Chapter Text
Geonwoo lay flat on his back, the duvet pulled up to his nose. The only light in the room came from his smartphone, dimmed to the lowest setting to avoid detection. He knew he was playing with fire. Their manager had given them the social media talk at least once a month since their debut: “Stay off the forums. Don’t read the comments. If you must be on Twitter, stay on the official group account.”
But Geonwoo was a creature of habit, and his habit was curiosity. Geonwoo knew it was risky. As a member of one of the fastest-rising idol groups, his phone was supposed to be for practice videos and the occasional Bubble update.
It had started innocently. He just wanted to see if the fans liked his new hair color. Then, he wanted to know if they noticed the small mistake he made in the choreography during their Music Bank stage. But the more he scrolled through the #XINLONG and #GEONWOO tags, the more he felt a strange feeling.
The fans saw things. They saw the way he and Xinlong shared an earpiece. They saw the way Xinlong always reached for Geonwoo’s hand when they were nervous backstage.
"They have good taste," Geonwoo whispered to himself, his eyes reflecting the blue glow of a particularly high-quality "fansite" photo.
It was a shot of Xinlong from today’s performance. The stage lights had caught him at an angle that made his jawline look sharp enough to cut glass. His eyes were dark and intense as he executed the killing part of the bridge. Geonwoo felt a flutter in his chest that he chose to ignore. He wasn't just a member, he was a connoisseur of Xinlong’s talent. He also had seen a preview photo from their Music show stage.
I shouldn't just look at these, Geonwoo thought, his thumb hovering over the save button. I can't just let this sit in my camera roll. The world needs to see this curation. Yeah. For the community.
The logic was flawed, but Geonwoo was already committed. With a few taps, he bypassed the official group account and navigated to the "Create Account" screen.
Handle: @LONGWOOFILES
Bio: Not affiliated with Xinlong, Geonwoo, or the group. Just for fun. Don't repost without credit!
He felt a rush of adrenaline. It was like being a secret agent. He was Geonwoo by day, and @LONGWOOFILES by night.
"What are you doing?"
The voice was like a bucket of ice water. Geonwoo’s phone slipped from his hand, bouncing off his nose painfully before he scrambled to shove it under his thigh.
Leo was leaning against the doorframe, the leader’s eyes were narrowed, scanning the room with that "Parental Instinct" he had developed since debut.
"Nothing!" Geonwoo said, his voice cracking. "Just... checking the weather! It might rain tomorrow! Preparation is key, hyung!"
Leo didn't move. He looked at the lump under Geonwoo's leg, then back at Geonwoo’s face. "In the dark? Geonwoo, your face is glowing blue, you're a terrible liar. If you’re reading fan-fiction again, just tell me so I can judge you properly."
"Heyyyy, I'm not!" Geonwoo protested.
Leo sighed, rubbing his temples. "Whatever. If you're awake, go to the kitchen. Sanghyeon and Anxin are currently having a tug-of-war over the last bag of honey butter chips. Junseo hyung is threatening to throw them both off the balcony if they don't shut up. Go be the peacekeeper."
"On it! Captain!" Geonwoo saluted from under the blanket.
Leo lingered for a second, suspicious, before finally turning and closing the door.
Geonwoo waited until the footsteps faded. He waited sixty seconds, you know just to be sure... and then pulled the phone out. His nose throbbed where the phone had hit him, but he didn't care. He had a mission.
Within few minutes, the first tweet was live.
