Archive of Our Own

i.

 Wonpil

The excitement about actually getting to wear high-end labels for this comeback is wearing thin. Wonpil has worn all kinds of strange things as part of Day6, but he's currently dressed head to toe in pink, and he feels just a tiny bit ridiculous. His only solace is that at his request, the stylists haven’t put him in shorts. It might seem like a small thing, but it means that he’s been saved from the leg waxing that Jae, Dowoon and Sungjin have all had to go through.

He nudges Younghyun. “There are some benefits to having hairy legs,” he says, gesturing to Younghyun’s pants.

Younghyun frowns minutely. “Yeah,” he says, quiet enough so the staff nearby won't hear, “but I look like I'm wearing pyjamas.”

Wonpil laughs, because he kind of does. The checked pants he's wearing could do with being a little less baggy. As it is, there's a distinct loungewear vibe to Younghyun's outfit.

Dowoon is currently finishing up his solo photoshoot, and Wonpil watches him pose with interest. Dowoon used to have difficulty taking good photos, but you wouldn’t know it to look at him now - he knows his angles.

“Who's next?” asks Wonpil. He really wants to get out of his pink nightmare outfit and into whatever the staff have planned for him next, but they haven’t taken the group photos yet.

“Sungjin-hyung, I think," says Younghyun, “then Jae.”

Dowoon, finally finished, sits down next to them. "I don't think flowers suit me," he says mournfully. "I feel like a tablecloth."

"You look good," Wonpil assures him. Flower boy may not be a natural fit for Dowoon’s personality, but it suits his aesthetic. "Who's pulling off their outfit best, do you think?"

"Sungjin-hyung," says Younghyun right away. Sungjin has just emerged from the dressing room, perfectly made up – not that you'd be able to tell. Sungjin always manages to dodge the more elaborate makeup looks. Wonpil's eyebrows, meanwhile, feel stiff from product, and Younghyun's got smoky eyeliner again.

Wonpil squints at Sungjin's outfit. It's not too bad. The shorts with a long-sleeved bomber isn't the most conventional look, and the colours aren't exactly something Sungjin would gravitate to on his own, Wonpil doesn’t think. But it's not bad.

He watches as Sungjin smiles and goofs about, saying something that makes the photographer laugh before immediately morphing into serious mode once they start taking photos. Sungjin is another man who knows his angles.  

 "Why do you say Sungjin-hyung?" he asks Younghyun.

Younghyun doesn't immediately answer. He’s busy watching Sungjin pose. "I don't know,” he says eventually, his tone distracted. “He's got good legs, don't you think?"

Wonpil glances back to Sungjin. "Uh... I guess?" Sungjin's kind of stocky, to be honest. Wonpil would have assumed the candidates for best legs would be Jae or Younghyun, considering that theirs both go on for miles. Sungjin's are more muscular.

"He does," says Younghyun firmly.

Spotting a possible teasing opportunity, Wonpil asks, "what else is do you like about Sungjin-hyung's appearance?"

"His eyes," says Younghyun. "And his arms are good, too."

"Neither of which have anything to do with what he's wearing, you realise."

Younghyun blinks at him. "Well, the outfit doesn't hurt, does it?"

Indeed, the outfit doesn't hurt. Still, the way that Younghyun studies Sungjin is strange. Wonpil’s noticed before that Younghyun always watches Sungjin's photo sessions a little closer than the others. When Jae's turn comes, Younghyun only observes for a few moments before pulls his phone out of his pocket.

 Interesting. Very interesting indeed.

ii.

Jae

“Hey hyung, do you want to hear my theory?" Wonpil half-pitches into Jae's lap as he asks, having tried to lean in conspiratorially and overbalancing.

Jae puts a steading hand on Wonpil's shoulder and pushes him back upright. “I think that should be your last drink, Pillie,” he says.

They're celebrating the release of their third full album at home in the dorm, with fancy restaurant takeout and alcohol. Jae's not really drinking, but the others are. Wonpil has probably drunk the most other than Dowoon, or maybe he just has the lowest tolerance. Dowoon is already passed out, curled up in a little ball on one of the living chairs.

