“What do you mean Joowon isn't a part of the group anymore?”

“He didn't tell you?” Seokmin sounded astonished on the other end of the line. “It's probably best if you hear it from him.”

Chanhee felt like he'd been punched in the gut. He almost walked straight into a passerby on the street. “No.” he stopped in his tracks, barely avoiding crashing into several people. “ That can’t be. Tell me what's going on.”

“I don't know the full story either,” Seokmin said and Chanhee  heard the unhappiness coming from the manager. Wow, looks like things weren’t going the almighty manager’s way for once either. “All I know is he got into Gag Concert, there was some conflict of interest with Helix,  and another company gave him an offer for representation. He took it. I don’t know why either.”

Chanhee shook his head. “No. No. Joowon wouldn't do that.” Joowon wouldn’t just leave them. Nobody cared more about this group than Joowon did, it didn’t make any sense.

“That's all I've been told, Chanhee,” Seokmin said. “I set him up with that audition but I didn't know things would go this way. I think he had a dispute with the CEO but he won’t tell me anything concrete about it either.”

“You- you set him up with the audition?” What. The. . God, that was rich. That was just perfect. “After you did nothing for any of us for months you suddenly decide to give a damn and come with some comedian audition, you don’t tell any of us about it,  and now Joowon is leaving?”

“I didn't want you to hear it like this either.” Chanhee snorted at Seokmin’s practiced topic-dodging. Typical. Dancing around accusations and responsibility had always been a specialty of the managers, hadn’t it? He shouldn’t have expected anything else. “I thought he'd told you before he went through with the contract breakage.”

“Well, he didn’t,” Chanhee hung up on the manager. . Hyeran’s lunch would have to wait. He quickly texted her that something came up and he had to go before turning around and taking off towards the dorm.

What was even happening? How was this possible? Chanhee knew for sure that Joowon wouldn’t just leave them… so why was he told that he was? He was getting more and more worried with every step he took towards the dorm.

“Hey, Chanhee!” He turned around to see Seunghoon running up to him still in his work vest. “I just got a call from Seokmin hyung, is it true that Joowon hyung is leaving?”

“I guess it is,” Chanhee said. “I got the call too.” Agh, he didn’t even think to ask Seokmin to call the others. At least that meant he wouldn’t have to pass it on, he didn’t think he’d forgive the manager if he’d put that on Chanhee.

And it seemed they weren’t even the first to arrive. The door to the dorm was ajar and he could hear voices from within. “What are you doing? Where are you going? Are you leaving us?”

“Come on Jinyoung, I have to pack my things,” Joowon’s voice answered. “Please stop blocking the door.”

Jinyoung and Wonwoo were already there. Jinyoung was standing in the doorway of Joowon’s room and awkwardly stepped aside. Joowon exited the room with a suitcase and backpack. “Look,” Joowon said. “It’s not- It won’t be- I can explain, I can make it right-”

“So it’s true,” Chanhee said, and Joowon froze when he saw him. He still hadn’t quite believed it. He did now. “You’re leaving.”

“I have to,” Joowon said. “I don’t particularly want to leave but my new company wants me out of here and I don’t really-”

“Do you really?” Chanhee challenged. “Do you really have to? Why? What are you doing, hyung? How could you do this?”

“What about us?” Jinyoung asked. “What about the group?”

Joowon visibly flinched. “I-”

“You really left the group?” Seunghoon asked. “Just like that? I didn’t think we even could. Don’t we have contracts?”

“We can if we break our contract,” Wonwoo provided.

“It comes with a steep fee, though, but I guess that wasn’t a problem for your new company, was it?” Chanhee challenged, feeling the anger boil up. “So much for the captain going down with the ship, huh?”

“So that’s it then?” Jinyoung’s voice was small, hurt, but with barbs of accusation. “Now that you’ve got yourself a opportunity for success you’re just dropping the rest of us? Just like that?”

Joowon opened and closed his mouth. He actually looked surprised, the bastard. Was he surprised that none of them were particularly happy that he was throwing them to the sharks? Worse, throwing them to Helix? Or was he just surprised they were here, now, at all? Chanhee wondered if Joowon had tried to slink off while they were away like some thief in the night? That just made him angrier.

Joowon looked at each of their faces but they remained quiet. Chanhee had nothing to add to that, it was exactly was he was feeling. He’d never pegged Joowon to be the one who’d drop them like they were anything but hot. He might have thought Jinyoung would snap under the pressure, the kid had been more and more jittery and scary focused. Might even have suspected Wonwoo who never really seemed to be fully committed and used to have some modelling gigs going for him. But Joowon? The backbone of the team? The one who had brought them all together and constantly pushed them forward? The one who had always had his back but not without some cheek to go with it?

