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"They're at it again," Minhyung whispered, nudging Minseok under the practice room table.
Minseok didn't even look up from his phone. "Let me guess. Hyunjoon's doing that thing where he stares at Hyeonjun-hyung like he hung the moon?"
"Worse. He's peeling tangerines for him."
That made Minseok look. Sure enough, across the room on the gaming couch, Hyunjoon sat with his legs tucked under him, carefully separating tangerine slices and passing them one by one to Hyeonjun, who accepted them absently while scrolling through his phone, completely unaware of how domestic they looked.
"They're so married," Minhyung sighed.
"They're so something," Minseok corrected. "I just can't tell if Hyeonjun-hyung knows what that something is."
Sanghyeok walked in then, gym bag (surprisingly) slung over his shoulder, and immediately clocked the scene. He'd been with the team long enough to read every dynamic in a room within seconds. His eyes flicked between the couple on the couch and the two gossiping at the table.
"Still?" was all he said.
"Still," Minseok confirmed, rolling his eyes away from the "lovebirds".
The thing was, Hyunjoon and Hyeonjun had been like this for months.
It started small. Hyunjoon asking if Hyeonjun wanted to grab food after practice. Then it became a routine. Dinner every Tuesday and Thursday. Sometimes Saturday brunch. Then it was weekday lunches too, and suddenly they had a regular table at three different restaurants in Gangnam.
"Isn't that just… what friends do?" Hyeonjun had said once, genuinely confused when Minhyung teased him about it.
Minhyung had stared at him. "Hyung. He orders for you. He knows you don't like sesame oil. He texts you good morning."
"He's thoughtful!"
"He bought you a matching phone case."
"It was on sale!"
Minhyung had given up that day.
The worst part (or best part, depending on who you asked) was that Hyunjoon seemed to be operating under the full assumption that they were, in fact, dating.
He'd rest his hand on the small of Hyeonjun's back when guiding him through doorways. He'd steal bites off Hyeonjun's plate and feed him in return. Once, during a team dinner, he'd casually mentioned "when Hyeonjun-hyung and I went to Jeju last month," and nobody batted an eye except Hyeonjun himself, who just smiled and nodded along like that was a perfectly normal thing for friends to do.
Take a weekend trip. To Jeju. Alone. And share a hotel room because "it was cheaper."
"I'm losing my mind," Minseok had told Sanghyeok that night.
"Let them figure it out," Sanghyeok replied, ever patient.
"What if they never do?"
Sanghyeok had just smiled. "They will."
It all came to a head on a random Wednesday.
They'd just wrapped a long scrim block, and everyone was sprawled out in various states of exhaustion. Hyeonjun stood up, stretching his arms over his head with a groan that made his shirt ride up slightly. Hyunjoon's eyes tracked the movement like a hawk.
"Hyunjoon-ah," Hyeonjun said, "you still good for dinner?"
"Always, hyung," Hyunjoon replied immediately, already grabbing his jacket.
"Cool. I found this new jjigae place near our dorm. The reviews look insane."
"Whatever you want." Hyunjoon's voice was soft, almost reverent.
They left together, Hyunjoon's hand briefly touching Hyeonjun's elbow as they walked out, and the door clicked shut behind them.
Silence.
Then—
"I can't do this anymore," Minhyung announced, dropping his head onto the desk. "I'm going to explode. Someone needs to tell Hyeonjun-hyung."
"Tell him what?" Sanghyeok asked calmly, though there was amusement in his eyes.
"That he has a whole boyfriend and doesn't even know it!"
Minseok snorted. "You really think Hyeonjun-hyung would believe us? He'd just laugh and say we're teasing him."
"Hyunjoon thinks they're official," Minhyung said, eyes wide. "But Hyeonjun-hyung thinks they're just… hanging out. As friends."
Sanghyeok leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled thoughtfully. "They'll figure it out eventually."
"When?" Minseok demanded. "When they accidentally get married?"
That night, Hyunjoon returned to the dorm floating on air. Dinner had been perfect. Hyeonjun laughed at all his jokes, let him pay again without fuss, and even suggested they check out a movie this weekend.
A movie.
Hyunjoon collapsed onto his bed with a grin so wide it hurt. Dating Hyeonjun was the easiest, most natural thing in the world. They just fit. No drama, no pressure, just… them. Existing together. Being happy.
His phone buzzed.
Hyeonjun-hyung: thanks for dinner again!! you're the best
Hyunjoon's heart did a little flip.
Hyunjoon: anytime, hyung. sleep well ❤️
He sent the heart without thinking—because why wouldn't he? They are together. He could send his boyfriend a heart.
What Hyunjoon didn't see was Hyeonjun, two rooms down, staring at that heart emoji with his head tilted in confusion.
"He's so sweet," Hyeonjun murmured to himself, smiling. "I'm lucky to have a friend like him."
