Work Text:
"Who are you texting so much?" asked Junsik, raising an eyebrow curiously. It was, perhaps, the tenth time Sanghyeok had lost track of the conversation, completely absorbed in typing on his phone.
"No one," he replied quickly, placing the phone on the table with a movement that seemed too rushed to be casual.
"Are you hiding something, Sanghyeokie?" Uijin asked, raising an eyebrow in pure suspicion.
"Yeah, what are you hiding?" added Jaewan, pointing at him dramatically with an accusing finger.
"Nothing. It’s just work," Sanghyeok said, shoving a large bite of food into his mouth as if that could shift their focus.
This was a recurring scene. Whenever Sanghyeok had free time, he would invite his closest group of friends over for a meal at his house. The atmosphere was usually relaxed and filled with jokes, but that afternoon, something in the air piqued their curiosity too much to let it go.
"Guys, stop, don’t pressure him," Jeesun intervened, though the amused smile on her lips betrayed her words. "He’ll tell us when he’s ready."
"There’s nothing to tell!" Sanghyeok insisted, frowning as he glanced at his friends, genuinely confused—or at least trying to seem so.
"Come on, Sanghyeokie," Uijin pressed, refusing to back down. "You almost never touch your phone unless it’s to play chess, and now you can’t stop texting. Something’s up."
"I told you, it’s work," Sanghyeok said again, though his tone was becoming less convincing.
"So, it’s just work?" Junsik asked, drawing out the words as though trying to corner him with a scrutinizing look.
"Yes, just work," Sanghyeok repeated, now visibly more uncomfortable.
"Can’t the person you’re talking ‘work’ with wait until you’re done eating with your friends?" Jaewan questioned, crossing his arms and eyeing him skeptically.
Sanghyeok opened his mouth to respond, but no argument seemed solid enough.
"…No," he finally admitted, just as three messages lit up his phone screen in rapid succession.
Junsik, sitting closest to him, moved with cat-like reflexes and managed to read the sender's name before Sanghyeok could react.
"Who’s Jihoon, and why is he asking if he can come over to…?" he started reading, but didn’t finish the sentence as Sanghyeok practically dove to snatch the phone and hide it.
"Jihoon!" Jeesun exclaimed, letting out a gasp of surprise. "Jeong Jihoon?!" she asked, staring at Sanghyeok with wide eyes.
For a moment, Sanghyeok froze, his entire face now a deep, undeniable shade of red.
"Who’s Jihoon?" Uijin asked, glancing around the table as if expecting someone to offer an explanation.
"Jihoon…" Junsik murmured, stroking his chin in thought. Then his eyes widened in realization. "Chovy?!" he exclaimed, pointing at Sanghyeok incredulously.
"Chovy?!" Uijin and Jaewan echoed in unison, their voices resonating through the room.
"It’s not what you think!" Sanghyeok blurted out, desperate, gesturing with his hands to calm them down.
"Then why is Chovy asking if he can come to your house?" Uijin pressed, leaning forward.
"Are you two dating?" Jaewan asked, clearly intrigued by the idea.
"And you didn’t tell us? To us?!" Uijin added, offended.
"Do we need to give him the talk?" Junsik asked with mock seriousness, prompting Jeesun to burst out laughing.
"Intimidate him so he knows his place?" Jaewan chimed in, joining the teasing.
"Stop it! It’s nothing like that," Sanghyeok said, raising his hands before taking a sip of water to steady himself. His face still felt like it was burning. "We’re just friends," he clarified, though the doubtful tone in his voice wasn’t helping his case.
The table fell silent as everyone raised a synchronized eyebrow.
"Really?" Junsik asked, making it clear he didn’t believe a word.
"Yes, really!" Sanghyeok insisted, avoiding their gazes.
"And since when are you two so close?" Uijin questioned suspiciously.
"We’re not that close," Sanghyeok replied quickly.
"But you said you’re friends," Uijin pointed out.
"And he’s asking to come over… at night," Jaewan added, emphasizing the last words.
"Yeah, because we need to discuss something work-related. I already told you!" Sanghyeok snapped, sounding increasingly defensive.
"On a Friday night?" Jeesun teased, her grin widening as she played with her glass.
"Yes, what’s wrong with that?" Sanghyeok shot back, frustrated.
"You know we’re fine with whatever orientation, right?" Junsik said seriously, but with a hint of tenderness.
"Yeah, we’ll support you even if you bat for the other team," Jaewan added, making Sanghyeok nearly choke on his water as the rest burst into laughter.
"What Jaewan meant to say," Junsik interjected quickly, shooting him a reproachful look, "is that you can trust us. We’ll support and love you no matter what."
"Yeah, Hyeokie," Jeesun added with a warm smile.
"I know! But I promise you, this is nothing more than a friendship," Sanghyeok said, wishing the conversation would end there.
"For now?" Jaewan quipped, grinning mischievously, causing Sanghyeok’s face to flush red all over again.
"I…" Sanghyeok began, but the words seemed to catch in his throat.
"Do you like him?" Uijin asked bluntly.
"We won’t pressure you, Sanghyeokie. You don’t have to answer," Jeesun said with a comforting smile.
"No, yes, he does need to answer!" Uijin declared with determination.
"We need to know if we should keep an eye on that guy," Junsik added, earning another disapproving look from his wife.
Sanghyeok sighed, defeated. "Honestly… yes," he finally confessed, so embarrassed he could barely meet their eyes.
