Chapter Text
Nicholas spun around in Maki’s desk chair, staring up at the ceiling. Maki was browsing on his phone while laying on the bed, not minding whatever Nico was doing. They often just shared space like this, doing their own thing in silence until one of them suggested something to do together. Tonight, Maki was the first to say something.
“Do you wanna go to karaoke?” Nicholas stopped his rotation in the chair and pondered the question. Honestly, he was feeling pretty tired that night, but singing at high volume for a few hours with friends did sound fun. Also, they hadn’t been in awhile (it has been a week…). Maki was already getting up from his place on the bed and moving over to his closet, knowing Nicholas would say yes, never denying a trip out. “Should we invite the others?” Nicholas asked.
“Yeah, text the group chat,” Maki said, eyes comparing the looks of two shirts instead of looking at who he was talking to.
Nicholas opened the chat they had with Fuma, Kei, Taki, and Harua, messaging them about the sudden karaoke plans. Like usual, Fuma and Kei rejected the sudden plans, but Harua and Taki were down to go.
King K
-Why do you guys never plan anything in advance?
Fuma
-I’m about to go proctor an exam…think about your working friends too.
Usually the two would just give a simple no or say they’ll raincheck so their responses gave Nicholas pause. Nico showed the phone to Maki. “I think we upset them.”
Maki slipped on a new shirt and peered down at the screen. Maki frowned and pulled out his phone. “Let’s try to plan something on their schedule too. Still, I want to go out tonight.”
Kei and Fuma were the only ones in the group with actual jobs even though both were working on their graduate degrees at the moment. Nicholas was on a standby schedule with a cafe near the school, only going in once in a while when someone would call out and leave them short staffed. Fuma was a Teaching Assistant for two professors, and Kei was either teaching dance lessons or working on his own choreographies, sometimes Taki volunteered to help teach with Kei. Maki and Harua didn’t have jobs, but each of them were involved in various clubs on campus which filled their schedules. Truthfully, the whole group hadn’t had much time to hang out together since the holidays, and Nicholas was starting to realize how much he missed them. Their group had reached its full number about a year ago when Harua and Maki started dating, and they usually saw each other a couple times a week. This semester though had been busy and hard on all of them. Maki often complained that it was tough for him to even have proper dates with Harua.
Weno
-Sorry, let’s plan something around your schedules too. I miss you guys.
A wave of texts came in about missing and loving each other that soon turned into complaints about the flood of sappy messages, just as it usually went.
All four were about two hours into the karaoke session and a number of drinks in, save for Nicholas who could barely handle more than the one he had, when Harua and Maki started to get handsy with each other. Taki groaned as Harua cuddled up into Maki, practically sitting in his lap while Maki sang some sentimental song, head pressed to Harua’s. Taki rested his head on Nicholas’s shoulders and tapped his pointer fingers together. “Hey Nico…”
Nicholas’s eyebrows furrowed together, nervous about what the younger was about to say to him. Taki usually only pulled this move when he wanted to ask Nicholas something he very much knows Nicholas will say no to which wasn’t something that happened often. “Yes?”
“You’ve heard of those blind date parties right?” Nicholas hummed a yes, even more nervous now over what Taki would say. They were pretty common practice for people their age, but Nicholas had never been to one. Most people he had dated were introduced by friends, a relationship forming after he knew them for a bit, not one to get in a relationship with a stranger. “Well, this guy from my class invited me to one. Do you think-”
Nicholas began shaking his head rapidly, trying to push away as Taki began whining and trying to hold him close, begging for Nico to hear him out. “No, Taki! I’m not going on some blind date with you.”Nicholas probably could’ve pushed him off easily, but he let the younger one hold him still.
“Please! Please Nico! I want a boyfriend so bad, but I’m too scared to go alone. You’re like the only single person I know!” Taki lifted up to be face to face with Nicholas, a lack of any personal space allowed as Taki looked at the older with puppy dog eyes. “You don’t even have to do anything, just go with me!”
Nicholas closed his eyes tight, trying not to fall into the trap of Taki’s pleading face. It was so hard to resist his puppy dog eyes and pout, and Taki knew it. It was the reason he was so spoiled by Kei. “Of course I have to, I have to make small talk with the unlucky people paired up with me!” The thought of being in a room with a bunch of strangers was bad enough, then add in having to make first-meeting small talk made Nicholas want to crawl into a hole. It had already been almost a year since things ended with his last boyfriend, ended on his end too even though that didn’t stop his mixed emotions over the event. Nicholas wasn’t exactly unhappy being single, but he wasn’t exactly happy with it either. It came in waves, sometimes feeling fine being on his own and other times going to Taki just to feel the comforting touch of another person. Luckily, Taki was all about affection and had no problems cuddling with Nicholas whenever he asked, both knew it was all platonic. Taki probably needed it sometimes too, as far as Nicholas knew, Taki had never dated anyone. Kei has even dramatically sobbed before about how grown up Taki will feel when he finally dates someone as if Kei is sending off his own child into the adult world.
“I’ll buy you those new Chrome Hearts rings you’ve been wanting,” Taki said seriously, pushing above Nico’s eye to open his eyelid so he had to look at him.
Nicholas’s interest has peaked now. He really wanted those rings, like really bad. It was all he could talk about lately, and he had been wondering how to save his monthly allowance between his going out expenses that, of course, could not be reduced and regular bills. Nicholas sighed loudly. “Fine, I’ll go with you.”
Taki cheered in excitement and hugged Nicholas tightly, nuzzling Nico’s cheek. “Thank you! Thank you so much!”
“I expect to see those rings before we go to this event,” Nicholas said with a roll of his eyes, but he couldn’t hide the smile he had over the younger’s excitement.
Taki arrived at Nicholas and Maki’s apartment a week later, bag in hand and pushed out to Nicholas as soon as he opened the door. Nicholas couldn’t help his excited giggle as he removed the ring box and grabbed out the rings, slipping them on his fingers, admiring how they completed his outfit today. The weather was warming up, but the air was still really cool at night so Nicholas opted for some baggy black jeans, a gray cardigan over a blue button up, and some fake, thick rimmed glasses. He examined himself in the mirror he had placed near the front entrance, and took out his phone to snap a few pics, the look was too good to not get some photos of.
