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“I’m telling you, Nicholas, it’s time to confess.”
Jake said, sprawled on the couch in Euijoo and Nicholas’s shared apartment, completely distracted while scrolling through songs.
“You’re literally best friends. Nothing’s gonna ruin that. And Euijoo cares about you way too much to let one confession destroy everything.”
“Exactly,”
Jay chimed in from the kitchen, digging through the fridge.
“The worst thing that could happen is he says no. He’s not gonna leave you or ghost you or anything like that. And honestly, from what I’ve seen over the years? Just like you’re hopelessly in love with him, he’s ridiculously attached to you too. Like—can’t-function-without-you attached.”
Jay finally found his favorite drink, grinned, and leaned against the fridge.
“Bro, just confess already. I’m so done watching this tension and your disgusting love-struck stares.”
“Facts,”
Sunghoon suddenly cut in, grabbing a pillow from the couch and throwing it straight at Jake, who was still choosing music.
“And you—stop picking wedding songs already and just play something, damn.”
Jake shot Sunghoon a glare and went right back to scrolling.
“And honestly,” Jake added,
“I think Euijoo’s in love with you too.”
“Exactly,” Jay said.
“Like, who’s that touchy and clingy with just their best friend?”
“Every time Euijoo sees Nicholas, he’s either hugging him, holding his hands, or straight-up staring at him like he’s looking at the most beautiful thing in existence.”
Nicholas, who’d been quiet the entire time, glanced at the three of them, let out a frustrated breath, leaned his head back against the couch, and shut his eyes.
“You guys are not helping. I can’t take that risk, okay?”
“The last thing I want is to lose Euijoo.”
“Bro, did you even hear what we said?”
Jay said, sitting down next to him.
“Euijoo doesn’t love me,” Nicholas muttered.
“At least not the way I love him.”
“You all know Euijoo. He’s the kindest, warmest person I’ve ever met. He always puts others first. He always makes sure the people in his life feel loved.”
Jake finally gave up on the music and tossed his phone aside.
“Let me put it this way, Nicholas,” he said.
“If Euijoo did even one percent of the things he does with you—with me? I’d already be asking him to buy us wedding rings and book tickets to France so we could make it official.”
“Exactly,” Sunghoon added.
“For me, it’s the opposite. If Euijoo did even one percent of that stuff with me, I’d be like—bro, this is sooo gay. And I’m not gay.”
He snatched Jay’s drink and took a sip.
Jake laughed, leaned back, raised an eyebrow, and said,
“Oh really? So who was it yesterday that turned tomato-red when Sunoo complimented him and went, ‘Have you seen yourself? You’re literally the cutest person I’ve ever seen. How are you this pretty? Let’s go on a date.’”
Sunghoon coughed violently and threw another pillow at Jake, who caught it mid-air and tossed it right back.
“Hey, that’s different,” Sunghoon protested.
“I’m gay only for Sunoo.”
“Yeah, yeah,”
the others said in unison.Jay finally gave up on the other two and wrapped his arms around Nicholas’s neck. Nicholas was clearly deep in his head.
“Hey. Listen to me,” Jay said quietly. “We can help you. Actually—help both of you. And trust me when I say this, Euijoo is in love with you too. So just trust us, yeah? Let us handle it.”
Nicholas opened his mouth to argue, but Jay cut him off immediately.
“You’re not gonna mess anything up. We won’t let you. You don’t have to do anything. We’ll just… nudge things a little. Help Euijoo realize it and take the first step.”
“He doesn’t like me like that—how many times do I have to—”
Before Nicholas could even finish his sentence, two pillows flew at his face from opposite directions.
“Oh my god, shut up already,” Sunghoon snapped. “That loser doesn’t just like you—if he could, he would’ve eaten you alive by now. Have you seen the way he looks at you? Those hungry eyes?”
“Don’t remind me,” Jake added. “Remember Yeonjun’s party? When Nicholas wore that crop top? Euijoo didn’t take his eyes off him the entire night.”
“And those eyes?” Jay shuddered dramatically. “Like there’s a starving wolf sleeping behind you who hasn’t eaten in years.”
“Stop projecting,” Nicholas muttered. “Euijoo was acting totally normal.”
“Yeah, sure,” Sunghoon scoffed. “One day—very soon—you’ll learn never to trust cute-faced people. That’s rule number one. They’re the most dangerous.”
“I’m sorry—who are you calling dangerous, you idiots?”
All four of them froze.
They turned toward the voice and found Euijoo standing there, arms full of plastic bags—clearly snacks for the night.
Light brown hair falling messily over his forehead. Glasses. A black jacket hugging his broad shoulders. Blue jeans.
…Dangerously attractive.
“Speak of the devil,” Jake muttered.
Nicholas immediately slipped out from beside Jay and rushed over to help. The bags looked heavy.
But the moment he reached Euijoo, Euijoo set the bags down and cupped Nicholas’s face with both hands, forcing him to look up.
“Hey,” he said softly. “Are you okay? You look upset. Did these idiots do something to you?”
His voice—gentle, warm, careful—made something stir in Nicholas’s chest, just like it always did. That tone Euijoo only ever used with him. Even their friends noticed it.
“Wow,” Jake interrupted. “Do we look like demons to you? The real monster is literally standing right in front of you, holding his face like he’s about to run away.”
Euijoo shot Jake a flat look, then turned right back to Nicholas, thumb brushing gently over his cheek.
Nicholas leaned into the touch without even thinking, smiling softly.
“No, it’s nothing,” he said quietly. “I just woke up early today.”
He reached up and held Euijoo’s wrists, grounding himself.
“I swear,” Jake groaned, “this feels like I’m watching one of those cringe, overly dramatic Korean romance movies.”
“And he still denies that Euijoo likes him,” Jay added. “Just look at that idiot’s face.”
Euijoo brushed the hair out of Nicholas’s eyes, studying him like he was the only thing in the room.
“Do you want me to kick them out so we can sleep?” he asked softly. “You tired?”
“Hey! We can hear you, you asshole.”
“Zero hospitality. Absolutely feral behavior.”
“Shut up for a second,” Euijoo snapped. “Don’t you all have university tomorrow? Jake, don’t you have some important conference? Why are you still here?”
Without letting Nicholas grab the bags, Euijoo carried them into the kitchen and dropped them on the counter.
“Kindest, softest soul my ass,” Sunghoon muttered. “That man is pure evil.”
“He’s only kind to one specific person,” Jay said. “The rest of us are just background characters eating crumbs.”
“I don’t know why,” Jake added, shivering, “but this is giving CEO x y/n energy.”
“ew gross” Sunghoon deadpanned.
A few minutes later, Nicholas and Euijoo came back with snacks and drinks, setting everything on the table.
Jay, Jake, and Sunghoon all stared at the snacks… then at the two of them sitting side by side as always… then exchanged looks.
“Bro,” Jay said slowly, “at least pretend you care about your guests.”
Euijoo blinked. “What? They’re snacks.”
“Yeah, but you Dumasss” Jake snapped, “they’re all Nicholas’s favorites. Who else here likes strawberry-flavored everything? Every single thing on that table has strawberries on it.”
Nicholas tried desperately to ignore how fast his heart was beating—and how warm his face felt.
Had Euijoo… always been like this?
