“Kibummie-hyung!” Kevin giggled. “I was waiting for your call!”

Eli raised an eyebrow, before quickly shaking it off. If he actually dared cut into Kevin’s precious time with Kibum, he’d have to suffer Kevin’s wrath later.

Dongho frowned at the scene, quickly checking Twitter.

“Yes, waiting patiently, fiddling with it every twenty seconds just to hear it ring! You meanie, what took you so long?” Kevin pouted, nodding as he kept quiet, holding his phone to his ear and smiling at his PiroPiro neckrest Kibum never took back. “I saw it~ Why didn’t you just tweet me outright! Humpfh!”

“Okay, okay, I get it.” Kevin smiled brightly. “Oh, you’re busy?”

Dongho cocked his head to a side, shrugging. Well, if Kibum directly messaged Kevin, of course he couldn’t see.

“Aww, don’t say such cheesy words~! Hey! You’re bullying me again!” Kevin whined, walking into his room for more privacy. Technically, it’s a private phone call, isn’t it? “But since you’re talking to me despite being busy, I shall forgive you.”

Soohyun waved a hand before Dongho’s dazed eyes, shaking him violently to wake him up from the temporary trance when the former didn’t work. “Hey, you okay?”

“Yeah, but is Kibum-hyung contacting you?” Dongho asked, staring at the closed door of Kevin’s room now.

“Uh, no?” Soohyun sighed. “We have to move on, Dongho, or else fans can tell.”

“It’s not me.” Dongho shook his head, deciding to leave Soohyun to think about whose behaviour was weirder.

-

Kiseop ran in to the practice room happily the next day, bouncing even. “I think Kevin’s composing something! Hey, it sounds very nice! You think they’ll let him add it in?”

Every member looked up at Kiseop, who nodded frantically. Soohyun stood up from the sofa and led the group to a special piano room with a grand piano being played.

The melody was easily picked up by Soohyun, humming along gently as the six members stood outside the piano room. Dongho smiled, running in to interrupt Kevin by sitting next to him and pressing random keys.

“That’s the wrong notes, hyung.” Kevin smiled, eyes still closed as he submerged himself into the world of music.

Dongho stopped his actions, frozen.

Only till the song was done did Kevin open his eyes and ruffled Dongho’s hair, bowing cheekily at the applause he received from the other five.

“Write the notes down and send it to the composers! See if they’ll let you add it in!” Kiseop suggested enthusiastically.

“Nope, it’s a special melody Kibummie-hyung composed for me.” Kevin stuck out his tongue, giggling. “Let’s go get some food, I’m famished.”

Eli nodded furiously, grinning when he heard Hoonmin’s stomach growled. “Not so subtle, huh?”

Hoonmin elbowed Eli and chuckled, before Soohyun dragged the other members along to have a group snack time. AJ said he would catch up later, walking to Dongho and kneeling down to reach his height.

“Something wrong?” AJ smiled gently, holding out a hand.

“Not really.” Dongho smiled back, not wanting AJ to worry about some past relations with no clear ending. “Just…the song was nice.”

“Yeah, but a growing boy needs food.” AJ chuckled, pulling Dongho down to where Soohyun said they’ll be at.

Dongho still thinks there’s a fish that’s way too fishy.

-

Kevin stated that he’d be gone for an hour or so, and everyone shouldn’t be worried because he’s just getting a cup of juice.

“An hour? You take an hour to get a cup of juice?” Hoonmin asked weirdly. “Wow, is it branded? Do you have to take a train there?”

Kevin laughed, punching Hoonmin’s shoulder lightly. “It’s just round the corner, but I want to stay there for an hour reading a book.”

“Oh.” Hoonmin nodded, scratching his head awkwardly. “Oh.”

“Go on, don’t get caught.” Soohyun nodded. “If there’s anything, I’ll call you or just go find you there.”

“Sure~!”

