It's Saturday and Harry has decided to join Niall on his morning run. He's joined Niall a few times before and whilst he enjoys going for a run, he enjoys sleeping in a bit more than the former. But since he's in need of an activity that could clear his mind and put things into perspective, he wakes up earlier than he usually would on a Saturday and texts Niall to let him know that he'll be joining him this morning.
Harry and Niall practically live in the same neighbourhood with only a few buildings separating their flats so they agree to meet up at the park, which is slightly closer to Niall's building. Niall is already at the park when Harry gets there and after doing some warm up exercises, they begin their jog.
Five minutes is all it takes for Harry to regret his decision and it's not because he can't keep up with his friend -- oh, he definitely can and he'd like to think that if he puts more effort, he could outrun Niall. But that's not the issue.
The issue is this: Niall can see right through him and is now psychoanalysing him. Something he won't mind on any other days but when your mum did the same thing the day before, you won't be too keen to go through it again with your best friend. At least that's how it is with Harry.
Just when Harry starts to feel the tension and worries he's been carrying around since yesterday start to melt away, Niall breaks the silence between them, "I take it you haven't talked to Min Ji."
Harry simply grunts, wishing that he brought his earphones with him so he could drown out his friend's voice. He runs a little faster but Niall catches up with him within seconds.
"If you didn't want to talk about it you wouldn't have gone for a run with me," Niall points out and Harry hates that he's right. Perhaps despite his reluctance to talk about it, there's a part of him, albeit a tiny part, actually does want to talk about it. It's not ideal because Niall will give him shit first but that aside, he will also give him an advice that more often than not proves to be useful.
...but not now.
"Can we do this when we're not running," Harry requests.
Niall shoots him a look and then nods, "Fine."
They circle the park twice and Niall stays true to his words. He doesn't say anything to Harry, though Harry could tell that he so badly wants to. No words are exchanged until they stop at their starting point earlier which happens to be in front of a bench.
"I know what you're doing, H." Niall says once he's taken a few sips of water from his drinking bottle. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and then runs his fingers through his hair.
Harry has a feeling he's not going to like whatever Niall has to say next but he asks anyway, "What?"
Niall takes a seat on the bench and puts down his bottle next to his thigh. "You're sabotaging yourself."
Harry kinks an eyebrow at him, slightly taken aback by that observation. He also can't lie and say that he's not somewhat offended by that. "How is me not asking Min Ji out on a second date a day after our first date is self-sabotaging?"
"Well, are you gonna ask her out today? Or tomorrow? Or the day after tomorrow? Or--" Harry shoots Niall an exasperated look and that gets him to stop talking. Niall purses his lips together before he continues, "My point is, I know you're not gonna ask her out again even though you clearly like her and that right there is a self-sabotaging behaviour."
"Okay, Dr Horan." Harry snorts, rolling his eyes. But that's all he can think of saying. He brings his bottle up to his lips and takes a few sips, reliving the dryness of his throat. It also helps to clear out the lump in his throat.
Niall has a point. He does like Min Ji (yes, he's accepted that fact now) but he doesn't see a second date happening anytime soon mainly because he's letting his fear take control.
"Look, I'm on your side. Always. And I want the best for you." Niall adds when Harry doesn't say anything else. Harry gives him a half-hearted smile to show his appreciation. "But I think you know deep down that I'm right."
Taking a seat next to Niall, Harry drops his face into his hands and lets out a sigh. Reluctantly, he looks up and groans. "Yeah, I know you're right."
A smug grin touches Niall's lips but it disappears seconds later. "Let's just assume that I'm always right. It's easier that way."
Harry scowls at him but then shakes his head. "So, what now?"
"This is probably a stupid question considering that you obviously like her but... Do you want something to happen between you and Min Ji?" Running his tongue across his lower lip, Harry sheepishly nods. "Then I guess the first step would be to talk to her."
Talk to her. That reminds him of the unanswered text messages. He lets out another groan. He feels like an asshole for not replying.
"I know it's easier said than done but trust me--"
Harry doesn't let Niall finish his sentence. He pulls out his phone from the pocket of his shorts, opens his message thread with Min Ji and shows it to Niall.
