Over the last week Intak took to locking himself in the practice rooms, writing and relaxing. He only resurfaced for food and to refill his water bottles and showed up at the dorms late at night. This morning, he considered not going to the studio building. Hanging out at the dorm sounded like a better option than locking himself away and it seemed he wanted some human contact, something he hardly received when locked away writing.
After doing his typical morning routine and changing out of his pajamas, he sighed deeply. The sweat pants and hoodie he donned were all new clothing items but oddly felt roomy and comfy. Content and somewhat more comfortable than he imagined, he shuffled out into the hallway and toward the kitchen. Tea, he wanted tea. And something for breakfast, but he was debating whether he wanted to cook or have something small and woefully insufficient to satisfy his hunger.
Humming along to a Drake song, Intak rounded the corner and into the kitchen, doing a ridiculous impression of Drakeâs Hotline Bling dance. It took him a second to locate where all the tea was. Choosing honey and chamomile, he filled the kettle with water and waited for the water to start boiling.Â
Thatâs when he looked up and saw a familiar face. Smiling, he gave a single nod. âHyung, morning,â he said softly. âTea?â
this is a death wish. she can feel itâknows itâs a dangerous game sheâs playing. after all, theyâre in the middle of comeback preparationâdiets are law, and the snacks in front of her is a violation of said law. but she canât help it; sheâs trapped herself in the dance studio long enough, and she left her card in the dorm by accident. the only thing she has is a couple wonâenough to maybe buy her a cup ramyeon and nothing else.
her stomach grumbles, and she berates herself for skipping breakfast. it was the only meal theyâre allowed to excessively eatâwith certain restrictions, of course, but they can still eat to their heartâs content. breakfast burns the fastest since itâll be sitting in their stomach for the whole day. maybe if she had eaten at least a piece of toast, she wouldnât be so desperate right now.
a sigh escapes her lips as her eyes wonders to the drinks section; maybe she could buy a drink instead? she looks down at her stomach. will she even last that way?
she pauses her contemplation to smile at a girl whoâs just walked inâshocked, of course, since itâs obvious she recognises heeyoung. the girl is staring at her quite openly, mumbling something that sounds like âcinnamonâ and âhayleeâ and âoh my gosh,â and heeyoung simply smiles and gives a little wave, feeling her pride swell. it isnât hard to recognise her at the current moment; after all, sheâs not wearing a mask or a bucket hat (curse thoseâsheâd rather go to hell).
still, it would be bad to have to deal with more recognition; as much as she enjoys it, she isnât looking to draw a crowd. the girlâs already texting madly on her phone, and if her quick, not-so-subtle glances mean anything, sheâs probably telling her friends about her chance encounter. grabbing the first thing her hand touchesâa bowl of shin ramyeonâheeyoung quickly rounds the corner to payâ
âonly to bump into a tall figure, lean and somewhat familiar. the ramyeon cup falls from her hand. she releases a small breath of impatience. âsorry.â
There was a moment where Intak believed he was in the clear. He could slip by unnoticed, pretend he never saw the Cinnamon vocalist and go about the imperative mission of picking up stamps. But all of that came crashing down when he literally bumped into Haylee.
As soon as the ramen cup clanked unceremoniously to the floor, Intak let out a surprised gasp. To anyone who didnât know him, it looked and sounded like a bad joke. But he really was surprised and his honest reaction was to dramatically gasp, his fingers covering his mouth. It was just mortifying wasnât it? And just his luck.
He heard her apologize and the dimpled rapper immediately dismissed it with a wave of his hand. Bowing deeply, he hoped his apology would be accepted. âIâm so very sorry,â he said, voice shaking from nerves. He also stooped down to pick up the cup of ramen.
âIâm just...I should probably--Iâll pay for this,â Intak suggested, eyes soft as he hoped the woman in front of him would allow that to be his apologetic gesture.
Alright, sorry for being gone for so long but life has been hectic and my classes continued despite a Noahâs Ark flood happening in the city, but Iâll be on momentarily to get to all my replies as well as plotting with anyone. If you want a starter like this and I can whip one up tonight. Iâll probably message you first and see what kind of scenario we can work out between them.
Convenience stores were such a fuss for Intak. So many snacks, but it wasnât socially acceptable to buy the whole store. Eyes scanned row after row of chips, candy, cookies, packaged pastries and finally the endless shelves of instant noodles.
He wasnât really here for food. He was supposed to grab stamps here since this was closer than walking all the way to the post office, but it was impossible to be in a convenience store and not at least look at the food.
Just as his brown eyes looked over the tasty shrimp cup noodles, he noticed a girl. She looked somewhat familiar and ended up staring at her for what felt like a moment, but was probably an embarrassingly long time. As soon as he realized who it was he froze. Gasping loudly, almost comedically, he ducked behind a chip display.
