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As soon as all the little kids have been picked up by their parents and the giggly noise in the school premises is reduced to the dull familiarity of adults chatting up each other, the principal of Heaven Scent Preschool calls all personnel for a meeting. Summer season is just around the corner and traditionally, the school holds an annual event meant to celebrate its foundation day.

It is a simple celebration with some of the kids performing either by singing or dancing, and even a short play. The teachers are not only there to help them practice and prepare but they also participate to entertain their beloved students, as well as the parents of the little angels.

Being a preschool teacher is not easy. Children ages three to five are most difficult to handle. They are almost always distracted by different things, and would rather play than listen to their teachers. But Taeyong loves kids and this is his calling – he is good with them, they like him especially when he reads them stories, so no matter how draining each day becomes, he won’t exchange this job for another.

He likes it most when he enters the room and they greet him in unison, loud and so full of energy. In a classroom, there are only ten students but handling his class makes him feel like he has taught triple their number. They ask a lot of questions about the day’s lesson, so eager to learn a dance or two, and on particular days they would rather sing a nursery rhyme and make Taeyong dance to it rather than learn their ABCs and the examples of fruits and objects starting with each letter.

Everyday is a playday. There is not a single space in the room that is not littered with soft toys. It must be heaven to them to be allowed to play with other kids for four hours, but they are not the only ones that enjoy that time of the day. In a sense, Taeyong is just having fun with them. Being a teacher of tiny human beings that barely know the difference between a pile of sand and an actual food can be very enjoyable, only if adults stopped realized how beautiful children are.

He will never understand those that do not like kids. Kids are the purest things in the world and he hopes that their kindness remains even when they grow older.

As he listens to the principal go on about the rest of the plans for the event, his phone vibrates in his pocket. Inwardly, he groans and wishes that it’s not from who he thinks it is. He forces himself to ignore it and sits through the meeting, taking notes and remembering what he needs to improve on his students’ performance for the foundation day. Last year, they did the safe for work version of Romeo and Juliet and for this batch, he’s making them dance to a currently popular pop song from a trendy idol group.

It won’t be hard; he has already finished teaching them half of the choreography which is thankfully pretty easy for them to follow. Plus, dance was his second major in college – not like a preschool teacher needs to have a degree in it to make the tiny humans wiggle their bodies. But since he’s so good at it and has technical background, the school makes him do a solo performance for everyone. This is going to be the third time since he started teaching at Heaven Scent.

The meeting lasts for an hour – they are finalizing the program sequence, who does what, what food to serve and the decorations that need to be bought and put all over the hall.

After the principal dismisses everyone with a reminder for the teachers not to forget the academic lessons amidst the event preparation, Taeyong stays to read the ten messages his mother bombarded him with.

They are what he expected them to be. As usual, she’s pestering him to bring someone home on his birthday because she’s getting old and they (the parents) want him to settle down soon so they won’t have to worry about him dying alone. She’s so dramatic – he’s only turning 26 for Pete’s sake! They make it sound like he’s never going to be able to date because of the demands of being a teacher, and they always compare him to his older sister who married around his age and have already given them a grandson.

Marriage is not Taeyong’s priority mainly because he thinks he’s too young for it, and not yet financially stable to fund a wedding.

Moreover, the person he likes seems not interested in him. At least that’s what he thinks. Because he’s been crushing on his co-teacher, Jeong Jaehyun, since he started working at Heaven Scent preschool, and not once did he feel like the interest is mutual. And if Taeyong’s going to be seriously talking about this, he’s very much interested in Jaehyun that he’s the only one he can think of bringing home to his parents, yet it’s impossible.

So no, mom, he starts texting. I’m not bringing anyone home on my birthday. Please drop it now. Miss you and dad.

He sighs, replying to each text she sent. She hates it when he lumps all responses into one message because it gets too long and her head hurts reading all that.

While Taeyong is busy trying to find the right words and make his texts as kind as possible, he doesn’t notice that someone else is still inside the meeting room, patiently waiting for him to finish.

Jaehyun sits four chairs away, biting down his nail as he contemplates whether he should or should not ask the pretty preschool teacher to eat with him and Yuta. It’s a Friday so Yuta thought they should relax and have some nice dinner before going home. Initially, Taeyong is not included in that dinner plan but Jaehyun has been wanting to ask him out to spend some time together outside work. He’s been dreaming of it ever since they were introduced on Jaehyun’s first day and he is not doing a good job at letting Taeyong know of his little crush. Well, in the first place, he’s not doing anything about it. Always contents himself with sneaking glances and greeting Taeyong in the afternoon, but no more than that.

He looks at his bitten nail and wipes it down his pants before looking at Taeyong again. The other teacher is pouting so cutely while typing on his phone, his brows knitted in concentration. Occasionally, Taeyong murmurs under his breath before aggressively typing again and letting out sighs.

Why does he look troubled? Jaehyun checks the time on his own phone. It’s ten minutes before he has to meet with Yuta at the restaurant on the next block.

“Um, Taeyong…?”

Taeyong hums, not fully registering that he’s not alone in the room. He composes another reply to his mother’s text, and only when he hits send does he look at Jaehyun, eyes wide. “Oh, I thought I was alone…”

“You were pretty focused on your phone.” Jaehyun says with a small smile, hoping that it helps hide how nervous he is.

Sighing again, Taeyong nods and fidgets. His pout is back on his face and he looks so damn huggable that Jaehyun fights the urge to shed whipped tears right there and then. Every time he sees Taeyong, his fluffy hair and his big puppy eyes, Jaehyun feels like building a shrine just to declare his love for the short man.

“Ah, it’s just that my mom is bothering me again. But it’s nothing, she does this all the time.” Taeyong gets up and Jaehyun does the same. “Well, I’m going now. But why are you still here? Do you have something to do?”

“You.”

Taeyong blinks a few times, eyes widening again. “Me…?”

Jaehyun’s face quickly reddens when it dawns on him the implication of what he just said. He slaps himself, ignoring Taeyong’s surprised gasp, and mentally swears at how stupid he is. He should be glad he’s not choking from his own stupidity. “N-no, I’m sorry! I meant to ask you, what about you? Do you have something to do?”

His heart hammers wildly in his chest as Taeyong suppresses the unspeakable thoughts in his head before they even manifest on his face. “I have nothing else to do, so I’m going home. Why are you asking?”

This is it, Jaehyun. Ask him out on a not-a-date date! “My friend and I are going to meet for an early dinner. And when I saw that you weren’t leaving, I thought I should invite you to eat with us? But you don’t have to if you don’t want to!” Jaehyun chuckles awkwardly, both hands behind his back so that Taeyong won’t see them shaking. “Though it would be really nice to have you there…?”

If God was watching them right now, he’d be rolling his eyes at how stupidly oblivious they are of each other’s feelings. It literally shows in their eyes, but for some reasons, both are too blind to see.

Taeyong stares at Jaehyun for a moment. He thinks about how the other never asked him to hang out before after work and wonders if there’s any other reason that Jaehyun asking him out on a whim. This is not the time to be so hopeful, though.

“Okay, but are you sure your friend won’t mind?”

“He won’t!” Jaehyun says excitedly. “Come on, let’s go there together.” He walks with Taeyong back to the teachers’ office to get their stuff before heading to the restaurant, engaging in a small talk.

“Listening to both of you talk about your work makes me want to consider changing my career path.” Yuta grumbles through his steak. They’re sat at a table near the window. Jaehyun and Taeyong sit next to each other across him. “Working in the human resource is as taxing as it rewarding. Who thought it’d be fun to interview people from different walks of life from 10-4? Do you notice it? My voice is a little hoarse.”

Jaehyun scoops the sauce off his plate and licks his spoon unabashedly. Next to him, Taeyong listens quietly while mindlessly pushing his food around. “Then blame your company since it’s hiring 300 people urgently. Or I don’t know, take some education units and join us. We need part-time tutors.”

“You must be good with kids, first of all.” Taeyong says. “They screen us by making us do an impromptu class and see if we get along with the kids well.”

Exasperatedly, Yuta puts his fork down before taking a sip of his drink. “Kids are better than the adults hissing at me when I don’t offer them a salary within their expected range. It’s not my fault. I’m just the interviewer.” He scoffs, remembering the last applicant he talked to before meeting with Jaehyun and Taeyong. “So that’s all you’re doing right now? Prepare for the event?”

“Mostly. We still need to tackle academic lessons, you know.” Jaehyun looks at the man on his right and frowns. “Taeyong, are you okay? You look so gloomy…”

God forbid that Taeyong is not enjoying his time or Jaehyun’s going to slap himself once again. He was never a good host. “Do you not like the food?”

Taeyong looks between the two men and sighs, poking his sausage with the fork. “Can I talk to you guys about something?”

“Sure, what is it?”

“You saw me texting earlier, right? I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m having problems. My birthday is only July 1^st and I always come home to my parents to celebrate it. The thing is, my mom has been telling me to get married and I don’t wanna get married yet! I’m so young and I don’t have enough savings. Plus, I’m single.” Taeyong looks pained when he says that. “She keeps asking me to bring someone home! It’s getting really annoying but I can’t just tell her to stop bothering me. She gets easily sad.”

By the time Taeyong finishes, he looks like he’s about to pull his hair out. Jaehyun can’t deny that it’s such a pitiful sight.

Yuta props his elbow on the table and cups his chin as he weighs Taeyong’s situation. “That’s actually kind of annoying. My parents don’t do that, thankfully. But doesn’t she know you’re not seeing anyone?”

Taeyong resembles a puppy when he vehemently shakes his head, unaware of what he does to Jaehyun’s poor heart. “Sadly, she doesn’t believe me. I rarely come home to my parents even on weekends so they’re hellbent on thinking I have a girlfriend. Or boyfriend.”

Jaehyun bites his lower lip, disliking the thought of Taeyong actually seeing someone. “Maybe you should meet them tomorrow and explain it. I mean, that’s the only way for her to stop.”

Yuta nods in agreement. “Also, tell her that marriage is not our priority anymore. Shit is too expensive, there’s so much tax to pay – who in their right mind would think hey, the living cost in Korea is barely affordable but let’s tie the knot and have kids–which is certainly not the last nail on the coffin, mind you.”

The troubled teacher purses his lips as he looks out the window and watches a happy couple pass by. How would it feel like to go on dates with Jaehyun? “You guys are right. She really wants another grandchild. Having my sister’s son is not enough, so it seems.”

“Our parents won’t stop at just one grandkid. They’ll keep asking for more.” Jaehyun exchanges a look with Yuta just as Taeyong tears his eyes away from the window. “You really don’t have anyone to introduce to them?”

Taeyong shakes his head.

“Okay, that’s good.”

