Elevated

Elevated              “How much longer will you take to deny your feelings?!!!”       Changbin exclaimed in frustration, as he had been observing these annoying lovebirds for over six months now. They were both convinced of their unearthly friendship and refused to acknowledge their mutual romantic feelings.       Of course, love doesn't cut friendship out, but in their case, even a blind person wouldn't miss their special glances. Although they tried to play it off, taking turns pretending not to notice until one of them caught on. Like they weren't obvious? The other guys in their group didn't particularly care about it, and in general, they didn't bother with such matters in life. Hyunjin was constantly searching for references for his paintings, Seungmin was deeply engrossed in his studies, and Chan was absorbed in job hunting, especially since unlike the others, he was graduating this year and definitely didn't want to be left with just a diploma and no job. And Changbin? He had studies and other things too, but he was watching it all happen. He saw everything. And he couldn't just ignore it. After all, they were his beloved friends. But sometimes he really wanted to smack them both over the head with something heavier to make them stop acting like idiots.       “Changbin, calm down! You're killing my focus here, and I just got started!” Hyunjin protested, demonstratively covering his ears. “And get away from my desk, the last thing I need is for you to spill tea on my precious paper,” he nudged him with his foot and dramatically sighed over his recently started sketch.       “Yeah, Binnie, do you know how late it is? The neighbors will complain, and I still have to live with them. Lately, we've been having trouble with the elevator, especially on the days when all of you guys come over,” Chan echoed.       All attention was now focused on Changbin, who was practically steaming from his ears. Even Seungmin surprisingly looked up from his notebooks. Well, not all the attention. Minho and Jisung, who were lying on the carpet watching some anime, were too engrossed to be bothered by the commotion. Or they were pretending hard that the discussion wasn't about them.       “By the way, Minho,” Han said thoughtfully, popping a piece of popcorn into his mouth, “Don't you find it strange that we keep getting stuck in the elevator together?”       “Well, no, I think it's just a coincidence... Maybe the elevator in Chan's building is as ancient as he is…” Minho earned himself a glare from Chan, who this time decided not to take the bait. One noisy companion was enough. “Han,” he continued, tousling his friend's hair lightly, “Don't clutter your beautiful head with nonsense. Let's keep watching,” he pressed the play button and gently tapped Jisung on the butt.       “Here it is!” Changbin pointed at them furiously. “That's what I'm talking about! I'll prove to all of you that I'm right! Just wait and see!”       But Chan just wagged his finger at Changbin once again, signaling him to stop making a fuss. Hyunjin, rolling his eyes, rocked back and forth on his chair, waiting for inspiration. Seungmin, shaking his head as if his friend was crazy, sighed heavily and returned to his textbooks. And the lovebirds, according to Changbin's not-so-humble opinion, were immersed in their 2D reality.