And somewhere in the universe, the irony gods laughed.
The unraveling started with a single, innocent comment.
They were at a team sponsorship event—suits, cameras, the whole polished routine they'd done a hundred times. During a break, Hyeonjun was scrolling through his phone when he suddenly laughed.
"What's funny, hyung?" Hyunjoon asked, gravitating toward him like he always did.
"Ah, Suhwan just asked if I'm seeing anyone." Hyeonjun shook his head, amused. "I told him I'm way too busy for dating. Between practice and solo queue, when would I even have time?"
Hyunjoon froze.
"Right?" Hyeonjun continued, oblivious. "Like, I barely have time to hang out with friends. Dating would be impossible right now."
The words hit Hyunjoon like a flash grenade. He stood there, smile still plastered on his face, but his brain was short-circuiting.
Dating would be impossible.
Too busy for dating.
Not seeing anyone.
Wait.
Wait.
Across the room, Minseok watched Hyunjoon's face cycle through five stages of grief in real-time. He immediately pulled out his phone.
Minseok → 2hj banned group chat: CODE RED
Minseok: hyunjoon just realized
Minhyung: REALIZED WHAT
Minseok: watch him
Minhyung looked up. Hyunjoon was still standing next to Hyeonjun, but his expression had gone carefully blank—the same face he made when a game was going badly but he didn't want to tilt the team.
Minhyung: oh no
Minhyung: oh no oh no oh no
Sanghyeok: Let him process.
Hyunjoon made it through the rest of the event on autopilot. Smiled for photos. Answered interview questions. Stood next to Hyeonjun during the group shots and tried not to spiral.
But the second they got back to the practice facility, he grabbed Minseok by the elbow.
"I need to talk to you."
Minseok had been waiting for this. "Okay."
"Alone."
They ended up in one of the empty conference rooms. Hyunjoon paced back and forth while Minseok sat on the table, watching him with barely concealed anticipation.
"Minseok-ah," Hyunjoon finally said, voice strained. "Be honest with me."
"Always."
"Do you think… do you think Hyeonjun-hyung knows we're dating?"
Minseok had prepared for this moment. He'd imagined it a hundred different ways. But now that it was happening, he had to bite his lip to keep from laughing.
"Hyunjoon-ah," he said carefully. "What makes you think you're dating?"
"What do you mean what makes me—we have dinner together three times a week! We went to Jeju! He lets me pay for everything! We're together all the time!"
"Okay, but like… did you ever actually tell him you wanted to date him?"
Hyunjoon stopped pacing. "I— we— it was obvious?!"
"To who?"
"To everyone! You guys always joke about it!"
"Right, but did you ever say the actual words 'I like you, let's date' to Hyeonjun-hyung?"
The silence was deafening.
"Oh my god," Hyunjoon whispered. "Oh my god."
"Yeah."
"He doesn't know."
"He definitely doesn't know."
"He thinks we're just—"
"Friends," Minseok confirmed. "Really good friends who happen to go on friend dates and take friend trips and do friend things that look exactly like dating to literally everyone except him."
Hyunjoon sat down hard in one of the chairs. His hands were shaking. "How is this possible?"
"Hyeonjun-hyung is… aggressively oblivious," Minseok said carefully. "It's kind of his charm."
"I've been—we've been—for months—" Hyunjoon's voice cracked slightly, and he pressed his palms against his eyes. The weight of it was crushing. Six months of thinking he had something real, something mutual, only to discover it was all in his head.
"I sent him hearts, Minseok-ah."
"I know."
"I bought us matching phone cases!"
"We all know."
"What do I do?" The question came out small, almost desperate.
"You tell him?"
"Just… tell him?"
"Use your words. 'Hyung, I like you romantically. I want to date you officially. These have been dates.'"
"What if he says no?" Hyunjoon's voice dropped to barely a whisper. "What if he doesn't feel the same way? What if I've been reading everything wrong and telling him just makes it awkward and ruins what we have?"
Minseok's expression softened. "Hyunjoon-ah. He went to Jeju with you. He lets you feed him tangerines. He texts you every morning. The only reason you're not officially dating is because he doesn't realize you're trying to date him."
"You really think…?"
"I know. That man is in deep, he just doesn't know it yet. You just need to make it clear."
That night, Hyunjoon lay in bed, staring at his ceiling, replaying every interaction with Hyeonjun through this new, horrifying lens.
All those dinners. The trip to Jeju. The matching phone cases. The daily good morning texts. The way Hyeonjun would lean against him during movie nights, warm and comfortable and trusting.
Hyeonjun had just thought they were being friends.
The realization sat like lead in his stomach. He'd been so careful, so attentive, learning all of Hyeonjun's preferences and habits. No cucumber. No pickled radish. Coffee with less sugar. He knew which convenience store Hyeonjun preferred, which brand of energy drink he liked, the exact way he took his ramyeon.
