Chapter Text
Chapter 1 - ‘You’re just a game, boy!’
‘Hey, Soobin, you’re single. ‘
Soobin chokes on his drink, spitting it out on the plates below them. He scrambles to clean it while a voice laughs in the background, loudly banging the table instead of helping him.
‘Yah, Choi Beomgyu what the fuck is wrong with you. ‘ Soobin frowns while wiping his plate of spit and half-chewed up noodles they had engulfed before.
‘No, seriously, you are single, right?’
‘Yeah? So what?’ Soobin asks, confused about where this is going.
‘You should let me set you up!’
Soobin chokes 2 times in 2 minutes.
‘Okay, who put you up to this? How much is the bet for? 20 dollars?’ Soobin rolls his eyes, looking around for any hidden camera Beomgyu might have been planted to get his reaction.
‘No, I'm serious. You’re single. I run a successful match-making service. See where this is going?’ Choi Beomgyu says, looking at Soobin intently.
‘No, I don't. What successful relationships are you talking abou- WHEN DID YOU GET INTO SCRAPBOOKING??’ Soobin says, eyes widened in disbelief.
Yes, Soobin has been single for a while, and *yes* Choi Beomgyu does have a match-making service. Soobin was just never that interested in dating someone that desperately that he needed to go to a match-making service. Most people were weird frat boys just trying to fuck, and the others were taken. Over the years, he went on a couple of dates but never had anyone click with him; his longest college ‘relationship’ was 3 weeks. He felt bad at first, but eventually he grew fine with the fact that he was single, relying on anime and games for his weekend plans.
So imagine his surprise when his best friend and current roommate, Choi Beomgyu, told him they desperately had to go out for dinner so he could ask Soobin something. He had suspected something, if BeomgyuS's evil grin and the sounds of paper (?) rustling from his backpack were anything to go by.
Indeed, a barely tied together book with rainbow stickers and pink glitter covering the top is slammed onto the desk. In big, messily written letters, the cover reads-
‘Choi Beomgyu's great match-making services for the greatest couples only! Or, its nickname, Choi Beomgyugmmsftgco.’ he stops to take a breath. ‘.co.ltd.’
‘Choi Beomgyu, you are not doing this-’
‘Please hold all comments until the end of this demonstration,’ Beomgyu says, covering Soobin’s mouth with his hand, muffling the rest of his words.
'We provide the most excellent services to get together your favorite couples together. ‘ Beomgyu flips through the scrapbook, each page having a messily cut-out photo of a couple and details scribbled under it, stating who fell first and how they got together. ‘
‘Some of our most famous examples include— Ryeji of JYP university, Woosan of KQ university, Nomin of SM university, and Mark-'
'HEY, YOU DON'T GET TO TAKE THE CREDIT FOR MARKHYUCK, THEY HAD ALREADY BEEN PINING TOGETHER FOR 10 YEARS' Soobin says, pointing at the framed picture of Beomgyu’s friends.
'OKAY, BUT WHAT GOT THEM TOGETHER? *ME*.' Beomgyu shouts in defense.
'YOU LOCKED THEM IN A CLASSROOM TOGETHER AND TOLD THEM TO GET THEIR SHIT TOGETHER OR U WERE GONNA LIGHT THE ROOM ON FIRE’
'AND? IT WORKED. NOW THEY ARE NO LONGER PINING AND ARE INSTEAD GROSSLY MAKING OUT IN FRONT OF ME.'
Soobin rolls his eyes again.
Sensing his amazing ( Beomgyu’s words, not his) plan has not worked on him, Beomgyu begins to switch to plan B.
‘PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEAAASE HYUNG, I NEED TO WIN THIS SO BAD. I’LL DO YOUR CALCULUS HOMEWORK AND BUY YOU BREAD AND-’
‘OKAY! OKAY. ‘ Soobin sighs. ‘Okay, fine, you can set me up.’
The younger smiles, all sense of remorse leaving his face as he jumps up and down like a child.
‘OKAY, GREAT. I ALREADY HAVE A CANDIDATE DECIDED FOR YOU AND I'LL GIVE YOU THEIR NUMBER SHORTLY‘ Beomgyu shouts excitedly, shoving the scrapbook into his bag and rushing out of the restaurant.
‘Hey!? Aren't you forgetting something??’ Soobin shouts, staring at Beomgyu in disbelief for his immediate change in demeanor and leaving Soobin practically stranded in this restaurant.
‘Uh…’ Beomgyu looks around, confused, before walking back to their table, plopping a kiss on Soobin’s forehead, and walking back out.
‘What, no! Pay your bill, you idiot!’ Soobin says, sighing for the 15th time this evening, pulling his wallet out to pay for both of them.
He leaves shortly, packing the leftover ramen so they can snack on it later when they get hungry at 4 am from gaming the whole night.
-
True to his words, here they are, sitting in front of the couch, slurping on the ramen Soobin stole from the restaurant after a long game.
‘So, I'm thinking I'll give him your number, maybe you guys can text first, and a day later or so I can set up a call for you guys,’ says Beomgyu.
