Wonho woke up with a start. 

He sat up as he bent his back a little, preventing his head from hitting the bed above him. He looked around the room. Hyungwon was still asleep. Even Jooheon and Kihyun were still asleep, despite the latter always woke up early. Silently, he arranged his bed and walked to the living room. He checked the time; it was around 7:00AM. Still early in the morning. 

When he got to the living room, he noticed one was missing. Seokwon was sleeping peacefully in his bed, but where was I.M? He walked to the younger male and tapped his thigh, trying to wake him up. Or at least be conscious enough to answer him. 

"Seokwon-ah. You know where I.M went?" Wonho asked. 

Seokwon groaned in reply, not wanting anyone to disturb him and his sleep. 

"Hyung... I don't know..." Seokwon answered groggily. 

Wonho managed a soft smile and went to the clothes room to change his clothes. He wore some jeans and shirt, and layered it with jackets to keep him warm. He returned to the living room and patted Seokwon's thighs. 

"Just sleep. Tell the others I'm going to look for him," Wonho spoke as he walked away. 

Seokwon managed a groan in reply, shifting his sleeping position. 

An hour later...

"Kids, kids. Breakfast," Shownu announced as he gathered everyone to the living room. 

"Wonho-hyung disappeared," Jooheon spoke nonchalantly as he sat in front of the pot. 

"Maybe he went for a walk," Gun answered as he sat beside Jooheon. 

"I.M disappeared too," Minhyuk spoke too, still a bit dazed from sleep. 

"Did they tell anyone about it?" Shownu asked. 

"Ah hyung. I think Wonho hyung went out to look for I.M. This morning Wonho hyung said that I.M's gone," Seokwon just remembered, smiling sheepishly. 

"They will be fine. Let's just leave them food to eat," Hyungwon said with a nod. 

And everyone agreed. 

After exiting the dorm, Wonho thought of places where I.M could be. He started with the company building. He might be there, practicing. The next mission was not too far from that day and everyone needed to prepare. His feet just led him through the streets until he reached the building. He looked up to the building before he entered the place. Thinking about how he was just a trainee made his heart ache and blood pump. He badly wanted to debut. For him, his family, and his dream. 

He took a flight of stairs until he reached the practice rooms. So many things had happened to that place. All of them working hard all day and night to debut, and in a number of days their hardwork may or may not pay off. He looked through the glass and checked every room, until he saw the door of one of the vocal rooms closed. He walked closer and peeped through the glass. And there he was. 

Clad still in his sleepwear, I.M was practicing his rap. Wonho could clearly hear it from his position. To prevent from the younger to notice, Wonho leaned against the wall beside the door. He just listened to the younger do his rap. He rapped, and rapped, and rapped again. He would abruptly stop in a verse when he was not satisfied, and begin again from the start. When he got tongue-tied, he would again repeat it. When he was done, he would repeat it again. Wonho just listened. 

Until time came when I.M released a small and quiet scream. While listening, Wonho could also feel I.M's pain, his desperation. He too was desperate to debut. Everyone was. It was quite a move to accept the company's offer in adding him to the team quite suddenly, or if he was forced to join, it was a risky move of the company. Wonho peeped once again through the glass, and saw I.M sitting in the corner, legs and thighs huddled to his body as he rested his arms on his knees, and his forehead on his arms. 

Wonho felt the urge to help him. But a big question stopped him. How? How could he help him? He also felt the unfairness of suddenly adding another trainee. Kwangji, Minkyun, Yoosu... What about them? Weren't they good enough? K.Will sunbae's reasoning of the "lack of rappers", wasn't Kwangji a rapper too? It was unfair, really unfair.

But that time, the urge was stronger. He didn't need to think of himself, or others. He needed to think of I.M, a dongsaeng that needed someone to lean on. That moment, I.M needed a hyung. 

Wonho raised his hand and slowly knocked on the door. Once seeing no answer from the rapper, his other hand moved to wrap its fingers around the doorknob. He tried twisting it, and thankfully it wasn't locked. He opened the door just slightly and entered the vocal room quietly. He closed the door behind him and walked towards the younger. He crouched down to his level, and managed a light smile. 

"Hey," Wonho began. 

I.M's ears perked up. He moved his head only slightly as his eyes did the work of looking who it was. But even without looking, he knew who owned that voice. 

"What are you doing here?" I.M answered, his face still hidden in his arms. 

"You were gone from the dorm. I was worried." 

"It's better that way, right? When I'm gone," I.M retorted. 

"Don't say that." 

"Everything was fine until I came along, wasn't it?" 

Wonho's throat suddenly got dry. As if his body was responding a silent 'yes'. His mind begged to differ. 

"See? Even you agree. You don't know how I feel," I.M spoke when it became quiet. 

Wonho chuckled. He didn't know why, but he did. A genuine one. 

"You're tired. You're sad. You're in pain. You're desperate. I could go on forever," Wonho replied. 

I.M blinked. He moved his head and looked up to the person in front of him. He saw a smile. A toothy, angelic one. It was the first time he saw someone smile, for him, ever since he was added in. His eyes were puffy already. Tears would soon began to flow from I.M's face, but he kept it in. He was strong. Scratch that, he wanted to be strong. But somehow he couldn't. 

Wonho slowly moved and sat beside I.M, looking at him with the same warm smile. 

"Don't even think that we never felt those. We are trainees, too. We have undergone all rankings. It was heart-aching to know that one of your friends got the lowest ranking. We didn't say much. All of us are desperate for debut." 

I.M quietly listened, while Wonho tried to have a coherent train of thought. 

"I do feel like it is unfair. Some of us were already eliminated when you came along, but...." Wonho paused, thinking of the right words to say, "that's the decision. We cannot linger around it anymore. We cannot stay in the past anymore. What matters now is that you're here. You're going to fight against, and with us. You're part of the team now. We cannot plea to restart the show. You're part of the challenge. We just have to accept that. It's difficult to accept at first, but..." 

Wonho then felt a small thud on his shoulders. He tilted his head to see the younger's head resting on his shoulder. The older just smiled softly. 

"Hyung... You don't need to continue, but thanks. For trying to cheer me up," I.M spoke quietly. 

"Did it work?" Wonho asked. 

"A little." 

"That's better than none at all." 

I.M managed a soft chuckle, and it was like music to Wonho's ears. The weight in Wonho's chest suddenly disappeared, as if a burden had just been removed from him. He felt at ease. 

"You're part of the team now, I.M. Don't forget that." 

"Changkyun," I.M corrected. 

"What?" 

"Changkyun. When the others are not here, Changkyun is fine. I am Changkyun," I.M smiled lightly. 

"And I am hyung," Wonho chuckled. 

After that, they were enveloped in comfortable silence. Sweet, warm, comfortable silence.