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Aquariums are an interesting place, but they are also a public place. By nature of his work and reputation, Sanghyeok’s endeavors in the outside realm are usually different from those of perhaps another one of his peers.
This is why he’s not particularly enthused when management corrals him and the rest of his team to the biggest aquarium in the city under the guise of boosting morale and building teamwork. Not to mention that they’re forced to go rather early in the morning in order to avoid the crowds later in the day, and sacrificing his sleep on a rare off day isn’t something he’s particularly enthused about either.
That is, until he spots the GENG team in similar states of sleeplessness and disrepair entering the aquarium as well, hoods up, eyes half-closed. Their manager is herding them inside with the gentle desperation of a sheepdog. And at the back, yawning so wide that his jaw cracks, is Jihoon.
From that point onward, somehow the team-building exercise becomes transformed into a social activity, with both teams naturally mingling with one another as they go through the exhibits. Sanghyeok doesn’t really do it on purpose, he doesn’t think, but – well, he likes spending time with Jihoon, and when the two of them naturally fall into a pair as they walk under the soft blue luminance of the tanks’ lights, Sanghyeok has no complaints.
The hum of the filtration systems and the distant, echoing chatter of their teammates fade into a soft underwater blur. Here, under the gentle, shifting blue light, the world beyond the thick glass panels ceases almost to exist. Sanghyeok watches as a school of silver fish moves as a single, shimmering organism, their movements hypnotic.
Beside him, Jihoon emanates another yawn. He rubs at his eyes with the heel of his palm, a gesture that Sanghyeok finds strangely endearing. “I think I could appreciate the fish more if my manager hadn’t woken up at the crack of dawn for this.”
He leans rather close to Sanghyeok just then, to peer closely at the name card mounted in front of the tank. Sanghyeok is hit by a fresh blast of Jihoon’s apple-scented shampoo, and he feels the back of his neck prickle with a strange heat at the sudden proximity.
“Pterophyllum scalare,” Jihoon reads aloud slowly, squinting at the small print. “Angelfish. Aren’t they prettier than expected, hyung?”
Sanghyeok can’t seem to tear his eyes away from the way the blue light seems to almost make Jihoon’s skin glow beneath the illuminated water, highlighting the constellation of moles on his cheeks in a stark contrast. His lips are pouted softly as he contemplates the writing on the card.
“Yeah,” he responds dazedly. “Very pretty.”
Jihoon turns to look at him. “I don’t know much about fish, to be honest. I think my parents might have dragged me here once or twice when I was younger, but I don’t remember much of it. What about you, hyung?”
“I think angelfish are pretty interesting,” Sanghyeok says mildly. “Did you know they band together like that in schools because they’re actually more aggressive in packs? Their natural predator is the reef shark, but apparently a large school of angelfish can actually take down a shark that lets its guard down.”
Jihoon looks at the tiny, inoffensive-looking fish with some surprise, eyes widened, and then back at Sanghyeok. “Whoa, really? I didn’t know that. You’re pretty knowledgeable about angelfish, Sanghyeok hyung. What, did you read a book about them or something?”
“Not at all.” Sanghyeok smiles at him cheekily. “I made that up. It’s adorable that you believed me so easily though.”
Jihoon stifles a laugh, but it escapes onto his face as a smile anyway, making his sharp eyes curve into soft crescents that brighten his face. What a nice smile, Sanghyeok thinks. Jihoon has always been nice to look at, but he’s never noticed before now what a dazzling smile he has.
“I should have known that was a lie,” Jihoon says, sounding embarrassed. He looks at the fish skeptically again. “I mean, I can’t imagine these guys taking down a reef shark, no matter how many of them there are. It’s like sending a wave of minions to fight the baron or something. Won’t they all just die immediately?”
“But what if it was a hundred minions at once?” Sanghyeok remarks, amused. “We could build up a large wave and Ryze ult them into the pit.”
“Hang on, does the baron even draw minion aggro?”
“Good question. I’ve never actually tested that out.”
Jihoon looks at him then, and laughs again. “How did we even end up in this conversation? I swear we were talking about fish. Somehow, everything routes back to League when it comes to you and me.”
Sanghyeok returns the smile. “We’re just special like that.”
“Victimized, more like,” Jihoon says cheerfully. He turns to face Sanghyeok properly, and their eyes meet. In the shifting blue light, Jihoon’s eyes look dark and fathomless, but the intensity in it is offset by the casual smile. Sanghyeok finds himself admiring the overall effect without even realizing it, without even noticing the fact that his heart gives a little skip as they stand there looking at each other.
“Hyung,” Jihoon starts, but he gets interrupted by a loud cackle of laughter that echoes through the nearly empty tunnel. Sanghyeok turns that way instinctively to see Hyeonjun physically coax a terrified Minseok closer to the glass, through which a rather sharp-toothed shark is swimming idly by, completely unbothered.
“I am not scared!” Minseok exclaims in a shrill voice, though it’s clear that he absolutely is.
“Just go say hi, Minseok! It won’t eat you!”
Sanghyeok shares an exasperated look with Jihoon. “I should probably go break that up. The last thing I need is for them to get into an argument.”
“Right,” Jihoon says, also chuckling. “I should be getting back to my team as well. It was really nice seeing you, hyung.”
Sanghyeok turns around to give him one more smile, walking backwards briefly. “Likewise.”
He turns back around, widening his grin. Minseok sighs in relief when he sees Sanghyeok heading their way, and casts a victorious look in Hyeonjun’s direction. However, even as he returns to his teammates, Sanghyeok can’t help but wonder vaguely what it was that Jihoon had been about to say just now, with his eyes gone so soft underneath the blue light of the water.
With both of their dorms in the same building, Sanghyeok supposes there should be more avenues for the GENG and T1 team members to see each other more often. But the business of their schedules impedes the closeness of their proximity, and as a result, the lives of the two teams are usually more separate than one might believe. That does not mean, however, that they never see each other at all.
