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Chapter Text

People say the most annoying part of any health degree, is the sheer amount of work and energy required to study the human body.

Of course, Woozi thought the same. As did all students enrolled within Seoul’s medical and dental school.

However, if he is ever asked what is the most annoying part of his degree…he wouldn’t say it’s the content.

Oh no.

No, Woozi definitely knows something far worse than repetitive and detailed slides filled with random labels and phrases required to identify parts of the human body.

Something, or rather, someone…far far worse.

A loud voice interrupts his thought process whilst he carves out his model denture.

“Hey glasses, where’s the carving tool.”

Woozi sighs, rubbing his temple which begins to sport a growing headache, “In the draw.”

A purposeful shuffle draws out a sound of realisation, “Oh! Good to know those things still help you see even in old age.” The dental student mocks, flicking the boy on the forehead which consequently makes him mess up his outline.

Everyone, meet Hoshi.

The bane of his existence.

Across from him, his classmate Wonwoo whispers something to his other classmate, Joshua.

“How long do you think Woozi can last today?” Wonwoo snickers, glancing over to see the dental student fail to hide a scowl as Hoshi bombards him with more irrelevant questions.

Joshua glances over to the pair, “I give it ten minutes, he didn’t get coffee before the lecture we had on facial anatomy.”

Wonwoo nods, stroking his chin like Joshua had just offered insight which requires extensive attention, “I’ll give it fifteen, he’s been pretty chill recently—“

Suddenly, the sound of an offended gasp echoes through the university’s lab room.

“YOU DIDN’T!” Hoshi screams dramatically, brandishing the carving spatula like he’s going to battle.

“Oops.” Woozi quips with a devious smirk, watching Hoshi’s face turn red like the plaster meant to replicate gums on their makeshift dentures.

Then all hell breaks loose.

“THAT WAS MY BEST QUADRANT YOU—YOU—“ Woozi yells, face blooming in rage as he advances to the other boy’s model; causing further chaos.

“You guys were both wrong.” Minghao says, eyes still working on his model whilst the two dental students bicker in the background. “Five minutes is the average, but when you factor in the lack of coffee…it only takes—”

“IF YOU RUIN MY LATERAL INCISOR PLACEMENT, I’LL PERSONALLY EXTRACT YOURS TO REPLACE IT!” Woozi shouts, watching Hoshi pretend to drop his assignment; narrowly avoiding a fatal break of the fragile plaster.

“Two.” Minghao finishes, all three of them looking up see Woozi practically tackling the other dental student to the floor as they both fight over a carving instrument.

“I’ll never understand how they’re both the top of the cohort.” Wonwoo mutters, watching them continue to fight over the tool.

And that right there, is Seoul Dental School’s biggest mystery.

Hoshi and Woozi.

The most troublesome students.

Yet, have the best grades amongst them all.

Some rumours said that Woozi has someone on the marking board. Others say Hoshi comes from a long line of dentists who tell him the best ways to get high scores.

Once, the pair’s antics even made the faculty newsletter. Of course, their names were disguised by the authors but the story was way too specific to hide. The broadcast increased the viewership by 75%; the best ratings till date.

Though, with every backhanded comment or creative insult towards each other, their grades continue to skyrocket along with the pair’s distaste.

However, it wasn’t always like this. They had actually been close friends at one point. Sharing anecdotes and goofing around like they were brothers from the same mother.

However, the change came during spring break.

Their friends found out first. However, the faculty students only learned about the separation when the dental students started bickering, yet began to hold genuine mockery in their insults rather than the light commentary that everyone was familiar with.

There were some that were confused, however most of them were curious. Woozi held the top spot during the previous semester which meant someone else had the opportunity to swoop it and claim the title now that he was distracted by the friendship break-up.

Alas, they forgot to count out on Hoshi’s competitive edge.

It slowly became an insistent factor of the marking sheet, seeing the flip of Hoshi and Woozi’s scores which continue to leave them with equal credit in being the faculty’s top academic achievers.

At one point, the students blame their professors for the situation; involving comments of bias and prejudice towards the high-achieving students.

Till they had a test with Professor Kim.

The rumours disappeared instantly after that.

Even their own friends couldn’t fathom how the valedictorian game passes the difficult standards of the professor’s exam.

Though it did, Woozi claiming the top spot just under Hoshi’s grade once more; leaving them in a tie once again.

It’s been an unexplainable phenomenon. Something which fuels the gossip train of the entire cohort of Seoul’s school of dentistry, yet intrigued everyone in the faculty.

Even Einstein couldn’t figure this one out.

Not that he would have had much of a chance. Many great minds have tried and failed to understand the concept that is Hoshi and Woozi’s dynamic.

Little did they know, that this competition…is about to take an interesting turn.

Though the question remains…

Who will come out on top?

Chapter Text

Two days.

Two days overtime in the clinic doing night shifts thanks to their lab room argument.

Woozi’s headache grew, yet another thing preventing him from completing his flash cards in preparation for their clinical test next month.

All thanks to no one other than Hoshi, the bane of his existence.

He exits the lab room with a sigh, taking in the sights of the campus.

“Hey Woozi!” Seungkwan waves before coming to him.

“Hey, back from labs already?” Woozi asks, walking with the boy on the pathway to their next class.

Seungkwan nods, “Yeah, it was shorter than I expected. Did you finish your project?”

The crease between Woozi’s brows say it all, “I’m guessing not?—“ the boy says.

Woozi huffs, “No and I got two overtime shifts at the emergency clinic because I “threatened Hoshi with a carving spatula.” The dental student complains, making air quotes with his fingers.

His friend laughs, “This rivalry keeps getting better each passing day.”

“He just doesn’t know how to handle himself.” Woozi grumbles, taking the steps into the classroom building for their final class.

Upon entering, the devil (read: Hoshi) himself, was sitting in the same row as his friends. The boy waves him over with a smug grin.

Woozi scowls, “What do you want.”

Hoshi holds his hands up in surrender, “Damn, guess you’re still holding that grudge.”

“You just had to get us in trouble during peak exam season. Yeah, I’m real happy with you right now.” The dental student grumbles, sitting next to him since there were no spaces left on the table.

As he sat, an iced coffee is placed on his desk, “Apparently this makes you less grumpy.” Hoshi says casually, completing ignoring the fact he spent a good five minutes waiting at the cafe to bring the beverage to the dental student.

Woozi judges the drink, moving the straw to stir the caffeine beverage, “What did you do this time? You never bring me coffee unless you’re actually feeling guilty about something.”

Hoshi deflects the question, “Just wanted to do something nice for you, is that so hard to believe?”

Woozi studies the boy’s face, before taking a long sip of the beverage, humming at the taste. “Yes…but thank you.”

A smile graces Hoshi’s face, “You’re welcome.”

And deep down, Woozi enjoys the feeling.

Soon, the lecture starts. Each of the boys rapidly fill their laptops with new information which will soon be turned into flashcards for their exams.

Then, the lecturer turns to a new slide, displaying information about their final practical assessment for the semester. “Okay, your last assessment for the term is an individual set of different dental treatments. Then, you will work together with an assigned partner to develop a treatment summary report for six of them.”

The lecturer brings up another slide, “I have placed you on pairs based on the request responses from the survey I sent last semester. Your allocation will be emailed to you after the lecture is completed.”

The instructions confuse Woozi. He taps Seungkwan’s shoulder before the boy turns to him, “When did he give us that survey?”

“Like last term, didn’t you do it?” Seungkwan replies back.

Woozi shakes his head, “I don’t remember. I went back to my parents house the day semester break started and I didn’t have reception there.

Seungkwan shrugs, “Ask him afterwards, I’m sure you’ll still get placed with someone.”

Woozi does just that, approaching their teacher as he packs his items. The man was relatively young for a lecturer, wind-swept bangs frame his face as he notices the boy waiting for him.

“Uh hello, what can I do for you.” The lecturer says, pushing his spectacles up to his face upon instinct.

Woozi bows slightly in respect, “Professor Kim, I apologise but I don’t think I received your survey last term. I was just wondering if I have been placed.

The lecturer nods, “I have placed everyone regardless of you’ve completed the survey. It just might mean you won’t get a preferred pair with a friend that’s all.”

“Oh that’s fine. Thank you professor.” Woozi says, holding the door as they both exit the lecture room.

The dental student goes in the opposite direction, before a ding from his inbox has him looking at his phone.

An email, titled “Practical Placement: Lee Jihoon.” sat in the front of his lockscreen.

Woozi opens the email, curious to see who he’s been placed with…

Though, his eyes widen in shock as he reads the details.

Dear Lee Jihoon,

You have been allocated your first preference; Kwon Sooyoung.

I look forward to reading you work.

Professor Kim Seungcheol,
Practical Course Advisor, Seoul School of Medicine and Dentistry

Woozi blinks…

Once. Twice.

Even a third time to be safe.

