Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

❝ First you are strangers. Then you show interest. Eventually you fall in love. ❞

-Woohyun ( 06.2012 Marie Claire Interview)

The day was perfect. The sun was large and yellow in the sky, warming the earth, and yet there was a gentle breeze caressing his skin softly. There was not a single cloud in the sky or in his mind. It was clear. Today was the day; he had made up his mind this morning. The first thing he saw when he woke up this morning was that tiny black box resting on his nightstand; it had been there for a while, threatening to collect dust. But none of the days seemed right for it; however, today all signs seemed to point to it. Woohyun smiled at the small weight bouncing around in his pocket as he skipped down the street (gathering weird glances from passerbys). But he couldn’t help it; he was completely and utterly excited because he was going to propose to his girlfriend in less than an hour.

The whole morning seemed to building up to this moment. First, it was waking up to the sight of the ring box. Then when he was dressing, there was a loose thread hanging from his sweater. He wound the thread around his finger and pulled it. After the thread snapped, he looked at his finger to remove the thread. It happened to be his ring finger. He liked the way it looked, so he kept it on. When he walked out into the kitchen, he ran into his roommate in his bathrobe. He asked why Woohyun was dressed so well so early. Woohyun answered that he was going to meet with Minseon, and his roommate answered groggily to “have fun with his wife.” His roommate was too tired to see how Woohyun’s smile widened at that.

But what had made up his mind was a small, tattered binder hidden snuggly on the end of his bookcase, titled “Hyun’s Life Plan.” It was a project that he did when he was ten years-old. One day he was dead-set on planning every single aspect of his life, down to the name of his second child’s (a sweet girl named Youngji who was going to be a baker) poodle named “Vanilla” (but they would call it “VanVan”). Woohyun chewed on his lower lip as he pulled it out. As you can imagine when anybody fully plans their life at age 10, nothing had really worked out the way he had once expected. He didn’t go to Seoul University, just a small, local college. He wasn’t a professional soccer player either. He had stopped playing the sport when he entered college. But there was one thing he could still accomplish: “Marry a model at 25.” He laughed. When 10 year-old Woohyun wrote this, he thought that being 25 was ancient, incredibly old. And of course a professional athlete would marry a model; that only made sense. Woohyun’s eyes glanced over to the calendar. His 25^th birthday was next week. His eyes returned to the page in front of him, staring at the stick figure of him with a cool Mohawk and stick figure woman with wavy black hair and large boobs. Well, Minseon did model when she was a baby, Woohyun chuckled to himself (although grown-up Minseon didn’t fill out the model standards whatsoever, as beautiful she was. She was just short). Maybe for once, life will go just as he had planned.

“Minseon-ah!” Woohyun called to the small girl in a large knit sweater and beanie. As soon as she caught sight of her boyfriend, her face lit up, and she waved enthusiastically. The small box in Woohyun’s pocket seemed to grow heavier.

“Oppa!” Minseon called back and opened her arms wide, welcoming in Woohyun. When they finished the hug, she pulled away and whined, “But why did we have to get up so early? What’s this surprise? Tell me. I hate secrets. Tell me, please.” Her lower lip jutted out, and she widened her eyes, begging.

And Woohyun just chuckled in response as he embraced her hand within his. “Be patient, baby,” he leaned over and spoke in a hushed voice. “It’ll be worth it. Trust me.” He then yanked on her hand and began running down the street. “Come on, let’s go. Or we’ll be late!”

“Late for what?” Minseon asked with a slight laugh, running only a half-step behind him.

“Oh! We’re finally doing this?!” she exclaimed as they stopped standing outside of a small, traditional building.

“Eung,” Woohyun replied. It was hard getting an appointment to this place, but it was supposed to be worth it. This fortune teller had a reputation of being accurate, scarily accurate. She could determine a couple’s success just by looking at them. There was a rumor of one couple just stepping within her threshold, and she immediately told them to break up because they would only fail. That couple didn’t heed her warning and continued to date, and then they eventually married. After the birth of their second child, the wife found out that her husband was cheating on her with her best friend, but she wasn’t too heart-broken about it. Their second child was technically his brother’s.

Woohyun looked over to Minseon and squeezed her hand; they weren’t like the other couples. They were going to make it. This fortune teller was going to give them her blessing (which Woohyun was pretty confident that she would because he already had their signs assessed by another, less reputable fortune teller. And she had said that they were a perfect match). “You nervous?” he asked.

Minseon chewed her lower lip, staring at the sign hanging off of the building: Miss Gong’s Fortune. She didn’t even spare Woohyun a glance and nodded slightly. She was nervous, and Woohyun thought it was adorable. Minseon didn’t get nervous like this easily, especially when it came to their relationship. Is she actually afraid that she won’t give us her blessing? Woohyun chuckled and ruffled her hair. “If she says no, we’ll make our own fortune,” Woohyun tried to ease her mind.

Minseon faced her boyfriend and forced out a laugh. “Right,” she stiffly agreed. “Let’s go inside. Come on!” She yanked Woohyun into the shop with her.

Once inside, they were met by a handful of equally nervous couples, waiting for their own appointments. The tension in the small lobby was palpable, and the ticking of the clock on the wall did nothing to ease it. A lady in a long, conservative red dress walked up to them. “You must be Mr. Nam,” she spoke in a low and calming voice. Woohyun gulped and nodded. “Welcome!” the woman in red greeted and opened the curtain. “Miss Gong is waiting for you.”

Woohyun’s eyes darted over to the waiting couples, and he gave them an apologetic smile as he walked past the curtain. Behind the curtain was a small room with a low table and a few pillow cushions littered on the floor. The walls were coated in large scrolls with ancient Chinese characters elegantly painted on them. Woohyun carefully led Minseon to a cushion and beckoned her to sit down, and he sat down shortly afterwards. They were sitting awkwardly in the silence, holding hands tightly, until a crash of the gong broke through the air and startled the both of them. “Holy crap!” Woohyun cursed.

“No just me,” an old lady in a hanbok and a headpiece that looked like it weighed more than she did retorted. Woohyun hadn’t even seen her come in, and the old fortune teller was already sitting in front of them. His eyes flew around, looking for some reason behind her sudden appearance.

“M-miss Gong?” Minseon asked with a shaky voice. Her grip on Woohyun’s hand tightened.

Miss Gong hummed in acknowledgement as she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She cocked her head as she let out a breath. “You two…” she began slowly, her eyes shut tightly. “Are…incredibly kind and supportive of one another.” She opened her eyes and smiled warmly. Woohyun sighed in relief and threw Minseon a happy smile, who also looked relaxed by the news. “This will be a long-lasting friendship. A relationship for a lifetime.”

Woohyun pumped his fist excitedly under the table. He then felt his pocket for the ring box. Soon. Soon. But he had just one more question, “How about romantically?” he asked. “Like in the bedroom.”

“Oppa!” Minseon chided, pushing him playfully and blushing furiously. Woohyun chuckled in response, but it was soon drowned out by another laugh, loudly resounding throughout the small room. It was almost resembling an evil cackle. The couple turned back forward to see Miss Gong doubling over in a fit of laughter.

“Romantically?” the old woman  repeated, straightening out and wiping a tear from her eye. “Omo, no. No. No. No. You two are destined to be only friends. You children has as much chemistry as…two things that don’t chemically react,” she struggled through that analogy and waved her hand, immediately disregarding it. “There’s no spark. You guys romantically repel each other like the same poles on a magnet.” She thought about that analogy for a second, decided that she liked it better, and nodded emphatically.

“O-oh,” Woohyun muttered. His heart was quickly sinking into the pit of his stomach. It had sunk lower into his intestines when Minseon had let go of his hand and covered her face, groaning. And his heart had sunk to the soles of his feet in the next moment.

“Min-minjinnie?” a voice stammered from behind the couple. Woohyun immediately swung around and saw a man with his head peeking around the curtain. His pointed eyes widened to the size of almonds, and his jaw slightly dropped in shock. His eyes then shrank into an impossible small glare as they narrowed on Woohyun. “Who’s this punk?”

“Minjin?” Woohyun repeated, tearing his sight from the strange man and focused it on his girlfriend, who looked like she was trying to hide underneath the low table. “Minseon, do you know this guy?”

Minseon lifted her head and nodded. She faced the man behind her. “S-sunggyu-oppa! This is my friend, Woohyun.”

“Friend?!” Woohyun exclaimed. It felt worse hearing that word from Minseon than from Miss Gong. His heart had officially fallen from his body. “Friend? I think that you’re missing a pretty important part of that statement. Boy! I’m your boyfriend!” He whipped his head back towards the other guy (apparently named Sunggyu) and glared at him with eyes like daggers. “I’m Minseon’s boyfriend.”

Sunggyu fully entered the room and pulled the curtain closed behind him. “No, I’m  Minjin’s boyfriend!” he yelled back, but then his angry expression melted away into confusion. He titled his head and pouted his lips in thought. Then he stamped his foot and pointed a threatening finger at Minseon. “Wait…which one is it? Minseon or Minjin? D-do you have a twin?”

Woohyun looked over at his girlfriend expectantly. “N-no,” Minseon stuttered her answer, looking away from the two of them.

The box in Woohyun’s pocket seemed to be burning a hole through his pants, scorching his thigh. He couldn’t hide it anymore. He pulled it out, looking at it with a hurt expression. He looked from the box to Minseon, and then back to the box. “B-but I was going to…”

Minseon looked over at the small, black box. “O-oppa?” a small smile was spreading across her face. “Really? Is that what I think it is?” she asked excitedly, scooting closer to Woohyun.

She seemed to want it. She appeared as if she would say yes. Maybe this Sunggyu-guy is just some stalker or like that second male lead in dramas that doesn’t know when to quit. But not Woohyun. He was the male lead. He was going to get the girl. And this was just a simple misunderstanding. And unlike all the dramas out there, Woohyun wasn’t going to waste several episodes apart from Minseon just because of a silly misunderstanding. No, their life together, their happy ending, was going to begin now.

Woohyun opened the box, revealing a silver band with small inlaid diamonds and a large tear-shaped diamond in the center. “Minseon baby,” he cooed. “Will you-“

“No, no, no!” Sunggyu objected, lunging between them. He was staring with hateful eyes at Woohyun again. “You can’t propose to her because I am,” he argued, showing the other his small red box.

“Sunggyu-oppa!” Minseon squealed, seeming more excited than when Woohyun had brought it up. She then grabbed the box from Sunggyu’s hand and opened it. Her smile faltered at the sight, and she calmly put it on the table. Woohyun snuck a glimpse of it. It was just a simple gold band. Woohyun hid the triumphant smile quickly forming on his face. He had definitely won the ‘ring’ round, no contest. “I’m a lucky girl,” Minseon’s comment broke Woohyun from internally celebrating his victory.

“Minseon,” Woohyun began, afraid to finish because of her inevitable answer. “Are you really dating the both of us?” He leaned forward, looking past Sunggyu to who he thought was his girlfriend, only his girlfriend.

Minseon flicked the red box on the table with her finger as she replied. “Well, we never said that we were exclusive,” she mumbled barely above a whisper. Sunggyu then grabbed his box away from her and her abusing finger and crammed it back into his pocket.

“Well,” Sunggyu spoke up before Woohyun did. “That’s true, but, Minjin, you honestly can’t be thinking that this kid,” he jabbed a finger into Woohyun’s cheek, “is better than me.”

“Excuse me?” Woohyun objected and slapped the other’s hand away. “Who are you to judge who’s better for Minseon? Miss Gong said that we were going to have a relationship that lasts a lifetime,” he argued.

“Actually, she said that we would just be friends,” Minseon corrected. “But Miss Gong,” she now turned her attention to the formerly ignored fortune teller (who was fascinated by this whole entire situation unfold in front of her). Minseon then wrapped her arms around Sunggyu’s upper arm. “What about me and him?” she asked nodding towards Sunggyu with a giggle.

“Yah! Heo Minseon!” Woohyun yelled and reached over, trying to pry his girlfriend’s hands off of this stranger’s arm.

Sunggyu shoved him away, making Woohyun harshly fall onto the floor. He stuck his tongue out at the crestfallen man. Woohyun scoffed. And he was acting like he’s better than me, Woohyun thought to himself as he pulled himself back up. He’s like a kid.

Miss Gong closed her eyes and put a finger to her lip in thought. She tilted her head once again as she hummed in acknowledgement to whatever the Fates were telling her. Then her eyes suddenly snapped open. “It can’t be,” she muttered under her breath searching her pockets frantically. She pulled out divining sticks and looked at the trio across from her, stunned. “This never happens,” she spoke a little more loudly as she tossed the sticks into the air. The trio watched intently as the sticks fell into a recognizable pattern onto the table.

“AH!” Woohyun pointed and exclaimed. “It’s an arrow, and it’s pointing to me! I win!” He threw his hands up into the air. He turned towards Sunggyu and stuck out his own tongue. The other responded appropriately by shoving Woohyun’s face as far from himself as possible.

“Oh, but it’s not an arrow,” Miss Gong interrupted the little spat. “It’s a heart.” At that, the two boys immediately stopped their shoving match and tilted their heads severely to the side to see the shape the fortune teller had said. After second glance, the divining sticks had formed an obvious heart. They both then looked up at the fortune teller with confused expressions. Miss Gong was sweetly smiling at them just like a proud grandmother would for her grandson. “For all my years here, I never had this happen. People have been close, but this is the first time someone had ever brought their soul mate to me.”

Woohyun swallowed hard and looked at Sunggyu out of the corner of his eye. And he thought it was impossible to feel any lower than he did before. Minseon and this jerk are…He blinked back the angry tears forming in his eyes. Why was fate so cruel? What had he done in his past life to deserve this? He glanced back at Miss Gong for an answer, but when their eyes met, it seemed like her gaze had never left Woohyun. The warm smile still stretching her wrinkled face. She had meant him. “Me?” Woohyun asked, pointing to himself.

Miss Gong reached over the low table and grabbed both Woohyun’s and Sunggyu’s hands in hers. “Congratulations,” she wished, placing the two men’s hands together.

“EH?!” the two men exclaimed in unison, immediately retracting their hands. They both tried to gaze at each other out of the corner of their eyes, too embarrassed to make full eye contact. Woohyun wiped the hand that was holding Sunggyu’s only seconds prior roughly against his jeans. It felt dirty now, and because it was winter time and the air was heavy with static, Sunggyu had ‘accidentally’ shocked him when they touched. But Woohyun could’ve sworn that the bastard did it on purpose.

An obviously forced laugh filled the room. Woohyun turned to face Sunggyu next to him. That man had thrown his head back into the laugh. His eyes completely disappeared as his mouth overtook his face, swallowing his whole visage in the laugh. He brought his head down and wagged his finger at the old woman across from him. “Nice trick, grandma. What is it? Magnets? Are there magnets underneath the table and in the sticks?” Sunggyu interrogated the fortune teller quickly and didn’t even bother to wait for her answer as he looked under the low table. He found nothing visibly strange. Then he began to pick up a divining stick and dropped it back onto the table, seeing if it would be pulled in by some outside force. But there was none. He pouted as he tried this with all of the other sticks several times. “Why isn’t it working?”

“Aigoo! It’s because fate isn’t a trick,” Miss Gong reprimanded, rapping Sunggyu’s forehead with her knuckles. He pulled back and rubbed his head gingerly. “It’s a force that shouldn’t be mocked or fought against,” she continued and crossed her arms over her chest. “You’ll always lose.”

Sunggyu scoffed. “But this,” he pointed between himself and Woohyun, “isn’t happening because I’m with…where did Minjin go?” he asked, blinking several times at the empty spot next to him.

“Minseon, you mean,” Woohyun corrected in an annoyed tone. He then peered around the other. “Huh? Where did Minseon go?”

“That’s what I just said,” Sunggyu quickly retorted as he stood up. “She must’ve left awhile ago when…” he finished with a sigh. He picked up his engagement ring and put it in his pocket before he headed through the curtained entrance.

“There’s no way I’m letting that bastard find her first,” Woohyun grumbled as he stood up. He then searched for his own engagement ring, but there was no sign of that tiny black box anywhere. A grin spread across his face. Minseon must have taken it, which meant that she may have accepted his proposal. But the smile fled as quickly as it appeared. Before their happy ending, he still had to deal with one obstacle, one large and loudmouthed hindrance.

He barged out of the room, hot on Sunggyu’s trail when the lady in red grabbed his forearm, preventing him from leaving the establishment. “Sir, don’t forget to pay,” she reminded him with her still calm voice. But her tone and her smile did nothing to soothe the anger rising in Woohyun. He pulled the money out of his wallet and shoved it into the woman’s hands. By this time, that jerk probably caught up with her, he thought to himself as he charged out of the building.

Or maybe not, because Woohyn ended up crashing into Sunggyu’s back just as he stepped outside. “Oh! I’m sorry,” Sunggyu immediately turned around to apologize with a deep bow, but after realizing it was Woohyun, he pulled himself back up quickly, crossed his arms across his chest in defiance, and lifted his chin. “Should’ve figured it was you. Messing everything up,” he grumbled as he smoothed out his coat sleeves.

“You can’t find her?” Woohyun asked as he scanned the area for any sign of his small, knit clad girlfriend (maybe fiancée).

Sunggyu hung his head, staring at his feet as he swung his foot back and forth against the pavement. “Might as well,” he mused. “I suppose that I probably have to break up with her now.” He finished with a sniff, now staring at the sky. Clouds were gathering in the distance, blotting out the sun’s happy rays.

“Why?” Woohyun was shocked. “Weren’t you going to propose to her?”

Sunggyu brought his head down to meet the other’s gaze and cocked his eyebrow. “You’re still going to? She cheated on the both of us!” he retorted.

Woohyun let out a slight snort as he brushed past Sunggyu, his shoulder knocking into the other’s. “Well, if you don’t want her…” he replied and pulled out his phone, searching for Minseon’s number. She couldn’t have gone too far.

But before he could take one more step, a hand on his shoulder held him in place. Sunggyu, still keeping his hand on Woohyun, cut in front of him. “Yah, how desperate are you?” he chided the other. “Who’s to say that she doesn’t have any more? I dated her for two and a half years, and I never picked up on any signs of it before today. She’s obviously good at hiding it, and…why are you smiling?”

Woohyun couldn’t fight back the chuckle forming at the back of his throat. “Because,” he choked the laugh down. Now wasn’t the time. “I dated her for two.” It was a small consolation knowing that he was not the one she was cheating on, but the one she was cheating with. And seeing Sunggyu’s face fall at his revelation was an added bonus.

“You…you’re really an idiot, aren’t you?” Sunggyu responded, shaking his head at the other. Woohyun was about to punch him right in that smug face of his, but then Sunggyu spoke again, lifting his hands into the air in defeat. “Fine,” he yielded. “If you want Minjin that badly, have her. I have no use for women who don’t respect me.” And with that, Sunggyu turned around with his hands thrust deep into his pockets, and he slunk down the streets with his shoulder hunched and head hanging downwards.

Women who don’t respect me…that phrase struck Woohyun like a blow to his head, leaving him slightly stunned. Minseon respected him. Sure there was this…slip-up, but it wasn’t anything that they couldn’t work out. It didn’t mean that she didn’t love and respect him. After all, she did take his engagement ring and not Sunggyu’s. She wanted him.

“Yah!” Woohyun called after the other. “Her name is Minseon…dummy!” For a lack of anything better to say as his comeback. Sunggyu waved him off, not even bothering to turn to face him, which caused Woohyun’s blood to boil. The other didn’t seem affected by his words like he was. He needed to say something else, something striking that would cut Sunggyu deep.

“I don’t need respect!” Woohyun winced. That wasn’t right either. “And you’re ugly!” There, perfect. Sunggyu finally stopped and turned around. Woohyun smirked. Got him.

“Yah! Go home already!” Sunggyu yelled back. Woohyun frowned and stomped towards Sunggyu, who stumbled back a few steps at Woohyun’s sudden approach. He flinched as the other got closer.

Woohyun chuckled a bit as he passed by Sunggyu, noticing how flustered he was. If this was all it took, why did I even bother with comebacks. “My bus-stop is this way,” Woohyun reasoned, looking Sunggyu up and down before he made his way to the bench.

“R-right.”

Today wasn’t Sunggyu’s day, even from its beginnings at the stroke of midnight. His mother burst into his bedroom, rousing him from sleep. She had been drinking with her friends that night and had apparently forgotten which room was her bedroom. Sunggyu had managed to get her into her own room before she entirely stripped out of her clothes. He really wished that he could erase the image of his mother’s bra permanently from his mind, but he knew that it would haunt him in a dream later that night.

And it did. He dreamed that his shirtless mother and himself were running away from a tyrannosaurus rex, which had already bitten off his arm. He woke up in a cold sweat right as the reptile was sinking its razor teeth into his last good arm. He rubbed his arms just to make sure that they were there, intact. And realizing that it all was just a dream was probably the best part of his day.

That morning, his colleague, Howon, called him, reminding him of a faculty get-together later in the evening. Sunggyu groaned. It wasn’t enough that he had to interact with them during the week, but now they were eating into his weekends. And he just really wanted to laze around the house doing nothing. And to make matters worse, it was a gathering at one of his colleague’s houses, which meant that he, like every polite guest should, had to go out and buy a host gift.

Then Sunggyu winced, suddenly remembering the large stack of papers on his desk, just waiting for him to go through. He’d better get those done too while he was out. I’d better go now, he concluded after glancing at the clock. Sunggyu let out a loud groan as he left the warmth and safety of his bed. As soon as his feet touched the cold floor, he was filled with an ominous feeling that maybe he should just stay in bed. He should have heeded that warning.

Sunggyu barely made it out of the house when he received another phone call. “Your ring is now available to be picked up.”

“Uh, thank you,” he managed to stutter out before hanging up on the woman. All of the sudden, nerves started to build. He looked at the date on his phone’s screen and whined slightly. Next week he was going to propose to his girlfriend, Minjin. Minjin was nice and sweet, patient enough to deal with Sunggyu’s constant whining and nagging. And he was well aware of it. He hardly doubted that there was a better girl out there for him, and they had been dating for two and a half years. And as Howon, had delicately put it, it was time for him “to shit or get off the pot” (Howon had such a way with words). But he really wished that the engagement would just happen and that they could just pass over all the pomp and circumstance. Sunggyu wasn’t a guy who planned events, but Minjin was a woman who seemed to expect them. Sunggyu hadn’t done any for her earlier in their relationship, so the least he could do was formerly propose to his loving girlfriend. He was going to take her on the roof of the building where they first met, and the entire roof was going to be lit by strands of lightbulbs he had strung up earlier. They would have a dinner that he made (or at least put on a plate), while soft music played in the background that would build up to the moment he proposed. It was going to be quite romantic, if Sunggyu could say so himself. Pretty dang romantic.

And so he decided to pick up the ring among the rest of his errands. The ring was deceptively simple. It looked like a simple gold band, but around it, small musical notes were etched into the soft metal. They were notes to the song that he composed for her that was going to be played when he proposed. He had put a lot of thought into this, and in his heart, he thought Minjin would be worth it.

That was until he saw her hug a perfect stranger tightly, calling him “oppa,” and entered a building with him, holding the man’s hand as if it were the most natural thing. Sunggyu’s heart dropped at the sight, and he stood there paralyzed by shock. It wasn’t until someone accidentally ran into him when he came back into reality. His beloved girlfriend was cheating on him, or so it would seem. He clutched onto the red jewelry box tightly as he followed the couple inside.

Once inside, Sunggyu barely registered what sort of place it was. He was entirely focused on finding his girlfriend. And the lady in red nodded towards the curtain as if to tell him to look behind it. And sure enough, there they were, sitting shoulder to shoulder, practically in each other’s lap (in his eyes at least). Now there was no doubt in his mind. They were dating. Minjin was two-timing him with this short kid.

And Sunggyu would’ve assumed that that moment would be the worst part of his day, but fate seemed to be toying with him, bringing him down lower and lower. He was told that he was the short kid’s soul mate, and all Sunggyu could manage to do was attempt to laugh off the situation, make it seem ridiculous and unbelievable, but the look in the kid’s eyes remained serious and...scared even. Then to make matters worse, in his attempt to flee the kid and the whole ordeal, as fate would have it, they had to ride the same bus. And now Sunggyu’s eyes were practically burning holes into the back of the kid’s head (who didn’t seem to notice). But as angry as Sunggyu wanted to feel against the kid and against Minjin, he was relieved more than anything. After all, the only reason why he was going to propose was because he and Minjin had reached that stage in their relationship, and he had no reason to break up with her until now. He never thought that letting go of this relationship was going to be so easy.

Thanks kid.

❝ Time is not important in the matter of falling in love ❞

-Sunggyu

In spite of his proposal gone complete awry the day before, Woohyun was happier the next morning. After hearing what had happened, his mother drove as soon as she was able to see her son. There were still only some things a mother’s love and presence can cure, and Woohyun’s melancholy was one of them.

For years now, Woohyun was living three hours away from his hometown, after being transferred by his company to this town. It came with a fancier job title and a significant pay increase, which he had no reason to refuse. And as luck would have it, one of his old high school classmates, Lee Sungyeol, was living there as well and was looking for a roommate.

Unfortunately, Woohyun’s streak of good luck seemed to have stopped once he moved. His career halted into a standstill, not being promoted for 3 years, his two year long relationship may have just ended horribly, and finally, his roommate/best friend just announced that his proposal (which, as fate would have it, happened on the same day as Woohyun’s) was accepted by his girlfriend of only a year. So Woohyun had to put on a fake smile for his friend as their group of friends celebrated the happy couple. And seeing Sungyeol and Soyeon act so in love, only deepened the gash which was already in Woohyun’s heart. He had to excuse himself and called his mother, telling her everything that he was dying to share (but he refrained because he didn’t want to darken Sungyeol’s happy day) down to the very last detail.

And now she was here, enveloping her son in a warm hug that only a mother could give and demanding that they go out shopping together so that she can cook him his favorite meal. A few moments later, Woohyun found himself pushing a grocery cart in tandem with his mother and begging like a 5 year-old to buy him the cookies he wanted. And just like when he was 5, she easily gave into her son’s request. She was pinching his cheek. “Aigoo! How is it that you’re still this cute, Woohyunnie?” she praised, letting go of his now red cheek after giving it a few gentle taps. 

“It’s because I take after you, Mommy,” he retorted, giving her a gentle nudge with his shoulder. The two of them together were always playful, and they always said silly things such as this to make the other feel better. And because of this, Woohyun was starting to feel his heart slowly returning back to where it belonged; he was starting to heal. “Oh sorry! I didn’t mean to. I wasn’t looking to see where I was going!” Woohyun bowed and apologized profusely after accidentally ramming his cart into someone else’s. He looked up from the carts to see a woman around his own mother’s age, smiling at him gently and with familiar eyes.

“Oh don’t worry about it. It was just an accident,” the middle-aged woman replied, bowing right back to Woohyun. “And no damage was done.” Then her smile faded as she studied Woohyun and his mother more closely. Her eyebrows knitted over her almond eyes. “Wait, do I—”

“Hey Mom!” A voice cut off the woman’s words. Woohyun frowned. He recognized it easily, after all it hadn’t been that long since he last heard it, and then he swore that the arrogant voice was going to haunt him in his sleep. But he’s haunting me in real life instead. “I found the...Oh, it’s you,” Sunggyu’s tone suddenly darkened after seeing Woohyun. He quickly stuffed the large pack of toilet paper into his mother’s shopping cart. He then grabbed the handle of the cart and nudged Woohyun’s with a hard push. “Move. You’re in our way.”

Mrs. Nam leaned over and whispered into Woohyun’s ear, maneuvering the cart to the side to allow Sunggyu to pass, “Do you know him?”

Woohyun shut his eyes and gritted his teeth while keeping a pained smile on his face. “That is the guy from yesterday,” he spoke though his jaw remained tightly clenched.

“THAT’S YOUR SOUL MATE?!”

“MOM!” Woohyun exclaimed, running his hand down his face and searching for a corner in the store for him to die in. 

Sunggyu’s mother however wasn’t fazed by Mrs. Nam’s shout or by her own son practically running away with her cart down the aisle. She remained firm in her spot, crossing her arms over her chest and tilting up her chin. “I thought it was you, and now I’m certain of it,” she declared, a corner of her mouth twitching up into a smirk. “How long has it been? Almost 40 years?”

“Un-unnie? Is that you?” Mrs. Nam asked while analyzing the other woman with narrowed eyes. Woohyun could see the cogs in her mind whirring to remember the woman. “Ah!” she exclaimed. “It is you!” She immediately ran over to the other and enveloped her in a hug, squeezing her tightly, while Sunggyu’s mother just gently patted her on the back. “It’s...It’s been so long!” Woohyun could hear her mother’s voice cracking, choking back a sob. Now the other woman was holding her tightly, and her smirk transformed into a full smile.

Woohyun took a few cautious steps forward. “Uh, Mom,” he interrupted, placing his hand on his mother’s shoulder. And she finally detached from Sunggyu’s mother. Tears of happiness were rolling down her smiling cheeks.

“Oh Woohyun, how silly of me,” she said with an embarrassed giggled, wiping away her tears with her sleeves. After sniffing loudly, she introduced the woman to him “Hyunnie, this is my best friend.”

After the two long-lost best friends reunited, they didn’t want to part so soon. The two mothers linked arms together, chattering away and catching up, while their sons pushed the shopping carts (they all found Sunggyu trying to check out and flee the store. He then grew further embarrassed when his mother grabbed him by the ear and pulled him back into the depths of the supermarket to finish their shopping). The sons begrudgingly followed their mothers throughout the store, resting their elbows against the carts as they pushed and barely spared a glance at each other. The trip took twice as long as it needed to because the two old ladies were more focused on each other than the shopping. Several times, Woohyun tried to steal the grocery list away from his mother so that he can finish the shopping and make a clean escape like Sunggyu had tried to earlier. But like Sunggyu, he was foiled as well. And so Woohyun retaliated by filling up the cart with all the junk food within his reach (he even threw a couple bags of chips into Sunggyu’s cart when the other wasn’t looking. It was the only way Woohyun could entertain himself with his mother, and Sunggyu, now ignoring him).

But it didn’t end there. After shopping, the two ladies wanted to ‘quickly’ stop by the cafe to buy coffee because they apparently had exhausted each other with the constant talking and needed to recharge before continuing.

