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the dorm kitchen was unusually lively for a saturday morning. the warm scent of toast and coffee wafted through the air as members shuffled about, each lost in their morning routine.junhyuk stood by the counter, meticulously cutting fruit for his yogurt bowl. hangyul was already seated, scrolling through his phone while absentmindedly chewing on a piece of toast. guanyou leaned against the fridge, arms crossed as he debated which cereal to demolish. xingxing sat at the table, sipping his coffee as he skimmed the news on his tablet, calm amidst the dorm's usual chaos.yinghao shuffled into the kitchen, a half-asleep vision in oversized pajamas. his usually perfect hair stuck out in all directions, and his steps dragged as though gravity itself had declared war on him. he yawned loudly, earning a chuckle from xingxing.“morning, hao,” xingxing greeted, not looking up from his tablet.before yinghao could respond, guanyou plopped down beside him, sliding a half-empty cereal box across the table. “dibs on the milk after this.”yinghao let out a half-hearted groan, resting his cheek on his fist. “too early to fight over milk…”“it's always too early for you.”yinghao grumbled something indecipherable, scratching the back of his neck as he plopped into a chair. he leaned forward, resting his chin on the table as if it were too much effort to hold up his own head.“morning,” guanyou greeted, grabbing the cereal box. “rough night?”“mmhmm,” yinghao mumbled. he reached for the coffee pot but gave up halfway, opting to bury his face in his folded arms instead. “too early...”xingxing smirked, setting his tablet down. “it’s 10 a.m., hao.”“that’s what I said. too early.”junhyuk snickered quietly from the counter. “classic yinghao.”as the conversation lulled, xingxing’s eyes wandered to yinghao, taking in his disheveled state. his gaze lingered on a faint mark just below the collar of yinghao’s pajama top, barely visible but unmistakable. xingxing squinted, tilting his head slightly.“yinghao.” xingxing’s voice was calm, but his tone carried a subtle sharpness that immediately caught everyone’s attention. “did you get hurt? what’s that on your neck?”yinghao blinked groggily, his hand moving to his neck instinctively. “what’s what?”guanyou, always quick on the uptake, leaned in before yinghao could react. his eyes widened, and a dramatic gasp escaped him. “is that a… hickey?!”junhyuk froze mid-slice, the knife in his hand slipping and nearly cutting his finger. hangyul choked on his toast, coughing violently as his phone clattered onto the table. daeul, who had just entered the kitchen with a bowl of cereal, tripped over nothing and barely avoided spilling milk all over himself.“excuse me?” yinghao’s voice shot up an octave, his hands flying to his neck as he tugged his collar higher. “it’s not what it looks like!” he stammered, his face flushing a deep crimson.“not what it looks like?” guanyou leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms with a smirk. “then what exactly is it?”“it’s nothing!” yinghao snapped, his words rushed. “you’re all imagining things.”junhyuk, having recovered from his near mishap, turned around with wide eyes. “imagining things? guanyou has a point. that looks exactly like a—”“junhyuk!” yinghao cut him off, shooting a glare.hangyul, usually the quiet observer, finally spoke up. “so… are you dating someone?”yinghao’s jaw dropped. “i’m not—”“or maybe it’s a fling,” guanyou interrupted, tapping his chin thoughtfully. “that would explain why he’s being so secretive.”the kitchen descended into chaos as everyone began throwing out questions and theories all at once.“who is it?” junhyuk asked, still holding his fruit knife like a weapon of interrogation.“was it someone from last night?” hangyul ventured.“are they cute?” guanyou added, his grin widening.“do we know them?” daeul chimed in, already invested.yinghao groaned, burying his face in his hands. “why can’t you all just eat your breakfast?”“no way we’re letting this slide,” guanyou declared, leaning in closer. “tell me, hao.”across the room, ziheng sat quietly, seemingly engrossed in peeling an orange. he hadn’t said a word during the commotion, but the tips of his ears had gone suspiciously red.xingxing leaned back in his chair, his sharp eyes darting between yinghao and the rest of the group. finally, he cleared his throat. “alright, let’s take a breath.” his voice immediately silenced the room.ziheng let out a small cough, which made guanyou turn his eyes to him.“leader,” guanyou said with mock reverence. “what do you think about all this?”ziheng stiffened, nearly dropping the orange he was peeling. “me?”“yes, you,” xingxing replied smoothly. “you’re usually good at reading people. any insights?”ziheng glanced at yinghao, whose face was still buried in his hands. his own face turned a deeper shade of red as he stumbled over his words. “i- i think…”everyone leaned in, watching him expectantly.“i think… we should respect yinghao’s privacy,” ziheng said quickly, his voice higher than usual.guanyou raised an eyebrow. “that’s suspiciously vague.”“it’s not vague,” ziheng shot back, attempting to sound firm but only managing to sound flustered. “it’s just… the right thing to do.”guanyou sighed, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like ‘boring’ before his attention went back to yinghao, who peeked at ziheng for a second before going right back to staring at the ground, his cheeks flushed.
