Next Morning
Jiho slowly stirred awake, stretching under the soft covers. The morning light filtered through the curtains, painting golden streaks across the bedroom. His eyes fluttered open lazily, brain still foggy with sleep.
And then—he froze mid-stretch.
Minjae's face was just inches away.
Sleeping peacefully. Lips slightly parted. Hair tousled in that infuriatingly perfect way that only handsome people can pull off. One arm tucked beneath his cheek, the other somehow—when did this happen?!—wrapped protectively around Jiho's waist.
He looked like he had just stepped out of a beauty commercial, complete with perfect lighting and a soft-focus filter.
Jiho stared, breath caught in his throat.
"Why are you so handsome even when you sleep?" he whispered, fingers itching. "It's like you're posing for someone in your dreams... who even looks like this unconscious?!"
Before his brain could stop his heart, Jiho's fingers reached out, trembling slightly as they brushed through Minjae's impossibly soft hair.
Then his fingertips trailed down to Minjae's perfectly sculpted eyebrows.
"...How can I not fall for you," he murmured, barely audible even to himself, heart hammering.
And just then—
Minjae's lashes fluttered.
Jiho panicked.
"OH SH—" Without thinking, his hand snapped down in a full-blown panic slap to Minjae's cheek.
SMACK!
Minjae's eyes flew open. "WHAT THE—?!"
Jiho gasped, clapping both hands over his own mouth in horror.
Minjae shot upright, his face burning from the slap and sheer confusion. "Did you seriously just slap me—while I was asleep?! What kind of messed-up wake-up call is that?!"
Jiho stumbled backward, nearly tumbling off the bed, words spilling out in a jumbled mess. "I—I didn't mean to! You—you were just—your face was so close—I PANICKED!"
Minjae dramatically pointed at his cheek, eyes wide with betrayal. "Look at my face. LOOK AT IT. How can anyone slap THIS face?!
This is your boyfriend's face, Jiho!"
Jiho squeaked, face burning. "It was a reflex!! I panicked! Your eyes opened and my hand just—just MOVED!"
Minjae narrowed his eyes, clutching his chest. "Reflex?! So now I'm a THREAT?! What am I, a cockroach?!"
"I SAID I'M SORRY!" Jiho wailed, burying his face in his hands.
Minjae pouted, rubbing his cheek like a wounded puppy. "Unbelievable… I should sue for emotional damage. My poor heart—it's shattered. Completely in pieces."
Jiho groaned, pulling a pillow over his face, hoping it might somehow swallow him whole.
Minjae flopped dramatically back onto the bed, arm flung over his forehead, sighing loud enough for the entire apartment complex to hear. Then, he peeked through one eye. "Fine. I'll forgive you, but only if you promise me one thing."
Jiho cautiously peeked out from under the pillow, eyes suspicious. "...What?"
Minjae's pout melted into a smirk, eyes twinkling with mischief. "When I take you out today, you'll behave like a proper boyfriend. No chaos.
No slapping.
No screaming in public."
Jiho blinked slowly. "...You're asking for a miracle."
"Promise me," Minjae sing-songed, suddenly grabbing Jiho's wrist and pulling him closer with surprising strength.
Jiho's breath hitched. Their faces were close again. Too close. He could see the little flecks of gold in Minjae's eyes, count his annoyingly long eyelashes. He sighed in defeat. He was doomed anyway. "Fine. I promise."
Minjae's face broke into a sunshine grin, eyes crinkling at the corners. "Good. I want to show you off today."
Jiho groaned again, falling back onto the bed. "I regret everything already."
Minjae leaned over him, blocking the light, smile turning devilish. "No take-backs!"
---
At Custom Perfume Studio
Jiho stepped into the elegant studio, his nose immediately assaulted by a whirlwind of floral, citrus, and something suspiciously like... guilt?
The room was lined with tiny glass bottles in every color imaginable, dried petals in crystal bowls, and shelves of essential oils with fancy French names Jiho couldn't even begin to pronounce.
He blinked at Minjae, nose scrunching. "Why are we in a flower-scented chemistry lab?"
Minjae grinned, eyes gleaming with that familiar spark of mischief. "Obviously, to teach you how not to flail around like a drowning squirrel."
Jiho blinked, scandalized. "I—excuse me?!"
Minjae suddenly leaned in and pinched Jiho's cheeks like an overly enthusiastic aunt. "Relax, chipmunk. We're making perfumes for each other today. Super romantic, don't you think?"
Jiho swatted his hand away, cheeks puffed out in protest. "Why are we acting like a K-drama couple in episode twelve?!"
Minjae clutched his chest with an exaggerated sigh. "Because I felt like doing something soft and cheesy with my chaotic boyfriend, okay?
Go ahead—sue me for having feelings!"
Jiho scowled, ears turning pink. "I'm not your real boyfriend."
Minjae raised one perfect eyebrow. "Yet."
Jiho hissed like a startled cat. "You're already my biggest headache. Your signature scent? Eau de Chaos."
Minjae smirked, leaning in again with that maddening glint in his eyes. "And yours is pure baby bunny panic… with a hint of citrus and betrayal. Irresistible."
Their bickering was interrupted by a soft-spoken staff member who appeared from nowhere, handing them clipboards and sample strips. "Please choose your base notes first. Then we'll blend them together to create your unique scents."