Sure he’d had it rough the past year but, no, Chanhee had never guessed it would be him. It left a taste in his mouth so bitter it overwhelmed him.

Joowon’s shoulders slumped after seconds of all-saying silence. Then he took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and wheeled his suitcase out of the dorm without a single word. Didn’t even look back. The er did not even look back.

The ing audacity. How did he think he had the ing right to walk out of here like he had the ing moral high ground?! that !

Chanhee clenched his fist so hard he lost feeling in his hand. His blood boiled. “That’s right!” he called after him. “Run like a coward! We’ll make it without you!” Joowon rounded the corner and he was gone. “You just wait!” Chanhee yelled anyway. “We don’t need you!”

There was no reply. Of course there was no reply. Joowon hadn’t even looked back.

Seunghoon put a hand on his shoulder but said nothing, just squeezed it.

“What now?” Wonwoo asked, filling in the silence.

“I don’t know,” Chanhee admitted. “Where’s Youngbae hyung?”

“Seokmin hyun couldn’t reach him yet,” Wonwoo said. “He asked us to deliver the news when we can get a hold of him.

Of ing course he had.

Chanhee still couldn’t quite believe what just happened. His heart beat in his chest. Joowon was gone. Joowon was gone. How were they supposed to fill that void?! . everything.

He didn’t even notice when Wonwoo and Jinyoung left. He only noticed Seunghoon when the guy cleared his throat. ‘I, eh- I have to go. I used my break to be here and it ended ten minutes ago.”

Chanhee looked up. “Right. It’s okay.” . No more Joowon also meant the rent had gone up significantly. Again. “I can cover your extra rent,” He told Seunghoon. It might be easier to just stay with his parents for a bit but he couldn't leave Seunghoon to his own devices.

“It's okay,” Seunghoon said. “I just about make enough to cover it. I'll manage. I do have to go now though. I’ll see you tonight.”

And then he was alone. The open door to Joowon’s empty bedroom taunted him. He couldn’t stay here. He grabbed his bag, and started walking as fast as his legs would take him. Not now. He couldn’t do this now.

The whole way to the cafe was a haze. The next thing he remembered was he was pushing the door open and the smell of roasting coffee surrounded him.”

“Chanhee? I was just closing up, what are you doing here?” He should have noticed that her closing playlist was playing. Her personal favourite music that she liked to sing along to while doing the cleaning and closing.

“I-” What was he doing here exactly? “I just… I couldn’t be alone.”

She cocked her head and frowned, lowering the dishrag in her hand. “Chanhee, what’s wrong? Are you okay.”

And that’s when something shattered inside. He felt the tears welling up. He made it to the bar before the first sob poured out.

“Oh no” Hyeran hurried to his side and pulled him into a hug. “Shhht, it’s okay.”

“Everything is falling apart!” Chanhee croaked out. “Everything we worked so hard for is falling apart and there’s nothing I can do about it.”

To her credit she didn’t say anything and just held him while he sobbed.

How had this happened? How had he gotten here? One moment he had a promising career and promising life in front of him as an actor and everything couldn’t be better, the next he was pushed into some idol group and dragged through the dirt with six other guys he cared way too much about. And now there were five.

you Joowon. you for abandoning them when they needed him most. He didn’t understand how that could have happened. And now what? What were they supposed to do without him? How were they supposed to survive without him.

What was he supposed to do now? Give up too? Retreat to his parents with his tail between his legs, break contract and study abroad somewhere? Leave behind everything he hoped for and dreamed of? Leave behind everything the others hoped and dreamed of?

if he knew.

Chanhee knew himself at least. These crying bouts happened. He just let it happen and after a while the sobs subsided and he disengaged (a little reluctantly, admittedly). The background music was still playing a pop song that was far too bright for the mood. “Thank you.”

Hyeran just nodded at him. She fidgeted a little. “You’re, eh, welcome. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. You can just help me clean?”

It was tempting. Just give himself to cleaning and work out his frustrations and keep everything to himself. Maybe he would, bless her for giving him that out.

And then Hyeran’s playlist skipped to the next song and some very familiar synths filled the cafe. Chanhee laughed out loud, of course he couldn’t escape Aeon even here. “Where did you get this song from?”

Hyeran looked puzzled. “The Chaser it’s called I think? I heard it on the radio once and it’s been my jam ever since. I don’t know who the artist is, though.”

Ouch. “Huh, I didn’t know they played our song on the radio.”

“I’ve only heard it once, I don’t think it’s very popular- wait what do you mean our song?” she narrowed her eyes.

“What?” Chanhee said. “I said this song. Have you seen the music video?”

