//2013, NOVEMBER//

Jinhwan returned to the studio after he got some fresh air.

“Let’s just go home for now.”, he said shortly as he sat next to Bobby.

“Hyung-“, Bobby leaned his head on Jinhwan’s, “should we go home now then, Hanbin?” , he asked Hanbin who didn’t even turn his head at them.

Sooyun glanced at Hanbin before she turned to the boys, she just shrugged at them.

“you guys just go, I’ll catch up later.” Hanbin finally said.

“No. You go now.”, Sooyun stood up, “This won’t work for now, maybe we really need-“

“noona too, you can just leave now.”, Hanbin cut her off.

“Hey, what’s wrong with you? Are you telling us all to leave now?”, Jinhwan mumbled.

“What then? You keep going on like this won’t work at all.”, Sooyun returned to her seat.

Hanbin stayed still. His eyes were pinned on the screen in front of him, the song they were working on, it felt wrong, it was just wrong and he didn’t know how to fix it.

“Hanbina, would you listen to me this time?”, Jinhwan breathed heavily, “let’s go home for now.”

Bobby stared at the clock blankly, 3.00 AM.

“What’s the point of going home, sleeping, if I can’t even close my eyes.” Hanbin said shortly.

Bobby slightly moved, “let’s try first, everyone is worrying about you, let them not for a while, can you?”

Sooyun suddenly pushed Hanbin’s seat from the desk and she saved everything before turned the computer off. “Let’s just continue this later.”

“I said you too, noona, no one will stop you from leaving.”

“Ya, Hanbina, stop it, just go home for now.” Sooyun said sharply. Jinhwan and Bobby were dazed.

Hanbin bitterly smiled, “will you just leave now if you’re in my position?”

Sooyun stayed still. She exhaled when her phone rang in silent mode, kept shaking in her pocket, she just ignored it.

“Okay, now this is more than clear than everyone is exhausted, so let’s just go home, please.”, Jinhwan took his bang and handed Hanbin’s to him. “Let’s continue this later, I’ll wake you up.”

Hanbin stared at his own bag.

Bobby was more than ready to leave, he was standing in front of the door when Hanbin stood up.

Jinhwan smiled at Hanbin, so did Bobby and Sooyun.

“I’ll call you once I get here, okay?”, Sooyun packed her things.

“No need for that, I’ll just stay at the dorm for a while.”, Hanbin said shortly before he walked to the door.

Jinhwan and Bobby were as stunned as Sooyun.

“I’ll take a day off and meet my mom.”

Sooyun smiled at him.

“Woaa, can I go with you then?”, Bobby asked.

“No. You can’t.” Hanbin said shortly.

“Let’s just watch some movies with the boys, Jiwona.”, Jinhwan patted Bobby’s shoulder.

“Noona, what takes you so long to pack your things uh?”, Bobby turned his head at Sooyun who was checking her phone.

“Oh, yes, I’m coming.” Sooyun returned her phone to her pocket at once and caught up with the boys.

They left the studio and headed to the lift.

Sooyun’s phone rang again, now no longer in silent mode so it echoed inside the lift.

“Sorry-“ Sooyun apologized for her echoing ringtone before she checked her phone and turned the silent mode on again.

“You better answer it now, it seems urgent.”, Jinhwan said shortly.

“Nope, it doesn’t seem so, I’ll just call him back later.”, Sooyun said shortly.

“Your brother? Is he still practicing? Like we do? Oh, he’s good.”, Bobby chattered.

Sooyun just shook her head.

“Then, who’s that him calling you this early in the morning?”

“Since when you want to know more about me oh? Forget it.” Sooyun cut them off before her phone rang again and the lift was opened.

She took her phone out when Bobby intentionally peeked at her phone, “Seungyoon hyung?”

His words startled her. “Ya!”

Bobby smiled crookedly. “Hmmm.”

“Ohhhh, I see.” Jinhwan turned his head at them.

