Day Three: The conclusion
Yongseokkie' s X-Files (Or How Yongseok Found Out about the Secret Couples)A/N: This is the last part of the series. Thanks to everyone who supported the fic by waiting for andreading each post. Sorry if sometimes the posts were a bit far in between. But this is it, the last one. Ihope you had fun reading my crazy story. Thanks!
Yongseokkie’s X-Files
The biggest problem with detecting secret couples was that they didn’t really want to be found out. Sothey had perfected a synchronized way of deflecting suspecting persons from knowing their utmostsecret.
This was what Yongseok found out when he switched his observation to his two other hyungs Takuyaand Wonho.
That night at dinner, because he got a tip from Seyoung hyung, he carefully but casually looked for thesigns that the two main visual members in the group were indeed the main characters in the story. Allsix of them were sitting at the table. Wonho hyung cooked tonight (or rather he reheated everything).And although most of the dishes were undoubtedly brought over by his mom, he was very proud of it asif he really was the one who slaved over the stove for hours.
Most of the members liked it but Takuya hyung clearly expressed his dislike. Why? Well it was mostlysoondae or the sausage that Wonho hyung really loved. And Takuya hyung didn’t actually like it verymuch because it was black.
“Your clothes are all black. I know you like wearing black clothes. So why can’t you eat this? This is actually food.” Wonho hyung was saying after he saw Takuya hyung put just kimchi and other sidedishes on his plate. He didn’t touch the black Korean sausage.
Takuya hyung just shrugged before getting a piece of dried fish with his chopsticks. “I like black on myclothes, not in my food.” He said then ate the morsel of fish then chewed delicately.
Wonho hyung looked sternly at Takuya hyung but because the other member was eating, he didn’t seethis. The look was actually the warning look. Whenever any of the members saw the warning look, theybecome wary. But only Takuya hyung was seemingly immune to it.
“My eomma brought it, aren’t you going to even try it? She cooked this especially for us.” The leadersaid.
“Oh?” Takuya hyung asked. Still not bothering to even touch any soondae within the vicinity.
As Yongseok continuously observed, the more afraid he felt for Takuya hyung. Wonho hyung lookedreally pissed. He wasn’t eating at all; he just drank water from his glass and continued to give Takuyahyung the daggers. He only broke his concentration when he got a text message. After he read it,Wonho hyung stood up.
“I’ll eat later. You guys enjoy it. I’ll just send a message to mom saying that you all liked it.” When hesaid the last part, he glared at the back of Takuya hyung’s head.
Once their leader was out of the room, Yongseok turned to Takuya hyung.
“Hyung, can’t you at least pretend that you were eating it? It’s not that bad I promise.”
Takuya hyung turned and smiled at him reassuringly. “I know Yongseokkie. Don’t worry about it. Wonho hyung’s not angry. Anyway, I think I’ll just head out to the convenience store.” He stood up and cleared his place on the table. “Do you guys want anything? I’ll buy it for you.”
The members each mentioned what they want. But Yongseok stayed quiet.
“Do you like ice cream? I’ll buy something strawberry, you like that right?” Takuya hyung asked after hefailed to say what he wanted. Yongseok only nodded and looked on as their tallest member walked out.
Everyone had been quietly eating when the two other members had gone. Then because Yongseokcouldn’t take the silence anymore, he turned to Seyoung hyung.
“I don’t understand Takuya hyung. He always does this. Why can’t he just do what Wonho hyung tellshim to do?”
The three other men on the table looked at each other and then at their youngest and then burst outlaughing. Yongseok was incredulous.
“Oh Yongseokkie, Takuya always does what Wonho hyung says.” Casper hyung said after their laughter died down.
Yongseok scratched his head in confusion. “What do you mean? Just now it looked like he was asking for a fight.”
Sangmin hyung snorted. “Looks like our maknae needs to polish his observation skills.”
“B-But I really don’t understand. Are they going to be fighting? Should we also head out to stop them?”the youngest asked and made a move to get out of his chair.
“Aniya! You can’t. They’re probably somewhere far now.” Seyoung hyung put a hand on Yongseok’sshoulder t o stop him.
“Their code is always like this, Yongseok. You must have noticed it.” Casper hyung told him. And the two other members nodded in agreement.
