after running through the routine countless times, donghyuck could barely breathe. he and the other mini rookies had been practicing nonstop for hours. on top of his rigorous dance practice, he had vocal lessons earlier in the day.

slowly, donghyuck felt himself losing the beat. the song was ending soon, but his legs were on fire. his lungs screamed for a stop. looking through the mirror in front of him, he watched the others’ concentration. he closed his eyes and let the music lead him.

once the song ended, they dropped to the floor. as leader of the mini rookies, mark ordered for a ten-minute break. donghyuck rejoiced as his head found itself on mark’s thighs. too tired to care, mark closed his eyes and took a long drink from his water bottle. he opened his eyes to find donghyuk waiting expectantly with his mouth open. mark snorted and compiled by squirting some water in donghyuck’s mouth. he then tilted his head back and closed his eyes.

this was their unsaid arrangement, their arrangement which everyone knew of.

having spent their early teenage years together training and striving for the same dream, they found friendship within one another. both young and hopeful, it was as if there was an air of comfort surrounding them both, a security. as best friends, they were always together. one could always be found with the other. the two were inseparable. that’s not to say that there would be any need for them to separate. they complemented each other way too well. it was evident in the way that laughs and smiles were the only product of when the two were together.

of course, their friendship was not just jokes and games as they were capable of pushing each other in ways that the other rookies couldn’t. an accomplishment that one made was an accomplishment prized by both. a failure made by one was a failure they both learned from. it was truly a friendship envied by many.

five minutes later, mark was about to call for practice to resume when one of the senior managers walked through the door. the manager called for donghyuck to follow him. donghyuck looked at the others, and they only gave him concerned looks as a response. after taking too long to follow their manager, mark had to push donghyuck to leave.

donghyuck followed his manager outside of the practice room into the hall. as he waited for his manager to speak, he played with his fingers. he looked up and is met with a smile.

“donghyuck, i have some good news. you have been chosen to sing in the newest music video.”

he opened his mouth as if to speak but promptly closed it. his eyebrows furrowed together, and he tilted his head slightly.

“the other managers and i just came back from a meeting. they are planning on debuting the newest group soon, but before they finalize the members and song selection, they want us to film a teaser. the company decided to choose you to be one of the vocalists for the teaser. the other members involved have yet to be chosen.”

“me?”

his manager chuckled and pat him on the head.

a phone went off and his manager pulled it out. he looked at it and answered. after a few moments, he hung up and smiled at donghyuck. his manager told him that he can have the day off, but he must promise to sleep early.

“i’m proud of you. you deserve this so much donghyuck, and you don't even realize it.”

his manager walked away, leaving donghyuck behind to clear his thoughts.

he knew he should be happy that he had been chosen. he should be ecstatic his hard work had paid off. he should be overwhelmed with excitement, but he wasn't.

why would he be chosen to be part of the project? the other members were far more talented than he was. more importantly, what about mark? surely if mark was also chosen, donghyuck wouldn’t have been called out individually. was he not going to debut with his best friend?

donghyuck’s stomach dropped.

he figured that he had kept the rest waiting for too long, so he turned around and dragged his feet toward the door. inside the practice room, the others had gathered around the door. mark spoke up first.

“so why did he call you out?”

“i’ve been chosen to sing for the newest music video,” he said.

to his surprise, the other members aren’t upset. they responded with awe. they crowded around him and gave him pats on the back and compliments. his throat had gone dry, but still, he thanked them.

“manager hyung said that i can go home early, so i am going home to go sleep. when i leave, don’t miss me too much,” donghyuck stuck out his tongue. the other members laughed, and he smiled at them.

“alright, the rest of us will obviously stay behind, but we’ll see you later. catch up on that missed sleep,” mark gave him a thumbs up and the stereo. the others got back into formation. donghyuck head to the jacket stand and started to wear his coat. he walked out but looked back in. the others were focused on dancing and his stomach hurt some more.

donghyuck absentmindedly walked down to the company’s lobby, halfheartedly apologizing each time he would bump into a staff member. staff would glare at him but lose their glares after seeing his sickly demeanor.

his hands were shaking, and he wanted nothing more than for mark to tell him everything will be alright. mark always knew what to say. despite his limited korean, mark was a wise hyung to donghyuck. his presence alone puts donghyuck at ease.

his footsteps stopped at the large glass doors. they shielded him from the harsh wind hitting against the building. his hand landed on the door handle, and he grabbed it tightly. the cold, frigid winter air stung his face once he exited, making his nose twitch. he pulled his scarf around his neck and up to it. inhaling the scent of the scarf, his eyes shot open. the scarf was filled with a sweet coconut fragrance, mark’s scent. donghyuck ripped it off and shoved it into his pocket.