Woohyun scoffed after seeing his mother at the table in front of him giggle like a gossiping school girl with her friend. And, yep, she was definitely checking out the barista and was mouthing ‘nice butt’ to Sunggyu’s mother. Mrs. Kim was nodding excitedly in agreement. Woohyun rolled his eyes, and they landed on the man sitting across from him, who currently had his eyes closed and his arms crossed across his chest. “Yah,” Woohyun bellowed out to him. If he had to suffer through this giggle fest, he didn’t want to do it alone, but Sunggyu didn’t budge. Woohyun then knocked onto the table in front of the other and raised his voice. “Yah!”

Sunggyu opened only one eye. “What?”

“You live with your mom,” Woohyun teased with a cheeky smirk.

The other adjusted in his seat. “Maybe,” he responded with a sniff, closing his eye again.

“You don’t get out much, do you?” Woohyun retorted, playing with the coffee cup in his hands.

“Tsk,” Sunggyu immediately sputtered, snapping his eyes wide open and looking in the other direction. Then his eyes flittered over to Woohyun, freezing him on the spot. Sunggyu looked him up and down with cold eyes. “I suppose that you’re from some big city, like Seoul.”

Woohyun leaned back into his chair. “How did you know?” he mumbled. But Sunggyu never answered. He just closed his eyes again and settled back into his seat with a triumphant smirk on his face. Woohyun studied him carefully. This jerk…but before he could cuss out the other in his mind, the phone in his pocket let out a short ring. He had a text. Woohyun began to reach for it out of reflex, but retracted his hand shortly afterwards. He needed a break from the outside world. For now, he just wanted to be babied by his mother…if she’d ever stop gushing about the handsome barista and remember her heartbroken son.

But the outside world didn’t like being ignored, and Woohyun’s from rang incessantly in his pocket. He received many texts. Sunggyu opened his eyes slightly, looking incredibly annoyed at the other for disturbing his public nap. Woohyun smiled nervously and pulled out it phone. He soon regretted it.

From Minseon Baby <3: Hey

From Minseon Baby <3: Can we talk?

From Minseon Baby <3: I’ll be at our fav place at 4. I hope you’ll be there. If not…I understand.

Woohyun smiled while reading the messages, at first. It quickly turned into a frown once his brain started thinking it through. She hadn’t written his name, and what’s to say that this wasn’t a mass text. That she was setting him up for embarrassment again. He had to be careful this time around her. Minseon wasn’t who she had appeared to be.

Woohyun’s eyes flickered up to the man across the table from him, who was pretending to be disinterested in the texts, but his chin was still tilted upwards, trying to read the other’s screen. Woohyun quickly locked his phone and stuffed it into his pocket. Then he cleared his throat “So do you still talk to her?”

Sunggyu was so busy acting nonchalant and like he wasn’t trying to invade Woohyun’s privacy two seconds prior, that he didn’t hear the question at first. “Minjin?” he asked to clarify. Woohyun gave a short nod. Sunggyu chuckled and cocked his head, “Heh, no. We broke it off.” There was no way he was going to stay with a woman whom he couldn’t trust. No, he’d been hurt too many times. He knows better now. But something about that smug smile on Woohyun’s face made Sunggyu think that he didn’t. Sunggyu’s eyes widened in shock. “Wait...you’re not. Are you?” he blubbered.

Woohyun chuckled and raised an eyebrow. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” he teased. And Sunggyu didn’t. As far as he was concerned, Woohyun could go and date whoever he wanted, Sunggyu’s favorite girl group member included (Hyuna wasn’t doing it anymore for him anyways). But...it didn’t mean that Sunggyu thought that it was a good idea. It was a horrible idea, but Nam Woohyun was old enough to make his own decisions, and to live with the consequences.

“No, no I don’t.”

Mrs. Nam sighed contentedly after recovering from her latest round of giggles. She hadn’t laughed like this in years. She hadn’t seen her dear friend in ages, even longer. But in spite of the immense time spent apart from each other, right now sitting across from Mrs. Kim, it felt right. It was as  if she had found money in her pocket that she didn't even know that she was missing. “Unnie, this is great,” Mrs. Nam confessed, swinging her feet like the young school girl that she felt like. She then placed her cheek in her hand.“It feels just like old times. I’m so glad that we ran into each other again.”

Mrs. Kim smiled until her eyes disappeared into her grin, a trait she had kept from her youth and had passed onto her son. “I know,” she agreed, twirling the tea bag into her cup, but then she let the bag go and her smile faded. It was replaced with a prominent pout. “I’m still upset that my father had us move away.” Mrs. Nam laughed. Her dear old friend still held grudges; wisdom and experience hadn’t blotted that vice away. Mrs. Kim didn’t mind her friend’s laughter; she understood perfectly. This was how in sync they were…and still are.

Woohyun’s mother smirked and leaned forward, dropping her voice. “But now that Woohyunnie’s here, I’ll have a reason to come by and visit you,” she ended with a mischievous giggle.

“Instead of seeing your son, you’ll see me?” Mrs. Kim chided jokingly and clicked her tongue. “You bad mom!”

Mrs. Nam pulled away, slinking back into her seat, and shrugged. “Woohyun does fine on his own,” she stated in a somber tone, eyes fixed on the cup in her hand. All of the sudden she was aware of her son’s presence right behind her, making the skin on her back prickle. Sure, he needed her by his side today, but it was the first time in years that Woohyun ‘wanted his mommy’ (in his own words which he said to her over the phone). It was rare. It was precious. And Mrs. Nam didn’t know how much she had been yearning to hear those words again. But, deep down, she knew that this would be one of the last times he would, especially after Woohyun got married. That thought made her skin crawl and an acidic feeling burned the pits of her stomach. And that’s why she couldn’t hide the slight growl when she said, “He doesn’t need me anymore.”

A large sigh filled the air. Mrs. Nam looked up only to see her old friend looking past her to her own son, Sunggyu. The doleful look in her eyes made Mrs. Nam think that her friend knew exactly what that growl meant. Mrs. Kim sighed again and dropped her gaze to her cup. She shifted in her seat, kicking her feet in frustration. “It stinks being a parent to an adult,” she confessed. “Sunggyu wants nothing more than to leave home, leave me.” She let out a whine and looked at her friend. Mrs. Kim’s eyes were now incensed; she was about to enter a rant,“He’ll probably marry the first woman to say yes to him just so he can escape. Am I really that overbearing?”

“Eh, that’s not true,” Mrs. Nam said with a wave of her hand, trying to dissuade the other. “It’s just time for him to leave the nest. My Woohyun did already.” Both of the mothers then sighed and shot lonesome glances at their sons (who were completely oblivious. Woohyun was typing away on his phone, and Sunggyu was nodding away, about to fall asleep). But looking at her son, Mrs. Nam couldn’t fight back the small smile forming on her face. Who would have thought that after parting from her friends, they would meet again, their children fully grown? And she would have a child like Woohyun? A genuinely sweet and filial son. Her gaze then fell on the slumbering man across from Woohyun. A warmness crept into her heart. Something about this scene was just so familiar, nostalgic even. If you would just replace Woohyun’s phone with a notebook full of doodles and give each of the boys long hair, it could have been herself and Mrs. Kim when they were in school. Then a thought suddenly entered her mind, a proposition that the two women made when they were girls. “Hey, don’t you remember? We always said that when we have children, you’d have a boy and I’d have a girl, and they would get married. Then we could finally be family.”

“Eung. Too bad that it didn’t work out like that,” Mrs. Kim stated after drinking from her cup. But after gulping down the hot liquid, she finally understood what Mrs. Nam’s twitching eyebrow and cheeky smile meant. “Hey, wait a second! The fortune teller did say that our boys were a good match.”

“Right!” The two mothers then leaned forward until their foreheads practically touched, giggling maniacally and narrowing their eyes on their sons behind them. Woohyun had finally looked up from his phone, only to see the two old ladies staring at him with a look that chilled him to the bone. He knew that look. Nothing good ever came after he’d received that look. He dropped his gaze back to his phone, regretting having looked up, and pressed ‘send.’

To Miseon Baby <3: I’ll think about it.

Truth was that Mrs. Kim was overbearing, incredibly overbearing, but she was intolerable in an unusual way. Most mothers pressure their sons to pursue better careers, to become better and more well-rounded people. Sunggyu was well-rounded all right; even his wallet was nice and round, never bereft of bills. He was a college professor and a successful scholar, and he had even presented papers across Europe and guest lectured for several prominent colleges in America. Sunggyu was a son that would make any mother proud. So his career wasn’t the problem.

“Honey! Come here. We have to put the stuff away,” his mother called out to him from the kitchen as he kicked the front door of his home closed with his heel, heavy bags in each hand. That was the problem. He never used to be “honey” to her. He used to be “pumpkin” for his ‘adorable’ round cheeks. His father was her “honey,” his father who had left when he was just 15, and left his mother with only a son to lean on for support.

At first, he was more than happy to assume the role of ‘man of the house.’ It made him feel adult, mature, cool. But what he didn’t know was that being the ‘man of the house’ meant more household chores, a checkbook to balance, and a lonesome mother to comfort. And she began to rely on him for everything. He became her ‘date’ for several of her work functions. At first it was cute, but as he became older, it became creepy. And Sunggyu became increasingly creeped out and began to wonder whether his mother could be suffering from a Jocasta complex.

Sunggyu sighed as he walked into the kitchen and began putting away groceries with his mother. He had to escape this house, escape this toxic relationship with his mother. Some space would do the both of them good. He cringed as he put away the milk in the fridge and remembering that Minjin had been his escape route, but now it was blockaded, cut off. He then glanced sidelongs to his mother, who was looking at him a little too softly. He grimaced. Will I be trapped here forever?

“Honey, come here,” his mother beckoned him to come stand by her. Sunggyu swallowed hard and obeyed. This feeling was akin to one that he had as a child, dread. Dread of getting into trouble for some misdeed he had done and subsequently had forgotten about. It was something about the tone in his mother’s voice. She knew something.

But Sunggyu played ignorant. “Hm? What’s for dinner? Are we ordering out?” he asked, pointing to the cell phone his mother was clutching in her hands.

She leaned in closer to her son and spoke in a hushed tone as she brought the phone to her chest, “What’s the number one thing you want?”

“Hmmm,” Sunggyu hummed in thought. The answer was on the tip of his tongue, but this question was like a trap. He had to swallow those words and continue playing the role of a fool. “Chicken!”

At that, his mother reached over and pinched her son’s cheeks. “No. What college professor is so cute?” she cooed. Sunggyu relaxed a bit. She was being playful. Playful was good. But he soon tensed up again as her gaze hardened and forced smile graced her face. “I’m talking about moving out.”

“W-what?” Sunggyu stuttered, hardly believing what he had just heard. This was exactly what he had feared. If he made a wrong move or said the wrong thing, his mother would end up with hurt feelings and a cloud over her head for days (after all, he had learned how to hold grudges from her). “I…I don’t want to move out,” he denied. But his mother was hardly convinced. She cocked an eyebrow at him and let out an annoyed sigh. “Not that badly,” he recanted.

“You were going to propose to Minjin of all people. Just to leave me,” she argued with a pout.

Sunggyu rubbed his shoulder against his mother. “You liked Minjin,” he fought back.

“I did,” Mrs. Kim agreed and then quickly shook her head.“But she wasn’t the girl for you.” She then waved her hand in the air, doing away with that issue. “But that’s besides the point. I found the perfect place for you,” she announced with an oddly cheerful smile with made Sunggyu uneasy in spite of it being great news, what he had wanted for years. She finally pulled the phone away from her chest and showed it to her son. It was a series of photos of the outside and inside of an apartment. Sunggyu shot her a wary glance, but she ignored it and continued gushing about the place, “It’s close to the university and a bus-line that goes past here. It’s perfect. Look! It has a large bedroom, a decent sized kitchen, and it’s even partially furnished!”

A smile still formed on Sunggyu’s face. The apartment did look very nice and while the furniture wasn’t his exact taste, it was free and convenient. After scrolling through all of the photos, the phone was placed on the countertop. “What’s the catch?”he was careful and didn’t allow himself to become too excited.

His mother shrugged. “There is no catch. It’s just time for this bird to fly the nest,”she said and caressed her son’s cheek lovingly. Sunggyu, on the other hand, had his mind racing with thoughts of what he could do now with this new freedom. And he was excited to never see his mother in just her bra again. Things were starting to look up.

“Mom,” he began, looking at his mother with sad eyes. But then he smiled brightly. “When can I move in?”

“Aigoo! This punk.” He might have deserved that smack to his head.

❝ If I love someone, I’m the type that goes ‘all-in’. I can give her my life— I can even take out my heart for her; I’m the ‘I-can-give-her-everything’ style. ❞

-Woohyun (08.2011 Inkigayo Magazine Interview)

Woohyun was staring at his reflection of the glass doors. He was standing in front of the cafe that Minseon/Minjin/that girl was sitting in, waiting for him…supposedly. He fixed his hair and shifted in his spot. He had lied to his mother to come here, saying that he had to pick up some documents from his office. If she had known that her son was even thinking of meeting with the woman who had cheated on him, well, first of all Woohyun certainly wouldn’t be standing in front of the cafe right now. He’d probably be locked in a room, tied to a chair, while his mother tried to knock some sense into his thick head. Okay, so probably not, but Woohyun was starting to wonder if that would be a better course. He always made bad decisions.

Especially the one now. He opened up the door and entered the cafe.

“You came,” a small voice called to him. Woohyun turned around to see Minseon sitting nervously at the table closest to the door, with her hands in the sleeves of her sweater clutching onto the coffee mug in front of her. Her eyes were glued on the mug. Woohyun looked into the mug. It was empty. She must have been waiting there for a while. Minseon then shyly looked up at Woohyun and gave a small smile. She never had been so tense around him before, so apprehensive. Even from the first moment they met, the air between them had always been comfortable. She was already hitting him for all of the stupid words that came flowing from his loose mouth. But now, with her hands hidden away from her sleeves and her avoidant gaze, it was like they were strangers.

And Woohyun didn’t like that.

“I did,” he responded with an equally apprehensive tone. He sat down across from her and looked out the window. There were small snowflakes flowing in the wind, just a simple flurry but it was threatening to grow. So people were escaping to the warm indoors, away from the snow. And just like the oncoming snowfall, the silence between the two also grew. A uncomfortable chill pierced him to the bone, in spite of being inside. Woohyun didn’t like this at all. He looked over to Minseon, who immediately averted her gaze downwards again. “So,” he began. “What do you want to say? I have to go somewhere.”

Minseon swallowed hard and looked up. “Oppa, I’m sorry,” she apologized with her round eyes shining. “It’s really hard to explain, but it sort of just happened.”

Woohyun couldn’t hold back his scoff. It wasn't that the apology didn’t seem sincere, but he thought that she would at least try to concoct a better excuse rather than being so blunt.“What? Dating me and Sunggyu at the same time was an accident?” he argued.

Minseon laughed a little and bit back the guilty smile forming on her lips. “To be honest...it wasn’t just the two of you,” she confessed.

Woohyun closed his eyes. He was afraid of this. He could have easily forgiven her if it was just him and Sunggyu, especially since he came second. But more men…he didn’t know if he could ever overlook that. He stuck his tongue in his cheek, restraining himself a bit. “How many, Minseon? How many are there?” he asked, finally opening his eyes and staring her straight down.

“A few.”

“A few?” he repeated with a slight laugh.

“Just a few,” Minseon reiterated. She then withdrew her hands from the mug. Her gaze became stronger. She waved her hand. “But it’s all in the past. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately and...well, I made a decision.” She giggled happily to herself. “It was surprising how easy it was, really.” She then reached over the table and took Woohyun’s hand in hers. “I chose you,” she declared with a large and confident grin.

Woohyun looked down at his hand being cradled in hers. He should really remove it, but it was finally starting to feel warm again. “What do you mean?” he asked.

Minseon leaned forward and whispered, “All of those other guys, I don’t like them as much as I like you.” Woohyun looked up, and their gazes met. She was serious. “I want to be with you...for good, if you’ll still have me,” she ended with a nervous bite of her lip. She then retracted her hand and reached into her pocket. After a few moments of struggling, she pulled the ring box from her pocket. She slid it towards him. “If not, then I guess you can have this back...pretty.” Minseon caressed the box fondly with a sad smile.

She really wants it. But…“How am I supposed to believe you?”

Minseon put up her finger, begging for Woohyun’s patience. She then dove her hand back into her pocket. Giggling mischievously, she pulled out and brandished her phone. “With this,” she announced proudly. Minseon leaned closer to Woohyun and wiggled her eyebrows. “Right now, I’ll delete the number of every guy in my phone EXCEPT for you...and my father.”

“Really?”

“Eung,” she responded without hesitation. She pulled her chair around the table and placed it right next to Woohyun’s, allowing them to both look at the phone’s screen (and for their shoulders to brush against each others). Minseon opened up her contacts list and pulled up Sunggyu’s information. She was listed in her phone as ‘Handsome Gyu Oppa,’ which made Woohyun’s stomach churn a bit. But then suddenly the name disappeared behind the notification ‘Are you sure you want to delete this?’ Quickly, Minseon sent it to the trash can. “Sunggyu-oppa bye bye! See gone for good,” she said while waving goodbye to her phone and to the phone number. Woohyun looked at her in disbelief. She was so ready and willing to delete the man from her life that she’d been with for over two years. Just for me. “Now Minseokkie, bye! So long, Jinyoung! It was nice knowing you, Minhwan. Myungsoo-oppa…” she then paused and put the phone in front of Woohyun so that he could see the photo attached. The man looked unreal, as if it was taken from a photospread.  “He’s really handsome. He was just my lab partner. Nothing ever happened,” she said with a sigh.

“Yah! Why do you look sad?” Woohyun pushed the phone from his face and nudged her. “Just delete it already or I will!” he threatened.

Then Minseon did something unexpected. She took his hands and placed her phone in them. “Here. Good ahead. I trust you,” she said as she closed her fingers around the device.

Woohyun finally smiled, grabbing more tightly on the phone. He then pressed the delete button several times on the screen. “Die Myungsoo! Die!” he shouted as the phone number was removed from her history along with that handsome picture. She giggled and rested her chin on his shoulder, watching him remove other contacts from her list. Woohyun’s smile, however, faded after seeing the egregious number of males in her phone. Normally, the number wouldn’t bother him, but given her history and his waning trust, he was wary. “We’re you dating all of these?” he asked.

Minseon shook her head. Her cheek and hair brushed his neck. “Nope,” she admitted. “Some of them were friends. Most of whom I don’t really talk to.”

Woohyun sighed, placing the phone onto the table. “You can keep Sungyeol’s and Dongwoo’s. I trust them,” he offered.

“You sure?” Minseon looked at him curiously, pulling herself away from his shoulder. And Woohyun must have looked nervous because she immediately began to explain herself, “No, I didn’t mean it like that. Of course you can trust them. I’m just worried if you can trust me...now.”

“Not really,” Woohyun said truthfully.  “But it doesn’t mean I can’t try.”

“You...you still want me?” Minseon asked with a growing smile.

“On one condition,” Woohyun  declared, wagging his finger in her face. Minseon giggled and swatted the finger away, opting to hold his hand instead. Woohyun grinned and leaned in, whispering, “What’s your real name?”

Minseon looked at him coyly. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“Yea, I really would actually.”

Woohyun might not have received Minseon’s true name that night, but he left with the ring in his back pocket and a healed heart in his chest. He was giving her a second chance. But they were going to take things slowly and not rush into a full blown relationship quite yet. A trial period, Minseon had called it, not for her but for Woohyun. She had decided that she wanted him. Now the question was, did he still want her.

Click. Click. Woohyun opened the door to his apartment and wasn’t greeted by the smell of a home-cooked meal (like he was expecting) to the sounds of camera shutters. As he was taking off his shoes, he watched his mother walking around his apartment, snapping pictures with her phone of various things. She even stood on his sofa to get a full picture of the kitchen behind it.

 “Mom, what are you doing?” he asked, locking the door behind him.

“Taking pictures of your apartment to show your father,” she explained nonchalantly and took a picture of his toaster. Does Dad really want to see that? “He really needs to come down here.”

Woohyun followed her as she made her way to the bathroom that he shared with Sungyeol, which was also unusually clean. “Isn’t he busy with work?” he asked.

“Eung. But you’re still his son,” she argued distractedly as she pushed the shower curtain away so she could take a picture of the shower. Woohyun sighed. Yes, he was his father’s son, but he wasn’t the favorite. Boohyun was. Boohyun who was successful in his field, married, and already produced two grandchildren with his wife. He was the perfect child. Woohyun, however, was always a bit problematic. He was stubborn and somehow managed to flounder even in situations that he should soar, resulting in dashed hopes for his father. But he was his mother’s favorite. And she wasn’t shy about letting Boohyun or her husband  know it. Hence the reason why she was here today.

While Woohyun was distracted, his mother had left the bathroom, but she didn’t stop talking to her son, “Anyway, did you get what you needed?”

Woohyun smiled gloomily, his hand feeling out the small box in his back pocket. “Yea,” he replied. Sort of. The shutter of his mother’s camera snapped him out of his reverie.  His mother was standing in the threshold of Sungyeol’s bedroom, taking pictures with her phone. Woohyun walked over and pulled his mother away. “Wait, Mom, this isn’t my room,” he told her.

“I know. It’s Sungyeol’s,” she responded matter-of-factly, still snapping photos from various angles. “But he’s moving out soon to live with his fiancée, right?” she asked. Woohyun nodded slowly. He had forgotten about that with all of the other things rushing about his head lately. Sungyeol was moving out at the end of the week. More empty spaces. “Do you have another roommate yet?” his mother asked.

“No, but I’ll find one,” Woohyun assured her so that she wouldn’t fret about the rent. But the look in her eyes wasn’t one of worry. There was a mischievous glint in them as she patted her son’s cheek and walked away. She’s definitely up to something.

“Did you know that Sunggyu was a professor?” Mrs. Nam suddenly asked. They were sitting down at the dinner table. After his mother was finished taking pictures, she cooked up a storm in the kitchen, resulting in the wide spread of dishes and such in front of them right now. Enough food to last Woohyun a week…if he wasn’t already stuffing his face full of half of the food already.

Woohyun looked up from his dish. Who? Oh. He had forgotten the jerk’s name. And he was trying his best to forget the jerk altogether, but something told him he wouldn’t, especially not after this afternoon. “No,” he responded curtly and washed down the sticky lump of food in his mouth with water (but suddenly wishing that it was something much stronger).

Mrs. Nam hummed happily and gushed, “He’s even traveled to America to give talks. Oh! And Italy too! Isn’t that exciting?”

Woohyun’s stomach fell, recalling that afternoon. He suddenly understood the smug look on Sunggyu’s face when he had said ‘Don’t get out much, huh?’ Apparently Sunggyu had. He had ‘gotten out’ a lot. Whereas Woohyun hadn’t even been out of the country, let alone flown in a plane even to just Jeju. He swallowed hard, choking a little. “Is that so?” he acted like he didn’t care.

Mrs. Nam nodded and continued,“And Unnie was telling me that he’s very good to her. Her pocket is always full of money to spend.”

Woohyun slammed his spoon onto the table. His mother jumped up in shock. He didn’t mean to act so roughly, but he was reaching the end of his rope. “What is this about? Do you need more money? I could give you more,” he asked gruffly.

“Oh heaven’s no!” she immediately retorted, trying to calm Woohyun down. “I just thought you’d like to know more about Sunggyu because…”

“Don’t say it,” he growled through his gritted teeth. “I don’t even like guys! I’m straight!”

“Because,” she ignored her son’s interruption. “He is my best friend’s son, and you might be seeing more of each other.” She then shook her head and clicked her tongue. “And my, aren’t we being hasty? I don’t even like guys!” she said in a voice mimicking her son. Mrs. Nam rolled her eyes. “Right, and your friend Dongwoo just gropes everybody’s butt like that.”

“He does!”

“There. All done!” Sunggyu announced to no one as he placed the last of his boxes into his new bedroom. And he loved the fact that no one was here to hear him, for once (he had said his goodbyes to a tearful mother earlier). He looked around the apartment briefly. It was practically fully furnished with the exception of his bedroom, even stocked with a bevy of kitchen appliances. And the smell…well, he’ll get used to that. But finally he had a space that was all his. He could do anything. Anything at all. He smiled at all the possibilities.

He’ll just start small, with a shower because he reeked and was soaked in sweat. But after the shower, he’ll revel in his newly found freedom.

While showering, he sang as loud as he could for the Hell of it, along to the music blasting from the stereo in his bedroom. It was the rock music his mother hated and that he loved. And now he could play it whenever he wanted without disapproving glances.

After taking a long shower (because there was no one there to yell at him for using up the hot water), he grinned cheekily at the foggy mirror across from him, blurring the sight of him in just his towel. I…I don’t have to wear clothes. He then tore off his towel and threw it into the corner. He then looked up again at his reflection. The fog was evaporating, and he could see his reflection more clearly now. Or I could always put on boxers.

And so that is how Kim Sunggyu ended up in the kitchen in only his boxers. It probably wasn’t the best idea because he was also trying to make some fried rice and some of the oil was threatening to scorch his skin. It wasn’t also the best idea for another reason…

“Aish! What the Hell? Who are you and what are you doing in my kitchen?” a voice yelled angrily from the doorway. Sunggyu froze and tightened his grip on the skillet until his knuckles turned white. He knew that voice, and he was hoping that it was only his imagination. He craned his neck to look behind him and sure enough Woohyun was standing in the doorway, equally as shocked. Woohyun pointed a finger at the other. “Ah, It’s you!”

“YOU!” Sunggyu exclaimed, fully turning towards him with the skillet still sizzling in his hand. He then slapped his forehead with his free hand. “Oh my god! Mom!” he exclaimed, returning the skillet back to the range. He turned off the burner and hung his head. There was a catch to all of this. A 1.76 meter catch who was currently mumbling in disbelief.

“Mom?”

Sunggyu turned around and tried to explain, “My mom, our mothers.”

“They put you naked in my kitchen?” Woohyun asked in confusion.

“I’m not naked!” Sunggyu fought back, crossing his arms to hide his bare chest.

Woohyun smirked as he looked the other up and down and retorted, “Basically.”

Sunggyu uncrossed his arms and pointed at Woohyun. “Look, I didn’t know this was your place. My mom made it seem like I was going to live here on my own,” he explained

At that Woohyun’s eyes grew wide, and his jaw dropped. “But I live here, and I have for years,” he argued, his eyes darting everywhere. “With Sungyeol. But now he moved out and…Oh my god! Mom!” The truth slowly dawned on him, and he smacked himself in the head just like Sunggyu did only moments prior. He grumbled as he drug his hand down his face, “This is what she was up to, taking all of those photos, saying all those weird things.” He put his hands on his hips and looked up as if the answer to his life’s problems were etched on the ceiling. This has not been a good week.

“What things? About me?” Sunggyu asked, clutching his chest tighter.

“Hold on. I’m going to clear this up,” Woohyun announced as he pulled out his phone and walked into his bedroom, leaving the half-clad Sunggyu lost in the kitchen.

“B-but,” Sunggyu began to fight back, but Woohyun had already shut the door on him. Shit, I’m going to have to move back.

“Hello?”

“Mom! I can’t believe you did this!” Woohyun whispered loudly into the receiver, afraid that Sunggyu could hear from the other side of the door.

“You met your new roommate? Terrific!” his mother cheered on the other end of the line.

Woohyun groaned as he fell backwards onto his bed. “Mom, I told you that I had it covered. You can’t just do things like this,” he whined, kicking his feet in frustration.

“I know, but the fortune teller said…”

“She’s a fraud!” Woohyun shot back immediately.

“Now you know that’s not true,” she chided, and Woohyun was glad that she was hours away so she couldn’t see how far back his eyeballs were rolling. “She’s the most reputable fortune teller in the country.”

“That’s like saying she’s the most trustworthy crook,” he retorted with a short chuckle.

“Woohyunnie,” his mother called out in that authoritative tone. Woohyun clenched his teeth, knowing that he was about to lose this battle. “Will you just do your mother a favor and give this a chance? What’s the worst thing that can happen? You make a new friend? That’s not so bad.”

“Mom, he was dating Minseon the same time I was,” he reminded her. It was his last point in his arsenal and perhaps the strongest one. He doubted that the two  of them could get along after something like that.

But his mother thought otherwise, “And now neither of you are dating her. You’re free as a bird!”

“M—”

“Fate isn’t something you should mess with,” she cut him off. Woohyun groaned again. You’re messing with it right now! But she ignored that as well and continued, “Just try it, okay? And Sunggyu…he’s been wanting to move out for years, and this is the only circumstance that his mother will allow him to do so: if he lived with you.”

Woohyun closed his eyes, growing weary of all of this. “That really isn’t my problem,” he retorted, but he knew that it wasn’t true. His mother just threw him smack dab in the middle of the problem.

“Woohyunnie,” and there it was, the match point. His mother won this round.

He sat up on his bed and looked at his door. “For how long?” he asked in a tired voice

“You can toss him to the curb at anytime,” Woohyun knew that she was smiling when she spoke because she knew that Woohyun would never throw Sunggyu out now, especially phrasing it like that. His mind was filled with images of Sunggyu in only his boxers, sitting on the curb with only a couple of boxes to his name, shivering in the falling snow.

“Okay.”

Woohyun walked out of the bedroom after ending his phone call and saw Sunggyu now (thankfully) fully clothed and eating whatever he had cooked earlier. But as soon as he caught sight of the other, Sunggyu put down his spoon and apologized, “I’m sorry about this.” He then looked down at his food sheepishly. He had accidentally made himself at home where he didn’t feel particularly welcomed.

“Don’t be,” Woohyun said with a resigned sigh, leaning against the door. His eyes were fixed on the man across from him, wondering what to do with him. “You didn’t know.”

“I’ll move back home,” Sunggyu offered. “I can’t do it today but…”

“No,” Woohyun cut him off. “Stay. It’s okay.”

“Are you sure?” Sunggyu asked with a raised eyebrow, hardly believing the other. Woohyun nodded, apprehensively, but still nodded. Sunggyu was relieved. “Good because I don’t really want to carry all of those boxes again,” he joked, partially because his limbs really were sore. His arms felt heavy and sluggish. Even bringing the spoon up to his lips proved to be a struggle. He ran his hand up and down his arms, occasionally squeezing them to ease the pain. As he was doing this, Woohyun was laughing. Actually, laughing would be an understatement. He was practically falling apart, in stitches. He had already slid down the down and was now collapsed on the floor, cackling away. It had gone way beyond the polite laughter Sunggyu was expecting. He stopped and narrowed his eyes on the other. “Why are you laughing?”

“Our mothers,” Woohyun wheezed out. He was now laying on the floor. He rolled over to face Sunggyu, who was entirely confused. And his expression just reminded Woohyun of an Arctic fox. He even cocked his head like one of the beasts, sending Woohyun into another round of laughter. And they think that I’d be attracted to that. “They’re insane! And the fortune teller! Soul mates! HAH!”

