“Um, Hongki? What are you doing?”

 

“Can't you see? I'm meditating.”

 

“Okay, but... Why exactly are you upside down? The hallway isn't really the best place for practicing yoga.”

 

Hongki sighed and opened his eyes. His gaze focused on the upside down Yonghwa, who was currently peering down at him quizzically, brow furrowed and head cocked to the side. While Hongki realized he probably looked more than a little odd like this, lying cross-legged on his back with his legs against the wall, he didn't particularly care at the moment. He was exhausted, and dealing with Jonghun and his daily shenanigans was starting to put a strain on Hongki's sanity.

 

Every day, for the past 12 days, Jonghun had concocted the most juvenile schemes to get under Hongki's skin, the first of which being the oh so inspired handful of dirt in Hongki's coffee. Then, as a supposed apology and peace offering, Jonghun offered him a bowl of ramyun, which Hongki accepted—

 

—and then immediately regretted the moment he took the first bite.

 

Hongki was certain he'd had a taste of hellfire then. His eyes, mouth, and nose burned for hours afterward, and when he demanded to know what kind of nefarious peppers Jonghun had dug out of hell and fed to him, he replied with a snippy, “I don't know. They were an import from South America.”

 

Then there were the spring-loaded mousetraps he'd put inside every pocket in Hongki's bag, which caught his hands and fingers the moment he reached for something inside. It was at this point that Hongki decided Jonghun was secretly a sadist, because he looked far too pleased with himself when Hongki yanked his hand out of his bag and let out the world's manliest shriek of terror, staring in horror at the mousetrap caught painfully around his fingers.

 

There was also the exploding soda bottle, one of his more clever high jinks, which erupted into a ten-foot geyser as soon as Hongki opened it, much to the amazement—and horror—of everyone in the room. Whatever Jonghun had done to tamper with it, it covered the walls, the ceiling, and Hongki with a sheet of sticky, foamy drink. Of course, Hongki had to be the one to clean it up, and to make matters worse, this happened in one of the waiting rooms located backstage of a music program.

 

Hongki had never been so amazed and furious at the same time.

 

However, even after successfully managing to annoy Hongki to death and back, Jonghun still wasn't satisfied. So what did he do next? He got hold of Hongki's phone number and house address, which he used to create a fake dating profile on the world's creepiest dating website, and then invited an insurmountable number of people via internet forums to a nonexistent party at Hongki's place.

 

It goes without saying that the landlord had not been happy about the drunken crowd lingering in the halls when Hongki returned home that night. He yelled at him for a good half hour or so and then threatened to kick Hongki out if he didn't find a way to get get rid of the crowd immediately.

 

Hongki smiled wryly.

 

That's just what he needed—to be broke and homeless.

 

It was now Day 13, and Hongki just couldn't wait to find out what was next in Jonghun's bag of shenanigans. It was all he could do not to play hooky on that damp, early morning, but Hongki figured Jonghun would find a way to badger him regardless—in person or otherwise.

 

But, well, at least Hongki had a few moments of peace for the time being. The CEO had called FT Triple into a meeting first thing that morning, before they even had the chance to step into the dressing room. Hongki won't complain. The less he had to see of Jonghun, the better.

 

Yonghwa plopped down next to him all of a sudden, a sympathetic smile at his lips. “Jonghun been harassing you again?”

 

Hongki made a face. “Gee, how can you tell?”

 

“Your nails,” Yonghwa said simply, smiling when Hongki said nothing and merely rolled his eyes at him. “The more elaborate they are, the more stressed out you've been.”

 

“He's so juvenile,” Hongki groaned as he ran his hands over his face. “It's like having a little chihuahua nipping at your ankles. Annoying, but it probably won't cause any permanent damage.”

 

Yonghwa winced slightly, a sheepish smile forming at his lips. “I'm sorry. I should have warned you about him.”

 

Hongki smiled sarcastically. “So why didn't you?”