"I'd already decided it was my last drink," says Wonpil. “Don’t nag. Do you want to hear my theory or not?"

Jae smiles indulgently. “What’s it about?"

Wonpil lowers his voice, "Sungjin-hyung and Younghyunie-hyung.”

Sungjin and Younghyun are the only two on the sofa – Jae had been bullied by Wonpil into joining him on the floor a while back. They're both loose limbed but not drunk like Wonpil is, and they're talking quietly. Jae thinks Sungjin is telling Younghyun something about Busan, or maybe inviting him home to visit. He's not entirely sure, he’d just been ambiently listening, and now Wonpil is demanding his attention instead.

"Go on then," he says.

Wonpil leans in close, and doesn't overbalance this time, pushing his lips up against Jae's ear. "I think Younghyunie-hyung has a crush on our leader over there.”

“What?” asks Jae.

Wonpil shushes him theatrically, making more noise than Jae had. Sungjin looks over for a moment, then turns back. “I’ve been observing him for a while,” breathes Wonpil. His breath is cloying with alcohol. “And I’m about ninety-percent sure.”  

Jae glances at the two on the couch. It’s no secret that Younghyun is bi – he’d never exactly bothered to hide it. But it’s not something they really discuss, because relationships as a whole don’t come up all that often.  

“They’re just close friends,” says Jae, a little dismissively.

Wonpil raises his eyebrows. “Are they, though? Just watch Younghyunie-hyung, that’s all I’m saying.”

Jae’s pretty sure that Wonpil’s theory is bull, but despite that he does find himself watching Younghyun and Sungjin’s interactions a little bit closer. And while he kind of sees where Wonpil is coming from (Younghyun looks at Sungjin a lot) it’s Sungjin he’s more fascinated by.

Sungjin has a personal bubble. He knows it, the band knows it, hell, the fandom even knows it. But it’s not like Sungjin never touches anyone – he’s just always the one to initiate it. And, well, he initiates it with Younghyun a lot.

It’s not major or anything. Not like how Wonpil and Dowoon will practically throw themselves into each other’s arms. But it’s noticeable, when you’re looking. The way that Sungjin will pat Younghyun on the arm or even pull out one of his earphones to get his attention. The way he’ll sometimes put a hand on his back before they head out to the stage for a music show appearance.

Promotions for Sweet Chaos carry on through Halloween, so of course they wear costumes. Jae’s happy with his, even though he knows a large portion of the Korean audience won’t get the reference.

Younghyun looks obnoxiously hot in his Star Trek costume, though Jae’s pretty sure that has something to with the fact he’s wearing a hell of a lot more eyeliner than Captain Kirk. Jae spots Sungjin staring at Younghyun more than once, mouth a tiny bit open. It’s damning evidence all on its own, but then Jae witnesses something bizarre.

“Your hair’s falling down,” says Sungjin. A small chunk of hair, stiff with hairspray, has indeed fallen from Younghyun’s gelled-back look and onto his forehead. If that had happened to any of the other members, Jae’s sure Sungjin would have just told them and left to fix it themselves. But instead, Sungjin leans forward, and manoeuvres the strands back into place himself, running his fingers through Younghyun’s hair once he’s done so.

From where Jae’s sitting, pretending to be on his phone, he can see Younghyun’s shocked expression perfectly. “I don’t look silly with my whole forehead exposed, do I?” asks Younghyun. Sungjin shakes his head.

“Like you could look ever silly when I’m dressed like Bob the Builder,” says Sungjin, a touch of exasperation in his tone that Jae thinks is unwarranted when it was literally his idea.

Just before they’re about to go on stage, something else suspicious happens. Younghyun leans into Sungjin’s space and tugs at the brim of his hard hat. “Can’t you angle this thing up?” he asks.

“No,” says Sungjin, “that’s where it sits.”

“But I can’t see your eyes properly,” he says – pouts, even. “You shouldn’t deprive either me or MyDays of seeing your eyes, hyung.”

Sungjin just laughs, but Jae’s mind is reeling. That was bordering on flirtatious, and Younghyun’s still standing in Sungjin’s personal space, apparently without consequence.

After they’ve performed, Jae pulls Wonpil aside. “I hear your Brian has a crush theory and I’ll give you one better: the feeling’s mutual.”

iii.

