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His roommate is at it again. Gunwook is just peacefully cooking his dinner when he gets called by Matthew.
“Gunwook, can you come here for a moment?”
If he didn’t know any better, he would assume his roommate just needed a simple favor.
But there has been a sound that’s been engulfing their shared space for almost 20 minutes now — some on repeat song that Gunwook can’t fully recognize because it sounds blurry under the combined laughter of Matthew and his friends, Hao and Taerae.
They’re filming tiktoks again and probably wanna rope Gunwook into it again for the eleventh time this month. He doesn’t really mind it, especially when Matthew would insist on buying a week's worth of groceries when his video blows up. But sometimes he wonders if his followers ever think they’re in a relationship, with how often he shows up in his videos.
“Are you busy?” Matthew asks first when Gunwook enters their shared bedroom. His roommate is sitting on the floor, while his two guests are crammed into Matthew's lower bunk.
“Not really, what’s up?” Gunwook replies, then settles on his gaming chair. He knows he’s not gonna leave quickly, given Matthew’s phone still blasting the same song on repeat. Now that the three are not in a laughing pit, Gunwook immediately recognizes the song, Mirrors by Justin Timberlake.
Gunwook has already memorized Matthew’s next question. We’re doing this one tiktok trend. Would you like to join?
And Matthew can already hear the almost instant reply Gunwook would always say. Sure.
Matthew angles his phone to fit the four of them on the screen. The three crowd the camera while Gunwook sits behind them. Matthew assures him that it will be quick and that he only needs to sit there. Gunwook complies, thinking they may be just gonna be reacting to something.
Matthew pressed the record button. Gunwook flashes his ‘celebrity smile’, the one Matthew always teased him about. The familiar song immediately plays, and Gunwook is about to groove to the music until all three simultaneously look back at Gunwook.
Before he could process it, his eyes locked with Matthew’s. But everything is happening fast, and before he knew it, the 15 seconds recording ended, and both Hao and Taerae erupted in a teasing squeal.
Gunwook remains confused, still hasn’t figured out what happened, why they all looked at him, and why Hao and Taerae reacted like that. He didn’t get to ask because the three replayed the recording — and the answer to Gunwook’s question is evident.
Gunwook watches himself in the video, how at the beginning he still has his celebrity smile, and how the confusion surged through when the three look at him at the same time.
But the answer showed itself when his eyes locked with Matthew’s, it visibly softened. The confusion immediately disappears and is replaced by a tender gaze towards Matthew almost right away.
Then it lingered, too long, longer than he himself expected.
And for some reason, Gunwook felt very seen — as if a secret he has been keeping slips and reveals itself.
Before the three could react, Gunwook excused himself. He retreats out of the bedroom, ears flushed red. He busied himself by eating his dinner. He distracted himself with dinner. When Hao and Taerae later leave with knowing smiles and winks, Gunwook tries to conceal the horror in his eyes with his signature friendly smile.
While washing the dishes, Matthews calls out for him again, wanting to film another tiktok, and who is Gunwook to refuse?
They settle on Matthew’s lower bunk bed. Now it’s just the two of them, so it didn’t take long before Matthew found the best angle. This time, Matthew didn’t say anything as he went up straight, pushing the record button. But this time, Gunwook is not confused.
He knows this song. He has seen this trend.
Baby, you’re like lightning in a bottle
I can’t let you go now that I got it
This trend is about kissing your best friend for the first time.
Matthew looked at him, and their eyes locked once again.
“Don’t do something stupid, Seok Matthew,” Gunwook whispers, not as a threat but just a reminder of the line between them and how tempting it is to cross.
Matthew seems to catch the nuance behind it and look straight at Gunwook’s eyes, “Is that a ‘no’?”
But Gunwook’s eyes flickered down, straight to his roommate’s plump lips, looking so inviting. God knows how long he's been admiring them.
They should’ve kissed at the belt of the electric love lyrics, but it has been long gone, only the instrumentals are playing now.
Yet Gunwook still pushed his way through, capturing Matthew’s lips on his.
At first, it’s just two lips touching, but then Matthew moves his lips first, and Gunwook immediately takes that as a ‘yes’ and pulls him up on his lap.
His one hand settles on Matthew’s jaw, slightly pinching his ears as their lips lap each other. Matthew has his hands on Gunwook’s nape, threading his fingers through Gunwook’s hair.
The song is still going when Gunwook pushes his tongue through, and Matthew gladly opens his mouth to make way for it. Matthew tastes like mint choco. Gunwook never really liked that flavor, but tasting it in Matthew’s mouth is something else — addicting, intoxicating.
Matthew pulled back first, resting his forehead against Gunwook’s, their breaths mingling between them, uneven and warm. Matthew is still up on his lap, sitting perfectly above his crotch.
Gunwook could get used to this forever.
“You’re a good kisser,” Matthew said in between his heavy breaths.
Gunwook let out a soft laugh. “You too,” he replied, his voice hoarse from not enough air in his lungs.
The world stilled around them. Silence hovers in the air, carrying all the things neither dared to speak aloud — the desire, the hesitation, the thirst for something dangerous yet irresistible.
And then Matthew whispered, “But one kiss wouldn’t ruin our friendship, right?”