The atmosphere was tense in the big building that hosted Kingdom. Idols, dancers, staff and many many other people were running around in that hot day, the first day of July, the recording day.
Felix inhaled the air through his mask, feeling right into his natural habitat, like he fitted perfectly in that place. The only disturbing thing was just Bang Christopher Chan staring at him from across the huge waiting room, a place where he really shouldn't have been.
How did it all come down to this? It was a quite long story.
First of all, Felix had managed to get through all that had been left about school between Teacher's Day and the beginning of the summer break. He still didn't know how he had managed to not go insane with barely four hours per night of sleep, ten to twelve hours of study each day and then three to four hours of dance practice at late night, but he had done it. Actually, his mid-term exams had gone quite well, after all. He hadn't been in the top of the school of the year, not even in his class, but he had managed to get into the first ten among his classmates, same as Jisung, and he was ok with it. Also, all the practice sessions he had with the Idol group for the Kingdom special stage had gone really well, he had been complimented once or twice, and it was finally the recording day.
For what concerned his thing with Chan, they had gone on just as they had been for the whole time before. They had fucked quite a few times, but the special choker hadn't been involved anymore, as they both liked more plain, normal sex. Actually, for saying it all, Chan had affirmed, and here it quotes, that he didn't care about the type of sex as long as Felix had his legs open and his dick hard for him. That, before Chan's statement of course, had been a serious conversation, so obviously Felix had gotten all flustered and had smacked Chan's arm out of frustration, telling him that, if it was all like that, he wouldn't have gotten his ass for two weeks. Amusingly enough, the blond had been able to keep up his promise, though, by the end of the two weeks, Chan had just flipped him over and he had ended up screaming loud as always.
Felix sighed. Why had they had to be like that? Of course he enjoyed it, but Chan's ways sometimes were exasperating.
Like this one. Him being in a place where only dancers, staff and Idols could have been and it was not because Felix had invited him or had him sneaking in. It wasn't like that at all, though it had been another matter of discussion between the two not so long before. Since Felix had always been talking about his dancing and Kingdom, Chan had grown interested about it, so much that he had asked the boy to let him come to the recording place. At first, Felix had agreed with the promise that Chan would have taken him on a model set with him, but then he had thought about it and he had remembered that fucking Hwang Hyunjin was into his dance crew as well. Sadly, by the time the blond had realized that, Chan had already strongly made up his mind about coming and, no matter how much Felix begged and argued, he didn't loosen up his position. Well... actually, he had, on one point, the sneaking in point, and that just had been the peak of Felix's exasperation.
They were dancing for Kingdom's favorited winner group, KQ Entertainment's boy group Ateez and, out of nowhere, Chan had turned out to be friends with the leader of the said Idol group, Kim Hongjoong. But that wasn't even all! When Felix had whined again on the fact that it was too risky, because it fucking was, Chan had the great idea to bring also Changbin and nothing less than Jisung along with him, because apparently Seo Changbin was friends as well with a member of the group, Jung Wooyoung, and Jisung was now working with them, so Chan couldn't leave him out. What had all those friendship connections do with Felix? Well, first of all, he was screwed beyond reparable because of that and second of all, Chan being a fucking social butterfly had basically brought him a free ticket to enter the recording building like he was a VIP or something, and to bring not only Changbin, but also his best friend along him. So, out of fairness, of course Felix had made it possible for Seungmin to sneak in as well, because he was no one to let his friend out. Obviously, Seungmin had accepted the invitation more than gladly.
Still, that wasn't all. What could have been more than that? Well, just to say, who was Lee Minho, the legendary back-up dancer, to not have the contacts to sneak into such a big event? Exactly, Minho was there as well, quietly chatting with some acquaintances in a corner of the huge white room.
Peak comedy, Felix thought, that was nothing less than peak comedy. And that was the peak of his exasperation now, just when he had thought it wouldn't have grown higher. The Universe, clearly, was against his mental stability. Luckily, until now, Hyunjin had been too immersed into his stage mode to spare more than a comment for Chan being in there and, even if he did wonder too much, everyone could have seen that Kim Hongjoong was talking to him at that moment. And in anyways, Felix thought, Jisung was probably in a situation as bad as his, even if it was different. Jisung may had or had not asked Felix to cover him at best, to make sure that Hyunjin and Seungmin wouldn't find out that he was working with Chan on music and Felix had found it understandable enough, but it had been more than hard to balance everything. Again, luckily, Hyunjin had been focused on dancing and Jisung was great at being sneaky and anonymous.
However, with all those things summed up, to say Felix burning from anxiety was the bare minimum. Still, he was trying to keep himself together and, for some strange motivations, Chan's gaze on him was helping... if he didn't think about the fact that that goddamn hot man was the main reason for his state.
