Archive of Our Own

"No."

"Oh, come on, Boo. Help me."

"No."

"Please, It's only for—"

"I said no! Don't be ridiculous, Kim Mingyu! Why can't you just get a real girlfriend instead of dragging me into something this insane just so you can meet your high school friends?"

"But I don't want a girlfriend!" Mingyu shot back in frustration. "You're my best friend. You know that!"

"Then why are you coming to me with that idea in the first place?!"

The room fell silent after that.

They stared at each other, neither willing to back down, their eyes sharp enough to wound. The tension between them felt heavier with every passing second.

In the end, Mingyu was the first to break.

"Fine."

A bitter laugh slipped past Mingyu's lips as he ran a hand through his hair and stepped back. "I don't need your help anyway. Maybe I'll just listen to Seokmin and rent a girlfriend," he said coldly, each word laced with disappointment. 

Then Mingyu turned away and slammed the door shut behind, the loud bang echoing through the room.

🐶❤︎🍊

Mingyu slipped his hands into the pockets of his denim jacket as he walked toward the noodle soup restaurant where he was supposed to meet his high school friends. It had already been two years since they last saw each other after graduation. They had all been caught up with college—or maybe they just hadn't made the effort—and it took nearly a month of coordinating schedules before they finally found time to get together.

Truthfully, Mingyu was hesitant to go. 

But his friends had kept pushing him, and he was too annoyed to stay home, still angry with his best friend. So here he was, walking along the sidewalk in the late autumn air as the sun slowly set, heading to meet them.

The hesitation came back the moment Mingyu stopped in front of the restaurant entrance. A part of him kept telling him to turn around and leave before anyone noticed he was there. But this time, the one that pushed him to go inside was the cold autumn wind.

"Kim Mingyu! Over here!"

Mingyu heard someone call out to him the moment he pushed the glass door open. It was Taewoo.

"Ah... finally. The most famous guy back in our school days, Kim Mingyu, is here," Jisung said as Mingyu walked closer to the table.

"But, you came alone?" another friend, Changmin, teased. "What happened? Did college life turn you into someone who cares more about studying than girls now, Mingyu?"

The others burst into laughter at the joke.

Mingyu laughed along with them as he exchanged quick hugs with his friends, but the smile on his face felt painfully fake.

This was exactly why he had thought of not coming in the first place. Every single one of them was here with their girlfriends.

"My girlfriend's coming later," he said as he sat down in one of the two empty chairs. "She still has something to do."

Yeah. My rented girlfriend.

Mingyu scoffed bitterly to himself.

At the very last second, Mingyu had given in to Seokmin's idea and rented a girlfriend just to avoid humiliating himself in front of everyone here.

Then, suddenly, Mingyu's eyes landed on the only girl at the table he knew well enough to recognize. And the one who had made him hesitate to come too.

Areum.

His ex-girlfriend from second year of high school, and now Changmin's girlfriend.

"Hi, Mingyu. How have you been?" Areum greeted him with a small smile.

"Of course he's doing well, right, Mingyu?" Changmin cut in before Mingyu could answer. "Look at those broad shoulders and arms. Your biceps got bigger, huh?" He rolled up his sleeve proudly before flexing. "But mine are still stronger, aren't they, baby?"

"Of course, baby..." Areum replied sweetly as she clung to Changmin's arm, making Mingyu feel like he was about to throw up.

"A—Ah... Mingyu, this is my girlfriend, Eunji," Jisung said, trying to lighten the mood. "And that's Taewoo's girlfriend, Nara."

Mingyu exchanged brief greetings with them, giving a small nod.

"I'm curious, though," Taewoo suddenly said with a grin. "What's Mingyu's girlfriend like now? Didn't he always date really hot girls?"

The table immediately erupted with loud reactions and teasing agreement. Even Areum smiled at the comment, like she still counted herself among those girls.

Mingyu clicked his tongue softly. "You all right, college made me focus more on my grades than chasing after hot girls, so she's not really like what you're imagining—"

"Oppa... did you wait too long? I'm sorry, my choir practice ended late."

A voice suddenly interrupted him as someone slid into the seat to Mingyu's right, making everyone at the table turn at once.

And Mingyu's eyes widened immediately.

He knew that voice.

But why—

"B—Boo..." Mingyu stammered, completely caught off guard by the sight in front of him.

The person was giving him a sweet smile.

So sweet, it nearly made Mingyu forget how to breathe.

"Oh? This is your girlfriend, Mingyu?" Changmin blurted out in shock. "Wow. Were you just pretending to be humble earlier? She's seriously so pretty and cute."

Areum immediately elbowed her boyfriend, clearly annoyed.

Still frozen in shock, Mingyu could only blink as he stared at the person beside him.

Changmin was right.

He—no, she looked unbelievably pretty and cute in a red sweater, with a soft-colored beanie on her long hair and neat bangs framing her face perfectly. The soft makeup changed her appearance just enough that Mingyu had almost failed to recognize her at first glance.

"But I have to admit, she's not really Mingyu's usual type," Taewoo added with a polite smile. "Hello, nice to meet you."

"Ah... hello," she replied with a small smile. "I'm sorry for suddenly sitting here without introducing myself. I'm Boo Youmi, Mingyu oppa's girlfriend. It's nice to meet all of you too."

Girl—

—friend?

Girlfriend.

Mingyu swallowed hard.

Oh, shit.

Youmi turned to Mingyu again. "Oppa? Why are you so quiet?"

"Damn..." Mingyu let out a shaky breath as he lowered his head, resting his forehead against Youmi's shoulder. "I like the way you call me that," he murmured softly, quietly enough that only Youmi could hear it.

Youmi let out a soft snort. "Don't make me regret coming after you here," she warned under her breath. "Enjoy it while everyone's watching us." 

Mingyu chuckled softly.

Yeah, this was the Boo Youmi he knew.

"Oppa, what's wrong? Did you miss me that much?" Youmi suddenly changed her tone, making it sweeter this time as she gently stroked Mingyu's hair.

"Hm..." Mingyu hummed in response, nodding as he leaned even closer to her, gently holding her hand before slipping his fingers between hers beneath the table, as if it were something they did all the time.

"Eyy, Kim Mingyu," Jisung teased with a laugh. "I didn't know you could be this clingy with your girlfriend. Youmi's really a keeper, huh?"

Laughter spread around the table almost immediately.

Everyone except Areum.

She sat there quietly, her sharp eyes fixed on Youmi as if she were studying every little thing about her.

"Come on, Mingyu. Did you two just start dating or something?" Taewoo pushed teasingly. "Stop being all lovey-dovey and introduce us to Youmi already."

