“Today was awful, Minhyukkie,” Hoseok whines, nestling his head into the younger’s lap. He closes his eyes in an attempt to block out the light in the living room, whimpering slightly. Minhyuk chuckles at the older’s babyish tendencies, running fingers through his hair affectionately.

“Your boss a total jerk again?” he asks, though he already knows the answer. Hoseok absolutely despises his boss, and would’ve quit by now if the pay weren’t so good. However, money doesn’t grow on trees, and neither wish to give up their apartment. So, Hoseok slaves away at a corporate building all day while Minhyuk works every part-time job he can get. Minhyuk would become a company drone like his friend, but he hasn’t become that desperate… yet. Hyunwoo and Jooheon, their other roommates, help out with rent as much as they can, as well, but Jooheon is merely an underground rapper and Hyunwoo doesn’t get hired too often because of his career choice being a backup dancer, leaving the rent to Hoseok and Minhyuk.

“You know what would make me feel better?” Hoseok says, his mood suddenly brightening as he smirks up at his best friend. Minhyuk sighs, immediately moving to get up.

“If you’d have checked on the stove before throwing yourself at me,” Minhyuk tells him, “you’d have seen that your ramyeon is already made.” Hoseok sits straight up, a look of awe on his face. Minhyuk can’t help but chuckle at the adorable expression, shaking his head at his hyung.

“You’re the best, Minhyukkie,” Hoseok compliments. He leaps up from the couch, fully intending to devour the meal, but a sharp pain in his side causes him to double over. His reaction is more from surprise than the pain itself, though he doesn’t know why he’s so surprised. He should be expecting this by now, it certainly happening long enough for him to get used to it by now.

“Hyung?” Minhyuk asks worriedly, moving to help the older straighten up. Hoseok throws out a halting hand, pressing his other against his side. He squeezes his eyes shut tightly, spots dancing in his vision.

“It’s alright,” he grunts out. “It’s just my words again.” He focuses on his breathing, it being the only sound in the room until he straightens back up. He meets Minhyuk’s anxious glance, throwing a nonchalant grin on his face.

“That shouldn’t be happening, hyung,” Minhyuk tells him, crossing his arms over his chest. “That never happened with my words.”

“That’s because you and Jooheonney hit it off immediately,” Hoseok replies, walking passed the younger into the kitchen. “Neither of you even understood what your words actually were when you two met.” Minhyuk shrugs, choosing to ignore that comment.

“Hyunwoo-hyung’s words don’t do that,” he retorts. Hoseok waves that off, yawning widely.

“It’s fine, Minhyukkie,” he insists. The front door opens suddenly, causing both their heads to snap over. Hyunwoo and Jooheon, their two other roommates, enter the apartment. Minhyuk cries out, flinging himself over at a surprised Jooheon.

“Heonney,” Minhyuk pouts, shoving his face close to the younger’s, “Hoseok’s words are hurting him, and he won’t listen to me about it.” Jooheon chuckles, wrapping his arms around the taller.

“What would either of us know about it?” Jooheon asks. “We met each other in kindergarten. We’re kind of in a different situation than he is.”

“They shouldn’t be hurting if you haven’t met your soulmate yet,” Hyunwoo mumbles, placing his shoes on the shoe rack by the door. “At the most they should be itching if you’re about to meet them, but they shouldn’t be causing you any pain.”

“Thank you, hyung,” Minhyuk says turning to shoot a triumphant glare at Hoseok. “Listen to him. He’s the oldest and wisest of us all.” Hyunwoo suddenly blushes at the comment, and he moves passed his friends to sit in the armchair. Hoseok shakes his head, ignoring his friend as he goes to sit at the table and eat his dinner.

“It’s fine,” Hoseok tells them. “Really, I can manage.”

“When I meet this soulmate of yours,” Minhyuk says, crossing his arms over his chest as he goes to sit at the table with Hoseok, “I’m going to kick him.” Hoseok chuckles loudly at this, his smile so wide some of the broth nearly falling from his mouth.

