Kyuhyun’s POV

Hongki was staring at me. I wasn’t sure whether he was trying to play with me or actually waiting. Waiting for an answer.

Within the prickly silence, his heavy gaze met mine for a long time.

“If you like her, why’re you helping Heechul?” Hongki boldly asked me.

I placed my coffee cup down, the first action I’d done since time had stopped.

“How long has it been since anybody’s seen Heechul smile?” I said, shooting a question back at him.

Hongki cocked his head to the side, trying to depict my question.

“Now that he’s found some happiness,” I said, “I can’t take it away from him now, could I?”

“You—” Hongki bit back a gasp. “You’re serious.”

I gazed at the coffee cup on the table. It was like that for a long, long time. Him staring at me. Me staring back at the cup while trying to act as casual as I could by pouring in some more sugar.

“You…like her,” Hongki said. “You actually like her.”

Hongki slumped back in his seat, a little bit taken aback for the next five minutes.

“Why did you never say anything?!” he suddenly burst, almost causing me to jump in my seat.

“Um—”

“And here I am, trying my best to hook my best friend up with someone who is clearly out of his league!”

I blinked a thousand times as I watched him rise from his chair, pacing back and forth.

“Gosh, I’m stupid,” he cursed. “What am I even doing? You know what, now that I