âNo way,â he whispered loudly, hoping no one could hear him. âThat canât be...it isnât Heeyoung.â
Bored wouldnât exactly be the word Intak was going for, but he definitely wasnât feeling excited or like he was spending his time well. He had a whole week off and the most productive thing he did was reach a new level in Overwatch. That was a noble enough goal for the typically overworked rapper, but he was starting to lose interest and itch to keep busy.
So instead of sitting around the house, he decided to go out. Maybe he would visit the studio. He was invited earlier in the evening to hang out at the studio by Cinnamonâs rapper i.o. Intak hesitated at first, scared. He remembered her from trainee days. She shot from the hip and she was brutally honest. She also had a mean flow, something he could respect.
By the time he made it to the studio, he sighed. i.o was already there, playing an unfamiliar beat back as she scribbled something. At the last second, Intak felt the need to go all the way back to the dorm. He could easily call it a night and force himself to go to sleep.Â
Pushing the door open, Intak cleared his throat loudly.
âDonât tell me Cinnamon is trying to do trap too?â he remarked jokingly.
âMy mother is in the hospital,â Jaehwa whispered and silently hoped that it wasnât a mistake to reveal such information toward his fellow member.
The shock set deep with Intak. It wasnât what he expected Jaehwa to say and he was finding it hard to wrap his brain around what the vocalist beside him just said. And suddenly, his mind flooded with questions, questions that eventually leaked from his mouth.
âReally?â he asked, his face slipping into worry. He couldnât help it. Intak didnât want to look panicked or too worried, but he felt bad. Jaehwa was off tonight because of the bad news he received. âWhen did you find out? Are you going to visit?â
As soon as the questions left him, he immediately regretted asking. Nothing was ever as easy as getting to leave to see family. It was something Intak easily forgot when he didnât have a family to go back and see. But if he did, he wasnât sure management wouldâve allowed him to go. Surely there were exceptions to the rule though.
Sorry for my lack of activity, but I spent the last day or so evacuating because of the hurricane and now that I'm all settled, I wanna just write. Like a lot. So like this if you want a starter with Intak. Doesn't matter if we've previously plotted or notđđđ
Intak, when he has a mild break from schedules or preparing for comebacks will visit the orphanage he grew up in and volunteer a few hours to prepare lunches, clean rooms and bathrooms or help sort through donations and deliver them to the rooms.
He feels a great connection to a place that served as the only home he knew before training at Nebula. So if he can help out, he will. Has been known to spend the Christmas holidays there in secret.
Neither are well-known facts about him since heâs keeping his past as quiet as possible. He doesnât want to call attention to it and he certainly doesnât want any of the papers finding out about it.
With a soft smile he brought the edge of the cup to his lips to take another sip as he listened to Intakâs response. He was genuinely interested, and that just went to show the importance of some relationships, and probably provided as the reasoning behind why this conversation was going so smoothly. Like they had always been talking like this,.Â
It was so easy to talk to Ryung, which was surprising to say the least. How had they fallen so far behind if it was this easy to converse? Time, stress, other members.Â
Smirking at the comment, a silent laugh bubbled and frothed in his throat before he let it out. Intak was sure that every rapper, at some point, had blonde hair. He couldnât really name one that didnât. And with almost a straight-face he sobered up to take a sip of his coffee before replying.
âAh, you see hyung, they think Iâd be too much to handle with blonde hair,â he said in a faux-boasting manner. âTheyâve already tested the look with fans and the whole room nearly fainted. And the second group...it nearly started a riot. Itâs a no for blonde...for now.â
In all honesty, he was surprised himself. Most of the members had been through all kinds of colors, some even going through wild, bright and neon colors. But Intak hadnât been asked to do anything too out-of-the-ordinary yet. The last color he had was red and now it was his natural hair color, black.Â
Looking back at Tryu, he smiled as he mussed through the older maleâs hair. âI like what they did to the color on yours,â he said, noting the highlights and lowlights and admiring how the golden blonde hair meshed really well with his natural glowing skin tone. âDo you have more fun then us hyung?â
There was always a sense of accomplishment that came with ending an era. There was an even greater sense of anticipation and elation that came with being on the brink of starting comeback preparations. It was a time that symbolized endless possibilities. Whatever the next song would sound like, line distribution looked like or concept would be--all of it seemed there for the taking.Â
Even while he worked toward debut with Hex as a trainee, he felt the same buzz just beneath his skin. Funny, Intak thought to himself, the feeling has remained the same two years later.
Intak wanted to keep his mind busy during the slight break. So instead of heading off to visit a few friends or even spend the day in front of his game console, which always seemed like the better idea after busy periods, he was at the studio. He was sitting in a random hallway, writing random lines in his journal. As he hummed to himself a beat, he scribbled relentlessly, letting whatever words surfaced in his mind mark the page.
