Kyuhyun didn't know what they were talking on the phone, but judging from Jongwoon's shocked expression, it was probably something that he wouldn't like. The shorter man was quiet for a whole minute before he was able to speak again. Jongwoon told Ryeowook that he would call back later and ended the call. Looking up at Kyuhyun, Jongwoon's mesmerizing black eyes were now clouded with confusion and conflict. Kyuhyun tried to smile and brought them back to the original topic, but somehow his smile was a bit forced.

 

"So, what is it that you want to tell me?"

"..."

"... Jongwoon?"

"... I'm sorry, but I can't go with you guys to Jeju tomorrow now. Ryeowook-ah... Something sort of happens to him and I must meet him in person to talk about it..."

 

Kyuhyun's heart dropped to the floor. He still tried to maintain a smile as he held Jongwoon's hands again.

 

"Are you sure that this is what you want to tell me?"

"...Yes," Jongwoon slowly took his hands off, "I'm really sorry that I couldn't make it to tomorrow trip."

 

With that said, Jongwoon stepped away from Kyuhyun and headed to the door.

 

"Jongwoon," Kyuhyun called after him, "Do you want me to go with you tomorrow?"

"No, you should go with your family. I can take care of myself." Jongwoon replied without looking back.

"...I see," Kyuhyun sighed, "But don't hesitate to call me if something comes up, alright? I'll be there for you in a heartbeat."

 

Jongwoon stopped dead in his track. Then, he suddenly turned around and ran back. Kyuhyun almost stumbled backward and fell to the floor when Jongwoon threw himself at him. The shorter man hugged him tightly while hiding his face in his chest, the tip of his ears a bit red.

 

"A-After you come back from Jeju, I promise I will definitely tell you. I have to take care of something for now but I will definitely tell you after that. Can you wait for me?"

"Absolutely! I'll always wait for you, Jongwoon."

 

 

Kyuhyun happily hugged Jongwoon back. At the same time, he decided to trust in the feeling Jongwoon had for him.

 

*********************************

 

Jongwoon didn't tell anyone about Ryeowook's confession to him, not even to Donghae and Hyukjae who tried to interrogate him as to why he didn't confess to Kyuhyun. He hadn't confessed to Kyuhyun yet, because he felt like he did something wrong if he were to confess his feeling to Kyuhyun without clearing the air with Ryeowook first. Shocked was still an understatement to explain how he felt now. He had never thought that Ryeowook had a crush on him. Nevertheless, his heart only yearned for Kyuhyun and he only thought of Ryeowook as a little brother. That was why he planned to turn down the younger man's confession. Jongwoon tried his best to act like nothing happened as Ryeowook sat down opposite of him. Seeing that the younger man wouldn't say anything, he decided to break the silence first.

 

"So... You like me?"

"Yes hyung, I've been in love with you from the first day I worked at the restaurant."

"Two years!? Then... Why confess now?"

"I can't help it, I have a feeling that I'm about to lose both you and my feeling toward you."

"What? How?"

"Hyung," Ryeowook smiled bitterly, "You love Kyuhyun-ssi, right?"

"Y-Yes, is it that obvious? Why does everyone seem to know it..."

"Of course it's very obvious, hyung, the way you look at him literally screaming 'I love you!' out loud. That's why... When Sungminie hyung told me last night that you were staying over at Kyuhyun-ssi house during the winter break, I knew that I'm about to lose you to him so I went ahead and confessed to you. But, it seems like I've already lost you no matter what I do." Ryeowook snickered at himself.

"Ryeowook-ah... I..."

"You're here to turn down my confession, right, hyung? Sorry for bothering you with my feeling."

"No, you shouldn't apologize. It's not your fault for having a crush on me, it's also not yours or my fault that I love Kyuhyun, it's just how things work."

"Thank you, hyung, we can still be friends, right?"

"Of course! By the way, you said that you confessed to me because you felt like you're losing me and your feeling toward me, what does that mean?"

"I..." Ryeowook looked visibly nervous, "I think I begin to fall for Sungminie hyung..."

"What!?"

"I'm not sure when, but I began to hope that time would stop when I'm with Sungminie hyung. Though my heart doesn't beat crazily like when I'm with you, I'm still happy spending time with him. Ha... Why did I even talk about it? It's not like Sungminie hyung would think of me as something more than his little brother that he must take care of, like how you think of me..."

"Ryeowook-ah..."

