November 2011.

Judging by the grey sky and ice-cold air, it wouldn't be surprising if Seoul was soon covered in snow.

Andy shuddered. Looking down to check the time on his watch, he walked faster, heading hastily towards the inviting, cute looking café. It wasn't winter yet, but the strong wind accentuated the low temperatures. Even the thick scarf around his neck couldn't prevent the cold from biting his neck and his teeth from chattering.

Entering the café, Andy chose a cozy table and quickly sat, sighing in relief as warm air filled his lungs. He still felt cold though, and as his eyes skimmed over the menu board, he didn't hesitate long before ordering a white hot chocolate.

It had only been a few days since he had been released from his military duties and it was really a shame that he didn't have the chance to enjoy the last sunrays of summer. Well, at least it was over for him, he thought. Junjin would be discharged too in a few days, but Minwoo still a couple of months of public service left.

Even though he hadn't seen the other members for a long time - they had come to visit him but it had been months ago – he knew through their calls and messages – especially Dongwan's whiny ones – that they were all impatient to resume Shinhwa's activities. Andy sighed again, rubbing his hands together briskly to warm them up. He couldn't wait to see them all again.

Speaking of the devils...

They were on time, for once. Andy smiled as Eric and Hyesung entered the café and he waved at them.

“Hyungs! I'm here.”
“Andy!” Eric screamed.

His friends grinned and walked towards him, nearly running, and engulfed him one after the other in a tight hug.

“Oh my God,” Hyesung cooed, still squeezing him. “We missed you so much.”

Andy giggled as Eric agreed loudly and embraced him again, locking them up in a group hug.

They let him go, and after having poked him in various places and checked out his very short hair minutely – you'll let it grow back, right? Hyesung had worried - his hyungs were apparently satisfied with the healthy appearance of the maknae and Andy was finally allowed to return to his seat.

“What do you want to drink hyungs?”
“Have you already ordered?” Hyesung asked as Eric and he removed their coats and sat down next to each other, in front of him.
“A white hot chocolate,” Andy said, nodding. “It looks like it's their seasonal specialty drink.”
“Isn't it a little too sweet?” Hyesung said sceptically, wrinkling his nose cutely.
“I don't know actually. I've never tried it before.” Andy admitted, chuckling.
“Don't let this killjoy influence your choice, it's delicious,” Eric assured him.

He snorted with amusement when his intervention earned him a pout and a half-hearted push on his arm from the main singer. Before Hyesung could reply though, a waitress stopped by their table.

“I'll have a double espresso, please,” Eric said innocently.

Hyesung's previous glare suddenly turned into a worried stare.

“What? Oh no you won't,” he nagged. “You already drank too many coffees for one day. That's not good for your health.”

Looking at Hyesung's eyes, it was Eric's turn to pout. He planted his elbow on the table, propping his head up on his hand.

“Okay, fine,” he gave in with a smile. “A white hot chocolate for me, please," he told the waitress. “I haven't had one in like forever.”
“And I'll have a regular one, please,” Hyesung added, turning to the waitress with a gentle smile.

The waitress – a pretty girl in her early twenties with dark, long hair – blushed crimson at the sweet smile directed at her and lowering shyly her eyes, she immediately dashed off to prepare their order.

Eric's eyes narrowed and Andy chuckled.

“I think she likes you, hyung.”

Hyesung blushed with embarrassment, fiddling with his hair.

“You're exaggerating.”

Andy grinned, and Hyesung scolded him again.

“Yah, Andy. The girl must be nearly half my age.”

Eric tugged the singer's ear.

“And that's exactly why you shouldn't be flirting with her,” he reproved.

Hyesung grumbled, annoyed. He swatted his hand.

“That's my point, I wasn't!”

They continued to argue and Andy blinked at all the cute, whiny bickering he was currently witnessing. In two years, he had forgotten how much the oil and water friends looked like a married couple. Or had it become worse during his absence? He wondered.

Andy chuckled, amused.

