▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁

▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁

The restaurant Izumi picked was a small one. It had just a few tables in the back and didn't have a lot of variety on their menu. The two 00-liner chose a mixture of various chicken and two jugs of beer. 

They sat down in one of the booth and silently waited for their food to arrive. Izumi was awkwardly looking over to Donghyuck. He didn't smile or anything. It seemed like he was deep in thoughts. 

Donghyuck didn't know what to talk about. He didn't like Izumi romantically, but everything about this situation right now, seemed like a date to him. "I know this is probably such a turn-off" he started, "but my first date with my ex girlfriend had been in a similar place like this." Izumi looked up from her hands and at the tanned boy next to her.

"It must've been really romantic" Izumi asked and Donghyuck looked up. "Romantic? She was annoyed because the whole restaurant smelled like old oil and everything." Donghyuck chuckled. "She always pretended that our second date was out first." He shook his head. Izumi nodded.

"I wouldn't have minded it, if my first date would be at a place like this. It would make me less nervous, because it's a chill place" she grinned and Donghyuck looked at her. She definitely wasn't his type. 

A waiter brought them their jugs of beer and the two of them clinked their glasses together and took a big sip from thee beer. "Krrrr" Izumi closed her eyes and nodded. "This is the life, huh?", she asked and looked at Donghyuck, who nodded. A smile crept onto Izumi's lips as she saw the foam in the corner of Donghyuck's lips. "Wait a sec" she said and leaned forward, wiping the foam with her thumb.

"You looked ridiculous" she wiped her finger on her napkin and smiled at Donghyuck. Donghyuck pressed his lips together and looked at her. A bit of her black hair was covering her face and then, all of a sudden it happened. 

His heart leapt forwards. He felt heat rush to his cheeks, as he watched Izumi take another sip from her beer. The scene in front of him moved in slow motion. The way she tilted her neck back to gulp down from the beer. The way she let out a sound of excitement when she set the glass on the table; her rosy cheeks, the way her brown eyes sparkled, everything was ... beautiful.

Park-Miya Izumi was beautiful. In her own kind of way. He knew her for a few months now. He had spent everyday with her, getting to know her little by little. And for some odd reasons he could remember little details about Izumi.

Like how she put on her left shoe before her right one. How she scrunched up her nose, when she smiled. Or how her mouth moved when she spoke. The way her eyes disappeared when she grinned or how she oinked like a pig, when she was having a laughing fit.

How she was opening her arms to allow more air into her lungs when singing. How soft her hands felt, when she was holding his. Her scent, the way she walked, the way she jumped on her skateboard.

The way she smiled when she met Jaemin and Giselle. The way she hugged her friends. How she switched into Japanese when she was alone with Giselle, hoping that nobody would understand her. Her cute little jumps, when she climbed onto the stage.

Every little detail rolled by like a movie in front of Donghyuck's eyes and he felt his chest get heavier. He knew this feeling. He had felt it, when he first got to know Kwon Jieon and he never expected to feel it again. And now here he was, watching himself fall in love with none other than his co-actress Park-Miya Izumi.

The waiter came with their chicken and Izumi cheerfully clapped into her hands. "Thanks!", she called after the waiter and opened the drawer of the table, getting a set of chopsticks for her and Donghyuck. "Here you go—" she said and widened her eyes.

"Oh my" she said and looked at Donghyuck, "you're pale, Donghyuck. Quick eat something. It will make you feel better!", she smiled at him, clueless about how fast it made his heart beat and he gulped. 

"Eh, sure" he said and grabbed the chopsticks from her hand, picking a piece of chicken to eat. He tasted it and Izumi watched him in awe, waiting for his response. "So?", she asked and Donghyuck nodded. "It's good!" 

Izumi grinned. "Let's dig in, then!"

The two actors ate their chicken quietly, humming here and there and commenting on the different flavors of the chicken. After their first beers were empty, they ordered more. Donghyuck even ordered a bottle of Soju for the two of them. He felt in a giddy mood.

Izumi was a little tipsy when they finished their dinner and their beers and the bottle of Soju. She was giggling, when Donghyuck went to pay and had to hold onto him. Her eyelids were heavy as they left the restaurant. 

Donghyuck looked at her and rolled his eyes. "You have a low tolerance, huh?", he asked and Izumi nodded, still holding onto the sleeve of his right arm. "Yep!", Izumi chuckled. "I'll take you home" Donghyuck said and Izumi nodded. "Yep", she answered and Donghyuck rolled his eyes.

He grabbed her hand and held onto it tightly. "You're hands are warm Donghyuck" Izumi said and looked at their intertwined hands. "Where do you even live?", Donghyuck asked, ignoring Izumi's comments about his hands. Izumi told him her address and the Jeju boy nodded.

They walked down the closest subway and once in the train, the two of them sat down. Izumi immediately rested her head on Donghyuck's shoulder and took her free hand to trace their intertwined fingers.