“Oh, hyung, you have a chessboard?”
Sanghyeok looks up from where he’d been frowning down at the pieces on the table in front of him, to find Jihoon hunching down with his hands on his knees to study the board. Sanghyeok has seen him playing chess from time to time on his phone – their similar matchmaking ratios mean that they’ve even been matched together occasionally.
“I bought one recently,” Sanghyeok explains. He gestures for Jihoon to sit down. “I figured this would have less strain on my eyes than looking at my phone all the time.”
“We get enough screentime as it is,” Jihoon agrees, taking the seat opposite. “I’m not used to playing on boards, but maybe I should start trying to learn. Do you want to play a round with me while I wait?”
“Oh, are you here to see Minseok?”
“And Hyunjoon hyung,” Jihoon says. He smiles at Sanghyeok conspiratorially before starting to arrange the pieces on the board. “They’re not here, though. And I’d much rather hang out with you.”
Sanghyeok knows Jihoon is only teasing him, but he can’t resist the glee that springs in his chest anyway. A smile escapes, unbidden, so he quickly moves his eyes to the board and starts to arrange the pieces on his own side.
“White moves first,” Jihoon says, already pushing his pawn forward two squares. “I’m not going to go easy on you just because you’re cute, hyung. Just so you know.”
Teasing him again. Sanghyeok raises his brows. He’d never known Jihoon was such a flirt. “You never go easy on me,” he says wryly, responding with his own pawn to match the opening. “I’d be disappointed if you did.”
Jihoon’s smile widens, and there’s something competitive sparking in his eyes now, that familiar fire that Sanghyeok has grown to respect so much on the rift, translated into sixty-four squares. They play in comfortable silence for a while, with only the soft clicks of pieces against wood to disrupt the calm.
Sanghyeok finds himself studying Jihoon as much as the board – the way his brows furrow in concentration, the way he picks at his lower lip when considering a move, the way his long, elegant fingers hover over pieces before committing. The sharp jerk of his head when he’s surprised by one of Sanghyeok’s moves, the width of his shoulders when he hunches forward in deeper thought. For some reason, the sight of Jihoon sitting there across from him with such an intense expression on his face makes his ears burn with heat. Which is strange. Jihoon sitting across from him in a room with an intense expression on his face is hardly anything new. Maybe it’s something to do with how close he’s sitting, close enough that Sanghyeok can almost feel rather than hear the gentle rise and fall of his breathing…
“Are you trying to decipher my plan?” Jihoon asks suddenly without looking up. “I’ll have you know I have an excellent poker face, hyung.”
Sanghyeok does know. Embarrassed at having been caught staring, he shifts his attention back to the board. Jihoon is a cautious player, but he has an aggression and a willingness to sacrifice that Sanghyeok finds admirable. He’s lost a knight and a bishop already, but in exchange, he’s developed his pieces well and has a strong central presence on the board.
The way Jihoon plays makes Sanghyeok smile, but not because of anything bad.
“You’re not going to catch me with that move,” he warns cheerfully. “I’m keeping a close eye on that bishop, you know.”
“Really,” Jihoon says without missing a beat. He’s smiling too. “I didn’t realize my moves were so transparent.”
“Not at all,” Sanghyeok murmurs thoughtfully. He moves his rook, sliding it into a position that threatens Jihoon’s queen. “I just know how you think.”
“Funny you should say that,” Jihoon says, responding to the move not with a guard like Sanghyeok expects, but by sliding his own rook into a position that marks Sanghyeok’s king. “Because I know the way you think, too, hyung. Check.”
“I didn’t see that,” Sanghyeok concedes, frowning at the board. “Well played.”
They play for another ten minutes, the game evolving into a complex middle-game struggle. Eventually, Jihoon builds a material advantage, but Sanghyeok’s position is no less dangerous for his opponent, full of traps and hidden threats. He finds himself genuinely delighted by how evenly-matched they turn out to be, even at something they’re both only playing as a hobby.
Eventually, Jihoon gets the better of him, and slots his knight into a square that pins Sanghyeok down effectively. A wide smile blooms on Jihoon’s face, and he looks up from the board at Sanghyeok with glee. “That’s checkmate.”
Sanghyeok has the strangest urge to dig his heels in and protest his defeat, just to see what Jihoon might do in response to such a childish fancy. But while the idea sounds strangely thrilling, he smiles cheekily and holds his hand out in a fist bump like they might do after a game. Jihoon laughs and indulges him in the charade, but Sanghyeok doesn’t think he’s ever seen his longtime rival look at him so happily while doing this before.
“Do I get a prize?” Jihoon asks.
“That depends,” Sanghyeok says, feeling his ears flare up with heat again for whatever reason. He starts to rearrange the pieces back onto the board. “What would you like?”
“Well, my cousins are visiting the city for the first time, and apparently they want to visit a real Seoul amusement park.” Jihoon sighs. “I tried to talk my way out of having to chaperone them, but everyone else is apparently busy this weekend, and there’s nobody to take them.”
“Oh?” Sanghyeok asks, wondering where he is going with this.
“So, well… I was wondering… if you’re not too busy, do you think you would like to keep me company while I ferry them around? Honestly, they’re old enough to take care of themselves once we actually get there, so we won’t really have to do much other than hang around at the park until they’re done.”
Sanghyeok feels his cheeks heat up inexplicably. “What?”
“Only if you want to,” Jihoon adds quickly, his ears and face burning in a shade of pink that probably matches Sanghyeok’s own. “I know it’s kind of weird to ask, and you probably have better things to do on your off day, and honestly, they’re going to be so embarrassing – one of them is in his ‘I’m too cool for everything’ phase, and the other one won’t stop asking me about League even though she’s like nine and can barely play the–”
“Jihoon.”
“–and I totally understand if you’d rather just stay home and rest, I mean, we all need our rest, especially with how crazy the schedules are–”
“Jihoon,” Sanghyeok tries again, grinning at how flustered Jihoon has gotten. “I want to go with you.”
