Work Text:
"Hey, Sieun. Don’t you think Gotak's been acting weird lately?" Humin jabbed Sieun’s arm with his finger.
Sieun barely glanced up from his book, not bothering to answer.
They were sitting on the concrete steps by the outdoor basketball court, watching Hyuntak teach Juntae how to shoot three-pointers.
Sieun had insisted he needed to study for the upcoming test — but they dragged him out here anyway, so he brought his books along.
When Sieun stayed silent, Humin kept going.
"I mean... he's softer now."
At that, Sieun finally paused, lifting his head to look at the court.
Juntae missed another shot, and Hyuntak immediately stepped behind him, adjusting his arms carefully. His voice was low, his face practically glowing.
“Your arm position is wrong and you’re too stiff. Let’s try again, yeah?”
He even patted Juntae’s head like he was some precious puppy.
And not long after that, a stray ball from a nearby soccer team almost hit Juntae in the head if it’s not for Hyuntak catching it. He kicked the ball back, not before saying “Kick with your foot, not your ass! You motherfuckers almost hit us!”
Sieun closed his eyes for a second, like he was praying for patience, then went back to his book.
"Why don't you ask him yourself?"
"Ask him what? ‘Hey Gotak, why are you acting weird and nice sometimes?’ He’d probably call me a dumbass and beat my ass too while he's at it."
"Exactly."
"What do you mean, exactly?"
Sieun sighed. He closed his book and looked at Humin.
"Exactly that. Hyuntak’s always short-tempered, always pissed off at everyone — and he still is."
He nodded toward the court without even looking.
"You're just not paying attention to when exactly he’s not."
Humin stared at him for a second, then turned back to the court, watching Hyuntak checking if Juntae was okay.
He squinted hard, thinking.
"...So like... he's just in a good mood today?"
Sieun sighed again, gave up, and reopened his book.
Humin kept staring at them, long and hard.
Maybe if he stared hard enough, he’d get it.
Feeling the glare, Hyuntak glanced their way and barked,
"What are you looking at, dumbass?"
Humin flinched.
Okay.
Now he was really confused.
The next thing Humin noticed was that Hyuntak was... touchy.
Not touchy like easily offended — he'd been born that way, probably — but touchy as in, he started physical contact. A lot.
Which was weird.
Hyuntak wasn’t like Sieun, who dodged every hug like it might kill him, but he wasn’t exactly the affectionate type either.
Normally, it was Humin who slung an arm around Hyuntak’s shoulders or gave him a noogie just to be annoying.
Hyuntak? At best, he tolerated it. Barely.
So it definitely caught Humin off guard when he saw Hyuntak pinch Juntae’s cheek — gently — right after scolding him for talking with his mouth full.
Or when Hyuntak grabbed both of Juntae’s hands and beamed at him, jumping up and down like he’d just won a gold medal, all because Juntae finally managed to land a shot.
Humin frowned.
Was... was that normal?
Later that day, Sieun somehow managed to drag all their lazy asses to the library to study.
Everyone agreed — especially about Humin — that they needed to at least pretend to study for a couple of hours.
So here they were, crammed into a table at the back of the library.
Since Humin was more stupider ("It’s ‘more stupid,’ you 90 IQ dumbass," Hyuntak had corrected him helpfully), he sat beside Sieun for tutoring, while the other two sat across from them.
Hyuntak wasn’t dumb exactly, but he definitely wasn’t topping the class either, so Juntae helped him a bit — pointing at textbooks, whispering answers, smiling like a damn angel.
And weirdly enough, Hyuntak actually listened.
Like, really listened.
No cussing, no throwing the book across the table, no "shut the fuck up, I get it" — just nodding along, scribbling notes like some model student, while looking at Juntae like he invented math itself.
Humin frowned at them, confused.
Had... had Hyuntak always been this well-behaved?
Before he could think too hard about it, Juntae suddenly lit up.
“So Tak-ah and I decided to go watch a movie next week after the exam! You guys wanna come too?”