Niall takes a minute to read Min Ji's texts and when Harry's sure that he's read it, he puts his phone away. "You left her on read?" Harry nods. He already feels bad about it, he doesn't need anyone else to rub it in his face. "If those messages aren't enough to tell you that she feels the same way then I don't know what will."
"Maybe she's just being nice," Harry says. As soon as those words leave his mouth, Niall smacks his head. He winces in pain. "What the hell was that for?"
"Didn't you hear yourself?" Harry opens his mouth to say something but is cut off immediately before he gets the chance to get a word out. "I'm not sure if we're reading the same thing but those messages tell me that she had a great time with you and imply that she'd love a repeat of it."
Harry unlocks his phone and reads Min Ji's text messages. He reads them again and again and again. I had a great time with you last night. Great time.
"It's not too late to reply, you know." Niall adds. "Or you can follow me to that breakfast place and get some food for Min Ji. You know what, don't think about it. Just come with me."
&&
Why did he let Niall talk himself into this?
Harry is positive that he's worn a hole into the floor with all the pacing he's done in his flat.
He should just go ahead and knock on her door. What's the worst that could happen? Oh, yeah, this: Min Ji could tell him that she's had her breakfast and he'll be forced to eat and finish the food he bought for two all by himself whilst also dealing with the embarrassment that most likely wouldn't go away for weeks (and not to mention, a bruised ego, too).
Before he could talk himself out of this, Harry grabs the brown bag from the coffee table and hurries to the front door. He goes to Min Ji's flat and knocks on the door twice.
Taking a few steps back, he waits for the door to open with bated breath. He can hear footsteps moving towards the door and he's pretty sure his heart nearly jumps out of his chest when he hears the door being unlocked. It puts his mind at peace knowing that Min Ji locks her door because whilst this is a safe neighbourhood, you can never be too safe.
"Harry?" She looks surprised.
Oh God, this is a bad idea, isn't it?
Harry pushes that thought to the back of his mind and puts on a smile on his face. "Hey, I, uh, was wondering if you'd like to have breakfast with me?"
Min Ji doesn't answer straightaway. She glances over her shoulder and Harry almost takes his question back and returns to his flat. She must have company or maybe she already has a plan. Or worse, maybe she's changed her mind about him.
"Okay."
"Okay?"
Min Ji nods, smiling. "Do you wanna go now or?"
"Oh. No. No. I brought breakfast with me." Harry holds up the brown bag he's been holding.
"Oh. Great. Come on in."
Min Ji steps aside to let him in and as Harry walks past her, he catches a whiff of her body wash? Or maybe it's her perfume? He's not sure but he likes it. Good thing he decided to shower before he came over here.
Harry hears the front door clicking shut and follows Min Ji to her kitchen. He finds an empty bowl on the counter with milk and a box of cereal next to it.
"I was just about to have cereal for breakfast when you came over," she explains sheepishly. "I didn't get the chance to do my grocery so..." she trails off and she doesn't have to finish her sentence for Harry to get it.
"Well, I have nothing against cereal but I think some pastries make a better breakfast."
"Mmm," Min Ji hums. "That does sound good."
"Niall and Brooklyn swear that they're the best."
"I trust them."
"Me too," Harry agrees with a nod.
"Do you want coffee?"
"Sure."
Min Ji takes out two cups from the cabinet and pours coffee into them. "How'd you take your coffee?"
"Two sugars," he tells her. She nods with a smile as she puts two sugars into his coffee and the same into hers. She brings the cups over to the small dining table in the kitchen and places one in front of Harry. "Thank you."
"It's the least I could do since you brought breakfast for me." Min Ji takes a seat in front of Harry and he takes out the pastries he bought.
They talk about their week, mostly about their work, whilst they eat and then somehow, they talk about their family as they take their coffee cup to the living room to finish it on the couch.
Harry finds out that Min Ji only has one brother, Chul, and he works at an application developer company where he's the co-founder. That explains why he exudes wealth when Harry saw him the other day. Her father used to be a surgeon but he retired a few years ago so he and her mother opened a restaurant so they wouldn't be doing nothing during their free time. The restaurant, it turns out, is thirty minutes away from their flat. Harry reminds himself to google it later when he's alone.
