Archive of Our Own

Seungmin hears Hyunjin talking on the phone in his room while Seungmin tries but fails to read a book. Seungmin knows that his roommate is calling his family to ask them if he can skip the family trip and stay in the dorms together with Seungmin. Hyunjin doesn't like his homophobic family and Seungmin is staying here for the summer since his family is all busy working and doesn't do vacations, so Hyunjin said he'd see if he could get out of the family trip. Seungmin can't really focus on the book because he's too curious about what Hyunjin is telling his family and whether Hyunjin's parents will let him stay.

Seungmin doesn't want to spend the summer alone since all of their other friends did either go home or are on vacation, so he hopes that Hyunjin at least can stay. His roommate had been complaining about having to go on a trip with his family, so when Seungmin told him that he'd stay in the dorms, Hyunjin said that he'd see if he could as well.

"But— Mom! Dad! You know how some of them think about it…"

Seungmin hears Hyunjin complain from his room, and Seungmin grimaces. If Hyunjin has to go with his family anyway, it's going to be a long, boring summer for both of them, and while they've only known each other for a year now, being roommates helped them become friends easily and Seungmin was looking forward to not spending the summer alone. He enjoys Hyunjin's company a lot, even though they're very different, and not only because Hyunjin is gay and Seungmin is straight.

Unfortunately, Hyunjin comes out of his room with a dejected and troubled expression that speaks volumes.

"Let me guess: your parents still want you to come?" Seungmin asks, and Hyunjin pulls a face.

"It's— It's worse. I talked myself into a pickle," Hyunjin mutters, his face scrunched up reluctantly like he sometimes does when he's eating.

Seungmin sits up, frowning. "How? What happened?"

Hyunjin looks hesitant to share, but Seungmin patiently waits for him to explain, hoping that Hyunjin trusts him enough. If he trusts him enough to have come out to him after a few months of being roommates and vent about his homophobic family, Seungmin thinks that whatever was said over the phone can be entrusted to him as well.

"Uhm— Well, I already knew that my parents wouldn't like it if I said that I wouldn't want to come— the family trips are, like, sacred to them— so I wanted to have a proper excuse," Hyunjin begins slowly, and Seungmin hums curiously. "And, as you know, my family hates me being gay, so I said that I didn't want to go because I have a boyfriend and want to spend the summer with him, but my parents insist that I bring this boyfriend that actually doesn't exist now."

"Oh, shit— and you didn't have any excuses to not bring him?" Seungmin wonders, and Hyunjin shakes his head, chewing on his lip.

"No, because I told them that my boyfriend is free all summer and he didn't want to be alone and that is why I wanted to stay with him, but that immensely backfired, and knowing my parents they're already telling the whole family right now that I'm bringing my boyfriend!" Hyunjin runs his hands through his long hair with a shaky sigh.

"So now you either need a boyfriend to bring or you need to come clean to your family that you lied about it to not have to come," Seungmin summarizes, and Hyunjin nods slowly, still grimacing. He looks like he wants the ground to swallow him.

"Yes, and I really really don't want to face that humiliation in front of the whole family."

Seungmin gulps thickly. "So… What now? You want me to come as your boyfriend?"

Hyunjin falls onto his knees in front of Seungmin and holds up his hands pleadingly. "Yes, please— I— I know you're straight, but- but all of our friends are away and we wanted to spend the summer together anyway and my family won't even want to see a grain of affection between us so you won't have to pretend to like me that way or anything— hell, I think even the way I already cling to you sometimes would disgust my uncle, so you won't have to be uncomfortable!"

Seungmin just gapes at his friend who is looking at him with a pout and glimmering eyes that Seungmin has a hard time saying no to. He still hesitates, because he is straight and so he doubts if he could put up a good act pretending to be Hyunjin's boyfriend or if he wants to do so to begin with, even if they won't have to do anything special. But on the other hand, he does not want to spend the summer all alone and leave Hyunjin miserable with his family because his excuse to be away from them and keep Seungmin company failed.

"Fine. If it's just like a hangout together, I'll be the hero and save you from humiliation in front of your family," Seungmin tells him after a pause, and the way Hyunjin lights up shouldn't be as cute as it is. "Who knows, maybe it might even be fun. Surely it'll be more fun than boring myself to death here alone."

"Thank you, Seungminnie! Thank you thank you thank you!" Hyunjin falls forward to pull Seungmin into a tight hug, and Seungmin laughs, hugging his dramatic friend back. "I'll do my best to make it fun and make sure that my family doesn't bother you for pretending to be my boyfriend."

"Don't worry, I can stand up for myself too, but I appreciate it," Seungmin replies as they pull out of the hug. "Now, let's pack. When are your parents coming to pick us up?"

"The day after tomorrow they'll be here at ten," Hyunjin shares before hugging Seungmin briefly again, his hand finding Seungmin's nape and caressing it. "Thank you again! You're the best friend and roommate ever!"

With that, Hyunjin pulls away and disappears into his room again to pack, leaving Seungmin feeling a bit odd. He shakes his head and tells himself that it's just a weird situation, having to pretend to be Hyunjin's boyfriend and suddenly joining him on his family trip. Pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind, he stands up and heads to his own room to pack as well, and, knowing his roommate, he'll have to help Hyunjin find a few items that he misplaced, so he better get his own packing done soon. If he's going to pretend to be Hyunjin's boyfriend, he's determined to make a good impression and make the most of it.

The following day, they finish up packing and Hyunjin almost kisses him for finding his airpods case that he left in the cabinets of their shared bathroom, so Seungmin feels sort of prepared enough to pretend to be his boyfriend. Hyunjin was right in that they, and especially Hyunjin, already act affectionate and clingy enough to probably pass as a couple to Hyunjin's homophobic family.

Nevertheless, when Hyunjin's parents arrive and hug their son just as tightly as Hyunjin always hugs him before they look at Seungmin with expectant eyes, Seungmin does feel a tad nervous for the trip. Hyunjin's parents are supportive, so they might want to see more affection.

"Ah, the boyfriend is none other than Seungmin! Why am I not surprised?" Hyunjin's mother comments, and Seungmin barely manages to suppress a surprised sound and a flush.

"Mom!" Hyunjin lightly pushes her, his cheeks rosy in embarrassment, and his mother laughs.

"I apologize, I don't mean to embarrass you two," she tells them. "Hyunjin just talks about you a lot, Seungmin. In a good way."

"I'm not surprised. He fell for my charms easily," Seungmin boasts exaggeratedly, making Hyunjin and his parents laugh as they all get into the car.

"He did, huh? And what made you fall for our Hyunjinnie?" Hyunjin's mom then asks, taking Seungmin by surprise.

"Mom…" Hyunjin whines. "We— We haven't been dating long. Don't put him on the spot."

"Come on, Hyunie. Don't pretend like you don't want to hear it," Hyunjin's father teases him, giving Seungmin more time to think of an answer. "There must be reasons he became your boyfriend that he wants to share."

"Well, for starters, everyone can see that Hyunjin is handsome, but I'm not so shallow to only want to date him for that," Seungmin begins lightheartedly. It's a fact that Hyunjin is handsome and you'd have to be blind not to notice that, so that is an easy one. For the rest, Seungmin tries to imagine what other kind of qualities Hyunjin has that would make him a good boyfriend. "He is… romantic, almost to a point where he lives in his own world and sees everything through that lens, he is gentle, in touch with his feelings, and just— really nice to be around."

"Aww, Seungmin! That's so sweet!" Hyunjin twists his body and hugs him, kissing the top of his head with an exaggerated kiss sound, and Seungmin can't help but feel warm, not used to all of this.

Fortunately, Hyunjin's parents are satisfied with the answer and they focus on driving, giving Seungmin some room to breathe. Hyunjin, too, creates some space between them, but that wasn't necessarily what made Seungmin feel odd. He just isn't the type of person who often shares affection through words, and he never really has to think about Hyunjin in a romantic light, so though it was a bit unfamiliar, he is glad that he did well.

"Was the kiss on your hair too much?" Hyunjin whispers softly. "I thought it would get my parents off our back, but I hope it wasn't uncomfortable."

"It was fine, I barely felt it," Seungmin assures. "I know you said that we wouldn't have to do anything, but I still prepared myself to do at least a little. And besides, my sister does this with me all the time."

"Okay, I'm glad," Hyunjin exhales in relief. "Just push me away if I do something you don't like, but I'll try to keep it low-key."

Seungmin hums and pats Hyunjin's shoulder. He knows that his friend is prone to overthinking, so Seungmin wants to make sure that he feels at ease or at the very least that he's not worrying about Seungmin being comfortable.

The rest of the drive there goes smoothly. Seungmin simply reads a book while they listen to the radio and Hyunjin and his parents share some information about their family, how most of the cousins are younger than Hyunjin except for his cousin Jinhyuk, who is the son of his homophobic uncle and who is also bringing his girlfriend, Seohee. They also tell him that their annual family trip is their attempt to keep the family close and that Seungmin hopefully doesn't have to worry about fights or shitty comments from Jinhyuk's dad. Seungmin doesn't really care if he is insulted because he isn't actually gay, but he cares if they do it to Hyunjin.

Once they arrive, Seungmin introduces himself to everyone with a polite bow, accompanied by Hyunjin, and Seungmin doesn't even need to hear the names to know who Jinhyuk and his dad are. He can see it from their disgusted expression and the way they don't even seem to want to speak his name. At least Hyunjin's younger cousins don't seem to be tainted by the prejudice yet. The teenager cousin, Younghae, doesn't even seem to care that Hyunjin brought someone, and the kids, Hara and Inseok, just seem curious and a bit shy.

"Good. Now that everyone has introduced their partner, let's settle, unpack, and have a relaxing evening while the adults get some food and cook!" Hyunjin’s mother seems to be taking the lead in the organization, and she also shows Seungmin and Hyunjin to the room they're sharing together.

