A is talking on the phone with C when they start discussing what they think about people they know. After some coaxing, A ends up gushing about B for a while. Unbeknownst to A, C puts the phone on loudspeaker, smirking - B was in the same room as C all along, can now hear A’s ranting perfectly, and their reaction is just too funny and/or cute as hell.

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“So, it’s been what, four months since you moved back to Seoul?” Curious to know who Youngbae was talking to, Jiyong tried to listen in on the phone call when his roommate settled on the chair opposite of him. He didn’t have much better to do anyway. He was tired, there was nothing fun on tv and he’d already scrolled down all of his social media. Jiyong could vaguely hear what sounded like a confirmation from the other end of the call.

“How is it? Feeling at home yet?” Youngbae asked on, his tone as casual and lazy as his posture slouched in the chair. Jiyong closed his eyes as a series of unintelligible murmurs followed from Seunghyun’s side. It could be none other than Seunghyun. The familiarity Youngbae spoke with and the recent return to their city, there was only one person Jiyong knew of to bring those specific little facts together. When they were in their first year of college, Youngbae and Seunghyun had met through their shared passion for dance. They both attended the tryout day for the sports clubs of their school and had spend the next two years becoming close friends. However, Seunghyun never finished college. Their paths separated when Seunghyun was offered a job in Osaka and moved away for the next five years. He got to work on a dream project and he loved it, but it was incredibly busy and he didn't get to take any trips to his home country. They kept in contact and Youngbae had considered visiting his friend in Japan instead, but there was always one reason or another that kept him from actually going. Jiyong had never met Seunghyun before his return four months ago, but he had already known plenty about the other from Youngbae’s stories. It was clear Youngbae had missed him and their friendship and it was good to see them pick up where they left off so easily.

Seunghyun was naturally a very social person and he had lots of connections everywhere, but Youngbae was more than that. Youngbae was a true friend and Youngbae kept worrying for five constructive years about how Seunghyun was managing to live abroad on his own. Seunghyun spoke perfectly fine Japanese and he had been living alone since he was 17. It was adorable, really. Youngbae was almost acting like an overprotective lover, but Jiyong knew it was very unlikely to be the case because unlike himself, Youngbae was as straight as a pole for all of his life. It was a classic bromance, but it was still cute to see Youngbae so concerned. He'd wanted to know whether or not Seunghyun got enough hours of sleep, or if there were people outside of business to call his friends, and now that the other was back he tried so hard to help Seunghyun adjust to life in Seoul. He’d helped him find an apartment, directed him to all the new stores and made sure to introduce Seunghyun to new people so he would feel welcomed. Now, too, Jiyong heard the names of many of their friends come by as Youngbae wanted to know if the other wasn’t feeling out of place. Loneliness, Youngbae had once commented, was the worst enemy of someone like Seunghyun. Silence created insecurity. Jiyong didn’t think of himself as someone all that social, but he could still relate to the idea.

Jiyong hadn’t really been listening to the conversation anymore, not able to follow very well what was being discussed anyway, until he felt a tap on his knee. He opened his eyes as he was wordlessly asked for attention, finding Youngbae in front of him with the phone still pressed to his ear but his focus clearly on Jiyong. The other made a motion between Jiyong and the phone that Jiyong didn’t initially understand, but before he could ask anything Youngbae quickly pressed a button on his phone and placed it down on the table.

“--at about Jiyong?” Seunghyun’s voice sounded over the speaker, unsure of his answer, and Jiyong frowned in confusion about why Youngbae was making him listen and why the other was talking about him. It didn’t seem Youngbae had let Seunghyun know that he would turn on the loudspeaker, either.  

“I don’t know. He’s been my best friend, after you moved to Osaka and all, and I figured you would get along with him, too,” Youngbae reasoned, clearly attempting to sound uncaring despite the unmistakable tension about him as he squad beside the table. It was an obvious act to Jiyong, but Seunghyun couldn’t see the plotting in Youngbae’s eyes. “We’re all invested in music, right?” Youngbae tried to prompt a reaction from the other side, but it was so specific that it didn’t help Seunghyun’s confusion at all.

“Well, yeah, that’s true,” Seunghyun replied, a small laugh escaping him. “Still, I don’t know what you want to hear. I haven’t known him for that long. He’s a cool guy, what else?”

“A cool guy. Come on, you’ve got to have some more eloquent adjectives,” Youngbae continued to bother Seunghyun about the topic, constantly stealing glances at Jiyong to check whether the other was listening, and Jiyong just shook his head more strongly each time. Not because he wasn’t listening. He was, and it definitely had his interest why Youngbae was doing this, but he simply didn’t see where it was heading other than towards a frustrated Seunghyun.

“Exhilarating?”

“Exhilarating. Now we’re getting somewhere,” Youngbae repeated, suddenly seeming a lot more excited about the reply as he sent Jiyong a big grin. Youngbae was definitely the only one who knew what was going on. “Why exhilarating?”

“Youngbae, really, it was just what came to my mind. You wanted eloquent. What does it--”

“Just tell me how you feel about Jiyong.”