But Hoshi’s name doesn’t magically disappear from the screen, nor do any of his classmates leap out in front of some random bush to reassure him that it’s a prank.

Surely if he refreshes the page…

Nope. Hoshi’s name is still there.

“How in the—“

“Woozi-ssi!” A deep voice calls, the boy turns to see it’s his lecturer.

The dental student sighs in relief, “Professor Kim, is this about—“

“The placements. Yes.” The lecturer says, “I was going through the survey results and I saw that you have completed it. You listed your preference as Kwon Sooyoung.”

“Huh? I—I did?” Woozi says, baffled.

The lecturer nods, showing his phone screen with Woozi’s survey preferences, “You both chose each other, so the system has automatically given you both the same partner.”

No amount of blinks can refresh that image.

Woozi lets out a nervous laugh, “Hah, guess so.”

The lecturer bids the dental student farewell. Leaving Woozi’s whole body in shambles from one interaction.

Only one though crosses Woozi’s mind, “What the…”

______________________

After a walk, Woozi fishes for his keycard to the dorm, opening the door quietly as he enters the two-bedroom apartment.

The lights are on in the kitchen, pot boiling on the stove as someone is cutting vegetables to add to the dish.

“What’s cooking?” Woozi asks, setting his bag on a chair as he sits on a barstool.

“Just something easy, Why are you back so late?” The boy replies.

“Since when do you care about that?” Woozi says pointedly, resting his head against the cool surface of the kitchen counter.

The person puts two white pills, paired with a cool glass of water in front of him. “Drink that.”

Woozi’s eyes narrow but he accepts the medicine and water, feeling his headache slowly dip back to an acceptable level.

“M’gonna go shower, I’ll eat dinner afterwards.” Woozi says, dragging his backpack inside his room.

The boy nods, stirring the pot on the stove as he watches the dental student go to his room.

After his shower, he finds himself lying on his bed. His body feels heavy until his eyelids shut against the soft pillow beneath him.

______________________

He wakes up with sunlight limiting his vision from the breaks in the curtains, finding another set of medication and a note sitting by the water glass.

Woozi downs the pills as he reads the note,

Take the pills when you wake up. There’s some food left for you in the fridge if you want to have a meal before class.

Signed, KSY.

The dental student can’t help but smile at the note.

The bane of his existence indeed.

Chapter Text

There’s only one word to describe this…

Ironic.

No seriously, Woozi couldn’t think of any other word that fits.

Well, he knew something was coming, between the frequent headaches, the sudden loss of appetite and this weird sensation when he flossed between his molar, he knew there was something amiss.

But to see the tangible result, the stab of pain as he brushes on the tooth after dinner that day…there really was only one way to see this.

Ironic.

_______________________

Professor Park was up front, rattling about some random nerve in the human face, “The trigeminal nerve is connected to…”

Woozi didn’t really hear what came after that, his tooth had started pulsating; which he attributed to the decay being spread deeper into his enamel.

Based on his last assessment, he has about a week till it’s spread to the pulp, requiring further treatment.

“Woozi-yah? You okay?” The classmate next to Woozi asks, “You seem a little distracted.”

Woozi nods, short. sharp. concealed.

He takes a sip of the ice americano on his desk, before grimacing at the undeniable cold texture which has him setting the drink down after a singular sip.

He doesn’t worry that much, after all…no one would notice.

Or so he thought…

___________________________

A couple of other students made the initial observation, “Wait…did Woozi just grimace? Wow the lecture must even be getting to him since he seems totally out of it.”

Now this makes Hoshi curious…

Not that Woozi doesn’t ever get distracted…come on even Hoshi knows he’s at least somewhat human under the 99.9% of robotics he believes the boy has underneath him.

But it’s the fact Woozi is distracted, with the addition of an iced americano on his desk.

Now that’s just not normal.

On top of that, the drink is 3/4 full.

Equally as concerning since a lecture about facial anatomy as boring as this, would have Woozi drinking at least a quarter more than what he’s got now.

Interesting…

Plus that grimace? Upon a closer look, does Hoshi see the beverage is from Woozi’s favourite cafe, they even spelt the boy’s name right on the label.

Well something’s definitely going on here.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.” A voice silently cackles from the seat next to him.

“It’s not that, Dokeyom-ah…” Hoshi mutters, “Forget about it, this is probably nothing.”

But a little memory resurfaces in his mind.

They had been at Woozi’s parent’s holiday home. The boys would occasionally go after exams ended.

Hoshi had brought over two slushies, one green and one mango; the epitome of bliss in the summer sun.

Though, upon greeting his friend with the drinks; something didn’t feel right.

Sure Woozi offered his signature closed smile and a word of thanks….

But he had already seen the look of surprise on the boy’s face, his eyes widening slightly, as if he was scared to receive the drink.

His slightly creased brow, as if he was frustrated by the arrival of the cold drink; almost as if he was restricted from it.

But the real outlier had been the boy’s tounge, prodding at a specific angle in his mouth that just couldn’t be normal.

Woozi was diagnosed with two impacted wisdom teeth a day later.

“Any longer and he would’ve been in severe trouble.” The oral surgeon had told him privately after Woozi had gone to get x-rays done.

The man puts a hand on the boy’s back, “He’s tough, but I saw the way his hands gripped those armrests. You need to look out for him, yeah? Someone like him needs a person in their corner. Make sure he’s looking after himself.”

Hoshi doesn’t hesitate, “I will, doctor.”

_______________________

And even with their newfound distance, Hoshi makes good of that promise.

“Alright students, please read chapter 11 for homework and revise the mandibular and maxilla structure for the quiz next week.” Their professor announces, beginning the scuffles of steps and zips of backpacks as students leave the theatre.

Hoshi blinks.

“We’re done?” The boy asks in surprise.

His friend Dino tsks behind him, “I swear you have some kind of superpower if you can be this out of it and still ace your quizzes.”

Hoshi rubs the back of his nape sheepishly, “My bad, I said I’d tutor you Dino-yah.”

“Oh no.” Dino revolts, “One time is plenty for me Hoshi-hyung.”

The dental student just laughs, “Well, not like you’ll need to know the face for physiotherapy anyways.”

“You’d think so, yet most patients at the ward have facial tensions.” Dino says, trudging alongside Hoshi as they walk outside with the rest of the students.

He sees the back of Woozi and Seungkwan, following behind.

But then Seungkwan hands Woozi his forgotten drink from the lecture theatre.

And there it was.

Slightly shocked eyes.

Crease between his forehead.

And the gentle, yet insistent prod of his tongue in his mouth.

He catches it all before the dental student schools his expression back to a familiar smile and a word of thanks, holding the drink close.

‘Gotcha.’ Hoshi thinks.

______________________

Woozi walks into the kitchen, a familiar smell tugging at his nostrils.

He follows it, ignoring the insistent reminders of pain when he sees the small bowls on the counter.

Ramyeon.

Fresh noodles covered in dark soy sauce, paired with a helping of spring onions and sesame seeds. On the side, he sees his roommate cracking two eggs, creating two egg whirlwinds which he then places on the steaming bowls of noodles, scent wavering through the crisp air of the kitchen.

“I was craving ramyeon.” The boy says, watching Woozi take a bowl.

To which he swats the boy’s hand quickly with a pair of chopsticks.

Woozi looks incredeously at the boy in question, “Oi! What’s your—“

“Let’s have dinner together tonight.” The boy says simply, bringing over another stool from the corner so the pair could sit together at the kitchen counter.

The boy huffs, ego miffed by the thought of sitting by his roommate, turned rival.

But his stomach decides, after all…ramyeon is the way to his heart.

He sits comfortably, taking the chopsticks on the counter and scooping up a serve of noodles.

He takes a slow bite, taking care to avoid the pain with every movement of his jaw.

“Quadrant 4, Tooth 6.”

“What?” Woozi questions, ignoring the way his heartbeat quickens at the mention of that particular tooth number.

The boy next to him stirs his noodles in the sauce, “That’s where it is isn’t it? Well, I am still in third year, but from my observations…that’s going to have to be my final guess. Quadrant 4, Tooth 6.”

Woozi frowns, “What are you talking about Hoshi-hyung? Are you—“

“Woozi-yah, you know what I’m talking about.” The dental student says simply, letting the other boy’s outburst die in his throat.

He fiddles with the chopsticks, ramyeon looking less appetising now that the secret’s out, “So? Not like you’re coming anywhere near my mouth.”

“Ah you would think so.” Hoshi says, a smirk playing on his lips as he fishes out something from his pocket, “Perhaps this would change that.”

He puts something on the counter, something which sends a wave of shock through Woozi’s core.

It was nothing fancy, just a worn out card with the words ‘Free wish! Grants one free wish of any type!’

Woozi recognises the curvature strokes of the pen; his own child-like style he’s now perfected.

Which now bite him back like nothing else.

