Joy lay sprawled across her bed, phone clutched in both hands. Her brother's call still rang in her ears, sharp and commanding as always.
"Invite Yu over. Tonight."
Her thumb hovered over the keyboard. She wanted Yu here—oh, she wanted to gush about Izan, about how he'd held her hand, about the way her heart fluttered like something out of the stories she loved. Yu was her safe place, the one person she could pour all this into without being judged.
But Theo's voice gnawed at her. He always wanted to control things. He always thought he knew best. A rebellious streak flared hot in her chest. Why should she follow his orders? Why should she help him, when she barely understood what he was even trying to do with Yu?
Still… her heart ached at the thought of not seeing her best friend.
Joy chewed her lip, tapping out and deleting three drafts of a message. Finally, with a sigh, she settled on a compromise:
Joy: Yu! Come over tonight! I have sooo much to tell you ✨💖🌙💬 Please say yes? 🥺🙏💞💗💫
No mention of Theo. Just her. Just them. That was how she wanted it.
---
Later that evening, Yu sat cross-legged on his bed, homework spread out with half of it done in neat handwriting. The buzz of his phone drew his eye, and he unlocked it to find Joy's message glowing at the top of the screen.
His hazel eyes narrowed.
'Ah… did I used to text this bubbly? Boy, does this take me back haha.'
He leaned back, phone dangling from his fingers. The memory of Theo's grip on his wrist, the way his blue eyes had burned with something too close to ownership, still lingered like a bruise in his mind.
'Walking back into that house so soon, after running from him at the hotel… it feels like willingly stepping into the lion's den.'
And yet—Joy's words were genuine. She wanted him there. She wanted to gush, to share her secrets, to have her best friend by her side.
Yu exhaled slowly, eyes flicking toward DK01's faint interface pulsing at the corner of his vision.
"Should I go?"
He asked aloud, voice low.
[I determine this to be a high-risk, high-reward sort of situation.
Probability of Tragic Target's emotional escalation: 73%.
Probability of Heroine's friendship reinforced: 91%.]
Yu smirked faintly, closing his eyes.
'So it's a gamble. As usual.'
Yu rolled onto his side, braid slipping over his shoulder as he stared at Joy's glowing message again. His thumb hovered, the corner of his mouth twitching into a wry smile.
Yu: Hmm… I have a lot of homework so it might be difficult🤭… I'll think about it, Joy. Depends how juicy your story is 😉
He waited a beat before adding—
Yu: If I can, I'll show but if not… there's nothing I can do😔☹️
The reply sent, he tossed the phone aside and exhaled, eyes narrowing at the ceiling. His thoughts tangled and untangled—Theo's hand on him, Theo's lips, Theo's vow-laced stare. Every instinct screamed that stepping into that house tonight would be asking for trouble.
But then Joy's text message echoed, warm and earnest.
"I have sooo much to tell you."
He closed his eyes.
'Sigh, she needs me. And if she's with Izan when Theo's not watching, that's more progress. I can't ignore that.'
By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, Yu had made up his mind.
He stood before the mirror, not in silks or form-fitting shirts, but in deliberate casualness. A soft, oversized tee hung loose across his shoulders, dipping off one collarbone. The hem brushed against baggy sweatpants that slung low on his hips, tied only by a half-hearted knot at the drawstring. Comfort, not allure.
'This wasn't for Theo. It was for Joy.'
He slid his phone into his jacket pocket, slung his sketch bag over one shoulder, and stared at his reflection one last time. His hazel eyes softened, resigned.
"Tonight isn't about him."
He whispered.
"Tonight's for her."
Then he turned, leaving the apartment with steady steps, his plan sharpened in his mind.
'Keep Joy's fairytale moving forward, keep Theo at arm's length, and above all—be the one in control of the game.'
---
The Kingsley estate was quiet, too quiet for Theo's liking. He sat in the study, jacket abandoned on the arm of his chair, tie loosened. Papers were strewn across the desk, contracts and reports forgotten, his pen idle between his fingers.