“Oh no, I don’t usually. I just listen to the songs,” Hyeran said.

Chanhee laughed again. Oh, his luck! He started doing lowkey dance moves while he cleaned the counter and he knew she was watching. Wow, how had she not figured it out yet? When his lines came up he almost automatically sang along.

“Wait,” she narrowed her eyes and paused the music. “Sing that again?”

Finally. Chanhee grinned and sang his lines as best he could, which was still unsteady at best.

“You sound a lot like… And you’re really handsome… too handsome…” She narrowed her eyes more. “Woo Chanhee, are you an idol?”

Chanhee burst out laughed. “It took you long enough!” Wow what a rollercoaster of emotions in the span of half an hour. “That’s our song!”

“How- what? You’ve been an idol all this time?”

Chanhee shrugged. “Not a very successful one so it doesn’t really matter. We’ve been on hiatus for almost a year now.”

“So that’s why you’ve got the time to always loiter around here! I thought you were just some useless rich kid.”

“Oh I am definitely some useless rich kid,” he said with a grin. “But also an idol.”

“So is that why you were upset?” she asked. “Because your group isn’t going well?”

The smile melted right off his face. Might as well just tell her everything at this point. “One of our members just left the group. He was the pillar of the group and now he just gave up and left.”

“I’m so sorry,” she said softly.

“Yeah. Nothing is going the way it should be going. We kept getting bad songs and when we finally got a good one it was too little too late. Now the company has given up on us and the group is falling apart!” Once he started spilling it out everything came out at once. Hyeran just sat down and listened while Chanhee told her everything. How he wanted to be an actor, how he’d been a , how their debut had done well but then everything else just crashed and burnt. He felt exhausted by the end of it.

“I don’t think you should give up,” Hyeran said when he’d finished. “You care so much about acting and you care so much about your group! You could help them both if you just don’t give up and keep trying!”

“I’ve been trying for months!” Chanhee argued. “I’m all for trying but shouldn’t I at one point just take the universe’s hint that this isn’t meant to be?” He wasn’t even sure if he believed that argument himself, he just knew that he was so tired. His mother’s offer hung above his head, always.

“That’s bull,” Hyeran said. “If you’re passionate about something you have to go for it no matter what. Even if it takes years, if this is what you want to do then you have to keep trying. That’s the price you pay for your passion.” She was so convinced of her own words it was so cute.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, interrupting the moment. “Who is it?” Hyeran asked.

He checked. Ah , his mother. She would no doubt breach the subject of breaking his contract again. He pressed ignore. He was not dealing with that now.  “No one important.” He couldn’t believe he’d actually been considered his mother’s offer to bail him out, giving just the slightest bit of thought. He was disgusted with himself now. He wouldn’t stoop as long as Joowon. He wouldn’t abandon a ship just because it looked like it was sinking. No, he was going to keep them afloat instead. “I have to keep trying.”

“That’s what I’ve been saying!” Hyeran burst out. “God, you’re infuriating, saying it like it was your idea.”

Chanhee laughed and gave her a quick hug. “Thank you Hyeran.”

She was a little flushed when he disengaged. She looked away and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “What, eh, what is the name of your group?”

“Aeon,” Chanhee said. “But I don’t fault you for not having heard of us. I’m surprised it’s The Chaser that you like.”

She shrugged. “I like the retro sound the most. It’s good for cleaning.” She paused and Chanhee could swear her eyes did a sparkle. “Wait. Wait. Oh my god I have to watch the music video now! I know what idol videos are like, this is going to be rich. What’s your biggest fashion disaster?”

“I don’t have fashion disasters,” Chanhee said. “I look good in absolutely everything.”

Hyeran ignored that. “Oh I bet they put you in a perm. Or, no, what if they gave you that long hair like DBSK?”

“That was a trend like 6 years ago!”

“Forgive a girl for hoping!” Hyeran set her laptop on the counter and both of them huddled on the stools as she pulled up The Chaser music video and proceeded to instantly laugh at his hair. “See? You do have long hair!”

“But it’s not that bad!” Chanhee argued.

“How did the scarf stay on?”

“They pinned it.”

“These outfits are all cool and I hate it.”

“That guy, Jinyoung, was so embarrassed about having his chest exposed it was hilarious.”

“Oh, I know that one!” Hyeran pointed at the screen. “That’s your friend, isn’t it?”

Chanhee laughed. “That’s Seunghoon! He’s been in here a few times.”

“I like this voice.”

“So do I.”

“You’re rubbish, by the way.”

“They only need my face, the voice is extra.”

“I want to watch another one!”

“If you want embarrassing styling watch Standing Still. Oh, but Wow is really fun!”