He knew all of this because he was in love, and he'd thought—god, he'd been so stupid—he'd thought Hyeonjun was learning him back the same way.
His phone buzzed.
Hyeonjun-hyung: you awake?
Hyunjoon's heart jumped.
Hyeonjun-hyung: can't sleep. wanna do late night ramyeon run?
And this—this was the problem. Because Hyunjoon's immediate instinct was to say yes, to jump out of bed and meet Hyeonjun in the kitchen and share ramyeon at 1am like they'd done a dozen times before.
But now he couldn't stop thinking: Does hyung want to do this because he likes me, or because I'm just… convenient? Available? A good friend?
Hyunjoon: sorry hyung, really tired tonight
Hyunjoon: rain check?
There was a long pause before Hyeonjun replied.
Hyeonjun-hyung: oh… yeah of course!! sleep well 😊
Hyunjoon stared at that emoji—the same one Hyeonjun always used, friendly and warm and meaning nothing the way Hyunjoon wanted it to mean something.
He turned off his phone and pressed his palms against his eyes.
Tomorrow. He'd tell him tomorrow.
He did not tell him tomorrow.
Or the day after that.
Because suddenly, Hyunjoon didn't know how to act around Hyeonjun anymore. Every casual touch felt loaded. Every smile felt like a question. Every dinner invitation felt like a test he was failing.
"You're being weird," Hyeonjun said on Friday, poking at his bibimbap with a frown. They were at their usual spot, but Hyunjoon had barely said ten words the entire meal.
"Sorry, hyung," Hyunjoon mumbled. "Just tired."
"You've been tired all week." Hyeonjun's expression was worried now, brows drawn together in that way that made Hyunjoon's chest ache. "Is something wrong? Did I do something?"
Yes, Hyunjoon thought wildly. You didn't realize I was in love with you.
"No, hyung," he said aloud. "You didn't do anything."
Hyeonjun didn't look convinced, but he let it drop.
The meal ended earlier than usual. They walked back to the dorm in uncomfortable silence—the first uncomfortable silence they'd ever had—and when they split off to their separate rooms, Hyunjoon felt like something had cracked between them.
The worst part was seeing the confusion in Hyeonjun's eyes. The way he'd reach out to touch Hyunjoon's arm during practice and then hesitate, pulling back. The way his texts became more tentative, questions marks appearing where there used to be certainty.
Hyeonjun-hyung: dinner tonight?
Hyeonjun-hyung: if you're not too tired, i mean
Hyeonjun-hyung: no pressure!!
Hyunjoon stared at those messages and wanted to scream. This was exactly what he'd been afraid of—that knowing the truth would poison what they had. That he'd lose Hyeonjun entirely by wanting too much.
Hyunjoon: sorry hyung, not feeling great
Another lie. They were piling up.
Wangho showed up on a Tuesday.
He was a former T1 member, still friends with some of the players, and Sanghyeok had invited him to stop by the practice facility, catch up, maybe grab dinner after.
What nobody had accounted for was that Wangho and Hyeonjun had briefly been on a team together in his teams before T1, and apparently still had that easy, comfortable rapport that came from shared history.
"Hyeonjun-ah!" Wangho's face lit up the second he spotted him. He crossed the practice room in three strides and pulled Hyeonjun into a hug that lifted him slightly off his feet.
Hyeonjun laughed, hugging back. "Hyung! I didn't know you were visiting!"
"Sanghyeok didn't tell you? That hyung is so addicted to Haidilao, he invited me just so he'd have an excuse to go."
From his seat at the computer, Hyunjoon watched this exchange with an expression that Minhyung would later describe as "a puppy watching someone else pet his owner."
"Oh no," Minseok whispered.
"Oh no," Minhyung echoed.
The thing about Wangho was that he was objectively great. Funny, talented, charismatic. The kind of person who made friends everywhere he went. Under normal circumstances, Hyunjoon would've been happy to see him.
These were not normal circumstances.
Because Wangho kept finding excuses to talk to Hyeonjun. Kept laughing at his jokes. Kept sitting just a little too close during the random games they played. And worst of all, Hyeonjun seemed completely comfortable with it, smiling and joking back like they'd never lost touch.
"Remember that time we snuck ramyeon into the dorms at 3am and set off the fire alarm?" Wangho was saying, grinning.
"Oh my god, the coaches were so mad," Hyeonjun laughed. "We had to run laps for a week."
"Worth it though."
"Totally worth it."
Hyunjoon's keyboard clicks were getting progressively louder. On screen, his champion walked directly into the enemy jungle with no vision and got immediately killed.
"You okay?" Minseok leaned over.
"Fine," Hyunjoon said through gritted teeth.
He wasn't fine. He was watching Hyeonjun smile at someone else—someone older, more established, someone who probably knew how to actually communicate his feelings instead of just assuming and hoping—and it felt like his chest was caving in.