Yuta chokes on his own spit and Jaehyun struggles to explain to Taeyong for the second time that day that whatever he thinks it means, it’s not what it is.

Taeyong pats Jaehyun’s shoulder before handing Yuta a tissue. “Are you okay?” As he’s about to wipe the spit on Yuta’s chin, though, Jaehyun rips it out of his hand and shoves it on his friend’s nose.

“Wipe it yourself! So messy.”

Yuta glares at Jaehyun who deliberately ignores him by pouring all of his attention to Taeyong. He was a little suspicious earlier, but he’s a hundred percent certain now. His best friend is pining on his co-teacher and is doing absolutely nothing about it.

He pushes it at the back of his mind, storing it in case an opportunity rises to blackmail Jaehyun.

The dinner ends at half past 7 and Yuta is the first to go and take a bus home. Taeyong tries to reject Jaehyun’s offer to walk him home but the latter insists that it’s okay so he relents and finds himself on a quiet yet comfortable trip with Jaehyun on the way to his apartment. Even though they’ve been working together for the past two years, they haven’t gone to each other’s place. Their relationship is friendly but more professional, and the only proof to it is a single photo of them together in Taeyong’s phone, taken during the team building at a resort last year.

Just quietly taking in the surroundings is better than making small talks, Taeyong thinks. He glances at Jaehyun and quickly looks away when their eyes meet. It’s uncharacteristically peaceful in this part of the neighborhood at a Friday night, and Taeyong was hoping that the noise could drown the sound of his heart beating. What he doesn’t know is he’s not the only one suffering from and worrying about a stubborn, traitorous organ.

When they stop in front of an apartment complex, Taeyong faces his companion with a small, endearing smile. “Thank you for walking me home. You didn’t have to do it. How far do you live from here?”

Jaehyun shrugs dismissively. “It’s okay; I wanted to spend more time with you. So,” he scratches his head, lips pursed. “What are you gonna do? Will you meet your parents tomorrow?”

“I guess so,” Taeyong is still reeling from what Jaehyun said. The other sounded nonchalant, but to Taeyong, it feels different – like he hopes it means something. “It’s the only way, right?”

They stand there looking at each other, fighting the unseen force that tries to pull them closer. Jaehyun gulps and contemplates whether it’d be a good idea to confess so soon and not scare Taeyong away. What if Taeyong doesn’t see him in a romantic light? Hell, he doesn’t even know if he’s Taeyong’s type.

The shorter man is the first one to break the silence. “Hey, I’m excited to see your play on foundation day. It’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarves?”

Jaehyun grins, thinking about his tiny students. “I’ll be the talking tree.” He then gets taken aback when Taeyong giggles, so soft and adorable. “Why?” It’s only hurting his poor heart.

“You’re a talking tree? That’s so cute. I can’t remember if any of the trees or animals talked in the movie.” Taeyong continues to giggle, finding amusement at the image of Jaehyun wearing a cheap tree mascot made from scrap materials. “Can’t you be the witch instead?”

“But the witch is a vital role and I already gave it to Mira, that chubby girl with pigtails and always eats her eraser.”

“Is there any reason why you gave it to her?”

Jaehyun rubs his nose, hiding a smile. “Because she’s the only one that likes to eat weird stuff in my class. That’s so villainous of her.”

He’s not sure as to what part of it is funny, but it’s making Taeyong giggle uncontrollably again and Jaehyun’s crush is getting worse as the seconds pass by. It would be really nice to be that person that makes Taeyong happy.

Clutching the strap of his messenger bag, Taeyong’s giggles gradually stop and a radiant smile is all that is left on his flawless face. “You’re so good with kids, Jaehyun. You’re gonna be a good dad someday and your parents will be ecstatic.”

“Yeah,” Jaehyun says unenthusiastically. “That’s if I get married.”

“Oh you will,” Taeyong nods quickly to hide the sudden change in his gaze. “I have to go inside now. I’ll see you on Monday, hm?” He turns around and walks, pausing to glance at Jaehyun again. “Take care!”

“See you, Taeyong.” Jaehyun watches him enter the building, only walking away when Taeyong disappears from his sight.

As he starts on his trip back to his own place, Jaehyun replays their conversation during dinner. He wonders how the talk with Taeyong’s would go, and that maybe when he gets the courage, he’ll finally ask him out on a date properly.

Taeyong closes the taxi’s door and turns around to look at the home he missed dearly. It’s inside an exclusive village and the houses are several feet away from the next. Trees flank the lot and offer a cool breeze during Summer. He remembers playing a lot when he was young, running here and there with the kids of his mother’s friends. Now, he has no idea where they are. He focused too much on school and that he didn’t notice when they disappeared one by one. It’s good to be alone, though. He only has himself to think about.

Maybe that’s why his mother’s so adamant on him finding someone to be with, so he won’t be lonely. But he’s not lonely. Taeyong loves the way his life moves. He’s got his dream job, and the salary could use an increase but other than that, he’s content. Added bonus if the love of his life develops a crush on him later on.

He walks past the low gates and fences. There’s a stone pathway leading to the front door. The grass looks like it was mowed just yesterday. Glancing at his right, he sees the swing tied to twin trees. It seems that his parents forgot to tend to it with all the dirt covering it. Taeyong hikes the strap of his bag and knocks on the door twice before welcoming himself inside.

A groan escapes him when his mother tackles him into a tight hug, smothering his face with kisses.

“Honey! I missed you! Oh, look at you,” she pulls away to take in his appearance, patting his arms. “You’ve lost weight?”

“Missed you to, mom,” Taeyong leans in to kiss her cheek and lets her pull him further into the house. He can’t remember the last time he’s been here. It certainly feels like it’s been a while. Probably a year at most. Looking around, the furniture is still placed where he’d last seen them. The only overt change most noticeable is the walls, previously painted white and now a natural calico. It matches the overall palette.

“This is quite surprising. I know I’ve been tormenting you about visiting but I didn’t expect you’d actually do it. You became independent so early.” The lady of the house moves frantically, obviously excited to have her son at home.

Taeyong sits down on the couch and puts his bag on the floor. “Where’s dad?” He chances a look at her before glancing down his shirt. It’s a light-yellow top with a floral pattern on a small pocket sewn to the left side. He’s never dressed like this before he moved out, unsure if they’d approve of his choice of clothing.

“Oh, he has some business to do,” she comes out of the kitchen carrying a bowl of steaming whatever it is, Taeyong cannot see nor smell from where he’s sitting, and places it on the dining table. “Your sister is here! And your nephew. Taehee!”

As if on cue, a boy dressed in a Superman costume comes barreling onto him, climbing to his lap while screaming his name. “Uncle Taeyong!”

“Baby boy, you’re getting so big! What is noona feeding you, huh?” Taeyong makes the kid laugh heartily when he blows a raspberry on his neck. If there’s anything that could make him come home in a snap, it’d be his nephew. “What’s with the costume?”

“Asked mama to buy me this! Looks great?” Hojun tugs his cape to the front, shoving it to his uncle’s face. “Looks great, uncle?” He asks again, eyes sparkling. Hojun is a raging ball of sunshine and energy that never fails to lighten up the atmosphere wherever he goes.

Nodding, Taeyong carries him in his arms just as Taehee comes out of her room wearing a pretty smile. They’re not twins and she’s seven years older than him but when her face breaks into a picture of happiness, they could easily be mistaken as the other’s half.

“Taeyong,” she gives him a hug that lasts seconds. “How’s work? You can put him down; he’s not a baby anymore.”

“I’m baby!” Hojun retorts and hugs Taeyong’s neck.

Taehee laughs at her five-year old son and caresses the back of his head. “Stop being so loud, Hojun.”

“It’s great. We’re preparing for the foundation day. What’s for lunch?” He asks as they make way to the dining area.

Taehee takes Hojun from him and puts the boy on one of the seats.

Their mother emerges from the kitchen once again, with the side dishes this time. “It’s your favorite, of course! Sundubu-jjigae! Sit down, let’s eat together.” She hangs her apron on the chair and sits down, starting to put food on their plates. It’s a habit she refuses to get rid of, always spoiling her children in ways even as they grew older. The siblings let her because it’s one of the things that give her happiness as a mother.

Taeyong takes his phone out of his pocket and puts it on the table – it digs on his hip because of the narrow pocket. “Noona, when’s your husband coming home?”

“Next week,” she says as she ties a bib around Hojun – the kid’s a messy eater. “Don’t worry about this little alien. The nanny is taking care of him when I’m at work. I actually wasn’t gonna come today, but mom said you’d be home.” Taehee gives him a pointed look. “After 84 years.”

Their mom’s exaggeration makes Taeyong pout petulantly, murmuring a thanks for the food. “You love being over the top, mom.” He takes a sip of the soup and almost melts at the perfect flavor. “This is so good!”

“But you weren’t planning to visit us a in a while, were you?” She gestures for them to start eating and proceeds to frown at her son. “I can hear your stomach growling. Are you not eating well? What’s the use of taking after my cooking skills? If I find out that all your pay goes to rent, I will force you to move back here.”

Taeyong shovels a tofu in his mouth and gives her a cheeky smile. It has long been proven to be irresistible. “Then I’ll just have to keep you from finding out?”

His words halt her from eating a spoonful of rice. “Did you just confirm my suspicion? Anyway, before you leave for work on Monday, I’ll pack some homemade food for you. Make sure to eat them all, okay?”

“Yes, mom!”

They talk about anything and everything they missed. As his mother and sister laugh together at the expense of his nephew’s entertaining experiences at school, Taeyong’s heart warms up. It’s good to be home. He didn’t realize it right away, but he missed it. Missed being with them everyday, missed the playful banters and the dynamics of a family. 

But it all comes to a pause when they finish eating and the dreadful conversation begins, the ultimate reason why he even visited.

“So…” His mother wipes her mouth with a napkin. “Let’s talk about your birthday. Did you already file a leave, honey? For your birthday and the family get away? It’s a tradition and you cannot miss it this year. Your aunts and uncles were so sad. How could you forget to ask the school for a vacation?”

Taeyong scrunches his nose. He kind of feels guilty about that. “Yes, mom. After that though, no more, please? I’m planning to convert the remaining leaves to cash.”

“If that’s what you want. Okay. For your birthday, I’m planning it to be intimate. Just us, and no one else.” She says eagerly, hands clasped together in delight. It’s so like her to take it upon herself to decide on things like this, but she makes sure to ask in case they disagree.

“After the surprise you did last year, I find it hard to believe.”

“Shush, Taehee. I didn’t mean to invite everybody. I told someone, and they started a chain of invitations. What could I do when they started arriving? Drive them away? We are hospitable.” She smiles at Hojun who’s licking off the rice on his plastic spoon. “Do you want more, baby?”

