Work Text:
"Hyungseob has a boy toy!"
The person mentioned desperately tries to shut Justin up, chasing him around Jungjung's room. There's too many textbooks and papers on the floor to actually maneuver, but Justin manages with his long, spindly, spaghetti legs while Hyungseob paddles behind him like a mad puppy.
"I'm here to tutor you, not to babysit." Jungjung sighs, exasperated. He watches the two younger carefully run around, shaking his head from his position leaning against the wall beside his bed.
"Yes, because texting your boyfriend is totally tutoring," Seunghyuk says, sprawled on Jungjung's bed. The older boy blushes furiously and stuffs his phone into his pocket.
"What are you doing here anyways?" Jungjung sputters, pointing an accusing finger at Seunghyuk. "You don't even need extra help!"
Seunghyuk shrugs and throws a chip into his mouth. "Free snacks."
Before Jungjung can yell at him again (to stop mooching on his food and because there'll be crumbs on his sheets), Euiwoong speaks up for the first time that afternoon, not looking away from his work (because at least one of them has to be responsible). "Boy toy?"
"He's not-"
Justin cuts Hyungseob off. "They're not dating yet but Hyungseob has the biggest crush. Pathetic."
"Huang Minghao!" Hyungseob shouts in the angriest time he can manage. It doesn't quite work out since his accent is all wrong and his voice cracks at the last syllable. (Honestly, Hyungseob is more flustered at the yet, than the sudden exposure of his crush). Justin snorts at his futile attempt. Euiwoong raises an eyebrow as Seunghyuk chokes on a laugh. Hyungseob sits down beside a stomach down Euiwoong and pouts. He knows he'll be made fun of, because that's what friends are for, Justin's voice echoes in his head. All of it is dumb. He almost wishes he had never met the crush of his life, Park Woojin, never made friends with him, never developed feelings for him, but just one thought of his face and smile and his habit of biting his nails that shouldn't be cute but somehow is makes Hyungseob melt and feel grossly fluttery. So, he only almost wishes.
"A crush?" Jungjung says, suddenly interested and leaning forward.
Seunghyuk falls dramatically, hand on his forehead. "And I thought I was the only one you wanted to hold hands with,"
"Hopefully it's a better love story than you and the mannequin at my parent's store," Euiwoong smirks, and Hyungseob suddenly remembers why he doesn't want to see any kind of lace for the rest of his life.
"This is exactly the reason I didn't wanna say anything." Hyungseob glares up at Justin, who joins Seunghyuk on the bed, flopping on top of the older.
"Oof," Seunghyuk wheezes. "What do you eat to get this heavy?"
"Jungjung hyung's love." Justin says, batting his eyelashes.
"Imagine how heavy Eunki hyung is then." Euiwoong says, pushing up his glasses. Jungjung flushes again.
"Anyways," Jungjung says, clearing his throat and changing the subject. "Who is it?"
"No one."
"His name is Par-"
A book soars through the air, hitting Justin right in the nose.
"I was reading that," Euiwoong complains, holding a hand out to get it back. Seunghyuk tosses it to him and Justin cries out in pain. The youngest rolls off the bed (landing on the floor and continuing to go over a disgruntled Euiwoong), holding his nose and claming that Hyungseob broke it.
"We're not speaking of him or this or the conversation we just had." Hyungseob concludes, leaving the rest of the boys silent as Justin curls up against the wall, cursing under his breath.
☆
"He's so- so-" Woojin groans, hiding behind his hands. "He's? So?"
"Are you going to finish your sentence?" Donghyun asks, taking a sip of his (Youngmin's?) boba.
"This the most emotional I've seen him." Youngmin comments, taking Donghyun's (his own?) cup and drinking from it too.
"It's almost surreal," Daehwi adds, staring at Woojin curiously.
"I'm not always some unexpressive asshole." Woojin groans, dropping his head onto the table with a dull thunk. This, crush or infatuation or whatever has been eating at him for weeks. Woojin can't stop thinking of him and his face and how he wants to kiss that cute face-
He lets out a sound of defeat.
"I don't blame you, hyung," Daehwi says. "Hyungseob's pretty cute."
