• Falling For You • |A JongSang love story|

3 - Decisions and Teasing

Yeosang lay on his bed, feet crossed at the ankles, with his laptop resting on his lap. The soft hum of the fan filled the room as he scrolled through job listings, his brow furrowed in concentration. His final semester of college was almost over, and the pressure of finding a job weighed heavily on him. The thought of applying to J-Tech lingered in the back of his mind, but he hadn't made a decision yet.

Seonghwa, Wooyoung, San, and Hongjoong were scattered around his room, lounging on chairs and the floor. It was one of those lazy afternoons where everyone gathered to hang out, talk, and occasionally roast each other. Today, however, Wooyoung had other plans.

"So, Yeosang," Wooyoung began, his mischievous grin already setting off alarm bells in Yeosang's head. "Anything interesting you're looking at on that laptop?"

Yeosang froze, not daring to look up from the screen. "Just... job stuff."

"Oh really? Job stuff?" Wooyoung drawled, leaning over to peer at the screen. "Or is it something more... personal? Like a certain company run by a certain someone?"

Before Yeosang could stop him, Wooyoung snatched the laptop and held it up for the rest of the group to see. The job listing for J-Tech was still open on the screen, and Wooyoung cackled as he pointed it out to everyone.

"Look! He's thinking about applying to Jongho's company," Wooyoung announced gleefully. "Oh, and did I mention that he's got a massive crush on Jongho? Our little Yeosang is smitten!"

Yeosang groaned, burying his face in his hands as the room erupted into laughter.

"A crush? On your café regular?" Seonghwa asked, his tone both teasing and affectionate. "That's adorable!"

"Come on, spill the details!" San chimed in, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. "How long has this been going on?"

"It's not like that..." Yeosang mumbled from behind his hands, his cheeks burning with embarrassment. "I just... admire him, that's all."

Wooyoung wiggled his eyebrows. "Admire, huh? Is that what we're calling it these days?"

Seonghwa chuckled and shifted in his seat, turning to Hongjoong with a playful glint in his eyes. "You know, Hongjoong, I admire you too. Quite a lot, actually."

Hongjoong, who had been casually sipping his drink, nearly choked. His ears turned bright red as he quickly tried to deflect. "We're talking about Yeosang right now! Not... me." He cleared his throat and glanced away, clearly flustered by Seonghwa's boldness.

The others snickered, but Hongjoong quickly steered the conversation back to Yeosang. "So, are you going to apply? You've been talking about getting out of the café for a while now."

Yeosang hesitated, his fingers fidgeting with the edge of his blanket. "I don't know... I mean, it's a big company, and Jongho's... well, he seems nice, but what if it's too much? What if I'm not good enough?"

Seonghwa's expression softened as he leaned closer. "Yeosang, you're more than good enough. You've worked hard, and you deserve to go after what you want. Don't doubt yourself."

San nodded in agreement. "Yeah, man. Plus, it's a good opportunity. You've got this."

"Exactly," Wooyoung added, still grinning. "And if Jongho sees how talented and sweet you are, maybe he'll fall for you, too. Imagine that!"

Yeosang rolled his eyes but couldn't help the small smile tugging at his lips. His friends were always teasing him, but deep down, their encouragement meant a lot. They believed in him, even when he didn't fully believe in himself.

"Okay, okay," Yeosang said, taking a deep breath. "I'll apply. But don't get your hopes up about Jongho. It's just a job."

"Sure it is," Wooyoung said with a wink.

As the conversation moved on to lighter topics, Seonghwa continued to flirt with Hongjoong, who blushed furiously every time Seonghwa got too close. San and Wooyoung exchanged subtle glances, both of them too shy to admit their own feelings for each other, but it was obvious to everyone else.

Yeosang glanced around at his friends, feeling a warmth spread through his chest. Despite their teasing, they were his biggest supporters, and knowing they had his back gave him the push he needed.

Later that night, after his friends had left, Yeosang sat at his desk, staring at the application form for J-Tech. His heart raced as he hovered over the "submit" button.

With one final deep breath, he clicked it.

The next chapter of his life had officially begun.