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The steady hum of the gym machines mixed with heavy breathing is a typical routine of the evening hours spent by the trainees after their daily dance rehearsals and vocal lessons. It was here, on the treadmill or under the weight of the barbell, that dozens of young guys could relax in their own way, letting go of the crazy thoughts of giving up and abandoning their dreams. Visiting the gym couldn’t compare to the precious hours of sleep, but life is in full swing while the body is in motion.
Wonbin stays in the gym until late at night, when almost all the guys from the trainee team have wandered off, hoping to enjoy the cherished hours of midnight rest before another early awakening. He finishes a series on the treadmill and lies down on the bench press, closing his eyes for a moment. His ears are still ringing from the two-hour workout, and the blood is pulsing madly through his veins, spreading through his body in hot streams. The same picture is still before his eyes—synchronised dance moves, brought to perfection, his own reflection in a large wall mirror with a position in the front row and a crowd of those guys who can become the most loyal friends or sworn enemies depending on the final result. Wonbin does not build illusory hopes of acquiring "brothers", but sometimes matters of the heart contradict a sober mind.
In this picture of everyday life, his thoughts constantly return to the guy, at the first meeting with whom Wonbin wanted to hide, run back to the bus home, afraid to succumb to the blind temptation of someone else's beauty. Eunseok was one of the famous trainees: tall, handsome, talented, with an aristocratic cold appearance. People talk about him as one in a million, and Wonbin understood that it would not be so easy to compete with him. And it was not at all about the difference in skills. For the first time in his life, Wonbin was afraid of losing to someone who could easily win his heart with just one piercing gaze and a soft smile.
Like most trainees, Eunseok didn't look like a fan of pumping up muscle mass, but his body was strong with a natural slenderness and resilient enough for long hours of gruelling rehearsals. Wonbin secretly watched him in the mirror until one day Eunseok caught his gaze, grinning maliciously. It wasn't just curiosity—Wonbin stopped caring about the competition the moment he realised that his place in the sun had already been determined, and now the cherished rays were choosing a suitable tandem for him. There were several candidates, and Eunseok was among the favourites of fate, which deftly juggled the emotions of young guys in pursuit of a dream. More and more often, Wonbin and Eunseok found themselves in parallel lines, stubbornly intertwined at different angles. And one of these contacts became the point of no return.
The cap was about to slowly slide off his overgrown hair, while Wonbin continued to swim in his thoughts, lying on the scorching cold metal of the exercise machine. It was quite dangerous—the coach constantly scolded the guys for improper handling of the barbells, but Wonbin was always confident in his own strength. He opened his eyes and made a surprised sound, realising that the lights were no longer on over half of the gym, and quiet footsteps were heard somewhere behind him. Wonbin stood up abruptly, looking around. His rapid pulse pounded in his temples, giving signals of potential danger.
"I thought you were going to sleep here."
Eunseok's voice is soft, almost playful, even if there is some hidden sarcasm in his words. Wonbin turns around and involuntarily licks his dry lips. Eunseok is standing in a relaxed pose, leaning against one of the mirrors near the treadmill, lazily looking at the dishevelled Wonbin, whom he caught off guard.
"I don't sleep anywhere."
Wonbin adjusts his cap, first running his hand through his hair so that the long bangs don't get in his eyes. He hasn't had his hair cut short in a long time, trying to match the intended concept, but a certain amount of doubt—whether anyone would like it—constantly haunted Wonbin, along with the reckless dream of being especially desirable to someone who is unlikely to consider him as a potential object of sympathy.
"That's right. You need to sleep in a big and soft bed. Especially if there's someone hot there."
"Someone like you?"
Eunseok smirks, and Wonbin belatedly realises his clarifying question, looking away in shame. Their dialogue initially didn't sound like a normal conversation between team members, and most of their conversations were limited to standard greetings and discussing the menu for a shared dinner with others. But that evening, something definitely went wrong from the moment Eunseok caught Wonbin's every casual glance during dance practice and in the gym after speed training. Eunseok looked stronger and more confident than ever, and Wonbin seemed like a frozen, fragile statue in comparison.
"Someone like me. And like you. It's just a pity that the beds in our dorm aren't designed for joint warming sessions."
"A dubious reason to give up freedom of expression. Some people are not stopped by prohibitions."
Wonbin thoughtfully strokes the discs on the barbell, not fully understanding where this ridiculous dialogue is heading. The worst thing is that he doesn't want it to end, no matter what Eunseok's next words are.
"You're right. I like the way you think, Wonbinie. The main thing is that no one else finds out about it. Someone who won't understand us."
This hoarse, but at the same time soft, "Wonbinie" in Eunseok's voice makes Wonbin's heart clench painfully, awakening a bunch of butterflies with sharp wings in his lower abdomen. If only Eunseok knew how much effort it takes for Wonbin not to melt into a puddle of oil every time he tenderly calls his name, as if savouring it on his tongue, like a sweet candy. Eunseok is not a fool; he knows about his influence on others, but he does not suspect how deep his power over Wonbin can be once the barriers are finally broken.
