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Sangwon felt the cold winter breeze kiss his bare skin. He had forgotten to close the windows once again. For the past eight weeks, he had been staying in hotels because of his group’s tour, and for the first time in a long while, he was finally back at their dorm. Now that he was in his own room, he realized how dependent he had been on Xinlong or Junseo, his usual roommates during the tour. They always made sure his windows were closed at night.
He noticed that the blanket had slipped, covering him only from the waist down. He blushed slightly at his choice of sleeping clothes—or rather, the lack of them. They had just finished the Asia leg of their tour, and there had been another division party the night before to celebrate their success. He realized he must have been so tired that he had stripped off all his clothes before getting into bed.
He blinked a few times before rubbing his eyes. For a moment, he thought he was in another room. Or maybe he had simply been away for too long and had forgotten what his own room looked like.
He sat up and ran a hand through his hair, untangling the mess he had made the night before, then slipped out of bed. Barefoot—and naked—he walked toward the bathroom to pee. With his eyes still half-closed, he almost bumped into the wall.
Did the bathroom door just move? he wondered as he opened his eyes and reached for it.
Sangwon scratched his head as he nearly tripped over the toilet. Did the toilet move too? he thought. He was still sleepy, and his body ached all over. Maybe he had slept in several awkward positions—or maybe he was just exhausted from the party. After flushing, he sleepily made his way back to bed. He still needed a few more hours of sleep.
The sunlight streaming through the window almost blinded him, yet he was too lazy to close it. He slipped back into bed and lay down. It wasn’t even snowing yet, but the breeze was freezing. He shivered before pulling the blanket over his entire body, hoping it would make him feel warmer.
Despite the thick blanket, he continued to shiver uncontrollably. Desperate for warmth, he began blindly searching for a pillow to hug. With his eyes still closed, his hands wandered until a small smile crept onto his face as he felt something warm.
Just as he was about to pull the “pillow” closer, it moved.
His eyes flew open as he felt an arm wrap around his naked waist. Sweat began to form on his forehead as warm breath brushed against his bare neck.
That was when flashes of the previous night came rushing back. At first, they came in fragments—then all at once, everything returned. Every kiss, every sweet word whispered in his ear, every thrust, every moan.
Sangwon immediately sat up, pressing his back against the cold headboard. He pulled the blanket tightly around himself, causing it to slip away from his current bedmate. That was when he realized he was definitely not in his own room.
Lee Leo lay on his stomach, the blanket slipping off him as Sangwon pulled it closer to himself. He was facing Sangwon, eyes still closed, his breathing soft and steady. Leo was still in a deep sleep.
With the change in position, Sangwon felt Leo’s warm breath against his blanket-covered thigh. Heat spread through his body like poison, making him almost break into a sweat.
With the window still open, the soft breeze danced through the curtains, and the sunlight filtering through them created a mesmerizing effect. As Sangwon looked at Leo’s bare back, it almost seemed as if he had wings.
A sudden urge to touch him washed over Sangwon, but he hesitated, afraid that the coldness of his hands might send a shiver down Leo’s spine and wake him. He brought his hands to his mouth and breathed onto them, but it didn’t help much. He rubbed them together instead, hoping to generate warmth—and it worked.
Sangwon leaned forward, moving away from the headboard. He studied Leo’s face, trying to memorize every detail. He wanted to touch him—his eyes, his nose, his lips—but he was afraid his touch might somehow leave a mark on Leo’s flawless face. His hand trembled as he reached for Leo’s lips. They were dry and slightly raw, as if something had bitten them.
Sangwon blushed as he remembered the night before. The urge to kiss him again crept in.
Curiosity won. He licked his lips, then leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against Leo’s lips. It lasted only a second, but he thought he saw Leo’s lips curve into a faint smile. Perhaps he had imagined it.
Sangwon turned his head, his gaze falling on Leo’s tattoo.
Leo had always said he would never get a tattoo, but after seeing Hanbin and Reddy hyung’s tattoos, he had finally given in. Sangwon had never told him this, but he found it incredibly attractive. It rested along Leo’s lower right rib—“bound as one,” written in red ink, like the red string of fate.
Sangwon reached out and traced the tattoo gently, like a child learning how to write. He smiled to himself. He still couldn’t believe that he was here… in Leo’s room… with Leo.
