On Saturday afternoon Jihoon's pov:
"Aww, this is nice finally! You're going on a date after forever," Mom rejoiced as I threw on my shoes and grabbed the car key.
"Oh I heard Joon's group is performing at the festival." Hyeon added.
I shot Hyeon a look as I tied my shoes, shaking my head. "It's not a date," I repeated, my voice firmer this time. "We're just going to the festival because Minji got tickets. That's all."
Mom grinned knowingly, wiping her hands on a dish towel. "Sure, sure. Just two people going to a festival together—totally not a date."
I sighed, feeling the frustration bubble up. "You guys are impossible. Can't I hang out with someone without it being a thing?"
Hyeon chuckled from the couch. "It's not just someone, it's Minji. And after all that drama with him? You're telling me you're just hanging out now?"
I rolled my eyes, grabbing the car keys off the counter. "Believe whatever you want. It's not that deep."
I hopped in the car and drove out of the parking lot before Mom could come out and say something else. I needed to get out of there before they kept pushing their teasing. The drive was quiet, giving me a moment to gather my thoughts. I couldn't help but replay the past few weeks in my head—how Minji somehow kept showing up, how I hadn't pushed him away like I normally would with someone who annoyed me this much.
I pulled up to the meeting spot, glancing around for Minji. It wasn't hard to spot him. He was leaning against a lamppost, looking around nervously, probably wondering if I'd flake on him. For a second, I thought about just driving off, but I shook the thought away. I wasn't that much of a jerk.
As soon as Minji saw my car, his face lit up with that same smile that always confused me. Why was he so happy all the time?
I parked and got out, stuffing my hands into my jacket pockets. "You're early," I muttered.
Minji shrugged, his smile not fading. "I didn't want to be late. Plus, I was excited to hang out."
"Yeah, well, let's get this over with," I replied, trying to keep things casual. But deep down, something felt different. Something about this festival, about being here with him, made me wonder if it was more than just hanging out.
"I've never really been to a festival and I hear festival hotdogs are the best, I wanna try some before the show starts." He smiled as we entered in the crowed, "What's the difference, hotdogs are hotdogs." I told him.
"Well Mina said there are the best, she always comes to these festivals." He remarked.
"So why didn't she come with you today?" I asked. "Well she gave me these tickets because she got in trouble with her parents and couldn't go."
"So, you're just using me as a backup?" I teased, raising an eyebrow as we weaved through the crowd.
Minji chuckled, shaking his head. "No way. I wanted to come with you. I figured you could use a break, and honestly, you're more fun to hang out with than Mina."
I scoffed, trying to ignore the weird flutter in my chest. "Yeah, right. I'm sure."
"I'm serious," he said, his tone a little more sincere now. "You've been through a lot lately, and I thought maybe this would be good for you too."
I didn't know how to respond to that, so I just shrugged it off. "Alright, let's get your festival hotdog then."
We finally reached the food stalls, and Minji's eyes lit up like a kid in a candy store. He ordered two hotdogs, one for each of us, even though I wasn't really that hungry. As soon as he took a bite, he grinned at me.
"See? I told you it's different," he said through a mouthful of food.
I took a small bite of mine and raised an eyebrow. "It's just a hotdog, Minji."
He laughed, shaking his head. "You're impossible."
As we continued walking, hotdogs in hand, I glanced over at him. For someone who'd been so persistent and annoying when we first met, Minji was surprisingly easy to be around now. And as much as I hated to admit it, I didn't mind his company as much as I used to.
We strolled through the crowd, the music from the festival starting to get louder as we neared the main stage. Minji kept glancing around, taking in the sights like it was his first time outside, and I couldn't help but smirk at his enthusiasm.
"You act like you've never been to one of these before," I muttered, finishing off my hotdog.
"Well, I haven't," Minji replied, wiping his hands on a napkin. "Not like this. Festivals weren't really my thing before. But this one... I don't know, I just wanted to try something different."
I raised an eyebrow at him. "Different how? You could've gone with anyone else."
He smiled, looking a bit sheepish. "Yeah, but you're... different, too. I figured if I was going to try something new, I might as well do it with someone who makes it interesting."
I rolled my eyes, but a small part of me felt... warm. It wasn't the usual annoyance I felt around Minji. It was something else.
"You're weird, you know that?" I said, shoving my hands in my pockets.
Minji shrugged, his grin not faltering. "Maybe. But you're still here with me, so what does that make you?"
I shot him a sideways glance, shaking my head. "Don't push it."
We found a spot near the stage as the crowd thickened, the music swelling around us. Minji was still beaming, completely caught up in the atmosphere. I tried to stay detached, but the energy was contagious, and soon enough, I found myself relaxing a bit.
As the first band came on and the music blasted through the speakers, I felt Minji shift closer to me, almost like he was making sure I didn't disappear in the crowd. It was subtle, but it didn't go unnoticed.
For the first time in a long time, I didn't feel like running away.
—————————
As the sun set on the horizon the crowd got loud as the Last group got on the stage, OneStar one of the biggest kpop group out right now. As OneStar took the stage and the opening notes hit, the entire crowd roared to life, their excitement palpable. The sun had dipped below the horizon, casting the festival grounds in a warm, fading glow, while the stage lights flickered on, illuminating the band in a dazzling display of colors.
The energy was electric, and even though I wasn't the biggest fan of K-pop, I couldn't deny the atmosphere was infectious.
Then I spotted him—Joon. His familiar smile and effortless stage presence brought back memories of our old friendship. Seeing him up there, commanding the crowd, I couldn't help but feel a swell of pride. He'd come so far, and even though we hadn't spoken in a while, I was genuinely happy for him.
I caught myself smiling, something that didn't happen often, especially around people. Minji noticed and nudged me lightly. "I didn't know you liked OneStar."
"I don't," I replied quickly, but my smile gave me away. "I just know one of the guys."
Minji's eyes widened. "Wait, you know Joon? As in the Joon?"
I shrugged, trying to downplay it. "Yeah, we were friends a while back. Haven't really talked much since he blew up, though."
Minji looked impressed, his usual grin creeping back onto his face. "You've got some cool connections, huh?"
I smirked, turning my attention back to the stage. "Don't get used to it."
As OneStar continued their performance, I found myself getting lost in the music. The crowd swayed, sang along, and for the first time in a while, I let myself relax.
————————
"Woo! That was fun, I should start coming to this more!" Minji rejoiced as the show closed up and we started leaving, "it was okay, I only liked seeing Joon perform." I replied.
Minji looked at me with a raised eyebrow, "did you date Joon?" He questioned.
"Don't be stupid, like I said his a friend. His also like family." I replied.
"Oh, okay." He smiled.
As we continued walking in silence I heard a familiar voice call out my name, before I could even fully turn Joon jumped into my arms giving me a hug.
"Dame, I can't really believe it's you." He rejoiced hugging me tighter.
He pulled away looking at me with a big smile, "I thought you were Hyeon at first, because you're not the type to be here." He stated.
"I've missed you too Joon." I said.
"Who's this? Your new babe?" He asked looking at Minji standing there stunned. "No, a friend he invited me." I said.
"Oh okay, but anyways. How about we grab something to eat, I really missed you after the whole thing You know." He said
TBC