Humin’s brain lagged.
Tak-ah?
Tak-ah?
Since when did we start adding cutesy nicknames around here?
And movie? When the hell did they decide that?
Sieun barely looked up from his book. “Can’t. Visiting Suho and his grandma.”
Juntae nodded like it was no big deal. “Alright! Say hi to them for me.”
Then he turned to Humin, all bright and expectant.
“How about you, Baku?”
Humin opened his mouth to answer but Hyuntak beat him into it.
"He’s busy too," Hyuntak said quickly. "He told me yesterday he has to help his dad with the restaurant. The Saturday after exams is gonna be really busy for them."
Humin blinked, lagging behind.
"I… I did??"
"Yeah," Hyuntak said firmly, like it was obvious. "You forgot already?"
Juntae frowned, concerned.
"Is that so? If you're busy, we can help out instead. We can always reschedule."
"It’s okay, Juntae," Hyuntak said smoothly, waving a hand like he was swatting away the idea. "His dad said it’s good training. He’s gonna take over the shop someday anyway. Best if we don’t meddle."
Juntae still looked a little unsure, but eventually nodded.
"Okay then. But if you need help, just call us, okay?"
"Don’t worry about it," Hyuntak said, practically glowing .
Meanwhile, Humin just sat there, completely lost.
"I guess...?"
Hyuntak nodded like he’d just won a debate, then flashed a grin at Juntae.
"Good. It’s a date, then."
Humin stared at them, his brain completely short-circuiting.
...Wait.
Huh?
When they finally packed up and left the library, Humin lagged behind to pull Hyuntak aside.
"Hey," Humin said, frowning. "What was that back there?"
Hyuntak played dumb. "What was what?"
"You know what I mean!" Humin hissed. "You. Juntae. Since when did you guys start making secret movie plans? Since when are you—" he gestured vaguely, "— buddy-buddy like that ?"
Hyuntak shrugged. "I mean, you and Sieun always ditch us to do your own thing. If anything, you guys are the reason for this."
Humin blinked, thrown off.
He opened his mouth to argue, but Hyuntak just snorted and clapped a heavy hand on his shoulder.
"Yeah. Sorry I gaslighted you, man. Just—just let me have this one, okay? I’ll treat you to something nice later."
Humin squinted at him suspiciously. "Why? Why does it have to be just you and Juntae?"
Hyuntak scratched the back of his neck, looking awkward — or, well, as awkward as Hyuntak could get.
"I just... wanna get to know him better, you know?"
Humin blinked.
"You see him literally every day."
Hyuntak shrugged again, stubborn. "Yeah, but, like... properly. Not just union and school and dumb shit. Real talk. Deep stuff."
Humin squinted harder, brain working overtime.
Was this like... building team morale? A bro-to-bro heart-to-heart thing?
He nodded slowly. "Ah... friendship maintenance. Team building?"
"Sure," Hyuntak said, a little too quickly.
Humin wrinkled his nose, still thinking.
He remembered watching some cartoon with his little cousins at Grandma’s house during New Year — something about a girl who befriended a blue alien. The alien had a "bad meter" that was sky-high because he was always angry and wrecking stuff, and the girl kept trying to lower it by teaching him to be nice.
Wait... was Hyuntak trying to lower his own bad meter?
Was he practicing being nice to Juntae so he could be less of a grouchy asshole?
Before Humin could interrogate him further, Juntae called from the front, waving.
"Are you guys coming? Tteokbokki's waiting!"
Hyuntak immediately brightened and jogged toward him.
"Coming!" he called back.
Humin stood there, hands in his hoodie pocket, brain churning.
Yeah. That had to be it.
Hyuntak was doing self-improvement .
Character development .
Good for him, honestly.
But Park Humin wasn’t the type to just leave things alone.
There was definitely something weird going on, and he was going to get to the bottom of it. If there wasn’t, then he’d at least make sure Hyuntak and Juntae’s so-called "team building" went smoothly.
