#minwon au ✾ (In) Fidelity ✾ Mingyu thinks his day is going great until a stranger accuses him of infidelity.

• English Minwon au • Angst? Fluff? Maybe humor? • Short - Medium in length • Written thread mostly • Themes of infidelity • Please don’t pressure me with updates I’ll try my best • MinWon endgame • give this fic a chance it’s not what you think

“Seungkwan-ah!” Mingyu calls his Secretary from his office, rummaging through his stuff. “Yes?” Seungkwan pops his head into his office and Mingyu sighs, “I can’t find my Credit card, have you seen it?” Seungkwan hums, “Since when do you use your credit card, Sir?”

Mingyu exhales. That’s right. “I must’ve lent it to Haneul,” he says, relieved. He panicked imagining it landed in bad hands. “Lent it? By how much he uses it, he basically owns that card now,” Seungkwan comments and Mingyu shoots him a pointed glare

“I know you’re not very fond of Haneul but he’s my lover, okay? I need you to treat him with respect,” Mingyu reprimands and Seungkwan shrugs. Mingyu knows the man has hurtful stuff to say but he keeps it to himself. “Anyway, anything for me?” Mingyu asks and Seungkwan hums

He scrolls through his iPad and then looks up at Mingyu, “We secured the deal with Lee enterprises,” he says and Mingyu’s face lights up “What?! You should’ve told me that when I came in!” Mingyu says,overjoyed. He’d been working months to secure that deal and all that paid off!

“What else?” Mingyu asks, wrapping an arm around Seungkwan’s shoulders. “The marketing team has finalised the design and approach for our latest product,” he informs and god, Mingyu couldn’t be happier today. “What’s my schedule like today?” Mingyu asks, giddy

“Nothing important, why?” Seungkwan says. Mingyu grins. “This calls for a celebration! I’ll call Haneul and arrange a date!” Mingyu grabs his phone. Seungkwan rolls his eyes but Mingyu ignores that. “Call the car,” Mingyu says and exits the office with Seungkwan behind him

As he gets off the elevator, Haneul finally answers the call. “Hello?” “Hey baby,” Mingyu grins, “so, my schedule freed up today, and I was wondering if we can meet up for an early lunch, what say?” “Baby, oh no! I told you — I’m not home. I’m on a business outing,”

Mingyu halts in his steps, “Oh, right,” Haneul did tell him. “When are you getting back home?” Mingyu asks and Haneul hums, “how about I ditch the company and come home tonight?” Mingyu smiles, “thanks babe, but I don’t want to get in the way of your work,”

“Sorry, babe. But I’ll see this weekend, okay? Love you!” Haneul says and Mingyu smiles, “see you,” And with that, he disconnects the call. Mingyu’s shoulders sag and he sighs.

“Seungkwan—“ he turns around and Seungkwan shakes his head, “I can’t join you for lunch. I have a date with someone who actually views me as his first priority,” Mingyu exhales, “yah, you’re so mean,” he whines and Seungkwan shrugs.

Mingyu’s about to turn and go back to his office when a voice calls out to him. “Kim Mingyu-ssi?” He traces the voice to the owner, a man, wide shoulders and soft features, pointed eyes that tend to stare into your soul. “Yes?” Mingyu asks and the man bows, “I’m Jeon Wonwoo,”

Mingyu bows back, “Hello. How may I help you?” Wonwoo exhales, “I need to speak with you for a moment. It’s—“ he glances at Seungkwan behind Mingyu, “— personal” Mingyu frowns. Seungkwan sighs and bows, “I’ll see you upstairs, Boss,” he says and walks away.

— Normally, Mingyu doesn’t encourage entertaining strangers that approach him But he has time on his hands since Haneul and Seungkwan cancelled on him. He might as well hear this man out before dismissing him. Mingyu stares at the man sitting across him at the cafe

Wonwoo’s sipping on his tea, and the silence is uncomfortable Mingyu decides to speak up. “Why did you want to meet with me?” Mingyu asks and the man looks up from his cup of tea. He sighs, and puts the cup down, clasping his fingers and setting his hands in the table

“I want to know why you’re sleeping with my boyfriend,” Wonwoo says, eyes glaring daggers at Mingyu. Mingyu gasps, eyes wide. What?!

See you tmr! Please interact with the thread It will motivate me to go on You can qrt with your thoughts or leave me messages here : https://tellonym.me/minkyuwoo

— Wonwoo knows he’s an absolute asshole for coming home this late on their anniversary But this is still better than not showing up at all, right? He ditched the company meeting because he’d finally heard what Hajoon has been saying all this time — spend time with your bf!

Wonwoo knows he prioritises his work often but it’s only so he and Hajoon can live a comfortable lifestyle Wonwoo struggles to unlock the door with the bouquet and chocolates in hand But he manages to open the door. But he stops when he spots clothes in the hallway

It takes Wonwoo a moment to process what’s happening, but the sounds of pleasures coming from the room are all the evidence he needs to deduce he’s being cheated on His head is empty and he can’t feel the tips of his fingers as the sounds get louder and louder

Hajoon’s cheating on him? In his home? In their bed?? Wonwoo stares at the mess of clothes on the ground — a wallet that’s not Hajoon’s stands out He picks it up and a card slips out Name : Kim Mingyu

— Mingyu stares at him with his jaw on the floor Wonwoo’s gaze on him doesn’t waver — and it makes Mingyu the teensiest bit uncomfortable “Look,” he begins and Wonwoo huffs, “here come the excuses,” Mingyu scoffs, “excuses? No. I want to clarify that you’ve got the wrong guy”

Wonwoo rolls his eyes, crossing his arms, “Everyone says that” Mingyu leans back in his chair, “maybe they do but I’m not lying. I’m not sleeping with your boyfriend, Wonwoo-ssi,” Wonwoo purses his lips, “then why did I find your credit card in my apartment!”

And just like that Mingyu’s world shatters as he comes to a devastating realisation “My credit card? The one ending with 9793?” Mingyu’s throat runs dry and Wonwoo huffs, “yes! That one!” Mingyu’s stomach sinks and his nerves begin to shake.

“I— my boyfriend’s had that card for ages now….” he says Wonwoo’s eyes widen “Oh…” is all the man says, realising their twisted fates Their boyfriends are cheating on them with each other

“Well,” Wonwoo clears his throat and stands up, “this has been a mistake,” Wonwoo pushes his glasses up his nose and attempts to walk away but Mingyu grabs his hand, stopping him “Hey! You can’t just come here, accuse me, then acuse my boyfriend of infidelity and leave!”

Wonwoo yanks his hand free of Mingyu’s grasp, “I may have been wrong about you but your boyfriend is cheating on you, Mingyu-ssi,” No. Mingyu refuses to believe him. Mingyu’s given Haneul everything! His love, his heart, his money?! Haneul can’t — he’s not the type to—

“I understand you’re confused and shaken—“ “Yes but I’m not mistaken! Haneul didn’t cheat on me!” Mingyu defends his lover. They’ve been together for 2 years. This can’t be! Wonwoo sighs. “The only way to be sure is to confront him, Mingyu-ssi,” Wonwoo says

Mingyu scoffs, “like confronting is so easy. Why haven’t you done it then?” That seems to trump Wonwoo. He bites his lip and sighs “You’re right. Then you figure out another way to confirm it. And when you do, you can give me a call here,” Wonwoo says, handing Mingyu a card

Mingyu stares at the business card Jeon Wonwoo seems to be an attorney “And what will I do with this?” Mingyu asks and Wonwoo hums “Our fates have become intertwined so it’s best we keep in touch, hm?” Wonwoo says and Mingyu swallows “See you soon,” Wonwoo says and leaves

No. Mingyu’s not going to see him soon Because Haneul isn’t cheating on him!

