Archive of Our Own ^beta

Beomgyu is a simple man with a set list of priorities. He attends his university lectures (though he sleeps in most of them), he works his part-time retail job over the weekend, helps out in the student tutoring programme his university offers, and then goes home to play his favourite game: Genshin Impact. Sure, he splurges basically his entire income on the game, but it's worth it for the experience. For the skins, the characters, and the weapons, Beomgyu loves the game and is willing to go to any length to get what he wants. 

Which is why he has an e-boyfriend. And he's the other half, the e-girlfriend.

“That poor guy, whoever he is,” Yeonjun says with a pout, looking over Beomgyu's shoulder to read the Discord conversation with a pained expression. He's acting all disappointed at his best friend's actions, and yet he was one of his biggest supporters at the start. “He doesn't even know you're not a girl.”

“I'm sure he wouldn't mind if he ever found out,” Beomgyu laughs, pushing Yeonjun away. “I'm pretty enough that he wouldn't have minded talking to me this whole time.”

His e-boyfriend, some guy called Hyuka (if that was even his real name), found Beomgyu through a random domain run they were doing. Beomgyu wasn't exactly struggling; he can do domains better alone than with people, but out of pure boredom, he threw himself into multiple rounds of co-op to find fun strangers. 

After almost an hour of coming across people who did not speak the same language as him, he finally stumbled upon his saviour, the sweetest and most naive person to exist. Hyuka. 

It didn't talk much to convince Hyuka that he was a poor girl who couldn't afford to buy any in-game currency. All it took was spamming emojis and speaking cutely, and next thing Beomgyu knew, he was being gifted in-game currency out of nowhere. Now, Beomgyu thought about just leaving it there, because if this guy wasn't rich and was spending his savings on him, then he would feel pretty bad about it.

But at the same time, how could he let go of such a catch? A few sweet words and he got primogems, for free?! So…he dropped his Discord name, changed his profile picture to a random female K-pop idol, added a few symbols to his bio and then the game began. 

“He wants a girl,” Soobin says, taking a seat next to Yeonjun and quickly pecking his cheek. “Not a guy.”

“Well, too bad,” Beomgyu says as he shrugs his shoulders, looking back down to see the GIF Hyuka had sent, flying kisses. “Maybe he should improve his internet skills.”

One of the biggest downsides to this entire arrangement is that Beomgyu couldn't go on a call with Hyuka. One word out of Beomgyu's mouth would blow his cover. But typing every single thing in Genshin is such a pain. So whenever they play, they just go off vibes and hope for the best, most of the time. Hyuka seemed pretty convinced when Beomgyu said he was too shy to speak to him over the phone, saying something along the lines of how he doesn't want Beomgyu to feel uncomfortable, so he'll wait till he's ready. Correction, he'll wait till she's ready. 

He's so sweet. Beomgyu almost feels bad. 

“Stop talking to your e-boy and focus on us,” Yeonjun groans, reaching over from opposite him (he and Soobin had seemingly relocated there to cuddle together) and poking his phone. “Do you have work this weekend?”

“I have work every weekend,” Beomgyu answers, sending one last message to Hyuka about his lesson starting before putting it away. “But why, what's up?”

“I have a show on Saturday!” Yeonjun exclaims, throwing his hands up. “Beomgyu, I told you about it almost a month ago, and you promised you'll book the day off!”

Okay, in Beomgyu's defence, Yeonjun might have told him this while they were on call and he was playing with Hyuka. He got distracted by what Hyuka was saying and probably didn't even know what Yeonjun was asking of him. If this meant a lot to Yeonjun, then he should’ve mentioned it again, right? Beomgyu wasn't a bad friend, he just…really wanted a skin.

“It's too short notice now,” Beomgyu mumbles, flinching when Yeonjun flares at him. “I'm sorry, okay! I promise I'll come to your next performance.”

“You say that every time!” Yeonjun scoffs, leaning away from him. “You spend more time with your e-boy than with us.”

“Stop saying that in public,” Beomgyu says in a panic when he notices a group of people walking past and shooting him an odd look. “And that's not true. We still have movie nights together on Fridays.”

“Yeah, and you're on your phone for most of the movie.”

“Not really.”

“Okay, then what was the last movie we watched about?”

Beomgyu blinks, looking away for a second before confidently answering, “It was about a guy who—”

“It was Barbie,” Yeonjun cuts him off. “We watched Barbie.”

“Okay, okay, I'll spend more time with you guys. What are we watching this Friday?” 

“Soobin's choice this week!”

Great . So Beomgyu had to sit through another anime movie that Soobin insists they'll enjoy (and he won't, as always) instead of talking to Hyuka and coaxing him into buying him Discord Nitro (he hadn't asked for that just yet, so it didn't feel too much like an e-relationship).

But whatever, Beomgyu will manage with whatever he is given.

-

Kai is a simple guy. He wakes up in the morning, takes a nice long shower, eats the breakfast laid across his dining table, listens to what's on his schedule for the day and then takes off for university. Oh, and he loves to spend money on his girlfriend. Her name’s Angel, she likes playing Genshin Impact and is a bit too shy, so he hasn't really seen her face yet. 

Taehyun refuses to believe she's real, saying she's probably just a guy pretending to be a girl, but he doesn't know Angel like Kai does. Angel is quite literally an angel; her name suits her well. She listens to Kai rant about his overbearing parents, watches all the shows he recommends (they're animes, so he thought she would be put off by it, but turns out she's also a fan!), and always insists she doesn't need Kai’s money. But Kai can tell by the way she talks about the characters that she desperately wants them, and Kai really, really wants her to be happy. So who is he to not make it happen?

“Money can get you a girlfriend, but it can't get you good grades,” Taehyun says, smacking the back of Kai's head as he catches him on his phone, again, in the middle of their study session. “Focus on your books.”

“She's not my girlfriend just because of my money,” Kai mumbles to himself, but Taehyun hears him and shakes his head. 

“She's always complaining about how she doesn't have enough to buy herself in-game currency. If she really didn't want your money, then she wouldn't bring it up, especially after knowing how soft you are for people.”

And Kai gets that, but after he offers to buy her things, she always refuses and tells Kai that she would feel bad accepting it from him. He doesn't think she'd lie to him about something like this, they've known each other for almost 3 months now! Kai thinks he's pretty good at reading people; he figured out that Taehyun wasn't as cold as he claims to be, and in a few months, they'll be celebrating their tenth anniversary as best friends together. So, yeah. Kai thinks he's fine. 

“Anyway,” Taehyun thankfully shifts the conversation, leaning forward. “Have you looked into getting a proper tutor? I can't keep helping you. I know that I promised I'll try to help as much as I can, but I'm swamped with work.”

“I’ve applied, now all I can do is wait,” Kai says.

Their university offered a tutoring programme, and it was free, not that money was ever an issue for Kai. He had heard about it through Taehyun, who had once been a tutor until he got a different part-time job and was too busy for it. Kai just wishes he gets a tutor who won't make fun of him for making mistakes. That was the best part about getting tutored by Taehyun; he knew exactly how Kai works. 

“I can ask my friend to request to be your tutor, if you'd like?” Taehyun suggests as he pulls his phone out. “He's a nice guy, and I can guarantee he's a good tutor.”

“If you think so, then go for it,” Kai sighs, dropping his head on the table. “Why is studying so difficult?”

“Because you don't enjoy it,” Taehyun answers, shrugging his shoulders. “I forced myself to enjoy it, and now it doesn't seem so difficult.”

“If only it was that simple.”

“If only it were that simple.”

-

“Beomgyu hyung!” Taehyun whines, pouting his lips and holding Beomgyu's arm. “Can't you do it for me ?”

“I've already gotten two students,” Beomgyu groans, throwing his head back, trying to get his arm away. “Why should I even take up this Huening Kai ?”

“Because you owe me,” Taehyun responds, poking Beomgyu’s arm. “I paid for your coffee the other day.”

Beomgyu gasps, sitting up straight to turn to him with a scandalised look. “The repayment for a coffee is taking on another student? You're abusing your friend rights.”

“Just drop someone!” Taehyun huffs, grabbing Beomgyu's sleeve and shaking him. Soobin conveniently takes a seat opposite, and Taehyun uses this as a chance to get an ally. He knows Beomgyu can't ever say no to Soobin. “Hyung, tell Beomgyu hyung to drop a student to take my best friend on.”

Soobin blinks, a little confused, but then nods. “That sounds like a nice thing to do.”

Beomgyu's jaw drops. “I thought you liked Jeongin and Ningning.”

“They're cute, but this is Taehyun's best friend. And doesn't Taehyun do so much for you? I swear he bought you coffee like a few days ago.”

“Exactly what I said!”

“How is coffee the same as—”

“Beomgyu-yah,” Soobin cuts him off, his expression morphing into one of disappointment. Oh, he’s really bringing out the big guns. “You're really not going to help a friend who's asking so nicely?”

“Don't—” Beomgyu huffs, rolling his eyes when Soobin’s frown deepens. “Don't do that…whatever, fine! I'll ask them if I can take Huening on. But who should I drop?”

Soobin shrugs his shoulders. “Ningning for Huening, two lost, one gained?”

“You're lucky I love you.”

-

hyuka

hey…

we need to talk (⁠￣⁠ヘ⁠￣⁠;⁠)

When Beomgyu reads the messages, his heart sinks. His first thought is that Kai’s figured it all out, that Beomgyu is a scammer, a catfish, not really a girl called Angel. But then Kai continues, and he gets (somewhat) relieved.

hyuka

ive just been thinking about us

and how 

idk

maybe

i just

is it okay for me to ask you this? ⊙⁠﹏⁠⊙

angel

ask what??

hyuka

Uhm

(⁠〒⁠﹏⁠〒⁠)

sorry i really dont want to bother you but

i wanted to see what you looked like

Beomgyu sighs, slumping against the kitchen counter as the question he’s been waiting for finally comes. He knew that eventually Hyuka would ask for a face reveal, but Beomgyu thought lying about being shy and awkward would be enough to put him off for long enough.

hyuka

you dont have to if you dont want to

i was just wondering

we’ve never seen each other before

seeing you wont change anything ofc ꒰⁠⑅⁠ᵕ⁠༚⁠ᵕ⁠꒱⁠˖⁠♡

Except it would. Hyuka would find out he isn’t the girl he’s been pretending to be and they’d stop talking. Which, of course, isn’t the worst thing to come out of this. It’s not like Beomgyu actually enjoys talking to him; it’s just for the money. But the idea of not talking to Hyuka anymore feels heavy in his chest.

hyuka

angel?

angel

okay babe

ill send you a picture after lesson

Beomgyu changes chats with a sigh, knowing no one else to get help from.

bomgu

I NEED HELP URGENT MY PLACE NOW

pupu

??????????????????????????????????????

