Sanghyuk wakes up with relief there are no hyungs hovering over his head. He blinks his eyes a few times, waiting for Jaehwan or Hakyeon to jump out and surprise him again. He realizes he’s the last one sleeping, the last one in the room.

He takes his time pulling together an outfit and enjoys the solitude he rarely gets. He thinks about the stress he caused Wonshik yesterday. When the boys got home the rapper immediately retired to the second bedroom and locked the door. Hongbin and Jaehwan had to jimmy the lock in order for the older two to make it into the room.

Sanghyuk, equally exhausted, crawled into bed without dinner and was fast asleep before any of the other boys joined him.

Walking into the main room, Sanghyuk feels the focus of the conversation shift to himself.

“Uh- good morning.”

All five boys are seated at the table this morning. Wonshik smiles at the younger boy and Sanghyuk feels grateful that the rapper has never been one to hold a grudge. “Morning, Hyukkie.”

Sanghyuk goes to join the boys at the table, but is stopped by Hakyeon.

“Wait a minute. You gotta get going.” Hakyeon places a cup of coffee in his hand and a banana in the other.

“Excuse me?”

“We’ve talked it over,” Hongbin stands and puts his dishes in the sink. “We think Taekwoon should teach you how to drive.”

Sanghyuk casts a glance at Taekwoon and notices the older has his arms folded, clearly not happy about the decision. He remembers Jaehwan suggesting Taekwoon teach him yesterday, but if he’s the one that taught Jaehwan to drive, Sanghyuk isn’t sure learning from Taekwoon is the best idea.

Jaehwan throws him a driver’s manual. “Here you go, I’d start reading if you want to make it to the car by lunch!”

Taekwoon stands and pushes in his chair. “Read in the car.” He takes the keys from Wonshik’s outstretched hand and motions for the youngest to follow.

“Should I be worried?”

The other members shake their heads.

“Are you guys lying to me?”

More shaking of heads.

“I’m not going to die, am I?”

Only Hakyeon shakes his head. “Of course not, now get going before he comes back in.”

Sanghyuk sighs and closes the door, sprinting to catch up to Taekwoon.

“You know, I’ve never driven with Taekwoon hyung,” Hongbin says as he clears the table for the other three boys.

Wonshik looks up from the newspaper he’s reading, “me either.”

“You know, me neither. Jaewhan, you said Taekwoon taught you how to drive?” Hakyeon turns his attention to the remaining main vocal.

“What?” Jaehwan now feels three pairs of eyes on him, “oh, right. Yes, Taewoon hyung taught me.”

“Well?”

“Well, what?”

“How’s Taekwoon’s driving!?” Wonshik  pulls his hair in frustration.

Jaehwan looks like he has to think about his answer, and this causes the other boys to scoot to the edge of their seats.

Instead of the explanation the boys are waiting for Jaehwan begins reciting the driver’s manual.

“This manual is written to explain and list the complete rules of...”

The three boys leave once they realize Jaehwan is not going to stop reciting the book.

~

“Hyung, if you don’t want to teach me it’s okay, I’m thinking I should just give up on learning anyway.”

Taekwoon is already sitting in the car and has the engine running when Sanghyuk makes it to the passenger side. He’s staring at the younger boy as he talks about giving up learning how to drive. Once he hears the defeat in his voice Taekwoon shakes his head.

“Here, read this.”

“Hyung, I don’t think this will work.”

“Read.” Taekwoon opens the manual to the first page and points at the foreward.

“Taekwoonie,” Sanghyuk whines.

The grunt from Taekwoon is enough for Sanghyuk to cast his eyes at the book.

The car hasn’t moved, but Sanghyuk is halfway through the first page. “I’m reading, hyung, what now?”

“Out loud.”

“What?”

“Read it out loud.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“Is that sass?”

“This manual is written to explain and list the complete rules of…”

~

Throughout the drive Taekwoon pulls Sanghyuk’s attention to the road, explains something he’s just read aloud, or something he finds it necessary to point out. He get’s to some sections and Taekwoon tells him to skip over reading that section, or he’ll make Sanghyuk reread some sections multiple times.

There’s a moment when he turns the page and his eyes catch the speedometer of the car.

“90mph!? Taekwoon, you’re going a little fast, aren’t you?” Sanghyuk drops the book immediately clutches his seat belt like he did his first lesson, with Hongbin.

“We’re on the highway.” Taekwoon says as he reaches down to recover the dropped manual at Sanghyuk’s feet.

Sanghyuk squeezes his eyes shut and prepares for horns honking and screetching of tires. None of that happens and within a few seconds Sanghyuk cracks an eye open.

Taekwoon is driving with his knee as he searches for the spot Sanghyuk left off at. The speed of the car is steady at 90mph, but there are no cars in distress. Taekwoon looks up when the time is right, signals when the time is right, switches lanes when the time is right. He lets cars merge into his lane, waves when he’s invited into the lane he wants in, and even casts a smile at a little girl making faces at him as they pass.

The manual is outstretched to the younger boy and he takes it once he realizes he is not in danger. Once in his hands Taekwoon’s slim finger points him to the exact word Sanghyuk left off on.

“Read.”

Even entering the exit ramp, Taekwoon slows at the appropriate speed and the car sits idly at the red light. There is no sign of struggle between car and driver like Sanghyuk has witnessed so many times before. The car is practically purring under Taekwoon’s touch.

Pulling into the studio parking lot Taekwoon puts the car in park.

The two don’t leave the car until Sanghyuk is finished reading the manual. By this time the other members are out of the van and waiting yet again for Sanghyuk’s lesson to be over.

Sanghyuk finishes the manual and closes it, mind feeling strangely numb, yet full.

“Good?”

“Good.” Sanghyuk’s mind works without thinking. Is he really good? Did he actually take something away from his driving lesson?

To give the other boys credit Sanghyuk did take away something from each boy’s lesson.

Lesson one; don’t drive like Hongbin hyung.

Lesson two; don’t drive like Jaehwan hyung.

Lesson three; don’t drive like Wonshik hyung.

What did he take away from lesson four?

Drive exactly like Taekwoon hyung.

But, how?