"Okay, this is it.." Doojoon said as the van pulled up in front of the seven story building. With each member taking a deep breath, they all got out, stepping down to stand outside and look up at the place that would be their home for the foreseeable future. Yoseob's excitement was loud and clear as the singer bounced up and down on the balls of his feet.

 

Either that, or he was just cold..

 

Doojoon looked at the other five, eyebrows lofted. "Ready?" When they nodded, he and their manager led the way inside.

 

It had been two weeks since the news about debuting had been given. Under normal circumstances they probably would have been moved into a dorm almost immediately, but the company had decided to give the group a probationary period after the initial meeting. Yoseob hadn’t understood it at first, his impatience showing through as he continuously wondered why they were waiting. Doojoon had very calmly explained that they were making sure the boys would continue their hard work. They didn’t want the group to start slacking off  just because they had been told they would debut. Yoseob had ceased his complaints almost immediately, but his impatience showed through in other ways.

 

Overall, the six of them worked even harder than before. Now that the end of the tunnel was in sight, they had something tangible to work toward. Going home exhausted became an almost every day occurrence for all of them.

 

Now that they were finally moving into a dorm together, it wasn’t a surprise to find out that the six of them would be sharing a bedroom, but when Hyunseung saw how close together the beds were he couldn’t seem to suppress a little shiver at the idea of sleeping so close to someone else. 

 

Dongwoon’s hand closed over his shoulder and squeezed briefly as the maknae passed him into the bedroom. The touch brought Hyunseung out of his moment of uneasiness, and he took a deep breath before stepping into the bedroom with Yoseob close on his heels.

 

“Finally!” Yoseob threw his pillow and one of the blankets they’d been given onto a top bunk and scrambled up. Judging by his lack of a bag, he’d already been to the closet to drop off his clothes. The small boy flopped down on his bed, falling silent for a few seconds before he shifted and peered down at the others over the edge. “Doojoonie! Up here!”

 

“I know, I know. Take my pillow, Seobie,” Doojoon said calmly as he handed his own plump pillow up to the younger boy. He had to bite back a snicker as it was promptly traded for Yoseob’s. “I want that back when we go to bed.”

 

“Mm.” The soft murmur was the only response given from the top bunks.

 

Kikwang frowned as he came in the room. “Yah! Shower before you sleep!”

 

"You have it first! You shower!"

 

Hyunseung nodded mutely after a minute, then turned and moved his pillow onto the end bed as suggested. The blankets all matched, he realized belatedly. Well that would make laundry interesting. Hopefully they didn’t have to do all their laundry together, or he’d never be able to tell their bedclothes apart.

 

Junhyung watched him settle his bed for a few minutes while the squabble continued in the background. Dongwoon had disappeared somewhere, presumably to hunt for food in the kitchen. Doojoon was now trying to separate the two boys up top and getting whacked by pillows for his efforts. Throughout all the noise, Hyunseung was calm and focused, his thin frame bent on the bed while he straightened his blanket and smoothed everything over.

 

It wasn’t the first time he’d watched the other boy like this. The moment Hyunseung had entered the company as a trainee he’d caught Junhyung’s eye. He was so far from the norm for trainees. Slow to trust but quick to help when asked, his near constant avoidance of the other trainees had made him a subject of gossip. There were rumors that he’d cracked after his previous two rejections, that representatives of the companies had spread the word he didn’t have what it took, that his acceptance to this company was only because Yoseob had gotten Kikwang to talk them into it.

 

It was ridiculous. Every last bit of it.

 

Junhyung had watched him through it all. He saw how hard Hyunseung worked. Long after the others had gone home, Junhyung would come across him dancing in a practice room. He never let him know he was there. Hyunseung clammed up around the other trainees. Whatever the reason for that, it couldn’t be good. The most likely explanation was that during his trainee days at the previous two companies, the other trainees had mistreated him in some way. Perhaps it was just simple verbal bullying, or something of the sort. Either way, Hyunseung wasn’t comfortable around the trainees. In fact, he didn’t seem to be comfortable around anyone at all, so maybe it was just part of who he was. 

 

The look on Hyunseung’s face when they’d found out they were going to debut had made a lot of things clear about him. Even with his own shock over the news, Junhyung hadn’t missed that expression. Hyunseung hadn’t given up on dancing and had joined the company after two rejections, but those two rejections had taken a toll on him. To some extent, deep down he’d probably been terrified that he’d never be given another chance. 

 

Now they were in the dorm and Hyunseung was giving his blanket the same focus he gave his dancing. It was a little comical, really. He watched until Hyunseung slid backwards off his bed and left the room with a murmuring about taking his shower. Junhyung smirked when he realized Hyunseung would probably lock the door. That would be interesting when Kikwang and Yoseob finished fighting and finally decided to shower.