The cashier raised an eyebrow and Hyunjin shrugged, so they accepted the money and offered Trevor a handful of change. Trevor just laughed and let Hyunjin accept the change.

"Thanks," Hyunjin said. He struggled for a moment, stuffing the food into his backpack and a small bag he carried with him for exactly these purposes (random moments of clarity where he remembered he needed to buy rice and snacks).

"Yo, that was a nice break up," Trevor said to him as they left the store. "Like one of the dramas on TV. Good for you!"

Hyunjin chuckled. "I tried to break up over text, actually, but he wanted to talk. So, yeah."

"Well, you're definitely famous now," Trevor chuckled, "did you know there's an Instagram profile about your relationship?"

"Like a fan account?" Hyunjin asked, but he did know about the Instagram profile, his friends made that Instagram profile.

"Yeah. But the money! Here you go," Trevor pulled a plastic bag from his backpack. They were away from the convenience store now, so no CCTV would catch this exchange of quite a lot of money.

Hyunjin couldn't help himself. Despite his reassuring words to Changbin, he had doubted Trevor sometimes. But inside the bag were two bundles of big notes, and at first glance in the dim streetlights and still pouring rain, it looked real. He stuffed it into his bag of groceries. "Thanks, Trevor."

"You're welcome!" Trevor smirked. "Did you listen to my Soundcloud recently?"

"Oh, uh," Hyunjin said. This was a question he had studied for in high school, when he didn't read the assigned book and had to talk about it. "Yeah. I like your uh, voice. I don't know much about the whole beat thing."

Trevor smiled, and for a very short moment, Hyunjin felt sorry for taking Trevor's money like that, but that feeling was quickly kicked out. He held, in his hands, the means to not only buy a new couch, but also to finance his extra dance classes next semester and new synthesizers for Changbin. And if Trevor just handed over this much money, he most likely didn't need it anyway.

"Hyunjin-ah!"

Hyunjin turned to see Chan speedwalking toward them, black umbrella raised to shield his face.

"Hyunjin-ah!" Chan called again, smiling when he realised Hyunjin had noticed him. "You don't even have a jacket on," Chan chided, critically eyeing Hyunjin's soaked shirt.

"Hyung," Hyunjin started to roll his eyes.

"Bang Chan?" Trevor asked.

"The one and only," Chan said with a friendly smile, holding the umbrella over Hyunjin's head. "I don't think I caught your name?"

"Oh, I'm Trevor," Trevor said, a complicated mix of expressions fluttering over his face. "I didn't know you knew each other."

Chan's smile turned just a bit vicious. "Really? We often eat lunch together. Hyunjin," Chan turned to him, effectively turning his back to Trevor and touching the wet fabric clinging to Hyunjin's shoulder, "Binnie was worried you'd catch a cold."

Hyunjin suddenly realised two things: Chan was really deserving of the mom friend title, and Chan was kinda hot when he was passive aggressively nice. Oh no, what if Hyunjin had a type and it was e-boys? Changbin was still way cuter than Chan, though. "Thanks, hyung," he replied with a smile, trying not to show his feelings on his face.

"How do you feel?" Chan asked kindly.

Hyunjin shrugged. Trevor was still right next to them, there was a limit to what he could and couldn't say.

Chan seemed to realise that too. "You breaking up with him doesn't stop us from being friends," he said, then he turned to Trevor. "I'll walk him home. It was nice meeting you, see you around."

Hyunjin sent Trevor a helpless smile as Chan softly but firmly tugged him away. "Bye, Trevor!"

Chan held the umbrella up between them, prying Hyunjin's grocery bag from his fingers to carry it for him.

Hyunjin shivered. The night was starting to cool down significantly, and the water soaking his clothes and hair didn't make anything better. He wanted to see Changbin smiling. He wanted to hold his hand and kiss his fingers.

Maybe this was what growing up felt like. The realisation that all he really wanted was eating ice cream with his boyfriend, on their new couch. Well, he also wanted to improve his dancing and go into performing and choreographing and change things. This shit was more complicated than coming of age movies made you believe. But, priorities.

"How's Binnie-hyung?" Hyunjin asked when they were a healthy distance from Trevor.

Chan rolled his eyes. "Of course you ask that first. He's fine, he should be at the cafe by now. Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Hyunjin smiled down at Chan, "I'm just a bit cold. I'll be fine."

"I know you will," Chan's cute dimples appeared. "And you're always got us, too."

Hyunjin smiled. "The same goes for you, Channie-hyung. I'm really glad Felix met you."

"I'm also really glad Felix met me," Chan agreed and laughed, loud in the quiet night. The streetlights suddenly seemed brighter. "But I'm also really glad you and Binnie are happy together. You're so good for each other."

"I know, hyung," Hyunjin blushed, but the night would make it less obvious.

They reached the cafe, finally, the warm lights inviting as Chan opened the door for Hyunjin. Chan handed Hyunjin his bag with groceries and cash, taking another moment outside to shake the water from the umbrella.

Hyunjin stepped inside and was immediately greeted by cheers from his friends and Felix wrapping his arms around him like a Koala. Hyunjin wrapped his free arm around him to steady him.

"You did it!" Felix yelled in his ear.

"You don't even know if I got the money yet," Hyunjin grumbled, still allowing Felix to hug him for another moment. Felix hugs were nice. "Where's Binnie-hyung?"

"Here, Hyunjinnie," Changbin said from behind Felix.

