Couple Talk
Where I Belong
“How long are you going to haunt the fan sites?”
Yoseob sat down behind Hyunseung and dropped his chin onto his shoulder, looking at the computer screen while Hyunseung continued to peruse the site. He frowned, squinting as Hyunseung scrolled down the page. “Yah… These posts are all about-..”
“They really like him,” Hyunseung mumbled absently, frowning a little as his finger clicked on a post and opened it to read what the fan had written. “They like everyone. So much support for us..”
Yoseob turned his head a little on Hyunseung’s shoulder, looking at his friend’s face in profile. “This surprises you? If you’ve spent this much time reading posts about yourself and the rest of the members, how can it surpri-..”
“I haven’t read any about myself,” Hyunseung interrupted, clicking on another post. His eyes scanned the page rapidly, so caught up in reading the comments that he didn’t notice when Yoseob pulled away from him.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean I haven’t read posts about myself. Only the other members.”
“Why not?”
“You know they can’t believe you’re not the maknae? Everyone thinks you’re too adorable not to be the maknae and Dongwoon looks too mature.”
“Seungie.”
“They love Junhyung’s rapping. A lot of the fans think he’s y.”
“Hyunseung.”
“Everyone wants to date Doojoon.”
“Yah! Jang Hyunseung!”
Startled by Yoseob’s suddenly loud tone of voice, Hyunseung let go of the computer mouse and turned to look at the singer. It certainly wasn’t the first time he’d heard Yoseob get loud, but it was definitely the first time hearing him sound frustrated with Hyunseung himself.
Yoseob took a breath and let it out before speaking, careful to keep his voice quiet so the members wouldn’t come flocking in from the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen. “Why don’t you read the posts about yourself?”
Hyunseung blinked. “Why don’t I…?”
“Read the posts about yourself.” Yoseob repeated, looking into his eyes steadily. It was one of few serious moments for the normally hyper youth, which was probably why Hyunseung seemed to be taking him serious in return.
“I…” Hyunseung trailed off for a minute, his eyes troubled. Glancing around to make sure no one was coming into the living room, he sighed and turned to face Yoseob completely, tucking his legs beneath himself in the process. “What if they don’t like me? I’ll be the odd man out again…”
Yoseob blinked. “Odd man out? Seungie, don’t you pay attention when we’re on stage? Your name is shouted just as much as anyone else’s. You’re just as loved as we are.”
Hyunseung shook his head.
“Well, maybe you should listen for it next time.” Yoseob frowned and just looked at him for a few moments, then sighed. “Okay then. Let’s do it.”
“Do what?” Hyunseung asked, looking confused.
Yoseob grinned and took the thinner male by the shoulders, making him turn back to the computer. “Look at the posts, of course. No!” He gently slapped Hyunseung’s hand when the dancer would have tried to grab the mouse and close the browser window. “You sit still.”
Hyunseung swallowed uncomfortably as Yoseob scooted forward behind him and put his chin in what was becoming its customary position on Hyunseung’s shoulder. “Seobie, I really don’t think-”
“Shh..” Yoseob grabbed the mouse, clicking until he found the section of the fan site dedicated to posts about Hyunseung. Grinning triumphantly at the long list of posts on the page, he clicked the first one. “Now… Read.”
"Why are they taking pictures of my on stage?!"
---
“Why are you so hard on him?”
Junhyung glanced at the bed beside his and lofted a brow. “Him who?”
Kikwang gave him a look that said he wasn’t buying that. “You know who.”
“I’m afraid I don’t,” Junhyung stated calmly, turning his attention back onto the book he’d been reading. “You’ll have to tell me.”
“Hyunseung. Why are you so tough with him?”
That got his attention. Junhyung’s eyes shot up to Kikwang’s face, and he slowly lowered his book to the mattress. They’d been laying on their beds for some time now, waiting while Doojoon finished showering and Dongwoon snacked in the kitchen. Hyunseung and Yoseob were in the living room doing something.
“I’m not hard on him.”
“Yes you are.”
Junhyung sighed and to his side, leaning on an elbow. “Look, I don’t think you-”
“Seungie doesn’t think you like him,” Kikwang said quickly.
“What?”
“You heard me,” Kikwang insisted, his smooth features screwed into a look torn between concern and annoyance. He sat up and frowned at the rapper. “He thinks you don’t like him. You’re the only one who didn’t say anything today at the recording.”
“The rest of you had everything covered,” Junhyung frowned right back at him, looking just as frustrated by the situation. “What was I supposed to say? ‘Ditto’? He wouldn’t have believed me anyway!”