Not spying. No, no. Supervising. I mean, he was the top dog of Eunjang and it’s in his best interest to ensure all the students of Eunjang were safe and sound.
So on the day of their "bonding activity," Humin sprung into action.
He wore his best hoodie — the one he used back when he was still acting as Na Baekjin’s lackey, all grim and nondescript — perfect for blending into the shadows. He even put on a pair of sunglasses for extra flair, even though they made him look 50% cooler and 90% more suspicious.
He bought a ticket for the same 12 PM movie, carefully choosing a seat one row behind them, close enough to monitor but far enough not to be noticed.
Operation: Friendship Maintenance was officially underway.
Humin slouched in his seat, sunglasses perched on his nose, hoodie up. He cracked open a bag of chips as quietly as he could (which wasn't very quiet at all) and narrowed his eyes at the pair sitting in front of him.
At first, it was normal. Just two guys sharing popcorn, whispering and laughing at the trailers. Totally normal bro behavior. But what Humin noticed was how much more attentive Hyuntak was.
For one, Hyuntak had actually leaned the popcorn bucket over to Juntae, allowing him to grab some with ease. Occasionally he would take a piece of popcorn, and popped it into Juntae’s mouth. Not in the playful, “I’ll feed you if you beg” way Humin was used to — but casually. Casually, with a grin that looked way too soft for someone like Hyuntak. He sometimes would lean in to wipe a smudge off Juntae’s cheek, which rewarded by a cute thanks from the smaller guy.
When Juntae shivered from the theater’s blasting AC, Hyuntak was quick to shrug off his outer jacket and drape it over Juntae's lap. There was a little bit of arguing — Juntae waving his hands and shaking his head — but Hyuntak just smiled and shoved the jacket into place like he wasn’t taking no for an answer.
At one point during the movie, when a sudden loud noise made Juntae flinch, Hyuntak leaned closer and nudged him lightly with his elbow, murmuring something that made Juntae chuckled.
And every time Juntae whispered some ridiculous theory about the movie into his ear, Hyuntak would smile, slow and soft, like he was hearing the most important thing in the world.
Humin slouched lower in his seat, a chip frozen halfway to his mouth.
Was Hyuntak even watching the movie anymore?
At this point, Humin wasn’t even sure Hyuntak remembered they were in a movie theater.
Because from where Humin was sitting, it looked like he was paying a whole lot more attention to Juntae instead.
Way, way more.
It was the longest 2 hours movie Humin had ever sat through, and he barely remembered 80% of the plot — mostly because he’d been too busy supervising (definitely not spying).
So far, Operation: Friendship Maintenance was going well.
Juntae and Hyuntak were walking out of the theater, side by side, Juntae buzzing with excitement as he rattled off his theories about the movie.
Humin hung back, hands stuffed in his hoodie pocket, watching like some kind of weird, judgmental guardian angel.
Humin was pretty sure that Hyuntak, like him, didn’t actually remember most of the movie either. Maybe even less.
Not that it mattered.
Because from the way Hyuntak looked right now — easy, relaxed, glowing — it was obvious he was having fun.
Sure, Hyuntak was a grouchy asshole most of the time, but he wasn’t like Sieun, all cold and dead-eyed. Hyuntak could smile. He could joke around.
But this… This was different. The way he was smiling at Juntae was soft. Too soft.
Not the usual rough, crooked kind of happy he pulled when he was mocking people, or punching someone in the ribs during a fight either.
This was the real deal.
A soft, easy smile.
It sent an uncomfortable shiver down Humin’s spine.
Who the hell was that?
Who the hell was this guy pretending to be Hyuntak?
It was... unsettling.
Humin pulled out his phone and tried calling Sieun, but as usual, no answer. So he texted instead.
“Hey, Operation : Friendship Maintenance is going smoothly, but it’s getting weird. The Pit Bull’s practically turning into a golden retriever or something. Call me back. Oh, and tell Suho I said hi.”
Sent.