-

“A cup of cappuccino and a cup of apple juice, please.” Kevin ordered with a bright smile, waiting patiently as his order was being made. He carried them to a two-seat table and set the tray, before taking out the piping hot cup of cappuccino to place closer to the opposite seat, and his own drink before him. He placed the empty tray on a dirty table waiting to be cleared, happily sinking into his seat and reading his book with plugged ears.

“Mm.” Kevin hummed, whispering as if to himself, behind his book. “It’s colder here than usual.”

“I’m not wearing thin clothes.” Kevin shook his head, eyes scanning to the second line. “You’re the one wearing thick clothes.”

“And you got a warm cup of coffee! Mine’s apple juice with ice.”

“Well, I’m not a big fan of coffee, as you know.” Kevin shrugged, nodding slightly. “Things' been fine for me, how about you?”

“I’m fine thank you, and you?” Dongho took the book away from Kevin and stared at the older member.

Kevin blinked. “Oh, hello Dongho. What brought you here?”

“The wind.” Dongho lamely replied, taking a seat opposite Kevin. “Why were you talking to yourself?”

Kevin chuckled. “I wasn’t.”

“Then?”

“I was reading from the book.” Kevin chuckled. “Oh, help yourself to the coffee, it’s cold.”

Dongho eyed Kevin suspiciously, but Kevin only smiled at his cup of apple juice and sipped it happily.

He took a glance at the book and winced. English words still hurt his eyes. He’ll just have to believe Kevin on this.

-

“You have to harmonise, Kevin.” The music producer sighed. “Soohyun’s a bit sick so we can’t record his part yet, can you harmonise without the main melody?”

“Sure.” Kevin smiled prettily, entering the recording studio while the rest lounged around the room.

Kevin executed those notes perfectly, without a main melody, sounding good even if he was just harmonising to nothing. He shut his eyes tight and completed his part a little too fast.

When he was praised excessively by the exaggerating Kiseop, he laughed and hit Kiseop lightly, shaking his head. “I’m sure you can do it too.”

“How did you do it? Jealous right now!” Kiseop pouted.

“I imagined he was there.”

Dongho had a nagging feeling, the he Kevin referred to wasn’t Soohyun.

-

“You are a guy who lost your girlfriend due to a break-up, but you cannot move on.” The director narrated to Dongho personally, while the rest were briefed by the assistant director. “You’ll smile incessantly while thinking she is there, but when your hallucinations end and you look to your side, no one’s there and you slowly feel the pain again. Everyone’s worried for you, but when they intervene, you get angry at them. After you clear your head for a while at the end of the music video, you realised what you’ve done to your friends and finally tried to forget her. Could you portray that?”

“I can.”

-

All throughout the filming, Dongho thought it reminded him of something, but he couldn’t link it directly to a name. Only when he reached their dormitory, check the mail box, saw the phone bill, then did he understood.

Kevin.

-

“Hyung, your phone bill is here.” Dongho said stiffly, hand clutching the letter tightly.

“Oh, bring it here, I’ll just check it a little. Thanks, Dongho.” Kevin smiled, reaching out for it.

“It’s a few thousand won only.” Dongho explained, tight smile forming on his face.

“All right.” Kevin nodded, shrugging and then walking away.

Dongho pulled Kevin back easily and threw the letter in his face. “Kibum-hyung never called, did he?”

Dongho saw a flash of anger took over Kevin’s face for a second, before a sweet smile was fixed in place. “Not yet, maybe at 3:30pm. He said it was fun to play with the number.”

“Not yet, not ever. He never really called, you were talking on a phone line unengaged, it was your ringtone playing but that was what you did, no one called.” Dongho grabbed Kevin’s shoulders tightly. “Hyung, don’t do this. Let’s move on together.”

“Dongho, I think you misunderstood something.” Kevin chuckled. “I’ll just call Kibummie-hyung and tell him about your joke later.”

“Well, call him.” Dongho glared. “And let me talk to him.”

“He’s probably busy right now, Dongho.” Kevin looked away, nodding. “I think I’ll go down to take a jog, I’m getting out of shape.”

“Hyung!” Dongho yelled, giving chase but losing Kevin as the older ran out in full speed.