Mingyu finally lifted his head from Youmi's shoulder and rolled his eyes lazily, though his hand still hadn't let go of hers.

"Fine," he muttered. "Boo, these are my close friends from high school. The idiots who only wanted to hang out with me because I was famous and the most handsome guy at school." He joked shamelessly, and even though everyone immediately protested, they all knew there was some truth to it. Then he pointed carelessly around the table. 

"Jisung, Taewoo, Changmin... and their girlfriends."

"Ah."

Areum suddenly spoke up before anyone else could continue.

"I went to the same school as them too," she said softly, a sweet smile appearing on her lips as she extended her hand toward Youmi. "Lee Areum."

Youmi politely reached out to shake it.

Then Areum tilted her head slightly and added, almost too casually,

"Actually... I'm Mingyu's ex-girlfriend."

The air around the table instantly shifted.

The laughter died down.

Even Changmin's smile stiffened slightly, clearly not expecting her to say that out loud.

Mingyu's brows immediately furrowed in irritation.

But Areum kept smiling innocently, her hand still holding Youmi's for a second too long.

"Your palm is a little rough," she commented softly. "Don't you use lotion? Mingyu always liked holding soft hands."

Youmi instantly pulled her hand back.

Mingyu had already opened his mouth, ready to snap at his ex-girlfriend, but beneath the table, while their fingers were still intertwined, Youmi gently patted his thigh to stop him.

"Oh?" Youmi replied, her smile turning even sweeter, though her eyes sharpened instantly. "You really do know my boyfriend well." She said calmly.

"I indeed didn't put on lotion today," she continued. "But as you can see..."  She lifted her left hand, the one Mingyu was still holding tightly beneath the table. "Mine is the hand Mingyu has been holding this whole time."

Her smile remained sweet and polite, but the sharp challenge behind her words made the atmosphere at the table instantly tense.

"Err—ugh..." Changmin cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to ease the tension. "Why would you say something like that, baby? Besides, you and Mingyu broke up a long time ago."

Areum didn't answer. She only sat there with a sulky expression on her face.

"H—Hey..." Jisung quickly stepped in. "Why are we just sitting here talking? We should order already and eat. Aren't you all hungry?"

Everyone nodded almost immediately and began discussing what they wanted to order. Slowly, the atmosphere shifted, thankfully becoming friendlier toward Youmi.

"So that's really your ex?" Youmi asked quietly once everyone became busy with the menus. She narrowed her eyes at Mingyu, openly judging him. "You really have a type," she added sarcastically.

"Oh, zip it." Mingyu sighed. "Teenage me was too lazy to look beyond a pretty face."

Youmi frowned at him.

"But you're prettier, Boo," Mingyu teased with a wide grin.

"And what is that supposed to make me feel, Kim Mingyu?"

"Please, keep calling me oppa like earlier. You sounded so cute saying that, it made me want to bite those pink, rosy cheeks of yours—Ow!"

Youmi immediately pinched his thigh beneath the table.

"Don't you dare insult my makeup," she hissed. "I embarrassed myself asking Jihyo nuna to do it for me."

"I wasn't insulting it," Mingyu defended himself quietly. "It really looks good on you," he muttered.

Youmi looked at him speechlessly for a moment, clearly caught off guard by the sincerity in his voice.

Mingyu immediately straightened in his seat, looking more serious. "Thank you, by the way... for doing this."

Youmi didn't reply right away.

She just stared at Mingyu in silence, blinking her eyes innocently as if that alone was her answer. And Mingyu found himself staring back at those big, boba eyes in admiration. For a brief moment, the noise around them seemed to fade into the background as neither of them looked away.

Until—

"Mingyu, your turn. What do you and Youmi want to eat?" Taewoo suddenly asked, making both of them quickly break eye contact and order their food.

Everyone brightened up when the food finally arrived. They could barely feel the cold weather outside anymore because of the warmth of the noodle soup.

Mingyu looked at his food, but when he took a closer look at Youmi's bowl, which had the same order, he suddenly reached over and stirred her noodles a little.

Confused and slightly annoyed by what Mingyu was doing, Youmi asked, "Oppa, what are you—"

"There are some eggplants in it... You can't eat them, so I'll just take them for myself," Mingyu said as he picked them out with his chopsticks and ate them, making Youmi feel touched.

"Aww... Kim Mingyu being a gentleman," Changmin teased. "You've really changed a lot," he laughed.

"True, true..." Jisung nodded. "He barely cared about others back then."

Mingyu chuckled. "It's not like that. You guys just didn't know that Seung—I mean, Youmi—will nonstop nag if she sees something she doesn't like on her plate. So I just took the initiative to make sure that wouldn't happen." He grinned.

Youmi playfully nudged Mingyu's shoulder with hers. "Please don't embarrass me in front of your friends, oppa," she sweetly said to Mingyu, though from the look in her eyes, Mingyu knew she was glaring at him before going back to eating her food.

"But Youmi, tell us..." Taewoo said while enjoying his food. "Did you meet Mingyu in college? Were you in the same major as him? And what did you do to make him this smitten?"

The others laughed at that.

"Please... I'm not smitten," Mingyu rolled his eyes, emphasizing the word.

"Says the person who's still holding hands with his girlfriend while eating," Jisung teased.

"I'm left-handed. I eat with my left hand, so I'm doing this to keep my right hand from being useless," Mingyu said, lifting their entwined hands slightly, though everyone could see him trying to hide his smile.

Youmi glanced at their hands. Truthfully, she hadn't even realized they were still like that, and what was worse was how natural it felt between them, just like usual.

"Just keep your mouth shut for a second, Kim—big muscles but smitten—Mingyu. I want Youmi to answer my question," Taewoo chuckled.

Everyone's eyes turned to Youmi. She had already lost her chance to run away from the question.

"Ah—no, we're not in the same major. I'm a music major, while Mingyu oppa majored in engineering. In fact, I'm Mingyu oppa's junior in college. I know him because my friend from choir is his classmate," Youmi said, remembering Seokmin. "And please don't ask me why Mingyu oppa acts like this. He's always been like this. It's just his way of getting my attention and annoying me."

Finding her answer too adorable, Mingyu suddenly pinched her cheek. "So you find me annoying, huh?"

Unable to hide her expression again, Youmi automatically glared at Mingyu with a small pout on her lips. She let him pinch her cheek for a few more seconds until Mingyu finally felt her dagger glare and immediately mouthed a silent apology, grinning widely while softly stroking her cheek.

Changmin laughed. "They're just soooo cute..."

Everyone chuckled in agreement.

But when a sudden elbow hit Changmin's stomach, he huffed in shock. It was his girlfriend telling him to shut up.

