What Brothers are For

HoMin Brotherhood

Loud music blasted throughout the large practice room. Two figures moved to the music, sweat dripping heavily from their bodies, shoes sliding across the wooden floor. Empty bottles laid beside few water filled bottles in the corner, towels and two bags thrown carelessly nearby. It is already 12AM on a Friday night, and the building was empty other than the two males moving in the room. 

Changmin watched his reflection off the ceiling-to-floor mirror stretched out on one side of the wall. The rehearsal started in the afternoon, and by now, all the dancers and staffs had left. He was drained, white tank top soaked with sweat, but he wasn’t willing to give up just yet. From the reflection, he could see his hyung moving smoothly to the music, black t-shirt clinging onto his body tightly. 

The music changed pattern and the two figures jumped and twirled to the fast beat. A foot slipped during landing and Changmin’s body slammed loudly onto the floor. Damn it! He would never get this part right!

He turned to lay his back on the floor, sprawled eagle, panting heavily. A shadow hovered over him before sitting beside him. “Changmin-ah, try pulling your left feet up first and don’t think so much about your partner right now.” 

A husky voice reached his ears. “I know! I know! I’ve been trying to do that! But how can I not care about my partner! It’s a freakin’ couple dance! Two people! Supposedly working in complete harmony and making beautiful twirls and getting wolf whistles and all those! But I just can’t get it right!”

He covered his eyes in frustration, his tired eyes aching and a twinge of heat stung at the back of his orbs. Fighting back tears and the shiver in his voice, Changmin muttered in despair, “I can never get this right…” 

Yunho sighed and stood up to get something from his bag. He sat back beside Changmin and pressed a bottle of water against the magnae’s face. The younger one groaned weakly and turned his head away. The leader left the bottle between them and drank his water, cold liquid caressing his dry throat and reviving his exhausted body ever so slightly. Almond eyes lifted to gaze at the white ceiling. He let the music calm him, wash through him. 

This room was where the five of them had prepared for debut. The three of them, Jae, Chun, and Min were less capable of dancing and Yunho and Junsu had to spent extra time practicing every moves with them. But they were fi