HELLO?????

ANY EXPLANATION

BEOMGYU IM IN A LECTURE YOU CANT DO THIS TO ME

-

“What kind of ceremony is this?” Taehyun laughs, walking into Kai’s room and finding him sitting opposite his phone on the table, holding his hands together in prayer. “What are you wishing for?”

“Angel said she’ll send me a picture of herself after her lesson,” Kai explains, keeping his eyes closed and focused. “It’s time to confirm whether or not she’s real.”

Taehyun lets out an exaggerated sigh, dropping onto the sofa beside him. “Kai, make sure to do a reverse image search on whatever she sends. If it's something from Pinterest or Twitter, I think it’ll be pretty easy to confirm.”

Kai opens his eyes and turns to Taehyun with a scowl on his face. “Have some faith in Angel. She wouldn’t do that to me.”

Before Taehyun can answer and say anything else to distract Kai from his prayers, his phone pings and they both perk up, exchanging nervous looks. “I’m scared,” Kai admits, shakily reaching for his phone.

“It’s okay,” Taehyun comforts him, rubbing a hand on his back as if he wasn’t just teasing him a moment ago. “It’ll be a real picture, surely.”

Kai takes a deep breath, bringing his phone closer and unlocking it, swiping down to see the notification. It really was from Angel. They both nod at each other before he taps on it, their chat loading up, and an image pops up. 

And Angel looks exactly as Kai imagined her to look. Round eyes, soft cheeks, short hair—Angel did say she had short hair! She looks oddly familiar, but Kai doesn’t pay any attention to it, a smile blooming on his face as he turns to show Taehyun. “I think she might be real.”

“Huh,” Taehyun raises a brow, leaning in closer to get a better look. “That…that looks like Chaewon. I'm pretty sure that's Chaewon.”

“Who's Chaewon?” Kai asks, his heart fluttering as he thinks he's finally found out his girlfriend's real name. Chaewon—sounds like what an angel would be called. “Do you know her?”

Taehyun shakes his head. “Not personally. I know her twin brother, Beomgyu. Ask her.”

-

hyuka 

is your name Chaewon?

“He knows you?!” Beomgyu gasps, dropping his phone on his bed, burying his face in his hands. “I'm screwed. I'm screwed! Chaewon, we're done.”

The two of them were on his bed, searching through Chaewon’s extensive gallery to find a picture she hadn’t posted anywhere. As a supporter of his wrongdoings—catching a poor, innocent guy online—Beomgyu had told her it was her responsibility to help out. What they didn’t expect was for the guy to actually know who she was.

“I don't know any Hyuka,” Chaewon mumbles, holding the phone to her face. “Okay, Gyu, calm down. Maybe he's seen me on campus before. Just lie to him, saying that's your sister.”

-

angel 

you know chaewonnie? :o 

she's my sister!

“Sister?” Taehyun scoffs. “This person has to be lying. Chaewon's only got a twin brother, and his name is Beomgyu. This can't be him.”

“Are you sure?” Kai asks, feeling his heart sink at the thought that maybe all of this was just lies. The late-night talks, gaming sessions they had, and all those conversations where Angel spoke about her issues. Were all of them lies?

“Pass me the phone.”

-

hyuka

doesn't chaewon only have a brother

beomgyu

“He knows!” Chaewon cries, dropping the phone and grabbing Beomgyu by his arms. “What do we do?”

“I don't know,” Beomgyu cries back, shaking his head. “How does he know so much about us? Are we famous without knowing?”

“I—” Chaewon pauses, immediately straightening up. “Beomgyu, be serious. We can't let this all fail now. We've come so far.”

Beomgyu frowns, holding her hands. “So what do I do?”

Chaewon sighs, passing the phone back to him. “Do what you do best. Lie.”

-

angel

:p I'm guessing beomgyu and chaewon haven't told anyone huh

we're actually triplets!

my name's minjeong 

“What in the…” Taehyun gapes at the screen before immediately pulling his phone out. “There's no way.”

“What are you doing?” Kai watches as Taehyun calls up a number, holding up a hand to tell him to wait. 

“Hey, Beomgyu hyung? I have a question, do you have a sister other than Chaewon?”

There's a pause over the call before Kai hears it, “ Yeah, how did you know ?”

Taehyun's eyes widen, and he turns to Kai, smiles breaking out on both of their faces. “Don't worry about it, bye!”

“She's real!” Kai yells, holding up his hands.

“She's real!” Taehyun echoes, throwing himself onto him. 

-

“It's Taehyun,” Beomgyu mumbles, holding his head in his hands. “It has to be Taehyun. Why else would he call me right after I sent that message? But he doesn’t even play games? So how is it Taehyun? Why is it Taehyun?”

Chaewon rubs his back gently, letting out a sigh. “It's okay, baby. Maybe it's time to find yourself a new e-boy.”

-

hyuka

hihi (⁠つ⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)⁠つ

wanna play tonight? ill be home a litle late tho

Beomgyu looks at his phone with a strained expression. Ever since he’s found out that the guy on the other side of the screen is Taehyun—or somehow related to Taehyun (Beomgyu just can’t believe Taehyun would laugh at his obsession with gaming while secretly being a gaming addict himself)—he’s found it difficult to enjoy their time together. It’s been awkward, all their conversations since. He’s sure Hyuka (or Taehyun, he doesn’t want to cross out the possibility either) has noticed it as well, with the way his messages have been dwindling. 

He should've asked for a face reveal back, but he got distracted by Chaewon and then it felt too awkward to bring up so he decided he'll do it another time. When? Who knows. 

Beomgyu so desperately wishes he could go home right now and figure something out with his sister, like whether he should end this e-relationship before it risks his friendship with Taehyun. After all, how was he supposed to conjure up this second sister called Minjeong, who was meant to look exactly like Chaewon? One day or another, it would get brought up. 

But then Soobin’s hand wraps around his waist, and he’s brought back to his surroundings, in a queue waiting to be let into the venue where Yeonjun’s going to perform. 

“Don’t you dare think of escaping,” Soobin says, smiling sweetly. “Hyung has wanted you to attend at least one of his performances. You wouldn’t want to hurt his feelings, would you?”

The emotional blackmail works, and Beomgyu types an answer to Hyuka, explaining that he wasn’t going to be able to play anything tonight. Before Hyuka can respond, he slips his phone into his pocket and turns to Soobin. 

“I wasn’t thinking of escaping. What kind of friend do you think I am?” Beomgyu scoffs, rolling his eyes when Soobin nods along like he’s listening to a child. “Whatever, how long before we get let in?”

Soobin checks his phone for the time before shrugging his shoulders. “Not sure. Usually, Hyung takes me to the back with him and I leave just before the performance starts to join the crowd. Cause of you, I’m having to queue up for the first time.”

“If you don’t want to queue up with me, then just go,” Beomgyu huffs, peeling Soobin’s arm off his waist and lightly pushing him away. “Go, go to your Yeonjun hyung . Leave me, your supposed best friend and soulmate, to stand in the queue alone. Why, why would you care for me, huh?”

Soobin laughs, grabbing Beomgyu’s arms and pulling him into a side hug, keeping him caged in. “Quit being dramatic and say thank you. Otherwise, I really will just leave you here, all alone, trying to figure this out all on your own.”

Beomgyu pouts, frowning as he holds Soobin’s arms in place. “Shut up.”

“Say it.”

“...Thank you.”

“Beomgyu hyung?” Beomgyu freezes when he hears who it is and tries his best to be normal, but the questioning look Soobin sends his way tells him he did a poor job. They both turn around to see Taehyun standing a few spaces behind them in the queue. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

“No one expected him to come,” Soobin comments, gesturing for Taehyun to skip the queue and join them.

Avoiding the glares from the people around them, Taehyun steps into line with them and laughs. “Yeah, you’re always busy with work, so I thought you wouldn’t be able to make it.”

“Took a sick leave,” Beomgyu answers, averting his gaze to the ground. “Thought maybe I should finally bless Yeonjun hyung with my presence.”

“What comes you’re here?” Soobin asks, directing his question at Taehyun. 

“My friend’s performing with Yeonjun hyung!” Taehyun says, immediately getting excited. “He’s been wanting to join Hyung’s performance group for so long. I told him I have connections,” he points to them both, “but he insisted he wanted to get into the group on his own accord.”

“That’s sweet,” Soobin hums, shuffling forward in the queue with Beomgyu still in his arms. “What’s his name?”

Taehyun looks at Beomgyu before saying, “Huening Kai.”

“Oh my God,” Beomgyu groans, knocking his head into Soobin’s shoulder. “Is this some sort of trap? Did you know about this, Soobin hyung?”

“Me?” Soobin’s eyes widen, innocently shaking his head. “How would I know?”

“I already agreed I’ll accept his request!”

“Yeah, but I wanted you to meet him once in front of me,” Taehyun explains, like it just makes sense.

Beomgyu glares at him. “Do you not trust that I’ll be nice to him?”

Taehyun smiles, pointing behind him. “We’re next, let’s go in.”

-

Beomgyu finds himself zoning out for most of the performances, more focused on how Taehyun is just sitting a seat away from him and probably knows about his little secret. Ever since their phone call, they’ve not met in person, and Taehyun hasn’t messaged him about it either. It’s all so stressful. Beomgyu didn’t think coming to Yeonjun's event would cause him this much anxiety.

“Hyung’s next.” Is all Beomgyu needs to hear before he's sitting up straight, eyes wide open and waiting for his favourite Hyung (after Soobin—don’t tell Yeonjun) to make his appearance.

Yeonjun walks onto the stage, the cheers from around them so loud that Beomgyu flinches, turning to see Soobin making most of the noise. Their Hyung waves at the crowd, his smile widening when he sees Beomgyu, making him feel a little guilty that maybe he should’ve come earlier before he gestures for the rest of his group to join him. 

Beomgyu quickly grabs his phone, taking it out to film the first performance he watches of Yeonjun’s, but then, when he looks back up, his eyes immediately snap onto someone else. Someone so gorgeous he stops breathing for a second. Long silver hair, soft face features, and the prettiest, prettiest smile Beomgyu has ever seen. He feels a smile breaking out on his own face just from looking at the beautiful stranger on stage, getting into formation. The performance starts and ends before Beomgyu can even break himself out of his trance, and he lets out a quiet gasp, looking down at his phone screen and realising he'd accidentally only recorded the silver-haired beauty.

“Beomgyu-yah? Let's get going,” Soobin calls out to them, tapping his arm to bring him back. He doesn't realise the event has finished, too focused on rewatching the video—more like a fancam—he has recorded. “Did you see Hyung?”

