Hidden | YEONGYU/BEOMJUN

05

Beomgyu groaned as the girls dumped Yeonjun in the living room. Before he could stand, Sana and Chuu were already yanking at his arm.

"What are your problems, you little brats?" Beomgyu complained.

"Beomgyu hyung, we need you for our group project!" Chuu said, eyes wide.

"Please stand beside Yeonjun hyung!" Sana pleaded, tugging harder.

Beomgyu's eyes darted to Yeonjun, who was already standing there, looking down at him with unreadable eyes—but there was a small, warm smile tugging at the corner of his lips that made Beomgyu's chest ache.

Beomgyu blinked twice, their silent code for "Hi," and Yeonjun's eyes softened, blinking back.

"Fine," Beomgyu grumbled, standing up to join Yeonjun, arms crossing over his chest as he stood awkwardly.

Giselle crouched down, sketchbook in hand, beginning to outline with confident pencil strokes. Chuu, watching closely, tilted her head.

"Giselle unnie, do you think there's something missing?"

Giselle paused dramatically, tapping her chin, before glancing at Chuu, who was smirking knowingly.

"Yeah," Giselle said, turning to Beomgyu. "Beomgyu hyung, please get closer to Yeonjun hyung."

Beomgyu's mouth dropped open, "You—what? Are you serious?"

"Pleaseeee!" Chuu and Sana chorused, doing their best puppy eyes.

Beomgyu groaned again but shuffled closer, standing stiffly beside Yeonjun. The older boy smelled like coffee and soap, his hair still fluffy, and Beomgyu could feel the warmth radiating off him.

Sana's eyes sparkled. "Yeonjun hyung, can you hold Beomgyu hyung on the waist like in the model ads on tv?"

Yeonjun hesitated, glancing at Beomgyu, who gave a tiny nod, cheeks turning bright red.

"Okay," Yeonjun said softly, sliding an arm around Beomgyu's waist, pulling him closer.

The three girls squealed so loudly the tv couldn't drown them out.

"They look so good together! Gay power!" Chuu shouted, clapping.

"I'm going to write a Wattpad story about this!" Giselle added with a devilish grin.

Beomgyu tried to look annoyed, rolling his eyes. "I thought this was for a project?"

"Yeah..."

"Yeah, project," Giselle repeated, her grin growing wider.

Beomgyu pulled away abruptly, "I freakin' knew it. What are your problems?!"

Chuu just giggled, holding up her sketchbook to show a drawing of two stick figures, one a centimeter shorter, with a big heart in between them and the taller stick figure's arm around the other's shoulders.

"You three really think I'd look good with your Yeonjun hyung?" Beomgyu asked, voice exasperated.

"Yes!" the three chorused.

Yeonjun chuckled, looking at the drawing and then at the girls with a teasing glint in his eye, "Then you wouldn't mind if I became your brother-in-law?"

Sana tilted her head, "What does that mean?"

Giselle and Chuu's eyes widened as realization hit, and they squealed, grabbing Sana's arms and jumping around her. "It means he'll be Beomgyu hyung's boyfriend!"

Sana's eyes widened before she joined in the squealing, "Yay! Boyfriend!"

Their mother came running from the bathroom, rubber gloves on, "What happened?! Is someone hurt?!"

"Nothing, mom, these brats are being them again," Beomgyu muttered, covering his red face with his hand.

"Oh, I thought something happened," their mom sighed. "Beomgyu, look out for them, okay?" She went back to the bathroom.

Beomgyu glared at his sisters, "You three need to stop your bl fantasies here because it's never going to happen, okay?"

They booed him, Sana throwing a crumpled piece of paper at his head. "You're so anti-romantic, hyung! Die!"

Yeonjun burst out laughing at the scene, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye, and Beomgyu's glare softened unconsciously.

Just then, Jennie, the second sibling at 16, came home, dropping her bag by the door, looking tired from her group project.

"What's going on?" she asked, eyebrow raised.

Sana immediately shouted, "Yeonjun hyung and Beomgyu hyung are boyfriends!"

Yeonjun chuckled, shaking his head at Jennie, who raised both eyebrows, then smirked knowingly.

"They're teasing Beomgyu with the pretty boy next door again, huh?" Jennie laughed, ruffling Chuu's hair as she walked past them.

"Hyung, you're so boring," Giselle mocked, sticking out her tongue as she dragged Sana and Chuu to follow Jennie into her room, ready to gossip about what had happened.

The living room quieted down, leaving Yeonjun and Beomgyu standing alone, the late morning light slanting through the windows.

There was a long pause.

Yeonjun spoke first, voice soft, teasing, "Three approvals from your family, indirectly. Now it's only Jennie, and your parents."

Beomgyu elbowed him lightly, "They're literally kids."

Yeonjun only smirked, leaning down to press a soft, quick peck to Beomgyu's lips. It was so fast it almost didn't happen, but the warmth lingered.

Beomgyu's face burned, eyes darting toward the hallway to make sure no one saw.

Yeonjun walked toward the door, glancing back, "Tell your dad I've already gone home, okay? I need to prep for school." He paused, giving Beomgyu that small, warm smile. "I love you, pretty boy."

He winked before stepping out.

"Yah—" Beomgyu called out, but Yeonjun was already halfway across the lawn, looking back every few steps, throwing exaggerated flying kisses that made Beomgyu bury his face in his hands, shaking his head.

Beomgyu stepped outside, watching him go, unable to stop the small smile forming on his lips as Yeonjun turned the corner, waving dramatically one last time.

Inside, Beomgyu's chest felt warm, the house still filled with the chaos of his sisters' laughter and the faint smell of syrup.

They were only kids, sure. But for a moment, Beomgyu let himself imagine what it would be like if it were true—if one day, Yeonjun could be here openly, and his sisters could squeal about their "boyfriend hyung" without it being a joke, and he wouldn't have to hide the way his heart beat fast every time Yeonjun's eyes met his.

For now, though, he returned to the living room, dropping onto the floor again, letting the rerun of Peppa Pig play while he stared blankly, thinking about Yeonjun's flying kisses, the echo of "I love you, pretty boy" stuck in his mind, making him press his palms over his burning cheeks as he let out a soft, lovesick groan only he could hear.