Taeyong almost snorts. “You posted on Facebook, mom…”

“We’re not talking about that. We are talking about your birthday this year. It’d be a nice change, right? No nosy people to entertain. You can invite some of your colleagues, if you want.”

“Nevermind, mom. I don’t come here often so it’d be wonderful to spend my birthday just with the family.” In need of something sweet to counter the burning in his mouth, Taeyong gets up and rummages the fridge for a dessert. He finds a lollipop, possibly his nephew’s, and returns to his seat.

“Lovely,” their mother agrees. “The food, your dad and I will take care of it. We’re already looking for an amazing cook to help us. We’d hate for such an occasion to be so underwhelming.”

With the strawberry candy slowly melting in the pocket of his cheek, Taeyong’s nervousness dissipates with it.

However, he’s only given a short time to fool himself into thinking that this was going to be alright when Taehee looks their mom straight in the eye and says, “Just get to the ACTUAL point, mom.” Which means his birthday party is a secondary concern and the primary concern is still that dreaded subject of having a lover vs. having none of it.

The giddiness brought by eating sweets vanishes into the air as their mother looks at him pleadingly, and Taeyong visibly sags like an abandoned kitten. “Really?”

“Taeyong. Won’t you bring them home?” Her question ignites a sick feeling in his stomach. Yet despite being disappointed that she can’t let it go, he mentally commends her for not saying him or her. Apparently, the lady of the house is very open-minded about his sexuality.

Taeyong’s cheek bulges because of the lollipop. “I have no one, mom. How many times am I gonna tell you?” His voice comes out a little whiny.

“But you’re so handsome! It’s impossible!”

“I don’t know what else to tell you. The reason I came here is because I was hoping we could finally settle this properly. Why don’t you believe me?” Taeyong takes out his lollipop and sulkily stares at the wet candy. Beside him, Taehee looks sympathetic.

They continue to go back and forth as nicely as possible because one thing that the Lees hate the most is fighting. So even if Taeyong’s head begins to hurt because of his persistent mother, he refuses to raise his voice at her or even dare to give her a remotely disrespectful expression. She doesn’t deserve that.

“May I please be excused? I’d love to continue convincing you that I’m single but my bladder is full…”

“Oh sure, honey.” The mother sighs when Taeyong disappears into the bathroom. “I just wanna see him happy…”

Taehee shakes her head and finally lets Hojun go to play in their room. “He can be happy without a partner, mom. Why don’t you believe him? What makes you think he’s lying?”

She exhales determinedly. “I can feel it. A mother’s instinct doesn’t lie. Have you not seen his pinkish cheeks? He’s blooming! He’s skinny but he’s blooming, Taehee. And that’s nothing but the work of romance. Trust me, that’s how I looked when I said yes to your father. That’s how you looked like when you introduced your ex-boyfriend to us.”

“Stop calling my husband my ex-boyfriend, mom… I swear, you stay on Facebook way too long.”

Taehee is about to say one more thing when their mother picks up Taeyong’s phone and starts going through it. “Mom! That’s so rude!” She tries to snatch it away before Taeyong comes back but the old lady’s reflex is way too quick for her age. “Mom, I swear…”

“I know, Taehee.” Despite knowing it’s disrespectful to snoop around her son’s phone, the urge to prove herself correct is stronger. “I know he’s got someone. My son is too handsome to be – oh. OH!” Her eyes widen as she shows her daughter a photo of Taeyong and another man, their cheeks pressed together and they’re both wearing sweet smiles. Behind them is a huge infinity pool. “This has to be his boyfriend!”

“What’s going on now?” Taeyong reappears, lollipop gone. His eyes then mirror the size of his mother’s the moment he sees his phone in her grasp. “Momma!”

“Taeyong.” Both siblings straighten when she suddenly uses her strict tone. “I do not condone lying in this house. I apologize for looking through your phone but if I didn’t, would we ever know about this beautiful man with you?” She locks his phone and hands it back to him. “On your birthday, you will bring that man here and introduce him to us, alright?”

Taeyong sniffles and actually stomps in frustration, catching Hojun’s attention who then copies him and starts stomping in the living room. “This is my co-teacher, Jaehyun!”

He’s not sure why he thought that saying that would make her changer her mind but she only beams and hugs him tight as though it was good news.

“Oh, thank Jesus! We finally know his name!” She pulls away, looking at him softly. “Taeyong, is that why you didn’t wanna tell us? Because you’re gay? Honey, it’s okay! We don’t care! In fact, I am so glad that you found a very handsome man to date. I wouldn’t approve otherwise. You two are a perfect.” Patting his cheek, she goes back to the table to start picking up the dishes. Taehee scrambles to help her. “On your birthday, okay? We’d love to meet him!”

That leaves him no room to oppose now. His mother’s a magician; she could be washing the dishes and texting his father at the same time. This is why he doesn’t believe that the people that came to his birthday last year were uninvited.

“…. If I tell you that he’s not my boyfriend, would you give me the benefit of the doubt?”

“Of course not!” She curtly glances at him over her shoulder. “Look at the two of you. So adorable. When was that taken?”

Taeyong remains on his spot. It’s like all his energy flew out of his body. “Last year.”

“Okay, I’ll let your lies slide, honey. Remember, bring him on your birthday or else, you won’t see Hojun for a while.”

Taehee gasps incredulously. “That’s horrible! How could you use him against his uncle?” She mouths an apology to him before helping their mother wash the dishes.

Headache begins to hit him full blown and Taeyong walks to the living room to pick up his bag, patting Hojun’s head on the way to his old bedroom. “I’m gonna take a rest, mom, noona!”

Like cooked vegetable, Taeyong’s now seemingly boneless body collapses in bed, face down. He inhales the scent of fabric softener clinging to the sheets before rolling on his back. Splayed like a starfish, Taeyong gazes at the ceiling as he embraces the reality of the situation he put himself in. Technically, it’s his mother’s fault but he’s the poster boy of martyrs and he willingly enabled this suffering when he didn’t try harder in denying that Jaehyun’s his boyfriend.

It’s probably the doing of being hopelessly in love (is he that into Jaehyun?) and the wish to actually date his co-teacher. Admitting it now, Taeyong feels selfish. What is he gonna do? His father most likely already knows, Taehee probably ended up believing too, and soon her husband will hear of this. Hojun will be excited to meet Jaehyun.

Oh God, everyone thinks Jaehyun is his boyfriend, but Jaehyun himself! Taeyong grabs a pillow and screams into it for ten seconds before tossing it somewhere. It’s too late to back out of it. Everyone is going to his stick to mother’s narrative. She’s going to exaggerate and he won’t put it past her to announce it on Facebook right away. Taeyong is so screwed. So damn screwed.

But what’s done is done. If he can’t change it, then he should start accepting it. And the first thing to do in this stage of acceptance is to let Jaehyun know of what happened.

Taeyong wants to cry. His crush is going to hate him! What if Jaehyun thinks he’s obsessed and crazy and resign from Heaven Scent because he can’t stand being near someone delusional? He can’t let Jaehyun resign, not until after the foundation day is over at least. Who would play as their class’s talking tree if he left?

“On Monday, we shall talk on Monday.” Taeyong sniffles, feeling the beginning of a sob. “I’m so sorry, Jaehyun… This wasn’t supposed to happen…” He sits up and looks for Jaehyun’s number on his phone. Should he call or text to say that they’d need to discuss something on Monday? Is Jaehyun the type to not postpone things and deal with it right instantly? Taeyong doesn’t know how to explain it!

“I should just wait ‘til next week comes. If I leave him hanging now, it would just make the both of us anxious.” With that decision set and final, Taeyong quickly changes into more comfortable clothes and slides under the sheets. A good nap can help lessen his worries.

When Monday comes and Taeyong says goodbye to the last student in his class that was picked up by her mom, his nerves sizzle into anxiety. Jaehyun’s just in the next room, probably cleaning up after the kids’ mess. They greeted each other earlier and Taeyong could see that Jaehyun was expecting him to say something about the weekend, but Taeyong ended up chickening out by telling him that he had to go over the dance with his students.

Now, there are no more reasons for him to delay his stupid plan.

Taeyong quickly erases the writings on the small board, takes his students’ papers from the drawing activity and rushes to the office to leave them on his desk. On the way out, he bumps into Jaehyun and feels his heart shoot up his throat.

Jaehyun helps him stand straight, looking at him worriedly. “Are you alright?”

“Jaehyun, can we talk?” He goes straight into it. There’s no use beating around the bush.

“Yeah, of course. What’s up?” Feeling that this could be serious, Jaehyun leads them away from the office and to the parents’ waiting area to sit down. He notices how jittery Taeyong is and grabs his hand, giving it a squeeze. “What is it?”

On a different occasion, Taeyong would be blushing terribly but he can only feel even more nervous because Jaehyun looks so concerned and he doesn’t want that expression to change into displeasure once he hears what Taeyong has to say. “Um, how do I say this without sounding like a psycho…” He winces when Jaehyun raises a brow. “So, I went back home…”

Jaehyun leans back and bombards him with questions. “You finally talked to your parents? Okay, that’s cool. How did it go? Did they get mad? I sure hope they’re not cancelling your birthday plans–”

“Be my boyfriend.”

“…Shoot,” he says, staring wide eyed at Taeyong. “This is so sudden, Taeyong. I don’t know what to–”

Before he ends up believing that the other is actually interested in him, Taeyong starts ranting in panic, having no idea what goes on in Jaehyun’s head. “My mother took my phone and saw our photo from last year’s team building and ASSUMED we’re together! And now the whole neighborhood, the whole clan thinks you’re my boyfriend!”

Jaehyun’s bubble of delusions popped. “You didn’t deny?”

“Of course, I denied it! I mean I tried to, but she wouldn’t hear me out.” Taeyong gesticulates with one hand as he recounts what happened during that lunch, and when his father came home. It was chaos. They were all over him being so excited when they didn’t even react the same way after his noona announced she was getting married.

Ouch, that hurt. Jaehyun rubs his chest.

“But I could just not bring you to my birthday, you know? What are they going to do about it, disown me? I’d just apologize for being a horrible son because I fooled them into thinking that I really have a boyfriend, and bear with the consequences of it. They’re going to be so disappointed at me, Jaehyun.” Taeyong sniffles, feeling even more guilty because Jaehyun is still holding his hand. “My mother…she’s gonna be so heartbroken. She’s not exactly faultless here but I love her and to see betrayal in her eyes, I don’t think I’d live through it.”