“Ya, it’s not like what you’re thinking about, it’s business, business you know.”

“what business makes him call you at this moment, noona?” Bobby .

They reached the main door lobby before their van arrived.

“Their debut song.” , she said shortly.

They were silenced by her words.

“Oh, that’s why you want us to go home now?”, finally Hanbin said something.

“No, it’s not like that-“ she lowered her head to breathe, “please, don’t this to me, you keep making me feel like I’m a huge traitor to you all.”

“The fact, yes you are.”, Bobby said shortly before he laughed. “that’s okay noona, I’m just kidding. That’s how it works, doesn’t it?”

“Just do your best now, and make a better debut song once we debut, okay?”, Hanbin said shortly, now smiled at her.

“Now you make me a traitor to them, fine, I’m so done here, I’ll just walk then.”, Sooyun was about to leave when the van arrived.

Jinhwan took her by arm. “What are you talking about, Mr. Yang will scold us if we make you walk, just bear with us okay.”

They laughed as they got on the van and headed home.

//

Sooyun had just finished washing when her phone rang again, now she finally answered it at the fourth ring.

“Why it takes you so long to answer my call uh?”

“I’ve just got home.”

“With the kids?”

“Um.”, she nodded like he could see it.

“Is everything good? You doesn’t sound really well.”

“I’m good, everything’s good, how about you?”

She threw herself on the bed.

“Everything’s great here, let me send you  the pictures I took here.”

 “okay.”

“Hey, are you really okay?”, she could hear sniffing sound between his words.

“I told you I’m fine, in fact, I’m the one who should ask, do you catch cold?”

“Um, no. It’s just the weather here.”

“are you sure? Have a proper rest then, don’t stay up late like this anymore.”

“are you worrying about me?” he giggled.

“no. I just don’t want to make the song alone if you’re sick.”, she could hear his breathing sound through the phone.

“hey, let’s have a dinner together once I return, how does it sound?”

“what’s wrong with you uh? Just focus on your debut, it won’t work anyway.”, she said sharply as she threw her feelings away.

A sudden awkward silence surfaced between them, only the breathing sound.

“I’m sorry Seungyoon.”

“Just stop saying sorry, it made me feel rejected every time you said it.”, he bitterly laughed.

Sooyun stared blankly at her toes, around her empty room, back to her toes.

“hey, are you still there?” Seungyoon’s sudden voice woke her from the unintentional brief sleep.

“ah, yes. I’m listening.”, she rubbed her own eyes.

“no, you’re not. You fell asleep, didn’t you?”

“no.”

“yes, you did.”

“no, because you said I should stop saying sorry.”

Seungyoon burst into laughter.

“So, what did I miss then?”

Seungyoon paused for a while, “nothing, I didn’t say anything.”

“Oh, good then, you should go to sleep now.”, she mumbled.

“want me to sing you to sleep before I hang up?”, he giggled.

“no, your voice isn’t soothing at all, just hang up now.”, she laughed.

“you laugh at last.”

Sooyun was stunned, she realized just how cruel she was to him.

“okay, sing me that song you sang at High Kick, it was good anyway.”

“Falling Slowly? It feels like I react the scene then-“

“okay then, up to you. I don’t even know why you should call me this early anyway.”, she cut him off.

“check check, ehm”, he cleared his throat before started to sing, “are you still there, Ms. Oh?”

“yes sir.”

“I don’t know you, but I want you, all the more for that, words fall through me, always fool me and I can’t react, games that never amount, to more than they’re meant, will play themselves out, oh, wait, should I play the guitar too?”

She didn’t respond.

“You fall asleep again? This fast, hmmm.”

“No. I’m listening.” ,she suddenly spoke.

“oh, you there, well then, should I play the guitar too?”

“no, let’s hang up now.”

“why? I haven’t sung you the whole song.”

“I just want you to sleep for now, I’ll hang up, okay.”, she said shortly.

