KiKwang skipped around the dorm room, hugging everyone he could. DooJoon was skeptical, YoSeob stuck his tongue out, and DongWoon enthusiastically mirrored his hyung’s excitement. By the time he reached JunHyung, he stretched his arms out, beckoning for JunHyung to do the same.

“Th-th-that’s okay,” JunHyung stuttered awkwardly, pushing the boy off of him. When KiKwang refused, he continued, “Yah! G-g-get away!”

KiKwang pouted after being rejected.

“Gwenchana,” HyunSeung consoled, patting his friend on the back. “What’s got you all hyped up, anyway?”

At the question, KiKwangs face brightened up again. He straightened his posture and puffed out his chest, before proudly stating: “Jang KaHee is officially my girlfriend!”

“Waaah, that’s great!” HyunSeung exclaimed, accompanied by congratulatory cheers from the other members.

“How did you ask her?” DongWoon asked, inciting KiKwang to continue his story about how he planned to asked KaHee through a videogame and how his plans almost fell through when KaHee beat his high scores.

While the rest of the members listened intently, JunHyung remained separated from the group, looking deep in thought.

“Wow, Mr. Grumpy, what’s up with you today?” DooJoon said, placing a hand on JunHyung’s shoulder, which startled him.

“O-oh, DooJoon!” JunHyung cleared his throat after jumping up.

“Anything wrong?” DooJoon asked concerned about his friend.

“Nah, there’s nothing in particular…”

“Are you sure?” the unconvinced leader double-checked. JunHyung nodded. “Well, all right then.”

“Actually, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about,” JunHyung blurted out.

——-

“RaeIn likes me!” JunHyung announced shamelessly.

“What?” his companion reacted, covering his ears again. “Why do you keep telling me these things that’ll make me guilty by association?”

“But… she likes me back!” JunHyung exclaimed boyishly. Suddenly, his expression turned dark. “Yah, YoSeob, who was the one who said they would listen to me if I needed to talk to someone? I need to talk right now.”

“You’re right, I’m sorry. Go on.” YoSeob sighed as he plopped down on the couch, motioning with his hands for his friend to continue. JunHyung’s eyes brightened up again instantaneously.

“I really can’t believe it. I didn’t think she’d really like me back. This… feeling in my heart… I feel… so nice!” JunHyung gushed before plopping down on the couch next to YoSeob.

“Ah, honestly I’m very happy for you,” YoSeob said, patting JunHyung on the shoulder.

“Then why do you sound like that?” JunHyung frowned, folding his arms. YoSeob ignored him and continued.

“And I bet you feel really happy, like you’re flying, right? Like a bird?” JunHyung nodded slowly in response as he and YoSeob looked up at an imaginary bird taking off; he had no idea where this was going. YoSeob said he was happy for him, but from JunHyung’s perspective, YoSeob did not look the part at all.

“But you know what you have to do now, right?” YoSeob continued seriously.

“Ask her to be my girlfriend? No way,” JunHyung laughed. “It’s too soon for that. She would not be down for that right now, and not to mention DooJoon—“

JunHyung stopped laughing and opened his eyes wide, horrified. YoSeob nodded knowingly.

“I have to tell DooJoon,” JunHyung realized. YoSeob continued to nod in confirmation with his eyes closed wisely and his hand placed on JunHyung’s shoulder for reassurance.

“You have to tell DooJoon.”

——-

“So what did you want to talk to me about?” DooJoon inquired, as JunHyung led him to the empty bedroom. Everyone else was still in the living room, very distracted by KiKwang, so it wasn’t too hard to sneak away unnoticed.

JunHyung forced a cough to kill time, still a bit unsure as to how he would approach the situation.

“I have a confession to make,” JunHyung started out cautiously. His head was bowed down and he peaked up through his bangs at DooJoon.

“I actually have a confession too!” DooJoon interrupted.

“Okay, you go first,” JunHyung encouraged, slightly relieved to have more preparation time.

“I drank your last coke,” DooJoon laughed, rubbing the back of his head. “I’m sorry.”

“That was you?” JunHyung exclaimed. “Yah, I was saving that for…” JunHyung cleared his throat, trying his best to suppress his anger. “I forgive you.”

DooJoon laughed again. “All right, now what was your confession?”

“Right,” JunHyung said, going back to defense-mode. “I…”

DooJoon held up a hand to stop JunHyung. “There’s no need to say anything. I already know what you’re going to say, and its okay.”

“It is? You know?”

“Yeah,” DooJoon nodded. “YoSeob told me.”

“YoSeob,” JunHyung repeated the name venomously. He imagined the boy sticking his tongue out at him, like a troll. 

“But it’s fine. I didn’t wear that shirt anymore anyway,” DooJoon continued.

JunHyung’s jaw dropped. “That shirt…?”

“Yeah, the one that you shrunk.”

