It’s almost 2 AM but the practice room is as bright as the day with loud music booming through the walls and floors, alongside the stomp of foots over the ground. ‘Rhythm Ta Remix’ is on the speakers and all the 7 members are dancing their hearts and bodies to the beat.

Well, at this point probably just body. Because their hearts and minds are far away to their beds awaiting for them to return. But it’s not time to stop yet, they have 2 broadcasts filming starting at 8 o’clock tomorrow, 1 photoshoot for the next comeback and another radio live broadcast. But they have to practice too for the upcoming charity concert so stopping now is a no. The leader won’t have it that way.

“Yunhyeong hyung, watch your leg!” Hanbin doesn’t scream. But his voice is loud enough to overcome the frantic beat of the song. Yunhyeong is fast enough to get a grip of himself and correct his posture before the next routine comes.

But he ends up bumping into Jinhwan and the tired mathyung somehow manages to accidentally kick Donghyuk over his stomach causing the main dancer to fall to the floor. But his landing on June’s feet.

“Ouch! Careful please!” The second maknae whines loudly and the music is stopped. Hanbin stands by the computer and he doesn’t look happy with the scattering members around. He sighs heavily, removing the cap over his head and runs his tired hand over the messy hair. His face is a mixed of fatigue and annoyance.

“Guys, we need to do this correct or else we won’t finished all the dance routines in time.” He sighs again. “Are you guys even trying hard? We don’t have much time.”

All their faces are stoic and worried. An explode Hanbin isn’t a good show to witness. But luckily the leader just keeps on sighing—which sounds even heavy as he walks to the nearest bench. “Let’s just take 10.” He said and the rest gives out a relief sigh at the word rest. Jinhwan is quick to see Donghyuk as they walk to the same bench Hanbin goes to.

“I’m sorry Donghyuk-ah.” Jinhwan apologizes but the dancer only smiles it away.

“It’s alright, hyung. It’s not that bad.” He said sincerely before they sit around, slouch body and limp legs. All of them are tired as hell.

“Can we just go home now? I swear I can’t even feel my feet anymore.” Bobby whines, erupting small chuckles from the leader sitting beside him.

“Trust me I want that as much as you too. But we can’t.” Everyone wails in horror. “We don’t have enough time and tomorrow is a very packed day. We don’t have time to practice amidst of recordings.”

“Actually it’s tomorrow.” Chanwoo’s voice gets Hanbin to turn towards the maknae sprawled on the floor. He shows his phone to the leader. “It’s Thursday at 2:09 AM. We have another 4 hours to rest before waking up for another ty day.”

“The ty day of our ty days.” Bobby’s jokes get everybody laughing out loud. The air turns less stiff and their body much lighter.

It’s like a calm before a storm.

The next 3 hours, thanks to late night practices and hectic day ahead all of the members are cranky. Like even a droplets of water could cause a world war. That’s how bad their conditions are due to finishing practice at 3 AM and waking up at 6 to get ready for next schedule.

“Kimbap!” Jinhwan hollers from his room for the rapper who’s busy putting on his shoes. Bobby clicks his tongue in annoyance. “What?!”

“Yah, where the hell is my hair dryer?!” Jinhwan sounds angry, well that’s what happens when none of them have enough sleep.

Bobby stomps his feet for seconds to get comfortable with the shoes as he stands up. “I don’t know! Just borrow Donghyukkie!” And Bobby is out, not wanting to hear Jinhwan yelling for his name again. He walks to the downstairs dorm, meeting up Yunhyeong halfway through the living room as he enters.

“Why so down?” He asks him looking very concerned.

Bobby plops down on the couch with a heavy sigh. “Jinhwan hyung is being a brat again. He’s yelling non-stop since he opens his eyes.” Yunhyeong laughs hearing Bobby before he walks inside his room, probably to change his clothes. The rapper sits there trying to get some sleep before they start their schedule. Out of nowhere, someone comes by, sitting by Bobby’s side and puts his head on the rapper’s shoulder. Bobby doesn’t even need to open his eyes to know who it is.

“You’re sleepy too?” Bobby asks the maknae, his cologne gives away his identity to the closed eyes Bobby. A hum is what he’s met for an answer. Bobby then let themselves engulfed by the temporarily silent, too tired to talk about anything. Chanwoo’s slow breathing gives him comfort. Bobby isn’t much of a skinship alike Hanbin or Jinhwan but having Chanwoo around doesn’t give him much thought. Bobby knows the maknae isn’t a fan of it too.

Then their manager comes and it’s time to go. So everyone has to leave for the vans towards their scheduled area.

They finished filming for Inkigayo and MBC straightforward and starting then all the members are losing strength. Fatigue is eating them up slowly but the schedule for the day isn’t over just yet. There is still another photoshoot and live radio and now they are preparing for the former.

Chanwoo looks around to see every members are scattering all over the room. Bobby, Hanbin and Jinhwan are prepping up with some makeup, Yunhyeong is sleeping beside him while June is scrolling through his phone on a couch opposite him. Donghyuk is standing by the big mirror fixing his necklace and such. Chanwoo sighs, he feels tired but he can’t sleep. He is the first one getting ready with the makeup thus now he is free to do whatever he wants to.

So he stands up, approaching the table nearest the door for a drink. His throat is getting drier. He passes by Donghyuk and he pats on his back. Donghyuk smiles to him before he takes a seat opposite of Chanwoo, right next to June.

