Work Text:
i. Hoseok & Changkyun
“Want me to push you into the lake so we don’t have to go looking for the twenty something books on this list?” Changkyun offers as he and Hoseok scour the shelves for a copy of an obscure title related to Psychology. Hoseok pauses in his searching to glance over to Changkyun, who was innocently looking back at him, eyes round and roguish behind his glasses. He pretends to look interested in the thought before rolling his eyes, turning back to the rows of books before him.
“Why would you want to push me into the lake of all places?”
“The trauma of seeing the bottomless lake swallow you up before my very eyes could probably excuse me from having to sit my exams later this year. Plus, you wouldn’t have to take your exams either, not if you’re busy sitting at the bottom of the lake.”
“Just look for the textbooks, Changkyun.” Hoseok sighs as he tiptoes to reach for a copy of The Comprehensive Guide to Sports Psychology . His fingertips brush against the edge of it, enough so he can tip it towards himself, when he hears a familiar giggle. The lilt of it startles Hoseok enough that he fumbles with his grip on the book before it falls off the shelf and into his hands with a soft whump.
“Isn’t that Jooheon?” Changkyun mouths, looking towards the more secluded section of the library.
“Jooheon doesn’t go to the library,” Hoseok says, still reeling over the fact he had so perfectly saved a book without making any noise. “I think.”
Changkyun looks doubtful, and the skepticism Hoseok had put at the end of his claim probably encouraged Changkyun’s curiosity, a possibility that the source of the sound belonged to someone they knew. Hoseok easily puts it out of his mind, turning back to the list Ms. Yoon had given them and taking the time to cross out titles he and Changkyun had collected when he hears, “Shut up, you’re so cute.”
In that brief moment, it becomes very clear that behind the shelves were two of their closest friends. Changkyun’s eyes widen comically as he drops the stack of books in his arms to peer around the corner of the bookshelf. Hoseok follows after him, pushing Changkyun down so he could lean over him before spotting the recognizable figures of Jooheon and Minhyuk, cuddled together and smiling so sweetly in the hazy, sunset lighting of the library. Their table was covered in open textbooks, notebooks that were blank and pens scattered around.
“What are you guys doing here?” Changkyun asks, and Hoseok has never seen two people leap apart so fast. Minhyuk accidentally shoves Jooheon off his seat and reaches out for him at the last second, their fingertips brushing before he hits the floor in a heap. Changkyun laughs at the display before smacking his hands over his mouth, wriggling out of Hoseok’s grasp to sit at their table, chin resting on his palm to look busy in case the librarian chose to investigate. Jooheon’s head crops up over the table, directing a glare to Minhyuk who apologetically hauls him back onto his seat.
“Just tutoring Jooheon for History,” Minhyuk says with a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. He glances over to Jooheon, who’s patting down his uniform.
“Jooheon doesn’t even take History,” Changkyun points out and Jooheon nervously laughs.
“I have a—” Jooheon glances to Minhyuk, and Hoseok can see there’s an unspoken conversation neither he nor Changkyun were privy to. “An interest in the Greeks. I do it for fun.”
Hoseok snickers, cautious of his volume level as he sits on the edge of the table, poring over their textbooks. He doesn’t want either of them to get kicked out of the library, especially when he only had ten of the twenty something books he needed for Ms. Yoon. “I think I remember Hyungwon telling me you would rather die than sit in another history class, though—and aren’t these all textbooks for Economics?”
“History and Economics are intertwined,” Jooheon says. There’s no conviction behind his tone, however, as he slowly drags the textbooks Hoseok had been looking at to place them on his lap and out of sight. “Also, I didn’t say I would die . I said I would cry, because Kihyun asked me to help study for his History test.”
“Then what about the giggling we heard?” Changkyun asks and Minhyuk immediately points to the upper levels of the library.
“You probably heard some people upstairs,” he says. “They've been giggling a lot.”
