Chapter Text
The bright lamps before him were almost blinding.
The constant clicks of camera shutters were making his ears itch.
The endless compliments from the staff and photographers no longer pump his heart faster.
Kim Sunoo was exhausted.
It’s almost 7 P.M., and the photo shoot just had to finish way past the schedule due to a surge of new ideas that kept coming to the photographers mid-session like an oracle. Can't really blame them though; with seven handsome men before the camera, it's basically a force of nature to feel the need to capture.
But honestly, Sunoo was fucking exhausted.
Oh no. Idol image.
Even in his mind, Sunoo habitually felt the need to censor himself. And that one was way more exhausting than any other physical labor that he would need to do in the name of fulfilling his duty as an idol.
But despite all the complaints inside, the smile never faded even once from his face. Trying to follow the direction from the staff that had been fussing about a fresh summer concept for their magazine featuring one of the hottest boy groups there was.
That aside, Kim Sunoo was quite enjoying himself at the moment.
It’s all because he had just a tiny little secret.
Kim Sunoo had a superpower.
“I think this should be enough.” The welcoming news came from the director of today's shoot.
After giving one last check to the monitors displaying several pictures of seven gorgeous men in comfortable summer attire, the director gave her final greeting to the models to let them retire from the scene first. “Thank you for your hard work, ENHYPEN!”
The seven main characters of the day bowed respectfully, voices overlapping as they echoed the farewell given to them.
“Thank you so much for today as well!” Sunoo said, his smile the brightest among the group as the members slowly dispersed one by one.
True to his nickname, even hours after the sun had set, his presence still warmed the room like lingering sunshine.
Sunoo’s eyes curved beautifully, hiding the amber gems beneath lowered lids. His cheeks lifted high, pale and flawless with a soft hint of rosy pink. And then, his lips.
Oh, those lips.
Even trying to word how desirable those lips were was like committing a sin.
Kim Sunoo was a beauty.
Of course, he knew it himself, and it seemed the staff had noticed it as well, perhaps just a little too much. As he turned and left the room after finishing his greetings, he could feel their gazes burning into his back, accompanied by soft murmurs of “How adorable and handsome!”
Sunoo took a really deep breath and relaxed his shoulder as he walked, following the six others to the waiting room.
Sunoo stared at the backs of his members. His steps slowed down without him realizing it at first. He listened to the laughter of Jake and Ni-ki, who were on the front of the line. They seemed to have reserved energy just to fool around after a day of hard work.
Jay was grumbling about how noisy Jake and Ni-ki were as they playfully pushed each other's shoulders in the narrow hallway. “It’s nice to be young; you have so much energy.”
Jungwon laughed at that remark. He put his arm around Jay’s shoulder and pulled him closer. “Oh come on! Stop trying to sound like an old man!”
“He is an old man.” Heeseung added that it’s been a while since Jay identified himself as a 30+-year-old man.
Jay gave Heeseung a stinging gaze from the side. “You know, it’s kind of pissing me off hearing that when you are the one saying it.” Which gained a hearty laugh from the older one.
Sunoo laughed a little hearing the banter from behind. He tried to hide his smile behind his hand. But it seemed someone really did have good hearing, or maybe just had an extra sense reserved just for the sake of annoying him.
Sunghoon turned his head to look at him. “Why are you walking so slow?” He paused his own step to let Sunoo close their distance.
Sunghoon announced to the group. “It seems like we got another old man here!”
“What the-” Sunoo quickly reached the others and threw a gentle punch to Sunghoon’s shoulder, who kept trying to tell other members that Sunoo was getting old and walking so slowly that even the grandma next door could outrun him.
The seven members of ENHYPEN continued their chats as they walked to the waiting room together. Warm laughers filled the cold hallway that was chilled by the night air.
Sunoo once again placed himself just a step behind the others. He stared at the six figures before him for a bit longer. Six talented and handsome individuals who walk the path of stardom together along with him.
A soft smile bloomed beautifully. Not the kind in which his eyes curved or his cheeks were highly raised. Just a subtle smile that let his eyes capture the moment without missing any second.
Kim Sunoo had a superpower. Oh well, superpowers.
He has not one, but six people who gave him strength to continue their journey together.
No matter how hard the work, how heavy the burden, or how painful the tears were. Kim Sunoo could continue another hundred years as long as he had his six companions.
…
After changing his clothes, Sunoo sat in front of the vanity to remove his makeup. The other members were there as well; some were still changing their clothes while playing with each other or just passing out on the sofa without even bothering to clean their faces. The staff was busy organizing the supply or trying to urge their artists to go changing.
Sunoo used the wipes that were provided to carefully remove the makeup from his face. He didn’t have any formal schedule left for today and just wanted to let his skin breathe.
“Do you need any help, Mr. Sunoo?” One of the staff asked him politely.
Sunoo smiled at her and let her know that he could handle cleaning his face on his own. But before he could finish reassuring the staff, someone snatched the wipes from his hand.
“I’ll do it!”
Sunoo rolled his eyes at the culprit who stole his makeup wipes from him.
Sunghoon excitedly turned the chair Sunoo was on to face him. “Mr. Customer, please close your eyes.”
“No! I can do it myself!” Sunoo was trying to resist the others' advance by snatching the makeup wipes back. But of course he was no match for the determined Park Sunghoon.
Park Sunghoon, who was determined to annoy Kim Sunoo, was truly a despicable creature.
“Uh huh! At times like this, you should say, ‘Thank you, Hyung-nim,’ and accept it when your brother is trying to help you.” Sunghoon was trying to look intimidating by making a frown with his thick eyebrows.
“No, you're not trying to help me. You just want to play!” Once again Sunoo was trying to get away by turning his chair.
But damn those muscles. Sunoo couldn't even move an inch because Sunghoon basically trapped Sunoo using his body.
“Jake, hold him still.” True to his determination not to let Sunoo go, Sunghoon called for reinforcement.
“Huh?!” Sunoo didn’t even realize that Jake had been hovering behind him.
Two strong arms immediately held him from behind and kept him in place. “Got you, Sunshine.”