Jihoon’s eyes widen slightly. “Wait. Really?”
“Really.” Sanghyeok tries to sound reassuring. “I haven’t been to an amusement park since I was a child. Not properly, anyway. My father used to take me when I was younger, but it’s been years.”
“It’s… it’s not going to be the most exciting thing,” Jihoon warns, but his eyes are bright now. “You’ll probably be bored out of your mind, watching me chase after two kids who think they’re too old for roller coasters but secretly love them.”
Sanghyeok’s face feels like it’s on fire as he says, “I could never be bored with you.”
Jihoon ducks his head, nose wrinkling in happiness. “Okay. Okay, cool. Great. I’ll… I’ll let you know the details, then. Time and place and everything.” He pauses, then adds, “Thanks for saving me. I was really dreading going.”
“It’ll be fun,” Sanghyeok reassures him. He returns to rearranging the pieces on the board. “Now, focus up. I’m going to beat you this time, so be careful.”
“We’ll see about that,” Jihoon says, matching his casual tone. Despite the ostensible return of his attention to the board, his ears are still very pink, and the smile he wears on his face is almost giddy with delight.
Jihoon texts him the details later, and tells him he’ll pick him up from his apartment in his car if that’s okay with Sanghyeok. The prospect certainly beats the idea of taking public transport with a pair of children whom Sanghyeok still has no idea what to expect from, so he readily says yes.
Despite how casually he’d accepted Jihoon’s invitation, Sanghyeok realizes he’s inexplicably nervous about the occasion the more they get closer to it, with something that feels almost strangely like stage fright. On the eve before the day of, Sanghyeok finds himself in his closet of all places staring in horror at his wardrobe and realizing how few pieces of clothes he has that have nothing to do with T1 merchandise. A hoodie will have to do for outerwear. A simple white t-shirt with a print on it. Sweats. A cap and a mask for anonymity, for sure.
He scratches his head. Surely Jihoon doesn’t expect him to dress up or anything, right? He doesn’t seem like the type… Sanghyeok can’t even imagine him in anything other than his team jerseys or usual loungewear. So surely it’ll be fine. What he has in his closet will have to do.
Jihoon is more punctual than he expects, and Sanghyeok only has to rush downstairs a little to go meet him once he receives a text that he’s here. As he steps out of the building, his stomach does a happy flip at the sight of Jihoon standing outside the car to greet him with a smile, passenger side door open. He’s relieved to find that Jihoon is wearing his usual getup, but something about the way he looks makes Sanghyeok hurriedly fix his bangs as he approaches.
“Good morning,” Jihoon says brightly. “Thanks again for agreeing to do this with me.”
“It’s no trouble,” Sanghyeok says, a little dazed by how much he rushed to be here on time (but only a little, of course). He catches his breath and greets Jihoon properly with a smile.
“You can sit up front with me,” he says, making his way around the car to the other side. “Don’t worry about my cousins. They’ll behave themselves.”
Something about the way he says that makes Sanghyeok wonder if Jihoon might have given them a stern talking-to before embarking on this endeavor. The idea makes him laugh as he gets in from his side and shuts the door. A glance in the rearview mirror shows two children sitting in the back that, to his surprise, look quite like Jihoon does. A boy who looks to be around a middle-schooler in age, scowling at the DS in his hands, and a girl a little younger than him who’s staring at Sanghyeok with wide, awestruck eyes.
“You’re really Faker,” she says in awe. “Jihoon-samchon said he was friends with you, but I thought he was lying.”
“Jiyeon,” her brother censures in a monotone. “Jihoon-samchon told us not to be rude.”
“It’s okay,” Sanghyeok reassures them with a smile. “It’s nice to meet you both.”
The girl – Jiyeon – gasps audibly, her hands flying to cover her mouth. Her eyes, round and shining, sparkle with delight. “He said it was nice to meet us! Oppa, did you hear that? He said it was nice to meet us!”
Jihoon slides into the driver’s seat, glancing over his shoulder with an exasperated expression. “Jiyeon-ah, I told you to be cool. We talked about this.”
“I am being cool!” Jiyeon protests, though her voice is about three octaves higher than it was a moment ago. “This is the coolest I’ve ever been.”
The boy rolls his eyes and pulls up his hood, sinking deeper into the seat as if he wants to disappear into the ground where it can swallow him whole. He flickers his eyes to Sanghyeok briefly though, and a flush blooms across the scowl when Sanghyeok smiles at him in return.
“Don’t mind Sangwon,” Jihoon tells him, pulling out onto the road. “He’s too cool for all of us. Aren’t you, Sangwonnie?”
“Whatever.”
Sanghyeok turns back to face the road, giving Jihoon a smile. “They’re very cute,” he adds in an undertone.
“They’re pains in the asses,” Jihoon mutters back, and Sanghyeok laughs.
The drive to the amusement park is filled with Jiyeon’s relentless questions about League of Legends, about Sanghyeok’s favorite champions, about which celebrities he’s gotten to meet, about what it’s like to be the ‘Unkillable Demon King’. Jihoon tries to intervene a few times, but Sanghyeok waves him off, answering each question with surprising patience.
“I don’t really think about the title much,” he admits when she asks about the nickname. “It’s just a name. I’m more focused on trying to do the best that I can.”
“But it’s so cool,” Jiyeon insists. “Everyone says so. Even my friend Minji, who doesn’t even play League, knows who you are. She has a poster of you on her wall.”
“Jiyeon,” Jihoon says, a note of warning in his voice. “Maybe let him breathe?”
“It’s fine,” Sanghyeok says, and he means it. “A poster, huh? What does it look like?”
“I don’t know, it’s just a picture of you with your trophy.” Blushing a little, she giggles and adds in a conspiratorial whisper: “She says you’re handsome. I told her you’re way older than her, but she doesn’t care.”
