Chapter Text
Jun leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms above his head with a groan. The training session had been exhausting, but seeing the trainees push their limits always gave him a sense of satisfaction.
The trainers' room was a welcome respite from the chaos of the training area. Everyone was in their own little bubble, providing each other with a moment of solitude and a familial feel in air.
Beomgyu was sprawled on the couch, scrolling through his phone, it had originally annoyed Junhui, how he listened to tiktoks with the volume up, but know it just faded in to the background. He thinks it would be too quiet without the sound now.
Joshua sat at the table, grading some papers. The trainees always hated the written exams, but they were just as necessary as the practical ones. At least, that's what they told themselves. Everyone hated grading papers. Luckily, Joshua usually volunteered, saying it was his duty as the eldest or something like that. Jun wasn't too sure, he was just happy he didn't have to mark anything.
Taehyun was meticulously cleaning his weapons, his brow furrowed in concentration. It was slightly scary, but then again, Taehyun was like a cute cat half the time, so he wasn't too scary.
Yeonjun was practising some sort of choreo. Jun had begun to learn there was a group of people at BLCK who loved to dance, Yeonjun included. They would spend almost every second of their free time coming up with a choreography for the rest of their group to practise and perfect over the course of the next week. Jun wasn't too sure of everyone in the group, but he knew there was at least Niki, Riwoo, Yeonjun and Dino. Jun himself was actually apart of it, but he had yet to go to an actual meeting.
Soobin and Kai were currently leading all the trainees through their newest obstacle course, as a bit of fun at the end of the day. They had to remake it after their old one had caused one too many accidents. It was meant to be for fun, but the trainees kept strict score of the fastest person each day, turning it to a fierce competition.
Beomgyu suddenly sighed heavily, jumping Junhui out of his thoughts.
"Rough day?" Jun asked, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
Beomgyu sighed dramatically, once again. "You have no idea. Woonhak almost set himself on fire during the obstacle course."
Joshua chuckled, pausing in his marking, cracking his wrists as he spoke. "At least he's enthusiastic."
"Enthusiastic about self-immolation, apparently," Taehyun muttered, polishing a knife with a cloth.
Yeonjun grinned. "They'll get there. They just need guidance."
"And maybe a fire extinguisher glued to their hands." Jun added. "They set literally everything on fire."
Taehyun barked out a laugh. "They're pyromaniacs in the making, leave them alone."
Yeonjun nodded. "Especially Woonhak. I swear, I'll have to ban everything fire related soon."
"Or maybe we could just, not have him do any fire related training," Joshua suggested.
"Where's the fun in that?" Beomgyu asked.
"Speaking of fun," Taehyun started, a smirk growing on his face. "Did anyone else see Mingyu trying to get Junseo's attention?"
Beomgyu laughed. "Oh my god, yes! The way Junseo just stared at him, it was brutal."
"He just stood up, and walked away," Taehyun said, a small smile growing on his face. "Poor Mingyu."
"He'll be fine," Jun said. "Didn't you see Junseo slightly smile?"
"I swear, that's the most emotion he's shown in forever." Beomgyu said.
Yeonjun sighed. "I really hate this."
The mood turned sombre.
"Hate what exactly?" Joshua questioned, voice hesitant.
"How Mingyu likes Junseo." Yeonjun grumbled, and immediately Taehyun and Beomgyu nodded, causing Joshua and Jun to exchange uneasy glances. Could this mess with their mission?
"Mingyu is so nice and friendly and Junseo..." Beomgyu begun, only to trail off towards the end of the sentence.
Taehyun scoffed. "He wouldn't treat him well, is one way to say it. Mingyu deserves better. I have no idea how he even likes that sorry excuse for an agent."
Yeonjun let out a noise of agreement. "We need to keep a close eye on them, I wouldn't want Mingyu to get hurt."
A close eye? That's dangerous, even if Mingyu is extra careful from now on.
"Anyways," Joshua said, voice even, "We should probably get back to work."
The trainers settled into a comfortable silence, but Jun and Joshua were still slightly tense. If everyone was keeping such close tabs on Mingyu, could that cause difficulties?
...
It was now late in the night, and the soft glow of Joshua's bedside lamp cast long shadows across the room. Junhui sat on the edge of the bed, his shoulders hunched, his gaze fixed on his nervously twisting hands. He'd knocked on Joshua's door, a desperate plea for a listening ear, but now wasn't even sure where to start.