“You really want to cash in your only wish card on something as mudane as this?” Woozi scoffs, “I’ll give you a free piece of advice, take it back and use it on something more useful.” The boy says, flicking the card back at Hoshi.

But the boy just placed it right back in front of him.

“I’m good.” Hoshi says, “Now, eat up! You’ve got a wish to fulfil.”

But Woozi loses his appetite, shovelling the noodles into himself like they’re a curse.

______________________

“Now would you be more comfortable on the bed or the couch?” Hoshi asks, to which Woozi just spits out the mouthwash in the sink.

“Bed it is then.” The dental student says cheerfully, to that Woozi’s scowl deepens, watching Hoshi set up things on the bedside table.

“Going to wash my hands. Don’t try and run off, I’ve still got my wish card.” Hoshi reminds, going off to clean his hands.

He returns, slipping on gloves and flexing his fingers, “I put a pillow, feel free to lay down when you’re ready.”

Woozi rolls his eyes, though he complies with Hoshi’s instructions; laying back on the pillow.

But now the situation feels just a little too real.

Gloved hands.

Loupes.

“Ahh light!” Woozi complains, to which Hoshi just chuckles and tilts the loupe light closer to the boy’s mouth.

But the turning point makes an appearance.

Dental mirror and explorer, coming closer and closer to him.

Woozi sits up, closing his eyes as he tries to regulate his breathing pattern.

Though, a warm hand finds its way to his shoulder.

“You’re doing great Woozi, deep breaths, there you go.”

He listens, mirroring the breaths of his friend till the tight feeling in his chest lifts.

“Better?” Hoshi asks, meeting Woozi’s hazy eyes as he opens them again.

“Somewhat.” Woozi manages to say, though his ego speaks before he can consider the side-effects, “Go on, tease me about it.”

“What?” Hoshi says in surprise, “You really think I would still do something like that?” The boy laughs sarcastically, “After everything Woozi-yah, you still think I’m that type of person?”

Woozi’s glare is equally as tight, “Well, your actions back then suggest—“

“You’re kidding me.” Hoshi says in a deadpan tone, “If you really think this way about me, maybe you should go and get someone else’s help.”

“Maybe I will.” Woozi retaliates, his pain speaking for him in the moment. Hoshi responds by snapping his other glove off, storming out of the room whilst rubbing his eyes; throwing the wish card on the floor before closing the door.

Before he storms off, he just whispers to the door.

“I just wanted to try and help.”

But Woozi hears him…

Maybe that’s why his heart throbbed even than his tooth that night.

___________________

Woozi groans as he wakes up in the morning, already feeling the onset of the morning headache that begins to accompany his day ever since his toothache first started.

Somehow, he finds himself two pills and a sealed bottle of water with a small post-it stuck to the bottom.

“Going to Dokeyeom-ah’s dorm to grab something.

There’s no tell-tale mishape of a tiger doodle or a friendly quip about something which would make Woozi smile.

Though there is one thing, written behind the post-it, as if he didn’t really know if Woozi should see it.

But he does, making his heart ache even more.

‘Rest well Woozi-yah.’

Signed, KSY.

________________________

The smell of cooked bread greets the boy as he walks in the dorm room.

But no roommate.

Only a lonely piece of toast and a 3/4 filled glass of orange juice.

Uh oh.

Dishes not in the sink?

For Woozi, that’s the equivalent of manslaughter.

Hoshi would know, the boy may be younger than him but his death glare is no joking matter.

He sees the dental student’s bedroom door is closed. Maybe he just forgot?

“Woozi-yah?” Hoshi calls after he knocks twice, “You okay?”

A muffled sound comes from the other side, “N-no. Not really.”

Now Hoshi was concerned, despite their argument the day before, “Woozi-yah, can I come in?”

“Mm.” The boy replies, with Hoshi wasting zero time to go and check-in on his roommate.

There he was, laying on his bed with an ice-pack to his cheek, curled away and vulnerable.

Completely unlike himself.

“Oh Woozi…” Hoshi says, coming to side beside his roommate, “How bad is it?” The dental student asks.

“I’m too scared to find out.” Woozi mumbles, hesitant, “It’s probably going to be bad.”

“But you can’t leave it like this Woozi-yah.” Hoshi tries to reason, “It’s going to get worse.”

“I know.” Woozi mutters, “It’s just…different. This isn’t another patient or someone else…it’s me.”

“I get it.” Hoshi acknowledges, “Maybe someone else in the group can help? How about Seungkwan-ah? You guys are close.”

“We are…but this is different.” Woozi admits, “It’s not something I can just trust anyone with.”

Hoshi sighs, “Okay, but you can’t just wallow in pain either? You know the implications of that.”

Woozi huffs, “I do.” Then, he hands Hoshi a familiar piece of paper.

“Help me hyung?” Woozi asks, his expression becoming unsure but hopeful.

Hoshi takes the card, “But what about yesterday? If there’s another option Woozi-yah—“

“But there isn’t Hoshi-hyung.” Woozi states, “Even with our…history, the fact remains that I can only trust you with this. You’re the only one who knows what I’m truly feeling when I’m in the chair.”

That makes Hoshi meet Woozi’s eyes, the declaration being something that helps them lose the rivalry between themselves and focus on what’s really important, being there.

Hoshi nods, offering Woozi a small smile as he grabs the two instruments from last night. He goes to wash his hands and slip on a pair of gloves.

Woozi is already in a laid-back position, phone in hand with a flashlight option open.

Hoshi comes around, holding the dental mirror in his dominant hand, “Let me figure out what’s going on and we’ll take a closer look afterwards. Sound okay?”

Woozi accepts the plan, “Sounds good doc.” He says with a nervous nod.

Hoshi snorts, “That’s new.”

Woozi grimaces, “Don’t get used to it hyung.”

Hoshi grins, successfully distracting Woozi, “I thought you said I’m the “only one who you trust?”

The boy’s eyebrows crease, “Say that to anyone and you won’t have a denture to present in next week’s checkpoint.”

“Hmph.” Hoshi huffs dramatically, “Alright let’s see how much I can tease you for dental negligence.”

Woozi scowls, but he opens his mouth and lets his dental student roommate have a look at his teeth.

“Alright. Want the good news or the bad news?” Hoshi says, explorer stills tapping against a few teeth.

“Bad.” Woozi attempts to say, he’s not worried though; Hoshi will understand even with the weirdly worded language of open-mouth sounds.

The boy in question responds, “Well it’s a Class 2, considering your tooth sensitivity and frequent bursts of pain, you’re going to need a pulpotomy but at worse case a root canal.”

“Right.” Woozi huffs, “And what’s the good?”

Hoshi grins, “I got the tooth number right.”

If Woozi could punch him, he would right now, “You’re joking right?”

Hoshi cackles before removing the dental mirror and explorer out of the boy’s mouth, “Nope. Well that and I think your tooth can be saved.” He offers a jab when he sees Woozi exhale in relief, “Gotcha.”

“Very funny.” Woozi says sarcastically, though he also has one last thing to do, “Thank you.” he says to Hoshi, “And I’m sorry about…before.”

“No problem.” Hoshi says kindly, “Now let’s get you fixed up.” The dental student says, slipping the gloves off and offering Woozi a hand.

Woozi looks at the hand and Hoshi.

And he’s holding it, walking with the person who makes him want to bite an x-ray holder till it snaps.

However, the same person he’s going to willingly sit in a dental chair for, letting him have full control over his mouth and teeth because he’s the only one Woozi trusts enough to do so.

The boy laughs to himself.

Ironic, right?

Chapter Text

It had only been for a brief moment.

And it wasn’t even on Woozi’s terms.

Hoshi had simply taken his hand in his own, guiding them to the clinic so Woozi could finally chew with the right side of his face.

Well, that objective was achieved.

But this is about what he saw in the newsletter the following day.

“Hot Off The Press! Seoul Dental School’s Rivals seen holding hands?”

Woozi almost choked on his coffee.

Hoshi did. From laughter.

“Oh my gosh, are we that popular?” Hoshi snorts, scrolling through the article on their weekend off from classes.

Woozi huffs, slamming his phone downwards as he reviews a case report for his latest patient.

But even as the treatment notes of his patient’s lower wisdom teeth are right in front of his face…he finds himself unlocking his phone once again.

No Seungkwan, this doesn’t mean anything.

He’s just checking the time.

Yeah, the time is important on a Saturday morning.

And if the time is displayed right in front of the article, he doesn’t care about…well, he blames the phone company.

It’s not of his choosing. Woozi is way more self-controlled and wouldn't willingly submit to this distraction.

It’s the phone company's fault.

Dumb phone company.

But then, as his eyes skim over the details, a name catches his eye, cussing him to thrust his phone into Hoshi’s face with shock, “THEY INTERVIEWED OUR FRIENDS?”

The colour drains from Hoshi’s face, going over the article once again, “Oh.”

