“Hey, hyung.”

Hongbin glanced up from his book at an excited Hyuk. He had a mischievous glint in his eye, and Hongbin could immediately tell that the maknae was up to no good.

“What is it, now?”

Hyuk did a couple of eager jumps before plopping himself down on the sofa beside his hyung. “Okay, so I found online this idea for a prank—”

“Not another one of your pranks, Sanghyuk!” Hongbin groaned and shut his book a little too forcefully. “The last time I agreed to this, we had live goldfish flopping around my room—my room, Hyuk, not even yours—and a huge lecture from Hakyeon hyung and manager hyung. Jaehwan hyung didn’t even flinch!”

“Okay, so maybe that idea of filling up Jaehwan hyung’s sock drawer with water and live goldfish wasn’t the best one...” Hyuk shrugged and then chuckled nervously under Hongbin’s glare. “No, but, hyung... this one is better than that one. A hundred times better! ...maybe even a thousand! It’s easy; requires less effort; won’t hurt anyone; and won’t make too much of a mess, in the instance that the hyungs make us clean up, like they usually have us do.”

At Hyuk’s reassuring tone, Hongbin found his playful side sparked with interest and curiosity. “I’m listening.”

Hyuk hugged Hongbin quickly and shouted, “I knew you wouldn’t give up on me, hyung!”

“I didn’t say that I was in, just that I was listening.” Hongbin wriggled out of Hyuk’s grasp. “Now tell me your idea.”

Rubbing his hands together diabolically, Hyuk proceeded to explain to Hongbin how they would tape newspaper across the entire doorframe leading to Hongbin’s shared bedroom with the rest of the hyungs. They would then fill the gap between the closed door and the newspaper wall with popcorn so that when the person inside opened the door to come out, popcorn would rain down on the poor victim.

“According to my sources and prior knowledge, Hakyeon hyung is in your room right now—sleeping, I’m guessing. If we move fast enough, we’d be able to finish preparations before he decides to come out.” Hyuk studied Hongbin’s thinking face. “So...? You in, hyung?”

Hongbin kept quiet for a few more moments. Almost giving up, Hyuk got ready to leave Hongbin alone when that handsome face lit up and a smirk spread across it. He turned towards Hyuk. “Where’s the popcorn?”

Nodding approvingly and understandingly, Hyuk jumped up and ran to the kitchen as Hongbin started towards the pile of newspapers they kept near the front door. The both of them worked quickly and stealthily, coordinating with each other without flaw like the most perfect prankster duo in South Korea.

Having poured all five bags of popcorn in, they taped the last sheet of newspaper and sealed the hole, simultaneously sealing the fate of poor, unsuspecting Hakyeon hyung inside.

Hyuk looked over at Hongbin beside him and raised his hand for a high five. “Finally... revenge for that sermon he gave us for our last prank,” Hyuk said in a low voice, afraid that N might somehow hear.

Laughing quietly, Hongbin high fived Hyuk and sat down on the floor, just a few feet away from their masterpiece.

The duo sat in silence for a good ten minutes, occasionally turning to glance at each other with the same playful look in their eyes.

When the front door of the dormitory suddenly unlocked and opened, the two jerked a little in surprise because of their tense nerves.

“Hey, rascals! What’s up—whoa, what are you two up to?” Ken asked curiously as he stepped into the living room and kicked off his shoes. He frowned slightly and walked towards them, examining their newspaper wall.

Hyuk jumped up. “Shhh! Not so loud, Jaehwan hyung. This is Hongbin hyung’s and my work of art! It’s stuffed with popcorn! When Hakyeon hyung opens the door from inside—”

“Hakyeon hyung?!”

Hyuk was cut short by Hongbin’s sudden exclamation. Spinning around abruptly, he came face to face with N, who had just entered the dormitory after Ken.

“What is this about me opening the door from the inside?” N said pointedly as he stared the maknae down.

“But—how—you—huh?!” Hyuk looked from N to the door to (a pretty outraged) Hongbin to a confused Ken and then back to the door again. “What—then—who did I see in the room on your bed?!”

“...Wonshik, maybe?” Hongbin offered uncertainly, not wanting to admit the most blatant yet scariest answer to Hyuk’s question.

“I heard my name. Whoa, what is this?”

The four of them turned to see Ravi coming towards them, wiping his wet hair with a towel.

Hyuk promptly cursed under his breath. He looked up and met Hongbin’s gaze, and from the mixed look of fear and irritation in his hyung’s eyes, Hyuk knew that Hongbin had figured it out too.

Before they could wrap their minds around what was happening, the door to Hongbin’s room opened, and they could hear the rush of popcorn falling onto someone. That someone, however, made no sound whatsoever; and the duo felt their hearts stop, knowing that that proved their assumption true.

A fist punched through the newspaper wall, and before Hyuk could react, Hongbin was already pushing him towards the front door.

“Run, Hyukkie! Taekwoon hyung will be out here any minute! Run!”