#i know there's stage lights and stuff but their logbooks are the same

[closer-stars]

Gut Feeling (2)

Member: San Genre: Fluff still Word Count: 6.9k (nice) Requested: Yes Content: KCON:tact/Mubank schedule, you know that one. San being caring to Manager!Reader. Manager!Reader caring for everyone. Things pick up in the next part. Food mention but not as evident as part 1. Other members also make an appearance.  Note: I don’t remember their schedule during this day but I do remember that it was insane hours. Looked at some stuff to cross reference because it is on Brand of Stars to search things up extensively even when not needed. This is more or less proof read already since I constantly had to read it to have direction. 

Part 1

You feel bad having to wake them up at such an early hour. It was going to be a long day for these boys. Some of them still stumbled into the car with sleep still hanging in their eyes. A 5AM call time is insane in itself but practically finishing at 3AM? Madness. 

You had to admit though, seeing Hongjoong look disoriented with his blue hair was a little heartwarming. He’s been staring at the stark blue shade on him for the past five minutes as the rest of the boys still continue to be styled.

It takes a while before everyone is seated in their respective booths to get themselves looking camera ready. The next place they were heading to had some fans waiting for them. As they get their hair done, they eat their meals carefully. The morning people in the group were already pulling jokes and hyping those who needed a longer time to warm up. On the other hand, you stayed nearby, eating your breakfast that you had bought from a nearby restaurant. Manager Yoon arrives a few minutes later, asking how things are so far. 

“I guess, so far so good. Waking up at 5AM seems doable but finishing at 3AM is still madness.” You return after greeting him. You ask him afterwards if he has eaten, and from there you discuss how to handle the schedule flow and who would be in charge of what throughout the day. 

Time passed by quickly, the boys were finally ready and their stylists had already arrived at the venue. “You guys finished fast.” It was more of an observation for yourself but regardless, you pick up your own things and head back to the car to drive them to the next location: Music Bank. 

The trip to Music Bank was quiet, some of the boys trying to catch up on a few more zzz’s while doing their best to not mess up their hair or make up. Those who were awake were already rehearsing in their seats, all while making sure they don’t disrupt the peace of those who slept. 

You would’ve thought that San would be one of those who were asleep but he was up and awake. You don’t need to look back to know he’s awake, the ruffling of his clothes and soft sound effects were enough to let you know. By now, you already knew what he was practicing if the amount of times you stayed in the studio with them was anything to go by. It was a blessing too that the trip to Music Bank wasn’t bumpy otherwise you would have to handle a moody start from some of them. 

Once you see the building, you slowly twist in your seat to wake the ones within your reach. “Wake up boys, we’re a few minutes away from Music Bank now. San, can you wake up the others in the back?” The way Hongjoong was slumped against Seonghwa was a little adorable to put it lightly. You shake his knee lightly and it rouses him out of his slumber. 

He does as he’s told. It was a good thing the other members were easier to wake up. 

Once they arrive outside the building, they immediately make their way to their designated waiting areas, preparing quickly for their stages. You would have thought it would be a little easier to handle schedules when the people inside the venue was less than usual due to the pandemic situation. It wasn’t. The boys immediately changed into their stage outfits, those done had their makeup retouched. Everything moved faster than what you thought was possible. Yoon kept an eye over their belongings as you stayed near the stage to keep an eye on them, recording their stage on your phone for them to monitor. They do a few runs to get familiar with the cameras they need to keep track of while being aware of the stage area. 

You stay near the middle of the stage, while staying out of the way for the staff to do their job effectively. After their first song they head back to their waiting area, you’ve sent the video to their phones to monitor as they change and retouch for their cover performance. 

“Manager-nim! What do you think?” San asks as you keep a head count on the boys with Seonghwa right next to you. His eyes were bright, the haze of performing still clear in his eyes. “I did great right?” 

