Set to Fail // Minsung (BOOK 1 OF 2 'SET SERIES')

STF 11

"Sorry, I can't stay for the full team dinner," jisung said, stuffing his hoodie over his head, voice half-guilty, half-exhausted. "My sister's dog is sick."

no one questioned him. honestly, no one had the energy to. it had been a fourteen-hour shoot. most of them were already emotionally dead inside. the fact that he even bothered to make an excuse was more effort than required. so jisung dipped out quietly, hoodie up, earbuds in, heart hammering because... he wasn't going home.

minho left five minutes later. chan raised a brow.

"You're not staying?"

minho shrugged. "Got an appointment."

"With?"

minho didn't answer. chan grinned, holding a thumbs up. "Suspicious."

minho rolled his eyes and walked off, pulling his hoodie up.

jisung didn't expect to see him there. not in the dim glow of the local theatre lobby. not in front of the snack counter. not with the same awkward i swear i'm not hiding stance and a giant drink already in hand. their eyes met at the exact same time.

jisung blinked. "You said you had an appointment to me in between of the shoot."

minho took a sip of his coke. "Yeah. With a film. Duh."

jisung smiled. "You're so dumb."

"You're here too, liar."

"Okay, first of all, I never said I was going to a vet appointment. Just that the dog was sick."

"That implies you were visiting it."

"Well, maybe I'm... uh emotionally invested in fictional animals."

minho cracked a smile. "Wow. The guilt lies heavy in this one."

jisung laughed, and then, as if it was the most normal thing in the world, minho tilted his head toward the ticket line.

"Wanna watch together?"

jisung's brain said no. his mouth said, "Yeah, okay."

they ended up in row h, seats 11 and 12, right in the middle. it was a quiet drama film, some tearjerker indie flick about two men navigating grief and love in the countryside. definitely not something either of them usually watched. but it was good. too good. there was a moment thirty minutes in, a character clutching his partner's old scarf, and jisung felt his throat tighten unexpectedly. he tried to hide it. but minho leaned closer and whispered,

"You crying?"

jisung elbowed him lightly. "Shut up."

"I can get you tissues."

"I will suffocate you with your popcorn."

minho's grin didn't fade. halfway through the movie, they reached for the popcorn at the same time. their hands brushed. minho didn't flinch. jisung did. minho kept his fingers there for a second longer than needed, then pulled away with a small, unreadable smile. jisung couldn't look at the screen properly for ten minutes after that.

the movie ended just after midnight. they lingered in the empty lobby, neither quite ready to say goodbye. it was that weird in-between moment—too late to keep hanging out, too early to call it a night. minho leaned against a pillar near the vending machine.

"Hey," he said suddenly.

jisung looked up. "Hm?"

"I overheard something earlier. On set."

jisung tilted his head. "What kind of something?"

minho's expression shifted. serious. just slightly.

"They're thinking of changing the antagonist."

jisung blinked. "Wait-what?"

"Apparently some early test screenings didn't like the old enemy king. Said he felt too stiff. Too one-dimensional."

jisung frowned. "But we've already shot his first five scenes."

"They might scrap those."

"Shit."

minho nodded. "I heard the director saying he was considering a younger, more... unpredictable character. Someone that could add real tension."

jisung didn't say anything for a moment. he looked quietly in front and hummed, "Guess that means new script pages soon."

minho's eyes flickered to him.

"You okay with that?"

"I mean..." jisung shrugged. "As long as they don't change Jaewon and Eunjo's arc."

minho didn't reply right away.

"They won't."

and somehow, the way he said it...jisung didn't bother finishing the thought.

they left through the back exit. no one else around. quiet city night. as they walked down the pavement, shoulders just a little too close, jisung said without looking,

"This doesn't count as a date."

minho smirked. "You sure?"

"I didn't even dress nice."

"You wore the bucket hat."

"It's literally all I own."

"Well," minho said, "you still looked good. You always do"

jisung froze. minho just kept walking.