“It isn’t his fault, Minmoongie,” Hoseok defends. The words flare up once more, eliciting a grunt from him. Minhyuk raises an eyebrow, shaking his head at his friend.

“Well someone’s to blame,” Minhyuk argues, “and it sure isn’t you.” Hoseok shakes his head, loving how protective his friend is of him but also exasperated with the conversation. “Besides, I can already tell I’m not going to like him anyway. What he’s going to say to you is just… so…”

“How do you know what his words say?” Jooheon asks suddenly, glancing over at them from the living room.

“We’re best friends, Jooheon-ah,” Minhyuk replies easily, “we tell each other everything.” He waggles a brow at the younger, causing his usually nearly-closed eyes to widen exponentially.

“Did you tell him what I first said to you?” Jooheon asks worriedly. Hoseok’s knowing laugh is all the answer that’s needed, earning a pout from the boy on the couch. “Hyung!” Minhyuk coos, puffing out his cheeks at the cute expression.

“I’m sorry, Heonney,” he says, “it was just so adorable when you were little.” He chuckles lowly, adding, “I mean, it’s still really cute…”

“Ah! You scared me!” Hoseok recites, mimicking how Jooheon sounded back in those days. Even Hyunwoo chuckles at this, earning an even bigger pout from the youngest in the room. Minhyuk coos again, propelling himself from the table and to the couch, crushing the other in a hug.

“Hyung!” Jooheon complains, though his smile tells how much he loves the attention. Hoseok watches their antics, Minhyuk pulling at Jooheon’s chubby cheeks and poking his dimples affectionately. He remembers what his own words say, and can’t help but laugh to himself.

“Well don’t just leave your shoes there, that’s what the rack is for.”

Whoever this soulmate is, he’s going to be a pain, Hoseok can’t help but think, though he can’t really say he minds.  

“Changkyunnie,” Kihyun calls from the front door, slipping out of his shoes and putting them on the rack. When there’s no reply, Kihyun shakes his head, and tries once more, raising his voice so that it echoes throughout the apartment. “Changkyun-ah, answer me!” he shouts, already moving towards the younger’s room. He opens the door without knocking, surprising Changkyun so much he nearly drops his laptop. He removes his headphones quickly, looking up surprisedly at Kihyun.

“Welcome home, hyung,” he murmurs, closing his laptop and standing.

“Is Hyungwon-ah back yet?” Kihyun asks, leaning against the doorframe. Changkyun shakes his head, running a hand through his hair as he makes as if to leave the room. “What do you want for dinner tonight?”

“I’ve honestly been wanting chicken all day,” Changkyun chuckles, glancing at the older with hopeful eyes. Kihyun in a thoughtful breath through his teeth. He loves the sound of chicken, but they’ve been needing to cook what food is left in the kitchen before it goes bad all week.

“We can have that this weekend, after the move,” he reasons slowly. Changkyun pouts at this, pausing to wait before going into the bathroom until a decision is made.

“Whatever you feel like making, hyung,” Changkyun sighs, thinking this to be the end of it.

“Whatever you feel like helping me make, dongsaeng,” Kihyun fires back. The sound of the front door opening distracts Kihyun for a moment, and Changkyun takes this moment to slip into the bathroom. Kihyun shakes his head once more, returning to the living room to ask Hyungwon the same question.

“I was actually thinking I could—“

“I’ll just make a hotpot,” Kihyun sighs, waving off Hyungwon’s predictable offer to cook for everyone. Despite his well-meaning, the younger can’t cook worth a damn. Kihyun wouldn’t feel right subjecting Changkyunnie to that.

As he retrieves the ingredients from the fridge, a pain suddenly flares up his right thigh, causing him to pause mid-step until it subsides. He glances around, making sure neither of the others notices. Hyungwon seems too engrossed in the book he’s reading on the couch to have seen, and Changkyun is still in the bathroom. Kihyun breathes a sigh of relief, moving to lean against the counter.

If his soulmate ends up being half a pain as his words are causing him, Kihyun can honestly wait a long time before meeting him.