“Things happen, Taeyong…”

“Not things like this! This is stupid. Jaehyun, this is so crazy. I’m sorry for asking you that. Oh, now that I said that out in the open, it really sounds so ridiculous. How could I even ask such favor?” Taeyong withdraws his hand and instantly misses the warmth that held it. “Can we please forget it? I’m so embarrassed…”

It is quite ridiculous, if Jaehyun thinks about it on a completely rational state of mind. Who even pulls a stunt like this in real life? For one, Taeyong’s family seems to be overbearing. He’s 26, and this is the modern world. No parent should decide on their children’s love life especially when they’re adults. They must not know how to listen if Taeyong thought he couldn’t do this alone.

Jaehyun sighs and slouches in his seat. “You came here with a plan to convince me into pretending to be your boyfriend.”

“It’s absurd, Jaehyun. I don’t even know why I thought about this. Forget it, please? I’m just gonna tell them the truth–”

“And what? Ruin your own birthday? You don’t see them a lot, do you? If you tell them the truth, not only are you going to spend your day gloomily, but you’re also gonna make your mother sad.” Bullshit. Jaehyun knows they shouldn’t even talk about this yet he’s pulling more dung out of his ass for desperate justifications and live his dream to be Taeyong’s boyfriend even just for a day. How lower could he go? “Honestly, there’s no easy way out. They’re only asking me to meet me for a day, right?”

Lower lip jutted out, Taeyong looks down on his lap. “Probably five hours at most. It’s an intimate celebration, so it won’t be long. Unless you sleep over.” Three seconds later, Taeyong’s head snaps up. “What? Are you seriously considering it?”

Sure, Jaehyun is. He’s whipped, he’s opportunistic, and he’s probably going to regret this.

“It’s only for five hours. They won’t see me again after that. Keep this up for at least a week after your birthday and then tell them we broke up. They can’t get mad at you if we tell them we’re over. Couples do that all the time. Show them how miserable you are – post a crying selfie on SNS. I’m sure they won’t even think of setting you up for another year or two. Because that’s gonna be pretty insensitive of them if they can’t even respect the period of moving on.”

“…You seem to have this already figured out.” Taeyong rubs his nose, now visibly relaxed.

“No? I watch a lot of romcoms.” Jaehyun smiles proudly, which earns him a look of awe from Taeyong.

“Me too! But for real, this is fine with you? Wait – I don’t even know if you’re single!”

“Yeah, sure! What are friends for?” What a way to friendzone himself so that Taeyong won’t have to do it. So thoughtful. “If I need help with something in the future, you should do me a favor too. And I wouldn’t agree to this if I’m seeing someone, Taeyong.”

Taeyong nods slowly and reaches for Jaehyun’s hand, covering it with both of his. “Jaehyun, this is so, so nice of you. I was actually pretty scared that you’d hate me…”

With his free hand, Jaehyun pats Taeyong’s head and clicks his tongue. “Why would I hate you? It’s nothing, alright? This is easy acting. Back in high school, I was a member of the theater club. I got this.”

“You did a lot of acting?”

“No, I cut up cartons and painted them so we could have a castle backdrop.” His previously arrogant façade falls. So much for impressing Taeyong.

“Aside from that?”

“…I cleaned up after the actors when the play ended.” Jaehyun hopes the ground opens up to swallow him whole. “But listen! I was still a theater club member and I had the privilege of rushing to the printing station so I could make twenty duplicates of their script – which means I sort of felt like the actor when I read the lines.”

Taeyong scratches his cheek. “So basically, you were an errand boy.”

“Yep. I got this, Taeyong! Don’t worry. Five hours. We can do this for five hours.”

Somehow even after all that crap that came out of his mouth, Taeyong is still left amazed by his confidence. “Okay, I trust you. Uh, I’m thinking that it would be more convincing if we know more about each other like real couples do? They might suspect that something’s fishy if we look awkward.” Taeyong gets up, gripping the hem of his shirt in uncertainty. “D-do you wanna discuss about it at my place? And possibly do some practice? Actors rehearse, right?”

Jaehyun nods. “Let’s start tomorrow. I have something to do tonight, so it’s no good. Are you going home now?”

“Yes. Then let’s go together tomorrow?” Taeyong lets out a sigh of relief and decides against giving Jaehyun a hug as thanks. Instead, they part ways with nothing but a see you later.

Time is slow when you’re excitedly anticipating something, and it runs too fast when you’re not looking forward to what’s about to happen. In Taeyong’s case, he wishes that it would slow down even just for an hour yet concurrently, he wants it to pass by unnoticeably so he can get over the things he needs to do.

And what he needs to do right now is go over the details that he and Jaehyun should remember before meeting Taeyong’s parents.

They both agree to just get take-aways from a fast food nearby and eat it at Taeyong’s. Jaehyun helps him transfer the chicken to a plate and they can just eat the spicy rice cake straight from its container.

Taeyong disappears in his room to get changed. While he’s gone, Jaehyun takes the time to look around the apartment. It’s a one-bedroom space, perfect for Taeyong who lives alone. It’s not cramped but he has all the necessities in the receiving area as well as the kitchen. There’s a slight need to see what’s inside the bedroom but that’s too personal, so Jaehyun just satisfies himself with inhaling the delicious smell of the chicken. It’s his favorite honey combo that comes with some strips of potatoes.

“So, I wrote down the couple information we need to decide on,” Taeyong says as he reemerges, carrying a notebook. He doesn’t look much different in a pair of Eeyore shirt and basketball shorts compared to when he’s wearing the Heaven Scent Preschool teacher’s uniform. “Why aren’t you eating?”

“I waited for you,” Jaehyun hands him his chopsticks and begins munching on a chicken wing. “Let me see?”

Taeyong hands over the notebook and Jaehyun slurps two cheesy rice cakes as he looks over the bullet points.

“When did we start dating?” Jaehyun reads the first point to discuss.

“I’m thinking two months after the team building. Going with that, we’ve been dating for almost eight months.” Taeyong nods and starts with his spicy rice cake. He must be so hungry, seeing that he practically inhales it.

“Eight months is good. How often do we go on dates? Like once a week? Every weekend? You’ll have a specific reason for not visiting.”

“Isn’t that going to make you look bad?” Taeyong then tells Jaehyun to put the bones in the box. Jaehyun expertly pulls out the bones from the chicken wings and devours its meat. Why does he look angry when eating?

Shrugging, Jaehyun licks the grease off his fingers, unmindful whether it grosses Taeyong out or not. “Seems to me that they only care about seeing me in the flesh. Our anniversary should be sometime within December, no? What’s the most romantic date? 25^th? Like we had our first kiss on Christmas.”

Suddenly, he pictures himself kissing Taeyong under the mistletoe. Jaehyun almost falls off his chair from the electrifying giddiness.

Taeyong looks up as if in deep thought. His mouth forms into a small ‘o’. “Oh, that’s great. They’re gonna like that detail.” Like how I already do. If only it was real…

While he internally wallows in misery, Jaehyun reads more. “Favorite dating spots are at the restaurant where we ate with Yuta, at the mall, park, and we like going to the movies too. May I add some? I think it’d be better if I told them I once took you to a countryside trip. We went fishing and picked fresh fruits, ate at small diners run by ahjummas. We should’ve gone to the aquarium in the city too. Do you like stingrays?” He looks at Taeyong expectantly.

“I think they’re cute, but I like jellyfish better. What’s next there?”

Jaehyun squints at the writing. “Couple items. We don’t have couple items.”

Taeyong picks up the rice cake container and drinks its soup noisily before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “We can make one later. The easiest to do is a customized matching phone case. I do scrapbooking as hobby, so I have a lot of materials we can use. We can put our names on the case using cut-out letters. I’ll have your name on my phone case while you have mine.”

“Mm. Should we add some tiny hearts and stars around our names?”

“If you want to,”

As they share the rest of the food, they also discuss the remaining bullet points. Their contact names changed temporarily to baby, which Jaehyun thinks is too simple and common and Taeyong tells him it’s fake anyway. Everything about this whole thing is fake,

“Is your mom and FBI agent? Because we can take photos before your birthday but we can’t fabricate the dates. If she’s willing to go as far as checking it…”

“Let’s just say that our phones caught a bug and wiped out every single picture except for the one she saw.”

“Both of our phones?”

“Yes. That’s possible!”

“Sounds completely fake, but okay.”

Taeyong snorts. “The only truth in here is that we’re co-teachers. And we were friends before we started dating,” he air-quotes. “As long as you’re there, they’re going to eat it up.”

Across him, Jaehyun internally cries. He should’ve made a move before this happened. At least, Taeyong would know of his feelings and they’d have some bit of truth in this act.

“Okay, let’s continue…”

Jaehyun ends up saving all the information in his phone so he can read them from time to time. Two hours later, they have matching phone cases and Jaehyun leaves the apartment feeling a little overwhelmed as he holds his phone proudly, tracing Taeyong’s name on the back of it.

Every day after work, they walk to Taeyong’s place to practice. Much to his surprise, Taeyong prepared some flash cards of questions so they can test the other’s knowledge and how fast they answer it all. Jaehyun teases him when Taeyong proposes acting out a few situations, saying they won’t have to do it anyway since the celebration won’t even last that long. But Taeyong is meticulous and he’s been overthinking a lot, so Jaehyun does his best to help.

On the night before Judgment Day, Taeyong hugs him.

“Thank you, Jaehyun. I owe you a lot…”

Jaehyun pats his back gently. “Thank me when we’re done and they get off your back.”

Secretly, he hopes it doesn’t end.

Since it will just be an intimate dinner with the family, Taeyong and Jaehyun leave in the afternoon. They take a cab and throughout the ride, they take turns recalling basic information about each other.

As they enter the village, Taeyong grasps Jaehyun’s hand. “We’ll be okay, right?”

Jaehyun nods, offering a dimpled smile.  “Don’t be nervous.” He looks out the window for a moment before taking a long, thin box out of a paper bag. Soon, he opens it and carefully picks up the delicate, silver necklace with a “J” pendant. “Come here.”

Speechless from disbelief, Taeyong scoots close. The skin on his neck tingles when Jaehyun’s fingers brush against it. He holds the pendant between two fingers, bringing it up to eye-level. “Jaehyun… this is…?”

“A gift. Happy birthday, Taeyong.” Jaehyun’s eyes turn into crescents, thanks to the big smile tearing his face in half. “Do you like it? J is for Jaehyun, of course. Isn’t it romantic?”

There’s something in his chest that twists his heart so painfully good, and Taeyong finds himself planting a kiss to the pendant. He can’t help it. They’re already acting, right? Whatever he does from this point forward, Jaehyun will think nothing of it. “Thank you…”

“Kissing that means kissing me, do you know that?”

When Taeyong blushes furiously, Jaehyun has to hold on to the door to keep himself from grabbing the man and kissing the life out of him. He chuckles awkwardly and gazes out the window again.