Oh, wasn’t cutting it, at least they had kept their living arrangement a secret from the friend group, otherwise the rumour that was just created would get worse, very quickly.

“Rivals? Or Enemies to Lovers? An exclusive insider's interview coming next Friday!“

The boys both look at each other, with one thought in mind.

“Crap.”
______________________

Woozi confronts the preparator before their Monday lecture, “I can’t believe you did an inside scoop on me!” The dental student grumbles.

His caught red-handed classmate, Joshua, offers a shrug, “I didn’t say information that no one doesn’t know already.” The boy tries to explain, though Woozi’s hardened gaze is not one to be messed with.

“But then how did it turn into a couple's plot!?” Woozi retaliates. “I would rather eat alginate than be with Hoshi.”

Woozi leaves that statement in the air, huffing to himself as the pair walks into the lecture room.

Little did he know that Hoshi was passing by…and heard every word that was said.

_________________________

“Aw c’mon, Hoshi-hyung. It’s not like he hasn’t said worse to you.” Dokeyeom says, watching his best friend mope as he gets rejected once again.

“I know.” Hoshi says, “But I don’t know why it hurts more now.”

What a lie.

Hoshi knows exactly why it hurts more than usual.

Though, he can never bring that up in front of his friend, despite wanting to vent about his problems.

So he does the next best option.

Change the topic!

“Anyways enough about that, how was lunch with Dino-yah?” Hoshi asks.

Though, he notices his friend’s eyes light up at the mention of the event but quickly hide away, “Really good actually.” The medical student says cryptically, burying his head back into the textbook.

But Hoshi knows his friends, and this reaction has him probing a little more, “Oh? Really good eh?” The dental student says with a waggle of his eyebrows.

Dokeyeom side-eyes his friend, “Exactly, just really good.”

Hoshi grins, getting closer, “So…what did you two talk about.”

Dokeyeom pauses from his studying, “Uh—N-nothing!”

Hoshi tilts his head, even more curious, “Why’d you stutter?”

The medical student clears his throat dramatically, “Oh, I just always ramble, you know how it is.”

He doesn’t. Dokeyeom doesn’t ramble. At least, not always.

He only does it when he’s nervous or if he’s got something to hide.

And Hoshi can bet his favourite scaler that both reasons are at play here.

“So what did you guys do?” The dental student continues.

Dokeyeom shrugs, “Just hung out at the movies with them.”

Ah, there’s the slip-up.

Hoshi raises a questionable eyebrow in his direction, “Them? Who else went with you?”

Dokeyeom realises his mistake way too quickly, “Oh, I meant just us! Dino and I! A perfect example of friendship.”

Hoshi isn’t convinced. He can see all the signs point-blank. Sweaty palms, laboured breaths. Eyes avoiding his.

All that’s left are his pants to be on fire.

"Sure it is," Hoshi says nonchalantly, like the topic is of no interest to him.

The killer move.

Dropping the topic completely.

"Alright fine!" Dokeyeom complains, "Maybe there is something I didn't mention."

Bingo. Hoshi smirks to himself.

And it only took his best friend ten minutes to fess up.

That's got to be a personal best for the dental student.

"Oh, go on?" Hoshi says, feigning curiosity, like he hadn't set a trap that his best friend fell directly into.

Dokyeom sighs, "Well, he brought this classmate with him. His name is Mingyu."

Hoshi raises an eyebrow. Since when did Dokeyeom care about Dino's classmates?

Though the tinge of red blush spreading over the medical student's neck gives Hoshi the answer to his question.

Along with what Dokeyeom says next, "He's actually...so good looking."

And the comment doesn't stop there. By the next fifteen minutes, Hoshi has heard a whole description of the boy's appearance (including his very prominent veins) which the medical would quote on quote, 'Have no trouble fitting an IV into.'

By the end, Hoshi kind of wishes he didn't have such a curious nature.

Luckily, a text from Woozi gives him a much-needed escape route.

Robot: I found the newsletter editorial office. The meeting is @ 5 pm. Don't be late.

__________________________________

The first thing the two boys smell is the faint scent of herbs. Clean and aromatic in the office area.

Hoshi whispers, not daring to ruin the feng-shui vibe the area had created. "It smells like a candle store in here."

"Agreed, but focus." Woozi whispers back. He needs to get that article taken down at any cost.

He approaches the reception of the building, tone light, "Hi, we're here to see Mr Hansol."

However, the young woman at the desk looks up at him like Woozi had just spoken in another language, "Mr Hansol? Are you sure?"

Woozi nods, "Yes, he is the chief newsletter editor of SNU, correct? He said he has an open spot at 5 pm."

The girl nods, "Well, you are correct. Very well, please sit, and I'll let him know you two are here to see him." She says, moving out of her chair to one of the many lined offices across the corridor.

Woozi and Hoshi bow in thanks, going to sit in the cushy chairs.

Not even a minute later, the girl returns: "His assistant will come to get you shortly."

They both thank her, seeing the figure of a young man walking towards them.

"Hello, please follow me to the office." He says, tone clipped and professional. His name tag reads, "Wen Junhui, editor in training." The boys follow him to an oak door, watching the boy knock lightly on the wood.

Soon, a muffled voice echoes from the wood, "Come in."

They do so, noticing the smell of herbs becoming more fragrant as they walk in. In front, a small desk, stacked with papers and trinkets, adorns the little office space. Hoshi and Woozi are gestured to sit by the assistant, who takes his own seat at a desk at the side of the room.

Though the main centrepiece is the name card at the centre of the table. A title is written in stark gold lettering, "Dr Chwe Hansol."

The man himself was sitting in a large black armchair, turned away like he was some cold mafia boss. "Name." He says, tone deep. The man turns his chair around to face the two dental students.

Woozi blinks, "Uh, Lee JIhoon, but please call me Woozi."

"I didn't ask." Mr Hansol replies evenly, "Name." He says, gesturing to Hoshi.

"Kwon Sooyoung." Hoshi replies, getting a smirk out of the chief editor.

"Good introduction. I like you." Mr Hansol replies darkly, making both boys worry about what would happen next.

But then a voice cuts through the tension, "Vernon-ah, just because the office indulges in your makeshift mafia boss fantasies, doesn't mean that everyone will." The assistant huffs, muttering about professionalism.

"Aw, c'mon, Jun-hyung!" The boy whines, losing his cool image almost instantly, "You ruined my introduction!"

Jun scoffs, "You finally have a meeting regarding the newsletter, and you're already ruining the integrity of the office."

Vernon pouts, “Fine.” Then, he makes contact with the two boys, “What can I do for you?”

Woozi coughs lightly, “Uh, I emailed you regarding the latest newsletter posting. I was hoping we could discuss taking it down—“

“No.” Vernon replies quickly, leaving no reason as to why, “Jun-hyung, please get me a coffee.”

Jun huffs, but goes to grab it, leaving the three in the office.

Vernon stretches his hands, “So, anything else?”

Woozi laughs incredulously, “You’re not going to do anything about it?”

Vernon sighs, “The story has led to our newsletter to raise in viewership ratings! I can’t just take it down without something to replace it. Plus this was done with full consent.”

“Full consent?” Woozi questions, “I’d never consent to this being published.”

“Well your friend Joshua has.” Vernon replies, scanning the file, “His comment was “Payback for taking my model incisor when I went to the bathroom.”

“Darn it.” Woozi huffs, “Surely you can find another story before then?”

“Practically impossible.” Vernon says, lifting his glasses to his nose, “There’s nothing as juicy as an enemies to lovers plot line.”

“What about a new romance?” Hoshi negotiates, “I know a medical student who has a crush on a physiotherapy student—“

“You’re talking about Lee Dokeyeom and Kim Mingyu, aren’t you?” Vernon interrupts, “That’s peanuts compared to the story of you two.”

Just then, Jun knocks and re-enters after the conversation, “It’s room temperature, with two sugars.” He says, placing the mug down on the coaster on Vernon’s desk.

“Thank you Jun-hyung.” Vernon says, blowing the liquid before taking a sip.

But the grimace the chief editor makes is impossible to miss by two seasoned dental students, “Are you okay Vernon-ssi?” Hoshi asks, eyes trained to the man’s jaw.

Jun sighs before coming to the younger boy, “He’s gotten a sore jaw recently but he refuses to see anyone about it.” The assistant discloses.

“It’s not that bad Jun-hyung! In my professional opinion—“

“Vernon-ah.” Jun says, taking a deep breath to calm himself, “We’ve been over this. Just because you’ve got a communications PHD, doesn’t mean you can diagnose yourself like a real doctor!” The boy says, putting a light hand on the man's jaw and tsking at him.

“You skipped acupuncture yesterday.” Jun scolds, “That’s why your pain has gotten worse.”

“Acupuncture?” Woozi questions.

“Yes, it’s the only thing I know that can help him.” Jun replies. “That and a mix of scented herbs to calm inflammation.”