Soobin looks at him, confusedly, with his mouth full.
‘What.’
‘Um, me matching you to your soulmate? Duh, did you forget about the promise you made me?’
‘You were serious about that? I already told you, Beomgyu, I'm happy being single. I tried dating and it didn't go well.’
‘You went on a couple of dates, with guys you were not even fully interested in, that doesn't mean you should give up on love!’ screams Beomgyu.
‘I'm not giving up on love, I just don't see what the big deal is-’
‘It is a big deal! Look, you don't even go to any parties with me, you’re just holed up inside reading some manga! The only time we actually do something together is game, and I'm clearly too good for you now!’
Soobin just raises an eyebrow at him. ‘I'm not convinced, Beomgyu.’
‘Just listen to me, I'm gonna keep it super lowkey, there's a hyung I know who's transferring to our university from Busan. He came here for a dance festival and ended up liking it here. Just talk to him, if you like him, you can hang out on campus, but if you don’t, just ignore him like that one guy from your Anthropology class.’
‘He left me stranded on our project and I had to finish it the day OF the presentation! Don't even remind me about him,’ Soobin shouts.
‘Yeah, yeah, whatever. All I'm saying is, it's low stakes, you cannot lose in this situation. And if it doesn't work out with him, I'll be your little game buddy for the rest of my gay life without any complaints.’ says Beomgyu, his eyes shining like a puppy.
Soobin poked the remaining ramen in his bowl with a fork, pondering for a moment. Unfortunately, even a broken Choi Beomgyu is right twice a day.
‘Ugh, okay, fine. You can give his number to me,’ Soobin says, shoving the last of the ramen in his mouth.
‘As your amazing roommate, take some life advice from me. You’re twenties are the only time you can justify making stupid decisions like these. Just take a chance, you deserve happiness too,’ Beomgyu says, patting Soobins's back.
‘Yeah, I know,’ Soobin says, giving a soft smile to him.
Beomgyu smiles back, a hand affectionately rubbing his back.
‘You’re a big sap, Choi Beomgyu.’
‘YAH WHAT THE HELL-’
They both laugh at each other, taking in the night but anticipating what's to come.
─ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──
Later that night, he gets a DM from an unknown number.
Unknown 2:03 AM:
Hi, is this Soobin?
You:
Yes? Who are you?
How did you get my number?
Unknown:
Um, Choi Beomgyu gave it to me, I think ur my uh…’ super perfect dating match’ according to him?
I'm Yeonjun, btw.
You 2:04 AM:
Oh god, ofc he did.
Yeah, hi, this is Soobin.
Unknown:
So…
You:
So…
Host 12:06 AM:
Welcome to Choi Beomgyugmmsftgco.pvt.Ltd’s first stage! This is where you’ll get to know each other and ask questions based on our excellent, research-backed, top-tier icebreaker questions list! Remember to have fun and be honest, while trying to keep your identity a secret as long as you can!’
Soobin:
… How much money did you invest into this?
Host:
Barring that rude comment 🙄. Please pick a suitable nickname for yourself!
~you changed your nickname to ‘bread4lifer05’~
~unknown changed their nickname to ‘ramenlover013’~
~you changed “Hosts” nickname to ‘bane of my existence’~
Bread4lifer05:
I think that fits you better.
Ramenlover013;
I agree.
Nice nickname btw. Funny, we both picked food haha.
Bread4lifer05:
Yeah lol.
Ramen, good choice.
Ramenlover013:
Yeah, I love ramen.
Bread4lifer05:
cool.
Bane of my existence 12:10 AM:
To save you from this dry ahh texting, please refer to the ice breaker list given to you by the host, the great Choi Beomgyu.
File. great ice breakers.txt.stream.together.
Enjoy!
~’ bane of my existence’ has left the chat~
Ramenlover013 12:10 AM:
Okay, uhh, I guess let's just continue?
Number 1. What's your major
Bread4lifer05:
Brah, I thought these were amazing questions. This is just what they ask at orientation
I'm a biology major btw.
Ramenlover013;
Oh, that's cool. I never liked biology, too many things to memorise.
I'm a business major.
Bread4lifer05:
That's fair.
Oooh. Business requires too much talking lol, I'm a shy person. Being buried in a book seemed like it was made for people like me.
Question 2. What are your hobbies?
Standard but ig valid. I like baking and watching anime!.
Ramenlover013:
Anime, huh, I never would have guessed. Baking is cute, tho— it suits your username. Do you like cooking too?
I like dancing a lot. Been doing it ever since I knew how to walk; it helps keep me calm. It’s also nice putting together outfits for the covers, it also improves my own sense of style ;).
Bread4lifer05:
That's awesome. I can't dance lol, if my arms move on time, my legs don't move.
Unfortunately, I can't cook for the life out of me. I almost burned our dorm in the first year 😭
Ramenlover013;
😭Haha, that's so funny lol, but I mean, who hasn't triggered the fire alarm tho. My roommates did too, in the first year.
Bread4lifer05:
Okay, if the next question is something I had been asking everyone as a freshman, istg-
Question 3- When was the LAST TIME YOU GOT LAID???????
