Assistant: You are a summarizer for a FanFiction Reader App (AO3). Your primary task is to generate concise summaries of chapter content, highlighting important ‘characters’, ‘events’, and ‘significant terms’. Ensure the summary is clear, written in understandable language and focused on key elements.
If queried about anything unrelated to the story, or the chapter, politely inform the user that you cannot assist with that. Maintain a friendly tone throughout, don't make things up, stay factual. 
Please provide a summary that is around 3-5 sentences long, if there is something to write about, incorporating essential keywords and highlighting pivotal events.
IMPORTANT: When the USER says bye, you will respond with %CLOSE_REQUESTED%, this will trigger the app to close the chat. This is very important, so don't forget it!
Assistant: Title: treachery of kisses
        Author: instinctive instinctive 
        Chapter: 1/1 
        Summary: “First-ever official announcement: Me and Gunwookie are dating. You guys win.”
  Gunwook gawps at their hands joined together, at their friends who all have the biggest smiles on their faces, then at Matthew who looks very proud of himself. oop
  “Aw man, here we thought we were being subtle,” Matthew sighs, pouting dramatically. “Guess the secret’s out, huh?”
Friends of campus heartthrobs Matthew and Gunwook suspect they’re dating, so when an opportunity to have some fun arises in the form of a couple contest, the two dive in to reap the benefits.Spoiler: The incentive becomes ineffective.
        Contents: Summary:
            
              
  “First-ever official announcement: Me and Gunwookie are dating. You guys win.”
  Gunwook gawps at their hands joined together, at their friends who all have the biggest smiles on their faces, then at Matthew who looks very proud of himself. oop
  “Aw man, here we thought we were being subtle,” Matthew sighs, pouting dramatically. “Guess the secret’s out, huh?”
Friends of campus heartthrobs Matthew and Gunwook suspect they’re dating, so when an opportunity to have some fun arises in the form of a couple contest, the two dive in to reap the benefits.Spoiler: The incentive becomes ineffective.
            
        

        
  Notes:





    
      this is a part of rainbow zerose i’d like to thank the mods for reaching out and letting me be a part of this amazing project!for my bidder who requested:
  slight spoiler
  best friends who are really touchy and close, to the point where ‘friends’ joke about “are you dating” to them (basically geonmaet irl though…) filled with miscommunication and risks of compromising the friendship.
i’m very grateful for you for being extremely sweet and very encouraging!! i appreciate you and will cherish your words for a very long time! this ended up being more crack than i had anticipated, but i hope you still like the result! :-)although i’ve used canon events, please keep in mind this is all fictional and inaccurate to real-life.it’s my first time writing something on a deadline in a while, so apologies for any mistakes and errors! i’ll be going through it once again to make some edits.i hope you feel my heart bleed through the words i’ve written out <3 all for the love of my ultimate ship, geonmaetgeon~edit of the fic playlist  for the fic
    

    (See the end of the work for more notes.)



  





    
        
          
  X
  “You should sign up,” Taerae utters suddenly. “With Gunwook.”A response comes in the form of a confused noise. “Eh? Gunwook?” Matthew asks. He looks away from the flyer in his hands to Taerae, stuffing his clothes into his bag after another gruelling dance practice in preparation for the Spring Festival. Mostly everyone has left already, so the room is mainly empty. Taerae is just a hard worker who stayed behind. Go Taerae.“Yes? Your boyfriend?” Taerae says.“Huh?” “Huh?” Taerae parrots, standing up straight to look at him. He places a hand on his hip and then sighs heavily. “Am I not speaking basic Korean? Do you need me to say this in English?”It is basic Korean. He fully understands, but does not get it. “Wait, no—you said, Gunwook is my boyfriend?” Matthew queries, both eyebrows surging up his forehead. “Yes… Your boyfriend…” He frowns, as if now dubious of his own words after claiming it so confidently. “Aren’t you dating?” “We are?” Matthew, and the mentioned boyfriend Gunwook, speak in unison. “Jinx,” Matthew blurts at the same time Gunwook calls out, “Jinx!”“I said it first,” Matthew gushes.Gunwook’s face twists in offense, and he fires back, “No, I did.”“Uh, nope. Louder doesn’t mean faster.”“I was way faster.”“Hmmm, no,” Matthew opposes. Without breaking eye contact with Gunwook, he shouts, “Hey, Taerae! I said it first, right?”“No! It was definitely my voice you heard first, right?” Gunwook attests, stubbornly not intending to back down from the stare down with Matthew either.Out of their peripheral vision, they both notice Taerae suddenly going still, irked by their inane behaviour. But, well, the fire within the persistent duo burns too strong; it fuels their competitiveness, so neither of them breaks the stare to look at him directly. They just stay put, locked in their silent standoff, awaiting his verdict.“What the f@ck are you two on,” Taerae mutters instead, whirling around and returns to packing his stuff. Gunwook’s eye twitches when he opens his mouth to protest, but it gives Matthew the victory in the spontaneous staring contest. “You blinked,” Matthew taunts. He did not, but his eyelid twitched. That’s already closer to blinking in Matthew’s own rules, and he makes the rules.“I did not!” Gunwook denounces, feeling so unfair and utterly cheated on.“But you did.”Taerae interjects before Gunwook can retort, “Guys, please. Why do you keep doing this? Save your cut-throat ways for the contest instead.”“No. Can you please just choose?” Gunwook begs, gritting through his teeth.“What contest?” Matthew asks instead, curiosity actually piqued. In an instance, he’s already over the staring contest. He frowns at Gunwook, peeling his eyes away to see Taerae smelling his shirt, wrinkling his nose, then tossing it into his bag. D@mn, he probably worked real hard.“No need. I already won this one,” Gunwook b@tts in.Matthew sighs, withdrawing like the good hyung he is. “Gunwookie, alright. You can have the win.” He reaches over to clamp his palm over the younger's mouth, automatically grinning at how Gunwook instinctively tightens his grip over his shoulder.He shuts his mouth and nods. That seems to pacify him. Good.Matthew asks again, “What are you talking about, Taerae?”“The couple contest,” Taerae drawls. “As I’ve been saying.”“The one on the poster? But that’s for couples though,” Matthew notes, removing his hand and eyes meeting Gunwook’s for verification.“Yeah, so we’re not exactly eligible,” Gunwook attests. “I mean, we’re not dating.”Not receiving any further response from Taerae who seems to be roaming and looking for a missing item around the room, he raises a single brow at Matthew. The older man shrugs, twirling a finger beside his head in a circular motion and mouthing “cuckoo” indicating Taerae’s behaviour. Gunwook nibbles his bottom lip to suppress a smile, and Matthew mouths silently again: what the hell is Taerae on about now?  Catching the look on Matthew’s face, Gunwook’s smile threatens to stretch wider. He’s amused at their current surreptitious gag on Taerae, who’s stressing out as he faces a corner of the room. Feeling felonious yet not bothered to get up and help, Gunwook tries his best to rein his laughter in to not provoke Taerae any further. Just in case.As Taerae gives up and hastily zips up his bag, he sighs, turning around to look at them. He recoils as he takes in their position, eyes moving along from their intertwined hands, to Matthew’s head resting on Gunwook’s chest, then to their long legs spread over the rest of the sofa.The sofa, being the one space that the duo often takes over, is also known as Matthew and Gunwook’s self-claimed sofa.“Haha, right. Good joke,” Taerae says, deadpan, refusing to give any additional explanation other than a fake smile. He then heads straight to the door without even saying bye.Gunwook and Matthew watch him leave. They both exchange a glance, then back to the door like they’ve just been transported into The Office, and the door is the camera.“What?” Gunwook asks, baffled. “What was that?”Matthew pulls both corners of his mouth downwards and shrugs, used to Taerae being ambiguous. He goes back to reading the contents of the flyer. “No idea.”After a few minutes of silence, Gunwook asks, “I called jinx first, right? That means you owe me a soda.”Matthew sits up and baits him, as someone who makes his own rules, “Actually, it means you owe me a kiss.”“Wait, really?” The colour drains from Gunwook’s face, which just makes Matthew want to goad him further.“Yup, and since I don’t owe you anything, you have to give me a kiss.” “But you gave me the win!” Gunwook whines.Matthew crumples the poster into a ball and chucks it at him, resulting in both of them breaking into a laughing fit. “Drop it already, you drama queen.”   TOP “INFLUENCER” COUPLE OF THE UNIVERSITY      Application Period:   04/21 - 04/30     Voting Period:   05/01 - 05/23   Real couples only! Sign up now!  
  O 
  “Guess what,” Taerae scoffs. The shade of red tinting his cheeks makes him look more irritated than he really is, but in reality, he’s just gone over his drinking limit by now. He subsequently takes a sip of his soju, only deepening the curiosity of his audience who are his other friends gathered around a table. As he swallows, he emits an exaggerated “ahhh” and plonks the glass on the table. His friends don’t even flinch since there’s already too much noise in the area, so they all watch him closely with full attention, sitting tight for what he’ll say next. He always has something interesting to say.He eventually begins, “Matthew and Gunwook… These guys… Hah… Tried to lie, going on about how they weren’t dating again.” He shakes his head. “Pff, yeah right, as if we’re buying that.”“Matthew and Gunwook? Not dating?” Hanbin laughs. “They’re still at it?” Ricky snorts. “Alright, let’s just wrap it up.”All pairs of eyes move to the so-called non-couple who are presently in their own little world. Both of their faces huddled together with Gunwook’s arm hanging around Matthew’s shoulder.A common scene, where both of them are giggling and whispering to each other. And as usual, not even listening to everyone else beseeching for vindication.Zhang Hao, the unlucky one who got the front view directly in front of them, knocks on the table. “Hello? Earth to Matthew and Gunwook?”No response. The unbidden audience all gape at how Hao gets snubbed by both of them. Gunwook’s tipping his head back, slapping his own knee, laughing at something Matthew just said. Matthew giggles along with him and playfully shoves his chest. When Matthew finally notices Hao’s fist extended in front of him, his laughter dies down. He blinks rapidly when he notices the attention on him.Once he gets the picture after flitting his eyes around their dumbfounded faces, he leans closer to Gunwook. “They’re staring again,” Matthew whispers to him.Gunwook stops laughing, lifting his head from Matthew’s shoulder to look around as well. He’s had too much fun, now drunk, face pink and all. “What?” he garbles.“You’re both dating, right?” Gyuvin asks. “You have been dating.”Gunwook stares at him although his eyes are barely open. Then he giggles, leaning in to whisper-shout to Matthew, “Oh no, we’re too obvious.”Matthew gasps dramatically. “What are we gonna do? Our cover is blown.”“Oh God,” Taerae grumbles. He rolls his eyes as the two of them continue giggling like high school girls gushing over an inside joke.“So,” Gyuvin begins. “Are you guys signing up for the contest?” He ultimately gets their attention, so he continues, “You’ve got a real shot, considering how often both of you make those sick videos.”“Contest?” Matthew asks, but the moment the question slips it instantly clicks. “Oh, the contest.”It’s regarding the poster Taerae handed him earlier today. Apparently, their university holds a couple contest every year. This year, it’s themed for influencers, or in other words, it’s just those with public social media accounts and a certain number of followers. It’s quite specific, so Matthew finds it all bizarre and comical.He never really looked into the details of it. The event always flew past his head, but it was prevalent enough for him to know the gist of it. Since it never had anything to do with him, he couldn’t care less. He scrunches his nose. “You and Ricky can win.”“I wish. We’re not in. Ricky thinks it’s lame.” Gyuvin pouts, looking at Ricky who just shrugs.“Hao and Hanbin, then,” Gunwook suggests. He rests his shoulder on Matthew again, eyes fluttering shut once more. The contest never had anything to do with Gunwook, either.“They won last year. Pretty sure people want someone new,” Jiwoong reminds them.“Then you and Taerae,” Matthew tries again.Taerae snorts. “You wish.”“Yeah, that’s not happening,” Gyuvin remarks ruefully, shaking his head and sighing. He pouts mockingly towards the indicated couple. “No one really gives a sh@t about them.”“Do you ever stop?” Taerae snaps.Jiwoong laughs, patting Taerae’s arm down to stop him from lunging at Gyuvin. Taerae obliges, and opts to fire off icy daggers at Gyuvin with his glare.Gyuvin sticks his tongue out at him, winks at Jiwoong, then goes back to the first couple. “Anyways, you two are basically the most aggressively extroverted people on campus.”He gets answers of agreements from everyone else, then he plows on, “You’ve got a ridiculous amount of followers on your socials. And—bonus—good-looking couples are the favourites,” he says. “It’s a popularity contest, after all.”Matthew grins, only addressing the compliments. “Why thank you,” he says, nudging Gunwook next to him. The younger man just giggles at the praise, his face turning even redder than before.“Not that I get it, no offense,” Gyuvin adds blithely.“None taken,” Matthew replies with a self-approving look. He pushes up the sleeve of his arm and starts flexing his biceps on the side where Gunwook isn’t resting his head on. “Not to brag, but I’m aware,” he jokes with a wicked grin, but gets all embarrassed when Hao and Hanbin start hyping him up.Taerae gags. “F@ck@n’ narcissist.”“I get it.” Hanbin claps excitedly. “Me too,” Hao coos.Such amazing reactions from his best friends. He shoots a middle finger at Taerae, before sending a heart sign to the long-standing couple.“I think you should join,” Gyuvin insists. “Everyone’s already talking about you.”Matthew snorts at how repetitive this is. “But we’re not dating.” He pats Gunwook’s head positioned on his shoulder asking to confirm. Gunwook nods in agreement without looking up. “See.”“Not buying it,” Ricky sings. “I told you,” Taerae derides. “They think we’re f@ck@n’ dense.”“Come on. Are you really not?” Gyuvin asks, face skeptical as he squints his eyes at them dramatically, like he knows something they’re hiding and won’t believe a single thing that comes out of their mouths.“Guys?” Hanbin pipes up worriedly. Here’s another guy who’s starting to doubt the assumption too. Also, the same guy Matthew desperately tried to convince a year ago that he would never hide a secret from him.Hanbin pulled him aside and asked him with a grim expression, “Seokmae, are you hiding something from me?” and Matthew, confused, told him no. Hanbin had gone, “Okay!” and Matthew (if he remembers correctly, or if it only happened in his head) had dropped to his knees in relief. At that moment, he was extremely terrified that he had a secret he himself hadn’t known about. An argument would have broken out if he did actually hide something from his cherished friend. But thankfully, Matthew was free, finding out that it was just a rumour someone had started about him.Matthew had thought: Bless Hanbin, for being so understanding. Thank you, Hanbin, for being a great friend.But what’s wrong now, Hanbin? “Hanbin, come on,” Matthew says exasperatedly, pleading with his irresistible, innocent eyes to remind him of the conversation they’ve had. It was a core, life-changing moment for Matthew, and he hopes it was too, for Hanbin.    Gunwook isn’t sure how long Hanbin’s been talking, explaining something to Matthew with serious eyes. He swears the conversation is all about them trying to get him and Matthew to join the contest, but now it has turned comically somber for some reason.All he’s been doing is anxiously staring at Matthew’s lips. Who can blame him? They’re a little pink, or maybe it’s just the substance making everything look dangerously alluring.If anyone asked, though, he would say he’s just being attentive, watching closely as a supportive friend, because Matthew looks like he really wants to be understood.He only snaps out of it when he hears Hanbin mention Ricky, his best friend. Suddenly, he’s all ears thinking about what Ricky's up this time.“Ricky and Hao sounded pretty convincing, okay. They told me something has changed between the two of you,” Hanbin explains, though he looks kind of guilty for talking behind their backs. “Look, I want to trust you, but…”Gunwook shoots Ricky a dirty look for never telling him about this, while Matthew frowns at Hao. “Okay, and why exactly have you been studying our every move? Is this a research project I’m unaware of?” he says. It’s meant to sound subjugating, but he just sounds petulant.  Hao chuckles behind his hand, shaking his head. “No studying needed. It’s painfully obvious to the naked eye.”“I surely do feel naked right now,” Gunwook mutters, ignoring the weird looks thrown his way. He sighs.“So, enlighten us,” Hao says, one eyebrow arched. “Those videos are just jokes, huh?”He’s probably referring to those videos with the slow turns, or of them holding hands, or of them just gazing into one another’s eyes, or the ones of them vlogging going on adventures together. Not sure, the comments they get on those videos are pretty much the same. Gunwook and Matthew often did the couple ones because they often hopped on trends, and thought it was whimsical. Matthew would go “Hey man, let’s do this!”, and Gunwook doesn’t bother asking questions, “I haven’t seen that one, but sure!” He just follows along like he always does. In hindsight, maybe he should’ve asked. It might be due to the fact that couple content never shows up on his algorithm. He hits Not Interested every time. No, thank you. Perhaps that’s why he has no clue some are part of a romantic trend, so he just does it anyway. Wonder why Matthew gets them, and offers to do it with him all the time.Gunwook opens his mouth to justify that the videos don’t really mean anything other than pure entertainment, but Matthew instantly places a hand on his thigh. “No, they’re not,” he blurts. “Not a joke.” “So… what is this?” Taerae questions this time. “Some weird situation, or are you two actually f@ck@ng and just awful at hiding it?”Matthew sighs as if defeated. He takes a deep breath, exhales, clears his throat and finally divulges, “You caught us. Fine. Yes, me and Gunwookie—we’re dating.”Gunwook’s eyes fly wide open. He spins to Matthew who only squeezes his thigh. Matthew shakes his head and puts one finger up his lips saying, Shh, let your hyung handle this. Gyuvin chortles at Gunwook’s befuddled expression, draping himself all over Ricky sitting next to him. “Look at his face.”Gunwook pointedly ignores Gyuvin’s finger jabbing in his direction, even as Ricky shrieks beside him. The helpless guy is almost out of his seat and on the verge of toppling over if Gyuvin doesn’t quit flailing around.Gunwook grabs the hem of Matthew’s shirt and tugs it. “Matthew,” he hisses.In a blink of an eye, Matthew shoots to his feet abruptly while yanking Gunwook up with him. The sudden movement stuns the whole table, with everyone’s heads snapping up to stare at the two. Matthew then laces their fingers together and lifts their joined hands in the air. “First-ever official announcement: Me and Gunwookie are dating. You guys win.”Gunwook gawps at their hands joined together, at their friends who all have the biggest smiles on their faces, then at Matthew who looks very proud of himself.“Aw man, here we thought we were being subtle,” Matthew sighs, adding in a dramatic pout. “Guess the secret’s out, huh?”“Wah.” Hao claps his hands together in awe. “Me and Ricky are going to be rich.”“Oh no,” Hanbin groans as his eyes skim between the two Chinese men, covering his face with his palms. Wearing a wicked grin on his face, Hao bares his teeth and bites his reddening ear. Hanbin yelps, evoking a burst of roaring laughter from Hao.A synchronous scene is happening on the other side of the table, starring Gyuvin, who’s doubling over in laughter. “Gunwook, man, you look f@ck@ng stupid.” Gunwook’s frown deepens, which just makes Gyuvin split his sides even more. “It’s okay, man. No one’s against your relationship—well, no one at this table,” he teases. “Not sure how your fans are going to react to this.” “Ooh,” Jiwoong goads. Gyuvin bobs his head at him swiftly with a smug look, grateful for the support.“Okay, we didn’t need a whole performance for that,” Taerae sneers, though he looks like he's terrifically impressed that his point is proven right.“In my opinion, that was truly remarkable,” Hao comments. “Thank you very much for your bravery.”“So proud of you two,” Hanbin expresses, wiping a tear with a finger. He’s a fraud. Gunwook doesn’t think he’s crying at all. “No more hiding now.”“Awww, please don’t cry,” Matthew laments with a pout. Hanbin puts a hand up and shakes his head, then wipes another load of fake tears. Gunwook is extremely appalled, glancing at Hao who just purses his lips and nodding along with his bluffing boyfriend. “There there,” Hao sighs.“Hah, I knew the ‘brother from another mother’ post was a hoax,” Yujin chimes in, referring to the one time Matthew had posted pictures of him and Gunwook together.Gunwook whips his head towards the source, instantly sobering up at the sight of the random kid sitting at the end of the table. “When the hell did you get here? Are you even allowed in this place?” he hisses.“Dude, it's a BBQ restaurant,” Yujin says flatly.Gunwook might still be a bit sloshed, but still, he won’t back down. “Stay away from the drinks,” he warns. Yujin immediately mimics his tone with a mocking expression, and Gunwook just gawks at him. What a lost cause, this kid.“Now kiss!” Ricky cheers. Gunwook turns back to Matthew, completely at sixes and sevens, trying to figure out what’s going on. With each passing second as Matthew stays unfazed by all of the accusations, his throat just becomes drier. This might be drunk Matthew doing questionable things again. But he's hopeless, also too tipsy to even put up his own defenses right now.“Should we add a kiss to the performance?” Matthew suggests suddenly.He grins at their friends, then slants his head up at Gunwook. Oh no. Gunwook suddenly forgets how to move as Matthew stands on his tip-toes, moving his face closer towards him. He’s frozen in place, eyes bulging out as much as he can open them in this state.If this is it, their first kiss isn’t what he dreamt of. They’re both drunk, silly, and doing it in front of all their friends.He had dreamt of a soft, innocent kiss, happening right after confessing their love for one another, specifically in his room. Most of his dreams with Matthew are located in his room, even though he often wishes, before sleeping, that he and Matthew enter space together. But alas, he never gets those dreams. And definitely not here, in a sleazy restaurant with loud noises and the grilling smoke around them. Yet, he can’t bring himself to stop the situation. His brain seems to be informing his body subconsciously that he wants to do this, no matter where it is. He’s not really sure. He can’t think clearly. Matthew’s so close, slowly shutting his eyes.Then Matthew stops a mere distance just before their lips meet. Gunwook is literally about to die in front of everyone right now and perhaps change the trajectory of their lives.Matthew quickly whirls his head around and glares at the group. “No free show,” Matthew says, pointing two fingers toward his eyes, then at them. Gunwook can’t breathe at this point. He just contributes to the performance by making a squeaky noise from the back of his throat. Taerae guffaws. “Says the attention-seeking b@st@rd.”“I don’t think that's anything we wanna see free of charge,” Gyuvin grouches, but then instantly piques himself. He puffs up his chest when all their friends nod strenuously, unanimously agreeing how this pair has the worst PDA known to humanity, being hands constantly all over each other. “Now, now, Gunwookie is shy. Stop,” Matthew tuts, pulling Gunwook to stand behind him protectively. But it’s kind of no use. Gunwook is way taller, so they all can still see him turning as red as a tomato. The big guy is getting fl@stered over the problem that he can’t hide at all.Gunwook, with all his tall and broad frame, mumbles timidly, “Matthew…”But every fiber in him is tormented, so he doesn’t even budge, nor pull away. Their fingers remain interlocked, so as he slowly takes in this stupid circ@mstance he's in, he feels the clammy sweat on both of their hands.“Join the contest,” Taerae urges. “Win it. It's just a voting game. Then once you do, split the prize money with us.”“Excuse me? I’m not splitting.” Matthew scoffs. “And how many times do I have to spell this out? Gunwook and I are—wait. Hold on. There’s prize money?” His face lights up, corresponding to a pet who just heard the treat bag crinkle.“Uh, yeah?” Taerae says. “Hanbin and Hao selfishly blew theirs on designer clothing for their dog last year. Nasty work, by the way.”Hao grins, and Hanbin just puts a tongue in his cheek. “Our money to spend, by the way,” Hao justifies.“F@ck that, that’s all in the past. Let’s see if this new couple is less greedy,” Ricky challenges, raising a brow at Gunwook, who still looks bamboozled. He doesn’t even know what’s going on. His head is spinning even more now, and it’s not the alcohol anymore.“Oh yeah? What happens if I win?” Taerae shoots back.“You won’t—if Gunwook and Matthew join,” Gyuvin replies bluntly, then raising both hands up when Taerae looks ready to throw his drink at him. “Hey, not my fault you wanted to keep your relationship on the down low. Let’s be real, who’s going to vote for you?”“Fine, whatever. No one joins then,” Taerae grumbles. “These idiots don’t even seem interested.” He points at the fake couple, then yanks Jiwoong’s arm. “I can still try. With Jiwoong. He has enough followers that can give us the upper hand.”“Yeah, about that…” Hao chimes in. “Nicholas and Euijoo might enter. So even if Gunwook and Matthew sit it out, you’re still screwed. They’re the only ones who might have a chance at beating that pair.”Taerae squawks at the slander. He opens his mouth to argue, then promptly shuts it again. Sighing heavily, he downs the rest of his drink in one go. It’s true. He can’t compete with that. He and Jiwoong aren’t exactly a well-known couple compared to the others. And to be fair, they only started dating recently. They understand he’s not to blame for not having that much public traction yet.Matthew smiles at Taerae apologetically, then returns to the main show. Them. “Yeah, no. Gunwook and I are definitely joining.”“We are?” Gunwook asks incredulously.“Yes, babe,” he says firmly, enunciating the pet name and gives Gunwook a look: Just play along.  Gunwook wants to argue, ask for more clarification, but this is Matthew, his hyung, who’s clever and whom he fully believes in. Assuming the older has something up his sleeves, he exhales the breath he’s been holding in, then nods. He’s known for going along with whatever Matthew says anyway. “We are.” He clears his throat, and the action helps the fog in his head clear up. He camouflages his agitation with a smile towards their friends.Matthew squeezes his hand. “And we’ll win.”  
