“Seungcheol-hyung” Wonwoo calls at a certain early morning, when the 13 are gathered at the café before going off to their individual schedules. Mingyu is clinging to him while casually looking through his phone and sipping on an americano.

“Yeah?” Seungcheol says.

“I really like the café’s decoration” Wonwoo begins “I wanna make a shoot here. Can I?”

A BooSeokSoon gasp is heard.

“Whoa, a shoot?” Seokmin looks shocked.

“What have we done to you, man?” Soonyoung’s tone is utterly hurt.

“And how did you got a gun? I always knew you were in a gang!” Seungkwan completes.

“A photo shoot, you morons” Wonwoo rolls his eyes. Even though the triple S were obviously joking, it wouldn't be weird if they actually thought Wonwoo was planning on shooting down the coffee shop - they were that stupid sometimes.

That fact was that Wonwoo worked at Hallucination, a conceituated fashion magazine, photographing and styling. Being a freelancer since college and quite know at the fashion scene, he had lot of freedom in the magazine - so he often prepared the concept of an issue with the chief-editor himself. (Mingyu liked to brag about it. “Wonwoo hyung is quite important, you know?”) Wonwoo and Mingyu met there, when Mingyu started intershipping and occasionally modelling - you could say it was your typical photographer-model romance (except said couple refused to call it a romance).

Having an important magazine like Hallucination involved with the café was a honour - and Seungcheol is about to answer ‘yeah, sure!’ when Jeonghan cuts him.

“You like the decoration, really?” He excitedly asks “It was such a pain to get everything set, really. I discussed with the interior designer for literally a whole night about the sofa over there.”

“Everything here is elegant and romantic.” Wonwoo says, and Jeonghan mutters a ‘great, that was the intention!’ “It's exactly what my editor’s been asking for the next issue. So, is that a yes?”

“Sure, Wonwoo, you can photograph here” Seungcheol smiles, and Mingyu clutches Wonwoo’s shirt excitedly.

“Hyung, do you think Jiyong-sunbaenim will let me model this time? Because let’s be honest, I fit this concept.”

“Yeah, you do.” Wonwoo agrees, as if saying the younger boy is elegant and romantic is the most natural thing ever. “I'll try to convince him, but no guarantees.”

“Why do you take fashion if you just want to look good on a picture?” Minghao mocks him.

“The more his Korean improves the sassier he gets.” Jeonghan whispers worriedly.

“I know, I'm so proud of him.” Seungkwan mutters back, getting hit by Jeonghan’s hand towel. “Ouch!”

“Shut up, you” Mingyu pouts before smiling affectionately at the chinese boy, to which Minghao rolls his eyes amused.

Lately, the two boys have been growing closer, being the same age and hanging out together all the time. They found out they had very matching personalities and could go on talking for hours, even with the language barrier. They also had these very adorable bickering moments, to which everyone smiled at. But, needless to say, Wonwoo sent them one of his weird blank-but-full-of-something looks.

“Anyway, great, hyung” Wonwoo quickly says, still staring sharply at the 97 liners. “I'll talk to the boss and he’ll call you.”

MIngyu makes a weird commemoration dance and kisses the top of Wonwoo’s head before taking his mocha and leaving to his Fashion History class. Junhui watches his friend carefully before jumping out of his seat and settling down on the one Mingyu previously occupied, swinging an arm around the emo looking photographer.

“What?” Wonwoo makes a disgusted face - nothing Junhui isn’t used to.

“Dude” Junhui says, seriously. His face keeps a sober expression, not his usual smug grin, to which Wonwoo raises an eyebrow “Seriously, what’s going on between the two of you?”

“The two of…?”

“You and Mingyu” Junhui says, as if it’s obvious.

Because it is. To everyone, it was clear that Mingyu and Wonwoo were a couple - to everyone, except to said pair. And they’ve been denying it for months, but ever since they met, they could all tell the quick connection between the two.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about?” Wonwoo’s answer is just the same as the last five times Junhui tried to talk about it.