Jihoon coughs into his hand, choking back laughter.
“I see,” Sanghyeok says, holding back his own snort. “Well, tell your friend I appreciate the support.”
“I will!” Jiyeon beams. “She’s going to be so jealous when I tell her I met you in real life. Like, actually met you. In a car with my samchon. She’s never, ever going to believe me!”
Sangwon sighs heavily, the long-suffering sigh of a preteen who has been subjected to his sister’s enthusiasm one too many times. “Can we please just get to the park already?”
“Almost there,” Jihoon assures him, glancing at Sanghyeok with an expression that says, I’m so sorry, hyung, I tried. Sanghyeok just smiles back, because he really doesn’t mind. There’s something indescribably nice about doing something as casual as this with Jihoon of all people.
To Jihoon’s relief, probably, Jiyeon gets distracted with bothering her tortured brother for the rest of the drive, so Sanghyeok gets some reprieve from her questions, and some time to speak with Jihoon. Jihoon drives surprisingly well, keeping his eyes on the road but occasionally glancing at Sanghyeok with a smile while they talk. Every time he does that, Sanghyeok feels his face warm.
They arrive at the amusement park just as the gates are opening. It’s early enough that the crowds are still thin, and Jiyeon practically vibrates out of the car like a rocket the moment it’s parked. Her brother follows at a more sedate pace, his DS now tucked into his pocket, hands shoved deep into his hoodie.
“Okay,” Jihoon says, falling into step beside Sanghyeok as they approach the entrance. “The two of you have to stay together, alright? Don’t let her wander off on her own, Sangwon. We’ll meet back here at this fountain at noon. You guys have phones and my number in case you get lost, right?”
“Yes, Jihoon-samchon,” they chorus in response, albeit with differing levels of energy. “Can we go now?” Sangwon adds impatiently.
“Okay, but stay together… damn it,” Jihoon says as they rocket off into the distance. He turns to Sanghyeok, looking a little frazzled. “Sorry about all of that. Jiyeon isn’t usually that crazy. I think she was just talkative because she was nervous.”
“It’s okay,” Sanghyeok says, laughing. “It’s so funny trying to watch you be responsible. I’ve always had this impression that you’re taken care of everywhere you go.”
“Not a bad assumption,” Jihoon admits. “That might be why my mom has saddled me with this punishment, actually. She’s always talking about how I need to be more self-actualized. So, what do you want to do? Do you want to duck into the restaurant and hide out in there until it’s time to leave?”
“What a waste,” Sanghyeok says idly. “We’re here at an amusement park, Jihoonie. Don’t you think there are better ways to amuse ourselves? Come on.”
He grabs onto Jihoon’s hand without warning and tugs him toward the queue for the nearest ride. Jihoon makes a strangled noise in the back of his throat, fingers stiffening, but then he relaxes into the hold as he hastens to catch up to Sanghyeok’s brisk pace.
Sanghyeok doesn’t want to, but he lets go of Jihoon’s hand politely once they settle into the queue. Jihoon starts up a conversation about the mechanics of drop towers, and Sanghyeok responds enthusiastically. It’s an overcast day, but Jihoon’s eyes almost seem to be sparkling with excitement as he converses with Sanghyeok eagerly.
Jihoon is surprisingly more of a coward than Sanghyeok expects, because he grips Sanghyeok’s hand very tightly as the ride ascends, and screams louder than he anticipates when it plummets. When they step off, slightly wobbly-legged and grinning, Sanghyeok can’t stop laughing at how white Jihoon’s face has gotten.
The queue for the rollercoaster, which they get into next, is longer than the drop tower, and filled with loud and boisterous families that crowd together much closer than is necessary. As a result, Sanghyeok finds himself pressed closer to Jihoon’s side than he perhaps might have otherwise, but – he finds the proximity strangely welcoming. It’s too cold a day for just a hoodie, and Jihoon is pleasantly warm.
They settle into the seats side by side, still sitting strangely close together after spending so long basically pressed against each other in the queue. Sanghyeok doesn’t mind it. He doesn’t mind it either, when the ride jerks into motion and Jihoon’s arm loops around his waist instinctively. The fact that his arm is long enough to wrap all the way around Sanghyeok’s waist, hand pressed into his abdomen, makes him blush a little but – that’s normal, right? He doesn’t usually let people grab him around the waist like this, much less someone as handsome as Jihoon, so it’s only natural for Sanghyeok to feel a little flustered…
Sanghyeok tries to focus on the ride, on the steel track stretching out before them, on the screams of the riders ahead. He tries to focus on anything other than the warmth of Jihoon’s hand on his stomach, pleasant enough to make his heart pound like crazy in his chest, on the faint scent of apple shampoo that seems to follow him everywhere.
As the ride crests through a loop, Jihoon hides his face in Sanghyeok’s hair, breath tickling his ear, and Sanghyeok’s heart picks up into a pace so desperate that he fears it might explode. He can hardly breathe anymore, and the only thing he ends up doing, consciously or otherwise, is to grip the harness with one hand and cover Jihoon’s hand where it rests against his stomach with the other.
Jihoon’s fingers curl around his, and Sanghyeok feels him laugh into his hair. By the time they roll to a stop, Sanghyeok’s heart is beating so loudly he wonders whether Jihoon might hear it. He’s not entirely sure it’s because of the roller coaster.
They stumble off the ride, breathless, and Jihoon releases his hold on Sanghyeok’s waist. The absence of his arm feels like a loss, a cold spot against his body where warmth used to be.
“That was–” Jihoon starts, then stops, his cheeks flushed. “I mean–” He laughs, running a hand through his hair, mussing his bangs. “I don’t know why I did that. The arm thing. I’m sorry if that was weird.”
“It wasn’t,” Sanghyeok says quickly, maybe too quickly. “It was fine. Good. It was good.”
Jihoon blinks. “Good?”
