stylist°n.jm

chapter thirteen: cloud nine

Deiji sits nervously in the private restaurant room. Her heartbeat so intense, it shakes her figure and she exhales deeply.

Jaemin was prepared- he had reserved a room in a cozy and quiet restaurant further away from the busy city.

A place where modernity and antiquity is mixed and most importantly, where there aren't many prying eyes.

Deiji scans the small but comfortable space, feeling warm inside and out with all the homey decorations.

Frilly designs, knitted blankets and pillows here and there, even the curved couch she sits on is fluffed up and soft.

It's like a tiny cottage.

Knock, knock.

Her heart explodes at the sudden noise after moments of undisturbed silence and she clears her throat.

"Yes?"

Upon hearing her voice, the other slides the door open and though his eyes are covered, the tight-lipped grin he wears is enough to tell his identity.

"I'm here," Jaemin says and takes off his cap, freeing his soft, silky hair to fall smoothly over his ears and eyes. Gentle gaze tenderly fixed on her as they hold a playful but sincere spark.
"Deiji."

THUMP!

Her heart's gone crazy.

"You look great," she compliments him, not knowing how else to respond after he's blown her circuit of rationality.

"Thank you," Jaemin chuckles and slides himself onto the curved couch but not too much as to not pop her little bubble.

Though, she wishes he did.

Deiji flips open the menu when he suddenly says,

"You look beautiful, as always."

Her head springs up but he's as calm as usual, eyes fixed on his own menu while she's facing him, trying her best not too turn into a hot mess of a blob.

"Thank you," she simply responds and focuses (tries to) back on the cuisines, oblivious to Jaemin who's now observing her with a wide grin stretched at the sight of her flushed cheeks.

-

"Why is he all smiley? I'm getting scared," Haechan comments while staring at Jaemin with wide owl eyes.

Renjun shifts his gaze between them. "I'm more scared of you. When was the last time you blinked?"

"He came back from an outing..." Jeno says slowly and quietly. Being closest to Jaemin, the latter tells him a lot but the only difference this time is-

"But he didn't tell me with who."

The other two look at him with confused expressions- eyes rounded and lips in an 'O.'

"But he usually tells. He doesn't usually go out so when he does, he always makes sure to tell us with wh— Oh," Renjun suddenly realizes and a glint sparks in his eyes.
"He went on an 'outing' aka.date."

  "DATE??" Haechan blurts and gets the Renjun Spicy Slap Supreme to his mouth- lips stinging and he hisses at the pain inflicted by the flying palm. A glare's shot at Renjun who gives zero fuc—

  "Don't announce it to the whole world, genius," Renjun whisper shouts with sass, eyes not straying from the youngest of DREAM's 00' liners.

  "Yeah, right. As if he can actually hear me from cloud nine," Hyuck scoffs and his words ring true. Jaemin didn't hear a single peep from them from
being too immersed in his reminiscences- reliving his sweet moments with Deiji over and over again.

  The other three continue watching before the oldest of the bunch slowly has his brows in a soft furrow.

  He has a feeling- a scary feeling that things are going too smoothly. True that it's Jaemin's first date with Deiji but that tiny anxiety gnawing on Renjun's heart is starting to multiply.