Chapter Text
“Hyung! You’ll never believe this!”
Honestly, Seong Hwa should've been a little more surprised when Min Gi had come up to him as he was finishing up his essay in the library.
He knew the blonde hair wasn't hard to miss, but he never understood how all the younger members managed to find him so easily.
He couldn't help but sigh. "This is a library, Min Gi. Yes, Yeo Sang is working but he won't bend the noise rules for you."
"But this is important." He took a seat across from the business major.
Seong Hwa sighed again, closing his laptop—essay be damned. "What won't I believe?"
"That I'm the only person in my entire apartment who's ever had a real Christmas in the past few years."
The blonde raised a brow. "Define real Christmas."
"The delicious food and the Christmas cake and going to look at the lights and ice skating and-"
"Min Gi-yah, slow down." He waited until the brunette was looking at him. "Where is all this coming from?"
The pre-med student sighed. "I was talking with Yun Ho the other day and he said he missed spending Christmas with people who cared about him. Then Woo Young said that he was usually by himself or with Yeo Sang for Christmas…and San said that he hasn't had a real Christmas since he was taken." Min Gi's frown deepened. "I just want them all to have at least one nice Christmas…and all of us are really good friends so I just thought…I know Christmas is more so about spending time with a significant other but-"
"You want them to have a good Christmas. That's really sweet of you, Min Gi." He then put his laptop away, pulling out his phone. "What'd you have in mind?"
“I wanna do all the stuff that my parents would do with me and my brother.”
Seong Hwa couldn’t help but smile. “...If it’s anything like what my parents did with me and my brother, it’ll be a whole day affair.”
“What’d they do?”
"If my dad was able to get off work in time, then my family and I would go ice skating and then my mom would come home and we'd eat Christmas cake and hot chocolate."
"I wanna find a way to put all of this together! I wanna make this the best Christmas ever, especially for San."
The blonde mused for a few seconds, his fingers hovering over his phone. "I'll handle the itinerary, but don't forget about the most important part of Christmas."
Min Gi tilted his head slightly. "What?"
"What are you gonna get Yun Ho?"
The brunette froze. "...I can't think of anything. He confessed to me our last year of high school, and last year, he was sick. So I don't know how I'm gonna top that. What about you?"
The older blushed, making his hair look white. "...I have an idea, but I'm not sure yet."
"Hong Joong hyung will love anything you got him."
"It's just…he works so hard as a college student and as Wave and I want him to know how much I appreciate him."
"He'll like it, I'm sure of it." The two turned to see Yeo Sang walking towards them. "And it's really sweet what you wanna do for the others, Min Gi. But don't stress yourself out. We still have finals."
"Have you been listening in this whole time?! It was supposed to be a surprise."
"You two looked like you were plotting something juicy and I wanted in. I won't tell the others, I promise."
"Do you wanna help plan?"
"I'm still on the clock and I definitely won't be able to contribute anything monetarily."
"Can you just make sure the others don't find out about it?" Seong Hwa asked. "Min Gi and I will handle the rest. Don't worry about it."
The brunette nodded. "That, I can do." He then turned, sending a quick wave over his shoulder.
He chuckled to himself. Rich people…
"Hyung, is it true you're supposed to get something for your…"special someone" on Christmas?"
Yun Ho didn't look up from the video he was reviewing. "Typically. Why do you ask?"
"What are you getting Min Gi?"
"...I don't know yet. He won’t tell me what he wants.”
“So should I get something for Woo Young?”
The older put his phone down, staring at San in the mirror. “I mean…it’s not required , but I’m sure it’d be fun. I don’t think Woo Young would mind one way or the other. You could smile at him and he’d call it the best Christmas ever—not that we don’t all enjoy it when you smile.”
San brushed his hair from his face. “I feel so new to all this. Like…I know I’ve celebrated Christmas before, but I can’t remember.”
“Don’t stress over it, San. No one’s pushing you to remember anything. It was a lot.”
“I just wish I could remember stuff before Eden hyung took me in, you know? I’m nineteen now, and I was sixteen when I was taken in. I haven’t seen my family since I was thirteen-”
“Hey, hey, Sannie, it’s okay.” He moved to hug the younger dancer.
“...Is it too much to ask to see my family again for Christmas?”
Yun Ho frowned, opening his mouth before closing it again. “I wish it were that easy, Sannie, I really do. But tell you what…this’ll be our first Christmas with a full team, so we’ll make the most of it, okay?”
The brunette gave the older a sad smile. “How are you so okay spending Christmas without your parents?”
“I’m convinced that my parents would rather never see me again if they can help it,” Yun Ho brushed off the other’s concerned pout. “Besides, I have Min Gi and the others…just like you have Woo Young and the rest of us.”
“...So what should I get him for Christmas?”
“Why don’t you ask Yeo Sang? He’s known Woo Young for like…ever, so I’m sure he’ll be able to help you come up with something simple.”
The younger brightened. “That’s smart! I think he’s still working but I’ll text him tonight.”
