“Something just isn’t right about this whole thing and I can’t put my finger on it,” Jongwoon said, drinking his coffee.

            Jongwoon and Sungmin decided to head to his café to rethink their battle plans since there always seemed to be someone at the house that could walk in on them at any moment. 

            “There’s no way they haven’t seen us by now,” Sungmin agreed.  “You don’t think they’re pretending not to notice, do you?”

            “The thought crossed my mind, but if that’s the case, why?  I can’t think of a single reason.  If they objected to us being together, you’d think one of them would say something.  But if they’re fine with it, why pretend not to notice?  And is this making them rethink their friendship with each other?”

            “I feel like we’re wasting our time.”

            “Kyuhyun seems to be in a better mood but I don’t know why,” Jongwoon pointed out.

            “He told me that he’s been sleeping better now that I’m not in the room,” Sungmin said, frowning.

            “It’s because he got a new bed,” Jongwoon explained.  “He falls to sleep faster with a different mattress.”

            “I wasn’t the one keeping him awake!” Sungmin argued to himself.  “Who played computer games all night? Not me!”

            Jongwoon let Sungmin rant about sharing a room with Kyuhyun until he’d gotten out all his steam before continuing their conversation.  “Aside from coming out and telling them that we’re together and waiting for them to give us some reaction, I can’t think of anything else to try.”

            “Well, we might just have to.  I mean, at least then they can’t ignore it anymore,” Sungmin said.  “I just don’t know if this is how we’re going to solve the problem though.  What else would make Kyuhyun and Ryeowook realize they belong together romantically?”

            Jongwoon shook his head.  “Jealousy, perhaps.”

            “Jealousy?”

            Yesung just threw out the word without thinking but now that it was said, he began to recognize the truth of his own words.  No one was as selfish and self-centered as Kyuhyun.  He was a spoilt child, the youngest in his real family and the youngest of the members and he couldn’t stand not being the center of attention.  Especially Ryeowook's.

            “Oh!  You mean I flirt with Kyuhyun and you with Ryeowook?” Sungmin asked.

            Jongwoon shook his head, thinking through his strategy.  “No, Kyuhyun’s the easiest to work with, I think.  He gets crabby when Ryeowook focuses on someone else too long.  All I’d have to do is blatantly flirt with Wookie and I’ll be lucky if he doesn’t beat me to death.  Maybe that will make him realize that what he feels isn’t platonic.”

            “Then what should I do?”

            “You should tell them that you and I have had a falling out and that you don’t want to be around me anymore and I’ll pretend to flirt with Wookie to get under your skin.  It’s a foolproof plan,” Jongwoon told him, pounding his fist on the table.  “This just has to work!”

            Sungmin began to bounce in his seat, excited at the idea of finally succeeding.  “I’ll chat with Wookie tonight about being mad at you and then at dance practice tomorrow, you can work on Kyuhyun.”

            “Deal!” agreed Jongwoon, leaning back in his chair and sipping his coffee, feeling rather smug as he looked around the café, smiling to himself.      

            “I’m gay.”

            Kyuhyun’s dad dropped his head into his hands at the dining room table without saying a word but his mother just smiled and reached across the table to pat Kyuhyun’s hand.  “We already know that, dear.”

            “So why does dad look like he’s dying?”

            “He was still hoping you’d change back,” Ahra explained.

            “Change back?” Kyuhyun asked.  “I’ve never changed from, I’ve always been gay.”

            His father rubbed his hands over his face.  “Why?” he asked, to no one in particular.

            “Just to piss you off, dad.”

            “Shut up,” he said, finally leaning back in the chair and looking over at his son.  “Let a guy get accustomed to hearing something like that before you start giving him a hard time.  I should have known after watching that SNL skit.  You really did look like a woman.”

            “That has nothing to do with it,” Kyuhyun pointed out.  “I’m just that damn hot no matter what I’m wearing.  But you realize that I top, so I don’t normally dress girly.”

            Kyuhyun’s father just stared at his son and then he got up and headed for the kitchen.

            “Where are you going?” his mother asked, worried.

            “I need a ing drink,” he said, trudging through the doorway.

            “Bring me one too!” Kyuhyun yelled out.

            “I think you probably shouldn’t talk about positions with your father, dear.  I don’t think he’ll ever be ready to talk about something like that.  Trust me, he’s taking it rather well but I wouldn’t push it.”

            “I’m sorry, mom.”

            She nodded as her husband walked back into the room with three beers and handed one to Kyu.  Ahra assumed the other was for her and began to reach for it and he pulled it away from her.  “Get your own!”

