Jiho stared at the pretty girl who decided to drop by in the middle of the night.
Seo Minjae paused.
"What do you think you're doing here?"
Damn.
Jiho had never seen that expression on Minjae before.
It wasn't irritation.
More like... the calm before a storm.
"I called you on the phone earlier, but you were busy," the girl replied, all sugary tones.
"I have nothing to say to you. Leave."
Jiho's eyes flicked back and forth between the them.
Minjae must've noticed because he stepped forward, subtly blocking Jiho's view.
"Take care of my groceries for a while. I'll be back soon."
Then he swept a cold look at the girl and gestured.
"You better have something useful to say."
Before Jiho could protest, Minjae stepped into the elevator with the girl.
Jiho scratched his neck, watching them disappear.
Then he look down at the heavy grocery bag in his hand. Both his and Minjae's.
Well...
Not his business. Right?
He walked back into his apartment.
First things first, Jiho placed the grocery bag on the low table.
Minjae said he'd be back, after all.
Then, get those cans into the fridge.
As he emptied the plastic bag, his hand brushed against something small at the bottom.
Huh?
There was still something left. Must've been Minjae's.
The cashier must've accidentally dropped it in.
He reached in and pulled it out.
Jiho stared at the familiar rectangle of paper and plastic.
A box of cigarettes.
The first thought that cross his mind was, Seo Minjae.
Figures.
Jiho sighed, holding the pack between his fingers, then thoughtfully tossed it back into Minjae's bag.
He walked over to the window and cracked it open.
Incidentally from this angle, he could see the apartment entrance.
He happened to see Seo Minjae and the girl.
Jiho held on the handle and stayed.
He wasn't spying or anything.
Okay, maybe a bit of curious.
For no reason why.
The two seemed to be arguing about something.
Then, suddenly, the girl threw her arms around Minjae.
Wow.
Girlfriend?
Maybe not — Seo Minjae immediately push her away without hesitation.
Ex-girlfriend? Probably.
Then, Jiho came to his senses. What the fuck was he doing right now?!
Why did it matter who she was?
He groaned, slammed the window shut, and dropped back into his seat, glaring at his monitor.
Focus.
He didn't have time for this.
Jiho gripped his stylus and forced himself to sketch.
The clock ticked — only a few minutes passed, but it felt like a century had crawled by.
Knock knock.
His shoulders relaxed before he could stop himself.
Jiho stood up and opened the door.
Seo Minjae greeted him with a smile like he always did. The same Minjae he knew.
"Can I come in?"
Jiho eyes twitched. "Huh? Do you even know what time it is right now?"
"I know... Are you going to sleep?" He asked, knowingly.
Jiho clicked his tongue and stepped aside for him to enter.
"Fine," he couldn't help but muttered. "What do you want?"
Bump.
Minjae kicked something in the dark.
Then Jiho remembered to switched the lights on.
He usually can't concentrate with the lights on so he kept it shut.
A warm glow spilled into the room, revealing a half-organized mess.
Minjae silently look around the place that looked similar to his but not exactly.
Jiho gave him a little shove. "Stop judging."
His place was decent tonight, by his standards. But compared to Minjae's, it was definitely world's apart.
Still, he liked it this way.
Jiho cleared some space on the couch.
"You can sit here. Just — don't disturb me."
Minjae carefully stepped over a pile of sketch pads and sat down, grabbing a magazine off the table casually. He nodded obediently.
He didn't say a word and just read.
He was behaving better than Jiho remembered him to be.
Jiho sat back down.
And oddly enough, he found himself more productive than he'd been all night.
He was picking a color palette when he heard a suggestion.
"You could go lighter. How about that one?"
Jiho eyes brightened and nod.
That was actually what he'd been considering.
But wait!
Jiho abruptly turned and his eyes caught a pair of obsidian eyes.
Minjae bent down and leaned in a bit, his gaze fixed on Jiho's tablet before they shifted to Jiho's.
Jiho couldn't explain the itching in his soul.
He inhaled from his nose and a sharp citrus scent hit him.
Jiho's brows twitched.
He leaned forward a little, sniffed.
Minjae stiffened. "What?"
"You don't smell like you," Jiho muttered, nose wrinkling.
He pushed Minjae away lightly.
He didn't like the scent one bit. It smelled horrendous for some reason.
Minjae was obviously taken aback. He sniffed himself and was totally confused.
"What do I smell like? Do I stink?"
Minjae pulled up his shirt and sniffed again. Then he caught the faint trace of something he could've almost missed.
"Does it smell that bad?" he asked, genuinely puzzled. He didn't think it was that strong, but—
Jiho nodded seriously. "A little bit."
Minjae frowned, muttering more to himself than Jiho. "Must've been from my younger sister. She always wears these weird perfumes."
Jiho stared at him, subtly. "Younger sister?"
Of all possible relationships, that was the last thing he expected.
"My step-sister," Minjae corrected with a sigh. "My mom remarried. She's her current husband's daughter from his previous marriage."
Ah. Of course. Not blood related.
Though he still felt it was weird.
But again—
That doesn't have to do anything with me!
Jiho looked away and cracked open a can. "When are you leaving? It's almost four in the morning."
Minjae smirked. "Not soon. I can crash on your couch, right?"
Hah!
Jiho stared at Seo Minjae who shamelessly occupied his couch.
"You're not seriously staying overnight?"
Minjae turned his head lazily and settled in. "I don't feel like being alone tonight."
Jiho knitted his brows. Why is he so unpredictable?
What's up with this guy?