Hoya rammed the door straight into his bedroom and lunged his workout bag on the floor. Hoya grunted in frustration and jumped right on top of his bed, landing face down into the mattress. After a long dance practice for Infinite-H’s upcoming album, filled with mistakes and imperfections that kept him and Dongwoo longer in the studio than expected, Hoya wanted nothing but to be in his room. Relaxing on his bed. Letting the time go by.

It was lonely in his room.

That was probably all Hoya needed: space to be by himself. He thought it would make him feel better, but there was still something wrong. He was not sure what. He was not comfortable in his own room.

The tiresome Hoya pushed himself off the bed and headed to the apartment kitchen, scratching his eye to try and wake himself up for Sunggyu and Dongwoo’s presence.

Dongwoo was just as exhausted as Hoya, leaning against the dining table with his head down and his eyes twitching as he tried to keep himself awake. Sunggyu finished boiling water to pour for three small individual tea cups to serve. The kitchen was peaceful.

“How was practice?” Sunggyu asked, bending over to carefully pour the precise amount of water to make green tea. He did not lay a single eye on Hoya.

Hoya shook his head, reflecting on the past few weeks of practice for their comeback. “The song is fine, but I’m a little disappointed with our choreography. I think we-”

“I see.” Sunggyu finished pouring the cups of tea and grabbed a cup for himself to sip. Sunggyu was tired himself, having to deal with multiple variety show and hosting appearances. As well as getting into the groove of writing lyrics for solo songs, Sunggyu had no intention of finishing the conversation. “I’m sorry to hear that Hoya, but I’m sure it will get better. I’m going to my room now.”

Sunggyu took his cup of tea and patted Hoya on the book, giving Hoya a look of understanding that he was going through. At the same time, it was like the look of an older brother telling him not to give up. Sunggyu nodded his head and passed Hoya brushing shoulders, making his way down the hallway to his own room.

Hoya stood in the kitchen and watched Sunggyu go to his room, slamming the door right behind him. There was no invite for Hoya or anyone to come in at that point. Hoya’s eyes shifted toDongwoo, who had completely fallen asleep on the table counter. Saliva dripped from the side of his mouth, and a loud snort echoed in the kitchen.

Hoya stared down at his feet and the white socks he was wearing. His right sock had a small hole forming at the balls of his feet, which formed from practicing a specific balancing move multiple times. That was when Hoya sighed.

We should be progressing a lot faster in our dance than we are. I think it was a bad idea putting in a lot more tricks than we normally deal with. I keep falling during the handstand. I’m usually good at these things, and I’ve been getting a decent amount of sleep every day as well. This is Infinite, Our Neighborhood Sports. I’m a little stressed.

That was everything Hoya wanted to say before Sunggyu left seemingly disinterested. And with Dongwoo out of commission, as well as not wanting to express his complaints to his partner, Hoya had no other choice but to return to his room.

Hoya dragged his feet to his bedroom and saw it in the same way he left it. Gym bag on the floor, his blankets slightly ruffled up from lying down previously. Hoya took his shirt off and threw it towards his computer desk, covering some officialWoollim documents as well as his desktop monitor. Without much else to do, Hoya jumped on his bed again and forced himself to go to sleep.

Something is missing.

~<{}>~

Sungyeol piggybacked Sungjong on their way up the elevator for their floor, racing to arrive at their apartment faster thanWoohyun and Myungsoo, who bet a meal that taking the stairs was faster. The elevator doors slowly opened and Sungyeol leaped to run to the finish.

“You have long legs, go faster!” Sungjong wrapped his body around Sungyeol with easy, laughing his off at the amount of work Sungyeol put to getting to their room.

“You try piggybacking me next time,” Sungyeol huffed and puffed as he lurched towards the finish.

At that moment, Woohyun and Myungsoo swung the stairwell doors open as they rushed for the apartment. Myungsoo struggled to carry Woohyun on the way up, but as they sawSungyeol and Sungjong beating them he regained the energy to try and win.

It was a close call, and the pride of Infinite and their next meal was at stake.

Myungsoo ran but tripped over a bump in the hallway carpet and jerked forward, throwing Woohyun over his shoulders towardsSungyeol. Sungyeol panicked, dropping Sungjong to the floor and running forward to catch the diving Woohyun. As Sungyeolcaught Woohyun, the impact knocked both of them over to the floor. All four of them lay on the ground in front of the door,defeated and injured.

