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Minho knew what love was. He grew up in a loving environment, had a great relationship with his parents and their parents, and spent a lot of his free time hanging out with friends, enjoying their company.
Ever since he was a small boy, he knew what he was made for, which was nothing other than dancing. His mind would only find peace and freedom once his body moved as if it were fluid, made to create art by simply being as it is. So, it was not unexpected that he made up his mind to audition for a K-pop company. Naturally, he was a bit lacking in singing, as his passion was dancing, but he was certain that he would overcome every obstacle he faced to fulfill his dream, including learning how to create exquisite melodies using his own voice chords.
Considering his skills in dancing and astonishing visuals (because the boy was undoubtedly of special attractiveness), it wasn’t challenging to start a new page in life as a K-pop trainee. Obviously, he knew the difficulties and drawbacks this career path brings; however, it did not stop him, and he was ready to begin fulfilling his dream.
While Minho was a friendly individual, he was quite shy and required time to get used to people. Thankfully, a boy he had never met before, by the name of Kim Seungmin, came up and introduced himself. He was tall for his age and had sweet, puppy-like looks, which could make anyone go “awe”. Even though Minho, without a doubt, was a cat person, he was fond of all animals. Seungmin’s bangs covering his forehead, teeth a bit uneven, and a smile that could draw anyone in did not make it hard for Minho to get used to his new friend. Now that he knew someone in this big building, he felt just a little more confident to talk to more people.
Fortunately enough, Seungmin was especially friendly and extroverted, so he introduced Minho to a lot of new faces and names. One of them, however, stuck with Minho differently. He did not know what it was—whether the doe-like brown eyes, the cheeks which were alike to those of a chipmunk, or the heart-shaped smile that made Minho freeze once his eyes landed on a boy younger than himself. He did not believe in fairytales or anything mythical, clearly created by the imaginations of humans to make life just a little more understandable. Perhaps he just felt that he and the now-known one, Han Jisung, could make fine friends. Is it not natural, explainable in scientific terms, that sometimes you can tell that two people just fit together?
And he was right; of course he was. Minho and Jisung became friendly to each other in the span of a blink. Without much thought, they would eat lunch together, lay in one another’s arms on the company couch once exhausted, and play silly little games made up by themselves to entertain each other when time felt slow. Although with Jisung it never did, wherever they were, whatever they did, the day would end just as instantly as it started. It wasn’t strange; they were best friends, and they enjoyed each other’s presence, even when they didn’t utter a word.
A few months passed, and although life was hectic and surely complicated, it was in place. Minho woke up, grabbed a cup of coffee, and went to the company to improve his vocal abilities. He had a coach who was knowledgeable in his expertise and taught his students well; hence, going to his lessons didn’t feel like suffering. After a couple of hours, he went to the lobby to take a short break before dance practice. Once the time came, Minho changed into his sweatpants and a simple black t-shirt to go to his favorite part of the day. Not only did he get to do what he loves most—dance—but that was also when he spent time with the new friends he made. The team has begun dancing, although one of the boys was not in sight—none other than the one Minho grew most close to. That day, the practice felt especially tough; the boy tripped over his own feet, his arms flew in the wrong directions, and his moves did not make any sense. It was foolish; he slept well, and the caffeine he consumed in the morning gave him just enough energy, so what could have possibly gone wrong? Perhaps Minho’s mind was overtaken by his absent friend, worrying about his lack of presence, but who was to find out? Is this what it’s like to have a best friend? Why would one’s day be ruined just because they didn’t see a certain smile or didn’t hear a certain voice? How silly is that?
One of the reasons Minho loved Jisung as much as he did was his occasional stupid honesty. While Jisung wasn’t as honest as Minho was, he would tend to spit words out without thinking much of them or realizing the impact they have on someone’s heart. A recent example of that is when, one ordinary afternoon, a group of trainees was casually talking. Among others, the special relationship between Minho and Jisung did not go unnoticed; thus, one boy asked the latter how they got as close as they are. “He’s my soulmate," Jisung said while sheepishly smiling. It was pathetic, really, the way Minho’s cheeks turned pinkish and his heart started beating at a faster pace. The boy wasn’t even one to believe in such terms; however, once they come out of Jisung’s mouth, Minho’s beliefs shift embarrassingly quickly. It makes sense now. What other explanation could there be? Why else would you get so close to someone so fast?