Seungmin is a little surprised to only see one bed in the room, but then he remembers that it makes perfect sense. Not only are they pretending to be boyfriends, Seungmin was also a last minute addition to the trip. Nevertheless, Seungmin doesn’t know how to feel about sharing a bed.

It’s a big bed so it will probably be fine, but the knowledge that Hyunjin’s family thinks that they're sharing it as boyfriends makes Seungmin feel weird. He knows that their ways of sleeping don't really overlap— Hyunjin gets hot easily and Seungmin prefers the air conditioning to be off, but in their dorm room they do keep it on because Seungmin can just sleep with winter blankets, but if they're together…

"Right— One bed…" Hyunjin mumbles. "Things are not really living up to my promise that things wouldn't be too different, huh?"

"Things should learn to keep their word," Seungmin jokes dryly, and Hyunjin snorts. "No, but I'll be fine as long as you don't turn the room into the north pole. It's a big bed."

"Sure. If I'm hot I can always push the blankets on top of you, then there will be less chance that I start clinging to you as well," Hyunjin agrees, and Seungmin chuckles. He's kind of curious what type of sleeper Hyunjin is, but he sounds as chaotic as he is awake.

They unpack their bags before they head down to check if the adults need help with anything. Hyunjin's mother assures them that they've got things covered for today, so Seungmin and Hyunjin settle on a couch and Seungmin suggests playing the mobile racing game they always play at the dorms whenever they're bored. Hyunjin happily agrees, and they get lost playing while Hyunjin's cousins run around, scroll on their phone, or make out with their girlfriend.

Hyunjin wins the first two rounds by a hair and sheer luck, so Seungmin has to take measures to ensure that his friend doesn't get too smug. He subtly nudges his elbow into Hyunjin's ribs, and his friend squeals and jerks away, giving Seungmin's character the opportunity to overtake Hyunjin in the race.

"Hey! Cheater!" Hyunjin exclaims while Seungmin laughs and dodges Hyunjin's attempt at revenge. It turns their race into a competition of who can focus the best on the game while trying to sabotage the other.

Seungmin is a better and more experienced cheater than Hyunjin, so he ends up winning, and he's delighted at Hyunjin's complaints.

"You're so unfair!" Hyunjin whines. "But at least I won without cheating."

"Was it cheating or am I just better at not being ticklish?" Seungmin retorts, making Hyunjin laugh.

"That doesn't even make sense!"

Seungmin just shrugs, which causes Hyunjin to laugh again for some reason. "Let's do one last race and this winner is the final winner!"

Seungmin starts the race quickly before Hyunjin can even focus on his phone again, and Hyunjin gasps and sputters something about Seungmin being a cheater again while Seungmin cackles.

"C'mere you rascal!" Instead of joining the race however, Hyunjin grabs Seungmin’s wrists and wrestles him, making Seungmin yelp and drop his phone.

Seungmin tries to fight back and get a hold of his phone again, but Hyunjin has been working out lately next to swimming regularly, so he has become better at overpowering Seungmin. Seungmin groans and manages to push Hyunjin back and put his weight on top of him, but it doesn’t last long because Hyunjin retaliates and in his burst of strength he accidentally pushes them both off the couch and they fall on the floor with a thud, Hyunjin on top of Seungmin.

"Shit! Sorry— are you okay?" Hyunjin asks, his hand finding the back of Seungmin’s head, and Seungmin takes in a breath before he starts giggling.

"Yes, I'm fine— though to make it up you could let me have the win," Seungmin jokes, and Hyunjin gasps exasperatedly but he can't hide his amusement.

"I won the first two rounds and I'm stronger, but since I'm nice let's call it a draw," Hyunjin says as he helps Seungmin up.

"Aww, thank you, babe," Seungmin teases and Hyunjin snorts and blushes.

"God, can you two stop? There are children here." Hyunjin's uncle ruins the moment, making Hyunjin scowl and create some room between him and Seungmin. Seungmin glares at the man and scoots a little closer again.

"He can tell that to his son," Seungmin whispers, eyeing Jinhyuk and his girlfriend who are all over each other. Hyunjin grunts in agreement, and Seungmin understands why he didn't want to go, though he wonders if it's usually this bad or if this is because Hyunjin brought a (fake) boyfriend.

"Ignore him, son, we're happy you found someone you like so much," Hyunjin's dad tells him softly, and Hyunjin smiles, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes. Seungmin's heart does something funny as well, because it's not real, he's not actually Hyunjin's boyfriend— and he wouldn't want to be because he is straight— but he is happy that Hyunjin's parents think he likes Seungmin a lot.

Dinner with Hyunjin's family is tense, but Seungmin manages to dissipate the heavy air a little bit by telling them about himself and cracking a few jokes that make them laugh— and most importantly, they seem to cheer Hyunjin up. After that, they don't stay downstairs and instead hang out in their shared room, away from Hyunjin's family to prevent Hyunjin's uncle from ruining their fun more.

"Thank you for coming with me, Seungminnie," Hyunjin tells him, and Seungmin looks up from the book he was reading.

"Of course. I get why you didn't want to go, but we can just have fun together," Seungmin tells him, and Hyunjin softens, ruffling Seungmin's hair.

"You're so sweet!" he says with a grin, and Seungmin huffs. "I hope my family won't be ruining things. They're mostly all bark and no bite, but it's still annoying."

"For sure, but I can ignore it fine," Seungmin agrees. "I do think it's nice that your parents try, with this tradition."

"Right, your family doesn't do vacations, right?" Hyunjin shakes his head in disbelief. "As kids the vacations were fun, but now… not everyone puts in the same effort to get along. Even so, it's still wild to me that your parents don't do anything even though they're rich."

"Their work trips are vacation enough for them now that their children are adults," Seungmin mutters with a sigh. "They see it as interruptions of their work."

"They almost make my family sound nice," Hyunjin comments dryly, and Seungmin chuckles. "I guess there are pros and cons to each type of shitty family."

Seungmin hums and they spend the rest of the evening in comfortable silence together, commenting on what they're reading or seeing on their phone, before getting ready for bed. The bed is big enough for them to lie in it and have enough room to be comfortable and not touch each other, but it still feels a little intimate. Being roommates, Seungmin has seen Hyunjin in his pajamas or half naked plenty of times, he has even seen Hyunjin naked a few times (though those moments were short-lived because Hyunjin would screech and cover himself and Seungmin would look away quickly— Hyunjin didn't really appreciate being pranked in the shower, but he never actually gets mad at Seungmin), but sharing a bed is new.

"Is the air conditioning cold enough?" Seungmin whispers as they lie in bed, and Hyunjin nods.

"Not too cold for you?"

"Nope. I guess I've become used to the freezing temperatures that you like," Seungmin jokes and Hyunjin laughs. "Good night, Hyunjin."

"Good night, Seungminnie."

Seungmin has a good night's rest, but when he wakes, he feels… heavy somehow. He blinks his eyes open and he hears Hyunjin's breathing right next to him before he sees him, peacefully sleeping while hugging Seungmin. He even looks beautiful when he's asleep, Seungmin thinks, but he blushes when he catches himself thinking it. It's a fact that Hyunjin is pretty, handsome, and nice to look at, and he can appreciate a guy's beauty, but thinking this while his friend is sleeping on top of him is different. It's new to say the least.

Nevertheless, Seungmin doesn't push him off. It's vacation, Hyunjin deserves to rest for as long as he wants, and Seungmin doesn't mind lounging in bed for longer either. It's raining, so Seungmin doesn't think they'll be doing anything special anyway. And besides, it's not uncomfortable to have Hyunjin hug him.

When Hyunjin groans softly, Seungmin looks at him and watches him slowly wake up, looking adorable with his puffy eyes and dumpling cheeks.

"Hmm— G'morning, Seungminnie—" Hyunjin mumbles before his eyes widen and he quickly removes his arm and leg. "Gosh— Sorry."

"Don't worry, your body heat was nice with the air conditioning," Seungmin assures, and Hyunjin chuckles sheepishly. Something crosses his expression that looks a bit like sadness, but it lasts only briefly, so Seungmin thinks it might have been his imagination.

"Let's wash up and see what they want to do today with the rain," Hyunjin suggests, and Seungmin agrees.

They have a slow breakfast, everyone having slept in, and they decide to have a slow day as well, play some board games, cook together, and watch a movie with the cousins. It's pretty fun, even if one of Hyunjin's aunts doesn't appreciate Seungmin trying to cheat in a board game and half of the cousins aren't watching the children's movie. It almost feels like a usual hangout with Hyunjin, only then Hyunjin's family is there. Hyunjin's uncle doesn't comment anything either, fortunately, not even when Hyunjin leans his head on Seungmin's shoulder during the movie, and Seungmin barely thinks about the fact that they're acting as boyfriends.

Only when they get into the same bed together again, Seungmin thinks about it and his stomach feels a bit funny, but he doesn't think much of it. He does think something of it when he wakes up with Hyunjin hugging him again, though he merely notices how warm and nice it is and he figures that he has been a little touch starved lately.

After breakfast, Hyunjin's two youngest cousins, Hara and Inseok, ask them to play with them, specifically to play family. Seungmin remembers that yesterday they asked Jinhyuk and Seohee to do the same, but they didn't want to. Seungmin doesn't see any problem with it, and he knows that Hyunjin's parents would appreciate everyone looking out for each other.

"Sure we can do that before we go to the beach," Hyunjin tells them, patting Hara's head.

"Good! I want you two to play the mommy and daddy," she tells them, and Hyunjin presses his lips together.

"We're both guys, Hara, can't we play daddy and daddy?" he tries, but Hara frowns.

"A family is supposed to have a mommy and a daddy," Inseok adds, and Seungmin grimaces. He knows that it's just playing pretend, just like he and Hyunjin are doing by pretending to be boyfriends, but if these kids already think like this, Seungmin understands that Hyunjin wants to show them that there isn't only one way to be a family.

