Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Part 1: A bet

It was going to be the best day ever for Heeseung Lee. The cast on his leg had finally been cut off and his sense of smell had returned, and with it his sense of taste. The incident had left a deep mark on him, but for the first time in a long time he finally felt ready to get back on his feet and go back to work. He missed everyone at the office, and he was certain they missed him as well. So, what a better way to start a beautiful morning than with the melodious song of the birds, the crispy sound of the breeze pushing against the window, the radiant sun shining through his window and the fresh aroma of a delicious breakfast just outside his door.

"Don't touch the cupcakes."

"What? Why not?" Heeseung pouted after getting slapped on the hand by his roommate, Sunoo Kim. "But Sunoo~ I really need one to have the best day ever~"

"I'm this close to giving your breakfast to Ni-Ki if you don't keep quiet right now," Sunoo huffed. When he saw Heeseung attempting to grab a cupcake behind his back he got a wooden spoon and hit him lightly, just enough to push him away.

"Ouch!" He cried.

"Shut up. It wasn't even that hard." Sunoo grabbed the platter with the recently decorated cupcakes and put them on top of the fridge. He used the little stool, since he wasn't tall enough to reach by himself. "Your brother is coming in a couple of minutes with Ni-Ki to pick me up. Your doctor said that you've been doing good with your therapies and that you can drive by yourself today."

"So that means you won't take me to work?"

"Heeseung. Give me a break. I've been taking care of you all of these months, even though I should've left you to rot on your own. Now that the doctor gave you the official discharge, I want to move out."

"Sunoo... I'm really sorry. And, thank you for taking such good care of me. I'm sorry I broke your heart. But, karma is a bitch and I also broke my leg."

Sunoo rolled his eyes and served him a simple breakfast. Bacon, scrambled eggs, toast and orange juice. He wasn't in the mood to make anything fancy.

"But," Heeseung added. "I really don't want you to move out." Sunoo scoffed, but Heeseung stopped him. "And–! And it's not because I think we should get back together, alright? But, you've helped me so much all this time, at least I owe you to have a place to stay and call it your home. This is my apartment, alright? I bought it with my own money. You don't have to pay rent, bills, or anything. AND you can bring whoever you want. When you're ready to go back to dating you can come here with them and do as you please. I really owe you my life, so please, don't leave."

Sunoo wanted to grab a pot and slam it on his ex's head. He stared deep into his eyes and noticed how sincere he was being. But, all these months that he stayed here, taking care of him, all he could think about was the day he would be finally free and be able to move out. Even though he wasn't earning enough, and he knew that he wouldn't find a better place to live with his budget. He really hated the fact that this situation was convenient for him, because he wanted to get away from Heeseung as fast as possible. But...

"I'll think about it," Sunoo said. He pushed the plate forward and took his apron off. "For now just eat your breakfast and be quiet. And don't touch the cupcakes. They are for a friend who asked me to sell him some."

"Sounds like your online business is doing great."

"It's slowly taking off. Shut up and eat your breakfast. I need to get ready quickly."

Sunoo looked at Heeseung eating, enjoying the breakfast that was done with nothing but resentment. He wondered how could he ever have fallen for such a man-baby. It definitely wasn't because of his money, he hoped. But, if he was being honest, a part of him wished things could go back as they used to be when they were in love and before–

"Can you at least put on some pants? Gross..." Sunoo gagged. He thought he heard the door and on his way he noticed Heeseung was bare naked from the waist down.

"What? Nothing you hadn't seen before. You even enjoyed—"

"Shut up. Nothing I enjoy watching now anyway."

The door opened. Two boys entered the apartment. They were very familiar with this place since they came every so often. One of them was Heeseung's younger brother, Jungwon Yang. He changed his family name once their mother remarried another man, and since he's been living with them. At first, it bothered Heeseung that he would change his last name, but after a long time he got used to it and respected it.

The other boy was Ni-Ki. He was taller than both of his younger friends and almost as tall as the older in the room. But, he was the youngest amongst them. He hated the fact that he was one year younger than Sunoo, because all he wanted since school was to be seen as someone dateable to him, but Sunoo only liked guys older than him.

"Gross!"

"What the hell?!"

"Brother, why are you butt-naked?"

"My eyes! My eyes! I need bleach for my eyes!"

Sunoo came back with a pair of shorts and threw them at Heeseung's face. "Put them on," he said.  Heeseung rolled his eyes and did as told.

"I need to be exorcised. I just saw the devil!"

"My eyes! I need to remove my eyes!"

"Calm down both of you. God... You two just saw it once. I was the one who had to bathe him all these months," Sunoo said.

"But that's different, Sunoo~ You used to put your mouth on~"

"That's it! I'm moving out!"

"I'm kidding. I'm kidding~ Don't leave me~" Heeseung said, wrapping his arms around Sunoo and smelling his hair. He hadn't put on any cologne just yet, but it smelled nice as usual.

"Don't touch me!" Sunoo cried, slapping Heeseung's hands and trying to break free of his tightened grip. After a couple attempts Heeseung let him go and sat back down to finish his breakfast.

"I give up. My day is already ruined," Jungwon said throwing himself onto the couch. "I saw my brother naked, you two hugging, and my card was rejected at the convenience store. I hate everything."

"Also, you two seem to have new neighbors," Ni-Ki added.

"What? New neighbors?"

"Oh yeah. When we were coming upstairs we saw some movers carrying some boxes to the apartment on the other side. There are only two per floor, so it wasn't hard to deduce they are your new neighbors."

"Also, we saw the door open," Ni-Ki added again.

Great... just what Heeseung needed. He wanted to buy that apartment as well as a gift for Sunoo and Jungwon, so they could move in together there so it wouldn't be uncomfortable for two exes to live in a same place. But now someone had to buy it. Just... great...

"Are you ready to go?" Ni-Ki asked Sunoo. Part of him trying hard not to think the worst possible case scenarios. "Heeseung, can you please stop... groping... him so he can go get ready soon?"

"Oh, Sunoo! I forgot. Ta-Ki sent me the payment for the second order to my account. I have to transfer it to you," Jungwon said.

"The second what? What second order?"

"Yeah. The second order that he made a week ago and Ni-Ki was supposed to– He didn't tell you, did he?"

"I FORGOT! Oh no... I forgot... I was so busy with dance practices that I completely forgot," Ni-Ki said. He slapped his face and stood up from his chair to go to Sunoo. He held his hands to apologize. "I am really sorry. Jungwon told me, but I blanked out. Can I do anything for you to forgive me? And I mean, anything. I'll do anything for you. Anything."

