Last night, just before bed, Hyunjin received a short, teasing text from his cousin that said "Good luck spending the entire week with your 'boyfriend.'" The implication was clear-she was waiting to be proven right and Hyunjin? He hated losing, especially to her smug predictions. Confident as ever, he brushed it off. There was no way anything would go the way she wanted.

What could possibly go wrong?

His objectives were straightforward:
1. Convince his friends they were legit.
2. Keep Jisung from losing his mind around Minho and Chan.

Simple, right?

Wrong.

Han Jisung was a walking disaster. Case in point: Hyunjin turned his back for one second, and the next thing he knew, Jisung had face-planted onto the icy ground. Now, he was flailing like a fish out of water, the slick, snowy surface doing him no favors.

"Jisung! Oh my god!" Felix yelled from behind, rushing forward. Meanwhile, Hyunjin bent down, hooked an arm around Jisung's waist, and hoisted him up like a sack of potatoes. Not exactly the flattering rescue Jisung would've wanted, but Hyunjin didn't have time for elegance.

"I'm fine!" Jisung protested, still dangling awkwardly in Hyunjin's grip.

Hyunjin raised an eyebrow. Fine? Sure, because falling flat on your face was peak stability. Though, to be fair, Jisung was surprisingly light. It wouldn't surprise Hyunjin to know if the wind would knock him off his feet. Jisung was not much of a challenge to carry. Hyunjin figured out as much the day before when Jisung had unfortunately ended up on top of him.

"You're not fine," Hyunjin deadpanned in a hushed voice, rolling his eyes. "You tripped because you were too busy staring at Minho."

"I was not!" Jisung whispered yell, though the indignation didn't hold much weight to it. Hyunjin didn't believe in Jisung when it came to saving his own grace around anything related to Minho.

"Be careful next time!" Felix sighed, visibly relieved that Jisung hadn't shattered into pieces. It's lovely to see that someone cared for Jisung's dignity and safety because the owner of the body itself seemed to not care so much about those two aspects.

"Yeah, yeah, I will!" Jisung muttered, brushing snow off his face.

The moment Felix got distracted, thanks to the voice of Jeongin panicking because he had lost his phone again-Hyunjin turned to Jisung, his smirk firmly in place. "So... what were you staring at?" His previous plan was to nag Jisung but he wasn't Jisung's baby sitter. He thought better of it and chose to tease him instead.

"Nothing! Can you put me down, now?"

"Right, because you definitely weren't giving Minho the 'I'm-so-in-love-I-can't-breathe' look."

Jisung shot him a glare and punched him in the stomach. Not hard enough to do real damage, but enough for Hyunjin to take the hint. Except he didn't. Smirking wider, he shrugged and let Jisung drop back into the snow.

"Hyunjin!" Jisung barked, scrambling back to his feet.

Hyunjin dusted off his hands, feigning innocence. "Hey, you hit me first."

"I wasn't staring at him," Jisung insisted, though his flushed cheeks said otherwise.

"Sure, and I'm the Pope. Admit it-you were totally ogling him. And remember, you did tell me to call you out whenever you go full heart-eyes over Minho-hyung." He was doing his job.

Jisung opened his mouth to argue, but Hyunjin cut him off, pressing a finger to his lips. "Shhh. Just nod and agree."

Jisung slapped his hand away, groaning in frustration. "Fine! I was looking. Happy? He's wearing the scarf I gave him last year, okay? It caught me off guard."

Hyunjin snorted. "Wow, so not only do you have wandering eyes, but you're also out here giving gifts to other guys? Where's my gift, huh?" He leaned in closer, his voice mockingly low.

Jisung's face twisted in confusion. "What the hell are you doing? They're all in the car! No one's watching! Are you high or something?"

Hyunjin sighed dramatically. It was time for another lesson in Fake Dating 101: Role Immersion.

"You don't just 'act' when people are looking," he explained, exasperated. "You need to become the role, Jisung. You know, method acting?"

Jisung glared. "I swear, you're making this harder than it needs to be."

"Oh, I'm the problem? Says the guy who begged me to fake-date him, only to get all weird and choke me every time I try holding his hand."

"Gosh, you never let that go, do you? That's because you're insufferable!"

"And you're indecisive."

Hyunjin concluded that Jisung either had commitment issues or just couldn't sort out his priorities. One moment, he acted like he couldn't stand Hyunjin; the next, he was practically clinging to him out of sheer desperation.

Anyone else in Hyunjin's position would've walked away without a second thought. Frankly, Jisung should consider himself lucky that Hyunjin was generous-or bored-enough to humor his antics.

The truth was, if anyone else had asked Hyunjin to do this, he would've laughed in their face. Even he had no idea why he was so willing to do this anyways. His reason was to mess with Jisung and to avoid any dramas between their friends but if you ask him on a deeper level. He sure as hell didn't know the answer either. It's just a happenstance that things turned out this way.

"Look," Hyunjin finally said, his tone softening. "I'm taking this seriously because I don't half-ass things. You should try it sometime." He already told this to Jisung only a million times. He didn't know when it will finally sink into Jisung's mind that Hyunjin was commited.

If this was a drama or a story, it should already be a few chapters forward. So, it's fair that Hyunjin was expecting a character development.

That seemed to settle it for Jisung. He exhaled and hummed. "I know. I told you that I would behave during the trip." Jisung seemed to want to say something more but instead of saying anything he puffed his cheek like a stubborn child while his ears were turning red.

"What is it?" Hyunjin coaxed, holding himself from poking Jisung's cheeks. Times like this, whenever Jisung acts like a petulant child, made him want to tease Jisung more.

"I...I'm not good at this. So, you have to help me." Jisung admitted like a child admitting his wrong.

See? It's not that hard to ask for help. Jisung just had to swallow his big ego and they're set to go.

"Deal," Hyunjin agreed, smirking but then his expression turned mischievous. "Though, you know, if this were real, you'd be the worst boyfriend ever. Looking at another guy while your boyfriend is next to you."

Jisung dropped his hands, glaring at him. "And you'd be the most annoying one."

"Aw, thanks." Hyunjin's grin widened as he clapped Jisung on the shoulder. "Now, let's get back to the car before Felix starts wondering if we fell into a snowbank."

Hyunjin stopped on his track and Jisung bumped against his back. "What?!", Jisung glared when Hyunjin turned around and stared at him with a meaningful look, considering something.

All that bantering, Hyunjin forgot that Jisung fell onto the snow on his face He's going to catch a cold at this rate and Hyunjin didn't want to turn into a real babysitter and sit it all out throughout the trip.

He took off his scarf and wrapped it around Jisung's neck before pulling out hot packs from his pocket. "You better not catch a frostbite." He complained, holding the two packets on Jisung's cheeks, squeezing them together.

Ha, from this angle Jisung looked absolutely..."You're ugly. Take the hot pack already. We don't have all day."

Jisung reached for the hot packs and grumbled something under his breath but complied either way as he followed Hyunjin who was dragging him by his hand.

As they trudged through the snow, Hyunjin glanced at Jisung out of the corner of his eye. For all his complaining, Jisung was trying and honestly, Hyunjin could appreciate that.

Things should be easier now since he got Jisung's cooperation.

Wrong!

"Jisung, can you take our picture?" Chan asked, handing the phone to Jisung before Jisung could say anything. In all honesty, it was fine. Jisung was always the designated photographer since he got a good sense.

"Take our picture here too!" Minho chimed in, sitting on a bench behind a frozen fountain.

And Hyunjin would totally get it that before this, Chan and Minho often had Jisung tagging around their dates.

"Oh, Hyung! Maybe you both could pose like this. Yeah, yeah...put your hand there-" and Hyunjin totally understood that Jisung couldn't just say no to their two oldest friends and he was used to this. He was used to being treated like a little pet that followed these two everywhere but it's been over 30 minutes.

It'd been that long since they arrived at the mountain and Jisung wasn't giving him the time of his day and neither was he paying attention to himself. How many times had it been that he almost face planted to the ground again while taking pictures with so much effort? Hyunjin had been the one trying to make sure he wouldn't fall over again. So, no. Hyunjin just couldn't understand it anymore.

Before things get even worse, he looped his arm around Jisung and snatched the phone upward. "I think the two of you got enough pictures already." Hyunjin said, resting his chin on Jisung's shoulder. "Now, can I have my boyfriend back?"

All three people aside from Hyunjin were stunned for a second before Chan gave out an awkward laughter. "Yeah, of course. Sorry, guys."

"I had fun. It doesn't matter, really." Jisung meekly added as Hyunjin shot him a glare.

"It matters to me. I want to have fun with you." Hyunjin retorted, pulling up from Jisung's shoulder before he handed the phone back to Minho who was looking at him and Jisung with an unreadable look. Eh, Hyunjin had no time to interpret what Minho was thinking. He wasn't doing anything weird. He acted out like a perfectly jealous and pissed boyfriend. He needed to get Jisung away from the first.

What a scary pair. They didn't even know what they were doing to the poor guy.

"Can I borrow Jisung for a second?" Minho asked, not waiting for a response before dragging Jisung away. Hyunjin was left standing with Chan, who looked like he'd eaten a plate of guilt for breakfast.

"I'm sorry," Chan said, voice low, eyes flicking to Hyunjin before darting away.

Hyunjin sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets. Chan always seemed to carry the weight of a hundred apologies, but this time, Hyunjin wasn't about to let him off the hook.

"Look, hyung," Hyunjin began, keeping his tone calm but firm, "I get that you and Minho are used to having Jisung around but honestly, I don't like how you treat him like he's your personal errand boy."

Chan's eyes widened, his face a mixture of confusion and shock. Hyunjin could almost see the gears turning in his head, scrambling to process the accusation.

"Wait, is that how it comes across?" Chan asked, genuinely taken aback.

Hyunjin didn't hold back. "Yes. Hyung, it's been over 30 minutes, and all I've seen Jisung do is say yes to everything you've asked of him. He doesn't even realize it, but I do-he's scared that you and Minho hyung might stop including him if he ever says no."

Chan's face crumpled, his shock giving way to something softer, more introspective. "I would never -we would never do that to him. He's like a younger brother to us!"

Hyunjin resisted the urge to roll his eyes. If that were true, Chan wouldn't be so quick to believe Jisung might have feelings for Minho or to treat him like an accessory to their dynamic.

"Hyung," Hyunjin said, cutting him off before he could spiral. "Let's be real for a second. How often do you invite Jisung to hang out, and it's not about Minho hyung?"

Chan blinked, caught off guard. "I... well, isn't it obvious we want him around if we keep inviting him?"

Hyunjin exhaled sharply, running a hand down his face. "Gosh, hyung, you're so dense sometimes."

Chan bristled, clearly offended, but Hyunjin held up a hand to stop him. "Just think about it. You and Minho hyung spend all your time together, but you never hang out with Jisung one-on-one anymore. What do you think that makes him feel? Maybe something like, 'They only include me because they need a third wheel,' or 'They only remember me when they have nothing better to do.' Or worse, 'They're just being nice, even though they don't really want me around.'"

Chan's face fell, guilt shadowing his features. For all his flaws, Hyunjin knew Chan wasn't cruel; just oblivious.

Hyunjin softened his tone but didn't back down. "Look, hyung, I know you care about him, but you need to show it in ways that don't make him feel like an afterthought. Jisung deserves better than that."

Chan nodded slowly, his gaze dropping to the ground. "You're right. I didn't realize... but I'll fix it. I promise."

Hyunjin nodded, satisfied-for now. "Good. Because if you don't, I don't know what I will do." Seriously, Hyunjin didn't know what he would do. He wasn't exactly the epitome of justice or a person who would meddle in other people's business but as far as he was concerned, Jisung was now under his wing whether he liked it or not.

Something about other people taking him for granted annoyed Hyunjin more than he thought it would. Hyunjin rubbed his head, he didn't have the time to analyse this thought. Was it possessiveness? Something crazy like 'only I can mess with him, nobody else can' type of bullshit?

After a moment, Jisung and Minho drifted apart after a brief interaction, leaving Jisung walking side by side with Hyunjin in silence. It didn't last long before Hyunjin broke it.

"We've got an hour to ourselves. What do you want to do? Take some pictures? Hit the café? Though, fair warning, Changbin and Jeongin might already be in there or do you just want to sit somewhere and daydream about Minho hyung?" Hyunjin suggested, earning himself a playful punch on the shoulder.

"Come on, give me something! I'm bored out of my mind here, and we need an alibi for the others if they ask what we did. I can't exactly say I spent an hour wandering around with my boyfriend being completely non-verbal," Hyunjin complained dramatically.

"Gosh, you never stop talking," Jisung muttered, though he couldn't entirely blame Hyunjin. They had a mission to convince their friends, but that didn't mean they couldn't have some fun along the way.

"Seriously though, what's your idea of fun?" Hyunjin asked, genuinely curious. Shockingly, he realized he didn't really know what Jisung enjoyed outside of making music. Sure, he'd heard Chan gush about the studio and their projects with Changbin, but beyond that? It was a mystery.

Hyunjin had never been spiteful or nosy enough to dig into Jisung's downtime, wanting to respect his space (Would you believe that?)

"My idea of fun? Hyunjin, it's a freaking botanical garden. What else are we supposed to do here besides walk around and pretend I'm not severely allergic to flowers?" Jisung's sarcasm caught Hyunjin off guard, making him stop in his tracks.

"Wait, allergic to flowers? Since when?" Hyunjin asked, eyebrows shooting up. There'd been plenty of times they'd been around flowers, bouquets, or floral setups, and Jisung had never seemed affected.

"Since this year. I have no idea why it just started happening-I never had it before," Jisung explained with a shrug. It made sense, though. Allergies can pop up unexpectedly in your 20s, but Hyunjin knew that allergies rarely came alone.

"What else are you allergic to?" Hyunjin pressed, filing the information away for future reference. The last thing he wanted was to accidentally trigger something serious.

"So far, just nuts and flowers but I haven't gotten an allergy test yet. For now, I'm basically a walking time bomb. It feels like every time I adjust to one thing, something new pops up," Jisung replied, exasperation laced in his tone.

Hyunjin frowned, concern slipping through his teasing. "Okay, but you said 'severely allergic.' Are you sure you're okay? We're miles from the nearest clinic, and it's not exactly the time to test limits."

Jisung held up an "OK" sign with his hand, reassuring him. "I'm fine as long as I wear my mask. Plus, it's winter-there aren't many flowers around anyway."

Hyunjin nodded, relaxing a little. "Alright, good to know. But next time, maybe start with 'Hey, I'm allergic to flowers,' before we plan a whole trip here."

Jisung rolled his eyes, but a small smile tugged at his lips. "Noted."

"So, what did you talk about with Minho hyung?" Hyunjin asked, his curiosity piqued. Jisung had returned from the conversation looking exasperated, and while he hadn't said anything alarming, the silence left Hyunjin wondering if something was up. "Did he catch on to us, or...?"

"No, nothing like that," Jisung replied quickly. "He was just asking if I'd be fine with you."

Hyunjin stopped mid-step, a frown settling on his face before he resumed walking. "And what is that supposed to mean?" he asked, unsure how to interpret Minho's question.

"Well, for one, you looked pretty pissed. I know it's part of the act, so I wasn't really alarmed, but Minho hyung is worried they might've gotten me into trouble for ignoring you."