— Mingyu walks back to his office in a daze, head empty and heart muddled with conflict As he walks in, Seungkwan spots him. “What’s wrong?” Seungkwan asks and Mingyu turns to him, eyes droopy, “That man said Haneul is cheating on me,”

Seungkwan blinks at Mingyu, and then goes back to arranging his desk, “ah, so you found out?” Mingyu’s eyes widen and be marches over to Seungkwan, “you knew?!” he demands and Seungkwan clears his throat “I didn’t, Boss. But I always suspected it. I don’t like Haneul very much”

Mingyu scoffs, stumbling back, “well too bad because Haneul isn’t cheating on me!” Seungkwan sighs, “ah, you’re still in denial,” Mingyu huffs, storming off into his Office. Seungkwan follows him and closes the door. “Hyung,” he drops his professional honorific, “listen”

“To what? What have I not given Haneul? I love him a lot, I give him whatever he wants — what am I lacking? Where did I go wrong? Everyone wants love! And I gave him that and —“ Mingyu sighs. Seungkwan blinks at his boss and exhales. “You don’t want to believe it,”

“Of course I don’t! And I won’t! There have been no signs of him— I—“ “Boss, you’ve rarely been home these last few months. How would you see the signs?” Seungkwan deduces and Mingyu shakes his head, still in denial. Seungkwan sighs. He walks over the desk to Mingyu’s PC

Seungkwan moves around the monitor opening tabs and entering information. “Haneul said he was on a business trip, right?” Seungkwan asks and Mingyu nods, “yeah” “Then why is your latest credit card activity in Seoul, three blocks from your house?” Seungkwan shows him the screen

And Seungkwan’s right … But it doesn’t make sense Mingyu’s never bad at anything So why would Haneul “This.. proves nothing,” Mingyu says and Seungkwan groans. “Stay in denial for as long as you want — it won’t change the truth, Boss,” he says and leaves

Mingyu leans back in his chair, staring at the screen in silence He can only pray to god this is just some cruel prank on him by the universe

— Mingyu drags himself home— confused and conflicted Wonwoo and Seungkwan believe Haneul is cheating on him But they don’t know Haneul like he does. Haneul would never — no, he wouldn’t

He unlocks the door to his apartment and — He finds the lights turned on inside and a sweet aroma spreading around the room. Mingyu’s about to walk in and enquire when Haneul pops out in front of him, “Surprise!” he says, startling Mingyu

Mingyu stares at him with wide eyes and racign heart, “Haneul?” he asks as Haneul grins. He walks over to Mingyu and presses a kiss to his lips. Mingyu watches him in awe, “y-you’re home?” he asks and Haneul giggles, “I wanted to surprise you so I flew in last night,”

And Mingyu almost can’t contain his excitement. He hugs Haneul back and kisses him roughly, tongues dancing along. Mingyu breaks away from the kiss and looks at Haneul, “so you were here all morning?” he asks and Haneul nods, “yeah, was buying stuff to bake you a cake,”

Mingyu giggles And then he laughs as the oven dings — indicating that the cake has been cooked “I’ve missed you,” Mingyu says, kissing Haneul eagerly and the other reciprocates, “I’ve missed you too,”he says But in the back of his mind Mingyu is glad Wonwoo and Kwan were wrong

“Wanna take me to the bedroom?” Haneul whispers against his lips and Mingyu smirks, “sure,” He lifts Haneul up in his arms and carries him to the bedroom. — “You should catch a wink — you must be tired from the journey,” Mingyu kisses Haneul’s head, who smiles at his gesture

“You’re always so sweet to me, Mingyu-ah,” Haneul says sleepily and Mingyu smiles as the man dozes off Mingyu grins. Wonwoo and Seungkwan were wrong after all. Haneul flew in last night and rushed over to Mingyu’s place to surprise him. Haneul really… loves him

Once Haneul is asleep, Mingyu stands up and walks over to his fridge. He hasn’t been home this past week — office has been keeping him busy. But it looks like Haneul cleaned up. Hell thank him for that the next morning. Mingyu opens the his refrigerator

He remembers he’d stacked his refrigerator with his favourite beer. But it’s nowhere to be found. Confused, Mingyu looks around the apartment and finds empty bottles in the trash. He stares at the empty bottles and exhales. He walks back in and grabs his phone

He dials the number and a voice answers, “Hello?” “Jeon Wonwoo-ssi?” he asks “Yes?” Wonwoo asks and Mingyu swallows, settling down by the dining table. “This is Kim Mingyu. We should…meet,” Haneul hates Mingyu’s beer So who drank all those bottles? It’s obvious isn’t it

— Mingyu’s staring out the window of the cafe when the door jingles open and Jeon Wonwoo walks in, closing his umbrella and depositing it in the umbrella basket He looks around, and then spots Mingyu. He walks over to him and takes his seat, “you called sooner than expected,”

Mingyu hums, “I couldn’t keep lying to myself,” Wonwoo nods, pulling his sleeves over his hands. Mingyu notices, and then looks away. He must be feeling cold. Mingyu exhales and leans onto the table, “so, what now?”

Wonwoo sighs, gaze uneasy. Mingyu can tell he already has an idea for how to proceed forward “I have a plan,” Wonwoo says, clasping his hands, “but it will only work if you’re willing to be petty,” Mingyu smirks. He likes the sound of whatever this is

“Yknow, in college, my roommate was super messy and would always blame the room being messy on me whenever a girl or his parents came over,” Mingyu begins, “so one day I took a bottle of Jam and smeared it all over his car and inside it. So yeah, I can be petty,”

Wonwoo smirks and crosses his arms, “then you should have no problem in going along with my plan,” he deduced and Mingyu shrugs He’s angry and he’s sad and he’s also super petty so he is willing to do anything to get back at Haneul one way or another “What’s your plan?” He asks

Wonwoo hums, leaning forth, “I was thinking…since those two are cheating on us, how about we two cheat on them?” Mingyu doesn’t get it but he likes where this is going, “what do you mean?” “I mean, finding out your partner is cheating on you is devastating,” he says

“And since they’re so dependent on us for our wealth or services or whatever, they definitely wouldn’t like to lose us, yeah?” Mingyu listens on. “So why not make them believe we’ve lost interest and that we’re cheating on them, just to torture them emotionally?”

That… Is the most whackiest, dumbest, most cruel, ugliest, silliest, most petty yet ridiculously satisfying and BRILLIANT plan Mingyu’s ever heard “So, what do you suggest, we make them believe they’re being cheated on?” Mingyu asks, excited already and Wonwoo smiles

“We leave hints for them to suspect and send them for a ride. And when they’re at their lowest, we bust them and break up with them, hm?” Wonwoo suggests and a big grin finds its way onto Mingyu’s mouth

“Deal?” Wonwoo asks, extending his hand. Mingyu smirks, taking his hand, “deal.” And just like that — an alliance is formed

— “You need to be more specific,” Mingyu says as the two exit the cafe, their iced Americanos in hand Wonwoo sips on his, and then swallows, “what do you mean?” he asks and Mingyu sighs “When you say we cheat on them, what do you mean?”

Wonwoo shrugs, walking briskly “We make them believe we’re having sex,” Wonwoo says and Mingyu swallows, cheeks heating up. “How so?” He asks and Wonwoo ponders for a moment Mingyu grabs his arm and gently pulls him towards himself, away from that pole he was walking into

Wonwoo frees himself from Mingyu’s grip and turns to him, “we go on dates, we meet up at home, leave traces of each other so our lovers pick up on them and suffer in agony,” Mingyu hums, “but why should we do this?”

Wonwoo halts in his tracks, “I thought you were on board,” Mingyu nods, “I am, but I don’t understand why you want this—“ Wonwoo shrugs, “I’m petty. And I want revenge. I want Hajoon to feel betrayed just as much as I did. Only then I’ll be satisfied,” Mingyu hums.

“What if you don’t feel satisfied at the end of it?” Mingyu asks and Wonwoo side eyes him, “then I’ll cheat on him for real,” Mingyu chokes on his drink and Wonwoo pats him on the back, “slow down,” Mingyu coughs and turns to Wonwoo, “you’ll cheat on him for real?”