"Come on, Hyunie, don't push that on the kids. Be happy they want to play with you," Jinhyuk comments with a grin. "It's easy. The woman of the relationship plays the mommy, and the man of the relationship plays the daddy. I guess that would make you the mommy, right?"

"Shut up, Jinhyuk," Hyunjin hisses before he turns back to Hara and Inseok with red cheeks and a tight mouth. "That's not how things work. We don't have a woman of the relationship because we're both men."

Seungmin isn't sure what Hyunjin's cousins are thinking, whether they're believing anything Hyunjin is saying or whether they're even listening, but once Hyunjin suggests that they play as daddy and daddy who have adopted children, Hara and Inseok seem to have fun coming up with dramatic ideas for why and how they were adopted ranging from car accidents to being abandoned for having superpowers.

The kids take the lead in the story, so it's not too difficult for Seungmin and Hyunjin to follow along, and Seungmin can tell that Hyunjin is used to playing with his cousins, which Seungmin thinks is sweet of him.

"Why are you not kissing?" Hara suddenly asks, and Seungmin and Hyunjin both flush. "Mommies and daddies— or, uh, parents are supposed to kiss!"

"Yeah, you never kiss," Inseok agrees, and Seungmin wonders if he means that outside of playing family they haven't kissed yet. He didn't think that kids would care about that, especially after only two days.

"It's because I don't like public displays of affection," Seungmin explains, and they look at him with confusion written all over their faces. "I mean— I don't like kissing when others can see."

"Jinhyuk oppa and Seohee noona do it," Hara points out.

"Every couple is different," Hyunjin tells her, but she doesn't look convinced at all.

"Well, our daddy and daddy do," she decides, and Hyunjin sighs before he looks at Seungmin worriedly. Seungmin is reluctant, but he doesn't think these kids will drop this until they do it. He would argue with them, but he doesn't really feel like it, and they can just do it very briefly.

"We can do a quick one and I'll make sure that our lips touch as little as possible," Seungmin whispers to Hyunjin.

"You sure?" he asks, and Seungmin nods. His heart is beating in his ears, but he presses his lips together so that his lips curl in, and he quickly pecks Hyunjin's mouth like that. He barely feels anything with his lips like that, so it's all good, and Hara and Inseok seem to be satisfied enough to continue playing.

Seungmin only has to peck Hyunjin two more times before the kids get bored. Seungmin is a little curious what it would be like to actually kiss Hyunjin, since his lips are so thick and Seungmin wonders if that would make kissing feel Hyunjin extra good or not.
Before he can get into those thoughts too much, however, Hyunjin's parents announce that they'll be going to the beach soon to have a picnic there, swim, and play around. Seungmin and Hyunjin head up to their room to change into their swimwear, Seungmin wearing a shirt while Hyunjin foregoes one. Seungmin can't help but stare, noticing how he has gained more muscle since the last time Seungmin saw him shirtless.

"Uhm— Sorry for my cousins, by the way, I didn't think they'd make us kiss," Hyunjin says, pulling Seungmin out of his staring daze. He notices that Hyunjin's ears are red, and Seungmin wonders if it's because of his staring or the kisses.

"It— It's fine. I told you I wouldn't do anything I don't want, right?" he tells Hyunjin, who nods and exhales deeply. "If I didn't want it, I'd have argued with those kids for half an hour, don't test me. If I can anger your aunt by attempting to cheat in a game, I will argue with little kids."

Hyunjin barks out a laugh and pushes at Seungmin's shoulder. "Good that you didn't have to, Hara can throw a mean tantrum."

"Yeah I barely felt anything during those pecks anyway so it was fine," Seungmin assures, and Hyunjin smiles halfheartedly. "Now do you want me to help you put sunscreen on your back since you're deciding to go all sexy beach boy?"

Hyunjin sputters and rolls his eyes as he pushes the sunscreen into Seungmin's hands while Seungmin laughs, satisfied to have flustered his friend. He rubs the sunscreen on Hyunjin's back, appreciating the muscles he has developed by working out and swimming. Seungmin thinks that a lot of girls would love to see Hyunjin like this and ogle at him, and maybe guys would like it, too, but Seungmin doesn't really know if they also like that.

"Thanks, Minnie. I take it that you'll be keeping your shirt on, but if you need any help from the Hwang applies sunscreen store, then I'm all yours," Hyunjin tells him when Seungmin is done, and Seungmin snickers.

He prefers keeping himself covered, so he doesn't think he'll need Hyunjin's help, but the thought of Hyunjin's hands being all over his back makes Seungmin's stomach do a flip— he is really touch starved, huh? Or perhaps it's just the idea of having to pretend to be boyfriends and having just pretended to be a parent together with Hyunjin getting to his head.

He shakes the thoughts away and they head to the beach with Hyunjin's family. The weather is nice, not too hot because of the breeze, and there are a few clouds providing some occasional shade from the scorching sun.
First they all lay down a big blanket and get out the dishes to have lunch together. It's actually nice, and Seungmin still doesn't regret his decision to join Hyunjin on this trip. He can ignore the looks and occasional comments thrown at him and Hyunjin fine, especially because Hyunjin simply ignores them as well, and he also doesn't mind the few times he had to do or say something he wouldn't normally do to pretend to be Hyunjin's boyfriend. It's a sacrifice he's willing to make for this enjoyable time with his friend.

The kids are the first to run off and play, and Hyunjin and Seungmin soon follow, suggesting to play some beach volleyball. They do that until they're sweaty and their arms hurt from the hard ball, and Hyunjin grabs Seungmin's wrist to pull him to the sea and swim. The water is nice and cool, and Hyunjin's dad brings a big beach ball to play around with, so it's a lot of fun.

Hyunjin swims around expertly and it's a bit distracting to look at, especially when it makes Seungmin fumble with their beach ball game, so he decides to distract Hyunjin as well by splashing him whenever he's supposed to hit the ball. Hyunjin sputters and splashes Seungmin back, and like that they both get distracted from the game. Hyunjin even completely abandons it and dives into the water to swim after Seungmin and grab him by the waist to briefly pull him under.

Seungmin yelps and thrashes with a laugh, trying to escape Hyunjin's grip. He knows that Hyunjin is ticklish, so he tries to press his fingers into Hyunjin’s sides, and he successfully catches Hyunjin by surprise, making him loosen his grip on Seungmin and giving him an opportunity to get away. When he does, he quickly half runs half swims towards the beach since Hyunjin is stronger and faster in water.

Nevertheless, he might also be stronger and faster on land, because even though Hyunjin almost trips once back on the beach, he almost catches up to him. Seungmin foolishly slows down to see if he's okay as well, which makes it even easier for Hyunjin to reach him. And that he does, though not after Seungmin pulls some impressive dodging moves, making up for his lack of speed and strength compared to Hyunjin.

When Hyunjin gets a grip on Seungmin’s shirt with a yell, Seungmin turns around and tries to pry Hyunjin’s hands off him, but that makes him slow down and Hyunjin runs right into him, knocking them both to the ground. Hyunjin falls on top of Seungmin and they both wince at the impact. Seungmin takes in a breath when he opens his eyes and sees Hyunjin above him, his wet hair framing his handsome face, his bare chest heaving as he pants, and his slightly lidded eyes gazing at Seungmin intensely.

"Finally got you," Hyunjin whispers, and Seungmin gulps, his heart leaping. Hyunjin is oh so close yet it's not close enough, and the thoughts of kissing Hyunjin that he had this morning return to his mind as his eyes trail down to Hyunjin’s plump lips.

It feels like, aside from a few drops of water falling from Hyunjin’s hair onto Seungmin’s face, they're suspended in time, the tension palpable between them. Seungmin barely notices how Hyunjin slowly hovers closer, but he does feel the way he steals away Seungmin’s breath and fills him with more desire with every centimeter he closes the gap between them. Without thinking, Seungmin tilts his head up to meet Hyunjin in the middle, and—

Suddenly a silhouette blocks the sun from Seungmin's view and before he knows it, Hyunjin is being yanked away roughly. Seungmin gasps and reality slams back into him— though not as hard as Hyunjin's uncle pushes Hyunjin off Seungmin.

"What the hell!" Seungmin exclaims, and Hyunjin's uncle turns to him with a snide scowl.

"The fact that you could come along to this family trip doesn't mean that you can get all freaky in front of everyone— in front of the children!"

"That— That is not what we were doing!" Hyunjin protests, wincing when his uncle turns back, but fortunately he keeps his hands off Hyunjin now.

"Don't deny what I saw with my own two eyes!" he sneers. "You two were desecrating the beach!"

Seungmin opens his mouth to argue that he is a fucking hypocrite, but Hyunjin shoots him a look that tells him that he shouldn't bother, so Seungmin swallows away the comment and instead gets up and helps Hyunjin up as well.

"You okay?" he asks softly, glaring at Hyunjin's uncle who is stomping away. Hyunjin nods and touches Seungmin's arm gratefully.

"Yeah. Just a little shaken up," he replies, pressing his lips together. "He didn't touch you, right?"

"He didn't," Seungmin confirms, and Hyunjin exhales in relief. "He shouldn't have pushed you either, no matter what he thought he saw. We're literally not even together, so he's definitely seeing things that aren't there."

Hyunjin makes a noncommittal noise and turns away, running a hand through his wet hair, and Seungmin can feel that he is still upset. "Yeah. Anyway. I'll go dry myself off and apply more sunscreen."

"Ah, good idea. I'll help," Seungmin tells him as he follows Hyunjin.

"Nah, I'll ask my mom," Hyunjin mutters, sounding dejected, and Seungmin's heart drops. "We don't want my uncle seeing more things that obviously aren't there."

Seungmin frowns, thinking it's unfair that they can't even do things they'd do as friends just because people think that they're in a relationship. He understands why Hyunjin is upset, but Seungmin worries and wishes he could help— anything to make Hyunjin happy and to not think about whatever that moment was between them before Hyunjin's uncle ruined it.