Woojin sits up so fast he gets dizzy, mouth open to defend Hyungseob, before realizing that he isn't dating the boy and can't really be possessive over someone that isn't even...his. He blushes the colour of his strawberry smoothie at the thought of Ahn Hyungseob being his boyfriend (a happy tingle rushes up his spine) and he slumps down. Being friends was a miracle. Dating is a scenario for some alternate universe Woojin, where the Daehwi there isn't loud and Youngmin and Donghyun don't look at each other like they have galaxies in their eyes. So, a non existent Woojin because it'll never happen.
"Earth to Park Woojin," Donghyun calls, waving a hand in front of the younger's face.
"Park Woojin doesn't want to be on Earth," Woojin mumbles.
Daehwi reaches across the booth table and flicks Woojin's head, who responds with a weak grunt. "Hyung, crushes aren't so bad."
"Says you, mister "every girl at school likes me and I get 400 love letters a day'," Woojin grumbles, still slouched in his seat.
The youngest frowns. "That's not even relevant. Besides, my heart is taken."
"Ah, by Kim Samuel?" Youngmin asks.
Donghyun shakes his head. "It's gotta be Bae Jinyoung."
"Maybe it's that other kid, Yoo Seonho?" Youngmin shoots back.
"Well, what about his friend, Lai Guanlin?" Woojin joins in, finally lifting his head up.
Daehwi's mouth opens and closes.
"No, I got it," Donghyun says with finality. He lays his hands on the table and looks around, a serious glint in his eyes. "Kang Dongho."
That answer makes Daehwi shriek and curl up. Donghyun's face relaxes and he starts to laugh, Youngmin going along with him. People around them are starting to glance over but that's okay, they're used to it. Woojin just smiles fondly, snorting at the situation, but he's mostly relieved that the attention is off him. His crush can wait another time. Maybe in a couple hundred years he'll think about it. Maybe.
☆
This was not a couple hundred years.
Woojin honestly hates Haknyeon right now, and would gladly punch that smug little grin off his face. Jihoon just raises his eyebrows, seemingly curious of the answer as well. Screw Joo Haknyeon and his casual way of asking when Hyungseob and Woojin were going to get together. Screw him, and all his pigs down in Jeju.
"I-"
"We-"
Hyungseob and Woojin glance at each other, silently urging the other to speak first. Woojin sighs and gives in, "We don't," he coughs, "like each other in that way."
Beside him, Hyungseob nods vigorously, making Woojin's heart sink a little. Is he that opposed to dating me? He asks himself, but quickly tunes back into the conversation, ignoring the heaviness in his chest.
"But you'd be so cute," Haknyeon whines, and Jihoon (that weirdo) somehow thinks that's adorable and pinches his boyfriend's cheek. Jihoon coos at him and Woojin holds back a gag.
"Couples gross me out, I wouldn't want to be in something like that," Woojin says, missing the way Hyungseob's face twists in disappointment. "Have you seen my hyungs? And Jisung hyung and Jinwoo hyung? Moonbok and Hyunwoo hyungs? And basically everyone we know?" Woojin realizes he's exaggerating, because he knows at least 3 single people. Unless Lee Woojin is lying and actually has more game than himself, which makes him feel just a little bit lame.
"And even you guys right now," Hyungseob adds, gesturing at Haknyeon and Jihoon, who are way too close for just sitting eating lunch.
Suddenly, arms squeeze between the couple and spread, separating them. Euiwoong smiles triumphantly. "No PDA, thank you."
Jihoon looks like he's about to complain about the intrusion, until Euiwoong slips a leg between them to sit on the cafeteria bench. "I mean it. You two are gross."
A couple minutes of light conversation pass before Euiwoong yelps. "Don't try playing footsie when I'm between you two, I can feel everything. That's weird."
"What's weirder is that they would play footsie even if they're beside each other," The five of them look at the new voice, which belongs to Hyunmin, who's grinning down at them. "Technically it's supposed to be played when you're facing each other."
A foot trails up Hyungseob's leg and he kicks at it on instinct, making Euiwoong yelp again (but this time in pain). "I was just demonstrating how you play footsie, according to the expert," Euiwoong says, tilting his head in Hyunmin's direction.
