[CONTENTID1]Practice and missing[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]S.coups stopped Hoshi when they’re heading into the practice room. He ushered the rest to go inside first as he wanted to talk with that performance leader. Hoshi looked at S.coups. “What is it, hyung? We shouldn’t waste much time as it’s only two days before the showcase.” Hoshi said reminding the leader as the elder took time to say whatever he wanted to say. S.coups exhaled.

“Uh. I know that. Em, right. I want to remind you about our upcoming comeback.” Hoshi raised his brow. S.coups exhaled. “Will he return before or after the comeback?” Hoshi blinked for a while and formed an O. He counted something in his head.

“If I counted again, he should be back around February. His three months ended there. But I don’t know that for sure.” S.coups looked at him. Hoshi exhaled. “Oh gosh, I forget to tell you. Since that meeting with Seungkwan, I didn’t get a chance to talk with him. Whenever I call him, uncle’s assistant picked it up. He’s busy with studies.” Hoshi pouted. “But I do wonder why he seemed like avoiding me or something because he never refused my call before.” Hoshi said looking at S.coups.

“He avoided you?”

“Seems like that because he didn’t pick up my call. Uncle’s assistant told me he’s busy.” Hoshi pressed his lips into a thin line. “He’s not a studious type, I know him. He must have something’s going on in his mind that’s why he did this. I wanted to ask but he’s not picking up the phone himself because he knew I will ask about his behaviour. I want to meet him but yeah, you know I can’t leave the dorm much lately. Junki hyung is suspicious on me.” S.coups nodded, remembering that fact happened two weeks ago. That manager stumbled upon the extra white cloth (that Hyeyoung used to wrap her small chest) in the bedroom and quite questioned what that is for when Hoshi claimed it as his. Lucky Hyunsoo helped Hoshi to cover up but Junki didn’t let it slide as he kept his eyes on the young male.

“Can you ask him tho?” S.coups asked. Hoshi exhaled.

“We will see. I will try to call him and make him talk.” S.coups nodded and patted Hoshi’s back, walking to the practice room. Hoshi followed behind.

The boys were stretching when S.coups opened the door. Mingyu was standing the nearest at the player. Hoshi signalled him to play the song. “Let’s just have a round of stretching with the song playing. I refrain any one of you to start practicing the real dance, just do the stretching right.” They nodded to Hoshi’s order.

Hoshi looked around the room as he stretched, finding his boyfriend. On the other side of the room, Seungkwan was talking to Vernon happily. A slight jealous tugged his heart but he ignored that. He knew the two have nothing in between but plainly friends. He had known about the reason why Vernon stayed away from Seungkwan beforehand (Seungkwan told him about Vernon and assured they’re only friends). From what he knew, Vernon was making a progress with the girl he met through Dino. And along the way, Seungkwan and Vernon were back being best friends. But feeling jealous was something he couldn’t avoid; somehow he couldn’t do anything about that. His hard face was noticed by Woozi.

“Soonyoung?” Hoshi startled.

“Uh?”

“Why you had such a hard face?” Woozi asked. Hoshi blinked and just smiled.

“Ah, nothing.” Hoshi grinned and concentrated his stretching, fixing his gaze to everywhere else but Seungkwan and Vernon. S.coups walked to his smaller boyfriend and pressed his palm on Woozi’s back. Woozi jolted and turned.

“Wae, Cheollie?” S.coups smiled.

“Just because.” Woozi exhaled and ignored his boyfriend. Hoshi just smiled to see the two. S.coups joined them doing the stretching together. Hoshi wandered his eyes away, still avoiding Seungkwan anyway.