“Should I be offended right now?”

Probably, Woohyun thought, but instead he tried to calm himself down and sat himself up from the floor. “Why? We’re both males,” he argued with a shrug. “And there’s like a 0% chance of us getting together.”

That answer seemed to please Sunggyu. “True,” he agreed with a nod. “You’re definitely not my type.”

That made Woohyun sober. “Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You said it first!” Sunggyu retorted, but then he waved his hand and stood up from his chair. “Forget it,” he grumbled as he picked up his dishes. “I have to finish unpacking.” After he put his dishes in the sink, Sunggyu walked straight into his bedroom, and now Woohyun was the one with the door slammed in his face.

But when did a closed door ever stop Woohyun before? The answer would be never, and he knew for a fact that the lock on the bedroom door was broken. It became like that after one of his and Sungyeol’s experiments (as it would turn out, you can manage to break into a room with patchika stolen from Dongwoo). After opening up the door, Woohyun poked his head through the door, seeing the cardboard boxes littering the room and the furniture arranged oddly. “This is so weird,” he commented, now pushing the rest of him through the door. “Sungyeol’s room was set up totally different. His bed was over there.” He pointed to the spot in the middle of the room, right underneath the window.

Sunggyu put down the box of clothes he was lifting onto his bed (which was now along the wall). “My bed’s here,” he replied.

“I can see that,” Woohyun grumbled. He took another step inside the room, testing Sunggyu’s limits (and perhaps his patience). He looked around the room some more, trying to get a grasp on his new roommate, trying to find something that would reveal more about the other’s personality than the other would ever say. And that’s when he spotted it, leaning up against the bookshelf. “Wow! Is that a guitar? Can you play? Can I?” he shot rapid-fire questions as he reached for the guitar.

And that’s when he had reached the limit. Sunggyu batted away his hand before Woohyun’s fingertips could brush against the wood.“No. What are you doing? Do you always barge into stranger’s rooms?” he chided and grabbed his guitar, placing it beside him and away from Woohyun’s reach. He then turned his back on the other and began to dig through the box on his bed.

But it was only a few steps away, and so Woohyun took a step and grabbed for the guitar again. Because Sunggyu was distracted, Woohyun was successful and was able to hold it in his hands. “I don’t think you can call us strangers anymore, soul mate,” Woohyun said with a chuckle, plucking a few chords as he spoke.

“Will you stop that?” Sunggyu shouted, tearing the guitar away from Woohyun. This time, he didn’t dare to set it down; he held onto it.

Woohyun looked up at him with innocent eyes, like he couldn’t believe that he had done anything wrong. “What?”

“Everything!” Sunggyu yelled.

“Fine. I’ll go,” Woohyun mumbled, hunching his shoulders, becoming smaller. And his voice grew smaller too, “I just wanted to get to know my new roommate.” He began to drag his feet towards the door.

“Wait,” Sunggyu called out to the other while simultaneously mentally cursing himself. All he wanted was a place to himself, and now he couldn’t believe what he was about to say, “You can stay.” He put the guitar down and lifted his gaze, seeing Woohyun pull an emotional 180. The kid was now happily grinning, and Sunggyu knew that he just got played. Sunggyu grinded his teeth and grumbled, “Just…don’t touch anything, okay?”

Woohyun walked over and sat on his bed, immediately violating Sunggyu’s wish. “Someone’s OCD,” he teased, watching Sunggyu carefully who was now trying to unpack the box again.

“Someone hates being alone,” Sunggyu shot right back.

Sunggyu heard a sharp tinny and looked down at Woohyun. The guitar was once again in his hands, and he was softly strumming chords, his head bent so that his face was covered by his long hair. “I don’t hate it,” he finally spoke, his words following the nameless melody he was playing. “I just don’t care for it.”

“Is that why you’re letting me stay?” Sunggyu asked, turning his attention back to unpacking.     

“Maybe,” Woohyun answered. He lifted his gaze from the guitar and watched Sunggyu pull out clothes from the box and set them aside in piles. “Also I could use the help with the rent, and,” he paused for a beat and then continued to play the guitar. “This is the only way you can move out from your mom’s, right?”

Sunggyu stopped and looked down at Woohyun. “How did you know?” he muttered, but then quickly shook his head. The answer was obvious. “Never mind. I know.”

“You know, for two strangers we kind of know a lot about each other,” Woohyun chuckled, resting his forearms on the guitar.

Sunggyu let out a short chuckle as well. “Maybe we shouldn’t call each other strangers anymore then,” he added.

Woohyun furrowed his brows as he watched Sunggyu grab for another box. “Then what are we?” he asked.

“Apparently, roommates.”

“Mom!”  Sunggyu shouted as soon as he opened the door to his mother’s house. He didn’t even bother taking off his shoes and began to search for the woman. He soon found her watching one of her daytime dramas with a mandarin slice hanging from her lips. Sunggyu stood in front of the television with his arms crossed over his chest. “Did you really think that you could get away with this? What was I supposed to do when Woohyun showed up? I was practically naked!”

His mother choked on the piece of fruit. “Why were you naked?” she asked, covering her mouth with the back of her hand.

“Because it’s my…forget it,” it was no use explaining himself when he came to get an explanation from his mother. They were getting off topic, so he put them back on track, “What did you think would happen?”

“Well…” his mother diverted her gaze and giggled like a school girl who just ran into her crush.

“Mom! I’m not even attracted to him. I’m…” Sunggyu began to argue but his mother cut him right off.

“Gyu, I know you,” she said sternly, lowering her gaze at him. “I know what you like. Besides, don’t act so innocent,” she scoffed leaning back into the couch and crossing her legs. “Did you really think that I would believe that your little friend just really liked skinship?”

“But he did!” Sunggyu retorted and stamped his foot.

His mother just sighed and got up from her seat. She walked over to her son and patted him on the shoulder. “Just be happy that you have such an open-minded mother, okay?” she demanded. “And think about it, either way, you’re still out of the house.”

“True,” Sunggyu agreed with a nod.

“And Woohyun-goon isn’t that bad. You probably don’t even have to see him much because you both work,” she reasoned.

“True.”

“And he’s really cute.”

“Tru-yah!”

“So how’s it going with Sunggyu? Are there sparks flying yet? Did you confess? Did he? Did you kiss?”

Woohyun groaned. It was the same round of questions everyday (and sometimes twice a day). The two have only been living with each other for a week, but with their mother’s bumbling attempts to inspire love between them, it felt like an eternity of torture. His mother didn’t even give him a break on his birthday. She had asked him to meet up at his favorite restaurant, but when he got there, he only saw Sunggyu waiting for him at his usual table. Their gazes met, and they both groaned. And Woohyun turned around and left.

But Sunggyu’s mother was worse, randomly stopping by the apartment and giving hints on how to woo her son.

And all of this…meddling actually was driving the two boys apart. They could barely look at each other because they were too embarrassed and ashamed by their mother’s behavior. They always ate their dinners inside of their bedrooms, and the common areas soon became a no-man’s land.

“Mom, he moved in last week. I haven’t seen him much,” Woohyun responded (and he didn’t want to confess that lately he has seen more Minseon than Sunggyu. That would drive his mother crazy). “Besides, how many times do I have to tell you? We’re not…”

“Soul mates. I know! You tell me every day.”

“That’s because we have this discussion every day,” he retorted. He opened his mouth to speak again, but his voice was cut off by the ringing of his doorbell. “Hold on. Someone’s at the door.” He walked out of his bedroom. Thankfully, Sunggyu wasn’t home, so he didn’t risk running into him. He opened his front door and was met with a dozen red, and sickly fragrant roses. A clipboard was soon thrust into his face as well, and he signed for the delivery. Resting his phone in the crook of his shoulder, he took the arrangement into his hands and closed with door with a kick of his heel. “Huh? That’s weird,” he muttered.

“What is it?” his mother asked excitedly.

“Flowers,” he mumbled distractedly as he placed them on the coffee table. A small white envelope was peeking behind the dark red petals. Woohyun grabbed for it, opened it up, and read it:

To Hyunnie who is more beautiful than these flowers. Love, Sunggyu

“From Sunggyu?” Woohyun spoke, stuffing the card back into the envelope. Well, this is new.

His mother squealed at the other end, “How romantic!”

Woohyun pulled his phone away from his ear so that he couldn’t hear his mother gushing about this new event. But he could hear something else: a shuffling outside his door and a soft cursing as the lock clicked. “I’ll call you back later. Okay. Sunggyu’s home,” he said, hanging up the phone on his mother, too fed with her to care (okay so he’ll apologize tomorrow). He faced Sunggyu who was slipping off his dress shoes and unbuttoning his blazer. “Did you give me these?” Woohyun asked, pointing to the roses on the coffee table.

Sunggyu shook his head and reached past the threshold to pick up something by the door. “And I’m guessing that you didn’t give me this,” he stated bringing in his own gift into the apartment. It was a dozen red, heart-shaped balloons that read ‘Be Mine’ on them. Sunggyu flinched as they began to hit him in the face from the sudden movement, and in spite of the ridiculousness Woohyun had to laugh.

“This is getting out of hand,” Woohyun declared as he fell back onto the couch.

“I know,” Sunggyu agreed, setting the balloon bouquet next to him as he sat down in the armchair. “We must be going too slow for their liking. And now they’re trying to force us into a confession,” he joked. His gaze then met Woohyun’s, and he grimaced. “It’s never going to work. I wish that they would get the hint,” he said distractedly as he began to bat at the balloons.

“They won’t. They won’t stop trying,” Woohyun grumbled. And Sunggyu just nodded still playing with his balloons. Woohyun watched the elder as he gnawed on his lower lip in thought. Sunggyu was playing with those heart balloons like their mothers were playing with their own hearts, just slapping them around until they were moved.

“Maybe we should give them what they want,” Woohyun blurted out.

The balloon that he had hit, sailed back and smacked Sunggyu’s cheek. “What?”

Woohyun leaned forward and explained, “We pretend that this plan of theirs worked, and we realized that we like each other.”

“Why?” Sunggyu asked, staring the other down.

Woohyun gulped and continued (he knew that the plan was silly but he also knew how big the payoff could be for the both of them), “First, the phone calls will stop. These gifts will stop, if we just give them what they want.”

Sunggyu scoffed and pushed the balloon away from his face. “I’ll miss the random boxes of sweets that would appear on my desk,” he joked with a faked pout.

Woohyun smirked and retorted with a sickly sweet voice, “I’ll still give you those, honey.”

The pout then became real. Sunggyu didn’t take well to being called that. But his lip soon retracted behind his teeth as he shook his head.“It’s not going to work. They’ll know we’re faking,” he rationed.

“Then we’ll just have to make it convincing,” Woohyun argued.

Sunggyu scoffed again, “And what? Do I just pretend to date you forever?”

“No. Just in public,” Woohyun replied, shifting in his seat. “You can date whoever or whatever you want on your own time. And I’m still seeing Minseon.”

“You are?!” Sunggyu exclaimed suddenly leaning forward in his seat. His eyes were as big as when Woohyun first met him. The elder then leaned back in his seat and shook his head, letting the issue drop. After all, he already had enough problems to deal with.

“After a few months, we’ll break it off,” Woohyun continued plotting. He cocked his head. “But it has to be for a good reason. Apparently, ‘I’m straight’ isn’t a valid one anymore. And I can’t tell Mom about Minseon…”

“For a good reason,” Sunggyu interjected. He didn’t really like the fact that Woohyun still kept in touch with that girl (and he was astounded that Woohyun still pursued her). But…it’s not your problem. Sunggyu took in a deep breath and cleared his mind. “Your friend is getting married soon, right?” Sunggyu asked. Woohyun nodded. “We could say that the wedding brought up some issues on marriage that are…irreconcilable. We even could fight a bit at the wedding so everyone can see how bad we are together,” he suggested.

“That…could work,” Woohyun consented.

Sunggyu chuckled a little. “But this won’t,” he declared, gesturing between himself and Woohyun.

“Isn't that the point?” Woohyun retorted.

Then Sunggyu sputtered and threw his head back in genuine laughter. Woohyun joined in with some soft chuckles of his own as he watched Sunggyu come down from his high. The elder moved strands of hair from his eyes with his finger. “I can’t believe I’m actually considering this,” he said in disbelief.

“It’s a good plan though,” Woohyun said. It wasn’t funny, but it had Sunggyu back in stitches, rolling in the armchair in giggles. “What?”

Sunggyu took in a deep breath and sat up.“Isn’t this the part where one of us says ‘If you fall for me, then we’ll have to end it’? Just like they do in dramas?” he joked. Then his face grew grave, and he narrowed his eyes in some expression that Woohyun assumed was supposed to be seductive (but he ended up looking like a fox again). “Woohyun, if you end up falling for me…”

“Hah!”

“What? I’m very charismatic! It could happen!” Sunggyu argued, pouting again.

“Sure,” Woohyun drawled out, rolling his eyes. “Hyung, you’re more likely to fall for me.”

Sunggyu was silent for a bit as he shifted in his seat, rubbing his palm against his knee. “Why would you say that?” he asked.

“I’m more handsome.” Woohyun grinned cheekily.

“This punk,” Sunggyu cursed, hitting Woohyun in the head with one of his balloons.

Woohyun chuckled for awhile and pushed the balloon  away. “Okay so if anybody falls for anyone, we’ll,” he paused for a bit searching for the right answer. “We’ll cross that bridge once we get there.”

“Fair enough,” Sunggyu nodded. He then leaned back into his chair and crossed his legs. Resting his cheek in his hand he asked, “You’re aren’t one of those over couples, who wear matching outfits and say gross stuff to each other, like ‘I love you’?”

“Hyung, when I’m in looooooooove…”

❝When I’m in love?…I’m the happy, giving tree.❞

-Woohyun (06.2011 Singles Interview)

Chapter Text

❝Only think about me today, okay~?❞

-Woohyun (120530 Sweet Sorrow)

Sunggyu grumbled as he plugged in the coffee maker into the wall. It was early, earlier than he normally woke up (one of the perks of being a professor and having classes in the afternoon), and he did it for one reason:  “Nam friggin’ Woohyun.” Who, of course, was nowhere to be seen. “I wake up at 6 in the morning, hyung,” Sunggyu mocked the other.  His eyes darted over to the clock on the oven. It was 6:30. He scoffed. “Filthy liar.” Anger was bubbling up inside of him like the boiling water in the coffeemaker.

No one messes with Kim Sunggyu and his precious sleep and gets away with it.

He then groaned, resting his hands against the countertop. This was kind of his fault in the end. Well, not his but his mother’s really. The night before, as the two were ironing out the logistics of their ‘relationship,’ Woohyun mentioned how they should start eating every meal together. That they continued even stop the charade behind their apartment’s door. “Because someone's mother keeps barging in unannounced. So we're not safe at home. Especially not home,” Woohyun declared shaking his head.

Sunggyu sighed, “I know she has problems and that she's hard to deal with at times.” He met Woohyun’s gaze. “But I'm all that she has.”

Woohyun averted his eyes and picked at his pants. “I didn't say she was bad...persay,” he partially retracted.

And so they agreed. Sunggyu would prepare breakfast, and Woohyun would make dinner. Sunggyu smirked to himself, knowing that he had the better end of the bargain. He was already done making breakfast. But he was still missing one thing. “Where is he? I'm not making all of this so he could bloody sleep through breakfast,” he mumbled bitterly. Sunggyu should have known. Nothing in his life came easily.

He marched over to Woohyun’s room and threw open the door (Woohyun had made himself at home in his room so many times that Sunggyu had no qualms about doing the same). But the sight in front of him, stopped Sunggyu in his tracks. “Gross,” he retched. Woohyun was dead asleep, mouth hanging wide open with a slimy trail of drooling dripping down his chin. The kid was also sleeping at the foot of his bed, with one foot resting on his pillow and the other touching the ground. His blanket was also wrapped around his head and scarily tight around his neck. Sunggyu walked over and muttered, “How are you even alive?” Carefully wheedling his fingers between the comforter and Woohyun’s neck, Sunggyu loosened the blanket’s hold around the other while simultaneously slapping the other’s cheek with his free hand. “Yah wake up!”

“No,” Woohyun defiantly slurred as he wrested the blanket away from the elder and flopped onto his other side. “Go away.”

Sunggyu grumbled some curses as he propped his knee onto the bed and leaned over to shake the other awake. “Woohyun,” he said more loudly and forcibly. And this time, to his surprise, Woohyun got up to his knees…but only to push Sunggyu off his bed while mumbling incoherently like a drunken sailor. “Aish!” Sunggyu yelled as his butt hit the floor. Woohyun was going to regret this.

But before he could exact his revenge, Woohyun’s cell phone rang, playing some sugary pop song that was way too peppy for this early in the morning. And to Sunggyu’s surprise, the other actually answered it. With his eyes closed, Woohyun took out the phone from the folds of his blanket. “Yea yea, I'm awake,” he lied (and rather unconvincingly). “Mmmmmmm. Bye Yeol!” He then hung up the phone, threw it onto the other side of the bed, and flopped back down.  

Lazy ass. Sunggyu was finally on his feet and shaking his head at the other. And so this is why Woohyun was so willing to cook dinner? The pop song rang throughout the room again. Sunggyu smirked as he got to the phone before sluggish and drowsy Woohyun. He answered it, “Hello, Yeol? It's Sunggyu, Woohyun's new roommate. I'll wake him up. You can stop calling now.” Sunggyu didn’t even bother to make out the surprised stuttering on the other end of the line. He hung up the phone and put it on Woohyun’s dresser.

He turned back around to see Woohyun propped up on his knees, still wrapped in his comforter cocoon. “Why did you do that?” he asked.

“Because unlike a phone, you can’t turn me off.”

“Huh? Wha—Ung!” Woohyun exclaimed as Sunggyu pounced onto him. Woohyun quickly flopped onto his belly and grasped desperately onto the edges of his bed, refusing to leave its comfy warmth. But Sunggyu had other plans as he hooked him arms under Woohyun’s armpits and began pulling him away from the bed. Why is he so strong? Woohyun’s fingers were slipping from the edges. He couldn’t hold on much longer. “No!” He felt his body being pulled away from the bed and dragged down to the floor. And then Sunggyu dropped him, causing Woohyun to collapse onto the hard floor. “OW! You jerk!” He tried to kick at Sunggyu’s ankles to make him fall down as well, but Sunggyu quickly side-stepped him.

“Now that you’re awake. Breakfast is ready,” he announced with a cocky smile and left the room.

Woohyun sat there for a few seconds, rubbing his sore behind and pouting. “Some loving boyfriend he is.”

But now that he was awake, his mind was already whirring with plotting thoughts. He always got the best ideas when he just wakes up and the fog of sleep had lifted. He grabbed his cell phone and walked out to join Sunggyu in the kitchen. Now Sunggyu looked like his mind has already shut down, after having wasted all of his mental energy waking up Woohyun. Woohyun smirked at the man ruffling his hair and willing the coffeemaker to speed up. Woohyun walked up behind Sunggyu, enveloping him in a back hug, smashing his cheek against the elder’s. “Smile,” Woohyun commanded. Click. He took a picture of the two of them with the camera on his phone.

“Huh?” Sunggyu’s reaction had been slow and he barely raised his head in time for the picture. Woohyun was still hanging onto him. Sunggyu grabbed the other’s arm, removed it, and nudged Woohyun away. “Why’d you do that?” he complained.

Woohyun was busy tapping away on his phone so his response was a bit slow. “I realized that we never told our moms. That was silly,” he explained with a slight chuckle. “But now there’s evidence.” Then Sunggyu’s own phone vibrated on the table. Woohyun grinned and commanded, “I sent it to you too. Make it your background.”

“Good idea,” Sunggyu said as he reached for his phone. Or it least seemed like a good idea before he actually saw the picture.. Woohyun was ready and smiling for the photo, but Sunggyu was bleary eyed with his mouth ajar. He was obviously caught off guard. And to make matters worse, they both look like they just woke up with the messy bed head and sleepy eyes (which they did). It looked like they woke up together. Sunggyu winced but made it his background anyway, just until he found a better picture of the two of them (or maybe just an embarrassing picture of Woohyun that he could show to everybody. That thought made Sunggyu smile just a bit).

“Seriously, this is breakfast?” Sunggyu turned around to see Woohyun push away his bowl of cereal in disgust. The flakes swam around in the milk, getting soggy. This isn’t breakfast, Woohyun thought as he reluctantly sat down and picked up his spoon. Even this was better than no breakfast at all.

“Eung,” Sunggyu just barely replied. The elder sat down at the table with his freshly poured cup of coffee. He then reached for the milk on the table and poured a long stream of milk into his cup. Woohyun looked at the other with wide eyes, which only got bigger as Sunggyu put spoonful after spoonful of sugar into his coffee.

Woohyun moved the sugar away from Sunggyu before he could dip his spoon into again. “Geez! Are you trying to get diabetes?” Woohyun exclaimed. He leaned over and inspected the other’s cup. The liquid inside was very pale, and it made his stomach churn just imaging the sweet taste. “Is there even coffee in there? It looks white!”

“I don’t like the taste,” Sunggyu replied with a yawn, stirring his cup.

Woohyun chuckled (and cringed) watching the other drink from the cup. “Then you don’t know love,” Woohyun suddenly said.

“Huh?”

“Love is acquiring the bitter taste of coffee,” Woohyun teased as he drank his own coffee, which was black.

Sunggyu put down his coffee and rubbed the space in between his eyes. He doesn’t have the mental capacity right now to make sense out of what the other just said. Sunggyu could barely keep his eyes open. “You just woke up two seconds ago! How are you so chatty?” Sunggyu grumbled.

Woohyun grinned and shrugged, “It’s a gift.”

“So is waking up on time,” Sunggyu retorted. Woohyun averted his eyes, looking guilty. All of the sudden his lips were stilled as if they were sealed shut. Sunggyu had him. “Yah, has Yeol been waking you up every morning?” he asked.

“He used to, while he was here,” Woohyun answered as he stared at his mug. He then lifted his gaze and jutted out his lower lip, shaking it a bit. “He was a lot more gentle than you,” he whined.

But Sunggyu ignored it. “He’s your old roommate?” the elder asked. Woohyun nodded. “And he’s been calling you every morning since he moved out?”

Woohyun raised an eyebrow, wondering where this was going. He answered anyway, “Pretty much.”

“Woohyun, since he left, how often have you been late for work?”

Woohyun paused, and all that could be heard was Sunggyu’s noisy chewing. “Every day,” Woohyun finally responded. “But yesterday, I was only late by a minute or two. I’m getting better,” he quickly added with a slight chuckle.

Sunggyu unexpectedly stood up from the table, taking his bowl and mug with him. “Tell Yeol that he can stop calling you,” he muttered before he put his items in the sink.

“Huh? Okay,” Woohyun agreed, slightly fearing that what happened this morning would become a regular occurrence (he might have to start wearing padded pants). “Hey, hyung?” Woohyun called out to the other, who was about to shut his bedroom door. Sunggyu stopped and faced him. “Have a nice day at work, honey. Only think about me today, okay?” Woohyun said cutely, giving the other a small heart.

He could hear Sunggyu mumbling something about getting diabetes from words. But before he closed the door all the way, Sunggyu replied in a barely audible voice, “You too…have a good day.”

Later that day, Sunggyu was still tired from waking up so early. After yawning for the hundredth time, Sunggyu was fed up and dragged his coworker with him to the nearest cafe. Now with the syrup-heavy drink in his hand, Sunggyu felt prepared to face his afternoon classes and the rowdy students that came along with it. But he still had a bit of time and one more thing to do before he returned to his part of the campus.

“Hold on. I need something from here,” Sunggyu said as he ducked into a nearby shop.

“Hyung, you’re changing the subject,” Howon said with a frustrated sigh. He followed the other into the store. “You can’t just tell me you’re in a relationship and walk away,” he complained as Sunggyu was still walking away from him and down random aisles searching for something. Sunggyu then finally stopped, having found what he was looking for. “Who is it? It’s not Minjin still, is it?” Howon demanded an answer.

“God no,” Sunggyu finally answered as he inspected a box. “It’s Woohyun,” he replied in a distracted voice.

“Well, that sounds like a guy’s name,” Howon responded curiously.

Sunggyu put that box away and picked up another one. “That’s because it is.”

“WHAT?!” Howon exclaimed. “But I thought…”

“It’s all fake though,” Sunggyu cut him off, handing his cup to Howon. “Hold this.”

Howon stood there dumbfounded with coffee cups in each hand. “What’s fake?”

Sunggyu was too embarrassed to face his friend and read the large box in his hands. “Our mothers have been trying to set us up together. They even forced us into being roommates. So we’re faking it to show them that it won’t work,” he explained. He smirked after he finished reading. Perfect. He took the box under his arm and took back his cup from Howon.  “And he’s the one dating Minjin, actually,” he added as he passed by the other.

Howon chuckled as he followed the other to the register. “Hyung, is this your life or some shitty drama,” he joked.

“More like my shitty life,” he grumbled as he gave his card to the person behind the register. His item was rung up, Sunggyu was handed a bag. He smiled more broadly. This is going to be fun.  “Thank you,” he said to the person and he left the store.

“Wait,” Howon cut out in front of him. He had a weird glint in his eyes. “It isn’t Nam Woohyun, is it?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“How did you know?”

Howon sputtered into an uncontrollable laughter as he patted Sunggyu’s shoulder roughly. He sharply inhaled and spoke, “Oh man! This is a drama I’d actually like to see. Good luck, buddy.” This time, Howon walked away from a dumbfounded coworker. “Nam Woohyun. HAH!”

Woohyun rolled onto his side and looked at the time on his phone. He had about five more minutes to sleep. Or fifteen if he rushed a bit. Half an hour if he cut out ‘breakfast’ with Sunggyu. He smiled relishing in the idea of sleeping for 30 more minutes. Sunggyu probably wouldn’t mind either, judging how the morning before went.

And he had fallen asleep quite easily last night (which he had been having trouble with before). It was all thanks to Sunggyu’s mother. After receiving the announcement of them getting together, in her zeal, she had sent Woohyun a list of her son’s likes and dislikes. It was more like a manual on how to deal with her son. And after reading a line or two, it put him immediately to sleep. Like it was a magic pill.

Before Woohyun could fall asleep again, a loud ringing filled the room. It was unlike any alarm Woohyun had in the house. It was booming and almost deafening. “F-fire?” he stammered, sitting up on his bed. He sniffed the air. It didn’t smell like fire. He looked around and sharpened his ears to the sound. He blinked in confusion. “It’s…it’s moving?”

Then out of the corner of his eye, he saw something dart under his bed. Crawling over to the edge, Woohyun hung himself upside down and looked underneath his bed. “AH!” Whatever it was, it just hit him in the face. He immediately sat back on his bed, rubbing his sore nose. What the Hell was that devil machine?

He then heard it run into his dresser. He quickly jumped off his bed and quickly grabbed for it before got away from him away. It was an alarm clock. Woohyun searched it. “Where’s the snooze?!” he whined. He then saw the small note attached to it: Put me back in my holder.

“Where the Hell is that?” Woohyun complained, stamping his foot. He could swear that his ears were bleeding from the noise. But then he finally saw it, a new black device on his dresser. He walked over and jammed the alarm clock into it. And then there was silence…except for the incessant ringing in Woohyun’s ears now. Woohyun grabbed the rolling alarm clock and it’s holder and marched into the kitchen.

“Hyung, what the Hell is this?” he demanded, slamming the alarm clock down next to Sunggyu on the counter.

Sunggyu glanced over and returned his attention to pouring coffee into his mug. “It’s an alarm clock, stupid,” he teased. He walked over and sat at the table.

Woohyun groaned, picked up the alarm clock, and placed it in front of the other again. “You can have it back. I don’t want it,” he declared and sat down to eat his soggy cereal.

Sunggyu shook his head. “It’s not mine. I got it for you. It’s yours,” he stated. He smirked. “And now you can finally wake up on time.”

So this is what he meant. Woohyun pushed the alarm clock away and repeated, “But I don’t want it.”

“Tough,” the elder retorted and left the table to use the bathroom.

“Tough,” Woohyun mocked the other and stuck his tongue out to the closed bathroom door. He sighed as he turned to face that bloody alarm clock. He glared at it. He then picked it up and threw it into the trash can. “There problem solved,” he said with a mischievous giggle, which only grew louder after he saw what Sunggyu had left behind on the countertop: his cell phone. Woohyun automatically reached for it and brought up the lock screen. He stared at it blankly for a few seconds, but then he remembered what he had read only the night before. “0-4-2-8,” he whispered as he punched in the numbers and the phone unlocked. Of course Sunggyu would use his birthday as his password, Woohyun thought rolling his eyes. And then he quickly darted into Sunggyu’s bedroom.

Woohyun dropped the phone on the bed and tore off his shirt. Flopping onto Sunggyu’s bed, he took up the phone again. Rolling around a bit on Sunggyu’s bed (which was fortunately still unmade) and snuggling his face in the elder’s pillows, Woohyun closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep. His fingers pressed the camera button. Click. Woohyun then shot up to look at his masterpiece. It did look like someone had taken it of him while he was sleeping. He giggled maniacally as he typed into the phone, “You look cute when you sleep, jagi. But stop drooling on my pillow. Sad face emoji. And send.” He waited for a few seconds before sending out a second text. “Oops. Sorry Mom. I meant to send that to Woohyun.”

But before he could revel in his genius any longer, he heard a toilet flush. Throwing back on his shirt and returning the phone to the counter, Woohyun returned to eating his soggy corn flakes like nothing was wrong.

However, he didn’t know how wrong he was.

“Alright, that’s it. You can leave now,” Sunggyu announced to his music theory class. Even after years of teaching, he wasn’t too sure about how dismiss a class. But his students didn’t seem to mind as they began to talk to each other, pick up their belongings, and leave the room.  He sighed as he began to gather up his own things. There was a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something wasn’t right. Or at least not yet. Anticipation. That’s what it is. He had pranked Woohyun earlier with the rolling alarm clock, and if he knew his roommate/fake boyfriend well (or at all), something was coming, revenge. Sunggyu had to be on guard for anything.

“Professor?” a soft voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

“Yes, Sungjong, what is it? The paper is due Friday,” Sunggyu declared, barely glancing at his student as he loaded his briefcase.

“I know, but I have something to show you,” the student said in a nervous whisper, stepping closer to his professor.

Sunggyu finally looked up. Sungjong wasn’t normally this shy. “A draft?” he guessed. “Come see me during my offices hours and we’ll go over it,” he walked around the podium, ready to exit the room.

