Know

[C.A.P/Niel + ?]

It is like you invite one and the other will be sure to tag along. It doesn't matter whether you ask them to a group date, a pizza party, a birthday bash or just to hang out casually. In fact, no one has ever spotted Minsoo or Niel on a date by themselves. At the very least, they go on double dates. Or not at all. No that one has ever seen them if they do.

So when L.Joe invites Minsoo for the surprise birthday party they are throwing for Ricky, he is fully expecting to find Niel trailing behind him, even if he isn't really friends with Ricky. Minsoo is. That's enough for Niel.

As L.Joe hurries about icing the cake he spent the whole afternoon preparing and making sure that Chunji got the right wine bottles from their cellar, he keeps glancing at the duo standing mostly to a side by themselves. Niel, being the more gregarious of the two, goes around meeting up with the people he knows and making friends with the ones he doesn't. But he seems the happiest when he is standing in front of Minsoo, almost blocking him out from the rest of the party, and fiddles with the collar of Minsoo's shirt and again with his sleeves, all the while smiling at something Minsoo is whispering in his ear. Not like lovers, though. Woohyun is playing the music too loud - maybe that's the reason.

L.Joe isn't the kind of guy who talks about other people's business. So if there are rumours, he doesn't know about them. Maybe he should pay more attention to the kind of gossip that goes around. It would be good to be certain - one way or the other.

It is about time that Changjo will arrive with Ricky (hopefully, he didn't let anything slip about the surprise party) and Sungyeol reaches to turn off the lights and music when they hear the car in the driveway.

Surprised yells. Birthday songs. Cake. Candles. Punches. Laughter. Confusion. Balloons popping. Party bombs. It goes by in a dizzy blur for L.Joe but he clearly notices how Minsoo quickly reaches to steady Niel when he is about to fall off the chair (L.Joe has no idea what Niel is doing climbing the chairs in his living room), notices how Niel simply leans in and takes a bite off the onion ring half-sticking out of Minsoo's mouth (who brought in the alcohol snacks before dinner?), notices how Minsoo has very comfortably wrapped his arms around Niel's waist and pulled him to sit between his legs as they watch Ricky run around the house trying to get back at Changjo, who has smeared an "unfair" amount of cream on his face (he should stop them before they break his mom's crystal vase).

But before he knows it, the dinner is already over (with not much mishap except Ricky knocking over the jar of water into the bowl of pickles) and some of the guys are leaving early. He can't really stop them if they want to leave, but Minsoo and Niel decide to stay for the movie and sake afterwards. Maybe camp out at their place tonight. Of course, they exchange a look and Minsoo gives a small nod before Niel joins the guys now shuffling towards the living room.

It is now or never, L.Joe thinks as Minsoo (who