 

Jongwoon was genuinely surprised to hear that. He knew that Ryeowook and Sungmin were very close to each other because they grew up together. However, he didn't expect Ryeowook to fall for Sungmin, especially when Ryeowook already had a crush on him.

 

 

Suddenly, a very selfish thought popped up in his mind.

 

Wait, if Ryeowook and Sungmin ended up together, wouldn't that leave Kyuhyun to me?

 

Jongwoon quickly chased that thought away as fast as it appeared. No, he shouldn't take advantage of Ryeowook when he was heartbroken now. He just turned Ryeowook down, he would be the worst scum on earth if he tricked the younger man to confess to Sungmin just because of his own selfishness. But...

 

What if Sungmin liked Ryeowook too?

 

He shouldn't have hope, but the more he thought about it, the more it seemed possible to him. Slowly, a plan began to form in his head. He was already a con artist committing many crimes, might as well add another one to that pile!

 

"Jongwoon hyung, are you ok?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry, I was miles away, yeah, I'm fine."

"I probably shouldn't waste your time anymore. Thank you for listening to me. I'll leave now."

"Do you want me to stay with you for the time being?"

"Thank you hyung but," Ryeowook smiled sadly, "I want to be alone."

 

Jongwoon watched until Ryeowook completely disappeared from his sight. Then, he took out his phone and began to dial someone.

 

*****************************

 

Ahra sighed for umpteenth times as she looked at her brother. They had arrived at Jeju island and settled in their private villa for many hours already, but Kyuhyun still looked as if his heart wasn't with himself (well, that was technically right since Jongwoon wasn't here). Ahra, Donghae, and Hyukjae tried to drag the man out to have fun together. While Kyuhyun did tag along with them, he just sat alone on a beach chair staring at nothing in particular with soulless eyes. She wondered what happened to Kyuhyun and Jongwoon. She swore they were just flirting with each other just yesterday's dinner! Suddenly, her phone vibrated in her handbag. She took her phone out and widened her eyes in surprise seeing the caller's name on the screen. Walking away from her depressed brother, Ahra answered the call.

 

"Jongwoon-ah? Is something wrong? Why did you call me instead of Kyuhyun?"

"Noona, everything is alright. I just have something to ask my brothers. Could you get them to answer my call without telling Kyuhyun? Pretty please?"

 

Ahra was even more worried now, but she still did as the man told. She called Donghae and Hyukjae who were building a sandcastle not far from where she sat. The kids obediently ran to her and Kyuhyun didn't seem to notice that at all. Donghae took the phone while Hyukjae shifted closer to him.

 

"Woonie hyung, can you hear me? Whistle if you're being kidnapped and can't answer me."

"Very funny, Hae-ah, Hyuk-ah, I need you to help me. Go get Sungmin-ssi phone number from Kyuhyun but don't let him know!"

"Alrighty, wait a sec,"

 

Nodding at each other, they walked to where Kyuhyun was sitting. Donghae covered the phone to prevent their voices from being heard while Hyukjae poked the older man's arm to get his attention.

 

"Kyuhyun hyung, Jongwoon hyung told us to get Sungmin-ssi phone number from you."

 

Kyuhyun perked up as soon as he heard Jongwoon's name, but he quickly frowned afterward.

 

"Sure, but why didn't he just call me? I told him that he can call me if anything comes up..."

"Well, Jongwoon hyung is probably about to do something weird and he doesn't want you to know it."

"You can rest assured hyung. Once Woonie hyung settles down for something, he will definitely stick with it for the rest of his life."

"I know, I just wish he would understand already that it's only him for me."

 

**********************

 

Ryeowook sighed and brushed tears off his eyes. He already knew that Jongwoon hyung loved Kyuhyun-ssi, yet he still confessed to the older man. He was lucky that the older man still wanted to be his friend. Sitting alone on a bench in a secluded part of the park, Ryeowook sighed again as he tried to blink away his tears. However, it only made him cry harder. Why was his love life ? The only two men he ever fell in love with, both saw him as nothing but a little brother. Why? Just because he was younger than them didn't mean that he wanted to be their brother! Frustrated, Ryeowook pulled his knees up and hid his face there. Damn, he felt like crying again.

 

"Wookie! Are you alright!"

"Sungminie hyung...?"

 

Ryeowook yelped when he was suddenly pulled up from the bench into a hug. Sungmin hugged him so tight that he was barely able to breathe. Feeling both confused and flustered, he tried to push the older man away but Sungmin only hugged him tighter.