Humin trailed behind them to their next destination, the arcade
The arcade was a maze of lights and sound, the perfect chaos that seemed to energize Hyuntak. He had this weird energy about him — unlike Sieun, who hated the crowds and noise, Hyuntak thrived in it. If anything, he looked at home among the flashing neon and clanging machines.
"Let’s hit the basketball hoops first," Hyuntak said, dragging Juntae toward the game.
Juntae smiled. "I know you’re gonna crush me at this one."
Hyuntak smirked confidently, throwing a half-assed flex. "I’m an expert."
And, of course, he dominated. Basket after basket swished through the hoop, barely even aimed, just flicked the balls into the hoop one after another like it was nothing.
Juntae tried to keep up, tongue sticking out in concentration, but by the time the timer buzzed, Hyuntak had doubled his score without even breaking a sweat.
Juntae pouted dramatically.
"You’re cheating. You have an athlete buff."
Hyuntak just grinned and ruffled his hair. "Play better, short stuff.”
But then... things changed.
At the racing game, Juntae casually left Hyuntak in the dust, pulling off wild drifts and perfect turns while Hyuntak crashed into every barrier like a human wrecking ball.
At the rhythm game, Juntae’s fingers blurred across the buttons while Hyuntak lagged two beats behind, missing half the notes.
Humin watched from the sidelines, trying very hard not to burst out laughing.
It was weirdly... cute.
Hyuntak, the so-called rough, tough jock, getting his ass handed to him by a smaller kid — and not even getting mad about it.
Just grinning, rolling his eyes, and following Juntae to the next game like an overgrown golden retriever.
They moved on to the next game, a fighting game, where Hyuntak had a much better chance. He stood tall, ready to show Juntae who was boss. The battle began, but it didn’t go the way Hyuntak expected.
Despite his practiced reflexes, Hyuntak’s usual quick thinking didn’t translate well into the pixelated fighting world. His character was knocked out in mere seconds, and Juntae was barely trying. Humin was still hanging back, trying to hide his laughter as Hyuntak repeatedly failed to land a punch.
“Alright, alright, I’m definitely better at real fights,” Hyuntak grumbled, trying not to look too embarrassed.
Juntae gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder. “Hey, it’s all good. You’ll get there. I can give you some pointers.”
“Nah, maybe fighting real fights is better for me.”
Juntae raised an eyebrow, playful. “You’ve been teaching me how to fight in the real world, so maybe I could repay you by teaching you how to fight in a pixelated world?” He extended his hand for a shake.
Hyuntak smiled, shaking his hand firmly. “It’s a deal.”
After a beat, Hyuntak’s eyes lit up. “Let’s hit that punching machine next. I’ll show you I’m good at something.”
Juntae chuckled, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “Alright, let’s see what you’ve got.”
Hyuntak cracked his neck with a satisfied pop, then stepped up to the punching machine. He tapped it lightly, as if apologizing in advance, before launching into a powerful, fluid roundhouse kick aimed straight at the bag.
WHAM.
The machine screeched. The lights glitched.
The score blew past the highest number and just sat there blinking "ERROR."
Half the arcade turned to look.
A worker stormed over, red-faced.
"NO KICKING! PUNCH ONLY!"
Hyuntak stood there, looking like he’d just been handed a participation trophy he didn’t want.
"Should’ve put that on the sign," he muttered.
Juntae was giggling, holding back his laughter.
"You’re gonna get us banned!"
Hyuntak shrugged, completely unbothered.
"First time for everything."
Sure enough, a few minutes later, they were both outside — banned for the day, at least — standing on the curb while Juntae was still giggling.
"You’re so dramatic," Juntae said between laughs. "You could’ve just punched it."
"Wasn’t as satisfying," Hyuntak said simply.
From a distance, Humin sent a frantic text to Sieun.
"They got kicked out from the arcade. Gotak kicked the punching machine and broke it. Actual menace disguised as a golden retriever. Send backup.”