Youngjae

Youngjae had initially been nervous to work with Younghyun on Idol Radio. Unlike some of his group members, he didn’t know him all that well. And honestly, even though he’d debuted first and was technically the more senior, he still felt a little bit intimidated by how busy Younghyun always seemed to be.

Getting to know him in the time before and after they go on air helps. Younghyun talks a lot, and most of it’s about his band members. He has a story for everything: every conversation topic reminds him of something they’d said, every Idol Radio guest is one of his members’ favourites. It’s clear that he really dotes on them all, trusts them in a way that goes beyond the basic trust between co-workers.

Youngjae also works out pretty quickly that Younghyun is about as openly bisexual as it’s possible to be in the industry they work in. Which is to say his bandmates know, and he doesn't seem to mind that Youngjae knows either.

“Did you get to sleep alright yesterday?” asks Youngjae. They’d been held up after the show the day before and he hadn’t gotten home until almost midnight.

 Younghyun shrugs. “Not really – Sungjin-hyung kept me up.”

“Oh,” says Youngjae, “was he being loud?” He doesn’t know Sungjin very well, but he knows from Younghyun’s stories that he wouldn’t be the type to stay up playing music or otherwise disrupting his bandmates’ sleep.

Younghyun looks momentarily confused. “No? We were hanging out.”

“At midnight?”

Younghyun shrugs. “I was pretty busy all day yesterday, I wouldn’t have seen him otherwise.”

Youngjae loves his members, but he frequently goes several days without seeing one or another of them. He knows Day6 is tight knit, but that seems like a lot. “What did you do?”

“We were supposed to be watching a movie,” says Younghyun, “but I don’t think either of us were paying attention.”

A staff member gestures to Younghyun then, holding a sheet of the large red Idol Radio stickers they use to cover logos. Youngjae’s safe today, but apparently they’ve decided that Younghyun’s Maroon 5 t-shirt poses a problem. He gets up to go and sort it out, and Youngjae is left to puzzle over Younghyun’s comment. Why would they watch a movie so late at night if they weren’t going to pay attention to it?

It hits him about half an hour into that day’s broadcast, when one of the guests tells Younghyun that their favourite Day6 song is I Smile. Younghyun immediately says that it’s because of Sungjin’s voice in that song, and then mentions how handsome he looks in the music video. The guest laughs and says she hadn’t noticed, and Younghyun assures her that he is.

Youngjae’s not sure how he missed it. He’d already wanted to take Younghyun aside and ask for some advice, and now he’s even more convinced that he should.

His opportunity arrives a few days later, when they head in early to do some pre-recorded episodes and Younghyun suggests they get lunch together. It’s late afternoon and the MBC Radio cafeteria is near-empty and serve-yourself, perfect for not being overheard.

“I was hoping I could ask you for advice, hyung.”

If Younghyun’s surprised, he doesn’t show it. He waits to finish chewing his food before asking, “Professional or non-professional?”

Youngjae swallows. “Both? Kind of?”

“I don’t know how helpful I’ll be, but shoot.”

Youngjae glances around the room, double checking there’s nobody who could overhear, and leans a little closer. “I’m gay.” His stomach swoops as he says it – it’s not something he usually tells his celebrity friends.

Younghyun’s calm reaction is reassuring. “Oh, cool,” he says, “thank you for telling me. Have you told many people?”

Youngjae shakes his head. “That’s- uh. That’s what I need your advice on. How did you tell your members?”

“To be honest, I just didn’t hide it. I’ve always pointed out when I thought men were attractive and I mentioned having a crush on a classmate in Canada. Jaehyungie-hyung caught on first, but the others followed pretty quickly.”

Oh. Youngjae was hoping for something more concrete – he hadn’t laid any kind of groundwork like that. There was another question he needed to ask, though. “And, uh– how did they react when you…?” he trails off.

“Well, like I said. I didn’t really tell them. But they were fine with it when they found out. Your members care about you a lot, Youngjae-yah, I’m sure they’ll be accepting.”

The reassurance is kind, but not quite what he’d meant to ask. He tries again. “And when you and Sungjin-ssi started seeing each other?”

