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While he was the last to know of Younghyun and Wonpil's relationship, Dowoon was proud to say that he was the first one to "figure out" that their two eldest hyungs were also dating each other.
He wasn’t even suspecting anything from the two of them because they were definitely not like his two other hyungs who could barely keep their hands from each other when they were at the dorm (and even when they were not—which made Sungjin’s blood pressure rise) and even filled their group chat with heart emojis and cheesy stickers. They were just being themselves: busy with their hobbies that Dowoon doesn’t really understand, ganging up on teasing Wonpil (and himself), and bickering over how loud Jae is when he played games.
But when he saw Jae eating chips on top of Sungjin's spotless white sheets one afternoon, the surprise that took over Dowoon was unexplainable—it may seem like a small thing but no one, absolutely not one person could eat on Sungjin’s bed. Not even his hyung himself ate on his bed or drank anything other than water near it, and he always went after Wonpil whenever he would attempt to do so.
And Sungjin was just sitting there beside Jae, leaning back on his pillows while his legs were on the elder’s lap. Obviously not upset about it.
What the hell am I looking at, Dowoon thought, and knocked on Sungjin’s half-opened door, but the two apparently didn’t hear.
“Are you really sure about this?”
“Yep. Not changing my mind.”
“I’m not trying to do that. I’m just a little worried since you still get confused with different settings of a washing machine.”
“I’ve already found a place and I’m signing the contract next week. It’s like, five minutes away from here. Also, I can just look that up, you know. I used to ask you a lot about it before because I wanted to annoy you.”
Sungjin sighed and nodded, but there was a small smile on his face. Dowoon already got what they were talking about, it’s just that the way they were talking about it felt unusual. Although he couldn't put a finger on it, even the mere vibe in the room was different.
“And besides,” Jae said as he pressed a corn chip to Sungjin’s lips, which he accepted with a glare. The weird sight triggered Dowoon’s fight or flight response and he knocked on the door again, a bit more frantic this time. “We can get privacy there. Unlike Brian and Wonpil who never seem to learn their lesson. We could—”
“Um! Hyungs!” Dowoon shouted.
Sungjin withdrew his legs from Jae’s lap and sat up straight. “Since when have you been there?”
“I’ve been knocking for a minute.”
"I thought you were going to buy dinner outside."
"I was… I think."
“Well, what did you need?”
He couldn’t remember anything. The shock of seeing someone eating on Sungjin’s bed and feeding him had cleared his mind like an Etch a Sketch. It was probably something about food, but there was a more pressing topic that he wanted to ask about.
“Why… how is Jae-hyung eating on your bed?”
It should have been an easy question to answer, but all he was met with was a minute of silence. Neither of his hyungs answered—Sungjin stared at Dowoon while Jae stopped chewing, so he knew they had heard him. If it was already suspicious before, it was a hundred times more now.
"Hyung?"
"Sungjin's my boyfriend. Eating on his bed is a privilege I get," Jae replied, as if it was the most normal response that Dowoon was waiting for. As if Dowoon’s brain was just supposed to function properly after hearing that. As if Jae expected Dowoon would just reply “oh okay” and then go on his merry way.
The owner of the room interjected, “As long as you do it before I wash the sheets.”
"Huh? He’s your what now?"
"Oh wait, why did you say it?" Sungjin nudged Jae’s arm with his calf, returning to how he was laying down before Dowoon made his presence known. "You just lost the bet."
"I couldn't think of an excuse. Could you?"
Dowoon leaned on the door jamb, his head swimming and his legs feeling like jelly. The word boyfriend seemed to be currently missing from his dictionary; he couldn’t process what they were trying to say. Boyfriend. Not boy friend, with a space in the middle? "Hyung—"
"Huh. I couldn’t think of one either."
"I'll pay up later," Jae said, and they both stuck their hands inside the bag of chips to eat some, completely ignoring Dowoon’s ongoing crisis by the doorway.
Dowoon swung the door as strongly as he could (but without damaging it or the wall, Sungjin would go after his head) to get back his hyungs’ attention. He would have entered the room but since they were both sitting (entangled!) on the bed, it felt weird to even come close. So from the doorway and with one hand on the knob, he grunted out, "Hello! Can you both please explain properly?"
“Me and this guy here are together,” Sungjin replied. Dowoon waited for the next sentence, but there was no follow-up. He just stopped there.
