with friends like these...

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It's cold and dark when he wakes up. Jaeyun snores gently across from him, limbs stretched out and halfway falling off the bed. It takes him a second, but Jungwon's eyes eventually focus and he notices a thin frame of sunlight outlining the blackout curtains. He can still feel the phantom touch of cold lips against his temple, tangible and real.

Even in his dreams, Sunghoon still won't kiss him. He wants to lay there and mourn the lost fantasy, but his phone buzzes twice beside him and he is forcibly snapped back to reality. He's the leader of an idol group, he doesn't get to bake all day with his boyfriend. He doesn't get to have that. He chose this path, and he doesn't get to grieve a life he never had in the first place. His phone buzzes again, and he finally picks it up. He sees 4 missed texts, all from one person.


Manager-hyung

Filming for Weekly Idol has been moved up an hour. The van will be waiting for you at 8, so please adjust accordingly. 1:34 am                                  

Jungwon-ah, the van is waiting. Please hurry, we have a lot to do today. 8:20 am

Let me know when you see these, and I will send the van back to get you. 8:43 am

Come and speak to me when you arrive. 8:56 am                   


Jungwon curses. He looks at the time displayed at the top of his phone: 9:03. The bubble of panic he feels is familiar now, and he scrambles out of bed. With a speed he was unaware he possessed, he runs to the lightswitch and flips on the overhead light with one hand, and texts his manager with the other.

We are all up and getting ready right now, please send the van. I am so sorry, hyung. 9:04 am

"Fuck. Guys, get up. Right now," he tries not to let panic creep into his voice. "Guys, I mean it. Get out of bed, now ." He jogs around the room, shaking each bedframe with as much strength as his trembling hands can muster. The members grumble at him, but it all sounds muffled. Right now, he can't care about their feelings, he needs all of them presentable and out of the door. The incessant ringing in his pocket makes Jungwon's chest tighten. He turns the ringer off and focuses his attention on keeping his hands steady enough to put his contacts in. Somehow, he manages to get everyone dressed and out the door in 15 minutes with their teeth brushed, and not one member smells like a teenage boy.

On any other day, he'd be proud of it. The light, airy feeling he gets in his gut when he does something right is a rare sensation. He's much more accustomed to seeing the furrowed brows of a manager looking down at him, lips drawn tight. The members must feel the heavy gaze, too, because they neatly file themselves in faster than Jungwon has ever seen them. The van is quiet. Looking up, he makes eye contact with Sunghoon in the rearview mirror. He holds his phone, and gestures down to it with one perfectly manicured hand. Looking down, he begins typing rapidly, nails clicking against the screen. Jungwon opens his own phone, and sees two new notifications in his conversation with Sunghoon.


Sunghoon-hyung 

what do you think the managers are gonna say?   

if they try anything, let me know                                         

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