Hoseok and Changkyun exchange glances. The younger has an eyebrow raised like he wants to continue grilling them for the inconsistencies in their story, but Hoseok shakes his head, a barely there gesture that has Changkyun pulling back. Jooheon shuffles around his notebooks and pens before asking, “So, why are you guys in the library?”
“Ms. Yoon told us to pick up some textbooks and reading material,” Changkyun replies and Minhyuk smiles brightly, standing up at the opportunity. He takes Hoseok and Changkyun’s hands, pulling them away from the tables and back towards their place between the bookshelves.
“Well, wouldn’t want to keep you guys away from your work. We’ll just be here studying for fun, doing some notes.” Minhyuk punctuates his words with one last little push, waving before he disappears around the bookshelves.
“They really suck at keeping secrets,” Changkyun says and ducks out of the way when Hoseok aims a slap at his arm.
“They’re trying their best,” Hoseok says, looking for the sticky note he had left behind. “Now come on, these books aren’t gonna find themselves.”
**
“History, really?” Jooheon teases as Minhyuk slips back into view with one last furtive glance over his shoulder. He slides into the seat next to Jooheon, sighing before dropping his head to the table with a thud.
“I was looking at the posters!” Minhyuk wails, “It was a spur of the moment thing.”
Jooheon cards his fingers through Minhyuk’s hair with a soft smile before leaning in to press a kiss to the tip of his ear. “You’re lucky I like you so much.”
ii. Hyungwon & Kihyun
It’s Hyungwon who spots it first.
“Did you guys switch shirts?” He asks, and they all stop in their tracks. Kihyun, Jooheon and Minhyuk look at Hyungwon like he’s speaking with another head on his shoulders, and he takes the opportunity to point at Jooheon and Minhyuk’s chests. “Your shirts,” he says, “are switched.”
Kihyun moves first, swatting away Minhyuk’s wandering hand to get a closer look before he laughs, “Minhyuk, your shirt is at least a size too small. What's up with that?”
Jooheon clears his throat with a cough, tugging at his collar before saying, “They must’ve gotten mixed up in the last minute laundry we did.”
Hyungwon narrows his eyes at the excuse, just because he knows that laundry is done every Friday for sixth year students. It was only Tuesday. “They don't accept laundry from sixth years on Tuesdays though.”
“They made an exception,” Minhyuk says, “you know, just because they know me.”
Kihyun goes, “Huh,” before he says, “but Minhyuk, didn’t you tell me you were going to the library to grab some textbooks? You couldn’t have been with Jooheon in the dorms together if you were in the library getting your textbooks. It’s pretty far. ”
Hyungwon’s lips unconsciously curl upwards. He knows that he and Kihyun were a brutal sort of team, endlessly prodding until the answers made sense. Unlike Changkyun and Hoseok, where Hoseok’s pacifism held Changkyun’s sharp wit and curiosity at bay, neither Hyungwon nor Kihyun had any semblance of control. Kihyun was relentless, rough edges where Hyungwon was smooth and practiced.
Jooheon and Minhyuk share an uneasy look until Minhyuk breaks it with a hesitant laugh. Hyungwon knows they have them both hook, line and sinker.
“You can’t run from the library to the dorms in just a few minutes,” Hyungwon muses, briefly locking eyes with Kihyun. Kihyun has a sharp grin on his features, sly and playful as he turns back to Jooheon and Minhyuk. “So unless somehow , you managed to be in two places at once—”
“L-look at the time,” Jooheon interrupts, “we’re gonna be late for class!”
He and Minhyuk take off down the hallway, leaving Hyungwon and Kihyun behind. Hyungwon clicks his tongue in irritation, the unsatisfied feeling of not being able to finish his sentence weighing heavily on his chest.
“They do know we’re still ten minutes early, don’t they?” Kihyun murmurs as his gaze slides away from the classroom door to Hyungwon’s bothered features, laughing softly as he reaches up to pat Hyungwon’s cheek in an annoyingly patronizing way. “Don’t make a face like that, you’ll get a chance to be dramatic again. Let’s just go to class, Mr. Kim won’t care if we’re early.”