The guilt kicks in. “Yeah!” He lies, hoping Soobin doesn't catch on. “He looked so good.”

“I know right!” Soobin answers excitedly, clasping his hands together. “He always looks great, but he looks especially pretty on stage when he's focused on his performance—”

Soobin rambles on as they walk towards backstage, finding Taehyun along the way. When they reach the back, Yeonjun and his group surround him. Taehyun raises his hand and waves, calling out a name that shakes Beomgyu to his core. 

“Hyuka! Come here.”

Beomgyu's entire body freezes up, and his head snaps in the direction of Taehyun's gaze, jaw dropping when the same silver-haired guy he saw earlier steps forward, a gentle smile on his face as he walks to them. And suddenly it all makes sense.

“Huening Kai, this is Beomgyu hyung. Beomgyu hyung, this is Kai. We sometimes call him Hyuka for short.” Taehyun looks excited as he moves his hands between them, but Beomgyu doesn't feel the same amount of excitement as the name causes his stomach to twist. 

“It's nice to meet you, Beomgyu hyung—oh!” Kai covers his mouth with his hand. “Sorry, didn't mean to call you that. Taehyun talks about you often, so it almost feels like you're my Hyung too.”

Beomgyu shakes his hands, forcing out a laugh as if the honorific didn't just melt his insides. “It's alright! Besides, I'm going to start tutoring you soon, right? So it's best if we get comfortable quickly.”

Kai’s smile widens, and Beomgyu feels like he's being blinded by his pure energy, grabbing Soobin’s hand to calm himself down. “I'm so happy to know you're accepting me as a student! I'll try my best, Hyung.”

“I look forward to tutoring you!”

-

“That was your Hyuka?” Soobin laughs, throwing his head back as Beomgyu whines from the back seat. “Oh my God, Hyung, you should've seen the way Beomgyu reacted.”

Soobin does a poor reenactment and only stops when Beomgyu smacks his head. “I was so scared! Like, what if he figured out I was Angel?”

“How would he figure that out?” Yeonjun asks, looking at him through the rearview mirror. “You sent him a picture of Chaewon and lied about having another sister. Why would he question it when he knows literally nothing about you?”

Beomgyu slumps down in his seat. “I don’t know, I’m just panicking.”

Soobin twists in his seat to look back at him, reaching over to offer him a hand for comfort. “Listen, he won’t be able to figure it out. And, hey, if you’re finally feeling guilty for catfishing someone, maybe this is the time to stop it.”

Beomgyu pouts, crossing his arms across his chest and huffing. “I’ll think about it.”

-

“Beomgyu hyung looks so much like Angel,” Kai says, lying flat on his bed with his arms spread open. “I mean, he looks so much like Minjeong. They’re both so pretty.”

“Mhm,” Taehyun hums in agreement, walking around the room. “Beomgyu hyung is really pretty. It makes sense that they look so similar—like, I swear Minjeong and Chaewon look exactly the same. Crazy how twin genes work, right?”

“Right,” Kai answers, but his mind is elsewhere. The moment he laid eyes on Beomgyu, he felt like his entire world had just reset. Sure, Minjeong was pretty, and Chaewon must be too if she looks like her, but Beomgyu . Kai rests a hand on his chest, his heart beating fast at the thought of the older man. His big eyes, long bangs that perfectly framed his face, and the way he looked up at Kai. He didn’t even seem that much shorter, barely a few inches, and yet the way he looked so cute—

He feels a little guilty that he’s daydreaming about someone other than his girlfriend, especially when that someone else was his girlfriend's brother. But there was just something about Beomgyu that he couldn’t stop thinking about. 

“I start lessons with him soon, don’t I?” Kai asks, looking over to Taehyun, who seems oblivious of Kai’s inner turmoil. 

“Yep! Do you want me to accompany you for your first lesson?”

Kai turns away, trying to hide his smile as he says, “No! No, it’s fine. Don’t worry about me, Tyun. I’ll be fine.”

-

angel

heyyy

i just realised :c i sent u my pic but u didnt send urs

hyuka

gasp ＼⁠(⁠°⁠o⁠°⁠)⁠／

i completely forgot!!!!

let me send

Beomgyu crosses his fingers, wishing for everything to somehow be a coincidence and that this wasn’t who he expected it to be. But then—

hyuka

[img] this is meeeee

do u think im cute? (⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴗ⁠ꈍ⁠)

angel

the cutest

-

“Are you sure you're okay with meeting up here?” Beomgyu asks, putting his books on the table. 

Kai nods, glancing around the almost empty library. Exam season was far from coming, but tutoring was a never-ending chore. At first, Kai dreaded the idea of getting tutored by anyone other than Taehyun. Sure, his best friend wasn't exactly lenient, and would always shake his head in disappointment when he'd get questions wrong. But he would never take it too far and actually get mad at Kai.

But ever since he got to meet Beomgyu and see who his tutor was, Kai’s been a little too excited for their lessons together. 

“What should we start with?” Beomgyu asks, a gentle smile on his face as he turns to Kai. 

“Uhm, this is what we were working on this week,” Kai answers, passing him his textbook. He doesn't say anything else before Beomgyu gets started, slipping into his tutor role and explaining what they will do in each session. 

Time passes by quicker than he expects, two hours of studying over, and Kai feels his stomach twist, wanting to spend more time with Beomgyu. But it would be weird for him to ask him to get dinner with him. Though, since he's dating Beomgyu's sister, wouldn't this be the perfect chance to introduce himself as her boyfriend? Unless Minjeong hasn't told Beomgyu, the same way Beomgyu hadn't told anyone he had another sister. 

Unaware of the questions causing Kai's mind to spin, Beomgyu clears his throat, holding his bag over his shoulder. “Should we get going?”

Going where? Kai panics. Did Beomgyu expect dinner already? But Kai hadn't even asked the question yet. He doesn't know how extraverts do it—specifically Taehyun. He's seen the way Taehyun flashes a smile, offering to pay for lunch, and everyone around him immediately agrees. Not because of him paying, of course, but because of his natural charm. 

Beomgyu, thankfully, clears what he means by adding on, “Unless you want to stay here for longer to continue studying. That's fine too! I'm a little tired, so I'll head home.”

“Oh! Yeah, of course!” Kai awkwardly laughs, getting up to bow before realising he doesn't need to, but he's already halfway there and Beomgyu's watching him in confusion—and well, now Beomgyu's nodding his head down with a weirded out expression. “I'll see you next week.”

“Yeah. See you then.”

And with that, Beomgyu turns around and begins to walk away, leaving Kai to bury his face in his hands and muffle a groan. That's one way to be embarrassing.

-

“I don't get why you're trying to impress her brother,” Taehyun puts it simply, chewing on some snacks Kai’s chef said he specifically learnt how to make for him. Kai wasn't a fan, and so…Taehyun's munching away. “Beomgyu hyung won't be one of those, you can't date my sister without my permission , kind of guy.”

“I know,” Kai says with a pout, grabbing one of the plushies from his bed and throwing it over his face. “But it's not like I'm trying to impress him because he's Minjeong’s brother. I'm trying to impress him because…”

“... because?” Taehyun raises a brow, staring at him for a whole five seconds before he gasps. “You like Beomgyu hyung!”

“No!” Kai whines, stuffing his face into the plushie. “I don't like him, I like Minjeong.”

He can hear the way Taehyun cackles in the background, getting closer until his hand touches Kai's shoulder. “Oh, Kai. What have you gotten yourself into? You like talking to Minjeong, but find her brother more attractive?"

“It's not just his looks,” Kai admits, pulling the plushie away. “Taehyun! Did you know that Beomgyu hyung knows how to play the guitar? I found his channel where he posts covers and—” Kai throws himself onto his bed, slamming his fist on it. “He's so hot.”

“And he's your girlfriend's brother .”

“I know .” 

“What a predicament you've gotten yourself into. You know, if you never got yourself into an online relationship, you would've met Beomgyu hyung eventually and could actually ask him out.” Taehyun pats his shoulders. “But what can you do now?”

“I didn’t know I’d meet the prettiest human being in existence through a tutoring programme.”

“Prettiest human being in existence is a bit—”

Kai sighs, pushing himself onto his elbows. “I just hope Beomgyu hyung doesn’t think I’m some awkward loser who can’t even talk properly. The whole lesson, he just kept asking me questions, and I kept fumbling like a fool.”

“I’m sure he doesn’t think that,” Taehyun tries comforting, but the look Beomgyu had on his face when Kai confidently said the wrong answer comes back to mind, and everything fails.

Kai stays still for a moment before he jumps up. “Wait! I've got a plan!”

-

Beomgyu stretches his legs across his bed, pushing his weight onto his elbows to look at Soobin, who’s sitting on the ground with his phone in his hand. “Hyung.”

“What?” Soobin asks without looking up, too distracted with his phone. He doesn’t even look up when Beomgyu doesn’t answer, chewing on the inside of his cheek. “ What ?”

“You’re not looking at me,” Beomgyu finally says, pouting.

With a groan, Soobin puts his phone down and leans up, looking at Beomgyu upside down. “What is it?”

Beomgyu remembers what he was going to say and his pout changes into a frown, brows gathered as he says, “I think Kai’s afraid of me.”

Soobin raises a brow, finally deciding to turn around and face him properly, giving him the attention he deserves . “What makes you think that?”

A lot of things. Like the way Kai flinches every single time their hands touch, or the way he avoids eye contact as much as he can. At first, Beomgyu chalked it up to being awkward, a little shy. He might feel nervous around someone older than him, or someone who’s meant to be the brother of his supposed girlfriend. But it’s been more than 3 weeks now, and Beomgyu’s tired of acting like he hasn’t noticed Kai’s weird behaviour. 

He thought about bringing it up to Taehyun, but then remembered that he’s best friends with Kai and would most likely tell him that Beomgyu thinks he hates him and, well, that was too complicated for him to work around. And so, he turns to Soobin and whines, “He looks so scared around me!”

“What do you mean, scared? What did you do to the poor guy?”

“I didn’t do anything!” Beomgyu scoffs, grabbing his pillow to smack Soobin, but he’s too quick and takes it from him. “He’s always avoiding my eyes, speaks so softly like he’s afraid that talking any louder will offend me.”

“Are you sure he’s not just…shy?” Soobin suggests, as if it’s not the first thing that came to Beomgyu’s mind when he was faced with all of this. Seeing Beomgyu’s expression, Soobin rolls his eyes and continues, “Okay, maybe he’s not scared, maybe he wants to be your friend, but doesn’t know how. Try extending your friendship to him. Invite him to your place to study, or ask if he wants to study at his. Make him comfortable.”