The room erupted in gasps, laughter, and exclamations, while Jeesun let out a small squeal of delight. She’d known for a while—she’d just been waiting for confirmation.
"And does he like you back?" Uijin asked, still processing the revelation.
"Of course he does! You’re both so obvious," Jeesun chimed in, leaving Sanghyeok staring at her in confusion.
"Really?" he asked, still uncertain.
"Are you kidding me?" Jeesun replied, laughing. "It’s written all over his face every time he sees you!"
"Well, I tried not to be so obvious…" Sanghyeok admitted, scratching the back of his neck with a hint of embarrassment.
"He's the only person you treat with such familiarity outside your teammates," Jeesun remarked playfully.
"Now that you mention it… that's true," Junsik said, nodding slowly. "I've only ever seen you this comfortable with him."
"Wah! Our Sanghyeokie is in love!" Uijin exclaimed, clapping enthusiastically.
"Finally!" Jaewan chimed in, raising his hands as if celebrating a miracle.
Sanghyeok let out a heavy sigh, burying his face in his hands as laughter and teasing filled the room. He’d known opening up to them would lead to chaos, but he hadn’t anticipated this level of intensity.
"It’s not that big deal," he muttered from behind his hands.
"Of course it is!" Uijin retorted. "It’s been years since you’ve told us something like this."
"True. I didn’t see it coming," Junsik added.
"And especially not with… Chovy," Jaewan said, his tone still laced with disbelief over Sanghyeok’s choice.
Sanghyeok looked up, rolling his eyes. "I really don’t understand why you’re making such a big fuss about this. It’s… complicated. I’m not even sure he feels the same way—at least, not as clearly as I do."
"Oh, please. Complicated?" Jeesun crossed her arms, unimpressed. "The only complicated thing here is how oblivious you can be. Don’t you see how that guy looks at you? He gets nervous every time you’re near him. It’s like he’s walking on thin ice whenever he talks to you."
"That’s because he’s shy," Sanghyeok said, trying to sound neutral, though a faint trace of tenderness crept into his voice.
"Yes, but because of you. He’s not like that with anyone else," Jeesun countered, flashing him a knowing smile.
Sanghyeok frowned slightly, opening his mouth to argue, but Junsik beat him to it:
"So, how did this all start, huh? When did it happen? How?"
"I have so many questions," Uijin added, nodding enthusiastically like he was conducting a serious investigation.
"Spill everything," Jaewan demanded, leaning on the table with pure curiosity written all over his face.
Sanghyeok studied them for a moment, recalibrating, as if searching for a concrete answer somewhere in his memories. The truth was, there wasn’t a single defining moment. It had been something gradual, weaving itself together so subtly that he hadn’t realized it until it was impossible to ignore.
"Well… I think it started last year, especially during the Asian Games," he began, his voice quieter than usual, as though he were confessing something deeply personal.
"I told you he came back acting weird!" Uijin interrupted, pointing at the others with enthusiasm, and they all nodded in agreement as if validating a universal truth.
"Go on, go on," Jaewan urged, waving his hand impatiently for more details.
Sanghyeok let out another sigh before continuing:
"Well… we started talking more. It's easy to strike up a conversation with him because he’s friendly and considerate, so it’s never awkward. Plus, unlike the others, I don’t intimidate him.”
The faint pink tint on Sanghyeok’s cheeks deepened, triggering a wave of smiles and knowing glances among his friends.
“Our Sanghyeokie likes brave ones,” Junsik commented with a mischievous grin.
Sanghyeok rolled his eyes, but the smile tugging at his lips betrayed him, revealing more than he wanted to admit.
“So, should we try to get closer too?” Uijin asked, tilting his head with apparent innocence.
“We’re his brothers-in-law, right? He has to earn our approval,” Jaewan declared, adopting an exaggeratedly serious tone that made everyone laugh.
“Let’s invite him to a stream,” Junsik suggested, confident he had just come up with a brilliant idea.
“No!” Sanghyeok exclaimed, almost immediately, his tone sharp enough to capture the full attention of the table.
The others looked at him, surprised by the speed of his response.
“Why not?” Uijin asked, raising an eyebrow.
Sanghyeok crossed his arms, as if to reinforce his stance.
“I know you guys. You’ll scare him,” he answered, trying to sound firm, although the image of Jihoon dealing with his friends made him feel both nervous and amused.
”Sanghyeokie, you should know that before he can ask for your hand, he has to pass a few tests,” Uijin said dramatically, while the others nodded eagerly. “And the most important one is winning over the brothers-in-law,” he added.
“Yes, but not yet. Wait a little bit,” Sanghyeok said, trying to sound resolute, though the slight hesitation in his words betrayed his nerves.
The others exchanged glances, a silent conversation in which they seemed to be debating, but eventually, they accepted his request.
Or so Sanghyeok thought, because just a few days later, Junsik was casually inviting Jihoon to play ARAM with him. And to top it off, it wasn’t just him—Jeesun and Hyeonjun were also joining.
Sanghyeok could feel his face heating up as he read the interactions in the stream chat. He couldn’t believe how quickly his friends were moving, as if they hadn’t heard his request to be cautious.
Sanghyeok closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. Why couldn’t they just follow basic rules of discretion? He had barely asked for a little caution, and instead, here they were, fueling the theories and speculations that were already circulating in the community.
He saw how Jihoon, for his part, didn’t say much after the initial greeting and a few words, though he seemed attentive, probably trying to make sense of the chaos his mere presence had caused. And rightly so—nothing about this situation was normal.