The cab stops in front of a brightly lit house. People go in and out, kids play in the wide area. In whatever angle he looks at it, this doesn’t give off the atmosphere for an intimate celebration. “Taeyong,” Jaehyun looks at the birthday boy, ignoring the weird glance from the driver. “Taeyong, we’re here.”

“Oh?” Pulled out of trance, Taeyong hurriedly pays for the fare. He’s still unaware of the problem, until they hop off the car and the screams of children hit his ears.

Taeyong blanches.

Even if he wants to confront his mother for her shameless, outward lies, he can’t bring himself to do it. The house is packed with family friends and a few relatives that made the effort to travel from their hometowns. As expected, they flock around him and Jaehyun to congratulate their relationship. Surprisingly, they lie through their teeth without a hitch. Taeyong is too busy screaming at his mother in his head to worry about being seen through by these people. Thankfully, Hojun is there to take away his anger and distract him.

Jaehyun plays his role so well as though it was real. He sounds so natural as he tells the story of how they came to be, not even once removing his comforting hand on the small of Taeyong’s back. Unconsciously, Taeyong leans towards the warmth on his side and allows himself to enjoy Jaehyun’s company.

Somehow, the spotlight shines over Jaehyun than the birthday celebrant. Taeyong feels kind of bad because this is not what his friend signed up for. He tries to save Jaehyun from their constant questions by excusing them, only for his mother to approach them with a knowing smile.

“Jaehyun, why didn’t you visit us sooner? Do you not want to meet your boyfriend’s family?”

Taeyong squints at her. She’s holding a camera and he knows that she’s planning to use it on them.

Jaehyun shyly rubs his nape and entwines his fingers with Taeyong’s. “I’m sorry, ma’am. We wanted to see how long we’d be together before meeting the family. But this is the perfect time, I think. Today is a very special day after all.” He looks as charming as ever, impressing her even more when he plants a kiss to the side of Taeyong’s head. “Don’t you think so too, baby?”

For a second, Taeyong freezes. He looks between his mother and Jaehyun before giving a shy smile. “So don’t scold me for not telling you right away, mom. I was waiting for the right opportunity.”

“God, you two are a match made in Heaven! Hahaha, isn’t that where you both work? What a coincidence. Wait, I’m planning to hang your picture on the wall next to your sister and brother-in-law’s, so will you two be a dear and strike a lovely pose for me?”

Taeyong subtly rolls his eyes and presses up to Jaehyun’s side, hugging his waist. None of them stiffens anymore as they indulge his mother. Half an hour later, standing next to Jaehyun and pertaining to him as his boyfriend is as natural as the authentic feelings he harbors for his co-teacher.

After singing him Happy Birthday, Taeyong makes a wish. He wishes not for himself, but for his family. It’s the best gift a son could ever receive. Taeyong doesn’t forget to include Jaehyun before blowing out his candles, and then he’s forgotten once again as the party resumes. It actually seems so childish now that he’s watching them all line up for the food. He’s 26, not 16. Birthdays at this age don’t have to be celebrated anymore as they feel like just another day closer to death, as dark as it is.

‘What did you wish for?” Jaehyun asks, following him to the kitchen.

Taeyong leans against the sink and sighs. He forgot how exhausting socializing is, especially with people he didn’t see for years. “Wishes shouldn’t be shared; otherwise, they won’t come true.”

“Is that so?” Jaehyun cages him in between his arms, leaning closer. Is this legal? They’re hidden and no one is around for them to give a show. “You really can’t tell anyone? Not even your boyfriend?”

Taeyong’s heart drums loudly in his ribcage. There’s an undeniable tension that exists in the atmosphere as his palms rest on the other’s chest. He must be hallucinating, but Jaehyun’s heart ricochets against his palm. Or it could be his own, so intense that the beating travels along his arm and pulses in his hand. “Not even you, unless you make me.”

What the hell is he saying? What the hell are they doing?

Taeyong’s eyes leaves Jaehyun’s shirt. Its color is the same as his, posing as another proof of being a couple – sharing the same favorite color, and passably another couple item. Their gazes meet, Jaehyun’s so potent that Taeyong’s breath turns shallow, blood surging every millisecond. It’s hot, he realizes. Summer is indeed here.

Jaehyun’s brow raises. It looks so sexy on him and he’s most likely aware of it. If not, then Taeyong would be so annoyed – because what the fuck, it deserves to be acknowledged and appreciated! “I know one thing that can make you speak without being asked.”

“What is it?” The question comes out a little airy.

If there wasn’t a body pinning him against the sink, he’d be sliding down the floor by now. Taeyong’s legs wobble like jelly as Jaehyun’s mouth brushes against his earlobe.

“I’d rather show you. Care to show me where your room is?”

“I’d appreciate it if you two don’t canoodle here,”

The ‘couple’ peels away from each other as Taeyong’s father enters the kitchen. The man’s eyes are as old as the rest of him, but its glare pierces right through Jaehyun sharply. Holding their breaths for being caught doing something borderline naughty, they watch as Mr. Lee takes wine from the top of the fridge.

“We just met you, Jaehyun. Learn to show some respect to my house.”

“I’m sorry, sir…”

Mr. Lee glances at them before opening the bottle. A distinct pop resonates in the kitchen as the cork is pulled out. “Taeyong, Haseon is looking for you.”

“Mom? Why?”

“How would I know? Just go to her.”

Taeyong nods at Jaehyun for the latter to follow him.

“You stay here, young man.”

Jaehyun gulps and assures Taeyong that he’d be fine. When they’re finally alone, he approaches the man of the house and greets him properly.

Mr. Lee hands him a glass of wine. Jaehyun murmurs his thanks and takes a sip after Taeyong’s father.

“Don’t be scared. No one bites in this house.” Mr. Lee slaps a hand on Jaehyun’s back. “We haven’t sharpened our fangs in a while.” At the sight of Jaehyun’s jaw dropping, a chuckle leaves him and then the suffocating air billows on the ground, blessing Jaehyun with relief. “We like you, Jaehyun. Everyone likes you.”

“I’m glad…”

“Because we know you’re a nice man.”

Jaehyun smiles over the rim of his glass. “How do you know that, sir?”

“My son likes you.”

Mr. Lee downs the rest of his wine before refilling it. “Taeyong is the most independent in our family. At a young age, he did things on his own without asking for help. When he had problems, he dealt with them alone. We’d never hear about it unless he told us. And even if we asked, he’d say it was nothing. Overtime, that changed. How do I know that when we didn’t see him for a while?”

The younger man patiently waits for the answer.

“He accepted you in his life. I remember hearing him and Taehee talking just before she got married. Taehee told him he’d be happy too on the day of his wedding, but my son said nah, he didn’t see himself settling down. He didn’t see himself spending every single day with someone. He just wanted to teach, enjoy life spontaneously. Haseon pestered him every year about dating and he gave us the same answers.”

Mr. Lee takes a step closer, and Jaehyun forces himself not to break their eye contact. He didn’t prepare himself for this but it’s here, it’s happening, and he’s about to burrow into a deeper grave.

“My son has accepted that he needs another person. He entrusts himself to you. I know you’ve only been dating for less than a year, but I hope that it works out. Taeyong will always be independent, but make sure to be there for him when he needs you. Do you understand?”

I do, sir, Jaehyun thinks. And I would’ve been so honored if this was real.

Jaehyun looks at his rippling drink and nods. “Yes, sir. I’ll stay by his side. Always.”

“Always,” Mr. Lee echoes quietly before turning on his heel to walk away. “I don’t forget, Jaehyun. No one forgets in this house.”

Jaehyun turns his head to the side. Haseon, Taehee, Hojun are there. Luckily, Taeyong is nowhere to be found.

God, what did he get himself into?

The party lasts for three hours. They’re supposed to leave too, but Jaehyun is still playing with Hojun. They’re sat in the living room with a bunch of toy cars, making car sounds as they make their bets race. Whichever car bumps the foot of the table first, wins it.

“Isn’t it cute that you’re both preschool teachers? He’s good with kids. I saw him play with the others earlier. To be honest, I think he does a better job than me.”

Taeyong scoffs halfheartedly at his sister. They sit next to each other on the sofa watching the two boys play. “You’re a mother, noona. Wait ‘til he becomes a father, then you can compare.”

Taehee lets out a dreamy sigh. “I can’t wait for you to have your own baby,” she takes her eyes away from Hojun to look at a gaping Taeyong. “What’s with the face? Don’t you see a future with your boyfriend? Jaehyun is a good candidate for a husband. Adoption isn’t easy, but since you both adore kids, it shouldn’t be too difficult.”

“Why does everybody assume we’re gonna get married?”

“Why do you talk like that, is the question.” Taehee shakes her head. “Do you not like him as much as he likes you?”

“Noona…” Seriously, he wants to go home now. “I… I like Jaehyun, alright? We’re just not thinking about it right now…”

“What are we not thinking about right now?” Jaehyun looks at the siblings from where he’s surrounded with toys with Hojun. “I heard my name, haha…”

Taeyong purses his lips, bashful. “We’re talking about me marrying you.”

“Oh.”

“I wanna marry you, of course! But we’re going to save a lot money first, right?” Taeyong gets off the sofa and walks over to where Jaehyun is, plopping down next to him. He looks up at the other, eyes sparkling with an inscrutable shine. “We’re gonna get married, and we’re gonna have our honeymoon in Paris!”

Taehee gasps excitedly.

Somehow, Taeyong loses control. Holding Jaehyun’s hand, he kisses every knuckle before flipping it over to lay a kiss on his palm. Then he presses it on his own cheek so that Jaehyun’s cupping his face. “I love you, Jaehyunie.”

Don’t say it back. Don’t say it. Don’t you fucking say it back.

“I love you too, baby.” Jaehyun leans in and covers Taeyong’s mouth with his own. “I love you a lot.”

The couple loses themselves in each other’s eyes, uncaring of the people watching. It feels like a long minute before Jaehyun flinches at the flash of a camera.

Haseon coos over the picture she just took with her phone. “I found the perfect picture to hang on the wall! Oh honey, this will beat your sister’s!” She then approaches them and takes Jaehyun’s hand which her son’s not holding. “We’re going to have a family get-away next week. Two days at the beach! You should come with us!”

“Really?” Jaehyun asks. He and Taeyong only agreed on him meeting the family once, today, and never again. They’re supposed to break up next week! He turns around to hopefully get Taeyong to back him up on rejecting the lady, but Taeyong smiles at his mother instead.

“He’d love to, mom. Right, baby?” Taeyong playfully tugs on Jaehyun’s sleeve. He resembles a kitten doing that and Jaehyun is nothing but a weak human being, a mere mortal destined to fall for this beautiful angel clinging to him.

