Work Text:
1. Jungwon and Sunoo
When Jungwon gets the news that Lee Heeseung has found himself a boyfriend, he is… shocked, to say the least. He wouldn’t call the relationship that he has with the older man ‘familial’, since what they actually are, are heirs to two rival CEOs competing against each other, for permanent monopoly on South Korea’s tech industry. But, Heeseung has been around ever since Jungwon could walk, and there’s a reason why he addresses the blond man as hyung, instead of ahjussi, when it comes to honorifics he stockpiles for non-blood related acquaintances.
The point is, Jungwon has known Heeseung for a long time. and, he has it on good authority that his hyung has had no experience in dating, despite his countless ardent admirers, apart from a four-month stint during senior year in high school, which consisted of shy hand-holding and stolen glances. Heeseung has always been more of the type who focuses on life instead of love, and doesn’t find anything wrong with doing so, but he’s also always been exclusively interested in the female gender, during his adolescent stages, which is what makes the news hard to stomach.
“Maybe, hyung just found ‘the one’?” Sunoo says, diplomatically, his calm tone at odds with the furious manner he’s stirring the bowl of cake batter he’s cradling. “Not everything has to be suspicious, Won-ah.”
“Maybe,” Jungwon says, shrugging. “Or, maybe, hyung’s being taken advantage of!”
An airy laugh escapes Sunoo’s mouth, in response to that statement. “You’re cute.”
Jungwon huffs, a bit irritated that he’s not being taken seriously. “You know what hyung’s like! He rolls over for anyone with a half-decent sob story, and then, we’re the ones who have to clean up his messes!”
Sunoo frowns, setting the bowl down, on the island. “That’s a little harsh.”
“You know it’s true.”
“Yes, but everything always works out, in the end, doesn’t it?” Sunoo counters, turning away. “It’s not like hyung can’t take care of himself. Sure, he’s way too nice, and soft-hearted, but he’s incredible at his job, so you have to give him some credit.”
“This isn’t his job,” Jungwon protests. “This is his heart! I don’t want to be that guy, but hyung might actually be in danger of getting it broken, now that he’s handed it off, to this… this scary Australian guy!”
Sunoo blinks. “How do you know it’s a scary Australian guy?”
Jungwon rolls his eyes. “I did my research on him as soon as Heeseung hyung told us that he wants us to meet him, obviously. Do keep up, hyung.”
“Well, they’re going to be arriving any minute, now,” Sunoo says, waving his hand at the clock hanging on the opposite wall. “Let’s go, out front. We don’t want to appear rude in front of hyung’s boyfriend.”
“It might even the playing ground,” Jungwon says, dawdling a little, on purpose. “We might even get the upper hand, if we make this Jake guy uncomfortable-”
“Jungwon-ie,” Sunoo says, fixing him with a stern look. “This isn’t a business deal. This is Heeseung hyung introducing us to a person he really likes. Do you want hyung to get upset with us?”
“Ugh, you sound like my dad,” Jungwon complains, but dutifully hops off the three-legged stool he’s been perched on, for the last half an hour. “Fine, I’ll be on my best behavior.”
“Hyung,” Sunoo says, reaching out to gently tip the younger boy’s face in his direction, and giving him a deliberate look.
“I- I’ll be on my best behavior, hyung,” Jungwon repeats, taken aback. Feeling a warm blush creep its way up his neck, he turns away from Sunoo, and fidgets with his sweater, keeping his face downturned. “I’ll go- grab a table, for us.”
He hurries out of the kitchen, cursing Jay for always insinuating things about Sunoo’s apparent feelings for him, whenever he gets the chance to, and makes a mental note to eat all the leftovers that his dear secretary keeps in his refrigerator, as revenge.
“Jungwon-ah!” a familiar voice reaches his ears the moment he steps out, into the little dining area of the café, owned by the Kim family. “There you are!”
An involuntary smile breaks out over his face. “Heeseung hyung!” he exclaims, quickening his pace as he speaks. “You’re early!”
And there he is, Lee Heeseung in the flesh, sprawled all over one of the white plastic chairs, like he’s in the middle of a gaming session with his younger cousin, Ni-ki, instead of a social visit. His blond hair is as pale as ever, like he’s recently had it re-dyed, and he looks like he’s still keeping up with his gym routine, considering the way his T-shirt and jeans are stretched out, over his tall frame.
Jungwon’s smile dims a little as his eyes fall on the boy seated beside Heeseung.
If Heeseung reminds him of the season of spring, with his bright personality and amiability, Jake Sim seems to embody the spirit of winter. He’s extremely good-looking- Jungwon has to give him that- but his pretty privilege ends right there, halted by the icy look and bulky clothing he’s sporting.
“Um, hi,” Jungwon greets the newcomer, bowing at exactly forty five degrees, not too high to indicate a general sense of respect, and not too low to indicate I’m not that eager to get to know you. “I’m Yang Jungwon, nice to meet you.”
Jake Sim stares at him for a few seconds, his beanie and puffer jacket sitting stolidly on his body. Then, he jumps to his feet as if electrocuted and returns the gesture, imitating the stance of a perfect ninety degree, and Jungwon gets to hear the man’s voice for the first time.
“Hello, I’m Jake. It’s nice to meet you, too.” Jake's voice is deep, almost uniquely so, but the words appear rehearsed, as if he’s reciting something he’s practised in front of the mirror, a hundred times, before.
“You’ll have to excuse Jaeyun,” Heeseung says, beaming at Jungwon. “He hasn’t been in the country, long, so he’s having some trouble with the way things are done- wait- where’s Sunoo?”
“Back in the kitchen,” Jungwon replies, distracted. “What do you mean ‘long’? And… I thought his name was Jake?” He casts a hasty glance at Jake to check if he’s offended by how Jungwon’s talking about him like he isn’t there, but the Australian returnee seems content to reclaim his seat, and stay silent, letting Heeseung talk.
“He got transferred to my university this year,” Heeseung explains, leaning forward to put his elbows on the table. “About eight months or so, ago. And, Jaeyun is his Korean name. You aren’t allowed to call him that, though.”
“Boyfriend rights, eh?” Sunoo strides into the room, holding a tray of warm chocolate chip cookies aloft, fresh from the oven and smelling like gooey goodness. “Hello, Jake-ssi! I’m Kim Sunoo, you have no idea how excited I’m to finally meet you!”
