Mars was holed up in their shared house, working tirelessly on their comeback. The company had been breathing down their necks since their first song got stolen, and now they had to prove themselves all over again. Their CEO had finally shut up—for now—but the pressure remained.
Meanwhile, Po was sitting at the dining table, focused on his laptop, working on subtitles for a video the company had assigned him.
Jun, of course, saw this as the perfect opportunity to be a menace.
"You know, phi," Jun drawled, leaning slightly too close, "I think we should grab something to eat. Just you and me."
Po barely spared him a glance. "I'd rather eat alone."
Jun clicked his tongue, unfazed. "That's cold. You wound me."
A few feet away, Thame pinched the bridge of his nose. He loved his bandmates—he really, really did. But Jun? Jun was a menace. A certified flirt with no sense of self-preservation. And when it came to Po, his relentless teasing was going to drive Thame insane.
And Thame wasn't the only one irritated. Dylan stood off to the side, arms crossed, jaw tight, looking like he was barely resisting the urge to throw Jun into the nearest speaker.
Thame sighed. He needed to put an end to this before Po actually snapped and murdered Jun. And that's when an idea struck him.
A terrible, fantastic idea.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Later that night, Thame found Dylan in the living room, scribbling down notes in his diary. They were supposed to be working on new lyrics, making up for the loss of their stolen song, but Thame had other plans.
"You're gonna help me," Thame said simply.
Dylan, not even looking up, raised an eyebrow. "With what?"
"Jun."
Dylan made a disgusted noise. "Hard pass."
"You haven't even heard my plan yet."
"If it involves me spending more time with that annoying brat—"
"It does."
"Then no."
Thame smirked. "What if I make it worth your while?"
Dylan narrowed his eyes. "Whatever it is, no."
Thame leaned against the couch, completely unfazed. "Then I'll just use the private studio I booked for you."
That got Dylan's attention. He looked up, brows furrowing slightly. Thame pressed on.
"I'll write songs there. Practice my vocals there. Just me. No disturbance. Nothing."
Dylan's jaw tensed. "Wait. Where did you even find a private studio?"
Thame smirked, knowing he had already won. "Did you forget my dad is a rich-ass man? Of course, we have a private studio for vocal practice." He shrugged casually. "I can give it to you if you help me."
Dylan exhaled through his nose, glaring at Thame like he wanted to throw something at him. He hated Jun. He really did. But a private studio? That was too good to pass up.
"Fine," Dylan muttered, pretending not to care. "I'll help you. But you have to confess your feelings to Phi Po as soon as possible. I can't stay with Jun longer than a month—he's annoying as hell."
Thame grinned. "Thank you, na. I promise, I'll confess as soon as possible."
Dylan scoffed. "You should. I think Phi Po likes you, too. You have a chance."
Thame opened his mouth to respond, but—
Nope. His face was already heating up.
Dylan rolled his eyes. "Pathetic."
Thame ignored him. His plan was officially in motion.
The next evening, Po was sitting on the couch, scrolling through his phone after finally finishing his pending work. His shoulders sagged slightly from exhaustion, but at least for now, he had a moment to breathe.
Thame walked over from the kitchen, carrying two glasses of Coke.
"Here you go, Phi," he said, handing one to Po. His tone was casual, but his eyes held quiet concern. "You've been working too much lately. You should get some rest, na. I'm worried about you."
Po smiled, accepting the drink. "Thank you, Thame. But I'm not that tired. I finally have time to watch this movie I've been wanting to see for ages." He turned his phone toward Thame, showing the movie poster. "Do you wanna join me?"
Thame felt his heart do a little flip. "Sounds goo—"
"Did I hear a movie?"
Jun's voice cut through the room like a knife.
He waltzed in from his room, having apparently been eavesdropping on their conversation. Without hesitation, he plopped himself down right between Thame and Po on the couch.
Now, the couch wasn't even big enough for three people.
Po exhaled sharply, already looking irritated.
Jun, of course, was thoroughly enjoying himself.
"You guys are watching something?" He leaned closer to Po, a mischievous grin tugging at his lips. "Let me join too."
Thame clenched his jaw. Jun was doing this on purpose.
Po's grip tightened around his phone as Jun casually reached over, his fingers brushing against Po's hand as he tilted the screen to check the movie title.
Before Thame could explode, a new voice broke in.
"I want ramen."
Dylan.
Thame snapped his head up to see Dylan standing in the hallway, clearly having just emerged from his room. He was rubbing his eyes like he had just woken up, but his expression was unreadable.
Jun didn't even look up. "We ate ramen yesterday."