The pair decided to go home for the day so they were sitting at the bus stop. Waiting for the next bus to come.
Humin figured it was time to leave them alone. Hyuntak clearly had a soft spot for Juntae—that much was obvious. And so what? It wasn’t hurting anyone. They were friends, after all. If Hyuntak was happy, then Humin was happy too. So he let them be.
He wandered to the nearest convenience store to grab a quick snack, picking up a loaf of bread. He stepped outside, munching on it as he strolled around, when his phone buzzed. It was Sieun.
“Hey, Sieun!” Humin greeted cheerfully.
“Golden retriever? Are you stalking them?”
“Not stalking!” Humin protested. “I’m just making sure they’re okay. And honestly, the more I watch, the more I think Gotak might be sick or something.”
“Just let them be,” Sieun said, his voice dismissive.
“I just did… Nothing went wrong. It’s just maybe Gotak has a soft spot for our little Juntae, that’s all. I mean, who wouldn’t.”
From afar, Humin spotted Hyuntak, frantically running toward him.
“Sieun, I’ll call you back,” Humin quickly said, hanging up the phone.
“Gotak! Wow, what a coincidence!” Humin started nervously. “I thought you were with Juntae. I was just, uh, running errands—definitely not stalking you or anything,” he added with a nervous chuckle, but the words felt more awkward than reassuring.
Hyuntak grabbed Humin’s shoulders, looking him dead in the eyes. The panic in Hyuntak’s gaze made Humin freeze.
“Have you seen Juntae?” Hyuntak asked, his voice urgent.
Humin blinked in confusion. “What? I thought he was with you.”
“He was!” Hyuntak’s voice cracked with frustration. “We were waiting for the bus, but then I got a stomach ache, so I went to the restroom. The bus wasn’t due for another ten minutes, so I figured I’d be fine. But when I came back, Juntae was gone. We missed the bus now, and I couldn’t reach him. His phone’s off. What if something happened?”
Hyuntak's grip on Humin's shoulders tightened as the words hung between them. Humin’s heart rate spiked, but he pushed down the urge to panic.
"Alright, let's think this through," Humin said quickly, trying to ground himself in the situation. "Juntae probably just wandered off, right? Maybe to another shop or something."
But Hyuntak didn't look convinced. His eyes were scanning the street, as if expecting to see Juntae appear any second.
"I don’t know, man," Hyuntak muttered, his voice low and worried. "He wouldn’t just leave like that. He would’ve told me if he was going anywhere.”
“Okay, then let’s look for him. We’ll split up to cover more ground. He’s probably fine.” Humin offered, trying to reassure them both.
Hyuntak nodded, but his anxiety didn’t ease.
Not knowing where to start, Humin began asking the people around them, his voice filled with urgency. Thirty minutes passed in silence, each minute feeling heavier than the last, until his phone finally rang. It was Hyuntak.
“They took him to an abandoned construction site nearby,” Hyuntak’s voice crackled through the speaker. “I’ll send you the location. I’m already heading there.”
“Got it,” Humin replied, his stomach dropping. He quickly followed the coordinates Hyuntak sent him, and within moments, he stood in front of a looming, three-story, abandoned building. He slipped through the rusted construction hoarding, his pulse quickening as a faint light flickered from the second floor. They had to be up there.
Humin sprinted up the stairs, each step reverberating through the stillness, and burst onto the second floor. He froze for a moment, taking in the scene before him: Hyuntak was already in the thick of the fight, knocking out one attacker after another while keeping his body positioned protectively between Juntae and the remaining threats.
Without missing a beat, Humin did what he usually did. He yelled.
"Everyone, freeze!"
The sound of his voice cut through the tension, and just like that, the men stopped, looking up at him in confusion. Hyuntak, visibly tired, let out an exasperated sigh.
“Took you long enough, you bastard. I’m getting tired.”
As soon as Humin appeared, the murmurs began among the men.
“Fuck, it’s Baku.”
“What the hell is Baku doing here?”
