Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

7th November.

Dohoon woke up far earlier than usual.

The room was still dark, faint blue hues from the early dawn slipping through the curtains. Outside the window, the sky remained painted in deep navy tones, stars still scattered across it. The world was quiet, almost frozen in place.

Winter was approaching quickly.

Even inside the blanket, Dohoon could feel the coldness lingering in the air.

He slowly reached for his phone on the nightstand.

5:30 a.m.

Still two hours before school.

Dohoon let out a long sigh and dropped the phone back down beside him. He barely slept last night. Every time he closed his eyes, his thoughts would spiral again.

The dance.

The confession.

Junghwan’s reaction.

What if he rejects me?

What if I misunderstood everything?

What if things become awkward after today?

His chest tightened just thinking about it.

Dohoon turned his head slightly, his gaze landing on the small box resting quietly beside the lamp.

The bracelet had arrived yesterday.

For a few seconds, he simply stared at it silently before finally reaching over and opening the box carefully.

Inside were two silver bracelets.

Simple.

Clean.

But precious.

Dohoon picked up the first one carefully. A tiny silver star charm hung from it, and engraved neatly beside it was the letter:

K.

A small smile slowly appeared on his face.

Then he picked up the second bracelet.

Same design.

Same silver star.

But this one had the letter:

S.

Dohoon traced his thumb softly across the engraving.

The metal felt cold against his skin.

“So today’s the day…” he murmured quietly to himself.

The nervousness immediately returned again.

His stomach twisted just imagining tonight.

The winter festival.

The performance.

The dance he had spent days secretly practicing.

And finally—

His confession to Junghwan.

Dohoon leaned back against the bed frame and stared up at the ceiling.

“I wonder what your reaction will be after seeing everything I prepared…”

A soft laugh escaped him, though it sounded more nervous than amused.

Junghwan probably still had no idea.

No idea what’s the actual reason Dohoon had been disappearing lately.

No idea why Jihoon, Youngjae, Kyungmin, and Hanjin kept acting suspicious around him.

No idea that every late afternoon these past few days had been spent learning how to dance just for him.

Just thinking about it made Dohoon bury his face into his pillow again with a muffled groan.

“This is crazy…”

But despite the fear—

Despite how terrified he was—

His heart still felt warm.

Because the person waiting at the end of all this was Junghwan.

And somehow, that thought alone gave him courage.

Deciding it was already too late to go back to sleep, Dohoon pushed the blanket away and slowly got out of bed.

The cold air immediately brushed against his skin, making him shiver slightly.

After washing up and changing into comfortable clothes, he headed downstairs quietly, the wooden steps creaking softly beneath his feet.

The warm smell of food greeted him almost instantly.

His mother was already in the kitchen preparing breakfast. The moment she heard footsteps, she turned around.

“Morning, honey. Why are you awake so early?” she asked while stirring something in a pot.

“Morning…” Dohoon rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m nervous for the winter festival. I couldn’t sleep well.”

His mother smiled softly at him.

“Oh, you’ll do great. Don’t worry too much.”

“Let’s hope everything goes well…” Dohoon muttered quietly.

“It will.” she said confidently before pointing toward the living room. “Breakfast isn’t ready yet, so go wait on the sofa first.”

“Okay.”

But just as Dohoon was about to walk away, a memory suddenly crossed his mind.

A few weeks ago.

The days he spent staying over at Junghwan’s house.

The two of them standing sleepily in the kitchen early in the morning, trying to make breakfast together.

Well…

“Cooking” was probably too generous of a word.

Most of the time they just threw ramyeon into boiling water and called it a successful meal.

Dohoon couldn’t stop the smile that crept onto his face.

His mother immediately noticed.

“What are you smiling about?”

“Nothing.” Dohoon quickly looked away before speaking again. “Mom, can I have ramyeon for breakfast?”

“Ramyeon?” she repeated with surprise. “That’s pretty heavy for breakfast. Are you sure?”

“Yeah… I’m craving it for some reason.”

His mother laughed softly.

“Okay then. I’ll make some dumplings to go with it.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

Dohoon walked over to the sofa and sat down, pulling his phone out instinctively.

Without even thinking much about it, he opened his chat with Junghwan.

As expected—

Their messages from last night were still sitting there.

The two of them had texted each other until nearly 2 in the morning again.

Mostly nonsense.

Memes.

Random videos.

Junghwan complaining dramatically about being sleepy.

Dohoon laughing at him.

Small things.

But somehow those small things always became the favorite part of his day.

Dohoon scrolled upward slowly through the messages, a soft smile lingering on his face the entire time.

Then his thumb paused at Junghwan’s last message from last night.

Junghwan:
Goodnight Dohoon-ah, don’t overthink too much about tomorrow. You’ll do great :)

Dohoon stared at the message quietly.

His chest tightened again.

If only you knew what I’m actually nervous about…

Before he realized it, his fingers were already typing a reply.

Dohoon:
You woke up yet?

He blinked after sending it.

5:48 a.m.

“…Why did I send that this early?” Dohoon muttered to himself.

But only a few seconds later—

His phone vibrated immediately.

Junghwan:
Unfortunately, yes.
I woke up because someone texted me at almost 6 in the morning.

Dohoon burst out laughing softly.

Junghwan:
You miss me already?

Dohoon could practically imagine Junghwan’s smug expression through the screen.

And somehow—

The nervousness in his chest eased just a little.

Feeling strangely bold this early in the morning, Dohoon stared at the screen for a few seconds before typing his reply.

Dohoon:
Unfortunately yes, lol.

There was a short pause.

Then Junghwan replied almost instantly.

Junghwan:
??? Are you Dohoon

Dohoon immediately laughed.

Dohoon:
Stop your dramatic ass.

Junghwan:
Lol, I’m going back to sleep, see you at school.

Dohoon:
Don’t oversleep.

Junghwan:
I won’t.

Dohoon:
…. You sure?

Junghwan:
Maybe… I have 10 alarms on standby

Dohoon could already imagine Junghwan lying in bed with messy hair while typing that with half-open eyes.

Dohoon:
That’s… somehow logical for you.

Just then, a bowl of hot ramyeon was placed in front of him, steam rising from the broth.

His mother sat the bowl down carefully before looking at him suspiciously.

“You’re smiling a lot this morning.” she pointed out. “Let me guess, Junghwan?”

“Yeah.” Dohoon chuckled while putting his phone down for a moment. “He apparently set up ten alarms so he won’t be late today.”

His mother blinked slowly.

“…Is that even necessary?”

Dohoon immediately snorted.

“Mom, trust me, ten is barely enough.”

“That bad?”

“You have no idea.”

A memory immediately resurfaced in his head.

Three months ago.

Junghwan oversleeping so badly that Dohoon had to climb through his bedroom window just to wake him up because he wasn’t answering calls.

And somehow—

Junghwan still had the audacity to ask for “five more minutes” afterward.

Dohoon shook his head helplessly while smiling to himself.

His mother watched him quietly for a moment before smiling softly as well.

“You really like him a lot, huh?”

Dohoon froze immediately.

His chopsticks paused halfway.

“…Huh?”

“The way you smile whenever you talk about him.” she said casually while leaning against the kitchen counter. “It’s obvious.”

Heat instantly rushed to Dohoon’s ears.

“Mom…”

“What? I didn’t say anything wrong.”

Dohoon immediately buried his face closer to the ramyeon bowl, pretending to focus on eating instead.

His mother only laughed softly at his reaction.

And unfortunately for Dohoon—

She was completely right.

After finishing breakfast, Dohoon carried the empty bowl back to the kitchen before heading upstairs again.

The house was still quiet.

Too quiet.

When he entered his room, the faint morning light had only just begun slipping through the curtains. The stars outside were slowly disappearing one by one, replaced by soft bluish-grey skies.

Dohoon checked the time again.

6:03 a.m.

Still incredibly early.

There was no point trying to sleep anymore.

With a small sigh, he sat down at his desk and reached for the skit script lying beside his bag.

The pages were already slightly crumpled from how often he had gone through them these past few weeks.

Dohoon flipped through the script slowly, eyes scanning over lines he already practically memorized by heart.

Then his gaze stopped at the breakup scene.

The turning point of the story.

The scene where the male lead finally lets go of the female lead despite still loving her because of circumstances they could no longer fight against.

Dohoon quietly reread the dialogue.

Every word suddenly felt heavier than before.

Maybe because now he understood those emotions more clearly.

He turned another page.

The final scene.

The male lead sitting alone on the park bench, staring at the school building while snow falls quietly around him.

Replaying every good memory.

Every fight.

Every laugh.

Every moment of love.

And in the end—

Learning how to let go.

Dohoon stared at the final lines silently.

Then suddenly, a question surfaced in his mind again.

The same question he had once asked Junghwan a month ago.

Does first love always end this way?

Back then, it was just curiosity.

Concerning Junghwan’s view on first love.

But now—

Now the question felt terrifying.

Because this wasn’t just some story anymore.

This was Junghwan.

The person he loved more than anyone else.

Dohoon lowered his gaze toward the script resting on his lap.

For a moment, uncertainty crept into his chest again.

What if things really change after today?

What if confessing ruins everything between them?

What if their story also becomes something bittersweet like this play?

The thought alone made his chest ache.

But after a few seconds, Dohoon shook his head firmly.

“No…” he murmured softly to himself.

His fingers tightened slightly around the script.

“It shouldn’t end like that.”

Not with Junghwan.

Not with them.

A small smile slowly appeared on his face again.

“No, it should be long lasting.”

Dohoon’s fingers slowly flipped through the script again until he reached another familiar scene.

The confession scene.

The scene they had practiced.

His eyes lingered on the lines quietly.

The female lead confessing her feelings to the male lead.

Simple words.

Yet every single practice somehow made Dohoon’s heart race like crazy.

Because the person standing in front of him wasn’t just anyone.

It was Junghwan.

Dohoon still remembered the very first time they rehearsed that scene together.

Junghwan looked at him differently during practices.

Not joking.

Not teasing.

Just quietly staring at him with those soft eyes.

Like Dohoon was something precious.

Something important.

Every single time Junghwan looked at him that way, Dohoon’s mind would go blank for a second.

Especially during the confession lines.

“I like you.”

Three simple words from the script.

But every time Junghwan heard those words from Dohoon during practice, he would always go strangely quiet afterward.

And the way he looked back at Dohoon—

It never felt like acting.

Dohoon lowered the script slowly onto his lap.

How many times had he secretly wished that scene was real?

Not a skit.

Not rehearsals.

Not acting.

Just them.

Sometimes during practice, when Junghwan stared at him too intensely, Dohoon genuinely forgot they were following a script.

His heart would react before his brain could remind him:

This is fake.

But the dangerous thing was—

Junghwan never made it feel fake.

The soft smiles.

The lingering eye contact.

The gentle tone in his voice whenever he called “Dohoon-ah.”

Everything felt too real.

Too natural.

Too warm.

Dohoon buried half of his face into the script, groaning softly from embarrassment.

“Seriously… how am I supposed to survive today…”

Just thinking about tonight already made his heartbeat spiral out of control again.

But beneath the nervousness—

There was also hope.

Because somewhere deep down, Dohoon kept thinking about the way Junghwan looked at him during those rehearsals.

And maybe—

Just maybe—

Those eyes meant something..

—

It was exactly 7:00 a.m. when Dohoon finally left the house.

The cold morning air immediately brushed against his face, making him pull his scarf slightly higher. The streets were still relatively quiet, though compared to normal mornings, there was already more movement outside.

Today was the winter festival after all.

As usual, Dohoon stopped in front of Junghwan’s house.

And as usual—

He absolutely did not trust Junghwan’s ability to wake up properly.

So he immediately pulled out his phone and called him just in case.

After a few rings, Junghwan finally picked up.

“Hello?” his sleepy voice came through the speaker.

“Junghwan, are you awake yet?” Dohoon asked suspiciously.

“I’m heading out now.”

Right as Junghwan finished speaking, the front door opened.

Dohoon immediately spotted him crouching near the entrance, hurriedly putting on his shoes while his hair still looked slightly messy from sleep.

Dohoon laughed softly before hanging up the call.

“Hey, morning.” Junghwan waved lazily after noticing him.

“Morning.” Dohoon smiled. “Are you nervous for today?”

Junghwan stood up properly and adjusted his bag onto his shoulder.

“Yeah…” he admitted honestly. “It’s the big event. I prepared for this for way too long, of course I’m nervous.”

Then he looked at Dohoon.

“What about you? Nervous too?”

“Duh.” Dohoon rolled his eyes dramatically. “I’m the one going on stage.”

And also confessing to you later…

The thought alone nearly made his heart stop again.

“Anyway,” Junghwan stretched slightly, “let’s go. We don’t want to be late on the big day, right?”

“Yeah.”

The two of them began walking toward school side by side.

The moment they arrived, the atmosphere already felt completely different from usual.

Students were everywhere.

Some were carrying decorations.

Some were setting up booths.

Others were running around holding props and costumes while teachers shouted instructions in the background.

The entire school buzzed with excitement.

Dohoon’s nervousness somehow increased immediately.

Then, not far away, they spotted two familiar figures struggling with booth decorations.

“Hey, morning, Hanjin! Kyungmin!” Dohoon waved.

Both boys looked up instantly.

“Morning!” Kyungmin answered brightly.

“Kyungmin?” Junghwan tilted his head in confusion. “I thought the dance club had a performance today. Are you setting up a booth too?”

“Junghwan-hyung, Kyungmin’s just helping me.” Hanjin explained while taping decorations onto the booth. “Plus, I told everyone they could come here anytime they wanted to slack off or help.”

“Youngjae-hyung and Jihoon are helping too.” Kyungmin added. “They’re carrying the heavy stuff here.”

“What heavy stuff?” Dohoon asked curiously.

“Food.” Hanjin grinned proudly. “I’m running a food booth.”

Dohoon’s eyes immediately lit up.

“Then can I come for free food?”

“Only a little.”

“Then I’ll just steal your food later.”

Hanjin sighed helplessly while Kyungmin laughed beside him.

“You’re unbelievable.”

“Thank you.”

Junghwan shook his head while smiling.

“Junghwan-hyung, what time is your skit again?”

“If I remember correctly…” Junghwan thought for a second. “Last performance of the day. Around five?”

“That’s right after the dance club performance, right?” Hanjin turned toward Kyungmin.

“Yeah. Youngjae-hyung, Jihoon, and the others are performing before you guys.”

“Then I’m looking forward to it.” Hanjin smiled.

Then suddenly his expression changed, he remembered something important..

“Oh wait—Kyungmin, we still have the final rehearsal for all performances today, right?”

Kyungmin nodded immediately.

“Hyung, it starts in an hour. You guys should probably get ready first.”