Taki moved over to examine himself too. “Does my hair look good like this? I asked Kei to style it for me,” Taki said as he lightly brushed his bangs. His hair was in a textured style, and Nicholas thought he looked like a wolf more than a cute puppy today. “It looks good,” Nicholas and Maki said in unison. The two turned to each other with wide smiles and did an air high five.
Taki giggled at the two. “Oh, can I borrow some jewelry? I don’t have many accessories.”
Nicholas gestured for Taki to follow him to his room and began sorting through his boxes of accessories, glancing back at Taki a few times as he tried to decide what worked well with his outfit. Honestly, Nicholas probably would have styled him differently, but that was the fashion major side of him talking. Taki’s outfit was fine, but just fine. He had on black trousers, distressed gray shirt, and a light jean jacket. Nicholas grabbed a few thin, silver necklaces and a thin watch for him. “These should work well,” Nicholas said as he wrapped them around Taki’s neck, the younger one bouncing about excitedly. Actually, it was probably nerves. Nicholas set his hands on Taki’s shoulders to steady him. “Don’t worry, okay? I’m sure you’ll woo someone tonight.”
Taki took a deep breath and nodded. “I can do it!”
Taki, in fact, could not do it. After each round, Taki shot Nicholas pouty looks, and when Nicholas glanced over during the rounds, whoever Taki was with didn’t seem too into whatever he was talking about. Nico felt bad for his friend, and he thought of just leaving early. However, Taki denied his questioning SOS message, still holding out hope for the rest of the night. Two more rounds passed. Nicholas did his best to exchange pleasantries with those he was placed with, but his interest didn’t extend much past that. Some partners were his type, but not interesting enough for him to get into the conversation. He silently thanked the universe when the host announced it was time for free mingling. Nicholas moved to the corner of the room, scrolling on his phone, occasionally observing Taki try to make conversation with others.
“Yixiang?” Nicholas’s blood ran cold at the sound of his Taiwanese name, a name only those in his family and one other person used. Nicholas cautiously looked up from his phone and saw his ex, Ricky.
Ricky made his way past a few people, a pep in his step and a wide smile on his face as he did. Nicholas was surprised to see his hair was black at the moment, used to the platinum blonde look. No surprise though that he was dressed so well, a black silk shirt with a black denim jacket that had panels cut out and replaced with an embroidered lace detail. Interest in fashion was one thing they always clicked on and shopping together was a favorite pastime for the ex-couple.
“It’s been awhile,” Ricky said, rubbing at the back of his neck awkwardly.
“It has…” Nicholas couldn’t summon anymore words. He had been the one to break things off, but it wasn’t easy to end a three year relationship. It wasn’t easy to watch the person he once loved breakdown in front of him and beg him to stay because Nicholas had told him he didn’t love him anymore. It wasn’t easy to block him on all platforms when the messages just became a cycle of the same questions over and over. And, it wasn’t easy to get over what they had. Nicholas had friends to talk to, but it wasn’t the same as it had been with Ricky. There was a strange sadness and loneliness he felt after they broke up and had no more contact. Even now, he didn’t look at him with any love, but he felt the pain of nostalgia in his chest. Ricky had been so familiar, and it would take awhile to get like that with anyone else. To him, Ricky was the color blue, a color tinged with the happiness of nostalgia and the sadness of love lost all at once.
“It’s so random running into you. Feels a bit like a pull of a red string.” Ricky moved a bit closer to Nicholas, his voice softening. Nico’s jaw tightened at the realization he didn’t have anywhere to move, the wall right against his back. Even after all this time, Ricky still had hope for something. Once again, Nicholas was going to have to go through the cycle of rejection with him.
“Ricky, let’s not-”
“Yixiang, do you really feel nothing?” Ricky always pulled out using his Taiwanese name during sensitive moments like this. It used to pull at Nico’s heartstrings, but it just made him a little annoyed right now. He could never understand Ricky’s feelings in all this, and Ricky probably didn’t realize how painful it was for Nicholas to have to reject his pleas for reconciliation again.
Luckily, Taki saved him, barging into the exchange, unaware of what he was coming into. Only Maki had ever met Ricky, the others being too new to Nico’s life to have met him before things broke off. “I think we should head out,” Taki said, not noticing Ricky at first. “I’m not having any luck tonight.”
Ricky cleared his throat, drawing Taki’s attention. Taki jumped a bit, looking between the two. “Oh, sorry! Was I interrupting?”
“No.” “Yes.” Nicholas and Ricky said at the same time. Taki looked between the two and laughed nervously. He held out his hand to Ricky, “I’m Taki, Nicholas’s friend.”
Ricky apprehensively shook Taki’s hand before turning back to Nicholas. “Look can we please-”
“It was nice to see you again,” Nicholas cut him off, a forced smile on his face as he grabbed Taki’s wrist and bolted for the front door. Ricky called after him, but Nicholas ignored it.
As they sat on the train back to campus, Nicholas’s mind ran amuck while he stared at the floor. He was bombarded with memories of his and Ricky’s relationship. The hardest part was nothing actually bad happened. There were certain things they disagreed on that Nicholas only realized was an issue after the rose colored glasses of his relationship had worn off a few months after the breakup. However, the main issue was just Nicholas’s loss of love. At first, it started off as a pause before telling Ricky “I love you too.” Then, it became that they slept together less and less. Eventually, it became too busy to see each other, something always came up. Ricky gave Nicholas his space, thinking it was just the stress of school. The whole time, Nicholas was battling over his feelings, wondering why he was slowly not feeling the same as he did before. No big event could be pointed to as the cause. It was just one of those things that happened. That made it all the harder to explain and try to rationalize with Ricky when he finally decided to end things between the two.
“Nico? Are you okay?” Nicholas looked over at Taki, the other reaching out and wiping at his cheeks with a concerned look. Nicholas didn’t even realize he had started crying.
“Sorry, I’m fine. Just…that guy…that was my ex. I wasn’t prepared to see him there at all.”
“Oh. It was good I interrupted you two then?”
Nicholas chuckled. “Yes, actually. You saved me from another round of rejecting him.” Nicholas sighed and rested his head on Taki’s shoulder. “Do you want to cuddle and watch a movie tonight?”
“Yeah sure,” Taki said as he patted Nicholas’s back softly. “I could use it too.”