***

      The darkness crept in unnoticed. Spending the night at Chan's place was not new for the guys, so no one even thought about going back to their own homes, especially when they had stayed up late. Seungmin was trying his best to focus and didn't want to leave the table until he finished everything, but in reality, he was nodding off over his textbooks. So Chan easily persuaded him to go to sleep under the pretext that the morning was wiser than the evening and that he would manage to finish everything with a fresh mind. Chan himself also headed to his room. He had classes in the morning, unlike those who would be lucky to make it to the third.       Changbin sat at the kitchen table, embracing a large bottle of cola. He was physically present, but from his expression, it was clear that his thoughts were far away. He was completely immersed in his plan. He needed to decide when he could organize “a little trouble” for Minho and Jisung again. After all, there's no better way for people to admit their feelings than to be alone (preferably in a dangerous situation, which, of course, isn't dangerous because it's deliberately staged) and, feeling that tension, surrendering to emotions and opening up to each other. But it seemed time was taking its toll, and Changbin reluctantly stood up to head to the couch where he planned to sleep.       To his surprise, images continued to flicker on the TV screen, but there were no captivated viewers.       “They've probably fallen asleep again and forgot to tidy up after themselves and turn off the TV. Lazy bums, I have to clean up after them…” flashed through Changbin's sleepy mind. He groggily approached the couch in search of the remote, but what he saw there made him instantly wide awake.       Minho was lying on the couch, and on top of him, nestled into his neck, Jisung was snoring softly. Minho, half asleep, absentmindedly stroked the younger's back until his hand finally fell off the couch, but the other arm continued to tightly hug Jisung around the waist.       Overjoyed that he finally found some incriminating evidence, Changbin immediately took a photo and loudly, for the nighttime, exclaimed:       “I told you! Jinnie, just look at them. And you didn't believe me!”       With gleaming eyes, he turned to the table where Hyunjin was sitting, almost ready to jump up and drag him to the couch to show his long-awaited discovery. However, Hyunjin had fallen asleep right there at the table. Changbin looked back at the couple, where Minho met his gaze with a squint. At first, it seemed like he was angry, but he just winked at Changbin and briefly pointed his index finger to his lips. Not wanting to wake up his friend, Binnie nodded understandingly and turned off the TV.       Changbin finally realized that all his efforts over the past few months had not been in vain and that love was bound to happen very soon! He would definitely think about it tomorrow, but for now, he needed to find a place to sleep... And to take Hyunjin to the bedroom.       Attempts to wake up the artist were unsuccessful. The chronic lack of sleep of a creative nature was showing. So taking him away wasn't an option; he had to be carried. Changbin carefully lifted Hyunjin's head and, holding him by the cheek with one hand, turned him towards himself by the shoulder with the other. Even from such manipulations, the “sleepyhead” didn't wake up and only mumbled a couple of times with his puffy, relaxed lips. Yes, it was precisely those lips that Changbin couldn't help but notice. And he was hanging on the impossibility of tearing his gaze away from the familiar features of his friend's face. Then he noticed traces of a pencil on Hyunjin's cheek. He instinctively tried to wipe them off with his thumb, to which Jinnie began to nuzzle Changbin's hand, mumbling something incomprehensible. The sounds were barely audible, but they broke the silence and snapped Binnie out of his trance. He was sure it was all because of the dimly lit living room, because of drowsiness. He shifted his gaze to a sheet of paper in an attempt to distract himself.       He had always been interested in Hyunjin's art and often asked to see his sketches. Changbin himself couldn't draw, but his sense of beauty allowed him to fully appreciate his friend's work. He always tried to describe his feelings towards the paintings as accurately as possible and tirelessly praised them, saying that soon they could even open an exhibition, to which Hyunjin would modestly reply with a smile, “thank you”, often lowering his head or turning away. It wasn't that he found it difficult to accept compliments, it's just that often Changbin's straightforwardness disturbed the peace of the delicate nature, and he simply didn't know how to react or what to say in such cases.       Changbin had long noticed that Hyunjin rarely drew people, and if they were present in his works, they were more like silhouettes. When classmates jokingly asked in the style of “Oh, you're an artist, right? Then draw me!” Jinny mostly brushed it off and tried to avoid the topic. Changbin tactfully remained silent and didn't touch upon this topic until one day when the friend shared his thoughts with him after another similar dialogue, during which someone had the audacity to doubt Hyunjin's ability to draw people at all.       “Not that I can't draw portraits, you know?”       “I understand, Jinnie. You don't need to justify yourself to anyone,” Changbin reassured him, giving his shoulder a light pat.       “I practice my skills periodically so that my hand doesn't forget the technique. It's just...,” Hyunjin hesitated a bit, “I feel like I'm good only at portraits of people dear to me, with whom I have... this... emotional connection... I don't want to turn my drawings into just a mechanical action for someone's request…”       This exact phrase flashed through his memory when Changbin saw a sketch of a portrait. And not just any portrait, it was definitely him depicted there. It made him feel uneasy and even caused a sudden surge of excitement inside. Yes, they seemed like closer friends in comparison, but it wasn't surprising, they were classmates and spent so much time together. But Changbin didn't expect Hyunjin to consider him so close as to draw him. The realization of this fact pleasantly spread through his sleepy body, leaving a pleasant tingling sensation on the fingertips, still touching the pencil-adorned cheek.       Distracting himself clearly didn't work, and his thoughts veered off into a completely different direction. He sighed heavily, preparing to crouch down to turn over, to put his friend on his back. But he couldn't do it – Hyunjin collapsed onto him and hugged him tightly, laying his head on his broad shoulder. Binnie could have thought it was all just sleepwalking. He could have turned a blind eye to it, had such a situation occurred somewhere during the day at the university. But definitely not now, when the partially opened lips, which he had been glued to just moments ago, were brushing against his neck with their breath.       Counting mentally to ten, he got closer and picked up Hyunjin, who didn't want to loosen his grip. More than that – he literally clung to Changbin with his legs like a koala. So Binnie carried him to the bedroom, but putting him down turned out to be more difficult than initially thought. After holding the guy in his arms for quite a while, he sat down on the bed. It looked too ambiguous. And Changbin had no idea what he could say by way of explanation if they were caught in such a position. But everyone had already dispersed to their rooms, so everything that was happening would only remain in Changbin's memory. Unable to resist the thoughts swirling in his head, the soft bed, and the warm embrace, he surrendered to sleep. And his sleeping place was taken by the "odd couple." So he lay down. Under the weight of Hyunjin, he rolled off him slightly, but not for long. After tossing and turning, Hyunjin pressed against Changbin again, laying his head on his chest and throwing a leg over him. Now Changbin felt like a pillow through and through.

***

      The next day, Changbin wakes up earlier than everyone else and is one of the first students to arrive at university. As planned, he dedicates all his time to his amorous plan – he watches Minho and Jisung, tries to catch them off guard, and to finally show THEM that their feelings are mutual, and to everyone else, that he is definitely right. But everyone really can't understand why Changbin can't let other people's personal lives rest, especially when exams are approaching. Although in fact, exams didn't scare anyone except Hyunjin and Jisung, because they studied diligently. But for these two, there was also no need to worry, friends helped them prepare so that they could somehow, but definitely pass. However, that's precisely why Changbin tries to direct his mental efforts into the realm that interests him.       And today, it's especially difficult. More precisely, it doesn't work at all. Minho and Jisung, of all times, besides the usual shoulder hugs, don't demonstrate anything. And Changbin's own thoughts constantly jump back to the morning of that day.       The morning when he woke up from the heat of a body next to him, which made him almost not feel his arm. And it would have been okay if Hyunjin simply lay next to him. But no. He was so close that his slightly strange, for a sleeping person, slightly uneven breathing was burning his ear. Changbin almost fell for the provocation. It's difficult to control oneself in a half-asleep state, consciousness is clouded, and the body feels so good – you want more embraces, the foreign breath starts to resonate somewhere deep in the stomach. But he managed to make a volitional decision – he tried to move away a little. After all, even in a half-asleep state, the thought remained that this was his friend. He had to turn slightly sideways to gently free his arm, but he found himself face to face with Hyunjin – between his brows, there was a small wrinkle, and his lips were relaxed and slightly parted. And at that very moment, when he shifted to lift his friend's head, he realized that he had an erection. From Changbin's movement, there was additional friction, causing Hyunjin to press against him harder with his hips, and from those slightly parted lips escaped a moan.       From this voice, shivers ran down Changbin's spine, and his body was covered in a fine tremor. He froze in silent shock, not so much from what was happening as from his own reaction. In a panic, he laid Hyunjin's head on the pillow, rolled away from him so abruptly that he almost fell to the floor, covered his friend with a blanket, and rushed out of the room. Pressing his back against the door, he clenched his T-shirt around his heart in an attempt to steady his breathing and insane heartbeat. In despair, he slid down the door to crouch, whispering through his teeth, “Fuck”. He got hard around his friend.       His thoughts are interrupted by Minho.       “Hey, Changbin, what's up with you?”       “Huh?” he was startled by the unexpected interruption. “Oh, nothing... maybe I just didn't get enough sleep?” as if he was asking himself. And it was clear that it definitely wasn't about that.       “Yeah, you're unusually quiet today!” a voice is heard next to his ear. Hyunjin throws himself from behind and literally hangs on him.       He often does that. But today everything feels different. Too close. Too exciting. Too much. Bright flashes of memories show him the graphite-smudged cheek, which he wants to touch again, and the lips he wants to kiss. In his ears, he hears the needy voice of Hyunjin, which he wants to hear again.       “I want to. I do.” Changbin squints, unable to withstand it. He stands up abruptly and silently leaves.       “What's wrong with him? Isn't he sick by any chance? His cheeks were so red,” Jisung wonders in surprise. To which Minho just shrugs, not particularly wanting to be distracted from exams. Hyunjin, on the other hand, looks in bewilderment at Changbin's retreating figure. And only Minho, with a very sly look and smirk, follows him with his eyes and whispers something conspiratorial to Jisung, which makes his eyes light up like those of a child who has received a desired toy.       

