A longer but proper one-shot. Sorry if it’s a bit messy.

confession(s)

“I think I’m going to die,” is the first thing he hears when he calls her. He sits up straight in concern, drawing curious looks from his friends. She can be joking, of course, but Minhyuk learns that he should expect the unexpected from her. It also applies to her members and Mamamoo themselves.

“What happened?” he asks, trying to stay calm.

Byulyi heaves a long, suffering sigh. “You don’t want to know, oppa.”  She sighs again. “I mean, I don’t even want to look at my reflection now. It’s disaster. Really.” There is a sound of rustling, a curse, and then he hears her whine at someone, complaining that she “wants to take these off now”.

Minhyuk perks up at that. Is she wearing some feminine clothing now? But she never complains for wearing dress or high heels except that it makes her rather stiff doing her dance routine... He quirks a brow, wholly curious now. He grips his phone closer to his ear, trying to listen to the other end.

“Let me out of this, please.”

“Unnie—please.”

“You can’t  make me do this.”

“That’s so gross, ugh. Why do I have to say that?”

“It’s itchy... Unnie, let me wear miniskirts instead.”

Minhyuk gulps, trying not to think of Byulyi, miniskirts, and her legs. Legs. Her long and lean... He slaps himself mentally. Focus, Minhyuk, focus.

“Oppa?”

He clears his throat, flustered. “Yes?” he croaks. The tips of his ears redden in embarassment. He clears his throat again and answers, “Yes, I’m still here.”

Byulyi hums, choosing to ignore his bizarre reaction. “I’m sorry I ignored you. We are currently filming for—uh, I shouldn’t say that. Ahaha. I swear I’m not spoiling anything, unnie,” she pauses for a moment then whispers, “I’m filming for Moosical’s VCR, oppa.”

“Is it okay to tell me this?” he asks, amused and curious at the same time. He crosses his leg and leans against the wall behind him, closing his eyes. Hearing her voice soothes his tired mind. He wishes he can talk to her in person, he misses her so much.

“Well, I’m okay with that,” Byulyi replies, voice low. “It’s not like you’re going to find out about it later ri—you wouldn’t, right?” she asks, horrified at the thought. “Oppa, please tell me you won’t seek any leaks from our concert.”

Minhyuk his lip. He definitely can’t say that he subscribes to her fansites now, can he?

“Oppa.”

He nods at the ominous tone, then realizes she can’t see it. “Yes, I won’t.” Technically I won’t actively search for it; if her fansites manage to record something and I watch it, then it’s not entirely my fault. “I promise.”

She clicks her tongue in disbelief. “Really?”

“Yep.”

“I hold you on that, oppa.”

Minhyuk grins. “Of course, you have my word.”

“O-kay,” she drawls, still uncertain at his words. “I need to start now, see you oppa.”

“Okay. I wish you the best.”

“Thank you. Bye!”

He smiles. “Bye, Byul-ah.”

-:::-

Mid August, a few days after Moosical

“Hyung, let’s go—“ Sungjae pauses, watching the second eldest staring at his phone so hard he won’t be surprised if Minhyuk needed a replacement. He leans forward, curious. “Hyung, what’s that on your—“

Minhyuk glares at the maknae. There’s no way I’ll let anyone see this. “You go first.”

“But—“

“Sungjae,” he lands a heavy hand on the taller boy’s shoulder, “I’ll follow you. Go.” He almost regrets it when Sungjae flinches at his firm tone, but the thought of anyone seeing how cute Byulyi is in her...outfit...holds him back. “Come on, I bet everyone’s been waiting outside. I’ll follow you immediately.”

“Um, okay then.”

Minhyuk stares after Sungjae’s back until he’s out of sight, then sighs heavily as he covers his flushed face with his hands. Damn it—how can I even face her after this? She’s just too cute that I bet I’m gonna do something stupid the next time we meet. He groans, banging his head against the wall behind him. Stupid Lee Minhyuk and his stupid crush on Moon Byulyi.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

-:::-

“So, I heard something very shocking the other day,” he blurts out as soon as he meets her in person weeks later. Just as he thought, he loses control of his tongue and blames it on her new hair colour that makes her look more and more beautiful. However, it also that they have to meet in this circumstances: under the many eyes and lens of the fans and cameras. He can’t quite decide if it’s a blessing or a curse. “And I started thinking about it.” Idiot, he yells at his tongue mentally, stop blurting out words you don’t plan to say now.