“ This guy, ” Jae snorted. “Is that your pet name for me, Sungjinnie?”
Dowoon ran a hand through his hair, trying not to get too annoyed with all the digressing. “How? Why? How? Since when? How?”
Sungjin tutted as Jae whined around a mouthful of chips, which caused some crumbs to fall. “I’m too lazy to explain everything.”
“I liked him, so I told him that a few months back. Then he said he felt the same way. That’s it,” Sungjin gave as an explanation, if he could even call it that.
“Sungjin! New bet! Let’s bet on who will find out next, Brian, Wonpil, or neither.”
“They’re both kinda oblivious but I’ll bet on Kang Bra.”
“I still don’t think they’ll figure it out.” Jae turned to look at him and Dowoon startled, not expecting to be part of the current topic. “Dowoon, what about you?”
Dowoon has so many thoughts. Dowoon has so many questions. Dowoon can’t find it in himself to really care about this bet that they were going on about—he needed a more in-depth explanation, because none of their words were sinking in.
But since he knew his hyungs liked doing things their own way, it would be impossible to get more out of them than what they already said.
“I'm betting on Wonpil-hyung.”
Sungjin and Jae. Jae and Sungjin. In a relationship, just like Wonpil and Younghyun. His four hyungs have paired up, and Dowoon’s brain still couldn’t catch up to that fact.
With Wonpil and Younghyun, while he was surprised, it didn’t take long for the pieces to click together (he did have the memory of catching them making out in the bathroom once), and the two pretty much retold their entire love story to the members over pizza, chicken, and somaek. They barely spared any detail about it: their on-off flirting during trainee period, Younghyun getting a girlfriend, the awkward but friendly distance Wonpil kept after the indirect rejection, Younghyun breaking off the relationship before they debuted, Wonpil confessing, Awkward But Friendly Distance the Sequel, and finally, how Younghyun immediately asked him out after his graduation—wearing his toga and all—because he was hit with the sudden fear of Wonpil slipping through his fingers.
“Like in Mamma Mia!”
“Not really the same situation but uh, I guess?”
Even just recalling it in his mind was tiring—it was like poorly explaining to someone the summary of a 50-episode romance drama with multiple seasons. His hyungs had been through a lot, and he always wondered how they never noticed all those things going on despite always being together under one roof.
And that happened not just once, but twice now. Before, it was like the s in friendship stood for sungjinandjae; they’ve gotten along well ever since the trainee period and they had something like mutual understanding for each other as the eldest hyungs, but somehow, that has changed into a romantic relationship. Dowoon was finding it difficult to process that information and just move on smoothly like he did with Wonpil and Younghyun.
Although… maybe he should’ve toned down the shock and the questioning. Now that he looked back on it, he didn’t exactly come off as supportive, did he?
“Hyung.”
Two voices piped up at the same time from the other end of the couch, “Hmm?”
“How would you react if I said that I’m dating Sungjin-hyung? Or Jaehyung-hyung?”
“I… um… huh?” Younghyun blinked slowly at Wonpil, as if saying “Did you just hear what I heard?” with his eyes.
"You’re serious?"
"Just imagine it," Dowoon said with a wave of his hand.
Younghyun cleared his throat, seeming a bit puzzled but still indulgent. "Well, I'd be shocked at first, which is pretty understandable. But I'll congratulate you and be genuinely happy for you guys."
"Yeah. We know the feeling, after all," Wonpil added. He detached himself from Younghyun to sit beside Dowoon and tug at his arm. "What's with the sudden hypothetical scenario, Dowoonie?"
“Ah, it’s nothing.”
“Are you dating someone?” Wonpil excitedly whispered.
Dowoon let out a snort. If he had a list of all the things he deemed important, romance or dating wouldn’t even be part of it. “Pfft, no.”
“Is it because it’s risky to date as an idol?”
“It’s not that.” There was so much more to expound on, some he doesn’t even know how to verbalize yet, but Dowoon simplified his thoughts into one sentence, “I’m just happy like this.”
Wonpil patted his head with a fond smile. “Yeah. As long as you're happy.”
Happy. That was surely a word he could describe Jae and Sungjin when he saw them together that day, tangled together while eating chips and spilling crumbs all over the white sheets (if Wonpil found out, he'd be so jealous).
He thought about how his eldest hyungs were selfless, always putting the band and the members first before themselves with every decision they made—but this time, they did something that was purely for their own happiness despite all the risks that came with it.