“I guess I could,” Beomgyu mumbles before hiding his face with his hands. “But I’m nervous too! It’s difficult being alone with him, you know. He’s awkward and shy and whatever, but he’s so cute when he acts like that. While I’m mad that he isn’t talking to me normally, I don’t mind the way he fumbles over his words. Makes me think he might have a crush on me.”

“Well, technically ,” Soobin winks, “he does. He’s technically dating you.”

“He’s dating my non-existent sister,” Beomgyu says with a straight face. “I wish I had met him earlier, not on Genshin. I would’ve never scammed him otherwise.”

“Yeah, you wouldn’t have been an e-couple then, just a real-life couple where you scam him for money.”

“I wouldn’t scam him!”

Soobin smiles sweetly, pinching his cheek. “Sure.”

- 

hyuka

hey angel (⁠⁠˘⁠︶⁠˘⁠⁠)⁠.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡

oh wait would you rather me call you by your real name?

angel

either one works!

Beomgyu answers, but truthfully, he scrolls up a few chats to remember what name he gave Kai. 

hyuka

ive been thinking

Never a good sign. Beomgyu prepares himself for the worst.

hyuka

since we know what we both look like

shouldn't we meet up now?

it'll be nice to finally meet you in person

Beomgyu blinks at the message and then facepalms. Of course, the face reveal would've been like a new chapter in their relationship, opening a door to trust. However, everything on Beomgyu's side was a lie—mostly.

But meeting up? How was he supposed to do that? He could get Chaewon to pretend to be Minjeong, their second sister that they created the other day, but what if Kai starts asking her questions about their relationship, or about the games they play together, or worse, what if he tries kissing her? 

A thought crosses his mind, and he glances down to see that too much time had gone by, and Hyuka— Kai , Beomgyu keeps forgetting he knows who's behind the name now—might get suspicious. 

angel

sure!

im a bit busy this week…

are you free next week friday?

hyuka

yes!

angel

lets plan something for friday then! ♡

-

Beomgyu’s done a lot of things to cover for his lies before. Once, when he was younger, he stole money from his mum’s wallet and ended up getting caught by Chaewon. She was standing by the door, a smug look on her face as she dangled her phone in front of him.

For a whole year, Beomgyu was her errand boy. She was not merciful, bringing it up over the tiniest of things, with her sweet voice saying, “Oh, Gyu, and what if I were to accidentally send this clip to mum…” Moments later, she would have everything she wanted and more. Just to keep her from telling on him. 

Another time, he accidentally spilt a drink all over an expensive jacket he had borrowed from Yeonjun. He panicked and tried to clean it, but somehow ended up making it worse. The stain had ruined the entire front of it, and the attempts to clean it worsened its condition, and it was practically unwearable. Beomgyu thought about consulting Soobin, but he was afraid he’d tell Yeonjun.

So he did what every sane person would do. He used an entire month’s paycheck to buy the exact jacket once again, just so he could return that one to Yeonjun. And when the older asked him how he got rid of the ink stain on the inner side of the jacket, he thanked TikTok. Tiktok . Yeonjun believed him, even if Soobin raised a brow, that was all that mattered.

So, as he stands by the mirror, eyeing his reflection, he thinks that sometimes he goes a bit far.

“How do I look?” Beomgyu asks, spinning around and striking a pose, doing a whole twirl around. Chaewon leans back on her seat, narrowing her eyes, holding her fingers up in a frame.

“Okay, okay, turn a little to the left—to the right—” she hums, crossing her arms and nodding, a serious expression on her face as she scans him over once more. “I think you're ready.”

“Really?” Beomgyu doesn't feel ready. He's wearing Chaewon's clothes for the first time—okay, a lie, not the first time—and it feels a little awkward. The skirt’s a lot shorter than he thought it would be and it's his first time wearing one, what if it rides up too high? He wouldn't want Kai to see more than he's already giving. Beomgyu looks at himself in the mirror, eyes running down his outfit. Chaewon dressed him well, of course, she did. But does he look like her?

“My beauty is unmatched,” she says as if she's read his mind, standing up and holding him by his shoulders. “But trust me here, Beomgyu. Hey, look at me,” she paused to click her fingers as if she was talking to their puppy. “Embody the inner Chaewon, be confident, hold your head high. You're beautiful.”

“I'm beautiful,” Beomgyu repeats, nodding.

Chaewon shakes her head. “No, I am . You're me. We are Chaewon.”

“We are Chaewon.”

They stare at each other for a moment before Beomgyu breaks the silence. “Am I going to be okay?”

“I just hope he doesn't beat you up the moment he hears your voice,” Chaewon winces, patting his head. “Have you been practising?”

Chaewon gave him a good idea. Speak softly, almost in a whisper, and if he asks why, just tell Kai he didn't like his own voice, so he wouldn't be able to question it any further. 

“Alright then,” she clears her throat, straightening up. She holds a hand to her head in a salute and says, “Off you go, Son. Bring back the treasures of your victory.”

Beomgyu salutes back, his extensions getting stuck in his hands as he does so, but continues to say, “I'll be back soon.”

“Hopefully in one piece.”

-

Beomgyu takes a deep breath, glancing at his reflection in the train door. Lip gloss sticky and sweet on his mouth, lashes curled, foundation smooth but slightly itchy, Beomgyu looks like someone else. The platform shoes, Chaewon insisted he needed to wear to complete the look, make him taller than he already is. He looks…decent. Passable, at least. In the window, his reflection almost fools even him. Not quite Chaewon—but not Beomgyu, either. He is so screwed if he runs into someone he knows. His makeup is done well, his hair is set well, and his outfit is something he would never wear, ever. But the thought that if he were to cross paths with someone and they were to see him dressed like this, Beomgyu wishes the ground would just open up and take him right there and then. 

He looks pretty, but they’d question why , and he doesn’t quite have an answer prepared for that. 

Kai had suggested they go to some store that does toy capsule machines, whatever they are—he called them gashapon. Beomgyu was surprised that's where Kai would take him for a first date, but considering their history…it makes sense. 

He leans his head against the door, calming his nerves.

It’s been a while since he’s been on a date, the last one being well before he started talking to Kai. It was some guy in his class who thought he looked pretty, so he asked him out on a date. It went alright, they had food and checked out some local karaoke places, until he laid a hand on Beomgyu’s back and asked him if he’d cosplay his favourite anime girl the next time they met. So, besides Soobin—and Beomgyu supposes Kai—he doesn’t trust any other anime fans. It was so odd and surprising, Beomgyu left him on the spot and went straight to Soobin’s place to laugh about the incident. Ever since then, he didn’t feel like going on dates, and well, Kai came along.

Sure, they’re just online dating—he’s literally catfishing Kai, he doesn’t really owe him any loyalty—but Beomgyu felt guilt bubble in his stomach at the thought of accepting anyone's invite. 

Beomgyu shakes his head, focusing on what matters. He just had to go out on one date with Kai and then just make excuses for the next. Say something like he's got exams coming up, or that his parents came over, or—he’s made a list already. 

Beomgyu just has to make it through the day without fail. Should be simple enough.

hyuka

im outside the station :)

Beomgyu puts his phone away and straightens up. Every step he takes from the train to the exit feels heavier than the last, his hands shaking by his sides. He’s afraid of getting caught by Kai, but at the same time, he feels a little excited to be able to see what Kai would be like on a date. Beomgyu spots Kai standing by a pillar outside the station before Kai sees him. He stands casually against the pillar, his phone in hand, with his silver hair styled up, revealing his forehead. His jacket looks stylish, and his smile is faint, his entire existence effortless. Beomgyu’s stomach twists with anxiety.

This isn’t his first time meeting Hyuka— Kai —but it still causes his breathing to stutter and mind to spin, for more reasons than one. This is just Kai, the person who’s been sending his fake persona, Minjeong, hundreds of dollars' worth of in-game currency. The same Kai who thinks Beomgyu is some shy, sweet girl with a pretty face. 

Well, he’s half right. 

Beomgyu takes the last few steps towards Kai, heels clicking on the floor and one hand gripping his purse strap like a lifeline. He stops just in front of Kai and clears his throat softly, quietly saying, “Kai?”

Kai’s head snaps up, his expression freezing for just a second before his eyes widen. And then, just as quickly as his expression changed, his whole face softens into awe. Beomgyu watches it happen, the look of dumbstruck admiration. No suspicion, no confusion, just a bright, warm smile. 

“Oh my God,” Kai breathes, the corner of his mouth twitching with excitement, and Beomgyu can tell he’s trying to control his smile. “You must be Minjeong?”

Beomgyu nods quickly, averting his gaze. “Hi,” he says, voice barely above a whisper.

Kai stares a moment longer before running a hand through his hair, messing the style up, but even when his hair falls down, he looks just as flawless. “You're even prettier in person.”

Beomgyu nearly winces at the words. If only he knew.

“Thanks,” he says softly, trying his best to conceal his voice as much as possible. 

“Don't be nervous,” Kai says gently, stepping in closer. His hand brushes the small of Beomgyu's back, and Beomgyu has to force his body not to react. “It's just me. We've been talking for so many months now, you don't have to be nervous around me.”

Except Kai doesn't know he isn't just some shy girl who's feeling nervous meeting her online boyfriend for the first time. He's so much more than that, but he can't say anything. So he just gives a short nod. 

“You know…” Kai starts, taking a step back to look over Beomgyu. “You're a lot taller than I imagined.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Beomgyu knew he shouldn't have worn heels. He's practically Kai’s height at this point, and he must be suspicious because of it. 

But then Kai shakes his head, his smile blindingly warm. “I like tall people.”

Beomgyu’s heart skips a beat. He is so screwed. 

-

Kai hadn't given him much information about what place they were going to besides the main idea of it, but Beomgyu didn't care too much about that. Not when Kai strategically slips his hand into Beomgyu's, hiding a cheesy smile by looking the other way, and occasionally swinging their arms together. They look so much like a couple—which, technically , they are—and it's sickening. 

Beomgyu feels a little silly, but he can’t help but imagine what it would be like to actually date Kai. What if this was their real first date, and Kai was smiling at him the same way, all giddy and excited? He’s only known him in person for a few weeks, but he’s known him online for a few months. He knows exactly what Kai likes, what he dislikes, what’s going on at home, how many times he’s tried convincing his parents to let him adopt a cat, and how many times they’ve said no.

But whenever he’s tutoring Kai and notices his eyebags, worry fills him as he wants to tell the younger to sleep on time, take his vitamins, and stop trying to keep himself awake just to be able to speak to Beomgyu after work. Beomgyu’s a night owl, so he’ll be fine, but Kai’s spoken about how tired he gets in the morning after staying awake for more than half the night to talk to him. And the words are always at the tip of his tongue, especially when Kai yawns for the twentieth time, but he remembers that he’s not supposed to know or care this much. He can’t reach out and brush Kai’s hair aside, press his fingers against his temple and tell him he can take a short nap between their lesson. Instead, he has to lie to Kai later that night, saying he’s going to sleep early just so he can get the younger to sleep before him.