the living room of the dorm was quieter than usual. yinghao had left early for a solo schedule, leaving the rest of the members with an unspoken opportunity to unravel the mystery he had left behind. what had started as casual curiosity had snowballed into an obsession.daeul sat cross-legged on the floor, a notebook in hand as he scribbled down notes with the intensity of a detective solving a high-profile case. guanyou sprawled across the couch, munching on chips like this was an afternoon drama, occasionally throwing in his unsolicited thoughts. xingxing leaned against the wall, arms crossed and looking like the calm voice of reason—though his furrowed brow betrayed his curiosity. junhyuk and hangyul were hunched over a shared tablet, apparently compiling "evidence" from past dorm interactions.“so,” daeul began, tapping his pen against the notebook. “let’s go over what we know so far.”“which is nothing,” xingxing pointed out dryly.“not true!” guanyou interjected, sitting up. “we know he had a hickey. that’s something.”“a hickey doesn’t tell us who it was from,” junhyuk muttered, his eyes glued to the tablet. “unless there’s a way to, like, analyze it or something.”“you mean like… forensic hickey analysis?” hangyul asked, raising an eyebrow.“exactly.” junhyuk nodded, completely serious.xingxing sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “i cannot believe i’m hearing this.”guanyoul ignored the side conversation, leaning over the couch to flip back a page in daeul’s notebook. “okay, hear me out. what if it’s someone from another group?”“that makes sense,” hangyul said thoughtfully. “yinghao’s been spending more time on joint projects lately. maybe he met someone during one of those.”“or,” junhyuk chimed in, “what if it’s not an idol at all? what if it’s a staff member?”the room fell silent for a moment as everyone considered this possibility.“would yinghao even go for a staff member?” daeul asked skeptically. “that seems… complicated.”“not if it’s true love,” guanyou said dramatically, placing a hand over his heart.xingxing rolled his eyes. “let’s not get carried away.”daeul tapped his pen again, his brow furrowing in concentration. “you know… it could be someone from here.”the room froze. all eyes turned to daeul, who blinked at them innocently.“from here?” hangyul repeated slowly.“you mean, like… one of us?” xingxing asked, leaning forward.daeul shrugged. “why not? it’s not impossible.”guanyou let out a bark of laughter. “yinghao? dating one of us? are you insane?”junhyuk nodded quickly. “that’s ridiculous. we’d know if that were happening.”“would we?” daeul challenged. “he’s obviously been keeping it a secret. why not a secret that’s closer to home?”the room erupted into noise as everyone protested at once.“that doesn’t even make sense.”“why would he date one of us?”“guanyou, your boyfriend is ridiculous.”xingxing, who had remained quiet, finally spoke up. “alright, enough.” his voice cut through the chaos like a knife, silencing the group. “let’s be logical. if it were one of us, who would it be?”guanyou snorted. “definitely not me. i’d never hear the end of it if i so much as held his hand.” his eyes narrowed towards daeul who coughed and pretended to scribble in his notebook.“not me either,” junhyuk said quickly, holding up his hands as if to ward off suspicion.hangyul shook his head. “i’m not interested in dating anyone right now.”daeul frowned. “it’s not me, though everyone already knows that. i was just suggesting it as a possibility.”all eyes turned to xingxing.“don’t look at me,” he said flatly. “if i were dating him, i wouldn’t let him show up to breakfast with a hickey.”the room fell silent again as they all turned to the one person who hadn’t spoken. ziheng, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, looked up from his phone.“what?” he asked, his voice a little too high-pitched.“you’ve been awfully quiet,” guanyou said, narrowing his eyes.ziheng forced a casual smile, though his palms were clammy. “there’s nothing to say. you’re all just overthinking it.”junhyuk raised an eyebrow. “i don’t know, i think the silence speaks volumes.” he leaned in closer, clearly amused. “what do you think about all this, ziheng? you’re his best friend, right?”the rest of the group fell silent, looking at ziheng, waiting for an answer.ziheng shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his fingers tapping lightly against the armrest. “i… i think it’s really none of our business,” he said, his voice betraying the uncertainty he was feeling. “yinghao will tell us when he’s ready. we should just respect his privacy.”guanyou smirked. “you sound like you’re trying too hard to avoid this, leader.”