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Chapter 1 - The Grand Plan
The thing about having two best friends who are dating each other is that they think they know everything about love.
Yeonjun learns this the hard way on a Tuesday morning, sitting across from Choi Beomgyu and Choi Soobin at their usual café. They’re sharing a giant croissant, alternating bites like some disgustingly functional couple, while Yeonjun sulks into his americano.
“I’m telling you.” Beomgyu says, wiping sugar from the corner of Soobin’s mouth with his thumb. “You’re thinking too small.”
“I’m thinking realistic.” Yeonjun mutters.
“Realistic doesn’t get you a boyfriend.” Soobin says, dead serious. He leans forward, forearms on the table. “You need to go big. So big he can’t ignore you.”
Yeonjun raises an eyebrow. “Define big.”
Soobin glances at Beomgyu, and Beomgyu grins like the devil himself. “Public. Dramatic. K-drama worthy.”
Yeonjun takes a long sip of his americano to buy time. His crush on Taehyun is not exactly a secret, at least not to these two. He’s been hopelessly smitten since the first time he saw him at the campus gym, hair damp, tank top clinging to muscles Yeonjun still dreams about at night. The problem is that Kang Taehyun is impossible. Too cool. Too calm. Too… everything.
And then there’s Huening Kai, Taehyun’s best friend, who looks at Yeonjun like he’s plotting his assassination.
“I can’t just-”
“You can.” Beomgyu cuts in. “And you will. Lunchtime, the quad. You, a bouquet of flowers, and a mic.”
“A mic?”
Soobin nods solemnly. “Projection is key. You need the crowd. The crowd makes it romantic.”
Yeonjun blinks. “Or humiliating.”
“That too.” Beomgyu says cheerfully.
Yeonjun looks between them, these two chaos agents who somehow have a functioning relationship, and wonders if this is what trust issues are made of.
“Fine.” He says finally, because he’s weak and stupid and maybe a little desperate. “But if this goes badly-”
“It won’t.” Soobin says.
“It will.” Beomgyu says at the same time.
An hour later, Yeonjun is being dragged through a flower shop by Beomgyu, who’s holding up bouquets like he’s auditioning them for a drama role.
“This one says ‘I adore you’ and ‘I’m rich.’” Beomgyu says, shoving a massive arrangement of roses at him.
“That’s not my budget.” Yeonjun says, staring at the price tag.
Soobin picks up a smaller bouquet of sunflowers. “This one says ‘I like you’ but also ‘I might have a farm.’”
Yeonjun takes the sunflowers.
Beomgyu groans. “You’re no fun.”
They add a glittery ribbon - Beomgyu’s idea - and head out, only for Soobin to announce they also need to “source a mic.” Which is how Yeonjun ends up in Soobin’s cousin’s garage, holding a dented karaoke microphone and wondering if this is the moment his life starts spiraling.
By the time he’s back home, bouquet in hand, mic in his bag, Yeonjun’s heart is doing gymnastics. He tries to practice what he’ll say in front of the mirror - something smooth, charming, devastatingly romantic - but it always devolves into him grinning like an idiot and muttering “since the moment I saw you…” before he starts imagining Taehyun’s expression and loses all coherence.
Lunchtime.
The quad is packed. Sunlight glints off the fountain, the air buzzing with chatter and the smell of street food from a vendor on the corner. Yeonjun stands just out of sight, Beomgyu at his side like an unhinged stage mom, Soobin crouched over the mic setup like he’s about to DJ at a wedding.
“There he is.” Beomgyu hisses, pointing.
Yeonjun follows his gaze. Taehyun is across the quad, standing with Huening Kai. He’s in a plain white tee and jeans, hair perfectly in place despite the breeze. He looks… unfair.
Yeonjun’s stomach drops. His palms sweat.
“Go.” Beomgyu urges. “Before he leaves.”
Yeonjun steps out into the open, bouquet clutched in a death grip. Conversations quiet. Heads turn. Someone starts filming - of course they do.
He lifts the mic. “Kang Taehyun,” he begins, voice steady-
SCREEEEEEEEEECH.
The mic feedback makes everyone wince. Yeonjun flinches, but powers through. “Since the moment I-”
His voice cracks.
There’s a beat of silence, then Beomgyu yells “ PROJECT!” from the sidelines.
Someone drops a lunch tray nearby with a loud clatter. Huening Kai is glaring so hard Yeonjun thinks he might combust.
But Taehyun… Taehyun’s head tilts, eyes fixed on him, unreadable as ever.
Yeonjun’s heart is beating so loud he barely hears himself say, “-I saw you, I knew you were-”
He never gets to finish.
Taehyun is suddenly there, crossing the space between them in a few unhurried steps. Yeonjun freezes, bouquet still in hand.
“…Are you okay?” Taehyun asks, voice low. “You look like you’re about to pass out.”
Yeonjun blinks. “I-uh-”
Beomgyu shouts “ NAILED IT!” from somewhere behind him.
Taehyun glances over his shoulder at Kai. “Let’s go before he bursts into flames.”
They walk off, and Yeonjun swears - swears - he sees the corner of Taehyun’s mouth twitch.
Beomgyu is at his side instantly. “Okay. Step one complete. Tomorrow, step two.”
Soobin pats his back solemnly. “We’re going to make history, Jun.”
Yeonjun stares after Taehyun, bouquet still clutched in sweaty hands, and wonders if maybe history is going to kill him first.
