two friends into a hug.

He then grabbed Jeonghan by the waist and kissed him before his boyfriend pulled away and turned fully toward Mingyu.

“Hey Mingyu!” Jeonghan greeted him as he stepped away from Seungcheol. “We’re still not hugging, right? Otherwise Wonwoo will get jealous again,” he added with amusement and a wink.

Mingyu crossed his arms. “I don’t need that, Wonwoo’s hugs are the best…” he shot back, glancing toward the bleachers, then with a smirk: “But… he refused to kiss me earlier, so let’s have some fun…”

He opened his arms to hug Jeonghan, but Seungcheol quickly pulled him back, preventing Mingyu from hugging him. Mingyu rolled his eyes but didn’t give up and turned to Jeonghan’s best friend, Joshua. He spread his arms and hugged Joshua, who laughed softly and returned the embrace.

“I think you can let go now. If he could shoot bullets with his eyes, I’d already be dead by now,” Joshua joked, glancing at Wonwoo in the bleachers.

“Perfect, tonight’s sex is going to be amazing, I can’t wait to get home,” Mingyu blurted out without thinking, only imagining how his boyfriend would be angry and extremely sexy.

“We didn’t need to know that,” Seungcheol replied.

“I did, I want to know!”

“Jeonghan!” Joshua and Seungcheol protested before laughing together.

A few meters from the field, Seokmin had just arrived ten minutes late, and he froze at the sight before him, his heart pounding painfully.

He could see Mingyu and Seungcheol on the field, laughing with two cheerleaders, two very pretty boys in red white mini-skirts and crop tops in the university’s colors. Two pretty boys he knew well… one he recognized perfectly.

The first was Yoon Jeonghan.

He knew Jeonghan because he had been Seungcheol’s boyfriend for about three years. Seungcheol had briefly introduced them when Seokmin entered university. But since he went out little and spent less time with his friends, he had never really gotten to know him. Still, Jeonghan had greeted him several times when he was with Seungcheol.

Jeonghan was beautiful, ethereal, of boundless beauty, almost unreal. And while Seungcheol and Mingyu turned heads, Jeonghan made absolutely everyone turn to look at him when he passed by.

And yet…

The only person who truly caught Seokmin’s attention stood, unfailingly, by Jeonghan’s side—the second boy present with Mingyu and Seungcheol, as if he naturally belonged to that circle Seokmin never quite dared to be part of.

Hong Joshua.

A face of almost unreal softness, with delicate, harmonious features, as if drawn with infinite precision—and above all, his eyes… God, his eyes. Adorable doe eyes, deep and luminous, that Seokmin adored in a way that was painful, even though he had never seen them up close. And yet, he had composed dozens of silent poems just by observing them from afar, entire verses born from simple glimmers of light in that gaze he had never dared to meet.

When Joshua passed by, the world seemed to slow down, as if time itself held its breath. Seokmin would become still, suspended outside of time, unable to look away. Joshua was a rare flower, gentle and radiant, both fragile and precious—and Seokmin was nothing more than a bee, irresistibly drawn in, unable to resist that presence that consumed him entirely.

His glances were unfinished verses, promises he would never dare to voice. His eyes… two vast oceans in which Seokmin willingly drowned, again and again, never once trying to surface.

In short, Seokmin felt terribly drawn to Joshua. Deeply. Far more than he wanted to admit.

But there were two problems.

The first was that Seokmin attracted no one’s attention. He was discreet, faded, invisible in crowds, like a silhouette blending into the background without ever being noticed. He found himself ordinary and, of course, Joshua never looked at him. He was convinced of it: Joshua had never seen him… and likely never would. It was something Seokmin had come to accept with quiet resignation; Joshua didn’t even know he existed.

And yet, over time, his attraction had only grown, spreading, taking root deep inside him until it became impossible to ignore.

Every detail of Joshua became precious in his eyes: those famous doe eyes he loved so much, a deep, almost hypnotic brown that seemed to catch and reflect the light with every movement; his slightly upturned nose, delicate and expressive; his thin lips, always curved into a bright, sincere smile; and his softly flushed cheekbones that emphasized the natural gentleness of his face.

Every day, Seokmin hoped to run into him, if only for a moment, just to see him, to observe him in silence, to absorb his presence without ever daring to approach. And every day, he understood a little more that what he felt went far beyond simple attraction.

Until he fell in love.

And it had been almost three years.

Of course, he had never spoken about it to Mingyu and Seungcheol. They rarely talked about romantic relationships, as if it had never been necessary between them—and that was precisely what ledto the second problem.

The last time the three of them had seen each other was about two months ago. That day, Mingyu had announced, with barely concealed excitement, that he was dating someone and that he absolutely wanted to introduce him to Seokmin.

But they had never found the time to meet: their schedules never aligned, and they didn’t live close enough to arrange something spontaneously.

And now, right in front of him…

He had just seen Mingyu wrap Joshua in his arms, laughing, with an ease and closeness that left no room for doubt.

It was obvious.

Joshua was dating his best friend. Joshua and Mingyu were together.

Seokmin’s heart shattered instantly, without warning, like a brutal fall he couldn’t recover from. He stood frozen, unable to move, unable even to breathe properly. He could feel the tears rising, hot and threatening.

It made sense.

Joshua was a cheerleader, always there to support the team with enthusiasm and energy, and Mingyu was part of the football team. Of course they saw each other almost every day. Of course they had ended up falling in love.

And besides, Mingyu was everything Seokmin was not: tall, handsome, athletic, charismatic, naturally sociable… he drew attention without even trying. So yes, it was obvious that someone as beautiful as Joshua would end up with someone as incredible as him.

Seokmin let out a soft sigh, his heart heavy, ready to turn around before anyone noticed him. He wanted to disappear before having to face a reality that was far too painful.

But it was too late.

His best friend had apparently spotted him.

“Seokmin!!”

Mingyu’s voice pulled him abruptly back to reality, like a sudden shock. His heart clenched painfully. He wanted to leave… but Mingyu was already walking toward him, smiling.

“I thought you weren’t going to come!”

“I-I… I came to say that… that I can’t stay after all…” he tried, his voice hesitant, almost trembling.

But Mingyu wouldn’t let it go.

“What?! No! Come on, just ten minutes, please! Besides, I have to introduce you to someone, it’s been a while! This is the perfect opportunity!”

Seokmin’s heart tightened even more, and he suddenly understood the real reason why Mingyu had insisted so much that he come. The realization instantly twisted his stomach, as if his body had understood before his mind was willing to admit it.

Mingyu didn’t give him time to respond. He gently grabbed his wrist and pulled him along, leaving him no chance to refuse.

With every step, Seokmin felt like he was walking into something unreal, as if the world around him had slightly shifted, as if everything had become blurred except for that one precise point he was heading toward despite himself.

Until they got close enough to the group for him to make out every detail… and most of all, him.

Joshua.

Up close, he was even more beautiful than in Seokmin’s distant memories. It was no longer just beauty, but something softer, more radiant, almost unreal in the way his features seemed perfectly balanced, in the gentleness of his gaze, in the ease with which his smile appeared, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Seokmin immediately felt heat rise to his cheeks and lowered his head reflexively, unable to endure such a sight for too long, as if looking at Joshua up close might burn him.

He vaguely sensed Mingyu gesture with his hand, calling someone over, but he didn’t really understand what he was doing. His focus was entirely captured by Joshua’s presence, standing less than two meters away… and surely looking at him...Or maybe not.

Why would Joshua look at him, anyway?

Seokmin lifted his eyes almost despite himself… And immediately regretted it.

Their gazes met.

Joshua was looking at him. At him. Lee Seokmin. Those doe eyes he had admired from afar for years were now fixed directly on him.

“Hi!” Joshua said cheerfully. “I’m Joshua!”

Heat rushed to Seokmin’s cheeks with almost painful intensity. He immediately looked away, completely caught off guard, his hands moving to adjust his glasses in a nervous gesture. He didn’t even notice that someone else had joined their small group.

“I-I… um… hello… I mean… nice to meet you… I-I, uh… I’m Seokmin…”

Seokmin was panicking. Completely. He didn’t even understand why he had spoken. He was shy, never dared to start a conversation with anyone… so why had he just greeted Joshua? What if he thought he was ridiculous? Lame?

He wanted to disappear, sink into the ground, become invisible again like usual… but this time, it was impossible. He felt like all eyes were on him—and for once, that was actually the case.

Joshua had stepped closer with that natural ease that seemed to belong to him. He hadn’t clearly heard what the shy boy in front of him had said, but he quickly figured out who he was.

“Nice to meet you… Seokmin, right?” Joshua said with a wide smile, extending his hand for a handshake. “Mingyu and Cheol talk about you a lot—especially Mingyu, actually.”

He kept speaking with disarming simplicity, a gentle smile on his lips, as if the situation were completely normal. As if Seokmin wasn’t currently losing all composure right in front of him.

Damn.

Seokmin was doomed.

He felt his heart pounding violently in his chest, the heat rising even more, uncontrollable. He didn’t know what to say. Joshua was talking to him, starting a conversation with him… what was he supposed to say?

Thank you?

You’re beautiful?

I love you?

Marry me?

 

No.

That was ridiculous.

And besides… he was Mingyu’s boyfriend.

He had no right.

Joshua’s hand was still extended between them, suspended in that fragile space where time seemed to stretch, and Joshua hesitated to pull it back, not quite understanding why Seokmin wasn’t reacting. On his side, Seokmin, still overwhelmed by everything he was feeling, only noticed the outstretched hand a few seconds too late, when his gaze finally landed on it.

Oh no.

He was about to leave him hanging.

Panicking, he hurried to grab Joshua’s hand and shake it—maybe a little too abruptly, as if trying to make up for a mistake already made. He was immediately surprised by how soft Joshua’s hand was slender, warm, delicate, so different from the awkward strength of his own grip.

“Wow, that’s quite a grip, Seokmin!” Joshua said, eyes widening in genuine surprise, his gaze fixed on their still joined hands.

Seokmin tried to respond, but no coherent sound managed to pass his lips. Words collided in his mind without ever finding a way out. So instead, he gave a vague nod before pulling his hand away a little too quickly, as if the contact burned his skin.

He felt unable to hold his gaze for more than a fraction of a second. Embarrassed, unsettled, he lowered his eyes, fidgeting with his fingers in a nervous, repetitive gesture, still haunted by the sensation of Joshua’s hand in his.

But lowering his gaze was a mistake.

His eyes drifted downward despite himself.

The skirt Joshua was wearing.

Red and white, in the university’s colors, light, flowing, revealing his slender legs… and for one second too long, Seokmin’s brain seemed to completely shut down.

He abruptly looked away, as if he had crossed an invisible line, as if he had seen something he never should have looked at. His heart sped up even more, racing wildly, and a new wave of heat rose up to his ears.

He immediately fixed his gaze on something else, anything. A wall, the ground, a blurred silhouette, anything but Joshua. Anything but risking meeting his eyes again.

“Are you okay?”

The question, asked softly, with genuine concern in the voice, unsettled him even more.

“Y-Yes! Yes, I’m fine!” he replied far too quickly, his voice pitching slightly higher, easily betraying his inner state.

This was a disaster.

He stepped back, then another, as if the proximity had suddenly become unbearable, as if staying near Joshua any longer would make him completely fall apart.

“Hey Seok, are you okay?” Mingyu asked, immediately noticing his best friend’s uneasy and troubled expression.

“I’m… uh… going to sit down…” Seokmin added hastily, not really waiting for an answer, already ready to flee.

“Already? Wait, I wanted to introduce you—”

But Seokmin, head lowered, was already walking away,mechanically heading toward the bleachers. He needed distance, air, silence… and above all, not to hear what came next.

Mingyu sighed, frustrated but not angry. He knew Seokmin’s shyness, but this was the first time he had seen him react so intensely. Even when Seungcheol had introduced Jeonghan, Seokmin had remained himself—reserved, yes, but relatively composed. Nothing like what had just happened with Joshua.

“We shouldn’t have forced him to come…” Seungcheol sighed.

“Yeah… I should’ve waited a bit… I’ll go apologize later,” Mingyu replied thoughtfully.

“Is he okay?” Joshua asked, his gaze still fixed on Seokmin’s back as he slowly walked toward the bleachers.

Jeonghan answered calmly, “He seems like himself to me. The first time we met, it was the same… although today, he seemed a bit more panicked than usual.”

“Because I caught him off guard…” Mingyu sighed. “I was so excited and happy to finally introduce Wonwoo to him that I didn’t tell him anything beforehand. He needs time to mentally prepare for meeting new people.”

“Oh… I see… maybe I should’ve waited before introducing myself…” Joshua said, looking slightly guilty, a shadow of doubt crossing his usually bright face.

“No, don’t worry about it,” Mingyu replied with a reassuring smile. “We’ll go talk to him later. He just needs a bit of time.”

Then he turned to Wonwoo, his expression immediately softening.

“My love, you’ll have to wait a bit before I properly introduce you to my best friend!”

“Yeah, no problem,” Wonwoo replied, arms crossed, with almost detached calm. “I’m still mad, so unless it’s urgent, let me sit quietly in the bleachers. You can hug whoever you want while I’m gone.”

His slightly sharp tone contrasted with his calm demeanor, and without waiting for a response, he headed toward the bleachers as well.

Mingyu smiled faintly before turning to Seungcheol.

“Well then… let’s start practice.”

Around them, the other teammates had already begun warming up, filling the field with a familiar, dynamic energy.

Joshua and Jeonghan parted from them to join their group of cheerleaders, also preparing to rehearse their choreography off to the side, their movements already synchronized.

Meanwhile, Wonwoo, seated in the bleachers, spotted Seokmin a little further away.

Mingyu’s best friend. The one he had heard so much about.

Mingyu had warned him: Seokmin was shy, reserved, uncomfortable in groups… which explained Wonwoo’s hesitation to approach him. But the defeated expression on Seokmin’s face, that obvious loneliness surrounding him, made him want to take a step forward.

So he went to sit beside him.

“Hi!” he said kindly.

Caught off guard, Seokmin turned his head toward him with an almost shocked expression, as if he hadn’t expected anyone to speak to him—especially not someone other than Mingyu or Seungcheol.

“H-Hi…” he replied, nodding timidly, his eyes resting on Wonwoo with surprise.

“You’re Seokmin, right? I’m Wonwoo.”

Seokmin’s eyes widened slightly, feeling his cheeks heat up from embarrassment.

How did he know who he was?

“Uh…”

“Oh, you probably didn’t notice me,” Wonwoo continued with a small smile. “I joined Mingyu and the others just now, quietly. I haven’t had the chance to introduce myself yet.”

Oh.

So… he had indeed witnessed everything.

Seokmin felt himself sink deeper into his embarrassment. He had just made a fool of himself in front of yet another person. Had he come to make fun of him?

“Okay…” he replied softly, unable to find anything else to say.

Wonwoo gave him a gentle smile before turning his gaze toward the field, watching Mingyu with particular attention.

“Mingyu talks about you all the time.”

“Really?”

Wonwoo nodded.

“He often says he misses spending time with you. That he really wants to include you in his group of friends… and that you end up being a bit lonely.”

Seokmin stayed silent for a moment, surprised.

Mingyu had never said things so clearly to him. Sure, he had invited him out several times, to meet his friends… but Seokmin had always refused, preferring his studies, preferring to stay in his comfort zone, without realizing that it might hurt his best friend in some way.

“I… I didn’t know…” he murmured.

“He must have insisted a lot for you to come today, right?” Wonwoo asked with a slightly amused smile.

“Y-Yes… but that’s because he wanted to introduce me to someone…”

Joshua.

“Oh yes, his boyfriend,” Wonwoo replied simply. “By the way, I’m very glad to meet you.”

Seokmin immediately turned his head toward him, completely confused.

“Uh…?”

“I’m Mingyu’s boyfriend. We’ve been dating for two months,” Wonwoo explained calmly, extending his hand toward Seokmin.

“He’s not dating Joshua?” Seokmin asked quickly, almost under his breath, without even taking time to think. It was the first time he had spoken so naturally, without too much stammering, to someone other than Mingyu or Seungcheol—as if the question, too important to hold back, had slipped past his lips before he could control it.

“Joshua? No? Why would you think that? Did he tell you that, or… did you see them together…?” Wonwoo replied, frowning slightly, clearly surprised.

Seokmin immediately understood the confusion on the boy’s face and felt almost foolish for having jumped to such a quick conclusion.

“No, no, not at all! I… I just assumed when I saw them hugging earlier… and then, when he told me he wanted to introduce me to someone…”

“Oh…”

Wonwoo let out a small sigh of relief, as if an invisible tension had just disappeared.

“He hugged him to make me jealous, he does that a lot,” he explained with an easy shrug. “But no, Joshua definitely isn’t dating Mingyu.”

“W-Why…?”

Seokmin’s heart began to race uncontrollably. He felt like he was suddenly coming back to life, as if air were finally returning to his lungs after holding his breath for too long. A flicker of hope—fragile but very real—lit up his eyes, immediately catching Wonwoo’s attention, who hadn’t expected to see such a readable expression on the usually reserved boy’s face.