롱우 @LONGWOOFILES · 2m
JUST LOOK AT HIM. The way Xinlong looked at the camera during the bridge... I am not your strongest soldier. Xinlong is really something else. 🛐🔥 #XINLONG
[Image: A 4K screenshot of Xinlong looking devastatingly handsome, sweat glistening on his forehead]
💬 42 | 🔄 156 | ❤️ 990
[Replies]
anon @randomfan88
wowwww, new longwoo account??? following!!!longer @xinlongieeepics
wait these screenshots are SO CLEAN
롱우 @LONGWOOFILES · 1m
Also... can we talk about the way he leaned on Geonwoo during the ending fairy? LongWoo is literally so real it hurts. They have that "soulmate" energy you just can't fake. 😭
💬 12 | 🔄 45 | ❤️ 610
[Replies]
4399 @longwooist_
LITERALLY!! Did you see the way Geonwoo smiled when it happened? He looked so shy!!!captain obvious @debunker411
he wasn't leaning on him, he was literally just losing his balance because the floor was slippery. stop reaching.ㄴ 롱우 @LONGWOOFILES
The floor was dry? They were literally holding hands for 0.5 seconds while they bowed? Maybe watch the 4k fancam before you speak, some of us actually pay attention.ㄴ captain obvious @debunker411
i saw the 4k fancam. he was trying to push him out of the way so he could see the teleprompter. he just didn't know the next line of the ending speech. delusional.
Geonwoo sat upright in bed. The "weather" was forgotten. The honey butter chips were forgotten. The only thing that existed was the audacity of user @debunker411 on his screen.
"Delusional?" Geonwoo whispered to his empty room. "Push him out of the way? I was there!"
He remembered that moment perfectly. The stage lights were fading, the confetti was falling like snow, and the adrenaline was cooling down. He had felt Xinlong’s shoulder nudge his.
He remembered the heat of Xinlong’s skin through their stage outfits. He remembered the way Xinlong’s breath smelled like the mint gum he chewed before going on.
“Geonwoo hyung,” Xinlong had whispered, barely audible over the screaming fans. “I’m starving. Tell the manager we want fried chicken or pizza later.”
But how did this user know about the teleprompter? Geonwoo’s mind raced. Maybe a staff member? Or a sasaeng who was way too close to the stage?
No, it was probably just a lucky guess from a bitter solo-stan. People on Twitter loved to make up "facts" to fit their own narrative.
"They're just guessing," Geonwoo muttered, his thumbs flying across the keyboard. "A lucky guess from a very miserable person."
Reply to @debunker411: You clearly don't know anything about their dynamic. Xinlong is a professional, lmao he doesn't forget lines. He was seeking comfort. If you're a hater, just say that and go.
He hit send and flopped back onto his pillow, staring at the ceiling.
"Take that, you faceless troll," he muttered.
From the living room, he heard a loud noise. Maybe it was the members who were fighting over chips. It was a short sound like someone trying to suppress a laugh and failing.
Or they are probably just watching those brain-rot TikToks again, Geonwoo thought, shaking his head.
He was too busy being proud of his new account to realize that he had just invited a shark into his very small pond.
Geonwoo’s phone buzzed in his hand.
[Notification: @debunker411 replied to your tweet]
"comfort? lol. he treats geonwoo like a convenient armrest. it’s not that deep. you shippers really need to breathe some fresh air. longwoo is just two guys who work together. relaxxxxx"
Geonwoo retreated into his room, his heart pacing. He couldn't let this go. This person was ruining his very first stan account. They were ruining the narrative!
The morning after his account’s debut, Geonwoo was a shell of a man. He had spent hours scrolling through "evidence" clips, carefully trimming clips to ensure the maximum amount of "yearning" was visible in Xinlong’s eyes.
Being an idol was hard work, but being a fan of yourself? Wow, that was a full-time job.
He was currently leaning against the kitchen counter, ignoring his bowl of oatmeal. His focus was entirely on his thread. It was supposed to be his masterpiece, the post that would finally silence the skeptics and establish LongWoo as the group's best ship.
"Geonwoo, if you stare at that phone any harder, you're going to burn a hole through the screen," Junseo remarked, sliding onto the stool next to him.
"I'm busy, hyung. I'm... analyzing our performance metrics," Geonwoo lied, his thumb hovering over the post button.
"Right. Metric-heavy work usually involves that much lip-biting," Junse said, reaching for the milk.
Geonwoo ignored him and hit send. The thread was posted.