Dylan blinked. "...I want it now."
"So? Go make some," Jun deadpanned.
"There's none left," Dylan shot back. "I want to eat outside. There's this great café that has amazing Choco milk and ramen." He ran a hand through his hair, trying (and failing) to look casual.
Jun finally looked up at him, suspicious.
Thame, catching on immediately, jumped in. "Jun, just go with him. He wants ramen. Can't you understand that?"
Jun groaned. "Can't he go by himself?"
"I don't know how to drive," Dylan said flatly.
Jun opened his mouth to argue—
"Let's go, I'm starving," Dylan said quickly, cutting him off before he could protest further.
Jun groaned dramatically. "Ugh, fine. Let me grab the keys."
As soon as Jun disappeared down the hallway, Dylan turned to Thame and muttered, "You owe me."
Thame grinned. "Enjoy your date, na."
Dylan's glare could've burned a hole through the wall.
Jun huffed as he slid into the driver's seat, slamming the car door a little harder than necessary. "I can't believe I got dragged into this. You don't even like ramen that much."
Dylan, settling into the passenger seat, simply shrugged. "I do tonight."
Jun shot him a glare before starting the car. The tension between them was almost a physical thing—thick, suffocating, and entirely mutual.
As they pulled out of the driveway, Jun tapped his fingers against the wheel. "Let's get this over with. Where's this amazing ramen place?"
Dylan smirked. "Take a guess."
Jun's jaw clenched. "Are you serious? You don't even know where it is?"
Dylan leaned back against the seat, looking unbothered. "I heard about it from a friend. Pretty sure it's around the night market."
"Pretty sure?" Jun scoffed, accelerating just a little harder than necessary. "You're unbelievable."
"You could've just said no," Dylan pointed out.
"I did say no!"
"And yet, here we are."
Jun groaned. "I hate you."
Dylan smirked again. "Feelings' mutual, friend."
At the Night Market
After circling around for fifteen minutes (because Jun refused to admit he didn't know where he was going), they finally found a small street-side ramen stall tucked between shops selling neon phone cases and fake designer sunglasses. The place had a couple of outdoor tables, glowing softly under hanging lanterns.
Jun parked the car aggressively. "If the ramen here sucks, I'm killing you."
"Noted," Dylan deadpanned.
They took a seat at one of the plastic tables, ordering two bowls of ramen and, to Dylan's amusement, the "amazing" Choco milk he had mentioned earlier.
As they waited, Jun stretched his arms behind his head. "So. Let's talk about the real reason we're here."
Dylan raised an eyebrow. "Which is…?"
Jun leaned forward slightly, his smirk devilish. "Thame and Po."
Dylan tensed slightly but kept his expression neutral. "What about them?"
Jun tapped the table with one finger. "I'm not dumb, Dylan. This whole ramen excuse? Thame obviously put you up to it."
Dylan took a sip of water. "So?"
Jun tilted his head, studying him. "So… what's the deal? Why would you even agree to this? You hate me, remember?"
Dylan paused for a beat, debating whether or not to answer. Finally, he exhaled through his nose. "He made me an offer I couldn't refuse."
Jun leaned in with interest. "Ohh? Do tell."
Dylan smirked. "Nope."
Jun groaned dramatically, leaning back in his chair. "Fine. Be mysterious. But just so you know, I'm very good at figuring people out."
Dylan hummed, unimpressed. "Good luck with that, then."
Jun studied him for a moment, as if trying to read something in Dylan's expression. But before he could say anything else, their ramen arrived, steaming and rich with the scent of miso and spices.
For the first time that night, they fell into silence as they started eating.
And for the first time ever, sitting across from each other…
It wasn't entirely unbearable.
Jun watched as Dylan practically inhaled his ramen, his chopsticks moving swiftly, his expression one of pure satisfaction.
"You look like you haven't eaten in days," Jun commented, resting his chin on his palm.
Dylan barely paused, swallowing another mouthful before side-eyeing Jun. "Why aren't you eating?"
Jun shrugged lazily. "I'm just here to enjoy the show. Watching you eat like a starving man is entertainment enough."
Dylan let out a dry chuckle. "Suit yourself."
Then, without warning, he picked up some ramen with his chopsticks and extended his hand toward Jun.
"Eat."
It wasn't a request.
Jun raised an eyebrow. "I don't wa—"
Before he could finish, Dylan shoved the chopsticks into his mouth with zero hesitation.
Jun choked slightly, shooting him a glare as he chewed. "What the hell—"
"So you won't complain that the ramen wasn't good," Dylan said flatly, going back to his bowl like nothing happened.
