“So,” Minhyuk says, his tone almost mocking, “how'd things go after we left last night?” Kihyun can't help but sigh, throwing himself down onto his bed in exasperation.

“Fine, until my eomma came home,” Kihyun answers, earning a teasing “ooh” from his friend.

“Were you two screwing?”

“Minhyuk-ah!” Kihyun chastises, though he can't deny the smile overtaking his face at the question. “Of course we weren't! Who do you think we are, Hoseok-hyung and Hyungwonnie?” Minhyuk barks in laughter at this. Kihyun sighs again, the admittance already leaping from his lips before he's even decided whether or not he's going to tell his friend. “I had a chance to kiss him last night, but I chickened out. I don't even know why I didn't go through with it. I just didn't. I'm such an idiot.”

“Yeah, you are,” Minhyuk agrees after humming for a moment in thought. “Now he's going to think you don't want to kiss him at all. Oh well, maybe he still has a chance to go after those two girls who made him cookies.”

“Over my dead body,” Kihyun growls under his breath, earning a knowing chuckle from the older.

“There's the Kihyun I love,” he says. “Now, go march those short little legs of yours over to his house, grab him by his cute little cheeks, and kiss the absolute out of him. That'll fix this mess right up.” Kihyun laughs breathily at his friend’s wording, shaking his head as he does so.

“I can't, hyung,” Kihyun tells him. “That'd just be too weird. I'll get a chance again, I know. I also know for a fact that he has absolutely no interest in those girls, or any girls for that matter.”

“Well that's good, I guess,” Minhyuk admits, sounding slightly envious. “At least you won't have to worry about him jumping ship or anything.” Kihyun frowns at his words, shaking his head.

“Maybe you should follow your own advice, Minhyuk-ah,” Kihyun tells him gently. “I'm sure Jooheonney feels—”

“Yah!” Minhyuk interjects with a tense chuckle, “this conversation is about your impending relationship doom, not mine.”

“Ahjussi,” Kihyun begins, but Minhyuk cuts him off.

“Kihyunnie,” he says, “look, I appreciate you’re wanting to meddle, but for real just let it be. What’ll happen will happen. Besides, I’m pretty sure he isn’t gay, so…”

“Hyung,” Kihyun chuckles, “no straight boy is going to let you jump into his lap like he does. No straight boy is as touchy with his friends as he is with you, or is even comfortable with his friends being as touchy with him as you are. Trust me, he is.” There’s a beep on the other line, and he can hear Minhyuk’s soft chuckle.

“Speak of the devil,” he murmurs. “I’ve gotta go, that’s Jooheonney calling.”

“I’m telling you, if you just—”

“And same goes for you,” Minhyuk interrupts with a sigh. “I’ll talk to you later, Kihyun-ah.” Kihyun hums, having to bite bag a nagging retort, and ends the call. He tosses his phone aside, rubbing at his eyes.

He can’t help but replay the most epic fail of his night, and, quite possibly his entire life, over and over again. He doesn’t know why he thought calling Minhyuk would help ease his mind at all. In fact, the older had only served to worsen his fears. What if Changkyun took what he did the wrong way and thinks he isn’t interested? Of course, they had spent practically the entire day together, so maybe there’s a chance Changkyun didn’t read too much into the action…

Changkyun sits at his desk, staring with bored eyes at his schoolwork. He should be studying right now, he should be working his off to catch up in his classes. But, he can’t focus. All he’s been able to think of since last night is how Kihyun had walked away from him. The older had had a prime opportunity to initiate a kiss, but he didn’t take it.

The boy pouts at his books thoughtfully. He wishes he knew just what was going through the older’s mind in that moment, if he had thought that Changkyun maybe didn’t want the kiss and that’s why he pulled away.

Changkyun sighs and shoves away his notes. He pulls a fresh notebook out of his desk drawer and opens it, pressing pen to paper for the first time all day.

At least the previous night’s occurrence has definitely inspired him to write the perfect lyrics to his and Kihyun’s duet, even if it has made it nearly impossible for him to get any proper work done.

“Kihyun-ah,” his mother’s voice calls from the living room. He pauses in his work, poking his head into the room with a small smile. “Come sit with me for a moment. I want to talk to you.” Kihyun clears his throat, wiping his hands on his apron as he moves to comply with the woman’s request. She’s using her special, maternal voice, the one that she’s used in the few times when Kihyun had gotten into trouble growing up.

“Yes, Eomma?” he asks. His mother smiles to him, humming as she pulls him into a tight embrace.

“I want you to know,” she tells him softly, “that I think Changkyun seemed like a very sweet boy when I met him last night.”

“He is,” Kihyun murmurs in response, an easy smile coming to him as he thinks of the younger. But, his abysmal choice from last night causes the smile to falter. He pulls away, clearing his throat.

“Also,” she continues, smiling fondly at her son, “I’m sorry if I broke up any sort of date night when I came home.”

“You didn’t,” Kihyun assures her with a light chuckle. “We were just hanging out.”

“Didn’t look like that to me,” she comments with a smirking. Kihyun a breath in through his teeth, laughing at her knowing expression.

“Really,” he goes on, moving to stand, “it was just a casual thing. We’re just friends.”

“If that changes,” she says, mirroring her son’s actions, “I want you to know that I’m okay with it. As long as you’re happy, I’m happy.”

“I know, Eomma,” he tells her, though his voice comes out much softer than intended. She hums in response, wrapping a strong arm around his shoulders.

“Now,” she sighs out, walking with him to the kitchen, “tell me all about practice yesterday, and we can make kimchi stew for dinner.” Kihyun nods adamantly, and then delves into a recounting of his day with his friends, choosing to skillfully ignore the way her eyebrows would quirk up every time he mentions Changkyun’s name.