Across from them, Mingyu and Wonwoo were practically touching each other rather than stretching. The8 and Jun who stayed the nearest them just laughed and teased the two, succeeded making Wonwoo blushed furiously. Jeonghan joined the teasing while Joshua just shook his head to see his angel ganged up with the Chinaline teasing Meanie couple. Dino already joined Seungkwan and Vernon and the maknae lines practically fell into their own world. Sensing the lacking of number, Hoshi counted one by one. And he finally realized DK wasn’t there. He quickly turned to JiCheol. “Hey, guys. Where’s Seokmin?” Hoshi questioned not as quiet as he actually wanted to ask the couple beside him and apparently his voice projected through the room. All of them turned to Hoshi and looked around after. S.coups blinked when he realized.

“He’s with us just now right?” The general leader asked. Wonwoo nodded to the question.

“When we left the house, yes he’s with us.” Mingyu answered.

“I think I still see him when he arrived here.” Joshua said this time. Jeonghan already went to get his phone and dialled DK’s number. They watched Jeonghan and blinked when they heard a familiar ring. They checked around and Dino noticed DK’s bag.

“That’s Seokmin hyung’s bag. So he did arrive with us.” Dino said. Woozi turned to the leader worriedly. Jeonghan huffed as calling can’t help either.

“That brat chose to leave his phone and left us in panic, great.” Hoshi said gritting his teeth. S.coups looked at Hoshi.

“Do you know anywhere to fi- ugh, okay. You won’t know.” The last sentence muffled under his breath as he realized his question to Hoshi. Lucky no one noticed that. Hoshi looked at the leader.

“What should we do?” The8 asked slowly, worrying. Jun looked at the leader as well. S.coups sighed.

“Don’t alarm our manager. Hoshi, give me his number. I will find him with his help. You stayed with them.” Hoshi nodded. The rest wanted to question what the meaning of his words but S.coups gave them no chance to ask when he voiced out his next order. “You guys will continue the practice. No one could leave this room until I come back. I will find Seokmin, don’t worry. Don’t get this distracted your practice, understand?” They just nodded slowly. Hoshi gave a piece of paper to the leader and S.coups thanked him. Turning to Woozi, he smiled. “Call me if he returns. I will be back, take care of the boys for me, Ji.” S.coups said giving a light peck on the smaller’s cheek before leaving. Woozi managed to voice out his ‘be safe outside’ to the leader before the elder closed the door. The rest was slightly confused with the things happened and Hoshi quickly distracted them.

“Okay. Let’s start the practice now. Keep your focus here, guys. They will be fine, trust the leader.” They nodded and Hoshi played their title song. The practice started with some clumsy steps in the beginning but all of them picked up their focus with Hoshi’s constant serious voice.

S.coups walked out from the building as he pushed in Soonyoung’s number, calling the other. It was unconnected for the first time and S.coups didn’t stop trying. He already checked the whole building and DK can’t be found. The leader was sure that vocalist already left the building but he couldn’t come out with a place DK would visit. As he kept trying to get Soonyoung, he walked to the park’s direction silently hoping DK is there.

After few tries, Soonyoung still didn’t pick up. S.coups cursed a little bit and he stopped calling that male as he arrived at the park. The leader walked around the park, calling out DK’s name. But there’s no answer or even no sign of DK being there. “Damn this stupid brat. How could he suddenly disappear like this?” S.coups groaned as he left the park. Other than the park, he didn’t know where he should look for DK. He really needed some clues from Soonyoung but that male just didn’t want to answer his phone.

S.coups still tried to reach Soonyoung’s phone. He lost count how many times he had called but he needed him right now. The leader was standing at the park entrance, his mind restlessly thought of a place while his hands fidgeted with the phone unstopping. “Geesh, Kwon Soonyoung. Pick up the phone, this is urgent. Goddammit.”

“What the hell, hyung? You call me at the wrong time; I’m having a test just now, duh! And thanks for the ‘welcoming’ hi, hyung.”  S.coups startled when he heard Soonyoung’s voice. He looked at the phone just to notice it was already connected. “Coups hyung!”

“Duh, don’t get so mad. Did you wake up on the wrong side or something?” S.coups heard Soonyoung groaned. “As much as I miss you and wanted to talk more with