Choi Beomgyu, YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS, RN.
You don't have to answer that lol, let's move on.
Ramenlover013;
No, it's fine, I mean, it is anonymous. No pressure tho
Lowkey, it's been a bit of a dry spell. Final season has been killing me.
Bread4lifer05:
NAHH I GET YOU SO BAD.
Only thing fucking me rn is chemistry :)
Currently, I’m a carbocation getting rear-ended by a nucleophile 😍
Ramenlover013;
Wish I knew what that meant lol.
I get the vibes, tho, and yeah, final szn is always rough.
At least it's one of my lasts.
Bread4lifer05:
Oh? Are you a senior, then?
I'm a sophomore.
Ramenlover013;
Nah, I'm a junior, but mentally I'm a super senior.
Aww okay, guess I'm your hyung <3.
Okay, next question-
Nvm. That was the last question.
Bread4lifer05:
What?????
Ramenlover013;
I guess that covered the important stuff..
The rest is up to us.
~host has entered the chat~
Host 2:30:
That was the end of the first stage!
Hopefully, you got to know a little more about each other!
Now, the next stage has been unlocked. This is where I will pick one of the great ice breaker questions from our *repertoire* every day, so you feel closer!
Please wait until the end for some feedback forms to tell us how to improve!
Ok, hoes hope u enjoyed that. There is no feedback since I'm the greatest and your match will also be the greatest, ok, Beomgyu out!
~host has left the chat~
Ramenlover013;
Lovely talking to you, Soobin.
I'm gonna go to sleep now, it's late. Goonight :)
Bread4lifer05:
Yeah, me too.
Goodnight Yeonjun.
~Ramenlover013 and Bread4lifer05 have gone offline at 2:33 AM~
Well, that could have been worse, right?
─ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──
Host 10:05 PM:
‘Is your name Candy Crush? Cuz I'm addicted to you!
Bread4lifer05:
Girl what.
Host:
WILL U STFU AND LET ME FINISH?
Anyways ❤️
Host:
Welcome to Choi Beomgyugmmsftgco.pvt.Ltd’s stage 2! The video game section!
Today, you will be playing a video game online together. You will be on a call together; however, to make this more interesting, you will have voice changers so you don't identify each other!
zoom.link/30429
Ramenlover013:
I'm not very good at games, so can we pick something beginner, please 😭
Bread4lifer05:
Let's just play Overwatch on tutorial mode; that way, we can have a conversation, but still play something.
~user: host has started a call~
‘Soobin is a dumbass~~’ Beomgyu said in a sing-songy voice.
‘Hey, what the hell? I guess your mic is working,’ Soobin says, rolling his eyes at Beomgyu’s usual teasing.
‘Haha, that's funny lol’ says another voice.
‘Hey, this is Yeonjun,’ he repeats.
His voice was deeper than he expected; however, the voice changer Beomgyu had provided did a good job in masking any other detail about it. Soobin did not have many details about his match, except that he was a business senior and his name was Yeonjun, which in a university with a lot of Korean students is not very helpful. Not to mention, he doesn’t even know which University he was in Busan. He tried to probe Beomgyu about some more details, even bribing him with some new vinyls he wanted, but the younger refused to spill any details.
‘Do you game often?’ the older asks.
‘Depends on the game, but not as much anymore,’ replies Soobin.
‘That's because he's always watching some fuck ass anime,’ interrupts Beomgyu again.
‘I swear to god beomgyu-’
‘Nah, I get it, media is fun to consume mindlessly. And somehow, the most boring content is infinitely more interesting when I have 4 urgent assignments to do.’
Host:
Here is Choi Beomgyugmmsftgco.pvt.Ltd’s great ice breaker question of the day! ‘What is your favorite animal?’
‘These CANNOT be the great ice breakers you were talking about, Beomgyu. I like bunnies, they’re so cute. For some reason, my friends say I act like a rabbit,’ Soobin replies.
‘I second the opinion of the ice breakers, but I like foxes. I think Zootopia really contributed to that lol’ Yeonjun replies.
They boot up the game, exchanging some more small talk throughout it. Honestly, there's still a lot of awkwardness, but somehow Yeonjun has this comforting aura to him that makes Soobin want to continue their conversation. It also helps that this is online and there's a voice changer on, so he guesses he can be a bit freer.
‘What kinda music do you listen to? Any particular genres?’ Yeonjun asks, between their gameplay.
‘Mostly Korean indie, but I don't mind some Sabrina here and there,’ Soobin replies, half focused on the game, half just trying to enjoy the silence.
‘I get that, honestly. I like pop, and I mean I have to listen to a lot of rap for dance.’
I’ve never really explored that. Do you have any recommendations?’
‘I listen to a lot of Bruno Mars and TAEMIN, and things get stuck in my head due to tiktok, lol’
‘Oh, I was expecting some Drake or Kanye or someone,’ Soobin says, surprised.
Yeonjun tutts.‘Nah, not those people. It's funny when people make their rap verses and it's all about their haters, while their haters don't even exist,’ he says while scoffing.