"Don't worry, Hyunie, I'll tell him off," Hyunjin's mom assures him as she applies some sunscreen to his back. "Whatever he thinks of your relationship is his business, but he went out of line by pushing you."

"Thanks, mom," Hyunjin sighs, and his eyes flick towards Seungmin briefly before he quickly looks away when he sees that Seungmin is watching. Seungmin blushes and looks away as well.

He doesn't know what he's feeling and he can't get his mind nor his heart to settle down, not even when Hyunjin’s mother comes to check in on him too.

"Do you need any help with sunscreen too?" she asks, though it's probably more of a conversation starter than a genuine question, because Seungmin has already reapplied his sunscreen. He shakes his head, glancing at Hyunjin who is munching on a snack while blankly watching the sea. "I hope that my brother didn't ruin things for you too much."

"I think he's a hypocrite and he shouldn't have pushed Hyunjin, but I'm fine," Seungmin replies. "I just hope that Hyunjinnie is okay."

"He's sensitive, but don't worry, he's strong," Hyunjin’s mother assures him. "And my brother sometimes forgets himself, but I'll tell him off. Until he's cooled down and has gotten over himself, you two can have your moments in your room. You shouldn't let him shame you."

Seungmin’s heart flutters but his stomach twists, knowing that he isn't going to cheer Hyunjin up with a kiss behind closed doors, and because he's not gay, he doesn't fully know what Hyunjin feels like so he doesn't really know what to do. He will try to cheer Hyunjin up, but he'll wait until they're in their room like Hyunjin’s mom suggests. The last thing he wants is upsetting Hyunjin more by making his uncle angry.

The kids are difficult to convince to go back, but once everyone starts craving food and the kids are promised ice cream for dessert, they easily agree to go back and make some food. Hyunjin says he'll help with dinner today, and Seungmin offers to join as well, but it doesn't give them an opportunity to talk because Hyunjin's aunt is there, too. At least it's peaceful, but there's still tension hanging in the air, and Hyunjin isn't even leaning his chin on Seungmin's shoulder when they're waiting for the food to be done cooking. Hyunjin's uncle isn't even in the kitchen, so it would be fine, but maybe Hyunjin is playing it safe.

Hyunjin's family thanks them for the food once they plate it, and Seungmin is glad to have some food, because swimming and playing around is exhausting already, but worrying is, too, and feeling a lot of emotions is, as well— and gosh did he feel some today. Nevertheless, getting some yummy food in his system almost makes Seungmin forget about everything that happened today, but unfortunately someone has to remind them.

"Was cooking okay with those two? Or did they desecrate the kitchen as well?" Hyunjin's uncle comments, and Hyunjin's mom shoots him a glare while he just grunts.

"They were perfectly decent and great helps in the kitchen," Hyunjin's aunt replies, and Hyunjin's mom elbows her brother, who sighs deeply.

"Fine. I'm sorry, Hyunjin, about what I did on the beach," he mutters insincerely, not even looking at them nor addressing Seungmin. "And I am glad that you were acting appropriately with your aunt."

Seungmin rolls his eyes at the half assed apology, but it's something, at least, and Hyunjin mumbles a thank you, though that, too, isn't very sincere. The atmosphere is tense, and only the kids are cheery once they have their ice cream. Seungmin tries a few jokes as well, but most of them fall flat because he is feeling off too.

They head to their room soon after some mindless scrolling on their phones in company of Hyunjin's family to not seem too anti social, and Seungmin waits in anticipation, hoping that Hyunjin will talk to him or vent to him, because he still seems upset.
He doesn't talk. Instead, he immediately washes up and climbs into bed while Seungmin follows close behind.

"Hyunjinnie, talk to me," Seungmin requests once they're in bed. "You've barely said anything since we came back from the beach."

"I'm sorry, I'm tired," Hyunjin replies, lying with his back turned to Seungmin. "I'll get over myself tomorrow."

"Your uncle is the one who needs to get over himself," Seungmin mutters, and Hyunjin chuckles dryly. "You know you can vent to me, right?"

"I know," Hyunjin sighs, turning to face Seungmin. "Maybe I will, but not now. I just want to leave today behind me."

"Okay, that's fair enough." Seungmin puts a hand on Hyunjin's arm. "I hope you can still remember today as a fun day, because for me it was for the most part."

"I'll try." Hyunjin offers a small smile before he turns around again. "Good night, Seungminnie."

"Good night, sleep well."

Seungmin turns off the lights and sighs. He's unable to keep the thoughts and feelings of today at bay so he doesn't fall asleep very quickly, images of Hyunjin staring down at him at the beach haunting his mind, mixed with worries about Hyunjin being upset. After a while, thoughts slowly turn into dreams, and if he dreams of Hyunjin's lips on his own, then that is only for him to know.

When Seungmin wakes up, Hyunjin isn't hugging him, and he's kind of disappointed by it. Hyunjin is turned to him, however, so Seungmin subtly grabs Hyunjin's arm to wrap it around himself. Hyunjin hums in his sleep and scoots a little closer, his cheek squished on the pillow, and Seungmin can't help but stare, finding it so lovely. His friend wakes up slowly and unfortunately removes his arm again, but Seungmin doesn't comment on it— he doesn't really know why he wants Hyunjin to hug him, and he would feel embarrassed to admit it.

Hyunjin seems to feel a bit better, fortunately, but when they come downstairs, Seungmin can tell that Hyunjin is extra avoidant of his uncle, even when they go out shopping for more groceries. Seungmin sticks close and nudges his hand to Hyunjin's, silently asking to hold it in hopes of making Hyunjin feel a bit better. Hyunjin accepts, opening his hand and letting Seungmin intertwine their fingers. Seungmin is glad to see a little smile appearing on Hyunjin's lips, so he squeezes his hand as they continue to get the food they need, and Seungmin sneaks some blueberries in their cart, just because Hyunjin likes them.

"Tch— No shame at all in public," Hyunjin's uncle grumbles, and Hyunjin lets go of Seungmin's hand while Seungmin shoots the uncle a glare. Ugh, such a joy killer.

After putting the groceries away, they join the kids and Hyunjin's grandparents at the nearby playground. Seungmin is happy that they don't have a super busy day today since yesterday was quite exhausting, so he's content watching kids play and read a few more pages of the book he brought.

"Psst— Just a little reminder that there are many children here, so… you know, don't do anything inappropriate," Jinhyuk whispers to them with a shit eating grin, and Seungmin scoffs.

"Hara and Inseok wanted us to kiss while playing family, so I think the kids can handle us sitting next to each other," he replies with a shrug.

"You're already tainting my cousins, so let's not corrupt these other kids by doing what you did yesterday," Jinhyuk tells him with a disgusted expression. Seungmin grits his teeth but he doesn't argue— he knows that people like Jinhyuk and his dad will twist anything you say. If they already think that holding hands is inappropriate while Jinhyuk and his girlfriend can make out in front of everyone, there's no reasoning with them. And besides, Hyunjin doesn't seem to want him to interfere too much.

Annoyingly enough, even at dinner they can't let it go, joking about keeping track of how many times Hyunjin and Seungmin 'can't keep it in their pants'. Seungmin is baffled by how obsessed Hyunjin's uncle and Jinhyuk are with something that supposedly makes them uncomfortable, and while Hyunjin's grandmother chides them for being crude and Hyunjin's dad comments on how often Jinhyuk and Seohee are all over each other, even Seungmin feels angry and a bit humiliated by everything. Especially because whatever they think they're seeing between him and Hyunjin is not even real and yet the mere thought that they're together is apparently enough to be inappropriate for them.

"I just don't get why they just can't keep it contained in their room," Jinhyuk says with a laugh, and Seungmin huffs in annoyance.

"Shut up, Jinhyuk," Hyunjin seems to be just the same as Seungmin feels, on the brink of snapping.

"Hyunjin, sweetie, calm down," Hyunjin's aunt tells him, but Hyunjin shakes his head.

"No! Don't tell me to calm down! Why did you even let me bring him if everyone is going to complain about it all day?!" Hyunjin snaps, and his family gasps— even Seungmin takes in a breath, rarely seeing Hyunjin this angry. He's emotional, yes, but he almost never expresses it through irritation or anger. "This is why I didn't want to come!"

"Hey, relax, we're just joking around!" Jinhyuk says, and Seungmin can tell that Hyunjin is close to breaking. "Don't be so sensitive."

"Hyunjinnie, we're happy that you found someone," his grandmother tells him, trying to soothe him.

"Yet you barely bother to defend me!" Hyunjin exclaims.

"Hey, be nice to your grandmother!" his aunt tells him, and Hyunjin groans loudly before pushing his chair back, standing up, and stomping away, obviously not wanting to fight.

"Where is he going?" Hara asks, and Hyunjin's uncle waves her off.

"Let him have his tantrum."

Seungmin scoffs and pushes his chair back as well. "It's not a tantrum— he's rightfully upset. I'll go check on him. Excuse me."
He doesn't even bother to hide his annoyance before he quickly turns around and runs after Hyunjin, who has gone outside.

He finds his friend sitting on a patch of grass not too far from where they're staying, his arms wrapped around his knees and his forehead resting on them. Seungmin sits next to him and announces his presence with a careful touch to Hyunjin's arm. Hyunjin jolts and looks up, but he softens when he sees that it's Seungmin.

"Sorry about that. I told you to ignore my family but I can't even do it myself," Hyunjin mutters, and Seungmin caresses his arm.

"I already need a break from them, so I get that it's even worse for you. I think you did a pretty good job holding back despite everything," Seungmin tells him. and Hyunjin sighs, letting himself fall back to lie on the grass. Seungmin follows and notices that the stars are quite beautiful here with little light pollution.

