Chapter Text
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Yoonchae, beautiful Yoonchae. Megan thought, staring at the younger girl sitting across the studio room, who was currently on video call with her sister.
Yoonchae’s beautifully damaged, long, blonde hair was tied up to a mid high ponytail, with neat strands of hair framing her soft face, her GAP hoodie zipped down at the perfect point to show off her black cami sole, and her outfit was complete with baggy grey sweatpants that fell on her frame perfectly. To anyone but Megan, who was positively obsessed with everything Yoonchae related, the outfit was merely a girl putting on the stylish yet comfortable pieces in her closet, but Megan saw-
“Are you ever gonna tell her about you feel, or are you gonna move the fuck on?” Lara hissed, smacking her head as she said it.
“Ow! Lara, what the fuck!” Megan replied, rubbing the spot Lara hit.
“Ohhhh, Don’t you ‘Lara what the fuck’ me, you perv! You're literally ogling Yoonchae right now. Just tell her already. It's getting increasingly more difficult to watch you stare at her and go "Oh Yoonchae! Oh Yoonchae! Sit next to me! Do a live with me! Oh Yoonchae!” Lara playfully mocked, pitching her voice up 6½ octaves.
“Shut up, I’m not that bad! Also – Hell no. Aside from the whole idol thing, Yoonchae like, just came out. I’m sure she’s not comfortable enough yet to start falling for girls. And if she is, she definitely doesn’t like me back.
“Oh my god. I’m walking away now.”
“Noooo come back!” Megan said, pulling down on her friend's arm. “Lara, there's no way I’m the only idol who fell for a fellow member, right?” Megan sighed out as she watched Yoonchae walk out of the studio, still on her phone call with both ear buds in.
“Obvisouly not. I mean, to name a few, Minju and Yunah, Yeonjin and Soobin, Yunjin and Chaewon, and I’m fairly certain Martin has a thing for Juhoon-”
“Wait what? Seriously?”
“I mean, I haven't done research or weird shit like that, but me and Yunjin talked about the rumors swindling around the HYBE building last time we were in Korea, and it came up like, super briefly. Martin’s just kind of a weird guy, but he’s weirder around Juhoon, apparently."
“Huh. I guess that makes sense. Makes a lot of sense actually.”
RING! RING! boomed from Lara’s cell. “Oh, hey Dani! Megan's here too.”
“Hiiii Daniiii” Megan interjected.
“Aww hey guys! Me, Sophia, and Manon are on the way to boba on Western Ave. Do you wanna grab Yoonchae and meet us there?”
“Sounds good. See you soon. Love you!” Lara responded.
“Love you too. See you.” Dani said, hanging up the call, the smile on her face clear from her tone.
As the two girls got up to grab their beloved maknae, Megan couldn't help but let herself think about the concept of two idols crushing on each other, and how she could use it to her advantage when it came to her…situation with Yoonchae.
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After a long and tiring day of preparing for LA song camp and going over old choreography, the five CORTIS members were finally home in their dorm.
They were all separated into their own activities, Keonho and Seonghyeon chaotically cooking ramen in the kitchen, James standing over the dining table so he could finish sewing up a shirt for a friend in Taipei, Martin and Juhoon sitting on the coach scrolling on their phones.
Suddenly, a text from an unknown number popped up at the top of Martin's screen.
213-000-0000 - yo
213-000-0000 - my fellow wasian
213-000-0000 - it’s megan before you block me
213-000-0000 - katseye megan
213-000-0000 - gnarly n shi
Hmm. He should be more suspicious, but the KATSEYE girls had a habit of randomly texting HYBE idols when they needed something. Maybe the Katseye Distribution System had caught up to him.
“James hyung, don’t you have Megan's number saved?” Martin asked, breaking the comfortable silence.
“Megan who?” James mumbled back, a needle sticking out of his mouth.
“Katseye Megan.”
“Uhhh yeah… I think so? Why?”
“No reason. Can I check her number?”
“Go for it.” James said back, turning his head to continue focusing on his sewing.
Martin reached over, unlocked James’ phone, opened his contact list and cross referenced the number James had saved as MEGAN SKIENDEL (KATSEYE) and the random number texting him. Sure enough, the numbers matched up perfectly.
213-000-0000 - you have read receipts on I know you see meeeee
213-000-0000 - martin pls i dont bite i just wanna talkkkk
+82-00-0000-0000 - hi megan
+82-00-0000-0000 - sorry just checking the random ass number that texted me is actually who says they are -_-
213-000-0000 - LMAO sorry about that (might as well save my number)
+82-00-0000-0000 - no offense, but do you need something?
megan skiendel - okay rude a girl can’t just reach out to her peer to say hi?
martin edwards - ah, sorry. sure.
megan skiendel - im fucking with you i do need something LMAO
megan skiendel - or more accurately, WE need something
martin edwards - ???
megan skiendel - ok don’t make fun of me.
megan skiendel - i maybe. might. have a little bit of a tiny crush on my member, yoonchae.
martin edwards - aww, megan! I’m happy for you. I’m rooting for you from across the sea :)
megan skiendel - let me finish canada boy
martin edwards - damn okay😭😭
megan skiendel - are you wondering how this involves you???
martin edwards - honestly yes but im happy to be a place to vent
megan skiendiel - i see how you look at juhoon
*this number has blocked you*
megan skiendiel - MARTIN WHAT THE HELL???
megan skiendiel - COME BACK TF
After panic blocking Megan, Martin slammed his phone face down on the coach arm rest and started – dramatically – hyperventilating.