"Relax. Ta-Ki just messaged me saying that he can't make it today, and if he can pick them up tomorrow. That's plenty of time for you to make the other batch, right?" Jungwon said. "Ni-Ki could help you."

"I really wanna do anything for you, Sunoo. Anything," Ni-Ki said still staring at his eyes.

Heeseung stood up, patted Ni-Ki's back and whispered to his ear, "Not the right time, Romeo."

"I mean, I could, but I don't have enough ingredients. And today I have a late shift so I won't be able to get to the store on time," Sunoo said.

"I can pick up the stuff for you," Heeseung said. Everyone turned to look at him. "I get a two-hour lunch break, so if you give me the list I can pick it up from the store close to work."

Sunoo hesitated. He really needed the ingredients, but he was adamant to trust Heeseung with a simple task. He wondered if his ex was up to something. Being so nice lately, it started to melt his anger on him, but the trust had been broken already. He looked at his friends for help and realized the best he could do was just ask Heeseung for h–

"Oh! I just remembered! There's this app that delivers groceries to your front door and leave them there. You can even put at what time you want them delivered," Ni-Ki sai d pulling out his phone. He scrolled through his apps and showed it to Sunoo. "They work 24/7, so you can program it for a midnight or past midnight delivery and they'll bring it. No additional fees."

"That sounds like a great idea!" Jungwon said. "Who would've guessed that you'd create a whole problem and solve it as well. I underestimates you, Ni-Ki."

"Thanks~" Ni-Ki blushed, without understanding the lingering cynisism in his friend's words.

Heeseung grabbed Ni-Ki's phone and pulled out his own as well. He looked through the app and downloaded it. Ni-Ki grabbed his phone back, glaring at the older.

"Heeseung, what are you doing?" Sunoo asked.

"I'm just helping you with–"

"No! Don't. I can manage without you, okay? Whatever you think you're trying to do is not gonna work. I'm too smart and I can take hints, but this. This. Us. Is not going to work. I can stay here only if you are willing to treat me as a friend and stop this silly game you're playing."

"Fine," Heeseung sighed. He would be lying if he said he wasn't considering a chance of making Sunoo forgive him and maybe give their relationship a second chance. But, maybe he should also slow down a bit. It's just that Ni-Ki's nervousness gets contagious and he can't stop himself from acting up. "And just so you know, you really can't take a hint. Anyway, I'll go take a shower and head to work. See you later. Bye Jungwonie~"

"Bye, brother~" Jungwon said not lifting his sight from his phone. He heard the bathroom door close and looked at Sunoo. "Whatever you do, don't get back with my brother."

"I wasn't planning to. Also, why not?" Sunoo asked.

"Because what he did is unforgivable. He is my brother, but you are my friend, and I still resent him from what he did to you."

"Thanks, Jungwon. But, it's alright. I really don't want to get back with him. I mean, at times I do consider it just because I'm so used to him, but I know better and I should probably start dating. Like, not right away, but at least trying to."

"We can practice date if you want. We can even kiss so you can practice kissing with me if you're down with it. I'm down with it. Are you down with it? We can get down if you want to as well," Ni-Ki proposed.

"It's okay, Ni-Ki. You don't have to do this. You're a good friend. But, when time comes and I'm ready, I'll probably meet someone I like and go on a date and we'll see what happens. Anyway, for now we need to rush or we'll be late to our appointment. Let me just grab my things."

Sunoo gave a couple of pats to Ni-Ki's cheeks before heading to his bedroom. Jungwon chuckled because he knew deep down that this was going nowhere, and it was kind of cute to see Ni-Ki try so hard and Sunoo not getting any hints. Ni-Ki sat on his seat again staring blankly at the floor, defeated and unwilling to snap out of his frustration.

"Hey, if you ask me, you come off a bit desperate, you know that?" Jungwon said sitting down next to him. "You try too hard and you should be glad he's dense like that. Otherwise, you'd probably make him feel very uncomfortable and at unease with you."

"You really think so? I guess... it's just that I've liked him for so long and I'm not sure for how long I can keep being just friends with him."

"If you're his friend just because you hope he'll see you as a potential lover, then forget it. That is toxic behavior and–"

"No! No... that came off wrong. I really am his friend, and I just wish there was a way for me to get rid of my feelings. But I can't..."

"Give it time. If he fell for my stupid brother, I'm sure one day he'll be desperate enough and he'll come around and maybe consider dating you as the last man on Earth."

"Thank you, Jungwon. That is very comforting." Ni-Ki rolled his eyes. He never expected much from his friend, but one way or another he was always surprised.

"I mean, you should just live like I do. Thinking about dating no one at all. I'm happy single, and I want to be single for the rest of my life. Dating would be just so much trouble, y'know? It's so time-consuming, energy-wasting... ugh, no, thank you! If I ever fall in love, uhmmm... I'll be your slave for a week."

"A month."

"Sure. That's just how confident I am about this."

The boys heard a couple of knocks on the front door and a 'Can you get that?' coming from Sunoo's room. Naturally, Jungwon got up and went to open the door since this was his brother's apartment after all.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Hello, my name is Jay Park. I just wanted to introduce myself before going to work. I'm your new neighbor."

The man was slightly taller than Jungwon, with blond hair and alluring eyes. He had a sincere smile that would've set trap to someone's heart just by looking at it. The man wasn't subtle about checking Jungwon out from the bottom to the top. And Jungwon's blush wasn't subtle either.

"H-Hi. I'm J-Jungwon. Jungwon Yang. It's a p-pleasure to meet you."

Jay rested his arm against the wall and leaned forward. He took a closer look at Jungwon's eyes, making him slightly flinch back.

"Hey, Jungwon Yang. The pleasure is all mine. The real estate agent said the view is nice, but I didn't think it was this heavenly."

Jungwon heard gagging noises coming from inside the apartment, but he ignored them since, for some reason, his face was starting to swell and burn as if he had just caught a life-threatening disease. He bit his lips, unsure of what to respond and just kept staring into the man's tempting eyes.

"I need to get going, but I hope I can ram into you later," Jay said with a quieter voice.

He seemed foreigner, so it was maybe a pronounciation issue, right? Jungwon asked "Y-You mean ran into me? R-Right?"

Jay leaned more forward, closing the gap between his lips and Jungwon's ear. With his left hand, his fingers massaging Jungwon's other ear and he whispered, "No."

