Work Text:
Groaning, you dragged your feet across the cold tiled floor, your shoes clicking against it every once in a while. Your heavy bag was filled to the brim with papers, files and your old laptop pulled at your back, making you adjust it. Back problems at this young age? Definitely. Honestly caffeine and your love for your unit kept you going, but your physical body felt like it was deteriorating on the spot..
Being a clothes designer for am idol unit was all you've ever wanted when you were younger and well, you still do want it. It seemed like an impossible and silly dream but here we are. To be honest though, a tiny part of you is starting to regret it when recently, the scribbles on your sketchbook are starting to look like a hallucination printed on papers. You loved your unit, sure, and Minami made his songs so very catchy and unique. Maybe a bit too unique. It's starting to take effect on your sleep.
“Should I put the belt here? Should it be a darker color or does it match with a brighter tone? Would that work with a sleeveless part..?” You mumble to yourself as you fidget with your pen. They have to match the songs!
Aimlessly you walk the halls. Wait. Where were you going again? Oh well. Sleep deprivation often hits you in the memory, Torao keeps telling you random facts sometimes. He probably noticed the dark circles under your eyes forming though.
You headed towards the coffee machine in the small break room, sipping and sighing as the rich bitter taste hit your tongue. You revise your goals for the day, mentally flipping through your foggy memories. Struggling to focus, your eyes feel heavy and itchy.
Your hand brushed against your bag, feeling something fuzzy. Instinctively, you glance there, and your thumb is hovering over a fluffy, little dog keychain.
You grin to yourself, and like magic, your brain finally starts working.
Today, right about now actually, Touma should be practicing his new birthday solo.
Where would that be though?
Greedily gulping down the last drops of the coffee, you speedily walk back out into the hall, fling in the door open and crashing directly into another body with a head full of teal hair.
“Why won't this boss just die alrea- ow-!”
“Fuck-!”
“You rub your cheek and groan, looking over to Haruka who's frantically trying to pause the game on his phone despite the red mark on his forehead. Guess he got his priorities straight.
“Fuck fuck fuck- no no…! I don't- oh it's paused nevermind.”
As he panics, you watch silently, deadpan and completely ready to scold him like an older sibling.
A moment of silence passes and you let out a very, very long sigh. As on cue, he sighs too, knowing exactly what you're about to say next.
“Haru, I told you, don't play on your phone while walking! How many times have I told you this?”
He scrunches up his nose slightly and looks away, pouting unintentionally like a small child being told not to run indoors.
“Yeah I know.. I was gonna beat it though..”
You resist the urge to sigh again before asking, “Hey would you know where Touma is? I need to.. review the outfit I have in mind for his solo.”
Almost immediately, Haruka’s nose scrunches up even more, his golden eyes looking at you with mock disgust.
“Yeah.. I think he's in practice room 3, but I swear, if I hear kissy noises from there I will kill you both. I don't wanna hear that. ”
You laugh a little under your breath, mostly to disguise your embarrassment. He must still remember how Touma’s recent.. confession went. It was a little strange, watching the rest of ZOOL following you two around, but it's not like they would leave you alone anyways.
“Well thanks, I'll make sure to be as loud as possible.”
You walk away quickly before he can smack you, so instead you hear a loud and disgusted groan, poor Haruka speed walking in the other direction.
You smile to yourself, passing music room 7 and watching Minami and Torao do some stretches together though the giant glass window. They're so in sync, I should make modifications to their clothes to match each other soon..
After a few seconds of watching them, you walk forwards again, muttering the numbers to yourself as you walk down the hallway.
“7.. 6.. 5… 4.. huh. Mini stageroom? Never heard of that one..”
You cautiously open the door, your eyes getting accustomed to the darker shades of wallpaper in the room. The unique practice room had a big stage taking up a little less than half of the room, built to mimic a real stage and crowd. A spotlight shone on a single figure, contrasting him against the dark walls. His red hair looks blindingly bright when the light hits it at one point, making you squint.
He doesn't seem to notice you yet, the loud instrumental and his singing blocking out the squeak of the old door.
“Endless Endless, Endless,”
A grin breaks out on your face, your earlier fatigue thrown off to the far corner of your brain. The music is perfect for him, the rap and the singing parts mix so well together and he looks so.. happy. A grin almost identical to your own is plastered on his face, and occasionally he does a silly little twirl that's definitely not in the choreography. It reminds you a bit of a puppy chasing his tail. Or a clumsy ballerina.
You're so busy gaping at him that you barely register when he calls your name out. Your face heats up, your legs already itching to run out the door.
“Uh.. Sorry- Sorry for coming in ununvited and interrupting you and-”
He stops you with a laugh, one that bubbles up from his throat and spills out uncontrollably.
“Come on, I'd always be happy to see a good looking face watching me while I practice.” He winked in what he hoped was a sweet and seductive fashion, but his too-happy face ruined the image he was trying to give off.
Your jaw drops a bit, and before you can react he jogs towards your position near the stage's stairs.
Still laughing a bit, Touma grinned down at you, his smile baring all his teeth. His hand was stretched out to you invitingly, like a prince. The silver rings on it glinted in the spotlight and sparkled as he moved to gently take your bag off.
“Hey- be gentle with that, it has my laptop and all my precious work..” You whined in between giggles, a smile betraying your words.
“It's fine.. I'll be extra careful, just like I am with you.”
His face turns redder as he tries to flirt, looking away for a split second. The color is magnified with he light shining on him, making his face an unusual shade of bright, bright red. You laugh at his reaction and place your colder hand in his warm one.
Despite his embarrassment, his grin stretched impossibly more as he felt your hand, the warmth of his hand and his smile enveloping yours like a glove.
Pulling you on stage, he twirled you first, clumsy, and exactly like what he did when you first came into the practice room.
“Endless, Endless, Endless"