This was probably the most selfish thing Dowoon has seen them do and honestly, he couldn't be happier for them. He'll make sure they know that.
The day Jae moved out was like any other day.
Dowoon went out to get them food while Wonpil and Younghyun tried to help him pack, but Jae shooed them away because they spent too much time reminiscing about the memories connected with the eldest’s stuff (“Hyung! This was what you wore in that foreigner who likes to hike meme!”) rather than just shoving things in boxes.
After the movers got everything, Jae just said, “See ya,” before going out the door. Wonpil followed him, and for a moment, Dowoon wondered if he was going to cling onto Jae and try to stop him from leaving, because he briefly considered doing that, too.
“What? I’m just going to the company,” he said. Younghyun laughed and went out with them.
Dowoon would have accompanied his three hyungs, but he wanted Sungjin to return to a sign of life in the dorm since he had an appointment and couldn’t come back until after the entire thing was over. Neither of his eldest hyungs looked bummed about it, but surely they felt even just a little bit sad since not living together anymore was quite a big change after a long time of being housemates.
On the way to the bathroom, Dowoon found Sungjin in his room, lying down on top of his blanket, eyes fixed on the ceiling. He muttered, "It's so quiet."
“You miss him already, hyung?” Dowoon asked as he stopped by the doorway.
“He’s just a few blocks away. It’s quiet because there’s only the two of us here right now.”
“You completely avoided the question.” He let out a soft laugh while Dowoon confessed, “ I miss Jaehyung-hyung. He misses you too, definitely.”
“I guess it's gonna take a while to get used to it,” Sungjin said, turning on his bed and facing away from Dowoon.
That was as close as he could get to an admission, and knowing the elder, he was probably preventing himself from missing Jae to respect the decision he made. Or something like that.
“If you're feeling lonely, want me to cuddle with you, hyung?”
“No. You don’t have that privilege.”
“Aww.”
On a search for someone to eat and walk home with, Dowoon trudged the hallways of their company building. He saw Wonpil having vocal lessons and the new lovebirds practicing guitar together, so he decided not to disturb them. But when he peeked at the window of the studio, Dowoon saw Younghyun alone and the computers were on screensaver.
He knocked as he opened the door. "Hi, hyung. Are you finishing up soon? Wanna eat?"
"Dowoon," Younghyun said as he faced him, sitting up and swinging his chair towards the door. "No, sorry. I don’t think I have an appetite right now."
The room was pitch black, but the light from the computer screens illuminated his face, and Dowoon could see how tired the elder looked. Younghyun may not have wanted to eat and Dowoon was already starving (he may have accidentally skipped lunch because his practice was going so well), but it didn’t feel right to just leave him alone.
"Can I come in?"
"Yeah. 'Course."
"It’s really dark in here."
"Well, it's easier to think when I'm surrounded by darkness."
“Bad for your eyes, though.” Dowoon immediately tripped on the arm of the couch after taking a few steps, landing on the cushions face-first with a muffled oomph which earned him a light chuckle from Younghyun.
“Let’s turn on the lights,” he said, standing up from his computer chair and reaching for the switch.
Dowoon made himself comfortable on the couch as he hugged a throw pillow and lied down. He scanned Younghyun’s face, which looked worse under bright lights—the bags under his eyes were dark and his cheeks were colorless.
"What’s wrong, hyung?”
"Wonpil."
His answer was a surprise; Dowoon rarely saw the two members have disagreements, let alone fights. They were always living in their own peaceful, eternally-in-honeymoon-phase bubble.
"You guys fought?"
"No. We never do," Younghyun said with a sigh. "Even when I was an asshole who kept avoiding what happened between us before, he never got angry at me. Never blamed me for anything.”
He continued, "I could have spared him from so much pain if I just got my shit together earlier. And sometimes I think if he would have been happier if I let him go and let him move on. Instead, I was selfish and asked him out before he could find someone else who would treat him better.”
It wasn’t the first time Dowoon had heard this kind of talk from Younghyun or Wonpil—they may not fight, but they sometimes open up about the rocky past of their relationship, usually whenever they had alcohol in their system. Rather than complaining about the other, their talks were focused on self-deprecation. Dowoon found it heartbreaking to listen to them during those times; their pain seeps into his veins and becomes his own.