 

“I don't know. I guess I figured you wouldn't want the job, what with Jonghun being, well, Jonghun.” Yonghwa chuckled, though the action ending up sounding the slightest bit awkward—even if a bit shy. “I kind of missed it, you know. You and me bickering all the time, competing with each other. We really didn't get along at all.”

 

Hongki grimaced. “I miss the Yonghwa who wasn't so sentimental. I liked you better when I hated you.”

 

Yonghwa looked at him oddly. “In what world does that make any sense?”

 

“Mine, apparently.”

 

“I won't lie, I really miss high school sometimes,” Yonghwa said all of sudden, smiling wistfully. “You were the only one who ever really challenged me. It was fun, being rivals and all.”

 

Hongki rolled his eyes. “You're the only one who thinks that way.”

 

“Oh, come on, you loved it. Band against band, Hongki vs. Yonghwa. You thrived off competition. You lived for a good challenge. Not once did you ever pass up the chance to one-up me.”

 

Hongki sighed at the words.

 

And there it was. The sickening nostalgia of adolescent days past.

 

Hongki couldn't remember the last time he tread into those bittersweet memories. Those were the days he preferred not thinking about. The days before the darkness settled over his heart, before he stopped smiling, before he stopped dreaming. The days when he knew how it felt to be alive, to be happy. It was truly another life, the Hongki who shared a dream with his dearest and most cherished friend.

 

It wasn't fair, being here without him.

 

It wasn't fair, living on as though nothing had happened when his life had been cruelly taken away from him.

 

“It's not fun anymore,” Yonghwa murmured, this time as a frown settled at his lips. “Singing without having you to fight with offstage.”

 

Hongki sighed and pushed himself to his feet. He knew where this was going, and he didn't care to have this argument again. He was done. He left that dream behind, buried in the earth so deeply that no one could ever hope to find it. Why was Yonghwa trying to dig it up?

 

“If this is your way of trying to convince me to start singing again, you can save your breath,” Hongki grumbled. “The CEO already tried the recruitment card. I'm not interested.”

 

Yonghwa, of course, followed suit, trailing after Hongki into the dressing room.

 

“You don't really believe that, do you?” Yonghwa stubbornly persisted. “Hongki, you loved your voice more than anything. You loved your music more than life. Why did you give up the only thing that ever made you truly happy?”

 

“Because I said goodbye to that dream a long time ago.”

 

“Don't you think he would have wanted you to keep doing what makes you happy?”

 

The words made Hongki freeze in his tracks. So he was going to play that card, was he? Exploitative bastard. The trip down memory lane didn't work, so Yonghwa thought he could manipulate him with a guilt trip instead? What the hell kind of agenda was he trying to fulfill? More importantly, whose agenda?

 

Hongki turned around and crossed his arms. “Why do you even care so much? Whether I sing or not, what does it matter to you?”

 

“I just want you to be happy,” Yonghwa murmured, though the words ended up sounding shallow and superficial.

 

Hongki couldn't help but scoff at him.

 

Even if his heart was in the right place, it was such an empty to thing to say. Whether or not Yonghwa meant his words to be genuine, it didn't matter. Hongki lost the right to be happy the day his best friend left his side. No amount of sympathy or pity would ever change the fact that a man was dead, and the only person to blame was Hongki.

 

“Happy,” Hongki echoed, before he shook his head and smiled without humor. “I did a horrible thing, Yonghwa. I did a stupid, stupid thing, and it cost somebody their life. In what world do I deserve to be happy?”

 

“This one,” Yonghwa insisted, and when Hongki responded only with another scoff, Yonghwa frowned. “Hongki, how long are you going to keep blaming yourself? A horrible thing happened, but it's not your fault. Stop thinking it is.”

 

“Wonbin is dead,” Hongki hissed, the words accompanied with a sharp sting of guilt and loss. “He's dead because I'm an idiot who never thinks anything through. If I didn't exist, he'd still be alive. Even someone as simple as you can't deny that.”

 

The words were uncalled for, Hongki knew that much.

 

However, the moment Yonghwa brought Wonbin into this situation, Hongki lost all willingness to play nice. Damned if he'd let anyone use Wonbin's memory against him.