Chapter 2: The Bento Box Disaster
Yeonjun wakes up the next morning to 27 unread messages in the group chat labeled "Operation Woo Taehyun" .
Yeonjun groans into his pillow.
By 10 a.m., he’s in Beomgyu’s kitchen, wearing the aforementioned “kiss the chef” apron. Soobin is leaning against the counter sipping coffee like a disapproving husband, while Beomgyu flips through a recipe book with far too much confidence for someone who once set instant noodles on fire.
“Alright.” Beomgyu says, slapping the counter. “We’re making him fall in love . Which means… heart-shaped omelette rice, flower-cut carrots, tamagoyaki-”
“That’s a lot.” Yeonjun says.
“It’s called effort.” Soobin says, deadpan. “Maybe try it sometime in your love life.”
Yeonjun narrows his eyes. “You’re lucky you’re slightly taller than me.”
The next hour is…chaos. Beomgyu keeps “taste-testing” the ingredients. Soobin critiques Yeonjun’s carrot flowers like he’s a MasterChef judge. Yeonjun nearly burns the omelette rice, and Beomgyu tries to “fix it” by adding more ketchup until it looks like a crime scene.
Somehow, by the time they’re done, the bento box actually looks cute. There’s a little divider for fruit, a compartment for the omelette rice with a ketchup heart, and a small note tucked inside that says “Don’t work too hard today :)” in Yeonjun’s neat handwriting.
Beomgyu wipes an imaginary tear. “Our boy’s growing up.”
Soobin smirks. “Now all you have to do is not make it weird.”
The plan is simple: Yeonjun will “casually” run into Taehyun outside the music building around lunchtime, present the bento like it’s no big deal, and then walk away before Taehyun can say no.
The reality?
Huening Kai is there.
Of course he is.
He’s leaning against the wall next to Taehyun, scrolling his phone, and the moment he sees Yeonjun approaching, his eyes narrow like he’s just spotted a threat to national security.
Taehyun looks up from his own phone. “Hey.”
Yeonjun freezes for a half-second before thrusting the bento forward like an offering. “This is for you.”
Taehyun blinks. “…What?”
“It’s lunch,” Yeonjun says, trying for casual but probably landing somewhere in the vicinity of unhinged. “You know. Food. For eating.”
Kai leans over, peering at the box suspiciously. “What’s in it?”
Yeonjun glares. “Food.”
Kai takes the box before Taehyun can react, opens it, and inspects every compartment like he’s defusing a bomb. “Looks edible.” He says finally, then adds under his breath. “Shockingly.”
Yeonjun’s eye twitches.
Taehyun takes the box back, glances inside, and then at Yeonjun. His expression is unreadable, but there’s something… softer? Or maybe Yeonjun’s imagining it.
“Thanks.” Taehyun says simply.
Yeonjun’s heart does a triple backflip. “You’re welcome.”
It could’ve ended there. It should’ve ended there. But Beomgyu is watching from behind a vending machine, and Beomgyu has no chill.
“Jun!” he stage-whispers from his hiding spot. “Tell him you made it yourself!”
Yeonjun flushes. “I-uh-”
Kai looks over Yeonjun’s shoulder. “Is that Beomgyu?”
“No.” Yeonjun says quickly, which is immediately followed by Beomgyu tripping over the vending machine base and crashing to the ground.
Soobin appears out of nowhere to help him up, muttering. “This is why we can’t have nice things.”
Taehyun’s mouth twitches. Just a little. “You have… interesting friends.”
Yeonjun sighs. “You have no idea.”
That afternoon, Yeonjun gets a text from an unknown number:
Yeonjun grins so wide his cheeks hurt.
Beomgyu, reading over his shoulder, gasps. “Step two was a SUCCESS.”
Soobin nods. “Onward to step three.”
Yeonjun doesn’t know whether to be thrilled or terrified.
Chapter 3 - Serenade Gone Wrong
If Beomgyu ever had a great idea, Yeonjun had yet to see it. And yet, here he was, sitting cross-legged on Beomgyu’s living room rug at 11:43 p.m., being told that this was the one. The idea to end all ideas. The perfect grand gesture.
“Music.” Beomgyu said, pacing with a blanket cape draped over his shoulders like some romance war general. “Music is the language of love. It speaks where words fail. And Taehyun loves music.”
“You sound like a Pinterest board.” Yeonjun muttered, pulling the blanket over his own legs. “And Taehyun isn’t the type to swoon over a song.”
“That’s because no one has serenaded him before!” Beomgyu’s hands flew up in pure conviction. “Imagine it: midnight, his window open, you under the moonlight, strumming a heartfelt ballad-”
“Strumming?” Yeonjun blinked. “I don’t own a guitar.”
“Minor detail.” Beomgyu waved off. “Soobin’s got a keyboard.”
From the couch, Soobin looked up from his phone, deadpan. “A keyboard isn’t exactly serenade material.”
“It is if you put it on the piano setting,” Beomgyu shot back.
“I also have a drum kit setting.” Soobin said. “Want me to make it a rock ballad?”
“No!” Yeonjun yelped. “This is already insane.”
But somehow, twenty minutes later, he was holding a beat-up guitar Beomgyu had borrowed from “a guy who owes me a favor,” Soobin was googling “how long can an extension cord be before the power dies,” and there was a pile of knitted scarves on the coffee table because, apparently, matching accessories would “sell the aesthetic.”