Felix let out a little groan and closed his eyes, massaging his own temples in order to calm down and leave all the useless thoughts out of his head. He wasn't going to fuck everything up just because of some bad luck, it wasn't like him. Though his stomach was so messed up that, when Suha called the crew out to eat something, he preferred to stay into the waiting room. The woman was a bit concerned, but Felix knew what buttons to push in order to reassure her and, in the end, with the promise of not doing anything stupid while he was alone, she let him stay there and went after MayFly.
After being sure that Seungmin had followed Hyunjin, Felix and Jisung finally dropped down on a couch with a deep sigh, feeling a little bit more relieved.
«Tell me how I got into this situation 'Sung» Felix whined, looking up at the ceiling.
«Fucking astral conjunction of bad luck, I guess it was all pointed on September 14 and 15 that time» Jisung attempted to joke, but ended up groaning.
«You know that it'll be a miracle if we'll able to get away with our secrets still secret, right?»
«Then I hope that there was also an astral conjunction of miracle on those two days. If there isn't, you're screwed up more»
«Thanks mate»
Felix closed his eyes and dropped his head back, just to hit it hard on the wall behind him. He wailed in pain, massaging his scalp while Jisung was trying to help him out. Luckily, a staff reached him out to help and handed him an ice bag. Bowing non-stop, the two boys thanked her and the blond placed the ice above his head, cursing under his breath. Suha-noona was going to be so mad because of that.
However, he soon realized that his trainer would have been the least of his problems, because the commotion had attracted interest from all the room, especially from Chan, who was now marching towards him, Kim Hongjoong, Changbin and Jung Wooyoung behind him. Felix whined.
«Fucking astral conjunction» he murmured before the four men approached them.
Luckily, Chan didn't spare him more than a quick, concerned, glance, focusing all his attention on his best friend:
«He's a new member of my little team, Han Jisung» he said to his Idol friend.
Hearing that, Jisung jumped on his feet, glasses bouncing on his nose, and bowed ninety-degrees to the two Idols that were now looking at him.
«Nice to meet you!» he exclaimed «It's an honor!»
Both Hongjoong and Wooyoung giggled, the first one mumbling a "cute" under his breath.
«He had been quite sneaky because I teach in his school and, yeah, it's better if people don't find out, right?» Chan chuckled as well, patting Jisung on one shoulder, who was still bowing.
«Ooh, I see, a prickly situation» Hongjoong commented.
Chan eyed Felix in split a second, then turned back at his friend «More than you think»
At that moment, some staff started calling the two Idol's name. Wooyoung excused himself and, after greeting Changbin, he walked away, the other, instead, had some words left for Jisung.
«Chan's a great producer, really, I'd ask my company to hire him if he wasn't so stubborn, so I'm guessing you're good too. Three is a good number for some people, so maybe this is your occasion, you three, don't waste it» and, after a wink, he stepped away as well, joining the rest of his group.
Jisung mumbled a "thank you", ears burning, but he was already gone. Giggling, Felix patted his butt, since his best friend was still bowing, and that seemed to get Jisung back on Earth. He glared at the blond, sticking out his tongue before seating back on the couch. Without notice, Chan dropped down as well, right beside Felix and he placed an arm over his shoulders. The boy tried to escape his grip, but the man didn't let him, instead checking out his head to see if he was injured or not.
«Bin, this is Felix, Jisung's best friend» he then said to Changbin, who was watching the scene «He's my hook-up» he added, smirking.
If Changbin could have choked on air, he would have done it, but it was physically impossible, so he just made a weird sound, eyes widening. Meanwhile, Felix smacked Chan on his chest, glaring at him, but, before he could save the situation, the man spoke up again.
«Remember the child I was taking care of when Jisung first showed up? Here he is»
«So, he's... like...»
«Yeah, my student»
«Holy... fuck» Changbin breathed out «Well, I'm Changbin, I suppose you already know, but I work with Chan»
Felix shook his hand «It's nice to meet you Changbin-ssi, please don't linger too much on Chan's words»
«Sure, and call me hyung, it's fine» then he turned to Jisung «Wanna something to eat little thing?»
«I'm fine hyung, I don't want to see... see the stage too much, it's better if I stay here» Jisung replied, voice little.
Felix could have sworn that a flash of angriness, exasperation and concern passed into Changbin's eyes at that moment, but he was gone as fast as he came, so he decided, for the moment being, to say nothing.
«I can get you something, if you want» but Jisung shook his head «Chan-hyung?»
«No thank you Bin, I'm on a diet for a photoshoot»
Felix turned his head at him «I'm coming right? You owe it to me after all this shit you put me in»
«Of course Felix» he glanced at him «Not sure if you'll be able to handle the view though» he added in English.
The blond smacked his chest once again.
