Work Text:
In the West, Valentine’s Day is celebrated by expressing your affection towards a person in the form of a romantic gift or gesture. Basically, however you choose. In Korea, the same tradition applies apart from women bearing the responsibility of the giver of their token of affection. Korea celebrates it again a month later with an occasion they called, “White Day”, a response of sorts to Valentine’s Day. The slight difference being, it’s marked by men reciprocating and giving women either chocolates or candies, preferably in public spaces.
Martin Edwards Park, 18, rising superstar and an idol, had learned how to insulate his heart at a young age. Protected it from experiencing heartbreak as he had been through it more times than he could count. He practically grew up in the hallways of the Hybe building and has yet to experienced receiving or giving during the two romantic holidays.
Perhaps it was because he’d spent most of his puberty in the confines of training rooms and music studios, so one would think he’d lived a sheltered life. But alas, his little heart had been broken one too many times. At a young age, his run ins with heartbreak had nothing to do with romantic entanglements. It was more of a revolving door of meeting kids his age, getting close to them, only for them to move on to become idols. Leaving our prodigy behind. He was a lonely boy who had kind words to everyone and a smile to those who needed it. Despite his friendly temperament, he has his heart on lock down.
When his time finally came up, he was overcome with joy. Especially when he found out that his group would have two kids that he knew and had trained with: Seonghyeon and Keonho. Since their trainee days, they’ve been inseparable. Seonghyeon, because he shared his passion for producing, and Keonho because the two were package deals. He didn’t mind Keonho one bit, because he was, for the most part, silly and he liked that about him. Their personalities meshed well perfectly. When it’s time to work, their brain cells form and connect to make the bones for the type of music they love creating.
James joined them shortly thereafter. With years of experience under his belt, he was a trainee that also haunted the halls of the company. He was supposed to debut with another group, but they didn’t work out. He decided to stay, continued his training, choreographed dance routines, and produced songs for other groups. Even though he was older than them and have maintained distance, “James hyung”, as the boys call him, had no problem letting loose and joining in their goofy antics. It’s just that he preferred to be alone most of the time. Martin understood James’ perceived aloofness only too well. He’d imagined that James had lost too many friends to idoldom as well.
The last person to join their group was a boy the same age as Martin. Relatively inexperienced but a hard worker. Since the day Martin met Juhoon, he’d been fascinated with this boy. He was quiet and reserved; serious about the job but was ready for any challenges that came his way. It took a few weeks, but they managed to draw him out of his shell. Martin took him under his wings; befriended him and did his best to make him feel comfortable. Despite the differences in their personalities, Martin found himself drawn to Juhoon.
Because he is the leader of the group, he would catch Juhoon hanging on to his every word. Always watching, imitating. He rarely spoke but his face would always wear this inquisitive curiosity that he found endearing. At first, his protective instinct for Juhoon was based on wanting him to feel at ease. He treated him like a younger brother even though Juhoon was older than him by a couple of months.
He doesn’t like playing favorites, but when push comes to shove, he would always choose Juhoon. Their connection was not limited to how close they were in age, but also because there was something about Juhoon that immediately turned Martin soft and gooey inside.
Perhaps it was because he was a naturally calm person, an observant, and a thinker. He has quiet intelligence that only comes out at random times. He’s also musically inclined, which he doesn’t like talking about. Day after day, they discover things about Juhoon that he doesn’t voluntarily offer. For example, he plays a whole slew of instruments and can probably learn a new one easily. As well, for his slight build, Juhoon is deceptively athletic. If you throw him a math question that requires a calculator to solve, he could give you an answer lightning fast. He is a reader, a painter, a regular Renaissance Man.
As much as Martin doesn’t want to admit it, Juhoon also has a face that he could stare at for hours. There is a sweetness about it akin to that of a baby animal, like a rabbit or a kitten. But his innocent looks could also be deceiving. Juhoon has a sharp tongue that could cut you down to size. He’s smart as a whip and fast on his toes. Martin had been a victim of Juhoon’s cutting words several times and to this day, he refuses to learn his lesson. He enjoys it far too much. He loves witnessing Juhoon’s stoic delivery, then the quiet laugh he let out after seeing how his words landed. He never meant it to be mean spirited, he’s just very fluent in sarcasm.
Before Martin Edwards Park knew it, he’d developed a crush on baby faced Juhoon. From pre-debut days, he loved that he did everything he told him to do, followed every single instruction from James, and hung on to every single word he said. Juhoon was a quick learner, industrious, and determined. He loves his work ethic and recognition of authority.