They reach the arcade corner in no time, rows of gashapon machines lined by the wall like rainbow candy dispensers. Kai immediately lights up like a kid, turning to face Beomgyu with a giddy look on his face. 

“I just remembered, I was checking their website earlier,” he starts, already dragging Beomgyu towards one of the machines, “and I noticed that they released a new set! Little rice ball plushies. They're so cute, sort of reminded me of you. Not because of how you look—y-you look cute! Of course, you do. But more so because of the way you talk. Minjeong, you have to get the new set!”

He's already taking his wallet out without even letting Beomgyu get a word in. He tries protesting, shaking his head and frantically saying, “Hyuka, you really don't have to—”

But Kai doesn't listen, already feeding coins into the machine. “I want to!”

Beomgyu can only watch as capsule after capsule drops into the tray, Kai twisting the crank with such enthusiasm, it feels ridiculous. He doesn't even keep any to himself, immediately handing each one to Beomgyu like it's treasure.

“Which one do you want the most?” He asks, pointing at the options. 

Beomgyu chews the inside of his cheek. This isn't really any different than when Kai buys him stuff in Genshin so— 

“The pink one,” Beomgyu whispers. 

Kai leans in a little closer, his smile widening. “Then we'll have to keep going till we get it.”

With how close he's standing, Kai's scent hits Beomgyu. Clean, warm, like cinnamon and fabric softener. His heart stutters, eyes fluttering, and hands fidgeting with his sleeves. “You're going to go broke,” he mutters.

“Not when it comes to you,” Kai replies, laughing.

Beomgyu holds the capsules close, trying to breathe through the anxiety pressing against his ribs. He hadn't expected Kai to be so…friendly on their first meeting. With the way Kai acts during their lessons, he expected Kai to be more awkward, a little nervous. He even thought there would barely be any words exchanged, and yet Kai seems so open. So happy. 

Every word Beomgyu speaks has to be calculated. Needs to be soft, light, and breathy. The wrong pitch and all of this happiness could collapse within a second. He isn't Chaewon. He isn't Minjeong. He's just a lie in eyeliner. 

But Kai isn't looking at him like that. He looks enchanted, as if he can't tell the difference. And somehow, that makes it all worse. 

“I got the pink one!”

-

tyun

lover boy

how was your date ;)

hyuka

taehyun

i think…

tyun

?

hyuka

i think minjeong is beomgyu hyung

tyun

??????

-

“You didn’t take any pictures?” Taehyun asks, scoffing. “You should’ve said you wanted a photographic memory of the day.”

Kai pokes his fork into his food, glancing around the cafeteria before shrugging. “She said she was too shy for pictures, and if she didn’t want any taken, it’s not like I could’ve forced her.”

Minjeong—or possibly Beomgyu—would just shake her head every time Kai brought up taking a picture. She already looked so scared, shifting from leaning her weight on one foot to the other. They barely made eye contact the whole date, and Kai almost felt like he was talking to himself during most of it. And yet, he wasn’t bored.

She listened to him ramble on about his interests, let him hold her hand and pull her a little closer. They got food together from a stall near the end of the date, and even the way she ate food was cute, in little nibbles. Kai…couldn’t care less if she was Minjeong or actually Beomgyu. He just enjoyed his time with her and wanted her to feel comfortable enough to be honest with him. 

It felt confusing, trying to imagine why Beomgyu would lie about all of this, even if Kai had some idea why, but because if this was Beomgyu, he went through so much effort to keep the lie up instead of just breaking up with him. And…Kai hadn’t bought Minjeong anything recently. So what was he keeping Kai close for? 

Taehyun gives him a look. “And why do you think she might be Beomgyu hyung. They did say they’re siblings, so of course, they look similar.”

“But that similar?” Kai shakes his head. “Taehyun-ah, I’m so sure Minjeong is Beomgyu hyung. There’s no way they had the exact same eyes, smile, scent.”

“Scent? What are we, in omegaverse?”

“You wouldn’t get it!” Kai whines, burying his head in his hands. “I could tell that was Beomgyu hyung. He kept talking really quietly and thought I wouldn’t notice his voice. But it was so obvious.”

“Maybe Minjeong really does have a soft voice, and maybe she does sound similar to her brother. Girls can have deep voices too, you know.”

Kai pauses, blinking at him before saying, “Why are you defending her so much? You were the one who kept insisting I was being catfished before.”

Taehyun’s eyes widen, and he looks away. “I’m not defending her…”

“You are!” Kai exclaims. “Taehyun, I know what I saw. I’m so sure that was Beomgyu hyung in a wig and skirt.”

“But Beomgyu hyung would never do that,” Taehyun mumbles, finally looking back at him. “He wouldn’t scam someone online just for money. He’s not that kind of person.”

Kai frowns, not knowing what else to say to Taehyun. His best friend didn’t want to accept the possibility of one of his friends being a scammer—not that Kai was mad about this outcome; if anything, it brought him relief. But there’s no way Kai is mistaken.

“Why don’t you ask Minjeong out on a date again?” Taehyun suggests, leaning in. “Maybe you need to meet her again to see that you’re mistaken.”

Except, he’s not. If Taehyun isn’t going to believe him, he’ll just have to make Beomgyu confess.

“Yeah, I guess I’ll do that.”

-

“How was it?” Soobin asks, wiggling his eyebrows. Yeonjun beside him echoes his question with less cringey behaviour. 

Beomgyu sighs, dropping his head down on the table. “So stressful, you guys have no idea. I thought my extensions were going to fall off at one point, my makeup kept smudging since I had no clue I can’t touch my face! And Kai—” Beomgyu pauses, staring down at the table beneath him. Just remembering the way Kai treated him, so gently, made his chest flood with warmth. “Kai was so…so cute.”

“Someone’s got a crush,” Soobin laughs, ruffling Beomgyu’s hair. 

Beomgyu raises his head to glare at Soobin. “It’s not a crush! He’s just…he was just so sweet to me, obviously because I’m meant to be his girlfriend, but it was so nice to experience. He bought me a bunch of things as well.”

“Aha, the real reason why you’re so happy,” Yeonjun jokes, leaning in to Soobin’s side when Beomgyu tries reaching over and hitting him. “I’m kidding, Beoms. So, what? He made your heart flutter, gave you butterflies, what else? Do you feel bad for what you did now?”

Beomgyu’s been feeling bad ever since he met Kai in person. Such a sweet guy like Kai shouldn’t be getting catfished by someone like Beomgyu, someone who’s just after his money. Kai deserves a proper girlfriend who will actually treat him right and give him love and attention and everything he wants. Beomgyu isn’t that girl. 

“I just don’t know what to do,” he admits. “He’s already asked me out on another date. I managed to delay it to the week after, but he’s not accepting any of my excuses. I told him I’ve got exams coming up, and he said we could do a study date. I told him I don’t like libraries, and he said we can do it at his place.”

“Wow,” Soobin says with a pout, turning to Yeonjun. “Why do you never insist on spending time with me?”

“You're the one who's always so busy,” Yeonjun scoffs, rolling his eyes. “Always at work, or studying, or watching anime .”

“Why'd you say it like that? Anime .”

“Because you prioritise watching the latest episode of whatever it is that you like over spending time with me!” 

Beomgyu puts his hand up, catching their attention. “Dads, shut the fuck up and focus on me. Your youngest is fearing for his life.”

“You wouldn't be our youngest,” Soobin mumbles, but finally gives in. “Why don't you go on a few more dates with him, but be super distant. Then eventually message him asking for a breakup and end things.”

“But then how would poor ol’ Beomgyu get his favourite things in his favourite games?” Yeonjun mocks, using a baby voice. 

“That's not even the main issue here,” Beomgyu groans, holding a hand to his temple as he feels a headache coming. “I don't want to hurt Kai.”

“Oh, so now you care.”

Beomgyu grumbles, “I’ve always cared! It's just…have you seen Kai? I can't imagine breaking his heart. He's just so sweet and thoughtful and always looking out for me and the whole time we were out, he kept holding my hand and even stood on the outer side of the pavement.”

Yeonjun and Soobin exchange looks before Yeonjun says, “Beomgyu-yah…do you like Kai?”

Beomgyu shuts his eyes and drops his head on the table, barely flinching at the pain. And then, he says, “I think so.”

-

kai

heyyy hyung >⁠.⁠<

could we change our study location???

would it be alright for me to come over to yours

beomgyu

hi!!

yes! sure ofcofc

let me send u my address

same time??

kai

yes!

-

Beomgyu changes his bed covers, he changes his cushion covers, he cleans his entire kitchen with bleach, then mops the whole floor, then stands by the door and lets out a sigh because what the hell is he doing ? Why is he cleaning his entire house just because Kai’s coming over for their lesson together? It’s not like Kai’s going to pay attention to the clean surface of his bookshelf, completely free of dust since Beomgyu decided to give them multiple wipes. 

It’s not even a big deal that Kai is coming. Beomgyu doesn’t even clean his place when his parents visit, just surface level. And yet, he finds himself running around and checking for anything out of place when Kai texts that he’s a minute away. Beomgyu’s studio apartment probably wouldn’t even impress Kai, not when he knows Kai lives in a place he can never dream of living in, but he wants it to leave a good impression. 

The doorbell rings, and Beomgyu rushes towards it a little too quickly. He stops by the door, taking a few deep breaths and counting to five before swinging it open, smiling as Kai meets his eyes. And as always, he’s dressed so well. He’s always dressed like a clothing model, especially during their lessons. But today, Beomgyu notices the light makeup. Was today a special occasion? 

“Hey, Hyung,” Kai says. He holds out a bag that Beomgyu hadn’t even noticed he was holding. “I brought some cake, thought you might like some.”

Might ? Beomgyu loves cake. 

“Hey, thanks,” Beomgyu manages to say, stepping onto the side to let Kai in. “You didn’t have to.”

Kai shakes his head, replying, “It’s alright. I wanted to do this for you. I know you get paid by the uni for these lessons, but I wanted to show my own appreciation. You take so much time out of your day for me.”

That…is possibly the longest sentence Kai’s managed to say to him without tripping over his words. Beomgyu controls his expression and guides him in, gesturing to take a seat at his table. “Thank you, I’ll get plates for this, you can get started on taking your books out.”

Kai turns his back to him, and Beomgyu finally relaxes his shoulders, taking a peek into the box and seeing its red velvet, his favourite. Did he ask Taehyun about his preferences? Though he’s not sure if he ever mentioned them to him before. Regardless, Beomgyu happily takes out the cutlery and hurries over to Kai, serving him a slice before sneaking a slightly larger piece for himself. 

