ten

͙⁺˚*･༓☾

sunghoon falls back onto his bed with a content sigh, pleased with how his day had gone. one thing he loves about livestreams is getting to let everyone else converse so he can sit back and observe. well, observe sunoo, to be more specific.

he's felt so torn lately between wanting to crush on sunoo and wanting to avoid consequences of it, so much so that his brain has been mush. sunghoon remembers the feeling of comfort and pure bliss he had when his arms had been secured around sunoo's waist back in the company car. how he wishes he could keep them there forever.

"what's got you smiling like an idiot over there?" jungwon quizzes the older, having just approached from the bathroom after washing up.

the blonde's lips instantly press together. "i wasn't smiling," he lies.

jungwon snorts. "yeah, sure. if i were to take a guess, i'd say it had something to do with the livestream earlier."

sometimes sunghoon hates when jungwon is spot on about things. he makes it so much harder to keep up a mysterious aura. "and what if it does?"

jungwon plops atop the bed opposite sunghoon's. "hm...then i'd get even more specific and assume it has to do with the guy you sat next to during the livestream."

just the mere mention of it resurfaces the smile onto sunghoon's face. at this, jungwon chuckles. "you're too obvious."

sunghoon rolls over, his body completely facing jungwon's bed now. his grin fades and his expression grows more serious. "he hates me, doesn't he?"

jungwon questions the worry laced in sunghoon's tone. "what makes you think that?" he asks, even if he knows the answer.

a scoff elicits from the older. "please, everyone and their mother has seen the way i've been towards sunoo. i've been cold. i'm sure he hates me for it."

"i'm not saying i haven't noticed the way you've been acting. trust me, you were a brat the first day he came," jungwon explains, "but i've never seen an inkling of hate towards you from him. he's kind of the sweetest person in the world, i don't think he can hate a fly."

sunghoon crosses his arms, pouting childishly. "yah! don't call him the sweetest person in the world. get your own future boyfriend."

jungwon rolls his eyes. "he's not gonna be your future boyfriend if you don't get your shit together."

the truth hurts, but sunghoon knows jungwon is right. maybe he should confide in his best friend and unravel his feelings and concerns...

"now what's wrong?"

apparently, sunghoon's inner crisis had been visible on his highly expressive face. that outcome in itself pretty much answered his dilemma. "i'm scared that...if i get to close to him or allow my feelings to grow...."

jungwon tilts his head, listening. he gestures for sunghoon to continue, the latter desperately trying to search for words. "then i worry the boss will find out and our careers will be ruined. everything will be ruined. and it will all be my fault. all because i had a silly crush for a guy i don't even know likes me back...or likes guys, for that matter."

the leader remains stunned, for his best friend and group mate isn't one to pour out his thoughts and feelings so easily. on the one hand, he's happy to have heard sunghoon get everything off his chest. on the other, he's heartbroken at what was said.

jungwon joins sunghoon in his bed, the two now sitting next to each other, backs against the headboard. "you're feelings are never invalid, you know. having to suppress them because of fear does more damage than good."

sunghoon slouches, allowing his head to fall gently atop the younger's shoulder. "i just can't risk everything, though, can i?"

jungwon leans his head on sunghoon's. "i guess you just have to decide if sunoo is a risk worth taking."

the two wallow in silence for quite some time, and just when sunghoon's eyelids begin to grow heavy, a screech sounds through the walls.

"RIKI?!"

both sunghoon and jungwon jolt upward, startled.

"what the hell was that?" sunghoon exclaims, running a hand through his messy hair.

jungwon is already up and heading for the door. "i don't know, let's go find out."

the two boys exit out their apartment door, piecing two and two together to realize the sound came from heeseung and sunoo's shared complex, the one right next to theirs.

the door opposite the two apartments swings open, revealing a disheveled and tired looking jay and jake. "y'all hear the squeal, too?" jay asks, voice groggy with sleep.

jungwon holds back a laugh as he nods. the four of them make their way over to sunoo and heeseung's door, but before they can even wrap their knuckles on the wooden frame, it's yanked open right before their eyes.

