Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Hyunjin will not cry. 

He’s already irritated as it is, being stuck out here in this random field miles from home, where it’s cold and muddy and he’s alone with this stupid fucking dead body. 

He kicks angrily at one of the bent legs, wiping at his nose and staring at his phone. 

Three little blips are coming closer to his dropped pin from different directions, not very far away, but not close enough either. The little blip that represents Chan and Felix is the closest, and Hyunjin’s already pissed off at the pending lecture he’s going to get from both Seungmin and Minho when they eventually arrive. Chan won’t lecture him — at least, he hopes he won’t — but he will get that look on his face that says he’s disappointed, but because he loves Hyunjin he’s not disappointed in him, just disappointed about the situation. 

Hopefully with Felix in tow, he won’t have to suffer through too much. 

His phone vibrates in his hand with a text, and Hyunjin’s heart crumbles. 

wifey <3 

hi baby 

i’m almost done at the gym 

you still with lixie? 

Hyunjin hates lying to Changbin more than anything. He doesn’t like the way it makes him feel inside, doesn’t like how his insides twist and turn, how he feels like he’s going to throw up from the insincerity. Tears do spring into his eyes then, but he wills it away, taking deep calming breaths and trying to keep his hands steady as he replies. 

me 

hi sweetheart 

yes i am 

sorry 

he’s teaching me to play animal crossing! 

i’m gonna buy a switch i think 

make an island for us 

wifey <3 

lol 

you’re so cute 

no worries honey 

did you eat dinner?

me

yes!

channie hyung made us dinner

wifey <3

good

take your time and have fun with lixie 

i’ll text you when i’m home 

text me when you’re on your way 

i’ll run us a bath ;) 

Hyunjin screams then, into the open air. There’s no one around and there’s been no one around besides him and the dirty, rotten fucker face down in the mud. How is he going to explain the mud away to Changbin?! 

With more fury that necessary, Hyunjin kicks at the dead body again. And again. And again. He kicks and screams and yells and curses and kicks some more until the frustration just begins to slightly bleed from him, and then he returns to his phone. 

me 

hehe 

i will 

don’t forget to use the bath oils ;) 

wifey <3 

i think we ran out of those, beautiful 

but we have the massage candles 

me 

light them 

i wanna use them 

wifey <3 

whatever you want, lovely 

i can’t wait to see your face 

me 

you saw me all day! 

wifey <3 

but i’m not looking at you right now :( 

me 

i’m literally your lock screen 

wifey <3 

nothing compares to the real thing 

anyone can look at a photo of the mona lisa 

but nothing compares to seeing it in real life 

me 

wow, that was smooth 

wifey <3 

of course it was, it’s me 

now go back to your game with lixie! 

text me or call me when you’re headed home 

Hyunjin smiles and sobs in the same breath. He wants out of this stupid fucking mud and to be home right now. 

He opens up the Channie’s Angels group chat, typing furiously. 

me 

not to be rude 

because i love you all very much 

but can you please hurry up 

i’m cold and tired and i want to get rid of this thing 

cat 

hyunjin pls 

you texted us at ten to eleven on a friday night

and you were forty-five minutes away to begin with 

we’re doing the best we can 

pup 

i’m almost there 

big bad wolf 

we’ll be there 

soon! 

channie 

is driving 

very fast 

maybe like 

15 mins 

me 

okay :((( 

He sighs, going back to the map and watching their little blips move. Hyunjin pointedly ignores the body rotting a few feet away, refusing to acknowledge the only thing left of its despicable existence.  

It’s another fifteen minutes 'til Chan and Felix arrive, their car pulling up the dirt path and parking behind Hyunjin’s car. They get out, and Hyunjin can’t help but coo as he meets them on the roadside, dragging them into a hug. 

“You’re matching!” 

Chan flushes beet red when Hyunjin pulls back, while Felix beams, both of them clad in the same black sweatpants and matching black hoodies. Chan’s got on the boots he used a couple of months ago, when they’d taken care of the asshole that had been bothering Felix, so Hyunjin knows he means business. Felix is also wearing boots, ones that look like Chan’s and are about a size and a half too big, but Hyunjin doesn’t comment. He figures Chan probably told him to wear them instead of his own boots to protect his feet. 

“Hi Charlie,” Hyunjin aims for lighthearted, smiling at his hyung.   

His hyung sees right through him, of course. “Hi, Hyunjin. You alright?” Chan checks, looking Hyunjin over. “Are you hurt? Cold?” 

Hyunjin nods patting at Chan’s hand, “I’m fine, hyung. I’m okay.” 

Felix frowns, reaching his hand out to turn Hyunjin’s cheek. “You’ve got a bruise.” 

Hyunjin reaches up himself, touching gingerly to where Felix’s finger rests. There’s a small sensitive spot along his jaw, and Hyunjin groans. “Fuck. Is it noticeable?” 

“Changbin probably won’t notice, if that’s what you’re asking,” Chan says, almost apologetic. 

Hyunjin sighs. He wants to scream again. Felix pulls him into a hug. “It’s okay. I have make up in my bag in the car. We can see how it looks when we’re done here and if anything I’ll help you cover it up.” 

“Okay,” he sighs, resting his cheek atop Felix’s head. “Thank you. And thank you both for coming.” 

Chan pats Hyunjin on the back comfortingly, his voice soft when he asks, “Where’s the body, Hyunjin-ah?”  

Hyunjin gestures toward it with his chin. “Face down in the mud over there.” 

Chan nods, turning to Felix with a stern look on his face. “Stay here, angel. Okay? No helping. Observing only, like we agreed.” 

Felix gives him a beatific smile. “Yes, Daddy.” 

Hyunjin snorts at the way Chan’s face goes red once more, stalking off and grumbling under his breath. Felix pulls him away from the road so they can lean against Hyunjin’s car, watching as Chan approaches the body and uses his phone light to do a brief inspection. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Felix asks quietly, reaching out to hold Hyunjin’s hand. 

Hyunjin squeezes Felix’s fingers. “There’s not much to talk about, really.” 

“Did they deserve it?”  

“I wouldn’t have done it if I felt like they didn’t,” Hyunjin murmurs.  

Felix makes an affirmative noise, resting his head on Hyunjin’s shoulder. “Is Changbin safer now?”

The question makes Hyunjin pause. 

He doesn’t want to lie to Felix, one of his best friends. He knows why Felix is asking — when Minho killed that asshole, it was because Jisung was being harassed and it had been taking a serious toll on his mental health and his daily life. Minho never disclosed that information, but Jisung did, and ever since then, Jisung’s been doing far better. When Chan killed Kangtae, he did it for Felix, to keep Felix safe, like he always does, and to ensure Felix experienced nothing but love from those surrounding him — but Hyunjin can’t possibly tell him that he didn’t do this for Changbin’s safety, or to protect Changbin, or for his mental health. 

This was to protect all of them.  

“Yes,” Hyunjin lies anyway. “He’s safer.” 

Felix wraps himself around Hyunjin’s arm and squeezes. “Then that’s all that matters. As long as Changbin-hyung is safe, there’s nothing for you to worry about.” 

Hyunjin doesn’t know if he can viably agree, so he stays quiet and lets himself be held, trying to convince himself that Felix is right. If Hyunjin can try to justify that Changbin is safer because of what he’s done, that they're all safer then it’s fine.

Everything will be fine. 

Chan finally comes back to them, turning the light on his phone off and pocketing it. When he approaches, his face is twisted with concern, and Hyunjin’s heart plummets to his gut. 

“Hyung?” Hyunjin asks, feeling like he’s already been thoroughly scolded.  

Chan’s voice is a little tense when he asks, “Why is there no blood?” 

“Huh?” 

“The blood, Hyunjin. There’s no blood.” 

Hyunjin shakes his head with a frown. “No, there isn’t.” 

“Why not?” 

“I don’t like blood,” Hyunjin reminds him. It’s a simple explanation, isn’t it? His hyung knows that. Doesn’t like the violence of blood and how it comes out of a person.  

“Then how is he dead?” Chan asks, pointing behind him at the body. 

Oh. 

Hyunjin understands the question, now. 

When Minho had killed, there had been a pool of blood left behind, and when Chan had killed, his knuckles, face, clothes, and the tarp laid out had been covered in blood as a result of the fury behind Chan’s fists.

Blood to Chan meant evidence of a life taken, and Hyunjin had taken a life tonight, but left no blood behind.  

Felix makes a soft noise, stepping forward and reaching out for Chan’s hand, lacing their fingers together. “There’s more than two ways to kill a person, honey.” 

Hyunjin blinks at them. 

It had admittedly been a bit of a shock when Felix had texted their group chat earlier this evening. It had been clear by his messages alone that he knew about what they’d done, both times, and instead of being disturbed or angered by it, he felt compelled to help. 

He opens his mouth to explain, but then headlights shine on them as another car pulls up, followed by an SUV. Seungmin gets out of his car first, looking as constipated as Hyunjin predicted, followed by Minho climbing out of his SUV. He looks annoyed, which isn’t much of a difference from his every day look. 

“Did you touch the body?” Seungmin asks as he approaches the group. “With your bare hands?” 

Hyunjin frowns. “No.” He pats the pocket of his jeans. “I had gloves on.” 

“Why’s there no blood on your clothes?” Minho asks, nose scrunched as he gives Hyunjin a once-over. 

“I asked the same thing,” Chan mutters, and Felix huffs. 

“The two of you have no concept of the millions of ways this works,” Felix says, flitting back to Hyunjin’s side. “Why don’t you give him a chance to explain himself?” 

“I snapped his neck,” Hyunjin blurts out his explanation.  

Four faces blink at him, dumbfounded. 

“You?” Minho deadpans. “You snapped his neck?” 

“Yes,” Hyunjin huffs. “You asked how I did it, that’s how I did it.” 

“How did you snap his neck?” Seungmin asks. It’s not judgmental or scolding, he’s genuinely asking. Hyunjin welcomes it when Seungmin approaches him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder and turning him away from the group. “Can you show me?” 

Hyunjin nods, leading Seungmin through the mud and towards where he left the stupid fuck. He pulls out his phone, turning the flashlight on as they get closer. The asshole’s still on the ground, his face forcefully turned to the left, tilted up at an odd angle. His eyes are closed, mostly because Hyunjin couldn’t stand the thought of looking at him, not because he felt mercy or remorse.  

Seeing his face fills Hyunjin with rage, but it goes nowhere. He’s already dead. What else is there for him to do? 

Seungmin is quiet, gentle when he asks, “Can you show me how you did it?” 

Hyunjin bends, pointing toward his chin and the back of his head. “I held onto both and twisted, then it snapped.” 

“Did you fight him?” Seungmin checks, inspecting the body. “You have a bruise on your chin.” 

Hyunjin groans. “Channie-hyung said Changbin won’t notice.” 

Seungmin snorts. “He probably won’t. Does it hurt?”

“No,” he sighs, running a hand through his hair. “And no, we didn’t fight, not really. I yelled at him a little, he yelled at me, and then I broke his neck when he tried to walk away. His head must have knocked into my jaw when I snapped his neck.” 

Seungmin nods, righting himself. Hyunjin mirrors him, casting a wary glance back to where Chan, Felix, and Minho are still standing by Chan’s car. When he turns back to Seungmin, his voice goes quiet. 

“How much trouble am I in?” He mutters, too upset to look Seungmin in the eye. 

“I mean, not much. If anything, we just have to figure out how we’re going to get rid of this thing. We really are in the middle of nowhere.” Seungmin sighs as he looks around. His expression changes, and then he turns to Hyunjin, raising a single brow. “Why are we in the middle of nowhere?” 

Hyunjin shrugs. “I followed him out here.” 

Seungmin pulls out gloves from his pocket, putting them on before crouching beside the body. “Shine the light over here.” 

Hyunjin turns his phone and Seungmin pats at the idiot’s pockets, pulling out his phone, wallet, and keys. At the keys, Seungmin raises his brow. “Where’s his car?” 

“I crashed it into a tree half a mile up the road.” 

Seungmin pushes air through his nose. “Why did you — you know what, never mind. We’ll figure that out later.”  

“I figured it would be easier to explain away!” Hyunjin snaps, the last threads of his patience fading away sharply. “He was already coming out this way, so —” 

“And did it occur to you that it’s because he might live out here? Or someone he knows lives out here?” Seungmin snaps back, tearing his eyes from the phone. It’s an older model, so Seungmin reaches forward, grabbing the idiot’s hand and pressing their finger to the home button, unlocking it. There’s a picture that pops up on the home screen of the stupid fuck with a cute bunny, and the sight of the bunny fills Hyunjin with rage all over again, his fist clenching at his sides. 

Changbin-hyung, has anyone ever told you that you look like a bunny? It’s kind of adorable. 