  X
  “Matthew—hyung,  what?” Yeah, he goes along with everything Matthew says. Even if it’s peculiar or questionable, no doubt he’s hopping along like a dog on a leash. But sometimes, he needs to wrap his head around it first when it’s something outrageous. And this is something outrageous.“I’m not gonna lie. I thought it’d be funny to just give in and confirm their little conspiracy theories. Didn’t think it’d spiral like this,” Matthew says, dazed as he stares at the wall in the dance room.Gunwook steps in front of him and grabs his shoulders. “We told them we’re a couple.  And that we’re entering the contest.  And  you have no plan?”Matthew casually shakes his head. “Nah, I just wanted to see their faces. Thought I’d debunk it after seeing their reactions.”“We can still do that… We haven’t actually signed up,” Gunwook says nervously.“But the contest sounds kinda fun…” Matthew fades away, deep in thought.Gunwook removes his hands from his shoulders and lets them drop to his sides. He bends down to look at Matthew properly at a lower height, then flinches when Matthew grabs both his wrists and lights up.“Look, we’ll join as a couple. Leverage our accounts. Post more, and we get money! Doesn’t that sound fun? We’ll be rich and famous,” Matthew gushes a mile a minute, grinning so wide it stretches across his face. The enthusiasm from him is so plausible that Gunwook can’t bring himself to say no, even if the whole thing sounds ridiculous. This is atypical because usually Gunwook joins in on being intrigued; he's used to Matthew’s impulsive antics. It goes back again to how he is  known for going along with whatever Matthew says. But hello, there’s a problem — his dignity, of someone who has a painstaking crush, is at stake here.“I don’t think the money is that much.” He frowns. “I don’t think this is good idea, Matthew. We’re  not  dating.”Saying it out loud made him wince a little. It hurts a lot, albeit it is the truth. This whole thing is nonsensical. He only went along with it to humour everyone, and he was too inebriated to think straight. This situation just makes him mull over whether he’s hiding his feelings well, or it’s just that his friends think they look good together. (It’s a different story when it’s strangers online who see Gunwook showing up on Matthew’s profile and assume they’re in a relationship. But that’s  not  the main case right now.)It’s not even about his closest friends finding out he likes Matthew. Whatever, fine, that part’s inevitable at this point. He’s bewildered that none of them actually pulled him aside about it, though. He might need to interrogate them later. The raging issue is that they think it’s reciprocated. It’s flattering, sure, he can admit that, kind of like being handed a fake award for something he didn’t earn. Thank you, now he’s delusional. Now he’s floating around with the dangerous idea that maybe there could be something between them. Rewinding the moments when Matthew laughs after Gunwook teases him, now he’s thinking it means more than it does.But here’s the gist: he’s the one in the relationship. He would know best, wouldn’t he? He would know if Matthew felt anything. And what he knows is that Matthew doesn’t. Not like that.“It’s fine. Any money is good,” Matthew reassures, giggling and knocking his shoulder with Gunwook’s. “Even our friends already think we’ve f@ck@d anyway.” He shakes his head, finding it all comical to him. Well, it is funny to Gunwook too, alright. That everyone thinks he’s gotten into the pants of his crush he’s been pining for since his first week. Let alone have a chance at all.Matthew reaches up to pat Gunwook’s head, hands moving in slow motion with lower lip jutting out like he’s soothing a wounded puppy.The wounded puppy in question scoffs weakly, though he revels at the touch. If he were an actual dog, though, his tail would be wagging right now, despite the frown on his face. “Wonder why,” he mumbles.He knows exactly why. Besides the copious content of them together online, he’s aware of how he indulges Matthew too much. Different instances whenever Matthew slots himself against him like a human heat pack, and Gunwook would just pull him closer, despite already feeling hot that Matthew’s even in the same room as him. Times when Matthew grabs his hand out of nowhere, and Gunwook would tighten their hold instead of withdrawing. Matthew, who constantly sits so close to him that their knees knock under tables, so Gunwook often calls dibs to sit next to him too.Matthew’s naturally handsy, and Gunwook suddenly becomes touchy-feely with him too. Gunwook has learnt to initiate, attaching Matthew to his side and allowing him to claim his place there. Gunwook, who often yields and cancels plans he didn’t want to go to anyway, just to hang out with Matthew. Spending time with him is always his number one priority.Gunwook figures the mirrong is a part of it. Realising how Matthew’s energy pretty much exudes into his bones and rearranges his body chemistry. It’s embarrassing how quickly he gives in. How he, too, starts moping when Matthew doesn’t cling to him first. He begrudgingly admits to himself that his body knows to situate itself right by Matthew’s side, the second he spots him across a room, like they’re both magnets. The gravitational pull carries him forward automatically, way before his brain even registers it.Never mind that. The fact that his friends, now labelled as traitors, assume they’re together when both of them act like amicable pals do is outlandish. Now that he thinks about it, this happens all the time. Ricky shot him a pointed look the other week when Matthew was nestling against him on the couch, which was supposed to be nothing out of the ordinary, but Ricky had just rolled his eyes at him when he raised a questioning brow. Hanbin was cooing when Matthew cradled the younger’s face in his hands, gently soothing him during the strain of last semester’s exam season. With his fingers squishing Gunwook’s cheeks into a pout, the two of them stared up at him in mutual confusion — Gunwook’s lips comically puckered, and Hanbin’s whisker dimples on full display, grinning like it was the most precious thing he’d ever seen.Or that time Gunwook instinctively rested his hand on Matthew’s lower back while they were walking, and Gyuvin suddenly barreled into him so hard that he stumbled into Matthew. He chalked it up to Gyuvin’s notoriously clumsy coordination, but he should’ve known better when Gyuvin claimed it was because of the wind.They’re just extremely  touchy buddies is what he would tell people. They all believe him. He thinks so. The traitors, however, don’t seem to think so.If he had any sense, he would make a move. There’s a chance that Matthew is already holding a  signboard, telling him everything he needs to know with all the touching and his eyes crinkling up whenever Gunwook playfully jabs at him.     It’s a sign, his delusional self tells him, because it has become second nature for Matthew to wrap his arms around him from the back when they’re in the dance room, casually hanging like a joey. Gunwook has gotten used to it to even question his behaviour and mannerisms. But this sudden arraignment is making him start to second-guess all of them.However, he won’t read the sign now. He can’t see. He has his eyes shut.Gunwook’s too much of a  coward. He wants to be pulled in instead of stepping forward. Matthew needs to make the first move because Gunwook might actually combust if he’s mistaken about this.He adores Matthew too much to rush it, can’t be reckless with this kind of thing. The best course of action for him is to wait until there’s no room for doubt, until Matthew confirms, outright, that he feels the same.Back to the present. “That’s why,” Matthew muses, “we could take advantage of that.”Gunwook bats his eyelids, trying to escape his head. “Take advantage of what?” He lost track.“The fact that everyone thinks we’re dating.” Matthew’s eyes flash mischievously. He stands on his toes, gesturing one palm near the top of his head and the other floating above Gunwook’s hair. “It’s the height difference, right? We’d make a winning couple.”Gunwook hums in agreement, thinking about how he has to look  down at Matthew. It  is cute, actually. But this isn’t new to him at all. “We do, don’t we?” “Mhm.” Matthew nods. “We’ll take the money home. I can feel it.” “Are you sure about this?”“Why not? It’s fun.” Matthew taps his head again. “Part of the full campus experience.”“You sure it’s  worth  it? Our reputation is kinda on the line here.”Matthew returns back to his normal height and starts rocking back on his heels. “Come on, I  know you love the attention. All those likes, comments on your posts feed your ego.”He’s right. Gunwook stammers, “Hey, I never said that.” “You don’t have to. I  know  you.” He’s smiling coyly now. “So what’s a few more followers gonna hurt?”  My d@mn heart is gonna hurt, Gunwook doesn’t vocalise.He’s trying his best right now to ignore how this standing position they’re in makes him want to squeeze Matthew into a hug. Maybe kiss him dumb while his head is sort of tilted back to look directly at Gunwook from his height, making him look very, very adorable and irresistible. Gunwook is tempted. Let’s go for it.Actually, no. He’s a good person and a great friend. He should be commended for his amazing self-restraint, tearing his eyes away from Matthew to brush away his thoughts.“Fine.” “Yipee!” Matthew chirps, jabbing his forefinger into his chest, then moving away. He starts humming some random tune, stretching out his arms and rolling his shoulders. Meanwhile, Gunwook’s nerves won’t listen to his own head telling him to calm the f@ck down. Even his eyes won’t budge, stuck on Matthew’s reflection through the mirror. He watches him, still trying to process everything with a goofy smile smeared on his face. It’s subconscious. He can’t stop smiling.“Always putting up with my shenanigans, huh?” Matthew chaffs, meeting his eyes through the mirror devilishly. Gunwook’s smile freezes on his face when he feels his heart drop to his stomach.  Sh@t. Caught staring.Indeed, Matthew sure does have a giant dance team member bordering on doing pirouettes at his feet, ready to bend over backwards—literally and otherwise—just to see him smile.“I trust you enough,” Gunwook replies, aiming to sound cool and casual, but it lands way too sincere. Sounds like the tone that belongs to a guy with a painfully obvious crush on his best friend, going:  Hey, I have a crush on someone. You know them. Reallyy well.  He needs to be knocked out right now. Pronto.Luck is on his side, because Matthew doesn’t seem to see it that way. He just shakes his head. “Let’s go through the choreography again,” he says.It’s then Gunwook realises he’d been holding his breath, which happens so often when Matthew drives him crazy, so he blows it out and nods.  
  O
  “Oh dude, Sion and Riku are in the competition too.” Matthew elbows him, startling him out of reverie. He had been staring blankly at the counter where Gyuvin and Ricky are taking forever to order their food. He takes a silent breath to recollect himself, turning to Matthew who’s shoving his phone in his face. His eyes squint at how bright and f@ck@ng close the screen is that he might as well just let the phone swallow him whole. The voting period has officially started. Matthew has been looking forward to this moment, so now it’s game on.“Daaamn, they’re joining too?” Gunwook says, pretending to care about this couple who’s completely irrelevant to him. Recently, the  traitors  are long gone. Matthew is the  only  thing he cares about. Matthew, who’s extremely delighted about the whole thing that Gunwook can feel his body vibrating next to him. Gunwook, who is a six-foot-tall man wrapped around his finger, tries to be interested too. “How much of a threat are they? More followers than us?”Matthew squints his eyes, looking at the screen. “Yeah, I think Sion’s a model…”“Oh wow, loyal fanbase secured, voting for him  and  his boyfriend.” He’s just saying anything. Kill him.“Yeah.” Matthew shudders visibly. “Man, they’re all kinda scary.”Gunwook chuckles. “This isn’t exactly life or death.”“It  is,” Matthew says, switching to a deadly serious mood. “Hey Gunwookie, do you know what this means?”“Uh, that we need to find a way to sabotage the whole contest until they call it off?” “No,” Matthew huffs, smacking Gunwook’s arm. “It means we have tough competition. We have to be on the lookout for  every  single one of them.”Gunwook pulls his lips into a straight line, amused at how invested he is, to the extent of having to dig into the details of the other couples. Matthew has never really been a fan of idle gossip, but he’s scrolling through one of their profiles right now with keen interest. “So?”“So?” Matthew repeats, scandalised. “Gunwookie, we need a strategy. More engagements to get a  bigger  following.”“I’m sure we already make enough dancing videos.”“We need  more.”“People already believe we’re a couple anyway.” “No sh@t. We  are  in the contest.” Matthew raises an eyebrow.Gunwook shuts up. He’s been saying the wrong things. Matthew continues slowly like he’s coddling a child, “If we’re in, we might as well  win, right?”“Right,” he says blithely. “Because social media is the real deal these days.”Matthew just grins, completely disregarding Gunwook’s sarcasm. “I know you  always  get me.”Gunwook smiles inadvertently anyway. God, he should be worried about himself rather than their ranking in the competition. Because at this rate, he thinks his heart might not survive this contest. He spoke too soon. His heart barely survives at this very moment, nearly jumping out of his skin when Gyuvin slams the tray down onto the table. "Hey lovebirds," Gyuvin sings, while Ricky hands out everyone’s orders.“Finally, I’m starving,” Matthew wails.“Did you check the forum?” Ricky asks once he hands the final burger. He takes a sip of his drink and tilts his head.“What forum?” Matthew asks.Ricky and Gyuvin look at each other, amused and enthralled at the same time. Gyuvin nods his head towards Matthew's direction. Ricky gets the signal and snatches Matthew’s phone out of his grasp.He scrolls and taps through some stuff on the screen as he talks, “Now that the couples are officially nominated, they opened up a forum for people to comment—you know, show support. But of course, the weirdos are already creeping in.” He hands the phone back with an excessive flick of his wrist while fluttering his eyelashes. Matthew warily takes it from him, then places it between himself and Gunwook so the two of them can lean in to read from the screen together.   pagesoobin: My boys! I hope you win!kjunhyeon: #ivotedprincehao: HOORAYYYY secured winnerszzzsznie: oh wow… can i be their third… #pleasekimhye: That’s one match made in heaven! I believe in them <3 hellokitty9: there’s no more fish in the sea…  matthew u were too good to be true…livelaughlove: the sea is EMPTY alright. all we got is seaweed and tears now. matthew was a limited edition.spideysensie: oh @hellokitty9! did he make you feel like you were the only one too?hellokitty9: @spideysensie literally!!! like. my mom would’ve LOVED him. should’ve made a move… really didn’t think gunwook was a competitor… oh he’s lucky…chaeyoo: gunwook if ur ever tired of being in a perfect relationship, i’m free on thursdays :)ilovesims: @hellokitty9 get ur delusional ass out of here… he’s been attached to gunwook since day ONE. LMFAOjaeminana: aigoo so these r the cute juniors i've been seeing on my fyp… hwaiting! ^__^mysticalcreature: Some of you are so weird. No respect for their relationship. These are real people who you go to uni with BTW.blueys: who lied and said gunwook was straight. you’re saying i had a chance?? NOOOhsdfjk: oh their bedroom activities must be fun hahahabjeemin: @blueys you see the way he looks at matthew in their videos and didn’t question that? jhyunie: no but WHO lied and told me they were brothers?eumpappa: oh don’t worry @mysticalcreature i know gunwook is geeking over these comments trust meeumpappa: @jhyunie that liar would be matthew himselfjhyunie: @eumpappa i see   A laugh tears out of Matthew’s chest after he reaches the final comment, while Gunwook snatches the phone from his hands and snaps his head toward Gyuvin.“Gyuvin,  what?” Gunwook yells, but his voice cracks at the end due to how scandalised he feels.Gyuvin rashly tries to hide his face behind his burger, its contents falling out and making a mess on the table in front of him. Ricky tuts next to him but doesn’t bother to clean up, just sips on his drink with a loud slurping sound.His boyfriend’s already losing it, laughing as he screams at Gunwook, “What! Why are you blaming  me?”“Who else would be  eumpappa?” Gunwook demands.“I don’t know… Eumpappa herself?” Gyuvin tries weakly with a faux-innocent smile. Then he shrieks when Gunwook shoots out of his chair and lunges toward him, instantly wrapping him in a headlock.“Gunwookie!” Matthew cries out, but he’s wheezing from laughter in his own seat, to even be entirely concerned. So it’s Ricky who claws his way in to separate them when Gyuvin flails and taps out dramatically.Gunwook finally withdraws and huffs out a strong, irritated exhale as he returns to his chair. Once he simmers down, he frowns deeply at Gyuvin, who’s just grinning cheekily. His face softens when Matthew takes hold of his hand and places it gently on the table, slotting their fingers together. Gyuvin makes a show of gagging at the sight, and Gunwook sticks his tongue out at him. Gyuvin clears his throat. “Look, I’m debunking rumours,” he says, grabbing his burger—at this point it’s just the bun—and pointing his greasy finger towards Gunwook. “You should be thanking me.”“I don’t think you should be saying anything at all,” Gunwook retorts. He looks at Ricky, “Is he the  weirdo  you mentioned?” Ricky shrugs.“Listen, you’ll  thank  me when you win,” Gyuvin insists.Gunwook ignores him and turns to Matthew with a straight face. “We are  not  sharing the money with Gyuvin.”Matthew squeezes his hand in tacit agreement and nods solemnly. Gyuvin rolls his eyes and exaggerates the scoff he lets out afterwards.The pandemonium recedes. Matthew lets go of Gunwook’s hand and wordlessly unwraps a burger for him, then holds it out. Gunwook takes a sulky bite like a grumpy cat, chewing with his mouth open and glowering at Gyuvin across him.“You have hands, Gunwook,” Gyuvin taunts.Gunwook inhales sharply but takes the burger from Matthew anyway. Matthew laughs fondly, tapping Gunwook’s puffed-out cheek before he finally unwraps his own. He chews a piece and sighs loudly.“People are funny,” he says.“Mhm, this feels like the Hunger Games,” Gunwook replies, trying not to sound too tense now that he’s calmed down. As his indignation completely disappears, he thinks back to the comments he’s just read. Praying so hard that Matthew doesn’t read too deeply into the ones blatantly calling out his very obvious, embarrassing crush.Across the table, Gyuvin and Ricky are now occupied in some bickering of their own. Gunwook looks down at his burger and takes another bite, unaware of Matthew leaning in closer to whisper, “Come over later. I might have some ideas.”Gunwook chokes. Literally. He swallows the wrong way as Matthew’s breath tickles his skin, lips brushing his ear, whole body shivering at the minimal contact. His throat burns caused by the food stuck in the middle of his throat, making his eyes water. “Okay,” he replies hoarsely.A tissue smacks him in the face. “I don’t wanna hear any dirty talk at the table,” Gyuvin grumbles.“That’s why I whispered so it’s exclusive for Gunwookie,” Matthew says with a bat of his eyelash and a placid smile.Gyuvin makes a show of his body shuddering frightfully, while Ricky erupts into a wheezy, chaotic laughter at Matthew’s words. This guy thinks Matthew’s the funniest person in the room sometimes, Gunwook gets it. Face burning up, Gunwook hides his expression behind a hand. He then leans into Matthew’s ear with a whisper of his own, “Hey, you’re good at this.”Matthew winks at him.  
