Chapter Text
⋆ ✹ ⋆
“If you could fuck any celebrity in the world, who would you fuck?” Woonhak blows a massive bubble with his gum, kicking his feet up onto Dongmin’s desk.
The manager’s office is cramped— nothing more than a little room tucked into the back of the grocery store, shades drawn on the big windows overlooking the produce section— but Jaehyun and Woonhak have a vested interest in bothering Dongmin at every hour of the day. They always eat lunch right here, sitting across Dongmin’s desk from him like they’ve been called to the principal’s office.
Jaehyun chews on the end of his pen, turning his eyes up towards the ceiling. “Hm… such a good question. Who would I fuck?”
“Is this really appropriate workplace conversation?” Dongmin deadpans, shoving Woonhak’s feet down and leaning over his desk just to pop his bubble with his finger.
“Boo, don’t be a buzzkill, Dongminnie. You can play too,” Jaehyun simpers, putting on his best pout. Dongmin just rolls his eyes, hunching over his computer and very grumpily scrolling through what Jaehyun assumes is a spreadsheet, or something. There’s no good reason for Dongmin to be on his computer during the lunch hour anyways.
“I’d pick Jackson Wang,” Woonhak declares, kicking his feet right back up onto Dongmin’s desk. Dongmin glares at him, but doesn’t push them off this time.
Jaehyun blurts out a laugh. “Jackson Wang? What the fuck. He’s, like, double your age.”
Woonhak crosses his arms, relaxing into a sleazy grin. “Yeah, exactly. He knows how to ride the ride. Also, I hear he throws a great party.”
Jaehyun watches Dongmin’s lip curl up in disgust. He forces back his own smile, knowing it’ll just set Dongmin off if he lets it out. He spins in his chair towards Woonhak. “Okay. Well, I’d pick Kim Donghyun.”
“Ohhhh! That's a good one!” Woonhak lights up. “I’m changing my answer to him, too!”
“Nuh uh! You can’t steal mine. Donghyun and I aren’t into the poly thing.”
Dongmin scoffs, face so close to his screen that it’s glowing blue. He looks ridiculous.
“What?” Jaehyun prompts, because he knows Dongmin is dying to share whatever opinion he’s huffing and puffing over.
“Nothing.” Dongmin sighs. He narrows his eyes like he’s focusing on something. If Jaehyun got up to check, he’d be willing to bet Dongmin is playing Minesweeper rather than doing anything important. “You two just need to grow up.”
“You two just need to grow up,” Woonhak mocks. He juts a thumb at Dongmin. “Get a load of this guy. He’s too grown up to have sex with hot guys.”
Dongmin grabs his Spider-Man action figure off his desk and chucks it at Woonhak’s head. It hits him squarely in the forehead before clattering to the floor.
Woonhak gasps, planting his feet on the ground. “Hey! You could have blinded me!”
“Good thing you’re fucking Jackson Wang. He can pay your medical bills.” Dongmin smirks. He lets it linger for all of ten seconds before he sobers. Says, “Okay, enough chatting, lunch is over,” in his most managerial tone of voice. “I want you two stocking freezers until Hyeju comes in.”
Woonhak rolls his eyes but follows directions. He clips his nametag back on, trudging out of the office, feet dragging.
Once the door shuts behind him, Dongmin lets out a deep breath. He's always so concerned with everyone thinking he’s good at his job— he only lets Jaehyun see his moments of weakness. Playing Minesweeper on his lunch break like the twenty-five year old kid he is.
Jaehyun leans forward onto Dongmin’s desk, folding his arms over the edge and batting his eyelashes as prettily as he can manage.
“Dongminnie…” he says sweetly.
Dongmin snorts, looking at Jaehyun down the bridge of his nose. “Yes, I’ll drive you home.”
“Yay!” Jaehyun springs up, heading for the door. “Dinner’s on me! Promise.”
“Better be, Myung,” Dongmin drawls after him.
Jaehyun walks back into the store with a little extra spring in his step.
⋆
“Don’t you think Kim Donghyun is probably… like… weird?” Dongmin doesn’t even bother to hide his sneer as he asks, staring mindlessly out the front window of the car, sticking another french fry in his mouth. The neon lights of the drive-in blink pink and red across his face.