You gave him a thumbs up as you made sure everyone was back in the room. The others who have already changed were already watching parts of their performance: things to note for their future performances of Answer. 

The final run of their performance goes by without a hitch. Any mishap that happened were smoothly brushed away until the end. 

“What do you think?” Seonghwa asks as the two of you with the rest of the staff watch the boys on the monitor in your room. 

“Me?” He nods at your question.”It’s a good stage. This is one of your last stages for Answer too isn’t it?” Months of working with them have made your eyes sharper in terms of monitoring as well. You could see the same choreography and see certain things, but not everything. To Seonghwa’s eyes, he can pick out some of the shortcomings that they can improve on in future stages, things that you have yet to pick up on. Regardless, he was proud to see his members improve at such a rapid pace and carry the stage despite his absence.

A few minutes later, the rest of the boys come into the room, still catching their breath, holding any jackets they were wearing on stage to cool down from the adrenaline based heat. “Good job guys.” You say as you hand them packs of tissue to wipe their sweat away. Some of them ask Seonghwa the same question he asked you. The younger ones are clearly looking for praise. It takes a while before everyone’s back in the car, on the way to the next schedule: KCON.  

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You arrive at the venue, and immediately make your way to the dressing rooms. They barely had time to change out of their clothes for their On Stage before being brought to their designated room. At least it had enough moving space for staff and the boys, they were given enough time to rest and change into their next clothes for the dry runs. 

The good thing about having multiple talents perform various stages in one night is the lengthy time for your group to catch their breath. While they knew they were in for a long night, it was a different thing to experience the said thought. As everyone ate in their free time, they would also play games to keep their energy up. “You guys can sleep too while waiting for your call time.” You say, noticing how Yeosang was dozing off next to you. The male didn’t need to be said twice, he immediately readjusts himself, making sure to not mess up his hair and clothes and it didn’t take long for him to fall asleep. You notice that Seonghwa and Manager Yoon were in the other room, perhaps for the usual logbook. “I’ll wake you guys up in what…” you trail off as you look at your phone. “...an hour latest.” 

“Manager-nim, what about you?” asks San who was still on his seat, he looks at you through the mirror’s reflection, unable to move as the make-up artist does her work. 

“I can stay up,”  you stop for a moment, “well, I have to stay up.” you quickly correct yourself. “I can catch up on sleep later on.” You reassure but San doesn’t really buy it. He doesn’t get the chance to reply due to the make up artist retouching his lips. 

Time passes by quickly, you’ve already woken the rest of the boys an hour before their rehearsal. Yoon lets you accompany the boys to the stage, to keep Seonghwa company with the rest of the staff who linger nearby for retouches. 

The stage setup surprises everyone, even you. Without any effects, the entire set up was just a blank space. With a press of a few buttons, the stage lights up with effects, causing the boys to yell in amazement. You spot the director crack a smile at their enthusiasm. The boys quickly take their places in front of the stage and do their routine. You and Seonghwa are guided towards the back of the room with the rest of the staff who monitor the stage on a screen. Once the boys perform their routine, you can’t help but let out a soft whistle. Even if you’ve seen this routine countless times, you can’t help but be blown away by it. 

Seonghwa cracks a small smile at your reaction, pride blooming in his chest as he stays focused, monitoring the boys even doing the choreography in his spot. Once it was over, the staff shuffled towards the boys who monitored how the final output would look. You accompany Seonghwa to the rest of the boys but upon seeing a camera positioned towards them, you keep your distance, putting your phone up to cover your face. 

“Manager-nim!” San calls out to you. 

You spare Seonghwa a glance, only to see him and Wooyoung now talking to camera, so you drift over to the rest of the group. You take the portable fan from the stylist so she could work on the boys properly. 

“What do you think of our performance? Doesn’t it look cool? Did I do great?” The male asks, all while a stylist pats his sweat away.

