Unexpected Journey || Hoonsuk AU

Chapter 44 : My unexpected journey

"Will you stop staring at me?" Hyunsuk asked as he noticed the other male's intense gaze on him. Jihoon snapped his head up to look at Hyunsuk.

"I'm not looking at you," he said, in a rather obvious lie. He was true, looking at the male sitting across from him. He looked beautiful in the evening sunlight that filtered through the window behind him. His hair shone like gold, his eyes were warm and inviting, and his lips slightly curved into a playful smile when he saw Hyunsuk looking back at him.

Jihoon looked away, feeling flustered and embarrassed by the fact that he had been caught. "I didn't mean to stare," he mumbled, hoping it sounded sincere. A blush crept up his face again, though he did not want to admit to anyone what exactly had made his cheeks flush. Jihoon trying to be subtle in his admiration of the handsome boy sitting across from him wasn't working out for him so far.

Hyunsuk laughed softly. "You're so cute,"  he teased with a grin.

Heat rose to Jihoon's ears and neck once more. He can't believe this is happening. His heart was pounding in his chest, and his palms began sweating profusely. His breath became shallow and labored as Hyunsuk sat in front of him, grinning at him with an amused expression.

"Hyung, how dare you teased me,"  Jihoon finally managed to say with a shaky voice. It came out sounding more like a whine than anything else.

Hyunsuk just smiled wider as he watched the younger man struggle to maintain composure. His heart swelled in his chest at the sight of Jihoon getting all worked up over him. He forgets when is the last time he ever got such a reaction from someone interested in him.

"Are you free tomorrow?"  Hyunsuk asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Jihoon asked, startled out of his thoughts. "Oh yeah. I'll be available," he answered after clearing his throat. The nervousness he felt earlier was gone now, replaced by a strange mixture of excitement and nervousness.

"Great." Hyunsuk smiles brightly. His eyes curved into little crescents, and his little dimples showed.

It took everything in Jihoon to stay in his seat, not leaning forward towards the older male. If he moved any closer, he might do something he would regret later on. He quickly clear his throat before he could think about kissing Hyunsuk right there at their shared table. "Well then, I guess I should get going," Hyunsuk said standing up from his chair.

"Wait! Let me walk you out," Jihoon blurted out, surprising himself. He tried to ignore the way his hand automatically reached out and grabbed Hyunsuk's arm to pull him along. Hyunsuk raises his head to look at Jihoon, a surprised expression on his face. Hyunsuk let out another chuckle again and nodded. Receiving the green light from the older, Jihoon lead them both outside the restaurant with his hand still wrapped around Hyunsuk's arm. They both walked down the busy street together, heading towards the taxi stand. When they arrive at the spot where the taxis are parked, they both paused.

"So..." Jihoon said. He was about to say something else, but the words wouldn't come out, leaving him at a loss for words. His fingers started twitching nervously, and he cursed himself internally for being so nervous.

"Can I... have your... phone number? It's... it's for tomorrow... W-we need to..."

Jihoon stammered, his cheeks heating up at the thought of saying these things to the other male. To his surprise, Hyunsuk giggled. Jihoon raised a brow at the sudden sound coming from Hyunsuk. Hyunsuk gave Jihoon a reassuring smile.

"Of course. Here you go," Hyunsuk replied reaching into his pocket to retrieve his phone, and handing it to Jihoon.

Jihoon stared at Hyunsuk, his hands slightly shaking as he reached for the phone from the other male's grasp. Taking the phone on his own, he typed in his number and handed it back to Hyunsuk.