Jungwon felt a fever escaling from his insides, heating up his whole body and feeling short of breath. He closed his eyes for a second until he saw Jay step back and climb in the elevator.

"Bye, Jungwon Yang. I'll see you later," Jay said before the elevator doors shutting close.

Jungwon felt a rush of heat burning everything from his skin, his face, his hands, his ears... he closed the front door and leaned on it trying to keep his fast-beating heart still. It felt like it was going to break free from his chest and just explode on the floor. He didn't understand what was going on, so, Ni-Ki lent him a hand.

"Jungwon, grab me a drink."

"Yes, Master."

Part 2: A tip

The day had had a rough start for Heeseung Lee, but not anymore. As soon as he woke up, he had decided that today was going to be the best day ever and nothing could change that. He saw in Sunoo that glimpse of maybe that would be sure to become a fully-fledged yes to moving in with him permanently. Perhaps if he tried enough, Sunoo could finally see how sorry he really was for what had happened in the past. And that he’s a changed man and fully-committed to starting over and this time for good. As soon as he got out of the shower, he went to get changed in his room. He heard a couple of goodbyes coming from outside, which meant that the three of them had already left the place. He missed those times when he would go to work and Sunoo would fix his tie and give him a kiss to kick off a good day.

Even without a kiss, he was set to have a good day today. The BEST day, if he may. He went back to the kitchen to grab something to drink and saw a little note on the fridge. “I left you one. JUST ONE. So have a good day at work, okay? See you later.” He opened the fridge and found a single cupcake on top of a tiny plate, grabbed it and smiled. Unfortunately, he had already brushed his teeth, so he grabbed a tiny box, one of Sunoo’s that he used to deliver single cupcakes, and put it in there. He made sure to keep it safe so he could eat it during his lunch break.

Heeseung went down to his car and headed to a couple places before going to work. First, he needed to grab coffee for work and a couple for his co-workers as well as his boss. He wanted to impress them now that he was back on his feet and ready to make the company even richer than before. That’s why he was the best at his job and no one could do better than him. He was sure that in a couple more years, his boss, Mr. Bang, would give him a well-deserved promotion to become Assistant Manager. And in the further future even Department Manager. He had projected himself a lot.

He parked near the entrance of “The Golden Aegyo Café” and got out of his car. The place seemed packed, but there wasn’t much of a line to order. Just a couple of people before him. He tried to remember what his co-workers liked, but he couldn’t remember all the details. He got his phone out and searched through the notes he had and found it. He ordered for the ones he was closest to and his boss, and got into the waiting line. He was pretty excited to get to work already and surprise everyone. He still had an hour before his office hours started, so he wasn’t in any kind of hurry.

He grabbed his drinks and turned around only to bump into someone. A man as tall as him who spilled his coffee on Heeseung’s favorite shirt. Praise his luck that at least it was iced coffee, so no injuries could’ve happened, but this jerk had the audacity to wipe the stain with napkins.

“You’re going to ruin my shirt! More than you already have!” Heeseung yelled.

“I’m sorry? You just bumped into me and here I am trying to fix it for you,” the man had the nerve to reply.

“I bumped into you? You bumped into me! Watch where you’re going asshole!”

“Excuse me, what? I was grabbing my iced venti and you were looking at your phone when you bumped me.”

“I’m sorry this happened, sir. Let me make you another coffee and a blueberry muffin on the house,” the barista said to the asshole. “You’re not hurt, are you?”

“What about me? He bumped into me!” Heeseung yelled.

“I’m sorry, sir. But we clearly saw that you bumped into our customer over here.”

“Thank you, that’s very kind of you.”

“No problem, sir. Let me get into it,” the barista said and turned around to make the coffee.

Heeseung was mad that he was seen as the culprit when he clearly was the victim here. He could’ve been burned and sued this whole place. He just ordered a large amount of drinks versus that lousy cup the asshole ordered. He didn’t understand why they were siding with him. He grabbed his drinks and proceeded to leave, but the asshole stopped him in his footsteps.

“Here.” The asshole handed him a fifty-dollar bill. “For your dry-cleaning. There’s a place nearby, so that your shirt doesn’t get ruined.”

Heeseung glared at him and then turned around. He wasn’t going to accept being treated like charity. Even though it’s the asshole’s fault and he should pay for this, Heeseung hated that taunting smirk he had plastered all over his face, as if he was making fun of him, belittling him as if he was poor. No, thank you! He was better than this and before leaving just told him “Next time, watch where you’re going, jerk.”

“Here you go, sir,” the barista put the drink on the counter. “Same as usual, Mr. Park.”

“You can just call me Sunghoon, Chanhee. I come here almost every day. Can you believe that guy?”

“I’ve seen him before. He usually has these outbursts. None of the other employees want to deal with him, so as per usual, it’s the manager’s duty to handle it.”

“Haha, they should really give you a raise for handling customers like him,” Sunghoon said.

“They do. Although next week I’ll be off on vacations with my fiancé.”

“Fiancé? Really? So that means I won’t be seeing you. That’s sad.”

“Yeah… but Younghoon and I really needed this time for ourselves. Things can get a bit hectic around here.”

“I can see that,” Sunghoon said with a gentle smile. “Well, I better get going. I have some training to do before going to work. Hope to see you before you leave.”

“Don’t worry. My last shift is a morning shift so come here to see me off.”

“Will do. Goodbye!” Sunghoon said. “Bye, everyone!” As per usual, he waved goodbye to the people from the café. He was a regular there so he knew them.

Sunghoon sat on his car and was tempted to eat the muffin right then right there, but he didn’t want to spill any crumbs. They had just cleaned his car a couple days ago and he really liked it when his car was clean. He sighed and just decided to wait until he got to the gym. Today had already been a busy day and the day was far from over.

At the gym, he grabbed the muffin, his iced coffee and his bag and headed to the cafeteria. Everyone on his way there greeted him, a couple of people tried to flirt with him. It was just like this every day. He didn’t quite enjoy it, but he got used to it. He had to, anyway. It’s ‘part of the job’ as his manager would say. He enjoyed his time alone, if any. A couple of girls walked to him and asked for his autograph and a couple of pictures with him. He gave them his autograph, but was unable to take the pictures because it could spark unnecessary rumors. Thankfully, these fans were understanding and just happy to have seen him in their same gym in the first place.

He got up and headed to the treadmills. He saw some guys at the far end laughing and he thought to himself how amazing it would be to come to the gym with friends. Unfortunately, if anything, he could only spark more dating rumors ever since a scandal broke out a few months ago. By now most people had already moved on to the next big scandal, but he had to lay low for a while longer. He put on his air pods, turned on some music and started to warm up mindlessly.