Although he didn’t exactly know why Younghyun was currently feeling that way, Dowoon knew that he wanted to help him snap out of it.
“Yeah, maybe it was pretty selfish of you to do that.” Younghyun groaned at Dowoon’s words, fingers pressing on his temples. “But maybe that selfish choice was the critical choice, the right one.”
"What if he’s just keeping it all in? What if it just builds and builds, then one day he’d just get sick of me?”
“Wonpil-hyung’s really happy with you—we see that, and I know you know it, too. I’m sure of it, Jaehyung-hyung’s sure of it, Sungjin-hyung’s sure of it.” Dowoon stretched out his hand to give Younghyun’s shoulder reassuring pats. “If there are times that your brain tells you otherwise, then we'll tell you instead. We'll remind you how hopelessly, awfully, disgustingly in love Wonpil-hyung is with you.”
“That… that sounded more like I’m holding him hostage or something,” Younghyun said as he threw his head back and finally laughed.
The youngest smiled. “You should talk to Wonpil-hyung about that, too. You need to hear from him directly that it's nothing to think about. Or you could also let it all out in a song!”
“I’ve lost count of how many songs I’ve made with that in mind.”
The door opened—Younghyun and Dowoon both startled—and a head poked in. "Anyone up for dinner?"
“Wonpillie.” Dowoon watched in part amusement and part relief as color returned to Younghyun’s face at the sight of his boyfriend. Younghyun reached out to hold him and rested his head against Wonpil's chest.
“Younghyunnie-hyung, your hair’s kinda greasy,” Wonpil mumbled as he combed a hand through Younghyun’s hair while the other hand stroked his back. “Want to bathe together later?”
“Mm. That’d be nice.”
Dowoon stood up from the couch and clapped his hyungs' shoulders. "Let's go, my treat today."
"You? Treating us? What’s the occasion?"
"I just feel like it. Let’s go get the hyungs."
Wonpil said, “Ah, they still looked busy in the practice room. I asked them if they wanted to eat but they told me to go ahead."
"What were they doing?" Dowoon asked, wondering if he had noticed something—if busy actually meant something else.
"Practicing," the elder replied, an unspoken duh at the end of his sentence.
Wonpil didn’t seem like he was lying about it; if he was hiding something it would have been obvious since he had the tendency to avoid eye contact at all costs and to stay as quiet as possible. "Haha. Obviously."
Not that he was keeping track and not that he anticipated the result, but it seemed like Dowoon hadn't won the bet yet.
“Dowoon,” a voice called out from his left, followed by an elbow knocking onto his arm.
“Oh, hyung, did you take a walk?”
Dowoon had spent the entire afternoon wandering by himself and running a few errands (his favorite pairs of socks needed to be put at rest and be replaced), but when he left the dorm, the others were still asleep. He hadn’t expected to run into Sungjin by the exit of the train station since he usually liked just hibernating like a bear during weekends.
Sungjin shook his head. “Went out to eat with Sandeulie and Shinwoo-hyung.”
“Do you ever eat outside with Jaehyung-hyung, just the two of you?” The question just kind of slipped out of Dowoon—it had been something he had been curious about because he pretty much knew nothing about his hyungs’ relationship, besides the fact that they’re in one.
“We do, but it's pretty rare. He likes staying indoors, and I've got no complaints with that. Sometimes I’ll go to his apartment and try whatever he cooks. Sometimes we order food. Sometimes I just bring take-out,” the elder replied. Dowoon was surprised he actually got an answer, and it was quite detailed, too. Maybe having had been with the B1A4 hyungs made him feel more chatty than usual.
Encouraged by Sungjin's rare cooperation, he boldly asked, “Do you guys go on dates?”
"Hold on, I’m gonna buy something from the mini-mart."
“You’re gonna cook?”
“Not me.”
He followed Sungjin inside, trailing along as he put lasagna noodles, different kinds of cheese, and tomato sauce inside his basket. He also got other ingredients, peeking every minute at a checklist on his phone.
“Define dates, ” Sungjin said after he had paid and exited the store, continuing their interrupted conversation.
“I dunno. Eating at fancy restaurants, walking at the park while holding hands, watching movies and sharing one bucket of popcorn.”
“If that’s what they are, then Younghyun and Wonpil don’t go on dates either. If we spend time together, just me and him, then isn't that already a date?”
