Archive of Our Own

“--and that’s why you and Kyungsoo should date!” Baekhyun concludes with a flourish. He turns and nods at Sehun, who obligingly taps a button on the keyboard to switch to the next slide. Baekhyun takes a moment to admire their use of transitions; the words “Plan Get Kyungsoo to Realize He’s in Love with Park Chanyeol, and then Vice Versa, and Convince Them That They’re Soulmates and Should Totally Start Dating” dissolves off the screen, one letter at a time. The subtitle, in smaller font, (Plan GKRHLPCYV2CT3S2TSD for short) follows immediately after. In a whirling fury of pixels, it’s replaced by a crude sketch of one tall boy with large ears and one short boy with thick eyebrows and grotesquely large eyes. They’re holding hands. Underneath it are the words, emblazoned in an eye-catchingly neon green, “Kyungsoo + Chanyeol = 💖🤰”

Chanyeol stares at him, and then at the sketch on the projector, and then at Sehun, and back at Baekhyun again. He looks at them with a blank look on his face.

“Nevermind the unfortunate acronym,” Baekhyun says dismissively. “If you follow this plan, Kyungsoo will totally fall into your arms. Sweep him up and carry him off into the sunset, put those muscles to use,” Baekhyun stresses, tapping on his own flimsy biceps for emphasis. He glances at Sehun for moral support. His boyfriend gives him a thumbs up. Bolstered, he nods determinedly and turns his attention back to Chanyeol.

There’s a look of bewilderment on Chanyeol’s face. “Why is there a pregnant emoji next to the hear--” he cuts his own words short, and shakes his head. “Anyway, look, I think you guys might have the wrong idea--”

“It’s okay, you’re in a safe space here,” Sehun speaks up at last. His voice is measured and calm, almost as if placating a wild animal. “You can trust us, hyung.”

“No, I mean--”

Baekhyun claps Chanyeol on the shoulder. “Dude, we got your back here. Sehun and I totally thought this all through, there’s no way our plan can fail.”

Chanyeol frowns, his eyebrows coming together. The confusion on his face melts into something else, maybe annoyance. Baekhyun swallows back a sigh. Perhaps Chanyeol was more in denial about his feelings for Kyungsoo than either him or Sehun realized.

“Will you guys listen? I’m saying--”

A sudden knock on the door cuts Chanyeol off short. Sehun, who’s sitting closest to the door in order to navigate the laptop for their PowerPoint, glances at the tiny window in the door and lets out a gasp.

“Baek, it’s Yongmin teacher,” he hisses, already yanking the HDMI cable out of the port. He shoves his laptop into his backpack.

Baekhyun curses. They didn’t get authorization from a teacher to use this classroom during lunch break, and if Yongmin catches them, he knows they’ll get detention. And he can’t afford a detention; Sehun and him have a date at their favourite cafe tonight.

He maneuvers around Chanyeol, who’s still sitting in his seat.

The banging on the door gets louder, and the doorknob jiggles furiously. “Shit, he sounds pissed,” Baekhyun mutters under his breath, quickening his pace as he packs up his notecards. Sehun passes him his backpack, and Baekhyun takes it with a thanks.

Chanyeol tries again. “Guys, I really think--”

“Look, Chanyeol,” Baekhyun cuts in impatiently. He’s already striding towards the door located at the back of the classroom, and Sehun is close behind. It won’t buy them much time, but it’s something. “We gotta go, Yongmin’s gonna have our head if he catches us long enough to give us detention. I’ll just send you the slide deck or something, okay?”

He would feel bad for ditching his friend, but Chanyeol’s a major teacher’s pet and Baekhyun knows he wouldn’t get in trouble. Without another glance back, he and Sehun push open the door and they book it down the hallway immediately.

Behind them, he can hear their teacher’s infuriated voice shouting after them. “Byun Baekhyun, Oh Sehun, you come back here this instance--”

Long fingers thread through his, the familiar weight of Sehun’s hand settling on his. The din of noise in their crowded school hallway and the distant shouting of Yongmin teacher fades into the background as Baekhyun sneaks a smile at Sehun. His boyfriend smiles back, and squeezes his hand affectionately. Hand-in-hand, they make their way down the hall.

Chanyeol and Kyungsoo are totally lucky to have them as friends, Baekhyun thinks smugly. He has a good feeling about this. About their plan.

It was Sehun’s idea, despite what most people who have met Baekhyun at least once in their life might think.

It all begins the week prior, on a Saturday night where Baekhyun’s family had gone to Yanggu to visit their grandmother. Baekhyun had to stay behind to help babysit his younger brother, Jaemin, who had invited his best friend over for a sleepover weeks ago and threw a tantrum when he realized going to Yanggu would mess up his plans.

Baekhyun doesn’t mind. He adores Jaemin, and his friend Jeno -- who also happens to be Sehun’s youngest brother -- is a good kid too. If it weren’t for them becoming friends in daycare, he doesn’t know if him and Sehun would have ever gotten as close as they had and eventually started dating.

Besides, having Jeno sleepover at their house gives him an opportunity to have Sehun stay the night with him too.

“Oh, you know, Chanyeol said something funny to me,” Sehun says abruptly, in the middle of She’s All That. If there’s one thing he and Sehun love, it’s classic romantic comedies.

Baekhyun shifts closer, burrowing his head into the crook of Sehun’s neck. His boyfriend wraps an arm around his waist, tugging him closer. The bedsheets pool around their laps.

“Hm?” Baekhyun hums, only half-paying attention.

Sehun fixes the bedsheets, smoothing them out. “Chanyeol said something funny to me earlier today. He said, ‘do you think Kyungsoo would like this?’ and showed me a keychain with a penguin on it. A keychain.”

Baekhyun thinks it over. “A keychain?” he asks. “That doesn’t seem that weird, Sehunnie. They’ve been best friends since childhood, maybe Chanyeol’s just trying to get him a gift. You know he loves buying random things.”

“That’s the thing. They’ve known each other that long, Chanyeol never has to stop and think about whether Kyungsoo would like something. He just gets it for him.”

That was true. Baekhyun recalls all the times he’s seen Chanyeol pause as they were shopping, or buying snacks at the convenience store, or passing by a street food stand. “Oh, that’s Kyungsoo’s favourite,” he would point out. Or, “Kyungsoo would like this song, I think,” whenever a particularly soft crooning melody would play at the cafe near their favourite PC bang. Not to mention all the times he’s seen Chanyeol carry a thermos with him to lunch, only to reveal it was warm honey lemon tea for Kyungsoo after musical theatre practice.

And those are all just a drop in a bucket. Off the top of his head, he can think of a dozen more times where they seemed to just move in step with one another, almost as if they knew each other more than they knew themselves.

It reminds him a bit of himself and Sehun. Even subconsciously, he’s always been able to find Sehun, to know how to take care of him and be taken care of in return.

Something clicks in his mind.

“You know,” Baekhyun starts out, slowly. The wheels are turning. “Now that you mention it, Kyungsoo was acting kinda weird last week too.”

Sehun shifts so that he can fold himself around Baekhyun, their attention completely diverted from the movie still playing in the background. “What happened?” he asks. His face is as impassive as it ever is, with his sculpted features and arched brows, but Baekhyun can hear the concern -- and curiosity -- lingering underneath. He pinches Sehun’s cheek. His boyfriend is too cute.

Baekhyun laughs when Sehun winces and bats his hand away with a slight pout. “He made me try, like, at least five versions of the same dish. I still can’t stomach the thought of octopus without feeling ill.” It was some rice and spicy octopus dish. Delicious at first, but Baekhyun could only eat so much of the same thing in a single day.

“No fair, I want to eat Kyungsoo’s cooking too,” Sehun grumbles.

“It was pretty good,” Baekhyun admits. “But like, he wouldn’t tell me why he was trying to perfect the recipe.” He pauses for dramatic effect. “But doesn’t Chanyeol love spicy octopus?”

Sehun stills. His facial expression doesn’t change, but Baekhyun can see that Sehun’s connecting the dots. “He does,” he says slowly. “Isn’t it his favourite dish that his mom makes?”

Baekhyun smiles triumphantly. “Exactly.”

“Do you think--”

“--That they are in love with each other and should date?” Baekhyun blurts out. He sits up properly, disentangling himself from Sehun. “Because why else would Kyungsoo be trying to impress Chanyeol? That has to be it, right?”

Sehun mirrors his position, frowning a little as he thinks. “Well, I was thinking maybe they’re dating...?”

He mulls it over for a second -- it hadn’t occurred to him -- before he dismisses the idea. Highly unlikely. “Nah,” Baekhyun says, shaking his head. “You think Chanyeol would be brave enough to say anything, or that Kyungsoo would be attuned enough to his own emotions to realize it? Have either of them even dated anyone before?”

“Don’t think so,” Sehun responds. “I think Kyungsoo had that huge crush on the tall upperclassman in your club though. Does that count?”

The image of a tall, handsome man with sharp features flashes into his mind. Kyungsoo was constantly dazed and starry-eyed whenever he was around. “Kim Woobin,” Baekhyun supplies. “He never admitted to the crush, but he was devastated when he graduated.” He reconsiders his statement. “Well, he pouted for about half a day. And then Chanyeol bought him ice cream.”

“Maybe they’re not dating then,” Sehun says thoughtfully. “You’re right. It’s hard to imagine Kyungsoo and Chanyeol getting their shit together without some help.”

Baekhyun snorts. “Yeah, they’re not us,” he says without any real heat behind the words. He loves his best friends, but he knows them. They would rather pine away for decades than make a move.

Abruptly, Sehun grabs his hand. “Wait, I just got an idea. Why don’t we help them get together?”

He wasn’t expecting those words from Sehun, and Baekhyun freezes. He works it out in his mind; playing matchmaker with his two of his bestest friends in the world. It doesn’t sound untenable, he doesn’t think. And he and Sehun are clearly the most equipped to take on this task out of their entire friend group anyway, having been in a relationship since tenth grade.