After a while, only half an hour had passed but it felt like much longer. He was sweating from the bench press, not pushing himself to a dangerous extreme. He sat there for a while, checking to see if he had any new messages or anything interesting happening right now in his socials. He looked up and saw a guy struggling with some simple weights. He tried to ignore it, but he seemed like a complete newbie about to hurt himself.

“Need any help?” Sunghoon offered.

“Thanks, but I think… I… got it,” the guy replied.

“You sure?”

“Positive.”

“Okay, then. See you a– ”

“Wait! Uhm… are you perhaps…” the guy said shyly. Sunghoon already knew how this went. The guy was clearly a fan and wanted an autograph. Oh, well. It was his fault for offering help anyway. “…a fitness coach? I’m sorry for being rude. It’s just that my friends tease me all the time because they’re gym freaks and I’m not.”

Oh… Sunghoon wasn’t expecting that. “I’m not a coach or a trainer, but I know my way around. Here, let me help you.” He grabbed a couple of dumbbells labelled 0.5 kg. “Here, take these.”

“Really? The pink ones? Is this you making fun of me calling me a sissy?” The guy’s demeanor changed. He seemed really angry.

“I never said that, you dumbass. There’s nothing wrong with being effeminate either. These are just the lighter ones for you to get started with some small reps.”

“Did you– Did you just call me a dumbass?”

“I did. Stop behaving like one when I’m trying to help.”

The guy’s stance shifted. He looked at the ground and his cheeks tinted a light pink. “Sorry. I really am being a dumbass aren’t I? I just get so defensive because of my–”

“Because of your friends. I get it.”

“Yeah…”

Sunghoon felt a little sorry for this guy. He was sort of cute and comfortable to be around with. At least it was comforting to know he didn’t recognize Sunghoon. It felt nice being able to talk to someone who didn’t know him. It even made him blush a little.

“So… where are your friends?” Sunghoon asked.

“Ah… Jungwon went outside to pick up a call and Ni-Ki’s in the bathroom.”

“I see. Well, while you wait for them, want to do some reps with me?”

“Oh, no… you don’t have to. Thanks for the help, and I’m sorry for taking up so much of your time.”

“Ah, I see. Is it because I called you a dumbass? Is that why you don’t like me?”

“I– I never said I don’t like you!”

“So, you like me then?”

“I– What?”

“Haha, you’re so easy to tease.”

“Ugh, shut up.”

“And you’re cute when you get angry.”

“Shut– what?”

Sunghoon said too much. Now they were both blushing, staring into each other’s eyes. This was dangerous territory and he needed to shift the conversation completely before things got out of hand.

“Uhmm…” Sunghoon coughed. “I’m– I’m Sung– Jeong– Jongseong. My name is Jongseong Park. And you are?”

“Sunoo. Sunoo Kim.”

“Nice to meet you, Sunoo.”

Sunghoon kept staring into his eyes. He noticed the glimpses of light shining on them, so curious, so innocent, so full of a hidden passion that he wanted to get to know more of. There was silence around them, the world still for a long time. He felt a sort of connection he hadn’t felt before, a natural sense of desire followed by a few questions lingering in his mind. He was scared of saying a word, afraid of ruining this perfect moment in which they both soothed into each other’s presence.

Sunoo feared this feeling that was brewing inside of him. But he couldn’t stop looking at Jongseong’s eyes. There was sadness in them, but he felt like he was receiving an invitation to wipe every and each of his tears away. He didn’t understand why he was feeling like this, his sight hazed by a pink mist surrounding both bodies pushing him forward. Like a spell that caught him in a trance that he cannot break away from. But, this was too rushed. He needed to calm down before his heart tired out from beating so hard, beating so fast.

“Erm… I can– I can show you a few reps that you could start with. How about that?” Jongseong said.

Sunoo just nodded, hoping Jongseong wouldn’t notice how red his ears had turned. He could feel the color creeping on them but couldn’t stop it even if he tried.

“Okay, just follow my lead.” Jongseong grabbed another set of dumbbells and faced the mirror. Sunoo hadn’t noticed before, but his back was huge. He was all worked out with a sweat and for some strange reason, it made him feel even hotter than before. “Come. Let’s do it together.”

“Pardon?” Sunoo was appalled. He wasn’t the type of person to just go ahead and do something so impulsive upon meeting some rando at the gym.

“The exercise? I just showed you so we can do it together.”

Ah… right… the exercise…

“Ah… right… the exercise…”

Sunoo was a little disappointed that it wasn’t a proposition. But it was just wishful thinking. This man was taller than him by a head and so, so handsome. There was a fat chance he would see Sunoo as something other than a wimp at the gym. It was fine. At least it was a new experience, after all.

“No, you’re doing it wrong. Here,” Jongseong got behind Sunoo. With each of his arms he grabbed Sunoo’s, pressed his body against his back and pulled him down. “You don’t have to lift your arms, you need to keep them low. Don’t tense your body so much.”

If only it was that easy… “I’m sorry…”

“Don’t look down. Look up front.” Jongseong reprimanded him.

“Sorry.” Sunoo looked at the mirror and saw how his body fit so well between Jongseon’s body. “We look so good together,” he whispered.

“We do, don’t we?” Jongseong whispered into his ear. Sunoo felt embarrassment invading his body when he noticed he said it out loud. “I’m glad I wasn’t the only one thinking about it.”

After two more squads, Sunoo started feeling a lump below his back. His eyes turned misty and his focus had been gone. His nonexistent self-confidence suddenly spiking up as he tried to ignore the situation but couldn’t as it kept pressing against him. He felt Jongseong’s heating breath on his neck and a pulse on his back. Jongseong grabbed his waist and lead the movements. Sunoo’s eyes wandered to the sides trying to find any witness that could take him away from this trance, but no one would come to his rescue. And at this moment he was glad that they were all alone. Staying still, Sunoo started to move his hips and could hear a gasp released from Jongseong's mouth. He closed his eyes and just let their bodies interact for a brief moment.

"I think we need to stop," Jongseong whispered into his ear. "I don't want to, but someone could see us."

Jongseong felt very agitated, almost frustrated just like Sunoo. As if they had done a forbidden dance and someone had interrupted their melody. Their synchronized movements but a fading memory he feared to let go. Jongseong grabbed Sunoo's hand and leaned even closer, with his lips touching Sunoo's ear.

"Trust me. I don't want to stop," he whispered.