«Well then, I'm going to eat, I'll bring that motherfucker of Minho with me if I can, we don't want him to sneak into someone's pants while he's here» Changbin stated, sparing a glance into Minho's direction.
«Just send Jisung to him and he'll stop seducing people»
«Hyung!» Jisung protested.
«Go, go» Chan motioned him to move «Make yourself some contacts, it's important»
Jisung groaned, however had no other choice but to get up and head towards Minho with Changbin right beside him. Felix and Chan sat like that for quite a while, the first one trying to calm down and enter in his stage mode, that charismatic aura that everyone kinda feared. It wasn't really fear, to be clear, but more something like admiration, as the blond had always heard that people who had seen him only on stage usually said that they thought he was an unfriendly and unattainable person.
After some time, a thought flashed through Felix's mind, who turned at Chan with a smile.
«You're really helping him... Jisung, I mean»
«He's great, if we fail at least he'll have other people that know the job to contact» Chan replied.
«I mean, also with the stage. Minho will want to see it, to see us practice, and Jisung will go along... that's why you didn't even greet your best friend, to not show the connection between them and get my friends suspicious»
The man looked away, the point of his ears slightly red «Also»
Felix's smile grew bigger «Thank you Channie»
«There it goes, your pleasing voice»
«Mmmh, you don't mind it»
«I don't»
«Pleasing kink» Felix whispered before moving his gaze into Changbin's direction.
He bit his lip. Changbin had a good ass, some great guns and was dark and mysterious enough to get Felix's attention. Sure, Chan was hot and all, amazing in bed, but that dark aura around the other man... the blond wished he could have felt Changbin's arms without seeming gay or getting Chan jealous or some shit like that.
Seeing that Felix seemed deep in thoughts, Chan looked in Changbin's direction as well, but he wasn't able to get why the blond was scanning him like that.
«What's wrong with Changbin?» he questioned, squeezing the boy's shoulder to get him back to him.
«Ah» Felix whimpered «He's hot as fuck, totally my type» he declared, leaving Chan speechless.
The man cleared his throat «I'm... sorry?!»
The blond bit his lip once again, his focus on Changbin, again «Mmh... those arms... just as I like»
Chan felt something born inside him «He's literally shorter than you»
«He has a great body though, I'd totally let him fuck me once or twice»
«He likes girls» the man stated, voice sharp and cold as an ice blade.
«Oh... man that's sad» Felix groaned «It's always like that»
At those words, Chan simply lifted his arm from Felix's shoulders, but the boy didn't even notice, which made the man even more mad. Towards who and because of what, he didn't know. He stood up and Felix finally looked at him, frowning, sensing that something was oddly off. As a singular coincidence, the whole MayFly crew stepped into the waiting room at that precise moment, bringing Felix to brush off Chan's behavior and, also, to step away from him as fast as he could, leaving the ice bag on the couch. Suha broke away from the group, walking towards the blond.
«I hope you are good now» she started once she was close enough «They called us on the stage, it's time for the last rehearsal»
❏❏❏❏
A thrill went down Felix's back. It was time.
He spared one last glance into Chan's direction, but the man was giving him his back so he looked away and quickly headed to his bag, from where he took out his water bottle and placed his phone. Despite Felix finding a good reason for Seungmin's presence, the red-haired boy wasn't allowed out of the waiting room so, after greeting him, the blond followed his crew through the narrow and high hallways of the building. Some minutes later they were all gathered in a corner of the huge and multi-parted stage, listening closely to what Suha was saying to them:
«Alright everyone, this is the last rehearsal and there will be the official cameras in the way. Now, I want you to remember that we already practiced hard with the camera angles and stuff, but real cameras are still a different thing, so watch out. Don't look straight into them, never, you are not Idols and you don't have to catch the public's attention, so just look forward, got it?» there was a chorus of assents «Great. I don't have much more to say, I've lectured you all more than enough in the past months, so just don't fuck up and have fun. Now go, we'll talk again after the monitoring session»
Making deep breaths in order to calm himself down, Felix placed his bottle along with the others out of the stage and then went to his position, ready to begin.
The lights were already lowering down when he checked his pulse one last time, scanning his surroundings. All his crew was ready to begin as well as the Idol group and Hyunjin was by his side as planned, stage mode full on. Out of the stage, Suha was watching them right next to the official choreographers, arms crossed and plain expression. Some feet away from her was standing Minho, already observing closely all the formations of the choreography, and, right beside him, Jisung, who was torturing the edges of his hoodie, but smiled and lifted his thumb up when he caught Felix looking. A little further on there was Changbin, arms crossed as well, and then Chan, who, despite his strange behavior from before, had his eyes pinned on him.
«You can do it» he mouthed a second before the music started.
Then, everything that was out of the stage stopped existing for Felix.