Jun scowled, but damn it—the ramen was good.
Their drinks arrived next, and Dylan immediately reached for his beloved Choco milk. He took a sip, expecting perfection—
And instantly regretted it.
His expression twisted into pure disgust.
Jun didn't even wait a second before bursting into laughter. "Didn't you say, and I quote, 'a great café with amazing Choco milk'?" He mocked, mimicking Dylan's voice. "How's your amazing drink now, friend?"
Dylan set the cup down with an annoyed sigh, but instead of snapping back, he simply smirked.
Then, before Jun could react, Dylan dragged his chair closer—way too close—and suddenly, a straw was shoved into Jun's mouth.
Jun's eyes widened as he unwillingly took a sip.
And then, his face twisted in disgust.
Dylan grinned triumphantly. "Exactly."
Jun coughed dramatically. "That's actual garbage. What the hell did they put in this?"
Dylan leaned back, arms crossed, satisfied. "Now you can shut up."
Jun clicked his tongue, pushing the drink away. "You're annoying."
Dylan just smirked. "Right back at you."
For a second, they simply stared at each other, their usual irritation lingering… but beneath it, something else. Something they weren't ready to acknowledge.
Not yet.
Dylan was the first to break eye contact. He pushed back his chair and got up. "I'm getting in the car. Pay them," he said, slipping his hands into his pockets.
Jun scoffed. "And why would I?"
Dylan turned slightly, a smirk playing on his lips. "Because we're on a date, aren't we?"
Jun opened his mouth to argue but found himself too flustered to come up with a retort. Instead, he just sat there, staring at Dylan's retreating figure.
Before Jun could collect his thoughts, Dylan leaned against the car, arms crossed. "I wanna eat ice cream too." His tone was casual, but there was something about the way he said it that made Jun suspicious.
Jun narrowed his eyes. "Dylan, why are you doing this? Huh? Thame and Po must be at Phi Po's apartment by now. You can drop the act."
Dylan simply closed his eyes and leaned back against the seat. "I just want to eat," he said, leaving no room for argument.
Jun let out a frustrated sigh and gripped the steering wheel. His eyes lingered on Dylan's lips—then the curve of his neck. He swallowed hard, shaking off the thought.
"Ugh, fine," he muttered, starting the engine. "Let's get your damn ice cream."
Jun drove in silence, occasionally stealing glances at Dylan, who had his eyes closed as if he didn't have a care in the world. His legs were stretched out comfortably, and his lips curled slightly, as if he was enjoying Jun's frustration.
The car pulled up in front of a cozy ice cream shop with warm lights glowing from inside. Jun let out a sigh. "Get your ice cream and don't take forever."
Dylan opened his eyes, a glint of amusement in them. "You're coming with me."
Jun frowned. "Why would I—"
"Because we're on a date," Dylan said again, stepping out of the car.
Jun groaned but followed. The moment they walked in, the chilly air of the shop hit them, and the scent of fresh waffle cones filled the space. Dylan scanned the menu lazily, then turned to Jun.
"You're paying for this, too."
Jun shot him a glare. "You've got hands. Use them to take out your wallet."
Dylan smirked, leaning in just a little. "But I like it when you do it for me."
Jun's breath hitched. Dylan was too close—close enough that Jun could smell his cologne, something fresh with a hint of spice. For a second, his mind blanked out, but then he snapped back.
"Fine," Jun grumbled, shoving his card at the cashier a little too aggressively.
Dylan chuckled, picking out his ice cream with a satisfied expression. "I'll have the Strawberry. Oh, and Jun will have—"
"I can order for myself," Jun cut in, but Dylan ignored him.
"He'll have Caramel almond," Dylan told the cashier confidently.
Jun blinked. "How do you—"
"You always pick it," Dylan said nonchalantly, taking his ice cream and walking to a booth.
Jun stood there for a second, his heart doing something weird in his chest. He shook it off and grabbed his own cup before sitting across from Dylan.
"Stop acting cute," Jun muttered, stabbing his spoon into the ice cream.
Dylan only smirked, taking a slow bite of his own. "Who said I was acting?"
Jun looked away, hoping Dylan didn't see the heat creeping up his neck.
Dylan narrowed his eyes. "Are you blushing?" he teased, poking Jun's cheek—once, twice.
Jun swatted his fingers away, but Dylan was persistent, poking again with a smug grin.
"Cut it out," Jun muttered, brushing his hand off. But Dylan didn't stop. Not until Jun, with an exasperated sigh, grabbed Dylan's wrist and shoved his hand away—straight into Dylan's ice cream.