This time, Jake promptly returns the greeting, and even offers a tentative smile, which Jungwon privately thinks, looks more like a grimace than a grin (Oh, come on, he’s not biased! This guy is probably hoodwinking their hyung; he’s allowed to be mean).
“Are you cold, Jake-ssi?” Sunoo asks, kindly, dropping onto the chair beside Jungwon. “I turned down the heating after we closed up for the evening, but I can turn it up, if you’d prefer it.”
“No, it’s fine,” Jake says, quickly. “It’s way warmer, back in Australia, so I’m not used to the weather here, yet. Don’t worry about it.”
“Yeah, what am I here, for?” Heeseung demands, in mock indignation. “I can serve as Jaeyun-ie’s personal heater, if it gets too cold!”
Sunoo laughs, and nudges Jake gently, making the older male hesitantly smile, again, but Jungwon barely keeps his frown from showing up on his face.
“So, how was your flight?” he asks, trying to make polite conversation. “You should have told us when you’d arrive. We could have met you at the airport-”
“And, kept us up until midnight, while you chattered on about the Sensex and nifties?” Heeseung says, scoffing playfully. “I’m sorry, Won-ah, I love you but not that much.”
“Don’t make me sound like a workaholic!” Jungwon protests, making a face. “Where are you guys even staying?”
Heeseung’s smile twists in confusion. “At my parents’, of course. Where else would we stay?”
He coughs, loudly. “Are you saying that you’ve already introduced Jake-ssi to samchon and sungmo?”
“Yeah,” Heeseung replies, and Jungwon watches in suspended disbelief, as the older man takes Jake’s gloved hand into his own bare one, with a proud look on his face. “They absolutely love Jaeyun-ie. Who wouldn’t? He’s so fucking perfect.”
“Ugh, I’m going to throw up,” Sunoo warns, as he picks up a cookie and holds it up to Jungwon’s mouth. “What’s it like to date this shameless man, Jake-ssi? Doesn’t he make you want to strangle him, sometimes?”
Before Jungwon can accept the cookie, Heeseung parts his lips and turns to face the bundled-up man. “They’re trying to upstage us, Jaeyun-ah. How about you feed me, too?”
“Doesn’t he make you want to hit him, sometimes?”
“Shut up, Sunoo. You don’t get to be jealous just because I’m dating my soulmate, while you’re still single.”
“Oh, you think you’re all that, because you somehow managed to coerce Jake-ssi into believing that you’re boyfriend material-”
“You take that back, Kim Sunoo-”
“No way, dad-”
The shrill sound of a phone ringing interrupts whatever new insult Sunoo was coming up with, and everyone’s attention turns to Heeseung, who’s extracted said device from his jeans’ pocket, and is staring at the screen with an aggrieved look on his face.
“Er, hyung, are you going to answer that?” Jungwon asks slowly, when the phone keeps on ringing and Heeseung doesn’t show any signs of picking up the call.
“I don’t really want to,” Heeseung says, almost whining. “It’s that girl, again. We were partners for this group project once, and now, she won’t stop calling me.”
“Have you tried telling her that you aren’t interested?” Sunoo asks, raising an eyebrow.
“Well… I mean, that isn’t very polite, is it?”
Jungwon sighs, shaking his head in exasperation. “You’re too nice for your own good, hyung-”
A gloved hand plucks the phone from Heeseung’s hold neatly, swiping the green icon sideways, to accept the call. Jungwon’s jaw drops, as Jake raises the device to his ear, and answers, “Lee Heeseung’s boyfriend speaking. Who is this?”
What the fuck?
His gaze swivels from Jake to Heeseung, expecting what, he doesn’t know (maybe an expression of scandalization or horror), but it definitely isn’t the older man looking at his significant other with a soft smile on his face. He peeks at Sunoo out of the corner of his eye, and the foxy-faced boy appears to be as bewildered as Jungwon himself, but none of them move, or attempt to speak up.
“I’d appreciate it if you stopped bothering my hyung,” Jake says, bluntly. “This can be construed as harassment, you know that, right?”
What is wrong with this guy? How can he just talk to another person like that?
“Oh,” Jake lowers the phone and squints at the screen. “She hung up. I don’t think she will be calling again, anytime soon, hyung.”
Heeseung breaks into delighted laughter, as if what he’s just witnessed is a cute magic trick instead of a blatant violation of boundaries. “My knight in shining armor!” he proclaims, accepting his phone back like it’s an afterthought. “How can I ever repay you, Jaeyun-ah?”
Jungwon pokes the tip of his shoe against Sunoo’s foot and jerks his head towards the couple in front of them, subtly. You saw that too, right hyung?
Sunoo hesitantly nods.
“I knew he wasn’t good for hyung! This just proves I was right!”
“I don’t know, Jungwon-ie. Maybe, hyung doesn’t mind it when Jake-ssi behaves like this?”
“What, fight hyung’s battles for him? That’s not healthy! It doesn’t matter what hyung thinks about it, anyway; this is being controlling, not considerate!”
“…you could be right. But… did you notice?”
“Notice what?”
“Heeseung hyung’s face, when Jake-ssi took the phone from him.”
“What about it?”
“I could be mistaken- maybe, it was a trick of the light-”
“Just spit it out, hyung. I won’t judge.”
“…he looked satisfied.”
“What?”
“You heard me. You know how he looks when something he’s been planning comes through, successfully? That’s what he looked like.”
“That’s absurd.”
“Tell me about it.”
2. Jay
What Jay hates the most in the world, is getting woken up abruptly, especially when he’s in the middle of a long, restful nap, after a day full of work, work and more work. To his disgruntlement, he’s often subjected to being rudely dragged out of bed, mostly by his charge, or one of his charge’s minions (Jungwon seems to have an aversion to the word ‘friends’, so minions it is).
However, today, it’s neither Jungwon, nor Sunoo or Ni-ki, who barges into his apartment without prior notice.
“Jay-ah! have you heard, yet?! Heeseung hyung is back in town!”
He cracks one eye open, groaning loudly to express his disapproval. “What the fuck, Sunghoon? You came all the way from Cheongdam to tell me that?”
“So, you have heard!” Sunghoon exclaims, flopping down on Jay’s bed, with little to no grace. For a former figure skater, Sunghoon's surprisingly clumsy, and Jay wonders how people seem to find the clown of a man intimidating, of all things, when he’s nothing more than a puppy with chipped teeth. “And, I wouldn’t have to drive so much if you’d move into Jungwon’s apartment. You know, like a good secretary should.”