Then the scent from before makes sense, “Ah, do you practice Chinese medicine by chance?” Hoshi asks.

Jun nods, “I’m in my final year. Though, I don’t think it’s working too well for Vernon-ah.”

The boy in questions huffs, unlikely to admit just how much he’s been hurting despite being unable to conceal it.

“Well.” Hoshi says, “We might actually be able to help Vernon-ssi.” The dental student says, gesturing to Woozi, “We’re actually dental students.”

Jun’s eyes light up, whilst Vernon can’t hide the shock in his face, “Oh Vernon-ah! Let them help, they’ll be able to get you out of pain—“

“No.” Vernon says, “We’ll think about your story, now please leave.” The younger boy says, trying to busy himself.

“Vernon-ssi, if you’ve been in pain for a while, I do suggest you see someone about it, even if it’s not one of us.” Woozi states, observing Vernon calmly.

“I refuse to.” The chief editor huffs, “Those doctors don’t fix anything, just make everything worse.” He grumbles, going back to his papers.

“Vernon-ah.” Jun says, causing him to look up to the Chinese medicine student, “Let them look at least. If anything, we’ll know what the problem is.”

“We can try and see right here.” Woozi negotiates, “You just need to let us.” Hoshi nods alongside the boy’s comment.

Vernon looks to them all, slowly losing the battle. With a squeeze of Jun’s hand, he nods; accepting the help offered.

Hoshi comes and brings over a small penlight, unhooking it from his house keys and showing Vernon, “I’ll shine a light while Woozi-ah has a look for you, sound okay?”

Said boy return after washing his hands, with his sleeves rolled up to the elbows. Vernon gulps softly, though he nods in acceptance.

Woozi stands to come in front of Vernon, “Just going to tilt your jaw up, hold it there for me.” The dental student says, holding the boy’s jaw with a hand.

Then he feels Woozi’s cold fingers against his jaw. That causes the chief editor to hiss.

“Oh sorry did I hurt you?” Woozi asks in concern, immediately moving his hands away.

Jun also checks in, “You alright Vernon-ah?”

Vernon sighs but nods his head, “Was just…cold.”

“Ah, sorry I should’ve warned you.” Woozi says, pulling away, “I’ll let them warm up before we start.”

Vernon blinks in surprise, since when did these dental students start to care about stuff like that?

The dental student in question tries to get more information, “How long have you noticed this pain?” Woozi asks.

Vernon doesn’t answer, instead he looks to Jun who sighs, “For a good few weeks, we only started acupuncture after the second week.”

“Did it help?” Hoshi asks curiously.

“Somewhat.” Vernon says, “Though the sensitivity is the biggest issue.”

“Hmm, where about is the pain? On one side or the whole side of your face?” Woozi asks.

Vernon’s eyes meet Jun’s again, “He says it’s the whole face, though I tried to find the problem and I haven’t seen any indications of decay.” Jun says.

“Interesting.” Woozi says, checking the temperature of his hands, “Alright Vernon-ssi, I’m going to try again.”

Vernon nods a little more readily after their conversation, letting Woozi’s hands find his jaw again. “Better?” The dental student asks.

“Mhm.” Vernon hums, “Thank you.” The chief editor says with genuine appreciation.

“Anytime.” Woozi says kindly, “Mind if I take a look now?”

Vernon nods, taking a gulp before opening his mouth for Woozi, seeing Hoshi flick the penlight on and directing it to his mouth.

Woozi tilts his jaw up slightly, moving to the side so Hoshi can also help him diagnose the issue while holding the penlight. It was their first case together.

“Hmm, I don’t see it.” Hoshi says, “What side is the pain typically Vernon-ssi?”

The chief editor looks to Jun who responds for him, “He’s told me it’s kind of everywhere. There’s no specific area.”

“Hmm.” Woozi hums, “Well we can rule out a cavity.” He says, “Not completely, but for the moment.”

Then Hoshi notices something, “Hey Vernon-ssi, does the pain occur when you drink something hot or cold?”

The chief editor nods, eyes wary as Hoshi looks at his bottom molars.

“Sensitivity?” Woozi asks Hoshi, which he confirms with a nod, “Yeah, but we still need to test it.” The boy says.

“True.” Woozi says, he lets go of the boy’s jaw and faces Jun, “Would you have something we can use to tap Vernon-ssi’s teeth?

Jun nods, going to his office draw and taking out a clean tongue depressor stick, “Would that work?”

Woozi nods, “Perfect.” Then he turns to Vernon, holding the small wooden stick in hand, “We’re just going to tap a few teeth Vernon-ssi. Let us know if it hurts.”

The boy in question nods, letting Woozi bring the item to his mouth.

Then, the boy winces as the stick touches a few teeth at the bottom of his mouth. Woozi apologies, letting the boy close his mouth.

Hoshi decides to relay the diagnosis, “A classic case of tooth sensitivity.” He explains, “It can commonly occur from grinding your teeth or from aggressive brushing habits or even over brushing.”

Vernon is surprised, “Oh? Over Brushing is bad for your teeth?”

Woozi nods, “Correct. That’s why dentists recommend using a soft brush or even an electric one.”

“Hmm, I guess I should stop buying the firm brushes.” The chief editor says, “Though how do I fix it?”

“You can use a special toothpaste designed for sensitive teeth. That paired with a soft toothbrush should help. We can check back in with you in about a month's time, just make a booking and come to the university clinic if the pain persists.”

Vernon nods, offering the boys a rare smile, “Thank you.”

The dental students both smile, “No problem.”

__________________

Friday comes around, with both boys exiting the lab after their classes.

Hoshi goes with Dokeyeom and Woozi goes with Seungkwan.

A completely normal thing for them to do.

But they’re both watching the clock, waiting for the arrival of next week’s newsletter.

And then…

Ding!

Woozi and Hoshi both unlock their phones, getting the newsletter up.

Around them, students do the same, eagerly waiting for the exclusive interview about the enemies to lovers couple duo.

But…it’s not there.

Woozi grins, skimming over the replacement story on the newsletter.

Seungkwan notices his grin, “No breaking news?”

Woozi nods, “Nope!” The dental student says.

“How’d you do it?” Seungkwan asks, “I thought you said the guy was impossible to reason with.”

“Well…we offered a little compromise.” Woozi says.

That makes Seungkwan curious, “Wait…you and Hoshi? Working together?” Then the boy voice turns to a whisper, “Is he still alive?”

Woozi chuckles, “Yes, it wasn’t actually that bad.”

Seungkwan raises a brow, “Now that’s something I didn’t think I’d hear from you.”

Woozi shrugs casually, “I guess he can be pretty useful.”

Seungkwan grins, “Now that’s a headline worthy statement.”

From a few feet behind them, Hoshi catches the detail as he walks with his own best friend.

Maybe he's still got a chance after all!...

Chapter Text

(7:52am): Location; Rival's Dorms.

Woozi wakes up before his alarm, lying on the bed as he reaches for his phone on the nightstand.

His checklist is displayed at the centre of the screen.

But first, time to brush his teeth!

__________________________________________

(9:00am) Location: Rival's Dorm

Hoshi remains sound asleep, chest rising and falling as he curls further into the duvet.

Then suddenly, boom.

An ear-piercing siren, the sound ricocheting off the walls and causing the birds outside to take flight.

But Hoshi?

Still dead to the world.

The alarm stands as background noise as he pulls the cover closer.

Well, it’ll shut off after five minutes anyway.

(10:00am) Location: Library.

After getting a bagel and coffee from the cafeteria, Woozi sets off with his bag filled with notes and flash cards, sights set on one objective.

He reaches the library quickly, seeing a few more students trickle in slowly, rubbing their eyes and walking like zombies.

Tch, amateurs.

Woozi doesn’t even hesitate, his pace sets the rhythm as he makes his way to his favourite booth in the library, finding a familiar face.

“Seungkwan-ah! Ready to get some study done?” Woozi says, setting his bag down in the booth.

The dental student rubs his eyes with a fist, “I’m half asleep, but I’m sure I can keep up once we get started.”

Woozi doubted that at first, seeing the boy yawn through an entire session.

But his precision and memory are not to be messed with. Woozi would never believe it at first glance but after doing three study sessions with his friend, he knew that despite Seungkwan not being a morning person at all, he still managed to retain information like he wasn’t falling asleep on his desk.

Only then, does Woozi shrug off the tiredness and let him stay, working together to learn concepts and bounce ideas off each other for tests and quizzes.

_________________________________

(10:30am) Location; Lecture room No. 17:

The room is quiet, safe for their anatomy professor taking about a topic.

“The tooth structure, unlike what we believe is just hard enamel, is actually made up of distinct layers which are to understand for clinical practice.”

He turns to face the students from his slides, sighing to himself as he realises half of them are either asleep or completely uninterested in what he’s talking about.

Hoshi stands out in particular, one had propped on his jaw as his eye blink slowly at the slide, absorbing zero information.