You affirm all his thoughts, praising him and his workmanship on stage. The more you do, the more his eyes light up with glee. They’re called for the live run, you look at your phone. Ten minutes before show time. You pat San’s chest a few times, wishing him luck before excusing yourself to check on the rest of the members. The entire time you’re with the others, he always tries to keep you in his peripheral vision. Wooyoung spots him doing so and accidentally lets out a snort thus causing the former to look at him. “What?”

The confused look on San’s face makes him giggle. “Nothing, nothing. Just do good out there okay?” Wooyoung defends himself with a Cheshire grin. San pouts, unsatisfied with his answer but he knows how Wooyoung won’t budge that easily. 

“You too.” he brings up his forearm for them to do their signature handshake just in time for them to get on stage to open the show. He tries to look for you again and he catches you thanks to Seonghwa’s white outfit as well. The two of you send them thumbs up before scurrying away back to where they were initially. 

They’re given a few seconds to focus once the lights go off, the glow from the vcr cues them to get into their performance. 

Showtime. 

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Everyone’s back in their designated room, still hyper as if they didn’t just perform. You find yourself crashing onto the nearest couch, heaving a sigh of relief. Halfway done with their schedule at this point. Your head lays against the arm rest, your eyes feeling heavy and dry from being awake since.. Shit you’re not sure if you’ve been awake earlier than 3AM. Your head’s starting to pound as well from the lack of sleep. 

“Manager-nim, are you okay?” San asks softly, crouching in front of you as he eyes you in worry, he places the palm of his hand on your forehead, trying to get a feel of your temperature. To be sick at a time like this isn’t a good idea.

You peek one eye at him and nod. “Yeah, I’m starting to feel the exhaustion I guess.” You reason, trying to push yourself up to sit properly on the couch, eyes still shut tightly. “Can you get my bag?” He looks around, unsure of where your bag is or how your bag looks like. “It’s the white canvas bag.” You say, gesturing in its general direction. Once he makes a sound of recognition at what seems to be your bag, he approaches it immediately.

“What do you need?” 

“Just bring it over, please?”

“Manager-nim, how are you going to find what you need with your eyes closed?”

The question makes the corner of your lip quirk upwards. “Cause I know what’s in my bag and where to find it.” You reason, you can feel how cold your fingers have become and you press underneath your eyes gently. “Please?” You quickly add and it was enough to get the male to give in to your plea and hand you your bag. Once you feel the familiar material against your free hand, you grin in triumph, placing it next to you as you feel for your eye drops. Once you do find it, you open your eyes slowly, blinking carefully at the discomfort. You don’t notice that San has been watching you the entire time you try to ease your discomfort. 

“You can take a nap, you know.” He points out with a pout. 

At his words, you look at the rest of the boys, either too busy playing video games, eating, or catching up on rest as well. You look around for Manager Yoon, wondering where he could be at a time like this. “Let me just…” You yawn, rubbing your eyes with your knuckles. “...know where Manager Yoon is, then I’ll take a nap.” 

San couldn’t help but chuckle lightly at how stubborn and at the same time cooperative you are; like group, like manager. “Hey, you take care of us well, at least let us do the same for you too.” San reasons once he sees that you’re satisfied with knowing Manager Yoon’s whereabouts as you then readjust your position on the couch. He takes the chance to sit next to you, tapping his shoulder for you to rest on. It’s your incredulous look that makes him scoff. “You’re going to get a stiff neck if you lay on the arm rest or on the back rest.” Truth be told, you were embarrassed at the offer, grateful but embarrassed. Yet, you’re too exhausted to even hold a reasoning against his point. At your lack of a retort, he gently ushers you to rest on his shoulder to which you comply. Before you know it, you’re out cold. 

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You wake up to someone gently shaking you awake. A male’s gentle gaze peering above you. For a moment, you’re not sure where you are. You squint through the harsh lighting, greeted by a familiar pair of eyes gently gazing at you. “Good sleep?” San asks and you sit back up with a frown. You couldn’t wait for your bed later tonight, or early morning. At his question, you nod, a tired whine slipping out as you stretch your stiff limbs. 