It got worse at lunch.
The team decided to order in, and somehow the seating arrangement ended up with Wangho next to Hyeonjun, both of them sharing a container of tteokbokki and trading pieces of food like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Hyunjoon sat across from them, barely touching his own meal, watching Hyeonjun smile at something Wangho said.
That smile. The one Hyunjoon used to think was his.
"Hyeonjun-ah," Wangho said casually, "are you free this weekend? There's this new barbecue place in Gangnam I've been wanting to check out. You should come with."
Hyunjoon's chopsticks snapped in half.
Everyone froze.
"Ah, sorry," Hyunjoon said quickly, staring at the broken pieces. His hands were shaking. "I'll… get new ones."
He stood up and left the room before anyone could comment, before anyone could see the way his vision was blurring at the edges.
Hyeonjun frowned, worried. "Is he okay? He's been acting strange lately…"
"I'll check on him," Sanghyeok said, already rising.
But by the time Sanghyeok reached the hallway, Hyunjoon had already disappeared into one of the empty practice rooms, door closed, and Sanghyeok decided to give him space.
Inside, Hyunjoon sat on the floor with his back against the wall, head in his hands, trying to breathe through the tightness in his chest.
This was it. This was how it ended. Wangho would ask Hyeonjun out properly—actually ask, with words and clarity—and Hyeonjun would say yes because why wouldn't he? Wangho was great. Wangho made sense. Wangho wouldn't spend six months assuming they were dating without ever actually saying it.
And Hyunjoon would have to watch it happen. Would have to smile and be supportive and pretend his heart wasn't breaking, because that's what friends did, and apparently that's all they'd ever been.
His phone buzzed.
Hyeonjun-hyung: hey, you okay? you seemed off
Hyeonjun-hyung: did something happen?
Hyeonjun-hyung: talk to me?
Hyunjoon stared at those messages. At the concern in them. At the "talk to me" like Hyeonjun actually wanted to hear what was wrong.
But how could he explain? How could he say I thought we were together without sounding delusional? How could he say I'm in love with you when Hyeonjun was about to go on a date with someone else?
Hyunjoon: i'm fine hyung
Hyunjoon: just need some space
The lie tasted like ash.
Back in the main room, Wangho was getting ready to leave.
"I should head out," he said, stretching. "But seriously, Hyeonjun-ah, let me know about this weekend? It'll be fun."
"Oh, um—" Hyeonjun glanced toward the door where Hyunjoon had disappeared, something uncertain flickering across his face. "Can I get back to you? I might have plans already."
"Sure, no problem! Just text me."
After Wangho left, the room fell into an odd silence. Hyeonjun kept checking his phone, waiting for Hyunjoon to respond to his messages after his last reply, but nothing came through.
"Hyung," Minhyung said carefully. "Are you really going to go out with Wangho-hyung?"
"I don't know? Maybe? Why?"
Minhyung and Minseok exchanged loaded glances.
"No reason," Minseok said innocently. "Just wondering."
Hyeonjun frowned. "You're all being weird. First Hyunjoon, now you two. Did something happen that I don't know about?"
"Nope!" Minhyung said, too quickly.
But Hyeonjun wasn't stupid. Something was wrong—had been wrong all week—and it centered around Hyunjoon. The distance between them felt wrong, unnatural, like a joint out of place.
He missed him. Missed their dinners and their easy conversations and the way Hyunjoon would look at him sometimes, soft and warm and—
And what?
Hyeonjun pulled out his phone again.
Hyeonjun-hyung: hey, you okay? you seemed off
Hyeonjun-hyung: wanna do dinner tonight? just us?
Hyeonjun-hyung: i miss hanging out
He waited for the reply, anxiety coiling in his stomach for reasons he couldn't quite name.
In his room, Hyunjoon stared at the messages, chest tight.
Just us.
Like it used to be. Like it was supposed to be.
But everything felt complicated and loaded now, and he didn't know how to go back to the easy comfort they'd had before. Didn't know if he even could, knowing what he knew.
Hyunjoon: sorry hyung, not feeling great tonight
Hyunjoon: maybe another time
The lie tasted bitter.
Hyeonjun stared at the response, a confused frown creasing his forehead. This was the fourth time this week Hyunjoon had turned him down. Fourth time he'd pulled away.
Hyeonjun-hyung: okay… feel better ❤️
He added the heart without thinking. The same way he always did, because that's what friends did, right?
But when Hyunjoon didn't reply, Hyeonjun felt an unfamiliar twist in his chest. Something like worry, but sharper. Something like loss, but smaller.
Something he didn't have a name for yet.
That night, Hyeonjun couldn't sleep.
He lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, replaying the past week in his head. Hyunjoon avoiding him. Hyunjoon barely talking during their meals. Hyunjoon turning down every invitation.
Did I do something wrong?