Nicholas was scrolling on his phone, laying in his bed, when he heard erratic pounding at the front door of his apartment. He glanced at the time, too early for Maki to be back from class, but not late enough that he should be concerned about opening the door. “Who is it?” Nicholas yelled at the door.
“It’s Taki! Open up! Hurry!”
Nicholas yanked open the door and shot a glare at Taki. “Why are you banging on the door? You could’ve just texted or called.”
“I’m sorry!” Taki said, pressing his palms together and bowing slightly. “I ran over here because I have a favor to ask again.”
Nicholas went to close the door, and Taki shoved himself into the doorway. “Please! I need you to come with me on this blind date.”
“No, no, no! You told me it was a one time thing!”
“Well, I did, but-”
“No buts. One time thing!” Nicholas moved out of the way to let Taki inside, knowing there was no use in trying to shut him out.
“Look, this one is a smaller party, and the guy I am crushing on in my class is going. Please! If tonight goes well, then it really will be the last one.”
Nicholas whined and stomped his feet like a child. “You’re lucky you’re my second favorite.”
“Second?” Taki asked with a tilt of his head.
“Maki is obviously number one,” Nicholas said as he gestured around them, the space being Nico and Maki’s shared apartment.
“Ah…right. Anyway, get dressed! The party is in 30 minutes.”
Nicholas pinched Taki’s cheeks aggressively. “So lucky!” Nicholas grumbled as he went to his room to get ready. Taki didn’t leave him with much time, so he went with a simple outfit: dark brown pants, light brown shirt, some silver rings and silver necklaces. The longest part of getting ready was his hair, opting for a side part today. “I should dye my hair,” Nicholas said to himself as he looked at the dark locks.
Taki was right, the party was smaller this time, maybe only twenty people. Taki and Nicholas were placed in the non moving group that would get a new partner to chat with every few minutes. Apparently Taki’s crush was also in the non moving group which saddened Taki since they wouldn’t get a chance to talk until mingle time. Ugh, I’m gonna be asked to come to one of these again. Maybe I should just help Taki talk to his crush. Like last time, Nicholas made basic conversation, obviously annoying his partners who tried to ask him deep questions and flirt. He felt a bit bad coming to these things when he wasn’t interested in a relationship at all, but he probably wasn’t the only one here against his will.
As the new partner sat across from Nicholas, he rested his chin on his hand and lazily looked over. His eyes rested on a very round person: round eyes, round face, and round glasses. His awkward smile made his cheeks puff up in a way that Nicholas found adorable. Nicholas blinked a few times, shocked by the sudden race of his heartbeat as he stared at this guy. His stare must’ve made the other feel awkward because the new partner’s smile fell and he looked down at the table. “Sh-should we introduce ourselves?”
“Ah, yes!” Nicholas said with a bit too much enthusiasm, reeling it back in by clearing his throat. “My name is Nicholas.” He held out his hand and the other shook it politely. His hands were soft and his nails well manicured. Nicholas took the split second of interaction distraction to look the guy over. They were sitting so he couldn’t see his whole outfit, but Nicholas noticed he had on a very plain long sleeve, a creamy white color that made his tan skin pop. He seemed to have some type of black bag that was still slung on one shoulder. His look was probably one of the plainer ones here tonight, and Nicholas wondered if this was really the guy’s go to date outfit. Then again, Nicholas’s outfit looked pretty simple too, even if the overall cost of the look was actually high.
“I’m Euijoo, nice to meet you.” Euijoo folded his hands together on the table and kept eye contact with Nicholas, but neither said anything. Nicholas had been giving so little to this night, he hadn’t properly thought up some questions he should ask. He could go with the usual types of first date questions, but those felt so boring.
“Uhm, do you like Ghibli movies? My favorite is Howl’s Moving Castle.”
“Yeah, I like them! I’m not sure what my favorite is, but people say I look like Ponyo, so that one.”
Nicholas let out a chuckle, covering his mouth with his fist. Of course people told this guy he looked like Ponyo. Actually, Nicholas could see it clear as day now, he wondered why the thought didn’t cross his mind when Euijoo first sat down.
Euijoo pouted at Nicholas’s laugh. “What’s funny?”
Nicholas leaned his chin on both hands, cupping his own face as he stared at Euijoo. “Nothing, it’s just cute because of how true it is.” Nicholas realized he was actually flirting with this guy. It kind of shocked him that he was suddenly so into this.
Euijoo tried to hide his smile with his fist, but Nicholas noticed it and the red creeping up on Euijoo’s ears. “When is your birthday?”
“I was born in ‘02. July 9th.”
Euijoo’s eyes went wide which Nicholas didn’t think was possible considering how round they already were. “My birthday is September 7th. I’m also ‘02.”
“Eh? Really? We’re like opposites-”
Suddenly, the host called an end to the partner time and encouraged everyone to freely mingle. Nicholas looked around for Taki and noticed the other already walking over looking dejected. He looked like a kicked puppy, and Nicholas just hoped his ego wasn’t too hurt by this night.
Nicholas turned back to say a goodbye to Euijoo when he noticed the other was already gone. His eyes darted around the room, but he didn’t see him or his light colored shirt anywhere. Nicholas clicked his tongue, feeling a bit annoyed that Euijoo could leave so easily while Nicholas felt his heart flutter for the first time in a long time.
“I think we should just go, Nico,” Taki sighed as he finally got close, resting his head on Nicholas’s shoulders.
“What about your crush?”
“He is already clinging to some girl,” Taki whined into Nicholas’s shoulder.
“It’s okay,” Nicholas said as he rubbed Taki’s back. “No one here is that interesting anyway.” That was a lie for Nicholas. That Euijoo guy was interesting. Very interesting.
Taki looked hollow the whole ride back to campus, and he rejected Nicholas’s offer to hangout more or to walk him back to Kei’s apartment just across from campus. He mumbled something about wanting to be alone as he walked away. Once Taki was out of earshot, Nicholas called up Kei and explained the situation.
“I’ll meet him,” Kei said with urgency, the sound of rustling in the background no doubt Kei putting on a jacket and shoes to immediately leave. “I have his location, don’t worry.”
“Thank you. Hopefully he feels better tomorrow.” Nicholas frowned as he made his way up to his place. Neither of them had left winning that night, but it’s not like Nicholas went there expecting anything. Taki was the one actually trying to get a boyfriend. And yet, the Ponyo looking guy, Euijoo, wouldn’t leave Nicholas’s mind.
