You're Jeongin, and you are the one with the keys today.

The air’s still chilly as you reach the back door of Luna Bean Boba Tea Shop , fumbling a little because your fingers are half asleep and you’re still trying to wake up. Your breath clouds in the air, and the familiar jingle of your keychain the one Seungmin gave you as a joke last year is the only sound in the alley.

You unlock the door, shove it open with your shoulder, and step into the quiet. Lights still off. Machines humming. The shop smells like steeped tea and warm syrup and the faint sweetness of brown sugar pearls soaked overnight.

Same as always.

But then your eyes land on the counter.

Something’s different.

There’s a small bouquet sitting there. Nothing fancy just red roses, wrapped in plain kraft paper, tied with what looks like… an extra boba straw? You blink. Next to it, your favorite cake pop the one Seungmin always said had “the texture of regret.” And beside that, your go-to drink, the one with the weird double topping combo that no one else ever remembers.

You freeze in place, heart doing a quiet, unfamiliar stutter. You glance toward the door like someone might explain this. But it’s just you.

Until it’s not.

The door opens behind you, and in walks Seungmin hoodie over his head, hair a little messy, earbuds tangled in his collar. He looks tired in that early-morning way he always does when you pull the same shift. His eyes land on you, then drift to the counter.

He stops.

You turn to him. “Did you…?”

He doesn’t answer right away. Just tugs down his hood and walks in, slower than usual. The silence is thick, but not awkward. Just… unsure. “I was gonna leave it there before you came in,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck. “You weren’t supposed to see it yet.”

You blink at him. “See what? That you’ve finally embraced romantic grand gestures?” That gets a small laugh out of him soft, almost shy. He looks down at the floor, then back at you.

“I know it’s kind of dumb,” he says. “But I figured… I’ve liked you for a while now. And we already spend every shift together. And every morning feels better when you’re in it. So I thought maybe… maybe it’s not that dumb.”

His voice is quieter at the end. Honest. He doesn’t say things like this often usually it’s all dry jokes and casual teasing. But you hear it now. The truth behind it.

You stare at him for a second, your chest warm in a way that has nothing to do with the temperature.

“We’ve been friends for two years,” you say, voice a little thick. “You seriously waited this long?”

Seungmin gives you that lopsided smile — the one that softens everything about him. “Yeah, well. I wasn’t sure if you felt the same, and I kind of like having you in my life. Didn’t want to ruin that.”

You walk over slowly, fingers brushing the boba cup. It’s perfect. No mistakes. Even the straw’s taped at just the angle you like.“You’re an idiot,” you murmur, but there’s no heat in it. He tilts his head. “So that’s a no?”

You shake your head. “It’s a yes, dumbass.”

And for a moment, Seungmin just… breathes. Like he’d been holding it this whole time. His shoulders drop, and that smile spreads again.

“Good,” he says, eyes soft. “Because I brought extra flowers just in case you threw those at me.”