Every tick of the clock on the wall needled into him. He hadn't told Joy why he wanted Yu here—he couldn't. He barely understood it himself. But he knew one thing:
He needed to see him.
Needed to confirm that Yu wasn't slipping further out of his reach.
Theo's knee bounced restlessly, his thoughts spiraling.
'Would Yu come dressed for me? Would he still smell faintly of that night? Would he… call another name again?'
The creak of the front gates opening made his breath catch. He straightened in his chair, heart hammering.
---
Yu strolled up the long drive, his bag slung casually over his open jacket, his oversized shirt and loose pants swaying with each step. There was no pretense of allure, no attempt to dazzle—just comfort. Armor by indifference. But that alone was just as alluring.
The heavy front door swung open before he could knock. Joy burst out, her light brown hair bouncing as she all but launched herself into his arms.
"Yu!"
She cried, clutching him tightly.
"You came!"
Yu softened, arms looping around her in return, his cheek brushing her hair.
"Of course I did. You'd pout for days if I didn't."
She pulled back just enough to grin up at him, eyes shining.
"I have so much to tell you—about Izan, about everything—"
Yu pressed a finger to his lips, hazel eyes flicking briefly toward the study where he suspected Theo lurked.
"Shh, girl talk later okay?"
He murmured.
Joy's giggle bubbled out. She nodded, tugging on his sleeve.
"Then let's go to my room! I don't want Theo eavesdropping."
---
Joy's room was exactly as Yu remembered it—soft pastels, lace curtains, and plush pillows everywhere, like something out of a princess tale. She plopped down onto the bed, tugging Yu with her, her grin impossibly wide.
"Yu, you won't believe it—Iz—no, Izan—"
She corrected herself quickly, cheeks flushing—
"He's so sweet. He listens to me. He actually looks at me like I'm someone precious."
Yu leaned back against the pillows, folding his arms behind his head, a lazy smirk tugging at his lips.
"Mm. And how did he look at you when he kissed you?"
Joy squealed, burying her face in a pillow before peeking back out with rosy cheeks.
"Like I was his whole world! Can you believe it? Like in the stories I always read!"
Yu chuckled softly, hiding his satisfaction.
'Good. The fairytale's taking root.'
Joy sat up suddenly, grabbing his hand.
"You have to promise me, Yu. Promise me you'll help me. I want this to work. I want him to be mine."
Yu squeezed her fingers gently, his hazel eyes warm though his mind was already calculating.
"Of course, Joy. I'll make sure he never lets you go."
---
In the study, Theo sat with his hands steepled, papers still untouched. From his study's open window drifted from above faint, bright laughter—Joy's unmistakable giggles, punctuated by Yu's lower, melodic voice.
Each sound twisted in his chest. It should have been harmless, Joy and her best friend gossiping like always. But to Theo, every laugh sounded like betrayal, every whisper like a secret he wasn't meant to hear.
His knuckles whitened around the arm of his chair.
'What is he telling her? What lies is he weaving while I sit here, waiting?'
The thought of Yu upstairs, close to Joy, tangled in her bed—it gnawed at him. His jealousy simmered, hot and restless, begging for release.
Theo rose to his feet, pacing toward the door, debating whether to climb the stairs and intrude. His hand lingered on the study's knob, grip tightening.
'Do I confront them… or wait until Yu is alone? I need to find a way inside first.'
The house seemed to hold its breath with him, every tick of the clock amplifying his turmoil.
---
Yu attempts to get up only to be flopped back onto the bed by Joy's tugging at Yu's loose shirt. Nearly tugging it over his head with no hesitation.
"Yuvin, you're normally so fashion forward, why are you dressed so drab today?"
[Warn—]
'Yeah, yeah, I get it!'
"The weather's put me in such a mood. I just didn't feel like trying tonight."
He said with a shrug, voice deliberately casual.
Joy gasped, dramatically clutching her chest.
"Yu! Not feel like trying? Do you know how much it hurts me to hear that?"
She pouted, hands on her hips like a scolding mother. Then her expression softened into a mischievous grin.
"Fine, then. I'll just make you try. We're doing this like old times."
[Additional data unlocked: Since childhood, Joy has been dressing Yuvin up like a doll. The original Yuvin very much enjoyed these moments of mixing and creating new outfits that it led him to pursue a career in fashion design.]
Yu raised a brow, smirk tugging at his lips.
"Like old times, huh? You really want to dress me up again?"
Joy clasped her hands together, bouncing on her heels.
"Please, Yu! You used to let me all the time. Just one outfit tonight—let me pick something cute for you!"
With a mock sigh, Yu rolled his eyes and lifted his arms in surrender.
"Alright, alright. Go for it. Knock yourself out."
"Yay!"
Joy squealed and darted toward her walk-in closet, her skirts swishing as she rummaged through racks of dresses, blouses, and accessories.
Yu, meanwhile, casually slipped out of his loose pants and shirt, now sitting in just his boxers as he stretched out languidly on her bed. His pale legs crossed elegantly, his dark brown hair trailing just barely over his bare shoulders now. He smirked faintly to himself.
"Better make it quick, Joy. I don't want your brother catching me in something ridiculous."
From the closet came Joy's muffled but excited voice.
"Don't worry, Yu! I know exactly what will look perfect on you."
She soon emerged, arms loaded with pastel fabrics and delicate ribbons, her eyes sparkling with triumph.
"You're going to look so good, you'll thank me later!"
Joy dumped the pile of clothes onto the bed with a flourish.
"Okay! Arms up. You're my doll now."
Yu smirked as he obediently raised his arms, letting Joy slip a frilly blouse over his head.
"You've been waiting for this, haven't you?"
"Of course!"
Joy beamed, tugging at the hem until it sat just right.
"Do you know how long it's been since I got to dress you up? Way too long!"
Yu chuckled, shifting on the bed so she could fasten the little ribbon around his collar.
"You're enjoying this way too much. I should start charging a dressing fee."
Joy puffed her cheeks in mock offense.
"Rude. You should be grateful I'm giving you free fashion advice. This is my best work!"
Yu glanced down at himself as she fussed with the sleeves. Pastel colors, delicate trims—it was cute, far too cute for someone who had spent the night in a hotel bed doing very un-cute things.
"Mm. Cute enough that even your brother might switch teams."
Joy froze for a beat, then swatted his shoulder.
"Don't joke about Theo! He's impossible enough already. One minute he's asking for a favor and the next, he shuts himself up in his study!"
Yu smirked but let it go, Joy shifted the topic as she began laying out stockings.
"So. Tell me about campus gossip. What big events are coming up?"
Yu brightened immediately.
"Oh! There's a charity gala next month!"
"Ah, really! I wish I could go, but Theo would never let me… but maybe you can tell me about it afterward?"
"Definitely! And there's talk of a spring showcase, lots of music and fashion—that's right up your alley, isn't it?"
Joy hummed softly.
"Yeah. Maybe I can even put something in the showcase. It'll be… distracting, at least."
Yu clasped her hands in his, practically glowing.
"That'd be amazing, Joy. You're going to be the star of the fashion world before long."
"Alright, alright, enough about school. What about you?"
Yu tilted his head.
"What about me?"
"Don't play dumb!"
Joy teased, tugging stockings up his pale legs.
"Your love life, silly. You never tell me anything. Who's caught your eye?"
Yu's lips curved, sly by reflex.
"Oh, you know. Just… your brother."
Joy blinked.
"My brother?"
The words kept tumbling, unstoppable.
"Yeah. I, uh… I even got to slept with Theo."
The bow Joy had been holding slipped from her fingers, fluttering soundlessly to the floor. Her face went pale as she froze in place, paralyzed by the weight of what she'd just heard.
Yu's own heart stopped. His eyes widened in horror as realization slammed into him.
'Why did I just say that—?!'
[Additional data unlocked: The slip occurred due to Yuvin's inherent profile—he and Joy share every secret with each other. While Joy confides in you, you will also, in turn, confide in her. Proceed with caution.]
Yu's head spun.
'A little too late for that, don't you think?!'
He inwardly yelled at DK01, panic rising as Joy remained frozen, still holding out her hands from where the ribbon fell, like she'd forgotten how to breathe.
The silence broke not with anger, but with a sudden burst of sparkling laughter. Joy clapped her hands to her mouth, her eyes wide, cheeks pink.
"You—you slept with Theo?!"
She squeaked, her voice pitching high with disbelief.
"But—but he's always saying how he needs to marry a woman, how it'll 'ease my burden'—ugh, I never even knew what he meant by that, but—wait, wait, wait—if he's gay and you're with him, and you two got married—!"
She gasped so hard she nearly toppled back against her vanity chair, her hands pressed to her cheeks as her eyes lit up like twin lanterns.
"Yu, you'd be my brother!! Oh my god, this is perfect! I've always thought you had to be part of our family somehow—like, had to! And now—"
She giggled, giddy and breathless, bouncing a little on her toes as she reached down to pick back up the frilly bow, hugging it to her chest.
"This is literally a dream come true!"
Yu felt his blood drain cold. He waved his hands quickly, trying to stem the torrent before it drowned them both.
"Joy, Joy, slow down—listen, it's not—it's not like that. It was… it was a mistake. A drunken mistake. I don't think it will work out between your brother and me."
Joy blinked, her giddy smile faltering.
"What do you mean it won't work out? But you—"
Yu forced a smile, shaky but firm.
"Please. I don't want you getting the wrong idea. Your brother is… complicated. And I can't—I can't promise it's going to happen. At least any time soon. So don't—don't set your heart on me being your brother just yet, alright?"
The door creaked faintly under the weight of someone leaning against it. On the other side, Theo stood stiff as stone, a silver tray of tea and snacks trembling faintly in his hands. He'd come with the excuse of bringing something to nibble on while the two chatted, but instead he'd heard every word.
"I don't think it will work out between your brother and me."
The Love-o-meter ticked down:
32 - 30
The sentence burned into him, hotter than any flame. His jaw clenched, blue eyes darkening as his heart twisted into knots. The snacks were forgotten; the tray might as well have been a shield in his grip, useless against the cut of Yu's words.
Theo's hand tightened around the tray's handle until the metal creaked softly. Every fiber in him screamed to storm inside, to demand an explanation, to shake the truth out of Yu until he admitted he didn't mean those words.
"It won't work out."
But Theo hesitated. His chest heaved with restrained fury and a strange, suffocating ache. If he barged in now, Joy would see too much. She'd ask questions he couldn't answer. His carefully controlled world would shatter in her eyes.
So he held himself back—barely. He ground his teeth, closed his eyes, and forced the tray steady in his hands.
'Not yet.'
He told himself.
'I'll find my moment. Alone. Where he can't run from me.'
Theo stood there for a while as he drew in slow, heavy breaths, the decision final in his chest, then turned the handle and pushed the door open.
---
Joy was still fussing over Yu, smoothing down the soft fabric of the skirt she'd picked out for him, tugging at a stubborn strand of his dark hair until it fell neatly into place. Her lips were puckered in a pout as she tried to process Yu's explanation.
"But Yu… sleeping with someone isn't just nothing."
She tugged at the bow she'd tied at his waist.
"It means something. Even if you were drunk…"
Yu gave a nervous, almost flippant chuckle, keeping his voice light.
"Joy, come on. A one-night mistake doesn't make your brother gay. I had too much wine. He had too much pride. That's all. It won't be happening again any time soon."
The words stung as they left his lips, even if a part of him truly believed it.
Joy's hands faltered as she smoothed the skirt, her eyes going watery with disappointment.
"But I really wanted you to be my brother."
She whispered.
"I thought… I thought this was finally perfect."
Yu softened at her expression, reaching out to pat her shoulder gently.