"I mean— I should be happy that they're at least trying. My parents are supportive, and it's only my uncle and Jinhyuk who are being shitty, but…" Hyunjin trails off and spreads his arms a little, their hands brushing against each other.

"Just because other people might have it worse doesn't mean that you can't complain or be upset about your family being assholes," Seungmin says, and Hyunjin hums.

"You're right," he mumbles. "I hope it's not ruining your summer as well. Are you already regretting that you came?"

"I'm not. It's still better than sitting alone in our room and dying of boredom," Seungmin says, and he's happy to see a hint of a smile on Hyunjin's lips when he glances at his friend. "And besides, I hope that being here makes it a little less horrible for you and that it's not making things worse because they think you have a boyfriend."

"It's fine. I do think it's better with you here," Hyunjin murmurs, his pinky finger moving along Seungmin's, and it makes Seungmin's heart act up. "Hmm. The stars are pretty."

"They are," Seungmin agrees, and he turns his head to look at Hyunjin, who looks just as beautiful as the starry sky above them. Hyunjin then meets his gaze, and Seungmin inhales sharply as he turns to watch the stars again. He doesn't know why he looked away so quickly, but somehow he feels a bit shy for watching Hyunjin instead of the night sky.

In the corner of his eyes, he can see that Hyunjin's gaze lingers on him for a moment before he, too, turns his attention to the constellations above again, and Seungmin feels warm, his heart bouncing in his chest. He is too aware of everything, and especially of Hyunjin's hand touching his, but he doesn't move away. He wants to be there for Hyunjin and he likes the feeling of holding hands.

"Do… Is there anyone in your family who's gay? Or, are they homophobic?" Hyunjin wonders after a while, and Seungmin hums in thought.

"I don't know. We rarely see our cousins, but if anyone is gay, they'd probably hide it," he answers with a shrug. "I don't know if my family would be supportive, either. On one hand, I imagine they don't care enough to stop anyone from dating whoever they want, but on the other hand, I don't think they'd be thrilled."

"Ugh, why do so many families suck," Hyunjin complains, and Seungmin laughs as he agrees. "At least we have each other."

"We do," Seungmin mutters, the warmth he already felt spreading through his veins, and at the same time, they look at each other. They giggle softly at the coincidence, and Seungmin is all too happy to see Hyunjin smile again. He doesn't understand why his family is so shitty to him when Hyunjin is so… genuine, sweet, and loving. On top of that, he is incredibly brave for being out to his family— Hyunjin's mom was right in saying that he's really strong. Seungmin knows that Hyunjin hates hiding parts of himself, so he might even have been more miserable if he wouldn't be out, but still, he is brave and admirable.

"How…" Seungmin begins the question before he even notices that he's wondering about it, and Hyunjin hums, encouraging him to continue. "How did you find out that you were gay? Is— Is that something I can ask?"

Hyunjin softens, and their fingers brush each other's again. "Yes, you can. I trust you, Seungminnie. Are you up for a whole ramble?"

"Sure. The weather is nice, your family isn't here… I can stay here for longer, yes," Seungmin tells him, and Hyunjin nods. He takes a moment before he starts talking, but Seungmin has all the patience in the world for him.

"I have always loved romance. Any type of romance. I loved attention from girls too, so I used to think I was straight— all I knew was romance between a man and a woman— but whenever girls asked me out, all the magic and enjoyment disappeared," Hyunjin explains slowly, and Seungmin hums. "I was frustrated and confused about why it wasn't working, and I just thought that I hadn't found the right girl yet. It's all a bit cliché, but one day I just stumbled upon gay romance stories online and everything just clicked. I started noticing how I could see myself in the characters, how I felt looking at other guys, receiving their attention, or looking at male celebrities. It took some time to accept it, but when I did, it felt right. It felt like I finally found me."

Seungmin offers a smile, which Hyunjin returns. He thinks it's nice that it felt good for Hyunjin to find out, and though Seungmin himself never really understood the 'when you know, you know' sentiment about love and attraction, he is happy that Hyunjin had that moment.

"I'm glad you found yourself. And how did you tell your parents?" he wonders, and Hyunjin huffs.

"I've never been good at hiding how I feel around other people, so whenever my parents asked about crushes and girlfriends they could tell how awkward I felt," he replies with a dry chuckle. "They told me they first thought it was just teenager things, but eventually they started suspecting that I was gay, and when they asked, I couldn't lie. I was sixteen back then, and since then me and my parents have come to terms with it more."

"I can tell. They're supportive and you're confident in who you are. It's a good look on you," Seungmin compliments, and he thinks it makes Hyunjin blush, but he isn't sure in the darkness.

"Thank you, I— I try, despite everything," Hyunjin murmurs. "I'm bad at hiding my feelings anyway, so I might as well try to show people that it's okay to love who you love and hope that someone is inspired or feels a little bit assured."

"I think that's beautiful, Hyunjin," Seungmin whispers, grabbing onto Hyunjin's hand without even consciously noticing what he's doing. "You're admirable."

Hyunjin looks touched, his eyes glimmering in the starlight, and again Seungmin is hit by the realization how beautiful his friend is. He always knew, but right now he really feels it.

"You're admirable, too, for supporting me and agreeing to pretend to be my boyfriend while you don't even like guys," Hyunjin says softly. "You always try to treat my problems as if they are your own and I love that so much about you."

Seungmin sputters at the sudden sincere admission, flushing and feeling his heart going haywire. He doesn't know how to react, so he just makes a noncommittal noise, and Hyunjin chuckles.

"Sorry. Too much?" Hyunjin wonders, but Seungmin shakes his head.

"I just never know what to do with your sappiness," he half-jokes, and he's glad that Hyunjin laughs again.

"It's because you were really sweet tonight," he tells him, which doesn't help Seungmin's cheeks cool down. "And really cute right now."

"You're rubbing off on me after spending so much time with you, I guess," he says to deflect from how warm he feels, and Hyunjin snickers.

"Thank you for always cheering me up, Minnie," he whispers before sighing. "I would love to stay here all night, but we should probably head back before granny thinks I ran away."

Seungmin agrees and follows Hyunjin back to the house. Hyunjin's dad asks if everything is okay, and Hyunjin nods.

"Good. Just let us deal with your uncle, alright, son?" he tells them. "We were the ones who told you that you could bring your boyfriend, so we'll try to make it as bearable as we can, and maybe, just maybe, next year you can bring Seungmin again."

Hyunjin looks a bit awkward, and Seungmin wonders if it is because he doesn't want to come again or if he doesn't want Seungmin to have to pretend to be his boyfriend again. Seungmin doesn't know if he wants to, either, but he does know that even if he knew what would happen beforehand, he would absolutely still have agreed to come this time.

"We'll cross that bridge when we find it," Hyunjin's dad continues, noticing Hyunjin and Seungmin's hesitant expressions. "Now go, uh, kiss each other in your room or something and sleep. Tomorrow we're going to the fair!"

"Ugh, dad, you're so embarrassing," Hyunjin mutters while Seungmin blushes, but Hyunjin does briefly hug his dad. "Thanks, though. Good night."

Hyunjin's dad smiles and pats his son's head and offers Seungmin a grateful nod. "Good night you two."

They head up to their room and whip out Seungmin's laptop so they can watch something together before going to sleep. Every day is starting to feel like a rollercoaster of emotions with this family— having fun one moment and fighting the next, feeling like only he and Hyunjin exist one moment and forcefully being pulled to reality the next. He hates seeing Hyunjin upset as well, and while he has managed to cheer him up mostly, he can't prevent Hyunjin's family from making him upset again, and that frustrates him. All he wants is to see Hyunjin happy.

The next day, Seungmin is happy to wake up to Hyunjin being cuddled up to him, and he thinks he might miss that affection when they come back to the dorms. Maybe he could ask Hyunjin to cuddle him more when they're awake… But not now, because right now Hyunjin's mom is knocking on their door, saying that the kids are too excited to go to the fair and want to go right now, so it would be best if they get ready soon.

Seungmin drags a sleepy Hyunjin out of bed to wash up and they get dressed to go to the fair. Apparently that, too, is a tradition of Hyunjin's family, but it looks like a lot of fun, to Seungmin. There are different rides, games, food and drink stalls, and other events.

Everyone immediately scatters while Hyunjin's mom tries to remind everyone of the time they will come together again for lunch, and Seungmin pulls Hyunjin to one of the rides. He knows that Hyunjin usually flip-flops between being scared and enjoying the rides, but mostly it ends up in Hyunjin being happy that he did it, so Seungmin excitedly drags Hyunjin to one of the lines.

"You look like Inseok and Hara whenever we come here," Hyunjin comments, amusement apparent in his voice, and Seungmin feels his neck heat up. "It's cute."

"Just wait until we're on the ride and you're screaming your lungs out before you say that you loved it," Seungmin says. "Then you'll be the cute one."

Hyunjin barks out a laugh. "You think that's cute?"

"Yes!" Seungmin confirms, and Hyunjin blushes, smiling bashfully.

"And you're cute when you find me cute!" he retorts, and Seungmin shakes his head with a laugh.

Indeed, Hyunjin clings to him and screams the whole time while Seungmin cheers and laughs, enjoying the thrill even more with Hyunjin close to him. As expected, Hyunjin is jumping up and down after, saying that he wants to go again.

"Told you," Seungmin laughs, and he notices that they're holding hands. He didn't know when that happened, but he doesn't mind. "Oh, look! There's a picture of us!"

"You look like a maniac!" Hyunjin cackles happily. "And I look like a damn pabo!"

"I love it— I want to buy it even though these are always expensive," Seungmin says, getting out his wallet. Hyunjin comments that he could pay half, but Seungmin shakes his head. It's not that much money, so he buys it for them, and they spend another five minutes giggling at it before finding the next ride they want to go on.

They go on two more and buy a few snacks before Hyunjin's mom finds them for lunch. Everyone looks happy and content while they eat the food from the stalls combined with what they brought along. Seungmin is happy too, because it's fun, Hyunjin's family is leaving them alone, and Hyunjin is smiling.