Or so the professor thought.

“Hoshi-ssi, can you please tell us what makes up the first three layers.” The lecturer says, directly putting one of his best students on the spot.

Though Hoshi, as tired as he is, doesn’t even think twice before responding, “First layer is the enamel, then you have the dentin, then the next is the pulp.”

The man nods, “And what is important about the pulp.”

Hoshi responds just as quickly, “The pulp is where the the tooth’s nerve endings lie, acting just like a sensory organ to provide nutrients and support for development.”

The lecturer nods in approval, “A textbook-perfect answer.”

Next to him, his friend Wonwoo looks up from his screen, “Wait what did you say?”

Hoshi chuckles lowly, “Wow, did the great Wonwoo-ah forget to pay attention?”

The dental student lifts his glasses to his nose, “I was, but the material wasn’t on the slides. I didn’t read up on it.”

Hoshi tsks cheekily, “Well, well, it seems someone forgot to do the assigned pre-readings this week.”

Wonwoo huffs, “I was busy! I have this other assignment due—“

“Wonwoo-ssi.” The lecturer point out, “Since you seem so engaged with our material at the moment, please point out the final structure of our diagram for the class.”

The dental student’s heart drops to his black loafers, “Uhh…it’s…”

Then he noticed the white page open on Hoshi’s laptop, acting quickly, “The final structure would be the major nerve endings, these connect to the tooth and ensure it is viable and sensation can be felt by the person. (E.g. feeling cold from an iceblock).” Wonwoo recites quickly, seeing the nod of satisfaction from his professor as he rattles on about the point made.

“Thanks Hoshi-yah.” Wonwoo says, offering the boy a smile and a fist bump. “I totally blanked out.”

Hoshi accepts the gesture, “No problem hyung, just remember to catch up on that reading. I have a feeling it’s going to be on the quiz next week.”

Wonwoo groans quietly, “Man, why did I pick this degree?”

Hoshi huffs amusedly, “Can’t think about that in the third year hyung, you’re way too close to the end.”

Wonwoo sighs but nods, “You have a point.”

Hoshi smirks, “Anyway, since I totally saved your fate back there, mind getting me a drink after this? A smoothie would really hit the spot right about now.”

‘Ah there it is.’ Wonwoo thought.

The inevitable payback.

_____________________________________________

(12:30 pm) Location: Dental Laboratory.

Woozi’s eye starts to twitch, watching his partner flick through his detailed notes absentmindedly, probably not absorbing any of the details that were listed for his case.

Still, he tries the logical approach and tries to explain his case. “I still think using my pulpotomy case would be better for our report.” The dental student says, to which Hoshi doesn’t even look up from the notes in his hand.

“But I have a more interesting case than that!” Hoshi says, setting the case notes down.

Woozi takes a breath, trying to keep his cool, “Hoshi-hyung, we made it clear when we started that I would get three cases and you would get three cases. That way it’s completely even.”

Hoshi purses his lips, “That’s true, though our professor wouldn’t want to read about some boring pulpotomy when I have a much better case. Don't you want to stand out and get better marks?”

Woozi huffs sarcastically, "Get better marks? You do realise that the harder the problem, the more detailed the treatment summary has to be? If you haven't seen already, we are barely under the word limit as it is."

"Why can't you just agree to this?" Hoshi complains, "I agreed to wash the laundry last week, so you have to agree to my case being the one we use."

"Why are you even bringing up the laundry in the first place? And mind you, I have a lot fewer clothes than you." Woozi retaliates.

"Sure you do, Mr Tooth Fairy," Hoshi whispers teasingly.

"Oh, c'mon!" Woozi groans, feeling his headache return, "What else was I meant to say to that kid screaming in the waiting room?"

"True point." Hoshi agrees, "Though, it doesn't mean you're gonna be let off the hook for it, Mr Tooth Fairy."

"Say it one more time, and I'll hack into your Instagram account and change your bio to 'hamster', Woozi argues, smirking at Hoshi's defeated sigh.

________________________________________

(2:00 pm) Location: University Cafeteria.

The dental students bring their trays over to a familiar table in the room, sitting opposite each other.

As they sit, a message appears in the inbox of everyone at the table.

"HAPPY BURSTDAY! DARE TO JOIN US?"

"Oh, the theme has changed?" Dokyeom says to the group.

Though his smile brightens when Mingyu looks straight at him, humming as he reads the details, "Now this looks interesting." He says.

"Oh! Y-you're into this stuff?" Dokeyeom asks, trying to keep the conversation going in any way possible (and avoid the judgmental gaze coming from Dino)

"Well, I did help plan last year's party, so I have an interest in new themes." Mingyu explains.

He takes a sip of his cola, swirling the straw around, "You should come this year with me."

Now this catches Hoshi's attention.

The pair, both hopelessly single and within academically challenging degrees, would never bat an eye at events like these.

Instead, they would crash in Dokeyeom's dorm, bingeing on every type of unhealthy food imaginable as they switched between watching movies and light revision so they didn't curse themselves out later on during exam season.

it was their thing.

But this year, it seems Dokyeom has a new arrangement.

___________________________________________________

(4 pm) Location; University walkways to the dorms.

Hoshi walks quicker than usual outside the anatomy tutorial, barely letting Dokeyeom catch up with him.

"Yah hyung! C'mon, are you really gonna sulk over this?" The medical student says, catching up to his friend.

Hoshi huffs, "No. You can go, it's not like we do anything anyway."

Dokeyeom creases his brows, a fond expression on his face, "Aw hyung..."

Upon hearing that, Hoshi expected Dokeyeom to gracefully decline his invitation from Mingyu...

He could almost taste the corner-store ramen...

But Dokeyeom just smiles after putting his phone away, humming a cheerful song to himself as they walk.

"Thank you for letting me go, Hoshi-hyung! Hey, you should try and get Woozi-hyung to come? Then we can all go together!"

Then does Hoshi realise the truth...

He's been replaced.

Replaced... by veiny hands and buffed-up forearms.

_______________________________________________

(6pm) Location; Hoshi and Woozi's dorm room.

"And then...he had the literal audacity to smile at me and say he wouldn't be dropping Mingyu's invitation! Honestly, the nerve of that guy!" Hoshi rants, with Woozi being forced to listen to the elder boy's dramatic recount of events.

His roommate adds fuel to the fire, "Well, he wants to go and impress Mingyu-ssi, I say you let him hyung." Woozi says.

"Hmph, that has the probability of happening as much as you going to the party."

Woozi scowls, "I can be a social butterfly if i want to be."

"Sure you can, Mr Tooth Fairy. You patients and classmates don't count." Hoshi snickers.

Woozi lifts his glasses to his nose, abandoning his textbook, "Fine. Maybe I will go."

"Good joke Woozi-yah." Hoshi taunts, "You know what, just to make this interesting...lets make it a bet."

Woozi's eyebrow lifts, "Go on then."

Hoshi smirks, "We go to the party together, last one to leave gets to use their case in the assignment, no objections allowed."

Now that makes Woozi interested.

"No objections?" Woozi confirms.

Hoshi nods, "And, i'll even stop calling you Mr Tooth Fairy."

Woozi tilts his head, sucpicious, "Then what's in it for you?"

Hoshi's devious smirk returns, "You are going to be my personal wing-man in distracting Mingyu from Dokeyeom. At any opportunity."

Woozi sighs, maybe not so easy.

But the idea was tempting, there's not much to do physically. He just has to sit through a health mixer event till Hoshi wants to leave.

Easy peasy.

"So, you agree to the terms?" Hoshi asks.

Woozi nods, "I dare you to try and stop me." The dental student smirks.

Hoshi replicates his challenging attitude, "Let the bet begin."

However, little did they know...

This bet would change everything.

Do you dare to find out?

Chapter Text

If there's one thing Hoshi does well (besides aceing quizzes without really studying), it's dressing up.

Say what you want, the guy's got taste.

Though, when Woozi heard his roommate was going for a "new look", he expected a new shirt or a new pair of leather shoes which haven't had dental plaster all over them.

But this is Hoshi.

The master of spontaneous decisions.

"Oh my gosh." Woozi says, stepping into the boy's room, "Did you commit a murder and forget to wash your hair?" The younger boy asks in shock.

The elder boy grins proudly, admiring the handiwork. "Doesn't it look cool!"

"I guess, if the meaning of 'cool' has become turning hair into the same colour as a firetruck." Woozi mutters, glancing at the time, "What time's the party start anyway?"

"Probably late, it's a party, not like anyone to show up early," Hoshi says.

That's when Woozi shows him the invitation, completed with a strict arrival time since the gates were remotely controlled to the venue.

A time which was approaching in less than an hour.

Hoshi shrugs, "My hair looks close enough to a flashing siren. You just have to make the sound, and we'll make it before the gate shuts.

Woozi sighs,

This is going to be a long night.

