Yoonjae knew.  It became glaringly obvious the moment Joonhee felt the weight of his arm settle around his shoulders from behind.

“Let’s have dinner later.”

He nodded reluctantly, knowing he didn’t want to but at the same time unable to say no.  He should have felt something, after his failed confession more than six years ago he’d been resigned to never telling Yoonjae again.  Certainly he did feel something, Joonhee just wasn’t sure what it was.

Yoonjae had one arm around his shoulders and his other hand hovered tentatively at Joonhee’s arm.  It was terrible, he was terrible.  For the first time in a long time Joonhee allowed himself to read more deeply into the touch than simple habit and familiarity.  He wondered how long Yoonjae had known, tried to think back to the casual hugs and pats recently to see if they’d had this same heaviness.  He thought Yoonjae must have overheard one of his conversations with Shiwon, because Yoonjae was too oblivious to figure this kind of thing out.

It gave a deeper meaning to the past few weeks, the things that Yoonjae had said to him, the way he continued to touch him…touched him more even.

Don’t change. 

That was what the touches meant probably.  That even if he knew that Joonhee loved him they were still friends and he didn’t want that to ever change.  Don’t change, remain as my friend forever, he could almost hear it.

"You’re going to be late,” he reminded gently, pulling away from the embrace that had lingered too long.  “I’ll see you tonight,” he assured and Joonhee might have pat Yoonjae’s shoulder at that point in the past, offered him a slanted smile and sent him off.  He didn’t this time.

Once Yoonjae was out the door he looked in his room once more and made sure nothing had been left behind.

They would always be friends but Joonhee had to change.