You

23

Hyunjin and Changbin strolled down the lively row of food trucks parked by the lake, each stall glowing with warm, colorful lights. The scent of sizzling meats, spicy noodles, and sweet treats wafted through the air. They looked at each other, grinning, both ready to indulge in as many options as they could.

“Alright,” Hyunjin said, eyeing a stall with loaded tacos, “I say we try a bit of everything.”

Changbin chuckled, nodding as they started ordering. They ended up with an impressive spread: tacos, dumplings, skewers, mini waffles, and even a couple of brightly colored slushies. They found a cozy spot by the lake to sit, facing the sparkling water as they began digging in.

Between bites, Changbin pointed at the taco in Hyunjin’s hand. “How is it?”

Hyunjin nodded, chewing happily. “Perfect! Want to try?” He held it out, and Changbin took a bite, nodding his approval.

As they ate, the conversation flowed effortlessly, from lighthearted jokes to sharing snippets of their lives. After a while, Changbin noticed Hyunjin had pulled out a sketchbook, his pencil moving lightly over the paper. The sunset cast a soft orange hue over everything, and as Hyunjin worked, he glanced up occasionally, catching Changbin’s silhouette against the lake.

Changbin raised an eyebrow, laughing. “What are you sketching?”

Hyunjin’s cheeks flushed slightly, and he gave a soft smile. “You, obviously. Something about the view suits you.”

Changbin let out a low chuckle and turned back to face the lake, giving Hyunjin free reign to capture his likeness. But as he continued sketching, Hyunjin found himself adding details that he realized he knew by heart—Changbin’s strong jawline, his focused gaze, the slight arch of his brow. Finally, he noticed how full his sketchbook had become with drawings of Changbin. His face, his eyes, even his hands, all rendered with delicate attention to detail.

Changbin shifted, sensing the quiet focus, and turned to Hyunjin. “What are you looking at?”

Caught off guard, Hyunjin shut the book with a slight smile. “Turns out I’ve been drawing you for a while… long before I even met you. I’d dream of someone with your face, your eyes… and I’d wake up needing to draw you.”

Changbin’s face softened as he took in Hyunjin’s words. “So… I was there all along?” he murmured, the weight of fate dawning on him. He reached out, gently taking Hyunjin’s hand, sharing a quiet, grateful smile as they let the moment settle between them.

---

Back at the den, the atmosphere was tense. Jeongin and Seungmin, having failed spectacularly in their cooking attempts, decided to go out and grab breakfast. Returning with a mountain of bagels, pastries, and fresh coffee, they hoped to cut through the awkward air lingering in the den. They placed everything in the kitchen and called out, “Food’s here! Maybe it’ll fix… whatever’s going on in here.”

Everyone gathered around the kitchen table, but the unease was palpable. Felix and Jisung exchanged glances before finally nodding in silent agreement to clear the air.

Jisung cleared his throat, glancing at everyone before speaking. “So… there’s something Felix and I need to tell you. About those letters.”

Minho and Chan straightened, clearly still curious. Chan looked to Felix, who took a deep breath, and began, “Okay, the truth is, ‘L’ is… well, it’s me. Jisung and I were together for a long time. We started dating back in middle school.”

The room went silent with shock.

Jeongin’s eyes widened, “Wait, you two…?”

Felix nodded, giving a sheepish smile. “Yeah, we’ve known each other forever, and dating felt natural back then. But a few months ago, we realized that… we’re better as friends. We’re so close, but we work best as just that.”

Chan took a deep breath, visibly processing it. “So… it was just history, nothing more now?”

Jisung nodded. “Exactly. We’ve been keeping it platonic. But I’m sorry for not being open about it.”

After a long pause, Minho reached for Jisung’s hand, giving it a squeeze. “Thank you for telling me. I just… needed to know, I guess.”

Chan looked at Felix, his face softened by understanding. “It’s good to know everything. I trust you, Felix. Thanks for explaining.”

As everyone took in the news, the room began to relax, and Felix and Jisung began laughing, recalling their shared history. They told stories of pranks they’d pulled, late-night adventures, and embarrassing middle school memories that had everyone laughing.

The warmth of shared laughter echoed through the den as everyone took turns poking fun at Felix and Jisung's middle school antics. Felix, feeling the relief of finally sharing their story, leaned back against Chan with a grin as he recalled a particularly embarrassing moment from years ago.

“So, there was this time,” Felix began, barely able to keep a straight face, “when Jisung decided it’d be ‘cool’ to ask out three people on the same day.”

Jisung groaned, burying his face in his hands, but he couldn’t help smiling. “Oh, come on, Felix. Do we really need to talk about this?”

“Yes, we do!” Jeongin chimed in with a laugh, practically bouncing with excitement. “This sounds too good to skip!”

Felix nodded, giving Jisung an impish grin before continuing. “Okay, so he made this grand plan to date three people at once. It was supposed to be this suave, ‘cool guy’ move. Spoiler alert—he forgot he’d told them all to meet him at the same café.”

Jisung looked up, laughing, his cheeks red. “And Felix sat at the next table just… watching the whole disaster unfold.”

Minho wrapped an arm around Jisung, teasingly nudging him. “So what happened?”

“I panicked,” Jisung admitted, laughing. “I spent, like, an hour pretending to go to the bathroom every five minutes. One of them finally got annoyed and left, and the other two figured out what was going on. Felix, of course, laughed the whole way home.”

Felix shrugged, chuckling. “I tried to warn him.”

The group’s laughter filled the air, the tension of the morning fully dissolved. Chan looked over at Felix, his expression gentle. “I didn’t realize how far back you two went. Makes sense that you’d have all these memories.”

“Yeah,” Felix said, smiling up at him. “It’s nice to have someone who knows all the embarrassing stuff and is still around. We’ve grown up together.”

As the stories continued, Seungmin and Jeongin exchanged a glance, their playful argument from earlier forgotten. They leaned closer, chuckling along, grateful for the close-knit feeling that held everyone together. The bonfire in the backyard still glowed, and they moved outside to enjoy its warmth, sitting together in a cozy circle.

When the laughter died down, Felix looked at Jisung, then back at Chan and Minho. “It’s all in the past now, and I wouldn’t change where we ended up for anything.”

Jisung nodded, reaching over to ruffle Felix’s hair. “Yeah, Felix will always be one of my best friends. But I think it’s safe to say we both found who we’re really meant to be with.”

Minho pulled Jisung closer, brushing a kiss to his temple. “Glad to hear that.”

The others smiled, watching the affection and trust now shared openly between them. Changbin and Hyunjin were still out, and the group found themselves talking late into the night, sharing stories, hopes, and dreams. As they gazed up at the stars, it was clear that any lingering doubts or secrets had been laid to rest.