“Stop talking nonsense,” Euijoo muttered. “You’re lucky you got snacks at all.”He said it, then turned back to Nicholas and reached up again, gently touching his face.
“I’m gonna take a shower and be right back.”
Nicholas nodded. Euijoo stood up to leave, but before going, he glanced at Sunghoon.
“Oh—by the way. Sunoo’s throwing a party the night after tomorrow. He asked me to tell you that if you can come, he’d really like that.”
Sunghoon, who had been taking a sip of his drink, froze—and promptly spilled almost the entire thing all over Jake’s face.
“Oh for fuck’s sake, what the hell is wrong with you?!”
Jake cursed, scrambling for a tissue while Jay leaned over to help wipe his face.
“S–Sunoo? He invited me? Like… personally?”
“God, what did I do to deserve being stuck with a bunch of miserable gays?”
Jake groaned dramatically.
“Yeah. Actually… he invited all of us.”
Euijoo said, then shot one last look at Nicholas before heading to the bathroom.
Sunghoon jumped up, pacing back and forth like he was about to combust.
“Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. Sunoo invited me to his party. Does that mean he likes me too? I mean—why wouldn’t he? Who wouldn’t like someone this attractive?”
“Me.”
“Definitely me.”
“Me. No doubt.”
Nicholas, Jake, and Jay said in unison.
Sunghoon shot them a dirty look and dropped back onto the couch.
“Wow. I really surrounded myself with haters and call them friends.”
“Alright, enough. This is not about you, narcissist,”
Jay said.
“We’re here to help Nicholas—and that clueless idiot currently in the shower.”
“So what’s the plan?”
Jake asked, stuffing some snacks into his mouth.
“It might be cliché, but we’re starting with two plans. One of them goes down at Sunoo’s party.”
“What does Sunoo’s party have to do with this?”
Sunghoon asked, raising an eyebrow at Jay.
“For the love of God, shut up for one second and let him talk,”
Jake snapped, throwing a bag of snacks at Sunghoon.
“No one’s messing with your precious Sunoo party. Relax.”
Nicholas, who had been quiet this whole time, let out an uneasy sigh.
“I still don’t think this is a good idea. I don’t like plotting behind Euijoo’s back.”
“Nicholas, sweetheart,”
Jay said sweetly.
“You can sit right there and let the grown, slightly smarter people handle this, okay?”
“Anyway—”
Jay raised his voice to get everyone’s attention again.
“Tonight, we’re playing Truth or Dare. Ask some questions, push a few buttons, warm Euijoo up a bit.”
“And Nicholas?”
Jake tilted his head.
“Nicholas is already on fire. No warming needed.”
He patted Nicholas’s shoulder a few times while Nicholas glared at him.
“You’re talking a lot tonight.”
“And you’re acting like an omega obsessed with his alpha,”
Jake shot back.
“Oh wait—never mind. You’re always like that.”
“You—”
“ANYWAY.”
Jay cut in loudly, successfully shutting both of them up.
“And then, at Sunoo’s party… we wake up Euijoo’s jealousy.”
“Euijoo? Jealous?”
Sunghoon finally spoke again, snapping out of his Sunoo-induced daydream.
“Bro, you might not know this, but jealousy is gasoline on a fire,”
Jay said.
“When Euijoo sees people wanting Nicholas, liking Nicholas—he’s gonna feel threatened. You get it, right?”
“But Euijoo isn’t—”
“Nicholas. Shut up.”
All three of them said together.
“Don’t you remember that basketball game?”
Sunghoon continued.
“The one where we came to watch? That guy on the other team kept complimenting you, trying to get close.”
Nicholas frowned, trying to remember.
“What did he do?”
“Oh my God…”
“After that, Euijoo took every chance he got to absolutely destroy that poor guy during the game. By the end, the dude’s leg was injured and he had to leave.”
“It was a match,”
Nicholas said weakly.
“Juju had to play seriously.”
The room went dead silent.
All four of them stared at Nicholas.
“What?”
“There’s a difference between playing seriously and going full feral,”
Jake muttered, shaking his head.
“God, love really made this one blind.”
He glanced at Jay.
“Go on. Romantic monster’s about to come back.”
“So,”
Jay continued,
“at the party the night after tomorrow, we make Euijoo jealous. And for that… we’re using Ricky.”
“What does Ricky have to do with this?”
Nicholas asked. Ricky was his friend—and they even spoke the same language.
“We ask him to help. Get close to you. Laugh with you. Stick around you. You know… basic jealousy fuel.”
“But Ricky has a boyfriend,”
Sunghoon pointed out.
“Gyuvin?”
Jay scoffed.
“That guy ships Nicojoo so hard he’d sacrifice his own relationship just to see these two idiots kiss.”
“Iconic.”
“I’m still saying this is a bad idea,”
Nicholas muttered, shifting uncomfortably.
“Then tell us, Nicholas,”
Jay said softly.
“What do you want to do? Wait until one day Euijoo shows up holding someone else’s hand and introduces them as the love of his life? You think you can handle that?”
Something twisted painfully in Nicholas’s stomach.
No.
He couldn’t.
He couldn’t stand the idea of Euijoo with someone else.
Couldn’t stand seeing that soft, sweet voice used on someone else.
Someone else’s hand in his.
Someone else in his arms.
Someone else getting kissed.
Nicholas shook his head hard, trying to force the images away.
Jay nodded, seeing exactly what he needed to see.
“Alright then. That’s it. Let’s try. And hopefully, God willing, we finally free ourselves from these two disgusting idiots.”
“Free yourselves from who?”
Euijoo appeared out of nowhere again, successfully jump-scaring them for the second time that night.
“Jesus Christ, stop appearing like a ghost, you psycho,”
Jake snapped, throwing a pillow at him.
Euijoo caught it one-handed and immediately threw it at Sunghoon.
Sunghoon wasn’t expecting it—
It hit him square in the face.
“What the hell did I do to deserve that, asshole?”
“Nothing,”
Euijoo said casually.
“I just wanted to throw it at you.”
Nicholas was staring at Euijoo. Like always.
Euijoo’s hair was still wet, water dripping from the ends, wearing a loose T-shirt and gray sweatpants. Effortlessly hot.
Nicholas thought he didn’t even try — and that was exactly the problem. Cute and attractive at the same time, that stupid paradox that drove Nicholas insane.
Euijoo sat down next to him and smiled warmly.
“So, what’s up, guys?”
“Oh wow, now we matter? Look at you being all considerate, Byun Euijoo.”
Jake said.
“Nothing much, honestly. What about you? Was that project successful? Did it work out?”
Jay asked, leaning forward to grab a drink from the table. He opened it slowly, eyes fixed on Euijoo.
“Yeah. Yeah, it went well. Mostly thanks to Nico. I seriously wouldn’t have known what to do without him.”
As he said it, his hand rested on Nicholas’s bare thigh.
He didn’t notice the way Nicholas’s breath got stuck in his chest.
Didn’t notice the heat spreading through his body.
Definitely didn’t notice Nicholas’s heart pounding like it was about to break out of his ribcage.
“Yeah, yeah. I can see that.”
“Well then, how about we play a game? Truth or dare. Who’s in?”
Jay said, shooting a meaningful look at the others. Jake and Sunghoon smiled the same way, while Nicholas let out a helpless sigh.
“Sure, I guess.”
“Sounds fun.”
“I’m in.”
“Truth or dare? Seriously? What are you, twelve?”