Hyunjin's frown deepened. "And what kind of trouble would I get you into, exactly?" he asked, irritation creeping into his voice. The implication didn't sit well with him, and Jisung's explanation didn't help much.

"Minho hyung thought you might... I don't know, hit me or something," Jisung admitted reluctantly.

Hyunjin froze again, his jaw tightening. The idea that one of his closest friends thought so little of him was both offensive and hurtful. "He really thinks I'd do something like that?"

Jisung sighed, sensing Hyunjin's frustration. "To be fair, he thought the same of me too," he added, as if that somehow made it better. "We weren't exactly civil."

Hyunjin's eyes widened in disbelief. "He thinks we're in a toxic relationship?" The words came out sharper than he intended. "First of all, there's so much wrong with that. Second, where the hell did he even get that idea? And third, how are we supposed to fix this?"

Jisung shrugged helplessly. "Pretty much, yeah. I don't know why he thinks that aside from the fact you tried to kill me last semester. I mean, I told him you treat me really nicely before!"

Hyunjin shook his head, letting out a heavy sigh. "No, I get why he thinks that." He hated to admit it, but Minho wasn't pulling this out of thin air. There had been plenty of times in the past where Hyunjin had played the "angry boyfriend" card in front of Minho, particularly when he was trying to sell their act and when he thought about it, he had been a little too aggressive toward Chan in front of their friends at times.

Their history didn't help either. They'd had their fair share of heated arguments before dating, and while physical fights were rare, they weren't unheard of. Even though things had changed since they became a couple, their friends wouldn't magically know that.

"Ugh, I'm so done with our friends," Hyunjin groaned, rubbing his temples. "Why can't they just take things as they are? We can't even have fun because we're too busy trying to meet their damn expectations."

Jisung nodded in agreement. Their friends were nosy, and it wasn't the first time this had happened. When Chan and Minho announced they had been secretly dating, the group had pried into every detail of their relationship and when Seungmin and Jeongin announced they'd been dating for a while, everyone demanded the full story.

"Honestly," Hyunjin continued, exasperated, "at this point, I'm convinced they care more about our relationships than we do."

Jisung chuckled softly. "Yeah, but you've got to admit... they mean well, in their own nosy way."

Hyunjin rolled his eyes but couldn't help the small smile tugging at his lips. "Sure, if by 'mean well,' you mean 'drive us insane."

"You know, I think you put on enough show just now in front of them. We can have fun for now." Jisung commented and Hyunjin tilted his head. Did he? When he slung his hand around Jisung's shoulder, it had been an act but his anger wasn't really faked. He genuinely didn't like how they were treating Jisung. He'd be pissed if he was in that situation but Jisung was so blinded by love that he ignored taking care of himself.

"Really? I didn't do much. I was doing that because you're not doing anything." Hyunjin poked Jisung's forehead, a habit that he had gotten after drilling Jisung that they needed to take things seriously.

"Ok, geeze. I just didn't realise that it had been a long time taking their pictures. It's fun." Hyunjin doubted seeing the person you love doing silly poses with his boyfriend while you take their picture was anything fun. He's quite sure now that Jisung had a kink for torture, a natural masochist. Why else would he willingly follow every order from those two like his life depended on it? "Don't give me that look." Jisung frowned, looking up to Hyunjin who shrugged.

He told Jisung, he wasn't giving him any kind of look. "You obviously were patronising me." Hey, Hyunjin didn't say anything. Jisung was the one who came up with that conclusion. Hyunjin simply didn't correct him.

"I know you think I'm pathetic -" and that's exactly where Hyunjin must correct him. He never thought Jisung was pathetic. Not even once. It's kind of not a suitable adjective to be paired with Jisung. There were many adjectives that can be used to describe him. Namely: annoying, irritating, infuriating, stubborn, impulsive, indecisive and the list went on and on. However, pathetic? Someone as stubborn as Jisung would never be pathetic. Someone who argued with Hyunjin almost about everything because he knew his opinion mattered could never be pathetic.

"You're not pathetic. An idiot maybe but you're not pathetic. What pathetic is them thinking they could make you do anything just because you don't complain." Nothing was pathetic about Jisung. He was admirable in the way that he was trying to salvage his friendships and the way he kept his feelings to himself for that long.

"You know, lacing your words with another insult isn't exactly comforting." Jisung's tone wasn't so much angry as it was tired-utterly, exhaustingly done with Hyunjin but whatever. Hyunjin had already admitted, more than once, that he didn't know how to comfort people and honestly? He wasn't even trying to comfort Jisung now. He was just blurting out whatever came to mind, as he always did. He was being his most authentic self. All cards on the table. No lie. No deception for once.

Still, they went along with Jisung's plan, meandering through the snow-covered streets, snapping pictures, and pretending that Jisung wasn't one sniffle away from red eyes and an itchy nose. It was nice, though-just the two of them bickering lightly without the watchful eyes of their friends.

They did bump into their group a few times. A couple of quick nods, a few curious stares, but nothing that stopped them mid-debate. The latest argument? Germs in snow. Jisung, cautious and reluctant, was staunchly against tasting it. Hyunjin, predictably, championed the carefree fun of it.