“Oh, because… first of all, I am dating Mingyu,” Wonwoo replied with a small smile, “and Joshua and him are just friends. And I think Joshua was already seeing someone.”

Seokmin felt his gaze dim instantly, the flicker of hope disappearing as quickly as it had appeared.

“Oh…”

Of course.

If it wasn’t Mingyu, then it was someone else. Joshua obviously wasn’t single. And Seokmin still had no chance.

Wonwoo watched him in silence, noticing the way he looked away, his eyes drifting sadly toward the field, toward the cheerleaders. He understood immediately what was happening in front of him.

The shy boy had feelings for Joshua.

His reactions earlier and nowleft little room for doubt.

“But you know…” Wonwoo continued softly, “I think it’s been a while since he’s been with that person. Things weren’t going well between them, so… I don’t talk to him much, but the last time we met, he said he was thinking about breaking up with his byofriend. So I guess it’s over now.”

Seokmin immediately turned his head toward him, his attention fully captured, his gaze revealing obvious interest.

Wonwoo was certain now.

Seokmin had a crush on Joshua.

“Really?” he asked, almost without meaning to.

Wonwoo nodded with a reassuring smile.

“Yes. I wouldn’t lie to you about that. And if you ever have questions about Joshua, don’t hesitate… Mingyu is a real gossip, so I can always get information for you.”

Seokmin panicked instantly, waving his hands in front of his now bright red face.

“W-What?! W-Why would I want information about Jo-Joshua…? Why w-would you think that…?”

He was stammering, completely exposed, unable to hide anything.

Wonwoo couldn’t help but laugh, not mocking at all.

“Don’t worry,” he said lightly. “I also had a huge crush on Mingyu before we started dating… but he doesn’t know that.”

He shrugged slightly, as if the secret wasn’t such a big deal, before launching into his story, hoping to make Seokmin feel more at ease. He wasn’t trying to force him to talk about his feelings, just to create a space where he felt safe.

“Mingyu saw me at a practice about six months ago. I have a friend who joined the team, his name is Jun—you probably know him?”

“Mingyu has mentioned him a few times…” Seokmin replied, more attentive now, slightly soothed by Wonwoo’s calm tone.

“Well, while I was greeting Jun, Mingyu was right next to him, and I don’t really know what he saw in me, but he came up to talk to me directly. He asked for my name… and if I was single.”

Wonwoo smiled faintly at the memory.

“He made it very clear that he was interested in me. And it completely caught me off guard.”

“Why?” Seokmin asked, genuinely curious.

“Well… I used to watch Mingyu from afar too. I saw him often. He attracts attention easily, you know… So yes, I might have been attracted to him, but I never expected him to be interested in me. When he talked to me, I panicked… and when I panic, I tend to become cold.”

Wonwoo let out a soft laugh.

“I didn’t know how to react, so I acted like I wasn’t interested.”

“And… how did you end up dating, then?”

Seokmin seemed more relaxed now, more engaged in the conversation. He was participating, asking questions, finally allowing a real exchange to settle between them.

“I came to watch him play from time to time. Officially, I said I came for Jun… but Mingyu told me several times to come for him, not for Jun.”

He gave a small smirk.

“He was clearly showing that he was interested. But I had no confidence in myself, so I didn’t understand. I even thought he was making fun of me. And then one day… he asked me out.”

Wonwoo paused, his gaze drifting toward Mingyu practicing penalty shots on the field.

“I said no.”

“What?! Why? It was mutual!”

“Yes… but I didn’t feel handsome enough. Not good enough for him.”

His voice softened, more sincere.

“The more I came to see him, the more we talked, and the more I realized how incredible he was… on top of being very handsome. And me, I was full of insecurities. I told myself he deserved better.”

Seokmin felt his heart tighten slightly.

He recognized himself in those words, in those doubts, in that way of always seeing himself as lesser. The only difference… was that Mingyu truly seemed to want Wonwoo.

“But Mingyu understood,” Wonwoo continued. “He reassured me. He insisted… and we started going out together, several times, before making it official.”

He smiled softly.

“Now we’re together… and I truly think we’re meant for each other. I still have doubts sometimes, but he always makes sure to reassure me. He makes me feel like the best person in the world.”

Seokmin looked at him, touched.

And for the first time, he smiled.

A real smile.

Wonwoo felt quietly satisfied.

“Yeah… Mingyu is like that,” Seokmin replied gently. “He’s always helped me overcome my shyness… to feel comfortable around him. He’s a very good friend, someone truly caring.”

He paused briefly.

“I’m glad he’s with someone who suits him… and who he loves.”

“Thank you…” Wonwoo replied simply.

A soothing silence settled between them, light, comfortable, like a needed pause after so many emotions.

Then Wonwoo dared to break it.

“And you… you don’t have anyone?”

“M-Me…?”

Seokmin hesitated immediately.

Wonwoo had opened up to him… so maybe he could do the same.

“I…”

He lifted his eyes slightly toward him. Wonwoo was looking at him with an understanding smile, without pressure just present.

He knew he wouldn’t be forced to speak.

And that was exactly why he wanted to.

Because he needed, too, to let out what he had kept buried for so long.

“I… I-I’ve never dated anyone… B-But there’s… uh… y-you probably guessed…”

Seokmin looked away slightly as he said the name, as if simply saying it out loud made it too real, too exposed.

“There’s… Jo-Joshua… I… Uh well…”

His voice trailed off into a confused mumble, words tangling in his throat without ever forming a complete sentence, as if his feelings refused to be translated so easily.

“You have a little crush on him, right?”

Wonwoo finished the sentence for him gently, offering him a way out.

Seokmin’s face immediately turned crimson, and he nodded quickly, unable to deny what was now obvious.

“Mingyu doesn’t know, so…”

“I promise, I’ll never repeat it.”

The answer was simple, sincere, without hesitation.

Seokmin lifted his eyes slightly, visibly relieved.

“Thank you… But how did you guess?”

“I told you,” Wonwoo replied with a small smile, “I had a crush on Mingyu before we really talked… so I was a bit like you. Unable to act normal around him, and way too interested in everything about him.”

“Oh… I see…”

Seokmin nodded softly, thoughtful, as if the explanation echoed strangely with what he himself felt.

Silence fell again, but this time it wasn’t heavy or awkward. Just calm, soothing.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, watching their friends on the field, each lost in their thoughts, lulled by the distant sounds of practice.

Then, after a while, Seokmin stood up.

“I-I’m going to go…”

“Already? There are barely twenty minutes left…” Wonwoo replied, turning his head toward him, surprised.

“Yes… I said I wouldn’t stay long in the first place and… I have to finish an assignment…”

Wonwoo hesitated for a second, then added softly:

“I don’t want to insist, but… it would really make Mingyu happy if you stayed a little longer. He really misses you, Seokmin…”

Those words made Seokmin pause completely.

His assignment was due in two weeks. He always worked ahead, managed his time carefully… he had more than enough time to do it later.

But Mingyu…

He missed him too.

And yet, the idea of staying, of being surrounded, of possibly drawing attention, of risking running into Joshua again terrified him.

He hesitated. For a long moment.

Then, finally: “Okay…”

He sat back down.

A genuine smile spread across Wonwoo’s lips.

“Thank you. Really.”

“No… thank you for being there for him,” Seokmin replied with unexpected softness. “I’m glad he’s dating you. You take care of him, it shows.”

Wonwoo seemed touched by his words.

“He talks about you all the time, you know,” he replied. “I almost got jealous at first… until he clearly explained your relationship. And I thought it would do you both good to see each other again like before.”

Seokmin blinked, surprised.

“He talks about me that much?”

“Every day,” Wonwoo replied with an amused smile. “There’s always something that reminds him of your childhood. The ice cream stand near your middle school, for example… He often tells how, after football, you’d go get some, even in winter, even if it meant getting sick.”

He let out a soft laugh.

“And he also says you’re so clumsy you’ve dropped your ice cream on the ground five times.”

Seokmin straightened immediately offended.

“Oh, that liar! He’s the clumsy one between us!”

His tone came alive, and a bright spark crossed his eyes.

“And to correct the story: he was the one dropping them on himself…and it wasn’t five times… but nine!”

Wonwoo burst out laughing, and Seokmin quickly followed.

They kept talking like that, Seokmin correcting Mingyu’s stories with newfound energy, growing more and more at ease.

Little by little, he had completely relaxed.

He was laughing. Really laughing.

Their laughter carried across the field, catching Mingyu and Seungcheol’s attention.

“Wow… it’s been a while since Seokmin laughed like that,” Mingyu said, his eyes shining as he watched the scene.

“Yeah… it’s really nice to see,” Seungcheol added. “I don’t know how Wonwoo did it, but thanks to him.”

They then headed toward the locker rooms to change quickly, before coming back to the bleachers.

“Hey, Cheollie, wait.”

Jeonghan’s voice stopped them. He was still in his cheerleader uniform, Joshua just behind him.

“Yes, babe?” Seungcheol replied, immediately turning toward him, all his attention focused on his boyfriend.

“We’re going to have to extend practice tonight. The other team is taking over the field for the next three days, so we have to adjust. We’re going to eat with the team afterward, so I’ll be home late,” Jeonghan explained, snuggling against him.

“Alright, no problem. Text me when you’re done and when you get to the restaurant, okay, baby?” Seungcheol wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling him closer gently before whispering in his ear: “I love your uniform… come home wearing that skirt.”

Jeonghan blushed immediately and pulled away, nodding before grabbing Joshua to pull him along.

But Joshua didn’t move.

“Wait… Seokmin is there… I want to go apologize.”

“Apologize? For what?” Jeonghan asked, surprised.

“For making him uncomfortable… or whatever I said. I feel like it’s my fault.”

“No, Joshua, don’t worry,” Mingyu stepped in. “He’s just really shy around new people.”

Joshua frowned slightly.

“Does he know Wonwoo?”

“Uh… no? I was actually going to introduce them, but—”

“But they already seem to get along well,” Joshua cut in, crossing his arms.

A slight frustration slipped into his voice—one he didn’t even understand himself.

He didn’t know why it bothered him so much.

Why Seokmin wasn’t even looking at him… while laughing with Wonwoo as if they had known each other forever.

Because yes.

Joshua had been watching Seokmin.

Far too much, even, during practice.

But how could he not?

He had a beautiful face, despite his eyes being hidden behind his bangs and glasses. The rest was more than enough to draw attention: the line of his jaw, the softness of his lips, the delicacy of his nose…

And then there was his attitude.

That shyness.

His slightly flushed cheeks, his nervous gestures, the way he avoided eye contact…

Joshua had found him adorable from the very first moment.

He had never noticed him before, probably because he was discreet but the moment he saw him beside Mingyu, something had caught his attention.

Everything about Seokmin had caught his attention.

And now…

He felt bad for making him uncomfortable. He genuinely wanted to apologize, so he had been stealing glances toward the bleachers and he had seen him smile.

And for a moment, the world had stopped. But that smile wasn’t for him—it was for Wonwoo and a strange discomfort settled inside him then, diffuse and inexplicable.

Mingyu had said Seokmin was shy with everyone. And that he wanted to introduce them today, so why did he seem so at ease with Wonwoo?

Why wouldn’t he look at him?

“Oh… uh… maybe they got to know each other?” Mingyu suggested, not really understanding Joshua’s expression.

“Mmh…”

Joshua stayed silent for a second, then: “I’ll go get to know him too, then.”

Without waiting, he started walking toward the bleachers, heading straight for Seokmin and Wonwoo.

Mingyu blinked, confused.

“What’s gotten into him?” he asked, turning to Jeonghan.

But Jeonghan was watching the scene with a small, amused smile.

“Oh, nothing…” He crossed his arms, eyes sparkling. “This is going to be interesting.”

Seungcheol and Mingyu exchanged a confused glance, clearly unable to understand what was happening, before instinctively following Joshua, while Jeonghan trailed behind with a knowing smile, as if he were the only one who truly understood the situation.

“Hey, you two!” Joshua called as he reached them.

The bleachers had completely emptied; only a few scattered figures remained, and off to the side, Seokmin and Wonwoo were deep in conversation—a conversation abruptly interrupted by Joshua’s arrival.

Seokmin froze instantly upon recognizing that soft voice behind him.

He hadn’t seen him coming.

He hadn’t had time to prepare.

In short, he was absolutely not ready to talk to him.

“Hi, Joshua,” Wonwoo replied simply, still seated, completely at ease.

Beside him, Seokmin nervously fixed his bangs and adjusted his glasses in an almost automatic gesture, unsure how to react. Should he greet him again? Pretend nothing happened? And above all… why had Joshua come over to them?

Fortunately —or unfortunately, he wasn’t alone.

“Wonwoo! Seokmin! I’m so happy you got to meet each other!” Mingyu exclaimed as he approached enthusiastically.

But Wonwoo immediately raised a hand to stop him. “I said I’m still mad at you, Mingyu.”

“Whaaat? Come on, it’s over, let’s forget about it!” Mingyu protested, pouting. “Anyway, what were you two talking about?”

“Oh, nothing… except that in addition to hugging other men, you also twist most of your stories to make yourself look better.”

Mingyu froze, completely caught off guard.

“No, wait! I didn’t lie… well, I did, but—” He suddenly turned to Seokmin. “Seokmin! How could you betray me?!”

Seokmin, laughing, couldn’t even hold it in anymore. “You’re the one who lied to your boyfriend! I had to tell him the truth—the poor guy thinks you’re the coolest!”

“I just wanted to look cool in his eyes,” Mingyu muttered, crossing his arms, amused despite himself.

Joshua, watching the scene, saw Seokmin laugh and instinctively understood that it was the right moment to talk to him. He looked relaxed and comfortable.

And Mingyu and Wonwoo were too busy bickering to pay attention.

“Hey, Seokmin.”

His voice was soft, not hesitant.

And instantly, Seokmin’s expression changed.

He froze.

His smile vanished, replaced by obvious, panicked surprise.

He turned slowly in a mechanical motion, and met Joshua’s gaze.

That soft gaze.

Too soft.

He inhaled briefly before lowering his eyes, making sure this time to avoid any dangerous trajectory.

“Y-Yes…?”

Joshua was talking to him.

Joshua was talking to him.

Joshua was talking to him.

He couldn’t process that, in less than two hours, he had exchanged so many words with the boy he had secretly been in love with for years.

“I wanted to apologize for earlier… if I made you uncomfortable, or anything…” Joshua said sincerely, a faint, slightly sad smile on his lips.

“No! You didn’t… I mean yes… no! I mean no! I-It’s not… not you… well yes, a l-little… actually… but um… no! I…”

Seokmin was panicking again, unable to form two coherent sentences.

“Y-you… don’t need to apologize… I mean…”

He took a deep breath, trying to regain composure, before turning his body slightly away, unable to face him for more than a minute. Even without looking at him, he could feel his presence overwhelming.

Joshua, meanwhile, frowned slightly.

He didn’t really understand what Seokmin was trying to say. He tried to follow, to untangle his words… but above all, he noticed one thing:

Seokmin still wasn’t looking at him.

Was it… possible that he didn’t like him?

But why?

Joshua was about to speak again, but Jeonghan intervened.

“Alright, Joshua and I are heading out! We still have practice to finish.”

He looked at each of them in turn, and Joshua noticed that this time, Seokmin lifted his eyes to look at Jeonghan.

And it frustrated him.

“Bye, guys! Oh, and Seokmin.”

“Yes?” Seokmin replied, his gaze naturally resting on Jeonghan without hesitation.

“I’m glad we saw each other again. Next time, let’s spend some time together, okay?” Jeonghan said with a wink that everyone noticed.

Seokmin nodded slightly.

Hesitant, but sincere.

“With pleasure.”

Jeonghan smiled before grabbing Joshua and pulling him along.

Joshua, meanwhile, couldn’t believe it.

“Why did he look at you?” he asked abruptly.

“What do you mean?” Jeonghan replied, surprised.

“He laughs with Wonwoo, whom he just met. He seems way less shy than Mingyu and Cheol described. He looks at you, answers you normally… and me, he barely even looks at me!”

Jeonghan stared at him as if he had just said something absurd.

“What? One guy doesn’t pay attention to yuo and it frustrates you?” he teased.

But when he saw Joshua cross his arms and sulk, he became a bit more serious.

“Hey… what’s wrong?”

“Nothing…”

He looked away slightly.

“It’s just that… I wanted to be nice. To become his friend too… but he won’t look at me. It feels like he doesn’t want to talk to me.”

His frustration was sincere and childlike.

“Oh really?” Jeonghan replied. “I mostly saw someone very shy who didn’t know how to react. You probably caught him off guard.”

Joshua lifted his eyes slightly.

“You think?”

“I’m sure.”

Joshua instinctively turned back toward the bleachers and he saw him laughing with the others.

That smile…

Once again, the world seemed to slow down, and without really understanding why, Joshua wished that smile were directed at him too.

“Alright… I’ll warn Mingyu or Cheol next time.”

“Next time?” Jeonghan repeated curiously.

Joshua hesitated for a second.

Then, almost despite himself:

“Yeah… he’s… he’s cute…”

His cheeks turned slightly pink.