***

      Throughout the week, Changbin only comes to Chan once, and it's right at the end. He spends all his time studying, only exchanging a few words with Minho a couple of times. It's unusual to see him so quiet and almost indifferent, especially towards Hyunjin. He's usually loud, active, and often approaches everyone. He particularly likes to tease Hyunjin, constantly asking him something and asking to see his drawings. Or he helps him with some subjects. Now, at Hyunjin's personal request, it's Seungmin that helps him, while Changbin, occasionally sighing, peeks at them from behind his textbook.       This doesn't escape Minho’s keen eye. He leads Jisung to the other end of the living room, and they sit down at the small table in the corner.       “Han, take a close look at Changbin.”       “Yeah, why?”       “Just look closer. See how he's shooting daggers at Hyunjin with his eyes?”       “Oh, you're right!” After some observation, Jisung's eyes widened to their maximum.       “So, I think he has a soft spot for Jinnie.”       “Oh, come on!” Jisung looks at Minho in disbelief. “Hyung, wait, do you really believe in Changbin and now you want to set someone up too?”       “No, not really. I don't care about other people's relationships. I'm only interested in us.” Minho says the last sentence, almost purring.       “Then what?”       “Well, I had to wait a whole week to show it to you! But now…” Minho squints conspiratorially and throws a quick glance at Changbin. “I've almost confirmed my theory.”       “Oh, stop teasing already! Tell me quickly! I'm curious, and you've been dragging out the intrigue since the moment we entered the university…” Jisung puffs his cheeks, pretending to be offended.       “Okay, okay.” Minho lightly pinches Han's cheek and continues. “Have you noticed that the elevator hasn't broken down all week?”       “Oh, yeah…” Jisung stops for a moment in thought, then abruptly grabs Minho by the shoulders, almost shouting at full volume, “Wait, really?!”       Minho puts a finger to his lips and sits Jisung back down. Apparently, no one noticed them.       “Yes, that's right, sweetheart. Remember when we first got stuck, how awkward it was for us…”       “Yeah, there is that... I had no idea how to start a conversation with you, you always looked so calm and serious…”       “So do you still see me that way? Mm?”       “Well, no~~! Oh, hyung, you know everything already, why are you teasing?” A blush appears on Han's soft cheeks, and he lowers his gaze.       “Okay-okay. But we'll talk about it later.” Minho's eyes clearly light up. “And if before we didn't tell him about us because it was fun to watch Binnie try to catch us, now I want to specifically torment him for the fact that because of him, we experienced triple the stress. So he wouldn't pry. Although, of course, thanks to him, we got together faster... But even if it's for good intentions, he still meddled in our relationship. And most likely because he lacks those relationships himself. And if he can't fix it for himself, he wants to fix it for others.”       “Well said! In that case, let's make him get stuck in the elevator with someone himself, huh?”       “Han, you're reading my mind!” he pats the younger one on the head. “And not just with anyone, but with Hyunjin. Honestly, I only recently suspected it, but the further we go, the more convinced I am. So it's worth a try.”       “Definitely!” Han rubs his hands with a smirk, as if they've just come up with a plan to take over the world!

***

      There are a couple of weeks left before the exams. It's a period of nervousness, during which any desire to think about anything at all disappears. That's how it always goes. But not this time. In particular, for Changbin, who is trying to avoid Hyunjin's company unnoticed... at least one-on-one. Simply because he can't look his friend in the eye, feeling guilty for his body's reaction. He's simply ashamed, and he doesn't know how to behave because it's not like before, it doesn't work out anymore...       And while it's natural for everyone to be nervous before exams, Hyunjin seems overly jittery. While Min explains the material to him, he's more or less calm. He's calm now, but not at first, when he was shocked by the news of the sudden change of "tutor." He likes the way Changbin explains, he's used to him. Seungmin is good too, everything is perfectly clear with him, everything is remembered. But something's off (no offense to Seungmin). But when it comes to a well-deserved break from cramming, he just loses it - chewing pencils until they're down to stubs in his mouth, sometimes even breaking them in half; paper doesn't fare any better - it's ruthlessly torn, crumpled, stomped on; only the table barely withstands the onslaught of fists and kicks. After the aggression comes the self-flagellation stage with tears, and in the end, he just starts staring at the wall with glassy eyes, feeling emotionally drained. They've never seen him like this before. Hyunjin has had creative crises, of course, but never to such a degree of despair. To the question “What happened? Is there anything we can do to help?” he responds the same way: “Oh, it's just... I have no inspiration at all. I guess I'll just have to wait…”