Euijoo said, his hand still very much on Nicholas’s thigh.
“Sorry, grandpa, I didn’t bring your fishing gear with me. Otherwise I’d let you use it. My bad, I forgot how old you are.”
Jake said, grabbing a bottle to use for the game.
“You’re talking a lot tonight.”
“I know. Now shut up and let’s play. I’ll spin first.”
Nicholas nervously glanced at his friends. He had no idea what kind of evil plans were brewing in their heads.
The bottle spun and landed on Sunghoon.
“Oh my god, seriously?”
Jake raised an eyebrow with a smug grin.
“Well, well. Sunghoonie. Truth or dare?”
“Jake, I swear to god if you pull some dumb—”
“Truth or dare?”
“…Dare. Asshole.”
Jake hummed, eyes shining with mischief.
“You’re gonna take a selfie you think you look hot in, send it to Sunoo right now, and then say: ‘Oops, sorry, wrong person.’”
Sunghoon stared at him in shock and stood up.
Jay barely held back his laughter, and Nicholas and Euijoo
completely failed — they burst out laughing.
“No way. I’m not doing that. You’re joking, right?”
“Nope. You’re doing it. I’m not joking. I’m helping you, man.”
“You’re ruining my life, you psycho. How is this helping?”
“Just do it, Sunghoon. We don’t have all night.”
Jay said seriously.
Sunghoon sighed in frustration, sat back down hard.
“I’ll get you for this. This isn’t over.”
“Ooo, scary.”
He did it. Immediately turned his phone off and tossed it beside the couch, swearing he wouldn’t touch it for a week.
“I hate all of you.”
“Okay, spinning again.”
This time it landed on Nicholas. His breath hitched.
“Well, Nicholas. Truth or dare?”
Nicholas looked at his friends, then at Euijoo.
“Oh, wait— what’s that behind your back?”
Jay leaned in and whispered softly, making sure Euijoo
couldn’t hear.
“Dare.”
Nicholas stared at him, then chose without thinking.
Jay smirked.
“Until the game ends, you’re sitting on Euijoo’s lap.”
“Ooooooh!”
Jake and Sunghoon clapped in sync.
Nicholas tried — and failed — to stop himself from blushing. He looked at Euijoo, who seemed completely calm, smiling at him, arms opening like this was the most normal thing in the world.
“Wow. You guys are the worst.”
“But you love us.”
Nicholas stood up slowly, embarrassed.
Yes, they slept in the same bed often. Yes, he was used to Euijoi’s arms.
But this was different.
This was… a lot.
Before he could decide anything, Euijoo grabbed him and pulled him down onto his lap, wrapping his arms around Nicholas’s waist and resting his chin on his shoulder.
“You okay? Comfortable?
Nicholas could feel Euijoo’s warm breath near his neck.
How was he supposed to be normal like this?
How was this helping anyone when Nicholas felt like he was one heartbeat away from collapsing?
“I-I’m fine. You okay? I’m not too heavy?”
“Not at all. As long as you’re comfortable.”
“…Okay.”
Jake, Jay, and Sunghoon exchanged looks and smiled.
“Alright, my turn.”
The bottle spun. Jake.
“Truth or dare?”
“Obviously dare.”
Sunghoon’s smile was pure revenge.
“Since everyone knows you as the puppy, take a video of yourself acting like one and post it on Instagram with the caption: ‘I’m your puppy, please love me.’”
“Oh my god, you’ve been waiting for this moment, haven’t you?”
Euijoo laughed, tightening his hold on Nicholas.
Jake was yelling.
Nicholas turned to laugh with Euijoo — and froze.
They were too close.
So close he could see the surprise in Euijoo’s eyes too.
No one moved.
Their gazes flickered between eyes and lips.
Nicholas swallowed, shifted just slightly — and Euijoo pulled him closer.
Euijoo’s eyes dropped to Nicholas’s lips.
Nicholas was losing his mind.
God, he wanted to kiss him.
Hold him.
Lose himself in it.
“YOU ABSOLUTE IDIOT—”
Jake’s voice snapped them back to reality. Nicholas turned away fast. Euijoo cleared his throat.
“Game’s game, Jake. Think about how cute you’ll look.”
“Shut up.”
Jake did it. Posted it. Turned his phone off and tossed it away.
They played and laughed until exhaustion settled in.
“This is the last one. I’m going to sleep. And Nicholas needs sleep too.”
Nicholas was still on his lap, completely relaxed now, head resting on Eijo’s shoulder. His neck was exposed.
Jay spun the bottle one last time.
It landed on Euijoo.
“Truth or dare?”
“Truth.”
Jay met his eyes.
“What do you think Nicholas has that makes people fall for him? If someone liked him, what would they need to do to win him over?”
Euijoo frowned. His arms tightened instantly, pulling Nicholas closer like a warning.
“Who likes Nicholas? Who is it?”
His voice was lower. Sharper.
Jay smiled, satisfied.
“Well, why not? He’s cute, attractive, stylish, talented, has a great personality. Obviously people would want him. Right?”
“…And what are you planning to do with my answer?”
“I don’t know. Maybe I just helped one of the thousand people who have a crush on Nicholas—since you know him better than anyone.”
Euijoo was still frowning, clearly irritated.
“Yeah. I do know Nicholas better than anyone. I know him—probably even better than he knows himself. And I also know this: Nicholas doesn’t need some random jerk in his life right now. He’s focused on his dreams, on his goals. He doesn’t need a partner or all that relationship nonsense. He doesn’t need someone else to make him happy. I’m right here. I can make him happy myself.
Nicholas wants to become a successful stylist, and no one can do that for him except himself. A partner? That’s bullshit. He doesn’t have time for that. Whatever he needs, I’ll give it to him.”
Nicholas was drowning in Euijoo’s words.
He watched the way Euijoo’s brows were tightly drawn together—how that sharp intensity somehow made him even more attractive. He listened to the firm, almost harsh edge in Euijoo’s voice, so different from his usual gentle calm. He felt the way Euijoo’s arms were wrapped tightly around him.
His heart twisted—half from happiness, half from something stronger.
Want.
Need.
Nicholas wanted Euijoo.
Jay leaned back against the couch with a small smile.
“Being someone’s best friend isn’t the same as being their partner. Or being someone who’s in love with them—and loved back.”
“I love Nicholas. I care about him. He’s the most important person in my life. What does that have to do with anything?”
Nicholas stopped hearing anything after that first sentence.
His heart was pounding violently, his cheeks burning, his whole body overheated—so much that breathing felt hard.
“Euijoo, don’t be stupid,” Jay said quietly. “I’m saying maybe Nicholas wants a romantic relationship. Maybe he wants someone to hold his hand. Someone to hug him. Someone to kiss him. Someone to… I don’t know—make love with him. We’re all human. Nicholas isn’t an exception.”
Jay noticed the way Euijoo’s jaw tightened—that was exactly what he wanted.
Maybe the mood had shifted. Maybe the fun was gone. But this needed to be said. Euijoo needed to hear it, before he hurt both himself and Nicholas even more.
Euijoo didn’t explode.
He didn’t yell.
Like always, he swallowed it all.
Instead, he forced a smile and gently touched Nicholas’s side, signaling for him to get up. Nicholas understood immediately. He stood, silently. Jake and Sunghoon stood too, moving to Nicholas’s side.
