Time passed and the breaking up of university and decline into an abysmal winter marked the start of Summer’s work placement, which left the girl relatively nervous and strung out.  Clearly the company she had been placed with was in dire need of all the help they could get while trying to cut costs, and instead of the two days a week the rest of her course were doing, they had somehow wrangled the university into getting her to do an extra half day.  This meant that for the next three weeks her Friday’s would entail spending mornings at the company, afternoons giving tours to the stragglers of winter tourists, and nights at YG Entertainment.  It was her first run of it and she was already struggling as she wrangled all her equipment and pushed it into iKON’s practice room.

Whatever pity she was feeling for herself was quickly erased as she entered to a scene she hadn’t expected however.  The room should have been emptied several minutes ago, but instead the boys were all in there, crowded around in a circle and from what Summer could see in the reflection of the mirror one of them was in the middle.  Immediately her stomach dropped, knowing that something was wrong and she made her way over.

“What’s happened?” she enquired and Yunhyeong and Bobby turned around, parting ways slightly to reveal Donghyuk on the ground, his face scrunched up as he held his ankle.

“It was the last run through, but he landed wrong,” the rapper explained, a worried look passing across his face.  “He keeps trying to say he’s fine.  We were just about to phone for one of the medics.”

“I’ll go get some ice,” Summer responded immediately, spinning on her heel only to be brought up short by another voice.

“I’ll come with you, you probably don’t know where to find some.”  She tried to control the glare aimed at Junhoe, only due to the situation at hand.  Then with a shrug of her shoulders she sped across the room and flung the door open.  There was also the small fact that for once the boy was correct.  Her knowledge of the building only extended to Heejin’s office and her path to the current floor.  She presumed there would be some kind of kitchen, or a first aid kit that contained an ice pack somewhere, but she had to admit she didn’t know where to start looking.  

“You could use a nicer tone,” she mumbled as they made their way down the corridor, Summer letting Junhoe lead ever so slightly.  With her words he looked over at her and she got the distinct feeling he had been in another world entirely.

“Huh?  Whatever.”  The words were brief and then he was back out again.  The girl couldn’t help but watch with some fascination as his eyes practically glazed over - and yet he continued to walk with purpose.  She was paying enough attention to note the way his brow twitched every now and then and she realised how worried he was about Donghyuk.  With the sudden clarification Summer felt the need to say something, anything that might make things a bit better.

“I’m sure Donghyuk will be okay you know, and the ice will help,” she said, wincing inside at how pathetic the words sounded.  It seemed to at least bring him back into the world again and he let out a low grunt as he turned the corner and pushed a door open.

“His ankle’s weak, it’s happened before when he’s overused it,” he started as they stepped into the room and she found they were indeed in a small kitchen.  Junhoe made his way over to the first aid kit that hung on the wall, opening it up and pulling out an instant freeze pack before pausing.  “The problem is we start our tour at the end of the month and I know he won’t sit out of preparations.”

“Oh.”  Summer didn’t know what else to say in response, instead moving to rummage through cupboards until she found a neat stack of tea towels, pulling one out and holding it open for the boy to dump the ice pack into.  Then she tied it up neatly and grasping it tightly started the retreat to the room.  “If you want I can kidnap him and hold him hostage for the duration of it.  You know, being a ssaesang and all.”

Despite his worry the joke wasn’t lost on Junhoe, who let out a snort as he closed the door behind them, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye as they retraced their steps.  “I will report you, you know.”

“And ruin my nice, clean police record,” she commented, juggling the pack between her hands subconsciously.  A few moments later they were back in the practice room to find that Donghyuk had managed to make it over to the bench and was sitting there looking rather miserable.  Giving him a sympathetic smile, Summer walked up to him and knelt down, pressing the pack against his ankle gingerly.  The boy winced, but offered her his thanks.

A second later she was being pulled back gently as Jinhwan took over and she moved away from the group.  She had just returned to her trolley when the medic arrived, sweeping across the room and ordering the boys to give them space.  Summer made a half hearted attempt to started her cleaning as Donghyuk was asked twenty questions while being poked and prodded.  After quiet discussion it was decided that he should be taken to the hospital to be checked out and with some rearranging was on Bobby’s back  to be carried out to transportation.

For a moment the room was in chaos as the others debated what to do, until all except Junhoe and Yunhyeong had trailed out after the injured boy and his help.  Summer paused in her grabbing of a broom, her eyes growing wide as Yunhyeong began to pick up the mess left behind by the group.  “You don’t have to do that.”

“You lost work time because of us, you should go on to the other rooms.  We can survive one night without it being sparkling, and we’re only going to mess it up anyway by practising late,” he urged and she looked at him uncertainly, conceding defeat and placing the broom back on it’s hook a moment later.  “Come on Junhoe, help me pick the stuff off the floor at least.”

Summer expected the boy to retort with the order and was surprised when he merely bent to pick up a loose scrap, not a single word leaving his mouth.  It was enough to make her pause again as she reached the door, glancing away again quickly so it seemed as though she never caught the way he squeezed Yunhyeong’s shoulder as he passed.  

From the first moment she had met Junhoe, Summer had received nothing but snark and difficulties, finding the boy rude and uncompassionate.  But tonight admittedly made her realise that perhaps somewhere in there Koo Junhoe actually had a heart.  That was a scary thought.