Sunoo turned around and saw him eye to eye. "But this is getting dangerous... we met a few minutes ago and I feel comfortable around you. Way too comfortable..."

Sunoo took in a deep breath and got out of Jongseong's grip. He was right, after all. But with everything that had happened this morning he felt a certain need in his body. A need to tease and a need to feel desired. But this guy... he probably did this type of thing with everybody. Come to the gym, offer some "help" and then grind on them. Obviously, Sunoo was just one of many. But that was okay. He wasn't looking for anything serious either, but a casual fling wasn't his type of thing either.

"I should... I should probably go look for my friends," Sunoo said quite defeated.

Jongseong grabbed his hand. "Hey. Uhmm..."

"Yes?"

"Can you... Can you give me your number?"

Sunoo looked at him. He really wanted to, but it was useless. He wasn't ready to sleep with anyone. This wasn't who he was. Or at least he thought it wasn't before all the grinding workout.

"I– I think it's best if I don't. Thanks for the help. Goodb–"

"Will I see you again? I come everyday around this same time."

"Goodbye, Jongseong," Sunoo said as he left looking for his friends.

Sunghoon scratched his head and threw himself on the mat. He punched it a couple of times and tried to rip off his hair. This wasn't like him. This was far from what he even did with someone he liked. He didn't understand why he was behaving like this.

He wanted to scream. But that would cause a scene. He also wanted to rush to Sunoo and give him his number instead. He blamed himself for letting him go like that. And he hated himself for putting a stop to it.

But enough was enough. He needed to get on with his day and lying on the ground punching the floor trying to calm all that pent up anger was getting him nowhere. He still had things to do. So he got up and rushed to grab his car keys in his locker and get out of there as quickly as he could. He wanted to avoid Sunoo and especially his friends. He would've been the biggest joke told on Earth.

As soon as he got to his car he punched the wheel and screamed, finally releasing all the tension that was swelling inside of his body. He put the gear on reverse and–

*CRASH*

"What the hell?!"

Sunghoon was saved by the airbag. Some jackass had crashed his car from the back. If his day could get any worse than this. He got out and slammed his car door ready to fight the asshole who–

"For fuck's sake. You again? What's your excuse now, jackass?"

PART 3: A hit

Okay, so far it wasn't even close to being the best day ever for Heeseung. He was already late for work; his shirt was ruined and he had to settle to repair the car of the same asshole that ruined his day. He hated how everything had turned out, and he hated more the fact that he was barely going to do any work that day. He wasn't that enthused to go either, really. He wanted to return home, wait for Sunoo, eat together and call it a day.

It was pretty late already, everyone must be coming back from lunch. His boss would yell at him because it was his first day back and he was already late. All because of that asshole. He hated his guts, he hated even the thought of him. If he saw him again he would probably punch his smug face.

Already in his building all he needed to do was get through the day with a smile, even a fake one would work. He rushed to the elevator doors closing on him and all he could see was a blond man talking to his boss. He even shouted to wait for him, but they probably pretended not to hear him. How annoying. He waited a while longer for the next elevator ride to come and he was all pressed against the wall when, out of a sudden, several people needed a ride as well.

Upon reaching his floor he saw something he wasn't expecting. A surprise party! There were balloons, a cake, even gifts. But... the biggest surprise was... it wasn't for him.

"Oh? Heeseung... you did come... I forgot you were the reason we were holding this party in the first place," Mr. Bang, his boss, said. "Ah... well. Guess you still work with us."

"Hello to you too, Mr. Bang." That came out with a certain snark. Hoped his boss didn't notice.

"Come, there's someone I want you to meet." Mr. Bang pulled him over next to the same guy he saw at the elevator. Blond hair, smug face. Reminded him of the same asshole he ran into the entire day. "Heeseung, I want you to meet Jongseong Park. Jongseong, this is Heeseung, our employee you were brought to cover for."

Park. He even had the same last name as the asshole.

"You can call me Jay. A pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Heeseung." Jay extended his hand, and Heeseung was polite enough to shake it properly. "Heeseung? Your name is similar to some jerk who crashed his car into my brother's. What a bad coincidence."

"Oh no. Is your brother alright?" Mr. Bang asked.

"Oh, yeah. Sunghoon's fine. But, get this. The jerk even tried to blame him for driving backwards when he was just reversing from his parking spot." Jay and Mr. Bang laughed. Heeseung awkwardly mirrored them. "I'm glad nothing terrible happened. But at the same time worried that someone so reckless is running rampant in the city."

"Yeah. What a coincidence." Heeseung said, almost embarrassed to talk any further.

"Honestly, how shameful can some people be. I hope that man is thrown in jail for being a danger to society. Right, Heeseung?" Mr. Park elbowed him and laughed some more. "Oh, Jongseong. What a shame that you have to leave us so early. You were definitely our best associate so far. But Heeseung has been with us for so long."

"It's okay, Mr. Bang. Heeseung, I've heard so much about you. All good things. Everyone in here really admires you."

"Thank you, Jay. I really like working here and the atmosphere is always very... welcoming. I'm happy my fellow co-workers made this a good place for you to work during my absence."

"Yes. Indeed, Jongseong felt like he belonged here. In fact. Jongseong, do you really have to leave?" Mr. Bang asked.

"Well~ My contract did expire today. And I for sure don't want to take Heeseung's place. He's an invaluable asset to this company." Jay said.

Heeseung thought that maybe Jay wasn't so bad after all. He wondered how could someone as cool as him be related to that asshole in the first place. And how embarrassing would it be if he were to find out the truth.

"Well, Jongseong. There's actually an opening and I think you'd do perfectly fine in it. In fact, you'd enter as my recommended. What do you say?"

"I'd love to. I really enjoy the warm atmosphere in this place and everyone here has just been wonderful. I'd love to be a permanent worker here."

"No. Not just a mere worker like you were these months. I want to train you to be Department Manager."

"Really?!"

"Really...?" What the hell?!

"I would really love that, Mr. Bang! Thank you. Oh, thank you so much."

"You're just one of a kind, Jongseong. You really get fashion, you know what I'm saying? You understand trends, icons, market, fabric, and most of all, aesthetics. Letting you go would be the biggest mistake I could do in all my years in working for this company."

"I would really like this opportunity, Mr. Bang. And learning directly from you would be like winning the lottery."

"That's it. You said yes, you can't back down now. I'll go talk with Mrs. Nom about your permanent transfer. I'll call you in a second."

Mr. Bang left in a hurry. His emotion couldn't be contained by the four walls in this large office space.

