This Friend | Yeonbin

41

Soobin P.O.V

Yeonjun is leaning against the pink wall of the Sunshine Diner.

It was his idea for our first date.

It’s the same chain as the one we went to on the night we met, but it’s not the same location. That one is too close to the bar where my family hangs out, which meant I wouldn’t be able to relax.

If it’s even possible to relax on my first-ever date. Or at all, given everything.

I can’t stop thinking about the unknown man Taehyun killed a few nights ago.

Yet we keep pretending we’re just ordinary guys, not involved in the underworld at all. I know we both want that so badly. But still. How long can we keep pretending?

Yeonjun has his earbuds in. He’s nodding his head along to whatever he’s listening to. He’s so damn cute. Even with everything going on, I can’t help but notice that. He’s wearing a casual green button-down, skinny jeans, and sneakers.

I love that he’s wearing a button-down. It nails home that this is a date.

The lot is dimly lit, with most of the light coming from the neon sign on the front of the diner. I weirdly love the mix of neon and nighttime. Something about it is kind of cinematic.

He notices me and raises a hand.

Everything feels so surreal.

I’m on a date. Not only with a boy, but with him. The sweet, gay gamer, who gets me in a way nobody ever has. A freaking star baseball player, who is smart and funny and so damn hot.

But he’s Choi Yeonjun.

How can I keep ignoring that part of him?

But I needed to see him. Even though he’s a Choi, he’s the one person who gets it. Nobody else I know understands how I feel about this world.

Everyone else expects me to be fine with the fact that Taehyun killed someone a few nights ago. I’m supposed to be happy about it, even.

Not Yeonjun, though.

I feel like he gets it. Gets me.

It’s hypnotic.

I climb out of the car.

“You’re early,” I say as I close my car door.

I’m also early, as it’s ten to seven, when we planned on meeting at seven. It’s only just dark out.

“What can I say,” he says, shrugging. “I was excited.”

I get that.

“Me too.”

He walks over and hugs me, which sends a buzz straight to my head. We step away from each other, and through my daze I realize he’s had a haircut since I last saw him.

It’s very militaristic.

“What?” he asks.

“You got a haircut.”

He chuckles, and touches it. “Yeah. Do you like it?”

“It looks so good, dude.”

“Aw, shucks. You’re too kind.”

Inside is similar to the other Sunshine Diner. Complete with the palm tree painting on the wall.

There’s an old jukebox at the far right. It’s playing some old song.

We both sit down at a booth near the back.

“I’ve got to confess something,” he says.

Oh God.

“What?”

He raises a shaking hand. “I’m so nervous. So if I say something weird, let me off the hook, ’kay?”

I laugh. “What are you nervous about?”

“It’s a date, you know? And I want it to be good.”

“Oh, right. I’m nervous about that, too, by the way. So don’t stress.”

I glance around. The place is almost empty. Our company is just the fry cook and the server, plus two customers. One is a balding man who is slouched over a newspaper, drinking a coffee, and the other is a blonde girl.

She has a half-drunk vanilla milkshake in front of her, and her cheeks are wet with tears. I guess she’s been stood up, given how nice her clothes and makeup are.

She catches me looking and gives me a pretty killer death stare.

Rightfully so, I was totally being a snoop.

I have a reason to be, though.

I just want to make sure nobody at the diner knows me. Through the window beside us, I can see the main road, and beyond that, the city skyline. Palm trees line the road, their fronds swaying in the breeze.

“I like this place,” he says. “It’s cooler than the other one.”

“Right? I was thinking the same thing.”

The server refills the guy at the bar’s coffee, and the cook slaps a burger down onto the grill. It starts sizzling.

So here we are.

On a date.