It was the first day of their Seoul concert and they were currently doing the final rehearsal on stage. Hyukjae took a deep breath as he started his solo dance break on the main stage, wearing only one of his in-ears. As he started dancing, he suddenly heard someone shouting his name. He whipped up his head to where the voice was coming from, but he’s sure who that voice belongs to. 

“Lee Hyukjae! Lee Hyukjae! Lee Hyukjae!” Donghae was cheering playfully from the first row in front of the extended stage, with a smile so bright that Hyukjae almost got blinded and missed his dance steps.

Hyukjae smiled back at him and then professionally continued with the rehearsal. When the VCR played and knowing it would be Kyuhyun’s solo stage after that, Hyukjae grabbed the chance and jumped off the stage to where Donghae was and sat beside him.

“Hey, what are you doing here?” Hyukjae asked curiously because Donghae wasn’t supposed to be there at all.

Donghae grinned. “Shindong hyung let me in. I wanted to cheer you on in advance, before the concert starts.”

Hyukjae’s heart fluttered and he couldn’t resist the smile pulling up on his face so he bit his lip instead. “Thanks, Hae.”

Siwon and Yesung approached them and Donghae greeted them as well, cheering them on for the concert later. 

Ah yes, of course he wasn’t here just for me.

“Are you going to watch the concert?” Yesung asked.

Donghae nodded. “Yes, for both days.”

“Really? The company gave you complimentary tickets for both days?” Siwon asked in surprise.

Hyukjae was also surprised at this. He thought Donghae would just watch tomorrow with Ryeowook, because Ryeowook has work for today. 

“Ah no, the complimentary ticket is just for tomorrow. The one for today, I bought it myself.”

“You should have told me, Hae. I could have gotten you the ticket instead,” Hyukjae said.

“Yeah, we could have reserved you a ticket for today,” Yesung said.

Donghae smiled. “It’s okay, guys. I got a good seat anyway. The complimentary tickets are always up there.”

“Where are you seated today?” Hyukjae asked.

Donghae looked smug. “Here, this would be my seat later.”

All three of them widened their eyes. 

“Wow, you really were lucky to get a seat in the first row down here,” Yesung said.

Siwon nodded. “Yeah, I heard it was a ticketing war again.”

Donghae snorted. “It really was. This seat was really expensive.”

“You bought from a scalper?!” Hyukjae exclaimed.

Donghae looked down. “I know you guys hate that kind of thing. But this is the reality.”

“B..but you didn’t have to spend a lot,” Hyukjae splutters, confused with Donghae’s logic. Donghae has seen the performances already because he sometimes hangs out in the practice room when they’re rehearsing. He’s always with them too so it’s not like there is a need to see them up close. And he’s even here right now, watching their stage rehearsal.

“I just wanted to experience sitting in the front row for once. And later today, I’m a fan, not a friend or a staff,” Donghae said.

Ah, yes. That’s so Donghae.

Hyukjae looks at Donghae in a mixture of fondness and bewilderment. Here is Donghae’s sentimentality again. It sets him apart from other people, and many others would not understand him. Hyukjae does though, and he wants to support Donghae in everything the latter wants to do. 

“You’ve watched us in the Philippines before, right? You’ve never watched from very near the stage?”

Donghae shook his head. “I was kind of shy to sit very near. Male fans attract a lot of attention, you know.”

“But why is it okay for you now?” Hyukjae asked.

Donghae shrugged. “I just felt like it.”

Hyukjae wanted to ask further, but they were already due to go back on stage. Yesung and Siwon both ruffled Donghae’s hair as goodbye and walked back up the stage. 

“Then, I hope you enjoy the concert later,” Hyukjae said as he fixed Donghae’s hair and tucked it behind his ear like he always does. He felt the familiar urge to kiss Donghae, so he stood up and started walking, but  backwards still facing Donghae.

“I’m sure I will,” Donghae smiled beautifully. “Enjoy it too. I’m sure you’ll do great. Fighting, Hyuk!”

“Thank you,” he smiled back sweetly and then promptly turned to face the stage and ran towards his position just as the next song started.

After the rehearsal, it was a whirlwind of showering, eating, being styled, photo ops, and reviewing the setlist. Hyukjae wasn’t able to meet Donghae again, but he kept track of the latter’s IG stories of eating somewhere nice, and then a photo of a cafe, and then of the concert stadium outside. 

Then the concert started and Hyukjae was in full Eunhyuk mode. But every time he’s on the extended stage, he would always make it a point to look at Donghae every once in a while. (If it’s up to him he would look at Donghae the entire time but of course he can’t be that obvious. Their fans are very observant after all.) And all of those times, Donghae was looking back at him too, a smile on his face and his phone in front of him like the other fans. It fills Hyukjae’s heart with inexplicable joy and energy surges through his whole body. Later, he even saw tweets from fans saying that he looked more energetic and happier than usual. 

When the concert ended, Hyukjae thought for a moment if he should go home with Donghae. He knows he shouldn’t though, because the fans would be out there taking videos of all the members getting in on their vehicles and waiting for them to roll down their windows. 

He sighed. Lately, his craving for Donghae’s company seems to have multiplied tenfold. Turning to Kyuhyun, he asked about his roommate’s plan for tonight.

“Ryeowook feels bad that he couldn’t go today, so we promised that we will eat dinner together later and cuddle while checking the fans’ responses online,” Kyuhyun said in a low voice.

“So you two will be at the dorm?”

Kyuhyun nodded in response. “Yes, the living room.”

Hyukjae finds it cute that Kyuhyun specified the living room. Kyuhyun and Ryeowook have been together just for a week, and it seems like they’re taking it slow, still always hanging out in the common areas of their dorm or Donghae’s apartment, just like how they were before. It does irk him and Donghae sometimes though when they walk in on them cuddling or kissing or looking at each other lovingly. Those moments were never scandalous but of course it still feels like walking in on a private moment, and Hyukjae or Donghae would be the ones who would feel embarrassed. 

Hyukjae wants to invite Donghae too, but it would be weird to hang out in the living room with the couple if they are cuddling on the couch. He wanted to relax his body though, and didn’t want to sit stiff in the dining area, nor go to Donghae’s apartment to hang out there for a while and then head back.

“You could still invite Donghae. And when he sees us on the couch, for sure you’d end up in your bedroom,” Kyuhyun smirked and then winked.

Hyukjae threw a water bottle at him, flustered. Over the past months, he’s hung out with Donghae in his bedroom only twice - both times were because they had to write lyrics and Kyuhyun’s friends were at the dorm. Today though, there will be no such work to be done. And today, his body needs to rest and he’s sure he would feel the urge to snuggle to Donghae or something like that, and he wouldn’t want to make it awkward if they’re on his bed. 

Huffing another sigh, he decides that he’d have to let go of his desire to spend time with Donghae tonight. Besides, he still has a concert tomorrow.

Right, I’ll just eat and then rest early. 

After an hour, they were finally out of the concert grounds when Hyukjae received a message.

Donghae:

I saw on Twitter you already left . Have you had dinner ?

Hyukjae:

Not yet. How about you?

Donghae:

Wookie prepared food for Kyu and