One Hot, Spring Day
Pairing: Mino/Seungyoon
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 3,687
Summary: A case of mistaken identity, and perhaps just the right timing.
Notes: This was for the first 100-minute songkang event and was written in a matter of hours so please forgive the quality lol it usually takes me weeks/months to produce anything decent haha. Word prompt: flower
It’s two o’clock in the afternoon and it’s hot. It’s very hot - the kind of heat that can melt your face off if you stand too long under the sun. Mino had grown up loving spring with its perfect combination of temperate sunshine with soft gusts of chilly wind, but the Earth isn’t what she used to be and South Korea isn’t exactly immune to global warming and - okay. He’s getting sidetracked, and it’s the wrong time and place to get sidetracked because he just stepped out of the shop and is already getting fried as he stands idly by the pavement. He uses the back of his hands to wipe off the beads of sweat on his forehead and when he sees an opening, he hurriedly crosses the street.
The things he will do for a smoothie right now.
Freshfruit Bar is like an oasis on a vast desert, so much so that as soon as he’s through the glass door, he nearly coos as he breathes in the heavenly scent of freshly blended beverages and straight-from-the-oven pastries. There’s a rather longer queue than usual, understandably so, but Mino walks straight to the side of the counter without hesitation.
“This obsession is unhealthy,” Seunghoon chirps when he sees Mino briefly from the corner of his eye as he pulls some bills from the register. He looks a little stressed out, what with him being understaffed at a time when the juice bar is at its busiest, but that doesn't deter Seunghoon from putting on his best customer-friendly grin. “But it’s good for business so I’ll enable it.”
“I’m dying.”
“Look around. Everyone is,” Seunghoon juts his chin without turning to him, and instead, gives the man at the front of the line a wide smile as he hands him what looks to be a mango smoothie with lots of whipped cream. Mino’s mouth waters. “Wait your turn.”
Mino counts the number of people lined up with their eyes glued to the chalkboard menu and mentally calculates how long it would take to go through them all, give or take each one orders two drinks on average. Too long. He frowns. “Don’t I get a friendship privilege? Or a frequent patron one, at least, if that’s worth more to you?”
Seunghoon doesn't bat an eyelid at the jab and smirks. “The only way I’ll let you cut in line is if you give me Danah’s number.”
“I’ll be over there,” Mino points at the only vacant table and makes a vulgar gesture at Seunghoon that has the older boy cackling and the elderly woman across the register give him a cutting look. He ducks away from her glare and pours himself a glass of water from the self-service counter to soothe his parched throat, and in the meantime heads to the corner of the bar. Patience isn’t one of Mino’s strong suits, but there are things worth waiting for, very few things, and Seunghoon’s smoothies are one of them.
Mino hadn't noticed it from the counter, but it’s unmistakeable as he approaches, and he hums in surprise when he picks up the single-stemmed carnation that had been left on the tabletop. He quickly remembers something and looks around the packed bar, only to find that the customers are all chatting away, not in the least interested in the abandoned flower. It's easily the prettiest sight in the room, and Mino takes personal offense that no one bothered to pick it up. He has half a mind to give it to Seunghoon instead, it would make a lovely little embellishment for the day, even if it would just be the lone stem on a juice glass filled with water.
“Excuse me.”
Mino looks up at the voice, deep, rising above the hushed chatters that surround him. He finds a guy standing about three feet away, staring at Mino in cautious assessment before his gaze drops to the carnation in Mino’s hand. He didn't see his face long enough to determine whether he knows the guy or not, but he waits for him to speak first. Besides, he was the one who approached Mino.
It takes a few seconds but the guy’s shoulders sag in an audible sigh as if he'd just shaken off some nerves, and when he lifts his face again, he’s smiling so widely that it knocks the breath out of Mino's lungs. The stranger - Mino now knows he doesn’t know him, because trust him, he would remember if they were acquainted - is ridiculously attractive.
He looks about Mino’s age, exuding this laid back, offbeat college student vibe that Mino is absolutely weak for. As a matter of fact, Mino has to stop himself from staring at his lips that are still stretched into one of those toothpaste commercial smiles, only to be floored by his brown eyes that are practically sparkling with delight. The guy’s hand comes up to ruffle his hair as though he’s dusting it for imaginary snowflakes and Mino realizes there’s something about him that seems rather shy, a little frazzled, and maybe even a bit lost - like a puppy.
Fuck, he looks like a goddamn puppy.
“I’m sorry,” the guy speaks again and Mino continues to stand there without a clue as to why this stranger is even talking to him - not that he hates it - but it’s still puzzling. “I know I’m late,” he glances at his watch and flashes Mino another embarrassed smile. “Traffic at Insadong was a bitch. You didn’t wait too long, did you?”
