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"C'mon chat! I get one more chance, right?"
Minsoo barely spares a glance at the screen actually displaying the chat, but laughs anyways. "Aw, I knew you guys would back me up on that!"
He queues up for another round and meanders through the lobby while he waits for the game to start.
The second person to join has the username of "hunniebear" and they've got voice chat on, and a mischievous idea comes to mind.
"We're gonna troll 'em, guys. Sound fun?"
Minsoo grins, turning on the in-game voice chat.
"Hey 'hunnie,' come here often?"
He's not expecting a burst of laughter from the other player, but he laughs along with them.
"Dude, I was not expecting that! Let me know you're gonna flirt with me before saying that shit!"
Minsoo's surprised by the other player's voice. It's deep, almost honey-like, but the in-game character is a lot more feminine than he sees most guys use.
"You're a guy?" Minsoo wheezes.
"...did you just hit on me because you thought I was a "gamer girl" or something?"
"Nah. With that sorta username, you're asking for pick-up lines."
"Well. That's kinda my name, so-"
"What?! Your name is Hunnie?"
Hunnie (???) laughs again, and Minsoo can't help but think that he's in love with his voice. "Nah, Hunnie's just a nickname. I'm assuming "2ms" isn't your name?"
"I'm Minsoo!" Minsoo crows. "Oh, by the way, I'm live right now, so..."
"Well, hello chat. How does it feel knowing your streamer goes for gamer girls?"
"I do NOT-"
"Just admit it dude. You're into catgirls too, aren't you."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"...I'll explain when you're off-stream. If you're down to chat then, of course."
"Well now I need to know what you're trying to imply about me," Minsoo frowns. "Just friend me already, coward."
"...can we get a Pog in chat for Minsoo getting his first friend because of catgirls?"
"YOU-"
———
Minsoo's surprised to see an actual friend request from Hunnie in his inbox, but he doesn't complain. No, instead he accepts it, and immediately opens a private message with him.
2ms
so what did you mean with the catgirl thing
OH GOD YOURE A MOBILE PLAYER???
hunniebear
lol
surprised i managed to beat your ass on mobile?
2ms
TOU DID NO SUCK THING!!!
hunniebear
haha. suck.
2ms
SHUT
seriously dude what do u mean about the catgirls
hunniebear
you like girls in cat ears, duh
or with those cat ear headphones
like a real gamer girl would have
2ms
do you have a discord i need to bully ur ass on there
hunniebear
DJFHDJNFKD
yeah it's hunnie#XXXX
2ms
>:)
hunniebear
oh god
what have i done
———
short king
BITHC
MOTHFURCKER
IM NOT INTO GAMER FIRLS
hunnie
says user "short kink"
king
king
king
short king
SIFHEIHFSKHKF WHAT ARE YOU DOING OT UR PHONE
THAT KINK IS AN AUTOCORRECT???
hunnie
omg a keysmash
i knew you were ✨fun✨
and u don't need to worry about that
short king
what does "✨fun✨" mean
like. mentally ill???
hunnie
WKJFIDHFKDJK WH HA T
short king
no so my friend does the sparkle thing around the words spicy thoughts
like. is that like the spicy thoughts??
hunnie
NO I MEANT GAY???
ALSO IS UR FRIEND OK
short king
oh donworry about him
his life motto is that he's too hot and sexy to die
i can testify
...
hunnie
YOUGHIRH YO UWHAT
short king
fuck !
i may be a little gay !
hunnie
wait ur. minsoo?
from mayhem?
short king
🔪 if u share abything in this dm i kill u
but ye
hunnie
ahhh so you're tlaking about d.min
no yeah he's hot
also dw abt screenshots we're kinda in the ssme boat here
short king
Like? Streamer?
or
hunnie
idol lmao
u will nevr guess which one i am tho >:)
short king
bitch
hunnie
why ✨💖thank you💖✨
short king
what do u mean thank u
hunnie
I'm a bitch -3-
short king
does ur bf calk u that or smth
hunnie
fwbs, but yes
short king
ur prolly one of my seniors huh
feels weird to hear abt ur sex life
hunnie
ahh you don't get any ass, do you
short king
NO????