A dead end. The final point of a meaningless exchange of words. Wonbin does not know what he should answer or whether he should say anything at all, instead of quickly leaving (shamefully running away, once again afraid of being alone with Eunseok). But Eunseok goes to Wonbin himself, deliberately shortening the distance between them to the very point from which a new movement will begin.
"Anyway, it's nice that you are here. I wanted to ask you to be my cameraman."
The gears in Wonbin's head abruptly froze, stopping the chaotic flow of thoughts, and moved in the opposite direction, flying off the axis of adequacy.
"Your... cameraman?" Wonbin asks sceptically, looking at the tangled knots of Eunseok's shoelaces. The proposal sounds pretty crazy, given the specifics of the events that are happening this evening.
Eunseok is already very close—looming over Wonbin, going around the gym machine, and blocking the light of the remaining lamps as if a ghostly glow is enveloping his silhouette. Wonbin looks up at Eunseok, his gaze catching on his long arms, exposed by a sleeveless T-shirt. Strong biceps are hidden under honey skin, and Eunseok could easily lift Wonbin up in his arms, press him against the wall without the slightest effort and... And Wonbin should wake up from his fantasies, returning to reality with the phone extended to him with the camera turned on.
"Yes. I need a video of the bench press for a complete collection, so this gym machine is perfect. Do you think I can handle the maximum workload?"
Eunseok taps his fingers against the ice discs attached to the end of the barbell, and Wonbin can hear his own heart pounding. It seems crazy to be nervous around a guy in the most unromantic of circumstances, where one wrong move could be fatal.
"I think we can only test that in practice."
Wonbin picks up the phone, and Eunseok steps back, letting him clear the bench. His legs feel like cotton wool, and Wonbin slowly steps away, finding what he thinks is the best angle to shoot. Eunseok fixes his position on the gym machine, spreading his legs in his loose, long shorts, and unhooks the barbell. The first set is always hard, especially after other workouts. Wonbin watches Eunseok’s movements on his phone, the camera recording each grip and a quiet sound of heavy breathing.
Eunseok is really good—Wonbin is staring at how his muscles roll under the sweat-slicked skin. There were times when Wonbin would finish his workout early and watch Eunseok improve his body in every muscle group. It would be perfect to see Eunseok's abs working, but such a video would clearly not correspond to the stated rating.
The camera's small light flickers faintly in the mirror as Wonbin watches the video intently. He regrets that by the end of the day his lenses are starting to cause a little discomfort to his eyes, and wearing glasses in the gym is not advisable. Wonbin wonders if he can secretly send this video to himself without the owner of the phone knowing, and he doesn't notice that Eunseok has already finished a series of strength sets.
He catches up to Wonbin in a few steps, coming so close that Wonbin doesn't have time to realise what's happened. Eunseok kisses him, placing his hands on Wonbin's waist, and weightlessly, his hot fingers slip under his shirt. Wonbin kisses Eunseok back as if he'll run out of air without him. Their tongues tangle in a battle of deep penetration, and Wonbin's legs buckle from the small bites of his lips. He still holds the phone in one hand, the other wrapped around Eunseok's neck for balance, as the sudden kiss drives them to the brink of madness.
Wonbin lets out a soft moan into Eunseok's mouth as a few long fingers move lower and slip under the hem of his sweatpants. Eunseok kisses him demandingly, as if he can't get enough of Wonbin's taste, like a desperate desire to give himself completely, without thinking about the consequences. It seems that time stops, freezes in the long-awaited extravaganza of chemical reactions of compounds.
The hot captivity of the kiss is torn apart by the lack of oxygen, and Wonbin breathes heavily, feeling the wetness of Eunseok's lips on his neck. A rough tongue traces a strip from his Adam's apple to the sharp collarbones hidden under the neck of his T-shirt, and Wonbin would not mind getting rid of it along with Eunseok's T-shirt. He strokes the back of his head, and Eunseok pulls away, afraid to break down completely. Wonbin looks at him with an unfocused gaze, trying hard to comprehend the reality in which Eunseok will never again be just his teammate. The camera was still recording what was happening, being directed to the mirror, and Wonbin realised this when the phone slowly slipped from his hand into Eunseok's palm.
"I've noticed how you look at me for a long time, Wonbinie. There's desire in your eyes. You want me. And I'm glad that my assumptions were right."
Eunseok runs his fingers over Wonbin's cheek and leans down again, leaving a soft kiss on his lips.
"Eunseok..."
"Thanks for the video. If you want, we can watch it together later. I'll be waiting for you in the shower."
Wonbin watches Eunseok slowly take off his shirt on his way out of the gym and thinks that late-night workouts definitely have a beneficial effect on the bodies once they just choose the right direction.