Chapter Text
October 2017
Jaehwan probably wasn't supposed to be this calm.
“I’m failing some classes.” Jihoon groaned.
“So?” was Jaehwan’s response. Jihoon blinked. The crinkled report card from his hand fluttered to the floor.
As Jihoon’s only guardian, Jaehwan felt as if he was supposed to react with more fervor, more anger, and more disappointment. But he merely shrugged whilst saying, “I did too.”
Jihoon’s mouth dropped. Jaehwan was sure Jihoon was an actual statue for two good minutes. “Shouldn't you be more concerned?” Watching Jihoon’s face fluster and fingers grab at the hems of his pink pajamas, Jaehwan cooed and ruffled the younger’s chocolate brown hair.
“I failed some of my classes too, back then.” He cackled, “I barely managed to pass my last year.”
Jihoon watched Jaehwan cuddle into the couch with messy hair and unchanged clothes from yesterday. The older was snuggling with a tub of mint ice cream as he watched Produce 101 Season 1 with eager interest. “It’s a true miracle that you managed to became a successful music producer.” Jihoon bitterly replied.
Jaehwan wiped some dribbles of ice cream with the sleeve of his sweater, “Do what I did, kid—“ Jaehwan stopped his thoughts to cheer wildly as Yeonjung hit the high note of the song. After he calmed down, the older smiled cheekily at the younger, “get a tutor.” [just don't fall in love with them.]
Jihoon sighed as he left the living room to go to his room, muttering something about a certain useless hyung.
— ♡ —
November 2017
When Jihoon’s physics teacher called to praise the kid’s “amazing progress in grades,” Jaehwan nearly dropped his phone in shock.
In the three years Jaehwan had taken care of Jihoon, the younger always managed to be the brightest and best in everything except science and math. Jihoon was a dancing genius and a talented musician (Jaehwan could tell the kid had incredible potential— he was a music producer after all). On top of all that, the kid could move tears as he wrote the most heartbreaking poem in the world. History? You could ask any random question about any point in history and Jihoon would freakishly know all the answers.
Physics? Heck, even the smartest kids in his year had trouble with that class. Jaehwan needed to thank the magician that somehow managed to bless his baby with good grades.
Jaehwan worked at home, meaning that his studio was in his apartment (he was too lazy to get out of the house anyway). So he hurriedly finished producing a few songs and singing the demos before Jihoon came to school. When he heard keys rustle and Jihoon’s voice echo in the outside hallways, Jaehwan jumped at the chance to grill the younger for questions.
Two heads— a chocolate brown one and a raven black one —entered the apartment, laughing at whatever teenagers laughed at these days.
“Why are you doing well in school?” Jaehwan demanded, popping in front of them from behind them, scaring the shit out of the two boys.
“Fuc- hyung! Please don't scare me like that,” Jihoon dramatically grasped his chest.
Jaehwan ignored what Jihoon said, “I need to know now, Park Jihoon.”
“Why are you mad that I’m doing well?”
“I’m not mad,” Jaehwan groaned as he rustled his own hair, “I just want to make sure it's really my Jihoon that's living with me. I need to check if you didn't take some magic grade-improving drug or some kind of education wine or—“
“Uh” the tall, raven haired boy spoke as he gave Jaehwan an awkward, gummy smile, “should I leave?”
“Stay, Guanlin.” Jihoon’s face turned pink as he said Guanlin’s name. Oh. Jaehwan thought. His little baby has a big crush.
“Hello Guanlin,” Jaehwan put on his best, friendliest smile. He reached his hand out to the taller youth, “is Jihoon doing any drugs?”
Guanlin’s eyes shifted as he looked for all possible exits, “uh—“
“Hyung,” Jihoon let out an exasperated sigh, “I’m not taking any drugs. I just did what you told me to do.”
“What did I tell you to do again?” All Jaehwan remembered was watching Yeonjung’s team win the concept evaluation in glorious fashion.
“I got a tutor.”
A tutor?
He arched his eyebrows, “And you're paying this tutor how...?”
“He said it was free! I’m friends with his brother and he said I was cute—“
Alarms started to ring in Jaehwan’s head, “What if he eats cute children for lunch?”
“Hyung!"
“Okay, okay,” Jaehwan laughed joyously at Jihoon’s embarrassment, “Start bringing him over so I could pay him. If it's late maybe I can make some dinner for him.”
Jihoon sighed; the embarrassment was over. “Guanlin, let's go.”
As Jaehwan watched the two teenagers walk to Jihoon’s room, he cackled, “Please have safe sex, kids!”
“Oh my fucking god, hyung!”