 

“As simple as me?” Yonghwa repeated, his brow nearly rising into his hairline. “Hongki, one of these days you're going to learn that taking out your grief on everyone else isn't going to make you feel any better. It just makes you twice as miserable.”

 

“I didn't ask for a psychology session, doctor,” sneered Hongki.

 

“You're mad at me,” Yonghwa stated more than asked.

 

Hongki made a face. “What gave you the first clue, Sherlock?”

 

Yonghwa stared at him for a moment, before he ran a hand through his hair and sighed. Hongki could have sworn there was the slightest hint of remorse in his features, but Yonghwa had already pissed him off, and Hongki had no intention of accepting any apologies from him—at least for now. Hongki's days were stressful enough dealing His Royal iness, Choi Jonghun. He didn't need a reminder of the foolish teenage Hongki, who cared only for mischief and chasing dreams alongside his best friend.

 

He didn't a reminder of how much he missed him—how much he missed their music.

 

“Okay, I'm sorry,” Yonghwa apologized, this time as he stepped back a little. “Point taken. I'll back off. But I won't take back what I said. Everyone deserves to be happy, Hongki. Especially you.”

 

Hongki didn't respond.

 

Instead, he merely turned around, rummaged through his bag, and mentally prepared himself for another day of Prince Jonghun's idiotic demands. If there was anything that spoiled diva was good for, it was the distraction from everything that haunted Hongki's memories. Because hey, with Jonghun, Hongki only had one focus.

 

How much he couldn't stand him.

 

 

><><><><

 

 

Something wasn't right with Lee Hongki.

 

Jonghun couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was definitely something very wrong with him.

 

Every day, Jonghun would present him with a new scheme that was sure to send him running. And yet, every day, Hongki was back—usually after yelling at him—as rude, loud, and mouthy as ever. Did nothing phase him? What did Jonghun have to do to make him realize that he couldn't defy him without consequence? There had to be something Hongki hated with an extraordinary passion, something that he was deathly afraid of.

 

The little box full of bugs Jonghun left for him had been a no-go, as were the fake snakes and toy tarantulas he stuffed inside Hongki's bag. He apparently wasn't afraid of clowns or the dark, or even clowns in the dark, as Jonghun discovered he returned to the company building late one night, with a creepy clown mask he acquired from the internet.

 

He apparently wasn't afraid of ghosts either, because when Jonghun convinced one of the trainee girls to dress up as the ghost from The Ring, and then had her follow Hongki around trying to scare him. It lasted all of about one hour, until Hongki turned to her and asked if she'd gotten herself lost on her way to Halloweentown.

 

It wasn't normal. Everybody was afraid of something, right?

 

Lee Hongki had to have a weakness somewhere, and Jonghun was damn well going to find it.

 

Which somehow translated into stalking Hongki through social media.

 

Well, perhaps stalking was a bit of a misnomer. It wasn't his fault Hongki left his profile open to the entire world. He's the one who made everything public, so why shouldn't Jonghun use it to his advantage?

 

It was mid-afternoon now, and the band was on its way to a variety show filming. In the backseat, Minhwan and Seunghyun playfully bickered with each other over what to have for dinner that night, chicken, or anything in the world but chicken. Jaejin sat between them, headphones in his ears, as he happily sang under his breath, all but dancing in his seat and bobbing his head to the music.

 

Looking back to his phone, Jonghun continued scrolling through Hongki's profile. There had to be something here he could use against him, right? Old internet drama? An embarrassing picture perhaps? Jonghun looked and looked, but found only harmless pictures of Hongki, either of himself or with other people.

 

There was absolutely no blackmail material at all.

 

Jonghun pursed his lips. No, he just wasn't looking hard enough. There was definitely something he could use against him. There had to be. He kept looking, scrolling through picture after picture, but immediately paused once he came across one photo in particular.

 

He wasn't quite sure why it was this photo in particular that caught his attention, or why it made him pause. It wasn't anything scandalous, nor was it even the slightest bit embarrassing.