Sunoo almost could imagine the playful smirk on Jake’s face right now. He made one last attempt to get away by screaming and resisting.
But soon he realized that it would be faster to let Sunghoon and Jake do their dumb business than to resist any longer.
The staff didn’t even bat an eye at the scene that was chaotically unfolding before them. It was a daily recurrence, and it would be better to leave the boys alone. They learned the hard way, of course.
Watching Sunoo finally calming down, Sunghoon laughed happily and started role-playing as a salon staff again.
In contrast to his excited act, the hands that wiped Sunoo’s cheek were extremely gentle. It was almost ticklish.
“Oh my God- are these cheeks or buns? Why is it so fluffy?” There it was, his annoying monologue.
Sunoo could only roll his eyes again. “Seriously.”
“Huh? Buns? Where is it? I’m hungry!” Jake joined and started his acting. “Should I try biting the buns to see if it's real?”
Hearing that, Sunoo had no choice but to resist once again. Laughter could be heard from the annoying pair.
Don’t get him wrong. Sunoo loved being doted on by his members. Who would refuse being loved? Not him, at least. But just as much as his members spoiled him, they were just as annoying when it came to teasing him.
Maybe, just like someone once said, Kim Sunoo looked the cutest when he was upset.
The two continued their play until a voice called for one of them.
“Jake,” Heeseung stood at the door, holding his jacket on his arm. “Can you come with me to the studio?”
Sunoo glanced at the oldest of the seven. He didn’t even realize that Heeseung had finished changing, even though the makeup was still on him.
‘Is he too busy to clean it? Or maybe…’
“Huh? Why?” Jake asked, seeming surprised for a second before readily complying even before hearing the reason. “Alright, sure!”
Jake turned to Sunoo after asking Heeseung for a minute.
“Too bad I can't get a bite today. Make sure to leave me some next time!” He lightly hugged Sunoo’s shoulder one last time before leaving.
“See you later, losers!” He announced his departure to the room. Of course, no one responded.
With the playful remark that sounded more like a threat to Sunoo’s ears, Jake left with Heeseung.
Sunoo turned his eyes to look at Sunghoon, who was somehow still so focused on removing the makeup from Sunoo’s face. He didn’t even pay attention to Heeseung and Jake.
Sunoo let out a tired sigh and quietly closed his eyes to let Sunghoon have his own fun time.
Even after darkness surrounded his vision, Sunoo could still picture how perfectly handsome the man before him was.
It felt like a waste; with that kind of face, Sunghoon could land any kind of date. But here he was, too busy all over him.
Well, maybe God really was fair.
Handsome face, perfect body, and weird personality.
“Okay, done!” The older one exclaimed and finally let go of Sunoo. He turned the chair to make Sunoo face the mirror once again.
Sunoo opened his eyes and found himself fuming only two seconds after seeing his own face. “What the hell- Hyung!”
Sunghoon laughed so hard that he couldn't even stand without supporting himself with the back of Sunoo’s chair.
Sunoo stared at his face; his face with half of the makeup removed.
No wonder Sunghoon seemed to be awfully focused only on the right side of his face all this time.
“Why did you do that!” Sunoo wailed.
“Ah, I'm fully charged.” Sunghoon sure sounded really satisfied with his work. “Thanks again, Sunoo. I’m looking forward to tomorrow too!”
Sunoo turned around to protest, but Sunghoon was already halfway out of the room to run away.
Sunoo gave up fast after witnessing the crime of Sunghoon being dragged by their manager to the changing room. It seemed like Sunghoon wasted way too much time playing with him today.
Yeah, that was what Sunghoon called ‘charging.’ Apparently, he claimed that after messing with Sunoo, his energy level would go up even after a day of hard work. No scientific explanation needed; all that was just Sunghoon’s bullshit, like always.
Jungwon, who watched the scene from the side, laughed softly at him. “Don’t worry, you are still so pretty, Sunoo Hyung.”
“As if.” Sunoo didn’t even spare him a stare and just focused on removing the rest of the makeup from his face.
From the mirror, Sunoo could see Ni-ki leaving the changing room and talking to Jungwon about something before leaving the room together. Thank God that Ni-ki seemed to be oblivious about the state of his face. At least he didn’t even need to hear the annoying laughter of the youngest.
After finishing removing his makeup. Sunoo stood up and fixed his appearance one last time. He turned around and found Jay lying on the couch, still wearing full makeup and not even bothering to change his clothes.
Sunoo walked to the older one and lightly slapped his thigh. “Scoot over, please.”
Jay opened his eyes and sat up, leaning on the back of the sofa. He asked lazily. “Where is everyone?”
“They left already.” Sunoo told him. “Do you still have any schedule for today, Hyung?”
Jay put his right arm around Sunoo’s shoulder and pulled him closer. “Nah, I’m just going to have dinner with Jungwon and go home. Where is he anyway?”
Sunoo lightly pushed Jay away, but the older one was clinging to him quite persistently. Sunoo felt like he just escaped the lion cage only to jump into the bear cave on his own. “He left with Ni-ki.”
“Is that so?” Jay finally let him go only to mess with Sunoo’s hair.
“Argh! Stop it seriously!” Really, Sunoo regretted his decision to wake the sleeping bear.
“Why? You let Sunghoon play with you just now, but I can’t?” Jay laughed at the fuming Sunoo. “I thought I was your favorite?”
“Not anymore.” Sunoo was fixing his hair using his phone as a mirror. “But you saw that? Why didn’t you help me then?!”
Sunoo thought the older one passed out from exhaustion on the sofa. He felt a new sense of betrayal.
“Why should I?” Jay smirked and once again messed up Sunoo’s hair. “It was quite a sight.”
“Ugh! Seriously.” Sunoo tried to hold himself from hitting Jay’s amused face. At that time, Sunoo saw a guitar case next to Jay. “Is that your guitar, Hyung? It’s so small…”
Hearing Sunoo’s curious tone, Jay took the case and put it on the table before them. “Yeah, wanna check it out?”
Sunoo eagerly nodded at the offer. He didn’t particularly take interest in the instrument usually, but seeing Jay cradling his guitar these days made Sunoo think that Jay looked so cool while doing that.
