Chapter Text
Minsoo is the first of them to fall. The bullets hit him in quick succession and from all directions, but the shooters disappear just as quickly, so nobody knows where to look once the shooting stops.
He’s strangely pleased about this, however. With him out of the firezone so quickly, this also means he gets to rest early. And for Bang Minsoo, long-suffering leader of Korean boy band Teen Top, this is the only thing he’s been looking forward to all day.
Byunghun offers a hand to help him up, but Minsoo wants to be dramatic and grasps his hand instead. “Avenge me, brothers,” he says, but only Byunghun takes his dying words to heart.
Jonghyun’s face is all business as he nudges Byunghun, silently telling him to leave Minsoo behind if he wants to stay on the ground so badly. “We can get them there,” he advises, pointing to the flat ground behind a small slope.
Byunghun nods and moves out with his teammate, but not before throwing Minsoo one last glance.
Minsoo is sleeping peacefully on the ground. As far as he’s concerned, his role in this story is finished. He rolls over to his side, stays there for a few minutes, then decides to get up and find a bench to lie down on, because the sun is murderous and even with his shades on, this heat is really not something anyone would want to lie down in.
He stands up and lumbers away to the locker rooms.
Team C.A.P.’s November Rappers is named this way, because nobody could agree on a proper team name. Minsoo wants to name them after himself, Byunghun wants to honor their birth months, while Jonghyun is adamant at being considered a rapper like his seniors. Byunghun, fed up with his members' antics, firmly suggests that they put all of the suggestions together if it will make everyone happy. The resulting name is an incomprehensible word salad that nobody wants to say out loud, but at least the three of them are satisfied.
Their opponents’ team name is Team Others, but they are only known as this to Team C.A.P.’s November Rappers.
If you asked Chanhee, Daniel, and Changhyun, however, Team Others would much rather be called Team Double-V, because they are Teen Top’s Visual Vocals. The team name is, of course, met with resistance by everyone who isn’t on Team Double-V, and because Team Double-V is a very stubborn team, they refuse to listen to the opinions of people who cannot carry a note.
“I can sing,” Jonghyun protests.
“You’re a rapper, remember?” Changhyun retorts.
“Minsoo’s the only one who can’t sing here,” Byunghun says.
“You can’t sing either,” Daniel answers.
Byunghun glares at Daniel. “I can. Ask Minsoo.”
Minsoo glares at Byunghun. “You’re a rapper.”
“It’s hot today,” Chanhee says, because bringing up the weather seems the most productive thing to do after everyone finishes arguing with each other.
Suddenly, Changhyun feels a fantastic idea coming on and snaps his fingers to confirm this. “We need to change our team name,” he says.
“What for?” Niel asks.
“We should be called Team Triple-V from now on,” Changhyun says, his chest already beginning to swell with pride at his quick wit. “Because the third V will stand… for Victory.”
“Great idea!” Niel claps his hands excitedly. And then, as if sharing one mind, they begin to form a giant V with their bodies. Changhyun leans over to touch his left toes, while Daniel does the same to touch his right toes.
But Chanhee wants to join in their heroic poses too, so he forms an extra V in their center. Their ending pose resembles a muddled W instead, and Team C.A.P.’s November Rappers is not moved by the display.
“What are you doing!” Changhyun explodes at Chanhee and shoves him away.
“Triple-V,” Minsoo snickers. “More like Visual Vocals are Very… uh... Very Bad.”
He trails off and ends in such a lame and anti-climactic manner, that the diss is ignored by everybody present.
Jonghyun slaps his dejected leader’s back good-naturedly. “You tried,” he consoles.
“Hey, are you even a rapper?” Chanhee says, pointing a taunting finger at Minsoo. “I thought you were a rapper.”
“Maybe you should leave the insulting to us,” Byunghun says, covering his face in embarrassment.
Daniel and Changhyun try to reform their heroic V sign again, but Chanhee knocks their heads and demands that they take the game seriously. Byunghun throws them a sympathetic glance. It isn’t easy being teammates with a Blood B Brother.
Today is the first time in a while that their game of Rock, Paper, Scissors works out well for everybody, because not one member is stuck with both Blood B Brothers on the same team. In spite of the heat and the threat of buying lunch for the winners afterwards, it's hard for the other blood types to see this as a totally bad situation.
They fiddle with their vests and check their weapons before heading out to the field. Nobody can remember whose idea it was to play paintball at this time, but they all remember that the losers have to buy lunch for the winners. This is motivation enough for them to give this game their all. Because they are a single, cohesive unit of young men who sing and dance for a living, everyone is united in their conviction to not buy anything for anyone.
Outside, the buzzer sounds and once they conclude their mandatory exchange of threats and glares, everyone heads out to earn their free lunch.
Team C.A.P.’s November Rappers avenge Minsoo’s early loss by taking out Chanhee next, but this only happens because he’s clumsy enough to expose himself to them.
As Team Triple-V moves into a more strategic position behind some stray barrels, Chanhee’s feet get tangled up in each other and he falls to the ground. Byunghun takes advantage of this, takes his aim, and fires at the barrels instead of Chanhee.
Chanhee stops trying to get up and opts to point a finger at Byunghun and laugh. After several tries, a frustrated Byunghun is finally able to land one on Chanhee’s chest.
Team Triple-V is now short one member, but Chanhee is still laughing.
Jonghyun slaps a hand on Byunghun’s back in congratulations. “What did Minsoo say to you anyway?" he asks, wondering if Minsoo had any practical advice to give them. "I couldn’t hear him.”
Byunghun shrugs. “I don’t know. I couldn’t hear him through his helmet either.”
“Well, if it’s you and me, we can take them. They’re both slower and I don’t think they know how to use these guns.”
