"I gotta go home now auntie . . ." Hyuk mumbled to the kindly old woman who owned the traditional tea shop in the night market. She worried at him, but he flashed his best smile at her and said they'd come back later if there was time.

Still giving him the eye, she sent him off with a bag of goodies as usual and reminded him to have Yongguk (their resident Tea Extraordinaire) tell her what he thought.

A while had already passed since Hyuk saw Taekwoon and his . . . friend? Or whoever he was, passing by the shop. The way Taekwoon had looked at him, his startled face and body language didn't sit well in Hyuk's chest; he acted like he was caught red-handed or something. In his mind, it only spelled one thing: that friend was someone more than that. The idea slumped his shoulders even as he rode his old bike home.

Riding down the back alleyway, he told himself to perk up or the others would know something was wrong. Not that it took much for anyone to tell anyone was in a bad mood, but he didn't want to uselessly worry his hyungs. All of them already had enough to deal with as it was.

He mumbled to himself, Cheer up baby, cheer up baby, while trotting through the overgrown backyard and forced himself to think of something else instead—like all the winter break homework he needed to shred through. That thought only made him groan.

When he passed the house's threshold, the smell of aerosol paint coming from one of the other rooms crumbled his efforts to distract himself. It meant Wonsik was home and painting. Hyuk groaned again.

What was he supposed to do now? He couldn't let Wonsik know what he saw, he knew his hyung would be heartbroken. Okay, maybe not heartbroken, but he'd start acting like a kicked puppy and when he got sad, everyone else did too.

He tiptoed away from the accusing room, hoping Wonsik had his headphones on and didn't hear him come in. He bounded through the door to Yongguk's room and out the other way, skidding down the wooden floored hallway and around the corner to the common office.

"Safe!" he exclaimed to himself when sliding into the living room in his socks.

Hongbin stared at him and his stupid pose of spread arms. He shook his head.

"How was auntie?" he asked, getting up from the couch.

Embarrassed, Hyuk straightened himself out. "She was good. She gave this to us." He held the brown sack out to Hongbin who couldn't help taking a peek inside. "Smells good, huh?" Hongbin hummed and Hyuk followed him to the kitchen.

Doing something else in the cabinets, Hongbin said, "You're home early, no? You usually go to karaoke or the arcade on Sundays. Did something happen?"

Hyuk froze up, eyes widening. "N-No," he answered, and then winced at how quick it was. "I, uh . . . Wow, look at the time! I have so much homework to do hyung, I'm never gonna finish it all. Can you believe I'll never finish all my homework in the whole month we have off? Jeez, what would my teachers say—" He spun around on his heel and began marching for the staircase.

"Sanghyuk."

He winced again. His full name only got used in the house when he was in trouble. He slowly turned to see Hongbin staring at him with those all-seeing eyes of his and a set jaw that could probably demolish a building. ". . . Yes?"

"What happened at the market?"

He quickly raised his hands. "Nothing! Nothing happened, I really just do got a lot of homework, y'know?" He laughed nervously. "Wanna get it done as soon as I can so I don't hafta worry about it later . . ."

Hongbin's bored, unbelieving stare bored into him and he shied away from it. "You could never work for the government. Don't become a politician." Hongbin deadpanned. "Why are you acting like this? Was it those s again? Or do I have to get Yongguk-hyung to get it out of you?"

"No, no!" Hyuk quickly exclaimed, waving his hands, "I haven't seen those guys since school let out, no one's bothering me . . ."

Admittedly, Hyuk was scared enough of Hongbin on his own, but it was a whole different ballgame when Yongguk shook answers from them. All it took was one, single disapproving look for the pressure to crack any of them.

He quickly shook his head. He lumped himself onto one of the stools at the kitchen island and plopped his chin into his folded arms. Hongbin took the seat across from him.

"I saw Leo-hyung at the market today." he began. Hongbin raised an eyebrow as if to say That's all? He scowled. "No, that's not all . . . He was with someone . . ." Again, Hongbin wasn't seeing the point. He huffed. "Hey, it was a guy I've never seen before! They looked . . . They looked . . ."

"They looked . . . ?" Hongbin urged with rotating hands. "Like humans?"

Hyuk glared at him. "No, jerk! They looked like . . . like they were dating."

"Like they were dating." Hongbin repeated.

Hyuk nodded fervently, sitting straight. "Like, they were touchy and laughing and Leo-hyung was actually smiling! The other guy was all over him, I swear. Leo-hyung looked so happy, I didn't even think his face could move like that . . ." He frowned, stomach twisting. Hongbin glanced to the kitchen door that lead to the back room where Wonsik was painting. "But hyung, that's not the worst part . . . When Leo-hyung looked at me, he got this funny look on his face, like he was scared or something. Like I caught him doing something bad."