“Eric hyung is just jealous,” he interrupted them, teasing the leader.

The girl had only had eyes for Hyesung, not even sparing a glance his way.

Weirdly, his comment seemed to sober them up, both of his friends suddenly staring at the table in front of them, looking shy and nervous. After a couple of long, awkward seconds, Andy cleared his throat.

“So, what have you been up to lately, guys?” he asked cheerily.

Rubbing his ear as if Eric's tugging touch still lingered on it, Hyesung answered.

“Well, I'm still preparing for the release of my new winter album in a few weeks.”

Andy nodded.

“I listened to your last album, I liked it very much. Looks like I'm not the only one, congratulations hyung!”
“It is quite a success indeed,” Eric agreed, looking proudly at Hyesung. “I especially like the last track,” he added with a wink.

The main singer flushed, embarrassed but smiling at the mention of their duet, Hello and Goodbye. Looking sweetly at Eric who was still staring at him, hovering close, he nudged him.

Not able to put his finger on the nature of the fleeting feelings he could see in his friends' eyes, Andy blinked.

“I'll have a concert at the end of the year, Eric will make a special appearance for our duet song,” Hyesung explained.
“That's great,” Andy exclaimed, arching his eyebrows in genuine surprise.

Hyesung nodded.

“I can't wait for our comeback though.”

Eric squeezed his shoulder, smiling.

“Well, we're working on that too, aren't we?”

Hyesung nodded again, smiling back. Indeed, since July, they had created their own entertainment company, the Shinhwa company. Eric and Minwoo were co-CEOs, and if Minwoo was still completing his national duties and not able to participate full-time at the moment, Eric was working hard with the Top Class Entertainment and Liveworks Company heads – the directors of Shinhwa Company – to promote and manage the new company, and prepare their comeback.

“I read all the documents you sent me Eric hyung,” Andy said. “You and Minwoo hyung did a great job,” he added, impressed.
“Eric has been working non-stop for months,” Hyesung explained. “He's been basically living off caffeine and cigarettes,” he added, giving the workaholic leader a meaningful side-eye.
“Aish,” Eric protested with a glare. “I can't help it. There's just so much to do.”

Andy chuckled. Unsurprisingly, Hyesung was worried.

Eric diverted the conversation.

“As I told you on the phone, we have lots of demos and texts I want to show you. We could all meet at the studio to have a look at them?”

Andy nodded.

“Sounds like a plan.”

At this moment, Eric's phone went off and the rapper swore. It was obviously for work.

“I have to take this, sorry.”

He got up and went out of the café, his friends' eyes following him until he stopped not far away from their window. As he spoke on the phone, Eric waved at them, smiling cutely, and Hyesung frowned.

“Aish, this idiot didn't even put on his coat,” he mumbled, making Andy smile.

A small, nervous voice interrupted their contemplation.

“Your drinks.”

They thanked the young waitress, Andy not missing the way Hyesung politely avoided her eyes to not fluster her. A few seconds later, as they tasted their beverages, he apologized.

“Hyung, sorry about earlier, I was just teasing you.”
“I know,” Hyesung chuckled.

They talked about Andy's military service for a while, then about Hyesung's activities, and Andy scrutinized his hyung's face as he spoke, realizing that the singer seemed different somehow from the last time he saw him. Happier, maybe?

“I don't know if it's because I haven't seen you in such a long time, but you look really great hyung,” he wondered out loud, filling a sudden but comfortable silence.
“Is that so?” Hyesung asked, smiling.

He sipped his drink and Andy nodded, smiling back.

“Are you seeing someone?” He asked, curious.

Hyesung coughed, dark chocolate going the wrong way, and Andy apologized, laughing as he leaned forward, patting the singer's back.

When Hyesung's coughing fit stopped, a blush was on his cheeks. He hesitated but finally nodded.

“There... is someone indeed.”
“That's fantastic! I'm happy for you hyung. You should introduce her to us,” he said enthusiastically. “Does Eric know?” He added in a whisper as Eric came back in the café.