Wonwoo nods like it’s no big deal, “I will. It’ll be tit for tat and I know I’ll be satisfied,” Mingyu doesn’t say anything He simply stares at him. Wonwoo sighs, “look, if you’re not on board, tell me. I have other options. I’m only inviting you because you’re the same”

Honestly Mingyu’s quite impressed by his blasé attitude “All this for petty revenge?” Mingyu asks and Wonwoo turns to him, eyes dead serious, “yes,” Mingyu smiles, “I respect that”

“So are you in or not?” Wonwoo asks and Mingyu takes a moment to think about it “And by in I mean, if you’re not satisfied, you must have sex with me,” Mingyu laughs nervously, “I think we’ll be satisfied. It won’t come to that,”

Wonwoo frowns, “what, the idea of sex with me is that repulsive?” Mingyu shakes his head, quick to deny it, “no no, I mean— you are—“ Mingyu takes a long glance at Wonwoo. Though he dresses plainly, his face is rather gorgeous. His voice too— it’s ridiculously deep

“It’s a last resort of course,” Wonwoo cuts in, “we don’t have to think about it” Mingyu sighs in relief. “If worse comes to worse, I’ll hook up with someone else, it’s okay,” Wonwoo clarifies and Mingyu chuckles nervously “Yeah that’s good,” Mingyu sighs

“Anyway, what’s our first move?” Mingyu asks and Wonwoo hums, “I’ll need some time to think about it,” Mingyu nods, “makes sense,” Wonwoo hums, “so, for today, why don’t you go home and uh, rest?” Wonwoo says, poking at the hickey on Mingyu’s neck

Mingyu sighs, now regretting having that mark on his body “This was before I realised,” he utters and Wonwoo shrugs, “I don’t care. But from now on, try and be suspicious around him, okay?” Mingyu’s shoulders drop. “Okay,” “Then, I’ll see you soon, Mingyu-ssi,”

Mingyu smiles, “see you,” Like that, Wonwoo walks away And Mingyu releases the breath he’d been holding. His smile drops and he takes a deep breath He doesn’t want to go home just yet — Mingyu hesitated before opening the door to his own apartment Cuz Haneul is in there

But he took a deep breath and walked in. But now, he can’t move from where he’s standing. The reality of it all is beginning to deep into his bones. Haneul and Mingyu have been together for almost 2-3 years. That’s like — 730 days That’s a lot of days that— have gone waste

“Baby, is that you?” Haneul’s honey-dipped voice chirps from the kitchen and Mingyu swallows. He puts on a smile and walks inside, “yeah, it’s me,” he says and finds Haneul sitting at the dining table, a fork in hand as he claws at the cake “C’mere” Haneul says, opening his arms

Mingyu suppresses his anger and disgust, he tries not to let it show jsut how betrayed he feels, and walks over to Haneul, hugging him like he didn’t just throw away years of their time together. When Mingyu hugs him, his skin prickles and his gut sinks

When he pulls back, he doesn’t know what to do, or how to behave. He can feel remnants of Haneul on him, and he hates the feeling He wants to shower again — or better yet, go jump into a river “You look happy,” Haneul says and Mingyu smiles Does Haneul even know him?

Can he not see past Mingyu’s smile? In his defence, Mingyu couldn’t even figure out Haneul was cheating on him so … It’s like what they had was never real. They’re still strangers How has Mingyu been so blind to it all? “I am. A lot of deals cleared out,” Mingyu says

Haneul grins, pulling Mingyu in for a kiss. He feels like he’s going to puke — like he wants to peel his skin off from everywhere Haneul has touched him Mingyu dodges the kiss when he feels a buzz in his pocket. “Sorry,” he says and steps away, leaving Haneul confused

“Something wrong?” Haneul asks and Mingyu retrieves his phone from his pocket, “no, it’s nothing,” he says, opening his chat box From : Unknown ‘I have a plan. I’ll meet you at your office tmr ‘ Oh. It’s Wonwoo. “Who is it, babe?” Haneul tries to peek over his shoulder.

Mingyu turns his screen off and turns to Haneul with a smile, “oh, it’s no one. Just work,” he says. Haneul’s eyes disorient a bit and he licks his lips, “if you say so,” he says and walks away. And a weird feeling erupts in his body Satisfaction

Mingyu smiles It turns into a grin And it’s genuine this time Wonwoo was onto something when he said torturing them like this would feel satisfying Mingyu inhales. This…is going to be fun.

— Wonwoo tightens his watch around his wrist when two arms wrap around his middle. A pair of lips comes to leave kisses on his neck, and Wonwoo sighs. “Wonwoo-yah, where are you going today? I thought it was your day off,” Hajoon kisses his ear, and Wonwoo smirks

Wonwoo can practically smell another man’s scent on him Is that how much they’ve been fucking? Is Haneul not enough for Hajoon? He wants two men? Wonwoo’s not surprised. “I have some work thing,” Wonwoo says, stepping out of Hajoon’s grasp

“What work thing?” Hajoon asks, “who are you meeting?” he questions as Wonwoo runs a comb through his hair “Just some colleagues,” Wonwoo says. Hajoon frowns, leaning against the door frame, “who? What are their names?” Wonwoo smirks inwardly. “Why do you want to know?”

Hajoon gulps, averting his gaze, “you’ve been kinda distant lately. So I wanted to know if—“ “If Im@cheating on you?” Wonwoo cuts him off and Hajoon gasps, eyes wide. Wonwoo seems to be right on the money. He huffs. Only cheaters find others suspicious

“We’re not that kind of people, Joon-ah,” Wonwoo says, eyes glued onto Hajoon’s awkward frame, “right?” Hajoon swallows and nods, “right,” Wonwoo grins. Chest filling with satisfaction and pleasure. This gives Wonwoo so much power over Hajoon. And he loves it

“I’ll see you tonight, hm?” Wonwoo smiles and walks out the door, leaving Hajoon to question a lot of things. — Mingyu’s sat in the Company cafe, foot tapping away at the floor nervously. The door opens and Wonwoo walks in, and Mingyu stops tapping his foot.

Wonwoo spots him and walks over, a small smirk playing on his lips. He seems much more relaxed when compared to their first meeting, and Mingyu does too. “You’re smiling,” Mingyu observes as Wonwoo takes his seat. Wonwoo shrugs, exhaling, “I have every reason to be,”

Mingyu nods. Fair enough. You find your lover is cheating on you. Definitely something that makes you happy, right? Mingyu doesn’t get Wonwoo. But maybe, he does. They’re in the same boat after all. “So, what have you planned?” Mingyu asks

Wonwoo’s about to speak up as the drinks they’d ordered the last time arrive. Mingyu noticed that Wonwoo especially enjoyed his drink, so much that he blinked more than normal. A sign of excitement and affection. Wonwoo’s so easy to read. Wonwoo takes a sip and— There it is

Mingyu chuckles when Wonwoo’s eyes begin to flutter excitedly. Noticing, Wonwoo looks up at Mingyu and pulls away from the straw, “is something the matter?” Mingyu shakes his head, “nothing. Continue,” Wonwoo takes another sip. “So, as I was— actually, what drink is this?”

Mingyu was right. Wonwoo likes this drink. A lot more than the iced Americano they had after this. “It’s Passion Fruit and Orange mocktail,” Mingyu replies and Wonwoo hums, “it’s good,” “Thank you. It’s not very popular so they’re planning on discontinuing it,”

Wonwoo’s gaze falters at that, “oh” Mingyu smiles, “but I’ll stop that since you like it so much,” Wonwoo blinks at him, and then lowers his gaze, “thank you,” he says softly. Mingyu smiles. “So, you were saying?”

“Ah, right,” Wonwoo pushes his glasses up his nose, “like I said, we must first make our partners believe we’re cheating on them. Which is considering—“ “Cheaters find others suspicious,” Mingyu says. Wonwoo stares at him for a moment and continues, “Yes,” he says

“Apart from that, we must make them believe they have the power,” Wonwoo says and Mingyu frowns, “what do you mean?” “We hire a PI. We have him follow us on ‘dates’ and tip off Hajoon and Haneul, so they believe we’re cheating on them. Once they’ve taken the bait, we bust them”

“We let them know it was all a ruse and bust them, yes?” Mingyu asks and Wonwoo nods Mingyu leans back in his chair and scoffs, “if this were Medieval Korea, you’d be a strategist in war, Wonwoo-ssi,” Wonwoo clears his throat, “I agree,” he leans forth, “and you’d be the King”

Mingyu cocks a brow, “and why’s that?” “Because you have the manpower to tear others down,” Wonwoo says simply. Mingyu swallows. Well, he isn’t wrong. Mingyu has a large stake in the corporate world, and a lot of resources at hand. Wonwoo’s establishing a dynamic

Where he’s the mastermind and Mingyu’s the muscle Mingyu…loves this. “So, should we move on to the first phase of our plan?” Mingyu asks and Wonwoo smiles, “Yes. But first, we need a PI,” And Mingyu knows just the guy. — “Look, don’t involve me in this,” Seungkwan warns

Wonwoo and Mingyu exchange a glance “You’re not doing anything illegal,” Wonwoo says. “Plus, you’re just making a few calls,” Mingyu adds and Seungkwan exhales, “if worse comes to worse, I’ll be labelled as the Secretary who hired a PI to spy on his Boss!!”