Then comes Harry's turn to talk about his family so he talks about his mum and his annoying sisters. Harry could tell that Min Ji wants to know what happened to his father so he tells her the short version of it, though to be fair the longer version doesn't exist. He tells her that his father left when he and his sisters were still small and when he starts talking about how much he admires his mum (he doesn't know how he gets there to be honest), Min Ji has a soft smile adorning her lips.
When her hand that isn't holding the cup touches his, Harry finds it hard to get words out after that because all he can focus on is how good it feels to have her hand on his hand. It's so soft, so warm, like it belongs there.
Is it just his imagination that her hand lingers in his?
"...so yeah. I guess that's all you need to know about my family."
Min Ji lets go of his hand and he immediately wants it back. Clearing her throat, she says, "Your mum sounds like an amazing woman."
"She is," Harry agrees before he finishes his coffee and places it on her coffee table. He'd take it to the kitchen but he doesn't want to ruin the moment they're having.
Now would be a good time to ask her out, he thinks. It doesn't have to be tonight or tomorrow night. It can be anytime. Hell, he doesn't mind when they get to go out as long as he gets to go out with her.
Damn it. He's gone full on Harry and there's no going back.
Harry takes a deep breath. He's just going to do it because Niall's right. He needs to stop sabotaging himself. Nothing good comes out of that.
Mouth open, Harry's about to let the question slip past his mouth when the sound of Min Ji's phone ringing breaks the silence between them. Harry knows it isn't his because he left his phone at his flat.
"Sorry," Min Ji apologises as she puts down her cup and reaches for her phone. She takes a look at the caller ID and her eyes widen. She turns to Harry. "I have to take this."
"Go ahead," Harry replies.
She shoots him a grateful smile as she gets up from the couch. "Please, make yourself at home. I'll be back in a bit," is the last thing she says to him before she disappears into her bedroom.
As soon as Min Ji is out of his sight, Harry gets up, takes his empty cup along with Min Ji's to the kitchen and washes them. Harry has been inside this flat once when the couple who used to reside here invited him over and he sees that nothing much has changed in the kitchen. The living room, however, is so different from what he remembered. The couple who used to live here had a lot of things so their living room was pretty much brimming with things meanwhile Min Ji only has the essentials -- a couch, a television, a coffee table and a bookshelf next to the television. It doesn't seem or feel bare, though. In fact, it feels a lot like home. He supposes that's what happened when she puts her touches on her belongings. Everything here screams Min Ji.
Harry makes his way to the bookshelf and looks at the collection of books she has.
"I don't read as much as I used to," a voice interrupts him. Harry glances over his shoulder and sees Min Ji approaching him. When she stands next to him, he could feel warmth enveloping him. Could a person really make you feel warm, Harry wonders. Unless the temperature in this flat has suddenly risen then the answer is yes. "It's a shame. I bought all of these books thinking that I'd have time to read them but they're just collecting dust."
"Well you have been busy with work," Harry replies. "Besides, these books aren't going anywhere. You can read them when you're free."
"You're right," Min Ji agrees before she turns to him. "Do you read?"
Harry scratches his jaw. "Not really. I mean I don't read books but I do read things for my articles."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," Harry nods. "I have to do some research for some things I'm writing so that counts as reading, right?"
"Definitely," Min Ji smiles. "Anyway sorry about the call. It was my mum. Said she needed my help with the restaurant because one of her employees got sick."
Harry turns his body so he's facing Min Ji. "Is she or he okay?"
Min Ji nods. "Yeah. She's just down with cold and flu."
"Oh. Okay. That's good."
"Mhmm," Min Ji replies.
"When do you have to leave?" Harry asks.
Min Ji's eyes dart to the clock and bites her lower lip. "I have to be there in less than an hour so... Now actually."
"Oh shit," he curses. "I'm so sorry. I'll leave now."
"It's okay. You don't have to apologise. If it were up to me, I'd rather stay here with you longer." Min Ji's eyes widen when she realises what she just said. "I mean, uh--"
Harry smiles at her, happy to know that he's not the only one who's sad that they have to cut this, whatever this is, short. "Yeah, if it were up to me I'd love to stay here with you too."
Min Ji's worry melts into relief. "That's... That's good to know."
"Well, I should get going."
"Right. Yeah."