If possible, Hyesung blushed an even darker shade of red. He silently nodded.

“Sorry. That was longer that expected,” Eric said as he sat down next to Hyesung. “So, what were you talking about?”

Andy went straight to the point.

“Hyesung hyung's little secrets. What about you Eric hyung? Are you also dating?”

Eric briefly looked at Hyesung who was sipping his drink again, carefully avoiding his eyes, and understanding what the other had confessed, he smiled, looking back at Andy.

“Yes.”
“You sly dogs,” Andy complained. “Do the others know?”

Eric shook his head. “It would be preferable if they did not know. You know how those gossip boys are,” he laughed.

Andy nodded.

“Your secrets are safe with me,” he promised. “I'm curious though. Tell me, what kind of person is she?” He asked Eric first.

Eric opened his mouth, smiling as he looked for his words.

“Well, it's a person who is very pretty and cute, warm-hearted, but also really stubborn sometimes.”

Beside him, Hyesung - who had been listening to his words attentively – huffed at his last words.

“I'm sure you're the most stubborn one.”

Eric arched his eyebrows innocently.

“That's mean. You have no idea what I must go through every day.”
“Oh really?” Hyesung answered, frowning.

The singer kicked his calf and Andy laughed.

“In any case, his girlfriend must be really patient to bear with him.”
“An angel, I'm sure,” Hyesung nodded, smiling.

Eric rolled his eyes, but he was smiling too, and Andy chose this moment to get up, excusing himself to go to the toilet.

When he came back, he stopped at the counter to pay discreetly for their beverages, knowing his hyungs would be mad at him for doing so. He didn't mind their wrath though, he thought with a smile. That was nothing compared to how much he was thankful to them for caring about him, for being there as his friends, for protecting Shinhwa as his fellow members.

As he waited for the receipt, he turned his head and saw his hyungs sitting really close, bickering with each other in hushed whispers.

When Andy came back to the table one minute later, a bit worried, Eric and Hyesung stopped arguing at once. He sat down.

“What's going on hyungs? Something's wrong?”

Hyesung was sulking a little.

“Nothing.”

Eric sighed.

“I was only explaining to Hyesung how stubborn and unfair towards me my girlfriend can be. He doesn't agree with me.”
“Is she really? How?” Andy said, arching his eyebrows.
“How can I explain it...” Eric started to say.

Hyesung's eyes widened for some reason, the singer looking agitated.

“Maybe you shouldn't...”
“Let's take hot chocolate as an example,” Eric cut him off, nursing the drink in his hand.

Surprised, Hyesung suddenly snorted but the rapper ignored him.

“Even though I prefer dark chocolate, I like to have some white hot chocolate from time to time, but no matter how much I ask for it, she'll only let me have some regular hot chocolate.”
“That's petty,” Andy agreed.

Hyesung nearly chocked on his drink, and smirking, Eric patted his back gently. The singer grumbled, outraged.

“Well, I understand her. If you agree you both like dark chocolate, there's no point in asking for white hot chocolate, is there?”
“I'm pretty sure my girlfriend loves white chocolate too,” Eric said, self-assured. “She only pretends she doesn't.”
“It's not a question to like it or not,” Hyesung argued, blushing. “It's all about preferences. You said you prefer dark...”
“I love white hot chocolate too,” Eric said seriously. “It's as good and sweet as the dark one.”

Hyesung blushed, averting his eyes.

“Well, personally I think she should also allow him to have white hot chocolate, you know, treat her boyfriend, at least when he deserves it” Andy said, winking.

Hyesung blushed even more but Eric smirked, putting an arm around the singer's shoulder.

“I'm a good boyfriend, I do deserve it.” Eric whined. “See? Even Andy agrees with me!” he boasted.