"Wow. I can't believe it. This is my best day ever," Jay said.

"Congratulations, man. You got... you got a dream job," Heeseung extended his hand and Jay shook it with a smile.

"Ah, but that was kind of rude of Mr. Bang to just offer me the job in front of you. And the day you returned."

"Don't worry about it. He probably didn't mean any harm."

"No, no. I'll talk to him, and tell him to give you a raise." Jay was an angel. A godsent. "I mean, you're gonna need it since you have to pay for the damage on my brother's car." A devil. Literally Satan.

"Wh-What?!"

"Pfft. Please. You don't think I can't put one and one together? That's why you're late, isn't it? Because you crashed into my brother's car."

"I didn't–! He was the one–"

"Save it. Police said there's footage of the incident. They'll see you're the one that crashed into my brother and we're gonna sue you."

"But he and I already agreed on a settlement!"

"Pfft. Guess what, genius? That was my car that he borrowed. I first got the call from the insurance company, and then he told me what happened. And I believe him because he's a really careful driver and the last thing he wants is another scandal linked to his name."

"For fuck's sake. Just what I needed. You know, you and your brother are as–"

"Jongseong! Come here, please!" Mr. Bang called from across the office. "We need to start working on the paperwork for your official stay!"

"Coming, Mr. Bang." Jay replied.

The office became boisterous when they heard the good news. Great... everyone loved him...

"Goodbye, Heeseung. It was a pleasure meeting you." Jay smirked. It was clear as day that he hated Heeseung and that Heeseung hated him as well.

Jay started walking towards Mr. Bang, leaving an enraged Heeseung at the same spot they met. He really wasn't planning on suing him, but he really hated the guts on that guy since he saw him running towards the elevator shouting at them to 'fucking stop the elevator'.

"Here, Mr. Bang," Jay said.

"Good. Mrs. Nom, here, will oversee your contract and will help you through the whole process." Mr. Bang said. Jay and Mrs. Nom politely bowed to each other. Then, Mr. Bang leaned to whisper into Jay's ear. "Don't settle for the standard salary. Aim higher, okay? You earned it, boy."

"Thank you, Mr. Bang. I really appreciate this opportunity.”

Mr. Bang gave him a pat on the shoulder and headed towards his office. Jay stayed with Mrs. Nom to work through the contract details. There were a couple of things he wasn’t satisfied with and Mrs. Nom was able to help with, one of them being the salary. When Mr. Bang told him to aim higher, he never specified any amount, so Jay went the highest he imagined possible, only to be met with Mrs. Nom’s subtle hints to take it even further. He was pleasantly surprised at his new salary, earning him even more than what he could’ve imagined.

After being done with everything, she gave him the finished contract for him to review at home and have it signed by the next day. He thanked her and started walking towards the exit, just to be stopped by his co-workers congratulating him on his promotion. No hint of jealousy detected, just genuine happiness, even though from now on he was closer to being their boss. He made the right decision by agreeing to stay here, everyone was very friendly and worked hard together. It was much, much different from his last job.

When Jay finally managed to get out of the office and into his car he was finally able to focus on another thing that had happened that day that was so prominent in his mind. Jungwon. His cute new neighbor whose eyes just popped upon meeting for the first time. Jay was usually the silent type, the calm person. But, with Jungwon’s presence, he completely changed, feeling a need to become wilder and braver, afraid that if he didn’t take a shot right then he’d have to see Jungwon fall for someone else but him. It was risky, but he couldn’t bear the thought of seeing him with any other person. He wondered where this possessiveness came from. He was even more scared of himself for behaving this way.

Maybe it would be best if he apologized next time he saw Jungwon. He came way too forward, led by impulse and desire. He definitely made him feel uncomfortable and that wasn’t fair for him. He bumped his head with the steering wheel, punishing himself for behaving like an idiot and ruining his only chance with the first person he’s liked in such a long time. He screwed up, and there was no way he could fix this. All the way driving back to his apartment he kept thinking of ways he should apologize and still, maybe, have a chance on hitting on Jungwon. But, when he arrived, he realized it was useless. His apology shouldn’t be convenient for him. He should apologize for making his neighbor uncomfortable. That was it. Chance or no chance, he screwed up and Jungwon deserved a sincere apology without hidden intentions.

He decided to take the stairs to cool off for a while, realizing just a little late that he lived in one of the upper floors. He waited for the elevator. Inside was another guy carrying grocery bags, looking a little worn down, possibly depressed for some reason. It was probably best if he didn’t say a word, just a simple greeting nod and went to his apartment quietly. When the doors opened the guy nodded as a goodbye and got out first. Jay almost didn’t recognize it was his floor until his best friend, Jake, popped out of his apartment calling his name.

“Hey, Jay! You’re home! Guess what! I had the jacuzzi installed and it works perfectly! I mean, I haven’t been inside, I just tested to see if it was working. Also, that huge plasma is perfect for games and movies. God, I love this place much better than your last!”

The sad guy from the elevator turned slightly after hearing this commotion. Jay took this chance to talk to him.

“Oh, hey. I didn’t know we were neighbors. Hi, I’m Jay Park, and I just moved in here with my brother.” Jay extended his hand, not thinking that the guy already had his hands full.

“Oh? Oh! Hi! Hello! I’m Sunoo. Sunoo Kim. I’m sorry if I can’t–”

“No, it’s okay. I understand. You’ve got your bags. Sorry–”

“No, yeah, sorry.”

“It’s fine. Really. Sorry.”

This was slightly awkward. Actually, very awkward. Intensely awkward. Thankfully, Jake was there to save the day.

“Hi! I’m Jake. I’m a friend of Jay’s. I just came by to help him with his moving since he had to work and everything. But now that I’ve met you, I think it was fate that brought me here~”

“Jake…” Jay said covering his face out of secondhand embarrassment. “Oh, by the way. Uhm… is Jungwon here? At what time is he coming home? I wanted to apologize for something I did this morning.”

“Jungwon? Home? Ah~ Uhm… well, Jungwon doesn’t really live here.”

“He– He doesn’t? But I thought–”

“No, he’s my friend and he came to pick me up to go to the gym with him. He’s also my… roommate’s brother. But he doesn’t live here. Why? Do you need me to relay a message to him?”

“Ah, no, that won’t be necessary. Although if you see him tell him I’m sorry for what I did. I feel really bad.”

“Okay, I’ll tell him, don’t worry. I just hope it wasn’t that bad because his brother is an overprotective nutcase.”