“Wow it is then. Huh, you have more lines in this one.”

“Back then they appreciated my genius.”

“It is fun, wow.”

“Hehe, exactly.”

“The one who sings the chorus sounds nice. He’s pretty, too.”

“Don’t tell him that, it’ll totally inflate his ego.”

“Like you’re one to talk. Hah! She made you disappear!”

“That’s right, if you get too close to me I’ll disappear.”

“You just want me to hug you again.”

“Hmmmaybe.”

“You’re the worst.

“I don’t understand why you aren’t angrier about this,” Chanhee said. “I get angrier every time I think about it!”

Seunghoon shrugged. “I guess I just kind of get it. None of us are getting anywhere, really. He had an opportunity and he took it.”  It that Joowon had gone, but he didn’t think he could blame him for it.

“And now Baekhyun is leaving too.” Chanhee sighed. “What’s happening?”

“I don’t know. I guess it’ll be over soon,” Seunghoon said.

“You’re not leaving too are you?” Chanhee narrowed his eyes.

Seunghoon laughed. “You know I wouldn’t be able to afford the fees.”

“Here’s your coffee,” Hyeran interrupted them with the two coffees he’d ordered and Seunghoon couldn’t say he wasn’t glad for it. That wasn’t really a conversation he wanted to have with Chanhee. Again.

“Thanks Hyeran.” He said. Chanhee’s whole demeanor shifted when she’d joined them. He’d stood up straighter and looked at her with that look of his. Seunghoon wondered if the two had started dating yet or if Chanhee would tell him. It was only a matter of time. Anyone could see that.  “Hey, is that She’s Back playing?”

“I added some of your songs to the cafe’s playlists,” Hyeran said. “You’re solo is in there too Seunghoon.”

Seunghoon laughed softly. “Do we have a new biggest fan? Who’s your bias?”

Hyeran grinned and glanced at Chanhee. “Anyone but this guy.”

“Right answer.”

Seunghoon gathered his things while Chanhee was pretending to be so very hurt. “Alright, I'm off.”

“Say hi to Inho for me,” Chanhee said.

“Will do,” Seunghoon lied. “Good luck on your audition tomorrow. Knock em dead!”

“I've a good feeling about this one. Rumor has it that all the big actors already turned the drama down,” Chanhee said. “Everyone else's leftovers sounds good to me. I just have to prove to them that I'm better than all the other nobodies.”

“If there's one thing you're good at is convincing people you're the best,” Seunghoon said. “Should be a piece of cake for you. Okay, bye!” Seunghoon left to the sound of Chanhee professing more betrayal while Hyeran waved cheerfully.

He felt a little bad about lying to Chanhee about his periodic absence from home, but he wasn't really ready to talk about this stuff. Still, that didn't stop the spring in his step as he flagged down the bus and jumped aboard.

He hoped the coffee would stay warm. He'd been hanging out around the company with Doha so he figured he'd grab some at Chanhee's cafe so he wouldn't arrive empty handed.

He still wasn't sure how any of this had happened, what had he done to deserve any of this?

“Hey, Seunghoon!” Dongmin waved from the restaurant’s entrance.

“Hyung!” he had no more control over his face as he broke  into a smile. They hugged, quickly, just a bit more intimately than two normal men would, but not enough to be too suspicious. There was no holding hands for them, no quick kiss in greeting, not in public at least. Definitely not when they were out of the gay neighbourhoods.

They did what they’d done a few times before now. Grab a drink here or a bit to eat there. They’d chat about all sorts of things. At first it had been small talk, nothing that came too close. Seunghoon had kept Dongmin at a distance, staying vague about his roommate (and former), his job, even hobbies or things he liked, all for fear of everything getting too close for comfort. But then the 6th ‘hookup’ (did it still count as a hookup if it was a serial hookup? He honestly wasn’t sure) had come around, and he felt really comfortable with him, and then Joowon had left and Baekhyun had soon followed and what was even the point of hiding it all anymore? It wasn’t like anything would come of the group at this point, they were doomed. Dongmin had made jokes about hooking up with an idol and asked all sorts of curious questions about the life. Seunghoon had midkey bragged about meeting MBLAQ and SHINee and yes Seungho was that beautiful in real life. It had been way less of a big deal than he’d thought it would be. Dongmin had even listened to the group’s songs and at least he said he liked them. Seunghoon wasn’t ruling out that he was lying but it was nice to hear anyway.

And then they’d always find their way to the familiar love motel, an actually pretty dancy place he was pretty sure Dongmin frequented quite frequently. He wished they wouldn’t have to sneak around like this, it felt almost duplicitous, but Dongmin lived with his parents still and Seunghoon wasn’t about to risk Chanhee being around, so hotels it was.