Junghwan’s eyes widened slightly.

“Okay, we still have time, but not much.” He turned toward Dohoon immediately. “Dohoon, let’s go.”

Before Dohoon could even react—

Junghwan grabbed his hand.

And started running.

“YAH—” Dohoon stumbled slightly before keeping up with him. “Junghwan, what’s the rush?!”

“We need setup time!” Junghwan shouted back dramatically while dragging him across the school grounds. “With all the additional props and costumes, I don’t think one hour is enough!”

“Yah, you don’t have to drag me while running!” Dohoon complained breathlessly. “It’s not even that far!”

But despite all the complaints—

Dohoon secretly tightened his grip slightly around Junghwan’s hand.

Junghwan’s palm was warm.

Bigger than his.

Comforting.

His heartbeat immediately became impossible to control again.

Can you always hold me like this…?

The thought slipped quietly through his mind as Junghwan continued pulling him forward through the busy school courtyard, completely unaware of the chaos he was causing inside Dohoon’s heart.

—

The moment they stepped into the drama club room, chaos immediately greeted them.

Costumes were hanging everywhere, props scattered across the floor, and members of the lighting team rushed in and out carrying equipment while shouting instructions to each other.

“Move the bench prop carefully!”

“Who took the flower bouquet from scene three?”

“Why is the spotlight cue sheet missing again?!”

Dohoon stopped near the entrance, staring at the mess in front of him.

“…This looks like a disaster.”

“It’s an organized disaster.” Junghwan corrected confidently.

Before Dohoon could reply, one of the club members spotted Junghwan and immediately rushed toward him.

“Junghwan! You’re finally here!” the boy exclaimed, slightly out of breath. “The rehearsal starts in an hour, and we’re the first group going because we need extra time to set up the stage.”

Junghwan blinked.

“Huh? What do you mean first group?”

The member stared at him blankly.

“…You were the one who suggested it? You said we’d need more time because of all the stage props.”

A long silence followed.

Dohoon slowly lifted a hand and facepalmed.

“Are you serious, Junghwan?” he sighed. “You forgot our rehearsal is first?”

Junghwan scratched the back of his neck awkwardly before laughing.

“…Oops?”

“Oops?” Dohoon repeated in disbelief.

“Okay okay, whatever.” Junghwan immediately straightened up and clapped his hands dramatically. “I’ll go help move the props. Dohoon, go get your costume and makeup done first.”

Without waiting for another response, Junghwan jogged off toward the stage team, already helping carry one of the larger backdrop panels.

Dohoon watched him for a moment and shook his head helplessly.

How can someone this unreliable also be this lovable…

With a sigh, he turned and headed toward the makeup section.

Before he could even take three steps—

Tap.

A hand suddenly landed on his shoulder.

“Hey! Morning, Dohoon.”

Dohoon nearly jumped.

“Holy shit—” He spun around and saw Minju grinning at him. “I swear your footsteps don’t make any sound. How many times are you planning to scare me?”

Minju burst into laughter.

“Sorry, sorry.”

“You’re terrifying.”

“And yet you still get scared every single time.”

Dohoon groaned dramatically while Minju continued laughing.

Then her expression softened slightly.

“So…” she dragged the word playfully. “How are things between you and Junghwan?”

Dohoon immediately looked away and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

“Actually…” he mumbled quietly, “…I’m confessing to him today.”

Minju’s eyes widened.

“Oh?”

“With a dance, my friend told me that dance can express your feeling."

There was complete silence for two seconds.

Then—

“Oh my god, that’s actually really interesting.”

Dohoon laughed nervously.

“I’ll confess after the event ends. At the hall.”

Minju looked genuinely excited now.

“That sounds straight out of a drama.”

“Please don’t say it like that, you’re making me even more nervous.”

“But seriously…” Minju smiled warmly at him. “That’s really sweet.”

Dohoon hesitated for a moment before speaking again.

“Minju… after the event ends, can you help me check if my dancing is okay?”

“Hm?” She tilted her head. “You mean before you confess?”

“Yeah.”

Minju nodded almost immediately.

“Sure. You look really serious about this.”

Dohoon looked toward the other side of the room where Junghwan was currently lifting props while arguing loudly with another member about stage placement.

A small smile slowly crept onto his face.

“…Yeah,” he admitted softly. “I really am.”

Minju followed his gaze and chuckled quietly.

“Your friend was right though.”

“Hm?”

“Expressing your feelings through dancing…” she smiled. “That’s actually quite something.”

Dohoon could already feel his heartbeat getting faster just thinking about it.

Now that the day had finally arrived, everything suddenly felt terrifyingly real.

Minju nudged him lightly.

“Anyway, Romeo, you should probably get your makeup done before the rehearsal starts.”

Dohoon’s eyes widened.

“Oh shit—yeah.”

He immediately hurried toward the makeup area while Minju laughed behind him.

And somewhere across the chaotic room, Junghwan unknowingly glanced toward Dohoon again.

That same soft look in his eyes never fading for even a second.

—

After getting his makeup done, Dohoon stared at his reflection in the mirror for a moment.

The makeup artist had only lightly touched up his features, yet it somehow made him look sharper and softer at the same time. His eyes looked more defined, his skin smoother, and with the stage lighting reflecting against the mirror, he almost didn’t recognize himself for a second.

Beside him, Minju rested her chin on her hand while admiring the result.

“Dohoon,” she said dramatically, “you look stunning.”

Dohoon laughed awkwardly.

“Thanks.”

Before Minju could tease him further—

“Dohoon, are you rea—”

Junghwan’s voice suddenly cut off mid-sentence.

Dohoon turned around.

Junghwan stood frozen near the entrance of the room, still holding a few sheets of paper in his hand. His eyes widened slightly the moment they landed on Dohoon.

And then—

His ears slowly turned red.

Dohoon blinked.

“Junghwan?”

Junghwan looked completely caught off guard.

“Dohoon…” he said quietly, still staring. “…You look really good.”

The intensity in Junghwan’s gaze made Dohoon’s heart stumble immediately.

“Junghwan…” Dohoon looked away first, unable to hold eye contact. “You’re staring.”

That finally snapped Junghwan back to reality.

“Ah— right, sorry.” He cleared his throat awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck. “Are you ready? It’s almost time for the rehearsal.”

“Yeah,” Dohoon answered softly. “I’m done here.”

“Okay, good.”

Junghwan immediately turned around before his face got even redder.

Then his loud leader voice returned instantly.

“Alright everyone!” he shouted through the club room. “Let’s go! Rehearsal is starting and the stage setup is already done!”

The chaotic room immediately burst back into motion.

Members grabbed props, adjusted costumes, and hurried toward the auditorium.

As they stepped onto the stage, everything was already perfectly prepared.

The bench prop sat under the fake streetlamp, artificial snow machines were hidden near the side curtains, and the lighting team adjusted the warm blue tones that would be used during the final emotional scene.

Junghwan eventually sat down among the audience seats during the rehearsal, watching everything carefully.

And when the final scene played—

The entire auditorium fell silent.

The artificial snow slowly drifted down while Dohoon’s character sat alone on the bench, staring toward the school building in the distance.

The bittersweet atmosphere hit perfectly.

Once the scene ended, applause immediately filled the hall.

“Good job everyone!” one of the teachers praised loudly.

Junghwan could barely hide the smile on his face.

Everything had turned out even better than he imagined.

He stood up immediately.

“Good job, everyone,” he announced proudly. “Now go enjoy the winter festival, but make sure to standby backstage again by 4 p.m.”

As the others started dispersing, Dohoon stepped off the stage and walked toward Junghwan.

“See?” Dohoon crossed his arms smugly. “I told you the snow was a great addition.”

Junghwan laughed softly.

“Yeah… you were right.” His eyes drifted back toward the stage for a moment. “That final scene became way more beautiful.”

Dohoon smiled unconsciously at the compliment.

“Well, what time is it now?”

Junghwan checked his phone.

“It’s only 9 a.m., still early.” He yawned halfway through his sentence. “I’m gonna go slack off at Hanjin’s booth. You coming?”

Dohoon immediately shook his head.

“I’m going to look for Youngjae, Jihoon, and Kyungmin. They’re probably practicing right now.”

Junghwan nodded sleepily.

“Okay… then I’ll be resting.”

Dohoon sighed.

“Yeah yeah, go recharge your battery, sleepyhead.”

Junghwan grinned lazily before waving.

And with that, they temporarily parted ways.

—

As Dohoon approached the dance club practice room, he could already hear music blasting from inside along with synchronized footsteps hitting the floor.

He quietly opened the door and slipped inside.

The members were in the middle of practice.

Every movement was perfectly synchronized, sharp yet fluid at the same time.

Dohoon sat down quietly near the wall, watching them.

Jihoon noticed him first through the mirror’s reflection and subtly nodded toward him while continuing the choreography.

Even after watching them for days, Dohoon was still impressed.

The control they had over every movement looked effortless.

As the music finally stopped, Dohoon clapped softly.

Immediately, Jihoon turned around and ran toward him dramatically.

“Hyung!” Jihoon’s eyes widened. “You look incredible!”

Dohoon laughed awkwardly.

Before he could even respond—

“Yeah,” Youngjae casually added while grabbing his water bottle, “did you manage to seduce Junghwan?”

“YAH CHOI YOUNGJAE!”

Dohoon’s face turned red instantly.

Kyungmin burst into laughter beside him.

“He’s not wrong though,” Kyungmin added. “With this look? Junghwan-hyung is definitely going to fall even harder for you.”

“...Can you guys stop teasing me?”

Despite his complaint, Dohoon could still remember Junghwan’s expression earlier.

The way he froze.

The way he stared without blinking.

And the faint blush spreading across his face.

Dohoon lowered his gaze slightly, unable to stop the smile tugging at his lips.

Maybe Junghwan really does feel the same way too.

—

“So when’s your guys’ rehearsal?” Dohoon asked while sitting on the floor, watching the dance club members cool down after practice.

Jihoon turned toward Youngjae immediately.

“Youngjae-hyung, when is our rehearsal again?”

Before Youngjae could answer, Kyungmin already pulled out his phone to check the schedule.

“It’s at 9:30,” Kyungmin replied. “We still have around fifteen minutes.”

“Oh, then it’s almost our turn.” Youngjae looked at Dohoon. “You wanna come watch?”

“Yeah, sure.” Dohoon nodded. “Are you guys heading there now?”

“We’ll rest for a bit first before going,” Jihoon answered before suddenly narrowing his eyes suspiciously. “By the way… where’s Junghwan-hyung?”

“Usually you two stick together like magnets.”

Dohoon laughed softly.

“Junghwan said he was tired and wanted to slack off at Hanjin’s booth. He’s probably napping there right now.”

“…That sounds exactly like something he’d do,” Kyungmin muttered while laughing.

Dohoon then shifted slightly on the floor before looking at Jihoon and Youngjae with curiosity.

“So tell me something.”

“Hm?” Jihoon blinked.

“How did you two even end up dating?”

The room instantly fell silent.

Youngjae looked away.

Jihoon also looked away.

Both of their ears slowly turned red.

Dohoon immediately noticed.

“…Why do you both suddenly look guilty?”

Kyungmin already started snickering quietly from the side.

Eventually, Youngjae sighed heavily.

“Actually…” he started awkwardly, “…it happened pretty suddenly.”

Jihoon buried his face into his hands immediately.

“We got drunk one day,” Youngjae continued calmly, despite Jihoon dying beside him. “And… we slept together.”

Dohoon froze.

“…What?”

“And after that…” Youngjae rubbed the back of his neck, surprisingly straightforward about it, “…we started hooking up occasionally.”

Jihoon looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him whole.

“Then eventually,” Youngjae continued, “Jihoon confessed that he actually liked me and didn’t want it to stay casual anymore.”

“And yeah.” He shrugged. “That’s how we started dating.”

Complete silence.

Dohoon stared at both of them with utter disbelief.

“…What the fuck?”

Jihoon groaned loudly.

“Hyung please don’t react like that.”

“You two are nasty,” Dohoon said immediately.

“You two are unbelievable.”

Kyungmin burst out laughing.

“Hyung, I had the exact same reaction when I first found out.”

Jihoon pointed accusingly at Youngjae.

“See? This is your fault for explaining it like that!”

“How else am I supposed to explain it?” Youngjae deadpanned.

Before the embarrassment could continue further, Youngjae suddenly clapped his hands loudly.

“Okay!” he announced dramatically. “Let’s go. Rehearsal starts in ten minutes.”

Dohoon narrowed his eyes immediately.

“You’re escaping the conversation.”

“Yes.”

“At least you’re honest.”

Jihoon immediately grabbed his bag and rushed out with Youngjae while Kyungmin laughed nonstop beside them.

—

When they arrived at the auditorium, the dance club members headed backstage while Dohoon sat down among the audience seats to watch.

Not even a minute later—

“Hey Romeo.”

Dohoon nearly jumped out of his seat.

“Jesus Christ—”

He turned around and immediately saw Minju grinning beside him.

“Please,” Dohoon groaned dramatically, pressing a hand against his chest. “You’re terrifying. Why do all your movements make zero sound?”

Minju laughed proudly.

“Oops, I did it again.”

“You’re actually scary.”

Instead of replying, Minju simply sat beside him and looked toward the stage where the music had already started.

“I’m guessing these are the friends who suggested the whole dancing confession idea?”

“Yeah…” Dohoon smiled softly while watching the stage. “They’re really good, right?”

The performance began almost immediately.

The synchronization was incredible.

Every movement looked clean and fluid, their timing perfectly aligned with the music.

Even after practicing with them for days, Dohoon was still amazed watching them perform seriously on stage.

Minju watched attentively before eventually pointing toward the center.

“The one in the middle is especially good.”

“That’s Jihoon,” Dohoon replied proudly. “He’s actually the one who suggested the whole dancing confession thing.”

“I can see why.”

As the performance ended, applause immediately filled the hall from both the teachers and students watching.

Jihoon practically bounced off the stage afterward and headed straight toward Dohoon.

“Hyung!” he grinned brightly before suddenly noticing Minju beside him. “Wait, who’s this?”

“Oh.” Dohoon gestured toward her. “This is Minju. She’s the female lead for our skit.”

Minju smiled warmly and waved.

“Hi. You’re Jihoon, right?”

“Yeah!” Jihoon smiled back brightly. “Nice to meet—”

Before he could even finish—

Youngjae suddenly grabbed Jihoon by the wrist and pulled him backward.

“Hyung!” Jihoon complained immediately. “What was that for?”

Dohoon blinked once.

Then twice.

Youngjae’s expression looked oddly annoyed.

And Jihoon was blushing furiously.

The realization hit instantly.

Dohoon immediately burst out laughing.