“What time is it?” You ask, while trying to readjust your eyes to the lights. You take a look at your phone. Already nearing midnight. San hands you your meal, part of the compensation from the management team that had invited them to KCON. You stare at the meal on your lap then at him. “Wait, have you eaten?” You ask, a wave of guilt and confusion washing over your features as you realize that it’s past dinner time, and he’s already in his Growl outfit. Were you that dead asleep that you didn’t realize him moving? 

“Yeah, you had good sleep.” He coos as he watches you wake up from a rush of emotions. He found it endearing really, how you managed to still stay asleep when he had to move. He even had to beg Wooyoung to let you sleep on his shoulder while he was getting changed. The latter did give in, though not without teasing him about his obvious attachment towards you. At least now he could eat. He starts to dig in and you take the chance to look at him properly. Seeing them this dolled up is still something you had to get used to. You know that underneath all the makeup is their exhaustion. San notices your dazed look at him and he proceeds to shoot you a wink. “Do I look good?” He asks and it makes you shake your head. 

Your lack of a verbal answer makes him pout. “Ahhh, Manager-nim!! Don’t I look good?” He whines cutely at you and it makes Wooyoung snort. “You look good, San.” The former juts his lower lip out, despite preening at the compliment. “But, I asked Manager-nim!” Wooyoung just looks at you, a mix of fake annoyance and genuine amusement on his features, he then gestures for you to just give in to what he wants. “I meant your shoes, San. Your shoes look good.” This makes San sulk as he eats his meal and it makes you chuckle. How the two of them manage to banter so effortlessly without anyone batting an eyelash, except maybe Jongho who somehow manages to throw in a dad joke into the conversation. 

“You look good too San.” You add in afterwards. You catch how bright he smiles, how his dimples start to show and how his eyes turn into small crescents. For a split second, Wooyoung and you glance at each other. “I can see why the two of you are on the same wavelength.” Wooyoung whines at this, mostly to just annoy the two of you. His reaction causes San to look at him with a hurt expression. The two of them exclaiming questions at the same time, one directed at you, the other directed at Wooyoung. None of the questions falling on your ears in a coherent manner.

Yeosang enters the room to the two of them whining at each other and you looking mildly alarmed by the entire thing. “Don’t worry too much about them, this is really how they keep everyone’s energies up with this kind of schedule.” He says, his tone giving it away as to how often this happens. At his nonchalance, you look around you and some of the staff are already watching them, chuckling to themselves. There are some who are unaffected by the theatrics happening nearby. Off to the side, Yunho and Hongjoong were talking to a staff member holding up a small camera, and from the reflection of the mirror, you could tell Hongjoong wasn’t amused with Yunho’s pun. Just a normal day of working with ATEEZ it seems. 

A staff member enters the room, telling them that their call time for the cover stage is in half an hour. You take this as your cue to get ready to go with them but Manager Yoon rests his hand on your shoulder. “I’ll cover for this. Just get some sleep after your meal. You can cover their closing stage.” His words left you with no room to say otherwise so you nod and stay in your spot, eating your meal as the other members start to warm themselves up for their stage. There’s no practice run this time, they’ve done this so many times.

Hongjoong calls for the other members to try and put themselves in the zone. Thirty minutes do pass by faster than you’d think. Seonghwa though can’t perform with them, still stays with them as they warm up, monitoring them closely. It seems that even if they don’t fully dance in the room, he can already tell what needs to be noted. It takes you a while to realize you’ve finished your meal, too hypnotized by how San moves, even in the slightest. You don’t understand it really, how each member also has a switch in them that makes them go from regular boys to ATEEZ that has gotten the world wrapped around their fingers. 