Jaehyun breaks into a laugh, reaching over to steal Dongmin’s drink out of his hand and take a sip. Dongmin always gets Dr Pepper. Jaehyun always steals it because he never thinks he wants Dr Pepper until Dongmin gets it, and then he does want it.
“You’re still hung up on Kim Donghyun?” he teases.
“I’m not hung up on him,” Dongmin scoffs, stealing his soda back. “I’m just thinking about how much it must suck to be a child actor turned A-lister. The guy is probably socially inept. I bet he’s a virgin.”
The next laugh Jaehyun lets out is even louder. He wipes his burger-greasy fingers on his jeans. “I’m sure he’s fine, Dongminnie. He’s mega-wealthy and could get anyone he wants. He’s definitely not a virgin.”
Dongmin sneers. “I just don’t think it’s aspirational to be with someone like him. There’s more to life to be happy than money.”
“You don’t have to convince me, Minnie.” Jaehyun reaches out to try to poke his cheek, but Dongmin moves at the last second. “I’m perfectly content right where I am.”
That earns him a side eye. “Sometimes I’m not so sure about that.”
Jaehyun frowns, bottom lip poking out. “I have a good job—”
“Debatable,” Dongmin cuts in.
“I have a job that I like,” Jaehyun corrects. It seems to be acceptable to Dongmin. “A house I don’t have to pay rent on. Friends that aren’t so terrible…” he leans closer. “What more could I possibly need?”
Dongmin huffs, pushing Jaehyun away from him again. “I don’t know. Forget it,” he grumbles.
Jaehyun giggles. When he steals Dongmin’s soda this time, Dongmin doesn’t take it back, he just turns the keys in the ignition, starting his car again.
Dongmin looks over to make sure Jaehyun is buckled. Jaehyun sticks out his tongue. Dongmin’s face screws up.
“Stop,” he says, closer to a whine than an order.
Jaehyun smiles happily, finishing off Dongmin’s Dr Pepper.
Despite how long they’ve been friends, sometimes, Dongmin still confuses Jaehyun.
The simplest way to describe Han Dongmin is hard on the outside, soft on the inside. Jaehyun is in a unique position as Dongmin’s best friend— he gets both, when most people never break through the first layer.
They’ve been friends since they were kids. They shared their first kiss together, and then decided they should never do that again. Dongmin has been there for all of Jaehyun’s milestones, and Jaehyun there for Dongmin’s. They come as a set.
Jaehyun has always been the more outgoing of the two of them. The more open. He’s usually dragging Dongmin places rather than the other way around. Dongmin is reserved, and mysterious, but to Jaehyun he’s just Dongmin. Jaehyun’s best friend.
Everything has been a little messed up since Jaehyun came back after moving away. It wouldn’t be noticeable to anyone else, but to Jaehyun, it feels like a wedge cranked open straight between his ribs.
When Jaehyun used to picture his life, he’d see it going one of two ways. Either he’d stay or go after graduation.
If he stayed— stuck around their small town— he figured he’d probably end up with Dongmin one way or another. Not quite high school sweethearts, but close enough. They’d fall in love, and get married. Save up and buy a little house on the edge of town. It wouldn’t be much, but it would be enough.
If he went, he’d move to the big city. Go to school. Get a good job. Make something of himself, and come home for holidays. He and Dongmin would stay in touch— but Dongmin is too attached to their little town. He doesn’t like change enough to follow Jaehyun away. Maybe he and Jaehyun would hook up after a drunken night at the dive bar down the road from Jaehyun’s parents house on Christmas Eve.
Neither one felt quite right. Jaehyun would be giving up one dream for another, whichever direction he fell.
In the end, it was neither.
He went away. Moved to the city, and started school. He and Dongmin kept in touch, and nothing felt all too different.
But then Jaehyun’s step-dad died, and school was too expensive without help when the debts outpaced the assets— so Jaehyun took a train home, his entire life packed into three suitcases, and moved back into his old bedroom.
It was so much change at once. Dongmin helped Jaehyun get a job at the grocery store he’d been working at since he was thirteen. He was newly minted as a manager at the time, so he didn’t have to pull many strings to hire Jaehyun on. Jaehyun’s step-brother took over the family business with one of his cousins, and they did their best.
When the dust settled, Jaehyun felt it. The horrible, sick feeling that something between he and Dongmin was off. Ever so slightly. Just barely detectable. Places where Jaehyun used to have a clear path to dig, Dongmin would shut him out. Act strange. Steel himself until Jaehyun withdrew again.
It’s been four years since then, but the effects still linger. He always figured that Dongmin felt a bit betrayed when Jaehyun decided to go away. That Jaehyun ruined dreams for both of them when he left for school. Dongmin is good at holding a grudge.
Nowadays, Jaehyun is able to forget about it. Whatever he and Dongmin were is basically a distant memory. But, sometimes, like when they’re sitting in Dongmin’s car at the drive-in, and Dongmin is getting weird and cagey about the concept of Kim Donghyun as a person— Jaehyun remembers, with striking clarity, how he and Dongmin used to be. Young, bright-eyed, and incapable of imagining up any universe where things could go wrong.
Nowadays, Jaehyun thinks that they just grew up. They both realized how hard life is, and how unpredictable. They matured in their own ways, despite still being stuck together.
Nowadays, Jaehyun knows that he’ll probably still always hold a torch for Dongmin, but it doesn’t make him feel as lightheaded as it did when he was a teenager.
Nowadays, Jaehyun likes his life.
Sure, it’s mundane, and average, and sometimes a little boring, but he loves his friends, and his job isn’t half bad, and he really has nothing to complain about. He was telling Dongmin the truth.
If Jaehyun really wanted to, he could have figured out a way to leave again after he came back, but he realized some things are more important. Family. Friends. The basic act of being happy and living well. He just isn’t destined for greater things, and that’s fine. He doesn’t need them.
He likes that he can see the stars at night from his backyard. He can’t do that in the city. He likes that Dongmin is only a car ride away rather than a train ride. He likes thinking about how good Kim Donghyun’s life must be, while recognizing that it’s not for him to have.
Jaehyun has always been easily satisfied. Dongmin would make fun of him when they were in middle school, because he’d be happy no matter what was served for lunch in the cafeteria.
“You’re like the sun,” he’d say, feigning annoyance.
“Don’t you feel warm, Dongminnie?” Jaehyun would return.
Dongmin would squint. Say, “I think I need sunglasses.”
When Jaehyun laughed, Dongmin would break into a smile before he pushed it down, but Jaehyun always saw it.
Jaehyun doesn’t know what he’s looking for nowadays. The final piece of the puzzle, maybe. A purpose, certainly. Love… eventually.
Confidence in his decision to stay— because at the end of the day, it really is what he wants.
“Are you done zoning out?” Dongmin asks, reaching across the car to nudge Jaehyun’s arm. “We’re almost home.”
“Yeah.” Jaehyun shakes himself out of his head. He turns towards the window, nearly pressing his nose to the glass in his bid to look outside.
“Dr Pepper makes you so moody…” Dongmin grumbles.
“That must be why you’re always afflicted.” Jaehyun pouts.
Dongmin cracks a smile. It pulls up at one side of his mouth and creases the corners of his eyes. Jaehyun momentarily forgets about the stars.
“For your information, I’m actually the employee of the year…” Dongmin says, shooting Jaehyun a look as he rolls up to a stop sign.
“The only person competing with you for that was Johnny.”
Dongmin makes a face. “Uh, yeah, and I beat him.”
Jaehyun spills over with laughter. “You’re right. You did. I’m sorry, Mr. Han. I’ll put more respect on your name going forward.”
They both laugh again, falling quiet afterwards. It doesn’t feel awkward. It never has with Dongmin.
“Do you think Kim Donghyun has ever won employee of the year…?” Jaehyun asks as Dongmin pulls up outside of his house.
Dongmin scoffs like Jaehyun is ridiculous. “I’d love to see the guy try. Pretty boy like him… no shot. I bet he can’t even lift a crate of tomatoes.”
Jaehyun’s cheeks ache from the force of his smile when he climbs out of the car. He leans over after he shuts the door behind him, waiting for Dongmin to roll down the window so he can rest his arms on the edge of the door. “Thanks for the Dr Pepper.”
“Thanks for dinner,” Dongmin returns.
“See you tomorrow, Dongminnie,” Jaehyun says, just like he always does when Dongmin drives him home.
“Can’t wait,” Dongmin deadpans, just like he always does when he drives Jaehyun home.
⋆ ☽ ⋆
“Kim Donghyun Spotted Getting Cozy with Mystery Women (Plural) at Club. Polygamist or Man Whore?” Sungho reads off his phone, emphasizing the words that pack the most punch.
He’s really gifted at line delivery. Donghyun always tells him that he should have been an actor rather than an agent.
“Why not both?” Donghyun plucks the tiny umbrella out of his drink, using his teeth to pull a maraschino cherry off the end of it. He hums when the sweet juice melts across his tongue.
Sungho (judgmentally) looks up at Donghyun over the tops of his sunglasses before dropping his eyes back down, scrolling to the next article. “Kim Donghyun Repeatedly Hits Big at Casino. Rehab In Sight?”
Donghyun laughs out loud. “I don’t have a gambling problem, I learned the pattern of the game so I can win every time. That’s, like, the opposite of a problem. Why would I need rehab if I keep winning?”
That gets Sungho to sigh, long and drawn out. He scrolls again, clears his throat before reading the next. “Kim Donghyun Desecrates Chapel in Drunken Stupor. JESUS HATER DOOMED TO HELL?”
“Okay, that one is just ridiculous, I would never go to church, drunk or otherwise.”
“You threw up in the bushes outside of a church, Donghyun.”
“I had a bad taco!”
“You were also on a lethal combination of vodka soda and poppers, but we’re just glossing over that part?” Sungho argues, dropping his phone on the table between them. It spins for a second before coming to a rest, the latest news article still bright on the screen, along with a pretty damning photo of Donghyun keeled over in the shrubs outside of what is certainly a church.
“Well…” Donghyun reaches out and gingerly turns Sungho’s phone on its face so he doesn’t have to stare at proof of his own mistakes. “You don’t know that it was poppers, it could have been—” he stops. Frowns. “Nevermind, I can’t think of any other drugs.”
“Right.” Sungho sighs again, pushing his sunglasses up into his hair just to press the heels of his palms into his eyes. “But the higher-ups are on my ass, so we need to come up with a plan.”
“A plan? Seriously,” Donghyun groans, sinking further into his chair.
“Yes. Total image overhaul. It’s too much. You’re overexposed. We need something to get you back on track, and then we’ll pull back a bit. Give you time to figure out what the root of the problem is.”
“I’ll tell you exactly what my problem is, Sungho,” Donghyun stabs his finger into the table, his glass wobbling precariously when the surface shakes. Sungho automatically reaches out to steady it. “I’m bored,” Donghyun finishes.
“How is that possible?!” Sungho barks out a laugh. His tone is getting dangerously close to sounding like he’s about to pull his hair out. “You’re with a new girl every night of the week! You almost crashed your car a few days ago! You’re in the headlines every goddamn day!”
“Ugh,” Donghyun complains, flopping back in his chair again. “I don’t know! But I am. Nothing feels fulfilling. It’s all nonsense.”
Sungho softens around the edges. He takes a deep breath, lips pursed. “Donghyun…”
“It’s fine. Don’t worry about me. I’ll get that role in that big superhero movie, and everything will be fine, just like it always is.”
“Big superhero movie— They’re eyeing you to be the next Spider-Man, Donghyun— that’s not—” Sungho makes a frustrated noise.
“Is it not?” Donghyun raises his eyebrows. “That’s why you need to revamp my image, right? So that they don’t throw away my tapes just by reading my name?”
Sungho doesn’t answer, he just stares, forehead creased seriously.
“Bingo!” Donghyun sings. “Woo. I’m so good at this game. Can I get an actual alcoholic drink instead of this kiddie shit you ordered me?” He sits up to look for a waiter, but Sungho stops him with a hand extended.
“Donghyun— can we be serious for one second—”
“Were you not being serious when you said I have a problem?”
Sungho gives Donghyun the look. It’s a catch-all look. One he uses when he’s trying to convey that he’s serious. That he’s work-Sungho right now rather than friend-Sungho, though Donghyun would argue that the two are always flirting with complete fusion.
Either way, Donghyun’s best friend is his agent. That has to say something about him.
If he’s being completely honest, Donghyun kind of hates his life.
Sure, it’s flashy, and glamorous, and always exciting on paper, but he has no real friends because everyone in the industry is shallow— his job keeps him busy nearly constantly, so he has no time to do anything he actually wants to do— and being famous just isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. He feels stagnant.
He spent all of his formative years in sound stages and auditions. He learned math out of a trailer on a studio lot. His first kiss was scripted.
Now he’s twenty-five, and he’s peaking— or that’s what everyone keeps saying— and he doesn’t like knowing that he’s peaking while he’s peaking, because that means it’s all downhill from here.
He likes acting, but he doesn’t like everything that comes with it.
Donghyun doesn’t know what he’s looking for. The final piece of the puzzle, maybe. A purpose, certainly. Love… eventually.
It all just seems so out of reach from where he’s standing.
“—I just want you to be happy, Donghyun— and all this to say… the company already has a proposal for you.”
Donghyun blinks. It’s impossible to say how long Sungho was talking before he tuned back in, but he gets the gist of it. “A proposal…”
“Okay, so, it’s less of a proposal and more of an ultimatum…” Sungho winces. “They said you have to do this one tiny thing, or they’ll drop you before we even get to Spider-Man auditions.”
“I don’t like the way you said that.”
“It’s for charity!” Sungho pitches up his voice. “That has to make it better, right?”
Donghyun steels himself for the worst. Takes a deep breath. “What is it, Sungho?”
⋆ ✹ ⋆
“Jaehyun!” Woonhak bellows, sprinting down the cereal aisle at full speed. His shoes squeak against linoleum as he comes to a rest, shoving his phone in Jaehyun’s face. “DidYouSeeThis?!”
Jaehyun’s eyes take a second to adjust. He squints at Woonhak’s screen, box of Cheerios falling out of his hands. “Woah.”
“Win a Date with Kim Donghyun!” Woonhak gushes.
“Huh?”
“Win a Date with—”
“No, I got that— but— what? Is this real?” Jaehyun grabs Woonhak’s phone out of his hands, squinting at the webpage he has pulled up. He scans over the information— For charity! All expenses paid!
“Oh, it’s real, and I’ve already put your name in three times,” Woonhak confirms. He snatches his phone back. “It’ll be four if you give me five more dollars.”
“Woonhak!” Jaehyun gawks.
“What? You need to get laid. It’s really dire…” Woonhak eyes him up and down judgementally. “Sanghyuk told me you haven’t had anyone over in over a year…”
“Why the hell are you talking to Sanghyuk about my sex life?!”
Woonhak grabs Jaehyun’s shoulder and shakes. “Because I care about you, Jaehyun!”
Jaehyun tsks, looking away. “Well, Sanghyuk hasn’t had anyone over in a lot longer than that, so…” he grumbles.
“Yeah, but Kim Donghyun isn’t his type.” Woonhak snorts like that much is obvious.
“He’s not really my type either— he’s just sexy—”
“What did I say about phones, Woonhak?” Dongmin’s voice drones from the end of the aisle.
Woonhak rolls his eyes dramatically before spinning around. “Dongmin, do you have five dollars to donate to a good cause?”
“Is the good cause you putting your phone away?”
“No, it’s winning Jaehyun a date with Kim Donghyun.” Woonhak looks at Dongmin like he’s stupid. “Duh.”
Dongmin seems conflicted about if he actually wants to see what’s going on. He sighs, looks over his shoulder, but ultimately gives in, stalking down the aisle to look over Woonhak and Jaehyun’s shoulder at the phone.
“Pay up.” Woonhak wiggles his fingers.
“Absolutely not.” Dongmin’s lip curls in disgust. “I’m not paying you money to pimp Jaehyun out to an actor.”
“It’s not pimping if he’s willing, genius,” Woonhak scoffs.
“I never said I was willing!”
“Jaehyun,” Woonhak says seriously. He turns, Putting his hand firmly on Jaehyun’s shoulder. “You cannot tell me you wouldn’t want to go on a date with Kim Donghyun!”
Jaehyun thinks about it for a second, lips pursed. He ignores the death glare Dongmin is shooting into the side of his head.
Kim Donghyun is hot. He’s much hotter than nearly every other guy Jaehyun has ever gone on a date with. It’s not like a date is committing to anything, anyway. It’s just a date!
