Dining utensils clanking very, very subtly, the sunray turning white and bright, the air crisp and light. We were having another silent breakfast, and it was decided (by Joonmyun hyung one-sidedly) that we would still promote, or at least record for the comeback weekend. We all understood that it was extremely rude to violate recording agreements anyway.

We made our way back to the company and everyone repeated the routine while Joonmyun hyung and I went out to reach Seungwon hyung or anyone we thought were eligible and privileged to decide. Seungwon hyung came about half an hour after we arrived, and Joonmyun hyung wanted me to talk to him instead because he looked like he felt that he still had the pricks in the neck from yesterday.

“We’re going to Mubank tomorrow,” I said, standing in front of Seungwon hyung close to the staircase. Joonmyun hyung was waiting a few steps away from us facing another wall.

“Alright,” he shrugged. “If that’s what you want.”

“Awesome.” I shrugged lightly. “Then how are we going to finish my problem? Are the board members still mad? Did anything grow worse?”

“I checked and the anti fanclub was getting worse, and the fanboard was also jammed, both with good and bad messages. I was planning on telling the technicians to shut it down or something, but I’ll let the bosses decide, I guess. I still can’t put my finger on it. And if I can, I’ll need their permissions anyway.”

I weighed Seungwon hyung’s statement. Alright. We hadn’t really seen anything horrible like stones clanking on our windows or fans trying to poison anyone, but even though I thought things like that could never happen, our bosses were always avant-garde and precautious. I had been through regretful weeks for not following their words in my almost ten years being here.

“Alright.” I nodded. “What do we have for today, hyung?”

“Preparing for tomorrow and the few days to come. I still have to talk with the higher ups about you, make sure that things will be alright.”

As far as I know, that was supposed to be Joonmyun hyung’s job at least on the job description, but why does this make sense to me?

 I nodded. “I’ll go back to practice,” I said. I nodded a slight goodbye and pulled Joonmyun hyung on the wrist anywhere else around the hallway with me.

“We’ll have the recording tomorrow,” I informed. “And then he’ll tell us what to do next on my case. I still don’t know how much the news has spread, but I don’t think I mind.”

 “Are we done?” I asked.

He nodded an ‘okay’ with a shallow smile. Ones I really don’t like seeing.

I did not know that Joonmyun hyung had such a capricious side to himself.

He started his way back to the practice room.

“Hyung,” I catched up and he turned before I could grab his wrist again. “I—please tell me why—no, I mean—okay.” I looked down and tried to fix my tongue before it twists any further. “Okay. I know that everything is my fault. I am thoroughly sorry, okay?” Hyung nodded with the similar manner. “But now, please tell me why you were mad at all of us when you should be only mad at me?”

He shrugged unknowingly. “I don’t think I’m mad at anyone.”

“It shows, hyung. You don’t lie.”

Joonmyun hyung fell silent. I was only looking into his eyes that were wavering and scanning the wooden tiles absentmindedly. “Let’s go to the others,” he only said, turning his back to me and resuming his walk to the practice room.

I did not truly believe that the saying ‘a common enemy binds friendship tighter’ really existed. But when I entered the skyroom for the second time in today, it could not have been any closer to real. Everyone was sitting apart, especially Sehun, who was just sitting there close to the corner. When I entered the room, Chanyeol and Baekhyun were sitting close to each other exhausted, Sehun sat close to another corner, and Kyungsoo sat somehow closer to him even though it was some painful two arms apart.

Joonmyun hyung walked across the room with a rather stern face compared to his usual soft attitude then sat down close to virtually no one. He dunked his head down and sighed so hard, mimicking his little brothers that had just finished another train of routine repeats.  I stepped to Sehun and kneeled to look at him in the eyes.

Only that. Everyone was still exhausted and so was he. I was wanting to say something but both my brain and throat felt so clogged, and I was avoiding saying things too cliché because I was afraid of adding even more feel on how we all would have to solve my problem.

I sat beside Sehun, our arms squishing for the lack of distance. I took his hand and squeezed it slightly, either saying ‘everything is alright’ or ‘I love you’ or whatever with it. I looked down to my folded knees and smiled bitterly.

“Does Sehun want a drink? I can buy you something.” I suddenly said.

He shook his head. But I let go and decided to buy him some sports drink anyway. I smiled and waved before leaving the room.

The wallpaper clad hallways were empty when I went out, so I figured that everyone was busy practicing. And now look at me here trying to buy some sports drink when I was not even thirsty.

I walked down the staircase to the ground floor with hands that could not stay idle. My hands twirled, made drawings, dragged itself in the air, did miniatures of the current routine, and all. I sometimes hated my limbs for my lack of conscious control over it at times like this, but most of the time, I kind of don’t care. Or even possibly like it.

I greeted good morning to the receptionist and opened the front door. Looked to my left and right for any stalkers before proceeding, like crossing the street, when it was only a trip to the closest convenience store. I forgot to wear any form of cover up, but I did not bother looking down or anything. A few steps later, I could hear some other steps not so far behind. I continued my walk anyway.

“Kai oppa,” the squeaky voice of the suspected stalker called.

I turned around instinctively—god, why can’t I help it—and was slightly surprised when I saw her stretch her hand to show me a cute gift box.

“Please do well and don’t hurt! Please do well with Sehun oppa too!” she said loudly to the concrete in a manner close to confessing. I couldn’t help but smile. “I really really love you!”

“T—thank you,” I bowed and smiled as I held the present.

 “Oppas have to fight! I will always be right behind to support you!”

“We will, we will! Thank you, thank you,” I bowed repeatedly.

The girl bowed very slightly from shyness, almost like nodding only. Then she took three steps back and turned around before walking very quickly to the direction of the company building. I took the box to my view and smiled again. Maybe everything was not so bad after all.

I turned around and made my way back to the convenience store, smiling in brighter hope that everything will stay normal.

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A/N: PRAISE THE HOLY LORD I CAN FINALLY UPDATE ;U; Everyone's been dragging me around since school started, I came home very late the whole last week, and I was finishing things I left off from my sophomore year (when I swear I really wanted to just leave them). Everything outside school lately, I really want to retire from some tiring stuff and clubs but we were close to our committee retirements anyway.

I might be updating this slow again for the next few... span of time.  I'm taking my TOEFL in a few weeks and both my mom and I are obsessed of a nice score :) My mom will kick me in the if I don't do good on it, so please pray for me ^^ And yeah I'm starting my senior year. (curse the never ending summer that will never allow summer holidays) I hope I don't mess up like I did in my both freshman and sophomore years. I was an... unfocused (:D) student since I entered high school.

How do you like this story so far? Are there any shortcomings/weaknesses/whatever you feel as far as you read this story? I really need your input because I want to present you the best of it :) Thank you everyone for reading Moonlight so far, please love the story very very much! I love you :)