Jay opened the case and showed the inside to the younger one. “Here, try to assemble it yourself.”
Sunoo quickly shook his head at that. “No, no. I don't want to break it.”
“It’s not that fragile.” Jay snorted at that, but seeing how terrified Sunoo looked, he quietly assembled his guitar himself.
Seeing the guitar completed in no time, Sunoo couldn't hide his amazement. “Wow, the shape is so pretty.”
“Right?” Jay agreed while adopting such a proud look on his face; he then asked Sunoo. “Wanna learn a song?”
“I can't even play a guitar? How can I learn a song?”
Jay laughed and gestured to the younger one to sit closer. Sunoo reluctantly scooted just a tiny distance, but Jay took the matter into his own hands, and now both of them are basically glued.
Jay put the guitar on Sunoo’s lap and helped him hold the guitar from behind.
It was too close.
Jay made Sunoo press his left fingers into the string, guiding each one to press certain points.
“You need to press a bit harder.” Jay put his own fingers on top of Sunoo’s to help him.
“It hurts,” Sunoo said meekly.
“If you play the guitar every day, your fingers will form calluses, so it won’t be that painful.”
Well, that one, Sunoo could tell. He could feel the roughness of Jay’s fingers. Just how hard did he practice for them to become this rough?
But despite the roughness of his fingers, Jay was warm.
“Here, try strumming the guitar.” Even after making sure that Sunoo pressed the right strings, Jay didn’t let go.
Trump~
“Uwah-” Sunoo exclaimed. “It’s terrible.”
Jay laughed hard at that and let go of Sunoo. “You only do it once! How can you tell it's terrible already?”
Sunoo carefully moved the guitar to Jay’s lap. He then blew air into his sore fingers.
“Let me see.” Jay set his guitar down on the table and took Sunoo’s left hand. He examined each finger, already flushed red. Jay gently pressed each fingertip and blew cool air over them. “What kind of fingers are this soft?”
Sunoo snapped and yanked his hand away. “My fingers! Why? Got a problem with that?!”
Sunoo sure has a talent for easily bringing laughter into the room. Jay could easily picture fumes coming out from the younger head. “Nah, I like it better that way.”
He looked at Sunoo with a gentle smile. “Just stick to your piano. You are great at it, and your soft fingers won't suffer.”
“I know,” Sunoo mumbled to hide his embarrassment. It always felt good to hear a compliment from Jay, because he knew the older one was sincere.
Besides, he didn’t need to play the guitar to look cool. Sunoo was already cool enough. And he didn’t think anyone could beat Jay when it came to looking cool while playing the guitar, like right now.
A soft melody filled the empty waiting room. At some point, the staff had left, though Sunoo didn’t even notice when.
It was nice.
.
Knock knock.
The sound of the door being opened broke the quiet atmosphere. One of their managers came inside with a paper bag in his hand.
“Mr. Jay? I can only find these gym clothes.” The manager gave the paper bag to Jay. “I put your clothes in the washing machine, and it should be ready in 30 minutes.”
Sunoo looked at the paper bag curiously. “Gym clothes?”
Hearing that, the manager looked at them sheepishly. “I accidentally poured coffee on Mr. Jay’s clothes, hehe.”
So is that why the staff let Jay lie around without changing for a long time?
In the next moment, Sunghoon appeared at the door. “Does anyone want to go to the gym?”
“Nice timing,” Jay responded immediately. He put away the paper bag and quickly disassembled his guitar. “Sunoo, want to go too?”
Sunoo shook his head. “I want to go to the practice room.”
“Why? Come on, I will help you train your muscles.” Sunghoon walked toward them. “I will guarantee you get your six-pack in 30 minutes.”
‘What bullshit.’ Sunoo didn’t dare to voice it loudly, knowing how sensitive Sunghoon was when it came to Sunoo disrespecting him.
What's his problem anyway? He only got upset when Sunoo was the one involved. He even called Ni-ki cute when the youngest skipped the formal tone.
“The only thing guaranteed is my suffering.” Sunoo said, visibly sulking.
Sunghoon giggled at that. “Oh, come on.”
“No.” Sunoo stood up and gathered his belongings. “I will leave first.”
Sunoo was about to open the door when Sunghoon called him from behind. “Come to my room later. My sister sent some dessert.”
Hearing that, Sunoo turned around so fast. “What is it?”
Sunghoon tried to recall the name of the dessert. “Uh… something choco, Dubai- mochi?”
“Dubai chocolate chewy mochi cookie?!” Sunoo exclaimed.
“What the- why is the name so long?!” No wonder he couldn't even remember it.
For the first time that evening. Sunoo smiled so brightly at him. “I want it- please give it to me!”
Teasing Sunoo may replenish his energy. But Sunghoon realized again that seeing the younger one's bright, happy smile really nourished his heart.
A playful smile bloomed on his face. “Yeah yeah, just come to my room later.”
“Okay!” Sunoo opened the door and turned around one last time. “Thanks, Sunghoon Hyung!”
The smile never left his face.
…
Sunoo basically skipped his way to the practice room. He planned to memorize their latest choreography alone. But when he opened the practice room door, there were already two people fighting over the laptop.
“I told you, it’s better to learn the key points first.” Ni-ki tried to convince the other person by demonstrating the move. “It’s tricky if you don't properly memorize it first.”
“But isn't it better to start at the beginning and see which part I need to improve more?!” Jake insisted that it would be more efficient that way.
Hearing the door open, both boys turned Sunoo’s way.
“Huh? You guys here?” Sunoo greeted the others.
“I thought you went with Heeseung Hyung?” Sunoo asked Jake before he turned to Ni-ki. “And weren't you with Jungwon?”
Jake greeted him back. ‘Hi Sunoo,’ and then made a confused look. “Heeseung Hyung asked me to listen to his new cover. But after playing it once, he kicked me out?”
“The producer called Jungwon Hyung.” The youngest explained in short.
“Ah… alright.” Sunoo walked into the practice room and put his bag in the corner. “Mind if I join you guys? I want to memorize the new choreography too.”
