“Do you still feel sexual attraction toward men?”

That question hit Jihoon like a bolt from the blue, and just like lightning splitting the sky and exploding right in front of you, its effect was just as devastating. Jihoon parted his lips and widened his eyes, incredulous that Minho could ask such a question. Where was the discretion? How could he be so bold to ask such a delicate question without any hesitation?

Jihoon gave him the chance to pretend he hadn't said it and change the question by asking, "Excuse me, what?", but Minho didn't take the hint.

“I asked if you still like men. You know, they often say it’s a phase when you're young, and you were really young back then, so I wondered if it was just a phase for you or if you still feel the same way.”

Jihoon took his cocktail and drank a deep sip. Was it a valid curiosity? He genuinely wondered, almost as if he wanted to make the moment less awkward by justifying it somehow.

“Why do you care?”

“Because I want to know you,” Minho replied with absolute simplicity.

“You already know me,” Jihoon retorted.

“Well, I don’t know this about you.”

“Because it’s none of your business,” Jihoon snapped again.

“You’re right; it’s none of my business. But then, I’m right when I say I don’t really know you. I genuinely want to understand you, Jihoon. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.”

At least Minho seemed sincere. Jihoon sighed deeply, then closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. “Fine. Whatever,” he muttered more to himself than to Minho. Then he straightened up in his chair and looked Minho directly in the eyes.

“Yes, I still like men. I’m gay.”

Minho didn’t react in any particular way. He didn’t laugh, didn’t act shocked, didn’t say anything like “I understand” or “I’m here for you.” He just picked up his glass and took a sip.

“What do you see in a man?”

Jihoon rolled his eyes.

“The same thing you see in women.”

“I see a lot of things in a woman,” Minho said, then made a cupping gesture in front of his chest.

Was he really referring to breasts in that way? Jihoon was more incredulous by the second.

“Well, that's definitely not what I look for in a man.”

“So? Do you like good physiques? Or are you an ass guy? Or maybe you're into specific things like a man's hands?”

Jihoon had never really thought about it. He’d always felt attracted to men in a completely natural way without focusing on specific features of their faces or bodies. Generally, it was enough if they were attractive, or at least if he found them attractive according to his own aesthetic preferences. It wasn’t even that rare for someone to catch his eye; it was just hard to pinpoint exactly what he liked or disliked. In truth, it was still like he hadn’t fully figured those things out yet.

“Uh, I’m not sure,” he said, tracing the rim of his glass with his finger. “Maybe their voice or the way they talk.” It was a very generic response, but it was better than admitting he had no idea because he’d never been with anyone. To shift the focus, he turned the question around. “And what about you?”

“What do I see in men?” Minho asked.

“Or what you see in women,” Jihoon clarified, reaching for one of the appetizers on the table. It looked like a tart covered in a sweet glaze, but upon tasting it, he discovered it wasn’t honey, but rather some kind of tart jelly. Not bad.

“Would you rather know what I see in women or what I see in men?” Minho insisted, a small smirk forming on his lips.

Jihoon paused for a second, just one... No. No, impossible, he told himself.

“Why would you want to tell me what you see in men if I already know you're straight?”

Minho picked up an olive and brought it to his lips with scandalously slow movements. His index finger pressed the olive against his lips, which closed around it, and then his tongue darted out, pushing it slightly before letting it slide between a row of perfect teeth after a couple of agonizingly long seconds.

“Who said I’m straight?”

It was like one of those cartoon moments when the red alarm starts blaring. Jihoon experienced a moment of pure shock, where he couldn't fully grasp what was happening or the information he was receiving. He was clearly confused and stunned, and Minho was thoroughly enjoying the spectacle. Jihoon was just like a child, an open book so easy to read it almost seemed too simple. Minho fought the urge to reach across the table, place his palms on Jihoon's cheeks, and whisper that everything was okay, but he restrained himself. Instead, he kept his eyes locked on Jihoon's, waiting for him to process the situation and form a coherent response.

“Of course, you’re straight; you're dating Seoyoung,” Jihoon finally managed to say.

“First of all, we’re not together, as I mentioned earlier. And secondly, dating a girl doesn’t make me straight, just like dating a guy wouldn’t make me gay,” Minho explained calmly.

Jihoon’s confusion only deepened. He furrowed his brow and leaned forward, elbows on the table, as if moving closer might help him understand better.

“That makes no sense,” Jihoon argued.

“You do know there are more than just straight and gay people, right?”

“Hm?”

“I’m bisexual.”

What?

Was this a joke?

It had to be a joke.

There was no other explanation.

Minho was just messing with him because Jihoon had admitted to being gay, that’s all.

Or...was he?

Could it actually be true?

That Minho was attracted to men?

Or rather, to *both* men and women?

But did that "both" really matter?

It was already shocking enough that he was attracted to men at all!

This was huge news.

How much would the tabloids pay for this?

That last thought made Jihoon ashamed of himself, and he quickly pushed it aside. Instead, he simply said, “Ah…” and took another sip from his glass. His head was spinning, though this time, it had nothing to do with the alcohol.

"Jihoon?"

"Hm?" Jihoon lifted his gaze from the glass. He seemed lost in thought, as if the revelation had encased him in a bubble.

"So, what do you want to know?"

"Ah, both things," Jihoon replied.

Minho pretended to ponder it. In reality, he had his answer ready; he had been thinking about it since he started this little game. Was he a manipulator? Sure, but with good intentions. At least, this time.

"What I like about women is their delicacy. The more delicate and refined a woman is, the more I like her. As for men..."

When the pause grew a bit too long, Jihoon prodded, "What about men?"

"I like it when they are in a position of lower power than mine."

Minho said this with such a penetrating gaze that Jihoon wondered if he was supposed to have some reaction to the statement. In truth, he didn’t quite understand it. It seemed odd, like when you ask someone something and they respond with something unrelated, but you don’t feel like correcting them. It was the same situation here. Naive as he was, Jihoon hadn’t grasped the implication, and in a way, that saved him.

Minho, however, was confused at this point. Knowing Jihoon and seeing his usually amusing reactions, he had expected him to blush or stammer something. Why was he so calm?

"What are those?" Jihoon asked, pointing to some meatballs.

"Falafel," Minho responded, his gaze still probing.

"Falafel at a Thai place?" Jihoon brought one to his lips. "Good, though..."

Minho decided not to be discouraged. Perhaps Jihoon hadn't caught his implication, but that wasn't a problem—the night was still young. Very young. He intertwined his fingers and rested his chin on them.

"Okay, I have a new question for you," he said.

Jihoon finished chewing the falafel and washed it down with a sip of cocktail. "I'm all ears."

"First of all, do you like the cocktail I ordered?"

"It's very good. Quite fruity."

"I see you like it; you're already halfway through," Minho noted.

"Are you criticizing me?" Jihoon arched an eyebrow.

"No, not at all... But that wasn't what I wanted to ask."

"So, what was it?"

"Earlier, you said that what you like in men is their voice, the way they talk."

Ah, yes. Right.

"I did," Jihoon confirmed. He reached for another falafel, but Minho stopped him, covering his hand with his own.

"My voice, the way I talk... Does it make you feel attracted to me, Jihoon?"