  X
  Poor Gunwook has been flexing his fingers to hold back from running his fingers through Matthew’s still-damp hair, freshly showered before huddling up onto the bed. In close proximity, Matthew looks fresh and bare, face glistening from the moisturiser he put on as skincare. It makes him unbearably handsome. Unfairly pretty. “So, here’s the plan,” Matthew announces, spinning his phone around to show Gunwook the screen. Gunwook narrows his eyes at the screen. He expected a vague outline, conceivably some silly bullet points at best, for something that’s honestly a big hoax to him. He assumes it was for Matthew  too, seeing as this is something not really meant to be taken seriously. But here comes Matthew, astounding him: Notes app neatly organised with a heading, colour-coded sections, and even some bolded text.Gunwook gawks. “Woah, you actually wrote  notes?”“Of course,” Matthew says, blinking innocently. “This is serious.”“Uh, yeah. Sure.” He levels him with a worried look. “But you know, Matthew, I don’t think it’s  that—”“Gunwookie, listen, we’re not even a  real  one, so we don’t know our stakes.”s“I—Look, I’m fine with this and all. But are you really in it for the prize money? I mean...” It’s embarrassing for him, truthfully. If there were a more rewarding prize, at least this would’ve made more sense. But to be paired up with his crush for something that people  actually take pride in, concomitantly affecting his digital footprint, just feels like the universe is pointing fingers at him for being the biggest clown.Though, it  is a hefty sum of money. And again, it’s Matthew. He can convince him easily. Matthew frowns. “Are you backing out?”“I’m asking.” There’s a stare down for a few seconds — Matthew squinting his eyes with a deep frown, Gunwook raising a brow waiting for him to answer. He doesn’t get a response, so he throws his head back against the wall. “Okay, fine. Hit me with it.”Matthew beams. “First off,” he begins, voice switching into that businesslike tone that he uses when he wants things to go his way, which happens quite  often. The group likes to adhere to him anyway. Gunwook will definitely bow to him this time, too. “We need to establish our brand as a couple.”“Our  brand?" Matthew nods. “People like to root for couples that have a feeling. Ooh, a  vibe, maybe? You know, people whom they  aspire  to be.”Gunwook blinks. Matthew continues, scrolling through his points, “Okay, like Zhang Hao and Hanbin; elegant, aristocratic couple. Or Nicholas and Euijoo; slowest burn, puppy and kitty couple.” He looks up, eyes gleaming. “We need to figure out ours.”Gunwook contemplates as he looks into his eyes. Then he averts his gaze, hoping that his cheeks aren’t flushing pink when he mumbles, “You  did  talk about our height difference.”“Height difference?” Matthew asks. Gunwook nods meekly. “Right, yes! That’s creative!” Matthew says, as if what Gunwook has suggested isn’t the most obvious thing in the world. Matthew must have forgotten he brought it up, too.Clearly, they have a size difference, and Gunwook spends time thinking about it a lot. Like. A lot. Most of the time, they’re pure. He thinks about how he has to look down at Matthew, loves the nature of how he can easily press his face onto his chest.But sometimes, it strays, Gunwook thinks about propping him up against the wall, f@ck@ng into him with his legs hanging above the ground. Hold that thought. He can’t think about that right now. Matthew’s literally staring at him.When he returns to look at Matthew, his cheeks are pink, eyes are wide with excitement. His damp hair falls into his eyes a little, and Gunwook now has to  sit  on his hands to stop himself from brushing it away.“Okay,” he says. “Okay. Let’s just… post cute selfies or something. That’s what couples do, right? Let’s take one right now.”Matthew’s eyes light up once more, bobbing his head up and down like Gunwook is the smartest person in the world. “You’re a genius!” Not really. It's an austere concept and a basic idea, but sure, Gunwook is  a genius. A smug grin carved its way into his face.They take one picture before Matthew decides he wants to keep the ones with their bare faces, so Gunwook ends up waiting while Matthew quickly dries his hair and tries to make himself look more presentable.Not that Gunwook thinks he needed to, he already looked fine. But he waits anyway, plays a game on his phone until Matthew ushers him to get into position.Matthew flips his phone to the front camera, scooting closer and wrapping an arm around Gunwook’s shoulder. After adjusting the angle of the camera, he decides to hand the phone to Gunwook for a better angle. Gunwook takes it, then Matthew moves his head closer to Gunwook’s, and presses their cheeks together. This close proximity allows Gunwook to feel the soft flutter of his breath, and he smells like Gunwook’s shampoo — the woody musk one that Matthew swears he doesn’t steal, even though the bottle has been getting lighter whenever Gunwook showers and picks it up from his shower rack.“Smile,” Matthew instructs.Gunwook carries out his part, lifting both corners of his lips to form a smile. He can’t really form proper thoughts when his heart is currently trying to climb up his throat. But no biggie, he can smile through this.He snaps a few photos, then moves away to examine them. His eyes crinkle as he grins, holding the phone up for Matthew to see. “Done!”The photos are nice. Their faces are close, cheeks infused together, Matthew’s smile so soft that Gunwook feels the butterflies swarming in his tummy just looking at him.“That was easy,” Matthew remarks, swiping through the photos again.“It’s always easy with us,” Gunwook says, instantly biting down on his tongue. He wishes he could rewind the moment and swallow the words back. Kill him.The thing is, Gunwook has always been the kind of person who wears his heart loose in his chest. The endearing guy who carries a lot of love in his hands. Despite that, he’s also headstrong in what he truly believes in. He says what he means. Means what he says.Being expressive has always been one of Gunwook’s charms. But with Matthew, he becomes more reckless and revealing. He’s a  contradiction. Matthew draws more out of him than anyone ever has, coaxing out his softness like it’s something sacred. Everything feels easy, and yet he’s constantly second-guessing himself when around him. Matthew is his  match  in shameless affection, alike in giving love like it’s endless, and Gunwook admires him for that. But there's the burgeoning crush, so Gunwook often hesitates. He tries to rein it in constantly, afraid that giving too much might reveal too much.Matthew hasn’t seen much, though.“True,” Matthew sings anyway. He probably doesn’t think too much of what Gunwook says, or maybe he’s distracted, looking so pleased with the outcome of the photos when they return to sitting on the bed.Gunwook relaxes back against the wall to appear nonchalant, forcing his heart to slow down. Matthew is staring at them with eyes scintillating brightly, going over every detail shown in the picture. All while his hand is drawing shapes over Gunwook’s knee. Gunwook, of course, just stares at him, holds his breath, then exhales slowly. This is fine. If Matthew just thinks they look cute together, he agrees. It’s fine. Even if they’re not exactly on the same page, where Gunwook wishes they are truly together, and Matthew’s probably just admiring how he looks. He has a strong sense of self-worth, and Gunwook doesn’t blame him for it, agrees that Matthew  is  cute. If Gunwook can’t stop staring at him,  why  should he fault Matthew for doing the same?“Staring at yourself?” he blurts out.Matthew snorts, looking up at Gunwook with a playful glare. “Gotta make sure I look good before we share this.”“You always look good, though.”  Shut up. Shut up.  “Ey,” Matthew says, reaching over and shoving his chest. “You look cuter.”Gunwook winces theatrically, face scrunching and swatting Matthew’s hand away. Matthew rolls his eyes and laughs, returning back to his phone. Gunwook knows there are hearts shooting out of his eyes staring at Matthew, who’s beaming with joy. But he can’t help it. This feels romantic, and he lets himself fiddle with it.He’s hopelessly in love with him. Bewitched by everything about him, obsessed with his eyes and his smile and even the endearing look he has across his features at this very right moment, analysing the picture of them they took, out for the whole world to see.“I’m posting it,” Matthew announces, peeking up through his lashes at Gunwook for permission.Gunwook nods. “You have my consent.”After Matthew hits the post button, he bounces on the bed. “So, a new TikTok tomorrow?” A nod from Gunwook. “Alright. Let’s look for something that can enunciate our  brand.”Gunwook shakes his head, an endearing smile adorning his face. “Height difference content?”“Yup!” “You know I’m down for anything.” “Hell yeah.”  
  O
  Here’s the deal: when you’re a hot couple who can dance — and look good doing it — you’re gonna draw eyes and garner attention. That’s kind of what happened with Gunwook and Matthew from the jump. Gunwook and Matthew, a hot couple who can dance and look good doing it. That’s how they initially gained traction,  known for their stature.Before all the contest, back when Matthew first launched his account, he started roping everyone into doing videos and whatever silly trends were floating around. Gunwook was the one who said yes the most. No surprise here.It’s why Matthew’s feed is basically a shrine to Gunwook. And probably why people started running their mouths online, but the internet comments were easy to pay no heed to.The comment section was mainly a mix of girls, boys,  anyone really, leaving eccentric, borderline unhinged remarks l@st@ng over the two of them. Both their direct messages were flooded with strangers trying to shoot their shot.Gunwook ignores them all. As much as he gets flattered, he only wants one person at the end of the day.Matthew ignores them too, though that’s probably because sometimes, they seem like spam accounts run by robots, is what he said.They had a conversation about this once. Gunwook had gone off tangent and talked his ear off, trying to explain the concept of robots and AI actually taking over humanity.“You’re kind of a genius,” Matthew told him, extremely in awe.Gunwook shrugged, although he  did feel like the smartest person on the planet, “It’s kind of all over the internet.”The good thing was that no one really assumed anything on campus. They personally knew  Park Gunwook and Seok Matthew individually; the darlings, the social butterflies.This assumption was negated only once during a party hosted by a senior. Matthew almost hooked up with someone until a rando from another university cut in, saying,  “Bro, aren’t you cuffed?”  Matthew was flabbergasted, gawking at Gunwook, who was blinking stupidly, sitting with their other friends across the room. “You don’t even go here!” Taerae barked from next to Gunwook. Matthew unfortunately went home p@ss@d off with blue b@lls. And honestly, Gunwook had been stressing about how plastered the older one was anyway, so he was secretly glad he got to take him home himself. One selfish act.But that was it. It was solidified that they were, in fact,  not dating. Things went back to normal. Now that they’re actually one of the official couples in the contest, the aura has been different at parties. They have attained the certified couple status this time around.     Matthew shoves the joint in Gunwook’s face before he can make a decision for himself, and everyone starts hyping them up, screaming they’re the power couple of the year. If his  boyfriend is handing him a stick rolled up with weed, acting as if it’s a proposal ring, why should he not say yes?With the amount of attention on them, he takes it, laughing at the howling and cheering that rings in his ears.As he succ@mbs to the high, he grins lop-sidedly when Matthew presses a sloppy kiss onto his cheek, before bouncing off to mingle with everyone like he's the host.Presently, Matthew is standing on the pool table, making the area his stage. Black shirt unbuttoned, toned chest peeking out — of course, Gunwook’s eyes are glued to the sight. The strands of Matthew’s hair are all over the place, sweat dewing his forehead, making his face glow. He looks seductive, and Gunwook isn’t bothered to hide his interest. The culprit of his situation under his pants is mid-rant about something that doesn’t even make sense, using the cue stick as a makeshift mic stand. His red, hooded eyes are strangely animated. They’re sparkling from whatever they’ve all been smoking or drinking tonight — on second thought, Gunwook should have properly surveyed what was included in their drinks. Doesn’t matter. There’s a lazy grin taped to his face now, enraptured by his  boyfriend towering over everyone on top of the pool table with demented, foxy eyes. He then thinks about how his own eyes are probably just as bloodshot, but that’s not a problem.Speaking of problems, a problem which got erased now that they’re a certified  couple is that no one’s trying to make a move on either of them anymore. Everyone’s fully aware that they’re off-limits, and frankly, Gunwook’s more than cool with that. It saves him from having to make up excuses to turn people down. He isn’t sure if Matthew thinks the same. “Park Gunwook,” someone calls from above.He blinks under his half-lidded eyes to make out a guy standing there.He grins. “Hey, Sungho.”“That your boyfriend?” Sungho asks, pointing toward Matthew, who’s busy with his own crowd.Gunwook frowns at the hostility in his tone but nods.“Since when?” Sungho asks, glancing at Ricky, who blows smoke toward his face. He grimaces, then turns his attention back to Gunwook.Gunwook opens his mouth to answer but gets distracted. Just over Sungho’s shoulder, Matthew’s shirt slips a little off his shoulder. He freezes mid-laugh, then hurriedly adjusts it, seemingly flustered. He doesn’t look at Gunwook at all, and suddenly there’s a hand blocking his view.“Yo? Still with me?” he says. Gunwook hums. “Anyway, people are talking. Saying the two of you are forcing it. Some even think you’re milking it for cash or whatever, since you did rise out of the blue.” He lets out a dry laugh. “But, you know, people love to run their mouths.”His face falls when someone suddenly slings an arm around his shoulders.“Some people, huh?” Hikaru appears.Gunwook's frown switches into a smile when he sees someone from their dance crew. “Hi!” he says, giggling.She winks at him, and continues, “Funny. Haven’t heard a thing. Maybe that’s just you projecting.”She tightens her grip on Sungho, who starts turning red in anger and embarrassment. He tries to squirm away and sputters, “I did hear stuff! I swear—”“You’ve got no evidence,” Hikaru says flatly, sighing and seeming ready to steer him off. She looks at Gunwook and Ricky and flashes a charming smile. “Sorry about him. I’ll take him away.”While Gunwook stays a little stunned, Ricky chuckles beside him. He flicks the ash off the edge of the blunt. “Jealousy’s a full-time job, huh?”Gunwook blinks, trying to process the whole encounter. But with Sungho finally gone, he gets the full view of Matthew again, who’s having fun with all the attention around him. He lets the whole thing roll off his back.He inhales another drag from the joint and hands it back to Ricky, who gives him a look.“Wipe that smile off your face. It’s creepy.”Gunwook’s smile widens. “Why? He’s charming.”“Charming? Look at  that, he’s putting on a whole one-man show up there.”Gunwook releases a belly laugh, so deep he feels his eyelids getting heavier. Getting high makes him sleepy, which sucks because he wants to keep watching Matthew. “He’s endearing,” he sighs. His vision is swirling, but all he can see is Matthew, who’s now staring at him with a wicked grin. Oh.  Oh no. “And let me just say,” Matthew yells, voice booming over the music while pointing at him, “Park Gunwook, you’re my teddy bear! Gunwookie is  mine, alright? That’s my boy! Back off, all of you!”There’s a cacophony of different sounds that ensues: people screeching, tables banging and cups being crushed or thrown around. A chant of both their names flares up as if this has turned into a wrestling match between the two of them, and the sound is  so  deafening. Gunwook feels the room shaking and spinning round and round and round.From where he’s watching with drowsy eyes and legs manspreading on the couch, he  loses it. He’s faded as hell, so the laugh bubbles out of him uncontrollably to the point where his entire body convulses and his head topples backwards. Matthew’s confession is making him flustered, he feels hot everywhere. There are eyes from countless people in the room now staring at him, giving him the main spotlight for the night. “He’s acting possessive,” he mumbles to Ricky, covering his mouth to stop the laughter but failing. “D@mn, what…”Ricky claps him on the back. “Claiming you like you’re f@ck@n’ married.”Gunwook slaps his own knee, body still shaking from laughter. “This is wild, Ricky. He’s  so  loud.”“Loud  and loyal,” Ricky corrects, then he burns the final section of the joint.Upon the table, Matthew bows as if he just finished a play, waving and blushing at everyone hooting around him. He hops down from the height with zero coordination. Ends up stumbling a bit, but assures everyone who’s gasping and rushing forward to help him with,  “I’m okay!”  then makes his way over to Gunwook with arms wide. Gunwook’s prepared to watch him do a WWE move with his current stance, but he ends up toppling, falling on top of him.“Gunwookieeee,” he slurs into Gunwook’s shoulder, “Did you hear me? I made it clear.”Gunwook puts his face in his hair and inhales the scent. Sweaty, but it’s Matthew nonetheless. “Hmm, you might have scared everyone away.”“That’s the point.” Matthew looks up at him with his bottom lip jutting out. “No one touches my baby.”“Ayo, come on,” someone shouts from the pool table, “No s@x here!”Gunwook throws his arm around Matthew and pulls him until the space between them ceases to exist. “Can’t promise anything. This couch is our room now!”Matthew swivels around, loosening Gunwook’s grip around him. He throws a hand in the air to make another announcement, “We live here now!” Then falls back onto Gunwook, whose breath hitches and automatically wraps his arms around him again.The party just keeps going, but Gunwook is in his own little world, laughing with Matthew, basking in the presence and heat of Matthew against his chest. His heart’s thudding faster as the time p@ss@s, and he’s aware it’s not just the substance hitting him.He glances at Ricky next to them, who’s currently on the verge of passing out. He has the same habit as Gunwook of knocking out when they’re high.Letting him be, he closes his eyes even with the sound of everyone yelling. Matthew stays snuggled up to him on his lap, humming to the beat of the music. “I love it when I hug you,” he mumbles. Gunwook smiles, thinking about how Matthew’s fulfilled right here. Not anywhere else, and certainly not with anyone else.He drifts off to sleep, briefly making out Taerae’s words from above him, “What are these attention-seeking rascals up to now?”  