“Okay.” Ni-ki fumbling with the laptop. “Do you have any particular part you want to memorize?”
With Ni-ki as their dance teacher, Sunoo wouldn’t miss the chance to milk the younger.
Sunoo gave Ni-ki the brightest smile he could muster. Then cheerfully answered, “All of it.”
Jake laughed at the cuteness of his younger brother and lunged himself into Sunoo’s side, clinging to his sunshine like an octopus.
Ni-ki gave him a troubled smile and scratched his eyebrow. “Alright, let's start from the beginning then.”
Hearing that, Jake was about to take his position in front of the mirror. But then he realized, “Wait, it’s not fair!”
Jake walked to Ni-ki with an intimidating look that was not intimidating at all. “I asked before, and you said no! But what?? When Sunoo asked, you were be like, ‘Yes, my princess’?!”
Sunoo laughed watching Jake, being the shorter one, trying to tackle Ni-ki, who just stood tall.
He could almost hear Ni-ki murmuring, ‘My princess…?’ as his ears slowly turned bright red.
After a session of shouting -mostly Jake- and scuffling, the three of them started their practice that evening.
.
“You should pull your hand higher, Hyung.” Ni-ki stood behind Sunoo and tried to direct his hand to move higher.
“Like this?”
Ni-ki placed his hand on Sunoo’s shoulder. “Relax your shoulder and make sure your arm is pulled straight- yeah, like that.”
Sunoo tried to remember Ni-ki’s advice and made the same movement again. Hearing Ni-ki’s approval, Sunoo smiled and did the same movement over and over again until his body remembered.
“What about me?” Jake called from the side.
Ni-ki carefully watched Jake's movements. “You pulled it too high. Be careful; you could pull a muscle.”
The youngest one looked at the clock on one side of the wall. It had been 50 minutes since the start of their practice. “Should we take a break?”
Jake and Sunoo agreed immediately at their teacher's suggestion. Sunoo plopped down on the floor while Jake made his way to the water dispenser.
Sunoo stared at Ni-ki, who was so focused on the laptop in the corner.
At the start of their career, Ni-ki was like an unstoppable force. He practiced and practiced like someone was chasing after him. But it warmed Sunoo’s heart watching how much Ni-ki grew as a person. He even knows how to take a break for himself now.
“Here you go, Sunoo.” Jake handed him a paper cup filled with water and put a towel over his head.
“Thank you.” Sunoo accepted the cup and wiped away his sweat using the towel before drinking the water slowly.
Jake was always the sweetest among the seven.
He made sure Sunoo was taken care of first whenever they ate together, going as far as not letting Sunoo touch the steak knife.
Providing water for Sunoo was as natural as breathing for Jake.
There was a certain warmth in Sunoo’s chest whenever Jake called him ‘Sunshine’ with his thick Australian accent.
Jake sprawled out beside him. “Ugh, I want to take a cold shower.”
“Are you going straight home after this, Hyung?” Sunoo asked.
Jake stared at him from the floor. “Yeah, I’m done for today. Do you want to have a late-night snack later?”
“What snack?” Ni-ki approached and sat next to Jake. “Chicken?”
“I was thinking of something sweet,” Jake answered. “You want chicken?”
“Yeah. The one from last time was really good.” Ni-ki reached for the towel on Sunoo’s lap and used it to wipe his own sweat.
“Hey- that’s mine!” Sunoo tried and failed to take it back. “It’s dirty.”
“It’s fine, I’m only using the corner,” Ni-ki replied, earning a scolding from Jake, who said it was gross. “I’m going to shower later anyway.”
Sunoo stared at the youngest. Ni-ki had always been like this, close and intimate. He hugged whoever lay next to him at night, even when he slept naked.
Suddenly Sunoo realized that this year, Ni-ki was already twenty.
Ni-ki was an adult now. Time really flew.
He used to be shorter than Sunoo, but now? Watching Ni-ki standing tall after throwing the towel into the basket on the corner, Sunoo realized how different Ni-ki was from their I-LAND days.
His baby brother no longer looked like a baby.
Well, that's upsetting.
“Come on, let's start again.” Their teacher really was strict.
…
“You’re sure you want to stay?” Jake asked one last time as he stood at the practice room door.
Sunoo nodded, determined to memorize the choreography one more time. “Yeah. Take care on your way home, Hyung. I’ll see you at the dorm.”
Ni-ki, standing beside Jake, suddenly approached him. “You’ve already memorized plenty today.”
‘Let’s go home together.’
The unspoken words were loud.
Sunoo smiled and reassured him. “Thank you for teaching me again today. Just go home with Jake Hyung first.”
Ni-ki rolled his eyes before turning around. “How stubborn.”
“Hey, I heard that!” Being scolded by the youngest was never a pleasant experience.
“Good. I meant for you to hear it.” Ni-ki didn’t even look back as he left the room.
“What’s with him?” Sunoo muttered.
Jake laughed softly. “Cut him some slack. I think he’s worried you’ll overwork yourself again.”
“If he’s worried, he should just say so.” Sunoo sulked. “Why does he get angry instead?”
Sunoo understood that not everyone was as expressive as he was. But in Ni-ki’s case, the boy was almost emotionally constipated. Why had his puberty lasted this long?
Ni-ki was loud and playful, but when it came to deeper emotions, he just shut down.
“Haha, you know him,” Jake said gently.
That was the problem. Sunoo didn’t understand him.
“I should go catch our youngest.” Jake opened the door. “I’ll see you at the dorm. Let’s order Ni-ki’s favorite chicken later.”
“Take care!” Sunoo called as Jake left.
Left alone in the practice room, Sunoo stared at his reflection in the mirror.
He wanted to stand proudly next to his companions.
ENHYPEN consisted of talented individuals who all stood in their own league.
As soon as they debuted, people called him undeserving of the position. That another trainee deserved it more.
Calling him less than the others.
But Sunoo never let those people drag him down. He just had to prove that he, too, rightfully belonged to the group.
Sunoo strove to be the best in his own way. He might not have Heeseung’s perfect pitch or Ni-ki’s dance skills, but he knew he had what it took to stand beside those prodigies.
