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“Matthew! Have you lost weight since the last time you were here?”
“Ah, no—”
“Son, why aren’t you taking proper care of him?”
“Mom—”
Things are already a little chaotic at Gunwook’s family home. After finally finding a break in their hectic schedules, Gunwook and Matthew agree to visit—mostly because of Gunwook’s mother’s relentless insistence.
Now, barely ten minutes after stepping through the front door, Gunwook’s mom already begins fussing over Matthew like he is her own son.
Shaking her head in gentle disapproval, she adds, “You two go rest. Dinner will be ready in about half an hour—I’ll call you when it’s done.”
There isn’t much left for either of them to say. With a small shrug, Gunwook casually wraps an arm around Matthew’s waist—something so habitual it came naturally—and guides him toward his room.
One of the things Matthew loves about visiting here is how, despite Gunwook being away for years because of work, his room remains untouched. Lived-in. Full of memories. Posters still cover the walls, shelves are packed with history books and manga, and in the corner sits a now-deflated soccer ball—once loved, now weathered by time.
Matthew flops onto the bed without hesitation. Gunwook follows, settling in beside him.
“It’s been so hectic for so long, I almost forgot what it feels like to be in a place that smells like family.”
A pang of guilt hits Gunwook in the chest. Even if he can’t visit his family as often as he likes, he can still see them every now and then. But Matthew doesn’t have the same luxury—not with the distance.
He slings his arm gently around Matthew’s shoulders.
“You can come here anytime, love. It’s your home too.”
Matthew leans into him and closes his eyes. “I know, Wookie. Thank you.”
Gunwook hesitates for only a second before adding, “We’re going to Canada, too. I’m trying to stay on good terms with the company so I can make it happen.”
Matthew laughs, comforted by the way Gunwook’s soft grumbling always masks his sincere intentions.
“Hyung owes you big time.”
“Wanna play a round of Battlegrounds until Mom calls us for dinner?”
Matthew grins. “Hanbin and Gyuvin should be at the dorm. Let’s see if they want to join us.”
Soon, the four of them are immersed in the game. Matthew shrieks playfully during tense moments, focusing more on fun than victory. Gunwook, on the other hand, treats it like a mission, pushing his skills to the limit.
At one point, when Matthew is surrounded by four enemies, Gunwook dives in and rescues him.
By the end of the match, as the words WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER flashes on the screen, they turn to each other with triumphant grins. From the voice chat, Hanbin and Gyuvin are shouting their own cheers. Gunwook can’t resist but to press his lips softly onto Matthews’.
“Dinner’s ready!”
Gunwook’s father’s voice echoes from downstairs. The boys log off and make their way down, telling Hanbin and Gyuvin they’d talk later. The dining table is covered with food, with an especially generous amount of Matthew’s favorite crispy chicken.
They sit side by side. Gunwook’s mom piles food onto Matthew’s plate.
“Oh, you really didn’t have to—”
“Nonsense! You should eat better to stay healthy. Sweetheart, don’t you think Matthew’s gotten smaller since we last saw him?”
Gunwook’s dad pauses to give Matthew a once-over.
“Gunwook, are you not feeding this boy properly?”
Gunwook pouts. “Hyung’s very particular about his routine. He insists he eats when he wants and that he’s healthy.”
“He does look healthy,” his dad admits, “but you boys work too hard. We’re parents—we worry. So, we want to make sure you don’t even lose a gram.”
Gunwook’s older brother chimes in with a low hum of agreement.
“Matthew’s basically family. Looking out for him is our job too.”
A warm, fuzzy feeling blossoms in Matthew’s chest. Every time he visits, they make him feel like one of their own. He rests the back of his hand against his cheek, basking in that comfort.
“Thank you for caring. I promise—we’re taking care of ourselves. You don’t need to worry.”
Gunwook’s mom just shakes her head with a fond smile. “Well, I better not see you leave this table with food still on your plate.”
Dinner passes with laughter and storytelling—funny memories from their last album’s promo period, stories about the members. It gets late. Eventually, Gunwook and Matthew begins getting ready to head back to the dorms. As Matthew is putting on his shoes and jacket by the door, Gunwook is in the kitchen gathering the homemade dishes his mom had packed for the members.
“Your boyfriend’s such a sweet and polite boy. He and your father really get along,” his mom says with a warm smile.
“Right? They’ve already planned a fishing trip together,” Gunwook replies just as warmly.
