Jaehyun reached for a juice box on the refreshments table at the same time as someone else reached for it. He drew back, apologising softly.

The other person drew back too. “Sorry.”

“Oh no,” Jaehyun began and then stopped. Right in front of him, stood a breathtakingly beautiful boy. At the back of his mind, he knew that all SM trainees were no doubt talented and beautiful people but this one, in front of him, was still a surprise. If the boy looked awkward, fidgeting with his sleeve slightly, Jaehyun felt no less awkward, feeling his throat go dry.

The boy held out the juice box to him. “Here you go.”

“No, it’s fine. You can have it. I’ll take one of the others,” Jaehyun said, gesturing towards the table. He wanted to ask, what’s your name? Do you like coffee? But this was his first day as a trainee and he wasn’t so courageous as to flirt with the first trainee he saw.

The boy made a face before smiling apologetically. “This is the last mixed fruit one. The others are all grape-flavoured and those taste horrible. You can have this one, it’s okay.”

“No, you have it,” Jaehyun replied a little too hurriedly. “I-I mean, I can have the grape one.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, grape juice is my favourite.” He let out a short laugh before telling himself not to lose it.

The boy smiled wider now, nodding. “Okay, then. Here, take a grape one.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re new here?”

“Yes.”

“I’m Lee Taeyong.”

Jaehyun looked at him and thought, that’s a nice name. He repeated it slowly. “Lee. Taeyong.” He smiled. “Nice to meet you. I’m Jung Yoonoh.”

Taeyong hummed, drinking his juice. He looked away when he caught Jaehyun staring at him. Reddening, he said, “Well, I guess, I’ll see you around, Yoonoh.”

Jaehyun said, “Yes.”

“Okay,” Taeyong said.

Later, when he came to know him better, Jaehyun realized that that conversation with Taeyong had been nothing short of a miracle. Taeyong was shy and didn’t talk to a lot of people, instead spending hours and hours practicing. But that conversation was special because it gave Jaehyun an opportunity to approach him again, one opportunity producing another and slowly, excrutiatingly slowly, Jaehyun made a place for himself in Taeyong’s life.

It didn’t take very long for most of the members to figure out something was wrong. When Yuta came to the kitchen to make some toast for himself, he found Taeyong sitting at the table with bloodshot eyes and a blank expression.

“You okay?” he asked.

He didn’t answer.

Yuta looked around but there was obviously no one else who could do it so he sighed and sat across Taeyong. “Hey,” he said, gently, “what is it?”

He shook Taeyong’s shoulder slightly. “You’re scaring me. Taeyong!”

Taeyong blinked and looked at him as if he had just realized Yuta was here. He gave a painful smile. “Good morning.”

Yuta patted his back. “Wait, I’ll get Jaehyun for you, okay?”

Taeyong frowned, blinking rapidly. “No! Uh, I’m going to get ready. Tell Johnny to wake the others. We have to leave after breakfast.”

“Taeyong, wait!

“I’m fine, Yuta.”

Yuta only found out what had happened when Taeil and Doyoung woke up. “Oh , seriously? What are they? Twelve?”<