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Chapter 1: MAZE IN THE MIRROR
Beomgyu had never been one for grand resolutions. New Year's Eve usually found him sprawled on his couch in mismatched pajamas, eating convenience store kimbap while half-watching the countdown on TV with Soobin. But 2026 felt different. Maybe it was him turning twenty seven. Maybe it was the way his reflection in the bathroom mirror looked just a little more tired than last year. Or maybe it was the fact that his ex Yeonjun, the handsome beta with foxy eyes, who always smelled faintly of expensive cologne and detachment had dumped him.
"You talk about Soobin more than you talk about us."
That stung. Not because Beomgyu was heartbroken (he wasn't, not really), but because it highlighted something he'd been ignoring for years. His life was comfortable, predictable and utterly stagnant. So he wrote it down on a sticky note and slapped it to his fridge:
New friends
New job
New diet plan
New love
New me
By January 3rd, the only thing that had changed was the sticky note curling at the edges from steam rising off his instant ramen. The job was still the same mid-level marketing position at MOA Media Corp. The friends were still the same tight-knit group definitely consisting of Soobin (alpha, annoyingly dependable), Taehyun (omega, annoyingly perceptive), Jeongin (also omega, annoyingly oblivious) and occasionally Rosé (also alpha, annoyingly right about everything).
The diet plan had lasted exactly four days before he caved to fried chicken. And the "new me"? Still the same omega who overthought everything, spoke before thinking and somehow always ended up exactly where he started.
But there was one resolution he refused to abandon. A new love.
Cue- enter Huening Kai Kamal.
Kai had started as an intern two weeks earlier and Beomgyu was immediately smitten. Tall, blonde (artificially, but who cared?), with a soft smile and eyes that crinkled at the corners when he laughed. He looked like he belonged on the cover of a romance novel, you know the kind with shirtless men holding roses on beaches. Mills & Boon would have a field day.
The attraction seemed mutual. Kai lingered by Beomgyu's desk a little too long when asking questions about campaign files, even laughed at Beomgyu's terrible jokes. Once, their hands brushed while reaching for the same coffee pot, and Kai hadn't pulled away immediately.
"Seems" was the operative word .Beomgyu had a terrible track record with "seems." He'd once dated a guy for three months because he "seemed" interested in commitment but sadly turns out the guy was just bad at saying no. He needed proof this time. Objective, scientific, undeniable proof.
Which brought him, inevitably, to Soobin. They met at their usual spot after work, a small ramyeon place near the office with sticky tables and fluorescent lights that made everyone look slightly jaundiced. Soobin was already there, long legs stretched under the table, scrolling through his phone with that calm, unhurried air that always made Beomgyu feel both soothed and faintly irritated.
"So," Beomgyu said without preamble, sliding into the booth opposite him, "The new intern. Huening Kai. Thoughts?"
Soobin looked up, one eyebrow raised. "On what exactly?"
"On whether he likes me."
Soobin set his phone down. "You talked to him for what, five minutes total?"
"Nine and three quarters. He laughed at my joke about the printer jamming again."
"Everyone laughs at that joke because it's not funny, it's just true."
Beomgyu groaned and dropped his head onto his folded arms. "You're supposed to help me. You're my best friend. You know everything."
"I know you jump into things headfirst and then cry when you hit the bottom."
"That's why I need you to be the voice of reason."
Soobin sighed, the sound fond rather than exasperated. "Fine. But you know my advice is always going to be 'talk to him like a normal person.'"
"Talking is overrated. I need science."
That's when Soobin suggested Rosé. Park Chaeyoung's the real name but no one dared call her that unless they wanted to see an early grave. So Rosé it was.
Rosé was their mutual friend from university, a gorgeous alpha with a psychology master's, a terrifyingly accurate intuition about relationships, and the worst luck in her own love life. She'd dated betas who ghosted her, alphas who cheated, and one omega who turned out to be married. Yet somehow she could look at any couple and tell you within thirty seconds whether they were doomed.