Watching Matthew fit in so effortlessly with his family fills Gunwook with peace. Seeing his boyfriend embraced so genuinely—it means everything.
“You should bring him over more often. How long have you two been dating again?”
Gunwook pauses. “I think… about a year now?”
“Then we really should’ve seen him more by now. Don’t make us wait too long next time,” she says in a gentle, mock-complaining tone.
Gunwook wraps her in a warm hug. “I promise—we’ll come more often when we get the chance. Matthew hyung misses you guys too.”
With a confirming hum from his mom, they make their way to the door. Matthew is still deep in a conversation with Gunwook’s father and brother about fishing gear.
Gunwook comes up beside him and gently places a hand around his waist. “Hate to break up the party, but we should head back.”
Matthew gives a regretful pout. “I had such a lovely time. Thank you for everything.”
Gunwook’s dad laughs and ruffles his hair. “No need to be formal. You can call us Mom and Dad. If you’re our son’s boyfriend, then you’re our son too.”
Matthew freezes for a second, then gives a small, wordless nod.
About a few days later, Matthew scrolls through the tags he’s about to add to his Instagram post.
#studygroup
That one works just fine.
Still, something feels missing. His eyes land on the photos near the end—shots of him and Gunwook together—and a warm smile form on his lips. He remembers the day they went to visit Gunwook’s family, the easy joy of it.
#brotherfromanothermother
Perfect.
The post is ready.
An hour later, Ricky bursts into Matthew’s room, laughing so hard he nearly drops his phone. The screen is still lit up with Twitter, flooded with posts under the hashtag #brotherfromanothermother.
“You have such a weird sense of humor,” Ricky says between giggles. “But you seriously know how to entertain the fans.”
Matthew scratches his head. Was the hashtag supposed to be funny? He’d actually meant it in a heartfelt way.
Still, he knows better than to try and decode Ricky’s or the fans’ sense of humor, so he just shrugs and laughs along.
Later that night, Matthew and Gunwook head up to the rooftop terrace on the top floor of their dorm building. The stars are out, and the breeze is soft. Matthew treasures these little moments with Gunwook—he always has something interesting to say, something thoughtful or weird or unexpectedly funny.
They end up reminiscing about last week’s chaos during their UNO game with the members. Everyone had turned on each other, and despite Matthew and Gunwook forming an alliance, they still lost in spectacular fashion. They’re doubled over with laughter as they retell the moment, Gunwook wiping away tears from laughing too hard.
“You threw the whole game just to protect your boyfriend, ” Gunwook says, grinning. “That was really chivalrous, hyung.”
“I’d die for my boyfriend, ” Matthew laughs, half-collapsed against Gunwook.
“Oh really?” Gunwook raises an eyebrow. “But when you called me #brotherfromanothermother , it didn’t exactly scream I’d die for you. ”
He’s smiling, but Matthew doesn’t miss the subtle edge in his tone.
“Oh, come on, aren’t you like a brother to me? We joke around like a couple so much your whole family’s started playing along!”
Gunwook freezes.
“Gunwookie?” Matthew blinks.
“What do you mean, ‘joking around’ ?”
Now it’s Matthew’s turn to look confused. “I mean, for two close friends, we do pretend-date a little too convincingly sometimes—”
“Hyung,” Gunwook says slowly, like he’s trying to choose the gentlest possible words. “You think we were pretending?”
“We’re… not? ”
Gunwook stares at him, stunned. He knows Matthew has his own brand of humor—sometimes even his flirting sounds like a bit—but right now his tone isn’t teasing. It’s genuine confusion.
“Hyung,” he says again, softly. “We’ve been dating for a year.”
Matthew blinks. “We have?”
“Oh my god,” Gunwook mutters. “We’re not? ”
He sighs, rubbing a hand over his face. The hour is late, and neither of them is dressed warmly enough for the rooftop chill. He reaches out and takes Matthew’s hand, gently pulling him up.
“Let’s… let’s talk about this back in the dorm.”
Matthew lets himself be guided, still too stunned to speak. He’s fairly sure he’d know if he had a boyfriend… right? But as they descend the stairs in silence, hand in hand, he starts to wonder if he’s missed something very important.
Instead of heading to his own dorm, Matthew follows Gunwook into the one he shares with Taerae and Yujin. Inside, Taerae and Yujin are watching the Minecraft movie—Yujin’s choice, although Taerae, despite his earlier protests, seems pretty invested.
They turn at the sound of the door.
