how do i tell you, i love you? [ moon byulyi x kim seokjin ]

insecurity

"didn't told you what?"

instead of texting back as she waits patiently for sandeul's reply, she instead dialed his number, interrupting her conversation with wheein. "ohoo, you even called." sandeul speaks mercilessly on the other line, scoffing in disgust.

wheein glances at her elder friend, worrying at her expression as byulyi felt mortified with how spiteful sandeul's voice has become. "what is it, deulie?" byulyi was close to stomping, worried to know if he have found it out the other way around. 

"you and jin!" he exclaims, as byulyi gasps, eyes widening. "d-deulie, hey-"

"you two have leveled up on maple story without me!"

"i'm sorry, we really didn't mean to not tell you yet because-" byulyi then cuts herself off from the apology, hearing sandeul's words on the other line, making her flustered. "huh?" she almost yells in surprise, as deulie replied. "you thought i wouldn't catch your rank!?" sandeul disgustingly laughs on the other side.

he continues clicking as byulyi heard jin's voice on the other line. 

her heart that was almost falling from fear was suddenly redeemed, sighing in defeat as sandeul scoffs. "you two are really, really sly!" sandeul retorted, "come over tomorrow, i want to gather." he tsk-ed, making byulyi hold her chest in gratitude before chuckling softly.

"dude, is that it?" byulyi asks, as she heard jin yell on the other side. "we're not even obligated to update you about the ranking!" she laughs at his reply towards sandeul. "rude!" sandeul hisses, before resuming his attention to byulyi. "let's meet up tomorrow, you two have to treat me well."

byulyi felt like a torn was plucked out of her chest, laughing with her whole heart before whispering. "dude, no." 

"ah!" sandeul hisses back.

~

"i told you not to pick me up, you-" 

the couple sorted their way out for sandeul's abrupt call for meet-up, insisting them that they should come since they have to pay for their ranked up levels on maple story, leaving him behind since all they do together was play.

if that wasn't a hint that the two were closer than friends-

never mind.

finally hopping off the car with a huge grin plastered on her face, she mutters. "i'm glad he called up for dinner, i'm kinda sick with instant ramen when i'm too lazy to cook." she tucks her hands inside her pockets, as jin shrugged. 

"but you don't even cook." he replied, earning a glare from her.

"cooks like you exist because people like us do exist, too." she speaks, too poetically, and it was enough to make him laugh. "want me to cook something for next week after our schedule?" he immediately offered a reconciliation, making her smile. "fine by me." 

as soon as they entered, the smile on their faces were immediately wiped out. 

"what the hell?" jin mumbles to himself, as sandeul rose from his seat.

"finally, you two came!" he claps, laughing along with ken- but was currently having someone in the same table with them;

chanyeol, who seems to be shaken as well- and the rest of the whole '92 friendship. 

they figured out that sunmi was the one who arranged it, for everyone. jin didn't expect that this day would come but- guess he had to endure his wandering mind every time he would meet a situation like this.

as soon as everyone was gathered, the party had already started for the group.

yet,

the two were struggling on how to act in front of them. it was getting awkward whenever the rest would be playful around chanyeol and byulyi, yet byulyi was clearly playing along to conceal their relationship's status. 

jin knew that she's doing it for the best, but sometimes- he's getting jealous. 

he turns every time they'd joke around, not sure how he'd act. he keeps cracking up stupid dad jokes, and it makes him going on since byulyi was too in love with his idiocacy.

"dawn can't come?" 

their jokes were cut off as sunmi asks hyuna, who was currently calling her boyfriend of years. she smiles weakly, whispering. "yeah, he's quite busy with his new album..." she trails-off, murmuring. "it's really hard to date when you're both idols." 

byulyi was in the middle of drinking her beer, choking up all of a sudden as she coughs loudly, earning the attention of the rest as she shakes her hand, shooing them away with her hand to tell them that she's fine.

"can't relate." sandeul lifted up both of his hands in defense, making everyone laugh. "i wonder how it feels to sneak out date, it might've been thrilling." 

"maybe." byulyi tried to cover it up, making jin scoff softly. 

"it is."

her eyes went wide, as everyone looks at him as jin faked an expression, muttering. "i have been hiding my members' dating status, of course i would know that!" 

everyone was assured with his lies, but byulyi was looking at him a little long, well- almost like a glare.

every time the talk diverts to dating, their reasons won't match up, and it's getting quite annoying for the two. byulyi keeps on wondering why he keeps making it obvious before saving it last time, when she's doing her best to seal it up.

but now they were here, going back to byulyi and chanyeol's issue.

seokjin was already annoyed, that's why he hates these kind of gatherings. 

it always goes back to square one.

hence, he drank the beer in one gulp, wishing he won't be too messy tonight or else, he might burst out and tell it to them already.

he still couldn't understand why byulyi's delaying all of it.

when there's already a big opportunity.