“Look, I’m trying to be nice and help you here” Junhui reasons “This is once in a lifetime opportunity. Take it.”

“Is that your definition of help?” certain pink haired man’s voice is heard. Jihoon had headphones on and quickly typed something at his laptop before looking judgingly at Junhui. “I put the headphone on and connected to nothing all the time. How do you think I know everything?”
 

Junhui rolls his eyes.

“As if you are such a good adviser.”

Jihoon drink a sip of coffee and takes the headphones off, staring at Junhui. Soonyoung runs to their side of the counter, bringing a piece of strawberry shortcake (Jihoon’s favorite, of course) and looking worried.

“I just had an internal feeling my boyfriend was about to punch someone.” the bleach haired dancer says, looking carefully at Junhui. They had a fairly weird relationship because of Minghao - Soonyoung was like an overprotective dad to the chinese kid and Junhui crossed various limits when he flirted with him.

“It’s nothing really, I just needed you here” Jihoon says, and scoots closer, gathering the 96 line in a closed group. “So, as same aged friends here, do we all agree Wonwoo should get his together and make it official with Mingyu?”

Soonyoung and Junhui nod, and Wonwoo gasps, turning his head so quickly they could swore they heard a snap. He is about to say something when Soonyoung shoved a mouthful of strawberry shortcake in his mouth.

“You have the right to remain silent.”

“Wonwoo, listen” Jihoon calls, and Wonwoo looks at him, chewing on the cake and feeling guilty ‘cause it’s delicious and he wants more “You and Mingyu are too confusing. For everyone’s good, you really need to ing decide what you want.”

“We don’t want anything!” Wonwoo yells. “We’re just co-workers and good friends.”

“A good friend you drunk dial yelling out your love.”

“That proves nothing.”

“That proves everything” Junhui argues “Drunk people are the most honest ones.”

The moment Wonwoo opens his mouth again, another piece of cake is shoved into his mouth. Damn Soonyoung and his quick dancer reflexes.

“Seriously, Wonwoo” Jihoon starts “I’m Mingyu’s best friend. He is head over heels for you. Just make it official.”

“Have you kissed yet?” Soonyoung asks suddenly.

“Stop, the three of you!” Wonwoo snaps. “There's nothing between me and Mingyu and if there was, it's none of your business!”

“So there is?” Junhui smiles.

“Don't you have like, movies to do?” Wonwoo says coldly.

Junhui opens his mouth to answer and then gasps, as if remembering something. He sighs, checking through his phone.

“Oh, crap. I actually do have a movie to do.”

Soonyoung goes to attend a client, Jihoon puts on his headphones again and Wonwoo eats the rest of the shortcake. Junhui raises his eyebrows.

“No one’s asking about it…?”

“Junhui, no one cares about you” Jihoon lets his devil side show.

“I have to do a documentary of something going on at the campus - preferably at another major’s field” Junhui goes on, unshaken.

“Okay, Kubrick, what do you want from us?” Wonwoo asks, looking slightly disgusted at the same aged friend.

Junhui huffs, slamming his hands on the table, dramatically (side effect from being a film student maybe? All they knew was, sometimes, Junhui went a bit overboard and let his dramaqueen side out to the public.)

“Don't you have stories to tell the world?” Junhui starts, putting a feet on a chair and standing in a supposedly triumphant pose.

“Here we go.”

“Filmmaking is all about showing the stories deep in your heart to the public! It's all about showing them real emotion and real life lessons, even though everyone is faking it when we act and stuff - but it's still meaningful!”

“Yah, shut up.” Soonyoung calls angrily, laughing right after to keep the mood light. “Seriously, you're usually quiet and cheesy but now you're loud and cheesy. What's up with you these days?”

“I'm stressing over film school” Junhui answers simply. Although it sounds plausible, it also sounds fake, like a decorated and practiced answer that is said automatically. His friends know it's not the truth, but let it go anyway.

“Look, I got something you can film:” Soonyoung fixes his apron after handing a paper cup to a client “do a Shining Diamonds’s third showcase making off film. Our show is two weeks from now, the crew is interesting and we need all publicity we can get.”

