PJ (Hyunjin) short story collection

Romance master?

The restaurant was absolutely beautiful. It was bathed in bright, calm baby blue tones that made the whole space feel airy and light. Huge floor-to-ceiling windows lined the walls, letting the warm afternoon golden sunlight pour over the wooden tables and sparkle across our glasses.

Hyunjin was sitting right next to me, his long legs comfortably tangled with mine under the table. He was in a completely hyper, lively mood, and was playfully shouting across the long table at Chanyeon, who was seated at the far end. Chanyeon, on the other hand, was lost in his own world, holding up his phone to do a live broadcast for the fans.

"Hyung! Tell PADO how much I missed them!" Hyunjin shouted, tossing a rolled-up napkin across the table. Then he made a sulky, pouty face, and I immediately burst out laughing. Chanyeon frowned at the camera, rolling his eyes, and completely ignored the flying napkin as he flashed an affectionate, resigned smile.

His playful antics made me laugh, and I unlocked my phone and handed it to Hyunjin. "Here, use my phone if you want to film that badly."

Hyunjin's eyes sparkled mischievously. He snatched the phone, hit the record button in one go, and sprang up from the booth. Then he walked around the sun-drenched restaurant, holding the camera high so his dazzlingly handsome face would be in frame. In an excited, energetic voice, Hyunjin started describing the day's life. He panned the lens around to capture the pretty baby-blue walls, the bright windows, and the scattered food on our table.

Suddenly, he pointed the lens back at me. "And here is our lovely companion!" he called brightly, flashing a dazzling smile with his dimples showing. He stretched out his free hand and waved me over. "Come here! Play with me for a bit."

I let out a breathless laugh but nodded and slipped out of the booth to join him. The moment I reached his side, Hyunjin naturally took my hand, lacing his long fingers tightly through mine.

We started literally hopping around the empty, sunlit room. We threw all idol decorum aside and giggled like little kids. The golden sunlight chased after us across the wooden floor, casting long, dancing shadows over the baby-blue walls.

"Look at us," Hyunjin said, teasing the camera. He tilted the phone so both our clasped hands and our grinning faces were in frame. He leaned his shoulder against mine, and his voice dropped into a low whisper, playfully pretending to be serious. "Isn't this way too romantic? We look like a couple straight out of a classic indie film."

His sudden sincerity, coming at me without a filter, hit me like a physical blow. A deep, intense blush instantly stained my cheeks, and I tried to turn away from the camera lens to hide my embarrassment. Hyunjin caught my bright red face. A low, genuinely captivated laugh spilled from deep in his chest, and his gaze softened into something unbelievably tender. He slowly lowered the phone and flipped it face-down on the nearby table, cutting off the recording completely. The playful, scatterbrained idol from seconds ago was gone without a trace.

Without the camera, the vast restaurant suddenly felt intensely cramped. A wave of suffocating, heavy romantic tension wrapped around us.

Hyunjin stepped closer, his tall frame casting a soft shadow over me. He placed both hands on my waist. Through my clothes, his touch felt warm and firm. With slow, deliberate movements, he gently pushed me back until I was leaning against the edge of the table behind me.

He drew me into his territory under the warm, pouring sunlight, gently pressing me back against the edge of the wooden table behind me.

"You're really cute when you blush like that," he whispered. He lowered his voice into a husky tone, and goosebumps ran all the way down my spine at the sound.

I swallowed hard. When I lifted my head to look at him, it felt like my heart was pounding violently against my ribs. Hyunjin didn't even blink. He was staring straight into my eyes, his gaze deep and steady, full of both fierce and quiet affection. After one breathless second, his eyes slowly slid down and settled on my lips.

He lowered his head and closed the last inch between us. His lips met mine in a soft, heart-stopping kiss. It was gentle and unbelievably sweet, full of a rush of overwhelming warmth that completely melted the strength out of my knees against the table. The golden afternoon sun spilled over us, sealing us away inside a beautiful little private bubble, just for the two of us.

When he finally pulled back, a smile spread across his handsome face. Keeping both hands firmly on my waist, he looked down at me with absolute happiness shining in his eyes.

"Yeah," Hyunjin whispered, his thumb drawing soothing circles over my hip. "Definitely romantic."

The golden, quiet bubble we were trapped in burst instantly at the sharp, deliberate sound of a cough echoing from across the sunlit dining space.

"You know I'm still in this room, right?"

Hyunjin and I jumped in surprise, whipping our heads toward the other side of the restaurant so fast our lips broke apart at once. Chanyeon was standing beside the booth, his phone finally tucked safely into his pocket. With his arms folded over his chest, he wore a completely amused yet long-suffering smile on his face as he looked at us.

"And for the record," Chanyeon added, playfully lifting one eyebrow and pointing toward the counter, "my live broadcast ended five minutes ago. But the restaurant staff are staring at you two like you're a couple filming an unauthorized K-drama right now."

A deep, burning crimson flush rushed back over my cheeks in an instant, and I instinctively tried to hide behind Hyunjin's shoulder. But Hyunjin looked completely unfazed. Looking almost smug, a dimpled smile spread across his handsome face, and he naturally wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me tightly to his side.

"Hyung, don't be jealous," Hyunjin shot back playfully, his voice echoing through the bright, pretty baby-blue room. "I know you're grumpy because you couldn't film today's ending fairy kiss scene."

Chanyeon let out a low chuckle and shook his head, then flicked an extra cloth napkin toward Hyunjin's face. "Shut up, you troublemaker. Get back to the table and finish your meal before the soup gets cold."

We giggled and walked back to the long booth, still holding hands tightly under the warm afternoon sunlight. We slipped right back into our busy, cheerful idol life, but under the edge of the wooden table, Hyunjin's fingers were still firmly intertwined with mine. It was our sweet, sunlit reality, one we no longer needed to hide.