Then he felt guilty. He should have put more effort into it, fuck! If he'd known, he'd have gotten something better.
"I didn't really do much," he confessed. "I don't know a lot about flowers, really, so I just asked the florist for suggestions."
"I don't know much about flowers either," said Yoo Joonghyuk. "The flowers I usually receive are the congratulatory ones. The orders are placed by PAs, usually on call and then delivered to my office...So, I guess you could say I'm not used to receiving flowers like this."
Kim Dokja frantically searched his brain to find an appropriate response to that. Hell, he was fine with any response. He didn't want to sit there and stare at the man dumbly.
"I'll get you better flowers next time."
Yoo Joonghyuk blinked.
"Pardon?"
Kim Dokja felt blood rush to his cheeks. His face burned so hot that it might just start blowing steam through his ears. That was so embarrassing! Why would he say something like that?! Just kill him right now.
"You don't have to take it if you don't want it," Kim Dokja blurted out some bullshit, looking away from Yoo Joonghyuk, desperately wishing that he would just dissolve into nothing that very instant.
"No, I do want it," Yoo Joonghyuk said quickly.
"Okay," Kim Dokja croaked, his gaze fixed on the road outside, not seeing a single thing.
". . .okay," Yoo Joonghyuk muttered.
Kim Dokja was never doing this again. He and his dumb mouth. Argh! Someone, seriously, just kill him and save him from this shame. This was going to haunt him for the rest of his life. And god, if Han Sooyoung ever found out, he could say goodbye to whatever remaining dignity he had in her eyes.
"I mean," Kim Dokja cleared his throat. "You still have plenty of birthdays coming up, so. . .Ah, that—What about Uriel Noona? Doesn't she give you presents for your birthday?"
"We tend to leave each other alone and enjoy peace," said Yoo Joonghyuk. "Birthdays weren't something I focused on until you mentioned it."
"Ah, I see. Guess, it's up to me now," Kim Dokja laughed in an attempt to pass it off as a joke. He dared to glance at Yoo Joonghyuk. . . oh, his ears were red.
Right, he was probably cringing from all the nonsense Kim Dokja had just said. Goddamnit! Maybe he should just sew his mouth shut for eternity.
They'd booked tickets for a movie Uriel had recommended. Kim Dokja wasn't one to watch movies, nor was Yoo Joonghyuk, but neither had any idea on what to do for the day, until Uriel told them to go watch a movie in the theatres as a new experience.
She said that Yoo Joonghyuk had never been to the theatres and that bothered Kim Dokja a little, so he agreed to his Noona's idea and that's how the plan came to be.
The theatre wasn't as busy as Kim Dokja had expected it to be on a weekend morning.
"Do you want to get something to munch on while we watch the movie, Joonghyuk-ssi?" Kim Dokja asked.
"I'd rather not," said Yoo Joonghyuk. ". . .You can get some popcorn if you want," he added quickly.
"That's alright, I'm not one to eat either," Kim Dokja smiled to reassure him when he heard the hint of anxiety in Yoo Joonghyuk's voice. "But I think we should at least get something to drink. What's your drink of choice?"
"Coffee should do," Yoo Joonghyuk replied. "Do theatres do coffee?"
"They do everything these days," Kim Dokja waved it away. "Come with me."
Waiting in line with Yoo Joonghyuk was something Kim Dokja hadn't taken into account. He was used to people jumping and turning away with fear when Yoo Joonghyuk walked around at work.
It was similar even now. It probably had something to do with the way he had dressed too, but people kept looking at him, turning heads to take a better look at the well-built, handsome man.
Then the scars and his cold glare caught attention and they turned away in alarm. A little kid had even burst into tears when Yoo Joonghyuk came into view.
Kim Dokja felt bad for the man.
Hey, he wasn't all that scary. Seriously? Sure, he gave off the impression of a mob boss at first glance, but look closer. How is anyone getting scared of this Adonis? This was bullshit!
"Dokja-ssi," Yoo Joonghyuk called. Look at how polite this man was! This was so ridiculous!
Kim Dokja broke out of his indignant reverie and looked up at Yoo Joonghyuk who stood next to him.
"I'm fine," the man said. "You don't have to worry too much."
Kim Dokja stared back at him.
"Did I make it obvious?"
"Yes," Yoo Joonghyuk nodded. "You were frowning a lot."
Kim Dokja fixed his expression quickly. He wasn't aware he was doing that.
"I wanted you to have a good experience," Kim Dokja said and sighed, taking a step forward in the line that had moved up to the counter.
"I am having a good experience," said Yoo Joonghyuk.
"A better one then."
"It's the best with you already."