롱우 @LONGWOOFILES · 10m
Why LongWoo is the blueprint [A THREAD 🧵]
1/5 Look at the way Xinlong’s eyes soften whenever Geonwoo starts talking during interviews. He doesn't look at anyone else like this. It’s pure adoration. It's like the rest of the world disappears 🥺😭
[GIF: A slow-motion clip of Xinlong staring intensely at Geonwoo during a press conference]
💬 85 | 🔄 312 | ❤️ 1.3k
[Replies]
captain obvious @debunker411
he’s not "soft," he’s literally zoning out because he’s hungry. If you zoom in, he’s actually looking at the catering table behind Geonwoo’s head. 🙄ㄴ 롱우 @LONGWOOFILES
You again? For your information, the catering wasn't even set up yet at that point in the interview. Second, his pupils are literally dilated. That’s science. Go away and find a hobby.ㄴ captain obvious @debunker411
dilated because the camera flash is bright? go to school. also, geonwoo had a piece of lettuce in his teeth there. xinlong was staring at the lettuce.ㄴ 롱우 @LONGWOOFILES
THERE WAS NO LETTUCE. I WOULD KNOW.ㄴ captain obvious @debunker411
how would u know? are u the lettuce? lmao stay mad.
Geonwoo’s vision actually blurred for a second. are u the lettuce?
"Tsk," Geonwoo's fingers trembling as he gripped his phone. “The absolute nerve of this... this troll.”
“Who are you talking to?” Junseo asked, mid-bite. “Why are you shaking like that? Did the floor move? Was there an earthquake?”
“I am not shaking, Junseo hyung hehehe,” Geonwoo said. He leaned over his phone, whispering to himself like a mad scientist. “We had pumpkin soup and bread for lunch that day. There was no possibility of lettuce entering the building, let alone my mouth.”
He checked the GIF again. He zoomed in. He zoomed in until it was just a blur of pixels. Was that a speck of green? No, it was just a shadow. Or was it?
Suddenly, the kitchen door swung open, and Sangwon walked in, a towel draped over his shoulder, looking fresh from the shower.
"Morning, losers," Sangwon said.
At the same time, across the room, Xinlong was slumped in the oversized beanbag chair. He had his hoodie pulled so low that only the tip of his nose was visible. He looked like a discarded pile of laundry, completely motionless.
Buzz.
Geonwoo’s phone vibrated.
[Notification: @debunker411 replied to your tweet]
"hey, also longwoo isn't even the best ship in the group. geonwoo is clearly pining for sangwon. longwoo is fan-service, sangwoo is fate. nyenye keep up."
"SANGWOO?!" Geonwoo yelled, the name exploding out of him before he could stop it.
The kitchen went dead silent.
Junseo froze with his spoon halfway to his mouth. Sangwon stopped in his tracks, blinking at Geonwoo with an expression of pure confusion.
"Yeah?" Sangwon asked slowly. "You called? Why are you screaming my name at 9:00 AM? And why is your face the color of a tomato?"
Geonwoo felt the heat crawl up his neck. He scrambled to flip his phone face-down on the counter. "Nothing! I just... I was thinking about names! For... a song! I like the way your name sounds! Sang-won! It’s very... good! yeah very amazing hehe."
Sangwon stared at him for a long, uncomfortable second. He turned to the doorway and shouted, "Leo-hyung! Geonwoo’s finally lost it! Send help! He's shouting my name into the air!"
"I'm not—" Geonwoo started, but Sangwon was already gone, laughing as he headed toward the living room.
Geonwoo slumped against the counter, his heart hammering. He looked over at the beanbag. Xinlong hadn't moved. He looked like he was fast asleep, his breathing deep and steady.
Then, a faint, muffled snort came from somewhere inside the hoodie.
Aww sooo cute, Geonwoo thought without meaning to. He’s probably dreaming again. Xinlong always did that—mumbling in his sleep, laughing at absolutely nothing. It was kind of embarrassing. Kind of cute.
Geonwoo was still staring when his phone buzzed, snapping him out of it.
He flipped the screen over.
captain obvious @debunker411
anyway, stream the new vlog. watch how Geonwoo looks at Sangwon. it’s over for you. 💅
Geonwoo gripped his phone so hard he heard the case creak. "@debunker411. You have no idea who you're messing with."