“I…” There was a pause. Jiyong thought he’d react exactly the same. Seunghyun was cornered, confused and still getting pushed. He wasn’t getting a moment to think and didn’t get any explanation when he asked for it. Youngbae was playing a mean game. Seunghyun sighed heavily. “Okay, you wouldn’t be pestering me like this if you didn’t already have some sort of suspicion, right?”

Jiyong’s mouth fell open immediately and he looked straight into Youngbae’s victorious eyes. Oh. Youngbae had most definitely been getting at something specific and Seunghyun hadn’t been as lost about what he meant as Jiyong had thought. Seunghyun had a liking for him? Couldn’t Youngbae have told him like a normal person told a friend?

“I mean, men in music have always been attractive to me. You know that much. And his style is so interesting and I love the passion he has when he explains his work. It shows in everything he does, really. It’s so beautiful. I don’t know if you see it the way I do, but even just his appearance screams of thought and expression,” Seunghyun gushed for a while and Jiyong couldn’t contain the many feelings it was giving him. It was so sweet. It was completely unexpected, but it felt incredibly nice to hear someone praise him with so much sincerity. Jiyong had covered his mouth with his hand at first, drawn his knees to his chest to confine his energy, but it was so hard to keep still as the kind words kept coming. He forbade himself to make any sound. Seunghyun still didn’t know he’d heard all of this. Youngbae was watching Jiyong’s struggle and trying his absolute best not to laugh, not wanting to let Seunghyun know what he’d done either. Jiyong wondered if all of it meant that Youngbae wanted Jiyong to step up and make a move on Seunghyun, but that was for later concern. This still wasn’t over.

“I really would like to get to know him more. I should ask him out. Please tell me you’re not making me say this because you want to warn me he has a girlfriend,” Seunghyun concluded his confession, adding the last part so quickly Jiyong could see him press his eyes shut and wait anxiously for an answer. He smiled just thinking about it. Seunghyun definitely was a gorgeous man. A gorgeous man with amazing talents and the greatest heart that apparently liked him. Jiyong could get used to that.

“Aw no! No Seunghyun, there's no girlfriend! Jiyong is a single man, and I can assure you that he has dated men before, too. I just wanted to let you know that because I could see you're interested. In fact, I'd say Jiyong would like it if you asked him out.” Jiyong looked up at the mention of his name, nodding strongly before he even thought about it. Youngbae grinned at him and gave him a thumbs up before both of their gazes drifted to the phone on the table.

“You really think so?”

“I'm sure,” Youngbae affirmed, a calm certainty settling into his voice that made it sound like everything had fallen into place. There was self-satisfaction from Youngbae's side, but it also sounded particularly right. Jiyong would absolutely like it if Seunghyun asked him out. Jiyong hadn’t really given it much thought before and it all came at him quite suddenly, but that was probably why it was hitting him like a truck right now.

“Thank you. I might call him. Soon,” Seunghyun made a slow decision, but something told Jiyong it wasn’t hesitant. Seunghyun would call. Jiyong knew this as Youngbae and Seunghyun ended their call, another affirmation and simple greetings sounding, and he knew it still when Youngbae sent an ultimate smug smile in his direction. Jiyong rolled his eyes and challenged the arrogant gaze for a while, but Youngbae didn’t let up.

“So?” Youngbae prompted when the silence lasted too long for his liking, “Excited about you upcoming date?” Yes. Yes, Jiyong was excited, but he wasn’t going to feed Youngbae’s ego.

“You understand that I will have to tell him, don't you? I mean, it's going to come out sooner or later, and I don't want to be a lying boyfriend.” Jiyong found it hard to sound irritated when he in fact realised that it was thanks to Youngbae’s antics that he was looking forward to a very welcome date, but at least he had tried. That was enough. Youngbae and Jiyong tended to try out for how much they could ignore one another while talking directly.

“But you want to be a boyfriend. Seunghyun’s.” Youngbae’s comment came with a kissy face and another grin, still pleased with himself despite Jiyong’s sass. It never made a difference. Jiyong never really cared to refute as long as the truth wasn't getting twisted.

“And you don’t feel awkward about the fact you just hooked up two of your best friends?”

“Nah.” Youngbae shrugged simply. He didn’t see any reason why his friends shouldn’t date if they wanted to, so he didn’t see any reason why it would be awkward to help them see what was obvious to him either. It only saved time and stress. His tone was a lot less teasing and a lot more honest when he continued. “It would have happened at some point anyway. I saw an opportunity and sped things up. ”

“How did you know?”

“How did you not know?”

Jiyong would have pressed for an example of when they were being obvious, or when Jiyong had his kiss-me eyes, or whatever Youngbae would call it, but his phone rang. He met Youngbae’s eyes as he reached for the device, both of them suspecting who the caller might be. Jiyong whispered the name softly as a confirmation when he saw it on his screen, finding himself suddenly nervous as the two syllables seemed to hold more promises than they had earlier that day. Seung. Hyun.

It was Youngbae’s voice full of amusement that reminded him he had a call to answer.

“Welcome to the relationship life. Pick up.”

Jiyong did.