“And, I have already told you a million times,” Jay mutters, pulling his blanket over his head to hide his face from the harsh ceiling lights. “I’m Jungwon’s secretary, not his babysitter. Besides, I’m trying to live a normal life. Can you just let me be?”
Sunghoon grabs hold of his blanket and tugs it off of him. “You can live a normal life if you move in with Jungwon, too.”
He glares at his younger brother, and tries to reclaim his blanket. “He lives in a penthouse. A penthouse, Hoon. What kind of normal person lives in a penthouse? You just want me to move in with him so that you can see Ni-ki more often!”
Sunghoon flushes at the accusation, but doesn’t deny it. Instead, he stashes the blanket far out of Jay’s reach and gets to his feet. “I’m serious. You could move in with me, if you want to keep your work and private life separate. You don’t have to cut off all contact with us, just because dad disowned you.”
Jay's frown softens into a concerned look. “Is he trying to boss you around, now?”
Sunghoon shakes his head. “No. He can’t afford to alienate me, now that I’m his only heir left. It’s just… everyone misses you, Jay. Mom wants to know if you’re ever going to return-”
“You know I won’t,” he interrupts Sunghoon, swinging his legs onto the cold floor. “And, she knows it, too. I like it here, and I’m not going back to attending blind dates so that dad can marry me off to some rich guy’s daughter as soon as he's guaranteed a good return from the deal.”
There’s a brief silence, interspersed only by the whistling sounds of wind blowing past the bedroom windows, softly rattling steel and glass in a rhythmic manner.
“But, you’re okay, right?” Sunghoon finally asks. “You’re not… just getting by?”
Jay grins, reassuringly. “I’m more than okay, I promise. Now, what were you saying about Heeseung hyung, again?”
Sunghoon smirks. “He’s apparently brought his boyfriend home, for the holidays.”
“Wow,” Jay exclaims, his mind blanking out. “Wait- what. Wow.”
“I know!” Sunghoon says, laughing. “It’s unbelievable! Hyung wants us all to get together this weekend, for a formal introduction. Have you checked your messages, yet?”
“No,” he replies, dazedly. “This is- wow.”
“Jungwon and Sunoo have already met him,” Sunghoon continues, his words taking on a huffy tone. “Sunoo actually called me to brag about it. I hope he chokes on his cakes and dies.”
“Is that why Jungwon spent all day complaining about some Jake guy under his breath?” Jay says, rhetorically. “He wouldn’t tell me what was wrong but he wouldn’t stop ranting about it, either. It was torture, let me tell you.”
Sunghoon shrugs. “Jungwon has always had a soft spot for hyung. It might just be his overprotectiveness talking.”
“He made it sound like the guy was the devil in disguise,” Jay says, his voice deadpan. “What did Sunoo have to say about him?”
“Not much,” Sunghoon answers, his face scrunching up. “I kept cursing him out before he could finish his sentences though, so that’s probably on me.”
After Sunghoon leaves, Jay realizes that he isn’t going to be able to fall asleep again so, he sets about straightening up his apartment. A cursory glance at his kitchen cupboards reminds him that he needs to restock his snack cabinet, and half an hour later, he finds himself walking into the nearest supermarket, in search of his favourite brand of chips.
As a rule, he doesn’t make a habit of eavesdropping on fellow shoppers, but when he catches the name ‘Heeseung’ from a nearby aisle, he can’t help but listen in.
“-definitely don’t need all this, hyung.”
“What if everyone except us turns into zombies, and we get trapped inside for weeks?”
“…no, we wouldn’t need it then, either because that’s never going to happen.”
Jay peeks around the shelves, and sure enough, Lee Heeseung is leaning against one of the shelf rails, attacking his companion with a trademark Ethan Lee smile, as he holds up a couple of Shin Ramyeon packets.
He grins. What are the chances?
“Never took you for the type to step foot inside this neighborhood, hyung,” he says, emerging out from behind the shelves. “Seems like you’re a changed man, now.”
Heeseung turns, pleasant surprise flitting across his face. “Jongseong-ah! It’s been months!”
“That it has,” he agrees, accepting a brief hug from the older man. “You gonna introduce me?” he asks, nodding towards Heeseung’s companion who, now that Jay thinks about it, seems to be the boyfriend Sunghoon was talking about.
“Word’s probably spread, already,” Heeseung says, throwing an arm around the guy’s shoulders. “But, here you go. Jay, meet Jake, the love of my life. Jaeyun-ah, meet Jay; he’s the childhood friend I told you about. The one who wanted to grow up to become a cool person.”
“I’d forgotten how obnoxious you are,” Jay says, rolling his eyes. “It’s a pleasure, Jake-ssi. If this hyung ever makes your ears bleed, you can count on me to shut him up.”
Jake laughs, and even with the brim of the huge baseball cap shadowing his face, Jay catches the glint of sharp teeth in his smile. “I assure you that the pleasure is all mine, Jay-ssi.”
He steps back, with a polite nod, even as a frisson of unease slides down his spine. “Well, don’t let me keep you. We’ll be seeing each other this weekend, so let’s catch up, then.”
“Stay cool, Jongseong-ie!”
“With all due respect, fuck you, hyung!”
He plunges into the next aisle, and comes to a stop halfway down, already having pulled out his phone to text Sunghoon about how he’s the only one in their group who hasn’t met Heeseung’s boyfriend, yet.
Heh, he’s going to be so mad. Serves him right for waking me up.
jjongsaeng: yo, i met hyung’s bf
sunghoon: WHERE? HOW? WHEN?
jjongsaeng: at the local supermarket. i think he was showing jake around or sm. can u imagine heeseung hyung willingly going somewhere without central heating during winter?
sunghoon: u’re already on first name terms with the guy??? how could u do this to me, jay-ah?
jjongsaeng: calm down, bro. u’re gonna see him in a few days.
sunghoon: what’s he like?
jjongsaeng: we only talked for like a second. he’s really good-looking, tho. great manners, too.
sunghoon: i told u! jungwon was totally exaggerating!
“Put those back, hyung,” a stern voice jolts Jay out of his textual conversation. “Are you going to eat ramyeon the entire time we’re here?”
“But, Jaeyun-ah!” another voice whines, and yep, that’s definitely Heeseung. “you said you’d make it for me, tonight!”
“Yeah, only for tonight- that means, just one pack. The rest have to go.”
“I haven’t had ramyeon in two months, Jaeyun-ah!”