After that, everyone went back to busying themselves with their food while continuing small conversations here and there.

🐶❤︎🍊

To burn off some calories, all of them decided to take a walk and find a café for dessert. Taewoo and Jisung walked ahead with their girlfriends, casually chatting with each other. In the middle were Mingyu and Youmi, keeping enough distance from the others so their conversation couldn't be overheard. One of Youmi's hands was tucked together with Mingyu's inside his jacket pocket because the air was too chilly for her.

And at the far back were Changmin and Areum, both clearly not in a good mood. Areum was still sulking over how happy Mingyu and his girlfriend looked, while Changmin was annoyed that his girlfriend kept looking at her ex-boyfriend.

"How long are you going to keep staring at him? Do you still have feelings for Mingyu?" Changmin asked coldly.

"I-I... I wasn't staring at him," Areum stammered, feeling caught off guard. "I was looking at Youmi, I swear," Areum lied. "She's just... weird. Look at the way she walks, and her voice too. It's not very feminine."

"So what?" Changmin replied. "Everybody has their own voice and their own way of walking."

"But that's so not Mingyu's type."

"Oh, God, Areum... it's already been two years since we last saw him, and three years since he broke up with you. Mingyu's changed. His type probably changed too," Changmin sighed in annoyance. "Besides, I think Youmi's voice is sexy. It's a little deep, but sweet."

"What??" Areum looked at her boyfriend angrily. "So you were checking her out?"

"No. I just heard it." Changmin rolled his eyes and walked ahead of her, while Areum followed behind with annoyed steps.

Feeling someone's gaze lingering on her from far too close, Boo Youmi slowly turned her head to the right. Of course, it was Kim Mingyu.

He was already looking at her with that stupidly giddy smile, his eyes soft and warm under the glow of the street lamps lighting up the night, just like honey dripping from his eyes.

"What?" Youmi asked, frowning as if bothered by it, even though it made her legs feel weak.

"What, what?" Mingyu replied innocently, blinking at her in confusion. He stopped walking and turned fully toward her, and Youmi had no choice but to stop too.

For a second, neither of them spoke.

Mingyu leaned in slightly, close enough for Youmi to feel the warmth radiating from him despite the cold air. 

With his free hand, his fingers brushed the edge of her beanie before fixing it properly. Then his fingertips slid lower, carefully straightening the strands of bangs sticking to her forehead from the wind, his touch lingering until his fingers traced the ends of her long hair.

The smile never left his face, but his gaze had gone quieter now. Softer, more intent.

"Kim Mingyu..." Youmi called under her breath.

"Hmm?"

"Stop looking at me like a puppy waiting for a pat. Do you want me to pat you?" Youmi teased with a smile as she pulled her hand out of his jacket pocket and stepped back slightly, trying to create some distance between them.

"Hey... your hand is still cold." Mingyu instinctively reached for it again instead of answering.

But Youmi quickly hid her hand behind her back before he could catch it.

"Your hand is sweaty," she complained, looking away even though there was still a smile tugging at her lips.

"My bad..." Mingyu muttered, glancing down at his hand before wiping it on his pants. "You already know how easily I sweat, while you barely even break a sweat."

Youmi snorted softly. "I do sweat, just not as much as you."

"And I sweat even more easily when my heart is racing," Mingyu mumbled, scratching the back of his neck.

"We're just walking, not even doing a little jogging. Why is your heart racing?"

Mingyu clicked his tongue. "If I tell you, you probably won't take it seriously and just call it bullshit."

Youmi frowned. "Do you think I'm that cruel? Besides, everything I'm doing with you right now is already fake anyway... some kind of bullshit."

"Is it?" Mingyu looked at her, disappointment flickering across his face. "But I don't—"

"Ya, Kim Mingyu!" Jisung suddenly called out while waving his hand at them. Turns out, the two of them had fallen quite far behind the others. "We decided to go to karaoke instead of a cafe. You're still coming, right? We want to hear Youmi sing too. Isn't she in a choir?"

Mingyu raised an eyebrow. "Why do I feel like you guys are more interested in Youmi than me? Who's actually your friend here?" he asked, glaring at them. "And no, I don't want to—"

"I'm in!" Youmi suddenly said cheerfully. "I love karaoke." She jogged ahead toward Jisung and the others, her laughter blending easily with theirs.

Mingyu stood there for a second, watching her go. The space she left behind felt colder.

"Of course you love it..." he murmured under his breath. Then, a quieter sentence slipped out before he could stop it. "But what about me?"

Mingyu let out a small sigh through his nose before shaking his head with a faint smile and following after her anyway. "Fine, I'm coming, guys!"

"Come on, Changmin! Why are you so slow?" Taewoo called out to their last friend, who was still far behind, walking together with his girlfriend but with an obvious distance between them. "We're going to your favorite place! Hurry up, or you'll be the one paying for everything!"

🐶❤︎🍊

This was already the third song Youmi had sung in the medium-sized karaoke room. Everyone had been hyped from the very first moment she held the mic because the first song she chose was an iconic K-pop girl group song that brought back nostalgic memories for all of them, making the others happily sing and dance along together.

The second song she sang was an English pop song by a solo singer who used to be in a boy band, and everyone cheered loudly for it as well.

Now, she was singing a ballad.

The entire room slowly quieted down, everyone getting lost in both the song and her incredible voice. Some of them even sang along softly.

And Mingyu... he recorded every little thing his girlfriend did on his phone, unable to take his eyes off her for even a second.

"You really got a great girlfriend, Mingyu..." Changmin leaned in and whispered into Mingyu's ear. "Her voice is just like a professional singer's."

Mingyu gave his friend a proud smile, still recording Youmi singing. "I can always fall asleep more easily to his voice."

"Pardon?" Changmin asked, wondering if he had heard wrong.

"Ah, I mean... she really does have a beautiful voice. One of my favorites," Mingyu corrected himself quickly. "Her voice is like a lullaby whenever I'm falling asleep."

"You're really this down bad for her, huh?" Changmin teased, playfully elbowing Mingyu's arm a few times.

Chuckling softly, Mingyu stopped the recording after Youmi finished singing and earned loud applause from their friends.

Then he turned fully toward Changmin, the smile on his face slowly fading into something more serious and sincere.

"My eyes have only been on her ever since the first moment I saw her."

Tired after singing three songs without a break, Youmi walked over to Mingyu breathlessly to grab her drink and finally find a seat. But when she noticed the solemn expression on his face, she suddenly felt a little awkward.

"What's with that look, oppa? I wasn't interrupting something, was I?" she asked before taking a sip from the water bottle through a straw.