Yun Ho couldn’t help but laugh at his friend’s attitude change. “We still have like two weeks, Sannie. You have plenty of time.”
“Hyung, you busy?”
Hong Joong took his headphones off, turning to the door of his room. “Oh, Yeo Sang. I didn’t even hear you walk in. Everything go good today at work?”
“Yeah, same old, same old.” He sat on the budding producer’s bed. “Can I ask you a kinda out there question?”
“I feel like no question is “kinda out there” with you all.” He spun his chair around. “What’s up?”
“...How’d you know you had feelings for Seong Hwa hyung?”
Hong Joong paused for a moment before he coughed. Yeo Sang could’ve sworn he saw his cheeks glow pink. “What do you mean?”
“Sorry if it’s a little personal but…”
“Sangie…do you have feelings for someone?” The brunette blushed and Hong Joong gasped. “You do! Do I know them?”
“...Probably. They’re in the music department.”
“Are they a music production major?”
“No.”
“Then if I know them…they have to be some kind of vocal major or something, right?”
“Are we really gonna go back and forth until you figure it out?”
The brunette smirked. “Nah, I’m just messing with you. It’s Jong Ho, isn’t it?”
“That obvious?”
“No, you two have just been getting closer. Also, when you’re the only two single people in the friend group, it was bound to happen eventually. But still…are you not sure? You asked me how I knew I had feelings for Seong Hwa earlier.”
“It’s not that I’m not sure…” He could feel his face heating up. “But…it’s like…I feel a…different kind of love for Jong Ho. Like, I love all of you guys, but the love I feel for Woo Young is different than the love I feel for him. Does that make sense?”
“It makes complete sense. Think about it…do you think I feel the same type of love for you and Seong Hwa?” The brunette shook his head and Hong Joong smiled. “I understand where you’re coming from, Sangie. Why don’t you tell him during Christmas?”
“Seems a little overly romantic, don’t you think?”
“Love is never too overly romantic.”
“Honey, I’m home.”
“...Exhibit A.” He stood, motioning for Yeo Sang to follow him into the living room. “You finally done studying?”
“Min Gi dropped by for the last hour or so, so I was done studying a while ago. It’s not a hard essay though, so I can finish it up later.” He kissed the top of Hong Joong’s head. “How’s your composition final going?”
“For only having one final this semester, it sure is a pain in my ass.” He took out the hairband that kept his bangs out of his face.
“I’m sure it’s gonna be great, Joong.” The blonde then walked over to their fridge, opening it with a sigh. “...We need to go grocery shopping soon. Do you two have a taste for anything? I can try and whip something up but I’m not opposed to takeout. I’ll ask the others if they wanna come over.”
“I’m sure the boys could use a break from studying. But before you do that, we need to have a serious talk.”
The oldest raised a brow, looking between his boyfriend and friend. “Serious serious or serious?”
“Serious. It’s nothing earth-shattering or anything.” Hong Joong sat on the couch, patting the seat next to him for his boyfriend to sit. Yeo Sang took the chair across from them.
Seong Hwa was the first to speak. “Is something wrong?”
“Our second-born has a crush,” Hong Joong said with a laugh.
The older’s brows shot up. “You do?!”
“On our precious baby.”
Seong Hwa rolled his eyes at the boy sitting on his left, turning his gaze to Yeo Sang. “How long have you had a crush on Jong Ho?”
“Honestly…shortly after he got here. I don’t really remember the exact moment but…I really like him hyung.”
“I suggested that he tell him during Christmas, kinda like a Christmas present.”
“I think that’s cute,” Seong Hwa said with a smile.
“But what if he-”
“Yeo Sang,” the brunette interrupted with a sigh. “I’m not the one who can read minds, but between you and me, Jong Ho’s mentioned to me how comfortable you’ve helped make him feel.”
“...When I’m around, he only talks about how much Min Gi’s helped him.”
“I feel like he sees Min Gi more like an older brother,” Seong Hwa countered. “Besides, Min Gi sort of latched himself onto Jong Ho himself.”
“It goes back to the different types of love situation,” Hong Joong picked up. “Aside from the fact that Min Gi is in a happy relationship, I’m sure the love and appreciation Jong Ho feels towards you and Min Gi are different. And as veterans in terms of relationships-”
“If he wanted veterans, he’d probably go to Min Gi and Yun Ho. Let’s not forget that he’s the reason we’re together, Joong-”
“As veterans in terms of relationships…” He ignored the hiss from Seong Hwa as he retracted his elbow from the older’s rib. “I really think that Jong Ho likes you back. He’s not the best when it comes to expressing his emotions-”
“You’d know, for sure.”
“Park Seong Hwa…” He took a breath. “It’s very subtle, but I can tell. He gravitates toward you when we’re together and he just seems the most comfortable around you.”
“Ask him out for Christmas, Sangie.” Seong Hwa then smiled. “In fact…I think I have a pretty good idea of how you can.”
“Hyung? Can I ask you a weird question?”
There were days Seong Hwa just considered changing his name, and the past week was about five of those days.
