He'd been a trainee for just over a year the first time he met Choi Byungchan. It was insignificance and lackluster all rolled into a curious mess that would become a milestone in the life of Im Sejun. 

It had been a regular day; get up earlier than was probably considered humanitarian, migrate to the practice room despite barely being awake enough to see where you were going and trudge through the motions of preparing to throw yourself into an unforgiving industry were thousands of others just like you were trying to achieve their dreams against the startling percentage of failure at the end of the tunnel. The only thing that made that dreary Tuesday morning any different in Sejun's eyes was his lack of coffee which had already caused him to snap at Hanse twice despite not having any real intention to do so. As such, the cautionary tap tap on the studio door as courtesy to it being flicked open by an impatient staff member, a hairstylist Sejun himself found vaguely familiar he'd noted absentmindedly, hadn't even been nearly adequate preparation for what stood on the other side.

In that moment everything stopped, the music, Hanse's whining and the quiet muttering of Seungwoo and Seungsik all faded to the background and it was like his world suddenly came into focus. 

Far from the story tale tropes of love at first sight, Sejun felt no romantic inclination toward the new comer who was tall and gangly as though he'd had a recent growth spurt and was still getting used to maneuvering on longer limbs. Instead he almost immediately decided that the new kid had to be protected and all without much conscious thought on the subject aside from an instant attachment to the way his eyes curved up into pretty crescents when he smiled and introduced himself as Choi Byungchan, 16 years old. 

•

Watching Byungchan try the choreography they'd been practicing for the first time was a bit like watching a baby giraffe standing only to get tangled up in its own legs before inevitably falling back to the ground. Sejun obviously wasn't the only one to think that way because Chan was at his side almost immediatly, offering a had to help the younger boy back to his feet and receiving a gratifying smile in return. For someone who'd just fallen so hopelessly, Byungchan appeared undeterred if not a little sheepish at his mistake but no less willing to get back up and try again. 

"I'll try harder next time!"  He'd exclaimed, determination colouring his tone, the ever present smile still on his face despite the lack of immediate results from the physically trying dance practices. Sejun doubted that he'd slept more than a few hours the previous night but pale skin and bruises beneath his eyes didn't detract at all from Byungchan's mesmerising smile. 

•

Sejun could remember the exact moment that he'd realised he had feelings for Byunhchan. Practice had been long and particularly burdensome and the dance instructor had been unnecessarily harsh when criticising the younger boys movements during the finicky step sequence so it was no wonder that Byungchan's smile had had begun to dim gradually as the hours wore on. Even so, he'd offered Sungwoo a shaky smile and an 'I'm fine Hyung, just a headache' when the oldest had asked if he was okay or if he'd like to take a break.

It was only an hour later when his steps faltered once more and he'd curled his knees up to his chest against the wall instead of immediatly rising, reassurances spilling from his tongue before any questions were even asked. Nobody moved, all eyes turned towards the youngest of the group, a thick air of uncertainty about how to handle the situation permeating the air. 

It hadn't taken much persuading for everyone to leave the room, giving Sejun the space and privacy to try and get Byungchan to open up about what he was feeling. He'd had a feeling that it wasn't just the younger boys misstep that was bringing him down and he wasn't fa