Beomgyu texted her that night.
Beomgyu: Hey. Hypothetical question. How do you know if someone likes you? Like, for real.
Rosé: Hypothetically or about the new intern everyone’s whispering about?
Beomgyu: …hypothetically?
Rosé: Send me his zodiac sign, MBTI if you know it, and a photo if possible. I’ll send you a list.
The next morning, an email landed in his inbox titled "Dummy Guide to Laws of Attraction: Observe, Don't Assume."
The instructions were clear.
One law per week.
Observe only the target (Kai).
Do NOT tell anyone the details- not even Soobin.
Report back after seven days.
Beomgyu almost forwarded the email to Soobin within ninety seconds, but something stopped him. It felt like he needed to keep this a secret from him, but texted him telling him the bare minimum.
Beomgyu: She sent me bullshit. She's turning me into a lab rat.
Soobin: Read it. Might actually help.
Beomgyu: You're no fun.
Law #1: They match your speaking tone and pace.
Beomgyu spent the next week hyper-aware of every conversation. With Kai, he tried speeding up his speech (he was naturally fast-talking anyway). Kai kept his calm, measured tone. Beomgyu slowed down dramatically during a coffee break chat. Kai still spoke normally. Observation? Frustrating.
But then there was lunch in the break room on Wednesday. Soobin sat across from him, complaining about a client who kept changing requirements. Beomgyu (without thinking) matched Soobin's slower, thoughtful cadence. Soobin, in turn, leaned forward slightly mirroring Beomgyu's hand gestures as he waved them around while ranting. Beomgyu froze mid-sentence.
Soobin noticed. "What?"
"Nothing," Beomgyu mumbled. "Just… thought of something."
He spent the rest of the day replaying it. It was nothing. Best friends did that. Right?
Law #2: They copy your body language.
Beomgyu became a mirror detective. He crossed his arms while talking to Kai in the copy room. Kai kept his hands in his pockets. He leaned against the wall casually. Kai just stood straight.
But during the weekly team meeting, Beomgyu scratched his neck absentmindedly. Across the table, Soobin scratched his neck two seconds later. Beomgyu tilted his head; Soobin tilted his head. Beomgyu tapped his pen; Soobin started tapping his pen.
Beomgyu stared at his notes, cheeks burning.
After the meeting, Soobin caught up with him in the hallway. "You okay? You looked like you saw a ghost."
"I'm fine," Beomgyu said too quickly. "Just tired."
Soobin studied him for a long moment, then shrugged. "If you say so."
Beomgyu was starting to feel like the experiment was malfunctioning.
Law #3: They mirror your emotional energy.
This one hit harder.
Rosé's email explained it in detail. Emotional contagion, synchronized joy or frustration, deeper than empathy.
Beomgyu tested it during a stressful day. A campaign pitch had gone sideways, the client hated everything. Beomgyu was pacing in the hallway, muttering curses under his breath. Kai walked by, offered a sympathetic smile and said, "Rough day, Beomgyu hyung?" before continuing on.
He was polite, kind but not… affected. Later, Soobin found him in the stairwell, head in his hands.
"Hey," Soobin said softly. He didn't ask what was wrong, just sat beside him on the step. Within minutes, Beomgyu's frustration started bleeding out in words. Soobin listened, nodding, his own shoulders tensing when Beomgyu described the client's email. When Beomgyu laughed bitterly at his own mistake, Soobin huffed a laugh too. When Beomgyu finally deflated, Soobin bumped their shoulders together.
"You'll fix it," Soobin said. "You always do."
And somehow, Beomgyu believed him.
The relief that washed over him felt too big, too personal. That night, when Soobin texted to check in, Beomgyu didn't reply with his usual update. He just sent back: I'm good. Thanks. Just tired. Talk tomorrow.
