Trust

Short-Term Ideas & Long-Term Dreams

A/N: Me at the very beginning of uploading Trust: I have to have at least ten chapters ready in advance, always and at any time given.
Me yesterday evening: what did I write here, I can't post it like this, I shall re-write it all and then pester a_lex_icon to look over it as fast as possiblealsdghals j (I'm sorry!)
Ugh... With that being said - I hope I really managed to improve it xP Enjoy! Ly🧡

"Wooyoung, I need you to record your lines asap too", is the first thing I hear when I enter studio 063. I blink.

Hongjoong is here, at the opposite side of the room, doing some stretching to warm up. And he's got a look of grim determination on his face. "We need to be prepared for the worst so we've still got some time to negotiate in case a recording gets lost."

"Hi, Hyung", I reply, deciding to ignore everything else he just said. "I thought you wanted to take a break?"

Hongjoong snorts and throws a short, pointed look over to Seonghwa, who's smiling as though his boyfriend's presence would pain him. Given that Hongjoong had a mini-breakdown or whatever just yesterday, I find myself agreeing with Seonghwa. Hongjoong should've taken a real break, one that lasts more than twenty-four hours.

Hongjoong manages to ignore Seonghwa's disdainful glances though, and I wonder how he does that - because, let's be honest, Seonghwa can make anyone feel guilty with just a simple look. Hongjoong is able do the exact same, but with words. "I'm not going to take a rest with the auditions a mere one and a half weeks away", he states. "We all need to practice hard either way."

And there it is - guilt is flashing through me as though I didn't try my best so far and didn't show up to every training except the ones that completely overlapped with my singing lessons.

Wait - one and a half weeks until the auditions? "You mean three weeks", I correct him.

Hongjoong lets out another impatient snort. "Even if we were talking about the original audition date - which we're not - it would only be two weeks and six days now."

"We should talk about that once everyone is present", Seonghwa intervenes, just as I've opened my mouth to get some answers on what the fuck this is about. I still ask Seonghwa, just to make sure: "Hongjoong-Hyung wants to do the auditions sooner?"

"He's crazy", Yunho calls out from the bench he's slumped on, without stopping to aggressively type away on his phone.

"There are too many groups to do it all on one day", Hongjoong says as though he didn't hear Yunho. "Therefore, the jury provided a second date, one week and three days earlier. Most of the groups don't want to do it; there are still about ten free slots for the early auditions."

Because they're not stupid enough to believe that one and a half weeks less of preparations wouldn't make a difference.

As though he'd heard my thoughts, Hongjoong clears his throat decisively. "What they probably don't know though is that we would get benevolence points for auditioning earlier. The jury wants everything perfect for the auditions in almost three weeks - but if we present before that, it doesn't have to be. It would be a way to take some of the stress from all of us. It also would be less draining, since two weeks and six days is still a long time to go on like this. We'd need to intensify our group trainings by a few degrees if we decide to audition sooner, but then we'd be able to relax afterwards. For a week or so, at least."