<Woozi's apartment>

Woozi got into the lift and as it closed, he was met with Hoshi with a bag in his hands and he looked a little worn out. He was quick to acknowledge Woozi as he managed to chuckle, "Grocery shopping got successful?"

Woozi looked at the carry bag in his own hand, "Yeah. But what about you? You look exhausted."

The elevator dinged as the doors opened and the neighbors walked out.

"It was hectic at the dance academy. An idol group had arrived for shooting so yeah." Hoshi nodded.

"That explains the exhaustion." Woozi noted He paused for a moment outside Hoshi's door, studying the older's face. Something about Hoshi's expression bothered him, a subtle weariness in his eyes that he couldn't quite place, "You sure you're alright?

"Yeah, kind of." Hoshi managed to pass a tired smile as he turned to his door which was right beside Woozi's.

"You're not a very good liar, you know that?" Woozi remarked bluntly, a hint of concern in his voice. He took a step closer, his eyes searching Hoshi's face, as if trying to read the thoughts behind those weary eyes.

"I know." Hoshi nodded as he inhaled a deep breath, "I'm actually very tired and my head is aching badly."

Woozi raised an eyebrow, his concern growing. "A headache? When did it start?"

He reached out a hand, as if to check the older's temperature, but stopped before making contact, suddenly self-conscious. Instead, he crossed his arms, trying to maintain a casual facade.

"While I was coming back." Hoshi replied as he stood by the younger's door, "I think I'll talk later, Woozi. Don't worry, I'm fine."

"You're clearly not fine. You look like you're about to pass out." Woozi retorted, his voice firm. Without waiting for a response, he grabbed Hoshi's free hand and pushed open his apartment door, pulling him inside with a tug.

"What are you doing? Woozi?" Hoshi let himself being dragged, "Wait, I don't want to bother you."

Woozi rolled his eyes, shutting the door behind him. "You're not bothering me," he insisted, leading Hoshi towards the living room. "You need to sit down. Go." He pushed Hoshi onto the couch, his actions firm but his voice soft.

"Yeah but I had to take a shower." Hoshi muttered.

"Yes, after you've rested a bit." Woozi responded. He disappeared into the kitchen for a moment and returned with a painkiller and a glass of water. Sitting beside Hoshi, he handed him the pills. "These will help with your headache. Then you can go take a shower."

Hoshi took the medicines as he chuckled, "Thank you." He looked around the hall, it was his first time at Woozi's place.

A wave of uncharacteristic self-consciousness washed over Woozi, thinking if everything looked presentable. He busied himself with tidying up a few objects, trying to shrug off the feeling.

"You don't look too bad, just tired," he said, nodding to himself. "You should take a shower and get into something comfortable."

"How am I supposed to shower here?" Hoshi asked.

"How do you think?" Woozi retorted, but his tone was lighthearted. He pointed towards a door down the hallway. "The bathroom's right there. You can grab fresh towels from the closet next to it. I'll find you some clothes you can change into."

"My place is just right next to yours." Hoshi stated, "Plus I've already stressed you enough, Woozi. I should go now."

Woozi crossed his arms, stubbornness written on his face. "No way. You're not walking all the way back into your apartment in that state. You'll pass out on your front door, and I really don't feel like picking you up off the floor."

Hoshi laughed lightly, "That won't happen, don't worry."

"And I'm not taking chances." Woozi shot back, "Now stay here. I'm going to grab some clothes for you. You're taking a shower here itself."

"Alright alright, as you say." Hoshi agreed as he followed Woozi to a room and then went to take a shower. Meanwhile, Woozi walked back to the hall torn between cooking something or ordering in.

He glanced at the clock on the wall, the late hour making him pause. He didn't want to spend too much time cooking, but he also didn't want Hoshi to go to sleep without eating something.

After a moment of consideration, Woozi decided to order in, opting for a quick and easy meal. He placed an order online for both of them, then busied himself with tidying up the living room while he waited.

Soon enough, Hoshi returned and sat on the couch, "Thank you, I feel fresh and a bit relaxed."

"You should eat something light. I ordered food; it should be here shortly." Woozi replied.

"You're worrying way too much." Hoshi muttered.

"Somebody needs to worry about you, since you clearly don't worry about yourself." Woozi retorted, a hint of irritation in his voice.

"You looked exhausted earlier. Have you eaten anything at all today?"

"I think-" Hoshi scratched the back of his neck.

Woozi raised an eyebrow, a disapproving expression on his face. "You think you've eaten, or you think you haven't?" He prodded, crossing his arms against his chest.

Hoshi averted his gaze, "Happens sometimes."

"You can't just forget to eat, Hoshi." Woozi reprimanded, "Especially not after a hard day of work. You need to take care of yourself, seriously."

Before Hoshi could answer, Woozi got a call as he attended it and then hung up, "The food delivery guy is a bit confused. Just wait here, I'll be back."

He left the apartment and returned shortly after fetching the order. As he came back into the hall, he saw Hoshi dozed off on the couch. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He tried to suppress it, telling himself that he shouldn't feel fond at the sight of a grown man asleep on his couch.