Flushed, Hyesung pushed him back, disloging his arm with a swat, and Andy couldn't help but suspect his friends were really not talking about hot chocolate.

~~~

A couple of days later.

When Andy arrived at the studio, around 4pm, Eric and Hyesung were already there with the staff and a couple of music writers, talking and laughing animatedly. Removing his coat as he entered the warm recording room, he greeted his friends, surprised to find Hyesung wearing a scarf around his neck.

“Aren't you feeling too hot?” He asked him.

Hyesung seemed embarrassed. He clutched his scarf nervously.

“It's to protect my voice.”

The singer glared in Eric's direction though as the rapper chuckled, leaving Andy to wonder if it was indeed the real reason.

Forgetting about the singer's strange behavior, Andy spent a couple of hours listening to some demos with his two friends, the members taking turns to try out a few songs in the secluded recording room, adjusting sounds and lyrics as they gathered new ideas. Eric was especially concentrated, debating on every single detail of every song with everyone there, but when Hyesung was singing, Andy noticed that Eric seemed only focused on him, looking at the singer very intensely. Somewhat... tenderly.

It was a little odd but Eric had never hidden the fact that he had a soft spot for Hyesung.

No, in fact, the only odd thing was that Hyesung seemed to be less awkward, more comfortable than ever around Eric, speaking to him with barely masked gentleness and hovering not far from him.

The pull and push game between the two friends had not completely disappeared though, Andy thought as he watched Hyesung. Indeed, the singer seemed to be sulking for some mysterious reason – or at least acting like it – frowning and giving Eric a cold shoulder when the rapper was getting a little too close.

Wondering briefly if Eric had played a trick on his friend earlier and irked him, Andy looked at the late hour indicated by the clock. Between laughs, talks and a lot of work too, the night had come, and one by one, the staff had left, leaving the keys of the studio to Eric. When the last one left, Andy yawned, tired.

“I think I'm gonna go too. Are you staying?”
“Another half an hour, maybe? Hyesung and I thought about going to the restaurant on our way home. Wanna come with us?” Eric asked.

Andy shook his head.

“I'll pass, I'm too tired.”

It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the only reason.

Even if he couldn't pinpoint what was going on exactly, he felt like he would be intruding on them. Since their meeting at the café, a few days ago, he felt like something had changed between his friends, and what had happened that afternoon had only strenghtened his weird feeling. The truth was, he strangely feared to become the third wheel on what looked like a date, even though it was weird to think like that about his male, straight friends, who had both told him they currently had girlfriends.

A few minutes later, Andy was putting on his coat and waving them goodbye, promising to meet them again in a couple of days to work some more on the songs. He slowly made his way out, humming the new songs dreamily.

They were good, he thought absentmindedly. But he wasn't sure about the choice of “Venus” as the single for their comeback. Because of the transcription of English words in Korean, “Venus” sounded now a lot like the word “”. All the other members had approved the song title though, despite being all aware of the unsubtle ual allusion. He wondered who was the more to blame among his friends for this choice. Certainly Minwoo. He snorted.

As he closed the door of the studio behind him, taking a step outside and feeling the cold air, he swore under his breath. He had forgotten his scarf in the recording room.

Going back in, he hastily walked, and after turning again left and right in the dark corridors of the huge, deserted building, he entered the room, not bothering to turn on the light. Noticing his scarf on the chair in the dark corner of the room, he walked towards it and was about to take it when a voice made him start.

“Aish, stop it!”

Still in the shadows, he turned his head. Hyesung and Eric were both inside the small recording booth, behind the slightly tinted window panel, and the mike was still open, letting their voices echo in the dark recording room.