Silence. Younghyun’s looking at him with wide eyes and a half-open mouth, the colour seeming to have drained from his face. It occurs to Youngjae that maybe he’d meant to keep his relationship private. Maybe he’d been counting on Youngjae not reading between the lines of his Netflix and chill reference, like he originally hadn’t.

“Sorry,” says Youngjae, backtracking, “that’s private, you don’t have to answer that.”

A blush starts to bloom, made even more stark by Younghyun’s previously bloodless complexion. “Sungjin-hyung and I aren’t…”

“It’s ok,” Youngjae cuts across quickly, “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I’ll pretend not to know.”

“But we’re not– we aren’t–” Younghyun seems to struggle for words for a moment. “Why  did you think I was dating him?”

“You’re not dating?”

“No.”  

Youngjae can feel his own cheeks start to redden. “Uh... just some of the things you’ve said about him made me think you were. Sorry.”

Cheeks flaming and the atmosphere deeply uncomfortable, they both return to their food. Eventually, Younghyun speaks. “I do like him, but he doesn’t feel the same. If that’s what you wanted advice about I don’t know how helpful I’ll be, but I can be a listening ear. It sucks having feelings for one of your members.”

“Oh,” says Youngjae, startled, “I don’t– well. It’s not full on feelings, just a small crush.”

Younghyun nods. “Well, I can commiserate with you, if that’s anything.” He holds up his bottle of iced tea in a mock toast.

Youngjae smiles and holds up his own drink. “To unrequited crushes on the leaders of our respective groups,” he says, clinking their bottles together.

“Cheers,” says Younghyun, in English. Youngjae thinks they get a little closer after that.

iv.

Dowoon

Sungjin is a better travelling companion than anyone else in their group, because he’s always content with silence. Dowoon learned to appreciate this after he took the train home to visit his parents with Wonpil once and didn’t get one moment of silence the entire trip.

But about halfway into their train journey to Busan, Dowoon starts to wonder if Sungjin’s silence isn’t a little different than normal. He’s not reading or doing something on his laptop - he’s just staring out of the window, a tiny wrinkle between his eyebrows.

“Hyung?” asks Dowoon quietly. Sungjin jumps. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you. Are you ok?”

“Why?” asks Sungjin, turning to look at him. “Sorry, am I being bad company?”

“You just seem a little out of it.”

Sungjin shrugs. “Feeling a bit run down, I guess. Really need this weekend.”

The plan is to see their families on the Friday and Saturday, then go camping just the two of them (and Tory, if Dowoon can convince his parents to let him bring her) on the Sunday night, before heading back to Seoul on Monday.

The camping idea came about when Dowoon was lamenting that some of his friends from home had gone recently and he’d missed it because of promotions. Sungjin said he wouldn’t mind maybe going fishing, and that camping sounded nice, and the plan was born. Wonpil and Jae called them old men, and Younghyun had pouted that Sungjin had promised the next time he was going back to Busan he’d take him with him.

“You can still come,” Sungjin had said, looking a little confused.

“Camping, hyung,” said Younghyun. “Voluntarily.”

“You liked it when we did it for that travel show.”

“Voluntarily,” Younghyun had repeated. “Anyway, I’m busy that weekend. I’ve got to film YBC.”

So, it was just he and Sungjin going, which Dowoon was privately quite pleased about. He didn’t often get Sungjin to himself, after all.

There's a light chill in the air that’s honestly kind of pleasant. It stops the heat from being too overpowering, and although it throws out their half-formed plans to swim in the lake, it's the perfect weather for sitting by the water’s edge. Their fishing lines are set, their tent is up, and Tory is lying on the dock next to them, her head in Dowoon's lap.

"It's good to be away from everything, honestly," says Dowoon, scratching Tory’s ears absently. "Prepping for the comeback is exhausting. It's harder without you, hyung."

Sungjin hums, nodding. "Thanks for giving us some time."

"That's not what I meant," says Dowoon, "I'm glad you're resting. You know that."

Sungjin leans back on his arms. "I'm jealous of you guys," he admits, "I'm just not ready to get back in the saddle yet."