It’s as if a slow-mo movie montage of all the times Chanyeol and Kyungsoo might have been secretly pining away for each other plays through his mind. Chanyeol and Kyungsoo rarely express affection for one another -- or at least not verbally. But then Baekhyun considers all the secret smiles they tend to share with one another. The way they would sneak off after school to hang out, just the two of them. And wasn’t Kyungsoo, infamously reticent in all ways but with his closest friends, uncharacteristically touchy with Chanyeol? In retrospect, Kyungsoo has always reaching for Chanyeol in one way or another. And Baekhyun thinks Chanyeol has been reaching back.

Maybe all they needed was a little push. That’s all that he and Sehun needed before they started dating, back when they called themselves ‘just friends’ still.

A small smile grows on Baekhyun’s face. “That’s not a bad idea,” he says approvingly. “But how do we make this work?”

Sehun’s answering smile is filled with mischief. Even after two years of dating, the sight of his boyfriend’s smile never fails to make Baekhyun’s heart flutter. “I’ve got an idea.” Sehun says, pausing the movie on his laptop. He opens up a pirated copy of PowerPoint. “I’ve got several.”

And so, Plan GKRHLPCYV2CT3S2TSD and its corresponding PowerPoint came into fruition. And on the following Monday, they set it into motion by trapping Chanyeol in Yongmin teacher’s classroom.

”The PowerPoint would work great for Chanyeol,” Baekhyun says, reviewing the slides they drafted. It would be a simple presentation, neatly laying out the reasons why Kyungsoo and Chanyeol are perfect together. “He’s smart, something direct that lays it all out logically works best.”

Sehun hums in agreement. “Exactly. But Kyungsoo’s a tough one. He’s more likely to avoid us if we try to be too upfront about this. And then he’ll avoid Chanyeol out of embarrassment.”

“We should come up with a subtle plan then. Plant the seeds in Kyungsoo’s mind first, and then maybe we help highlight Chanyeol’s charms. Force him out of his platonic-best-friends-blinders a little.”

“How should we do that?” Sehun asks.

Baekhyun smiles, teeth sharp. “Easy.” He taps something into his phone before turning it around to show Sehun the screen. “We use resources. These are basically blueprints on how to get two people to fall in love and start dating.”

Sehun gingerly takes the screen, peering at the text. “Top Romantic Comedy Techniques: Dating Advice for All,” he reads aloud, a little dubiously.

“It’ll work,” Baekhyun promises.

The cafeteria is packed full of students, and a sizable line-up for lunch has formed at the front. If it weren’t for the fact that he and Sehun alternate days of making lunch for themselves and for each other, they would never be able to grab a table for their group of friends on each day. Baekhyun’s just grateful neither of them to join the long queues to be served food by the lunch ladies.

It looks like Chanyeol’s not so lucky though. Baekhyun spots the tall boy standing near the cafeteria entrance and winces. Unlucky. It’ll take awhile before it will reach his turn. A quick scan around confirms that Kyungsoo hasn’t arrived yet either, but Baekhyun knows that Kim Junmyeon, president of the musical theatre club, had wanted to speak to Kyungsoo about something related to their next rehearsal.

He takes this chance to hash out their next steps to complete step one in Plan GKRHLPCYV2CT3S2TSD with Sehun.

“Okay, quick, before Kyungsoo arrives. How should we do this?” he hisses, tugging at Sehun’s elbow. He casts another surreptitious look around in case Kyungsoo is in the vicinity. All clear.

Sehun takes another bite of rice before he responds. “Maybe one of us should just subtly bring up Chanyeol and, I don’t know, vaguely ask him how he feels about Chanyeol. Lead into how he’s looking handsome lately or something? It might feel like an attack if we both go full force here.” He takes another bite. “You know how Kyungsoo is when there’s too much attention on him.”

Baekhyun nods. “Okay, makes sense. How about I do it, since I’m Kyungsoo’s best friend?”

Sehun gives him a weird look. “Baekhyun, I love you and want to marry you in the future.” He sounds earnest, and even though they’ve talked about this before, Baekhyun still feels his heart race in his chest at Sehun’s words. He bites down a smile, when Sehun continues. “But you know I’m Kyungsoo’s best friend, right?”

The smile fades. “What?” Baekhyun asks, incredulous. “Babe, I love you too. I’ll elope to Taiwan with you if we need to get married. But obviously I’m his best friend. Have you seen us?”

“Have you seen us?” Sehun rebuts.

A clatter on the seat across from them disrupts their conversation. Baekhyun and Sehun both turn in unison. It’s Kyungsoo, placing his backpack on the seat across from Sehun.

“Hey guys,” Kyungsoo says, falling into the seat next to his backpack. His uniform and tie are as impeccable as ever. “Are you two...?” he trails off, glancing between him and Sehun with wide eyes.

“It’s nothing,” Baekhyun says hastily, exchanging a look with Sehun. They didn’t come up with a plan, but it’s alright. “Just a little improv,” Baekhyun says, raising his eyebrows. Hopefully Sehun understands. “You know, going with the flow.” He waggles his brows for emphasis.

Across from him, Kyungsoo scrunches his nose. “O...kay...” he says. Then, he shrugs, as if dismissing their strange behaviour, and turns to rummage in his backpack. An orange emerges in his hand.

“Is that all you’re having for lunch?” Sehun asks, pointing at the orange.

“Forgot lunch,” Kyungsoo explains, as succinct as ever, digging his thumbs into the peel of the orange.

Baekhyun sees Sehun straighten up out of the corner of his eye. They forgot one detail -- Kyungsoo is hardly forthcoming with answers on a good day. Unless it’s a topic he’s passionate about -- like cooking, or Kim Woobin’s acting chops -- Kyungsoo has always been the type to listen more than he speaks. Trying to segue into a conversation about Chanyeol and his potential attraction to him would be like drawing blood from a stone. In a split second, Baekhyun makes the executive decision to toss subtlety out of the window.

“So, what do you think about Chanyeol?” Baekhyun says, apropos of nothing. He props his chin on his palm and ignores the sharp look that Sehun tosses his way.

Kyungsoo’s brows are furrowed, concentrated on the orange he’s peeling with deft fingers. “Sorry, what?” he answers, a moment later.

“What do you think about Chanyeol?” Baekhyun repeats patiently. He feels Sehun nudge his side, and turns to see his boyfriend holding up a spoonful of rice. Sehun probably noticed he was too distracted to eat, and he lets his cute boyfriend feed him with a pleased smile.

Kyungsoo doesn’t even look up from the orange. “Oh, Chanyeol? He’s getting lunch for the both of us.”

It’s not quite an answer -- but they’re used to it. Kyungsoo almost never answers questions directly. And while that’s not unusual for Chanyeol to do for Kyungsoo as a favour, Baekhyun still exchanges a look with Sehun. He wonders if it makes Kyungsoo’s heart flutter. He knows it would for him if it was Sehun.

“That’s pretty sweet of him,” Sehun comments, feeding Baekhyun another bite. “Don’t you think so, Kyungsoo?”

Kyungsoo hums. “Is it?” He picks meticulously at the pith of the orange, a perfectionist as always.

Baekhyun sighs, and tries again. “Don’t you think it’s cute how Chanyeol’s always looking out for you? Like...total boyfriend material?”

This sparks a reaction. It’s almost indiscernible, and if Baekhyun didn’t know him this well, he might not have noticed it. He knows Sehun picked up on it too, if the way he nudges Baekhyun is any indication. Jackpot, Baekhyun thinks.

Kyungsoo’s ears turn the faintest shade of pink, and he busies himself with piling the discarded peel into a stack. “What does Sehun think about you saying that?” Kyungsoo comments, his voice measured and even. “Total boyfriend material?”

Baekhyun stutters, their plan momentarily flying out the window. “Ew, I would never date Chanyeol. Never,” he declares vehemently.

“Aw,” Sehun coos, kissing him on the cheek.

Kyungsoo frowns slightly. “What’s so bad abo--nevermind.”

Baekhyun blinks, briefly wondering what Kyungsoo was going to say, but then he shakes his head. His patience is rapidly dissipating. He looks over at Sehun, who shrugs resignedly.

“Look, Kyungsoo,” he says, turning back to his friend. His serious tone draws Kyungsoo’s attention, and he looks up. “We--” he gestures to himself and Sehun. “We know. About you, I mean.”

“About me?” Kyungsoo echoes. He has a little frown on his face, clearly confused. Baekhyun has to resist the urge to pinch Kyungsoo’s cheeks -- which, while generally is his reaction to Kyungsoo looking cute, would not be appropriate right now.

He looks to Sehun for some help. The taller boy jumps in immediately. “We know about you. And Chanyeol.” The ‘and how you’re completely in love with him and we believe he’s in love with you too and therefore you should ask him out’ goes unspoken, but from the sudden blanching on Kyungsoo’s face, he must have picked up on what they were trying to say.

The orange falls down onto the table with a soft thump. “I--” Kyungsoo blushes furiously. “How did you know?”

He exchanges a look of surprise with Sehun. Neither of them expected Kyungsoo to admit to his seemingly unrequited feelings so easily. Baekhyun doesn’t mind -- it makes their plan easier. Now, all they have to do is convince Kyungsoo that Chanyeol returns his feelings, and that one of them should do something about it.

Sehun shrugs again, deciding to play coy. “Isn’t it obvious?” he asks. Kyungsoo looks at him doubtfully. “But anyway, we think that you and Chanyeol should--”

“I should what?” Chanyeol says, appearing next to their table all of a sudden. Baekhyun jumps in his seat. He hadn’t even noticed him walking over. In his hands are two food trays, ladled high with a red curry.

Kyungsoo’s blush deepens. “Nothing,” he cuts in hastily, before Baekhyun and Sehun could speak. He pulls his backpack off the chair to make room for Chanyeol, setting it down on the ground instead.