“Don’t be too sure,” Byunghun warns. “I’ve seen them on the computer. Their aiming skills are very good.”
“You’re just saying that because you keep losing those games.”
Byunghun kicks Jonghyun’s shins and punches his arm for good measure. “You don’t even play games anyway, what do you know?”
“At least I’m bigger,” Jonghyun gloats and immediately runs away before Byunghun can smack him again.
It takes an extremely well-coordinated attack to take Jonghyun down.
All Changhyun needs to do is present himself as an easy target to take down by dancing in the middle of some open ground. Changhyun does not want to do this, but because Daniel is older, he is forced to sacrifice his body and his dignity if it will bring food to his team’s stomachs.
His efforts pay off.
Because Jonghyun does not play computer games, he does not know a trap when he sees one, so he pounces on the opportunity and stands up to take his shot. But before he can squeeze the trigger, Daniel shows up out of nowhere and lands some shots on his vulnerable body.
Jonghyun hits the ground hard and hears Byunghun’s mocking voice from somewhere. “Serves you right, you noob!”
Jonghyun does not play computer games, but he definitely knows what a noob is. He wants to do something offensive to salvage his pride, but the gloves are kind of heavy, so he settles for waving an angry hand at his unhelpful teammate instead.
It’s just as effective as his more offensive option, because Byunghun materializes from his hiding spot, comes over, and kicks Jonghyun’s ribs before going off to find the rest of Team Triple-V.
Team Triple-V is is going to lose this game, but because they don’t know it yet, Daniel and Changhyun are walking without a care, still on a high after their last kill.
“Now, only Byunghun’s left,” Niel says. “We’re going to win that lunch, Changhyun, I can smell it.”
Changhyun rubs his stomach absent-mindedly. “This was too easy. Byunghun’s lousy at video games too, I won’t be surprised if he loses this one.”
Pleased with their near-victory, the remainders of Team Triple-V amble aimlessly through the rest of the course. Because they are confident that they only have one person to worry about now, they let their guards down without caring about the consequences.
“Unlucky King Lee Byunghun,” Changhyun sings.
“He’s going to buy us free lunch,” Niel answers.
Changhyun raises an eyebrow. “That doesn’t even rhyme.”
“It so does,” Niel defends himself.
While they are arguing, they are also beginning to think of lunch. And because they are already thinking of lunch, they run straight into their consequence. Their consequence is named Lee Byunghun, and he’s aiming his weapon right at them. Team Triple-V reacts as anyone would react under similar stress and duress.
They panic.
“Run, Changhyun!” Niel cries, but he doesn’t get very far before Byunghun’s paintball bullet hits his back.
Changhyun, seeing that he’s the last man standing for Team Triple-V now, uses his biggest weapon to try and win his attacker over. But because only Minsoo is affected by Changhyun’s charms and because Byunghun can already smell the fried meat he’s having for lunch, Changhyun’s cute smile is rendered useless.
The gods decide to smile on Byunghun that day.
With Changhyun taken down by the improbable Byunghun, Team C.A.P.’s November Rappers win the game and their free lunch.
Except they don’t, because nobody else brings their wallet that day besides Minsoo. It’s the group’s final practical joke on their leader before going home to rest and even if Team C.A.P.’s November Rappers wins the game, Bang Minsoo is an inconsolable mess at the restaurant.
“There, there.” Byunghun is the only one concerned by Minsoo’s sulking. “At least the meat is good.”
“Our leader really is the best,” Niel says before taking a big chomp out of his chicken leg. “You’re not such a bad guy once you put your wallet to it, Minsoo. Don’t listen to the reports and anyone else who thinks otherwise.”
Chanhee laughs as he helps Jonghyun cook the meat. “That’s what you get for trying to leave the game early. See? Cheaters never prosper.”
Jonghyun nods and confirms everyone's suspicions. “I was there. He seemed really happy he was the first guy who lost.”
“What, really?” Changhyun says in astonishment, not knowing what to do with his respect for their leader after hearing this piece of information. On one hand, Minsoo’s paid for their lunch. On the other hand, he is still a lazy piece of work.
“I don’t see why you’re so bothered anyway,” Niel says, finally feeling sorry for Minsoo and passing him a thick slice of meat. “The oldest members always pay for the food anyway. And besides, we didn’t bring our wallets today, so it's kind of not our fault. We’ll make up for this, we promise.”
“Yeah, but we won,” Minsoo sulks, but accepts Niel’s small act of mercy by chewing on the meat slice. "This goes against the basic principles of everything."
“Nope, Byunghun won,” Chanhee corrects. “So, he doesn’t have to pay. You, on the other hand, didn’t even try to win. Did you even try to win?”
“Well, yeah.”
“No, you just stood there,” Changhyun accuses.
“Okay fine, I just wanted to sleep,” Minsoo surrenders. “But it was so hot and I was so tired.”
“It’s not our fault you stayed up past midnight playing LOL again,” Chanhee says.
“Hey, it was a good game and I made many good memories with everyone who was online last night,” Minsoo says.
“Whatever,” Jonghyun says. “At least we're eating something good for lunch today. Thank you, leader.”
Minsoo only waves the comment aside, because he is already used to Jonghyun's insincere tendencies.
Byunghun continues to pat Minsoo on the shoulder consolingly. Minsoo leans into the contact, because Byunghun is the only one at the table who understands.
“We’re never playing paintball again,” Minsoo declares, exercising his authority for the first time in weeks.
To nobody’s surprise, nobody tries to rebut this statement.
Everyone, that is, except Jonghyun.
“Will anyone teach me how to play virtual paintball, though?”
Byunghun kicks him under the table. “Shut up and eat your food, noob.”
Jonghyun smirks, but he keeps silent and finishes his lunch.