_________________________________

And a long night it was becoming.

"C'mon Woozi-yah, come join me for beer pong!" Hoshi nudges, though he stays put by the drink fountain.

"I'm good, Hoshi-hyung, I don't want to drink that much anyway," Woozi replies.

"Come on! You haven't played in any of the games yet! Don't be a party pooper!" Hoshi counters teasingly, "I get you're married to your textbooks, but come and live, Grandpa!"

Wozzi huffs, "I could have fun if I wanted to, I just choose my company." He says carefully, taking a sip of the diet soda he found in the depths of the pantry, avoiding all the empty alcohol bottles stacked on the side.

Hoshi scoffs, "Yeah, more like you don't know how to have fun." He counters teasingly, taking another sip of his can of beer.

Woozi glares at him, competitive fire burning, "Yes, I do, I bet I could make more friends than you tonight."

Now that was a real challenge. If there's one thing Hoshi is known for, besides his legendary quiz streak and rivalry with Woozi...It was how to be the 'life of the party'.

To have that position as a challenge, especially from his book-loving, nerdy best friend...

Now that's a dare he can't refuse.

_________________________________

If their academic rivalry was something to marvel about, this was on a whole other level...

As soon as the bet had been made, Woozi slinks away from the catering table, meeting Joshua, who takes him to the growing game of beer pong happening on the other side of the manor-like house. Hoshi was already there, cheeks flushed from the booze, as he took yet another shot after his ball skills betrayed him once again. The resounding "chug! chug! chug!" from the crowd fills the air as he takes the shot in one sip, grinning maniacally after listening to the crowd's cheers.

Joshua watches on with the younger boy, "Honestly, you'd have to be crazy to go against Minghao-hyung. That guy hasn't lost a round once since he's been here."

And it was pretty obvious, seeing Minghao's skills surpass Hoshi's by a mile in precision and accuracy, leaving Hoshi more drunk by the minute, yet still being a crowd favourite.

After a short break, Woozi taps on the boy's shoulder, seeing a bleary expression from his friend, who looked way too spent.

"Hoshi-hyung, you've got to quit, you're going to get sick at this rate..." Woozi tries to explain, but Hoshi's competitive streak didn't falter, nor listen to any moral reasoning.

"Nooo-I can't lose!" Hoshi manages to slur, eyes fluttering and looking a little worse for wear with the alcohol in his system.

Minghao comes next to Woozi, "There's no way he's playing right? Should I exchange him with Mingyu-ah?"

Somehow, hearing that his best friend's crush is his replacement stirred a brand new fire in Hoshi, one which the alcohol only ignites further. He tugs on Woozi, bringing him close to his face unexpectedly, "Woozi-yah...please...avenge....me!" He croaks, slumping dramatically on the floor like a defeated character in the movie.

The boy in question sighs, "Hyung, can you take him to one of the free rooms? I'll come take him home soon." Woozi asks Joshua, who nods and hoists Hoshi upright, hearing the boy's slurry voice as they walk up the steps.

He cracks his knuckles, turning his gaze to Minghao, "Alright, let's do this, hyung."

_________________________________

A few hours later, Joshua and Minghao were bringing Woozi into the same room where they left Hoshi, leaving the pair on a mattress in the corner.

"We'll let them sleep here," Minghao said, adjusting the younger boy's neck while he murmurs incoherently in his drunken, dazed haze.

"I still can't believe how much Woozi tried to win." Joshua whispered to the older boy, "He never cares about this stuff."

The pair look to the intoxicated boys, "Maybe he had something, or someone, worth trying for." Minghao says quietly, leaving them in the room.

_________________________________

It was Hoshi who woke up first, letting the room slowly spin back to reality as he sits up, feeling that tell-tale headache which lets him know that he overdid it last night.

"Aish, why did I do all that?" He mutters to himself, rubbing his pounding headache, tilting his head to the side.

Then, does he see Woozi, black hair fanned out underneath him whilst he sleeps soundly, rustling on the bed as the sunlight catches his eyes from the open window.

Hoshi watches the boy shuffle in his sleep, shivering slightly as the breeze from the open window tickles his face.

That gets him to move, standing up to close the window and drape the curtain over the space. He looks back at Woozi, who was none the wiser, snoring away.

The elder boy laughs to himself, removing his jacket to drape over his friend, watching the frown in his features slowly dissipate now that he was somewhat comfortable in sleep.

Hoshi lies back down on the mattress, taking in the boy's features. "You know, you're kind of cute when you're sleeping like this. A lot less grouchy." He whispers to him.

He lays his head against the wall with a sigh, "But I guess you have your reasons for being like that." He says, looking down at the ground, "I wish I wasn't so stupid back then. Maybe, things would be better."

Hoshi keeps watching him, "Then...I could tell you all those things I kept to myself back then." He laughs at the thought, "Like, how I think you're pretty funny when you're stubborn. Your face gets all puffed up like a little squirrel; it makes me want to always disagree with you, just to see that face every time."

" Or-" He continues, "When you're in those medical panels, with your hair gelled up and wearing your contacts instead of those nerdy glasses, especially with that navy suit we went to pick out together. The elder boy pauses before saying his hidden thought, "Truthfully, I was starstruck as soon as you walked out of the changing room." He reminisces, thinking back to the day he saw Woozi in that suit for the first time, leaving Hoshi speechless for a good few minutes. "You just looked...hot."

Woozi shifts in his sleep, still blissfully unaware of the declarations Hoshi was making in the wee hours of the morning. "Plus, the way you handle cases, comfort scared patients, step up to help the first years and spend hours after all of that just working on being better, just for them...It's really admirable. I wish I could be as dedicated as you, Woozi-yah."

Hoshi leans against the wall, eyes closed, "If only I didn't mess up that day, then maybe-" He pauses, looking over to Woozi, as he brushes a strand of hair away from his eyes, "Just maybe, I could call you mine. I would take every part of you, the good, the bad... I'd even take the grouchy." He says with a fond smile, "It would've been perfect."

Just then, Woozi groans, lifting himself off the mattress quickly, "P-p..." He slurs rapidly, still hazy from sleep.

Hoshi gasps in shock, knocking his head against the board with a groan, rubbing it in pain, "AH WOOZI-YAH!" He complains loudly, soothing the ache with his hand.

However, Woozi's next words make him forget all about his injury, "Puke, I'm gonna-"

"AH NO! Wait!" Hoshi shouts, scrambling to find something in the room, barely bringing a bucket just in time for Woozi to expel the contents of last night.

He rubbed his back gently as the boy heaved on, holding his hair back and draping his jacket over him once he had finished, "Better?" Hoshi asked after Woozi was done.

"Eugh, remind me never to drink that much. My head feels like a gym weight." Woozi groans, lolling his head to the wall from the sickness-induced delirium.

"We'll get some medication, but for now, let's get home." Hoshi voices, hoisting a non-protesting Woozi upright as he got them back to their apartment.

"Mm." Is all Woozi manages to say, slumped over Hoshi's shoulder as they make the journey home.

_____________________________________

But as they leave...A person watches them from the manor's window with a grin, saving a video recording to their desktop from a camera placed in the pair's room.

A recording, which could change everything.

Chapter Text

It happened on a Friday morning.

Woozi is starting to believe that day is cursed, with how many things have happened on that particular day.

At first, the university socials page was quiet, calm, and unassuming.

But a refresh of his page changes everything.

A repost of a grainy video from an unknown profile. Two boys, one leaning against a wall and another wrapped under a jacket. The audio is crackly, probably due to the distance of the camera from the two unaware individuals...

But the words were still distinguishable.

"I'd take all of you, Woozi-yah. The good and the bad...even the grouchy." The voice murmurs in the quiet of the morning, the other boy none the wiser.

Even with the crackly audio, Woozi knows exactly who said those words.

And it seems the university did too.

The comments grew like a wildfire, but a common factor existed amongst all of them.

Pure shock.

One user was dumbfounded, "Um, aren't they the two boys who fight over the end chair in the clinic? #Rivalstolovers

Another comment right beside it, "Yeah, I swear these two are always fighting, they're always trying to one-up each other in my class." #Rivalstolovers

The hashtag started at ten mentions.

Then, it went to a hundred.

By the end of the day, it had quadrupled.

The hottest topic among all the social groups was the video.

Woozi's eye twitched, while Hoshi looked like he wanted to disappear.

"Um, maybe it'll blow over." Hoshi mentions cautiously, avoiding the fact that he created this mess, "You know how these pages are, I bet it'll last for a little bit and then they'll find something else to harp on about." The dental student explains with conviction, trying to downplay the situation.

Woozi sighs, rubbing his temples. He hadn't even had his morning cup of life liquid (coffee), and the world was demanding way too much from him on a Friday. His lips remained pursed, sipping the warm liquid slowly. Hoshi slid out the door quietly, barely making a sound in the dead silence of the apartment.

