Chapter Text
Rule number one: Just sex, no kissing.
The first time Wonwoo thought about letting Mingyu kiss him, they weren’t having sex, touching, or doing anything remotely sexual.
They were in the dormitory. Mingyu lying next to him while he played some random game on his tablet.
This had been occupying his thoughts lately.
What would it feel like to have those lips he’d seen twisting in moans, touching his mouth? What would that sensation be like?
Sometimes, this thought would reach him in his sleep, and he’d wake up aroused, disturbed by some stupid dream about a kiss. It was always enough to make him get up in the middle of the night, cross the dorm full of guys, and dive under cold water, even though it was freezing.
This stupid desire was consuming Wonwoo. Consuming his thoughts to the point he feared others might notice.
Mingyu, on the other hand, had always been more paranoid about it. He never moaned, even when they were alone. He’d cover Wonwoo’s mouth. He’d sweat cold whenever someone asked about suspicious noises in the dead of night.
But it was Wonwoo who felt watched.
So when some of the members finally left, and the others were passed out from exhaustion on their beds, he realized his chance.
Mingyu was alone in the room. Only Hoshi and Chan were left, sleeping in a separate room.
Wonwoo leaned against the doorframe, watching Mingyu. The younger hadn’t noticed his presence immediately, absorbed in organizing things.
His dark hair was messy, and Mingyu still looked a bit sleepy when Wonwoo closed the door.
Mingyu looked over his shoulder, and a small smile appeared on his face.
“I told you I’d help you with this,” Wonwoo murmured, approaching with slow steps.
“If I waited for your lazy help, this room would be a mess,” Mingyu laughed, continuing to fold the clothes.
Wonwoo hugged him from behind, resting his chin on his back.
He should have been annoyed by the fact that Mingyu was taller, even though he was younger. But he wasn’t. He found it attractive. He liked holding him like this. He liked the feeling.
It meant nothing.
Maybe the sex between them meant more.
But maybe it didn’t.
They were only twenty, and they were deprived of any contact with girls. Eventually, they’d have to find a solution.
Even if it was with each other.
“I want you…” Wonwoo whispered, pressing his forehead against Mingyu’s back. He felt the younger’s quiet laugh vibrate against his body. “Can I kiss you?”
Mingyu furrowed his brow, confused.
“Where?”
The question made sense.
There were rules, after all. Rules that Wonwoo had set up to keep them from crossing the line of friendship. But at that moment, he wanted to cross it. “On my mouth.”
Mingyu’s expression shifted from confusion to surprise. Then something close to happiness… The same gleam that appeared when they finished their “joint exercises,” which was really just a code for sex.
“Okay.” The answer came as a sigh.
“Just this time,” Wonwoo clarified.
“Yeah, okay.” But the way Mingyu accepted it had something more. A hint of sarcasm hidden beneath his easy surrender.
Wonwoo’s heart raced as Mingyu turned to face him.
He could see in the younger’s eyes that he was holding back a smile, one of those smiles that always appeared when he realized Wonwoo was giving in to some impulsive desire.
Mingyu didn’t hesitate.
He didn’t ask if Wonwoo was sure, or make any dumb comment to break the mood. He just leaned in, eyes fixed on Wonwoo’s until the last second, and then their lips touched.
It was warm.
It was wet.
And, to Wonwoo’s irritation, it was exactly as good as he imagined it would be.
“I think… I’ve had better kisses from my grandma,” Wonwoo said, pretending to be indifferent. He sighed.
Mingyu laughed, shaking his head slowly.
“Good to know, hyung,” he murmured, his voice dragging, amused.
But he didn’t pull away.
On the contrary, he leaned in again, slow, provocative, as if testing Wonwoo. As if waiting to see how far he would let it go.
Wonwoo didn’t pull back.
The second kiss was more confident, more filled with intent. Mingyu held his face with one hand, pulling him closer, and when their lips parted, Wonwoo felt the tip of the younger’s tongue brush against his.
He shuddered.
His fingers tightened on the shirt Mingyu was wearing.
Mingyu moved against him as if he already knew exactly what to do, as if he’d rehearsed this countless times in his own mind.
Maybe he had.
