The day ahead would be hard, but the reward would be sweet when they stood amongst their peers and received an award.  That day would come, surely, but for now, DooJoon stood in the kitchen, fresh and dressed in nicely cut black pants with small, white polka dots all over them and a loose, colorful shirt.  His hair was a mess on his head; the coordi-noonas would straighten him out when they got to the shop so for the time being, DooJoon pulled on one of his favorite beanies with a giant puffy ball on the top and did at least his bangs.  He felt comfortable in the clothes that hid his wounds that were all but gone.

     As he growled for the other boys to gather their things to get out the door, he checked over everything in his own bag.  Sweat pants, a hoodie, a book, a small pillow, the new iPad B2ST had gotten from the company as a congratulation gift, and his work out shoes.  The other young men’s ruck sacks insides nearly mimicked his.  They all needed something to occupy their limited spare time in moments of rest they had to fight for.  More often than not, they would sit in peaceful, friendly silence either wrapped in the gentle embrace of sleep or the riveting pages of a book.  They all liked their new technological toys, but some things didn’t change. 

     One by one the B2ST members filed through the halls of their dorm building, reaching the front doors with smiles that faltered for only but a moment.  There they were, without fail.  Fans that were ready to see the idol stars as they started the day as a performer.  It was rare for the six men to start the day any other way.  Each member that stood beside the leader would all admit readily that they loved their fans; they would never stop loving them.  However…DooJoon knew that each one felt a tiny stab in their stamina when a crowd would gather first thing in the morning.  Under the precise eyes of the B2ST fanclub, B2UTY, there was no room for error.  It was the appearance that each day was started perfectly.  Any B2UTY would say that she adored her idols because they were human and made errors, but B2ST didn’t like that.  Each of them refused to mess up when a fan spotted them.  KiKwang was the most notorious for instantly “idol-ing up” when in sight of a fan.  He would not mess up; it was too much of a stress on him to.  HyunSeung was about the same but not nearly as bad as the brother once called “AJ.”  HyunSeung tended to stare to try and get a connection but he would just look silly.  Regardless, he just wanted to convey his love and his fans understood that in some way.  DongWoon acted naturally and calm which attracted his fans like moths to a flame.  He was like that guy you knew in high school; nice to everyone because there was no reason to be mean.  JunHyung liked to keep his head down and keep moving because he was awkward with the adorations of the women that flocked to him but they adored him for being shy.  YoSeob was perhaps the biggest ham when a B2UTY looked his way.  He instantly acted as if he and the girl were friends forever and he was always so polite which just made them swoon more. 

     DooJoon wasn’t sure how he was… perhaps a mix of all of them.  KiKwang’s instant need to be perfect under a hawk’s glare, HyunSeung’s need to convey his feelings, DongWoon’s kind reaction when being spotted mixed with JunHyung’s shy reaction, and YoSeob’s friendly, relaxing aura.  He was who he was as they were who they were.  Together…they were so beast. 

     And as these six men stood back from the doors of the building that was home to maybe only their exhausted shadows, they saw the crowd with silent understanding.  DooJoon cast his gaze from right to left, surveying his brothers.  They all shared the gaze of a steel trap; prepared.  As each boy under DooJoon’s leadership adjusted their hats and sunglasses, he made the first move.  He had to lead by example.  Slowly, a gentle, slightly nervous smile tugged at his soft lips and he pushed the doors open to the screams that would deafen a lesser man. 

     He began his day as Yoon DooJoon, the B2ST Leader.   

     He knew it would be hours before he could sit down again and maybe days before his breathing wouldn’t come out in harsh gasps.  Practice days were hard on them all but the effort showed when their performances were the best around but lately, the beastly boys were all running around with other schedules.  Mostly it was him and KiKwang who had a schedule that would weigh on their shoulders and chip at their stony reserves.  Lately, though, the maknae DongWoon had been starting to get busy all on his own with a musical coming up.  That “Son Namshin” as he was affectionately called by his fans, had to memorize lines and songs on top of the B2ST songs and dances that were second nature to the six of them.  DooJoon and KiKwang on the other hand, had to memorize lines and go to their movie or show sets and they’d be stuck there all day.  JunHyung was also running in an out of the studio for not only the next album for the animalistic boys, but for features on other albums. 

     HyunSeung and YoSeob weren’t used to all the running the others did but those two were always doing their best to make the lives of their exhausted brothers easier.  YoSeob would clean up the house if ever he had the chance and HyunSeung would too but he had been having a hard time lately.  The strong vocal of B2ST had just lost his father very suddenly and had fallen in on himself in a dark depression.  It had taken everyone’s breath away, especially DooJoon’s, to hear those wails that poured from that small frame. 