Seungmin blinks at the phone, his brows furrowing. Hyunjin doesn’t understand the look on his face, and wants to ask what’s wrong, but then he’s moving to the settings with rapid speed to turn off the Touch ID lock and leaving it open for them to utilize as necessary. He pulls a plastic bag out of his pocket, placing the phone inside and handing it to Hyunjin wordlessly before he moves to the wallet. 

Seungmin looks at the ID, then at the body, and finally turns his gaze to Hyunjin, furious. 

Hyunjin gulps. 

Fuck. He had hoped Seungmin wouldn’t notice.

“Hyunjin,” Seungmin deadpans. “Please tell me this is not who I think it is.” 

“I, um.” Hyunjin fidgets. “I can’t.” 

“Hyunjin,” he anguishes, shaking the wallet at him. “This makes it worse.” 

“I know!” Hyunjin sobs, tears falling freely. “I know, but he — I didn’t have a choice, Seungmin!” 

At Hyunjin’s cries, Chan, Felix, and Minho rush to them, the mud squelching beneath their boots in a way that makes Hyunjin want to rip his hair out. 

“What’s wrong?” Chan asks. 

Seungmin turns to him, face scrunched up in fury. “Do you know who this is? Who he just killed?” 

“He was someone who made Changbin upset,” Felix says snappily, trying to defend Hyunjin, and Hyunjin wishes he didn’t, knows it’ll make it worse once the other two discover the truth. 

“No,” Chan frowns. “Should I?” 

Seungmin keeps his eyes on Hyunjin as he thrusts the wallet at Minho. Minho frowns, looks like he wants to hit Seungmin on the backside of his head for being rude, but takes the wallet anyway, scanning over the ID. 

Hyunjin expects the scathing look Minho sends him, but still hates it anyway. 

“Hyunjin,” Minho deadpans, closing the wallet and looking back up at him with a blank expression. 

That’s how he knows he’s really fucked up. It would be better if Minho was angry, if he was furious and upset and red in the face. This calmness in the face of disaster is worse. It exposes Hyunjin, could ruin what Felix thinks of his actions, and may even make Chan angry with him. 

Changbin may be your boyfriend, but he’s not yours, Hyunjin. He could very well be happy somewhere else. With someone else. Someone like me. 

Hyunjin blinks back the tears threatening to form at his waterline. He needs to face this head on. He knows they’ll help him, knows they’ve made a pact to help each other, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be upset for what he’s done, what he can’t take back. 

“What?” Chan asks, looking between them, bewildered. “Who is it?” 

Minho hands Chan the wallet next. Hyunjin thinks about taking it from him, snatching it back and keeping this between the three of them, but it’s too late when Felix leans forward, peering at the ID as well. 

“Anh Hyunwoo,” Chan reads, then looks to Seungmin and Minho. Pointedly, not at Hyunjin. “Why does that sound familiar?” 

“Hyunjin,” Felix mutters. Of course Felix knows who he is — Hyunjin’s complained about him enough in the last month, there’s no way he doesn’t — and because of that, Hyunjin hangs in his head in shame. 

“Because he’s our employee,” Seungmin deadpans. 

“Not just any employee,” Minho grumbles. “He’s Changbin’s assistant.” 

+ 

Since the beginning of Heyday Entertainment, Changbin always had the same assistant.

Chaeryeong was someone he met in college. They dated quite seriously for most of it, and for a moment, everyone who knew them assumed they’d end up married with kids and move into a giant mansion with the stupid amount of money Changbin would probably end up making.

Hyunjin didn’t meet either of them till about halfway through his time in college, mostly meeting them because Jisung had started getting paired with them on projects, and Minho would always walk Jisung to their study sessions. Hyunjin used to follow Minho around everywhere back then, and though he’d been interested in Changbin from the moment they met, he didn’t act on it once.

He’s not the home-wrecking type.

After college, when Changbin and Chan started Heyday along with Hongjoong, Chaeryeong came on and worked as his assistant. She and Seungmin were forces to be reckoned with. He’d gone on to do law school at the same time, and that, plus Chaeryeong’s expertise in international business, they were smarter than the other three combined, helping them get off their feet at an astronomical rate through her knowledge and connections. Chan had offered her a partner position managing their business affairs, but Chaeryeong had refused. She preferred her position at the time, kept saying she didn’t want to step on any toes.

Hyunjin had been working with Seonghwa, back then. He and Minho followed him once they graduated, stood by his side when he opened up Dilettante, worked under him and kept in touch with their friend group through accompanying Seonghwa when he would go visit Hongjoong at work.

About a year in, Hyunjin went with Seonghwa to visit Hongjoong and had noticed Chaeryeong was gone when he passed by Changbin’s office. He’d frowned, turned to Seonghwa and asked, “Where’s Chae?”

Seonghwa had hushed him, ushered him down the hall a little faster, didn’t answer until they had the door of Hongjoong’s office shut behind him. “She and Changbin broke up.”

Hyunjin’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head. “They what? Why? When?”

“A few days ago,” Seonghwa said. “Chaeryeong said she was tired of waiting for him to get serious. So she gave him an ultimatum, and he didn’t take it.”

Hyunjin had frowned. He didn’t think Changbin was the type to have commitment issues, especially not when it came to Chaeryeong.

“They’re taking some time off to work things out, but I’m pretty sure Chae quit.” Seonghwa continued. “Chae’s birthday is a few weeks, and they were supposed to go on vacation to Okinawa with her family.”

Hyunjin didn’t see Changbin for a while, after that. He wasn’t present at group events, and when Hyunjin would join Seonghwa on visits to Heyday, Changbin was either cooped up in meetings or absent altogether, moving out of the place he shared with Chaeryeong and into his own apartment.

It wasn’t until about six months had passed that Changbin had joined them all on a Saturday night out. Hyunjin had been with Felix and Wooyoung at the bar, listening to Jisung tipsily explain the most recent nature documentary he watched, when Changbin had approached, leaning into Hyunjin’s side to be heard over the music.

“You guys okay?” Changbin had asked.

Hyunjin nodded, frowned. “Yeah, why?”

“Some creep has been staring at you all night.” Changbin said, gesturing with his chin toward a spot at the end of the bar. Hyunjin turned his head to look, but no creep stood out to him. He did recognize a familiar face, who he waved at, and Changbin frowned. “You know that creep?”

Hyunjin laughed. “Hyung, he’s not a creep. That’s Yeonjun. He’s my ex-boyfriend.”

“Your ex?” Changbin blinked. Hyunjin felt like taking it back. He could see in Changbin’s eyes he was still hurting, the wound too fresh, but Changbin kept talking. “And you guys are cool?”

“I mean, for the most part?” Hyunjin shrugged. “We only dated for a year. It was a mutual decision. Sometimes when we see each other on a night out, we hook up if we haven’t been seeing anyone for a little.”

“That’s why he’s been staring at you?” Changbin asked, incredulous. “Because he expects you to go home with him?”

The frown returned to Hyunjin’s face. “What? No, hyung, that’s not —”

“Dance with me,” Changbin insisted, reaching for the tequila shot Hyunjin hadn’t touched, downing it in one go.

Hyunjin blinked. “What?”

“Dance with me,” Changbin repeated, circling his fingers around Hyunjin’s wrist gently. “So your ex knows you’re not going home with him tonight.”

Hyunjin laughed a little as he let himself be dragged. Felix, Wooyoung, and Jisung watched the two of them with curious gazes and amused little grins, but did nothing to intervene. In the middle of the crowded dance floor, Changbin turned, taking Hyunjin by the waist and pulled him close.

“Changbin,” Hyunjin breathed, looking down at him with a raised brow. “Are you okay?”

“Perfect,” Changbin had said, looking up at Hyunjin, his eyes a little glazed over. “Exactly where I want to be.”

“You’re drunk,” Hyunjin huffed as Changbin’s fingers dug into his waist. “Maybe we should find Channie-hyung, so you can head home?”

“No,” Changbin insisted. He bent his head forward a little, his mouth millimeters from Hyunjin’s collarbone. “I want to stay here.”

Hyunjin let him stay. One dance turned into a dozen, more tequila shots, a blurry cab ride back to Changbin’s place, and what Hyunjin assumed at the time would be the best one-night stand of his life with someone he thought was stupidly hot, who also happened to be a dear friend.

But who had also just gone through a monumental breakup.

Hyunjin didn’t want to read into it, even though Changbin had left hickies all over his skin, fingerprint shaped bruises into his hips, the divots on his lower back, called him pretty, called him beautiful, called him baby. His interest in Changbin hadn’t gone away, but he didn’t like the idea of being a rebound in the off chance Chaeryeong were to come back into his life.

They’d been serious, after all.

In the morning, Hyunjin had woken up, showered, filched some clothes off of Changbin to change into and stuffed his dirty ones into a reusable shopping bag he found in the kitchen. He left painkillers and a bottle of water on Changbin’s nightstand, sent him a simple text.

me

i had fun last night, thanks hyung

He was sure that was it. He was fine with that being all there was, genuinely. Hyunjin figured his little college crush on Changbin was over and done with. He went home, showered again, did laundry, changed, and sat down to lose his attention in the anime Minho had recommended he watch.

Around dinner time that evening, there had been a knock on his door. Hyunjin frowned, figuring it was Felix, or Jisung, or maybe even Seonghwa, but when he opened the door to find Changbin, he’d been confused.

Well, he’d been confused for all of five seconds — the five seconds it took for him to ask, “Hyung? What are you doing here?” before Changbin burst forward in a blur of motion, taking Hyunjin’s face in his hands and kissing him like Hyunjin was his long-lost lover.

It had been a short walk to the couch. Changbin had wasted no time, opening Hyunjin up on his fingers, teasing him with his small mouth, bringing Hyunjin to the brink of tears before Changbin fucked him with his stupidly thick cock. They’d skipped dinner that night, moved from the couch to the floor, to Hyunjin’s bedroom, to the shower, back to Hyunjin’s bedroom. Changbin had a stupidly short refractory period, and Hyunjin was just eager to please, desperate to try to keep up.

With each orgasm Changbin coaxed out of him, Hyunjin’s crush grew and grew and grew. It didn’t help that even after Changbin had gone home early the next morning to get ready for work, he stopped by Dilettante at lunch, brought one of Hyunjin’s favorite meals and shyly asked if he wanted to eat together with Changbin.

He did, of course he did, and so they ate together on a bench outside of the studio’s building, facing one another with their lunch on the bench between them, their heads bent together. Hyunjin didn’t know what it meant — he didn’t know what Changbin wanted from him, or if this was just a ‘thanks for the orgasms’ lunch and they’d go back to their regularly scheduled programming after the fact — but he figured there was nothing wrong with accepting a simple meal.

Except, Changbin came by the next day after work. They had run late in rehearsals, and Hyunjin had been content to go to the convenience store to grab dinner, but instead, Changbin had been waiting for him, his gym bag slung across his middle, a boyish smile on his face when he spotted Hyunjin.

Minho and Seonghwa raised a brow at them as they passed behind Changbin, and Wooyoung had mouthed “go get your man!” as he passed with San in tow. Hyunjin ignored them both, had simply gone to Changbin’s side and followed him down the sidewalk. Changbin had taken him to a pasta place about a block away, and when Hyunjin had teased him, had asked, “Is this supposed to be a date?” Changbin had simply smiled dopily and said, “Yeah, baby, it is.”

Hyunjin blinked. “Oh,” he bent his head down, trying to hide the flush in his cheeks. “Okay.”

“That’s —” Changbin paused, unsure. “This is okay, right?”

“More than okay,” Hyunjin smiled.

“Good,” Changbin smiled back. “Because I really like you.”

I think I love you, Hyunjin thought back then. He didn’t dare say it out loud, but he felt like Changbin knew it, even then.

+

Hyunjin sat in the open trunk of his car, watching silently with his chin in his hand as Chan, Minho, and Seungmin were trying to carry Hyunwoo to the roadside so they could lay him in a tarp and wrap his body up. Hyunjin had brought the same kit he used before, when he helped Minho and again when he helped Chan, but it sat next to him, closed and untouched until the others deemed it necessary.

Felix leaned against the tail light beside him, watching as well, sighing every now and again when the three of them stopped to bicker about the logistics of moving the body and what they were going to do about it. When they managed to drop the body for a third time, Felix let out a frustrated noise.

“Were they like this before?” he asks Hyunjin.

Hyunjin snorts, shakes his head. “Seungmin wasn’t there the first time. Minho-hyung and Channie-hyung handled that one. The second time, Minho and I carried the body while Seungmin stayed with your fiancé, and then we swapped so Seungmin could dispose of it properly. It was pretty seamless, both times.”

“So Seungmin’s not supposed to do the heavy lifting,” Felix giggles.

“No, but it’s not like they’ll let me help.” Hyunjin can’t help the pout of his mouth, the sadness in his voice. He’s feeling singled out, like a burden. They’d all been willing to help Minho, and Chan without question, but from the second he asked for help, all he’d gotten was the exact opposite.