But Sungjong cut in front of him, thrusting his cell phone into the professor’s face. “No, I think you’d want to see this now,” he insisted.

“What…what is this?” he stammered, immediately ripping the phone from the student’s hand. He scrolled through the webpage. He stopped at the last photo, taken when Sunggyu wasn’t paying attention, of a seemingly naked Woohyun sleeping in his bed. Underneath the photo was a caption, a supposed text from Sunggyu. This was it. The revenge. It was worse than he had anticipated. With eyes wide, scared to death, Sunggyu looked up at the younger. “Sungjong, I…”

“It’s okay, professor. I won’t tell anybody,” Sungjong said with a reassuring smile and wink.

The corner of Sunggyu’s mouth lifted upwards in relief, but he couldn’t wholly relax just yet. Handing back the phone, he asked, “Where did you find this?”

“I came from the same neighborhood as the Nams. Woohyun’s mother and mine are friends,” the younger explained as he returned his phone into his pocket. He faced his professor again and grinned, “So as far as I know, no one at the university has seen this…except for me.”

“Thank you, Sungjong. I really appreciate this,” Sunggyu said, patting the other’s shoulder. But given the content of the photos his student had recently seen, Sunggyu immediately retracted his hand and dropped his gaze in embarrassment.

But Sungjong didn’t mind. He nudged the professor and winked, “And I’d really appreciate an A on my next paper.” Sunggyu’s face grew gaunt. Sungjong put his hands up and backed away. “Okay, chill! I was just joking, okay? See you later, professor!” He waved and left the room.

As soon as the door shut, Sunggyu pulled out his own phone and dialed a number. “Nam, you better pick up!” he growled into the receiver.

Woohyun was packing up to leave from work. It was later than usual, but he had come in this morning with mountains of paperwork on his desk. He had just finished processing the last one. He glanced around the office as he turned off his light. He was the only one. There was a slight tug at the pit of his stomach.

The feeling didn’t last for long because his phone vibrated in his pocket. He laughed, wondering if Sunggyu had finally found the photo on his phone. He answered the phone giving the most innocent, “Hello” that he could muster. However he wasn’t  expecting the voice of his best friend cracking with excitement on the other end.

“Why didn’t you tell me you had a boyfriend? I thought that I was your best friend! That’s it. You’re no longer Best Man. Dongwoo’s got the job now,” Sungyeol threatened on the other end.

“Huh? What? What boyfriend?” Woohyun’s heart dropped, and he dropped back into his office chair, turning his light back on. He hadn't told Sungyeol about Sunggyu yet and now he was paying the price. But how did he find out?

“It says you do on your mom’s blog. And the evidence is kind of overwhelming,” Sungyeol answered with a mischievous chuckle. “Are you really having a winter wedding? Or is she doing one of her fantasy posts again?”

Woohyun turn on his computer again while asking, “My mom has a blog?”

“Yea, it’s great for blackmailing material. Let me tell you,” Sungyeol teased. “ I didn’t know that you drank from the bottle until you were five, but I guess that explains your lower teeth. All that sucking.” He clicked his tongue in disapproval.

Woohyun groaned and ruffled his hair, “What’s the address?”

“I emailed it to you,” Sungyeol responded. Of course he did. He sometimes was a step or two ahead of the other. “You know, she started this so that she could keep you posted on stuff that happened at home,” he added while Woohyun silently sifted through his email.

“She did?”

Sungyeol laughed and replied, “Yea, but you weren’t listening. You had that glazed look. But I was listening, and I’m glad I did.” Only Sungyeol (okay and maybe Woohyun) would withhold something like this for their own gain. Woohyun wouldn’t be surprised if his mother’s blog was Sungyeol’s most visited website. “So, who’s the boy?” Sungyeol teased in a sing-songy tone.

Woohyun finally opened to the blog, and it was worse than he expected. Every single picture he had sent his mother, even that Sunggyu had sent his mother, were plastered all over the blog. They truly did look like a couple, especially when paired with his mother’s commentary. And worse of all was that photo from this morning, plastered on the blog for the whole world to see. “Shit. He’s just,” Woohyun paused, trying to clear his head. After ruffling his hair a few more times, he finally found the words, “It’s fake. Our mothers wanted to get us together and…Oh look, apparently our entire ‘love story’ is already posted for the world to see!”

“I know. I read it. But I just wanted to hear it from you,” the humor had fled Sungyeol’s voice. “So it’s fake, huh?”

Woohyun exited the webpage. He’ll have to talk to his mother about it later. “Yea, we’re faking it to show our mothers that we don’t work well together,” he explained. He began to regather his things.

“Well, you fooled me,” Sungyeol commented.  

Woohyun smirked. If they fooled Sungyeol, quick-minded and suspicious Sungyeol then they were a believable couple. “Good. Then we’re doing a good job,” he quickly spoke as he turned off his light again and headed out the door. “Look. Can I call you back later? I have to deal with this.”

“Sure thing.”

“And, Yeol…I’m still the Best Man, right?” Woohyun half-joked.

“Duh,” Sungyeol immediately answered. He didn’t even think about it for a second. “Unless my mom forces me to choose Daeyeol because we’re brothers or some crap like that.”

A small smile appeared on Woohyun’s face as he locked up his office. “And if that happens, I’ll be okay with it,” he reminded the other.

“I know you will. I’ll talk to you later. Send your boyfriend my love!” Sungyeol teased. Murmurs could be heard on the other end, clearly belonging to a woman. Woohyun’s smile widened. Of course the other wasn’t alone. “Oh and Soyeon says hi too. And she thinks you guys are cute together. Bye!” Sungyeol added before hanging up the phone, not allowing Woohyun room for comebacks.

Woohyun didn’t even take one more step before his phone vibrated again. He groaned looking at the name flashing across his screen. He picked it up and answered, “Hyung…it looks like we’re going to be more public than I thought.”

“What do you mean more public?” Sunggyu yelled as soon as he opened up the door to the apartment. The two of them decided that it was better to have this conversation face-to-face (and possible fist-to-fist if it came to that). The elder didn't even remove his coat before beginning the argument. He didn’t even say hello or ask how Woohyun’s shitty day was. Sunggyu was impatient…and livid. “Woohyun, I have a career,” he growled finally shedding his shoes.

Woohyun sat still on the sofa. He had already resolved the issue with his mother. She promise to password protect the blog, and perhaps not put every detail of her son’s life up there (she apparently had not realized how public the world-wide web was).

Woohyun took in a deep breath. There was no reason for the both of them to be worked up about this. “And so do I,” he calmly argued. He watched Sunggyu roll his eyes as he plopped into the arm chair next to the sofa. “Look, it’s not like we’re idols. Our careers won’t end because of it. And you’re already established…internationally too, so if they don’t want you here, you can go somewhere else.” On the ride back home, Woohyun had crafted and memorized this line of reasoning. He had bet that it would win over his hyung, and it was working. Sunggyu had brought up his finger to his lips in thought, and was nodding in agreement. “I have more to risk than you do,” Woohyun added as the clincher. It was a half-lie. He was well versed in company policy as an HR person. He would fight tooth and nail to keep his job. They’d have a hard time getting rid of him, especially since he’s so well liked by all his bosses.

Sunggyu narrowed his gaze on Woohyun. “So then why are you?”

Well, Woohyun hadn’t planned for this. “Because I think…I think it’ll be worth it in the end. Don’t you?” he said. Sunggyu was nodding again. Woohyun was grinning. He didn’t think that winning over the other would be this easy, especially after the photo surfaced. Woohyun leaned forward, closer to the other. He knew that he was close to ending the matter. “And I’m not asking that we do PDA or that we come out. We just have to look close. Like good friends. Let people assume whatever they want. And to those who know our moms, that they’d be convinced that we actually like each other,” he set out the plan.

Sunggyu rolled his head over to look at the other. His face looked uneasy. “It’s not like I hate you,” he replied.

Woohyun grinned. “I don’t hate you either, hyung.” He patted the other on the knee (the closest part he could reach). “See. We’re off to a good start.”

“YAH! KIM SUNGGYU!” Woohyun shouted as he burst through his bedroom doors, clenching that damn alarm clock in his fist. Apparently Sunggyu had rescued it from the trash and hid it again in Woohyun’s room (underneath his bed). It took Woohyun 10 minutes to find the holder (5 of those minutes was him pawing fruitlessly at the top of his dresser).

“What?” Sunggyu perked up. He was already sitting at the table, sipping on his sugar infested coffee. He giggled in glee. “Oh yea. Have a good night’s sleep? I did,” he remarked, casually sipping on his drink.

Woohyun slipped into his own chair, setting the clock next to his bowl of cereal. “Enjoying your sugary milk?” he teased with a grimace.

Sunggyu smiled. “Yes, I am,” he replied.

Woohyun grumbled incoherently as he grabbed for his spoon. But as he was reaching for it, his fingertips brushed against something smooth and new. He looked down to see a couple of pills placed besides his bowl. He picked them up and inspected it carefully. “What’s this?” he asked.

“Vitamins,” Sunggyu answered. He pointed to the yellow one in Woohyun’s palm. “This one is good for your brain. You need it so you’re not so stupid,” he made himself laugh with that joke. He then point to a large beige pill. “And this one is for intestinal health. Now I know that you need this.”

Woohyun opened his mouth, about to curse the other, but then his eyes fell of Sunggyu’s own colorful assortment of pills. He then recalled the manual and what it said about Sunggyu’s poor health. I need to read that again. After all, it wasn’t exactly meant to be light reading.

Woohyun was about to ask the other about his own vitamins, but then there was an ominous click. Their front door was being unlocked. And soon Mrs. Kim’s voice rang throughout the room, “Sunggyu? Where are you?”

“Does your mom have a key?” Woohyun quickly whispered to the other as he attempted to smooth out his rat nest of hair.

“She does now,” Sunggyu groaned in response, making himself look presentable. He then looked up. Woohyun was no longer sitting across from him. The younger had dragged his chair over to the other side of the table, only centimeters away from Sunggyu. “Wait, what are you?”

The response he got wasn’t exactly what he expected. Woohyun leaned in and pecked him on the cheek. Then he pinched the spot he kissed. “Aigoo, hyung! How are you this cute this early?” he cooed.

Sunggyu could see his mother peaking around the corner. “It's, uh, a gift,” he stuttered.

“Aw. Look at you two. Smile!” Mrs. Kim commanded as she snapped a couple a photos with her phone. Woohyun draped his arm around the other and brought them close together. Mrs. Kim squealed in delight. “I’m sending this to your mother too,” she told them as she was typing away.

“Us too, Mommy,” Woohyun said cutely, his arm tightening around Sunggyu. Sunggyu turned to him and glared. Woohyun pouted and dropped his arm from him.

This all escaped his mother’s notice as she was too busy texting the photos (probably to everybody that she knew. Sunggyu would have to talk to her next). “Of course!” she chirped. Mrs. Kim gestured to Woohyun with her phone. “Sunggyu, you really lucked out with this one. He’s a real sweetheart.”

Sunggyu rested his cheek on his fist and stirred his spoon in his bowl. “Yea, I’m real lucky,” he muttered.

“Well, I’m going to go get ready,” Woohyun announced, getting up from his seat. Finally, Sunggyu thought in relief. But once again, Woohyun tried to overact his role. “I’ll see you later, honey,” he said. He leaned down and puckered up his lips. But they just hovered inches away from Sunggyu’s. The elder could see the other’s eyes widen in fear. Woohyun hadn’t thought this through.

Sunggyu forced out an obviously fake laugh and pushed away Woohyun’s face. “Not until you brush your teeth,” he warned.

Woohyun’s own fake laughter filled the room. “Right,” he added before he left, looking relieved. Sunggyu breathed his own sigh of relief as he returned his attention back to his cereal.

But he wasn’t off the hook just yet. His mother slipped into Woohyun’s chair. “Honey, you need to be nicer to him,” she reprimanded.

“Why are you here mom?” Sunggyu bluntly asked.

His mother giggled at her failed attempt to be sneaky. “I was on my to the doctors for a check-up, and so I thought that I would check-up on you too,” she joked.

But Sunggyu knew what she was getting at. He knew his mother well. “Do you want me to go with you?” he asked. He knew all about her fear of doctors and hospitals. After all, she had passed it down to him.

“Please,” she begged him. “And I can take you and Woohyun out for lunch later,” she excitedly offered.

“Can’t,” Sunggyu immediately declined, but he had failed to think of an excuse yet. “He’s busy and I have a faculty meeting,” he slowly lied.

“Okay,” she relented. “But one of these days, you’re going to have to say yes. I know I can be embarrassing, but if we’re all going to be family…”

“Okay, okay. We’ll schedule it later,” he gave in. A double date with the sons and mothers was long overdue, he reckoned.

His mother smiled happily and it only grew wider after she caught sight of Woohyun leaving. “Oh! Off to work already?” she asked, forcing a pout.

“Eung,” Woohyun answered as he buttoned his blazer.

Mrs. Kim leaned over and whispered to her son, “Sunggyu, I think he brushed his teeth.” She pulled away, staring down her son. The determined look in her eyes said that she wasn’t about to drop the issue anytime soon. Remember what I said, son. Treat him better.

Sunggyu groaned, hating how easily he gave into his mother. He got up from the table and dragged his feet as he walked over to Woohyun who looked confused. And the shock intensified as Sunggyu gripped his chin. The elder’s thumb pressed against his lips. “Goodbye…babe,” Sunggyu clumsily spoke as he leaned in and kissed his own thumb. He quickly pulled away before they became anymore awkward with each other. “Have a good day at work,” he wished with a pained smile.

“Uh huh,” Woohyun responded, still in a slight daze. Then he snapped out of it and slapped Sunggyu on his behind, retorting “And you too, honey.” He ran out the door, just missed being hit by Sunggyu’s foot.

Rubbing his violated butt, Sunggyu turned around grumbling, only to see his mother beaming at him.

Mrs. Kim gave her son two thumbs up. “Now that’s what I’m talking about!” she praised.

“You’re disturbing. Do you know that?”

There was a reason why Woohyun couldn’t meet the Kims for lunch, and he was sitting right across from it right now. He still had to explain himself to Minseon. And knowing Sungyeol, the blabbermouth probably had already told Dongwoo, and either Dongwoo or Sungyeol had told Minseon. It only became more evident when she joked, “So I wasn’t the only one caught cheating, huh? And with the same guy.” And that stung Woohyun. He hadn’t even considered that. Technically, he was in a relationship with more than one person at the same time, and although Minseon  was more than fine with it (perhaps amused). But it didn’t sit well with Woohyun still. Probably because it still brought some unresolved feelings that he had tried to forced down.

 “Wasn’t I enough for you?” he ended up blurting out.

“Hmmm,” Minseon hummed in thought as she swallowed her soup. “it really wasn’t if you were enough. It was if you were the right one,” she concluded.

“What do you mean?”

“There’s a lot of different types of guys out there: smart guys, sexy guys that you don’t bring home to the parents, then there’s the nerds you do,” she counted them off on her fingers. She shrugged. “You know, a lot.”

Woohyun put down his spoon and crossed his arms.“What about me?”

Minseon could tell that Woohyun wasn’t happy, that he was a ticking time-bomb just waiting to explode. She did her best to dissuade and reassure him. Minseon leaned forward and grabbed his hand. “You’re the best friend and playful oppa that I can see myself always having fun with,” she replied brightly.

“Really?” That did it. Nam Woohyun was defused and a grin returned to his face. He squeezed her hand. But then his face fell, remembering the other half of his equation. “What about Sunggyu?”

Minseon leaned back in her chair. She puckered her lips, thinking. “He was the handsome and financially stable oppa, you know being a college professor and all,” she reluctantly answered, hoping that it wouldn’t set off the other.

“Was he your teacher?” Woohyun asked as he did some quick math in his head. He had forgotten that she was in college when they first met. Their mental ages had been so similar; he just assumed that she was as old as he was.

“Eung.  It was the whole ‘hot for teacher’ thing. And it was exciting,” her smile quickly faded and her voice became somber. “Until we actually got together.”

Woohyun stared at her blankly. He couldn’t  imagine life with Sunggyu being dull, but that was possibly because of their mother’s constant interference in their lives. “Huh? What do you mean?” he gaped.

“He never really spent money on me,” Minseon complained. As it turned out, her ‘financially stable oppa’ had a tight fist. “I mean, you saw his ring, right? If that’s what he thought of me…” She shook her head and let it drop. She squeezed Woohyun’s hand. “Yours was way better. It was cute and shiny. Just like you!” Minseon cooed tapping Woohyun on the nose.

And Woohyun retuned it right back. “You!” he exclaimed tapping her nose twice. She giggled. But now Woohyun had something else niggling at him. “So Sunggyu-hyung never treated you?”

“Well, not never,” she recanted. “But when he did it was always, ‘Oppa bought you this, remember? You owe me.’ Any time he could bring it up, ‘Remember when I bought you beef. Aren’t I cool?’” Minseon mimicked Sunggyu (and quite well, even copying his gestures as he spoke). She shook her head and clicked her tongue. Minseon continued, “That’s not cool. It was like he was either keeping tallies of my debt or constantly reminding me of that one time he treated me. But he never bought me flowers or chocolates or did an event for me. He said it wasn’t worth his time or money. ‘Yah! I like you. Do you not believe me? Does Oppa have to do those stupid things to prove it? I’m a cool guy.’ Psh.”

Woohyun broke out into a hearty laugh. “You sound just like him,” he praised.

“Thanks! I had a lot of practice mocking him,” Minseon said. No wonder why we get along so well, Woohyun thought. Their interest were always very similar, even ‘annoying Sunggyu’ they had in common. However there were some things Woohyun couldn’t align with he had just learned from Minseon.

“But, Sunggyu-ssi, buys stuff for me. It’s not always the things you want, but what you need,” he argued thinking back to the alarm clock and those vitamins from this morning. “He takes care of people really well.”

“Mmm,” Minseon hummed as she leaned in closer and whispered, “Maybe he likes you more than me.” She then broke out in a cheeky smile.

Woohyun pushed her away. “Eh, that’s not true,” he denied.

“Well, you two are dating,” she retorted, picking her spoon back up and returning to her soup.

“Only to the public, but you’re my secret girlfriend,” Woohyun spoke in hushed tones, stealing  glances of his surroundings as if the two of them were about to get caught. He wiggled his eyebrows at her. “It’s exciting, isn’t it?”

“Eung! Like I said, life with you is always fun,” she agreed emphatically and then fed her boyfriend soup from her spoon. “Delicious!” she exclaimed cutely, wagging her fists in the air. And at that moment, as the soup warmed his throat and heart, Woohyun decided that he care if he hadn’t been her only one in the past, just as long as he was able to  outlast the others. He still might marry this woman.

Later that evening, Woohyun returned to his apartment complex with a spring in his step. The high he received from Minseon had lasted him the whole afternoon. There was nothing that could ruin his mood. Not even the deadline that had been moved up to this afternoon. Not even Sungyeol making adorably gross phone calls to Soyeon in the break room and asking invasive questions about his love-life. Not even the fact that he had spilled what was left of the office coffee all over his shirt (it was thankfully cold). Nope nothing could take the wind from beneath his wings today. “Shit!” Unless it was a broken elevator. Apparently the elevator in his complex was in serious need of repair, and so they shut it down for the night. And his apartment was on the eleventh floor.

But his night was still salvageable, or at least that’s what Woohyun told himself as he opened the door to the stairwell. However after reaching the fourth floor, it grew tiresome and Woohyun was weary. He had even lost the energy to convince himself that everything was still fine. And by the eighth floor, he was cursing his life and everybody in it. Woohyun was nearly crawling on his hands and knees as he finally reached his floor. When he reached his apartment, almost as soon as he opened the door he collapsed onto the floor. I’ll just rest here until I find the energy to move again…F**k it, I’ll just sleep here. He rolled onto his back and put his arms over his eyes, gearing for a nap.

A strange humming filled the room, and it was getting closer and closer. Woohyun knew the sound, but it wasn’t one that he heard too often. Curious, he raised his arm from his eyes and snuck a peak at what it was. And sure enough, Sunggyu was vacuuming, actually vacuuming. It was a strange and abnormal sight (mostly because he was eating a sandwich while doing it). Woohyun was half tempted to bring out his cell phone and record it for posterity…and also tempted to ask the other to make him a sandwich. It looked pretty good.

 “Move,” Sunggyu commanded, prodding the other’s foot with the vacuum. He then dropped the sandwich.

“Aren’t you just making more of a mess?” Woohyun pointed out as Sunggyu bent down to pick it up.

The elder vacuumed the spot where it fell while he continued to chew on the sandwich. “Better? Now move,” he sputtered out.

Woohyun, always defiant, and right now exhausted, flipped over onto his stomach and mumbled, “No.” Prods him with vacuum.

“Move. Move, please?” Sunggyu just barely pleaded. In response, Woohyun groaned and flailed his legs in a lame attempt to kick the other. Sunggyu smirked. “Fine. Since you’re dirty, I’ll have to clean you too.” Then he began to run the vacuum gradually up, up, up Woohyun’s body.

 “Huh? What are you?” Woohyun immediately gasped as he rolled back onto his back, which immediately proved to be a bad idea because the vacuum latched onto his neck, sucking hard at the spot. “Wh-WHAT THE HELL? That’s my neck!” he yelled as he tore the horrible machine from his neck. It came off of him with a pop.

“And now it’s clean,” Sunggyu retorted with a cheeky grin. “I told you to move,” he added as he moved onto the next spot.

 “Aish!” Woohyun cursed as he got up from the floor and made his way to the bathroom to assess the damage. “Why are you so adamant about cleaning anyways? You never clean,” he shouted out to the other. He reached the bathroom and turned on the light. A red spot was blooming on his neck. Fantastic.

 “Not true,” Sunggyu yelled back. He turned off the vacuum and walked up to Woohyun. He looked sheepish all of the sudden. “Besides, my Mom is coming over for dinner.”

“What?” Woohyun turned off the lights and met Sunggyu halfway, in the kitchen. “She came over just this morning!” He suddenly grew hot with embarrassment after remembering what had transpired several hours ago. Why did I ever think today was a good day?

“I told you. She…has a problem,” Sunggyu stammered as he leaned back onto the wall. His mother was adamant about sharing a meal with him and Woohyun, inviting herself over that night after Sunggyu took her home from the doctor’s.

Woohyun chuckled a little just thinking about Mrs. Kim, and then about his own mother. He would be lying if he said that his own mother wouldn’t do the same. They both had problematic mothers. “Is she at least making dinner?” he asked.

Sunggyu smiled too. “Why do you think I’m letting her come?” he retorted.  Then the door bell rang. Mrs. Kim was here, and Sunggyu realized that he had to still tidy up his room before her invasion. “Can you get that? It’s probably her,” he asked of Woohyun before darting into his bedroom and throwing everything into his closet.

“Bossing me around,” Woohyun grumbled at the closed door. But he still heeded the other’s request, albeit unhappily. “It’s not even my mom. That big f—Hello Mrs. Kim!” he put on the biggest smile he could muster as he opened the door for Mrs. Kim.

“Oh! Woohyunnie, it’s so nice to see you! Don’t you look handsome?” she praised patting his cheeks. Woohyun’s grin became genuine. If Mrs. Kim was a problem, it was a problem he could deal with. But then she turned his head to get a better glimpse of his neck. “And oh, what is this?” she asked letting go of the cheeks and pointing to the red mark deepening in shade on his neck. The middle-aged woman giggled and wagged her finger at the other. “Naughty, naughty. But I’m glad to see that things are going well between you two,” she remarked as she walked inside.

Woohyun groaned. Kim Sunggyu, on the other hand, he’d rather not deal with.

That evening, after a delicious homecook meal and after Mrs. Kim left saying that she’d go and let the two of them ‘pick up where they left off’ (Woohyun shivered at what she’d meant), Woohyun ducked out of the apartment to join Sungyeol and Dongwoo at a bar down the street. He could really use a drink right now, and apparently needed someone to rant to. For the last half an hour, Woohyun had told his friends every annoying detail about Kim Sunggyu and their relationship. And they had been entertained by the most of it, especially by the vacuum cleaner saga (which Woohyun might have added a few dramatic details, like Sunggyu chasing him around with the vacuum relentlessly). Dongwoo, however, began to lose interest (probably due to his short attention span). His smile kept faltering, although he was still nodding as if he was attentively listening, and he kept having to be reminded of Sunggyu’s name. Eventually, Woohyun took pity and let Dongwoo loose to play with the other patrons at the bar (Dongwoo knew half of them. He had so many friends). But Sungyeol on the other hand was not done with Woohyun.

 “Maybe you should just shut up and give him a chance,” Sungyeol declared, taking sips from his beer before continuing. “You obviously like him. You keep yammering about him.”

Woohyun scoffed. “I don’t like him. I’m annoyed with him. Besides, I’m not gay,” he reminded the other. He was starting to become annoyed that everybody was forgetting that fact.

“So what? Are we just going to forget the time you tried to make out with Dongwoo?”

Woohyun nearly spat out his drink as he reached over to cover Sungyeol’s mouth. His eyes drifted over to Dongwoo who was excitedly talking to a black haired man in the corner, far away from them. Woohyun breathed a sigh of relief and focused back on Sungyeol .“I was drunk!” he explained. Sungyeol rolled his eyes and removed Woohyun’s hand. Woohyun chuckled and joked, “And besides, haven’t you ever thought about doing it? His lips are really big.”

“Nope because I’m straight and in a happy relationship with a beautiful woman,” Sungyeol retorted, showing off his couple ring. “And Dongwoo was too. I mean except for the happy bit. Don’t you remember The Bitch?”  Both of them growled at the name.

Of course Woohyun remembered. He’d never forget. ‘The Bitch’ refused to date Dongwoo in public and forced him to carry on a secret relationship like some self-important celebrity. They never interacted outside the four walls of Dongwoo’s apartment. Not even a phone call, text, or email would transpire between their ‘dates.’ Dongwoo never even spoke the person’s name out loud, and so Sungyeol and Woohyun dubbed it ‘The Bitch’ because it was a selfish coward. Woohyun never met ‘The Bitch,’ but he hated it with his entire being for what it did to Dongwoo. Woohyun’s eyes drifted over to Dongwoo, who was still talking to that man happily in the corner of the bar. Who could treat him like that?

“Anyways, that’s why he pushed you off. Because they were still together,” Sungyeol continued and drained his drink. Woohyun chuckled to himself. Wasn’t he the one who was supposed to drown in sorrows?

“But then they broke up afterwards,” Woohyun added, recalling how Dongwoo broke up with ‘The Bitch’ the very next day.

Sungyeol got another beer from the bartender and took a long sip before continuing, “And don’t you remember what happened at the party we had because that shitty relationship was finally over?”

“I got drunk again?” Woohyun guessed with a sheepish giggle.

“Well, yea…You got to stop that,” Sungyeol reprimanded. Then he rapped the other on the head and he blurted out, “But you, ya big jerk, asked Dongwoo for Way’s phone number.”

“Who’s Way?” Woohyun asked.

“Who’s Way?” Sungyeol repeated, his eyes practically bulging. “F**k, Woohyun. The girl you almost proposed to.”

Woohyun rolled his drink in his hands and mumbled, “She told me her name was Minseon.” How many aliases does she have?

“Minseon, Way, doesn’t matter!” Sungyeol dismissed. He then turned in his seat to look the other straight in the eye. “Point is: Dongwoo broke up with The Bitch because he thought that you two were going to get together.”

And this time, Woohyun did spit out his drink, all over bar. “WHAT?!” he exclaimed in disbelief.

“Yea, you totally led him on. Hell, even I thought you liked him and encouraged Dongwoo to go for it. The whole party was one elaborate set-up for the two of you to finally get together, courtesy of yours truly,” Sungyeol said proudly patting his chest. But then a deep frown was etched into his face and he hit Woohyun in the head again. “But then you had to go and f**k everything up.” Sungyeol leaned forward and angrily whispered to Woohyun, “God, you’re so lucky that Dongwoo still talks to you. That hyung is too forgiving.”

Woohyun sat there, rubbing his head. He was speechless, astounded. He glanced over at Dongwoo again, who had moved to a table of girls and was casually chatting with them. Woohyun returned his attention back to Sungyeol, who looked determined to finish his beer. “You guys thought I liked him?” Woohyun couldn’t believe what he was asking.

“You did!” Sungyeol was adamant. “Think about it, Woohyun. Think long and hard,” he commanded pointing at his own temple. But then he dismissed that notion with a wave of his hand. “You know what? Don’t think. That’s always been your problem. You’re too worried about how other people see you. You want everybody to like you, so you try not to do anything to offend them. But you know what? It’s impossible. Why? Because you offend me. And I hate your friggin guts,” he declared and spun his bar stool away from Woohyun.

“Liar,” Woohyun retorted, hanging onto the taller’s back. “You love me.”

“I do not. Now go away, ” Sungyeol denied, trying to shake the other off, but Woohyun stuck on like glue.

Woohyun rubbed his cheek against the other’s. “Not until you say you love me!” he said in a sing-song voice.

“No. Not ever!”

“Why are we doing this?” Sunggyu asked as he was tying his tie in the kitchen. He wanted nothing more than to stay dressed in his sweats and fall asleep while watching a bad movie. But Woohyun had other plans.

“Because we haven't been on an actual date yet,” Woohyun answered as he walked out his bedroom. And now Sunggyu felt overdressed in his button down and tie if the other was just wearing a sweater. But it was too late to change. Woohyun walked forward with his hands in his pockets. “It was Sungyeol's idea. He thought if we made a double date, it would be less awkward,” he explained.

And that part may have been true…if Sunggyu knew Sungyeol and Soyeon. But it will be awkward because I don't know anybody besides you, he thought as he tightened his tie. Sunggyu could see it now. He was alone at the corner of the table as Woohyun joked and laughed along with the faceless couple. It wasn’t like he hated meeting new people, but he hated being the only new person. It made him feel like an outsider, an invader.

“Also Yeol wants to meet you,” Woohyun added.

“Why?”

“You're my boyfriend.”

Sunggyu scoffed. “Not really.”

“I know,” Woohyun responded. “Ready?” he asked with a twitch of his eyebrow.

“Sure.”

 The evening didn’t start too horribly. Sungyeol and Soyeon appeared to be nice. Although Sunggyu hadn’t expected Woohyun’s former roommate to be so tall, given the stories he had heard about their escapades. But after seeing the mischievous glint in Sungyeol’s round eyes, Sunggyu could see why the two were best friends. Soyeon, on the other hand, appeared to balance him out. She had a small frame and had an air of maturity. But there was also something in the way that she smiled that told Sunggyu that she was wily enough to keep up with the two ruffians. And Sunggyu just might like the both of them.

