“Can’t believe you forgot this,” Hongbin grumbled as he shoved a hooded jacket into Ravi’s arms, “Don’t you know it’s winter out? And you don’t take the subway! You could have been an icicle, or at the very least have caught a cold.” The two of them settled into one of the cozy tables in the cafe. “And then I’d have to take care of you and get you yookgaejang and listen to you sniffle all day.” His voice sounded like he was whining but they both knew that he’d have done all of it without thinking twice, the same way Ravi would have done the same for him. “So, it’s really better if you just stay healthy, okay?” Hongbin sent a pointed look at his friend, who shrugged into the jacket to prove that he would wear it sending the younger man a sweet grin.

“Thanks Binnie.” Ravi reached across the small round table to pinch one of Hongbin’s cheeks, giving it a couple of tugs despite the bland stare his friend was delivering to him. “Aigoo, so handsome even when he glares at me.” It took all of about three seconds before Hongbin’s lips started to purse, trying to suppress an oncoming giggle. “The most handsome of handsome men.” It was enough to have the other man’s nose scrunching up as his lips spread into a grin so wide it dominated most of his face. “Oh, even his smile is the most handsome.”

“Aish, you want to die?” Hongbin waved off Ravi’s hand and tried to take on a serious look but the light of laughter was still shining in his eyes. “More handsome than your Tall Double Shot Latte with Cat Eyes?” the younger man giggled behind his hand before holding up his other one to try and stave off whatever reply Ravi might have given, his expression sobering quickly. “Don’t answer that.” He wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to know the answer honestly.

The jokes aside, sometimes it was just nice to think that he held such esteem in his friend’s mind. A kind of lame consolation prize to the fact that he’d come to depend on Wonsik almost completely without realizing it many years before but never… well almost never had tried doing anything about it. It was better this way though, they’d both seen a couple of relationships come and go but real friendship couldn’t be replaced as easily. Much smoother all around if he just kept all that to himself. “So, tell me about it? Was it the same as usual?”

Ravi sipped at his cup of tea and considered. It wasn’t quite the same, well it might have been, he still wasn’t sure if that had been a smile or not. “Maybe?” he ventured with a shrug, but that just earned him another bland Hongbin stare. “I think he smiled at me for like all of a quarter of a second?” It sounded like wishful thinking when he said it out loud. “You should have seen Hyukie though, that kid, trying to turn into a smooth operator.” He chuckled over it but lifted one brow at the same time, he himself wasn’t sure what to make of it. “It would have been really embarrassing if Tall Double Shot Latte with Cat Eyes had seen him trying to maneuver me around.”

“Awww you’re making progress Wonsikie.” Hongbin said thoughtfully before drinking more of his boba. He could believe it, it was hard not to smile at Ravi sometimes. “And you should thank Hyukie for helping you out,” he added, even if the younger boy’s actions had been a little less than subtle. “Between the both of you, maybe you’ll get a name from him eventually and we can stop using the ridiculously long codename.” Though Hongbin wasn’t even sure if he could now, it was too funny to ever let drop.

“What else was I supposed to call him?” Ravi huffed with an exasperated tone. “He couldn’t just be ‘that hot guy who buys coffee and doesn’t talk’ that’s just as long and not nearly as perfect.” They both grinned at that. “I guess I could make up a name for him but I wouldn’t even know where to start. We could shorten it down to Latte but I don’t think that gives enough credit.” Hongbin couldn’t help but to start laughing at that point, the serious considering look on Ravi’s face being too much for him to take.

“You’ll be here all day if you start trying to think of a new one.” Hongbin waved away the notion. “And unfortunately even though that’d be fun, I don’t have the time for that today.” He frowned because he didn’t want to cut the conversation short.

“Have plans?” Ravi tilted his head with a raised brow. They weren’t necessarily always in each other’s business but well yes that was exactly what they were. And he didn’t recall Hongbin talking about anything he had to after work.

The other boy nodded, “Mmm yeah, I cracked a lens last week so I thought I’d go hunting to see if there were any freelance jobs opening up since the holidays are coming in. If I could earn some extra maybe I could get a new lens or go see that musical.” It wasn’t as if he’d been thinking about that all day or anything. The temptation to see Jung Leo on stage again was a little too strong in his opinion. “Won’t know unless I look though, right?”

“Back in time for dinner?” Ah yes, directly to the important part for Ravi. Hongbin grinned and nodded.