“No way,” he wheezed. “I never thought I’d actually get to see Youngjae being jealous.”

Minju looked between the two boys for a second before immediately understanding the situation.

“Ohhh,” she said knowingly before smiling at Youngjae. “You’re Youngjae, right?”

Youngjae nodded cautiously.

“Relax,” Minju laughed. “I was just going to compliment Jihoon’s dancing.”

Then she tilted her head teasingly.

“You’re his boyfriend, I assume?”

“Yes,” Youngjae answered instantly.

The answer came out so fast that Jihoon’s face turned even redder.

Minju burst into laughter.

“You’re definitely the possessive type.”

“Hyung!” Jihoon whined while tugging on Youngjae’s sleeve. “Look what you did!”

Even Youngjae looked slightly embarrassed now.

Seeing the perfect opportunity, Dohoon immediately signaled Minju with his eyes.

Let’s leave before they combust.

Minju instantly understood.

“Alright,” she said while standing up. “We’ll stop bullying you two now.”

Jihoon buried his face into Youngjae’s shoulder immediately.

“Please leave.”

—

The moment Dohoon and Minju stepped out of the hall, both of them immediately burst into laughter again.

“Dohoon,” Minju said between laughs, “that was actually hilarious.”

“Yeah,” Dohoon grinned. “Their faces were so red.”

Minju eventually calmed down before waving.

“Alright, Romeo. See you around.”

“See you.”

After Minju left, Dohoon stood alone in the middle of the bustling school grounds.

Most of the festival booths were already fully set up now, with only a few students making final adjustments.

The winter air felt colder than usual.

And naturally—

His thoughts wandered back toward Junghwan again.

Just thinking about him was enough to make Dohoon smile unconsciously.

What’s that idiot doing right now…?

He looked toward the direction of Hanjin’s booth and laughed softly to himself.

…I should probably go look for him.

—

The moment Dohoon arrived at Hanjin’s booth, the very first thing he saw was Junghwan.

Sleeping.

On a bench.

A whole bench.

Placed right beside the booth like it naturally belonged there.

Dohoon stopped walking entirely and stared at the sight in disbelief.

Junghwan was lying comfortably on the bench with his arms crossed, hoodie slightly covering his face while completely ignoring the increasingly busy surroundings.

Dohoon slowly turned toward Hanjin.

“…Where did that bench even come from?”

Hanjin looked at the sleeping boy before shrugging casually.

“I honestly don’t know. He probably snatched it from somewhere.”

“…What?”

“I’m serious.” Hanjin laughed. “He dragged it here like thirty minutes ago, laid down, and immediately passed out.”

Dohoon stared at Junghwan again.

Somehow, despite looking ridiculous, Junghwan still looked annoyingly handsome even while sleeping.

His hair was slightly messy, and with the cold morning breeze brushing against him, he looked weirdly peaceful.

Hanjin suddenly grinned while looking at Dohoon.

“Anyway, hyung… you look incredible with the makeup.”

Dohoon looked away awkwardly.

“Thanks. Everyone’s been saying that today.”

“Well they’re right.”

Dohoon could feel his ears heating up again from all the compliments.

As time slowly approached ten in the morning, the school grounds became increasingly crowded.

Students from neighboring schools started arriving in groups, visitors wandered around the booths, and the once quiet campus was now filled with chatter and laughter.

Dohoon looked around at the growing crowd.

“Doesn’t the event officially start at twelve?”

“Yeah,” Hanjin nodded while arranging food containers at the booth. “But this year there are way more people than usual.”

“Probably because the school promoted the festival harder this year,” Kyungmin, who appeared out of nowhere, added while helping organize drinks nearby.

“When did you even leave the hall? I didn’t even notice.” At this point, Dohoon is not surprised at all after what Minju did to him.

“Magic.” Kyungmin joked.

Hanjin suddenly looked between the sleeping Junghwan and Dohoon before grinning mischievously.

“Plus,” he added dramatically, “having two of the most handsome guys in school at my booth is definitely attracting customers.”

Dohoon immediately scoffed.

“Oh, so you’re using us now?”

“I mean…” Hanjin crossed his arms proudly. “I’m giving you free food.”

Dohoon paused.

“…Fair point.”

“Exactly.” Hanjin pointed at him proudly. “It’s a win-win situation.”

“Touche.”

Right at that moment, Junghwan shifted slightly in his sleep before mumbling something incoherent.

Dohoon looked at him again and sighed helplessly.

“How is he even sleeping through all this noise…”

Kyungmin laughed.

“Junghwan-hyung’s ability to sleep anywhere honestly needs to be studied.”

As if hearing his name, Junghwan frowned slightly before slowly opening one eye.

His sleepy gaze landed directly on Dohoon.

Almost immediately, his expression softened.

“Oh…” Junghwan’s voice was still hoarse from sleep. “You came.”

Dohoon felt his heart skip embarrassingly fast at those simple words.

“Yeah,” he answered softly. “I came to check whether you were alive or not.”

Junghwan chuckled sleepily before lazily reaching one hand toward Dohoon.

“Cold,” he mumbled. “Come here.”

Dohoon stared at him in disbelief.

“In front of everyone?”

“Yes.”

“Absolutely not.”

Hanjin immediately burst into laughter while Kyungmin looked completely unsurprised.

Meanwhile, Junghwan only pouted tiredly from the bench.

“You’re mean, Dohoon-ah.”

“Shut up. Go back to sleep.”

“Awake now. Don’t want to sleep.”

Junghwan slowly got up from the bench and looked around the festival grounds.

“That’s… a lot of people.”

“Yeah, apparently the school advertised this year’s winter festival heavily. People started showing up around 9:30 already.” Hanjin looked satisfied now that his booth was finally set up properly.

“And you two are going to sit here whenever you’re free to help me attract more customers. Especially you, Dohoon. You’re going to be my money tree.”

“…I’m going to sneak off the moment I get the chance.”

“I’ll give you more free food.”

“…Fine.”

Just as Hanjin predicted, more and more people started gathering around the booth.

“Welcome! Is there anything you’d like?”

Hanjin immediately switched into work mode, greeting customers while Kyungmin helped pack the food beside him.

Meanwhile, Dohoon and Junghwan sat nearby, occasionally receiving glances from passing students.

One of the girls from a neighboring school hesitated before asking Hanjin,

“Can we take a photo with them?”

Hanjin’s eyes lit up instantly.

“Oh, of course you can. Buy at least three items and you can take a photo with either of them.”

Dohoon’s eyes widened immediately.

“Yah, Hanjin.”

“That’s what friends are for.” Hanjin giggled shamelessly.

Dohoon shook his head helplessly, though he still laughed.

He stood up and approached the girl politely.

“Hi, do you want to take a photo with us?”

“Can I take one with both of you?” she asked while pointing at Junghwan too.

“Sure.”

Dohoon turned around and called out,

“Junghwan, come here.”

“I’m lazy to move,” Junghwan whined from the bench.

“It’s just a photo. It won’t take long.”

“Fine…”

Junghwan reluctantly stood up and walked over beside Dohoon.

The two of them stood on either side of the girl, casually throwing peace signs while her friend snapped the picture.

“Thank you!” the girl said excitedly before running off to check the photo.

Junghwan yawned as he sat back down again.

“Why is Hanjin using us again?”

“So he can attract more customers. The trade-off is we get more free food.”

“Sounds like a good deal.”

After that first photo, the crowd around Hanjin’s booth only kept growing.

At first, it was just a few curious students, but somehow word spread ridiculously fast.

“Wait, aren’t those the drama club guys?”

“The one with makeup is seriously handsome…”

“And the tall sleepy one too.”

Dohoon immediately covered his face after overhearing the whispers.

“Why do I suddenly feel like an animal at the zoo?”

“Because you are,” Hanjin answered shamelessly while flipping skewers on the grill.

“YAH.”

Meanwhile, Junghwan looked completely unbothered. He sat there with half-lidded sleepy eyes, occasionally waving lazily whenever someone recognized him.

“How are you so calm?” Dohoon asked.

Junghwan blinked slowly.

“I’m too sleepy to care.”

“…Unbelievable.”

Another group of girls approached nervously.

“U-um… can we take pictures aswell?”

Before Dohoon could answer, Hanjin jumped in again.

“Of course! Buy two drinks and one snack.”

“You’re really monetizing us.” Dohoon deadpanned.

“Dohoon-hyung, smile a little. You’re my top salesman today.” Hanjin grinned proudly.

Kyungmin nearly dropped the drinks he was holding because he was laughing so hard.

“Money tree Dohoon-hyung.”

“I hate all of you.”

Despite his complaints, Dohoon still stood up politely beside Junghwan for another photo.

This time, however, Junghwan moved closer on his own.

Way too close.

Their shoulders naturally pressed together as the camera flashed.

The girls squealed the moment they checked the photo.

“They look so good together.”

“Are they dating?”

Dohoon nearly choked.

“N-no?”

Junghwan tilted his head slightly while looking at him.

“Why do you sound unsure?”

“Because you keep saying weird things!”

“I didn’t even say anything.”

“You literally looked at me weirdly.”

Junghwan burst out laughing while Dohoon’s ears turned red all over again.

Hanjin watched the entire interaction while grilling meat.

“Yeah, you two are definitely making me rich today.”

Around them, the winter festival was finally coming to life.

Music from nearby booths echoed throughout the school grounds. The smell of grilled food mixed with the cold air, while laughter and chatter filled every corner. 

Decorations hung across the pathways, and the fake snow combined with warm lights made the entire place feel magical despite the freezing weather.

Dohoon quietly looked around for a moment.

The festival they had spent months preparing for was finally here.

Then his gaze drifted back toward Junghwan.

Junghwan sat beside him with his hands tucked into his sleeves, hair slightly messy from sleeping earlier, and soft eyes calmly watching the lively festival around them.

As if sensing the stare, Junghwan turned toward him.

“What?”

“…Nothing.”

“Liar.”

Dohoon quickly looked away before Junghwan could notice the smile forming on his face.

Just a few more hours.

A few more hours until everything changes.

—

As noon approached, the school grounds became even more crowded. Students from neighboring schools, parents, and visitors filled the pathways, while music and chatter echoed across the entire festival.

Hanjin’s booth, in particular, was completely packed.

“Yah, Hanjin! There are way too many people!” Dohoon complained right after taking another photo with a student.

“Oh god, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.” Hanjin sighed dramatically while taking another order.

“There are too many customers. Kyungmin and I can’t handle this alone.”

Kyungmin was already busy packing food as quickly as possible.

“Hanjin-hyung, the tteokbokki is ready!”

“I KNOW.”

Before the situation could descend into complete chaos—

“Looks like you guys need help.”

Youngjae walked toward the booth while waving casually.

“Just in time!” Kyungmin immediately pointed toward the trays of food.

“Come help me prepare these orders.”

Jihoon followed behind Youngjae and blinked in confusion after seeing the huge crowd gathered around the booth.

“Why are there so many people here?”

“You see Dohoon-hyung and Junghwan-hyung sitting there?” Hanjin pointed toward the two boys.

“Yeah?”

“I made it so customers can take photos with them if they buy three or more items.”

Jihoon stared blankly for a second before bursting into laughter.

“No wonder this place is packed.”

“Basically, Hanjin is using me and Dohoon as money trees.” Junghwan sighed tiredly from his seat.

Youngjae immediately laughed.

“Hanjin, that’s actually pretty smart. No wonder so many girls are lining up.”

“And not just girls,” Kyungmin added while pointing discreetly at a group of students nearby.

“There are guys staring too.”

Dohoon immediately covered his face again.

“Please stop making me aware of it.”

Jihoon walked over and patted Dohoon’s shoulder dramatically.

“Hyung, this is the price of beauty.”

“Get lost.”

Meanwhile, Junghwan still looked half asleep despite the chaos around him. He leaned against the side of the booth, occasionally helping hand drinks over whenever Hanjin shouted for assistance.

“Junghwan-hyung, can you pass me those cups?”

“Mhm.”

“Junghwan-hyung, napkins!”

“Mhm.”

“You look like a tired employee forced to work overtime,” Dohoon commented.

“I am.”

“You’ve done nothing.”

“Existing is tiring.”

“That’s not how life works.”

Another group of girls approached nervously.

“U-um… can we take another photo?”

Before Dohoon could even react, Hanjin spoke instantly.

“Of course! Please line up properly.”

“You’re enjoying this way too much,” Dohoon muttered.

“Business has never been this good.” Hanjin grinned proudly.

Youngjae looked around the packed booth and whistled softly.

“At this rate, Hanjin is going to become rich before graduation.”

“And it’s all thanks to us.” Junghwan yawned.

Dohoon crossed his arms.

“I’m demanding payment.”

“You already get free food.”

“…Fair enough.”

Jihoon suddenly narrowed his eyes while looking between Dohoon and Junghwan.

“You know, the two of you really look like celebrities right now.”

“Don’t encourage them,” Dohoon groaned.

Too late.

One of the nearby students overheard Jihoon immediately.

“Oh my god, can we really take pictures with them?”

Hanjin practically lit up.

“Yes. Please continue supporting our booth.”

“Hanjin,” Dohoon deadpanned, “you’re unbelievable.”

“I learned from the best.”

“What does that even mean?”

“It means you two are carrying my business right now.”

Despite all the chaos, laughter continued filling the booth.

And every now and then, while nobody was paying attention, Dohoon would glance toward Junghwan.

Junghwan always somehow caught him staring.

Every single time.

And every single time, he smiled back.

—

“Hanjin, I’m hungry. Where’s my promised free food?” Dohoon whined after taking another photo with a group of girls.

“Hanjin-ah, ramyeon please,” Junghwan added while casually resting an arm over Dohoon’s shoulder.

“Yes, yes. Anything for my money trees.” Hanjin laughed while preparing more orders.

“Jihoon-ah, help me pass the ramyeon to them.”

“Yah, are you treating us like objects now?” Dohoon complained.

“Hyung, you two are seriously amazing.” Jihoon laughed while handing the bowls over.

“At this rate, Hanjin-hyung is going to sell out within an hour.”

Dohoon accepted the bowl with a sigh while Junghwan immediately started eating beside him.

Dohoon glanced at his phone.

1:00 PM.

The first performance would begin at 3, and he only needed to report backstage around 4.

“Hanjin-ah, give us tteokbokki too,” Junghwan said between bites of ramyeon.

“Don’t speak while eating,” Dohoon scolded softly before smacking Junghwan lightly on the arm.

“What about your image?”

“I don’t care. I’m hungry.”

“You’re hopeless.”

Junghwan only grinned while continuing to eat.

Dohoon looked around the booth again.

The crowd was somehow still growing larger. More students continued lining up, especially girls from neighboring schools who kept glancing their way excitedly.