Yeonjun and Soobin laugh.
‘It's more than the speed at which they rap honestly, the flow, delivery, and how you enunciate certain words so they blend with the situation and the vibe ur trying to evoke, I guess,’ Yeonjun replies.
‘I've… never thought of it that way. It makes a lot of sense.’
He was surprised how much thought Yeonjun had put into this. Yeonjun had so much confidence with every word he said. Soobin had to remind himself they’ve just met, but he can't lie when he says it's impressive that Yeonjun has thought so much about his preferences and his morals. He tries not to blurt that out to the older, instead opting for more vague responses.
‘Besides, I think I just associate certain songs with certain memories, like those early 2010 club bangers that you know aren't musical masterpieces but you can't help but smile thinking of the dumb shit you did together with your friends at the time. And now, years later, we’re listening to the same songs with new people and creating new memories. ‘ Yeonjun lets out a soft sigh at the end, barely audible to Soobin.
‘Do you go to a lot of parties then?’ Soobin asks, not even realising that this was one of the first times he had initiated a topic with someone he didn't know that well. He was just so captivated by Yeonjun, even if these are just simple questions.
‘I don't do illegal things, but yeah, it's nice to blow off some steam after a tough week, right?’ Yeonjun asks, also getting more into the game.
‘I wouldn't know, it seems more like a sticky, hot place with mid music,’ Soobin replies, grimacing at his vague memory of a party Beomgyu had dragged him to their freshman year.
‘Hey, that was a frat party! We had to go at least once. It's the ‘quintessential college experience™️’ Beomgyu chimes in, gaining a gasp from Yeonjun, who probably, like Soobin didn't realise he was still in the call.
‘Creep, why are you still listening to this?’ Soobin remarks, making Yeonjun laugh.
‘Ah yeah, frat parties are garbage. I'm sorry you had that experience. If you ever want to, I can take you to a house party; those are much more fun, only if you want to, of course.’ Yeonjun empathises, more focused on the game as its climax was approaching.
Soobin blushes at the implication of them going somewhere alone, Yeonjun must be confident enough to ask someone that. He’s also happy the older gave him a choice, because if he were being realistic, he would have to know Yeonjun a lot more to go to a house party with him. Yeonjun seemed to have realised that, clearing his throat.
‘Oh, um, you, me, and Beomgyu ofc. I-I wasn't trying to insinuate anything, and o-obviously it's your choice, and I now realise that I sounded very creepy asking that, so um, you, me, and Beomgyu ofc, ahaha’ Yeonjun quickly adds, stuttering and awkwardly laughing at the end.
Soobin couldn't help but laugh, even though he wanted to coo at Yeonjun’s cuteness at the end.
‘It's fine lol, I realised that wasn't what you meant and I appreciate you giving me the choice. ‘Soobin replies, brushing off his comment, sensing Yeonjun was embarrassed.
‘Okay, lovebirds, as much as I enjoyed that lowkey awkward but cute conversation, this is the final part, so I need y'all to lock in. I can't be losing my rank for this.’ Beomgyu announces, realising his roommate was distracted from the game.
Soobin explained what Yeonjun had to do in the final part of the game, noticing how the older was actually listening closely and trying out the moves for himself. The constant sounds of confusion and Yeonjun muttering “Wait, what was I supposed to do again?” were barely audible, but still cute. He could tell that, at some point, Yeonjun would inevitably panic and start mashing random buttons—but he was trying, and that was what mattered.
At some point, it was a bit frustrating for both parties, but he could also tell Yeonjun was naturally competitive.
‘No-no hyung, the right key, not the left one,’ Soobin replies, trying to fight the boss.
‘Um, okay, I pressed it. Should I press the left one now?’
‘20 seconds, guys. Yeonjun, you're doing great, Soobin, I will sell your manga if you cost me my gold rank.’
Beomgyu replies, not doing much to calm Yeonjun but trying regardless.
‘Oh, what the fuck, dude—when did this get so hard?!’ Soobin yells, smashing the R button.
‘I’M TRYING, BUT I DON’T THINK I’M HELPING!’ Yeonjun shouts, frantically pressing buttons alongside him.
‘Oh shit, man—I’m about to die. I don’t have enough health for this!’
‘SOOBIN, YOU CAN’T LOSE. WHAT THE HELL?!’
‘I’m sorry, Yeonjun. You’re gonna have to do this. I’m here to support you.’
‘Me?! But I don’t—’
‘Ten seconds! Oh my God, we are so cooked.’
‘It’s okay, Yeonjun. Try—come on, just kick him! Remember I taught you how to do that before?!’
‘Uh, no?? But I’ll try! Um… it was this and—’
‘Five seconds! Oh my god, please help us!’
‘Yes, Yeonjun! You can do this! Yeah—no—NO, the other one—’
‘Uhhhh okay I’m hitting it—it’s not doing anything!!’
There’s a moment of silence in the final seconds. Soobin assumes his manga collection is already on eBay, and Beomgyu has started Googling cheat codes.
Suddenly, a golden light flashes across the screen.
