06:50 KST

Kim Jinwoo

Fact: Life goes on.

The world never stopped spinning for a boy suffering from a wretched heartbreak. The universe carried on without care, and time, despite this er of a pain, never ceased from ticking off the seconds in my existence simply because I wanted it to. No. It didn’t work like that.  Life is cruel like that.

So the very next day, I acted like everything was normal. Well, at least I tried.  

I woke up, went through my usual daily routine, and stepped out of my room with little to nothing enthusiasm in my heavy strides. The rich aroma of a brewing coffee welcomed me in an instant, and this scent, as inconsequential and mundane as it was, delighted me. For a second, I paused and inhaled the sent.

Maybe the universe isn’t so bad at all.

I spotted my friends lounging at the living room, minding their own businesses. Lee Seunghoon and Nam Taehyun were huddled on the sofa, their long legs stretched in front of them. Despite the television screen flashing in front of them, the two kept their eyes fixated on their phones, rendering the poor thing without an audience. I clicked my tongue at the sight. What a waste of electricity.

I greeted them. “Morning.”  

Seunghoon was the first one to notice me. “Good morning, hyung!” he beamed, lifting his eyes up at me before dropping it back on his mobile a second after and added, “Breakfast is at the table. I got us some coffee beans and pastries from your favorite café,” he took a quick whiff and nonchalantly added, “Seems like coffee’s ready.”

I smiled genuinely this time and hummed my response. Thank goodness that Seunghoon was an early riser. After jogging every single morning, he took the initiative of preparing or buying our breakfast. And by that, he normally had the say on what we should eat to start our day. It wasn’t really a bad thing, for me at least, since all I needed was coffee to begin the day. Making a quick detour toward the dining table, I poured myself a cup of coffee and took a piece of cinnamon roll, before joining the other two on the sofa.

“Jiyong sunbae just garnered another million followers in his instagram.” Now it was Taehyun who detached his eyes from the phone, tossing it aside as he huffed in annoyed amusement.  “Why can’t I be cool and famous like him? Damn, a million followers. I can’t even get a hundred people to like my posts. ”

Seunghoon half chuckled and half snorted at the younger’s sudden gloom. “Jiyong sunbae is in a totally different caliber, Tae,” he said. “We’re just trainees, and he’s a global celebrity. We’re like ants to him. What do you expect?”

I was idly watching whatever program was telecasted on the TV while sipping at my cup when I felt Teahyun leaning against the cushions. I could feel him looking at me.

“If we finally debut, and become real idols, will I also have five million followers?” he mused.

“Five million?” I glanced at him and blinked. “That’s impossible, Taehyun.”

“Not quite,” he quipped. “If Jiyong sunbae can do it, why can’t we, right?”

I could only nod at him now, because without a doubt, I knew he could easily launch one sensible rebuttal to any argument I could ever possibly throw at him. One wouldn’t think this boy was the youngest among us. Because the idea of Nam Taehyun’s existence could sometimes feel exhilarating. With a delicately boyish body, and a polished, self-conscious beauty, Taehyun was also vigorous, talented and smart. But above all else he had an enviable confidence. He was too confident and ambitious for his own good. Too clever and wayward that it made him the most formidable member in our group...and arrogant most of the time. God knew how many times Seungyoon tried killing himself out of irritation caused by this stubborn boy. Yet how I wished I could have even a pint of his assets. Taehyun was as clever as I was naive. How I wish it isn’t always like that.

“If you want to be as famous as him then better start moving your lazy , Taehyun. Practice a hundred times more than the usual.” Seunghoon intercepted.

 “I am ‘practicing a hundred times more than the usual’ already. Thanks to the constant nagging of our dearest leader.” Taehyun grunted, which coaxed another chuckle from the latter.

“Don’t let him hear you say that.”

Biting onto my cinnamon roll, I then trained my eyes on Lee Seunghoon, resting my gaze on his crossed legs in the most heteroual way a male would observe a fellow male. Seunghoon was tall and lean, so tall and lean, that I looked like a prepubescent teen whenever I stood beside him. This guy is also one of the murderers of my self-esteem.

Along with Kang Seungyoon, Seunghoon was already famous before he joined YG entertainment. He had fans, and our dance instructors love him. I couldn’t blame them though. His dancing skills were already great, but it was because of his choreography that I began respecting him as a real artist. It was phenomenal. They say one danced to express, but with Lee Seunghoon, it was to live. He moved as rhythmically and graciously as one breathed, moving fluidly like his life depended on it. His choreographies could bring a deeper meaning to any song, a rediscovery, making it his own. As how fervently I wished to be as confident and clever as Taehyun, I also hoped to the gods I could have the captivating grace of Lee Seunghoon.   

“We need to leave before 8 o’clock, guys.”

Amid my ponderings, a voice joined us in the living room. I glanced over my shoulders and caught Kang Seungyoon’s freshly bathed form. He was still draped in his towel, and hair dripping wet. “The van will be here in 10. Better start moving your asses, or you’ll be left.”

Ah, another murderer. Here was our team leader; handsome, lithe, and sinewy, looking like a male ballet dancer than the pop idol he attained to be. When Seungyoon wasn’t busy nagging at us, he could be found in the studio, hitting his high notes with such exquisite ease and precision as though he was born do it. Like Seunghoon, he was already known to the public, sang top charted songs and received tons of awards. He could have been a solo artist if he wanted to, achieve great success at it, and ultimately be as famous as Jiyong sunbae—hitting five million followers in the process and all. And yet he chose to be a trainee under YG entertainment, to start all over and be a part of a rookie group.