“I might need to start looking for a new apartment then…” Jay said jokingly.

“Don’t worry. I’m pretty sure his brother won’t find out that you want to ram into him later,” Sunoo said and started laughing.

“He told you…”

“He did. He’s my best friend. You really think he wouldn’t tell me some guy was this creepily straightforward and also turned out to be my new neighbor?”

“Look, I’m–”

“Don’t worry. He… he’s fine. In fact… uhm… He’ll come by later tonight. How about I throw you and your brother a little welcoming party and you two can get to know each other better? You know, like normal people and not horndogs on a full moon?”

Jay kneeled on the floor laughing out of embarrassment. He had never felt this embarrassed about anything in his entire life. He wanted to decline, but this was his best chance at getting to know Jungwon better.

“I’m really embarrassed for what happened this morning,” Jay said.

“You should be. If it was me I would’ve called the cops on you for sexual harassment. But~ It wasn’t me and he wants no cops involved. Although~ If you had a cop outfit… he might just like that~” Sunoo winked at him.

Jay started laughing. “You’re terrible. I should say no, but I really want to get to know him better.”

“Then, swing by at nine. I’ll make sure that he’ll be here by then. Alright?”

“Thank you, Sunoo. I owe you one.”

“Nothing like a friendly welcome to the building by pimping my roommate’s younger brother to my new neighbor, am I right?”

“I wanna hang myself,” Jay said between chuckles.

“Don’t worry. You’ll be fine, I promise.”

Jake was looking at this exchange without understanding a single thing, yet smiling throughout everything. In fact, he was waiting for them to finish so he could have his own moment to talk with Sunoo.

“Oh, sorry. Jake was it, right? If you’re free tonight you’re invited to come as well,” Sunoo said.

“I’m completely free. And I would really like to come and get to know you better as well,” Jake said.

“Oh god…” Jay said with a hint of complaint.

“E-Excuse me?”

“Sorry, I just– I couldn’t help but notice that you’re really gorgeous,” Jake said. Jay facepalmed so hard it echoed through the small corridor.

“Uhh…” Sunoo was left speechless by such a chivalrous compliment.

“Please, excuse my friend. He can be a little too much sometimes,” Jay apologized trying to push Jake back into the apartment.

“No, no. Thank you, that’s very kind of you. I was just caught off-guard, that’s all,” Sunoo said.

“See, Jay? There’s nothing wrong with a little honesty every once in a while.”

“But there’s something as too much honesty, right, Jay?” Sunoo looked at him with a smirk. Jay turned around to hide his blushing face.

Jake took the chance to move closer to Sunoo. He asked, “If you’re free on Saturday, can I take you out for lunch?”

Jake noticed how red Sunoo’s ears had turned. He decided to take this chance to show him his killer smile and ran his fingers to pull back his head. Sunoo diverted his sight, meaning he was sort of interested in Jake.

“I’m sorry… I’m not–”

“He’s not interested. Alright, Jake. Let’s go, stop bothering him,” Jay grabbed his arm.

“No, it’s not. I’m not– You’re really kind, Jake. I’m just… I don’t want to waste your time–”

“Waste my time?”

“Waste his time?”

Jay and Jake shared a concerned look. Jake had noticed Sunoo had some sadness lingering in his eyes, but he didn’t want to comment about it. In fact, he wanted to make a million questions right then, but he knew better than to make him feel uncomfortable. Instead, he went with the sincere approach.

“Look, I’m going to be blunt. I find you attractive. You sound like a fun guy to hang with. I would really like to get to know you if you give me the chance. Don’t overthink it. Let’s go out, eat whatever you’re craving, have a nice chat, maybe watch a movie or go to the theater, and I can bring you home safe and sound. Unless you want to–”

“Jake…” Jay warned.

“That sounds really great, Jake. All of it. But…”

“But?”

“But… let me think about it. Okay? If anything, I can ask Jay to give you my number, if he’s okay with it.”

“Wh-? Don’t look at me, I’m fine with whatever you two do. Just don’t force yourself to agree to be nice. Jake can handle rejection pretty well,” Jay said.

“I’ll think about it, Jake,” Sunoo said. “See you later at the party, alright?”

Sunoo’s voice changed from nervous to flirtatious. There was something about Jake that made him feel comfortable, in a pure way. Just how he liked it. Jake, himself, was very handsome, and completely gentle and had a really beautiful smile. Sunoo didn’t want to say no, at all. He was very, very interested in getting to know him, even since he first saw him. But, he also felt very, very guilty to even be interested in him after what had happened earlier at the gym. He grinded on a complete stranger and now, here he was, in front of an actual gentleman with genuine interest in him and unable to force himself to say yes, no matter how much he wanted to.

 “I’ll tell my brother when he arrives. Thank you for the invitation,” Jay said. “Come on, Jake. Let’s go.”

“I’ll see you later, Sunoo.”

“See you later, Jake.”

Sunoo entered his apartment and closed the door. He dropped his bags and himself on the ground. There’s no way he could believe any of this was happening. He kept pinching his arm, slapping his face, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Two incredibly hot guys had been flirting with him. One in a more sensual way and the other in a more innocent kind of way.

This morning had been unlike any other for Sunoo. For the first time in a long time he wanted to look pretty again. He had been taking care of his ex for so long, he wanted to have a nice day out today, so he put on his best clothes, his best lotions, some makeup and a new perfume he was secretly hoping that Heeseung would notice. Sunoo was very disappointed when he didn’t notice how much effort he had put on looking good that day. So, when others did, it felt nice and a wonderful reminder to start moving on with his own life as well.

Someone was knocking at the door. Sunoo’s legs ached and standing back up wasn’t really that easy. But…

“Yes?” Sunoo answered.

“Nothing. I just wanted to see you one more time before I left the building.” It was Jake. “I’ll be back for the party, but I have to go pick up some things first. If you need anything, let me know, I can bring it to you. It’ll give me an excuse to see you again.”

Sunoo smiled and held back his giggles. “I’m fine. Thank you. Just you will be enough.”

“That’s true. I’ll be enough for you,” Jake confidently said, accompanied by a wink.

“Jake!” Jay interrupted. “C’mon man, stop bothering my neighbor or I’m gonna be the one calling the cops on you. I’m so sorry, Sunoo.”

“It’s okay. He was just asking if I needed anything,” Sunoo said, returning the wink at Jake.

“Oh, he’s actually going to the supermarket to pick up some stuff for us. If there’s anything you need or forgot to buy–” Jay said.