He’d been so awkward before, he had no idea how Dongmin had put up with it. Thankfully it was much better now. “So. Nice night for an evening.” Well much better than awful didn’t have to amount to much.

Dongmin laughed that booming laugh of his that Seunghoon loved so much. It was so unapologetically loud. It reminded him a little bit of Joowon but eeeh that was weird next thought. “Astute observation there, Hoonie,” he said as he held the door to the room open for him. The room that was theirs for the next couple of hours.

“You know me,” Seunghoon said. “Always the intellectual.”

The room was quite modern, with wooden furnishings and white accents, one very nice western-style bed, and access to a small balcony that Dongmin would no doubt use for a smoke break. Speaking of- “Can I try one?” He pulled the packet of cigarettes out of the back pocket of Dongmin’s jeans before the guy could protest, teased one out of the packet, and reached inside Dongmin’s discarded coat’s pocket for the lighter.

“Aren’t you a singer in that idol group of yours?” Dongmin asked, taking the packet back. “Are you sure you should be smoking?”

“What group?” Seunghoon ased. He opened the door the balcony and stepped out, leaning against the railing overlooking the night scape. Even at night the air was warm and humid now. “We’ll disband soon anyway, what does it matter if I try one? I’m just gonna try it out.”

“If you say so.” Dongmin joined him on the balcony. He leaned against the wall and his profile perfectly caught the harsh light of the lamp behind him, illuminating just the edge of his features. Seunghoon still couldn’t quite believe his luck.

He put the cigarette in his mouth as he’d seen Dongmin do plenty of times before and fumbled with the lighter. He had to try three times before he managed to even ignite the lighter.

“Hold it just in front of the cigarette,” Dongmin instructed. “You’re going to gently on the cigarette and it’ll pull the flame forward so it singes the end just so. You don’t want to ignite the whole thing. And don’t inhale that smoke, that’s not the good stuff. You can take a drag after that.”

Seunghoon did as he was told. The hot smoke filled his mouth and singed his throat and he immediately blew it out. He hadn’t expected it to be so warm. Dumb, in hindsight. He then put the cigarette to his lips again and let smoke fill his lungs- and immediately burst out coughing. It felt like he couldn’t breathe!

Dongmin laughed and clapped Seunghoon’s back. “Start small! Your lungs aren’t used to the smoke yet.”

“You could have warned me!” Seunghoon protested.

Dongmin just shrugged. “It happens to every first time smoker. Go on, try again. A small inhale this time, keep it in for a few seconds and let it back out.”

Seunghoon took the smallest of drags this time. He resisted the urge to immediately cough it back out as it tickled his lungs. He was stronger than that. After he felt he couldn’t hold it in any longer he let it go. A small puff of grey smoke dissipated against the harsh balcony lights. Just like that it was gone.

Dongmin came up behind him and s his arms around his waist and pulled Seunghoon close. The casual touching never stopped giving him goosebumps, Dongmin did it like it was the most normal thing to do. “Here, give me a drag too.”

Seunghoon held the cigarette out behind him. “A from a ?”

Dongmin burst out laughing and Seunghoon could feel the deep rumble against his back. He leaned forward and took a drag from the cigarette, never actually taking it from Seunghoon’s hand. Then he leaned his head back and blew out a perfect smoke ring. It lazily travelled through the night sky before disappearing into nothing.

“Show off,” Seunghoon muttered. He leaned back against Dongmin’s chest. He felt… happy. Huh. How about that.

The view from the balcony was beautiful, really. About as beautiful as it got in this not so great hotel in this not so glamorous part of Seoul. If only light pollution didn’t obscure the night sky, then it would have been perfect. Honks still filled the air as car lights zoomed on the nearby street and neon lights flickered. There were drunken shouts in the distance and he could see the figures of people bustling to and fro. A city that truly never slept. Seunghoon still marveled at it sometimes. How large it was, how alive it was. How the buildings crowded the horizon and the people never did look you in the eye. Life in Seoul was as different as it could get from life in his little farming village but maybe he liked it better this way. He wasn’t sure. He was almost forgetting what it was like to live on the farm. It felt like a lifetime ago.

He took another small drag from the cigarette. The warmth felt kind of nice now even if the smoke still irritated his lungs, making them scream for air. It was a weird feeling. He marvelled at the little puff of smoke in the air, illuminated only by the overly bright TL lamp. “You’ll have to teach me how to blow those smoke rings.”

Dongmin laughed again. “That’ll be a very fun night. Something tells me you’ll master that in no time. Trust me, I have a knack for spotting natural talent.”