"Oh, I saw that there would be a special event for couples later! That's perfect right?" Hyunjin's aunt claps her hands together. "A lot of us could participate!"

Hyunjin's grandparents decline, saying physical games will be too much for them, but Jinhyuk and Seohee, Hyunjin's parents, and Hyunjin and Seungmin do agree to participate.

"You sure you want to participate? Because, you know…" Hyunjin trails off, referring to the fact that they're fake dating. "We could always say that we don't want to be the only gay couple."

"We can participate in my opinion. It seems like it's more of a cooperation based event anyway, which I think we're pretty good at, and it sounds like fun," Seungmin tells him, so Hyunjin softens and confirms that he and Seungmin will be joining.

They head there after the lunch, and Seungmin notices that Hyunjin is a little nervous because they're the only gay couple there like Hyunjin expected, but the hosts do welcome them warmly.

Then the hosts introduce the event, which is a collection of cooperation based games and a quiz, and the winner will receive a voucher for the next fair and matching shirts. Seungmin thinks that he and Hyunjin can work together really well, so maybe they have a shot at winning, and since most of the couples are from Hyunjin's parents' age they have an advantage in the physical games.

Their first challenge is filling in a form with general questions about your partner and yourself that the judges will check to see how well the couples know each other. Questions like what the other's favorite color or food or movie is, what their hobbies are, or what activities relax them. Seungmin is quite confident in most of his answers and in that Hyunjin will know most of it about him, too, so he gets fired up.

Then, they have games like a sack race, balancing rice bowls while wearing traditional shoes, and leading your partner who wears a blindfold through a small maze. Seungmin feels his abs burn from laughter when Hyunjin makes them trip in the sack race, when Hyunjin's parents drop all their rice bowls, and when he keeps running into the walls in the maze because he wants to finish as fast as possible and Hyunjin whines that Seungmin isn't listening properly.
By the time they arrive at the final quiz, Seungmin has all but forgotten about the fact that they're keeping score, and he's surprised to see that he and Hyunjin are in the top three together with Jinhyuk and Seohee. They haven't counted the form yet and the quiz contains a lot of points too, so anything could happen, but Seungmin thinks it's already worth a high five.

For the quiz they also work together pretty well, because they know different things, and Seungmin is glad that it's a mix of things older generations know better and things younger generations generally know better, so it's not a won race yet. Seungmin doesn't really care for winning, but he would like to beat Jinhyuk and Seohee, preferably.

"And the last question is one for our loyal visitors: Who was our first mascot who was changed to be Pyon ten years ago, and for one bonus point, what did the mascot represent?" The hosts reads the question and Hyunjin gasps.

"Oh, I know this! I remember being scared of it when I was a kid," he says, waving his hands around. "Uh, the name was Chewy and he was supposed to be a churro."

Seungmin snorts and writes it all down before they hand in their answers. While the judges score the quiz, the hosts go over the answers and the audience goes between cheers whenever they were right and complaints whenever they got something wrong, and Seungmin shares a giddy look with Hyunjin.

"I wonder what place we'll get," Hyunjin whispers, and Seungmin grabs onto Hyunjin's hand when the hosts announce that they'll go over the scores, starting at the couples with the least points. When they come to the top three, their names still haven't been called, so Seungmin holds his breath and he feels Hyunjin squeezing his hand tightly.

"And then, the first place is between Jinhyuk and Seohee, and Hyunjin and Seungmin!" the host talks as if the stakes are high, and she encourages the audience to do a drum roll. "It was very close, but our winner scored many points with their deep knowledge of each other because they got almost all answers about each other correct! It's Hyunjin and Seungmin, congratulations! Come up to receive your prize."

"What?! Really?" Hyunjin gasps before he pulls Seungmin into a big hug. "Wow! We did that!"

They head up to the stage and accept the vouchers and the two shirts while most of the couples who participated clap for them. There are also some murmurs, but Seungmin ignores them.

"So, tell us, how do you know each other so well?" the host asks them, and Seungmin feels a bit shy, but he answers,

"Well, we're roommates, and we love sharing our hobbies together or at least listening to the other whenever we talk about things we love."

Hyunjin adds, "I agree. We're quite different but that only makes us more interested in the other."

"That is so sweet! As they say, opposites attract! Let's hear it for this year's best couple!"

The audience claps again and Hyunjin's parents are very loud in their cheers, making Seungmin and Hyunjin laugh. They then have to take a commemorative photo with the vouchers and shirts, so Hyunjin puts his arm around Seungmin's shoulder. The host is very enthusiastically taking pictures, and after five or so, one of the couples yells,

"Kiss!"

Seungmin's heartbeat speeds up, and the host confirms that every year they also take a photo of the couple kissing if they want that, while more of the audience joins the 'kiss' chant and others complain. Seungmin remembers seeing the photos outside, and a lot of them had a kissing photo. Hyunjin looks at Seungmin with furrowed brows and worried eyes, but Seungmin thinks that they won't be let go if they don't do this and most of the audience would be disappointed. Yes, they can say that they don't want to, but Seungmin would think it wouldn't be right if the first gay couple to win didn't kiss.

Sure, it's fake, but Seungmin wants to make a statement, he wants to help Hyunjin and show his shitty uncle that they won't hold back more than a man and woman would. If a man and woman could kiss without problems, why can't they?

Hyunjin is about to turn to the host and probably tell her that they don't want to kiss, but Seungmin stops him by cupping his jaw and pulling him into a kiss. He forgets to curl his lips inward so that he doesn't feel Hyunjin’s lips on his own, so he's shocked by his own action as much as Hyunjin is. Nevertheless, he closes his eyes and tries to look natural for the photo, ignoring the way his heart is trying to pound out of his chest and Hyunjin's lips are so soft on his own. The kiss is a little awkward because it's merely their lips pressed together, but it still makes Seungmin’s insides feel like they're holding a gymnastics competition.

He barely notices when the host announces that she's done taking pictures and most of the audience cheers and claps for them, though it does cause his eyes to open and meet Hyunjin’s confused stare. Hyunjin has to usher Seungmin off the stage because Seungmin is still catching up to what he just did, though Hyunjin still looks like he isn't fully aware of reality either.

"Why did you do that?" Hyunjin hisses, knitting his eyebrows together.

"The kiss? I— I mean, they asked for it," Seungmin tells him, because that is the truth. "And we're not yielding to your uncle."

"So it wasn't uncomfortable for you?" Hyunjin wonders, and Seungmin realizes that Hyunjin might have worried about that.

"No! You know that I wouldn't do things that make me uncomfortable that easily. I'm fine kissing a friend to help make a statement, even if it's a little awkward," Seungmin assures before his eyes widen. "Wait— but I didn't ask you if you were okay— shit— I totally wasn't thinking—"

"Don't worry about me. I'm just glad that you didn't force yourself," Hyunjin mutters, but he doesn't look particularly happy. Seungmin doesn’t understand. He doesn't understand anything about what he or Hyunjin is feeling.

Hyunjin walks away again and Seungmin follows belatedly. Hyunjin’s parents congratulate them and joke about the youngsters being better couples than them, but even if Hyunjin and Seungmin barely respond to that, Jinhyuk manages to ruin the mood.

"I bet you only won because they wanted to give you fags a pity win," he spits, while Seohee stands next to him, sulking.

"We won fair and square. I bet the hosts are more than willing to show our forms and their scoring," Seungmin retorts in irritation, and Hyunjin’s dad adds that Jinhyuk is crossing a line.

"No, they are crossing a line, being disgusting in public again while they know it's wrong!" he growls, and Seungmin feels like punching him in the face. "It's unnatural and perverse!"

"Fuck you! You are perverse for caring so much about who other people love!" Seungmin snaps, not taking this ridiculous crap anymore. He wants to continue to cuss Jinhyuk out, but before he can do that, the hosts come to ask what the fuss is about, and Hyunjin’s dad silently motions that they'll deal with it, so Hyunjin and Seungmin walk away.

Seungmin is still seething, but he is glad that he doesn't have to deal with that right now because that would be too much and he might explode and do something stupid like actually punching Hyunjin's cousin. He usually prides himself on his composure, but he can't stand it when people insult his friends for shit reasons.

They find a quiet spot together with Hyunjin's mother, and now that they're away from all the commotion and Seungmin is calming down slowly, he feels his lips tingling with the lingering sensation of Hyunjin’s lips on them. It makes his heart act up again.

"Oh come on, boys, let's not let Jinhyuk and his vile words ruin your win. He's just jealous," Hyunjin’s mom pats their shoulders and leans closer. "And besides, even though we haven't seen much of you two together yet, I do agree that you two are the best couple of the year."

Seungmin blushes. It's certainly ironic to be crowned best couple when they're not even actually together, but he guesses that the event was simply all about cooperation and you don't need to have a romantic bond for that.

Hyunjin huffs. "I want to go home. If Jinhyuk is so jealous he can have our price for all I care."

Seungmin frowns, wondering what's up with his friend, and it worries him, but he doesn't want to bring it up in front of his mom. Maybe it's just what Jinhyuk said, but Hyunjin has accepted himself years ago already, and Seungmin doesn't think a few shitty words would break his friend that easily. Usually Seungmin can read Hyunjin so well, but this trip he has felt stumped on knowing what his friend is feeling multiple times already.

"I think it's more that he's jealous about your bond and happiness than the prices," Hyunjin’s mom tries to soothe Hyunjin, but it doesn’t seem to help. "But I'll gather everyone to go home. I heard that Hara is getting tired too."

"I'll wait in the car," Hyunjin mutters, immediately turning around without waiting for anyone.

Seungmin and Hyunjin's mom share a concerned look, both unsure what is going on.

"I— I will try to talk to him," Seungmin says, and Hyunjin's mom softens.

