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Chapter 18 - Deers in Headlight

Junhyuk's POV

"There's definitely something you guys aren't telling me," I said while we were waiting for Seongjun hyung to call us to the CEO's office. A couple of days had passed since our pre-debut promotions ended and we're having a meeting today. It's about our official debut and all of us are excited.

"Like what?" Seungmin hyung asked. He's on the other side of the practice room and I'm lying down near the mirror with Minjae hyung. Huijun hyung's sitting beside the speaker.

"I don't know. You seem to know something I don't."

"Maybe you know something we don't." Huijun hyung suggested.

"Then I wouldn't have said anything."

"Exactly." He said.

I was confused for a moment and then I realized what he was saying. "So you're really hiding something!"

"Are we?" Minjae hyung asked then he rolled close to me and pinch my cheeks. "You're overthinking."

A phone buzzed near the socket beside me and I stumbled to look whose it is.

"Seongjun hyung left his phone?" I asked as I reached to get his phone. I noticed all three pairs of eyes are at me. "What?" I looked at the screen and Minji noona's name popped out with two hearts beside it. "Why does Minji noona's name have two hearts in it? Isn't it always just 'Jung Minji'?" I asked.

At that, all of them scrambled beside me.

"What did she say? What did she say?" Seungmin hyung asked as he grabbed the phone from me. "How do we expand it? What's his password?"

"It's my birthday," I said. "I tried it in the waiting room last time." He entered the numbers and it said incorrect. "He changed it?" I exclaimed.

"Try 200112." Minjae hyung said.

"That's the last day of our promotions." Huijun hyung said.

"Yeah, it's the first day they're together."

"How'd you know that?" Seungmin hyung asked. "I thought it was yesterday. He told me he'll pick up Minji noona when he left early and he was looking charming like he'll confess or something. I thought it was weird."

"Yesterday?" Huijun hyung said. "I just knew about it this morning!"

I just watched their exchange and realizations suddenly hit me. "THEY'RE TOGETHER NOW? Why didn't any of you tell me?"

They all looked at me, surprised. And then they looked at each other.

"How did you even know?" The three of them said simultaneously.

"I caught him when he returned that day." Minjae hyung said. "He was all red I thought he has a fever. When I asked him, he just said 'Minji...' but he trailed off and never finished. I just assumed."

"I heard him talking to her on the phone this morning." Huijun hyung explained. "He sounds cringey. I thought I'd puke."

"And no one told me about any of that?" I said again. "We have a group chat!"

"Minjae should've told first." Seungmin hyung said.

"I don't have enough evidence. I thought I'd find out more."

"Just try if the password works." I gestured to the phone and Seungmin hyung entered the numbers. In a span of a split second, all of us waited. Sure enough, the phone unlocked.

"So did they really started dating that day?" Huijun hyung asked but before any of us can even look at Minji noona's message, the door opened.

We all looked up like a bunch of deers in headlights. Seongjun hyung took in what was happening before he spoke.

"What are you guys doing with my phone?"

I saw Seungmin hyung immediately hit the power button. "Ah, hyung! Why did you change your password? We can't open it anymore."

Huijun hyung successfully hid a laugh as Seongjun hyung grabbed his phone. We can't let him know we already know. We don't want him changing it again but I made a mental note to ask when Minji noona's birthday is, just in case.

"Why do you always want to pry into my phone? I need my privacy."

"Why? Because you have a girlfriend now?" I said and all three heads turned to me, signaling for me to shut up. I can't help it.

But Seongjun hyung just stared at me, his cheeks have a hint of light pink in them. "Who told you that?"

I nodded to his phone. "Minji noona's name has two hearts in it."

The four of us waited with anticipation to what he'll say next. Now that he's been caught, there's no way he'll lie to our faces.

He sighed loudly and then he just said, "No." We expected him to elaborate but nothing came next.

"No, what?" Minjae hyung asked even though, I think, we all know what he meant already. But I couldn't blame him. It could mean either 'No, she isn't his girlfriend' or 'No, there aren't two hearts beside her name'. But the second one would be a lie.

"I asked her out the other day," Hyung said shyly. We were just taking a deep breath, that split second before we all yell in celebration, when Hyung pointed a finger at us so we all stopped mid-breath. "But she isn't my girlfriend."

Minjae hyung exhaled. "What does that mean?" He asked.

But Seongjun hyung just slumped down the floor and fluttered. Yes, he flutters. And then he started whimpering. I honestly want to take a video of him and send it to Minji noona. "I asked her out but she had this shocked look on her face so I took it back and told her to forget about it. But, then, she looked like she doesn't want me to take it back and I was so confused. I can't take back taking it back so nothing really happened and I'm doomed."

Seungmin hyung was fast to his side. "There, there." He said as he patted his head. "I know it's hard." He paused. "Actually, I don't. You brought that to yourself so deal with it."

"What did you do after?" Huijun hyung asked.

"I went crazy." Seongjun hyung answered. "I can't act normal. I even kissed her the other day!"

"You kissed her?" All of us exclaimed.

"Just right here." He pointed on his forehead. "But it's still crazy!" He whined. "I don't think I'll live another day after that."

"There, there." Seungmin hyung repeated. Will that be his official comforting phrase? If it is I don't wanna be comforted by him.

"Yeah." Huijun hyung started, ignoring the supposed to be heartwarming words. "You can just ask her out again."

"And she'll definitely say yes." Minjae hyung added.

"Fighting!" I finished. The four of us looked at each other and I know we're thinking the same thing. What an idiot couple.

Seongjun hyung just sighed as an answer and after what felt like an eternity, he said, "By the way, we're supposed to go to the office like the moment I entered this room."

"Yah!" Huijun hyung scolded as we all scrambled to our feet. "What kind of leader are you, making the CEO wait."

And we all went to the office for our debut meeting.