A/N: So I was on a little bit of a hiatus because of summer school, but I've returned with a new drabble, yay! This one is from Chunji's P.O.V, and a little over 900 words long. As always, thank you so much for your support for this fic, and I apologize for any inconsistencies. Feedback is much appreciated!

Drabble # 4: Sepia

It’s obvious from the get-go that Chanhee has his work cut out for him. Six members should have been easy enough to manage, and with the oldest as their leader he should have been able to just stand on the sidelines, free from responsibility. In an ideal world, this would surely have happened.

As it turns out, though, Chanhee ends up in a group that seems in no way ready for the idol lifestyle despite debut preparations underway. Setting aside the fact that they will be most likely the youngest idols in the history of Korean pop and that some immaturity is only to be expected, they have yet to find a real sense of cohesion that will help them weather the storm of being rookies and reach the top.

The first problem is with Minsoo-hyung. Chanhee remembers how relieved he was to meet their leader, to know there was someone older than him and would take charge of the group. Unlike him, nothing seems to faze Minsoo-hyung. Or more aptly, as he later comes to understand, he simply doesn’t care about what’s going on around him as long as he gets to laze around. The younger ones need a role model, but Chanhee thinks they won’t find it in their leader. Which is a pity, because Chanhee really likes that charming smile of his, the one that shows off his white teeth, and he wouldn’t mind following orders instead of giving them out for once if it came from that low voice, rough like sandpaper and making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

The second problem is with Byunghun. Something about him just rubs the others the wrong way, or is it the other way around? Prolonged exposure to American culture must have raised his individualistic tendencies, Chanhee supposes, so he seldom joins the rest of them for meals and doesn’t speak much unless absolutely necessary. He also picks fights with Niel a lot, which is upsetting because Niel’s a really good kid along with Changhyun, respectful to his elders, freely shares his affection with the other members, and keeps the group atmosphere lively. A thought occurs to him. Is Byunghun just socially inept and this is just his way of showing he likes Niel? Chanhee laughs to himself. How convenient.

The third problem is with Jonghyun, but this is one Chanhee can probably solve. It’s not like their youngest slacks off; on the contrary, he practices the longest and the hardest, and that persistence is something Chanhee can admire. What needs fixing isn’t his personality, but his awkwardness at facing the camera. He’s a different kind of quiet from Minsoo-hyung, who is more content listening to others, or Byunghun, who emanates an air of irritation and impatience. Jonghyun’s silence comes from his shyness, and it reflects in his inability to keep his gaze locked in front of him, choosing instead to hang his head and look down at the floor when he thinks no one is paying attention.

Chanhee begins planning how best to approach the maknae, but the opportunity comes without him having to lift a finger when he spots Jonghyun sitting by himself in the practice room as soon as he opens the door. The maknae’s eyes are riveted to something, or rather someone, Chanhee realizes when he steps inside, and he’s smiling, a full-blown smile he didn’t think their youngest member was capable of.

Niel is singing, and with earphones plugged in, he doesn’t appear to have noticed his audience of one, or Chanhee’s arrival for that matter. He closes the door as soundlessly as he can and takes a seat next to Jonghyun. The maknae starts at the intrusion of his personal space, but he doesn’t move away.

“Hey Jonghyun,” he murmurs, “you like Niel a lot, huh?”

Jonghyun looks at him from the corner of his eye before nodding. “Niel-hyung’s voice… it’s pretty. I like it.”

And unlike the camera, Jonghyun doesn’t have any trouble looking at Niel. Chanhee grins. “You get nervous in front of the camera, right?”

“…Yeah.”

“Then you just have to look at Niel. He dances in front of you most of the time, doesn’t he?”

Jonghyun says nothing, but Chanhee knows he’s planted the seed successfully. Finally, the maknae speaks up.

“If I look at Niel-hyung, I’ll be less nervous?”

It’s Chanhee’s turn to nod. “That’s what I think. You just have to focus on Niel, and not the camera.”

His advice works, much to his and Jonghyun’s delight. Subsequently, the maknae also works up the courage to try and strike up a conversation with their lead vocalist, and before Chanhee knows it, the two of them have become an inseparable duo. On-stage and off-stage, it doesn’t make a single whit of difference, Jonghyun is stuck to Niel like glue. And when he’s not, he might as well be anyway, since every single time Teen Top is in front of the camera he makes it look like Niel’s the only one he’s interested in talking to.

Sometimes Chanhee wonders if he’s at fault. Did he send some sort of subliminal messages to the maknae by suggesting he focus on Niel to get rid of his nervousness? Did his words indirectly but ultimately result in Jonghyun’s unhealthy fixation on Niel? There’s no use crying over spilt milk though, as Chanhee is well aware, and it’s not as if their relationship, whatever sort it is, has brought harm to anything or anyone.

Except maybe the other members, who are more than slightly disconcerted at how Jonghyun’s skinship with his favourite hyung has rapidly progressed along with his ascent into adulthood. Questions are bound to come sooner or later, but Chanhee’s not going to spoil their fun. He’ll let them figure it out for themselves while he sits back and enjoys the show.