Wonwoo didn’t want to think about that right now.
He just gave in.
Mingyu’s mouth was warm, and the way he pulled him by the neck, pressing his fingers against his skin, made something inside Wonwoo twist. He didn’t want it to feel this good.
Mingyu didn’t seem inexperienced. He seemed to know the script for this. It shouldn’t be this intense.
They had rules.
Mingyu was always the one who reminded of the rules. But now, he was deepening the kiss as if he wanted to engrave on Wonwoo’s skin that it wasn’t going to stop there.
And Wonwoo let him.
For a few seconds, he forgot this wasn’t part of what they usually did. He forgot he should be worried about what it meant.
He just wanted to feel. Feel Mingyu, feel the warmth of his mouth, the way his body responded to his.
Then Mingyu pulled away. And the expression on his face had nothing to do with the casual promise of “just this time.” He licked his lips as if tasting Wonwoo’s kiss again, and smiled.
“Do you still think your grandma kisses better?” Wonwoo rolled his eyes, pushing Mingyu by the shoulders, but didn’t use much force.
“Shut up.”
Mingyu laughed, flopping onto the bed. He rolled his eyes. Mingyu was a good guy, but sometimes, this happened. He mocked, he looked at Wonwoo’s face, and seemed to mock him.
“You want to do it again, don’t you?”
Wonwoo didn’t answer immediately.
He ran his tongue over his own lips, as if trying to erase the feeling of Mingyu’s. As if trying to pretend that kiss hadn’t been as good as it actually was.
But the younger’s smile only widened.
“You want to.” It was a statement. A blatant challenge.
Wonwoo took a deep breath and looked away, trying to ignore how his body still pulsed, warm, full of that uncomfortable feeling of wanting more.
He shouldn’t want more.
It wasn’t part of the rules.
The sex between them had always been a simple agreement, physical, without any emotional complications. No kisses. No intimacy of this kind.
They were friends. In bed, they were relief.
But now, the kiss existed.
And Wonwoo felt like Mingyu knew exactly what that meant.
“It was just a kiss,” he finally said, trying to sound indifferent. “We literally… do exercises together. A kiss isn’t anything.”
Mingyu tilted his head, his dark eyes dancing between Wonwoo’s features.
“No?”
Wonwoo felt a shiver run up his spine.
He hated when Mingyu did that. When he looked at him like that, as if he could see something inside him that Wonwoo didn’t want to admit. He hated it even more because he knew that if Mingyu tried to kiss him again, he would let him.
Because it was good.
It was fucking good.
The way Mingyu pulled him possessively, the way he slipped his tongue into his mouth, it was warm, it was wet. “We have rules.”
Mingyu smiled.
“You broke the rules first, hyung.”
Wonwoo pressed his lips together, frustrated with himself. He knew he was in deep in this situation, and worse: he knew Mingyu noticed.
The younger had always been good at reading between the lines of what he didn’t say.
“It only happened because I wanted to know what it was like,” he shot back, forcing a casual tone.
Mingyu nodded slowly, as if pretending to believe him. But the gleam in his eyes said otherwise.
“And did you like it?”
Wonwoo didn’t answer.
The silence filled the space between them. Mingyu was still sprawled on the bed, but the way he watched him, as if deciphering every tiny reaction, made Wonwoo want to leave.
Because yes, he liked it.
More than he should have.
Mingyu smiled, slowly sitting up.
“You know what I think?” He leaned forward, his eyes locked with Wonwoo’s. “I think you want me to kiss you again.”
Wonwoo let out a humorless laugh. “What if I do?”
Mingyu didn’t hesitate. “Then I kiss you.”
There was no teasing in his voice. Only certainty.
Wonwoo felt his heart beat faster.
“This doesn’t change anything.”
“Of course not,” Mingyu agreed with a nod, but the way he looked at him said otherwise. “Lie down here.”
Mingyu lay back down. Wonwoo had his own bed, oddly enough, next to Mingyu’s, but often, Mingyu asked him to lie with him.
“It’s hard to lie with you when you’re 6'3 tall.”
“And you’re a six foot tall too, not much shorter.”
“But it’s a lot. So much proportion, I’m big, you’re big, and the bed’s small. It’s hard.”