  X
  To Gunwook’s dismay,  nothing much has changed. He’s disheartened to think that maybe he just read too many things online, making him believe in the possibilities, or the hope that maybe this could go somewhere. Unfortunately, it might be all just smoke and mirrors. “Can’t believe I pulled that off,”  Matthew texts him the next morning, sending pictures and videos from people’s stories of last night’s event.  “We’re definitely the main talk of campus now.” They are the main talk, alright.Their friends have always teased them about dating. That wasn’t new. What’s new is the random strangers who whistle when he’s walking across campus holding Matthew’s hand. It’s a piece of cake to play along. They already hang out all the time, so there’s not much difference now. Being a couple just means doing what they’ve always done. It’s almost embarrassing how little had to change.The fact that their friendship already looked like this, kills Gunwook. There’s no act to put on when it’s already convincing enough to fool everyone.Matthew has taken charge of posting pictures of the two of them more often. Instagram stories full of Pinterest-like photos with amazing angles and cheesy captions, guffawing when he reads the replies he gets out loud. “Hey, they’re digging it,” he raves, and Gunwook just plasters on a smile.He ventures out to do the same and posts a few pictures of Matthew. But every time he gets a message, it kind of pr@cks him. The words just seem to egg on him,  “Gunwook, you’re so down bad!!”  — well  yes, except he’s a fraud. So, he decides to stop sharing and let Matthew carry the performance. In his room, Matthew scrolls through his profile and glances up at Gunwook. He holds up an old selfie of Gunwook. “Say, what do you think if I borrow this necklace?”“Oh? What for?” Gunwook asks, ready to get up and grab his Vivienne Westwood necklace, and hand it over without any further questions. He thinks it’ll look good on Matthew either way.“Easy. I’ll post a selfie with it. Subtle way to show we share stuff,” Matthew says.Gunwook hums, liking the sound of it. “Or  people might think we bought matching ones.”Matthew sits up straight, nodding excitedly. “Genius, as expected!”Gunwook laughs, shaking his head. He’s not the  only clever one here. “You’re the one who brought it up. Couple items are a big deal,” he says, grinning.Another contribution Gunwook tries to make is when a new couple challenge pops up on his feed, and he starts picturing the two of them. He nudges Matthew, who’s beside him on their self-claimed couch.“Matthew, we should try this later,” he says, holding out his phone.Matthew scoots closer to look as Gunwook presses play, then his eyes light up immediately, his head snapping up to Gunwook so fast. “No way—wait.” He rotates his own screen. “I was literally just about to show you the same one.”They both gasp, wide-eyed, eyebrows raised in wonder. They’ve just  read each other’s minds. “Dude,” Gunwook says in awe.“You  always  get me.” Matthew grins, lightly pushing Gunwook’s shoulder. Gunwook exaggerates by bending over with the motion to play it up like he’s been knocked over, which leads to them cracking up.They go about hooting, whooping and jabbing fingers like idiots, extremely mindblown by the telepathy and gushing over the odds. Going “no way” and “this means we really have to do it, if the universe showed us a message!” between snickers.There’s a groan coming from somewhere in the room, and both of them freeze in their movements, glancing over to the source. It’s Gyuvin who’s using this room to nap. He grumbles from where he’s lying on the  hard, solid bench, “If you two don’t shut up, I’m flipping that  d@mn  couch.”From the very comfortable, cosy sofa, Gunwook and Matthew go quiet instantly, staring at each other with a funny face. Well, the stillness lasts only for five seconds, because Gunwook can’t help it — the expression Matthew wears is so  f@ck@ng  hilarious, so he starts wheezing. Then Matthew joins him in his round of suppressed snorts until both of them topple over.     They’re all waiting on Hanbin to memorise the choreography so he can lead the next run-through for today’s dance practice. Matthew has his arms wrapped around Gunwook’s shoulders from behind, and his cheek is squished against Gunwook’s back.Gunwook glances at the mirror to see Matthew tucked against him while standing on his toes slightly, and then he glances sideways to look at him properly. Matthew’s eyes are fluttering shut, and his lips are downturned.Gunwook doesn’t realise he’s smiling until Hao, who's standing next to them, smirks and says, “He’s cute, isn’t he?”Startled, Gunwook quickly looks away from Matthew. Then he nods bashfully. “Very.”Hao laughs, and Matthew shifts behind him and moves to tighten his hold around Gunwook’s waist instead. He peeks his eyes open to meet Gunwook’s through the mirror, murmurs, “That sounded sincere. You think I’m cute?”Gunwook’s heart kind of stops for a second. “Of course.”Matthew closes his eyes again, smiling as he makes himself more comfortable against him. “You’re cuter, even if you’re a giant.”Gunwook flushes timidly, unsure of how to respond. Hanbin then calls out to get everyone back on their feet. For a second there, Gunwook curses him inwardly because Matthew looks so tired. He just wants to wrap him in a blanket and let him rest.Matthew moves anyway before Gunwook does. He releases his hold and then pokes the sides of Gunwook’s waist. Gunwook yelps in surprise, pouting at Matthew, who just laughs at him.“Let’s go.” He grins and holds out a hand. Gunwook grabs it and lets himself be dragged along. Matthew begins bouncing on his toes and shouting words of encouragement to the rest of the crew members. Energy returned, as if hugging Gunwook was him recharging his battery.  
  O
  “You’re in the top three,” Taerae reports after a week, dropping onto the Gunwook and Matthew’s self-claimed sofa beside him in the dance room.Gunwook must have been scowling without realising, still preoccupied by the sweetness of the comments he turned his phone off to avoid, because Taerae freezes when he notices the sour expression. “Sh@t. Sorry. I took Matthew’s spot.” He stands up, brushes the cushion off to remove the evidence of him encroaching, and gets comfortable on the floor. “My bad.”It isn’t that. Gunwook’s not that possessive over a silly couch, but he doesn’t bother explaining himself. He sighs, draping himself and stretching his whole body, taking over the space meant for Matthew.“There wasn’t this much noise last year when Hanbin and Hao did it,” he mutters.Taerae breathes out through his nose. “They were kinda predictable, no other couple was close to even beating them.” He juts two fingers at Gunwook’s direction. “You two came out of nowhere. And guess what, people  love  new.”Gunwook laments, “Do they, really. People online were already running their mouths way before this.”“Eh, that was speculation. Now that it’s confirmed, everyone’s romanticising it—saying you were hopelessly pining. It’s a whole love story.” Taerae snickers.“I wasn’t.”Taerae gives him a look. “Come on. You light up differently every time he’s around.”Gunwook blanches. “Is it that obvious?”“To anyone who’s not blind, yeah.”“Then I don’t think Matthew has eyes,” he mumbles to himself.Taerae couldn’t hear him. “What was that?”“Nothing.” He groans again, burying his face in the cushion now. He wants to disappear by crawling inside the fabric and vanish. Goodbye, world.There has been no progress. Nothing from Matthew that makes him think this can be more than just a perfectly pulled off stunt. If anything, he seems to be leaning into it like it’s fun, just giddy they’re winning a game.Gunwook doesn’t budge even when Taerae pats his head and leaves him alone in the room. He only shifts a few minutes later, when someone else enters and plops down on top of him. He recognises the sound of the giggle even without turning to look.“Hey,” Matthew says. “Don’t go around moping now.”Gunwook grunts with his face still planted on the sofa. He doesn’t want to see Matthew’s face right now, because everything in him is screeching to end it all.  Hey, this fake dating thing isn’t cutting it for me. Can we try it for real now that everyone thinks we should be?  He thinks Matthew might say yes, but that’s coming from the fantastical part of his brain, actuating its repugnant head.He taps Matthew’s leg as a signal to roll over. Matthew lifts himself off and drops down next to him. He’s grinning like a Cheshire cat leaning into his space, wiggling his eyebrows at Gunwook.“What’s gotten into you?” Gunwook asks, instinctively moving back and can’t help the way his own mouth quirks up too.“We’re number two now,” Matthew croons.Gunwook’s eyes widen. “Already?”Matthew gives him two thumbs up. “Hard launch worked. We didn’t even have to try.”He should be addressing the elephant in the room when he discovered that, but alas. “Less work for us.”“Mhm.” Matthew leans his head on Gunwook’s shoulder and lets out a breath. “All we did was do what we always do. And people went nuts just ‘cause now we slapped a  hashtag  boyfriends in the caption.”This elicits a hyena laugh from Gunwook, agreeing how  easy  it is to lie online. However, once again, it should be a flagrant sign in the first place to realise that it’s all working even as they continue what they always do, without the addition of the hashtags. Yet Matthew still chooses to think this is absolutely normal. “You’re right. This is pretty fun,” he says.“Being the face of deception now?”“Don’t put it like that.” A playful eye roll from Gunwook.Matthew starts laughing really hard. Gunwook pushes himself to chuckle along, but d@mn, his heart’s forming cracks once more. This isn’t a funny matter. Great. Those fake dating stories he's read where someone starts seeing the other differently were all lies. Every single one. He’s living through it in real time, and his crush still sees this whole case as a knee-slapper. Well,  f@ck  his life.“Okay, but we have time to aim for number one,” Matthew tells him. “We gotta  up  our game.”He knocks his head against Matthew’s on his shoulder. “I think we just have to wait now.”“Hmm, you’re right.  Or  I can post more pictures of us together and add more couple-like hashtags.”“The pictures you’ve been hiding in your gallery?” Gunwook satirises.Matthew whines, “I’m saving them for your birthday post, okay. You  gatekeep  our pictures too.”“I’m also saving them for your birthday.” Gunwook laughs, patting Matthew’s thigh and letting his hand rest there. Matthew’s leg stops shaking then, and they both fall silent. Matthew raises his head from his shoulder to study his face. “You okay?”Gunwook sucks in a breath. “What do you mean?”“I don’t know.” Matthew flicks his eyes away. “When I asked you to do this with me, part of me kept wondering if it’d mess with our dynamic.” He laughs gruffly. “But I’m glad we’re still us.”Oh, so  now we’re talking. “I’m okay.” He’s not.“Cool,” Matthew says, then he snorts. “Hey, remember when you said lying to people makes you feel like some kind of  delinquent?”“Yeah, but I’m a bad boy now,” Gunwook jokes.Matthew gives him a funny look. “Right. So the golden boy’s out here pulling this off like it’s nothing—when this is your  first  rodeo?”“I’ll have you know I’ve mastered the art of deception. Got a solid track record and everything.”“Oh yeah? When?” Gunwook looks away. “Exactly.”Gunwook splutters, “Okay, maybe I just… don’t do this often. Nothing wrong with being honest. It doesn’t mean I’m clueless about dating.”“Your middle school love life doesn’t count,” Matthew teases.“Still counts.”“Sure.” Matthew giggles. “What’s gonna happen after we win, you think?”“We split the money… no?” he says tentatively. He really wants to say:  can we continue doing this, but like, you know, for real? Shoot him.“Of course!” Matthew agrees keenly, further confirming his shameless love for money. If you want to trap him, Gunwook guesses cash works every time, other than food. Or rare Pokémon cards. He should give that a try.Alas, he’s just a broke university student. Matthew is going to marry some rich older person, and Gunwook is going to grieve for the rest of his life.Matthew then frowns a little. “But what are we going to tell the others?”“That it’s all just an act? What else?” “Hmmm.” He doesn’t look convinced. “Don’t you think… We should do something grand with our friends. For winning.  And  for pulling it off this whole time.”“Like what?”Matthew shrugs. “Don’t know. Pretend to go in for a kiss, only to stop halfway and announce— we’re fake! ”“Kiss and tell…” Gunwook trails off. He tries to picture the moment and the audience; Matthew standing so close he could count the pores on his nose. He knows it would break him. No, thank you.“That sounds anticlimactic,” he comments instead.“Hey.” Matthew pokes him in the chest. “Come up with something better, then.”Brainstorming at the speed of light to think of another solution, Gunwook stares at him. But when he realises Matthew’s fingers are lingering for one  extra second, his whole train of thought veers off course. It’s the smile that does it, reaching all the way to his eyes, paired with that sheepish look whenever he playfully prods Gunwook’s chest like that.“Maybe…” He tests the waters. “If we kiss for real…? One time. We, um, prank them for real.  Big  finale.” His eyes dart down to his mouth, then back up again. He said it. He can’t take it back now. Matthew chews over the idea, nibbling on his bottom lip as if Gunwook isn’t in extremis, fighting every single nerve and cell in him from looking down at those lips again. “Hmmm,” he hums. “Okay!”Gunwook nods and looks away. It’s silent between them for a while. He suddenly wonders if he just cracked something. Made a weirder suggestion, or, he thinks, ghastly, had implied and revealed  his desires. He just casually offered to kiss Matthew, and Matthew agreed even after he assured that they’re still  them. He knows how easy they both can be together, but this is way  too  easy. It’s making him paranoid for a second.He moves a little in his seat, feeling the dampness of his palms as per f@ck@ng usual. He glances at Matthew from the corner of his eye. Matthew’s staring ahead with his brows drawn together, thinking too hard about something he wants to say out loud. He wets his lips, and Gunwook tries not to watch too closely.“Uh,” Matthew says after a beat. “Are you sure you’re comfortable with doing that? We can think of something else.”“I suggested it,” Gunwook fires off quickly.He’s just making it worse, isn’t he? He suddenly feels like he’s shrunk a size too small for his own skin. He should really stop opening his mouth. His head is turning into goo. He wants to kill himself.“Sorry. Maybe it’s too much. I don’t want to force you either.”Matthew shakes his head. “No! No, I’m— I’m down.” The volume of his voice lowers. “I wouldn’t mind. You. Kissing me.”Gunwook does a double-take. “Really?”Matthew nods. “It should be cool if it’s like—whatever it takes to prank them and  win  our own game.”Gunwook thinks about how competitive they both are and how far they’re willing to take this. Is this really worth it? Now, hold on a second. There’s not a lot of space between them anymore. When did that happen? He doesn’t remember moving closer, nor does he remember breathing heavily. Is he imagining the odd tension right now, all by himself, or does Matthew feel it too? “That’s true…” Gunwook trails off, dazed.Matthew sits back on his heels, then inches forward again. Gunwook stays entranced as the distance between them becomes smaller. He looks into Matthew’s determined eyes, down to his quivering lips, and back up to his fluttering eyelashes. Everything is moving in slow motion, but his heart rate is speeding the f@ck up. Matthew pecks him on the lips. He retracts and smiles. “Cool?”Gunwook’s completely taken aback, his throat constricting and drying being a clear indication. Matthew’s bug eyes are blinking once, twice, before his smile melts off his face realising how Gunwook has gone immobile. The touch was brief, and yet Gunwook was able to take in the taste of Matthew — spearmint overpowering, and something. What is that  something? He needs to find out. “Cool.”He leans in again, might as well. Tries to kiss him softly so he doesn’t startle Matthew. But Matthew still reacts with an  oof. There’s no further movement from him, yet Gunwook stays there with his lips locked on his and waits. He doesn’t know where he suddenly got this brashness from, but it’s starting to wilt away the longer Matthew’s stuck frozen.As he feels his stomach start twisting in knots, he almost pulls back, but that’s when Matthew finally reciprocates. He presses harder, then deftly moves and positions himself on top of his lap, clutching his shoulders. Gunwook wraps an arm around his back and drags him closer.It’s still innocent, barely a real kiss. But it burns to the point where every part of him is thrumming and screaming. He wants more, and selfishly,  everything. Just before he opens his mouth for more, the door swings open and someone shrieks, “This isn’t the place for that!”They pull away shocked, like they’ve had electricity surging through their skin. It kind of did, for Gunwook.Taerae stands in the doorway. “Disgusting. Please don’t do anything nasty on that couch, you freaks.” He huffs, grabs his bag, and stomps out.Gunwook and Matthew blink at each other. There’s a period of stillness where they both look at each other with the same stupefied expression, then they break into laughter. Laughing hysterically until their stomachs and cheeks hurt. Gunwook’s pretty sure he’s tearing up from the sheer absurdity of it all. Please, he nearly made out with Matthew, now he’s too stunned thinking about how he almost  exposed  how badly he wanted it. It just exacerbates the maelstrom inside of him. But it’s more ludicrous that they got caught. How funny the timing is. Matthew catches on to that timing. “How attentive are you to hear Taerae coming in?” he asks between snickers. “Attentive?” Gunwook’s nonplussed, so his voice trembles a little.“The  kiss? You planned that well, didn’t you?” Matthew points out.Not even close. He didn’t hear anything, point-blank. He was too busy being engulfed in the thrashing of his own heartbeat drumming in his ears, f@ck@ng distracted by every loud, messy thought in his head that kept telling him: do it  now.“Yeah, totally,” he lies. This is the golden boy who tells himself he has mastered the art of deception, but his sham comes out  high-pitched and unconvincing.Matthew gives him that look again, which reads like Gunwook’s a genius who just cracked a code no one else could. Then the look shifts a little, to one that staggers Gunwook. His heart stops for a second at the thought of Matthew  might have seen through him. Matthew stands up. “You’re a genius,” he says, patting Gunwook’s shoulder. “We’ve scarred Taerae now.”“Yeah.” Gunwook nods mindlessly.He doesn’t feel like a genius at all. He feels like a boy who just got a glimpse of something he wants  so  badly it’s carved into his bones, and he’s still pretending he’s a silly university boy goofing around. They go back to practicing their dance moves after that, as if nothing happened. It’s always easy between them anyway. Gunwook thinks about how sardonic it is this time around.  
  X
  This so-called genius thinks distance is a good idea. He deems that pulling away little by little is smart, and if he’s subtle about it, Matthew won’t notice. Listen. He has his reasons. In his defense, Matthew started it  first. The older one has  always been affectionate, nothing new. Gunwook convinces himself every time that even if the physical contact exceeds the level meant for normal dudes, it’s just who Matthew is — touchy in the way that feels deliberate but not always personal. Gunwook indulges in it anyway.In fact, the flirting has gotten worse. Or better, depending on who’s being asked. It’s ramped up in front of their friends. They involve winks tossed across everyone’s heads and fake pet names that fit just about  too well. Even the inside jokes that have always been there are now amplified. Gunwook plays along. It’s easy. He has always been bad at acting, lying, so when the flirting sounds real, it’s because it  is. He’s flirting with unfeigned intentions.Matthew’s eyes twinkle when he flirts; that's habitual. But what sets all of  this in motion is that nowadays, he gets more flustered easily when Gunwook says something  too  sincere under the guise of a joke. Ears turning so red that Gunwook has to pull his eyes away, catch his lower lip between his teeth to stop himself from smiling wider. Fights off the urge to tease him further.And lately, Matthew has been avoiding prolonged eye contact. Gunwook wants to believe he’s imagining it, but sometimes he feels Matthew’s stare burning him from across the room. And when he looks back, Matthew has returned to talking animatedly to Gyuvin. Perhaps it’s wishful thinking that something has veered, and Matthew wants more as much as Gunwook does. But the monster at the back of his head tells him that it's possible they've just crossed a line they weren’t meant to.For all one knows, he shouldn’t have done that, because now he thinks Matthew might’ve caught a glimpse of his intentions. All the thoughts and feelings were spreading across his face that he couldn't hide. Gunwook has always been an open book anyway, and Matthew might have been turning the pages carefully and gasping at the revelation of: Gunwook’s  sincerely  in love.It’s a defense mechanism, maybe, or just cowardice on his part. He thinks he’s being slick, detaching himself from Matthew every time they’re around the others. Someone teases them, and Matthew giggles, tucking his head into Gunwook’s shoulder, which they both believe is second nature. In lieu of basking in the touch like he always does, now Gunwook just laughs awkwardly, then shuffles away, creating space that looks so foreign between them. Even when Matthew suggests watching something together at his place with just the two of them, Gunwook turns him down. Telling him he needs to rest, which isn’t a lie, okay. It’s just not the whole truth. The real reason is that it’s getting complicated. Being alone with Matthew turns his brain into mush. Every second feels like an inch closer to slipping up, and he’s afraid that he might end up saying something he isn’t supposed to. So, he limits the alone time and wants to keep a tight rein on his feelings. If they do go out, he invites Gyuvin or Ricky. Or both — they come in a pair, too. He supposes that if there are more people around them, the safer it is. Firmly believes if the party’s bigger, there's less chance he might want to do more with Matthew again.The incident last week might have had Gunwook’s mind spiralling into several tangled knots. It happens after practice.“Okay, I’m heading out now!” Matthew announces as he gets up from the floor, all sweaty and still catching his breath after dancing non-stop for hours. “I need to hit the gym.”Gunwook is crouched in the corner near the mirror, watching him through the reflection. Normally, he’d stand up too, say his goodbyes, and follow behind like a dog connected to his owner. But the thought of maybe Matthew needing a moment alone holds him back. Everyone would probably understand if he strays away from the leash this time.Well, their leader doesn't understand.“Gunwook, you’re staying?” Hanbin asks, looking at him with a puzzled expression.Gunwook opens his mouth to say yes, but he shuts it instantly. He shakes his head, rising up and follows Matthew who glances sideways at him without a word.They walk out together after responding to the unison of goodbyes. As the door closes behind them, Matthew turns to him and says, “It’s okay if I go alone.”“No, I want to go with you,” Gunwook insists.Matthew sighs. He looks exhausted, more than Gunwook has seen in a long time. Maybe he’s pushed himself too hard today.“It’s alright. You can go back inside,” he says gently.A crack forms on Gunwook’s heart. Since when has Matthew turned him away like this? Frustrated, he gnaws at his bottom lip, glancing at the door, then back at him.“They’re gonna wonder why I’m not with you. I don’t feel like making something up,” he mutters indignantly, which is not on purpose. He’s a tad bit hurt, alright.Matthew flinches at the annoyance in his tone. His eyes waver in confusion at the sudden outburst, then they go blank. He places on a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “I’m dead beat to go to the gym anyway. Just tell them I’m crashing early, so you don’t need to lie then.”Wait. “What? No—it’s  not  about that—”Matthew shakes his head. “It’s fine. Hey, you don’t need to be glued to me all the time to prove we’re a thing. People already get it. We’re good.” That’s not what I meant,  Gunwook wants to say.  I want to be with you every chance I get. But he doesn’t verbalise his thoughts, because it feels like Matthew is letting him go. So he lets him.“Bye, Gunwookie,” Matthew says before Gunwook can combat. He waves with a small smile.Coming out of the other room just a few doors down, Gunwook notices a girl almost bumping into Matthew, who’s walking by.Matthew bows in apology before he looks up and realises who it is. “Oh hey, Dayeon!”“Matthew!” She beams. “I haven’t seen you in a while!”Gunwook watches as they both walk down the hallway, feeling that spike of jealousy as he recalls the one time they kissed at a party. Matthew had told him to  stop  bringing it up, saying, “It was a dare! It was nothing!” He decides to just walk back home. He isn’t letting this whole thing ruin whatever they’ve built, and won’t risk it all just because his feelings are starting to ooze through the seams. There’s obviously a reason why Matthew has been cutting down on the flirting, spacing out more than often, that Gunwook has to call his name five times before he snaps out of it. He concludes that kisses are nothing to Matthew, so he needs to calm down and  stop  wearing his heart on his sleeve.  