“Let me see, pretty please,” Eric whined, tugging at his sweater.
“No.”

Hyesung was still working on some music sheets, standing up in front on the mike, while Eric was sitting on the chair next to him, obviously teasing him about wearing his scarf.

“You look like you're feeling hot,” Eric insisted.
“Whose fault is that? Why do I have to wear it, huh?” He grumbled angrily, his cheeks a deep red.

Eric touched his hip.

“You don't have to wear it now. Everybody's gone.”
“It's still no.”
“Please, I just want to have a look.”

Andy was going to make his presence known when he saw Hyesung pull a little on his scarf, pointing at his neck with his index finger. He squinted with curiosity at the patch of exposed skin, unable to see what the accusing finger was pointing at. The singer took a step forward, leaning over Eric.

“Well, have a good look at them then, because there won't be any more of them from now on.”

A 'click' was heard and Hyesung blinked. When Eric grinned, looking at his phone, the singer exploded.

“Oh my god! I can't believe you... Delete that immediately!”

Hyesung tried to take it away from him but failed as the rapper hid it in his pockets. Sniggering at his misdeed, Eric grabbed him around the waist, pulling him until he was on his lap, straddling him.

Andy's eyes widened.

“Eric!” Hyesung protested feebly, both hands against his chest as he tried to push him back and get up, uneffectively. “Let me go!”

His arms tightening around the singer, Eric's laugh died down. His eyes were still twinkling with mirth though.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to mark you. I guess I was a tiny bit too excited.”

Giving up, Hyesung calmed down slightly at his apology and sighed, letting Eric slowly undo his scarf and reveal a couple of dark hickeys hiding behind it.

Andy's eyes widened even more, if it was possible.

Eric caressed the abused skin, ignoring Hyesung's glare, and he smiled tenderly.

“They're cute. I like them.”

Hyesung looked outraged.

“Well, I don't! What do I look like, really?” He hissed, the tip of his nose brushing against Eric's.
“I couldn't help it,” Eric insisted sweetly, pouting. “That's what white hot chocolate does to me.”

Andy blinked, lost. What did white hot chocolate have to do with it?

Leaning back, Hyesung rubbed his face, exasperated.

“White hot... Ugh. I can't believe you talked to Andy about that.”
“What? About hot chocolate?” Eric asked innocently.

Hyesung glared at him.

“Anyway, this is exactly why 'white hot chocolate' isn't a good idea!” He said, pointing again at the marks on his neck.
“But I like it,” Eric said, pouting even more, before smirking cheekily. “And don't lie, I know you like it too. You like being in control, admit it.”

What.

Hyesung blushed. He didn't deny it but added with a low voice, embarrassed.

“I prefer the other way around though.”

Control? The other way around? They couldn't be possibly... Unable to move, Andy blushed as sneaky, y mental images invaded his mind. No. That couldn't be it.

Eric's hand caressed the small of his back tenderly.

“Or, you're just lazy,” he .

Hyesung huffed and put his arms around Eric's neck, bringing them indecently close together.

“You're impossible,” he said, frustrated.
“Because I don't want only dark chocolate?” Eric said, arching his eyebrows.
“Please stop with that chocolate thing, that's creepy,” Hyesung chided him, running his fingers through Eric's hair and pulling gently at it.

Eric blinked innocently.

“You prefer me saying that I want you to top? To do me?”

Andy silently gasped. That could be it, apparently. Eric continued.

“Or do you prefer, I want you to f...”

Suddenly shy, Hyesung swore at his blunt words and put his hand on Eric's dirty mouth to shut him up but Eric turned his head to dodge it, laughter escaping his lips. Finally, it was Hyesung's lips that managed to capture his in a hot, passionate kiss.

Andy was stunned for a moment as his friends kissed, their arms embracing each other tightly, then regaining his senses, his cheeks burning, he quickly grabbed his scarf and he went out, quietly closing the door behind him.

He was certain he would never look at hot chocolate the same way again.