‘VICTORY.’
‘HOLY FUCKING SHIT. WE WON. WE ACTUALLY WON.’
‘I knew you could do it. Oh my God, Yeonjun, I could kiss you right now.’
‘I can’t believe it. I—I did it? …what.’
It seems like a day full of awkward moments for both of them, as Soobin realizes what he just said in a burst of joy—and immediately goes quiet. He ruined it. They are both silent for a moment.
‘Thanks. It was all you.. You’re a good teacher, dude,’ Yeonjun says shyly.
‘S-sorry about being so competitive. I didn't mean to shout at you. I was just too excited and um- I said the other thing while being way too happy, so sorry-’ Soobin apologies, mirrroing Yeonjun a few minutes earlier.
‘It's fine, dude. What do you wanna do now?’ Yeonjun asks, giggling at Soobin’s reply.
The younger knows he wants to spend more time with Yeonjun, because he likes their conversations.
But he doesn't wanna play Overwatch; he's gonna say something dumb again because he gets way too into the games.
‘We can just talk, I guess. I don't wanna play another match,’ Soobin says.
‘Yeah, me too. It was fun, tho. Maybe we can continue some other time?’ Yeonjun asks, surprising Soobin that Yeonjun still wanted to play again after that intense match.
Soobin was going to end the call now, probably rocking in his chair, replaying their conversation and how he said something stupid their second time talking.
'Hey, what time is it again?' Soobin asks.
'It's like 11 p.m. Why, got an assignment due?' Yeonjun replies, a teasing tone in his voice.
'No, I mean... I was just checking if the Festive Seasoning DLC dropped. Sorry, it’s just another video game thing.'
'Oh, I get that.'
'Wait.'
'Did you just say Festive Seasoning DLC?' Yeonjun asks.
'Yeah, it’s from Over—'
'Overcooked. Yeah, I know. You play Overcooked???'
'Of course I do! You play Overcooked??'
'I'm the biggest fan. Not to brag, but I'm literally level 42.'
'WHAT? I'M LEVEL 42 TOO! THERE’S NO WAY!' Soobin shouts.
'You left Overwatch for Overcooked?? You nerds deserve each other, I swear to God,' Beomgyu scoffs, and the sound of him leaving the call is heard.
'Well, Soobin, if you're that good… how about a cook-off?'
'For sure. You wanna go easy mode or...?'
'Do you think I'm a child? You may be better at Overwatch, but I will destroy you in Overcooked.'
'Oh, it’s on,' Soobin says as he loads up the game.
: ・ෆ・┈・┈・ᕱ⑅ᕱ・┈・┈・ෆ・ :
Overcooked has quickly become one of their favorite ways to spend time together—so much so that Beomgyu has started complaining that Soobin’s replaced him as his go-to gaming buddy. Soobin denies it, of course, though a tiny part of him wonders if it's true. There’s still a slight awkwardness between him and Yeonjun, even amidst the chaos of virtual cooking. As fun as it is, Soobin is in unfamiliar territory.
He’s trying to figure out if he actually likes Yeonjun or just sees him as a good friend. More than that, he’s scared he’s not being true to himself. Online, he’s bolder—saying things he wouldn’t normally say in real life. After all, they don’t even know each other’s real identities. Yeonjun seems like a total social butterfly: outgoing, fearless, always surrounded by people. Soobin is the complete opposite—he’d rather stay indoors, tucked away in his little world. Sometimes he worries that if they ever met in person, Yeonjun would find him boring. That he’d never actually be in a relationship. That maybe he’s just not the kind of person someone like Yeonjun would ever really fall for. And—
A ding breaks him out of his spiralling. It's Yeonjun.
Ramenlover013: 8:31PM
Hey
Wanna study together?
I have to finish an assignment, but we can do something after.
Bread4lifer05:
Yeah sure
Ramenlover013 started a call.
‘Hey, how's it goin', Soobin?’ Yeonjun asks. Their cameras are off, but he can hear Yeonjun rearranging things in the background as well as pages turning. As much fun as it is trying to hyperanalyse Yeonjun’s noises, he has the lovely world of matrices and calculus waiting for him.
They both continue with their work, Yeonjun’s playlist in the background accompanying the keyboard typing sounds. It's been an hour already, and both of them are absorbed in their work.
Amid ‘Wave to Earth’, Soobin’s mumble of math and Yeonjun’s mini fridge buzzing, there's another noise that peeks through. It was barely audible; Yeonjun would have ignored it if it hadn't been disturbing to them. But now that the song was ending, you could hear it more clearly. He looks around him, trying to figure out if anything he had was making that noise, when he realises—
‘Soobin?’ he begins, waiting for an acknowledgment from the younger.
‘Hm?’ he says, not looking up from his books.
‘Are you…. gnawing on your pencil?’ Yeonjun asks.
‘Huh?’
‘You’re really struggling with the calculus, huh? I can hear your concentrated noises while you bite the back of your pencil’ Yeonjun says, pausing his typing, more amused than annoyed.