“Martin, what’s happening to you?” Juhoon asked, with humor behind his voice and a goofy half smile on his face, grabbing Martin’s shoulder and slightly turning his body to face him.
“NOTHING! Nothing at all! Excuse me, I’m just gonna go- um- over there!” Martin struggled to get out as he scrambled to run out the living space and run to the bathroom.
After quickly locking the door, Martin slid down the wall and put his head in his hands. Fuck. How could she know that?
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Shit. Megan hadn’t realized how jumpy Martin was, or she would’ve eased him into it a little more. She was fairly certain the whole Martin and Juhoon thing was an open secret she was just on the outside of, but clearly not. Now what was she gonna do?
Just as Megan was about to give up and go shower, her phone lit up.
martin edwards - sorry i panicked
martin edwards - I don’t mean to embarrass you but you've got it all wrong. I’m not… like that, and even if I was, Juhoon and I are just friends. I’m happy for you, but I don’t think I can help you in the way you think I can.
megan skiendiel - im sorry
megan skiendiel - i call bullshit, dude
megan skiendiel sent an attachment
Before texting Martin, Megan had decided it would probably be in her best interest to at least look up “Martin and Juhoon” on YouTube before she jumped to anything rash, just to get a feel of what the relationship really looked like.
Obviously, she knew how fans could be, manipulating situations to mean something they clearly don't, but…some of the shit she saw was just gay as hell, man. She had learned from a YouTube compilation called “martin being obsessed with his twinski jju for 6 minutes straight” that Martin had a habit of picking up Juhoon and carrying him around. Which was…adorable, honestly. She noticed the way he would throw his head back laughing at absolutely anything he said. Aww, poor kid. How embarrassing for him! No clue in the world how obvious he's being. She giggled to herself in her head, not seeing the hypocrisy of her thoughts. The absolute worst thing she saw was a clip of Martin feeding Juhoon a bite of cake that felt so intimate it made Megan feel like the world's biggest and most intrusive freak. Which y'know, maybe she was being a little creepy, but she would do anything to further along this Yoonchae… thing. Other than telling Yoonchae, of course.
The attachment she sent Martin was an Instagram carousel of him staring at Juhoon, looking the most head over heels anyone has ever looked in the history of the world.
She waited a few minutes before getting impatient. She wanted this Yoonchae situation solved as soon as possible, and this idea was already weaseled deep into her mind. She really didn’t want to have to think of a whole new plan just because Martin was swimming in pools of denial.
megan skiendiel - soo?
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Okay. Wow. No way I’m being that obvious! It took me like a year and half to figure out I maybe liked Jju more than I should, and Megan figured it out with a fucking Google search! No way! Martin thought, falling deeper into a pit of despair.
Maybe Megan has some idea, but no way anyone else we know in real life does, right? No. This has to be contained! No way other people know! No way!
Slowly, Martin rose from his pathetic position on the bathroom floor and unlocked the door, heading to his room as quietly and unassuming as possible, hoping to not have to deal with looking a soul in the eye. Especially a certain tofu-looking boy.
And just as Martin started to shut the door to his and the maknaes room, he heard the last thing he wanted too.
“Goodnight, Martin.” Juhoon said, with a small and knowing smile, looking straight at him.
Oh my God, I’m going to kill myself. Actually, Megan first. Then myself. Martin thought, the door already shut.
But, just that little two-word parting message from Juhoon made Martin's heart feel like it was going to explode.
He looked so pretty and gentle in his pajamas with his post-shower damp hair, and just sitting next to him for as long as he did earlier felt like a blessing.
Martin didn't know how much longer he could keep his feelings bottled up.
1 new message from megan skiendiel
megan skiendiel - soo?
martin edwards - fuck it. hit me with it
megan skiendiel - lets fucking goooo
megan skiendiel - okay, so my plan is
megan skiendiel - you guys come to la soon, right?
martin edwards - in like a week ya
megan skiendiel - perf! I know you’re working nd shit, but when you're NOT, you and I will hang out. I can show you around la and whatever tourists do here
martin edwards - how is this a plan?
martin edwards - please dont tell me you’re thinking of fake dating
megan skiendiel - omfg of course not u freak
megan skiendiel - stop jumping the gun pLEASE
martin edwards - you're right, I'm sorry. I’m a little on edge.
megan skiendiel - i get it
megan skiendiel - more like fake(ish) friendship to get a reaction from them
megan skiendiel - lead them to believe whatever they want to believe
megan skiendiel - like if im suddenly hanging out with the 6”3 lowk korean boy yoonchae will have questions im sure? hopefully??? right? so like??
megan skiendiel - it sounds stupid on paper but hear me out
martin edwards - I mean I guess it's better than nothing..definitely better than what ive been doing.
megan skiendiel - by “what ive been doing” do you mean staring with your mouth AGAPE
martin edwards - i'm already regretting this
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