            Ahra sighed heavily and gave Kyuhyun an aggrivated look.

            “At least Ahra will give me grandchildren someday,” Mrs. Cho said.

            Ahra closed her eyes, trying to block out her mother's words.

            “Hopefully soon,” she continued, not looking at her daughter as she spoke.  “She is getting on in years, it’s about time to look for a husband.”

            “Did you know about this already?” he asked Ahra.

            “Of course, dad.  For about six years now.”

            “Six years!” he exclaimed, turning to look at Kyuhyun.  “You’ve been gay for six years now?”

            “No!” Kyuhyun said, rolling his eyes.  “I’ve been gay forever.  I’ve been with Wookie for six years.”

            Mr. Cho glanced into the living room.  “Does he know that we’re talking about this right now?”

            Kyuhyun shook his head as the man in question walked into the room.  “I’m so sorry,” he said, putting his phone back into his pocket.  “That was one of the managers and if I don’t pick up, they get really nasty.”

            “Here,” Kyuhyun’s dad said, handing Ryeowook a bottle of beer. 

            “Thanks,” Ryeowook said, looking around in confusion.  “Are we celebrating something?”

            “Yep,” said Ahra, standing up and walking over to Ryeowook.  She spread her arms open wide and hugged him.  “We’re welcoming you into the family.”

            Ryeowook paled and looked around the table again, not sure if she really meant that as he thought she did but one look at Kyuhyun’s wicked smile and his father’s pained expression told him all he needed to know.

            “Wha—ah—I think—I mean…”

            Kyuhyun’s mother stood up and also hugged Ryeowook as soon as Ahra released him.  “Don’t worry, darling!  We aren’t upset.  Mr. Cho is just taking a moment to adjust.”

            Although beer had never been one of his favorite drinks, Kyuhyun watched as Ryeowook twisted off the cap of his bottle and drained half of it before he made his way back around the table and sat down on the other side of Kyuhyun.

            “You didn’t tell me that you planned to tell them anything,” he said, leaning close to Kyuhyun to speak quietly.

            “I wasn’t sure if this was going to be the day or not, it all depended on everyone’s mood,” he explained.

            “You’re dead when we get home,” he said, under his breath, before turning to look at Kyuhyun’s mom.  “I’m really sorry that we didn’t say anything before now, Mrs. Cho.”

            “You can just call me mom, honey.  Don’t worry, I figured it out a long time ago.  He talks about you too much to only be friends with you.”

            Ryeowook turned red in the face.  “Thanks for understanding, mom.  I promise never to give you a hard time in the future.”

            “It’s not you who gives anyone a hard time,” Mr. Cho muttered to himself.

            “We all think that you’re a martyr,” Ahra explained.  “I don’t know how the hell you live with him.  I did it for years and it alters a person over time.  I mean, just look at us!”

            “Don’t go sympathizing with Wookie,” Kyuhyun said, waving his arms.  “He’s way meaner than I am; he’s just really sneaky about it and does it behind closed doors.  Only a select few of us know what he’s really like.”

            “Watch it,” Ryeowook warned, pointing a finger right in Kyuhyun’s face.  “You are one comment from sleeping alone for a month.  I’m not happy with you.”

            “What?  You aren’t relieved?” Kyuhyun asked, acting like an innocent bystander.  “One minute, we’re secret lovers.  You walk out of the room, walk back, and wha-la!  You’re the daughter-in-law they always wanted!”

            “Now you are sleeping alone, you .”

            “Why are you telling us now?” his father suddenly asked.

            Kyuhyun took one look at his father and knew this required a serious answer and he deserved to have at least one question answered without his son being cheeky about it.

            “I’m tired of hiding it from everyone.  You’re my family and you deserve to know the truth.  I still don’t intend to come out in public or anything but if anyone does hear about it first, I owe it to you.”

            Mr. Cho looked over at Ryeowook and stared at him for a moment before nodding in his direction.  “Welcome to the family, son.”

            It was Mr. Cho’s words that finally pushed Ryeowook over the edge and his eyes began watering up.  He jumped to his feet and ran over to Mr. Cho and hugged him tight.  Filled with happiness, Mrs. Cho also got out of her seat and wrapped her arms around them as both she and Ryeowook began crying in happiness.  Mr. Cho simply pat Ryeowook’s head with one hand and took a swig of his beer with the other.

            “Thanks, dad,” Kyuhyun noiselessly mouthed to his father.