Dohoon sighed while slurping his ramyeon.

This day was only going to get busier from here.

“Dohoon, are you tired?”

Dohoon turned slightly at the sudden question.

Junghwan was already looking at him with a concerned expression.

“A little bit,” Dohoon admitted honestly, “but it’s fun.”

“You know you can tell Hanjin you want to rest, right?”

“Maybe later.” Dohoon smiled softly.

“For now, I just want to enjoy this.”

Junghwan’s expression softened immediately.

“Just don’t overwork yourself.”

Then, more quietly—

“I’m worried about you.”

Dohoon froze.

“T-that’s sudden…”

Heat instantly rushed to his cheeks, forcing him to look away.

And only then did he realize—

There were still dozens of people around them.

A loud wave of screaming immediately erupted from the nearby girls.

“OH MY GOD.”

“DID YOU HEAR THAT?”

“HE SAID HE’S WORRIED ABOUT HIM.”

“They’re basically dating already!”

Dohoon nearly dropped his chopsticks in embarrassment.

“YAH, WHY ARE YOU GUYS SCREAMING?!”

Meanwhile, Junghwan looked completely calm despite the chaos he had just caused.

In fact, he looked confused, at least from what Dohoon can observe, but secretly, Junghwan knows exactly what he is doing..

“Why are they reacting like that?”

Dohoon stared at him in disbelief.

“You seriously don’t know?”

“Hm?” Junghwan acts innocently.

“You just—ugh, forget it.”

Junghwan blinked slowly before laughing softly after noticing how red Dohoon’s face had become.

“You’re blushing again.”

“Shut up.”

“You blush really easily these days.”

“Maybe because someone keeps saying weird things to me.”

Junghwan tilted his head slightly.

“But I meant it.”

That only made the screaming around them even louder.

Hanjin nearly bent over from laughing while Jihoon slammed a hand onto the table dramatically.

“Hyung, please. At least warn us before you flirt publicly.”

“We’re trying to run a business here,” Youngjae added with a deadpan expression.

Kyungmin pointed at the growing crowd excitedly.

“No, keep flirting. We’re getting more customers.”

“I can hear the money coming.” Hanjin added on.

“I hate all of you,” Dohoon groaned while hiding his face behind the ramyeon bowl.

Despite that, the smile on his face never disappeared.

Another group of girls approached them shyly, phones already in hand.

“U-um… can we take a photo with you two?”

Before Dohoon could answer, one of the girls suddenly mumbled under her breath.

“You two look really cute together…”

Dohoon immediately laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.

“Ah… haha…”

But beside him, Junghwan suddenly threw an arm around Dohoon’s neck casually, pulling him closer.

The reaction was immediate.

A loud wave of screams erupted from the crowd around them.

Dohoon’s eyes widened in horror.

“YAH JUNGHWAN!”

Meanwhile, Junghwan looked completely relaxed.

“I think we look cute together too.”

Another round of screaming exploded from the girls nearby.

Dohoon could feel his face heating up rapidly.

“Junghwan, you’re causing an outbreak over here.” He tried to shove the taller boy away. “You did this on purpose, didn’t you?”

Junghwan tilted his head innocently.

“Hm… maybe.”

“You’re unbelievable.”

Junghwan only laughed before turning back toward the group of girls.

“So, do you want a picture with us or not?”

The girls nodded so fast it almost looked painful.

“Yes please!”

Junghwan grinned and tightened his arm around Dohoon again before the girls’ friend quickly raised the phone.

“Okay, one, two, three!”

The camera flashed.

The moment the girls checked the photo, another round of squealing immediately followed.

“Oh my god they look like a couple.”

“They’re seriously insane together.”

“Look at how close they are!”

Dohoon covered his face with one hand in embarrassment.

“I’m never coming back to this booth ever again.”

“But you’re making me so much money.” Hanjin called out proudly from behind the grill.

“Hanjin-ah, stop sounding like a businessman exploiting child labor.”

“You volunteered yourself when you agreed to free food.”

“…Damn it.”

Kyungmin nearly bent over laughing while Jihoon clung onto Youngjae’s shoulder dramatically.

“Dohoon-hyung, your face is red again.”

“It’s hot here!”

“It’s literally winter.” Youngjae deadpanned.

Junghwan looked at Dohoon beside him and laughed softly.

“You’re cute when you’re embarrassed.”

That sentence alone nearly killed Dohoon on the spot.

The girls around them screamed yet again.

“JUNGHWAN!” Dohoon whined helplessly while hiding his burning face.

Junghwan just looked way too satisfied with himself.

—

After another hour of nonstop customers, Hanjin finally stared at the empty trays and containers in disbelief.

There was not a single skewer left.

No ramyeon.

No tteokbokki.

Nothing.

“I even prepared more than last year…”

The line in front of the booth was still ridiculously long, but Hanjin could only let out a helpless laugh before stepping forward.

“Sorry everyone, but we’re completely sold out.”

A collective groan immediately erupted from the students still queueing.

“No way already?”

“But it’s only afternoon!”

“I didn’t even get to try the tteokbokki…”

Hanjin bowed apologetically.

“Really sorry! We didn’t expect this many people.”

Beside him, Kyungmin looked equally stunned while holding an empty tray.

“Yah, this is actually ridiculous. Other booths haven’t even sold half their stuff yet and we’re already out of everything.”

Jihoon pointed dramatically at Dohoon and Junghwan.

“It’s because of these two.”

“Seriously,” Youngjae added while crossing his arms. “You basically used the school’s two most popular guys as free advertisement.”

Hanjin immediately nodded proudly.

“And it worked beautifully.”

Dohoon stared at him in disbelief.

“You say that like we’re celebrities.”

“You kind of are today.” Kyungmin snorted.

Junghwan, meanwhile, looked more concerned about something else entirely.

“So… no more food?”

Hanjin blinked.

“Junghwan-hyung, you already ate three bowls of ramyeon, two skewers and a bowl of tteokbokki….”

“But I want more….”

“...You’re actually unbelievable.” Dohoon laughed.

The crowd slowly began dispersing after hearing the booth was sold out, though many students still glanced back at Dohoon and Junghwan while whispering among themselves.

Some even waved before leaving.

Junghwan lazily waved back from his seat.

“Look at him,” Youngjae muttered. “He’s naturally charming without even trying.”

“That’s exactly why he’s dangerous.” Dohoon mumbled quietly without thinking.

Unfortunately, everyone heard him.

A teasing silence immediately fell over the group.

Jihoon’s grin widened slowly.

“Ohhh?”

Kyungmin looked like he was trying not to burst out laughing.

“Dangerous, huh?”

Dohoon froze.

“…I mean—”

Junghwan turned toward him with a smile tugging at his lips.

“Dangerous?”

Dohoon immediately stood up.

“I suddenly feel like walking around the festival.”

“Running away again?” Youngjae sighed.

“I’m not running away.”

“You literally started walking faster.”

“I hate all of you.”

Laughter instantly erupted around the booth while Dohoon tried to escape with burning ears.

Meanwhile, Junghwan simply watched him go with the softest smile on his face.

“Dohoon-ah, wait for me.”

Junghwan quickly got up from his seat and followed after him, leaving the others behind at Hanjin’s now-empty booth.

“Please don’t bring customers back here!” Hanjin shouted dramatically.

“No promises.” Junghwan waved lazily without even turning back.

Dohoon slowed down slightly when he heard footsteps catching up beside him.

“You really followed me?”

Junghwan looked at him like the answer was obvious.

“Of course. You think I’ll let you wander around alone after becoming half the festival’s attraction today?”

“I still think this is all Hanjin’s fault.”

“It definitely is.” Junghwan nodded seriously.

The two of them walked through the crowded school grounds together, passing booths filled with games, food, handmade accessories, and decorations. Music played from speakers somewhere in the distance while students ran around excitedly.

The winter festival was now fully alive.

Dohoon glanced around quietly, taking in the atmosphere.

It felt warm despite the cold weather.

Then suddenly—

“Excuse me!”

Both of them turned at the same time.

A group of girls from another school stood there nervously.

“Can we take a picture with you two?”

Dohoon almost instinctively looked at Junghwan now.

Junghwan noticed immediately and laughed.

“What? Why are you looking at me like I decide everything?”

“Because you keep doing weird things during photos.”

“That sounds like a you problem.”

Before Dohoon could argue back, the girls were already looking at them expectantly.

Junghwan sighed dramatically before stepping beside Dohoon again.

“Alright, let’s do it quickly.”

The girls immediately brightened.

As they posed for the photo, Junghwan casually leaned closer again until their shoulders touched naturally.

Dohoon felt his heartbeat spike immediately.

This idiot…

The camera flashed.

“Thank you so much!” the girls bowed excitedly before running off while whispering loudly.

“They seriously look like boyfriends.”

“I KNOW.”

Dohoon covered his face again.

“Why do they all keep saying that?”

Junghwan shoved his hands into his pockets casually.

“Maybe because we do.”

Dohoon nearly tripped over absolutely nothing.

“YAH.”

Junghwan burst into laughter beside him.

“You’re so easy to tease.”

“You’re seriously annoying.”

“But you still like hanging out with me.”

“…Unfortunately.”

Junghwan grinned proudly.

As they continued walking through the festival together, more students occasionally stopped them for photos or greeted them.

At one booth, a student even handed them matching couple keychains “for free.”

Dohoon almost combusted on the spot trying to refuse it.

“We’re not a couple!”

“But you match really well though,” the student replied innocently.

Junghwan accepted the keychains anyway.

“Thanks.”

“JUNGHWAN.”

“What? Free stuff is free stuff.”

Dohoon stared at the matching keychains dangling from Junghwan’s fingers before quickly looking away again.

Meanwhile, Junghwan quietly hooked one of them onto Dohoon’s bag when he wasn’t paying attention.

By the time Dohoon noticed it minutes later, Junghwan was already laughing like crazy beside him.

“You’re impossible.”

“And yet you still stay with me all day.”

Dohoon looked at him for a moment.

Junghwan was smiling again—that soft, warm smile that always made Dohoon’s chest tighten painfully.

Yeah.

Because it’s you.

—

Leaving Hanjin’s booth didn’t make things any more peaceful.

If anything, it got worse.

Everywhere they went, students kept glancing at them, whispering among themselves, and occasionally approaching to ask for photos.

At this point, Dohoon was starting to feel genuinely overwhelmed.

“…Isn’t this getting a little ridiculous?” Dohoon sighed after another group of students walked away excitedly with selfies.

Beside him, Junghwan casually bit into a fishcake skewer he had somehow gotten for free just by smiling at the vendor.

“Well, I think it’s reasonable, Mr. Prince.” Junghwan shrugged lazily. “You look handsome. Even my heart skipped a beat when I saw you earlier.”

Dohoon instantly looked away.

“…You’re enjoying this way too much.”

You can’t just say things like that and act completely normal afterward.

Junghwan tilted his head slightly while staring at him.

“Your face is red again.” He leaned closer. “Are you not feeling well, Dohoon-ah?”

Dohoon immediately shoved Junghwan away with one hand.

“N-no, I’m completely fine.”

But before he could step back further, Junghwan suddenly grabbed his wrist lightly and pulled him back around.

“You don’t look completely fine.” Junghwan’s voice softened slightly. “You look way too fine, actually.”

Dohoon’s breath caught.

“…Stop teasing me.”

He tried to pull away again, but for some reason, all the strength in his body disappeared whenever Junghwan looked at him like that.

And there it was again.

That gaze.

That unbearably soft look Junghwan always gave him sometimes—as if Dohoon was the most precious person in the world.

It made his chest ache every single time.

“…Stop it,” Dohoon mumbled weakly. “People are watching us.”

“Then admit you’re shy,” Junghwan said with a grin tugging at his lips, “and I’ll let you go.”

Something inside Dohoon finally snapped.

He pushed Junghwan away immediately, face burning red while his breathing turned uneven.

“Yes, fine! I’m shy! Happy now?”

And before Junghwan could say anything else, Dohoon turned around and walked away quickly—almost running.

One hand clutched tightly onto his chest.

His heartbeat was completely out of control.

Behind him, Junghwan stood frozen for a moment.

Watching Dohoon run away.

Feeling his own heart pounding just as hard.

“…Shit.”

Junghwan rubbed the back of his neck before quickly unscrewing the bottle of water in his hand and chugging half of it down.

What the hell just got into me?

Because for a second there…

He really almost forgot how to breathe while looking at Dohoon.

—

Dohoon practically escaped into the drama club room the moment he got away from Junghwan.

The moment the door closed behind him, he collapsed onto the sofa dramatically, one hand pressed against his chest while trying to calm his heartbeat.

“Stupid Junghwan,” he muttered breathlessly. “Look what you did to me.”

He pulled out his phone and checked the time.

2:00 PM.

About time for the performances officially started, but still few hours away from the skit play. 

The room was unusually quiet compared to the chaos outside. Most of the drama club members were probably still wandering around the festival grounds enjoying themselves.

Dohoon slowly laid back against the sofa and stared up at the ceiling.

“Why am I even hiding here again?” he groaned softly before answering himself immediately. “Oh right. Because that stupid Junghwan refused to let me go and I got shy.”

Just remembering the way Junghwan had looked at him earlier made his ears heat up again.

Seriously…

How was Junghwan able to say those things so casually?

Meanwhile, Dohoon felt like he was seconds away from exploding every single time.

With another sigh, he reached over toward the bag he had left beside the sofa earlier that morning.

Carefully, he pulled out the small box hidden inside.

The friendship bracelets.

Dohoon opened the box slowly, staring at the silver bracelets resting neatly inside.

One engraved with K.

The other engraved with S.

His expression softened almost immediately.

“You better like my gift,” he mumbled quietly while smiling to himself. “Or I’m killing you.”

The thought alone made him chuckle softly.

Outside the room, faint sounds of music and laughter from the festival could still be heard, but inside the drama club room, everything felt calm.

Warm.

Quiet.

And for the first time since morning, the exhaustion finally started catching up to him.

Between the rehearsals, the crowds, the nonstop teasing, and Junghwan nearly short-circuiting his brain earlier, Dohoon suddenly felt unbelievably tired.

His eyelids slowly became heavier.

“…Just a small nap,” he whispered to himself.

He placed the bracelet box carefully back into his bag before curling slightly against the sofa.

The last thing on his mind before drifting off was Junghwan’s face.

That soft look in his eyes.

That stupid smile.

And the way Junghwan had said—

“I think we look cute together too.”

Dohoon buried half his face into the sofa cushion immediately.

“Dummy…” he mumbled weakly.

A few minutes later, he was already asleep, with a smile on his face.

—

“Dohoon-ah, wake up.”