     After leaving him be for a few days, the four faces turned to their leader and DooJoon knew he had to act for all of them in this moment.  He had gone to the Jang household and given hugs to the grieving widow and heart sick daughter and found his brother lying in darkness in his cold room.  DooJoon had sat on the side of the bed and put his hands between his knees, looking at the floor, as silent as a dust mote that floated in a sunbeam. 

     HyunSeung had stirred, silently announcing he was awake.  DooJoon had thought he knew what he wanted to say; that they were all worried and wanted him to feel better but those things seemed so trite when he heard the slow inhale of a person trying not to cry.  This young man who laid in a cocoon of pain and blankets didn’t want to hear what was expected.  He needed to hear something from a place of comfort and the only thing DooJoon could think to say was, “He was so… so proud of you.” 

     DooJoon lightly turned to look down at the back of HyunSeung’s flaming red hair and he saw his friend’s hand clench at the pillow that hid the tears streaking out of his soft eyes. 

     “You are his tireless son who never quit pursuing his dreams.  He loved you so endlessly, HyunSeung.” 

     DooJoon in that moment could hear his own voice threaten to give away to the overwhelming sadness that plagued his  friend.  He could feel the tears rising and he closed his eyes to wish them away along with the tears that would never run dry in HyunSeung due to the loss of his father. 

     “Heh…”  DooJoon lightly wiped under his nose to control himself, a smile teasing up at his lips as he tried to give some kind of good memory to HyunSeung. 

     “Remember when all our dads danced with us?  Yours was the only one who could even kind of do Fiction.”  DooJoon said softly and he was surprised by the chuckle that issued from the hoarse throat of the red haired youth.  HyunSeung then lightly rolled onto his back and stared up at the young man that had come to comfort him not only as a friend, but as a brother.  HyunSeung’s eyes were bright with tears but his smile was brighter. 

     “I loved that day…”  HyunSeung murmured out with a hoarse voice, the grief fading away from his gaze as he sat up shakily in his bed.  A sniffle, a smile, and the pain began to ease it’s hold on the poor boy, only to return as the realization of loss ate up his expression. 

     DooJoon’s face turned pale as he reached out and wrapped his arm around the shaking shoulders of his brother who sobbed so fully, so honestly and somehow choked out, “I miss him…so much!  DooJoon!  I miss him…!” 

     DooJoon then held close to his brother and patted his back as the pain overtook his body.

     “I know, HyunSeung.  I know.”

     That had been a hard day.  However, it was the start of HyunSeung coming back to them.  In respect for their member, the B2ST boys wore black at their next event and solemn expressions.  HyunSeung did not stand in their line up while camera’s flashed but soon…soon he stood with them in his place.  DooJoon had heard somewhere from a fan in passing; she didn’t think he was listening, that the only reason HyunSeung was able to stand was because the rest of the members helped him to stand.  She was right, in some ways.  No one pushed HyunSeung to reappear before he was ready; he decided on his own he would force his way out of the swathe of darkness that his loss had mired him in.  Perhaps it was because DooJoon and the other boys had acted as the giant Atlas holding up the earth; they held up HyunSeung until he would be able to stand on his own feet again.  It was a hard and heavy burden but one they would never trade.  They would help one another until there was only death to stop them.  They had struggled so much in the past and now in the present that they would hate to see another man fall and never regain his position. 

     At the first event HyunSeung went to after the loss of his father became public news, the cat-eyed boy stared at the cameras with his same expression; slightly blank but still alive.  As soon as those cameras left and the boys could file into the building, HyunSeung had, when he thought no one was looking, covered up his eyes with his hand.  DooJoon had turned right as that pale hand came up and saw the shake in it and his face fell.  DooJoon’s deep, dark brown eyes had filled with so much worry like only a brother can feel.  His mouth had set into a line and his brow had furrowed.  HyunSeung wasn’t ready for this, surely.  What could he do?  The answer came swiftly. 

     He had to help his brother back onto his feet.

     DooJoon had reached out then and wrapped his arm around his younger brother’s shoulders, smiling at HyunSeung who looked up, surprised.  With wide eyes, HyunSeung had stared at DooJoon’s smile and a smile had cracked onto the tired boy’s face in turn.  The two of them walked then into the room cluttered with people and DooJoon had patted ’s back, once, twice, and let his hand fall away.  He glanced at HyunSeung and nodded towards the B2ST table, smiling in such a patient and gentle way. 

     With those bright, cat-like eyes, HyunSeung silently thanked his leader, his gratefulness evident in his stare.  The gentle twitch of his eyes as he stared at DooJoon, the way his brow moved upwards slightly with thanks, the hidden smile on HyunSeung’s lips told DooJoon he had done the right thing. 

     DooJoon remembered smiling back, his own brow moving up, his own eyes bright, as he returned the silent thanks. 

     “Thank you, DooJoon.”

     “Of course, HyunSeung.”