When morning broke, Jisung was reluctant to face the day. If anyone were in his shoes, they'd probably feel the same. As the hazy memories of last night came flooding back, he couldn't help but wince at his own actions. Losing his cool in front of Minho, shouting at Hyunjin, and then spilling his sad, undying love for Minho to Hyunjin after their argument—what a disaster. Jisung was just thankful that Hyunjin, in a rare display of tact, decided to keep his usual sarcasm in check and spared him any teasing.

However, that simply made Jisung want to dive back under the covers and hide from the world, even as the sunlight sliced through the sheer curtains and burned straight into his eyelids. He never thought he'd say this, but he wished Hyunjin had just laughed it off, got all the HAs out of his system, so they could quickly pretend it never happened. Although from the way Hyunjin stared at him, bewildered and silent, it was clear that this was a moment that would stick with both of them far longer than Jisung wanted.

It had always been like this. Jisung had no idea why, but he always got embarrassed when someone found out he had feelings for someone. Romance had always felt like a secret that should stay buried, even though he knew it was natural. It was something taboo.

Still, he knew he couldn't hide from Hyunjin forever. So, when the door creaked open and the mattress dipped under the weight of someone climbing onto the bed, Jisung forced his eyes to snap open, facing the inevitable. He found himself face to face with Hyunjin, who looked like a kid caught sneaking cookies before dinner. Jisung's eyes drifted down to the damp towel clutched in Hyunjin's hand, a telltale sign of some mischief. "What are you up to now?" Jisung mumbled, still half-asleep but certain Hyunjin was up to trouble.

"Nothing," Hyunjin said, a little too fast, as he pretended to wipe his face with the towel, schooling his expression.

The last of Jisung's anxiety faded. If Jisung thought for a second that Hyunjin might show him some sort of pity play because Hyunjin felt sorry for him, he was way off target. This was Hyunjin we're talking about, not a saint.

"Waking me up with a wet towel? Really, Hyunjin? That's your brilliant idea?" Hyunjin hadn't been so creative this time. The memory of 11th grader Hyunjin slapping a wet towel on his face during one morning at a camp was heavily engraved in his mind.

"You'd rather I wake you up with a bucket of water instead?" Hyunjin asked, throwing the towel on Jisung's face just as the younger one had predicted.

Jisung snatched the towel off his face and glared at Hyunjin, but it was hard to stay mad when it was still too early in the morning. "Actually, I'd rather not have you wake me up at all. You're lucky I don't have the energy to deal with you right now," Jisung said, rubbing his eyes as he pushed his body to sit up. Looking around the room, he noticed it was only the two of them there. Changbin and Felix had probably gone downstairs. "Is everyone downstairs?" he asked, following his observation and tossing the towel back at Hyunjin.

"Felix's parents just arrived at the airport. Changbin hyung is driving Felix there to pick them up. Minho hyung is cooking something. He asked me to wake you up. Seungmin had to go back early. Chan hyung and Jeongin should be in the living room," Hyunjin explained, catching the towel mid-air with practiced ease. His voice had that casual, breezy tone he always used when he was trying to downplay something, but it didn't fool Jisung. His mind was already racing ahead, wondering how he was supposed to face Minho after everything that happened last night.

Jisung nodded, trying to piece together a plan for the day. The idea of joining the others downstairs felt both inevitable and daunting. He'd have to act normal, pretend that his heart wasn't a chaotic mess, and try to get through the day without making a fool of himself again. He was lucky nobody had brought up anything about the way he acted yesterday or how he had fought with Hyunjin outside the house. If they had talked to Hyunjin, he wouldn't know. He didn't want to know either, as the thought of Hyunjin's replies alone gave him a headache.

"Great," Jisung muttered, his sarcasm only half-hidden. "The perfect setting for awkward encounters."

Hyunjin tilted his head, his default teasing smile softening into something more thoughtful. Jisung really didn't think Hyunjin was capable of making such a face. Last night, he was too carried away by his emotions to notice that Hyunjin was, for once, being empathetic. Hwang Hyunjin might not be a saint, and he might act like a thoughtless jerk all the time, but he had a bit of humanity in him after all. "Look, about last night... Don't worry too much, okay? Minho hyung's got a thick skull. He probably will only ask if we're all good after arguing."