“Uhh,” Mino looks around again, just to be sure there’s no one else that this good-looking stranger should be talking to. Clearly he’s here to meet someone, bummer, and he seems to have gotten the impression that it’s Mino. When he’s certain no one else is standing behind him, Mino turns back to him regrettably. “I’m sorry but I think you got the wrong guy.”
Before Mino could say anything else, the color drains from the guy’s face, his smile replaced by a look of horror. It shatters Mino’s heart for some reason that he’s so close to taking it back and saying something stupid like 'Ill be whoever you want me to be' but then the guy suddenly hisses a curse under his breath that momentarily takes Mino aback.
“I knew it,” he grumbles, avoiding Mino’s eyes as he pulls out a phone from his jeans. “Fucking Jinwoo, I’m going to kill him. I didn’t even want to come here,” he murmurs to himself, already typing furiously.
Mino stands there awkwardly, even more baffled by the abrupt change in mood. Just a second ago, the guy was looking at him like he's the answer to all his prayers, and now he seems to be genuinely angry about something he's done and Mino has no inkling what or why. Truthfully, he could just walk away and forget anything ever happened, chalk this up as one of those random encounters that he won't remember in a week or two, but something about the guy keeps Mino in place.
“Is everything alright?” Mino asks, cautious. The guy had since turned around, phone in one ear, and Mino tries not to admire his backside that looks just as pleasing as... well, everything else he'd seen so far. That crisp white shirt, a little damp with sweat, is clinging onto his back muscles really nicely, and maybe Mino doesn't hate the heat all that much anymore. His train of thought is interrupted when the guy turns back to him curtly, annoyance still etched on his features.
“You can drop the act, I know what you’re doing.”
Okay. This just entered weird territory.
“What am I doing?”
At this point, Mino doesn’t know what to expect, caught between his immediate interest in this stranger and utter obliviousness to what's going on. The guy puts his phone away and squares his shoulders before facing Mino again.
He holds Mino’s gaze for a few seconds and christ - Mino shouldn’t really be thinking about how attractive he is when he’s angry, he could be a psychopath who picks fights with strangers at random establishments for all he knows - but the guy’s furious expression softens by a fraction, so Mino holds off any negative conclusion without hearing him out first.
“You know what,” the guy tells him with a sigh, “I get it. You don’t like what you see. I guess that’s just how this works, and maybe you’ve saved us both from an awkward first date that will eventually be reduced to a hazy anecdote we tell our friends when we’re drunk and swearing off blind dates forever.”
“What?” Mino exclaims, gaping at him in disbelief and revisiting the psychopath theory. First of all, he couldn't be further from the truth because Mino definitely likes what he sees, arguably a little too much even, and secondly, “Date? What are you talking about, I don’t even-“
Mino stops short when something clicks in his brain, and it all makes a little sense now. He looks at the carnation in his hand before quickly dropping it back on the table with wide eyes. “Oh god. No.”
The guy gives him a partly confused, partly annoyed look while Mino tries to find the words to explain this awkward case of mistaken identity.
“Oh god, I’m sorry,” Mino starts, rubbing the back of his neck. He’s sweating again, and it’s not even hot in the bar. “I was going to wait for my drink and this was the only vacant table, well, except for the carnation. It’s not mine. And I swear, this is not some ploy to ditch you because I'm not even the person you're waiting for and-" Mino pauses to catch his breath, and turns to point at Seunghoon. “You can ask that man at the counter if you don’t believe me, he’s my friend.”
It takes a few seconds of uneasy silence with them just staring at each other before the skepticism in the guy’s expression fades, and he’s cursing under his breath again. He runs a hand through his hair, his features contorted into an expression that toes the line between tormented and self-deprecatingly amused.
“Shit. Shit. I’m sorry. Oh wow, I’m an idiot. I’m so embarrassed. I shouldn't have assumed- shit.”
“No, don’t be,” Mino waves him off, trying not to giggle at how fucking cute his reaction is, and how absurdly funny this whole thing is turning out to be. “I really shouldn’t have touched what wasn’t mine.”
Puppy (this encounter calls for an equally cute nickname) doesn’t seem to be relieved by Mino’s attempt at comfort and continues to fidget. “It’s just, I don’t do this ever but I caved recently and I’ve been stressing about it all week. I’ve imagined all the possible ways this blind date could go wrong and let’s just say I have a very active imagination.”