Jeonghan’s smile instantly turned victorious.

“Ah, I knew it! You like him, don’t you? He’s totally your type: nerdy guys with glasses, top of the class, shy but with a pretty face.”

Joshua rolled his eyes.

“How would you even know?”

“Joshuji… I’ve known you forever,” Jeonghan replied with a mischievous smile. “It was obvious it would frustrate you if you liked him… and he didn’t give you any attention.”

Joshua quickened his pace slightly.

“Whatever.”

Jeonghan followed him, laughing softly, continuing to tease him until they rejoined their group to resume practice.

Meanwhile, Seokmin, Mingyu, Wonwoo, and Seungcheol eventually left the bleachers together, walking back calmly.

Seokmin, for his part, had never been this sociable.

And strangely…

He hadn’t minded it at all.

On the contrary.

 

 

—

 

 

The next day, Seokmin arrived early, as usual, taking advantage of the still-calm atmosphere in the lecture hall to sit in his favorite seat, right at the very front. Not that there was any risk of someone taking it; no one fought for those seats but it had become a comforting routine.

The night before, he had gone home with his best friends… and Wonwoo.

And strangely, he had felt at ease with him. Truly at ease. Maybe because they were more alike than he had expected—this whole crush thing, this awkwardness with feelings… except that Wonwoo, at least, had the other person’s attention.

Seokmin was convinced Joshua would never be attracted to him.

He settled in quietly, took out his phone, and opened the university team page. Mingyu had asked him to check it the day before, but Seokmin had preferred to finish his assignment before going to bed early, true to his habits.

He scrolled through the posts: event announcements, recent results, training sessions…

A match was scheduled in two weeks.

Mingyu would probably ask him to come.

And inevitably, his thoughts drifted.

Joshua. Again.

He would be there, right…?

That simple thought made him hesitate.

He kept scrolling absentmindedly until he came across a photo album. Out of curiosity, he opened it and went through the pictures one by one—his friends, the team, moments of victory…

Then, on a photo from the previous year, when their team had won the inter-university championship, he saw him.

Joshua.

In the middle of the cheerleaders, radiant, smiling with an unreal brightness, wearing his red and white uniform.

Seokmin’s heart reacted instantly, as always.

He was gorgeous, too gorgeous.

Seokmin could barely hold his gaze on the screen for more than a few seconds.

He would have liked to be there that day. To share that moment, to be close enough to laugh with him.. But a more realistic thought quickly caught up with him.

Was he even capable of exchanging a few words with him without stuttering?

What had happened the day before…

It had been both an achievement and an embarrassment.

And deep down, Seokmin knew one thing: He would rather avoid talking to him again, just so he wouldn’t humiliate himself again.

“Hey, Seokmin!”

He let out a small sigh.

He had been thinking about Joshua so much that hearing his voice say his name the day before still lingered in his mind, so much that he thought he was imagining it behind him in the still mostly empty room.

“Seokmin?”

The voice insisted.

He tried to refocus, convinced it was just his imagination playing tricks on him.

But when he heard footsteps approaching, his heart suddenly began to race.Stress flooded in within seconds.

Joshua… was he really here?

He turned around slowly.

And froze.

Joshua was walking toward him.

Joshua had called him. Twice.

Why?

Was he here to confront him? To ask questions about his strange behavior the day before? But when he saw the gentle smile on his face… and the two drinks in his hands Seokmin quickly understood that wasn’t the case.

Or at least… he hoped so.

He stayed silent, unable to say anything, desperately trying to look normal, composed.

But he had no idea that, from the outside, his expression looked the opposite: closed off, almost stern, his brows slightly furrowed, his gaze serious. Enough to unsettle anyone.

Joshua hesitated.

He was no longer as confident.

The night before, he had insisted on getting Seungcheol to give him Seokmin’s schedule. He couldn’t stop thinking about him and the strange distance between them, the discomfort he seemed to cause.

Seungcheil had told him it was a bad idea but he had still given him the schedule.

And even his favorite drink.

So Joshua had thought it was a good approach: come with coffee, start a gentle conversation, just a simple friendly gesture.

But now… faced with that closed-off expression… he doubted himself.

Was this a mistake?

He swallowed lightly but kept smiling.

“Uh…” Even speaking felt difficult. “Are you okay today?” he finally asked, trying to hide his own discomfort.

Seokmin simply nodded.

No answer.

“Good… then… I thought I’d come see if you were feeling better about yesterday…”

Yesterday.

Joshua had come… for him.

To check on him.

Seokmin immediately felt warmth rush to his face.

Joshua knew he existed.

Joshua was worried about him.

He quickly looked away, unable to contain the mix of joy and panic. He wanted to smile, to jump in excitement… but held himself back, afraid of seeming strange.

But for Joshua that gesture was interpreted differently.

Once again, Seokmin was looking away.

Once again, he seemed uncomfortable.

Once again… Seokmin rejecting him.

Joshua tightened his grip slightly on the cups, biting his lip.  “Alright… then… if you’re feeling better… I’ll go. Have a good day…”

He stepped back slightly, waiting, hoping for a reaction, a word, a look, anything. But nothing came.

Seokmin still wasn’t looking at him and didn’t respond.

Joshua let out a soft sigh before turning away, a frustration mixed with sadness tightening his chest without him fully understanding why.

As he left the room, he ran into Jeonghan and Seungcheol.

“You didn’t give him his coffee?” Jeonghan asked, curious.

“No.”

Joshua handed them the drinks.

“You can take them. He doesn’t seem to want anything from me.”

He crossed his arms, glancing one last time inside the room, where Seokmin was still sitting with his back turned, his oversized cardigan slightly slipping off his shoulders.

“Seriously? What did he say to you?” Jeonghan asked while taking a sip. “Mmh… this is delicious! That kid has good taste.”

“Kid?” Joshua frowned.

“Yeah? He’s Mingyu’s age, so two years younger than us.”

“He’s not that young,” Seungcheol added with a light laugh.

“Anyway. What did he say to make you like this?” Jeonghan insisted.

“Nothing! Absolutely nothing!” Joshua exclaimed. “He doesn’t look at me, or he looks at me with this cold, serious expression… it made me nervous. It felt like I was bothering him. I barely asked him two questions, he just nodded and looked away like I wasn’t even there! I couldn’t even give him the coffee… or talk to him…”

His frustration finally spilled out, sincere and vulnerable.

Seungcheol and Jeonghan exchanged a look.

“He really looked at you like that?” Seungcheol asked, more seriously.

“Yes! And yet you told me he was shy and soft… but honestly, he just seems cold. It really feels like he hates me.”

“Why would he hate you? Did you do something to him?”

“No! Never!” Joshua immediately replied. “I’d heard about him before, but I’d never actually seen him. We’d never talked before yesterday.”

“Maybe you did something without realizing it,” Jeonghan suggested.

“No… I don’t think so… anyway. Whatever. I won’t bother him anymore. I get it.”

Joshua turned to leave for his own class.

Seungcheol watched him go, thoughtful.

“This is really strange… Seokmin doesn’t hate anyone.”

“Well, there’s a first time for everything!” Jeonghan replied lightly.

But seeing his boyfriend’s thoughtful expression, he became more serious.

“But if you want my opinion… I think I’ve figured out what’s going on with Seokmin.”

“Oh really? And what is it?”

Jeonghan smirked.

“I’m not telling you. It’s pretty obvious… and he’s your friend, right? You should know better than me.”

Seungcheol rolled his eyes.

He was far worse than Jeonghan at reading people, especially someone like Seokmin, who showed so little of what he felt.

“I’ll go ask him.”

“I doubt he’ll tell you.”

“We’ll see.”

 

—

 

That afternoon, Mingyu had, once again, suggested that Seokmin have lunch with them, taking advantage of the fact that their teacher was still absent and that they therefore shared, for the second day in a row, exactly the same lunch break schedule; he had also specified, with his usual enthusiasm, that Wonwoo would also be present alongside Seungcheol, and after an almost imperceptible hesitation, Seokmin had eventually agreed, despite himself thinking back to the conversation he had had with Wonwoo the day before, to that unexpected ease he had felt in his presence, and to that strange but comforting feeling of having been understood without needing to say too much.

So the four of them sat down around a table, in an atmosphere that was initially familiar for the other three but slightly intimidating for Seokmin, who, true to himself, took some time before managing to truly integrate into the conversation; at first, he simply listened, nodding, offering faint smiles, searching for his words each time he wanted to speak, but little by little, as the exchanges became more natural and laughter followed one another, something in him relaxed, and he even found himself participating, responding, laughing sincerely with them, to the point of completely forgetting the constant apprehension that usually accompanied him in the presence of several people.

Until he saw him.

It was only a brief instant, a simple movement of the eyes, but it was enough to shatter the fragile bubble Seokmin had allowed himself to sink into; at the same moment, Seungcheol slightly lifted his head and casually announced:

“Oh, Hannie and Shua are coming.”

Those words hit Seokmin like a silent shockwave, his attention freezing instantly as, not far away, the two cheerleaders approached their table; Jeonghan walked with ease, as always, while Joshua seemed slightly more hesitant, his steps less assured, a detail Seungcheol immediately noticed as he recalled what had happened earlier that morning.

When they finally reached them, Jeonghan placed his tray next to Seungcheol with disarming ease, sitting down as if he had always been meant to occupy that spot, but Joshua remained standing, motionless, his tray still in his hands, as if suspended in a moment of uncertainty.

His gaze was fixed.

On Seokmin.

Their eyes met briefly, and even hidden behind his fringe, Joshua could make out the boy’s expression in front of him: a brutal shock, mixed with a small panic, as if he had absolutely not been prepared to see him here, at this exact moment; and, just as he had done earlier, Seokmin immediately lowered his eyes, as if holding that gaze for even one more second was simply impossible.

That gesture, seemingly harmless on the surface, had a much deeper effect on Joshua than he could have imagined.

He felt something tighten in his chest, a pang of discomfort, maybe even disappointment, but he showed nothing of it; instead, he simply looked away, as if to protect himself from that unpleasant feeling.

“I’m going to join Junmin and the others,” he finally said, his voice calm and detached.

He waited for no response, he didn’t even seek one and, without another glance, he turned away to join another table.

 

On his side, Seokmin felt an immediate relief, a bit shameful, as if the pressure weighing on his chest had suddenly vanished, finally allowing him to breathe normally; yet that relief was quickly accompanied by a much harder feeling to ignore, a dull, diffuse disappointment that slowly settled within him, because deep down, despite everything, despite his fear, despite his awkwardness… he would have wanted Joshua to stay.

“What’s wrong with him?” Mingyu asked, slightly frowning as he turned to Jeonghan.

“I don’t know,” the latter replied with a suspicious ease, a barely concealed lie he fully intended to use to his advantage.

Because Jeonghan had understood or at least, he thought he had understood.And before going to speak to Joshua, he wanted to confirm one last thing.

“Anyway, I think it has something to do with the boy he likes,” he added casually.

Those words landed like a small explosion around the table.

Wonwoo slightly lifted his eyes, surprised, before glancing discreetly at Seokmin, while the latter raised his head almost against his will, intrigued, worried… and terribly concerned.

“He… he likes someone…?” he asked hesitantly, a question that immediately surprised Mingyu and Seungcheol, who were not used to hearing him take interest in this kind of topic.

Jeonghan nodded, carefully observing his reaction, and when he met Wonwoo’s gaze, everything became clear: the pieces of the puzzle were perfectly falling into place in his mind, and what he had suspected from the beginning now made complete sense.

“Yeah. But he doesn’t understand why he can’t get their attention, so he’s a bit frustrated… he was in a bad mood all morning, you should’ve seen him.”

The words were simple but their meaning was not and Seokmin felt his heart tighten imperceptibly.

Joshua liked someone.

Of course.

“Oh… I see…” he murmured, trying to keep a neutral expression despite the sting settling in his chest.

But Jeonghan wasn’t done.

“Seriously, give your opinion,” he continued, addressing the others. “If the person you like is cold with you but laughs with everyone else around… you’d feel bad, right?”

“I’d do everything to get their attention!” Mingyu immediately replied, true to himself, throwing a wink at Wonwoo, who rolled his eyes while letting out a faint smile.

“Personally… I wouldn’t force it,” Wonwoo replied more calmly. “If someone is comfortable with everyone except me, then I’d rather step back so I don’t make them uncomfortable.”

Jeonghan slowly nodded.

“That’s exactly what he does. But what he doesn’t know… is that the person he likes seems to be attracted to him too.”

Wonwoo slightly frowned before subtly turning his head toward Seokmin, who was looking elsewhere.

Toward another table. Toward Joshua.

“And you, Seokmin?” Jeonghan suddenly asked, cutting the conversation short.

Seungcheol gave him a light elbow nudge, but Jeonghan didn’t care.

“M-Me…?”

“Yes. Let’s imagine you have a crush… but they don’t pay any attention to you. What would you do?”

Seokmin didn’t even think.

Because he already knew the answer, since he was already living that situation.

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?” Jeonghan repeated, slightly surprised.

“I… I don’t expect anything…” Seokmin continued in a lower voice. “If something happens… then fine… if not… I accept it.”

Because he had already accepted it.

His gaze drifted again against his will, toward the table where Joshua was laughing with his friends, perfectly at ease, luminous, unreachable.

And he sighed.

This time, however, his gesture did not go unnoticed, Wonwoo and Jeonghan exchanged a silent glance.

They understood.

But fortunately, Mingyu and Seungcheol hadn’t noticed anything. Seungcheol started a new conversation, but Jeonghan wasn’t finished, leaning slightly toward Seokmin, he continued in a softer voice:

“But… if your crush came to talk to you… and seemed interested in you… what would you do?”

Seokmin lowered his eyes slightly. “I… I don’t think that would happen…”

A tender smile curved Jeonghan’s lips.

“Seokmin… don’t be so pessimistic. You’re really handsome, you know. Besides, several members of my team saw you yesterday… and they asked me who you were because they found you cute.”

Those words hit Seokmin full force.

His heart immediately raced, and warmth rose to his cheeks with an intensity he couldn’t control. People he didn’t know were complimenting him…? And not just anyone apparently, some cheerleaders… Which meant that…Maybe…

Joshua too. Maybe ?

He looked away slightly, unable to handle that thought. “T-Thank you…” he whispered.

Jeonghan, softened by his reaction, couldn’t help but lean closer.

“But you know… you’d look even better if you showed your face a bit more,” he said, gently brushing his hair aside to reveal his forehead. “Like this… with your forehead visible… it really suits you. And your glasses…”

He carefully removed them.

“Jeonghan, leave him alone,” Seungcheol intervened, half-amused, half-protective.

“N-No… it’s okay…” Seokmin murmured, letting him do it despite his embarrassment, because deep down, an idea had just been born.

What if… What if Joshua could really find him handsome?

Jeonghan leaned back slightly to observe him and remained silent for a moment. Then his eyes lit up.

“Wow…” he breathed. A sincere smile stretched his lips. “You’re really very handsome, Seokmin.”

And this time, Seokmin had no choice but to completely look away, his heart beating far too fast to handle any more.

And it was precisely at that moment, while he was still trying to recover after Jeonghan’s unexpected actions, that his gaze met another gaze again, a few tables away.

Joshua.

He was looking at him.

But not like before.

It wasn’t a fleeting glance, nor a distracted look exchanged without real attention; no, this time, his gaze was fixed, insistent, like he was truly trying to see him, understand him, analyze him in every detail, and that attention, already destabilizing in itself, became completely unbearable for Seokmin simply because it came from him.

His heart immediately raced, his thoughts became a blur, and without even thinking, he abruptly looked away. In a rushed and clumsy motion, he grabbed his glasses from Jeonghan’s hands, put them back on his nose, then ran his fingers through his hair several times, trying to let his fringe fall back over his forehead like a fragile barrier behind which he could hide again.

It was too much.

Without taking any time to think, he suddenly stood up, grabbing his tray in a movement far too quick to seem natural, and left the table  walking away as fast as he could, as if staying one more second in that room would make him implode.

“Jeonghan, seriously, why didn’t you leave him alone?” Mingyu sighed as he watched him leave.

“He told me it was fine! He wasn’t embarrassed because of me!” Jeonghan replied with a shrug, pretending innocence.

“Oh really? Then because of who?” Seungcheol asked, looking around as if searching for an answer.

Jeonghan simply stuck his tongue out, a mischievous smile on his lips.

“That’s not for me to tell you.”

A few tables away, Joshua had already stopped eating some time ago.

At first, he had simply felt a slight frustration at not sitting with them, at having chosen to step away out of respect for Seokmin, thinking that his presence would make him uncomfortable; but as he watched them talk, laugh, and share that moment with an ease that felt out of reach, that frustration gradually turned into something closer to sadness, harder to ignore.

He had wanted to be there.

With them. With him.

To get to know him, slowly, without that strange distance that had settled between them without either of them truly understanding why.

And then there had been that moment.

That exact moment when Jeonghan had approached Seokmin, when he had laughed with him before running his hand through his hair and removing his glasses. Joshua had forgotten how to breathe.

