Aquarium of Us

Chapter 1: Unexpected birthday plans

Lee Minho sat on the couch of the new Stray Kids dorm, legs stretched out in front of him, eyes glued to the screen of his phone. The notification he had just received from the manager had left him slightly confused, his brows furrowed as he read the message again: "Han Jisung has planned something for your birthday tomorrow. You'll have the day off."

Minho blinked a couple of times, the words sinking in. Birthday plans? He'd had no idea. In fact, he was sure no one had even mentioned it to him before today. He was so used to spending his birthday in the studio or with the members, laughing and joking around with everyone. But tomorrow... Han Jisung was the one who had something planned?

His mind raced. There had to be some mistake. Han Jisung was not someone who made plans-he was the type who forgot important things like schedules and meetings. Maybe the manager had made a mistake.

"Hey, Jisung," Minho called, standing up and making his way to the kitchen where Han was busy rummaging through the fridge. His back was to Minho as he hummed lightly, and Minho took the opportunity to study him for a moment, as he always did. Han Jisung had this effortless coolness about him, this way of making everything seem lighthearted and carefree, but Minho knew better. They had been around each other long enough to know that Jisung's quirks were not always as light as they seemed.

"Hey, Jisung," Minho said again, this time a little more firmly.

Jisung turned around, smiling at him with his usual energy. "What's up?"

Minho couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was something about Jisung's smile that didn't quite reach his eyes today. He cleared his throat. "The manager just told me that you've planned something for my birthday tomorrow. What's this about?"

For a split second, Jisung's eyes widened. He blinked rapidly, lips parting as though he was about to say something, but then quickly closed his mouth. He looked away for a moment before laughing awkwardly. "Ah... about that. I... I totally forgot about it, actually."

Minho's heart skipped a beat, and though his face remained neutral, something inside him dropped. "You forgot?" he repeated, a little more stiffly than he intended. "You-forgot?" He didn't mean to sound upset, but the words escaped him without thinking.

Jisung chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, I know. I'm such an idiot, right? But hey, we're still friends, right? I mean, it's just a birthday. It's not like I'm planning a huge thing." His tone was light, but Minho could feel the tension between them now, like the air was thick with unspoken things.

Minho swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. Friends. Right.

He knew that was what they were supposed to be-just friends. They had spent so much time together over the years, and their chemistry had only deepened. But as much as Minho tried to push the feeling down, there was always this gnawing sense in the pit of his stomach that told him it was more than that.

Still, Minho smiled and nodded, trying to shake off the strange feeling. "It's okay," he said, his voice coming out softer than he intended. "Really. Don't worry about it."

Jisung's gaze flickered toward him again, his expression unreadable for a moment before he seemed to brighten. "But hey, if you don't mind... I could still take you out tomorrow. Like, maybe to the aquarium? It's pretty quiet there, and I know you like the ocean and stuff." His tone was hopeful now, and Minho could see the sincerity behind his words.

Minho hesitated, his heart suddenly racing at the thought of spending the day with Jisung, alone, just the two of them. The aquarium. That sounded... perfect.

"Sure," Minho replied, a smile tugging at his lips despite the confusion still swirling in his chest. "The aquarium sounds great. Let's do it."