“Oh, wait, but I still-“, she already hung up even before he finished his sentence, “miss you.”

“sorry Seungyoon.”, she stared at her phone.

//

“you haven’t slept yet?”, Taehyun sudden voice startled him.

“Ah, you’re up already? How long have you been listening?”, Seungyoon moved to his bed from the couch.

“what? Listening to what?”, Taehyun rubbed his eyes idly.

“Oh, you’ve just woken up.”, Seungyoon felt relieved.

“what are you talking about?”

“nothing.”

Seungyoon pulled up his blanket and tried to sleep with his back facing Taehyun.

Either she fell asleep or hung up, I’d never got to tell her that I missed her, and it might be the best for us though.

Taehyun stared blankly at the ceiling before he breathed heavily.

//

“I think something is happening between them.”, Bobby entered the room after finished washing.

“What is happening between whom?”, Jinhwan turned at him on his bed.

“Sooyun noona and Seungyoon hyung.”, Bobby said shortly as he threw his self on the bed.

Jinhwan thought thoroughly, so did Hanbin, who claimed himself couldn’t fall asleep no matter how hard he tried.

“do you think so?”, Hanbin idly asked.

Bobby nodded. “They seemed different lately.”

“It will be hard for him though.”, Jinhwan paused, “with their debut on the way, the company won’t easily let him do just whatever he wants.”

“ah, yes. Too bad for them.”

“Why bother thinking about them when we don’t even know when to debut oh?”, Hanbin cut them off.

“ya, don’t be too harsh, it doesn’t even sound like you’re talking about them at all, they’re still our friends, our hyungs, no matter what happen, okay?”, Bobby turned his head at Hanbin.

“It’s not like that, it’s just-“, he paused to breathe, ” leave them alone, if something really happened between them, let’s pretend that we see and know nothing, it will be better for them.”

Bobby and Jinhwan nodded unconsciously.

“Ah, you’re right!”, Bobby exclaimed.

“You’ve grown even mature, magnae, I’m so proud of you.”, Jinhwan praised Hanbin.

They laughed.

“okay then, let’s all go to sleep for now, tomorrow will be better and bring us closer to our debut, okayyy?”, Bobby brought up the mood in the room before they went to sleep.

“amen.”

//

Chanyeol and Sehun had just returned from the regular practice. They were lying down on their bed, Sehun was watching a movie whilst Chanyeol listened to some random songs.

“what are you watching there? why haven’t you go to sleep yet?”, Chanyeol asked Sehun who was busy watching the movie.

“ah, what? Are you talking to me, hyung?”, Sehun unplugged his earphone.

“ah, I see, nothing, just continue your stuff then.”, Chanyeol realized that his earphone was on.

“Ah, why? I thought you were talking to me.”, he whined  at him.

“yes,  I did, a while ago.”, he said shortly.

“Oh, okay then, up to you.”, Sehun was back to his movie.

Chanyeol was checking the net when he found Seungyoon’s Wild and Young. He listened to the song and watched the mv before he stared at Sehun. He left his bed  and joined Sehun to show him the song.

“Hey, look at this.”, Chanyeol showed Sehun the video and moved Sehun’s laptop away.

“Ah, what’s wrong with this hyung, can you pretend that I’m not here, I’m watching a movie right now.”, Sehun protested.

“I know, I know-“, he paused to unplugged Sehun’s earphone before he played the video.

Sehun turned his head at Chanyeol’s laptop.

“Oh, this mv.”, Sehun said shortly.

“Have you watched this?”

“Of course, Sooyun made me listen to the song even before it was realeased.”

“why?”

“Because she helped Teddy sunbaenim composed the song.”

Chanyeol thought for a while. “Oh, I see.”

“Okay then, can I continue this then.”, Sehun reached for his laptop.

“Why doesn’t she just debut as singer, model or actress maybe, why it should be a producer?”, Chanyeol mumbled.

“Are you talking about Sooyun, hyung?”, Sehun suddenly lost his interest on the movie.