Joshua, ever the patient one, sat beside him, his expression a calm, reassuring presence. "So." He began, his voice a gentle prod. "What's keeping you up, Junhui?"
Junhui sighed, the sound heavy with unspoken anxieties. "It's...it's Minghao," he finally confessed, the name a soft whisper in the quiet room.
Joshua raised an eyebrow, a flicker of amusement in his eyes, but he kept his tone neutral. "Minghao? What about him?"
"I...I think I like him," Junhui blurted out, the words tumbling from his lips in a rush. He immediately regretted his lack of eloquence, but the truth was out, raw and unfiltered.
He waited for the judgement, the reminder of the fact agents weren't allowed to date, but none came. Instead, a small smile played on Joshua's lips. "Think?" he teased gently. "That's quite the understatement, isn't it?"
Junhui groaned, burying his face in his hands. "Don't," he pleaded, his voice muffled. "Please don't make fun of me."
"I'm not making fun of you," Joshua reassured him, placing a comforting hand on Junhui's shoulder. "I'm just observing. You've been practically radiating nervous energy whenever he's around."
Junhui lifted his head, his cheeks flushed. "I know," he admitted, his voice laced with frustration. "That's the problem. I'm so awkward around him. I can't even hold a normal conversation."
"Awkwardness is endearing, sometimes," Joshua offered, though Jun didn't think it helped.
"Not when you sound like a stuttering idiot," Junhui retorted, his frustration bubbling to the surface. "Every time I try to talk to him, I freeze. My mind goes blank. I say the dumbest things. It's mortifying."
"No you don't." Joshua rebutted.
"I tried to compliment his technique, and I ended up saying his moves are very moveable. Moveable! I genuinely said moveable Joshua!"
Joshua chuckled, a low, warm sound. "It means you were flustered. It happens."
"But it always happens," Junhui insisted, his voice rising in desperation. "I can't seem to control myself. I'm always worried about saying the wrong thing, about making him uncomfortable. I just...I want to impress him, but I keep making a fool of myself."
Joshua patted his back gently, humour dancing in his eyes. "You're not so bad."
Jun turned his pleading eyes from the floor to Joshua's face. "Teach me, teach me how you talk to Seokmin without ruining it."
Joshua blushed slightly, but didn't deny the fact, and just agreed quietly. "I'm not sure that's what you need though."
Junhui paused, his gaze drifting to the floor, his voice dropping to a whisper. "He's so talented, so graceful, so...amazing. And I'm just...me."
"And you are great." Joshua said, his voice firm. "You're kind, you're funny, you're incredibly skilled. You're a good person, Jun. And Minghao knows that."
"But what if he doesn't?" Junhui asked, his voice filled with doubt. "What if he sees me as just...a friend? Or worse, not even that?"
"Then you'll deal with it," Joshua said, his tone pragmatic. "But you won't know unless you try. You're letting your fear of rejection hold you back. You're creating scenarios in your head that might never happen."
Junhui sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know." He admitted, his voice weary. "But it's easier said than done. I've never been good at this kind of thing. I always ruin it."
"You're not going to ruin anything," Joshua reassured him, his voice gentle. "Just be yourself. Be honest. Be genuine. And most importantly, relax. Stop overthinking every little thing. Let things happen naturally."
He paused, his gaze softening, a flicker of something dark and distant in his eyes. "Trust me, Junhui, confessing to Minghao won't go half as bad as when I confessed to my crush. At least we know Minghao would never try to kill you and your best friends."
Junhui's eyes widened, his shock visable on his face. "What?" he asked, his voice a hushed whisper.
Joshua's eyes snapped back into focus, his expression suddenly guarded. "Nothing," he said quickly, his voice tight. "Just...a bad joke. Forget I said anything."
He gave Junhui a strained smile, but Junhui could see the shadows lurking in his eyes, the unspoken pain.
"No," Junhui said, his voice firm. "What did you mean?"
Joshua hesitated, then sighed. "It's...it's a long story," he said, his voice weary. "And it's not something I want to talk about right now, go get some sleep. You have a big day tomorrow."
"Okay," Junhui said, his voice quiet, he knew how stubborn Joshua was. The elder wouldn't tell him anything if Jun pressured him. "But...if you ever want to talk about it..."
"I know," Joshua said, his voice soft. "Thank you, Junhui."
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight..."