“Should we get started?” Beomgyu asks after munching on a massive bite.

Kai looks at him with a gentle smile and what seems like fond eyes, but Beomgyu thinks he might be a little too delusional there. “Yeah, let’s get started.”

Beomgyu starts talking through the notes he had prepared for Kai, sifting through the pages when he notices the way Kai’s staring at him, blatantly with his chin in the palm of his hand. He doesn’t even look like he’s listening, a faint smile on his lips. Beomgyu tries to ignore it, keeping his eyes glued to their papers, words spilling out of him. And it works for the most part. He manages to get through 5 minutes of that, but then his eyes glance up for just a moment and he realises Kai’s not just looking at his face, he’s looking at his lips.

Upon instinct, Beomgyu’s tongue darts out to wet his bottom lip, unintentional, but the way Kai reacts—his smile fading and eyes snapping up to meet Beomgyu’s—he doesn’t regret it. 

“Why’d you stop talking, Hyung?” Kai asks quietly, tilting his head to the side. “I was listening.”

Beomgyu swallows hard, fidgeting with his pen as he tries to think of an answer, but all that comes out is, “It didn’t seem like you were.”

Kai stares at him in silence for a second before leaning closer, his voice sickeningly sweet when he says, “And it didn’t seem like you were too focused either.”

“What do you mean?” Beomgyu looks away, too afraid to look at Kai in the eyes and make a mistake he didn’t want to make. “I was trying to explain something to you, but you were distracted.”

“Are you saying I’m the only one distracted?” Kai leans in even closer, trying to meet his eyes. He reaches over to wrap a finger around Beomgyu’s pinky. “You’re the one blushing.”

Beomgyu’s other hand immediately jumps up to cover his cheek, taking a deep breath when he realises just how hot his face is. He is blushing, and it's worse that Kai actually noticed it. “Yeah, well, anyone would be blushing if someone was staring at them the way you were.”

Kai laughs softly, tugging on Beomgyu’s finger. “And how I was staring at you?” 

Like he wanted to kiss him . Beomgyu turns to him and answers, “Intensely.”

For a moment, with the way Kai is looking at him, eyes falling to his lips once again, Beomgyu thinks he might actually go for a kiss. He holds his breath, frozen in place, but then Kai pulls away, a smug smile on his face when he sees the disappointed look on Beomgyu’s face.

“I guess that’s true. I’m sorry, Beomgyu hyung, I’ll look at you less intensely .”

Beomgyu makes a mental note to never have another tutoring session at home. 

-

“So,” Yeonjun pauses, stuffing his face with a handful of crisps. “He flirted with you the entire lesson?”

Beomgyu raises his face from where he had been holding himself hostage in his pillow and nods. “He was so definitely flirting. This is the kind of stuff he’d say over text. Hyung, at one point, he searched up an image of a puppy and showed it to me, saying we look really similar. And then proceeded to say it's his favourite breed of dogs. He was basically saying I’m his favourite.”

“That’s one way to interpret that, that’s for sure,” Yeonjun snorts. “So why is he flirting with Choi Beomgyu, if he’s already in a relationship with Choi Minjeong?”

“I don’t know!” Beomgyu cries, turning back to his pillow and kicking his legs. “I don’t understand it. He’s still talking to me as Minjeong every single day, but now I sometimes get text messages as myself. Is he trying to cheat on me? Is that what’s happening here?”

Yeonjun stops to think for a second, tapping a finger on his chin. “Can it be considered cheating if he’s cheating on you with you?”

“But he doesn’t know that,” Beomgyu exclaims, pointing a finger in a random direction. “From his perspective, he’s flirting with two different people. Hyung, he’s playing me. I’m being played.”

“The master becomes the student,” Yeonjun says, nodding.

“It's the student becomes the master, idiot.”

Yeonjun shrugs. “Same thing. Anyway, do you not plan on breaking up with him then, as Minjeong? I mean, if he’s already interested in you as Beomgyu, I don’t see the point of keeping this fake relationship. Then after a few months, tell him that Minjeong was you all along.”

Beomgyu’s thought about it already. If he tells Kai about his lie, what outcomes were possible? The first was that Kai sues him for fraud, and he ends up in debt for the rest of his life (very likely). The other was that Kai forgives him and accepts his confession and they become a real couple (very unlikely). So the options weren’t the greatest, and Beomgyu wasn’t sure if he was willing to give any of them a try. 

But also because, “If he can cheat on me once, what’s stopping him from cheating on me twice?”

Yeonjun groans, throwing his head back. “But is he cheating on you?”

“Yes!” Beomgyu holds his hands up. “Yeonjun hyung, listen to me. The way he was looking at me, I could sense it. He was going to kiss me.”

Yeonjun gives him a look, but turns away. “Whatever, if you plan to confess and get over this, try to wait a little. I have a performance in a few weeks, and Kai’s part of the group now, so, no funny business.”

Beomgyu drops back onto his bed and holds a thumb out to Yeonjun. It’s not like he’s thinking of doing anything right now, anyway.

-

Kai thinks he's pretty good at flirting, being Romantic with a capital R. He's always making Minjeong happy with his little comments and compliments, slipping in a joke here and there. And yet, he admittedly got a lesson on how to flirt with a real person by Taehyun the other day. It wasn't very serious, though Taehyun came with notes prepared, and it took them almost an hour before Kai could say any of the lines Taehyun had made him memorise without laughing. It was slow progress but more than enough. 

“Did it work?” Is the first thing Taehyun asks him when he slides into the booth, glancing around the store to make sure no one they knew was around. “Did Beomgyu hyung fold?”

“I don't know,” Kai replies with a pout. He chews on his milkshakes straw while remembering Beomgyu's flushed cheeks and avoidant eyes. “He looked flustered? I couldn't tell if it was because of what I was saying and doing, or because he was wearing a hoodie indoors in this weather.”

“It has to be what you said,” Taehyun reassures him. “If you did exactly as we practiced, then there shouldn't be any room for doubt. Even I felt my heart flutter when you acted it out with me.”

“Yeah, but what if I made him uncomfortable instead?”

“Then he should learn his lesson and stop messing with people's feelings,” Taehyun says it simply, shrugging his shoulders. He grabs a fork and steals a bite from Kai’s french toast. “Listen, I love Beomgyu hyung and all, but no one messes with my best friend. If this really is him, then he deserves a punishment for his wrongdoings.”

Kai pushes his plate towards Taehyun for him to have more bites before mumbling, “But I don't mind that he catfished me.”

“I still don't get why. I would be fuming. The girl I've been talking to is actually a guy that's just been using me for money? I’d be plotting how to ruin his life forever.”

Kai laughs at how serious Taehyun sounds. “I think it's kind of cute. He was so desperate for things in a game that he pretended to be a girl. And to be honest, ever since he's met me in person, he's stopped asking for things. In fact, last week when we met up for my lesson, he bought me a coffee.”

“Wow! A coffee resolves it all.”

“You know that's not what I mean,” Kai grumbles. “He's clearly feeling bad for it all and is trying to make it up in whatever way he can. And Taehyun,” Kai pauses, his face flushing and he quickly covers his cheeks with his hands. “You don't get it. Beomgyu hyung when he blushes is so, so, so adorable.”

Taehyun rolls his eyes, stealing a sip from Kai's milkshake this time. “Whatever. Your eyes are clouded by your crush on him, but it's up to you how you want to deal with this. If you want to make him confess and end things with either the two of you breaking up and never seeing each other again, or actually dating for real, it's not my business.”

“I'll make him confess and date me for real. Just keep watching and keep the lessons coming. I need to do this properly.”

-

kai 

hyuuuuung

i was thinking i could come over to yours again this week? is that fine???

Beomgyu freezes when he sees the notification. His first thought is to immediately shut it down. He can't be in close proximity with Kai, especially not after last time. But then Kai sends a few more messages. 

kai 

do you like fried chicken?

i was thinking we could order dinner afterwards

i feel so hungry after studying

do you ever feel that way???

so is fried chicken okay? 〜⁠(⁠꒪⁠꒳⁠꒪⁠)⁠〜

beomgyu

yeah!

fried chicken sounds wonderful :)

Well, he can't say no to free food. 

This time around, Beomgyu doesn't go all out about cleaning his place. It's already pretty neat since the last visit, so he throws on some casual clothes, checking himself in the mirror a few times before waiting for his doorbell to ring. It doesn't take long and Beomgyu hypes himself up as he makes his way to the door, reminding himself that he's been able to act so well over the internet, it's time to put it into practice in real life once again. 

“Hey!” Beomgyu greets him enthusiastically—maybe a little too much, waving his hand like a fool. 

Kai brightens up at his energy and responds just as happily. “Hi! It's been a while.”

It's not…really been a while. Besides their study sessions, Beomgyu feels like he's been seeing Kai more often than before. Sometimes on campus, other times at his other part-time job in a retail store. He's pretty sure Kai does online shopping, so when he saw the younger browsing in his store, he was understandably confused. Yeonjun suggested that maybe there was a specific item he saw online that he wanted to see in person. Soobin said Kai might be stalking him. Beomgyu doesn't know which one he wants to be true. 

“Do you have any cold water?” Kai asks as he takes a seat, shrugging off his jacket. “It's so hot today.”

“Yeah, I’ll—” Beomgyu's sentence dies halfway in his throat when Kai sets his jacket aside, revealing the shirt underneath. Short sleeves. Tight. Black.

The fabric clings to him in all the right places, stretching just enough across his chest to show definition. His shoulders are broad, posture relaxed, and the sleeves hug his biceps in a way that makes Beomgyu's brain momentarily short-circuit. Kai runs a hand through his hair, setting the jacket over the back of the chair before leaning against the table casually. The movement makes the muscles in his forearms flex, the veins along them catching the light. 

Beomgyu realises he's staring and forces himself to blink, turning towards the kitchen before his face gives him away. It's embarrassing enough that he knew something like this would happen, where he's finding himself in an inescapable position, and he thought he could act his way through it, but just a few seconds in and he was close to failing.

“Uhm—yeah, water,” he manages to say, a little too quickly. He grabs a glass from the counter, his grip tighter than necessary. He needs to keep his eyes off Kai as much as possible. 

Behind him, he hears Kai chuckle. “Thanks, Hyung.”

Beomgyu pours the water carefully, trying to focus on anything else. The math notes on the table, the sound of the fan, literally anything, but his mind keeps reminding him of what's behind him. The way Kai's shirt had shifted over his chest when he leaned forward, or the way Kai’s eyes narrowed when he met Beomgyu's just before he turned around. He had to know Beomgyu had been staring.