“Hyung, I know you’re messing with me,” Seunghoon said. “I’m almost hurt.” He held out the Cigarette again and Dongmin leaned forward to inhale the smoke. Dongmin’s face was so close Seunghoon could smell the faint smell of his cologne. It was the same one he always war, he’d before about owning only one of them. It made his heart flutter every time.

This was dangerous. It was a one night stand that had turned into a six night stand. Or was it seven night stand now? He couldn’t even remember, that’s how bad it was. He didn’t want this to stop, and that’s what was the most dangerous. He never wanted this to stop. But maybe it didn’t have to be so dangerous? What did he really have to lose anymore? A beaten and broken idol group and a job at a supermarket didn’t exactly set the bar high. They hadn’t gotten a schedule in months and they were down two members now, certainly disbandment wasn’t far off.

It would also mean that his prospects for the future were limited to working in a supermarket but maybe, just maybe, if this was something real then that could be worth it?

God, listen to him talk. They’d only met seven times. Get back to reality, Seunghoon.

Seunghoon turned around to face Dongmin. “Do you ever wonder what your life would be like if you’d made different choices?” he asked. He handed the cigarette back to Dongmin. That was enough smoke for him for one evening, though he couldn’t say he disliked it.

Dongmin extinguished the cigarette on the railing. “Nah,” he said. “Life’s too short to think about all of the what ifs. You just have to roll with what you choose. We don’t get do-overs.” He grinned. “Plus, if you hadn’t made all of these decisions then you wouldn’t have met me and by extension you wouldn’t have gotten the best lay of your life.”

Seunghoon snorted. “Don’t give yourself too much credit, no competition doesn’t exactly set the bar high, does it?”

Dongmin threw his head back and laughed his booming laugh. “You really know how to make a man feel special, it’s one of the things I like about you.”

“Ah, so that’s the reason you keep agreeing to more hookups. Aren’t these things supposed to be a one night stand only?”

“I guess I can’t resist that charming wit of yours, Kim Seunghoon.” He leaned in for a kiss and tasted like smoke and sweetness and that cologne all mixed together, cigarettes and Dongmin, just as it should be.

Seunghoon loved kisses. A sweet peck of affection that held no promises or requirements. A deeper kiss of intimacy, of tasting the other and sharing an exclusive moment of togetherness . Or a hungry kiss of consumption, promising more to follow shortly. A kiss was affection. Sometimes it was lust, sometimes it was love. A kiss was a shared sense of vulnerability. A kiss held personality.  A kiss held a spectrum of meanings and significance each speaking a volume.

Dongmin tasted of the cigarette he'd just smoked mixing with the smoke on Seunghoon’s own tongue, a hint of the cocktails they’d had before still lingered, and of course the unique taste of Dongmin himself. All of it mixes into a kiss that could never quite be recreated. Each was different. Each was unique. Each was heaven.

And then Dongmin deepened the kiss, hand straying to caress that spot on the small of Seunghoon’s back that always sent sparks everywhere, and Seunghoon lost all ability think then and there.

Things were quiet in the cafe that day, Hyeran spent most of the time waiting for people to come in and humming to the music (and continuously replaying She’s Back when no customers were in, why was that song so addictive??).  No Chanhee around today either. Curious, the good for nothing was usually around at least for a bit, she’d never been able to shake him before and it was almost closing time.

She shouldn’t be so hard on him, she honestly had to admit she liked his presence. The cafe felt empty without him around. It was… boring on her own. If there was one thing the was good at it was make a place lively. Wow, if someone had told her a year ago that 1. he’d be around almost every day even if it was just to sit in the corner on his laptop and wiggle his eyebrows too much when he caught her looking or 2. she’d actually be glad to have him sit in that corner and make her roll her eyes in response, well, she would have called them mad and delusion and potentially bribed by Chanhee to make himself look better.

Now look at her, she just checked her phone for the umpteenth time to see if he replied to her message. Still negative, she hadn’t heard from him all day. She was an embarrassment to herself, honestly.

She locked the door and proceeded with the usual cleaning up. Ugh, it was admittedly annoying doing this on her own. Most of the days Chanhee waas here to lighten the load. He’d start singing along (badly) to whatever song was playing, dancing along too when it was one of Aeon’s. Not only did he take over half of the cleaning tasks (sometimes more if he deserved it that day), but he also made them a lot more fun. Despite the fact that she freely sang along to the music now it was still a dull chore to sweep the floors and wipe down the counters and clean the oven.