Because, for the first time he had truly seen his face.And what he discovered had gone far beyond anything he had imagined.

He already found him handsome, already adorable in his awkward shyness, in his slightly flushed cheeks, in the way he avoided eye contact… but there, without that barrier, without those glasses, without that fringe hiding his eyes, it was different.

It was so much more.

Without even realizing it, Joshua had started staring at him, unable to look away, as if drawn against his will to a sight he hadn’t expected to find so captivating; and when their eyes met, this time without obstacles, without filters, something inside him panicked, his heart racing in an uncontrollable way.

He should have looked away, he should have composed himself.

But he had been unable to, and, as always, it was Seokmin who broke the contact first, fixing his hair awkwardly before fleeing the cafeteria. Joshua let out a long sigh, running a hand through his hair before turning to his friends.

“Are you okay, Joshua? You look upset all of a sudden,” one of them asked.

“Yeah… I’m fine…” he replied, not very convincingly. “Just a bit… frustrated…”

“Oh really? Your ex would be happy to help you get rid of that frustration,” someone joked.

Joshua immediately grimaced.

“I’d rather choke on my food.

Laughter errupted around the table, but he only half joined in, his mind already elsewhere, occupied by a single person who, without him even fully realizing it, was slowly starting to take up space in his thoughts.

 

—

 

Two weeks had passed since the first time Seokmin had come to watch their practice, and here he was again in the gym, this time forced to stay inside because of the heavy rain pouring outside.

 

During those two weeks, a lot had changed.

Seokmin had made an effort, a real effort, to get closer to Mingyu and Seungcheol, spending more and more time with them, accepting their invitations, staying a little longer each time, and, against all odds, it had done him an immense amount of good; he was rediscovering what it felt like to have friends around, to share simple moments, to laugh without constantly being afraid of saying the wrong thing.

And then there were Wonwoo and Jeonghan.

Because they were part of his friends’ lives, they had also become a regular presence in his, and Seokmin found himself surprisingly enjoying their company, each in their own way; Wonwoo, with his calmness, his understanding, his serious conversations often centered around classes, topics that reassured Seokmin and made him feel at ease and Jeonghan, with his energy, his humor, the way he teased him just enough to unsettle him without ever going too far.

There were even times when Seokmin would have lunch alone with them, separate from the group, and in those moments his shyness seemed to fade, as if, little by little, he was learning to breathe differently around others.

And then…

There was Joshua. Joshua, whom he now saw more often than before, since he was Jeonghan’s best friend.

But Joshua, who paradoxically always seemed to leave whenever Seokmin was around. Joshua, who would simply greet him quickly, without really looking at him, whenever they ended up in the same group.

Joshua, who no longer tried to talk to him at all.

In short… Joshua was avoiding him.

Seokmin didn’t really know how to interpret it, but deep down, he had already accepted long ago that there would never be anything between them, not even a simple friendship; so yes, it hurt, much more than he cared to admit but he didn’t show it and didn’t talk about it to anyone.

No one, except Wonwoo, who had been the only one to understand, but who, fortunately, had never brought the topic up again after their first conversation.

And that was better this way.

Because deep down…

Seokmin also wanted to forget Joshua, even if he knew it was impossible because, to him, Joshua wasn’t someone you forgot.

And he even felt like he would never meet anyone quite so… incredible.

Jeonghan, in fact, often talked about him, constantly praising him, highlighting his kindness, his generosity, his acrobatic skills, his impressive flexibility, to the point where it only fueled Seokmin’s already far too present feelings even more.

But despite all of that…

They didn’t talk and nothing seemed to want to change.

 

 

That day, upon arriving at the gym, Seokmin was surprised by the unusual crowd inside; the place, though huge, seemed saturated, filled with several teams from different clubs sharing the space as best they could.

He quickly spotted Wonwoo and walked over to him.

“Hey Wonwoo… what’s going on?”

“Hey Seokmin,” he replied calmly. “The basketball team also wants the gym, so they’re trying to divide it evenly… it’s taking a while.”

Jeonghan, who wasn’t far away, immediately noticed them and came over with a big smile.

“Hey Seokmin!”

Without warning, he pulled him into a hug, completely surprising the younger boy, who took a second before shyly returning the gesture.

“You came at the right time, I need you!”

“Uh… yeah?” Seokmin asked, slightly lost.

“Since there are so many people, we have to take the smallest space, but we need cones to mark the area. They’re in the storage room outside… do you mind going to get them?”

Wonwoo slightly frowned, ready to intervene, but Jeonghan discreetly kicked him to shut him up.

“Oh… of course… I’ll go right away,” Seokmin replied without asking further questions, before heading toward the exit.

“Thank you so much, Seokmin!” Jeonghan called out enthusiastically.

As soon as he was out of sight, Wonwoo turned to him.

“You asked Joshua the same thing two minutes ago.”

“Oh really?” Jeonghan replied with a falsely innocent expression. “I don’t remember… oops.”

Then, without waiting any longer, he added: “I’ll be back in two minutes. Don’t move, and don’t tell anyone.”

And he quietly followed Seokmin, Wonwoo sighed before going to sit in the stands.

 

Outside, the rain was still falling.

Seokmin walked quickly to the storage room, noticing as he entered that the door was already open.

A noise, at the back of the room.

Someone was already there.

But he had barely taken a few steps when the door behind him slammed shut, making him jump; he glanced back, thinking it was just a draft, then turned his attention back to his task, searching for the cones to the right, to the left… with no success.

“Seriously, Jeonghan… he could’ve come get them himself if he was so sure they were here…” a voice suddenly said, slightly irritated.

And Seokmin froze immediately.

He knew that voice.

Why… Why was Joshua here too?

His heart pounding, he took a deep breath and tried to quietly make his way toward the exit, hoping to leave before being noticed.

But it was already too late.

“Seokmin?”

The surprise in Joshua’s voice was just as evident as the one that swept through Seokmin’s entire body.

They stayed staring at each other for a long moment, as if suspended in a strange pause where neither of them knew how to react, until Seokmin, overwhelmed by panic and unable to hold that gaze any longer that unsettled him far too much, abruptly turned his back to Joshua and rushed toward the door in desperate haste.

Joshua, for his part, felt a subtle but real sting tighten in his chest at this sudden escape, and let out a barely audible sigh, caught between frustration and confusion.

Seokmin grabbed the handle hastily, pressed it, and pushed the door but it didn’t budge at all. He frowned, tried again, then a third time, using more force, his movements becoming increasingly nervous, until the truth settled on him with silent brutality: the door was locked.

They were trapped.

Together.

He let his forehead fall against the cold wood of the door, still gripping the handle, as if that contact alone could still offer him an escape, however small.

“Is there a problem?” Joshua asked behind him, his voice tinged with sincere concern, though an unwanted bitter thought crossed his mind anyway: another problem… or just me?

Seokmin didn’t answer, but his silence and repeated attempts were enough for Joshua to understand the situation.

“Oh…” he murmured softly, realizing it too.

He hesitated for a moment, about to step closer to try the door himself, to offer a solution, to do something but he stopped himself, unsure how Seokmin would react if he crossed that already fragile distance between them. So instead, rather than risk making him uncomfortable again, he crossed his arms and sat down on a stack of mats, pulling his legs close to his chest in an instinctive gesture.

“So we’re locked in… right?” he added, even though he already knew the answer, and knew it probably wouldn’t come.

His outfit didn’t help the situation at all. He was still wearing his summer cheerleading uniform — a white and red crop top, light and fitted, paired with a matching miniskirt, an outfit perfectly suited for outdoors, but terribly inappropriate for the damp chill of the storage room. The cold slowly seeped under his skin, making him shiver despite himself, and he glanced around, desperately searching for something to cover himself with.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

He hadn’t even brought his phone, rushed there by Jeonghan to fetch those infamous cones that, apparently, weren’t even there.

Meanwhile, Seokmin finally turned around, his gaze evasive, as if he didn’t dare face the situation directly or the person who made it so unbearable in his eyes.

“I…” he started, not knowing what to say, the words stuck in his throat.

He felt guilty, without really knowing why. Guilty for being there. Guilty for possibly having delayed him. Guilty for existing in this enclosed space with him.

Joshua, for his part, let out a soft sigh before pulling his knees closer to his chest, trying to preserve whatever little warmth he could. He wasn’t wearing shorts under his skirt — and honestly, he wasn’t even thinking about it, convinced it didn’t matter, since Seokmin never looked at him anyway.

Or at least… that’s what he believed.

Because Seokmin, in an almost involuntary motion, lifted his eyes… and his gaze, searching for Joshua’s, slipped downward without warning, caught despite himself by the sight of his bare legs, exposed, delicate.

And his brain seemed to completely stop.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

A sudden wave of heat flooded his entire body, clashing violently with the cold air around them, while his heart began racing uncontrollably. Joshua, on his side, immediately noticed that look and felt his own cheeks flush just as fast.

“D-Don’t look!” he blurted out, jumping to his feet.

“S-Sorry!” Seokmin exclaimed instantly, bowing deeply out of reflex, completely overwhelmed by embarrassment. “R-Really sorry!”

He squeezed his eyes shut as if that could erase what he had just seen, but the image stayed burned into his mind, clear and impossible to ignore.

“I… I was just… uh…” he tried, unable to form a coherent sentence.

Joshua, also flustered, nervously pulled at the hem of his skirt, trying to cover his legs more, even though the gesture did nothing against its already short cut.

He had never been fully comfortable in this uniform, he had even tried, several times, to negotiate wearing pants, but it was a non-negotiable condition to be part of the team.

Over time, he had gotten used to it.

But now… it was different.

The simple fact that Seokmin had looked at him like that was far more unsettling than he wanted to admit.

“It’s fine… it’s not a big deal… I should’ve sat differently…” he finally murmured.

“N-No, it’s not… your fault… I-It’s me…” Seokmin replied, straightening up, carefully avoiding looking down this time, forcing his attention on Joshua’s face who, in turn, was looking away, arms crossed, slightly turned to the side.

That’s when Seokmin noticed it, the trembling, because of the cold.

“Do you have your phone?” Joshua asked, looking back at him.

Seokmin nodded and slipped his hand into his cardigan pocket… then froze.

Empty.

He checked the other pocket, then his pants pockets, again and again, but nothing.

“N-No…” he finally whispered, lost.

Joshua watched his helpless expression and, against his will, couldn’t help but find it… endearing.

“Really?” he sighed. “We’ll have to wait until someone comes by… or until the end of practice. So… almost two hours.”

Two hours.

Seokmin felt his heart jump dangerously.

Two hours locked in, with Joshua.

He didn’t know whether he should be terrified… or secretly happy.

“You’ll be okay?” Joshua asked after a silence.

“Uh…” Seokmin hesitated, unable to form a proper answer.

And that was when Joshua, after two weeks of accumulating confusion and frustration, finally dropped the mask.

“Since you don’t seem to like me… you must hate this situation.”

The silence that followed was heavy.

“W-What?” Seokmin blurted out, completely lost.

Joshua crossed his arms, his gaze turning more serious and vulnerable despite himself.

“Seokmin… it’s just the two of us here. You can’t escape. So… please… tell me what I did to you... I just want to understand why you… don’t like me.”

Seokmin froze, arms hanging uselessly at his sides, his expression full of confusion.

Him? Hate Joshua?

“I… you think that… I-I hate you…?” he murmured.

“It’s not a guess,” Joshua replied quickly. “It’s what you make me feel. And okay… I can accept that. But at least tell me why. I promise, after that, I’ll leave you alone.”

Those words hit like a shock.

Leave him alone…

As if he hadn’t already done exactly that.

“W-Why…?” Seokmin asked, his voice trembling.

“So I know if I did something wrong, if I should apologize—”

“No!” Seokmin cut him off, louder than he intended.

The silence fell again immediately.

“I mean… w-why do you think I… hate you?” he added more softly, a little steadier now.

Joshua stared at him for a moment, then let out a faint smile, a smile that made Seokmin’s already fragile composure wobble even more.

“That’s not very fair, answering a question with another question, you know…”

“S-Sorry…” Seokmin replied instantly.

And at that exact moment, Joshua regretted teasing him.

Because in front of him… Seokmin was far too sincere, far too fragile, far too… adorable for him to keep pretending he wasn’t affected.

“I… uh… I was kidding…” Joshua finally murmured, clearly thrown off by Seokmin’s reaction, as if he hadn’t expected his words to land so heavily, nor for the situation to turn so serious. Then, after a brief hesitation, he continued, finally letting out everything he had been holding in for days:

“If you want an answer… it’s because you show me that I bother you, that I make you uncomfortable. You don’t look at me, you laugh with my friends, but I’m the only one it doesn’t happen with… I tried talking to you, several times, but it looks like it annoys you, like it bothers you… You look at me with that serious, closed-off expression, like you’d rather be anywhere else… while when Jeonghan or Wonwoo talk to you, it’s never like that…”

His voice trembled slightly at the end, betraying a frustration much deeper than he wanted to show, and even though he stopped before saying too much, before revealing something too personal, his words still lingered heavily in the cold air of the storage room.

Seokmin remained frozen, completely speechless, unable to react immediately, because what he had just heard went far beyond anything he had imagined.

Joshua… seemed almost… jealous?

No. Impossible.

Or maybe…?

But Seokmin, far too clumsy at reading emotions, chose not to venture down that uncertain path, holding onto a hope he didn’t even dare name.

Joshua cleared his throat softly.

“Anyway… if you act like this with me, it means I did something wrong. It can only be that.”

“No!” Seokmin immediately replied, almost desperately.

He couldn’t let Joshua believe that, but telling the truth… was impossible too. He swallowed hard, feeling his throat tighten.

“Then what?” Joshua asked more softly this time, but with sincere expectation in his eyes.

Seokmin took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly, as if gathering all the courage he had just to face this moment. He couldn’t say everything… but he had to be honest, at least a little.

“Y-You… J-Joshua… you’re…” he started, immediately looking away, unable to meet his eyes while saying it.

He paused for a second, hen whispered  in a breath “Intimidating.”

His voice was so low he wasn’t even sure it had been heard.

“What?”

“You’re intimidating…” he repeated a little more clearly, though still fragile. “You… you intimidate me… I… I never know how to act when you’re there…”

Every word felt like it was being pulled out of him, something deeply personal he had always kept buried.

Joshua stayed silent for a moment, biting his lip slightly as he processed the unexpected answer.

“You find me… intimidating?”

Seokmin simply nodded, unable to add anything else.

But Joshua didn’t stop there. He straightened up, pushed himself off the mats he had been leaning against, and slowly walked toward him, closing the distance between them in a way that made Seokmin’s heart beat faster with every step.

“You ignore me… because I intimidate you?” he continued, voice lower, almost disbelieving. “You don’t talk to me, you don’t look at me, you don’t smile at me… not even a hello… because I… Hong Joshua… intimidate you, Lee Seokmin?”

He was now right in front of him.

Too close.

Seokmin closed his eyes, unable to take the proximity anymore, biting his lip hard to stop his thoughts from spiraling completely — because Joshua was there, right in front of him, incredibly close, in that outfit that made focusing impossible, with that soft scent that only made things worse.

He nodded.

Yes.

That was exactly it.

A silence fell again, heavier than before, but this time… it wasn’t uncomfortable.

“Is there anything I can do to make you feel more comfortable?” Joshua suddenly asked.

Seokmin opened his eyes again, surprised.

“I really want to become your friend, Seokmin…” Joshua continued, his voice softer now, shy. “And I’d like you to feel comfortable around me.”

Those words echoed deeply within him, like an unexpected reverberation, something that shook him from the inside.

And yet—

“No, that’s impossible.”

The words left his mouth before he could even stop them.

Joshua’s heart immediately tightened, his expression shifting from hope to a quiet but visible sadness. He leaned back slightly, as if those words had created an invisible distance between them.

“Oh… I see… Sorry then… I thought we could’ve been friends, but if you don’t want to…”

“No!” Seokmin shouted, panicked, turning sharply toward him. “T-That’s not what I meant!”

In an impulsive movement, he grabbed Joshua by the shoulders to stop him from pulling away, useless, since they were already locked in —but filled with sincere urgency nonetheless, and pulled him slightly closer.

“I-I meant… it’s impossible that you don’t… don’t have that effect on me anymore… I… I really would like to be your friend!” His voice trembled, his stutter still there, but this time there was something different in it: courage.

Joshua remained frozen for a moment, feeling the warmth of Seokmin’s hands on his shoulders, a warmth that contrasted with the cold around them and somehow felt… too good.

“Okay…” he finally murmured.

He didn’t dare ask him to let go.

He didn’t want to.

“So… we can be friends…?” he asked, almost timidly, as if the question had suddenly become far more important than it should’ve been.

Seokmin blushed, but nodded softly, a small shy smile finally appearing on his lips.

And that smile made Joshua’s heart completely skip.

“Yes…”

They stayed like that for a moment, wrapped in a shared sense of relief.

“I’m glad… really…” Joshua added with a nervous little laugh. “I honestly thought you hated me… so I kept my distance, I didn’t want to impose myself on you every day…”

Realizing he was still holding Joshua, Seokmin quickly pulled his hands back, flustered, adjusting his glasses nervously.