“Those aren’t very good for you, you know that, right? Home-cooked meals are healthier.”
“And, I love everything you make, but, do I really have to cut down on ramyeon?”
“Yes, if you want to live past forty.”
“Aww!”
sunghoon: jay? u there?
jjongsaeng: …hyung hasn’t had ramyeon in two months
sunghoon: um what
jjongsaeng: i don’t know if jungwon’s theory about jake being a witch is right, but there might be some truth in it
sunghoon: ???
jjongsaeng: jake hasn’t allowed hyung to have ramyeon for two months, dude
sunghoon: damn
jjongsaeng: yeah. i know. damn.
3. Ni-ki and Sunghoon
Ni-ki doesn’t know how he ended up in a social circle as its youngest member, but he’s pretty sure that it all began the day his mom sent him off to South Korea to live with his older cousin’s family, because she was too busy dealing with his sisters and her ensuing divorce.
He can’t say that he didn’t hate it, back then. He had been in his early teens, all gangly limbs and pent-up rage wrapped up in a bundle of angst, and even the prospect of spending an indefinite amount of time with his favorite cousin hadn’t been a very appealing one, against the backdrop of his entire world falling apart at the seams.
But, of course, life had to go on (as it always does). He spent countless evenings battling against Heeseung for the crown of the ultimate virtual football champion, got to know Jungwon and Sunoo and Jay, met Park Sunghoon (the extraordinary disaster of a man that he was), and by the time he entered high school, he could confidently say that he wasn’t going to lose his balance as easily, when the rug would be pulled out from underneath him, next time.
(He was wrong.)
“You got a boyfriend?” he hisses at Heeseung, taking care to keep his voice down so that Jake can’t hear him, over the sound of the shower in Heeseung’s bathroom. “You got a boyfriend, and you didn’t think of telling me?”
“You were busy with mid-terms,” Heeseung says, shrugging. “It’s not that big of a deal.”
“I can’t believe you,” Ni-ki hisses some more. At this point, he sounds more like Gollum than a normal Japanese teenager. “You’re dead to me, hyung.”
“How have you become more dramatic, since last year?”
“I demand a sleepover with Jake hyung.”
“You can ask him when he gets out. He’ll probably agree.”
“A sleepover which you aren’t a part of.”
“…Riki, come on. Hyung’s sorry he didn’t tell you, earlier-”
“Ni-ki?” Ta-ki, his best friend, pokes his head into the student council room while Ni-ki’s in the middle of negotiating with the student body president for increasing the dance club’s funds so that they can splurge on a better sound system. “Some college kids are asking around, for you.”
“Whom did you piss off, this time?” Harua asks, popping out from behind Ta-ki.
“The guy with the moles seems scary,” Maki says, shuffling out from behind the other two and sending Ni-ki a nervous glance. “There’s a guy who looks like a cat, and another with squishy cheeks, too.”
Ni-ki turns back to the student body president, who’s watching him with raised eyebrows. "Uh… this conversation is not over!” he says, before hurrying out of the room. “I’ll be back, EJ hyung!” he calls over his shoulder, receiving a defeated sigh in reply.
“Are you going to get beaten up?” Harua demands, following after him, with Ta-ki and Maki hot on his heels.
“Don’t be silly,” Ni-ki says, buttoning up his blazer. “Of course not.”
“Why are you fixing your uniform?” Ta-ki asks, doubtfully. “Are you going to try and intimidate them?”
“If he wants to intimidate someone, shouldn’t he mess up his clothes more?” Maki protests. "You know- go for a gang member style look?"
“There’s going to be no fight,” Ni-ki says, with a calm he certainly doesn’t feel. “I didn’t piss off anyone, and those guys aren’t here for revenge, either-”
“Now, that’s a lie, if I have ever heard one,” a velvet-smooth voice stops Ni-ki dead in his tracks. Harua bumps into his back, making him stumble slightly. “You stole something of mine, and I’m here for revenge.”
“What is he talking about?” Ta-ki whispers furiously, reaching out to grab Ni-ki’s shoulder in alarm. “Ni-ki, don’t tell me-”
Park Sunghoon slides his hands into the pockets of his designer jeans as he makes his way to the middle of the corridor, effortlessly blocking Ni-ki’s path, and sends a swoon-worthy smirk in his direction. “Nishimura Riki, when are you going to tell me where you’ve hidden my hear- ow!”
Jungwon waves at Ni-ki, with the same hand he just used to smack Sunghoon with. “Don’t mind hyung,” the Yang heir says. “Your classes are over, right? We’re here to pick you up.”
“Ni-ki-san?” Maki speaks up, fearfully. “Are you getting kidnapped, right now?”
“You could say that!” Sunoo appears out of nowhere, holding up Ni-ki’s school bag. “But, don’t worry, we’ll return him safe and sound, we promise!”
Ni-ki groans. “I don’t have a choice, do i?”
Sunoo grins in response, as bright and threatening as a dying star. “Nope.”
“You think Jake hyung isn’t treating Heeseung hyung well?” Ni-ki repeats, disbelief obvious in his voice. “Where did you get that from?”
“We wouldn’t go that far,” Jay says, wincing as he hands over Sunoo’s mint chocolate ice-cream to said boy, gingerly. “Jungwon just has a few concerns-”
“This is insane!” Ni-ki frowns, placing his own ice-cream cup back down, onto the linoleum surface of the table they’re crowded around. “Is that why you guys brought me here? Because you want me to spy on Jake hyung?”
“Ni-ki, come on-”
“I should’ve known something was up!” Ni-ki continues, pushing his chair back decisively as he stands up. “I mean, why else would you guys take me out for ice-cream, in the middle of winter?”
“Ni-ki,” Sunghoon catches hold of his wrist, and the younger boy’s heart skips a beat. “We’re sorry if we upset you.”
“I spent way too much time, ordering everyone’s favorite ice-cream,” Jay chimes in. “Hang around a bit more, kid. Please?”
“You can’t just say stuff like that, about someone,” Ni-ki says quietly, reclaiming his chair. “If Jake hyung knew what you’re accusing him of, he would be really hurt.”
“You sound like you know him well, already,” Sunoo comments, leaning forward. “Do you?”
“I’ve spent some time with him,” Ni-ki says, cautiously. “He’s cool. And, Heeseung hyung adores him. It’s sickeningly cute, actually.”
“That’s right,” Jungwon says, as if he’s just proved his point. “Heeseung hyung adores him. But, we don’t have a clue about what he’s like. He could be a major red flag guy, for all we know!”