Mino lets out a laugh but he couldn’t get a word in because Puppy is still prattling. “I didn’t imagine this though,” he continues. “Me acting like a complete idiot in front of a stranger who is not the guy I’m supposed to meet. And to make matters worse, I guess I’ve been stood up?” He picks up the carnation on the table, giving it an unconscious whiff that has Mino holding back an aww.
Mino is staring shamelessly again, but hey it’s not really any more embarrassing than what has just happened. On the bright side, thank goodness this guy isn't actually some weirdo because with that face, it would have been tragic.
“If you ask me, you dodged a bullet,” Mino says casually before he can stop himself, and Puppy looks at him in surprise and a hint of interest.
“I did? How so?”
Mino squints and convinces himself that the look Puppy gave him earlier when he still thought Mino was his blind date was that of relief, and maybe even excitement. So yeah Mino may not be his blind date but Puppy might be interested in something more natural than a forced meeting, like a fateful encounter at a smoothie place because of a carnation. He smiles.
“First of all, this guy clearly has no sense. Awful choice in flower,” Mino scrunches his nose mockingly, pointing at the carnation now in Puppy’s hand. “Pink carnation means undying love of a mother,” he stifles a laugh. “Not what I would have chosen for a first date.
This time, Puppy relaxes and gives him a shy smile. “You know a lot about flowers?”
Mino quirks his head to get Puppy’s attention and points to the building through the glass wall. From the bar, he could see the bright colors from the shop's display and he feels a tinge of pride. “See that flower shop across the street? My Mom’s. I help her out on the weekends so I’m kind of an expert,” he says proudly, to which Puppy just nods in amazement. Adorable.
“Which brings me to my second point on why I think you’re better off without this blind date guy,” Mino pauses for effect, and playing along, Puppy looks at him expectantly. “I saw the guy you’re supposed to meet. I was the one who sold him this carnation just thirty minutes ago. Believe me, you’re way out of his league.”
Puppy’s laugh is straight up endearing and Mino begins to feel hot again, and it has nothing to do with the weather. He lets out a nervous chuckle that he hopes doesn't sound too much like a high school crush giggle.
“What if I don’t care about looks? He could have been a great guy,” he challenges, but Mino could see that Puppy is just prolonging this conversation now, giving back as much as Mino is. This is good, he tells himself; it bodes well for Mino who hasn’t had a decent date in months. Hell, he hasn't flirted in months and even he has to give himself props, this is going really well.
“That could be true, but he’s still a jerk for standing you up,” Mino counters. “Not only is it rude, it’s also really stupid on his part. I mean, have you seen yourself?”
Mino doesn’t mean for that last part to come out but when he’s in his flirting zone, he has a hard time filtering himself. Plus, it’s very rare to meet a hot guy who’s also a cute puppy and damn if he lets this opportunity slip from his fingers.
It elicits just the perfect response from Puppy who’s now smiling shyly behind the carnation, his cheeks tinged nearly as pink. Now if Mino could just properly introduce himself-
“Seungyoon?”
They both turn to the voice and Mino’s heart drops to his stomach when he recognizes the guy who was just at the flower shop earlier. Mino snaps his attention back to Puppy - whose name is apparently Seungyoon - and whose eyes are wide and jaw is slacked. He's stunned into silence as his gaze alternates between the new guy and Mino.
“Are... are you-“
“Teddie. Jinwoo’s friend,” he smirks, giving Seungyoon an appraising once over. Mino can already smell the putrid scent of douchebag coming off the guy with his over-gelled mohawk (seriously, who even has a mohawk anymore?) and obnoxious chains hanging around his neck. “I was just in the bathroom, I was afraid you’d arrive while I was gone, it’s a good thing I left the flower,” he turns to Mino distractedly, as if he’s only sensed now that someone else is standing right there. “Uhh, who is he?”
Mino knows an extremely awkward - not the cute kind - situation when he sees one, so he gives Seungyoon a small smile right in time to hear Seunghoon call out, “Strawberry banana smoothie for Mino!”
“That’s me,” Mino steps back, noticing the drop in Seungyoon’s expression. It wrenches something in his gut so he quickly looks away. “Uhm, I’m no one, and I was just leaving,” he tells the Teddie guy, turning around to go back to the counter and leaving a trail of disappointment with every step. Strangely, the first thing that pops into his head is how he’d give up that smoothie if it means Teddie would have never appeared.
“Who was that?” Seunghoon wiggles his eyebrows as he pushes the drink into Mino's hand. “He’s cute.”
“Not who, but what,” Mino replies wistfully, taking a sip of his smoothie in the hopes that the rich, creamy goodness comforts him. It doesn’t. He leans on the counter and sighs, watching Seungyoon and Teddie settle down and begin talking. They don't look good together at all. And no, he's not just being bitter.