Mingyu rolls his eyes, “and if it all goes well, maybe I’ll give you a cubicle of your own,” Seungkwan’s eyes sparkle at that. Seungkwan loves peace and quiet, but in his current arrangement it’s hard to come by. Mingyu knows he’s been wanting a cubicle

Seungkwan has dropped several hints about it ‘Boss, I want a cubicle’ ‘No’ Seungkwan swallows, considering the offer. And then, he sighs. “Fine!” he says and Mingyu smiles. He raises his hand to Hi five Wonwoo, who takes a moment to register it. He hi-fives Mingyu back

Seungkwan grabs his phone and dials in a number. “So, where do you want him to follow you?” Seungkwan asks and Wonwoo glances at Mingyu. Mingyu hums, “Lovers sport, Han river?” Wonwoo grins. Their plan’s finally in motion.

A visual of Wonwoo with fluttery eyes

— Call it whatever you want First world problems, the rant of a privileged brat— Mingyu doesn’t care. Problems are problems. Mingyu admits he is privileged, not jsut financially but also with regard to his looks. But he hates that he’s attributed to just those qualities

His personality is often reduced to those things - good looks and money. And all his life, people have made his company solely based on those two reasons. Over time, he’s grown used to standing behind that wall. Used to being overshadowed by it.

And no matter what he does, he finds himself being remembered only by those two qualities. He could make someone breakfast, he could help someone out, give them advice— but it all goes to waste because people only remember him by or appreciate him for his money

He loves and loves unconditionally but at the end of the day, it all goes unnoticed. What matters is that he’s handsome and rich. Sometimes he wonders, what will become of him when he loses the two things? Maybe then people will show their true colors.

All he wishes is for someone to look at him, and not the wall in front of him. It maybe a silly thing to worry about, to lull over constantly. But it bothers Mingyu that he has no identity of his own.

And now, it’s eating away at his mind that the reason Haneul was with him is also because of that. And Mingyu was unconsciously fueling that. If Mingyu takes back his credit card, will Haneul be the same? Haneul only views Mingyu as a Golden Goose Nothing more, nothing less

“Something on your mind?” calls a voice and Mingyu turns, facing Wonwoo. Mingyu forces a smile, “Hey, you’re here,” he says, looking Wonwoo up and down. “Something wrong?” Wonwoo asks and Mingyu smirks. It’s different from his usual suit-based attire. He’s more casual today

“You look cute,” Mingyu says, licking out lint from Wonwoo’s sweater. Wonwoo nods, smiling softly, “Thank you. You too. Black suits you,” he tells Mingyu and Mingyu grins, “does it? Haneul said it looked hideous,”

Wonwoo shakes his head, “worry not, I’m not lying. If something looked hideous, I’d say it. Like those shoes of yours,” Mingyu laughs at Wonwoo’s honesty “Yeah Haneul picked these out for me, I’m not a fan either,” Mingyu says Wonwoo shrugs, “looks like he barely knows you,”

Mingyu purses his lips. “Then, what do you suggest?” Mingyu asks, and Wonwoo hums, “I’d suggest you ask Seungkwan because I have no fashion sense,” Mingyu laughs out loud. “What’s so funny?” Wonwoo asks, frowning. Wonwoo doesn’t realise he’s funny without even trying

Just then, Mingyu hears a click He turns to the source and finds a man clicking pictures of them from a few feet away He’s about to ask him what’s up— question him maybe when Wonwoo steps in “Ah, Mingyu-ssi, meet our PI,” he introduces the man who walks over to them, bowing

“Hello, I’m Lee Chan,” he says and Mingyu bows, “ah, hello,” “Worry not, Kim Mingyu-ssi, I will do my best!” Chan bows and Mingyu smiles nervously. “Haha, one second,” he excuses himself and pulls Wonwoo to the side, “hey, isn’t he a little — young?”

Wonwoo looks at Chan, “well, he is. And that’s what gives him the perfect disguise, don’t you think?” “He doesn’t need to disguise himself. We know we’re being photographed,” Mingyu adds and Wonwoo blinks at him, “oh, right,” Mingyu sighs, “so should I call someone else?”

Wonwoo shakes his head, “No. Seungkwan contacted atleast 10 different PIs and only he accepted this job. He seems to have a strong moral compass,” Chan looks at Wonwoo and Mingyu, a soft smile on his clueless face. Mingyu sighs. Well, whatever. “Welcome aboard, Chan-nim,”

Chan grins and bows again, “thank you!” Wonwoo clears his throat, “Alright, Chan. You know what to do, right?” Chan nods, “Yes! Take pictures of you two without showing the others’ face!” “Without showing our faces?” Mingyu asks and Wonwoo nods

“When these photos reach Haneul and Hajoon, they should know it’s us but they shouldn’t know who we’re with,” Wonwoo explains Well, it makes a lot of sense. “Alright,” Wonwoo slips his hand into Mingyu’s very naturally, “let’s begin?”

Wah, the gesture has butterflies fluttering in Mingyu’s gut Mingyu laces their fingers and smiles, “okay,” — “So, I assume a big portion of our plan involves us walking?” Mingyu asks and Wonwoo nods, “on dates, yes”

Mingyu hums, looking around, trying to distract himself from the fact that he’s holding Wonwoo’s hand Mingyu’s always felt that holding hands is a very intimate gesture Holding Wonwoo’s hand— it feels wrong. He wonders then, how Haneul could sleep with someone else?

Did he ever think about it and realise it’s wrong? Did he think about Mingyu? Their relationship? “Ow,” Wonwoo says and Mingyu turns to him, “what’s wrong?” “You’re gripping my hand too hard,” Wonwoo says, and Mingyu gasps, realising. He lets go of Wonwoo’s hand, “sorry,”

Mingyu sighs, shaking his head. “Do you not like holding hands?” Wonwoo asks and Mingyu swallows, “no it’s just that— I don’t remember holding Haneul’s hand as much. And holding yours feels wrong. But at the same time, it makes me wonder if Haneul hesitated like me,”

Wonwoo hums. For a moment, they’re silent. But then, Wonwoo shuffles closer to him. He takes Mingyu’s hand and places it on his shoulders. “I can’t console you about Haneul, because that’s how I feel about Hajoon. But I can offer an alternative to hand holding,”

Mingyu scoffs, smiling. He drapes his arm properly around Wonwoo’s neck. “Won’t it give them the impression that we’re just friends?” Mingyu asks, pulling Wonwoo closer to himself.

Wonwoo shrugs, “not if I do this,” he says and raises his hand, grabbing Mingyu’s hand that’s around his neck. Wonwoo’s fingers softly pinch his thumb, holding onto it. Mingyu looks at him, and Wonwoo does the same, turning his head to the side. “This okay?” Wonwoo whispers

Mingyu swallows, looking forward, “yeah, this is okay,” he says, fighting the blush that’s creeping up his cheeks. He needs to get his heart under control! — minwon’s outfits —

Wonwoo’s alternative to holding hands looks kinda like this —

— flashback — “You’re a little pointy,” Hajoon says and Wonwoo turns to him, “what?” Hajoon peels his gaze off the TV and looks at Wonwoo, “you’re a little pointy compared to him,” he says, pointing at the man on TV, some actor. Wonwoo frowns, “what do you mean?”

