flower boy | seungjin

08

"Hope I didn't keep you waiting."

Seungmin's foot slips off his skateboard, almost sending it rolling down the street, if it weren't for Hyunjin stopping it just in time.

"Thanks," he says, quickly grabbing it back. "And no, I just got here."

They walk side by side across the front of the restaurant, with Hyunjin pulling the door open in front of them and letting Seungmin pass through. He slips his skateboard into a rack by the door, and by then Hyunjin has paused by his side. "I come here all the time," Seungmin says, unable to help the ghost of a smile on his face. "It's like my happy place - well, here and the skate park."

They sit down opposite each other at a table. Seungmin settles back into the chair, kicking his legs under the table. Hyunjin fiddles with the hem of his t-shirt, trying to think of something to say. Finally he remembers the skateboard that Seungmin had been carrying.

"You didn't hit me as a skateboarder," he says.

Seungmin shrugs, "Everyone says that to me." He looks at Hyunjin, drawing one leg up onto the seat in front of him, "Have you ever tried?"

Hyunjin shakes his head. "Never crossed my mind. Could you teach me?"

Letting out a breath of disbelief, Seungmin scoffs and picks up the menu, burying his nose in it. "Don't get ahead of yourself." Letting out a laugh, Hyunjin also scans the menu. 

Although Seungmin seemed so interested in it a minute ago, he barely glances at the words on the page, waiting for Hyunjin to look down before lifting his head. The truth is, he doesn't need to look at the menu - he has the same meal each time he eats here - and was using it to cover up the heat that he could feel on his cheeks. Thankfully, Hyunjin doesn't notice.

"What would you recommend?" Hyunjin asks.

After a moment of thought, Seungmin leans across the table and points something out. "The ribs are really good, but I'd say have them with sweet potato wedges instead of fries - they do them with spices and garlic and they're the best." Hyunjin finds himself agreeing - despite having never tried sweet potatoes - and after a couple of minutes someone comes over.

"Seungmin! How many times have you been here in the last week?" 

Instantly, a wave of embarrassment passes over Seungmin's face, and he drops his hand into his hands. The person who ran up to them, a guy who looks like he's in his early twenties, sends a grin to Hyunjin. Not sure what else to do, Hyunjin smiles back.

"Jae, you're humiliating me."

The man - Jae - rolls his eyes. "So? You trying to impress your date?"

Seungmin takes his head out from his hands, and sends a hard glare to Jae. In a huff, he quickly says their order and pushes him away, Jae's laugh echoing through the diner as he disappears. 

Hyunjin watches the ordeal with a smirk on his lips. "Friend?"

"Unfortunately." 

By the time Jae returns with their food - obviously holding back from saying something else to annoy Seungmin - the two of them have found out little things about each other: how long Seungmin's been skateboarding for (7 years), their favourite colours, and of course Seungmin didn't pass up the opportunity to moan about his roommate. 

They start eating, and Hyunjin is pleasantly surprised by how nice the food is. "So," he says. "How did you end up in New York?"

After a mouthful of pasta, Seungmin hums. "Well, I wanted to go to Oxford for university, but I didn't quite make it in. So Jae convinced me to come here."