“That, right there, is a flashback to when I was five years old and my Dad brought home the world’s cutest puppy only to give him away because they found out I was allergic.”
“Well damn.”
“I hate life.”
"At least you have me and your smoothie. Now give me three dollars before you forget again."
Mino stays only long enough for Seunghoon to wrap him some chocolate chip cookies for his wounded heart (on the house) and he heads back to the flower shop where Danah waits. She asks him why he looks like he’s about to cry but he ignores her and gives her the cookies to keep her from hounding him about it. Sensing his foul mood, Danah quickly escapes to the back room, leaving Mino to be grumpy at the storefront.
It’s proving to be difficult, but Mino tries not to keep glancing back at the bar across the street and starts sketching instead to relax - except funnily - the puppy he’s sketching looks eerily like Seungyoon. How fucking depressing.
It isn’t even twenty minutes since he left the bar when the door to the shop opens, the little tinkling sound causing Mino look up from his sketch pad.
And it’s straight out of a freaking romantic comedy and Mino is the protagonist so he doesn’t hesitate to gasp dramatically when he sees Seungyoon standing by the doorway, looking every bit like the prince charming that he is. Mino gracelessly rises to his feet, flustered by this plot twist.
“Hi,” Seungyoon says, ears tinged pink.
“Hi.”
“Mino, right?”
“Yes. Seungyoon?”
Seungyoon nods, looking around the shop. Mino sees the charmed expression customers always wear whenever they lay their eyes on the flowers for the first time and he can’t help the smile that creeps to his mouth just looking at Seungyoon surrounded by so many vivid colors. Now this is the Spring Mino loves.
“I’m curious. What flower you would have chosen,” Seungyoon says, walking towards him, causing Mino’s heart to hammer right out of his chest. “If you were my blind date.”
“Easy,” Mino answers without a hitch. “Sunflower.”
“Sunflower?” Seungyoon quirks a brow, stopping right in front of him and Mino wishes there wasn't a desk separating them because this isn't close enough.
“For one, it suits the weather.”
Seungyoon wrinkles his nose. “Ugh you’re right, the sun is unforgiving. Global warming sucks.”
Shit, Mino could just melt in his arms like the polar ice caps. “That’s what I’ve been saying!”
They both laugh and when it’s quiet again, Mino tries very hard not to just yank Seungyoon's shirt and pull him in for a kiss. It seems too presumptuous.
“It also means adoration," Mino continues distractedly, tearing his eyes away from Seungyoon's mouth. "And longevity. It’s nice to be optimistic on the first date, right?”
“Not if your date is Teddie.”
Mino bites down on his lower lip to stop from laughing. Maybe he should thank mohawk guy for being a slimeball. “That bad?”
“Let’s just say I would have preferred it if he just stood me up,” Seungyoon laughs, filling the shop. “Anyway, I think he gets the picture. I ran out of there as fast as I could.”
“To come here and ask me a question?” Mino supplies cautiously.
“To buy a flower,” Seungyoon corrects. “A sunflower.”
Mino’s stomach flips and it’s hard not to keep grinning like an idiot. “Going to another blind date?”
Mino narrows his eyes when Seungyoon just smiles, and without a word, Mino walks to where the sunflowers are, between the tulips and the hydrangeas. He takes the tallest, best-looking one and carefully ties a yellow ribbon around the stem, a small card dangling at the edge. He makes sure it looks perfect before he turns back and walks to where Seungyoon is standing, looking at him with obvious amusement in his eyes. It makes Mino conscious for the first time of how he looks in his work clothes, but judging by the smile on Seungyoon's face, he doesn't seem to mind the view.
“Thanks,” he says when Mino hands him the flower. “You have a pen I can borrow?”
Mino hands him his sketching pen in lightning speed and Seungyoon turns to write something on the card out of Mino’s vision. Every bit of Mino’s body is tingling in nervous anticipation, but he tries to school his expression to calmness even though all he wants to do right now is dance in glee.
When Seungyoon is done, he turns around and takes one lingering look at the sunflower before offering it to Mino.
Mino flushes - he’d already expected it but his cheeks still burn at the gesture. “What are you doing?”
“What does it look like?” Seungyoon chuckles like it's the most obvious question in the world.
Mino takes it from him, but before he can reply, Seungyoon is already waving goodbye and walking out the door. It takes all of Mino’s restraint not to hold him back - but he’s not going to be that clingy guy. They just met, and a little mystery is good.
He waits until Seungyoon turns the corner and out of sight before he flips the card open.
On it is a series of numbers and a small message in adorably messy handwriting.
You didn’t really think I’d choose that guy, did you?
I’m not stupid. Have you seen yourself?
