“Gukkie. Yongguk. Yongguk!”

Yongguk snapped out of his daze, nearly knocking his bowl of rice off the table. “What?” he demanded.

It was lunchtime and, as usual, his friends had gathered at their typical table in the cafeteria. The others were all staring at him.

“I asked you seven times what you were wearing when we go out for my birthday,” Himchan said, not even bothering to hide his annoyance.

“You’ve been really out of his today, hyung,” Youngjae pointed out. “I mean, even more than usual. Is everything okay?”

“It’s fine,” Yongguk insisted, brushing off their concerns. “Yongjoo is coming home next weekend, and I’m just bummed because I’m going to have to be sharing a room with Yongnam again when she’s here.”

Daehyun winced even as he continued to steal kimchi from Youngjae’s bowl. “Damn, that blows, man. If you need a place to crash, you know you’re always welcome at my house. My mom loves you.”

“That’s only because I don’t eat her out of house and home,” Yongguk chuckled. Daehyun only shrugged, still eating.

“But you still didn’t answer my question,” Himchan persisted. “We’re going out this weekend for my birthday and I need to know what you’re wearing!”

“I don’t know,” Yongguk shrugged indifferently. Clothes were honestly the furthest thing from his mind at the moment. “Clothes?”

Himchan threw up his arms in frustration. “You are not being helpful, Bang Yongguk! How are you going to meet any girls if you wear something that’s not fashionable!”

“I’m not looking to meet any girls,” Yongguk said without really thinking.

All of his friends stopped what they were doing and looked up. Daehyun even stopped stuffing his face.

“You’re not looking to meet any girls?” Youngjae repeated uncertainly. “That is most unlike you, hyung.”

Yongguk shrugged, inwardly cursing himself for saying something so out of his normal character.

“You’re seeing someone, aren’t you?” Daehyun demanded suddenly, face lighting up. “That’s definitely it. That’s why you’ve been so weird lately.”

“Is that true?” Himchan demanded. “Do you have a girlfriend, hyung?”

“No, I don’t have a girlfriend!”  Yongguk exclaimed. “I already told you guys that!”

Daehyun frowned, as if he’d been sure that Yongguk had a girlfriend, but none of them pressed the matter, for which Yongguk was grateful. It was true that he didn’t have a girlfriend. He only had a maybe, sort-of boyfriend. Maybe.

Himchan’s birthday came up quickly and, like usual, they had plans to go to one of the city’s many clubs that didn’t look too closely at their fake IDs. Yongguk didn’t particularly want to go, which was a first for him.

“Don’t be silly, hyung,” Junhong said. He was sitting on Yognguk’s bed while the elder got ready to go meet his friends at the nearby metro station. “You should definitely go out with your friends. I bet you’ll have a really good time.”

“I guess,” Yongguk muttered, stealing a glance at his middle schooler. He didn’t think he’d have a good time, however, because Junhong had a fresh bruise decorating his cheekbone.

Junhong beamed, an expression that looked totally out of place on a face as bruised as his. “Go, hyung. Have fun. We’ll do something together tomorrow, okay?”

So Yongguk gave in. He’d already promised Himchan, so he really had no choice. His best friend would eat him alive if Yongguk missed his birthday. So he walked Junhong a few doors down to his apartment and then headed off to meet his friends.

They were, as usual, the rowdiest people in the station when Yongguk arrived. Most of the other evening travelers were giving them a wide berth. That could’ve been because of either their boisterous nature or their ostentatious outfits. Yongguk had to blink several times.

“Where did you even find sequined pants?” he demanded of Himchan.

His best friend only grinned, rosy cheeks indicating that he’d already started drinking before coming. “It’s a secret, hyung,” he teased. “Now let’s get going already!”

They ended up going to a club they frequented a lot, where they were friends with the bartenders who would most likely give Himchan free shots all night since it was his birthday. They also knew a lot of the other regulars, who greeted them by name and chatted comfortably with them.

The only problem with this club, besides the fact that Junhong wasn’t there, was that Yongguk had left a lot of broken hearts and former conquests here. Some of these girls abhorred him for using them and then leaving him, but others – quite a few, actually – were still quite persistent.