"Thank you. I'm sure you'll be able to cheer him up again whatever is wrong, seeing how you've already done so before," she says, putting her hand on Seungmin's shoulder briefly. Seungmin hopes that she's right.

Once everyone is gathered, they all head to the cars and Seungmin climbs in next to Hyunjin. He feels a bit awkward with Hyunjin's teenage cousin Younghae next to them, and while she's mostly on her phone, Seungmin is still a bit hesitant to talk to Hyunjin with her next to him. He gently places his hand on Hyunjin's knee and leans closer while Hyunjin just stares at his feet.

"Hyunjinnie," Seungmin tries, and Hyunjin glances at him. He doesn't seem angry like Seungmin would expect him to be with Jinhyuk, but if Jinhyuk isn't the problem, then what is? "What is wrong? Is it what Jinhyuk said?"

"I don't want to talk about it here," Hyunjin mutters, his fingers curling around the fabric of his shorts.

"Okay," Seungmin replies, creating more space between them again. The drive back is tense and Seungmin thinks they can't arrive soon enough. Aside from Jinhyuk being an ass at the end, everything went well at the fair, they had a lot of fun and they even won the couple event, so Seungmin doesn't understand. If it was Jinhyuk, Hyunjin would be fine talking about it in front of his parents and Younghae, Seungmin thinks.

Was it their kiss after all? Seungmin hopes that Hyunjin wasn't telling him not to worry while Hyunjin did find it uncomfortable, and Seungmin berates himself for being so inconsiderate. Just because Hyunjin was fine with the little pecks while playing family and just because he's gay doesn't mean that he's okay with his best friend kissing him out of nowhere for a photo.

Before the car is even fully parked, Hyunjin pushes the door open and makes a beeline for his shared room with Seungmin. Seungmin quickly follows, his heart bouncing in his ears, and he sucks in a breath when Hyunjin pushes the door shut behind them and turns to him with serious eyes.

"I want to stop," he says, a little out of breath, and Seungmin freezes, confused.

"Huh?"

"I want to stop being fake boyfriends!" Hyunjin states.

Seungmin's eyes widen and he stammers, "Wh-What? Why? Because of Jinhyuk? Or— Did the kiss make you uncomfortable after all?"

"No— it didn't, and it's not Jinhyuk either— or, well, a little, I guess." Hyunjin runs a hand through his hair and avoids Seungmin's eyes. "I— It's just not fair! It's not fair to you and I can't stand it anymore— I- You're being caught in the crossfire of my uncle and Jinhyuk's shitty comments and then you have to pretend to kiss me and—"

"And I told you that it was fine!" Seungmin cuts in, and Hyunjin presses his lips together stubbornly. "Don't worry about me, okay, Hyunjin? It's not affecting me other than that it simply pisses me off because they're being ridiculous and shitty towards you, and I hope that it's not affecting you, either."

"It's not— and I appreciate you standing up for me even if I don't know if they'll ever listen, but…" Hyunjin trails off. "That's not it."

"Then what is it, Hyunie?" Seungmin asks. He hates that Hyunjin still isn't looking at him, but he doesn't want to force him when he doesn't know what's wrong. "If it's not Jinhyuk and the kiss didn't make you uncomfortable, then why do you want to stop?—"

"Because of my feelings for you!" Hyunjin exclaims, his eyes snapping up to meet Seungmin's.

What?

"I— Gosh— I can't stand it anymore when you're always being so sweet and then you kiss me like it's nothing after we win best couple but it's all fake and you're straight and I'm afraid that if we don't quit right now I'll do something stupid and ruin our friendship forever!"

Seungmin gapes at him, speechless. He did not expect to hear this at all. Hyunjin liked him all this time? He has actual feelings for Seungmin? Is that why he was upset the whole time?

When Seungmin is quiet for too long, Hyunjin sighs and shakes his head. "You really didn't notice?"

"No— I— For how long?" Seungmin stammers, his heart hammering in his throat.

"Basically since we met!" Hyunjin replies, and Seungmin's mouth falls open. "See? Ugh— I'm already messing things up and you probably think it's disgusting that I let you kiss me and that I did all this and that I took advantage of you like this, but I-I at least want to prevent taking even more advantage of you if I can, so— we're quitting, okay? I'll think of something to tell my parents to send you home—"

"No!" Seungmin speaks before his brain works, cutting into Hyunjin's rambling, and Hyunjin snaps his mouth shut, frowning.

"No?"

"I don't want to go home," Seungmin says, his stomach twisting reluctantly at the idea.

"Then what do we say? That we fought? That we're giving in to my uncle and Jinhyuk and we're not doing PDA anymore? That we're breaking up?" Hyunjin rants, and Seungmin chews on his lip. He doesn't want any of that. He doesn't want Hyunjin's uncle and Jinhyuk to think that they won or that they were right, and everyone would surely be confused about them suddenly breaking up, but most of all Seungmin doesn't want to stop being this close to Hyunjin.

"We— I mean, we don't have to quit, right?" Seungmin offers, and Hyunjin huffs.

"Didn't you hear what I just said, Seungminnie?" he wonders, a tinge of desperation lacing his voice. "I— You know I'm bad at hiding my feelings and I don't want to make you uncomfortable nor do I want to torture myself with this false sense of hope any longer— please, Seungmin, it's better for both of us if we stop."

Seungmin grimaces and he shakes his head, trying to make sense of the jumble of thoughts and feelings going through him. He didn't know that Hyunjin liked him like that and he didn't know that he was giving Hyunjin some sense of hope and it's all too much to process right now. One thing, however, he is sure of.

"But— What if I don't want to stop?" he asks softly, and Hyunjin frowns.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't want to stop this," Seungmin repeats. He doesn't know how else to explain it, but he just really badly doesn't want this to end.

"Because you want to prove a point to my uncle and Jinhyuk?" Hyunjin wonders, and Seungmin opens his mouth, hoping that if he just speaks the answers will come to him.

"That too, but…" It doesn't come to him immediately.

"But what?"

"But also for— for myself?" Seungmin mutters, unsure, but Hyunjin's frown only deepens.

"I don't understand, Seungmin," he says, and Seungmin sighs.

"To be honest, me neither," he admits, feeling his neck get warmer. Hyunjin steps closer and touches his arm gently, and it causes Seungmin to exhale properly. Only now he notices that his breathing was getting shallow.

"Talk to me," Hyunjin requests, still keeping his hand on Seungmin's arm. "What do you feel? What is going through your mind? I'll listen, just like you always do for me."

Seungmin softens and nods, feeling Hyunjin's support. He's still nervous, but just like he appreciates it whenever Hyunjin shares his worries with him, he imagines that Hyunjin is the same the other way around.

"I'm not as in touch with my feelings as you are, but… I'll try," he says, and Hyunjin gives an encouraging smile. "I just… I don't want this to end, you know? I— I was having fun despite your uncle and cousin, and- I thought you were too, and I like seeing you happy. I don't want you to be alone with your family and I don't want to be alone either and I just— I like it like this. I don't know, I don't want to stop."

"Even with the knowledge that I have feelings for you? Even knowing that— I've been wanting to kiss you since forever and if I'm not careful and get too lost in pretending I might actually kiss you?" Hyunjin asks, and Seungmin feels like his cheeks are on fire. The mere thought of kissing Hyunjin makes his stomach flip and his heart skip a beat.

"I— I'm not repulsed by the thought," Seungmin admits softly, both to himself and to Hyunjin, and Hyunjin removes his hand from Seungmin's arm in shock.

"You're not?"

"No…" Seungmin has to say that he's surprised by it all as well. Though, on the other hand, he isn't, because this feeling didn't just develop today. At the very least, it has been there since that day at the beach.

"So— You're not straight?" Hyunjin wonders, a hint of hope audible in his voice.

Seungmin shrugs and runs a hand through his hair. "I— Maybe? I-I always thought I was, but— I just feel these things around you and- I can't put it into words, but it makes my heart race and— I don't know."

Hyunjin's hand finds his arm again, but now it slowly trails down, leaving goosebumps and warmth in its wake, until it reaches Seungmin's hand and he intertwines their fingers. "You don't have to figure it all out immediately, but… if I can do anything to help—"

"Can you kiss me?" Seungmin blurts, and Hyunjin gasps. Again, Seungmin surprises himself with what comes out of his mouth when he doesn't let his brain filter anything out. "I— I mean, that would be a way to check, right?"

"It would, but…" Hyunjin exhales deeply, his cheeks look at least as red as Seungmin's feel. He looks hesitant but also like he really wants it, and Seungmin realizes that it might feel like he is taking advantage of Hyunjin's feelings for him to find out whether he is straight or not.

"You can say no if it messes with your, uhm, feelings too much," he mutters, but Hyunjin shakes his head and squeezes Seungmin's hand.

"I— I might feel heartbroken if you don't end up liking it- or me, but that will happen regardless of whether I kiss you. And the sooner we know, the less it'll hurt," Hyunjin tells him. "I know the stakes. I want to help, and— I really want to kiss you."

Seungmin nods to show that he's ready for it, and when Hyunjin tenderly caresses his jaw, his heart soars and he feels like he might faint on the spot if Hyunjin doesn't kiss him right now. And maybe that is already enough of an answer, but maybe that just means that he can enjoy it more, knowing that he won't break Hyunjin's heart after it.

They tilt their heads and Seungmin swallows thickly, willing himself to be patient as Hyunjin's gaze searches his face for any signs of reluctance. Seungmin hopes that Hyunjin sees how much he wants this as well, but if he doesn't, the way Seungmin hovers closer and parts his lips slightly might give him away.

When Hyunjin's eyes flutter shut, Seungmin follows, and the soft sensation of Hyunjin's plump lips on his own greets him like a warm embrace. Even if the kiss is careful, it's so much better than Seungmin expected. It's better than the awkward pecks when they played family and better than the hasty press of lips at the fair, but most importantly, it's so much better than any kiss Seungmin has had before.

