Ships Passing In The Night ｜Markhyuck (OT21 AU)

Chapter 33

"He is. Apparently, they live around here because it's closer to the high school that their youngest brother goes to." Dongyoung broke off, thinking hard, before he continued a little more hesitantly. "They only left a few minutes ago, actually. You just missed them. They said they needed to pick him up from a friend's house, before they went to some dance rehearsal. Taeyong-hyung mentioned him several times, so I really should remember his name. I think it was--"

Three things became immediately clear in Donghyuck's mind, as he processed Dongyoung's words. First, he was an idiot. For someone who prided himself on being observant, it had taken him an embarrassing length of time--not to mention several monumentally huge clues dangled right in front of his face--to figure out the truth.

Second, Dongyoung wasn't telling him the whole truth. The dreamy, faraway look on his face as he talked about Taeyong--even if it was just recounting a tiny, inconsequential tidbit of information the older man had offered him--was not new to Donghyuck. He knew that Dongyoung was whipped for Taeyong, he had known that for a while, but Dongyoung had always been somewhat subdued and self-deprecating when it came to the prospect of actually interacting with the man. The cheesy, toothy grin that graced his face now was something entirely different, and Donghyuck was going to get to the bottom of it--right after he addressed point number three.

Third, with special reference back to point one, Taeyong was unequivocally Jisung's brother--and, by extension, WinWin's brother too. The coincidences were just too striking to ignore and, honestly, now it had finally occurred to him, it all suddenly made sense. He recalled Jisung in the drama studio, dropping his phone at the mention of Taeyong's name. Taeyong, missing class on the evening of Jisung's showcase. The face in the crowd that he'd sworn he recognised--Taeyong's face; he could see it now, as clearly as if he'd stepped back into his own memories. How could he possibly have missed it?

"Jisungie," he said. Dongyoung's gaze snapped up to meet his, mouth falling open in surprise. In truth, he hadn't meant to say the name aloud, but it didn't really matter anymore. He'd had a good amount of time in the car today, alone with his thoughts, and he'd already made his decision.

He didn't know how much Dongyoung knew, if anything at all, but Donghyuck was ready to spill everything. He loved Jaemin and Renjun for supporting him, for doing everything they could to help him out, but this was so much bigger than the three of them now. He didn't know what the consequences might be, but his gut told him that he needed Dongyoung. He needed his hyungs on his side and, if anyone was smart enough to figure this out, it was the brilliant man sitting opposite him.

"That's right," Dongyoung told him, staring unabashedly into Donghyuck's eyes. "He said his name was Jisung. How did you--?"

"That means you also met WinWin-hyung," Donghyuck interjected. When Dongyoung didn't immediately react to the name, he realised his mistake. "Sicheng-hyung. Does he go by Dong Sicheng here, or does he use Taeyong-hyung's family name?"

"How--?" Dongyoung paused, blinking rapidly as he stared at the younger boy. He didn't speak for a few long moments, then he shook his head and chuckled low in his throat. "We're not about to pretend that what just happened was normal, right?"

Donghyuck shrugged, more to give himself something to do than out of any actual sense of nonchalance. He clasped his fingers together in his lap, squeezing tightly enough that he knew it would leave a bruise, and prayed to anyone who might be listening that he wasn't making a huge mistake. "It's probably a bit late for that now."

"I have so many questions."

"I'd be disappointed if you didn't, hyung," he said wryly and Dongyoung actually cracked a smile, despite the fresh tension between them. Donghyuck would answer all of them, he had promised himself that much on the drive over, but he had one of his own first. He knew it would likely get forgotten afterwards, considering the way that the others had reacted to his revelation, and he wasn't quite ready to abandon his own suspicions just yet. "Before you do though, what actually happened between you and Taeyong? You're definitely not telling me everything."