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Sanghyeok had always been careful about keeping his feelings hidden. Watching Hyukkyu stream late at night became his guilty pleasure. He justified it as a way to relax after a long day, but deep down, he knew it was more than that. It was a way to get to know him and become close without crossing any boundaries. He always wanted to get close to Hyukkyu, however it was always as if there was an invisible wall between the both of them that prevented it. The way Hyukkyu’s soft smile lit up the screen, the way he laughed, and even just his voice alone never fails to draw Sanghyeok in every time.
One evening, as Sanghyeok watched from the quiet shadows of his room, Hyukkyu’s chat seemed more excited than usual. Sanghyeok could probably guess it was because of the KT event taking place the following week where the fans get to meet them for a short while. Sanghyeok secretly wanted to go too. Wouldn’t that be a surprise. He let out a small laugh at just the thought of it. However, he was Faker. And the amount of unwanted publicity it would bring to the both of them would not be convenient. Especially since they weren’t close to begin with.
Reading the stream of comments on the live, the fans were flooding the stream with questions about what gifts he’d like to receive. Right, they get to bring gifts. At first, Hyukkyu didn’t pay any mind to the question, but the fans didn’t seem to want to back down and kept asking throughout the entirety of the live. Guess they really want to spoil him, huh.
Eventually, Hyukkyu finally did address the question.“Why do you guys keep asking me what I want? Anything is fine,” he said. That answer didn’t seem to please anyone really, as seen by the fans who rejected that answer and insisted on knowing what he would like to receive from them during the event. “What would I like, huh? Let me think…” He crossed his arms and tapped his chin before his eyes lit up. “How about a giant alpaca plushie? You know, one the size of my bed. That’d be perfect,” He answered jokingly with a straight face and a small smile.
The chat exploded with laughter and playful complaints, fans spamming emotes and messages like “Seriously, Hyukkyu?!” and “Where am I supposed to find that?!”
Hyukkyu chuckled, the sound warm and contagious. “I’m kidding, just bring yourselves. That’s more than enough.”
But even as he moved on to the next topic, Sanghyeok’s gaze lingered on the screen, his mind quietly spinning. A bed-sized alpaca plushie? It was ridiculous… and exactly the kind of thing Hyukkyu would adore.
I could make it happen, Sanghyeok thought, a small, secret smile tugging at his lips.
—
The next day, Hyukkyu stood in his living room, staring at the massive package that had just been delivered. It was taller than his waist and securely wrapped in plain brown paper, with no markings beyond his name neatly written on the label.
“What in the world…?” he murmured, dragging it inside with some effort. Did this get sent to the wrong address?
Once the package was inside, Hyukkyu couldn’t resist his curiosity. He carefully cut through the tape and opened the box. Inside, he found a vacuum-sealed bundle. It was tightly compressed into an odd, disfigured shape that gave no hint of its contents other than it was white. Furrowing his brows, he inspected the plain plastic covering it. No note, no explanation—just this strange package.
Letting curiosity get the best of him, he shrugged and made his way to grab a pair of scissors. “Well, only one way to find out,” he muttered.
The moment he snipped the edge of the plastic, the bundle hissed, air rushing in as the contents began to expand. Hyukkyu jumped back slightly, startled, watching in awe as the compressed fabric unfurled and grew larger, and larger… and larger .
Within moments, a massive alpaca plushie had fully taken shape, its impossibly soft fur now sprawling across the floor. It was, quite literally, the size of his bed.
Hyukkyu blinked, speechless. Then he let out a bewildered laugh. “Oh my god, it’s real,” he whispered to himself, running a hand over the plushie’s fluffy surface. It was exactly what he’d joked about on stream, and now here it was, taking up half his living room.
There was no note, no hint of who might’ve sent it. Hyukkyu sat back, staring at the alpaca in awe. “Who does this?” he muttered. Though his heart swelled with warmth at the thoughtfulness behind the gesture, he couldn’t help but wonder, “Where am I supposed to keep this?”
—
Later that day, during his stream, Hyukkyu couldn’t resist showing off the plushie. He adjusted his camera to capture the ridiculous size of it as he sat next to it, failing from holding back a grin.