What did it matter that he killed Hyunwoo? He’d barely been working with Changbin for a few months anyhow, and from what Hyunjin knew, he wasn’t very good. Changbin had mentioned to Hyunjin on more than one occasion that his day was beginning to fill with meetings, and that Hyunwoo seemed disorganized and uncoordinated, regardless of all of his enthusiasm.

What assistant can be good at their job when all they do is flirt with their boss and mismanage their schedule?

“You’ve done enough,” Felix reminds him. It’s not chastising, not judgmental. He’s still trying to reassure Hyunjin, still thinks Hyunjin is in the right regardless of who he killed. “It’s a lot, to break someone’s neck. You should rest.”

Hyunjin wants to refute that. He wants to tell him about how exhausting it must have been for Minho, how exhausting it was for Felix’s own fiancé, but he doesn’t. He doesn’t know what Chan has or hasn’t told Felix, and it’s certainly not Hyunjin’s place to fill him in on those details.

It takes them a few additional tries, but they eventually manage to get Hyunwoo to the tarp, and they wrap him up from head to toe. They lay out an additional tarp before putting him in the back of Minho’s SUV, slamming the trunk shut.

Hyunjin sighs internally, steeling himself for the impending lecture. Chan, Seungmin, and Minho head over to where he and Felix are waiting, all three of their faces in a grim line.

It’s Chan who speaks first, predictably, but what’s not predictable is when Chan looks at him, his face pinched in anger, and says, “You should go home now, Hyunjin.”

Hyunjin blinks, stunned by Chan’s reaction. “What? No. I can help. I’m supposed to help.”

“Not with this.” Minho shakes his head. His hands are gentle when he pulls Hyunjin upright, dusting off the dried mud on his clothes. “We’ll take it from here.”

“But —”

“Hyunjin,” Seungmin says softly. He tries to smile, but it’s unsteady. Hyunjin assumes it’s because they’re still furious with him. “We’ve got this, okay? You did your job. We’ll finish ours.”

“Go back to our place,” Chan says, gesturing toward Felix with his chin. He removes one of the gloves from his hands so he can rest a hand on Felix’s cheek. “Can you help Hyunjin get cleaned up, angel?”

“Of course,” Felix smiles, gentle and obedient, then turns to Hyunjin. “C’mon, Jinnie. Let’s go.”

Hyunjin doesn’t move. He stares at Chan, frowning, heartbroken.

Doesn’t his hyung believe him? Doesn’t Chan see he had a reason to do this? Is Chan really angry with him? Chan’s never been angry with Hyunjin in his life.

“Hyung.” The devastation in his voice is evident. He doesn’t know how to hide it. Chan is Changbin’s best friend, one of Hyunjin’s closest friends. Surely he understands why Hyunjin had to —

“It’s okay, Hyunjin-ah. It’s all okay.” Chan nods at him, his tone soft, but it does nothing to alleviate Hyunjin’s anxiety, to combat the fire in his eyes. He steps forward, taking Hyunjin by the elbow and gently guiding him toward the passenger side of Hyunjin’s car, urging Felix toward the driver seat. “Felix will take you back to our place. Get cleaned up, get changed, and go back to Changbin. Let us take care of the rest, okay?”

Hyunjin’s bottom lip wobbles. “Hyung, you don’t understand, he —”

Minho sighs from behind Chan. He’s impatient about it, but not unkind. “Hyunjin, please. We’ve got this.”

“Follow me,” Seungmin says as he steps between them, placing both hands on Hyunjin’s shoulders. He opens his mouth, waits for Hyunjin to mimic him, following along as Seungmin breathes in deeply, exhaling slowly. Hyunjin follows him for three breaths before he squeezes his shoulder. “Go with Felix. Go get changed. Go home. Okay? That’s all we need you to do.”

“Hyunjin,” Felix calls from behind him. He’s already in the driver’s seat, the door closed and his hand held out for the keys. “Let’s go, they can deal with this. We should get going.”

He moves on autopilot, climbs into the passenger seat and hands Felix the keys, lets Seungmin close the passenger door for him as Felix starts the car. He rolls the windows down, kisses Chan and runs through whatever mental checklist the two of them had come up with before they arrived. Felix promises that they’ll be fine, and Minho pops his head into Hyunjin’s window as they chat, resting a comforting hand on Hyunjin’s shoulder.

“Hey,” He says, voice quiet so only Hyunjin can hear. “We’re sending you home because you’re really not going to like what’s next. Okay?”

“But you’re all mad at me. Especially hyung,” Hyunjin whispers. He hates how he sounds like a petulant child, but even during Hyunjin’s most reckless time in college, Chan’s never been upset or disappointed in him. He and Minho have butted heads before about things, Seungmin, too, but Chan?

Minho sighs, squeezing his shoulder. “We’re not, Hyunjin. We were just surprised, that’s all. Hyung is — he’s really not mad. You’ve seen him when he’s mad.”

“Mad at others,” Hyunjin tries not to cry. “But not mad at me.”

“He’s not mad at you, Hyunjin, I promise. No one is.”

“I had a good reason,” Hyunjin insists, “He was going to —”

Minho shakes his head. “We’ll talk about this later, okay? Just go with Felix. Trust us. We’ll take care of this for you.”

Hyunjin inhales a shaky breath, but nods. He knows Minho’s serious when he feels Minho press a tiny kiss to the side of his head, squeezing his shoulder once more before he steps away from the car. Minho’s only ever affectionate with him when things are serious, when he knows Hyunjin needs it more than anything else.

Felix kisses Chan goodbye once more before they drive off, Felix holding Hyunjin's hand tight in his as he heads back down the dirt road, leaving the rest of Hyunjin’s angels behind.

+

When Hyunjin gets out of the shower, he’s tired and drained, but he does feel marginally better. Felix gives him some of Chan’s clothes to wear, since they fit Hyunjin better, taking Hyunjin’s dirty clothes and shoes and stuffing them in a garbage bag for Seungmin to deal with later. He borrows a pair of socks and house slippers from him, too, and Felix leads him back down to the parking garage of their apartment building.

“I used the little carwash station when you were showering,” Felix explains as they exit the elevator. “Cleaned your car of all the dirt and mud. Vacuumed inside, too.”

Hyunjin feels like he might cry all over again. “Thank you, Lixie. I appreciate your help.”

Felix smiles. “It’s the least I can do, for what you did for Channie.”

What he did for Chan feels like a distant memory, now, especially in the face of the mess he created, a mess he felt was purposeful, unavoidable.

“I did what anyone would have done for a friend,” Hyunjin says honestly.

“Yeah, but you’re not just anyone.” Felix reaches out, taking Hyunjin’s hand in his as they approach his car. “You’re one of our best friends.”

Hyunjin can’t help the way he scoffs, shaking his head. “I don’t think Chan-hyung thinks so right now.”

Felix frowns. “He’s really not mad, Hyunjin. I promise.”

Hyunjin stays quiet. Felix doesn’t like when Chan is involved in conflict of any kind. It’s not like Hyunjin doesn’t understand why Chan is mad, because he does, Hyunjin just…didn’t expect it. Not from Chan of all people. Seeing his face, hearing the disappointment in his tone…

Felix seems to know what Hyunjin’s thinking anyway, because he wraps Hyunjin into a tight hug, his hair tickling Hyunjin’s nose. “Will you be okay to drive on your own?”

“I will,” Hyunjin nods. “I’ll text you when I get home.”

“You’d better,” Felix squeezes him for emphasis, “Channie will probably tell me the details about tonight when he gets home, so I’ll let you know how it went in the morning.”

Hyunjin nods. He squeezes Felix back — purely for good luck — then gets into his car. He shoots off a quick text to Changbin, letting him know he’s on his way home, before he sets off.

+

The lights are dim in the house when he gets home.

They’d moved into their home last year, after Changbin got tired of living in what was meant to be a luxury apartment building, but the elevator kept breaking down in the summer. They were only on the fifth floor, but Changbin said, “The last thing I want after a long day is to have to deal with five flights of stairs — which are technically ten, if you think about it — as the only thing standing between me and you.”

He let Hyunjin pick where they ended up. They’d toured at least twenty homes before Hyunjin found the perfect one, tucked into a little hillside, a small forest behind their house with a little stream, a sunroom, and a nice view of the city at night, all the building lights looking like a sea of soft stars.

Hyunjin punches in the gate code and pulls his car up the driveway next to Changbin’s, firing off a text to Felix to let him know he made it back before he heads inside.

There’s soft music playing, water running in their bathroom, and Hyunjin can smell that Changbin really has lit the massage candles.

It’s close to one in the morning, now, and Hyunjin half expects Changbin to be knocked out in bed, but he comes out of their bedroom at the sound of Hyunjin coming down the hall.

Changbin smiles. “Hi, baby.”

The second Hyunjin is in Changbin’s arms, he goes boneless, legs limp and his upper body all but collapsing onto him. Dramatically, he wails.

“Oh Changbin, is that you?! It’s been so long, my love!”

Changbin giggles, peppering Hyunjin’s face with kisses as he adjust his grip and bends, moving to pick Hyunjin up bridal style. It’s effortless as Changbin blindly navigates toward their bedroom, his lips never leaving Hyunjin’s skin.

He lays him on their bed, his touch reverent and careful as he removes every piece of fabric from Hyunjin’s skin. The hoodie comes first, then the shirt, Changbin pressing a kiss to Hyunjin’s sternum once it’s exposed.

“Are these hyung’s clothes?” Changbin asks with a little laugh when he peels off the sweatpants.

“Yeah,” Hyunjin pouts. “We had spaghetti for dinner. I got pasta sauce all over my clothes.”

Changbin chuckles, shaking his head fondly. The lie sits small and uncomfortable in Hyunjin’s gut, and he forces himself to lay back, unable to meet Changbin’s eyes when he takes off his underwear, and then his socks, leaving Hyunjin completely naked.

Hyunjin smiles softly when he sees the way Changbin’s looking at him — like he’s something precious, like he still thinks it’s a miracle that he and Hyunjin are together after everything — and reaches for him. Changbin goes easily, pressing his hands to the bed on either side of Hyunjin’s head. He lowers himself down like he’s doing a push-up, his arms completely steady when Hyunjin tilts his chin up to kiss him.

He loves kissing Changbin. He always has. From their very first kiss 'til now, and all the future kisses they’ll have, Hyunjin loves how easy it is for the two of them to fall together. It never ceases to amaze him how Changbin knows exactly how to make Hyunjin sigh and moan and gasp with nothing but a few well-placed kisses and firm touches, how he has Hyunjin hard and leaking and needy without touching him below his belly button.

“Would you like a massage, honey?” Changbin murmurs, pressing the words into the crook of Hyunjin’s neck.

Hyunjin smiles, nodding eagerly. Changbin reaches to where the massage candles rest on the nightstand, the flame in the middle glowing bright and inviting. The whole jar has melted down, so Changbin quickly blows the flame out, glancing down at Hyunjin in question. Hyunjin arches his back ever so slightly in answer, pressing his body closer to his boyfriend. Changbin’s always worried about the oil being too hot, about burning Hyunjin’s skin, but Hyunjin doesn’t mind. He’s never minded having evidence on his skin that Changbin has touched him, kissed him, made him feel good.

Changbin kisses him deeply. Hyunjin feels everything he doesn’t say. The apology for the temperature, for the slightest bit of pain that may come, the way he feels grateful to have Hyunjin’s trust and love, the way he feels grateful that Hyunjin has chosen him, to love, to hold, to kiss, to make love to, to fuck, all of the above.

The first touch of the oil on his skin is hot, hot in a way that makes Hyunjin hiss — not from pain, though, never pain when it’s Changbin — and moan softly, a wordless request for more. Changbin always gives in, always does whatever he wants, and so he pours out a little more until the oil threatens to run off of Hyunjin’s body.

He puts the jar back down and quickly brings his hands back, spreading the oil around and rubbing it into Hyunjin’s skin. Hyunjin can’t even be upset about the fact that he’ll have to shower all over again, especially not when he sees how Changbin smiles as he runs his fingers over Hyunjin’s skin. He smooths his hands up Hyunjin’s ribs, thumbing at his nipples, his smile widening when it coaxes a soft moan from Hyunjin’s lips.

“Feel good, baby?” Changbin murmurs.

Hyunjin nods, making that pleading face Changbin seems to love so much, though Hyunjin never really understands why. He just knows when he makes it, Changbin can’t resist, and it gets him whatever he wants anyway, so Hyunjin wields the weapon responsibly.

It’s easy for Hyunjin to sink into the massage, closing his eyes as Changbin’s hands wander across his body, fingers squeezing at his muscles and slowly working out the kinks and knots, tension oozing out of him in ebbing waves.

It’s almost enough to make him forget about what he’s done.

Almost.

It’s still at the back of his mind when he starts to feel the first dredges of exhaustion creep through his veins, the threat of sleeping looming in his periphery. Changbin can tell, and Hyunjin’s not even surprised when he feels his hands slide down, throws Hyunjin’s legs around his waist so Changbin can palm at his cock with one hand while his other creeps even lower, an oiled-up finger petting over Hyunjin’s hole.

