"Your tone is great,” Jooheon compliments as they pack up, “and your lyric style isn’t half-bad either. You’ll fit really well in with us.”

“Thanks,” Changkyun replies hesitantly, feeling a bit sheepish about being complimented. Sure his parents and brother had always encouraged him in the past, but that’s different. They had to say all those things. This complete stranger validating what he wants to do with his life… It’s odd and new, and pleases Changkyun despite him wanting to remain as aloof as possible with these strangers. After all, what’s the point of getting close to someone who doesn’t even know who you are? Dankyun joins his side, smiling excitedly. Changkyun is surprised by this, thinking this to be the happiest he’s seen his twin since middle school.

“Changkyunnie!” Dankyun delightedly greets, latching onto his arm. “Hoseok-hyung said that I have real potential as a music producer! He said that I can even go and work for a company if I work hard enough. Isn’t that great?! Maybe one day I can produce the songs you rap!”

“Are you thinking about becoming a company trainee, Changkyun-ah?” Hoseok asks, hearing this.

“I-I’ve been thinking about it,” Changkyun nervously answers, thrown off by his brother’s use of the word ‘hyung’. Something about Hoseok’s presence throws him off, as well. His full smile overtaking his face isn’t quite as bright as Minhyuk’s, he’s noticed throughout the meeting, but still as nice to look at all the same, and it’s this that Changkyun doesn’t like.

“I’ve been telling him that he should,” Dankyun complains, pouting at his twin, “but he doesn’t listen.”

“It’s a big decision,” Jooheon comments with a nod, “so it’s a good thing you’re thinking so hard about it.” Changkyun hums in agreement with a small smile, secretly glad to finally have someone on his side about this.

“Alright, boys,” Hongsik says, coming over to the group, “time to let them leave. Will you be able to come by tomorrow? It’d be great to get you caught up quickly.” Changkyun and Dankyun nod, Dankyun doing so a bit more eagerly than his twin. Hongsik nods himself, and thanks them all for their hard work before leaving.

“Do you guys want to join us to get some coffee?” Minhyuk asks brightly, coming over and wrapping an arm around Jooheon. Dankyun glances over at Changkyun hopefully, and he just can’t say no to him. He nods, earning a delighted hug from Dankyun. Minhyuk claps excitedly, and turns with a pout towards Hyunwoo and Kihyun taking a long time to put away all the equipment.

“Eomma, Appa!” he whines. “Hurry up! I want coffee!” Kihyun in a breath through his teeth, a hissing sound filling the room that earns snickers from the older members.

“Maybe if one of you would help,” Kihyun fires back, “then we wouldn’t be taking so long.”

“Hyungwonnie was supposed to help you today,” Minhyuk replies. He then begins looking around, saying, “Where is Hyungwon-ah?”

“Sleeping in the corner over there,” Jooheon answers, pointing towards the corner in the far back covered in shadow. Kihyun whirls in that direction, placing his hands on his hips defiantly.

“Chae Hyungwon!” he shouts, startling the twins. “Get up!” He then stomps over there, seeming to be on a mission, and hits his arm as he continues yelling, “Get up! Get up! Chae Hyungwon, wake up!” Hyungwon lazily begins to open his eyes, looking around slowly. Dankyun giggles at the sight, a sound luckily only heard by his brother. Changkyun glances wearily over at him, recognizing that sound anywhere. It’s the same sort of giggle he had years ago when anyone around him would mention that jerk that broke his heart…

Kihyun grabs Hyungwon’s hand and pulls him to his feet, causing the younger to wobble at the sudden movement.

“Hyung,” Hyungwon mumbles, rubbing his eyes, “why’re you yelling? We’re at school.”

“Come on,” Kihyun merely says, seeming somewhat aggravated, “we’re going to get some coffee in you.” He then shakes his head, adding, “You really need to stop falling asleep during meetings, and start going to sleep at a decent time at night in your own bed.”

“I can’t help it,” Hyungwon defends, his voice gaining more strength as he becomes more aware, “I have insomnia…” The others burst into laughter, shaking their heads.

“Insomnia?” Hoseok asks incredulously.

“That’s the first I’ve heard of that,” Kihyun says teasingly. Hyungwon falls silent, knowing at least he’s defused Kihyun’s temper for now. Hyunwoo joins everyone at the center of the room, and Minhyuk jumps into the center, raising a fist in the air.