As Woohyun’s best friend, Sungyeol took the role seriously. His eyes watched Sunggyu’s every move like a hawk. And then finally he began with the questions that he was so eager to ask. “So, what do you do?”

It seemed harmless enough. “I teach music at the university,” Sunggyu answered casually. “And you?”

“I work at the same company as Woohyun but on the consulting end. Not in HR like him,” Sungyeol said with a shiver. “That's boring.”

Woohyun leaned over to Sunggyu and spoke in a loud whisper, “He doesn't like rules.”

Sungyeol cocked an eyebrow at the other. “And you do?”

Woohyun chuckled and sat back in his chair. “I like enforcing them,” he retorted.

Sungyeol scoffed and wagged his finger at his friend, “Drunk with power, this one.” Sunggyu could see Soyeon shaking her head at the two friends and softly chuckling at herself. Sunggyu couldn’t laugh though. This was what he had expected: the two best friends going off in their own little world and leaving poor old Sunggyu alone and forgotten. He just sighed and picked up the menu. He might as well decide on what to eat while the children are arguing.

“Please, like you wouldn’t do the same,” Woohyun fought back. “Besides, hyung, isn’t that why you went into teaching?”

Hyung? Does he mean me? “Huh?” And sure enough, when he raised his gaze from the menu, Woohyun and Sungyeol’s eyes were trained on him.

“Yea, you seem to be the type who enjoys being in control,” Sungyeol added as he looked the elder up and down.

Soyeon clapped her hands and jumped a bit in her seat. “Oh like that thing with the vacuum cleaner!” she exclaimed.

Sunggyu turned towards Woohyun. “You told them about that?!” he angrily whispered to the other.

Woohyun avoided the other’s gaze, fixing his eyes on the table and rubbing his neck where the bruise had finally disappeared. “I was walking around with a bruise on my neck. I had to explain it before people would get the wrong idea,” he explained himself in a small voice.

“What? Like the two of you are dating?” Soyeon retorted, and her fiancé gave her a high five. Sunggyu cocked his head and pouted in confusion. Maybe he was wrong about her being mature.

“But we’re not,” Woohyun argued. “Not really.”

But Sungyeol ignored his friend and leaned forward, propping his elbows on the table and resting his cheeks in his hands. :So Sunggyu, tell me more about yourself. I want to know everything,” he emphasized the last word.

“Yea, everything,” Soyeon mimicked the position and tone of Sungyeol. And Sunggyu’s throat became suddenly dry.

Sunggyu couldn’t believe that he’d originally thought that the three of them would ignore him because now he was facing an inquisition. Sungyeol and Soyeon alternated asking him questions in rapid fire succession, and Sunggyu had an odd feeling that this is what a suspect felt like under the hot lights of an interrogation room. He was sweating too much for just eating dinner. But luckily, Woohyun diverted some of the questions, answering them in Sunggyu’s stead. And he tried to turn the focus back on himself. Woohyun must really miss being the center of attention. But it not like Sunggyu would mind it. Any refuge from this torture would be welcomed, but the only thing that could stop the Sungyeol and Soyeon rampage was the waiter. And Sunggyu barely had enough time to look over the menu.

“I’ll take the special,” Sunggyu took a gamble, hoping that the special would be good.

But before the waiter put his pencil to paper, Woohyun stopped him, “No,  he won’t.” Sunggyu glared at him, but Woohyun didn’t flinch. “Hyung, you won't like it. It has horseradish on it,” he quickly defended himself. How did he know? And when Sunggyu really thought about it, Woohyun had answered several questions that Sunggyu had never told him. But before he could dwell on it further, Woohyun thrust a menu in his face and and pointed to the roast chicken. “You should get this,” he suggested.

“Why?”

“Because I can't decide between that or this. So you can get that and we can share,” Woohyun responded with a light chuckle.

Sunggyu nodded and turned back to the waiter. “Okay. I'll get the carbonara,” he put in his order.

“Hyung!” Woohyun objected.

“What? It’s my meal. I’ll get what I want. And you order whatever you want,” Sunggyu teased, enjoying how upset the other had gotten over his foiled plan. Sunggyu then gestured back to the waiter who was growing impatient. “He’s waiting.”

Woohyun hid his face behind the menu and grumbled, “I’m not ready. Please take my order last.” And Sunggyu could hear him mutter ‘stupid hyung’ underneath his breath (which surprisingly made him laugh instead of upset).

Sunggyu then turned his attention away from his roommate and onto the couple across from him, who currently was staring right at him and giggling creepily. “What?” Sunggyu asked.

“Nothing!” the blurted out in unison, looked at each other, and giggled some more as if it was an inside joke.

Sunggyu shook his head. What a weird couple.

“Hyung, can you pass the salt?” Woohyun asked as he poked at his sirloin. But no salt ever came. He turned to face the man next to him. He sighed. Sunggyu and Sungyeol had been really hitting it off and now they were arguing (one of Sungyeol’s favorite pastimes) about the logistics of owning a domesticated monkey. And from experience (because he had had the very same argument with the other several times), Woohyun knew that it would take them a while to finish. His dinner was quickly growing cold. “Hyung?” he tried to quietly insert himself. Sunggyu must have not heard him (or at least Woohyun hoped he hadn’t) and began to drag Soyeon into the argument, who wore a look of resignation (she knew that she was probably going to end up with a monkey baby). So Woohyun decided to take matters into his own hands and reached over for the salt, which was on the other side of Sunggyu (and now his hyung couldn’t possibly ignore him any longer). His fingertips almost reached the salt shaker when he had felt his elbow knocking into something. Woohyun automatically shut his eyes and prayed, Please, don’t let it be…And when he cracked one of his eyes opened slightly, he saw a large purpley-red stain on Sunggyu’s pressed and pristine khaki pants. And his red wine glass was rolling on the table, completely empty.

“Aish! What the—Yah! Nam Woohyun!” Sunggyu cried, immediately leaping away from the table and Woohyun.

“It was an accident,” Woohyun insisted in a small voice.

Sunggyu rolled his eyes. “Sure it was,” he grumbled. He then looked past Woohyun to the couple behind him and bowed, “If you excuse me.” He left the table after shooting one last angry glare at the younger.

“Hyung,” Woohyun weakly called after him. Did he really think that I did it on purpose? Woohyun sprang from the table. “Excuse me,” he muttered quickly to the others as he grabbed for his napkin and chased after Sunggyu, into the bathroom.

When Woohyun had opened the door, he saw Sunggyu with his tie now loosened around his neck. He was just staring at the stained pants, inspecting the damage and plotting his next move. And when Woohyun had turned on the faucet to dampen his napkin, Sunggyu finally turned towards him and growled, “What are you doing here? I got it.”

Woohyun turned off the tap and wrung out the napkin. “Just let me help, okay?” he insisted, bringing the wet napkin to the stain and began scrubbing.

“What are you—“ Sunggyu exclaimed, trying to slap the other’s hand away from his thigh, but Woohyun was adamant and latched the napkin back to the spot, scrubbing away with renewed vigor.

“Wow! I really made a mess, didn’t I?” he said with a light chuckle, looking up at his hyung with smiling eyes, trying to lessen the tension (but Sunggyu didn’t feel any more relaxed).  “Oh shit! It’s spreading!” the younger shouted as he looked back down. The dark purple was seeping deep into the pants. “Maybe if I…” he thought out loud as he settled down onto his knees so that he could fight the stain eye-to-eye. “That’s better,” he announced as he began to scrub even harder.

“Woohyun! Stop!” Sunggyu commanded, slapping away the other’s hand again. Woohyun looked up at him, hurt. “Do you even know what you’re doing?” Sunggyu asked a little more calmly.

“Yea,” Woohyun answered. He pinched at the khakis, picking up the now soaked pants from Sunggyu’s thigh. He began scrubbing again, his brows furrowed in concentration. “Fixing my mistake,” he mumbled distractedly.

He really has no idea, Sunggyu thought a small laugh. “No. You’re not,” he said still with a bit of laughter. He cleared his throat and grew somber. “Now get up,” he commanded, tapping Woohyun on his shoulders.

“But it’s going to stain!” Woohyun argued, not even lifting his gaze up to the other. He was fully immersed in his task. He then finally let go of the pants and put down the napkin. He cocked his head to the side in thought (and maybe Sunggyu did too while watching him). “Maybe if we take these off,” Woohyun suggested, reaching for Sunggyu’s belt. We can wash them in the sink.

Sunggyu immediately reached down and pulled the other away from him by his hair. “WOOHYUN!” he whined.

Then the bathroom door swung open. “Hey, Soyeonnie said that this will…” Sungyeol stopped in his tracks, taking in the scene in front of him: his best friend on his knees while undoing the belt of his ‘fake’ boyfriend who had his fingers threaded in Woohyun’s hair. The two were frozen in their positions as Sungyeol stared at them with eyes bulging, jaw unhinged, and the cup of club soda in his hands spilling onto the floor.

“Oh my god! I knew it! I knew it! F**k, I need to tell Soyeon.”

It took awhile to convince Sungyeol otherwise, but he eventually came to believe that his best friend was really that dumb and stubborn. The four finished their meal in almost perfect silence, with just a few ‘safe’ comments made. And Sunggyu stayed there with wet pants and a damaged ego for the rest of the night, casually glancing at Woohyun who refused to look at him. Also he’d have to burn these pants later (not because of the stain, but because of the memories attached to them). However the meal was delicious.

The ride home was even more silent, completely silent save for the humming of the car’s engine. And when they finally reached the apartment, the boys fled to the sanctuary of their own rooms. Things seemed to be returning to the way it was before the ‘relationship.’ Becoming two ships that pass in the night.

And so when Woohyun woke up the next morning, he did not expect Sunggyu to be awake to eat soggy cereal with him. Half of his expectations were met. Sunggyu, surprisingly, was awake (but just barely). But on the table was not the cereal Woohyun had come to know and loathe. “Hyung, there’s rice…and sides dishes…and are you making soup?” he asked in disbelief. And Sunggyu lazily nodded as he brought the pot from the stove to the table, mumbling something about being particularly hungry this morning. Woohyun smiled as he sat down and began to stuff his face with an actual breakfast. He took this as a sign, a peace offering, promising that he and Sunggyu were going to forget about last night and bury it deep, deep, deep down in their memories. And the rouse could continue. So Woohyun fell back into his usual habit of annoying Sunggyu with endless chatter, and Sunggyu continued his habit of grumbling out comebacks and leaving the table when he had had enough.

But the unexpected didn’t end there. As it was Saturday and the two didn’t have to work, Woohyun had planned on lazing around all day. He wasn’t surprised to see that Sunggyu wanted to do the same and was watching some mindless variety show with him. But he was surprised that Sunggyu didn’t sit in his usual armchair and joined Woohyun on the couch, claiming that it was ‘more comfortable.’ And after several failed attempts of trying to keep the younger on his side of the couch, Sunggyu allowed Woohyun to rest his feet on his lap…and eventually he spread out to do the same.

Their television watching was cut short by a phone call. It was Dongwoo. He wanted to borrow one of Woohyun’s ‘cuddly and sophisticated sweaters’ (in Dongwoo’s own words). He had a date that night and wanted to make a good impression. Woohyun immediately agreed and after turning off the phone, he poked at Sunggyu’s side with his foot. “I have a friend coming over,” he announced and chuckled a bit at the elder’s annoyed expression.

Sunggyu then glanced down at his lap. “I guess I have to put on pants now,” he said in a sad tone.

“Yea, why are you always walking around in your boxers?” Woohyun teased the other, as if he wasn’t still in his boxers himself.

Sunggyu pushed Woohyun off of him and got up from the couch, tugging his undershirt down to cover more of his underwear.  “It’s my house. I do what I want,” he mumbled under his breath and shuffled into his bedroom to change.

Woohyun chuckled to himself, watching the door close behind Sunggyu. Hyung’s silly, he thought as he jumped off from the couch to throw on some sweatpants. Knowing Dongwoo, his friend will be here in a matter of minutes and come in like a storm. It would be interesting to see what reserved Sunggyu would make of the whirlwind of excitement that was Jang Dongwoo. Hyung will probably run back to his room and hide. But, he did get along surprisingly well with Sungyeol. Either way it would be interesting.

As soon as Woohyun pulled on some pants, there was a loud rap on his door. He smiled. Dongwoo was here, and Sunggyu was about to get the surprise of his life. Woohyun made his way to the front door and opened it while simultaneously stepping back, allowing Dongwoo to burst in like he usually did.

“Woohyun-ah! Thank you!” he exclaimed, wrapping his friend immediately into a hug. “You’re a lifesaver.”

Woohyun chuckled as he patted the other on the back. “It’s just a sweater.”

Dongwoo pulled away and sheepishly giggled, “But I have a good feeling about this one.”

A loud sigh passed through Woohyun’s nose. He had heard that from Dongwoo just as many times as he heard Sungyeol argue that monkey’s would make great pets. They were both almost always wrong. But his heart twinged as he saw Dongwoo’s face fall. It probably wasn’t the best to derail the other’s confidence before a big date. So Woohyun distracted him by putting his arm around Dongwoo’s shoulders, leading him to his closet. He could feel Dongwoo’s excitement building again, as he was practically bouncing under Woohyun’s hold. “So an accountant?” Woohyun asked. “I didn’t know that you went for nerds.”

“Not all accountants are nerds,” Dongwoo immediately defended. “This one’s hot,” he added with a bit of a cackle. “Besides, isn’t there something sexy about people with brains?”

Woohyun snorted as he searched through his closet, looking for the perfect sweater to lend his friend. “Sexy?” he challenged.  He pulled out a white cable knit. “Here. Try this on.”

“Eung,” Dongwoo answered. His voice was muffled by the wool as he was trying on the sweater. “It’s like they know so much.” He finally poked his blonde head through the hole and pulled the sweater down. “And you wonder what else they might know,” he finished suggestively with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

“You!” Woohyun faked a gasp, causing Dongwoo to giggle even more. He then threw a navy blue sweater at the other. “Wear this one instead. You might spill something.”

“Good idea!” Dongwoo agreed about to take off the white sweater, but his fingers froze as he grabbed the hem.

“You must be Woohyun’s friend. I’m Sunggyu, his roommate.”

Dongwoo slowly craned his neck to see Sunggyu standing in the threshold of Woohyun’s room. He let go of the sweater and shook one of Sunggyu’s hands vigorously. “Oh, I heard a lot about you. Nice to finally meet you.” Was it just Woohyun’s imagination or was Dongwoo’s voice abnormally loud? Dongwoo then turned back to his friend. “You know what? I’ll stick with this one. It makes me look more innocent, don’t you think? Because it’s white? I’ll be really careful. I promise!” he promised, returning the navy blue one. He then began to back out, waving to the two roommates. “I’ll get out of your hair now. I have to get ready for my date now. Like shower and stuff. Thanks for the help, Woohyun-ah. And nice meeting you Sunggyu-ssi! Bye bye!”

 “Well that was weird,” Woohyun remarked, his eyes fixed on the slammed front door. Dongwoo was normally friendly and outgoing. He didn’t even try to make conversation with Sunggyu. He must be really busy, he concluded with a shrug.

“Dongwoo,” Sunggyu spoke reluctantly, “is he a friend of yours?”

“Eung,” Woohyun replied. He then faced Sunggyu, who was now sitting on the couch with eyes fastened to the door. Dongwoo…never introduced himself. “Do you know him?”

“Uh,” Sunggyu pause, scratching his thigh. “We met through a friend.”

“Really? Who?” Woohyun asked as he plopped down next to the elder. “Sungyeol? Minseon? Oh, Minjin? Sungjong? Byunhee? Bora?” he listed but Sunggyu kept shaking his head. “Hyung, we both know a lot of people just tell me.”

“Howon,” Sunggyu blurted out. “It was Howon.”

“Ho…oh, Hoya!” Woohyun exclaimed with a clap of his hands. He had met Howon/Hoya several times before with Dongwoo, mostly to meet up and play basketball. But they hadn’t been doing much of that lately. In fact Woohyun hadn’t really seen Hoya since…“Hey, did you know The Bitch Dongwoo was dating three years ago? I heard his ex worked at the same place as Hoya.”

“Bitch,” Sunggyu repeated with a strangled chuckle. “Why are you calling his ex that?”

“Because no human acts like that, hyung!” Woohyun turned and yelled at Sunggyu. “It was ashamed of Dongwoo. Dongwoo! The sweetest guy on the planet!” Woohyun threw his hands up in the air. Then he continued, “And I never even met The Bitch, and I’m his best friend! It hid from us like we were the plague or something. Rude!” Woohyun sneered. Sunggyu had no response; he was silent. Which probably should have been expected after a spitting tirade. The elder just sat there nodding, and so Woohyun decided to switch gears. “Hey,” he nudged Sunggyu, making the other look at him. “Did your parents ever think that you were dating Dongwoo too? Mine did. Because he’s so touchy and cute and openly ga—Hm? What did you say?”

“We…we did date,” Sunggyu stuttered out, looking away.

Well, he hadn’t expected that. Woohyun stared at Sunggyu blankly, taking it all in. They dated…hyung is…what? Woohyun was about to ask if he was joking, but Sunggyu faced him again. His face was as serious as the grave. “Really? When?” Woohyun whispered as if there were prying ears in their apartment.

Sunggyu stared at Woohyun for a few seconds before answering, “Three years ago.”

Three years? Hyung had dated Minseon for 2 ½. But three years ago, Dongwoo was dating…Lightening struck, electrifying Woohyun to his core. His heart was racing with the realization, and he felt like he might just burst. Woohyun jumped onto the couch, towering over the other, pointing at him. “OH MY GOD! IT’S THE BITCH! OH MY GOD! I’M SORRY! NO I’M NOT! YOU BROKE DONGWOO’S HEART! YOU BIG MO—”

Sunggyu pounced, pinning his jumping roommate onto the couch. He quickly clamped his hand over Woohyun’s mouth, muffling his continuous shouting. At this rate, all of their neighbors would know Sunggyu’s little secret. “Okay, okay. That’s enough shouting,” Sunggyu declared, struggling to keep the other still. Woohyun kept kicking and bucking (and licking his hand). Lord knows where Sunggyu found the strength to overwhelm him. But he had a lot at stake. “God! I swear my ears are bleeding,” he joked trying to lighten the situation. And it might’ve worked. Woohyun was beginning to calm down. Sunggyu sighed. “Are you done shouting now?” Woohyun nodded with round, innocent eyes. Sunggyu slowly removed his hand.

“I CAN’T BE-“

The hand quickly sealed in the rest of the words. But Woohyun this time didn’t fight back. He just laid there, breathing heavily, staring at Sunggyu with questioning eyes. It’s time. “Are you going to be quiet now?” Sunggyu asked, already loosening his grip. Woohyun nodded. Sunggyu removed his hand and retreated to the far end of the couch, and Woohyun back away until his back hit the armrest as well.

"Are,” Woohyun swallowed. His throat felt tight all of the sudden. “Are you gay?"

Sunggyu smiled a little and replied, "Just a bit."

"What do you mean 'just a bit'?” Woohyun asked, ruffling his hair. “Does that mean that you're sort of attracted or..."

"Fine!” Sunggyu cut him off. He closed his eyes as he angrily blurted out. “I'm really gay. I'm the gayest gay you'll ever meet. The biggest one in the whole world!"

"...what does that mean?"

"Woohyun,” Sunggyu groaned. Why is he so frustrating? “It just means that I am,” he spoke calmly and quietly. His gaze then met the others. He grew nervous anticipating the answer to the next question, “Do you have a problem with that?"

"No, no,” Woohyun immediately denied, shaking his head so hard that he could have gotten whiplash. “I mean, look at Dongwoo. He's my best bud. I love him!” He saw Sunggyu tilt his head and Woohyun began to retract his statement, “Ah, but not in the same way as you. Platonically...sort of,” he ended scratching the back of his neck.

"Sort of?" Sunggyu asked with a confused pout.

"Well, there was one night, just one night,” Woohyun emphasized putting up one finger. “We...uh, kissed,” he confessed. Woohyun didn’t try to make out with Dongwoo; after Sungyeol left to call them a taxi, Woohyun actually did that night. Dongwoo had finally given in. And if Woohyun could remember correctly, he might’ve pleaded Dongwoo to break up with The Bitch, with Sunggyu, in between heady kisses. I did lead him on. However, for Woohyun, the infatuation lasted for only a night. “But that was it! That was all! Dongwoo has really big lips, and I was curious."

"Curious?" Sunggyu cocked an eyebrow.

"Yea just a bit," Woohyun spoke with a chuckle, repeating Sunggyu’s answer from before.

"Just a bit,” Sunggyu laughed a bit as well at the vague answer. He then looked back up at Woohyun pleading, “Can we please stop talking about this now and watch a movie or something?"

"Yes! Please!" Woohyun quickly agreed, jumping up from the couch and darting over to his DVD collection. After selecting the perfect movie (full of violence, car chases, explosions, and cursing), the boys popped open a few beers and watched it in silence. The only time they spoke was when Woohyun suggested that they watch the sequel, and Sunggyu added that they should order pizza. Other than that, all that could be heard was yelling and gun shots, from the movies of course.

Finally, it became a decent hour to go to bed, much to the relief of both. But before Woohyun stepped into his bedroom, he turned around and called out,  “Hyung?”

“Huh?” Sunggyu responded, stepping back out of his room.

Woohyun looked down and played with the hem of his shirt. He didn’t know how to ask the other. Hell, he didn’t even know if he could ask this. It was hard for Woohyun to  measure the closeness of their relationship because he had done more intimate things with Sunggyu than with any other friend, but at the same time, Sunggyu seemed so distant. Maybe this fake relationship wasn’t only fooling their mothers. It might be fooling Woohyun to think that he’s closer to Sunggyu than he actually was.

Screw it. Woohyun cleared his throat and asked, “Why did you do it? Why did you treat Dongwoo like that?”

This whole time, while they were watching the movies, Woohyun was hardly paying attention because he couldn’t reconcile The Bitch with Sunggyu at all. Sure Sunggyu could be a jerk, but Woohyun couldn’t believe that the other was that much of a jerk. And to Dongwoo of all people, who was as harmless and cuddly as a teddy bear.

Sunggyu let out a sigh as if he had been suspecting this. And he might have. Woohyun had also noticed that Sunggyu was throwing him worried glances during the movies. Sunggyu leaned against the doorframe, also looking down at the floor. “It’s…it’s hard to explain,” he answered.

“Try.”

Sunggyu raised his eyes, seeing the defiant look on the younger’s face. Woohyun wouldn’t ever let this go until he got his answer. Sunggyu chewed on his lips in thought.  “I was scared,” he concluded. “I didn’t think that Mom would be so…accepting. But now I think that she likes the fact that she’ll always be the most important woman in my life. Isn’t that messed up?” Sunggyu ended with a light laugh, hoping that Woohyun would laugh along and they could talk about how crazy their mothers were like they usually did. That they would talk about anything but this. But the defiant spark never left Woohyun’s eyes.

“Now that you know that it’s…okay,” Woohyun was choosing his words carefully. “Are you…” he left the question hanging.

And Sunggyu finished it for him, “Going to try again with him?” Woohyun nodded. “Well, it’s not like we’re really dating,” almost immediately Sunggyu could see the joke stinging Woohyun. The younger perked up and pouted. And for some reason, Sunggyu became agitated at that. He was angry. Woohyun had no right to be upset with him. Woohyun was seeing Minjin or whatever she called herself that day. So Woohyun shouldn’t be hurt if Sunggyu thought about seeing someone else.

But…the angry fire burning through his veins died down a bit. It wasn’t just someone else. It was Dongwoo, Woohyun’s best friend. Dongwoo whom  Sunggyu had already seriously hurt. Maybe Woohyun was just trying to protect his friend.

So would he ever date Dongwoo again? “No. He deserves better than me,” Sunggyu eventually answered. And Woohyun was nodding along in agreement until Sunggyu added, “Better than us.” Woohyun opened up his mouth to argue but Sunggyu cut him off with a loud voice, “Don’t look at me like that! You know what you did! I’m not the only bitch here!”

And after a few moments, Woohyun finally shut his opened mouth. “True,” he reluctantly agreed. “We’re such jerks.”  He closed his eyes and banged his head on the doorframe, recalling all of the stories he had told Dongwoo about Sunggyu and the pictures on his mother’s blog. Dongwoo had to see the two men who broke his heart so happy together. I’m lucky that he’s still my friend. Woohyun stopped hitting his head on the doorframe and instead dug it into the wood as if he was trying to bury himself in it.

Sunggyu watched Woohyun agonize over this. All the regret Woohyun had was showing now. And Sunggyu didn’t like seeing him this way. But how to make it go away? How to make him smile again? Sunggyu did the only thing that he could think of. He walked over and wrapped his arms around the other.  “Don’t worry about it. It’s all in the past,” he spoke softly, patting his back lightly. But Woohyun just lied limp and still in his arms. At least he wasn’t hitting his head again. Sunggyu eventually gave up, trying to elicit a positive response from the other, and cleared his throat. “Night,” he wished the other, returning to his room.

“Night, hyung,” Woohyun hushed to the closed door.

❝I want to run to you and give you a hug❞

-Woohyun (Infinite Official Fancafe)

Woohyun woke up late the next morning. He had a hard time falling asleep, staying asleep, and staying on his bed as he tossed and turned in the night. But he still woke up before Sunggyu. It was noon when the other awoke (which was only about half an hour later than Woohyun). Woohyun was digging through the fridge looking for anything edible and not expired to eat. 

“We’re out of…well, everything,” he announced to the elder. Woohyun stood up straight and closed the fridge. “I’ll go to the store later. Just put whatever you need on the list.”

Sunggyu shook his head as he yawned, “I’ll just go with you. It’ll be easier.”

Woohyun snorted, looking at the man who was barley standing up straight. “You sure?”

“Yea, we need to be more public, remember? Act like we like each other?” Sunggyu reminded with a small smile. “Just let me get dressed, and then we can leave.”

Strangely enough, even after what had happened in the last few days, the ride over to the market was quite pleasant. Sunggyu was chattier than usual, talking about the music on the radio and the discussions that he had in class about them. And Woohyun was being less annoying than usual, actually talking seriously to the other rather than cracking his cheesey jokes.

Once they got to the store, Sunggyu excused himself for a moment to go pick up something. Woohyun grabbed a cart and waited for the other. He was playing with the apples and the scale when Sunggyu finally returned. “What are you drinking?” he asked, nodding towards the cup in Sunggyu’s hands.

“Coffee. You want some?” Sunggyu offered the other.

“No. I’m not drinking all that sugar,” Woohyun retched. “My teeth hurt just thinking about it.”

Sunggyu shrugged, “Your loss.”

“And your gain,” Woohyun retorted. “No seriously you’re going to gain a lot of weight if you keep drinking that. “ Sunggyu whipped his head towards the other and narrowed his eyes to that fox-like glare. Woohyun chuckled. “But that’s  okay because I like my pillows fluffy,” he teased, patting the elder’s belly a few times.

Sunggyu raised a fist in the air and threatened, “I'm going to…Mijoo?’

“Mijoo? What’s a Mijoo?”

Sunggyu leaned in closer and pointed to a petite girl with long, wavy black hair. She couldn’t have been much older than 20. “That’s a Mijoo,” Sunggyu whispered. He tugged on the other’s sleeve. “We better hide.”

“What? Why? She looks cute,” Woohyun said, watching the pretty girl and ignoring Sunggyu’s tugs.

“Yea, well, looks can be deceiving,” Sunggyu quickly corrected. He tugged harder and pulled Woohyun with him behind a shelf. From here, Sunggyu could still keep an eye on Mijoo, between the small gaps, without being seen. He caught Woohyun’s confused pout out of the corner of his eye. But Sunggyu didn’t dare to lose track of the girl. He kept his gaze forward as he explained, “She’s a dongsaeng of mine. I used to babysit her when she was little and…she got attached. She ended up following me everywhere and is also one of my former students.”

“Sounds like a crazy stalker,” Woohyun hushed into his ear.

“Yea pretty much,” Sunggyu whispered back. “But mostly harmless.”

“Mostly?”

Sunggyu looked over at the other and continued whispering, “Look, her parents know my mom, so chances are that she also knows about this. So we need to…”

“This is great, hyung,” Woohyun cut him off in a normal voice. Sunggyu gestured at him fruitlessly to keep his voice down. “We can finally get her off your back now by showing how in love we are.”

“Woohyun, that’s not what I…”

Woohyun didn’t pay attention to Sunggyu’s objection. Instead he grabbed Sunggyu’s hand in his and wiggled his eyebrows. “Get ready. It’s game time.” And he then pulled the both of them into enemy fire.

“SAEM!” a high pitched squeal was almost like a warning before the girl ran up and crashed into Sunggyu. She hugged him tightly. “ It’s been so long!”

“Saem? What happened to ‘oppa’?” Sunggyu said light heartedly. Woohyun frowned. He could now see why Mijoo would grow attached to him if he was so nice to her…and he was even hugging her back?

Mijoo pulled away slightly from Sunggyu. “I kinda like the way ‘saem’ sounds better. Don’t you?” she said suggestively, biting her red lips.

Grabbing the back of Mijoo’s collar, Woohyun peeled her away from Sunggyu, and then he placed his arm around Sunggyu’s shoulders. And Sunggyu, knowing that he had to cozy up to the other to make it believable, awkwardly patted Woohyun’s hand. He wasn’t too good at improvising. But fortunately, Woohyun was. He extended his hand towards Mijoo and introduced himself, “Hi! I don’t think we met. I’m…”

“Nam Woohyun, I know,” Mijoo finished for him with a look of disdain. She took Woohyun’s hand and weakly shook it.

“I’m his boyfriend,” Woohyun added proudly.

“Yep, he’s my boyfriend. And I like him. A lot,” Sunggyu spoke stiffly. There wasn’t even a hint of happiness or cheer in his voice. Mijoo raised an eyebrow watching the couple carefully. But Sunggyu had just about reached his acting limits. It was time for them to go. “Well, it was nice seeing you.” He took Woohyun’s hand in his and dragged him away from the girl (handholding acting more as a leash than a sign of affection).

But nothing held Mijoo back from following, and she jogged back up to Sunggyu’s side. “So you guys are like seriously dating?” her question was drenched with suspicion.

“He’s my boyfriend,” Sunggyu bluntly replied, not even looking at the girl but the mountain of sweet potatoes in front of him (it was sweet potato season).