Hyunmin shrugs, "Well, footsie is played with couples, no? So if anything, Hyungseob and W-"
"Don't finish that sentence." Hyungseob says curtly.
Hyunmin freezes and mimics zipping his mouth shut. He wriggles into the space between Euiwoong and Haknyeon, grinning.
"Oh come on! Is it illegal to love?" Haknyeon yells, frustrated at the growing space between him and his boyfriend.
"It's okay babe, I'll make it up to you later," Jihoon faux shouts at him from the other side of the bench, and does that infamous wink that makes everyone else groan.
"Why do I hang out with you guys?" Woojin grimaces.
A hand lands on his shoulder. "It's okay, you still have me, we'll get through this together." Hyungseob jokes, flashing a smile at him.
Woojin hates the way Hyungseob renders him speechless with one look. He also hates how the first thing his mind thinks is "who needs the sun when you have Ahn Hyungseob's smile?". But he doesn't hate Hyungseob. He couldn't. That boy and the dainty curve of his nose and his soft hands and his whole, face is just so endearing to Woojin. This entire spiel goes through his head and he realizes that he hasn't responded yet.
"You're the only one that I don't hate in this group." He replies, caressing Hyungseob's knuckles. The contact makes them flush. God, do they have it bad.
Euiwoong and Hyunmin complain because "what did we do!?" but Woojin is too distracted by the pink dusting Hyungseob's cheeks. He removes his hand and stands up abruptly, leaving Hyungseob looking down at his lap.
"I have some work to do, bye losers." Woojin excuses himself. "And, Hyungseob." He says the latter part with a softer tone, gazing at the blushing boy who won't make eye contact with him. Woojin turns and leaves the cafeteria, not bothering with the shouting of his friends.
☆
"No but really, are you gonna work on your crush?" Euiwoong asks when he and Hyungseob are walking home together. Haknyeon would be with them, but he's off on an ice cream date. Ew.
"Not you too," Hyungseob groans.
"It's kind of hard to avoid."
"You don't even know who it is!" Hyungseob accuses.
"It's Woojin."
Hyungseob sputters. "B-but- you- I- it's not that obvious, is it?"
Euiwoong blinks at him boredly. "You might as well have a big neon sign that says 'I Like Park Woojin' above you at all times."
Hyungseob hangs his head and Euiwoong ruffles his hair. "Hey, it's okay, I mean, Haknyeon and Jihoon worked out."
"Jihoon didn't respond for two weeks after Haknyeon told him he liked him."
Euiwoong shrugs. "It worked out."
Sighing, Hyungseob kicks at the ground, trying not to drown in snaggletoothed daydreams.
☆
"I'm going to ask him." Woojin says.
"You're going to ask him!" Youngmin repeats excitedly, skipping behind him on their way to class. Youngmin is actually just assisting a freshmen course today, having graduated two years earlier.
"I'll do it today."
"You'll do it today!"
Woojin falters. "But what if he says no?"
Youngmin deflates when Woojin turns around. "It's just a study session, Woojin."
"But a study session that's just us two, alone."
The older just shakes his head, and Woojin feels bad. Youngmin is the receiver of most of Woojin's disgusting love stuff, and he's endlessly patient. If Woojin didn't like Hyungseob (Woojin wishes) or if Youngmin and Donghyun weren't madly in love (yet another non existent universe), he thinks he would have dated Youngmin himself. But Woojin grimaces because that's kind of like being in a relationship with your parent, which is super wrong and- Youngmin is still staring at him, expectant.
Woojin makes a noncommittal noise. "But hyung, you said not to rush feelings."
"That was four months ago! I know it's probably scary to think about and act on, but at this rate, you're going absolutely nowhere." Youngmin takes a couple steps forward and rubs Woojin's back gently.
It's true, it's already been a week since he had to walk away from their lunch table, and the friendship they have is teetering to some kind of awkward, pining, skirting around kind of thing where they can barely talk to each other. All Woojin's fault probably. Crushes just make you hyper aware of everything you do and everything the person you like does. How inconvenient.