“Yeah, okay. I’m going. It’d be fun!” Jaehyun pulls Taeyong into a one-arm hug and kisses the top of his head. “That’d be fun, love. I miss the beach.”

Taeyong doesn’t explain. Taeyong doesn’t apologize. Taeyong doesn’t thank Jaehyun for his service.

Jaehyun doesn’t ask for an explanation. Jaehyun is not expecting an apology. Jaehyun doesn’t want Taeyong to thank him.

The fake dating continues. On the days following Taeyong’s birthday, they do not talk about their failed plan, how Jaehyun wasn’t supposed to continue pretending after that. No one even mentions the kiss that certainly wasn’t in the digital contract they signed.

Jaehyun was supposed to be aggravated, but he’s not. In fact, he’s looking forward to the two-day vacation with Taeyong’s family. He has filed a leave the second he comes back to work.

They see each other before classes, talking about their presentations for the foundation day. Jaehyun invites Taeyong to the cafeteria, and they eat at a fast food restaurant to grab an early dinner. Their routine didn’t change after the clusterfuck at Taeyong’s birthday. It’s crazy, but none of them seems to think so. Because they’re not thinking about it.

When their fingers brush under the table, and Jaehyun’s pinky links with Taeyong’s, they don’t think about it. The fact that what they’re doing is inauthentic down to the bone marrow doesn’t register in their heads. It’s like the truth disappeared when they kissed for the first time and now, they’re living in a world that is absolutely made up.

It lingers in the recesses of their minds. When night comes and Taeyong lies in his bed in the dark, he pushes it further away. He will pretend to be in a loving relationship with Jaehyun until the end of the family get-away. There shouldn’t be a problem, right? Their plan got extended due to an unforeseen circumstance. He didn’t think that his mother would invite him. He didn’t think that they would buy their act to the point of treating Jaehyun like a family.

There shouldn’t be a problem, Taeyong rolls on his side, fluffs the pillows to get ready to sleep. We’re good actors, that’s all. The movie will end on its own.

A tourist bus picks them up at the airport. Driving 26 kilometers denies Taeyong the chance to nap longer as the ride ends too soon and he wakes up to the noise of his family and relatives excitedly lugging their stuff off the bus. Jaehyun helps carry his bag which is not that heavy, considering that they’re only staying for 2 days and 1 night. At the lobby of the hotel, they are given the keycards to their room. Taeyong keeps quiet when his mother only hands him one keycard. Of course, he and Jaehyun are going to share a room.

The whole sharing a room with Jaehyun, his fake boyfriend only sinks in him when they get inside the room and there is only one bed. Did his mother assume they’re already on the stage where it’s no issue to sleep in one bed?

“Well,” Taeyong plops on the bed. It’s surprisingly bouncy. “I brought a bolster. Was hoping to hug it to sleep but it’s going to be a divider.” He takes his bag from Jaehyun and looks up at the man shyly through his fringe. “Because I won’t let you sleep on the floor even though it’s carpeted.”

“Who said I’d sleep on the floor anyway?” Jaehyun grins at him and ruffles his hair. “It’s okay, do whatever you want. You don’t kick in your sleep, do you? I won’t be able to protect myself if you decide to shoot your leg up where the sun doesn’t shine.”

Boldly, Taeyong’s gaze travels Jaehyun’s lower region. His nose scrunches. “Is there even something to kick?”

Jaehyun clutches his chest in mock offense. “You…!”

“That is payback for what you did at my parents’ house on my birthday!” Taeyong petulantly stomps as he stands up, now rummaging his bag for a towel. “I’m going to shower first, okay? Knowing my family, they will want to walk around the hotel before lunch. After that, we can go to the waters. Do you like swimming, Jaehyunie?” Clothes and necessities scooped in his arms, Taeyong begins his way to the bathroom.

“Yes, I do. By the way, would you like to shower together so we can save time and cut water consumption?” Jaehyun tries to keep it casual but deep inside, he’s a mess of holy shits and bubbling laughter. These days though, since the kiss, it’s been hard to fluster Taeyong. Most times, the other is even throwing back a remark.

Taeyong peeks his head out the door. “Would you let me soap you up and reach for your hidden parts, Jaehyunie? Can you handle that?”

Jaehyun sputters.

“Thought so! Anyway, you don’t have a problem sharing a room, right? This is totally okay? Not too much trouble?” Taeyong purses his lips, gripping the knob tight as his gut begins to churn in distress. “I’ll revise our digital contract later. Gonna compensate you like you deserve?”

“It’s fine, Yong.  You don’t need to bother with it.”

“Really? But this is beyond what’s stated there–”

Yes, this is beyond what you told me. Kissing and sharing a hotel room are not part of being a pretend boyfriend for a day. And you don’t need to keep reminding me. I’d like us to forget about it, thank you very much. 

But he doesn’t say any of that. “I don’t mind. If it’s gonna make you feel better, we can just talk about it when everything’s done. Like, a hundred percent over.” Jaehyun wonders if they’re ever going to reach the end, given the depth of staged lies they’re pulling now. “If we keep chatting, your mom will soon be knocking on the door and we’d have to go without me showering.”

Taeyong gives him a soft smile before finally closing the door. When the sound of running water reaches Jaehyun, he walks to the window overlooking the beach and breathes in the smell of the sea. It’s been a while. He’s going to make the most out of it.

Before he has to let go and wake up.

Indeed, they go around the hotel’s vicinity. Its amenities are to give the guests a wonderful stay. Jaehyun doesn’t care much about it as long as there’s working wifi. There’s an entertainment area for anyone who fancies playing billiards and cards, like miniature casino. A bar is pushed to the side and at the opposite is a lounging area. An open spa is next to the entertainment area which will surely be in Haseon and Taehee’s itinerary – as well as his aunts’.

They don’t need to worry about Hojun because he can stay in the play place at the end of the hall should both his parents decide to take advantage of the vacation for themselves. Taeyong eyes the pool of colorful soft balls and makes a mental note of joining his nephew later.

Jaehyun glances at the group of elders behind them and gently nudges Taeyong’s side with an elbow. “There’s a huge fountain at the lobby. You know the movie The Change-Up? Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman?”

“When they changed bodies?”

“Yup. It looks like the same fountain. Let’s take pictures there!”

They head down, leaving the others. There’s no one lingering around the fountain as the guests and hotel staff are busy doing their own things. Taeyong sits on the edge and dips a finger in the cold stream coming from the big pot carried by a Greek statue. “Say, if we pee on it, are we gonna wake up in the other’s body the next day?”

Jaehyun takes a candid photo of Taeyong on his phone, liking the way it comes out. The lighting is perfect. “Well, there’s only one way to find out.” He pretends to be opening his zipper and bursts out laughing when Taeyong gasps, scandalized.  “I’m kidding!”

“I’m going to drown you in the sea later. Watch out.” Taeyong furtively glances around if a staff’s looking before splashing water at Jaehyun. A kid on their left giggles before she’s scolded by her mother who’s talking on the phone. “Come to think of it, I don’t know much about your family. Would you have problems living in my body for a while now that you know how my mother is?”

“It’s not like I’m going to live with her. You have your own apartment and we work at the same preschool. There won’t be much difference, I guess. But I constantly call my mother to let her know I’m fine, so maybe that’s going to take a toll on you.” Jaehyun sits next to Taeyong and angles the phone for a picture. “Smile?”

They make funny faces for a few pictures, and Taeyong even gives his pretend boyfriend a kiss on the cheek. He half expects Jaehyun to be shocked, but none of that happens. Instead, Jaehyun coos at their photo and even calls him cute. Taeyong’s face heats up.

“There you two are! We thought you already went to swim, but lunch is waiting for us.” Haseon beckons them over and the boyfriends follow them to the restaurant, holding hands so naturally that even the actors themselves can’t bat an eye.

Predictably, they are served with seafood. Jaehyun likes shrimps so he delightfully helps himself with half a plate of it, avoiding rice. Next to him, Taeyong collects a variety on his plate. Mussels, oysters, scallops. He has quite the appetite, Jaehyun muses.

They talk while eating. Every now and then, a relative of Taeyong’s tries to include them in the conversation by asking about Jaehyun. So far, the questions are old and boring. The ones they rehearsed. The details they made up. The story they came up with and are living at the moment. It glues them to the fake relationship harder after every compliment of how good they look together, and there’s no one to blame but the liars themselves for mistaking this as the truth.

“So Jaehyun,”

The man in question pauses from de-shelling shrimps. Turns out that Taeyong likes it more than his own food and has made Jaehyun feed him. “Yes, ma’am?” He remembers the woman that called his name. She’s Hawon, a sister of Taeyong’s mother.

“Does our Taeyong make you happy?”

Taeyong perks up upon hearing his own name. He innocently looks at them while munching on the shrimp he took from Jaehyun’s hand.

Jaehyun smiles as he looks at the man eyeing the rest of the shrimps on his plate. “Yes, so much. He makes my day just by existing. I love kids and I love being a preschool teacher, but since dating him, it’s him I’ve been looking forward to see in school rather than the children. In a way, I kind of feel guilty. But he’s a baby himself, so I don’t feel too bad.”

The whole table laughs at his answer. They’re an adorable pair, indeed. So young and in love.

Apparently, Hawon is not yet done with her interrogation. If only she would mind her own business and save them from concocting more pretense and burying them in deeper deception. But there are no ill intentions behind her eyes, so they can’t really complain. “We see that you’re doing the same. Never before have we ever saw Taeyong ask to be fed. And he’s 26!”

“I don’t mind it. I love spoiling him however I can.” Jaehyun takes a mussel from Taeyong’s plate and hand feeds it to his boyfriend who eats it happily. “Did you not do this?”

Hawon chuckles and waves a hand. “You bet my husband and I did a lot more.”

“Hush, you. Is that a way to talk to my son-in-law?” Haseon lightly reprimands her sister before turning to the couple. “I’m so not used to my son being like this. Drunk in love, isn’t he?”

Mr. Lee looks at his daughter who’s fondly shaking her head. “Stop teasing them. You’re gonna make them uncomfortable.”

“No, it’s fine.” Jaehyun wraps an arm around Taeyong’s waist and offer him a glass of water. Taeyong says his thanks with mouth full of food and spreads grease on Jaehyun’s cheek with a kiss.

Hawon stops asking, only for Taeyong’s mother to pick up where she left off. “Then what do you love about Taeyong?”

See, it’s easier to answer obvious questions. Being happy because of Taeyong is not a lie. Taeyong has been making him happy in the simplest ways since they met, even though they weren’t very close. Taeyong makes him happy when they greet each other at work, when they eat together at the cafeteria, when they supervise the students’ playtime together. It’s easy ‘cause they don’t need to be seen as a couple for him to say yes, he’s happy.