He finished pouring the milk into the latte he was making, calling out the drink before turning to Woo Young. “No question from you is a weird question.”
“How legal is it to track people online?”
Seong Hwa just blinked at the younger. “...Do I even wanna know why-”
“It’s for San’s Christmas present. I was talking to Yun Ho last night and he said that San wanted to see his family again for Christmas.”
The blonde frowned, focusing on the espresso dripping into the cup. “...That’s a tall order, Woo Young.”
“I know but…he hasn’t seen his family in six years , Hwa hung. And he’s not like us where he hasn’t seen them because he doesn’t want to. I don’t even know if it’s possible…but I really wanna help San see his family for Christmas.”
There was a long silence before the older spoke. “It might be best to see if San still has a missing person’s report. That should—at the very least—have his parent’s phone number or the phone number to the police station in Namhae.”
“Is it that easy?”
“Well, the point of a missing person’s report is to offer resources in the case that the person is found. It’s not supposed to be hard.”
“Okay…I don’t need the sass at nine in the morning. It was a genuine question.”
“And I gave you a genuine answer, Woo Young. Look to see if his missing person’s report is still available.”
“I’ll see if I can find the time.” He looked up as two people approached the register. “Morning, hyungs!”
“How are you always so cheery this early in the morning?” San asked, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
Woo Young practically melted. “Sleep is for the weak.”
“You weren’t saying the last year during finals…”
“I forgot how sassy you are during finals weeks,” Woo Young grumbled at the blonde before turning to his friends. “Where are you two headed this early anyway? We don’t have class anymore.”
“Trying to see if we can get an open studio to finish up this dance before our evaluation,” Yun Ho sighed. “I hate that we pulled contemporary and didn’t pull like hip hop or something.”
“I feel like the instructor knows that we can both dance hip hop like our lives depend on it, hyung. Besides, it’s been fun to switch things up-”
“Says the flexible person. I feel like Min Gi’s tired of me complaining about aches and pains.”
Woo Young finished writing on the cups before handing them off to Seong Hwa. “Well, if you need encouragement or drinks, feel free to text me!”
San smiled, handing his boyfriend the money. “Are you done with all your finals?”
“Unless you three idiots ate my samples and I have to remake them, they should be in the fridge and I’ll just take them to my chef when I get off. Then I’m finished until next semester!”
“You’ll have to make us a celebratory dinner,” Seong Hwa said, laughing at the silverette’s exasperated sigh.
“...I’m tired of cooking. I’m never doing it again until next semester.”
“But what about your Yukgaejang?” San asked with a slight pout.
Woo Young could hear the oldest two trying to cover their laughs. “...If you, Min Gi hyung, and Yun Ho hyung ask me politely, then I’ll think about it.”
“You’re the best, Woo babe!”
“I know.” He handed San and Yun Ho their americanos. “Now, get out. There’s a line forming behind you guys.”
“Bye, hyungs!”
Seong Hwa watched the two of them leave with a smirk before he turned to Woo Young.
“I don’t wanna hear a fucking word.”
The blonde’s laughter rang in the background as Woo Young took the next order.
“Yeo Sangie, are you busy right now?”
“If whatever you need from me can be done while I’m reshelving books, then no.” With no other words, he grabbed the cart, San trailing behind him.
“What should I get Woo Young for Christmas?”
The brunette paused. “...And you’re asking me because…?”
“Because you’re his best friend and I know you know him better than I do, so I came to you.”
“Whoever told you that is a smart person.”
“I’ll let Yun Ho hyung know.”
“...I rescind my statement.”
San laughed, helping Yeo Sang place a book on a shelf that was just out of reach. “So? Has he told you anything?”
“...He mentioned something about wanting his own cutlery set-” He didn’t miss the younger’s wince. “I’ll help you cover the cost-”
“It’ll seem much less personal if you do. I appreciate the offer though…Has he mentioned anything else?”
“Other than the fact that he wants to kiss you under the mistletoe all “Western Christmas movie-style”-”
“Okay thank you, Yeo Sang.” He pouted as Yeo Sang laughed, his face as red as the streaks in his hair. He then gasped. “What if I asked Seong Hwa hyung to help me?”
“But you don’t want me to help you-”
“With anything monetary.”
“Sannie, you’re amazing and so sweet and I’m glad Woo Young is with someone like you…but if I don’t have money, you sure as hell don’t either.” The younger winced again. “I don’t think Seong Hwa hyung would mind helping you.”
“If I could help it, I’d want to get him a gift with my own money…but I still have to pay for school and Eden hyung can only do so much-”
“Ask Seong Hwa. He’ll think that you’re being super romantic and stuff and he’ll help. Besides, he’ll get some extra practice with shaping metal.”
“Hyung doesn’t need any extra practice but I’ll bring that up too.” He hugged the older from behind. “Thanks, Sangie! See you later.” He dashed out of the library, already halfway to pulling out his phone.
Yeo Sang simply watched him leave before he shook his head, going back to his cart. Couples…