In the staff’s hotel room, Taehyun watched the other members on the TV, fascinated. He could see Seungyoon’s awkward and cringe-worthy fashion show, the rapper-line fooling around as usual, and cute Jinwoo-hyung concentrated on watching his drama.

“Who do you think will go get you?” a staff noona asked.

He paused. He would’ve said Mino, but… He wasn’t so sure anymore.

“I think Jinwoo-hyung would come get me,” he said, sticking to the model answer. Of course Jinwoo-hyung would, he was the kindest and most innocent in WINNER. There was no reason he wouldn’t.

He then glanced at the TV, watching his boyfriend on the hotel bed, doing some strange kicking action and shouting. Taehyun couldn’t help but laugh. Mino was so cute, Taehyun felt guilty about their row in Korea before coming.

“In Mino’s case, I think he’d just keep doing that…” he started to say, and then cracked up again. “Oh god, what is he doing?”

Taehyun felt a tug at his heart. He missed Mino. His sweet, goofy Mino-hyung. He wished he wasn’t so mean to Mino the other day, so that they would still be on good terms.

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At the restaurant, he settled down and ordered some food, while the camera crew started their hidden camera project to trick the rest of the WINNER members.

Taehyun sat at a corner near the entrance, and took out his phone to begin his masterplan.

“I’ll contact Mino hyung first,” he said without much thought and regretted a bit after that. What if Mino flared up? What if Mino said something wrong? What if Mino said something that would reveal their relationship? Oh god, they were on TV, this better go smoothly. Taehyun was worried as he started to text his hyung carefully.

Taehyun: Hyung, what are you doing?

Mino was surprised to see Taehyun’s text. He paused for a while, not really knowing how to reply, not really knowing what Taehyun’s intention was. To make-up for their recent argument? Did he want to hang out?

“Mino-ya, what’s rinse?” Jinwoo asked from the bathroom as Mino sat down to ponder over Taehyun’s mysterious text.

“Rinse? Don’t know,” Mino gave a spiritless reply, not paying attention to his hyung in the shower.

Mino: Did something happen to you?

Taehyun: I went out because I was so frustrated. I ate and drank a little, but I lost my wallet so I can’t pay the bill right now…

Mino got up from the bed, startled at Taehyun’s reply. Why was Taehyun drinking alone outside at this time? Was it because of their tensed relationship? Mino started to panic a little, wondering if HE was the cause of Taehyun’s behaviour.

Taehyun: Hyung, you can’t tell anyone.

Mino: Eung? You’re alone? So you went out without telling anyone?

Mino was confused. Taehyun went out without even telling the staff members? What was this kid thinking? He started to worry about the maknae, all drunk and alone in this foreign country.

Taehyun: I’m sorry but… Just come and help me pay the bill, please…

Oh god… Mino stood up and paced around the room, wondering exactly how he was going to save Taehyun without any of the members realizing or suspecting.

Just then, Seungyoon entered the hyung-line’s hotel room, looking for Taehyun.

“He’s not here,” Mino replied quickly, worried that Taehyun was going to be caught and scolded by Kang leader.

 “I came here thinking that he was in this room,” Seungyoon mumbled as Mino walked away to avoid Seungyoon’s gaze. He ran his hand through his messy hair, frustrated at Taehyun’s reckless behaviour.

Mino walked around the area where his bag was and found his wallet. Discreetly, Mino slipped his wallet in his pocket and continued texting Taehyun.

Mino: So where are you then? Right in front of the hotel? How much is it?

Mino let out a big sigh. “Where’s Nam Taehyun?”

Seungyoon, who was still in their room, replied “I don’t know… I asked him where he was but he read the message and didn’t reply.”

Mino turned to glance at Seungyoon, surprised. Taehyun didn’t reply Seungyoon. At that instant, he felt like he definitely needed to save Taehyun, he felt like he was the only one that could help. Their poor maknae needed him.

Taehyun: About 100 000 yen. I thought it was 1000 yen when I ordered it.

100000 yen?! Mino started to feel a little pissed off. Is this kid mad? He thought about the 200000 yen he brought to buy new shoes in Japan, and sighed.

Mino: …what?

On the other hand, Taehyun laughed at Mino’s response to his pretend-texts at the restaurant, but felt guilty at the same time. First, he was pissed off at Mino in Korea and now he wants Mino to come save him? Even he thought it was a little ridiculous, but he had no other choice. They were on TV.

“Will Mino-hyung come? My prediction a while ago was that he wouldn’t but…” Taehyun said, nonetheless feeling touched that Mino was still willing to put up with his nonsense.

At the hotel room, Mino made his decision and stood up, grabbing his black jacket and putting it on. He was going to go get Taehyun, there was no way he wouldn’t. As frustrated and pissed-off as he was, he was still going to risk it. Why? Because it’s his Taehyunnie.

“They said the director is coming,” Mino said to Jinwoo as he walked towards the door.

“He is? Where are you going?” Jinwoo asked as he watched Mino leave their room.

Without answering Jinwoo’s question, Mino left, hoping Jinwoo-hyung wouldn’t think too much into him leaving the hotel.

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“Hyung… I’m so sorry,” Taehyun said weakly as Mino arrived at the restaurant.

“Ya, you !” Mino swore loudly as he came face to face with Taehyun. 