“Your dance crew?” Junhui looks away, thoughtful “It's not a bad idea. At all. I like it.” he grins, tone just slightly smug as he sneaks a look to Minghao.

“But if you ever so play around Minghao I'll kick you out of my studio and break your camera.” Soonyoung's adds quickly.

Junhui shrinks, pouting. “Fine.”

Wonwoo laughs at his friend before getting up and handing Soonyoung a few notes. “Gotta go. Hyung, I'll call you about the photoshoot!”

He left as Jeonghan and Seungcheol yelled a “okay!”

Junhui is about to move closer to Minghao to bother him as usual when Soonyoung flicks his forehead.

“And” Soonyoung adds “No funny business at tomorrow’s gathering at my place, huh?”

Jeonghan’s most recent idea to make the group closer were these bonding gatherings, hosted weekly at one of their places. This time, Soonyoung’s flat was the chosen spot.

“Fineee” the chinese boy sighs. “But hey. I have a plan. It has to do with the Mingyu-Wonwoo issue.”

At that, Jihoon takes his headphones off “Go on.”

***

“Let's play truth or dare!” Junhui yells. His voice was weird because of the alcohol and he had his button up opened, showing his defined abs - but somehow, he managed to don't forget about the plan the 96 line carefully idealized.

It wasn't a complicated or original plan, really. Mingyu and Wonwoo were so caught up on each other, but insisting on complicating things that a simple truth or dare game would do the work.

Wonwoo, though, smells the conspiracy. He looks questioningly at his friends, looking for any signs of misleading. Thankfully, Jihoon and Junhui were great liars, and Soonyoung was out looking for a bottle.

So, in no time, the 13 boys reunited in a circle and Soonyoung placed the empty wine bottle at the center.

“So, are we playing mafia? What's with the bottle?” Chan asks, innocently.

“Oh my god, is this my baby’s first truth or dare?” Jeonghan clutches his heart, looking lovingly at his ‘baby’.

“So, Channie, it works like this” Seungkwan jumps forward to explain “We spin the bottle, and whoever it stops, this side questions and this side answers.”

“There can be a truth of yes or no…” Hansol continues.

“Or a dare!” Seungkwan claps, excitedly. “Are we doing the drinking version?”

“No” Seungcheol puts limits “Ever since the maknaes started being able to drink you’ve been pushing it, huh? But no getting wasted today, alright?”

Seungkwan pouts slightly before sitting back next to Hansol, who automatically intertwines their hands. Boyfriends, Seungcheol thinks.

Everyone is strategically positioned: Jihoon made Mingyu sit with him, and Junhui brought Wonwoo along, in a way the couple was sitting right across each other. They’ll just have to wait for the moment the bottle land on Mingyu and Wonwoo.

It’ll happen, Junhui said, It's Physics.

“First!” Soonyoung screams - he was also quite intoxicated -, holding the bottle tightly “Let's do an oath! I'll say truth and truth alone…”

“No” Jihoon pushes the back of Soonyoung's shirt and spins the bottle himself.

As the bottle spins, there's always that tense moment when everyone wonders who's landing in. Minghao looks secretly at Junhui, eyeing his abs and feeling guilty for wanting anything to do with him. Hansol wants to ask Seungkwan something, but that won’t be possible since tehy were sitting right next to each other. Deep, deep down, Mingyu and Wonwoo also wished they would land on each other.

It lands first on Seokmin asking and Seungkwan answering.

“Interesting” Jihoon whispers.

“My singing babies!” Jeonghan yells.

“Truth or dare?” the smug smiles creeps up Seokmin's face.

“You're so weird, god damn” Seungkwan makes his best disgusted face “Dare.”

“No kissing dares!” Jisoo points out “No getting awkward later, right?”

“I dare you to…” Seokmin starts, making a thoughtful pause before smiling largely “Call your mom and tell her you got a girlfriend!”

Seungkwan's eyes widen up till they’re round balls on his face, but he bravely takes his phone out and dials - of course - number 1 on speed dial.