By afternoon, they regrouped at their homestay, everyone retreating to recharge before the evening's plan: a cozy campfire with marshmallows. Hyunjin wasn't much of a marshmallow guy, but something about winter; the crisp air, the crackling fire-made him indulge in the festive spirit. Christmas was still weeks away, but the season's magic lingered, so why not?

Later, as Hyunjin descended from his room, he realized Jisung was nowhere in sight. He checked the main areas downstairs. No luck. Finally, he found Seungmin tending the fire outside, alone.

"Sup," Hyunjin said casually, dropping onto the seat next to him.

Seungmin nodded in acknowledgment but stayed focused on the flames.

"Where's everyone else?" Hyunjin asked, glancing around. From the living room, he could faintly hear Felix belting out a song at the karaoke machine, but otherwise, it was quiet.

"By the sea," Seungmin replied with a grimace. "Snowball fights. You know how I feel about that."

Hyunjin smirked. Seungmin's aversion to the cold was no secret. Of course he'd be the one tasked with setting up the campfire while the others played.

Bored, Hyunjin began idly fiddling with the items next to him. He picked up a packet and raised an eyebrow. "What's this?"

Seungmin glanced over and snorted. "Jeongin brought that. Said it makes the flames colorful. Apparently, that's his idea of bringing fun."

Hyunjin grinned. "You say that like you're not glad he tries."

"Of course, I am," Seungmin admitted. "Without him, we'd just be stuck watching TV. We're chaos, but our definition of 'fun' is embarrassingly limited." He paused, looking thoughtful before adding, "How's it going with you two?"

Hyunjin blinked. "Uh... going?" He wasn't sure what Seungmin meant.

Seungmin shrugged, then leaned back. "Fair warning: tonight, with alcohol and the festive mood, Jeongin might get just drunk enough to poke his nose into your business. He's been holding back, but you know him. He'll call you out on any bullshit if he's suspicious." He paused meaningfully, then smirked. "Might want to get your story straight before he does."

Of course, by now, even Seungmin was catching on. Hyunjin found himself seriously confused about where things had gone wrong. He had been so sure he'd done everything to make this act look real. They held hands, hugged, staged scenes in front of their friends, and even talked sweetly to each other. What more could anyone want? Yet, here they were, under scrutiny. What had slipped through the cracks? Was it his eyes? Did his gaze lack the love he'd seen before in Jisung's eyes? He couldn't imitate that-he'd never been in love. How could he replicate something he didn't understand?

"Wow, chill," Seungmin said, cutting through Hyunjin's spiraling thoughts. He grabbed an unused stick from the firewood pile and twirled it in front of Hyunjin's face like a wand. "I know your brain's in overdrive right now. I'm not here to ruin your fun, and I'm definitely not trying to out you-if there's even anything to out."

Funny, Hyunjin thought, because he was pretty sure Seungmin was out for his neck.

"I'm not hiding anything," Hyunjin snapped, frustrated. "I'm just mad that you guys still don't believe us. It's been weeks. If we weren't real, do you think we'd still be stuck with each other like this for so long? I don't get it-why won't you believe us?"

His patience had run thin. Subtlety wasn't cutting it, so why not confront the doubt head-on?

Seungmin raised an eyebrow, unfazed. "I mean, I get what you're saying. If you guys weren't legit, you'd probably have killed each other by now but t... nothing really feels different. That's the thing."

Hyunjin blinked. "What do you mean? Everything that needed to change has already changed. I call him pet names, hold his hand, hug him... I'm constantly talking to him. What more do you want?"

Seungmin shrugged, unbothered. "It feels too planned, you know?"

"Planned? What would we even plan? Now you just sound paranoid."

"It's just a little too convenient," Seungmin said, waving the stick lazily. "Like, how you were only spotted together off-campus during the break. If you'd been dating for a while, someone would've seen you on campus before that. But no-suddenly, during the break, you're being seen all over town? It's just... weird timing."

Okay, Hyunjin admitted to himself, that was a bit rushed. But he could argue his way out of this. "It's the break, Seungmin! Of course we'd be less careful. Like you said, it's rare to run into people we know off campus. Seoul's a big city."

Seungmin didn't look convinced. "Then how do you explain Jisung flinching every time you try to hold his hand?"

Ah, there it was. Hyunjin knew that would come up sooner or later. Jisung was going to need a lot more work before they could fully convince everyone. "Maybe he's just not used to showing affection in front of other people," Hyunjin reasoned smoothly. "Didn't I tell you we were hiding it because I didn't want to be outed? He's still adjusting. It's a reflex."

Seungmin nodded, his expression unreadable. "Fair enough."

"What? What else do you want to poke holes in?" Hyunjin demanded, his tone sharp, though he softened toward the end. He didn't want to come off as defensive and this was still Seungmin. Seungmin was his best friend, who was always with him when things were tough and when he needed someone to laugh with.

"Nothing. I think you answered well and for the record, I believe you."

Hyunjin blinked in surprise. "Wait-were you messing with me this whole time?"

"Messing with you is a strong phrase," Seungmin replied, smirking. "I'm just preparing you for Jeongin's interrogation. If you can't get through with me, you're doomed with him."

Hyunjin groaned. He hated how much sense that made.