Through his sleepy haze, Dohoon could hear someone calling him, but he only frowned slightly and buried his face deeper into the sofa cushion.

“Dohoon-ah, wake up, it’s already 3:30.”

The same voice again.

Warm.

Familiar.

“...Ten more minutes please…” Dohoon mumbled half-asleep.

A soft laugh reached his ears.

Then he felt fingers gently rubbing the tip of his ear.

Dohoon shifted immediately, protesting the touch with a groan.

“…Go away, I want to sleep.”

“Dohoon,” the voice called again patiently, “wake up. It’s almost time for our skit.”

The moment he heard the words skit play, Dohoon’s eyes snapped open.

And the first thing he saw was Junghwan leaning over him.

Way too close.

Dohoon jolted upright instantly.

“AH— Junghwan!”

Junghwan burst into laughter at his reaction.

“Good, you’re finally awake.”

Dohoon rubbed his eyes tiredly before letting out a sigh.

“Thanks for waking me up…”

Junghwan smiled while sitting down beside the sofa.

“So this is where you ran off to after abandoning me earlier.”

Dohoon immediately looked away.

Unfortunately, the moment Junghwan mentioned earlier, every single embarrassing memory came flooding back into his brain again.

Junghwan holding his wrist.

Junghwan staring at him like that.

Junghwan saying his heart skipped a beat.

Dohoon could feel himself overheating already.

“You already got your nap earlier,” he muttered defensively. “I didn’t get mine.”

“And you’re the one who kept teasing me back there.”

Junghwan chuckled softly.

“Alright, alright. My bad.”

Though his smile never disappeared.

“But those words weren’t lies.”

Dohoon froze slightly.

Junghwan leaned back casually against the sofa while looking at him.

“You really did make my heart skip a beat earlier.”

Dohoon’s brain immediately short-circuited.

“…You’re speaking nonsense.”

“Maybe I am.” Junghwan laughed quietly.

But the way he looked at Dohoon afterward—

Soft,

Gentle,

Almost fond—

made Dohoon’s heartbeat spiral completely out of control again.

Seriously.

How was he supposed to confess later when Junghwan already acted like this naturally every single day?

Damn it Junghwan, you’re making me even more down bad for you.

“You should probably go fix your hair.” Junghwan pointed at Dohoon’s messy hair, clearly ruined from sleeping on the sofa.

Dohoon instinctively touched his hair and groaned.

“…I look that bad?”

“A little.” Junghwan grinned. “You look like you fought the sofa and lost.”

“Yah.”

Junghwan only laughed again.

Dohoon then remembered something.

There was still one performance he really wanted to watch before the skit started—the dance club performance.

Specifically Jihoon, Youngjae, and Kyungmin.

“Around what time is the dance club performing again?” Dohoon asked while fixing his clothes slightly.

Junghwan thought for a moment.

“If I remember correctly… around 4 PM? Right before our skit.”

“Oh.” Dohoon nodded slowly. “Then I should have enough time.”

Junghwan looked at him curiously.

“You really want to watch them perform, huh?”

“Of course.” Dohoon smiled softly. “I watched them practice for almost a week.”

Especially Jihoon.

That kid practically tortured him through dance practice every single day.

“Hmm.” Junghwan hummed lazily before standing up as well. “Then go get your makeup and hair fixed first before you scare the audience.”

“...You’re annoying.”

“But handsome.”

Dohoon immediately looked away again.

Why does he keep saying things like that so casually?

Trying to ignore the heat rising to his cheeks, Dohoon headed toward the makeup area.

And unsurprisingly—

“Hey Romeo.”

Minju.

Again.

Dohoon jumped slightly before sighing.

“One day you’re seriously going to give me a heart attack.”

“How do you even do that?”

Minju laughed while adjusting her hair in front of the mirror.

She then glanced toward the sofa area where Junghwan was sitting, scrolling through his phone while waiting.

“Ooh,” she smirked knowingly. “I saw your little lovers’ quarrel over there.”

“…We’re not lovers.”

“Whatever you say.” Minju waved her hand dismissively. “You two already act like one.”

Dohoon sighed dramatically while dropping into the seat beside her.

“At this point, I’m too tired to argue anymore.”

One of the drama club stylists walked over immediately to fix his hair again.

“What happened to it?” the stylist laughed softly while combing through the messy strands.

“I took a nap.”

“Looks more like you got electrocuted.”

“...That’s a little too exaggerated.”

Minju burst out laughing.

“Honestly though,” Dohoon groaned, “the entire morning until now, people kept approaching me and Junghwan asking for photos.”

“Oh, Hanjin’s booth?” Minju nodded immediately. “I saw the crowd there earlier. It was insane.”

She leaned closer conspiratorially.

“Too bad I didn’t make it in time though. By the time I got there, everything was already sold out.”

Dohoon snorted.

“That sounds about right.”

“Hanjin was literally sitting there counting money.” Minju laughed. “I swear I could see money signs in his eyes.”

Dohoon immediately imagined it and started laughing too.

“That sounds exactly like him.”

Meanwhile across the room, Junghwan looked up from his phone for a moment after hearing Dohoon laugh.

And just like always—

his gaze softened instantly.

Minju noticed it immediately.

“…Wow,” she muttered quietly.

Dohoon blinked. “What?”

Minju looked between him and Junghwan before grinning.

“Nothing.”

That smile alone made Dohoon immediately suspicious.

“Your smile doesn’t say anything.”

But Minju still remains silent with that suspicious smile.

“Anyway, the dance club’s performance is coming up. Want to watch it?” Dohoon asked.

“Don’t we need to be ready by four?” Minju replied.

“It’s fine. Our skit starts at 4:30, we still have time.”

“Okay, then I’ll go ask Junghwan as well.”

Minju turned and waved at Junghwan, calling him over. Junghwan noticed and walked toward the makeup area.

“Oh, your hair doesn’t look like it’s being blown by a typhoon anymore.”

“...Shut up, will you?”

“...Nope.”

“Okay, stop right there. Junghwan, dance club performance—you in or not?”

Minju chuckled as she watched them.

“Hmm? I guess we have time for it.”

“Okay, after Mr Romeo gets his hair fixed, we’ll go.”

—

After getting his hair fixed, Dohoon stood in front of the mirror one last time. His makeup had been neatly touched up, and his hair no longer looked messy from sleeping on the sofa earlier.

“Okay… I look alive again,” Dohoon muttered.

Junghwan, leaning against the wall nearby, glanced over and smiled immediately.

“You looked good even before they fixed it.”

Dohoon quickly avoided eye contact.

“...Can you stop saying things like that so casually?”

“Nope.” Junghwan grinned.

Minju looked between them, then dramatically covered her face.

“Oh my god, I’m actually third-wheeling right now.”

“We’re not doing anything,” Dohoon protested immediately.

“That’s the problem. The tension is worse because you two don’t even realize it,” Minju said with a sigh.

Junghwan blinked innocently.

“What tension?”

Minju stared at him for a few seconds, then burst out laughing.

“Wow. You’re hopeless.”

“I get told that a lot today.”

“You deserve it,” Dohoon muttered under his breath.

A staff member suddenly entered the room.

“The dance club performance is starting in five minutes!”

“Ah, let’s go before the seats fill up,” Minju said, quickly grabbing Dohoon’s wrist and dragging him out.

“Yah, why are you dragging me?”

“Because if I don’t, you’ll end up flirting with Junghwan again.”

“We are not flirting!”

Junghwan followed behind them, laughing softly.

—

The hall was already crowded when they arrived. Students filled most of the seats, excited chatter echoing through the venue while stage crews rushed around making final adjustments.

“Whoa… there are way more people than rehearsal,” Minju said in surprise.

“Well, it’s the actual performance,” Junghwan replied casually.

The three of them found seats in the middle just as the lights dimmed.

Then the music started.

The crowd erupted into cheers as the dance club members stepped onto the stage.

Dohoon immediately spotted Jihoon in the center.

“He really stands out,” Minju whispered.

“Told you he’s good,” Dohoon said with a small proud smile.

When the beat dropped, the entire performance exploded with energy.

Every movement was sharp, clean, and perfectly synchronized. Lights flashed in rhythm with the music as the audience screamed every few seconds.

Jihoon looked completely different on stage.

Confident.

Charismatic.

Like he belonged there.

“Okay, wow,” Minju said in awe. “That’s actually insane.”

Dohoon nodded slowly.

Even after practicing with Jihoon for days, seeing him perform on stage still felt different.

Youngjae had a different charm compared to Jihoon—elegant and smooth.

Kyungmin, meanwhile, sat somewhere in between—powerful and controlled.

Together, they balanced each other perfectly, blending with the rest of the dance club members seamlessly.

Beside him, Junghwan watched quietly, eyes fixed on the stage.

Then suddenly—

“That part,” Junghwan muttered softly.

“Hm?”

Junghwan pointed at Jihoon during the chorus.

“That move looks familiar.”

Dohoon froze for half a second.

“Hm? What makes you think that?”

Junghwan narrowed his eyes slightly.

“Didn’t you do that move this morning at Hanjin’s booth before the crowd showed up?”

“Huh… did I?”

Dohoon quickly looked away.

“You’re reacting weirdly.”

“You’re imagining things.”

Before Junghwan could press further, the performance reached its climax.

The audience screamed even louder as the final chorus hit.

The synchronization.

The expressions.

The precision of every movement.

Everything felt electric.

When the music finally ended, the entire hall erupted into applause and cheers.

“THAT WAS SO COOL!”

“JIHOON!”

“YOUNGJAE!”

“KYUNGMIN-AH!”

The dance club members bowed together on stage, breathing heavily.

Dohoon clapped along with the audience, smiling proudly.

“They did really well,” Minju said.

“Yeah,” Dohoon replied softly.

His eyes drifted back to Jihoon on stage.

Watching him perform under the lights reminded Dohoon of everything—every hour Jihoon spent teaching him, correcting him, encouraging him.

Youngjae and Kyungmin too.

All of them had helped him get here.

His chest tightened slightly.

Tonight… it will finally happen.

Junghwan suddenly stood up beside him.

“Alright,” he stretched lazily. “Now it’s our turn to suffer.”

Dohoon immediately groaned.

“Don’t remind me, also what are you suffering? I’m the one who will be on stage.”

Minju laughed as she stood up too.

“Come on, Romeo. Time to go break hearts on stage.”

Dohoon sighed dramatically.

“I’m surrounded by annoying people.”

—

On backstage, Dohoon took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down.

His hands were cold.

His heartbeat was way too fast.

Junghwan, standing beside him, quickly noticed his nervousness. He leaned closer and placed a hand gently on Dohoon’s shoulder.

“Hey,” Junghwan said softly. “You’ll do well. Don’t be too nervous. Just do what you did during rehearsal.”

Dohoon looked down at his phone instead.

Their group chat was exploding with messages.

Hanjin:
(A group photo of him, Youngjae, Jihoon, and Kyungmin sitting at the front-row seats.)
We’ll be down here supporting you!

A small smile appeared on Dohoon’s face.

He turned the screen toward Junghwan.

“Will you also be down there looking at me?”

Junghwan smiled immediately.

“Of course. I’ll always look at you. Always.”

Dohoon stared at him for a second before looking away.

“Junghwan… you’re really something.”

Junghwan chuckled softly before pulling Dohoon into a hug.

“Hey, I know I told you this a long time ago, but seriously… thanks for filling in the role.”

“...It’s nothing really,” Dohoon replied quietly. “Plus, I’m having fun.”

Before the atmosphere could get any softer, Minju suddenly tapped Junghwan’s shoulder.

“It’s about time, Junghwan. Go watch your masterpiece get shown to the world from the audience seats.”

She grinned.

“And make sure you take a lot of pictures of us.”

Dohoon immediately pulled away from the hug, ears slightly red.

“Then… see you later?”

“Mhm,” Junghwan nodded. “See you later.”

He waved once before leaving backstage.

The moment he disappeared, Minju turned toward Dohoon with a knowing look.

“So,” she said casually, “where are you going to confess?”

“Before the fireworks,” Dohoon answered quietly. “When the hall clears out.”

“That’s still a few hours from now.” Minju tilted her head slightly. “Are you nervous?”

Dohoon let out a breathy laugh.

“Of course I’m nervous. I’m about to confess to someone I’ve liked for years. And he’s my childhood best friend too. How could I not be nervous?”

Minju smiled softly.

“Then that’s a good thing.”

“Hm?”

“The more nervous you are, the more it means you care.” She nudged his shoulder lightly. “Just don’t let it overwhelm you.”

Before Dohoon could answer, the stage manager signaled toward them.

It was their cue.

Minju immediately straightened herself.

“Alright,” Dohoon muttered, taking one final deep breath. “Let’s go break some hearts.”

Minju laughed.

“All confident now, Mr. Romeo.”

—

“And for the final performance of the day,” the emcee announced enthusiastically, “please welcome the drama club and their skit performance!”

The stage lights cut out completely.

Then—

A single spotlight illuminated the center of the stage.

Right above Dohoon.

“A teenager,” the narrator began, “starting his high school life on the edge of youth.”

Dohoon slowly walked onto the stage, beginning the first scene where his character accidentally entered the wrong classroom on the first day of school.

The students and teacher stared at him.

After realizing his mistake, Dohoon bowed awkwardly.

“Sorry… I walked into the wrong classroom.”

Then a girl—Minju—noticed him and laughed softly.

“Isn’t he cute?” she whispered to her seatmate.

“He made quite the impression on his first day,” the narrator continued, “especially on one particular girl.”

—

“The girl slowly began following the boy,” the narrator said, “occasionally meeting him at the café near the school.”

Minju entered the café set and waved at Dohoon, who was already sitting there.

“Hey, did you wait long?”

“No,” Dohoon replied softly. “I just got here.”

“Despite saying that,” the narrator added, “the girl noticed the coffee on the table was already half-finished. He had clearly been waiting.”

“About what you asked me before,” Dohoon said, handing her a notebook prop, “I brought my notes for you.”

“Oh, thanks.” Minju smiled warmly. “You really didn’t have to.”

“...I just wanted to help.”

“The boy known throughout the school for being cold and distant,” the narrator continued, “began to show cracks in his walls.”

—

“In their second year of high school,” the narrator said softly, “the girl finally gathered the courage to confess.”

Under a tree on the school grounds, Minju waited nervously.

Dohoon approached with a gentle smile.

“Hey. What’s up?”

Minju took a shaky breath.

“There’s something I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time.”

She looked directly at him.

“I like you.”

The crowd quieted immediately.

“I’ve liked you for a really long time now,” Minju continued softly. “Without even trying, you always manage to brighten my day.”

“Even the smallest things you do…” Her voice trembled slightly. “They make my heart race like crazy.”

She paused.

“Can you give me a chance?”