 

It was a very simple picture, taken of a younger Hongki with chocolate locks that were even longer than they were now. He looked to be in his teens here, with a face that hadn't yet lost its roundness of youth. He was with someone else, another male who was probably around the same age, but there was something else about this picture that bothered Jonghun.

 

Hongki was smiling.

 

It was neither biting nor sarcastic, nor was it forced or even one of those little halfhearted smiles that escaped from time to time. No, it was a genuine smile. A bright, toothy grin that crinkled Hongki's eyes at the corners.

 

Jonghun had never, not even once, seen Hongki smile like this.

 

This shouldn't have bothered him as much as it did, but the more pictures Jonghun scrolled through, the more he found of those two together. In nearly all of them, Hongki sported that same smile, or least one similar, but as Jonghun looked at the dates for those photos, he found that they were all from several years ago—the most recent of which from 2008.

 

After that, the friend disappeared from Hongki's pictures, as did his smile.

 

“What's Lee Hongki's problem?” Jonghun blurted out before he could stop himself, angrily pocketing his phone and looking over at Yonghwa, who'd been uncharacteristically quiet behind the steering wheel. He crossed his arms over his chest, and Yonghwa looked at him oddly.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“What's wrong with him?” Jonghun impatiently demanded, to which Yonghwa responded by furrowing his eyebrows.

 

“Um, I don't know?” Yonghwa asked more than stated, one hand reaching up to absentmindedly scratch the back of his head. “I don't think I understand what you're asking. I mean, granted, he's in a bit of a mood today, but that's mostly my fault.”

 

Jonghun stared at him. “Why?”

 

Yonghwa winced. “I may have, kind of, sorta mentioned somebody I shouldn't have.”

 

“Who?”

 

Yonghwa's brow knitted further. “Why have you taken such an interest in Hongki all of a sudden?”

 

The words made Jonghun scoff, perhaps a little too defensively. “Interest? In Hongki? As if.” The thought itself was ridiculous. Lee Hongki was a mouthy brat with no filter. As if Jonghun would ever be interested in the likes of him. No. It was a stupid notion. Absolutely preposterous.

 

“Are you sure?” Yonghwa annoyingly persisted. “Because the way I hear it, you're not sleeping much these days. According to certain members of the group, you're up every night plotting.”

 

“What? Who said that?!” Jonghun snapped, turning around in his seat and scowling at his three mischievous dongsaengs, who suddenly looked oh so innocent.

 

“It's true, hyung,” Seunghyun chirped brightly. “I opened his door the other night, and he was just sitting at his desk muttering to himself. I heard 'Lee Hongki' and 'die' and something about a ghost before I closed the door and ran away.”

 

Jonghun nearly exploded right then and there.

 

“That never happened!” He shouted at top volume, causing Minhwan to stick his fingers in his ears and wince.

 

Seunghyun grinned at him. “I saw it with my own eyes, hyung.”

 

“Yeah, I heard it through the wall,” Jaejin affirmed, grimacing a little.

 

“You brats! I'll kill you!” Jonghun undid his seat belt and began to climb into the backseat, much to the amusement of Seunghyun, who merely stuck his tongue out and slunk back in his seat, childishly taunting the fuming leader.

 

“Stop that!” Yonghwa hissed as he grabbed a fistful of Jonghun's shirt, trying to pull him back to his seat while juggling the wheel with his other hand. “I really don't want a homicide on my hands! Jonghun, get back here right now! I can't drive like this!”

 

 

 

><><><><

 

 

 

Jonghun stared in horror at the hideously orange and floral print shirt Hongki held out for him. Jonghun blinked once, twice, three times, wondering if perhaps Hongki had been joking when he told Jonghun to wear this neon monstrosity. When Hongki said nothing and merely continued holding it out to him, Jonghun scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

 

“I am not wearing that.”

 

Hongki stared blankly at him. “Yes, you are.”

 

“No way,” grumbled Jonghun, as a disgusted sneer settled at his lips. “I'd rather die than wear something that looks it came from a box of rejected clown outfits.”