She didn’t mind the routine much, but the cleaning but was so dull. She was reminded of the days when she worked at the cafe during high school and her parents would always make her do the sweeping despite the many very creative excuses she’d come up with. And now this place was hers. Well, when her parents didn’t come nose around anyway. Her parents hadn’t exactly disapproved of the rebranding and advertising efforts but her mother had had that annoying sparkle in her eye that said ‘you’re making a mistake but I’m not gonna tell you about it because you’ll find out yourself’. She hated that look.

A banging on the door startled her so much she dropped the broom, and then the clatter it made against the floor tiles startled her even more. Her heart raced in her chest, god is this what a heart attack felt like?! The dumb grinning face of Chanhee appeared behind the window. He waved when he saw her look and pointed at the doorknob. Of course it’d be him. Now. God, she hated him so much.

She grabbed the broom and set it against the counter, taking her sweet time with it to punish him for scaring her, before she walked over and opened the door for him.

“Hyeran!” He grabbed her into a hug and twirled her around.

“Chanhee what are you-” she held onto him for dear life as her feet left the ground. “What are you doing?!”

“I got the part! I got the part Hyeran!”

“What?” Her set her down and she was very thankful to have her feet back on solid ground. Thankful and confused.

“The part! In that new drama I was auditioning for, remember? The one all the actually big actors turned down?” He was talking a mile a minute now, for once is face didn’t hold a smirk or a grin but an honest-to-god beaming smile of happiness. “I mean it’s probably going to be a flop anyway since everyone turned it down but I don’t even care I got the part! Male lead!”

“Oh my god!” It finally clicked. “It’s a lead part too? How the hell did you manage that?”

“I don’t know!” Chanhee said. “I really don’t know. They said something about wanted fresh faces - but I mean everyone knows that’s just code for everyone else turned them down - but I hadn’t thought they wanted nugu faces. I thought I was being an idiot, auditioning for the main lead, but holy I got it!”

He hugged her again (this time thankfully leaving her feet on the ground) and she hugged him back. “I am so happy for you, Chanhee! We have to celebrate this.”

“Already have it covered!” Chanhee produced a bottle of champagne. “I picked this up on the way.”

Without wine glasses, they poured the champagne in the soda glasses and propped themselves up on the counter. “Cheers!” the sound of a glass toast echoed through the room.

“Have you told the others yet?”

“Not yet! I’ve another bottle of champagne for that celebration,” Chanhee said. “I was in the area anyway so I figured I’d tell you first?”

“Well, here’s to future superstar actor Woosu then,” she raised the glass and took a good sip. She wasn’t the biggest fan of champagne but she had to admit this was good stuff. Or maybe celebration just made it taste sweeter?

“You’ll be able to tell everyone you know the handsome famous superstar actor slash idol Woosu before he was famous!” Chanhee beamed.

Hyeran rolled her eyes. She was pretty sure he was never going to stop proclaiming how handsome he was. To be fair, he was handsome, but she got used to it, now it was nothing special anymore. “Still slash idol, huh?”

Chanhee nodded with much gusto. “Always slash idol.”

“I’ll be able to tell everyone I had good for nothing superstar actor slash idol Woosu working for me in a humble but super cute cafe,” she said. “How’s that instead?”

He laughed. “I’ll say I was gathering life experience to benefit my blossoming acting career.”

“What’s the drama about, anyway? I don’t think you ever told me.”

“It’s this nostalgia trip drama about a bunch of high school kids in the late 90s. The female leads are all into H.O.T and Sechskies and stuff too!”

Hyeran giggled. “Oh I used to love Sechskies! Eun Jiwon was always my favourite- how do kids these days call it now? Bias?”

“You’re in luck then!” Chanhee said. “They cast him for the drama! He’s one of my classmates.”

Hyeran raised her eyebrows. “He’s playing a high schooler? Isn’t he in his thirties now?”

Chanhee shrugged. “I didn’t make the casting call. They probably want to attract all of the old nostalgic noonas like you.”

She slapped his arm. “I am not old!”

He just laughed at her. The nerve. “It’s also a mystery! All about who’s going to catch the female lead’s heart in the end, is it me? Or is it this dude from Infinite?”

“Well?”

“Spoilers!” Chanhee sing-songed. God, he was so punchable. She mimed punching him and he recoiled. “I don’t even know myself don’t hit me!!”

“They didn’t tell you?” She held her glass out for a refill and Chanhee obliged.

“That’s kind of normal with dramas. They’re not usually fully written yet at this point. They’ll probably wait to see what the public thinks of both potential pairings,” he explained. “though the writer does seem to have a strong idea of where she wants this to go.”

“You’ve met her then?” Hyeran still had some trouble wrapper her head around the fact that Chanhee was actually in the entertainment industry, no matter that his group had stranded. For her music just… appeared on the radio. Dramas were just broadcasted on the tv. She had no idea how any of it actually worked.