That was why he was trying to do his best. To prove his worth and to give back the love he received in so many kinds.
…
It was 10 P.M. when Sunoo came out of the shower room. He walked into the hallway. Even at night, their company's building was still lively. He could see some staff working at their desks and running around the office.
He was always grateful to those hardworking people. Sunoo decided to treat them to a little midnight snack.
Sunoo entered the lounge and plopped down on one of the couches. He very much wanted to go home immediately, but he just got informed about a late-night meeting regarding his solo activity. That’s why he waited in the lounge.
He took out his phone and started ordering a bunch of food and drink for the staff that worked overtime today. He then texted one of the staff that he personally closed and told them about the food.
[Thank you, Mr. Sunoo! You are an angel~ We will eat them well!]
Sunoo giggled at the bunch of stickers the staff had sent him.
Out of the blue, the lounge door opened. Sunoo thought it would be the staff that would have a meeting with him. But an unexpected person entered the room instead.
“Jungwon?” Sunoo sat straight on the couch, wondering why the younger one was still at work. “You look tired.”
Their leader definitely could use some rest.
“Sunoo Hyung…” Jungwon dragged his feet to the couch next to Sunoo. He practically threw himself at the sofa. “I want to have a body double.”
Sunoo giggled at the younger one's cuteness. Jungwon had this certain charm. He was a capable leader and yet an adorable younger brother at the same time. “Oh no, is work really that hard today?”
Jungwon immediately sat up and faced him. “Not really, I was just so bored because there are so many meetings. I was supposed to blow off some steam by practicing with Ni-ki for a bit, but I got dragged into corporate life instead.”
See? How adorable.
Sunoo laughed at Jungwon. “You got me worried for a second there.”
“You are worried?” Jungwon asked him quickly.
Sunoo stared at the other one, sensing something ominous. “Uh… not anymore?”
“So, you are worried, feel sorry for me, and want to cheer me up?”
Sunoo was dumbfounded. “Where did that come from?”
“Great, if you want to cheer me up so badly—move!” Jungwon pushed Sunoo to the corner of the sofa and immediately claimed his place by lying down and using Sunoo’s lap as a pillow. “Hah… this is the best.”
“What the hell?” Sunoo was always caught off guard by Jungwon’s antics. But he couldn’t bring himself to push the younger one away when he noticed the dark circles under Jungwon’s eyes. “Ugh, fine. Just this once.”
Jungwon laughed softly, closing his eyes. Both of them knew that wasn't true. Sunoo had a massive soft spot for his younger brother.
Sunoo wasn’t really a fan of physical intimacy, but he guessed he could make an exception just for today. Only for his leader, who worked so hard for their team.
“I saw you practicing alone.” Jungwon said out of nowhere.
“You did?”
“Yeah.” Jungwon blindly took Sunoo’s hand and placed it on his own forehead, seeking warmth. “Don’t work too hard. It’s bad for your health.”
Sunoo ran his fingers through Jungwon’s hair. “Don’t worry. I worked just hard enough. You should be the one getting scolded here.”
“Hahaha, why?”
Sunoo traced the dark circles under Jungwon’s eyes. “Get some rest. Eye bags aren’t pretty.”
“It’s okay; you have enough beauty to cover for all of us.” Jungwon sometimes said some nonsense like this.
Sunoo pinched Jungwon’s nose. “Stop talking nonsense and go home. Do you still have things to do?”
“Nope. I’ll go home soon. Just touch me a little more.” Jungwon placed Sunoo’s hand back on his forehead. “It feels nice.”
Sunoo scoffed but complied.
“You know,” he ran his hand on Jungwon’s hair. “Sometimes I envy you.”
“Why?”
“It’s just, you are younger than me but way more capable.” Sunoo strokes Jungwon’s closed eyelids, slowly moving his hand to smooth the eyebrows above them. “I want to learn from you.”
“Sure. The tuition fee is one hour of lap pillow time and exclusive access to your affection,” Jungwon replied shamelessly.
“Idiot.” Sunoo laughed softly and pinched the younger’s cheek this time.
Jungwon laughed along with him.
After their laughter faded, Jungwon opened his eyes and looked at Sunoo; his gaze lacked any humor. “I’m not as capable as you might think, Hyung.”
The young leader continued.
“I can do it because I have all of you with me.” Jungwon reached out, just close enough for his fingertips to barely touch Sunoo’s cheek. “That’s why you don't have to try so hard. Just like how I’m capable because I have you, you can lean on us too.”
The difference between us.
“That’s right.” Sunoo agreed way too easily, lacking sincerity.
Jungwon stared at him for another second before standing up from the couch. “I’m serious. Talk to us about your worries more. Let's figure it out together, Hyung.”
“Thank you, Jungwon.” Sunoo smiled at the younger one. “I’m so grateful you are our leader.”
“You should be; I'm one of a kind after all.”
Sunoo laughed at that and ushered the other to just go home and rest.
“You have a meeting soon, right? Is anyone still at the company?” Jungwon asked before leaving. “You should go home with them later.”
Sunoo thought for a moment. “I don’t think anyone left beside me. I saw Sunghoon Hyung, Jay Hyung, and Heeseung Hyung go down the elevator together.”
“Yeah, Jay Hyung said he would just order late-night dinner at the dorm. I’m starving.” Jungwon walked to the exit and then leaned on the door, feeling weak all of a sudden.
“Jake Hyung said he would order some chickens.”
“Great!” Jungwon jumped out of excitement. “I'll go home now, Hyung. Go back as soon as you finish the meeting; I will save you a piece.”
“Yeah, yeah, take care.” Sunoo dismissed the offer and waved Jungwon goodbye.
Jungwon said goodbye before closing the door.
Right after that, Sunoo’s phone rang. The manager's name was displayed there.
“Alright, let's do this.” Sunoo said to himself before leaving for his last schedule of the day.
.
.
.
Sunoo always finds himself just a little bit different from the other members of ENHYPEN.
Well, maybe not just a little.
Sunoo has never been bothered by the fact that there's been a distinct difference between himself and the other kids as he grew up.