Kikwang snorted. “I think you’d be surprised what he would believe.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Kikwang just shook his head and slipped out of bed, heading for the kitchen to find something to eat.
---
“See? I told you so!” Yoseob went off into a peal of laughter as he pointed at the computer screen.
“It’s not funny.” Hyunseung insisted with a frown, watching as Yoseob immediately tried so hard to stop giggling that he wound up snorting instead. Even Hyunseung had to smirk at the amount of effort and its effect. “You need to find another hobby.”
“So…do…you!” Yoseob said between gulps of air.
“It’s your fault I saw them in the first place! If you hadn’t made me look-”
“They’re pretty flattering shots, actually,” Doojoon said, tilting his head a bit as he looked at another picture. “Some of our fans are pretty good photographers.”
“What’s going on?” Kikwang asked as he came out of the kitchen with a slice of pizza.
Dongwoon looked over his shoulder from where he sat beside Doojoon. “Fans are taking pictures of Hyunseung hyung’s and posting them online.”
Kikwang choked on a bite of pizza and started laughing. He couldn’t help it. “What?”
“The fan site has pictures of my during our performances.” Hyunseung muttered, looking a little sullen as Yoseob hugged him. The singer was still trying to control his laughter. It wasn’t working very well. Hyunseung scowled at him. “Why couldn’t they take pictures of your ? Or Doojoon’s? Why mine?”
“Hey, maybe there are!” Kikwang hurried over to the computer and sat down with the other two, setting his plate on the floor nearby. “Let’s check, Doojoon!”
“You know, your really does look good in jeans,” Doojoon said matter-of-factly with a quick glance over his shoulder at Hyunseung. When Hyunseung’s skin started to mottle with pink, he smiled and returned his attention to the screen.
“Look, there’s an entire section for couples,” Dongwoon pointed at the screen. “What do they mean by that?”
“You don’t want to know,” Hyunseung mumbled, looking very much as if he wished he’d never let Yoseob catch him on the fan site in the first place.
Kikwang leaned forward a little as Doojoon scrolled down the page, frowning slightly. "Dooseob... Kiseob...These are us!"
“Hey, look at this one,” Dongwoon pointed and Doojoon clicked. “Yonghyun..”
When the page came up, the three leaned forward even more to look at the pictures and fan comments. After a few minutes, Kikwang turned back to look at Hyunseung and Yoseob, eyes wide. “It’s you and…”
Hyunseung swallowed and looked at the floor. “I gathered that.”
“I didn’t realize Junhyung watched you so much.” Doojoon murmured quietly, frowning as he scrolled through picture after picture. Each time, Junhyung was looking at the lithe dancer. In a few rare shots, it was the other way around. "I know the rest of us do, but we also watch each other. Still.. I didn't think he watched you so much."
Hyunseung frowned. “He doesn’t watch me.”
“Yes he does.”
“When would he have the time?”
“You tell me,” Doojoon stated as he moved away from the computer and gestured for Hyunseung to take a look. “Either way, he is watching you.”
Hyunseung sank onto the floor in front of the computer, staring at the screen. While he scrolled through the pictures himself, silence reigned in the living room. Eventually he was left alone as the members all slipped away to bed, leaving him to look through the pictures in shock.
"Hey."
Hyunseung jumped at the familiar voice, husky with sleep. Turning, he looked up at Junhyung in silence.
Junhyung rubbed the back of his neck and pointed over his shoulder with a thumb. "You coming to bed?"
“U-Uh..” Hyunseung blinked, heart pattering like a startled rabbit. He nodded quickly and turned back to the computer, closing the browser window and shutting the computer down.
Junhyung was still standing there when he stood up and started past him into the bedroom. The rapper grabbed his arm. “Hey.”
Hyunseung froze in alarm. Junhyung hadn’t seen what he was looking at, had he? Was he angry? He hesitated to look at him, clearing his throat a little uneasily. “Y-Yeah?” He asked.
Junhyung paused, just looking at him. Maybe Kikwang was right and Hyunseung didn’t think he liked him… He was always a little jumpy, but tonight he was even worse than usual. Frowning, Junhyung looked down at the arm he was holding onto before letting go and returning his gaze to the dancer’s face. “Good job today.”
“Oh..” For a second, Hyunseung looked relieved. Then disappointment flitted over his features and he nodded. “Thank you. Good night.”
Junhyung stood there while Hyunseung left, watching him go. As soon as he heard the rustle of the other male climbing into bed, he hung his head and sighed. “Idiot. ‘Good job today’? Aish!” Scratching at the back of his head rapidly in frustration, he waited another few seconds before heading in to bed himself.
Comments