It started off because Wonshik was very bad at rock-paper-scissor so the whole team sacrificed him to cheer broken-hearted Taekwoon up. He tried to refuse, but every single one of them argued that he’d do a good job, that they’re a subunit anyway so Wonshik just had to man up and take the blow for the team. Plus, Wonshik had always been super clingy towards Taekwoon, so what difference pretending to be fallen for him made?

So he did it. He poured out his attention towards Taekwoon and the whole team helped. He went into full boyfriend material mode for Taekwoon, cheering him up and helped him to get over the messy breakup he had just got. Wonshik would always be there at the right moment, pulling Taekwoon into a warm embrace every time any of the members found him crying again.

In the past, Wonshik heard about just how easy it was for a broken-hearted person to fall for whoever comforted them after. Somehow, it was proven to be true, judging from Taekwoon’s reaction. At first, he was accepting all the comfort Wonshik gave. Then slowly, he seemed to be too aware for their closeness, blushing ever so often even at the slightest touch. But Wonshik kept on advancing, and the other members encouraged him too. It was for the team.

When Taekwoon confessed to him first, it was at night when all the other member had fallen asleep. Taekwoon was making a midnight snack and Wonshik needed to use the toilet. Upon smelling the delicious noodle seasoning, Wonshik decided to enter the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Leo’s waist, propping his chin on the shoulder as he peeked at the boiled noodles. Taekwoon ended up sharing his noodles with Wonshik, eating from the same pot.

“It’s pretty romantic, isn’t it?” asked Wonshik teasingly, with a big grin on his face. To his surprise, Taekwoon nodded, blush spreading across his face.

“Wonshik…” Taekwoon said softly, feather-light voice barely missed by Wonshik, “I—I really like you. Would you want to be my boyfriend?”

Wonshik blinked slowly, his brain coming to a full stop. Taekwoon already looked panicked and was about to take back his words when Wonshik replied, “Yeah, sure. Why not.”

Taekwoon’s face went impossibly red, eyes wide with surprise. Then, he broke into a smile, the widest Wonshik had ever seen. The first kiss they shared tasted like spicy noodles and pickled radish, and Wonshik vaguely wondered if it’d always taste that way.

Wonshik suggested that they told the whole team that they’re dating, since he didn’t want to have anything to hide from them. He also thought that the whole thing started since they sacrificed him to flirt with Taekwoon, so they also had to deal with the damage. Taekwoon didn’t seem sure at first, but he believed in Wonshik anyway, so he agreed.

The surprised face of the other four would forever be Wonshik’s favorite expression. Taekwoon was already shaking and gripping Wonshik’s hand tightly when suddenly Jaehwan scream off “CONGRATULATION!!” from the top of his lungs. The others followed, clapping their hands and patting their shoulders, swearing that they’d support Taekwoon and Wonshik and kept the secret from the others.

While the others kept Taekwoon’s attention away, Hakyeon dragged Wonshik and asked what actually happened. Wonshik told him that Taekwoon confessed, and that he agreed without really knowing why he did anyway. Hakyeon gave him a stern look.

“Don’t mess this up. It’s going to be worse than his previous breakup,” warned Hakyeon.

“I know, Hyung. I’ll be really careful,” promised Wonshik. Hakyeon was about to let Wonshik returned to join the others, but he pulled him again for one last question.

“Do you really fall in love with Woonie?”

Wonshik shook his head. “I don’t hate him, though,” replied Wonshik far too casually. Hakyeon had a feeling that it would be messy in a way or another. But for the time being, he’d just watch the event unfurled.

To everyone’s surprise, Wonshik really could keep up with the perfect boyfriend persona, successfully making Taekwoon smiled and laughed every day. Even at the most stressful situation, Wonshik still managed to prioritize cheering up Taekwoon before taking some rest for himself or anything else.

As the time went by, Taekwoon obviously got more and more in love with Wonshik. The other members could really see how ‘heart eyes’ was a real thing, since that’s how Taekwoon looked at Wonshik all the time. Wonshik always indulged Taekwoon’s wishes, letting the older to kiss him and touched him anywhere. He was quite amazed about how his body could still be despite the lack of attraction, and he’s somewhat thankful for that. That way, Taekwoon wouldn’t need to know that everything was just an act. They kept up the relationship, staying close as bandmates and subunit in front of the public, and a perfect couple in private.