Jisung guessed Hyunjin was right—there was no point in stressing over what hadn't happened yet. "I don't need you, of all people, to comfort me. When did I go as low as seeking comfort from you?" Jisung asked as Hyunjin clicked his tongue. "Who's comforting you? I'm just making sure you're in the right mental state for my plan."

There was nothing more confusing than those statements. Before Jisung could ask further, he felt Hyunjin inching closer, and his instincts kicked in. He snapped his head toward Hyunjin, half-expecting him to be up to no good. "So, I've been thinking," Hyunjin said.

You need to keep in mind, whenever Hyunjin starts thinking, it's usually a prelude to chaos. "What?" Jisung muttered, clutching the blanket tighter around him, like it was some kind of shield. No, he wasn't afraid of Hyunjin. If Hyunjin was planning on doing anything remotely concerning, Jisung would throw the blanket over him to suffocate the taller one. He was clutching the blanket in a stand-by mode, not defensive.

"Let's not put a deadline on this," Hyunjin said, his voice casual. Jisung blinked, trying to make sense of Hyunjin's words through the fog of his half-awake mind. Deadline? What deadline? The semester was over, and Jisung was pretty sure he had submitted all his assignments. Unless, he had lost it and forgot to hand in one work.

It took him a minute to understand, but was Hyunjin really suggesting they keep this fake dating thing open-ended? "Huh?" was all Jisung could dumbly manage, his brain still struggling to catch up. It was too early for this level of weirdness.

Hyunjin was already a step ahead. "I've been thinking," he continued, ignoring Jisung's obvious confusion. "I don't think you're doing this just to make them comfortable dating around you." Duh? If after last night Hyunjin still thought Jisung was doing this purely out of not wanting to be a designated third wheel, he might have reached his final level of dumbassery. Although, Jisung had barely spoken a word after their argument last night, so he was curious to see where Hyunjin's thoughts were leading him when he hadn't given him any details of his real reason. Jisung just nodded, urging Hyunjin to spill whatever was on his mind. "Actually, before everyone arrived yesterday, I overheard Chan hyung and Minho hyung talking."

Jisung groaned, already knowing where this was headed. He'd heard them too. You would think those two had the common sense to talk somewhere with more privacy, but apparently not. Two people heard them, and god knows who else did. Just thinking that somebody else would suspect that Jisung had feelings for Minho was another pain in the ass he didn't think he could bear. "You don't need to say it—I heard them," Jisung grumbled, sinking further under the blanket. Hyunjin nodded, taking Jisung's reaction as permission to keep going. "So, it's true then? You're doing this because Chan hyung thinks you have a thing for Minho hyung?"

Jisung could only nod, his worst fear now out in the open. It was a mess, a tangled web of unspoken feelings and misunderstandings. Chan, with his ever-present guilt complex, was at the center of it. Jisung wasn't insinuating that Chan would break up with Minho if he knew Jisung liked Minho first. Chan wasn't that kind of person. He wasn't a trash, but what Jisung knew of him was that he had a big guilt complex—almost as big as Hyunjin's ego. He could climb on both of those and fall to his death. Chan would blame himself, and things just wouldn't be the same. The late-night jam sessions at his studio would lose their ease; spontaneous lunches with his family would feel awkward, forced. And Minho—well, Jisung didn't even want to think about what would happen with Minho.

You know how many friendships Jisung had seen crumble because someone couldn't keep their feelings under wraps? Too many to count, and he wasn't ready to add himself to that list. It hurt that he could see such a fate bestowed upon him. He'd rather be hurt in silence than lose his friends. Call it a noble sacrifice, just that it wasn't exactly noble. It was just his cowardice in action.

"Huh, no wonder you were acting all weird yesterday."

"Yeah, well, I had a lot on my mind," Jisung muttered, daring to stare right into Hyunjin's eyes since Hyunjin wasn't giving him any look of pity. "So?" Jisung still hadn't exactly gotten an explanation as to why Hyunjin wanted to have an indefinite deadline to their little play pretend. Jisung had even considered ending this thing as quick as he could because of how ridiculous it was even though he was the one who had suggested it.