"Plus," Seungmin added with a mischievous glint in his eye, "I'm inclined to believe you after what Felix told me. Something about Jisung ending up on top of you?"

Hyunjin stiffened. That incident was a disaster turned blessing in disguise-a scuffle-turned-make-believe makeout session.

"Oh, and your lips were swollen," Seungmin continued casually, inspecting the stick he was holding. "I doubt you'd make out with someone you're not dating. You're not that type, Hyunjin. You don't just make out with someone you hate."

Hyunjin scowled. "You're such a pain, you know that?"

"Yeah," Seungmin said with a grin, tossing the stick into the fire. "But I'm the pain who saved your ass a couple of times from Jeongin's nosiness. How many times do you think I kept him away from you before Jisung arrived?"

"Ugh, I hate you."

"Love you too, man."

At the edge of his vision, Hyunjin caught a glimpse of a figure slipping past. His instincts kicked in, and he rose abruptly from the foldable chair. The sudden movement drew Seungmin's attention. When Seungmin realized who had caught Hyunjin's eye, a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

"Go on," Seungmin said lightly, nodding toward the door. "The others will probably be back soon if he's already here." His tone was casual, but the glimmer of amusement in his eyes was unmistakable. After all, without Jisung, the group's usual energy felt a little incomplete. Sure, Jeongin might bring the chaos, but Jisung and Felix were the ones who carried the joy-Felix with his warm laughter and Jisung with his boundless, if occasionally fiery, spirit.

Hyunjin hesitated for a moment, weighing his options, before nodding decisively. He set off after Jisung, his boots crunching against the fresh snow. Without even thinking, he began stepping into the prints Jisung had left behind in the powdery white. It was an old habit-one that tugged at memories of walking beside his father as a child. A wry smile flickered across his face as he noticed just how small Jisung's footprints were. Small feet, soft hands-it was oddly endearing, Hyunjin thought, though it hardly matched the image of someone who was always buzzing with righteous indignation.

When he reached the house, Hyunjin spotted Felix near the entrance, leaning against the wall and clutching his chest. "Take it easy, man," Hyunjin called out in passing, his voice carrying a note of genuine concern. Felix gave him a weak wave, still catching his breath after what must have been an extended singing session.

Hyunjin didn't linger. His attention was already on the stairs, where Jisung's retreating figure had disappeared moments earlier. With purposeful strides, he followed, the warmth of the house and the faint echo of Felix's earlier melody trailing after him.

"I told you to stop calling me." Hyunjin stopped midway, his hand hovered over the knob of their door. He was caught, teetering on the edge of walking away or stepping inside but the expression he saw on Jisung's face earlier made him stay. It was a tinge of concern that made him linger; Just a tinge of it.

"No, I said enough when I met you the other day. I don't have anything to say more and you can't expect me to accept you back in my life just because you decided so..." That was a bit too personal and Jisung's voice...lord, Hyunjin had never heard of pain that was so raw. Maybe he should have left and made sure nobody was coming upstairs in case they heard Jisung. If he hid away in their room, it's only plausible that he didn't want anybody to hear.

"I'm done being a collateral damage. So, please. Just leave me alone. I'm happy where I am now." Those final words cut through Hyunjin, sharp and resolute. He stayed for just a bit longer before he finally turned and headed downstairs.

As he descended, he found Felix and leaned in close, pretending to inspect the playlist.

"I want to sing the next one," Hyunjin said casually, adjusting the karaoke volume higher. Felix raised a brow but handed over the mic without question.

Hyunjin's gaze flicked upward, where Jisung was still holed away. Whatever he had to deal with, at least now, nobody else would hear. Not with Hyunjin drowning it out in the only way he could. If Felix was staring at him weirdly, he didn't care.

Seven songs later, Jisung finally reappeared. By that time, Hyunjin had dragged nearly everyone in the room into singing duets each time they tried going upstairs. His throat was raw from yelling, belting, and screeching, and he wasn't the only one suffering.

Jisung stopped between the couch and the chaos, waving his hands around as if trying to make sense of the scene.

"Weren't we supposed to have marshmallows? When did the plan change?" he asked, confused by his friends' expressions, which ranged from exhaustion to sheer misery. He was expecting them to already be outside, around their mini fire camp and enjoying their time. He was certainly surprised to see the opposite.

The answer, of course, was Hyunjin.

Felix, on his knees with clasped hands, begged, "Oh my gosh, I'm glad you're finally here. Can you please take your boyfriend away? He's literally torturing us." Felix was the one who sang the longest and just when he thought he would be resting, Hyunjin pulled him into a duet. He simply wanted to go upstairs and take his charging phone! He didn't know he would continuously be targeted by Hyunjin each time he tried to go up.

"I love Hyunjin but if I have to hear him screech like that ever again, I don't think I will survive." Changbin admitted with a grim face whilst rubbing the temple of his forehead.

The others chimed in with similar complaints, prompting Jisung to laugh until he stumbled. "So, that's what I was hearing upstairs. Okay, okay, I'm sorry for leaving him unsupervised."

He grabbed Hyunjin's arm and started pulling him toward the door. "I think we all need hot chocolate and marshmallows now."