“Well…” he says, smile worming its way onto his face.
“You cannot be serious,” Dongmin says, distaste evident in his tone.
“It’s a hypothetical!” Jaehyun defends, cheeks heating up. “He’s hot and famous! It’s not like I have any other prospects.”
“Whatever,” Dongmin huffs. He turns around, shoe squeaking on the floor as he walks away. “Put the phone away or I’ll write you up, Woonhak!”
“God, he’s such a buzzkill lately,” Woonhak murmurs, continuing to type in Jaehyun’s info for another entry.
Jaehyun can’t determine the source of the knot in his stomach. The buzzing under his skin. He can’t determine much at all lately. At least this will be a good distraction. “Okay,” he decides. “Let’s win a date with Kim Donghyun.”
⋆
Woonhak gets to work in a way he’s never done for his actual, paid job.
Every customer that comes through his till is subjected to his speech about donating to charity— his can for donations fills up twice before the week is over.
By the time the contest ends, Woonhak has submitted Jaehyun’s name at least fifty times, and he insists that everyone go out to celebrate his great success in fundraising after work. After much convincing (Woonhak promising to buy Dongmin a beer) Dongmin agrees.
The only bar in town is right around the corner from the grocery store. Run by the Cho family for generations, though now it’s mostly just Seongil and Haseul that keep it up for their parents.
If Jaehyun is being honest, he prefers when Haseul is tending bar. Seongil was in the same class as Jaehyun and Dongmin. He’s tall, and handsome, and… Jaehyun just doesn’t like him.
“Howdy,” Seongil says, stupid smile on his face as he leans over the bar, tank top leaving all of his biceps on display and a rag slung over his shoulder. His attention is singular. On Dongmin. “Always good to see you here.”
Dongmin blinks, always intensely oblivious to what’s right in front of him. “Woonhak’s paying tonight,” he says. “May as well just open a tab for him.”
“Hey! I didn’t say that!” Woonhak argues, shouldering his way between Dongmin and Jaehyun’s stools. He slaps down cash on the counter. “This is all I’ve got. The tab can only be for this much.”
Seongil’s smile widens. “You’ve got it, boss.” He shoves the money into his apron pocket, tapping around on his computer. “Your usual, Dongminnie?” he asks, raising one eyebrow.
Dongmin grunts in agreement.
“I’ll have the same, please, Seongil,” Jaehyun chimes in.
Seongil’s smile drops when he looks at Jaehyun. “Sure,” he says.
“And I want the fanciest cocktail you have!” Woonhak declares, smacking his hand on the bar.
Seongil squints. “So, like… a vodka Redbull?”
“Well… yeah, that’ll work.” Woonhak rounds Dongmin to plop down into the stool to his right, sighing dramatically and letting out a loud laugh afterwards. “Wow. Life is so beautiful. I can’t believe we’re all alive, and here together.”
When he slings his arm over Dongmin’s shoulders, Dongmin shrugs him off.
“Come on, Dongmin? Why are you so pissy lately?” Woonhak complains. “You’re bringing down my mood!”
“You’re annoying,” Dongmin shoots back.
“He’s still pissed about Kim Donghyun,” Jaehyun cuts in. When Seongil drops off their drinks, setting down Dongmin’s first, Jaehyun doesn’t bother to thank him.
“Who’s pissed about Kim Donghyun?”
Jaehyun spins around, Sanghyuk patting his back as he takes the spot to Jaehyun’s left.
“Oh, hey!” Woonhak brightens. “The whole gang is here! I didn’t think you’d come, you left me on read!”
Jaehyun snorts. Woonhak has had a useless crush on Sanghyuk since they were kids.
“Woonhak, I always leave you on read,” Sanghyuk says, unfazed.
“So true,” Woonhak agrees with a soft chuckle.
“Is he still on that Kim Donghyun thing? I thought that was over.” Sanghyuk flags down Seongil, ordering the exact same beer that Jaehyun and Dongmin are drinking. The options here are limited.
“It just ended today— did you even read the text that you left on read?” Woonhak pouts.
“Oh. No. Not really.” Sanghyuk rubs the back of his neck. “Some guy threw up all over his room this afternoon. It was a disaster. Took forever to clean up.”