 

"H-Hyung, I can't breathe!"

"Oops, sorry Wookie, but I was really worried about you!"

"What? Why?"

"Someone called me and told me that they saw Jongwoon-ssi cruelly turned down your confession to him and even ridiculed you! I know you'd be here so I come here as soon as possible. Wookie, forget him and give me a chance. I swear I won't make you cry, never ever."

 

Ryeowook was confused first, but realization slowly hit him. When he fully understood that Sungmin was basically confessed to him, his face turned completely red.

 

"S-Sungminie hyung, you... Like me?"

"Yes, I love you, I've always been. I never say anything because I know that you like Jongwoon-ssi. But, can you give me a chance? I'll treasure you for the rest of our lives. Wookie...? Oh no! Don't cry! I don't want to trouble you, I just..."

"You didn't trouble me, I'm crying because I'm very happy now! Yes! I'd love to go out with you hyung!"

 

Ryeowook cried and hugged Sungmin back. The older man almost couldn't believe what he heard, but the warmth he felt from the younger man in his embrace told him that it was all real. He did confess to Ryeowook and got a yes! Sungmin smiled like an idiot. As he hugged Ryeowook (who was now his boyfriend), he promised to himself that he would never make Ryeowook sad.

 

 

Ryeowook suddenly giggled loudly and spoke up with a bright smile.

 

"Jongwoon hyung, you can come out now! I know you're hiding around here!"

.

.

.

"Ahem... How did you know that it was me who called Sungmin-ssi?"

"Hyung!" Ryeowook giggled, "You're the only person who knows about it. Who else could it be if it isn't you!"

"Wait a sec," Sungmin chimed in, "Jongwoon-ssi, you're the one who called me? But I thought..."

"Jongwoon hyung did turn me down, but he didn't do it cruelly nor did he ridicule me. It was only a lie to trick you to see me!"

"Well, I only thought that Ryeowook-ah shouldn't be left alone so I called him. That he would confess to you is out of my expectation but congrats anyway!"

 

Ryeowook beamed at the older man. Jongwoon was really bad at lying. Anyone could see through his lie just looking at his nervous hands gesture. While Jongwoon hyung might not love him in that way, he surely loved and cared about him so much as his little brother.

 

"I see now. I really owe you this time. Jongwoon-ssi, if you want me to help with anything, don't hesitate to ask me."

"Well... There is actually something I need your help with... But..."

"It's alright, you can tell me."

"Well... You see... I want you to call Kyuhyun and tell him that you don't think of him that way, that you already have Ryeowook and all."

"What?" Ryeowook was visibly confused, "Why does Sungminie hyung have to tell Kyuhyun-ssi that? He obviously like y-"

"Of course," Sungmin agreed before Ryeowook got to finish his sentence.

.

.

.

Kyuhyun was watching over Donghae and Hyukjae to make sure that they didn't swim too far off the shore. His phone rang, and he was taken aback seeing the caller's name.

 

"Sungmin? Why did you ca-"

"Listen Kyuhyun, I know what I'm about to tell you might upset you, but I must say it. The truth is, I only think of you as a good friend."

"What? You know that I lov-"

"Most importantly, I already have Wookie as my cute boyfriend now. I hope you understand what I try to tell you."

"Oh," Kyuhyun immediately understood what happened, "I see, I got it all now, congrats! By the way, is Jongwoon with you?"

 

Kyuhyun almost failed to hold his laughter when he heard a commotion noise from the other end of the line.

 

"No, he isn't here with me, just me alone."

"I see, thank you for telling me that, and I'm really happy for you and Ryeowook."

 

Ending the call, Kyuhyun finally lost it and laughed out loud, causing Donghae and Hyukjae to get curious. The kids got off the water and ran to the older man who still laughed like a maniac that his whole body trembled.

 

"Kyuhyun hyung, are you alright?" Hyukjae asked, his voice dipped with concern.

"Oh, I'm just having fun with whatever scheme Jongwoon is currently doing. I bet there's still more though, because he hasn't confessed to me yet."

 

Kyuhyun replied with a huge grin. He truly couldn't wait to see how Jongwoon would confess to him.

.

.

.

"Do you think he knows that I have something to do with you twos ending up together?"

"I don't think so. He knows that I hate lying so he'll definitely trust me when I told him that you're not here."

"Really? Whew! I'm saved then!"

"What will you do next, Jongwoon hyung?"