As they stepped outside, Jisung leaned in and whispered, "What was that about?" Hyunjin's eyes sparkled with self-satisfaction, a sly smile tugging at his lips as if he couldn't hide how pleased he was with himself. Jisung should know that Hyunjin wasn't huge on karaoke. He liked it surely, but he wasn't as obsessed as Felix and Jeongin.

"Revenge." He simply stated since it wasn't exactly a lie.

"What for?" Jisung slapped Hyunjin's chest, earning an exaggerated grunt. Hyunjin shrugged nonchalantly. "For torturing me on the first day of the trip, duh."

"You're still not over that?"

Oh, Hyunjin had let it go this morning. Jisung didn't need to know that.

"Hey, no judgment. This is a safe space, and you should be thankful I didn't drag you into that fiasco."

Jisung rolled his eyes as he unfolded a seat. "Of course, you'd be petty about it."

"It was therapeutic," Hyunjin retorted, and for once, he wasn't just being flippant. He hadn't realized how much stress he'd been bottling up until he sang his lungs out, leaving him oddly lighter. Sure, the catharsis was nice, but what really sealed the deal was the sheer misery etched on his friends' faces. That was its own reward.

On top of that, it gave him an excuse to stop thinking about whatever Jisung was going through upstairs. He wasn't about to change career paths and become a therapist-nope, that was a hard pass.

Still, that didn't stop him from being an endearing asshole. Why else do you think he cranked the volume high enough to drown out the noises from upstairs?

Oh good, now that he suddenly thought of it. He couldn't stop thinking about it at all. Who the hell was Jisung calling? What did Jisung meant by 'coming back into my life'? There were few limited options to whom he was talking to and Hyunjin had a creative brain. A scandalous summer fling? An ex? A stalker? A secret-

"Earth to Hyunjin." Jisung's fingers snapped in front of his face. Hyunjin frowned, grabbing Jisung's hand mid-snap to stop the incessant noise. "What?"

"This... don't you want marshmallows?" Jisung asked, holding out a stick with perfectly roasted marshmallows dangling at the end. Hyunjin took it, glancing sideways at Jeongin, who was giving him that weird look again. "What's with you? I swear you wouldn't stop yapping a minute ago." Jisung heaved a sigh.

"No, nothing. Just thinking about you." He said it so thoughtlessly that Jisung almost choked on his snack. Eyes wide, Hyunjin grabbed a water bottle, twisted the cap off, and shoved it into Jisung's hand like his life depended on it.

"Why are you saying things like that here?!" Jisung yelped, his face flushed as he hurriedly gulped down water.

Oh, right. Jisung had a weak heart when it came to sudden flirtation and would highly appreciate a warning the next time he wanted to do anything remotely flirtatious.

But seriously, why wasn't Jisung used to this by now? It wasn't just Hyunjin. Even when other people were jokingly flirting with him, he reacted like someone had set him on fire. Was it a quirk? Or-Hyunjin's mind wandered again-had something happened to him before?

What if the person he'd been on the phone with was-

Nope. Hyunjin stopped himself, annoyed at his own soft heart. Jisung wasn't some tragic drama character, and it was ridiculous to frame him like one. He wasn't living in a K-drama.

Snap.

Hyunjin blinked back to reality as Jisung snapped his fingers again.

"Seriously, why do you keep zoning out?" Jisung asked, his tone laced with concern and amusement. Hyunjin could sense the subtle panic in his wavering voice too. Something must have occurred while he was not entirely focused.

Ok, screw that. He was 100% zoning out and that was very uncharacteristic of him but he was as nosy as his friends were. He was friends with them for a reason and it'd be a lie if he said the idea of an unidentified 'entity' disrupting their shenanigans did not bother him the least. He hated not knowing things.

"I guess-" his voice cracked under the pressure of being watched by everyone and if it was because he had been screaming his gut out at the karaoke station, Seungmin had kindly pointed it out for him.

He cleared his throat and continued, "I guess I'm sleepy and tired." It's a valid answer. Whilst everyone had taken a few naps here and there, he had been active the whole day. Call it the spirit of the festive season; Jisung even asked him if he was on something. His gut wrenching performance prior to this only substantiated Jisung's assumption.

"What were you all talking about?" he asked, glancing around the cozy campfire they'd gathered around. Everyone had paired or grouped up-Changbin, Felix, and Seungmin were nestled together while Jeongin sat stiffly on the ground in front of them. Figures, he thought. Felix had probably initiated a group cuddle. Jeongin, ever uncomfortable with close contact, had escaped to the floor instead and Seungmin was a peace offering who had no say in his predicament.

"Ghost stories." Changbin said that answered all the questions about why Chan was huddled up against Minho and why Changbin's face was pale. Also explained why Jisung was holding; more like pulling at the hem of Hyunjin's sweater for his dear life.

"And who's telling the story right now and why is everyone downright horrified?" And here he thought Jeongin had dropped a bomb of a question to Jisung and he needed help with it.

Jeongin raised his hand. "I was. I was even at the great part but you weren't listening! So, now I have to start over." He lamented, which received a few 'no!' from the cowards.

Oh, please. Hyunjin was sure it wasn't even that bad and he even wanted to urge Jeongin to continue but Jisung's pale hand on him was trembling. The latter was biting his lips so much that it was starting to bleed. Yeah, they should call it a day.