"Maybe if you stopped overthinking it, you could just ask him." Youngmin offers, snapping Woojin out of another (mildly angsty) inner monologue.
"I'll...ask him today for sure though. I'll do it."
Youngmin cheers and Woojin swallows around the lump in his throat nervously.
They turn a corner and Youngmin gives him an encouraging butt pat before he enters his classroom. Woojin doesn't know what he did wrong that day, or that month, or even in his past life, but karma comes crashing into him at full force. Literally. Hyungseob had sprinted into him, knocking Woojin down to the ground.
"Ah I'm sorry!" Hyungseob gasps, helping Woojin up. Their fingers clasp around each other's and a giddy kind of spark runs through their arms. Or just Woojin's because he's definitely feeling a buzz of something. Ahn Hyungseob's effect, he guesses. Woojin dusts off his pants as Hyungseob apologizes again and starts walking away.
"No, wait!" Woojin calls after him, and Hyungseob turns around.
This is it, Park Woojin. Don't say anything dumb.
"Study me?"
And you messed it up. Youngmin's disappointed face pops up into his mind. Sixteen stars in Woojin's universe just detoanted. The world is ending. Hyungseob tilts his head, confused.
"I mean," Woojin corrects himself, his cheeks reddening. "Study with me? West Stairwell, near the science class rooms? After school."
Woojin braces himself for impact, "I'll meet you there then!"
And Hyungseob's answer nearly knocks him down again. He blubbers out a "cool" before scurrying to class. It's actually happening, they're going to hang out, alone. Woojin's stomach does flips, and finds that he doesn't quite mind.
☆
Woojin and Hyungseob sit beside each other in their meeting spot, bags and books opened, and worksheets rustling. By some strange work of their education system, they have all the same classes, but with different teachers. It sucks, but Hyungseob is secretly glad that there's no other places for him to embarrass himself in front of Woojin.
The older boy is actually relieved that Woojin offered to help, since he's semi-failing half his subjects and Woojin is a known Perfect Student. Hyungseob is eternally grateful. He kind of wants to pay him back somehow, but his bank account is still recovering from his and Justin's furniture store splurge. He's broke, but at least he has a high quality bed frame.
Then Hyungseob has an idea. An idea that he clearly didn't think through or even wondered about the consequences. He felt compelled to do it.
So just do it, Hyungseob thinks. Kiss him on the cheek. A small kiss. Namhyung and Dongsu hyungs do it all the time. Wait, they're dating. Taemin and Taewoo- no they're dating too. Jonghyun and Min- they're basically married, why is everyone dating. Woojin was right. Oh, Woojin. Okay, no, it's a friendship kiss, a strictly platonic kiss. To say thank you. For the study session in the stairwell. Yeah, thank you. An innocent reason. Too minor of a reason? No it's cool. Totally cool. A non romantic, thank you kiss. Hyungseob nods with finality, takes a breath, and leans in.
His eyes are shut tight, lips puckered as he slowly moves his face closer.
"Hey, do y-" Woojin starts, turning his head.
Then Hyungseob pecks something at definitely isn't a cheek. His eyes spring open to just to be face to face with Woojin. The younger boy had turned just in time for Hyungseob to kiss half his mouth.
A second passes.
And another.
And another.
Then Hyungseob leaps to his feet, points at Woojin and screams, "That didn't count!" Before sprinting away, nearly tripping over his own feet.
☆
Woojin yells. He won't even deny that fact that he yelled, because every fiber of his being was yelling at him, so he had to yell. Ahn Hyungseob kissed him. He was kissed. Maybe not a full, consensual kiss (although any kiss from Hyungseob would be welcome) but a kiss. Woojin yells some more and flops onto the floor. The school grounds are always dirty and he regrets it immediately after he inhales a breath of dust, but he doesn't really feel anything because everything is numb after that kiss. He was kissed.
And then he does what any logical person would do and tells someone.
Which turns out to be a terrible idea because three minutes later there's someone else yelling, and it's right into his ear.
Why, out of everyone he knows, out of everyone on this planet, did he call Lee Daehwi?