“To the café!” he declares, and grabs Jooheon’s hand and drags him from the room.

“Minhyuk-ssi!” Kihyun complains, quickly grabbing his backpack and Hyunwoo’s hand and following him out the door. Hoseok, Hyungwon, and the twins are a bit slower to follow, chuckling at the others’ antics. Hyungwon is the first to follow them, Dankyun trailing quickly behind. This leaves Hoseok and Changkyun standing together in the silent room. Changkyun clears his throat awkwardly, blinking rapidly due to his nerves. He slings his backpack over his shoulder and follows the others at a distance, doing his best not to fidget with the shoulder straps of his backpack.

“So,” Hoseok says, breaking the silence as they reach the edge of campus, “I’m curious, which of you is older? You or Dankyun? Because, Dankyun-ah acts like the younger, with his energy and all, but I know from experience that isn’t always the case. Minhyuk-ah is way more energetic than Hyungwon, yet he’s the third oldest in the group.”

“D-Dankyun-hyung was born about ten seconds before me,” Changkyun mumbles, his nerves from before still not dissipating. He blames the upperclassman walking beside him. It’s been so long since he’s socialized with anyone outside of his family, and having to do so makes him incredibly anxious. “If you can even c-count that,” Changkyun adds absentmindedly, chuckling lightly. Hoseok laughs as well, a boisterous sound that both surprises and delights the younger.

“How long have you been rapping?” Hoseok asks, hoping to keep the conversation going.

“Since middle school,” the younger answers, finding it easier to talk about music than about his own family. “Music’s always been something I was interested in, but I didn’t actually start writing lyrics and rapping them until I was a first year in middle school.” He pauses, not really knowing whether or not he should carry on the conversation. He decides he should, even if just to encourage the older’s positive view on him. It’d make life hard in this club he’s been forced to be a part of if one of the senior members got annoyed with him.

“How long have you been producing music?” he asks, thinking club-related things to be the safest topics.

“Since my second year of middle school,” Hoseok answers. “I have a cousin who works with a company, and he gave me some song-writing software as a gift. I kinda fell in love with it then and there. Jooheon-ah writes and produces, too, but he’s been at it way longer than I have, so he’s on a whole different level. I work as hard as I can with him, though, so that we can produce quality songs, even if we are just a high school club.”

“You do seem a bit intense for a club,” Changkyun comments. Hoseok chuckles, nodding his head.

“We all want to make a debut, someday,” Hoseok tells him, “but we also want to focus on our schoolwork to make our parents proud, so we haven’t signed up to be trainees yet. This is sort of a preliminary trainee stage for us.” Hoseok sighs, adding, “If we can get first place at the school festival this year, then maybe our parents will be more willing to listen to us about what we want to do. It’s partly why we want to win.”

Changkyun nods as he listens to the older speak, glancing forward at his brother chatting incessantly with Hyungwon. He can’t help but be weary of the pair walking together upon seeing how eager Dankyun seems to be around the older. He swears, if he ends up finding Dankyun crying alone in his room over this upperclassman…

“Changkyun-ah?” Hoseok asks, breaking Changkyun from his thoughts. He looks over, trying for an apologetic smile but feeling like it comes out as more of a grimace.

“S-Sorry,” Changkyun says, “I got a bit d-distracted.” Hoseok hums, throwing a friendly arm over the younger’s shoulders.

“It’s okay,” he tells him, “you’ve had a long day. Lucky for you, we’re here.” As he says this, Changkyun notices everyone up ahead slowing to a stop. He looks in the direction Minhyuk is pointing, seeing a little hole-in-the-wall café. “It isn’t a popular place,” Hoseok tells him softly, “but it’s cheap enough for a bunch of high school students to afford multiple times a week, and it’s pretty close to campus.” Changkyun nods in acknowledgment, and allows himself to be taking into the café, the older’s arm slowly dropping from his shoulders. He can’t shake the feeling that he’s missing something within Hoseok’s gesture, but he has no idea what.

He sighs as he waits in line to order his coffee, deciding to get the biggest size of Americano available. He’s definitely going to need it to listen to all of Dankyun’s excited babblings that are sure to come as soon as they get home.