He grabbed Jisung's chin and pulled Jisung's bottom lips with his thumb, freeing it from the mercy of Jisung's teeth. He adjusted the scarf that he gave to Jisung this morning properly and handed Jisung another hot pack for his hands.

"Yeah, no. What about we talk about something else?" If Jeongin had continued, he would be sharing a bed with a terrified sleepless Jisung. The morning that came with that was horrible to think of.

The cowards agreed with him (because of course they did.)

"What else do you want to talk about that's fun? Horror story is fun for a campfire conversation! Other stuff is boring." Jeongin complained and Hyunjin was shocked for once that Jeongin wasn't jumping at the chance to attack them with a 'fuck-your-privacy-I-want-to-know-everything ' questions.

Interesting.

"If you suggest we karaoke here, I'm going to kill you." Seungmin said with a glare.

Hyunjin laughed at Seungmin's warning but raised his hands in a mock surrender. "Relax. I think even I've had my fill of karaoke for the next year."

Felix perked up, sitting straighter. "Oh, I know! How about truth or dare?"

A collective groan erupted from the group.

"Are we five?" Changbin asked, frowning.

"I second that. It's always the same dares, and the truths are lame," Jeongin added, though his suspicious glance at Felix suggested he feared another round of Felix's infamous dares that always seemed to involve something humiliating.

"Fine, fine." Felix pouted. "But it's better than sitting in silence."

"Better idea," Minho interjected. "let's play betrayal trivia."

"What the hell is that?" Jisung asked, narrowing his eyes.

"It's simple." Minho smirked. "We take turns asking stupid trivia questions, but you only get one lifeline. If you get the answer wrong, you have to call someone who isn't here and ask them the question with no context."

Everyone stared at Minho like he had sprouted a second head.

"Who even comes up with something like that?" Chan asked, sounding equally impressed and horrified.

"I did." Minho said earning a snort from his boyfriend because of course, he did. Why it was called betrayal trivia though, Hyunjin had no idea. He didn't think he would want to ask Minho though. Mostly because he was feeling petty that the older suggested that Hyunjin would ever lay a hand on Jisung. So, his curiosity can take a chill pill for today.

"I think it's brilliant," Jeongin said. "but that's unfair for Jisung-hyung. We all know he doesn't have any other friends than us." In the end, Jisung threw a stick that wasn't used for the fire camp at the youngest.

"I do have other friends!" was a joke. Hyunjin knew Jisung had other friends even if his circle was much smaller than everyone here.

The group reluctantly agreed, although Jisung was already looking for an excuse to escape.

"Fine," Hyunjin said, leaning back and crossing his arms. "But just know I'm only playing to see Jisung suffer." He shot Jisung a devilish grin, and Jisung's glare promised retribution.

"First question! Felix Hyung!" Jeongin announced eagerly, Hyunjin doubted he was getting his revenge on Felix for making him do a stupid dare the last time. "What is the technical term for butt sweat?"

Felix groaned. "The fuck- How should I know that!? Do you even know that?"

"i do know!" Jeongin cut him off gleefully. "It's a swamp ass. Check it if you don't believe me!" He smirked smugly.

The chaos that followed was exactly the kind of distraction Hyunjin needed-at least until Jisung's turn came around. The dread on his face was absolutely delicious although the laughter that came out from Jisung put him more at ease.

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Once again, sorry for the late update! And Happy New Year to everyone.

I just have to post this before we enter 2025. That's crazy it's been a year.

And if we think Hyunjin is a bit of a Mama bear around Jisung in this chapter...yeah, we keep those thoughts to ourselves cuz Hyunjin hasn't realised it yet but he's soft AF. Also, I don't really like this chapter much but I do hope you enjoy it.

Anyways, ;) I SAW THEM IRL. 3 weeks ago I was at their dominate tour in Bangkok and it was everything. My throat hurts for days because I screamed too much.

Can I just say, they look so fucking good irl and their aura is crazy. People weren't kidding when they say idols heads are small because wtf they look unreal.

I saw Jisung playing guitar irl! I saw HYUNSUNG TOPLINE. I was feral. All my fancams consist of me screaming at everyone. They were so unreal that the entire time I was gapping at them.

I got a VIP seat that was 11 rows away from the extended stage, so, I got to see them in HD with my own eyes like- I couldn't believe it.

Sadly, the water they sprayed at the audience didn't reach the 11th row nor did the confetti for Jisung's solo stage. I WAS SO UPSET but I'm so happy to be there.

I had been a fan since 2019, had seen them turn from 9 to 8, had gone through the phase where Hyunjin went on an indefinite hiatus and towards the moment they started high rocketing in fame. I was a fan since I was 15 and now I'm about to be 22 next year. Even so, I never thought there would be a day I would see them in real life but I did and now I'm pretty much in debt (lol) but it was worth it.

Ok, let me cut it short here.

I hope everyone had a fulfilling 2024. Even if you didn't, I wish you know that it's not easy to reach the end of the year. It's been a tough year. Don't lose hope and let's continue to hope that 2025 will be a better year.

Happy new year, my dearest ❤️ - Hunny