He turned off his phone and stared at the ceiling.
Law #4: They adopt your texting style.
Soobin was infamous for his texting habits. Messages left on read for hours. Replies in three words or less. "K." "Cool." "See you."
The group chat was always complaining about it. But when Beomgyu casually mentioned it to Taehyun and Jeongin over drinks one evening about how Soobin always sends him paragraphs, Jeongin choked on his beer.
"Wait, what?"
"Yeah. Emojis sometimes." Taehyun added.
"Since when?" Jeongin had been new in their group so this was news to him that Soobin actually wrote full sentences.
"Since… I don't know. Forever?"
Jeongin looked like he'd been slapped. Beomgyu couldn't understand what the big deal here was that Jeongin was making such a scene. He gave a look to Taehyun to which the latter just shrugged.
"Dude. He barely texts me happy birthday!" Jeongin was so betrayed. Beomgyu tried to laugh it off.
Meanwhile, Kai's texts were perfectly polite, short thank yous, work-related questions, the occasional meme. Normal intern behavior.
Beomgyu stared at his chat with Soobin. There were three long voice notes from earlier that day about nothing important and he felt something twist uncomfortably in his chest.
By the end of week four, Beomgyu was a mess. He called Rosé on a Friday night, pacing his tiny apartment. "The list is stupid," he snapped. "None of it is working. Kai's just normal. He's always polite. Nothing special."
Rosé hummed thoughtfully. "Denial is a strong indicator, Gyu."
"What the hell does that even mean?"
"It means maybe you're looking at the wrong person."
Beomgyu laughed that sounded too loud and too fake. "What, you're gonna tell me next that we share same interests? That suddenly he's into the same obscure podcast I like?"
"Yes," Rosé said simply. "I was about to send you that as law number five or six."
Beomgyu went quiet. He remembered suddenly how Soobin had started listening to that weird true-crime comedy podcast Beomgyu loved. How he'd borrowed Beomgyu's copy of that Murakami book and actually finished it. How he'd started hating mint chocolate after years of defending it just because Beomgyu hated it.
"Behavioral mimicry is number seven," Rosé continued. "When someone really wants to be close to you, they start acting more like you without realizing it. They will-"
Beomgyu cut the call mid-sentence. He sat on the floor with his back against the sofa staring at nothing. Deep down, he had known for a long time. He just never wanted to look straight at it, and admit it.
Chapter 2: I KNOW I LOVE YOU
The karaoke plan had been Beomgyu's idea originally to test "increased proximity leads to attraction" or whatever the next law was supposed to be. Now it felt like walking into a trap of his own making. He almost cancelled but Kai had already said yes, and Soobin had looked at him with those stupid, trusting eyes and said, "Sounds fun." So they went.
The place was crowded with bright neon lights flashing and bass thumping through the walls smelling of alcohol and excitement. Kai was in full flirt mode. Leaning close when he spoke, touching Beomgyu's arm when he laughed, even singing a cheesy love ballad directly at him. Beomgyu barely registered it.
Because across the booth, a pretty omega (probably a co-worker he can't remember the name of) with long dark hair and a sweet smile had slid in next to Soobin. She was trying to strike up a conversation when Soobin wasn't clearly interested, touching his wrist, batting her lashes. Soobin was polite and distant, trying hard to put up a smile. But when Soobin glanced over and caught Beomgyu's eye, he gave him that small, special smile he usually just saved for Beomgyu.
Beomgyu's brain short-circuited. He didn't think. He just moved. One second he was sitting, the next he was standing in front of Soobin, fist connecting with his jaw. The bar went silent for a heartbeat.
Soobin looked shocked then punched back. It wasn't elegant but messy, furious, years of unspoken everything exploding in a flurry of punches, shoved tables and broken glasses. By the time Taehyun and the security guards pulled them apart, both were bruised, bleeding, breathing hard.