He’s thankful that he’s got Changbin conditioned now, thankful that Changbin doesn’t even ask if Hyunjin is okay, if he wants this, if he’s too tired for it.

“If I let you get me naked, I want it,” Hyunjin had told him so long ago. “Even if I’m sleepy, if I was willing before, I’ll still be willing. If I’m not, I’ll use our safe word.”

Hyunjin has never used their safe word. He’s never needed to before, and neither has Changbin.

He’s floating as Changbin works him open on his stupidly thick fingers. His mouth sucks little bruises into Hyunjin’s collarbone, the only part of his torso not coated in oil, slowly working his way up to Hyunjin’s neck. He can feel Changbin’s cock rutting against him in the crease of his thigh, the fabric of his sweatpants getting wetter as he goes.

Hyunjin moans, the only sound he can make to let Changbin know he’s ready, that he doesn’t have to be so thorough.

“Okay, sweetheart,” Changbin acquiesces, his voice light and airy. He parts from Hyunjin for too many torturous seconds. He can hear Changbin shedding himself of his clothes before he returns, placing Hyunjin’s legs over his thighs and budging closer. Sleep evades Hyunjin for as long as it takes for Changbin to push himself inside, the first breach of his stupidly big dick into Hyunjin’s body almost too much to bear as Hyunjin whines. Changbin makes soothing noises, rubbing along Hyunjin’s flank, and Hyunjin breathes through it, his eyes scrunching up at the corners.

“Shhh,” Changbin placates, pushing in another inch. “It’s okay, honey. It’s alright. Go back to sleep, I’ll take care of you.”

Hyunjin takes in a deep breath, almost gasping, and Changbin’s right there, leaving soothing kisses along his neck, pressing his weight down onto Hyunjin just enough to satiate him, push him back towards where sleep is still waiting in the corner of his mind.

It works — Hyunjin falls asleep for some time, waking up when he feels himself being pushed up the bed with how hard Changbin’s fucking into him, burying himself in to the hilt, pulling out till only the thick head of him remains, to push back in all over again in a rhythm that shakes the bed beneath them. He hits Hyunjin’s prostate dead on each time, and Hyunjin whines when he suddenly comes, his body overwhelmed with pleasure while his mind tries desperately to catch up.

“Fuck,” Changbin pants, his hips still going at a thunderous pace. “I’m gonna come baby, I’m so close, I —”

There’s a deep, guttural groan that echoes off their bedroom walls, rattling Hyunjin’s bones as Changbin buries himself within him for the final time tonight. Hyunjin can feel the way he throbs in angry pulses as he comes, can feel the way Changbin’s body shakes with the force of his orgasm, clinging to Hyunjin desperately.

Everything after that is soft, warm, delicate — wet, too, when Changbin carries Hyunjin into their bathroom and lays him on top of Changbin in the bathtub. Changbin is as thorough as he can be, cleaning Hyunjin and carrying him back to the bedroom to lay him down on a spread of towels that he removes when Hyunjin is dry.

Only when Hyunjin can feel Changbin pull the covers over both of them does he allow sleep and exhaustion to finally take him into the recesses of his subconscious, murmuring out a quiet “I love you” into the dark of their bedroom.

“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Hyunjin-ah,” Changbin murmurs when he thinks Hyunjin’s asleep, his fingers tracing delicate patterns on Hyunjin’s bare shoulders. “I love you so much.”

Hyunjin remains where he is, suddenly stopping just as sleep is about to drag him across the threshold. He’s on his side while Changbin plasters himself to his bare back, and there’s something bitter and acidic that blooms in his heart at Changbin’s sentiment.

Would you still love me if you knew what I’d done? If I said I did it for you?

+

The first few months he and Changbin were ‘dating’ went by like clockwork — during the week, Changbin would either visit Dilettante for lunch or pick Hyunjin up after work for dinner. On weekends, they’d either sleep at Changbin or Hyunjin’s place, fucking like bunnies the entire time and only coming up for air to get water, shower, use the bathroom, and change the sheets.

Changbin kept calling Hyunjin baby, kept calling him beautiful, kept treating him so well in bed, texting him when they weren’t face to face with the sweetest messages. It did horrible things to Hyunjin’s psyche, especially when his touches slowly turned into something more, when the way Changbin looked at him began to feel heavy, Hyunjin’s heart weighing more and more in his chest.

And then, around the six-month mark, it slowed. Hyunjin had to be away for a few weeks while the performance team at Dilettante followed a new artist they’d been working with around South Korea and Japan for a few shows. Changbin still texted him, but it wasn’t the same. When Hyunjin got back to Seoul, they went from seeing each other every day to seeing one another every other day, to once every few days, to once a week and twice on weekends.

Hyunjin didn’t like it. He hated it, in fact. At the time, he didn’t think there was much he could do about it. They didn’t work together and they weren’t exclusive, hadn’t defined what they were doing outside of fucking and going on dates because Changbin really liked him.

Changbin really liked Chaeryeong, too, and look how well that turned out for them.

But Hyunjin didn’t want to be like Chaeryeong. He knew he wasn’t going to be Changbin’s first love, but he felt pretty good about the idea of being his last.

Minho was wrong. Hyunjin didn’t stalk Changbin, not really. It just started with looking at Changbin’s social media — barren, mostly, post wise. But his stories were almost always frequently updated — and seeing that Changbin was pulling long days and nights at work, and when he wasn’t at work, he was out, either with Chan and Felix or Hongjoong and Seonghwa.

Hyunjin had seen those kinds of posts before. Except before, Chaeryeong had been in the pictures beside him. Was he with them because he missed her? Was he with them because he was trying to figure out how to get her back? The only way he would ever know for sure was by finding out for himself. It took a little bit of finessing, but Hyunjin eventually managed to figure out Changbin’s schedule. He learned bits and pieces from Seonghwa and Felix, Chan a couple of times as well, but he got it done.

His only intention was to remind Changbin that he was there. That he was an option — the best option, really, and the only — and that Changbin couldn’t go wrong with going all the way with Hyunjin.

About eight months in, he started small. Conveniently showing up where Changbin was, within reason, his presence easily explained away. He played coy, played it like he didn’t expect to see Changbin there, kept his reactions neutral. Changbin seemed unsure about that, like he didn’t know what to do with Hyunjin not reacting outwardly to his presence — no more shy smiles and featherlight touches — and Hyunjin liked that his plan was working.

He kept it as consistent as possible without obviously establishing a pattern. Anytime he and Changbin ‘just so happened’ to be in the same space, Hyunjin played it like what they had done didn’t matter, because that’s how Changbin was making him feel. A taste of his own medicine, Hyunjin figured, and it served him right.

Hyunjin felt like he was doing Changbin a favor. Who wanted to be labeled as one of those assholes who slept with people, started doing things couples do, only to disappear like a ghost in the next second? Hyunjin didn’t want Changbin to be like that.

He refused to let Changbin treat him like that.

So, when they hit a year mark, Changbin avoiding him but still showing up and expecting to get laid, Hyunjin flipped the script and played dirty. It was easy to make Changbin believe that him suddenly pulling away didn’t matter to Hyunjin anymore, and that Hyunjin could pick up and move on without a second thought.

People don’t know what they have until it’s gone, right?

There was another Saturday night out at the club. Chan had told him that Changbin would be running late — did he know what they’d been doing? Did he know that Hyunjin was in love with him? — and Hyunjin just stared at Chan, confused.

“Okay?” Hyunjin said, then turned, taking Felix with him as he went to the bar.

Felix frowned. “Hyunjin, are you and Changbin —”

Hyunjin laughed. “You’re so cute. There is no ‘me and Changbin,’ Lixie.” He shoved a shot into his hands, downed his own, danced with Felix and Jisung like he didn’t have a care in the world. When Yeonjun showed up half way through the night, like Hyunjin knew he would, he said yes when his ex asked him to dance. He said yes when Yeonjun asked if he could kiss him. He said yes when Yeonjun asked if they should go somewhere more private.

Only to be stopped the second he’d been about to leave the club.

Changbin had Hyunjin’s free hand gripped tightly in his own, Yeonjun holding the other, and Changbin had no qualms about staring Yeonjun down, his expression furious.

“Sorry,” Changbin did not sound sorry, “Hyunjin’s coming with me.”

Yeonjun scoffed. “Is he?”

“Changbin,” Hyunjin said gently, internally elated that his plan had worked. “I’m —”

“Coming home with me,” Changbin repeated, tugging on Hyunjin’s wrist with enough force that it pulled him from Yeonjun’s grip. Yeonjun had been ready to argue until Chan had stepped up, put a hand on his chest and leveled him with a look Hyunjin couldn’t see, but the expression on Yeonjun’s face had been enough of a clue.

Yeonjun left, and Changbin tugged Hyunjin into his chest with a semblance of a growl.

“Were you seriously going to go home with him?” Changbin asked through gritted teeth.

Hyunjin huffed, rolled his eyes, tried his best not to smile. “I didn’t think you’d notice.”

“How could I not notice?” Changbin asked, a desperate edge to his voice. “I notice everything about you, Hyunjin. I don’t know what’s going on with you lately, why you’re pulling away, but if I did something —”

Hyunjin laughed. He didn’t mean to laugh in Changbin’s face, but he couldn’t help it. “If you did something? Changbin. The only reason I’m pulling away is because you pulled away first.” Changbin’s expression morphed into something stricken, something guilt ridden and full of regret, but Hyunjin was undeterred. He was in love with this man, and Changbin didn’t seem regretful at all before about breaking his heart. “You didn’t have to lead me on, you know. If you just wanted a rebound, a fuck buddy or whatever, you could have just said that. You didn’t have to say that you liked me, or take me on dates, or whatever the fuck you’ve been doing just so you could get your dick wet like clockwork every weekend for the last year.”

“Hyunjin,” he breathed, distraught.

Hyunjin wrenched his arm away, continuing to play his part. “I really liked you, hyung. A lot. And I didn’t deserve any of that.”

He turned on his heel, ready to walk out of the club, make it look like he was going after Yeonjun, but Changbin stopped him again.

Jackpot.

He pulled Hyunjin back to him, straight into his open arms and spun him around. He captured Hyunjin in a kiss so intense Hyunjin nearly went dizzy from the lack of air, the lack of space between them.

When Hyunjin pulled back, Changbin kept him close, resting their foreheads together. “I’m sorry, Hyunjin. That’s not — I didn’t mean to hurt you. That was the last thing I wanted. I just didn’t want to overwhelm you.”

“Overwhelm me with what?” Hyunjin asked, voice small.

“With me,” Changbin confessed. “Me, and my bullshit. You’re such a free spirit, Hyunjin. I didn’t want to tie you to me if it wasn’t what you wanted.”

Hyunjin’s eyes filled with tears. “Hyung, you — is this about —”

“It’s not about her,” Changbin swore. “It’s about you. How I feel about you.”

“How you feel about me,” Hyunjin parroted, weak in the knees. His plan had worked far better than he expected.

“I love you, Hyunjin.” Changbin pressed the confession against his lips. “I’m in love with you. God, I fell for you so fast, it scared me. I thought I’d need more time, after — it doesn’t matter. What matters is that I didn’t need more time. I had plenty of it, back then. I should’ve just dove in head first with you.”

“Yes,” Hyunjin murmured right back. “You should have.”

“I want to, now. Will you let me? Can I show you how sorry I am?”

Hyunjin smiled. He kissed Changbin. Kissed him and kissed him until Minho eventually went over and told them to go home or go to the bathroom.

So they went home.

Together.

+

The body had been easy to dispose of, Chan insisted. At least, that’s what Felix said, anyway. Hyunjin can’t say for sure, because they refused to let him be involved, and the sting of it remains even as he sits curled up in Changbin’s arms on their sofa.

Changbin’s watching a movie while Hyunjin tries to read one of his poetry books. He’d pulled a random one from the shelf, just needing something to occupy and erase the terrible thoughts swirling around in his head. It’s been three days since the incident, and Hyunjin called out of work today. His only goal had been to avoid the rest of the Angels, but he’d been pleasantly surprised when Changbin called out sick, too, insisting he stay home to take care of Hyunjin.

They’d been lounging about on their sofa all day, Changbin only getting up to get Hyunjin water and medicine for his ‘headache,’ or picking up the food they’d ordered for delivery for breakfast and lunch. If he can tell Hyunjin’s faking, he doesn’t seem to comment on it. If anything, Changbin seems pretty content to just stay here with Hyunjin and do nothing.

In Hyunjin’s mind, it makes everything he’s done worth it.

He may come home to you, Hyunjin, but when he’s at work, he’s here with me.