"Donghyuck" she spoke quietly, "our hands are intertwined like Elphaba's and Fiyero's" she whispered and Donghyuck looked at her. "Fiyero probably held Elphaba's hands just like that." Donghyuck gulped. He could see the other people looking at them and the public display of affection.

"Be quiet" he told her and looked away. His cheeks were hot and he rolled his eyes. She was clingy and weird when she was tipsy. A sigh left her lips, but she continued to trace along their fingers. 

It was crazy how fast Donghyuck's feelings toward her changed. But maybe it only seemed fast... Donghyuck was pretty good at denying things like that. I mean, it took him weeks to accept the fact that Jieon didn't love him anymore.

Jieon... He wondered if she'd be alright with him moving on and falling for another girl. He wasn't completely in love with Park-Miya Izumi, but he was indeed crushing on her. He hoped Jieon wouldn't make a scene... they broke it off. He was allowed to fall in love with someone else, right?

"This is my station" Izumi suddenly said and stood up. Donghyuck stood up with her, still holding on to her hand. The two of them left the train and walked upstairs. Izumi almost tripped and started laughing hysterically.

"I almost fell, Donghyuck! Did you see it!" Izumi was way too loud and Donghyuck rolled his eyes. He let go off Izumi's hand and took off his backpack, putting it on his chest, before kneeling down. "Get on, before you get hurt" he said and waited for Izumi to climb on his back.

"Are you sure?", the girl asked and Donghyuck nodded. "It's safer for everyone out here" Donghyuck said and Izumi nodded. "Got it!", she said and climbed on his back. She threw her legs around his torso and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

Izumi was way lighter than Donghyuck had imagined. Especially with that huge ass backpack and skateboard on her back. "Guide me to your home" he said and climbed the steps. Izumi leaned her head on one of his shoulders and hummed.

She was getting tired. She wasn't a heavy drinker and didn't drink often, because she was getting tipsy real quick. But beer and soju tasted SO good, so she didn't want to miss out on anything. And she felt safe with Donghyuck, so she drank with him.

"Take a right here" she said and looked at Donghyuck's face. His cheeks were covered in a red hue and she felt bad. "Put me down, Donghyuck" she said, "your face is red." Donghyuck shook his head. "It's fine. You're not that heavy." 

She sighed. He was stubborn. "If you say so" she whispered and continue to lead Donghyuck to her house. He walked through the gate that kept the house from the main road and walked up to the front door. There he dropped Izumi off.

Izumi looked at Donghyuck and smiled awkwardly. "Thanks for hanging out with me" he said, "even though you had a date with your friends." Izumi shook her head. "We're friends as well!" She grinned. "Thanks for taking me home" she said and took off her backpack to search for her keys.

Just that moment, the front door opened a black haired woman in a bathrobe stood in the door frame. "Izu-chan?", she asked and looked from Izumi to the boy on their front porch. "Oh, you brought a friend" Mrs Miya said and nodded towards Donghyuck.

"Okaa-san! That's my co-actor Donghyuck. I told you about him" Izumi said and her mother immediately heard how tipsy she was. "He's my Glinda" Izumi beamed and looked at Donghyuck. Her smile was sending heart shaped arrows into his heart and he bowed. "I'm Lee Donghyuck" he introduced himself to Izumi's mother.

"Nice to meet you" she said and looked at Izumi. "Did you drink?", she asked her daughter and she nodded. "That's why Donghyuck brought me home. He thought I didn't make it alone" Izumi chuckled and pointed at Donghyuck.

Mrs Miya rolled her eyes and looked at Donghyuck. "Thank you for taking her home" she said and looked around, "why don't you come inside and I'll call you a taxi?" Donghyuck shook his head and bowed. "Thank you for this offer, Mrs Miya, but I'll find my way myself."

Izumi pouted and walked over to Donghyuck. She pulled him in a bone-crushing hug and held him tightly. "Good night, Donghyuck. I'll see you tomorrow!" And with these words, she bounced into the house, leaving her mother and Donghyuck behind.

Mrs Miya chuckled. "Seriously, thank you Donghyuck-sshi. She's a mess when she's tipsy. Have a good night" the woman said and walked inside. Donghyuck bowed and waited for her to close the door, before running out of the gate and closing the metal door behind him.

He held the fabric over his heart and shook his head in disbelief. He liked Park-Miya Izumi. The girl who was totally not his style. Now he understood why he was so agitated by her and Renjun's kissing scene. He was jealous! 

"Renjun will be so happy when he hears this" Donghyuck said sarcastically and rolled his eyes in annoyance. Why must he fall for someone as chaotic and crazy as Izumi? Why? Love made no sense. Absolutely.

— ❄︎ —

𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠!

𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞.

𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

—𝕤𝕟𝕠𝕨𝕗𝕝𝕒𝕜𝕖𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕞𝕪𝕝𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕠𝕡