Hyunjin knew Minho was attractive; no argument there. He was more than just good-looking, with a mix of book smarts and street smarts that made him stand out. Objectively, Hyunjin could understand why someone might fall for Minho but after years of watching the guy, he just didn’t see what all the fuss was about. Sure, Minho was smart, but he was also a clueless idiot—he never even noticed that his current boyfriend had a crush on him for ages until he was confessed to or that Jisung was head-over-heels for him. Good-looking? Absolutely, but everyone in their group had their own appeal. So, don't blame Hyunjin for not seeing what's so special about him. To him, Minho was  just another guy in his eyes.

Now, did Hyunjin sound bitter? Maybe, because at that moment he wanted to do just about anything—up to and including jumping out the car window—to escape the sight of Minho and Chan practically glued together.

As Minho started talking again, Hyunjin rolled his eyes, sinking deeper into his seat, biting back a groan (which he held in because Minho would probably throw a shoe at him and he valued his life). Not that he had a problem with people in love—he didn’t. Seungmin and Jeongin? Adorable, and they knew how to read the room.

Minho and Chan? Not so much. It was like they’d forgotten he was even there (or maybe were choosing to actively ignore him) in the back seat of Chan’s car. Hyunjin had no interest in hearing about Minho’s morning routine post-rough-night-of-whatever—that was more information than he’d ever asked for.

Right now, he really wished Jisung was here. Of course, he couldn't always get everything he wanted  right? Jisung was coming a day later, having given some shaky excuse about needing to look after his family’s dry-cleaning shop. Hyunjin had called bullshit but dropped it, partly because Jisung sounded stressed and partly because he didn’t really care (did he really?). The point was, Jisung was terrible at lying, and Hyunjin knew it (he will eventually find the real reason) but that wasn’t the main issue right now.

No, his immediate problem was figuring out how to subtly remind Minho and Chan that he’d actually been awake for the last thirty minutes and had, unfortunately, overheard their conversation. Again— not his choice.

Even so, he wasn't in any place to be picky because his car broke down and it was either stuck in Changbin's van, which the heater did not work well with the rest of his friends or hitch a ride with Chan and Minho. He made his choice and the latter was surprisingly not the best option.

“You can sleep, you know?” Chan suggested to Minho who was struggling to keep awake.

“Yeah, but you’re driving, so if I sleep, who’s gonna keep an eye on you in case you nod off, huh?”

“But you didn’t get much sleep last night. You’ll be exhausted once we get there, and I know you’ll want to go exploring right away.”

“Whose fault was that, though?”

“To be fair, it was both of ours, but I’m fine. Just sleep. I’ll put the radio on if I get sleepy.”

Hyunjin gritted his teeth. The last thing he wanted to know was why neither of them had slept.

"I don't need-"

"Please sleep already before I start screaming in the backseat."  Hyunjin cut in, his tone flat. Minho and Chan whipped around, eyes wide.

Hyunjin's head was leaning against the window, looking back at them with empty eyes that would send them shiver if Hyunjin hair wasn't sticking out here and there.

“Oh, shit.” Chan’s eyes widened, finally realizing Hyunjin had been there the whole time.

“When did you wake up?” Minho narrowed his eyes, looking mildly annoyed, though at least he didn’t ask, “When did you get here?” which would’ve made Hyunjin feel even more invisible. Thank goodness, he didn't, right?

When did he wake up? Right around the time Chan had smugly announced that he’d made Minho orgasm ten times. “For my sanity, I hoped you’d stop talking about your private life since, you know, I’m here. Hello?”

If that gives them the information of when Hyunjin woke up, he would know because Chan’s cheeks turned pink, and he quickly turned back to the road, hands gripping the wheel a little tighter.

Minho looked unimpressed. Apparently, Hyunjin’s silent suffering wasn’t appreciated but how was that his fault? They were the ones who couldn’t keep things to themselves! These two had the subtlety of a foghorn. Like when they were caught gossiping about Jisung’s possible feelings for Minho or questioning whether Hyunjin and Jisung were really dating. So it wasn’t Hyunjin’s fault for overhearing when they couldn’t keep their voices down.

“Do I need to shove a sock in your mouth, or will you actually forget about this?” Minho snapped, cheeks now nearly as red as Chan’s. Ah, so they did know shame. Good to know.

“I’d gladly forget without the threats, thanks,” Hyunjin replied dryly before adding,  “because the last thing I want is to have my mind haunted by images I don’t need.”

Chan mumbled a quiet, embarrassed apology and stared firmly at the road, while Minho half-huff like he was actually angry (more like he was embarrassed but didn't like showing it.) He was similar to Jisung in that sense. Ha, no wonder they were best friends.

"Are we almost there?" Hyunjin finally asked, hoping to shift the focus. "Or do I need to find a way to teleport myself out of this car?" He hoped joking could at least make them both feel less ashamed.

Chan chuckled nervously, glancing at the GPS. "Actually, we’re just an hour away. Promise."

Hyunjin sighed, drumming his fingers against the window as he stared out at the blur of trees rushing by. This trip was supposed to be fun— he would enjoy making Jisung suffer with the things they have to do to pretend to be a couple but without Jisung here, it felt like he’d been shoved into some kind of twisted reality show, third-wheeling the world's least subtle couple. (It's only one day. He knew he was being overdramatic but he wouldn't appreciate being called out.)

A hot minute passed and Chan stopped at a rest stop to refresh himself after Minho forced him to. While Chan was asleep, Minho went out for toilet.

After a few moments of blissful silence, Chan spoke up , voice barely above his breath. “Are you missing Jisung?”

Hyunjin shot him a glance, raising an eyebrow. “What’s it to you?”

Chan shrugged, looking ahead again. "Nothing. Just... figured you’d want him here."

Hyunjin's frown deepened. Now, what was that supposed to mean? He couldn't really trust Chan since he was the biggest accuser here. He was so set on the fact that Jisung liked Minho. Was this another attempt to see if this was all fake? Was Chan being sarcastic when he chose to say this?

Sensing that Hyunjin was somehow offended by the way he said it, Chan immediately corrected himself.

"Ah, I just... it's good if he's here. You don't have to be stuck between me and Minho. I know you're uncomfortable with us being so clingy." So, this was about that. There's a certain insecurity in Chan's eyes; how he fidgeted in his seat, massaging his palm and not looking directly into Hyunjin's eyes as he was talking.

Jisung had called him an idiot before for not noticing these two were dating. When they became a couple, they were hiding it from everyone but it was clear as the day that something had changed. Ha, even after they came out in public, Chan seemed to still have insecurity about it. "No."

Hyunjin didn't mind them being clingy. He found it adorable that the two of his oldest friends who always act accordingly, behaved like lovestruck teenagers around each other. "No?" Chan tilted his head, confused because Hyunjin had only stopped showing a grimace on his face once they stopped hanging into each other like they were attached at the hip. So, what Hyunjin said was contradicting how he acted. Chan wasn't sure what to believe.

"No." Hyunjin repeated once again to assure Chan that he was not disgusted by their public display of affection. "What I do mind is you guys talking about your bedroom adventure while I'm around. Like come on, man. I don't want to know that my friends were doing the nasty. I'm an artist! I can't help but visualize!" Hyunjin exasperatedly said, throwing his hands up. Like, at least have the decency to not say things like that in public.

Chan’s face went redder than a stop sign, and he barked out a laugh , “Point taken.”

Minho returned to the car at that moment, raising an eyebrow at the two of them. “You didn't sleep, did you?"

Chan bit his lips and stopped laughing when met with Minho's glare. Of course, he didn't and of course, he got an ear from Minho.

.
.
.
.

One thing Hyunjin absolutely hated aside from Jisung's constant taunt over his inability to stomach eggplants was Seungmin acting dodgy around him. He had a pretty strong hunch it had to do with whatever conversation Seungmin had been having with Felix and Jeongin that day.

That day Hyunjin had interrupted their little conversation, so, he had no way of knowing if they really did bet about his relationship with Jisung.

It's not nice knowing your best friend might be out here trying to get your ass busted. If his relationship with Jisung was real, he’d feel genuinely betrayed. As it was, though, he was mostly just irritated.

From the second they arrived at the homestay, Seungmin kept sneaking glances at him like he was waiting for Hyunjin to crack and reveal he was secretly running an underground mafia.

Hyunjin’s cousin used to say, “If you’ve done nothing wrong, you have nothing to hide.” Technically, he did have something to hide, but it wasn’t like he’d done anything wrong. So, he decided to face Seungmin head-on. The moment he did, Seungmin visibly stiffened, his attempt at casual composure crumbling.

“Why did you travel today instead of waiting for Jisung so you could go together tomorrow?” Seungmin blurted out before Hyunjin could even get a hello out.

Hyunjin narrowed his eyes. “Oh, wow. The car ride was fine, thanks for asking. Slept most of the way. How was your journey?” His tone dripped with sarcasm as he rolled his eyes. He wouldn't usually be this snappy but he's by nature a petty person. (He knew he was petty and he's kinda proud of it because most of the time the one who suffered from his pettiness was Jisung and talking about Jisung....)

Jisung should really come around sooner because the only person who took it well when he was being petty was Jisung.

Seungmin on the other hand looked like he just ate stone. He looked guilty as fuck that Hyunjin momentarily forgot his annoyance. "Ah, that's good- yeah, the ride was ok I guess. We stopped a few times because Felix got nauseous and the heater broke down. So, yeah."

Hyunjin noticed the way Seungmin winced after his response, and it clicked: Jeongin had probably put him up to this. Wonderful. What a pair those two were, he thought.

“Jisung said I should go first, so I could grab the best room for us,” Hyunjin said, glancing over to where Jeongin was struggling with a mountain of random gear. His eyebrows shot up. “...Now, what in the world is Jeongin doing with all that?”

Seungmin followed Hyunjin’s gaze and groaned. “I told him to pack light, but does he ever listen?” As if on cue, Jeongin yanked a full-sized deck chair from the back of the van.

Hyunjin stared, incredulous. “Why is he bringing a beach chair? Are we starting a backyard barbecue or something? It's literally freezing out here. Why do we need a beach chair?”

Jeongin, catching Hyunjin’s look, shrugged with an innocent grin. “I’m bringing the fun!” He gave a thumbs-up, just as a small ball slipped out of the van and bounced across the ground, followed by a handful more spilling out of the door. Seungmin yelped, bolting over to try and catch the avalanche of plastic balls bouncing everywhere.

Hyunjin dragged a hand down his face. If these were the people supposed to be busting him, he really didn’t need to worry about getting caught. His only real concern was that he’d be dealing with a headache for hours on end—and all without Jisung to commiserate with.

"There's more over here!" He heard Felix running towards Chan's car, crouching down to see the balls rolling under the car.  Much to his amusement, he was also forced to collect the balls on the ground. Gosh, that lucky demon didn’t have to deal with this circus.

Hyunjin did, in fact, snag the best room. It wasn’t the largest, but it had a balcony right in front of the beach—a feature not every room had. He could already picture himself savoring tea in the mornings and sketching sunsets in the afternoons. Perfect.

As he started unpacking, a knock pulled his attention to the door. Minho was leaning against the frame, casual and smirking. “Sup, loser.”

Without looking up, Hyunjin tossed a shirt in his direction. “If you’re here to swap rooms, it’s not happening. Jisung would throw a fit.” And it was true—after nearly having a breakdown while inventing excuses for why he couldn't come along, Jisung had practically coached Hyunjin to pick one facing the beach.

“Relax,” Minho replied, rolling his eyes. “I’m not here to negotiate.”

“What then? Here to just kick me out?” Hyunjin gasped dramatically. Predictably, Minho picked up the shirt previously thrown at him and lobbed it back at Hyunjin, landing it squarely on his head. “Nope. I just want to know what you said to Chan that got him all mushy.”

“Chan’s... mushy?” Hyunjin asked, treading carefully, and Minho nodded. “I only told him I didn’t need details about you two… 'bonding'. If he’s sappy over that, you might wanna check if your boyfriend’s losing it or if he’s got a thing for people knowing about your—”

“Finish that sentence if you dare,” Minho interrupted, eyes narrowed and Hyunjin, remembering he valued his life, thought better of it. Sure, he liked testing Minho’s boundaries, but not enough to actually get himself murdered. Jisung was easier to tease; Hyunjin knew his limits, but he also knew Jisung didn't have the ability to kill him. Fun for both.

“Alright, fine! I told him I didn’t mind you guys being clingy—that I thought you two were adorable.” Hyunjin shrugged. He didn't think it was enough to make anybody affected, but Chan had a soft spot the size of the ocean. Maybe that was why he was, as Minho put it 'mushy'.

“So, now that I’ve shared the big secret… am I finally free to unpack in peace, or are you going to keep lurking there? Honestly, you standing there is creepy as hell. Not sure how that works for Chan in the bedroom, but hey, to each their own- Though I should probably shut up since I can see you mentally compiling ways to murder me.”

“How does Jisung even stand you?” Minho asked, shaking his head. There was no malice, but Hyunjin just shrugged.

“He doesn’t. He had to adapt.” Jisung couldn't stand him but Hyunjin was a relentless fucker, so, he was unwillingly forced to adapt.

Minho’s smirk lingered. “Everyone’s waiting for food downstairs. Better hurry if you don’t want to end up with crumbs.” With that Hyunjin’s stomach growled right on the cue.

Before heading down with Minho, he snapped a quick picture of the room and the view to send to Jisung. When he didn’t get a response after a minute, he tossed his phone on the bed and hurried downstairs. He mumbled something across the line, "what is he even doing that he ignores me the whole day?"

At the stairs, he could hear the ruckus that was happening in the kitchen and the smell of something burnt wafting in the air.

The one who voluntarily did the cooking tonight was Jeongin and it was truly a nightmare. There was poke and fun about his burnt fried rice but they still ate it nonetheless. It's not good to throw away food after all and it didn't taste that bad.  "It was one thing to burn food, but this… this was an art form.", he added.

Ha! He remembered them poking fun at Jisung for burning his food too. He should snap this and tell Jisung that he didn't need to worry because someone joined the club. An involuntary smile crossed his lips at the thought of messing with Jisung. A comment about how Jisung could compete with Jeongin would reel Jisung. He just knew.

Patting his pocket, Hyunjin realized he’d left his phone charging upstairs on the bed. He rolled his eyes at himself, pushing his chair back with a loud scrape. “You guys go on and eat first,” he said, already heading toward the stairs. “Gotta grab my phone.”

He received a chorus of OKs and ran upstairs. Once in his room, he found his phone with the screen blinking, almost like it was annoyed with him for abandoning it. He checked to see if Jisung had finally responded, but Jisung was still giving him the silent treatment. Even in the group chat where they were sending pictures, Jisung had not given any reply or as much as open his phone to check them.

Weird. Jisung was practically glued to his phone any other day. It wasn’t like him to ignore a lively group chat, especially one filled with dumb photos and jokes he’d usually have something snarky to say about. The last time they’d spoken, Jisung had sounded unusually wound up—more nervous than usual, even for him. Hyunjin hated to admit it, but a tinge of worry crept over him.

'Little demon, u ok?' He backspaced. It felt too blunt, too rough. He tried again: 'look, I might be a jerk, but if you’re in trouble I won’t laugh… alright, maybe I will if it’s something stupid, but—' He sighed, shaking his head and clearing the message.

'Yo, troublemaker, need help with anything?” Again, he erased it. The last thing he wanted was for Jisung to start avoiding him just because he showed a bit of concern. Every time Jisung showed any resemblance of emotion around Hyunjin, the other was always so defensive. 'If you pity me, I will scoop your eyeballs put', 'if you tell me you're sorry, I will pull out your vocal chord.', 'Keep looking at me like I'm a kicked puppy, I promise I will give you a kick to your head'...Hyunjin didn't have enough fingers to count all the threat he had been given by Jisung. He could practically recite all of them by heart at this point.

Not that he actually pitied Jisung. Far from it. Jisung was one of the most stubbornly capable people he knew, even if the guy had been through his share of messed-up situations. No, pity was the wrong word. If anything, he just thought Jisung was… an idiot. An idiot who hid behind bluffs because he was too proud to admit when something bothered him.

Besides, who could pity someone so full of life? Jisung was a tornado of chaos, always jumping around, always loud, always there to pester him about something. He was never one to sulk in silence, and Hyunjin could almost picture him in his room right now, pacing in circles or kicking at something to vent his frustration. It was… unusual, not hearing from him at all.

Yeah, asking Jisung if he was okay wouldn’t magically fix things if he really wasn’t fine. Hyunjin turned off his phone and headed back toward the stairs, dragging his feet a little. He’d taken longer to grab his phone than necessary. His friends were probably wondering what he was up to—or worse, Seungmin was likely spreading some wild rumor about how Hyunjin had "explosive stomach issues" from a spoonful of Jeongin's fried rice. It was hardly out of the realm of possibility; Seungmin loved messing with both his boyfriend and Hyunjin.

When Hyunjin finally reached the table, he found them huddled close, talking in hushed voices. They looked like a group of aunties gossiping about a neighborhood scandal. He had a pretty good guess who the main subject was. From where he stood, he could only catch bits and pieces: “Hyunjin…Jisung…this time…not real?...maybe…stuck…”

Great. It seemed like his “relationship” with Jisung was becoming a full-blown conspiracy theory among his friends. He definitely didn’t need that.

Deciding there was no point in straining to eavesdrop, he stepped around the corner. His friends jumped, quickly backing away from their little gossip huddle. He raised an eyebrow at them, and they immediately launched into the world’s worst attempt at looking innocent. Would you look at that? Congratulations, Han Jisung. You're not the only one who couldn't act to save a life now!

"Are you spreading rumors that I have explosive diarrhea again?" He deadpanned at Seungmin, who was caught so off-guard he burst into laughter.

"I totally did," Seungmin admitted although Hyunjin knew he was lying, and the others dissolved into awkward chuckles.

After the laugh faded, he turned to his food, snapping a quick picture of the fried rice and sending it to Jisung with the caption: Guess who joined the 'burnt food' club? You're lucky you're not here tonight.

Expecting silence, he slipped his phone back into his pocket and started eating—only for it to buzz just as he took his first bite. Surprised, he checked and found Jisung’s reply.

'Who?¿? And why the hell is the fried rice blue?'

He held back a laugh, typing back: Jeongin’s idea. He insisted on food coloring because ‘it’s fun’.

'And you guys are still eating that? It looks terrible.'

'Food’s food. I’d eat anything, even your cooking, without complaint if you actually made me something.'

There was a longer pause this time. He assumed Jisung was ghosting him again, but then another message appeared:  picture of a recipe for an eggplant cake.

'I’m making this later. You better eat every last bite 🫵🏻😊 No take-backs.'

'Fuck. Is this an attempt to kill me?'

'wdym? It's just me trying to my dear boyfriend to eat his veggy! 😍 And you're so dramatic 🙄 eating eggplant won't kill you.'

'Bring that anywhere near me, and I’m calling the cops.'

Finally, some of that old banter—Jisung had been so upset and distant lately that their back-and-forth felt one-sided. Lately, it was more of Hyunjin messing with him more than Jisung messing with him. He had his fun but it's getting boring real quick. Maybe, whatever was going on with Jisung was finally easing up.

'What time are you coming tomorrow, little demon?'

'No idea. Catching a ride with my dad’s friend.'

'Can’t you ask? 🙄'

'Careful, Hwang. You're starting to sound obsessed with me.'

'Try being around gossip mongers, troublemakers, and insensitive jerks for a day!'

'I’m around you all the time lately… do you hear me complaining?'

'YES, YOU DO! Like all the time! and I am NOT a gossip monger.'

'Fine, but you admit to being a troublemaker and insensitive?'

'Negative.'

'Bullshit... I will tell you when I'm on the move tomorrow.'

'cool cool. Ah and also, you better start replying to the group chat because they keep asking me where the hell you are.'

'later. tired. sleep 😴'

He slid his phone back in his pocket, satisfied to know that the little demon was alive. When he finally looked up from his phone,he caught his friends looking at him like he grew two heads. Furrowing his brows, he hesitantly grabbed his chopsticks and ate again. "What?" He said.

His friends were sharing glances with hidden meaning that he couldn't interpret. He hated not knowing what they were thinking but somehow all of them knew what each of them had in thought as they all shook their head together and started chatting like a market again.

This made his frown deepened. "What?!" He raised his voice this time and Felix caught his gaze with an amused smirk, sliding a burnt dumpling toward him. “Just for you, Hyunjin. It’s ‘charred to perfection.’”

"I-"

"I don't mind if you take a picture of it too." Jeongin who sat across him kindly added.

"It's pink." Hyunjin said more as a statement than a question. "It's hot pink. Who let the child in the kitchen?" He looked up disapprovingly. Changbin pointed at Chan who choked on his food. "He said we should let Jeongin explore his creativity." Changbin added.

"There's many other colours too!" Jeongin said pointing at the rainbow dumplings at the end of the table (because nobody wanted to touch it.)

Hyunjin looked back down at his plate, frowning at the hot-pink dumpling like it might explode if he got too close. “This looks like something a unicorn sneezed on,” he muttered.

“It’s called art, Hyunjin,” Jeongin sniffed, crossing his arms. “Some people appreciate creativity.”

“Some people also appreciate food that doesn’t look like it’ll stain their insides,” he shot back, but took a cautious bite anyway. It was… chewy. Charred on the outside, undercooked in the middle. As expected. Overall? It's edible but only for one with a stomach made out of iron.

After enduring enough of Jeongin’s “culinary masterpieces” and his friends’ relentless teasing, Hyunjin finally excused himself, claiming he had to “digest the art” in peace. His friends gave him exaggerated farewells, with Jeongin yelling, “Don’t let the pink dumpling haunt your dreams!”

Shaking his head, Hyunjin headed upstairs. His footsteps softened as he reached his room, and he closed the door behind him, relishing the quiet. Dinner had distracted him for a bit, but now that he was alone, his mind drifted back to Jisung. That ridiculous, sudden eggplant cake idea was pure Jisung, but even so… the whole exchange felt slightly off, like Jisung was pretending.

Hyunjin tossed his phone on the bed and sat down, his fingers tapping absentmindedly against his knee. Jisung had finally answered him tonight, and they’d even bantered a little, but the weirdness still nagged at him. Normally, Jisung would’ve been the one spamming the group chat, mocking everyone’s cooking attempts, yet today he’d barely shown up.

Turning his gaze to his phone, Hyunjin picked it up again, debating for a moment. Before he could second-guess himself, he opened the chat with Jisung and typed: you're really missing out on the tragic food situation here. Jeongin made a pink dumpling.

It felt lame, too honest, but he sent it anyway.

The message sat there, marked as unread, and Hyunjin sighed, lying back on his bed, closing his eyes when something dripped onto his face.

“What the hell?” His eyes flew open, only to be met by the sight of water slowly gathering on the ceiling, droplets forming right above his bed. Another one plopped down onto his forehead. Disoriented, he scrambled off the bed, standing back to watch the leak intensify as droplets splattered onto his pillow, spreading like tiny inkblots.

He groaned, rubbing his eyes. So much for scoring the room with the best view—it came with an unexpected water feature too.

He immediately texted Changbin to tell him of the unfortunate news but after a couple of texts, Changbin still remained silent. Great, was everyone playing ignore Hyunjin game today?

Hyunjin gave his damp bed one last look, lips pressing into a frustrated line, before slipping on his slippers and trudging down the hallway to find Changbin. He rapped on the door a few times, then pushed it open without waiting for an answer.

Changbin was lying back with his earbuds in, head bopping to the beat, eyes closed, completely unaware of the intrusion. Hyunjin cleared his throat, trying to keep his voice down but still loud enough to break through Changbin’s noise-canceling zone.

“Changbin hyung."

Nothing.

“Changbin!”

Finally, Changbin jolted up, yanking an earbud out, eyes squinting at Hyunjin. "What? Did you lose a fight with a ghost or something?”

“No, but close enough,” Hyunjin muttered, gesturing down the hall. “My ceiling’s leaking. There’s water dripping onto my bed like it’s some kind of haunted horror movie. I need you to text the homestay owner since, you know—” he rolled his eyes, “—she actually likes you.”

The last time he talked to the owner, he had asked too many questions which ultimately annoyed the owner because he did not ask 5-7 questions only. He probably exceeded the limit of the owner's patient with his endless inquiry. He was meticulous about this trip, alright? Of course, he had to know about every detail!

Changbin smirked, tossing his phone up before catching it again. “Ah, so you’re finally realizing my charms. Took you long enough.”

“Trust me, I’m only impressed by your ability to ignore every single one of my texts,” Hyunjin shot back, but it was half-hearted, a bit defeated. He was in no mood for banter when his bed was turning into a waterbed.

Changbin swung his legs off the bed, sitting up fully and glancing at Hyunjin with amusement. “Alright, Mr. Grumpy. Geez, Jisung is rubbing off of you." He unlocked his phone, then looked back up. “Think she’ll come by soon?”

Hyunjin shrugged, folding his arms as he leaned against the door frame. “Hopefully. I don’t exactly plan on sleeping on a wet bed if she doesn't."

As Changbin typed, Hyunjin shifted his gaze around the room, spotting a stack of snacks Changbin had undoubtedly hoarded, a crumpled pile of clothes in one corner, and a familiar box of brightly colored dumplings resting on his desk.

“Wait.” Hyunjin narrowed his eyes to the box. “You didn’t eat Jeongin’s pink dumpling, did you?”

Changbin looked up, his expression innocent but a little too nonchalant. “Who could resist, right?”

“You’re not gonna die, are you?” Hyunjin was mortified because after taking a bite, he had to actually run to the toilet and flush everything out.  “Or at least go pink in the face?”

Changbin shrugged, snickering as he sent the message to the owner. “Guess you’ll find out if I turn into a unicorn or something.”

“If that happens, I’m letting you sleep in my leaking room.”

"Ha, she said she cannot come tonight because she's in Seoul for business. She'll come tomorrow morning. I guess you have to sleep somewhere else? You can sleep with us if you want." Hyunjin looked at the beds in the room. There's two beds. A king bed and a single bed. Changbin was using the single bed which meant Felix was using the king bed and sleeping with Felix...

"No, thanks. You guys snore." Hyunjin made an excuse but it was really because Felix would cuddle  him all night long and it gets hot. He didn't have the heart to tell Felix to stop cuddling him when it gets hot. "Where's Felix by the way?"

"Toilet." Changbin pointed at the closed door. Then Hyunjin stared at the hot pink dumpling. "The radioactive dumpling?"

"The one." Changbin confirmed.

Hyunjin grimaced, folding his arms tighter as he glanced between the dumpling box and Changbin. "You're both insane for even touching that thing. You know Jeongin made it with who-knows-what just to mess with us, right?"

Changbin only shrugged, tossing a smirk his way. “A little danger keeps things interesting, don't you think?”

“Danger? Try full-blown hazard,” Hyunjin muttered, his expression horrified. He nudged the box further from the edge of Changbin's desk with a finger, like he was afraid it might explode. “Felix told me that thing glows in the dark. I wouldn’t be surprised if it starts talking, too.”

“Guess we’ll see if I start glowing at midnight,” Changbin chuckled, looking far too unbothered by the whole thing. He stuffed his phone back into his pocket, leaning back on his bed as if he hadn't just consumed a mystery food that was half food, half science experiment.

Just then, the bathroom door creaked open, and Felix stepped out, towel in hand, hair slightly damp. He paused, eyes flicking from Hyunjin to Changbin and back, catching sight of the pink dumpling. His face instantly twisted in mock horror. “Please tell me you didn’t eat it. I specifically warned you all about the pink one.”

Changbin just grinned wider. “Maybe I like living on the edge.”

Felix groaned, rubbing his temples like he had a headache. “You know Jeongin said he put something spicy in it, right? Like, actually lethal-level spicy. You might be fine now, but if you start seeing colors, don’t say we didn’t warn you.”

Hyunjin bit back a laugh, leaning against the doorframe. “Pretty sure Changbin can handle a little spice. Besides, if he does start hallucinating, at least he’ll keep us entertained.”

“Oh, I’ll do more than keep you entertained,” Changbin said with a laugh, grabbing his water bottle and taking a swig. “I’ll be giving you guys a full-on show.”

"Hyunjin."

When Felix called out, Hyunjin turned around, rolling his eyes but with a small smirk that showed he wasn’t really annoyed. Felix was sprawled across his bed, looking casual but clearly interested in the unexpected visit. Felix’s brows shot up, and he sat up a little, patting the space next to him with a grin.

“Did you come here to hang out with us?” Felix asked, as if Hyunjin had wandered in for a cozy group bonding session.

“Yeah, no,” Hyunjin deadpanned, eyeing the bed for a moment but deciding against it. "I just came to tell Changbin Hyung to get the homeowner to fix the leak in my room,” Hyunjin clarified, running a hand through his hair.

Felix’s eyes widened as he finally processed the issue. “There’s a leak in your room?”

“Yeah,” Hyunjin replied dryly, not hiding his irritation at the situation. “I just said that.” His gaze swept over the room again, hoping maybe he could spot a solution here. “Guess I’ll see if Seungmin and Jeongin can let me crash in their room.”

Felix made a half-shrug, looking amused as he leaned back against his headboard. “You could’ve just stayed here with us,” he suggested, not making a big deal but leaving the offer open, casual.

Before Hyunjin could respond, Changbin cut in with a huff, obviously overhearing the conversation. “Already offered, didn’t I?” Changbin leaned back, crossing his arms and giving Hyunjin a knowing look. “But no, apparently we snore,” he added, scoffing as if the whole idea was ridiculous. “As if Jeongin doesn’t snore. This is favoritism, and I’m not even pretending otherwise.”

Hyunjin let out a genuine laugh, glancing between his friends. “Caught me there,” he said with a shrug, keeping his expression straight. “It’s exactly favoritism.”

Hyunjin left Felix and Changbin’s room, letting their laughter and teasing fade behind him as he made his way down the hall to Seungmin and Jeongin’s shared room. He figured Seungmin and Jeongin might have some extra space, and it’d be a quiet enough place to finally get some rest.

When he reached their door, Hyunjin opened it just a crack, peeking inside. In the dim glow of a nightlight, he could make out Seungmin and Jeongin, both already fast asleep. Jeongin was sprawled out with one arm hanging off the bed, mouth slightly open, while Seungmin was bundled under the covers, only the top of his head visible. It was rare to see them so still, so quiet, and he felt a tad guilty at the thought of waking them up over something as trivial as his leaky ceiling. He lingered for a moment, debating whether to try and fit himself somewhere on the floor, but they looked so peaceful that he couldn’t bring himself to disturb them.

Hyunjin closed the door quietly, sighing as he tried to come up with a backup plan. At this point, he was running low on options. That left him with one last place to try: Chan and Minho’s room. Chan was a light sleeper, but Minho—well, Minho slept like a rock and had a reputation for only sharing his space on rare, selective occasions. Still, it was worth a shot.

With a resigned sigh, Hyunjin headed down the stairs to their room, hoping they’d at least let him crash on the floor if the beds were off-limits. He paused in front of the door, steeling himself for whatever reaction might await him. He raised his fist and gave it a gentle knock, hoping it wouldn’t be too loud.

After a brief wait, the door finally opened, and Chan’s face appeared in the dim hallway light. His expression turned from confused to something softer as he realised it was Hyunjin.

“Hey, what’s up?” Chan asked, his voice low as it was already at night.  He stepped back to let Hyunjin in without question, already sensing the reason for his late-night visit.

Hyunjin scratched the back of his neck, feeling a bit sheepish. “Uh… There’s a leak in my room, and everyone else’s either asleep or, well… busy,” he muttered, glancing at the side.

Chan nodded understandingly. “You can crash here, don’t worry,” he replied, motioning toward the open space at the end of their room.

Hyunjin let out a relieved sigh, grateful not only for the sleeping situation but also for Chan’s easygoing response.

He scanned the room and Minho was leaning against the bed frame, scrolling on his phone. He glanced at Hyunjin and nodded, "Sup, loser?"

"Leaking ceiling" he curtly said and Minho hummed. He's not much of a talker when it's night. He's preserving his energy for the next day.

Hyunjin settled onto a mat on the floor with some spare blankets Chan handed him, trying to get comfortable. He closed his eyes, hoping exhaustion would lull him into a quick sleep.

However, just as he was drifting off, he became increasingly aware of the hushed voices and soft laughter coming from the other side of the room. At first, he dismissed it as Chan and Minho chatting before bed: typical roommate stuff but then he heard Minho’s low laugh, followed by a quiet shushing from Chan, and when he cracked one eye open, he could just make out the two of them leaning close, whispering with a little too much fondness.

He squeezed his eyes shut again, praying they’d tone it down but instead, the whispers grew softer and the room filled with a kind of tension that Hyunjin couldn’t ignore. He heard the rustle of sheets and caught a glimpse of the two under the blanket doing god knows what—

Oh, no. Hyunjin’s eyes shot open, and he forced a loud cough, scrambling for his phone in a sudden panic. He pretended to scroll through messages, loudly clearing his throat.

The sound startled the couple, and Chan glanced over, instantly realising Hyunjin was awake and watching them. He offered a small, embarrassed laugh and nudged Minho, who had the decency to pull back, looking caught.

“Sorry, Hyunjin,” Chan mumbled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck, his face faintly red even in the low light.

Hyunjin gave a half-smile, rolling his eyes but deciding not to comment. “You’re good. Just… don’t forget I’m here, yeah?” He lay back down, pulling the blanket over his head and muttering to himself with a smile as the two shared an apologetic chuckle.

God, Hyunjin didn't think he could survive this night!
.
.
.
.

Hyunjin did survive the night, though barely. He’d managed to fall asleep around 3 a.m. after Chan and Minho finally settled down, which was better than nothing—but still, he vowed never to stay in the same room with those two again. How did Jisung even survive third-wheeling those two morons on a regular basis? Hyunjin had to give him some serious credit. Jisung must have a level of self-control Hyunjin could only dream of because, while Hyunjin harbored zero romantic feelings for his friends, he’d had the passing urge to strangle them both if it meant getting a solid night’s sleep.

Bleary-eyed, he checked his phone, hoping to see a reply from Jisung about his arrival time. Still no response. Typical Jisung—probably overslept or forgot his phone on silent. With a sigh, he tossed his phone aside, wondering how he’d kill the day until Jisung showed up.

Just then, his door swung open, and Changbin and Felix walked in with matching grins and a suspicious amount of energy for so early in the morning.

“Rise and shine, Hyunjinnie!” Felix chirped, practically bouncing over to him.

Hyunjin squinted at them, not even bothering to hide his displeasure. He's a morning person but he had only a few hours of sleep and that's doing wonders to his temper. “It’s barely morning, and I was up until three because of those two.” He gestured vaguely in the direction of Chan and Minho’s room. “What do you want?”

“Oh, nothing much,” Changbin said with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Just thought we’d get you out of here for some fresh air.”

Hyunjin narrowed his eyes. “Define ‘fresh air.’”

Felix grinned wider. “There’s a tangerine farm nearby that has a full experience package—picking fruit, carrying crates, the works. Thought it’d be fun for the three of us to go together.”

Hyunjin groaned, already suspecting this was going to be more labor than leisure but before he could protest, Changbin had him by the arm, hauling him up. “Come on, you need a change of scenery after last night. Plus, we’ve got snacks for the road.”

And just like that, Hyunjin found himself dragged along, still groggy, in the backseat of Changbin’s van with Felix blasting his playlist in the front. By the time they arrived, the sun was fully out, and the farm was bustling with visitors eager to harvest fruit and explore the countryside.

As soon as they signed up, a farm staff member handed them baskets, grinning as he explained the “full experience” meant they’d be picking their own tangerines, carrying them in crates, and even doing a bit of planting to help keep the farm running.

“Isn’t this great?” Felix asked, practically glowing with excitement as he darted ahead into the grove, already starting to pluck the brightest tangerines he could find.

No, Hyunjin didn't think this was great.

Hyunjin hefted a basket with a resigned sigh, trailing after him as Changbin started filling up his own crate with gusto. What he’d hoped would be a relaxing morning snack was quickly turning into a mini workout. By the time they’d filled two crates, Hyunjin’s arms were sore, and Felix was laughing at his complaints as he tried to stack his fruit a little too high, causing a few tangerines to tumble back down.

After a long, fruit-filled morning at the tangerine farm, Hyunjin, Felix, and Changbin piled back into the car, ready to head back but just as they pulled onto the main road, they spotted two familiar figures walking along the roadside with bags hanging from their arms.

“Isn’t that Seungmin and Jeongin?” Felix said, squinting through the window as Changbin slowed down.

Sure enough, Seungmin and Jeongin were strolling along, chatting and laughing with what looked like an unreasonable amount of bags in hand. As soon as the car rolled up beside them, Jeongin’s eyes lit up, and he waved them over.

“We’ll pull over,” Changbin said, parking the car and hopping out. Felix and Hyunjin followed suit, curious about what the two were up to.

“Oh, perfect timing,” Jeongin said cheerfully. “We’ve been picking up a few things for tonight’s activities, but we might have overdone it.” He glanced sheepishly at the stack of bags at his feet, filled with snacks, supplies, and even a couple of board games. “Mind giving us a hand?”

Hyunjin exchanged a look with Felix, who just grinned and grabbed a couple of bags without hesitation. With a sigh, Hyunjin picked up one of the larger bags, his arms already sore from hauling crates at the farm. He couldn’t help but grumble as they fell into step beside Seungmin and Jeongin.

“I did not sign up for this,” he muttered, shooting Jeongin a look as he tried to rearrange the weight of the bags without straining his already tired arms.

Seungmin smirked, looking entirely unfazed as he walked beside Jeongin with a light hold on a single bag. “Well, technically, I did sign up for this,” he replied, nodding toward Jeongin with a small, fond smile. “That’s what happens when you ask someone to be your boyfriend.”

Hyunjin scoffed at the way Seungmin so effortlessly handled Jeongin’s whims. “Yeah, well, I am not his boyfriend."

Jeongin, picking up on Hyunjin’s mild annoyance, turned around with a cheeky grin. “Aw, come on, Hyunjin! You can’t say no to some extra quality time with your favorite people. Plus, we’re almost done.”

Lie! All men did was lie because they weren't finished. After they put the bags in Changbin's van, they went shopping again with Jeongin in the lead. HE WANTED TO SLEEP.

He couldn’t stay annoyed for long. He knew his friends had likely thought he was disappointed about Jisung’s delayed arrival (he was grumpy because of his leaking ceiling!), and this whole day of “activities” was their way of keeping him distracted and included. He could almost appreciate the thoughtfulness if it didn’t involve so much heavy lifting.

Jeongin regaled them with ideas for their evening—everything from a late-night movie marathon to a competitive board game session, all accompanied by enough snacks to last them days.

Finally, they reached the cabin, and Hyunjin dropped the bags in front of the door with a groan. “You guys are gonna owe me a spa day after all this. Or at least a nap.”

Seungmin laughed, patting Hyunjin on the back. “Consider it an honor. You’re part of the couple activities by association.”

Hyunjin gave him a flat look but it quickly morphed into a terror again when Chan and Minho appeared around the corner. What horrified him was the way they beamed at him like they had something for him to do AGAIN.

They weren't usually this clingy. What's wrong with them today?!? Hyunjin wanted to yell.

Hyunjin sighed, barely containing a groan as he caught the gleam in Chan and Minho's eyes. They both had the look—the “we have a plan, and you're part of it” look that had trapped him all day. Just as he prepared to steel himself for yet another surprise task, he heard a familiar voice call out behind him. “Am I late for lunch?”

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Hello, guys! I think it will be a routine for me to apologize for not updating. I have been so busy with university. I have 3 tests next week and I just wrote this in a hurry yesterday.

Do you feel disappointed that Jisung is not in this chapter? Hahaha

If you enjoyed it don't forget to write comments and vote! :) - Hunny