Banho (likely a place name)

The shop Minho inherited from his mother was his little world, smelling of fresh baked goods and sadness. It stood right across from the university, and its main attraction was the owner himself – refined and beautiful, like a lonely painting in an empty gallery.

One day, the door swung open, letting in a sun-kissed boy. It was Bangchan. When he saw Minho, his heart didn't just skip a beat, it went into free fall. From then on, he seized every moment to see that proud but tired face. Each visit was accompanied by an internal tremor and silent delight.

• Hello! And... when is your day off? - he blurted out, feeling his palms instantly become damp.

Minho turned around, wiping his glass. “Well… tomorrow, I guess,” he shrugged, a slight weariness flashing in his eyes.

Chan's chest tightened into a tight, painful knot of hope and fear. He took a deep breath, clutching the cherished tickets he'd bought with his last money in his pocket. The world had narrowed to this moment.

“I want to ask you out on a date!” he blurted out, loudly and recklessly, as if he were jumping off a cliff.

The silence hung in the air, thick and ringing. Chan's heart was pounding somewhere in his throat, begging for mercy and wanting to hear the cherished "yes."

mlm