— ♡ —
November 2017
Jihoon texted him that his tutor had accepted the invitations to do the sessions at their house. Jihoon also texted that the tutor had declined the money.
Well too fucking bad. Jaehwan still sat on the couch with an envelope of money at hand. He couldn't just let this tutor just walk away without re-payment.
The past few weeks, Jihoon had expressed his admiration for his tutor. He rambled on and on about how well the tutor taught as well how well the tutor treated him. Jaehwan was endlessly thankful for this mysterious tutor and his majestical ways. “He's your type, too.” Jihoon had winked to Jaehwan before he left for school. My type? Jaehwan now had even more respect for the tutor.
Just as the eliminations for Produce 101 Season 1 wrapped up, the doorbell rang. Jihoon screamed happy murder as he practically skipped to the door.
“You're here!” Jihoon beamed at the figure entering the door. Jaehwan rushed for the remote, turning it off (of course, after watching the next episode’s promo) and then promptly got up to greet the newcomer.
“Hello! I just wanted to thank—“ Jaehwan's voice faltered. The man in front of him squeezed Jihoon’s cheek and slowly looked up.
The tutor gasped, now looking at him with the most familiar glint in his eyes, almond eyes widened in shock. Jaehwan rubbed his eyes, as if his eyes deceived him. The pair stayed frozen in time, shocked at each other's presence. It felt as if they were in a drama, cameras circling around this unimaginable situation.
The man spoke in a broken, slight whisper, “Hwannie?” Jaehwan's heart squeezed in pain as he felt lost and helpless.
Jihoon’s tutor was Hwang. Fucking. Minhyun.
— ♡ —
December 2009
“Hwannie, look at what you did again.” Minhyun sighed, looking at the kitchen swamped with messes.
Jaehwan waved Minhyun away, “Calm down, calm down. I got this.”
“I don't think so,” Minhyun chuckled as he slithered his arms around Jaehwan’s torso, “I don't know anyone who's had this much trouble making hot chocolate.”
Jaehwan giggled, turning to kiss the other’s lips lightly, “The art of hot chocolate is very hard to master, hyung. Don't put down my efforts.”
But as Jaehwan turned, Minhyun lifted his arms to caress the younger’s face. As their lips met, Minhyun went in hard, deepening the kiss at first chance. Jaehwan’s hands started to roam Minhyun’s body hungrily, slipping under the shirt. Minhyun’s heart burst as he heard Jaehwan moan as he sucked on Jaehwan’s bottom lip. Jaehwan gripped on Minhyun’s hair, clearly enjoying the affection Minhyun was showering him with. Minhyun moved his lips to Jaehwan’s neck—
Beep. Beep. Beep.
“Oh fuck,” Jaehwan whispered, “I forgot the chocolate was boiling.”
Minhyun heartily laughed, “Jaehwan, please get your shit together.”
Although Jaehwan was a 24/7 mess™, Minhyun thought the other's clumsiness and fluster was incredibly adorable. Jaehwan was always the messy, unorganized fellow, to which Minhyun never imagined dating (as he was the complete opposite). But taking care of the younger made him feel a warm fuzzy feeling that Minhyun was absolutely addicted to.
The younger grumbled curses, bolting to attend the smoke coming out of the pot, “This is all your fault.”
Minhyun smirked, “I don't get how you're managing your last school year without me.”
“Are you suddenly acting superior because you’re in big boy college now?” Jaehwan pouted, dropping dead to the floor after turning off the stove, “I’m barely managing in school without you, hyung.”
Minhyun cooed at Jaehwan’s pout, looking at the high schooler as if he wad the most precious gem in the world. He gently climbed on top of Jaehwan on the floor and lowered his head to whisper in a low tone, “Did you miss me?”
Jaehwan brought his upper body forward, meeting his lips with Minhyun’s, “I missed you so” *kiss* “so” *kiss* “so” *kiss* “much.” *kiss*
Minhyun hummed in content, “I love you, Hwannie.”
Jaehwan smiled the most brilliant smile in the world; he whispered in the older’s ear, “I love you even more.”
“And hyung?”
“Yes Jaehwan?”
“I’m failing physics.”
“...”
“Hyung?”
“...”
“...”
“... Oh for fuck’s sake, Kim Jaehwan.”
— ♡ —
November 2017
God must've hated Jaehwan. Why? Because of all people, his ex was Jihoon’s tutor.
He hated to break Jihoon’s excitement and adoration for Minhyun, but Jaehwan was ready to kick the newcomer out and wave a permanent goodbye. He was sorry to the younger boy, but he couldn't handle seeing his ex in his apartment. Well, this particular ex.