Humin strode toward them, his gaze sharp and unwavering. One of the attackers lunged at him, aiming a punch, but Humin caught it mid-air, his grip like iron. With a swift motion, he twisted the guy's wrist and shoved him back.
Humin turned his gaze to the rest of them. “I’ll give you ten seconds to leave the premiere.”
“It's ‘premise,’ you dumbass. Fuck, I just can’t with you,” Hyuntak sneered, frustrated.
“The premise, or whatever,” Humin continued coolly, “or you can stay here and fight us.”
The group exchanged uneasy looks, the tension rising as they weighed their options. Humin began counting, his voice steady and methodical.
“One… two…”
He released the guy he was holding, and the guy scrambled backward, his eyes wide with fear. One by one, the others followed suit, stepping back and exchanging glances, clearly unsure whether to continue fighting or cut their losses. Soon, they were all gone, leaving only Humin, Hyuntak, and Juntae.
Hyuntak rushed to Juntae’s side without thinking, practically dropping to his knees as he helped him up. His hands moved urgently, almost desperate to check him over.
"Are you okay, Jun-ah? Does anything hurt?" Hyuntak asked, his voice rough and unsteady.
He cupped Juntae’s face carefully, his thumbs brushing over his cheeks as if trying to wipe away the pain. Juntae flinched a little — there was a small cut on his lip, and one side of his face was red and swelling — a slap, from someone who hadn’t cared how hard they hit.
"Those fuckers..." he muttered, his whole body trembling with the urge to go after them again. "Why the hell would they—?"
"It’s okay, Tak-ah, really. I’m fine," Juntae reassured him softly. He turned to Humin, flashing a small, sweet smile — a smile that didn’t belong in a place like this. "They wanted information about Baku — his weaknesses, his family, anything they could use. But I didn’t tell them a thing."
Humin felt something catch in his chest. Even like this — bruised, hurt — Juntae’s spirit was unwavering. Maybe, Humin thought, Juntae was the strongest of all of them.
"I think they mistook me for Sieun, though," Juntae said with a small, sheepish laugh. "They said they wanted to snatch the ‘pretty one from Eunjang.’ So... it must have meant Sieun that they’re after."
"But you're pretty too! Our Juntae is damn adorable," Hyuntak blurted out without thinking.
The words slipped out too fast. Both he and Juntae froze, wide-eyed. Humin snorted quietly, finding the whole thing way too funny to interrupt.
Hyuntak coughed awkwardly. "I mean... That is... I just meant—"
Humin threw him a lifeline, grinning. "Yeah, yeah, our Juntae’s cute and pretty. So is Sieun. Eunjang's got a shortage of eye candy, so we gotta protect what we have."
Juntae gave a small laugh, the kind that made the bruises on his face look softer somehow. He leaned slightly into Hyuntak’s hand in silent gratitude.
And then he noticed it — the blood trickling down Hyuntak’s knuckles.
"Tak-ah," Juntae said, voice catching. "You’re bleeding."
Hyuntak blinked, following his gaze. "Huh. Must’ve been that guy with the box cutter. It's just a scratch, don’t worry," Hyuntak said, brushing it off.
"No! You could get an infection!" Juntae said, panic flickering in his voice.
Without waiting for permission, he sat down and quickly rummaged through his bag, pulling out a small tube of ointment. He patted the ground beside him, urging Hyuntak to sit.
Obediently, Hyuntak dropped down next to him, watching silently as Juntae took his injured hand in both of his.
Humin stood a little distance away, watching the scene unfold between Hyuntak and Juntae. It was strange to see Hyuntak so still, so quietly vulnerable. Usually, he was the one that exuded confidence, the one who never seemed shaken. But there, with Juntae kneeling in front of him, carefully tending to his hand, Hyuntak seemed... different. Almost lost in the moment.
Juntae’s hands were soft, gentle as they worked, moving with purpose as he cleaned the wound on Hyuntak’s hand. He didn’t rush, didn’t seem like he was just trying to get it over with. Instead, his attention was fully on Hyuntak, as if the world had narrowed down to just the two of them.