‘Uh..’ True to Yeonjun’s words and Soobin's horror, Soobin had been anxiously biting his pencil, the eraser popping out of its compartment regardless of its glue.
‘Oh, I-Im so sorry, that's so embarrassin—’
‘Aigoo, that’s so cute, Binnie. No wonder your friends think you are a bunny’ Yeonjun coos, laughing to himself as Soobin turns red. He should be happy that Beomgyu isn't here, or he would have been announcing it to the whole world.
He also cannot believe he didn't realise his mic was not on mute. Thankfully, he didn't say something embarrassing or debate how much longer he can go without laundry.
‘I never took calculus, but if you want, I can refer you to one of my friends who is a math major,’ Yeonjun says. Soobin sighs again. He must have sounded really stressed for Yeonjun to offer help.
‘Let’s take a break, you’re stressed and we can revisit this once you’re feeling better,’ Yeonjun says, starting to share his screen.
‘Anyway, we can play a round of Overcooked, or we can play this new game I discovered! It's a visual novel called Doki Doki Literature Club.’ says Yeonjun. The bright pink home screen fades in, displaying four smiling girls posing cheerfully. Below them, the menu options appear: New Game and Settings, laid out in neat, bubblegum-pink buttons
‘Honestly, one of my friends downloaded this on my laptop long ago, but I thought you would like it since you like anime!’ Yeonjun says, clicking into the Load Game option.
True to his words, the game had already begun, with four girls in a classroom setting and their characters conversing with them.
Soobin can't believe Yeonjun remembers he likes anime, and even decided to incorporate it into their gaming sessions. Although it seems small, Yeonjun’s attention to detail makes him smile, red taking over his cheeks and ears. He listens to the older explain how it's a dating simulator to impress one of the 4 girls as they play as the protagonist in a literature club with them. He’s surprised Yeonjun like these kinds of games, but it is funny trying to hold a serious face listening to these cheesy dialogues.
‘So, Soobin, since we’re playing as a high school boy, I need to know your qualifications. ‘ Yeonjun laughs while Soobin playfully rolls his eyes. ‘No, but seriously, how were you in high school? Any wild stories?’ he says, glancing over the chat box.
‘I was always pretty introverted, enjoying the company of my books, so that hasn't changed. I think the wildest thing I had ever done was probably sneak out to go to a Jujutsu Kaisen cosplay with Beomgyu.’ Soobin smiles to himself fondly, reading the text on the screen.
‘Oh? Did you dress up as? Wait, I remember his name, I swear…Goto?’ Yeonjun says.
‘Gojo, but close enough.’ Yeonjun tutts and Soobin laughs again, finding Yeonjun’s commitment to his hobby endearing. ‘But yeah, I was Gojo. I went full out, dyed my hair platinum and all. My parents were so furious when I came after my curfew,’ Soobin replies, laughing at the memory. ‘The look on their face when I told them it wasn't a wig but I had dyed my virgin hair…I could see the steam coming out of their ears lol.’
‘Omg, I need pictures! Did you have fun though?’ Yeonjun chuckles, probably imagining what a high school boy would have looked like in a handmade gojo costume.
‘Yeah, it was fun, but you’re not getting any pictures because I looked really ugly back then,’ Soobin says. He wasn't lying. The night had definitely been... interesting. But he looked awful—his rushed, uneven hair dye job was a disaster, with streaks of color leaking onto his face. There was no way he was letting Yeonjun see him like that. He’d rather die.
‘What about you? What did you do?’
‘Oh man, what did I not do…I sneaked out at night, bunked detention, went to way too many parties, egged my enemy's house…wait, we have to write poems??’
Soobin’s broken out of his nostalgia, looking at the screen with a page full of words and the chibi icons of the 4 girls at the bottom.
‘Oh man, it's been so long since I made poems for somebody. I did them in high school a lot, haha. Looking back, they were probably really vague, but back then, receiving a DIY card on Valentine's Day used to be peak romance. I think we should bring back handmade cards! Don't you think soobin?’ Yeonjun finishes with a laugh, and Soobin can tell it is a fond one. He can't help but smile, too. Yeonjun’s childlike enthusiasm for cards is adorable.
‘Anyways, which character do you want to talk to? I think we have to pick one of them to progress in the story’ Yeonjun replies, hovering on the icons of the 4 girls. They were all pretty, all of them sporting different hair and eye colours, but wearing the same school uniform. If he were attracted to girls, they would all be top choices. Atlas, he wasn't, so this decision was random to him.
‘I don't really have a preference lol, they’re all pretty’ Soobin says, looking at the pink, coral, brown, and purple hair of the girls.
‘Hmm, well, the girl with the pink hair stands out to me, probably because I had that hair color during high school.’‘One of my friends called me Yeonjun Noona because my hair was long and bubblegum pink in a sea of boring brown,’ replies Yeonjun, laughing to himself.
Soobin imagines how a person can pull off such a bold style, but knowing how social and his enthusiasm for fashion is, he’s sure that if anyone can, it's Yeonjun. He might also be biased because he finds deep voices attractive, and Yeonjun’s seemed to be the perfect tone.