He hopes however the Angels had disposed of the body, that Hyunwoo still suffered, even in death. It’s what he deserves, for what he did to Hyunjin and Changbin — all the things he said, the way he packed Changbin’s schedule, the way he seemed content to make each of their lives a living hell individually as well as together — and Hyunjin may regret the aftermath, but he’ll never regret getting rid of Hyunwoo.

As the day ticks by and dinner time approaches, Changbin reaches out, grabbing Hyunjin’s poetry book delicately out of his hands and setting it aside. Hyunjin laughs softly, leaning back until his head is resting in Changbin’s lap, peering up at him.

“Yes?” Hyunjin asks playfully.

Changbin smiles down at him, caressing Hyunjin’s cheek with the back of his hand. “I just wanted to see your face, that’s all.”

“Well?” Hyunjin teases, leaning into his touch. “What do you think?”

“I think that if Monet were alive right now, he’d probably paint you instead of all those flowers.”

Hyunjin’s first instinct is to snort at the absurdity, but he stops himself, his brain coming to a screeching halt behind his skull. He blinks at Changbin, surprised.

There had been a Monet exhibit at the art museum last weekend, and Hyunjin had said he was going to look at it alone. Changbin usually wasn’t interested in many art exhibits Hyunjin frequented, and Hyunjin never really minded going to them on his own, taking his time to look at everything he wanted to and ambling around in the gift shop afterward to buy whatever he desired.

Last weekend, though, Hyunjin had told Changbin he was going to see Monet’s exhibit, and Changbin had asked — very shyly, almost unsure — if he could join him.

“Monet’s your favorite,” Changbin had explained when Hyunjin asked why he wanted to go this particular time. “I want to see what you see.”

It had been wonderful, honestly. Changbin had held his hand the entire time, listened intently to whatever Hyunjin had to say about all the pieces he’d stood in front of, asked inquisitive questions here and there, wanting to understand Hyunjin’s perspective as thoroughly as he could. When Hyunjin asked him what he thought, he hadn’t been expecting much — Changbin is usually someone of few words when it comes to art mediums he doesn’t understand but maintains full respect for anyhow — but Changbin had taken him by surprise.

“It makes me understand why you like being outside in nice weather,” he’d told Hyunjin. “It feels nice, and warm. I want to be with you, there.”

“Where?” Hyunjin had asked, breathless.

“Where ever these flowers are, in the paintings. Or in real life. If you’re there looking at them, I want to be there to look at you.”

His breath is stolen, even now. He flushes under Changbin’s compliment, under his gaze, his eyes closing as he turns onto his side, trying to hide himself in Changbin’s hand, against his leg.

Changbin laughs, high-pitched and giggly, trying to get Hyunjin to show his face. Hyunjin resists, crying out when Changbin tries to tickle him, their laughter filling their living room and slowly lifting his miserable spirits.

Their doorbell ringing stops them both.

Hyunjin looks up at Changbin, blinking, and Changbin looks down at Hyunjin, confused.

“Are you expecting anyone?” Changbin asks.

Hyunjin shakes his head. “No. Are you?”

Changbin shakes his head. With a sigh, Hyunjin sits up, swinging his legs to the side and standing. Changbin follows him, heading toward the intercom, but a loud voice makes them wince before they can even turn the monitor on.

“Open the door! We’re freezing out here, and so is your niece!”

Hyunjin gasps, flinging the door open without a second to waste.

Chaeryeong stands on their doorstep, holding her daughter, Yuna, who’s bundled up in a little teddy bear onesie Hyunjin recognized as the one he’d gifted them at their baby shower. Ryujin stands behind her with the diaper bag on her back and the baby carrier on her arm and a look on her face that says, ‘Sorry, I tried to stop her, but you’re in trouble now.’

“Aegi!” Hyunjin exclaims in happiness. The sight of his niece is exactly what he needed to lift his spirits.

“Yeongie?” Changbin’s voice is laced with disbelief. “This is a nice surprise.”

“I need to speak to the two of you,” she says, ignoring their greetings. Her face is set in a grim line, and she shoves past them both, toeing off her shoes as she heads further into their house.

Recognition dawns on Hyunjin, then, on what he’d done prior to seeking out Hyunwoo and killing him.

Fuck.

He speeds ahead of Changbin, figures he can blame it on wanting to hold Yuna, the words spilling out of him before he can think. “Chae, I can —”

She whirls on them, her eyes narrowing and stopping them both in their tracks. Ryujin lets out a little ‘oof!’ and Changbin apologizes, but Hyunjin’s not looking back at them. His eyes are solely on Chaeryeong and where she’s wielding Yuna like a weapon, a threat. She’s on Chaeryeong’s hip, and she points Yuna’s hand at both Changbin and Hyunjin when she demands, “What did you two do to make Hyunwoo quit?”

Double fuck.

Hyunjin swallows. “Chae —”

“Hyunwoo quit?” Changbin asks from behind him, confused.

“Yes! He sent his resignation letter in on Friday after work. And HR emailed me this morning, asking for me to come back on board.”

“Will you?” Hyunjin asks sheepishly.

It’s clearly the wrong thing to say when Chaeryeong takes the pacifier pinned to Yuna’s onesie, and chucks it toward Changbin and Hyunjin. Hyunjin dodges in time, but it hits Changbin square in his stupidly big chest.

“My job is to be a stay-at-home mother until I decide that I no longer wish to stay at home. Your emergencies are no longer my problem. And unless you want me to become a problem for the both of you, you are going to take my daughter, get Ryujin a glass of wine, order us all food, and listen to me while I verbally tear you both a second asshole.”

Changbin audibly gulps behind him. Hyunjin has the smarts to keep his mouth shut, nod, and hold his hands out for Yuna.

Chaeryeong sighs, handing Yuna over, and the second she’s in Hyunjin’s arms, the tension breaks. He heads into their living room and sits on the couch while Changbin takes the diaper bag and baby carrier from Ryujin, setting them down at the edge of the living room.

Ryujin approaches, petting down Chaeryeong’s hair and leaving a soothing kiss to her temple. She looks at Changbin with a sheepish smile and says, “She said she wanted jokbal, if that’s alright with you guys. It helps with breastfeeding.”

“Jokbal’s fine,” Changbin nods, pulling out his phone.

Hyunjin adjusts Yuna so she’s sitting comfortably in his arms, and when he looks up, he finds Chaeryeong and Changbin staring at him, with two varying expressions.

Changbin looks at him with love, with fondness, with desire. They’d discussed having children, at the start of their relationship. They’re not quite at that point yet. They agreed they would wait till after Felix and Chan got married to even think about the logistics of that, even though some of the variables within those logistics were also currently in their home.

It’s the look in Chaeryeong’s eyes that scares Hyunjin the most, though. There’s something in the way she’s looking at him, even despite the calm expression on her face, that makes the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, that makes him wonder just how much she knows.

For the first time, he wonders if he should regret killing Hyunwoo.

+

After their mess of a first year, and a full month of blissful serenity, Chaeryeong came back.

Hyunjin knew she was coming back to Heyday. She hadn’t quit, as Seonghwa had first assumed. Instead, the company had given her an extended leave of absence, and now that it was up, she was returning to her former position.

He’d been bracing himself for her first day back, and so had Changbin. He’d had several conversations assuring Hyunjin that she wasn’t someone he loved, that he moved on, that he only loved Hyunjin now, and Hyunjin knew that. He just wanted to be sure Chaeryeong knew that, too.

She was always a smart cookie, though. So really, it didn’t surprise him when a week before she was set to start work again, she showed up at Dilettante looking for Hyunjin.

Chaeryeong gave him an easy smile, asked, “Can we talk? I brought a peace offering,” and handed him an iced americano and a buttery croissant.

They sat on a bench outside the studio — different from the one he had lunches with Changbin on — and Chaeryeong smiled softly at him.

“I just wanted to assure you that there won’t be anything between Changbin and I when I go back to work. It’ll be strictly professional, and you have nothing to worry about.”

Hyunjin nodded. “I appreciate you saying that to me.”

“I felt like it needed to be said,” Chaeryeong said sagely. “My wife thought so, too.”

Hyunjin blinked. “Oh, you —”

“It was sudden,” Chaeryeong’s voice quieted, like she was shy. “Changbin and I had only been broken up for a month when I met her. I went on that Okinawa vacation with my family, and we met there at a club. I couldn’t stop thinking about her. When my family got back to Seoul, we ran into each other at a Japanese restaurant, and it sort of…spiraled from there. We eloped, got married in Los Angeles about six months after.”

Hyunjin smiled. “What’s her name?”

“Ryujin,” Chaeryeong confessed quietly. “You’d like her, I think.”

“I’m sure I will,” Hyunjin promised. “I hope she’ll like me, too.”

Chaeryeong blinked. “Oh. Um, so you —”

“You meant a lot to him,” Hyunjin nods. “I think he’d want you both to be friends, or at least be cordial. If you’re going to be working with him again, it’d be inevitable, don’t you think? That we run into each other a lot. That we might be friends, too.”

Chaeryeong smiled at him in answer, and Hyunjin knew from that moment, that things really would be fine.

And they were. Chaeryeong took her role back like it was nothing, because for her it was as easy as riding a bike after not being on one for a long time. She was the one who convinced Chan and Changbin to hire Seonghwa. Seonghwa had refused, said he wanted to remain in charge of Dilettante, and instead convinced her to hire Minho, to hire Hyunjin, contract out jobs to Dilettante when they needed extra help. Chaeryeong had been the one who had helped Heyday grow and thrive.

And when she and Ryujin decided they wanted to have a baby through a donor, Hyunjin had been the one who stepped up and showered them with gifts. He’d been the one who had, unknowingly, convinced Chaeryeong to take some time off, more than just maternity leave, to be able to take care of their baby, stay home and be with her longer than ninety days.

Since the beginning of Heyday Entertainment, Changbin always had the same assistant, and Hyunjin had been the one, in the end, who had gotten her to quit. Not on a leave of absence, and not intentionally, but she quit. She wanted to be home longer than ninety days, like he’d said, but Chaeryeong had figured she had enough money saved from Heyday, Ryujin had a great paying job as well, and with all that in consideration, why shouldn’t Chae be a stay-at-home mother?

Hyunjin had been the reason Hyunwoo had been hired in the first place.

And so, it was only right Hyunjin rectify the horrible mistake, wasn’t it?

+

The applications sitting in front of Hyunjin make his skin crawl.

He’s in Seungmin’s office in Heyday, their Legal and Human Resources department sharing the top floor of their building. Seoul is cloudy and dreary today, and Hyunjin feels as though it’s to spite him, to reflect on how cold and dreary he feels on the inside.

Seungmin sits behind his desk staring at his computer while Hyunjin sits opposite him, leafing through the potential applicants for Changbin’s new assistant.

From behind him, on the couch in Seungmin’s office, Chaeryeong sighs. “Just pick one, Hyunjin. They’ve all been thoroughly vetted and come highly recommended. They’re more than capable of working at Heyday, working under Changbin, and managing Changbin’s schedule.”

Hyunjin scowls at the pages. He knows they’re qualified. Their qualifications are never the problem.

The problem, in reality, is Changbin.

Not in the way that he’s at fault. In the way that he’s the perfect boss. He is kind, patient, and observant. He has enough wherewithal and attention span to do his work, do it well, and also pay attention to the way the company operates around him, how everyone he comes into direct contact with at Heyday can be directly affected by the decisions he, Chan, and Hongjoong make.

But Chan and Hongjoong don’t have issues with their assistants.

Chan technically has two assistants. One is his cousin, Lily. She’s young and bright and bubbly and deals with all the bullshit sent Chan’s way with a professionally scary amount of passive-aggressiveness that scares even Seungmin. The second is Felix’s cousin, Jake, who Hyunjin thinks is positively hilarious.

The thing is, on a normal day to day basis, Chan barely has to interact with Lily or with Jake at all. Most days, Hyunjin’s pretty positive that he forgets that they’re even there. It’s because they’re scarily good at their jobs. They field all of Chan’s calls and most of his emails, take all of his meetings, and only bring things directly to him that actually need his attention. If it needs a signature, it goes to Seungmin, who goes straight to Chan if needed.

Hongjoong’s assistant is technically another producer, Maddox. He’s a cool person, and Hyunjin really appreciates when Maddox lets him visit the studio they work out of to play with his puppy, Emma. Maddox is about the same as Lily and Jake — he fields everything, says no more often than yes, and only brings things to Hongjoong that he feels are worth their time, worth Heyday’s resources. Like Lily and Jake, Maddox also feels like a ghost around the company.

Only those who actually need to work in close quarters with Chan, Changbin, and Hongjoong know the assistants exist. They all learned that from Chaeryeong. How to do their job, to be seen and known by those in the company who absolutely need to work directly with their CEOs. If they didn’t know who their assistants were, they didn’t need to be around the CEOs.

That’s the kind of assistant that Changbin needs.

And Hyunjin has zero faith that any of the applicants in front of him can be what his boyfriend needs — to be efficient, and to not be seen. Or heard.

