The next day had everyone but Junhoe, Donghyuk, and Hanbin meeting bright and early.

Jiwon was the last to arrive, sitting next to Minho and ignoring the rest of the group’s startled looks. 

“…Where’s Hanbin?” Minho asked, feeling as though he would regret hearing the answer. 

The wicked smirk Jiwon had on and his response definitely made him regret.

“He’s at home resting because he can’t move,” his smirk grew wider at everyone’s gagging and he added, “or speak right now.”

“That’s too much information!” Yunhyeong moaned, slamming his face onto the table. 

“God, what did you even do to him?” Chanwoo asked in morbid curiosity, flinching when Jinhwan punched him in the arm, glaring at him viciously.

“We don’t want to know!” Seunghoon yelped, covering his ears with his hands tightly as Seungyoon nodded in agreement desperately. 

Jinwoo laughed lightly, unbothered by the topic, “You guys act as if Hanbin and Jiwon haven’t told us more explicit things before.”

Minho grimaced, “Just because they have doesn’t mean we’re okay with hearing any variation of it!”

”Anyways!” Seunghoon interrupted loudly, looking a bit green in the face. “We’re supposed to be talking about what to do with Jundong before they meet us here in,” he looked at his watch, “ten minutes!” 

“What’s there to talk about though?” Seungyoon asked, “We already said we were going with my plan.”

Jinhwan nodded in agreement, “I’ll just act more affectionate with Junhoe and make Donghyuk super jealous. Then they’ll get together and live happily ever after.”

Jiwon’s phone beeped and he looked at the screen, laughing when he saw the message. “Hey, guys,” he called out, “Hanbin sent me a text.”

He put his phone in the middle of the table and the group leaned in to read what it said.

~

Babybin: Tell this to the boys, Jiwon-ie.

Don’t go overboard, idiots. I’m not there to stop you guys, so be careful.

~

Minho leaned back and scoffed. “He worries too much!” Jiwon raised an eyebrow at him, eying him flatly. 

“Hey, remember about two years ago when Hanbin warned you guys about the thing? Then you went ahead and did it anyways and almost got a restraining order on you? And the only reason you don’t have one right now is because Hanbin talked them out of it?” The group collectively winced. 

“Okay, so maybe we should listen to Hanbin,” Minho conceded with a sheepish smile, “but how will we know when it’s too far?”

Jiwon shrugged carelessly, about five glares sliding right off him.

“Damn it, Jiwon,” Seunghoon huffed, “why’d you have to cripple our only working human consciousness?”

“Don’t answer that,” Yunhyeong cut in, pointing at Jiwon’s grin. 

“Anyways,” Jinhwan said, “they should be coming now and we have a plan so that’s that.”

“Oh, hey, guys,” Jiwon said absentmindedly, looking down at his phone, “Donghyuk says he’s here now, along with Junhoe.”

Just then, a voice called out to them, sweet and happy. “We’re here!” Donghyuk chirp out, grinning brightly. Junhoe was right next to him and everyone could see him staring at Donghyuk dopily.

Chanwoo gagged behind his brother and Jinhwan reached his hand out for Junhoe as he passed by, making him sit next to him. 

Junhoe raised a petulant eyebrow and Jinhwan smirked at him. 

One quick glance to everyone else and they got the message. 

The plan is a go. 

-

Jinhwan was laying it on thick. Hanging all over Junhoe’s shoulders and making the younger feed him. 

Donghyuk kept glancing over at them, mood getting gloomier and gloomier as time passed. He wasn’t even eating his food, a shocking thing since he was such a foodie, just pushing it around his plate. 

“What’s wrong, Dong-ie?” Seungyoon asked, pressing his side to Donghyuk’s. He could see Junhoe glare at him, both for the nickname and the lack of space between them, and he smirked inwardly. 

Donghyuk looked at him and tried for a strained smile. “Nothing, Yoon-ie,” he replied back softly, slumping down slightly as Jinhwan’s voice filtered over to them. 

“Aw, Junhoe you’re so sweet to me.” Jinhwan teased, pretending to swoon like a princess and falling into Junhoe’s arms. 

Junhoe rolled his eyes, “Only because you’re -,” Jinhwan interrupted him. 

“I’m your favorite person? Don’t worry,” Jinhwan smiled graciously at him, “I know.”

“Sure,” Junhoe scoffed loudly and Jinhwan immediately looked offended. 

“What, I’m not?” Jinhwan asked, pouting. “I can’t believe you don’t love me,” he wailed dramatically, letting a few fake tears run down his face. Yunhyeong and Chanwoo snickered at Junhoe’s look of panic. 

“I do love you!” He cried out hurriedly, moving to soothe his cousin’s ire in fear of Jinhwan’s sister finding out he made her favorite (and only) brother cry.

The others were laughing at the cousins and only Jiwon noticed Donghyuk’s tight grip on his plastic fork, a jealous and defeated look on his face. 

“Dong?” He asked in worry, gently squeezing his favorite younger friend’s shoulder. 

Donghyuk gave a weak smile. “I’m okay,” he said, “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised Jinhwan and Junhoe are together.” His words carried through the table and everyone froze, especially the two mentioned. 

“Wait,” Junhoe started, “Jinhwan and I are-,” Donghyuk interrupted him. 

“It’s okay,” he reassured Junhoe, getting up and gathering his things. “I have a test to study for, so I gotta get going. It was nice to meet with you all.”

He left in a hurry, dumping his plate still full of food in the trash can and rushing out of the mess hall. 

The group fell silent and Junhoe looked at them in disbelief before he caught their guilty stares. His face hardened and his lips turned down in a deep frown. 

“Why do you all look like that?” He asked suspiciously. 

“Don’t be mad,” Jinhwan said, twisting his fingers together, “we were just trying to help get you guys together.”

Junhoe stayed silent, then he stood up abruptly and stomped out, refusing to look at the table out of anger as he finally realized why Jinhwan had been so touchy with him and Seungyoon with Donghyuk. 

Minho summed up the conclusion of their plan in one word. 

“.”

-

Hanbin listened to the sheepish group as they finished telling him how the plan fell into disaster. 

He laid there on the bed just staring at them, expression completely unimpressed, and they sagged under the weight of his judgmental glare. 

“You’re all idiots.” He said flatly, voice still intimidating despite being croaky and cracking.

“I didn’t even do anything!” Jiwon protested, pouting at his bedridden boyfriend. 

“Your ‘bff 5eva’ is Song Minho,” Hanbin stated bluntly, “you’re an idiot by association.”

Minho opened his mouth to argue but slumped, accepting it. 

Hanbin sighed, rubbing his eyes. “I’ll take care of it.”

“How?” Yunhyeong asked in curiosity. 

Hanbin smirked, “Don’t worry about it.”