“This wasn’t a good idea,” Sungyeol groaned as he sat up from the floor and rubbed his lower back.

“Oh really,” Sungjong cracked.

Myungsoo used the door handle of their apartment to pull himself up, followed by helping Woohyun up back on his feet. “Alright, this was enough fun for the day.”

Once all four of them got back on their feet, Sungyeol unlocked the door to their apartment.

It was a long day for all of them. Sungyeol, Myungsoo, andSungjong spent majority of their day in the studio recording sample songs for their new subunit, Infinite-F. Woohyun spent the day with two back-to-back interviews for Toheart, but the four of them met happened to arrive at their complex at the same time.

“Shower,” Woohyun exclaimed as he walked in, running straight to the showers.

“Goodnight everyone,” Sungyeol yawned, walking with a limp to his bedroom as the back pain still bothered him.

Myungsoo and Sungjong shared a look for them to go to their bedroom, which was the only shared room of their apartment. It had been a long month of practice for everyone, and it was the same thing every day coming home: Woohyun was first for the showers, Sungyeol skipped his evening shower to sleep with his cat, and Myungsoo and Sungjong had no choice but to return to their room.

“I wonder what we’re doing tomorrow?” Sungjong asked as they walked into their room.

Myungsoo and Sungjong took opposite sides of the room.Myungsoo ped his jacket and dropped it on the floor, moving straight for his computer to check his emails. “As long as manager-hyung let’s us eat earlier,” he joked. “I hate dieting.”

“I’ve lost too much weight since we started practicing again,”Sungyeol sighed, staring at his arms and how frail they had become after a month of work. Sometimes eating would not even be a priority for Sungjong. “Do we have steak still? I’m going to cook it,” he declared as he rubbed his stomach.

“Woohyun ate it yesterday,” Myungsoo answered with his eyes glued to the screen, uploading pictures from their practice to his email.

“Oh.” Sungjong cleared his throat. “Let’s go to the store across the street.”

“Not in the mood. Maybe tomorrow,” Myungsoo mumbled as he leaned back in his desk chair for full focus on his computer.

That’s what you said yesterday.

Sungjong’s stomach growled as he watched Myungsoo drag his mouse around, clicking at lightning speed to change certain effects and attach certain files all at once. Sungjong would always find it amusing, but this time it was irritating. “I’m going now.”

Myungsoo did not say a word. In fact, it was almost as if his clicking drowned the noise of anything else in the room.

Sungjong bit his lip and crossed his arms as he left his room,wanting to say something for Myungsoo to come with him but resisting the last second. He knew how concentrated Myungsoowas when he was in the mood. Even though he knew Myungsoowould drop everything for him, it was still uncomfortable for him to interrupt him for something like food. Especially sinceMyungsoo could care less. Sharing a room with Myungsoo was fun, but sometimes it was different. Different than what he was used to. Sungjong took out his phone to peruse as he left his apartment.

This isn’t what I’m used to.

~<{}>~

Hoya lay on his bed for 30 minutes straight without moving a single inch. His eyes were closed, and his body was rested. Everything was calm but his mind, which kept him awake for all that time. The stress of weeks practicing and a deadline for performances, as well as his own personal vendetta to himself for messing up something he was an expert at, did not sit well with him.

Hoya rolled himself off the bed and figured that if he was not going to sleep yet he could do something productive with the time. He slouched as we approached his computer, feeling almost defeated by the current state of results.

His shirt was draped around his monitor and desk. Hoya grumbled, wondering how it got there and forgetting that he threw it there in the first place. The disgruntled Hoya gripped his shirt and pulled it off his desk, close to knocking the desktop down. Hoya placed his hands in front to stop it just in time before falling, tilting it over to keep it standing.

That was when he took a look at his desktop.

It was a picture of Infinite together in their off time at their very last One Great Step concert in Dubai. Myungsoo had his camera as they spent their last day at the beach. It was a beautiful day and the waters were nothing like he had seen before, a pure mix of blue and green that sparkled in the sunlight. Myungsoopassed his camera to a random person to take their picture. It was a typical picture of Infinite together, hanging out and having fun.