“Would you like it if someone took your phone to answer a call, without asking for your permission, Ni-ki?” Sunoo asks, patiently. “Would you like it if someone tried to control what you eat, all the time?”
Ni-ki hesitates, worry and guilt warring for dominance inside the forefront of his mind. “Uh- I- I wouldn’t, no-”
“Then, will you help us?” Jungwon pleads, earnestly.
“I still don’t think this is okay,” Ni-ki finally says, shaking his head disapprovingly. “But, fine. Just to prove that Jake hyung isn’t anything like what you guys think he is.”
jake sim (which flag is he?)
ni-ki mouse: this group name is stupid
sunny: u’re stupid
ni-ki mouse: not as stupid as u guys will be if heeseung hyung ever finds out about this
yangjungwon: who’s gonna tell him
reallifeprince: probably jay. he can’t keep a secret to save his life.
jjongcaprio: fuck u sunghoon
reallifeprince: truth hurts bro
sunny: ni-ki status update?
ni-ki mouse: they went to the arcade yesterday. heeseung hyung probably hurt his foot cause he was limping all morning today.
yangjungwon: …
jjongcaprio: …
reallifeprince: …
sunny: …
jjongcaprio: limping?
ni-ki mouse: …yeah. why are u all acting like this. it’s just a twisted ankle or sm.
sunny: u sweet summer child
ni-ki mouse: WHAT
reallifeprince: i’m gonna tell him
yangjungwon: DON’T U DARE
yangjungwon: also i was right. heeseung hyung was LIMPING. poor hyung.
jjongcaprio: now hold on. u can’t just make that assumption.
sunny: he just did
reallifeprince: it might have been a dance dance revolution injury
ni-ki mouse: how do u know they played dance dance revolution?
sunny: …ni-ki
ni-ki mouse: ARE U STALKING THEM
jjongcaprio: no they’re not
ni-ki mouse: THEN HOW DO U KNOW ABOUT DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION
reallifeprince: guys i’m gonna tell him
yangjungwon: i know where u live park
reallifeprince: i know where u live too. what about it.
jjongcaprio: why am i in this group again
sunny: don’t ask me
ni-ki mouse: GUYS?????
When the long-awaited day arrives, Sunghoon’s almost vibrating out of his body, with excitement. Everyone except him has met Jake, and he’s the only one out of the loop (which is not a fun place to be, trust him).
“I’m getting so drunk today,” Jay tells him, as he gets into the car. “Jungwon has been terrorizing me, all week. One would think a college freshman wouldn’t have much time for company politics, but he’s been running me ragged with paperwork and meetings.”
“This isn’t very different from what you would’ve had to do, if you’d stayed,” Sunghoon says, laughing. “I think dad’s regretting letting you leave.”
“Let him,” Jay snorts, pulling on his seatbelt. “We’re picking up Jungwon and Sunoo too, right?”
“Yeah. I asked Ni-ki if he wanted to carpool but he said no,” Sunghoon replies, his face falling. “I’m not that bad of a driver, am I?”
“Maybe, you should just ask him out, instead of… doing whatever it is you’re doing.”
“It’s called flirting, Jay-ah! Maybe, you should try it, sometime. It might get you a real girlfriend.”
“Fuc-”
After about six shots and a half, Sunghoon has to admit that Jake Sim isn’t the villain that everyone’s been painting him as. He’s a great guy, to be honest. He’s about Sunghoon’s age, super intelligent going by his choice of major, really funny and yeah, very handsome.
Sunghoon can see why Heeseung’s dating him. Jake’s getting on with Ni-ki like a house on fire, even though the kid’s been sulking all evening at not being allowed any alcohol, and even Jay’s beginning to warm up to the guy. He has a faint memory of claiming Jake as his new best friend forever, tugging at the edges of his brain, and he doesn’t remember how that went, but judging from the fist bumps and grins that the Australian boy’s throwing his way, his proclamation must have garnered a positive response.
Raising his glass to his mouth, he frowns sadly as his lips meet empty air instead of numbing liquid. He tugs on the sleeve of the person sitting next to him. “Hey, how about another round?”
“I don’t think you should be drinking any more, Sunghoon-ah,” an amused voice answers, and oh right, Heeseung has the seat beside him. “Didn’t you drive here?”
“Hah, you think he’s going to be able to find the steering wheel in his condition?” Sunoo speaks up, from somewhere in front of him. “I’m driving all of us back, so don’t worry about it, hyung.”
“Alright,” Heeseung says, clapping Sunghoon’s shoulder. “Come on, Park. Let’s get you some more of the good stuff.”
He stumbles out of his chair happily, content to follow Heeseung as the older man leads the way to the bar, and pulls up a stool for him to sit down on, while they wait for their orders to be delivered. The bass from the music being played for the dance floor seems to be snaking its way through the foundations of the building, climbing its way up the wooden legs of his stool, and quivering its way into the fabric of his clothes, and then, settling into his teeth and skin and muscles, like an insistently insidious snake. The thought is very funny for some reason, and he almost starts laughing before he realizes something important.
“Well, shit. Hyung, I think I'm drunk.”
“So, should I cancel your order?”
“…no. I want it.”
“…”
“No, really. I wanna get hammered tonight. I wanna forget about all the sad stuff in my life.”
“What kind of sad stuff?”
“Well… there’s a lot. Dad kicking Jay out. Ni-ki not paying attention to me. Us talking about Jake behind your back-”
“…what?”
Sunghoon stiffens, his eyes widening in alarm. “You aren’t supposed to know about that.”
An easy laugh escapes Heeseung, but even in his drunken state, Sunghoon can tell that there’s something strange about its quality. “Well then, how about I tell you something you’re not supposed to know about, and you can tell me about the stuff I’m not supposed to know about?”
A fair trade! Yeah okay, Sunghoon can get behind that.
“You’re on, hyung,” he says, confidently. After all, this is Heeseung. He’s known Heeseung ever since he was a sniveling little kid, coming home from the ice rink with bruised knees and blistered feet, every day. Heeseung was there when he decided to give up figure skating to focus more on higher education, so that he could help Jay and his dad with the family business. Heeseung was there when he was having trouble deciding on universities and spending sleepless nights wondering if he could really make it. Now that he thinks about it, Heeseung has always been a fixture in all of their lives, as an older brother figure, someone honest and responsible and optimistic, someone to be relied on, someone to protect and be protected by-
“Jay came to me for help, six months ago,” Heeseung says, the words sharp and clinical. “I was the one who asked Jungwon to take him on as a secretary.”
