Oh Joshua!

I'm changing myself

After two days . . .

"What are the chances Joshua will say yes if I ask him out?" Jeonghan asks sitting on the edge of the pool, his legs under the water.

Seungcheol pulls his head out, now swimming on the surface, "Do you want me to murder you?" he says, pushing back his wet hair.

"That's not even related to my answer," Jeonghan says, "But hypothetically asking . . ."

"Then your hypothetical chances are minus 99%"

"Is that even a reasonable figure?"

"Why?" he asks

"In maths, if your calculation results in a negative percentage-"

"Why do you want to ask him out, smartass?" Seungcheol says loudly, swimming across the pool.

"Oh, it's just . . .um," Jeonghan trails off, biting his lower lip.

"You never date anyone," Seungcheol adds.

"I just thought to give it a try," he says diving back in, "Dating is trending nowadays,"

Seungcheol scoffs, "What happened to your casanova image?"

"I'm changing myself, you know?" Jeonghan swims beside him.

Seungcheol halts and turns to him, "Why Joshua out of everyone else?" he asks, "There are many attractive girls and boys out there who'll suit your image, will do whatever the sexual shit you like. Why Joshua? An inexperienced freshman year student,"

Jeonghan didn't know how to answer that, he was blankly staring at his friend with his lips pressed together.

"Don't tell me you like him or something?" Seungcheol says, noticing Jeonghan's speechlessness.

"Uh . . ." Jeonghan blinks, then after some moments, laughs it off, "No, no, no, me?" he points at himself, raising his brows, "and like someone? Never," he resumes swimming, "He just smells amazing, that's why,"

"Well, then, that's good you don't," Seungcheol comes out of the pool, and picks up his towel, "Because to ask him out, you have to face me first,"

"Yeah, I know," Jeonghan mumbles annoyed and after two rounds of swimming across, he comes out too. He shakes the water from his hair and wipes his face, then stands still and thinks for a while closing his eyes. After deciding, he opens them again, "Actually, Cheol," he says facing Seungcheol.

"Yeah?" he responds putting on his t-shirt.

"I..." Jeonghan pauses, then says looking down, rubbing the back of his head, "I sorta like him, now please don't start making a plan to kill me,"

Seungcheol stares at him and tells without any anger, "I knew it already,"

Jeonghan shifts his gaze back at him.

"You let him sleep in your house," he says, "You never let anyone sleep on your precious antique furniture, not even me," he steps closer toward Jeonghan, "That's when I knew, Joshua is something special for you,"

"Wow, that's...a...very...odd...logic," Jeonghan raises a brow, "But still, I'm-I'm sorry I don't know how it happened," he says, then starts pacing back and forth, "You know me, I never caught feelings for anyone, but for Joshua, it's different. I just wanna be with him all the time, hear about his day, tell him about mine, I want to hold his hand, stroke his hair, take him out, he's just-" he stops and looks at Seungcheol helplessly, "He's so adorable,"

Seungcheol stares at him with an open mouth, "So you're saying, now you don't only want to sleep with him?"

"Uh, y-yeah, something like that, I..." Jeonghan says, "...want to date him, not for my pleasures,"

"You have to ask for my permission first,"

Jeonghan looks at him with a mono face, "Do I have your permission?"

"No,"

"You're such a toxic cousin, you know that? It's his life, you don't get to choose," Jeonghan blurts, then pleads, "I won't harm him, I promise,"

Seungcheol exhales, "You're not seeing, Jeonghan. You like him, but do you think Joshua likes you back?"

"Oh?" Jeonghan's face grew serious, but he threw his next words, "Let me just ask him out, what if he does? You said minus 99, there's still a minus 1 percent chance,"

"What have you done for him to like you?" Seungcheol asks.

"Um . . ." Jeonghan tries to remember all his moments with Joshua. I hypnotized him, kissed him, made him forget, kissed him again next time, then again made him forget, then hypnotized him to be my boyfriend. Fuck, he didn't have any real moments with me, they all were fake. "Nothing?" he answers.

"See?" Seungcheol shrugs, "It's better me saying no than him rejecting you on your face,"

"Please help me, Cheolie," he begs, "I want to be his boyfriend. What do I have to do to make him like me?"

Seungcheol broods over it for a few seconds, then says, "You'll have to keep him happy always,"

"I will,"

"Don't force him to do what he dislikes,"

"I won't,"

"Stop screwing and sleeping around with half the population. And-" he raises a finger, "-quit smoking and drinking too, clear your fridge from all the alcohol, stop inviting chicks to your house, and throw out all the sex toys or any shit related to that,"

"Gross, dating is terrible," Jeonghan says disgustingly, "Sorry, I'm dropping this idea, it's no fun,"

"I'm changing myself, you know?" Seungcheol mimics him and grabs his bag from the bench, "Then keep your ass away from him," he says going toward the exit, "You won't like what happens when you do something he doesn't like,"

"Huh?" Jeonghan says picking up his stuff and going behind him, "What do you mean by that? I can't follow you,"

"Nevermind, it's better you don't follow. I don't trust your mischievous brain,"

"Whatever," he rolls his eyes. "Anyway, did you talk to Joshua about his sleeping schedule?"

"No, I couldn't. Didn't have the chance. He slept in the car, then I dropped him at his home, and now it's the weekend, so I couldn't see him yet. But don't worry, he has had plenty of rest," Seungcheol replies, then speaks again after a short pause, "He's always been like that, you know? Hard-working," he looks at Jeonghan, "Quite opposite of you,"

"Are you mocking me?"