He puts the phone on speaker as all the 12 gather around the Jeju boy. The phone rings for about two beeps and then Seungkwan's mom’s soft voice is heard.

“Hi, darling! It's quite late, why you're calling?”

The other boys try to keep quiet as Seungkwan starts talking “Mom, I wanna tell you something. Is just that… Well, I've got a girlfriend.”

There's a moment of silence.

“Wait, what?” There's a hint of laughter on Mrs. Boo’s voice.

“A girlfriend, mom.” Seungkwan goes on “As in, a date.”

“Honey, you do not have a girlfriend. You're the gayest kid I've ever met.”

12 boys couldn’t take it then. The room bursts with laughter from young men, followed by Mrs. Boo laughter as well. Seungkwan stands in the middle of all of it, utterly confused.

“It's funny because it’s true!” Seokmin comments between gasps and laughs.

“Was this a prank? Or a dare?” Mrs. Boo asks “Kwannie, you didn't think you could fool me, right? Also, you keep talking about that guy, Choi-”

Seungkwan is quick to end the call before his mom could say anymore. Of course, that doesn't stop the load of boys from staring at him smugly.

“Choi who, Boo Seungkwan?” Seokmin sing-songs.

“Someone spin the ing bottle!”

***

Eventually - very, very, very eventually - the bottle stops on Mingyu and Wonwoo.

After plenty of revelation, a dance off, a piggyback ride along the whole apartment and a love confession through text to one of Soonyoung's crew members, finally the bottle managed to stop where Soonyoung, Jihoon and Junhui have been cheering to stop at since the game started.

Mingyu asks, Wonwoo answers.

Jihoon wastes no time - he jumps on Mingyu's back and whispers a bunch of things on his ear. Although most people could hear the whispers, it was a mix of Busan-Daegu dialect with Anyang accent and an invented code that no one really understood. Mingyu, though, did - and he widened his eyes at it before nodding nervously.

“Truth or dare?” Mingyu gulps before asking.

Wonwoo looks completely uninterested - he shrugs and says “Truth.”

Mingyu takes a deep breath.

“Is it true…” Mingyu takes another breath “Is it true that when you drunk dialed me and said you loved me… You meant it?”

Wonwoo’s pale face goes completely red. It was true, he knew it was. But Wonwoo only focused on the fact that his friends were playing games with his life. He stares at Jihoon with flaming eyes and stands up.

“I knew it.” he says, picking up his jacket from a chair. “Why do you all want to mess with my private life, which, by the way, has nothing going on?!” he yells as he walks to the front door’s direction.

“Hyung!” Mingyu clumsily gets up, rushing to grab at Wonwoo’s shirt. The oldest roughly escapes the hold and leaves without another word.p, slamming the door behind him with a loud thud.

Mingyu is too bubbly to be sad. That was known as a fact until he turned around and the other boys saw the tiniest hint of tears in his eyes.

***

Bonding night was a disaster.

In the next few days, the group was completely dispersed - whenever Mingyu or the 96 line was around, Wonwoo made sure to not show up. Jihoon, Soonyoung and Junhui got a sermon from the oldests of the group - Jeonghan made them promise they would apologize to Wonwoo and Mingyu and Seungcheol settles their punishment as washing the dishes of the café for six months. Jisoo stood there quietly looking at them disappointed as they cleaned cups and plates, which was probably the worst of the combo.

The rest of the group was just utterly confused, and everyone just stopped interacting for a week. But then, inevitably, the day of the photo shoot came. Wonwoo, Seungcheol and the chief editor Kwon Jiyong had already scheduled it and settled all technical details - also, Jiyong fell in love with the idea of Mingyu modelling, so now there was no way to run off.

Wonwoo arrived at the café early, but somehow Mingyu and the rest of the staff were there earlier. Mingyu, Wonwoo thought. They haven't seen in awhile, and Mingyu looked like (although, even if he was not admitting it, Wonwoo was pretty ty as well). There was also a cute looking girl, tall height and black long hair standing out. She chatted lightly with Mingyu, sipping on a cup of tea.

