#heart2heart

At least, that was the official version he sold to the world.

"She’s rude," Keonho grumbled, flopping onto the shabby waiting room couch.

James, sprawled beside him, didn't even bother looking up from his phone screen. "You literally say that every single day."

"Because she’s rude every single day!"

Across the room, Martin let out a muffled chuckle. "Dude, you know nobody’s buying this act, right?"

Keonho frowned, adjusting the hood of his jacket. "Buying what?"

"The whole 'I hate her' story."

Silence fell over the room like a bomb. Keonho stared at Martin for three full seconds with the exact expression of someone who had just heard an absurd conspiracy theory.

"I do not like her."

Juhoon, who was fixing his hair in the wall mirror, turned around slowly. "Keonho… you know her class schedule by heart. You know her exact coffee order, the food she hates, and even which side of the sidewalk she prefers to walk on when the group is together."

"That’s not liking someone, that’s just having a good memory!"

"You freak out if they put onions in the staff meals," Seonghyeon reminded him, laughing without taking his eyes off his tablet.

Keonho pointed an accusatory finger at him, outraged: "Because she's the one who spends half an hour complaining in my ear if there are onions!"

"Exactly," the three of them responded in unison.

James finally slipped his phone into his pocket and looked at the youngest. "Just admit it. You’re whipped."

"I am not."

"Yes, you are."

"I’m not, hyung."

"Yes. You. Are."

"Hyung!"

James raised his hands in surrender, laughing at the sheer panic on his face. "Alright, alright! You’re not."

Keonho crossed his arms, puffing out his chest. "Thank you."

"It’s just a bizarre coincidence that you stare at that door every thirty seconds whenever she’s five minutes late."

Keonho opened his mouth to retort. Not a single word came out. "I was just… waiting for the staff."

Martin raised an eyebrow. "The staff that’s been sitting right next to you for the past two hours?"

"…I was checking the doorknob. Habit."

Seonghyeon covered his face with his hand, shaking his head. "You’re embarrassing at lying."

Before Keonho could invent a worse excuse, the doorknob turned. The door opened, and you walked into the room balancing a few coffee cups and a bag that smelled like hot food.

"I brought this because I know you guys forget to eat unless someone's breathing down your necks."

Keonho’s eyes locked onto you for half a second before he snapped his gaze toward the wall with almost painful speed. "Finally," he grumbled.

You paused mid-step, narrowing your eyes. "'Finally' what?"

"Nothing."

"Did you just complain about me taking long?"

"No."

"Yes, you did."

"You heard what you wanted to hear."

You set the bag down on the center table and crossed your arms, staring at him with that same familiar, teasing smirk. "My God, you’re unbearable."

Keonho flashed a crooked, victorious smile, leaning his head back. "See? That’s what I’m talking about. You’re rude."

"And you’re dramatic."

"I am not dramatic!"

The synchronized laughter of the four members echoed through the room. Keonho looked around, suspicious. "What’s so funny?"

Martin pointed with his chin toward Keonho’s hand. Without realizing it, he had already opened the bag and pulled out his sandwich prepared exactly the way he liked it. "You didn't even wait for her to finish setting the table," Juhoon poked.

"I’m hungry!"

"And she knew you would be," you countered with a shrug, finishing distributing the cups. "You eat every two hours, Keonho. It’s not a state secret."

Keonho froze with the sandwich halfway to his mouth. "You… remembered that?"

You let out a soft laugh. "It’s kind of hard not to notice."

He tried to hold back his smile. Really, he did. He bit the inside of his cheek and held his breath, but the corner of his lips tugged upward anyway.

Seonghyeon noticed. Of course he did. "Oh, man…"

"Don't even start," Keonho snapped immediately.

"I didn't say anything!"

"Your face did."

You looked from one to the other, completely out of the loop regarding the weird vibe. "Did you guys take your medicine today? You’re acting strange."

"Martin’s the strange one," Keonho blurted out first, trying to shift the focus.