 

“Then I guess there's going to be a murder investigation, now isn't there?” Hongki shot back without missing a beat, to which Jonghun responded with a sarcastic, disbelieving laugh.

 

“You think you're so clever, don't you? You mouthy son of a . Haven't you learned your lesson already? I'm the one who calls the shots here, not you.”

 

Hongki didn't even bat an eyelash at him. “Jonghun, I've been given complete artistic freedom over you. My job is to dress you up in whichever way I see fit. If I really wanted to, I could put you in a frilly pink dress and you'd be contractually obligated not to argue about it.”

 

“Contractually obligated?” Jonghun sputtered with a raise of his brow, his eyes narrowing into a scowl. “Do you think that makes you sound smart?”

 

Hongki pursed his lips.

 

“Believe it or not, Jonghun, I'm not stupid. I graduated college with a double major. Why don't you show me your degree? Oh, wait,” Hongki paused for dramatic effect, before an exaggerated look of realization flashed across his features. “You don't have one.”

 

Jonghun clenched his teeth. “I'm the one without a degree, and yet you're the one who's stuck working a nobody's job. Why don't you tell me which one of us is the idiot?”

 

“Well, you know what they say about people with more money than brains,” Hongki shrugged and aimed at meaningful look at Jonghun. The exchange continued like this for quite some time, the two of them arguing back and forth inside the studio dressing room, completely oblivious to everyone around them.

 

Across the room, Seunghyun happily munched on a snack, eyes focused intently on the ongoing argument. “Oh my god, these two are better than cable.”

 

Jaejin sighed. “Stop watching them and get over—wait a minute, are you eating popcorn? Where did you get that?”

 

Seunghyun shrugged and offered the bag to him. “One of the cute little rookie groups had some. Want to share?”

 

Jaejin looked at him incredulously, before he shook his head and accepted the snack from him. Looking thoughtfully at Hongki and Jonghun, Jaejin then munched on a piece of popcorn and asked, “So who do you think will win this one?”

 

“Hongki, without a doubt.”

 

“You're crazy,” scoffed Jaejin. “Jonghun won't give in that easily.”

 

Seunghyun grinned at him deviously. “Don't underestimate Hongki. He has his strange little ways.”

 

 

 

><><><><

 

 

 

In the end, Jonghun ended up wearing it.

 

He made himself a mental note to kill Hongki for this, because the moment he walked onto the set, all eyes were upon him. Only instead of the usual looks of admiration from the girls and envious gazes of the boys, he was met with a collaborative look of amusement from everybody in the room—staff, guests, and hosts included.

 

Jonghun was certain there was collective round of snickers at his expense, but instead of letting himself feel embarrassed, he held his head high and confidently walked to his seat as though he had not a care in the world. He caught Hongki's eye, who stood in the midst of the other guests' stylists and managers, no doubt waiting to see what kind of ruckus his little joke had created.

 

Jonghun merely smirked at him.

 

No, he wouldn't let Hongki win.

 

This wasn't his game. Lee Hongki was playing with fire, and sooner or later, he was going to get burned.

 

“Jonghun, that is an interesting wardrobe choice you've got there,” the MC said early on in the filming, the words trailing off into a laugh as he gestured at him. “The other members are dressed so comfortably, but why are you like that?”

 

Jonghun smiled. “I'm the leader, so of course I should stand out, right?”

 

“Actually, our stylist is punishing him,” Seunghyun butted in, his joke earning him a round of laughter from all the guests. “He kept arguing with him, so our stylist put him in that. I'm pretty sure it used to be somebody's grandmother's curtains.”

 

“Oh, so that's the story,” chuckled the MC. “Jonghun, you should be nicer to your stylist. He's got a clever sense of humor.”

 

“You know, I saw that stylist backstage,” mentioned one of the guests, a rather effeminate man by the name of Kim Heechul. “I walk in, and the first thing I see is a crowd of girls. I immediately know something is off, because somebody is the center of attention, and it's not me.”