“Alright. That’s enough,” Euijoo said calmly. “We talked enough nonsense, had enough fun. It’s late. We should sleep.”
“Honestly,” Jake muttered under his breath so only Sunghoon and Nicholas could hear, “jealous Euijoo is both hot and terrifying.”
“Exactly. I don’t know whether I should drop to my knees or run for my life.”
“Definitely run,” Jake said, nudging Nicholas lightly. “You’d survive the first option way too well.”
“…I think tonight proved that Euijoo definitely feels something for you.”
“Something?” Sunghoon scoffed. “Bro, he’s obsessed. Did you see his eyes?”
“I’m starting to think Euijoo might be even crazier about you than you are about him.”
“I need a glass of water,” Nicholas said, escaping toward the kitchen.
Jay stepped closer to Euijoo and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Euijoo, don’t pretend you don’t see it. Nicholas, well...One day, he’s going to fall in love. He’s going to become someone’s lover.”
Jay leaned in, close to Euijoo’s ear.
“So before it’s too late—do something.”
Euijoo’s breath hitched. He shifted slightly but never broke eye contact.
Jay smiled softly, nodded, grabbed his jacket, and headed for the door. Jake and Sunghoon followed.
“Clean up this mess yourself, man,” Jake said. “Sorry, I’m out.”
“This isn’t the real mess,” Sunghoon muttered, patting Euijoo’s back before leaving.
A few minutes later, the apartment fell into complete silence.
“Long night, huh?” Nicholas said softly, standing beside Euijoo, who was still staring at the door.
Euijoo turned. Their eyes met.
For the first time, Nicholas couldn’t read him.
And that scared him—because reading Euijoo had always been the easiest thing in the world.
Suddenly, Euijoo wrapped his arms around Nicholas’s waist and pulled him close, resting his head on Nicholas’s shoulder.
“I’m tired, Nico,” he murmured. “Can we sleep?”
“Of course, Juju.”
Nicholas smiled and gently rubbed Euijoo’s back.
“Before that… go to your room. I’ll clean this mess up.”
Nicholas shook his head.
“No. We’ll clean it together. And we’ll sleep together.”
Euijoo’s smile broke into laughter as he moved toward the table. Nicholas followed.
“You seriously can’t live without me,” Euijoo said, bending down to collect the bottles.
“I can’t,” Nicholas replied simply—honest, steady.
Euijoo froze for a second, staring at him.
“…Me neither,” he said quietly. “Without you, I get lost. But when you’re around—when you’re near me—I can be myself. I find myself.”Nicholas was pretty sure his heart was going to betray him tonight.
He turned his face away, out of Euijoo’s line of sight, already certain he was blushing again.
He didn’t say anything else after that.
The rest of the time passed quietly, the two of them just cleaning up together, until they finally headed to the bedroom to sleep.
Nicholas got into bed first.
Euijoo still had to call one of his classmates—something about university, some question he needed answered.
Nicholas lay on his side, scrolling mindlessly through his phone, waiting for Euijoo to come back so they could sleep.
That was when it happened.
An arm wrapped around him from behind.
A chest pressed gently into his back.
Warm breaths brushed against his hair and the back of his neck.
Nicholas flinched slightly, his breath catching in his chest.
He was never going to get used to this.
Never.
Anyone who saw them like this would swear they were a long-term couple, probably just a step away from getting married.
But with Nicholas and Euijoo, it was different.
They were “just” best friends.
Best friends who were comfortable with each other.
Best friends who cared deeply.
And Nicholas hated that.
He hated the word friend.
He hated best friend even more when it came to Euijoo.
He wanted to be Euijoo’s love.
His boyfriend.
His person.
Anything that would mean Euijoo was his—and he was Euijoo’s.
But he wasn’t.
And Nicholas hated that most of all.
“Hey,” Euijoo murmured against the back of his neck, voice low and sleepy.
“Aren’t you gonna sleep?”
Nicholas quickly turned off his phone and nodded.
“Can’t fall asleep?”
Euijoo’s hand moved slowly over Nicholas’s body, gentle and rhythmic, almost like a lullaby—like he was soothing a child to sleep.
It only made Nicholas more awake.
“Maybe,” Nicholas whispered.
“I’m tired, but… it takes me a bit to actually fall asleep.”
“Want me to sing you a lullaby, baby Nicholas?”
Euijoo teased lightly, lifting his head to see Nicholas’s reaction.
“No,” Nicholas said softly.
“Just… hold me.”
Euijoo froze.
Something about the way Nicholas looked at him—he couldn’t read it, couldn’t fully understand it—but it made his heart beat faster.
Those eyes were saying something.
Without a word, Euijoo gently turned Nicholas toward him.
One arm slipped under Nicholas’s head, the other resting on his lower back, pulling him closer until Nicholas’s face was pressed against Euijoo’s chest, dark hair tickling his chin.
Eui-joo hugged him tightly.
As if he wanted to melt Nicholas into himself.
As if he wanted them to become one.
Nicholas felt small in his arms.
Small in a way that made Euijoo want to protect him.
To do anything—everything—for him.
Now fully wrapped in Euijoo’s warmth, Nicholas took a deep breath, snuggled closer, closed his eyes…
And at some point—he didn’t even know when—sleep claimed him.
Euijoo stayed awake for a few minutes, staring down at Nicholas’s sleeping face.
I’m everything you need, he thought.
And you’re everything I want.
Eventually, his eyes grew heavy too, and he drifted off.
The next morning, Nicholas woke up feeling rested—like he always did when he slept in Euijoo’s arms.
How could he not?
Euijoo’s embrace was the safest, most comfortable place in the world to him.
He looked around.
No Euijoo.
Nicholas got out of bed and stepped out of the room, finding him in the kitchen—on the phone, cooking breakfast at the same time.
Nicholas was about to walk over when a name stopped him in his tracks.
“I told you, Minji,” Euijoo said, irritated.
“I’m busy right now. Please try to understand and stop calling me so much.”
“No, I have things to do at university today, and after that I’m visiting my family. I don’t have time.”
“Why are you bringing Nicholas into this?”
Nicholas stiffened at the sound of his own name.
Euijoo sounded angry.
The way he rubbed his temples made it obvious.
“Minji, I told you from the beginning—I’m not interested in dating. I told you respectfully. But then you went after Nicholas. Why would you do that?”
“I don’t care anymore. You’re really starting to stress me out, Minji. I’m tired. I respect you because you’re my friend’s sister, but please—please stop calling and texting me. You asked for an answer, and I said no. I don’t understand why you keep acting like this.”
“You’re pretty. You’re smart. You can date other guys who will actually like you. I don’t have feelings for you, Minji. I like you as a friend, nothing more—and I need you to respect that.”
Euijoo sat down on a chair, completely unaware of Nicholas standing there—unaware of how Nicholas had curled in on himself, anxiety tightening in his chest.
“God… I don’t want to give anyone any kind of chance, Minji. Please. I’m hanging up now. Please leave me alone.”Euijoo
said that, ended the call, and tossed his phone onto the table. He dragged his hands down his face a few times, exhaling hard.
Then he stood up—and turned.
That was when he saw Nicholas.
He didn’t say anything. He just looked away.
And that cold look made Nicholas shiver.