Ten minutes left and the same staff member comes to their room to pick them up. Seonghwa notices that you haven’t moved from your seat, now looking at your phone. “Manager-nim you’re not coming with us?” San hears this and looks over at the two of you. The bright look in his eyes falters slightly upon the realization. 

It doesn’t register in your head that San’s looking at you with his bottom lip jutting out. “You don’t want Manager Yoon to accompany you guys?” You ask, and it’s your tone that gives it away that you’re being playful with your question. 

San doesn’t have time to make sense of what he’s feeling seeing you be like this with Seonghwa. Your eyes are just on him and he walks ahead to the elevator with the rest of the members. Seonghwa whines softly at your answer, “Watch us okay?” You nod at his request and shoo him off, not wanting to stall him any longer. You turn your attention back to your phone, your head leaning against the cool wall. It would take a while before you get to sleep again, so for now you entertain yourself with your phone and the rest of the staff. Everyone in the room has agreed to watch ATEEZ’s stage and as the time passes by, they share stories with you about working with the boys you now manage. They even ask how you find the workload, especially for a group that has been making so much noise on social media. All of the stories and questions you took with stride. Honestly, nothing much could be done in a time like this so anything in your path can and should be dealt with accordingly. 

Their stage starts and everyone keeps their eyes glued to the screen, all at awe at the quality of the stage design and how the boys maneuver the stage despite not all eight of them being on stage. You remember watching their cover of Growl back when they were trainees on Youtube in your free time and to compare it to this stage, the improvement is immense. You already knew why the public loved them but seeing it still amazes you. Maybe your body could sense that the stage was nearing as your exhaustion starts to come in subtle waves now. The lack of proper sleep had the world spinning but you force yourself to stay up for a few more seconds, at least until the end of the stage. Once it’s over, you excuse yourself into a smaller, discreet room to catch up on sleep. 

The boys return to their room to the staff clapping for a job well done on stage. Some of them crash on the couch, relieved to feel some sort of relief after performing strenuously on stage for another three something minutes. San was the first one who wanted to change into something more comfortable for the time being. He picks up his bag and heads into the smaller room. He was about to let out a sigh of relief, knowing that he was one step closer to ending this day. Now don’t get him wrong, he loves what he’s doing. The schedule was just so demanding especially after months of not standing on a stage. Though, having to wake up at a few hours after midnight and sleep after midnight is also demanding. 

He opens the door and is greeted by a sight of you still deep in your slumber. He could only imagine how tired the staff is also having to wake up earlier than him to get everything ready for today. It takes a while for him to get out of his daze, still surprised to be greeted by the sight of you asleep. His eyes catch sight of your goosebumps, he feels your arm lightly and looks around the ceiling of the room. The aircon was directed right at you. Quietly, he rummages through his bag until he finds what he’s looking for. Once he does, he carefully drapes your back with his hoodie, making sure as well to raise the temperature a bit to prevent you from catching a cold. He slips out quietly from the room, giving you your privacy. He asks their stylist where else he can change and she directs him to the other room where the rest of the members are changing as well. 

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You slowly find yourself waking up but your arm is still asleep. Maybe you shouldn’t have slept like that. An unknown weight is on your back, giving you some sort of warmth in this cold room. You reach other and it’s a hoodie, you don’t think you put this on yourself, it doesn’t look like yours either. The sleep you got wasn’t enough but it’ll help you last for the last few hours of this schedule. 

This time you wake up, knowing where you are. This time also throws you off by the hoodie draped over your back. You push yourself to stand up, and it takes a while for your limbs to warm up. Just how cold is this room? Did you not notice the temperature earlier? You fold the hoodie over your arm as you slip out of the room, looking around to ask who owns the hoodie. Some of the members fix themselves in front of the mirror, some were playing what looked like PUBG on their phones. San notices you first after monitoring his dance in front of the mirror. “Manager-nim! Did you sleep well?” He greets you brightly. You blink a few times to wake yourself up, your brain taking a while to start running. 