Beomgyu plopped a pink one around Yeonjun’s neck. “For warmth and whimsy.” He announced, despite it being summer.
“I’m going to die.” Yeonjun whispered into the scarf.
“You’re going to be in love.” Beomgyu corrected. “Now drink this tea. It’ll help your vocal cords.”
Yeonjun took a sip. “This is just hot water.”
“We’re on a budget.”
By the time they arrived on Taehyun’s street, it was 12:07 a.m. The moon was high, the air was cold, and Yeonjun’s dignity had already started to leave his body.
“Why are we whispering?” Soobin asked in a full volume whisper as he lugged the keyboard case out of Beomgyu’s trunk. “It’s not like this plan is subtle.”
Beomgyu was trailing behind with the world’s longest orange extension cord, weaving it along the sidewalk like some deranged electrician. “Because it’s romantic.” He hissed. “We’re setting a mood.”
The “mood” currently consisted of Yeonjun clutching a borrowed guitar like it was a weapon, scanning the rows of identical houses to remember which one was Taehyun’s.
“Third on the left,” Beomgyu said, reading his mind. “Upstairs window. If Kai’s there, don’t make eye contact. It’s like challenging a wolf - he’ll bite.”
Soobin crouched dramatically to plug in the keyboard, the extension cord running… and running… and running… past one house, two houses, three. It disappeared into the distance toward Beomgyu’s car, which was now parked an entire block away.
“Is this even going to work?” Yeonjun muttered.
“Of course,” Soobin said, pressing a key. A tinny “plink” rang out, followed by an aggressively loud trumpet sound.
“That’s not a piano.”
“I’m getting there.” Soobin replied, cycling through the sound settings: organ, gunshot, barking dog, applause, finally piano. “There. Romantic.”
Yeonjun’s heart was pounding for all the wrong reasons. The street was quiet, except for the faint hum of electricity and the sound of Beomgyu wheezing from dragging the cord. Somewhere, a dog barked.
“This is it.” Beomgyu whispered, handing Yeonjun the final scarf for “dramatic layering.” “Just think about him. Pretend we’re not here.”
“That would be easier if you weren’t here.” Yeonjun muttered, stepping into position beneath Taehyun’s window.
The blinds were drawn. A faint light glowed from inside.
Showtime.
Yeonjun strummed once.
It sounded… bad.
Like “this guitar might be missing a string” bad.
Beomgyu gave him an overzealous thumbs-up from the shadows. Soobin, now dramatically hunched over his keyboard like a concert pianist, hit a soft chord that actually didn’t sound terrible, until the second chord, which was accidentally in a completely different key.
Yeonjun cleared his throat, looked up at the closed blinds, and began.
🎵 “Taaaae—”
The mic Beomgyu had produced from somewhere squealed so violently it probably woke up the next town over. Yeonjun flinched, muttered a curse, and tried again.
🎵 “Taehyun, my shining st—”
A window two houses down creaked open.
“Do you know what time it is?!” a voice shouted.
“Love o’clock!” Beomgyu called back without missing a beat.
“Go home!”
Yeonjun ignored them, pushing forward, his voice cracking on the next line. Beomgyu swayed like a hype man. Soobin tried to follow along but somehow hit the barking dog setting again, which erupted right in the middle of Yeonjun’s heartfelt bridge.
A second window slid open - the correct one this time. And there, framed in the glow of his desk lamp, was Taehyun… looking halfway between confused and concerned.
“Yeonjun?” He asked, voice low but carrying easily in the night air.
Yeonjun froze mid-lyric, cheeks burning. “Uh-”
Before he could recover, another figure appeared at the window. Huening Kai. Arms crossed. Expression like a disappointed parent.
Kai leaned out slightly. “You have ten seconds to explain yourself before I-”
A sudden splash of cold water cut his threat in half. Not metaphorical, not a warning - Kai had dumped an entire bucket’s worth right over Yeonjun’s head.
Yeonjun sputtered, Beomgyu wheezed with laughter, and Soobin had collapsed forward onto his keyboard, accidentally holding down a key so one long, shrill note filled the air.
Taehyun just sighed. “...Are you okay?”
Yeonjun, dripping and humiliated, managed a single word. “…Maybe.”
Kai muttered something about “natural selection” and shut the blinds.
Beomgyu clapped him on the back. “Honestly? Could’ve gone worse.”
Soobin tilted his head. “Could it?”
Chapter 4 - The Secret Admirer Letters
Beomgyu was sprawled across Yeonjun’s couch like he was auditioning for a Renaissance painting, chewing on the cap of a glitter gel pen.
“You can’t just tell him you like him.” He declared. “Where’s the romance? The subtlety? The mystery?”
Yeonjun, lying face-down on the floor with a throw pillow over his head, mumbled. “Because the last time you tried subtlety, Kai dumped water on me.”
Soobin was at the coffee table with an entire stationery kit spread out like a crime scene - washi tape, calligraphy pens, pastel envelopes. “Beomgyu’s right.” He said. “We need… literary charm.”
Beomgyu slapped the glitter pen down. “We’re going old school. Love letters.”
Yeonjun lifted his head. “Like, hand-written?”
“Yes.” Soobin said with the gravitas of someone about to explain fire to a caveman. “Because nothing says ‘I like you’ like pretty handwriting and mild emotional manipulation.”
They worked for hours. Beomgyu insisted on metaphors so dramatic they could’ve been ripped from a K-drama script.