But to answer what he loves about Taeyong is more difficult. He can’t just blurt out why he’s interested in Taeyong from a friend’s slash co-worker’s standpoint. Taeyong will see through him if he answers, because this is one of the details they didn’t rehearse. What he says is possibly the truth, and Taeyong might find out.

Nevertheless, Jaehyun speaks. “First of all, he’s beautiful. He caught my attention the second our eyes met. And since then, my attention didn’t stray. It’s always on him whenever he’s near and even when we’re apart.”

Taeyong puts the glass down and doesn’t raise his head to look at anyone in the table.

“Because of that, I was led to the better attributes of his. I saw how hardworking and serious he is in teaching the kids. Not once did I hear him complain about how difficult they are because he loves them. And when you love your job, you will never work a day in your life. Taeyong enjoys what he’s doing and I admire him for that. He’s kind to everyone and helps when he can. Aside from that, he’s talented. He made me wish I could dance after watching him last foundation day. His thoughts and views of the world are stunning. I love him because he’s a rare good thing in this world,”

Jaehyun interlocks their fingers and kisses the back of Taeyong’s hand.

“I love the way there are endless reasons to love him, and who am I to not fall? I love him because I was meant to. And he makes it so easy.”

When he’s done, the table is silent.

Taeyong beams up at him and squishes his cheeks. “You’re working so hard, baby. Why don’t you tell me those things in private?” He giggles and squints at everyone. “Don’t be like this, you guys are embarrassing us…”

The family laughs it off and goes back to eating. Jaehyun’s gaze lingers on the side of Taeyong’s face to try and see if he was caught.

But Taeyong is an even better the actor than him. Of course, he is affected by those words. Although what’s running in his head is different from what Jaehyun fears. Taeyong despairs inside. He likes Jaehyun so much, yet the things his ‘boyfriend’ said are not true so instead of victory, he feels loss. Someday, someone else is going to receive a real love from Jaehyun. They’re going to be taken care of. Taeyong could only hear empty words.

Big umbrellas, blankets and whatnot littered the shore of the beach. Thankfully, it’s not packed.

The strong wind blows through Taeyong’s oversized, white shirt. His hair is messy but it only makes him look more adorable.

Jaehyun leaves their flip flops on the blanket so they won’t lose it before heading to the waters. It’s cooler because it’s particularly cloudy even if it’s summer. “Are you sure you don’t need floaters?”

Taeyong scurries further where the water reaches his waist and sticks his tongue out at Jaehyun. “Stop teasing me. Don’t cry for help if you drown. See if I care.”  A shriek tears it way out of him when Jaehyun lifts him up and takes them further. “What are you doing?!”

“What do you think?”

And before he could respond, Jaehyun dives under. Taeyong flails for a moment then clings onto his ‘boyfriend’. It’s only ten seconds at most but when they get back up for air, Taeyong gasps dramatically. “You’re an asshole!”

Jaehyun’s laugh rings in the air and makes Taeyong’s heart somersault. He puts Taeyong down but keeps his arms around him. “Where’s the fun in not being an asshole when you’re at the beach? Let’s collect shells and stones. See if we can get them to play volleyball later.”

“They don’t know how to play volleyball…” Taeyong looks at Jaehyun’s chest and blushes. It’s become sheer and he can see the guy’s nipples pressing onto the fabric. And wow, he totally works out.

“What are you looking at?”

“Huh?”

“Eyes up here, love.” Jaehyun tips up Taeyong’s chin and leans in. He stops just a breath away. “I will kiss you.”

Taeyong grips Jaehyun’s arms. “You’re not asking for permission?”

“No. They’re looking this way,” And because I really want to kiss you.

The shorter man ignores the sad beating of his stupid, wonky ticker. “Then do it.”

Jaehyun’s lips are soft and so kissable that Taeyong wraps his arms around the former’s neck to pull him closer. The kiss deepens soon enough and it has Taeyong sighing at the teasing brush of Jaehyun’s tongue on his.

“Was that necessary?”

“If I say yes?”

This time, Taeyong is the one that goes for it.

They don’t forget to collect shells and stones even with intoxicated minds, thanks to the impromptu make out session in public. Hojun plays with them. The volleyball game that doesn’t really look like it eventually happens. Taeyong and Jaehyun’s team loses because all Taeyong did was run away from the ball. And instead of hitting it, Jaehyun tugs Taeyong out of the way every single time.

Of course, the day can’t end without anyone being buried in the sand. The tribute being Hojun. The boy only agrees because both Taeyong and Jaehyun are useless in building a sand castle.

“Do you want boobs?”

Taeyong slaps Jaehyun’s arm. “How dare you ask my nephew that.”

“Why not?” Laughing, Jaehyun proceeds to make sand mounds on Hojun’s chest. He even has the audacity to sprinkle dusts over them for the nipples. It must have been too funny for him that he ends up falling to his knees as he loses it.

Nighttime soon falls over Busan. Loud music echoed to the far end of the shores. It’s a good time to party, but Jaehyun and Taeyong decide to take a rest in their room. Especially after a light drinking session with the others.

They’re tipsy at best. Taeyong showers first and comes out of the bathroom in his pajamas. Hair now dry, he slides under the sheets and places the bolster in the middle. He still feels slightly buzzed.

Turning his head to the left, he sees a pair of folded shirt and shorts on Jaehyun’s side of the bed. Taeyong frowns. If these are here, what the hell is he going to put on in the –

The bathroom door opens and out comes a half-naked Jaehyun with a towel wrapped around his waist. Rivulets of water stream down his torso and catches on the fabric. Taeyong licks his lips.

“Would it be better if the towel wasn’t there?”

Taeyong looks up and meets Jaehyun’s eyes, and the next they know is he’s falling off the bed as he screams his head off.

Jaehyun laughs unapologetically.

“Stop laughing!”

“Stop staring!”

“I’m not staring anymore, pervert!”

“Don’t say that. It’s normal for boyfriends to see each other naked.” Jaehyun quickly gets dressed and snorts. “You can go back to bed.”

Glaring at the other, Taeyong slides back under the covers and points at the bolster. “Watch this divider, alright? If I wake up in the middle of the night and you’re doing something you shouldn’t do, I will hit you with it until you pass out.”

Jaehyun joins him in bed, still giggling. “How fatal could it be?”

“You’ll see!”

Now feeling the tiredness from hours of playing, Taeyong turns off the light. The moonlight passes through the window and illuminates their room. From here, the sound of waves is still clear despite the party music.

“Are you going to sleep now?”

Taeyong turns his back on Jaehyun and closes his eyes. “Mm. I’m tired.”

“I really can’t talk to you more?”

“Tomorrow.”

Jaehyun sighs and turns on his side, facing Taeyong. “Good night, Taeyong. I had fun.”

“Night, Jaehyunie...”

The bolster is useless. They both find out when they wake up at the same time the next day, tangled in each other’s arms.

“Don’t scream. I just woke up and I’m not a morning person…”

Taeyong swallows a cry before extricating himself. He sways on the way to the bathroom, locks the door, and proceeds to break Jaehyun’s eardrums.

“Lee Taeyong!”

Taeyong lost his sunscreen so they forego swimming. Carrying an umbrella with printed animated cat paws, he invites Jaehyun for a walk to the little souvenir shops. Completely unaware of the person tailing them.

“I’m not very much into souvenir shirts. I think it’s better to buy handmade accessories, right? Like this,” Taeyong picks up a bracelet made of string and beads. “It’s not a match for the necklace you gave me, but I wanna give you something. Would you wear it if I buy it for you?”

“Everyday,” Jaehyun says, eliciting a squeal from the other. Taeyong starts looking around for more items to buy, and while he’s busy inspecting a wooden water jug, Jaehyun checks out the display of rings made from steamed straw. “Baby?”

Taeyong returns to his side carrying the water jug. “Yes?” He curiously watches as Jaehyun takes his hand and slips the steamed straw ring on his finger. “Jaehyunie…?”

“Do you like it?”

“Yeah, I do–“

“Oh my God!”

They turn around to look at whoever broke the peace and sees Taeyong’s mother crying her eyes out, holding a phone. Taeyong rushes to her side, worriedly rubbing her back. “Mom? Mom, what’s wrong?” He exchanges a look with Jaehyun who, just like him, is worried sick.

Haseon then throws herself at her son, sobbing. “Oh God, I’m so happy for you honey!”

What?

“I’m so excited for your wedding!”

…What?

“Mom, what are you talking about?”

The sobbing woman pulls away to grab her son’s hand, looking at him and Jaehyun with overflowing happiness. “We have to let them know you got engaged! Oh my, this is so romantic! Engagement at the beach!”

Taeyong regards her incredulously. “We are not enga–”

“I told you not to lie with me, Taeyong.” Her expression switches to a stoic one. “I know you dislike letting us know so much about your relationship but this is not something to be kept!” She then pulls Jaehyun in a hug, crying out a series of congratulations.

What just happened?

Taeyong’s mother is faster than the speed of light when it comes to announcing on Facebook. The ‘couple’ is still thinking of how to clarify it to everyone when their phones ping with messages from Taeyong’s relatives, friends, and their Heaven Scent colleagues extending their well wishes.

“What do we do,” he moans in distress as soon as they get back in their room. “It got out of hand…”

To be honest, even Jaehyun can’t think of a way out of this other than breaking everyone’s bubbles with a disheartening confession. He can’t imagine their reactions. Upset will be an understatement. If they only stopped on Taeyong’s birthday, if he just rejected Haseon’s invite to join the get-away, this wouldn’t blow up uncontrollably.

Now, there are more people involved, more people inadvertently fooled.

Jaehyun cups Taeyong’s cheek and kisses his forehead. He can feel the other trembling so he hugs him tight and lets Taeyong bury his face on the crook of his neck. “I’m sorry, I should’ve said something…”

“She wouldn’t listen to you. She would get mad at you,” Taeyong clutches the back of Jaehyun’s shirt. “It’s my fault, Jaehyun. We shouldn’t have done this in the first place. I’m sorry...”

“No, it’s not your fault. They pressured you, baby.” Jaehyun doesn’t have time to dwell on his slip-up as he initiates a cuddling session, hiking a leg over Taeyong’s waist to lock him there. Getting no resistance from the other, he pushes their limits as a hand sneaks under Taeyong’s shirt to caresses his bare waist. “Don’t worry your pretty little head. I’m here.”

That’s the problem. You’re there. And I can’t pretend anymore that I want nothing out of this. Taeyong whimpers against Jaehyun’s chest.