"YOUR FIRST KISS!" Daehwi squeals. (The exclamation makes Woojin feel like a loser at the fact that he had his first 'kiss' in his second last year of high school). "Where is he?! What happened, w-what do you mean by accident?!" The younger is looking around wildly, shaking Woojin by his shoulders. Woojin didn't expect Daehwi to get here that fast (he was conveniently near the stairwell Woojin was in) and Woojin's mind is reeling from the questions.
"I don't know, it happened and he said it didn't count and he just left," Woojin manages.
Daehwi lets go of him. "I'm going to find him."
"No."
"Yes. "
"No!"
"Yes! He said that it didn't count, so he probably wants an actual first kiss someday!"
Woojin's throat closes up. Hyungseob would actually want to kiss him?
Daehwi rolls his eyes. "You're even more dense than I thought."
☆
Hyungseob doesn't actually know where he's running. He just needed to get out of that situation. He kissed Park Woojin. The cool, funny, annoyingly cute Park Woojin. Hyungseob's heart is leaping but also dropping at the same time, like some emotional rollercoaster that he was forced to go on. He wants to lift the lap bar of this ride and jump out.
(Although this is basically his own fault because he was one with the idea of kissing Woojin. The regret he has is bigger than Justin's height. Maybe even bigger than that giant model he sees all the time, Kwon Hyunbin.)
He had left his phone in his bag, with everything else in that stairwell. So smart. Hyungseob runs through the school (blatantly ignoring the romantic guitar duet in the music room and the couple making out in the hall behind him- was that Sunghyuk and Dongmyung- no, whatever) trying to find somewhere he could go. So Hyungseob ends up in front of the dance studio, a place where Jungjung frequents. Yes, Jungjung, he'd know what to do. He knocks twice before turning the handle and bursting in. He hopes he doesn't catch Taehyun dancing for Sungwoon again, he never knew krumping could be that...passionate. Hyungseob's eyes immediately catch onto the person he's looking for, sitting on the floor, eyes wide.
"Hyung!" Hyungseob cries, taking long strides and falling onto Jungjung's chest. He's weirdly warm (probably from dancing) but Hyungseob just presses into him.
"Hyungseob?" The older's voice sounds high and strained, and little out of breath.
"Hyung, I kissed Park Woojin."
It takes time for the words to settle in, then Jungjung carefully pushes Hyungseob away from him to look at the boy. "You what?"
"I don't know! It was an accident!" Hyungseob shouts.
"How do you kiss someone by- anyways, Hyungseob, I'd love to help you right now but I'm," Jungjung breathes out. "Busy."
Hyungseob stares at him incredulously. "With what? You're alo-"
Then Hyungseob's gaze travels to the corner of the room, where Eunki has his knees tucked into his chest, clearly shirtless and also afraid. Hyungseob looks to Jungjung and notices the red marks littered around his neck and on his collarbone from where it peeks out under his loose shirt.
The youngest in the studio recoils, scuttling away from Jungjung and to the door. "That's disgusting." And he leaves.
Jungjung and Eunki share a look and nod. They're locking the door next time for sure.
☆
Lunch the next day is awkward. The incident had spread through their group of friends. They both decided to come and sit at the regular table, and nearly everyone stays quiet about it.
Nearly everyone.
"So is anyone going to bring up how the tension here is so thick, you could cut blocks out of it and build a house?" Hyumin asks, looking around the table.
"Stop," Haknyeon hisses, smacking his arm.
"This makes me want to hang out with Jaechan again, and that means chilling while Kenta and Insoo hyungs play tonsil tennis all day." Hyunmin squints. "What's making everyone so uptight?"
No one replies, but Hyungseob and Woojin shift uneasily. Euiwoong takes a deep breath and pinches the bridge of his nose, while Jihoon eyes the pair with pity.
"Oh," Hyunmin's lips thin. "Was it a couple thing? The key to relationships is communication you know,"
"We're not a couple!" Hyungseob and Woojin say at the same time, and both shut up after.
Euiwoong gets up and begins to leave. "You really need to fix this." He says, and everyone else slowly follows, leaving Woojin and Hyungseob behind.
They don't talk.
☆
"Hyung, how do you," Woojin gestures around vaguely. "Relationship?"