Chanyeol gingerly takes a seat, balancing the trays with careful movements. “What? What did I miss?” he asks, unsheathing a pair of metal chopsticks from the napkin. He pulls one of the trays closer to him and starts picking out the cilantro from the bowl, and deposits them in the second tray.

He can’t help but watch with interest when Kyungsoo trains his eyes back on the table. “Just Baekhyun and Sehun being themselves,” Kyungsoo says dismissively, picking the orange back up.

“I resent that,” Baekhyun says. “Everything we say is valid and should be totally listened to.”

Chanyeol snorts, shaking his head. He points his chopsticks at Baekhyun and Sehun, one piece of limp cilantro stuck on the ends of it. It dangles precariously. “Hah, you two?” He laughs again, as if that was the funniest thing he’s ever heard, and returns to picking out the cilantro.

“Hey,” Sehun says, looking affronted. “Take that back, Kyungsoo!” He turns his nose up in Chanyeol’s direction. “I don’t actually care what Chanyeol thinks.”

Kyungsoo smiles indulgently. “You’re alright, Sehunnie.”

“You should defend me too, ‘Soo!” Chanyeol whines. He sets his chopsticks down and pushes the tray, now devoid of cilantro, closer towards Kyungsoo. With his other hand, he pulls the second tray toward himself, careful not to topple the almost comical amount of cilantro in the curry.

Baekhyun lets out an indignant cry. “Bullies! All of you!” He sees Sehun give him a baleful look, and he hastily corrects himself. “Except Sehun, obviously. Best boyfriend ever.” He leans over and gives Sehun a peck to the corner of his lips in apology.

When they break apart, Kyungsoo shakes his head, a fond smile playing at the corner of his lips. “You’re all too loud,” he admonishes. Carefully, Kyungsoo peels the orange neatly in half with deft fingers. He places one half of the orange onto his tray, and then reaches over to place the other half onto Chanyeol’s. “Why do I even sit with any of you, really.”

”Are we sticking with this flower metaphor?” Sehun says, looking a little doubtful. “I don’t know if this really captures step two of our plan.”

Baekhyun re-reads his messy handwriting. “Well, as long as we know what it means, that’s fine. It’s not like these are going up on the slide for Chanyeol. Not without some editing, at least.”

“I guess so,” Sehun says. He doesn’t seem convinced, but he wraps his arms around Baekhyun’s waist anyway, nuzzling affectionately behind his ear. “So a makeover, huh?”

Baekhyun leans into his embrace, smiling fondly. “I mean, have you seen what they wear? If they’re not in their school uniforms, they’re always wearing shorts or sweats and ugly graphic hoodies.” He ignores the fact that that’s exactly what he’s wearing right now. “It’s good to be yourself and to feel comfortable, but I think what they need is to be shaken out of their normalcy.”

He pulls up a few screenshots he had taken from the article. “See, Mia from The Princess Diaries, Allison from The Breakfast Club, even Hermione from the fourth movie! We need a makeover montage, the dramatic descent down the stairs in slow motion, the whole nine yards.”

“You just want to put Kyungsoo in clothes that fit, don’t you,” Sehun says accusingly, but there’s a twinkle of amusement in his eyes.

Baekhyun shrugs. “Two birds with one stone, right?” he declares.

He’s walking down the hallways of their school with Sehun just after their last block of the day when he hears a deep voice call out Sehun’s name. They turn around to see Jongin fighting through the crowd of students, his handsome face and long limbs easily pushing through to reach them.

He greets Sehun by pulling him into a quick hug. Then, he turns to Baekhyun and nudges him playfully. “Oh, Baekhyun! Didn’t see you there, hey!” Jongin says.

Baekhyun rolls his eyes. Short jokes, he’s heard them all. “Haha,” he deadpans. “What’s up, are you here to steal my boyfriend away from me again?” he asks, only half-joking because he actually does adore Jongin -- he’s one of the nicest and thoughtful people he’s ever met. But he does have a tendency to drag Sehun away to hang out or for one of their club activities.

Jongin’s the president of the school’s book club. He’s taken a peek at their reading list once when he was over at Sehun’s, and had blanched at the long list of difficult, philosophical texts. And while Sehun attends the meetings regularly, Baekhyun has never seen him read any of the books. He must be paying attention one way or another, though, because Baekhyun has once heard him say “Rousseau once said that men have an innate repugnance against seeing a fellow creature suffer,” just to guilt trip Chanyeol into buying him coffee. It worked.

Along with Zhang Yixing, easily the most popular guy in their grade and one of Baekhyun’s favourite people in the world, Jongin is also the co-president of the Dance Team. Sehun’s also a member of the club, and over the years, Baekhyun has gotten to know both Jongin and Yixing from attending their performances in support of Sehun.

“Not today,” Jongin says, smiling. “Just wanted to invite you both over to Yixing’s house this Saturday. His host family is going away and he’s throwing a party.” He swings an arm around both their shoulders, ignoring how awkward the angles are from their height differences. “You down?”

Saturday’s usually their date night, and they had plans to try out the new okonomiyaki restaurant in Itaewon. But then an idea flashes into his head, and he grabs Sehun’s hand.

“Babe, that would be perfect for step two,” says Baekhyun. “Wouldn’t it? Now we have a reason to give them a makeover.”

Sehun hesitates. “That’s true, but what about okonomiyaki?”

“We could go for lunch,” Baekhyun suggests. “Or we can execute step two another day, I won’t bail on you.”

“Lunch is fine,” Sehun says, brightening up. “As long as I get my Baekhyunnie time in.”

Still standing between them, Jongin pretends to gag. Baekhyun elbows him in the stomach until he laughs.

“Who are you giving a makeover?” Jongin asks curiously.

He silently communicates with Sehun, who nods his approval. They turn to Jongin. “We’re trying to get Kyungsoo and Chanyeol to date each other,” he whispers conspiratorially. “We think they’re in love with each other and are too afraid to admit it.”

Jongin looks confused. “Date? Chanyeol and Kyungsoo?” He stares at them both like they’re crazy. “What do you mean--”

“See, if even Jongin didn’t see their potential as a couple, then that just proves our interference is necessary!” Baekhyun says. “This is why we need to give Kyungsoo a makeover--to make Chanyeol swoon on the spot. And well, vice versa too, obviously.”

Jongin, who looked like he was about to say something, sputters instead at the last sentence. “Kyungsoo doesn’t need a makeover,” he insists indignantly. He’s always adored the shorter boy -- had looked up to him ever since he transferred to their school in ninth grade and Kyungsoo got assigned to show him around. “He’s the coolest person alive.”

Baekhyun ignores him, already lost in a discussion with Sehun. They have work to do.

The doorbell rings. “I’ll get it!” Baekhyun calls out, scrambling off the bed after he throws his phone onto his pillow. Perfect timing -- Sehun just texted to let him know that Chanyeol had just arrived at his house. They had decided to split their task as logically as possible. Given that Sehun and Chanyeol had similar frames, it made more sense for Sehun to help Chanyeol get ready for the party.

He swings the door open to see Kyungsoo, with his unstyled hair and thick-rimmed glasses. He’s undeniably one of the cutest people Baekhyun knows, but his usual clothing style outside of their school uniform is boring and flat; dark colours and poorly-fitting training clothes. He’s still cute, and Baekhyun lives with the constant urge to squish Kyungsoo into his arms, but he’s not sexy.

As it is, Baekhyun is also convinced that if he and Sehun are successful with their endeavour, then Kyungsoo and Chanyeol would finally be forced to see each other in a new light. Their friendship is one based on comfort and familiarity -- and god knows Baekhyun loves that about them -- but he knows it could be an obstacle. They need a shift in their mindset, and to see each other as attractive, viable people to date.

It certainly helped with him and Sehun, at least. Not that he’s ever had difficulties finding him attractive. Baekhyun pauses, thinking of Sehun’s broad shoulders, his long legs, his perfectly sculpted face, the way he bites down on his smile when Baekhyun says something particularly funny before a small snort of laughter escapes from him --

“How long are you going to have an internal monologue,” Kyungsoo says, pushing past him. He steps out of his shoes, and like always, he neatly places them on top of the shoe rack. Baekhyun’s mom loves him for that. “I’m tired of standing out there.”

Baekhyun flushes. “Shut up,” he says, grabbing Kyungsoo by his arm and dragging him down the hallway. Kyungsoo pauses to say hi to Jaemin, who adores Kyungsoo for some reason, before Baekhyun finally pulls him away and into his bedroom.

Kyungsoo navigates through his bedroom with ease, automatically hanging his jacket in Baekhyun’s closet before collapsing onto his bed. He pulls the stuffed bear into his arms, endearingly squishing his cheeks onto the plushie’s head.

“You still have this thing?” he asks, plucking at its ragged arms. The stitching is loose, and some of the stuffing escapes from the bottom of the plush where a small hole has been worn into the material.

“Of course,” Baekhyun says, smiling indulgently as he watches Kyungsoo lift the bear into the air with a fond look on his face. “You won it for me when we were twelve, I’m never throwing it away.”

Kyungsoo doesn’t respond, but Baekhyun knows that he’s pleased from the way his mouth is set.

They sit in comfortable silence for a few moments as Kyungsoo absently plays with the stuffed bear, turning it this way and that, before he hugs it to his chest. He turns on his side, facing Baekhyun. “Why are we meeting here anyway?” Kyungsoo asks. “Chanyeol said that Sehun asked him to go over too? Are we meeting up with them later before heading to Yixing’s?”

Baekhyun looks fondly at his friend. “You’re so cute,” he says affectionately. Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, but his lips subconsciously falls into a pout. It doesn’t help his case. “Anyway, Sehun and I made an executive decision and you’re getting a refresher on your looks. Take off your pants.”

Kyungsoo looks affronted. “What? No.”

“C’mon,” wheedles Baekhyun, tugging on the soft material of his pants. “You never dress up! Just this once.”

