Hyunwoo sets the last of the boxes down with a sigh, lifting his shirt to his face to wipe at the sweat gathering at his brow. Jooheon scrambles in after him, holding out a bottle of water.

“I told you you didn’t have to carry up all my boxes, hyung…” Jooheon tells the older, smacking his lips in dismay. “I appreciate it, but I could’ve done it myself.”

“Nonsense,” Hyunwoo tells him, turning to him with a Buddha-like smile. “You’re my little brother, and that means I have to take care of you.” Jooheon ‘hmmphs’ under his breath, crossing his arms as he looks around the room.

“I’m in college now, hyung,” Jooheon states, pointing out the obvious as he nods around their shared dorm. “You’ve got to let me start doing somethings for myself. I mean, I’m not five anymore…” He pouts as if to further make his point, but this only causes Hyunwoo to remember when he was five, and how he’d begged Hyunwoo to piggyback him to and from school every day. The older just reaches out, ruffling Jooheon’s hair with an affectionate light in his eyes, and walks out of the room.

Not that he’d tell Jooheon this in a million years, but Hyunwoo can’t let up from his caring ways for a number of reasons… the main of which being their mother threatening him with unimaginable consequences if he let anything happen to Jooheon during his first year of university. Of course, he didn’t need such threats to get him to watch out for his little brother. He wouldn’t ever forgive himself if anything were to happen to Jooheon. Which, he’s gotta add, is why his precious brother will be going nowhere near his fraternity house.

“Hyunwoo!” a familiar voice suddenly calls from the open front door.

God, speaking of trouble...

Hyunwoo can’t help but chuckle at Hoseok’s impeccable timing as his same-age friend pops his head in from the hall. He hums in acknowledgment, gesturing for him to enter. Hoseok does so, and plops himself down on the nearby couch.

“How was your summer, Hoseok-ah?” Hyunwoo asks politely. He takes a long drink from the water, keeping himself in front of his brother’s doorway. It isn’t as if he doesn’t trust Hoseok around his brother, in fact the two have never even met, but he can see all too clearly the other man taking his little brother under his wing… and that’s the last thing either of them need this year.

“Same-old, same-old,” Hoseok answers with a shrug. “I helped my mom out a lot at the café, and when I wasn’t doing that I practiced my dancing and singing. I’m glad to be back, though. This last year is gonna be a blast!” Hyunwoo chuckles again, smiling knowingly at his energy.

“You drove here with Minhyuk-ah, didn’t you?”

Hoseok laughs sheepishly, the airy sound echoing around the dorm. It suddenly stops, though, as Hoseok’s gaze narrows towards Hyunwoo’s shoulder. Hyunwoo frowns confusedly, and glances behind him to see Jooheon peering over towards his same-age friend curiously. The young man bites back a sigh of defeat as he steps to the side.

“Hoseok,” Hyunwoo says, gesturing between them as he speaks, “this is my little brother, Jooheon. He’s starting here this year. Jooheonney, this is one of my fraternity brothers, Shin Hoseok.” Hoseok stands, throwing on a debonair smile as he offers out a hand. Jooheon presses his lips together, his eyes glancing betwixt the older man’s eyes and their joined hands. The tips of his ears begin to burn the longer their fingers remain interlocked, and Hoseok’s smile only grows at the cute reaction.

“You didn’t tell me your brother was coming here this year,” Hoseok comments, his eyes twinkling with an unreadable light. “Are you going to try and join the brotherhood, Jooheonney?”

“I hadn’t thought about it…” Jooheon mutters truthfully. He’d been so busy packing and getting everything together that he hadn’t even begun to think about extracurriculars.

“It’d be easy for you to get in,” Hoseok goes on, flicking his gaze towards Hyunwoo. “Even if Hyunwoo wouldn’t vouch for you, I would.” He then returns his eyes to Jooheon as he adds, “We need more cuties in the house~” It’s a good thing Jooheon isn’t drinking anything right now, or else he’d quite literally choked just now.

“Hoseok-ah…” Hyunwoo says warningly, shooting the other a cautious look. “Jooheonney needs to focus on his studies, not partying night and day.”

“Honestly, Hyunwoo,” Hoseok chuckles, pulling Jooheon in suddenly to throw his arm around the younger’s shoulders. “You’re gonna give Heonney here a bad idea about the frat.” A mad blush flares up on Jooheon’s cheeks, causing Hyunwoo to ripple defensively. He crosses his arms over his chest, and gives Hoseok a look that can only say ‘If you don’t get your hands off my little brother, you’ll find yourself without hands’. Hoseok clears his throat, clearly getting the message as he drops his arm.

“Bring him to the party next week,” Hoseok tells him. “Everyone would love to meet him, and not just because he’s cute. You talk so much about him, I feel like he’s a member already.” He shoots Jooheon a wink, and then saunters out of the dorm. Jooheon’s eyes stay plastered on the older man as he walks. Hyunwoo watches his little brother wearily, not liking this at all…

”Get to unpacking, Jooheonney,” Hyunwoo finally says, walking over to close the front door with a satisfying slam. “I’ve still got to show you around campus.”

“Why don’t you want me joining your fraternity, hyung?” Jooheon asks, crossing his arms defiantly. “And why were you just so rude to your friend?”

“The fraternity and Hoseok have a reputation,” Hyunwoo tells him simply, turning on his heel to go to his own room to begin unpacking. “Trust me, Jooheonney. It’s something you want to steer clear of. I’m your hyung, so listen to me.” Jooheon ‘hmmphs’ under his breath, but doesn’t put up a fight… for now. He merely goes to do as his big brother asks, and goes to unpack.

Hyunwoo sighs heavily as he silently works in his own room. He guesses he’ll have to have a talk with Hoseok to make sure the other knows to keep the freshman off his list of prospective conquests.

The fraternity only ever got a reputation because of Hoseok, after all. He holds the record for most nightly conquests gained from parties, and his top rival, Minhyuk, isn’t even close to getting to his level. A fact that has, granted, caused a bit of a jealous rift between the two, but that’s beside the point.

Hyunwoo only knows one thing. In order to do his job and protect his little brother, he has to keep him away from the fraternity, and Hoseok, one way or another.