Mingyu turned to her, watching as she stood in front of him quenching her thirst. He looked up at her and smiled before casually shaking his head. "Nothing like that. I'm just proud that you got so many compliments from my friends, especially Changmin here."

"Right..." Changmin immediately agreed. "Your voice is amazing, Youmi. We should do karaoke together more often."

"I—"

"Nah..." Mingyu cut Youmi off before she could reply. "One time is enough. Youmi's voice is for my private consumption only," he said with a grin, making Youmi snort.

"Changmin, your turn! Come on, choose a song!" Jisung called through the mic.

Without saying a word, Changmin stood up and walked to the front, leaving the space beside Mingyu empty. But just as Youmi was about to sit down, Areum suddenly slid into the seat first.

"Ah—excuse me, can you move a little—"

But Youmi's words were immediately drowned out by the loud cheers from Areum and the others for Changmin, as if she hadn't said anything at all.

Youmi let out a quiet huff, forcing herself not to get annoyed—or worse, start a fight with a girl who was obviously jealous of her ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend.

"Boo... just sit here." Mingyu patted his lap with a slow grin that looked anything but innocent.

Youmi let out a breathy laugh, too tired to argue anymore. So she gave in.

She dropped herself onto Mingyu's thigh and leaned back against his chest naturally, like she had done it a hundred times before. The moment her weight settled on him, Mingyu's arm slid around her waist on instinct, pulling her just a little closer.

"Tired?" he murmured near her ear.

"Mhm..." Youmi whined softly, her head falling back against his shoulder. "Actually, my feet hurt."

Her voice came out smaller this time, softer than before. Maybe because of exhaustion. Maybe because Mingyu's hand was slowly rubbing circles against her waist while Changmin's singing covered their quiet conversation.

Without another word, Mingyu carefully lifted one of her legs onto his own.

"Let me see." His large hand wrapped gently around her ankle, his thumb brushing slowly against her skin. Mingyu frowned immediately.

"I just realized you're wearing high heels." His fingers pressed lightly against the side of her foot. "Are they Jihyo's?"

"No... they're Jeongyeon nuna's," Youmi corrected quietly. "My size is closer to hers. Jihyo nuna only asked her to lend them to me. And when Jeongyeon nuna found out what we were doing, she ended up joining in and helping doll me up." She glanced down lazily at her shoes. "And they're not high heels. They're wedge sneakers."

Mingyu scoffed softly. "You really troubled my friends that much, huh?" he teased, making Youmi pout immediately.

"I'm doing this for you though."

The pout on her lips softened something inside Mingyu almost instantly.

He smiled quietly before pulling her a little closer against his chest, trying not to think about how dangerous it was for her to be this close when his heartbeat was already impossible to calm down.

"Thank you..." he murmured softly, his voice low and warm as she felt the featherlight brush of his lips linger against her shoulder, sending a shiver down her spine.

"Mm...hm... You already said that." Youmi responded like it was nothing, though the small smile on her lips betrayed her.

Mingyu looked back down at her feet again. "Still... whatever this things called, they're making your feet suffer," he argued softly. "Just take them off for now."

Youmi clicked her tongue. "If I take them off, my feet will get cold."

"Always stubborn," Mingyu muttered, though there was no real annoyance in his voice.

Then, before Youmi could react, Mingyu bent down.

His fingers slowly slipped off her shoes one by one before he kicked off his own sneakers and carefully slid them onto her feet instead.

The warmth still trapped inside his shoes made Youmi freeze slightly.

"M—Mingyu..."

He ignored the embarrassment creeping into her voice and gently began massaging her sore calf and the back of her ankle, his thumb pressing slowly into the tense muscle.

Youmi inhaled sharply, not because it hurt.

But because his hands were warm, and it felt unbearably good. Not just in her aching foot, but deeper... straight into her chest, making her heart tremble.

"How is it now?" Mingyu asked quietly, still rubbing her calf without looking up.

"...Better," Youmi admitted under her breath.

Almost unconsciously, Youmi fingers slipped into Mingyu's hair, slowly combing through the soft strands near his forehead. The touch made him finally lift his head, and the moment their eyes met, Youmi felt her chest tighten painfully.

"Why are you being so good to me?" she whispered, her voice barely above a breath. "Is it because I'm pretty now?" Her fingers continued to comb through his hair, slow and gentle, while Mingyu looked up at her as if he couldn't bring himself to look anywhere else.

A faint smile touched his lips. 

"I've always been good to you, Boo." Mingyu's gaze held hers. "And you've always been beautiful to me."

The words hit harder than they should have.

Youmi froze, her breath catching as silence settled between them. Neither of them looked away. Somehow, they had drifted too close—close enough for her to feel the warmth of his presence, close enough that every second of eye contact felt impossible to ignore.

For a brief moment, Mingyu's gaze flickered downward before returning to hers.

Something in his expression made her heart skip.

"Can oppa get a kiss then, Boo?" he asked, his tone light and teasing.

But the look in his eyes didn't quite match the joke.

Youmi stared at him, her heartbeat growing increasingly difficult to ignore. Heat crept across her face, and she quickly lifted a hand to push his cheek away.

"Oh, shut up."

Even so, she couldn't stop the smile spreading across her lips.

Mingyu's grin widened immediately, and somehow that only made the fluttering in her chest worse.

Loud cheers erupted as Changmin finished singing, drawing Mingyu and Youmi's attention back to the front. The two joined in the applause, and the tension between them slowly began to ease, though it was difficult to ignore with Youmi still sitting on Mingyu's lap and his arm resting loosely around her waist.

"Kim Mingyu! Don't just sit there glued to your girlfriend. Pick a song for me!" Changmin called into the microphone.

Chuckling, Mingyu thought for a moment before answering, "Pretty Woman by CxM." He glanced at Youmi and gave her a wink.

The gesture immediately made her cheeks warm.

"Good choice! Then we should do it as a duet. Come on!" Changmin said after finding the song.

Jisung handed Mingyu another microphone, and he accepted it without hesitation. Yet even as the intro began playing, he stayed right where he was. It wasn't because he was only wearing socks. It just seemed like he simply didn't want to be away from Youmi.

"Pretty..." Mingyu sang the opening lyric softly, his eyes fixed on Youmi.

The teasing smile on his face made her want to hide. She felt her cheeks grow hotter by the second, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop the smile spreading across her lips.

The sight only seemed to encourage Mingyu to keep singing, making it impossible for anyone to miss who the song was meant for.