“No.” Kyungsoo shakes his head. “Why would I?”

Baekhyun hesitates. He has no leverage over Kyungsoo. “Chanyeol’s getting one too,” he offers, but Kyungsoo only looks unamused. “I’ll treat you to a three-star Michelin restaurant of your choice?” he tries instead.

He seems the subtle shift in Kyungsoo’s expression, the one where his eyes widen just a tad when he’s interested in something. He looks speculative. “You won’t put me in anything weird, right?” he asks, sounding suspicious.

Checkmate. Baekhyun smiles victoriously. “Of course not,” he says. He stands up, rummaging in his drawer, before pulling out eyeliner. “Now come here and shed those ugly pants.”

Baekhyun pauses before adding an additional exclamation mark on the napkin. He pauses to shovel a forkful of okonomiyaki in his mouth before speaking. “My head hurts trying to think of creative ways to label each step,” he explains, pointing at the succinct title.

Sehun laughs, and it’s a beautiful sound. “Let’s just make things easier on us,” he agrees. “So, a party?”

“It’s the perfect excuse to give them a makeover, and even moreso, all the teen movies feature a party! Think of what happened in ‘To All the Boys I Loved Before.’ That’s when the shift in relationships always happens in romcoms.”

Sehun smiles at him, reaches over to tangle their hands together. “So we’re going to get drunk, have a good time, and so are Chanyeol and Kyungsoo when they both see how attractive they are to each other.”

Baekhyun nods. “That’s the plan,” he says.

The party is in full swing by the time he and Kyungsoo arrives. Sehun had texted him just minutes ago that he and Chanyeol are waiting in the kitchen, standing guard next to the snack table. They run into Yixing as soon as they arrive, the dimpled boy pulling them both close for a hug. They spend a few minutes catching up. There’s always something soothing about Yixing’s presence, and it’s no difference now, despite being amidst a loud and noisy party.

Eventually, Yixing excuses himself to go check on the living room lest anything of his host family’s has been broken, but not before sneaking a playful grope of both their asses.

“You look good,” Yixing appraises Kyungsoo, pulling back with a raised eyebrow. He eyes the way Kyungsoo’s shirt falls open along his collarbone. “Trying to impress someone?” There’s a knowing look on his face, one that makes Kyungsoo swat at him.

Baekhyun wonders if Jongin has told Yixing about his plan.

After Yixing leaves, he has to drag Kyungsoo along with him a little, the shorter boy clearly self-conscious about his look. “You look great!” he assures him, but the scowl on Kyungsoo’s face widens in response.

“These pants are cutting off the circulation in my legs,” Kyungsoo hisses. He awkwardly pulls at the tight black jeans that Baekhyun stuffed him in. The fabric barely has any give in them.

Baekhyun ignores him, shoving through the crowd of bodies milling through the large apartment. He doesn’t see Jongin, and assumes he has been lost somewhere in the throng of people.

He hears Kyungsoo let out a sigh of relief once they reach the small kitchen, which is surprisingly less crowded than the other rooms in the house. There, as promised, Chanyeol and Sehun are leaning against the counter, chatting about something with animated movements. His eyes are immediately drawn to his boyfriend. His hair is styled up -- different from earlier in the day when they went on their date -- and he’s wearing a bomber jacket with a dark pair of jeans that accentuate his long legs.

Baekhyun lets out a sigh for a different reason. Sehun is so handsome, he thinks.

They notice him and Kyungsoo as soon as they walk in, and he immediately remembers their plan when Chanyeol’s eyes snap to Kyungsoo. There’s no outward reaction from Chanyeol; no jaw-dropping, no helpless roving of the eyes over Kyungsoo’s figure. Nothing that indicates he even notices Kyungsoo’s change in appearance.

Next to him, Kyungsoo seems unaffected as well. It’s disappointing to Baekhyun -- who has never felt such a strong platonic brotherhood toward any one person -- even he can tell that Sehun did a wonderful job with styling Chanyeol. While Chanyeol has always been considered one of the most handsome boys in their grade, he rarely dresses the part. He’s dressed pretty casually even now, with a denim jacket thrown over a white t-shirt.

Sehun shares a glance with him as one corner of his lip quirks down at their friends’ lack of reactions. He reaches one hand out for Baekhyun to take.

“Hi babe,” Baekhyun greets him after Sehun leans down to press their lips together. “Had fun?”

Sehun shrugs. He wraps one hand around Baekhyun’s shoulder and pulls him closer. “He didn’t really put up a fuss or ask any questions, actually. We spent most of the time listening to music.”

They watch as Kyungsoo approaches Chanyeol. At the very least, Baekhyun can tell Kyungsoo’s putting on a brave face, that he’s flustered, albeit of himself, rather than because of Chanyeol’s looks. There’s a tell-tale blush rising on his cheeks, and his hands are fussing with his sleeves of his silk button-down. It’s Baekhyun’s shirt; despite their similar heights, Kyungsoo has a narrower build and it fits a little too loose on him.

He pops a handful of chips in his mouth as Chanyeol finally says hi to Kyungsoo, a small smile on his face.

“Hey,” Kyungsoo mutters, scowling harder as if it could hide the darkening blush on his cheeks. “What’s with your outfit?”

Chanyeol looks down at himself before looking back at Kyungsoo. There’s a playful look on his face, but seemingly nothing more. Disappointment rushes through Baekhyun.

He thinks he did a pretty good job at dolling Kyungsoo up, even when Kyungsoo ruined his tightlining every time Baekhyun tried drawing eyeliner on him. It took even longer to convince him to wear Baekhyun’s button-down shirt. It has a lower cut than Kyungsoo usually dares to wear, but it accentuates his tiny frame when it’s tucked into a pair of jeans that actually fit him properly.

Baekhyun hears Sehun let out tsk when Chanyeol just nonchalantly shrugs, as if barely registering the question.

“Sehun picked it out for me,” Chanyeol says, and it only makes Kyungsoo frown. “What’s with yours? I can see your nipples,” he says in a teasing tone. As if to punctuate his words, he reaches out and pokes at Kyungsoo’s chest.

The shorter boy’s hands fly up to cover his chest. “Shut up,” he says. “Baekhyun said I had to come here dressed like that. Don’t know why, it’s just a party. Who cares what I wear.”

A small smile toys on Chanyeol’s lips. He pinches Kyungsoo’s nose, drawing an annoyed grunt from the shorter boy who swats his hand away. “C’mon. I’ve been forcing Sehun to stand here for the past twenty minutes just in case someone eats all the shrimp crackers. I know it’s your favourite.”

“And here I thought you were here for my joyful company,” Sehun mutters sarcastically, but neither Chanyeol nor Kyungsoo seem to hear him. The latter has a small pout on his face as he nibbles obligingly on a shrimp cracker, while Chanyeol indulgently holds the bowl in place for him.

Baekhyun watches them for a few seconds, and despite his disappointment with the plan, fondness fills his heart with warmth. “Let’s go dance,” he says abruptly, turning to Sehun. He holds his hand out for Sehun, who takes it with a smile of his own. He leads them to the dance floor, where he finally spots Jongin and Yixing with some other members of the dance team. Baekhyun makes a mental note to catch up more with Yixing later -- it has been awhile since he’s got a chance to chat with the sweet, dimpled boy.

He wraps his arms around Sehun’s neck, the steady bass of the beat thrumming in their bodies as they let themselves move to the music. Sehun laughs in his ear, bright and joyful, when he does one particular goofy shimmy, and he’s helpless to stop himself from bursting into a smile when his boyfriend pokes him in the stomach.

In that moment, it’s just the two of them, their bodies together and hearts pressed against each other. It’s not quite the Hollywood high school party that Baekhyun was imagining earlier. For one thing, neither of them are drunk, and there have been no life-altering dramatic events as a result. He’s not even entirely sure if they can call the makeover a success -- they left Chanyeol and Kyungsoo with their normal level of banter. No swooning, no double takes.

But the look of quiet comfort and happiness on his friends’ faces, and the affection that he shares with Sehun, it feels like enough. For tonight, he’s happy to just enjoy the presence of his boyfriend and his best friends.

This time, it’s Sehun’s idea. “Every teen romance needs jealousy to spark a change in their relationship,” he says sagely. “Think of Grease. Danny doesn’t ask Sandy to the dance until he sees her with Tom.” A thoughtful look appears on his face. “I think something like this happened in Hannah Montana too.”

“You never made me jealous,” Baekhyun points out.

He stretches out on the couch, shifting on the couch until he’s comfortable, accidentally kicking Sehun in the process. To his credit, Sehun just catches his feet and settles them in his lap.

“Well, we didn’t need much help did we?” he says, hands kneading gently at his ankles.

“Don’t let our brothers hear you say that,” Baekhyun warns with a laugh. “Jaeminnie and Jeno are convinced they are the only reason why we started dating.” He shifts again, shuffling so that his head is resting on Sehun’s lap instead. “But how are we going to get one of them to feel jealous? That seems beyond us.”

Sehun gives him a wry smile. “Well, we may need to enlist some help with this one...”

“There he is,” Sehun says to him, before grabbing his hand and pulling Baekhyun down the hallway. They pass by Kyungsoo, who’s carrying a plate full of cupcakes. He must have just had his Home Economics class. In their haste, he and Sehun quickly shout a ‘hello’ before they continue down the hall.

In the back of his mind, Baekhyun wonders why Kyungsoo is even in the maths hallway. It’s in the opposite end of the school from his classroom, and his locker isn’t anywhere near here. But they see Kim Jongdae round the corner, and they pick up their pace.

They almost run into Chanyeol, who’s just stepping out of a classroom. He raises a hand in greeting. “Hey guys--whoa, okay, bye--”

Sehun shouts an apology over his shoulder, but they don’t have time to linger on it when they finally catch up to Jongdae.

