A/N: This is the next part. Have to finish this so I could write more, ne? ^^

Yongsokkie’s X-files

After breakfast Seyoung hyung left on his bike, like he said he would. He would be missing for hours and then would come home with some snacks. Yongseok knew of his hyung’s habits.

But as he was doing the dishes with Takuya hyung (thankfully his hyung was very helpful this morning), he saw Sangmin hyung tip toeing around the house looking like an amateur burglar. Yongseok was sure he would follow Seyoung hyung. This was a typical behaviour for secret couples. That was number three in the checklist: sneaking around to get some private moments.

“There’s something going on.” Yongseok said softly to himself. Mentally, he was putting a check mark on the box before number three on the checklist.

“What did you say?”

Yongseok turned at the sound of Takuya hyung’s voice. He had forgotten that the other member was there. Covering up his self talk, he smiled and shook his head.

“Nothing hyung. I was just thinking aloud.”

Takuya hyung snorted. “As if you do some thinking. Careful there, you might over exercise your brain then implode.”

“Yah! That’s not true, I do a lot of thinking actually. Hyung, you’re so mean.” Yongseok said with a pout.

Takuya hyung paused drying the dishes and looked seriously at the maknae. “Okay, tell me what you’re thinking about now.”

Mulling over whether to tell his hyung his theory or not, Yongseok bit on his lip. How would Takuya hyung react if he said something about a relationship or relationships between their members? Would he be angry, embarrassed or nonchalant about it? And what would happen to the group harmony if ever the truth was exposed. Would they stay together or would there be anything different in their dynamics as a family? Yongseok was seriously in a dilemma.

“Yongseok-ah, I know I’m gorgeous but you don’t have to be so obvious about admiring me.”

That statement snapped Yongseok out of his internal debate. He stared at his hyung as he processed what he said.

“Terada, you’re not that gorgeous you know. It’s always known that the maknae is the most charming in a group. And who’s that? Ah, yes. It’s me.” He told his hyung smugly.

Takuya hyung dropped the dish cloth he was using on the counter top. “Ah, Terada huh? Okay, it seems the maknae is challenging me. Let’s have it.”

He quickly dipped his hands into the soap-filled sink and swished the bubbly water in Yongseok’s direction. Water and soap immediately soaked through Yongseok’s shirt, some went to his hair, and some trickled onto the floor.

“Yah, hyung! What are you doing? Are you going to mop the floor too?” the youngest shouted.

Takuya hyung had already ran away a feet from him, “You mop it maknae. You were asking for it.” He said before completely turning to run out of the kitchen.

“Ugh, jinja! Sometimes I wonder who really is the youngest in this house. I swear my hyungs behave more childishly than me.”

Yongseok got the mop from their storage closet and started mopping the floor dry. But as he was doing it, his thoughts kept on straying to the checklist in his notebook. How many more boxes would he be ticking today? Somehow the prospect of it getting filled was very strong. And that made Yongseok hesitant about finishing the thing.

After he had tidied up the kitchen, Yongseok decided to go to his room to gather all his evidence and interpret them.  But as he was nearing their room, he saw Casper hyung getting out of their bedroom. Casper hyung was looking like, without the pun, he had seen a ghost. Once Yongseok saw him disappear in his own room, it was his turn to go in.

Surveying their bedroom, Yongseok didn’t find anything out of its place. Everything was still how it was before he got out for breakfast. Aside from a jacket on Seyoung hyung’s bed, nothing was moved. But something was nagging Yongseok to check his hyung’s closet. He couldn’t say what it was but he got a strong feeling about it.

Thinking that he would just look in quickly, Yongseok opened the closet.

And he found the box of Casper hyung’s snacks placed inside it.

Yongseok shut the closet again, his mind whirling with questions. It seemed that Casper hyung intended to give the box of snacks to Seyoung hyung only. As a gift of some sort. But why? Without anything to go on, Yongseok again opened the closet and looked at the box. It was unopened and new. So, Casper hyung had bought it only recently. As he was checking the box, he noticed a piece of paper stuck on one side. Carefully turning it, Yongseok strained to read what was on it.

It read:

I know you’ll be hungry. Love sweets? You now have a box of them. XOXO

“Wow, he sure is cheesy.” Yongseok muttered as he placed the box in its original place. So Casper hyung was there just to put the box of snacks and probably chocolates. But then why did he looked like he was afraid earlier. As if—

His eyes strained to the message again and his brain seemingly supplied his answer. Code.

“Oh my god! He just proposed to hyung!” Yongseok exclaimed and turned the box to see the paper again. This time he only read the first word of every sentence and of course it read—‘I love you.’

Yongseok’s legs felt like jelly and he just found himself sitting on the bed, looking lost. He just ticked the box ‘giving secret gifts’.

