Chapter Text
"Can I come to the gym with you?" Hyunjin grabbed Changbin's arm stopping him in his step.
"Sorry?" Changbin turned, looking at his friend. His eyebrows were furrowed, a confused expression on his face "You?" he chuckled.
"I want to start going to the gym" Hyunjin squeezed the handle of his bag. "Even got my stuff and everything" he looked down, a bit embarrassed.
"Yes, I mean, of course, you can!" he smiled. "I was a bit surprised, that's all" he started walking, Hyunjin following along.
When they reached the gym an unfamiliar guy waved at them while approaching them.
"Hi, Innie!" Changbin smiled, hugging the other guy. "Ah!" he turned around, looking at Hyunjin. "Meet my friend!"
"Jeongin", the unknown guy, reached his hand for a handshake. Hyunjin grabbed his hand, shaking it.
"Hyunjin", he said, taking a good look at the other guy. He had strong facial features - pointy eyes, sharp cheekbones and furrowed brows. The boy was shorter than him but more build, nowhere near Changbin, but much better than Hyunjin, who was bordering on looking malnourished.
"Have you been to a gym before?" the new guy asked after releasing his hand. Hyunjin shook his head while searching for his cigarette case in his pocket. "Have you trained anything?" Jeongin asked his eyes on Hyunjin's hands.
"Uh yes. I dance" he took his case out, taking a cigarette. He couldn't ignore the stare that was almost burning him. "Do you..." he stretched his arm out, suggesting the other guy a cigarette.
"Yes, please", he smiled, his eyes closing and grabbed a cigarette, lighting it up. "You roll?"
"Yeah, it's cheaper, and I had time in class today, so I rolled up a few" Hyunjin shrugged.
They got a coffee and sat down on the stairs in front of the gym. It was a bit quiet but Hyunjin didn't mind it. He was going through the exercises Changbin told him they would do. As he was deep in thought, wondering if he would perform well, suddenly he heard the new guy chuckling.
"Sorry, I just now realised. You rolled your cigarettes in class?" he started full-on laughing "That's amazing"
Hyunjin felt his face hot. He hummed and took a sip of his coffee.
"C'mon Innie, don't tease him", Changbin smiled, putting his hand over Hyunjin's shoulders. "Jinnie does all sorts of things in class, but pay attention", he said, pinching the other's cheek.
"Hey!" he pouted holding his cheek "I pay attention! I just don't like writing"
"Yeah, yeah", Chanbin said sarcastically while doing air quotes with his fingers.
"It's not like I can read my own writing anyway!"
"What do you do then?" Jeongin asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Knit or draw", he replied, looking down, preparing to hear yet again how knitting is for old women or something along those lines.
"You knit?" Jeongin smiled "That's cute," he said as he stood up "Let's go in, yeah?" he looked down at the other two "We don't have all day"
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"So the first exercise..."
Hyunjin tried to listen carefully, but he couldn't. He was a bit overstimulated from, well, everything. The clanking, the smell, the thick air. There were so many machines and so many people, and he felt so out of place. He kind of wished he could disappear. Everybody looked like they knew what to do, and they all looked so much better than him.
"Are you okay?" Jeongin whispered near his ear. Hyunjin jumped and took a step back. The guy was way too close "If you are anxious, don't be. Only one looking at you is me, and it's to see if you do everything correctly. So nothing to worry about, yeah?" he said as he patted his shoulder.
Hyunjin took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
He repeated Jeongin's words in his mind during the whole workout.
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"So how was it, pretty boy?" Jeongin asked as they were exiting the gym "How was your first ever workout?"
Hyunjin tried to ignore the nickname and smiled "I liked it quite a bit, to be honest"
"Wait until you can't stretch your arms tomorrow" joined Changbin, laughing "Can't wait to see you walking around like a t-rex"
"Sorry?"
"You will see" Jeongin patted his back.
Once they were outside they suddenly stopped walking.
"Someone wants to wait for the bus with me?" Jeongin smiled devilishly, turning around to face the other two.
"No I have homework" Changbin shook his head.
"Would like to, but I promised Mom to come home early today" Hyunjin smiled softly at the other one " I can give you one more cigarette if you want" he took his case out.
"Don't worry. I have it at home. Plus-" he scrunched his nose "They aren't really strong enough for me"
Hyunjin nodded, lighting his cigarette. "Thank you for today, by the way. Hope I didn't disturb you guys"
"No no" Jeongin waved his hand "The more the merrier. And it was quite fun showing you the exercises" he smiled continuing "Next time don't overdo it so much, tho. You can injure yourself. I know lifting heavier feels good, but be careful, eh?" he chuckled "Now, can I have one?" he pointed at Hyunjin's pocket.
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"I'm home!" Hyunjin announced, locking the door behind him.
"Hello honey", his mom greeted him, smiling. "How was the workout?"
"Tiring" Hyunjin took his shoes off and threw his bag somewhere on the floor as he was passing by his room, following his mother to the living room. "Was fun, tho" he chuckled.
"Will you be able to dance too?"
"Yeah,", he nodded. "Gym is 3 days, and so is dancing. It will be fine"
"If you say so", his mother hummed. "Now go set the table and help your dad with the salad, yeah?"
"Yeah, yeah, Mom, I know", he smiled, going to the kitchen.
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"What do you think?" Changbin asked on the phone.
"Bout what?" Jeongin replied, his speech a bit muffled from the food he just shoved in his mouth. "Do you mean Hyunjin?" his eyes were glued to the screen, fingers fiercely pressing buttons on his controller. He hated games so much sometimes.
"Yes, Hyunjin" Changbin replied, sighting. Of course, his friend will be playing games again "Did you not give up on that game yet? It's a money grab you know. No point in trying to improve. It's full of rich people, cheaters, or worst of all - rich cheaters" he sat down on the couch, a cup of tea in his hand. He was catching a cold again.
"Fuck" Jeongin's yell made Changbin pull his phone away from his ear, scrunching his nose "He is pretty"
"Innie" Changbin sighted, taking a big sip from his cup.
"What? He is" After a short pause where only clicking could be heard, he continued ", He also seems the type of person to worry a lot. There, happy?"
"I guess. I was just hoping for a more interesting answer" Changbin pouted.
"Ah, you little gossiper", his friend laughed. He threw the controller and closed his laptop. Standing up he grabbed his phone and threw himself onto his bed "Haven't been with him for long enough to tell. And if you mean gym performance" he remembered the worried look on Hyunjin's face and sighted "He is not bad for a first timer. Understood pretty fast" after receiving only a humm as a reply, Jeongin huffed "Why do you ask anyway?"
"Ah, planning on inviting him to go out with us someday. You know more company"
"Sure, why not? It's often just the two of us anyway. But I'm not sharing any of my Jager with him. Not yet, at least," both of them laughed.