Nicholas didn’t hear from Taki for a few days, and he didn’t talk much in the group chat. If Nicholas didn’t have portfolio deadlines to meet, he would’ve stopped by the trio’s apartment to check on him. Instead, he was spending extra time in the studio, sketching out new looks and trashing them over and over. Maki would stop by with a sweet treat on days Nico messaged him he would be staying late, and he was very grateful to have a roommate and friend like Maki. The two had met when Nicholas volunteered for new student orientation on behalf of the fashion club and instantly clicked when chatting during the lunch break. After a year of friendship, they applied for an on campus apartment together. Although their living habits were slightly different, they had enough in common to keep the peace. Maki does usually have to lecture Nico about keeping the place clean though.
While comparing swatches for some fabric options, Nicholas’s phone began to buzz, Taki’s silly contact photo popping up on the screen. “Hey Taki! Are you feeling better?”
“Yeah, don’t worry, I’m out of my funk. Which means…”
“Oh no,” Nicholas sighed, covering his face with his hand.
“Time for another blind date party!”
“Do you really have no one else to ask to go to these things?” Nicholas pinched at the bridge of his nose. He knew Taki didn’t have many friends outside of their little group, mainly just class acquaintances, so Nicholas really was the only option. He kinda felt like he might be a bad lucky charm for Taki and these events though.
“Please Nico!”
Nicholas pondered his answer. He really didn’t want to, but he felt bad for Taki, especially after how sad he got last time, he needed a friend there. Also, a little voice at the back of his head brought up the Ponyo guy. Maybe he would be at this one too? It was a bit farfetched to hope for it, but it could make the experience better. “Fine,” Nicholas sighed and Taki cheered on the other end of the call.
“I’ll send you the details!”
It was probably that slight hope of seeing Euijoo again that had Nicholas contemplating his outfit more thoughtfully today than last time, and Maki took notice. “You suddenly into these blind date parties?” Maki asked, leaning against the doorframe to Nico’s room.
Nicholas let out an awkward chuckle. “Pfft, no. Just…well uh…” He didn’t have much of an excuse to offer Maki, especially because he did actually care more this time. Nicholas was usually good at pulling out excuses on the fly, but not right now. “Last time, there was this guy. I keep thinking about whether he will be there this time.”
“So, you liked a guy you met at a blind date party, but you didn’t even get his number?”
Nicholas glared at Maki who was failing at holding in his laughter. “Listen, I was worried about Taki, and the guy just ran off!”
“Hmm, doesn’t seem like he was too interested back.” Maki gave Nicholas a cheeky smile, enjoying teasing him. Maki had been there when Nicholas was recovering from the breakup, and he was probably just happy to see Nicholas interested in someone again.
“Out! You’re killing the vibe,” Nicholas yelled out, pointing past Maki. The younger one put up both of his hands innocently and walked back from the door. Nicholas rolled his eyes and went back to deciding his outfit. It probably took him another twenty minutes to decide and finish getting ready. He wore a dark brown button up under a light brown blazer, making sure to leave the top few buttons of the shirt undone to show off his collarbones and upper chest. He added a thin necklace in hopes to draw other’s eyes to the area as well. He chose some black flares and a brown belt. The belt choice probably took him the longest since he couldn’t decide if it was giving cowboy or 70s.
“Heading out now,” Nicholas called out to Maki as he slipped on his shoes.
“Have fun! Also, I hope you see your crush~” Maki yelled back in a sing-song tone.
Taki opened the door excitedly when Nicholas arrived and gave a little twirl to show off his outfit. “What do you think? I hope you don’t mind me wearing the accessories again.”
“No worries,” Nicholas said as he began to teasingly examine Taki up and down. His hair was styled in that wolfy look, but today he had on a sheer black button up, black slacks, and a red and black leather jacket. Nicholas nodded and gave Taki a thumbs up. “Nico approved.”
“Yes,” Taki said excitedly, taking the accessories from Nicholas and putting them on. “I’m definitely going to get someone’s number today!”
A sign outside the restaurant announced to everyone passing by that a blind date party was occurring inside, and Nicholas wished he could hide away. Even though parties like this weren’t odd to go to for people his age, he did feel a bit embarrassed. The setup of the party was a little different this time with everyone getting into four person groups and being assigned to chat freely with each other before the switch. Nicholas glanced over the crowd, but the layout of the restaurant made it difficult for him to see the entire party. However, he did notice Taki and another dark haired boy chatting together happily. Taki was overly animated as usual while the other boy laughed along with him. Nicholas was happy Taki was doing better this time.
Nicholas tried a bit more this time to make proper conversation with people, even though he didn’t really know how to handle the flirty pick-up lines thrown his way. They made him laugh in a cringe way more than in flirtatious nervousness. Each group change he scanned those he could see, trying to find a figure that looked overly round. He finally spotted him, making his way from some area around a corner, moving over to the table next to Nicholas. What a round guy.
Euijoo didn’t notice Nicholas, and Nicholas barely noticed anyone at the table with him. He could barely make conversation as his eyes kept drifting over to Euijoo. He was nodding along to what the others were saying, but his expression was bored and blank, very different from what Nicholas had seen before. Finally, the session came to an end, and free mingling was opened. Nicholas glanced around to see if he could see Taki, hoping he was chatting away with someone so Nicholas could have time with Euijoo. A hand patted at Nicholas’s shoulder causing him to glance back over his shoulder. He did his best to conceal a smile.
“Nicholas, right?” Euijoo asked, letting his hand fall from Nicholas’s shoulder. Euijoo wore a black knit sweater, his round glasses from last time, and black jeans. It was such a simple outfit, but Nicholas couldn’t help the way his eyes scanned over him, admiring the length of his torso and just how tall he was. Another thing Nicholas noticed was the way Euijoo’s eyes flashed down to Nicholas’s chest, back up, and down again. At least his lengthy outfit prep time from earlier paid off.
“Y-yeah. Uhm…Ponyo?” Nicholas said, feigning ignorance on the other’s name. Of course he did remember it, it was a name he had been constantly thinking about since they first met. Euijoo rolled his eyes at Nicholas, but he wasn’t able to easily hide his smile. The look just made Nicholas want to tease him more.