Two blinks before the words sink in. “Yeah, I did..” You admit with an embarrassed laugh. “I was going to ask if you know who owns this hoodie?” You continue, holding up the material to his attention. He points to himself, a pleased expression on his features. You feel your cheeks heat up at the realization. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry for this. I don’t think I remember putting this on myself either.” You quickly spit out, stumbling over your words. 

He smiles through your flustered defense and finds it hard not to coo over how endearing you look. It’s only after you finish your defense that he speaks up again. “Hey, it’s okay! I put it on you while you were asleep cause the room you were in was so cold!” He complains about the temperature, easing you from your panic and worries. “You didn’t bring a jacket with you no?” He asks to which you shake your head.  It’s June, the weather’s still pretty hot and a jacket isn’t usually needed. Your tolerance to the cold is usually good but you guess this one was pretty cold even for your standards. He continues to remind you to bring a jacket regardless of the weather, all with a pout on his lips. “What’s going to happen to us when you fall sick huh, Manager-nim?” He complains softly, his pout never leaving him as he speaks. 

His question makes you laugh softly and you reach to squish his cheeks together, causing his lips to pucker up. “Yes, I understand, San-nim.” You return, calling him with the proper honorifics just because of the sudden change in roles: him nagging you, instead of you nagging him. Giggles bubble from his chest at how you play along. “Where’s your bag?” You ask and he looks at you with a confused look. 

“Why?”

“So that i can return this..” You say with a raised eyebrow. You had to return to him after all. 

“Keep it.”

“What?” Did you hear that right?

“I said keep it at least until the schedule’s done. You got really cold while you were sleeping.” He reiterates, though a little slower this time. At least he has mercy on your still slowly waking consciousness. 

With the amount of times he’s making you heat up from embarrassment, you doubt you would need the hoodie. But you concede, you fold the hoodie over your arms, the warmth makes you notice just how cold this room is. He notices your reaction and he couldn’t help but smile a little, endeared by your actions. Before he could say anything else, Yeosang calls for his help on attaching the microphone. You decide to shrug on the hoodie, and you notice how the sleeves practically swallow your arms. Another important question, what brand is this and how much is it? You probably have to save five months worth of your salary to afford it (but let’s be real, considering all your expenses, make it ten… years).

 A staff member arrives and it’s their last stage for the day. You can see just how tired they are and you can’t help but sympathize with them. It’s how ATEEZ manages to send them energy by their antics that you can see the staff’s face crack in bemusement. They’re on standby for their performance, and they’ve noticed how some of the staff have lines of exhaustion on their face. You and Seonghwa stay in the same place that the production staff directed you to earlier. 

It’s how their thoughtful actions of wishing the staff luck and strength for the last leg that you notice their exhausted frowns turn into small soft smiles. 

Once the show ends, you could hear sighs of relief as they remove their headsets. The men who handled the cameras set aside the cameras with an exhausted groan-- those things never looked light. Seonghwa joins the rest of the group as they thank the staff for the hard work, clapping for them as well. You do the same off to the side, thanking everyone for such a demanding event. You wait for the boys by the door, all of them still cheering and thanking each staff. You wonder how ingrained their manners were, regardless, it was nice to see well mannered idols in a demanding industry.

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Their schedule is finally over, not after the stage but after recording a quick talk for their vlog. After that, the room erupts into sudden applause and bellows of thank yous to the staff that has helped them since the ungodly hours. The boys quickly change out of their stage outfits and into something more comfortable for the ride home. As you wait for the boys to be finished, you help around packing up everything before picking up your bag. You look through your bag, making sure nothing was forgotten and you wait for them with Manager Yoon who had a small cup of what seemed to be coffee in his hands. 

“Coffee? At this hour?” You ask, voice clear with shock. Granted he was going to be the one in charge of keeping everyone safe on the road this time, you wonder how it’ll go for him after. 