"Oh, right. I don't want them to know too. Simply because if things get weird between the three of you, it would affect everyone," Hyunjin said. It was a logical reason which Jisung couldn't argue with. Jisung knew how much their friend group had meant to Hyunjin. It was the only thing he could relate to in sentiment.

Jisung hummed. Screw the curse of having a small inner circle. It would definitely make a big mess. "It's been almost two months and both of them are still skeptical about us. I don't think we convinced them at all. At most, Chan thinks you're dating me as a rebound if we break up too soon. I say, we change our approach."

"Change our approach?" Jisung asked.

"Yeah, we've been too passive on this. Let's make it more clear for them. Let's tell everyone that we're dating," Hyunjin suggested.

Hyunjin's words hung in the air, their weight pressing down on Jisung like a heavy blanket. He blinked at Hyunjin, trying to process what he was suggesting. "Tell everyone?" Jisung repeated, his voice coming out more like a squeak than he intended. "Like, everyone as in not just Minho hyung and Chan hyung?"

"Exactly," Hyunjin replied, his expression serious for once. "We've been too subtle, too careful. If we want this to work—if we want them to believe us—then we need to go all in. No more half-measures."

Jisung's stomach churned at the thought. Announcing their 'relationship' to the group would mean stepping into a role he wasn't sure he could play convincingly. It would mean more than just posting subtle pictures on Instagram and throwing casual glances; it would mean acting like a real couple, and that scared the hell out of him. He hated to admit it, but he had only ever dated one person in his whole life, and it wasn't anything worth mentioning.
They dated for like a month before Jisung realized he wasn't the one.

"But what if it backfires?" Jisung asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "What if they don't believe us? Or worse, what if it just makes things more complicated?" He was sure Hyunjin was not in his right mind. Maybe Hyunjin took some crack before coming to wake him up because Hyunjin implied that if things went wrong between Jisung, Minho, and Chan, it could affect their friends, but if things went wrong here, wouldn't it affect everyone just the same?

"I've thought about that too," Hyunjin admitted. "But I think the risk is worth it. At least, if things go right, you're free from suspicion, and who knows, if this occupies you enough, you might actually move on from your one-sided crush."

Jisung chewed on Hyunjin's words, turning them over in his mind. Hyunjin was right, in a way but Hyunjin was a lunatic and Jisung wasn't.

Jisung stared at Hyunjin’s outstretched hand like it was a live grenade. “No way. This is insane, even for you. If we do that then we'd end up lying to everyone." It would overcomplicate a lot of things. As a matter of fact, none of them had any experience in acting. They would fail miserably. 

Hyunjin didn’t flinch at the blunt refusal, “It’s not insane. It’s strategic. We’ve been too cautious, and it’s not working. You know it yourself—Minho hyung and Chan hyung are still skeptical. We need to up our game.”

Jisung shook his head, stepping back. “You’re out of your mind. Telling everyone we’re dating is like pouring gasoline on a fire. It’s just going to blow up in our faces.”

“Not if we do it right,” Hyunjin countered, following him with determined steps. “We’ve been half-assing this, Jisung. If we want them to believe us, we need to act like a real couple. That means going public.”

Jisung rolled his eyes, the absurdity of the situation washing over him. “And what happens when it all goes wrong? When they see through it, and we’re left explaining why we pretended to date? Or worse, when it makes things even more complicated between Chan hyung, Minho hyung, and me?”

Hyunjin’s expressionwas thoughtful, but he didn’t back down. “I get it, you’re scared. But you can’t keep running from this. If we don’t try something new, nothing will change. You’ll stay stuck in this limbo, and your feelings will keep eating you alive.”

“Or,” Jisung shot back, his voice laced with sarcasm, “I could just end this whole charade now and stop lying to everyone. I'll say we broke up after the fight last night. That’s an option too, you know.”

Hyunjin shook his head, a hint of frustration creeping into his voice. “And what then? You go back to pretending everything’s fine, while they start suspecting something’s off? Chan hyung will catch on to your feelings for Minho hyung and you know it. You think that’s any better?”

“Yes!” Jisung snapped. “At least I won’t be lying to our entire friend group! I’m not going to do this, Hyunjin. It’s a stupid plan, and it’s not going to work.”