Sunghoon stares, his mind muddled and hazy. “What?”
“He said he would rather be disowned than marry someone he didn’t love,” Heeseung continues unemotionally, as if they’re talking about a surgical procedure instead of an event which turned Sunghoon’s whole life upside on its head. “He didn’t know what to do, and I couldn’t let someone of his talents and prestige go to waste, of course. Jungwon needs someone to guide him, and Jay is the perfect person for that job.”
“So… so, you made it possible for him to leave?” he asks, his throat working slowly.
“He’s happy where he is, Sunghoon-ah,” Heeseung says, a kind smile creeping onto his face. Curiously enough, it doesn’t make him feel any more at ease, than before. “You want Jay to be happy, don’t you?”
He hesitates, feeling confused. “Yes- yes, I do.”
Why was I angry, again?
“As for Ni-ki, he’s young,” Heeseung states, and there he is. The ever reliable and omnipresent hyung, who has advice and help ready whenever any of his dongsaengs need it. “Give him some time. He’s probably confused about his feelings, right now. I’m sure that he’ll come around.”
Sunghoon smiles, a little loopy, a little out of it. “Thank you, hyung. You’re the best!”
“Happy to help.” Heeseung raises his glass to take a sip and slides over Sunghoon’s drink towards him. He wraps his fingers around the cold surface, wondering how he didn’t notice the bartender finish preparing them, but gulps down a mouthful, nonetheless.
“So, are you going to tell me why you guys were talking about Jaeyun, behind my back?”
Sunghoon nods, feeling a little guilty. “See, hyung, we didn’t mean for it to get that far. It’s just- Jungwon and Sunoo and Jay thought that he’s kind of controlling and possessive when it comes to you- and they made a group chat and everything so that Ni-ki could spy on you guys and see if there was something wrong-”
He’s cut off as Heeseung throws his head back, bursting into loud, mirthful laughter. It’s at that moment that Sunghoon notices how the strobe lights combined with the club’s dim lighting, converge on Heeseung’s figure, wrapping the man’s body in a cloak of reds and violets and blacks, like he’s something that could walk backwards into hell without any hesitation, while staring god straight in the face.
And then, Heeseung’s leaning closer, resting one of his arms around Sunghoon’s shoulders and his blond hair is back to its normal shade of pale gold, while his eyes are back to being large and trustworthy and deer-like, again. “Sorry, Sunghoon-ah, got a little carried away, there. It’s just funny, what you said, now.”
“I know, right?” Sunghoon says, nodding furiously. “Jake seems like an awesome guy. So, what if he answers your phone for you when you don’t want to, or makes you eat ramyeon less? That just means that he cares for you, right?”
Heeseung stares at him for a few seconds, before his face breaks into a broad smile, as if he’s very pleased with what Sunghoon just said. “Yes. Yes, he does. Jaeyun does care about me. Thank you for approving, Sunghoon-ah. It means a lot, to me.”
“You aren’t angry with the others, are you, hyung?” he asks, anxiously. “I think the ramyeon thing reminded Jay of dad, a little. And, Jungwon was just trying to look out for you-”
“No, of course not,” Heeseung says, his dark eyes glittering with some unspoken emotions that Sunghoon can’t quite get a read on. “Why would I be-”
A heavy weight knocks him sideways, before Heeseung can finish his sentence, making Sunghoon fall halfway off his chair. His drink spills over his hand, cold and vaguely sticky, liquor and ice bits gliding over his fingers onto the spotless counter top, and the shock of it alone is enough to sober him up, partway.
He staggers upright, untangling his legs from the stool’s and turns, stopping short at the sight of a dark-haired girl perched haphazardly on Heeseung’s lap. Said man seems to be completely taken aback, his hands having abandoned his glass to flutter helplessly at his sides.
“Uh- miss-” Sunghoon stutters, his tongue malfunctioning at the unexpected situation he’s found himself in. “Do you need help-”
The girl throws a sloppy wink at him, over her shoulder, clearly drunk out of her wits. “No, thanks! I’ve got all the help I need right here-”
Sunghoon throws a helpless glance at Heeseung, hoping for some direction, but nothing appears to be forthcoming from the older man. He seems frozen in shock, staring down at the girl on his lap, like she’s some alien instead of a human being who’s a little out of sorts with her faculties. For a moment, Sunghoon thinks that he sees his hyung’s eyes flicker sideways, as if searching for someone, but-
“How the fuck are you so handsome?” the girl demands loudly, leaning forward to wrap her arms around Heeseung’s neck. “I wanna take you home-”
Sunghoon squares his shoulders, trying to ignore the churning in his stomach, and starts forward, but someone steps in before he can do much else. He nearly jumps out of his skin, as Jake appears at his side, the shorter man’s dark locks almost blending into the black leather jacket he’s wearing, and giving him the appearance of a phantom of the night.
A firm, long-fingered hand wraps around the girl’s waist and effortlessly drags her off of Heeseung. Sunghoon doesn’t even get to take a second look at her face before Jake is swinging her around to face him, and levelling her with a cold, unimpressed look.
“That wasn’t very appropriate, ma’am.”
Sunghoon feels an unreasonable amount of fear trickle its way down his back. Up until now, he’s witnessed Jake’s easygoing, fun side, the part of him that’s charming and friendly and harmless, like a little golden retriever puppy. But, this Jake, right here? The one that’s just rescued his boyfriend from getting groped by a complete stranger?
This Jake is dangerous, and he isn’t shy about showing it.
He glances at Heeseung out of the corner of his eye, and something heavy slams into his ribcage at the way the blond man’s staring at Jake. It isn’t the grateful look of a man who’s been helped out of an unfavorable position, neither is it someone who’s trying to comprehend the events happening around him. It’s a peculiar mixture of victory and devotion, like Heeseung’s just had his entire belief system justified, and Jake’s the deity who’s granted him that reward.
Heeseung’s looking at Jake like the younger man has hung all the stars in the sky, just for him to look at, every night.
“Sorry!” the girl exclaims, giggling. “I’m just- really floaty right now- whoa, you’re super handsome, too!” It feels as if it happens in slow motion. One second, everything’s fine. The next, the girl’s stretching up onto her tiptoes and pressing her lips to Jake’s cheek in a short-lived kiss, and Sunghoon feels a sense of doom crackle its way through the air.