Yeonjun wrote: “Your smile is warm like the first sip of coffee on a cold morning.”
Beomgyu leaned over, crossing it out. “Too realistic. Try: ‘Your presence bends the stars and makes the moon jealous.’ ”
Soobin, meanwhile, was focused on folding the paper into perfect origami hearts. “The shape of love.” He said solemnly, before immediately unfolding it to fix a crease.
By the end of the night, they had five letters ready to deliver over the course of the week. Step one: slip the first into Taehyun’s locker during lunch.
Beomgyu volunteered. “Don’t worry.” He said. “I’m stealth incarnate.”
The next day, Yeonjun’s phone buzzed.
He froze. “Oh no.”
Two minutes later, Kai appeared in the hallway like an avenging angel, holding one of the letters between two fingers like it was a dead insect.
The pastel pink envelope was unmistakable.
“This.” Kai said slowly. “Was in my locker.”
Yeonjun’s brain short-circuited. “That’s… that’s not—”
Kai unfolded it and read aloud in the flattest voice imaginable: ‘You are the sun that wakes me, the tide that pulls me. I am a ship lost at sea, and you are my lighthouse.’ ”
Somewhere down the hall, Beomgyu’s laughter echoed like a villain’s theme song.
Chapter 5 - The Totally-Not-Stalking Incident
The plan, according to Beomgyu, was “simple, foolproof, and sexy.”
Three adjectives Yeonjun instinctively did not trust when coming from Beomgyu’s mouth.
“You’ll just happen to be everywhere Taehyun is today,” Beomgyu explained at 9:12 a.m., pacing the living room like a deranged general while Soobin sat cross-legged on the floor, sipping iced coffee and holding a literal clipboard.
“We’re talking a casual overlap of schedules.” Soobin added, flipping through papers. “Nothing creepy. Just… strategically coincidental.”
On the coffee table sat a printed color-coded map of the neighborhood with big red circles drawn around certain places: Jade Bean Café, East Park jogging trail, Book Nook bookstore, Farmer’s Market, and, for some reason, petting zoo . Next to each location was a timestamp.
“Why the petting zoo?” Yeonjun asked warily.
“Taehyun likes rabbits.” Beomgyu said, as if that explained everything .
Soobin handed Yeonjun a laminated itinerary. “Here’s his schedule for the day. Kai accidentally sent me their group chat calendar when he meant to send a meme.”
Yeonjun blinked. “…That’s horrifying.”
“It’s called research,” Beomgyu corrected. “Now - phase one. You’re going to the café at 10:30 sharp. Order something aesthetically pleasing so you look cute if he spots you. No iced americanos, too basic. Get a matcha latte with foam art.”
Yeonjun stared. “…You’re insane.”
“Phase two.” Soobin continued smoothly. “Around lunchtime, he’s heading to the Farmer’s Market. You will already be there, buying artisanal honey, because it makes you look romantic and mysterious.”
Beomgyu nodded gravely. “Honey guy is a wingman. He’ll hype you up.”
Yeonjun’s eyebrow twitched. “You have a honey guy ?”
“Phase three.” Soobin ignored him, “Book Nook bookstore at three p.m. He’ll be browsing mystery novels. You’ll be browsing…” He glanced at the clipboard. “…self-help books titled something like How to Be the Perfect Boyfriend .”
Yeonjun’s mouth dropped open. “So I look like a desperate loser?”
“Exactly.” Beomgyu said brightly.
Yeonjun buried his face in his hands. “Why do I listen to you two.”
“Because we’re geniuses.” Beomgyu answered. “Also because this is the only way you’ll get him to see you as destiny.”
Soobin’s pen clicked ominously. “Now, outfit. We need something casual but ‘I could be in a dating app ad’ energy.”
Beomgyu leapt to his feet, scanning Yeonjun like a stylist on a reality show. “Light-wash jeans, white t-shirt, leather jacket. Hair: styled but not too styled. Cologne: enough to linger in the air for a tragic three seconds after you pass.”
Yeonjun groaned but still let himself be shoved toward the bedroom.
“You’re going to thank us when you’re married.” Beomgyu called after him.
“Or when Kai files a restraining order.” Soobin muttered into his iced coffee.
10:28 a.m. Jade Bean Café
Yeonjun arrived two minutes early, which Beomgyu had insisted was “the perfect balance between punctual and not desperate.”
Unfortunately, the “casual entrance” went out the window when he tripped on the door mat and slammed directly into the back of someone’s chair.
“Sorry-” he froze. Not Taehyun. Just a very angry old man who now had oat milk foam on his sweater.
He retreated to the counter and ordered the matcha latte with “the kitty foam art, please,” because apparently his entire day was now sponsored by humiliation. He positioned himself at the corner table by the window, angled to look like he was deep in thought but also prepared for a candid meet-cute.
And then, like clockwork, Taehyun walked in - baseball cap, hoodie, that casual “I woke up like this” model energy. Kai trailed behind him like a suspicious penguin.
Taehyun spotted Yeonjun instantly. “Oh - hey!”
Yeonjun tried to look surprised. “Taehyun! Wow, fancy seeing you here.”
Kai’s eyes narrowed into slits. “We come here every Thursday.”
Yeonjun sipped his latte, ignoring the way the kitty foam immediately collapsed into green soup. “Oh, I had no idea.”
“Sure.” Kai muttered.
