The Whispers (Underworld 6) VK

12: Date Night

Moonbin sat across from Seungkwan at a cozy little cafe near campus, staring curiously at his friend, who was glancing around the room every few seconds like he was expecting someone. The warm smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, mingling with the soft hum of chatter and the faint sound of indie music playing in the background. It was the perfect atmosphere for a quiet evening.

But Moonbin couldn't shake off the confusion.

"Okay," he finally said, leaning forward with a playful grin. "I'm just going to ask—why am I here?"

Seungkwan, still scanning the cafe, didn't even look at him. "Moral support."

Moonbin raised an eyebrow. "Moral support? For what? You're the one with a date. I'm just... here. Like a third wheel. The invisible backup guy."

Seungkwan finally turned to look at Moonbin, rolling his eyes in dramatic fashion. "First of all, you're never invisible, Moonbin. You're literally the human version of sunshine."

Moonbin blinked, momentarily stunned. "Thanks... I think?"

"And second of all," Seungkwan continued, "I need you here in case my date is a total disaster. You know, a quick escape plan. If things go south, I'll text you, and you swoop in with some genius excuse to get me out of here."

"Uh-huh," Moonbin nodded, clearly amused. "But you don't think it's weird that I'm just... here, hanging out in the background while you're on a date?"

"Who cares?" Seungkwan waved his hand dismissively. "You'll blend right in. It's a cafe, people come here to study and chill all the time. No one's going to think twice about it. Just be cool."

Moonbin chuckled, shaking his head. "Right, because I'm so good at being cool."

Seungkwan shot him a look. "You are cool. You just don't know it."

Before Moonbin could respond, Seungkwan's eyes lit up. "Oh, there he is!" He hissed in excitement, sitting up straighter in his seat. His date had just walked through the door, looking around for him.

Moonbin followed Seungkwan's gaze, spotting the guy—a decent-looking student with a clean-cut style and a friendly face. "Well, he doesn't look like a disaster," Moonbin commented.

"Not yet," Seungkwan muttered under his breath, taking a deep breath as he stood up to greet his date. Moonbin stayed seated, trying to look as casual as possible.

Seungkwan and his date exchanged pleasantries, and soon enough, they were seated at the table, the date introducing himself as Jinyoung. Moonbin, feeling a little awkward, pretended to be deeply interested in his phone, though he couldn't help but overhear the conversation.

To his surprise, the date was going... pretty well.

Jinyoung was polite and attentive, asking Seungkwan questions about his studies and hobbies. Seungkwan, for his part, was surprisingly charming—his usual sass and wit balanced out by moments of genuine interest in what Jinyoung had to say. They laughed a few times, shared a couple of anecdotes, and generally seemed to be enjoying each other's company.

Moonbin, who had initially expected to be Seungkwan's lifeline, was now just sitting there, sipping his iced latte and trying not to feel like a total third wheel.

At one point, Seungkwan caught Moonbin's eye and gave him a thumbs-up under the table, signaling that things were going well. Moonbin responded with a grin, silently cheering him on.

But of course, because it was Seungkwan, things couldn't stay smooth for too long.

About halfway through the date, the conversation shifted to something innocuous—favorite childhood memories, or something like that. Jinyoung was telling a story about how he once accidentally set off a fire alarm at summer camp, and Seungkwan was laughing so hard he accidentally knocked his glass of water off the table.