I'm Also A We // Hyunlix

Pulling Strings

"I think there's a point when we can't just do nothing, knowing what we know," he says eventually, surprising himself with it.

Chan studies him and Hyunjin almost wants to hide under that gaze. He groans when he gets up like he's been playing an old man so much that that habit is already stuck. But he looks as if he's found his answer. He ruffles Hyunjin's hair. "Smart Hyunjinnie." And then he gently slips away.

o

The venue is another world compared to the day before. It's three times the number of people and about the same rise in noise level.

Hyunjin loves it. It helps to keep his mind off things because this, in a crazy sort of way, is routine.

The green room is a bustle of energy and people, more than usual, or maybe not, but the space is smaller, so it feels like back in their early days. Lily comes by and wishes them good luck, which they return, and when Hyunjin and Jeongin go for a vending machine run, they run into three other groups, chatting casually.

Hyunjin wishes he could enjoy it. That his mind wouldn't be somewhere else.

When they come back, Chan enters the room just behind them, his face carefully blank.

"He's here?" Changbin slips into their connection and asks, a tension in his body that immediately travels through all of them, infecting them one by one. Even Jeongin glances over and straightens his back.

Chan nods and it's short and grim. "He's here."

"So, we're doing this?" Seungmin asks.

Chan lets the question hang in the air and gives them the space to think about it. To speak up.

None of them do.

Minho is closest to Jeongin who's not part of their link but whose eyes bounce curiously from one to the other, knowing what is likely happening. Minho grabs his hand and squeezes it, smiling in a way that for everyone else would look like his normal, silly self. But Jeongin understands. He nods as well.

"Yeah, we're doing this," Jisung says, sealing their fate.

Chan changes in front of their eyes. It's small and subtle, but it's unmistakably there. He straightens and hardens, going from Channie, their friend, to Bang Chan, their leader. Hyunjin shivers and rubs his arms. He reminds himself that Chan is doing all of this for them.

"Where are you going?" Si-woon asks, half rising from his chair already.

Chan smiles politely and waves him off. "PD-nim is here, I want to go greet him."

That seems to be enough to satisfy Si-woon so Chan leaves the room and the rest of the members settle in the green room, all except one following him in their minds.

In the hallway, Chan's steps are sure and determined, even though his heart is beating in his throat. A curious sensation that Hyunjin can feel in his own body and he's grateful that Chan is letting them in like that. Changbin slips a hand into his, but so do Minho, and Felix, and Jisung. It flickers in front of Hyunjin's eyes but he's used to it now, to all of them being everywhere at once. And it makes him feel stronger, bigger than the sum of their parts.

People are watching as he passes. Those who know him bow deeply, and Hyunjin is not used to being able to focus on that. When he's around, he gets glances too, stares often enough, and he's too busy focusing on himself and giving the right responses. But people here, so far away from home, have a deep respect for Chan, something that hasn't changed since the legendary trainee days.

"Oh?" JYP's face shows a hint of surprise when Chan enters the room.

It's an office at the top level of the venue, one of several that have huge windows and a balcony attached that leads right into the main concert hall. He's surrounded by staff, the excitement level in here just as it is outside. Most of the staff Hyunjin is vaguely familiar with. There are two men he doesn't know. Men in suits. Hyunjin exchanges a glance with Jisung. "Those are not JYPE," Seungmin mumbles.