Pairing: Nicholas × EJ
Vibe: Fluffy chaos → soft romantic ending
Trope Fusion: Secret author!Nicholas / Wattpad shenanigans / accidental exposure / confession under the stars

*****
"GUYS. I FOUND A FANFIC WHERE NICHOLAS CONFESSES TO EJ WITH A POST-IT NOTE."

*****

PART ONE — The Wattpad Wormhole

Nicholas had a secret.
A big, slightly embarrassing, "delete-my-career-if-the-members-find-out" kind of secret.

He had a Wattpad account.

Not just to read fanfiction.
No, no. That would've been fine.
He also... wrote it.
Under the masterfully inconspicuous username: TotallyNotNicholas.
(A name so ridiculous it looped back into believable.)

It had started as curiosity.

Then turned into obsession.

Then, late one night after reading one too many fics about himself being portrayed as a mafia heir with 17 abs and a tragic past, Nicholas muttered:

"That's not how I'd fall in love."

And so, he began writing.

It wasn't dramatic. It wasn't perfect.

But it was soft. Real.

A story about him and EJ.

Not as idols. Not as public figures.

Just two people navigating feelings between dance practices, late-night ramen, and casual domesticity.

He called it:

"The Space Between Cups of Tea."

(He was, regrettably, proud of that title.)

PART TWO — The Yuma Problem™

It all would've stayed buried if not for Yuma.

Yuma, who proudly read Wattpad fluff with no shame.

Yuma, who let the others tease him with dramatic reenactments of his bookmarked angst fics.

Yuma, who burst into the room one day, phone in hand, yelling:

"GUYS. I FOUND A FANFIC WHERE NICHOLAS CONFESSES TO EJ WITH A POST-IT NOTE."

Nicholas froze.

Maki leaned in. "Show me."

Taki snatched the phone. "Read it dramatically."

The problem wasn't that it existed.
The problem was...

Nicholas recognized the dialogue.
Every line.
Every comma.

He sank lower into the couch.

Harua tilted his head. "You okay?"

"Yup!" Nicholas squeaked. "Totally fine! This is fine!"

That's when the maknae line looked at him.

And they knew.

Taki: "Why are your ears red?"
Maki: "Did you... write this?"
Yuma: "You're totally 'TotallyNotNicholas' aren't you??"

Nicholas leapt up and yelled, "NO COMMENT," before speed-walking to the bathroom and slamming the door.

PART THREE — The Investigation Arc™

The maknaes launched into full detective mode.

Yuma began subtly reading random fics aloud at breakfast to watch Nicholas flinch.

Maki tried to guess the next chapters like it was a K-drama.

Taki began drawing fanart of the story without confirming anything. (He left it on Nicholas's pillow.)

Nicholas considered deleting the story.
Then he saw a comment that read:

"This version of them feels the most real. Whoever you are, thank you."

And so, he kept writing.

PART FOUR — The Discovery

It all came crashing down because of a cup of tea.

Nicholas had finished his chapter, titled it something melodramatic like "Chapter 9: A Shared Spoon is a Love Language," and went to boil water.

He forgot to close the tab.

EJ walked in ten minutes later, humming, reaching for his charger on Nicholas's desk...

Paused.

Leaning on the screen was the unmistakable orange glow of Wattpad.

The open chapter:
"He watched EJ stir sugar into the tea, even though he never drank it sweet. 'You're doing it again,' Nicholas whispered."

EJ blinked.

Then read it.

Twice.

Then quietly walked back to his room.

PART FIVE — Chaos, Reloaded

Dinner was... weird.

Jo glanced between Nicholas and EJ like he could smell tension.

Fuma kept trying to pass the rice while whispering, "Did someone die?"

K asked if the group was in trouble.

Harua offered to mediate the vibe.

Yuma, Maki, and Taki were vibrating with unspoken "WE KNOW WHAT YOU DID."

Nicholas picked at his food, heart in his throat.

EJ said nothing.

PART SIX — The Confession (ft. Moonlight)

It wasn't until nearly 2AM that Nicholas stepped onto the rooftop for air — hoodie on, face hidden, phone in hand.

He felt... exposed.

He never meant for it to be a real thing. He just needed somewhere to put his feelings.

"I wrote it to get it out," he whispered to the wind. "Not to get caught."

A soft voice came from behind him.

"...But I'm glad I did."

Nicholas turned around.

EJ stood by the door, barefoot, holding two mugs.

One with tea.

The other with hot water and sugar.

Just like the fic.

Nicholas laughed under his breath, too tired to run anymore.

"I thought you'd be mad."

EJ shook his head.

"I'm not mad."

"Embarrassed for me?"

"Not even a little."

"Then what?"

EJ walked over, set the mugs down, and sat beside him.

"You never said it out loud. But I think you said it in every chapter."

Nicholas swallowed.

"I didn't want to ruin anything. Or make it weird."

"You didn't," EJ said softly.

"You made it real."

They sat in silence for a moment.

The city stretched below them, blinking, unaware.

Then EJ nudged the mug toward him. The one with tea.

"You can say it now," he whispered. "I promise it's safe."

Nicholas looked at him — really looked.

Then took a breath.

"I like you. Not in a Wattpad way. In a 'you make me want to write forever' way."

EJ's hand found his.

"Good," he smiled. "Because I was starting to fall in love with the author."

PART SEVEN — The Next Chapter

Later, tucked back in bed, Nicholas found his phone lighting up with notifications.

The story had hit a thousand bookmarks.

His most recent chapter had a new comment from:
Username: JustEJThings

"A shared spoon really is a love language, huh?"

Nicholas grinned.

And started typing the next chapter.

The End.
(Because love doesn't always start with a confession — sometimes it begins with a username and a shared cup of tea.)