Work Text:
It's Saturday night, the shared apartment the boys have rented for years. The group (Heesung, Jake, Sunghoon, Jay, Sunoo, Jungwon, and Ni-ki) have gathered for their usual “hangout and argue about random nonsense” night.
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[Scene opens: The living room.]
Sunoo: (peeking over the couch) …Is Heesung seriously sleeping there? Again?
Jay: (scrolling through his phone) Yup. Third time this month.
Sunghoon: (snickering) I thought they were doing fine. What happened this time?
Jungwon: (munching chips) I think Jake banned him from the kitchen?
Ni-ki: Wait, what? That’s like banning a bird from flying.
Jay: (grinning) Or banning Jake from complaining.
Sunoo: (gasps) Impossible.
[Laughter ripples through the group as Heesung groans and pulls the blanket over his head on the couch.]
Heesung: (muffled) You guys are so funny. Ha. Ha.
Sunghoon: (grinning) Come on, tell us. Did you two fight again hyung?
Heesung: (grumbles) Yeah.
Jay: (mock gasp) No way. You and Jake? My favorite married couple?
Heesung: (sits up) First of all, we’re not married. Second of all— yeah, maybe we have rules now.
Sunoo: (raising a brow) Rules?
Heesung: Whoever’s at fault sleeps on the couch.
Ni-ki: (innocently) So… it’s your fault this time?
Heesung: (defeated sigh) …Yeah.
Jungwon: (trying not to laugh) What did you do?
Heesung: (mutters) I called his husband a dumbass.
Jay: (pauses) But you’re his—
Heesung: (glaring) I KNOW.
[Everyone bursts out laughing.]
Sunghoon: (wiping tears) Oh my god, you really said that?
Heesung: I didn’t mean to! We were cooking dinner, right? And I said I’m the better cook. Then Jake said, “No, you burn instant noodles.” I said, “Excuse me?” Then I might’ve... said something I shouldn’t have.
Jay: (grinning) “Might’ve”?
Heesung: (groaning) Fine, I said, ‘Well, your husband’s a dumbass anyway!’
Sunoo: (clutching his stomach, laughing) That’s YOU!
Heesung: (throws a pillow) I PANICKED!
[Jake’s door creaks open. He appears in pajama pants, hair messy, holding a bowl of cereal.]
Jake: (deadpan) You panicked, huh?
[The group immediately goes silent, like kids caught gossiping.]
Jay: (whispering) Oh, it’s about to go down.
Jake: (sets bowl down, crossing arms) You called yourself a dumbass in the middle of our argument and somehow still expected me not to get mad?
Heesung: (defensive) You said I couldn’t cook!
Jake: You can’t! You once burned water!
Heesung: (gasps) That pot was defective!
Sunghoon: (aside to Jay) This is better than reality TV.
Jay: (whispering) Don’t say that too loud, they’ll start charging us rent for watching.
Jake: (rolling his eyes) You could’ve just said sorry, Hee.
Heesung: (quietly) I am sorry.
Jake: …You slept on the couch for two hours before saying that.
Heesung: I needed dramatic effect.
Jake: (snorts despite himself) You’re ridiculous.
Sunoo: (stage whisper) They’re flirting again.
Ni-ki: (pops popcorn into his mouth. "You are seriously having pop corn now?! " says Sunoo ) Ssh ! It’s part of the process.
Jungwon: (grinning) Ten bucks says they make up before midnight.
Jay: Make it twenty.
Jake: (ignoring them, sighs) You really think you’re the better cook, huh?
Heesung: (smirking) I know I am.
Jake: (steps closer, crossing his arms) Then prove it. Tomorrow. Cooking challenge.
Sunghoon: (eyes lighting up) YES. Finally, chaos with seasoning.
Jay: (excited) I’m judging.
Sunoo: I’m recording.
Ni-ki: I’m eating.
Jungwon: I’m hiding the fire extinguisher first.
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[Next day – kitchen showdown.]
The group gathers as Heesung and Jake prepare to “battle” — one making pasta, the other making pancakes. The others provide live commentary like it’s the Olympics.
Jay: (into a spoon like a mic) In lane one, we have Heesung “Burnt Toast” Lee .
Sunghoon: And in lane two, Jake “Microwave Master” Sim!
Jake: (rolling eyes) Keep talking, I’ll feed you raw batter.
Heesung: (grinning) Or burnt pasta.
Jay: Oh, he’s confident for someone whose water once caught fire.
Sunoo: How does that even happen?!
Heesung: (yelling) STOP BRINGING THAT UP.
[After 30 minutes, Jake’s pancakes are perfect, golden and fluffy. Heesung’s pasta… is edible. Kind of.]
Ni-ki: (tasting) Okay, Jake’s wins.
Heesung: (pouting) Traitor.
Jake: (smiling) Told you.
Heesung: Fine, I surrender. You’re the better cook.
Jake: (teasing) And what else?
Heesung: (sighs dramatically) And I’m sorry for calling your husband a dumbass.
Jake: (smirking) You’re forgiven.
Heesung: Really? That easy?
Jake: (shrugs) Yeah. You’re cute when you’re stupid.
[The group collectively groans.]
Jay: (covering his eyes) Not the pet names. Please.
Sunoo: We just ate. I can’t handle this level of sweetness.
Sunghoon: (grinning) Are you two gonna kiss now or what?
Jake: (smiling) Maybe we will.
Heesung: (grinning back) Maybe we should.
[Jake leans in, and Heesung meets him halfway. It’s soft, slow, and filled with that comfortable warmth only years of friendship can turn into something deeper.]
Jay: (yelling) EW. STOP.
Ni-ki: (snapping a photo) Too late. Evidence secured.
Jungwon: (clapping) Alright, challenge over. True love wins, I guess.
Sunoo: (mock sighs) I can’t believe the couch era is over.
Jake: (smiling at Heesung) Yeah, no more couch.
Heesung: (wrapping an arm around him) Unless you burn dinner again.
Jake: (grinning) Then you’re sleeping outside.
Heesung: (laughing) Worth it.
Sunghoon: (smirking) Just wait till next week’s fight — “Who folds laundry better.”
Jay: (grinning) My money’s on Jake again.
Jake: (leaning his head on Heesung’s shoulder) You should bet on both of us.
Heesung: (softly) Yeah… we kinda work best as a team.
[The rest of the group groans again, but smiles anyway — because chaos or not, it’s hard not to root for something that real.]
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End Scene.
(Camera pans to Heesung’s empty couch. Finally, it gets the night off.)