Jiho grumbled but obediently sniffed every strip, making faces at the ones he hated. When the staff wasn't looking, he sneakily added a drop of vanilla to Minjae's bottle just to annoy him. Minjae retaliated by dropping something spicy and unreasonably woody into Jiho's mixture.
"Is this... cinnamon?" Jiho asked, nose twitching as he sniffed his wrist. "Why does it smell like sexy Christmas?"
Minjae shrugged with an innocent face that wasn't innocent at all. "Just enhancing your natural appeal. It suits you."
Eventually, their customized perfumes were ready, labeled with handwritten names. Jiho's bottle said 'Warning: May Bite'. Minjae's said 'Dangerous Flirt'.
Before Jiho could dodge, Minjae uncapped his bottle and spritzed it onto Jiho's neck with zero warning.
Jiho jerked back, nearly dropping his own perfume. "Yaa! Ever heard of boundaries?!"
Minjae leaned in, inhaling slowly, his breath brushing Jiho's skin. "Mmm... Not bad. But honestly? Your natural scent's nicer. Sweeter."
Jiho's ears turned scarlet. "W–What the hell?! People are literally watching!"
He shoved at Minjae's chest, but the guy only laughed harder, eyes crinkling into mischievous crescents.
"You're adorable when you're flustered. I should bottle that instead—'Essence of Embarrassed Jiho.' Guaranteed bestseller."
---
Later – A Cozy Café Nearby
For five blissful minutes, peace actually existed.
Jiho sipped his hot Americano and nibbled on a slice of chocolate cake like a civilized human being. Across from him, Minjae scrolled through his phone, occasionally glancing up with that soft, annoyingly dreamy look on his face.
Jiho pretended not to notice.
I am a wall. Unbothered. Immune to stupid smiles and heart-eyes.
Then Jiho stood up, muttering something about needing the bathroom.
And that's when tragedy struck.
His foot caught on the table leg. The floor seemed to tilt. And with the most ungraceful flail known to mankind—
Jiho went down.
"AAAAAH—!" he yelped, landing hard on one side. Pain shot up from his ankle.
Minjae leapt to his feet, panic written all over his face. "Jiho?! What happened?!"
Jiho winced, clutching his ankle. "I think I twisted it—I was just going to pee, not die!"
Without hesitation, Minjae crouched down, gently checking his foot. "Yup. Swollen already. You're not walking on this."
"Wait, what are you—MINJAE, NO—"
Too late.
Minjae hoisted Jiho into his arms like a knight rescuing his idiot prince.
"WE'RE IN PUBLIC!" Jiho screeched, trying to squirm out of his grip. "PUT ME DOWN, YOU DRAMATIC LOSER!"
"No time! We have to save your ankle!" Minjae declared, eyes full of fake heroism as he marched toward the door with Jiho flailing like a kicked chihuahua.
"PEOPLE ARE STARING! THIS IS HUMILIATING!"
"Let them stare! I'm taken anyway," Minjae grinned, completely unbothered by the dozen phones now recording their dramatic exit.
Jiho groaned, hiding his face against Minjae's chest despite himself. "I swear to God, if someone posts this on TikTok—"
They reached a nearby bench. Minjae plopped down, still holding Jiho firmly on his lap like the world's most protective boyfriend.
"Can I please sit like a normal human being now?"
"Nope." Minjae crouched beside him, adjusting Jiho's leg carefully across his lap like it was made of glass. "The waiter offered a bag of ice. I blinked at him. Works every time."
Jiho narrowed his eyes. "Why are you like this?"
"Talented. Charming. Resourceful. Hot—"
"Delusional," Jiho muttered, though his heart was absolutely sprinting.
Minjae ignored him, gently lifting Jiho's injured foot and settling it on a folded jacket. Jiho hissed as the cold from the ice pack made contact.
"Did that hurt?" Minjae asked, voice suddenly soft and serious, the teasing gone in an instant.
Jiho bit his lip and looked away. "No… just stings a little."
Minjae's hands adjusted around the ankle with surprising care. "I'll be gentle."
He held the ice pack in place, every motion deliberate and calming. Jiho, unfortunately, was having a full-blown meltdown inside. His heart had vacated its designated space and relocated somewhere wildly inappropriate—like his throat or brainstem.
He looked anywhere but at Minjae.
The crooked café sign. A dented trash bin. That weird cloud shaped like a sock.
Then Minjae murmured, barely louder than the breeze, "You're really cute when you're quiet."
Something short-circuited in Jiho's brain.
Without warning—without permission from any rational part of himself—Jiho reached out, fingers curling into Minjae's collar.Then, in one soft, barely-there motion, he leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to Minjae's cheek. It was warm, hesitant, and fleeting—like a secret he hadn't meant to share.
Minjae went utterly still. Like a startled deer. Or a computer crashing.
Jiho yanked himself back like he'd touched a live wire, horrified. "I—I didn't mean to—YOU MADE ME DO THAT!"
Minjae blinked, rebooting.
Then he smiled.
No. Smirked.
"You're getting bold, Jiho-ya," he said, voice low and far too smug for Jiho's emotional stability.
Jiho groaned like his soul had left his body. "What is WRONG with me?!"
He buried his face in his hands.
---