“I’m fine. I’ve got everything I need right here,” Sunoo said, not taking his eyes off of Jake. “See you later, Jake.”

Jake nodded and hopped inside the elevator. Before the door closed, Sunoo caught a glimpse at him doing a stupid victory dance. What a dork, he thought. But a cute dork, he added. He was relieved he found someone good at least, and maybe give him a chance. Since the guy at the gym, Jongseong, was way out of his league and reach. Yeah, it was better this way.

Sunoo waved a goodbye to Jay and reminded him to come at nine. Jay said he couldn’t wait. Sunoo realized he had just dropped all his groceries and had to prepare dinner for seven people in less than three hours, not to mention the second order of cupcakes for Ta-Ki. He’d better get to it as fast as he could.

An hour had passed when Heeseung was the first to arrive. Clearly in a horrible mood as he barely said ‘hi’ and went straight to his room. Sunoo wouldn’t be mad if he stayed the whole dinner there and not bother the guests or him. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case whenever Heeseung smelled food.

“What are you making?” he asked.

“I invited the neighbors to come over at nine for a little welcome gathering. I’m making just some simple hors d’oeuvres, a salad, and ricotta and veggies cannelloni for your diet. Doctor said you couldn’t eat heavy just yet, so I–”

Heeseung grabbed his waist and rested his face on Sunoo’s shoulder. He smelled the food and hugged him tight. He said, “Smells really good. Thank you for worrying so much about me.”

“I have to. You promised me free housing.”

“I did. I’m sorry I can’t give you anything better. I had a terrible day.”

“Why? What happened?” Sunoo said, unbothered by the giant koala not letting him cook in peace.

“Had a fight at the coffee shop, then some asshole crashed my car, then at work–”

“Wh-?! What?! Are you okay?” Sunoo turned around and started inspecting Heeseung for any injuries.

“I’m fine. It wasn’t that serious. Just the tip. My car did get smashed and I had to take it to the shop.”

“I’m just glad you’re okay. You just had to go to work, not make me worry like this.”

“You’re worried about me?”

“Of course I am, Heeseung! You’re a terrible driver! Ugh, fine. I’ll drive you to work tomorrow.”

Heeseung wasn’t letting go of Sunoo, and Sunoo didn’t put any resistance either, instead kept inspecting Heeseung’s body for any minor injuries he might’ve not noticed.

“You look really beautiful today. I wanted to tell you this morning, but my brother was here. I didn’t want him to get the wrong idea.”

Sunoo looked into his eyes and a thought popped into his brain. They stared into each other until the oven timer told them to break it apart. Sunoo put on his mittens and took the muffins out. Heeseung scratched his head and looked the other way. Both of them left with a lingering thought.

“So… the neighbors are coming.”

“Yes. I just met one of them and his friend. He said he’ll bring his brother as well, so there’s three.”

“Plus Jungwon, Ni-Ki, you and I. So that’s seven people. Do you think it’ll be enough food for seven?”

“I… I really don’t know. Should we order something instead? And we save this for ourselves for tomorrow?”

“You read my mind. What are you in the mood for?”

Sunoo laughed and started cleaning the kitchen. He promised himself he was going to decorate the muffins the next morning, so he should dress up for the gathering. He told Heeseung to put some nice clothes as well. While getting ready, Jungwon and Ni-Ki arrived as well, sitting down waiting for them at the couch.

“So, what’s the surprise you got me?” Jungwon asked.

“Shh! It’s a secret!” Sunoo whispered hoping that Heeseung didn’t hear anything. “I invited someone to join us for dinner,” he said quietly while nodding towards the door.

Jungwon jumped up in a surprise and went to the mirror to see if he looked good. He asked Sunoo to borrow some stuff for his face and went to primp himself in the bathroom. Sunoo sat down on the couch next to Ni-Ki and Ni-Ki put his arm around him.

“Our little boy is growing up so fast,” Ni-Ki said pretending to cry.

“Soon, he’ll be ready to leave the nest and hatch his own eggs,” Sunoo mimicked. He rested his head on Ni-Ki’s shoulder. “You wouldn’t believe the day I’ve had.”

“Anything interesting happened? Sorry I had to leave you two at the gym, by the way.”

“Don’t worry. I understand. If I tell you a secret, promise not to tell? Not even Jungwon?” Sunoo whispered.

Ni-Ki nodded.

“I quit my job today.”

Ni-Ki’s eyes opened wide, worried about the secret that had just been shared to him. “Are you… are you alright? Did something bad happen?”

“Not much. My boss just did something inappropriate and I didn’t feel comfortable, so I decided to quit. I’ve thought about it for a long time and thankfully I had the courage to do it today.”

“What are you gonna do now?”

“I’ll figure something out. In the meantime, I don’t want Heeseung to know, so please don’t tell him anything.”

“All your secrets are safe with me. Don’t worry.”

Sunoo buried his face on Ni-Ki’s chest, receiving a warm embrace. He just wanted to stay there for the whole night and cry his eyes out. But the knock on the door made him remember he already had other plans.

“I’ll get it! I’ll get it! Ew, guys, get a room. I’ll get it~” Jungwon ran to the door. He tried to straighten his clothes and opened up. “Hey~”

“Hey~” Jay said. “Uh… this is my friend Jake. Jake, this is Jungwon.”

“Oh, hi. Nice to meet you,” Jungwon sheepishly said. “Come on in.”

“Thanks.”

“Nice to meet you too, Jungwon. Thank you.”

Sunoo got up and introduced the little group to each other. Jake got closer to him but didn’t do anything inappropriate. Maybe because this was unexplored terrain for him. But they did share a couple of smiles.

“Oh, we brought you these.” Jake handed him a box of chocolates.

“My brother is just changing clothes, he’ll be right here in a couple of minutes,” Jay said.

Sunoo invited them to sit down. Jake sat next to Sunoo and started talking with him and Ni-Ki, leaving the other two to get to know each other better. Everything was flowing so great and someone was at the door again.

“That must be my brother,” Jay pointed out.

“I’ll get it,” Sunoo said. He stood up, walked to the door and froze as soon as he opened it. “Jong-Jongseong?”

“Sunoo…” Jongseong said. “You- You live here?”

“Jongseong? Wait, what’s going on here?” Jay asked. “You know Sunghoon?”

“Sung-Sunghoon? Didn’t you say your name was–?”

“Wait. What’s going on here?” Jake asked from his seat. “You two know each other?”

“What the fuck are those two doing in my apartment?” Heeseung yelled from the other side. “Sunoo, what the fuck is going on?”