By the time he turns around with the glass, his face is still burning. He passes it to Kai and takes a seat next to him, trying to keep his eyes down. But the universe is not on his side, and neither is his body, as his eyes dart up the moment Kai takes a long sip, his head tipping back just enough for Beomgyu to notice the line of his throat. The faint movement of his adams apple, the droplet sliding from the rim of the glass down his lower lip before he swipes it away with his thumb. 

It's hard to tear his eyes away from the sight, but Beomgyu drops his gaze to the open textbooks between them, rereading the same few points over and over again as he waits for Kai to get ready. It doesn't help that Kai leans forward as he sets the glass down, his arm brushing the table, close enough that the faint scent of his cologne drifts over. 

“Okay,” Kai says, tapping the paper with his pen. “So, I tried answering this entire page like you asked me to, but I got stuck on the last question. I tried asking Taehyun for help but he said that would be considered cheating, so then I figured—”

Beomgyu doesn't even hear the rest, too distracted by the way Kai shifts his chair closer, close enough for his knee to feel the edge of Kai's thigh. He watches as Kai's leg shakes a little, soft jumps before it inches closer once again, more surface area touching. Beomgyu wouldn't mind if he put his leg over his, in fact, he wishes he could reach out and steal a touch for himself. Wrap his fingers around Kai's thigh and give it a squeeze. 

“Beomgyu hyung?”

Beomgyu clears his throat, eyes snapping back up to the paper. He forces his voice into something steady, “It's uhm…to answer this question you have to—” he leans over to grab a pen to write with, but the movement puts him in Kai’s space, and he can feel the subtle heat coming off him. Beomgyu starts writing and explaining the working out, and foolishly decides to glance up to check if Kai's following, only to see him already watching Beomgyu, eyes bright. It makes something in Beomgyu's stomach flip.

He looks away quickly, muttering, “Right, so—you’ll get the answer if you—”

Kai stretches his arms above his head without warning, his shirt riding up slightly to reveal the faint line of his waist. With his shoulders pulled back, the fabric stretches across his chest again and Beomgyu’s pen slips from his grip. 

Does Kai even realise what he's doing? Does he always take up this much space, move like this, sit so close without thinking about it?

“Sorry,” Kai mumbles, glancing at the notebook again. “Keep going.”

Beomgyu forces himself to. But the problem on the page blurs at the edges when Kai props his chin on his hand, leaning in just like last time, his gaze steady on Beomgyu's face. Beomgyu doesn't know how he does it, but the entire lesson manages to pass by without him making any mistakes in his teaching, although he doesn't remember what he did or says by the time it's finished.  

Kai stretches again, but this time Beomgyu knows to look away. “I'm so hungry now, Hyung. Should we order the fried chicken?”

His voice is sweet and giggly, a complete contrast to the way he looks. Beomgyu nods and Kai immediately grabs his phone, getting ready to order. “Wait, Kai, I'll order.”

“It's all good!” Kai answers, shooting him a cheeky smile, and there's not much room left between them for Beomgyu to argue. “It'll take about thirty minutes. Want to move to the sofa? More comfortable than sitting here.”

Beomgyu hesitates, eyes wandering to the sofa. It's a little small, as is the rest of his humble abode, and Kai has a way of taking up more space than his body technically occupies. It'll be too close. He isn't too sure if his self-control will hold out if Kai sits too close. But then refusing will be even weirder.

“...sure.”

Kai flips down onto the sofa with the kind of casual confidence that makes Beomgyu hyper-aware of where to put his own limbs. He takes up a little corner himself, pulling his knees to his chest and holding them close. Kai brings up one of the lecturers he's got at the moment and Beomgyu seizes the opportunity to start talking about his own experience with him. They talk about nothing for a while, their lecturers, the heat, a new game update—which Beomgyu feels awkward talking about in case he accidentally reveals his identity. And then, Kai tilts his head in a way Beomgyu's all too familiar with now.

“So, Hyung…are you seeing anyone?”

Beomgyu blinks, tightening his grip on his knees. He doesn’t know where to look, eyes dropping to the space between them. “No,” his voice comes out sharper than he means it to.

Kai's smile widens. “Hm…”

Beomgyu narrows his eyes, turning back to him. “What? Are you judging me? What about you?”

“I’m not judging you,” Kai says, leaning back. “And me? I might be seeing someone.”

That stings more than Beomgyu wants to admit. Maybe ? That meant Minjeong, didn’t it, which basically meant him. Which means Kai is sitting here, in his apartment, flirting with him, all while claiming to be involved with the girl Beomgyu was pretending to be. The hypocrisy makes his chest tighten, he knows he’s being ridiculous. He’s the one who created the entire mess the day he decided to catfish Kai.

But still, it burns.

“What does maybe mean?” He asks, unable to move past it.

Instead of answering immediately, Kai moves forward. The sofa dips under his weight as he leans on his arm. “I’ve been talking to someone online for a while,” he says slowly, “but you know what they say about online relationships. You never know if people are being truthful.”

Beomgyu’s heart trips over itself as he hides his shaking fingers between his thighs. “What do you mean?”

When Kai’s knee brushes against his foot, Beomgyu can’t tell if it’s intentional or not until he continues. “I mean,” Kai’s hand lands lightly on Beomgyu’s thigh, fingers warm even through the fabric of his pants. “I want to know if what they’ve told me is real,” his thumbs make a slow, casual circle. “I want to know if they’re real.”

“What makes you think they’re not?” Beomgyu stutters out, his mind struggling between two truths. The first being that he knows , and the second that he can’t think straight with Kai’s fingers trailing his thigh.

Kai inches closer, his hand smoothly bringing his knees down, holding onto them. “A few little lies they told me, lies that made me realise that their very existence might be one too.”

Beomgyu’s breath catches and every nerve in his body screams at him to move, to put space between them—but the heat from Kai’s palm anchors him in place, making him want to stay there, to let Kai feel more. His chest tightens, not entirely from fear. 

“I—”

“Since I’ve been honest and shared this,” Kai continues, cutting him off. “Why don’t you tell me something about yourself? Something truthful, for once.”

Beomgyu feels cornered, both literally and figuratively. Kai’s a little bigger than him, but he’s usually trying to match his height, and yet this time he keeps his back straight, hovering over Beomgyu. Kai’s hand is still on his thigh when Beomgyu’s gaze flickers upward again, only to get caught on his mouth. Soft lips, parted just slightly. The fainted curve, like he knows exactly what’s going through Beomgyu’s head. And maybe he does. 

Beomgyu tears his eyes away, but it doesn’t matter. The image is already burned into his mind, muddling every coherent thought. 

“You look scared,” Kai mutters, voice low and almost amused. “Why?”

Beomgyu swallows, but his throat feels dry and no words come out when he opens his mouth. For a man with a lot to say, Beomgyu can’t find the words for it. If Soobin was here, he’d laugh at how easily Kai made him speechless, at how with just the touch of a finger and a gentle smile, Beomgyu’s mind would spin with thoughts for Kai—or rather, Hyuka—that he thought he’d never have.

“Is there something you’ve been hiding from me?”

The question makes Beomgyu’s stomach lurch. His pulse rings loud in his ears, even louder when Kai shifts in, his body closing the remaining space between them. He leans forward, not quite touching fully, but close enough that Beomgyu can feel the heat of him. 

And then, Kai’s knee slid between his legs. 

It isn’t aggressive, just a low and deliberate nudge that makes Beomgyu’s breath catch. HIs eyes flutter shut before he can stop himself, head tipping back against the sofa. Shame curls in his chest at how quickly his body reacts, but it’s so much. Kai’s so close, so warm, and he’s so hard just by the knee pressing against him.

Kai’s touch starts to wander, a slow drag of fingers over Beomgyu’s arm, a palm resting briefly on his waist, and Beomgyu hates that his first thought is how good it’ll feel if Kai was touching him directly, with no layers between them. There’s a soft pressure of his hand at the side of his neck, a thumb brushing against the skin there. Then back down his thigh, his leg, holding his knee up to place it over Kai’s leg, bringing them in closer.

“Hyung,” Kai says softly, leaning close enough for his breath to graze Beomgyu’s cheek. “Do you have something to tell me?” 

“I–I,” Beomgyu breathes out, forcing his eyes to open up at the reminder that there’s more to this than just Kai touching him. His heart races so fast as he steadies himself. Kai has to know. There’s no way he doesn’t. 

But he doesn’t know where to begin. Does he start by explaining why he lied, or start by apologising for everything? He didn’t mean to catfish Kai? But everything was intentional, he just didn’t know it was Kai until it was too late. What if Kai asks him if he would’ve ever apologised had it been someone else? Beomgyu doesn’t know the answer to that. He doesn’t know the answer to anything, especially with Kai’s lips grazing the side of his neck. 

His voice cracks when finally speaks. “I…I’ve been talking to someone online too. I-it’s been a while, but—” his throat tightens, “I shouldn’t have done something, a lot of things. I lied, many times. But I don’t know how to fix it, so I just…didn’t. I’m too scared to say anything now, because I don’t want to be left alone.”

His eyes burn and he blinks quickly to get rid of it, but one tear still slips free. The moment it does, Kai’s expression changes. He looks concerned and for a moment Beomgyu thinks he’s about to pull away, so he grabs Kai’s arms, in hopes to stop him from getting away.

But instead of pulling away, Kai closes the gap between them in a heartbeat.

Kai’s mouth on his, and it isn’t tentative, wasn’t testing. It’s like Kai’s been holding himself back this entire time and finally letting go. His lips are hot and demanding, and Beomgyu doesn’t even try to hold back, his hands fisting the fabric of Kai’s shirt, kissing him back with every ounce of pent-up tension he’s been burying for weeks. Their mouths move together in frantic, greedy sync, teeth grazing, breaths mingling—the room feels like it’s shrinking until it’s just the heat and Kai’s weight pressing into him.

Kai’s hands roam with urgency, sliding up under Beomgyu’s shirt, dragging it over his head before tossing it aside, fingers already seeking more skin. The pace makes Beomgyu dizzy, makes his chest ache with the need to just say it, get it out before he loses all his senses. 

“I’m sorry,” he blurts against Kai’s lips, his voice shaking. “I didn’t mean to take it this far, I didn’t mean to…to catfish you for so long. It was supposed to be a joke at first, and then—” he swallows hard, eyes darting away for a second. He finds it difficult looking at Kai at the moment, to be able to say all of this. “I liked talking to you so much that I couldn’t stop. I didn’t want to end it if it meant that I’d lose being able to talk to you.”

Kai freezes for a second, looking at him with wide eyes, then the corner of his mouth lifts. “You’re so…adorable,” he says, almost like a sigh. “How am I supposed to be mad at you? And—before you say anything, no. I’m not mad at you, Hyung. I’ve had people use me before.”