1:05 p.m. Farmer’s Market
The honey guy was , indeed, a wingman. The second Yeonjun approached, he bellowed, “Ah, young love! Buying honey for someone special?”
Yeonjun laughed awkwardly, glancing toward Taehyun two stalls away smelling flowers. “Maybe…”
“Ahhh, honey for the heart.” The vendor said dramatically, slapping Yeonjun on the back so hard he almost fell into a crate of apples.
Kai appeared out of nowhere, eyes like lasers. “Funny. I thought you were allergic to honey.”
Yeonjun stuttered. “…I-developed immunity?”
Kai: “Right.”
3:07 p.m. Book Nook
Yeonjun stood in the self-help section, holding How to Be the Perfect Boyfriend at the exact angle Beomgyu told him to for maximum “unspoken confession” impact. He had just perfected his casual lean against the bookshelf when Taehyun walked in - and Kai, again, materialized like an unwanted Pokémon.
“Oh hey,” Taehyun said. “You read self-help books?”
“Just… broadening my horizons.” Yeonjun replied, forcing a smirk.
Kai plucked the book out of his hands, flipped it over, and read aloud. “Chapter One: Stop Lying.” He set it back on the shelf and walked away without another word.
Taehyun tried (and failed) to hide a smile.
4:16 p.m. Petting Zoo
This was Beomgyu’s “big finale” - a shared moment with a fluffy bunny that would symbolize trust and vulnerability.
Yeonjun was on his knees in the grass, holding out a piece of carrot to a rabbit that was very pointedly ignoring him. “Come on, just - look cute in front of Taehyun, please,” he whispered.
The rabbit turned and hopped straight into Taehyun’s lap.
Kai, standing behind them, deadpanned: “Even the rabbit knows.”
5:02 p.m. City Park
By this point, Yeonjun had “casually” run into Taehyun four times in one day.
Which would have been impressive… if Kai wasn’t behind him for all four of them, silently sipping an iced Americano like a detective in a crime drama.
The thing about being tailed by Huening Kai was that he didn’t even try to hide it. He just… stood there. Always ten feet away. Always watching.
Yeonjun pretended not to notice as he spotted Taehyun sitting on a bench, scrolling on his phone.
Perfect. Another “oh fancy seeing you” moment.
He approached with his best charming smile.
“Hey.” He said.
Taehyun looked up, squinting against the late afternoon sun. “You again.”
Yeonjun froze. “…In a good way, right?”
Before Taehyun could answer, Kai stepped right between them.
“Funny.” Kai said, eyes flicking between the two. “How you keep ending up exactly where we are.”
Yeonjun tried to brush him off. “It’s called coincidence, Kai. Some people believe in fate.”
“Some people believe in restraining orders.” Kai replied.
6:18 p.m. The Ice Cream Incident
Operation “Coincidental Encounter #5” was supposed to be harmless: Yeonjun just happened to be at the same ice cream cart, buying the same flavor Taehyun liked (cookies and cream, obviously).
It went wrong the second he paid.
“Two cones, please.” He told the vendor, holding them both like a peace offering as Taehyun walked up.
“Oh, thanks.” Taehyun said, reaching for one.
Kai’s hand shot out first. “He’s lactose intolerant.”
Yeonjun stared at him, jaw dropping. “…No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are.” Kai said without blinking.
Taehyun snorted into his sleeve, clearly enjoying the chaos.
Yeonjun handed him the ice cream anyway. “Ignore him. He’s projecting.”
Kai’s glare could have melted the cone faster than the summer sun.
7:45 p.m. The Last Straw
By evening, Yeonjun had had enough.
He spotted Taehyun leaving a small street food stall, plastic bag of tteokbokki in hand. Perfect. He walked up - only for Kai to literally sidestep into his path like a human roadblock.
“That’s it.” Yeonjun hissed, grabbing Kai by the wrist and dragging him a few feet away. “What is your problem?”
“My problem.” Kai said calmly. “Is that you are clearly following my best friend around like a lost puppy, and it’s my sworn duty to make sure you don’t get ideas.”
“I already have ideas.” Yeonjun shot back. “That’s the whole point!”
Kai crossed his arms. “Exactly. And I’m here to… discourage them.”
Yeonjun narrowed his eyes. “So you’re telling me if Taehyun actually liked me-”
Kai laughed. “Big if.”
“-you’d still do this?”
Kai’s smirk faltered just a hair. “…Maybe.”
Before Yeonjun could argue more, Taehyun wandered over, clearly suspicious of the whispered fight.
“Everything okay?” He asked, gaze flicking between them.
Kai opened his mouth - probably to sabotage him again - but Yeonjun cut in first.
“Yeah.” He said, forcing a grin. “Just… bonding.”
Taehyun looked unconvinced, but he handed Yeonjun a piece of tteokbokki anyway.
“You’re weird,” he murmured.
Yeonjun grinned around the bite. “You like weird.”
From behind them, Kai muttered. “Not that weird.”
Chapter 6 - The Matching Outfit Plan
The plan was simple: Beomgyu insisted that if Yeonjun and Taehyun wore matching outfits, everyone would see them as “soulmates in the wild.”
It sounded ridiculous. It also sounded like the kind of ridiculous that worked in dramas.
Beomgyu shoved a hanger at Yeonjun.
“Trust me. Pastel pink plaid is the future of romance.”
Yeonjun held the jacket up to the light. “The future of romance… or the future of public humiliation?”