 

Heechul waited for the laughter to subside before he continued, dramatically waving his hands around. “Lo and behold, there's somebody I've never seen before, and the girls are completely fascinated by him. And you know why? His nails are painted all these different colors, and every single one of those girls were mesmerized by it.”

 

“He painted his nails?” repeated the MC, raising his brow.

 

“Yeah. The design is very elaborate, with all these different patterns colors, and—” Heechul shook his head to get back on topic. “Anyway, not the point. He's surrounded by girls, and all of us guys are standing back, shaking our heads.”

 

“Because you were mad it wasn't you?” joked the MC.

 

“No, you misunderstand. The guy's a genius,” Heechul raved, and Jonghun inwardly scoffed.

 

Lee Hongki, a genius?

 

As if.

 

“Hey, quit looking at me like I'm crazy and let me explain,” Heechul said after a round of funny looks. “When a girl paints her nails, nobody cares. It's just a normal thing, right? But when a guy does it, suddenly the comments go from 'who cares' to 'wow, that's a really unique hobby. Aren't you afraid people might make fun of you? Why do you do it?' It's weird, and it gets people talking. It's a conversation starter. I'm mad that I didn't think of it first.”

 

The MC chuckled again. “So you're saying all the guys should run home and paint their nails?”

 

“That's what I'm going to do,” Heechul shrugged, and the guests burst into a roar of laughter.

 

The MC laughed and gestured dramatically to the camera. “You heard it here first. Men at home, the secret to getting girls is painted nails.”

 

“His nails are really pretty though,” murmured one of the girls. “I want him to do mine.”

 

“Mine too,” added another.

 

“You'll both have to get in line behind me, because I asked him first,” joked a third, to which the rest of the guests responded with another round of laughter. All except Jonghun. How was it that no matter where he went, Hongki suddenly became the topic and the one everybody fawned over? It was infuriating, having everyone dote on him when they'd met him all but one time.

 

Wait a minute.

 

Why, exactly, should this bother him? Lee Hongki was a pesky brat.

 

“Uh oh, Jonghun,” joked the MC once more, this time as gestured at the 'fighting' girls. “looks like the girls are after your stylist. What do you have to say to that?”

 

Jonghun caught Hongki's eye once more, this time locking gazes with him as he muttered but two words.

 

“He's mine.”

 

The entire studio nearly split their sides at this, falling into a fit of laughter. Well, everyone except Hongki, who merely rolled his eyes and made a dramatic show out of shaking his head. Jonghun's lips pulled into a frown. What's this? Was he not amused? How did that not even draw out a smile from him? Everyone else nearly fell out of their chair laughing, but Hongki had zero reaction to it? What gives?

 

“He said he's mine! HA HA HA!” was the collective roar from the guests, until they calmed down a moment later when the MC cleared his throat and asked for everyone's attention.

 

“Anyway, we're off topic,” the MC said, which Jonghun figured was code for we're off script. “Let's continue the show with a game called Stand Up!”

 

The rest of the filming went on without incident. There was no more mention of Hongki, or any further teasing about the outfit that brat had picked for him. However, Jonghun didn’t miss the way some of the guests kept sneaking glances off stage during the filming, and when he followed their gazes, he found they were directed at none other than Lee Hongki.

 

Jonghun clenched his teeth.

 

Throughout the rest of the filming, the only thing Jonghun could focus on were those secretive glances, and flirtatious little smiles that Hongki was completely oblivious to. Jonghun paid no mind to the rest of the filming, nor did he care to participate in any of the games. Hongki wasn't even paying attention anymore. Instead, he'd occupied himself with his phone, earbuds in as he tuned out the rest of the world.

 

Jonghun could only stare at him.

 

Hongki was bored, was he? Perhaps Jonghun should give him something to do.

 

Still, as he continued watching him, Jonghun couldn't help but feel the slightest bit intrigued. Even when Hongki wasn't doing anything, he still called attention to himself. Long chocolate locks rested atop his shoulders, his bangs falling over his forehead and into his eyes despite the countless times he pushed them back with his fingers.

 

Jonghun bit back a scoff.

