“You’re not focusing!”

Panting, Yoseob stumbled to a stop and looked at Doojoon’s frustrated expression in the mirrors. His throat was scratchy and his head felt like it was stuffed with cotton, he’d barely slept last night and he was almost positive he’d failed a test at school. He was feeling plain lousy and being snapped at wasn’t helping.

Junhyung frowned at Doojoon, hands resting on his hips as he caught his breath too. “Hyung, stop, can’t you see he’s-”

“We’re being tested on this choreography tomorrow,” Doojoon interrupted, his stern voice earning him a glare from Kikwang. “We should have it down by now!”

He turned back to Yoseob, hot and just as sweaty as the others. “You’re normally on top of this stuff. What’s wrong with you today? Your head isn’t in it!”

Kikwang’s glare turned lethal as Yoseob stumbled over to a chair and sank into it. “Hyung, leave him alone! He’s working his off just like the rest of us and you know it! Everyone has an off day sometimes! Even Yoseob!”

“An off day?” Doojoon snorted incredulously. “Are you kidding me?! Did you not hear me say the test is tomorrow? We can’t afford an off day!”

“Stop fighting!” Yoseob said suddenly, a slight flush finally coming to his cheeks to cover the sickly pallor he’d been carrying. He clasped his hands together tightly to keep his shaking fingers from being noticed. “I’ll work harder, okay? Just give me a minute, Doojoon.”

“I don’t see how a minute is going to help. You’re not even focused on what we’re doing,” the older boy complained, and Yoseob finally snapped.

“I’m sick! What do you want me to do, dance with an IV in my arm and an oxygen tank so you can pass your precious test?!” He glared at Doojoon’s surprised face, leaning one arm heavily on his knees. “I’m doing the best I can. If you can’t see it, then you’re either blind or too self-absorbed to see it!”

When he stood up and swayed a little Kikwang rushed over to grab his arm. Yoseob allowed his friend to steady him, too distracted by the fog in his head and the sudden urge to cough.

Junhyung waited until the two friends had left the room before he spoke, brows arching high as he regarded Doojoon. “You did realize he was sick when he showed up for practice, right?”

Doojoon remained silent, staring at the empty doorway until Junhyung started to wonder if he’d gone catatonic. 

Frowning, he snapped his fingers near his friend’s face. “Yah…” When Doojoon looked at him in bewilderment he shook his head. “You really didn’t know? Yah, you two are always together and you can’t tell when he’s sick?”

“Apparently not…”

“Well you might want to figure out a way to apologize before evaluations tomorrow,” Junhyung stared at him a moment longer before he sighed and went to grab his things. “I gotta go. I promised Kikwang we’d practice for the dance evaluation together tonight.”

---

“Why’d you show up today? You could have gone to the doctor and rested,” Kikwang frowned in concern at his friend. Yoseob had been shivering for the last fifteen minutes, even after Junhyung put his jacket over Yoseob’s.

“It’s just a cold…” Yoseob mumbled. He pressed his forehead to the bus window, watching the buildings go by without really seeing any of them. 

“The last cold you had knocked you on your ,” Junhyung looked at him from his seat in front of the two, clearly as concerned as Kikwang. “I didn’t even talk to you back then and I still knew that. You should have stayed home.”

“If I get to debut I’ll have to work through a cold. Might as well get used to it.”

Kikwang pouted and put a hand over the older boy’s forehead, glancing quickly at Junhyung. He didn’t say anything when Yoseob pushed his hand away with an annoyed whine, but when they got off the bus a while later, he didn’t part ways with him like he usually would. 

Yoseob frowned as his arms were grabbed on either side. “I can walk.”

“You nearly face planted onto the sidewalk just now. Humor us.” Junhyung said dryly, leaving Yoseob to wonder when that had happened. He didn’t remember it. Was he sleepwalking?

It wasn’t until Kikwang had gotten Yoseob’s mother’s attention and she’d ushered them into the apartment that Junhyung really saw his partner relax. He’d only met Yoseob’s mom a few times before but Yoseob’s resemblance to her seemed even more obvious as she fussed over her son. By the time they’d gotten him to change out of his clothes and drop into bed, she had a plethora of things ready and waiting. She’d even started porridge for him, and quickly set to work on getting his fever handled. It probably wouldn’t come down for hours, but Yoseob seemed far more agreeable to his mother’s concern than he had to Junhyung and Kikwang’s. 

When the two left an hour later, they’d been fed and thanked profusely for bringing him home. Yoseob had managed some porridge before sleeping, and Kikwang was much more relaxed as they headed for his own home. As they practiced for the evaluation, Junhyung caught himself thinking more than once about whether Yoseob realized just how much his friends worried over him.

---

“Yoseob? What are you doing in here?” Kikwang frowned in confusion as he closed the door behind him. 

“After yesterday’s evaluations in vocal, we’re switching up the partners,” his instructor explained after a brief look of concern at Yoseob’s pale face. Clearing quietly, she turned her attention onto Kikwang and held out some sheet music. “You and Yoseob will be having lessons together now. Junhyung and Doojoon are paired together.”

Kikwang’s frown only deepened at the information. “But-”

“Learn that by tomorrow. For today, we’ll just run through some scales and get your voices adjusted to working together.” She paused and frowned at the two boys. “Unless you two have practiced together before?”

Looking slightly better than the day before but still sickly, Yoseob nodded. “A lot, actually…”

She smiled gently in response. “Then this transition in partners should be smoother for the two of you than it will be for them.” She turned to the piano nearby and glanced at them. “Okay, Yoseob, you warm up first.. Ready?”

Yoseob nodded and proceeded through the scales with her. It was more difficult than usual, his throat still very sore and rough from his cold. Kikwang followed, and then came the time to go through the new music. Yoseob listened to the opening notes before opening his mouth to sing his part.

Nothing happened. Frowning, he tried to clear his throat and made a second attempt. When only a hoarse squeak was wrenched out, he cast a horrified look at their teacher.

She gave him a sympathetic look, but at the same time didn’t look all that surprised. “You’ve overworked your voice with your cold again,” She scolded. “How much have you been practicing in this condition?”

Yoseob’s expression turned to one of protest, and she shook her head. “You are a trainee, and it’s my responsibility to train your voice. What happens if you ruin it before debut?”

When he looked sufficiently chastised, she sighed and gestured toward a nearby seat. “At least sit down and rest. You look exhausted. Kikwang, we’ll practice your part for today.”

---

“Where’s Yoseob?”

Kikwang looked up from lacing his shoes. Junhyung dropped his bag on the floor and sat down beside him, still waiting for an answer.

“He got sent home,” Kikwang went back to his shoes with a sigh. “He lost his voice during vocal.”

“What?” 

“His dance evaluation is going to be done alone instead of with us. He’ll be doing it when he comes back.”

“No, I mean…” Junhyung shifted so he was facing the younger boy. “He really lost his voice?”

Kikwang nodded and leaned back against the wall. “It’s completely gone.”

“Damn… He’s probably upset.”

“Upset would be an understatement,” Kikwang snorted and shook his head slowly. “He’s miserable and anxious. You know how he is about singing. Dancing too. They gave him strict orders not to practice until he’s better.”

Junhyung winced. “Yeah, because that’ll go over well.”

“Like a lead balloon.”

Doojoon opened the door and came in, pulling his backpack off his shoulder as he crossed the room. When he reached the two and realized both were staring at him, he frowned and glanced around a bit. “Where’s Yoseob?”