That makes the pain in Beomgyu’s chest worsen. “Don’t say that,” he whispers, sliding his hands up Kai’s arms to hold his face. “I wasn’t—I mean, I was , at first. But not now. Not for a while. I really,” Beomgyu pauses, his bottom lip trembling with how scared he is to say the next few words. Would Kai even be happy to hear them? He might not be mad about the catfishing, but his attraction to Beomgyu might only be at face-value. What if the only reason he’s here right now is for something without feelings. 

“You, what?” Kai urges him, expectant eyes looking into Beomgyu’s. “Please, tell me it’s the same.”

Even if Kai rejects him here, Beomgyu thinks he’ll deserves it. “I really like you, Kai. Not just for your money. I really, really like you.”

Kai’s laugh is low, almost disbelieving, and he leans in to kiss him again. Beomgyu’s eyes flutter shut for a second before he opens them to see Kai smiling at him. “Yeah?” he murmurs against Beomgyu’s mouth. 

“Yeah,” Beomgyu breathes out. “Soobin hyung keeps making fun out of me for liking you too much, and Yeonjun hyung’s always telling me to stay off my phone. But I can’t help it. I like talking to you too much. I like spending time with you. I just…I like you too much.”

“I like you too,” Kai answers earnestly, brushing aside Beomgyu’s bangs. “Whether you’re Minjeong or my Beomgyu hyung, I like you a lot.” Kai’s hand slides lower, past his waist, fingers curling over the bulge between his legs with deliberate pressure. Beomgyu gasps, his body jerking in response. “And…I can tell how much you like me.”

“Kai…” Beomgyu’s breath comes shallow, chest rising and falling in quick bursts as Kai’s other hand makes its way up his chest, gently pressing down on his bare skin. Kai doesn’t look away at any point, eyes fixed on his face, reading every twitch of his expression. 

“You’re so jumpy, Hyung,” he murmurs, his lips brushing just at the corner of Beomgyu’s mouth. “What were you saying? What do you want me to do?”

“I don’t know,” Beomgyu admits, voice trembling. “But I don’t want you to stop, please. Don’t stop.”

Kai’s thumb traces idle, teasing circles under his ribs, his other hand easing off pressure off him and instead grabbing him by his nape, pulling him closer until their foreheads nearly touched. “You’re really something else,” Kai says, sounding a little amused as well as fond. “Taehyun told me to be mad at you, but I can’t. You’re just…so irresistable.”

Beomgyu hums, unable to tear his gaze from Kai’s mouth. “I thought you’d hate me more.”

“I told you,” Kai says softly, “I don’t.” His lips find Beomgyu’s again, slow at first, then pressing deeper, coaxing him into it, until Beomgyu leans into Kai’s warmth, his hands curling around his shoulders, clutching. 

Kai pushes him into the sofa, hands sliding down his back and then guiding Beomgyu’s legs to wrap around his waist, changing their position until Beomgyu’s lying flat. The kiss turns hungrier, breaths catching between them, and Kai’s hands move with a kind of surety that makes Beomgyu’s head spin. Every touch sends a shiver through him, pulling him further into the pull he’d been resisting for so long. 

Beomgyu’s head tips back as Kai’s mouth drifts along his jaw, the scrape of teeth making his stomach tighten. He hates how easy it is to fall apart like this, how quickly every other thought, including his guilt, is drowned out by the way Kai’s body presses flush against his own, their arousals meeting in the middle. 

“You drive me insane, Hyung,” Kai mumbles against his skin. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you from the moment I saw you, kept thinking about the ways to take you apart.”

Beomgyu’s hands tighten in Kai’s shirt, hips jerking up to grind against Kai. “You’re all I’ve wanted since I met you. You make me so crazy, Kai.” 

Kai laughs quietly, his lips returning to Beomgyu’s just as he finally tears away the last of the layers between them. “Then hold on tight for me, and I’ll give you everything you want.”

-

Beomgyu wakes up to sunlight right on his eyes and he groans loudly, hands slapping against his face in annoyance. How could he forget to shut his curtains last night, it’s one of his daily night routines. His head feels heavy as he finally opens his eyes, staring up at the ceiling, and then it hits him.

The air in his studio smells faintly like fried chicken he never ate. And like Kai. 

Beomgyu blinks, turning his head to see Kai still there, fast asleep, one arm draped lazily across Beomgyu’s waist like it belongs there. His silver hair is a mess, his breathing even, lips slightly parted. Beomgyu feels like kissing him again.

A part of him feels giddy, knowing that Kai is still here in the morning, he’s still laying close to Beomgyu. He recalls last night, the way Kai’s voice felt against his ear, the way his own body betrayed every ounce of restraint. The way he confessed his feelings, the way he pulled Kai in to him and never let go. 

It should bring relief to him, knowing it was put behind him, that Kai was happy with him regardless. But, instead, it leaves a knot of guilt in his stomach. He shifts slightly, trying not to wake Kai—though, he’s surprised his groan of annoyance earlier didn’t do the job—but the arm around him tightens, holding him in place. 

“Where you going?” Kai asks, his voice rough with sleep.

“Bathroom,” Beomgyu answers, playing with the edge of the blanket. 

Kai hums, eyes still closer. He pulls Beomgyu back into bed with him, throwing a leg over his. “Five more minutes, hm?”

Beomgyu freezes, staring at Kai’s face in surprise. “Uh…” he trails off, not knowing what to say. He wants to shuffle in and accept everything and anything from Kai, whether it be five more minutes of cuddling, or whatever he has to say to him afterwards. But the thoughts in his head get louder and louder until Kai cracks an eye open. 

“Hyung,” he says softly, “stop thinking so loud.”

Beomgyu purses his lips, but he doesn’t answer. He doesn’t trust himself to.

Kai smiles faintly, tracing a pattern over Beomgyu’s side with his fingertips. “I meant what I said last night. I’m not mad.”

“I know,” Beomgyu says quietly. “That’s the problem. You should be.”

Kai only leans in, pressing a slow kiss to his temple. “I’m not, so unless you’re planning to disappear on me, or break my heart and say you never felt anything this whole time, stop trying to ruin this. Just trust me as I trusted you this entire time wholeheartedly. I’m not going to be mad at you, Hyung. I just like you too much.”

“Enough to forgive everything I did?”

Kai chuckles, kissing the corner of his lips. “Enough to forgive everything.”

Beomgyu feels something in his chest unravel, he feels himself relax, and lets his eyes shut as Kai’s fingers on his waist wander down. “Kai…”

“Can I?” He asks, kissing along Beomgyu’s jaw. 

Beomgyu thinks he can let himself sink into the warm again, just for a little longer. “Please.”

-

Beomgyu's the first to tell the others about it all. He's too excited and texts his group chat with Soobin and Yeonjun telling them about everything that happened—or at least the parts he could share. Soobin is quick to make fun out of him for all the reasons Beomgyu already predicted, but Yeonjun congratulates him on maturing and becoming a better person, whatever that's supposed to mean. 

Kai looks embarrassed from where he’s sitting a few feet away on the sofa, on call with Taehyun, who was asking if their plan to seduce Beomgyu worked or not. 

“I—” Kai cuts himself off, his face red and sounding more like the Kai that Beomgyu was more familiar with, shy and awkward. “Hyung and I spoke about it.”

“ And ?” Taehyun's voice blares through Kai's phone, the volume loud enough for Beomgyu to hear it. “ Are you dating now, for real ?”

Kai steals a glance at Beomgyu, chewing his bottom lip, but relaxes when he's faced by a fond smile. “I think—” he pauses, raising a brow at Beomgyu, who nods a little too enthusiastically. “We are. Beomgyu hyung and I are dating.”

Just as he finishes saying that, Kai grabs a cushion from the sofa and stuffs his face into it, muffling a squeal. It makes Beomgyu's heart swell and he wants to make Kai as happy as that again and again, as often as he can. 

“Huh, right now?” Kai raises his head, turning to him as he responds to something Taehyun said that Beomgyu couldn't hear. “You're inviting the other two as well?”

“ I'm giving you ten minutes .”

“What did Taehyun say?” Beomgyu asks, getting up from the table and making his way to the sofa. 

“Uhm,” Kai holds his phone to his chest, blinking up at him cutely. “He said we have ten minutes to meet him at the cafe near campus.”

“But that's ten minutes away!”

The walk to the cafe is a little stressful, both of them hurrying until Kai grabs Beomgyu's hand and asks him why they're so scared of being late just because Taehyun said so. It ends up breaking their flow and they start walking a little slower, Kai's hand never leaving Beomgyu's. 

“You know…when I asked for a face reveal,” Kai starts, glancing at him. “You sent me Chaewon's picture, right?”

Beomgyu clears his throat awkwardly, remembering how panicked he and Chaewon had gotten upon seeing his reaction. “Yeah, I kind of hoped you had never seen her. After your reaction and Taehyun calling me, I was half convinced that it was him who I was talking to. But it didn't make sense, and well…then I met you. Did you uh—when did you figure out I was Minjeong?”

Kai laughs a little, bumping his shoulder with Beomgyu. “From the moment I met you as Minjeong, I could tell it was you.”

Beomgyu frowns, turning to face him. He knew his Chaewon cosplay wasn't that good, but it wasn't that obvious. Beomgyu had sent the pictures to Yeonjun and Soobin, and both of them responded with thumbs up, saying he's doing a great job. “How did you know?”

Kai doesn't even hesitate. “Your beauty’s unforgettable. There's no way I could mistake it for someone else's.”

Heat rushes to Beomgyu's cheeks so fast he has to turn away. “You're so cheesy.”

When they reach the cafe, Beomgyu spots their friends waving them over through the window, three pairs of eyes dropping to their joined hands and then turning to each other, patting their backs as if they had any hand in making this work. Kai gives a small wave before they head to the counter to order.

Beomgyu’s halfway through deciding whether he should get a drink and something to eat when he notices Kai’s gone still beside him. 

“What?” He asks, but Kai doesn’t answer right away, too focused on the girl behind the register. Beomgyu follows his gaze and freezes.

The cashier smiles at them politely, her eyes wide in confusion when both of them stay silent, but they’re too shocked to care about manners. 

Kai slowly turns to Beomgyu, brows knitting in confusion. “So…you weren’t lying about having a second sister?”

Beomgyu’s eyes drop from the girl's face to her name— Kim Minjeong —glaring back at him. She doesn’t exactly look like Chaewon, but the resemblance is enough to warrant a second take. 

Before he can even attempt to explain, the cashier, Minjeong, laughs, “Oh, wow. Yeah, I guess we do look a little alike. Maybe in another world we would be twins.”

Kai looks between them, still processing. “Wait—”