Kyungsoo awoke the next morning to a noise. It was a sound only a human could make, and it was grunt that came in every few seconds, a steady rhythm forming. Bewildered, Kyungsoo turned his head to find the other side of the bed empty. When he focused more, he could hear the muffled sound of… music?

His eardrums leading to the source, he located Jongin on the floor, doing a set of pushups in his pajamas—rather, Kyungsoo’s pajamas—with music blasting from his phone into his ears, lying on the floor next to him. His arms popping with veins and his skin smeared a light red, he made a noise of discomfort with every lower to the ground.

Kyungsoo scratched his ruffled hair. “Jongin?”

No answer. The music was too loud.

Jongin, obviously in the zone, gave no notice whatsoever to Kyungsoo carefully climbing out of bed and sneaking to Jongin’s back. He quickly grabbed his feet from under him, causing Jongin’s upper body to crash to the floor and Kyungsoo to crack up in laughter. Immediately, his earbuds were ripped out and he turned to Kyungsoo.

“What the he—oh. Hi, baby,” he said, his face turning pink with embarrassment.

“Good morning. Don’t do that, your arms will get sore.” He walked over to the closet as Jongin put the earbuds back on Kyungsoo’s dresser and joined him in the closet. Kyungsoo was searching for a shirt to wear, not looking at Jongin as he spoke. “You don’t always do that, right?”

He spotted Jongin shake his head out of his peripheral. “Only for something like this.”

Kyungsoo nodded in understanding, picking out a plain, black long sleeve shirt and some jeans. They wouldn’t be dancing much today, since it was mostly like the first day of school; find out where everything is and get used to it.

After all, the two boys could be training for years in the same building.

Once they were both acceptable, Jongin’s eyes locked on his hat, slipping it on his head over his untouched hair, a rarity to see for Kyungsoo. He frowned. “That’s my hat.”

“Who’s was it first?” Jongin teased, kissing Kyungsoo on the forehead. “I’ll give it back when training’s over today. You don’t have hair gel.”

“Who does have hair gel?”

“Boys with hair longer than yours.”

“Boys with hair longer than mine can be misplaced as women.”

Jongin raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“Excuse you nothing, my lady,” Kyungsoo teased, making Jongin playfully scoff and shove the older’s shoulder. After pulling on their tennis shoes and locking the apartment shut for the next ten hours, Jongin’s hand found Kyungsoo’s, fully intertwining their fingers, palms fitting into the other’s.

They let go as little as they could, the journey from Kyungsoo’s home and the S.M. building by car causing them to separate a few times. The final intertwining was cut off when they reached the front doors of the facility, eyes scanning every little thing when the door slid open.

The ceiling was high, modern furniture covering the place like it was just freshly remodeled. By the stairs to go up, a secretary sat behind a circular cubicle. Kyungsoo and Jongin approached the woman, Kyungsoo bowing to her, as he would speak for both of them. “Um, hello. Can you tell me where the new trainees go?”

She smiled sweetly at him before gesturing to a group of about seven mixed gender persons. “Over there. A representative should be speaking to you soon. Congratulations, by the way,” she added with a grin. “You’ll love it here.”

Kyungsoo matched the grin. “Ah, thank you very much.” He bowed once more, Jongin at his side as they joined the others. He could feel their stares boring into him, judging his every move and flaw; this was a competition, after all. Kyungsoo bowed from the neck to all of them swiftly, finding a spot on the wall to lean again.

Jongin joined him. “I’m so nervous.”

“Relax, we’ll be fine,” Kyungsoo whispered. Over the next few minutes, trainees popped through the door. Some would find the waiting crowd, others would have to follow the two boy’s footsteps and ask the welcoming secretary where they were supposed to be located. A few minutes past eight, a man clad in a dress suit walked towards the now twenty people.

Kyungsoo noticed that everyone did the exact same thing that he did; they bowed their ninety degrees. This was a representative. He smiled faintly at the greetings being thrown at him. “Good afternoon.” His eyes scanned the crowd, calmly counting everyone mentally. He grinned. “Excellent. Everyone’s here. Follow me.”

~*~

They were given a tour of the building and a list of their classes. Most of them had chosen electives like modeling or acting, but Kyungsoo and Jongin would wait to start those later, they decided. The two had every class together, making them both happy, and the rest of the time was given to them to practice in one of the many practice rooms.

All of them were given very specific instructions to stay off the fifth floor, though. That was debuted or debuting groups only territory.

Kyungsoo didn’t feel like practicing, and since the two were the only in that specific, tiny practice room, he didn’t. He leaned against the all around mirror walls, ankles crossed and legs stretched in front of him. Jongin had a pair of white earbuds in, and was exercising in the middle of the room, his white v-neck clinging to his toned torso and becoming transparent.

Not taking his glance from the muscles rippling in Jongin’s forearms, Kyungsoo stood up and found himself staring at his own reflection in the mirror. He looked tired, he noticed, and he didn’t feel very up to par. Something didn’t feel right. It was a gnawing feeling that he wasn’t welcome here.

Turning his attention back to Jongin, who was doing sit ups on the hardwood floors, Kyungsoo felt his insides churn. Jongin was the only reason he was even doing this. This wasn’t his passion, and it was definitely not what he expected to be doing. But it all worked out, with the college probation and the acceptance to be a trainee.

It felt wrong to Kyungsoo.

He shook his head, deciding that he had been in the same room long enough. Without excusing himself, Kyungsoo opened the door and took a glance back to make sure Jongin hadn’t noticed. Not a response.

The door shut softly with a small click, and Kyungsoo rolled up the sleeves to his shirt, ruffling his slowly growing hair. He had gotten it cut right before the audition with the information that he wasn’t allowed to cut it anymore; the stylists had to have something to work with when an artist debuts.

The hallways were fairly silent; Kyungsoo saw a few people on a rarity, and even managed to see Lee Taemin, a member of the group SHINee. He bowed respectfully to his sunbae, getting a smile and a bow from the neck back. Kyungsoo continued his journey, until he somehow ended up on the roof.

It was a rectangular shape, with nothing but cement on top. Kyungsoo plopped down on the hard ground, pulling out his cell phone and dialing one of the numbers he knew by heart. His best friend, Chanyeol’s.

“Soo! Long time no speak! How’s your S.M. thing going?” he asked in that same deep voice, his tone hearty. Kyungsoo grinned. He had craved that voice for so long. Missing Chanyeol was something he hadn’t planned on doing.

 “It’s going… okay, I guess. We haven’t really done much,” Kyungsoo replied, only now noticing how down his brain made his voice sound. He hadn’t spoken to anyone in hours.

“Is something wrong, Soo? You sound, I don’t know, sad,” Chanyeol observed, his words lined with concern. Kyungsoo wanted nothing more than Chanyeol to be right here with him.

He sighed. “I don’t feel right here.”

“What do you mean?”

“This isn’t what I want to do…” Kyungsoo realized, trailing off. “I don’t want to be a singer or a dancer. This wasn’t what I planned. I had the idea that D.O was going to be my life, not this. I’m only here because of Jongin.” Everything was coming together.

Chanyeol was silent for a few seconds. “I don’t know how to help you, man. You fell so in love with him that you let him you in to performing with him. This isn’t your passion, correct?”

Kyungsoo nodded, but remembered that Chanyeol couldn’t see him. “Yeah, it’s not.”

“I’ve read all of your books, and I’m sure you have more stories that you haven’t published, but you’re an amazing writer, Kyungsoo. Nothing that the average person like me could do. If you don’t want to do this, quit. Jongin will understand. And if he can’t, leave him.”

“You say that like that’s an easy thing to do.”

Chanyeol scoffed. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“I love him, Chanyeol. You don’t realize how much he means to me. Imagine leaving Baekhyun because he dragged you into his career. Now think how easy it is to leave him,” Kyungsoo pointed out, hugging his knees up to his chest.

Chanyeol sighed. “You’re right, Soo. Is there any way I can help you out with this? I don’t know how.”

Kyungsoo shook his head to no one in particular. “No, but… please just… try to take some time to talk to me. I can’t figure out everything by myself. I’m too confused.”

“I will. Don’t go nuts on me, alright? You still have to be my best man in a few months.”

Kyungsoo smiled. “I know.”

“Good. I’ll call you tonight, alright? Keep me posted on how you are.”

“Sure thing. Bye, Chanyeol.”

“Annyeong.”

Kyungsoo set his phone back in his pocket, running a hand through his hair and shutting his eyes, his chin on his knees.

This was so much harder to understand than he imagined.

~*~

That night, Jongin didn’t join Kyungsoo again. He went home to Joonmyun, leaving the older alone in his apartment. His conversation with Chanyeol lasted at least two hours, the two boys talking about absolute nothings until Baekhyun called Kyungsoo’s best friend to dinner.

Now he was alone.

Kyungsoo pulled his laptop onto his lap, getting every part of his story ready to ship off to Yunho. He was confident; this was one of his best books, even though the journey at the beginning was rough because of Jongin joining the older’s life.

When everything was done, two hours before his deadline, Kyungsoo sent his story to his editor, with a little note on the bottom of the e-mail.

I’m finished, hyung-nim. Please enjoy this, because this is probably… ah, this is hard to admit. This is probably my last story I’ll be publishing. I’m sorry. Forgive me, and let’s stay friends, okay?

-D.O

Kyungsoo pressed enter on his laptop and shut the lid.

~*~

Hola~ Kind of a pointless chapter, sorry. >.< I've been more focused on the planning of le sequel (and le prequel, but that's months away :3) to really write this very well. But you'll enjoy next chapter.

Why?

It's chapter twenty-one, but it's more of a gift than a privelige for both of them... ^^;

BTW, HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAISOO!!!! <3 I completely forgot to write in their birthdays in this story, so let's just assume birthday was involved. xD

Please comment~ Thank you! <3