It’s just a matter of preference, and Kim Sunoo is always true to his heart and desires.
But since he decided to walk the path of a star. He hated to admit it, but he was forced to fit the mold of society. It’s not hard, but he hated being isolated.
That's why Kim Sunoo grew.
He just loved himself too much to let other people dictate how he should behave. He didn’t want to hide his nature just to belong somewhere. He learned and adapted.
Kim Sunoo couldn’t be confined to mere diction and labels.
But being true to himself didn’t mean there were no consequences, though.
“...”
Sunoo played a game on his phone while waiting for the elevator to arrive.
He was supposed to go down to the parking lot with his manager, but the man had gone back to take a private call and told Sunoo to head down first.
Ding.
Sunoo’s eyes darted to the elevator doors as they slid open. He slipped into the elevator and put his phone into his jacket pocket. He was about to press the button for the underground parking lot when someone called out from the hallway.
Moments later, hurried footsteps stopped in front of him. Sunoo looked up at the person who stood frozen in place.
“Heeseung Hyung?” Sunoo blinked in surprise. “I thought you already went home.”
Lee Heeseung completely stopped his steps just outside the elevator. For some reason, the older one seemed extremely shocked to find him as well.
Lee Heeseung stood just outside the elevator, equally startled. “Uh—yeah. I was working on something for a bit.”
He didn’t meet Sunoo’s gaze.
Again.
Sunoo exhaled quietly. “So? Are you just going to stand there?”
Only then did Heeseung seem to realize he was hesitating. “Oh—right. Sorry.”
Sunoo stepped aside to make room for Heeseung inside the elevator. It’s not like that was really necessary since the elevator is wide enough for two people to not bump into each other accidentally. But Sunoo just wanted to make Heeseung a little bit more comfortable for their short ride together.
Sunoo pressed the elevator button. The doors closed, and the silence settled in.
Painfully familiar, yet no longer surprising.
It began suddenly, out of nowhere, without any prelude or sign.
His oldest brother on the team had grown distant. The warm hugs, gentle pats, and affectionate glances were replaced with awkward avoidance.
“Are you alone?” Heeseung asked quietly. The murmured question was not strong enough to break the silence. But Sunoo would never miss that voice.
That damned voice.
Kim Sunoo always loved Lee Heeseung's voice. For no other reason besides Sunoo was a lover of beauty, and the man’s voice really fit the bill.
“Yeah. The others already left,” Sunoo replied, not turning to look at him. He knew Heeseung wouldn’t meet his eyes anyway.
That was how it began. Avoiding eye contact, refraining from being alone, always needing someone else present.
Well, Sunoo maybe had a clue or two. But then again, Kim Sunoo never was the desperate type when it came to relationships with others.
Begging for one’s attention was humiliation for Sunoo.
If someone was clearly distancing themselves from him for whatever reason, Kim Sunoo would simply accept it.
Yeah, for whatever reasons.
It’s the consequences of Kim Sunoo being aware and loving himself truly. He should be able to respect other people's choices with their lives.
Kim Sunoo always tried to live as an upstanding citizen. He wanted to be a good person, and truly, he was trying his best.
But every light brought shadow under the shade.
Being ignored was not that pleasant. That's why Kim Sunoo decided not to care anymore.
After all, it was not his problem.
“...”
Yeah, as if.
Sunoo lied.
He cared way too much.
That’s why it was more painful.
Ding.
The short ride ended so damn quickly. Sunoo went out of the cramped space; after a few steps, he still heard no sound from behind. Sunoo turned around and caught Heeseung staring at his back from the elevator. “Not coming out?”
“I forgot something upstairs; you go home first.” Heeseung said, lowering his gaze.
“You sure?” Sunoo asked for one last time. “Are you really sure you want that?”
The question was so clear yet so vague.
“Huh? Oh- yeah, I still have to finish something.” It seemed like the older one didn’t quite catch the bait. So much for someone who declared fishing as a hobby.
“Alright.” Sunoo turned around to leave. “Just don’t regret it.”
Sunoo wasn't even sure what he wanted from Heeseung. It’s just pissing him off.
Maybe the one who was confused is not the oldest.
.
.
.
Sunoo looked outside of the car. The nights were ripe, and he could see the lights dancing around the high buildings.
Everyone seemed so busy. Sometimes Sunoo wondered what would happen if he wasn't a part of ENHYPEN.
Just the plain old Kim Sunoo.
Maybe he would have taken the CSAT and gotten into some random university.
Maybe in another life, he was some kind of office worker struggling due to a midlife crisis.
Or maybe, something completely ridiculous. Like being a ninja in a hidden village or fighting devils using a kitchen knife.
Ring, ring.
Sunoo woke up from his random thoughts by the sound of a phone call from the front seat.
“Uh huh- excuse me...” His manager apologized and seemed really worried about whether to ignore the call or take it.
“It’s alright; you can take the call.”
The manager looked at him from the rearview mirror and thanked him. “Thank you so much; I think it’s an important call from my family. I will park the car for a bit.”
Sunoo smiled and let the manager leave to take the call.
Sunoo pulled out his phone from his pocket and opened a webtoon site.
What's fun these days?
He heard from a friend who was a webtoon maniac that there's this trending genre that he was so hooked on lately. As far as Sunoo remembered, it was about a world where people have superpowers.
That sounded fun. If Sunoo had superpowers, he would like to have the ability to achieve all of his dreams.
Sunoo found some works that were tagged with ‘Guideverse.’ He just couldn't decide which one to read to pass the time.
Out of the blue, a bright light hit him from the side, and the blaring sound of a horn being hit deafened his ears.
A blinding light.
A loud horn.
Impact.
.
.
.
Ring, ring.
Sunoo opened his eyes to the blinding morning sunlight. He was a bit disoriented.
But one thing was certain.
He just had a really shitty dream.
.
.
.
Sunoo walked into the kitchen; he opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of cold water. He felt so thirsty for some reason.
Opening the bottlecap, Sunoo moved into the living room and turned on the TV. The morning news greeted him immediately in the face.