But every time he tried to think of what it could be, he came up empty. Things had been fine—better than fine, actually. They'd been spending so much time together, and it had felt natural and easy and right in a way Hyeonjun couldn't quite explain.
He pulled up their text history, scrolling back through months of conversations. Good morning messages. Random memes. Pictures of food with "this looks good, wanna try it?" Plans for dinners and movies and that trip to Jeju that had been—
Hyeonjun paused.
Jeju. They'd gone to Jeju together. Shared a hotel room. Spent three days exploring the island, just the two of them, and it had been one of the best weekends of Hyeonjun's life.
He kept scrolling. The matching phone cases. The daily dinner dates. The way Hyunjoon always paid, always took care of him, always knew exactly what he needed before he even asked.
The way Hyunjoon looked at him sometimes, soft and fond and—
"Oh," Hyeonjun whispered to the darkness.
Oh.
His heart started racing, pieces clicking into place with sudden, alarming clarity. The dinners weren't just friendly hangouts. The trip to Jeju wasn't just a convenient vacation. The matching phone cases weren't just because they were on sale.
Hyunjoon had been—
Was Hyunjoon—?
No. No way. We're just friends. Right?
But even as he thought it, doubt crept in. Because friends didn't look at each other the way Hyunjoon looked at him. Friends don’t know each other's coffee orders and restaurant preferences and sleeping schedules. Friends don’t send hearts and good morning texts every single day for months.
Friends don’t go to Jeju alone and share a bed and wake up tangled together and think nothing of it.
"Oh my god," Hyeonjun said aloud, sitting up in bed. "Oh my god."
Had Hyunjoon been trying to date him this whole time?
The thought should have felt ridiculous. Should have felt impossible. But instead it felt like the answer to a question he hadn't known he was asking.
It would explain everything. The distance this past week. Hyunjoon's weird behavior. The way he'd looked when Wangho invited Hyeonjun to dinner, like something had broken inside him.
Because Hyunjoon thought—
Hyunjoon thought Hyeonjun was about to go on a date with someone else.
"I'm an idiot," Hyeonjun breathed. "I'm such an idiot."
He grabbed his phone, pulled up his Suhwan's number.
Hyeonjun: you know how you asked if i was seeing anyone?
Suhwan: yeah?? are you???
Hyeonjun: i think i might have been for six months and didn't realize it
Suhwan: ……WHAT
Hyeonjun: i'll explain later
Hyeonjun: i need to fix this
The next morning, Hyunjoon woke up to his phone buzzing incessantly.
Hyeonjun-hyung: can we talk?
Hyeonjun-hyung: please?
Hyeonjun-hyung: i need to ask you something important
Hyeonjun-hyung: i'll be in the kitchen
Hyunjoon's stomach dropped. This was it. Hyeonjun was going to tell him about Wangho. About how he'd decided to go to that barbecue dinner, maybe start dating properly, and could they still be friends?
But he couldn't avoid this forever.
Hyunjoon: okay
Hyunjoon: give me five minutes
He got dressed slowly, trying to prepare himself for the worst. Trying to figure out how to smile and be supportive when his heart was already in pieces.
When he walked into the kitchen, Hyeonjun was sitting at the counter, two cups of coffee already made—one with less sugar, just how Hyunjoon liked it.
"Hi," Hyeonjun said softly.
"Hi, hyung."
They stared at each other for a long moment. Hyeonjun looked nervous, fingers tapping against his coffee cup. Hyunjoon wanted to reach out, to smooth the worry from his face, but he kept his hands in his pockets.
"So," Hyeonjun started, then stopped. Took a breath. "I need to ask you something, and I need you to be honest with me."
"Okay."
"Have you been… trying to date me?"
The kitchen fell completely silent. Hyunjoon felt like the floor had dropped out from under him.
"What?"
"The dinners," Hyeonjun said, words coming faster now. "And Jeju. And the matching phone cases. The way you always pay and always take care of me and— were those dates? Have we been dating?"
Hyunjoon's mouth opened and closed soundlessly. Of all the conversations he'd imagined having, this wasn't one of them.
"I—" he managed. "You didn't know?"
"I didn't— I thought we were just—" Hyeonjun stood up, crossing to stand in front of him. "Hyunjoon-ah, I need you to tell me. Please. Have you been trying to date me this whole time?"
The desperation in his voice broke something in Hyunjoon. All the walls he'd built up this past week crumbled.
"Yes," he admitted, voice cracking. "Yes, hyung. I thought—for months I thought we were together. All those dinners. Jeju. Everything. I thought we were dating and you just—you had no idea."
"And then Wangho showed up," Hyeonjun said softly.
"And then Wangho-hyung showed up and you were so happy to see him and he asked you to dinner and I realized I never even told you how I felt. I just assumed." Hyunjoon laughed bitterly. "I just assumed and now I don't know how to— I don't know how to just be your friend when I've been in love with you this whole time."