I AM BOOKED AND BUSY!!!
hunnie
rip
ah gtg group meeting
ttyl?
short king
sure!
ur chill i like u
hunnie
we met two hours ago because you flirted with me
but same
see ya later short kink
short king
...
that was autocorrect, right?
bitch
NO FUCK YOU LIKE THAT, DONT YOU
GET BACK HERE
ok fine be like that >:(
o. wait u had to go.
ah. well. goodnight !
———
Somehow, Hunnie (Minsoo's sure he's got "hun" somewhere in his full name) just becomes a normal part of Minsoo's life.
It's just their thing — they'll send each other texts when they're bored, and come back an hour or two later to a reply. The only time they have for full conversations is at night, which is all the proof Minsoo needs to know that Hunnie does, in fact, have a sleep schedule almost as messed up as his own.
It's... it's nice. Having someone to talk to almost fills up the hole Minsoo's felt for... a while. It's not his fault he and Dongho have drifted apart, but is he replacing Dongho now?
The thought hits him when they're in the van, heading to some interview Minsoo could care less about, but before he can say anything, his phone pings.
Dongho glances at him quizzically, but Minsoo's already typing away.
———
hunnie
owa owa
short king
HI
I MISSED U
hunnie
omg simp
what r u doing
short king
going to an interview >:(
hunnie
omg same
hope it goes well :>
short king
>:(
my dumbass brother's onna be there
so no i will not enjoy it
hunnie
ahh
rip
gtg stylists need me
short king
ahh bye bye
———
The interview goes about as well as expected.
Minsoo knows he's being short-tempered and snappy, but who can blame him? That's just how gets in close proximity to Minsung!
Sure, he gets why Manager Choi spends most of the walk back to the van lecturing him about acting professionally — they had to cut the cameras three times because of him, for crying out loud — but at the same time, they just don't get it.
Dongho's giving him a look for the majority of the time they spend driving back to the dorm, and Minsoo barely has time to snap at him before getting dragged out to the balcony.
"What's your problem, Minsoo? This interview is important, I thought you'd care about it more than you did."
"...sorry."
Dongho sighs. He's frustratingly patient, so for him to get like this...
"Sorry doesn't cut it, Minsoo. I'm surprised you're not getting pulled into some meeting about what happened. Listen, I get you don't like your brother, but you can't just-"
"You don't get it," Minsoo frowns. "It's not like you even have a brother."
His words fade into a deathly silence, Dongho staring at him with a strangely hurt expression.
"...what happened to you?" Dongho says quietly. "You used to call me your brother, and now- forget it. Fine." He sighs, quick and irritated. "Fine. I'm going to the studio. Don't come to get me, I'll come back when I feel like it."
"Dongho, wait-"
"No. I get you're upset, but that doesn't mean you get to take it out on everyone else."
Dongho shuts the balcony door, and Minsoo watches through the window as Dongho stalks down the hallway to the entryway.
He sinks to sit on the balcony, strangely hurt.
Minsoo pulls out his phone.
———
short king
well that fucking sucked
hunnie
o?
short king
snapped at my brother too much
manager's mad at me
dongho's mad at me
hunnie
...ok?
i mean. were you disrupting the filming?
short king
...yeah
listen it's a good thing i didn't punch him
hunnie
ah
well
consider therapy???
short king
why
hunnie
if u literally get Violent when u see ur brother
to the point you're bothering the ppl around u
u need help
im not saying that in a mean way btw
short king
mmmmmmmmm
hunnie
listen
im saying this bc my groupmate is currently Very upset abt his sibling
bc like. he doesn't hate them
but they seem to hate him and he's kinda sad abt that
and i just feel like you might not realize ur brother doesn't hate u???
short king
he stole my fuckjng song
auditioned for the same company i wanted to getinto
he got in
and now he's in one of the top groups and I'm stuck in some shitty company bc of him
how can i Not want to punch him
hunnie
take iup boxing??
i dunno, maybe text him???
short king
lol u think i still have his numbr???
hunnie
o
i see
uh.