"I get that," says Dowoon. "The fans are hounding us about how you are recently."

Sungjin chuckles. "Maybe I'll tweet something," he says, in a tone that Dowoon knows means he probably won’t. That’s ok. Sungjin needs a proper break, and social media isn't a positive outlet for him like it is for Jae.

"Are you sure you're doing better though, hyung?" asks Dowoon. "You really do seem subdued."

"If I'm subdued, it's not because I'm getting worse again, don't worry. I've just got stuff on my mind.”

A bird calls somewhere, making Tory's ears prick up excitedly. Another one responds. "Is that a magpie call?" asks Dowoon.

"Do I look like I know anything about birdwatching?" asks Sungjin. Dowoon looks him up and down: flannel shirt, puffy vest, baseball cap.

"I mean, kinda."

“Yah,” says Sungjin, half-heartedly, “don’t be cheeky.”

They listen to the birds a little more. They sound like they're nearby - maybe in one of the trees that line the edge of the lake. "Do you want to talk about what's on your mind?" asks Dowoon eventually, "I’m a good listener."

"It's not something I've really told anyone about."

"All the better reason to get it off your chest," says Dowoon, and then worries he’s being too forward. "Or not. Up to you, hyung."

"Up to me, huh?" asks Sungjin, looking out at the water, "who raised you to be so respectful? Certainly wasn't me or Jaehyungie-hyung."

"Seriously," Dowoon presses, "wanna talk about it?"

Sungjin sighs. "Sure. How did you feel when you found out Younghyun was bisexual?"

Oh. Dowoon thought it might be something like this. "Surprised, at first. But mostly I was fine with it. Doesn't affect me, y'know?"

"What if he was outed," presses Sungjin, "and it affected the band's image."

"Then I'd be worried about him."

"Not mad?"

"No, of course not. Mad at the people who made it an issue, maybe."

Sungjin picks up one of the fishing flies they're not using and fiddles with it. they're both ignoring their rods so effectively they're basically just decoration at this point. "I'm bisexual," says Sungjin. "I think."

"Cool," says Dowoon. "Does Younghyunie-hyung know?" There’s no way Younghyun knows. If he did, he’d spend a little less time looking at Sungjin wistfully.

"No."

"You gunna tell him?"

"You think I should?"

"I think he'd like to know, yeah. Even if it's just so he doesn't feel alone."

Sungjin nods. "Our wise Dowoon-ah,” he says. “I'll think about it.”

v.

Younghyun

“Woah,” says Jae, when Younghyun slams the door to his room open and practically falls in. “You ok, dude?”

Younghyun feels frantic. He shakes his head and throws himself onto the bed next to Jae. “Give me attention,” he says, flopping sideways so his head is in Jae’s lap.

“Uh–” Younhyun feels Jae freeze up under him. Jae is not who he usually goes to when he needs this kind of physical reassurance.

“Please, Jaehyungie-hyung,” says Younghyun, trying not to sound completely desperate and failing, “Wonpil’s busy and I’m having a crisis.”

Hesitantly, Jae runs a hand over Younghyun’s hair. Younghyun feels himself relax immediately, closing his eyes. “You’re like a cat,” says Jae.

“I’m stressed,” Younghyun replies. Now he’s lying down, he realises that one of his temples is throbbing in a way that signals a large headache on the horizon.

“Wanna talk about it?” asks Jae.

“Yeah. But it involves a secret that’s not mine to tell.”

“Oh,” He scratches Younghyun’s scalp, apparently now completely cool with their seating arrangement. “Can you talk about it without being specific?”

Younghyun exhales noisily. How does he even begin to explain what just happened without giving Jae any specifics? He settles on the vaguest of the vague. “Turns out the guy I like is actually into men.”

Jae’s fingers stop moving in his hair and Younghyun makes a little disappointed noise. “Ok,” says Jae, his voice low and rumbling above him, “I should probably admit that I know you have a thing for Sungjin.”

Younghyun’s eyes fly open, his stomach dropping. “What?”

“Er– I figured it out a while back. Like, last year.”

