Seoulstruck (Stray Kids, 18+)

Chapter Part 23: You're Not Wrong

After helping Felix close up shop, Jisung headed towards the park Minho suggested they meet at. It was near the river but not too long of a ways away. As he wandered the path toward where the man said he'd be, he looked up at the sky, a beautiful mix of reds, yellows and purples swirling toward the orange setting sun. It was tranquil. Perfect. Or at least it seemed so until he found Minho, leaning on a large picnic blanket, a basket in the center, two bottles of water on either side. The cat-faced man looked up at him, smiling and waving. No, now it was perfect. Jisung couldn't contain his smile, kneeling down on the opposite side of the blanket.

"You came," Minho said, sounding partially surprised, partially thankful. Jisung exhaled with a smile. "Of course I did." Minho lifted the basket lid. "Hungry?" Jisung nodded, his stomach groaning, eager for dinner after a long day's worth of work. The choreographer reached inside, pulling out 2 homemade dosiraks, some vegetables and pieces of freshly fried chicken nestled next to the rice which had been formed into the shape of a cat. Jisung smiled wider. "So cute!" He took out his phone, snapping a picture of the meals before they dug in. Minho smiled, shyly, laying out some side dishes and sweets. Jisung looked them over, wide-eyed. "You made all this, yourself?" Minho nodded. "I... wanted to apologize," he said, looking up into the rapper's eyes. "For 2 nights ago. I was... very, very drunk. I shouldn't have kissed you like that." Jisung shook his head, waving his hands. "N-no, you don't have to apologize for that!"

"Yes, I do." Minho held the shy man's gaze, his voice absolute. "It was wrong of me to force affection, like that." He sighed, looking down, searching for the right words. "I just... haven't felt right about it, ever since, so I wanted to make it up to you, somehow. I have more money than time, so... taking the day to do this is the biggest gesture I could think to make." Jisung's heart fluttered, looking over the array of dishes. "These definitely must have taken you all day," he said, admiring the cat-faced man. Lee Minho was a lot like Hyunjin in that he was just as beautiful as he was handsome. He had fair and dominant features that Jisung found near impossible to pry his eyes from.

Similarly, Minho had never seen someone as confusingly cute and sexy as Han Jisung. He was the most precious human the choreographer had ever seen, yet maintained a handsomeness about him that seemed both reserved and powerful. It was all so conflicting, Minho had to experience more of it. He smiled. "How have you been?" Jisung thought for a moment, uncertain of how to answer. If he was honest, he'd been obsessively replaying their kiss in his head since it happened, his lips still tingling where Minho's had been pressed against, sending him into a downward spiral of overthinking. He nervously shrugged. "I've been... good," he said, "I think. Been keeping myself busy with work."

"What's it like to work with the Aussie?" Minho began to dig into his meal, Jisung nodding, approvingly. "He's great. We work incredibly well, together. It's always a good day when our schedules sync up." Minho nodded, understandingly. "He does seem like quite the team player," he said. Jisung agreed. "He supports me outside of work, too. Never misses any of my shows. We're great friends."

"About that," Minho said, leaning back, making eye contact. "I assume Hyunjin told you the other reason he asked for your number." Jisung smiled, nervously. "He might have mentioned something." The choreographer chose his words carefully. "You... have a lot of potential. You have a natural talent for lyricism. Please answer when they call. I believe it will be worth it for you." Jisung held Minho's gaze, realizing what had happened. "You managed to get Hyunjin to recruit me, personally?"

 Minho nodded. "Think of it as part 2 of the apology, if you have to," he said, "but... I think you deserve it. You strike me as the type to be nervous about pursuing your goals, so I figured a recommendation from him would at least get your foot in the door." Jisung couldn't stop himself from smiling. "I... You don't know how deeply I appreciate that," he said, covering his burning cheeks with the backs of his fingers, scratching at his thigh. Minho watched with a somber face. "Anxiety?" he asked, Jisung's eyebrows raising, prying his hands away from himself. "How'd you know?" Minho simply nodded. "Here," he said, holding the rapper's hands, gently massaging into them. "Better?" Jisung felt the gentle stimulation, smiling. "Yes."

Minho sighed, looking down, the man's hands feeling chilly in his own. "Truthfully," he began, "I really like you, Jisung-ssi." The rapper's heart thumped heavily in his chest, shock washing over him as he realized the beautiful man's confession. "I don't mean to make you feel uncomfortable, so if it's unwelcome, tell me to stop, I will respect it, but..." Minho's voice trailed off, Jisung holding his hands back, pulling the cat-faced man's attention back to him. "Was it real?" Minho looked Jisung in the eye, his breath holding still. "The kiss," Jisung urged, "was it real?" Minho's breath shook as he nodded, Jisung pulling him close, pressing their lips together for a second time. It was even more electrifying than their first, the shy man analyzing the sensation. For the first time, Jisung's nerves didn't hold him back. Somehow, being with Minho felt right, simultaneously comforting him and making his entire body buzz at the same time. The world fell away and life made sense, like the last puzzle piece falling into place.

The two men's eyes met as they finally pulled away, Minho in complete shock, his heart racing, an overwhelming relief slowly washing over him. "You're not wrong," Jisung said, "I struggle to chase my dreams, and maybe I just feel brave, today, but... I'm not going to make that mistake with you." Minho sat, motionless, a tear falling from one of his eyes. He'd been so scared he'd messed up, he didn't fully consider that the pull he felt could be mutual. He looked over the adorable quokka's face, moving closer to kiss him, again, lacing their fingers together as he reached up to cup Jisung's cheek. Jisung gave in, closing his eyes, side-sitting, his legs quivering. He let Minho lead, never having kissed a man, before. Minho was gentle but earnest, a physical passion the shy man craved but never knew how to attain. Something inside him felt he could have it, now. He gripped the edge of Minho's cardigan, whimpering as the kiss overtook him. The cat-faced man pulled away, the pair locking eyes. "We should stop, for now," Minho suggested, a pained look behind Jisung's eyes. "Why?" the quokka asked, his voice as weak as his guard. Minho chuckled. "Because I don't trust myself to not want to try more with you."

The couple finished their picnic, cleaning up the site before heading back toward the city, Minho insisting on walking Jisung home. They reached the apartment complex, the smaller man grabbing the wrist of the choreographer's cardigan. "Are you sure you don't want to come in," he asked. Minho shook his head. "I have to be up early, tomorrow, and... I don't want to rush us." He leaned in to kiss Jisung, once more. "We'll go slow so there's no regrets." The rapper was loathe to let his new lover go, but he nodded, reveling in the man's hand on his waist, the other touching his cheek. Minho pulled away, planting one more kiss on Jisung's forehead, whispering into his ear. "See you soon, my quokka."