Chanyeol nodded, “How she’s been doing anyway?”

“I haven’t called her the past days, it seems like she’s busy with the upcoming debut-“, Sehun paused and showed Chanyeol ‘Who Is Next’ on his laptop, “the winning team is about to have their debut next year, it’s Seungyoon hyung’s team by the way.”

“Oh, I see.”, Chanyeol nodded as he watched the video.

“I’m glad that our company doesn’t have that kind of survival program, it must be hard for them.”, Sehun watched the video with Chanyeol.

“So, it’s that song or the upcoming debut that will be your sister’s debut then?”

Sehun shrugged.

“It would be lot easier if she just joined the company and debuted here.”

“Not just lot easier, it would be better I thought.”, Sehun suddenly turned serious.

“Okay, sorry to bring it up again, let’s just go to sleep for now.”, Chanyeol  tried to end the conversation as he returned to his own bed.

“Why do you think she didn’t want to be an idol?”, Sehun said shortly, like he talked to himself.

Chanyeol was on his bed, about to close his eyes when Sehun talked.

Sehun lay on his bed as well, “I keep thinking that she has been avoiding me all this time.”

“No, she doesn’t, let’s just sleep, Sehuna.”, Chanyeol regretted that he brought up the topic again, it always felt wrong whenever he did it, yet he couldn’t stop himself from asking about her.

“I always thought that it would be better if we could debut under the same company, It would be fun to practice with her in the other studio, and whenever I felt it hard, I could look at her and started again.”, Sehun exhaled.

Chanyeol stared blankly at the empty ceiling, he pretty much knew how a brother would feel toward his only sister since he also had one, but this kid, he thought, had something he regretted to be a brother, he knew it.

“But I never saw it on her face, it seems like she’s lot happier without me.”, Sehun turned his face to the  wall.  

“Is that why you don’t want her to be exposed?”, Chanyeol asked cautiously.

“She, herself who doesn’t want to be exposed, she even asked me once to say that I’m the only child of the family, wasn’t it like burying my own sister uh?”, Sehun mumbled.

“But then you said that you had a younger sister instead, and it was what everyone thought.”

Sehun laughed, “She’s practically my younger sister by minutes apart.”

“Don’t you think they will find out about her sooner or later? You two share the same face, once they see her, only a fool who doesn’t know that she’s your twin.”

Sehun laughed to it, “It was what she told me, the people there realized that she was my twin once my first photo teaser was released, but they respected her decision to stay low and so they never talked about it.”

“Oh, was it? So they know that she’s your twin but pretend to know nothing all this time?”

“Practically, she buried her own twin there, acted like I had never been born.”

“Ya ya ya, Oh Sehun, what are you talking about? It can’t be like that.”

Sehun bitterly laughed. “But, it’s the fact, hyung. I’m fine with it. At least I can get rid of the guilt from putting her in hard time at school.”

“It’s not even your fault, it was that girls who bullied her.”

“But it’s mine since I knew nothing about it back then.”, he paused, “Once she debuts as a producer, everyone will recognize her as Oh Sooyun, not Oh Sehun’s twin, which is good, it will be the least I can do for her after all this time.”

Chanyeol turned his head at Sehun’s back.

“I want her to realize that she wasn’t my shadow like she always thought of herself, that she deserves to be recognized as her own self for her talent, not because of me.”

Chanyeol never realized that this boy whom he had known for long had grown a lot not only for his height ever since their first meeting.

“Until she finally realizes it, until that moment we can appear together as Oh twins,-“, Sehun paused, “I’ll do whatever to keep her safe.”

“I bet it’s the moment you wait the most all this time, it’s like your second debut isn’t it?”

Sehun laughed. “Thank you for listening to all of this, hyung.”

“That’s what a friend for.”, Chanyeol said shortly, “if it’s not  a twin, you can still have a hyung though, so cheer up.”

They laughed together.

//