“That's Chou Tzuyu” a voice startles Wonwoo. He didn't realized he was staring until Junhui’s bored voice snapped him out of it. “She's taiwanese and adorable. Mingyu's partner today.”

For some reason, the words make Wonwoo feel uncomfortable. Oh, who was he trying to kid? He knew exactly the reason. Everyone knew.

“What are you doing here?” Wonwoo focuses on Junhui, who has his laptop open and about four cups of black coffee in front of him.

“Editing material for that Shining Diamonds crew documentary” Junhui toasts with the cup of coffee on his hand “I've got about 14 hours of rough filming here and there's still a week of filming ahead. Oh, before I forget - sorry about all that . We didn't meant to make you feel bad-”

“I know” Wonwoo cuts him “You didn't want to… But you did.”

“Yeah.” Junhui snorts “. Sorry. It was none of our business.”

Wonwoo smiles “All I wanted to hear.” He taps Junhui's shoulder in a comforting way. “Now if you'll excuse me, I have a shooting to do.”

Junhui bows playfully and they're good again.

Wonwoo has, now, another trouble. He walks up to Mingyu but halfway through feels his stomach tie in knots, his heart skip a beat and his fingertips get numb. He sits on a chair, trying to control his breathing.

“Hyung” he hears a soft voice he couldn't mistake anywhere. He looks up to Mingyu walking up to him, Tzuyu following right after, looking cute and confused. “Are you okay?”

“Sure” Wonwoo gets up and smiles lightly - he thanked god everything he was so good at keeping at facade “Let's start, shall we?”

***

“Good” Wonwoo clicks again, unnecessarily strong “Can you lean a bit closer please?” He says between clashing teeth.

Mingyu tightens his grip around Tzuyu’s waist and she wraps her arm around his neck. They’re both leaning into the counter, cups of coffee in front of them and the sweet scenario of the coffee shop on the background.  Wonwoo watches the scene through his lens and wonders what he must’ve done in his past lives to be punished like that.

No getting him wrong, Tzuyu was a sweet girl. She was a bit dorky since she didn’t knew Korean fully yet, but she was polite and really really pretty. Wonwoo acknowledged that. But she could be pretty somewhere else - far away from Mingyu, for example.

“Okay” Wonwoo runs to the computer at the corner of the café and check the pictures he just took. “You can go change now. There's still one more outfit, right, Jessica?”

Jessica, the stylist, nods and smiles as she rushes the models into the restrooms to change. When they are gone, Wonwoo lets a sigh out and bumps into the nearest chair. He’s itching all over and there's a green monster roaring inside his chest. He’s about to get up again when his legs falter and strong arms puts him back on the chair.

“Dude, calm down” Junhui says. To everyone else, Wonwoo was simply tired, but Junhui knew him too much.

“I’m good.”

“You’re definitely not” Junhui is quick to push him back down to the chair. He stares at him carefully “Hey, I swear I’m not forcing anything, but… D’you wanna talk about it?”

“It?” Wonwoo frowns.

“You know exactly what I mean.”

Wonwoo sighs and looks up at the ceiling. Yes, he did like Mingyu. Big deal. Mingyu had to be forced in a truth or dare game to be able to talk about it with him… Besides, the younger never really said anything back when Wonwoo drunk dialed him.

“It doesn’t matter” Wonwoo lets out, and a weight falls off his shoulders.

“You do know there’s nothing between Mingyu and Tzuyu, right?”

“And if there is?” the photographer rolls his eyes unconsciously “It’s a match. They both tall and pretty.”
 

“You’re tall and pretty” Junhui’s cheesy side comes to view, and Wonwoo smacks him on the shoulder. “I’m just saying… Mingyu doesn’t hate you. Take the chance.”

There was a bitter tone to it, like Junhui envied him or something. But the chinese quickly shrugged it off and smiled widely.

“Oh, there he is” Junhui flicks Wonwoo’s forehead, who looks back to see Mingyu in a simples white tee and a leather jacket (how can he look so good in something so ordinary? Ugh) “Go get him, tiger.”