“Sorry that… that you had to go through that…” he murmured.

“Don’t apologize,” Joshua replied softly with a smile. “I understand now… even though I don’t really see what’s so intimidating about me.”

Seokmin almost laughed at how absurd that sounded, he could have listed hundreds of reasons, each more obvious than the last but he held it in.

“There are a lot…” he simply said.

Joshua chuckled, and that simple sound made Seokmin want to memorize it, to keep it somewhere safe, like a precious melody he could replay on the days everything felt too heavy.

Then, as the atmosphere between them finally began to lighten, Joshua crossed his arms around himself again, and Seokmin once more noticed the slight trembling running through his body.

The cold.

And this time… he couldn’t ignore it anymore.

Without even thinking, Seokmin took off his wool cardigan —his favorite one, the one he wore almost every day. The movement was instinctive, as if seeing Joshua shiver had erased all hesitation. Joshua watched him in surprise, one he didn’t even try to hide.

At first, because it seemed strange that Seokmin was removing a layer of clothing when it was cold, but mostly because he was discovering something he had never expected.

Under the cardigan, Seokmin was wearing a simple short-sleeved white t-shirt, slightly fitted.

And that detail changed everything.

Where Joshua had seen a quiet, almost invisible boy, with the aura of a slightly fragile model student, he now discovered a completely different silhouette. The fabric clung to his shoulders, outlined his arms, revealed firm biceps and a defined chest, abs subtly visible through the cotton. The contrast completely threw him off.

Seokmin… was muscular. Really muscular.

Joshua stayed frozen for a moment, eyes locked on him, not even noticing that Seokmin was holding the cardigan out toward him.

“Here.”

The word snapped him out of it. He blinked and took the garment mechanically, still slightly dazed, still stuck on what he had just seen.

“You… you’re cold, right?” Seokmin added quickly, clearly embarrassed but making an effort to sound normal.

Joshua lowered his eyes to the cardigan in his hands, then looked back up at Seokmin.

So… he noticed. He paid attention.

That single thought made a different kind of warmth rise in his chest.

Without protesting, he put the cardigan on. It was a little too big for him. The sleeves went past his hands and the fabric fell just above his skirt. It was still warm, carrying Seokmin’s heat and scent, which made him blush for reasons he couldn’t quite understand.

“Thank you… really,” he murmured sincerely. “Aren’t you going to be cold?”

Seokmin shook his head slightly, carefully avoiding looking anywhere below Joshua’s face.

“I’ll be fine… I-I’m more… d-dressed than you anyway so…” he said awkwardly, clearly referring to the crop top and skirt without daring to name them directly. “You… you should sit down too… T-two hours is long…”

Joshua couldn’t help but smile at that hesitant thoughtful concern. He was about to say he could stay standing, but Seokmin beat him to it, as if anticipating his answer.

“I won’t look, I promise!”

A soft laugh escaped Joshua. “Alright… thank you, Seokmin.”

He walked over to the mats and carefully sat down on the edge, adjusting the cardigan to better cover his legs. The warmth helped; he already felt more comfortable.

Then, looking up, he said: “You should sit here too, it’s comfortable.”

Seokmin hesitated immediately. It was obvious. He stayed standing for a few seconds, frozen, cheeks red, as if the simple idea of sitting next to Joshua was already a challenge in itself.

“Come on… two hours standing is long,” Joshua insisted gently.

Finally, Seokmin gave in. He slowly walked over and sat beside him, but leaving a noticeable space between them, like an invisible barrier he didn’t dare cross. Once seated, he let out a small sigh and stared blankly ahead, stubbornly refusing to meet Joshua’s gaze.

 

Joshua, for his part, doesn’t hesitate to look at him.

He studies the features of his face, the way his lips press together slightly when he’s nervous, the tension in his shoulders, the softness in his gestures despite everything. The more he looks at him, the more he realizes just how much he likes everything about Seokmin. His kindness, his discretion, his attentiveness, the way he blushes over nothing… and now this too. This more unexpected side, more physically confident, that he had never suspected.

He feels something growing inside him, something new and intense, that he’s never really felt like this before. And for the first time in a long while, he doesn’t try to run from it.

“Seokmin?”

The person concerned startles slightly, as if pulled out of his thoughts.

“O-Oh? Y-Yes?”

“Would you mind if we talked a bit?” Joshua suggests with a small smile. “Two hours without phones and without talking… that might get long and a little boring.”

Seokmin hesitates for a fraction of a second, then nods timidly.

“Uh… Y-Yes… if you want…”

Joshua couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of relief when he saw Seokmin respond positively, without pushing him away or closing himself off like he had done so many times before; something in his chest seemed to loosen immediately. Taking advantage of this fragile and precious opening, he dared to continue the conversation, still carried by the lingering image of Seokmin’s torso he had glimpsed earlier, which, despite himself, continued to trouble his thoughts far more than he would have imagined.

“So… do you work out?” he asked, with a sincere curiosity he didn’t even try to hide.

Caught off guard, Seokmin hesitated for a moment. “Oh uh… Y-Yes, I… I…” he began before stopping, annoyed by his own stuttering that always seemed to come at the worst moments. He took a deep breath, gathering his courage; he refused to waste this rare opportunity to talk with Joshua by giving short, clumsy answers.

This time, he wanted to make an effort.

“I have quite a bit of free time when I’m not studying, so I work out… and… c-cooking…” he finally added, the last words quieter, barely above a  whisper, but said without stuttering.

Joshua’s reaction was immediate, lively and bright. “You cook too?!” he exclaimed, his eyes shining with genuine enthusiasm. “Wow, I’m always impressed by people who can cook… I’ve tried several times, even simple recipes, and I don’t know how I manage it, but it always ends up tasting really bad and looking terrible aesthetically.”

Seokmin felt his cheeks warm at the indirect compliment and looked away slightly, a small shy smile stretching his lips. “It’s not that difficult… you just have to follow the recipes, usually…” he replied softly, turning toward Joshua—then almost froze when he saw his amazed expression, as if he had just heard something extraordinary.

“If it’s not that difficult, then you could teach me!” Joshua blurted out spontaneously, before biting his lip, realizing a bit too late how bold his suggestion was. Maybe he was going too fast… maybe Seokmin wasn’t comfortable enough for that yet.

But unexpectedly, Seokmin suddenly looked up at him, his pupils slightly widened behind his glasses, his cheeks now tinted a deeper red, his lips parted in surprise. Then, after a suspended second, he shyly lowered his gaze, revealing a soft smile.

“O-Okay…” he murmured.

Joshua’s heart skipped a beat.

He had never felt this before. Was it simply because he found Seokmin adorable? Or was there something more…?

“But don’t you have… practice?” Seokmin asked, regaining a bit of composure as he tried to divert the attention away from himself.

“Not that much,” Joshua replied, shrugging slightly. “Right now, we’re a bit busy because a university match is coming up, so we train more… but aside from that, it’s pretty calm.”

Seokmin nodded softly, taking in the information.

“So… we could meet next week for that cooking lesson?” Joshua continued, his smile returning. “The match is this weekend, by the way… are you planning to come?”

Seokmin barely hesitated a second. “I… I think so. At first, I didn’t want to, but… I want to support my friends… and I’ll be there with Wonwoo, so…” he replied in a still slightly timid voice.

Joshua tilted his head slightly, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips. “Support your friends, huh…” he repeated softly. “Since I’m your friend now too… does that mean you’ll be watching me and supporting me as well?”

Seokmin froze instantly.

Of course he was already watching him. At every practice. At every opportunity. Much more than he should, even. But hearing it put that way… completely threw him off.

“Uh… yes, of course…” he replied, nodding nervously.

Joshua seemed satisfied with that answer, unconsciously gripping the sleeves of his cardigan between his fingers, as if to channel an inner restlessness he didn’t fully understand yet. He only knew one thing: he liked being with Seokmin. A lot.

“Mingyu told me you study a lot,” he continued, changing the subject, slightly embarrassed by his own thoughts. “That takes up a lot of your time, right?”

“Yeah… I study a lot…” Seokmin replied, nodding. “But I like to get ahead, so in the end it leaves me free time… for working out and cooking…”

“What exactly do you study?” Joshua asked, even though he already partly knew the answer. He wanted to hear it from him.

Seokmin inhaled lightly, and without really realizing it, something in his demeanor changed. His voice became more assured, more fluid, carried by a genuine passion.

“I’m studying literature… mainly comparative literature. We work on different periods and cultures, we analyze texts in depth and its not just the story, but also the style, rhetorical figures, historical contexts… For example, right now we’re studying European Romanticism, with authors like Victor Hugo or Goethe, and we compare how they express emotions, their relationship to nature, to solitude… We also look at how translations influence the perception of a work, what it changes in word choice, in rhythm…”

He kept going, talking about literary movements, text analysis, the way some works travel through centuries while keeping their impact, completely forgetting he had been speaking for several minutes without stopping.

Then suddenly, he realized and blushed deeply.

Joshua was probably going to find him boring. Too academic. Too… himself. But when he looked up, he found something entirely different.

Joshua was smiling.

“Wow…” he breathed. “I’ll admit I don’t know anything about it… but the way you talk about it… it makes you want to get into it.”

Seokmin blinked, surprised. “R-Really?”

“Yes…” Joshua replied softly. “I love passionate people. When someone talks about something they love, something they master… it’s really cool. And… it’s even… sexy.”

The word dropped.

And Seokmin’s brain stopped working.

Sexy.

Joshua had just said he was… sexy?

His thoughts collided, incoherent and overwhelming, to the point that he didn’t even hear Joshua calling him.

“Seokmin?”

“Uh—yes?!” he answered abruptly, as if pulled from a dream.

Joshua looked at him with an expression mixing amusement and concern. “Are you okay? You seem… a bit elsewhere.”

“Y-Yes, I’m fine! Really fine!” he replied too quickly, a nervous laugh escaping him despite himself as he felt the heat rise to his face.

Joshua narrowed his eyes slightly, skeptical but fond. “If you say so…”

But inside, he too was troubled. Because the truth was, it wasn’t just that moment that was “sexy.”

It was Seokmin. Entirely.

And that realization unsettled him far more than he would have thought.

After a brief hesitation, unable to hold back the question burning on his lips any longer, he finally asked, in a lower voice:
“Are you… I mean… you don’t have to answer but… are you seeing someone right now?”

Seokmin looked up at him, surprised, his heart pounding wildly, this time trying not to be overwhelmed. Joshua just wanted to talk. He had to answer normally, as if it weren’t the person who made his whole inner world tilt who had just asked him that question.

“No…”

Seokmin’s answer came simply but it had an immediate effect on Joshua, who lifted his head with a liveliness he couldn’t control.

“Seriously?” he blurted out right away, a bit too fast, unintentionally revealing the relief that had just washed over him.

Seokmin blinked slightly, surprised by that reaction. “Yeah… why do you s-sound surprised?” he asked, genuinely intrigued, his head tilting slightly to the side.

Joshua hesitated for a fraction of a second, then decided not to back down—not this time. “Because… Seokmin, you’re an interesting person,” he began, his voice softer but steady, “you’re really kind… and… really adorable.” He paused, his cheeks taking on a pink tint he didn’t even try to hide. “I thought you’d be popular, actually… and… I think you’re really handsome, you know.”

The silence that followed seemed to suspend time.

And, as always, Seokmin lost all composure.

His heart raced violently, his thoughts blurred to the point of becoming incomprehensible. Was this real? Had Joshua really just said that? Or was he dreaming, trapped in this study room, lost in an illusion too beautiful to be true?
He felt the heat spread across his face, his ears, down to his fingertips.

He took a deep breath, desperately trying to regain composure.
“Thank you…” he finally murmured, unable to say anything else.

“It’s the truth,” Joshua insisted with a sincere smile, watching with obvious tenderness the way Seokmin looked away, unable to meet his eyes. Those reactions… he found them endlessly endearing. “I’m not saying that to make you uncomfortable.”

Then he continued, as if he didn’t want to let the silence settle again.

“When was your last relationship?”

The question hit Seokmin head-on.

He swallowed.

Answering honestly meant risking shattering the image Joshua seemed to have of him—the image of someone interesting, attractive, maybe even… desirable. But the reality was very different: he had no experience, neither romantic nor physical. And he was terrified that Joshua might find him ridiculous for that.

So he chose to dodge the question.  

“What about you?” he asked in return, feigning simple but genuine curiosity.

Joshua immediately noticed the maneuver but he didn’t insist. He had no desire to put him in a difficult position.

“Me… it was two months ago…” he said with a soft sigh, pulling his legs closer to himself, in a more protective posture. “I haven’t really been lucky in love. I dated two guys but… it didn’t last. We weren’t meant to be together.”

“W-Why?” Seokmin asked, more attentive than he would have liked.

Joshua looked up at him, his gaze growing a bit more serious. “I’m a very romantic person… I like cliché gestures, little attentions, demonstrations…” He gave a slightly bitter smile. “But them… they found it embarrassing. They said I was too clingy, too demonstrative…”

He hesitated for a moment, then shook his head slightly. “Anyway… it made me realize they weren’t the right people for me.”

Seokmin nodded slowly. “Oh… I see…”

But inside, it was something else entirely.

He wanted to tell him his exes didn’t understand anything. That they hadn’t seen Joshua’s worth. That a boy like him deserved to be loved fully, without restraint, without shame. That he deserved someone who admired him, who supported him, who loved him enough to give him everything he desired, someone like him, Seokmin.

And it was precisely that thought that shook him to his core.

Because for the first time, instead of running away, instead of staying silent, something inside him refused to remain passive.
Maybe it was being stuck here with Joshua, with no possible escape. Maybe it was this conversation, longer and more sincere than anything they had shared so far. Maybe it was simply the fear of regretting later, of having done nothing.

But one thing was certain: he didn’t want to let this opportunity slip by.

So, despite the fear tightening his throat, despite his heart beating far too fast, Seokmin made a decision.
He was going to try. He was going to speak, even if clumsily, even imperfectly.

For himself. And for Joshua.

A silence settled, heavy but charged with a new, almost electric tension.

Then Seokmin took a deep breath.

“And… what kind of… p-person would you like to be with…?” he finally asked, lifting his eyes to meet Joshua’s, his heart pounding violently in his chest.

Joshua stayed surprised for a moment, not expecting such a direct question. A smile curved his lips, he would have liked to tease him, but held back, aware of the effort it must have taken for Seokmin.

“Someone who won’t be ashamed of me,” he replied softly. “Who will fully accept me… who won’t judge me for what I like, or for the slightly cliché things I do.”

He paused, genuinely thinking about his answer this time. Then he looked up at Seokmin, resting his head lightly against his knees.
“Someone gentle… attentive… who truly loves me and isn’t afraid to show it. Someone kind to everyone… but who has something special with me.”

His gaze grew more intense.

“And then…” he added with a slight smile, “I have a soft spot for shy guys… adorable… with glasses… and passionate about literature.” He punctuated his sentence with a wink.

And that was too much.

Seokmin stood up abruptly.

Joshua flinched slightly, surprised by the sudden reaction.
“Seokmin?”

But Seokmin was already heading toward the door, trying to open it again and again, as if it might give in under the force of his agitation.

“Are you okay?” Joshua asked, standing up as well, worried.

No. He was not okay at all.

Seokmin needed air. Distance. To understand what had just happened. Because what he had just heard… made no sense.

“I—I’m fine…” he murmured without turning around, his hand clenched around the handle. “I just… need to get out… get some air…”

Joshua frowned slightly, concerned. “Are you sure? Did I say something wrong?”

A long silence followed.

Seokmin stayed still, his back still turned, breathing more heavily than usual.

Then, finally, he dared.

“D-Did you really mean what you said?”

Joshua blinked, not immediately understanding. “Yes… I described—”

“Really?” Seokmin insisted, his voice slightly trembling, as if he needed to be sure, absolutely sure, that he wasn’t imagining things.

Joshua remained silent for a moment, then stepped closer.

“Seokmin… look at me.” He was unconsciously playing with the sleeves of the oversized cardigan he was still wearing, and Seokmin finally turned around slowly.

Their eyes met.

And in an instant, Joshua understood.

A soft smile stretched across his lips. He stepped closer again, closing the distance between them, then, with infinite gentleness, took Seokmin’s hand. He immediately felt the slight tremor running through it and instinctively brushed the back of his hand softly, in a soothing gesture.

Seokmin held his breath.

He wanted to get closer, to hold him, to never let go of that warmth again.

“S-Sorry…” he finally murmured, once his breathing was a little steadier.

“No,” Joshua replied softly. “Don’t apologize… I’m the one who talks too much without thinking. I always say what I think… even when I shouldn’t.”

Seokmin immediately shook his head. “N-No… you didn’t say anything wrong… I… I just imagined things…”

Joshua tilted his head slightly, intrigued. “Imagined things…? About what?”

Seokmin hesitated, then murmured: “Your… your type… I…”

Joshua gave a small smile. “Oh, that…”

Then, without thinking, again, he added: “I said that because I think you’d fit it well, Seokmin… I’ve been thinking that for a while, actually…. I like you….”