Byulyi tilts her head, blonde strands moving to one side as she does. “What is it?”

Minhyuk his lip, oblivious of the way Byulyi’s eyes following the movement. Oh, to hell with it, he sighs resignedly. Might as well head on and wish for the best. “You know—you said something that made me think if I have a chance as well.” The tips of his ears burn in embarassment, making him grateful that her members (and his) aren’t there to hear his next words. “If I were a Moomoo... will you also consider me as your boyfriend too?”

Her jaw drops open. “What?”

“I’m sorry I omitted some details when you asked me to promise not to search for leaks,” he starts to apologize, one hand scratching the back of his neck. “But I saw your VCR. You know, that one.”

Byulyi’s cheeks redden. “Oh my God.”

“So, yeah.”

“Oh my God, oppa.”

“Um, sorry?”

Byulyi waves her hand. “No, no, it’s not that—I mean, it’s okay if you watched it. It’s inevitable, really.” She bites her lip as she stares at him. He wishes she stop that habit because it will make men crazy but then she brings him back to reality when she adds a little shyly, “Our fans have special place in my heart, and it won’t change forever. But,” she blushes, ducking her head slightly, “you don’t have to be one of them to be my—uh, my b-boyfriend.”

This can’t be serious. “Do you—do you mean that I can—?” he asks, his hands trembling at his sides. He can’t believe it. It can’t be. He never thinks she sees him as other than friends, or worse: ‘older brother’. She never shows any sign of attraction to him... or he is too blind to see it. “That you want—?”

“Yes,” she replies, tucking her hair behind her ears. “I mean—yes, I want you to.”

He wants to jump and shout in happiness, then spins her around and kisses her long and slow and passionate, but he regains his sanity as soon as he realizes their circumstances now is not in his favor. Instead he pats her head and ruffles her hair slightly, drawing a groan from the young woman.

“Thank you,” he says, smiling at her.

She stares at him for a while, then smiles in return, eyes gleaming. “Why did you say thank you, oppa?” she asks, chuckling. “It’s weird.”

“Well, you still give me a chance even if I asked it in a roundabout way,” he replies, grinning sheepishly. “So, thank you.”

Byulyi shakes her head. “Dummy.”

He laughs.

-:::-

OMAKE

“So, there’s this one thing I’m really curious about.“

“Oh? What is it?”

“What is these ‘details’ you ‘omitted’ from me, oppa?”

“Uh..that..”

“Is this about how you found out about the VCR?”

“Uh...yes?”

“How did you do it, by the way?”

“As a senior in this industry, I have my...resources...”

“....”

“....”

“Oppa, don’t tell me...Do you...do you subscribe to my—or our—fansites? It can’t be from our company because our CEO is still debating whether we should upload them or not. So there is only one way for you to find out. Oppa, be honest with me.”

“....”

“...You do, don’t you?”

“Uh, would you look at that, my members are calling for me, haha. Bye!”

“...No one called you, oppa.”

“They did! I’ll talk to you later!”

“...”

“...oh, I forgot to mention this: you look cute in that tutu.”

“...”

“Wow, no wonder he’s the Korean’s Usain Bolt, he runs really fast—eh, unnie, are you okay? You look red. Should I call Jongeun-unnie here?”

“...I’m okay. Just...wondering if a hamster can beat up a squirrel and won.”

“...huh?”

“...you don’t wanna know, Wheein-ah. You really, really don’t wanna know...”

-:::-

Note on VCR:

In case you don’t know, the VCR in question is the one where Mamamoo and Kim Shin Young parodied Tiffany’s skit on SNL (3-minute girlfriend iirc), turning it to ‘3-minute idol’. Moonbyul took the ‘perfect idol’ role and wore tutu, hair styled in pigtails, plus acting cute and full of aegyo (that made the whole fandom either gag or laugh). She also said, “Moomoos are my only boyfriend” hence why Minhyuk said what he said above.