That afternoon, Yongseok was already feeling a bit down. He didn’t want to stay in his room because it felt stuffy so he moved into their living room. He decided to just watch a movie. Their DVD collection was stored on shelves under their TV so Yongseok had to kneel to reach it. But as he was flipping DVDs, his mind went back to what he saw earlier.

He was torn between telling this secret to Wonho hyung and keeping it to himself. Yongseok was also feeling sorry for Casper hyung. Seyoung hyung would choose Sangmin hyung, he was sure of it. He thought of how Sangmin hyung followed Seyoung earlier when he went out biking. Casper hyung would be devastated. But what if Seyoung hyung chose Casper hyung? It was clear that Casper hyung had always given him gifts and he had received them. Didn’t it mean that Seyoung hyung also favoured Casper hyung? And why would Casper hyung have the courage to confess if he wasn’t sure that his feelings were returned at least?

“Ah molla. Mori apa. Let’s just forget it. My head ‘s going to explode.” He muttered to himself and went back to choosing the DVD he’d watch.

He was still lost in thought though so he didn’t notice that Wonho hyung had come in and had settled himself on the sofa.

“Wow, I didn’t know you’re capable of that much concentrating, Yongseokkie.”

Yongseok distractedly turned to Wonho hyung’s direction. “Huh? Oh this,” he said motioning to the DVDs, “I’m just looking for something to watch.”

Wonho hyung nodded in understanding. “Okay, I want to watch what you’ll pick. Hurry up.”

Yongseok watched as Wonho hyung casually peered under the center table, chose a magazine and began leafing through it. Would he tell him? Or not? Would Wonho hyung be angry or not? Would he tell their manager about it or not? Would he—

“Yongseok-ah, am I that handsome today?”

“Huh? What?” Yongseok said intelligently.

Wonho hyung flipped a page. “Well, it’s just that you’ve been looking at me really hard just now. I’m wondering if you’re having a change of heart and you’ll confess to me...or,” he stopped flipping the magazine and looked straight at Yongseok. “Do you have something important to tell me?”

Yongseok started to sweat under Wonho hyung’s stare. Whenever their leader was like this Yongseok had always been wary of him. Wonho hyung was very approachable but when he became serious Yongseok was nervous around him, he didn’t even know why. His heart began its thumping a bit faster.

“Uhm, no. W-What will I tell you? Ha ha. Nothing.”

Wonho hyung just continued staring at him. “Are you sure, Yongseok? You know you can always tell me anything, right?”

“Of course, hyung! I know that. I’ll tell you if I have a problem.” He said with a smile that he thought didn’t show that he was nervous. Inside he was chanting, ‘Please don’t ask me anymore.’

After some minutes, Wonho hyung’s face relaxed and began flipping the magazine again. Yongseok almost sighed in relief.

“By the way, Yongseokkie...” Wonho hyung abruptly said. Yongseok’s heart which had begun to relax began thumping faster again.

“Yes, hyung?”

Wonho hyung pointed at the DVD he was holding. “Seems like your imagination isn’t enough anymore, huh? You’re moving to visuals now?”

That was when Yongseok looked down at the DVD he was holding and almost threw the thing across the floor. It was an adult movie. Complete with full color cover, of course.

“Aniya! Hyung, this is not what I chose. Jinja. I was just searching for—“

“. It’s okay Yongseokkie. I totally understand. I’m a guy too, you know.” His hyung said in a kind tone.

Yongseok was speechless. “B-But this is not even mine...hyung...”

Wonho hyung closed the magazine and stood up. “It’s okay. I’ll leave you to it. Don’t worry about it. Just keep the volume down, ne?” he said then left the youngest in the living room.

Yongseok looked at his hyung’s back as he went to his room then looked down at the DVD in his hands. It seemed that his hands had a mind of their own-no, no pun intended.

Yongseok didn’t watch DVDs anymore. He buried the thing somewhere in the midst of all the other DVDs where no one, at least him, could find it. He didn’t want to know who owned it or why it was there. So he just played video games.  It proved to be a good form of distraction because when his stomach grumbled to ask for food, it was only then that he realized that he missed lunch and it was afternoon already.

“That was weird, why didn’t they ask me to have lunch?” he asked to no one in particular. Thinking that his hyungs were certainly a bit selfish these days, he ventured into their kitchen. Only to find a bucket of a very familiar brand of his favourite fried chicken on the table.

Excitedly, Yongseok went closer and saw a note on the bucket. ‘Eat well, dongsaeng. Don’t play the whole day.’ It was signed by Seyoung hyung. He must brought back chicken after his biking earlier. But how come he didn’t even notice he came back? And how come he didn’t notice chicken?

Yongseok thought that he really must be so out of it. Shrugging, he got out a plate and took some pieces of chicken from the bucket. He wanted to eat while playing video games. He just needed to be really clean about it so the others wouldn’t complain.

Humming a tune, Yongseok went back to the living room only to pause.

