Play it Cool - Soonhoon

3

His hand went to the dog tags that night, rethinking the conversation he had with Jihoon in the car. He seemed determined to make him his boyfriend. Soonyoung was flattered, of course he was, but a part of him felt things were too fast. What need did Jihoon see in asking him so out of the blue? Couldn't he have tried courting him. It seemed like the most logical thing. He could have taken his time with it, maybe a month or two before he was having them go steady. But not even one night together and he was asking for commitment. It was odd to say the least.

He heaved a great sigh, the sound grabbing Minghao's attention. "What's up with you?"

"Do you remember the guy I was dancing with Friday night?"

"The short one, yeah. There wasn't much too him- Ow!" Soonyoung had flung a pillow at his roommate. Known of him for one day and already starting with the short jokes. Soonyoung went over to his roommate, brandishing the dog tags Jihoon had given him. Minghao's eyes went wide. "Where'd you get this?!" He reached for them, eyes raking over the inscription and feeling the cool metal between his fingers. "Do you have any idea who these belong to?"

"Lee Jihoon?" He offered because Minhgao's reaction threw him off.

"Don't you know who he is!?" Again, Soonyoung was left without a clue. "He's the notorious gangster with the bad reputation! He once killed a man for giving him a funny look." Soonyoung made a funny face.

"You're telling me the guy you just made a short joke about is a gangster?" At that, Minghao's eyes were wide as saucers.

"THAT WAS HIM?" He jumped off his bed, opening his laptop and pulling up a search engine. "No way that was him." He seemed to really want to believe it. He typed for a few minutes, clicking his mouse pad before a gasp escaped his lips. "IT IS! IT IS HIM!" The picture Soonyoung was met with was of Jihoon, dressed in black suit, but with lighter hair. He was surrounded by the two strangers from earlier as well as three other men who made up his tail. Soonyoung read the title of the article out loud.

"Gang Leader Found Innocent on the Charge of Tax Evasion. Well guess we know he does his taxes." Minghao smacked his arm, Soonyoung hissing. "Hey, no need to hit."

"This man is trouble, I can't believe that was him." Minghao said, still confused. "I'd only heard stories. A man with a haunting glare, one so deadly it could kill." Soonyoung thought back to his features at the night of the club, somewhat remnant of that. But he had something else in his eyes that night. Something like lust. Soonyoung shook his head. "I would have never imagined someone of that stature could be so frightening." This time Soonyoung hit Minghao.

"Look maybe we have it twisted, maybe he's not all that bad?" Soonyoung wanted a reason to believe that Jihoon was not as maleficent as Minghao seemed to think he was. He was a little cold, Soonyoung could give him that, but he didn't seem like the type to brutally murder. Soonyoung was just so confused.

"Whatever the case, I don't think you should get involved." Minghao warned, shutting his laptop and picking up his wallet. "Now, I'm craving a burger- want to come with me?" Soonyoung thought Minghao had a point, but another part of him was curious, wondered a lot about Jihoon and what it all meant. Was he really a gang leader? And if he was, why did he want to date him? Jihoon could have anybody, what was so special about him?

When the three days were up, Jihoon was more chalant about his tactics, coming up behind Soonyoung as he was on his way to his dorm.

"Did you think it over?" He questioned, his sidekicks right behind him as he spoke to Soonyoung. Soonyoung stopped in his tracks, sighing because even with the three days he still wasn't sure.

"I tried." He supplied, honestly stalling for time. He slipped off the dog tags, ready to hand them back to Jihoon.. "I'm flattered really, but I think-" Jihoon raised his hand, cutting off Soonyoung before he could verbally deny him.

"Keep them, I don't intend to give up on you." He snapped his fingers, one of his boys running to Soonyoung and searching his slim frame.

"Hey! Hey!" Soonyoung wriggled as the boy fished his phone out of his pocket. His phone was handed to Jihoon who easily unlocked it (Soonyoung didn't have a password) and his fingers glided across the screen. Moments later, Jihoon handed him his phone with a sly grin.

"Let's do something tonight, I'll text you." And then they were gone, leaving a very confused Soonyoung in their wake.

Soonyoung didn't honestly think much of it until night fall, when his phone buzzed with a new message. I'll be outside your dorm in twenty minutes be ready. He read the message again and again. It was saved as Jihoon and Soonyoung knew that it was Lee Jihoon, but maybe he was just seeing things, maybe it was all an illusion, some very strange delusion.

But twenty minutes later there was a knock on his door and he was very glad that Minghao was at the library or else he'd be hearing a mouthful about the short boy outside his door. True to his word, Jihoon had arrived promptly in twenty minutes, but Soonyoung being Soonyoung, still had the faintest idea that maybe this wasn't really happening. But Jihoon was regarding him with that cold gaze, questioning his attire. "Are you leaving like that?" Soonyoung looked at his plaid pajama bottoms and worn white t-shirt.

"Uh..." Jihoon sighed, stepping in, much to Soonyoung's surprise.

"Ten minutes is all I can give you or else we'll be late." Soonyoung stood frozen for a minute or two, wasting the extra time he was given. It wasn't until Jihoon stared at him again that he got to bustling, running over to his wardrobe and grabbing a semi decent outfit to change into.

In the bathroom, he stared at his reflection. How did he get into this situation? The dog tags were visible as he stared at himself and he swallowed visibly. What had he gotten himself into?