The lights always hit Minho differently. It wasn’t just the stage lighting or the camera angles—there was something in the way his gaze found Chan every single time. Like clockwork, whenever Minho’s eyes landed on him, they seemed to shimmer—soft, warm, almost glowing in a way that made fans squeal and comment endlessly. “Did you see how Minho looked at Chan-hyung again?” “Why does it feel like Minho’s eyes sparkle just for him?”

Even in the middle of their most powerful choreographies, Minho had this habit of locking eyes with Chan, like Chan was the only person in the room. It was subtle, but everyone saw it. The staff teased him, the members joked about it, and Chan… well, Chan pretended not to notice.

“Yah, stop looking at me like that on stage,” Chan muttered one evening while they were all sprawled out in the practice room after a long rehearsal. He was pretending to scroll through his phone, but his ears were pink.

Minho tilted his head with a smirk. “Like what?”

“Like…” Chan paused, fumbling for the right word. “Like you’re trying to make the fans think you’re in love with me or something.”

Minho chuckled under his breath, leaning back on his palms. “Maybe I am,” he teased, voice low and silky.

Chan froze, his phone slipping a little from his hand. “Y-yah, don’t joke like that,” he grumbled, cheeks flushed as he tried to mask his reaction with a scowl. He was the leader, the tough and responsible one, but Minho had a way of poking holes through his defenses without even trying.

On stage, it only got worse—or better, depending on who you asked. During one of their live performances, Minho’s gaze lingered on Chan during his part of the chorus, his eyes glimmering like he was holding back a secret. The fans screamed even louder, noticing the look.

When they got backstage, Chan shoved Minho lightly, trying to act annoyed. “You’re doing it on purpose now, aren’t you?”

Minho just grinned. “Can’t help it. You’re my only hyung, after all.”

Something about the way he said my only hyung made Chan’s chest tighten. He huffed and turned away, muttering, “You’re so annoying…” but there was a faint smile tugging at his lips.