"I'm going to confess to Kyuhyun. I hope everything goes well..."

"Why wouldn't it be? I mean, Kyuhyun-ssi definitely lo-"

"I wish you the best of luck, Jongwoon-ssi."

"Thank you! I'll go now. Bye!"

 

Sungmin and Ryeowook waved at Jongwoon who ran off with a bright smile on his face. When he was completely out of their sights, Ryeowook turned to Sungmin with a genuinely puzzled look.

 

"Why did Jongwoon hyung say it like he doesn't know that Kyuhyun-ssi loves him?"

"Well, he doesn't know that you have a crush on him in all these two years. Do you think he'll realize that?"

 

Ryeowook wanted to protest but couldn't come up with any counterargument.

 

"You're right. I thought that I'm dense because I don't know that you like me. Turns out Jongwoon hyung has it worse than me! I mean, anyone who isn't blind or braindead knows that Kyuhyun-ssi falls head over heels on Jongwoon hyung!"

"Wookie, I'm madly in love with you but you don't know it too."

"W-Well, that's because I thought you only see me as a little brother and I only had my eyes on Jongwoon hyung during that time..."

 

Ryeowook went silent for a while. Then, he looked up at Sungmin with a determining gaze.

 

"Sungminie hyung, I want you to know that I agree to date you because I do fall in love with you, not because you're a replacement of Jongwoon hyung. I might still have some feeling for Jongwoon hyung now, but I promise that I'll get over him and completely fall for you one day."

"I know, thank you for giving me a chance."

 

Both men smiled happily at each other.

 

******************************************

 

After Jongwoon successfully helped Ryeowook and Sungmin to end up together, he went back to his apartment. His brothers and Kyuhyun's family would go back to Seoul after the new year, just before the winter break was over. At first, he considered confessing to Kyuhyun after he came back from Jeju just as he told him last night. However, he changed his mind after he carefully thought about it. He wanted to show Kyuhyun that he was very serious about his feeling. If he really loved Kyuhyun, he had to prove it by reaching out to Kyuhyun first, not waiting for the other man to approach him. Making up his mind, Jongwoon quickly bought an air ticket to Jeju. Today was December 31^st, he had a hard time finding some available ticket. Luckily, after refreshing the website for a while, he finally got a ticket. As he was packing his bag, he saw the card deck on the coffee table. He smiled and picked it up to look at it. This card deck was the reason why he got to know Kyuhyun and, eventually, fell in love with Kyuhyun.

 

Suddenly, the deck slipped out of his hand and fell to the floor, all cards falling face down except just one card lying face up.

 

The Lovers.

 

Jongwoon stared at the card with wide eyes. A brilliant plan popped up in his head and he couldn't help a grin making its way on his face.

.

.

.

.

"Hea-ah, Hyuk-ah!"

"Yes? Seriously, why don't hyung just call Kyuhyun hyung?"

"I can't do that. By the way, I'm on my way to Jeju now. I should arrive there around two in the afternoon. Don't tell anyone yet though, especially Kyuhyun!"

"Got it. But are you sure that you don't want Kyuhyun hyung or someone to pick you up at the airport?"

"No, I want to surprise everyone. Bye, see you at Jeju!"

 

Jongwoon ended the call. Right now, he was at the gate waiting to be called to board his flight. While he was waiting, he saw a middle-aged man walking from people to people with a distress expression. Their eyes accidentally met. That man strode to where he was sitting holding something in his hand.

 

"Excuse me! Are you going to Jeju? If so, may I ask which flight you'll be going?"

"Yes, my flight is in the next 40 minutes."

"That's it! Please exchange your ticket with me! My wife is staying at her parents' house at Jeju. She is nine months pregnant and the doctor told us that the baby is due the day after tomorrow, but the hospital called me just now that she has early labor. I plan to fly to Jeju tonight but I have to change my plan now. However, there's no available ticket left because it's a holiday season. The staff told me that they will issue an emergency ticket exchange for me if I can find someone who is willing to exchange their ticket with me. Please! I beg of you! Please exchange your ticket with me! I'll even pay you! I want to be there when my wife gives birth to our son!"

"Oh no, you don't have to pay me! And yes, I'm more than happy to exchange our tickets."

"...Thank you! Thank you so much!"

 

Jongwoon smiled warmly at the soon-to-be father man who was sniffled now. He had never known what did it feel when you had a father, but if he could help a man to be with his family, he wouldn't hesitate at all to help that man.