dare | jeongcheol ✔︎

03: coincidence?

"we should hang out more often together, you seem like a nice friend!" seungcheol sipped on his coffee as he grinned at jeonghan.

"don't you have your own friend group? i don't think i'm as fun as they are," jeonghan laughed. he was being honest though. he didn't expect the choi seungcheol to accept his offer of going to the cafe.

"don't say that! you can join us, but beware, there's a tiger -hamster in our friend group," he warned playfully. jeonghan giggled in response. the purity and sincerity in his laugh made seungcheol just stare at him, not in a creepy way though. it was indescribable. he didn't feel this before, his gaze just wandering around—admiring his features.

before anything, he snapped himself back to reality to prevent looking like a freaking creep in front of a guy he barely knows.

after a while when they finished their beverages, seungcheol asked, "anyway, it's getting late soon, we should get back. i'll follow you back home," just when seungcheol realised how wrong that sounded, he rephrased. "no, no! i meant like walk you back home. it's late and stuff so i just wanna make sure you're safe."

he regretted explaining the reason as it sounded way weirder to himself than it was suppose to be. jeonghan is a classmate he never talked to and suddenly over a mini coffee date, seungcheol acts as if they are a couple or something, making sure jeonghan is 'safe back home.'

or is it just an instinct to act as a caring friend? heck, seungcheol doesn't even know if they could be labelled as 'friends', just because they went on a coffee date once. his mind was in a mess. question marks clouded his head which made him feel sick.

why am i even pondering so much about this?

"it's fine, you don't have to," jeonghan replied with his eyes slightly widened upon hearing the reason. not going to lie, he was taken aback about how he was worried for him. was it his friendly instincts that he does to everyone he's close with?

though seungcheol did have many second thoughts about jeonghan misunderstanding him as a creep, he still wanted him to be safe back home.

"nope, i really insist- i mean if you find it uncomfortable i can leave-" seungcheol slightly panicked, hearing himself and how forceful he might have sounded. jeonghan smiled and cut him off, "don't worry, since you insisted, i'm more than fine with it." jeonghan was over the moon in all honesty. he wasn't really sure why too. was it a crush? or just happy he met a friend? he was still figuring everything out—he didn't fall in love ever in his life before, so he was in confusion.

...

"you live in this building?" seungcheol asked statrng at the tall grey building in front of him, with his hands in both pockets, bag slung on his left arm. the whole walk was silent, comfortable silence. none of them felt pressured to keep talking or continue the conversation, so it was kind of healing too—having company.

"yeah, is that very surprising?" jeonghan raised his brows with a slight curl of smile on his lips. he couldn't help but just smile at seungcheol. everything he does just make his lips curve upwards and make him want to spend more time with him.

seungcheol just responded with a nod and a smile, not replying.

once they reached the lobby, jeonghan looked at his watch. 10.37pm. he suddenly remembers that seungcheol had to go home too. "you should go home now, it's quite late too." seungcheol's dimples formed as he broke in a smile.

"i live here too, on level 25." jeonghan's eyes widened in disbelief as he processed what the other said. in response, he muttered, "i live at level 25 too."

...

"oh, do you live alone?" the black-haired boy asked as jeonghan typed in his passcode to enter his home. he nodded in response and opened the door, preparing to throw his shoes off and lie on his couch.

"uh..wait! c-can i go in your house to stay for a while? im lonely by myself at my apartment..." seungcheol stopped him before shutting the door on him and whined like a child that made jeonghan break out a soft smile and nodded.

seungcheol loved the sight of his smile. loved. is that the right word for it? his cheeks rises up everytime his lips curl into a grin and seungcheol just wants to pinch those fluffy cheeks and protect him. was he falling for him, already? seungcheol shook off that thought. he might just more creepy to jeonghan if he continues to have these bizarre thoughts.

jeonghan push the door revealing his living room to the other. his apartment was super neat and tidy with books lined up nicely on the shelves, everything kept nicely in the drawers and cabinets. "how is your apartment so neat? could never be me," seungcheol's eyes wandered around his apartment with his mouth slightly open in awe.

"it's really nothing to be honest, have a seat," jeonghan laughed abit as he saw how stunned he was. i would want to visit his apartment too..

...

"oops, i'll get going now," seungcheol glanced at this watch, which showed 11.34pm. "have a good rest hannie!"

hannie? jeonghan was taken aback once again. he tried to hide his blushed cheeks at the nickname given by the other. why was seungcheol constantly making him feel like this?

seungcheol leaves to go the apartment opposite jeonghan's, biding him goodbye and a good night.

"he's so cute whenever he whines." jeonghan mumbles to himself. his head then perks up on his own thought. "wait, i sound like i like him." and a moment of silence. "...do i? nah, even if i do, he'll won't like me back anyway. no way i'm gonna let myself go through those hurtful rejections."

—
(edited)

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