 

Maybe if Hongki quit nodding his head so hard to the beat of whatever song he was listening to, his hair wouldn't keep falling in his face. What was he listening to, anyway? It was almost cute, the way he became absorbed in his choice of music.

 

Wait a minute.

 

No.

 

No.

 

No no no no. Absolutely not.

 

Lee Hongki was a lot of things, but cute was not one of them. Jonghun nearly slapped himself for even allowing such a ridiculous thought to pass. No, Hongki was not cute. He was a brat. A pest. A complete nuisance.

 

“Hongki sure is popular, isn't he?” Minhwan murmured during a quick break in the filming. Jonghun followed the direction of his gaze, but responded only with an annoyed grunt once he caught sight of Hongki, who was once again surrounded by people. Some touched his hands, inspecting his colorful manicure, while others touched his earrings, fascinated by the eye-catching jewelry.

 

Hongki, however, didn't appear to be enjoying the attention, not even the slightest bit. In fact, he looked downright uncomfortable, grimacing and inching away every time someone so much as lifted their hand. Jonghun's brow furrowed.

 

Hold on a second—

 

“He's not even a celebrity, but everyone wants to be around him,” Jaejin added with a shake of his head. “It's like he's magnetic or something.”

 

“I'm not sure whether I should be amazed or jealous. Look, he got Suzy to talk to him. Bae Suzy!” Seunghyun cried out, but Jonghun was barely listening. Suddenly, all he could focus on was the way Hongki shrugged off hand after hand, making a strange face as he took a step back in an attempt to put space between him and the cluster around him.

 

This happened a few more times until Jonghun made a realization.

 

Hongki didn't like to be touched.

 

Lee Hongki's weakness... was physical contact?

 

This thought spun around his head for a moment, the realization not quite sinking in, until the wheels finally turned and snapped him right out of his brief stupor.

 

Hongki didn't like being touched.

 

People were touching Hongki.

 

“HEY!” Jonghun barked at top volume as he angrily stormed over to them. The group dispersed, and suddenly all eyes were on Jonghun. “Who taught you to put your hands on someone without their permission? Are you a bunch of animals? Back off!”

 

“What are you doing? Stop that!” Hongki hissed.

 

Jonghun blinked at him. “But they were... touching you.”

 

“Do I look helpless to you?” Hongki scoffed. “Do you think I can't handle myself? Jonghun, I am a grown man. I don't need someone to in and herd people away just because they get a little too close. I'm a big boy. I can deal with it.”

 

“I was just trying to help!”

 

“Well don't, okay?!” Hongki snapped, to which Jonghun responded with an incredulous stare. He had only tried to help, but why the hell was Hongki yelling at him?

 

“Why are you getting so mad at me?! I didn't do anything wrong!”

 

“You're a pain in my !” Hongki shouted, no longer caring about where they were or how much of a scene they were making. “For nearly two weeks, you've done nothing but harass the out of me with your childish games! You want to help me so badly? Then grow up. Stop making my life miserable just so you can have a laugh.”

 

Jonghun clenched his teeth, but didn't have the chance to respond before one of the staff members, a small, timid man with thick rimmed glasses, cautiously poked his head between them.

 

“Um, guys? We need to start filming again, so can you, um, finish up here please?”

 

Jonghun said nothing.

 

Instead, he his heel and wordlessly returned to the set, all while being watched by every single pair of eyes in the room. With this, Hongki clenched his jaw, fell into a crouch and squeezed his eyes shut as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He'd gotten better at curbing his temper over the years, but damn it all, something about Jonghun just rubbed him raw.

 

Even so...

 

Why did Hongki feel so guilty about yelling at him?

 

 

---

 

A/N
This took a while to update. (a little over a month, yes?)
i apologize for that, but to make it up to you, the chapter's a little longer this time.
thank you for the comments, votes, and subs! you guys are the most amazing readers. :)


Jonghun's a bit sporadic here, and Hongki's a tad crazy, but they have their reasons, i promise.
the bickering is a lot of fun to write.
 

as always, i love hearing your thoughts.
feedback keeps writers writing!
see you next time :)