“Kim Jongdae!” Sehun says, pulling them to a stop in front of Jongdae’s locker. Baekhyun wheezes. He needs to work on his stamina.

The said student shuts his locker door. “Sehunnie! Baekhyun!” he says, mouth stretching into a welcoming smile. “How are you two doing?”

Sehun beams. The musical theatre club member has always had a soft spot for Sehun. “We’re good, hyung. But we were actually wondering if you could do us a favour.”

Jongdae raises his eyebrows. “A favour?”

They nod. Sehun’s making his pleading, puppy eyes that makes Baekhyun’s insides melt a little, even though they’re not directed at him. It works on Jongdae too, because the other student immediately softens.

“We...we have a plan, and we’re hoping you could help us,” Sehun explains. “But first you have to swear to secrecy.”

“What is this? Am I going to get in trouble?” Jongdae asks, looking alarmed. He shoots Baekhyun a suspicious look -- which is totally unfair, because usually it’s Sehun’s harebrained ideas that gets them in trouble. Sometimes.

Baekhyun rolls his eyes. “No, but you would be the bestest friend ever if you helped us out.” He leans in, beckoning for Jongdae and Sehun to follow, and drops his voice down to a whisper. “We’re doing Kyungsoo and Chanyeol a favour. We’re trying to make them realize they’re perfect for each other and that they should date.”

A look of surprise filters onto Jongdae’s face. His eyebrows furrow in confusion. “Kyungsoo? And Chanyeol?” he asks, sounding lost. “But I thought...nevermind.” He shakes his head as if clearing his thoughts. “What is it that you want me to do, then?”

Strangely enough, Baekhyun feels a sense of deja-vu from his reaction. He can’t figure out why, though, and he ignores the feeling. “Well...” he draws out. “You know your kiss scene, right?”

When Jongdae nods, he continues. “Can you, like, I don’t know...” he trails off, thinking of an elegant way to articulate his and Sehun’s plans. “Can you, like, really get in there? Like really.”

Jongdae gives him a weird look, the one where his eyebrows dip together in the center, and his mouth curls up. “What?” he says, sounding amused. “You want me to stick my tongue in Kyungsoo’s mouth or something?”

Seok-i and Minsoo are the two protagonists of the musical, played by Kyungsoo and Jongdae respectively. Normally, for high school musical theatre productions, a chasteness defines most of their shows -- and for obvious reasons.

That doesn’t mean they can’t put in their own flair, though, and despite being one of the kindest and most good-natured people out there, Baekhyun knows Jongdae is also competitive. He has never been one to back down from the challenges of a show-stopping performance.

A kiss scene elevated from a one to an eleven would count. Admittedly, he hasn’t actually thought of the specifics of how it would work.

“Maybe so,” Baekhyun says instead, with a put-upon air of mysterious intrigue.

Sehun rolls his eyes, even as he presses a soft kiss to the side of Baekhyun’s face. “What Baekhyun means is -- yes, essentially that’s what we want. Something spicy. Spicier than whatever you have now.”

“How is this supposed to help Chanyeol and Kyungsoo date?” asks Jongdae, looking more amused now than baffled.

Sehun stares at him with a flat expression. "O beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meet it feeds on," he recites, his voice deadpan.

Jongdae and Baekhyun stare at him. “O...kay, Shakespeare,” Jongdae says slowly. “That is...that is maybe not the quote you’re looking for. You know, in the context of Othello, you just suggested that Chanyeol becomes jealous enough to kill Kyungsoo, right?”

In response, Sehun only shrugs. “Oh.” He pauses. “That’s not what I meant.”

Taking this opportunity to cut in, Baekhyun says, “We just think maybe if we’re able to make Chanyeol feel jealous, it’ll push him to finally act on his feelings.”

“And it feels like manipulation if we try to involve anyone else into this. Like, actual people. We don’t want to cross the line,” Sehun adds.

Jongdae huffs out a laugh, shaking his head disbelievingly. “I’m not an actual person now?” He holds up his hand when Baekhyun opens his mouth to respond. “I’m joking, I know what you mean. Honestly, I don’t think this will work, but why not? If Kyungsoo consents to being kissed, then I’ll do it.”

“Really?” asks Sehun. He looks surprised, like he didn’t expect Jongdae to actually agree to their harebrained plot.

Jongdae nods, lifting one shoulder up in a half-hearted shrug. “Why not?” he says. “I’m always down to put on a performance.”

Baekhyun watches nervously from backstage as the curtain falls open to reveal the stage for the curtain speech. No matter how many times he performs, no matter how much he practices, he always ends up with butterflies swarming in his stomach the night of the performance.

He feels a slightly damp, trembling hand slip into his, and he turns to see Kyungsoo. His friend has his own battles with anxiety and stage fright, but he must have noticed Baekhyun’s nerves and wanted to offer some comfort. Baekhyun smiles, grateful for Kyungsoo’s thoughtfulness.

He looks ethereal, in glittering makeup with glossy lips and a gauzy tunic -- exactly nothing he would wear off-stage. Jongdae is right next to him, in a similar costume. Once Kim Junmyeon, as the director, finishes his speech and exits the stage, it’s their turn to enter. Baekhyun, on the other hand, appears starting in the second act.

He wishes he could be in the audience for once, to witness Chanyeol’s reaction to their performance. Sehun is with him at the very least, and the knowledge that his boyfriend’s in the crowd is helpful too, and he grounds himself in that fact.

Baekhyun lets out a deep breath, and squeezes Kyungsoo’s hand. His best friend squeezes his hand back.

“Break a leg,” he whispers to Kyungsoo when he disentangles his hand to ready himself. The shorter boy gives him a smile, one of his tiny ones that betray his nervousness, before he and Jongdae take the stage.

The performance goes as close to perfect as possible. Baekhyun makes some mistakes with his own choreography, but his voice doesn’t break and he doesn’t forget his lines. The audience reacts with gasps during dramatic scenes, and is silent when it’s tense.

Before he knows it, they’ve reached the final scene of the production. Even though Baekhyun’s still on stage for his role, he still can’t help but feel as drawn and mesmerized by Jongdae and Kyungsoo’s performance as if he’s part of the audience instead. He’s seen them practice this during rehearsals, but nothing takes away from the magic as Jongdae finally dips Kyungsoo low to the ground. He hears the crowd gasp loudly, before breaking into cheers, when he draws Kyungsoo’s character into a passionate kiss.

It takes everything in him to not let his jaw drop when the kiss lasts a good thirty seconds longer than they had practiced. The curtain drops as they’re still kissing, lips moving against each other, closing them off to the loud, cheering audience. Jongdae is one of their closest friends, but he didn’t think he had it in him -- or Kyungsoo for that matter. Holy shit, Baekhyun thinks. He can’t wait to talk to Sehun later.

His mind is buzzing with adrenaline all throughout the curtain call, a smile stretching his face so wide that his cheeks hurt. He tries to catch sight of his boyfriend in the crowd, but the lights are too bright.

Junmyeon throws an arm around him and Jongdae when they head out to greet the house. “You both did amazing,” he gushes, his cheeks glowing with pride. The script was his baby -- his last script before he graduates in May, and Baekhyun knows it must have been amazing to see it come to life at last.

“Thanks, hyung,” Jongdae says, bumping his hip against Junmyeon. “I didn’t overdo it, did I? At the end.”

“It was great,” Junmyeon says. His eyes sparkle. “The audience loved it. It surprised me a little though -- did you and Kyungsoo plan to do that?”

The corner of Jongdae’s mouth lifts charmingly. “Kinda,” he says. Jongdae turns a little, so that he’s staring at something over Baekhyun’s shoulder. “Let’s just say he got lots of practice in.”

Baekhyun follows his gaze. At first, he can’t tell what Jongdae’s looking at, distracted by the welcomed sight of his boyfriend waving proudly at him. He moves towards him automatically, always helplessly drawn to Sehun like a magnet, and it isn’t until he’s enveloped in Sehun’s warm arms that he notices Chanyeol and Kyungsoo behind them.

Surprise sets in when he notices the massive bouquet of flowers in Chanyeol’s arms -- and that’s quickly overtaken by shock when Chanyeol’s mouth drops open just slightly, his eyes tracing over Kyungsoo’s figure. He swears he sees Chanyeol linger on the gauzy fabric that falls loosely around his shoulders, exposing his collarbones and his chest. Both Kyungsoo and Jongdae’s characters were fae, and their costume designer had dressed them in loose garments paired with tight leggings to accentuate their supposed ethereality.

Sehun, ever perceptive, catches on quickly when he notices Baekhyun’s diverted attention and turns to look at their best friends as well.

From their distance, he can’t hear what they’re saying, but he sees their lips moving and he squints to try and read their lips. “Any clue what they’re saying?” he asks Sehun, placing his hand into the crook of his arm.

“I’m awful at reading lips,” Sehun responds, shaking his head. He slips his other hand around Baekhyun’s, so that they’re holding hands instead.

He thinks that maybe Chanyeol is complimenting Kyungsoo, given the blush rising on the back of Kyungsoo’s neck. They can only see the back of Kyungsoo’s head, so Baekhyun isn’t sure what transpires -- but then Jongdae and Junmyeon walk past, still chatting with one another, and it must have caught Chanyeol’s attention because he suddenly turns to their friends.

And just like, the moment from before is broken.

"Hey, Jongdae, great job with the kiss!" he calls out, loud enough that both Baekhyun and Sehun can hear. "Looks like all that practice you got paid off, huh, Kyungsoo?" He wraps an arm around Kyungsoo's neck, tugging him into his side. Chanyeol's playful grin doesn't save him from Kyungsoo snatching the bouquet out of Chanyeol’s hands, and whacking him gently over the head with it. He has to rise on tiptoes to do so, but Chanyeol falls down laughing anyway, clutching his knee, his toothy grin and dimples out in mirth.

Jongdae shakes his head, amusement clear on his face, before walking away with Junmyeon.