“Really?” she challenged sticking her tongue in her cheek. “You guys don’t seem that close. And this wouldn’t be the first time you played a prank like this on me. Remember Dong…”

Woohyun who was tired of being ignored by this girl, tired of Sunggyu being so giving to her, and most of all he was tired of being reminded of what transgressions they had done against Dongwoo. And Sunggyu didn’t need to be reminded of it either. So before the name could spill past Mijoo’s fake red lips, Woohyun took Sunggyu’s round cheeks into his hands and planted a small peck on his lips. Woohyun pulled away and chuckled at the shocked expression from both. “I’m sorry. He just looked too cute. I just love it when he…picks out sweet potatoes,” he apologized, still laughing. He then put his arm around Sunggyu again. “Come on, honey, we have a lot more shopping to do. Bye Mijoo!” he bid farewell to the girl as he pulled Sunggyu and the cart with him down the aisle.

And now Mijoo was alone. It was just her and the sweet potatoes. She picked one up and pouted. “He does look cute picking out these,” she remarked. Then her sharp eyes darted back to the fleeing couple, who were now separated from each other by a couple of feet. Nam Woohyun, that new obstacle in her path, was wiping his mouth furiously with the back of his hand. A couple indeed, she thought as she tossed the potato into the air.

“I’m on to you, Saem.”

“You know, you could have just used your thumb like I did,” Sunggyu reminded Woohyun who looked like he was trying to get rid of a bad taste in his mouth.

“I forgot how!” Woohyun whined with a stamp of his foot. “You’re going to have to show me how to do that some day.”

Sunggyu bent down to pick up a bag of noodles from the lower shelf. He muttered under his breath, “I’d rather not.”

“Fine,” Woohyun retorted sticking out his tongue at the other’s back. He immediately smiled innocently once the elder faced him. Then something caught the corner of his eye. He nudged the other. “Look, hyung, free samples.” And he dashed off to the table.

But because Woohyun was slowed down from pushing the cart, Sunggyu got there first and was thrusting the free sample of cheese in the other’s face. Woohyun looked at him curiously. “Mijoo might be watching,” Sunggyu said in a low tone, his eyes were looking away perhaps searching for his stalker.

And Woohyun decided to give the girl a show. He let Sunggyu feed him and hummed loudly, “Mmmmmm. Another. Aah!” He opened up his mouth wide at his ‘boyfriend,’ but he was busy chewing on his own cheese sample. Woohyun shimmied and whined, “Hyung, another!”

“It’s polite to only take one, right?” Sunggyu smiled broadly while speaking to the cheese ahjumma. The old woman readily agreed, much to the dismay of Woohyun’s empty stomach. “Let’s keep going,” Sunggyu urged the younger patting him on the back of the head. 

But apparently, they both interpreted ‘keep going’ quite differently. For Sunggyu, it meant to keep shopping. And for Woohyun, to continue down the line of free samples. And the both of them became separated. Sunggyu thought that it might be better this way, and that he could get all the items on the list in a timely manner…that was until he reached the next item on the list.

Sunggyu stared at the 50 lb bag of rice on the ground, and then his eyes flickered over to Woohyun, who was currently flirting with the noona handing out free-samples. Even from several feet away, Sunggyu could tell that Woohyun was laying it on thick. The noona was blushing beet-red, and he was wearing that smug smile while he kept stuffing the free pieces of sausage into his mouth. Sunggyu shook his head, seeing the younger sink so low for free food. “So f***ing embarrassing,” he grumbled under his breath, bending down to pick up the bag, and after a few straining, struggling minutes, Sunggyu finally put the bag into the cart and smiled triumphantly. But a familiar clearing of a throat took that smile away.

Sunggyu gulped and turned around, coming face-to-face with a smirking Mijoo. “I knew it, Saem! I knew it! You guys aren’t together.”

“What do you mean? He’s my boyfriend,” his voice was hardly convincing.

Mijoo put her hands on her hips and raised a eyebrow at him. Then she let out a short laugh. “Please that lil peck was nothing,” she responded defiantly. Mijoo then grabbed a man almost twice her age walking past her by the collar and drug him over to her side. She got up on her toes and pecked him on his cheek. With a cheeky smile, Mijoo pushed the man away and face Sunggyu again. “See! I gave him a peck. Are we dating?”

“I hope so,” the man responded with bright, hopeful eyes.

Mijoo grimaced and crossed her arms. “You can go now. I’m done with you,” she announced dryly, shooing him away.

Sunggyu was looking at her with wide eyes and a unhinged jaw. She’s crazy. She’s insane…and she knows. Sunggyu gulped.

Woohyun was smacking his lips. The sauce on the sausages had left a bad taste in his mouth, almost bitter. He frowned. Who’d ruin decent meat like that? But the poor taste didn’t stop him from eating half of the plate. It was free after all. And the noona was cute. Minseon was cuter though.

He then caught sight of Sunggyu by the bags of rice. The corner of his mouth twitched upwards, while he wondered how long the other had waited for him (or more specifically for his muscles to lift the heavy bags). “Hey! Hyung…” Woohyun’s voice fell as he realized that Sunggyu wasn’t alone. Mijoo was there too (and with some weird-looking ahjussi). And she looked smug.

Woohyun’s mouth grew dry, and the bitterness intensified. She knows.

“Oh babe,” Sunggyu’s tongue sounded heavy, and the endearment awkward and stiff. He walked up to Woohyun and took the round cheek into his hand. “You have something right here,” he muttered, leaning in closer, eyelids dropping with his gaze…right on the corner of Woohyun’s mouth, where all of the sudden he could feel the sauce caking against his skin. But it wasn’t there for long. Sunggyu bowed his head and latched his lips onto that spot. And Woohyun suddenly felt something hot and warm and wet sweep across that patch of skin, taking the sauce with it. But then, it was cold, when Sunggyu pulled away. “Sweet,” he whispered, thumbing the spot dry. Woohyun barely registered it though. Stunned. And his eyes were carefully watching the other’s pink tongue brush against the darker lips.

“Wh—” the words were trapped in his mouth, muffled by Sunggyu’s lips. They were kissing. No…Sunggyu was kissing. Woohyun, on the other hand, was frozen in shock and numb too. His ears were buzzing. His sight was gone (probably because he had closed his eyes out of habit). All he could feel was Sunggyu lips on his…and the other’s tongue in his mouth (how the Hell did that get in there?), lapping up all of the protests and curses from Woohyun and rendering him speechless.

The kiss was…whatever it was, but also short, lasting for only a few seconds. Sunggyu pulled his head away, along with the rest of him, taking a few steps away from the other and letting Woohyun finally be able to breathe. But he was still rigid, staring only at Sunggyu’s ugly loafers.

“Oh…my…god!” At that, Woohyun finally snapped out of it and turned to see an equally stunned Mijoo. Her face was flushed. “S-saem! I’m so sorry! I-I really didn’t think th-that…O-omo!” her words were fumbling, just like her steps as she backed away. “I have to go…now.” Mijoo then spun around and scurried away as fast as her feet could take her.

“Well,” he heard Sunggyu start with a strangled laugh. “That got rid of her.”

“Yea…”

The two of them stood next to each other in complete and utter silence, shifting from one foot to another.

“Do we still need toilet paper?”

“Yea, why don’t you go get some? And I’ll get the eggs.”

“Sounds good, hyung,” Woohyun agreed scurrying off as fast as he could, not looking back. He was smacking his lips again. The taste in his mouth was more bitter now.

And that’s when he remembered that Sunggyu was drinking coffee.

Sunggyu now was over by the dairy and egg products. He bent over to pick up a carton of eggs, but stopped once his hands gripped the sides, noticing how shaky they were. He sighed and walked back to the cart, taking his thermos and unscrewing the top. The dark brown, nearly black, liquid swished in the container. He downed the rest of it in one shot. It did nothing for the tremors, shaking every part of his body, but it did mask that strange taste in his mouth. What the Hell did Woohyun eat?

With their divide-and-conquer tactic, and with Mijoo gone, the two completed grocery shopping in good time and didn’t have any more ‘incidents.’ And now, they were in the car, riding home. Sunggyu insisted on driving, muttering something about control. And Woohyun let him because as he was shopping alone, it allowed him time to think, to think about everything. And he came to some conclusions.

“Hyung, I think I’m going to propose to Minseon tomorrow.”

“What?!” Sunggyu exclaimed. And he returned his attention back to the road. The light had turned red, and he slammed on the brakes, jolting them both forward.

“Yea, things have been going well. She’s proved herself to be faithful. And I already have the ring,” Woohyun joked at the end, hoping to cut the tension, but it snapped back.

“That’s no reason to propose,” Sunggyu objected. He glance over at Woohyun. “But if it’s what you really want…” he reluctantly spoke.

“It is,” Woohyun insisted.

Sunggyu twisted his body towards the other. “You know that you have to be with her for the rest of your life. Forever!” he reminded Woohyun.

The younger rolled his eyes. “I know.”

“And you make a family together. A home.”

“I know,” Woohyun repeated.

“Can you imagine yourself raising kids with her?”

“I can!” Woohyun yelled right back. “Hyung, why can’t you just be happy for me?”

A car honked at them from behind. The light had turned green. Sunggyu focused back on the road. “I just want to make sure if that’s what you want. I don’t want you to rush into it,” he said in a warning tone, just like a mother, just like Woohyun’s own mother. And that’s when he snapped.

“I’m not! What’s your problem anyways?” he demanded. “Yeol’s wedding is coming up soon and we’re breaking up, if you can even call it that. So I’m not even jeopardizing this whole…thing. And I know that you used to date her, but…you’re gay! You don’t even like her! Not really.” Kim Sunggyu had no right to give him this attitude. Who was Sunggyu to him anyway?

Sunggyu parked the car in their garage and turned off the ignition. There was no music, no running engine, no traffic. It was just them and the silence until Sunggyu broke it. “And you like her?”

“I love her!” Woohyun answered in a split second. “I love Heo Minseon, okay? Was that what you were trying to get me to say?” He put his hand over Sunggyu’s that was still clutching the gear shift. “Can’t you just…be happy for me?”

Sunggyu took him hand away and opened the car door. “Fine. I’m happy. Happy?” he asked the other before slamming the car door.

And now it was just Woohyun, the silence, and several bags of groceries. “Ecstatic.”

❝Just 30 seconds is all I need❞

-Woohyun (121225 Christmas Radio)

There was no breakfast the next morning. And there was also no alarm clock, and so Woohyun showed up to work a half an hour late, unshowered and unkempt. But he calculated that there would be enough time for him to rush home after work and shower while Sunggyu was still teaching. Perhaps he’d even have enough time to iron out the details of the proposal. He hadn’t thought this one out like he did with the last one, but maybe simple would be best. So he would only need the ring, a fancy dinner, a box of chocolates, champagne, a dozen roses, and the back of his trunk full of heart balloons.

Before he knew it, he was sitting at the table he reserved in his best suit, waiting nervously. He was going over the speech over again in his head about love and second chances, when the phone started vibrating in his pocket. Woohyun assumed that it might be Minseon, saying she’d be delayed, but it wasn’t.

From Gyu-hyung: I’m sorry about yesterday. I really am happy for you. Seriously. I guess that I was…jealous. Maybe it’s time that hyung gets married too kekeke. Good luck tonight. Nam Woohyun fighting!

Small hands covered his eyes as he reread the last line. “Guess who?” Minseon whispered into his ear. She giggled and dropped her hands, making her way to the other side of the table. Now that he could see her, she was as beautiful as she’s ever been. Every hair, every brush of make-up was perfectly in place. She probably had here suspicions about why they were there this night. “Why are you so smiley?” she asked, but Woohyun was still silent. “Do I have something on my face?”

And Woohyun probably watched her in silence for half a minute, ever since she came in. And his mind had been racing. It echoed with Sunggyu’s voice.

 You know that you have to be with her for the rest of your life. Well, Miss Gong had said that they would have a relationship to last a lifetime. It was technically a friendship, but…And you make a family together. A home. Can you imagine yourself raising kids with her? They were both too care-free to be effective parents, but more importantly…can he even imagine making kids with her? How does he really feel about her?

He placed his hand over his heart. It didn’t speed up. He glanced up at her as she looked back at him confused. It never sped up.

Sunggyu returned home after a long day on the campus which was preceded by a long night. He was exhausted in all sense of the word. All he wanted to do was to eat dinner and fall asleep. But Woohyun wasn’t home. And no Woohyun meant no home-cooked dinner waiting for him…among other things. Sunggyu groaned as he fell onto the couch. Looks like he would be ordering in tonight.

Then the doorbell rang. Had Woohyun ordered something for him as an apology? Sunggyu excitedly rushed over to the door and opened it.

“Dongwoo?”

“Is Woohyun here?” Dongwoo asked peering around Sunggyu. Sunggyu shook his head. “Then here you go. Woohyun forgot it while we were having lunch,” he handed over Woohyun’s ID card.

“That’s weird. He normally doesn’t forget things,” Sunggyu muttered as he inspected the card.

“He seemed like he had a lot on his mind,” Dongwoo reasoned, rocking back and forth on his heels. “Well, it was nice seeing you again, Sunggyu-ssi. I’ll see you—huh?” Dongwoo look down and Suggyu had grabbed his wrist, preventing the other from leaving.

“Sunggyu-ssi?” the elder repeated with a sad smile. “When did we become strangers?” Dongwoo shrugged, but Sunggyu still didn’t let go. He pulled the younger inside. “We need to talk.”

“About Woohyun and Way? I agree!” Dongwoo began to ramble after freeing himself from Sunggyu. He sat down in the armchair and continued. “Now how do we make him see that they’re—“

“No, I meant you and me,” Sunggyu cut him off. “We need to talk about us.”

“What about?”

“I…I don’t like the way we ended things,” Sunggyu stammered as he fell back into the couch.

“I know,” Dongwoo said with a heavy sigh. He was picking at the hole in his jeans. “I understand why things ended that way.”

“You understand too much. You’re too good of a person,” Sunggyu praised the other, bending down to catch his eyes.

Dongwoo lifted his head and smiled brightly. “I know!”

“Aigoo. Cocky kid,” Sunggyu teased, lightly hitting the other like he used to. Even the air between them seemed to have settled. It drudged up old memories of the two of them together. He watched Dongwoo laugh loudly as if he had been tickled instead of hit. If she could be given a second chance why can’t I? “Do…do you think that we could…try again?”

The laughter dissipated, taking the smile with it. A serious Dongwoo was scary, and it had Sunggyu slightly on edged. “So now that there’s no risk, you want to date,” Dongwoo spoke with venom.

“I never thought you were the risk-it-all-for-love type,” Sunggyu joked.

“I’m not,” Dongwoo insisted. “But, hyung, it hurts that you ask me now, when it’s convenient for you. It’s like I wasn’t worth the trouble before.”

Sunggyu inched over closer to Dongwoo, resting his hand on the other’s knee. “Dongwoo…”

“But then again, love should be easy, right?” Dongwoo cut him off. His eyes were fixed on the hand on his knee.  He placed his own hand over it and looked up. “Just like breathing. But it was never like that for us. It was more like panting, wasn’t it?” he asked with a smile small.

And even though he was just rejected, the smile eased his heart. “I’m sorry. I should have been better,” Sunggyu apologized.

“Don’t be,” Dongwoo rejected it. “We weren’t right for each other. Besides,” he smiled cheekily. “I’m already seeing someone else.”

“Yah!” Sunggyu yelled at the other and began to hit him. “Why didn’t you say that in the first place? Instead you made me feel so guilty!” He then returned his hands to his side and fell back into the couch. “I guess I deserved it,” he mumble.

“You did,” Dongwoo emphatically agreed. And Sunggyu perked up, eyes narrowed to points. Dongwoo got up from his seat, still laughing.  “I’m gonna go now before you kill me. But I’ll see you at the wedding. You can meet my new boyfriend then.”

“Terrific,” Sunggyu’s voice was dripping with pure sarcasm.

“You’re going with Woohyun, right? That should be fun,” Dongwoo said excitedly.

Fun? Sure, if you call staging a break-up with your fake boyfriend who’s engaged to a girl fun, then Sungyeol’s wedding was practically an amusement park. But Sunggyu decided to rein in the sarcasm and continue being truthful with Dongwoo, “We decided that it’ll be our last function together. We’re going to break up after, over some differences about marriage, or something like that.”

“That’s a shame,” Dongwoo lamented with that extreme pout of his. “You guys seemed good together.”

“Woo,” Sunggyu began with a roll of his eyes (maybe he couldn’t keep in all of the sarcasm) “it was a fake relationship.”

“Right,” Dongwoo spoke, but then the phone in his pocket rang. And judging by his overjoyed expression, it was the new boyfriend. “Oh, I got to take this. Excuse me. Bye, hyung. See you tomorrow!” And he left, leaving Sunggyu feeling more alone than before he had come.

“Are you okay?”

“Minseon, I…I don’t feel anything,” Woohyun stuttered, rubbing his chest.

“Hm? Are you okay? Are you numb?” Minseon asked with genuine worry. “Oppa, this better not be one of your stupid jokes.”

“No, I don’t feel anything here,” Woohyun replied, pointing at his heart. “I…don’t…love you. Or at least not like I thought I did.”

Minseon’s face fell. “A-are we breaking up?” Woohyun nodded.  “But things were going so well,” she fought. “Oppa, I swear that I didn’t see anybody else!”

“No, no. It’s not that. I believe you,” Woohyun insisted, taking her hand in his. “It’s that,” he paused, grappling for the right words. “They were all right. We make good friends, but that’s it. No offense, but I don’t think I’m attracted to you.” As it would turn out, there was no right way you could say that. It would’ve hurt in any way. The truth is like that.

“I,” Minseon stammered. She herself was having a hard time grasping the situation. However, much to Woohyun’s surprise, a small smile graced her face. “I think I know what you mean. To be honest, I don’t get the dugeun dugeun feeling when I’m with you either,” she confessed.

Woohyun was dumbfounded by the response. A slap to his face would have been more appropriate. But…maybe Miss Gong really is psychic? “Is it strange?” he thought outloud.

“Maybe it’s strange that we keep trying to force it,” Minseon answered. “Attraction isn’t something you can fake.”

Heh, fake. Woohyun had to agree, “I guess not.”

“Whoa,” Minseon said with a low whistle as she leaned back into her seat. “So this is it?”

“I guess so,” Woohyun replied with a shrug. But there was just one more thing Woohyun wanted from her. “Can I ask you something?” She nodded. “There’s one thing that always bothered me. Why did you never tell me your real name?”

Minseon blushed and attempted to cover her hands with it. “I read somewhere that names hold power,” she spoke quietly, afraid that others would overhear. But as she moved further along with her explanation, the louder she became, “And I think it’s true. The moment you tell someone your name, you move from strangers to acquaintances. When you get nicknames, from acquaintances to friends. Pet names, from friends to lovers. And you respond immediately after you hear it, whether you can recognize the voice or not. So after reading that, I decided that I’ll only tell my real name to people that I consider to be family, people I trust.”

“You,” Woohyun broke into a chuckle. “You’re weird.”

“I know. But at least I never tried to follow a manual that I wrote when I was 10,” she retorted sticking her tongue out at the other. “Dongwoo-oppa told me.”

“I guess we’re both weird then,” Woohyun joked, causing the both of them to laugh. It wasn’t happy laughter, and they weren’t laughing because it was funny. But they resigned, at a loss for what else to do. Things had run their course. “Do you think that we can still be friends?” Woohyun asked.

Minseon smirked. “Don’t you remember the fortune teller?” she reminded him. “We’re going to be friends for life.”

“Okay. Well, I guess that I should go,” Woohyun announced. He couldn’t stay there any longer. It didn’t feel right. “You’re good, right?” he asked Minseon before he got up from the table. She nodded and gestured for him to leave. Woohyun flashed her a smile. “Okay. I’ll see you around.”

“Bye,” she bid him. And as Woohyun turned around, she apparently had a change of heart. “Wait! Oppa! Wait!” she called out. Woohyun stopped and saw her chase after him as fast as she could in her heels. Minseon got close to him and whispered into his ear, “It’s Choa. Heo Choa.”

As she pulled away, she could see Woohyun grinning from ear to ear. “Well, Choa,” he said the name for the first time. “Goodbye!”

“Bye oppa!”

Alone. All alone. Sunggyu groaned loudly and rolled from his belly onto his back. He shouldn’t have eaten that whole pizza. But he couldn’t control himself. He had been losing his grip on that lately, and now he was paying the price. He also probably shouldn’t have made that large bowl of popcorn that he was currently pecking from. He couldn’t help it. He was just going to keep eating until he felt full, until he felt something.

He heard his door unlock. His eyes quickly darted over to the clock. It was too early for Woohyun to be home yet, but sure enough there he was bursting through the doors. “Gyu! Gyu-hyung!” Woohyun called out as he searched for the other.

“I’m right in front of you,” Sunggyu answered rather amused. He sat up on the couch so that Woohyun could see him.

“Guess what!” Woohyun commanded excited.

“She said yes,” Sunggyu mumbled, popping another kernel into his mouth.

“No!”

Sunggyu finally put down the bowl. “She said no?”

“No, I said no!”

“Did she ask you?”

“No.”

“Alright, I’m confused,” Sunggyu confessed, rubbing his temples. He looked up to see Woohyun bouncing up and down in his spot. “How about you calm the f**k down and tell me.” Woohyun shook his head.  Sunggyu narrowed his eyes. “Sit, Woohyun, sit,” he commanded the other jokingly and surprisingly, Woohyun finally obeyed, plopping down right onto the floor. “Good boy,” the elder cooed.

“Do I get a treat?” Woohyun pleaded. Sunggyu threw him a piece of popcorn. Woohyun caught it in his mouth. “One more.” Sunggyu threw another and he caught it again. “One more.”

“No,” Sunggyu denied, gripping tightly onto the bowl. “Not until you tell me.” At that, Woohyun crawled over and onto the couch, sitting next to the other. He wrested the bowl from Sunggyu’s hands. “Hey! You—” Sunggyu yelled reaching for the bowl.

“We broke up,” Woohyun finally confessed and Sunggyu let him keep the bowl.

“Why?” he asked, watched the other stuff his mouth with the kernels.

“Because,” Woohyun paused to swallow. “I realized that I’m not attracted to her.”

Sunggyu was taken aback. “You’re not?”

“No, I think I was attracted more to the idea,” Woohyun revealed as he played with the popcorn, picking it up and tossing it back into the bowl. “You know, settling down, getting married, having kids.”

Sunggyu laughed. “It sounds like your biological clock is ticking,” he teased.

“No,” Woohyun argued, turning his gaze towards Sunggyu. He was serious. “My heart is.” He sighed and turned his attention back to the bowl in his lap. “I really don’t like being alone, hyung. I don’t know how much longer I can handle it.”

Sunggyu scooted closer and nudged him. “You’re not alone now.”

Finally there was some semblance of a grin. “Eung, I have you,” Woohyun responded as he leaned against the other, resting his head on Sunggyu’s shoulder. And Sunggyu rested his head on the other’s. They both sat like that for awhile. Sunggyu could feel Woohyun’s head moving with every bit of popcorn that he chewed on.  The silky hair tickling his cheek. “Hyung.” Sunggyu lifted his head and saw the glassy eyed stare of the younger. He could feel himself slipping again. He bent his head down gradually, and a little bit more, just a little bit until…

Woohyun cleared his throat. A kernel had gotten caught in there. “Can you get me a drink?” he asked in a raspy voice. “This popcorn is salty.”

❝I rarely say the words ‘I miss you’, ‘I like you’, or ‘I love you’. But I do tend to say ‘I love you’ when she’s about to go to bed. And I’ll say ‘I miss you’ when I truly miss her. I’m not shy about expressing my feelings when it comes to loving someone.❞

-Sunggyu (08.2011 Inkigayo Magazine Interview)

Chapter Text

The room was dark, dimly lit by the large screen in front of them. A movie theater, that's where the were. And what movie was playing on the screen didn't really matter. The real show was in the middle of the theater.

And Sunggyu should really should have his eyes closed, but he didn't want to miss the sight in front of him. It's not like he could see much (especially with them opened just a crack), just an up-close look at pores and a black line of eyelashes, but Sunggyu just wanted to make sure that Woohyun was still there because he was finally kissing for more than a few seconds. And they were really kissing. Lips were meshing, pecking, biting, pulling. All of it. And best of all, Woohyun seemed to be actually enjoying it, if the soft moans he let out meant anything. Also his hand gripped the nape of Sunggyu’s neck tightly as if he was afraid of the other running away. Ironic.

But then he stopped. Sunggyu opened his eyes fully, afraid that he had done something wrong, but Woohyun’s eyes were still shut. He pulled away just far enough that Sunggyu could feel the other’s lips move as he spoke, “How much longer?”

Sunggyu gulped and brought his hands to Woohyun’s cheeks. “Keep going. They’re still watching,” whispered, bringing the younger in closer and planting a light kiss on his lips.

“Who?”                                           

“Everybody,” Sunggyu lied.

At that Woohyun got up from his seat. Shit, he’s going to leave. But he didn’t. He crawled onto Sunggyu’s lap and brought his lips to elder’s ear. “Then let’s give them a good show.”  Sunggyu could feel Woohyun smirking against his neck, and a few seconds later he felt tongue being dragged over his pulse point. The younger could probably feel Sunggyu’s heartbeat going haywire, which might explain the throaty chuckle coming from Woohyun moments later.

But Sunggyu didn’t stop the other for overstepping the boundaries of PDA, nor did he have to. The theater was empty and had been empty since the moment that they stepped inside. But somehow Sunggyu had convinced Woohyun that some friends of his mother were in the back of the theater. He had expected some handholding, and if he was lucky, maybe Woohyun would let him rest his head on his shoulder. But he didn’t expect this. Never this.  And Woohyun had to know that no one else was there. It wasn’t a hard one to figure out. But then why did he follow along?

Woohyun wouldn’t let Sunggyu dwell on that. “Hyung,” he breathed onto Sunggyu’s collar bone. His hand was traveling down the elder’s chest, down to his stomach, pausing for just a bit before reaching Sunggyu’s…”I really want to…”

“Yea! Give us a show! Wooooooooo!”

Sunggyu immediately pulled away and was surprised to find someone sitting in the row in front of them, turned around and watching them while casually eating popcorn. “D-Dongwoo?” Sunggyu stammered in surprise.

“Aw! Why’d you stop?” Dongwoo whined. Sunggyu didn’t answer and just continued to stare at his ex in disbelief. “While you’re taking a bit of a break,” Dongwoo began speaking, filling in the silence. “I want you to meet my new boyfriend, Choi Hongman.” Sunggyu almost fell out of his seat. How did he miss the giant of a man sitting right next to tiny Dongwoo? Hongman was glowering at Sunggyu while sipping on his soda. Sunggyu could feel his blood run cold. “He said that he wanted to ‘talk to you alone,’” Dongwoo continued and somehow ended up on Hongman’s back with his small head peeking over his new boyfriend’s shoulders. “I don’t know what it’s about, but he said it was important,” the last word was almost muffled by Hongman cracking his massive knuckles.

And it was at this moment that Sunggyu realized that Woohyun was gone (mostly because he was thinking of using the other as a human shield). “I…I better go find Woohyun,” he stuttered (his teeth were chattering in fear). And he stumbled out of his chair and down the aisle as fast as he could. And he must have just been fast enough because he caught a glimpse of Woohyun leaving through the emergency exit.

However, Sunggyu was cut off from following him. “Aw! Did we miss the show?” Sungyeol lamented, suddenly showing up right in Sunggyu’s way. Where did he come from?

And Soyeon was there too? “That’s because we had to get the baby ready,” Soyeon explained as she was bouncing a blanket wrapped bundle in her arms. When did they…

“I don’t want it anymore,” Sungyeol whined, stamping his foot. He took the baby from his fiancée and frowned. “Here, Sunggyu-ssi, you can have it,” he so ‘graciously’ offered, all but throwing the bundle in Sunggyu’s arms.

“B-but…” Sunggyu couldn’t even find the words to object.

“Too late,” Sungyeol protested, sticking out his tongue. He grabbed Soyeon’s hand and ran out of the theater. The two of them were giggling like maniacs.

Sunggyu let out a sigh as he looked down at the bundle that he was cradling in his arms. The blankets were covering the baby’s face, and probably suffocating it. Gently, Sunggyu began removing the cloth. “What the Hell?” It was a monkey, a baby monkey. The monkey looked up at Sunggyu with its round, pitch-black eyes. Then all of the sudden, it opened its mouth and let out this unnatural noise. It wasn’t howling nor barking. It actually sounded vaguely like an alarm.

“Hyung…Hyung…GYU-HYUNG!”

Sunggyu snapped open his eyes and shot straight up in his bed. He had just woken up. It was a dream. It was all a dream. But this wasn’t. There was still an incessant blaring of an alarm and a gentle shaking on his shoulder. Sunggyu looked over to see Woohyun, freshly rolled out of bed with one hand rubbing sleep away from his eye and the other holding his demonic alarm clock.

“I can’t find the holder,” Woohyun explained meekly. “Can you show me where you hid it?’

“Sure. I’ll be right there,” Sunggyu answered softly, and he watched his roommate shuffle like a zombie out of his bedroom. After Woohyun was gone, Sunggyu groaned loudly and drug his hands down his face roughly. “Shit…I hate my life.”

❝I’ll only say this once, so listen well. I like you.❞

-Woohyun (during ‘Infinity Girls’)

Their ‘relationship’ was hitting the three month mark. And Sunggyu and Woohyun had fallen into a routine. Sunggyu still cooked breakfast and ‘woke’ Woohyun up. Then they would both go to work. And at night Woohyun still cooked dinner, or at least he cooked on the nights that Sunggyu’s mother didn’t invite herself over (which was happening more and more recently). After dinner they would watch whatever decent was on t.v. and talk (mostly talk and ignore whatever crap was on television). Then they would adjourn to their own bedrooms and repeat the routine the next day.

Also, ever since Woohyun had broken up with her, their level of skinship drastically rose, as if Woohyun didn’t have any other outlet for his overflowing affection. But it mostly happened when others were around to witness their ‘coupleness.’ Also Woohyun eventually figured-out the thumb trick, and it became his new favorite thing to do (probably because he liked fooling others). But Sunggyu didn’t mind. Woohyun had bad aim and missed his thumb most of the time. Finally there were moments when they were alone and when either one of them (or sometimes both) was excessively tired, and they would (for a lack of a better term) cuddle on the couch (it really was whoever was the most tired, laying on the other, and the other allowing it).