He raises the cup, gesturing to the object as to ask if it was the subject of the discussion. “This? Nah, it’s green tea.” 

You tip your head, understanding his points. Once the boys were all set and all the staff had left, the group head to the parking lot. Not a lot of cars are in the parking lot, save for the other staffs and artists who may have stayed for other deals. The car was filled with soft murmurs, praises of having done well on stage and the like being passed around. It was clear it would take a while before the adrenaline dies down for them. 

For you on the other hand, you’re tired. You’ve been awake since 5AM and it’s going near 4AM now. You try to stay awake until at least you leave the parking lot, but in reality the last thing you remember was seeing the exit of the parking lot.

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“Hey, we’re here.” 

Yoon shakes your shoulder to wake you up. Did you fall asleep on the road? You look around and you’re in the parking lot of your apartment complex. A wince flashes across your face as you stretch for a few moments to wake yourself up. 

“Sorry..” You mumble as you slowly side off the car, hoisting your bag up over your shoulder. Yoon shakes his head and reassures you that it’s alright. 

“Good job today, get some rest. It’s Manager Bae’s shift tomorrow so you don’t need to wake up early.” He hands the keys to the car to you as he makes his way home. Your shoulder starts to burn as you wave him goodbye, watching him leave until he disappears from your sight. You readjust the bag to ease the pain.

“Need help?” 

The sudden voice from behind you startles you as you spin on your feet to see who would be talking to you at this hour. Could you even protect yourself at a time like this? Your hands grip to the straps tightly in fear and suddenly, San takes a few steps back, hands up in the air proclaiming his innocence. 

His eyes were wide in surprise at your reaction. “Did I scare you?” He asks softly. 

“I thought you went up with the boys already..” You mumble in relief. God, you need to find another bag that wasn’t going to give you back pain at your age. 

He looks at you with a soft gaze at your words. He could see how tired you are especially after being on the road for twelve or more hours. “Give me your bag.” He says and he doesn’t take a no for an answer. Right after he says that, he slips your tote off your shoulders and into his hold. 

You didn’t get enough time to reject his offer, the rush of blood properly returning to your arm provides enough to distract you long enough for him to do what he does. “Hey!” 

He gives you a small smile. “Come on,” he starts, gesturing to you to walk ahead of him. “You’ve worked hard today, this is the least I can do for you.” 

You look at him over your shoulder, the words catching you off guard. You wait for the elevator to arrive and it’s a comforting silence between the two of you. It takes a while before you speak up. “You’ve done amazing today too, San.” You say softly. Wow, even your voice couldn’t hide the exhaustion. 

He chuckles softly, his hair hiding how his eyes have turned into small crescents filled with glee. “Thanks, your words really mean a lot to me too.” He admits. He isn’t going to admit the way his heart slightly did a flip at your words. He catches the surprised look on your face and he raises an eyebrow in question.

“I thought you would get that kind of praise from your fans.” 

Your words make him pause for a moment, the silence cut by the ding of the elevator’s arrival. He ushers you to step in first then him. He presses the button for your floor then his before he continues your conversation. “I do, and they mean a lot too. There’s a different weight I suppose when it comes from someone who has seen the process and someone who has seen the final product.”

He had a point and you lean against the cool metal of the metal box you’re in. Switching on your phone proved to be a bit of a trouble with how heavy your body feels. 5AM. Jesus, awake for more than twenty four hours. “Christ, this is the longest schedule I’ve worked on.” You mumble to no one in particular. He looks over at you with the softest smile on his features but opts to say nothing. You need rest. Your rest your head against the cool metal, feeling slightly light headed as the elevator goes up. The entire ride has you floating in and out of consciousness and it’s only when the elevator alerts you that you’ve arrived on your floor as you push yourself to move. You stretch out your hand for your bag but he doesn’t budge. Tired eyes look at him in confusion. 

