August 2015

Yey, yey, yey, yey. 

Also known as the most traumatic experience of HyunSeung's seven years old career, sweeping his stage with Zico from its first place. Jesus Christ. What had JunHyung dared to make him sing and dance to? What kind of insult had this been to his talent after the treat that Good Luck promotions had been?

And God knows he had raised that hand. He had raised that hand to vote against ‘Yey' being Beast's comeback title song. But had they listened to him? Of course not. ‘Majority wins'. It had been their way to take decisions for awhile now, curiously for as long as HyunSeung had happened to go against the majority in just about every situation that required a vote. Make the count.

"It's different. I like it." YoSeob had said, pleading the cause of his lines and high notes supplier, as usual. 

"You can make something ‘different' without it sounding like a joke." HyunSeung had mumbled, rolling his eyes as indiscreetly as he had been able to.

"I'm sorry, HyunSeung?" DuJun had asked, the tone of his voice telling of him having been more than aware of the lead vocalist's annoyance, and there had been some in his leader's voice as well, to his biggest pleasure.

"Whatever." The young man had growled, defeated by the five other hands that had stayed down, validating the title track. And there had he been, clowning on a choreography mixed of their outdated transitions and moves any real fan would realize came straight from their last released song, 12:30.

"Anyone else can't believe he is wasting his energy on basically the exact same routine we did not even ten months ago?" HyunSeung had once observed during practice, as he had watched DongWoon struggle to get the steps from the second verse. Once upon a time he would have probably lent a willing hand to spare his maknae a broken leg or something, but this time had been long gone.

"Do we have a choice?" The maknae had mused in a calm tone, weeping an amount of sweat that had been far from proportional to how much easy this had been of a work.

"I do." HyunSeung had laughed silently, as he had seated down not even an hour after the practice session had started, the choreography perfectly imprinted in his mind. The lead vocalist hadn't wanted to waste his energy on this. Not while he had had to meet Hyuna afterward. He'd have needed it for something much more gratifying.

All in all, nothing had gone the way HyunSeung had wanted during these promotions. It had started by him falling sick a week before the comeback. Reckon, he had eventually considered it as a blessing because it had allowed him to sit three schedules out. However what had really been a curse is the toll it had taken on his energy, leading him to be more irascible than regularly, causing unnecessary friction with Hyuna a handful of times.

Beast had now ended their promotions, passing the time with solo schedules and practice for the Beautiful Show 2015, which as usual HyunSeung had barely needed any before a routine would be stuck in his memory and muscles without a fail. The session had ended at midnight, leaving the lead vocalist more energized than he had wished, after the quite distasteful day he had spent chasing Hyuna around, in hope that she'd get over the argument they had had the day before. But unfortunately, he had been meant to go home empty-handed.

"Hey, HyunSeung." 

The young man had stopped at the pronunciation of his name, not immediately turning around, taking the time he had needed to come up with a lie that would have been solid enough to avoid whatever DuJun had been about to ask him to compel with. 

"Leader." HyunSeung had saluted, quickly glancing at the hand the elder man had put on his shoulder.

"Are you free tonight? Which I am convinced you are, considering the absence of look towards your direction from...her." DuJun had scratched his head, realizing the tension that had arisen in the lead vocalist's body, immediately attempting to twirl around his mistake:

"I just mean that it could clear your mind, too."

"And where would you be taking me?" HyunSeung had immediately inquired, truthfully curious about what reason had pushed to invite him out for the first time in years.

"A bar just anywhere around here?" The elder man had proposed, shrugging.

"And why?" HyunSeung had narrowed his eyes, mistrust having been obviously present in his heart. For the records, last time he had willingly gone out with any of s had been in 2014, and it had been part of a calculated plan. Therefore for him to accept, DuJun would have had to have a valid purpose.

His leader had examined him silently, seemingly contemplating on whether he should have told him about his motive and take the risk that the lead vocalist would have eventually refused. Reckon, HyunSeung had been dejected by the mere act of hanging out with him no matter what he had had to tell him.

"It's to announce you a good news." DuJun had said crossing his hands behind his back solemnly.

A good news? To him? That he hadn't known himself? All the more suspicious, HyunSeung had sneered, pinching his chin between his thumb and index as his lead hard remained impassible to his disrespect.

"Without me even being aware of what this news is even?" HyunSeung had scoffed, the intensity of his laughter going crescendo as he had realized how bogus this had all been. However, he had silently saluted 's pitiful attempt at being friendly. It took gall, after all, the kind only he had in his team.

"I won't insist more than that. If you don't want to, it's fine. I just thought you'd rather have me telling you before someone else does." 

The sad truth had been that no Beast member would ever do anything towards him without an ulterior motive. No matter how they would deny this, HyunSeung had known it. But DuJun's passivity had triggered a curiosity within HyunSeung he hadn't been able to repress. A good news he hadn't been aware of, that his leader had wanted to announce him rather than another person? In other words, he had "cared" for him. And the lead vocalist had had to know why.

"Alright. Let me just put on a dry shirt."

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

"Good evening."

"Good evening." DuJun had greeted the waitress, removing his jacket and hanging it on the desk of his chair.

"What may I serve you?"

"I will take a Paulaner Salvator beer."

"Noted. And for you, sir?"

"Same, please." HyunSeung had answered, firmly fixing his cap on his head. He hated being recognized by people outside. He'd rather be considered such an unpopular person nobody would pay attention to on the streets than to be someone who would have to deal with every fan he would cross, something he would ironically praise Hyuna for. 

"I'll be right back." The waitressed had bowed, leaving the two men on their own for the meantime. 

"Thanks."

"What is it, are you trying to hide your reddened cheeks?" DuJun had joked, poking the lead vocalist's cap upwards.

"I'm not here to get busted by someone. Are you?" HyunSeung had simply answered, barely cracking a smile.

"Start." He had straightened himself on his chair, resting his hands flat on the wooden table. The lead vocalist had wanted to keep a calm front, but he had felt nervousness creep in his heart. There weren't many things he would consider "a good news" in general, except for one specific thing at the present point of his career, and DuJun had known it by now. Therefore if he had been sincere about the matter, it had only meant one thing. An impossible thing.

"I am conscious that once your contract will be up next year in October, you'll be gone. And Beast will only be a past memory. That is why I want to ask you to let it be beautiful until the end. At least for our fans. And Cube will do the same." 

Opening his mouth to let out a flow of swear words, HyunSeung had had to opt for  blinking several times at as the waitress had come back with their order.

"There you go, sirs. Two Paulaner Salvator beers. Enjoy it."

"Thanks." DuJun had smiled to her seductively, observing her as she had gone back to the bar's counter.

"Hey."

"Sorry." His leader reported his attention on him, slightly shaking his head. 

"You better tell me a story I haven't heard yet, I've heard the ‘do this and you'll receive that' one enough."

"Patience." The elder man had poured his glass with the fermented alcohol, serving HyunSeung from his bottle, before he had brought it to his lips for a sip. Why had he been making suspense last? Patience? Truly, the people who surrounded him would always forget the qualities he didn't possess when it would fit their agenda. And the other way around. HyunSeung had found himself eyes in eyes with the dark haired waitress, as she had brightly smiled to him, making the lead vocalist lose focus of DuJun for a moment, until he had uttered:

"I think I pretty much convinced our CEO to let you withdraw from the group, after the Beautiful Show."

The information hadn't instantly reached for HyunSeung's unfocused brain, getting lost somewhere in the room, passing through the hu