🐶❤︎🍊

"Aaahh~ Today was fun. We should plan another meetup sometime," Taewoo said, stretching his tired body as they walked out of the karaoke place. It was already late. They had somehow spent hours at the karaoke without even noticing.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Just make sure you plan it ahead of time. You know I'm busy," Mingyu said with a yawn, tapping the tip of his shoe against the sidewalk to adjust the fit. He had already changed back into his own shoes after Youmi insisted on wearing that wedge sneakers again.

A chorus of groans erupted around him.

Youmi snorted at his excuse.

"It's not like you're the only one busy with college, Mingyu!" Jisung protested.

Mingyu ignored him completely.

"Ah, our taxi is here," Jisung said when a car pulled up in front of them. "We'll get going first. Bye, guys."

He led his girlfriend toward the waiting taxi while the others waved goodbye.

"We should head out too. My car's parked a little farther away, so we'll be walking," Taewoo said before leaving with his girlfriend after saying their goodbyes.

"Err—yeah... we should get going too, Changmin," Mingyu said, scratching the back of his neck when he realized everyone else had already left, leaving him alone with the one couple he wasn't entirely comfortable around. "See yaa."

He reached for Youmi's hand and laced their fingers together. Before they turned away, he spared Areum a brief glance while Youmi gave them a polite smile and a small farewell wave.

"You planning to go home, or are you going to keep staring at him until he disappears from sight?" Changmin asked in an annoyed tone.

Areum didn't answer immediately. She simply watched Mingyu and Youmi's retreating figures.

"They're way too head over heels for each other to look like a real couple," she finally said. "It feels more like they're putting on a show for us."

Changmin frowned.

"What would be the point of that? Weren't you like that too when you were dating Mingyu?"

"I don't know." Areum crossed her arms. "Maybe Mingyu can't stand the thought of me moving on before he does."

Changmin stared at her in disbelief.

"Maybe I was blindly in love with him back then," Areum admitted. Then, without warning, she grabbed Changmin by the collar. "But Mingyu? I've never seen him treat anyone the way he treats her. It's too suspicious."

She glanced at the distant couple again, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "We should follow them and find out."

Before Changmin could protest, she was already dragging him down the sidewalk after Mingyu and Youmi.

"H-Hey!" Changmin yelped as he nearly stumbled after her.

After several minutes of following the couple from a safe distance, Changmin was already growing tired of it.

"How much longer are we going to keep doing this stalker thing?" he asked with a yawn. "I'm bored. They're just walking home. There's nothing suspicious about that."

"That's exactly what's suspicious!" Areum shot back. "They aren't even holding hands like they were when they were with us. They barely talk to each other. All day, he kept calling her 'Boo'—her surname. That's way too formal for a couple. And right now, they look more like strangers than people who are supposedly dating. Don't be so dense, Changmin."

Changmin clicked his tongue.

"Or maybe they're just tired," he argued. "Sure, Boo is her surname, but it could easily be a pet name too. You're reading way too much into this. Honestly, I don't care whether they're a real couple or not. It's none of my business."

"But I care!" Areum snapped.

Changmin stopped walking. For the first time since this ridiculous chase had started, he turned to look at her properly.

"Why?" he asked. "Is it because if they're not really together, you think you still have a chance with Mingyu? You really can't get over him, can you?" 

Changmin couldn't hide the bitterness creeping into his voice. "Then why did you agree to be my girlfriend? Has this past year meant nothing to you?"

Ahreum froze. Her mouth opened, but no excuse came out.

Before she could reply, a startled yelp sounded from up ahead.

The two of them instinctively looked back toward Mingyu and Youmi.

There, Youmi had nearly lost her balance, and Mingyu quickly grabbed her arm to steady her. From a distance, it looked like the two were bickering about something afterward, but neither Ahreum nor Changmin could hear a word they were saying.

"I told you not to wear those things again," Mingyu sighed as he helped Youmi regain her footing.

"But if I wear your shoes, then what are you supposed to wear? Walk all the way back to the dorm barefoot? Don't be ridiculous, hyung."

Mingyu flashed her a wide, sarcastic smile. "You're the one who's hurt, and you're still worrying about me? That's kinda cute."

He reached over and pinched her cheek playfully.

"Stop it. You've pinched my cheeks way too many times today," Youmi complained with a pout.

"That's because you're cute," Mingyu replied without missing a beat. "So cute that I just want to bite you." He tugged lightly on her cheek and leaned in as if he were actually going to do it.

"Hyung—ugh—!" Youmi immediately shoved his face away. But the moment they separated, she lost her balance.... again.

"Whoa—"

Mingyu reacted instantly, catching her before she could stumble.

The moment she was standing properly again, Youmi looked down at her shoes as if they had personally betrayed her. "Damn these stupid shoes—"

"Get on." Mingyu had already crouched down in front of her, presenting his back.

The sudden command made Youmi blink. "Kim Mingyu?"

She knew exactly what he was telling her to do. She just didn't understand why he was being so serious about it.

"What? I'm not letting you walk in those things anymore," Mingyu said firmly. "If you insist on wearing them, then I'll carry you all the way home. Now get on my back."

He glanced over his shoulder.

"Or I'm really going to get angry with you, Boo Seungkwan." His tone left no room for argument. "Get on."

Right.

For a moment, she'd been so caught up in playing the role that she'd almost forgotten her—no, his real name was,

Boo Seungkwan.

Not wanting to argue with Mingyu any further, Seungkwan stepped closer and climbed onto his broad back, wrapping his arms around Mingyu's neck.

Mingyu immediately hooked his hands beneath Seungkwan's thighs and rose to his feet.

As he started walking, it barely looked like he was carrying any extra weight at all.

From farther behind, the two stalkers continued watching the scene unfold.

Eventually, Changmin let out a long sigh. "Look at them. Right now, they look more like a couple than we do," he muttered.

Areum's eyes widened.

"Maybe we're the ones who don't suit each other as a couple." With that, Changmin turned around and walked away, leaving her standing there alone.

"Changmin—you—ugh!"

Areum stomped her foot in frustration, then headed off in a different direction as well.

🐶❤︎🍊

"Is my back really that comfortable, or are you just unusually quiet back there, Boo?" Mingyu asked teasingly when their dormitory finally came into view.

"Hm...?" Seungkwan mumbled. "Shouldn't I be comfortable?"

He snuggled a little closer against Mingyu's back, burying his face in the crook of his neck. "I think I'm getting sleepy, though."

Mingyu smiled.

"Just hang on a little longer. We're almost there." He adjusted his grip slightly. "I just don't want you falling off my back."

"Mm." Seungkwan's sleepy response was barely more than a hum.

"Boo, can I ask you something?" he asked, partly out of curiosity and partly in the hope that the conversation would keep Seungkwan from dozing off.

"Just ask..." Seungkwan replied drowsily.

