The next morning, Sunoo woke up feeling lighter than he had in days. The warmth of his lovers, still sprawled out around him, was a comforting reminder of the love and support they shared. He smiled softly, watching Heeseung mumble something in his sleep while Jake clung to his arm like a koala.
He carefully reached for his phone, intending to check the chaos online, but as soon as he unlocked it, his notifications exploded with missed calls and messages. His eyes widened when he noticed they weren’t just from fans or friends—they were from his family.
> Mom: “Call me NOW, young man!”
Dad: “We need to talk, Sunoo. Call us immediately.”
Grandma: “Sweetheart, you’re so talented! Let me know when you have time to chat. I have a few things to say.”
Auntie: “Sunoo! Why didn’t you tell me about the performance? I cried my eyes out!”
Before Sunoo could process the flood of messages, his phone began to buzz. He flinched as his mom’s name lit up the screen.
“Uh-oh,” Sunoo muttered under his breath.
Jungwon stirred beside him, blinking sleepily. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s my mom,” Sunoo whispered, his voice filled with a mix of nervousness and amusement. “And… my entire family apparently.”
“Answer it,” Jungwon said with a grin, nudging him playfully. “You’ve been caught, Mr. Superstar.”
Sunoo sighed and answered the call, putting it on speaker as he sat up. “Hi, Mom…”
“Kim Sunoo!” his mom’s voice rang out, both scolding and affectionate. “Why didn’t you tell us you were going to pull a stunt like that? We had to find out through the live stream!”
“I-I wanted it to be a surprise,” Sunoo stammered, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Well, it worked,” his dad chimed in from the background. “We were all crying, Sunoo. Crying. Even your grandma!”
“Sunoo, sweetheart,” his grandma’s voice cut in, her tone much gentler. “That song you sang… it was beautiful. And the fact that you changed the lyrics for your lovers? Oh, my heart! You’ve grown into such a thoughtful young man.”
Sunoo’s cheeks turned pink, and the other members began to stir, their curious eyes now focused on him.
“Thanks, Grandma,” Sunoo said softly.
His mom’s voice returned, this time less scolding and more emotional. “We’re so proud of you, Sunoo. You’ve always had such a big heart, but last night… you showed the whole world just how special you are.”
Auntie’s voice suddenly joined in the mix. “And those boys of yours—tell them they better take care of you! If I see even one of them make you cry, they’ll have to answer to me!”
“Mom, Auntie, they’re listening,” Sunoo groaned, glancing at the members who were now fully awake and trying not to laugh.
“Good!” his mom replied. “Heeseung, Jake, Jay, Sunghoon, Jungwon, Niki—you all better treat my son right! He’s a gem, and if you don’t appreciate him, I’ll fly over there myself!”
“Yes, ma’am!” Jake said with a salute, earning laughter from the group.
Sunoo buried his face in his hands, thoroughly flustered. “Can we not do this right now?”
“No way,” his dad said, laughing. “Sunoo, you’ve got the entire family talking about how lucky your lovers are to have you. Even your cousins are jealous!”
“I think I need to hang up now,” Sunoo mumbled, his ears burning.
“Wait, before you go,” his mom said, her tone softening again. “Just know that we’re so proud of you, Sunoo. Not just for the song, but for the person you are. You deserve all the happiness in the world, and we’re so glad you’ve found people who make you happy.”