Sanghyeok’s ears are burning. “I mean – the ride. The ride was good.” He clears his throat and looks away. “Very thrilling. Nice loop.”
Jihoon stares at him, also very red in the face, and he smiles embarrassedly. “Yeah,” he says. “Nice loop.”
They both stare at each other for way longer than necessary, and then simultaneously look away. Sanghyeok coughs and melts back into the crowd, and Jihoon follows without question. They wander through the park after that, drifting from attraction to attraction without any real plan. They play a few carnival games – Jihoon wins a stuffed tiger that he immediately gifts to Sanghyeok with a big, triumphant smile – and share an overpriced funnel cake that’s somehow the best thing Sanghyeok has ever tasted.
At some point, Jihoon’s phone buzzes with a message from his disgruntled nephew: “jihoon samchon can you get us some food. jiyeon is hungry”
That has them routing back to the fountain, where Jiyeon and Sangwon are already waiting for them with stories of their own adventures. Jiyeon is clutching a stuffed orange kitten she won at a shooting game, and even Sangwon seems to appear pleased. This, Sanghyeok surmises, might have something to do with the Cloud Strife action figure that he must have won at the claw machine, stuffed carefully into the side pocket of his backpack.
“Faker samchon!” Jiyeon greets them excitedly, holding out the stuffed cat. “Look, I got this for you! Doesn’t it remind you of Jihoon samchon?”
Sanghyeok takes it from her, grinning. “It does. Although Jihoon seems to be a little taller.”
“Just a little?” Jihoon echoes incredulously, but Sanghyeok can tell by the way he’s looking down at him that he’s pleased. Sanghyeok shares a secret smile with him as he adds the toy to the growing collection of trophies in his own bag.
“Please treasure it always! I hope it is the greatest gift you have ever received!”
“It’s literally a stuffed animal from a stupid carnival game,” Sangwon mutters. “Which, by the way, you didn’t even get on your own. I’m the one who won it for you, remember?”
Jiyeon flushes to the roots of her hair, and rounds on her brother with a frown. “Oppa! You said you wouldn’t tell!”
Sangwon is also rather red in the face. “Well, I don’t want you to take all the credit! I wanted – I mean… it’s from both of us, okay?”
“That’s very nice of you, Sangwon,” Sanghyeok says generously. “And you, too, Jiyeon. I’ll make sure to keep it safe with me, always.”
Sangwon looks at Sanghyeok, and goes redder still. He opens his mouth, closes it again, and then scowls and stomps off in the direction of the restaurant. Jiyeon chases after him, still shouting indignant complaints over the betrayal.
Jihoon presses an exasperated hand to his forehead. “Let’s just go before they slaughter each other. I don’t imagine my aunt would be very pleased about that.”
They find a table at the restaurant, outside in the sunshine now that the clouds seem to be clearing away. Despite how many complaints Jihoon seems to have regarding his cousins, he dotes on them generously, letting them order whatever they want, and then insists upon paying for Sanghyeok’s meal as well. Sanghyeok’s protests are vehemently ignored, and in the end, he finds that he doesn’t quite mind being treated to a meal by Jihoon like this, just for the simple pleasure of being able to see him glow with happiness as he pays for the food.
Jiyeon and Sangwon argue over who gets the last piece of fried chicken, and Sangwon wins because he’s faster. Sanghyeok, wanting to spare Jihoon the headache, graciously shares some of his food to appease the younger girl, who nearly explodes in delight at the idea of being able to eat from Faker’s plate.
“Here, hyung, taste this beef,” Jihoon says at one point suddenly, shoving a piece into Sanghyeok’s mouth before he can protest. Sanghyeok accepts it, a little flustered, and accidentally swallows before he can barely taste the meat.
“Yummy,” he says around the lump in his throat, and quickly washes it down with some of his iced tea. “Here,” he says, feeling even more embarrassed still as he picks out a piece of peeled shrimp with his own chopsticks and holds it out for Jihoon. “Taste some of mine.”
Jihoon is rather red in the face as he takes the bite. His eyes never leave Sanghyeok’s face the whole time.
“Thanks,” he says afterward, nose scrunched in embarrassment.
They’re both content to pretend not to notice the way Jiyeon elbows her brother and giggles at what she just saw, whispering behind her hand. As the meal winds down, Jihoon clears his throat and checks his phone for the time.
“We should probably be heading back,” he says, and Sanghyeok wonders if he sounds a little disappointed.
“What?” Sangwon protests. “Wait, can we stay for a little bit longer? I haven’t even been able to check out the PUBG World Agent yet!”
“Yes, and I wanted to go Kartriding too!” Jiyeon tacks on.
Jihoon frowns. “No, we should head back.”
“Noooooo,” Jiyeon whines. “Faker samchon, please convince him!”
Sanghyeok looks at Jihoon. “I don’t mind staying a little longer,” he says.
“What? But I don’t want to take up your whole day…”
“I don’t have anything planned,” Sanghyeok reassures him. “Really, it’s fine. I’m having a lot of fun.”
That makes him smile. “Really? Well, if you’re sure…”
“Yes!” Sangwon says under his breath, fist-bumping the air. “Can we go now? I still have a lot of things I want to get done. Jiyeon, come with me quickly.”
“Hold on,” Jihoon says sternly, and groaning, both children slide back into their seats. “I want both of you back at the fountain by four, okay? We still need to drive all the way back home.”
“Okay,” they chorus readily, and quickly dart off back into the crowd.
“Sorry about this,” Jihoon says as they rise from the table. “I really wasn’t meaning to take up your whole day.”
Sanghyeok shakes his head, grinning as he watches the two children disappear into the crowd. “I told you, I don’t mind. I’m having a good time.”
Jihoon’s ears are still pink as they walk back into the crowds, but there’s a pleased tilt to his mouth. “You’re not just saying that to be nice?”
“Don’t be silly, Jihoon. Look, the queue for the bumper cars is really short right now.”
