Love Languages

Realization

Heeseung sighs as he shovels food into his mouth. Damn. Jay's cooking is always a pick me up. For the first time in a month, he feels like his brain is functioning right.

"I'll just delete the app," he says softly as if this was a revelation and not the most logical plan of action.

"I don't know why I didn't before," he continues through mouthfuls of food that has Sunoo looking at him with pure disgust. "I've gotta get my life back."

Sunoo clears his throat. "Uhm. Glad you realized that, hyung..."

"Thank you," Heeseung says, a particle of food accidentally hitting Sunoo square in the face. Sunoo shrieks as he hurries to wipe it off, to which Riki almost chokes on his food with laughter.

From the kitchen, Jay sighs as he serves up a sixth bowl before returning to make one for himself. "You guys make me miserable. I hope you know that."

"Jay-hyung, you chose to be our personal chef 3 years ago. Why stop now?" Jungwon says with a playful smirk on his face.

"I should have poisoned the food..."

"You love us too much," Jungwon calls back.

"Besides, you'd probably poison everyone except Jungwon," Sunoo adds. "We know how you work, Jay."

Jay huffs. "Are you insinuating I play favorites?"

As a unit, the entire group responds with a resounding, unanimous, "Yes."

Heeseung laughs as the tips of Jay's ears can be seen turning red even from here.

"We've seen the lives, hyung," Riki begins. "You let him do all his cat stuff around you and you barely say a word."

"But--"

"And remember the live where you compared hand sizes?" Jake laughs. "Oldest trick in the book, dude."

"Wait--"

"Jay-hyung. The fans are right. Maybe not romantically, but you're definitely whipped," Riki finishes simply. "Cuz if I tugged at your shirt until it almost ripped, you'd kill me."

"Because you're annoying!" Jay retaliates as he sits down next to Sunoo.

"See? Favorites!" Riki grins triumphantly.

"Let's not fucking act like you don't have both Jake AND Heeseung-hyung wrapped around your pinky finger, kid," Jay retorts, pointing an accusing spoon at the youngest.

Riki's eyes widen in shock, his jaw dropping dramatically. "Me? Jake-hyung just answers my every beck and call because he loves me!"

"And because you're freakishly tall," Jake mutters.

Riki sticks his tongue out at Jake before continuing. "And Heeseung-hyung's been too busy to play with me lately because he wants to marry the language owl."

"I do NOT--!"

"Uh-huh. Sure. Yeah. Anyway, we should go bowling today."

Everyone groans, and Heeseung takes the chance to open his phone as the group descends into their usual morning chaos. He navigates over to Duolingo, his thumb hovering over the app icon before he presses down on it.

The x pops up in the left-hand corner. He hesitates for a moment before pushing it.

"Do you really want to uninstall DUOLINGO?" the popup icon reads. His answer is obviously no, but he can't keep doing this. He's obsessed with Duolingo. They have to part ways.

Heeseung's eyes begin to grow wet. This feels like his second ever breakup. Why does this one hurt more than ending his 3-month relationship after going after a girl for 3 years?

His thumb hovers hesitantly over the Uninstall option, but just as he's about to push it, he gets a notification.

From Duo-fucking-lingo.

"Don't do it," the notification reads. Heeseung's eyes widen. He blinks. The notification disappears.

Okay, so he's seeing things now, too. Great.

He goes to press the Uninstall button again, but ANOTHER notification from Duo comes in.

"Don't do it, Heeseung. Please."

Heeseung's eyes widen in shock. Is he going insane...?

Another comes in, and this time, the little Duo icon's eyes are glossy with tears. What. The. Fuck.

"Heeseung, we've had such a good time together, right?"

Another notification.

"Laughing, learning...loving."

Heeseung shrieks, dropping his phone. The entire table goes silent as their heads shoot over to him.

Hastily, Heeseung pushes his phone over to the center of the table. "J-Just--fuck, just look at this!"

Heeseung exits the Uninstall stage and repeats the process. Just as he's about to press Uninstall, he gets a notification that has the entire table gasping.

"Give me a chance, Heeseung..."

"...what the fuck," Riki whispers.

Heeseung removes his thumb before hovering it over the Uninstall button again.

"Heeseung, please. I know how you feel about me. I feel the same."

"What the fuck," Sunoo hisses.

"SEE!? I'M NOT CRAZY!" Heeseung exclaims.

"Someone has to just be texting you," Jungwon mutters, but even he sounds uncertain with his own conclusion.

"Well, let's tap on one and see..." Jake says.

The next notification comes in. "Maybe you can introduce me to the others?"

Jay leaps away from the table, walking into the kitchen backward as he makes the sign of the cross with his fingers. "Hell no. Hell. Fucking. No. No way. Get that shit away from me, what in the--"

And Jay proceeds to let out a string of words that make him sound incredibly American as Jake presses on the notification.