“Euijoo works too. Do you think we could talk outside?’ Nicholas tilted his head in confusion at the request, but he quickly agreed anyway and followed the other out. Taki was probably mingling with that guy from earlier and shouldn’t miss Nico’s presence. Once Nicholas explained everything to him, Taki would understand.
The night air was much cooler than earlier, and Nicholas was glad he decided to layer up. He wasn’t exactly sensitive to weather changes, but maybe that was the fashionista side of him, braving whatever the weather for the outfit he decided on. It didn’t matter the weather or the occasion, Nicholas always dressed up, and his expert outfit choices meant no one could really clown him for it. He was just the guy that was always dressed to impress.
“So, you wanted to talk?” Nicholas asked, leaning against the wall of the restaurant as he looked Euijoo over again. If the other noticed, he didn’t react, and Nicholas didn’t really care if he was caught doing so.
“Yeah, well…I have an odd request.” Nicholas stared blankly at Euijoo. This was only their second time interacting, and he was suddenly making requests. Silence hung between the two for a second before Euijoo continued. “You don’t enjoy these things? I’m assuming based on how you interact with others.”
“You noticed how I interacted with others?” Nicholas’s face was stuck between confusion and happiness. Mostly confusion because how did Euijoo notice him, the only time Nicholas saw him was when Euijoo was next to him. Nicholas stared a lot too, so when could Euijoo have even looked at him?
Euijoo ignored his question. “You were probably forced to come to these parties? Well, I was too. And, that’s why I need your help. My noona keeps making me come to these, she even escorts me here and waits until I’m done! It’s so hard living with her.” Nicholas struggled to hold in his laugh at Euijoo’s frustration and oppositely calm retelling. His eyebrows were knitted together and usual smile set into a pout that Nicholas could only find cute. “You’re looking at me funny.” Euijoo announced as his eyes meet Nicholas’s again. Nicholas just shrugged, he knew he probably looked a bit silly trying to hold back his smile. “Anyway! I’m not trying to be in a relationship right now, so can you pretend to be my new boyfriend or whatever so she leaves me alone.” Euijoo tried to ask so casually, but his voice got shaky and he had trouble looking Nicholas in the eyes.
It was probably good Euijoo wasn’t looking at him because the shock and confusion on Nicholas’s face rivaled that of any carnival caricature that could be drawn of him. “Boyfriend…pretend…Are you asking me to fake date you to get your sister off your back?” The words sounded ridiculous coming out of his mouth (they were ridiculous). He couldn’t believe a guy he had met twice would ask him something like this. There was a little bit of sadness to it too because Nicholas wouldn’t have minded a real date with the guy.
“Yes, that is what I’m asking. It seems like it would help you too. Someone is forcing you to do this too?”
“I mean, my friend just didn’t want to come alone. I wanted to be a good friend and help him out. I think he met someone tonight though, so I doubt I’ll be having to go to these things anymore.”
“Oh,” Euijoo said dejectedly. He rubbed at the back of his head, seemingly unsure of what to say next now that his request/plan was shot down.
Nicholas thought this might be a chance. Euijoo said he wasn’t looking for a relationship, but maybe a few casual dates would change his mind. Even if they didn’t, his sister would still be off his back for a bit. “Look, we can just-” Nicholas’s words were cut off by an all too familiar voice calling out to him. His stomach twisted with anxiety but his heart raced instinctually at the voice. He could barely bring himself to turn towards the voice, towards Ricky.
“Hey, Nico,” Ricky said casually as he walked over to him. He had some shopping bags on his arm which explained why he was in the area, that saved Nicholas from thinking he was being followed.
“Oh…hi. Didn’t expect to see you.”
Ricky shrugged. “Someone doesn’t believe in the red string it seems.” Ricky glanced over Nicholas’s shoulder at the restaurant sign announcing the blind date party inside. “Ya know, it would just be easier to go back to someone familiar than start all over.” Ricky looked at Nicholas with a mix of intensity and pleading.
Nicholas’s jaw clenched. He was feeling his blood start to boil and anxiety pool in his stomach. Taki wasn’t here this time to save him, and Euijoo was standing off to the side completely clueless. Now, this guy would have to witness Nicholas reject the requests of his ex once again.
“Ricky…I-” Nicholas paused. He didn’t want to go through it all again. Telling him it’s over, Ricky bringing up all the good times, the pleading and begging, and the eventual tears. Nicholas glanced over at Euijoo who was looking anywhere but at the two. Perhaps it was his way to selfishly avoid the cycle of rejection he had been through before that made Nicholas do what he did next. “I have a boyfriend. This is Euijoo,” Nicholas deadpanned as he gestured back to Euijoo who couldn’t help the surprised look on his face as he clocked back into the conversation. It might’ve been because of this that Ricky looked back at Nicholas with a raised eyebrow.
“Really? Boyfriend? This guy?”
Euijoo’s mouth dropped open in shock, and Nicholas nodded, moving to wrap an arm around Euijoo’s shoulder, feeling a bit too nervous in the moment to initiate a waist grab. “Yeah! Boyfriend, very much my boyfriend! You can even ask Taki, he is inside on a blind date right now,” Nicholas gestured to the sign outside the restaurant. “We came here for moral support.”
Ricky looked between the two, eyebrows knitting together. “I just saw you at a blind date party like two weeks ago!”
Nicholas nodded. “I went to a few with Taki.” Not a lie. “I met Euijoo at one.” Not a lie. “And, we started dating.” A big lie.
Ricky paused, opened then closed his mouth. Nicholas could see his fists balling at his sides. “Wh-whatever. I’m going now,” he finally said as he pushed past the two. Nicholas swore he saw a watery gleam in Ricky’s eyes as he left. He turned to watch the other practically run away from them, feeling a need to run after him. However, he knew that was just their old connection talking. Even if he went after him, nothing would change the way Ricky wanted it to. It was over between them. Truly over.
Euijoo shimmied the rest of the way out of Nicholas’s embrace, taking a good two steps back. “Well, that was interesting. Does this mean you agree?”
Nicholas rolled his eyes. “I never said I agreed.”
“But, you called me your boyfriend which is a lie. I feel like I just did you a favor by not correcting it.” Euijoo smiled at Nicholas. It was such a silly smile, but it made Nicholas want to do whatever he said.