The words hung between them, heavy and irreversible.
Hyeonjun was staring at him with an expression Hyunjoon couldn't read. Shock, maybe. Or worse—pity.
"I'm sorry," Hyunjoon said quickly. "I didn't mean to make things awkward. I'll— I can give you space. If you want to go out with Wangho-hyung, I understand. I'll be—"
"I don't want to go out with Wangho-hyung," Hyeonjun interrupted.
Hyunjoon blinked. "What?"
"I don't want to go out with Wangho-hyung. I want—" Hyeonjun took a shaky breath. "God, Hyunjoon-ah, I'm so stupid. I should have realized. All this time, I just thought I was lucky to have such a thoughtful friend. I didn't let myself think it could be anything more because I didn't want to ruin what we had."
Hyunjoon's brain short-circuited. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying I've been half in love with you for months and convinced myself it was impossible." Hyeonjun stood up and stepped closer, close enough that Hyunjoon could see the warmth in his eyes. "I'm saying those dinners? I wanted them to be dates. Jeju? Best weekend of my life. The matching phone cases? I was so happy when you suggested them because it felt like— like we were a set. Like we belonged together."
"Hyung—"
"I'm saying yes," Hyeonjun said firmly. "To all of it. The dates, the feelings, everything. If you still want—"
Hyunjoon closed the distance between them and kissed him.
It was soft and desperate and six months of miscommunication dissolving in an instant. Hyeonjun made a small surprised sound before melting into it, hands coming up to cup Hyunjoon's face like he was something precious.
When they finally pulled apart, both breathless, Hyunjoon pressed their foreheads together.
"So we're… actually dating now?" he whispered. "Officially?"
"We've been dating for six months, apparently," Hyeonjun said with a wet laugh. "I just didn't know it. But yes. Officially. For real this time."
"I need to hear you say it, hyung. Please."
Hyeonjun pulled back just enough to meet his eyes. "Moon Hyunjoon, I like you. Romantically. I want to date you. Officially. These have all been dates, and I'm sorry it took me so long to figure it out."
Hyunjoon laughed—really laughed—for the first time in days, and Hyeonjun felt something in his chest settle into place.
This.
This was right.
"Also," Hyeonjun added, slightly sheepish, "I should probably update my Suhwa. And tell Wangho-hyung I can't make it to that barbecue place."
"Wait, you were actually considering it?"
"I mean, he's a friend," Hyeonjun said, a small smile playing at his lips. "But no, I wasn't really considering it. I kept thinking about you. About how weird you'd been acting and how much I missed you and—" He stopped, eyes widening. "Oh my god. You thought I was going to say yes to him, didn't you? That's why you were so upset."
Hyunjoon's ears turned red. "Maybe."
"Hyunjoon-ah." Hyeonjun's voice was soft, fond. "You really thought I'd choose anyone else over you?"
"You didn't know there was a choice to make, hyung."
"Fair point." Hyeonjun kissed him again, quick and sweet. "For the record, there's no choice. It's you. It's always been you."
Hyunjoon felt like his heart might burst. "I really like you, hyung."
"I really like you too."
They stood there in the kitchen, foreheads pressed together, grinning like idiots, until—
"FINALLY!"
They jumped apart to find Minseok standing in the doorway, phone raised like he'd been recording the entire thing.
"Minseok-ah!" Hyeonjun yelped.
"Do you know," Minseok said dramatically, "how long we've been waiting for this? MONTHS. We've been watching this trainwreck for MONTHS."
Minhyung appeared behind him, grinning. "He's not wrong. You two were painful to watch."
"You were spying on us?" Hyunjoon demanded, though he couldn't quite muster any real anger.
"We live here," Minseok pointed out. "You were having a moment in the communal kitchen. That's on you."
Sanghyeok walked in then, took one look at Hyunjoon and Hyeonjun standing close together, hands intertwined, and smiled. "Good. You figured it out."
"You knew?" Hyeonjun asked.
"Everyone knew, hyung," Minhyung said. "Literally everyone except you."
"And that," Minseok added, "is why we've been losing our minds."
Hyeonjun laughed, slightly embarrassed. "I can't believe I was that oblivious."
"It was honestly impressive," Sanghyeok said. "But I'm glad you worked it out."
"Me too," Hyunjoon said softly, squeezing Hyeonjun's hand.
The first thing everyone noticed was that Hyunjoon and Hyeonjun were inseparable.
Well, more inseparable than before, which was saying something.
They came back from a quick convenience store run holding hands, and nobody even blinked. They sat pressed together during practice breaks, and it was just accepted as normal. When Hyunjoon fed Hyeonjun tangerine slices now, there was a new awareness to it—a soft intimacy that made even Minhyung sigh contentedly.
"They're so cute," Minhyung whispered.
"Give it three days," Minseok muttered. "Then it'll get unbearable."
He was right.