Humin could see Hyuntak’s throat move as he swallowed. After a beat, he asked, his voice low and quieter than usual, "You always carry that stuff?"
When Juntae didn't answer, he pressed on. "Why? Did you think you’d get hurt, even though you’re with me?"
Juntae didn’t look up, but Humin could see the slight shake of his head, like he wasn’t sure how to explain this side of himself. His voice, when he spoke again, was almost shy.
"No... It’s not that. I know you’d protect me, like you did today."
Hyuntak’s eyes softened, and his hand reached out instinctively, grasping Juntae’s with a tenderness Humin had never seen from him before. There was something... almost reverent in the way he held it, like he was afraid to let go, even for a second.
"It’s just... a habit," Juntae continued, his voice barely above a whisper. "I always want to be prepared. Just in case."
Humin felt a lump form in his throat as he saw Hyuntak’s hand slowly curl around Juntae’s, holding it tightly but gently, like he was afraid the smaller boy would disappear if he let go.
He couldn’t tear his eyes away from them, the way they seemed to forget everything around them. It was strange, this soft, quiet connection between them that Humin had never really noticed before.
Hyuntak didn’t say anything for a long while. Just held Juntae’s hand, his thumb brushing over it in slow, deliberate movements, like he didn’t want to miss a second of this.
Humin stepped back, as if giving them space — though he wasn’t sure if they even noticed he was there. He smiled to himself, a little bittersweet, a little wistful.
"Okay, it’s done." Juntae’s voice broke through Humin’s thoughts. "You feeling okay?"
Hyuntak nodded slowly, his gaze lingering on Juntae’s face. His expression was softer than usual, something almost vulnerable in it. “Yeah, thanks. How ‘bout you?” He lifted his hand and brushed his thumb across Juntae’s split lip, the touch gentle, yet lingering a little too long.
"I’m okay." Juntae smiled, though it was a little strained.
They stayed like that for a moment, caught in a quiet exchange that felt like it held everything and nothing all at once. The air between them was thick, heavy with things left unsaid, emotions too fragile to speak. Humin could feel the weight of it, an uncomfortable pressure in his chest, like he was intruding on something far too intimate for him to be a part of.
He shifted his weight, unable to bear the silence any longer. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he cleared his throat, just loud enough to remind them of his presence. “So, uh... are we good? Should we head back? Or should I just leave you two here for a while?”
Juntae looked at Humin and smiled sheepishly.
“Yeah, it’s getting late,” Juntae said, his voice quieter now. “Let’s go back.”
The three of them began walking back, with Juntae in the middle. Hyuntak had his arm around Juntae, pulling him a little closer than usual, the protective instinct in Hyuntak almost palpable. It wasn’t just the way he was looking at Juntae, though; it was the way he moved with him—like he was trying to shield him from the world without ever having to say a word. Every now and then, Hyuntak’s gaze would flick to Juntae, a soft, almost reverent look, as if he were trying to memorize every little detail of him without anyone noticing. It was subtle, but it was there.
And then it hit Humin—like a punch to the gut.
“Hey, Sieun.” Humin jabbed Sieun’s arm with his finger.
They were sitting on the concrete steps by the outdoor basketball court, watching Hyuntak teach Juntae how to shoot three-pointers.
Sieun didn’t immediately respond, busy watching the practice. When Humin didn’t continue, Sieun sighed, clearly impatient.
“What?” Sieun asked, his voice tinged with annoyance.
Humin didn't answer immediately, his eyes still on Hyuntak. He studied the way Hyuntak was watching Juntae, the protective aura he had around him, the subtle but unmistakable shifts in his demeanor when Juntae missed a shot. The way Hyuntak was constantly looking out for him, adjusting his position when Juntae seemed a little off-balance. It was... different.
Humin cleared his throat, then spoke, his voice low as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing.
“I think Gotak likes Juntae.”