~~~

Breaking their kiss, Hyesung raised his head. He had heard a soft sound, like a door closing somewhere.

“What?” Eric asked.
“I think I heard something.”

Eric kissed his cheek.

“It's probably nothing. There's no one here except us.”

Eric's lips brushed his neck and kissed the marks on it, tongue his skin. Hyesung closed his eyes once again, suddenly reminded of their previous night.

That night, during which Eric had tortured him pleasurably as his gentle touch hadn't allowed him to find release, only edging him close as he had prepared him thoroughly.

His sneaky boyfriend had sweet-talked him into it, confessing between caresses and kisses how hot it was when the singer became possessive and dominant, even getting Hyesung to finally admit out loud that he did like that position a lot too. So, weeks after the last time they did it that way, Hyesung had finally yielded again, sliding on top of his eager and - for once – submissive lover.

Moving together slowly, breathing against each other's skin as if they were one, Hyesung had been too caught up in the excitement of the moment, too careful to make him feel loved and not hurt him – and well, also taking his own personal pleasure from their love making – to care when Eric's greedy mouth had happily on the tender skin of his neck. As he did now. Again.

Waking up with massive hickeys to cover up had been an entirely different story. Eric's puppy eyes and cuddles had abated his tantrum though. Damn those puppy eyes. 

Snapping out of his reverie, Hyesung groaned and grabbed Eric's locks, his fingers raking through his hair again, gently but firmly.

“Don't make it worse,” he warned him against his lips before resuming their kiss.

Eric grinned cheekily against his mouth, his hands sneaking under Hyesung's sweat shirt, and the singer groaned again under his caresses. His own hands brushed against Eric's clothes for a while, feeling the toned muscles of his chest and arms under them, until his fingers grabbed the phone Eric had concealed earlier in his pockets.

Snatching it, he leaned back and deleted the compromising photo showing his hickeys in a flash. Slowly realizing his theft, Eric whined, trying to take it back without success.

“What! No! Pilkyo I swear, if you delete it...”

Hyesung giggled, satisfied. “Done!” He said without pity.

Eric groaned. “I hate you.”

Ignoring his pout, the singer didn't answer as he went through the gallery of pictures on Eric's phone, checking the folder with his name and a shameless little heart in its title. He stopped at a particular photo.

Eric tugged his sweat shirt.

“Yah! Don't delete anything else!”

Hyesung remained silent, unmoving, and Eric calmed down.

“What?”
“You still have this photo?”
“Which one?”

Hyesung showed him the picture on the phone. Eric took it, smiling as he looked at the sleeping man on it, recognizing the photo easily.

“Of course I still have it. That's a precious memory.”

Hyesung didn't need to look at the date of the photo – a little less than one and a half year old – to know when and where it had been taken. He knew that Eric had taken it the morning after their confession to each other, after the first night they had spent together at Eric's flat, when he was still soundly asleep in his bed.

“Hey, what's wrong?” Eric asked him.

He rubbed his arm softly, worried as his lover kept staring at him.

“Nothing,” Hyesung answered in a near whisper. “I love you, that's all.”

Eric's wide-open, loving eyes barely had the time to show his obvious surprise at the sudden words before the singer kissed him again.