The girl is pulled back from Jake, a moment later. “I'm so sorry!” a green-haired girl holding her by the arm, apologizes, bowing deeply. “Ji’s really drunk; we left her by herself for a moment but we had no idea that she would run off!”
“It’s alright,” Jake says, seeming unphased. “No harm done.”
“Again, I'm really sorry!” Ji’s friend says, before tugging Ji away. Both of them disappear into the mass of shadows and moving bodies on the dance floor, and that should be it, but-
-the air still feels as charged as ever, even though there’s nothing more to deal with, and Sunghoon’s having a hard time, just getting himself to breathe-
“Do you want to get out of here, hyung?” Jake asks.
Heeseung steps off of the stool he’s been occupying and makes his way over to Jake. "Yes. You don’t mind, do you, Sunghoon-ah?”
Sunghoon meets Heeseung’s gaze, and his heart stops. Those eyes on him don’t belong to a reliable, trustworthy and honest hyung, at that very second. At least, not for him.
“I’ll let the others know that you’re leaving,” he chokes out, the words lying heavy in his throat.
Heeseung smiles. It doesn’t reach his eyes. “Good. I think they already know, though,” he says, gesturing towards the table they’d all been sat at. Sunghoon turns to see four faces turned towards them, half displaying apprehension and half filled with confusion.
“Let’s get together again tomorrow, Sunghoon-ah. Until then, goodbye.”
4. Plus one
“Why did you let them leave?” Jungwon hisses at him, as soon as he sits down at the table. “Did you see Jake-ssi’s face?”
Sunghoon aims a shaky glare at the younger boy as he slumps into his seat. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, okay?”
“He did look really angry, Sunghoon,” Sunoo says, predictably jumping to Jungwon’s defense. “Besides, how’s Ni-ki going to get home, now?”
“We can drop him off, can’t we?” Sunghoon shoots back. He shakes his head, burying his face in his palms. “Can we just stop? This is none of our business, anyway. Do you really think hyung would have stayed with Jake all this time if he wasn’t getting treated right?”
“Why are you suddenly defending him?” Jungwon demands, crossing his arms. “What did hyung and you talk about, over there?”
“It was nothing important. And, I’m not defending anyone. I'm just saying that Heeseung hyung isn’t as helpless as you want to think he is.”
“Are we talking about the same Heeseung hyung?” Jay quips, lazily. “The guy who used to save all the love letters he received, back in high school, because it would hurt the senders’ feelings if he threw them out?”
“You know what? I agree with Sunghoon hyung,” Ni-ki suddenly says, standing up. He reaches out to gently pull one of the older man’s hands towards himself and tentatively entwines their fingers together. “He’s right. So, you can lay off of him. Can’t you see that he isn’t feeling well?”
“I don’t want to fight about this, guys,” Jungwon says, a woebegone look crossing his face. “Look, let’s just check on them for the last time, and I promise I will stop arguing about this.”
“If we left now, it would look really suspicious,” Sunoo points out. “Besides, it’s not like we can just show up at hyung’s house like this.”
“Whatever,” Ni-ki says, shuffling closer to Sunghoon when he feels him pull on his hand. “I'm not spying for you guys, anymore. Jake hyung is totally harmless, and this isn’t fair to him.”
“Let’s just call hyung after he reaches home,” Jay suggests. “To make sure that he’s okay. I’m sure he’ll be fine. Jake’s a pretty great guy.”
“Ugh, fine. I’m not sitting around here, for another half an hour, though.”
“Want to go and get some actual food, Ni-ki?”
“Yeah! I want tteokbokki-”
“I’m not paying for you-”
“So, you’re only going to pay for Ni-ki-?”
“Do we really have to do this here?” Jay asks in distaste, his eyes roving around the kitchen of the Kim’s bakery. “It’s kind of creepy, with no customers around.”
“This is the nearest place to the restaurant where we can do this, peacefully,” Sunoo says, briskly. “Don’t touch anything-”
“Okay, I hit call,” Jungwon says, loudly. “Everyone, quiet down. It’s on speaker.”
Ni-ki rolls his eyes, dropping onto the chair closest to Sunghoon. “Blah blah blah-”
“Ni-ki, I swear to god-”
“Lee Heeseung speaking,” Heeseung’s voice rings out from the phone with startling clarity, making almost all of them jump.
“Hyung, it’s me,” Jungwon answers, his voice perfectly steady. “I’m just checking in. You and Jake-ssi left so suddenly. Is everything okay?”
“Oh, everything’s fine,” Heeseung says, an amused tilt underlining his words. “Did you need anything else?”
“Well, no-”
“Then, do you mind if I cut this short? I’m a little busy-”
“Um, sure. Good night, hyung.”
“Good night.”
Ni-ki grins, waiting for the click sound to indicate Heeseung hanging up so that he can finally start gloating about how everyone should have listened to him, from the beginning-
“Now, where were we, Jaeyun-ah?”
Later, when Sunghoon recalls this moment, he remembers one thing with absolute certainty.
It’s that when all of them realized what was actually happening, none of them could move a single muscle, due to temporary brain death.
“Now, where were we, Jaeyun-ah?” Heeseung asks, the volume a little muted as compared to before, as if it’s been thrown aside carelessly, and is lying facedown on a soft surface somewhere, like a blanket or a pillow.
Sunoo frowns. Has he not hung up? he mouths, waving his hands boisterously, to draw everyone’s attention.
Jungwon shrugs, mirroring Sunoo’s frown, but doesn’t make any move to end the call, and instead increases the volume to maximum so that the sound is audible better, to everyone’s ears.
“Ah, you can’t really talk, can you, with your mouth full of my-” a whine, long and low and desperate, cuts Heeseung off.
Sunghoon’s jaw drops. Are they really-
“Look at you. We’ve barely began, and you’re already desperate-”
“Turn it off,” Jay says, his voice coming out in a croak. “Turn it off- !”
The urgency in the older man’s voice breaks Jungwon out of his frozen stance, and spurs him into action, but his hand jerks, the phone slips, and everyone watches in horror as it goes tumbling down, onto the tiled floor.
“Tell me, Jaeyun-ah, what were you thinking about, when that girl kissed you, back there? Her lips? Her hair? Her skin-?”