"holy shit!" nishimura riki yelps, jumping back from the scare. "damn, you guys came out of nowhere!"

jungwon raises an eyebrow. "who are you?"

ni-ki, about to respond, does a quick double take as he soaks in the adorable boy standing before him. he suddenly finds his cool as he leans against the door frame. "whoever you want me to be, babe," he concludes with a wink.

two hands come from behind ni-ki, shoving him out of the way as he tumbles to the side. "ew, riki, shut up. oh! hey, guys!" sunoo greets his group mates. he takes in their appearances and remembers the time... then he remembers he shrieked really loudly when ni-ki had arrived.

gasping, sunoo cups his hands to his cheeks. "oh my gosh, i'm so sorry! did i wake you guys up?"

"yeah kinda," jay says, instantly earning a nudge in the side from jake.

"it's fine, sunoo. but, what's going on? who is...that guy?" jungwon asks, pointing to the extremely tall japanese dude behind sunoo.

ni-ki awkwardly waves. "i wasn't supposed to introduce myself until tomorrow, but i'm ni-ki. i'm y–"

jake interrupts him with a squeal. "wait! you're ni-ki! stray kids' choreographer! felix has told me about you!"

his hyper, puppy-like energy earns a taste of his own medicine, receiving a nudge from a very tired and grumpy jay.

ni-ki grins. "yeah, that's me! i got an email recently from your boss about wanting to hire someone new for your guys' upcoming comeback. sunoo is my best friend, so of course i said yes," he explains, wrapping an arm loosely around sunoo's shoulders.

sunghoon slightly tenses at that action.

"wait...sunoo's best friend?" jungwon mutters to himself under his breath, suddenly recalling the night he watched countless dance videos of sunoo's choreographer friend. that's who ni-ki was. jungwon's cheeks tint a guilty pink.

"i know it's late, sorry again for waking you guys," sunoo reiterates.

"we'll have practice in the morning, so i'll see you guys then!" ni-ki bids goodbye, heading back into sunoo's room. he decides to stay the night with him, just because he's missed his best friend.

sunoo once again apologizes before closing the door, everyone returning to their rooms short after.

it took sunghoon a bit to fall asleep that night. his mind kept running with thoughts around how close sunoo and ni-ki really are...

and how it makes him feel so jealous.

͙⁺˚*･༓☾

the next morning arrived at last. bright and early, the six enhypen members reluctantly head over to rehearsal. it's the first practice of their new album that sunoo will be apart of called 'manifesto: day 1'. sunoo is beyond excited, as is the rest of the group.

for the album, the title track is a song titled 'future perfect', in which ni-ki will be teaching the choreography he created for it to the boys. despite him being younger than all six, his age is no match for his talents; the kid could dance before he could walk!

once the group members all entered the practice room at the studio they'd be rehearsing in, they found a place to set their stuff before gathering together on the floor. ni-ki had gotten there a bit prior and now that everyone arrived, he can start.

"hey, guys! let's do a five minute warm-up first, yeah?"

ni-ki's energy is refreshing and sunoo can barely contain his happiness knowing his best friend is right here teaching him a dance to one of his own songs. how lucky is he right now?

sunghoon's eyes flit over to the black haired boy he thinks about often. pure joy is practically radiating from him, and for some reason, that along with ni-ki's energy makes the vibes in the room only that much better. sunghoon finds himself smirking when he catches sunoo giggle to himself.

the practice room door suddenly bursts open, and to everyone's surprise, their boss walks in. he comes along with one of his assistants and they find themselves a place to hover near in the back of the room.

ni-ki grabs the groups attention once again. "don't mind them, they're here for me. watching our first rehearsal with me as choreographer and all," he explains.

they all resume their dance practice. for the first rehearsal, they get up to the first chorus, which is a big accomplishment in sunoo's eyes. so far, he is loving the dance routine.

let's just say, there are perks to having your best friend as the choreographer. because sunoo noticed some of these dance forms were definitely made on purpose. ni-ki kept sunoo and sunghoon near each other for most of it and sunoo had never seen sunghoon so happy to be near him. not since the way he talked to him the first time they ever met.

he can get used to it.

from the back of the room, the boss is whispering things assertively to his assistant, his eyes never faltering from both sunoo and sunghoon.

"make sure sunghoon stays a bit after rehearsal. i want a word with him."