Nicholas was used to Euijoo’s warmth—the way his eyes always softened when they landed on him, the way a smile would instantly bloom on Euijoo’s lips whenever Nicholas was mentioned. Euijoo always turned into the kindest, gentlest, most considerate version of himself around Nicholas.
But sometimes… sometimes Euijoo went cold.
He went quiet.
He didn’t look at Nicholas.
And that destroyed him.
It shattered his heart into a thousand pieces.
And Nicholas knew why this was happening. He knew he was the reason.
Two weeks ago, when Minji—one of Euijoo’s university classmates—failed to get anywhere with Ijo directly, she went to Nicholas instead. Asked for his help.
Nicholas didn’t like her. Not even a little. And he didn’t want to help at all. He didn’t want to do anything that might cost him even the smallest fraction of Euijoo’s attention.
But Minji wouldn’t back off.
She pressured him.
She said things that got under his skin.
Poisoned him, slowly.
“Why won’t you help your best friend finally find someone?”
“Do you seriously expect Ijo to take care of you forever? What are you, a kid?”
“You’re so selfish, keeping all of Euijoo to yourself. Why don’t you let him live his own life?”
“He’s your best friend, not your boyfriend. Learn some boundaries.”
“Euijoo has needs too, you know. Why should he always revolve around you?”
“Do you even love him? If you do, help him go on dates. Let him have fun. How old are you—eight? Can’t you take care of yourself?”
Nicholas hated every word.
But somewhere deep inside, a quiet doubt started growing.
What if she’s right?
What if I really am holding him back?
What if I’ve tired him out?
Euijoo was attractive. Smart. Charismatic. Soft-spoken, kind, cute. Tall, with a strong build. Nicholas wasn’t blind. He saw the looks people gave Euijoo—boys and girls alike. Everyone tried to get close to him.
And Nicholas hated it.
Every time it happened, he wanted to scream, He’s mine. Only mine. Don’t come near him.
But he never did.
Because he had no right.
He was just the best friend. Nothing more.
So he stayed quiet. Let jealousy eat him alive.
And he hated himself for even thinking that maybe—just maybe—Euijoo was tired of him. That maybe Nicholas was standing in the way of Euijoo’s happiness.
All Nicholas ever wanted was Euijoo’s smile.
Euijoo’s happiness.
Even if it meant breaking his own heart.
So he did it.
He gave Minji Euijoo’s number.
He cornered Euijoo into the situation.
He left them alone together.
Even though watching the love of his life beside someone else nearly tore him apart.
But if Euijoo was happy, Nicholas told himself, then he would be happy too.
Except—Euijoo wasn’t happy.
Not at all.
He became more tired. More irritable. More upset.
As if he never expected Nicholas to do something like that.
And now they were here—
With an Euijoo who wouldn’t talk to Nicholas.
Wouldn’t even look at him.
Nicholas slowly walked toward the table where Euijoo stood. He reached for his hand—but Euijoo pulled away. Not harshly.
Still, it felt like Nicholas’s heart stopped beating.
His eyes burned.
“Juju…”
“Sit down and eat your breakfast,” Euijoo said, without looking at him. “After class I’m going to visit my family. I’ll probably be back late. Don’t stay up too late. And make sure you eat dinner.”
He sounded distant. Controlled.
Euijoo was angry—but Nicholas still mattered.
He always had. He always would.
Nicholas swallowed hard and reached for his hand again.
This time, Euijoo didn’t pull away.
Maybe it was the way Nicholas’s hands were shaking.
Or the uneven breaths he couldn’t control.
“Juju… please. I—”
His voice trembled.
Nicholas wasn’t weak. He wasn’t fragile like this with anyone else. He was known as confident, stylish, powerful—even intimidating sometimes.
But with his juju?
He fell apart.
Because with Euijoo, he didn’t have to pretend.
He could be vulnerable.
Emotional.
Real.
“E_Euijoo please don’t do this,” Nicholas whispered. “Don’t turn away from me. Please. Look at me.”
Then he hugged him.
Tightly. Desperately.
Like he was about to lose him.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Nicholas choked out. “I thought I was helping you. I thought I was doing the right thing. Please—don’t push me away. I can’t take it.”
“Nico—”
“I just wanted you to be happy. I thought this would make things easier for you. I thought—God—I thought you wouldn’t have to always worry about me.”
“Nicholas—”
“Euijoo please forgive me. I didn’t think it would turn out like this.”
“Yixiang.”
Euijoo said his real name—sharp and firm.
Nicholas’s breath caught. And then he broke.
The tears came fast.
Euijoo wrapped his arms around him immediately, burying his face in Nicholas’s hair, rubbing slow circles into his back.
“Hey. Hey. It’s okay,” he murmured. “Don’t cry. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
Nicholas shook his head.
“I’m not mad at you,” Euijoo said quietly.
He pulled back just enough to hold Nicholas’s face, wiping away his tears with his thumbs.
“I was angry—but not because of Minji. Not because of the date. I was angry because you let her words hurt you. Because you believed them.”
His thumb traced Nicholas’s cheek.
“That destroyed me. The thought that you could believe something like that… it made me feel like you didn’t know me at all.”
Euijoo leaned closer, voice low and steady.
“I’m Euijoo Your Euijoo. Being near you calms me. Being around you gives me energy. Watching you makes me smile. I need you—to talk to you, to be close to you. I can’t live without you.”
“My world revolves around you.”
“And what hurts me isn’t you. It’s myself—for not showing you clearly enough how much you mean to me.”
Nicholas couldn’t speak. Tears filled his eyes again.
God, he loved this man.
Euijoo smiled softly now—the warm smile Nicholas knew so well—and leaned in, pressing a slow, deep kiss to his forehead.
“Now sit down and eat your breakfast,” he said gently. “I’ll be back late tonight. Don’t stay up waiting for me, okay?”
Nicholas nodded, smiling through his tears, then hugged him again, breathing him in.
Euijoo laughed quietly and hugged him back.
“You’re such a baby.”
“Says you,” Nicholas replied, lightly punching his side.
And then, finally, in peace, they ate breakfast together—before stepping out into the day
Nichojoo project 🍓🍊
Jayjay: Okay guys, let’s get started.
Riconic: Why am I even here?
Jkjk: You’re here to be a good influence, bro. Shut up and listen.
Nini: What’s this group even for?
Sunsun: Dude, look at the group name. Are you dumb?
Gyutaro: And what am I doing here, my dears?
Jkjk: You’re here to be supportive, my guy.
Jayjay: Alright. So, we already told Ricky the story and he agreed. The party’s tomorrow, and we’re gonna get these two idiots together.
Gyutaro: Ahhh, finally.
Gyutaro: My dear Ricky, use every bit of your acting and flirting skills. I want Ijo to burn with jealousy.
Jkjk: Same, I wanna see that.
Sunsun: Should I bring popcorn?
Nini: Won’t this be awkward? Doesn’t Euijoo know Ricky has a boyfriend?
Jayjay: Of course he doesn’t. You know Euijoo—zero interest in uni drama and gossip. He only knows Ricky because he’s your friend. Nothing more.
Gyutaro: How can he not know my hot boyfriend? Is he from outer space or something?
Nini: Hey!
Jkjk: Nicholas, shut up. And to answer you, Gyu—this guy only cares about his studies and Nicholas. His whole world revolves around those two. We just exist in the background.
Riconic: Agreed.
