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Hoseok threw his backpack on his bed and sat in front of his computer.
Homework could wait, right now the thing he wanted to do the most was take his little penguin around the island.
He'd been getting better at sled racing, even won a race once! Ialwayswin was probably a bit bummed out to have lost, but they friended each other afterwards, even if Hoseok didn't have any fancy clothes or items, because his parents thought the game's membership was too expensive.
So, feeling a bit confident, he decided to branch out and try a different server. Rainbow would always be his favorite, but Beanie sounded nice too.
He spawned in the Town and sent out a chat message, hoping someone would go to the Ski Hill with him, but he could always wait there on his own until someone else showed up.
Snowpy: anyone want to play sled racing?
Glossbeats: me
Snowpy: cool!
He was happy someone had replied so fast, and he sent them a friend request, just in case they ever wanted to find each other again.
Snowpy: see you there!
Glossbeats: ok
They played once, and Hoseok lost. When he came out of the game Glossbeats had already left the hill, so Hoseok played a second round with someone else.
He kept coming back to Beanie, but it seemed Glossbeats didn't log in every day, only on Thursdays, the day the newspaper came out and occasional game updates would drop.
So Hoseok made sure to always be there, and always tried to make conversation, but his new friend was a little shy.
Snowpy: are you a boy or a girl?
Snowpy: and what grade are you in?
Glossbeats: sixth
Snowpy: oh, then can i call you hyung or noona??
Glossbeats: hyung
Snowpy: gloss hyung :)
Years later, they still talked from time to time, Glossbeats started playing in Rainbow, and they even joked about being penguin boyfriends, but for one reason or another, they never tried to talk outside of the game.
Not even when the game closed.
Hoseok never played much of anything else, but every now and then he watches someone play. It makes him happy to see other people do what they love, just like he does, and he didn't think he could get attached to people over that, but some are so brave and proud to be themselves that he doesn't want to miss anything.
Today is Thursday, which means Hoseok's routine when he gets home is a little different.
His favorite youtuber uploads a new video in the morning, and Hoseok watches after work, cuddled up in his couch and with a smile on his face.
He has a little crush on Yoongi, or Suga as his channel is called, or Agust D which is his rapper name.
He's a talented and versatile guy, and Hoseok has also learned a lot about the trans community thanks to him.
There's a trend going on of people reacting to old videos of themselves, but Yoongi's channel is fairly new, so Hoseok wasn't expecting him to join. But it seems today's video is about him reacting to his old songs, which sounds much more interesting.
Hoseok smiles and laughs throughout the video, but at one point Yoongi mentions the name he used to go by, and it makes Hoseok pause.
Literally, he pauses the video, because he's heard that name before, but it's been a few years.
He slowly presses play again, and eagerly watches until the end before leaving a comment like he does on every other video. But he makes sure to add something important.
Hobi Hobi: btw the name gloss reminded me of something, maybe an old name of mine will too? -snowpy :)
He shouldn't get his hopes up. Yoongi has replied to him before, but only with short and thankful phrases. This could go similarly, or he could not see it at all.
So Hoseok tries to get through the rest of his day without thinking about it too much.
Once he's in bed though, he lets himself refresh his notifications, and he's almost about to give up and turn off his light when he gets a like on his comment.
It means Yoongi saw it, which is great, but now he's nervous again as he waits for a reply.
And what he gets is probably the best reply ever.
Suga: you were snowpy?
Hobi Hobi: yes. hi, gloss hyung :)
Yoongi seems to be happy about it, much happier than Hoseok remembers him being last time they talked like this. And it's never awkward, just two old friends finding each other again.
Yoongi tells him having someone call him hyung was really special to him, and that he didn't make more friends in the game because he refused to buy a membership, telling his parents he didn't even play that often so that they wouldn't ask to see the girly clothes he bought for his character.
And he's thankful for Hoseok's continued support now too, even if he's not his only supporter anymore.
They talk and talk and eventually start dating for real, human boyfriends this time. And as they make plans to meet in person, Hoseok thinks about how he's glad that that didn't come first, and he got to know Yoongi at the older's own pace.
He hopes to keep making new memories, both online and offline, and to remain a safe space for him, because Yoongi has always made him happy just by being himself.