Hajoon hums, “yknow, he’s a little curvaceous, and a huge ass at that,” Hajoon laughs, “you’re on the leaner side,” Wonwoo swallows, staring at the man in the TV, “is that bad?” Hajoon shrugs, “curves wouldn’t hurt, right?” he smiles, “you’d be a lot more comfortable to hold”

— flashback end — “Are you comfortable?” Wonwoo asks Mingyu, looking up at him. Mingyu turns to him, frowning, “with what?” Wonwoo purses his lips, averting his gaze, “with the hand around the shoulder?” Mingyu giggles, “why wouldn’t I be?” he pulls him closer

Wonwoo doesn’t reply. He lets himself be snuggled against Mingyu’s warm body “We should try and look more intimate,” Wonwoo diverts the topic and Mingyu hums, “how do we do that?” Wonwoo tries to think of a way He tries to recollect how he and Hajoon wer Nothing comes up

“Something like this?” Mingyu asks and raises his hand to brush the bangs off Wonwoo’s face, fingers grazing his skin ever so softly Wonwoo’s breath hitches, and he looks away, pulling away from his touch, “yeah, like that, for the camera,” he says and Mingyusmiles, “sure thing”

The two continue to walk in the park, in silence “Yknow, we might as well get to know each other. It’s awkward to walk around without talking,” Mingyu suggests and Wonwoo nods, agreeing “Tell me about yourself, Wonwoo-ssi,”

Wonwoo takes a deep breath and pushes his glasses up his nose. “I’m a divorce attorney. I’m from Changwon. I have one younger sibling, and I only have a small group of friends who are currently not in the country. And I have a boyfriend named Yoon Hajoon who is cheating on me”

“Short and right to the point, just like you,” Mingyu chuckles nervously and Wonwoo shrugs, “I think other details are better left to come out organically,” Mingyu nods, “I agree. Like how you like Passion fruit and Orange mocktail,” Wonwoo smiles softly, “right,”

“What about you?” Wonwoo asks and Mingyu sighs, pondering, “I’m a chatterbox so sooner or later you’ll end up hearing a lot about me anyway,” Wonwoo giggles. “Then what about stuff you’re not chatty about?” Wonwoo asks and Mingyu swallows. “Well…”

Wonwoo raises his brows and Mingyu shakes his head. “Haneul and I have been together for 2 years, almost 3. We met at a business conference in Busan, and since he showed interest in me, we decided to go out,”

Wonwoo smirks, “if you decided to date everyone that found you attractive then—“ Mingyu sighs, “I know, I’d be dating almost everyone—“ Wonwoo giggles, “But the heart is important as well, right? Maybe the two of you connected because it wasn’t superficial,”

Mingyu blinks at Wonwoo, and Wonwoo frowns, “what?” Mingyu looks away, “it’s nothing. And you’re uh, right. I don’t want things to be superficial but uh, they turned out to be just that,” Wonwoo purses his lips, “how so?”

Mingyu looks up at the sky, removing his arm from around Wonwoo, “I’m beginning to think Haneul was only in on it for the money and the looks. Maybe that’s why it was so easy for him to— cheat,” “Oh. That’s too bad,” Wonwoo says, noting the shift in the atmosphere. Mingyu’s sad

He has every reason to be He was betrayed Wonwoo’s sad too. Only, he doesn’t know how to express it “Do you perhaps have a picture of Haneul?” Wonwoo asks and Mingyu turns to him, absentmindedly. He realises what Wonwoo’s asking and gets his phone out, “here,”

Wonwoo takes the phone and stares at the photo of Haneul. “I think, deep down, I knew it has always been like that. But I refused to admit it, and tried to use money to keep him tied down to me. I…I don’t even know anymore,” Mingyu sighs But Wonwoo’s silent

Haneul is so beautiful He’s gorgeous, with full lips and a curvy body. He has androgynous features, and they give him a soft and attractive look He has a nice smile, and small shoulders and short height Wonwoo’s staring at the photo, drifting away from his senses, from Mingyu

“Hey, careful,” Mingyu alerts him and pulls Wonwoo off the way of a cyclist, hand resting on his waist. “Oh, thanks,” Wonwoo says, giving Mingyu his phone back as they walk ahead. He notices Mingyu doesn’t let go of his waist just yet. “Oh, sorry,” Mingyu realises

He pulls his hand away but Wonwoo grabs it, placing it back on his waist, “you can do this too if you’re not uncomfortable,” Mingyu chuckles, “why would I be uncomfortable? It’s uh,” Mingyu looks away, “it’s a nice waist to hold,”

Wonwoo’s eyes widen ever so slightly, and he notices how red Mingyu’s ears have become Wonwoo halts in place and raises his hand to turn Mingyu to face him, holding his chin between his two fingers Mingyu’s face is a bright red shade, and his eyes are comically wide Cute

“What is it?” Mingyu asks and Wonwoo smiles. He brushes the hair off Mingyu’s face, grazing his heated skin softly. “Just a leaf,” Wonwoo says, plucking the leaf off his head and discarding it. Mingyu nods, swallowing as he pulls Wonwoo closer, “I see”

— “I think that should be enough for today,” Wonwoo says, looking through the photos. Mingyu watches from over his shoulder, cheeks warm. These photos do look rather —- intimate. “Yeah uh, it should be enough,” Mingyu hums and looks away.

Chan smiles, bowing, “I’ll see you soon, Wonwoo-ssi, Mingyu-ssi,” and with that, he takes his leave. Mingyu exhales and shoves his hands in his pockets, “I guess to see resukts we must do this a couple of times, right?” Mingyu asks Wonwoo, and the latter nods, “yeah,”

Mingyu smiles. Now that their little date is over, he feels a little….. He’s reminded of just why they’re doing this They’re both being cheated on “I’ll contact you soon, Mingyu,” Wonwoo bows and Mingyu mirrors him, “oh, uh, yeah,” Wonwoo nods and turns, walking away

Mingyu sighs and turns around as well, a little tired. He can’t wait to go home and sleep. Just then, his phone buzzes. It’s Haneul. “Hello?” Mingyu answers, swallowing deeply. “Ah, babe, when will you be home tonight?” Mingyu frowns, “oh, uh, why?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I’m kinda um, busy? So if you let me know your schedule then we can meet up after I plan a little, hm?” Mingyu purses his lips. “Haneul—“ “Just text me if you want to meet, okay? I’ll be kinda unreachable for an hour or so, bye!” and he cuts the call

Mingyu’s first instinct is to turn around and look at Wonwoo, who’s on the phone as well. Mingyu can only see his back, but with the way he nods and lets his hand drop to the side, Mingyu knows it was Hajoon on the call On cue, Wonwoo turns around, gasping when he sees Mingyu

Mingyu purses his lips and walks over to him, “that was uh, Haneul, asking me where I am,” Mingyu gestures to his phone. Wonwoo clutches his phone, “same. Hajoon called,” The two don’t say anything more, it’s clear why they were called.

“I….they’re probably hooking up at my place,” Mingyu sighs, rubbing his temples with his fingers Wonwoo hums, “do you and Haneul live together?” Mingyu scoffs, “no. I wanted to ask him though, to move in. He stays over at my place a lot anyway so…” Mingyu clenches his fists

“Damn it, I have no place to go back to now,” Mingyu tries to disguise his hurt with a smile, act as if that’s the only thing he’s disappointed about and not the fact that Haneul is cheating on him with Hajoon on their bed Wonwoo purses his lips, “would you like to come over?”

— “Oh, it’s a nice place you have here, Wonwoo-ssi,” Mingyu says as he follows Wonwoo inside. Wonwoo only hums in response, uncharacteristically quiet. Mingyu’s met Wonwoo only a couple of times but he’s had him figured out quite a bit.

He may seem stoic but he can get chatty. Just back at the park, Wonwoo went on and on about cats. Mingyu didn’t mind actually — it was refreshing to see Wonwoo so chatty. Even when he has nothing to talk about, he talks. About anything and everything. But now, he’s quiet

Mingyu can guess why. Mingyu knows why. Mingyu looks around the place, at photo frames on the mantle, at the messy place. “Sorry, Hajoon mustve— forgotten to clean up,” Wonwoo says glumly, picking up beer cans from the floor. Mingyu swallows, “do you like cleaning?”

“No, I hate it,” Wonwoo says as he picks up the cans and clothes off the floor, “but I can’t move in a mess, so,” he says. Mingyu nods. “So you and Hajoon live together, I assume,” Mingyu says, following Wonwoo around like a lost puppy Wonwoo nods, “for a few months now”

“Hajoon’s been… suffering financially so I proposed he move in with me,” Wonwoo says as he discards the trash and then hands Mingyu a glass of water to drink from Mingyu nods, “What does Hajoon do, if you don’t mind me asking,” “He’s an aspiring Actor,” Wonwoo replies

“I see,” is all Mingyu can say. Hajoon…. He’s only a leech. He’s using Wonwoo for his money whilst cheating on him. Absolute scum. And Wonwoo’s… Wonwoo’s letting him. “Why didn’t you break up with him when you found out?” Mingyu asks out of nowhere

Wonwoo doesn’t look at Mingyu as he pours him a glass of juice. “I don’t know,” he begins, “I guess I was scared no one would want me again,” Mingyu’s eyes widen as Wonwoo slides him the glass, “drink up,” Wonwoo says, settling on the couch across him. Mingyu’s speechless

Wonwoo’s so… It might look like he doesn’t care but he does He’s hurting too. Mingyu doesn’t reply to him. It’s not his place to reply. He just falls silent and sips on his juice. “What about you?” Wonwoo breaks the silence, “why didn’t you break up?”

Mingyu smirks, “well, it’s cuz you entered my life,” he says, smiling at Wonwoo, “and proposed this wild idea and I just couldn’t say no because— because I want to see them suffer, I want to feel good about myself,” Wonwoo watches him in silence and raises his glass, “cheers,”

Mingyu laughs, clinking his glass with his, “cheers,” “Then,” Wonwoo says, setting his glass aside, “let’s make them feel bad,” he walks over to Mingyu and pulls him into a tight hug. Mingyu’s too stunned to speak, and just stands there frozen as Wonwoo squirms against him

“What, what are you doing?” Mingyu asks as Wonwoo literally rubs his body against his like a cat, hugging him tightly. Wonwoo looks up, chin on Mingyu’s chest, “you’ll see,” he says, and Mingyu’s heart skips a beat at how adorable Wonwoo looks from@this angle

When Mingyu’s phone buzzes, Wonwoo pulls away and Mingyu clears his throat. He checks his phone and it’s Haneul, informing him that he’s free now Mingyu scoffs, “it’s only been half an hour,” Wonwoo shrugs, “Hajoon’s not the best in bed,” and Mingyu can’t hold back the snort

He bursts out laughing and Wonwoo watches him as he sips his drink. “Really?” Mingyu asks and Wonwoo nods, “I’ve had to fake orgasms,” and Mingyu laughs some more, close to tears, “can men even do that?” Wonwoo averts his gaze, “no they can’t but he doesn’t know that,”

Mingyu swears he’s going to topple over from how much he’s laughing “God, this is so funny,” Mingyu says and looks up at Wonwoo, who’s smiling at him shyly. “You’re funny,” Mingyu tells Wonwoo, and the blush on his face intensifies, “thanks,” Mingyu grins.

“I should get going,” Mingyu says, standing up and Wonwoo nods, “of course,” Wonwoo walks Mingyu to the door and smiles, “today was fun, Mingyu,” he says and Mingyu grins, “I thought so too,” Wonwoo nods, “I’ll contact you soon,” and Mingyu grins, “sure thing!”

— Wonwoo’s watching a movie when the door opens and Hajoon walks in, stretching as he walks over to the refrigerator. “Im home,” Hajoon says and Wonwoo hums in response, “welcome home,” Hajoon walks over to the couch with a beer bottle in his hand, “I was at an audition,”

Wonwoo hums, “how did it go?” Hajoon smirks, “really good,” Wonwoo continues to watch his movie in silence. “Speaking of which, can you help me pay for my headshots to get taken? I think I might have a better shot at companies with those,”

Wonwoo shrugs, “sure,” Hajoon smiles and leans back on the couch when he notices two glasses on the centre table. “Was someone here?” Hajoon asks and Wonwoo glances at the two glasses, “no,” “Why are there two glasses?” Hajoon questions

Wonwoo shrugs unenthusiastically, “I drank from them. Any problem?” he asks, satisfaction bubbling inside him. Hajoon swallows and leans back on the couch, “no, nothing,” Wonwoo smirks inwardly.

— “I’m home,” Mingyu announces and Haneul gets up from the couch and walks over to Mingyu, hugging him, “hey! I’ve missed you,” he says, kissing Mingyu. Mingyu forces a smile and pats him on the back, “yeah,” Haneul halts and pulls away, sniffing, “who were you with?”

“Huh?” “I smell a different perfume on you, who were you with?” Haneul asks. Mingyu blinks at him. And then a smile makes way onto his mouth. Now he gets why Wonwoo did that. “Just some friend,” Mingyu says, walking past a clueless and anxious Haneul. This is fun

— Staring at the calendar isn’t going to console him in any way Mingyu knows that But he can’t move his feet from here He’s frozen Mingyu can’t even let out a sigh And it feels like he’s suffocating “Babe! Why the long face?!” Haneul pounces on him, kissing him

Mingyu swallows, unenthusiastic about the kiss. If circumstances were different, Mingyu would seek solace in Haneul, he’d expect Haneul to be a little more understanding But Mingyu knows better now “Something wrong?” Haneul asks and Mingyu gulps. He can’t even speak

Haneul slides off his back and groans, “Uh, you’re in a mood,” he says. Mingyu clenches his jaw when his phone buzzes. Containing his anger, he opens his phone. Wonwoo ‘Tell Haneul you’re going on a business trip and come down stairs’ Mingyu doesn’t even question it

“Babe, can I have the card back? I have something I need—“ Haneul speaks up but Mingyu cuts him off, finally moving from the place and heading to the door “No,” Mingyu says, “the card will be with me,” he replies and grabs his coat. “What? Where are you going?” Haneul asks

Mingyu glances at him with hollow eyes, “Business Trip,” and without giving Haneul a chance to even ask questions, Mingyu’s out of there He doesn’t take the elevator Stairs are faster He hurries down, a little out of breath by the time he reaches the lobby.

Outside, he finds a car waiting. Wonwoo rolls the window down and gestures Mingyu to hurry. Mingyu swallows and jogs upto him, getting into the car. Once in, Wonwoo drives them away. Mingyu finally releases the breath he’d been holding “Perfect timing,” he says

“Why’s that?” A voice speaks up and it’s not Wonwoo. Mingyu startles when he sees Chan in the back, seated politely Mingyu exhales and turns to Wonwoo, “what is he doing here?” Wonwoo turns to him, “click photographs ofc,” Mingyu nods, right “Why perfect timing?” Wonwoo asks

Mingyu leans back in his seat, “it’s nothing. I just needed to get out of the house. Also, I told Haneul he couldn’t have my card,” Wonwoo’s brows raise, as if impressed, “Nice,” he raises his hand. Mingyu smirks and Hi-Fives it. “Never felt so powerful,” Mingyu says

And Wonwoo laughs. “This is only the beginning,” Wonwoo says and Mingyu smiles. “By the way, where are we going?” Mingyu asks and Wonwoo smiles, “Busan,” Well, Mingyu’s not complaining. Anything to get away from — his thoughts.

— Halfway through the journey, Wonwoo speaks up. “Is something wrong?” He asks and Mingyu only hums, too busy looking at the outside world He did say he wanted time away from his thoughts but that’s not really possible, is it? “Nothing,” Mingyu says.

Wonwoo hums, “let’s stop here for a bit,” he says once they enter a town, “get something to eat,” They pull into a street and park the car, and Mingyu spots a cafe. “Chan-nim,” he turns around and wakes up the kid, who startled awake, “Y-Yes,” he blinks away his sleep

Mingyu giggles He turns to Wonwoo, who’s already staring at him “What?” Mingyu asks, smiling. Wonwoo frowns, and turns to look front, “you’re smiling,” he observes and Mingyu frowns, “huh?” “But not with your eyes,” Wonwoo finishes and Mingyu’s eyes widen, lips parting

“Let’s go grab lunch,” Wonwoo says and hops off the car, stretching. Chan gets off as well, but Mingyu remains seated, a little taken aback by what Wonwoo said. “Mingyu-ssi, you coming?” Chan knocks on Mingyu’s window. Mingyu swallows and forces a smile, “yeah,”

— Wonwoo doesn’t say anything after that, even as they sit down to eat. But the comment does bother Mingyu All his life he’s…. forced smiles and no one’s ever suspected it. He thought he had gotten good at it but— Wonwoo sees right through him. Mingyu looks up at Wonwoo

“So, what are we doing here?” Mingyu clears his throat and Wonwoo looks up at him. “Oh, I mean, for cheaters, business trips basically imply hooking up so,” Wonwoo says and Mingyu smiles, “of course,” Great Now he’s conscious about his smile

“Why is it so important they think you’re cheating on them, Hyung?” Chan directs the question to Wonwoo. Wonwoo hums as he separates the bell peppers from his plate. “Don’t waste food,” Mingyu nags, taking the bell peppers from his plate Wonwoo doesn’t seem to mind

“The only reason Hajoon is with me is because I pay for stuff and he’s broke. If he thinks I’m cheating, it means that there is a possibility I will leave him. He will lose his source of income. I want to use that to terrorise him a bit before dumping him,” Wonwoo says

Mingyu huffs, “Same here. I uh, I thought Haneul liked me for my personality but apparently its come down to money now,” Mingyu eats the bell peppers, angry and upset and confused. When he met Haneul, Mingyu had thought that someone finally liked him for him.