“Hmm. I guess,” Dowoon shrugged, sipping on the banana milk he had sneaked into Sungjin’s basket before. Inside though he felt a little giddy—Sungjin was actually talking to him about his relationship with Jae. It was something the two other members didn’t know about either, so that meant he was the chosen one. "But then what makes your relationship now different from before you got together?"
“Maybe nothing. If our relationship changes too much because of a label, then what’s the point?”
Dowoon wondered if Sungjin knew how romantic he sounded. “Hmmmm. I guess, yeah.”
“Is that all you can say?” he asked, chuckling softly.
“I was just thinking how nice that is. You guys are really compatible and comfortable with each other.” Dowoon put up both his thumbs and grinned at the elder. “Good job.”
"Good job?" Sungjin parroted with a scoff.
"I'm being supportive!"
"What, you're not gonna offer to be the ring bearer at our wedding like you did with the two lovebirds?"
Dowoon paused in his tracks, the word wedding echoing in his mind. Even though they’ve only been together for a few months, Sungjin was that serious about Jae. "Do you want me to? I'll even officiate for you if you would grant me that honor. I don't know how that works or if it's even possible but I'll research! If you can’t get married here, then you can do it in America, maybe? I’ll look it up—"
Sungjin pulled Dowoon’s hoodie over his head and shoved him away. “Okay, stop! I was just kidding. I didn’t expect you to take it so seriously.”
“Heh. Hyung, you’re blushing,” Dowoon said as he pushed his hood away from his eyes. He knew that look Sungjin was currently wearing, it was his I’m actually happy but I’ll scowl so I don’t end up smiling face.
“Like hell I am.”
Dowoon attempted to poke Sungjin's cheeks, which got him another light shove. “You are!”
“I'm not, get off me." Sungjin pointed to his left. "Well I’m going this way. I’m dropping by Jaehyung’s apartment.”
"I wanna come with you!"
If one did not have a trained eye like Dowoon’s, they would think that Sungjin had no reaction to what he said—but Dowoon saw the elder’s left eyebrow raise and the corner of his mouth slightly twitch, which meant that he was disappointed. It was cute.
"Kidding." He stepped closer to Sungjin (whose face had relaxed) and whispered, “Have fun on your date.”
Before Sungjin could attack in retaliation, Dowoon sprinted down the street like a madman.
Dowoon was reviewing his drum practice videos on his phone while eating cereal when he heard a loud thud, a deep-voiced screech, and then saw a frantic Younghyun getting dressed as he ran out of his room, followed by Wonpil in his pajamas who still looked sleepy.
“I’m late, I’m late, I am going to be so late. Oh god, the PDs must be freaking out,” Younghyun mumbled as he put on mismatched socks and took the nearest pair of shoes (Sungjin's) on the rack to wear.
Wonpil yawned, sprawled over the couch while watching Younghyun get ready for his schedule. “Hyung, your phone?”
Younghyun tapped the pocket of his hoodie. “Here.”
“Snack to eat on the way?”
Dowoon threw him a packed sandwich from the fridge (also probably Sungjin’s), which Younghyun caught in one hand. He wanted to comment about how cool that was, but Younghyun was in a hurry. “Got one.”
“But you’re still forgetting something,” Wonpil said as he pulled at Younghyun’s sleeve.
“What, what is it? What else do I need before going to the radio station—” Younghyun stopped talking as Wonpil gave him a brief kiss.
In the past, Dowoon would turn his head to give them privacy, but now he was used to the sight already. Even Sungjin had stopped sighing and Jae didn’t make random noises anymore when seeing the two kiss, which was pretty often. Dowoon’s mind then wandered towards the eldest members—he hadn’t seen them kiss yet, and a part of him wanted to keep his innocence, but another wanted the chance to tease them.
“There. All set. Good luck with work today, hyung.”
Younghyun left, still looking panicked but nevertheless wearing a smile on his face, then Wonpil sat in front of Dowoon on the other end of the dining table. The elder started peeling a hard boiled egg from this morning's breakfast, looking like he was in deep thought.
“Dowoon,” Wonpil called out. “Do you ever feel uncomfortable that your bandmates are dating each other?”
The question caught him off-guard, since they’ve already talked about it as a group before and Dowoon didn’t think he ever acted awkward around them. “Eh? No, hyung. Not at all.”
“When you’re with me and Younghyun-hyung, you don’t feel like… like out of place?”