“I didn’t shrink…”

“You know… You know, the black one?”

“But I didn’t…”

“It must have accidentally gotten mixed up with your clothes. I don’t think you could have worn it. It’s not really your style.”

“That’s not it though…” the defeated JunHyung attempted to steer the conversation back to his original goal.

“It’s not?” DooJoon asked with a pensive look. “Then it must be about not doing the dishes the other day right? That’s okay, too; none of the members do the dishes either.”

“It’s not about that…”

“Is it about what you did that day you missed practice without telling us?”

“No…”

“Leaving your coke cans all over the floor?”

JunHyung gritted his teeth at all of DooJoon’s digressions. “No…”

“Then it must be about finishing all the kimchi and not buying more. I wasn’t too angry by that. Maybe you should take it up with DongWoon though—“

“No!” JunHyung exclaimed louder than he intended to. “It’s about RaeIn!”

“RaeIn?” DooJoon repeated, his facial expression changing gradually. “What about her?”

“I…” JunHyung began. “I like her.”

DooJoon stayed silent for a while, comprehending. JunHyung fidgeted in anticipation.

“Hyung?”

“I see,” DooJoon said finally, nodding his head slowly while he absorbed the situation. Suddenly his expression darkened. “And you’re telling me because… you want to date her now?”

“Yeah,” JunHyung replied, lowering his head guiltily. He looked up just in time to watch as DooJoon directed a punch at his face. He instinctively closed his eyes and braced himself for the impact, knowing that he had no time to dodge it. When he felt nothing, he opened his eyes to find himself face-to-face with DooJoon’s fist. Behind it, DooJoon was fuming.

DooJoon lowered his fist and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him, which startled the friends stationed in the living room. They watched in confusion as he burst out of the dorm, slamming the door behind him again. The group turned their head to the opposite side when JunHyung opened that door. They looked at him questioningly, and he shrugged at them sheepishly.

“I told him about RaeIn.”

——-

“And then he says, ‘I may be Dumb Kwang, and I may not be that smart’ – but you know, I was just thinking, ‘That’s kind of the same thing!’” KaHee paused as the other members laughed. “But then he goes, “I don’t know too much, but I do know this…” – KaHee breathed in before continuing – “’KaHee-yah, you’re the most important thing to me and I want you to be mine.’”

“Awww~” the girls chorused.

“Yeah, I know, right? But I was just like, ‘Oppa, what are you saying?’ And then… and then he says: ‘This is long overdue, but KaHee, will you be my girlfriend?’” KaHee breathed out in a flutter, which ignited another round of “aww”s from JulSu and RaeIn.

“That’s so sweet!” JulSu exclaimed, fanning herself to cool down from all the excitement of KaHee’s anecdote.

“Yeah, and then—” But KaHee was interrupted by a knock on the door.

“I’ll get it,” RaeIn volunteered, getting up from her seat, still grinning goofily from KaHee’s story. However, her grin disappeared once she opened the door.

“What are you doing here?” RaeIn asked, suddenly feeling defensive. It was the first time DooJoon had been to her dorm since their break-up. It didn’t help that DooJoon wore a solemn expression on his face.

“JunHyung talked to me,” he explained. “He told me.”

“Oh.”

“Could we talk?”

RaeIn knew it was inevitable. Now that DooJoon was actually in front of her, there was no avoiding it, so she nodded her head and directed him inside.

“Unni, who was at the door?” JulSu called out as she got up to meet RaeIn and their unexpected guest. Once she identified who it was, her expression changed immediately.

“Hey, what’s going on here? Everyone left me alone in the living room,” said KaHee, who followed JulSu’s lead to take a look. “Oh.”

“What a nice surprise, DooJoon-oppa!” JulSu said loudly, trying to diffuse the suddenly uncomfortable atmosphere. “We haven’t seen you here in a while!”

However, the awkward tension was undeniable. The two girls glanced at RaeIn, whose worried expression implied why DooJoon was there.

“Umm… actually, do you guys mind leaving us alone to talk for a bit?”

“Yeah… No problem!” the two girls answered quickly. Once they exited the dorm, it took a few minutes before RaeIn and DooJoon began talking again.

“So,” he began. “How are you these days? How are preparations for the music video going?”

“DooJoon…” RaeIn tried getting him back on track. DooJoon merely looked back with feigned naivety, to which she sighed. “Don’t get off topic, the reason why you’re here.”

“Right,” DooJoon gulped. “JunHyung talked to me today. He told me that he… He told me about his feelings for you.”

“Yeah…” DooJoon closed his eyes and breathed in slowly. RaeIn’s confirmation was the first stab to his back.

“Do you… like him too?” Finally, DooJoon voiced what was tormenting his mind the most. “Say no,” he mentally beseeched. He hoped with all his heart that she would tell him no; to tell him that her heart was still waiting for him. “Say no.”