***

             In this spirit, two weeks of preparation pass, and all the guys successfully pass the exam despite the fact that it was emotionally more challenging this time. Nevertheless, today they can definitely celebrate their freedom, and everyone gathers at Chan’s place. There’s pizza, there’s beer, there’s entertainment, and there are beloved friends too! What else does a student need for happiness!       Perhaps thanks to the festive atmosphere, Changbin finally managed to relax, so he’s chatting loudly with everyone again and even talked a bit with Hyunjin, although it looked unusually awkward.       He definitely feels better now. And not just because of the drop of alcohol. Changbin is the kind of person who can’t keep too many tasks in his head. And now that the exams are over, he happily returns to “his own business”. Or rather, the party, alcohol, and the “incident” that should finally have an effect. Today he will definitely take a decisive step. The elevator shutdown is planned for 9:00 PM. Now all he has to do is organize everything so that the two of them leave the apartment at the right time. So he periodically glances at the couple, running through various options and impacts in his mind to make them leave the apartment at the right moment.       “Minho, I feel like someone’s staring daggers at me. How did I not notice this before?” Unexpectedly, Han whispers in Minho’s ear. He could have said it not so closely, nobody would hear because of the music anyway. But he enjoys teasing his hyung too much.       “Well…” Minho draws thoughtfully to distract himself. Ears are his weak spot. And he feels the blood rush to them. So he turns his face to Jisung. “Perhaps you were too busy with other things to catch the glances of other guys, hmm?”       At the same time as his words, Minho, without breaking eye contact, lightly runs his fingers from Jisung’s shoulder up his neck and places his hand on the back of his head. Then he pulls him closer so that his lips are so close to his ear, and Han jumps from surprise. He just wanted to tease the older one with unnecessary closeness in front of friends. After all, they agreed not to open up so quickly. But he was outplayed. Now he can only freeze and squint, trying to contain his natural desire to hug his beloved and hold him tighter. But it’s not time yet.       “Min…ho,” Jisung, barely audible, almost squeaking, says, “Someone might see us…”       “Hannie~~~,” Minho deliberately prolongs the time, enjoying Jisung’s reaction. And his hand slowly moves down the spine. “They’re all busy with their own things, and nobody listens to Changbin anyway. Speaking of him,” his fingers playfully tug at the fabric of Jisung’s shirt around his lower back, “Don’t you think he’ll definitely want to corner us in the elevator tonight? We just need to find out when exactly. Let’s keep an eye on him too,” finishing the thought, he pats Jisung’s butt with a mischievous smile, and the crimson Han playfully taps his chest with his fist and pushes him away.       Changbin, closely watching this whole scene, surprisingly doesn’t shout, doesn’t call everyone to look, and quietly continues to chew his burger. He doesn’t need to attract attention today. According to his plan, everyone will see the fruits of his months of efforts.       Rhythmic music is playing from the speakers, and everyone feels like dancing. Especially after a couple of glasses of alcohol. Seungmin’s inhibitions are completely gone, and he’s already dancing in the middle of the living room! And he dances as hard as he studies – without sparing his back or legs. And twerking is a separate story that he asks everyone to forget every time. It’s no wonder they say quiet waters run deep. And now Hyunjin and Jisung are joining him. These two definitely know how to have fun. Changbin, although not great at dancing, loves watching them. And so does Chan. He, as the eldest, tried to keep an eye on the chaos unfolding. But he also wanted to let the guys relax – they did well on the exams and definitely deserved a good rest. Chan himself wouldn’t mind some rest either. So now he just sits next to Changbin with a blissful smile and a glass of whiskey in his hand. He doesn’t often allow himself alcohol, but today he can.       Changbin continues to watch Jisung, who tries to drag Minho to the improvised dance floor, as he initially refuses, but then agrees, unable to refuse. He sees how close they are to each other that it almost looks intimate. At that moment, some kind of feeling appears inside him, and he looks away from them.       Now his attention is on Hyunjin. Changbin remembers when he first saw him dancing. Not only does he draw beautifully, but he also has an unknown gracefulness to Changbin. Chan told him back then that Jinnie had been doing ballet since childhood. And it made an indelible impression. Yes, Hyunjin lacks stars in his studies, but Changbin knows he’s good at many other things.       From the side, there’s a muffled chuckle from Chan, who seems to have noticed something Changbin really didn’t want him to, so he awkwardly lowers his eyes to the empty plate. Chan realized he didn’t make a mistake and decided to press on.       “Binnie,” he calls out carefully so that nobody hears over the music, “I think Jinnie likes it when you look at him~~~”       “Hyung!” Changbin shouts out of surprise and blushes. “What are you…”       “Ohho~~~heh~,” swaying in front of them is Seungmin with another empty bottle of wine. “Yo~ oldies~~! Well, okay then… I guess I’ll sit with you. My lower back’s shot to hell… Uff…”       “And who else among us here is the oldie,” Chan says condescendingly, patting his friend on the back.       Changbin can’t help but laugh at the sight. And then he remembers that he should check the time. And oh my god, it’s almost 8:10 already. He should hurry. And he has an idea that he could ask them to go to the store at the right time to buy, for example, snacks or something else. And satisfied, he continues to wait for the moment, although it was still quite a long time away. He’s eager to implement the idea and receive recognition from his friends that he was right, that he didn’t come up with anything. He still didn’t understand how his comrades could be so cold about each other’s feelings.       He then heads to the bathroom to freshen up and mentally prepare for the rest of the evening. But as he emerges, he hears rustling coming from the hallway. They definitely aren’t expecting anyone else…       “Is someone leaving or something happened?” With this thought, Changbin rushes to the front door. There, already dressed and shod, stand Jisung and Minho, chatting with Chan. “Damn! It’s not time yet! I need to detain them,” he futilely tries to contain his excited look, but catches Minho’s daring squint.       “Guys, are you leaving?” he sounds artificially indifferent.       “Nah, we’re just going for a walk to the store!” Jisung explains enthusiastically.       “Yeah, I asked them,” Chan continues, turning his head towards the table, “Seungmin isn’t feeling too well, and we’re running low on water. I was going to go by myself, but the guys decided to get some fresh air, so they volunteered to help.”       Changbin nervously pulls out his phone and presses the button several times in an attempt to hit it. It’s 8:20 on the clock. The store isn’t that far away. And if he tries to stop them now, it will look strange.       “All right, they’ll just bump into me on the way back!” He puts the phone back in his pocket and smiles.       “Oh, in that case… um… could you grab me some cookies? And don’t rush, be careful walking in the dark, it’s late, can’t see anything.”       With that, he waves goodbye and quickly leaves. And Chan, not understanding what strange phrase Changbin uttered and why Minho is giving him a predatory look, simply closes the door and goes to check on Seungmin’s condition.