Then quietly—

“Will you be my boyfriend?”

Dohoon stared at her silently.

“I…”

His voice came out quieter than expected.

“I’ve liked you for a long time too.”

The audience became even quieter.

“You probably never noticed,” Dohoon continued, “but every moment I spent with you only made me want to know you better.”

“My heart always beats faster whenever you’re near me.”

A small smile appeared on his face.

“So… yes.”

“I’d be glad to be your boyfriend.”

Minju immediately hugged him.

“The confession turned out beautifully,” the narrator said softly. “But… will it last forever?”

—

“However,” the narrator continued, “as graduation approached in their final year of high school…”

The atmosphere shifted.

Dohoon sat in the library studying while Minju sat beside him.

“...I have something to tell you,” Minju said shakily.

“What is it?” Dohoon asked brightly.

“The cold prince of the school,” the narrator said, “had long disappeared whenever his girlfriend was nearby.”

Minju lowered her head.

“...I’m studying abroad.”

Dohoon froze.

“After the final exams… I’m leaving.”

His book slipped from his hands.

“What?” His voice cracked with emotion. “What do you mean suddenly?!”

“I tried to protest…” Minju whispered as tears fell. “But my family already decided.”

Dohoon stared at her in disbelief.

“Then… what about us?”

“I’m sorry…”

Minju broke down sobbing.

Without another word, Dohoon slowly left the library and stared blankly at the sky.

“The girl was leaving,” the narrator continued softly, “and there was nothing he could do.”

“The cold prince returned once again.”

“But this time… no one remained to break down his walls.”

—

“By graduation day,” the narrator said quietly, “the girl had already been gone for a month.”

Dohoon wandered across the school grounds emotionlessly.

He stopped beneath the same tree where Minju had confessed.

Back then, it had been full of green leaves.

Now, winter had stripped it bare.

He then walked toward the café near the school.

The same place filled with memories.

“I hope you’re doing well over there…” Dohoon whispered quietly.

He gently placed the notebook onto the table.

“Let’s leave this here.”

A bittersweet smile appeared.

“Let our memories stay here too.”

—

“Two years later,” the narrator continued, “the boy was now a second-year university student.”

“But he remained the same.”

“Cold.”

“Distant.”

Snow fell softly across the stage.

Dohoon slowly sat alone on a bench, staring toward the direction of his old school.

A faint bittersweet smile formed on his face.

“It’s been two years…”

He lowered his gaze.

“I should let go by now, right?”

Then a prerecorded version of Dohoon’s voice echoed throughout the hall.

“First love.”

“Everyone experiences it.”

“It becomes one of the most unforgettable moments in life.”

“But not all first loves last forever.”

“Some people grow apart.”

“Some are forced apart.”

“And some simply realize they no longer work together.”

“So all that remains… are the memories.”

“Memories that stay with us forever.”

Tears slowly rolled down Dohoon’s face as they fell onto the snow-covered stage.

One last time.

“Goodbye,” he whispered.

“My first love.”

—

The stage lights faded to black completely.

Silence filled the hall for a brief second.

Then—

Thunderous applause erupted throughout the venue.

Some audience members were visibly crying, wiping their tears with tissues while clapping loudly.

Dohoon received the cue and walked toward center stage with Minju beside him. One by one, the cast and crew joined them.

Then suddenly—

Dohoon felt someone stand beside him on the left.

Junghwan.

“You did perfect,” Junghwan whispered softly enough that only Dohoon could hear.

Dohoon’s chest tightened immediately.

The stage lights brightened again as everyone bowed deeply together.

“Thank you to the drama club,” the emcee announced emotionally, “for giving us such a beautiful yet bittersweet performance!”

“Yes,” the other emcee continued, “first love may not always last forever, but it helps us grow.”

“Please give another huge round of applause to the director, Shin Junghwan, and the two leads, Kim Dohoon and Park Minju!”

The crowd erupted into cheers again.

Junghwan turned toward Dohoon with soft eyes.

Dohoon noticed immediately and looked away shyly.

Down in the audience—

Youngjae immediately facepalmed.

“They’re flirting on stage…”

Hanjin burst out laughing beside him.

“They’re unbelievable.”

A wave of squeals erupted from sections of the audience after noticing Junghwan staring at Dohoon.

Eventually, everyone finally returned backstage.

—

The moment they stepped backstage, Dohoon let out a huge sigh of relief.

“That was terrifying,” he muttered. “But… I think I nailed it?”

Suddenly—

Punch.

“Ow?!”

Minju smacked his shoulder lightly.

“You didn’t just nail it,” she said dramatically. “You broke everyone’s hearts. Did you even see how many people were crying?”

“Ouch… was punching me really necessary?” Dohoon laughed while rubbing his shoulder.

“Bad habit.” Minju shrugged proudly. “But seriously, you did amazing, Mr. Romeo.”

Junghwan stepped closer and patted Dohoon’s shoulder gently.

“You did really well,” he said softly. “I’m genuinely so happy.”

Dohoon immediately pointed at him.

“I don’t care. Junghwan, you’re treating me today. I’m exhausted.”

Junghwan laughed.

“Of course, Romeo.”

Dohoon instantly cringed.

“Ew. Don’t call me that. It sounds weird.”

And yet—

He didn’t hate it at all.

—

The backstage quickly became noisy again after the performance ended.

The moment Dohoon finally sat down on one of the chairs, the backstage door suddenly swung open.

“DOHOON-HYUNG!”

Jihoon practically rushed toward him first, still wearing his stage makeup from the dance performance earlier.

“That was insane.” Jihoon grabbed Dohoon’s shoulders dramatically. “Hyung, why were you acting so well during the breakup scene? Even I almost cried.”

“Almost?” Youngjae walked in behind him while raising an eyebrow. “You literally cried.”

“I DID NOT.”

“You wiped your tears during the snow scene.”

“That was sweat.”

“From your eyes?”

Kyungmin burst out laughing while Hanjin nearly collapsed beside him.

“You guys should’ve seen the audience.” Hanjin said while catching his breath. “Half of them looked emotionally devastated.”

“You’re exaggerating.” Dohoon muttered, though his ears turned slightly red from the compliments.

“I’m not.” Kyungmin shook his head. “Especially the final monologue? That was crazy good.”

Youngjae crossed his arms while looking at Dohoon proudly.

“You finally looked confident on stage.”

Dohoon scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

“I was dying internally the entire time.”

“Well nobody could tell.” Jihoon grinned. “You and Minju seriously looked like a real couple.”

From nearby, Junghwan immediately narrowed his eyes slightly.

“…I wrote the script, remember?”

“Oh?” Youngjae smirked immediately after noticing Junghwan’s reaction. “Why does that sound slightly jealous?”

“I’m not jealous.”

“Mhm.” Hanjin nodded dramatically. “Sure.”

Junghwan rolled his eyes while everyone started laughing.

Then Youngjae suddenly hooked an arm around Junghwan’s shoulder.

“Anyway, director-nim, come here for a second.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Just come.”

Before Junghwan could protest further, Youngjae already dragged him toward the other side of the backstage area.

“Yah, Choi Youngjae—”

Their voices slowly faded into the distance.

Dohoon blinked while watching them leave.

“What are they doing?”

“No idea.” Kyungmin shrugged casually.

“Probably blackmailing him.” Hanjin added.

“That sounds accurate.” Jihoon nodded seriously.

Dohoon laughed softly at their nonsense.

Then Jihoon suddenly leaned closer toward him.

Way closer.

“Hyung.”

“Hm?”

Jihoon lowered his voice into a whisper.

“…Are you ready for tonight?”

The moment those words left Jihoon’s mouth, Dohoon’s smile slowly disappeared.

His heartbeat immediately sped up again.

Tonight.

The confession.

Dohoon looked down at his hands quietly for a moment before exhaling softly.

“…I don’t know.”

Jihoon’s expression softened immediately.

“Nervous?”

“Terrified.” Dohoon admitted honestly. “I kept thinking about it the entire day.”

“What if he rejects me?”

“He won’t.”

“You sound way too confident.”

Jihoon snorted softly.

“Hyung, everyone with functioning eyes can tell Junghwan-hyung likes you.”

Dohoon nearly choked.

“Yah, don’t say it so loudly.”

“I’m whispering.”

“You whisper aggressively.”

Jihoon laughed quietly before nudging Dohoon’s shoulder.

“You’ve already prepared this much.” Jihoon continued softly. “The dance, the bracelet, the confession… Don’t back out now.”

Dohoon slowly touched the small box inside his bag unconsciously.

The silver bracelet was still there.

Waiting.

“…What if I ruin our friendship?”

Jihoon stared at him for a few seconds before speaking again.

“Hyung.”

“Hm?”

“The way Junghwan-hyung looks at you?” Jihoon smiled knowingly. “That’s definitely not friendship.”

Dohoon’s heart skipped painfully.

Then, from the other side of the backstage—

“DOHOON!”

Junghwan’s voice echoed loudly.

Dohoon immediately turned around.

Junghwan was standing there holding two bottles of water while Youngjae looked way too satisfied beside him.

“We’re going to eat after cleanup later.” Junghwan said while walking back toward them. “Youngjae says he’s starving.”

Junghwan then handed one bottle to Dohoon naturally.

Their fingers brushed for a brief second.

And somehow, even after everything that happened today, that tiny touch still made Dohoon nervous.

Jihoon noticed immediately and nearly laughed again.

Yeah.

Tonight was definitely going to be interesting.

—

Now it was finally time to execute the plan.

Youngjae and Kyungmin were in charge of distracting Junghwan.

Hanjin headed toward the drama club room to place the notebook.

And Jihoon had dragged Dohoon away to the dance club practice room for one final check before dinner.

The moment the practice room door closed behind them, silence filled the space again.

Only the faint sound of music from distant festival booths could still be heard outside.

Dohoon stood in the middle of the room, taking a deep breath.

“…Okay.”

Jihoon leaned against the mirror-covered wall and crossed his arms.

“One last run.”

Dohoon nodded slowly.

Then the music started playing softly from Jihoon’s phone.

The familiar choreography immediately kicked in.

Every movement.

Every step.

Every turn.

Dohoon had practiced this dance so many times over the past weeks that his body now moved almost naturally.

But tonight felt different.

Every motion carried meaning now.

The nervousness.

The longing.

The feelings he had buried for years.

Jihoon watched quietly from the side while Dohoon danced through the final chorus.

The moment the music ended, Dohoon stopped in the center of the room while breathing heavily.

Silence followed for a few seconds.

Then Jihoon smiled.

“Hyung.”

“Hm?”

“Your talent in dancing is amazing.” Jihoon said honestly. “You should probably join a dance club when you’re in university.”

Dohoon laughed softly while grabbing a towel nearby.

“…Maybe I will. It actually looks fun.”

Jihoon grinned immediately.

“Then maybe I’ll join too once I get into university.”

“Yeah yeah.” Dohoon rolled his eyes jokingly. “Only if you manage to get into 42 University first. Which isn’t exactly easy.”

Jihoon looked completely unbothered.

“I have Youngjae-hyung tutoring me now.” He shrugged confidently. “I don’t think that’ll be a problem.”

“…Touché.”

Jihoon laughed proudly at his victory.

Dohoon then sat down on the floor, wiping the sweat from his neck before looking at Jihoon again.

“So… Hanjin already headed to the drama club room?”

“Yep.” Jihoon nodded. “He’s currently mimicking your handwriting.”

Dohoon blinked.

“…That’s actually kind of impressive.”

“That’s Hanjin we’re talking about.” Jihoon snorted. “The same guy who turned you and Junghwan-hyung into a money-making attraction earlier.”

The memory instantly made Dohoon groan.

“Hanjin-ah…” He covered his face dramatically. “I still can’t believe that happened.”

Jihoon burst out laughing.

“Hyung, the girls were literally lining up.”

“Don’t remind me.”

“And Junghwan-hyung looked way too happy about it.”

“…That idiot enjoyed teasing me the entire day.”

Jihoon smirked knowingly.

“Well, can you blame him?”

Dohoon immediately threw the towel at Jihoon.

“Yah.”

Jihoon dodged it easily while laughing harder.

“Remind me to make Hanjin treat me food after this.” Dohoon muttered while leaning back against the mirror.

“I think he owes all of us food after the amount of money he made today.”

“Exactly.”

The room slowly became quiet again afterward.

Dohoon stared at the ceiling for a moment.

His chest felt tight again.

Tonight.

It was really happening tonight.

Jihoon noticed the nervous look on his face and sighed softly before sitting beside him.

“You’re overthinking again.”

“…Can you blame me?”

“No.” Jihoon admitted honestly. “But hyung… after everything I saw today?”

Jihoon smiled slightly.

“I think Junghwan-hyung is going to look at you the exact same way he always does.”

Dohoon looked at him quietly.

“And how does he look at me?”

Jihoon chuckled softly.

“Like you’re the most important person in the world.”

—

Dohoon glanced at his phone.

5:30 PM.

Still a little early before dinner.

He turned toward Jihoon, who was still sitting beside him on the practice room floor.

“Want to take a small walk around the school grounds?” Dohoon asked. “The booths are probably still open.”

Jihoon immediately raised an eyebrow.

“Hm? You sure you don’t want to walk with Junghwan-hyung instead?”

Dohoon deadpanned at him instantly.

“…Can’t I walk with my friend now?”

Jihoon burst out laughing.

“Okay, okay, I’ll stop teasing you.”

“You better.”

The two of them eventually left the practice room together.

Outside, the winter festival was still lively despite the performances already starting earlier. Lights decorated the pathways while music echoed from different booths around the school grounds. Crowds were slowly pouring out from the hall after the drama club performance ended, making the festival feel even more packed than before.

The cold evening air brushed against Dohoon’s face as they walked side by side.

And almost immediately—

A girl suddenly approached Dohoon nervously.

“Oh no.” Dohoon sighed dramatically. “Not again.”

The girl clutched her phone tightly while looking slightly embarrassed.

“H-hi… you’re Dohoon, right?” she asked carefully. “Can I take a photo with you?”

Dohoon looked at Jihoon helplessly.

Jihoon was already trying not to laugh.

“…Sure.”

The girl immediately brightened up.

“Really?! Thank you!”

Before Dohoon could even react further, Jihoon smoothly took the girl’s phone.

“I’ll help take it.”

“Ah, thank you!”

Dohoon stood awkwardly beside the girl while Jihoon tried way too hard not to laugh behind the camera.

“Hyung.” Jihoon grinned. “Smile a little.”

“You’re enjoying this too much.”

“Definitely.”

Click.

After taking a few photos, Jihoon handed the phone back to the girl.

“Thanks!” The girl bowed politely before quickly running back toward her group of friends.

The moment she left, Jihoon immediately started laughing again.