Hyunjin’s eyes glinted with something Jisung couldn’t quite place—determination, maybe, or that annoying confidence he always had when he was about to win an argument. “You don’t like being proven wrong, do you?”

“What?” Jisung blinked, taken aback by the sudden shift in Hyunjin’s tone.

“You heard me,” Hyunjin said, stepping closer. “You love being right, Jisung. You love knowing that you figured it all out. But what if you’re wrong this time? What if I’m right?”

Jisung scowled, the challenge in Hyunjin’s voice getting under his skin. “I’m not wrong. I know this won’t work.”

Hyunjin smirked, his confidence unshakable. “Then prove it. Let’s make a bet.”

Jisung’s eyes narrowed. “A bet?”

“Yeah,” Hyunjin said, his voice dropping to a near-whisper, his tone almost seductive in its certainty. “If I’m right, and we convince everyone that we’re a real couple, you owe me. But if you’re right, and it doesn’t work, I’ll admit defeat, and we’ll call the whole thing off.”

Jisung shook his head again, more vehemently this time. “No. I’m not betting on something this ridiculous. This is my life, Hyunjin, not some game.”

Hyunjin’s smile didn’t waver. “So, you’re scared?”

Jisung’s pride flared, his jaw clenching. “I’m not scared. I’m just not stupid.”

Hyunjin tilted his head, studying him with that infuriatingly calm expression. “Then why are you so afraid to take the bet? If you’re so sure it won’t work, you’ve got nothing to lose. We'll just say it's all an elaborated prank."

Jisung opened his mouth to retort, but no words came out. He hated that Hyunjin was backing him into a corner, hated that he was even considering this madness. But most of all, he hated that Hyunjin was right about one thing—he did love being right, and he hated the idea of backing down.

But not enough to risk everything.

“No,” Jisung said firmly, crossing his arms. “I’m not doing it. End of discussion.”

Hyunjin sighed, finally lowering his hand. “Alright, fine. But remember, Jisung—sometimes, you have to take risks to get what you want and this also still proves that you're scared that I'm right."

Jisung didn’t reply, just turned away, wrapping the blanket tighter around himself as if it could shield him from the uncomfortable truth Hyunjin had laid out before him.

Hyunjin may have let the bet drop for now, but Jisung knew this wasn’t over. The worst part? A small, traitorous part of him was starting to wonder if maybe—just maybe—Hyunjin had a point.

They were already in deep, and there was no easy way out. If this fake relationship was going to protect the friendships Jisung cared about, then maybe taking it a step further was the only option left. For now, Jisung would ignore Hyunjin's statement about moving on because it wasn't as easy as Hyunjin put it. Hyunjin wouldn't understand. Hyunjin was the epitome of single and anti-romantic.

"Okay," Jisung said finally, the word barely escaping his lips. "Let's do it," he repeated, more to convince himself than Hyunjin. His voice sounded steadier than he felt. A part of him hoped this would somehow fix everything, while another part knew he was diving headfirst into uncharted waters. "Let's tell everyone we're dating."

Hyunjin's grin was quick and bright. "That's the spirit," he said, reaching out to ruffle Jisung's hair in a way that was both annoying and comforting at the same time. "We'll make it believable. And hey, maybe we'll even have some fun with it. Bets are fun."

Jisung groaned, swatting Hyunjin's hand away from his head the moment it started to look like Hyunjin was treating him like a puppy. He didn't even need to ask to know what Hyunjin was thinking. Jisung could see from the evil glint that Hyunjin was doing himself a favor more than he was doing it for Jisung. This crazy lunatic. "Don't push your luck. The idea of spending time with you during the break is pure agony. Bet or no bet."

Hyunjin grinned, unfazed. "As if I won't suffer the same fate." Jisung shoved Hyunjin off the bed with a satisfying kick, leaving Hyunjin sprawled on the floor. Jisung barely had time to register what had happened when Hyunjin loomed over him with a pillow in hand. "Oh, you're asking for it now," Hyunjin declared, launching the pillow at Jisung's face.

Jisung tried to dodge, but the pillow smacked into him, knocking him back onto the bed. "Hyunjin!" Jisung shouted, his voice muffled by feathers. He flung the pillow back at Hyunjin, but Hyunjin was already preparing his next move, eyes filled with a maniacal gaze.