“So, uh… this showed up at my doorstep today,” he said, patting the alpaca’s oversized head. His chat exploded with messages of disbelief and excitement.
“NO WAY SOMEONE ACTUALLY GOT IT!”
“THE BED-SIZED ALPACA EXISTS.”
“Hyukkyu, you’re officially spoiled.”
“Hodu’s taken a really big liking towards it.” Laughing, Hyukkyu leaned against the plushie, looking small in comparison. “Honestly, I thought I was trolling when I mentioned wanting this on stream. But someone really went out of their way to get it for me.”
He paused, his voice softening as he looked at the camera. “To whoever sent this… thank you. I don’t know who you are, but this made my day. You know, as unnecessary and ridiculous this is, I really appreciate it anyway. Really made my day,” he thanked before pausing and adding a slight comment. “Even if storing this thing is going to give me a headache.”
His chat continued to spam heart emotes and jokes, but Hyukkyu’s mind lingered on the mystery person. Hyukkyu couldn’t help but feel that this wasn’t just a random fan. As the stream went on, he couldn’t resist glancing at the alpaca every so often, his smile lingering.
Watching from the comfort of his room, Sanghyeok couldn’t help but smile softly at the screen.
—
This became a pattern. Whenever Hyukkyu casually mentioned liking something, be it a specific game, a new kind of coffee, or even a quirky keychain, an anonymous package would appear on his doorstep a day or two later. Each time, the sender only signed as "A Fan."
Hyukkyu’s chat began to buzz with curiosity and jokes about his “secret admirer.” Hyukkyu himself was flustered but secretly found the gestures endearing. “I feel spoiled,” he joked during one stream. “Whoever you are, you’re going to make me blush on camera one of these days.”
In his own room, Sanghyeok stiffened, nearly dropping his phone. His face grew warm as the words replayed in his mind. Hyukkyu’s easy laugh and the way he gently teased the mysterious sender made Sanghyeok’s heart twist in an unfamiliar way. He hadn’t meant for things to escalate like this. What had started as a small– well, a quite big gesture to cheer Hyukkyu up had spiraled into something far beyond what he’d expected.
His eyes flickered to the empty packaging tucked into the corner of his desk, the same one he’d used to send the most recent gift. He’d spent an embarrassing amount of time choosing the color of the wrapping paper, wanting it to feel personal without being obvious. Now, hearing Hyukkyu’s words, he wasn’t sure whether to feel accomplished or mortified.
"Blush on camera," Sanghyeok muttered under his breath. “Why does he have to say stuff like that?” But even as he scolded himself, his lips curved into a small smile.
—
Minseok had been noticing a strange pattern in their dorm recently. Large, nondescript packages had been arriving at an unusual frequency, always addressed to their eldest hyung. And each time without fail, Sanghyeok would retrieve them as soon as they arrived, hurrying off to his room without offering any explanation. Minseok thought little of it at first, Sanghyeok hyung was a private person after all, but the regularity of the deliveries and Sanghyeok’s odd behavior started to spike his curiosity.
One afternoon, another package arrived while Sanghyeok was out running errands. The box was plain and unassuming, but Minseok couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. After a moment’s hesitation, curiosity got the better of him. Sure curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.
Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, Minseok crouched down and carefully opened the package. Inside was a small assortment of items, neatly packed. A limited edition collectible keychain of Caitlyn and a few packs of imported snacks. Minseok was slightly disappointed. Even though he doesn’t know what he’d expect from Sanghyeok hyung’s packages, he had rather hoped it would be something more exciting than this. He was slightly confused on why his hyung bought a Caitlyn keychain though, he doesn’t even play Caitlyn. Well, at least as far as he knew he doesn't, unless his hyung has been secretly practicing Caitlyn mid without any of their knowledge.
The next day, Minseok felt like bugging his Hyukkyu hyung into a game with him. He opened AfreecaTV to see the said hyung live. Clicking on it, he saw his hyung pulling out a box.
“My guess is the snacks!”
“It’s definitely the Cait keychain.”
“SO CUTE.”