That was when Hongbin's interest piqued. He knew right off the back Taekwoon wouldn't act like that if he was with Hakyeon or that Jongdae kid, or any of those people. Taekwoon was stuck in the middle of a thing he didn't want anything to do with, but he'd never act like that with any of them. He put his chin in his palm.

Hyuk stared up at him with a pouting bottom lip and wetting eyes, and irritation shot through Hongbin. Why did Taekwoon act like he was hiding a secret, especially from them? Sure, okay. It wasn't really any of their business, but if Taekwoon thought that too, he would've acted a little less stupid. He scowled.

"Hongbin-hyung . . .?" Hyuk worried.

Hongbin quickly shook the look away and then grinned his million-dollar smile. "I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. Hyogie, you get yourself worked up too easily." he joked.

Hyuk glared at him, momentarily forgetting his worries. "Shut up! You scream like a whale when you spot even a spec of dirt on anything!"

They began to bicker back and forth until Wonsik walked into the room, wiping his paint-smeared face and pulling off his headphones. "What're you guys arguing about this time?"

Hyuk began complaining to Wonsik. Hongbin watched them a second before pulling out his phone with a new thought in mind.

Even though the whole purpose of Yixing being in Korea was to spend time with him, he was proving to be a great distraction instead. Taekwoon couldn't go five minutes without thinking about how he saw Hyuk in the market and that face he gave him. At this point, he was only expecting the worse out of it. Still, when he was struggling not to let that get to him, he really was having a great time with his best friend.

They went out every day and explored the city, accidentally getting lost once or twice and having to call Seungho to pick them up, but it was great and freeing. They found restaurants Taekwoon had never even heard of before, stores that he actually wanted to shop for clothes in, and tucked in little tourist traps he had to talk Yixing out of buying from—and Yixing wanted to buy everything. He made a joke of a mental note to himself that if he ever got into serious trouble later in life, he was sure Yixing and his parents would bail him out—god knew he couldn't rely on his own parents . . .

Every day had been filled to the brim back to back and they admittedly burned themselves out a bit, so today they decided just to stay in and laze around his apartment. Yixing scrolled through movies online to find one for them to watch while Taekwoon searched for the cable to connect the laptop to the large TV.

"Why don't you invite some friends?" Yixing yawned.

Taekwoon snorted, Friends. "We would never get through the movie that way." he responded.

"I don't really think that's the point of inviting friends." Yixing said.

Taekwoon turned to him, "Yes, but the point of a movie is to watch it." Yixing rolled his eyes.

"I think you're ashamed of me." he fake-pouted. He placed a hand over his chest, "I'm hurt."

Taekwoon rolled his eyes this time, mumbling something smart under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

Yixing hummed accusingly and then clicked on a movie. Taekwoon moved into the kitchen to get snacks and make popcorn, but then his phone went off. Both of them looked at it, then at each other. Taekwoon grabbed it and flicked the screen on. It was a message from Hongbin.

"What does it say?" Yixing asked when he saw Taekwoon's raised eyebrow. Before he could reply, his phone went off again.

Red burst onto his face and he quickly covered it, spinning away and slamming a hand onto the counter.

Boyfriend?! Yixing would never be—I couldn't even think of him like that—He cringed at the thought of dating Yixing.

"Taekwoon?" Yixing wondered. Taekwoon wrenched his head over his shoulder with a pained look. Yixing tensed up with worry. "What is it?" Taekwoon mumbled a reply. "Speak up, Taekwoon." Yixing said seriously.

Taekwoon straightened out and then took a long, deep breath. He turned around. "We've been invited out for a little while."

Despite Yixing's questions following him around, Taekwoon didn't say who they were going to meet or what Hongbin had said, about him being his boyfriend. He was still grossed out by the thought—it'd be like dating his own brother.

Though the circumstances were pretty unsavory, Taekwoon liked that he got a chance to take Yixing to the cafe; he'd planned on it sooner or later, but he rather would've done it on his own time. He just hoped no one else he knew was there.

"Oh, is this the place you told me about?" Yixing asked when the bell chimed their arrival. They walked passed the counter and Taekwoon glanced over to see who was working today; no one he recognized. Maybe Minseok was on break. He looked around the other side and lead Yixing passed the wall.

He stopped. There was Hongbin, sitting at one of the high tables.

"Is that a friend?" Yixing asked, because Hongbin looked right in their direction and stared hard at the pair of them.

Taekwoon bit the inside of his cheek. ". . . Sort of." He didn't like how uninviting Hongbin's face was.

