Chapter Text
The science would have been incomprehensible to San even if he hadn’t been hungover. They’d been lead around the institute for what felt like an eternity, past white walls and glass doors identical on every floor. Their guide, a cheerful young woman in a pantsuit, had been talking the whole time. Dragging his feet at the back of the group, San could tune her out and focus on staying awake.
Jongho showed him no mercy, snickering every time he yawned.
“Is this ever going to end?” San muttered under his breath. He regretted even showing up. It had been warm under the covers and the girl he’d spent the night with would probably have made him breakfast, but his ringtone had been loud and Jongho’s voice jarring when he reminded San of the excursion. San hadn’t even had the time to grab a coffee on the way.
“I don’t know, I haven’t been paying attention. I think we’re almost done.”
They were in a hallway with no windows. The bright fluorescent lights in the ceiling irritated San’s eyes. Overall, the sharp, disinfected vibe of the institute made San feel uncomfortable. All the employees they’d seen were dressed in either white lab coats or sharp suits, a sharp contrast to the now-wrinkled shirt San had put on yesterday and his heavy boots that could use a cleaning.
They stopped in front of a locked door, and the guide’s voice carried over the whole group of college students as they gathered around her. “Make sure not to touch anything once we go through into the lab. People will be working so keep your voices down.” She punched in a code to open the door and lead the way through.
“Any hope they’re making coffee in this lab?” San muttered, glancing around the long, white room before looking back down at his feet. Researchers walked between the steel tables and the large machines, not paying any attention to the group of college students gawking at them.
“Hyung, stop whining. We’ll be out of here in half an hour.”
San would have punched Jongho on the shoulder, but they’d been told to behave. “How are you so cheerful, anyway? I’m pretty sure you drank more than I did.”
“Yeah, well”, Jongho said with a smug grin. “I didn’t leave for a private afterparty from the club. And I stole Mingi’s Red Bull from the fridge.”
“Poor Mingi.”
“Speaking of roommates, isn’t that yours?” Jongho pointed at Yunho, dressed in a white lab coat and overseeing a whirring machine in the corner. “Let’s go say hi.”
San followed Jongho away from the guide and their group, none of whom paid them any attention, focused on a large monitor. If he had been alone, he would have stayed with the group. He had shared an apartment with Yunho since the beginning of the semester, for a month or so already, but they had never hung out outside of their shared living room despite Yunho’s efforts.
“Hi”, Yunho said pleasantly. “What are you doing here?”
“Getting easy credits and checking out future career possibilities. I’m Jongho. I don’t know if you remember me but we shared a couple of chemistry courses last year.”
“I remember.” Yunho’s eyes shifted from Jongho’s wide smile to San. “You must have come back late last night.”
“I didn’t”, San replied and looked down at the whirring machine. Yunho seemed nice: he labeled his food in their fridge and kept his shouting down when he played on the computer after midnight. If San had been looking for friends, he might have given Yunho a chance. “What’s this?”
“A centrifuge. It separates particles by density by—”
“What are you doing here anyway? Do you work here?”
Yunho didn’t seem to mind being interrupted. “Paid internship. I started last summer. Hopefully, I’ll get an actual job here once I graduate.”
“That’s cool. You’re a biochem major, right?” Jongho asked. Yunho nodded just as the machine beeped. “What do they do here?”
“I thought you’re here with a guide.”
“We are”, Jongho replied with a grin. “We just haven’t been paying attention.”
Yunho chuckled, focused on picking out the tubes from the centrifuge and placing them into a rack. The liquid inside was colorless, muddier at the bottom and clear at the top. “We research protein molecules, for the most part.”
“So like for protein shakes?” San asked.
“More like trying to genetically engineer new proteins for medical solutions.”
“You’re trying to cure Alzheimer’s or something?”
Yunho shrugged and picked up the rack. “I don’t know the details; I’m just an intern. But I could show you the stuff we’ve got in the other lab while I take these to the fridge. If you can get away from your tour.”
San glanced back at the group. They’d moved further into the room and were taking turns looking through a microscope. The guide was occupied making sure they didn’t touch anything, eyes firmly on the microscope.
“Let’s go.”
Yunho flashed the keycard he had hanging around his neck against a screen next to a door to the side and pushed the door open with his shoulder, careful to not drop the test tube rack. The room they entered was much like the one they’d left, though there were no researchers pretending to work for the benefit of visiting college students. The back wall was lined with tall fridges and freezers with glass doors, filled with rows upon rows of test tubes and vials.