Minseok raised an eyebrow at the comments. A moment later, his eyes widened as the pieces began to fall into place. He recalled how Hyukkyu mentioned receiving anonymous gifts signed only as “A Fan.” recently. These gifts always seemed to arrive shortly after he casually mentioned liking something on stream. Now, staring at the contents of the box, Minseok felt a flash of realization.
“Wait a second…” he muttered to himself. Is this really what I think this is?
He watched as Hyukkyu unboxed the exact same keychain he sneakily saw the day before. Along with it, a few packs of snacks emerged from the box, his suspicions all but confirmed. With his jaw dropped and eyes wide open, he rushed out his room to the team’s shared living room. He turned to see Sanghyeok, who was sitting quietly on the couch, staring at his phone and looking far too absorbed in something to be natural.
Minseok froze, staring at Sanghyeok like a madman. The said hyung took a glance at him and raised his eyebrow. With that, Minseok ran back to his room, leaving Sanghyeok staring at where he was just standing, confused. “You’re really not as sneaky as you think, hyung,” he muttered under his breath.
—
The next day, Minseok asked Hyukkyu to meet up in person. At first, Hyukkyu had declined because he was too lazy, but Minseok had practically jumped at him through text, begging him to meet. Minseok had even declared that he would be the one paying if Hyukkyu agreed to meet him, so reluctantly, he agreed. Otherwise, he was sure Minseok would come anyway, yelling at his doorstep.
They met at a small café, a quiet spot away from busy areas. As they settled into a corner booth, Minseok leaned in, his eyes gleaming.
“So,” Minseok began, casually sipping his coffee, “I think I know who your secret admirer is.”
Hyukkyu blinked, surprised. “Wait, seriously?” He set down his own cup, leaning forward in interest. He doesn’t actually believe that Minseok knows who this fan is, he was really more interested in what Minseok had managed to make up. “Who?”
The younger smirked, his tone light yet somehow serious. “Well, I’m pretty sure it’s Sanghyeok hyung.” He let the words hang in the air for a moment, watching Hyukkyu’s reaction closely.
Hyukkyu’s eyebrows shot up in disbelief. “Sanghyeok? Faker? No way.” He said, completely brushing the idea off. “Don’t even joke about that Minseok,” he continued as he shot Minseok a look.
Minseok straightened up defensively, “I’m serious hyung!” He crossed his arms before continuing with a slight pout, “I’m sure you’ve noticed that the packages are always the exact things you’ve mentioned liking on stream right? The keychain, the snacks, the plushies…”
A puzzled expression crossed Hyukkyu’s face as he nodded slowly. “Yeah, but… I always thought it was some random fan. I didn’t even think it could be someone I know.”
“Well,” Minseok continued, leaning back, “Sanghyeok hyung’s been getting packages too. Same items, same wrapping. He’s been sneaking around, sending them to you.”
Hyukkyu processed this information in silence for a moment, trying to put it all together. “So you’re saying, Faker... has been sending me all those things? I find that very hard to believe”
“Well you shouldn’t!,” Minseok said with a knowing grin. “And honestly, I think it’s adorable. You two have been dancing around this for a while now, haven’t you? So, here’s the thing…”
He leaned in, his expression serious now, though his tone remained light. “I’m not saying you have to do anything with this information, but…” He paused for effect, then added with a grin, “Honestly? I just think you two should get together already,” he groaned, throwing his hands in the air.
“It’s obvious to anyone who’s paying attention, including me. So, do what you want with this info, but I’m rooting for you.”
Hyukkyu sat back, feeling a mixture of surprise, warmth, and nervous excitement. Sanghyeok? His mind raced, looking back at all the small moments they’d shared throughout the years, the quiet exchanges, the easy camaraderie, the subtle looks. Suddenly, it all felt different.
“I don’t know…” Hyukkyu murmured, unsure of what to make of it all.
Minseok chuckled, sensing his hesitation. “Hey, I’m just saying. This is great! Don’t overthink it.” He winked playfully. “And if nothing else, at least you’ve got all those free gifts to enjoy in the meantime.”
Hyukkyu couldn’t help but laugh, his nerves momentarily easing. But beneath the laughter, something stirred, an awareness, a feeling he couldn’t ignore. What if Minseok was right? What if Sanghyeok had been trying to show him something all along? But what if he was wrong? And the secret admirer turns out not being Sanghyeok? God, I might as well just crawl down a hole and die.