Yongseok waited for an explanation. When nobody looked like they were going to volunteer anything heburst, “Yah! Just because I’m the youngest doesn’t mean I’m stupid. Tell me something so I canunderstand. Am I really your member? I feel like you’re leaving me out when you keep secrets.”
Quiet greeted his outburst. After some minutes Yongseok finally relented.
He went to Sangmin hyung first. “Sangmin hyung...I really hate to do this but...” Yongseok startedseriously, then he grabbed his hyung’s hands. “...please tell me. I’m the youngest; I should be spoiled,right? This is your chance to spoil me hyung.” He even managed a small smile but Sangmin hyungrefused to budge.
He switched to Casper hyung and tugged at his jacket sleeve. “Hyung! Jinja! Did you forget I let you use all my stuff? I’m generous to you. Please be more generous to me. Can’t you tell me anything, huh?” Casper hyung just looked at him, unsure whether to give in to their youngest or not. Both men though looked at Seyoung for guidance.
So Yongseok went to Seyoung hyung, did his doe eyes bit and pouted. “Hyung-nim! My lordly prince!You’re the most handsome and generous and kindest member in our group-“ He heard protests coming from Sangmin and Casper hyung but he continued, “Seyoung hyung, you know I love you, yes? Please tell me anything! Anything! And I will die a happy man, okay? Just give me something here!”
His three hyungs looked at each other then smiled. Then they turned to Yongseok and their smilesbecame even wider. Suddenly, he felt like he just made a serious mistake in asking them a favor.
The next day, when they went to the studio to do some activities for the comeback, Yongseok was ready. He was armed with knowledge and tips his hyungs shared with him (much to his horror andgratefulness). He brought his list again and he vowed that this time he would certainly keep an eye open for anything and everything TakuShin would dish out.
So far, he had seen some tiny evidences throughout the day.
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1. They share the same clothes. (This wasn’t obvious at first because they were wearing jacketsand all but Yeongseok had the guidance of Sangmin hyung. So he saw that Takuya and Wonhohyung had both been wearing the same shirt. Last week it was on Takuya hyung and now Wonho hyung was wearing it. The magical striped green and black shirt.)
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2. They finish each other’s sentences. (This was rather obvious. Because whenever Wonho hyunggave them an update about something or news about something, Takuya hyung was there tosupport him. Actually, whenever Wonho hyung seemed to forget what he was going to say Takuya hyung would say it for him. Yongseok didn’t mind it at first, but now, he knew differently.)
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3. They move together instinctively. (Yongseok didn’t really believe this when he heard it fromCasper hyung but the more he thought about it, the more convinced he became. Takuya hyungand Wonho hyung do move together in sync. For example, when they were having breakfast, ifTakuya hyung moved his hand toward a plate of food, Wonho hyung would automatically push that plate closer to him. Or if he needed water, a glass of water would magically appear next to Takuya hyung. He didn’t need to say something, it was just there!)
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4. They do skinship. Like A LOT. (Yongseok snorted at this because coming from Sangmin hyungwho was the most skin shipper out of all of them, it was absurd. But Seyoung hyung said, ‘It’s adifferent kind of skinship. It lingers only a bit and disappears quickly, but it’s there if you look.’ So Yongseok really looked closely and he was shocked. How he could miss those touches werebeyond him. Just a few hours ago, they were sitting together in a circle. They had some timebefore manager hyung appeared for their song selection. When Takuya hyung sat close to Wonho hyung, his right hand landed on Wonho hyung’s leg. That was normal. But he gave a light squeeze, just a tiny bit and lingered; then it was gone. Yongseok’s eyes almost bulged when he saw this but he quickly masked his surprise. Then he heard Casper hyung snorting at his reaction. He gave his hyung a warning glance. He didn’t want the two to be alerted after all. He still needed to gather data.)
Yongseok now believed that despite appearances, TakuShin was the couple most obvious out of them all. They were working on not being too obvious but it seemed that everyone knew they were togetherafter all. Everyone except him. Which was weird in itself because he always prided himself for beingsmart.