Yixing replied, "Oh," in such a slow and realizing way that Taekwoon hoped this wasn't going down the path he suddenly saw before them. He took a deep breath again and then set himself to the table with purpose.

"Taekwoon." Hongbin acknowledged, and it was a hard pinch to the arm because now Taekwoon was Taekwoon instead of Leo. He didn't like how it was being made out that he messed up in some way. "Taekwoon's friend." He nodded curtly at Yixing.

They sat together, but it was hard silence for a few long moments.

"My name is Yixing." he greeted, though it was blank. Taekwoon could tell he was annoyed but not showing it.

"Yes, I heard about you." Hongbin responded, not catching onto the annoyance. He pointed a look at Taekwoon, who had become confused—until he remembered that, Oh, Hongbin lived with Hyuk; Hyuk, who must have told him about the market. Hyuk, who must have told everyone in the house—which meant Ravi too . . . This was suddenly a lot more messy than he thought. He didn't know why it left such a heaviness in his stomach and bad taste in his mouth.

"So tell me, Taekwoon. How long have you and Yixing been dating?" Hongbin's hands were folded on the table, like this meet-up was an interrogation and they were suspected criminals.

The two others paused, look at each other, and then snort laughter.

"Dating?" Yixing cracked, though usually reserved and friendly in front of strangers. Taekwoon couldn't blame him; Hongbin started it after all.

Awkwardness and embarrassment reddened Taekwoon's face—even though it was hilarious that anyone could assume he and Yixing were dating. Something was just so embarrassing about the way people saw the two of them, especially if this kind of mistake was what came of it.

He coughed down another strained laugh, head down and fanning himself, and Yixing patted him on the back through it. A long couple of moments passed before they could take breaths to calm down.

Hongbin, of course, didn't look amused—but if the dating thing had actually been a lie, Taekwoon might've found his expression a little terrifying.

"What's so funny?" Hongbin asked flatly.

Taekwoon whistled out a last calming breath and then straightened out. Correcting Hongbin was going to be great, especially since Hongbin always took too much joy in being the one to correct others.

"Me and Yixing aren't dating." he replied, just as flat. "Yixing is my best friend. From China. He came to visit me for the break since we haven't seen each other in almost two years." He covered his mouth with his fist, trying not to bust into a laughing fit again. His cheeks were still red and warm.

Quiet fell on the table again. Hongbin blinked at them.

Then, in an instant, his face jumped from offended and irritated to bright and friendly. "Why didn't you say so!"

The new moment brought Taekwoon the urge to strangle him for putting him through all of this. Hongbin reached across the table for Taekwoon's hands, but he snatched them back defensively.

"Don't be like that!" Hongbin whined. "Hyung, come on . . . You know I had to . . ."

No, you didn't have to.

Taekwoon scowled. "Whatever." he said, but Hongbin knew he conceded.

"Yixing, so good to meet you!" Hongbin re-greeted cheerfully, and Yixing was obviously confused. Taekwoon ended up nudging him in the side to get him to act, and both of them reached across the table to shake each other's hand. "Wow, I've never met one of Taekwoon's friends that I actually like."

"You just met me." Yixing said in his blank way. He was defensive now.

"Yeah, well, a lot of the people Taekwoon is friends with don't exactly get along with me." Hongbin yielded, grinning his bright smile in the hopes of putting Yixing's defenses down. "Sorry I couldn't be my usual lovely self, I have family to protect and all that." He said it as a joke, but Taekwoon had come to know what he meant.

Now he realized why Hongbin acted the way he did; Hyuk had misunderstood and was hurt by it. Despite everything, they still didn't trust him. He didn't realize their family was some kind of secret club.

He didn't want to admit it, but he was a little hurt by how this misunderstanding could have ended their weird friendship.

Friendship.

When he zoned back in, Hongbin had somehow coaxed Yixing into an actual friendly conversation. The topic wasn't wholly registering in his brain since the one-eighty of the table's mood threw him off. Yixing didn't even look like he was about to pounce for him anymore. Somehow, he just hoped Hongbin didn't find a way to turn his best friend on him.

"Oh? Will it be a big party?" Yixing asked, about something Taekwoon didn't know. He listened in.

Hongbin shrugged. "Our house is pretty big, but we don't like having a lot of people over. I like keeping a clean house, and a bunch of teenagers wrecking all of it isn't exactly my idea of a good time." he explained. "But, it's our oldest hyung's party, so he has the list of invites—I really don't think it'll be too many people since he's not very sociable."

"A party for what?" Taekwoon blurted.