Sangmin hyung and Casper hyung were sitting side by side on the sofa.  And they were playing his video game, Clash of Clans. Actually, they were competing and not playing. Both of them had a joystick in their hands. They were moving as if a real battle was being unfolded before their eyes. Yongseok glanced at the screen and from the looks of it, Sangmin hyung was winning.

“Are you going to continue to challenge me, hyung?” Sangmin hyung was saying.

Casper hyung scoffed. “You’re the one sticking their paws in someone’s property.”

“Huh! Your property? I don’t see anything of that sort. Are you even sure that it was yours to begin with?”

Casper hyung made a sharp motion and the battlements on the TV screen, most probably Sangmin hyung’s, blew off. He made a triumphant sound.

“I assure you it has been mine for a long time now. Now, you better surrender before you taste the bitterest defeat.”

Sangmin hyung also moved his joystick and Casper hyung’s castle grounds also blew apart. “I will never surrender to you!”

Casper hyung glanced at Sangmin hyung and nodded ever so slightly, “Challenge accepted then.”

Yongseok just watched them playing. He knew that they were not even talking about the game anymore. He mentally ticked off ‘jealousy’ and ‘competition’ off in the list.

Suddenly, the chicken on his plate looked tasteless.

Because Yongseok knew that if remained inside the house for long he would go crazy, he opted to go out. He left the video game to Sangmin hyung and Casper hyung and prayed that they wouldn’t kill each other literally. Well, if they did he didn’t want to be anywhere near them. He didn’t want to be involved with any crime of passion. What would he tell the police for goodness’ sake?

Feeling a bit lost, Yongseok just walked around their neighbourhood and found a children’s park. He went to the swings and sat on one of them. Starting to swing himself back and forth, listening to the screeching metal, he quietly thought of the things he had observed from the others.

Although it was clear that there was something brewing between Seyoung hyung, Sangmin hyung and Casper hyung, it looked like they had been living quite harmoniously without any problem. If Casper hyung had been making his feelings known for a long time and he had only found out now, then most probably, people didn’t notice it too. His hyungs know surely what the relationship would entail and they would be responsible to know what to do.

Truthfully, Yongseok admitted that he had no problems with it personally. He didn’t mind if they had a real relationship or something within the group. He understood what it meant of course. But with these secrets come the consequences. And he loved his hyungs so much and it was these consequences that he was most afraid of. He was afraid for his hyungs.

“You don’t have to be afraid Yongseokkie...it’s okay, you know.”

Yongseok whipped his head to his left and saw Seyoung hyung sitting on the swing too. Their eldest was smiling at him.

“Hyung! When did you get here? I didn’t hear you.”

Seyoung hyung started swinging. “I know. You’re too busy thinking. But I heard you.”

Yongseok tentatively asked, “What did you hear hyung?”

“Hmm...You said you’re afraid for us.”

“I said that? I wonder why...” Yongseok quickly thought of an excuse but his brain wasn’t giving him anything. He just started swinging again.

He heard Seyoung hyung laugh. “Yes, you did. It was fun watching you think Yongseokkie. You look very cute.”

Yongseok made a sound. “It’s because I am cute. And can you say handsome now, I am 24. I’ve been adult for years. Cute is for babies.”

“Ah yes, my dongsaeng is not a baby anymore.” Seyoung hyung said. They swung for a few more times. Each one lost in his thoughts. Then Seyoung hyung stopped swinging. He turned to Yongseok.

“Yongseok-ah.”

“Hmm?”

“I never wanted you to grow up this quickly. I’ve always wanted you to be always happy. Having fun, like you did when you were still young. I didn’t want you to have this kind of burden.”

Yongseok stopped swinging too and looked at his hyung. He knew what Seyoung was saying. With his head bowed, he just nodded.

“I know hyung. I understand.” He said softly. Yongseok didn’t know what else to say so he just kept quiet. He waited for Seyoung hyung to say more but his hyung also just kept quiet.

Then the swing started again. Yongseok watched Seyoung hyung swing back and forth. He had a faraway look on his face. Seeming at a loss on what to do, he just did the same thing.

“You know what, Yongseokkie?” Seyoung hyung asked after some time.

“What?”

 “I’m not actually the main character here. The main characters are very much more problematic.”  

Yongseok laughed; disbelief clear in his voice. “Yeah, right. You have two problems and you’re not the main character?”

Seyoung hyung also laughed. “That’s right. Because the other two are sneakier. You need to really look closely to catch them.”

The swing stopped. Yongseok looked at his hyung still swinging merrily beside him.

“What do you mean? Takuya hyung and Wonho hyung? That’s impossible. I saw them today, they’re not—“

“Not like us? Hah! You’ll see. Observe dongsaeng, observe well.” Seyoung hyung said and laughed again.

Yongseok just looked on and thought he was surely in a different dimension.