Hanbin stood in front of the door of his room, making sure it was locked tightly before turning around to see eight confused faces staring up at him from various places in his bedroom. “I’ve called you all here for one purpose,” he announced dramatically, pausing for effect. 

His boyfriend and best friend since-the-womb looked at him fondly, indulging his theatrics. “What’d you call us here for, Binnie?”

Hanbin shot Jiwon a sweet smile before turning his attention to the rest of the room again. He cleared his throat, “I think we can all agree when we say that watching Jundong dance around each other has been… frustrating, to say the least.” At least five groans emerged after the last word left his mouth, all of them long-suffering.

“I can’t stand watching Junhoe stutter every time Donghyuk so much as smiles at him!” Yunhyeong wailed from his place on the bed, turning around and burying his face into Hanbin’s pillow. Seunghoon patted his back in camaraderie, wincing as the memory of Junhoe blushing furiously at Donghyuk giggling surfaced in his mind.

Seungyoon nodded sympathetically, “Or him glaring at me whenever I help Dong-ie out with singing.” He tilted his head and added, “Or whenever I call him Dong-ie.”

Jiwon grimaced, “And I don’t really like watching someone I consider my younger brother drooling whenever Junhoe decides to smirk or roll up his sleeves.”

Hanbin and Minho let out a snicker at the younger’s boyfriend, cooing at him and Hanbin comforting him with kisses when Jiwon pouted. Chanwoo sighed, pointing at the duo, “Why can’t they be like you two and just get together quick and easy?!”

Jinhwan snorted softly, “Because Hanbin and Jiwon have literally been dating since they were in the womb. They didn’t even ask each other out, they just got together.”

“Wait, seriously?!” Minho exclaimed, looking at the cuddling couple incredulously.

Jiwon laughed, nodding as he snuggled into his other half. “Yeah, we already knew we were in love, so we just… got together when it felt right.”

Seunghoon sighed, “This is making me feel too lonely. I don’t need to be constantly reminded of the perfection of you two, aka the literal soulmates.”

Jinwoo, sitting on the arm chair of Hanbin’s desk, laughed, “It’s not really a surprise Hanbin-ie and Jiwon-ie became a couple like that though.” Seunghoon reluctantly nodded, accepting his fate as a single man.

Hanbin huffed from his place in Jiwon’s lap. “This isn’t about our relationship,” he whined, squirming around until Jiwon held him tightly. “This is about getting Junhoe and Donghyuk together!”

“I say we shove them into a dark room and lock the door until Donghyuk starts getting too scared and Junhoe comforts him and they get together.” Everyone looked at Chanwoo blankly, minds shutting down at the youngest’s words. 

Yunhyeong threw a pillow at his taller little brother and screamed, “Rejected!” Chanwoo caught the pillow easily and tossed it back, snickering as it smacked Yunhyeong directly in the face.

“Then you come up with something,” he snarked back, raising an eyebrow.

Seungyoon interrupted them smoothly, unfazed by the brothers’ bickering, “How about we drive Junhoe to the brink of jealousy and make him confess?” Hanbin looked thoughtful, slowly nodding his head.

“That… could work. Okay,” Hanbin whipped out a notebook and started writing, “that’s the first plan. Everyone has to contribute at least one plan!”

A chorus of protests flooded the room and Hanbin pouted. “Fine,” he said brattily, “only three plans have to be made. Seungyoon’s is Plan A for now and Chanwoo’s is the last resort no matter what.” Chanwoo rolled his eyes, crossing his arms.

Ten plans later and nothing was finalized. Minho groaned, spread eagle on the floor, “Can’t we just go with Yoon’s plan? It’s good enough and we have a backup!”

Jiwon looked at his best friend flatly, “You’re only saying that because all your plans got rejected!” Minho flipped him off and rolled around the floor dejectedly.

Jinwoo raised his hand. “Maybe we should stop focusing all our plans on Junhoe and make some on Dong-ie instead.”

The entire room paused. “Jinwoo,” Hanbin breathed out, “you’re a beautiful genius.” Jinwoo preened at the compliment, looking at the rest of the group smugly.

Jiwon protested, “You could’ve just called him a genius. Why’d you have to add beautiful?” He turned Hanbin’s face toward him. “Are you trying to make me jealous?”

Hanbin winked, “Is it working?” Jiwon growled under his breath.

“I’ll take care of your attitude later, brat.” Hanbin sent him a sly smirk and kissed him on the lips.

“Woah, woah, woah!” Seunghoon yelped, slapping his hands over his eyes. “No extreme PDA allowed in this room of single men!” Chanwoo nodded in agreement, having flung himself away from the flirting couple.

Seungyoon cut in again with a long-suffering sigh, “Let’s just implement the same plans with Dong-ie.”

“Can Donghyuk even get jealous?” Yunhyeong pondered out loud, already distracted from the previous conversation.

“He’s like a literal angel,” Minho added in, looking thoughtful.

Jiwon burst out laughing. “Trust me,” he breathed out, “Donghyuk can get mad jealous.”

“When and how?!” Seunghoon asked, Jinwoo staring at Jiwon in curiosity.

“Well,” Jiwon started, resting his head against Hanbin’s, “He hates how Junhoe is so soft for Jinan-ie sometimes. Says it makes him discouraged.”

Jinhwan had a disbelieving expression as he slowly said, “He does realize Junhoe’s my cousin… right?”

“Wait, Junhoe’s your cousin?” Yunhyeong asked, looking as if his entire world re-shifted. The rest of the room held similar faces.

Hanbin, Jinwoo, and Jiwon cocked their heads. “Did you guys not know?” Jinwoo asked innocently, not flinching as four heads whipped towards him at alarming speeds.

“The real question is how did you guys know?!” Yunhyeong asked, an offended look in his eyes at this newly discovered information.

Jiwon looked at the four clueless boys like they were odd, “Jinan-ie didn’t exactly keep it a secret.” Hanbin nodded in agreement before adding his two cents in.

“We found out when we went to Jinan’s family dinner, remember? Oh wait,” he clapped in realization, “that was when you four were away and couldn’t come! Donghyuk couldn’t come either so that’s why he doesn’t know.”

Yunhyeong made a sound of understanding, cuddling closer to Seunghoon on the bed. “I can’t believe one missed dinner date literally shifted our entire world.” Chanwoo rolled his eyes at his older brother’s dramatic antics.

“Well,” Minho started, starting to look more and more mischievous, “Donghyuk not knowing just made this so much easier for us. Jinhwan can act more skinshippy with Junhoe without Junhoe thinking Jinhwan’s putting the moves on him and we can watch Donghyuk slowly self-implode!” He started cackling and rubbing his hands together like a mad scientist, oblivious to the flat looks half the room sent him.

Hanbin rolled his eyes fondly, nudging Minho with a foot to get his attention. “Okay,” he announced to the room, “we have a solid plan and it will commence tomorrow!”

Everyone nodded and Jiwon smirked, adding in, “Now all of you should get out of our apartment while I give my boyfriend some loving.” He snickered as the group scrambled out of the room, manhandling Hanbin onto the bed as the bedroom door slammed shut.

The guys ran as fast as they could to the front door, but not before they heard Hanbin’s giggling turn into breathless moans.

“Run faster!” Yunhyeong screamed and everyone blasted away from the apartment.