“Oh?” Nicholas cocked his eyebrow. “So, I owe you now then?”
Euijoo nodded. “You do. Anyway, you really can’t say no.”
“What do you-” Nicholas was cut off as a high voice called out towards them. Nicholas glanced over his shoulder and noticed a girl approaching who looked similar to Euijoo just on the shorter side. Her blouse was a cream color and tucked into a yellow floral skirt. As she walked over, she became aware of Nicholas, a hand darting to cover her mouth.
“ Oh, who is this handsome guy? ” She spoke to Euijoo in Korean, probably hoping to hide their conversation, but Nicholas actually understood them. He wouldn’t reveal that detail right now though. He was curious about what they might say.
“ Noona, do you mind heading to the station first? I’m trying to plan a date right now. ”
Her smile could barely be hidden behind her hand as she looked at Nicholas again. “ Good luck, I can’t wait to hear more about him! ” She excused herself and left the two.
“Your sister?” Nicholas asked, already knowing the answer.
Euijoo sighed. “Yes. She thinks we are planning a date. Ugh, what am I gonna tell her?”
Nicholas saw an opportunity again. Yeah, everything would be fake to Euijoo, but maybe Nicholas could make it into something real. At least, maybe he could have fun for a little bit, see if he was really ready to move on and get in an actual relationship. He was starting to feel like he needed someone he was actually interested in to cuddle and not just Taki. “Let’s plan one then. I don’t think she will be convinced if you just keep lying. You do live together.”
Euijoo rubbed at his cheeks as he debated on what to do. Nicholas wished he could reach out to poke or pinch them like he does with Taki’s, but that would probably scare Euijoo off. “Hmmm, okay, to convince her.” Euijoo pulled out his phone and held it out towards Nicholas. “Put in your number. I don’t want her to wait too long, so we can plan things later.”
Nicholas and Euijoo exchanged numbers, awkward goodbyes given as he left. Right then, Taki came out of the restaurant with the dark haired boy, hand in hand while they smiled at each other. “I’ll call you later,” the boy said, giving Taki a peck on the cheek before leaving. Taki’s face was very red, and his smile was so wide it looked like it would split his face.
“Ooooooo, looks like someone finally got a win,” Nico teased as he poked at Taki’s side. The younger flinched and giggled, swatting away Nicholas’s hands. “Soooo, what’s his name?”
“His name is Yuma,” Taki said, staring off into the distance, the smile not leaving his face. Nicholas thought Taki looked like a Disney princess that just found her prince charming. Taki was either about to break out into a love song or have animated birds start singing around him. “He is a professional back-up dancer, a year older than me, and he has this cute snaggletooth.”
“I’m happy for you,” Nicholas said as he ruffled Taki’s hair. “Happy for me too because now I don’t have to go to more of these.”
“Thanks for coming with me, I know you really weren’t interested in this at all, but it was nice having a friend nearby. Oh yeah, where did you go? I didn’t see you when mingling time started.”
“Uhm…I just figured I would wait outside. Not like I’m trying to date anyone anyway so why waste those people’s time.”
Taki patted Nicholas’s shoulder. “I’m sure you will find someone when you’re ready. I’ll even be your wingman!”
Nicholas had just finished drying his hair when he noticed his phone buzz. It was Euijoo. Nicholas was actually a bit surprised he texted him right away, he thought Euijoo would take a few days or, honestly, not text him at all. Although, the thought of the latter happening made a knot form in his stomach.
EJ
-My sister is already suspicious…
-She kept asking me questions about you, and all I knew was your name and favorite Ghibli movie >w<
-She said she will start setting me up personally with people if I’m lying about us dating.
Weno
-Guess we need to plan that date ^o^
-When are you free?
-I don’t have classes on Tuesday.
EJ
-I’ll clear my schedule that day. The sooner we convince her, the sooner she will leave my love life alone…
-I think you should pick me up. It’ll be more believable to her that way.
Weno
-Maybe I should bring you flowers *3*
EJ
-You really don’t need to do all that…
-I’ll see you Tuesday (Shares Current Location)
The flirting attempt failed, oh well. Nicholas figured the more they got to know each other, the more he could chip away at Euijoo. “Assuming we are even compatible,” Nicholas mused to himself as he laid in bed.
He actually wasn’t lying about getting Euijoo flowers. He stood outside the apartment door, a small pot of bright orange Calendulas in hand. The florist had asked him if he knew the meaning, but Nicholas wasn’t one to care about flower meanings, he just thought the orange reminded him of Euijoo. Well, it reminded him of the fruit which reminded him of Euijoo’s round face and the citrus mist he had worn before.
Nicholas took out his phone and examined his hair. He had decided to bleach it blonde and give it a bit of a mullet cut with some bangs. It was a new style for him, but he liked it a lot. There was a secret hope that Euijoo would like it too. He clicked the buzzer for the apartment and waited.
“Hello?” A woman’s voice came out on the speaker.
“Hello, it’s Nicholas. I’m here to get Euijoo for our date .” He hoped the emphasis would really sell it. Nicholas heard the woman squeal and yell for Euijoo who opened up the door a moment later. His outfit was so simple. He had on some baggy, ripped jeans and a black band tee. Of course, he was still wearing his round glasses. Nicholas thought they made Euijoo look cute, but he also wondered what he looked like without them. Actually, he wondered what he looked like ripping them off his face between kissing Nicholas, shoving him up against-
“Nicholas? Hello?” Euijoo waved his hands in front of his face.
“Huh? Sorry, I uh…spaced out.”
Euijoo looked confused and gave an apprehensive nod. “I asked if these are for me,” Euijoo pointed down at the flower pot in Nicholas’s hand. “I told you you didn’t have to do that. Also, your hair is different.”
“It is! Looks good right?”
Euijoo reached out and lightly brushed his fingers on Nicholas’s bangs. “Hmm, feels surprisingly soft.”
Nicholas felt his heart race. He had to remind himself it was just a casual interaction. Euijoo’s sister was right inside. It was all an act put on for her. He wanted to play his part well. Nicholas smiled up at Euijoo, holding the flowers out to him. “They reminded me of you, and I wanted you to have a little something to remember this first date.” Nicholas probably talked a little louder than needed, but he wanted to make sure Euijoo’s sister heard him.
“ You should invite him in ,” Euijoo’s sister called from inside.