Silence exploded.

Joshua immediately brought his free hand to his mouth, as if he had just revealed something huge.

But it was too late.

And Seokmin—

Seokmin tightened his grip. Nervously. Firmly.

“I-I-I… you-you l-like me…? Me…?” Seokmin repeated in a trembling breath, the words breaking against his tongue as surprise and emotion overwhelmed him.

Joshua suddenly realized what he had just said and panic caught up with him instantly. “Uh… forget that!” he blurted out quickly, his cheeks flushing red, awkwardly trying to pull his hand away from Seokmin’s, as if he could erase what had just happened.

But Seokmin didn’t let go.

His grip was firm.

This was his moment.

His only chance.

For years, he had kept everything to himself, every stolen glance, every thought, every heartbeat a little too fast in Joshua’s presence. And now… now that Joshua had said that, now that everything seemed possible—he had to speak.

He had to.

But no sound came out.

His throat tightened, his thoughts tangled, and despite all his efforts, despite all the courage he tried to gather… he remained silent.

Joshua, on his side, parted his lips slightly, ready to say something too, maybe to take it back, maybe to clarify, maybe to confess more—

But at that exact moment, the door burst open.

“Joshujiiiiii!”

Jeonghan’s voice echoed through the storage room, abruptly breaking the fragile moment that had just formed. He entered with energy, followed by Seungcheol, Mingyu, and Wonwoo. “Oh my god, what are you two doing here?!” he added with such exaggerated innocence that it became suspicious.

But neither Seokmin nor Joshua noticed.

Still shaken, still overwhelmed by what had just happened, they let go of each other’s hands abruptly and instinctively stepped away, as if the presence of others suddenly made everything too real.

“We got locked in,” Joshua replied, regaining some composure as he crossed his arms, before heading toward the exit without looking back.

“You missed the whole practice!” Jeonghan called after him. “I’ll record the choreography so you can catch up!”

But Joshua didn’t respond and simply kept walking, leaving the storage room, his heart still unsettled.

“Are you okay, Seokmin?” Mingyu asked, quickly approaching him, concern clear in his voice. “Wonwoo told me you went to get something for Jeonghan, but since you weren’t coming back… we started to worry.”

Then he held out his phone. “We found this on the floor.”

“Oh… thanks…” Seokmin murmured, almost absent, taking the device without really paying attention.

His gaze was elsewhere.

Where Joshua had disappeared.

He could still feel the warmth of his hand in his own, like a lingering imprint on his skin and that simple memory was enough to make his heart beat a little too fast. He already missed him.

“Seriously, how did you even manage to lose your phone like that?” Seungcheol remarked, frowning slightly.

“Oh… I don’t know… it must’ve fallen…” Seokmin replied distractedly, unable to focus on anything other than what had just happened.

Wonwoo, meanwhile, stayed silent.

But he had seen everything.

He had seen Jeonghan, earlier, hug Seokmin with deceptive ease and discreetly slip his hand into the pocket of his cardigan to take his phone. He had seen him slip away toward the storage room right after, then come back a few minutes later, visibly pleased with himself.

He had understood everything.

And yet, he hadn’t said a word.

Because deep down… he had thought it might not be such a bad idea.

When he opened the door and saw Seokmin and Joshua so close, their hands linked, their gazes shaken—he had confirmation that something had changed.

Something important.

But one question lingered in his mind: why did Joshua look so panicked… and why did Seokmin seem on the verge of saying something he ultimately hadn’t managed to express?

He would ask him later.
If Seokmin agreed to talk about it.

In any case, one thing was certain.

Something had happened, in that storage room.

And, in one way or another… it had just moved their story forward.

 

—

 

Two days later.

Joshua barely recognized himself anymore; he, who was usually so at ease with others, incapable of being intimidated or holding back what he thought, now found himself avoiding someone, Lee Seokmin.

It was ironic, when he thought about it: Seokmin had seemed to be the one who lost his composure, the one who blushed, stuttered, avoided eye contact… while Joshua had always been the one who unsettled others with disconcerting ease. And yet, since that moment in the storage room, everything seemed to have reversed, as if, in a single conversation, their roles had been exchanged without him being able to do anything about it.

Because he had let slip, without filter, without thinking, that he liked Seokmin.

He no longer dared meet his gaze, let alone be alone with him; he was convinced that Seokmin didn’t feel anything similar, that he must be uncomfortable, maybe even overwhelmed, not knowing how to react to such a confession, and that simple thought was enough to create an unfamiliar discomfort inside him. So Joshua preferred to avoid him even run away as if putting distance between them could erase what he had said… or at least prevent him from facing the possibility that his feelings might not be returned.

It was time for his morning break, and as often, Joshua liked to sit in the sun, leaning against a tree whose branches filtered a soft light, his earphones in, letting the music drown out the surrounding noise. Usually, he was never alone for long, his friends always ended up joining him, drawn by his natural presence and energy, but this time, he had deliberately chosen to stay apart, seeking a moment of calm to think about everything that had happened, and especially about what he should do now.

To think about his relationship with Seokmin.

They had only just become friends… and he had already complicated everything.

He let out a long sigh, running a hand through his hair, annoyed at himself, at his impulsiveness, at that tendency he had to say exactly what he thought without measuring the consequences and it was precisely while lost in these thoughts that he didn’t immediately notice the figure approaching him, slowly.

It was only when the person’s shadow cut off the warmth of the sun on his face that he lifted his head, slightly surprised.

And his eyes widened.

Seokmin.

Standing in front of him.

The light breeze gently moved his hair, fully revealing his face, without his glasses this time and his eyes, usually hidden, were now more visible, more expressive, with a softness that immediately tightened Joshua’s heart. His cheeks were slightly flushed, as if he had hesitated for a long time before coming, and in his hands, he held something carefully.

He was beautiful.

Joshua’s heart began to beat faster, far too fast.

“Good morning, Joshua…” Seokmin said softly, his voice gentle, almost fragile, but sincere.

Joshua froze for a moment, surprised not only to see him here, but especially to see that he had come toward him, on his own, as if he had gathered all his courage to cross the distance they had both created over the past few days.

“C-Can I sit with you… for a few minutes?” Seokmin asked, still in a hesitant tone.

“Uh… yeah…” Joshua replied, a bit caught off guard, torn between his instinctive urge to run away and the much stronger desire to stay.

“Thank you…”

Seokmin sat down beside him, leaving some distance between them, but close enough for Joshua to feel his presence which made everything even more real.

The silence that settled afterward was a bit heavy, filled with everything they hadn’t said yet, everything they didn’t dare to address directly.

But Seokmin hadn’t come without a reason.

During those two days, he had taken the time to think, to gather his courage, something he had never really managed to do when it came to Joshua. He had even asked Wonwoo for help, who, true to himself, had listened calmly before advising him to go see Jeonghan. And Jeonghan, far too enthusiastic, had given him a thousand ideas, encouraged him, and had even insisted on fixing his hair that morning.

So Seokmin had made an effort.

He had put in contact lenses, chosen his favorite clothes and most importantly… he had prepared something.

For Joshua.

“A-Are you… okay?” he finally asked after a moment, breaking the silence, his voice slightly trembling but determined.

“Yeah… and you, Seokmin?” Joshua replied, trying to sound natural despite the turmoil in his chest.

“Yeah…”

The silence returned briefly, but this time, Seokmin didn’t let it settle for long.

He took a deep breath, then turned slightly toward Joshua.

“I… I made japchae this morning…” he said, his voice softening at the end. “I told you I cook in my free time… so I… I made some for you, so you could tell me what you think…”

He handed him a small bag containing a carefully closed container.

Joshua, surprised, took it gently and looked inside.

There was also a drink.

His favorite drink.

He immediately looked back up at Seokmin, his heart tightening at the gesture.

“J-Jeonghan told me you like it… so I got it for you too…”

“You asked Jeonghan what I like?”

Seokmin nodded shyly, his cheeks turning even redder.

“Why?”

Joshua already knew the answer.

But he wanted to hear it.

Seokmin swallowed, his fingers tightening slightly on his knees.

This was it.

“I… actually… I like you… and I wanted to make you happy… and ask you if… if you would agree to… a d-date with me…?”

The words came out with difficulty, broken, trembling, carried by all the courage he had managed to gather.

Joshua stayed silent for a few seconds, looking at the bag in his hands, then at Seokmin, before a wide, sincere and radiant smile lit up his face.

“Yes, Seokmin… I’d really like to go on a date with you.”

“R-Really?” Seokmin asked, as if he needed to make sure all of this was real.

But instead of simply answering, Joshua leaned toward him and pulled him into a hug, nestling against him with disarming spontaneity.

“Yes!” he repeated, a smile in his voice. “I was so embarrassed these past few days… I thought you didn’t feel the same way…”

Seokmin froze for a moment, breathless, before timidly wrapping his arms around him, still overwhelmed by the situation, by this closeness he had imagined so many times without ever truly believing in it.

“Y-You have no idea how much… I feel the same…” he murmured.

He wasn’t ready to say everything yet.

But it was already enough.

Joshua lifted his head slightly, still against him, his eyes shining.

“So? Where are you taking me for this first date?”

“Uh… I… my place…”

Joshua froze immediately, surprised by the answer, his imagination running a little too fast—

“T-To teach you how to cook… like I promised.”

Ah.

Joshua blushed slightly, realizing.

“Okay!” he replied enthusiastically. “Whenever you want! And then we could go have a picnic in a park, that’d be so romantic… and maybe an amusement park too, I love rides, and we could go watch a movie, or take a walk in the evening, or even try a cute little café…”

He suddenly stopped, a bit embarrassed.

“Sorry… I talk too much… I’m just… a little excited…”

“N-No, it’s fine… I like listening to you talk,” Seokmin added with a shy smile, his gaze still slightly evasive but softened by an obvious sincerity, and Joshua, reassured by that answer, continued talking enthusiastically, piling up outing ideas, anecdotes, little details that made him smile, as if he couldn’t stop now that the tension between them had finally faded.

They kept talking like that, gradually letting the awkwardness of the first moments fade into a more natural, fluid conversation, and Seokmin, despite his lingering shyness, gradually felt more at ease by his side, daring to respond more, even sometimes daring to look at him a bit longer without immediately looking away.

Deep down, everything still felt unreal.

He couldn’t fully process that Joshua had accepted him, that Joshua, the one Joshua he had watched from afar for so long, actually liked spending time with him, and more than that… liked him, maybe even more than he imagined.

And yet, as the conversation went on, in the way Joshua looked at him, in his smile, in his closeness, in that warmth he gave off without even realizing it… Seokmin could feel it.

And despite his doubts, despite his insecurities, he hoped sincerely that he too would manage to make Joshua feel even a fraction of what he himself felt.

And without even realizing it… He already had.

 

—

 

The next day, it was match day, and Joshua carefully scanned the stands, trying to spot Seokmin from where he stood with his team. He had exchanged numbers with him, Seokmin had shyly asked after the break they had shared, since they hadn’t had time to see each other again afterward, and Joshua had, of course, given it without hesitation.

Seokmin had sent a message a bit late that evening, admitting he didn’t really know how to start a conversation. Joshua had found it adorable, and they had talked… talked a lot, far more than they had expected.

So much that Seokmin had missed his usual bedtime, which was completely unlike him, but it was worth it: he had learned a lot about Joshua and, most importantly, he had felt happy, genuinely.

Joshua finally spotted Seokmin, who had just sat down next to Wonwoo, and waved enthusiastically from afar, an instinctive smile stretching his lips. He saw Seokmin look up at him and respond with a shy wave, blushing slightly.

Other people around Seokmin waved back too, thinking Joshua was addressing them, which made him quickly lower his hand, a bit embarrassed, before turning back to his team.

“Hey Shua.” A voice called out to Joshua, who immediately froze when he heard it.

Why was he here?

“Sungjoon.” Joshua turned, arms crossed, his face closed off. It was his ex, and he clearly had no desire to see him again.

“Not even a small smile?” Sungjoon asked, amused.

Joshua sighed. “No. Do you need something?” he shot back, eager to rejoin his cheer team as the match was about to start.

“Not really, relax. I was just passing by to see someone and wanted to say hi,” Sungjoon replied honestly, gesturing behind Joshua toward Sunyoung, another boy on his team. Joshua glanced over before looking back at him.

“Seriously, you’ve got a thing for cheerleaders,” Joshua said, half amused, half annoyed.

Sungjoon laughed lightly. “Yeah… your skirts make me weak.” He winked before patting Joshua’s shoulder and heading off toward Sunyoung. Joshua sighed, then joined his group.

Seokmin, for his part, had of course been watching the whole scene from the stands. He couldn’t hear the conversation, but he had recognized Sungjoon. He had seen Joshua’s irritation, then the moment he seemed to relax a little, and Sungjoon laughing. What had they talked about…?

“Jealous?” Wonwoo asked bluntly.

“W-What? No!” Seokmin replied quickly, before calming down. “…Yes, a little… He’s his ex and—”

“And Joshua can’t stand him anymore, and Joshua likes you,” Wonwoo cut in calmly.

Seokmin nodded softly, reassured, while watching Joshua rehearse a choreography.

He was completely mesmerized by him. He couldn’t take his eyes off him, as if drawn in despite himself. Even when the match finally started, he watched his friends, of course, but as soon as the cheerleaders performed, his attention immediately returned to Joshua. His smile, his eyes, his voice cheering the team, his outfit… everything about him seemed perfect and Seokmin felt incredibly lucky that Joshua had chosen him.

At the end of the match, the team had won, and the euphoria was palpable. Mingyu and Seungcheol were celebrating with the other players, while Joshua, Jeonghan, and the other cheerleaders came over to congratulate them joyfully.

Wonwoo stood up. “Let’s go congratulate them too.”

Seokmin followed, and they made their way down the stands to the field. Seokmin, however, didn’t want to get lost in the crowd, so he stayed slightly aside. But Joshua immediately noticed him and, in the excitement of the moment, jumped into his arms with a big smile. Seokmin, surprised, shyly wrapped his arms around him, his heart pounding.

“We’re going to celebrate at Mingyu’s place, are you coming too?” Joshua asked, his eyes full of hope.

But Seokmin and parties didn’t really go together: too many people, too much noise, too much of everything… he knew he wouldn’t feel comfortable. Still, a part of him wanted to see Joshua in that environment, to discover another side of him. He hesitated, unable to decide, and Joshua, seeing his hesitation, gave him an understanding smile.

“I’ll go tell Jeonghan we won’t come.”

“We?”

“Yeah, you and me. If you’re not coming, I’m not coming.”

Seokmin immediately blushed.

“B-But… you shouldn’t stop yourself from having fun for… me…” he said hesitantly.

Joshua shook his head gently. “I promise it doesn’t bother me that much… and besides, I really want to have fun with you.” He winked before heading back to the others to let them know.

Seokmin waited a moment, still flustered, before being approached by two girls.

“Sorry to bother you,” one of them said.

“Y-Yes?” Seokmin replied, a bit surprised. He didn’t know them, and the fact that they were talking to him threw him off.

“My name is Yuri, and I’ve noticed you a few times at practices. You’re a friend of Mingyu and Seungcheol, right?” she said with a pretty smile.

“Uh… yes,” Seokmin replied simply, thinking they were going to ask for information about his friends.

The two girls exchanged a knowing look, then Yuri continued:

“And what’s your name?”

“L-Lee… Seokmin… W-Why?”

“Well… I think you’re really handsome, and I wanted to know if I could get your number? I hadn’t seen you before and—”

She didn’t have time to finish her sentence before Seokmin felt someone grab his arm and pull him against a chest.

“Sorry, he’s already taken.” Joshua said firmly.

Yuri looks surprised, then smiles anyway. “Oh, sorry, we didn’t know… it was obvious,” she says, a little disappointed but still polite. She looks at Joshua, then adds, “Goodbye then—and Seokmin, I’m glad I got to meet you!”

She walks away, and Seokmin feels Joshua tighten his grip slightly around his arm.

Joshua was jealous.

Seokmin feels warmth rush to his cheeks, his heart beating faster and faster. Joshua was jealous… and it was terribly adorable.

Joshua pouts slightly before gently tugging on Seokmin. “Shall we go?”

“Where?” Seokmin asks, surprised, since they hadn’t planned anything.

Joshua doesn’t even think. “We’re going to your place. I’ll just grab my bag from the locker room, it’ll take two minutes, I’ll be right back.”
He quickly kisses Seokmin’s cheek before leaving.

His place? Seokmin’s place?

His thoughts immediately tangle, his heart racing without him fully understanding why, and he doesn’t even have time to sort through it all before someone else joins him.

“I saw Joshua kiss your cheek… are you official?” Jeonghan asks with a mischievous smile.

Seokmin knew Jeonghan had figured it out a long time ago, since the day he had gone to him for advice about Joshua. Jeonghan had teased him, of course, but he had also helped him—especially with the dish and the drink he had brought him the day before.

“N-No… not yet…”

Jeonghan smiles, finding Seokmin adorable, all flustered. Mingyu, Seungcheol, and Wonwoo join them shortly after.