“Why didn’t they show us this?” Jongho said, hurried up to the glass doors and pressed his nose against one of them. “This is so cool. One of these and I would have my final research paper practically done.”
San didn’t get it. Jongho was a chemistry major, mostly because he’d been fascinated with blowing things up in high school. The charts and labels on the tubes probably meant something to him; to San, it might as well have been alien code.
“If you started trying to deconstruct the solution now you might get it done by the time you’re supposed to graduate.” Yunho pushed the tray inside one of the fridges. “Depends on how quickly you write, I guess.”
“With Mingi’s Red Bulls, I’d write the damned thing in a week”, Jongho said. “Shit, maybe I should’ve been paying attention today.”
San snorted and pulled open one of the doors. The vials in the fridge were filled with a blue liquid. San picked one up, turned it around to read the label, and put it back when he couldn’t make sense of it, reaching for another instead.
“You shouldn’t touch, San-ah”, Yunho said, “This is all confidential. Just letting you inside could get me in trouble.”
Jongho laughed. “Who knew you were a badass?”
“I didn’t”, San said, then waited for Yunho to turn his back before dropping the vial into his pocket. Jongho liked to pretend that he was a rebel, but in reality, he was mostly bark with very little bite. He’d never steal the vial himself even if it could help him graduate with honors. Besides, the institute had hundreds of vials and test tubes. They probably wouldn’t even notice if one went missing.
“I’ve got my moments”, Yunho said, “but seriously, let’s go before anyone finds us. The others can’t have made it far.”
“Or you could just show us to the cafeteria”, San said as he fell into step with Yunho. “I’d kill for a coffee.”
“Just say you got lost or something if anyone asks”, Yunho said and headed to another door. With a swipe of his key card, he let them through into a hallway and took them to a lobby with elevators. He pressed the call button. “The cafeteria’s on the second floor.”
“Okay”, Jongho said with, “thanks for the tour, hyung. Hyung’s okay, right?”
“Sure. No problem, Jongho-yah.” The elevator arrived with a bright ding. “San-ah, I’m inviting some friends over today. It’s Friday and all so we thought we’d drink and play cards or something.”
“Alright.” San stepped inside the elevator, but Yunho held it open.
“You can join us if you want. I don’t think we’ll be able to keep quiet, honestly. You could even invite some of your friends?”
Before San could say anything, Jongho spoke up. “I’d love a party! I’ll be there.”
“I guess I’ll see you both tonight.” With one last smile, Yunho stepped back and let the doors close. The elevator had barely jerked downwards when Jongho punched San on the arm.
“You lying ass. You told us Yunho is lame.”
“He’s a biochem major”, San protested and rubbed his arm, “of course he’s lame.”
“Hyung, you’re a business major. That’s not any cooler.”
“It objectively is.”
“Is not.”
“Stop arguing with me, it’s making my headache worse”, San groaned, but he couldn’t quite hide his smile.
“We’ll fix that with another party tonight. I’ll get Mingi to come too. He’ll probably forgive me for the Red Bull if I buy him a beer. I wonder who Yunho’s friends are?”
“I hope they aren’t all nerds like you two”, San teased. They got off the elevator and walked through another lobby to the cafeteria. The windows let in the grey light of the rainy day. People were spread out around the tables, low-voiced discussions and the clatter of cutlery steady underneath the high ceiling.
“Nothing wrong with being a nerd”, Jongho shot back. “You could use more nerds in your life. Or just friends, generally. Mingi and I can only get you so far.”
“I’ve made it so far despite you two hanging on”, San said and pushed his hands into his pockets as they stopped at the end of the line. His fingers wrapped around the vial. “Actually, I need to use the bathroom. Get me a black coffee.”
In the bathroom, San locked himself inside a stall and pulled the vial out. The liquid was bright blue, clear even in the dim light of the bathroom. For the first time, San was grateful he’d arrived in the same outfit he had worn to the club last night. His flask was still in his breast pocket, empty but smelling of whiskey. He twisted the cap off the vial and poured the liquid into the flask, then dropped the vial into a trashcan and hid the flask back in his breast pocket.
Jongho would owe him for the rest of his life for this.
After a two-hour nap, San felt alive again. He was actually looking forward to spending the night with Jongho and Mingi and whoever Yunho’s friends were. Maybe one of them was cute enough to stay the night. San made his bed just in case.