“Damn,” Sehun mutters under his breath. He frowns, looking over at Baekhyun. “Plan failed?” he asks.

Disappointed, Baekhyun sends their two friends a considering glance before shaking his head at Sehun. He sighs. “Looks like it,” he says. “I thought maybe they were flirting or something, but I mean, that doesn’t look like the sight of someone who’s jealous of the mind-blowing kiss Kyungsoo received.”

They turn to look at Chanyeol and Kyungsoo again. Kyungsoo’s now chasing after Chanyeol with the bouquet raised in the air like a war hammer, while Chanyeol runs away. He can hear Chanyeol’s raucous laughter, loud even across the din of the theatre.

Baekhyun sighs again. Sehun, too, looks disappointed. It’s just typical Chanyeol and Kyungsoo behaviour.

”What happens at the end of every romcom?” Sehun asks. They’re both laying in bed now, having retreated from the couch. It’s getting late, and their brains are tired from scheming. “The big kiss, right?”

Baekhyun strokes his hand through Sehun’s hair, mouth skewed in thought. “Yeah, and they always have the stage set just perfectly. You know, usually in a public setting. A great ceremony, something already grandiose and dramatic that creates tension for the kiss.”

“The school dance is a popular one,” Sehun points out, listing it with his fingers. “But we don’t have one coming up. What else?”

An idea pops into Baekhyun’s mind. “Sports games! That’s a big one! Like ‘Never Been Kissed,’ right on the baseball field.”

Sehun catches on quickly. “‘A Cinderella Story’ counts too. Bonus points to Chad Michael Murray for being in his football uniform.”

“This one might be a bit challenging,” Baekhyun says, playing with Sehun’s hair as he thinks. “I think we need a big victory in order for a kiss to happen. The throes of celebration and all that. Or maybe a big loss?” He pauses, head tilting to the side. “Well, either way, something big has to happen.”

Sehun nods, slowly. “I think we can work with it. Only thing -- we all know Kyungsoo hates sweating, so he’s obviously not on any sports team...” he trails off, as if something has just occurred to him. “I guess Chanyeol...?”

Mouth set with determination, Baekhyun nods resolutely. “Chanyeol,” he agrees.

The crowd roars as a deep voice over the PA system finally announces the names of each player on the opposing teams, signalling the start of the match. It’s loud enough that Baekhyun winces, and Sehun reels back. To his surprise, Kyungsoo -- who once famously slapped Baekhyun’s sandwich out of his hands because he was chewing too loudly -- doesn’t even flinch.

Chanyeol marches out with the rest of his team, their logo, a crouching tiger, proudly emblazoned on their jerseys. It’s their first game of the season -- and the first game overall for Chanyeol, who only joined the team this year. He’s played in the casual tournaments before, but he’s never let Sehun and Baekhyun attend, citing embarrassment. It took some needling before he even told them the event date for this game.

Neither Baekhyun nor Sehun have attended any events like this, despite it being close to their own personal hobbies. It’s different from what they imagined. The only sports games they’d attended prior was for Minseok, who’s the captain of their soccer team. But Minseok played outdoors, often with his abs rippling in the sunlight -- not because soccer necessitated shirtlessness, but because Minseok had a wonderful physique that deserved to be shown off at every possible opportunity.

Both he and Sehun agreed on this fact.

“Why does it smell like this,” Sehun mutters to him under his breath. Sitting as close together as they are, Baekhyun can tell he’s breathing shallowly through his nose.

Baekhyun can’t blame him. He resists the urge to gag as he catches a whiff of pungent body odour that seems to permeate throughout the arena. The stadium is packed, way more than either of them had anticipated for a juniors-level professional e-sports team. And with so many bodies sitting tightly together, it smells reminiscent of an anime convention; as if in their excitement, they had forgotten their deodorant.

He glances over at Kyungsoo to his left. The other boy seems completely unfazed as he solemnly claps when Chanyeol’s team head to their gaming chairs, pulling up in front of large computer monitors lined with high-quality headphones to block out the crowd. Chanyeol brought his own keyboard and mouse, and he plugs it in. There’s a glimmer of pride in Kyungsoo’s wide eyes as he takes in the scene before him -- rows and rows of people cheering loudly for the Daehakno Wildcats.

Baekhyun leans over, tugging onto Kyungsoo’s elbow. It takes a moment for Kyungsoo to drag his eyes away from the centre of the arena to Baekhyun’s face.

“Is it supposed to smell like this?” he asks, wrinkling his nose.

Kyungsoo’s lip quirks up in mild amusement. “You get used to it,” he says, surveying the crowd around them. “Gamers, you know.”

“Get used to it?” Sehun echoes. “Have you been to professional gaming competitions before?”

While most of their friend group play games to some extent, only Baekhyun and Chanyeol are into competitive gaming -- though Baekhyun prefers watching competitive League of Legends, while Chanyeol competes in Overwatch. Sehun does his best to play with them, but he’s a much more casual player. It’s mostly just so that he and Baekhyun can play together.

On the other hand, Kyungsoo plays almost entirely single-player mobile games. Baekhyun knew he was exceptionally excited when Cooking Mama released a free app, and that he holds a record high score on Temple Run. Just last week, he was trying to get them all to join him on Stardew Valley as well. Still, he couldn’t imagine a reason why Kyungsoo would be familiar with a live gaming event, like the one Chanyeol is competing in today.

Kyungsoo tilts his head, giving them a curious look, like he can’t understand why they would be asking him this. Before he can respond, though, the game begins.

Beside him, Sehun lets out a little rustling sigh. Baekhyun strokes his hand, giving him a gentle smile. His boyfriend can be sensitive to scent, and he knows it can cause a migraine if it’s too much.

“Let me know if you want to step out for air,” he whispers. Sehun gives him a grateful look, and leans in to peck him on the cheek.

When he pulls back, there’s a soft look on his face. “Love you,” he says.

Baekhyun’s heart stutters, his breath hitching. It never gets tiring to hear those words from his boyfriend’s lips. He doesn’t know if he can ever get tired of it.

“Love you too, babe,” Baekhyun whispers back. He marvels in the small smile Sehun gives him, the secret, private one that feels like it’s just for him.

Luckily, the odour does seem to magically dissipate as the game continues. Baekhyun finds himself getting caught in the crowd, cheering loudly whenever Chanyeol gets an elimination, or when the Daekhakno Wildcats win their hard-fought battle to capture the attack points. It’s a slightly different atmosphere than Minseok’s soccer games -- more sedated in some ways, no cheerleaders, no goal celebrations, no wild shirt-ripping. But the excitement is palpable, and the cheering is loud.

Next to him, Kyungsoo is focused intensely as the match unfolds. He’s quiet, as he always is, but a small smile tugs on his lips when Chanyeol lets out a loud cheer at the end of the first round.

Sehun’s breath tickles his ears when he whispers, “Kyungsoo’s so cute.”

They watch as he raises his arms, hands balled into tiny fists, as he excitedly roots for Chanyeol as the timer ticks down to zero. A pleased look takes root on his face, almost as if Kyungsoo was the one to win the game instead.

It’s not until then that Baekhyun recalls the plan -- that beside wanting to show up and support Chanyeol, which is just as much as a reason why they are here, they also wanted to set the scene for their two friends to become so overwhelmed with emotions from a big win that they kissed. Or confessed. Anything, really, at this point.

With the way the arena is set up -- it won’t be possible. It’s a gaming stadium, meaning Chanyeol and the rest of the players are stuck on stage, sitting behind massive computer monitors. There’s a clear separation between the stage and the crowd. Where they’re seated, there’s absolutely no access to the stage.

There’s no way for Chanyeol to sweep down the aisles to pull Kyungsoo into a kiss. There’s no way for Kyungsoo to run onto the stage to throw his arms around Chanyeol in congratulations. But Baekhyun looks at Sehun, and sees the fond smile on his face as Chanyeol celebrates his team’s victory on stage -- and then looks at Kyungsoo, whose eyes are sparkling with pride.

They’ll just have to find another step for their plan, Baekhyun thinks.

The Daekhakno Wildcats, champions of the first game of the VSL Overwatch Korea Minors 2020 competition, decide to celebrate their victory at a small hole-in-the-wall pork belly restaurant just behind the arena.

It’s not so late in the evening that the office workers are finishing off their work day with a pint of beer or a bottle of soju or two, but it’s loud nonetheless. The clattering of utensils, the sizzle of the meat, cheery voices still high on the adrenaline of the victory fill the air.

Baekhyun sits across from Kyungsoo and Sehun, and next to Chanyeol. They’re crammed on a long table, all ten seats filled with players on the team, along with their coach, who’s a student named Donghae attending a nearby university.

They had been graciously invited to join the team for their meal when they met Chanyeol outside the arena. They had remained in their jerseys, and Baekhyun had joked about how Chanyeol shoulders were going to rip out of the seams with how broad they were getting.

Kyungsoo had turned a little quiet after that, his bright eyes tracing over the curve of Chanyeol’s shoulder. It had probably been because of his shyness, Baekhyun thinks. Now at the restaurant, everyone seems pretty nice so far, but larger social gatherings have always caused Kyungsoo -- and Sehun, to a lesser degree -- to retract and retreat, as if the ebb and flow of unfamiliar conversation was a creature to shield himself from.

“So how did you all meet our Chanyeol?” asks one of Chanyeol’s teammates, the one sitting on the other side of Chanyeol. His arm hangs loosely around Chanyeol’s neck. He had introduced himself as Kim Yoonsung, one of the older members of the team.

Baekhyun glances at Kyungsoo, distracted momentarily by the steady movement of his hands as he grills pork belly for their section of the table. He’s known Chanyeol the longest, and he expects Kyungsoo to respond first. When he doesn’t, he assumes he must be concentrated on grilling -- multitasking has never been Kyungsoo’s forté.

