• you say you want passion

In this episode of who will eventually win Renjun's heart, we have contestants Mark Lee, Lee Jeno, Lee Donghyuck, Na Jaemin, Zhong Chenle, and Park Jisung. -- Birthday edition.

Or alternatively, the boys compete with one another to see who's going to give a better gift to Renjun. Sort of.

• confounding variables

“There’s one crucial detail you’ve forgotten to take into account in the parameters of your so-called social experiment,” Yangyang tells him.

Renjun, frowning over a spreadsheet, doesn’t even bother glancing at him. “And what might that be?”

“You’re hot,” Yangyang says bluntly.

(Renjun falls asleep on the shoulders of six strangers in the name of science. Yangyang records it all, also in the name of science.)

• try your luck with me

Renjun attempts, with varying degrees of success, to deal with his newly appointed status as NCT Dream’s good-luck-charm-one-man-kissing-booth.

(Five times Renjun gets kissed by one of the Dreamies, and one time he kisses one of them first.)

• 3-2-3 double play

In March of 2022, something odd starts happening. Out of seemingly nowhere, NCT University’s baseball team starts winning scrimmages. Like, actually consistently winning, by a large margin, which hasn’t happened since their baseball program was formed five years ago.

Their new assistant manager might have something to do with that winning streak, but it's hard to say when even Huang Renjun himself doesn't understand just how far his team will go to impress him.

• kiss kiss dont fall in love

Renjun feels guilty when he thinks that kissing his members is something that he can get used to.

• never twice, you are my last

renjun is the prettiest ever, and his members make sure to let him know.

• the tomorrow that will meet you shines brighter than gold

"Yeah, yeah." Jisung scoffs. "I'm the cutest. Renjun hyung likes me best. He'll kiss me first."

"Renjun likes me best!" Donghyuck immediately yells indignantly. This prompts a flurry of yelling and arguing. Renjun can feel a migraine coming on. They aren't even filming.

Alternatively: the dreamies fight for renjun's affections (via ambushing him with kisses)

• i don't wanna be your friend, i wanna kiss your neck

It started like that, with shy touches and soft compliments that made Renjun's cheeks burn and tummy flip, rather with a horde of wasps than delicate butterflies. It was a full on scorching hot buzz flooding his belly, going up, right to his heart, and staying there for long minutes, making it hard to breathe, to process any words or thoughts.

Maybe it was a mere second in reality, but for Renjun, it remained seeded in his chest for long hours. Craving, clinging onto the smallest of the frictions and words falling out of their mouths.

And it fed his soul, mind and body.

To have them all so close.