That it wasn’t Mingyu’s money that attracted them. But boy was he wrong Haneul doesn’t even seem to remember the little things Like why Mingyu is so off today Mingyu clenches his jaw and continues to eat “I will help you get justice, Hyungs!” Chan says, and Mingyu smirks

He likes this kid’s enthusiasm “Busan is 2 hours away. Do you guys want to start or look around for a bit?” Wonwoo suggests. Mingyu’s about to suggest they start for Busan, considering daylight’s fading. But chan seems to have other plans. “Actually uh—“ he speaks up

“I heard there’s a fountain somewhere here that grants wishes,” Chan says, “I want to go there, if it’s fine with you!” he panics Mingyu and Wonwoo exchange a glance and smile. “Sure,” Mingyu says.

— The trio walks to where the fountain is, and boy is it crowded. “I’ve read about this place in Newspapers. I read that whatever you wish for, comes true and when it comes true, you must visit the place again and donate some more money,” Chan says

He fishes out some coins from his pocket and clasps his hands, praying. Mingyu and Wonwoo glance at each other and sigh. “Let’s leave him alone for a bit,” Wonwoo says, nudging Mingyu softly. Mingyu tenses, and walks ahead, silent. Wonwoo frowns and jogs to his side

“What’s wrong?” Wonwoo asks as Mingyu goes over to the other side of the fountain. “Nothing,” Mingyu says as he receives a few coins from his pocket. He hands one to Wonwoo as well. Mingyu closes his eyes and prays for a moment. Wonwoo does the same.

After that, they toss their coins in. Wonwoo doesn’t let it go though, “what’s wrong, tell me,” Wonwoo asks and Mingyu sighs, smiling, “it’s nothing,” Wonwoo pouts, “there it is, that fake smile,” Mingyu purses his lips, containing his anger, “why do you say that?”

“Say what?” Wonwoo asks and Mingyu exhales, “that my smile is fake,” Wonwoo clasps his hands behind his back and hums, “but it is, isn’t it?” Mingyu clenches his fists and he walks away, dodging the crowd and the children running around. Wonwoo jogs upto him, “Mingyu—“

But his words are cut off when a bunch of kids run right into him and in goes Wonwoo into the fountain Mingyu hears a big splash and turns around to find Wonwoo in the fountain, drenched head to toe Wonwoo’s too stunned to even process it, but Mingyu can’t help it

He bursts out laughing He laughs at Wonwoo’s face, at him, and it’s the funniest thing ever Wonwoo’s staring at Mingyu, and though he should be offended, a smile tugs at his lips It grows wider and wider and then Wonwoo starts laughing as well

And before Mingyu knows it, he’s being pulled into the fountain as well, gasping when water splashes onto him and wetness engulfs him “Yah!” he hisses at Wonwoo but the latter continues to laugh, holding onto his stomach for a good while And all of Mingyu’s anger dissipates

In the end, two grown men find each other in a fountain, laughing hysterically as the crowd around them silently judges them Mingyu’s never felt so free before “There it is,” Wonwoo says, “your beautiful smile,”

And this time, it doesn’t bother Mingyu Because he understands Wonwoo has no ill intentions He’s just very observant Mingyu grins and gets up, extending his hand to Wonwoo. Wonwoo takes it and stands up, shivering. Mingyu laughs, “let’s get changed,” Wonwoo nods, “yup”

— “Oh, sir, we’re fully booked,” the receptionist says and Mingyu watches with his jaw on the floor They’re drenched and cold and they might have to spend the night here and this cannot be happening. “Do you not have any rooms left?” Mingyu asks.

The receptionist purses her lips, “it’s the weekend and—“ No. This is what happens in those movies. Will Mingyu and Wonwoo have to stay together in one room? And — “Oh, there are 3 rooms available sir!” the receptionist says Oh Mingyu get your mind out of the gutter!

— Mingyu’s about to knock on the door but finds it ajar, allowing him to hear the voice from inside “You sold what? Joon-ah, they belonged to my dad! How could you just sell it?!” Mingyu halts noting the anger in Wonwoo’s voice “Yes! I expect you to get it back!”

Whoa. “Why am I angry? Why wouldn’t I be? No, Joon-ah, it is a big deal! That watch was my father’s and you can’t just pawn it! Are you getting back into your nasty pawning habit? Is that it? No, I’m not coming back just yet, and I’m not sure I want to” Mingyu sighs.

“Don’t yell. Why are you yelling? Well, if you don’t want me to break up with you, get me my watch back! Who am I with? I don’t think that concerns you, goodbye!” Mingyu purses his lips. Sometimes he forgets Wonwoo’s suffering too. He takes a moment and then knocks

“Wonwoo?” he calls, pretending he didn’t hear all that. “Come in,” Wonwoo says and Mingyu pushes the door open, walking into Wonwoo’s hotel room. He finds the man by the glass window, pouring himself something. Wine? Wonwoo turns halfway and Mingyu smiles.

Wonwoo’s pouring Orange juice into a wine glass. Cute “Can I have some too?” Mingyu asks and Wonwoo nods, “okay,” He pours Mingyu a glass and hands it to him. “Cheers,” Mingyu says and they clink their glasses together Wonwoo nods curtly and takes a sip.’

“Was there no other glass or?”Mingyu looks around the room and Wonwoo shakes his head, “there was but I want to get drunk without actually getting drunk, so,” Mingyu chuckles,“I get that,” he says. Wonwoo nods and continues to sip on his juice Mingyu takes a glance at Wonwoo

Wonwoo’s dressed differently Of course he is. He’s in his home clothes He’s wearing a pair of shorts and a white tee, and there’s a blue headband on his head. Mingyu smiles inwardly Mingyu didn’t expect Wonwoo to dress so comfortably.

A part of him assumed he sleeps in his suits and two pieces. This is… refreshing “So, what’s up?” Wonwoo breaks the silence “Ah, I just, I came to see you once before I go to sleep,” he checks the time — 11:45 pm “Ah, I see,” Wonwoo says, putting the glass on the table

Mingyu swallows, “so I uh, I’ll get going then,” he says but Wonwoo stops him, “why are you sad?” Mingyu frowns, “huh?” “You’ve been sad all morning, I can tell,” Wonwoo crosses his arms and Mingyu chuckles, “am I that obvious?” “To me, an attorney, yes,” Mingyu laughs

“Yknow, Wonwoo-ssi, if I was getting a divorce, I’d definitely hire you as my attorney. I don’t want someone to leech off my money for years together,” Mingyu says, half joking half not Wonwoo smirks, “Don’t worry, I’d defend you so good they’ll want to get back together,”

Mingyu giggles “Who are you going to divorce then?” Wonwoo asks Mingyu frowns, “huh?” “Haneul? I thought you’d have a name in mind,” Mingyu takes a deep breath. “I don’t know, haha. Whoever is next, I guess. Since all people like me for is money,”

There is a lot of truth to that statement Mingyu can’t deny it anymore Mingyu’s accumulated so much wealth that it’s all people see. He can’t blame them if they eye the mound of money that accompanies him everywhere.

“That’s a shame,” Wonwoo says, “they’re missing out on what a delightful person you are,” Mingyu blinks at him. He averts his gaze, “you think so?” “I do,” Wonwoo says after he gulps down the juice Mingyu purses his lips, “what about my fake smile then?”