Instead, Chanyeol answers on his behalf. “I’ve known Kyungsoo since we were kids,” he answers, before taking a long sip of water. He sets the glass down with a thud. Kyungsoo still hasn’t looked up. “He bullied me off of the swings when we were nine years old, isn’t he terrible?”

“You refused to get off the swings even after you went past the ninety seconds limit,” Kyungsoo retorts drily without looking up.

Chanyeol bites down on a grin. “You were a total tattletale.”

“You deserved it for not following the rules that Ms. Lim gave us in the first place,” says Kyungsoo.

He lifts the meat up with the tongs, and looks around the table. Sehun spots a pair of scissors near his elbow, and he picks it up and hands it over. Kyungsoo thanks him, cutting the strip of pork belly into bite-sized pieces.

Kyungsoo places one strip of pork belly on each of their plates, giving the largest piece to Chanyeol. It leaves his own plate empty, though, and Sehun lays out another few strips of pork belly onto the grill. “You should take some for yourself,” he chides quietly.

Yoonsung turns to look at Baekhyun. “So you’ve known each other for awhile then,” Yoonsung comments. “How about you and Sehun then? Did you all know each other back then?”

Baekhyun drags his eyes away from Chanyeol, who has now taken hold of the tongs from Kyungsoo and is grilling the meat himself. “Kyungsoo transferred to my school when he was 12,” Baekhyun explains. “We got close pretty quickly because our seats were assigned together. Sehun, Kyungsoo, and I actually went to middle school together.”

Sehun was a quiet kid, much like he still is now; loose and mischievous around those he’s comfortable with, and more reserved around strangers. If it weren’t for their younger brothers being best friends, they might not have been as close as they all are now -- and they might not have started dating. It wasn’t until Sehun began dropping Jeno off at his house that they really started talking -- and then it was like they had instantly clicked.

“I didn’t meet Sehun and Baekhyun until we all started at the same high school together,” Chanyeol adds, pressing down on the meat with the tongs. “I kinda knew Sehun and Baekhyun already though. Kyungsoo couldn’t get rid of me even if he tried -- and he often mentioned Sehun and Baekhyun whenever we hung out.”

Chanyeol squints at the meat, before clearly deeming it cooked through. He places the entire pork belly strip onto Kyungsoo’s plate, ignoring his protests as he turns back to Yoonsung.

Yoonsung looks amused, draping one arm over Chanyeol’s shoulder. “Well, I’m sure they’re glad to have you. I know I am -- your bubbles as Zarya today were perfect.”

“Aw,” Chanyeol says, sounding pleased. “Thanks, hyung.”

In front of him, Kyungsoo suddenly tenses, looking incredibly concentrated on cutting the meat once more. His shoulders hike up to his ears. Baekhyun knows the furrowed brows on Sehun’s face only means one thing -- and it’s concern for Kyungsoo.

He nudges Kyungsoo’s foot with his shoe, but Kyungsoo only shakes his head tightly. He passes the newly cut strips of meat onto his and Sehun’s plate. “Eat up,” he urges quietly, before going back to grilling.

Baekhyun exchanges a worried look with Sehun, but another stern look levelled at the both of them from Kyungsoo has them backing off. Sehun has always been a perceptive one, and he tugs Kyungsoo into his side, whining for him to feed him. It seems to help distract him from whatever is causing him to fall into a quieter lull than normal, and by the end of the meal, Kyungsoo’s chatting quietly with Sehun.

He wonders if Chanyeol notices -- they were stuck in a conversation with Yoonsung throughout the whole meal, the older boy seems even chattier than Baekhyun can be. But then he notices the subtle glance that Chanyeol throws to the other side of the table, where Sehun and Kyungsoo are seated, and Baekhyun can’t help but wonder what he’s missing.

The tension seems to evaporate once they pay their bill and leave though, waving goodbye to Chanyeol’s teammates. The stiffness in Kyungsoo’s shoulder melts away when Sehun hugs him from behind, even letting out a small laugh when he strains to walk forward under his weight.

“No fair, I want to hug Kyungsoo too,” Baekhyun says, surging forward to wrap his own arms around Kyungsoo’s waist. Both he and Sehun cling to Kyungsoo like a limpet.

Kyungsoo lets out a small squeak, and then tries to shake them free. “You’re both too heavy,” he complains.

Chanyeol sweeps in, laughing all the while. “I’ll save you!” he calls out, before tugging Kyungsoo out of their hold. The shorter boy tumbles from the slight movement, but Chanyeol’s ready for it -- his arms easily wrapping around Kyungsoo, pulling him closer until his face is buried into the expanse of Chanyeol’s chest. “Got you,” he says, a silly grin on his face.

Kyungsoo grumbles something inaudibly. He raises an arm, and Baekhyun expects him to slap Chanyeol’s chest, or to push himself away, but instead he wraps it around Chanyeol’s waist instead, and leans into the hug.

It must only last for a split second before Kyungsoo pulls away, but it leaves Baekhyun with curiosity lingering on his mind nonetheless. They walk in line with one another, Chanyeol purposefully slowing his pace to match Kyungsoo’s shorter steps. Side-by-side. They’re not talking.

Sometimes, he notices, they’re like this -- Chanyeol and Kyungsoo. Sometimes, it feels like they communicate with each other in half-starts and unspoken sentences, but seem to be able to reach each other all the same.

As if hearing his thoughts, Sehun loops an arm around his waist. “Hey,” he says to Baekhyun, a small smile on his face. What are you thinking?, he means. Is there something you want to talk about?, it translates into. I’m here if you need me, he’s thinking.

Baekhyun leans back into Sehun’s embrace. “Hi babe,” he replies. I love you, he means. Thank you for caring, it translates into. I’m grateful for your presence, he’s thinking.

Sehun squeezes his waist; his touch feels gentle and warm.

It doesn’t really matter in the end, Baekhyun thinks, whether the plans work or not. Maybe it’s time to stop trying to interfere. Maybe these grandiose plans are a little futile anyway -- in the grand scheme of their friendship.

Chanyeol and Kyungsoo will find a way to each other, he’s certain. Just like he and Sehun did.

Baekhyun sighs, squeezing his eyes shut. He stretches his arms above his head, relishing in the satisfaction of his joints popping back into place. His teacher comes to collect their exam papers, and he feels nothing but relief when those calculus problem sets disappear from his view.

“How do you think you did?” Minseok asks, setting his backpack onto the desk next to his.

Baekhyun lets out a loud groan, and shrugs. “Ugh,” he says, with great feeling.

The soccer captain laughs, his mouth quirking up in a gummy smile. “I’m sure Sehun can cheer you up,” he says. He quirks his head toward the door, where Sehun’s tall figure can be seen through the window.

It’s almost embarrassing how quickly Baekhyun perks up at the sight of his boyfriend waiting for him. Happiness fills his stomach with warmth. Minseok takes one look at his face and shakes his head.

“God, you’re just as bad as Chanyeol,” he says. Distracted, Baekhyun barely notices Minseok’s departing pat on his shoulder as he leaves, too busy trying to pack up as quickly as possible.

Sehun has a sweet little smile on his face as he waits for Baekhyun, his hair a little messier than it was just a few hours ago when the four of them had sat in the cafeteria for lunch. Even after two years of dating, Sehun’s smile still gives him butterflies.

“Hey, Baekhyunnie,” he says when he exits the classroom before leaning down for a chaste kiss on the lips. “How did your exam go?”

Baekhyun wraps his hand around Sehun’s as they start heading toward the exit. “Could’ve done better, I think,” he admits. It’s hard not to let disappointment sink in his gut like a stone, but he tries to shrug it off.

There’s a sympathetic squeeze on his hand. “You worked really hard,” Sehun says. He presses a gentle kiss to Baekhyun’s knuckle. “I hope you know I’m proud of you. No matter what.”

A smile, small and uncharacteristically shy, lights up his face. “Thank you,” Baekhyun says warmly, tucking himself into Sehun’s side. Despite the brisk air outside, he doesn’t feel cold at all.

It’s Friday, and Baekhyun has been looking forward to spending the end of the week with Sehun. They hadn’t planned anything spectacular -- just a movie date, and then they’ll be heading back to Sehun’s house to spend the night.

The theatre is a smaller one than the location they usually go to -- being a little bit out of the way from their usual routes -- but they have a unique selection of films. There’s still some time before their showing, though, and Baekhyun takes the time to buy some snacks for him and Sehun.

They’re seeing some indie Korean-American film named Spa Night. Kyungsoo had raved about it to them when they had walked home last week after Chanyeol’s game. Apparently Chanyeol had enjoyed it too, had even gotten a little emotional during some scenes, though his taste is generally less eclectic than Kyungsoo’s.

By the time the film finishes, light has faded from the skies. The dimmed yellow lighting of the lamp posts feel welcomed after spending a couple of hours submerged in darkness within the theatre. Baekhyun hums contentedly as they head back to the station while chatting about the film, their entwined hands swinging between them.

It’s getting chillier now, even underground in the stations, but thankfully it doesn’t take too long for the next train to arrive. The line they’re taking doesn’t stop near Sehun’s house, and Baekhyun pauses as soon as they enter through the train doors, to check the route again on Naver Maps for their transfer station.

Sehun leads him to the seat tucked away at the end of the compartment, where there’s just enough room to squeeze them both onto the seat. The train isn’t particularly crowded, but he knows the next stop is a busier station. And he’s right -- as soon as it pulls up to the next station, a large stream of people flood the train.

“Baekhyun,” Sehun hisses at him suddenly, tugging urgently at his hand. Baekhyun looks up quickly, worried, and opens his mouth to ask what’s wrong -- but promptly shuts it again when Sehun frantically makes shushing motions. He points toward the opposite end of the train.

Baekhyun follows his finger with his eyes -- and his mouth falls open in surprise when he sees Chanyeol and Kyungsoo sitting together. They’re still in their school uniforms, which meant that they left campus without returning home.

