Then and Now (JinJi)

Part 1

Jinyoung wishes he could blame the heat, but the AC is blasting and everybody else in the room has goosebumps from the cold.

Still, his palms are sweating. Every couple of seconds he has to wipe them against his jeans to keep dry. The shirt sticking to his back is a different story altogether though. He's sitting on a chair that is catty-corner to a couch in the Inkigayo waiting room. And seated on the couch is none other than APink's Bomi.

Also known as the girl of his dreams.

She looks elegant and pretty in an off-shoulder pale pink dress with ruffles on the skirt. Her hair is bobbed and smooth, the edges stop just above her slender shoulders. The exposed skin is lightly freckled, which Jinyoung thinks is cute. She's so close to him that if he moved his knee a little bit, it might skim her leg, so he sits as still and tense as a captured soldier in the enemy's interrogation room.

What's worse is that Bomi hasn't stopped smiling since she came in. When she smiles, her eyes scrunch up into half moons lined by soft, dark lashes, and the corners of her mouth pull up and expose her dainty teeth. She looks so heartbreakingly beautiful that Jinyoung can't help but feel embarrassed just looking at her.

"Sorry, I'm a little nervous," Bomi says diplomatically. "I've done this before, but it's been a while. I might miss a cue or two."

"Oh... just.. It's okay...," Jinyoung says, stammering out a half-formed reply. He smiles and laughs nervously. As tense and still as he is, on the inside, it feels as if his body is rushing in every direction at once. Bomi stares at him expectantly, but seeing that he doesn't seem to have anything else to say, she just laughs.

Say something, idiot, he thinks to himself. His long-time crush is just an arm's reach away and he can't manage to say two words to her. Instead, he sits there, sweating through his clothes. His heart is beating so fast, he feels like it's trying to run away from him.

Bomi starts tapping a foot, and Jinyoung inwardly panics. Oh god, he thinks, she's bored. I should say something to her.

"Usually, Jisoo and Doyoung would... be here by now," Jinyoung says. Bomi looks at him and smiles again.

"Oh, right," she says, looking up from her script. "I'm a little disappointed I won't get to meet Doyoung today. NCT's latest comeback looks impressive. I guess it just means I'll have to come back."

"Oh... yeah, yes... I guess so," Jinyoung says. He rubs his palms against his jeans, wondering where on God's green earth Jisoo could be. She's the more playful, outgoing one in the Inkigayo bunch. If she were here, she'd know what to do to keep Bomi entertained and maybe he wouldn't be sitting here looking like a damned fool in front of his longtime crush.

Almost as if his thoughts had summoned her, the door on the far side of the room opens, and Jisoo strolls in. He doesn't know why he does it, but Jinyoung jumps to his feet the minute he lays eyes on her. The movement startles Bomi. She follows his gaze to the door and sees Jisoo walking in.

Jisoo has already been to the costume department, so she's sporting a pink plaid dress over a white top. It's the same shade of pink as Bomi's dress and the tropical details on Jinyoung's shirt, but it has more of a rustic feel. She still has purple hair like a nebula.

"Hey! Sorry I'm late!" Jisoo says, clutching her script and bowing in apology. She greets Bomi politely and exchanges a few words. Then, she looks at Jinyoung with the same bright smile she wears every week. All of a sudden, Jinyoung's nerves are starting to subside, and his heartbeat calms down. He starts feeling the cool air blowing on his skin again. He's glad Jisoo is here to chase away the tension in the room.