“i’m not avoiding anything!” ziheng shot back, but his voice cracked slightly. he cleared his throat and added, “i just don’t think it’s worth making a big deal out of.”the group exchanged knowing glances.“suspicious,” hangyul muttered, and the others immediately started snickering.ziheng groaned. “seriously? i’m just trying to be calm about this.”“yeah, well, you’re not convincing anyone,” guanyou teased.“why don’t you just tell us what you really think, ziheng?” daeul leaned forward, his voice low with a hint of mischief. “you’re his closest friend, you must have some idea, right?”ziheng opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by the next comment.“actually,” guanyou said, tapping his chin as if he’d just had a brilliant idea, “it could never be ziheng.”the group immediately stopped talking, turning to him with confusion.“what do you mean?” junhyuk asked, still grinning.xingxing’s expression was deadpan. “yinghao has standards.”the room went silent for a moment, and then the laughter erupted. ziheng just stared, a mix of confusion and embarrassment on his face. “what? you guys are seriously not gonna take me seriously now?”“you know, it’s true though.” junhyuk barely managed between his laughter. “poor ziheng, completely disqualified.”“it’s a valid point,” hangyul said through his chuckles. “there’s no way yinghao would fall for you, ziheng.”ziheng buried his face in his hands. “this is ridiculous. i’m literally sitting right here.”“exactly.” daeul teased, “and yinghao still wouldn't pick you.”ziheng groaned, sinking into the couch as the others continued to laugh. deep down, though, his heart was pounding. if only they knew the truth.
the next few days at the dorm were filled with an almost absurd amount of curiosity and speculation. every time yinghao stepped out of his room or spoke to someone, his members were watching, waiting, looking for any telltale signs, any clue that would reveal the identity of his secret boyfriend.it started the moment they arrived at the music show.backstage, the members were already scanning the area, eyes darting from one person to another, watching for any signs that could lead them to the identity of yinghao’s hidden lover. they had already agreed to keep their distance from yinghao for now—no direct confrontation, just subtle observation.yinghao had just finished greeting the staff when he was called over by zhang jijun, a well-known idol from another group, who was standing with his own members near the green room. the instant their eyes met, a slight smile crept onto yinghao’s face.guanyou, who was closest to the scene, turned to daeul, his voice barely a whisper. “did you see that? he smiled at jijun like they’ve known each other for years. i don’t like this.”daeul squinted, trying to make sense of the situation. "they're friends, though. they’ve probably met a few times during collaborations."guanyou didn’t seem convinced. “i don’t know... he’s way too comfortable around him. he never smiles like that at anyone.”ziheng, who had been walking by with junhyuk, overheard and casually joined in, raising an eyebrow. “are you sure? yinghao's always friendly with people.”guanyou ignored ziheng’s attempt to downplay it. “you don’t get it. there's something different about how he’s acting. look at that.” he pointed discreetly, watching as yinghao exchanged some casual words with jijun. the smile on his face was subtle but too affectionate for guanyou's liking.junhyuk leaned over. “i’m telling you, it’s probably nothing. we’re overthinking it.”but the seed of doubt had already been planted.as the group continued to hover, trying to stay out of sight, yinghao made his way backstage for his makeup touch-up. the staff member, a man in his thirties, was busy adjusting his hair when the members tried to sneak a peek."look at how close they are standing," guanyou muttered under his breath, squinting.xingxing raised an eyebrow. "that's normal. he's just fixing his hair."but guanyou was fixated. “yeah, well, look how he’s looking at him! he’s totally into him. that’s gotta be a sign.”xingxing rolled his eyes. “that’s literally his job.”