Dongho didn’t miss the sad look casted his way.

-

It was close to midnight, but Dongho still heard the grand piano playing. He peeked in, watching as Kevin played the main melody, for the first time realising the base melody wasn’t played.

Both Kevin hands were playing only the main melody, and he was sitting on the right edge of the piano chair.

As if someone was there.

“I don’t want.” Kevin suddenly said, hands no longer playing.

“I don’t want!” He screamed, hands pressing down on many keys to show his anger. “You can’t make me, hyung…”

“I don’t want to learn it! No! Not the base melody, it’s for you to play…” Kevin shook his head furiously.

‘You’ll be here, you’ll always be here, don’t bother about Dongho.” Kevin sobbed, hands playing the previous melody in full speed, as if trying to silence the noise in his head.

Dongho dropped to the floor, a tear rolling down his eyes as he saw Kevin scream notes to the melody, for the first time hearing lyrics that sounded like something Kevin would write.

“Because we promised forever!” Kevin screamed. “And that’s what it will be!”

-

Kevin didn’t bring a book the next time he entered the café. He ordered two cups of latte and sat at the usual seat, laughing incessantly to himself, slightly louder than usual.

Dongho took a seat opposite Kevin, waiting until the older quietened down, noticing Dongho’s intense stare.

“I saw you yesterday.” Dongho sighed. “In the piano room.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Kevin looked at his cup of coffee and no longer smiled. “I was sleeping yesterday.”

“I didn’t say when I saw you.” Dongho cut in. “How do you know you were sleeping?”

“…” Kevin stood up. “I’m not thirsty anymore, have fun with the drinks.”

“Kevin-hyung-”

“Leave me alone!” Kevin growled, shoving Dongho’s hand away. “I’m fine!”

-

The other members only realised when Kevin was horribly off key, singing to the wrong notes. Soohyun stopped him and asked if he was sick. “Maybe I passed the flu bug to you.”

“I’m fine.” Kevin weakly smiled. “Could you not sing? Let me get the notes back.”

“Okay.” Soohyun blinked, but let Kevin do things his way nevertheless.

No matter how hard he tried to sing, how tight he shut his eyes, Kevin couldn’t reach the notes he previously reached with ease.

Frightened, he ran out of the recording studio, with Dongho hot on his heels.

-

“LEAVE ME ALONE!” Kevin yelled, throwing various things at Dongho. “It’s all your fault! ALL YOUR FAULT!”

Dongho kept silent, blocking everything thrown his way.

“It’s getting weaker.” Kevin dropped to the floor limply, hugging his legs as the only comfort he gets. “I don’t see him, hear him, feel him anymore…”

Dongho hugged Kevin’s small frame and rocked him slightly. “I know how you’re feeling…”

“You don’t…you really don’t.” Kevin whimpered softly, crying harder. “If you do, you’ll let me do what I do!”

“Put yourself in my shoes. Think of what you acted in the music video, because how I act was how you act, and how you act is how I’m acting. I’m worried for you, I don’t want to see you go down that road.”

“You don’t get it…” Kevin sobbed. “We were best friends…”

-

Kevin smiled as he saw Dongho take a seat opposite him at their dining table.

“It’s 3:30am.” Kevin nodded at Dongho’s statement. “You couldn’t sleep?”

“Nope, I was thinking of him again.” Kevin confessed. “Thinking how he would react if he saw me in this state.”

“How would he react?” Dongho asked.

“He would slap me.” Kevin chuckled, nodding. “You should go to bed, we have our first performance tomorrow.”

“Says you.”

Kevin smiled. “He doesn’t talk to me anymore. Not in my head either.”

Dongho wondered if that was a good or bad thing, before pulling Kevin to his bed and letting the older member hug him to sleep. If there was anything he was proud of, it was his figure feeling like a teddy bear.

”Kevin-hyung, get better.”

-

Sorry for the crappy title! I couldn't think of anything else since this was from Dongho's POV mainly.
Also, a big hug to my 43 subscribers and 5 commenters <3~!
:D