Time went by, and a group of eight guys was formed. It was a dream come true for each and every one of them. Despite that, it meant that they'd see more cameras than the faces of humans each day, and their lives would be monitored like never before. But they could deal with it; that’s just a sacrifice they must make. They were separated into dorms, each having four boys. Luckily, Minho was assigned to the same one as Jisung. Though he would not admit to anyone that he was relieved, As a matter of fact, he does not even know why he felt the way he did; they see each other every day anyway, so the dorm arrangement should not matter. It’s stupid; that’s why it’s best to ignore these intruding thoughts.
The boys would rarely get holidays, but when they did, most of them would go visit their families in their hometowns. Occasionally, though, they would get a free day in the middle of the week, so they’d spend it catching up on sleep in their dorms. Most of the time, Minho and Jisung would hide behind a huge blanket in either one’s bed and watch anime. It was a common interest of theirs, so it was only natural that they’d spend their time together enjoying it. Although it was difficult for them to ever finish anything, when the sun would dip below the horizon, Jisung tended to fall asleep while lying on Minho’s chest, all while the boy would play with the younger’s slightly wavy chestnut-colored hair. And when his friend was deep asleep, the elder one would kiss the head laying on top of him and pinch one of its cheeks, because only at night did he have the confidence to do so.
A comeback was coming up, so the boys were preparing especially hard. With the group’s producer team 3RACHA writing the songs, the leader Chan, rapper Changbin, and pretty-much-everything Han were the most busy. Somehow, their songs would never disappoint the team. Some of them may not be to everyone’s taste, but if they fit the comeback’s concept, they were deemed good enough. Even though Minho loved the melodies created by every member, he always found himself most pleased with Jisung’s songs. But it is not like he was biased; all of them were his friends. Each of the lyricists has their own style; perhaps Minho just enjoyed Jisung’s the best, or maybe he just related to him the most. They were soulmates, as it is known, it is normal to be most attached to each other and to love everything about each other the most.
At some point, it started to get ridiculous. Was this really how he was supposed to live with a soulmate? Did his eyes have to seek Jisung’s every time he found something funny, did his body have to subconsciously seek the other’s touch wherever he was, and did his gaze have to linger on another’s lips for just a little too long after he’d finished talking? But he had to live with it; it was inevitable. They saw each other every day, after all. Maybe that’s just how it’s supposed to be; maybe it’s best not to avoid it.
Minho enjoyed cooking. Sometimes there would be leftovers, which he’d share with whoever was at the dorm and hungry at that time. The members began teasing the cook about his inability to measure amounts of food because, as it turns out, there would always be some left for others. However, if that happened on purpose, that wasn’t for anyone else but Minho to know. Even though he preferred cooking meals that included meat, lately he was more into making sweets. He baked cheesecake and brought it to the boy who loved it most (along with the chef himself). It was a reflex, almost, the way the plate with a piece of cake moved towards Jisung’s room. It’s not like he baked it for him. Minho just loves cheesecake. And so does Jisung. It’s a win-win. Not like Jisung enjoying something his friend baked would be a win. It didn’t matter. Did it? Although the way Jisung’s eyes lit up once he saw a soft dessert that Minho was holding finished the latter’s thoughts, The way he smiled, as wide as the world, made everything around them disappear. And so he watched as the younger man devoured the cake, which was so endearing and heartwarming. Is this the feeling of longing for something that was always here?
Minho knew the feeling of love. He knew what it’s like to love a family member, a friend, a best friend, or a soulmate. Now the word love has gained a new color for him. He figured out what it’s like to be in love. How to love a lover. He was so full of love, it was almost overwhelming, though he wouldn’t trade it for anything. He listened to all of Jisung’s love songs once again, pretending that they were about him, like a silly teenage girl would. But if they really were, that wasn’t for anyone but Jisung to know.