“Okay guys, that’s it for today,” Hoseok announces, shutting off the track. Kihyun doesn’t even have the energy to reply, he merely plops down on the nearest chair and stares blankly at the wooden floor. His throat feels as if he’s been gargling brillo pads with acid, and his body screams at him in protest with even the slightest bit of movement. He hears the others around him complain yet again about how hungry they are, how tired, but he can’t muster up more than the smallest of nods.

“You coming with us, hyung?” Yoonho asks, standing as the others begin gathering their things. Hoseok shakes his head, commenting on how he wants to work a bit more on the song before heading out.

“You’ve been hanging back like this all week,” Gun pipes up, frowning in dismay. “You’re gonna make the rest of us look bad if you keep working like this…” There’s a joking tone to his words, but it holds a level of sincere concern that hits all the trainees in the room right in the gut. Hoseok forces out a strained chuckle, his gaze not quite meeting any of his teammates’.

“I’ll be fine, Gunhee,” he assures the rapper. At Gun’s skeptical huff, Hoseok adds, “I promise I won’t stay too late tonight, if that makes you feel any better. I’ll just work a bit on the chorus and head out.”

“Sure…” Gun merely responds with, clearly not believing him. Kihyun can’t blame the younger for doubting their leader, as this isn’t the first night Hoseok’s assured them with an early return home yet had ended up staying back ‘till dawn.

After an exhausted goodbye and a quick ride back to the dorm, the trainees trudge their way into their cramped home. The other team seems to have already come back, judging by the shoes in the rack, and Team Segyero can’t help the bitter taste coming up in their throats.

When they first found out about the teams, they’d had a feeling they’d be on the losing side once again, and obviously Team Ohjangnam feels the same.

Kihyun lets the others all go shower first, instead deciding to get something to eat. By the time he’s finished whipping up a quick little something, eaten it, and cleaned up after himself, the others are all in bed and fast asleep. He purses his lips at realizing just how long its been, and glances at the front door. He remembers how on-edge Hoseok had seemed throughout practice, the way he’d nitpick at the most miniscule of details. His shoulders had never seemed to relax throughout the duration of the day, and his eyes had seemed a bit wider than usual…

Finally, succumbing to his worries, Kihyun shoves on his beanie and slips on his shoes, beginning the walk back to the company building. A part of him demands he call one of the staff to drive him there, as Hoseok could very well be gone by the time he gets there, but he knows full-well Hoseok will be right in front of his computer when he arrives.

Hoseok chews on his bottom lip anxiously as he plays through the chorus once more. He’s lost track of time, he knows, but he just can’t stop yet. He has to get it as perfect as possible before he leaves, so that his team won’t suffer for his own laziness.

I can’t let any of them go home, he tells himself, the faces of his teammates flashing before his eyes. The reel ends with Kihyun, and remains on his beautiful smile a moment longer than it had the rest. It gives his heart just enough time to stop beating before finally dissipating, and allowing Hoseok to get back to work.

I can’t let him go home…

Suddenly, there’s a knock on the door behind him, and he turns about as fast as can manage to see a face he’d very much not been expecting. He’d expected it to be a staff member yet again telling him to go home, but instead he’s very much surprised to see the face of one of his teammates glaring at him through the fogged-up glass. He thinks for a moment he’s hallucinating, as they all had gone home some time ago, but when the door opens and Kihyun enters, he knows he isn’t. After all, even his best dreams couldn’t conjure up Kihyun in such detail.

“Hyung, that’s enough for tonight,” Kihyun tells him in a scratchy voice. The vocalist crosses his arms over his chest defiantly, and begins to tap his foot on the carpeted floor as Hoseok only stares at him like he’s just grown three new heads. He purses his lips, glancing around the cramped room. “It’s late… You should come home and just pick this back up when we come back.”

“I… I can’t yet,” Hoseok tells him, earning a sigh of exasperation from his dongsaeng. He finds himself growing defensive, which causes him to begin to babble. “I need to make sure none of us go home. All of our survival is on me this week. If I screw this up, I screw up someone else’s chance of debuting, and I can’t have that on my shoulders.”

Kihyun remains quiet for a moment, staring with an unreadable gaze at the older man. Hoseok only presses his lips together, his own tiredness making him more nervous than usual about being alone with the younger, and he quickly turns back round. He hopes the action only serves to further his outer-resolve and not expose his own anxiety.

There’s footsteps, and Hoseok is pretty sure the younger is leaving, but, then, there’s a hand squeezing his shoulder, and the older nearly jumps out of his skin. Another hand sets itself atop his still-damp shirt, and he feels the younger’s hands slowly slide their way down from his shoulders. He remains rigidly still, every fiber of his being on fire as Kihyun wraps his arms around his neck and hugs him tight.

They stay like that for an interminable amount of time, Kihyun hugging him consolingly and Hoseok not knowing how to react. He wants desperately to hug him back, but he honestly doesn’t know if he can keep himself from kissing the younger if he were to turn around right now.

Eventually, Kihyun pulls away, instead electing to sit on the piano bench beside Hoseok’s chair.

“Do you need any help?” he asks, finally breaking the silence that had followed Hoseok’s earlier words. Hoseok’s taken aback for a moment, having not expected such an offer. But, he isn’t too surprised to not take him up on it.

“C-Could you sing this part of the chorus?” he prompts, reaching for a page of lyrics and handing them to the younger. Kihyun nods, and takes the page without hesitation. He clears his throat, and belts out the highlighted portion as best he can.

And so, together, the two spend the remainder of the night and some of the morning planning out their song, and even working on some choreography. Both leave the company building at dawn, feeling much more exhilarated than either would think possible after a night like that.

Hoseok glances over at Kihyun as they walk, finding that radiant smile he’s come to adore throughout this trying process. The younger feels his gaze on him, and glances at him out of the corner of his eye. The expression he finds there nearly makes him stumble. It’s a look of absolute adoration and affection, a foolish, smitten smile so blatant on his handsome features.

Don’t get too attached, Yoo, Kihyun tells himself, doing his best to pretend as if he hadn’t noticed. If you two get involved, and he gets eliminated… However, even with this, he can’t deny the loud pounding of his heart at the word ‘involved.’

He finds himself slipping his own hand into Hoseok’s ever so gently before he can stop himself. The older is clearly surprised, judging by the way his eyes widen and his jaw drops to the cement. A small laugh escapes Kihyun before he can stop it, but this only brings the widest, purest smile Kihyun has ever seen to Hoseok’s face, and Kihyun feels himself getting much too attached already… Though, strangely, he doesn’t think he minds it.