Later, after they came back from the restaurant, returning to Hyesung's flat, Eric had seduced him again, and as they showed their love and passion to each other, Hyesung realized that he didn't mind a few more marks after all.

~~~

March 2012.

When they all made the same mistake again, everyone stopped dancing at once and the music was interrupted. Groaning loudly in the silent training room, most of the members and several dancers sat on the floor, exhausted. They were all sweating, totally out of breath when Minwoo, who was still standing in the middle of the room, spoke.

“Pause, everyone. If that's all right with you?”

Despite his own fatigue, he was rather amused. Only Junjin and a few dancers had been able to remember all the steps of the new choreography. It wasn't for a lack of trying though, as they had all been rehearsing it for hours, working hard for Shinhwa's comeback.

All of them nodded without a word and immediately reached for their water bottles and towels.

Eric lied down, closing his eyes as his head touched the floor. Andy sat next to him, legs stretched out, watching as Hyesung did the same thing a few feet away in front of them, sitting next to Junjin. Soon, the staff was distributing them snacks, water and other beverages.

“Now I'm sure of it. Minwoo is trying to kill us,” Eric said, after a couple of silent minutes.

Andy only chuckled and drank down his water. Putting down his empty bottle, he watched as Hyesung and Junjin stood up again. Next to him, Eric sat up, his eyes narrowing as Junjin and Hyesung were filmed for the dvd, the friends playing before the camera as Junjin helped Hyesung practice by doing the woman's part of the dance.

“What are they doing?” Eric asked as Hyesung touched Junjin's cheek.

Andy shrugged, faking innocence.

“It does look like they're flirting, doesn't it?”

Eric stared wildly at him, with a certain panic in his eyes, and Andy held back a smile, trying to look nonchalant. No need to be a love expert to understand that Eric was jealous of all the attention Hyesung was giving to Junjin. It was obvious that the main singer had missed his dear baby bird and was catching up with him, making the leader feel a bit abandoned somehow.

Andy took pity on Eric.

“I guess it's easier for him to practice with us than with the female dancers? He did look quite flushed earlier.”

Indeed, at some point of the choreography, Minwoo had managed to put the shy little prince in the middle of all the female dancers.

His words didn't seem to help at all, on the contrary.

Eric looked at Hyesung once again, frowning as the singer pouted cutely, doing his best aegyo to the camera and jumping around Junjin, and he muttered an annoyed 'aish' under his breath. This time, Andy smiled, amused. It was a little unfair of the rapper to be jealous. After all, Eric was always the first to kiss and his friends, especially in front of cameras.

“By the way hyung, I hope you and your girlfriend worked things out,” he told him to distract him. “You know, about the chocolate thing,” he added with hesitation.

Still watching the scene before him, Eric finally smiled, looking pleased.

“We... Well yeah, I think we kind of came to an agreement. White hot chocolate once in a while is not that bad.”

Andy nodded, a bit embarrassed by this revelation but smiling nonetheless. After the initial shock, he had gradually accepted the new relationship between his friends and he was glad to see they seemed happy with each other. He kept wondering though...

“I see. That's great. But... if you don't mind me asking hyung...” He hesitated again.
“Yeah?”
“I'm curious... Is it serious? Are you really in love with each other?” He asked him, turning his head towards him.

Eric didn't look at him, still watching Hyesung who was practicing with Junjin, and Andy followed his gaze. The singer glanced back at Eric briefly, smiling slightly when their eyes met.

“Yeah, we are,” Eric answered softly.

Andy smiled too. That's all he really needed to know.

***

A few minutes later, the camera was gone, and after having practiced his choreography with Junjin and Andy – the latter trying to avoid Eric's glare while doing so - Hyesung was now being chased actively by Eric, the leader trying to hug him without success as the singer ignored him purposefully.

Looking at their cute but silly behavior, Andy barely noticed it when Minwoo sat down next to him. The strong smell of hot chocolate made him turn his head towards him though.

“You're drinking a hot chocolate now?” He inquired, surprised.

Minwoo shrugged. “I already drank like a liter of water. I needed something else. What's wrong with it?”

Staring at the drink, Andy shuddered.

“Hyung, I need to ask you a serious question. It's very important.”

Minwoo instantly looked worried.

“What?”
“What do you prefer, white or dark hot chocolate?”

Minwoo blinked, taken aback.

“What kind of question is that?” 
“Please, just answer me.”

The CEO wrinkled his nose.

“Well, dark hot chocolate, duh. White hot chocolate is way too sweet. It just doesn't look right. Who drinks that anyway?”

To his great surprise, Andy sighed in relief. Without asking his hyung, he took his cup of hot chocolate and drank it down. Then, putting the cup back down, he breathed out deeply and watched as Eric finally managed to corner Hyesung and hug him like a teddy bear, foiling the singer's attempts to escape.

“Thanks! I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that way.”

Not waiting for his reaction, Andy stood up and went back to practice, a satisfied smile on his face. When Minwoo realized what had just happened, too shocked to react promptly, it was too late. He looked at his empty cup, horrified, and then back at the insolent maknae, stuttering.

“Yah! Andy! You little... Come back here!”

~The End~