But in spite of all of that, Sunggyu didn’t have one single spark of hope in his heart that this would last beyond Sungyeol’s wedding like they had planned. At best, they would be cordial roommates after the ‘break-up,’ and one (Woohyun) of them would move out as soon as he (Woohyun) got into a real relationship and got married. Then Sunggyu would get to live alone like he’d always wanted to. The both of them would get what they initially wanted. It had been a perfectly executed plan, in that respect.

“So,” Woohyun began, being his usual chatty self in the morning.  He took a long sip from his coffee before continuing. “We’re back to this?” he asked, stirring his soggy cereal. Sunggyu gave a short nod. He didn’t have the energy to cook a full breakfast this morning like he was in the recent habit of doing. There was no point. Woohyun pouted. “You spoiled me. I don’t think I can eat this anymore,” he complained, pushing the bowl away.

“Then don’t eat it,” Sunggyu retorted, reaching to pick up the bowl and clear it away.

But before the elder could touch it, Woohyun picked up the bowl and hunched over it, protecting it from Sunggyu. “I’ll eat it. I’ll eat it,” he insisted, already stuffing his face with the cereal. Milk was dripping down his chin.

Sunggyu then pulled down his sleeve, reached over the table, and wiped Woohyun’s chin. The younger stopped chewing and looked up at the other. Sunggyu cleared his throat and returned back to his seat. “Learn how to eat properly,” he chided.

“Says the man who can’t eat with his mouth shut,” Woohyun teased and rolled his eyes.

“I can too!” Sunggyu fought back. He took a large spoonful of his cereal and put it in his mouth. Then, staring down Woohyun, he chewed, trying his best to keep his mouth shut…until he couldn’t anymore. “I can’t breathe. My nose is stuffed up,” he excused his bad manners, while also spitting food on the man across from him.

But Woohyun just laughed as he wiped his face. “Take your vitamins, old man. And get dressed,” he ordered kindly as he got up from the table. “Today’s the big day.”

Today was the Sungyeol’s Wedding day.

“Are you ready for today?” Woohyun asked as he was leaning against Sunggyu’s doorframe. He was fussing with his bowtie (a gift from Soyeon so he felt obligated to wear it today). He eventually gave up and let it hang down from his neck. Woohyun looked up, to see Sunggyu casting a confused look at him. “Our final performance?” Woohyun reminded him.

Sunggyu let out a shot laugh as he adjusted his blazer, looking at himself in the mirror. “Maybe we should get started now. You know, set the mood,” he suggested as a joke.

“THAT’S THE STUPIDEST IDEA I EVER HEARD!” Woohyun yelled at the top of his lungs. Sunggyu quickly snapped his head towards the other with eyes like daggers, but they softened as soon as he caught sight of Woohyun’s cheeky smile.

“Well, at least I’m smart enough to tie my own damn tie. Come here, you f***ing idiot,” Sunggyu’s tone was too soft for saying such harsh words. He beckoned the younger to come closer to him, and Woohyun obeyed. Luckily, Sunggyu knew how to tie bowties, so his roommate wouldn’t have to go the wedding sloppily dressed. Once the younger was close enough, Sunggyu grabbed both ends of the tie and pulled him a bit closer so that he could put it on properly. Woohyun stumbled a bit forward and laughed awkwardly.

“Bowties are dumb,” he said masking his laughter.  “Just like you.” Sunggyu stopped fiddling with the tie and pouted.  “And ugly too,” Woohyun added with a widening grin.

“Are you saying I’m ugly?” Sunggyu asked through gritted teeth.

“No,” Woohyun refuted. Sunggyu’s face began to lighten. “You’re hideous.”

Sunggyu’s expression immediately darkened as he bared his teeth. He grabbed the two ends of the tie and pulled, tightening the knot at the base of Woohyun’s neck. Woohyun began choking. “Not really smart to offend the person holding a tie around your neck,” Sunggyu growled.

“Hyung, I was only joking,” Woohyun wheezed, hitting Sunggyu’s forearm. “You’re beautiful. Gorgeous!”

Sunggyu pulled even tighter. “I’m a man!” he yelled.

“H-handsome. You’re handsome,” Woohyun choked out.  Sunggyu let go, smiling. He loosened the knot, rubbing the spot gently before redoing the tie. “Whew! For a second there, I thought I was a goner,” Woohyun commented in a slightly raspy voice (and Sunggyu felt slightly guilty for it).

“Just playing the part,” Sunggyu mumbled, focusing on the tie. Now pull, gently, gently. “There. Done,” he announced happily. He then looked up to see Woohyun looking at him expectantly. Sunggyu scoffed as he fixed the younger’s collar. “Yea, you’re handsome too.”

Once Sunggyu let go of him, Woohyun took a step back. And Sunggyu froze, with his hands still in the air. Then Woohyun began chuckling, and he ran away as he yelled, “I take it back. Hyung’s ugly. Merong!”

The car ride over to the wedding hall, the two of them actually bickered about what to listen to on the radio. And somehow it ended with Sunggyu threatening to stuff his fist in Woohyun’s mouth if he didn’t stop singing on the top of his lungs. That fight left Sunggyu annoyed, tense, and actually wanting to get rid of Woohyun. So when they arrived at the hall, they looked exactly like they should be, an unhappy couple on the verge of fighting. They didn’t even walk together towards the seats. Woohyun had left Sunggyu at the coat check (it was to wish Sungyeol luck before the ceremony, but Sunggyu didn’t know that). The elder had to find their seats on his own, and he felt awkward doing so. No one there knew who he was, and he could feel their judging stares on his back as he sat down. Nam Woohyun, you jerk, he cursed in his head.

“Hey, is this seat taken, Handsome?” Speak of the Devil. Woohyun slid into the seat next to him.

Sunggyu folded his arms and looked away. “Yes, it is. Leave,” he grumbled.

“So you saved this seat not for your loving boyfriend?” Woohyun asked bitingly. He wasn’t really in the mood for Sunggyu’s cold shoulder. He had just walked in on Sungyeol and Soyeon in an intimate moment (they were exchanging gifts and whispering sweet nothings to each other), and then Sungyeol told him what he’d already assumed: Daeyeol was his Best Man. It all left him feeling unwanted and yearning to be wanted. And so Sunggyu’s little tantrum wasn’t helping.

“I wasn’t aware that I had one,” Sunggyu muttered under his breath. He smiled and shook his head. “Where were you?”

“Wishing the happy couple good luck,” Woohyun answered grumpily as he flipped through the program. He almost tore out a page because he was turning them so hard.

Sunggyu shifted in his seat, turning towards him.  “Are you okay? Did you fight with Sungyeol?”

Woohyun looked up, noting the look of concern on Sunggyu’s face. “No, everything’s fine,” Woohyun replied in a flat voice.

Sunggyu watched him curiously before sitting straight forward again. “Alright, if you say so,” he mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest again. He kept looking forward, wondering what he could say about what he hated about weddings for their argument later (he assumed that Woohyun would be pro-wedding). Too much money. I’m allergic to the pollen in the flowers. We’d have to host it and mingle. The wedding march began to play, singling the arrival of the bridal party. And that song is stupid.

But while he was ripping apart that song in his head, he felt a hand pawing at the crook of his elbow. He looked down to see Woohyun trying to undo his crossed arms, and when Sunggyu unfolded them, Woohyun immediately reached for his head and scooted closer to the elder until his side was flush to the other’s.

And Sunggyu didn’t have to lean too far to whisper into Woohyun’s ear,  “What are you doing? We’re supposed to be fighting.”

Woohyun turned his gaze from the aisle, from the bridal party parading. His eyes were tearing up already. He nudged the other, still grinning despite his sad eyes.  “Look at Yeol, Gyu,” he  said. “I’ve never seen him so happy.” He then looked back to Sungyeol walking down the aisle, and the man was positively beaming. There was a bounce in his step. And he was acting as if his long strides wouldn’t get him down the aisle fast enough.

Sunggyu wrapped his other hand around Woohyun’s and brought it into his lap. “How much longer do you think until the waterworks start?” he asked in a hushed voice.

Woohyun chuckled softly. “Probably when he sees Soyeon in three, two, one,” he counted down. Then the music changed, ushering in the blushing bride and also a complete change in Sungyeol’s demeanor. He went from completely happy to stone-faced, which eventually started to quiver and crack with each step that Soyeon took. And once she reached him, Sungyeol was a bawling wreck. But his brother was prepared for this. Daeyeol pulled tissue after tissue to Sungyeol as he was trying to calm himself down.

Sunggyu began laughing at the scene. “I can’t believe it. You’d think he’d last until after the ceremony. Don’t you—Hyun, are you?” the laughter was caught in his throat. Tears were streaming down Woohyun’s cheek, and the man was sniffing constantly trying to hold them back.

“It’s Yeol’s fault,” Woohyun grumbled, trying in vain to dab away his tears with the sleeve of his coat. “When he starts, I…” Sunggyu handed him some tissues, making him forget what he was saying. “Thank you,” he whispered quietly, but then he blew his noise loudly. Several people turned towards them and glared.

But this time Sunggyu didn’t mind the stares. He stuffed Woohyun’s used tissues into his pockets, and then he wrapped his hands around Woohyun’s again, still in his lap.

The ceremony was over, and it was time for the reception to start, which meant the celebration was almost over, which meant that there were less opportunities for them to fight and cause a scene. But Woohyun was still holding his hand. So Sunggyu wasn’t about to suggest that they get into fisticuffs so soon. He was going to enjoy it for as long as he could.

“Woohyun-ah! Sunggyu-hyung!” But there’s something that might ruin it for him. It was the voice that was still haunting him from his dreams. Sunggyu turned to see his ex walking up to him excitedly with a dark haired man following him only a few paces behind. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet,” Dongwoo announced, pulling the man behind him forward and linking their arms together. And now that Dongwoo’s date was closer, Sunggyu felt a slight twinge (and his face might have twitched). The man was very handsome, almost like model or even a sculpture. Dongwoo had obviously moved onto bigger and better things, while Sunggyu was stuck in this charade. Karma. “This…is Kim Myungsoo,” Dongwoo introduced, and the man smiled with his lips tightly sealed, showing off his dimples.

Woohyun frowned after seeing that twitch across Sunggyu’s face, which only deepened as he pondered over why that name and face were so familiar to him. Woohyun shook his head. Thinking was never good for him anyways. He put out his hand. “Nice to meet you Myungsoo-ssi,” he said as he shook Myungsoo’s hand.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Woohyun-ssi,” Myungsoo replied back happily. Woohyun then caught Sunggyu staring blankly at Myungsoo. Woohyun elbowed Sunggyu to make him snap out of it.

“Uh, yes, nice to meet you,” Sunggyu said with a forced smile, also putting forward his hand.

Myungsoo looked down at Sunggyu’s hand and scoffed, showing off a crooked smirk.  He then lifted his gaze and narrowed his eyes on the elder. It was the glare of a killer. In a split second, Myungsoo smiled his tight-lipped smile and wrapped his arm around Dongwoo’s waist, giving him a squeeze. “I’ll go get us something to drink,” he announced.  “Would you like anything, Woohyun-ssi?” he offered. Woohyun shook his head. “Okay then. I’ll see you later.” And Myungsoo left after giving Sunggyu a lingering death stare that shivered him to the bone.

Sunggyu’s slight shiver did not escape Dongwoo’s notice. “I might have told him that we used to date,” Dongwoo confessed to Sunggyu. And Sunggyu sighed, guessing that his ex shared much more than just that they used to date (especially based on Myungsoo’s expression). “He can get a little possessive.”

But Sunggyu was well aware that he deserved such treatment. “Well, it’s nice to see that he cares about you,” he commented.

“We should all get together soon,” Dongwoo suggested, gesturing to the three of them. “I, uh, will tell Myungsoo to behave. You’ll get along. I’m 100% sure.” But even with Dongwoo’s 100% assurance, Sunggyu had some doubts that he and Myungsoo would get along soon.

Yet he owed it to Dongwoo to give it a try. “Yea, we should,” Sunggyu agreed.

“I should go catch up with him,” Dongwoo said with a laugh, pointing behind him. “He gets lost easily.”

“It reminds me of someone,” Sunggyu teased, giving Dongwoo a slight push.

“Kyakyakya. Right!” Dongwoo burst. He then chased after his date. “Bye hyung! Bye Woohyun!”

“Bye Dongwoo-ah!” Sunggyu waved goodbye. After seeing his ex find Myungsoo (and they both looked relieved to have seen each other again), Sunggyu sighed happily. It was about time Dongwoo dated a good person, and Myungsoo seemed to be one (even if Myungsoo hated his guts). He then spun on his heels. “What’s your problem?” he asked after catching sight of a grumpy Woohyun.

 They were cordial. A little too cordial for ex-lovers. “Nothing,” Woohyun’s tone made it sound like everything was wrong. “Let’s go eat.”

After receiving their food, Sunggyu and Woohyun sat down at a table with Dongwoo and Myungsoo (much to Dongwoo’s insistence). But luckily for them, Dongwoo was a fan of mingling, and so ten minutes after the four of them sat down to dinner (most of which Myungsoo was still shooting glares at Sunggyu), Dongwoo jumped up from the table, noticing about 20 people that he had yet to introduce Myungsoo too. It was cute. Dongwoo had never been so excited about a relationship before, and Myungsoo seemed to enjoy being showed off by the other.

While tracking Dongwoo and Myungsoo, Sunggyu also caught sight of Sungyeol and Soyeon. Those two weren’t just happy; they’re whole essence glowed brightly, infecting everybody around them with smiles. Well, maybe not everybody. Sunggyu turned to the man next to him who was still grouchy and pushing around the food on his plate. The two of them seemed to be the most unhappy couple in the room, which only meant one thing: it was time. “So?” Sunggyu began.

“So what?” Woohyun grumbled back, not even looking up from his plate.

“Now’s the perfect time to make a scene,” Sunggyu said.

That finally got Woohyun’s attention. He perked up and shook his head. “No. Not now,” he argued.

Sunggyu looked about them. There was no one around, no one to witness it. Woohyun was always one-step ahead. “Then when?” Sunggyu asked.  But then he thought of the perfect moment, “Oh when they cut the cake and they do that stupid thing where they smash it in each other’s faces? And then you can try to do it to me, and I’ll get mad. Maybe I’ll even punch you.” He worked himself up into an excited frenzy, even punching Woohyun softly on the shoulder.

“No, hyung,” Woohyun shot him down gain, and Sunggyu stopped punching, dropping his fist into his lap. “Not today.”

“Why not?”

“Hyung, look at how happy they are,” Woohyun responded while pointing at Sungyeol and Soyeon who were positively beaming even though they weren’t doing anything more than just sitting next to each other. “Let’s not ruin it for them.”

Sunggyu snorted. Woohyun was being the mature one for once, while he himself was having a good time on his own punching Woohyun. “Okay,” he agreed, petting Woohyun on the back of the head as some form of praise. “That’s a good plan.” But Woohyun must have felt like he was being belittled. He stared at Sunggyu blankly and shrunk from the elder’s hand. And Sunggyu just let him be, returning to his own food.

 “Do you think that we’ll ever be that happy?” Woohyun suddenly blurted out. Sunggyu started choking as his thoughts raced. We’ll be happy…together? “Oh! Gyu-hyung, are you okay? Here. Drink this.” Woohyun brought a glass of water to Sunggyu’s lips, coercing him to drink.

After a couple of sips, Sunggyu pushed the glass away with the back of his hand. “I’m fine. I’m fine,” he sputtered, still coughing. “What did you ask?”

Woohyun  put down the cup and his eyes darted back to the happy couple. “Do you think we’d ever find love? Like those two? And be happy?” he mused.

Sunggyu sighed, “I thought so.” Of course he didn’t mean ‘together’ but separate. Sunggyu took a large spoonful of rice and stuffed it into his mouth. He had meant to stop his words with a full mouth, but in his agitated state, the words spilled out regardless, “What did Miss Gong say? I’m your soul mate,” Sunggyu declared, pointing at himself with his spoon. Food was spilling out of his mouth as he angrily spoke, “You shouldn’t be looking for anyone else when you have me. Aren’t I enough? Don’t you love me too?”

Woohyun forced Sunggyu to put down the spoon. He leaned over and whispered, “Hyung, I told you that we weren’t going to stage a fight today. You can stop.” He pulled back and wrested the spoon away from Sunggyu’s tight grip. “And take it easy. I don’t want you to start choking again,” he chided. But Sunggyu just reached over, grabbing Woohyun’s spoon and began eating with that. He looked at Woohyun defiantly as he took another large bite (the younger was rubbing off on him). Woohyun just chuckled and dug a finger into Sunggyu’s cheek. “Aigoo! You look like a little pumpkin with those cheeks and your orange hair,” he cooed.

Suggyu lifted his head. “What did you just call me?” he asked quietly. He didn’t think that he heard correctly the first time.

“A pump-kin,” Woohyun pronounced each syllable carefully and grinned with feigned innocence, even puffing out his cheeks a little. He’s begging to get hit.

So Sunggyu rapped him with his spoon.“Why are you egging me on? I thought we said that we weren’t going to fight today,” he reminded the other with a smile.

“We’re not. This is loving banter, pumpkin,” Woohyun argued, still playing innocent, but Sunggyu knew that he was picking on his nerves purposefully. Unfortunately for Woohyun, it was really working.

Sunggyu looked back down at his plate, trying to hide his smile. “Stop calling me that,” he protested with a fake whine.

Woohyun gasped in shock, “Hul! You like it!”

“Do not!”

Eventually their ‘banter’ was broken up by Dongwoo and Myungsoo’s return to the table. Shortly after that, Sungyeol and Soyeon said their final farewells before departing for their honeymoon. And aside from playfully arguing with each other, Sunggyu and Woohyun showed no semblance of discord. There was no show. There was no break-up, and they had give no reason to others why they ever should. They seemed like a perfectly happy couple. However, now on their way home, they were a perfectly quiet couple. Sunggyu was too afraid to do anything, even breathe, so he wouldn’t set off the other. His plan for now was to go home, excuse himself, and hide in the safety of his bedroom before Woohyun would have the chance to suggest how they would proceed from here. They won’t end this, at least not tonight. Maybe tomorrow they would. But Sunggyu just wanted one more night, and maybe if he was good, he could even squeeze out one more day. He wanted it extend it for as long as he could.

But as usual, Woohun foiled his plans. “Let’s drink,” the younger suggested in a chipper tone.

“Why? I’m tired,” Sunggyu bluntly replied, hoping that Woohyun would drop the issue. They just reached their apartment’s garage, and he was so close to his goal.

Woohyun leaned back his head on the headrest and let out a long breath. “But the mood’s right,” he whined pouting slightly. Then he rolled his head over to look at his hyung. “And I just stole these 2 bottles of wine from the wedding,” he said, unfolding his jacket to reveal two green bottles of wine.

Sunggyu snorted, trying to hold back his laughter. Woohyun was really unbelievable at times. Sunggyu reached for a bottle and inspected it. He whistled lowly, “These are actually good.” He caught Woohyun grinning and nodding proudly out of the corner of his eye. Sunggyu bit his lip as he examined the bottle again. It was really good wine. He lifted his gaze, meeting with Woohyun’s, who looked like he was trying to telepathically coerce Sunggyu into drinking with him. Sunggyu sighed and gave in, “I guess one glass wouldn’t hurt.”

But one glass eventually turned into two then three, especially when Woohyun was pouring and practically filling the glasses to the brim. And with each successive glass, Sunggyu was slowly losing his will to leave their living room. He was laying out on the couch, contemplating just sleeping there, his eyes were heavy from being tipsy. He was watching Woohyun , sitting on the ground in front of him, with pink cheeks, drinking the wine as if he taking shots. Sunggyu had to force himself to keep up with Woohyun so that the younger didn’t drink both of the bottles on his own. Sunggyu lazily nudged Woohyun’s shoulder with his glass, silently asking for a refill. Woohyun turned around and complied. After pouring, Woohyun put the now empty bottle on the ground and rested his chin on the edge of the couch. “Hyung, is there something wrong with me?” he slurred his words together.

“Lots,” Sunggyu laughed at his own joke and then drained the glass. After the third glass, the wine had lost its taste. It felt as if he was drinking water.

“No, I’m being serious,” Woohyun protested and lifted his head, lining it up with Sunggyu’s (which was resting on the armrest). “Sungyeol just got married today. Lee Sungyeol!” Woohyun repeated.  “I had to stop him the other day from fighting with a 10 year old! I’m surprised that the ring bearer wasn’t a remote-controlled helicopter.”

“Or a monkey,” Sunggyu pointed out.

“OR A MONKEY!” Woohyun shouted back and began laughing at the mental image of a monkey in a tuxedo walking down the aisle.

“Maybe,” Sunggyu began. Woohyun stopped laughing and noticed the serious expression on his hyung’s face.  “There’s something wrong with Soyeon too.”

“Hyung,” Woohyun called out to the other, placing his own head on the armrest. It was starting to feel too heavy; it must be all of his weighty thoughts dragging him down (or the alcohol). Sunggyu just blinked at him, waiting for Woohyun to continue. “Do you think that I’ll find a Soyeon? Someone who loves all the wrong parts of me?” Woohyun tilted his head after finishing; something about that didn’t seem quite right.

“I think you already have.”

“Hm?”

Sunggyu lifted his head from the armrest and stood straight up. Woohyun raised his head too, following the other’s lead curiously. He stood up on his knees, gripping the edges of the couch for support. He was feeling a bit woozy. “Woohyunnie,” Sunggyu softly spoke, cupping Woohyun’s cheeks in his hands. “I like your stupid brain,” the elder spoke and delivered a kiss between Woohyun’s raised eyebrows. Well, that made Woohyun’s head feel more clear. But it didn’t stop there. “I like how you’re stubborn. You never wake up on time,” Sunggyu said, kissing both of Woohyun’s cheeks right next to his thumb. He then rubbed the spots he kissed tenderly. “You’re embarrassing. And say gross things. I like it all, even this stupid nose.” His lips lightly brushed against the tip of Woohyun’s nose. “And I like you.” Sunggyu kissed the younger’s lips, feeling Woohyun immediately stiffen under his touch. Sunggyu pulled away slowly, seeing that Woohyun was frozen solid. His gaze was downcast. Sunggyu swallowed, lowering his hands away from his face. Sunggyu searched Woohyun for any signs of movement, expressions of disgust or otherwise. “Is that okay?” he stammered, immediately fearing a response.

At the question, Woohyun’s head perked up, but his face was still expressionless. He stared at Sunggyu silently. Sunggyu swallowed again, trying to get rid of the dryness in his throat. He couldn’t meet Woohyun’s gaze anymore, especially with him being so uncharacteristically unresponsive. It scared him. But then Sunggyu felt the couch shift underneath him. Woohyun finally made moved. He kissed Sunggyu back.

“Ung,” Woohyun moaned. There was a dull pain shooting at the back of his skull and a terrible achiness everywhere. He smacked his lips and his tongue felt like it was coated in cotton balls. It was a hangover, and a nasty one at that. Woohyun couldn’t remember much about the night before. He could only recall the vague feeling of bitterness (and maybe jealousy) after Sungyeol’s wedding that drove him to drinking last night. But now that feeling had dissipated, his chest was lighter. However now he felt too warm and…clammy. There was also a strange feeling at the tip of his spine that hurt every time he shifted. And he constrained, not by his usual cocoon of blanks but by something that felt a lot like…Woohyun snapped his eyes wide open at the realization.

This wasn’t his room. And this wasn’t his bed. But those were arms wrapped around him tightly and that was a bare chest that Woohyun’s cheek was smushed against. What the Hell? Woohyun pulled away as much as he could in the other’s embrace without disturbing him. He was mumbling prayers under his breath as he looked up. None of them were answered. Above him was Kim Sunggyu’s peacefully sleeping face. Woohyun automatically looked back down, his heart-racing. “Huh?” Woohyun gasped. His heart stopped. He could see them clearly now in the light of the rising sun. Hickies, black-blue bruises on the elder’s neck and chest. Woohyun could feel heat rising to his cheeks, casting his gaze even further down. “Shit!” There was also a hickey blooming along Sunggyu’s hip-bone. Not even the fact that they were both still in their boxers gave Woohyun much consolation. What happened last night, he thought and groaned, burying his face to hide his quickly reddening cheeks. He had never been so embarrassed in his life. He thought back to the hickies he’d just seen. Crap. Did I? No…No wait…it could’ve been Dongwoo. Woohyun called how polite they were to each other the day before. No, not polite, but friendly. Woohyun had caught Sunggyu several times staring at Dongwoo and his new boyfriend, appearing sad and regretful. Woohyun grounded his teeth. Did they? Is it possible? Yea, Dongwoo was here the other day. Hyung told me he did. So maybe, it’s completely possible that the two of them…NO! Gyu’s with me! He wouldn’t dare! He’s mine! But…but Dongwoo knows we’re faking it, so they still could. Ugh! Why do I care? Frustrated, he buried his face even deeper, wishing desperately that he could remember. This…this isn’t helping. He let out a small huff, finally realizing that he wasn’t burying his face into a pillow but deeper and deeper into the softness of Sunggyu’s chest. This isn’t helping at all.

Suddenly, Woohyun felt the chest vibrating beneath him. Sunggyu was chuckling. “What are you doing?” he asked in a voice thick with sleep.

Woohyun slowly raised his head to meet Sunggyu’s gaze. The look in the elder’s eyes made his throat tighten. Woohyun didn’t know what to do or say. He just let out a “Hm?” through pursed lips.

Sunggyu laughed again, grabbing the back of Woohyun’s head, making the younger to bow his head back down into his chest. Suggyu tightened his hold on Woohyun and kissed him on the crown of his head. “Cute,” Sunggyu said accompanied by a long yawn. “Let’s sleep some more.” Woohyun then felt the other rest his cheek on top of the messy hair. Sunggyu took in a deep breath as he nestled into Woohyun’s dark locks. “You stink,” he teased.

An escape. Woohyun wiggled out of Sunggyu’s hold. “Hahaha,” he forced out a laugh. He then pretended to sniff him and faked a cough. “Whew! You’re right, hyung,” he practically shouted as he kept squirming until Sunggyu let go. Woohyun then rolled out of bed, landing on his already sore behind, but he ignored the shooting pain and stood up. “I should go take a shower right now before…hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha”  he kept crazily laughing until he backed out of the room, almost tripping on someone’s pants (there were clothes strewn all over). After he turned the corner, Woohyun sprinted into the bathroom and locked the door. He leaned against the cool tile wall to collect his thoughts and to catch his breath. What happened? Think, Woohyun. Think!  He opened his eyes and caught sight of himself in the mirror. His hair was a mess. It was arrayed into haphazard spikes as if someone had pulled it in all directions. He’ll really need a shower to tame it. Then he looked down. Earlier he had only caught sight of the band of his boxers, but he was also still wearing his pants. That would mean that the pants in the room were…Woohyun groaned and leaned his forehead against the mirror. At least he didn’t see any hickies on his own body (and Woohyun didn’t know how to take that exactly). He sighed and turned on the tap in the shower. Hopefully the hot water will wake him up and maybe awaken some memories as well.

But it didn’t.

He walked into the kitchen, almost in the same condition as before he had showered, except that he was now wet and smelled better. His body was still sore, everywhere. And his headache only became more painful, the more he tried to remember. So he gave up trying. Maybe hyung will just tell me, and so when he walked out of his bedroom, Woohyun was wholly prepared to ask Sunggyu but the words were caught in his throat. Sunggyu was making breakfast.

It wasn’t like Sunggyu had never made him breakfast before. But back then, it was all a part of their rouse, and more than anything else, it was just a division of household chores. But this was different. Sunggyu wasn’t complaining or grumbling as usual, aggressively rubbing the sleep away from his eyes as he stomped and pouted over the range. In fact, now he was humming a slow but happy tune, and it almost seemed like he was…glowing. Even though his back was turned to Woohyun, Woohyun could tell that Sunggyu was smiling just from his posture. Something about this whole entire scene just seemed so domestic. And it scared Woohyun.

“Oh,” Sunggyu exclaimed in surprise, slightly jumping back, after finally noticing Woohyun who had sat down at the table . “I didn’t hear you come in.” And that’s when Woohyun finally saw it, Sunggyu’s smile. It wasn’t very big or overwhelming, but there was a feeling of satisfaction behind it, finally being content with one’s lot in life. What happened last night? While Woohyun was still pondering that question over, Sunggyu walked over with a pot of stew, carefully made for both of their hang-overs, and placed it in the middle of the table, giving Woohyun a peck on the cheek before sitting down himself. “You’re really quiet this morning. It’s nice,” the elder said as he arranged the bowls in front of him. He then took a spoonful of the soup and loudly slurped it down. And that was the only noise to pass through the room. Woohyun still sat there, unmoving, only watching the other drink from the pot. He was still waiting for any sure sign, for any memory to return about the night before because this was really freaking him out.

Sunggyu noticed the younger watching him eat and flashed him a tight-lipped smile. But slowly the corners of his mouth turned downwards, and his lips parted. His eyes widened to twice their size before he shut them tightly. Dropping his spoon, he grabbed at the sides of his head and bowed down towards the table. “F**k…you don’t remember anything from last night, do you?”

“No,” Woohyun finally admitted. His eyes were darting around everywhere as he asked, “Hyung, did we…”

“No!” Sunggyu quickly denied, waving his hands in the air. “Y-you just fell asleep.”

“But my…” Woohyun looked down at his rear end and grimaced in pain.

Sunggyu sighed. It wasn’t the time to tell Woohyun that the wrong part of his bum was hurting for that to be true.  “You fell off the bed last night,” Sunggyu explained. “You roll around a lot in your sleep unless…ahem.” He coughed to cover up his last statement.

Woohyun leaned forward and asked again, “So nothing happened last night? Nothing at all?”

Sunggyu searched the other’s face. Woohyun was scared. He really didn’t remember a single thing. Not a single damn thing. And Sunggyu was feeling too bitter to remind him. “Nope. Nothing,” he lied, returning to his breakfast. He heard Woohyun let out a sigh of relief, which made his heart twinge. Sunggyu got up from the table. “Look,  I forgot that I have to go into work today. My students just turned their papers in, and grades are due soon.”

“Oh, okay,” Woohyun mumbled watching Sunggyu leave. “I’ll see you later?” Sunggyu nodded, not even casting a glance back. “Thanks for breakfast, hyung!”

“Yea. Whatever,” Sunggyu grumbled and slammed his door. Once the door was shut, Sunggyu leaned his back against it and slid down onto the floor. He drew his knees into his chest and bit his lip, trying hard to fight back the screams and curses boiling up inside of him. His cheeks were red hot, and he could even feel the tips of his ears burning. “So f***ing embarrassing,” he mumbled into his knees. But with that utter embarrassment crept in disappointment because last night had been one of the best nights of his life (which made this morning the worst).