He knew that their tallest members were doing all the couple things for fan service. Heck, all of them did that. They were all immune to it. Maybe that was why when it became real, he didn’t know thedifference. It made him feel bad that his hyungs had to cover up most of their actions for everyone. Healso felt bad that they felt they had to mask these feelings to spare him the confusion. They wereprobably thinking that if some people asked him about them, he would have a hard time. But it was ofcourse, not true. He loved his hyungs whatever they decide to do with their lives. They were the oneswho helped him through all the rough times the group was going through and not other people. Theydidn’t have an obligation to explain themselves to strangers.
The real reason why he wanted to be sure now that Takuya hyung and Wonho hyung were together wasto just be able to understand them. So when the time came that he had to talk about it, he could do so with utmost confidence and sincerity. He resolved that after his data gathering, he would tell his hyungsthat he knew all about them and it was fine with him.
“What’s fine with you baby boy?”
Yongseok looked at the seat beside him and saw that Takuya hyung now occupied it.
They were in the small reception room of the studio. Manager hyung told them to have a break. Theywould make the song selections later after they hear the demos. So Yongseok had time to ponder about things. It seemed that he didn’t ponder quietly though.
He turned to Takuya hyung who was waiting for his answer. “Hyung, do you know about Seyoung,Sangmin and Casper hyung?”
Takuya hyung continued to look at him. “What about them?”
Yongseok sighed. Guess he had to just be honest about it. “I mean, do you know that they have a thingfor each other?”
“A ‘thing’?”
“Hyung, look, it’s okay. I know all about it. The three of them admitted to me about their relationship. Or how both Sangmin and Casper hyung are pursuing Seyoung hyung. I know all about it.”
A small smile graced Takuya hyung’s face. “Ah, that. So now you know. Do you know who Seyounghyung picked?”
“He picked already? Who did he choose?”
Takuya hyung motioned to his left where Sangmin hyung was sitting at the far side of the room. In hishand was a pen. It looked expensive, and personalized. He suddenly remembered the rectangular blackboxes hidden in both Seyoung hyung and Sangmin hyung’s closets. So those were couple pens.
“Seyoung hyung didn’t want anyone to know. But I guess the secret is out. We should congratulateSangmin later.”
Yongseok nodded absentmindedly. He wasn’t sure if he would tell Takuya hyung that he also knewabout him and Wonho hyung. He decided to go for it.
“Hyung...I also know about you...and Wonho hyung. I know you’re together.”
Takuya hyung grew very serious then a big smile etched his face. “That’s great then! Oh, I know you’regoing to find out about it out sooner or later. You’re such a smart boy. Wait until I tell Wonho hyungabout this.”
The tallest member stood up but Yongseok grabbed his arm. “Wait, hyung. So you were waiting for meto figure it out? That all of you are in a relationship? Why didn’t you just tell me? I could’ve understoodjust fine.”
Takuya hyung put his hand on Yongseok’s hand on his arm. “I’m so sorry Yongseokkie. I told them to just trust you but they all said that you’re too young to understand. I could’ve told you about it months ago, but I was outnumbered. But all is good now. You know about it and you’re truly fine with it, right?”
Yongseok nodded his head vigorously. “Yes, of course.”
“Good boy!” Takuya hyung patted his head and extricated his arm from Yongseok’s hold. “Now, we can all plan for our double wedding. I’m thinking Seychelles, you know, somewhere really romantic. ButWonho and Seyoung hyung are thinking US. Ugh, I don’t want to get married where everyone is gettinghitched! You should tell them Seychelles, okay Yongseokkie? Then of course our honeymoon will be inParis. Or Rome, I’m still torn about that. What do you think?”
Yongseok was a bit dazed with all the sudden barrage of words in his head but when he heard ‘wedding’ and ‘honeymoon’, his senses immediately took notice.
“Wedding? Honeymoon? Hyung! Isn’t it too sudden? You mean you’re all gonna get married, at thesame time?” Yongseok’s breathing started to stutter. Surely, he heard wrong. “Seychelles? Paris? What, how..?” Yongseok managed to croak out.
A small tunnel was suddenly visible in front of him. All sound seemed to fade but he could still seeTakuya hyung talking. He just didn’t hear what he was saying now. Spots of black danced behind his lids and then all could see was nothing.
A sharp pain bloomed on Yongseok’s cheek that drove him into wakefulness. He struggled to open hiseyes and a very bright light welcomed his blurry vision. He could see faces above him but he couldn’tfigure out who was who yet.
But he knew them through their voices of course.