"Too slow!" Hyunjin taunted, easily dodging the pillow and snatching another from the bed. "Did you really think that would do anything to me?"

"Give me a break, I just woke up!" Jisung protested, scrambling to his feet, but Hyunjin was relentless, advancing on him with a wild grin, pillow poised for another strike. Jisung caught it mid-air, using it as a shield to block Hyunjin's attack. Jisung was starting to think that Hyunjin wasn't just playing around and was actually getting revenge for giving him a hard time and throwing leaves at him yesterday.

Groaning, Jisung pushed himself off the bed and walked away. Sensing Jisung's frustration, Hyunjin only laughed louder, undeterred by the middle finger Jisung flashed him on his way to the bathroom. "You're insufferable," Jisung muttered under his breath, retreating to the one place where he could find peace.

...

Jisung knew exactly what Hyunjin was planning. Hyunjin had told him so when he woke up, but Jisung still couldn’t get used to the way Hyunjin willingly sat next to him, holding his hands under the table.

Jisung didn’t think there was any reason to go this far, but Hyunjin was convinced that if they wanted to make this work, they needed to act like a real undercover couple, even if nobody was watching and Jisung was way too tired to fight Hyunjin over this.

“Why are you not eating?” Jeongin suddenly asked when he noticed Jisung hadn’t moved to pick up any utensils. Jisung glanced at their intertwined hands and immediately pulled his hands away when he realized Jeongin was following his gaze.

The back of Jisung's hands hit the underside of the table loudly. “Fuck... I mean, I was going to eat,” he said, rubbing his hands together while Hyunjin looked at him silently.

“He’s probably just still sleepy,” Hyunjin finally said after a few seconds.

“You didn’t sleep well last night?” Chan, who was sitting across from Hyunjin, asked. But before Jisung could answer, Hyunjin did it for him. “He slept so well he kept kicking me in his sleep.”

“Oh, really? I thought he would feel uncomfortable since…”

“Why would he feel uncomfortable?” Hyunjin shot back, raising an eyebrow and looking as if he was pissed off. At that moment, Jisung couldn’t understand what Hyunjin was trying to achieve by picking a fight with Chan. He hit Hyunjin’s arm to stop him. “What’s wrong with you?” he whispered harshly.

“No, I’m just curious why Chan hyung thinks that either of us would be uncomfortable sleeping in one bed.”

Jisung rolled his eyes. “You did say I was kicking you in my sleep.”

“I didn’t say it was uncomfortable, though.” What kind of concept was Hyunjin trying to play here? An angry boyfriend?

Jisung nudged Hyunjin with his elbow, signaling him to drop whatever act he was putting on. It was one thing to play pretend, but this was...this was straight out madness. Hyunjin seemed to get the hint because he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms but saying nothing more.

Chan, on the other hand, looked mildly amused. “I didn’t mean anything by it,” he said, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “Just that it’s the first time you two have, uh, shared a bed. Thought it might be a bit awkward, that’s all.”

“It wasn’t,” Hyunjin replied curtly, not quite meeting anyone’s eyes. His answer was dubious. Was it not uncomfortable or was it not the first time they shared a bed? Hearing this answer, understood that despite what it seemed, Hyunjin was under control of whatever bullshit he spouted.

Jeongin, ever the observant one, raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment further. Instead, he focused back on his food, though Jisung could tell he was still watching them out of the corner of his eye. Jeongin was quiet now, but Jisung was sure that once they were alone, he would be asking questions.

Minho finally spoke up, cutting through the tension with his usual bluntness. “Chan hyung, quit interrogating them. I made food so we can eat together, not to fight or argue. And Hyunjin, you too. Cut it out.”

Jisung sent a thankful look to Minho, who nodded in return.

Once breakfast was over, Jisung went to their room to get some of his stuff before heading out. Hyunjin followed him into the room, and as soon as the door clicked shut behind them, Jisung turned to him with a raised eyebrow.

“What the hell was that back there?” Jisung asked, still rubbing his hand where he’d bumped it against the table earlier.

Hyunjin leaned casually against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest like he hadn’t just spent the entire meal acting like he had something to prove. “What? You didn’t think I was convincing?”