Three days later, Minseok threw a pillow at them.
They were in the practice room during a break. Hyunjoon was sitting in his chair, and Hyeonjun was practically in his lap, arms wrapped around his neck while Hyunjoon fed him pieces of melon.
"Oh my god," Minseok groaned.
"What?" Hyeonjun said innocently, not even bothering to move.
"You two are unbearable."
"We're being cute!"
"You're being gross. There's a difference."
"Minseok is just jealous," Hyunjoon said, grinning.
"I'm not jealous, I'm traumatized. Do you know what it's like watching you two for six months thinking you were together, then watching you almost break up, and now watching you be actually disgustingly in love? I've been through emotional warfare."
Minhyung walked in, took one look at them, and sighed. "They're doing it again?"
"They haven't stopped."
"I think it's cute," Minhyung offered.
"That's because you sit on the other side of the room. I'm right here. I have to witness every forehead kiss, every hand-hold, every—" Minseok shuddered. "This morning Hyunjoon called him 'baby' in the kitchen."
"I did," Hyunjoon confirmed, unrepentant.
"And I liked it," Hyeonjun added, pressing a kiss to Hyunjoon's cheek.
Minseok made a sound of pure suffering.
"You literally wanted this," Sanghyeok pointed out, walking in with his water bottle. "You complained about them not being together."
"I wanted them to admit their feelings, not become the couple that makes everyone else feel single!"
"Sounds like a you problem," Hyeonjun said cheerfully.
Minseok threw another pillow. Hyeonjun caught it without even looking, because apparently being in love had given him superpowers.
Despite Minseok's dramatic complaints, everyone was genuinely happy for them.
The team dinners were lighter now, without the weight of unspoken feelings hanging over everything. Hyunjoon smiled more. Not the careful, controlled smiles from before, but real ones that reached his eyes. Hyeonjun seemed more settled, like something he didn't know was missing had finally clicked into place.
And sure, they were a little insufferable with the PDA. Hyunjoon's hand always finding Hyeonjun's under the table, the way they'd gravitate toward each other during breaks, the soft looks they'd exchange when they thought no one was watching (everyone was watching). But it was the kind of insufferable that came from people who were genuinely, obviously happy.
"I'm glad it worked out," Sanghyeok said one evening, when it was just him and Hyunjoon in the practice room.
"Me too, hyung," Hyunjoon said quietly. "I was so scared I'd ruined everything."
"You just needed to communicate."
"Revolutionary advice."
Sanghyeok smiled. "Sometimes the simple answer is the right one."
Hyunjoon glanced toward the door, where Hyeonjun was laughing at something Minhyung said, and his expression softened into something so tender it was almost painful to witness. "I still can't believe he feels the same way."
"Believe it," Sanghyeok said. "That man looks at you like you hung the moon."
"He does?"
"He always has. You were both just too busy looking at each other to notice."
A week later, Wangho came back for that BBQ dinner with Sanghyeok.
"So," he said, grinning at Hyeonjun across the table. "I heard you're officially off the market now."
Hyeonjun laughed, leaning into Hyunjoon's side. "Yeah. Sorry about that barbecue place."
"No worries. I figured something was up when you were both acting so weird around each other." Wangho's eyes sparkled with amusement. "For what it's worth, I think you two are good together."
"Thanks, hyung," Hyunjoon said, relaxing slightly.
"Also," Wangho added, turning to Sanghyeok, "I was never actually trying to ask Hyeonjun out, you know. I just wanted to catch up with an old friend."
Sanghyeok raised an eyebrow. "I know."
"You—wait, you knew?"
"Obviously."
Wangho stared at him for a long moment, something shifting in his expression. "Then why did you let Hyunjoon think—"
"Because they needed a push," Sanghyeok said simply. "And jealousy is a powerful motivator."
"You're diabolical."
"I prefer 'strategically helpful.'"
Across the table, Minhyung leaned over to Minseok. "Did Sanghyeok-hyung just admit to orchestrating the whole thing?"
"I think he did."
"That's kind of hot, actually."
"Do not start with the Faker worship right now—"
But Wangho was still looking at Sanghyeok with a new appreciation, and Sanghyeok's lips curved into the smallest smile.
"Anyway," Wangho said, "I'm glad it worked out for them. They're cute together."
"They are," Sanghyeok agreed.
Their eyes held for a moment longer than necessary, and Hyeonjun kicked Hyunjoon under the table.
"Are they—?" Hyeonjun mouthed.
Hyunjoon glanced between them and grinned. "I think so."
"Should we do something?"
"Absolutely not. Let them figure it out themselves."
"That's rich, coming from us."
Hyunjoon laughed and kissed Hyeonjun's temple, and across from them, Minseok made a gagging sound that was roundly ignored.
Later that night, Hyeonjun found Hyunjoon on the dorm rooftop, looking out at the Seoul skyline. The city lights stretched endlessly in every direction, but Hyunjoon's attention was focused on his phone, scrolling through something with a soft smile.