Soobin, sprawled on the bed with his phone, didn’t even look up. “Both can be true.”
Yeonjun groaned but started changing. “I should have known better. This is a crime against fashion, and I’m an accomplice.”
Beomgyu beamed. “You’ll thank me later when you’re planning your wedding and I get to be best man.”
“Bold of you to assume Taehyun would even talk to me after seeing me in this.”
The rendezvous point was a cozy little café near campus. Yeonjun strutted in, prepared to sell the look with pure confidence.
That confidence lasted exactly 0.5 seconds.
Because Taehyun was already there… dressed in all black. Black shirt, black pants, black jacket.
The fashion equivalent of mourning Yeonjun’s hopes and dreams.
Yeonjun stopped dead. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
From the corner table, Huening Kai smirked like the devil had personally given him a spoiler.
“Wow.” Kai said, sipping his drink. “Didn’t realize you were auditioning for the Saja Boys.”
Yeonjun forced a smile as he sat down. “Matching outfits were supposed to scream soulmates.”
Taehyun raised a brow. “Instead, they’re screaming laundry day at a candy factory.”
Beomgyu, sitting across the room “incognito” in sunglasses and a cap, nearly choked on his muffin from laughing.
The rest of the café trip was a fashion nightmare. Yeonjun tried to casually shrug off the jacket - Beomgyu texted him DON’T YOU DARE in all caps.
Soobin, who was “just there to work on his laptop,” took several discreet photos, no doubt for the group chat.
When they left, Yeonjun walked beside Taehyun, muttering under his breath.
“This is the last time I let them style me.”
“Good.” Taehyun said, smirking. “You look better in your own clothes.”
It was meant as a casual comment, but Yeonjun felt his stomach flip like it had been personally thrown into a washing machine.
He stuffed his hands in his pockets before he could do something embarrassing like smile too wide.
Behind them, Kai leaned toward Beomgyu. “Honestly, this might be the first plan I didn’t have to ruin. He did it to himself.”
Beomgyu nodded solemnly. “We love to see natural selection.”
Chapter 7 - The Hero Save Attempt
It was raining lightly, the kind of drizzle that made the pavement slick and Yeonjun’s hair fall perfectly into place (which, in his mind, made this the perfect moment for a heroic rescue).
Taehyun had texted that he was stopping by the library. Yeonjun, already nearby, decided fate was basically begging him to show up.
Beomgyu’s voice echoed in his head: If you save him from danger, he’ll be forever grateful.
The “danger” turned out to be… a small puddle by the library steps.
But Yeonjun was committed.
From across the courtyard, Yeonjun spotted Taehyun stepping out, bag slung over one shoulder, scrolling his phone as he approached the stairs.
In Yeonjun’s imagination, this was the moment Taehyun would slip , Yeonjun would catch him, their eyes would meet, and violins would swell in the background.
Reality, however, had other plans.
Taehyun’s foot hit a wet patch. He wobbled just slightly.
Yeonjun sprang into action, darting forward like an Olympic sprinter.
Except… his shoes had zero traction.
One second he was lunging to “save” Taehyun, the next his own foot slid out from under him.
Physics betrayed him entirely: he collided with Taehyun’s side, and both of them went down in a spectacular, slow-motion tumble.
“Whoa-!” Taehyun’s book bag flew open, papers scattering like confetti.
They landed in a tangled heap, Yeonjun half on top of him, one knee awkwardly in the grass, his elbow somewhere it definitely shouldn’t be.
Taehyun blinked up at him. “…Are you okay ?”
Yeonjun, face burning, muttered, “That was supposed to be me saving you.”
A shadow fell over them. Yeonjun turned his head to see Huening Kai standing there with an iced coffee, looking down at them like a disappointed parent.
“…Natural selection,” Kai said simply, sipping his drink.
Yeonjun groaned, scrambling to his feet and helping Taehyun up.
“This is all Beomgyu’s fault.” He mumbled.
“I somehow doubt that.” Taehyun replied, brushing dirt off his jacket.
From a bench nearby, Beomgyu and Soobin - who had followed him here - were doubled over laughing. Soobin actually had tears in his eyes.
“Don’t worry, babe.” Beomgyu called out. “The attempt counts!”
Despite the humiliation, Yeonjun walked Taehyun the rest of the way home, holding his umbrella over both of them.
Taehyun didn’t tease him about the fall - not much, anyway.
At one point, when Yeonjun tilted the umbrella to shield him from the wind, Taehyun glanced over and said. “You’re… strange. But in a good way.”
Yeonjun’s brain short-circuited for a full ten seconds, and Kai, walking behind them, muttered. “Great, now he’s gonna try this stunt again.”
Chapter 8 - The Jealousy Trap
It all started in the café across from campus.
Yeonjun was stirring his americano in small, angry circles while Beomgyu explained, at full volume, why the only logical next step in “Operation Woo Taehyun” was to make him jealous.
“Think about it.” Beomgyu said, leaning in like a conspirator. “Humans are territorial. You show interest in someone else, boom - he realizes he likes you before it’s too late.”
Soobin, sipping his vanilla iced latte like a disapproving dad, raised an eyebrow. “Or he decides you’re not worth the effort and moves on.”
“Shut up, you’re killing the vibe.” Beomgyu shot back. “Jun, you just need to flirt with someone in front of him. Easy.”
Yeonjun hesitated.
One, because this sounded like a terrible idea.
Two, because it also sounded really fun.