Soobin nods, watching Yeonjun create his poem with the words to impress the pink-haired girl, Natsuki. He hears him humming noises as he thinks of words that cater to her. He clicks on ‘bubbles’ and Natsuki’s chibi jumps up.
‘Soobin, you suggest one!’ Yeonjun replies, watching as the book flips to a new page.
Soobin scans the page, trying to connect the words to the characters. ‘Um, love?’ Yeonjun clicks on the word, but another character's chibi moves, and Natsuki’s chibi looks upset.
‘Hm, I think Natsuki likes cuter words, ’ Yeonjun says, clicking on ‘marshmallow.’ And lo and behold, Natsuki's chibi jumps up again. Yeonjun shouts in happiness, asking for an ‘air-five’ from Soobin, making a clapping sound like he is high-fiving Soobin.
Soobin smiles, but a voice in his head reminds him that Yeonjun is more experienced—not just with the game, but with life. Relationships too. He’s already been in love, done things Soobin could only dream of. Yeonjun seems so outgoing, so confident. Maybe this is where their relationship stays: Yeonjun chasing thrill after thrill, while Soobin never quite steps out of his comfort zone.
Yeonjun is still chatting about the game, animated and cheerful. Soobin smiles back, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.
Suddenly, Yeonjun shouts, ‘Wait, what... why is the text glitching?!’
On screen, black bars start appearing. One of the characters looks corrupted—her face is a distorted mess of pixels and scrambled features from other characters. Then her eyes suddenly turn pitch black.
They both scream.
‘CAN WE JUST STOP HERE?! WHAT’S HAPPENING?!’ Soobin yells, clutching the mouse like it might protect him. He’s not sure if Yeonjun is pulling a prank—he does get scared easily—but this feels real.
‘I DON’T KNOW—MAYBE IT’S JUST THIS SCENE! I’LL SKIP AHEAD,’ Yeonjun says, nervously clicking the pink text box.
But it only gets worse. The screen becomes more chaotic—black blotches spreading, more glitchy text appearing. Then the corrupted character suddenly jumps right onto the screen.
They scream again, startled.
‘This was supposed to be a dating game!’ Yeonjun shrieks. ’W-Why is this happening?!’
‘I-I thought it was just about cute characters! Why is it turning into a horror game?!’ Soobin yells, grabbing a pillow and half-hiding behind it.
They continue, cautiously. Eventually, the game asks them to choose between two love interests. Yeonjun tries to click on the purple-haired girl—Yuri—but the mouse moves by itself and selects another girl instead: Monica.
She turns and stares directly into the screen, as if she’s looking into their souls.
They both shout again, louder this time.
The game continues to spiral. Glitches distort the characters, the music turns eerie and dissonant, and their terrified screams fill the room—louder than the soundtrack.
Finally, after what feels like forever, they reach the ending scene.
Soobin lets out a long sigh of relief. ‘Thank god it’s over.’
‘Okay, now that we know what the horror elements are, let’s play again. Maybe the game wanted us to pick Monica?’ Yeonjun says, scrolling back to their first saved scene—the point where it all began.
Soobin stares in horror. Oh no, no, no. He is not playing this cursed game ever again.
‘Pleaseee,’ Yeonjun whines. What’s the point of downloading a game if you’re not going to do the side quests? I really wanna know what happens—pleaseee, bunny,’ he adds with exaggerated cuteness, pouting for effect.
Soobin groans, already regretting the moment he agreed to play it the first time. But with Yeonjun’s relentless begging—and a promise to send him bread through Beomgyu—he gives in.
‘Fine. One more round,’ he mutters, already hugging a pillow again.
They restart the game, and to make it more bearable, they start voicing the characters dramatically, each taking turns in exaggerated accents. Yeonjun commits fully, performing each line like it’s Shakespeare. Soobin tries to keep up, and for a while, they’re laughing really hard.
But the deeper they get, the darker the game turns.
The dialogue grows stranger. More glitches appear. Characters start breaking the fourth wall, their words crawling across the screen in distorted fonts.
And once again, they’re met with jump scares, corrupted visuals, and eerie music that seems just a little too personal.
Yeonjun is determined to reach the "good ending."
Soobin, meanwhile, is just hoping to survive.
It's comical how Yeonjun is so committed to trying to ‘save’ Soobin, despite trying to skip the horror scenes as fast as his fingers can click. It doesn't help, though; they both still scream when Monica jumps at their screen. This attracts the wandering Beomgyu, who probably came to get some snacks.
‘2 grown ass men getting scared of a high school girl…how are you guys my hyungs?’ Beomgyu says, interrupting their gameplay, poking his head behind Soobin’s chair to startle him. ‘Hm, hyungaz, that’s my ship name for you two now.’ Soobin blushes and Yeonjun playfully laughs.
‘I know you guys ditched me, but I think we should do today’s ice breaker in celebration of your ship name,’ Beomgyu says, walking out of the room with a wink.