✨therapy✨
works wonders for ur brain
short king
...
ill think abt it
hunnie
:>!!!
if u wanna try the therapist i go too, i can send u his number?
short king
.
ok
thanks
———
"Hello everyone! I think we're just gonna get right into it, because we have a special guest today! So many of you wanted him-"
"Them."
"Them back, so please welcome Hunnie to the stream today!"
Minsoo grins, watching as some of the people in chat start spamming NonbinaryPride, and spins around in-game to find Hunnie
"...you're nonbinary?"
"...yeah? Is there a problem?"
"No! I just noticed people spamming a pride emote, so-"
"Aw, really? Thanks chat," Hunnie says flirtatiously, and Minsoo just laughs.
"No flirting with my chat, only I get to do that!"
"I'm stealing them. My chat now."
"Hunnie," Minsoo whines, "Don't steal my chat!"
Hunnie laughs, and god, Minsoo missed their honey-deep voice, and clears their throat. "So I can't use you for clout?"
"You b- spoon."
"Can you not swear?" Hunnie laughs. "Chat, chat, listen: Minsoo swears like a sailor when we're texting, it's hilarious."
Minsoo just groans, peeking at chat. "...they're all saying that they know that already.... aish, I don't slip up that much!"
"He calls me a bitch a lot."
"Yeah, because you joked about liking it!"
It's quiet, and then Hunnie's mic cuts back in.
Minsoo wheezes a bit. "Did you laugh hard enough that your mic cut out??"
"Yes."
"Oh my god."
Any plans they had made for the stream get thrown out the window, lost to their seemingly never-ending banter, and Minsoo barely realizes that until later, once the stream's ended and he's laying awake in bed waiting for Dongho to come back.
Dongho's not mad anymore — it's been nearly a month since that interview — but Minsoo still feels like Dongho's been avoiding.
He'd been wondering if he had replaced Dongho, and now he's almost sure what the answer is.
Maybe he has.
———
Minsoo's not expecting to get a call when he's walking back to the dorm, especially not one on discord, but he only has to take one look at the caller before picking up.
"Hey Hunnie. What's up?"
"Nothing much! Are you busy today?"
Minsoo hums, trying to remember if there's anything scheduled later in the day. "...I don't think I've got anything for the rest of the day, I was just heading home from therapy. Why're you asking?"
"I was just wondering if you wanted to meet up. We're both in Seoul, so-"
"Wait, really?"
"Yeah," Hunnie says. "I mean, we've been talking for a while, and I know what you like, but you don't know what I look like, so why not just meet in person?"
"...why not just send a photo?"
"'cause I wanna meet you!"
Minsoo laughs, endeared. "Alright. Anywhere you wanna meet?"
"...that park near the Han River?"
"Sure! Do you wanna grab lunch after that, or...?"
"Oh, of course. I'll be there in like... 10 minutes?"
Minsoo smiles to himself. "Sounds good. You'll have to surprise me, though, I don't know what you look like."
"Oh, I will," Hunnie says, laughing. "Don't worry about it."
———
Minsoo winds up sitting on a bench, swinging his legs as the wind brushes his face.
He's not quite sure what Hunnie's going to look like, but... they're an idol. Surely they'll be pretty, at least.
His phone's buzzing a bit, but none of them are from Hunnie. It's all from Dongho, wondering where he is.
Minsoo's about to text him back, but then someone presses hands over his eyes.
"Surprise, Minsoo!"
"Jesus, Hunnie, what the fuck?"
Minsoo turns around, laughing, and meets Hunnie's eyes.
"Oh- hello, Kyunghun... it's nice to meet you!"
Kyunghun laughs, caramel-brown hair flowing over their shoulders. "It's nice to meet you too, Minsoo."