“What if he doesn’t care?” Yeonjun asked.
“Oh, he’ll care.” Beomgyu said confidently. “He’s too composed. That means he’s hiding something.”
Soobin muttered something about psychological projection under his breath, but Beomgyu was already planning the who, where, and how like this was a military operation.
Target location: the student quad, peak lunchtime traffic.
Target audience: Taehyun and Huening Kai, known to eat there together almost every day.
Beomgyu had roped in a willing participant - Minji, from Yeonjun’s dance class, who thought the whole thing was hilarious and promised to play along.
Yeonjun, dressed in his most flattering pastel blazer and tailored trousers (because if you’re going to start drama, at least look hot doing it ), strolled into the quad with Minji at his side.
Beomgyu and Soobin watched from a nearby bench, Soobin holding a large smoothie like it was popcorn.
Step one: laugh at something she says.
Step two: lean in slightly.
Step three: touch her arm casually.
Yeonjun nailed all three in under two minutes.
And then… Kai happened.
Like some kind of avenging angel of best-friendship, Huening Kai appeared between them out of nowhere, physically placing himself in the conversation like a 180cm human wall.
“Hey, Minji.” He said sweetly. “Can I borrow him for a sec?”
“Uh-” Minji looked amused. “Sure?”
Kai didn’t wait for her to leave before turning to Yeonjun with a smile that was all teeth. “What exactly are you doing?”
“Talking.” Yeonjun said innocently.
“Uh-huh.” Kai replied. “And I’m the president of Korea.”
Over Kai’s shoulder, Yeonjun caught sight of Taehyun sitting at their usual table, sipping iced tea and… watching.
Expression unreadable, but eyes sharp.
Yeonjun’s pulse jumped.
Yeonjun was about to push past Kai and resume the plan when a shadow fell over both of them.
It was Taehyun.
Without a word, he took Yeonjun by the wrist - not roughly, but with zero room for argument - and started walking away from the quad.
“Uh-bye?” Minji called after them.
Kai trailed behind, muttering. “You’re welcome.”
They didn’t stop until they reached the quiet path behind the music building. Taehyun let go, leaning back against the wall with a sigh.
“You’re mine today.” he said simply.
Yeonjun’s brain short-circuited so hard he forgot how to breathe.
Beomgyu, watching from a distance with binoculars (where did he even get those?), fist-pumped so hard he almost dropped them.
Soobin, sipping his smoothie, murmured. “Finally.”
Chapter 9 - The Fake Emergency
It started on a Wednesday afternoon, which Beomgyu declared was “statistically the most boring day of the week.”
Yeonjun was sprawled across Soobin’s couch, scrolling aimlessly on his phone and lamenting the fact that Taehyun had been “weirdly busy” all week.
“Busy? Or avoiding you?” Soobin asked.
“Why would he avoid me?” Yeonjun scoffed. Then, after a beat, “…Do you think he’s avoiding me?”
Beomgyu clapped his hands, cutting through the self-doubt spiral like a knife. “Enough! New plan. We create a situation where he has to see you. Something urgent. Something heroic.”
Soobin side-eyed him. “You’re about to say something stupid, aren’t you?”
“Fake. Emergency.” Beomgyu said, eyes sparkling. “I’ll pretend to injure myself - no, you will, Binnie, you’re taller so it looks more dramatic - and Jun will call Taehyun for help. Boom. He rushes over, sees you caring, falls in love on the spot.”
“Or..” Soobin said flatly. “We just… text him to hang out like normal people.”
“Normal people don’t get results.” Beomgyu replied, already digging through a drawer for props. “Do you have an ankle brace?”
Five minutes later, Soobin was lying on the living room floor with one sock strategically dirtied for “realism” and Beomgyu draping an old scarf around his foot like it was a makeshift bandage.
“This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever agreed to.” Soobin muttered.
“You’re welcome.” Beomgyu said. “Jun, you call Taehyun and put on your distressed voice . Not too distressed - you’re not dying - but enough to sound like you need him.”
Yeonjun nodded, already dialing.
It rang twice before Taehyun picked up.
“Yeonjun?”
“Taehyun, hey, uh, sorry, it’s just - Soobin kinda hurt his ankle? We, uh, might need some help getting him to the clinic?”
A pause. Then, calm as ever: “I’m on my way.”
Yeonjun hung up, triumphant. “He’s coming.”
Beomgyu grinned. “This is foolproof.”
It was not foolproof.
Because five minutes later, the doorbell rang - and it wasn’t Taehyun.
It was Huening Kai, holding a reusable grocery bag and looking confused. “Hey, Taehyun said you needed help?”
Beomgyu blinked. “Where’s Taehyun?”
“He asked me to come instead - he’s running an errand for class. Figured I’d be closer.” Kai stepped inside, already rummaging in the bag. “I brought ice packs. And snacks. Also a knee brace, just in case it’s worse than you thought.”
Soobin, still on the floor, looked at Yeonjun with an expression that said I told you so .
Kai crouched down, inspected Soobin’s “injury” and frowned. “This isn’t swollen at all.”
Yeonjun, panicking, blurted, “That’s because I-uh-already iced it!”
Kai gave him a look so skeptical it could strip paint. “Uh-huh. Well, I’ll wrap it up anyway. Don’t move.”
Beomgyu mouthed at Yeonjun from across the room: Abort mission .
Just as Yeonjun was about to crawl into the corner and die of secondhand embarrassment, the door opened again - this time it was Taehyun.