“I’m walking with you to your apartment.” He says, walking out of the metal box with you.

“San..” Okay even to you, your voice doesn’t sound as persuasive as it would when you’re wide awake. 

“You’re tired,” he points out and he nearly addresses you by your work title but he catches himself quickly and calls you by your name. “At least, let me do this for you. Please?” 

“You’ve said that earlier walking me to the elevator.” You reason but from the looks of it, he isn’t going to budge. 

How he manages to pull such an endearing look that it makes you cave was beyond you. Maybe it was just the exhaustion. “God, fine but if you try anything I swear.” You mumble. The tug of your body towards your bed was strong because you just trudge down the hall with San following you quietly. He gives you some distance, he doesn’t want you to think otherwise of him even at your most vulnerable. 

You punch in your lock code and you never felt this relief for an annoying three note beep. You look over at him and it’s only in that instance that you see his exhaustion starting to settle on his eyes and it softens you. You reach out for your bag from his hold, rubbing his palm lightly to ease the marks and pain your bag has caused. “Get some rest okay? Tell the rest of the boys, you got a free day tomorrow so it’s your call if you want to go to the company or not.” 

He thanks whoever was out there for his skills in keeping his composure, otherwise he would’ve jumped at your touch. Did you feel it too? Your words make him feel lighter, he could sleep in but he’s going to head to the company either way. “Do we just message you?” He asks.

“Manager Bae or I, yes. I’ll be awake by noon. Good night, San. You need to rest.” You step into your apartment and it’s when the door locks that he snaps out of it. He rubs the back of his neck and shakes his head. He likes the feeling but he’s hesitant to let himself understand this completely. Either way, he wants to spend more time with you. 

He makes his way to his dorm and his members were already washed up, some of them already knocked out. The lack of keyboard taps and mouse clicking were enough for him to know that everyone is beat, even Jongho and Seonghwa. At least he doesn’t have to rush cleaning himself up tonight. 

You shut the door behind you and let out the longest sigh you could do. You were dead exhausted and couldn’t wait to get under your blankets. 

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You put your bag on your chair, shrugging off the hoodie you’ve been wearing for the entire night. It’s when you were already in the bathroom, in the middle of a much needed shower that you realize, you forgot to return San’s hoodie. The realization wakes you up, shocking you faster than the hot water splashing against your skin. 

You step out of the shower finally in your sleep wear and you look through your phone, thank god you had his number already. 

[ You ] : San! I still have your hoodie. I’ll wash it then return it to you by tomorrow! 

You toss your phone to your bed, picking up the hoodie and giving it a quick sniff. A small part of you is always paranoid if you smell bad regardless if you use deodorant or perfume. It doesn’t. That doesn’t change the fact you’d wash it and have it dry tonight in time for when you see him. 

Unfortunately, this means you’re sleeping a little later than you wanted. You stay up on your phone as you catch up on things you’ve missed in the past twenty four hours. 

[ San ] : No rush! Give it back whenever you can! ^^

Even with his reassuring message, you wanted to give it back to him as soon as possible. Out of curiosity, you check the brand of the hoodie, wondering if you could afford it. You manage to find the brand name and it takes a while before you find the same model that he has. It’s the way the website doesn’t have the price on display that it scares you. Once you do see the price, you do the quick math for it, roughly nine months worth of salary savings if you have enough self control. 

Once the washing process was over, you hang up the hoodie and head to bed. 

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He’s buried under his blanket as he thinks about the entire day. ‘Ka-talk!’ Everyone’s too deep into their sleep for them to wake up to his notification. He reads the message and couldn’t help but smile against his pillow. He manages a quick response, not wanting you to rush to the apartment at this hour. He can wait for the hoodie but there’s a part of him that looks forward to seeing you again with his hoodie. 

5:30 AM.

Time to sleep. He has plenty of time to understand these feelings in him. He just knows that whatever he’s feeling, he likes it. 

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Part 3