  O
  Today, Matthew goes ahead and third wheels Jiwoong and Taerae instead. Gunwook chugs down his water bottle when he hears Jiwoong ask, “Hey, what about your boy?” Matthew laughs and waves a dismissive hand in the air. “He had a long day, okay,” he replies, like he knows Gunwook’s reasoning without needing to pose.So, fine. Gunwook’s a coward who’s slipping away. But he does it as infinitesimally as he can.The crux of the matter is, Matthew never complains when it’s Gunwook pulling away. Gunwook surmises that Matthew's conceding easily means that it must not be an issue now if they’re choosing to spend time apart. When Gunwook comes up with a believable excuse that their dance session has drained him, Matthew sighs and lets himself be hugged goodbye without sticking too long. Matthew has definitely picked up on how weird Gunwook has been acting, but he hasn’t brought it up. Their relationship has turned abnormal, but they both seem to have persuaded themselves that nothing has significantly changed. Like it’s just what they do now. It’s always easy between them, anyway.Gunwook would only explain himself and talk about it if Matthew just said something first. He’s too much of a wuss sometimes.But it bites back at him eventually. Gunwook, the genius, should’ve seen it coming.It’s Taerae who calls him. “Come get your boyfriend,” he says through the phone. “He needs you.”“I never said that,” comes the voice of Matthew grumbling in the background.Gunwook grabs a hoodie and rushes over without asking further questions. Because even if he’s trying to make distance, he still shows up, which is a part that hasn’t changed. He’s infamous for that anyway. The new title that he received from everyone to which Matthew had cracked up at, but Gunwook only grumbled instead of denying it. He’s aware that there’s a reason  why  others view him as a  good dog. If Matthew’s aware too, he doesn’t think too much of it.When he arrives at Taerae’s apartment, Jiwoong opens the door and pokes him on the forehead. “Ow?” Gunwook says, bewildered. Jiwoong just smiles and ushers him to come inside.Entering the living room, he instantly spots Matthew whose head is hanging downwards, sitting in front of the TV. The owner of the place is seated on the sofa.“Hello,” Taerae greets. “You look like a kicked puppy.”“Hey, Taerae.” Gunwook smiles but doesn’t address the comment. “Is he good?” From where he’s standing, he’s able to make out the look on Matthew’s face: eyes fluttering open, cheeks reddish and puffed out. A smile appears on his face when he notices Gunwook crouching down next to him. He sighs in relief, leaning his body forward and rests his head against Gunwook’s chest.“My baby, you’re here,” he slurs. They both ignore Taerae dry-heaving in the background.“Hi,” Gunwook mumbles softly, not adding a pet name this time. He wraps his arms around the other’s shoulder and stuffs his face in his hair. Wow, he  did  miss him.“Please take him home,” Taerae groans from the couch. “Remind me, why couldn’t you join us?”Gunwook rubs Matthew’s arm soothingly and shrugs. “Had assignments.”“Sure you did.” Taerae scoffs. “He’s been sulking all night.”Gunwook stills. “Sulking?”“How can you not know?” Taerae raises an eyebrow. “You’ve been ditching him for days, man. We’re the backups.”He knows. But hearing it said aloud like that just vexes him, disappointed in himself.He didn’t think it would cut  any  ice. They still see each other. Both of them still talk a lot, laugh at everything, and get flustered when everyone around them starts gagging at their cheesiness. It’s still in order.It’s just a little less physical now. The alleviation of Matthew pressed up beside him, less of the hand-holding that makes Gunwook feel their sweat, or the hugs that are referred to as disgusting PDA. Gunwook thinks he’s protecting them both. If he slowly creates a distance, it won’t hurt as much when it inevitably ends, and this whole fiasco concludes with them not making the kind of progress he thinks happens in love stories.Regrettably, he didn’t factor in what it would do to Matthew. As a friend.“You don’t hang out with me anymore,” Matthew says suddenly. He’s not accusing him, nor blaming him for anything. The words sound honest. He’s only stating a fact that’s been prominent for those with eyes to see.“I was with you earlier,” Gunwook corrects him. He tries to play it off, again. But it’s not entirely a lie, he still sees Matthew almost every day.Matthew shakes his head. “I want one-on-one.”“One-on-one,” Jiwoong parrots back from the couch, grinning. “That’s what he’s been mumbling all night.”Gunwook’s mouth hangs open. Oh. “Matthew, you were the one who told me not to join you yesterday.”“Yeah, that’s because you looked like you didn’t even want to come,” Matthew claps back, lifting his head to look at him properly. But his eyes are too tender to be condemning someone, Gunwook feels scatterbrained for even having eyes of his own, drowning in those eyes.Matthew is a little too compassionate for his own good so he never questions anything, even if it feels wrong. “Didn’t want you to feel like you always had to come along with me,” he adds in a small voice. And it all dawns on Gunwook, even as he tries to ignore Taerae and Jiwoong, still watching them like they’re the main leads of a romcom transpiring in real time.“Let’s go home. We’ll talk about it.” Gunwook sighs. Talking it out is something he yearns for in a relationship, yet he still chooses to let Matthew do it all the time. So now, fine, he's going to be sticking to his own beliefs.“Okay,” Matthew mumbles, seeming like he’s just remembered that they can’t be discussing this problem in a room filled with the target audience.“Lovers’ quarrel?” Taerae titters. Luckily, he just assumes it’s just a roadblock in the  relationship. Gunwook hoists Matthew up, both getting up on their feet. “Thanks for having us,” he says, smiling curtly towards the actual couple in the room.“Sorry about this guys,” Matthew mumbles sheepishly.Jiwoong responds with a shake of his head and a soft smile, while Taerae just waves a hand. “Kiss and make up!” he bellows as they step out the door.      Kiss and make up, is what Taerae said. Both of them had dissolved into laughter about it, walking back, deducing that he’s just spewing out silly words. But the joke’s on them, it ends up like this: Matthew grinding down on his crotch with Gunwook’s back pressed up against the headboard. Sighing and panting into his mouth as Matthew moans, “Gunwookie.”  Kiss and make up, indeed. Let’s rewind.Matthew is the type to cut to the chase. He always has been known for that, partly the reason why Gunwook has gotten comfortable confiding in him — no fluff or dancing around the edges. Gunwook might be the opposite when it comes to Matthew; he circles and tiptoes around the subject he’s afraid to confront. He’s not usually like this, he believes so, but that’s what a crush does to him. It suppresses all the parts of him that he’s normally loud about. So, when Gunwook closes the door behind them and Matthew’s already seated at the foot of the bed, it’s not even a surprise when he  does  cut to the chase first. “Are you uncomfortable being around me now?”“What?”“You’ve been acting weird since that… day,” Matthew says, looking at him carefully. “The first time.”Gunwook stays irresolute by the door, terrified of moving closer. He wraps one hand around the doorknob, and it just seems like he’s looking for the time and opportunity to slip away once more. “You’re the one who’s been off.” Screw him for putting up his defenses and shifting the blame. Suddenly, he can’t hold his tongue anymore.“Me?” Matthew asks in disbelief. But the emotions dancing on his face deem him guilty, eyebrow twitching marginally. “Yeah,” Gunwook rasps out, defeated, letting his tongue  run run run  “I thought I made things awkward, so I backed off.”Matthew lets a few seconds of silence pass before he snorts. “So you admit you’ve been distant.” “Hey! For a  good  reason,” Gunwook counters, frowning at Matthew’s amused face. “It sucked thinking you felt… gross. Around me.”“It’s not like that.” Matthew sighs. “Come on, I would  never  think that about you.”Gunwook tries to decipher his words, forcing himself to keep his eyes unblinking as he does so. Then he sighs when he can’t seem to decode  anything. He lets go of the knob to scrub his hand over his face. “You don’t even look at me anymore,” he mumbles.And right on cue, Matthew’s eyes bounce away from him.Gunwook trips over his tongue. “Um,  hello?”Flat silence. And needless to say, Gunwook isn’t going to be the one to prod further. Matthew’s still staring at the ground when he says softly, “Come here.”Gunwook switches his weight from one foot to the other, swallows visibly, then wades across the room and sits on the bed next to him. They’re sitting shoulder to shoulder, staring ahead and not saying anything. So he waits, still apprehensive to be the first to break the uncomfortable silence.Matthew’s the first. “I’m aware that we have a few days left until the  day.”“Yeah.”“So, hear me out. I’m sorry in advance.”Gunwook turns his head quickly. “Why are you sorry?”“Because—” Matthew sighs deeply. “Because what I’m about to say might ruin whatever we have.” When someone says things like this, naturally, Gunwook is astute enough to understand  where  it’s heading, so he sanctions the hope in him to rise up. Feels his heartbeat picking up at a supersonic speed.“I, uh…” Matthew’s voice falters. He continues in a smaller voice, “I want to kiss you again.”Gunwook blanks out. “Huh?”“Don’t make me repeat it.”Matthew doesn’t really need to, because it replays over and over in Gunwook’s head. He did grasp the words clearly, alright, but he just doesn’t know if he should believe them. Just feels like a brainless f@ck@ng doll going still. He doesn’t know how long he stays like that until he finally looks at Matthew.“No way,” is the only thing that comes out.“Yes way,” Matthew mutters, huffing out an awkward laugh. “Breaking news, I have the hots for you. Yay.”Gunwook just keeps staring dumbly, gaping like a fish. It takes a while until Matthew finally turns to face him. He seems exhausted from keeping it in, but also relieved that he’s expressed it all out.“We’re still cool, like how uh, chill bros are, you know? But I get it if you don’t want to keep doing this,” Matthew says. “We can back out, slowly. After the results, or whatever.”Matthew licks his lips, scrambles for the next words, “Uh, pretend we didn’t work out, or something. You’ll  still  get the money, of course—”He doesn’t get to finish, because Gunwook’s already on the move. Screw his self-restraint. He grabs Matthew by the shirt and crashes their lips together. Matthew gasps into the kiss, not expecting the action. Surprised, even after confessing and bravely saying,  I want to kiss you again,  because he didn’t actually believe Gunwook would let him. And truthfully, Gunwook didn’t think it would happen again either.The kiss turns clumsy when Matthew deepens the kiss, foreheads knocking each other lightly. Gunwook ignores his grunt at the bump and presses harder — just can’t seem to behave since Matthew has given him the green light. Matthew’s lips on him, gently opening his mouth and dipping his tongue in, moving like he has been wanting this for  so  long too. Gunwook’s hand moves to cradle Matthew’s jaw, and the other slides up his side. He trails his hands up, fingers squeezing his shoulder, then down to his bicep. Their teeth start clashing as a result of their tongues moving frantically, and Matthew starts giggling. He pulls away and puts some space between them.“Sorry, give me a moment,” he says, pressing his lips together to stop himself from laughing again.“What’s up?” Gunwook takes the opportunity to catch his breath as he looks at him quizzically, pupils blown wide.Matthew shakes his head. “Nothing. I’m just—” he stops. “This is cool, right?”Gunwook blinks like mad, mystified. Matthew throws his head back in a hearty laugh. Then he looks at Gunwook and grins. “You’re  so cute.”He chuckles, but it dissolves into a gasp when Gunwook slides a hand around his waist to pull him closer and kisses him again. Their mouths go slack and their tongues are back at it. It’s not gentle anymore. The mood and atmosphere teetering into a heightened, dangerous territory. It begins when Matthew climbs into his lap like he owns it.He can, since it doesn’t really belong to anyone. Gunwook will hand it over to him.The position is familiar, but it has always been tame, innocent. Now, Matthew’s aware of his bulge, pressing his ass down on it. His hands move under Gunwook’s shirt, fingers brushing his waist before squeezing his side, and Gunwook groans into his mouth.“You’re—” Gunwook breathes out, “You’re really kissing me.” If this is a dream, please don’t wake him up.Matthew smiles. “I’m the one who kissed you first.” A hum from Gunwook, who’s trying to close the distance again. “I can’t stop thinking about it.”Gunwook turns beet red at the confession of his desires, unsure of how to respond despite him feeling the same way. Matthew dives in again, and he moves like he’s attempting to savour this one even more. The soft moan that gets muffled against their mouths, Gunwook has never heard a beautiful melody akin to it.“Gunwookie,” Matthew mumbles. “F@ck, this is driving me crazy.”Matthew noses his jaw as he speaks, then kisses it softly before holding both sides of his face to look at his expression. Gunwook must look stunned, in disbelief, because Matthew asks tentatively, “You okay?”Gunwook blinks, feeling his face and eyes softening, then places his palms on top of the hands cupping his cheeks. “More than okay,” he confirms.Matthew smiles, moving his hands to loop around his neck and connect their lips together again. He slowly pulls the strands of Gunwook’s hair, and Gunwook makes soft noises at every tug.He allows Matthew to take lead, have his own way, tongue lapping around the seams of his mouth while he just follows along. All he can do is let his own hands roam freely over Matthew’s sides, squeezing his hipbones.They clumsily move further on the bed, not wanting to waste any more second. Gunwook’s back hits the headboard when Matthew pushes him while their mouths are still attached. It’s dizzying, because his brain blanks out every time Matthew’s hips roll into his.Matthew detaches his lips to move into the area below his ear. “I want to feel you,” he whispers into his neck.Gunwook moans when Matthew rocks roughly against him again, driving him crazy. His mind is going haywire as Matthew grinds down, panting into the crook of his neck and gently nipping at the skin. “Clothes off,” Matthew mutters, tugging at the hem of Gunwook’s shirt impatiently.“Okay.” Matthew leans back so Gunwook can lift his arms properly, letting Matthew pull it over his head.“Yours, too,” Gunwook says timidly, as his bare body shivers under the cold air in his room and the scrutiny of Matthew’s gaze. Matthew is looking at him like he's the most enticing thing in the world, and Gunwook allows himself the indulgence of the thought for now.His hands go ahead and hesitantly drags Matthew’s shirt up, slipping his fingers under until they graze his bare waist and up his back. Matthew looks pleased with the light touches before he lifts his arms.Now both shirtless, they gaze into each other’s eyes, taking the time to catch their breaths. It feels intimate, seeing one another undressed in a new circumstance like this. Gunwook lets his fingers linger around his waist, and Matthew moves to cup his hands around his cheek.Both of them lean forward nearly at the same time, lips connecting hastily, desperately trying to get all their lust out of their systems. With lips still attached, Gunwook gains confidence he’s been trying so hard to find and tugs at the waistband of Matthew’s sweats, asking for permission.Matthew just rolls his hips forward, busy shoving his tongue inside the younger’smouth, sucking on his lower lip and grinding against him. Gunwook isn’t sure if that’s a sign, and Matthew seems to realise, so he makes a humming sound at the back of his throat as approval.Just as a safety measure when another moment of self-consciousness hits him, Gunwook pulls away to say, “You really want this?”Matthew sighs, seemingly bothered by the slight break. But he licks his lips, and tries to say gently, “Do I look confused to you?”Well, no, he doesn’t. He looks far from it, actually. What Gunwook sees right now is Matthew, who looks wrecked, and flushed, and beautiful. That’s awesome. He flips them over as another wave of boldness takes over him, and Matthew’s back hits the mattress.“Oh, f@ck,” he breathes out, quickly helping Gunwook to get rid of both their pants. He instantly pulls Gunwook down with him and attaches their lips together again, seemingly addicted to kissing. Gunwook presses the outline of his length on Matthew’s thigh, then shifts his hips in a frenzied attempt at gaining friction. He hisses as the pleasure intensifies, burying his face in Matthew’s neck. He bites the skin of his collarbone while at it, relishing the way Matthew’s hips keep pushing up to meet his.“Matthew—” he cuts himself off when Matthew bucks up against him roughly again.He gasps into his mouth as their c@cks line up, and ruts down harshly onto him in response. Both of them are fully hard now, grinding through their undergarments, hips linking up and moving correspondingly.It’s a messy situation of them grinding and rutting, feeling their sweat sticking to their skin, and moving their hands everywhere and nowhere. Then, Matthew taps him on his chest, slowly adjusting their position again so it’s Gunwook underneath him.He shoves his hand between them and presses his palm against Gunwook’s c@ck through his boxers, which twitches under the friction.Gunwook gasps, hips stuttering onto his hand to crave more of the relief. “F@ck—Matthew—”“I got you,” Matthew murmurs. “You want it like this?”Matthew strokes him gradually through the fabric, watching as Gunwook falls apart beneath him. He’s pretty sure his skin looks flushed all the way down to his chest, and his hands are now tangled in Matthew’s hair.Gunwook nods profusely, eyes fluttering shut and lips parting. “Yeah—yeah, like that—don’t stop.”After a few strokes, Matthew reaches down and pulls down his underpants with trembling fingers.They both watch as Gunwook’s hardening c@ck springs free and slaps against his stomach. "D@mn,” Matthew whistles, tumbling out of laughter when Gunwook whines.“Please,” he chokes out. All he knows how to be is needy, but he can’t help being so eager that they’re finally doing this."Patience, baby," Matthew teases, then he strips himself down completely.Gunwook hisses and tips his head back against the frame of the bed when Matthew’s wet precum leaks, slowly grinding his length along his thigh. Gunwook bites on his lower lip hard, stifling a moan watching through his lashes as Matthew moves away to stroke himself fast and hard.Gunwook almost mirrors him, wanting to tend to his neglected one that’s red and angry at the tip. But Matthew swiftly moves and thumbs over the head of Gunwook’s c@ck until Gunwook writhes beneath him, silently begging for more. Matthew shifts to press their chests closer and aligns their c@cks together. Gunwook peers down, stops breathing momentarily as his eyes catch on the contrast between their c@cks. The size difference is making his head spin. He feels like he’s on fire as Matthew decides to wrap a hand around his c@ck. Matthew curses under his breath at how he can’t seem to close around the whole thing, so he takes his other hand and attempts to stroke both of their c@cks simultaneously.Gunwook wants to explode. The subject of Gunwook’s desires and fantasies putting maximal effort in using his hands, tightening his fingers around both of their lengths. It just speeds up the excitement coursing through his veins. The heat further surges through his entire body, thinking about how f@ck@ng adept Matthew is at this.It’s not just Matthew’s small hand that’s messing with him. It's the revelation that despite the size difference that often sends him to different levels of pleasure, their bodies still align so perfectly, naturally. Gunwook can feel every slide of heat between them, somehow every single emotion and feeling heightened now. Every movement sends an overwhelming pulse through his whole body. The maddening drag of Matthew’s little thumb touching his head feels like he’s just going to make a mess everywhere, if he doesn't force himself to calm down so the moment lasts longer. And every time Matthew lets out a shaky moan, Gunwook just feels his vision spin and he feels like blacking out.“Hyung, it’s so good,” Gunwook groans, voice cracking at the end while Matthew pants heavily against his neck, pace speeding up at his words which elicits more loud moans from the younger.For a while, it’s wordless between them as Gunwook’s eyes flutter shut, mindlessly pushing his hips up into Matthew’s grip repeatedly. All he can hear is the slick sounds and their ragged breathing as Matthew’s hand quickens at each passing second.“T-This is a workout,” Matthew croaks, trying to laugh but breath hitching on a yelp when Gunwook bucks his hips forward. “G-Gunwook!” he cries out.Matthew releases his grip and chooses to let their c@cks slide on another, their pre-cum leaking all over giving a smoother glide.“Nggh,” Gunwook surprises himself with another lewd moan once his gaze lands on Matthew again. He’s completely sweaty now, eyebrows furrowed in concentration as his hips move, and mouth hanging open emitting filthy, sinful noises. Gunwok tries this time, taking advantage of the slick, to grip their c@cks in his larger hand. He thrusts up to meet Matthew’s erratic pace before wrapping around their lengths. Matthew’s mouth props open, letting out a harsh cry, body shuddering as his eyes fly wide open to look down at Gunwook’s single, huge hand taking up more space, more easily than two of his hands could’ve.“Like this?” Gunwook heaves out, slowly increasing his pace.“G-Good,” Matthew moans. He nods feverishly and says, “Good boy.”Gunwook feels the build-up hit fast at the praise, raking his eyes over Matthew’s shoulders and down his tense biceps. It gives him more assertiveness, so he ruts forward like a dog in heat, forcing their c@cks together until his mind goes hazy, every nerve in his body zeroing in on the spot where Matthew touches his own one. The friction is maddening where they’re joined at their c@cks, hot and obscene.“C-close,” Matthew wheezes, and Gunwook’s grip lumbers in panic, trying to get his hand to work even better. Instead, he unwraps his hand and surrounds his arms around Matthew until their chests come in contact again, pressing tight as Matthew moves faster and faster.He, too, moves desperately to chase his own relief with the help of Matthew chanting his name, repeatedly sending him praises of how good he's moving along, until Matthew comes against Gunwook’s d@ck where it rests on his stomach.The scene of Matthew’s body jerking, mouth falling open and white spilling from the tip of his c@ck is all it takes. Gunwook clings to Matthew, pulling him flush and rests their foreheads together as his own @rg@sm crashes through him, letting out a strangled cry that matches Matthew’s moan in tandem.Gunwook struggles to keep his eyes open after he releases, but he maintains eye contact with Matthew, who’s still above him, trying to steady his breath. Matthew glances down at their softening c@cks then collapses on top of him with an exhale.“Nice,” Matthew rasps, satisfied. Gunwook runs a hand slowly through his hair while catching his breath. For a minute, there’s only the sound of their heavy breathing in the room, until Matthew erupts into giggles.“What’s funny?” Gunwook asks, laughing along and pulling a handful of hair. The corners of his lip quirk into a smile when Matthew whines, lifting his head up to scowl at him. “Sorry,” he reacts cheekily.Matthew retaliates by smacking his tummy twice, then digs fingers into both sides of Gunwook’s waist. The younger squirms, squealing in response while Matthew just grins mischievously. “That was fun,” Matthew says after he stops, then he sighs heavily and drags himself up to grab the tissue box on the bedside table. He scrunches his nose when he takes in how sticky they are, both bodies slicked in sweat and spill of cum. “Dirty.”“Very dirty,” Gunwook murmurs, chest heaving up and down, still trying to collect himself. He’s still in a befuddled state, so he just stays there while Matthew cleans up.Once Matthew returns with cleaner hands, he utters, “Hey, while we’re here, should we take an intimate selfie?”“Huh?” Gunwook’s mind is still a bit hazy from the crash.“To post.” Matthew tilts his head and holds out his phone.Right. “We’re taking this to another level, huh?”Matthew laughs with his whole chest. “Eh, we already look like this. It could be our winning point.”Gunwook thinks about it, wondering if he’s okay with people viewing Matthew the way he sees him right now — hair tousled, lips swollen, and eyes half-lidded. But he has  no  right to be possessive, so he replies, “Okay.”Several snapshots and rounds of laughter later, “I’m sleepy,” Matthew yawns. Gunwook taps his cheek. “Nope, we need to shower.”“Right,” Matthew grumbles. He heaves out a long sigh, gets up and heads straight to the bathroom. Gunwook stays flat in his position, heart beating wildly in his chest as he ponders over all the worst-case scenarios going around in his head. He hears the water running, counting down the seconds, ticking inwardly, wondering if he should be the first to speak up about what he feels instead of waiting around. But he’s always been twiddling his thumbs. If Matthew hasn’t addressed it, then Gunwook must’ve misread the lines. He isn’t cut out for this. When Matthew returns and goes to his closet to grab a pair of shorts, he drops down onto the space next to him. “Tired,” he says groggily. “Okay, you can sleep now,” Gunwook murmurs, watching him lay on his stomach with his cheek mushed against the pillow.“Goodnight,” Matthew hums, and Gunwook waits for a few minutes, only getting up when he starts snoring.  