Hyunjin shoved Felix aside to cling to Changbin instead. Changbin's clothes were wet but he was warm and comfortably hug-sized. "I'm so sorry, hyung. That felt terrible."

Changbin put his arms around Hyunjin. "Yeah. I'm sorry too. It's okay if you like pineapple on pizza, I like you anyway."

"Oh no, don't remind me," Hyunjin groaned. "I bought us ice cream, by the way. Felt appropriate."

"I like you more than ice cream," Changbin squeezed Hyunjin's waist. "I love you."

"I love you too, hyung. I don't want to ever break up with you." Hyunjin pulled Changbin into a kiss.

"Okay, cute and all," Minho cut in, "but seriously, did you get the money? Is it real?"

Hyunjin rolled his eyes, but separated from his boyfriend and handed over the bag. "I hope it's real. How would you even know?"

Minho smirked and held a note against the light. "It looks real, wow."

"Wow," Hyunjin said, because he spotted Jisung right next to Minho, "she's h–"

Predictably, Jisung screeched like a banshee and scrambled to clasp his hand over Hyunjin's mouth. "No way! After everything we did! We birthed a second song just so people will stop associating us with that!"

Hyunjin licked Jisung's hand and laughter bubbled up in his chest at Jisung's next screech, this one panicked.

"I think it's cute," Changbin said, shrugging and smiling when they all turned to him. "I don't mind being Shrek if Jinnie is my Fiona."

"Hyung," Hyunjin felt his face heat up until it burned like the sun on a summer afternoon. He hid his face in his hands. "That's so smooth."

"Channie-hyung, let me take you to a restaurant," Felix smirked.

Chan turned away, ears flaming. "I have no idea what you're talking about. The ramen needs me! Let's eat, kids."

Hyunjin snatched the money back out of Minho's hands.

Their evening was good. Food and conversation, Hyunjin and Changbin reenacting their 'break up' and Chan rolling his eyes at them fondly. Jeongin posted an announcement on Instagram that they'd be shutting down the shipping profile until further notice, and called for everyone to respect the privacy of everyone involved. All twenty of their followers, at least, would hopefully see it. (Maybe the Instagram was good for something, at least?)

Then Felix looked through Hyunjin's bag and demanded they eat the tub of ice cream right now. Hyunjin, who could never say no to anything Felix asked of him, agreed. He might catch a cold, but not if he sat between Felix and Changbin.

At home, Changbin pushed him against the door and kissed him slowly, deeply, until they were both breathless.

"I literally cannot believe the past month happened," Hyunjin murmured when Changbin kissed down his neck. "Hyung, whatever you're doing, don't stop."

Changbin smiled against his skin. "Anything you want, Hyunjinnie."

"Wait, we do need to think about what kind of couch to buy."

"Of course," Changbin murmured and lightly bit on Hyunjin's collarbone.

Hyunjin moaned, "Binnie-hyung, I'm serious. We need to plan the couch. Look through catalogues. Check online. Where would we even go? Ikea?"

"Would you shut up?"

"Make me."

They didn't talk about couches that night, and Hyunjin spent the next day with Taeul and Euntak, filming their choreography in different public places and buying them food. Jeongin was there too, and Seungmin found them and tagged along as a designated camera tripod.

Sunday, Hyunjin felt like doing exactly nothing, which he thought he fully deserved after a fake break up in the rain and a day of embarrassing himself in public to take some of Taeul's and Euntak's nervosity away.

The week started as usual, Hyunjin arriving in his morning dance class and talking about dogs until Minho inevitably shoved a new Doongie video in his face. It was an adorable video of Doongie transfixed on a red light on the floor. Doongie even stuck his tongue out of his mouth in concentration. Hyunjin wanted to cuddle the cat. How to improve your Monday morning by 500%: a guide by Hwang Hyunjin.

Felix had talked his way into their instructor's good graces. Which meant that when he said Hyunjin's Billie Eilish choreo was coming along well, Hyunjin was politely asked to show it to the class, which checked off another one of Hyunjin's original goals: sadness after a fake break up. But during lunch, Changbin, Chan and Felix joined them in the dance apartment cafeteria, so the only thing Hyunjin felt was happiness and vague anxiety about an assignment deadline.

The new couch was bought on the next weekend. A giant, fluffy thing, perfect for naps and watching drama. Changbin got his synthesizers and a fancy coffee machine, and asked his parents for help on how to clean a fridge to get rid of their small, moldy spots in the back. Apparently, a new fridge wasn't necessary.

The next week, they kissed in public and spent time with each other and their friends as if Hyunjin had never spoken to a Trevor.

Getting swamped by exam preparations (and anxiety) also meant one more thing: the bi-annual dance competition, held by the student council. Over the years it had become less of a competition and more of a space for dance students to showcase their work without the pressure of grading. This led to mostly kpop covers or freestyles, but also people practising performing their choreographies on a stage. That was how the student council advertised it too, with the philosophy of stepping in front of people and moving, knowing that the other students and their friends would hype them up.

Hyunjin, Felix and Minho were going to perform to Wow and become, to quote Felix, 'the streetlight Chan runs into because he's too focused on me.'

Despite being done with the choreo and their own voices starting to seriously annoy them whenever they practiced, they hadn't yet shown the choreo to anyone and Hyunjin knew it was slowly eating their boyfriends alive. 3Racha started talking about writing more songs, for all of them, and even suffered through Seungmin sending them dozens of Day6 memes without changing their minds about it.

Jeongin swayed Seungmin to their side in the end.