Jayjay: Okay, that’s enough for now. Ricky we’re counting on you. Do your best.
Riconic: Leave it to me, bro. Just don’t fall in love with me, Nico—I’m taken.
Nini: Oh my god, shut up. As if.
Sunsun: Ricky, I trust your skills, but every single cell in this loser’s body is screaming Ijo’s name.
Gyutaro: Ughhh, Cuties. I can’t wait to see these two kiss.
Nini: Hey!
Jayjay: Nicholas is literally turning into a tomato.
Jkjk: Tomato Nicholas, tomato Nicholas.
Sunsun: 🍅🍅🍅
Riconic: 🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅
Gyutaro: 🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅
Nini: I hate all of you.
Nicholas turned his phone off and tried to hide the redness on his cheeks—unsuccessfully.
“Nico, are you ready?”
Euijoo asked as he walked toward Nicholas’s room and knocked twice.
“Yeah, just give me a minute.”
Euijoo opened the door and stepped inside—and his breath caught.
Nicholas looked painfully beautiful.
He was always beautiful, always cute and attractive—but tonight, he stole Euijoo’s breath. He was wearing a sleeveless top that showed off his toned, pale arms. His styled hair fell slightly over his forehead, paired with black pants and accessories that fit his vibe perfectly. Nicholas looked unreal.
And on the other side, Nicholas had stopped breathing too.
Euijoo was in a suit, his hair styled flawlessly, and Nicholas suddenly wanted to keep him inside the house and not let anyone else see him. Euijoo always had this natural charisma—everything about him was attractive—but tonight, he was making Nicholas feel like his legs might actually give out.
“You look ridiculously hot.”
Nicholas whispered as Euijoo walked closer.
Euijoo’s eyes were unreadable. Nicholas didn’t see that look often—and when he did, it was always meant for him.
Euijoo stepped closer, circled Nicholas slowly, then stopped right behind him. He leaned in, wrapped his arms around Nicholas’s waist. Nicholas gasped at the sudden contact and shifted slightly. Euijoo rested his chin on Nicholas’s shoulder and looked at their reflection in the large mirror.
Nicholas looked too—and his heart started racing all over again at the sight of them like this.
Something was different about Euijoo tonight.
His grip tightened, and he buried his face into Nicholas’s neck, whispering softly:
“Maybe we shouldn’t go to the party… maybe we should just stay home. Hmm, Nico?”
The feeling of Euijoo’s lips against his neck nearly made Nicholas collapse. He grabbed onto Ijo’s arms to steady himself.
“Euijoo...”
Nicholas whispered, his breathing heavy.
“I can fight,” Euijoo murmured near his ear,
“but how many of your admirers do I have to deal with? There are already too many… tonight there’ll probably be even more.”
Euijoo lifted his head, whispering right by Nicholas’s ear.
He was acting strange—stranger than ever.
“How many people do I have to fight?”
Nicholas said, trying not to look at their reflection. What did all this mean?
“Have you seen yourself? In that suit, you could bring anyone to their knees. How many do I have to fight?”
Nicholas turned to face him—and he knew he shouldn’t have.
He knew he shouldn’t.
But when had Nicholas ever listened?
Now they were painfully close, close enough to feel each other’s warm breath on their lips.
Euijoo’s gaze dropped from Nicholas’s eyes to his lips.
Nicholas did the same—then looked back at Euijoo, while Euijoo's eyes stayed on his mouth.
“Right now, I’m fighting myself not to do something stupid.”
Euijoo moved even closer. Nicholas tensed, holding his breath. His body was burning, his heart pounding—he felt drunk, completely out of it.
“Something stupid?”
Nicholas asked, still staring at Euijoo’s lips.
“Yeah… really stupid,”
Euijoo whispered,
“but it’s driving me crazy to do it.”
They were so close their noses brushed.
“What’s stopping you?
”Nicholas whispered softly, about to close that damn tiny distance between them—
when the sound of a phone ringing snapped them both back to reality.
They pulled apart instantly.
Euijoo coughed a few times, and Nicholas finally let out the breath he’d been holding.
It was Euijoo’s phone.
He pulled it out of his pocket and answered, clearly irritated.
“What do you want?”
“Hi_HAY, asshole. What’s with that aggressive tone?”
It was Sunghoon.
Euijoo rubbed his eyes a few times, trying to calm down—
but his heart had zero intention of cooperating.
“Anyway,” Sunghoon continued,
“where are you guys? Sunoo didn’t throw a party for you two to show up this late. You were supposed to be here forty-five minutes ago.”
Euijoo glanced at Nicholas, who was sitting on the bed with his back to him, one hand pressed over his chest.
“It’s a party, Sunghoon. Damn you. It’s not your wedding with Sunoo—being late isn’t a crime.”
“Hey Byun Euijoo… do you think Sunoo and I are actually gonna get married one day?”
Euijoo let out an exhausted breath and hung up.
“Psychotic idiot.”
He turned back toward Nicholas and stepped closer.
“Um… Nico, we should go.”
Nicholas nodded and stood up without looking at him.
“Yeah… we should. Should we go?”
He was flustered—avoiding Euijoo’s eyes, letting his gaze wander around the room instead.
Euijoo smiled at how cute Nicholas looked, and then they left the room together, heading to the party.
“Um… so,”
Jake asked, eyeing Nicholas and Euijooo, who were sitting next to each other but very deliberately not looking at one another.
The tension between them was intense—
stronger than ever before.
Almost unbearable.
“What the hell is wrong with these two?”
“They’re the kind of people who could jump each other any second—like animals in mating season.”
“Wait… did we miss something?”
Suddenly, Euijoo stood up.
“Um, I’m gonna grab a drink. You want anything?”
Nicholas still avoided eye contact, but answered:
“Water’s fine, thanks… Juju.”
Euijoo nodded and walked away slowly.
That was all it took.
“Nicholas, check your phone.”
“Why?”
“I need to say something…”
“Then just say it.”
“Oh my god, you idiot—check your phone already.”
Nicholas sighed and picked it up.
Nichojoo project 🍓🍊
Jkjk: Did something happen before you got here?
Nini: We almost kissed.
“WHAT???”
Jake yelled so loudly that a few people nearby turned to stare.
He gave them an awkward smile.
Jkjk: WHAT??? You two what?
Jayjay: Guess that first step was enough to wake Ijo up. Proud of myself, honestly.
Sunsun: …
Sunsun: That mf—
Sunsun: So that’s why he tried to eat me alive on the phone. Asshole.
Riconic: So what now? Did the plan fail?
Jayjay: Fail? Nah, bro. Euijoo’s just getting started. Now we need to light the fire.
Gyutaro: How you holding up, Nicholas? Not dying of excitement, are you?
Nini: I’m actually in love. I almost risked everything.
Nini: I genuinely don’t know how I survived all these years holding back. I’m strong, right?
Jkjk: No, bro. You’re a loser in love—the dumb kind.
Sunsun: Exactly.
Sunsun: Okay okay, Ijo’s coming back. Everyone act normal.
Jkjk: Someone really needs to tell you that you’re an idiot.
Nicholas put his phone down. The others did the same.
Ijo came back with two drinks, handed one to Nicholas, and sat right beside him.
Nicholas thanked him and took a sip of water.
About an hour had passed since they arrived.
People were dancing, drinking, playing games.
Sunghoon was with Sunoo.