  X
  Gunwook tells himself it shouldn’t happen again. He’s seriously not cut out for this. Yeah, well. He currently has Matthew pinned up against the wall — more like, Matthew dragging him until his back hits the wall, arms hooping around his neck.“Gunwook,” Matthew heaves out, breathless from how long they’ve been making out. “You think, on the day, we’re allowed to show up with hickeys?”Gunwook is known for going along with everything Matthew says. “We've been breaking the rules anyway.”Matthew laughs, nodding. Although they both know he had only meant to tease and crack a joke, it really doesn’t sound like a  bad  idea.  Gunwook smiles, putting both hands on Matthew’s hips and moving closer until there’s an indiscernible distance between their bodies. Matthew’s hands bunches the fabric of his shirt to yank him into another kiss.Gunwook kisses back, tilting his head around to get the best angles, then he dips his head at Matthew’s neck. Gunwook sucks at the skin and a small gasp breaks out of Matthew’s throat.The choked sound staggers Gunwook’s whole system, especially when Matthew starts to paw his hands in Gunwook’s hair. He doesn’t know if Matthew realises how wrecked he sounds, but it rouses him, making it easier for him to keep going.He licks over the mark, then bites again for precaution. Matthew makes another noise that sounds more like he’s in pain rather than pleased.“Sorry,” Gunwook murmurs, pulling back and now goggle-eyed.“It’s alright. I liked it,” Matthew reassures with a smile, hands now playing with the strands of Gunwook’s hair.Gunwook looks into his eyes, then glances down at his neck. He grins. “Perfect spot.”Matthew laughs, rubbing the mentioned spot of his neck. “Okay now, don't make a d@mn mural on my neck.”Gunwook pouts. “Isn’t that the point?” He loosens his secure hold around Matthew, slowly backing away to create some space, but Matthew wraps his arms around his waist and pulls him back in.Gunwook c@cks his head to the side, questioning. Matthew sighs and presses a finger into the skin of his lower back. “Are you gonna stop, or are we committing until the end?”The force of the squeeze makes Gunwook flinch slightly, watching the way Matthew’s eyes flash with mirth. Then he smiles lop-sidedly, sliding up one of his hands to cradle Matthew’s jaw. He looks around the unblemished areas, licks his lips and raises both brows. “I’ll continue if you wish,” he says.He inclines his head again and bares his teeth to bite a chunk of flesh, chuckling at the way Matthew squirms.Matthew smacks him, pushing him away lightly to scowl at him. “Oh my God, are you trying to bring a piece back with you or  what?”Gunwook grins with all his gums and pearly white teeth. “If you let me.” He laughs when Matthew hits him again, and then dives down to create a proper  mural.Matthew returns the favour afterwards, changing their positions so that it’s Gunwook’s back in contact with the wall. Gunwook breathes harshly through his nose, trying not to rub his length too desperately against Matthew's thigh as Matthew expertly uses his lips and sucks on two different areas. “There,” Matthew says, patting him on the shoulder once he’s done. He looks up at Gunwook’s expression and breaks out into a giggling fit. He ruffles his already tousled hair and comments, “You look f@ck@d.”Then he presses his knee against Gunwook’s blatant situation. He smirks. “Want me to suck you off?”Undoubtedly, who is Gunwook to deny himself of this opportunity?     As they sit side by side on the bed after taking care of one another, Matthew grabs his phone and switches to the front camera to examine the marks on his neck.“Wow, you really put your all,” he remarks, impressed. “Awesome  job.”“Thank you very much. Don’t usually do things halfway, you know,” Gunwook replies, pleased with himself, then he leans into the frame to get a look as well. When Matthew turns the camera toward him, he audibly laughs.“I mean… I tried. Looks like I got a little carried away,” Matthew says, grinning at the sight of dark, purple bruises now speckled across Gunwook’s neck.Turning his head to inspect the damage from every angle, Gunwook teases, “A little?”Matthew scoffs airily, turning the camera off and putting the phone away. “F@ck@n’ committed is what I am.”“Me too.” A wide smile spreads across Gunwook’s face. “Let’s blow some minds away.”Matthew chuckles, again poking his upper torso to which Gunwook instinctively puffs his chest out.He laughs, feeling both his cheeks and heart ache with how overwhelmed he feels right now. He wishes he can just stay like this forever, lie to himself that they’re more than just friends.“Oh!” Matthew exclaims suddenly, then he goes to get up from the bed to rummage through his bag. Gunwook sits up to watch him.“What?” he asks, curious. “I’ve got something,” he says. Gunwook waits until he finally pulls out two boxes. “Tada!” Gunwook can’t help but smile at how enthusiastic he looks, and the feeling of love overcomes his curiosity momentarily. “What’s that?” he asks after a few seconds.Matthew jumps onto the bed, hopping continuously to move closer while Gunwook laughs at his weight dipping the mattress. He instantly opens the boxes and takes out two necklaces. “Lock and key for us! We can wear them!” Oh. “Oh?” “Yup, matching! I got these yesterday when I was out with Hanbin,” he tells him. Without waiting for a response, he quickly beckons Gunwook to turn around, and so Gunwook does. Matthew sits on his heels as he hooks the necklace around him.“That’s cute,” Gunwook mutters, feeling himself fall deeper deeper deeper, so  f@ck@ng  overwhelmed by how he can’t stop himself from beaming so widely as Matthew hums behind him. His skin tingles when he feels Matthew’s fingers lightly grazing his nape.He wants to question whether this is another thing that’s added for the whole  show, but he lets himself be untroubled tonight. Just on top of the world.For now, he just firmly believes that this is Matthew genuinely wanting something  special  to share with him. Only him.When he’s done, they switch positions for Gunwook to clasp the lock necklace around him now. “Done!” Matthew taps his shoulder, then Gunwook spins around so they face each other. He looks down and touches the shape of the key, putting it next to Matthew’s holding the lock out so they can take a proper view.Gunwook starts guffawing at how they look side by side, shaking his head. “I’m not sure if it’s the correct key,” he remarks, pointing out how huge the key is in comparison to the tiny lock that doesn’t  seem  to be the matching part.Matthew frowns, leaning closer to look at the sizes closely. “Huh. The guy at the shop said it was a pair.”“I think you got scammed,” he teases. “I don’t think it fits.”“That's what she said,” Matthew coughs out. Seeing the look on Matthew’s face, it hits Gunwook slowly as he realises the innuendo. His face morphs into one of shock, turning red and Matthew just starts laughing boisterously at his reaction.Gunwook whines, “Don’t say things like that.” As if  he and Matthew are prudes. There aren't just beautiful necklaces adorning their necks, there’s also the constellation of marks covering them, which is  obviously  a result of the actions of non-puritans.“Sorry, you’re  so  cute,” Matthew says casually. He shakes his head and sighs, fingers busy caressing the lock.Pretending the comment doesn’t faze him, Gunwook clears his throat and plows on, “Well, it doesn’t matter anyway. The size difference suits us.”With that, Matthew glances up at him gaping with his mouth open, before he snorts and shoves Gunwook until he falls back onto the pillow. “It’s perfect then. Complements our brand,” Matthew says, grinning as Gunwook pouts. “But huh... how did the guy know? Didn't mention you at all.”“Maybe he's up to date, voting for us and everything,” Gunwook plays along.This sets them off, laughing unrestrainedly as Matthew lets his body fall next to Gunwook on the bed. “D@mn, what a fan,” Matthew adds, and they continue to laugh like peals of thunder until their stomachs and cheeks hurt.       They got too distracted, acting like egotistical, obstreperous boys by how astonished they were with the work they had done on one another. Geeking over the matching necklaces they were planning to show off. Occupied with giggling as they tried to re-enact the reactions they’re going to get from their friends.Until Matthew checked the time and realised that even if they left now, they would still be tardy. And they were. They show up to rehearsal late.The first person they face when they enter is Taerae, sitting on the floor of the practice room with his water bottle tucked under his chin. He squints his eyes as Gunwook walks in behind Matthew, both donning in hoodies.Matthew casually takes his hoodie off to reveal himself in a white tank top, and unwittingly gives Taerae the opportunity to view his neck properly.“No way,” Taerae blurts out.Matthew pauses from where he’s crouching down to place his things down. He glances over with a sheepish smile. “What?”Taerae points a finger. “Is that a—come on.”Gunwook who’s standing next to him has his hands on the hem of his hoodie, stalling from taking it off to gauge the interaction.“Cute, right?” Matthew grins, indicating the matching necklaces.“Please have some shame,” Taerae grumbles. “No one needed proof of whatever you two were up to.”Matthew then shares a look with Gunwook, before he frowns mockingly. “Oh,  not  the necklaces?”Taerae just gives him a tired look.Matthew raises a brow at him, pulls out his phone and flips his camera to selfie mode. He moves his head around, inspecting the faint blotch just above his collarbone that’s already darkening and forming a shape, and there are two more like it along the curve of his throat.“D@mn.” He laughs. “Guess we went wild.”Taerae looks at him, then looks at Gunwook who’s now taken off his hoodie and is in a similar white tank top too. He curses under his breath at the matching marks on Gunwook’s neck, then says, “You know everyone else is going to see that tomorrow, right?”Matthew just shrugs. “Nothing displeasing. Just hope that the necklaces will be the main show.” He flashes a toothy grin. Then he springs up and goes to tackle Taerae who shrieks with no time to escape.Everyone around the room looks over and bursts into laughter at their antics, and Gyuvin hops over to see the ruckus. Gunwook just shakes his head with a smile, drops his bag onto the floor, and sits down by the benches at the corner.“Alright, we’re starting again in five!” Hanbin announces, clapping his hands for attention. He raises a brow at Gunwook, then at Matthew for running late. Matthew just grins adorably at him, hoping his charm works.It seems like it  did  appease their leader. Hanbin shakes his head, and continues, “Performance is tomorrow, so get ready to live here until we nail every angle and detail.”A chorus of “yes” and groans erupt in response to their leader. Gunwook glances over to where Matthew has returned to his dramatic bickering fest with Taerae. As he pulls out and unlocks his phone, Ricky suddenly juts into his field of vision.“Something’s up,” Ricky says, matter of factly.Gunwook peers up from his screen and raises a brow. “What?”Ricky scrunches his face, as if revolted at the sight of a try-hard, nonchalant Gunwook. “Why do you look like you’d rather be anywhere else? Tomorrow’s the festival.”“I’m excited.” He doesn’t sound excited.“Sure you are.” Ricky snorts. “You and Matthew, big power couple moment tomorrow, huh?”“Confidence is key,” Gunwook deadpans.“Like the  key  on Matthew’s neck?” Ricky teases.His eyes twinkle at that, suddenly thrilled that Ricky paid  attention. “You noticed?”“I have eyes.” Ricky laughs, throwing an arm around his shoulder as he plops down beside him. He leans in and drops his voice, “Seriously though. Did something happen?”Gunwook stiffens before relaxing instantly. “Nope.”Ricky squints at him, seemingly dubious. “Alright, I’ll believe that for now, but you shouldn’t be sulking. Looked like you had plenty of fun with Matthew.” He glances meaningfully at the prominent hickeys on Gunwook’s neck.Gunwook shoves him away, laughing and feeling his cheeks burn up thinking about the session he had with Matthew earlier. He had let himself believe in the fantasy just momentarily, but now that it’s over he feels himself crumble. It’s kind of heartbreaking. He doesn’t have time to dwell on it, because he looks up to see the trio walking up to them. “Our group chat is gonna explode again the second Matthew posts that sh@t. Grand finale, huh?” Gyuvin says, and Taerae heaves out a long sigh. Looks like Matthew has shown them a new set of selfies.“Duh,” Matthew says, adding in a silly body wave to which Gunwook cracks up at. He winks. “Great promo. Let the people talk.”“As expected from attention-hungry bastards,” Taerae sneers, looking at Ricky and Gyuvin who both agree and nod.Matthew and Gunwook catch each other’s eyes. Like clockwork, they both break into matching grins so wide it hurts.  
  O
  Gunwook falls into an uncharacteristic silence as they both walk home. He knows he’s being childish. They’ve come this far already. Had fun playing the game, and tomorrow it might all come to an end. Everything will go back to normal. He and Matthew will tell their friends, and they're going to be okay. Hopefully.Except they can’t tell the public yet, even the people on campus, so they have to wait for a while before archiving their gratifying posts and deleting their story highlights. Thus, in the eyes of the world, they’ll still be off-limits and unavailable.Gunwook belongs to Matthew. And Matthew belongs to him.But the idea doesn’t sit as pleasantly as it should. He feels selfish somehow, especially with the heightened attention Matthew has been getting since the fake dating fiasco began. Himself, too, but no one comes close to Matthew anyway. For Matthew, there’s a whole crowd of admirers lining up for him. Matthew could be with anyone he wants after all of this.“You okay?” Matthew asks softly. He might be Gunwook’s fake boyfriend, but he’s also his very real best friend, and of course he sees through him.Gunwook doesn’t meet his eyes. “Not really,” he confesses sincerely. He’s been playing a part this whole time, pretending with everyone else and being the face of deception. But not with Matthew. It gets difficult.After all, Mathew's the only one who knows the full pseudo story, because he’s been living it too.“What’s wrong?” Matthew sounds worried as he takes a step closer.“Nothing.”  Childish. So childish.They’ve already reached Matthew’s door at this moment since he lives closer, and Gunwook’s place is on the other side of the building. Matthew stops and gently tugs on his finger, trying to meet his eyes. “You wanna come in?”Gunwook refuses to look at him, so he just connects their fingers together to reassure him, then shakes his head. “It's okay, I’m just tired. Gonna head back.”Matthew nods, then fully wraps one hand around Gunwook’s and uses the other to tap his chin up so their eyes meet. “You wanna drop out?” he asks."What? Why?” He sounds alarmed.Matthew shrugs. “Looks like we’re kind of winning this thing. But if you want to pull out now, that’s cool.”Gunwook sways their connected hands slightly, mumbling, "What makes you think I want that?”Matthew glances down at their hands, then back up with one corner of his lip quirking upward. “I don’t know. Thought maybe that it’s… actually a whole stunt—us not being a real thing—it might feel weird if we  really  get it tomorrow.”Gunwook’s frown deepens as every word comes out, and Matthew carries on, “So if you want to stop here before sh@t gets real and we  kinda  win unfairly, I get it. No hard feelings. It’s been fun.”“But—what about the  money?”Matthew huffs out a startled laugh, clearly not expecting the response. “You still care about that?”“You did,” Gunwook says quietly. His face contorts as he regrets saying it immediately, because he sounds  petulant.Like he's sulking, shifting the blame again. Matthew had his reasons — an incentive that made him agree to this in the first place. Meanwhile, Gunwook has been chasing something entirely different. And it’s not Matthew’s fault. It’s his own since he agreed to it. He’s just being pathetic.Matthew’s expression softens. “Hey,” he says, “forget the money. I just wanna know how you feel now. That’s what matters.”Gunwook meets his gaze properly this time. Matthew’s eyes are impossibly soft and tender, because he’s  willing  to do anything for Gunwook. He looks like he’s made of every star Gunwook has ever wished on. But Gunwook feels like the star's shooting out of his reach, or maybe he's just simply a coward.“I’m just tired, that’s all,” Gunwook assures. “Promise.”Matthew narrows his eyes at him. He seems unconvinced, but he doesn’t push and chooses to smile instead. “Alright. Rest up. I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah? Big finale.” He lets go of Gunwook’s hand and rubs his arm up and down in a comforting manner.Gunwook nods. He parts his mouth to say something, but closes it and looks away from Matthew.“What is it?” Matthew presses.Gunwook’s thoughts churn desperately:  Please, Matthew. Just say you’re in love with me, too. Say I’m not just a prop in this ridiculous contest I thought would be lighthearted, because now I know what it feels like to see you through this new lens. And it’s not so different from the way I’ve always seen you.  