Mingyu laughed, slapping the mattress beside him.
“Stop complaining and just lie here.”
Wonwoo hesitated for a second but eventually gave in. That was what he did with Mingyu: he gave in.
He settled next to the younger man, feeling the mattress sink under their combined weight. It was warm there, too warm. Or maybe it was just him.
Mingyu turned his face toward him, his eyes still carrying that annoying amusement, that certainty that Wonwoo wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
“You’re overthinking.”
Wonwoo snorted.
“And you talk too much.”
Mingyu smiled.
“You like it.”
Silence settled again. Wonwoo stared at the ceiling, trying to ignore how close Mingyu’s body was to his, how his arm brushed against his with each breath.
“Hyung.”
“Hmm?”
“If I kiss you again, are you going to hit me?” Wonwoo turned his head toward him, meeting that look full of expectation.
He could say yes. He could say that the rules still existed, that it meant nothing. But then he remembered the taste of Mingyu, the way he held him, the shiver that ran through his skin.
And before he could stop himself, he sighed.
“Try it.”
Mingyu didn’t need any more encouragement.
This time, there was no hesitation, no uncertainty. Mingyu leaned in and took his lips as if he already knew Wonwoo wasn’t going to resist.
It was good. It was sweet. It was warm and wet.
And, to Wonwoo’s despair, it was addictive.
Mingyu’s mouth molded against his with ease, as if he already knew exactly what to do to provoke him, to make him surrender without needing words. It was slow this time, more exploratory, as if Mingyu were savoring every corner of his mouth.
Wonwoo didn’t want to deepen the kiss. He didn’t want to slide his tongue against his. He didn’t want to grab him by the hair and pull him even closer.
But he did all of it.
And Mingyu moaned against his mouth, a muffled, satisfied sound.
Wonwoo felt a shiver run down his spine. He could no longer pretend that it didn’t mean anything. Because it did.
The way Mingyu kissed him wasn’t casual. It wasn’t a mistake. It wasn’t just a transgression of the rules.
It was intentional.
When Mingyu finally pulled away, his eyes were dark, his breath slightly erratic. He ran his tongue over his own lips, still looking at Wonwoo, as if trying to hold on to the taste.
And then, he smiled.
A small, satisfied smile.
“You… taste like toothpaste.” He whispered, and Wonwoo was still panting. He still wanted more.
Mingyu’s neck was red, as it often was when they were getting intimate. Wonwoo looked at him for a few more seconds before sighing, letting out a small smile.
“And you don’t look as inexperienced as you said you were.” Wonwoo whispered, touching Mingyu’s neck. He knew what he was doing.
It was ego.
He couldn’t let Mingyu provoke him like this, he couldn’t let him do whatever he wanted.
Mingyu laughed, a low, satisfied sound, and slid his fingers along the line of Wonwoo’s jaw, touching him with a familiarity that shouldn’t exist, not outside of carnal contact.
“I never said I was inexperienced, hyung. I just said I don’t do this with anyone.”
Wonwoo felt a shiver run up his spine. The way Mingyu looked at him, as if he knew exactly what he was doing, as if he had already calculated all his reactions, unsettled him.
He didn’t like feeling predictable.
So, without thinking too much, he slid his fingers down Mingyu’s neck, pressing lightly on the sensitive skin there. He felt the younger man swallow, and a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“Ah… So, am I special?” His voice came out drawn out, slightly provocative.
Mingyu didn’t look away, didn’t pull back.
“You know you are.”
Wonwoo didn’t know what to say. Part of him wanted to laugh, say it was all nonsense, that nothing between them was special. But another part—a part he didn’t want to admit existed—knew Mingyu was serious.
And that was dangerous.
Because, if he accepted it, if he acknowledged that this was more than just a game, the rules he had insisted on keeping would no longer make sense.
He couldn’t let that happen.
So, instead of responding, he leaned in again, this time kissing the younger man’s neck.
It was common for Wonwoo to start with kisses on the neck. It was a ritual, they liked it, Mingyu liked it even more. They were a little different in this regard.