Woonhak lightens up immediately. “Oof, okay, you’re forgiven.” He props his head up in one hand, stars in his eyes. “The Kim Donghyun contest ended today, and Jaehyun is going to win.”
“I’m not going to win.”
“You are! I put your name in so many times!”
Jaehyun sighs, dragging his finger through the condensation on the side of his glass. He gives Sanghyuk a look. They’re good at communicating through expressions. They’ve been brothers since they were thirteen.
Sanghyuk smiles. Shakes his head. He pokes Jaehyun’s shoulder. “I’m surprised you even let him do this. Kim Donghyun isn’t really your type, is he?”
“I mean—” Jaehyun takes a long pull of his beer. “What man isn’t my type, Sanghyuk? I’m an equal opportunity man lover. I love men.”
“Ew,” Dongmin huffs.
Jaehyun rolls his eyes, pretending he didn’t hear it. “But, yes, technically, he’s not my usual type.”
“He’s blonde,” Sanghyuk provides.
“I know…” Jaehyun wrinkles his nose. “And—”
“Born rich,” Sanghyuk finishes for him.
“Exactly,” Jaehyun agrees. “But, he’s so hot. I think I could get over all of that.”
Sanghyuk laughs. “You’re such a good person, Jaehyunnie. I could never date a rich man. It would give me hives.”
“That’s why I need to marry one for both of us. We’ll be set for life.”
“Hey, I’m not even salaried,” Woonhak cuts in from down the bar. “Like, I don’t make much money at all, because Dongmin won’t give me a raise!”
“Aw, Dongmin…” Sanghyuk clicks his tongue. “Give Unakie a raise. He wants to be rich.”
“That’s not what I said!” Woonhak blurts, close to shouting. Dongmin winces, covering his ear.
Sanghyuk takes a long swig of his beer before setting it down on the counter. “I’m going to play darts,” he announces, glancing at Dongmin before shooting Jaehyun a knowing look.
“I’ll come!” Woonhak nearly smacks his head on the counter in his dash to get off his stool.
Jaehyun shakes his head, scooting a little closer to Dongmin when he turns around. “Do you really hate Kim Donghyun that much?”
“No, god, Jaehyun,” Dongmin scowls. “I’m just having a bad month. Not everything revolves around you and Kim Donghyun.”
“Ouch.” Jaehyun lets the barb roll off of him. Dongmin gets like this when he’s in a bad mood. He’s a porcupine. As long as Jaehyun strokes him from front to back, he won’t get pricked. “You didn’t mean that.”
“Yeah, you’re right…” Dongmin sighs. “The world only revolves around you. But I meant the Kim Donghyun part.” He hunches over his drink, still grumpy.
“Cheer up,” Jaehyun teases. He gets closer and closer, until he’s right in Dongmin’s face, tickling Dongmin’s side until he cracks a smile. “You know I hate it when you’re not smiling, Dongminnie. You look so pretty when you smile.”
“Shut up,” Dongmin grumbles, shoving Jaehyun away. “You’re so annoying.”
“I’m being honest,” Jaehyun whines. He winds his arms around Dongmin’s waist, setting his chin on his shoulder. He can smell Dongmin’s deodorant. The same kind he’s been using since they were in middle school. It’s always strangely comforting. “I miss happy Dongmin. Stop being weird. Nothing is going to come of this contest. Woonhak just needs something to get excited about.”
Dongmin relaxes minutely, but Jaehyun can feel it, muscles relaxing in his hold. “Sure,” Dongmin says softly.
“Once all this Kim Donghyun stuff blows over, you’ll have me all to yourself again.”
“Unless you win.” Dongmin smirks, glancing over at Jaehyun with the smallest hint of amusement. Jaehyun will take it. It’s better than Dongmin being weird and closed off.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Jaehyun giggles. “What are the chances that of everyone who puts their name in, I get chosen?”
⋆ ☽ ⋆
“Myung Jaehyun, twenty-five, from the middle of nowhere, works at a grocery store… but, hey! He owns his own home!” Sungho tries to pitch his voice up to soften the blow. Then, he frowns, eyes moving quickly back and forth as he reads down the page. “Kind of… he owns it with his brother…”
“Is it too late to pull out of this?” Donghyun groans, sinking further down into his couch.