Minah was one of those girls. She was a petite, pretty little thing that Yongguk had ed a handful of times last year. She’d been after him since them, even when he straight-up ignored her.

Now she sidled up to him and slipped a drink into his hand. “Hi, oppa,” she chirped. “I haven’t seen you around in a while.”

“I’ve been busy,” he muttered, setting the drink down. He knew better than to drink anything Minah gave him. She wasn’t beneath drugging him to get what she wanted. She’d done it to another guy they knew, after all, and he didn’t want to be added to that list.

She frowned when he set the drink down without taking a sip, but then she grinned up at him. “I can keep you busy for a while, if you know what I mean.”

“No thanks,” Yongguk said, using his arm to brush her aside. She was so tiny that it took very little strength to move her.

Minah glared at him as he tried to leave her behind. “What on earth is wrong with you, oppa?” she demanded shrilly. “Are you gay or something?”

Yongguk froze. The club was loud and he was pretty sure that he was the only person who’d heard her, but it still made him want to disappear forever. He whirled back on her. “Just because I don’t want to a desperate little like you doesn’t make me gay,” he hissed, and then he was gone.

“Woah, what put you in such a bad mood?” Youngjae demanded when he rejoined his friends at the bar for a much-needed drink.

“Minah,” Yongguk grumbled, and that was all he really needed to say for his friends to understand.

Daehyun let out a low whistle, beer in hand. “That little thing is still following you around? I thought she’d have given up by now.”

“Don’t let her ruin your night,” Himchan slurred, slinging an arm around Yongguk’s shoulders. “It’s my birthday! Let’s have some fun!”

Yongguk forced a smile, but the remainder of the night was anything but fun. His mind was too occupied with Junhong and his fresh bruises. He was actually pretty relieved when his friends got drunk enough that he could coerce them into going home.

Yongjoo arrived home the following Friday. Even though he was having to give up his room for his sister, forcing him to share a room with Yongnam again, Yongguk was excited to have her home for a little bit. He’d always been close with his sister, and he was excited to formally introduce her to Junhong.

“Are you sure it’s okay?” Junhong asked nervously on Saturday. They were waiting at a nearby restaurant for Yongjoo to come and join them.

Yongguk nodded, giving Junhong’s hand a reassuring squeeze underneath the table. Yongjoo had accepted immediately when he’d invited her along to meet Junhong, though she still refused to explain her cryptic warning when he’d first told her about his middle schooler. “My noona is really nice,” he explained. “And I know she’ll like you.”

“I’ve met her before,” Junhong explained. “But never as your…whatever.”

“Yeah,” Yongguk agreed. He still didn’t know quite how to label their relationship either. Or he did, but he didn’t really want to say it out loud because that would make it all too real and he wasn’t sure it was a reality he could deal with. Not yet, at least. Maybe one day, but not now.

Yongjoo’s arrival interrupted his internal turmoil. She walked up with her dark hair swinging, a smile on her face. Both Yongguk and Junhong jumped to their feet at once.

“Hi,” she greeted them cheerfully, hugging first Yongguk and then Junhong. “It’s so nice to see you again, Junhong-ah.”

“You too, noona,” Junhong said nervously.

“Yah, you two don’t have to act so nervous,” Yongjoo laughed, taking her seat so they could resume theirs. “I already know that you’re dating. It’s okay. I don’t disapprove or anything.”

“R-really?” Junhong demanded. Though Yongguk had told him as much, it must’ve been difficult for him to believe it without hearing it with his own ears. “You don’t care?”

“Of course not,” Yongjoo said airily. “I think you two are cute together.” She smiled. “Anyone who makes my brother happy makes me happy.”

“I wish I had a big sister like you,” Junhong pouted.

“I can be your noona if you want,” Yongjoo offered. “I’ll even give you my cell phone number so you can call me whenever you want.”

“Really?” Junhong’s eyes were wide with disbelief. “You’d really do that for me, noona?”

“Yah, don’t get too attached to her,” Yongguk said. “You can’t get a crush on my sister.”

Both Yongjoo and Junhong laughed at that, and it was an easy-going laugh that melted Yongguk’s heart.

“I don’t think I’ll have a problem with that, hyung,” Junhong insisted, lacing their fingers together under the table.