Jisung let out an exasperated sigh. “Convincing? Hyunjin, you were practically ready to throw hands with Chan just because he asked a simple question!”

“Simple question?” Hyunjin scoffed, standing up straight and beginning to pace. “He was implying that we couldn’t possibly be comfortable together. That’s a direct attack on our... uh, relationship!”

“Our fake relationship,” Jisung corrected, emphasizing the word ‘fake’ like he was reminding a particularly stubborn child. “And you didn’t have to act like a possessive boyfriend about it. You were one step away from demanding a duel!”

Hyunjin paused mid-step, considering this. “A duel, huh? That might’ve been fun. Imagine the drama. I could’ve thrown a glove at him, old-school style.”

“Please don’t give yourself ideas. And you don’t even have a glove,” Jisung groaned, half-laughing despite himself.

“I could buy a glove,” Hyunjin added as if that was helpful.

“The last thing I need is you challenging Chan to some ridiculous honor duel. He’d probably just sit there and be concerned while you monologued about our ‘love,’” Jisung said, drawing quotation marks in the air.

Hyunjin finally cracked a smile, a sign that he wasn’t serious about the duel. “Okay, fine. I might’ve gone a little overboard.”

“A little?” Jisung echoed incredulously. “You were like a jealous character from one of those over-the-top dramas where everyone’s always glaring at each other from across the room.”

“Hey, I thought I was pretty good at it,” Hyunjin said, finally laughing. “I mean, no one was doubting us, right?”

Jisung shook his head, unable to hold back his grin. “Yeah, because they were probably too scared you’d start flipping tables if they did.”

Hyunjin waved a hand dismissively. “Details, details. The point is, I sold it. But,bmaybe I should tone it down next time.”

“Please do,” Jisung said, rolling his eyes. “I’d like to get through a meal without fearing for anyone’s life. And Jeongin was watching us weirdly. Is that how we want to break it to him?”

“I’ll say I forgot Jeongin was watching us. That’s why I held back at the end.” Hyunjin chuckled and then gave Jisung a playful nudge that wasn't a nudge at all. “But admit it, I kept you on your toes. Made it interesting.” Jisung returned his 'nudge' with a loving strong punch; the taller one avoided it with ease.

“‘Interesting’ isn’t the word I’d use,” Jisung shot back, but there was no heat behind his words. “More like exhausting.”

“All part of the experience,” Hyunjin teased, then paused. “You didn’t actually mind, did you?”

Jisung blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in Hyunjin’s tone. “I mean, it was weird, sure. But it’s not like I thought you were serious.” Jisung could distinguish when Hyunjin was really mad and when he wasn’t. He was simply confused why Hyunjin was playing the angry boyfriend card so early in the morning. He found out later that Hyunjin was trying to make Chan back off and also to serve him a warning to stop questioning them. It was sort of like a shield.

In classic Hyunjin fashion, a smirk appeared on his face.

“So, does this mean I should keep the possessive boyfriend act in reserve for special occasions, or…?”

Jisung laughed. “Yeah, maybe save it for when you really want to freak someone out."

Hyunjin grinned, clearly liking the idea. “Noted. I’ll keep it in my back pocket for maximum impact.”

“And maybe next time, less glaring. Just... try not to terrify anyone next time. Including me.”

“No promises,” Hyunjin called over his shoulder, flopping down onto the couch with all the grace of a particularly lazy cat. “But I’ll do my best.”

...

Step 1 in making a fake relationship convincing, especially when you're known to despise each other: Avoid immediately announcing your relationship to your closest friends when everyone's gathered. While it might have seemed logical—efficient and quick—this approach made for a weak beginning. Sure, the initial shock might blind them enough to accept things as they were, but after the surprise faded, they'd start questioning you. They might even think it was a prank, and then you'd find yourself in the tricky position of convincing them otherwise. Trying too hard only raised suspicion. Remember, actions speak louder than words.

Instead, it was more effective to let others be the first to ask if you were together. It was always better to make people believe it was their idea rather than forcing the notion on them.

