"And Yoseob will then sing the bridge,” Junhyung concludes.

The group of five boys nod understandingly, sharing solemn glances among one another as they immerse in forward thoughts of their upcoming assigned parts. The lyric sheet, held by one uneasy male, folds quietly, its words concealing as the underside emerges together through the forming crease in the middle. He reaches out for his water bottle, takes a visible gulp and swallows his apprehensions, hoping to conceal his foreboding troubles.

“Alright guys! Recording starts in an hour,” Junhyung says, addressing the whole group. Grunts of agreement follow then Junhyung stands to leave. However before exiting, he raises his head as if recalling an important detail. “Ah! That’s right! Yoseob,” he says, turning to the strangely quiet member, “if you can record the guide…”

His head shots up immediately, the grip around his water bottle tightens unconsciously. His eyes meet Junhyung’s and an automatic, practiced smile spreads on his face. “Of course,” he says, his voice sounding happy. “I’ll meet you there in fifteen minutes. I just need to grab a bite from downstairs.”

Junhyung smiles, oblivious to the underlying anxiety in Yoseob’s voice. “Alright. Grab me a drink too, will ya?” he says as he exits the room.

 “Oh hyung! Me too!” a voice interjects.

Yoseob fakes a chuckle as he tries to conceal his uncomfort. Then he takes his folded lyric sheet and half-empty water bottle. “Alright. I’ll be back guys.” A series of grunts follow afterwards and he exits out the room quietly, not wanting to break the concentration of s. The door clicks at the same time a strained cough escapes his mouth. He walks slowly towards the elevators, then stops. Giving it a quick glance, he turns towards the staircase instead.

Alone, surrounded by the suffocating white of the emergency stairwell, he allows for his hands to wrap around his throat. The soft, cool skin of his fingers ease the constriction and he massages it carefully. Loud, whopping coughs soon follow and the burn starts to overwhelm him. He hastily uncaps his water bottle but the trembling of his fingers prevents him from doing it successfully. Finally unscrewing it with force, he tries to take a gulp. Yet his constricting throat forces him to cough it out instead. Heaving, he tries yet again and finally, water painfully squeezes its way down.

With his forehead drenched in sweat, he lowers himself on the step and unfolds the lyric sheet. Trying to compose himself, he whispers out his highlighted parts and sings quietly. Instead of the sweet melody that he was hoping for, a hoarse, exhausted sound escapes his mouth instead and his resolve breaks. Pushing his hands through his hair, he cries out in frustration. The ugly sound echoes off the walls, haunting him repeatedly. In pure desperation, he flees down the stairwell and escapes. 

I'm back with a new Yoseob story! I am so sorry for not updating my other stories. I'll try my best to update them but please don't expect anything. The plot in those stories slightly got out of hand so I'm struggling to piece it all back. Sorry guys! 

Enjoy reading!