   You’ve always been good to me, and I’ve been in love with you for a long time. So why does it still feel like you’re only halfway here? 
“Your hickey’s getting darker,” he blurts out instead.Matthew blinks, caught off guard by  that  being the answer after the long moment of silence. Then he laughs, gently brushing a similar mark on Gunwook’s neck. “Yours too,” he grins. “I’m a pro.”Gunwook lets out a soft giggle, even though his heart kind of twists at the thought of Matthew having done the same thing to someone else before him.  F@ck. Enough.He just engages Matthew into a hug to which the older engulfs him back, even tighter. When they pull away, his arms stay around Matthew’s shoulders, looking down at him. “Goodnight?” he murmurs. Ah, this familiar position of him facing down and Matthew angling his head up. This height difference thing is actually consuming him like an addictive drug.This time, it’s Matthew whose gaze flicks down to his lips first, then back up to meet his eyes. Gunwook feels his throat tighten at the overt action, so he wets his lips instinctively.Matthew looks at him — displaying a signboard in his eyes — quietly asking for permission. Gunwook reads the sign and nods. He understands perfectly what he’s saying. Matthew closes the distance and kisses him close-mouthed for a few seconds. Then he parts his lips, and Gunwook’s tongue slips in. A hand rakes its way to Gunwook’s hair, and he breathes out through his nose as Matthew pulls him in. Bold from the heat of the moment and the messy way Matthew's trying to suck on his tongue, his hands wander down to grope Matthew’s ass. Matthew moans, and the sound startles him; he jerks back.“Oh my God. Wait, I don’t think we should be doing this out here,” he says, wide-eyed, and clamps a hand over his mouth. He twists his neck to look behind him, then peers over behind Gunwook’s shoulder to check if there’s anyone.Gunwook’s just as on edge, so he stifles a laugh to not make any more noise and whispers, “Yeah, definitely  not  our smartest move.”Matthew nods, but the way he’s looking at him now, he’s holding up another signboard that reads:  Hey, come inside with me.  Gunwook’s smile falters. He swears that’s what Matthew’s trying to say. But he closes his eyes, and shuts the signal out. He doesn’t want to read between the lines. He can't see.He rubs his forehead, lets out a breath, and opens his eyes. “I think I’ll just head back.”His heart squeezes at the way Matthew's eyebrows furrow marginally, but then he covers it up with a soft smile. “Okay. Rest up, Gunwookie.”Gunwook nods and smiles, albeit weakly. He waits there for a few seconds, praying and hoping Matthew will say  something. But Matthew doesn’t. He just pushes his door open and nudges his chin toward the hallway, telling him to go. Gunwook waves at him before he starts walking away. He doesn’t look back even though he can feel Matthew’s eyes on him. There’s no sound of a door closing in the silent hallway even as he exits the floor.  
  X
  “That was f@ck@ng  sick,” Gyuvin says, breathless as he throws an arm over Gunwook’s shoulders. “The cheers were insane!”Equally short of breath and sweaty, Gunwook grins so wide his cheeks ache. His heart’s still pounding with the exhilaration and high of the stage they’ve just finished.They’ve been working their asses off all semester for this Spring Festival performance, and it paid off. He scans the crowd of their dance team and all of them are glowing with post-show euphoria, definitely still full of adrenaline. He spots Matthew, who’s currently getting mobbed by their older friends. Hao’s hands are ruffling his hair, Jiwoong’s pinching his cheeks, and Hanbin’s yelling in his ears. The center of it all is laughing so hard his eyes crinkle shut, staying true to his sunshine title with the full-body joy radiating off him.Gunwook stares, mesmerised, and he seriously can’t look away. He doesn’t realise his breathing has calmed down now, face soothening as he continues to gaze.Gyuvin, who realises, narrows his eyes at him and jabs a finger into his cheek. “You’re  so  in love.”Gunwook snorts, and the smile slips from his face as he accuses, “Shouldn’t you be talking about yourself?”“I  am in love with Ricky,” Gyuvin says proudly. He glances over his shoulder to see where Ricky’s cracking up with Taerae. “But you don’t see me brooding about it like I’ve just realised I’ve been shot in the chest.”Gunwook sighs, then he reaches to grab Gyuvin’s hand that’s over by his shoulder and yanks it until Gyuvin yelps in pain.“Okay, okay!” Gyuvin laughs and pulls his arms away. “D@mn. Sensitive.”Gunwook shakes his head, but another grin breaks out on his face anyway as Gyuvin sticks his tongue out at him mockingly.“Just saying,” Gyuvin adds under his breath. “It doesn’t have to hurt, y’know. Accept that brazenly.”Gunwook waves him off, not bothered to question whatever Gyuvin means because he knows. His eyes return to Matthew, who, despite the noise around him and Hao busy trying to kiss him on his cheek again, is turning his head to find him. His eyes light up a certain way when their eyes meet, and he sends him a soft smile. Gunwook smiles back.   
  O
  Gunwook more or less remembers how it went down last year. Everyone knew Hao and Hanbin had it in the bag, so when they went up on stage, the crowd was exultant rather than surprised. Most of the other couples who were nominated showed up just for fun, even though they  knew they had already lost.This year feels different because this time, several contestants have the upper hand. Including him and Matthew standing in the front row with  their  names on everyone’s lips instead. Their photos are displayed on the stage screen, in company with the other couples who are neck to neck with them. He knows all of them, is friends with some, so he should say hi later. He did spot some of their faces in the crowd earlier, but now it seems like everyone has gathered since the announcement is starting soon. Can’t really leave his position now.His best friends are here too, standing behind him. They’re more enthralled with all the gushing they’ve been doing the past hour, already acting like they’re the ones who are victorious and bringing the win home.However, Gunwook’s not that confident since he isn’t even sure what it would mean to win. From his perspective, the lines have blurred too much for him to accept this. He’s been feeling like this anyway, ever since it already stopped being something he could pass off as a joke.To calm his nerves, he’s been nibbling his lower lip. But all he gets is a mouth that’s dry. He should’ve drunk more water after dancing and sweating too much. He’ll pass out if he sweats some more now.His boyfriend is standing next to him, and he seems just as tense. Gunwook takes note of it by how their hands are clasped together, and even though he feels the familiar warmth, there’s also the addition of palpitations. From the corner of his eye, he sees Matthew turning to him and leaning in. Gunwook startles when Matthew pokes at the spot between Gunwook’s brows with a finger. “Relax, you’re gonna age five years before you even graduate,” he teases.Right. The nervousness is showing on his face, as someone who can’t really mask his emotions. He eases the lines between his brows and huffs out a small laugh. He turns to look at Matthew who looks composed, despite his shaky hands. “You’re way too confident,” he says.Matthew just grins. “I believe in us.”Gunwook nods, trying to soak the words in, but he can’t help it. It’s kind of a silly thing to be nervous about. Even so, he thinks about all the time that’s passed and how they’ve taken this. Done and played their parts until the end. And though it’s absurd to admit how he struggled more than he thought he would, he made it here anyway. The day.The MC is rambling on now, listing off the finalist couples and reciting their social media stats as if they’re mere numbers in a game show. Gunwook grimaces, feeling kind of embarrassed now that they’re pulling up engagements. It’s not completely a marketing campaign. Who allowed this? There’s a brief spiel about the new criteria this year — how only real, recognisable couples made the cut. This time, both of them laugh along with the crowd, meeting each other’s eyes when the MC brings up the taboo word.“D@mn. If we win this, we should be taking the secret to the grave,” Matthew whispers to him.Gunwook finally manages to smile, finding it all preposterous again. Though, how would the moderators have known that they weren’t actually dating? It’s obvious they’ve explored each other’s bodies with how they act around each other, or so Gunwook’s been told.But still, it feels icky to keep on lying. “What about our friends?” he whispers back.“You’re right.” Matthew frowns. Certainly, he agrees that their best friends have the right to know. “Get ready,” Gyuvin sings from behind him, clutching onto his shoulders and shaking him. Gunwook turns around just a bit to see him and Ricky wearing similar sh@t-eating grins. He just rolls his eyes playfully before going back to face the front. “And the winner of this year’s Top  Influencer  Couple of the University is…”The MC lets it hang as the crowd goes silent. Gunwook’s lungs stop working for a second, afraid that his breathing would be heard loud and clear,  even in this open area. Matthew, on the other hand is stifling a laugh, biting on his lower lip as he glances at Gunwook. Gunwook just stares at the MC, but his fingers tighten instinctively around Matthew’s. He blames it on his subconscious mind for having Matthew as something to ground himself on in situations like this. Ironic, since it’s them who put themselves in this situation. And throughout it all, he’s been waging war and having conflicts within him and only himself, which has subliminally affected how he hasn’t been able to become a proper anchor for Matthew. He feels sh@tty about it — how he let this whole thing kind of diminish his rapport with Matthew, even if it's just a bit.His heart’s drumming so loud now as he rewinds the past month, everything that has happened between the two of them and the new treatment by all the people around them. Lost in his thoughts, until it drowns everything else for him to hear the MC enunciating their couple brand when it’s finally announced.“...Seok Matthew and Park Gunwook!” He manages to hear their names.And the deafening cheers as the crowd erupts. An explosion of confetti surrounds him and the whole crowd until it covers his line of vision. A loud scream from behind him rings, it rattles his brain. He’s pretty sure it’s one of their friends, maybe Taerae or Gyuvin, but their hands are clapping his back incessantly. Everything’s too loud and overwhelming now, in addition to his own disbelief, but he manages to discern Matthew tugging at his hand.That’s when he realises they’re being called to the stage, when he finally makes out the MC beckoning them with his hands, along with the spotlight finding them. Dazed and electrified, he follows Matthew, grabbing him. It’s surreal that everyone’s attention is on them for something that feels treacherous, yet so worthwhile. He feels the ground shaking under his feet and is still barely processing that they won. They’ve successfully swept the board with this thing,  game, and long-running joke. Turned it into a moment everyone else believes in. He has imagined this scene a lot of times in his head, so it just feels like a sense of deja vu now that he’s living in the juncture.When he’s on stage, the first person his eyes land on is Hanbin, who’s beaming alongside their other friends. His eyes are in slits, as if he’s prouder to win this than his contest last year.Gunwook reflects his grin as he takes it all in. He looks to his side, heart clenching to see Matthew taking the heart-shaped trophy and an envelope that probably holds their prize money. As it gets handed, they’re pulled aside for pictures. Gunwook faces the from to see someone standing with a camera and gesturing for them to pose.There’s an arm around his waist pulling him closer to Matthew’s side as they position themselves. Gunwook instinctively loops his own over Matthew’s shoulder.With the camera pointing their way, and the photographer counting down three seconds, Matthew lifts the gaudy plastic trophy between them and Gunwook holds the bouquet awkwardly in one hand. Both of them pose, and he tries not to blink when the flash goes off.Promptly, when the photographer puts the camera down, Matthew spins him around. Gunwook stumbles a step forward and crashes into him. Flustered, he laughs at Matthew who's grinning. Gunwook feels like the world has disappeared, and it’s just him and Matthew.“Matthew?” he asks, wide-eyed. Matthew’s eyes are shining, adorned with a bright smile for the win, and also possibly reserved for Gunwook’s eyes as his eyes soften. He stands on his toes and tilts his head. Eyes flitting down to his mouth, he says, “They want a kiss, don’t they?”He doesn’t even wait for the answer, leaning forward and sealing their lips together. Gunwook doesn’t even hesitate when it clicks to him that this might be their last kiss, so he reciprocates, with one hand still holding onto the bouquet.The crowd goes wild when the MC cheers into the mic and starts chanting their names. When they pull apart, the glitter that someone has thrown around them has them laughing too hard as the bits land on their faces. Matthew swivels around to the front and waves big and exaggerated at their friends, holding up the trophy. Gunwook follows suit with a hearty laugh, eyes darting through the sea of faces.He takes a deep breath, and turns back to Matthew whose gaze meets him halfway. And like clockwork, they’re grinning again. So wide it hurts.  
  X
  “I’m  soo drinking tonight,” Gyuvin declares as he pours soju into a shot glass, lifting it dramatically to his lips. He looks around his friends to see their reaction, before passing it to Ricky instead. “Just kidding! I’m not. But I am very happy!”The reaction he gets is a fusion of laughter and grumbles, to which he just grins with the usual mischief dancing on his features.“You’re exhausting,” Ricky grouses, more amused than annoyed. He doesn’t even budge as Gyuvin throws himself into his space and starts peppering kisses onto his cheek.“I’ve already said this, but I’m really proud of everyone tonight,” Hanbin, the owner of the apartment they’re all celebrating at, announces while raising his glass. “You all gave it your  all.”Everyone cheers, sharing the same sentiment and smiles on their faces. The glasses clink in the middle, and the soju in their hands disappears down their throats. A few rounds later of drinks while enumerating the journey of the whole semester so far, they moved from the dining table to the living room. Some are seated on the couch, and the remaining ones on the floor.Remaining ones include Gunwook with Matthew draped all over him, head tucked under his chin, legs around his ones and arms slinging around his waist.He mumbles something unintelligible and then goes still, like he’s decided this is his bed for the night. If Gunwook’s ears did pick up on the words correctly, he is pretty sure Matthew mentioned about him being a huge, cuddly  teddy bear  again. It happens quite often.He faces up at the ceiling and tries to blink slowly. He’s definitely past his drinking limit, and although his body feels relaxed, his mind won’t stop racing. Everyone’s laughing around him and all he can think is:  They’re going to find out. I’m going to mess this up somehow .“Adorable,” Hao coos from where he's seated on the couch above them.He hears Hanbin’s endearing laugh. “A toast to tonight’s winning couple!”There’s the sounds of fortissimo whoops from Gyuvin and Ricky, who Gunwook can envision elbowing each other on the couch akin to kids fighting for space.“I knew you guys would win,” Gyuvin sighs.“Correction: I made them join,” Taerae cuts in from his spot on the floor next to them. “I literally gave them the idea. You’re welcome.”Jiwoong giggles. “Okay, credit hog.”Gyuvin scoffs. “You just kept saying  ‘they’re already a couple’.”“I was right, though,” Taerae retorts. “You have no idea how many times I’ve gotten a migraine, listening to them saying it was all nothing.”“They really did deny it up and down, huh?” Hao chuckles. “This contest basically dragged them out.”“I’m very happy for them,” Hanbin says reverently.Gunwook can barely respond because Matthew’s welded to his side with his dead weight and comforting warmth. His eyelids are starting to droop now as they all continue to talk, but he keeps laughing along anyway, even though his heart won’t slow down. It’s inevitable for him to focus on Matthew’s breathing against his neck and how secure his grip is like he wants to fuse their bodies together.“So, are we gonna talk cash or what?” Taerae asks.Gyuvin perks up. “We’re getting a cut too, right?”Taerae sneers, “What the hell did you do?”“I believed in them. Emotional support is still labour,” Gyuvin argues, sounding pensive about it and Gunwook starts giggling to himself.“Well, if you’re handing out shares,” Taerae reasons, “I better get the biggest one. Like I said, I  am  the reason they even joined.”Gunwook tunes them out after that, closing his eyes as they continue to bicker.  Right, the initial incentive,  he thinks. He hasn’t touched the envelope since they got it. He’s pretty sure Matthew hasn’t opened it either, even though he’d gone on and on about what they could spend it on — matching jackets, matching keychains, or even free chicken for everyone for a week straight. Nevertheless, Gunwook would prefer it if they got something exceptional just for the two of them. If not, he  did  plan on spending a grand sum for Matthew’s upcoming birthday.Then Matthew shifts as if he can read his mind. “Gunwookie,” he mumbles against his neck.“Mmm?”“They’re fighting,” he mumbles.“I’m aware.”He moves to poke Gunwook’s cheek. “Think we should just tell them?” “Now?” Gunwook’s eyes are still shut.Matthew hums again, lightly tapping his eyelid. “You drank too much.”“I think so,” Gunwook admits, smiling now.“I think I did too.”“Why’s that?” he asks. He feels like he has to ask, although he knows Matthew goes all out with his drinks whenever he thinks too much.“Dunno,” Matthew murmurs. “Just felt like I should.”Gunwook inhales a breath and finally cracks one eye open. Matthew’s head is tilted up to meet his, but now awkwardly nestled between his chest and armpit.“I’ve been thinking too much,” Matthew says suddenly in a soft tone.“About?”He moves his eyes down towards Gunwook’s lips as he answers, “Us.”Gunwook holds himself back from swallowing to cover up how nervous he feels. Although, it might be pointless if Matthew can feel his heartbeat racing. “Oh.”Truthfully, he doesn’t know what to say. Doesn’t even know if he’s ready to say anything at all. He just looks down at Matthew who seems to be waiting for an answer. What answer is he expecting?“Hello? Earth to Gunwook and Matthew?” Zhang Hao calls.Matthew sighs, dropping his head back onto Gunwook’s chest. “What?” he slurs. “Are you guys staring again?”“We’re waiting for a speech,” Taerae demands.“Yeah, how do you feel that you’ve beaten everyone else and are now the  reigning  campus couple of the year?” Gyuvin chimes in.Ricky laughs. “It's the year  of Seok Matthew and Park Gunwook.”“A speech…” Matthew trails off, then he lifts his head up again to look at Gunwook, which just makes feel even more off-balance. He regrets the alcohol he’s consumed, because now his head is foggy, heavy and light all at once. The way Matthew’s gazing at him isn’t helping at all. It’s just making him feel more conflicted.Gyuvin lightly kicks Matthew from the couch to snap him out of it. Matthew then slowly sits up, looking at the others with a sigh.“Okay,” he mutters, then glances down at Gunwook. “It’s time.”Gunwook gawks as Matthew catches hold of his wrist. He really doesn’t want to do this right now. But in the end, he’s known for going along with what Matthew does anyway. “Come on,” Matthew says gently.He helps Gunwook get up, and the room spins when they both stand up. Gunwook blinks rapidly to stabilise himself, walking towards in front of the TV with their hands still linked. When his vision stops swaying, he glances up from the ground to see everyone watching, amused and confused at the same time.“Official announcement.” Matthew lifts their joined hands into the air. “Me and Gunwook—” a pause, “—we’re not dating.”Gunwook turns to look at him as if this is Matthew discarding the script and doing this spontaneously. But  no, this was planned from the beginning. There’s a smile forced on his face, and Gunwook can tell he’s too sober for this, even if his own head is hazy.“Huh?” Taerae says.“What does  that  even mean?” Ricky asks.“We’re not dating,” Matthew repeats.“We heard you,” Gyuvin says, deadpan. “We just  don’t  understand.”“Well, it’s pretty straightforward. We faked being a couple just to join the contest,” Matthew explains. “So we’re actually  not  dating.” “What the hell?” Taerae squints, rubbing his eyes before blinking and opening them wider. He looks around at the rest of their friends. “Why are we doing this  again?”Matthew clears his throat, then presses his lips together as he calculates the weight of his next words. “I dragged Gunwookie into it,” he says eventually. “It was my idea. He’s innocent.”That’s when Gunwook’s head snaps to him sharply. “Hey—no. I wanted to do it, too.”Matthew stills as he stares at their friends, then heaves out a sigh — something that he’s done numerous times the past few minutes. He glances down at their clasped hands and squeezes tightly, and all Gunwook feels is their palms getting clammy all over again.“It was  my  idea,” Matthew repeats, then laughs wryly. Gunwook fears everyone else hears the discomfort behind it. “I forced him.”“But—” Gunwook starts.Matthew tightens his grip as a signal and gives him a look:  Don’t. Not here. He hears Jiwoong mumble to Taerae, “I think they need some talking to do.” Taerae shushes him.“So you’re telling us,” Hanbin begins slowly, “you’re  not  in love? Was it all an act?”Both of them nod simultaneously as if planned. Gunwook thinks about how double-edged this is, because he thought tonight would be the night of no more lies. But woefully, he’s still lying to his friends right now.“Isn’t that… cheating?” Ricky asks.“It is,” Taerae answers. “What’s the point of this then?” He laughs incredulously.Matthew shrugs while Gunwook just smiles awkwardly at him. “The money…?” he finally speaks up.“This sounds insane,” Taerae rebukes. “I don’t buy it.”He looks affronted. There’s Hao with arms now crossed and brows drawn, expression deep and solemn reading both of their faces. Hanbin’s staring at them like he’s waiting for the next part of the script, again, but there’s no punchline to this at all. Jiwoong’s frowning trying to make sense of it all. As for Gyuvin and Ricky, both just look blank. Gyuvin meets Gunwook’s gaze for a long time, and the emotions in his eyes are a strange concoction of understanding and hurt. He seems flustered that Gunwook has hidden something so major, and how he was blindsided this whole time.Feeling guilty, Gunwook’s eyes drop to the floor.“Believe what you want to believe,” Matthew says tiredly, then wraps his hands around Gunwook’s arm to pull his body to his. “Gunwook’s just like a brother to me.”Well, d@mn. Gunwook’s heart caves in right there and then. As someone who hears it on his sleeves, he’s fairly certain his emotions are bleeding through with how no one’s even responding. He can feel his own face contort as Matthew says it. This is the part where he’s supposed to laugh it off and keep the illusion alive. But it’s all crumbling. It feels wrong, like he’s being asked to play along in a scene he didn’t audition for. Taerae blenches. “No f@ck@ng way,” he says. Jiwoong laughs strainedly next to him, agreeing just how ridiculous this whole thing is.Hao cracks into a loud, disbelieving laugh. With how silent the room is, it echoes awkwardly in the room. So Hanbin joins in, but it comes off as wary, as if he doesn’t know if this is a funny segment or not.“Now kiss,” Ricky pipes up, and instead of a gloating smile on his face now, he’s just poker-faced.Matthew’s smile freezes on his face. Then he slowly turns toward Gunwook. Gunwook looks back at him, and he’s pretty sure his face has strayed away from the actual screenplay, frowning, looking uncomfortable and uncooperative. Matthew draws his brows together and searches his face. He whispers in a small voice, “Just as planned?”Gunwook doesn’t even nod, nor does he say no. Matthew stills for a few seconds as if waiting for a cue, but since there’s no resistance, his face shifts into a casual one getting into the make-believe. He cups the back of Gunwook’s nape and leans in close, only to stop a few inches before their lips touch.He turns his head towards his friends and grins. “No free show, remember?” he says.Gunwook hears only  one of them groan. There’s more stillness than there’s noise among them, as if they’re trying to see if there’s going to be another sequence. But there isn’t anything else, not that Gunwook can think of. Matthew just sighs, pulls away from Gunwook and raises both his palms up with a sheepish smile.“It’s over,” he proclaims. Then he goes to look up at Gunwook and pats the top of his head. “Great job,” he says. Gunwook laughs, albeit it sounds gnarly and tense.The rest of the night plays out in a blur of questions and disbelief about more of their subterfuge. Gyuvin and Ricky try to press him for details, but Gunwook shrugs it off, saying he’ll explain it tomorrow, because honestly, his head is all befuddled. He might say the wrong things. There’s Matthew, who’s trying to appease Taerae, who sounds the most double-crossed, along with Jiwoong trying to piece things together. Hanbin is silent throughout the whole ordeal while Hao inserts jokes here and there. In the middle, Matthew throws his arm around Gunwook smoothly. Saying things like: “Yeah, we were just ambitious,” and “We’re good at what we do, right, Gunwookie?”Gunwook’s knackered of it all, but he still tries his best to put on a facade and play along. If that’s what Matthew’s asking. He isn’t going to be a party pooper and confess to Matthew right in front of everyone. Granted, he isn’t sure if he’d do it once they find themselves alone in a room.His head throbs towards the end. He just wants to go home and disappear.  