DooJoon had kept his eyes closed with anticipation. Once they reopened, RaeIn could clearly see the pleading in his eyes, and she almost felt guilty with her response.

DooJoon could not even begin comprehend the emotions he felt – Sadness? Anger? Regret? – when he saw her nodding her head. Stab #2.

“Yeah,” RaeIn admitted in hushed nervousness. To hear RaeIn actually voice it out was stab #3.

“I like him, too,” RaeIn continued, and that was all he needed to hear.

“All right,” he said standing up. “I’d better go now.”

As he prepared to leave, RaeIn abruptly got up as well. “Wait,” she stopped him. “You’re leaving already? I mean, that’s all you wanted to talk about? That’s all you needed to say?”

DooJoon tried his best to fake a smile as he lifted a hand to wave. “Thanks for taking the time to talk to me.”

As DooJoon pulled the front door open, JulSu and KaHee stumbled inside –totally not trying to eavesdrop. He motioned for them to go inside.

“Sorry you had to wait out here. We’re done talking. You guys can go back now.”

“R-right. Thanks, Oppa.”

JulSu and KaHee watched as DooJoon left toward the elevator. Once they got back inside they checked up on their leader, who was still standing frozen with shock in the same spot DooJoon had left her in. The two girls immediately rushed to RaeIn’s side once they noticed her glassy eyes.

——-

DooJoon stepped into the elevator and pressed a button. Once the doors closed, he allowed himself to sniffle a bit and wiped his eyes with his sleeve before watching as the numbers counted down to the main floor.

“Stay for just a bit, you who had given light to me
Even if it’s the end, I don’t want to show you my tears so
I say thank you, for making these happy memories.
I’m sending you away like this, but…
When this door closes,
When the image of you disappears,
I’ll probably spend the day in tears.”

——-

“Yah,” DooJoon said in a low voice. With narrow eyes and his hands placed in his pockets, he strolled over to JunHyung. “We’re going to talk again.”

DooJoon led the way, and JunHyung knew to follow. He wasn’t even going to bother arguing, knowing that DooJoon didn’t usually act like this and that he was the one in the wrong anyway. He deserved it. Liking his hyung’s ex-girlfriend? What was he thinking?

But JunHyung still couldn’t help but gloat to himself that he won: he was about to get the girl, so whatever DooJoon had to say wouldn’t matter too much.

JunHyung stood still, watching as DooJoon paced the room, running his hands through his hair, taking slow and easy breaths. JunHyung kept his guard up, anticipating a fight, though he tried to remain expressionless. Finally DooJoon stopped pacing and replaced his hands in his pockets. He looked towards JunHyung.

“Fine,” he said. JunHyung looked at his hyung curiously and waited for him to continue. “It’s okay if you guys want to date each other.”

“Really?”

 “We’re broken up anyway. Who am I to stand in your way?”

JunHyung sighed in relief. “Thanks, DooJoon. I’m very grateful.” He looked at his hyung again before adding on, “But I’m also very sorry.”

“At least you know to be sorry,” DooJoon laughed jokingly. “But it’s okay. Don’t be sorry anymore.”

Despite DooJoon’s laughter, JunHyung remained uncertain about his change of mood. “You must still feel hurt because of this…”

“Don’t worry.”

Of course, I feel hurt.

“It’s not like RaeIn and I have anything to do with each other anymore, anyway.”

Yah, Yoon DooJoon, what are you saying?

“Just be good to her in my place.”

Why are you even saying this to him?

“I will,” JunHyung smiled. “Thanks, Hyung.”

Yoon DooJoon, why are you acting so cool? You’re probably going to turn around and regret this later. You’re probably going to be upset behind your friend’s back and beg him not to, but…

“J-just,” DooJoon continued loudly. “Just remember that she can’t drink much.”

“Right,” JunHyung nodded.

“She,” DooJoon thought for a couple seconds. “She hates the smell of cigarettes!” JunHyung nodded again, and DooJoon continued. “She hates to be alone, so always be with her. And always…”

DooJoon took a breath.

“Always remember her birthday,” DooJoon said, regret coating his final words of advice.

“I know,” JunHyung replied. “I was the one there, remember?”

“Right,” DooJoon chuckled sadly. He looked down before continuing in a soft voice. “Well, I guess I’ll leave her to you then. Just take care of my gir—” he stopped himself and met the eyes of JunHyung, who looked at him peculiarly. “Take care of RaeIn.”

DooJoon and JunHyung nodded at each other in acknowledgement and in farewell before DooJoon left JunHyung completely alone in the room.

JunHyung sighed. He won: he was about to get the girl. But he didn’t feel as triumphant or as accomplished as he thought he would. In fact, it didn’t even feel like he won at all.

Today my friend asked me if he could date you.
Since I had broken up with you, he said he’d cherish you in my place.
Say you can’t because your heart is still waiting for me.
Say no!