***

      “Like, did you hear that?” Jisung's voice echoes through the stairwell as they descend the stairs.       “Yeah, yeah, I watched his reaction. So funny when he gets nervous! Seems like we're doing everything right.”       Once they're far enough from the house, they finally take each other's hands and continue walking towards the supermarket. The evening isn't too late yet, but there are almost no people around, and only occasional cars pass by them.       “So, have you figured out how we'll deal with Binnie?”       “Almost. It's just unclear at which moment exactly he planned to catch us.” Minho responds thoughtfully, continuing to gaze at the newborn moon.       “Let's think, maybe there are some clues…” Jisung, thoughtfully scratching the tip of his nose, unexpectedly sneezes. “Oh!” he exclaims.       “Bless you,” Minho chuckles, squeezing Jisung's hand tighter.       “Minho, did you notice that strange phrase at the end? Like... ‘not to run’? Maybe we don't need to rush?”       “Han Jisung! And why do you keep studying so poorly when you're such a smart cookie in situations like these?!” Minho stops in front of him and firmly grips Jisung's shoulders.       “What? What? Did you figure something out?” Jisung, clenching his fists, starts shaking them impatiently and shifting from foot to foot.       “What time is it now?”       “8:31 PM, why?”       “Because usually we get stuck at the 00-minute mark. And judging by Changbin's reaction, he's planning everything for 9:00 PM. And he definitely wants to detain us... Or rather... We'll delay ourselves! Hehe.”       Minho pecks Jisung on the cheek, takes his hand again, and leads him into the store because it seems like Jisung has become too engrossed in his thoughts, trying to fully understand the elder's plan.

***

      Seungmin is sleeping. Jisung left. Now Hyunjin has nothing to do, so he aimlessly wanders around the kitchen and then the living room. He watches as Chan, taking advantage of the moment of silence, decides to wash the dishes, but under the influence of alcohol, it's slow and endearingly clumsy. Meanwhile, Changbin sits on the couch, nervously tapping his foot and constantly glancing at his phone screen. Approaching him seems daunting. He looks somewhat irritated. Considering how Changbin has been avoiding Hyunjin lately, it would be awkward to approach him now. So Hyunjin decides to sit next to the speaker and play with Chan's phone playlist, quietly swiping his whiskey glass.       It's 8:40 PM.       “Channie, you got a message from Minho,” Hyunjin says, swiping away the push notification. Changbin's knee freezes.       “My hands are wet, could you please read it for me?”       “He says they're already nearby and will be here in 5-7 minutes.”       Changbin looks at the clock and dashes towards Hyunjin.       “5-7 minutes, you say?”       “Yeah... something's not…”       “Darn it! Of all times!” Changbin grumbles angrily to himself.       “Binnie?” but the phone vibrates again. “Oh, they're bringing you cookies…”       “Huh? What cookies? Why?” he looks questioningly at Hyunjin.       “What do you mean, ‘why’? You asked for them yourself! And they’re chocolate... Mm…" Hyunjin licks his lips, causing Changbin to awkwardly avert his gaze, not wanting to stare too much. “I love chocolate too, will you share?”       Changbin nods vaguely and quickly heads to the front door.       “Where are you going?” Chan asks, not distracted from his task. Right now, he looks like a real parent!       “I'm going to meet them!” he shouts, trying to squeeze his feet into his sneakers while opening the door.       “Hey, that's not fair!” Hyunjin jumps up and also runs (read: crawls along the wall due to dizziness) to get dressed. “I’m coming with you! You clearly want to eat all the cookies without me! I won't allow it!”       Chan hums a tune only he knows and wipes his hands. He approaches Seungmin and, sitting next to him, strokes his tousled hair.       “Seungmin-ah, you have very little time left to sleep. It seems something is about to happen.”