After seven, he began hearing people arrive. He’d been playing with Mingi until the other had logged off to head over, and now he was simply scrolling through the latest posts on Twitter, refreshing the page while he waited for his friends to show up before he joined the strangers chatting in their shared living room.
It wasn’t that he disliked people or couldn’t get along with them if he wanted. He just didn’t care to get to know them too well. A party was perfect; a long conversation over drinks not so much. So he waited until Jongho texted him to let him know they were downstairs before he left his room.
Their apartment had two bedrooms, a shared living room with a kitchenette, and a bathroom. Yunho was over by the kitchenette emptying chips into bowls he’d dug out from the top cabinet. There were two boys sitting on the couch, one with a mullet dressed in an outrageous shirt with bell sleeves and a pattern that looked hand-painted, the other with jet black hair slicked back and his shirt buttoned up all the way.
“Hi”, San said and walked to the fridge. The top shelf was full of beer and vodka coolers. San grabbed a bottle and turned around, leaned back against the counter to face their guests.
“San-ah, hi.” Yunho put the bowls onto the table in front of the couch and wiped his palms on his jeans. “Hongjoong-hyung, Seonghwa-hyung, this is my roommate.”
“Nice to finally meet you, San-ssi”, Hongjoong, the one with the bell sleeves, said. He had a sharp smile and small braids in his hair. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around campus before.”
“He’s studying business, third year”, Yunho said, sat down on the floor and folded his legs underneath himself, then looked up at San. “The hyungs are seniors.”
Hongjoong laughed. “That explains it then. Opposite sides of campus.” San raised his eyebrow in question. “The performing arts building isn’t anywhere near your fancy one.”
“You’re a theater major?”
A loud knock on the door paused the stilted conversation. San pushed himself off the counter and went to open the door, only to be pushed aside by Jongho and Mingi. They sounded like they’d already gotten started on the drinking on the way over, steps loud and voices louder.
“Hi, everybody!” Mingi greeted with a toothy smile and walked right up to the kitchen counter. He dropped the plastic bag he had been carrying onto it before introducing himself to everyone. Jongho followed behind him, laughed excitedly when he recognized Hongjoong, and immediately sat down next to him.
“Hyung, San-hyung! I went with Hongjoong-hyung to acting camp a couple of years ago! You didn’t tell me you knew him!”
San ignored Jongho’s question because Jongho had already turned back to his conversation with Hongjoong. Before he could push the door shut, someone leaned against it from the outside to stop him. The boy on the other side looked vaguely familiar.
“Hi.”
“You’re Yunho’s roommate?” he asked, then frowned. “Didn’t we share an accounting course last year?”
“We did. Choi San.”
“Kang Yeosang. Are you going to let me in?”
“Yeah, sure—”
“Yeosang-ah! Wait!” A boy was running toward them, and he didn’t lower his voice even after he skidded to a stop next to Yeosang. “You’ll not believe—oh, hi.”
The boy was cute. His eyes were wide as he stared at San, whose gaze flickered down to the oversized Chanel cardigan the boy had tucked into his too-tight jeans. San looked back up and leaned against the doorframe, smile on his lips. Yunho should invite his friends over more often if they looked like this.
“Hi. Who are you?”
“Jung Wooyoung.”
“I’m San.”
“I know.”
San raised his eyebrows. “You do?”
“Yeah, I’ve—”, the boy blushed, “I’ve seen you around. On campus.”
“You have?”
“Yeah. We are in the same year.”
“C’mon San”, Yunho put his hand on San’s shoulder, “let them in. Did you bring the coke, Yeosang-ah?”
“Yeah, I did.” Yeosang stepped past San, who backed back into the apartment. He caught Wooyoung’s eyes, but Wooyoung looked away to pull off his ankle boots and put them neatly next to Mingi’s sneakers. After hugging everyone in the room, Wooyoung sat down on the floor. San grabbed his beer and settled on the floor next to him.
“So how do you know Yunho?” San asked. Mingi was loudly arguing with Jongho about the right ratio of coke to whiskey, so San didn’t have to worry about anyone overhearing. Besides, he was just being friendly.
“We went to all the same freshman parties our first year”, Wooyoung said. Yeosang handed him a vodka cooler on his way to the couch, and San couldn’t resist staring when his lips wrapped around the bottle. He could easily imagine them wrapped around something else.
“I used to go to those too”, San said, “but I’ve never seen you around. I know I would remember if I had.”