For those who don’t know him, he could easily be mistaken for a cold person. Despite having a cherubic face, he maintains an aloof expression. But when he smiles…it’s like sunshine breaking through the cloudy skies.
No one could dare accuse Martin Edwards Park as a romantic person, quite literally because he’s never had the opportunity to practice it on another. But Kim Juhoon seemed to possess the ability to make Martin forget himself sometimes. The number of times he laughed like a mad man over basic, and not-so-funny things Juhoon has said or done is unquantifiable. Times when he praised Juhoon simply for doing the same things the others have done objectively show how the balance continually tip in Juhoon’s favor.
The universe also has a funny way of playing cupid. On his birthday, Martin shared a dream his grandmother had about his birth. In it, golden pigs were falling from the skies, and she plucked a long one that she claimed was her grandson and thus became his birth animal. To Martin’s surprise and delight, Juhoon shared that the Golden Pig was also his birth animal. From that moment on, he was convinced that they were destined to be. No matter what may become of their group, Martin knew that Juhoon would be connected to his lifeline for a lifetime.
In February, they were invited to perform in front of an audience who has never hosted a group of young people from Korea before. He was excited and terrified in equal measure. They also held a short concert before their half-time performance, which was their first dip in the concert circuit out in the West. The reception was mind-blowing. Fans sang and danced to their music, went wild when they played their new song.
It was also Ahn Keonho’s birthday month, which, incidentally, falls on Valentine’s Day. Needless to say, February was a very eventful month.
The thing that stuck out to Martin was the series of pictures he did with Juhoon for two reasons: One, Juhoon asked him if he wanted to post something together and two, he commanded the kind of pictures he wanted to take. Which is to say, well, the pictures were very “couple inspired”. It just so happened that they were taken on February 14, which to Martin, was another reason why he all but tripped all over himself in agreement.
Juhoon is the type of person who is not necessarily averse to being touched. But he is also not the type of person who reciprocates the gesture easily. So, when he asked Martin to hold him by the waist as if they were dancing, Martin was a little confused. But as soon as Juhoon put his hands on Martin’s shoulders, electricity shot up his spine, and he’d forgotten why he was questioning it to begin with.
Seonghyeon, the photographer of the hour, caught Martin looking like he didn’t want to do what Juhoon had asked him to do; face turned to side awkwardly pretending as if he was putting distance between him and Juhoon. Little did the public know that he intentionally deceived everyone so no one would know exactly how he felt inside: complete and utter happiness. And so, the pictures were posted and the fans who had already formed a Martin & Juhoon ship, went absolutely bonkers.
March 14, 2026, was just an ordinary Saturday for single people. And an ordinary day for the five boys whose combined romantic experiences netted to zero. Martin had long ago planned on posting something for White Day, anyway. A chance for him to reciprocate Juhoon’s Valentine’s Day gesture. He also ordered Juhoon’s favorite sour candies from Japan. And because knew how much trouble they would get if he did the candy-giving in a public place, including Juhoon in a series of pictures for White Day is as public as he could get.
The dorm was still and quiet as a church mouse when Martin’s alarm woke him up. He wanted to be at work as early as possible, so he set it to vibrate at exactly 6 am. He got up, stretched his long limbs and torso, then proceeded to shower quickly.
Dressed and ready to go, he selected the pictures he wanted to post. Then, he opened the album on his phone, titled: jju. A treasure trove of Juhoon’s pictures that he’d taken over the course of their friendship. He picked the most recent ones where his hair was slicked back, held by a pair of sunglasses. Juhoon’s skin was extra radiant that day. Silky, smooth, and oh so irresistibly strokable. He was taking a selfie, so his face was partially covered by his phone. Martin remembered Juhoon looking up from his task, saw him subtly taking his picture then sticking out his tongue at him. Martin laughed, pressed the button then saved it on his secret album.
When he was done posting, he grabbed his pack that he prepared before he went to bed and called for a ride share. The twins are still under their covers, sleeping the day away. It’s their day off, but he has some songs percolating in his head that he wanted to work on. He took out the pack of sour candies and wrote a quick note to Juhoon.
Quietly, he walked across the hall to the quiet ones’ room. Both were also asleep. James, with his eyes freakishly half opened, and Juhoon, curled up in a fetal position like a baby. He stood by his bed and watched him for a minute. When he wakes up later, his hair would look like he was electrocuted in his sleep; wildly in disarray and standing up on its ends.
Martin’s lips curled up in a smile before softly dropping off the candies beside his pillow.
The note simply read:
Sour candies for a sour boy. - Edwards
He closed the door and headed downstairs, inspired and ready for work.