***

      Changbin stands by the road next to the house and waits. He waits and doesn't know what to do to finally end all this. Hyunjin, out of breath, finally catches up, or rather, with a slightly staggering gait, reaches Changbin and leans on his shoulder.       “Jinnie, why did you run after me?”       “I... haha” his breath is uneven and doesn't allow him to speak properly, though even without it, his tongue gets twisted, “Cookies... to me... — he hangs even more on Changbin’s shoulder.”       “Are you drunk or something?” Changbin throws his arm around him and leads him to a bench. “Sit down, catch your breath,” and, seating Hyunjin, settles next to him.       “Binnie... I feel dizzy…”       “Just lean on my shoulder for now, it'll pass soon.”       Changbin helps him carefully lay his head. Well, it's a productive outing, and it's also a chance to air out a friend. He immerses himself in his thoughts again. He thinks about how to start a conversation with the guys and stretch the time. The evening turned out to be cooler than expected, his hands started to feel a bit chilly. He feels Hyunjin pressing closer, and notices that he forgot to wear his jacket. He hears his name again.       “Binnie…” Hyunjin squeezes Changbin's shoulder, “I love cookies... share…”       “You'll get your cookies,” he condescendingly exhales. But then he flinches when he feels the cold tip of a nose on his neck.       “Mm…” the hot tongue scorches the cooled skin.       Changbin freezes. It seems it's not just the cold that prevents him from moving even a finger. Inside him, his heart beats frantically, sending blood rushing through his entire body. His hand involuntarily starts to stroke Hyunjin's hair, which has grown multiple shades lighter. He just wants to sit like this and not think about anything! And he can't understand why he feels this way. He doesn't understand why he didn't notice before that he's drawn not only to Hyunjin’s creativity but to him personally. He doesn't understand why he was so obsessed with his friends’ relationships and his “amorous” mission. At this moment, his world has literally changed. And now he feels calm and serene, as if it should always be like this.       “Oh, why are you two hugging here?” The rustling of bags and the crisp voice of Han approaching them snaps Changbin out of his reverie, and with a sharp jump, he gets up from the bench. Hyunjin, grumbling something dissatisfied, leans back with his eyes closed.       “Um... nothing like that. I came out to meet you guys, and Jinnie came down to get some fresh air,” Changbin babbles nervously. And suddenly he remembers that he forgot to keep track of time. His phone shows 8:52 PM. Only 8 minutes left! Satisfied that he won't have to come up with a conversation out of thin air, he turns off his phone screen.       “Oh, Binnie, you were waiting for us…” Minho says with a particularly probing tone.       “Yeah, I decided to intercept the cookies before Hyunjin,” Changbin jokes, silently thanking his drunk friend for the idea.       “Mm... really?” Minho purrs, “I hope you didn't freeze while we were taking a walk with Han.”       “They were sitting so close, they definitely didn't freeze,” Han chuckles.       “There was nothing like that!”       “And do you think I'm blind?”       “Come on, Han, don't tease Binnie,” Minho hugs the rambunctious younger one. At this, Changbin, already smiling, tries to change the subject. After all, the time is approaching.       “Guys, maybe you could finally take the groceries? Seungmin must be waiting.”       At that moment, just when he shouldn't, rustling is heard from the bench. Hyunjin gets up and, still not very confidently, approaches the guys.       “Binnie, I'm cold, I'm going home.”       “Just wait a little bit longer,” it's now 8:56, and Changbin is on edge, his plan is about to collapse.       “No need to wait,” Minho interrupts him, “Go ahead, I was planning to quickly walk around the house, wanting to photograph the moon. Han, go help the guys,” he winks at him and gently nudges him towards them.       Well, that's it! The whole plan is screwed! And nobody's to blame. Meanwhile, Hyunjin heads for the elevator. Changbin rushes to him and begs him not to call the elevator, suggesting a "healthier" alternative – the stairs. But Hyunjin stubbornly turns to the elevator each time, mumbling that he's dizzy and lazy to climb the stairs. Watching this entire comical scene, Minho nods at Han, and he presses the call button. It's 8:58 on the clock. And then everything happens as if in slow motion from a movie. Han pulls Hyunjin, who lazily says “thanks”, and rushes into the barely opened doors, pressing the button with the floor number. Han runs to Minho, feeling that he might catch the brunt of an angry Changbin. And Changbin himself comes to his senses only when he realizes that he's fallen into his own trap.       9:00. The elevator stops as planned. As planned, there are two people inside, but not the expected ones.

