3.

The platform was empty save for a couple of passengers. Lee Howon exited the train tiredly, shoulders drooping and feet dragging the ground. He had overstayed his presence at the University library again, and really he was lucky to have made it on the last train for the night.

The last time he didn’t, he was able to crash into his mate’s dormitory when in actuality sleeping out on the streets might have been a wiser choice. Jang Dongwoo welcomed him in with open arms, and while he should have been grateful for his friend’s hospitality, Dongwoo always had the habit of taking things up a notch.

That dinosaur rambled on and on about finally having a guest for a sleepover and they should throw a small party to celebrate it. Turned out, Dongwoo’s idea of small was not that insignificant after all, as he brought out ten packets of chips, dozens of alcohol, invited half the population of his hall mates into his room and embarked Howon and the others on a journey towards another universe (a Star Wars movie marathon basically) that lasted through the night. Howon returned home the next morning with panda eyes and a sore throat. Sure, he loved his friend, but a daily dose of Dongwoo was enough.

As he headed towards the escalators, his eyes caught sight of a duffel bag abandoned at one corner with its zippers opened halfway. Apparently, all those videos that played on infinite repeats at train platforms asking passengers to keep a lookout for suspicious items had worked, because immediately Howon was thrown into a state of high alert. Curious, he walked precariously towards the bag and was slightly startled to find a stack of CDs within its contents.

Okay, so not a bomb. That’s good to know.

Ever the inquisitive child that he was, he stooped down and picked one out of the bag. The CD was plain with no covers whatsoever, and the word ‘listen’ spelt out in bold had been written on the disc. Realising that the whole bag was filled with identical CDs, he decided to take the one in his hands home and have a listen.

He loved every song in the album. The singer covered chart-topping tracks from the past decade and transformed them into his own unique rendition. The musician had definitely made the right choice of relying on only the soft melody of the guitar as his accompaniment, showcasing his vocals wonderfully. His voice was strong and emotional, empowering the lyrics of the songs beautifully.  

Howon was pleasantly surprised that the last track was a song he had never heard before, guessing it was the musician’s own composition. The pace started slow and soulful before transitioning into a quicker and more upbeat tempo, the singer’s enactment smooth yet sultry, and incredibly y. To say that he enjoyed the song was an understatement, he absolutely lived for it.

Wondering how the musician was able to compose such music that hit all the right elements, Howon fell asleep contentedly that night humming to its melody, with the song looping indefinitely in the background.  

---

Two months ago, Sungkyu chanced upon a dance festival happening at the University. Never one to take a second glance, he was squeezing past the crowd when roaring cheers erupted through the hall and he was instantly pushed front and back. Annoyed, he glared towards the stage to see what the commotion was about. Then however, he could not tear his eyes away. A dance trio was performing a routine, and his eyes were glued to the one in the middle wearing a cap, effectively hiding half of his face.

With fluid body spins and firm execution of each movement to the flow of the music, the dancer had full command of the stage. Sungkyu gaped, feeling heat rising up his cheeks when the dancer dropped to the floor suddenly, rolling his hips provocatively. And when the performance ended, Sungkyu gave the biggest cheer he could muster, having witnessed something epic in front of him.

Adrenaline pumping and feeling absolutely hyped, Sungkyu went home that night, picked up his guitar and composed a song, images of the dancer moving perfectly in sync with the music imprinted in his mind, serving as inspiration for his piece.

---

Every now and then, Howon would wonder about the musician that had captivated every waking moment of his life, and would wallow in the regret that the singer had failed to provide any inkling of who he might be. 

---

Two months later, Sungkyu was so close to banging his head against the wall. He had dropped a bag filled with CDs of him singing at the train station in the hopes that people would have a listen and give him feedback on it. As an aspiring musician, he figured that was the cheapest and best way of promoting himself so people would take note of his voice. 

He had always been confident about his vocals. So imagine how baffled he felt when nobody took an interest to contact him even after his CDs were all picked up by strangers. 

And that's when he realised, as awesome a singer he might be, he absolutely at marketing. He had forgotten to provide his contact details on the discs so there was no way anyone could have gotten in touch with him. 

Why am I such a loser?!?!?

---------------------------------

Author's Note: The Hogyu era is probably over lol. Sits down in a corner and cry.

Nah, just kidding, it's good INFINITE members seem close with everyone they don't always clique with the same few members.

Was re-watching Hoya's solo stage and this happened. Honestly, if I was talented I'd write hundreds of songs for Hoya (but I'm not so let's forget about it)

Haha, wondering why I still haven't let them meet? Don't worry they will in the next chapter when I actually get to writing it!! :) 

Thanks for reading!