Sungho presses two fingers to his temple. “Please, Donghyun, just try.”
“I am trying,” Donghyun lies.
He drops his head back, staring at his vaulted ceilings. His house is way too big for one person.
He’s been thinking a lot about how big his life is for one person. It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to share it with someone else. Just… not someone who paid to go on a date with him.
“The company asked me if you’d prefer the drawing to be actually random, or if you wanted to go on a date with the daughter of that stupid tech CEO that's been in the news lately— apparently she donated a lot of money for this,” Sungho laughs, shaking his head. “But I told them, no, we don’t want to commit fraud, and look! We’ve been rewarded with someone perfectly normal! Fate is on your side!” He pats Donghyun’s thigh.
“So glad you told them not to break the law while pimping me out, Sung.”
Sungho makes a ridiculously earnest face. “I always want what’s best for you, Donghyun.”
Donghyun rolls his eyes. “Do we have, like, a photo of this guy? Or am I going in completely blind?”
“No photo, unfortunately.” Sungho frowns. “But the friend who submitted all these entries for him said he’s highkey lowkey super handsome, trust, whatever that means.”
“Is his friend twelve?”
“I don’t have information on his friend.”
Donghyun sighs loudly.
Across the living room, the door to his bedroom opens, a girl still dressed in last night’s clothes shuffling out. She gives Donghyun and Sungho a winning smile. Her makeup is smudged under her eyes, hair a mess. Donghyun forgot she was still here. The other one left hours ago.
“My Uber is here. See ya around,” she says, giggling as she prances across the floor towards the front door.
“See you,” Donghyun gives her a lazy wave. He only stares at her ass for an appropriate amount of time as she goes.
When he turns back around, Sungho’s eyes are on the verge of popping out of his head. He doesn’t say anything until the front door shuts. “You’re joking.”
“I went out last night. What do you want me to tell you?” Donghyun’s lips curve up.
“You are on PR crisis lockdown!” Sungho smacks him.
Donghyun grabs his arm where Sungho hit him, scowling. “Stop the violence! I quit gambling! You’re acting like I’ve done nothing for you!”
“Donghyun! You—” Sungho shouts, cutting himself off halfway through. He takes a deep breath. He’s been seeing a yogi lately. It’s done wonders for his temper. “Let’s start over,” he says serenely. “Here’s the plan for the next three months until Spider-Man auditions…”
Donghyun makes a soft noise of complaint.
“No partying. No hook ups. No drinking unless you’re supervised by me.” Sungho ticks off each goal on his fingers. “You’re going to go on a date with this nice boy from the middle of nowhere and be very polite, and chivalrous, and the tabloids are going to take photos of you. It will be sweet, and maybe you’ll actually like him—”
“Doubtful.”
Sungho raises his eyebrows in warning. He pushes on, “You’re going to go to your audition, and pretend to shoot webs or whatever they want—”
“Gross…”
“And then, once you’ve signed the lifetime contract that the studio will surely have you sign for this career-making role, you’re free. You can do as you please.”
Donghyun frowns. “I kinda wish I knew last night was my final night of freedom, I would have taken home three girls instead of two.”
Sungho opens his mouth, swinging his head back and forth from Donghyun’s door to Donghyun. “Is there still one in there? Do I need to print an NDA? Did you get more ink for your printer like I told you to?”
“She left before I woke up,” Donghyun says. “And I’m not totally stupid. I made them promise not to tell anyone what my dick looks like.”
“Oh my god, Donghyun,” Sungho hisses. Donghyun swears he’s getting a wrinkle on his forehead, right between his eyebrows.
“NDAs are so unsexy, Sung. Imagine you’re about to put it in and you have to ask her to sign a paper.”
“You’re supposed to have her sign it before you get to the putting it in stage!”
Donghyun grins. “Hah. I got you to say put it in.”
“Maybe I should tell the studio you don’t want to be Spider-Man…” Sungho says threateningly. He scrolls through his phone. “I have the contact right here.”
“No, please!” Donghyun reaches out to grab it, but Sungho moves out of the way at the last second. “I’ll look so good in the suit!”
Sungho narrows his eyes. He’s evil when he wants to be.
“Myung Jaehyun. I love that name…” Donghyun gives in. “I’m going to give this man the best date he’s ever had. Promise.”