Wonwoo shrugs, “a fake smile is a fake smile. It doesn’t mean anything, especially since I’ve seen your real smile,” It doesn’t make any sense But somehow, it does Mingyu can’t explain it but he gets Wonwoo He laughs, because the things Wonwoo says can be so goofy

“So, why have you been upset, you didn’t answer my question,” Wonwoo asks again and Mingyu sighs “Today…is the 10th anniversary of my grandma’s death,” Wonwoo falls silent “I’m sorry,” he says and Mingyu shakes his head, “no it’s okay”

“Were you close?” Wonwoo asks and Mingyu huffs, “we didn’t talk much, she was a very stoic woman. But she would always sing me this lullaby,” Mingyu hums the tune, voice trembling. He smiles, “and that’s all I remember of her now. I just…” Mingyu swallows.

“I can’t remember the proper tune and it’s— it’s an indication that she’s becoming a distant memory in my brain now,” Mingyu says, holding back tears He can’t cry Not… in front of a stranger like this “Anyway, I uh, I just wanted to talk to you before going to sleep,”

Wonwoo nods, face as indifferent as usual Somehow, this poker face of his cams Mingyu down a bit “Good night, Wonwoo,” Mingyu says and walks to the door. “Good night, Mingyu-ssi,”

— Mingyu did say he would go to sleep But it’s 2 am and he’s still toiling and turning He just can’t sleep Especially today Mingyu would visit his grandma on weekends, and she was a quiet woman. She didn’t talk as much, but she always knew what Mingyu wanted

She knew his favourites, she knew if he was hungry, or sleepy. That kind of silent love — Mingyu kisses it He doesn’t need loud declarations of love He just needs… love Mingyu tries to hum the lullaby, but to no avail. It’s just not the same as his grandma’s

Mingyu gasps when someone knocks on his door It’s 2 am. It’s either Wonwoo or chan. Wonwoo, more likely Mingyu’s up anyway so Mingyu walks to the door and opens it, not surprised to see Wonwoo there “Couldn’t sleep?” Mingyu asks, looking at the bags under Wonwoo’s eyes

Wonwoo exhales. He walks in past Mingyu, and Mingyu doesn’t protest. I think he’s finally deduced that Wonwoo is harmless Mingyu follows the man in and watches as he settles on the bed. Mingyu cocks a brow as Wonwoo stretches his legs and leans against the bed frame

Wonwoo pats his bare thighs, “come here,” Mingyu scoffs, moving towards him, “I’m not a dog, yknow?” he says as he crawls onto the bed. Wonwoo grabs him by the neck and tackles him onto the bed, his head in Wonwoo’s lap Okay, he’s not as harmless as he’d expected

“What are —“ Mingyu squirms as Wonwoo presses a hand to his eyes “This is embarrassing for me so,” Wonwoo clears his throat And then, he begins to hum The blood in Mingyu’s veins freezes, and he forgets how to breathe He stops squirming as the familiar tune reaches his ears

Mingyu freezes in that position, his head on Wonwoo’s lap and his body comfortable on the bed. He swallows deeply as Wonwoo hums that nostalgic tune, and his hands drop to his side. Wonwoo doesn’t say anything, he doesn’t remove his hand from Mingyu’s eyes.

Mingyu’s body relaxes, his breathing evens out and a tear makes way down his cheek Wonwoo feels a drop of tear — no, multiple drops of tears. He feels a warm wetness on his palm, but he says nothing ,continues to hum the tune he spent nearly an hour searching for and memorising

‘If’ Mingyu is crying, Wonwoo ignores it He focuses on pouring his heart and soul into the tune, into etching this memory into Mingyu’s brain, of his lovely grandma who loved him dearly After a while, the tears stop, but Wonwoo doesn’t dare move He wishes Mingyu sleeps well

— When Mingyu comes to, he misses the warmth under his head. The towel covering his eyes slips off his face as Mingyu sits up He looks around, eyes heavy from all the— crying, but he’s alone in his room. He scratches his head. When did Wonwoo go back?

He slides off the bed and stretches, walking to grab a bottle of water where he finds a note. ‘We’re in the Lobby, ready to go’ it says. Mingyu checks the time — it’s 8:40 am Mingyu sighs. He needs to get ready.

— Mingyu steps out of the elevator with his suitcase. He pushes the sunglasses up his face and makes his way to the lobby. He finds Wonwoo and Chan seated on the couch, chatting. Mingyu halts when he sees Wonwoo. Mingyu’s sure he wasn’t dreaming. Wonwoo samg that for him

How is he going to face him now? His eyes are swollen from all the crying! Wonwoo notices Mingyu and smiles, waving him over. Mingyu clears his throat and walks over to them. “Did you guys have breakfast?” Mingyu asks as he avoids Wonwoo’s gaze

Wonwoo frowns, watching Mingyu curiously “We did. What about you, Mingyu-ssi?” Chan asks as Wonwoo stands up and walks to him. Mingyu clears his throat and averts his gaze. “I’m not a big breakfast person so uh, we can hit the road,” he says, trying to evade Wonwoo

“Why won’t you let me see your face?” Wonwoo asks Man, this man is so direct. Mingyu gives up and sighs. “My eyes are swollen, from the crying,” he whispers the last part, embarrassed. Wonwoo says nothing and raises his hands, “May I?” he asks and Mingyu nods, swallowing

Wonwoo gently removes the shades from his eyes, and Mingyu feels like an exposed nerve He gulps as Wonwoo smiles. “I look ugly, don’t I?” Mingyu asks and Wonwoo tucks the glasses into his shirt pocket. “No, you look the same to me,” Wonwoo pats his chest and turns away.

Mingyu licks his lips and tries to control his blush. Maybe being so direct isn’t so bad “Let’s go,” Wonwoo says, taking his suitcase. Mingyu sighs into a smile, “yup,”

— “Oh, is this why you wanted to come to Busan?” Mingyu asks, removing his sunglasses as Chan runs onto the sandy beach, cheering. Wonwoo takes a deep breath and turns to Mingyu, “beaches are romantic,” he shrugs and Mingyu smirks “They sure are,”

The trio checks into the hotel Wonwoo had booked for the day and get changed. Mingyu and Chan head out first, and as Chan takes the opportunity to splash around in the water first, Mingyu waits for Wonwoo

He has to admit, he feels a lot better now He can’t thank Wonwoo enough for doing that for him Not many would do that — especially for a stranger “Nice shorts,” a voice says and Mingyu turns around to find Wonwoo walking towards him

Mingyu looks down at his floral shorts, and scoffs, “well, thanks,” he tells Wonwoo, who’s dressed in a white tee and shorts. Why’s Wonwoo wearing a tee? Mingyu feels naked compared to this man. Should he put on a tee as well? But it’s hot… “Why are you wearing that shirt?”

Wonwoo looks down at himself. “I…” he averts his gaze, “don’t have a — beach body like you do,” Wonwoo’s normally so straightforward that Mingyu can tell when he’s hiding something “Look, I don’t want to force you to strip or anything but I’m saying, you look good,”

Wonwoo sighs. “You haven’t even seen my body,” Wonwoo toys with the hem is his shirt, “it’s pointy and straight and boxy,” There it is Wonwoo’s conscious about his body Mingyu shrugs, “so what? Who said those are bad things?” Wonwoo purses his lips and looks down “Hajoon”

Mingyu’s eyes widen Wonwoo looks away, embarrassed. Mingyu gulps and exhales, “Well, he’s wrong,” and Wonwoo squirms, “you haven’t even seen me!” Wonwoo can get defensive when he’s upset. Noted. “Look, I can’t say anything other than the fact that Hajoon is an asshole”

Wonwoo bites his lip and Mingyu sighs “I’m gonna go take a dip. If you want to join me, come on in,” Mingyu says, “and if you do remove your shirt, I wouldn’t judge you, if that’s what you’re worried about,” And then, Mingyu jogs away Wonwoo watches him from afar, fidgeting

Mingyu takes a dip in the water, letting his body revel in the cool of the sea. It’s refreshing, and he can feel all his worries deep out of his body and dissipate into the sea, gone forever Mingyu resurfaces, blinking away the water to look for Wonwoo Who’s not there anymore