They enter back into the flurry of the park, going from one ride to the other, laughing and sticking close to one another the whole time. Toward the end of the day when the sun is hanging low in the sky like a great yellow lamp, they end up meandering closer to the ferris wheel.
Quite harmlessly, Sanghyeok steps toward it, only to realize that Jihoon hasn’t moved from where he is. When Sanghyeok looks back at him, he discovers that Jihoon’s face is burning crimson.
“Come on,” Sanghyeok coaxes, holding out his hand. “What’s the problem? Don’t tell me you’re afraid of heights.”
“No, it’s…” Jihoon looks at him with a mixture of awe and disbelief, and grins as he accepts his hand and falls into step. “It’s nothing. Let’s go, hyung.”
This time, Jihoon holds on fast to his hand even after they settle into the queue. Sanghyeok is puzzled by this, but decides not to protest. The park is crowded now that it’s so deep into the afternoon, and he’d much rather not end up getting separated. Maybe it’s better to remain entwined like this, just to be safe.
The queue shuffles forward as they talk to each other, Sanghyeok carrying most of the conversation since Jihoon appears strangely nervous. Maybe he really is afraid of heights, after all. He did scream a lot when they went on the drop tower ride. But before Sanghyeok can question it, or even poke fun, suddenly they’re at the front, being guided into an empty cabin by a bored-looking attendant.
The ferris wheel cabin sways gently as they settle onto the bench side by side instead of across from one another, their shoulders brushing. Through the windows, the park stretches out beneath them in a riot of color and motion, with tiny figures darting between attractions, with distant shrieks of riders on roller coasters, with the cheerful melody of a carousel drifting through the afternoon air.
The ride lurches to life, and Jihoon’s arm loops around his waist in an almost instinctive motion, like back on the roller coaster. Sanghyeok finds himself pressed much closer against Jihoon’s side than he expects… but he finds that he doesn’t mind it at all. He doesn’t even want to question it. It feels exactly right, sitting here like this with Jihoon’s warmth pressed against his side, the two of them suspended above the world as they so often are.
The Seoul skyline sprawls across the horizon as the cabin ascends, revealing buildings and streets bathed in golden light. The sky is a glorious canvas of orange and pink, clouds streaked like brushstrokes across the heavens.
“It’s very beautiful,” Sanghyeok says, eyes trained on the window.
“Yeah,” Jihoon agrees, his voice soft. “It really is.”
Sanghyeok turns to look at him then, and inhales sharply upon realizing how close their faces have gotten. Suddenly, he becomes hyperaware of every point where their bodies are in contact: of the warmth of Jihoon’s hand, fingers splayed across his back, of the way his chest is pressed up against Jihoon’s body, of the way his own breath stutters and then quickens rapidly.
Jihoon drags his eyes from the window to Sanghyeok’s face, and the softness in his eyes intensifies in a way that sends a pleasant shiver up Sanghyeok’s spine. They’re close enough now that Sanghyeok can count every mole on Jihoon’s face, and can count every single eyelash as Jihoon blinks slowly and dazedly at him.
“Hyung,” he says, voice tight.
I want to kiss him, Sanghyeok realizes, equally dazed. It’s almost as if he’s gone into a dreamlike state, heightening the surreal quality of the moment, the isolated beauty of their privacy.
Please kiss me, he thinks instead, and suddenly he’s not seeing Jihoon anymore but feeling him; the silkiness of his hair as it flows beneath his fingers, the sharp angle of Jihoon’s cheekbone where Sanghyeok’s thumb comes to trace it gently. When Jihoon exhales, shakily and heavily, his breath is cool against Sanghyeok's flushed skin.
But then the ferris wheel creaks to a sudden halt. Sanghyeok’s eyes, which he hadn’t realized had even closed in the first place, fly open in surprise, and they pull away from one another with a jolt when they realize their cabin is back on solid ground. A happy female voice crackles into the pod over the intercom.
“Thank you for enjoying the ride! Please remember to take your belongings as you leave your seats, and we hope to see you again soon!”
Jihoon is every bit as quiet as Sanghyeok as they exit the cabin wordlessly, much farther apart from one another than they had been when they entered. Sanghyeok’s heart is racing in his chest, as fast as a hummingbird’s wings, and it is the only sound that registers properly in his head in this endless instant.
A small body crashes into Sanghyeok’s legs, hugging him tightly around the waist, knocking him out of the daze.
“Faker samchon!” Jiyeon says excitedly. “Thank you so much for spending today with us. We had the best time ever! Didn’t we, oppa?”
Sangwon, who shuffles in closer to their group at a more respectable pace, shrugs. “It was alright,” he says.
For a moment, neither Jihoon nor Sanghyeok has the capacity to speak, still reeling from the moment they (almost) shared back in the ferris wheel. But then Sanghyeok clears his throat, and manages to return Jiyeon’s smile.
“Really?” he says. “Did you manage to do everything you wanted?”
“We did,” Jiyeon agrees. She lets go of Sanghyeok and rubs at her eyes, yawning. The yawn seems to break whatever spell had settled over them. Jihoon blinks, shaking his head slightly as if emerging from deep water, and his professional mask slides back into place – though Sanghyeok can’t help but notice that his ears are still burning red.
“Alright, you two,” Jihoon says. “Time to head back. Your parents are probably wondering where you are.”
Jiyeon’s protests are ignored as they amble back to the parking lot in search of Jihoon’s car. The walk back is quiet, but not uncomfortable. The evening air is cool against Sanghyeok’s flushed skin, and he finds himself extremely aware of Jihoon’s presence beside him, albeit a safe distance away.
The drive back home is decidedly quieter than the morning drive. After a while of driving down the highway in silence, Sanghyeok glances back at the seats and realizes why.
“They’re knocked out,” he announces softly, so as to not disturb them.
Jihoon glances at his cousins in the rearview mirror. They’re both deeply asleep.