Wonwoo liked kisses behind the ear, whispers, kisses on the shoulder, the warmth of breath on skin, he liked it when the younger man expressed desire in the slowness.
Mingyu liked the action. Mingyu liked wet kisses on the neck, he liked light squeezes on the thigh, tender touches on the neck.
“I thought about approaching you like this this morning, but… I didn’t want to disturb your sleep.” Wonwoo whispered, and it didn’t take long for Mingyu to lean back, giving space for Wonwoo to continue with his wet kisses.
The way Mingyu leaned back, offering his neck without hesitation, made something inside Wonwoo twist.
He felt the younger man’s warm breath against his hair when he lowered his lips down the sensitive curve between his jaw and shoulder, nibbling at the skin before softening it with his tongue.
Mingyu sighed, a low, satisfied sound that reverberated against Wonwoo’s skin.
It was getting out of control.
They never handled teasing for long.
But something daring inside Wonwoo surfaced. He wanted to test the limits. He wanted to see how far Mingyu would let him go before breaking that annoyingly confident composure.
Wonwoo slid one hand across the younger man’s chest, feeling the fast beat of his heart under his fingertips. Mingyu laughed, a hoarse sound, and took Wonwoo’s wrist, holding it without pulling it away.
“Hyung, if you keep going like this…” He left the sentence hanging, but Wonwoo knew what would come next.
If they kept going like this, they both knew what awaited them. But instead of stopping, he pressed his lips against the line of Mingyu’s jaw and whispered:
“What if I don’t want to stop?”
Mingyu let out a sigh between his parted lips.
There was something heavy in the air, dense, hot.
The kind of thing that always hung between them before they completely lost it. But now, there was something different. Maybe it was the fact that they were kissing.
Maybe it was the way Wonwoo didn’t seem to be trying to rationalize anything.
“Did you lock the door?” Mingyu asked, looking him in the eye, but Wonwoo couldn’t help but feel the way his hand moved from his wrist to his waist.
Wonwoo gave a small smile, the kind of smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes but still carried a teasing energy.
He glanced at the door behind them. “No, but… They’re sleeping… Are you going to make too much noise?” Wonwoo whispered, the teasing tone growing in his voice.
Mingyu gave a soft, low laugh, as if Wonwoo’s suggestion was an invitation, not a warning. He tilted his head, watching Wonwoo’s profile with a look that was both lust and amusement.
“Who knows?” Mingyu replied, his voice filled with a silent promise.
He didn’t answer the question directly, but the way his fingers slid back to Wonwoo’s waist, pressing him closer to his body, was all he needed to say.
Mingyu's warmth enveloped him, and the touch of the younger's hands made him momentarily lose track of what was happening around them.
"You like this, don't you?" Mingyu whispered, his lips almost touching Wonwoo's skin as he asked the question, feeling the accelerated pulse beneath the older's skin.
He knew they didn't need any more words, but he still loved to play along with the teasing.
Wonwoo closed his eyes for a moment, absorbing the feeling of closeness, Mingyu's scent mixed with his own, the feel of his warm skin against his.
"I like what you let me do." Was all Wonwoo replied, before pulling him back in, their mouths meeting in a fierce and unrestrained kiss, desire finally overcoming any hesitation.
Sex with Mingyu was good. It was so good. And it was easy.
Mingyu never left Wonwoo room to feel embarrassed.
The first time they were together, he felt a little embarrassed. One second, Wonwoo was watching an interesting video, the next, his roommate and best friend was jerking him off.
And he didn't see anything wrong.
That's what friends are for, right?
Yes. Until Mingyu pulled him onto his lap.
He opened Wonwoo's shirt and massaged his red buttons, helping Wonwoo get rid of his damn late-night excitement.
Something in Wonwoo told him to push Mingyu away, to ask him what he was doing, to tell him once and for all that he wasn't gay or anything like that, but a much stronger part of Wonwoo wanted Mingyu to throw him on the floor and fuck him right away.
And they didn't stop.
At no point did they stop.
It was a consensus.
Wonwoo knew he wanted more, he knew that just small touches weren't enough, he wanted to know what it was like to have Mingyu.
“Do you… Do you think you can help me today with… The exercises…?” Wonwoo said, they looked at each other, Mingyu seemed confused, but he just nodded.