Taehyun was taken aback by Mino’s swearing, feeling guilty as ever (but angry Mino is y anyway). However, he needed to continue his act for WINNER TV, and had to say something before Mino leaked anything accidentally.

“I’m sorry… Really…” Taehyun apologized, this time not an act, but sincerely from his heart. Sorry hyung, for torturing you these few days.

“Really, I just felt so frustrated… Sit down first.”

“What do you mean sit down? We have to go back.” What was this kid saying? All Mino wanted was to quickly pay and go back to the hotel to talk to Taehyun seriously. He didn’t want to speak about it in public.

“Just a while…” Taehyun pleaded, and Mino gave in. When did he ever not give in to Taehyun anyway?

“Ah, I’m seriously just so… I was so frustrated so I came out. I just thought I couldn’t take it.”

“What couldn’t you take?” Mino asked carefully. Was it really their relationship Taehyun was talking about? He didn’t want to mention it though, not when Taehyun looked like he was about to cry.

“Just, you know… Like even ordering food… I just got so confused…”

Mino sighed. What is Nam Taehyun talking about? He was frustrated and confused because of what, their argument? Is his brain messed up right now?

“You ordering food or paying, I don’t care about that. That’s not the problem now, you know? I don’t care how much it cost.” Mino said seriously, looking at Taehyun. Did Taehyun really think that all these ordering matters? Matters more than their relationship?

“You know that’s not what I’m talking about right now, Taehyun-ah. Do you not know why I’m talking to you right now?”

Taehyun froze. This hyung is talking about… Their argument? Now Taehyun was REALLY frustrated, he didn’t know how to stop Mino from spilling all their secrets on this stupid hidden camera mission.

“Of course I know,” Taehyun quickly replied to shut Mino up. He thought about ending this as soon as possible without making the staff suspicious.

“Seeing as hyung came out for me like this, I’m really thankful. To be honest. I told you, hyung, first. I thought you wouldn’t come for me.”

Taehyun started to speak as he swayed, pretending to be drunk from the alcohol he ordered, and Mino softened a little. Seeing Taehyun vulnerable like this… Mino couldn’t be angry at him.

Mino sighed again, feeling defeated as always.

“Actually I was really curious as to whether you’d come here. So, on purpose… I didn’t lose my wallet,” Taehyun confessed with a small smirk.

“What the are you talking about?” Mino asked, more confused than ever. Taehyun was testing him? Or was he still talking rubbish after drinking?

“But since you came out for me like this, I’m so touched!” Taehyun exclaimed and put his fists up to cover his face, smiling. It was a genuine smile, Taehyun was so grateful for this reliable (and y) hyung.

“What’s going on? Is there a camera here?” Mino looked around suspiciously, and spotted one at the far corner of the shop, as well as noticing a familiar-looking back at the other side of the restaurant. Definitely a staff member.

“There’s no camera here!” Taehyun said, making Mino even more sure about his suspicions. So it is a hidden camera mission. Mino looked back at Taehyun with his eyebrows raised, and Taehyun replied with a small smile.

Bingo.

“I just wanted to tell you… I’m so frustrated,” Taehyun began talking to continue their act.

“Taehyun-ah, we’re here without permission from the company. I really hate those kind of things. You know our situation here, we’re on TV. But you got out! Without permission! Without telling anyone! I really don’t think this is right, you know?” Mino scolded Taehyun to play along. He was glad to talk to Taehyun carefully from the start without revealing anything, and now that he finally got the situation, he could act in peace.

Taehyun smiled. Mino-hyung was playing along really well, and he was satisfied. They got through this hidden camera successfully, and Taehyun can’t wait to end it.

“I think I’ve made the wrong choice. To be honest, we’re filming right now, right… On the show… I’m filming right here, right now.”

Mino turned around to see the familiar-looking staff noona holding the camera and coming towards him.

Taehyun laughed hysterically and Mino just smiled, feeling as if they got a little closer? He looked up to see Taehyun pounding the sofa in glee, and grinned at his boyfriend. Good to see Taehyunnie happy again.

“What is this! So annoying! Why are we doing this?” Mino pretended to whine.

“SUCCESS! Look at that camera!” Taehyun shouted, grinning at his hyung and pointing out all the cameras.

“He’s the type of guy to actually be like this!” Mino complained to the camera.

 “Ah, seriously, 100000 won?” Mino laughed. “I was thinking about what I needed to talk to you about… Seriously. I couldn’t stop thinking about everything” Mino glanced at Taehyun with a smile, hinting to his boyfriend about their row.

They exchanged secret glances and smiles, both knowing exactly what he meant. But it seemed like Mino-hyung was on a roll talking about his situation, Taehyun quickly gestured for Mino to high-five him to leave.

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 “When we were in Saitama, he said that he wanted to experience Japan,” Mino explained to the camera as he walked back to the hotel, hoping to clearly explain his words back in the restaurant without sounding suspicious.

“How do you think Seungyoon will respond?” The staff member holding his camera asked Mino.

“Seungyoon? He will come, but he’ll be mad. Really mad,” Mino said and smiled, glad to know that this was all an act, and grateful to have experienced this hidden camera mission. Those secret smiles and glances between him and Taehyun back there in the restaurant made him smile subconsciously. It was as if they were in their own secret world, him and Taehyun against the production crew.

Namsong’s relationship was better after this loyalty test, it didn’t just test their friendship, but a relationship more than that just ‘friendship’.

THE END