“Yeah, so don’t eat everything while I’m not there.” Ravi’s exaggeratedly refused to make eye contact with his roommate, putting on his best innocent face. “Yah! I mean it!” Hongbin slapped his hand onto the table while Ravi still wouldn’t meet his eyes. “You’ll be sorry if you do!” But the threat rang a bit hollow since neither of them could think of a damn thing Hongbin would do and it wasn’t as if Ravi actually could eat everything in their apartment. “You owe me for the jacket!” It was a last ditch attempt to save face but was somewhat ruined by the giggle tacked on at the end.

“Fine, fine.” Ravi stood up as Hongbin did and arched back to stretch his muscles. “Back to work for me, I guess.” He held out a hand to take Hongbin’s empty cup. “Hey,” he called to his friend who was shrugging on his own jacket. “Good luck, okay? Find something that pays a lot!” That earned him another face splitting smile and an enthusiastic nod. “I’ll see you at home.”

“See you!” Hongbin dipped his head in a small bow and then waved to Hyuk behind the counter before pushing the exit open and ducking back out into the cold. The vapors of his breath puffed around him as the freezing temperature seemed to zero in on his nose and ears. “Should have brought a scarf,” he mumbled to himself before tucking his hands into his pockets and setting off toward the nearby department store.

Earlier at work he’d browsed through the local papers for job listings. It turned out that there was a need for a holiday photographer in the evenings at the department store. It was just what Hongbin had been looking for. He just had to convince them that he was more than qualified for the job. Somehow he wasn’t expecting his portfolio of city scapes and faceless candids were going to be impressing anyone who wanted someone to snap photos of a bunch of kids and Santa.

It shouldn’t have caught him so off guard that the floors were so busy but it did. The help desk was all but swamped with people needing this or looking for that or angry about something else. All he wanted was an application but he still had to wait in line for a few minutes while the loud speakers pumped out cheery music to try and bowl over the din of the crowd.

When he finally was able to step up to the desk the woman behind it looks so stressed he thought about turning around and leaving without even saying anything. “Yes, what can I help you with?” There was a certain bite to her words that he wasn’t sure she knew was there but it made him nervous.

“Ah,” he shifted his camera bag and tried again, “I’m here about the photographer position?” The tail end of sentence lilted up like he was slightly confused.

“They’re waiting for you.” her voice went a little cross, sounding as if she didn’t have time for this, “Boardroom 410, on the fourth floor, east side of the building.” She rattled off instructions to him and he tried to slot them away even while he looked for a way to tell her she was mistaken about his identity. But he didn’t get the chance as she beckoned forth the next angry customer right after she finished and by the time Hongbin had his wits about him he was too embarrassed to try and interrupt her.

It wouldn’t hurt to go where she directed, he thought, at the very least maybe they’d be able to give him an application. All he needed to do was apologize and explain the situation, right? There was no way that would go wrong. His lips twisted into a frown. He should have just got back in line for the help desk and explained it to her.

Still, his feet seemed to be taking him where she’d directed, up the escalators to the fourth floor and then to the right. This part of the building must have been a bunch of meeting rooms as there didn’t look to be any shops or displays near by. Hongbin got the distinct feeling that he wasn’t supposed to be there, but he didn’t stop going forward.

A plaque outside of one set of open doors read ‘410’ so it must have been the room he was looking for. Screwing up all his courage, Hongbin cautiously peeked his head into the room but saw only a long rectangle table surrounded by high backed chairs and… nothing else? As quietly as he could he padded into the room, glancing around for anyone. Maybe he’d gotten the room number wrong? Or the assistant downstairs had said they’d been waiting for him or whoever was supposed to be showing up, maybe they’d already got tired of that and left? Was he supposed to wait for them? It seemed rude not to wait a few minutes despite the fact that he wasn’t the scheduled appointment.

The room was very much empty, so he set his camera bag down and pulled his portfolio out of his side sack to place on the table too. The more he stood there the more and more awkward he began feeling. This wasn’t his interview what was he doing? No, he should just go back downstairs and hope he got another service assistant so he could ask them for an application before he shriveled in on himself in embarrassment. Ah, it was too late, Hongbin pressed fingers to both his eyes and tried not to cringe.

So wrapped up in his own thoughts, he didn’t notice the two men enter the room and stare at him covering his face for a moment. It wasn’t until he lowered his hands and locked eyes with one of them that he really felt like sinking into the floor and disappearing.

“Oh!” the one holding his gaze lit up with a huge grin, “He’s perfect!”