Sunggyu thought that he might have been presumptuous, leading Woohyun into his bedroom last night, but the way the younger was kissing him and allowed Sunggyu to take off his shirt to explore his skin with hands and tongue, made Sunggyu believe that things were heading in that direction. And the way Woohyun subsequently pinned Sunggyu to his own bed and began to hastily unbutton the elder’s shirt, meant that Woohyun might’ve seen things heading in that direction too.

“It’s okay,” Woohyun’s voice was muffled against Sunggyu’s prickling skin as the younger planted open-mouthed kisses down the other’s neck. He then finally did away with the last pesky button, and his hands began peeling the shirt off of the damp skin.

“What’s okay?” Sunggyu asked, shifting in his spot to allow Woohyun to fully remove his shirt. He wiggled his arms out of each sleeve to rid the frustrating button-down from his body. And now, both men were topless, admiring each other’s bodies as if they had never seen it before. Hands slowly traced the lines of each visible muscle and bone. Lips were inching  closer again.

Woohyun traced Sunggyu’s sharp jawline with his lips before planting a kiss on his chin (much to the other’s dismay). “It’s okay, if you like me,” he replied in all seriousness, his mouth gradually moving upwards with each word until it reached Sunggyu’s.

But then elder pulled back, allowing his head to crash harshly against his pillow as he laughed loudly. Woohyun pulled himself upright, furrowing his brows in confusion as he looked at the maniacally laughing man below him. He was about to get off the other and go back into his own room, but Sunggyu grabbed his hands and pulled Woohyun down into his chest, wrapping his arms around the other tightly. “I kind of figured that out already, dummy,” he teased and planted a kiss onto Woohyun’s cheek.

And Woohyun wasn’t even upset; after all, his feelings for the other had already been expressed with his actions. His words were a little too late. But sometimes it’s still nice to hear those things, and judging by Sunggyu’s reaction, he had liked it. As obvious as it was, it was still good to hear. And so Woohyun had wanted to do it again, tell the elder things that he wanted to hear. “Hyung, let’s end this,” he said cheerfully, resting his chin in the middle of the other’s chest and looking up at him with smiling eyes.

Sunggyu’s arms slackened around the other. His face went stiff. “W-what?”

Woohyun smiled mischievously and wiggled himself a bit upwards. “Let’s stop this fake relationship and become real lovers.”

And Sunggyu didn’t need to be asked twice. He responded like Woohyun had earlier, not with words but by pulling the other up into a long and languid kiss, acting as if they had all the time in the world and not like it was a few hours until dawn. For Sunggyu, he thought they did. All of the rest of their time, devoted to one another. This was it.

And it was exciting for awhile, until Woohyun, like a little puppy, was worn out by all of the excitement and passed out on Sunggyu’s stomach, before they could actually do anything that lovers did (he had frustratingly fallen asleep after ‘appreciating’ Sunggyu’s hipbones. It was looking like Woohyun would travel lower, but then the younger started rubbing his cheeks against Sunggyu’s stomach, singing ‘soft belly, warm belly, little happy trail.’ He was asleep a few seconds later). Sunggyu sighed as he laid the worn-out man next to him. He wasn’t upset, disappointed maybe, but not upset. Let’s stop this fake relationship and become real…lovers. Those words had opened up the floodgates, allowing what Sunggyu had dammed up for so long to spill over and pour through his entire body. He could finally allow himself to feel it. He wasn’t afraid anymore. He was in love, and it was hard to be upset with that. So he fell asleep to the sight of his new lover’s face…until Woohyun woke him up by rolling off of the bed, whining loudly at the painful landing. And that’s when Sunggyu took Woohyun into his arms. At first it was to comfort the other, who was still whimpering about his sore bottom (after all Sunggyu didn’t see himself as the cuddling type, and swore to himself that he would stop as soon as Woohyun was asleep). But then he noticed how still Woohyun was in his arms, how relaxed the younger seemed. Sunggyu concluded that this was much better than falling asleep at the mere sight of a new lover, by far.

But then he woke up. And Woohyun had forgotten everything.

Sunggyu dragged a hand roughly down his face as he groaned. He had acted so damn lovingly this morning, and it obviously scared the hell out of Woohyun. He couldn’t even remember how he felt? Was it all fake? Just lip-service? Anger began to boil in the pits of his stomach, hateful steam rising and filling his entire body. That bastard had done something almost irreversible, making Sunggyu fall completely for him, making him vulnerable. But Sunggyu wasn’t angry at Woohyun. He was angry with himself. He promised that he wasn’t going to get his heart broken again for being cowardly, but now his heart was on the verge of shattering because he had been emboldened by alcohol last night.

Whether it broke or not was up to Woohyun, and Sunggyu didn’t like his odds.

There was a soft knock on the door, pulling Sunggyu out of his spiraling thoughts. “Hyung,” Woohyun called out through the door. “I told my mom that I would make kimchi with her today.”

Sunggyu took in a deep breath. “Oh okay,” he said in the strongest voice he could muster. “Goodbye.”

“Bye hyung.”

❝I once broke up with my girlfriend in high school because of a small misunderstanding. What’s so scary about love is that, even if you truly love someone… after you say the word “Goodbye”, it can all be over.❞

-Sunggyu (06.2013 The Star Interview)

Beep beep. Woohyun unlocked the car and threw an overnight bag into it before climbing into the driver’s seat. He had planned this trip back home weeks ago, when he thought that he and Sunggyu would’ve ended their  ‘relationship’ and that they would need the space. But now Woohyun thought that they really needed space. Sunggyu’s mood soured pretty quickly, which only made Woohyun’s stomach churn. What had he done wrong?

Woohyun turned on the engine and pulled out of the driveway, putting even more space between them. A weekend at his parent’s house was what he needed, and he needed to do some mindless task like making kimchi to calm him down. But with every mile he drove, Woohyun became more upset. And he really didn’t know why, but it was becoming as annoying a the dull pain in his head. He turned on some music to distract himself. But then he quickly turned it back off. Sunggyu was a music professor.

And that was it, the root of all of his problems: Kim Sunggyu. First, because of Sunggyu he was robbed of a fiancée. Then he was forced to share his apartment with him, and if that wasn’t enough, Woohyun also had to share a life with him as his fake boy friend. Sunggyu had embarrassed him and belittled him the whole time, always delivering insults and attacking him with vacuum cleaners. Then at the wedding, Sunggyu had ignored him whenever Dongwoo was around. And now the man had become bipolar. Maybe it was time that they should end this.

But…

It was okay that Woohyun didn’t end up with Choa. They made better friends than lovers. And Woohyun didn’t really want to be alone in his apartment. He didn’t mind Sunggyu…especially Sunggyu. Because even though the elder had insulted him (it really was only a part of their banter anyways) and embarrassed (in retaliation for all of the embarrassing things Woohyun himself had put him through), Woohyun enjoyed spending time with Sunggyu, a lot. Except for at the wedding. Woohyun hated Sunggyu being so nice to Dongwoo not because he was ignored but because it made him jealous. The truth of the matter was: Woohyun didn’t want to end it. He might be the most selfish person on the planet, but he wanted to keep Sunggyu by his side for as long as he could, especially in this vague zone of ‘are they’ or ‘aren’t they.’ It was comfortable. And even if it was to Sunggyu’s detriment, Woohyun didn’t want it to end. But apparently, he already had.

Let’s end this and become real lovers.

Woohyun almost slammed his breaks in the middle of the highway. He remembered. He suddenly remembered everything. The messy kisses, the teasing touches, the soft whispers, his own eagerness, his desire to mark Sunggyu as his, and then the look in Sunggyu’s eyes when he had said those words.

Woohyun pulled over onto the side of the highway and rested his forehead on the steering wheel. He had really screwed up this time.

Sunggyu clutched onto his very own overnight bag. After Woohyun had left, Sunggyu had thrown several things into this duffle bag and went to his old tried and true sanctuary, his childhood home. Looks like both of the men were running away to their mommies and away from each other.

A large part of Sunggyu expected the reaction from this morning. Woohyun scared easily, especially when it came to Sunggyu, and he ran easily too. When he had told Woohyun that he was gay, well, they both of them ran from that conversation and opted to watch an action movie instead. Then when they kissed at the grocery store, Woohyun had basically ran into the arms of his girlfriend and proposed to her. So after last night, Sunggyu wouldn’t be surprised if Woohyun came back having eloped with some girl he’d just met.

All he knew about Woohyun was that he was ‘just a bit curious.’ But was that curiosity sated with Dongwoo, or last night? The only thing that Sunggyu knew for sure was that he was ‘just a bit’ screwed.

 “Mom! I’m home!” Sunggyu yelled, walking through the doors and dumping his bag on the ground.

“Oh, honey, I didn’t know you were coming!” He heard his mother yell back from the kitchen. Mrs. Kim walked into the hallway to greet her son and was wiping her hands with a towel (she was in the midst of cooking something delicious and Sunggyu could smell it). She looked around in surprise. “Hm? Where’s Woohyun?” Her eyes dropped down and locked onto the duffle bag. She cocked her head, her maternal senses kicking in.

Sunggyu brushed past his mom and into the kitchen, following the delicious smell. “He went home to make kimchi,” he explained. And then he found it, his favorite cookies fresh from the oven. His mother was probably only moments away from delivering them to him.

Mrs. Kim walked up to his side and nodded. “I recall his mom saying something about that. But I guess we assumed that you would go with him,” she stated, curiously watching her son eat.

“Why?”

“Well,” she began, resting her elbows on the counter. “Woohyunnie doesn't go home often, and you haven’t met his father yet.”

And I probably never will. Sunggyu put down the half-eaten cookie and wrapped his arms around his mother’s waist. “Mom…can I stay here?” he asked.

“Why?” her voice sounded hesitant.

Sunggyu pulled away and shrugged.“Nothing. I just miss you,” he said cutely.

His mother frowned and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “No.”

“Mommy,” Sunggyu whined, pouting and reaching for his mother’s arm.

But then she grabbed him and pulled him back to the front door. “Sunggyu! Don’t do this! Don’t act like him!” she chided him, leaving Sunggyu to wonder whom she had meant. “If you’re having troubles with someone, you can’t just walk away and hide somewhere. You can’t just leave!” she shouted and let go of her son’s wrist as soon as they reached the door. She picked up the bag and tossed it into Sunggyu’s arms. Then it became obvious whom she had meant. My father. The same one who stood where he was years ago with bags in his hands, and left. Sunggyu looked back up to his mother who appeared to be calming down but her eyes were glistening with tears from the memory of the old pain. “At least try to talk to him first, or else Woohyun will always be left hanging wondering what he did wrong. Asking himself what he could’ve done differently to make you stay. He won’t be able to get over it. He won’t get closure.”

“Mom,” Sunggyu spoke in a hushed voice. He had no idea that she felt this way. She was still holding onto his father because he had never let her go. They never resolved their feelings. “Okay. I’ll go back,” Sunggyu yielded.

Mrs. Kim took her son’s cheeks in her hands and squished them. “That’s my boy,” she praised. She then let go and became serious again. “Sunggyu, whatever it is, I’m sure that you two can pull through it. You guys have something special.”

Sunggyu sighed. I’m not sure about any of that. But he nodded along anyway.  “I’ll call sometime to do lunch,” he told her before he left. He stepped outside and looked up at the sky. “What now?”

Towns away, Woohyun was sitting on the floor with a large tub in front of him. Making kimchi was a pastime that he and his mother shared since he was little and ‘Mommy’s Lil Helper’ in the kitchen. And something about the sharp smell, and the sloshing noises, and the feeling of the crisp cabbage was comforting. But not today. His palms were sweaty, the rubber gloves sticking to his skin. And he was sweaty and hot all over in general. There was a strange lump in his throat that no amount of water could wash away, and his chest was unbearably tight. The symptoms of his hangover had dissipated, but now he was plagued with a new illness: anxiety. But he had to do this today. He had to get this off his chest.

“Mom,” his tongue felt heavy in his mouth. His mother perked up her head. “I,” Woohyun began stuttering. “I’m in love with Sunggyu.”

“Well, duh!” his mother laughed and returned her attention to the tub in front of her. “You’ve only been dating him for a few months now.”

“I’m not joking!” Woohyun objected. That outburst caught his mother’s attention again. She looked back up at Woohyun while rubbing the sauce on the cabbage. “Look, Sunggyu and I have been…faking it,’ he confessed. “Faking the whole being a relationship. And I was actually seeing Cho-uh-I mean Minseon on the side.”

“Woohyun!” she yelled, dropping the cabbage into the tub with a wet plop.

“We broke up though, for good,” Woohyun tried to assuage her anger. He then looked down, spreading the cabbage leaves in his hands. “But…I don’t think I’m faking it with Sunggyu anymore. I’m…I’m…I like men.” He was admitting this for the very first time, both to himself and aloud. He had tried so hard to be normal, to live life according to that damn manual he made. He wanted to live up to the expectations that society had and that he had for himself. But he couldn’t. No matter how hard he tried to force it, he couldn’t. Slowly he lifted his gaze back at his mother, who was smiling at him softly.

“I know.”

“Huh?”

“I know,” she repeated. “Your father and I have always known. It was the reason why you and your father hadn’t had the best relationship. He’s come to terms with it now, but…” She left that last part hanging. Woohyun knew exactly what she meant regardless. But still…

“How?” Woohyun asked. “How could you know?”

“Parents normally do. And they normally know before the children do, before the children know anything about love or attraction,” she explained. Then she giggled a bit, nervously. “ I actually had this conversation with Dongwoo’s mother years back. She knew about Dongwoo too.” Mrs. Nam then leaned forward and tapped Woohyun on the nose, leaving a smudge of red pepper sauce. “And you. Little Mr. Stubborn, you were always such a smooth liar. You had a reason for everything,” she teased as she sat back down. She clicked her tongue. “I think that you might’ve even convinced yourself over all these years that you weren’t gay. But it’s not something you fight. It’s something you accept.”

“But…is it really okay?” he asked. This all seemed a little too easy. He had expected shouting and disappointment (but then again, his mother did set him up with Sunggyu in the first place, so Woohyun shouldn’t have been that surprised at this reaction). “I mean, I won’t ever be able to give you grandchildren. Biological ones anyway,” he reminded her.

“Sweetie, that’s what Boohyun’s for,” she joked with a lilting laugh. Sadly, Boohyun probably thought that way too, which was probably why he wanted to have so many children. Woohyun finally relaxed and laughed along, smiling for the first time that day. But then he tensed up at hearing his father’s voice.

“Oh, Woohyun’s home! Hello son!” Mr. Nam called out to his son, bending over to pat Woohyun’s shoulders. “Oh!” Suddenly his father poked at a spot on Woohyun’s back, just above his collar. It stung. Woohyun stiffened realizing what it was (and a part of him that wasn’t frightened out of his mind was happy that he wasn’t the only one who wanted to mark the other). His father just chuckled and patted Woohyun’s back. “It looks like someone had fun last night,” he teased. Woohyun looked up at him in shock. He really does know. And…it’s okay.  “I’m going to watch the game,” Mr. Nam announced. “Join me after you finish up here, okay? You little rascal.” The old man to continued to laugh as he traipsed into the living room. Woohyun turned back to his mother in a daze.

“And you said that you and Sunggyu were faking it,” she teased, raising a questioning eyebrow at him.

“We were,” Woohyun defended himself. He huffed and returned to preparing the kimchi.

But his mother was still curious. “What happened then?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” he admitted under his breath. “At some point in time, we both ended up trying to make it, us, actually work.”

“When was that?”

He lifted his gaze again. “I…I really don’t know,” he stammered as he began to pull off the rubber gloves. This wasn’t a conversation to be having with his mother, or at least not yet. Sunggyu deserved to hear it first, especially after all the crap Woohyun had put him through this morning. He had to go back home. “Mom, I got to go,” he declared as he got up from his spot. “I have to do something.”

“Oh, okay,” she answered slightly startled, watching her son quickly gather his things. “Hey Woohyun-ah? Bring Sunggyu the next time you come over,” she suggested as Woohyun opened the door to leave.

He flashed a confident grin back at her. “Will do!”

❝Ah, but really, Sunggyu hyung is really handsome. His skin is so pearly white, and his eyes are really big❞

-Woohyun (120109 Younha’s Starry Night)

It was getting dark outside, and it was a gloomy overcast night so it seemed even darker and more dreary with the sky robbed of its stars. The apartment was the same, dark, save for a small overhanging light in the kitchen. And in spite of his late night the night before, Sunggyu couldn’t sleep. He was tired as hell, but he still couldn’t sleep. And so he was making coffee, which will deprive him of even more sleep. Sunggyu couldn’t have cared less. He was in the mood for something bitter.

All day, after being sent home by his mother, he contemplate about what he’d say to Woohyun if he saw him again (because as the hours past Sunggyu was doubtful if the other would ever come back). And after a day of planning all Sunggyu could come up with was “What the f**k do you want?” Perhaps not the best thing to say, but it got straight to the point. He hadn’t come up with something better. Also he hadn’t come up with something more.  So he’d lead with that and see where it would go from there.

Sunggyu picked up his mug, about to drink out of it, but his hand trembled and it spilled. “Shit!” He walked over to the counter to pick up a rag and wipe up the mess. This just wasn’t his day.

He was about to turn around when a pair of arms snuck around his waist. Sunggyu froze. He hadn’t heard anybody come in. He was going to fight back, but a pair of warm lips pressed against the nape of his neck. Sunggyu sighed, knowing exactly who is was now, and turned around wholly prepared to ask his brilliant question. Then Woohyun raised his head and pecked Sunggyu on the lips, derailing what little of a plan that Sunggyu had.

“What was that for?” Sunggyu asked in a daze.

“I don’t know,” Woohyun replied with a shrug. He wiggled a bit, back and forth, acting cute. “Just cause.”

Sunggyu narrowed his eyes and threw the other’s arms away from him. “What did you do? Is someone here? Is it your mom?” That was only explanation for this burst of affection. Woohyun did nothing without an audience.

Woohyun pouted. “Can’t I just be nice to my lover without doing something wrong or having someone to watch?”

“Wait,” Sunggyu paused and studied the other. The way that Woohyun pronounced ‘lover’ was deliberate. “D-do you remember?”

“Last night?” Woohyun asked. Sunggyu nodded. “Mostly. Why? Am I not allowed to remember?” he joked with a light chuckled.

“No, it’s just that,” Sunggyu struggled finding the right words. “You were really freaked out earlier, and I thought…you regretted it.”

Woohyun stepped closer to Sunggyu, pinning him to the counter. His ran his hands up and down the elder’s upper arms gently. “The only thing I regret is not being able to remember the night entirely,” he spoke in a low voice, biting his lip.

Sunggyu shot him a skeptical look and pushed him away.  “I don’t believe you. Someone’s here, aren’t they? Mom? Mrs. Nam?” he called out, searching for their mothers as he brushed past Woohyun into the living room.

Woohyun chased after him, finding the elder looking lost in the room as if he hadn’t been there before. “Okay okay. I was freaked, alright? “ he admitted. Sunggyu stopped searching for anybody else and faced Woohyun. “I woke up not remembering anything, but you did. And you were so…happy. Then I felt sore everywhere. And all those hickies…”

“I get it. I get it,” Sunggyu cut him off falling onto the couch. His quickly reddening face was hidden behind his hands.

Woohyun walked over to the other side of the couch and sat down. He put a hand on his hyung’s knee. “It’s just that I knew something changed, and I didn’t know what it was,” he explained. Sunggyu let his hands drop from his face and watched the other from the corner of his eye. Woohyun squeezed the knee and continued, “And that’s scary, hyung.”

“What about now?” Sunggyu asked. He glanced over at the younger who seemed puzzled by the question. Sunggyu faced him head-on and reiterated, “Now that you remember, is it still scary?”

“At first it was,” Woohyun confessed. He saw Sunggyu’s face fall and regretted being so honest. Woohyun scooted closer and spoke in a low and gentle voice, “Only because I was exposed and embarrassed. This wasn’t a part of my plan. None of this was. And I had denied it for so long, tried to stop it. Tried to make things right again. But then I remembered.” Woohyun stopped.

Sunggyu scoffed, rolling his eyes. Woohyun was looking at him expectantly to ask why. “Remembered what?” Sunggyu gave in.

“That there was nothing to fix,” he answered with a shake of his head. “The person that I love, loves me back. And there’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Love?” Sunggyu repeated, looking down at his lap with a small smile.

Woohyun’s own smile grew brighter. “Yea, love,” he repeated. He slid down the couch until he was right next to the other, with their thighs touching. Woohyun held onto Sunggyu’s arm tightly and rested his head on the other’s shoulder. “I love you,” he said again. “So don’t be mad, okay? Don’t be mad because I’m stupid.”

Sunggyu glanced down at the pouting Woohyun begging for forgiveness. He chuckled, pulling his arm away from Woohyun’s grasp only to wrap it around Woohyun. “If I was mad every time you were being stupid, I’d never be happy again,” Sunggyu joked.

“Are you happy now?”

Sunggyu rest his head on top of the other and nestled into Woohyun’s fluffy hair. “Eung,” he hummed.

The day wasn’t perfect. It was cloudy and overcast because it was the rainy season when it was annoying hot and cold at the same time. And Woohyun had a horrible day at work. He had to fire someone, which he hated to do. And the person ended up crying, which meant that Woohyun ended up comforting them and perhaps added a thing or two into the severance package that he shouldn’t have (and he’d get yelled by the boss later for it). He had to skip lunch to finish work that he’d put off, but it was all worth it because he got off right on time.  He had someone special waiting for him. Today was the day. He felt the small box in his pants’ pocket as he watched Sunggyu through the window of the restaurant (the one where they had their first official date). And in less than an hour, he was going to propose to him.

He walked inside, trying to be as nonchalant as possible, but he couldn’t hide the excited spring in his step. He could hardly wait, and he didn’t wait very long. Almost as soon as he sat down, Woohyun said, “Sunggyu, I have something to ask you.”

“Hm?” Sunggyu hummed, looking at the drinks menu not sparing the other a glance. “You want some wine? Let’s get a red.”

“Actually, I think champagne might suit the occasion better,” Woohyun hinted. Sunggyu slowly put down the menu, narrowed his eyes and tilted his head in his usual fox-like expression. Woohyun grinned and reached for his pocket. “Hyung, I…”

“No. NO!” Sunggyu objected, grabbing Woohyun’s arm and stopping him. “You’re not doing this!”

Woohyun was crestfallen and slunk down into his seat. “Huh? Wha—“

Sunggyu let go of the arm and pointed to himself, “I was going to. I was planning for weeks. You’re not going to steal this from me, Nam Woohyun!” he shouted, now shaking his finger at the man across from him.

“B-but,” Woohyun stuttered, confused at the recent turn. “I made the reservations a week ago.”

“After I suggested it,” Sunggyu fought back.

And he did. Woohyun could remember it clearly: the two of them were on the couch watching t.v.. Sunggyu was laying on top of Woohyun that night. Woohyun remembered that because he could recall how adorable it was when Sunggyu looked up at him and asked,  “Hey, you know what would be fun?”

“Hm?”

 “Remember the restaurant that we went to with Yeol?”

“Our first date,” Woohyun answered fondly, stroking the elder’s cute head.

“Yea, we should go there again.”

“Okay, I’ll make the reservations,” Woohyun offered. And that was the end of the conversation. Huh? I guess Sunggyu  did start planning this first. He then felt a pang of guilt. In comparison to that, it looked like he’d was proposing on a whim.

“And I never want to do things like this so just let me,” Sunggyu whined.

Woohyun smiled. Either way, he was leaving the dinner with a fiancé. “Okay, hyung. You can propose to me,” he yielded.

At that, Sunggyu screwed his face into an unreadable expression. He then threw his napkin and crossed his arms, looking away. “No. It’s ruined now. I’m not doing it,” he protested.

“No, wait, Gyu! Please do it. Please!” Woohyun begged, moving his chair closer to the other. Now he was curious to see what the other was going to do.

“But you already know,” Sunggyu huffed. He turned his gaze back to Woohyun who was looking up at him with feigned innocence (his trademark).

Woohyun shook his head. “No, I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he insisted. He opened up the wine menu again. “I thought we were getting wine. How about this one?” He pointed at a random brand on the list. “This seems good for a completely normal and not special moment.”

Sunggyu broke into a laugh, seeing how committed to the bit Woohyun was. He must really want me to do it. Which was odd, because Woohyun would take any opportunity to put his affection on display. He relished in moments like these. So the fact that Woohyun gave in so easily spoke volumes. The laughter drifted away, and Sunggyu became somber. “Woohyun?” he began and the younger scooted in closer, making Sunggyu smile. “I’m not really good at expressing myself.”

“Really, hyung? Geez, and you’re a college professor,” Woohyun teased.

Sunggyu threw his napkin on the table again. “I’m not doing this,” he protested, threatening to get up.

“I’LL SHUT UP!” Woohyun shouted, pulling Sunggyu down to get him to sit back in the chair. “I’ll shut up,” he said more quietly once Sunggyu sat down. And Woohyun hid his lips behind his teeth.

“I’m not good at expressing…my feelings,” Sunggyu restated. “Or at least in words. So…do you hear this song playing?” Woohyun nodded. “I wrote it for you.”

“Wait! What?!” Woohyun exclaimed with wide eyes. The song had been playing in the background for awhile now. “Hyung! Restart it! I missed the beginning. I'm missing all of it,” he complained. He couldn’t believe that he was missing it, his special song.

Sunggyu laughed at how distraught the other was. He turned to the wait staff and gestured at them to start the song again. “Did you sing this?” Woohyun whispered, afraid that he might miss the song again.

“Did you seriously think that I only studied music?” Sunggyu teased.

“Shh!” Woohyun hushed, covering the other’s mouth. The song had started up again, and now that he was really listening to it, Woohyun became confused and worried. The melody, the lyrics, it all wasn’t particularly happy or adoring. It wasn’t like Sunggyu was belting out, “Baby! My love beautiful!” It was almost sad.

 Sunggyu noted the other’s confusion and leaned in, whispering in his ear, “This…is how I felt before we got together, when we were still pretending. And this place made me realize that I wasn’t. Pretending that is. And I wanted to try.” Woohyun turned towards him with his expression unchanged, but that didn’t stop Sunggyu. “For the first time, I actually wanted to try to make a relationship work. And for the first time, I wanted to do something like this, and not do it because I felt like I had to. But because I really wanted to. Because, I think, I’m in love for the first time. And so, Nam Woohyun,” he spoke the name gently as he reached into his pocket. He took out a golden band. Then he reached for Woohyun’s hand and slipped the ring right on, not giving the other a choice (because let’s face it, Woohyun would’ve said yes anyway). “You’re going to marry me because I’m not going to let you go,” he declared.

Woohyun lunged forward and enveloped the other in a hug. He nuzzled his head in the crook of Sunggyu’s shoulder and said a muffled “Thank you.” Which Sunggyu found so endearing that he hugged the younger even closer…which made Woohyun cling on tighter like it was a competition.

“Okay. Okay. I can’t breathe. Let go,” Sunggyu said in a strained voice, tapping the other’s arms.

And Woohyun let go willingly. “Okay. My turn!” he announced leaning back into his seat and reaching into his pocket.

“What? But I just…”

“Too bad, hyung,” Woohyun cut him off. “I prepared, and I want to do it too. Give me your hand,” he commanded as he made grabby hands at the other.

Sunggyu reluctantly handed it over. “What are you doing?” he asked as Woohyun turned his hand over with the palm facing up. Woohyun just smiled and placed a long wooden stick in it. Sunggyu looked down at the stick and back up at the other. “What is this?”

“You don’t recognize it?” Woohyun was a bit saddened. “I got it from Miss Gong.”

“Oh!” Sunggyu exclaimed, finally recognizing it. It was one of the old lady’s diving sticks. Sunggyu chuckled in disbelief. “No way.”

“Remember when this formed a heart, hyung? And then we were told that we were soul mates?” Woohyun asked, and Sunggyu nodded still studying the stick. “At first I didn’t believe it,” Woohyun spoke as he made Sunggyu put his palm out flat again. He then took out his red pocket square with a flourish and placed it over the stick. Woohyun waved his hand over Sunggyu’s palm, mumbling some gibberish. Then suddenly he tore away the cloth and the stick had disappeared.

“What? Where did it go?” Sunggyu blubbered, staring at his hand in disbelief.

Woohyun chuckled at the elder’s amazed expression. And while Sunggyu was still babbling, Woohyun decided to catch him off guard. He reached into the inside of Sunggyu’s suit coat and pulled out a heart shaped box. “I didn’t believe it until I saw this heart. Yours,” Woohyun said with a cheeky grin. And Sunggyu looked at him with a mixed expression of amazement, bafflement, and disgust at his words. He was also patting down the front of the coat wondering what else Woohyun might’ve hidden in there. Woohyun chuckled but still continued, grabbing one of Sunggyu’s hands, “Hyung, us meeting then was fate. The signs were there, but you know I can be stupid. It took me awhile to see it. But I love you, Sunggyu. You’re mine.” He opened the heart shaped box, revealing a golden band as well. He took it out and turned Sunggyu’s hand over, putting it on. “And I’m not letting go of you either,” he promised giving the hand a squeeze.

“You’re gross,” was the first thing Sunggyu said afterwards. Woohyun frowned, causing Sunggyu to chuckle a bit. “Come here,” Sunggyu beckoned, opening up his arms to the other. Woohyun fell in. “I love you so much,” Sunggyu whispered, and that was exactly what Woohyun wanted to hear. But then Sunggyu let go and pulled away. “Now how did you do that? Did you put it in your coat?” he demanded.

Woohyun clicked his tongue and wagged his finger, “A magician never reveals his secrets.”

“It was up your sleeves?” Sunggyu guessed, but Woohyun still wasn’t giving in. “Come on, you’re not a real wizard.”

“Really?” Woohyun challenged, raising an eyebrow. “How about some champagne? Yap!” he exclaimed, waving his finger in the air. Then the waiters suddenly appeared at their table handing them glasses and filling them with champagne.

Sunggyu rolled his eyes. He had ordered the champagne earlier and even told them when to deliver it. “Impressive,” his voice was dripping in sarcasm.

“You’ll like my next trick,” Woohyun retorted. Sunggyu raised an eyebrow, taking a sip from his glass. Woohyun leaned in and whispered breathily into his ear, “Remember, last time in the bathroom? How about I do it for real this time?”

Sunggyu tipped back the glass, downing the rest of the drink. He hit Woohyun on the shoulder as he got up from the table. “Let’s go.”

❝Always be happy, ‘till your heart burns out!!❞

-Sunggyu (120123 Twitter)