- Kang Seungyoon
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 3,687
Summary: A case of mistaken identity, and perhaps just the right timing.
Notes: This was for the first 100-minute songkang event and was written in a matter of hours so please forgive the quality lol it usually takes me weeks/months to produce anything decent haha. Word prompt: flower
It’s two o’clock in the afternoon and it’s hot. It’s very hot - the kind of heat that can melt your face off if you stand too long under the sun. Mino had grown up loving spring with its perfect combination of temperate sunshine with soft gusts of chilly wind, but the Earth isn’t what she used to be and South Korea isn’t exactly immune to global warming and - okay. He’s getting sidetracked, and it’s the wrong time and place to get sidetracked because he just stepped out of the shop and is already getting fried as he stands idly by the pavement. He uses the back of his hands to wipe off the beads of sweat on his forehead and when he sees an opening, he hurriedly crosses the street.
The things he will do for a smoothie right now.
Freshfruit Bar is like an oasis on a vast desert, so much so that as soon as he’s through the glass door, he nearly coos as he breathes in the heavenly scent of freshly blended beverages and straight-from-the-oven pastries. There’s a rather longer queue than usual, understandably so, but Mino walks straight to the side of the counter without hesitation.
“This obsession is unhealthy,” Seunghoon chirps when he sees Mino briefly from the corner of his eye as he pulls some bills from the register. He looks a little stressed out, what with him being understaffed at a time when the juice bar is at its busiest, but that doesn't deter Seunghoon from putting on his best customer-friendly grin. “But it’s good for business so I’ll enable it.”
“I’m dying.”
“Look around. Everyone is,” Seunghoon juts his chin without turning to him, and instead, gives the man at the front of the line a wide smile as he hands him what looks to be a mango smoothie with lots of whipped cream. Mino’s mouth waters. “Wait your turn.”
Mino counts the number of people lined up with their eyes glued to the chalkboard menu and mentally calculates how long it would take to go through them all, give or take each one orders two drinks on average. Too long. He frowns. “Don’t I get a friendship privilege? Or a frequent patron one, at least, if that’s worth more to you?”
Seunghoon doesn't bat an eyelid at the jab and smirks. “The only way I’ll let you cut in line is if you give me Danah’s number.”
“I’ll be over there,” Mino points at the only vacant table and makes a vulgar gesture at Seunghoon that has the older boy cackling and the elderly woman across the register give him a cutting look. He ducks away from her glare and pours himself a glass of water from the self-service counter to soothe his parched throat, and in the meantime heads to the corner of the bar. Patience isn’t one of Mino’s strong suits, but there are things worth waiting for, very few things, and Seunghoon’s smoothies are one of them.
Mino hadn't noticed it from the counter, but it’s unmistakeable as he approaches, and he hums in surprise when he picks up the single-stemmed carnation that had been left on the tabletop. He quickly remembers something and looks around the packed bar, only to find that the customers are all chatting away, not in the least interested in the abandoned flower. It's easily the prettiest sight in the room, and Mino takes personal offense that no one bothered to pick it up. He has half a mind to give it to Seunghoon instead, it would make a lovely little embellishment for the day, even if it would just be the lone stem on a juice glass filled with water.
“Excuse me.”
Mino looks up at the voice, deep, rising above the hushed chatters that surround him. He finds a guy standing about three feet away, staring at Mino in cautious assessment before his gaze drops to the carnation in Mino’s hand. He didn't see his face long enough to determine whether he knows the guy or not, but he waits for him to speak first. Besides, he was the one who approached Mino.
It takes a few seconds but the guy’s shoulders sag in an audible sigh as if he'd just shaken off some nerves, and when he lifts his face again, he’s smiling so widely that it knocks the breath out of Mino's lungs. The stranger - Mino now knows he doesn’t know him, because trust him, he would remember if they were acquainted - is ridiculously attractive.
He looks about Mino’s age, exuding this laid back, offbeat college student vibe that Mino is absolutely weak for. As a matter of fact, Mino has to stop himself from staring at his lips that are still stretched into one of those toothpaste commercial smiles, only to be floored by his brown eyes that are practically sparkling with delight. The guy’s hand comes up to ruffle his hair as though he’s dusting it for imaginary snowflakes and Mino realizes there’s something about him that seems rather shy, a little frazzled, and maybe even a bit lost - like a puppy.
Fuck, he looks like a goddamn puppy.
“I’m sorry,” the guy speaks again and Mino continues to stand there without a clue as to why this stranger is even talking to him - not that he hates it - but it’s still puzzling. “I know I’m late,” he glances at his watch and flashes Mino another embarrassed smile. “Traffic at Insadong was a bitch. You didn’t wait too long, did you?”