It wasnât until he heard a door open somewhere nearby that Intak looked up and saw a familiar face. Eyes narrowed, he searched his mind for the name. He gave up just as he began. He was with Escape, that was really all he needed to know.
âJust my luck isnât it,â he mumbled, more to himself, but Intakâs voice carried so easily in the quiet hallway.
âSo,â Ryu began, gaining Intakâs question. He had no idea where he was going with this. He didnât with many things, but setting the mug down, he placed his palms flat against the counter and looked at Intak expectantly, âhow you been?â he asked.Â
It was funny how these things panned out. So many months passed with literally no time spent between the two, yet one day while dazing out in a meeting, Intak was reminded of the old friendship he had with Ryu. And now here he was, alone with Ryu with an opportunity to speak with him.
The situation alone made the younger male happy, even if he didnât know how to convey that on his face or in words at this very second. He was even grateful for the chance seeming so natural and organic. Even as he watched Ryung make his cup of tea, almost instinctively perking up to let him know about the milk and sugar, he was amazed. Did Ryung really remember that far back?
Accepting the warm beverage with eyes and heart wide open, he smiled at him in gratitude. He didnât know if saying thank you would completely ruin their vibe or if he would completely express his feelings. All he knew was that he truly was happy for whatever was happening between them.
But when Ryu spoke, Intak took a sip of his tea. How could tea taste exactly as it did so long ago? Itâs warming effect went well below the surface, somehow touching his heart in a humbling way.Â
âIâve been okay, busy with schedules and such,â he joked, his voice light for the moment as he smiled back at the older male. âAnd you?â
Poor Intak seemed so nervous, and Chaegyeong relaxed enough to send him a soft smile. âThank you. You can call me Chae if you want!â At this point in her career, she was more used to the nickname than anything.  âIâve never really gotten the chance to show off, but piano is more of a hobby to unwind.â A comforting reminder of her apartment back in Pohang, something familiar since childhood.Â
âDid I take up your usual room?â It was a silent offer for her to leave, or for him to go off if he wanted too. âI just took up the first room I foundâŠâ after a moments hesitation, she scooted over on the bench, as if making room for a second person. A silent offer to join her.Â
âChae it is then,â Intak said with another polite bow, entering the room completely. He noticed how she scooted over enough for him to take a seat beside her. Perhaps his boldness was a bit over the line, but he took the spot next to her and smiled. âAnd now, I donât really have a usual room really. I just find one thatâs not occupied.â
Setting down his phone and breathing the familiar scent of the practice rooms, Intak felt a sense of familiarity. He could remember the days he camped out in these rooms, scribbling furiously to make his words match a beat already made by some famous producer for an even more famous rapper. He remembered the hours he spent perfecting his vocal tone. It was almost like sacred ground, despite no designation on a single room.
He would honestly snag whatever was available.
Observant eyes took in the thick folder of sheet music. The smile only grew across his face as he reached for it, looking at her as if to wordlessly ask if he could look at it. âIâm just curious as to what songs you have hoarded in here,â he said, his tone light and indeed reflecting his genuine curiosity.Â
âIntak, youâve worked very hard, and while effort isnât always measured in these situations, it is in your case because for you it actually shows. Thatâs not something a lot of people have,â he said, sipping his tea before he took a seat on the stool. âEvaluation is in about five hours, so get some sleep and practice in the morning if you must. I donât have to remind you who the optimistic one is, right?â Ryu joked, lightly nudging Intakâs shoulder.
Blinking a few times, Intak was brought back to the meeting at hand. Heâd missed most of the conversation, wasnât even sure why Haneul was nodding his head and thanking someone. Lost and desperate to not look like it, he continued to look down at the packet in front of him. The black inked words across the white page werenât registering in his mind and the heavy voice of another creative director didnât seem to reign in his focus either.
Those days seemed so long ago. A friendship that Intak was so sure would live on and on far past debut and however long they could keep the audienceâs attention. But here they were, sitting at a table, living in the same dorm and they hardly spoke. It wasnât out of disdain or due to grudges that couldnât be overcome. Neither of them had any transgressions to be forgiven.
...Except for the radio silence between them.
Two years since debut and he could still remember the night Ryu talked him down from possibly having the biggest stress-induced panic attack. He was near tears that night and probably mentally ready to take the stage at the monthly evaluations only to announce he was quitting. But the warm tea and the even warmer words gave Intak hope that he had everything together.
Subconsciously, his eyes looked to Ryung, wondering when they stopped talking like they once did. It was a problem that was easily fixable in Intakâs eyes, but there was a deep-seeded fear that the feeling of their relationship wouldnât be the same. And that was scary itself wasnât it?