“ He doesn’t need to come in- ”
“ I could actually use a glass of water if you don’t mind. ”
Euijoo’s head shot around to Nicholas, jaw on the floor. Euijoo’s sister even put her hands over her mouth. At least they hadn’t said anything bad about him when they spoke in Korean. “ You- how do you-you know Korean? ”
Nicholas shrugged. “I know a lot of languages.”
“ Euijoo, how did you not know he spoke Korean? ” Euijoo’s sister shot him a curious glance, leaving Euijoo trying to stutter out some type of explanation.
“ I hadn’t told him yet, ” Nicholas interjected, placing his hands on Euijoo’s shoulders and resting his head on one of them. “ Wanted to surprise him today. ” Nicholas gave an air kiss by Euijoo’s ear, and Euijoo shuddered slightly, trying to maintain some composure in front of his sister.
“ It sure was a surprise, ” Euijoo said through a gritted smile. “ We should be heading out though. Bye bye! ” He quickly set down the plant on an end table by the door, pushing Nicholas out the door before his sister could say anymore to them. “I did want that water,” Nicholas pouted.
“We’ll go to a cafe then.”
Euijoo ordered and paid for both of them, surprised to learn that Nicholas rarely, if ever, drinks coffee. He opted for his usual strawberry latte and a water, and they agreed to split an order of fruit topped pancakes. Euijoo originally wanted matcha cream pancakes, but he also learned Nicholas had an issue with matcha.
“So, it’s not really the taste, just the color?” Euijoo asked as he sat across from Nicholas.
“Yeah, I hate green food. I don’t even eat salads.”
Euijoo looked personally offended by this statement. “Not even salads?! Your tastebuds are really odd Nichol…as…Nicholas.”
Nicholas eyes widened playfully at Euijoo’s accidental use of a nickname. “Oh? Are we on a nickname basis already?”
Euijoo rolled his eyes. “No, we aren’t. Your name is just not something I’m used to saying, I got tongue tied.”
“It’s okay, I don’t mind nicknames. I have plenty of them. You’ve seen my messaging profile is Weno, then most of my friends use Nico, and my family calls me Di , not even my name. Just never Nick.”
The waiter set down their drinks and food, and Nicholas immediately took out his phone to snap some photos. “You should take some too,” he said to Euijoo. “Try to get me a little in the background too.”
“Why?”
Nicholas sighed. Considering Euijoo suggested doing this, he really had no idea how to keep up a dating facade. Also, it was like he didn’t even know how nosy older sisters are. “For your sister, of course. She will probably ask to see photos from our date.”
“Ah, right…our date.” Euijoo seemed to struggle to even say the word, and it rubbed Nicholas the wrong way. All fake, remember? He isn’t trying to be rude, Nicholas reminded himself. Neither of them have done something like this before. Most sane people probably wouldn’t do something like this. Still, as Nicholas slightly adjusted his camera angle up, he found himself smiling at his screen, at Euijoo’s concentrated face as he tried to take a decent photo of the scene. “What about you? Any nicknames?”
“Not really. I guess my family will call me aegi or adeul , but those aren’t unique nicknames. Some people have used EJ.”
“Doesn’t sound that far off from your name,” Nicholas observed as he began to cut up pieces of the pancake. “Say ah,” he cooed as he held out a bite for Euijoo. The other gave him a bit of a disgusted look, and Nicholas dejectedly ate the bite instead. He thought Euijoo would play into this a bit more, but it seems not when it was just the two of them.
“Where does Weno come from?” Euijoo asked between his own bites.
“When I played online games in the States, I needed to write my username in English. I didn’t know how to spell my family name, and ended up writing Weno. My family teased me for a bit about it, but they started using it, and I thought it sounded cool. I would call it more of a go to username now.”
Euijoo nodded. “Oh, you said you knew a lot of languages? I’m guessing English is also on that list since you said family in the States. How did you learn Korean though? Seems random for a Taiwanese man living in Japan.”
“I was already pretty good at English by the time I needed to choose another language to study in school, so I chose Korean. I did have to self teach myself some stuff though. My friend Fuma knows it too, and I practice with him sometimes to keep up my knowledge.”
Euijoo choked on his iced americano, coughing violently. Nicholas shoved some napkins towards him, asking if he was okay and what was wrong. It took a minute or two for Euijoo to regain his composure. “Is it Murata Fuma that you know?”
Now it was Nicholas’s turn to choke on his drink. “You know him?!”
“He is my TA. Whenever I go to his office hours, we talk to each other in Korean. It’s really helpful for me when translating everything internally gets overwhelming.”
“We go to the same school?!” Nicholas couldn’t help the shrillness in his voice. The school was big, and it’s not like Fuma would have ever set up Nicholas with one of his students, but Nicholas couldn’t believe how close Euijoo had been all this time. If he was in Fuma’s department, then he frequented the same building the Fashion department’s studio was in, they could’ve easily passed each other. If only Nicholas wasn’t so buried in his phone or sketchbook all the time, he could’ve seen Euijoo earlier. Wait, that’s not- I shouldn’t have met him earlier. I was with Ricky until the end of second year. The thought of seeing Euijoo any earlier, falling for a guy walking through the hallway when he wasn’t single made him feel odd for a second. Now, he was feeling guilty for a situation that didn’t even happen, his brain wasn’t even making sense at this point. “So annoying,” Nicholas groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Really? That’s annoying?” Nicholas’s gaze snapped up. Euijoo’s eyes looked angry, but the pout he had made him seem sad.
“No-wait-I…I was just thinking about-” Nicholas paused. I was just thinking about if I saw you on campus and fell for you at first sight like during the blind date party, that would’ve felt like cheating on the guy I was with who has been my ex for a year now so why am I even worried over a situation that never happened and why do I care? “I’m sorry. What I said wasn’t about you, but it’s complicated to explain.” Euijoo gave an apprehensive nod, but said nothing.