If he closed his eyes long enough, pulled his hoodie over his face and left his phone in the corner of the apartment, maybe he would be able to survive the rest of the day ahead.

_______________________

Scratch that idea, he shouldn't have been so optimistic.

At least three groups from his class had cornered him after the anatomy lecture, asking him about the details, whether he actually felt the same about Hoshi's confession or whether the enemies-to-lovers trope would continue for the foreseeable future.

And that wasn't even the worst part.

Hordes, literal hordes of people from OTHER courses were outside his classes, interviewing him like a celebrity that had just had their biggest secret revealed to the public.

Well, that wasn't too far off.

Seungkwan and he barely made it to a location for lunch. Considering how they'd been mobbed at the cafeteria, even the cashiers suddenly had an interest in his love life now that the video was circulating on every platform known to existence.

They found a spot hidden away from prying eyes. The boys both sat down, huffing quietly to themselves.

"Thanks to your fan club, I had to relive the torture of high school sports." Seungkwan complains, finally taking a long-awaited bite of his sandwich, "I haven't run that much since I used to play volleyball." The dental student adds on, guzzling half his bottle of water as they sat on the green grass sheltered by the tree.

Woozi feels another headache coming on. "Sorry." He mentions, "I'm not exactly happy either, I want to go back to when the cohort ignored me till the last day of exams."

Seungkwan snorts, "Weren't you offered a private estate in exchange for your lab report for Park's final exam?"

The dental student nods, "They really thought giving me a whole house was better than actually completing the task." Woozi adds, "It goes to show that half the people in our cohort are here for the money and not the actual field."

The boy next to him nods, taking another well-earned bite of his sandwich. He chews slowly, letting the wind sweep past the leaves to fill the comfortable silence.

"So...what's your plan?" Seungkwan asks, "I'm sure you won't let this continue."

That coaxes a smile out of Woozi, bringing out a notebook littered with notes. "I narrowed my suspect list to a few people. I don't think Hoshi actually knew he was being recorded, so I've eliminated him from the list."

A teasing smile forms on Seungkwan's lips, "Already eliminated your boyfriend, have you?" Woozi scowls at him, instantly getting an apology, "Alright, sorry, sorry, still a touchy subject." He mutters.

The dental student simmers down, continuing his point. "Out of these people," He says, tapping on a list of names with red underlined, "Our culprit must be there," Woozi announces, shutting the book with finality.

"So we just have like half the cohort to investigate. Great!" Seungkwan mutters sarcastically, flopping on the tree trunk.

He realised his mistake too late.

A chatter of voices emerges closer than they would've liked, "Wait, I heard one of his friends. I don't know! The small one, Seungwang or something. Let's check here!" One of them says, footsteps growing close to their hiding place.

Woozi glares at Seungkwan, "There goes our peace." The boy mumbles, grabbing his things and shoving them in his bag.

Seungkwan follows suit, "I'm cancelling my gym subscription. I'm getting enough exercise by being near you." The boy replies, jogging to catch up with Woozi as they make their way to their next class.

Though before they leave, Seungkwan says one last thing to the voices in the clearing, "IT'S SEUNGKWAN AND I'M NOT SHORT!" He replies, quickly catching up to Woozi and turning the corner, leaving the horde in confusion as to where the voice had gone.

______________________

He hadn't initially planned on telling Hoshi.

It was a conflict of interest in his investigation.

Shut up, Seungkwan, it's not because he's avoiding him.

However, when he left his notebook open on the small dining room table, a certain someone had knocked on his door, passing the book over. Normally, he wouldn't care about this. However, something in Hoshi's expression resonated with him.

He was also suffering with the reveal, probably even more than he was.

"Hey." Woozi says, causing the older dental student to look back at him, "How are you holding up?" He asks.

Hoshi avoids the younger boy's eyes, "I'm alright, how are you though?" He replies, gnawing at his bottom lip as the words left.

Woozi sighs, flicking through the notebook again, "It's weird." The dental student replies genuinely. He was never used to being the centre of attention, preferring to let focus on his goals and ambitions rather than float in the world of popularity and friendship politics. The news had turned his peaceful routine on its axis, though Woozi knows Hoshi didn't mean for the news to spread, so he doesn't harbour any grudges for the elder boy.

Hoshi fiddles with the ring on his finger, "Yeah, I would imagine." He replies, and awkwardness fills the moment.

Woozi tries to focus on the present, "Anyways, I narrowed the list down to a few suspects. Don't worry, if we work together, we'll catch whoever did this."

Hoshi blinks, "You want me to help you? After everything?" He questions in surprise.

Woozi nods, for the first time since they spoke, he'd been sure of his decision, "Yeah, honestly, you're one of the only people I can trust right now." He replies, truth evident in his statement.

A small smile graces Hoshi's face, with Woozi patting the unused side of the bed and handing over his notebook.

Welcome to the investigation.

_____________________________________

Their first stop was Vernon's office, along with trying to find the culprit, he had a few words for the editorial chief.

"I promise, Woozi-ssi. This is the first I am hearing of it, too." The editor tries to reason with the pair, a sigh escaping his lips as he brushes his hand through his hair.

However, the dental student wasn't convinced, "You must've known! You control all the university social media platforms-"

"I don't control them." Vernon interjects, explaining his point, "I manage them. I have secondary people in charge of editing and regulating what goes on the page." Vernon explains, thanking Jun for the warm cup of coffee, "I've already flagged the issue with the team, and they're working to suspend and restrict any more posts from the university's side of things." The editing chief adds.

Though he makes another comment, "While I can do all that, I won't be able to prevent any...third-party involvement." He says, taking a sip of the lukewarm beverage. Woozi knew what he was implying, even if the university socials page was cleared, the video had already spread to smaller platforms all across the university, ones which he had no control over.

Essentially, the damage has already been done.

_____________________________________

Contrary to popular belief, Hoshi wasn't faring too well either.

If anything, he was even more distraught by the news.

His crush on Woozi was something he'd harboured for a long time, something he kept in a small box locked away in his heart, never to see the light of day.

Alas, the alcohol had other plans.

He tried to act cool in front of the younger boy, brushing it off with casual charm and making a quick getaway before Woozi decided to explore the concept of the feelings he'd kept to himself for so long.

Though inside, he was barely holding it together.

_________________________________

Class passed on faster than usual, considering Hoshi wasn't even paying attention to the slides in front of him.

Part of that could attribute to Dokeyeom not snapping him out of his subconscious thoughts. The boy hadn't said a word besides a quick greeting, actively avoiding any attempts of small talk he'd tried to make with the student.

It all came to head at lunch, at least when Dokeyeom got so frustrated at his bottle cap that failed to open that he almost cracked the wooden table when he slammed it down.

"Damn, you good?" Hoshi asks, finally noticing the lack of attention from his friend.

"Fine." The boy mentions snarkily, trying again to open the cap, still struggling. To which Hoshi takes the bottle out of his grasp, twisting the seal with one fluid motion and handing it back to his friend.

"Thanks." He mutters, taking a sip of the liquid. Hoshi nods, going back to his meal.

"So, now are you going to tell me why it looks like you want to make me a cadaver?" Hoshi remarks cheekily, getting a side-eye of disapproval from the boy opposite him.

Finally the medical student breaks, "It's just...why didn't you tell me?" Dokeyeom asks, the sadness in his tone being incredibly difficult to miss, "I thought we were best friends, hyung." He adds on.

The dental student blinks, "Tell you what?" He replies in confusion. "I tell you everything."

"Well I thought you did." Dokeyeom remarks, "But you clearly have your own secrets."

Hoshi blinks, "What are you talking about-" He tries to ask, but the younger boy beats him to it.

"Your little crush." The medical student finishes, "You know, the one that's been revealed to everyone in the faculty."

Then it clicks to Hoshi, "Dokeyeom-ah, that-it's nothing, really."

The boy's glare is enough to get him to give in, "Alright fine. Yeah, I have a crush on him." Hoshi reponds, "Not that it matters anyway."

The younger boy becomes confused, "Why? Sure you have to talk about it-"

"No way!" Hoshi yells, "That's the last thing I'll do."

Dokeyeom sighs, "Hyung. Are you guys just going to let it marinate then? The sooner you talk about it, the sooner you'll know-"

"I can't, Kyeom-ah." Hoshi replies quietly, afraid to even say the sentence out loud, "I don't want to make it worse than it is."

"You won't, hyung! Just talk to him!" Dokeyeom replies in exasperation.

He brushes the boy off after that, promising to give it a try. Though he knows that he'd rather take twenty anatomy-based quizzes than start the conversation between the younger dental student and himself.

Instead, he decides to focus his efforts on finding the culprit behind the leak.

So what if he's doing it with Woozi. It's not like anything will change...

Right?

But little did they both know, is that the person behind all of this is grinning from glee.

Praising himself, for getting the ball rolling between the rival duo.