“Oh?” Wooyoung smiled, a light blush on his cheeks. He shifted, his knee coming to rest on San’s thigh. San hid his smirk by taking a sip of his beer.
Yunho dropped a pack of cards on the table and called for a game that would get them acquainted and drunk. Someone had given Mingi the AUX-cord to the old stereo they had shoved into the corner of the living room, and he put on music too loud for a highrise apartment that nobody bothered to turn down.
They played two rounds and the whole time Wooyoung’s knee stayed pressed against San’s thigh. With a few beers and a couple of shots in him, San felt brave enough to put his hand on the floor behind Wooyoung and put his weight on it, leaning against Wooyoung’s shoulder as he did. Wooyoung didn’t move away, simply glanced at San with a smirk.
They switched to another game, louder and with more drinking, and then Wooyoung stood up to put on music that was better suited for dancing. He dragged Yunho and Seonghwa, whose laughs had become louder the drunker he got, with him to the space between the couch and the door to dance.
San leaned back on his hands, content to watch for now. Wooyoung was laughing, hips swaying to the music as he threw his head back. Jongho sat down next to San, cheeks flushed and grinning.
“So you like the blonde?”
“Is it that obvious?” San sipped his beer.
“It always is.”
“Alright, then”, San said and put the empty bottle on the table and got to his feet. The song playing was a club staple, its lyrics suggestive and bass deep. When San passed the couch, Mingi grabbed him by the arm.
“Do you have anything stronger anywhere? We’re out of vodka.”
“I think there’s some in my room”, San said and continued to Wooyoung. Wooyoung was facing Yunho, didn’t notice San until San put his hands on his hips. “Mind if I join?”
Wooyoung tipped his head back onto San’s shoulder and moved closer. “Not at all.”
They danced through several songs, never letting go or putting an inch between them. San’s grip on Wooyoung’s hips got stronger, more confident as Wooyoung pressed his ass against San’s crotch, and Wooyoung trailed his fingers down San’s neck. It wasn’t until Jongho put on a song that required everyone to sing along that they stopped moving. Wooyoung turned around, sweat glistening on his neck and a satisfied grin on his lips.
“I think I should get something to drink. Thanks for the dance.”
“The pleasure was all mine”, San murmured, reluctant to let go. “Maybe we can continue later.”
Mingi threw his arm over San’s shoulders, bellowing along to the song. The movement threw San off balance, and his hands slipped off Wooyoung’s hips. With the chorus over, Mingi stopped singing and said, “Things are getting too steamy here for a semi-public setting. Have a drink and save this for the bedroom.”
“Thanks”, Wooyoung replied and picked the flask Mingi was waving around from his hands. San was distracted by his throat when he tipped his head back to drink, mind busy imagining his lips leaving wet marks over it. Wooyoung caught San’s stare and licked his lips as he handed the flask back to Mingi.
“Here”, Mingi said and pushed the flask against San’s chest. San took it out of his hand before he could drop it. The flask was nearly empty, and he was forced to tilt his head back to get what was left on the bottom and to his surprise, the drink didn’t make his throat burn.
“What is this?” he asked and licked his lips. “It’s good.” He was about to hand the flask back to Mingi when he realized it was his flask. And that he had poured whatever secret protein shakes the institute Yunho worked at into it. And now down his throat.
“I don’t know”, Mingi said with a grin, “but it tastes great. Maybe it’s homebrewed. I thought it was yours?”
“Yeah”, San said and tried to stay calm. It was probably nothing. It hadn’t been anything dangerous. Right? He’d have to check with Yunho. On the other side of the room, Yunho was clutching the backrest trying not to fall off the couch from the force of his laughter.
“Did everyone drink from this?” San asked, then shoved his elbow into Mingi’s side to get his attention and asked again. Mingi shrugged. “Fuck.”
“Why? There wasn’t much in it anyway. Just get a beer from the fridge.”
“No, no, it’s cool. I don’t think I’ll drink anymore tonight anyway. I don’t want another hangover day tomorrow.”
Mingi laughed and stumbled over his feet when he let go of San. “Too late for that, I think.”
Wooyoung laughed and glanced at San before excusing himself to the bathroom. San shook his head and decided to hide the flask for now. He’d have to ask Yunho about the liquid, try to figure out if it was dangerous without revealing that he’d stolen a vial of it and that they’d all emptied it. Hopefully, no one would ever have to know.