This Friend | Yeonbin

43

Soobin P.O.V

So my first date was a disaster.

It’s totally mortifying. I can’t stop thinking about it and cringing. But maybe I should’ve expected this. I am, you know, myself. And maybe it’s possible my expectations were too high.

This isn’t a movie. In real life first dates don’t have to be perfect.

It’s just I thought my first date with Yeonjun would be. And it wasn’t. At all. That means something. I think it means something to him, too, as it’s been nearly a week, and I haven’t heard from him.

Maybe he’s just giving me space, though. I know I wasn’t the coolest. The hard part is I can see where he’s coming from. Still, I don’t think trusting him with info about my family is the best idea.

I truly don’t know what to do.

Ugh.

Boys, man. They’ll be the death of me.

I pull my pillow out from under me and quietly scream into it.

My phone chimes. I freak out. Every time in the past week that I’ve gotten a notification, I’ve had this feeling that something world-changing is about to happen. That it’s going to be him on the other end.

But so far, the messages have been from other people. Taehyun, Cassidy. I stare up at the ceiling. It’s not going to be him who messaged me.

The anticipation becomes too much, so I lift my phone.

And holy crap.

It’s from him. Finally.

Hey, want to see a movie later?

I swear I can hear harps playing. Or something.

I don’t even care what the movie is. I’d go see Transformers or something. I’d see anything with him.

I’m beaming as I type out my response:

Obviously, yes.

When we get to the movie theater, he opens the door for me. It’s nearly empty inside, and we join the small line in front of the ticket booth. This cinema is decorated in this cool art deco style.

I glance around, making sure I don’t recognize anyone. Yeonjun doesn't  seem to care, which strikes me as odd.

He walks up to the ticket booth and buys two tickets before I can protest. He makes his way back and hands one to me.

“Do you want snacks?” he asks.

“I mean, always.”

“Good answer.”

He reaches into his pocket to pull out his wallet, but I stop him. “I can get them, you’ve paid for a bunch. What do you want?”

“You should be able to guess.” He grins.

“Come on, you know this, Mr. Movie Buff,” he says. “They’re the only acceptable movie snacks.”

“Popcorn and a Coke?”

“Bingo.”

“Um, you’re forgetting about Junior Mints,” I say.

“Wait, you actually like them? I thought they were just for grandpas?”

“That’s Werther’s. Junior Mints are the best. When was the last time you tried them?”

“I can’t even remember.”

“Want to?”

“Hell yeah.”

He grins.

I buy two medium combos, and a pack of Junior Mints, and we walk upstairs. A girl takes our tickets and rips them in half. As we walk down the hall, I see a poster for the movie we’re seeing: The Tower.

The poster shows two buff guys in front of a steel-blue background. Maybe fittingly, they’re both totally blue steel–ing it.

It sinks in that this is a gay movie, so people could assume that Yeonjun and I are on a date. I think we pass as friends normally, but here, maybe not.

We enter the theater, and see that the trailers have already started. It’s playing one starring a straight white dude in his midforties who’s a secret agent or something. I dunno, it’s one of the dozens they make that are basically the same each year.

One of the ones that might as well be called TESTOSTERONE. We make our way up the steps and sit in the very back row, a little to the side. The theater is maybe three-quarters full. The roof has this cool golden pattern on it, and the walls are red and black. There’s a reason I suggested this cinema; it’s by far the coolest in the city.

I open the Junior Mints and offer them to him, rattling them. He takes the box and tries a handful, then smiles.

“What do you think?” I ask.

“You’re right,” he says. “These are, like, way too good. Totally not just for grandpas.”

Success!

“Right?”

He pulls them away, so I have to reach over and grab the box to take them back. We wrestle for a second, then we remember we’re in public and settle, both smiling.

The movie is about this guy who interns at a new tech company, only to discover that the people he’s working for are incredibly evil.

The main actor is really cute, an ex-Disney star I think, and there’s a weird number of shots of him stressing about his life in a futuristic shower. The camera lingers on his newly crafted abs multiple times, which I appreciate.

But I’m sitting next to Yeonjun, and I’ve got a massive sugar high from the Junior Mints, so it’s hard to focus on the movie.

I turn and look at him. His profile is lit up by the screen. He looks like the lead from an old classic, like the ones who had to keep who they liked a secret to be leading men.

He catches me looking, then his hand brushes the back of my palm.

He moves a little, close enough that his leg is as close to mine as it can be without actually touching. Still staring forward, he offers his hand to me.

I take it.