“It really feels like I’m walking around with a celebrity right now.”

Dohoon groaned loudly.

“It’s exhausting. I’m pretty sure after the skit play, even more people are going to ask for photos.”

“Well…” Jihoon shrugged innocently. “Blame your face.”

“What does that even mean?”

“You’re good-looking, hyung.” Jihoon answered casually. “And the makeup earlier made it worse.”

Dohoon covered his face in embarrassment.

“Please stop talking.”

Jihoon only laughed harder.

As they continued walking through the festival grounds, more people occasionally glanced their way, clearly recognizing Dohoon from the drama performance earlier.

Some whispered among themselves.

Others pointed subtly.

A few even looked like they wanted to approach but got too shy.

Dohoon noticed immediately and sighed again.

“…I miss being unknown.”

Jihoon snorted.

“Too late for that now, Romeo.”

“Don’t start calling me that too.”

Jihoon laughed so hard he nearly bumped into another student walking past.

For a brief moment, despite the nervousness constantly lingering in his chest about tonight’s confession, Dohoon found himself relaxing again.

Just walking around the festival with his friend.

Laughing.

Enjoying the cold evening air.

It felt nice.

The moment Dohoon and Jihoon started visiting the booths, things somehow became even worse.

Or better.

Depending on how you looked at it.

“Dohoon-oppa! Please take this!”

A girl suddenly shoved a small bag of snacks into Dohoon’s hands before running away with her friends screaming behind her.

Dohoon blinked in confusion.

“…What just happened?”

Jihoon immediately snatched the snacks from his hands.

“Free food happened.”

Before Dohoon could even respond—

Another student approached shyly.

“H-hi… we watched your skit earlier.” She handed over a small snowman keychain nervously. “You acted really well.”

Dohoon immediately bowed politely.

“Ah, thank you so much, you really didn’t have to—”

Jihoon accepted the keychain before Dohoon could even finish speaking.

“Thank you, we’ll treasure it.”

“We?”

Jihoon ignored him completely while clipping the snowman keychain onto Dohoon’s bag.

“There. Celebrity treatment.”

“Please stop calling me that.”

“No.”

Not even five minutes later, another booth owner called out to them.

“Dohoon! Jihoon! Come here!”

The moment they walked over, the booth owner immediately handed them two skewers.

“On the house.”

Dohoon widened his eyes.

“…Seriously?”

“Well yeah.” The student laughed. “Your skit was amazing.”

Jihoon accepted the skewers instantly.

“See?” Jihoon grinned while handing one to Dohoon. “Being handsome has benefits.”

“This isn’t because I’m handsome.”

“It absolutely is.”

Dohoon groaned while taking a bite from the skewer anyway.

Meanwhile Jihoon looked way too happy carrying all the random freebies they had gotten.

At this point, he was basically holding an entire collection.

Snacks.

Drinks.

Keychains.

Coupons.

Even a tiny plushie someone randomly handed to Dohoon earlier.

“…Why are you enjoying this more than me?” Dohoon asked suspiciously.

“Because I’m benefiting from your popularity without doing anything.” Jihoon answered honestly.

“You’re unbelievable.”

Jihoon gasped dramatically.

“Hyung, I’m your manager now.”

“I never hired you.”

“Too late.”

Another booth owner suddenly pointed toward Dohoon.

“Ah! It’s the drama club prince!”

Dohoon almost choked on air.

“Drama club what?”

Jihoon immediately lost it beside him.

“PRINCE.” Jihoon laughed so hard he bent over slightly. “Hyung, your title keeps evolving, and you’re not even from drama club to begin with.”

“Kill me.” Dohoon said dramatically.

The booth owner handed Dohoon another free drink with a grin.

“Keep up the good work.”

“…Thank you.”

By now, Dohoon’s embarrassment had completely maxed out.

Meanwhile Jihoon was having the time of his life.

“Oh, free fishcakes too?” Jihoon accepted another cup happily. “This is awesome.”

“You’re literally freeloading off my suffering.”

“And I appreciate your sacrifice deeply.”

Dohoon shook his head helplessly while laughing softly despite himself.

The winter festival lights glowed warmly around them as laughter and music filled the cold evening air.

—

“So… how did you and Youngjae work out?” Dohoon suddenly asked while the two of them continued walking between the booths.

Jihoon blinked.

“Hmm?”

“You know…” Dohoon scratched his cheek awkwardly. “How did you two maintain your relationship?”

Jihoon took another bite from his skewer while thinking for a moment.

“Well…” He swallowed before answering. “I think the most important thing is communication.”

“Communication?” Dohoon repeated quietly.

Jihoon nodded.

“Just speak things out honestly.” He shrugged casually. “Sure, small quarrels happen sometimes, but what matters is how you deal with them.”

“Don’t hide things from each other.”

The words hit Dohoon harder than expected.

Don’t hide things.

Jihoon continued speaking while staring ahead thoughtfully.

“If something bothers you, say it.”

“If you’re upset, say it.”

“If you love someone…” Jihoon smiled softly. “You should tell them too.”

Dohoon lowered his gaze slightly.

Then suddenly—

Jihoon’s expression turned mischievous.

“Plus angry sex is—”

“ALRIGHT THAT’S OVERSHARING.” Dohoon immediately cut him off loudly. “I DO NOT need to know that.”

Jihoon burst out laughing.

“What? I was just giving relationship advice.”

“You and Youngjae are gross.”

“Well the sex is actua—”

“STOP.” Dohoon covered his ears dramatically. “MY GOD.”

Jihoon nearly doubled over laughing at Dohoon’s horrified expression.

“Keep it to yourself, okay?” Dohoon complained. “Or at least wait until I ask.”

Jihoon giggled shamelessly while taking another bite of his skewer.

Then, from somewhere nearby—

“DOHOON-HYUNG! JIHOON! OVER HERE!”

Hanjin’s loud voice echoed across the festival grounds.

The two of them turned toward the direction of the voice.

Not too far away, the rest of the group was gathered together near another booth.

Youngjae.

Kyungmin.

Hanjin.

And Junghwan—

Who somehow also had his hands completely full of random stuff.

Dohoon blinked.

“…What happened to him?”

“Looks like the celebrity disease spread.” Jihoon snorted.

“Let’s go join them.” Dohoon laughed softly while walking over.

The moment they approached, Youngjae immediately noticed the ridiculous amount of things Jihoon was carrying.

“Jihoon.” Youngjae stared. “Where did you get all of this?”

Jihoon proudly lifted the bags.

“Freebies.”

“…Freebies?”

“Yeah.” Jihoon pointed toward Dohoon beside him. “People kept shoving stuff at Dohoon-hyung whenever we visited booths.”

“He was too shy to accept them, so I accepted them for him.”

At this point, Dohoon had completely given up trying to defend himself.

Meanwhile Hanjin looked impressed.

“Wow hyung, your popularity is insane.”

Dohoon ignored him and turned toward Junghwan instead.

“What about you?” He pointed at all the stuff in Junghwan’s arms. “Did you get free things too?”

Junghwan nodded casually.

“Mhm.”

“They just started handing me things after I walked around.”

“…You two are unbelievable.” Kyungmin shook his head helplessly.

Hanjin immediately grinned proudly.

“That’s my money trees right there.”

“Please stop calling us that.” Dohoon groaned.

“Nope.”

Youngjae crossed his arms while looking at Junghwan and Dohoon side by side.

“Honestly though, the two of you together are kind of unfair.”

“Hm?” Junghwan blinked.

“You guys attract attention way too easily.” Youngjae continued. “Everywhere you go, people keep staring.”

Jihoon nodded seriously.

“It’s true.”

Dohoon immediately looked away awkwardly.

“You guys are exaggerating.”

“We’re really not.” Kyungmin laughed.

Then Hanjin suddenly pointed at Dohoon dramatically.

“Oh yeah, Dohoon-hyung.”

“What?”

“You better remember me once you become famous.”

“…I’m not becoming famous.”

“Too late.” Jihoon grinned. “You’re already the drama club prince now.”

Dohoon looked genuinely horrified.

“Please tell me people aren’t actually calling me that.”

“I’m not even from drama club, it’s just a one time thing.”

Everyone immediately avoided eye contact.

“…Oh my god.”

The entire group burst into laughter.

Even Junghwan was laughing hard beside him now.

Dohoon sighed dramatically while covering his face.

“I hate all of you.”

“No you don’t.” Junghwan said softly beside him.

And somehow—

Even through all the teasing and embarrassment—

Hearing Junghwan laugh like that still made Dohoon smile a little too

—

After walking around the school grounds for a while, the group finally decided to head out for dinner together. The winter festival was still lively behind them, lights glowing warmly as students continued wandering around the booths.

“So, since Hanjin is treating…” Junghwan stretched lazily. “BBQ?”

“The one you brought me to last time?” Dohoon immediately remembered that night.

The night when he casually mentioned being hungry, only for Junghwan to appear in front of his house less than ten minutes later.

“Yep. That one.” Junghwan nodded proudly.

“Sounds good.” Dohoon agreed almost instantly.

Hanjin stared at the two of them in disbelief.

“You guys just decided where we’re eating without even asking us?”

“Well…” Dohoon smirked slightly. “After how much we helped you today, can’t we?”

Hanjin opened his mouth, then immediately closed it again.

“…Actually, you’re right.”

Kyungmin burst out laughing beside him.

“Hyung, you made enough money today to feed us for a week.”

“That’s true.” Youngjae nodded seriously. “Your booth was terrifying.”

“Seriously.” Jihoon added. “I’ve never seen a booth sell out that fast before.”

Hanjin sighed dramatically.

“My back still hurts from cooking nonstop.”

“But your wallet feels great.” Junghwan patted Hanjin’s shoulder sympathetically.

“…That’s true too.”

Everyone laughed.

“And if it’s Junghwan-hyung’s recommendation, the food must be good.” Hanjin added. “He’s basically a professional foodie at this point.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Junghwan said proudly.

“You literally planned your entire life around food.” Dohoon snorted.

“And yet you still follow me every time I ask you to eat.”

“…Because your taste is decent.”

“Only decent?” Junghwan gasped dramatically. “Kim Dohoon, after everything I’ve done for you?”

“You’re being dramatic again.”

Jihoon looked between the two of them before quietly whispering to Youngjae.

“They seriously act like a married couple.”

Youngjae nodded immediately.

“I gave up denying it months ago.”

Unfortunately for them, Junghwan heard it.

“We do not.”

“You literally do.” Kyungmin answered instantly.

“Even random students thought you two were dating today.” Hanjin added while grinning.

Dohoon immediately looked away.

“Can we not talk about that…”

Junghwan, meanwhile, looked way too amused.

“I still think the matching photo poses were cute.”

“Junghwan.”

“Hm?”

“Please shut up.”

Junghwan burst out laughing again while throwing an arm around Dohoon’s shoulder naturally.

“Okay okay, I’ll stop.”

The group continued walking down the street together, their laughter mixing with the cold evening air.

Dohoon glanced sideways at Junghwan for a brief moment.

Junghwan was smiling brightly while talking nonsense with the others, completely unaware of the storm inside Dohoon’s chest.

The moment the group entered the BBQ restaurant, the warm smell of grilled meat immediately surrounded them, washing away the cold evening air clinging to their clothes.

“Ah, welcome!” the ahjumma greeted brightly the second she saw them walk in.

Then her eyes landed on Junghwan and Dohoon.

“Oh! It’s you two again.”

Junghwan smiled politely. “We brought more people this time.”

“Good, good, come sit.” The ahjumma waved them over warmly.

Before they could even settle down properly, the ahjussi from the kitchen peeked out after hearing the noise.

“Junghwan-ah!” he called out loudly.

Junghwan immediately laughed.

“Ahjussi.”

“You finally came back.” The older man walked over with a grin. “And you brought your boyfriend too.”

The entire group immediately went silent for one second.

Dohoon nearly choked on air.

“W-WHAT?”

Meanwhile, Jihoon instantly turned away because he was trying too hard not to laugh.

Youngjae fully gave up and buried his face into Kyungmin’s shoulder.

Kyungmin himself was shaking from holding back laughter.

Junghwan, however, looked completely calm.

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

The ahjussi looked unconvinced.

“Really? You fed him the entire time last visit.”

“That’s because he doesn’t take care of himself properly.” Junghwan answered naturally.

“See?” the ahjussi pointed immediately. “That sounds exactly like a boyfriend.”

Dohoon’s face turned completely red.

“C-can we please just sit down…”

The ahjumma burst out laughing and quickly saved him.

“Alright alright, stop teasing the poor boy.”

The group finally sat down around the grill table, still laughing quietly while Dohoon hid his face behind the menu out of embarrassment.

“I’m never coming here again.” Dohoon muttered.

Junghwan leaned closer beside him.

“Why?”

“Because you keep letting people misunderstand things.”

“But it’s funny.”

“You’re unbelievable.”

Soon enough, plates after plates of meat were brought to the table.

Without even needing to ask, Junghwan picked up the tongs and started grilling naturally.

“Careful, don’t burn it.” Youngjae commented.

“I know how to grill meat better than all of you combined.” Junghwan answered confidently.

“That confidence is scary.” Hanjin muttered.

Surprisingly enough, Junghwan actually did grill perfectly.

The meat sizzled loudly while smoke and the smell of barbecue filled the table.

And as usual—

The first cooked piece immediately landed on Dohoon’s plate.

Then another.

And another.

And another.

Dohoon stared at the growing mountain of meat on his plate in disbelief.

“…Junghwan.”

“Hm?”

“Why is my plate turning into a buffet?”

“You need to eat more.”

“You say that last time.”

“Because it’s true.”

The others barely reacted anymore.

At this point, this behavior had become completely normal.

Jihoon casually took a sip of his drink.

“Yeah, this is just how they are.”

Kyungmin nodded.

“I stopped questioning it months ago.”

Youngjae pointed at the pile of meat.

“That’s enough food for three people.”

Junghwan ignored them and continued placing more meat onto Dohoon’s plate anyway.

“Eat properly.”

Finally, Dohoon grabbed a piece of meat and stuffed it back onto Junghwan’s plate.

“You eat too.” Dohoon complained. “Stop piling everything onto my plate.”

Junghwan blinked.

“But I like feeding you.”

The table immediately erupted into chaos.

“HOLY SHIT.” Hanjin slapped the table dramatically.

“You can’t just say that so casually!” Jihoon yelled.

Even Youngjae looked shocked this time.

Kyungmin looked between the two of them before sighing deeply.

“Yeah no, they’re actually insane.”

Meanwhile, Dohoon looked like his soul had just left his body.

Junghwan finally realized what he had said and coughed awkwardly.

“…I mean.”

“Nope.” Youngjae immediately cut him off. “Too late.”