“Yeah! I did a final audition for them today with some of the other cast.” Chanhee always started using more of his hands when he was explaining something that was exciting, she’d noticed that before. He was doing it now. “They wanted to look at our chemistry together before they did the final signing. The writer is nice, if a little scatterbrained.”

“It’s so cool that you get to do all that,” Hyeran blurted out. “I mean… eh…”

Chanhee grinned such a grin that she instantly regretted saying that. “Why, Choi Hyeran, is that some admiration I hear?”

“N-no!” she spluttered. “You’re still a !”

He just laughed at her, the giant pile of garbage. It was crazy how fast the bottle of champagne went. One moment they were toasting the first glass and another and it was already halfway gone. Hyeran could feel the buzz. She laughed so hard at some dumb joke Chanhee made that she snorted right in the middle.

“D-did you really just-” Chanhee tried to say in between his own booming laugh. “Omg you little piggie!”

“If you tell this to anyone I will have you assassinated!” She warned, but she just laughed louder.

Chanhee grabbed the bottle. “Top up?”

Hyeran held out her glass for a re-fill just a little unsteadily. “I can’t believe you finally got your cast.” He’d been trying for so long and she’d felt bad every time she asked him how it was going and he’d pretend it wasn’t bothering him that rejection after rejection came his way. She was glad he finally got a good thing going. Even if it might mean he’d come around less.

Chanhee mocked offense and shock, there was the Chanhee she knew. “You doubted me?!”

“Oh shut it, Woo Chanhee, I’m trying to be nice here!” Hyeran gave him a playful shove.

Chanhee grabbed hold of her just to keep from falling off the counter. “Hey!”

Hyeran reached out to steady him.  “Oh my god, I’m so sorry!”

Chanhee just laughed. “You’re- eh-” He faltered. They were still clinging to each other and he was very close. So close. All she had to do was lean in and-

She let go of him and leaned back, feeling her face flush. God, she was probably a tomato, and why wouldn’t her heart stop beating?

He… didn’t lean back. There was a flush on his cheeks that could have been the alcohol or something else. She could see the warm brown of his eyes, the few stray freckles not quite covered by his foundation. “Hey Hyeran?” he asked.

“Y-yes?” That mouth turned up into a soft smile and her heart hammered louder.

A smile tugged at his lips, but not one of his cocky ones. It was almost… apprehensive. “I really want to kiss you right now.”

Her heart skipped a beat. He was waiting for her response but she felt like she was short-circuiting. What? She couldn’t think of anything to say other than “Really?”

He laughed. “Way to ruin the moment.” He didn’t lean back though. “What do you think? May I?”

She didn’t think she’d ever really looked into those eyes like she did now. The bastard really was handsome. Oh, hell take her. “Alright. You may.”

He leaned in. And he kissed her. Just like that. He found herself grinning as he pulled away, a grin that was reflected on his face. It was an infuriating grin on his part, of course, but damned if it wasn’t an infuriating grin  she loved. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time,” he said.

“I’d never dreamed for it,” she said, trying to control her grin into a cheeky smile. “But I suppose it was alright.” Before he could respond she leaned forward and kissed him again. “I do suppose I just kissed future superstar actor slash idol Woosu, didn’t I?”

“You’re going to have so many bragging rights,” he responded. God, she loved it that he could just follow along instantly to whatever trash talk she threw his way. “You should put a sign outside the door honestly.”

“‘The owner of this cafe kissed superstar Woosu’, I’ll commission that right away.” She said with a good roll of her eyes. She was already regretting this.

“What would one year ago-you say if she knew you were kissing Woo Chanhee though,” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows in that infuriatingly cute way of his.

“She’d say you’re definitely not handsome enough for this kind of lapse of judgement.”

“Why must you always wound me?!”

“Because you make it too easy. What would one year ago-Chanhee say if he knew about this?”

Chanhee smiled. “He’d say ‘wow! I can’t believe you actually managed to get that lucky!”

Hyeran laughed. “Stop! It’s no fun when you’re sweet, go back to being terrible!”

“I can’t! You do this to me!”

“I hate you so much right now.”

“I know.”

He kissed her again and, well, that was something she might just be able to get used to.

sorry for this chapter being late! a bunch of things came up and the writing energy out of me, but with another nanowrimo i'm back to provide some sweet sweet content. oops this chapter is like 50% chanhee i'm almost sorry. almost. 

also rip everyone who doesn't know overwatch reading the first section xd but i thought that after last chapter we could use something a bit quieter.

cameos in this chapter: tim/pp, sunhee, and chaerin are from the fic three six five. jeongha and halli are from the fic do or die.