“are you sure, though?” guanyou asked, voice full of suspicion. “i swear he smiled way too brightly when he said something.”ziheng, who had been standing slightly away from the group, crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. “are we seriously still doing this?” he muttered, clearly irritated. “let him get his makeup fixed. who cares?”but hangyul, who had been unusually quiet, turned to ziheng with a sly grin. “i think ziheng's getting jealous, huh? someone’s protective of yinghao.”ziheng straightened up, eyes flashing. “i’m not jealous. i just don’t see the point in you guys trying to dig into his personal life. it’s not our business.”hangyul snickered. “yeah, okay. sure, leader.”before ziheng could respond, guanyou had already snapped his attention back to yinghao. "guys, i think i’ve figured it out. look at how they’re talking. i bet they’ve been texting nonstop. i’ll bet you anything they’re the ones sending each other those late-night texts."daeul leaned in, squinting at the exchange. "isn’t that a bit far-fetched? i mean, he could just be talking about the schedule."guanyou, however, wasn’t backing down. “no, no, trust me. look at his eyes. he’s got that glint. he’s hiding something. just like the way he smiled at jijun earlier. it’s so obvious!”junhyuk sighed dramatically, turning to ziheng. “so, do you have any thoughts? what do you think about yinghao and jijun?”ziheng’s response was almost immediate. “like i said, it’s none of our business. but if you guys want to keep fantasizing about it, go ahead.”he walked away, pretending not to care, but the frown on his lips betrayed his true thoughts.meanwhile, the group continued their impromptu investigation, now trying to track down any patterns in yinghao’s behavior.later, when they were backstage and getting ready for their performance, hangyul smirked and leaned over to xingxing. “i think it’s getting pretty obvious who it is, don’t you think?”xingxing glanced over at yinghao, who was still oblivious to the chaos unfolding around him. “who?”“i bet it’s the makeup artist," hangyul said, giving a wink. "it’s all in the eyes. you saw how he looked at him. you know he has to be the one. junhyuk disagrees though, he thinks it's jijun."xingxing snorted, “yeah, or maybe it’s the one who handed him a drink earlier. could be them, right?”ziheng, overhearing the exchange, huffed and added, “yeah, sure, because everyone’s just so in love with yinghao, right?”
the group was exhausted, their bodies aching from the long day of rehearsals and the intense music show performances. guanyou, xingxing, daeul, hangyul, and junhyuk trudged toward the exit, their shoulders slumped as they muttered their goodbyes. the late night was finally catching up to them, and they could barely keep their eyes open.“guess i’ll see you guys tomorrow,” daeul yawned, nearly dozing off while standing. guanyou gently nudged him to keep him awake, but the others were already heading toward the door.“yeah, yeah,” hangyul added, already half out the door. “see you guys later. get some rest, ziheng. don’t overwork yourself.”ziheng gave them a nod, forcing a tired smile as he glanced up from his phone. “i’ll catch up soon. i’ve got some work to finish up,” he said with just enough casualness to convince them. the others didn’t seem to care much; they were too tired to question it. they were used to ziheng staying behind for things here and there.as they left, daeul mumbled a sleepy “night,” and the door shut behind them with a soft click.the room, now quiet except for the distant hum of the air conditioning and the occasional clink of staff cleaning up, felt suffocating in its stillness. ziheng stayed seated, staring at his phone for a few seconds before he shoved it into his pocket and stood up. he hadn’t had a schedule—he was lying. he didn’t have any meetings to attend to.he just needed to see yinghao.for the past few days, they'd kept their distance, as subtle as it had been. the stolen moments in the hallway, the brief glances during group rehearsals—it wasn’t enough. he’d missed him more than he wanted to admit, and the jealousy that had been simmering inside him ever since the group had started speculating about yinghao’s “mystery boyfriend” had only made everything worse.ziheng had never been good at hiding how much he cared about yinghao. he'd buried it for months, and now, the weight of his emotions had become too much to hold back. the group had gotten so obsessed with figuring out who the boyfriend was. the constant teasing, the sly remarks... it all made ziheng feel like he was losing control.but tonight? tonight, he didn’t want to wait.he could hear yinghao's voice faintly in the hallway, speaking with one of the staff members. he was still busy with his schedule, but it didn’t matter to ziheng. he stepped into the hallway, the noise of the dorms fading behind him as he approached the lobby area where yinghao was.there he was, standing near the entrance, scrolling through his phone while a staff member packed up some of their things. his hair was slightly tousled from the long day, and he looked tired, but still so effortlessly beautiful to ziheng.yinghao hadn’t noticed him yet. ziheng lingered in the doorway for a moment, just watching him. he felt his heart race in his chest, the familiar fluttering feeling in his stomach returning.after a few more moments of watching him, ziheng couldn’t take it anymore. he moved forward, a little faster than he intended, and stepped into yinghao’s line of sight.he wasn't