Charmer // Hyunlix

14 - Comfort

It was now Friday. Chan, Changbin, and Jisung have been able to write and compose an original song for the boys to sing and dance to in the span of five days. They have already informed the boys that they will all need to meet at Chan's house on Saturday to finish the song together. 

Meanwhile, Felix and Hyunjin have been spending a lot of time together. Granted, the past three days has just been them studying together in the school library (sometimes accompanied by the other boys), but they have enjoyed it nonetheless!

However, since it was now Friday, the pair decided to walk downtown and jump around to different shops. They mainly wanted to visit the antique store that Hyunjin got Felix's ring from. Hyunjin had mentioned the shop to Felix when they discussed what they wanted to do on  this day, and Felix wanted to check it out. And Hyunjin secretly wanted to see the store owner and speak to him about something.

The day was cold, reminding everyone that winter was near. However, the sun was shining brightly in the sky, which lifted the mood. 

Bouncing down the sidewalk, Hyunjin and Felix made their way downtown towards the antique store. Once they arrived, they opened the door to find the store owner sitting behind the counter reading a book. 

The old man lifted his head, a smile quickly growing on his face once he saw Hyunjin. He laid the book on the table, greeting the pair with a friendly, "Hello!"

Hyunjin and Felix bowed to the man, returning his "hello." 

"Who do you have with you today?" the old man asked, looking up at Hyunjin. 

"Ah, this is Felix! He's the friend that you helped me find a gift for," Hyunjin explained. 

Felix smiled and bowed again before holding out his hand towards the old man, showing him the ring. 

"Ah, yes!" the old man confirmed, fixing the position of his glasses on his face. Looking up at Felix, he asked, "So you like it then, yes?"

Felix nodded, answering, "Yes, very much!"

"Well, if you like that, then I'm sure you'll enjoy the rest of my store," the old man chuckled.

Felix chuckled along, agreeing, "I'm sure I will!"

The old man gestured towards the contents of the store, and the pair began their walk through the aisles of antiques. 

At some point, however, when Felix was focused on a section at the back of the store, Hyunjin quietly snuck away to the front. 

The old man had his nose in his book again, but lifted his head when he saw movement out of his peripheral vision. 

"Yes?" he asked, wondering why Hyunjin had suddenly appeared alone. 

"Sir, um, I just wanted to say thank you. You thinking that Felix was my crush really helped me revaluate and realize my true feelings," Hyunjin thanked. 

The old man smirked, asking, "So...you really do have feelings for that boy?"

Hyunjin nodded, smiling sheepishly. 

"Does he know?" the old man asked next. 

Hyunjin nodded again, this time adding, "He...he actually has feelings for me too. But we're taking things slow, since I've never done this before. We're not official but...I wanted to tell you, since you helped me realize my feelings in the first place."

The old man smiled brightly, saying, "Well, I'm honored that you're comfortable enough to tell me." 

The two held eye contact for a moment, Hyunjin feeling thankful for the man, and the old man feeling touched.