Kim Dokja tried to decide if he should respond to that and risk embarrassing himself like last time again, or if he should just smile and keep shut. But he never got to reach a choice because someone behind them in the line to the food court counter dissolved into hacking coughs.
It sounded bad, he hoped they had a mask with them. Why would someone come out to a crowded public space when they were sick?
Kim Dokja ordered a small tub of popcorn, just to make the experience. If Yoo Joonghyuk didn't like it, he could finish the rest, it wasn't a lot anyway.
With their cold brew and popcorn that Yoo Joonghyuk offered to hold, but Kim Dokja waved away, they went to find their screening room.
They had their seats right at the top. After climbing more stairs than Kim Dokja would have liked to, they settled in their designated seats. Yoo Joonghyuk looked around once, a little unimpressed and then stared at the large, blank screen in front of them, sipping on his coffee.
"Have you been to theatres often?" Yoo Joonghyuk broke the silence between them.
Kim Dokja nodded. "It's a popular date idea. I've been to the theatres closer to my place mostly. It's my first time here, though."
Yoo Joonghyuk hummed, "I see."
"Have you dated a lot?" he asked next.
Kim Dokja chuckled wryly.
"I guess you could say that," he said. ". . .I have dated a lot. It makes me sound promiscuous, doesn't it?"
"A little," Yoo Joonghyuk said and it stabbed at Kim Dokja's conscience.
In a way, he was, wasn't he?
"It reminds me of some comic that my secretary likes to read," Yoo Joonghyuk continued while Kim Dokja comforted his wounded pride.
"Does it?"
"Mm."
"What was it about?"
"I can't be sure, but I think there was some character who could never find someone to be in love with," Yoo Joonghyuk recollected. "It was a little difficult to find a plot because it was mostly lewd drawings."
Kim Dokja blinked. Lewd drawings?
"Ah, smut, you mean?" he said.
"Is that what it's called?" Yoo Joonghyuk looked at him.
"The ones that have too many explicit scenes, right?"
Yoo Joonghyuk nodded.
"Yeah, they call it smut. Well, they call it a lot of different things," Kim Dokja shrugged. "But it's the tag. I didn't know that's what Noona read, I thought it was the classic romance novels."
"She collects posters and things of the stories she likes. It's her hobby," Yoo Joonghyuk told him. "...Something called BL too."
Kim Dokja opened his mouth when Yoo Joonghyuk spoke before he could, "I'm aware it's called Boys Love, don't call me too old again."
"What?" Kim Dokja said innocently. "What do you mean by that?"
"I can see it on your face," Yoo Joonghyuk scoffed. "Don't even try."
Kim Dokja grinned.
"You seem familiar with it," Yoo Joonghyuk changed the topic. "Do you read it often?"
"Not really," Kim Dokja answered. "I've read one, it was more of a high fantasy with a romance subplot. I mostly read web novels instead of comics, so I can't really say I know a lot about it. I'm more of a fantasy reader than romance, but I don't mind if the story has romance. As long as it contributes to the plot, anything's fine."
"Fantasy," Yoo Joonghyuk said, more to himself, but Kim Dokja nodded regardless.
"A little bit like the Lord of the Rings," he said, it was his go-to excuse after he'd made it once to quell Yoo Sangah's curiosity. It hadn't really worked though. He was expecting her to drop it, but the ever-diligent woman went and read the fantasy books so that she could discuss it with Kim Dokja. And that left Kim Dokja no choice but to go read the books he had just mentioned to get her off his case.
It had been slightly bothersome, but he couldn't bring himself to get annoyed about it for more than a few minutes. Yoo Sangah was just trying to be his friend. How could he not put in some effort when she was doing all that just so that they could get closer to each other?
"Sci-fi used to be quite popular, but these days it's the reincarnation plots that's the rage. It's everywhere, romance, fantasy, adventure thrillers, everything."
"Is that not something you like to read?" Yoo Joonghyuk said.
"It's not too bad," Kim Dokja sighed. "But sometimes it can get a little boring. I can see why the second chance at life, going back in time and fixing past mistakes can be appealing, but I feel like it just makes it too easy for the protagonist."
"Isn't that what the story is about? Going back in time would obviously mean fixing everything, wouldn't it?" Yoo Joonghyuk said and Kim Dokja was reminded again that he couldn't understand how Yoo Joonghyuk kept up with his ramblings about the most pointless nonsense. Even Han Sooyoung, the one who understood the most of what he was blabbing tended to zone out when he got too passionate about things.