At first, he didn’t know what it was about, because who the hell does physical exercises in their bedroom?
But it was a matter of time before he finally understood what Wonwoo was talking about.
“I’ve never really done this.” Wonwoo whispered, they were lying on the bed, squeezed together while looking at the ceiling. Mingyu let out a sigh.
“I’ve done it with a few girls.” He whispered, Wonwoo looked at him, rolling his eyes as if that was obvious.
“I’ve done it with a few girls too, but that doesn’t mean anything. It’s different. It must be… different.” Wonwoo snorted, closing his eyes for a few seconds. “I just know that I can’t stand using my hand anymore, I feel like a pervert.”
Mingyu laughed softly, a sound that echoed in the silent room. He turned his head to look at Wonwoo.
"You're not a pervert, hyung." Mingyu said, his voice soft, almost a whisper. "It's normal. Well, anything can start a dating rumor these days, we haven't had sex in a while. It's natural for us to...look for relief."
Wonwoo closed his eyes for a moment, he knew the younger was right, but still, there was a part of him that felt guilty, like he was doing something wrong.
But the other part, the part that was tired of repressing so much desire.
"I just...I don't want this to change things between us." Wonwoo confessed, his voice barely audible. He didn't look at Mingyu, but he felt the younger's gaze on him.
Mingyu was silent for a moment, as if he was choosing his words carefully.
"It won't change anything, hyung." He said, his voice full of certainty. "We've been doing this for a while now, and nothing has changed. We're still the same. We're still friends… Raising the bar a little won't change anything."
Wonwoo opened his eyes and looked at Mingyu, trying to find any doubt, any hesitation on the younger man's face.
But there was none.
"Are you sure?" Wonwoo asked, his voice a little stronger now, but still filled with uncertainty.
Mingyu smiled, a small smile. "I'm sure." He said, before leaning forward, his lips finding the corner of Wonwoo's ear in a soft, almost sweet kiss.
Wonwoo let himself go, feeling the heat of Mingyu against him, the softness of his lips, the firmness of his hands.
It was unlike anything he had ever experienced before, and at the same time, it was exactly what he needed.
When Mingyu pulled away, Wonwoo felt a little dizzy, as if the world around him had spun a little faster than usual.
He looked at Mingyu, trying to find the right words, but the younger was already moving, getting up from the bed and wedging himself between Wonwoo's legs.
"Let's do this straight away." Mingyu whispered, his face buried in the older's neck.
Wonwoo hesitated for a moment, but eventually let his hand slide up Mingyu’s back. He felt Mingyu’s hands slide down his legs, slowly moving up to his hips, before stopping at his waist.
“Relax, hyung,” Mingyu whispered, his voice soft, almost hypnotic. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
Wonwoo closed his eyes, feeling Mingyu’s hands explore his body, touching, caressing, teasing.
He’d done this before. It was different when you were giving this kind of treatment to a woman and when you were receiving this kind of treatment from a man.
“I’ll take care of you.” Mingyu’s voice was low, a tone Wonwoo had never heard before. They usually didn’t speak when Mingyu touched him, and Wonwoo felt overwhelmed by his urge to make a sound in response to that.
He felt Mingyu lean over him, his lips slowly finding Wonwoo’s neck. He let himself go, feeling Mingyu’s warmth against him, the softness of his lips, the firmness of his hands.
And then, Mingyu began to move, his lips moving down Wonwoo’s neck, nibbling, sucking, kissing. Wonwoo felt a moan escape his lips, but Mingyu didn’t stop, continuing to explore every inch of his skin.
“Are you enjoying this?” Mingyu asked, his voice husky, full of desire.
Wonwoo couldn't answer, he just nodded, feeling Mingyu's hands slide down his body. He felt Mingyu move even lower, his lips finding his neck, his shoulders, his chest.
And then, Mingyu stopped, his eyes meeting Wonwoo's. "Are you ready?"
Wonwoo looked at Mingyu, trying to find the right words, but in the end, he just nodded, feeling his heart beat faster by the second.
Mingyu smiled, a small smile, but full of meaning, before leaning forward, his lips meeting Wonwoo's in a deep kiss.