There was an awkward silence between them for a few minutes, and Nicholas mentally berated himself for thinking out loud so carelessly. Euijoo was getting the wrong impression of him, and that was not helping his long term goal. Well, besides the hope for actually dating, he just didn’t want Euijoo to have a bad impression of him. Plenty of people already jumped to conclusions about him because of his resting face and aloofness. He was lucky that the friends he did have saw past that exterior and truly got to know him. Maki and him clicked right away, and Maki introducing Harua meant that he already knew Nico’s true nature before they even met. He met Kei and Taki when he took some dance classes at their studio. Taki actually did think Nicholas was scary, but he took it as a challenge to get to know him better. It only took one dance battle together to become friends. Although Kei and Fuma were already together at the time, Nicholas actually randomly met him when he got lost in the Literature and Arts building on campus. Fuma very bluntly told Nicholas he had a scary look to him, but that he also seemed like a cute guy. When Nico negated that claim and said he was cool not cute, it just made Fuma find him even cuter.
“I was thinking about my ex,” Nicholas finally admitted. “That guy Ricky from the other night.”
“It’s not my business, but am I allowed to know any of that story? You seem to have some complicated feelings about him.” Euijoo picked up the last piece of pancake, offering it to Nicholas first. Nicholas gave a small smile and shook his head. Euijoo’s cheeks puffed up as he ate it, and Nicholas felt a pang in his chest. This must be what cuteness aggression feels like.
“It is, but it isn’t. I don’t want to get back with him. I don’t think I could even be friends with him, at least, not like how it was when we first met. We were together for three years though, and it’s hard to move past that. This isn’t real dating, but it feels like I’m entering a new era, like finally moving on.” Nicholas sighed deeply. “I think it’s hard to understand how I feel unless you’ve been through it too.”
“It’s probably no surprise to say I haven’t been through that,” the two giggled at Euijoo’s nonchalant declaration, “but I hope you’re able to move past all that. You haven’t said anything bad about him, and he seemed to really care about you still. I assume there wasn’t bad blood?”
“There wasn’t. I think that adds to the complicated feelings, but I know what I did was the right choice. The good memories will stay good memories, and I think he will always have a special place in my heart. Woah, that was really cliche to say.”
Euijoo couldn’t help the laugh he let out, hiding behind his hands. Nicholas wanted to reach over and move them out of the way so he could enjoy the view of the other, but he held back. “That is really cliche. It is sweet though. You know, you really aren’t like what I expected.”
“I’ve been told.” Nicholas said, rolling his eyes jokingly.
Euijoo glanced down at his watch. “We’ve only been here for thirty minutes. A little short for a date. What should we do next?”
Nicholas’s eyes lit up. “Do you happen to like shopping?”
“Oh, let’s go in here!” Nicholas dragged Euijoo by the arm into their sixth store. Euijoo whined as they went in, his arms in pain from the multiple bags he was holding, only one actually being his. Nicholas started looking through the racks, not for anything in particular, just stand out pieces. Summer was coming up, and he was refreshing his wardrobe. Luckily, every time he went on a spree like this, it forced him to clean out ‘old’ pieces from his closet which made him good money on resale apps. Sometimes Maki or Taki would buy things off him too. It wasn’t much of a stretch to call Nicholas a shopaholic, but he wouldn’t admit it himself.
“Ya know, I think this one would look good on you, Juju,” Nicholas said as he held up a cream colored shirt with English text on it, something about a surfing competition in Laguna. It came out so naturally Nicholas didn’t even notice the nickname use at first. Euijoo stared at him, not saying anything. Nicholas lowered the shirt back down. “You can just say it’s not your style.”
“Huh? No. I…did you…just call me Juju.” Euijoo’s overall face remained relatively expressionless, but his cheeks and ears were turning red. It was like when Nico first called him cute.
“Oh…OH! I guess I did.” Nicholas quickly turned around and tucked the shirt back into the racks. “I’m going to look at some pants,” Nicholas announced, a shake to his voice as he briskly walked to the other side of the store. Euijoo didn’t follow him. Once he was covered by some mannequins and racks, Nicholas sank down and put his head in his hands, willing himself to only scream internally and not aloud. He couldn’t believe he casually used a nickname for Euijoo. After their earlier conversation, he did start to think up one to use for him in the future- if there was even a future for them- and ended up saying it aloud. Also, he wanted to scream because of the look on Euijoo’s face afterward. His blank expression really made him look round and Ponyo like, plus the blush on his cheeks sent Nicholas over the edge. He tried not to think about the fact that maybe the nickname made Euijoo’s heart flutter because why would that happen? He needed to not read into things, this was all a fake date anyway. Everything was fake.
“I think I’m all drained for the day,” Nicholas said casually as he approached Euijoo again, pretending to yawn. “Do you want me to drop you off?”
“Maybe I should drop you off,” Euijoo said as he held up the various bags on his arms. “I have a feeling you can’t take these back by yourself.”
“I’m very strong, actually,” Nicholas said with a glare. He thought it better to not randomly flex at this moment. The mood was back to normal, and he didn’t want to make things feel awkward again.
“And yet, I’m holding the bags,” Euijoo chuckled as he left the store.
The two didn’t talk much on the way to Nico’s campus apartment, just a few back and forths over who would carry what bags once they reached the station. Euijoo followed a few steps behind Nicholas as they made their way to the apartment. As they got to the door, Nicholas was trying to remember if Maki was home or not. He hadn’t explained anything to the younger yet about this fake date, and a bit of panic set in as he imagined Maki not being subtle at all about his surprise of seeing Nicholas with a new guy. Even if it was all fake.
“If you don’t mind, I’ll say goodbye here,” Euijoo said as he set down the bags by Nicholas’s feet. “Thank you for today. Sorry if it was a burden to you.”
“No problem, Euijoo,” Nicholas said, purposefully using his name this time. “I owed you, and it helped me get my mind off my projects for a bit.” However, now it would be hard for Nicholas to focus his mind on anything that wasn’t Euijoo, especially the way he blushed, the way he smiled, the sound of his laugh- Nicholas was screwed.
“I’ll go now, bye.” Euijoo gave a quick wave.
“Text you later?” Nicholas asked, his tone a bit pleading. After this, they could try to have some type of friendship, and friends casually texted each other. Their interactions didn’t have to end whenever the fake dates did. At least, Nicholas hoped they wouldn’t end there.
Euijoo looked back over his shoulder, the soft smile on his face not hiding the pity in his eyes. “I’ll see you around, Nichol.”
Nicholas watched his back until he was out of sight. His hand moved to grip his shirt, right over his heart. No confirmation, no real reassurance, but there was something there. The nickname used at the end without any correction. It was all supposed to be fake, but something about that felt real.