Wonwoo stares at his friend, still uncertain.

“Look, if you go and talk to him, I’ll show up shirtless at the café tomorrow.”

“Seriously?”

“Cross my heart and hopes to die.”

Wonwoo nods - he wouldn’t lost the chance to make Junhui do something stupid. Relutanctly, Wonwoo gets up and walks to Mingyu’s direction. The tallest sees him and smiles softly.  From the corner of his eye, Wonwoo sees Junhui leaving the café and doing a ‘fighting’ gesture to him

“Hyung” Mingyu says “Tzuyu’s not ready yet-”

“Good” Wonwoo cuts him. Mingyu looks startled and Wonwoo realizes he might’ve sound rude. (Well, he wasn’t really happy with the girl getting all close Mingyu.) The photographer sighs, and the model his head to the side, like the big puppy he is. “We should-”

“I didn't meant to piss you off, you know” Mingyu interrupts him. The younger is fiddling with the edge of his jacket, looking at the floor with eyebrows furrowed.

“I know” Wonwoo bites his lips. Mingyu’s tone was not that friendly.

“Then why did you reacted like that?” the model stares at the photographer with serious eyes. Wonwoo looks down, silent. “Hyung, why?”

Mingyu’s tone is slightly louder now, and Wonwoo drags them to the backroom of the café. It’s empty there, and it smells like coffee and strawberries. The scent manages to calm the beats of Wonwoo’s heart, but Mingyu still has that painful face on.

“You’re not telling me?” Mingyu crossed his arms. His actions are so childish that something in the back of Wonwoo's mind squeals like a teenage girl at the younger boy. “I thought we were best friends.”

“We are.” Just that, Wonwoo thinks, sadly.

“Oh, are we ?” Mingyu scoffs “Cause you're just throwing yourself all over Junhui hyung these days.”

That angries Wonwoo. When did Mingyu thought he had the right to say something like that?

“As if you're not all friendly with Minghao.” Wonwoo's deep voice makes the sentence sound much more angry.

“What? I-”

“And that Tzuyu girl too, not to mention Jihoon!” Wonwoo explodes “You do not have the right to say I’m the one substituting you.”

“Then if we are still close, why don't you tell me why you ran away like that?” Mingyu is yelling now.

“Because it was true!” Wonwoo's mouth goes to action before his brain can think twice about it. He decides to give up and just let it all out “I like you. And you don't like me back.”

Mingyu backs off, eyes wide. Wonwoo bites his lip, holding a tear back. It sheds anyway.

Wonwoo is about to leave - the magazine could deal with the 87 photos he already took - when he is surprised with the soft feeling of something pressed against his cheek. Mingyu is pressing his lips to his skin, right where the tear fell. He feels the younger warm hands travel up his shoulders to the back of his neck and his lips wipe the falling tear. Wonwoo can feel Mingyu harsh breathing on his face as they separate only slightly. They make eye contact and, as if it's automatic, press their lips together. Mingyu smiles into the kiss.

“Why would you think I didn't reciprocate your feelings?” he laughs, as if his feeling were obvious.

“I don't know.” Wonwoo brings a hand up to caress Mingyu's face. he stares at his neck, fascinated by the tan skin. “You never said anything. When I drunk dialed you.”

“Well, I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you.” Mingyu whispers.

“You say that too easily.” Wonwoo provokes, but he is happy.

Finally, hidden in the café’s backroom and tangled in a soft hug, they feel right.

author’s note: I'm so sorry I at chapter titles.

Finally done! This chapter was complicated, since I wanted it to be dramatic but also adorable. Also, it was kinda long, right? Sorry (?)

Shout out to my friend who helped me writing a few parts~ Thanks to everyone who commented and subscribed so far! <3 You're awesome!

There was a Tzuyu cameo today~ I really love her. Next chap there will be a popular girlgroup member cameo as well!

I hope you liked the chapter! Til’ next time and don't forget to leave your comment <3