“How certain are you about this Minseok?” Hyukkyu asked one last time to make sure.
Enthusiastically, Minseok replied, “95% certain hyung!” Hyukkyu blinked and tilted his head in confusion, “95?”
“I am 95% sure that I didn’t hallucinate this entire thing.” Minseok answered with a cheeky smile, acting as if the answer was reassuring.
Hyukkyu could only sigh. “Alright,” his voice soft. “I’ll think about it.”
Minseok grinned, clearly pleased with himself. “That’s all I’m asking for. Now, in case you two do end up together, I want to be treated to Haidilao because I am the one who got you two together!”
Hyukkyu rolled his eyes and smiled. He wasn’t sure what to make of this discovery, but one thing was certain, his view of Sanghyeok had just shifted. And now, whatever he decided to do with the information, he just hoped it would not lead to a bad outcome. If it did, it’s Minseok’s fault, he decided.
—
Hyukkyu did not stream for the next 2 days. Mind still stuck on the recently acquired information. It wasn’t until the third day that he finally decided on what he was going to do. So that night, Hyukkyu went online to stream as usual. Throughout his stream, the thoughts from his conversation with Minseok kept swirling in his mind, distracting him just enough to make his usual focus slip. He tried to not think about it, but maybe the nerves of what he was about at the end of the night got the better of him. Unfortunately, his viewers picked up on it, bombarding the chat concern, asking about what was going on.
From his own room, Sanghyeok frowned. It was unusual for Hyukkyu to be this distracted, so it was no question that he too, was worried for the other person.
“You look distracted today.”
“Are you alright?”
“Did you have a bad day?”
Hyukkyu smiled and reassured the chat, laughing a little to lighten the mood. “I’m fine everyone, don’t worry.” He kept up his usual demeanor from then on out, but a flicker of uncertainty still passes through his eyes every now and then. The constant flow of gifts, the thought of the person who was behind them, and Minseok's words, all of it was starting to feel a little too real.
As the stream neared its end, he took a deep breath, trying to push the distractions aside for what he was about to do. He glanced up at the camera with a soft smile. “I think I’ve figured out who’s been sending me all these gifts.”
Immediately, the chat exploded. Hyukkyu took a deep breath before continuing, “You know who you are. Thank you. But you don’t have to send me these gifts anymore.” With that, he ended the stream.
Sanghyeok’s heart stopped for a split second. No, no way... He scrambled for an explanation in his head, but nothing made sense. He watched as Hyukkyu’s face softened into that knowing smile, and then, as if to leave him no room for denial, Hyukkyu abruptly clicked off the stream, leaving the room still and silent, save for the buzzing of the chat in a frenzy.
Sanghyeok’s mind went completely blank. He knows. He knows... The thought spun around like a tornado, tearing through every inch of his thoughts. He felt exposed, caught in the act of something he never thought would be discovered. His eyes were fixed on the now blank screen, but his mind couldn’t keep up. How long had Hyukkyu known? Was it the last gift that gave him away?
In the middle of his own panic, his phone dinged, breaking him out of his whirlwind of thoughts. His fingers fumbled with his phone to see a notification that had just popped up. A message. From Hyukkyu.
Sanghyeok’s heart skipped a beat as he stared at the name on the screen. He hesitated, the phone almost slipping from his hands as his nerves got the better of him. This is it… He’s going to tell me off.
Taking a deep breath, he finally tapped open the message. His eyes scanned the text, reading it over and over as if to make sure he wasn’t imagining it.
"Instead of sending gifts to my doorstep, how about you send me a dinner plan next time? Oh, and don’t forget to send yourself to my doorstep too. :)"
Sanghyeok’s breath hitched. The words were simple, yet they hit him harder than anything had in a long time. His face burned, feeling the heat from the inside out. He stared at the message for a long moment, the words dancing in his vision. There was no denying it now. He had been found out. But, somehow, it didn’t feel like the end of the world. In fact, it felt like the beginning of something. Slowly, a small, nervous smile tugged at his lips. Before he knew it, he had thrown his phone on to his bed and scrambled back to his computer. He had a date to plan.