A/N: Chapter contains some (rude?) humor & some foul language (ofc)
"I'm glad you're feeling better." Dohyun says, looking at Sunghoon. He nods in response. He hadn't thrown up during those 3 days...so he was satisfied with that.
"Well...to put it simply...you're going to New York. Tomorrow." Dohyun announces. The seven boys stare at him in disbelief.
"Why...?" Ni-ki finally voices.
"Magazine...a photo shoot." He says.
"We're flying across the ocean to take some pictures? We can't take them here and send them over?" Jungwon asks.
"You don't sound very excited."
"We are, sir. But...we're all pretty tired. A several hour flight doesn't seem too appealing right now. Especially so suddenly." Jungwon explains.
"I know...I'm sorry it's so sudden. But you'll be there for three days, and two of those can be spent doing whatever you want. Explore the city." He says. Ni-ki smiles.
"Really?" He asks. Jake noticed the excited spark in his eye. Dohyun nods. The boys look a little more alive from the extra information.
"Yes...so be ready."
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"I'm going to collapse." Heeseung whines. Jay wraps an arm around his shoulder.
"Same," he says. Jungwon and Dohyun led the group through the airport. Jay and Heeseung followed closely behind. Sunghoon and Jake filed in order with Sunoo and Ni-ki in the back.
"Did you sleep at all?" Ni-ki asks. Sunoo shakes his head.
"You?"
"For five minutes maybe. Jake and Heeseung were being too loud." Ni-ki complains. Sunoo scoffs thinking about it.
"Jungwon and Sunghoon were even louder." Sunoo mumbles.
"I should have strangled them when I had a chance." Ni-ki sighs. Sunoo eyes him without turning his head.
"When...when did you have a chance?"
"We...sleep in the same room?"
"That's really fucked up, Ni-ki. I'm almost worried." Sunoo says, finally turning his head to face him.
"Almost. But you know I love them too much to ever mean it." Ni-ki smiles.
"You're scaring me now. You never say that anymore..."
"What? That I love you?"
Sunoo nods. It was true. Since all of those hate comments during the first year after debut, Ni-ki became less affectionate. It could also be from him aging and maturing, but the comments definitely had an effect. Sometimes it seemed like Ni-ki was afraid to touch the members. He was getting better at it though...but Sunoo wasn't sure it could go back to the way it was.
"Well...I do." Ni-ki says quietly, "I'm always thankful for you guys."
"Shut up...don't make me cry." Sunoo jokes. Ni-ki smiled behind his mask again.
"Sunoo..."
"Guys come on! Jake called from in front of them. They had fallen behind by a few feet. They quickened their pace. Sunoo made eye contact with Sunghoon before he faced the front again.
"It's not too loud here." Jay says.
"Probably because the trip was so sudden. It wasn't announced anywhere, I don't think..." Dohyun explains. None of them were going to complain. The last thing they wanted right now was a mob of people flashing lights in their faces and screaming. Jungwon's headache was no joke.
They made it to the van without any problems. Thankfully.
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"The one in the middle...he's the only one that needs to look at the camera." The photographer says. The translator explains to the boys laying on the floor. Jungwon nods and looks up at the camera as the others look in different directions.
"Good...good." The photographer takes several photos before assisting them into another position.
"After these, you're going to be taking pictures in pairs. Heeseung and Ni-ki. Jake, Jay, and Jungwon. And then Sunghoon and Sunoo." Miyoung says, touching up their makeup. Hyerim was on the other side, gently placing Jake's hair away from his eyes. Hyerim smiles at them and then bows slightly before dashing away.
"She's still...adjusting." Miyoung says apologetically.
"She's cute." Heeseungs smiles. Miyoung nods.
"She is...please be patient with her."
The boys nod.
"Okay, all good." Miyoung announces to the nearest staff.
The next part goes by slowly, the photographer was just unsatisfied for the longest time. Sunghoon believed it really was going to take forever. It was hot, especially in their layered outfits.
At least they looked good.
"Okay...that's good. Please get ready for pair shootings." The translator states.
Miyoung and Hyerim make their way to the first pair: Heeseung and Ni-ki.
"Sorry, could you bend down just a little bit?" Hyerim asks. Ni-ki bent down so that their faces were at the same height. Usually when he did this, staff members would blush or step back. Hyerim does neither. She looks him straight in the eye, smiles warmly, and then starts to fix his makeup.