***

      “Oh!” Hyunjin exclaims as the abrupt stop of the elevator shakes him, but then he leans back against the wall again, “Did it... stop?...”       “Yes.”       “What if we fall? What if they don't rescue us? What…” questions continue to pour out one after another, though not as clearly and quickly as usual. But not even alcohol can shut down Hyunjin's habit of panicking for any reason.       “Calm down. Everything is fine, and nothing will happen to us.”       Changbin's voice carries a hint of sternness, but in reality, he just can't believe he got caught so easily. And while he mechanically responds with standard phrases, Hyunjin is sinking deeper into panic. Changbin notices this only when he's pushed away from the doors in an attempt to pry them open with trembling hands. It's then that he, turning Hyunjin towards himself, grabs him firmly by the shoulders.       “Just calm down already! There's nothing dangerous happening.”       “How can you be so sure, huh?!” Hyunjin responds by clutching Changbin's hoodie to his chest.       “I know.” He looks away.       “How?!” but Changbin remains silent in response, biting his lower lip. He releases Hyunjin's shoulders and steps back, but he quickly closes the distance again, and Hyunjin tightens his grip on the hoodie. “Changbin, I can see you're hiding something. Why are you so calm? Why aren't you calling anyone or trying to call for help?”       “Just... know…” Changbin mutters almost to himself.       “Binnie,” Hyunjin speaks again, but softer this time, and continues to approach slowly, causing Changbin to touch the wall with his back. “Really...?”       “It's not me!” Changbin blurts out, closing his eyes.       “What's not you? I haven't even said anything yet,” a light chuckle is felt near Changbin's ear, and he flinches. “Oh, it seems I heard that the elevator here sometimes stops... But mysteriously, only Minho and Jisung were in it... Maybe I just got lucky? Or did they jinx us?”       “Alright, it's me…” Changbin whispers hastily, hunching his shoulders and continuing to stare at the floor. His cheeks and ears turn pink with shame for his own failure.       “What?” pretending not to hear, Hyunjin leans in a bit, looming over the guilty party. He knows Changbin can't lie. Especially when his personal space for escape is taken away.       “You heard me.”       “Oh, I didn't hear! Ouch…” as if from the loud phrases and excitement, Hyunjin's head begins to spin again, and he rests his forehead on Changbin's shoulder.       “Hey,” Binnie manages to catch the slightly weakened body by the waist and lightly pats his back, “Jinnie, are you okay?”       But it's not okay for Changbin himself. His hands hold Hyunjin tightly, and inside, everything feels like it's going haywire from the pounding of his heart. There's not enough air, and he tightens his grip on his friend's clothing even more. Sensing all this, he can't lie to himself that he doesn't feel something more towards Hyunjin. How long he's waited to hug him again. But he couldn't, it would be strange and awkward. Or is it just him thinking that because of the new and unfamiliar feelings? And right now, he likes feeling Hyunjin nearby. He probably doesn't understand much of what's happening, and it's even scary to imagine how he would react to Changbin's feelings while sober. It's scary to think about. He just wants to prolong this moment a little. At least there will be something to remember.       Hyunjin turns his head sideways, and the tip of his nose touches the nape of Changbin's neck. And this sends a shiver down Changbin's spine.       “Comfortable…” Hyunjin whispers with a deep sigh.       “Jinnie, you're probably still not sober,” Changbin tries to reason with his friend.       “Everything is almost the same as then…” Hyunjin leaves a light kiss on the neck.       “What do you mean by then? Hey, stand up properly, it's time to sober up!” Changbin tries to push Hyunjin away from him by the shoulders and shakes him a bit in an attempt to bring him back to reality.       “Right now there's nowhere to run,” almost inaudibly, Hyunjin continues his thought, freezing for a moment, and then gives Changbin a completely conscious serious look.       Hyunjin's hand lands with a smack on the wall of the elevator near Changbin's head, and he lifts his face by the chin and kisses him. To say that Changbin was shocked is an understatement.       Time seems to freeze, and only the pressure pulsates in the head, beating to a crazy rhythm, is heard. The body feels like a stone and doesn't respond, although the fingertips twitch, transmitting prickly impulses somewhere to the stomach, where the stomach tightens with excitement. Changbin doesn't breathe, afraid that it might just be his imagination. But after a few long seconds, the sensation of real warmth on his own lips leaves no doubt about what's happening.       Hyunjin's lips touch his. Confidently but not insistently, as if asking for permission. Feeling Changbin snap out of his stupor, he lightly pecks the corner of his mouth and gently bites his lower lip. This makes Changbin flinch, and, still weakly believing that the one who kissed him is the one who has been on his mind for the past few weeks, he reaches out to touch Hyunjin's cheek. He recoils, but only to look into Changbin's eyes. He covers Changbin's hand with his own and strokes the back of it with his thumb.       Now Changbin has gotten what he could only occasionally dream of. Occasionally, because he was afraid of new feelings, didn't want to give them free rein, as he was sure that Jinnie probably only thinks of him as a very close best friend. And Changbin himself also considers him a friend and doesn't want to lose him. But now all doubts fade into the background, especially when he catches Hyunjin's gaze. And literally everything is read in it: embarrassment and tremor mixed with desire, as well as uncertainty, which with Changbin's hesitation increasingly resembles guilt. This can't be allowed!       “Jinnie…” the whisper is barely audible, but for them, there's nothing louder.       “Forgive me... I didn't…” Hyunjin was almost ready to turn around and "escape" to the opposite corner of the elevator. But Changbin doesn't allow him to do that - he manages to grab him by the waist with his other hand and pull him closer, so that a short breath ends up almost at his own lips.       “No need to apologize. You have no idea how happy I am right now. It's me who should apologize... For avoiding…”       Hyunjin's eyelashes start to flutter, and the first drops of tears gather in the corners of his eyes. His lips redden from the way their owner tormented them, biting them almost to the point of drawing blood. Changbin runs his thumb over them, soothing and pleading for them to be released from the grip of his teeth.       “I thought…” He can't help but bite his lip again, or else it would betray him by trembling. “I thought you hated me... because of my feelings for you…” And a few drops fall onto Changbin's hand, still resting on his cheek.       “What? How…” He couldn't formulate the question. Did he mishear?       “You must have seen your portrait. Who else but you would have put it in my sketchbook?” And now all doubts are cast far away and forever.       “Yes, but I didn't do it for that reason…”       “Hmm?” But he stopped himself. He realized he had almost blurted out too much.       “I... I really appreciated seeing the portrait. Thank you.”       At the compliment, Hyunjin closes his eyes, wiping away the last tears. The tip of his nose turns pink along with his cheeks, and Changbin can't resist sealing his gratitude with a peck on that very nose.       “I like you too, Jinnie.”       And now Hyunjin can't help but smile! A fickle creative soul. Or the influence of the "drop" of liquid courage?       “Then... why you were avoiding me, and even asked Seungmin to help me with my studies?”       