"Don't set your hopes on me like that. It'll only hurt you."
Joy forced a smile, but inside, her resolve hardened. If Yu wouldn't let himself dream of being her brother, then she'd make it happen for him. Quietly, she promised herself to push the two together until Yu couldn't deny it anymore.
She fussed one last time with the bow, then stepped back, clapping her hands together.
"There. Perfect!"
Yu blinked at the reflection in the tall mirror. The outfit was undeniably cute—delicate blouse, soft skirt, stockings that lengthened his legs. His hair, loose and shimmering in the lamplight, framed his features with an almost ethereal femininity. If not for the faint bump between his legs, he could have passed for a flat chested girl without effort.
The door opened with a soft click.
Yu turned his head just as Theo stepped inside, tray in hand, intending to steal Yu away—alone—and demand why Yu had said those things.
But the words died on his tongue.
Theo froze in the doorway, his jaw slack, his blue eyes widening as though he had been struck. The tray wobbled in his hands.
Yu stood in the center of the room, skirts fluttering faintly around his thighs, hair falling loose in silken waves. Cute. Alluring. Disarmingly soft. The very image of something forbidden, untouchable—yet standing there as though he were Theo's for the taking.
The Love-o-meter ticked up:
30 - 35
Theo's throat bobbed as he swallowed, the storm of anger dissolving into stunned silence. His body locked, heat rushing to his face and down lower, traitorous and unstoppable.
He could only stare.
The silence stretched, heavy and awkward, until Joy finally glanced up from fussing with the last bow on Yu's outfit. She blinked at Theo, still rooted in the doorway, his knuckles white around the tray, eyes fixed like he'd never seen Yu before.
"Uh… Theo?"
She asked, tilting her head.
"You okay? You look like you just saw a ghost."
Yu, cheeks heating, rubbed at his neck and made a little half-step backward.
"I should probably change and get going…"
He murmured, shy in a way that wasn't entirely put on. His bare thighs peeked under the skirt as he shifted.
Joy spun on him with a dramatic gasp.
"No way! You look adorable! This is definitely one of my best works!"
Before Yu could make another excuse, she was digging out a slim digital camera from her vanity.
"Pose, Yu! Come on, give me something cute!"
Old instincts kicked in. For a split second, Yu resisted—but then, out of long-forgotten habit from Yukio's Instagram days, his body moved on its own. He tilted his head, tucked his hands under his chin, widened his eyes just so. Another pose, playful with a peace sign. Then a third, slightly pouty, skirts caught between his fingers.
Click. Click. Click.
Joy squealed, bouncing on her toes.
"Yes! These are perfect! You're so cute, Yu!"
Yu chuckled weakly, scratching his cheek, but even he could feel the way the outfit elevated him—soft, lovely, almost feminine. A dangerous sort of cute.
Joy rushed to her desk, pulling out one of many oversized pastel albums from the drawer.
"This one's definitely going into the collection!"
Theo blinked, finally recovering enough to rasp.
"The… collection?"
Joy rolled her eyes, sticking her tongue out at him.
"Duh, the albums! Yu and I have been doing this for years. Dressing up, makeup, photoshoots—it's our thing."
She plopped the thick scrapbook onto the vanity desk and flipped it open. The pages spilled with glossy prints:
Yuvin in cozy knits, Yuvin in preppy blazers, Yuvin in a schoolgirl uniform that looked suspiciously seductive, Yuvin dolled up in makeup with soft curls. Stickers, glitter pens, doodles, captions—it was a shrine.
Theo leaned in before he could stop himself, breath catching at each picture.
Yu did his best to mask his own surprise, forcing a chuckle.
"Oh yeah. Right. Those…"
He traced a fingertip over one image of himself in a particularly delicate blouse, pretending it was an old memory.
"I like this one. Do you still have it, Joy?"
Joy, humming happily, snapped the album shut and handed it to Yu while she darted to her walk-in closet.
"I should! Hang on—I'll go check!"
She disappeared into the racks of pastel and lace.