Things are not going well for Bada. He's a crybaby, so he cries a lot. That doesn't mean that Taehyeon likes to see his best friend puffy and snotty.
A sleepover the night before school is a rarity but after the last two days Bada has had, his parents give in to his tearful pleading. Taehyeon's parents are going to have to agree because Bada has already been here all afternoon and he's not going anywhere. Not in this state.
"Do I really look as bad as your sister says?" Bada asks when Taeri finally leaves them alone.
Taeri has not been saying very nice things at all, but Bada looks even worse than she has said. He can barely open his eyes after all the crying he has been doing yet this is still an improvement after Taeri's cold spoons trick. Thankfully he's wearing a sheet mask to soothe the splotchy redness limply unfurling over his face. As his best friend, Taehyeon needs to be diplomatic about this.
"She's just negging you so that you think you have to be her friend because she's so ugly too. I mean. Not 'too'. You're not ugly. You're fine."
"Taeri isn't ugly. Aren't you the one negging your own sister? You shouldn't be so insecure, Motae."
Taehyeon should be the bigger person here. Bada is very sad right now so he can't help but speak nonsense. Taehyeon offers him an extra blanket and carefully drapes it over his shoulders. His room isn't too cold but the blankets are fluffy and cosy. Bada should be coddled at a time like this.
"Whatever you say, sweetheart."
"Bada!" Taeri exclaims as she barges into Taehyeon's room and drops an overnight bag on the floor. "What's your brother called?"
"Oh, did he bring my things already? He's called Haneul. Why?"
"He's very handsome," Taeri says. She climbs onto her hands and knees on Taehyeon's bed, shoving poor Taehyeon out of the way in the process. She stares very seriously at Bada. "Come and introduce me to your brother properly."
Taehyeon finds his sister irritating at the best of times. Upon seeing Bada's older brother in the flesh, he realises that he should cut her some slack. If she wasn't so nosy, Taehyeon wouldn't be staring at the most beautiful man to ever step foot in this house.
Sitting around in the living room instead of trying to think of how best to avenge Bada's trampled feelings might not be so bad. Even Bada looks to be in higher spirits whilst sitting beside his brother on the sofa. They're both squished together like there isn't plenty of room either side of them. Taehyeon and even Taeri are being exemplary hosts by sitting on the floor. Taehyeon can't attest to his sister's reasoning but Taehyeon is sitting on the floor simply to make room for the guests to be comfortable. The fact he has a better view of Bada's secret, handsome brother from the other side of the coffee table is simply a coincidence.
Taehyeon's mom laughs at some joke or other that Haneul told and Taeri joins in. She sounds like a dustbin full of cats. Maybe she's sabotaging herself to give Taehyeon a chance. The opportunity mustn't be wasted. Taehyeon needs to think of something that makes him seem fun and interesting.
"It really sounds like you cherish Bada a lot," Taehyeon's mom says, following up with a laugh that is intentionally unlike the sound Taeri made.
"I do. He's our family's little prince."
"He's taller than you are though," Taehyeon says. Taeri thumps Taehyeon's leg way too hard for Bada's brother to think anything nice about her. That being said, Bada's brother doesn't seem to be thinking nice things about Taehyeon either. Truly handsome people even look handsome whilst they're glaring.
Taehyeon's mom forces a laugh. "I think Taehyeon meant to say that you're both very princely. You must be so popular."
Haneul smiles, an expression an edge sharper than polite. "It seems like there are different parameters for popularity these days. If this was five years ago, Bada would be the most popular boy in school and nobody would dare to break his heart."
"You were in high school five years ago? That means you're between two to four years older than me."
Taehyeon can't believe how brazen his sister is. She's wearing ratty old pyjamas and still has the audacity to tuck her bobbed hair behind her ears.
"Really? That's so interesting."
Taehyeon is actually devastated by just how stupid his sister is to believe that. She must have been too focused on gazing adoringly up at Haneul to notice his distinct disinterested tone of voice.
Taehyeon should try again and hope he comes across as less asinine in comparison.
"Are you a university student? You seem very glamorous and sophisticated."
Haneul stares dead-eyed at Taehyeon until stifling giggles becomes too much for Bada. It's all very nice that Haneul is some weirdo who is only capable of doting on his younger brother but Taehyeon feels like he has taken Taeri's share of blows on this battleground. Honestly, Taehyeon has no idea how Lee Dongmin got himself a glamorous and sophisticated university girlfriend who picks him up from laser tag. Taehyeon should give up. He isn't cut out for whatever lifestyle Dongmin has secured for himself. Even Dongmin may not be suited to it; he is always talking about kissing Bada for a reason.
***
After seeing his brother, Bada cheers up. He's still very obviously sad about what happened today but he is at the point where he is capable of sharing Taeri's emergency snack stash with Taehyeon.
With hindsight, Taehyeon still can't understand how this weekend ended in Bada's heartbreak. The two of them should be celebrating. In fact, Bada shouldn't be anywhere near Taehyeon right now. He is supposed to be enjoying the life of a taken man. Taehyeon still doesn't understand what happened but he opts not to ask about all the details.
This isn't the time to dissect everything that happened between Saturday and Sunday. This is the time to zone out whilst watching stupid movies and eating junk food into the night.