Where we are [JeongChan FF] ✔

18

Chan

Back in the practice room as to his word, Jeongin keeps up with us until about halfway. He seemed satisfied with his progress which was definitely better than seeing him beat himself up for what is definitely his progress and little achievements. 

We've been here since three this morning. For the first hour and a half, we went through the first half of the dance until it was to our manager's standards. The next hour and a half consisted of us sitting around while Hyungjin taught Jeongin the other half. When they made their way over and took a seat, we were in no hurry to move.

"Can't believe it's only six. I haven't had coffee yet," Woojin mumbles beside me. He's leaning in quite close, his chest pressing against the arm I'm leaning on for support and his face so close that I can feel his breathing against my neck. The others don't bat an eyelash at this, but then again, the two of us have been extra close these days. I really don't expect them to not know about us at this point. 

But Jeongin didn't, I think as my gaze falls onto the younger. 

Jeongin is seated across from me, cross legged and hands in his lap as he listens to whatever Seungmin and Minho are talking about alongside Jisung.

"Neither have I," Hyunjin adds. "Can we do a coffee run?"

"I'll go!" It's the first time Jeongin's said something all day. He's been exceptionally quiet these three hours. 

"Me too," I pipe in. Jeongin's eyes find mine and I can tell he's not pleased with this. He doesn't want me to go. And perhaps that's only more of a reason to go. "You can't carry nine coffees all at once now, Innie." 

"He's right. You two go on ahead and we'll wait. This can be our little break until we actually start," Woojin insists softly from behind me and to say Jeongin looks surprised would certainly be one hell of an understatement. He nudges me forward a little and I know he'll continue to do so until I stand so I do.  When Jeongin stands as well, I make my way over to the door and wait until he's reached me before tugging on his sleeve as I step out of the practice room. And he allows it.

Until we're outside to which he pulls his arm free and pulls his cap lower over his face. 

"So shall we go?" I ask as if nothing happened. 

"You don't have to ask me, hyung. And we're already outside so we may as well," he murmurs, pulling a mask out of his pocket and putting it on. He looks at me and frowns. "Do you have yours with you?"

"Y- Yeah. I do," I reply quickly and fumble to get it out of my pocket.

The walk isn't long; there's a place not too far from the studio. About a ten minute walk away and in those ten minutes, the silence between us is probably one of the most painful silences I have ever experienced. He, however, manages to seem unfazed and I can't help but wonder whether he really is, or whether it's just a mask of his.

"You remember their orders right?" Jeongin asks when we're in the line. 

And although I want to respond with a witting reply like pointing out the fact that it was always the same orders each and every time we did a coffee run and how I was always one of the two people who would go unlike them who took turns, I bite back. Instead, I clear my throat and offer a smile. "Of course I do."

His lips pull into a straight line, but he doesn't say anything. And before I can ask, we're called up. I recite the orders and we move aside to wait. 

Surprisingly, the little shop is fairly busy and there are a number of people waiting along with us, so I doubt we'll get ours immediately. Thus, I turn to Jeongin who seems to be staring outside the window we're standing by. "What was that?"

As if pulled out of a trance, he looks over seemingly alarmed. "What was what?" he questions.

"That face you pulled. What was that?" For a second I think that I'm wrong. Probably definitely out of my mind. Maybe I'd just imagined it. But that seems way more impossible. I know I saw it. And I want to know why such a face.

"Oh, that." He looks out of the window again. "The smile you gave me." It's odd, hearing him speak like this. Hearing him so un-maknae-like. He used to be full of smiles and brought light into a dark room. And somehow, it seems like he hasn't been smiling as much. So not like Jeongin. 

"What about it-"

"Fake." A single word that has my heart freezing in place for a single moment. Fake? Yeah, I knew. Of course I knew it was a fake one. But how did he-? "Your eyes give you away. And you hesitated." Then he turns to me and I swear he sighs. "Hyung-"

"Order 352!"

"Jeongin-?"

"Hyung, that's our order. Come on."

After what felt like minutes of disagreement, we exit the store; Jeongin carries four drinks in the holder and I have both hands occupied as I carry five, one of it in my hand. The walk back seems quicker. Almost too quick.

"Did you tell Woojin?"

We're nearing the studio now. It's only when he asks me that I turn to see that he's stopped in his tracks. "What?" I ask, genuinely confused. We hadn't spoken on our way back. I never asked him what he was going to say before our order was ready and nothing else was really discussed. But then, even before the words leave his lips, do I realize what he's asking.

"About last night. Did you tell him what happened?" He looks anxious and-

"No," I say after a moment, "No, I didn't tell him." 

He looked almost hopeful.