even sure how he moved across the room so quickly, but before yinghao could register the shift in his expression, ziheng had already grabbed his wrist, pulling him into the nearby room. he didn't care who saw. his heart was hammering in his chest, and all he could think of was the warmth of yinghao, the softness of his lips, the look in his eyes."ziheng, what are you-" yinghao's words were cut off as he was shoved against the wall with a quiet, firm force. ziheng's body was pressing into him, pinning him in place, and his hands were gripping yinghao's wrists, holding him against the cold wall.ziheng's breath was shallow as he leaned in closer, his lips brushing against yinghao's ear as he whispered, "i don't care anymore." his grip tightened slightly on yinghao's wrists, just enough to send a shiver down his spine. "i can't keep pretending that i don't want you. that i don't need you right now."yinghao's heart raced in his chest, and he swallowed hard. this wasn't how it was supposed to be. not with everyone else still in the building, not with their careers on the line. but the way ziheng was looking at him-the raw, desperate hunger in his eyes-was making it so hard to think straight."ziheng, we-" yinghao tried to pull away, but ziheng just pulled him back, trapping him against the wall once again. the intensity in ziheng's gaze was unwavering, and before yinghao could protest again, ziheng's lips crashed against his.it wasn't gentle. it wasn't soft. it was desperate, consuming, all of the things they had been holding back finally spilling out. ziheng's lips moved against yinghao's with urgency, his hands slipping around his waist, pulling him even closer, so that there was no space between them.yinghao's mind was racing, trying to process what was happening, but the more ziheng kissed him, the harder it became to think at all. his hands found their way to ziheng's shirt, gripping at the fabric as he kissed him back, even though a part of him knew this was reckless, this was dangerous.but in that moment, all yinghao could feel was ziheng-his touch, his warmth, the pressure of his body against his own. he felt too far gone to stop.ziheng finally pulled back, just enough to look into yinghao's eyes, breath coming in ragged gasps. his hands were still firm on yinghao's wrists, not letting him go. "i don't care who sees anymore," ziheng muttered, his voice low and rough. "i can't keep pretending."yinghao opened his mouth to say something, but words failed him. he knew they had to stop. they had to stop. the consequences were too great, too risky-but in that moment, all he could think about was the way ziheng's eyes were locked onto his, and how much he craved to just... be with him."ziheng, we can't..." yinghao tried again, his voice shaking slightly, but ziheng wasn't listening.ziheng's lips were all-consuming as they collided with yinghao's once more, the heat between them escalating with each passing second. yinghao could feel the sharpness of ziheng's hunger, the raw need that had been building up for days, and he found himself responding, his hands slipping into ziheng's hair, tugging him even closer.yinghao breathed, his voice a soft gasp as he tried to catch his breath, but ziheng's lips didn't give him a chance to speak. he kissed him again, this time deeper, more desperate, as if he couldn't get enough.yinghao's heart raced in his chest, the adrenaline coursing through him as ziheng's hands roamed over his body, pulling him closer, pressing him against the wall. the kiss was heated, and yinghao's thoughts became a blur. all he could think about was ziheng, the way he felt against him, the way his hands gripped him so possessively.ziheng broke away for a moment, his breath ragged, his eyes dark with desire. he looked down at yinghao's neck, the place he had claimed days before with a harsh bite, the one small thing that had started all this chaos."let them see," ziheng growled, his fingers gripping yinghao's shirt and tugging it to the side as he kissed his neck once again, this time more fervently, marking him in a way that would be impossible to hide.yinghao's body responded immediately, his breath hitching as ziheng's teeth grazed his skin. "ziheng," he whispered, his hands shaking slightly as he tried to pull back, but ziheng's hands held him firm, keeping him in place. "we can't... they already saw the one last time."ziheng's grip tightened on him, his mouth trailing lower, moving to the base of yinghao's neck. "i don't care," ziheng muttered, his voice thick with possessiveness. "let them see. let them all know." he pulled back just enough to meet yinghao's eyes, his gaze burning with intensity. "this time... i'll leave five. five marks for five of them to see."yinghao's heart skipped a beat at the declaration. five? he swallowed hard, trying to make sense of his swirling thoughts. his instincts told him to stop, to pull away, but the way ziheng was looking at him, the heat between