With two couples in their group of five—though Wonpil didn’t know that yet—it would have been natural to feel left out sometimes, especially since romance wasn’t Dowoon’s thing. But oddly enough, that never was the case for him; on the contrary, he liked seeing the members happy and in love, because they deserved nothing less.
They may see it as a joke, but whenever Dowoon mentioned being the ring bearer or officiant or best man for their weddings, he was dead serious. He saw it as one way to return the love he had received from his hyungs all these years, even just a little bit. Sometimes he thought about how he'd probably help them commit a crime if they simply asked him to.
“Of course not, hyung. Why? Did I do something wrong?”
Wonpil dropped the egg onto his plate and waved his hands in front of his face. "No! Never!"
“Just because you love Younghyun-hyung in a boyfriend way, it doesn’t mean you love me any less. And vice versa,” Dowoon said to reassure him.
“That’s right.” Wonpil smiled, his lips curling into a mix of a smile and a pout. “That’s right, I love you, Dowoonie. We all love you so much.”
Wonpil moved to stand behind him and started nuzzling his head, unable to stop himself from showing affection physically. Dowoon wondered if this was how Tori felt all the time when he gave her cuddles: warm and safe.
When Dowoon got back to their dorm after practice, a sight he hasn’t seen in a while greeted him: Jae was slumped on their carpet, his head reclining on the couch cushions.
"You’re here?"
"I'm gonna eat dinner here with you guys. Too lazy to cook or get delivery."
"But not lazy enough to walk a few blocks,” Younghyun teased. He nudged Jae’s legs out of the way as he cleared their coffee table to put plates on it. “If you missed us, just say it outright."
“Eh. Where’s Sungjin, though?”
The second after Jae asked, the man in question appeared in the doorway behind Dowoon, removing his shoes and padded jacket. Dowoon’s attention went to the boxes he was carrying, the smell of the spices was already starting to fill up the entire dorm and his stomach was reacting with a loud grumble.
“The prodigal son has returned, huh,” Sungjin said when he saw Jae wave (more accurately, flopped like a fish out of water) from the floor.
"You talked to the company?"
"Yeah." Jae stood up as he followed Sungjin into the kitchen. "Let’s talk about it later, I'm hungry."
For the first time in a while, the five of them ate in their dorm, seated on the floor and passing around food and some alcohol, which the two eldest declined. Meanwhile, Dowoon was just doing his best to not show how much he was going to miss these kinds of nights when they’re all complete. He thought of it as a game—that if he cries first, he’d lose and end up getting teased by his hyungs.
“Here.” Sungjin handed Jae a red polka-dotted scrunchie before he continued eating. “Your bangs are dipping into the food.”
The eldest tied up his hair on the top of his head. “This is mine, isn’t it?”
“I think I accidentally grabbed it from your side table when I was grabbing my keys.”
“Sungjin-hyung, next time bring us along when you go to Jaehyung-hyung’s apartment. You never tell us when you’re visiting him,” Wonpil whined and Dowoon almost choked on the laughter he suppressed.
Jae sent him a glare. “That’s because I don’t want you there.”
“Why can Sungjin-hyung go, though?” Younghyun asked.
“B—because, it’s not like I allow him, he just does whatever he wants.”
Dowoon observed the eldest members as Jae flushed and Sungjin bit back a smile.
But when Sungjin said, "I'll bring you with me one time before I leave in two weeks," the mood took a dive—they were all thinking about his enlistment, although no one wanted to be the first to acknowledge it. Wonpil was looking down and biting his lower lip, while Younghyun glanced at each member at the table, gauging their emotions.
"I, for one, can't wait to see Sungjin bald again," Jae commented after a few beats, most likely in order to bring the mood back up.
Younghyun hummed around his chopsticks. "When he first shaved it off, you really did like touching his head all the time. There are pictures to prove it."
Before Dowoon could think of something to tease the eldest members, he felt a sharp pain at his side, where Jae’s elbow stabbed at his waist. Dowoon wheezed, his mouth still full of food, while Wonpil and Younghyun looked on in amusement but not suspicion. He supposed that was how he could help with clearing out the murky air that had fallen on them.
“We’ve spent so much time together before this and we’ll have more in the future—two years will be nothing compared to that,” Sungjin spoke and once again, the mood shifted.