Hyungwon rolls his eyes and twists his head to bite Kihyun’s hand. Kihyun smacks his chest, tells him “Down, boy,” before wrapping his hand around the strap of Hyungwon’s shoulder bag, tugging him along towards the classroom.
“I hope they tell us they’re dating so you lose all the money you bet on them,” Hyungwon says as he stumbles over his feet.
Kihyun doesn’t give him the satisfaction of a reply.
**
“I told you to check before we went back down!” Minhyuk says, voice low and urgent in the empty classroom.
Jooheon tugs at his collar again, all relentless energy before he asks, “Do you think they know?”
“There’s no way,” Minhyuk says with a shake of his head. “They probably just think we’re weird for wanting to get to class early. They’ll probably stop focusing on our shirts.”
“I hope so,” Jooheon bites his bottom lip, tapping his fingers on the table before glancing over to Minhyuk. He sighs fondly and twists over, beckoning for the other to sit closer. “Come over here, your collar's all crooked.”
iii. Hyunwoo
Hyunwoo has always taken his role as prefect seriously. Students respected him and teachers relied on him. It was a role bearing the heavy weight of expectations, and he held it up well.
Being a prefect was also the reason he was walking through an endless maze of hallways so late at night with Ms. Yoon by his side, looking out for any students who were out of bed. One member of the cleaning staff had mentioned seeing some students wandering the halls, and Hyunwoo was immediately pulled out from studying to go help.
They round a corner and Hyunwoo pauses, looking towards the door to one of the many unused classrooms in the building. Ms. Yoon kept walking on without him, intent on checking the rest of the hallways. Hyunwoo glances towards her retreating frame once before pushing the door open, quietly cursing every creak.
Shadowy figures were sitting on top of abandoned desks. Hyunwoo’s eyes struggle to adjust underneath the moonlight, squinting as the figures come into focus. With their hands tangled together and their voices in tones so soft, Hyunwoo realizes he’s looking at Jooheon and Minhyuk.
Hyunwoo glances over his shoulder, back out into the hallway. Ms. Yoon was occupied with another teacher, and he steps inside, closing the door behind him with a soft click. It resonates loudly in the empty classroom, and Jooheon and Minhyuk startle at the sound, guiltily pulling apart when they see Hyunwoo standing by the door.
“What are you guys up to?” Hyunwoo asks, crossing his arms as he approaches the pair. “Students aren’t supposed to be out of bed at this time.”
“You’re out of bed,” Minhyuk points out and Jooheon elbows him gently.
Hyunwoo sighs, shakes his head as he says, “Yeah, but I’m also a prefect. I get more leeway than the entire student body.”
Minhyuk’s face scrunches up like Hyunwoo was right and he didn’t want to admit it.
“Please don’t tell anyone about us,” Jooheon pleads. He looks to Minhyuk, and Hyunwoo can see the devotion between them as clear as day.
He pinches the bridge of his nose. As much as he supported his two friends, the reckless behavior just to spend time with each other was worrying him. “I won’t tell anyone,” he says, “but I really expected better from both of you. Do you even know how much trouble you could be in if it wasn’t me that walked through that door? You both could be sitting in detention for weeks .”
Jooheon and Minhyuk have the sense to look guilty at his scolding tone, heads ducked together as they sought solace in the brush of their pinkies. The image of it is enough to quell Hyunwoo’s worry and he holds back the next part of his lecture. They’ve had enough for the night.
Outside the classroom, footsteps echo against the stone floor and Ms. Yoon’s voice floats through the hallway clearly, calling for Hyunwoo. He glances back to Jooheon and Minhyuk, both looking as if they were ready to accept their punishment for sneaking out of the dorms.
“I won’t—” Hyunwoo lowers his voice to a whisper, all too aware of how loud it sounded, “I won’t tell the teacher I saw you both in here—which is definitely abusing my position of power—so take care when you go back to the dorms, okay?”