Jisung never thought he'd live to see the day when he'd concede that Hyunjin was a genius though he won't admit it for the sake of the bet. Every idea spouted was from Hyunjin's mouth, and Hyunjin had the nerve to proudly attribute it to his "extensive research" from binge-watching dramas. If Hyunjin didn't stop droning on about his precious shows, Jisung might snap—maybe by threading a pipeline straight into Hyunjin's lungs, or by single-handedly dismantling every drama network in existence.

They spent the next few days strategically visiting places where they knew their university acquaintances were likely to be during the break. It wasn't hard to figure out their hangouts; a little Instagram stalking revealed everything they needed. The trick was to target people who knew them but weren't close enough to confront them directly. They would see Jisung and Hyunjin, get curious, and then go ask their closer friends. The gossip would spread organically and reach their friends' ears, just as Hyunjin had planned. See? Jisung told you Hyunjin was a maniac. It felt like Hyunjin could do just about anything if he wasn't preoccupied with being an idiot the whole time. He kept calling Jisung Satan's spawn, but the real devil here was Hyunjin.

Their first stop was a trendy boba tea shop that had become popular recently. They knew that Chaeryong, a girl from one of their electives, loved to post about the place. Sure enough, as they walked in, Jisung spotted her at a corner table with her friends. She was there just as indicated by the picture she posted on Instagram a few minutes earlier. Hyunjin, ever the actor, slid his arm around Jisung's shoulders as they approached the counter, making sure they were well within Chaeryong's line of sight. Meanwhile, Jisung was trying with all his might not to wince at the way Hyunjin was acting like a whole different person. Hyunjin's hands on Jisung's shoulder felt more like a threat no matter how gentle Hyunjin seemed on the surface. Hyunjin was squeezing Jisung so hard, he had no choice but to oblige. "Stop squirming. You're going to make it look like I'm forcing you to be here, Hyunjin hissed.

"I am as a matter of fact, forced to be here." Jisung deadpanned. His day had been peaceful until Hyunjin dropped by and dragged him to this place. "No, you're just being difficult as you usually are. Now behave."

"I will if you get your clammy hands off me." As expected, Jisung was not going to make it easy but Hyunjin was not one to easily back down.  "You better behave or do you want me to kiss you? Cuz we both know I'm not beyond that. Maybe that will shut you up."

"What the fuck- I don't want to kiss you."

"And neither do I but I will if you don't stay put." Hyunjin said, eyes narrowing with resolve. Jisung stiffened, glancing sideways at the taller. Damn, Hyunjin was serious—serious enough to actually follow through. He wasn’t bluffing. If Jisung didn’t play along, Hyunjin would absolutely make good on that threat.

One thing Jisung learned from this, when Hyunjin put his mind on something, he would put everything on the line.

Reluctantly, he had to stop moving in Hyunjin's hold.

As they waited for their drinks, Jisung noticed Chaeryong stealing glances their way. He could almost see the wheels turning in her head as she tried to figure out what was going on. It wasn't every day that Jisung and Hyunjin would be seen hanging out together willingly, without their other friends, and not trying to kill each other (on the surface, that was).

Jisung hadn't thought this would ever be a possibility either, but if it was going to happen so often, he figured he'd need to get used to it (of course, under the circumstances where Hyunjin had to blackmail him to do it).

He shifted his thoughts to something else: how long it would take for Chaeryong to realize this was, in fact, a "date."

When their order was called, Hyunjin made a point of brushing a lock of hair behind Jisung's ear, his touch light but unmistakably affectionate. Jisung stifled the urge to swat his hand away, reminding himself that this was all part of the plan and he absolutely did not want to be kissed by Hyunjin. He bit his bottom lip so hard that it could bleed just to hold himself back.

They took their drinks and left, but not before catching a glimpse of Chaeryong pulling out her phone—no doubt to message her friends about the unexpected sighting. As they stepped outside, Hyunjin gave Jisung a satisfied nod.

"One down," he said and Jisung was more than glad it hadn't end up with Hyunjin's lips on his.

The next day, their target was a small art gallery in the city center. They knew from a few posts that Sungho, a junior in the same art club as Hyunjin, liked to spend his free time there. They timed their visit perfectly, arriving just as Sungho and a few others from his art class were leaving.