Cold, sticky strawberry ice cream dripped from Dylan's fingers. His expression darkened as he opened his mouth to snap at Jun, but then—
Jun leaned forward. And before Dylan could react, Jun took his wrist and licked the ice cream off his fingers.
Dylan froze. His breath hitched, and his brain short-circuited as Jun's warm tongue flicked over his skin. His eyes widened in disbelief.
Jun pulled away, licking his lips with that infuriatingly smug smirk—the one he always wore, except this time, it was undeniably flirtatious.
"What?" Jun tilted his head, feigning innocence. "You think only you can flirt?" He leaned in slightly, voice dropping to something low and teasing. "Nah, bebe. Let's keep playing this game."
Dylan swallowed, his ears burning.
Jun smirked wider. "Let's see who falls first."
Dylan raised a brow, regaining his composure. He leaned back, smirking right back at Jun. "Be ready to lose."
Jun chuckled, resting his chin on his palm. "We'll see."
And just like that, the game began.
______________
That night, the sky cracked open.
Thunder rolled across the rooftop like a living thing. The rain was relentless, tapping against the windows like impatient fingers. In his room, Dylan sat on the edge of his bed, knuckles white as they gripped the blanket around his shoulders. His jaw was clenched, breath tight, eyes flicking toward the window every time lightning split the sky.
Another flash.
A deeper boom, closer this time.
He flinched hard.
Then—
A soft knock at his door.
He didn't answer. Couldn't.
The door creaked open anyway. "Dylan?"
Jun's voice was low, surprisingly gentle. "You okay?"
Dylan didn't move.
Jun stepped inside, noticing the dim light, the blanket, the way Dylan was curled into himself. It wasn't hard to put it together.
"Shit," Jun said softly, closing the door behind him. "It's the storm, isn't it?"
Dylan finally looked up, and in the low light, he looked… small. Not angry. Not tough. Just tired and tense and trying so hard to pretend he wasn't scared.
Jun didn't tease. Didn't joke. He just crossed the room and sat beside him, close but not touching.
"I used to be scared of thunder too," Jun said, voice calm. "Back when I was a kid, I used to crawl under my desk with headphones and a blanket. Felt like the world was cracking open."
Another flash.
Dylan's breath hitched.
Jun hesitated—then gently reached out, brushing Dylan's hand where it clutched the blanket. "Hey. You don't have to act cool with me. Not now."
Dylan let out a shaky breath. "I'm not cool."
Jun gave a soft laugh. "You're cool enough to make the sky jealous, apparently."
That got a weak huff of laughter from Dylan. Jun smiled, just a little, and moved to sit behind him, wrapping his arms loosely around Dylan's shoulders.
Dylan froze.
But Jun's voice was soft in his ear. "It's just me. Not going anywhere."
Silence.
Then, slowly, Dylan leaned back against him, the tension in his body easing inch by inch. Jun rested his chin on Dylan's shoulder, their breathing syncing up in the quiet between thunder.
"I didn't expect you of all people to be the comforting type," Dylan muttered, eyes closed.
Jun smiled into his skin. "Don't tell anyone. It'll ruin my reputation."
Another rumble outside.
But this time, Dylan didn't flinch.
The following day, soft light filtered through the curtains, the rain long gone. In Dylan's room, two boys lay tangled under the covers, breathing slowly, lost in sleep. Jun's arm was draped lazily over Dylan's waist, and Dylan had unknowingly leaned into the warmth.
The door cracked open with a creak.
"Phi Dylan, do you want—" Nano stopped mid-sentence, blinking at the sight on the bed. "Oiii! Are you guys cuddling?! That's so sweet!"
Dylan stirred.
"I told you something was going on between them!" Nano turned to Pepper and Thame, both of whom were frozen in the doorway like statues. "No one believed me. Look at this with your own eyes!"
Jun's eyes snapped open. Dylan groaned.
And then, chaos.
Jun bolted upright like he'd been electrocuted, nearly falling off the bed. "It's not—! We weren't—!"
"There's nothing like that!" Jun and Dylan said in perfect sync.
A beat of silence.
Nano smirked. "See? Couple telepathy."
Pepper tilted his head. "Wait… are you two…?"
"No! Never!" Dylan shot up, scowling.
"We hate each other," Jun added, flustered.
"Sure," Thame said dryly.
"Very!" Jun exclaimed, arms crossed.
Pepper, Thame, and Nano backed out of the room, trying (and failing) not to laugh. Nano was still teasing as they left. "So was the date that good? You ended up in bed with him!"
"Do you wanna be my punching bag?" Dylan called after him.