[We’re following the breaking news this morning. An unexpected gate break near the Line 3-A station of District 5 has brought the morning commute to a halt.]
Sunoo took a sip of the water and raised his eyebrow. He murmured to himself. “There are so many gate breaks lately. So Scary.”
Living alone in the one-bedroom apartment gave him a new kind of habit.
Talking to himself.
He wasn’t fond of silence to begin with.
Sunoo placed the water bottle on the table before walking onto the balcony. He opened the sliding glass door and was immediately hit by the cold wind. “Uh- woah!”
He could hear the warning sirens from afar. His place was high enough for him to see the main street quite clearly; cars with the bureau and medics logos zoomed through the traffic.
Sunoo closed his eyes and found himself praying, “Let them be safe.”
For the civilians not to turn into victims, and the awakened to return with victory.
Sunoo stared at the horizon for a bit before going back inside because he didn’t want to catch another cold after only barely escaping the last one.
Sunoo had been down with a really bad cold for the past 3 days. His fever finally went down yesterday, and he woke up feeling really great this morning.
Everything seemed nice except for the fact that he had a really shitty dream last night.
What kind of dream had those many details and lingering feelings? It pissed him off.
Sunoo took the water bottle and put it back into the fridge. He was about to take his phone from the bedroom when he noticed the small frame hanging next to the TV. “Oh, right!”
“Good morning, Mom.” He stroked his mother's face in the picture. “You too, Dad and Noona.”
He felt sorry for not greeting them for the last three days because he could barely get up from the bed. “No jokes, I thought I was about to join you guys because of this cold.”
Both of his parents and his older sister passed away when he was seventeen years old. They were caught in a sudden Gate Break while going on a university tour for his sister in District 4. Sunoo had stayed home because he needed to finish the summer vacation homework he had procrastinated on until the very end.
Since then, Sunoo had lived alone. He sold his parents’ house and moved into a small apartment. He couldn’t bring himself to live surrounded by the memories of his deceased family. He rented a large storage unit and placed all their precious mementos inside, locking it until he was ready.
Yet here he was, at twenty-two.
Same old, as always.
Ring, ring.
Sunoo turned his head when the phone inside the bedroom rang loudly. “I knew it.”
He walked quickly to take the call. He didn’t even need to read the full name displayed on the screen. “Yes, Boss.”
[Hahaha, what's with the tone? Judging by your voice, you've gotten better already?]
Ms. Lim, the owner of the beauty salon Sunoo was working at, gave him a cursory greeting.
“Be honest, are you an esper? Can you read people's minds from far away? How did you know my fever went down already?!”
[Hahaha, what esper- just call it a business sense.]
Sunoo rolled his eyes. As soon as he heard the Gate Break this morning, he already knew that he would get the phone call immediately.
“Yeah yeah, you are a true businesswoman who couldn't even let her employee rest on the weekend.”
[Hey, come on! You already took 3 days off, and now you are all better. Don’t you feel sorry for me? I’m stuck in the shelter!]
She added in a lower voice. [There are some kids crying here- I want to cry too!]
Sunoo laughed at that. His boss preferred to take a morning commute by subway. Their salon opened early on the weekend to accommodate the people who were too busy on the weekdays.
“What about the others? Miss Yoon? Hyunjoong Hyung?” He began to list the names of his coworkers one by one.
[They are hopeless. I need you to supervise them.]
“But I’m the youngest???” Sunoo tried to negotiate once more. “You know I could use just one more day of rest.”
[Don’t make me cry… Please- Sunoo, Mrs. Park has a morning appointment today. You are the only one who could handle her!]
Mrs. Park was one of their regulars. Usually the salon owner would take the job herself, but when she couldn’t, Sunoo would take her place.
Mrs. Park was some kind of rich lady that couldn’t be messed with. But luckily she got a soft spot for Sunoo because apparently he reminded her of her youngest son.
“Alright, alright.” Sunoo decided to cave in; hearing his boss begging was not that pleasant.
Mrs. Lim Jiyoon was Sunoo’s old neighbor. She took care of him when Sunoo was left alone after the death of his family, as Sunoo had no other relatives.
She even offered to help him with tuition if Sunoo wanted to go to college. But Sunoo decided to make money instead; he just couldn't bring himself to use his parents' and sister's insurance money any longer.
That was when Mrs. Lim offered to teach Sunoo at her salon, and here they were 4 years later. Sunoo’s picture had been decorating the wall under the name of Best Employee of the Month for the past 2 years.
“Just take a nap in the shelter for a bit,” Sunoo said while making his bed. “I heard it would take at least 2 hours to clean the slime.”
[Slime?!] Mrs. Lim shrieked from the other side. For a middle-aged woman, Mrs. Lim sure has an energetic personality. Maybe that was why they got along so well.
[Forget it, you take care of the salon for today. I’m going back home.]
Sunoo laughed loudly after hearing that. Mrs. Lim had an aversion to slime. “I’m joking; don’t go home, please.”
[Too late, I’m going home.] It seemed like Mrs. Lim was really determined not to work today. [Minji said she wants to make a cupcake with her dad. I can't trust that man with my kitchen.]
Since it was true that Sunoo had already taken three days' rest, maybe he would let Mrs. Lim spend the weekend with her daughter and husband. “Hahaha, okay, please tell Minji that I’m thankful for the card.”
Minji, Mrs. Lim's 7-year-old daughter, sent him a get-well-soon card using her mom's phone two days ago.
[She really did use so many stickers that I could barely read the notes. My baby is so cute, right?] Mrs. Lim was really the true girl's mom.
[Anyway, I’m hanging up. Take care of the salon for me today!]
Sunoo placed the phone on the bed and headed to the bathroom. He stood in front of the mirror and stared at his reflection.
The dream from last night.
There was so much content to process that it gave him a headache. But Sunoo remembered at one point in his dream, he had pink hair.
Sunoo touched his bangs. He had never dyed his hair before despite working at the salon and constantly being bugged by his coworker to at least try bleaching his virgin hair.
But he liked the soft texture of his hair. What if Sunoo bleached his hair and it turned for the worse?