Taehyun dragged them to his apartment with Jeongin shoved between the best friends to prevent further altercation. He sat them on the couch like naughty children, ice packs pressed to their faces.
"You two," Taehyun said flatly, "have been dancing around this for years. I know. Jeongin know. Probably the entire office knows."
Beomgyu stared at the floor. Soobin stared at the wall.
Jeongin sighed. "Yeah, everybody knows so please come to a truce or something. He continued, "Best friends fall for the same person all the time. But bros before hoes, remember?"
Beomgyu flinched. Taehyun almost facepalmed but just rolled his eyes.
Soobin didn't speak to him for two days. No texts. No calls. Nothing. Beomgyu being the person that he was lasted forty-eight hours before he cracked. All this uneasiness was swimming in his stomach because Soobin always gave his undivided attention to him and if it was diverted to someone else, he might not feel the way he was feeling. So he showed up at Soobin's door at 10 pm, heart hammering.
"Soobin," he said the second the door opened. "Promise me you'll say yes. No matter what."
Soobin crossed his arms. "Only if it's reasonable."
"It's reasonable." Silence.
"Zhang Hao," Beomgyu blurted. "The omega from creative. He asked you out. Say yes."
Soobin's face looked hurt. "Why?"
"Just say yes."
Soobin searched his face for a long moment. "Beomgyu," he said quietly, "are you really sure you want me to date someone else?"
Beomgyu's throat closed. "What do you mean 'someone else'?"
"You know what I mean."
Beomgyu looked away. "Just date him!"
He turned and ran.
Days passed in a haze of misery. Every time he imagined Soobin laughing with Zhang Hao holding his hand and kissing him, Beomgyu screamed internally feeling sick, angry and lost.
Thursday night, he was curled in bed feeling sorry for himself and definitely not crying, when Rosé called.
“Your experiment didn’t get you the intern,” she said, sounding amused, “but your best friend is on a date right now. That nice Italian place near the movie theater. With Zhang Hao.”
Beomgyu hung up. He didn't think (again?). He just ran out the door in his thin pink pajamas and mismatched slippers with heart in his throat. He sprinted through the streets bumping into people, muttering apologies, tunnel-visioned on that restaurant.
And of course, there he was. Through the large window, Soobin sat at a candlelit table looking calm and handsome in the soft light. He was smiling that soft, special smile at the person across from him, the one Beomgyu always thought belonged to him.
Beomgyu’s heart broke and with all his adrenaline rush, he burst through the doors, stopped at the table and yelled, voice cracking, "Don't go on a date with someone else! Aren't I the one you love?!"
The restaurant went quiet. The person across from Soobin turned and Beomgyu finally noticed it wasn’t Zhang Hao, but Soobin’s older brother giving him an amused smile! Beomgyu’s face burned red. He ran out again but this time Soobin chased him.
Outside, under the streetlight, Soobin caught his arm. He took off his jacket and put it around Beomgyu’s shivering shoulders. “You’re going to freeze like this,” he said, voice rough but worried. "And what the hell was that?"
Beomgyu couldn't speak at first. Tears burned his eyes. Ugly, hiccuping sobs broke free. "I-I thought-" He choked. “I thought you were finally dating someone and I couldn’t-”
Soobin waited.
"I love you!," Beomgyu blurted out at last, messy and honest. "I love you so much. And thinking about you with someone else hurts too much."
Soobin exhaled shakily. "Stupid," he whispered. He pulled Beomgyu close, arms tight. "I've only ever wanted you." Beomgyu sobbed harder. "I never said yes to Zhang Hao," Soobin murmured.
"Rosé told me to stage it. Said it might finally make you see."
Beomgyu laughed through tears. "You're both evil."
"Maybe." Soobin pressed a kiss to his temple. "But it worked."
Beomgyu clung to him under the streetlight, jacket swallowing him, heart finally settling.
New year.
New love.
Same Soobin. Exactly where he was supposed to be.
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