But the sight of Hoshi asleep, head tilted back against the couch, was undeniably endearing. He placed the food on the coffee table and approached Hoshi quietly. He shook his shoulder gently, trying to wake him up.

Hoshi stirred awake as he took a moment to get conscious enough, "Oh- I'm sorry-"

"You're apologizing for falling asleep?" Woozi chuckled, shaking his head slightly. "Don't bother. I was going to wake you up anyway."

He gestured towards the food bags on the table. "The food is here. Come, eat something."

After finishing eating, both of them sat on the couch again. Hoshi couldn't help but hold Woozi's palms within his own, "Thank you for taking care of me today, Woozi."

"Don't mention it." Woozi replied, his voice quiet, "You would have collapsed on your front doorstep otherwise."

"And you cared deeply about it." Hoshi chuckled.

"Somebody has to." Woozi grumbled, a hint of defensiveness in his tone. But he didn't make any attempt to pull his hand away, letting Hoshi's fingers draw invisible patterns against his skin.

"You're-" Hoshi paused for a long moment, "certainly not just somebody."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Woozi lifted his gaze to meet Hoshi's, his heartbeat quickening slightly as their eyes locked. He suddenly felt off-balance, as if they'd somehow ended up on the edge of something significant.

"Uh- like-" Hoshi hesitated, "You- we- we are really good friends by now, aren't we?"

"I mean, yeah, we are." Woozi felt a strange sense of disappointment at Hoshi's words. He didn't know how to explain it, but it wasn't the answer he'd been hoping for. "Yes," he confirmed, hoping the flicker of disappointment in his eyes didn't show. "Good friends."

"Did I saw something wrong?" Hoshi asked softly inching just a bit closer due to concern, "Uh- did I upset you, Woozi?"

"No." Woozi answered, perhaps a little too quickly. "You didn't upset me." He made a half-hearted attempt to pull his hand back, but Hoshi's fingers were still wrapped around it, warm and firm. His heart was racing in his chest, but he couldn't bring himself to free his hand.

"No, but your expressions changed so suddenly." Hoshi squeezed the younger's hands gently, "If there's something, you can just tell me."

"There's nothing, it's fine." Woozi cursed inwardly at his own inability to control his feelings. He felt exposed, like Hoshi was reading through him, seeing through his every facade. But the older's hand was warm and comforting, his grip gentle yet firm, and Woozi found himself unable to pull away.

"Lying, clearly." Hoshi pointed out, "What is it, Woozi? If you took such good care of me then let me do that as well? What's wrong?"

"It's... it's nothing, really," Woozi mumbled, but he knew the excuse was weak. There was something on the tip of his tongue, a confession, a feeling he'd been denying for too long.

"Please?" Hoshi insisted softly, tightening his grip on the younger's hands in an assuring manner.

"It's just-" he started, his voice shaky, "-it's just that-" Woozi looked up, meeting Hoshi's gaze again, and suddenly, the words came tumbling out before he could stop them. "I can't just be your friend, Hoshi. I can't-"

Hoshi frowned, "What do you mean? Like- why? Did I do something wrong?"

"No- no, you didn't." Woozi fumbled with his words, frustrated with himself for not being able to express his feelings clearly. "It's just-" he took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts, "-It's just that I'm falling for you, dammit."

"W-what?" Hoshi gasped.

"Yeah." Woozi pulled back his hands, "Specially after we spent time at the rooftop, and I heard you talking genuinely. I don't even know why, it just happened."

"I-" Hoshi paused, trying to process the news, "Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously." Woozi replied, his voice laced with a mixture of nerves and hope. "I didn't mean for it to happen, but I can't help it. I'm falling for you, and it's driving me insane."

Hoshi stood up, still facing the younger, "You- you like me? For real?"

"Yes, for real." Woozi replied, his voice low and steady. "I like you. More than I should, probably. And I don't know what to do about it."

Hoshi sat beside the younger quietly, "Same. I like you as well and even I don't know what to do about it."

Woozi felt his breath hitch in his throat as Hoshi revealed his feelings. Surprise, disbelief, and a flicker of hope ignited in his chest. He turned his head to look at Hoshi, his heart pounding in his ears. "You... you do?" He managed to ask, his voice barely above a whisper.

Hoshi nodded, "But I seriously don't know what to say, how to react or what to do."

"Neither do I." Woozi let out a shaky exhale, he ran a hand through his hair in frustration, trying to sort out the tangle of thoughts in his mind. "This isn't how I expected tonight to go."

"I'm sorry, I really am." Hoshi mumbled out, "I wanted to ask you out but now that it is the time, I don't even know how to proceed. I feel so dumb right now."

"Don't apologize." Woozi replied, his voice gentle but firm. "You don't need to feel dumb. I feel just as clueless as you do, honestly. So... we both like each other." He stated, as if just realizing the reality of the situation. "What do we do now?"

"Umm like- hold hands?" Hoshi suggested, "Try to be romantic? And like- argh what are we supposed to do?!"