It had taken them a long time to be honest about how they felt. Leo often insisted they were just best friends, but Sangwon knew they had crossed that line a long time ago. He had once believed he could stop himself from trembling whenever they met. Leo made him nervous—not because his intense aura, but because he had torn down every wall Sangwon had built to keep himself from falling in love.
Sangwon suddenly remembered sitting in their CEO’s office right after the survival show finale that formed them as a group. They had been made to sign their contracts immediately, even before fully processing the reality that they were going to debut. He remembered scanning through the thick document, trying to read as much as he could.
Then, near the bottom of page five out of twenty-five, he saw it—a dating ban clause.
Anyone caught dating within the first three years would have their contract terminated and be required to pay penalties and damages.
He had considered calling his mother, who always knew what to do—but then he felt Leo’s reassuring hand on his knee.
And in that moment, he signed the contract.
But instead of fear, Sangwon realized that he would rather breach the contract than break his own heart. He was tired of pretending they were just friends. He was tired of constantly worrying about how to control his reactions and suppress his smile whenever people asked him about Leo. He was tired of pretending not to notice the way Leo looked at him—and how his own gaze lingered on Leo, even when the whole world was watching.
They couldn’t pretend anymore. They couldn’t lie to themselves any longer. Last night, with a little help from liquid courage, they finally gave in to each other—defying their contract, defying their fans, defying everyone else. They closed their eyes and shut out the world, hearing nothing but each other’s breathing. From that moment on, they chose to listen only to their hearts.
They had defied everything last night. They gave in to their own desires, not even thinking about how much was at stake.
Sangwon unconsciously stared at the analog clock sitting on Leo’s bedside table. It was already seven o’clock in the morning. He quickly nudged Leo awake, suddenly remembering that he had a recording session in an hour for his upcoming subunit song with Anxin.
Leo blinked a few times before sitting up. He glanced at the clock and muttered an inaudible curse. Without hesitation, he slipped out of bed—completely naked—and sprinted toward the bathroom. Sangwon got up as well, but only to grab Leo’s oversized shirt from the day before and slip it on.
Sangwon returned to the bed and sat on the edge. He closed his eyes, listening to the sound of the shower running. Images of Leo flooded his mind—water cascading over his skin, kissing every inch of him. He opened his eyes and let out a soft chuckle. He couldn’t believe he was jealous of water, especially when he knew that after last night, Leo was his—every single inch of him.
Lost in thought, Sangwon didn’t even notice when the shower stopped. Leo stepped out, standing by the bathroom door, still dripping wet with only a towel wrapped around his waist. Sangwon felt his throat go dry.
Unaware of the effect he was having, Leo stood in front of his dresser, pausing as he tried to decide what to wear.
“Just wear anything—it’s only the studio,” Sangwon said, then added, “But dry yourself first, or you’ll get sick.”
He stood up and walked over, helping Leo choose his clothes while Leo continued drying himself. Sangwon picked a shirt he had given him and a pair of pants they had bought together. Leo chuckled at his choices but wore them anyway. The shirt exposed part of his neck, where a vivid red mark stood out.
Sangwon blushed. He grabbed the scarf tied to Leo’s bag and gently wrapped it around his neck.
A knock sounded at the door. Leo was about to answer it when he noticed what Sangwon was wearing. He let out a groan, suddenly reluctant to leave. But the knocking grew louder. With a sigh, he walked toward the door, Sangwon following behind him.
Just as Leo was about to open it, his hand froze mid-air. He turned to Sangwon and promised he would be back in a few hours. He wrapped his arms around Sangwon’s waist and pulled him closer. Sangwon rose onto his toes and looped his arms around Leo’s neck, making it easier for Leo to lean down and kiss him.
Sangwon parted his lips to deepen the kiss—but another knock interrupted them. The moment shattered.
Leo pressed one last quick kiss to Sangwon’s lips before opening the door. Sangwon slipped behind it, hiding himself, though he instantly recognized Anxin’s loud, infectious laugh from the other side.
Leo looked back at Sangwon one last time, his gaze lingering longer than it should, as if silently asking why he had to hide. Sangwon didn’t need to answer—Leo understood.
Leo smiled softly before slipping out of the room and closing the door behind him. Sangwon locked it, then returned to bed.
They weren’t ready to tell anyone yet. Maybe someday, they would find the courage to finally admit their relationship.
But for now, this would remain their little secret.