"Hey," Hyeonjun said softly, sliding an arm around his waist. "What are you looking at?"
"Our text history," Hyunjoon admitted, slightly embarrassed. "From the beginning. It's kind of funny how obvious it was."
Hyeonjun peered at the screen. Messages about dinner plans and game recommendations and random thoughts at 2am. Hearts scattered throughout. Good morning texts every single day for months.
"We really were dating the whole time," Hyeonjun murmured, wonder in his voice.
"You just didn't know it."
"I'm sorry it took me so long to figure it out." Hyeonjun tightened his hold. "I'm sorry I hurt you."
"You didn't hurt me, hyung. Well— maybe a little. But we're here now." Hyunjoon turned in his arms, cupping Hyeonjun's face. "That's what matters."
"I keep thinking about all those dinners," Hyeonjun said. "All those trips. They were dates the whole time and I just… didn't let myself believe it. Didn't let myself hope for it."
"Why not?"
"Because you're—" Hyeonjun gestured helplessly. "You're you. You're talented and caring and everyone on the team adores you. I didn't think you'd ever see me that way."
"Hyung." Hyunjoon's voice was incredulous. "You're the most amazing person I know. You're funny and kind and so good at everything you do. I've been half in love with you since the first team dinner when you laughed at my terrible joke and made me feel like maybe I belonged here."
Hyeonjun's eyes were suspiciously bright. "That was a terrible joke."
"It was awful," Hyunjoon agreed. "But you laughed anyway."
"Because I liked you," Hyeonjun said softly. "I already liked you, even then. I just didn't let myself think about it."
They stood there on the rooftop, wrapped in each other, the city lights painting everything in gold. Hyunjoon thought about all the months of miscommunication, of almost-but-not-quite, of thinking he'd lost something he never really had.
But they were here now. Finally, actually, officially together.
"I love you," Hyunjoon said, the words spilling out before he could stop them. "Is that okay? Is it too soon?"
Hyeonjun laughed, soft and delighted. "We've been dating for six months without knowing it. I think we're past 'too soon.'" He pressed a kiss to Hyunjoon's forehead, then his nose, then his lips. "I love you too. So much."
Hyunjoon kissed him properly then—soft and slow and full of promise. The kind of kiss that said this is just the beginning.
When they finally pulled apart, both breathless, Hyeonjun grinned. "Suhwan is going to be so smug when I tell him."
"Tell him I said thank you."
"For what?"
"For asking if you were seeing anyone. That's what started everything."
Hyeonjun laughed. "So we're blaming him for our happiness?"
"Absolutely."
They stayed on the rooftop until Minseok came looking for them, complained about the PDA again, and then ruined his own argument by taking a photo of them because "I guess you're kind of cute together, whatever."
He sent it to the group chat. Minhyung set it as his phone background. Sanghyeok saved it with a small smile.
The next morning, Hyeonjun updated Suhwan:
Hyeonjun: remember when you asked if i was seeing anyone?
Suhwan: YEAH??? ARE YOU???
Hyeonjun: yeah. have been for six months apparently
Hyeonjun: just didn't know it
Suhwan: ……WHAT
Hyeonjun: long story
Hyeonjun: but i'm really happy
Suhwan: I'M GONNA NEED DETAILS
Hyeonjun: later! practice time
Hyeonjun: but yeah. his name is hyunjoon and he's perfect
Suhwan: AHHHHHH IM SO HAPPY FOR YOU
Suhwan: also you're an IDIOT how do you date someone for six months without knowing
Hyeonjun: trust me i know
Hyeonjun: but we figured it out
Hyeonjun: that's what matters
He pocketed his phone and found Hyunjoon waiting by the door, two coffees in hand—one with less sugar, just how Hyeonjun liked it.
"Ready, hyung?" Hyunjoon asked.
Hyeonjun took his coffee, kissed him quickly (ignoring Minseok's groan of "NOT AGAIN" from inside the practice room), and smiled.
"Ready."
And for the first time in six months, they walked in together—actually, finally, officially together, with everyone knowing it, including themselves.
"They're still at it," Minhyung whispered to Minseok during a practice break.
Across the room, Hyunjoon was peeling tangerines for Hyeonjun again, passing him slices one by one while Hyeonjun scrolled through his phone, completely comfortable in each other's space.
"Some things never change," Minseok said, but he was smiling.
"At least now we know it's intentional."
"True. And they're happy."
"Disgustingly so."
"The worst part," Minseok said, "is that I'm actually getting used to it."
"Character development."
Sanghyeok walked past them, coffee in hand. "Still complaining?"
"Always," Minseok said. "It's the principle of the thing."
But when Hyunjoon laughed at something Hyeonjun said, bright and genuine and free, even Minseok had to admit (begrudgingly) that it was worth it.