“I was holding it in, but—hyung, why did you have to say something touching!” Wonpil wailed, wiping his tears and snot on his sweater sleeve. Beside him, Younghyun scrambled to press kitchen towels to Wonpil’s face. “Ahhhh, shit, I really didn’t want to make Sungjin-hyung sad.”
Dowoon felt something dripping on his shirt and wiped at his eyes, hoping his hyungs wouldn’t notice. He sniffled. Then he sobbed.
Jae sighed. “Oh boy. Sungjin, you made the kids cry.”
“Would a hug make you guys stop?” Sungjin asked and the two youngest members nodded. “I’m allowing it for five seconds only. One...”
Dowoon and Wonpil wasted no time in launching themselves towards Sungjin’s open arms.
"Oh, hey. You here to check up on me?”
"Not really. It was just cold in the dorm,” Dowoon answered as he entered Jae’s apartment, sitting down on the chair in front of his computer. “But how are you, though?”
Jae let out an exaggerated sigh as he plopped down on his bed. "I have been abandoned, betrayed by the man I love. He was faced with the decision of choosing between me and his country, and his duty was what his heart called out for."
"I guess you're fine."
“Perfectly,” the eldest said with a grin.
“You know… I hear a lot of stories from my friends who’ve gone to the military that enlistment can be tough on a relationship. Two years is a pretty long time to be mostly apart. Break-ups usually happen.”
“So they say.”
“You’re not scared?”
“We talked about it,” Jae shared. His face turned serious as he continued, “He said there’s nothing to worry about, and I trust his words. If it was anyone else, I’d never believe them, but Sungjin never says what he doesn’t mean.”
Dowoon nodded, once again struck with the realization that his hyungs were in a very serious relationship—they loved each other and they didn’t want that to change. But that made Dowoon feel Sungjin’s absence even more, now feeling sadness for both himself and Jae.
“Hyung, can I sleep over? We can just play games all night.”
“I don’t have a spare mattress.”
When he told Jae that he didn’t go to his apartment to check up on him—he wasn’t lying; Dowoon felt lonely in the dorm after he saw Sungjin off since Younghyun and Wonpil were in the studio working on songs. Five became four and now they’re whittled down to three. He couldn’t stop thinking of the possibility that Younghyun and Wonpil would also want their own place in the near future.
“Your bed’s big enough for two people.”
“My boyfriend just went to war today and you want me to lay in bed with another man? How dare you!” Jae said with a dramatic gasp, a hand over his chest.
Dowoon rolled his eyes at the eldest. “Then you sleep over at the dorm!”
“And see Younghyun and Wonpil being all sweet and in love and domestic while I’m stuck watching videos of Sungjin?” Dowoon couldn’t help but roll his eyes again, although Jae probably didn’t realize that he just admitted to missing their leader.
“Speaking of the hyungs… have you told them about your relationship yet?”
“We were going to, yesterday—oh my god we completely forgot to do it.” Jae grabbed his phone and started murmuring to himself. “Sungjin got so busy preparing his stuff and I forgot about it after I played games, oh man.”
A few seconds later, Dowoon’s own phone buzzed.
park jaehyung: SUNGJIN ARE YOU IN THE TRAINING CAMP ALREADY
park jaehyung: WE FORGOT TO TELL THEM
kang younghyun: who’s them? tell what?
park sungjin: oh right ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
park sungjin: means you won the bet tho
park jaehyung: AW YEAH
park jaehyung: what’s my prize?
kim wonpil: what’s this conversation about hyungs
park sungjin: dunno, what do you want?
park jaehyung: i want my boyfriend back from the military safe and sound
park sungjin: yessir ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
kim wonpil: boyfriend??
kang younghyun: boyfriend???
yoon dowoon: boyfriend??
park sungjin: lol dowoon
yoon dowoon: i just wanted to join in
kim wonpil: dowoon knew?????
kim wonpil: since when???
park sungjin: ah i gotta go
park sungjin: jaehyungie will explain
park jaehyung: dont wanna. too lazy
park jaehyung: dowoon will explain
yoon dowoon: WHY ME?????
kang younghyun: wait, is dowoon part of the relationship?
yoon dowoon: NO
yoon dowoon: i’m kidnapping jae-hyung and going back to the dorm i’ll make him explain everything
kim wonpil: me and younghyunnie-hyung are on our way
park sungjin: ok good luck
park sungjin: i gotta go for real now
park sungjin: bye kids take care ㅋㅋㅋ