He doesn’t know what happens because he’s facing the wall, but right after he turns around and takes back his seat beside Yunhyeong, Chanwoo witnesses June and Donghyuk glaring at each other.

“Try saying it once again.” He hears Donghyuk said to June, who’s wearing a smugly face with eyes still locked on his phone. Second later the second maknae’s voices out, “Stop poking me and talking about your damn necklace, it’s annoying.”

“Well, I can say about it as much as I want.” Donghyuk spits back to June, now the latter’s eyes are on him. “What’s your problem?”

Chanwoo remains silent, his cheeks keeping the water inside before it inflates again. He gulps down alongside a lump in his throat. He checks both s’ expression, they seem hella serious. No sign of joking nor a hidden camera. He looks around and by now the two have caught few staffs’ attention. Yunhyeong has also awakened with their increasing voices.

“What’s wrong with you two?” He asks, but the staring contest hasn’t ended between them. Yunhyeong nudges Chanwoo ends up with the maknae shaking his head then whispers, “I don’t know, hyung. I’ve just got here.”

Yunhyeong fixes his sitting position and tries to coax the two to talk to him but Donghyuk abruptly stands up and leaves the room, taking everyone by surprise. Chanwoo has no idea what he should do, he has never been good at handling mad people so he sits still. Yunhyeong is the one doing the talking, “What happens between you and Donghyukkie, June-ah?”

Sassily he answers, “He’s annoying the hell out of me. Keeps nudging and talking about the necklace Bobby hyung bought for his birthday.”

“He doesn’t mean it.” Yunhyeong reprimands. “I heard from Bobby you two had a fight about the toilet this morning. Why are you guys fighting so much nowadays?” Chanwoo nods his head hearing Yunhyeong because it is true, among the members being cranky and sensitive nowadays due to heavy schedule, June and Donghyuk are the one keep fighting for unnecessary things. They are much worse than Jinhwan’s nags.

The twin monsters, alongside Jinhwan who has finished his makeup and approaching the couch watch June spits back, “Ah don’t teach me, Yunhyeong hyung.” He returns back to his phone, not minding anyone any longer. Chanwoo watches from the corner of his eyes the anger slowly seeping up for the mathyung while Yunhyeong is still keeping his calm face. Chanwoo thoughts this is serious, he needs to break this heavy silence.

“Are you jealous about Bobby hyung’s gift to Donghyukkie? You could have just asked him~” He said it playfully; he intends that but Chanwoo never intends to make his voice one note high because now everyone in the room is watching them. He regrets not keeping his voice down the seconds the words are out of his mouth. Well, he can only hope the effect is positive.

How wrong he is. “Do you think it’s funny?” As June glares down at him with malice, his eyes stabbing daggers to the maknae and Chanwoo cowers away. Not because of fear, but because the realization he’s picking on June’s bad side and there might be another argument coming up. So he keeps silent, thankfully Jinhwan steps in for the maknae.

“Yah, watch your tone. Chanwoo is only joking. Why are you so upset about everything?” But even the oldest couldn’t keep June to behave. He starts to neglect everyone by now. Jinhwan huffs out in ager, he tries calling June’s name but no answer. He’s pretending to be deaf. Jinhwan is ready to shout when Hanbin approaches from behind alongside Bobby. “Ah come one Jinhwan hyung. Let’s get you some drink. Chanwoo ah you come with me and Jinhwan hyung.”

So Chanwoo stands up at Hanbin’s words, followed by Yunhyeong because it’s his time for makeup. Then all of them scattered around again with Bobby finding Donghyuk and the leader+maknae trying to calm a mad Jinhwan hyung. During the trio’s walk out the room, Hanbin tries to calm Jinhwan down.

“Chanwoo-ah, I ask this from you.” Suddenly Jinhwan mentions the maknae. “Next time when they are fighting, keep your mouth shut. I don’t want it to get bigger.” Chanwoo wants to retaliate that he’s just joking around but knowing better if he should just nod his head. He doesn’t want to trouble Jinhwan’s head more.

They have more schedules for the day so the topic needs to wait.

That night everybody is damn tired. No one could keep up anymore for another minutes of sleepless so they decided to call it a day and discuss tomorrow. That night, Chanwoo can’t sleep. He feels somehow bad because he triggers June’s anger and everybody is upset now. The ride they took back to the apartment was dead scary and quiet. Nobody was talking and thick tension lingered in the air. Yunhyeong had told him before that Hanbin and him will talk about it with Donghyuk and June soon. So Chanwoo has nothing to worry.

But of course he is worried. The two aren’t speaking to each other at all ever since the fight earlier. Their interaction during the radio broadcast is almost close to none. It’s worrying, so much until Chanwoo can’t stop thinking about it. He doesn’t even realized when he falls asleep but he hopes tomorrow s won’t be as cranky as today anymore.

The next morning everyone is freshened up with a good sleep. They have no schedule for the day and that’s a good thing. Even Hanbin is at home and they have decided to make a group meeting. All of them regroup at the upstairs house, with Hanbin and Yunhyeong leading the talk. June is late thus Jinhwan is the one dragging his up while Bobby is with Donghyuk from their walk. When everyone is around, Hanbin is the one starting it.

“I know we are all tired and our promotion comes with limited time. We have tons to do.” He pauses in between, eyeing each members in front of him. When he sees