"Why did you suddenly change your mind and agree to my crazy idea? This whole dressing up as a girl and pretending to be my girlfriend thing?"

Seungkwan slowly let out a sigh.

"I just... didn't want you to look bad in front of your friends. Luckily, Jihyo and Jeongyeon nuna made me this pretty, so I was confident I wouldn't make things worse when your friends met me."

He paused for a moment before continuing. "And... you always help me too, hyung. You take care of me whenever I'm sick. You even embarrassed yourself once by running all the way from campus to the dorm in nothing but your boxers because you gave me your clothes after those bullies drenched me with trash water." His voice softened as the memory resurfaced.

Mingyu grunted. "Nah... don't remind me. You got bullied because of me too. Those girls were so jealous that I always chose to sit next to you at lunch instead of giving them any attention."

Seungkwan chuckled lightly. "But hyung... you're right. You've always been good to me." He lifted his head and looked at Mingyu warmly. "My good puppy..." he murmured, softly stroking Mingyu's hair.

Mingyu glanced back at him and clicked his tongue, but a smile still spread across his face.

"You've always done things like this for me. So why can't I do the same for you? We're best friends, after all," Seungkwan said, stopping his gentle strokes and wrapping his arms a little more securely around Mingyu's neck.

Mingyu let out a quiet, bitter chuckle.

"Ah... yeah—of course... Best friends." He forced a small smile, his grip on Seungkwan tightened ever so slightly before he looked away.

"The main thing is... I couldn't just let you go out with some rented girlfriend who might end up harming you in any way," Seungkwan continued, a teasing smile tugging at his lips.

"Ya!" Mingyu protested, bumping the side of his head lightly against Seungkwan's. "I'm not that helpless. I can take care of myself."

He paused before adding with a grin, "Though I can't promise the opposite won't happen."

Seungkwan laughed. "That's even worse, Kim Mingyu."

"Ah—that reminds me." Mingyu suddenly blinked. "Where's that rented girlfriend, anyway? Did she scam me? I already paid the deposit," he muttered.

Seungkwan burst out laughing, looking far more awake than he had just a moment ago.

"I'm sorry... I didn't tell you, that..." he said between laughs. "Seokmin hyung took her on a date. We ran into her in front of the restaurant before she could even go in."

Mingyu nearly choked in shock. "You planned all of this with Seokmin too?!"

Seungkwan shrugged innocently. "He was the one who told me that you really rented a girlfriend, though."

"So much for not wanting me to go on a date with anyone except you," Mingyu teased with a grin.

Seungkwan immediately smacked his shoulder. "I did not! Like I said, I was trying to save you!"

"Blah, blah, blah," Mingyu mocked.

"Kim Mingyu!"

"Just call me oppa again, Boo. You're much sweeter when you do that."

"I'm not a girl, in case you forgot." Seungkwan rolled his eyes. "And don't force me to say it again. Just get yourself a girlfriend if you want someone calling you that."

"But I don't want a girlfriend."

"Yeah, yeah... I've heard that before."

"I'm serious, Boo." For once, Mingyu's voice lost its teasing edge. "I'm surrounded by girls all the time. If I really wanted a girlfriend, I could've chosen one of them already." Mingyu glanced at him for a second too long before continuing with a small smile.

"But... I've only ever been attached to one guy all this time."

Seungkwan blinked, no words came out.

His mind suddenly felt blank.

"Damn..." Mingyu breathed out, chuckling lightly when the silence stretched on. "My confession is really that bad, huh?"

"C—Confession...?" Seungkwan stammered. His heart was pounding so loudly in his chest that he could barely hear himself think.

Mingyu let out another small laugh. "Ah... you didn't even realize it." The smile on his face turned bitter around the edges. "Well, we're here." he finally said. Without noticing it, they had arrived in front of Seungkwan's door.

Carefully, Mingyu lowered him back onto his feet.

"I should head back to my room too." Mingyu took a small step backward, rubbing the back of his neck. "Good night, Seungkwan."

"Hyung—" Before Mingyu could turn away, Seungkwan grabbed his arm.

Mingyu froze.

Slowly, Seungkwan's hand slid down from his forearm until it found his palm. Then, without really thinking about it, he threaded their fingers together. "...You're sweating." Seungkwan glanced down at their joined hands. "Was I really that heavy?"

Mingyu stared at their intertwined fingers for a few seconds before lifting his gaze to Seungkwan's face.

Then he shook his head. "I sweat more easily when my heart is—"

"—racing," Seungkwan finished softly.

A smile tugged at Mingyu's lips, he nodded.

Seungkwan swallowed. "Am I the one making your heart beat like that, hyung?"

For the first time, Mingyu didn't dodge the question. He didn't laugh it off, didn't tease, didn't hide behind another joke.

He simply nodded.

The honesty in those puppy eyes struck Seungkwan straight in the heart. His chest tightened so suddenly that, for a moment, it felt difficult to breathe.

"It's kind of cruel... to leave someone with only half a confession, hyung." Seungkwan tightened his grip on Mingyu's hand. "If you're going to confess..." His voice softened. "Confess properly, right now. I'm right here listening. I'm your best frie—"

"Oh, for fuck's sake, don't give me that best friend card again, Boo Seungkwan! You already know what I'm about to say has nothing to do with being best friends anymore."

Mingyu finally snapped. The words came out sharper than he intended. But surprisingly, Seungkwan just stood there. He didn't get angry. He didn't back away. He simply listened, calm and silent.

Mingyu squeezed his eyes shut and let out a long breath.

"I like you," he said. Then he gave a bitter laugh. "No. That's not even enough."

His eyes found Seungkwan's again. "I like you more than that best friend bullshit we've been calling each other for a year. And honestly... I stopped seeing you as just a best friend months ago."

Seungkwan kept looking at him, his unreadable expression making Mingyu swallow hard.

"I know you're probably going to call me stupid after hearing this, but..." Mingyu let out a shaky breath, lowering his gaze for a moment before forcing himself to continue.

"I—I'm sorry... The reason I asked you to be my fake girlfriend was because I didn't know how else to ask you to come with me to meet my friends. Maybe if you'd said you were willing to go with me just as yourself, I would've said yes right away." Mingyu admitted quietly. "But no... you immediately told me to find a real girlfriend instead, even though you know I don't want a girlfriend, because..."

He looked at Seungkwan helplessly. "Because I just want you."

Slowly, the corners of his lips curled into a grin. "Stup—"

Mingyu immediately slapped his free hand over Seungkwan's mouth. He groaned in frustration.

"I said I knew you were going to call me that! But can't you say something first about my love confession—"

Seungkwan gently pulled Mingyu's hand away from his mouth, revealing the smile he had been trying to hide. When their eyes met, he rose onto his tiptoes and grabbed Mingyu by the collar.

"I'm stupid in love with you too, stupid."

Before Mingyu could even breathe, Seungkwan kissed him.

Mingyu's eyes widened at the suddenness of it all. Every feeling he had been holding back, every bit of longing he had buried deep inside, collapsed at once and rushed toward Seungkwan in a wave of pure joy he could not put into words. 

He pulled Seungkwan closer instead and kissed him back with all his heart.

For a moment, the rest of the world disappeared. There was nothing but the two of them, finally standing where neither had ever dared imagine they would be.

They poured every unspoken feeling into the gentle touch of their lips.

Then—

Noise suddenly came from inside Seungkwan's dorm room.

Both of them jerked apart and turned toward the sound.

"What the—"

Mingyu immediately straightened up and instinctively pulled Seungkwan closer against his chest, shielding him from whatever was about to come bursting through the door.

The next second, the dorm room door flew open.

"Youmi-ah! You brought your boyfriend home! Daddy is so proud!" Seokmin practically launched himself into the hallway, wearing a grin so wide it looked painful.

Neither Mingyu nor Seungkwan moved. They were both still too busy processing what had just happened to notice the teasing look Seokmin was giving them.

"OH MY GOD, IT FINALLY HAPPENED!"

Jihyo appeared behind Seokmin looking seconds away from tears.

Beside her, Jeongyeon was already holding up her phone like a professional paparazzi who had been waiting years for this exact moment.

"Congratulations!" Jeongyeon cheered. "You two are finally dating!"

Feeling his face heat up under all the attention, Seungkwan immediately buried his face against Mingyu's chest, refusing to look at anyone.

Meanwhile, Mingyu wasn't doing much better. The tips of his ears had already turned bright red.

"W-Were you guys eavesdropping?" he asked, visibly flustered. "Why are all of you here?"

"We were waiting for our baby girl to come home." Jihyo dramatically wiped away imaginary tears. "But I never expected him to come home with a real boyfriend."

"Yeah... We were worried. It's late, and Seungkwan hadn't texted us any updates." Jeongyeon added, finally lowering her phone.

Seokmin grimaced. "Didn't you two tell me you were worried because Mingyu might not be able to control his libido around our pretty, gorgeous, stunning Boo Youmi?"

SMACK!

Both women slapped Seokmin's shoulder in perfect synchronization.

"Shut up!"

Mingyu rolled his eyes and casually tightened his hold around Seungkwan.

"Please leave my boyfriend alone. There's nothing to worry about. He's fine... and very happy with me." He grinned, unable to hide how pleased he was with the word.

"AAAA! He said boyfriend! They're really official!" Jihyo and Jeongyeon shrieked in unison, immediately grabbing each other's hands and jumping up and down like overly excited mothers at a wedding announcement, causing Seokmin to stumble backward in alarm.

"Gosh! You're going to wake up the whole building!" Seokmin scolded. "And Mingyu... stop squeezing my Boo like that. Can't you see he's out of breath? Come here, Boo Youmi."

Seokmin reached for Seungkwan's hand to pull him away from Mingyu, but before he could, Mingyu slapped his friend's hand away.

"Hands off. He's only my Boo now. It's up to me if I want to squeeze him like this—or however I want," Mingyu said, playfully tightening his hold around Seungkwan.

"Ugh—Kim Mingyu—!" Seungkwan finally blurted out. "Let go of me—!"

He struggled to free himself, and luckily, Mingyu loosened his grip, though the confused look on his face made it seem like he genuinely didn't understand what he'd done wrong.

Seungkwan clicked his tongue.

"You're sweating..." he muttered with a pout, even though everyone could clearly see how red his face had become.

After straightening himself out, Seungkwan folded his arms across his chest and looked at their two female friends. "Nunadeul... I think we should celebrate my new relationship status, don't you agree?"

Then, with a dramatic flip of his long wig, he struck his best Boo Youmi pose. 

"Come on, girls."

Without waiting for an answer, he turned and walked into his dorm room.

Jihyo and Jeongyeon immediately followed him inside, cheering excitedly.

Seokmin watched them disappear into the room and let out a breath.

"Wow." He placed a hand over his heart. "Isn't he ridiculously cute when he does that?"

Mingyu, who had been openly staring after Seungkwan with a lovestruck expression and his mouth hanging slightly open, immediately snapped his head toward Seokmin.

"Seokmin. He's mine—"

"BOO YOUMI! You promised we'd take pictures together! Let's do it now!" Seokmin suddenly shouted as he rushed into the room, completely ignored Mingyu.

"YA! Stay away from my boyfriend!"

Mingyu followed everyone inside and slammed the door shut behind him.

🐶❤︎🍊

"Happy Halloween!"

Everyone clinked their glasses together and cheered as loud music blasted through the club and colorful strobe lights flashed across the room.

The entire place was alive with energy, packed with people enjoying the Halloween party.

Of course, Seungkwan was enjoying himself too.

Standing beside Seokmin, he had his arm hooked through his friend's as they sipped their drinks and took in the lively atmosphere around them.

"Aahh... it's so good to have you by my side, Mr. Scamander," Seungkwan said to Seokmin, who was dressed as Newt Scamander from Fantastic Beasts.

"The honor is all mine," Seokmin replied with a dramatic bow and one hand swing his magic wand. Then he glanced at Seungkwan's costume, struggled not to laugh. "But isn't it illegal for an elementary school kid like you to be in a club? And drinking, no less?" he asked.

Seungkwan was dressed as Syaoran Li from Cardcaptor Sakura, complete with the character's sailor-style elementary school uniform, matching hat, and backpack, making him look even younger, cuter, and almost unfairly innocent than he actually was.

Seungkwan flashed him a wide, fake smile. "Good one, hyung. At least I know my costume suits me well."

Seokmin only chuckled before taking another sip of his drink. "Anyway, where's your boyfriend? He hasn't arrived yet?" He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "You didn't ask me to come here early because you two had another argument, did you?"

Seungkwan sighed. "You know I'm always annoyed with him, hyung. So that's not exactly unusual."

"And what's the problem this time?" Seokmin pressed.

Seungkwan shrugged. "Nothing important. He just kept asking what costume I was wearing because he wanted to match with me."

Seokmin blinked. "Seungkwan... isn't that sweet?"

"I know..." Seungkwan whined, fidgeting with the tie on his costume. "I was just too embarrassed to tell him I was going to dress up like this. But I really liked the idea. And since I refused to tell him, Mingyu hyung got frustrated and said he'd just go as Captain America to match Seungcheol hyung's Winter Soldier costume. And I was like, whatever. I don't care what he wears."

Seokmin rolled his eyes.

"I don't understand you at all. You've been together for six months already, and you still can't tell him the simplest things you're thinking or feeling."

Seungkwan pouted into his drink. "Am I really a terrible boyfriend, hyung?" he mumbled. "Every time Mingyu hyung does something that makes my heart flutter, my brain just stops working. Then I end up saying the complete opposite of what I actually mean."

"No. But you should start opening up to him more, Seungkwan. Mingyu tells you everything." Seokmin took a sip of his drink before adding, "The guy even told you about the fake brand underwear he accidentally brought back from the laundry room and kept wearing for a week."

Seungkwan burst out laughing. "Hyung!"

"What?" Seokmin chuckled. "I'm just saying. If he can confess something that embarrassing, surely you can tell him about the things you want to do together too."

Before Seungkwan could say anything else, something soft splashed onto his face and Seokmin's.

"What the hell!" Seokmin exclaimed in annoyance. "Who did that—"

A familiar laugh interrupted him.

Joshua, their senior from the choir club, approached with suspicious confidence, casually flicking droplets of water from the glass in his hand as if he were blessing everyone with holy water. "I'm purifying this place."

He was dressed as Deacon Choi from The Priests.

"Oh, please, hyung!" Seokmin burst out laughing. "You're in the one place that can't be purified!"

"Oh, right..." Joshua murmured thoughtfully.

Then he promptly sprinkled more water on both of them.

"Hyung, stop!" Seungkwan cried, dodging away.

"Hyung, you—" Seokmin immediately pointed his wand at Joshua. "Wingardium Leviosa!"

Nothing happened.

Of course.

Joshua only laughed and kept going.

Seungkwan finally ran from the scene, not wanting to get soaked any further. But after only a few steps, he accidentally crashed into someone.

Startled, he nearly lost his balance. Luckily, the person caught him before he could stumble.

"I-I'm sorry..." Seungkwan blurted out, flustered.

"Boo..."

The familiar voice from behind the helmet made Seungkwan pause.

"It's me." The person reached up and removed his helmet.

"H-Hyung—" Seungkwan's eyes widened.

For a moment, he could only stare. Whatever annoyance he'd felt toward the taller earlier vanished completely from his mind.

Mingyu was dressed in a white F1 racing suit, the outfit fitting his broad shoulders and tall frame almost unfairly well. "Weren't you going to wear a Captain America costume?" Seungkwan asked, suddenly sounding a little breathless.

"I did try the Captain America costume first, but it ended up looking weird and awkward, so I gave up." Mingyu nodded toward his outfit. "So... It's Sonny Hayes. From F1 movie."

"Oh..." Seungkwan's gaze drifted over him again before he could stop himself. "You look good in this costume."

Mingyu smiled. "Just good?"

Seungkwan swallowed.

"So handsome..." His voice dropped to a whisper. "And sexy."

The grin that spread across Mingyu's face was instant. After setting his helmet aside, he slowly reached out and tilted Seungkwan's chin up until their eyes met.

"And you look so pretty."

His smile softened as his gaze lingered on Seungkwan's face, taking in every detail. "Is this why you kept your costume a secret?" he asked softly. "So you could surprise me by looking this pretty?"

"I-I'm Syaoran Li..." Seungkwan protested weakly, already feeling like his heart was about to explode. "I'm handsome. Not pretty."

"Cardcaptor Sakura?" Mingyu chuckled. "Cute."

"Hyung!"

Mingyu chuckled. "Of course you're pretty, Boo." His thumb brushed lightly against Seungkwan's chin. "You always look pretty to me." The teasing smile faded into something gentler. 

"Actually... you get more beautiful every day."

Seungkwan forgot how to breathe.

For a moment, neither of them looked away.

Then Mingyu leaned in slightly and asked, almost hopefully, "Can I get a kiss?"

"Kim Mingyu! What do you want to drink?"

Someone shouted over the loud music, making both Mingyu and Seungkwan turn toward the voice.

It was Seungcheol, a senior from Mingyu's department. Just as Mingyu had said, he was dressed as the Winter Soldier.

Mingyu clicked his tongue and reluctantly let go of Seungkwan's chin before calling back, "The usual! You know what I drink!"

Then he slipped an arm around Seungkwan's waist and pulled him closer.

"Why does everyone keep interrupting our moment?" he grumbled, stealing a quick kiss from Seungkwan's cheek. "Happy Halloween, Boo. We should've just had a private party instead of coming here in the first place."

Seungkwan chuckled and loosely draped his arms around Mingyu's neck.

"It's not really a party if it's just the two of us." 

His smile softened.

"Happy Halloween to you too, hyung." He leaned in and returned the kiss on Mingyu's cheek.

"Woah! Kim Mingyu? Is this really you?"

The familiar voice behind Seungkwan made both of them straighten and turn around.

"Changmin?" Mingyu blinked in surprise. "You're here?"

"Yeah. My girlfriend dragged me here for the party." Changmin nodded. "She's in the restroom right now.'

Mingyu raised an eyebrow. "Areum?"

"Ah—no, no... We already broke up," Changmin said. Then his eyes shifted to the person in Mingyu's arms. "You... and Youmi broke up too...?"

He looked closer at Seungkwan, as if there was something familiar about him.

"Oh? Hi, Changmin, right?" Seungkwan asked suddenly, holding out his hand. "Youmi told me about you."

Still confused, Changmin shook his hand.

"I'm Boo Seungkwan," he introduced himself with an easy smile. "Youmi's twin brother... and Mingyu's boyfriend."

Changmin froze.

Completely stunned.

Meanwhile, Mingyu looked far too pleased with himself. The grin on his face left absolutely no room for doubt that Seungkwan was telling the truth.

"The privilege of being Kim Mingyu," he said proudly.

"Seungkwan! Mingyu! Over here! We saved seats for you!"

Seokmin's voice echoed across the room.

The two turned and saw Seokmin waving enthusiastically from a booth. Beside him sat Joshua and Seungcheol, who was already holding up a drink for Mingyu.

"Well, it was nice seeing you again, Changmin... but my friends are calling us." Mingyu gave him a casual salute before tugging lightly on Seungkwan's waist. "Come on, Boo."

And just like that, the two disappeared into the crowd.

Leaving Changmin standing there alone, with his mouth was hanging open.

"Kim Mingyu really has changed a lot..." Changmin muttered to himself.

"First he had a cute girlfriend..." He paused. "Then... a pretty boyfriend."

He shook his head in disbelief. 

"And he looked absolutely head over heels for both of them."

🐶❤︎🍊

.END.