Yeonjun's pov:

We were all practicing the routine, lost in the rhythm of the music, when out of the corner of my eye, I saw Beomgyu stumble. Instinctively, I reached out, placing a steadying arm behind him to keep him from falling, all without drawing attention. My focus snapped back to the choreography, but my mind didn’t follow.

I couldn’t resist stealing a glance at him, my heart betraying me with every beat. The way I notice him, his every movement, his every laugh, it feels like something far deeper than friendship. But I need to understand these feelings, to be sure of what they truly mean.

Time skips

After practice, we piled into the car, heading to the restaurant. As much as I wanted to sit next to Beomgyu again, Soobin-hyung beat me to it, sliding into the seat beside him without hesitation. I didn’t want to make it obvious, so I quietly took the seat behind them, alone. Taehyun and Kai were chatting away beside me, their energy filling the car, but my focus was elsewhere.

I glanced at Beomgyu, who was engrossed in conversation with Soobin, his face lighting up as he spoke. A pang of something, jealousy, maybe, stirred in my chest. I wanted to feel that warmth beside me again, the easy closeness I’d grown to crave.

They started playing with elastic bands, their hands brushing as they laughed. My jaw tightened as I watched them. I knew I shouldn’t feel this way it wasn’t like Beomgyu belonged to me, but I couldn’t help it. Quietly, I looked away and pretended to scroll through my phone, though my thoughts were anything but distracted.

When we finally arrived at the restaurant, everyone piled out of the car. Beomgyu got out last, just behind me. On impulse, I turned to him and said, “Wait.”

He paused mid-step, looking at me curiously. “What is it?”

I stepped closer, my fingers reaching for his collar. Gently, I adjusted it, letting my fingertips brush against the soft skin of his neck. My heart pounded, but I kept my face neutral. “There. Let’s go,” I said casually, pulling back as if it was no big deal.

Beomgyu blinked, looking surprised for a moment, but he quickly shrugged it off. We walked into the restaurant together, though I couldn’t shake the heat in my chest.

As we took our seats and ordered, the atmosphere lightened. We were laughing about random things when a girl approached us. She looked young, her eyes wide with excitement as the guard tried to stop her.

“It’s okay,” Soobin said with a smile, motioning for her to come closer.

She looked like she could burst. “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I’m seeing the group I stan the most! Can I shake hands with you all?”

We all smiled and nodded, taking turns shaking her hand.

When she reached Beomgyu, her face lit up even more. “Beomgyu, you’re my bias! I love you so much!”

Beomgyu beamed, his expression softening into something almost shy. “Aw, love you too, MOA!”

Her excitement doubled as she asked, “Can we take a selfie?”

Soobin nodded, his leader instincts kicking in. “Sure.”

She quickly snapped a photo with us, her hands trembling. Bowing deeply, she said, “Thank you so much!” before waving and leaving, her energy lingering in the air.

Taehyun grinned, leaning back in his chair. “Seeing a MOA this early in the day... I feel like it’s a sign the day’s going to go well.”

Kai chuckled. “Look at Beomgyu-hyung. He’s smiling like he just won the lottery.”

Beomgyu leaned back, pretending to flex. “Of course, I met my fangirl. Life is good.”

I rolled my eyes, though my lips twitched into a faint smile. “You’re acting like it’s the first time you’ve ever met a fan.”

He shrugged, his smile playful. “It feels like the first time, every time.”

Soobin laughed, and the conversation moved on, but I couldn’t shake the twist of jealousy in my chest. The way Beomgyu lit up around everyone, his warmth so easily shared—it made me wonder why I craved it so much.

Was this... love?

I let the thought settle for a moment. It wasn’t like I hadn’t noticed my feelings before, but now they were stronger. I wanted to be the one who made him smile like that. I wanted to be the one he leaned on, who shared moments only we would understand.

But did he feel the same? I didn’t know, and the thought gnawed at me. For now, all I could do was hide these feelings and act normal, even though they were starting to consume me.

The waiter brought our food, setting the plates down as we all chatted. Beomgyu laughed, his playful antics filling the room with lightness. The way he pouted between jokes, the way he acted so effortlessly carefree, it was impossible to look away.

My eyes stayed on him, even as Soobin hyung cracked a joke that I didn’t quite catch. Beomgyu’s laughter burst out, unrestrained and genuine, his head falling back as he lost himself in the moment.

I felt my brows lift slightly, my expression softening without realizing it. My gaze traced the curve of his neck before lingering on his face. He looked so... unreal.

Taehyun’s POV:

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed how Yeonjun hyung couldn’t stop staring at Beomgyu. It wasn’t subtle, not to me, at least. While Kai and Soobin hyung seemed oblivious, it was painfully clear to me.

A small smile tugged at my lips. Yeonjun admired Beomgyu a lot, so much that it sometimes made me wonder. Did he like him?

“Your food is getting cold,” I said, snapping Yeonjun out of whatever dream he was lost in. He flinched slightly, his focus shifting back to the present. Flustered, he quickly excused himself and started eating.

Beside him, Beomgyu chuckled, glancing at Yeonjun. “Hyung, don’t complain to the waiter that your food was cold again.”

Everyone laughed at the teasing remark, and Yeonjun shook his head, muttering, “Shut up.”

I smiled as I watched them, their dynamic effortlessly natural. It was hard not to notice the warmth between them.