Chapter Text
Since their talk, an obvious difference can be seen from how Sunoo reacts to other members' reminder to rest. As if it’s a mutual agreement between the other members, they also don’t mention anything about how Sunoo and Ni-ki are getting even closer.
Not that they’re not close before, but now? They are basically attached to the hip. Where Sunoo goes, there will be Ni-ki too. Both often have lunch together because Ni-ki will stay with Sunoo after practice a bit more to accompany him, just like what he promised.
Jungwon didn’t say anything about it since he thought that whatever this is, is not entirely a bad thing?
Sunoo feels different too. But this one, he’s not really sure if it’s a good thing or not. Lately he’s been spending a lot of time with Ni-ki. They eat together, practice together, and sometimes sleep together too.
At first, Sunoo didn’t realize the change, he just feels content and happy most of the time. But one morning, Ni-ki has been smiling the whole time until they arrived at the company.
“Why are you smiling?” Sunoo asked while unknowingly trying to hold back his own smile. He doesn’t know why Ni-ki’s smile made him want to smile too.
“What? Nothing happened, I mean i was just happy, you know”
“Well I’m happy too but do you see me smiling the whole breakfast? Come on just tell me”
“It’s just that I woke up happy, okay..” Ni-ki was still smiling when he said that but his voice got a bit smaller towards the end, as if he was shy about something.
“Yeaahh…but why tho?? Something happened?”
“Umm.. you hugged me back”
“Huh” Sunoo was visibly confused by the answer.
“Back then, I’m just an extra body on the bed while you sleep pushed to the wall. Recently, I can hug you. But this morning I woke up to you hugging me too. That’s why I’m happy.”
After Ni-ki’s answer, both of them are silent for a different reason. While Ni-ki feels a bit embarrassed, Sunoo feels weird. For now, he will call what he’s feeling as weird because honestly he doesn't know what this feeling is. They’re not the ones he usually encounters.
***
And that is how Sunoo realizes something is changing. Towards something he’s not completely sure.
Each passing day, Sunoo tries to act as normal as possible, even though he’s still trying to process his thoughts. Each day, he’s trying to search what exactly that he’s feeling? Like what is it that made him feel different, just what is going on with him.
Despite his best attempt at acting normal, he couldn’t help getting lost in his thoughts. And that’s exactly how Jay found him in the living room, just sitting straight on the couch zoning out, in a rare afternoon where they got dismissed early for a rest by their vocal coach.
“Hey, ddeonu, you okay?”
“Oh gosh, you scared me a bit.”
“Wow you really zone out you don’t even notice me walking here” Jay said while sitting beside Sunoo on the couch, some K-drama playing on the TV but none of them paying attention.
“Sorry hyung, I was just thinking about something” Sunoo said while laying back on the couch.
“Obviously, mind telling me what’s on your head?”
“I feel weird these days, hyung”
“Weird how?”
“I don’t know! Just weird sometimes, but I don’t even know why or what made me feel like this” Sunoo explained while flailing his arms,
“Well that made it hard to understand”
“Right?? That’s why I was just so frustrated” Sunoo looks really frustrated, Jay can see that now on his face
“Have you tried asking Ni-ki?” Jay asked while searching for the TV remote, trying to turn it off cause why turn it on if nobody’s watching anyway.
“Ni-ki? Why would I ask Ni-ki?” Sunoo furrowing his eyebrow
“I mean, with the amount of time you guys spend together everyday, he probably would notice if there’s something different about you, no? Cause if you’re asking me, nothing changes about you other than you’re now more open to Ni-ki’s affection and his touchiness, you know? But that’s probably because you already got used to that, '' Jay said so nonchalantly, not knowing how his simple words move some gears in Sunoo’s brain.
***
Few days after that, Sunoo tried to ask Ni-ki. He really tried, but every time the words almost came out of his mouth, something just held him back.
During those few days too, Sunoo learns something that will help him figure everything out. These weird feelings he kept feeling are only there when he’s with Ni-ki.
At first he thought, it’s what Ni-ki did that brought those feelings. So one morning he asked Sunghoon to help him practice since Ni-ki has another schedule anyway. His practice session with Sunghoon didn’t make him feel weird, at all. He’s feeling completely normal the whole practice. It’s something else then.
Sunoo comes to a conclusion. It’s always with Ni-ki, but not because of something he did. The weird feeling is because of Ni-ki. There is something different, something weird that Sunoo feels for Ni-ki.