Sunoo, Jungwon and Jay scramble for the device, at the same time. Sunghoon jumps off his chair, ready to help but everything seems to happen, all at once. Jungwon hits his head on the counter, tripping sideways into Jay who bumps into Sunoo, sending the poor boy staggering forward. Like a cruel twist of fate, his foot hits the phone, and sends it skittering into the deep recesses of the narrow space, between the floor and the kitchen counter.
“Oh no, fuck-”
“That’s enough. Get up here, sweetheart-”
Jungwon leaps over the island in an amazing display of dexterity, heading straight for Ni-ki whose eyes have blown into the size of saucers. If this had been anything else, Sunghoon would have found it comical, but as it is, he’s only able to nod and dive into action, when Jungwon drags Ni-ki off his chair and out of the kitchen, throwing behind a “get that phone out!” over his shoulder, as he goes.
Sunghoon feels a sudden urge to jump out of the nearest window when Jake's voice, thick with wanton tears and hoarse from committing unspeakable acts emerges from the device. “Heeseung hyung-”
“I mean, think about it, Jaeyun-ah. We were only ever going to end up like this, tonight, weren’t we? Even without that girl-”
Screwing his eyes shut, Sunghoon sends up a quick prayer to all the gods he knows, begging for forgiveness and divine help. This is the worst punishment anyone could have ever thought up, for judging a person without any real proof. If he gets out of this alive, he’s going to confess to Ni-ki, for real-
“-with you, underneath me, begging for my-”
-hell, forget dates, he’s going to ask Ni-ki to marry him-
There’s a soft thud, and Sunghoon dimly wonders if the sound came from the phone, or-
“Use your words, Jaeyun-ah. Tell hyung what you want-”
-never mind, it’s definitely the phone.
“Y- your fingers-! Please, hyung, I- I want your- ah!”
“Why is this counter so large?” Sunoo sobs violently, trying to stretch his hand out as far as it can go. “Why didn’t dad get a smaller counter?”
“Happy place!” Jay shouts, manically. “Go to your happy place!”
“Fuck- you’re a little too sensitive today, aren’t you, sweetheart-”
“I don’t have a happy place!” Sunoo wails. “It got destroyed, like five seconds ago!”
“B- because of you- it’s because of y-you, hyung-”
“That’s right. Here you are, in my room, in my bed, crying on my fingers, because of me-”
“LALALALALALALA-” Jay cries out, in despair. “I can’t hear anything, I can’t-”
“-because you’re mine, Jaeyun-ah-”
Sunghoon’s heart leaps, as his fingers brush against the edges of a small, rectangular object.
“Say it. Tell me whom you belong to-”
“I’ve almost got it- almost-”
“Say my name, Jaeyun-”
“Almost-”
“Y- you! I’m yours, Heeseung hyung, p- please, I’m yours, just-”
“Got it!” Sunghoon nearly bursts into tears of joy as his fingers close around Jungwon’s phone, and he aggressively slides it out, uncaring of scratch marks, or superficial damage-
“Goddamn, sweetheart. Do you have any idea what you do to me-?”
The beep that echoes around the room as he hangs up on the call is so deafening that Sunghoon thinks it’s probably been heard by Jungwon and Ni-ki too, and they aren’t even anywhere close to the kitchen right now.
“What just happened?” Sunoo demands, weakly sitting up.
Jay undergoes a full body shudder as he collapses on the floor. “Karma.”
All through the following week, no one can look either Heeseung or Jake in the eye.
When their day of departure arrives, Sunoo finds himself almost glad to see them off, no matter how guilty or mean it makes him feel. As he exchanges glances with the other four boys, while they’re saying their goodbyes to the couple, he knows that all of them are thinking about the same thing he is.
He doesn’t think he’s ever going to get that phone call out of his head. Not while Heeseung and Jake are still around.
The evening after, they met up at Heeseung’s for a movie night, courtesy of Ni-ki begging Sunghoon to not leave him alone which led to the Park heir dragging all of them, to the Lee residence. It was awkward, probably the most awkward gathering Sunoo had ever been to, and he had been Jungwon’s plus one to a lot of hors d’ oeuvres worthy events.
He doesn’t know about the others, but personally, once Sunoo saw it, he wasn’t able to unsee it, after.
It was so obvious, in hindsight, now that he thinks about it. The way Heeseung is always a step behind Jake, hovering in the man’s personal space like it’s his birthright and the younger man doesn't mind it at all, the way Jake’s always seeking out Heeseung when he needs reassurance, the way Heeseung always has to have some form of physical contact with Jake when they’re in the same room, as if he will go crazy, otherwise-
The way Jake appears so fucking small and delicate, when he’s by Heeseung’s side-
The fact that their innocent, goofy Heeseung hyung isn’t exactly the same guy in bed, was hit home harder when they were met by the sight of Jake being helped down the stairs by the older man, when all of them were clustered in the living room, waiting for the movie to be chosen. Sunoo definitely glimpsed the edges of a few hickies scattered near the collar of Jake’s oversized sweater, and what seemed to be hand-shaped bruises around his wrists, and now he can’t even hear either of the men speak without being reminded of those, which is a shame, honestly-
Jake is quite lovely company, now that he’s opened up to all of them, and Sunoo’s sure that he’s going to miss Heeseung as soon as the two leave.
Even now, Heeseung’s got a possessive arm wrapped around Jake’s waist as Jungwon hugs both of them goodbye. Sunoo watches the Yang heir whisper something in Jake’s ear, before he’s shoved aside by Ni-ki who wraps himself in his older cousin’s embrace for all of two seconds, and then, throws himself backwards in disgust, like the tsundere he is.
“What did you say to Jake hyung?” Sunoo asks, his voice low when Jungwon returns to his side. “Did you give him a mini shovel talk or something?”
Jungwon huffs, but it seems a little subdued. “No, it wasn’t anything like that. I know I was wrong, okay? I just told him that I was glad he was dating hyung, and that he could call me if he needed anything.”
Sunoo smirks, taking his chance and wrapping an arm around the younger boy. “Still meddling, huh?”
“I hate you.”
“Nah, you love me.”
“In your dreams-”
“Speaking of dreams, do you think Sunghoon hyung is having nightmares or something?”
“Why do you say that?”
“Eh, just the way he keeps telling us not to worry about Heeseung hyung too much because apparently hyung can take care of himself. He might be suffering from sleep deprivation.”
“He’s probably high because Ni-ki agreed to go on a date with him.”
“Yeah, Heeseung hyung might be like that when it comes to you know what but he’s still a huge softie, right?”
“Right.”
“…”
“Sunoo hyung, can you get your hands off me, please?”