The Odd Doctor Out | A Drama | S. 1

45 🩺 Kitchen Hugs, the II

Mingi sat next to Yunho on their little cushions at the dance studio, listening to the calming music while San took a class of intermediate contemporary dance. The music was quite ethereal, and tended to have a way of really getting into your ears and ringing there for an eternity.

Yunho leaned over, the movement catching Mingi's attention. He didn't come particularly close, but when Mingi looked at him, he saw his mouth moving, with no sound to add to it.

'What? I can't hear you?' He said back, leaning in a little so that he wouldn't have the same problem.

Yunho chuckled before putting one hand down behind Mingi, and leaning over so much that the back of Mingi's shoulder was against his chest, and his ear was to his lips.

'Does San take this class every week?'

Mingi nodded, leaning back to speak. 'Only once a week, thank god.'

He saw Yunho laugh a little. He leant back, but kept his hand where it was behind them as he navigated on his laptop.

Mingi returned to his work without really noticing much of Yunho's behaviour. About up to his eyeballs in neurology, he had more important things to be thinking about.

Which was why when Yunho leaned back, it startled him a little from his concentration.

Yunho laughed. 'Sorry, did I spook you?'

Mingi took a few deep breaths, laughing, before he leaned back. 'Sorry, was concentrating. What were you going to say?'

He shook his head. 'Never mind. You were in the middle of something.'

'Nono it's fine! I'm having trouble focusing with this god awful music anyway. What were you going to say?'

Yunho leaned over, and just as he did, the music swelled, a crescendo that reverberated off of the walls and made the air seem to vibrate. Yunho leaned closer - so close that his lips brushed the shell of Mingi's ear. Mingi took a very sudden intake of air, immediately glad for the loud music that hid his reaction. He'd been so surprised, but Yunho didn't seem to even notice...

'I was just .......'

Mingi could barely hear, and literally heard nothing of the end of his sentence. He couldn't distinguish any words from his lips, despite literally feeling his breath on his ear.

And so he snapped his laptop closed, turned his whole body and put his lips to the space beside Yunho. 'I can't hear anything. Do you want coffee?'

He nodded, seeming glad to have a reason to leave the room.

Mingi took his wrist and led him towards the back door so as to not disturb the class, and the moment the door shut behind them, they could suddenly hear themselves think. Mingi kept leading him towards a door that led to a little kitchenette with a couch. Only then did he realise he was still holding his wrist.

He let go.

Making his coffee, he turned to Yunho. 'How do you take your coffee?'

'Black, one sugar.'

Mingi nodded. Readying the cups, he then turned and pushed up to sit on the bench in his favourite spot. He watched as Yunho walked over and stood in front of him, leaning against the bench.

'I was wondering why I'd never really been in here before,' Yunho said, looking around. The smell of coffee and steam began to fill the tiny space.

'To the studio?'

Yunho nodded. 'Yeah. I mean, San always spoke about it, but I guess I was too self absorbed to think about actually coming in...'

'Or you just didn't think it was an option?' 🤷‍♂️ He reached over to stir his coffee with his milk.