“Why did Joshua kiss your cheek?” Mingyu asks, confused.

Jeonghan sighs and looks at Seungcheol, who also seems not to understand.

“You two, honestly… you’re not very sharp,” he says, while Wonwoo discreetly nods.

“Why do you say that, babe?” Seungcheol asks.

“It’s obvious.”

Joshua comes back at that moment and naturally takes Seokmin’s hand. He didn’t even take the time to change, not wanting to make him wait, too eager to spend time alone with him.

“Ready?” he asks softly.

Seokmin nods and lets himself be pulled along.

“Mingyu, Seungcheol, congratulations,” he says as they walk away.

“Thanks, but… where are you going?”

“To Seokmin’s place!” Joshua replies enthusiastically, surprising the others.

“Wow, those two move fast!” Jeonghan whistles, laughing.

“They’re dating?” Mingyu asks, still lost.

“Since when?” Seungcheol adds.

“They’re not dating yet, they’re just starting to get close” Wonwoo replies calmly.

“And they’re already going to spend the night together… Oh my Joshuji… I hope they use protection, I don’t want him getting pregnant before he’s even finished his studies.”

Seungcheol rolls his eyes. “He can’t get pregnant.”

“Then Seokmin will just have to try harder.”

Mingyu decides to ignore Jeonghan and turns to Wonwoo. “You knew?”

“He asked me not to say anything,” Wonwoo replies with an apologetic smile.

“I see… I’ll talk to him tomorrow… So, my love… do I get a reward for my victory?” Mingyu says, leaning in slightly.

Wonwoo rolls his eyes but kisses him anyway.

“So… are we going to party or what?” Jeonghan calls out.

And everyone cheers happily before splitting up to head to Mingyu’s big house and continue the night.

 

—

 

Joshua and Seokmin walked toward the parking lot, Seokmin shyly guiding Joshua to his car while Joshua followed.

Seokmin was nervous.

Joshua was going to his place.

Joshua was coming to his place.

Joshua was going to his place in his pretty cheerleader uniform and his pretty makeup. The one and only, and Pretty, Joshua was going to his place. Joshua, the one he was seeing, was going to his place.

His heart was racing, his steps slow.

“Sorry.” Joshua cuts through Seokmin’s thoughts.

Seokmin looks at him, wondering what he’s apologizing for, and Joshua continues.

“Sorry for saying we were going to your place without asking you first… It’s just that Yuri and her friend were still nearby and I didn’t like the way they were looking at you, and then yesterday too… you said our first date would be at your place, so I didn’t think and just said it like that… Sorry.”

Seokmin stays silent—so it really was out of jealousy that Joshua insisted on going to his place. Cute.

“We don’t have to go to your place… We could go to a restaurant, or if you don’t want to spend time with me, I can just go home, I don’t live far from here, so…” Joshua says nervously in the face of Seokmin’s silence. He would like at least an answer, otherwise he’s going to keep rambling—and luckily, Seokmin reacts.

He smiles at him before saying, “Let’s go to my place.”

This time, it’s Joshua who loses his composure, but he doesn’t say anything, he just nods and follows Seokmin to his car.

 

—

 

They arrive at Seokmin’s place after about a ten-minute drive. The ride had been quiet: Seokmin, nervous, occasionally stared at the road without truly seeing it, while Joshua hovered somewhere between excitement and apprehension, unable to organize the flood of thoughts rushing through his mind. Neither of them really knew how to break this new tension, so they had settled for a few light comments about the match—short mechanical sentences that barely hid their unease.

They finally get out of the car, and Seokmin invites Joshua to follow him into his building. Even though he is genuinely happy to have Joshua at his place, alone, in his personal space, a lingering nervousness refuses to leave him; he hopes to act natural, not say or do anything awkward, to keep impressing Joshua… and these thoughts loop endlessly in his head.

They climb the two flights of stairs, their footsteps echoing softly, and Seokmin fumbles slightly as he pulls out his keys. He opens the door, steps aside to let Joshua in, then closes it gently behind them.

Joshua looks around carefully. He isn’t surprised, but he is still impressed: the apartment is modest, perfectly tidy, calming—just like Seokmin himself. Everything seems to be in its place, and it brings a small smile to his lips.

“A-Sit here… I’ll be right back…” Seokmin murmurs, gesturing toward the couch.

Joshua nods and sits down, but contrary to what one might think, he is even more nervous than Seokmin. He hadn’t expected to end up here at all. At the time, he had suggested coming over impulsively… but now that he’s actually here, alone with Seokmin, everything feels different.

His thoughts drift despite himself. After all… they like each other. They’re alone. Anything feels possible.

Then it suddenly hits him, he’s still in his cheerleader uniform. At the time, he hadn’t thought about it, he’d been too eager to leave with Seokmin, but now, sitting in his living room, he feels strangely exposed.

Does Seokmin like this outfit?

The question crosses his mind uninvited. He remembers what Jeonghan had told him about Seungcheol, about how he reacted to the uniform… and he wonders, despite himself, if Seokmin feels the same. But Seokmin is different, more reserved, softer… he would probably never say something like that, even if he thought it.

Joshua lets out a quiet sigh. He’s overthinking again.

Seokmin eventually comes back with a glass of water. He has changed into gray sweatpants and an oversized white simple t-shirt , but somehow still very attractive.

Joshua immediately looks away.

Seokmin hands him the glass, and Joshua takes it shyly, his cheeks slightly flushed.

“Thank you…”

He takes a sip while Seokmin stands in front of him, hesitating a little.

“D-Do you… want me to teach you how to cook… today?” he asks softly.

Joshua looks up at him.

“Oh… uh… if you didn’t prepare anything, we can do it another time… I kind of invited myself over…”

“N-No, it’s fine!” Seokmin replies quickly. “I went grocery shopping recently, so I can… if you want… teach you something simple…”

He scratches the back of his neck, embarrassed.

“Okay then!” Joshua says with an enthusiastic smile, getting up quickly. They walk into the kitchen.

“Seokmin…?”

“Yes?”

“Do you… have some clothes I could borrow? I don’t think this is the best outfit for cooking…”

Seokmin’s gaze briefly drifts despite himselftoward Joshua’s bare legs beneath his skirt. He immediately looks back up, hoping it went unnoticed, and gives him a shy smile.

“O-Of course! Follow me.”

He leads him to his bedroom, opens his closet, and grabs a pair of shorts and a t-shirt without thinking too much before handing them over.

“Thanks.”

Seokmin leaves right away, giving him privacy, then exhales quietly to calm himself down.

Joshua comes back in the kitchen a few minutes later. The shorts reach above his knees, and the t-shirt, far too big, falls to mid-thigh. Seokmin carefully avoids looking at him, he has already laid out the ingredients on the counter.

“We’re going to make bibimbap,” he says softly. “It’s simple… but you still need to be a bit organized…”

“So… not me, basically?” Joshua replies with a playful smile, and Seokmin lets out a small laugh.

Seokmin calmly explains each step while Joshua listens… or at least tries to.

“First, we cut the vegetables… not too big, or they won’t cook evenly…”

Joshua grabs a knife enthusiastically. “Like this?” Seokmin watches.

Silence.

“…No.”

Joshua bursts out laughing. “But look, it’s artistic!”

“It’s mostly dangerous,” Seokmin replies, a shy smile forming.

Seeing Joshua struggle, Seokmin steps behind him to show him properly, his hands gently guiding Joshua’s. “Here… like this… hold the knife… and cut slowly…” Joshua freezes instantly.

He can feel Seokmin’s warmth behind him, his fingers over his, his slightly uneven breathing from concentration. Seokmin, on the other hand, is fully focused.

“There… see?”

“…I think I’m never going to want to cut anything alone again,” Joshua murmurs.

Seokmin doesn’t respond, but his ears turn slightly red.

They continue like that, alternating between seriousness and light teasing. Joshua sometimes makes mistakes on purpose just to see Seokmin react, and Seokmin, despite his shyness, gradually becomes more confident, correcting him, explaining things more clearly.

“No, wait— not all at once!”

“But I’m speeding up the process!”

“You’re ruining it…”

Little by little, the atmosphere relaxes. They laugh more easily, their movements becoming more natural, less hesitant. At one point, Joshua dips a spoon into the mixture. “Taste this.”

Seokmin hesitates, then leans closer. Joshua holds the spoon out, their eyes meeting briefly, Seokmin parts his lips slightly and tastes it and…their faces are close. Far too close.

They freeze for a second, suspended in the moment, before Seokmin pulls back abruptly. “I-It’s good!” he says quickly.

Joshua clears his throat, trying to lighten the mood. “Of course… I made it…”

They resume, a little awkward, but without losing the soft warmth that has settled between them. When everything is finally ready, they set the table together.

“You’re really serious when you cook…”

“Because you’re not serious enough,” Seokmin teases.

“Do you always cook like this?” Joshua asks while placing the bowls.

“Yes… it helps me clear my mind…”

“Then I should come over more often.” Seokmin smiles without answering, but his heart is racing. They sit down and start eating, and after a few bites, Seokmin looks up.

“Really… you did well.”

Joshua blinks, surprised. “Seriously?”

“Yes. I’m not just saying it… I mean it, it’s really good.”

Joshua’s smile widens, sincere, almost proud. “It’s our work… you helped me.”

They eat peacefully, chatting, and once they’re done, they naturally start clearing the table without even needing to discuss it. Joshua gathers the plates while Seokmin puts away the leftovers, their movements almost instinctively in sync.

“So, are you doing the dishes or supervising?” Joshua asks, rolling up his sleeves slightly.

“I’m supervising, obviously,” Seokmin says with a small smile.

“So you’re doing nothing?”

“Exactly,” Seokmin laughs, but he doesn’t actually let Joshua do everything. Joshua starts washing, and Seokmin joins him, drying the dishes beside him.

Their hands brush occasionally as they reach for the same items, their eyes meeting briefly over the sink, and every small contact feels filled with a new kind of warmth.

The atmosphere is calm, intimateand simple like they’ve always done this.

Once they’re finished, they move to the living room. The TV plays quietly in the background, barely holding their attention. Joshua talks, animatedly recounting how he met Mingyu, acting out parts of the story, laughing at his own memories.

Seokmin listens attentively, a soft smile on his lips, his gaze resting on Joshua with a tenderness he no longer even tries to hide

Joshua yawns softly, and Seokmin notices immediately. He tells himself that the beautiful boy must be exhausted—after all, he had spent the entire week juggling classes and intense training just to perform for today’s match. Seokmin glances at the time and realizes it is already one in the morning… He hadn’t noticed the hours slipping by at all.

“Are you tired?” Seokmin asks gently, already standing up to prepare the bed for him.

“Oh—wow, it’s already 1 a.m…” Joshua stands up too, a little surprised. “I should probably head out…”

“You can stay the night.” Seokmin offers, his voice still soft, but this time his words come out more firmly than usual, as if he had gathered just enough courage to say them without retreating.

“Oh… uh… if it doesn’t bother you…” Joshua replies, looking down shyly. If he were being honest, he really didn’t want to leave. The thought of going home now, after everything they had shared tonight, felt almost disappointing. He liked Seokmin—no, more than that and this evening had only deepened those feelings.

Seokmin nods with a small smile. “I’ll prepare the bed then… I’ll also get you some pajamas. If you want to take a shower, you can.”

He walks toward his bedroom, silently inviting Joshua to follow. Joshua does, a little hesitant, watching as Seokmin rummages through his closet for the second time that evening before handing him clean pajamas and a towel. Then he leads him to the bathroom, takes out a brand-new toothbrush, and leaves him alone again to give him privacy.

Seokmin returns to his room to change the sheets and make the bed properly. His hands move quickly but his mind is elsewhere. He’s nervous, far more than he lets on. He keeps replaying the evening in his head—Joshua in his home, wearing his clothes, laughing in his kitchen… and now Joshua is going to sleep in his bed, after using his shower, his things… He shakes his head quickly, as if trying to chase away those thoughts. He shouldn’t think like that. Even if the attraction is mutual, even if Joshua likes him too, he has to respect him. They’re not even officially together yet—they’ve only just begun.

Joshua, on his side, is even worse.

He can’t stop thinking either—about the evening, about Seokmin, about everything. The cooking lesson, dinner, the movie they barely paid attention to, the closeness… it had all been perfect. And the boy he had spent it with? Even more so. Seokmin is adorable, kind, funny, respectful… Joshua bites his lip slightly, his thoughts drifting further, wandering into places he probably shouldn’t go yet.

No… it’s too soon !

But they’re going to sleep together, right? He assumes they’ll share the bed, and that thought alone makes his heart race. He feels nervous—but also excited. The idea of curling up against Seokmin, feeling his warmth, those arms he had caught himself admiring more than once tonight… it makes him impatient in a way he hadn’t expected.

He turns off the water, wraps himself in the towel Seokmin gave him, dries off, then puts on the oversized pajamas before stepping out of the bathroom.

Seokmin is sitting at the edge of the bed, scrolling on his phone, probably waiting for him. Joshua approaches slowly and sits beside him.

Seokmin catches the faint scent of his own body wash on Joshua, and it completely throws him off. His breath hitches, his thoughts scatter, and he stands up abruptly without even looking at him.

“Uh… I-I’ll go take a shower too… I’ll let you have my room… I—I’ll sleep on the couch! G-Good night!” he blurts out quickly before rushing out and closing the door behind him.

Joshua watches him go, a soft smile forming on his lips. He sighs, not in frustration, but in something warmer and slides into Seokmin’s bed, still smiling. Maybe it really is too early for physical closeness like that… and Joshua is okay with it.

He’s willing to wait, as long as it takes, for whatever they have to grow into something more. He can wait  

 

—

 

Two months later.

Joshua was losing his mind.

He had promised himself he would be patient but it was getting harder. Especially now.

They were at Mingyu’s place. It was summer break, the weather was warm and bright, and their group of friends had gathered in the backyard around the pool for a barbecue. There were others too, they were about thirteen in total, but Joshua’s eyes were fixed on only one person.

Seokmin.

Standing by the grill, laughing with Mingyu, wearing swim shorts and an open shirt that revealed his toned torso. Defined abs, the subtle movement of muscles under his skin as he moved… it was unfair. Completely unfair. To Joshua, Seokmin looked more appetizing than anything actually cooking on the grill.

“Seriously, Joshua, that’s the third time I’ve talked to you and the third time you’ve zoned out staring at Seokmin,” Jeonghan sighs, rolling his eyes.

“I can’t help it… he’s so hot,” Joshua mutters, not even bothering to look away.

Jeonghan snorts. “Yeah, he really is. I had no idea he was hiding all that under those nerdy sweaters.”

Joshua immediately pushes him“gently” straight into the pool.

Jeonghan comes back up spluttering, grabs Joshua’s leg, and pulls him in with him. They start playfully splashing each other, laughter echoing as their friends watch, amused.

Seokmin watches too, smiling, before grabbing a towel and walking over just as Joshua climbs out of the water. He holds it out to him with a soft smile.

Joshua takes it. “Thanks…” But instead of lingering, he avoids his gaze and walks off to sit on a lounge chair with Hansol and Minghao.

Seokmin frowns slightly.

He doesn’t understand. Joshua had been avoiding him lately, and he doesn’t know why. He’s too afraid to ask, scared of hearing something he doesn’t want to hear.

It’s been two months. They talk, they go on dates, Joshua comes over often… but nothing has been made official. There hasn’t even been real physical closeness. And Seokmin wants it, so badly, but he’s still too shy to make the first move.

He’s more comfortable now, more open with others, and with Joshua he feels at ease… but when it comes to physical intimacy, he freezes. And Joshua doesn’t make a move either, so he assumes he should wait. Wait until Joshua is ready to lead.

He goes back to Mingyu, who is now joined by Seungcheol at the grill.

“Did you fight with Joshua?” Mingyu asks, unable to hold back his curiosity.

“No…”

“He’s been avoiding you, hasn’t he?” Seungcheol adds more calmly.

Seokmin sighs softly. “I know… I don’t know why. I’ll ask him… maybe I did something wrong.”

He glances back toward Joshua, who is laughing with Hansol and Minghao, Jeonghan now joining them.

He turns back to the grill, flips a few sausages, then prepares a plate and sets it on the table.

The afternoon goes on smoothly; music, food, laughter, sunlight, the pool shimmering nearby. Everyone is relaxed, enjoying themselves.

After a while, Jeonghan grabs Joshua by the arm.

“We need to practice our choreography,” he says with a mischievous smile.

“What choreography? We’re on vacation, there’s nothing to practice,” Joshua replies, confused.

“Yes there is. That very sexy dance trending online, we learned it but never filmed it.”

Joshua blinks. “Oh, that… And what, you want to do it now? In swim shorts?”

“No, not in swim shorts. I brought our uniforms, we’re going to dance in our pretty skirts.” Jeonghan winks at Joshua, clearly very proud of his idea, as if he had just come up with a perfectly thought-out plan.

“Why did you bring them?” Joshua really doesn’t understand his best friend sometimes. In his mind, it made absolutely no sense: they had come to enjoy the pool, the sun, the summer atmosphere… not to put their cheerleader outfits back on in the middle of a barbecue.

“Well… Cheol doesn’t want to fuck me right now. I want to tease him, make him crack, I’m so frustrated, it’s been almost a week since he touched me! And I know he’s weak when I wear this skirt.” Jeonghan bites his lip as he remembers those intense, heated nights he had spent with his boyfriend, memories that seemed to instantly rekindle his desire to play with him.

“I don’t see how it concerns me that you’re not getting fucked anymore.” Joshua rolls his eyes, feigning annoyance, but already a little intrigued despite himself.

“My Joshuji… I know you by heart. You really want to eat that steak—and I’m not talking about the one on your plate, but the one who just took off his shirt and got into the water with my boyfriend.” Jeonghan whispers in a mischievous tone, a smile stretching across his lips.

Joshua sighs, trying to remain impassive. “And?”

“And… Seokmin has never stopped looking at your legs since the first time he saw you. I think he fantasizes about you in a skirt too… He might crack as well and free you from that frustration.”

Joshua looks away slightly, hesitating. “He’ll never make the first move. He’s too shy… and I don’t want to force him.”

“You’re not going to force him. Just tempt him… He’ll be so weak he might finally let go.” Jeonghan shrugs, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Joshua slowly turns his head toward the pool. Seokmin was playing volleyball in the water with Mingyu, Soonyoung, Jihoon, Hansol, and Wonwoo. Everyone seemed focused on the game, splashing water in a loud, cheerful atmosphere. But Joshua only saw Seokmin: his arms stretched out as he hit the ball, his wet torso shining under the sun, the line of his jaw, the curve of his neck, his damp hair pressed against his forehead…

“Or you could just jump on him right now.”

“Shut up.” Joshua blushes immediately, looking away.

Jeonghan bursts out laughing before getting up energetically. “I’m going to change, you coming?”

Joshua sighs, hesitates for a moment, torn between reason and the terribly tempting idea Jeonghan had just planted in his mind… then finally follows him inside.

They go up to a guest room, and Jeonghan takes the uniforms out of his bag with obvious satisfaction. Joshua watches him, incredulous.

“You really brought them just to get fucked… You’re completely crazy and unhinged.”

“I thought about you too! And I expect a thank-you tomorrow!”

“Tomorrow?”

“Oh my Joshua… You’re going to have such a… eventful night tonight.” Jeonghan gives him a knowing wink, laughing.

Joshua smiles despite himself. Deep down, he hoped so… and Jeonghan knew him well, maybe even too well. Even if, in his opinion, there were other ways to get what he wanted, he had to admit this one had something… fun about it.

They dry off quickly and put on their outfits.

“Jeonghan…” Joshua looks at the skirt. It’s red and white… but above all, much shorter than usual, leaving a lot more skin exposed.

“Come on, let’s go down!” Jeonghan completely ignores his remark and grabs his wrist to pull him along.

Joshua sighs, but follows him anyway. At this point, he’s already too involved to back out.

Through the glass doors, they see the others still busy in the water or around the pool. They exchange a glance: Jeonghan is perfectly at ease, almost excited by the situation, while Joshua suddenly feels a bit more embarrassed, a slight apprehension tightening his stomach at the thought of Seokmin’s reaction.

“We’re going to pretend we’re practicing on the grass, a bit further away. I’ll put my phone in front of us to film.”

“Jeonghan… it’s a dance where we’re almost always on the floor, we won’t be able to do it on the grass.”

“Oh no!” Jeonghan feigns surprise, bringing his hand to his mouth. “We’ll have to do it on the terrace, near the pool! In front of everyone… including Seungcheol and Seokmin!”

“You’re unbearable.”

Joshua goes out first, immediately attracting the others’ attention, intrigued by this sudden change of outfit. Jeonghan follows closely behind.

In the water, Seokmin freezes.

The sight of Joshua in uniform unsettles him instantly, even more than the first time. And from his lower position in the water, he has a view… far too perfect of his legs. He immediately notices the length of the skirt shorter and, fortunately for his already racing heart, the shorts underneath.

“Jeonghan? What are you two doing?” Seungcheol steps in, immediately getting out of the water to approach them, frowning.

“Oh, we had a dance to film, we didn’t want to do it in swimshorts so we changed.” Jeonghan replies innocently while setting up his phone against a wall, carefully adjusting the angle.

Joshua, arms crossed behind his back, can almost feel Jeonghan’s satisfaction at having provoked such a quick reaction from Seungcheol.

“And why today? In those outfits, and in front of everyone?” Seungcheol insists, clearly unconvinced.

“Why not?” Jeonghan looks up at him with a falsely sweet gaze. But Seungcheol knows him by heart, and he knows perfectly well that he’s plotting something—especially with that outfit he preferred to keep just for himself.

He sighs and turns to Joshua.

“Joshua, I know at least you’ll answer me.”

Joshua shrugs slightly. “We just felt like dancing a bit… We stayed in the water too long, and we haven’t filmed the dance yet, which we usually do.”

Seungcheol sighs in frustration. Those two, together, were impossible to stop. He finally leans against the wall.

“Fine. Then I’ll watch you dance.”

“Oh, with pleasure, darling.” Jeonghan winks at him.

The others gradually go back to what they were doing, but Seokmin stays in the water, discreetly moving closer to the nearest edge. He heard everything… and he wants to see.

The music starts.

From the very first notes, Joshua and Jeonghan move in perfect sync, their gestures fluid and controlled. Then they pivot before dropping to the ground into a back split, their bodies perfectly following the rhythm, their hips moving with a deliberate sensuality.

Seokmin can’t look away.

Why this choreography… in these outfits…?

They’re still on the ground when the music suddenly stops.

They sit up, surprised, and see Seungcheol who has stopped the video and the sound.

“Hey! We weren’t finished.” Jeonghan protests as he stands up.

“Yes. You were.” Seungcheol replies, arms crossed, clearly annoyed.

He grabs Jeonghan by the wrist and pulls him up without gentleness. Jeonghan laughs, completely satisfied, and lets himself be dragged away.

Joshua, meanwhile, laughs softly at the triumphant expression of his best friend, then stands up as well. His gaze instinctively drifts toward the pool.

Seokmin is looking at him.

But not like usual.

His gaze is no longer simply shy or evasive; it’s darker, more intense, almost troubled, as if he’s trying to hold something back.

Joshua gives him a smile, blushing slightly under this new gaze, then starts walking toward him.

And that’s when he sees Seokmin panic.

His gaze briefly drops to his legs, then goes back up to his exposed stomach under the crop top… before he abruptly looks away, staring at the lounge chairs as if they had suddenly become fascinating.

But too late. Joshua had seen.

He crouches down into Seokmin’s line of sight, right in front of him, deliberately closing the distance between them. “Hey Seokmin.” he says in a soft, almost reassuring voice.

Seokmin clears his throat slightly, trying to regain composure, and looks back at Joshua with a feigned nonchalance that fools absolutely no one. “O-Oh? Yes?”

“Can you come with me for a minute?” Joshua asks, his gaze calm but insistent.

Seokmin hesitates seriously. He didn’t want Joshua to notice his physical reaction after the dance he had just seen, nor the effect that sight had on him. And yet, seeing that Joshua no longer seemed to be avoiding him like in the past few days, he finally nods, silently praying that nothing is too obvious.

He quickly gets out of the water, grabs a towel to dry himself and, above all, to cover himself a little, then follows Joshua inside. They stop in the first room on the ground floor, away from prying eyes and the noise outside.

“I need help taking off my top… there’s a zipper at the back on this one, it’s really not practical to remove it alone… and since Jeonghan left…” Joshua explains as he turns around, back facing him, lightly biting his lip, secretly hoping for a reaction.

“S-Sure…”

A stutter. It had been a long time since Seokmin had one. For two months, he had gained confidence, ease… but now, everything seemed to collapse at once.

Joshua feels Seokmin’s fingers slowly reach the zipper on his back. His hands tremble slightly, hesitate, then finally grasp it. The zip goes down, slowly… far too slowly for Joshua’s liking, who feels every centimeter like an eternity.

“Seokmin?”

“O-Oh, yes?” Startled, Seokmin suddenly pulls on the zipper to finish opening the top, suddenly realizing how lost he had been in contemplating Joshua’s back.

Joshua feels the garment fully open and lets out a soft, fake sigh before turning to face him… and slowly removing his top in front of him.

Seokmin’s gaze freezes.

He looks, He really looks.

Joshua sees him blush, and a small laugh escapes him. “Why do you look embarrassed seeing my body? I was in swim shorts just before… so nothing you haven’t seen…” he says teasingly.

He expected Seokmin to look away, to apologize, to step back.

But no.

Seokmin looks.His gaze travels down Joshua’s torso, lingers on his nipples, slides along his slim waist, then pauses on the skirt still tied at his hips—that last piece of fabric which, paradoxically, draws all his attention.

Then his eyes continue, lower, toward his legs, which he has already looked at so much… but never like today.

Joshua begins to blush under that lingering gaze.

“S-Seokmin…?” he murmurs, his voice softer.

Their eyes meet.

“It’s different… hyung.” Seokmin says, stepping closer, his voice deeper than usual. “You… this skirt…”

“What about this skirt…?” Joshua asks, swallowing, surprised to suddenly feel almost vulnerable under that intense gaze… and yet, he liked it.

“It’s really… sexy… and the dance… I…”

Seokmin cuts himself off, aware of what he was about to say. It wasn’t appropriate. Not like this. Not now. But Joshua’s gaze, softer, more open… seemed to ask for more.

Then suddenly, as if waking up, Seokmin steps back abruptly, hitting the counter behind him, his face bright red.

“Oh my god! S-Sorry hyung! I-I didn’t mean to disrespect you…” he stammers.

Joshua blinks, surprised by this sudden shift. No. They were too close to something important to stop now.

He steps toward him. “Seokmin.”

Seokmin avoids his gaze.

“Look at me.”

After a hesitation, Seokmin lifts his eyes, only focusing on his. Joshua sees panic… and guilt, so he smiles softly.

“You’re not disrespecting me… quite the opposite…”

His smile widens slightly, and he sees Seokmin’s gaze briefly drop to his lips.

“You like me… I like you… it’s been two months since we’ve been seeing each other… we had to move our relationship forward at some point, right?” he says, tilting his head slightly.

Seokmin feels dizzy and too many things at once.; too much skin, oo much closeness, too many emotios...

“Move… our relationship forward…?” he repeats, as if to be sure.

“Yes… like… taking the next step…”

Joshua steps closer again, his fingers absentmindedly playing with the waistband of Seokmin’s shorts. The gesture is light, but the effect is immediate.

Seokmin freezes.

“I don’t… I…” He grips the counter, bites his lip, his breathing uneven. “Joshua hyung… stop… wait…”

He gently grabs his hand.

Joshua pauses at the gesture but doesn’t pull away abruptly. He waits.

Silence falls again.

Seokmin closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, tries to regain control. Joshua, arms crossed over his bare torso, watches him without pressuring him.

Had he gone too far?

Finally, Seokmin opens his eyes again and, meeting his gaze, speaks without waiting any longer.

“I… I’m not rejecting you, hyung… it’s just that… before we… do that… I… I think it would be better if we made it official… that we were… a couple…”

The words come out with difficulty, but they are sincere. Joshua’s eyes widen slightly… then a soft, fond smile lights up his face.

“Of course I want us to be official, my Seokmin… I don’t sleep with just anyone, only with my boyfriend.” He winks… then throws himself into his arms. Seokmin immediately wraps his arms around him, holding him close, relieved, his heart racing.

“So… we can—”

“Wait.” Seokmin gently cuts him off.

Joshua pulls back slightly, frustrated. “Aww… I’ve been waiting for so long… you’re so sexy, Seokmin… your body is incredible, I can’t help imagining you—”

“Hyung, please…” Seokmin groans, overwhelmed.

“Whyyyy?” Joshua protests, stepping back.

Seokmin hesitates for a moment. It wasn’t how he had imagined it. Not as prepared, not as perfect, but they were together. And that was enough.

“I… before all that… can we… kiss?” His cheeks turn even redder.

Joshua looks at him… then smiles, deeply touched.

“Of course!”

Then, without waiting, Joshua leans in and gently presses his lips against Seokmin’s, as if he feared breaking something fragile between them; the contact is soft and shy despite Joshua’s usual confidence, then gradually, he guides the kiss, moving his lips gently with controlled tenderness, giving Seokmin time to adjust, to understand, to feel, until the latter finally responds, clumsy but sincere, his heart pounding wildly in his chest.

The world around them seems to disappear for a moment.

When they finally part, their foreheads remain pressed together, their breaths mingling, their gazes still locked.

“And there you have it, your official kiss, Mr. Lee…” Joshua murmurs with a playful smile. “And now, you can do whatever you want with me.”

Seokmin blushes instantly, his imagination running wild despite himself.
“H-Here…? At Mingyu’s…?” he asks timidly.

Joshua laughs softly

“No, you’re right… let’s go home, I can’t wait anymore.” He grabs his hand and gently pulls him toward the bedroom door.

Seokmin hesitates for a moment, his eyes dropping this time without any discretion to the skirt.

“You should still… get dressed…”

Joshua raises an eyebrow, amused. “Why? Does it bother you that other men might see me in this cute little skirt?” he says with a teasing wink.

“Yes.” Seokmin replies without the slightest hesitation.

Joshua freezes for a second, surprised… then nearly bursts out laughing. “You— oh my god! Jeonghan was right.”

“Jeonghan?” Seokmin repeats, confused.

“Yes! He did it on purpose—bringing those skirts and making us dance in front of you. He wanted to make Seungcheol jealous… and he was sure you’d react the same way. And look at you!” Joshua points at him, amused. “You too!”

Seokmin blushes even more.

“Y-Yeah but…” He has no argument. Because it’s true.

“If you like it that much, I’ll keep it on all night!” Joshua announces enthusiastically, far too enthusiastically for his taste.

“I’m going to tell the others we’re leaving…” Seokmin mutters, still flustered.

“Yeah go ahead— I’ll get changed, wouldn’t want our friends to see me in this outfit!” Joshua adds teasingly.

Seokmin rolls his eyes, but a small smile betrays his amusement.

He quickly goes to Mingyu to let him know, says goodbye to the others, then comes back to Joshua, who has changed in the meantime, now wearing a loose top and sweatpants. Seokmin does the same, and they finally leave the house.

In the car, Joshua settles in the passenger seat, thinking about everything.
“Jeonghan really has some ideas sometimes…”

Seokmin lets out a small amused breath. “Yeah… but it always works… maybe we should thank him.” Joshua turns his head toward him.

“Thank him? He didn’t really do anything.”

“It’s thanks to him that we’re talking.” Seokmin replies calmly, eyes on the road.

Joshua frowns. “Huh? What do you mean?”

Seokmin hesitates, then goes for it. “Well… he’s the one who locked us in the storage room two months ago… He took my phone so we’d stay stuck longer…”

Silence.

Joshua immediately takes out his phone. “I’m going to kill him.”

“Why?” Seokmin asks, surprised. “I mean… it wasn’t pleasant at the time, but it allowed us to talk… I don’t blame him at all.” He remembers that Wonwoo had told him.

Joshua looks at him, then slowly puts his phone down, crossing his arms.

“Do you like Jeonghan or something?”

“W-What?! How did you even come to that conclusion?!” Seokmin replies, completely caught off guard.

Joshua pouts slightly. “I don’t know… you compliment him a lot… and, you know, people often mix us up, say we look alike… One time, someone drunk even confessed to me while calling me Jeonghan, thinking I was him…” he says, making a small pout.

Seokmin immediately panics. “No! Not at all! I appreciate him, yes, but that’s it! He helped us, so I’m grateful, that’s all! I— I won’t talk about him in front of you anymore, I’m sorry if that made you feel bad!”

Joshua stares at him… then sighs softly.

“No… sorry. I’m the one overreacting… You’re right. It’s thanks to him that we’re here…

He pauses, then adds with a small smile: “It’s even thanks to him that we kissed.”

Seokmin grimaces slightly. “I… I think I’d rather we stop talking about him, actually.”

They both burst out laughing, the tension completely disappearing.

And the atmosphere in the car becomes light, soft, natural, as if everything had finally fallen into place between them… and, between laughter and knowing glances, they quietly continue the drive to Seokmin’s place, eager to return to their cocoon and continue the evening at their own pace, away from the noise, just the two of them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notes:

hey, it’s been a while… i hope you’re all doing well !

honestly, i don’t even really know why i wrote this story, but i liked the original idea.

I really enjoy writing romances that feel like 2000s rom coms, but i think this might be the last one in that style, at least for now…

for those of you following my other stories, don’t worry, i haven’t abandoned them, the next updates are coming, i just need a bit more time, a lot of things have been going on lately, so i haven’t had as much time to write, but i’m doing my best!!!

i hope you enjoyed it, the ending was a bit rushed, and i can feel it too, but i wasn’t sure how to wrap it up without dragging it out too much

that’s all i had to say, thank you so much in advance to everyone who read, left kudos, or commented

big kisses and see you soon 🩷

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