Jake had found someone to talk to.
Jay was… being Jay—sitting, observing.
After a few minutes, Jay shot Nicholas a sharp look.
It’s time.
Nicholas felt lost, unsure what to do.
Jay shook his head in disappointment, stood up, and walked over.
He grabbed Nicholas’s hand to pull him up—
—but halfway there, Ijo grabbed Nicholas’s hand and stopped him.
“Where are you going?”
“Relax, man. We’re gonna dance—it’s a party, not a business meeting. Just because you don’t wanna dance doesn’t mean Nicholas doesn’t.”
Jay looked at Nicholas.
“Yeah,” Nicholas said,
“I wanna dance. We came to have fun. You shouldn’t just sit here either, Juju.”
He pulled his hand free from Euijoo’s grip and followed Jay.
Ijo just stood there, staring at the path they took.
He took a sip of his drink, then stood up like he’d suddenly remembered something.
He grabbed his phone—only to find it dead.
Battery gone.
Without looking around much, he spotted Jake and walked over. Jake was mid-conversation with someone Ijo couldn’t care less about.
“Jake, let me borrow your phone. Mine’s dead.”
Jake waved his hand without turning around and kept talking.
Euijoo nodded, took Jake’s phone, opened the call screen to dial—
—and then froze when a message popped up
.Nichojoo project 🍓🍊
Riconic: Should I step in?
Gyutaro: Not yet, sweetheart. Give it a second.
Ijo stared at the group chat messages he’d never seen before, completely confused.
What kind of name was that?
What did it mean?
Why wasn’t he in it?
What the hell was going on?
He sat back down, totally forgetting about the call, and started scrolling—
and honestly, in that moment, it didn’t even cross his mind that this was wrong.
He kept reading until one message made the blood in his veins run cold.
Nini: We almost kissed.
Nini: I’m genuinely in love with him. I almost risked everything.
Nini: I honestly don’t know how I held back all these years. I’m strong, right?
Euijoo didn’t know what to do.
He just stared at the screen.
Nicholas… liked him?
Nicholas was in love with him?
So it hadn’t been one-sided?
Not all this time?
Euijoo finally let out a breath he didn’t even realize he’d been holding, covered his mouth in disbelief—and laughed.
“Oh my God.”
That was all he could say.
He turned Jake’s phone off, set it on the table, leaned back into the couch, and covered his face with both hands, staying like that for a few minutes—
until he felt someone next to him.
“Bro, you won’t believe it. I just confessed to Sunoo, and he said he likes me too.”
“I swear, tonight’s the best night of my life.”
“Hey—EJ. I’m talking to you.”
Sunghoon shook Euijoo's shoulder a few times.
Finally, Euijoo dropped his hands and looked at him with a soft smile.
“Oh God… are you possessed?”
Euijoo didn’t answer. He just kept smiling.
“Congrats.”
“Uh… thanks?”
Sunghoon said, stepping back a little, then reaching out and grabbing Jake by the collar from behind.
Jake turned mid-conversation, about to say something—
but froze when he saw the strange look on Euijoo’s face.
“Why does he look like that?”
“That’s my question too.”
Jake turned back to the guy.
“Sorry, Heeseung. I gotta go back to my friends.”
The guy nodded, and Jake quickly joined Sunghoon and Euijoo.
“Hey man, you with us?”
Jake asked—but before Ijo could answer, Jay showed up with Gyubin and sat down.
“Where were you?”
Sunghoon asked.
“We were dancing with Nicholas, then Rickyshowed up and straight-up stole him from me,”
Jay said—and turned to check Euijoo's reaction.
The deep smile on Euijoo's lips faded into a frown.
“What the hell is that?”
“That’s what we wanna know.”
Euijoo turned his attention to the dance floor.
Nicholas was dancing with Ricky.
Ricky’s hands were on Nicholas’s waist, moving to the beat.
Sunghoon, Jake, Jay, and Gyubin tried to read Euijoo’s reaction—
but all they got was that same smile.
“So that’s how it is.”
That was all Euijoo said.
Jay leaned toward Jake.
“What’s going on?”
Gyuvin leaned in too.
“Why is he looking at them with that terrifying smile?”
“Bro, I only see that smile in movies—right before someone dies. Or at least almost does.”
“I swear to God, if anything happens to my boyfriend, I’ll bury all of you alive.”
“Don’t talk nonsense,” Jake said, crossing his arms.
“our cute Euijoo wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
“You sure?”
“You sure?”
“You sure?”
All three asked.
“No.”
Euijoo suddenly stood up.
The four of them jumped up with him, staring nervously.
Euijoo turned back to them, still smiling.
“Gyuvin, why do you let your boyfriend dance with someone else when you’re right here?”
All four of them froze.
He knew?
“Uh… I—uh… what?”
Without another word, Euijoo patted Jay’s shoulder a few times and walked away—straight toward Nicholas and Riki.
“Oh God…”
“Are we cooked?”
Euijoo reached them, only to see Ricky's smug smile—and Nicholas looking lost and overwhelmed.
He gently but firmly pulled Nicholas away, wrapping one arm around his waist.
“I came to take my boy back, Ricky”
Riki stared at him, stunned.
He hadn’t expected this calm reaction.
But Nicholas—
the word my boy sent butterflies exploding in his stomach, his heart pounding wildly.
What had gotten into Euijoo tonight?
“But thanks for the help.”
Ricky was even more confused now, but said nothing—just looked at Nicholas, who looked just as dazed. Eujoo didn’t wait for a response.
He took Nicholas’s hands and pulled him along, heading for the stairs, climbing them one by one.
“Juju?”
“Juju, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“Juju… where are we going?”
Euijoo didn’t answer.
Upstairs, he searched for a room, opened one at random—and got lucky. It was empty.
He went in, pulling Nicholas after him.
“Juju, what are we doing here?”
“I’m finally gonna do the stupid thing.”
And before Nicholas could even think,
Euijoo pinned him gently against the door and kissed him—
one arm wrapped around his waist,
the other holding Nicholas’s face.And then there was Nicholas—staring wide-eyed at Euijoo, who had his eyes closed, kissing him like he was starving.
Nicholas’s heart was racing wildly. He felt like he might pass out any second.
Euijoo bit down on Nicholas’s lower lip, just enough to snap him out of it.
That was exactly what Nicholas needed.
He closed his eyes too, wrapped his arms around Euijoo’s neck, and pulled him closer.
The kiss was heated—desperate, messy, full of hunger—
like they were trying to pour out years of wanting, tension, need, and love into a single kiss.
They kissed until they ran out of air.
When they finally pulled apart, Euijoo rested his forehead against Nicholas’s.
He cupped Nicholas’s face with both hands, gently brushing his thumb over Nicholas’s lips—
the same lips he’d been kissing moments ago, now swollen and glossy.
Nicholas didn’t know why, but his eyes had gone glassy.
He stared into Euijoo’s eyes deeply, like none of this felt real.
Like it had to be a dream.
“Juju…”
“I love you, Nico. My Nico. I love you so much. I’m actually crazy about you.”
Euijoo said it—and didn’t wait for an answer before kissing him again.
Nicholas kissed him back, letting his tears fall freely.
“Juju… wait—ah… um… Juju…”
Nicholas tried to break the kiss so he could say it too—
how much he loved Euijoo, how obsessed he was with him—
but Ijo wouldn’t let him go, kissing him like a starving wolf.