Seeing the two of them hanging out together isn’t a surprise in itself. The four of them have been best friends for a number of years now, and Chanyeol and Kyungsoo even longer. There’s plenty of times where they’ve hung out with just the two of them. Baekhyun knows that.

Still, it feels strange watching them from the distance, the two of them wrapped up in their own world, completely unaware of those around them. Kyungsoo’s telling Chanyeol something, his hands making animated movements with the story he’s telling. There’s a quiet look of indulgence on Chanyeol’s face as he leans in to hear Kyungsoo better, their height difference looking nearly comical even when they’re sitting down. Chanyeol must have said something funny, though, because Kyungsoo laughs with a heart-shaped smile, before smacking Chanyeol lightly on the chest.

When the train begins moving again with a low rumble, their two friends seem to fall into silence. A small smile still toys at the corner of Kyungsoo’s lips as he watches Chanyeol dig through his bag.

“What’s he looking for?” Sehun murmurs to Baekhyun.

His question is answered a split-second later. Chanyeol pulls out a tangled bundle of wires that are stuck to his keys -- a pair of headphones -- and plugs it into his phone while Kyungsoo detangles them. They seem to be caught around a small giraffe keychain. Once they’ve been separated, he takes one of the earbuds and puts it on, and hands over the left earbud to Chanyeol, who places it inside his ear.

Chanyeol shows something on his phone to Kyungsoo, who shakes his head. It’s not until Kyungsoo finally nods his approval -- of Chanyeol’s song choice, Baekhyun’s guessing -- that the two of them lean back into their seats. They’re pressed close together, close enough that their arms look almost intertwined.

There’s nothing peculiar about the way they’re sitting. But still, there’s something that feels -- intimate. Although they’re all best friends, Baekhyun knows that the two of them share something special. Their friendship had always felt like it was on a different level. Looking at them now, though, it feels almost as if he’s intruding on a private moment.

Sehun turns to him, a contemplative look on his face. “Do you think that they’re -- maybe --” He flounders for words, gesturing abstractly towards them.

Baekhyun looks at him, and then back at Chanyeol and Kyungsoo. At first, he thinks Kyungsoo is poking Chanyeol on the leg. But then he notices the way his finger moves, as if he’s tracing an outline onto the rough texture of his jeans -- almost absentmindedly, Baekhyun thinks, now that both their eyes are closed as they listen to music. Chanyeol’s tapping his foot to a silent rhythm.

He squints at them. The person sitting next to Kyungsoo stands up to get off the train, leaving their friends completely visible to the two of them. Surprise jolts through him when he realizes what Kyungsoo is tracing with his finger. He’s drawing outlines of a heart on Chanyeol’s thigh, slow, small, discreet -- and somehow utterly Kyungsoo, in its quiet charm and silent affection.

Just as quietly, Chanyeol blinks his eyes open. Baekhyun watches as he glances over at Kyungsoo, a soft and loving smile brightening up his face. It goes unnoticed by the shorter boy, whose eyes are still closed, his head leaning back against the window behind his seat. There’s a fond look on Chanyeol’s face as he glances down at Kyungsoo’s heart, still moving silently on his leg. Then, just as slowly, he slides his fingers down to hold Kyungsoo’s hand, stilling his movement.

Kyungsoo pauses for half a second, and for a moment, Baekhyun gets caught up in the tiny smile that appears on Kyungsoo’s face, before he notices that Kyungsoo has returned Chanyeol’s touch; his slender fingers clutching onto Chanyeol’s much larger ones. After a moment, he leans his head down until it’s resting on Chanyeol’s shoulder.

It looks like a move that Kyungsoo has done countless times before. There’s familiarity in the way their fingers are threaded together, in how they touch one another. It’s easy, and intimate. Comfortable.

Just like this, sitting on a crowded train on a Friday evening, Baekhyun realizes something. That the affection between Chanyeol and Kyungsoo is -- something more, something filled with such an enormous weight of affection, that it startles him to realize that -- he’s not surprised.

This has always been Chanyeol and Kyungsoo. Somehow, neither him nor Sehun realized it.

“I guess we didn’t have to do anything after all, huh?” Sehun says to him, their own hands entangled with one another.

Baekhyun chuckles, and sneaks a quick kiss from Sehun’s lips. “Guess not,” he agrees.

Kyungsoo opens the door to the oven. His eyebrows furrowed in deep concentration, lips pursed as he scans the cookies that are laid out along the sheet pan. A delicious, decadent aroma wafts through the air, and the caramelization from the sugar makes Baekhyun’s mouth water. He stares at Kyungsoo as his friend hums to himself while taking the tray out of the oven and placing it on top of the stove.

A week ago, he had asked Kyungsoo for his help in baking cookies for Sehun for Valentine’s day. Now, just one day after he had seen him and Chanyeol on the train, Baekhyun can’t concentrate. He feels like he’s going to vibrate out of his skin -- the question of since when, and how resting right on the tip of his tongue.

It’s a miracle that Baekhyun can only chalk up to Kyungsoo’s innate airheadedness that he doesn’t seem to notice his intense scrutinizing. Kyungsoo continues with shaping out the dough for their next batch of cookies, humming obliviously to himself.

In retrospect, there hasn’t been any noticeable change in the way Chanyeol and Kyungsoo have been acting around one another. There has been no marked shift in their dynamic, at least not that Baekhyun can tell. For as long as he’s known them, they have always seemed to know how to balance each other out, never in ways that were large or consuming. When it comes to Chanyeol and Kyungsoo, Baekhyun always thought that their love for one another came through in the details; always knowing how to take care of one another without ever articulating this love aloud.

It’s no wonder that Baekhyun and Sehun weren’t able to pick up when they started dating -- but still. He’s dying to know.

He finally breaks when all the cookies have come out of the oven to cool down, and they’re both surveying their -- mostly Kyungsoo’s -- masterpieces.

“Looks pretty good,” Kyungsoo says, the smallest hint of pride in his voice. He grabs a tupperware from Baekhyun’s cabinet. “We should save some for Jaeminnie.”

“He’ll be happy,” Baekhyun responds, stacking some of the cookies to place into the tupperware. “He was so sad when I told him his favourite hyung was coming over while he has swimming lessons.”

Kyungsoo softens. “He’s such a good boy,” he says, before setting the tupperware back down on the counter.

“Do you want to take any home?” asks Baekhyun. He takes a sip of his water, then places it down in the sink to wash later. “I can lend you a container and you can return it on Monday or something.”

Kyungsoo nudges him with his elbow. “What, you thought you were keeping it all?” he says, playfully. “As if Sehun can eat all of this.”

It draws a laugh from Baekhyun. He watches as Kyungsoo helps himself to another tupperware -- moving as familiar with Baekhyun’s house as he is with his own. Meticulously, Kyungsoo selects cookies from the tray before carefully fitting them into the container.

“These are Chanyeollie’s favourites,” Kyungsoo says, looking immensely satisfied with himself when he manages not to break any of the cookies.

As soon as Kyungsoo’s words process in his mind, Baekhyun can’t help it. He blurts it out. “Why didn’t you tell us that you were dating?”

Kyungsoo looks up, his eyes round with surprise. A rosy flush spreads across his cheeks. “What?” he sputters. “But -- you already knew?”

“What?” Baekhyun echoes. “No I don’t.” He pauses. “I mean -- obviously I do now, but Sehun and I only realized because we saw you on the train yesterday.”

“You saw us on the train?” Kyungsoo says, and then shakes his head. “Wait, but you did know. Remember? We talked about it in the cafeteria three weeks ago.”

Three weeks ago. Baekhyun barely remembers what happened one day ago. He racks his memory for what had transpired, and draws up blank. He would definitely know if Kyungsoo and Chanyeol had told them they were dating.

Kyungsoo looks embarrassed. “Remember? You just said you knew about me and Chanyeol. I was so surprised -- we’d only been dating for a week then.” He ducks his head, heat rising on his cheeks, before he admits, “Chanyeol and I thought we should keep it quiet at first, but after you told us you already knew, it felt like a relief to not have to hide it.”

With every word he says, Baekhyun feels more and more flummoxed. “What-- but...” he trails off.

Three weeks ago. He remembers that conversation now. That was when he and Sehun had tried telling Kyungsoo that they knew he had feelings for Chanyeol, right before Chanyeol arrived. They both thought it was the necessary first step to getting them to realize they should date -- but Baekhyun had never thought they were already dating by then.

And it didn’t help that them not “hiding” seems to have no difference on how they acted. He recalls how Kyungsoo already knew that Chanyeol was meeting up with Sehun before the party. He thinks about Jongdae’s insinuations about the practice Kyungsoo had been receiving prior to the play. It’s clear now, too, that Kyungsoo must have felt jealous around Yoonsung. Even their friends’ around them, their confusion whenever Sehun and Baekhyun mentioned their matchmaking plan. They must have all known.

Somehow, it completely went over Baekhyun and Sehun’s heads. For a moment, Baekhyun wonders if he should feel upset. They’re their best friends, and yet somehow they’re the last to find out.

But then he looks at Kyungsoo, who has the same tiny pleased smile that he had when he picked out the cookies to keep for Chanyeol. The one where he looks proud, content. It’s an expression that looks good on him. It’s one that Baekhyun wants to keep.

He leans forward on his elbow, propping his chin on his palm. “You never did tell me how you started dating. Who asked who out?” he asks instead.

Kyungsoo bites down on his lip. “I asked him out,” he says, quiet in the way when he’s feeling shy. As he begins to tell Baekhyun the story, the tension slowly rolls out of his shoulders. The look of happiness remains in place -- one that makes Baekhyun’s heart feel warm. Now that he’s looking for it, he knows that’s the face of someone who’s in love, and someone who is deeply loved in return.

Maybe he and Sehun didn’t do anything worthwhile with their matchmaking scheme. They missed the mark a bit on that one. But, in the end, their goal was to see their best friends happy.

And Baekhyun’s confident that, at the very least, that has worked out.