This cannot be happening. Younghyun scrambles upright, his head almost hitting Jae’s chin. “You’re kidding. Fuck. Does he know?” Younghyun has worked so hard to hide his feelings from his bandmates. The only people who know are Youngjae and some friends from home. Where did he slip up? He might have said some incriminating things to Wonpil here and there, but he was so careful around Jae because he reads him so well.

“I don’t know,” says Jae. “I don’t think so?” Good. That’s something. Well, if Sungjin had known, he probably would have said something today – it was the perfect moment to, after all.

 “But uh…” Jae is clearly stalling, biting his lip. “If it helps, I think it’s mutual?”

“What?” Jae has said some crazy things in the past but is the most out there. Younghyun’s heart is racing.

“I don’t know, the way you two interact. I get the vibe he likes you back.” Jae makes this wiggly hand gesture that doesn’t seem to represent anything.

“You better not be fucking with me,” says Younghyun. Why would Sungjin not tell him? Sungjin just came out to him. Invited him to the studio to work on something for their new album and then dropped it right them and there. Said he wanted Younghyun to know that they were the same. Surely that would have been the moment to say something about feelings, if he had any for him.

“Why would I fuck with you?” asks Jae, sounding a little hurt. “You think it’s been fun watching you two flirt for months? I just want you to be happy, man.”

“Right,” says Younghyun. He knows Jae’s not the type to meddle if he wasn’t at least sure of his own observations. “Sorry. Today’s just been kind of a lot, with Sungjin-hyung coming out and now this. You can’t tell him I told you about that, by the way.”

“I know you didn’t mean to,” says Jae. “I figured out who you were talking about. But yeah, if anyone asks, I don’t know.”

“Thanks,” says Younghyun. He presses his palm to his throbbing temple, hissing at the pain.

Jae sighs. “Come on, you overgrown housecat, I’ll stroke your fucking hair since you so desperately need me to.” The thin veneer of exasperation does very little to hide his fond tone.

Younghyun settles back with his head in Jae’s lap. “Thanks, hyung,” he says, letting his eyes flutter closed as Jae starts petting his hair again.

“No problem. I’m honoured to be the person you came to with this.”

“Wonpil’s out,” Younghyun reminds him, “I couldn’t find Dowoon, and Youngjae’s not answering my texts.”

“Man, fuck you,” says Jae, laughing. “I’ve literally got a handful of your hair right now and comeback season’s just around the corner. Don’t make me pull.”

vi.

Sungjin

They’re in the studio again, because Sungjin really does want Younghyun’s input on the song he’s writing. After he came out, they’d talked about it for a while and then Younghyun had left, track forgotten. This time, they actually need to work on it.

“You’re a perfectly good lyricist without my help, you know,” says Younghyun, leaning back in the chair he’d dragged in from another room.

“I know,” says Sungjin, because he has actually learned that about himself, “but half of what I write is miserable, and I don’t want this song to be miserable.”

Younghyun purses his lips like he wants to disagree but takes the notebook from him. Sungjin presses play on the demo, and watches as Younghyun’s eyes follow along with the lyrics he has so far, mouthing them over the nonsense words of the guide track. He’s beautiful when he’s focused. It almost hurts Sungjin’s heart to watch him work.

“Hyung…” says Younghyun when the song ends. He looks sympathetic. “You know you have a habit of writing from experience, don’t you?”

Sungjin grimaces. He’s fully aware. He’d been hoping the line about hiding his true identity in the past would go over Younghyun’s head, however. “It’s too sad for the upbeat tone,” is all he says.

“So was Wish,” says Younghyun, “so are a lot of our songs. But if you want me to help you tweak it, I can do that.”

They sit for a while, singing snippets of the song, scribbling out and rewriting sections of the lyrics. “How’s the protagonist of this song meant to be feeling now?” asks Younghyun eventually, “a lot of this is about the past – what about the current?”

“I don’t know,” says Sungjin, scratching the back of his head. It’s not quite true – he knows what he wanted: the protagonist happy and in love with someone who feels the same. He just didn’t know how to write it, because that’s not his reality.

“Well, can I suggest something then?”

“Sure.”

“He’s shared his truth with someone at last, right? That’s the chorus – that this new partner can see him for him. So, shouldn’t that make him happy, like a weight’s been lifted?” Younghyun looks up from the page of lyrics as he asks it, not quite making eye contact.