The timid tone contrasts sharply with the barely perceptible sparks of mischief in his eyes. But even without that, Changbin's cheeks betray him by reddening, and his hand on Hyunjin's waist tightens. He just can't easily confess that he felt awkward. Because of his own imagination, which always seemed to project an image of a friend that wasn't quite a ‘friend’, because of how he couldn't tear his eyes away from him, because of his body's reaction that fateful, unforgettable morning. All of this piled up like a snowball, heavier and heavier, leaving him utterly incapable of doing anything about it.       Hyunjin notices Changbin's agitation, and it seems his long-standing mischief inadvertently hit the mark. That morning, he could only wonder what emotions his friend fled the room with. But he really wants to know. So now he lowers his head closer to Changbin's shoulder and leaves a moist kiss behind his ear, pressing a little harder against him.       From such an unusual closeness, both their heads spin, and their legs weaken from the tension, which only accumulates more and more at the bottom of their stomachs. Their thighs are pressed closely together just like that morning. Hyunjin can't help but catch his breath, and it feels tighter in his pants. And it's definitely in his plans for Changbin to feel it.       “I really wanted to kiss you that morning,” Hyunjin murmurs, inhaling the familiar scent of skin. “I wanted to touch…” He trails his long fingers from Changbin's shoulder to his muscular chest.       And then it dawns on Changbin.       “Oh, you rascal! You weren't sleeping, were you?!” Changbin exclaims. And Hyunjin laughs heartily, not even realizing how he was grabbed and spun around, back against the wall.       No, Changbin isn't angry, and he can't be angry at him, not when Jinnie's joy is so naive and innocent, despite the entirely non-innocent prank. He let himself be toyed with, but now it's his turn.       His hand on Hyunjin's waist tightens the hoodie even more, while the other pushes Hyunjin's shoulder against the wall. He slides his knee between Hyunjin's legs so that his thigh presses against his groin, causing Hyunjin to moan into the kiss. Changbin smirks with an exhale and eagerly kisses Hyunjin, slipping his tongue into his slightly parted mouth. He, too, dreamed of kissing him, of tasting those attractive, plump lips. And he can't stop himself: he presses harder, squeezing each lip in turn, slightly pulling away to let Jinnie catch his breath. Changbin's cool hand slips under the hoodie, feeling the stomach and waist. And Hyunjin sighs shakily right into the kiss.       It seems like their consciousness is gradually drifting away, and from the lack of air, all sensations become heightened. They want more, stronger, closer. Their hands wander chaotically over each other's broad backs, occasionally grabbing the jacket, and their thighs start to tremble in search of pleasant friction. And Changbin is ready to give it to him because he's just as carried away by the overwhelming excitement.       Both are so engrossed in each other that they barely notice how the elevator swayed and shot up to the desired floor. Changbin reluctantly tries to pull away, and Hyunjin doesn't want to release his embrace either, but the elevator stops inexorably, preparing to open its doors. In that short moment, they exchange glances, stand sharply in front of the door, and pray that the thick fabric of their hoodies hides their excitement from their friends' eyes.       But behind the open doors, as luck would have it, are all their faces! Jisung shoots his euphoric round eyes from the guys to Minho, still not believing that the elder's theory turned out to be 100% true. Changbin is particularly annoyed by Minho's sly smile and the trademark sideways glance. And it's she who greets them first.       “I told you we had to wait. Otherwise, we would have missed all this fun!”       For him, it really was fun, or rather, a “revenge for all the good”, catching his friends in such a state: both with red cheeks, short of breath, and with shiny, slightly swollen lips from kisses. They silently exit the elevator, hoping to quickly hide from the observers' eyes, but they are not allowed to do so.       “You sneaky little devil! So you were secretly dating and hiding it?! And even made fun of me?!” Changbin shouts indignantly.       Bang Chan tries to usher everyone into the apartment, especially the loud and feisty Changbin, who was on the verge of striking, dodging Minho's attacks, and Minho himself, who was itching to provoke and incite the rebel. Nonetheless, Chan looks on indulgently at everything unfolding, as if he had already guessed it all. He was simply curious to see where this whole situation would lead, so he watched from the sidelines. And Seungmin, he might have understood what was happening, but due to the amount of alcohol he had consumed, it took him a long time to catch on. Meanwhile, he mechanically and very slowly clapped his hands, keeping up with the general mood. He'll find out all about it tomorrow anyway. Even if he doesn't want the details, Jisung will kindly and forcibly tell him everything in vivid detail. Although, he might not be able to forget all those screams in the living room. And he continues to observe all this chaos from the couch, drinking another bottle of water that the guys brought from the store. The only thing missing is popcorn.       If the alcohol hadn't worn off, Hyunjin would have found it easier to endure all this awkwardness, but, to his great regret, he was sober enough to try to blend into the wall in the corner and watch the drama unfold before him. Moreover, he was sure that this whole scene of quarrel would definitely distract attention from how they were caught. And indeed, all attention is now focused on the confrontation scene, from which Jinnie involuntarily began to relax little by little, occasionally chuckling at the exaggerated expressions of the guys. He was very interested in watching this theater of the absurd. And they called him hysterical... Here they are, two peas in a pod.       “I came to you with all my heart! And you! And you!!!” Changbin points a finger at the lovey-dovey couple right before his eyes.       “Jinnie,” Jisung calls, slightly releasing Minho and the embrace to wave his hand. "Calm down your hero-lover, or he'll tear us apart!" he cries mockingly, adding a touch of comedy. To which Minho puts his hand on Han's round buttock and gently pats it encouragingly.       “Yeah, yeah, like a broody hen and a stalker rolled into one,” Minho persists.       “Come on, 'thanks' would have been enough, and here you go with such a trick!”       “Oh, you're so shy that you wouldn't even confess!”       “Who are you calling shy, you pervert!”       Hyunjin wanted to take Changbin's hand and lead him to the kitchen to catch his breath, calm down, and drink some water. But he is preempted – grabbed by the forearm, pulled towards them, and drawn into a kiss right in front of everyone's eyes!       Changbin triumphantly looks at Minho, hugging Jinnie, who's red as a tomato, but he just scoffs:       “And we're the perverts? At least we don't make out in front of everyone. PER-VERTS!”       “Alright! That's it! Timeout!” Chan stands between the two fronts. “Stop it. Get some help.”       From both sides, there are disgruntled grunts, but nevertheless, they fall silent.       “What help do you need, Chan,” Seungmin interrupts the silence, “They'll only be helped by having two empty rooms right now.”       At this, the two couples look surprised in the direction of the couch. They definitely didn't expect this from Seungmin. He could often be sarcastic in jest, but usually ignored anything that might be related to relationships. Chan just laughed at this.       “Well... I would prefer not to hear about my friends' affairs and would ask to rid my apartment of it.”       “Oh, Chan, relax!” Seungmin waves his hand, smiling broadly and sarcastically declares with the intonation of a great conclusion, “But now the elevator definitely won't 'break down'!”