“Uhh,” Mino looks around again, just to be sure there’s no one else that this good-looking stranger should be talking to. Clearly he’s here to meet someone, bummer, and he seems to have gotten the impression that it’s Mino. When he’s certain no one else is standing behind him, Mino turns back to him regrettably. “I’m sorry but I think you got the wrong guy.”
Before Mino could say anything else, the color drains from the guy’s face, his smile replaced by a look of horror. It shatters Mino’s heart for some reason that he’s so close to taking it back and saying something stupid like 'Ill be whoever you want me to be' but then the guy suddenly hisses a curse under his breath that momentarily takes Mino aback.
“I knew it,” he grumbles, avoiding Mino’s eyes as he pulls out a phone from his jeans. “Fucking Jinwoo, I’m going to kill him. I didn’t even want to come here,” he murmurs to himself, already typing furiously.
Mino stands there awkwardly, even more baffled by the abrupt change in mood. Just a second ago, the guy was looking at him like he's the answer to all his prayers, and now he seems to be genuinely angry about something he's done and Mino has no inkling what or why. Truthfully, he could just walk away and forget anything ever happened, chalk this up as one of those random encounters that he won't remember in a week or two, but something about the guy keeps Mino in place.
“Is everything alright?” Mino asks, cautious. The guy had since turned around, phone in one ear, and Mino tries not to admire his backside that looks just as pleasing as... well, everything else he'd seen so far. That crisp white shirt, a little damp with sweat, is clinging onto his back muscles really nicely, and maybe Mino doesn't hate the heat all that much anymore. His train of thought is interrupted when the guy turns back to him curtly, annoyance still etched on his features.
“You can drop the act, I know what you’re doing.”
Okay. This just entered weird territory.
“What am I doing?”
At this point, Mino doesn’t know what to expect, caught between his immediate interest in this stranger and utter obliviousness to what's going on. The guy puts his phone away and squares his shoulders before facing Mino again.
He holds Mino’s gaze for a few seconds and christ - Mino shouldn’t really be thinking about how attractive he is when he’s angry, he could be a psychopath who picks fights with strangers at random establishments for all he knows - but the guy’s furious expression softens by a fraction, so Mino holds off any negative conclusion without hearing him out first.
“You know what,” the guy tells him with a sigh, “I get it. You don’t like what you see. I guess that’s just how this works, and maybe you’ve saved us both from an awkward first date that will eventually be reduced to a hazy anecdote we tell our friends when we’re drunk and swearing off blind dates forever.”
“What?” Mino exclaims, gaping at him in disbelief and revisiting the psychopath theory. First of all, he couldn't be further from the truth because Mino definitely likes what he sees, arguably a little too much even, and secondly, “Date? What are you talking about, I don’t even-“
Mino stops short when something clicks in his brain, and it all makes a little sense now. He looks at the carnation in his hand before quickly dropping it back on the table with wide eyes. “Oh god. No.”
The guy gives him a partly confused, partly annoyed look while Mino tries to find the words to explain this awkward case of mistaken identity.
“Oh god, I’m sorry,” Mino starts, rubbing the back of his neck. He’s sweating again, and it’s not even hot in the bar. “I was going to wait for my drink and this was the only vacant table, well, except for the carnation. It’s not mine. And I swear, this is not some ploy to ditch you because I'm not even the person you're waiting for and-" Mino pauses to catch his breath, and turns to point at Seunghoon. “You can ask that man at the counter if you don’t believe me, he’s my friend.”
It takes a few seconds of uneasy silence with them just staring at each other before the skepticism in the guy’s expression fades, and he’s cursing under his breath again. He runs a hand through his hair, his features contorted into an expression that toes the line between tormented and self-deprecatingly amused.
“Shit. Shit. I’m sorry. Oh wow, I’m an idiot. I’m so embarrassed. I shouldn't have assumed- shit.”
“No, don’t be,” Mino waves him off, trying not to giggle at how fucking cute his reaction is, and how absurdly funny this whole thing is turning out to be. “I really shouldn’t have touched what wasn’t mine.”
Puppy (this encounter calls for an equally cute nickname) doesn’t seem to be relieved by Mino’s attempt at comfort and continues to fidget. “It’s just, I don’t do this ever but I caved recently and I’ve been stressing about it all week. I’ve imagined all the possible ways this blind date could go wrong and let’s just say I have a very active imagination.”
Mino lets out a laugh but he couldn’t get a word in because Puppy is still prattling. “I didn’t imagine this though,” he continues. “Me acting like a complete idiot in front of a stranger who is not the guy I’m supposed to meet. And to make matters worse, I guess I’ve been stood up?” He picks up the carnation on the table, giving it an unconscious whiff that has Mino holding back an aww.
Mino is staring shamelessly again, but hey it’s not really any more embarrassing than what has just happened. On the bright side, thank goodness this guy isn't actually some weirdo because with that face, it would have been tragic.
“If you ask me, you dodged a bullet,” Mino says casually before he can stop himself, and Puppy looks at him in surprise and a hint of interest.
“I did? How so?”
Mino squints and convinces himself that the look Puppy gave him earlier when he still thought Mino was his blind date was that of relief, and maybe even excitement. So yeah Mino may not be his blind date but Puppy might be interested in something more natural than a forced meeting, like a fateful encounter at a smoothie place because of a carnation. He smiles.
“First of all, this guy clearly has no sense. Awful choice in flower,” Mino scrunches his nose mockingly, pointing at the carnation now in Puppy’s hand. “Pink carnation means undying love of a mother,” he stifles a laugh. “Not what I would have chosen for a first date.
This time, Puppy relaxes and gives him a shy smile. “You know a lot about flowers?”
Mino quirks his head to get Puppy’s attention and points to the building through the glass wall. From the bar, he could see the bright colors from the shop's display and he feels a tinge of pride. “See that flower shop across the street? My Mom’s. I help her out on the weekends so I’m kind of an expert,” he says proudly, to which Puppy just nods in amazement. Adorable.
“Which brings me to my second point on why I think you’re better off without this blind date guy,” Mino pauses for effect, and playing along, Puppy looks at him expectantly. “I saw the guy you’re supposed to meet. I was the one who sold him this carnation just thirty minutes ago. Believe me, you’re way out of his league.”
Puppy’s laugh is straight up endearing and Mino begins to feel hot again, and it has nothing to do with the weather. He lets out a nervous chuckle that he hopes doesn't sound too much like a high school crush giggle.
“What if I don’t care about looks? He could have been a great guy,” he challenges, but Mino could see that Puppy is just prolonging this conversation now, giving back as much as Mino is. This is good, he tells himself; it bodes well for Mino who hasn’t had a decent date in months. Hell, he hasn't flirted in months and even he has to give himself props, this is going really well.
“That could be true, but he’s still a jerk for standing you up,” Mino counters. “Not only is it rude, it’s also really stupid on his part. I mean, have you seen yourself?”
Mino doesn’t mean for that last part to come out but when he’s in his flirting zone, he has a hard time filtering himself. Plus, it’s very rare to meet a hot guy who’s also a cute puppy and damn if he lets this opportunity slip from his fingers.
It elicits just the perfect response from Puppy who’s now smiling shyly behind the carnation, his cheeks tinged nearly as pink. Now if Mino could just properly introduce himself-
“Seungyoon?”
They both turn to the voice and Mino’s heart drops to his stomach when he recognizes the guy who was just at the flower shop earlier. Mino snaps his attention back to Puppy - whose name is apparently Seungyoon - and whose eyes are wide and jaw is slacked. He's stunned into silence as his gaze alternates between the new guy and Mino.
“Are... are you-“
“Teddie. Jinwoo’s friend,” he smirks, giving Seungyoon an appraising once over. Mino can already smell the putrid scent of douchebag coming off the guy with his over-gelled mohawk (seriously, who even has a mohawk anymore?) and obnoxious chains hanging around his neck. “I was just in the bathroom, I was afraid you’d arrive while I was gone, it’s a good thing I left the flower,” he turns to Mino distractedly, as if he’s only sensed now that someone else is standing right there. “Uhh, who is he?”
Mino knows an extremely awkward - not the cute kind - situation when he sees one, so he gives Seungyoon a small smile right in time to hear Seunghoon call out, “Strawberry banana smoothie for Mino!”
“That’s me,” Mino steps back, noticing the drop in Seungyoon’s expression. It wrenches something in his gut so he quickly looks away. “Uhm, I’m no one, and I was just leaving,” he tells the Teddie guy, turning around to go back to the counter and leaving a trail of disappointment with every step. Strangely, the first thing that pops into his head is how he’d give up that smoothie if it means Teddie would have never appeared.
“Who was that?” Seunghoon wiggles his eyebrows as he pushes the drink into Mino's hand. “He’s cute.”
“Not who, but what,” Mino replies wistfully, taking a sip of his smoothie in the hopes that the rich, creamy goodness comforts him. It doesn’t. He leans on the counter and sighs, watching Seungyoon and Teddie settle down and begin talking. They don't look good together at all. And no, he's not just being bitter.
“That, right there, is a flashback to when I was five years old and my Dad brought home the world’s cutest puppy only to give him away because they found out I was allergic.”
“Well damn.”
“I hate life.”
"At least you have me and your smoothie. Now give me three dollars before you forget again."
Mino stays only long enough for Seunghoon to wrap him some chocolate chip cookies for his wounded heart (on the house) and he heads back to the flower shop where Danah waits. She asks him why he looks like he’s about to cry but he ignores her and gives her the cookies to keep her from hounding him about it. Sensing his foul mood, Danah quickly escapes to the back room, leaving Mino to be grumpy at the storefront.
It’s proving to be difficult, but Mino tries not to keep glancing back at the bar across the street and starts sketching instead to relax - except funnily - the puppy he’s sketching looks eerily like Seungyoon. How fucking depressing.
It isn’t even twenty minutes since he left the bar when the door to the shop opens, the little tinkling sound causing Mino look up from his sketch pad.
And it’s straight out of a freaking romantic comedy and Mino is the protagonist so he doesn’t hesitate to gasp dramatically when he sees Seungyoon standing by the doorway, looking every bit like the prince charming that he is. Mino gracelessly rises to his feet, flustered by this plot twist.
“Hi,” Seungyoon says, ears tinged pink.
“Hi.”
“Mino, right?”
“Yes. Seungyoon?”
Seungyoon nods, looking around the shop. Mino sees the charmed expression customers always wear whenever they lay their eyes on the flowers for the first time and he can’t help the smile that creeps to his mouth just looking at Seungyoon surrounded by so many vivid colors. Now this is the Spring Mino loves.
“I’m curious. What flower you would have chosen,” Seungyoon says, walking towards him, causing Mino’s heart to hammer right out of his chest. “If you were my blind date.”
“Easy,” Mino answers without a hitch. “Sunflower.”
“Sunflower?” Seungyoon quirks a brow, stopping right in front of him and Mino wishes there wasn't a desk separating them because this isn't close enough.
“For one, it suits the weather.”
Seungyoon wrinkles his nose. “Ugh you’re right, the sun is unforgiving. Global warming sucks.”
Shit, Mino could just melt in his arms like the polar ice caps. “That’s what I’ve been saying!”
They both laugh and when it’s quiet again, Mino tries very hard not to just yank Seungyoon's shirt and pull him in for a kiss. It seems too presumptuous.
“It also means adoration," Mino continues distractedly, tearing his eyes away from Seungyoon's mouth. "And longevity. It’s nice to be optimistic on the first date, right?”
“Not if your date is Teddie.”
Mino bites down on his lower lip to stop from laughing. Maybe he should thank mohawk guy for being a slimeball. “That bad?”
“Let’s just say I would have preferred it if he just stood me up,” Seungyoon laughs, filling the shop. “Anyway, I think he gets the picture. I ran out of there as fast as I could.”
“To come here and ask me a question?” Mino supplies cautiously.
“To buy a flower,” Seungyoon corrects. “A sunflower.”
Mino’s stomach flips and it’s hard not to keep grinning like an idiot. “Going to another blind date?”
Mino narrows his eyes when Seungyoon just smiles, and without a word, Mino walks to where the sunflowers are, between the tulips and the hydrangeas. He takes the tallest, best-looking one and carefully ties a yellow ribbon around the stem, a small card dangling at the edge. He makes sure it looks perfect before he turns back and walks to where Seungyoon is standing, looking at him with obvious amusement in his eyes. It makes Mino conscious for the first time of how he looks in his work clothes, but judging by the smile on Seungyoon's face, he doesn't seem to mind the view.
“Thanks,” he says when Mino hands him the flower. “You have a pen I can borrow?”
Mino hands him his sketching pen in lightning speed and Seungyoon turns to write something on the card out of Mino’s vision. Every bit of Mino’s body is tingling in nervous anticipation, but he tries to school his expression to calmness even though all he wants to do right now is dance in glee.
When Seungyoon is done, he turns around and takes one lingering look at the sunflower before offering it to Mino.
Mino flushes - he’d already expected it but his cheeks still burn at the gesture. “What are you doing?”
“What does it look like?” Seungyoon chuckles like it's the most obvious question in the world.
Mino takes it from him, but before he can reply, Seungyoon is already waving goodbye and walking out the door. It takes all of Mino’s restraint not to hold him back - but he’s not going to be that clingy guy. They just met, and a little mystery is good.
He waits until Seungyoon turns the corner and out of sight before he flips the card open.
On it is a series of numbers and a small message in adorably messy handwriting.
You didn’t really think I’d choose that guy, did you?
I’m not stupid. Have you seen yourself?
- Kang Seungyoon