Changkyun wonders why him.  

Why was he chosen? Why was he forced into this? Why did the judges and fans think this was a good idea to push him and the others together?  

Why are they forcing him to live and work with men who hate his guts? 

The rapper chews on his bottom lip, sitting rigidly on the floor. Gun and Yoonho have just left, having been moved to the dorm where all the other failed contestants are put. All the other rejects. They didn't seem too disheartened by it, telling the others that the fact they made it so far only proves they're just that much closer to debut.  

The other members. His other members...  

He hears footsteps, and gulps nervously as Hyunwoo and Jooheon shuffle in, looking exhausted as they sit simultaneously on the bottom bunk in the room. They wear looks of equal regret and sorrow in their eyes. 

"Well... that's it," Jooheon finally says, breaking the silence as Hoseok, Hyungwon, and Kihyun come in. Hoseok sniffles loudly, wiping at his teary eyes with a hand as he slumps down onto the floor. Guilt claws at Changkyun's heart. He's the reason they're crying now, why their friends were tossed out at the last second.  

He's the reason they're in pain... 

"Now comes the hard part," Hyunwoo tells them all, his eyes not leaving the floor. "We have to work hard for our debut, harder than we've ever had to work for this competition. We need to—" The slamming of a door from down the hall—Minhyuk—cuts him off, causing Changkyun to flinch. Kihyun's eyes flick over to him, an unreadable light filling them as they return to the oldest in the room. 

"We need to put our all into this release, to prove that we deserve the spots we were given." 

They all nod in understanding, Changkyun's movements the most minute. He doesn’t want to cause any more ripples than he already has.  

Hyunwoo nods himself, and stands as he tells them all that they ought to get some rest. They drift off one by one towards their own rooms, all but Jooheon. He remains on that bed, his hands clasped together and his torso leaned forward. Both men are silent for some time, and the sounds of a hushed argument can be heard from Kihyun and Minhyuk's room. 

"I know it seems pretty hopeless right now," Jooheon finally says, his voice low despite them being alone, "but it'll get better." Changkyun nods, pressing his lips together as his tongue pokes out to nervously them. Jooheon sighs tiredly, finally standing himself to supposedly leave Changkyun on his own to cry it out.  

But, he clasps a hand on the younger's shoulder, sitting down now beside him as he pulls Changkyun towards him in a tight hug. The hold reminds Changkyun of when he'd broken down on stage mere hours ago. It causes all the relief, grief, terror, regret, and utter happiness to reenter his mind, and he suddenly breaks out in a fit of tears quite similar to the one he'd had then. 

Jooheon only pats his back, letting him cry it out. 

He doesn't know how long he sits there, sobbing on the shoulder of a man he barely knows. He's so caught up in his own messy swirl of emotions, trying to apologize for this mess he's made because of his own ambition that he doesn't hear the next pair of footsteps coming in. Next thing he knows, a pair of short, chubby arms encircles his waist, and he chokes on his own breath as he turns and sees through his tears Kihyun's black hair pressed against his back. 

"It's okay," Kihyun tells him softly. "We don't blame you for any of this... It's okay." 

The older's words only cause another tearful fit to wrack the maknae's body, as he desperately hopes for that to be true...