Chapter Text
It was 5:15 AM on a Tuesday. Hallways of the Cube building were dark and peaceful, and through a slightly open window you could hear occasional chirping of the birds, welcoming the first signs of sunrise between tall buildings. You would imagine no one still being awake at this hour, especially on a Tuesday.
But yet, the light was on in the practice room.
Inside, Hyunggu was standing bent over, hands resting on the knees, trying to catch his breath, sweat dripping from his bangs to the floor. He's been in the practice room for 10 hours straight and was exhausted. Yet he couldn’t sleep until he was happy with the work he accomplished, until the job was done - and done well.
If you could only use one word to describe Kang Hyunngu, that word would be hardworking. He always gives his best at the task at hand, sacrificing sleep and food, his focus narrowing down to what is truly important in that moment and needs to be mastered.
His focus his entire life has always been - dance. It was the first thing he discovered that felt like he found a huge piece of himself, a piece he can't live without anymore. Through dancing, he started to understand and fall in love with music even more. Now, music is his focus and will always be the one thing that will be the most important, whether it be through dancing, singing or composing.
When he steadied his breathing, Hyunggu walked across to the other side of the practice room where he put his backpack and pulled out a towel to wipe the sweat off his face. He started to worry again, thinking about the upcoming Saturday.
It was a big day for him, a big day for all of them. It was their first performance as Pentagon, an actual group, not just as trainees of a company. The pressure was hovering above his head ever since their Vice president told him that he would be in charge of making the choreography.
He wants to do well. He must do well. For himself, and for the team.
Hyunggu snapped back to the present and started packing his things and preparing to finally go back to the dorm, take a quick shower and hit the sheets. He turned off the lights in the practice room, closed the door and started walking down the dark hallway towards the exit. He was walking slowly, half asleep, when he heard the music playing quietly from their studio room. Hyunggu froze where he stood. He was‘t expecting anyone to be here at this hour. The last person he saw was Hongseok hyung who brought him ramyeon for dinner hours ago. He perked up his ears trying to distinguish what song was playing and in horror he recognized his own voice and a familiar melody. Hyunggu threw himself at the studio door and rushed inside.
“Hwitaek hyung! What are you doing?!”
Two boys looked at each other with a surprised look on their faces, neither of them expecting anyone else in the building at this hour. The studio was dimly lit, with lights coming only from the computer screen and a small lamp in the corner. Hyunggu noticed how tired Hui looked, he must have been here all night as well. His blonde hair was messy and slightly pushed back.
Whenever Hyunggu felt pressured and stressed out, he always reminded himself about their leader and the heavy weight of responsibility he was carrying for all of them. He admired Lee Hwitaek so much in every way and strived to be even just half of what he is. “You are the most handsome leader, Hwitaek hyung” is what he’s been saying to him for the past 2 and a half years, and he meant it. Hui was his role model and inspiration. He was his leader.
The corner of Hui’s lips curved up in a mischievous smile. The song was still playing and Hyunggu’s voice was coming from the speakers. It was his song, a song he hasn’t played for anyone yet, and wasn’t planning to either. Hyunggu’s face was starting to feel warm as Hui kept staring at him with his smile growing bigger, his eyes sparkling, reflecting the light of the lamp.
“Hwitaek hyung, turn it off!” Hyunggu rushed towards Hui and clicked the pause button.
Hui laughed next to his ear. “You sneaky bastard, you really thought you could hide something from me?” The tone of his voice wasn’t angry, and he almost sounded amused.
Hyunggu was embarrassed and slightly angry. “You have no right to listen to my work without permission!” he said more harshly then he intended. He stared at Hui who was sitting in front of him with his head thrown back so that he could look him in the eyes. His mouth was slightly opened and his tongue was playfully dancing over his bottom lip, a habit of his, appearing while he was lost in thought. Hyunggu didn’t know why, but whenever Hui did that, he couldn’t look away.
Hui’s expression started to shift and the smile disappeared. “You need to believe in yourself, Hyunggu-yah” he said in a more serious tone. “And don’t be afraid to come to me if you are having a tough time with music or anything else. I’m always here for you.”
Hyunggu looked away, and stared at his feet, fighting back the tears. It was late at night, he was tired, irritable, worried and super sensitive, he couldn’t think straight and really didn’t need this conversation right now. He just needed sleep.
He felt a warm hand slip into his, Hui’s fingers entwined with his fingers. He still couldn’t look up at his leader.
“Do you trust me?” Hui asked.
“O..of course I do, hyung…” he mumbled. Hyunggu trusted him more than anyone else in the world, and he felt guilty for hiding something from him. He just didn’t have the courage, the song wasn’t good enough and Hyunggu couldn’t show it to Hui - a genius composer who could write a masterpiece in five minutes.
“You know I never lie, Hyunggu-yah” Hui continued. “ The song is really good! The beat and the melody seriously blew me away, really!”
The sincerity in Hui’s voice made his heart skip a beat with excitement. He rose his head and looked his leader in the eyes. “Really, hyung?”
Hui nodded, smile spilling across his face once again. Hyunggu couldn’t help but smile too. Hui’s smile was his energy pill, a sight that always made him feel better no matter what he was going through. It made him feel warm inside, like a confirmation that everything was going to be ok.
They listened to the song a few more times and Hui gave him some suggestions and helpful tips. Hyunggu felt stupid for not coming to him right away. Hui was always considerate of others but assertive, a true leader. Whenever he needed to make a decision, he always asked for the members opinions first, molding them and coming up with the best solution. Yet, when needed, he could take the wheel with confidence, and without any second thought do what he thinks is right.
When they finally decided to stop and call it a night, it was already a sunny morning outside and there were people on the streets, going about their business. Hui pulled out the car keys from his pocket and unlocked his car, and Hyunggu threw himself on the passengers seat, exhausted, rubbing his eyes.
“How is the choreography coming along?” Hui asked, starting the engine, “I’m sorry for not being able to help.”
“That’s ok, hyung, I can handle it.”
I can handle it - a phrase Hyunggu used way too often, without thinking, almost like a reflex mechanism. He always expected that from himself - to rise up to the challenge and handle it. Even when he felt overwhelmed, he wouldn’t ask for help. But the leader could read him like an open book.
Hyunggu felt Hui’s intense eyes on him but he refused to meet them. He kept staring at the road in front of the car. Hyunggu’s face started to feel warm and his heartbeat quickened, and he didn’t quite know why. There was something about the way Hui looked at him that made him feel uneasy and weird. He felt as if Hui’s eyes were piercing through his skin, exposing all of his darkest secrets and fears, and he felt naked. The silence was hovering inside the car and Hyunggu just wanted Hui to stop looking at him like that.
“Don’t work too hard, Hyunggu-yah” Hui said finally, bringing his gaze back to the road.
“You too, uri leader hyung.”