Human! AU Running Man Animation drabble that somehow conjured in my mind earlier lmao

Notes:
Mai (10) - gray
Zai (11) - green
Pai (14) - blue

Title: clandestine spread all around, but no one can see it

Summary: Miyo has the opportunity to dig up the dirt Charming Gold's been hiding. She doesn't take it.

---

The house wasn't all how she imagined it would be. It felt far too regal, far too...extravagant to be something of Gai's sense of style.

The house seemed like something that suited Gold's taste more than anything, and the mere thought of the lavish man put a scowl on her face.

"We're here."

Gai pushes the gate open and gestures for her to go inside with an exaggerated bow. She huffs, cheeks red. Annoyed at the cheeky grin thrown her way.

They both go in and the gate creaks to a close behind them. Miyo looked around. The flowers growing on the side of the house seemed well-maintained, surprisingly. She hadn't pegged the brunet for a gardening type.

"So," he says, taking off his shoes as they reached the front porch. She reached down and went to do the same. "What should we do first?"

Oh, right. The report.

"Well, first's things first: we need to look up information and statistics, basically gather data. Our topic was something about the evils of society, right?"

His lip twitched, hand twisting the knob. "Yeah."

"Then, we'll just go on from there."

Gai opened the door and it occurs to Miyo that this was the first time she had ever been to the brunet's house.

She wasn't sure what to do with that revelation.

Had the others been at Gai's house before? They've never hung out at his place, a convenient excuse always at his lips at the suggestion. Before anyone could question him, he'd long diverted the conversation away from the topic.

What was with the sudden change of heart then-? Was it because it was only her? Miyo frowned at the thought. She knew that Gai liked her as more than a friend but she didn't think that that mere fact could be the reason. He wasn't that shallow, and Miyo knows for certain that Gai treasures his friends more than anything.

"I'm home!" He calls out, placing his shoes on the rack. Miyo blinks in surprise and releases the gradual tightening grip she had on her bag. She thought the male had lived on his own.

Then came an ecstatic cry and loud thumping steps somewhere from the upper floor.

"Hyung!" (Brother!)

He'd just propped his bag on the couch when a large blur tackled him out of nowhere. Before she knew it, Gai had fallen onto the floor beside her. Dark blue strands styled in nearly the same spike as her friend danced in her vision. The two siblings looked strikingly similar, if not for the different haircolor and rounder, younger features, then she would've thought the two as twins.

Another thought was: Gai had a brother? Huh, it seemed like there was something she didn't know about him afterall. With his blabbermouth, she was surprised that he managed to keep such a thing a secret from their friends (managed to keep this a secret from her-).

"Woah, easy there," Gai smiles at his brother, gently loosening the shaking grip that held tight to his uniform. He whispered something to the younger and the younger laughed with...something in his voice that she couldn't discern.

"Welcome back, brother!"

"Good to see ya, too." Gai ruffled his brother's hair and pulled Pai up on his feet. He tilted his head at Miyo's general direction. "I have a school report thing to do. Now, scram. Have Zai help you with dinner."

"But we want you to cook," he whined. The younger turned to her, eyes pleading with a touch of mischief. "Make him cook, Miss! I promise you won't regret it!"

Gai flushed red. "Pai!" He started pushing his brother towards the stairs, the blush on his tan face had yet to fade. "Help Mai with his homework or something, I still-"

"I wouldn't mind."

It takes Miyo a moment to realize that she had been the one to utter the words. The two Mongs froze in their squabble. One staring at her with disbelief, the other with unbridled delight.

She turns the same shade of her hair. "That is, I mean, I don't-!"

"Yes!" The younger Mong leaped for joy and rushed up the stairs. "YOUR GIRLFRIEND SAYS YOU GOTTA, SO NOW YOU HAFTA~" The last part of his sentence went unheard.

Gai buried his face into his hands, hiding a smile threatening to break out. "Let's just... start on the report. Please."

Miyo could only nod as she willed the blush to fade. She agreed wholeheartedly to that sentiment.

---

"Sorry about my brother back there," falls from his lips the moment the two reached the computer room.

Miyo shakes her head. "It's okay. Really." She was an only child herself. She had her fair share of rowdy cousins, but she assumes that having siblings was something on a different level entirely.

The red head had to admit, it was pretty amusing, that word of his feelings for her prevailed even throughout his own household.

Gai turns on the computer and places a chair in front of it. "Sit here," he tells her and she complies. He weaves his way around her and reaches for the door.

"Wait." Caramel eyes turned to her, brows raised. Miyo clutched her bag to her chest.

She briefly contemplated asking about the whereabouts of his parents, and discarded the idea immediately. She had to focus on her true goal first. Her own inquiries could wait.

Miyo had to find solid evidence of Gold's true nature. Find Gold's hidden truth and bring it to light. She had to bring that crooked man to justice.

What better proof than to have a witness?

And if that meant using her friend, well, Miyo just has to deal with it. It will do him good in the long run anyway.

She's doing the right thing.

She knows she's doing the right thing.

And yet...

"Where are you going?"

Gai blinks confusedly. "I'm getting another chair...?"

"Well," she faltered and raced to school her features back to reticence. "Get your bag too while you're at it. For the notes."

"Um, sure? Not sure what good my notes will do against yours though," he chuckled. "Be right back."

The door closed with a click.

Miyo let out a heavy sigh, sinking in the chair. Her eyes gazing upon the start-up screen with frustration. She cards her hands through her ponytail.

'Why couldn't I say it?' She'd already mentally listed the questions she wanted to ask him, already prepared the way she could phrase them without being suspicious.

Her mind flashes to similar tanned arms wrapped around and gripping tightly, to playful yet soft assurances, and Miyo knows exactly why the words get stuck in her throat.

She sighs.

Looks like her investigation had reached another dead-end, then.