But this was not like any other picture for Hoya. In this picture, Hoya stood next to Sungjong with both of his arms wrapped around his shoulders as Hoya snuck up from behind Sungjong’sshoulder for the picture. Sungjong was most excited in this picture, hooking onto Hoya’s arms and grinning without his eyes showing. Hoya had his open smile, his happiest smile when he was laughing at the same time.

Sungjong.

Hoya’s eyes widened as he looked at the picture, suddenly having a revelation. Hoya grabbed his phone and found Sungjong’s contact.

~<{}>~

Sungjong took the elevator down, the same elevator he enjoyed going up with Sungyeol almost an hour before. It fascinated Sungjong how much moods could change in a matter of seconds. One second they were having fun, but when the fatigue settled everyone wanted to be by themselves.

Sungjong understood that completely, especially after the amount of work every member had been going through lately. He only wished there was just someone to tag along with him, for even 30 minutes, for food.

Sungjong swiped his phone around looking at different things, from his Woollim email to news about current celebrities around.  Sungjong’s stomach growled one more time as he exited his browser to the wallpaper. Sungjong took one look at his wallpaper and smiled.

During a Christmastime radio interview with K.Will, Hoya took a selfie on Sungjong’s cell phone with reindeer ears. Sungjonghad no clue where his phone was throughout the whole show until Hoya gave it back to him after they left. Sungjong was furious as he was always the pit of his jokes, but he forgave Hoya after seeing his picture on his wallpaper. It was Hoya’s signature funny face with puffed up cheeks and a peace sign. Ever since, Sungjong kept Hoya’s wallpaper there.

Hoya.

Sungjong was sparked with a sudden interested, immediately going to Hoya’s contact to send him a text. He typed it as fast as possible, clicking send as the elevator doors opened. Just as he walked out, he received a text from Hoya as well. The two texts were sent simultaneously.

“Sungjongie, I miss having someone to talk to every night.” From Lee Howon.

“Hoya hyung, nothing beats being your roommate. If you’re free right now, do you want to get food? I’m in the lobby.” From Lee Sungjong.

Sungjong was surprised by the sudden text from Hoya and took one look at it. It was almost the exact same idea that he sent.Sungjong covered his mouth, shocked that Hoya felt the same way.

Since finishing One Great Step, roommate arrangements changed. From being roommates since their trainee years, Hoya and Sungjong spent a good 5 years together until now. The separation did not seem like a big deal at first, but it was taking a bigger toll than they had expected.

Sungjong almost teared up from his text as the elevator doors opened. Dressed up in basketball shorts, a baseball hat, and a black tanktop was Hoya ready to leave for food. “Sungjong, you have no idea how bad things have been.”

“I think I have an idea, cause we’re just really busy all the time.” At that moment, Sungjong’s stomach growled.

Hoya frowned, pointing at his stomach. “Ya, have you been eating?”

“Well, sometimes!” Sungjong tried to say something else, but he was caught by Hoya’s disappointment.

“You need to eat!” Hoya complained, hooking his arm with Sungjong as they exited the apartment.

Sungjong giggled. “I don’t have any junk food in my room anymore. Myungsoo doesn’t like food being in our room. Anyways, what’s going on with you?”

“Dongwoo and I can’t get this dance right, and our choreographer and manager hyung are getting disappointed with our progress.” Hoya sighed, shaking his head. “And sometimes I feel like I can’t tell this to Dongwoo, because if I do he’s going to put the blame on himself for everything. You know what happens after that.”

“That stresses out Dongwoo.”

“Exactly.”

No one knew Hoya like Sungjong, and no one knew Sungjong like Hoya. All of their quirks, how the other person was thinking, and different issues they had. It would look as if they had two completely different personalities, but after spending almost every day together as roommates they realized how much they complimented each other. Their differences only acted as interests that they had to learn about each other. In their time apart, they never realized how much they simply missed talking to each other.

“I’m buying you food. No questions asked,” Hoya declared.

“Just don’t tell manager hyung,” Sungjong added.

Hoya smirked, hugging Sungjong closer to him. “Tell manager hyung what?”

Sungjong grinned. “I definitely missed having you around, Hoya hyung. Even though we’re not roommates anymore."

As they arrived at the grocery store, the emptiness that Hoya felt in his bedroom finally filled. “Ya. When it comes to people who understand what I’m going through, it’s always still you.”