They wandered through the gallery, pausing now and then to admire the artwork—or at least, pretending to. In truth, their conversation had nothing to do with art. Jisung wasn't even sure what they were looking at. Hyunjin, in typical fashion, couldn't resist being a chatterbox. Maybe it was the artistic atmosphere that made him extra verbose. Usually, aside from being annoyed, Jisung didn't blame him for being chatty about something he was passionate about, because Jisung was the same, but he really wished Hyunjin would just shut his trap. "You know, this abstract piece kind of reminds me of your face. The chaotic lines, the—"

"Say one more word, and I'll make sure your face resembles a Picasso piece, courtesy of my fist." That shut him up.

When they reached the entrance, they made sure to linger near the exit just long enough for Sungho to see them as he left. He hesitated for a moment, his gaze flicking between them and his friends, before walking out with a puzzled expression.

"Think he'll ask around?" Jisung asked as they made their way through the gallery's exit.

"Definitely," Hyunjin replied. "He's too curious not to."

Their final stop was a cozy little bookstore that was popular with the more studious crowd. They knew that Jaewon, a guy who always had his nose buried in a book during lectures, frequented this place. Sure enough, they spotted him browsing the shelves near the back.

Hyunjin and Jisung wandered through the store, occasionally picking up a book or two to keep up the act. Hyunjin would make irritating comments like this was probably all new to Jisung. "This is what we call a book, in case you don't know."

"I know what a fucking book is and I also know if you don't shut up, a book makes a good weapon." Jisung had expected that giving a violence answer was going to zip Hyunjin's lips but he forgot one thing. "Threat me one more time and I will kiss you." Hyunjin apparently saw through him and knew he was terrified of Hyunjin's lips.

Then they "accidentally" bumped into Jaewon near the fiction section, he stuttered, "Oh, I'm sorry—"

No, Jisung was the one who was sorry for interrupting his break with their drama.

"Jisung? Hyunjin?" Jaewon's voice held a note of disbelief. Jisung didn't know what face Hyunjin was making, but he tried his best to look like he'd been caught red-handed. He scoffed at himself. At this point, he shouldn't have been a civil engineering student. He should have changed his career path to acting instead, and Hyunjin should have become a scriptwriter because he predicted that Jaewon would stutter at their intertwined hands.

It was uncomfortable to hold Hyunjin's hand. Why did couples hold hands anyway?

Hyunjin gave Jaewon a quick nod, his expression a mix of feigned surprise and casual indifference before he stepped forward as if to shield Jisung. Wow, this guy. He gave Jisung goosebumps, acting as if he was worried about Jisung's wellbeing. Hyunjin could fool anyone but Jisung. He was the person who once chased Jisung down at a party with a chair because Jisung accidentally toppled over Hyunjin's card tower. "Uh, yeah, we're just... it's great seeing you here, but we've got to go," Hyunjin said, his voice barely above a murmur, as if trying to keep things low-key. Jisung gave him a 9/10 for acting, minus 1 because he disliked that Hyunjin was taller than him. Tall enough to hide Jisung's entire body behind him. Nothing personal.

Jisung could feel the tension between them as they both silently agreed it was time to make a hasty exit. Without saying another word, they turned and walked briskly toward the front of the store, their steps just shy of a jog. Jisung could sense Jaewon's eyes on them the whole time, no doubt processing the bizarre scene he'd just witnessed.

As soon as they were out of sight, Hyunjin released Jisung's hand, and they both sped up, practically bolting out the door. Once they were safely outside, Jisung let out a breath of relief, his heart still racing from the close call.

"That could have gone badly," Jisung muttered, shooting Hyunjin a glare. He almost laughed at how baffled Jaewon had looked.

Hyunjin shrugged, a hint of a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "But effective. He's definitely going to spread the word now."

Jisung knew rumors spread like wildfire, which was why he was so against anyone finding out how he felt about Minho. If they kept this up for a few days, someone from their friend group was going to approach them one way or another. They could only wait and see.

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I finally updated! It took me a while to write this but I did.

Anyways, are any of you going to Stray Kids dominate tour? I'm trying to get a ticket for the one in Bangkok. If I do get it, maybe I'll be travelling there. I hope I get it 😭

Welp, if you like this chapter pls do leave comments and vote it 🫶🏻 - Hunny