When Taekwoon voiced his concern about the offer for musicals he got, about how his character would be romancing other people and he was afraid that Wonshik would get jealous, Wonshik reassured him that it’s just an act. He told Taekwoon what he wanted to hear, about how he would still love Taekwoon anyway, and that he wouldn’t get jealous since Taekwoon was his to begin with, but he still could feel jealous a little and would want Taekwoon to ‘make up for it’ somehow. Taekwoon sighed and looked at Wonshik as if he was the most precious being in the entire universe and kissed him hard.

Somewhere along the way, Wonshik met with a cute MC from a show he participated in. They clicked so easily, so naturally, and Wonshik thought that he probably had fallen in love. But when that person confessed to him one day, he turned it down. He still remembered about Taekwoon, about his own band and the career he built with them, and chose it over love.

After starring in some more musicals, Taekwoon asked Wonshik out for some private talk. Taekwoon revealed that he probably had fallen for a certain crew in his musical, and Taekwoon didn’t want to hide anything from his ‘beloved boyfriend’ so he blabbered it out. He apologized to Wonshik, saying that he still loved him anyway, but Wonshik stopped his panicked explanation and gave him a warm smile.

“You know that more than anything, I want you to be happy. If you can be happier with someone else, who am I to stop you? I will feel sad and lonely, of course. It’s inevitable. But as long as you’re happy, I’ll be happy too,” reassured Wonshik.

That day, they broke up in peace, sharing one last kiss with sunset in the background. Taekwoon tasted like the vanilla latte he had earlier, bitter and sweet at the same time.

Wonshik watched as Taekwoon got close with the one he really loved, helping him out with some stuffs he could help. He was always on standby, just in case things went worse again for Taekwoon. But the bad scenario never happened, with Taekwoon steadily getting happier with the person he chose with his clear mind.

At some point, Wonshik fell in love again with a production crew. But just like the last time, he turned down the confession, although this time he didn’t know just why he did it. Taekwoon was already happy with someone else. There’s no reason for him to choose Taekwoon and the whole band in favor of his own love life.

Things were getting better for Taekwoon, and soon enough, there were wedding invitations. Taekwoon finally decided to get married, already sure about his choice. The celebration was a small one, only their close family and the whole band as guests. Taekwoon looked so bright in his wedding suit, deep blue jacket with silver embroidered vest, with his black hair swept to the side. He looked really happy, with smile so bright almost like the sun itself.

A handkerchief from Hakyeon was the thing that made Wonshik realized that he had been crying. He didn’t know why he cried. It was his best friend’s wedding, so there’s no reason to be sad. So he told himself that it’s tears of joy. He was happy because Taekwoon was happy, just like he said on that day under the orange sky.

Time passed by, and there was another confession that Wonshik turned down with no reason at all. Something in his chest felt numb, and he couldn’t really make out what the feeling was.

As he was sorting out the songs he wanted to use for his solo concert, his eyes fell at one song that wasn’t supposed to be there. He had yet made any solo version of it, and he had no intention to invite the other person to share a stage with him. But he picked up the sheets anyway, slowly considering about making the solo version of it. By the time he finished reading and arranging in his head, the sheets were already damp with his tears.

The concert day seemed to arrive quickly, especially with Wonshik practically burying himself with work and practice to make sure that the concert was perfect. And it was perfect, just like he planned. The other members came by to watch him, congratulating him one by one.

At the last day of the concert, as the closing encore, Wonshik revealed the song he had spent rearranging and practicing for the past few months. It was supposed to be a duet, a crystal-clear high-pitched voice paired up with his husky and deep voice, but he sang it all alone. He poured his heart into it, no longer thinking of it as mere lyrics, mere song. It was what he felt, how he felt, the unnamed feeling that kept him awake at night and exhausted at day.

“The fact that we loved is beautiful…”

He ended the song before the bridge and last chorus, letting the light went off and engulfed him in darkness.

When the light was up again, he found Taekwoon among the crowds, staring directly at him with wide eyes. That moment, Wonshik knew that he probably looked like a whole lump of mess, crying so hard his face scrunched into an ugly expression. It took him too long, too damn long, to understand his real feelings and the sense of emptiness that followed afterwards. He was too late, far too late, to finally realize that he was really, genuinely, deeply in love with Jung Taekwoon.