“If you don’t choose one,” Chaeryeong threatens, “I will choose for you. For him. For both of you.”

Seungmin finally looks up from his computer, then, staring at both of them. Hyunjin won’t meet his eyes, still upset, but he listens when Seungmin says, “Just pick one, Hyunjin.”

Hyunjin gathers all the papers, placing them back in the file folder and pushing them across Seungmin’s desk back to him. He stands, grabbing his bag from the floor and gestures to where Chaeryeong is sitting on the sofa. “Pick whichever one she likes best.”

I’ll try not to kill this one. He thinks.

He doesn’t slam Seungmin’s office door behind him, even though he wants to. He stalks wordlessly to the elevator, shrugging his bag over his shoulder and pressing the button for the floor of Changbin’s office.

The doors are prevented from closing shut when an arm shoots out, holding the doors open. Chaeryeong steps in, narrowing her gaze at Hyunjin as her heels click along the floor of the elevator car. She presses the button for Changbin’s floor once more, leaning against the wall of the elevator beside him when the doors finally close.

She crosses one ankle over the other, folding her arm over her chest as she nudges Hyunjin with her hip.

“So,” she singsongs. “Are you going to tell me what Hyunwoo did that made him quit?”

Hyunjin sighs through his nose. They made a pact, him and Chaeryeong, a pact that they would always be honest with one another, especially when it came to Changbin. She had been a huge part of his past, and Hyunjin was the most important part of Changbin’s present and future. There was mutual respect, in that, and they were family now, so even though he wants to lie to her, he decides he can settle for a half-truth.

Since the whole truth is…less than ideal.

“He kept Changbin away from me during the day on purpose, packed his schedule to the brim so I could barely see him. He told me that Changbin could do better, and that it wasn’t anyone’s fault if Changbin eventually felt like Hyunwoo was better. He’d say stupid shit like that to me every day, so I swore I would make the rest of his life a living hell, and he quit.”

Chaeryeong blinks at him.

“You know, Hyunwoo,” Hyunjin had said that day. “You consistently say that you’re the better option for Changbin, but you seem to be forgetting one important thing.”

Hyunwoo had sneered at Hyunjin from his desk chair, “Oh yeah? And what’s that?”

“He still comes home to me, every night.” Hyunjin smiled sweetly. “And we arrive here, together, every morning.”

“That won’t matter much longer,” Hyunwoo sniffed, pretending to tidy up papers on his desk. “Especially not when Changbin finds out what you did.”

Hyunjin scoffed. “Oh? And what exactly did I do, Hyunwoo-ssi? Did I distract you from the duties you barely fulfill each day?”

Hyunwoo laughed. “Oh, I’m sorry. I meant what you did for someone. That someone being Chan.”

Hyunjin’s blood ran ice cold. “Excuse me?”

“How quickly do you think Changbin will run to Prosecutor Yoon at Yoon and Hong Associates when he receives important information about his missing brother?”

Hyunjin didn’t hesitate to lean forward and grab at Hyunwoo’s stupid, ugly fucking tie, yanking it toward him as he lowered his voice to something sinister. “I don’t know what you think you know, or how you think you know it, but I’m telling you right now to forget it. Threatening my boyfriend is one thing, but threatening our friends who you know nothing about, is another. If you so much as utter a single word about it to anyone, I will make the rest of your miserable life a living hell so disgustingly hot, you’re going to wish you were in hell.”

Though his eyes shook with fear, Hyunwoo simply smiled at the threat. His voice still shook, though, when he told Hyunjin, “Cute. Do your worst.”

Chaeryeong chuckles at the absurdity in the moment, her laughter ceasing when she sees the look on Hyunjin’s face. “Wait — actually?”

“Actually,” Hyunjin deadpanned. The doors opened to Changbin’s floor, and Hyunjin moved first, holding the doors open for her as they walked out and down the hall.

“You’re better than me,” Chaeryeong said sagely. “I probably would’ve killed him.”

Hyunjin snorts.

+

The assistant Chaeryeong has Heyday hire is a very nice man named Junho. He’s a little older than Changbin is, only by a couple of years, but he’s worked as an administrative assistant before and seems good at his job so far.

He’s promised Chaeryeong that he won’t run this one off, and that he’ll do his best to behave, but to be honest, Hyunjin hasn’t had any issue with him yet. Where he and Hyunwoo clashed from the second they met because of Hyunwoo’s obvious interest in Changbin, Junho is the opposite. He was nice to Hyunjin almost immediately, and when Changbin introduced Hyunjin as his boyfriend, Junho seemed intrigued at the revelation, but said nothing.

It’s only been a little over a week, but Hyunjin allows himself to feel optimistic at Junho’s presence. Junho isn’t irritating, or rage-inducing, and seems to be content to keep his head down and do his work. He chats with Changbin solely about work, and whenever Hyunjin stops by, he’s happy to make small talk until Hyunjin goes into Changbin’s office or Changbin comes out of it. He goes out every lunch hour, which gives Hyunjin and Changbin plenty of time to use their lunch hour as they see fit.

Like now, where Changbin has Hyunjin laid on his back on the couch in his office, his cock buried deep inside of Hyunjin as they have slow, sweet sex in the middle of the workday, Hyunjin wearing nothing but his hoodie — Changbin’s hoodie, technically — with Changbin shirtless, the zipper of his jeans undone and his jeans and briefs pushed down just enough to free his cock and grant him the range of motion he needs. The door to Changbin’s office is locked anyway, the white noise machine on and music playing just in case.

As far as Hyunjin’s concerned, it’s the perfect way to spend a Tuesday.

Changbin’s kissing him like he hasn’t seen Hyunjin in months, maybe years with the way Hyunjin can barely get him to pull back to take a breath. They haven’t had sex like this in such a long time. Changbin used to go away on business trips all the time before, would come back and spend two days fucking Hyunjin on every viable surface in their old apartment, kiss him like he’s kissing him now — like he’ll die if he stops.

“Hyunjin,” Changbin moans into his mouth, rocking his hips slowly. “You feel so good.”

Hyunjin laughs, soft and a little delirious. “Yeah, baby?” He sinks his fingers into Changbin’s hair, grabbing at the curly strands. He’s so glad Changbin didn’t style his hair today.

“Don’t wanna stop,” Changbin grunts, fucking in deep. “Can you hold on for me? Wanna make this last.”

“Yes,” Hyunjin moans, nipping at Changbin’s bottom lip. “Keep going.”

“Fuck yes,” Changbin hisses. He buries his face in Hyunjin’s neck, sucking bruises into the skin. Hyunjin moans into his ear, knows Changbin likes hearing and feeling how much Hyunjin is enjoying himself, how good Changbin is fucking him.

Hyunjin welcomes it when Changbin bites down, stifles a moan by burying his face into Changbin’s shoulder. Hyunjin hopes it bruises, hopes he gets to walk out of here wearing Changbin’s bite like a trophy as he walks around the company. It would make him feel vindicated after everything he’s dealt with in the last two weeks.

It’s bliss being here with his boyfriend like this.

They haven’t been able to fuck in his office like this since before Hyunwoo got hired. Every time they tried, Hyunwoo would find some excuse as to why Changbin had to suddenly be elsewhere in the company, or why he needed to sit in on a meeting that had nothing to do with Changbin’s role in Heyday. There’s nothing wrong with waiting until they get home, of course, but Changbin has a fascination with quickies during the day, and Hyunjin has a fascination with Changbin.

Changbin’s hands wander from Hyunjin’s waist to his ass, grabbing his cheeks in both hands tightly to anchor himself to Hyunjin, use it to keep him still so he can fuck inside of him at his own desperate pace. He’s never minded letting Changbin take control — he prefers it, in fact, loves that Changbin always wants him so much to the point that he can’t help but take the reins and lead them through — but he loves it especially in moments like this, where Changbin is so caught up in the pleasure, caught up in Hyunjin, that he can’t help but take.

“God,” Changbin groans out, fucking in slow. Slow enough that Hyunjin swears he can feel every hard ridge and vein, taking inch after glorious inch of his stupidly big dick, that Hyunjin can’t help but squeal when he bottoms out, pressing in even further as if to test the bounds of how connected they can be.

“Fuck,” Hyunjin bites down on his shoulder until he can stop trembling. “Why is your cock so stupidly big?”

Changbin laughs, resuming his languid rhythm. “Why are you still asking me that after all these years?”

“Because it’s still stupidly big after all these years,” Hyunjin giggles, laughs high and airy when Changbin nips at his neck, blowing raspberries in retaliation.

“I love you so much,” Changbin murmurs against the shell of his ear when Hyunjin’s giggling dies down, pulling Hyunjin down onto his cock. “So much, Hyune. You have no idea.”

“I love you,” Hyunjin returns, scratching at Changbin’s scalp. “You have no idea how much.”

Because Changbin really doesn’t.

It’s one thing to love someone to the point of creation. It’s another to love someone to the point of destruction.

“I love you,” Hyunjin repeats, trying to keep his emotions at bay, “But our lunch hour really is just an hour, and you still have to eat.” He yanks at Changbin’s hair just a little. “I don’t want to rush you, but you did say this would be a quickie.”

Changbin chuckles, pressing a kiss to the apple of Hyunjin’s cheek. “When have you and I ever been quick about anything?”

“Will it help if I tell you that I want to come?” Hyunjin pants, a gasp punched out of him when Changbin rocks his hips forward. He adjusts his tone into something pleading and desperate, tightens his thighs against Changbin’s sides and yanks at his hair. “Bin, please, please, I need —”

Changbin growls a little, nipping at Hyunjin’s jaw, but he does as Hyunjin asks, increasing his pace but fucking in deep, so deep that each thrust feels like Changbin’s trying to punch a hole through his lungs. Hyunjin’s mouth drops open, but the sound gets caught in his throat. His eyes screw shut as he practically wraps himself around Changbin.

Hyunjin gasps when Changbin suddenly shoves his hand between them, curling his fingers around Hyunjin’s cock and squeezing, moving his wrists up and down as best as he can with the limited space.

“Bin —”

“It’s okay, baby,” Changbin soothes, matching his hand to the pace of his hips. “It’s okay, just come for me, yeah? Come for me, beautiful. Come on, let me see your beautiful face when you come.”

Hyunjin gasps, body locking around Changbin’s as his orgasm hits him out of nowhere, coaxed out of him by Changbin’s words.

Beautiful.

He bites back a scream when Changbin fights past the way Hyunjin is clenching around him to bury himself deep as he comes, biting down once more into the crook of Hyunjin’s neck.

That’ll definitely bruise.

Hyunjin lets out a deep exhale. He’s about to kiss Changbin, to murmur sweet nothings like they usually do after they’re intimate, but there’s a knock on his office door.

“Hey,” Chan’s hesitant voice calls through the wood. “If you two are done, I wanted to talk to Hyunjin? If that’s okay?”

Hyunjin blinks, his gaze snapping to Changbin, who blinks right back at him.

Chan knocks again. “Guys?”

“Yeah,” Changbin calls, his eyes on Hyunjin’s face. “Give us a few minutes.”

Hyunjin frowns, shaking his head, but Changbin pinches his side.

“Okay. I’ll uh — you can come see me in my office, Hyunjin. If that’s okay? Or I can meet you in yours.”

“He’ll meet you in his office!” Changbin calls again. “Seriously hyung, we need a few minutes.”

“Right, sorry. Leaving now.” Chan knocks on the door twice, signaling his departure.

Hyunjin scowls for more than one reason when Changbin rises up, carefully pulling out of him and then standing from the couch, heading toward his desk for the baby wipes he keeps in the top drawer for situations like this.

“I don’t want to talk to him.” Hyunjin says quietly.

Changbin doesn’t know why Hyunjin’s upset with their friends, obviously — all he’d said to Changbin was that they’d gotten into a disagreement and that Hyunjin felt slighted, didn’t want to speak to them for a little while until he calmed down. It’s a little difficult to do with Minho, but he keeps his conversations with Minho strictly professional, always walks away before Minho can get into the personal stuff — but he’s been trying to encourage Hyunjin to try to resolve it for a few days now.

The problem is Hyunjin can hold a grudge. He’s held many a grudge with all of their friends at one point or another, and he can hold it until he deems that he’s ready to release it. He’s still a little sore from the way Chan had reacted, how Minho and Seungmin just followed his lead. They didn’t listen to him, didn’t let him speak when he tried to explain why he’d killed Hyunwoo, why he had to, that he did it to protect all of them. It had been just as much for them as it had been for him and Changbin, and they didn’t want to hear a single word of it.

It may be petty, but petty suited Hyunjin pretty well, when he needed it to. If they didn’t want to listen to him, then he had nothing to say.

Changbin sighs as he heads back to the couch, using the wipes to clean Hyunjin as best as he can. “He’s upset, too. You know Chan-hyung doesn’t do well when people are mad at him.”

“I’m not mad,” Hyunjin corrects. “I’m hurt.”