Hongbin smiled. "Yongguk-hyung is graduating this semester." he responded, and Taekwoon raised his eyebrows. "He got into a good university, so we're throwing him a little get together." Then he laughed like he was sharing a private joke, "He probably won't even be there, but Ken says it's the thought that counts." He paused for a thoughtful moment and then a Cheshire grin spreads on his face, popping dimples and all, "Hey I have an idea . . . Taekwoon, why don't you come? Hyung would love to have you there—and bring Yixing too," His sly grin fell on Taekwoon's friend, "you'll have a great time, I promise."

The tone of Hongbin's voice was suspicious—Taekwoon didn't like it because he was clearly up to something mischievous. He looked to Yixing, who would obviously have him say yes to go, and then back to grinning Hongbin. He sighed.

"Fine." Hongbin's grin turned bright and faux innocent.

A few minutes passed while they dished out the details, the day and time, and some of the other people who would be there; Taekwoon didn't recognize any of the names, but he'd probably seen some of the faces around school. What was most surprising was that the party was on New Year's Eve, and that it would end around 1AM. The thought made him a little nervous.

"Not that I wouldn't love to stay and pull out all your dirty secrets from your friend," Hongbin started while pulling out his phone to look at the time, "but I have to go now. Don't get into too much trouble." he teased. "See you later."

There was a certain level a bafflement that Taekwoon watched Hongbin go with; they had come to be confronted, and then were left with a party invite with things the same as always. He plopped his head on the table.

"Was that—"

"Yes." Taekwoon cut Yixing off before he could finish. "The bane of my existence." he moped.

Yixing laughed. "He wasn't really that bad."

"Yixing, please. Can you not be on my side for just one second?"

"I'm on the side of Truth."

"Shut up."

They were about to decided to actually order something while they were there, but two cups were suddenly sat in front of them. Taekwoon looked up to see dark-eyed Hakyeon sipping on his own drink. His heart jumped into his throat.

"Hello." Yixing smiled.

"Hi." Hakyeon replied, hardly friendly and curt. "You must be the Yixing Jongdae told me about."

"Am I famous now?" Yixing playfully wondered. "First Hongbin—" Taekwoon nudged him in the side and quickly shook his head, heart beating a mile a minute.

"No, Yixing, please go on. Tell me about Hongbin." Hakyeon's voice was compliant but hard, and Taekwoon knew this was going no where good.

The table was in silence for a long moment. Yixing glanced between Hakyeon and Taekwoon, and then quickly picked up on what was happening. He got up.

"I'll wait for you outside, Taekwoon." he said, not bothering to take the drink Hakyeon brought.

Don't leave you traitor, Taekwoon cried in his mind, but nodded anyway. Yixing disappeared around the corner of the wall.

Hakyeon didn't wait until he was totally out to start. "So you looked extra friendly with Hongbin." he accused.

Though he imagined this situation more than once (feared it), Taekwoon didn't realize it'd come so damn soon. He sighed, slow and deliberate. "Hakyeon—"

"No, no," Hakyeon cut, "tell me more about when you two became so buddy-buddy."

Taekwoon rolled his eyes. This was not what he wanted to be doing on his vacation at all. He didn't know who he blamed for the current situation rising: Hongbin for choosing such a public place, himself for deciding to come at all, or Hakyeon for wanting to do this here and having some kind of grudge to begin with.

"Why do you care . . ." he muttered, wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans.

Hakyeon popped a hard laugh. "Why do I care?" he asked, thick with sarcasm. "I care because they're s. They like to mess with people, try to ruin their lives. Why on earth would you want to be friends with them?"

For Hakyeon to say something like that stunned Taekwoon. What did it mean? Did those things happen to him? Did Ravi and his friends do something to him?

"Have you ever tried talking to them?"

"I don't need to talk to them to know how they are." Hakyeon hissed.

Heat rushed to Taekwoon's face and he knew this conversation couldn't carry on much longer. "Don't talk about them like you know them." he pushed, really trying to make sense between them.

"And you think you do?" Hakyeon snapped.

"You just said you don't even talk to them, why—"

"Because, Taekwoon!" Hakyeon raised his voice. "Because maybe I know that they've done bad things. Maybe because I've lived here a little longer than you have, known them longer than you have. Don't pretend you know things when you've lived here for less than half a year!"

Half a year it was. Then and there, it hit that it actually had been that long—longer than three months, four months. That his parents were AWOL and he hadn't been swept away yet with their work. That he had the time here to get to know these people and get mixed up in their stupid drama and lives and friends.

What was Hakyeon trying to say? Just because he hadn't lived here long, it meant he didn't belong?

He pushed the drink away.

"I'm leaving." he said.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Hakyeon snapped, not bending. Taekwoon wouldn't bend either.

Screw Hakyeon right now. Screw all of them. He stormed out of the cafe. At the counter was Minseok, who had clearly heard their argument. Taekwoon didn't even look at him.