Out of all the newly engaged couples in the world, only Jaehyun and Taeyong appear to be awkward about it when they return to work. Their colleagues congratulated them and the principal even calls for a small celebration after class. A simple dinner, nothing grand. At the very least, they do not force the two under the spotlight.

The foundation day is getting nearer so all their attention is poured into making it successful. Taeyong gets busy with his class’s dance routine as well as his own, and Jaehyun focuses on polishing his little actors’ lines.

They don’t know how to solve the problem that gets bigger as each day passes. The more they pretend it’s okay, the harder it gets for their hearts.

Until the day of the event comes.

Heaven Scent’s principal commences it with an opening remark and then the performances followed. All the teachers stand at the side, proud and cheering for their beloved little humans. Taeyong looks over one parent that was dancing in the far back so her daughter won’t forget the choreography to her solo dance routine. He himself is dressed appropriately for his own performance. It will be in the middle of the program.

When the host starts hyping the crowd for his stage, Jaehyun sneaks up behind him. “Good luck,”

Taeyong jumps a little in surprise. He doesn’t know why he’s nervous when he’s been performing in bigger events back in College. “Thank you,” he says, eyeing Jaehyun’s costume. A smile appears on his face. “You really are a talking tree.”

Jaehyun shrugs flippantly. “You’re a dancer.” They hear his name being called, and Jaehyun sneaks a kiss to his cheek when no one’s looking. “Do your best!”

Taeyong’s performance does a 360 this year. It was aggressive, and now it’s calming yet still mesmerizing. Contemporary suits him more. No matter what he chooses to do, it enchants his audience. Jaehyun isn’t sure how Taeyong managed to squeeze practices in his schedule but he probably has been preparing even before the principal told them to get ready.

The crowd gives him a well-deserved round of applause when he takes a bow. Following his performance is his own class’, dancing to a trendy pop song.

It’ll be the Snow White short play after so Jaehyun can’t leave his spot to look for Taeyong. He’s thinking that after this, he’ll put an end to their act. It needs to be done.

He wants to finally confess his feelings and ask Taeyong to be his boyfriend, for real. Jaehyun is nervous. He’s not a hundred percent sure that Taeyong will accept him but his instinct says there’s a chance. It might not be big, but it exists.

Taeyong’s class finishes too soon and then Jaehyun is ushering his students on stage. Behind the curtain, he fixes their positions and reminds them that it’s more important for them to have fun.

“If you make a mistake, it’s okay. Remember, mama and papa are still going to treat you to McDonalds’ later.” Jaehyun winks and takes a step back just as the curtain opens.

The event is almost over. The teachers and students stand together on stage to sing their school hymn and officially conclude the foundation day.

Taeyong is about to help the kids go down when suddenly, they run to the other side. The little kids then come back with flowers as they simultaneously congratulate him and Jaehyun for their engagement.

Shyly, Jaehyun takes the flowers from them but his face falls as he looks at Taeyong who’s staring blankly at the students. And before he can move, Taeyong is already running away.

It’s good that he already changed back to their uniform or else he won’t be able to catch up to Taeyong with the dangling tree branches of his costume. Taeyong is already out the gates when Jaehyun grabs ahold of his arm.

“Taeyong! Why–”

“I don’t wanna do this anymore,” Taeyong says shakily, tears brimming in his eyes. “Let’s stop this, Jaehyun. I’m sorry I dragged you in my mess, but I can’t take it anymore…”

Do you dislike being with me that much?

Jaehyun cups his cheeks. “Alright, okay. Please don’t run away, though. And how many times am I gonna tell you that it’s not your fault? I told you I wanted to help you, right? I agreed to this. I wanted to do this for you.”

“And I want you to stop pitying me…” Taeyong gently pushes Jaehyun’s hands away. “I know I’m pathetic for resorting to this, but I don’t want your pity. Your touches, your kisses, everything you told my family – do you know how much I want them to be true?”

A tear rolls down his face and Taeyong quickly wipes it away just as Jaehyun lifts a hand. “I like you. I took advantage of you when I asked for your help. How I acted back in my parents’ house, during the get-away, they’re all from my heart. Are you disgusted with me now?” He takes a few steps back, shaking his head. “You can’t say anything, can you? It’s okay. We will end this now. But I’m asking for one last favor. Tomorrow, we’ll go meet my parents and tell them everything.”

Jaehyun opens his mouth to say I like you, everything I did, I did them because I like you, but Taeyong cuts him off.

“I tried so hard not to remember how fake we are. But it always hits me when I wake up in the morning and yearn for you. You didn’t see through me, did you? Does it mean I’m a better actor, Jeong Jaehyun?” Taeyong sniffles and plasters a forced smile before turning around, and walking away.

Jaehyun huffs and clutches his head as Taeyong disappears from his sight. God, the Lees are fucking insufferable. They hate letting people talk and explain, don’t they? He storms back inside to take his belongings, ignoring the stares from everybody.

JH: so i fucked up

YT: hello to you too. what is it?

JH: we haven’t been talking so you missed a lot. remember taeyong’s problem with his mother?

YT: yeah, what happened to that? don’t tell me you fake dated so he could bring a bf to his parents, lol

JH: lol

YT: what

YT: wtf. u did? dumbass, that only happens in dramas tho??

JH: *clown emoji* well, we did it. we were only supposed to pretend for his bday but his mom invited me to their beach get-away and shit got out of hand and now everybody thinks we’re engaged. today at the school event the students surprised us with flowers and it probably pushed the last button so he ran away and confessed and wants this to be over. we’re heading to his parents tomorrow to tell the truth

YT: back up a sec. this is pretty wild but did u just say he confessed? he likes u? fr?

JH: yes. yuta, i was gonna tell him i like him too but he didn’t even let me talk! he just decided it’s best i don’t speak, lmaoaoaoao *three clown emojis* got too independent again and suddenly my opinion doesn’t matter.

YT: are u shitting on taeyong or what idgi u said u like him

JH: im not shitting on him! just saying this is the main problem, this is why we’re here in the first place because they hate listening.

YT: what r u planning to do then

JH: idk. i’ll go with him tomorrow and see what happens :c

YT: pft stop being a pussy. tomorrow’s the perfect chance for u to confess. ryt in front of his parents. and if u’re really in love with each other then just continue what u r doing. don’t have to clarify shit to others bc the only important ppl here are you and taeyong, and his family. U get me?

JH: …sometimes u get so smart my jaw drops on the floor

YT: mm i have a suggestion

YT: why don’t u treat urself with a hot cup of shut the fuck up? goodbye don’t text me again weirdo and make sure u set things “straight” with taeyong!!!

Haseon sags on the sofa as though her soul left her body. “…What?”

Mr. Lee rubs a hand down his face before downing a glass of wine. “I can’t believe this.” He regards the two men inscrutably, no trace of judgment on his face.

Taeyong glances at Jaehyun before looking at his mother. “I’m sorry for lying to you. I know how much you hate lying but I only did it because you wouldn’t listen to me! Countless times I said I was single and when you looked through my phone which was rude and disrespectful, by the way, I told you Jaehyun isn’t my boyfriend. But what did you do?” He takes a few deep breaths when Jaehyun squeezes his hand. “You didn’t listen to me, even threatened me that you wouldn’t let me see Hojun, as if it was up to you.”

“Obviously I could’ve insisted, but mom. You still wouldn’t have listened to me, right? We troubled a lot of people because you badly wanted to control me, decide for me. Do you hate the fact that I’m not relying so much on you?”

Jaehyun feels an incoming migraine. He hates family issues but he’s in the middle of it. The only thing that keeps him from backing off is that this is going to be his family too. In the future. So he has to deal with it and play his cards right, because he likes Taeyong. He wants to keep Taeyong and the people Taeyong cares for.

The woman of the house hangs her head low in regret. “I’m sorry, Taeyong. I thought–”

“What did you think, mom? I know what’s best for me. I’m 26. Put some trust in me, will you?”

“Once is enough, twice is too much. After what you did to Taehee, I thought you would’ve realize your mistake.”

Taeyong eyes his father in confusion.

The mother sighs. “I did the same thing to Taehee. Pushed her to find a man because she studied so much and I was afraid she’d forget to find her own happiness. The only difference is that things still happened to her naturally. She met her husband, fell in love with him. It would still happen even without the pressure. But I did pressure her the same way I did with you.”

Jaehyun bites his lip. It would still happen to us even without you pressuring your son, thank you very much. I was just moving slow.

“…Did she forgive you?”

“No, because I didn’t apologize.”

“Then I’ll forgive you in her stead since she’s happy and fulfilled now.”

“Do you forgive me?” She looks at him miserably.

Taeyong exhales slowly and chuckles dryly. “How can I not? I love you. And dad. But,” he looks at Jaehyun then back at his parents. “We dragged him into–”

Jaehyun interrupts. “The apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

“What?”

“You didn’t let me speak yesterday. I actually wanted to tell you something very important.” Jaehyun shifts a bit to look at Taeyong properly, holding both of his hands. “I like you too. No, you’re not pathetic for asking me to pretend to date you. Everything I did and said, they came from my heart.” His chest lightens when Taeyong softens. “I’ve liked you since day 1. You didn’t take advantage of me–because I already like you, you just didn’t know. Please, listen to me. I promised your dad I will always be with you and I want to keep it. So, don’t push me away.”

“Jaehyun–” A kiss on his lips stops Taeyong.

Conscious of their audience, Jaehyun quickly breaks the kiss. “I like you. Forget about the other people. We don’t owe them an explanation. But we gotta ‘call off the engagement.’ Just tell them we wanna redo it with a better ring if they asked.”

Haseon sniffles and gets up to hug the both of them. “I’m so, so sorry honeys…”

“It’ okay, ma’am. I mean, mom. Eventually, we’re gonna get married anyway and you don’t need to…you know…get ahead of us, haha.” Jaehyun politely pulls away, a second before Taeyong drags him away from his parents and into his own room.

His back hits the door with Taeyong’s body pinning him against it, eager lips kissing his. “I like you,” *kiss!* “I like you so much. This is real, right?” *kiss!* “You like me? We’re boyfriends now?” Jaehyun can’t catch a second to breathe. “We’ll get married?”

Jaehyun laughs in between the kisses before peeling Taeyong off of him, leading them to the bed. He sits with his back to the headboard and welcomes Taeyong in his lap. “Yes, baby. Can’t get rid of me now.”

Taeyong gazes at him and Jaehyun finally sees all the love in those huge, puppy eyes. “I don’t wanna. I won’t get rid of you. I told myself that it’s you or no one.” Arms wrapped around Jaehyun, he pulls the letter again for another round of kissing.

And there is no more guilt with each lock of their lips, now that they both know that what they have is real.