Harry reluctantly makes his way to the door with Min Ji following closely behind. He puts his hand on the knob, turns it over and steps outside. He really doesn't want to go back to his flat.
Facing Min Ji, he says, "Have fun at your parents' restaurant."
Min Ji scrunches her nose. "I doubt it'll be fun."
Harry simply shoots her a sympathetic look. He glances at his closed door and sighs. "I'll see you later?"
Min Ji nods and Harry begins his short walk back to his flat. When he has unlocked his door, he hears Min Ji calling out his name.
"Thank you for breakfast."
&&
Soon after Harry returned to his flat, he cleaned up his bedroom and his living room, did his laundry and when he was done with his chores, he took a nap. It was supposed to be a short nap but it turned into a pretty long one because when he finally wakes up it's already dark outside and he's feeling pretty disoriented. He lays in the dark, eyes fixed on the ceiling, for what feels like an eternity when in reality it could've just been a few minutes before he reaches for his phone to check if he's missing out on something whilst he was dead to the world.
There's a couple of text messages from Niall and a few from his mum. He reads the ones from his mum first, types a quick reply and then opens up his message thread with Niall.
How did the breakfast date go ?
Did you ask her out already ?
Sitting up, Harry rolls his eyes. Of course that's what he wants to know.
It's not a breakfast date, Harry types to answer his friend's first question. And then for his second question: And no, I haven't asked her out.
Harry expects the three dots to appear a few seconds after he sent those replies but he gets a call instead.
"You're on speaker," is the first thing Niall says when Harry grudgingly picks up the call. He could ignore it but he has a feeling his phone will keep ringing until he gives up.
"Hey," Brooklyn's voice follows after. "Niall told me you haven't asked Min Ji out on a second date."
Harry runs a hand down his face. "God, you two are the nosiest couple I ever know."
"Only because we care about you," Niall replies. Harry rolls his eyes. "So, why didn't you ask her? Still sabotaging yourself?"
"I was about to!" Harry exasperates. If he has to hear the word sabotage again he might go crazy. He's already halfway there as it is. "But then her mum called and she had to go help her at the restaurant."
"At the restaurant?" Brooklyn repeats.
"Yeah, her parents own a restaurant thirty minutes away from here. Someone fell sick and she had to come in and replace her."
"Oh right. I think I remember her telling me that," Brooklyn says. Wow, Harry thinks, Brooklyn knows something about Min Ji before he does. He wonders what else she knows. "She's not back yet?"
"I don't think so," Harry says as he glances at his door. Maybe she's back but he didn't hear her because he was deep asleep. "I don't know. I just woke up from a nap."
"Well you should go to her place," Niall suggests.
"I went there this morning."
"There's nothing wrong with going there again."
"No. You're not talking me into things again. I already followed your advice this morning."
"Half of my advice," Niall counters. "You're supposed to go there, have breakfast together and then ask her if she'd like to have dinner with you too."
"Yeah, well, it's better than nothing," Harry replies.
"Look, if you don't want to ask her out on a second date you don't have to," Brooklyn chimes in. "Do what you think is the best."
"I know and I want to but..." he trails off, trying to think of the right words to say. "Not now, maybe? I don't want things to move too fast and scare her off. I don't... I don't want to mess this up."
"Okay," Brooklyn replies softly. "But based on her texts I'd say you're not going to scare her off."
"Wait, Niall told you about the texts?"
"Of course I told her." Niall says simply.
Harry can't argue with that. If he has his own Brooklyn he would talk to her about anything and everything too.
"I hope you're not thinking that we're forcing you or anything," Brooklyn adds. Always the one to worry about other people's feelings. "It's just, after what you did for us, we just want to return the favour."
"We mean well," Niall interjects.
"I know that." Harry chuckles. They don't have to say it out loud for him to know that but he doesn't mind hearing about it. It's nice. "And thank you. It means a lot."
"Like Niall said, we care about you."
"Yeah."
Harry feels a smile tugging at his lips. "You two are gonna make me cry now," he jokes. But honestly, if they keep talking about how much they care about him, he might just tear up a little.
"We can't have that, can we? Not when we can't see you cry in person." Niall says. "Should we video call you?"
"Oh, fuck off."