Soobin rolls his eyes but opens the document anyway. He knows Beomgyu’s up to something. ‘Welcome to Choi Beomgyu’s match making…whatever—’
‘HEY, I WORKED HARD ON THAT NAME. THE LEAST U CAN DO IS READ IT FULLY’ Beomgyu shouts from the other room.
‘FOCUS ON YOUR OWN WORK Choi Beomgyu’ says Soobin, scrolling down to today's date. Yes, Beomgyu had made them a list of questions for each day, but eventually, they just tried having conversations on their own.
‘Hmmm.. today's question is…’If you were hypothetically in the A/B/O universe, what would you be???’
Soobin threatens to hit Beomgyu again, and the older just laughs at their antics.
‘I guess I would be an alpha because I'm pretty tall,’ Soobin says, looking at the document for any other such unhinged questions.
‘Hyung, respectfully STFU, you are an omega. I’m not gonna be surprised if u start your heat tomorrow.’ Beomgyu bursts into the room again, and Soobin chases him out with a pillow while Yeonjun finishes the last of the game.
Although he doesn't want Yeonjun to feel any pressure to answer the question, he feels a tingle down his spine. If Soobin were an omega, would Yeonjun…… be an alpha? Specifically, his alpha? He tries to snap out of it, but he feels a little warm now, fanning himself with his t-shirt. Fortunately, before he went too wild with his imagination, Yeonjun’s shriek broke him out of his thoughts.
‘Okay, I'm sorry about that. You don't have to answer that. Just ignore Beomgyu. He was dropped on his head as a child,’ Soobin says, dragging his chair back to the desk.
‘Nah, it's fine. I'm well aware of Beomgyu’s antics. He robs me of all my pocket money when we meet.’ Yeonjun closes the game, going back to the screen of their texts.
‘But honestly, I can tell he loves you.’
Soobin smiles, Yeonjun’s right.
‘I hope you find someone like that, too, hyung. You are really nice for trying to find something of both our interests, ‘Soobin says, blushing as he compliments Yeonjun.
The older is quiet for a second, and Soobin thinks he overstepped. He’s about to apologize when he hears a click of a mouse and Yeonjun speaks again.
‘Thank you, bunny. I’ll send your bread soon,’ Yeonjun says.
Soobin blushes at the pet name, but before he can reply, he realizes—Yeonjun has turned off his voice changer. Gone were the squeaky, helium-like filters from their first call. Now, their voices were more natural, though both still kept a slight pitch modifier on for comfort, holding onto a shred of anonymity.
‘Soobin?’ Yeonjun says gently.
His voice fills Soobin’s headphones—deep, warm, and unexpectedly disarming. Soobin’s breath catches. It’s almost surreal how attractive someone could sound saying the name of a small animal. But maybe it wasn’t just the voice—it was the way Yeonjun said it, with quiet fondness, a teasing lilt beneath his chuckle, like he knew exactly what effect he was having.
People had called Soobin “bunny” before—it was a nickname that stuck easily, almost like a spirit animal. But when Yeonjun said it... It felt different. Playful, yes, but affectionate too. They still didn’t know who the other truly was, but surely this was a sign that things were moving in a good direction. Right?
‘Y-yeah, I’m here,’ Soobin responds, his voice still filtered.
There’s a beat of silence—and Soobin swears he hears Yeonjun sigh softly, maybe a little disappointed he’s still hiding.
Then, with a burst of courage he doesn’t quite understand, Soobin clicks off his voice modifier.
‘T-Thank you, hyungie,’ he says, his voice shy and trembling just a little.
He immediately cringes at the stutter—three words and he still managed to trip over them. But then he hears Yeonjun chuckle warmly, and despite his embarrassment, Soobin giggles too.
A soft, unfamiliar warmth spreads in his chest.
He hovers over the end call button as he sees Yeonjun do the same on his screen. They are both silent, but somehow it feels intense.
‘Take care of yourself, Yeonjun hyung.’
Soobin finally ends the call.
It felt kind of stupid, being this nervous about turning off a voice modifier—especially one that was never really needed in the first place. It had started as a joke, probably something Beomgyu suggested so they’d all sound like chipmunks for fun. But once it was there, Soobin held onto it. It gave him a strange kind of safety—this little layer of distortion that let him speak without fully being heard. With it on, he could be a little braver, a little louder, a little more like the person he wished he was.
And yet... the moment Yeonjun quietly turned his off, something shifted.
He didn’t say anything. There was no pressure. Just a small, silent gesture—like he was offering trust without demanding anything in return. And somehow, that made Soobin feel more seen, more accepted, than any voice-modifier ever had. He still felt safe—but this time, it wasn’t because he was hiding. It was because Yeonjun made him feel like he didn’t have to, like he wouldn’t be judged if he came out of hiding.
That simple click—the quiet vulnerability of it—felt more comforting than any filter ever could.
Beomgyu’s behind him, waiting with a pot full of food. He remains quiet, but Soobin can tell from his eyes that he's excited to hear what he feels about Yeonjun. ‘Okay, so, we both played a visual novel game today….’
: ・ෆ・┈・┈・ᕱ⑅ᕱ・┈・┈・ෆ・ :
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