Minhyuk's laid down on his bed in the band's dormitory, getting all of the rest he can draft at that single moment for himself after Monsta X's manager had pestered him to do so after his treatment in the hospital. "You've got a music video to shoot next week," the manager had claimed. "Not anything rough, since Changkyun's not in top notch condition as well; but you could read through the script and start remembering what you're going to do."
 

A ream of papers stapled at one corner was now lying on Minhyuk's bedside table as the latter eyed it warily. It had been lying there for the past two days, accompanied by the blond's mindset on how he probably just wouldn't read it and was just going to wing his acting the next week. The male was invested in watching gamers play 'Sudden Attack', his current favorite pastime, on his phone when he's interrupted by Hyungwon unlocking the door to his room; he stood in the doorway, unmoving as Minhyuk's eyes locked with the brunet's. 
 

"Have you read it yet?" the standing male queried, gesturing to the script beside Minhyuk. No greeting, just that single, pointed question. Minhyuk took a quick glance at the papers again.
 

"Uh, yeah," he lied.
 

"No, you haven't." Hyungwon confirmed. "Do it. Call me after." The sound of the door closing then finalized the abrupt conversation of theirs.
 

Huh. Minhyuk stares at the door for a few seconds, then placed his phone on the table before picking up the packet. Although he didn't intend to read the script at all, Hyungwon had seemed pretty intent on him reading it, like, now, for some reason. So the blond sighs, sits back on his bed and relaxes, and flips to the very first page of the script where umpteen italicised hangul characters were prompting him to comprehend the story behind Monsta X's new video.
 

By the time Minhyuk had reached that part, his pulse is racing. He feels like he had just been hit by a train, but at the same time, he was stunned and confused with a strangely familiar thrill racing up his spine that he'd rather not think about. He wills the burning flush his cheeks were exposing and clears his head. However, he could work with this. But Hyungwon... What must Hyungwon think of it? He'd seemed almost angry when he entered the room just now. Of all of the reactions Minhyuk would expect out of this, rage seems a little bit too extreme. 
 

With shaking hands, burning skin, and wide eyes still fixed on the script in his lap, Minhyuk swings his legs over the side of the bed, sits up straight as he picked up his phone again, and dials Hyungwon. 

The idea of being in a cult wasn't exactly the thing that was making Minhyuk his pants.
 

When Hyungwon picks up the call on the second ring, they let silence fall between them for a short moment. The first thing Minhyuk says is, "I'm not done yet, but well, uh. That was interesting." 
 

"I know," the younger man grouses, sounding tired but tense. "I never had anything like that in mind at all for this video." 
 

"Yeah," Something about Hyungwon's obviously disturbed tone leaves Minhyuk strangely... disappointed. The blond shook the feeling off.
 

"I mean, I doubt that Starship will be making any changes to the script considering how stubborn they are, but..."
 

Minhyuk could only sigh. 
 

"We aren't even as close as before; why did they pick, out of all the members, just the both of us?" the brunet yet again laments. "I know," Minhyuk soothes, but spoke again, in a more lighthearted tone, "But then again, be glad it's not Shownu on top of you... He's going to be heavy as heck on top of your frail body."
 

Minhyuk swore he heard Hyungwon cringe across the phone. "Eugh! Dude, don't even put that thought in my head!" The blond apologizes after, and yes, there is a smile in that voice Minhyuk's been listening for. After a couple more minutes of good-natured friend-mocking, Minhyuk hears Hyungwon stifle a yawn (a ing adorable one, ) on the other end of the line. "Listen," the singer says, voice warm and affectionate again, "it's a bit past twelve and we've got schedules at eight, so we should probably get some sleep. Especially you, Hyukkie," Hyungwon pauses after calling his friend by the nickname he used to call him by long ago. "No more binge-watching your Sudden Attack videos. You and your knee needs a lot of rest." 
 

"I told you, I deleted YouTube a week ago!" Minhyuk lies, trying to hide the grin in his own voice.