And so, they continued, little by little.
★
“Dude, were you guys asleep earlier?” Hoshi asked, and Mingyu froze.
It felt like they had discovered he had committed a crime. He moved slowly to grab a kitchen utensil, muttering a noise that confirmed yes, they had been asleep.
Which was a lie.
“I woke up and kept hearing this weird noise. Are they starting some construction nearby?” the older one asked, confused, as he brought his chopsticks to his mouth.
Mingyu felt his hand slip on the handle of the knife he was holding. He laughed, too quickly, and tried to cover it up by straightening his posture. “Ah… construction? I don’t know, I don’t think so.”
Hoshi furrowed his brow. “Really?” He let out a rhythmic laugh. “It sounded like it was coming from your room. I thought you were moving the bed around, but Chan said there was construction.”
Mingyu’s blood ran cold. He didn’t need to look to know that Wonwoo, sitting beside him, had also tensed up.
“Maybe it was the upstairs neighbor,” Wonwoo interjected, too casual to be convincing. “He’s always dragging furniture around. It drives me crazy.”
Hoshi chewed slowly, watching the two of them.
“Yeah… Well, it was a really repetitive noise, you know? Like something hitting the wall, or… I don’t know.” He looked around, letting out a laugh. “You know how it is when you’re… when you’re in your room and then it starts… thud-thud-thud… I thought I was going crazy.”
Mingyu choked on his own saliva.
He coughed, hitting his chest, trying to mask the desperation rising like fire in his throat. Wonwoo, beside him, kept his expression neutral, but Mingyu knew he was just as screwed as he was.
Hoshi looked at the two of them, his chopsticks still halfway to his mouth. “You guys okay?”
“Great,” Wonwoo replied before Mingyu could open his mouth and incriminate himself further. “I think Mingyu’s just tired, right, Min?”
Wonwoo asked, but the question felt more like an accusation, a threat. “Yeah. I… need more sleep,” Mingyu whispered.
“Ah, I see…” Hoshi nodded, but his expression made it clear that no, he didn’t see at all.
Mingyu desperately tried to think of something to change the subject, but his mind was too busy replaying flashes from the night before. Wonwoo’s hands pulling at the sheets. The sound of his breath in the dark.
The way every movement made the headboard hit the wall…
And hit.
And hit.
He felt his face burn.
Hoshi kept watching them, his eyes slightly narrowed, as if he were piecing together an invisible puzzle.
“Well,” he said finally, pointing his chopsticks at them, “if you find out there really is construction, let me know, because that noise was crazy loud. You know how Jeonghan is about noise. If it happens while he’s here, he might kill someone.”
Mingyu laughed, humorlessly. “Sure. Will do.”
Wonwoo just went back to eating, as if nothing had happened. But under the table, Mingyu felt Wonwoo’s leg brush against his—a subtle gesture, almost like a warning.
They needed to be more careful.
“Hyung…” They saw Chan come out of the room, his hand inside his shirt, rubbing his stomach as he walked to the kitchen. “Why are you guys eating at the counter?”
“Mingyu was cooking, so Wonwoo and I came to keep him company,” Hoshi said. Chan leaned on the older one’s back, sighing. “Still tired?”
“Totally. The construction ruined my sleep. I was in my room watching TikTok.” Mingyu almost dropped the knife.
Chan had been awake.
If Hoshi only had suspicions, Chan might have heard everything.
The silence that followed was brief.
Wonwoo took a sip of water, his eyes half-closed as if analyzing the situation. Mingyu wanted to punch him for looking so calm when, in reality, they were on the verge of collapse.
Wonwoo wiped his lips with a napkin, his tone casual. “So, that’s it. Just another noisy day.”
“I just hope it’s really construction and they’re not just fucking,” Chan muttered, grabbing a piece of food from Hoshi’s plate with his fingers. “I want to sleep in peace.”
Hoshi hit the younger one’s shoulder, laughing. “Don’t say stuff like that in front of your hyungs!”
Mingyu felt his heart stop for a full second.
Chan kept chewing, oblivious to the tension that had settled in the air. Hoshi laughed, distracted, but Mingyu knew Wonwoo had gone still beside him.
He felt his soul leave his body, ready to dissolve into the air and disappear from the face of the Earth.
“What are you laughing at?” Chan asked, frowning at Hoshi, who was still laughing at the comment.
“You’ve got no shame,” Hoshi said, shaking his head. “You stay up late watching TikTok, then complain you’re tired because of the noise. I bet you didn’t even hear anything properly.”
Chan huffed. “I did hear it! You heard it too!”
Hoshi raised his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, I heard it. But seriously, it’s probably just some idiot neighbor renovating their place. You’re all perverts.”
Mingyu swallowed hard, feeling the word “perverts” echo like a sharp blade.
Wonwoo stayed calm, as always, but Mingyu knew he was also on the verge of exploding. The tension between them, the pressure of keeping up the facade while everything around them threatened to fall apart, was unbearable.
“It’s just a noisy neighbor, I bet,” Wonwoo replied, his tone so casual that Mingyu almost believed it. “Nothing big, just another one of those normal days.”
The silence that followed was uncomfortable, heavy. Hoshi looked at the two of them, watching them for a moment longer than usual. As if he were trying to decipher some invisible puzzle.
“Well, if you say so…” Hoshi said finally, backing off a little. “Complain if it gets too loud. I want everyone sleeping well so you can perform better.”
Mingyu nodded quickly, trying to keep his composure. “Sure, will do.”
“I’m heading to the room. Let me know when the other guys get here,” Wonwoo said, standing up. He patted Hoshi’s back and kissed the top of Chan’s head. Then he looked at Mingyu: “When you come to the room, leave the light off.”
Mingyu swallowed hard, feeling the pressure in his chest grow with Wonwoo’s words.
The look he exchanged with the older one said things the other two wouldn’t understand even if they tried. It was a disguised order, a request.
He just nodded, his muscles tense, trying to stay calm. “Sure.”
Wonwoo gave him one last look before turning to head to the room.
Hoshi and Chan continued their casual conversation, oblivious to the tension between Mingyu and Wonwoo, but Mingyu couldn’t focus on their words anymore.
His mind was elsewhere, lost in thoughts about what might happen if everything fell apart. He felt the urgency to get away, to escape the situation, but at the same time, he knew he couldn’t.
“You okay?” Chan asked suddenly, interrupting the whirlwind of Mingyu’s thoughts. The younger one seemed genuinely curious, but Mingyu didn’t want him getting any closer. Not now.
“Yeah,” he replied, trying to smile, but the effort felt forced, even to himself. “Just… a little tired, you know?”
“I get it,” Chan said, patting Mingyu’s back as if he understood. “Me too. This construction keeps messing with us.”
Hoshi shrugged, agreeing. “Nothing more annoying than noise like that.”
He looked at the two of them, and what Mingyu feared most now was that Hoshi and Chan would start connecting the dots. That they’d start realizing it wasn’t a noisy neighbor. It wasn’t just some construction.
It was something much more intimate. Something that, if discovered, would change everything.
★
Mingyu entered the room after a few minutes.
He sighed, catching Wonwoo's attention.
"Hey? You okay?" Wonwoo asked, watching Mingyu lean against the door. Mingyu closed his eyes, and Wonwoo stood up. "Mingyu?"
"They're going to find out," Mingyu said. On one hand, it was kind of funny to see Mingyu panicking. On the other hand, it was terrifying to see Mingyu panicking. "They're figuring it out. We need to stop."
"What? Hey, hey, hey. Hold on," Wonwoo whispered, a smile tugging at his lips. It was amazing how Mingyu could be both confident and scared in equal measure.
Mingyu didn’t seem to notice Wonwoo’s smile.
He was lost in his own thoughts, his fingers nervously gripping the edges of his shirt, his breathing faster than usual. The restlessness was visible in every line of his face.
"It's not just paranoia," Mingyu said, his voice shaky. "Hoshi… Chan… They're starting to notice. The questions, the looks..."
Wonwoo took a step forward, trying to calm the younger one. He cupped Mingyu’s face, pulling him closer. "Calm down, okay? You're just anxious. They spooked you, but it's fine."
Wonwoo whispered, his tone concerned, though he couldn’t help but find it endearing. Mingyu was soothed like an anxious puppy—give him comforting words and a gentle touch, and he’d automatically calm down.
"It's fine. They don’t know anything," Wonwoo said, moving his hand down to Mingyu’s chest. His heart was racing so fast that Wonwoo could feel its shape under his palm. "Look at this, you're having a mini heart attack."
Mingyu closed his eyes, feeling Wonwoo’s palm against his chest. He let out a low laugh. "I think I’m just paranoid."
Mingyu looked at him with those big, round eyes, and Wonwoo sighed—but not for the reason Mingyu thought.
Wonwoo sighed because he knew exactly what those eyes did to him. It was almost irritating how Mingyu could be so vulnerable and yet so exasperatingly charming at the same time.
"Yeah, you're paranoid," Wonwoo replied, not removing his hand from Mingyu’s chest. "But, on the other hand, it’s kind of cute seeing you freak out like this."
Mingyu rolled his eyes, but his face was still warm, as if the earlier panic had left physical marks on him. "It’s not cute. It’s desperate. I almost died in the kitchen."
Wonwoo chuckled softly, his thumb absentmindedly drawing circles on Mingyu’s chest before finally lowering his hand. "If anyone had to die of embarrassment today, it would’ve been me. But I survived, you survived. So technically, we’re fine."
Mingyu huffed, crossing his arms. "Do you really think Hoshi and Chan don’t suspect anything?"
Wonwoo shrugged, tilting his head. "I think they might suspect something, but at the end of the day, no one really wants to know the details. And if they start asking too much, we just… steer the conversation away."
Mingyu didn’t seem entirely convinced, but Wonwoo’s logic made sense. He’d known him long enough to know that Wonwoo was good at this—keeping things under control, saying the right words to dispel doubts.
That’s why he trusted him.
That’s why he knew that, despite everything, they were still safe.
"You’re amazing," Mingyu whispered, hugging Wonwoo. He kissed Wonwoo’s shoulder, smiling against his skin. "Sorry about last night. I got us into this mess."
Wonwoo looked at him, not expecting that.
An apology?
"Why exactly are you apologizing?" he asked, hesitant.
"I couldn’t control myself. I always stay quiet, and it drives me crazier than you think…" Mingyu said, pulling away and sitting on the bed while squeezing his own palm.
Wonwoo watched Mingyu closely.
He’d seen the younger one nervous before, but this was different. There was something deeper here, a quiet frustration. "So… you’re blaming yourself for feeling good?" Wonwoo asked.
Mingyu pressed his lips together, avoiding eye contact. "It’s not just that." He ran his hands through his hair, messing it up. "It’s how I get when these things happen. I always promise myself I’ll stay in control, but when it happens… I lose myself."
Wonwoo felt something tighten in his chest.
Mingyu lost himself.
And Wonwoo found him.
Always.
He moved closer, gently pushing Mingyu’s hands aside and taking a seat on his lap—a spot that felt like it belonged to him. "You don’t have to control yourself so much," Wonwoo said, settling into Mingyu’s lap. "I wouldn’t take back a single moment from last night."
Mingyu looked at him, a pout slowly forming on his lips.
"I loved when the construction started," Wonwoo said, a smile slowly spreading across his lips. Mingyu huffed, but his smile grew too.
"Don’t joke about that," Wonwoo chuckled softly, leaning a little closer, as if to provoke Mingyu even more.
Mingyu sighed, lightly squeezing Wonwoo’s waist, as if to stop him from saying anything else provocative. But it was useless.
"Why not? It was the most intense moment of the night."
Mingyu rolled his eyes, but his hands didn’t move. They stayed firm, holding Wonwoo in place, as if he belonged exactly there—and maybe he did.
"You’re impossible…" Mingyu murmured, trying to sound annoyed but failing miserably.
Wonwoo smiled, leaning in even closer, his lips almost brushing against Mingyu’s cheek.
"I like it when you get aggressive."
Mingyu froze.
He opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out. His face turned red, and he looked away, pretending to focus on anything else.
Wonwoo chuckled softly.
He loved this. Loved how Mingyu was so transparent without even realizing it.