But in his dream, even with bright pink hair, Sunoo’s hair was extremely soft.
He could tell because someone kept stroking his hair in the dream and said they liked how soft it was.
What kind of dream made you remember such a scene? He had no idea who the hell that man was; he can't even remember anything beside the dimple and warmth.
.
.
.
Sunoo made sure that the automatic lock on his door was properly activated. He walked through the hallway to the elevator, only to find that the elevator was not running because of some technical issue.
Sunoo dragged his soles into the emergency stairs. He reluctantly opened the door and found that the place was as dark as he remembered.
That was why he hated it so much.
Sunoo leaned on the railing to see how far the first floor was. If only he had some kind of ability that let him jump from the fifth floor unscathed.
Maybe he should try to learn something.
Sunoo took the stairs while mumbling some unknown song from his dream.
“Hmm… should I learn parkour?” Sunoo remembered the videos he saw online sometimes. They looked so cool. “Heh~ no way. Haha.”
Sunoo gave up fast, as he remembered he couldn’t even jump a fence. He wasn't really blessed with athletic abilities.
As he reached the third floor, he heard a rumbling sound.
“Huh?”
Sunoo was shaking- no, the whole building was.
Sunoo couldn’t even scream because a moment later, the wall next to him broke down. Sunoo held onto the railing for his dear life.
From the dust that rose, he could see a massive figure clinging to the wall.
“Oh no…”
A monster.
A monster was destroying his building.
‘Did a Gate Break happen near his apartment complex? Where are the espers? Would he die here?’
Sunoo must have been mistaken when he thought that he would die of fever before. But it turned out the gate break that took his family once was coming to get him today.
As the dust settled, the monster got its eyes on Sunoo. A giant mole, with tentacles on its snout.
Gross!
Tears streamed down Sunoo’s eyes. As much as he missed his family, he didn’t want to join them yet, at least until he turned seventy. There were so many things he had yet to achieve.
He didn’t even have his first kiss yet!
It looked like dying really made people's minds fucked up. How could he think about his first kiss when he was in a staredown with a huge monster on the collapsed stairs of his apartment building?
Please don’t eat me.
Sunoo wasn't even sure whether monsters could understand human language. But he was just so desperate.
“Please-” Before Sunoo could even beg, the monster moved fast. Its hand reached out to Sunoo. Trying to grab him.
But at that moment, the stairs collapsed. Sunoo fell down together with the debris. A huge chunk of the wall hit his head.
That's it.
As he fell down and slowly lost consciousness. Sunoo had one last thought.
‘Damn it.’
.
.
.
The sound of sirens filled the air. The authorities began to build some emergency tents to house staff and victims.
Manager Ahn was one of the supervisors of today's rescue mission.
A small gate break occurred near an apartment complex in the outskirts of District 5.
District 5 was a relatively safe place, with the least gate occurrence in the whole nation. But because of the latest gate waves that were happening now, even the safest place was bound to get dangerous.
Manager Ahn looked at the collapsed building in the distance. He fixed the glasses on his face. The wrinkles on his forehead deepened as he analyzed the damage.
Two buildings were destroyed to the ground in a matter of minutes.
Apparently, a small gate break happened underground. The mole-type monster dug through the soil, leaving a huge sinkhole under the two apartment buildings.
“Manager, the Gate Response Unit just came back.” Another staff member approached Manager Ahn and reported.
Manager Ahn was part of the Civilian Rescue Unit under the Awakened Management Bureau.
While the Gate Response Unit mostly consisted of capable espers, the Civilian Rescue Unit members were mostly non-awakened individuals or low-ranking espers.
At a time like this, when the scale of the disaster is so big, they need all the help they can get to rescue civilians that were harmed by the Gate Break.
It’s basically a race against time.
“Is that so? Please ask them if there is any esper that is willing to help there.” Manager Ahn looked at the tent where injured victims were being healed. “We need to remove the debris to find more victims. Did you get the list of residents?"
“Understood, I will ask the espers. The office is still processing the list right now; we also request the visitors list.”
“Alright.” Manager Ahn could hear the scream of the victim. It was so clear in his ear even though he didn’t have the super hearing of espers. “This is a nightmare.”
…
Manager Ahn was strategizing with his team. “We need to stabilize the rest of the ruins-”
“Manager!” The young staff that left to ask about the availability of telekinetic Esper ran back to the tent where the meeting was being held. “I bring the esper!”
“Okay, good job-” Manager Ahn was about to praise the young staff when he saw the esper that the staff brought. “... fuck.”
“Huh? Why?” The young staff looks so confused by the change of expression of his manager.
Manager Ahn pulled the staff to the side and scolded him in a low voice.
“How could you bring him?!” Manager Ahn glanced back at the esper, who stood a distance away, staring at the collapsed building. “Why is such a high-ranking person here?!”
“Apparently he was on his way back to the center when he saw the scene from the helicopter.” The young staff excitedly recounted his discovery. “Apparently, he alone killed most of the monsters in under 10 minutes!”
“You should have told me that first!” Manager Ahn felt like his sweat was pooling under his jacket. “How could I ask him to be our excavator?!”
“Hahaha.” A low laugh came from behind Manager Ahn.
Manager Ahn was basically bathing in sweat right now. He turned around to face the high-ranking esper, who somehow closed the distance without them realizing.
“Please don’t worry about it. It’s our duty to protect and save the civilians. We need to use any means necessary.” A polite smile decorated the handsome face before him. He turned around to stare at the scene again. “Besides, I can be an excavator once in a while.”
‘Fucked. He heard it.’
But that was true.
Manager Ahn wiped his face and straightened his back. It was no time to be fussing over such things as formality.
“Please help us. We need your cooperation to help as many people as possible.” Manager Ahn held out his hand.
“Of course I will cooperate,” the esper accepted Manager Ahn’s handshake. “Let's work hard to save the victims.”
The esper then turned his head around once again. He seemed to be fixating on one side of the ruin in the distance for a while now. “But can we start from that side?”
Manager Ahn looked at the direction the esper pointed.
The esper murmured as he gazed into the distance.
“I can feel it.”
.
.
.
“Help me…”