“Then give him the chance to fix it.” Changbin presses a soft kiss to Hyunjin’s temple, cleaning the come off of Hyunjin’s torso. “He loves you, you know he does, and he doesn’t ever mean to hurt you.”

Hyunjin pouts. He’s silent as he takes the wipes from Changbin’s hands, taking over cleaning himself up. Changbin lets him, goes about cleaning himself while his words settle into Hyunjin’s mind.

He won’t admit out loud that Changbin is right — he’s still holding a grudge, so he’d never give that satisfaction to anyone, not even the man he loves more than anything — but he knows that he is.

When Hyunjin is dressed, he gathers his things and the bag containing the kimbap he’d meant to eat, heading straight for the door. Changbin stops him, yanking him back by the waistband of his sweatpants. “You’re not even going to kiss me goodbye?”

Hyunjin turns, a small scowl on his face. “No.”

Changbin smiles fondly, shaking his head. “You’re mad at me now because I think you should make up with Chan?”

“No.”

“Baby,” Changbin laughs, pulling Hyunjin into his arms. “I love you, and I just want you to be happy.”

“I am happy,” Hyunjin grumps, “Or I was, until you ruined my post-orgasm glow.”

“I’m sorry,” Changbin kisses him. “But I think you’ll be happier when things are back to normal with everyone.”

Hyunjin kisses him back — he can never be that mad — and playfully shoves him away when they part. “Go be a good person over there. You’re ruining my grudge.”

“Enjoy your grudge for the next five minutes,” Changbin smiles.

Hyunjin leaves his office, shaking his head and shutting the door. He looks up when he sees someone turning down the corner of the hallway, waving when he spots Junho.

“Oh! Hi, Hyunjin-ah,” Junho smiles, waving back as he approaches. He looks down at the bag of kimbap in Hyunjin’s hand and frowns. “Did you not get a chance to eat lunch with PD-nim?”

Hyunjin still wants to laugh when Junho calls Changbin that, but he insists on formalities.

“We uh —” Hyunjin hesitates, a little embarrassed in front of someone he’s meant to maintain a professional relationship with. “We got a little distracted?”

Junho blinks, then seems to take in Hyunjin’s overall demeanor, and his cheeks turn a little pink as a small smile creeps onto his face. “Ohhh, I see.” Junho smiles. “Well, I hope you had fun, and hopefully you have some time to eat before you head back to the studio.”

“I do,” Hyunjin nods. “I have to meet with Chan-hyung for a bit, so I’ll be able to eat a little before getting back to it.”

“Good, it’s important for you to eat well, you know. Minho-ssi is the performance director, but he can’t do his job if he doesn’t have you with him.”

Hyunjin laughs. “That’s nice of you to say.”

“I’m being genuine,” Junho reaches out, resting a hand on Hyunjin’s shoulder and squeezing. “You’re great at your job, Hyunjin-ah. Minho’s lucky to be able to have your expertise.”

Changbin’s door opens then, and they both turn. Junho’s hand drops from his shoulder after a second, and Hyunjin sees the way Changbin’s eyes track the movement, his jaw clenched.

Hyunjin frowns, confused.

Is Changbin…upset?

“Baby,” Changbin smiles at Hyunjin. “I thought you were going to meet with Chan-hyung in your office?”

“I am,” Hyunjin nods. “I was just talking to Junho.”

“PD-nim,” Junho nods at Changbin, “I was just making sure Hyunjin-ah still had time to eat lunch.”

Changbin looks at Junho and just nods, his expression falling just the slightest. “Thank you, Junho-ssi.” To Hyunjin, his smile returns, but only slightly. “You should get going, sweetheart.”

Hyunjin looks between the two, but nods at Changbin. He heads off down the hall without another word, skipping the elevator and walking down two floors until he gets to the performance floor.

He technically does have an office, and so does Minho. They’re not there much when things get really busy, but Chan, Changbin, and Hongjoong insisted all department heads needed their own office. Minho’s is closest to the main studio they practice and rehearse out of, and Hyunjin’s is at the end of the hall.

Chan, true to his word, is leaning against the wall beside the door to Hyunjin’s office. When he spots him, he rights himself, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans and offering Hyunjin a sheepish smile.

“Hi,” he says, his voice soft as he approaches.

“Hi,” Hyunjin says back, equally as soft, before reaching for his keys and unlocking his office door.

Hyunjin likes his office. He likes that they let him decorate it how he saw fit, so it looks less like a boring office and more like a cozy space Hyunjin can escape to when things get crazy.

It has a floor to ceiling window that gives him a nice view of the courtyard behind their company’s building, and Hyunjin rarely turns on the big light in his office, prefers to let the natural light filter in. There’s a lamp in one corner of his office that he’ll turn on if he really needs light for anything important.

He has a couch along the wall next to the door, and a floor to ceiling mirror for the moments he needs to work on choreography in private. He swapped the stuffy office desk for a more reasonable workspace desk, and his desk chair is a fluffy, cozy thing that’s easy on his back.

Hyunjin plops down into his desk chair with a sigh, and Chan sits on the chair on the other side of his desk — it’s also a cozy one, just not as plush as Hyunjin’s — and Hyunjin opens up his kimbap, flattening the foil and pushing it so it’s centered on his desk between them, declaring neutral territory.

He hands a piece to Chan in offering — I’m sorry.

Chan’s eyes blow out wide for a second, and his hand lifts, taking the piece — I’m sorry, too.

Hyunjin takes his own piece and pops it into his mouth, and Chan follows. They take turns eating, sharing Hyunjin’s lunch, but Hyunjin doesn’t mind. Knowing Chan, once they’re done with this conversation, he’ll probably buy Hyunjin more food to eat later so he can refuel properly after the afternoon choreography drafting sessions.

“You don’t have to worry,” Chan says after a little, swallowing his last bite. “No one will ever find him.”

Hyunjin nods, popping the last piece of kimbap into his mouth. He chews for a bit, thinking if he should be honest with Chan now about why he killed Hyunwoo. He mocks up a pros and cons list in his head, but even then, he knows keeping it from Chan any longer will only hurt himself.

“He knew,” Hyunjin says when he’s swallowed his food. He opens the mini fridge under his desk, takes out a can of pineapple juice he keeps in there for Chan and a can of Pocari Sweat for himself, putting them on the table.

Chan tilts his head as he opens his can. “Hyunwoo? Knew what?”

Hyunjin opens his drink, pulling off the tab. “He knew that we killed Yoon Kangtae. He threatened to expose us if I kept trying to interfere with him flirting with Changbin.”

Chan chokes on the sip of pineapple juice he was taking, coughing violently. Hyunjin bolts upright from his chair, rushing to Chan’s side and hitting his back, trying to stop the coughing fit. Chan puts a hand out once he calms down, waving Hyunjin off.

“He —” Chan takes in a deep breath. “He did what?”

Hyunjin sighs, too lazy to round back to his desk chair, so he plops onto the couch instead. He tells Chan everything — all of Hyunwoo’s flirting, how he’d packed Changbin’s schedule, the things he said to Hyunjin about his open pursuit of his boyfriend, how he’d threatened Hyunjin with the knowledge of Kangtae’s death, that he’d go to Jeonghan and spill the truth, why the knowledge of Hyunwoo’s discovery had prompted Hyunjin to act so rashly and kill him that very same day  — letting the words spill out of him before he decides to take them back.

When he’s finished talking, Chan just stares at him, clearly shocked at Hyunjin’s admission, but there’s understanding in his eyes, too. Hyunjin knew Chan would understand, he just didn’t think it would take them this long for them to get to the point where Chan did.

“Does Seungmin know?” Chan asks. “Does Minho?”

Hyunjin shakes his head. “No. I haven’t spoken to them either. You’re the first one I’ve told.”

“Hyunjin,” Chan anguishes. “I’m — hyung is so sorry. I didn’t — I mean it’s obvious that I didn’t know but, if you’d been dealing with that, why didn’t you say something? Why didn’t you tell me he’d been inappropriate with Changbin? Or that Bin’s schedule was being mismanaged?”

“Because I figured I’d handle that problem the same way you and Minho handled your problems. I didn’t think it would happen that fast, either, but what choice did I have?”

Chan seems to realize something then. “We kept Hyunwoo’s phone, and we have his keys, but Seungmin didn’t find his computer. It was missing. We couldn’t find it in his car, or in his work bag that was in the back seat. Did you take it?”

Hyunjin gestures with his chin toward his desk. “I took it from his desk before I left work that day. He almost got a ten-minute head start because of it.”

“You should get it to Seungmin,” Chan says, “Let him scrub it just in case. We didn’t find anything on his phone, but maybe his computer —”

“I’ll get it to him, but I doubt Hyunwoo kept any information about it on his work computer.”

Chan nods. “We figured as much, too. We wanted to go to his apartment — Seungmin grabbed his address from his HR file — but we didn’t want to go without you, since we didn’t exactly know what we were looking for.”

“When?” Hyunjin asked. “Jeongin’s birthday party is next weekend. We should probably do it before.”

Chan nods. “That’s what I was thinking, too. Maybe the day before that? If that works for you.”

“Yeah, that works.”

Chan’s face twists with regret, and Hyunjin frowns. “Hyunjin, I —”

“Hyung,” Hyunjin stops him. “It’s okay. I’m not mad, not anymore.”

“I was just surprised,” Chan explains. “I knew you had a reason, I think it was just so sudden that it caught me off guard.”

“Minho called you suddenly, too,” Hyunjin points out. Not to be mean, or make Chan feel worse, but just to state facts. “That’s how all this started.”

“True, but Minho’s impulsivity is normal, when it comes to Jisung. You’re usually more…calculating.”

Hyunjin raises a brow. “I’d been calculating Hyunwoo’s murder since the day he got hired.”

“But you didn’t tell me it got that bad,” Chan says quietly.

Hyunjin does feel guilty now. His Chan-hyung likes feeling needed and wanted by those he cares about, and being one of the last to know about Hyunjin’s problems probably didn’t make him feel good once he realized this wasn’t just some random asshole that had been pestering him and Changbin.

“I’m sorry,” Hyunjin says honestly. “I didn’t mean to keep it from you, not intentionally. I meant to loop you in, you and the others, when the time was right, I just didn’t expect him to confess that he knew about Kangtae.”

Chan shakes his head. “I get it, I do. But how did he know?”

“I don’t know,” Hyunjin sighs. “I guess that’s what we’ll have to go and find out.”

Chan nods, his face set with determination. “You’ll make up with Minho and Seungmin, too, right? Before we go?”

“Yes, Charlie,” Hyunjin nods, and laughs when Chan cringes.

He probably won’t admit it to Changbin later, but he does feel a lot better by the time Chan leaves his office.

+

When the day ends, Hyunjin returns to Changbin’s office so they can head home together. When he gets there, his office door is open, but Changbin isn’t inside.

Junho is, though, and when Hyunjin steps into the office, Junho looks up at him and smiles widely.

“Hyunjin-ah,” Junho laughs a little. “Your hair’s all wet?”

Hyunjin smiles. “Yeah, we had a bit of an intense afternoon so I showered and changed in the locker rooms downstairs.”

“The showers in the company gym are the best,” Junho agrees with a nod. “But you didn’t dry your hair?” He takes a couple of steps away from Changbin’s desk where he’d been organizing things to approach Hyunjin, running his hand over Hyunjin’s still-wet strands. “I don’t know if you know this, but it is February, and it’s still really cold out.”

Hyunjin laughs, “Yes, Junho-ssi, I know it is. But I have a hat, and I’m technically not going outside. I’m going into the elevator, to the parking garage, and then to the car.”

“I told you, Hyunjin-ah,” Junho offers him an easy smile. “You can call me hyung.”

“Well, hyung,” Hyunjin teases, “I’ll be fine.”

“Still,” Junho shakes his head, a faint blush on his cheeks as he plays with Hyunjin’s hair a little. “You shouldn’t risk it. You could get sick, and then where would the company be without you?”

A loud noise steals Hyunjin’s attention. He flinches at the shock of it, his eyes darting toward the door in confusion.

Changbin’s standing there, his laptop tucked under his arm, his other hand on the door from where he’d slammed it open and against the wall.

He’s staring at Junho like he wants to punch him, and the sight confuses Hyunjin even further. He’d looked upset with Junho earlier, but now, he looks downright angry, and Hyunjin can’t even begin to understand why.

“PD-nim,” Junho greets, his hands dropping away from Hyunjin as he bows a little at Changbin in greeting. “How was your meeting with the marketing team?”

“It was fine,” Changbin says curtly. “You should go home, Junho-ssi. Hyunjin and I are going to be leaving now.”

“Oh, yes, PD-nim. I’ll get going.” Junho turns to Hyunjin and smiles, mouthing a gentle ‘goodbye’ before he grabs a folder from Changbin’s desk, bowing to them both on his way out.

Hyunjin watches as Changbin scowls at Junho’s back, then marches right over to Hyunjin. He all but tosses his laptop carelessly onto his desk before he’s taking Hyunjin’s face in his hands and kissing him.

