Eric sat on the kitchen counter top, slothfully observing Andy who was carefully weighing the ingredient and preparing the cake batter. 

“More,” he said languidly when Andy came to the chocolates. The younger brother laughed.

“It is not even your cake hyung.”

“But I will be eating it!” Eric pushed himself off the counter and did his cutest puppy eyes at Andy, “don’t you want to make something I like?”

Andy smiled lightly, appreciating the child-like nature of his older brother. This side of Eric was getting rarer since his usually-contented-with-the-entire-world brother unexpectedly got competitive in school.

“Hi Eric, Andy,” Dongwan greeted good naturedly when he entered the kitchen to get himself a glass of water.

Eric flushed red instantly at the sudden appearance of his “arch enemy".

Please tell him Dongwan never see that embarrassing thing he just did...but wait...since when he thought the puppy eyes were embarrassing?! He was always proud when using them on Andy or even Minwoo and Junjin. What is Dongwan doing to his mind again?! 

Eric tried to maintain his “cool” and gave a short and cold “Hi” before quickly exiting the kitchen. But deep down, the suave man was disintegrating into a puddle of embarrassment. 

Dongwan lowered his mug, the corner of his lips lifting at Eric's attempt of being cool after his contrasting puppy eyes when Dongwan just entered the kitchen. His relationship with Eric was just as it was since their first duel, with Eric being the cold and suave guy while Dongwan the warm and friendly one; two opposing forces in school that the student body idolised. But beneath all these “arch enemy" front Eric and the rest of the school body had forced them to play out, there are always moments Eric accidently showed Dongwan a side of him he was so reluctant to let Dongwan see.

He was after all, the Eric that Junjin and Minwoo had described to Dongwan the first week the brothers joined the dorm.
******
Junjin was frustrated.
 

It did not happen!
It cannot happen!
It should not happen!

Yet…all the constriction in his heart, all the butterflies in his stomach, all the heat that rushed up to his face in the presence of a certain Andy were not figment. THEY WERE REAL…

These impious feelings did not come about because of Junjin unintended skin ship with Andy when he mistook the guy for a bolster. He had more of it with Dongwan when they used to sleep over at each other’s place. Dongwan had been a pillow, a bolster, a cushion and much much more. 

These feelings also did not happen because of his embarrassment when he thought Andy was a ghost on the first night Andy joined the dorm. No. He had worse with Minwoo when he entered the toilet not realising the lock was faulty and when the man was showering.

These impious feelings towards Andy…they just happened without any reasons……

Junjin wrapped his arms around his knees as the gentle waves came towards him and retreated before touching him.

"Jin! So you are hiding at the beach!" Dongwan’s voice drifted into his ears. The older man sat down beside Junjin.

“What is troubling you?” Dongwan asked, stretching out his hand to “smooth” the frown between Junjin’s brows.

Junjin forced a smile weakly. What was he supposed to say? That he had these impure feelings towards their dorm mate who was also his roommate? That the pace of his heartbeat skyrocketed every time he saw Andy and even when they were sharing a room for the past 8 months, he had never spoken to the younger man when the hyungs weren't around? Or the fact that he was afraid how everyone around him will despise him when they found out he loves Andy?

Even if it was Dongwan who had always been supportive of him, Junjin could not admit it. 

“Nothing much…” 

“Nothing much and yet you forgot what day is today?”

Junjin looked at Dongwan, puzzled. His hyung smiled and turned over, signalling at someone. The birthday song drifted into Junjin's ears. He turned and saw his other dorm mates walking towards them, Andy in the middle, holding a cake. The evening sun and the flame from the candle illuminated Andy face, adding a touch of enigmatic splendour to the very thing that twisted Junjin’s world.

He watched Andy's lips curled into a wider smile when the song ended. The younger man asked him to make a wish and blow the candle.

Damn you Andy!

Junjin's heart pounded furiously. He only needed one step to reach the other man’s lip.

DAMN YOU FOR MAKING ME FEEL THIS WAY!

He couldn't thank Minwoo and Eric enough when Minwoo suddenly blew the candle and remove it while Eric very swiftly shifted behind him and shoved his face into the cake.

Andy gasped.

Instinctively, Junjin grabbed the man behind him with one hand and smeared remains of the cake he could gather in his other hand on Eric's face before turning to Minwoo who was pressing on his stomach from laughing too hard.

“Do you guys know how much effort I put into this cake?!” Andy complained.

The cake was baked by Andy himself? 

Junjin could not understand why after 8 months of his unreasonable attitude towards Andy, the man remained kind to him. He hated it even more when the hue in Andy's eyes told him all these kindness were genuine. It would have been easier to stomp out his impious feelings if Andy had been angry or spiteful to him after all his actions. But Andy was just the angel he was; pure, so full of love and so magnanimous.

Yet the more perfect this man is, the more torturous it became for Junjin.

Dongwan quickly joined in the “cake war", leaving a speechless maknae looking wide eyes at four doltish hyung. 

“I even added more chocolates......” he whispered softly recalling Eric's request in the afternoon. And as fate would have it for any maknae in such a setting, Andy soon find his hyung coming after him with cream and cake.

Amidst all the laughter and chaos, one would find Junjin avoiding Andy and the pair of arch enemies taking great care not to engage with each other.

As the chaotic evening died down, the five dorm mates, all covered in cream and cake, sat quietly watching the sunset and listening to the rhythmic waves.

Junjin stole a glance at Andy. Still that gentle eyes and gentle smile. The man was leaning against a tree and letting his brother rest his head on his shoulder.

Junjin’s heart sank into a pit as deep as his forbidden love for Andy as he realised it is a love he couldn't escape from. And very unfortunately, this love had also been growing every second since he met Andy.

Eric came beside him when the five men finally strode back to their dorm. 

“Jin-ah,” Eric swung his arm across Junjin's shoulder. Because of his cluttered mind, Junjin completely missed the apprehension in the older man's voice and how absurd his next question was. “Dongwan and you......are you dating?”

Junjin's heart literally skipped a bit at the suggestion of a same gender  romance. Did Eric saw through his impious thoughts for his younger brother? The man panic a little. 

“No! How did you even get that idea? Dongwan hyung is a man! We are just pretty close.”

“I see,” a tint of blush appeared on Eric's cheek as his lips break into a tiny smile he was trying his best to contain.

Junjin did not see any of it. His cluttered mind was now in turmoil. Why did Eric suggest a same gender romance?

Just at that moment, Andy had to come look for his brother and make Junjin felt worse.

“Hyung!” 

Junjin's back stiffened at the voice.

“Hey Jin...” Andy greeted him like he usually would. Junjin swallowed, fastening his pace and leaving the brothers as if he never heard the younger man.

Andy frowned. He was already used to a running away Junjin, but that was when it was only the two of them and never in front of the hyungs.

It was a first Junjin did that in front of the hyung, but unbeknownst to Andy, it was also a first to many more.

As usual, being the best cook in the lot, Andy woke up earlier to prepare breakfast for his hyungs the next day. 

Eric, Minwoo and Dongwan were already seated at the table eating when Junjin entered into the kitchen. 

“Jin, your breakfast will be ready in a minute,” Andy announced smiling. Before, if the hyungs were around, Junjin would always answer him albeit just a short answer. But now, Junjin acted as if Andy's voice wasn't loud and clear and he made a beeline for the refrigerator, taking out the cereal and milk.

“Did they quarrel?” Minwoo nudged Eric. Eric shrugged, equally puzzled but not saying anything.