“Yongseok! Are you okay?” That was Wonho hyung.
“I don’t think he’s awake yet, slap him again.” Sangmin hyung.
“Yah! Don’t hurt him anymore. I think he’s tired.” Takuya hyung.
“Tired from what? Playing computer games?” Casper hyung.
“Shut up you! Our maknae just passed out. Be more sensitive.” Seyoung hyung.
When everyone shut up, Yongseok struggled to speak.
“I’m okay guys.” He opened his eyes and slowly his hyungs’ faces came into focus. All of them wereclearly worried about him. Varying degrees of unsure smiles greeted him.
“Hey, what happened to you? Are you sick? Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t feeling well before weleft the house?” Wonho hyung asked him.
Yongseok frowned, then he said quietly, “I wasn’t sick this morning. I’m okay hyung.”
Sangmin hyung tsked, “If you’re not sick then why did I find you here passed out?”
“Did you eat breakfast this morning? I told you not to skip meals.” Seyoung hyung berated him.
“He won’t listen. If breakfast were chicken I’m sure he’d eat it.” Said Casper hyung.
“Well who was it who cooked kimchichigae? And then soondae?” Takuya hyung asked; his voice edgedwith distaste.
“Yah! Wonho hyung brought that from his mom’s. It tasted good.” Sangmin hyung exploded.
Casper hyung agreed, “Yes, it was a delicious soondae, Wonho.”
“I don’t think that’s why Yongseok passed out though.” Reasoned Seyoung hyung.
Yongseok just listened to what they were saying with one ear. Inside, he was confused. His hyungsseemed different today. Sangmin and Casper hyung seemed normal around Seyoung hyung. Seyounghyung looked ‘normal’ around them. Wonho hyung was their usual leader and Takuya hyung—
Yongseok bolted upright on the sofa he was lying on and took hold of Takuya hyung’s hand. “Hyung! You can’t get married yet. We have to think of what we’ll tell our management. And then we have to think of what we’ll tell our fans. Have you thought of the consequences of your actions? We can all talk about it calmly without any wedding preparations yet. Okay?”
“Yah! What are you saying? Who’s getting married?” Takuya hyung asked him, his surprise at whatYongseok said apparent on his face.
“You and Wonho hyung. I don’t know where Seychelles is, it sounds really nice but you can’t get married yet.”
Seyoung hyung stepped forward and put his hand on Yongseok’s forehead. “I think he has a slight fever. We should just tell manager hyung to let Yongseok go home first. I think he’s sick.”
Wonho hyung nodded.
Yongseok protested, “Hey, I told you I’m not sick. Seyoung hyung, I also know about you, Casper andSangmin hyung. It’s really okay with me if you choose anyone of them. You don’t have to worry.” Hemanaged to dodge everyone’s hands when he tried to get up from the couch. “I told you there’s nothing wrong with me.” He threw an understanding smile to all of his hyungs who were looking at him as if he just sprouted horns on his head. “Hyung-nim, I know I’m the youngest in the group but I’m not a baby. If you have something to tell me, please don’t hesitate. I might not understand right away but if you explain it well enough, I’m very sure you can trust me with anything. And I’m always gonna be on your side. Always.”
He looked at each of his hyungs’ faces and gave them a reassuring smile. After that, Yongseok went out of the room leaving behind a very bewildered group of men.
“Did you tell him anything Takuya?” Wonho asked.
Takuya threw a worried glance at him. “Didn’t you hear what I said earlier? I didn’t say a single word.”
“So how could Yongseokkie know, you know, about everything?” Sangmin queried.
“He must be psychic. He even knows about the wedding plans!” Casper ventured.
“Did you put the magazine under your pillow?” asked Wonho to Casper.
Casper shook his head, “I’m about to do that later.”
“Wow, Yongsokkie is daebak! He knows something already and nobody has told him yet!” Takuyaexclaimed.
Seyoung looked at the doorway where their youngest had disappeared moments ago.
“Maybe we didn’t have to worry about anything at all. Maybe our Yongseokkie just grew up.”
All five men grew silent. Each preoccupied with their thoughts. Whatever happened to their youngest,they knew that he was still their loyal and understanding maknae. And they truly didn’t need to worryabout anything. For they would always be on each other’s side. Always.
End.
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