"Hold hands, right." Woozi agreed, reaching out and intertwining his fingers with Hoshi's. The contact sent a jolt of electricity through him, igniting a thousand butterflies in his stomach. "And uh, being romantic..."

"Yeah like-" Hoshi hesitated, "I can hold you in my arms, probably?"

"Okay, yeah." Woozi murmured, his voice nearly a whisper. "That... that sounds good." He shifted closer to Hoshi on the couch, allowing the older to guide him into his embrace.

Hoshi wrapped his arms around the younger, "Our hearts might explode together, Woozi." He whispered while caressing the younger's hair, "We don't have to be this awkward."

"You're right." Woozi agreed, his voice a bit steadier now. "We don't have to be this awkward. It's just..." He paused, taking a moment to savor the feeling of being held by Hoshi, "It's just new. And a bit overwhelming."

"I know, same." Hoshi grinned, "As soon as Seungcheol hyung's case is settled, let's go out on a date."

"A date, yeah." Woozi repeated, his voice a bit breathless. "I'd like that."

<Choi Mansion - Seungcheol's room>

"Two of three, down." Jeonghan chuckled.

"Who?" Seungcheol perked up.

"Woozi convinced Wonwoo and Mingyu." Jeonghan explained.

-

"But, isn't Jeonghan hyung in equal danger?" Wonwoo looked up at Woozi, "I mean- he's living in that mansion itself."

"I agree." Mingyu nodded, "What is things go wrong? Everyone will be in danger."

"Are you both serious, right now? We have to find a way out of this and make things right. And it's totally fine if you don't-"

"Hyung hyung hyung!" Mingyu intervened to calm him down, "We didn't mean it in a wrong way. Of course we are in this along with you and Jeonghan hyung but we are also concerned about the safety of everyone."

"Yeah, we aren't backing away Woozi, we're just discussing about the cautions." Wonwoo added.

"Don't worry, that's our priority." Woozi stated, "There won't be any compromission with safety."

-

"And, Hoshi made it successful with Mr. Lee Chan." Jeonghan chuckled.

"You can refer to him as Dino, he won't mind." Seungcheol nodded.

-

"What?" Dino gasped, "Why?! Why are they doing this to Seungcheol and Seokmin hyung?"

"We've to figure everything out, Dino." Hoshi patted his shoulder, "And along with that, we've to be cautious as well. Once caught, there will be no way to fix everything."

Dino remained silent.

"You've the option to say no." Hoshi assured, "Just don't spill anything to anyone. Forget it."

"What do you mean forget it? How am I supposed to do so?" Dino inhaled a sharp breath, "And I don't have an option to say no, okay? My inner self won't allow me to do so. I'll do anything and everything to help you all."

Hoshi chuckled, "As expected from you Dino."

"Of course, hyung." Dino nodded.

-

"Tomorrow, Seokmin and Joshua will talk to rest of the people." Jeonghan stated, "And then we'll formulate our plan accordingly. I- I was also wondering if we could bring some of Sunwoo's men to our side."

"That's way too risky." Seungcheol looked at the younger, "That plan can backfire anytime. Considering Sunwoo either keeps his men under his power or money."

"I know." Jeonghan paused, "But remember how Miss Nayeon agreed to helped us willingly? There must be more people who would want to escape free from this hell. We just need to figure them out, cautiously."

Seungcheol let out a soft sigh, his mind working through the different scenarios. "I understand where you're coming from," he said, "but we have to be extra cautious with this. We don't know who we can trust in there."

"That's the reason why I proposed to start stalking him." Jeonghan retorted, "Yes, finding out what he's doing, was a reason but more importantly, we need to know the people who are ready to back-stab him."

Seungcheol nodded, understanding Jeonghan's point. "You're right," he agreed, "stalking Sunwoo would give us a better understanding of his operations and potentially identify those who are not entirely loyal to him."

"Exactly. They are the only ones who can spill the weaknesses of Sunwoo." Jeonghan nodded, "They might know the loopholes in Sunwoo's plans and once we know wherever he's lacking, we'll have the upper hand in all this."

Seungcheol hummed in agreement, the makings of a plan forming in his mind. "Okay," he said, looking up at Jeonghan, "We'll start stalking Sunwoo then. We'll figure out who the potential allies are and what we can use against him."

He paused, his expression turning serious. "But we have to be careful, Jeonghan. Sunwoo has eyes and ears everywhere. One wrong move and everything can crash down on us."

"I'm well aware of that." Jeonghan assured, "Anyways, they'll come to check you soon enough. You've to act a bit humble and less aggressive, to depict that my therapy is working. You also have to pretend that his pills are working on you, okay?"

Seungcheol nodded, listening to Jeonghan's instructions. "Got it," he replied, "Be humble, less aggressive, and pretend the pills are working. I can manage that."

He paused for a moment, a flicker of humor in his eyes. "I'll try not to roll my eyes or make a sarcastic comment too much," he added, a hint of a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Jeonghan chuckled, "Yes, please."

A/n : Just one chapter away from getting the entire Team Svt!! But that's not an easy part, right? Expect some heat and angst! Or maybe not. Idk.

Anyways take care everyone!
-Jeonghanneyonghaseyo