"Well, yes. But everything just falls coincidentally into the protagonist's lap every time. Even the major arcs, where the writer makes it sound like there's some big threat coming, get resolved just like that in a few chapters because the protagonist is OP. Ah, OP means—"
"I know what OP stands for too," Yoo Joonghyuk said dryly before Kim Dokja could.
Snickering to himself, Kim Dokja took a sip of his coffee.
"You just want to see the protagonists suffer a little, am I right?" Yoo Joonghyuk leaned back in his seat as the lights dimmed and the project came to life.
"Don't make me sound like a sadist," Kim Dokja huffed. "But I think a few hardships would make the story better, build character, a solid backstory, you know? Isn't that how it's in real life?"
"But you're reading fiction, it doesn't have to mirror real life," Yoo Joonghyuk said. The theatre was completely dark now and people were gradually ending their conversations, falling silent.
"Yes," Kim Dokja said quietly, leaning closer to Yoo Joonghyuk. "I mostly read as an escape from reality. But even so, I think, as a reader, you need to have something to relate to with the character. Something to sympathise with, something to make you want to root for them."
"Doesn't always have to be so."
"You're right," Kim Dokja agreed. "OP protagonists are popular for a reason. Even if it's a little cliché."
He sat properly in his seat and fixed his eyes on the screen.
Uriel was the one who had picked the movie. He hoped it would be good. Kim Dokja wasn't a movie person, he wasn't interested in sitting for almost two hours and watching some shoddy story play out in front of him.
Kim Dokja stiffened when he felt Yoo Joonghyuk's body move towards him.
"Do you dislike clichés?" Yoo Joonghyuk whispered, their shoulders bumping lightly into each other when Kim Dokja moved his closer as well, to hear better.
"It just gets a little boring sometimes," Kim Dokja whispered back, eyes never leaving the screen where the movie had started playing. "But that doesn't mean I dislike clichés."
With a soft hum that Kim Dokja only just managed to hear over the loud intro music blasting through the speakers in the theatre, Yoo Joonghyuk retreated back to his seat. The warmth on Kim Dokja's right shoulder lingered for a few moments before it faded away when his attention fell on the movie.
Kim Dokja had to blink and rub his eyes when the lights came back on for the intermission. People got up from their seats and filed out of the room, either to go to the washrooms or to get something from outside.
Neither of them had touched the popcorn that Kim Dokja had stuffed into the cup holder between their seats. They'd both just stuck to drinking their coffee, the ice in their cups melting steadily.
"How did you like it so far?" Kim Dokja asked once his eyes adjusted to the light and turned to look at Yoo Joonghyuk.
Yoo Joonghyuk thought for a few seconds, sighed, and then said, "I wouldn't trust Uriel to do this again."
Kim Dokja smiled weakly.
"Not too bad, I suppose," Yoo Joonghyuk sighed. "But there were points where I would've fast-forwarded if I could."
"Really?" Kim Dokja said and Yoo Joonghyuk nodded.
"A lot of pointless conversations and I don't get what the couple wants," Yoo Joonghyuk complained. "They keep going around in pointless circles with unclear motivations."
"It's not unclear though?" Kim Dokja said, shifting in his seat to face Yoo Joonghyuk better, instead of keeping his head turned. Yoo Joonghyuk noticed this and did the same.
"They're obviously going for the money in the safe. But I get the conversations being pointless. It's just a lot of unnecessary drama. . .It's probably the inspector, he's going to be a double agent or something."
Yoo Joonghyuk frowned suddenly.
"What makes you say that?" he asked.
"It was obvious," Kim Dokja responded. "And he's been suspicious from the start. He was around during every major event, so clearly one of the major characters. There's too much focus on him, a little too much for just a passing minor character. And there's just something about the female lead trusting him blindly."
"It wasn't blind trust," Yoo Joonghyuk said seriously. "She sees him as her father figure."
"That's exactly why he's suspicious," Kim Dokja put forward his argument. "The female lead's been through a tough life, she's wary of everyone, except this guy."
"Yes, because she's known him since she was a child," Yoo Joonghyuk pointed out.
"Exactly," Kim Dokja stressed. "Don't you see? That's what they're going for. It's the typical plot. Watch, in the second half, they're probably going to bring this up as the plot twist. And it will probably have to do something with the female lead's father and the male lead's dead parents too."
Yoo Joonghyuk looked like he clearly disagreed.
"I'm not on board with the double agent theory," the man said. "But if anyone has to be the traitor, it would be the driver. Too easy to manipulate."
"No, that's a minor character if I've ever seen one."
"There is a logical motive. And the final villain is most likely the division head."
"I don't think so. That's more or less a plot point to glorify the male lead. You know, show he's better than the rest. Justice and all."