“Why do you two look like you’ve seen a ghost?” Taerae questions.
“Hyung, we have an emergency,” Gunwook says.
Yujin frowns and pauses the movie, a nearly empty popcorn bowl in his lap. “What’s going on?”
“Matthew hyung and I… are dating, right?”
Matthew still can’t piece things together. Taerae blinks at them.
“What kind of question is that?” Yujin tilts his head.
“Yeah, everyone knows you’re together.”
“What? No —we’re not!” Matthew blurts at the same time as Taerae.
Gunwook sighs. “ This is what I’m talking about.”
After a moment of silence, Taerae grins and grabs his phone. “Don’t move. I’m calling the others. They need to see this.”
In under five minutes, every member has crammed into the room, sitting wherever they can find space.
“Wait, let me get this straight,” Hanbin says, brows furrowed. “Gunwook and Matthew are not dating?”
Matthew groans. Despite the absurdity of the situation, his hand is still resting on Gunwook’s waist.
“What gave you all the idea we were?”
Hao points directly at that hand. “Yeah, I wonder…”
“We don’t even do couple stuff!” Matthew protests.
“Hyung, we’ve kissed. Like, multiple times,” Gunwook mutters tiredly.
“And every time was an accident!”
“Do you accidentally kiss with tongue every day?” Ricky raises a brow.
“Yes! We are just really silly! What’s the big deal?!”
Jiwoong stands up with a worn-out sigh. “God. I need something cold to drink.”
As he walks toward the kitchen, a chorus of “Get me one too!” follows behind him.
Not long after, he returns balancing a large tray filled with drinks. Gunwook grabs a cold can of Zero Cola and downs it like his life depends on it. Then he turns to Matthew, their faces suddenly just inches apart.
“Hyung, how did you ever think we weren’t dating?”
Gyuvin makes a sound of agreement. “Yeah, forget Gunwook thinking you were dating—I want to know how you didn’t.”
Matthew pauses, genuinely trying to think it through. His lips puckers in that sweet little way they always do when he is deep in thought—but now Gunwook is acutely aware that randomly kissing him probably isn’t okay anymore.
“I mean,” Matthew says slowly, “Gunwookie never asked me?”
“Hyung… I did. And you said yes.”
“…Wait, what?”
“I remember it clearly. I was there,” Taerae chimes in, raising a hand.
“Then how do I not remember it?” Matthew asks, feeling like his brain is on the verge of imploding.
“You do remember,” Taerae insists. “You two were sitting on each other again—there were no cameras, no staff around—and Gunwook held your hands in his and said, ‘Hyung, I really love you. Do you want to take the next step and be my boyfriend?’ ”
Matthew lets out a startled laugh. “I thought he was joking!”
Gunwook buries his face in his hands as the rest of the group stare at them in disbelief.
“So…” Ricky breaks the silence, voicing the question everyone’s too afraid to ask, “what happens now?”
Gunwook looks like he might cry. Whether it is from heartbreak or pure frustration, even he doesn’t seem to know.
“I mean, isn’t it obvious?”
Matthew bites his lower lip nervously. “If Gunwookie really thought we were together for a year… I’m guessing that means he has feelings for me—?”
Gunwook stares at him, stunned. But behind the disbelief and exhaustion in his eyes, there is something softer—something tender and quietly intense.
“Hyung… I’m in love with you.”
Hao lets out a soft ‘aww,’ only to get elbowed in the ribs by Hanbin, who gestures at him to shut up.
“I—I’m in love with you too, Gunwookie.” says Matthew with a shaky voice.
“Oh my god,” Jiwoong mutters, rolling his eyes at the absurdity of it all.
Gunwook, meanwhile, looks like his entire reality is flipped twice in the span of thirty minutes. He’d found out his boyfriend didn’t know they were dating, thought his love was one-sided, and now it’s confirmed as mutual.
Matthew turns his whole body toward Gunwook, as if everyone else in the room vanished. He tightens his hold on him with quiet resolve.
“Gunwook… I’m sorry I didn’t realize it sooner. Can I be your boyfriend?”
“Of course, hyung.”
And with that, they lean in and share a soft, short kiss, warm and full of love. From across the room, Yujin and Taerae groan in perfect unison, “Ew.”
The romantic moment comes crashing to a halt as Gyuvin’s voice cuts through the scene.
“Okay, but like—are you guys really dating now, or is Gunwook still a #brotherfromanothermother ?”