"Hey! What did I do?!"

You just shook your head, laughing, and went back to organizing the drinks. Keonho tracked your every move. It wasn't a quick glance—he just sat there, staring at you with that dreamy, dazed look of someone who forgot the rest of the world existed.

James saw it. Juhoon saw it. Martin and Seonghyeon saw it.

Literally the entire company had already noticed. The only person within a ten-mile radius who hadn't realized Keonho was completely head over heels was you.

"Did you… bring mine?" he asked quietly.

You turned to him. "What?"

"My coffee."

"You didn't ask me for anything."

"I know."

"Then why would I have brought it?"

Keonho stayed silent for a second, fidgeting with the sandwich wrapper. "Because you always do."

You arched an eyebrow, holding back a smile. "Ah, so you expected me to bring it?"

"No!" The response came out a notch too loud, his voice cracking slightly.

The four of them burst into laughter together. Keonho felt his ears burn instantly. "I mean… it’s not that I expected it, it’s just… never mind."

Without a word, you grabbed the last cup from the bag and slid it across the table right in front of him. "Here you go, spoiled brat."

He looked at the cup. Then at you, raising an eyebrow. "What is it? Coffee?"

"No, it’s rat poison. Drink it and see."

Keonho wrapped his hands around the warm cup. "Very funny."

"You ask for it."

He took a sip. It was the exact perfect ratio of coffee and milk he liked, with that syrup he’d never admit out loud that he adored. He looked up at you, his gaze much softer now. "…Thanks."

You smiled—a gentle smile, with no mockery in it this time. "You're welcome. I'm heading out now, I have a meeting."

As soon as the door closed with a soft click, the silence lasted for exactly two seconds.

"You’re pathetic," James blurted out, throwing a cushion at him.

"Shut up, hyung."

"'Oh, she’s so rude,'" Martin mimicked, pitching his voice high and striking a dramatic pose. "'She hates me!'"

Juhoon nearly fell off the couch laughing. "And then the girl hands him a cup of coffee and the poor guy looks like he won a trophy."

"I hate all of you. From the bottom of my heart."

Seonghyeon pointed at his face. "Keonho, you didn't even wait for her to walk down the hallway before flashing that stupid smile."

Keonho buried his red face in his hands, sinking into the sofa. "I don't have a stupid smile."

"Yes, you do."

"I don't!"

"Keonho," James called, his tone turning a bit more serious.

He peeked through his fingers. James pointed toward the door. "If you keep using this excuse that she’s 'rude' just to talk to her, she’s never going to realize how you feel."

Keonho dropped his defensive posture. He stared at the hot cup of coffee in his hands, the steam rising slowly. "I just… don't know how to say it without sounding like an idiot."

Martin patted his shoulder. "Step one: stop complaining about her to everyone else."

"But she is provocative…"

"Keonho!"

"Alright, alright!" He sighed, his chest deflating. A helpless smile escaped his lips. "Maybe… maybe she’s not that rude after all."

The four of them exchanged glances, shocked by his surrender. "Praise the Lord," Juhoon muttered.

"Just don't tell her anything," Keonho requested quickly, adjusting his grip on the cup. "Please."

James chuckled, standing up from the couch. "We don't need to."

"Why?"

Seonghyeon flashed a knowing smile. "Because you’re so obvious she’s going to figure it out on her own anyway."

On the other side of the wooden door, leaning against the quiet hallway wall, you were holding the car keys you had forgotten on the table.

You had come back to get them. You had heard every single word.

A slow, inevitable smile spread across your face as you slipped the keys into your pocket.

Maybe Keonho wasn't so unbearable after all. Maybe teasing him was your favorite part of the day.

And maybe… just maybe, the idea of him being completely in love with you wasn't a bad thing at all.

Notes: I feel like Keonho is basically my annoying little brother, dude. I love him... I still wanna know how this little menace managed to break two fingers LMAOOO. I didn't proofread this, sorry for any mistakes.