He has kissed girls before, dated them, even, and it was fine, but he always thought that he just had different priorities. Now he realizes that he simply might not have been attracted to them, because wow what a difference it is compared to kissing Hyunjin. He wants to press closer and indulge in the kiss more, but Hyunjin already pulls away, his hand sliding down Seungmin's cheek, landing on his shoulder, and Seungmin whines involuntarily.

"Again?" he requests breathlessly, and Hyunjin chuckles shyly.

"You liked it?" he asks, and Seungmin feels like he's overheating.

"I just think I need one more kiss to really make sure," he mutters, because he thinks it's obvious enough what he feels and he still needs a moment to really accept and process that his self image had been wrong this whole time. He'd rather spend that moment kissing Hyunjin than thinking.

"Alright then." Hyunjin looks way too fond for Seungmin's heart, so Seungmin initiates the second kiss, cupping Hyunjin's jaw. Where Hyunjin was careful the first time, he now reciprocates passionately, almost hungrily. If Seungmin wasn't joking about needing a second kiss to make sure, this would have definitely sealed the realization that he returns Hyunjin's feelings.

Seungmin hums into the kiss appreciatively when Hyunjin pulls him closer, and he tangles his fingers into Hyunjin's long hair. They drag their lips over each other's until they're out of breath and then they chase each other, unable to get enough of it and wanting to let out all of the feelings they knowingly or unknowingly built up during this trip and possibly even before. It's still a little clumsy, and in the back of his mind, Seungmin knows that Hyunjin doesn't have a lot of kissing experience, but he doesn't care, because it feels oh so good.

The only thing that is able to pull them away from each other is when there's a knock on the door, and they part with a small gasp, both of them flushing.

"Are you okay in there, boys? Dinner is ready, but if you want, I can bring it up to your room." Hyunjin's mom's voice sounds, and they share a look with each other.

"What do you want?" Seungmin asks, mindlessly playing with Hyunjin's hair, and Hyunjin hums.

"We can join them and continue… this after?" he suggests. "To show that we're undeterred. If you're okay with it too and it's not too soon and all."

"I'm okay. After all, I was the one who didn't want to stop this," Seungmin replies, and Hyunjin softens. It still makes Seungmin feel a little odd and it's new for him to acknowledge what he feels, but it's not bad. It's a relief finally knowing what his heart was trying to tell him.

They're still holding hands as they come out of the room and tell Hyunjin's mom that everything is okay and they'll be having dinner with everyone like normal.

"Things look more than okay to me," she says with a proud smile. "I knew that you two would figure out whatever it was. Oh, and we told Jinhyuk and my brother that if they can't be respectful towards their family then they're not invited anymore. Gran agreed, so hopefully they'll keep their mouths shut for the last few days."

Seungmin hopes so, too, but they won't let it bring them down. They can't be too affectionate during dinner because they're eating, but Seungmin can tell that everyone notices that something changed, even if it's probably subtle. They're sitting just that little bit closer, they look just that bit fonder towards the other, and instead of scowling, Hyunjin now looks happy at the two of them being called best couple.

Slowly, Seungmin begins to understand how Hyunjin felt all this time, that he was holding back his own feelings and that everything being fake bothered him because he wanted it to be real. In hindsight, everything they did might have been real. Sure, Seungmin held back because he thought he was straight, but he probably also did some things that he wouldn't have done if he actually was straight.

When they've brought their dishes to the kitchen and looked at Hyunjin's family with puppy eyes to get out of dish washing duty, they head up to their room again with intertwined fingers and get cozy on the bed together.

"So… what are we now?" Hyunjin wonders softly. "I mean, it's clear that you enjoy kissing me, but it might be new and all and I don't want to assume anything."

"Well… there's a reason that I didn't want to stop fake dating you," Seungmin replies, his voice soft in bashfulness. "I think the real deal could be worth trying."

"You do?" Hyunjin's eyes positively light up, and Seungmin nods. "I mean, my family already thinks we're together but back at university or regarding your family…"

Seungmin thinks it's sweet that Hyunjin is considerate like that, because it makes the realization that he might not only be attracted to guys but also not be attracted to girls a lot less scary and hard to accept. Hyunjin has been through the whole hassle already, and he had to do it alone until his parents found out and slowly became accepting.

"We don't have to tell anyone any time soon, right?" Seungmin asks, and Hyunjin brings his hand up to kiss the back of it, making Seungmin's stomach flip.

"We don't. I'll do my best to hold myself back in public if you want me to," Hyunjin promises. "If anything, they might think that I simply have a massive crush on you, but I think some people already thought and knew that."

"Did our friends know?" Seungmin can't hold back a smile at Hyunjin admitting to his crush so shamelessly.

"They did, and Changbin hyung would probably have hit me over the head if he knew that I'd have asked you to be my fake boyfriend for the summer, but luckily for me everything worked out well," Hyunjin says with a dry chuckle. "I was absolutely setting myself up for heartbreak, but fate had other plans, it seems."

"I can see how this could have ended disastrously, but instead it ended up in me discovering something about myself with your help," Seungmin agrees, running his thumb along the back of Hyunjin's hand. "So thank you for making this stupid decision, Hyunie."

Hyunjin laughs. "And thank you for going along with my stupid decision despite not knowing the full foolishness of it."

"Our friends can hit us both when we get back," Seungmin mutters with a chuckle. "I think if we tell anyone, we can tell them."

"It's all up to you," Hyunjin tells him, leaning in to kiss his cheek, and it keeps making Seungmin’s heart flutter. "Our friends are supportive as you know, but you don't have to rush if you don't feel ready."

"I… I first want it to stay between us and see what dating for real is like," Seungmin decides, his stomach flipping in giddy anticipation. "So, if you want, this confused ex-straight guy is all yours."

Hyunjin laughs and hugs Seungmin close. "I'd love nothing more."

Seungmin purses his lips, silently asking for another kiss, and Hyunjin huffs fondly before all too gladly doing as Seungmin requests and slotting their lips together. Seungmin all but melts into it and reciprocates languidly, taking his time indulging in it, now with the knowledge that they're really doing this. He is really agreeing to taking a shot at dating Hyunjin for real and not fake in front of his family.

If he's honest, it already felt half real the whole time, but he didn't accept it nor did he even realize it until a few hours ago. Yet, like Hyunjin said, even if it's a little scary and foreign, it feels right. It feels like Seungmin found a part of himself, and it feels like everything makes sense now. And he's in safe, loving hands, because Hyunjin has already been through this but even if he didn't, Seungmin knows that he can count on him to be there and support him through this self discovery.

They almost don't want to let go to wash up for bed, but when Seungmin admits wanting to cuddle because he enjoyed waking up to Hyunjin hugging him, Hyunjin is all too eager to wash up and climb into bed.

"You're going to get hot like this, probably," Seungmin mutters and Hyunjin shrugs.

"That is for later me to deal with," he says and Seungmin laughs. He isn't going to complain about that for sure, and he finds it endearing when Hyunjin whines about the heat, so he indulges in their cuddle time until they're tired enough to want to sleep more than cuddling.

Despite the heat, Seungmin is happy to wake up with Hyunjin attached to his side, and he giddily kisses Hyunjin’s dumpling cheeks to wake him up. If dating is going to be like this, Seungmin doesn’t think he needs much more time to be sure about himself, especially when he sees Hyunjin’s goofy, love struck smile directed at him when he opens his eyes.

While the rest of the trip isn't as nice as being with Hyunjin alone, Seungmin is glad to be able to spend it as Hyunjin’s real boyfriend and to feel that Hyunjin is less affected by his uncle's and cousin's glares and muttered annoyances. While they're going about their day, it doesn't feel all that different from before, the biggest difference is that Seungmin now understands what he feels, and slowly, with every time they hold hands, every brief peck, and every giddy glance shared, Seungmin gets used to it more and more.

At the end, Seungmin is sad to go back to the dorms, but he is excited to see his friends again and to have some more private time with Hyunjin before classes start again. Hyunjin’s parents invite him for the next vacation too, and Seungmin thinks that he might accept, if Hyunjin wants it too and if everything between them goes well. After all, if Hyunjin’s uncle or Jinhyuk go too far, they risk being uninvited.

That is for later, however, because they're meeting their friends to hang out and talk about their summer, and Seungmin is nervous to come out to them, but he's also excited.

"You're sure you want to do it? We don't have to tell them anything yet," Hyunjin says, subtly squeezing Seungmin’s nape. "We can let Changbin hyung talk the night away and we won't even have time to say anything."

Seungmin laughs and shakes his head. "No, it's okay. I trust them and want to be able to hold your hand in front of them."

"Aww!" Hyunjin squeals and Seungmin chuckles, his cheeks becoming warm. "If you go on like that I wouldn't be able to hide it anyway!"

Seungmin rolls his eyes fondly and they arrive at their friend Chan's apartment. As expected of their friends, they immediately notice that something is up between them, and after telling the whole story beginning to end—filled with their friends groaning and gasping when Hyunjin said he asked Seungmin to be his fake boyfriend, and cooing when they share how Seungmin defended Hyunjin and discovered his feelings—Seungmin shares that he's pretty sure that he might be gay and at the very least likes Hyunjin a whole lot.

Their friends are less surprised than Seungmin expected, but he's heard his friends calling him oblivious many times before, so maybe there's some truth behind that. The important thing is that Seungmin now knows and accepts himself and even is lucky enough have his feelings returned by his best friend, who is now his boyfriend, too. Not his fake boyfriend, but his real one.

And together with Hyunjin, Seungmin isn't afraid to face life after the summer either. Even if not everyone might be accepting or supportive, some are, and Seungmin knows that he's sure of himself and his feelings for Hyunjin, and no one will be able to take that away from them. He knows that his friends, some of Hyunjin’s family, and most of all Hyunjin will have his back, and that is all he needs.

The end.