“Byun EUIJOO.”
Nicholas said his name between kisses.
Euijoo pulled back just enough to look at him.
His eyes softened instantly, a lovestruck smile spreading across his face.
“So pretty I could die.”
Nicholas felt his cheeks burning—he knew they were tomato red now.
He tried to hide it, lightly punching Ijo’s chest before burying his face there.
“Pinch me.”
“Huh?”
Euijoo tilted his head down just as Nicholas looked up again—
their faces close, eyes drifting back to each other’s lips.
“What if I’m dreaming? Or drunk? But I only had water.”
Euijoo smiled, kissed him again, then bit down on Nicholas’s lower lip—
not enough to draw blood, but enough to sting.
“Hey— that hurt.”
“See? It’s real.”
Nicholas stared at him, then burst out laughing.
A moment later, he cupped Ijo’s face and placed a soft kiss on his smiling lips.
“I’m so insanely in love with you.
Sometimes it’s scary.
Sometimes it hurts—loving someone this much.”
“I know.”
Euijoo looked at him with warm, affectionate eyes.
Nicholas had no choice but to blush.
“So… now what? I mean, us… and, you know—this?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
Without warning, Euijoo lifted Nicholas and spun him around the room.
Nicholas yelped in surprise and immediately wrapped his arms around Euijoo’s neck.
Euijoo sat down on the bed gently, Nicholas still on his lap, arms looped around his neck, smiling in shock.
“You’re insane. Seriously.”
“Yeah. You make me insane.”
Nicholas lightly punched him.
“Stop. You still haven’t answered me.”
“For now, we’re boyfriends.
My Nico.”
Something dropped in Nicholas’s chest.
He didn’t know whether to freak out happily over boyfriends
or panic a little over for now.
“F-for now?”
“Yep. We’ve got a ton of dates to go on.
I’m gonna take you on dates.
Buy you flowers.
Kiss you at the movies.
Ask your favorite color and food—even though I already know them.
All that boyfriend stuff.”
“And what does ‘for now’ mean in all this?”
“…Excuse me?”
“What, you’re planning on being my boyfriend forever?”
Nicholas was confused. What more could he want?
Being Euijoo’s boyfriend—mutually—
was the dream he’d carried for years.
“Um… yeah?”
“So you don’t wanna be my husband?”
Nicholas froze, eyes wide.
“WHAT?!”
Euijoo laughed and kissed the tip of his nose.
“Husband. Huuusband. Nico, are you dumb?”
“Are you serious right now?
Can you PLEASE give me time to process being dragged across a room, kissed like a feral animal, and mutually confessing first?”
“And then bring up marriage and husband stuff?”
“My heart is about to explode. Please have mercy. Everything just happened so fast I’m half-convinced this is a dream.”
Nicholas hid his tomato-red face in Ijo’s chest as he spoke.
“Wait.”
Nicholas pulled back, giving him a suspicious look.
“What even happened?
Why did you suddenly do all this?
The kissing, the confession—everything?”
“I mean—thanks, obviously.
Sincerely.”
“But… yeah.”
“I was actually planning to confess soon anyway,”
Euijoo said.
“You know my birthday’s in a few days, right?”
“Mm.”
Nicholas brushed the hair from Euijoo’s face.
“I was gonna confess that night.
And I thought—if you accepted my feelings, my birthday gift would be taking you on a date.”
“And if… well.
If you rejected me—”
“I would never reject you. Never.”
Euijoo kissed his forehead softly, resting his hand on Nicholas’s cheek.
Nicholas leaned into it and closed his eyes.
“I'm a overthinker, Nico.
I overthink everything.”
“And thinking about you is basically my full-time job.”
“So yeah—if you rejected me, I wanted you to at least not leave me.
Not distance yourself.”
“Because it’d be awkward, right?
Your best friend of years suddenly saying he’s in love with you and wants to kiss you until you can’t breathe.”
Nicholas remembered the kiss from minutes ago and felt butterflies explode all over again.
“I was terrified you wouldn’t be able to handle it.
That I’d ruin everything.
Our friendship. Everything.”
“The thought of losing you drove me insane.”
“But I couldn’t do it anymore.
I didn’t want you as just my best friend.”
“I wanted to hold you.
Sleep next to you.
Hold your hands.”
“We did that already, though,”
Nicholas teased.
“Yeah, but could I kiss you?”
Euijoo shot back.
“Could I kiss you goodnight in bed?
Slip my hands under your T-shirt—and touch your bare skin?”
“Could I kiss your neck when I hug you from behind and leave my mark?”
“Could I kiss your hands?”
“Could I call you my love, my baby, my everything, my beautiful boy—my boy?”
He said it all so close to Nicholas’s face their lips were brushing.
Nicholas was barely holding himself together.
“O-okay, enough. I get it.”
Euijoo leaned back with a smug smile.
“So yeah. I was gonna wait a few days.”
“Until I found out there was a project going on.”
Nicholas blinked.
“A project?”
“Yeah.”
"Nichojoo project"
Euijoo smirked knowingly.
Nicholas froze—then realization hit him.
“No way…
You knew?
Oh my God— Euijooo—”
“It was an accident,”
Euijoo said.
“I borrowed Jake’s phone ‘cause mine died, and I saw the messages.”
“So I thought—why wait?
Why not do it now?”
“Why not taste these pretty lips sooner?”
He leaned in and kissed Nicholas again.
Euijoo’s hand slid under Nicholas’s shirt, pressing him closer.
They kissed until their lips actually started to ache.
And neither of them cared.
“Dude, I’m telling you—they’re not here—”
“Oh my God—lock the damn door at least!
My innocent eyes!”
They jumped apart.
Jake stood there, covering his face.
Behind him were Sunghoon and Jay—completely clueless.
Sunghoon stepped in, took one look at Nicholas sitting on Euijoo’s lap, their swollen lips, Euijoo's hand on Nicholas’s waist—
“Damn.
The plan actually worked.”
He turned to Jay, who was watching smugly.
“Hey, can you make plans like that for me and Sunoo too?”
Jay stared at him flatly.
“First of all, am I Cupid?”
“Second—didn’t you just confess to Sunoo?”
“Yeah, but I wanna jump each other like them.
I’m not patient.”
“Excuse me?”
Jake cut in.
“If anyone’s getting a plan, it should be me and Heeseung.”
“Get out.”
Jay said, leaving the room.
Sunghoon and Jake followed.
But before leaving, Jake turned back, pointed at the two of them.
“You’re telling me everything.
All of it.”
Then he left.
Euijoo and Nicholas burst out laughing.
Feeling lighter than ever, Euijoo fell back onto the bed, pulling Nicholas down with him.
Nicholas lay fully on top of him.
“This is insane.”
“Yeah. Completely.”
They laughed again.
Nicholas rested his head on Euijoo’s chest, closed his eyes, and soaked in the moment.
“So… when do I take you on our first date?”
Euijoo asked.
Nicholas smiled and kissed his cheek.
“How about we go home first?”
“So I can hold you and kiss you all night?”
“Maybe.”
“Your lips don’t hurt?”
“Who said you’re only allowed to kiss my lips?”
Nicholas smirked.
“Oh… you’re really—”
Euijoo was completely red now.
“Let’s go home, Nico.”
“Mm.”