Ni-ki admires her confidence. He liked her for that...looking at him like he was a normal human. Being famous was fun and all...until you realized that people no longer treated you like a person. You became a thing. Like a robot, if you made a mistake...you could easily be tossed aside or fixed to their liking.
"When was the last time you got more than 5 hours of sleep?" Hyerim asks quietly, only loud enough for him to hear. The question threw him off.
"Um...I..." Ni-ki thought about it. He couldn't remember. Hyerim smiles, but there was sadness in her eyes.
"Yeah...I can tell." She says, "I'm not saying you look bad, by the way. Don't take it wrong, I just mean...you all look very tired."
"I know what you mean." Ni-ki assures.
"You guys need a break." She laughs lightly and finishes up by poking at his hair.
"Hyerim, help me with this." Miyoung calls from a few feet away. Hyerim nods towards Ni-ki and then makes her way over to Miyoung and Heeseung.
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"You have very nice lips!" Hyerim gasps. Sunoo took a step back as his cheeks turned red.
"I...what..." Sunoo stuttered.
"Sorry, I don't mean that in a weird way. I bet you drink a lot of water, you look very hydrated." She explains. He nods.
"Yes..."
Sunghoon stared at the two of them as they continued their...questionable conversation.
"Focus, Sunghoon. Watch where you are." Miyoung whispers. He looks down at her but she was busy adjusting the strange straps on his jacket.
"Eh?"
"Control yourself. There are people here that want to see you fall." she says under her breath. Sunghoon suddenly had the urge to look at his surroundings but Miyoung placed the back of her hand against his cheek before he could.
"Don't be obvious." She warns. She was starting to scare him. She started on his makeup, silent for several moments.
"What do you mean?" He asks finally. She meets his eye and then turns away to grab something else. She sighs loudly as she faces him again.
"Feelings are dangerous in this industry. You're not allowed to have them." She says, "So you need to have control of them at all times. Just one mistake, one slip-up...and you've ruined your career and possibly someone else's."
Sunghoon didn't understand and it must have been showing on his face because Miyoung elaborated.
"But...even though you need to be careful...there is nothing wrong with having feelings, Sunghoon. It makes you human. You have the right to be happy, even if the ones watching don't agree with it." She says.
"I don't know what you're trying to say." Sunghoon admits. Miyoung is silent as she applies color on his lips. She begins to part his hair, her fingers moving gently across the top of his forehead.
"You will soon enough." She says.
"All done!" Hyerim announces. Miyoung looks him over and then nods at Sunghoon.
Sunoo and Sunghoon stood side by side in front of the camera, both of them looked extremely awkward. The photographer must have liked that though because he took the pictures anyway.
"You on the left...can you put your arm on his shoulder?" The translator motions with her hands as she speaks.
Sunghoon does as he's told and puts his arm on Sunoo's shoulder, it causes him to lean in a little more. The two of them look back at the camera with serious expressions. A few more pictures are taken before they're allowed to move on.
The two of them sigh as they make their way away from the cameras. Heeseung and Ni-ki had already changed back into normal clothes and had their makeup removed.
"Woah, Sunoo. You got a good outfit." Heeseung says. Sunoo smiles and looks down at his clothes. They did look good on him.
"Don't feel too special, that outfit would make anyone look good." Ni-ki teases. Sunoo rolls his eyes and looks up at Sunghoon.
"I have nothing to add to this conversation." Sunghoon smiles, avoiding Sunoo's eye. He sits down in between Heeseung and Ni-ki just to prove his point.
"Wow...okay. I'll remember that." Sunoo nods. He sits on the other side of Heeseung and pulls out his phone.
"That's why Heeseung is my favorite member." He hisses, glaring in Sunghoon and Ni-ki's direction. Sunghoon knew it was a joke but he felt jealous for some reason. Ni-ki and Heeseung were laughing, but he didn't have the urge to. Too focused on the strange feeling in his stomach.
Sunoo's obvious pout had him trapped. He couldn't look away, again. Sunoo caught his eye and his lips twitched to form a smile.
"I'll forgive you." Sunoo mouths.
Fuck.
There was that feeling again.
Sunghoon looks down and closes his eyes as his heart beats wildly in his chest.
It can't be true.
But it was, and he couldn't deny it any more. Thinking about it, it's been like this for nearly seven months.
He was unsatisfied with being friends.
A/N: Heh 😅
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