“Thanks, Hyunwoo,” Minhyuk says and Hyunwoo offers him a smile.
“I’m your friend too, you know. Not just your prefect.”
He ducks out of the classroom after one last look over his shoulder, almost bumping into Ms. Yoon. She attempts to peer around his shoulder, but Hyunwoo closes the door with a firm smile.
“Any students in there?” She asks and Hyunwoo shakes his head, already moving away from the classroom.
“It was just a janitor,” he says. “Asked me some questions about school.”
“At least it wasn't a ghost,” she says and Hyunwoo forces himself to laugh politely. Behind him, the classroom fills up with unintelligible talk again—softer and easier to overlook.
**
“Should we go back now?” Jooheon asks, turning around in Minhyuk’s arms to look up at him. Minhyuk scrunches up his nose in thought before shrugging, dipping his head down to press a kiss to Jooheon’s forehead.
“I think we can stay for another few minutes, just wait until the coast is clear.”
“Don’t fall asleep on me, Lee Minhyuk,” Jooheon chides and Minhyuk laughs, rubbing his face into Jooheon’s neck to get a giggle from him.
iv. Jooheon and Minhyuk
It’s a weekend when Minhyuk and Jooheon decide to come clean to their friends.
The seven of them were all clustered in a cafe outside of school, nestled in the back corner and sitting at two tables pushed together. It was easy to coax them all outside too, promising warm drinks if they could brave the windy streets to get to there.
Jooheon shares a look with Minhyuk once everyone had settled into their seats, and Minhyuk taps on his mug to get everyone’s attention.
“We,” Minhyuk announces and intertwines his hand with Jooheon’s, holding it up. “Are dating.”
What they had expected were surprised faces, praises and well wishes. What they hadn’t expected was for Kihyun and Changkyun to groan loudly, both digging out their wallets to slide over a handful of dollars. Hyungwon and Hoseok reach over the table to high five, cheering as they gathered the money and split it between themselves and Hyunwoo.
“Thank you so much,” Hyunwoo says with a grin, sipping at his hot chocolate. “I was not ready to lose twenty dollars over this bet.”
“You guys couldn’t have kept sneaking around?” Kihyun asks, sighing as he looks through his wallet. “Changkyun and I were betting on you guys telling us at the end of the year, not in December. ”
“What’s going on?” Jooheon murmurs, hushed enough that only Minhyuk can catch it over the commotion their group was making.
Minhyuk shakes his head slowly, watching as Hyungwon slapped Kihyun’s hand away from the stack of notes. “I have no idea.”
Hyunwoo catches the end of their conversation and smiles, eyes crinkling up into moons that looked so innocent despite the small heap of money his arm was curled around. “We all knew when you guys started dating back in the beginning of the year, so we made a bet on when you guys would tell us.”
“Hoseok, Hyunwoo and I bet that you guys would tell us before the end of the year, while Kihyun and Changkyun said you guys would tell us at the end of the year after exams,” Hyungwon says. “Obviously, we won.”
“But we were so careful!” Minhyuk says, sounding closer to a whine.
Immediately, the group bursts out laughing.
“We walked in on you guys holding hands in the library,” Changkyun says and Hoseok nods.
Kihyun says, “You and Jooheon switched shirts that one time, remember?”
“You guys kind of told me,” Hyunwoo reaches over and pats Jooheon’s hand consolingly. “It’s okay, though. We’re all glad you told us.”
“I can’t believe you guys have been betting on us,” Jooheon says with a laugh, “we tried so hard to keep it secret.”
“I’ve held back from kissing Jooheon so many times when we hung out,” Minhyuk says. “But I’m guess I’m happy you guys already know. It means I can do this!”
Minhyuk cups Jooheon’s face with both hands, pulling him forward to press a kiss on his lips. The table erupts into noise, and Minhyuk feels napkins hit his arm. He parts with a laugh, turning to his friends as he pulls Jooheon closer to him.
Sneaking around, Minhyuk decides, was very much worth it.