“They must have run around quite a lot,” Jihoon says. “I’m glad they had fun, though. I was really nervous about having to do this at first when my mom sprang it on me. You were a big help, hyung.”
Sanghyeok looks out through the window at the passing traffic, because somehow the idea of looking at Jihoon reminds him too much of what happened on the ferris wheel again. It’s not an unpleasant memory – rather the opposite, actually. He fears that if he looks at Jihoon even for a moment again, he’s going to want that closeness so fiercely that his heart might burst.
“I had a lot of fun,” he says quietly. “It was no trouble at all.”
Jihoon lapses into silence again, and Sanghyeok can just tell he, too, is thinking about what had nearly happened. He feels his cheeks heat up at the memory of it again. The way his entire body had almost felt like it was on fire when Jihoon had been so close…
Sanghyeok gets dropped off at his apartment first, and he murmurs a quiet Thanks before making a quick escape from the car, still unable to even dare to look at Jihoon. But he’s barely taken a few paces toward the entrance of his building when, to his surprise, Jihoon also exits the car.
“Sanghyeok hyung!” he calls out, and the fervency in his voice has Sanghyeok stopping in his tracks on instinct. He turns back tentatively, and a thrill goes through him just at the mere sight of Jihoon standing by the car in the fading light of the day, staring back at him with eyes that seemed to say a thousand words.
“I just…” he continues, nose scrunched in embarrassment. “I just wanted to thank you for today. I really, really had a great time with you. Really.”
Sanghyeok looks at him, and wonders if Jihoon might call him crazy if he sprints across this distance of a few paces just to crash back into his arms again. With great effort, he resists the desire, and smiles back instead.
“I had a really great time too, Jihoon,” he says, and adds bravely. “We should… we should spend more time together.”
A happy smile cracks onto Jihoon’s face. “Yeah,” he says in a breathy voice. “Yeah, I think so, too.”
“Great,” Sanghyeok says.
“Great,” Jihoon echoes. He raises a hand in farewell. “I… well, I’ll see you around.”
Sanghyeok returns the wave, and turns back around to hastily walk to his building, heart racing. It is only after he is safely inside, out of sight of the car, that he finally dares to rest against a wall and catch his breath.
Sanghyeok is the one who suggested it, so he makes up his mind that he will be the one to reach out to Jihoon with a plan to hang out with one another again, determined to make good on his promise. There’s a big movie night being planned out at the T1 dorms, and although there’s a part of him that wants to be with Jihoon preferably alone, he figures there's probably less pressure to meet again in a group setting.
This is how the GENG team members also find themselves crowded into various spots in the T1 dorm living room as the lights are turned off and the movie starts playing out on the TV screen. Sanghyeok hasn’t paid much attention to which movie has been selected, too preoccupied with the thought of seeing Jihoon again.
Jihoon, who is squeezed right next to him on the extremely crowded sofa, close enough that Sanghyeok has no choice but to sit pressed up against his body.
The opening credits of the movie flicker across the screen, casting dancing shadows across the crowded living room. Somewhere to his left, Hyunjoon is already complaining about the choice of film, while Minseok throws popcorn at him in retaliation. The familiar chaos of his teammates wash over Sanghyeok like white noise, comforting in its predictability.
But all of Sanghyeok’s attention is focused on the warm weight pressed against his side. Jihoon’s arm is draped casually across the back of the sofa, his fingers resting lightly on Sanghyeok’s shoulder. The position looks innocent enough – just two friends sharing a crowded couch – but Sanghyeok can feel the gentle pressure of Jihoon’s fingertips through the fabric of his shirt, tracing small, absent patterns against his skin.
His skin almost feels aflame. He can’t help but focus on the solid warmth of Jihoon’s thigh against his own, on the way their shoulders are pressed together, on the soft rhythm of Jihoon’s breathing that he can feel more than hear.
Sanghyeok tries to focus on the movie. He really does. But the plot is incomprehensible – something about aliens and a government conspiracy – and his eyes keep drifting to the side, catching glimpses of Jihoon’s profile in the dim light. His face is soft in the glow of the television, his attention seemingly fixed on the screen. But Sanghyeok notices the way his fingers have stilled on his shoulder, the way his breathing has gone just a little shallow.
Jihoon clearly isn’t paying attention to the movie either.
The thought sends a small thrill through Sanghyeok’s chest. He turns his head slightly, leaning close enough so that he can whisper without the others being disturbed. “Are you even watching this?”
Jihoon startles. His eyes dart to Sanghyeok’s face. “What? Of course I am.” He pauses, then admits, “I have no idea what’s happening.”
“Me neither,” Sanghyeok says. “How come the alien knows what the main character is saying? This movie makes no sense.”
“There was a whole bit where they learnt each other’s language,” Jihoon retorts. “Wow, hyung, you really haven’t been paying any attention, have you?”
“I’ve been a little distracted,” Sanghyeok says boldly, and is gratified by the way Jihoon’s breath stutters in response.
“Doesn’t the alien look a little bit like one of the mini krugs?” Jihoon whispers after a moment. “Except I think the krugs are cuter.”
“The krugs are not cute.”
“Are too!”
“Hello,” Jaehyuk cuts in loudly from a few seats away. “Jihoon, can you shut the hell up and watch the movie?”
Sanghyeok stifles laughter as they lapse back into silence for a few moments.
“Hyung, you got me into trouble,” Jihoon complains, quieter than before.
“I never asked you to shout.”
On screen, an explosion of some kind rocks the living room, earning oohs and aahs from their teammates. The surprise jolts Sanghyeok a little, and as a result, Jihoon’s arm has inched down from his shoulder to rest against the curve of his waist. They stay like that for the rest of the movie, and the world around them almost fades into a blur of noise and light for Sanghyeok; all he can feel is the warmth of Jihoon beside him, solid and real and perfect in every single way.