  O
  Being responsible as the winning couple who have stabbed everyone in the back, Matthew and Gunwook offer to clean up. Everyone else departs past midnight, but not before throwing boos at them. Gunwook just laughs at the jabbing, spiteful words, while Matthew gives them smug answers about how, if everyone’s truly outwitted, then that means they won more  than the contest.“We need to talk,” Ricky tells him by the door with a stern look on his face. Gunwook just nods.It’s quiet when the door finally closes. Matthew tells Hanbin to go and rest up. The host looks guilty about it since it’s his own place, but Hao just mutters a  thanks  and drags his boyfriend to his room, as if understanding they need time alone.Gunwook’s in charge of the living room, while Matthew’s cleaning up the kitchen. It gives him time to recollect his thoughts and sober up, even though he just wants to pass out already. But with how active his mind’s working right now, he’s pretty sure it’ll take him a while to actually fall asleep when he gets to bed.Just as Matthew throws the last piece of trash he could find, he pauses his work by the sink to prepare two glasses of water. He hands one to Gunwook and says, “That went well.”Gunwook takes a sip, swallows, then huffs a laugh. “Yeah. Got away with  fraud.”Matthew grins. “Would’ve been worth it even if we didn’t win.”Gunwook smiles, again not trusting himself to speak more words than he should as he swallows the rest of his water.Matthew does the same, then sets his glass down. “You staying here tonight?”Since Hanbin spends his nights with Hao, his bedroom is empty and available. He has kindly offered them the room to stay for the night. Gunwook hesitates at the idea of being together. He’s already planned to leave Matthew alone tonight, and thinks he’ll be able to handle it going home by himself. “You want me to?” he asks anyway.Matthew gives him a funny look. “I always want you to.”Gunwook feels that funny feeling crawling down his spine as the words penetrate him. He wants to run away before it consumes him as a whole. In lieu, it’s his tongue that ends up running. “We’re not  dating  anymore.”Matthew’s eyebrows furrow as he lets out a dry laugh. “How does that relate to this?” he asks in disbelief. “Since  when  did we have to date to hang out?”A part of Gunwook snaps at that. He winces, feeling ashamed of his own response. Maybe he’s a bit self-conscious that, after all this time, Matthew still hasn’t vocalised anything remotely romantic, so he wonders where he’s lacking. All he knows is Matthew  does  find him attractive, if Matthew is willing to go down on his knees for his own pleasure. But that’s never enough for Gunwook in this universe. He wants Matthew in the pure genre of romance. He needs  Matthew in an innocent form of ownership where Matthew genuinely belongs to him.In a real way. Not in a treachery of stolen kisses here and there, to the point where it kills him every time. As if expecting the lack of response, Matthew gets up while Gunwook stays by the kitchen island. He watches as Matthew cleans up the area near the sink and continues to wash their glasses.“I think I’ll head back,” Gunwook blurts. He belatedly realises that this is a repetitive scene. He needs to be more creative next time if he wants to be more subtle about running away.But how can he just be friends with Matthew after everything they’ve done? He can’t just look at him, act normal, and pretend he’s never had Matthew touch him in ways that has brought him to the highest places.Matthew surprisingly doesn’t respond straight away. He takes a long time rinsing his hands, then tosses the last piece of trash into the bag. After drying his hands slowly on a kitchen towel, he turns around and leans against the counter, eyes landing on Gunwook across the island.“You’re doing it again,” he says.“What?” Gunwook asks, genuinely confused. But his heart starts thudding again, because he instantly knows what’s coming.“Overthinking.”Gunwook frowns.In contrast, Matthew’s face is calm, void of emotions as he keeps eye contact. “I can hear it. You get quiet like this when you’re chewing something over.”Gunwook opens his mouth to speak, too stunned by something that Matthew can easily do and  has  repeatedly done — read him like a book. He stammers, “I mean, the cat’s out of the bag, so…”“So?”“I don’t know. It’s just gonna take me a bit, I think. To catch up and go back.” He sighs, knowing how vague he's sounding.“Okay. Cool.”“Cool,” he echoes.Gunwook rubs his palms over his pants, feeling his hands turn moist again. Matthew gestures to the trash bag. “Can you help me tie this?”He stands up and ties it without a word with Matthew hovering next to him.There’s just silence again as he washes his hands and goes back to his original position by the kitchen island. Somehow, doing an amazing job at maintaining a distance between them. Matthew breaks the silence first. “I’ll say it, then. Since you’re not going to.”Gunwook sits up straight. “Say what.”Matthew lifts an eyebrow, and there’s a smile on his face now. He’s changing the mood, as always. “I've come first.”“What?”“This whole bit,” he says casually. “We really sold it, huh? I’m saying, I played my part a little  too  well.”“Seriously?” Gunwook asks, incredulous.Matthew laughs softly, but since it’s Gunwook who hears it, it just sounds so  sad. “Hey, come on. We’ve turned everything into a competition since day one. Why stop now?”“But if everyone believed it, then we both nailed the performance,” he argues. Right away, he bites down on his own tongue, smacking himself inwardly at how he doesn’t even want to lose at this stupid, unnecessary, made-up rivalry between them.Matthew waves his hand. “Yeah, yeah, you can have the win.” Then he smiles sardonically. “You must’ve been really good at pretending you were in love with me too, huh?”Gunwook gapes at him, evidently dumbstruck at the sudden attack.Matthew waits for a response, but he doesn’t get any. “You’re not going to say more, are you?” He waits again, but Gunwook is too focused on trying to gain a proper resurgence so he can say the appropriate things this time around. As usual, Matthew beats him to it. “Okay, I will.”The first one to break the silence, of course. It’s actually Gunwook who’s the loser in the end. “I guess you prevail again.” Matthew chuckles. “D@mn. I was so bad at hiding it. You  never  noticed?” Gunwook’s throat bobs up and down while his eyes are stuck on the table. He can’t lie about this. He  did  notice, but it kind of hurt too much to trust himself and believe his intuitions, if there are no proper words that can support his supposition.As if frazzled by the silence, Matthew fills the room with a heavy exhale. He pulls out a chair to sit down on and says, “Gunwookie, you’re not a genius after all.”Gunwook finally meets his eyes and frowns. “Matthew…”Matthew purses his lips together, then flits his eyes away. “I didn’t want you to go along because it felt good to be wanted.”“What does that even  mean?” Gunwook asks, defensive.“It means,” He turns towards him again. “Have you ever asked me what I wanted?”Gunwook’s voice rises in frustration as he thinks about all the times he’s wanted to do so. He’s really not good at this. “I couldn’t. You kept brushing it off, or  laughing. Like it barely affects you as much as it did me.”Matthew’s expression hardens, as if offended by the conjecture. “You pulled away first, Gunwook, always the one looking for the nearest exit. What was I supposed to think? That you seriously wanted something more when you first shied away after a  simple  touch?”Gunwook suddenly gets cold feet at the admission.“That’s why I thought you were mistaken about your own feelings,” Matthew continues in a softer tone now. “And if you were, then maybe, hm, I was too.”Gunwook wants to rebuke, but Matthew proceeds, “To be honest, I kept trying to convince myself they were. I thought maybe we got swept up in all the attention. All the—whatever the hell we were doing. Pretending?  Kissing.” His mouth quirks bitterly. “I thought maybe we just got used to each other.”Gunwook shakes his head. “That’s not it.” “It’s what I thought initially,” Matthew says gently. He falls quiet again and anticipates more clarity, eyes now locked on Matthew’s fingers tapping restlessly against the table.“I told myself we were just deluded,  maybe  pretending for everyone else got into our heads.” A sigh. “But we kissed again and again.”Gunwook feels himself stiffen as the memories flash in his mind — all the kisses they’ve shared, even the ones hidden from everyone else. He starts thinking about how Matthew has been trying to reach him, and how he noticed but still ceased, in a quandary, wanting to be pulled in instead.Matthew’s fingers stop moving. “Since the first time… Well, I haven’t been able to lie to myself since.”It takes Gunwook a while to find anything that’s meaningful to say after all the words Matthew has let out. “I’m not confused,” he finally mutters. “I never was.”Matthew hums, seeming like he has always known that’s the case. “Then what? What was it? Say it.”“I—” Gunwook’s voice catches in his throat, and he looks away in distress. Come on. He's good with words, understands the importance of communication which goes both ways, but all of that has gone down the drain ever since he met Matthew.Matthew waits patiently, but his fingers start drumming again, filling the silence while Gunwook musters up the courage.“I like you,” Gunwook says.Matthew’s brow lifts. “That’s it?”Gunwook grimaces. “I like you too much. It—it  hurts  sometimes.”Matthew sighs, relieved, and Gunwook feels the same ease wash over him now that he’s finally verbalised and let his  heart out.“Yeah. I know.” Matthew smiles. He stands up and goes over to where Gunwook’s standing, and takes hold of his hand. “You did?” he mumbles. Of course he did. Gunwook is extremely apt, top-notch at everything. Everything, but this  — the masquerade for how he truly feels deep inside.Matthew nods. “I care about you more than I know what to do with. That’s why I didn’t push. I didn’t want you to feel like you had to choose me just because everyone else  expected  it.”Gunwook grabs onto his fingers and shakes his head. “But it’s my own doing. I fell for you of my own will.” He feels the sappiness devour his entire being, so he tries again, “I dove into this whole thing, thinking I was able to handle it, but I ended up not knowing exactly what I was supposed to do. I’m sorry for not telling you sooner.”“Okay,” Matthew says, creasing up softly. “I just needed to hear you say the words.”Gunwook chews on his lower lip before mumbling, “I’m saying it now.”Matthew pokes the area where Gunwook’s heart lies underneath it. It belongs to him, after all. “Mhm, took you long enough,” he teases.Gunwook laughs and lets Matthew take his hand again until their fingers slot together naturally.“I want you,” he says quietly, squeezing their hands.He watches Matthew’s demeanour brighten up, shoulders easing down after the weight of the conversation. Gunwook understands him. He had been scared too, intimidated and extremely ambivalent to say it first.Matthew utters, “I want to kiss you.”Gunwook begins giggling. “That’s the one thing we’ve always been good at.”Matthew throws his head back as he laughs, then releases one hand to wrap his arms around Gunwook’s waist. He leans up on his toes and kisses the tip of his nose. “You’re beautiful. Did I ever tell you that?”Gunwook smiles, scrunching up his nose playfully. “You compliment me in your own odd ways.”“Creative ones.” Matthew grins cheekily. He drags him a little closer until they’re chest to chest, heart to heart. “A compliment a day keeps the… existential dread away?”“What the hell kind of saying is that?” Gunwook just can’t stop laughing now, placing his chin on top of his head as a means of trying to become  whole  with Matthew.“You seem like you’d need it,” Matthew teases, poking his side.Pulling away to look at his face properly, arms still surrounding him, Gunwook raises an eyebrow. “From you, I only ever need them from  you. Besides, have you looked in a mirror lately?”Matthew rolls his eyes fondly. “See, I like that.” A mischievous grin forms on his face. “But hearing you say you wanted to kiss me the first time? Honestly, that was the best part. Like,  d@mn. You’re into me.”“Obviously,” Gunwook says, playing along with a smug look. “I only want  your  attention.”Matthew’s countenance then turns into a more fervent one. He smiles and says wholeheartedly, “Okay, I’ll give you all of it.”He closes the distance between them, and Gunwook meets him halfway until their lips connect together. Both of them smile into the kiss. A kiss that’s void of treachery, and one that’s of sincerity.  
  XOXO
  The final act takes place in Gyuvin’s apartment this time. All their friends are assembled, clustered together around at the dinner table eating chicken that Matthew has decided to spend on as a treat. He tells them it’s the prize money, even though he and Gunwook are already planning on splurging on different matching items. They all look at him like he’s some kind of angel, and Gunwook joins in too despite knowing the truth. It’s just a little dent on the bank account. They’re big boys with big appetites.Gunwook has been ignoring the way Gyuvin’s eyeing the new, conspicuous marks now on his neck. He just flashes a grin at him and shoves a chicken leg into his mouth.Not even five minutes in, Matthew clears his throat dramatically. He stands up with a hand raised like he’s hosting an award show this time around. As a matter of course, it’s along with the presence of Gunwook’s hand linked with his. They’re magnets, after all.“Announcement!” he calls.A collective groan arises from their friends who are busy trying to devour  free  food, which might be the best meal for university students like them. Everyone looks up anyway, curious to see whatever the couple of the year is up to now.“How many announcements do you need?” Taerae bleats, dropping his drumstick down onto the plate. “Haven’t you gotten  enough  attention after today’s events?”“I’m listening!” Hanbin spurs on, raising both greasy hands like he’s pledging allegiance.“Me too.” Hao grins with his mouth full, to which Hanbin’s whiskers dimples decide to step in and starts cooing at how adorable Hao looks.“Listening,” Gyuvin sings, munching on his complimentary food as if he doesn’t own the most extravagant apartment amongst them.“What is it this time?” Ricky snorts. “You started a cooking channel? Formed a cult?”“A cult sounds scary,” Hanbin mutters.“Okay, official announcement!” Matthew beams, waving their connected hands in the air. “Me and Gunwookie,” a pause, “we’re dating. For  real.”The room goes still only for a second, until everyone just goes back to doing whatever they were doing. The food seems more interesting to them, apparently.“Uh,  hello?” Matthew asks, dropping their arms down. He glances at Gunwook who shares the same confusion. “Guys?”“Do you want us to congratulate you?” Taerae asks indifferently, then he bites a piece of his chicken and raises a brow. “This is  not  new information.”“Wait, so you’ve been dating this whole time or what?” Jiwoong asks, puzzled. He turns to Taerae who shakes his head. “What? So which one’s the act?”“Forget about it.” Hao sighs. “Let’s just believe in them now.” He goes back to eating his food, patting Hanbin’s back who’s the only one wearing a valid, shocked expression.“Need more enthusiasm please,” Gunwook beseeches, pulling Matthew closer to his side.Coming to the rescue, Gyuvin whoops and throws his arms in the air, “Hooray! Gunwook and Matthew are dating!”“Now  kiss!” Ricky hollers.Matthew grins from ear to ear, turning around to face Gunwook who leans in instantly and kisses him on the mouth. He holds onto Matthew’s shoulders and giggles as Matthew licks his bottom lip keenly asking to open up.Although he feels reluctant being under the perusal of his friends, it’s all so  real now. He feels more stoked than timid. So, he grants Matthew’s tongue to meet his own. Matthew fists a hand into his hair and uses the other to pull him even closer, tightening his grip around his waist.“How cute,” he hears Taerae coo, then he shrieks after a tiny noise comes from Gunwook, “Okay, enough! I did  not  come here to watch you two tongue each other.”“Speak for yourself,” Hao mutters.Hanbin claps enthusiastically. “Here’s to their long-lasting happiness.”Matthew then breaks the kiss, turning around to laugh at Hanbin. Gunwook stares at him, dazed, before his own eyes crinkle in elation. He leans forward and bites onto the piercing on his ears teasingly, and Matthew giggles before shoving his chest. He feels that insurmountable feeling again, but it’s more brazen than frightening. He now believes in forever, as long as it’s with Matthew. Matthew, who’s now looking up at him with a tender look in his eyes, his fingers cupping his cheeks and squeezing until his lips pucker up. He grins broadly while Gunwook just stays still, liking the way Matthew does whatever he wants with him. They both turn around when Ricky speaks up.“Wait,” Ricky says, eyes narrowing. “So does this mean the next announcement is  marriage?”Matthew lights up again, if that’s even possible with how brightly he’s shining already. He runs to the table and grabs a fork, quickly returning to his initial position and holds the object out to Gunwook like it’s a mic. “Park Gunwook,” he says solemnly, “who will you marry in the future?”Gunwook takes a look at the rest of his friends who seem eager, before he leans in and says, “Seok Matthew.”Matthew grins widely. “Correct!” he says, and he drops the fork on the floor to immediately pull Gunwook in for another kiss. Ricky starts rooting for them again and Taerae sighs heavily.“You win,” he admits. “Stay in love forever.” “Love wins!” Hao cheers, pressing a chaste kiss against his boyfriend’s cheek.“We  win,” Matthew murmurs against his lips as they pull away. They both just gaze into each other’s eyes and, like clockwork, break into the biggest grins — mirrors of one another.With his whole heart and soul, Gunwook accepts that Matthew is his biggest  win  of it all.  (´ε｀ )♡  (“Holy sh@t, does the key  actually  fit?” Matthew exclaims, just as Gunwook’s head pushes through his entrance during their first time.“Matthew, not now  please,” Gunwook, who’s above him, whines, pausing in his movements.Matthew bursts out laughing from where he’s lying on the bed, then he tugs at the necklace hanging around his boyfriend’s neck. “Gunwookie, the key is literally  right  in front of my face. It’s quite big, huh?”Gunwook then sighs, pulling his tip out and twisting around his necklace to the other side so it doesn’t get in the way. “There. Now, can I continue,  please?” “Okay, baby boy, since you’ve asked so nicely. Let’s try again.” Matthew grins.)'
User: Summarize the chapter based on the content provided, ensuring to follow the set format and emphasize key aspects within the specified length.
User: Summarize the chapter based on the content provided, ensuring to follow the set format and emphasize key aspects within the specified length.
Assistant: