~Ice

17. Zhoumi & Donghae

Learning a new choreography was never easy. Every time, they would start practicing thinking that - given their experience - it would be a piece of cake. And every single time, they were being proven terribly wrong.

Zhoumi had, once again, stayed at the room even after all the other members had left, straining his muscles more and more, determined to do it right! Out of breath, the young man pushed himself to complete the routine. He gritted his teeth to endure the sharp pain of his right ankle, and successfully danced the last steps. Groaning, Zhoumi heavily sat on the wooden floor, sprawling his long legs on the worn-out boards. His chest was rising and falling with every deep breath, his lungs and throat burning from exertion. Zhoumi didn't even have the power to reach for the water bottle placed a couple of metres away. The man focused on the wallpaper-covered walls instead, the pattern of white fluffy clouds against a blue sky calming him. 

Releasing a long breath, Zhoumi closed his eyes for a few moments, mentally going through the dance. The door opening interrupted him, though.

"Hey, it's getting too late."

Parting one eyelid, Zhoumi tiredly glanced at whomever had come to pick him up. Donghae was standing at the doorway, holding a tumbler of hot coffee and an ice-pack. The younger man squatted next to Zhoumi and placed the ice on the singer's slightly swollen ankle. Sighing in relief, Zhoumi nodded his thanks at Donghae, still too tired to form comprehensible speech.

Even if it was around three in the morning, the younger didn't insist in leaving. They kept sitting on the wooden floor, Zhoumi sipping his coffee and Donghae blabbering about a million different things, till the soothing ice completely melted.