them-he was losing the will to resist."ziheng," yinghao murmured, his voice quieter, but there was no mistaking the way his body leaned into ziheng's touch. his lips parted, his breath shallow. "please don't leave marks."ziheng let out a low chuckle, a dark, possessive sound that sent a shiver down yinghao's spine. "i already did," he said, his lips brushing over the first mark he'd left. "and i'll leave more. i want everyone to see that you're mine."yinghao's pulse quickened, his hands trembling as they slid down ziheng's chest. why was he so relentless? but in this moment, he knew he didn't want to stop. he wanted ziheng just as badly, but the idea of being marked so publicly, of letting their secret slip- terrified him."i don't care who sees," ziheng whispered again, his voice strained as he placed another kiss just below yinghao's jaw, his hands traveling down yinghao's sides. "this is ours. all of it. and not zhang jijun, or any staff member. don't fight me."yinghao let out a shaky breath, closing his eyes for a moment, surrendering to the intensity of the moment. he knew they shouldn't be doing this. but the way ziheng held him, so possessive and determined- it was impossible to pull away.the kiss deepened again, more frantic this time, as ziheng claimed every inch of yinghao's mouth. yinghao's hands gripped his shoulders, pulling him closer, desperate for more, feeling the heat of their bodies pressing against each other.this was dangerous, reckless, and far beyond the boundaries they had set. but in that moment, nothing else mattered but the way ziheng made him feel-completely consumed, completely his.
the following morning, the dorm was quieter than usual, the usual chatter replaced by the clinking of utensils and the soft hum of the refrigerator. everyone was gathered around the kitchen table, tired but content, sipping on coffee and munching on toast. the moment yinghao emerged from his room, looking absolutely out of it, the room seemed to pause. his hair was tousled, his pajamas a bit wrinkled, and his eyes were still half-closed in the grogginess of just waking up.no one said anything, but every pair of eyes flickered to yinghao, silently agreeing. it was time.yinghao shuffled over to the table, dragging his feet, too tired to register the glances he was receiving. he reached for the cereal box, mindlessly pouring himself a bowl. but as he lifted his arm, the shirt he had on shifted, and for a split second, his shoulder was exposed.guanyou was the first to act. he was grinning before he even stood up, leaning in with that mischievous look in his eyes that only spelled trouble. without hesitation, he reached for yinghao’s shoulder, tugging his shirt down just enough to reveal the fresh marks littering his skin—five in total, each one slightly darker than the last."aha!" guanyou exclaimed triumphantly, his voice way too loud for the morning. he immediately spun around, pointing his finger at ziheng, his expression a mix of satisfaction and excitement. "i knew it! my theory was right!"everyone at the table froze. ziheng’s face paled as he stared at the marks, eyes wide with realization that they'd been caught. he froze for a moment too long, his mind scrambling for an escape. but it was too late. the rest of the group had already turned their attention to him.“guanyou.” he began, his throat so dry that he barely managed to get the words out, “it's not what you're thinking-”"so, it’s that staff member!" guanyou continued, his voice gleeful. "it happened after the schedules last night! yinghao stayed behind to finish, and he was the one who did it, right?" he winked at ziheng, misreading the situation entirely. "ziheng, you’re just keeping the secret for him, aren’t you? that's why you've been trying to get us to stop.”ziheng blinked, his arm freezing mid air as his mouth snapped shut immediately at the words.he glanced over at yinghao, who was still trying to hide behind his cereal, face flushed red with embarrassment. "i- i guess you could say that," ziheng muttered, trying to feign nonchalance, though his heart was pounding in his ears. "but i wasn't gonna tell you who it was, right?”guanyou tilted his head in mock confusion. "what’s the big deal? it’s just a staff member, right?" he then waved his hand dismissively. "oh, i bet he’s just too shy to admit it.”the others were taking it all in stride, exchanging smirks and playful winks at the sudden drama, but no one seemed to suspect the real truth.guanyou laughed and patted yinghao on the back. "well, we know the truth now. and you know what? i think you’re keeping it a secret because you like the attention."yinghao groaned, trying to disappear into his cereal, but ziheng couldn’t help but feel a small sigh of relief. guanyou was still completely convinced it was the staff member, and he didn’t seem to be putting two and two together.his eyes met ziheng’s and they both stiffled giggles. maybe it was time to shut up for now.