“Damage done.” Jihoon nodded seriously.

Dohoon grabbed his drink immediately and took a huge sip while avoiding everyone’s eyes.

Across from him, Junghwan quietly hid his smile behind his hand.

And somehow, despite all the teasing and embarrassment filling the table—

Dohoon thought this might become one of his favorite memories forever.

—

Halfway through dinner, Dohoon’s phone buzzed.

He glanced down at the screen and saw Minju’s name.

Minju:
Hey, remember the dance you asked me to watch?
The hall is empty now.

Dohoon checked the time.

7:15 PM.

Dohoon:
Probably around 7:30. I’m still outside eating dinner.
Ah, also help me grab the box inside my bag.

Minju:
Oh, the box with the bracelet? Got it.
I’ll wait for you there.

Dohoon locked his phone and slowly stood up from his seat.

Immediately, everyone looked at him.

Jihoon caught his eye first, instantly understanding what was happening.

It’s time.

“Sorry everyone,” Dohoon said while grabbing his jacket. “I need to head back first. Minju needs help with something.”

Junghwan frowned slightly.

“What’s so sudden? Can’t you go after dinner?”

Dohoon avoided his gaze for a second.

“Sorry, Junghwan, but I really need to go now.”

Junghwan stared at him for a moment before sighing softly.

“Okay… meet you later?”

“Mhm.” Dohoon smiled faintly. “Meet you later.”

As Dohoon turned to leave, he could feel Jihoon subtly giving him a thumbs up under the table.

Youngjae mouthed fighting silently.

Hanjin looked way too excited for this.

Meanwhile, Kyungmin looked like he was seconds away from exploding from anticipation.

Dohoon quickly escaped before any of them could make things even more embarrassing.

—

By the time Dohoon arrived back at school, it was already 7:28 PM.

The hall was completely empty now.

The chairs had already been stacked away neatly. Most of the lights were turned off, leaving only a few dim ceiling lights illuminating the massive space.

The atmosphere felt strangely calm after the chaos of the festival earlier.

“Hey, Dohoon!”

“AAH!”

Dohoon nearly jumped out of his soul.

“What the hell, Minju?!”

Minju burst into laughter immediately.

“You should’ve seen your face!”

“You’re terrifying.”

“I’m talented.”

Dohoon groaned while catching his breath.

“Seriously, one day you’re going to kill me from shock.”

Minju only laughed harder before handing him the small box from his bag.

“Anyway.” She crossed her arms dramatically. “Junghwan should be here soon. Show me the dance.”

Dohoon’s expression slowly softened.

Right.

The confession.

He stepped onto the stage slowly.

Then he took a deep breath.

And started moving.

Every movement carried emotions he could never say out loud.

Every gesture represented the feelings he had hidden for years.

Every step reflected the memories he shared with Junghwan.

The laughter.

The comfort.

The longing.

The fear.

The love.

Under the dim lighting of the empty hall, Dohoon danced like he was exposing his entire heart to the world.

And for the first time—

He wasn’t afraid anymore.

As the final movement ended, silence filled the hall.

Dohoon looked toward Minju.

She looked completely stunned.

“Minju?”

“…That was beautiful.”

Her voice sounded almost breathless.

“Dohoon-ah… that was seriously beautiful.”

Then suddenly—

The sound of a door closing echoed through the hall.

Both of them froze.

Minju immediately turned toward the entrance.

“Wait… someone’s here?”

Dohoon’s eyes widened.

“…Junghwan?”

“Oh my god.” Minju looked back at him immediately. “I think it’s Junghwan.”

“Shit.”

Dohoon immediately jumped off the stage.

“Go chase him, Romeo!” Minju yelled behind him.

Dohoon grabbed the bracelet box and sprinted out of the hall.

Junghwan.

Don’t misunderstand.

Please.

He searched the classrooms first.

Then the drama club room.

Nothing.

His chest tightened painfully.

Then suddenly—

The rooftop.

The place they once snuck into together and got scolded by a teacher afterward.

Without hesitating, Dohoon sprinted toward the staircase leading upstairs.

When he pushed open the rooftop door, cold wind immediately greeted him.

The night sky stretched endlessly above him, dark blue and filled with stars.

But—

No Junghwan.

“Junghwan…?”

Dohoon looked around desperately.

Then he heard it.

A quiet sniffle.

Dohoon turned immediately.

There, sitting near the corner of the rooftop—

Was Junghwan.

“Junghwan?”

Dohoon slowly approached him.

Junghwan refused to look at him.

“Go away.”

His voice sounded shaky.

“You’re confessing to Minju, so why are you looking for me?”

Dohoon froze.

Then—

He laughed softly in disbelief.

“Are you actually that dumb?”

Junghwan finally looked up.

His eyes were red.

There were still tears clinging to his lashes.

“What?” Junghwan muttered weakly. “You came to make fun of me now?”

Dohoon’s chest hurt at the sight.

“You idiot.”

Dohoon crouched down in front of him.

“After all this time, you seriously thought I was confessing to Minju?”

Junghwan blinked slowly.

“…What?”

“I was practicing my confession dance.”

Dohoon held up the bracelet box slightly.

“For you.”

Junghwan stared at him silently.

“Minju was only helping me check the dance.”

Then Dohoon frowned slightly.

“Wait, how did you even know I was in the hall?”

Junghwan wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

“There was a note in the drama club room.”

“Come to the main hall.”

Dohoon immediately facepalmed.

“Ah.”

Right.

Hanjin’s fake note.

“…Never mind.”

Junghwan still looked stunned.

Dohoon slowly stood up.

Then he reached down and grabbed Junghwan’s wrist gently, pulling him to his feet.

“Junghwan.”

Junghwan finally looked directly at him.

“Look carefully.”

Dohoon stepped back slowly.

Behind him, the dark blue sky shimmered with stars.

Cold wind brushed past him softly.

And then—

He started dancing again.

This time—

Not on a stage.

Not for practice.

Not for rehearsal.

Only for Junghwan.

Every movement was sharper now.

More emotional.

More desperate.

All the feelings Dohoon had hidden for years spilled out through every motion.

Every glance toward Junghwan made his heartbeat pound harder.

Every step screamed the words he never dared to say aloud.

And Junghwan watched all of it silently.

Completely captivated.

As the final movement ended, Dohoon stood there breathing heavily.

Then he slowly walked closer.

Closer.

Closer.

Until he stood right in front of Junghwan.

“Junghwan…”

His voice trembled slightly.

“I’ve wanted to say this for a really long time.”

Dohoon’s eyes slowly started watering.

“I like you.”

“For a really, really long time.”

“Every time I’m with you, my heart goes crazy.”

“You have no idea what you do to me.”

Junghwan’s breathing visibly shook.

Dohoon smiled weakly.

“I don’t want to lose what we have.”

“Even if you reject me… I still want to stay by your side.”

“Forever.”

Then he laughed softly through his tears.

“Remember the question I asked when I accepted your skit?”

Junghwan nodded slowly.

“About first love.”

Dohoon looked directly into his eyes.

“I don’t want mine to end.”

“I want it to last forever.”

“I want us to discover that story together.”

Dohoon took one final shaky breath.

“So, Junghwan…”

“Will you be my boyfriend?”

Silence.

Junghwan stared at him helplessly.

Then suddenly—

He cupped Dohoon’s face gently.

“Dohoon-ah…”

His own eyes were filling with tears too.

“I don’t even know what to say.”

The moment those words left his mouth, Dohoon’s expression cracked slightly.

But before panic could fully settle in—

Junghwan leaned forward.

And kissed him.

Dohoon froze immediately.

Warm.

Soft.

Desperate.

Years of hidden feelings crashed into that single kiss all at once.

Then slowly—

Dohoon closed his eyes and kissed him back.

Junghwan’s hands tightened around him slightly, almost like he was afraid Dohoon would disappear.

Dohoon wrapped his arms around Junghwan immediately.

Tears slipped down his face quietly as they continued kissing under the night sky.

When they finally pulled apart, both of them were left breathless.

Their foreheads rested against each other gently.

Then Junghwan laughed shakily.

“Dohoon…”

“You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this.”

“I’ve been in love with you for more than seven years.”

Dohoon’s eyes widened.

Then Junghwan smiled through watery eyes.

“And that means I win.”

“Our score is 55 to 54 now.”

Dohoon immediately laughed through his tears.

“You still remember that stupid score?”

“Of course I do.”

Junghwan brushed away Dohoon’s tears carefully with his thumb.

“Yes, Kim Dohoon.”

“I’ll be your boyfriend.”

“And I’ll discover the rest of our story with you.”

His voice softened.

“So stop crying.”

“It makes my heart hurt.”

Dohoon looked at him helplessly.

“…You’re unbelievable.”

Junghwan smiled warmly before leaning closer again.

“That’s why I’m here now.”

“As your boyfriend.”

—

The first firework exploded across the night sky without warning.

A loud boom echoed through the cold air, followed by shimmering colors blooming above the school grounds.

Red.

Blue.

Gold.

The dark blue sky that had been filled with stars moments ago was now painted with fireworks.

Dohoon instinctively looked up.

“...The fireworks started.”

Junghwan hummed softly beside him.

“Mhm.”

Neither of them moved away from each other.

Their hands were still intertwined tightly, fingers locked together as if both were afraid the other would disappear if they let go.

Another firework burst overhead, illuminating Junghwan’s face for a brief moment.

Dohoon could see everything clearly under the flashing lights.

The slight redness around Junghwan’s eyes from crying earlier.

The soft smile on his lips.

The way he kept looking at Dohoon instead of the fireworks.

“You’re not even watching the fireworks.” Dohoon laughed softly.

“I already am.”

“That makes no sense.”

Junghwan squeezed his hand gently.

“It does to me.”

Dohoon felt his face heat up immediately.

“You seriously can’t stop saying embarrassing things now that we’re dating, huh?”

“Nope.”

Another explosion lit up the rooftop again.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

They simply stood there together, shoulders brushing lightly against each other while the fireworks continued bursting above the school.

From below, they could hear faint cheering from students still gathered at the festival grounds.

Their last year of high school.

Their last festival in high school.

And somehow, it ended like this.

With the person they loved beside them.

Junghwan suddenly broke the silence.

“You know… I used to think our graduation would feel lonely.”

Dohoon turned toward him slightly.

“But now?”

Junghwan smiled softly.

“I think I’m looking forward to the future for the first time.”

Dohoon stared at him quietly.

The fireworks reflected beautifully in Junghwan’s eyes.

For years, Junghwan had always been there beside him.

His childhood friend.

His safe place.

And now—

His boyfriend.

Dohoon let out a quiet laugh, still unable to fully believe it.

“What?”

“You’re really my boyfriend now…”

Junghwan grinned immediately.

“Want me to kiss you again so it feels real?”

“YAH.”

Junghwan burst out laughing while Dohoon covered his burning face with his free hand.

“You’re so easy to tease.”

“You’re annoying.”

“But you like me.”

“…Unfortunately.”

Junghwan laughed even harder at that.

Another firework exploded overhead, this time bright silver, scattering across the sky like falling stars.

Dohoon looked up quietly.

The cold winter wind brushed past them, yet his hand felt warm inside Junghwan’s grasp.

Then suddenly—

“You know,” Junghwan started softly, “your confession was unfair.”

Dohoon blinked.

“How?”

“You danced under the stars while confessing to me.”

“…And?”

“How am I supposed to top that?”

Dohoon laughed quietly.

“That sounds like your problem.”

Junghwan narrowed his eyes playfully before pulling Dohoon closer by their joined hands until their shoulders fully touched.

“Fine then.”

Junghwan rested his head lightly against Dohoon’s.

“I’ll just spend the rest of my life trying to top it.”

Junghwan stay silent for a moment.

“So that’s why you’ve been missing after school—dancing with Jihoon, right?”

“…Yeah. Sorry for lying to you.” Dohoon scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

“It’s fine. I already knew you were lying.”

Dohoon blinked. “Huh?”

“Tutoring Jihoon? That excuse makes no sense. And Jihoon is a terrible liar.”

“…Hey.”

“But I didn’t push it.” Junghwan shrugged slightly, then smiled. “You probably had your reasons.”

He glanced at Dohoon’s expression and let out a soft laugh.

“And now? I think it was worth it.”

Dohoon looked at him for a moment before remembering something. He reached into his pocket.

“Ah. Right. This.”

He opened the small box.

“Happy birthday, Junghwan.”

Inside was a bracelet with a star charm. On it, an engraved letter: S.

“It’s a paired bracelet,” Dohoon said softly. Then, with a small smile, he added, “Well… more like a couple bracelet now.”

He lifted his own wrist slightly.

Junghwan’s matching bracelet was already there, the star charm engraved with K.

“Dohoon…” Junghwan’s voice softened. “That’s… really beautiful.”

Without hesitation, he took the bracelet and put it on immediately.

“I hope you like it,” Dohoon said, chuckling lightly.

“I don’t like it.”

Dohoon’s smile faltered slightly.

“I love it.”

Junghwan looked up at him with a bright grin. “Thanks, Dohoon.”

“…Anything for you.”

Junghwan suddenly tilted his head, as if remembering something.

“Oh. I just realized something.”

Dohoon frowned slightly. “What?”

“The night you stayed over at my house.”

Dohoon stiffened instantly.

“…What about it?”

“I heard everything.”

Dohoon’s eyes widened. “What?”

Junghwan nodded casually. “You were asking if you could hug me.”

“…That’s—”

“You took too long to decide, so I got impatient and hugged you first.”

Dohoon’s face turned bright red in an instant.

“…So you knew all this time?”

“Yeah.” Junghwan smiled innocently. “And after you fell asleep… I even confessed to you.”

That sentence hit him like a shock.

Dohoon immediately turned away and pulled Junghwan into a tight hug, hiding his face against his neck.

“Stop… talking…”

Junghwan laughed softly, clearly enjoying this.

“My Dohoonie, are you shy?”

He gently placed a hand on Dohoon’s head.

Dohoon gave a small nod against him.

Junghwan’s laughter softened into something warmer.

“I hope you’re always this easy to tease.”

“You better always tease me…” Dohoon muttered, still hiding.

Junghwan paused for a moment, then smiled.

“But now we have each other. That’s all we need.”

Dohoon’s heart skipped again.

Even after confessing.

Even after kissing.

Even after becoming boyfriends.

Junghwan still had the ability to completely undo him with just a few words.

Below them, the festival carried on in loud celebration.

Above them, fireworks continued to bloom across the sky.

And in between all the noise, warmth, and light—

Dohoon thought this moment would stay with him forever.

Not bittersweet.

Not painful.

But beautiful.

A first love that didn’t end.

A first love that finally began.

And, hopefully…

the last love.