It’s searing, claiming, and Hyunjin squeaks in surprise, trying his best to reciprocate Changbin’s eagerness. “Bin,” he manages to say between kisses, “Baby, the door’s open.”

“Don’t care,” Changbin grunts, yanking Hyunjin back to him. Hyunjin stumbles, and Changbin walks them backwards a little, towards the couch, and Hyunjin plants his feet into the ground.

He is not going to have a quickie while Changbin’s office door is wide open.

When Hyunjin doesn’t budge, Changbin parts from him with a frustrated noise, turning around and rubbing at the back of his neck.

Hyunjin stares at his back as he begins to pace, raising a brow. “Bin?”

“I don’t like him,” Changbin grumbles.

“Who?” Hyunjin asks, confused.

Changbin scowls. “I said I don’t like him.”

“Him who?”

“Junho.”

Hyunjin laughs. Outright laughs, because — what?

“Why?” Hyunjin asks.

Changbin shakes his head. “I just don’t.”

“Why not?” Hyunjin gestures to his office. He’s a little upset, if he’s being honest. If Changbin is going to say what Hyunjin thinks he’s going to say — that Hyunwoo of all fucking people was a better assistant than Junho — Hyunjin is going to have a very hard time trying to explain around why that is completely false and could never and will never be the case. “He’s doing a better job than Hyunwoo ever did. He organizes your office. Your schedule is less packed, your emails are organized, the meetings you’re in are ones you actually need to be in. He’s as good as Lily, and Jake, and Maddox. And Chae chose him! What could you possibly —”

“He likes you.”

Hyunjin blinks. “He — what?”

“Junho. He likes you. A lot. He asks about you when you’re not here. Asks about whether or not I have time to see you during the day. If there’s even the slightest chance that a meeting might run over, he asks me if he should go and tell you so you’re not waiting around. He touches you, like it’s nothing! Like you’re not with me, and he always flirts with you, and —”

Hyunjin scoffs. “No, he doesn’t!”

“Yes, Hyunjin, he does. You just never notice when people flirt with you unless you’re interested in them, and —”

“I don’t care if people flirt with me, and you’re right, I’m not interested in them, and I never will be, because I’m with you. I don’t notice because I don’t care! And —”

“Well, I care!” Changbin shouts.

Silence falls over them. Hyunjin blinks, tears brimming in his eyes faster than he realizes.

Changbin shouted.

His boyfriend has always been a little loud, his voice raising without realizing when he gets excited and even louder when he’s happy and having a good time. But when he’s angry, Changbin never shouts. Not ever. Not at Hyunjin, or even in Hyunjin’s general direction.

But…he just did.

Hyunjin feels like he’s been slapped in the face, the volume making his cheeks hot as more tears blur his vision, his entire world tilting on its axis. He takes a step back, just a small one, but it’s enough that Changbin flinches at the notion, his hands shooting out to try and reach for Hyunjin, to pull him back to him as he starts to stutter out, “W-Wait, no, Hyune, baby, I didn’t mean to —”

Hyunjin flinches, too, jolting out of Changbin’s reach.

“Baby,” Changbin pleads. “I’m sorry, I —”

Hyunjin turns on his heel, feet moving out of pure muscle memory as he all but bolts out of Changbin’s office, choking back a sob when he makes it to the hallway. He bypasses the elevator completely, heading straight for the stairs, and instead of heading down, he goes up, heading for any floor that isn’t Changbin’s.

He doesn’t know what floor he’s on when he finally bursts through a door, too overwhelmed and stunned to even think.

Changbin shouted.

Hyunjin doesn’t understand. He doesn’t understand how him not noticing Junho’s advances — clearly not worth noticing or remembering, in Hyunjin’s opinion — would make Changbin so mad to the point that he would shout, that he would raise his voice in such a way during what Hyunjin assumed was just a misunderstanding.

He finds a conference room, blissfully unlocked, and throws himself inside, keeping the lights off and locking the door behind him. It’s a corner room, two of the walls being floor to ceiling windows instead. Hyunjin only has the energy to make it to the corner where the windows meet, collapsing when he’s close enough and curling himself up into a tight ball. The still-winter weather outside makes the glass cold, enough to shock his system into finally releasing all of his pent-up emotions. He bursts into tears, keeps his sobs muffled in the sleeves of his hoodie as best as he can.

Deep down, he knows his emotional outburst isn’t just because of Changbin. It’s everything — it’s Chaeryeong leaving when Hyunjin didn’t mean for her to, it’s Hyunwoo and all his stupid antics, his threat that loomed over the safety and security of his friends, being forced to accept that Changbin needs an assistant, and finally finding who Hyunjin thought was a good assistant, only to find out Changbin isn’t happy with him and would prefer the one person Hyunjin killed with his bare hands because they didn’t know how to shut the fuck up and learn that they had no place with the very person Hyunjin would do anything to keep safe, to keep innocent, to keep clean.

Including taking a life.

He just made up with Chan, but he can’t go to him about a fight like this. Changbin is one of Chan’s oldest friends, and he’ll feel like he’s caught in the middle. He hasn’t spoken to Minho or Seungmin yet, and he can’t confide in Felix, doesn’t want him to feel like he has to take sides. Hyunjin can’t go to Jisung or Jeongin because they don’t know, and he can’t find solace in Changbin, either. Not for this, not this soon.

Hyunjin cries and cries and cries, until his sobs eventually quiet. He stares out at the city beyond the window, dread settling in at the fact that he has nowhere to go, and no one to turn to…

Well.

Maybe he has one person he can turn to.

+

Chaeryeong is silent for a long time.

Hyunjin fidgets on her couch and finds that he’s glad that Yuna and Ryujin aren’t home. The second he’d arrived on her doorstep with tears in his eyes, Chaeryeong sent Ryujin out to run errands, said to take Yuna with her so they could speak alone.

She was kind and made him something to eat to fill his stomach and made sure he drank water to replenish all that he’d lost when he cried his eyes out. She lent him her skin care so he could wash his face properly and re-moisturize afterward, then sat him down and made him tea, the two of them sitting in the quiet of her living room until the words came pouring out of him.

He didn’t know what to expect when he’d confessed everything — well, not everything, only what he’d done, that he had help covering it up, but didn’t say who helped, the stress he’d been under, the grudge he’d held at unnamed people, the way Changbin blowing up at him out of nowhere had been the last straw that finally broke him — but part of him expected her abject horror, maybe even anger, fury, disgust.

What he’s not expecting is how casually she says, “Well, I did say that if it were me, I probably would have killed him.”

Hyunjin nearly drops the mug of tea he’d been holding onto like a lifeline. “You — what?”

Chaeryeong tosses her hair over her shoulder and shrugs. “He sounded like an asshole. I think you did the right thing.”

“You…you do?”

“Mhm,” she takes a sip of her tea. “You know, you came pretty close to dying, too.”

Hyunjin blinks. “What?”

“Yep,” she giggles, like she didn’t just admit Hyunjin’s life was in danger, “I was so mad back then. But I don’t think I was really that mad, I think it was just petty residual stuff.”

“You were mad enough to think about killing me though?” Hyunjin squeaks, indignant.

“Well yeah,” Chaeryeong rolls her eyes. “But then I got married, so it was fine.”

Hyunjin scoffs, shaking his head.

It’s quiet again until Chaeryeong says, “I’m sorry Changbin yelled at you. He can be…a lot, when he gets jealous. He doesn’t do well with negative emotions.”

Hyunjin snorts. “Understatement of the century.”

Chaeryeong scoots closer, rubbing a comforting hand along his back. “I don’t know if me saying this will bring you comfort, but just know that I know how he can be, and how it can make you feel. If you want to crash here, you can. I don’t think I’ve ever said this to you before, but you’re always welcome here, Hyunjin. I meant it when I said we’re family now.”

“I appreciate that,” Hyunjin says quietly. “I…I think I’ll take you up on that. I don’t know if I can go home to him right now.”

She hums. “Don’t hold too big of a grudge against him though, okay? Not like you did with Chan, or Minho and Seungmin.”

Hyunjin whips his head at her. “Wha — How — I didn’t even say anything about them.”

She scoffs. “Please. No one else at that company but Chan, Minho, and Seungmin are capable enough to help you pull any of that off. I won’t tell, obviously, but it’s the truth.”

Hyunjin stares at her for a second. He’s tempted to open the Channie’s Angels group chat for the first time in two weeks to tell them that he thinks he’s found their Demi Moore.

“C’mon,” she says after a beat, taking his mug and placing it on the coffee table.

He glances up at her, confused. “Where are we going?”

“We’re getting in my car and going to get you some spare clothes, and whatever else you need while you stay here with us. If you’re going to hold a grudge, you may as well be comfortable doing it.”

Oh yeah, he thinks as he gets up to follow her, she’s definitely Demi Moore.

+

Hyunjin ends up staying with Chaeryeong and Ryujin for five days. The rest of the week and into the weekend, and she keeps his phone prisoner the entire time — he strangely enjoyed watching her call Chan to tell him that Hyunjin wouldn’t be at work for the rest of the week. When Chan had asked why, had asked if Hyunjin was feeling alright, he tried his best not to snort when Chaeryeong had simply said, “Ask your idiot of a best friend,” before hanging up — only letting him answer texts from Felix, Jisung, and Jeongin, and all but forcing him to answer Minho and Seungmin’s.

She wouldn’t let him see and didn’t bother telling him how many times Changbin tried to reach out, would snatch the phone out of his grip whenever she even felt like he might try, and would either shove Yuna into his arms, or direct him to the kitchen to wash Yuna’s baby bottles. If Chaeryeong didn’t keep him distracted, Ryujin would, asking for his help to do things around their home they hadn’t been able to do because they weren’t tall enough and couldn’t find their step ladder.

When the new week began, he’d hesitated with going back to work, but Chaeryeong had yanked him out of bed — she’s freakishly strong, a lot stronger than he remembered her being back in college — and shoved him toward the bathroom so he could get ready.

Ryujin was kind enough to make him a homemade packed lunch, and she and a bundled-up Yuna in her car seat followed behind Hyunjin in their family car, while Chaeryeong drove his car to the company.

She insisted on seeing him off so she could give him a pep talk to get him through the week, but also so she could tell Changbin to his face he wasn’t allowed to discredit Junho since she had hired him, and if he did, she would make his life a living hell with whoever she chose for Junho’s replacement to be if Changbin drove Junho away.

They parked in the garage, Ryujin opting to stay behind and wait with Yuna in the lobby while Chaeryeong and Hyunjin went upstairs.

“If he apologizes right away,” Chaeryeong reminds him. “Just accept it. Don’t stress him out by playing hard to get.”

Hyunjin sighs. “I know, Chae, and I don’t play —”

“You do,” she pushes at his arm with a laugh. “Don’t pretend like you don’t just because you have the upper hand here, it’s not cute. I’m just saying, accept the apology and take the win, set your boundary, and move forward.”

“I know,” he says, softer this time. “I will.”

The elevator doors open, and they step off to head down the hall, only for them to stop barely five steps in.

Junho’s office is near the elevator bank, along with Lily and Jake’s offices, but unlike Lily and Jake’s offices, Junho’s office is completely empty. Even his name plate is missing from his desk, as well as his door.

Hyunjin gulps. “Chae —”

“I’m going to kill him,” she grumbles, stalking down the hallway. When they get to Changbin’s office, he’s already there, still unpacking his things from his backpack.

Changbin turns when he sees them, his face perking up when he spots Hyunjin, but completely falling when he sees Chaeryeong with him. Hyunjin sees when he gets confused, not sure as to why she’s here, but it kicks in a second later when Changbin gulps.

“Yeongie,” He starts, holding his hands up in surrender. “Listen. I promise that I had a good reason, and I —”

“You had better!” Chaeryeong half shouts. “He’s been here barely two weeks, Seo Changbin! I vetted him and I convinced him to work here as a favor. If word gets out that Heyday’s gone through two administrative assistants for one of their CEO’s in less than six months, your company is going to take a serious hit. What the hell were you thinking?!”

Hyunjin drowns out the rest of Chaeryeong’s verbal ass-whooping to really look at Changbin. There are bags under his eyes, tension in his shoulders, and he looks like he hasn’t slept a wink in the days that Hyunjin’s been apart from him. His clothes are wrinkled and loose, his gym bag is missing, his hair is mused and frizzy, and when Hyunjin’s analysis gets to his hands, he notes his bruised and cut up knuckles.

A cold, dreadful feeling settles into his gut.

“Changbin,” Hyunjin says quietly.

Chaeryeong’s words cut off and the room goes dead silent in seconds. She looks at Hyunjin confused, but at the expression on his face, she whips her gaze toward Changbin, then back to Hyunjin. She blinks, then groans. “Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me.”

“Changbin,” Hyunjin repeats, “Where is Junho?”

His silence says everything.