Daniel's brows knit together as he peers over at Woojin, who's laying on the wood of the practice room, squinting up the fluorescent lights on the ceiling. They occasionally meet up for dance covers and practices, but the kincident (kiss incident) has Woojin unable to focus on anything.
"That's...a really broad spectrum there, Woojin-ah. What do you mean?"
"I mean, what happens when you potentially screw up a friendship forever by turning your head and reacting horribly because you don't know what to do with the fine line of admiration and romantic love you feel?"
A pause. "I don't think I'm qualified to respond to that."
Woojin whines and wriggles around on the floor in frustration. "What do you and Seongwoo hyung do when you fight?"
"I'm pretty sure this doesn't really correlate to your situa-"
"Please."
Daniel sighs and sits down beside Wooijn. "We talk."
"That's it?"
"Yeah, talking it out is efficient. It's better than letting it fester and ignoring whatever's wrong."
Woojin tries to keep that in mind.
☆
Hyungseob rocks back and forth on Justin's bedroom floor, hitting his head on the wall every time he leans forward. Justin observes him, forehead creased in slight worry. His fingers tap nervously on the arm of the office chair as he uses a leg to swivel himself.
"Are you," The younger boy hesitates. "Okay?"
Hyungseob whirls around so quickly and sharply, Justin nearly falls off his seat. "Do I look okay?"
"No?"
"Well I'm not!" Hyungseob falls back to lay on the floor, looking like he regrets all his life decisions. (He kind of does).
"Is this about the kiss thing? Hyung, talk to him." Justin urges, nudging Hyungseob with his foot.
"It isn't that easy." The elder murmurs, swatting at Justin's toes.
"Zhengting gē, excuse my language," Justin whispers in Chinese, before glowering at Hyungseob. "Just talk to him, you wuss! It's not that hard! It's better to let shit out of your mouth than out of your ass, but it doesn't matter either way cause of all your damn emotional constipation!"
Hyungseob is taken aback, gaping at Justin's outburst. He gulps and hangs his head, ashamed that it took one of his youngest friends to convince him (somewhat). "I'll...try."
"Thank you, hyung."
☆
Another lunch break, another hour of sitting in tense silence. It seems to be even worse this time, because Hyungseob and Woojin keep eyeing each other, like they want to eak up, but can't.
Then (surprisingly) Jihoon speaks up, "Can you two just talk about it?"
No response. (It's a phrase that the two people it's directed at have heard too much the past couple of days.)
"Oh my God." So Jihoon gets up, pulls at Hyungseob's ear, and drags him towards Woojin. He pushes him into Woojin's lap, winding him when Hyungseob's butt crashes into his stomach. There's an intake of breath around the table before Jihoon huffs and goes back to eating.
They stare at each other awkwardly, before Woojin makes a move to grab the older by the wrist, off of him, and towards the washroom.
Woojin enters and pushes Hyungseob against a stall door, hands on either side of his head, and leans in. Woojin is still breathing hard, and Hyungseob's ears are redder than usual. Woojin's so close, his breath is warm against Hyungseob's cheek when he starts whispering, "I'm going to regret this."
And when Woojin closes the gap, it's barely a kiss, just lips resting on lips, but it makes Hyungseob inhale sharply and his insides tumble. Hands come up to hold Woojin's face and to pull him closer, deepening the kiss. There's fire racing through their veins, affection running through every body part that's touching the other, and it makes them dizzy. Mostly because they realize that you have to breathe when you kiss someone, and lack of air is bound to make people light headed.
They seperate with a soft pop, panting heavily and faces pink. Woojin tilts his head forward to rub his nose on Hyungseob's, making him giggle. Woojin pecks him again and again, each kiss making Hyungseob's heart flutter more and more.
"Wait, wait," Hyungseob laughs breathily, letting his hands drop to Woojin's shoulders. He laughs more at the worried expression on the younger's face. "No you're doing fine," He kisses him, as if to prove his point. "Are we, dating?"
Woojin shrugs. "If you want to be,"
"Of course I want to!"
"Wait, really?"
Hyungseob stares at him. "Yes?"
Woojin groans and rests his forehead on Hyungseob's shoulder. "I thought you didn't like me," He admits.