Because Minhyun wasn't just an ex. He was Jaehwan’s first love. He was Jaehwan’s lover for six years. He remembered all the broken promises, the ways they embraced each other, the whispers of love they spoke as they held hands with a tight grip. He remembered all of their memories and the pain, ache, hurt that came with them. He remembered it all.
Hwannie. God, it had been five years since he heard that word. Hwannie.
“You know each other?” Jihoon interrupted Jaehwan’s thoughts with a puzzled expression.
“Kid, go to your room.” Jaehwan couldn't break the eye contact with Minhyun.
“I’m not a k—“
“Jihoon.” Jaehwan growled. Jihoon eyes widened. Jaehwan never got angry.
With a sympathetic look to Minhyun, Jihoon fled to his room for safety.
“Hwannie—“ Minhyun started, walking towards the younger.
Jaehwan stepped further back, cutting the older off, “Hwang Minhyun, we need to talk.”
— ♡ —
“Jinyoung,” Jihoon yelped as soon as the smol faced boy answered the phone, “Does your hyung know my hyung?”
“Um,” Jinyoung stuttered, clearly surprised at the aggressive phone call, “Hello to you too?”
“Dude, answer me now. I think my hyung is going to rip your hyung into pieces. We have to save Minhyun hyung or else I’m going to fail physics.”
There's a long pause in Jinyoung’s side. It didn't help Jihoon’s panicking heart from going in nervous circles. Finally Jinyoung spoke, “You're joking right?”
“Jinyoung! This is serious!”
“Alright, alright.” He could hear the other roll his eyes through the phone, “but I don't know how to help you. How am I supposed to know who your hyung is if I only know that his last name is Park? Do you know how many Parks are in Korea, Jihoon—“
“My hyung’s last name isn't Park though.” Jihoon frowned, hesitant on saying those words, hoping it wouldn't lead to the ‘you were adopted?’ discussion. “My hyung’s last name is Kim. Kim Jaehwan.”
A pause.
“Jaehwan hyung?!”
Jinyoung screeched though the phone, “HowthefuckisheyourbrotherfuckJihoonfuckthisissobad—“
“You dipshit,” Jihoon hissed at his speaker, “calm down, I can't hear what you're saying.”
Jihoon could hear literal ragged breaths through the phone. Was Jaehwan hyung and Minhyun hyung’s relationship that bad? What kind of relationship did they even have? Jaehwan hyung never mentioned Minhyun before... Jihoon could only scratch his head in confusion. He flopped onto his bed and tapped at the sheets in angst.
As soon as Jinyoung recovered, he gasped into the phone, “Jaehwan hyung and Minhyun hyung were dating. Not just any kind of couple... they were serious. Serious enough that they bought an apartment together and Minhyun hyung was even planning on proposing...”
“What happened to them?”
“I don't know why they fought, but I remember them having this huge fight. Everyone thought that they would recover— even I did; because they had been dating for six years and they were pretty chill and forgiving of each other but...”
“But what?”
“They never recovered. Jaehwan hyung packed all his stuff one day and just left. Minhyun hyung was so devastated that day, I've never seen him cry so much in my whole life. After the breakup, he's become a workaholic nun,, I swear I’ve never seen him on a date since then.” Jinyoung’s voice turned sad, Jihoon could hear the younger’s voice crack,
“They were so happy...”
Jihoon himself was speechless. His tutor and hyung had this heart wrenching history? He loved both of them a lot... Both of his hyungs were precious human beings who deserved to be loved.
From what Jihoon knew, Jaehwan hyung was always alone. Sure, he had friends, but he mostly stayed at home while Jihoon was at school. Constantly strumming his guitar and blabbing about being “married to the music” crap, it was kind of getting pathetic how Jaehwan’s life led to minimal human contact, save for the singers that sang his songs and Jihoon himself.
Jihoon decided he just couldn't leave them like this. It was fate: two ex-lovers who never got over each other, meeting again as single, lonely (pathetic) men. He was certain the stars had aligned just for his hyungs to be together. Jihoon perked up as he spoke to the phone, “Jinyoung, this is definitely not a coincidence. They met again, didn't they? Let's get them get back together.”
“You're a fucking genius, Park Jihoon.”
“Shit, I should've taped that.” Jihoon smirked as he mentally patted himself on the back. “Jinyoung, we’ll get the whole crew. Woojin and Daehwi” Jihoon laughed evilly as he said the last name in a teasing way, knowing that Jinyoung had a wittle crush on the boy.
“... I’m inviting Guanlin too, then.”
“For fucks sake, Jinyoung. What the heck?”
“Park Jihoon, it's an eye for an eye. Anyways, what should we call this mission?”
“I know the perfect name,” Jihoon grinned, plans formulating in his head in a thousand miles per second.
“Operation Minhwan”