jinki.
jinki thinks he has a good feeling about this. it’s not easy to tell exactly what ethan is thinking, but he’s smiling which is always a good sign. and a nice sight as well, and it encourages jinki to tamp down his flustered energy and look his company in the eye like a normal, functioning human being. and yeah, that’s so much better than the poster on the wall, because ethan looks so sweet in his sweater and dimples and messy hair. but it’s a challenge to keep his face neutral as he returns the smile. it’s a little tight around the edges, fighting to twitch into an embarrassed grimace. he’s sure his cheeks are rosy and he hopes the strong sunlight from the window washes the color off of his face. he can’t have ethan thinking he’s some tactless weirdo and not want to hang out with him.
“ it’s…. interesting, ” jinki supplies. it’s not the worst flavor in the world, and he doesn’t mind sipping on it now that he’s paid for it, but he doesn’t think it’s a flavor he can return to again. he releases the straw from his mouth and blinks in surprise. “ try yours? ” years of stupid romance dramas scream indirect kiss! in his brain, leaving it a slowly melting lump of goo. “ oh. uh. sure. you can try mine too, if you want. i promise it’s not bad. ” he looks down at his own cup that he’s offering, wincing at the mangled state of his straw. he’s really been taking out his anxious energy on the plastic, and it shows in the deep grooves gnawed into the top of the plastic. “ um. only if you want. ”
ethan considers asking if everything is alright, because something seems to be making jinki nervous and he can’t pinpoint what it is just by studying his face, but it feels a bit invasive. the smile he is offered does ease the worry a bit, making his own finally reach his eyes. ever since those nights they’d met up at the campus studio to work on a mix for the performance his group was coming up with, they’d built what ethan hoped was a close enough friendship for jinki to be able to feel comfortable around him.
a laugh tumbles from his lips at the reply, eyes like crescents. the way jinki blinks at the offer is sweet, but ethan holds back the chuckle; it’s there, though, at the corners of his mouth. “yeah, go on. it’s good.” it’s been a while since he ordered a flavor other than the one in his cup, so when jinki offers, he leans closer and takes a sip through the ruined straw, as if the drink could taste any different than the first and last time he had it. his nose wrinkles cutely, tongue darting out to lick at his lips as he leans back. “tastes like potato.”