He glanced around the scene: Soobin sitting on the couch with his perfectly fine ankle now mummified in bandages, Kai holding a bag of frozen peas, Beomgyu whistling suspiciously, and Yeonjun looking like he’d just been caught robbing a bank.
“What… happened here?” Taehyun asked slowly.
Before Yeonjun could answer, Kai helpfully jumped in. “They were going to call you for help, but I was closer. So I came. Also, the injury’s fake, probably.”
Yeonjun could feel his soul leaving his body.
Taehyun’s gaze flicked to him. “Fake?”
“It’s-uh-it’s complicated?” Yeonjun said weakly.
For a moment, Taehyun just looked at him. Then - very slightly - he smiled. “You could’ve just asked to see me, you know.”
Yeonjun’s brain short-circuited again .
Beomgyu quietly whispered to Soobin. “Mission… partial success?”
Soobin sighed. “More like controlled demolition.”
Chapter 10 - The Real Confession
It was the first time in weeks Yeonjun had been truly alone with Taehyun.
No Soobin barging in to “borrow sugar” (he doesn’t bake).
No Beomgyu “accidentally” FaceTiming mid-conversation.
No Huening Kai lurking like a suspicious cat.
The campus garden was quiet, bathed in the soft glow of string lights overhead. Taehyun had insisted on helping Yeonjun carry back some borrowed books from the library, and somehow they’d ended up here - half the books stacked on the bench, the night settling comfortably around them.
Yeonjun’s heart was doing its usual gymnastics.
He had spent ten chapters - ten real life disasters - trying to get to this moment. And now that he had it, his brain was like: lol good luck, buddy .
He cleared his throat. “So… I’ve been meaning to tell you something.”
Taehyun looked up, curious, waiting. That was the thing about him - he didn’t rush people. He just waited , patient and calm, which somehow made Yeonjun’s pulse go faster.
“I like you.” Yeonjun blurted. Then immediately. “Like, like-like you. Not in the casual way where you say it to friends or whatever. In the I’ve-been-trying-to-get-your-attention-for-months way.”
Taehyun’s mouth curved, just barely. “I noticed.”
Yeonjun froze. “…You what ?”
“I noticed.” Taehyun repeated, his voice warm but steady. “The omelette. The serenade. The… totally coincidental encounters.”
Yeonjun groaned, covering his face with his hands. “Oh my god, you knew this whole time?!”
“I thought it was cute.” Taehyun said simply. “Messy. But cute.”
That single word - cute - hit Yeonjun so hard he had to actually sit down on the bench. “I’m dying.”
Taehyun laughed softly and shook his head. “You’re ridiculous. But… I like you too.”
Yeonjun swore the earth tilted on its axis.
“You… do?”
Taehyun didn’t answer with words this time. He just stepped forward, closing the distance between them, and-
Oh.
Yeonjun thought kisses in movies were overexaggerated. Until this one.
It was slow but certain, warm but electric, like every ridiculous stunt, every dramatic plan, every embarrassing failure had been leading right here. Taehyun’s hands were steady on his jaw, and Yeonjun’s fingers curled into his shirt like if he let go, the moment would vanish.
When they finally pulled apart, Yeonjun was breathless. “That was-wow. Can we do it again?”
Taehyun’s smile was all the answer he needed.
“OH MY GOD, FINALLY!”
Yeonjun nearly jumped out of his skin. He turned to see Beomgyu, Soobin, and Kai standing a few feet away, holding paper cups of iced coffee like they were at a sporting event.
Beomgyu was wiping fake tears. “It’s like watching our child graduate.”
Soobin took a sip of his drink. “Took you long enough.”
Kai, deadpan as ever, said. “Can you not do this in public? People are eating.”
Yeonjun’s face went crimson. “Were you guys watching us?!”
Beomgyu shrugged. “We’ve invested too much time in this operation to not see the ending.”
Taehyun just rolled his eyes and laced their fingers together. “Ignore them.”
And Yeonjun, still giddy from the kiss, decided he absolutely would.
Surprise part 11 - The Epilogue: Teamwork Makes the Chaos Work
It turned out that being officially together didn’t make Yeonjun less dramatic.
It just meant Taehyun was now fully complicit.
Two weeks into dating, they were already plotting their first joint scheme: revenge on Beomgyu, Soobin, and Huening Kai for lurking during their confession like nosy Netflix extras.
“Are we sure about this?” Taehyun asked, though the smirk on his face said he absolutely was.
“Positive.” Yeonjun replied, adjusting the strap of the very full water balloon slingshot in his hands. “We’re a power couple now. It’s our duty.”
From their hiding spot behind the campus fountain, they waited. Right on schedule, the trio strolled across the courtyard - iced coffees in hand, gossiping about something Yeonjun was sure was them.
Yeonjun counted down under his breath. “Three… two… one—”
Splash.
The balloons hit perfectly. Beomgyu shrieked like a cat. Soobin stared at his soaked shirt in quiet disbelief. Kai just stood there, dripping, and said. “You’re dead to me.”
Yeonjun and Taehyun were already running, hands clasped, laughing so hard they could barely breathe.
“This is the start of our villain era.” Yeonjun declared between laughs.
Taehyun glanced at him, eyes warm despite the chaos. “As long as it’s with you.”
And if they kissed in the middle of their getaway while the others shouted threats in the distance… well, that was just part of the fun.
