five

canon compliant (rush era)

Before debuting with six other boys as Monsta X, Changkyun had had quite a difficult past. He had moved around a lot due to his father's job, and it hadn't been until his late teenage years that he had come back to Korea. And even then, he still wasn't fluent in speaking Korean. What a shame, he had thought, not even being able to speak in his native language.

No.Mercy was nothing short of pain to him. Not the physical kind, but emotional pain. That was why, when he finally had a chance to debut, he knew that any amount of physical suffering and exhaustion would be better than going through all that psychological torture.

Their schedule had been nothing short of hectic, yet no one complained. For all seven men, it was a dream come true, and they were ready to face whatever obstacles were thrown their way.

Currently, Monsta X had just come back from another one of their busy schedules, and were in different areas of their dorms, taking some time to unwind themselves and relax till it was time for dinner. The two youngest of the group had claimed the couch in the living room as their spot for the evening, the red-haired older rapper having sprawled on the couch, while the other boy sat next to him, going through random articles on his phone.

Changkyun looked up from his phone when the other guy nudged him with a knee, and sighing, turned to look at Jooheon. The latter seemed to be in somewhat of a good mood, dimples flashing as he smiled at the youngest. Changkyun raised his eyebrows in the form of a question, to which Jooheon merely shook his head.

The younger tilted his head slightly, a weird thought lingering in his mind as he leaned ahead towards his fellow group mate, surprising Jooheon as he continued to bend down till his face was hovering over the other's. Jooheon's eyes were wide as the other placed his phone away and stared at him. Changkyun took in the older man's appearance, gaze flickering all over his face before he reached out, holding Jooheon's cheeks with his hands. The two boys froze in that suspicious position for a couple seconds before the younger lightly pinched both cheeks fondly, throwing the other a warm, childlike grin as he pulled away, busying himself with his phone again.

Jooheon blinked at the youngest, feeling utterly confused.

"What was that for, maknae?" He asked, his voice holding an unsure tone.

"Nothing, hyung, your cheeks looked chubby. I just wanted to squish them."

Changkyun loved how close he had gotten with the older boys.

Word count: 444

Gosh, I don't know what came over me XD I just imagined Changkyun pinching someone's cheeks, and Jooheon was the best candidate for it. I kind of have no idea why I wrote the first few paragraphs, though, ehe.

Please note that I've said this is canon compliant, meaning that I don't claim that whatever I've written in the beginning is true.