“I suppose.”

“Well, do you feel lighter at all?” asks Younghyun.

“It’s not the same. The protagonist of this song… he shares his true self with someone because he falls in love with them. I’m not–” Sungjin chokes on the lie he was about to tell, and Younghyun’s eyes snap to his immediately. Christ. He’s meant to have better control of his feelings than that.

“I am,” says Younghyun. His eyes are still steadily focused on Sungjin’s face. It’s overwhelming.

“You’re…?”

“I’m in love with someone, I think. And although I’ve never hidden my sexuality, sharing my true self with them in other ways… it makes me feel lighter. If that helps.”

Sungjin knows Younghyun’s not dating anyone. Is pretty sure that if he had feelings for someone outside of the group, he’d have told him. Recognises, on some level, that he’s been being flirted with for a long while.

“Younghyun…”

Younghyun’s smile is closed-lipped and forced. “Yeah, I’m talking about you. Obviously.”

“Oh.”

“What does ‘oh’ mean?”

“Give me a second,” says Sungjin, “I’m processing.”

Younghyun gives him a moment, his leg bouncing anxiously. Eventually, he says, “Look, if you don’t like me back–”

“I do,” says Sungjin, cutting across him.

Younghyun blinks at him. “Oh.”

“Yeah,” says Sungjin. “Oh.”

+ i

Wonpil

Wonpil didn’t mean to take a nap in the middle of the day. He’d been watching a documentary about seals on Netflix, lying on his bed with his phone propped up on a pillow, and the narrator’s voice had lulled him to sleep.

He wakes up to the sound of the front door closing and a dark sky visible through the open blinds. He doesn’t know long he was asleep for. Stretching and rolling his slightly stiff neck, he sits up. His mouth is dry, and he didn’t eat dinner. He pads out into the hall. If he’s lucky, the door closing will be one of his members arriving with food he can beg off them.

He can tell by the timbre of the low voices in the living room that it’s Sungjin and Younghyun. The door is open by a crack and Wonpil is about to barge in when he catches what Sungjin just said and pauses.

“Well, do you want to? Officially?”

Curious, Wonpil shuffles so he can see a slither of Sungjin and Younghyun as they sit on the sofa.

“Of course I do,” says Younghyun. They’re turned towards each other, and Sungjin’s broad shoulders are blocking any view of the other. Wonpil absolutely shouldn’t be snooping, but really wants more evidence of their crushes on each other to report back to Jae. “I thought I’d made that clear already.”

 “Do we tell people?” asks Sungjin.

“Not right away if that’ll make you uncomfortable. Youngjae and Jaehyungie-hyung already know about me, though.”

Sungjin says something too quietly for Wonpil to decipher. There’s movement on the couch, and he can’t quite tell but it looks like Younghyun’s shifted so that he’s closer to Sungjin. Wonpil would even say he’s cuddled up to his side, but it’s Sungjin so that’s unlikely. Wonpil squints at the back of Sungjin’s head, which is tilted so close to Younghyun’s and kind of… bobbing? He puzzles over it for a moment before hears the unmistakable sounds of kissing.

Wonpil almost falls flat on his ass in surprise. The hand which had been holding the door handle jerks, making a noise loud enough to make Younghyun and Sungjin break apart look in his direction.

“Sorry!” says Wonpil loudly. He pulls the door open fully. Sungjin looks murderous. “I overheard all of that! Uh, congrats guys!”

Younghyun starts to laugh, tipping sideways into Sungjin, whose jaw is set. “Kim Wonpil,” he says calmly, “I am going to kill you.”

“How about I just close this door and we all agree this never happened?”

“Sounds fair,” says Younghyun, who’s looking at Sungjin rather than Wonpil and seems eager to resume their previous activity.

“No,” says Sungjin, but his lip’s twitching and Wonpil’s at least 45% sure he’s joking, “I think murder is a viable option.”  

Wonpil closes the door and practically runs back to his room, but he still hears Sungjin and Younghyun’s hushed conversation and giggles as the two of them head to Younghyun’s room an hour or so later. They’re going to be terrible at keeping this secret.