"Seriously?" After we just kissed like, four times? Hyungseob doesn't say out loud. "Well, I thought you only liked me as a friend," He confesses, arms circling Woojin and hugging him close.
"Well then, Ahn Hyungseob, I...like you. In a non-friend way." Woojin murmurs
"Park Woojin, I like you too. In the totally super really romantic way."
"We're. So bad at this," Woojin chuckles, nosing at the older boy's neck.
"It worked out though," Hyungseob replies. "Right, boyfriend?" He questions tentatively, not knowing what reaction he'll get.
Woojin only nuzzles into him even harder. How weak is he to pet names? Way too weak. Combine that with the weakness he has when it comes to Hyungseob? Might as well call him Weakjin. "Yeah. It- it did."
Park Woojin dating Ahn Hyungseob isn't some alternate reality now. A new timeline has opened, the stars aligned, and whatever Gods up there had mercy and blessed him.
But then Woojin has a realization.
"Wait, if you're leaning on this door, that means it was locked,"
Hyungseob seems to catch on, and he quickly jumps away from the stall. "I'm so sorry!" He squeaks.
"No it's fine," The quiet voice of Kim Dongbin comes out. Woojin tries his best not to slap himself in the face. He intertwines his and Hyungseob's fingers and begin to exit the bathroom. They'll never be able to face the freshman again.
☆
"Yay for Hyungseob finally getting his feelings together!" Seunghyuk shouts, raising a juice filled cup. Jungjung, Euiwoong, and Justin raise their cups as well, cheering loudly. They had thrown a small party in Jungjung's house, complete with snacks, drinks, and a big sign that says "Hyungseob Isn't As Lame And Emotionally Stuck As We Thought!" in Justin's messy handwriting.
"You guys suck," Hyungseob complains, stuffing a handful of popcorn in his mouth.
"Does that mean you swallow?" Justin asks, wiggling his eyebrows.
Euiwoong coughs from behind him and Hyungseob pounds at his chest to remove the kernel that got caught in his throat. "No, that's Jungjung hyung's job." He says once his airway is clear.
Jungjung's face warms as Seunghyuk barks out a laugh and Justin claps at the response, impressed.
☆
An emergency meeting is called, and Woojin ends up in the all too familiar boba store. Daehwi isn't talking to him for some reason, and Donghyun and Youngmin sit together lookimg like concerned parents. 3/4 of them don't quite know what they're there for, and the one who planned it is currently sipping his drink in the most passive aggressive way.
"I can't believe," Daehwi finally starts speaking, after his cup is only half full. "That I found out that you and Hyungseob were dating because of Kim Dongbin." He snaps, irritated.
Youngmin nearly chokes on his drink, and Donghyun has to thump his back, looking at his boyfriend worriedly. “You’re what?” Youngmin gasps.
"That's what you're mad about?" Woojin asks with disbelief. He turns to Youngmin. "And you didn't know?"
Daehwi throws his hands in the air. "Even Myunghoon knew! Myunghoon doesn't even go to our school, he's on the other side of the world!"
Woojin shrugs helplessly at the mention of their friend studying abroad. "I told him cause I thought you guys would know."
"How on Earth would we know if you didn't tell us?!"
Youngmin places a gentle hand on Daehwi's shoulder, making him ease down and gets his anger to melt into a small pout. Donghyun exhales and looks Woojin straight in the eye, "Woojin-ah, we're happy about your relationship, and wish you all the best."
Woojin lips quirk up at Donghyun's bright smile, thankful.
"But," Donghyun continues, "why did you not tell us? You wimp, we're the ones that helped you through all of this, we deserve something."
"I say he has to buy us boba for a month," Youngmin pipes up, hooking his chin on Donghyun's shoulder.
Daehwi lights up and claps excitedly, "I like the sound of that!"
"But not as much as Woojin likes Hyungseob," Donghyun comments slyly.
Woojin groans and covers his face with his hands. His wallet is going to suffer. But...Donghyun wasn't wrong, not at all. He grins a little behind his fingers at the thought of his boyfriend. Yes, boyfriend. He could get used to that.