Thame chuckled, still leaning against the doorframe. "No, but seriously… how did you two end up cuddling?"
Dylan rubbed his neck. "Long story short, I guess Jun's not that bad."
"Huh."
"I mean, I can handle him. For you."
Thame raised an eyebrow. "No… something changed. Tell me the truth. Do you like Jun?"
"NO."
"Say it without yelling."
"I am."
"You're not."
"Don't you trust me?" Dylan muttered, already retreating to the bathroom.
Thame stood there, grinning like the devil himself. "I need to tell Phi Po everything."
A second later, he was on the phone, whispering excitedly, "Phi Po, you're not gonna believe what I just saw…"
as a storm was brewing between them.
Later that night, the dorm was quiet again. Everyone had gone to bed early after a packed rehearsal day. The hallway lights were dim, and a faint hum of music came from someone's room — probably Pepper.
Jun stepped into the kitchen to get water, the cold tiles freezing against his bare feet. As he opened the fridge, he jumped slightly when he saw someone already sitting on the kitchen counter — Dylan, barefoot, hoodie halfway over his head, sipping something from a mug.
"You always appear like a ghost," Jun muttered.
Dylan gave a half-smile, not looking at him. "You're the one creeping around like it's a heist."
Jun rolled his eyes, grabbing a bottle of water and leaning against the counter across from him. A few beats passed. They didn't look at each other, but the air was heavier than silence.
"Did you sleep okay last night?" Jun asked casually, keeping his eyes on the cap of the bottle.
Dylan shrugged. "I didn't dream, if that's what you're asking."
"Hm."
More silence.
Jun glanced up. Dylan's hoodie shadowed half his face, but Jun could still see the slight smirk tugging at his lips.
"You're doing it again," Dylan said suddenly.
Jun blinked. "What?"
"That thing. You stare like you're trying to read my thoughts."
"I'm just wondering why you always look like you're brooding in an indie film," Jun replied flatly.
Dylan raised an eyebrow. "You say that like it's a bad thing."
"It is. It's annoying."
"Yet here you are, not leaving."
Jun opened his mouth, closed it, then leaned slightly forward, narrowing his eyes. "You're trying to challenge me again, aren't you?"
"I'm not trying anything," Dylan said smoothly. "But if you're still standing here in five seconds, you're admitting I'm more interesting than sleep."
Jun didn't move.
Dylan's lips twitched. "One–"
Jun narrowed his eyes further, not budging.
"Two…"
Jun walked over to the counter slowly, almost like a threat, and hopped up beside Dylan without a word. Their shoulders almost touched.
"Three," Dylan said, voice lower now.
"I'm just here because it's warmer by the kettle," Jun muttered.
"Sure."
They sat like that, side by side, legs dangling, drinking in silence. Their arms brushed once. Neither pulled away.
"Do you think what I'm doing is wrong?" Jun asked out of nowhere.
"Huh?" Dylan looked up, confused.
"I like Phi Po… but Thame likes him too. And it seems like Phi Po likes Thame back," Jun said, his voice quieter now. "Is it wrong of me to like someone just because I want to?"
someone… with wanting to be seen by someone."
Jun turned his head to look at him.
Dylan didn't look back.
"I think," Dylan added, "Po sees Thame. And you… You don't want to be left invisible."
Jun didn't respond. But after a moment, he slid his hand next to Dylan's under the blanket. Their pinkies touched.
Dylan didn't move.
He couldn't.
Not when that small touch said everything Jun hadn't.
And outside, the sky stayed quiet. No thunder. No lightning.
But something else was.
"I don't kiss people I don't like," Dylan said, hugging Jun tight in his arms
And that hug said it all.
The next morning, Thame nearly choked on his juice seeing Jun and Dylan walk into the kitchen, Jun in Dylan's hoodie, Dylan with Jun's ridiculous keychain hanging from his pocket.
"Okay, what in the romantic enemies-" Thame started.
"Shut up," they both said in unison.
Nano and Pepper didn't even pretend to be surprised. Just fist-bumped behind their cereal bowls.
Dylan poured coffee. Jun stole the first sip. Dylan rolled his eyes.
Jun leaned close. "Still think I'm annoying?"
Dylan smirked. "Absolutely."
Jun smiled. "Good. Means I'm still me."
Dylan smiled, "I don't want you to be anyone else."
Jun kissed his cheek, which made Dylan blush a little too hard
"You kiss one more time and I'm charging y'all rent for emotional trauma," Nano yelled.
they all laughed, but Mars members were all happy seeing their two bandmates, who could knock the heads out, were now really close to each other. It does make their heart melt, but they won't show it, of course