When the credits finally roll and someone flicks the lights back on, they disentangle themselves quickly so as to not draw attention. But Jihoon’s ears are pink as he stands, stretching his arms above his head.
“Good movie,” he says to no one in particular.
“Your face is red,” Suhwan observes flatly. “Were you hot?”
“Yeah, extremely,” Jihoon says hurriedly. Sanghyeok busies himself with gathering empty cups and popcorn bags, just so he won’t laugh. He hurries into the kitchen so that the others won’t see his beaming face, meaning to dispose of the waste. He’s barely finished wiping his hands clean with a tissue afterward when he turns around and finds Jihoon waiting at the threshold for him.
Sanghyeok’s heart does what has now become a familiar stutter at the sight of Jihoon leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed casually over his chest, a small smile playing at his lips. The kitchen light casts a warm glow over his features, softening his face even more.
“This isn’t exactly what I meant when I said I’d like to spend more time with you, hyung,” he says.
Sanghyeok turns around, making a pretense of rearranging the glasses on the counter just so he can hide how hot his face has gotten. “Are you complaining?”
“Maybe a little,” Jihoon says. Sanghyeok can sense him stepping closer. “It was nice, actually. But I wanted to spend some time with you alone.”
Sanghyeok fidgets with a glass that’s already perfectly aligned with its neighbours. The proximity of Jihoon’s presence makes his skin prickle with awareness. He turns back around, and his breath hitches in his throat when he realizes how close Jihoon has gotten, close enough to place his hands down flat on either side of the counter, caging him in.
“Well,” Sanghyeok says, his mouth dry. “We’re alone now, aren’t we?”
“So it might seem,” Jihoon says. “But there’s only a thin wall and a hallway separating us from the lunatics in the living room, and I’d rather not become the subject of endless mockery.”
He begins to turn away, but Sanghyeok reaches out quickly to grasp his hand, keeping him close. His heart is pounding in his chest a million times per minute as he looks up at Jihoon, wide-eyed with determination.
“You should have kissed me the other day,” he accuses boldly.
“I wanted to,” Jihoon says at once. “I wanted to kiss you in the car, too, but the kids were there, and–”
“A flimsy excuse,” Sanghyeok says. “I can’t accept it. I’m afraid you’re going to have to kiss me now to make up for it.”
Jihoon’s eyes widen, caught off guard by Sanghyeok’s boldness. Sanghyeok feels a rush of pride at the way his face darkens into an adorable pink, at the way he struggles, almost, for an adequate response. But then he gasps in realization and surges forward, and all of a sudden, Sanghyeok finds himself pressed back against the counter as Jihoon grasps either side of his face in his warm hands and tilts his head up until their lips can meet.
It’s electric, the way Jihoon kisses him, every bit as good as Sanghyeok has imagined it might be a thousand times since he came to that realization that day in the ferris wheel. It’s so good that it makes him dizzy, that it makes his knees go weak. Sanghyeok grips the counter behind him for support, his other hand fisting in the fabric of Jihoon’s shirt.
When they finally break apart, both breathing hard, Jihoon rests his forehead against Sanghyeok’s, eyes closed as he takes the moment in.
“Better?” he asks.
Sanghyeok’s heart is racing, but he manages to laugh. “It’s a start.”
Jihoon smiles that dazzling smile that makes his eyes curve into crescents. He wraps his arms around Sanghyeok properly to pull him into a proper embrace. Sanghyeok melts into the hold instinctively, marveling at how simple, how easy it is for them to just fit like this against each other so perfectly.
“We should probably go back before they send someone looking for us,” Jihoon says wisely.
“Probably,” Sanghyeok agrees, but he doesn’t want to move.
“Hyung.”
“Mm?”
“I really like you.”
Sanghyeok’s eyes flutter open, meeting Jihoon’s earnest gaze. “I really like you too.”
Jihoon beams at him. “Good. That’s… that’s good.”
Sanghyeok disentangles himself from the hold responsibly, not wanting to ruin the moment by having to answer their nosy teammates’ questions. “Very eloquent,” he remarks as they exit the kitchen together.
“I am, usually,” Jihoon protests. “My brain kind of stops working when you’re being like this with me. It’s a little freaky, actually. What if they make us do an interview together or something, and I end up completely embarrassing myself in front of a billion cameras?”
“I’ll behave myself if it comes to that,” Sanghyeok says, and resists a laugh as – predictably – Minseok corners the hallway suspiciously to march his way down towards them. “Oh, hello, Minseok. Were you coming to find us? Sorry we took so long.”
“There was a lot of trash,” Jihoon adds uselessly.
“Right.” Minseok doesn’t look convinced. “Interesting that Jihoon hyung just volunteers to help you. I’m sure he’s just the picture of domestic hospitality.”
“Of course I am,” Jihoon says without an ounce of shame. “You guys are terrible people for saddling Sanghyeok hyung with all that trash, by the way. You should be grateful I had the good sense to help him out.”
Minseok rolls his eyes. “Whatever.”
Sanghyeok can’t help but chuckle at their harmless bickering. When Minseok turns back around to disappear briskly into the living room, he makes to follow without hesitation. But Jihoon sidesteps around him first, leaning down to press a kiss against Sanghyeok’s cheek surreptitiously as he goes.
He watches Jihoon disappear into the living room, the ghost of that quick kiss still warm against his cheek. He touches the spot absently, a smile tugging on his lips. He knows, without a single ounce of doubt, that this is the start of something good.
After all, they’ve been on so many dates with each other already. They just hadn’t realized it at the time, that’s all. Like that day in the aquarium, with Jihoon smiling at him under the fluorescent blue light of the water. Or that day they spent playing chess together, content to pass the hours just doing something simple with each other. Or that picture-perfect day at the amusement park that’s still embossed in perfect detail into his memory.
There’s only going to be more days like that now that he and Jihoon have finally realized the inevitability of their companionship.
Sanghyeok grins from ear to ear.
He can hardly wait to experience it all.
Fin