Chapter Text
force ma·jeure
/ˌfôrs mäˈZHər/
noun
- unforeseeable circumstances that prevent someone from fulfilling a contract
Today, they’re on Spotify.
It’s a big, big, huge achievement for the group— Keiju hasn’t stopped smiling since he’d woken up that morning, bright–eyed with the chance of the opportunity to get their names out there. It doesn’t even feel like it’s really happening, for him; he goes through most of the day in a sort of daze, feeling not—truly there, like water slipping through his fingers. He eats breakfast with Juwang and Donghyeon, sneaking his eggs onto Donghyeon’s plate when the maknae’s not looking, but otherwise checks out for the day. He autopilots all throughout his PT session, his vocal rehearsals (they say he doesn’t officially need to show up to vocal sessions because he’s not a main vocalist, but three whole years of JYP training plus the mess that was LOUD will install certain habits in you regardless of whether you like them or not) and on the company car to the building, only checking in when Donghyeon’s hand clutches his seconds before the cameras roll and roll and start rolling away.
It’s— kind of sweet, in an unprecedented, off–kilter uncanny way, Keiju thinks. They’re all so irreversibly wound into each other, parts and bits of a whole, like you couldn’t undo it, tear each other away from them even if you tried super, super hard. Kyehoon says that’s what trainee life does to people: Amaru says it’s sweet that Keiju thinks about it that way: Donghwa says it’s because they were all seven parts of one singular atom, but then the Big Bang happened and they got separated from each other for millions of years only for all seven of them to find their ways back to the others.
Donghwa’s kind of weird.
Anyway, the shooting goes relatively well. They do all their individual interviews, hamming up their love of music for the shoot— Keiju knows for a fact Donghyeon's favorite thing to do is not listening to music, it's playing ice hockey, get it right, Spotify— and they get free food out of it, so it's a pretty good day overall. Kyehoon says some shit nondescript and vague about going to Jeju Island with Donghwa and the camera crew immediately cut to the member in person, who stumbles over his response’s words like he's a schoolgirl and not a 19–year old Hanlim Arts School alumni professional idol.
Juwang catches his eye from where they're both seated behind the cameras and mouths dongseongaejas in an explicit gesture, pointing back and forth between Donghwa and Kyehoon. Keiju snorts before he can think, then covers his mouth instantly. Idol image: his one weakness.
They film a couple more scenes after the solo interviews, mainly group poses and closeups the crew needed to fill talking space, and then it's time for the seven of them to do their little greeting and thank the staff. Kyehoon's done with his interview a minute or two later, and he ambles to the rest of the members gathered behind the crux of the camera crew, passing Minje. The staff ask them if they can record for Behinds. Keiju thinks: this is my chance, and volunteers Kyehoon's phone for the vlog camera, which the members agree to instantly.
Kyehoon raises an amused eyebrow at Keiju, but doesn't say anything. Perks of being on the maknae line.
Keiju sticks his tongue out. It's even more effective – Kyehoon's eyes soften around their sharp/hard edges and he reaches for Keiju again, shoving the phone vaguely in Minje's direction, his free hand coming up to pinch at Keiju's cheeks. “Get off me, you brute. Hyung,” Keiju instantly adds, to soften the blow, and tries for the wide smile that’s somewhere between cute and just straight-up aegyo. Kyehoon pouts, exaggerating with his lower lip, and Keiju relents, lets Kyehoon tug at his cheek like he’s ten years old instead of double that age.
Now is a good time as ever. "So when're you going to confess to Donghwa–hyung?"
Kyehoon makes a noncommittal noise, still watching the others actively throw the vlog 'camera' around the room, and seems not to process Keiju’s words for a moment. Then – a solid five seconds later – he turns back towards Keiju as if in slow motion. His eyes are wide, a little antsy. “ Huh ?”
“Jesus, hyung, if you go deaf who is going to –”
“It’s not–" Kyehoon sucks in air through his teeth, throws a glance the other members’ way as if for help. Little does he know, Keiju thinks, no one can save him now. “Ah, Keiju-yah, it’s– I– I don’t feel that way. For. For him. For Donghwa–yah.”
Keiju hums. Kyehoon’s eyes keep darting around between each member, like he can’t have this conversation with Keiju alone. “Are you sure? Maybe you could ask. I’m sure Juwang could find something out for you –”
“Aegi,” Kyehoon starts, and then stops, like he doesn’t know what to say from there. “It’s not– it’s not like that, Keijnnie.”
Keiju feels like it is like that. He doesn’t say that, though. He just looks at Kyehoon, at the way he can’t meet his eyes. “Hyung.”
Juwang throws Kyehoon's phone across the room and it lands in Keiju's lap. Both of them ignore it.
“Seriously–” Kyehoon huffs and then falters, words dissolving on his tongue. He looks pained. “It's nothing. Plus, how would I even know if he likes me back anyways?”
That’s why I said be nosy!” Keiju huffs. “ Maybe it’s nothing.”
“And anyway,” Kyehoon admonishes, stubbornly ignoring him, “we’re not—” He quickly shuts his mouth when Donghwa approaches their little campsite gathering. “It’s not like that,” he mumbles, quiet and awkward, suddenly.
Donghwa eyes the leader with poorly disgusted concern when he returns, and Keiju thinks of many words that would very accurately describe the two standing before him. None of them are very positive.
“You okay?” Donghwa asks softly.
“Keijnnie pissed me off. Let’s all sit on him and kill him.” Kyehoon tells him.
Sigh. This is what Keiju gets for trying to be a good wingman, he thinks.
—
Recording is always a pain, but it’s a necessary evil, so two days after their comeback showcase finds Keiju back in the recording booth again.
He’s getting used to the mundanity of newly–debuted life, he thinks— fresh off Mama Said and Umm Great, their group has been flourishing on unlimited stages and showcases. While it’s hard, painfully so – Keiju thinks he must have sweat the size of his body weight on MBC Show! stages and three times that in the practice rooms — he can't express how he, and all of them, are eternally grateful for the opportunity.
He finishes another half–line for a B–side with a flourish, sings scales by rote while etching little instrumental parts he likes in the forefront of his mind. Their music is something he holds close, dear to his heart, and he’ll always go above and beyond for it. Verses and bridges, choruses and lines, that’s what make him . . . him. He cherishes every time he has the chance to be in this little room.
This is not one of those times, he thinks, as he watches Kyehoon glance every three seconds in Donghwa’s direction like a kicked puppy. While Kyehoon’s crush on the other has been the hottest topic of gossip for the maknae line group chat lately, it is genuinely insufferable how hard Kyehoon's fallen: it shows during dance practice when a break is called and it’s like Kyehoon immediately gravitates towards Donghwa, it shows when they’re out at any time without Donghwa and Kyehoon can’t go three seconds without bringing the other member up; it shows if Donghwa’s more standoffish than usual and Kyehoon will drop everything in his vicinity to be by his side.
Keiju checks his phone by rote. Turns it off, and then immediately turns it back on, because he didn’t actually pay attention to anything on it the first time. He has a text from Amaru asking if Keiju thinks he has enough time before dance practice to run out to the GS25 across the street from JYPE, and, if so, would Keiju want to go with him; the standard slew of bickering in the seven-way group chat over nothing of literally any sort of importance; his calendar reminds him they have to do another showcase stage in two days. Kyehoon has sent him a single emoji, two hours ago: a pair of pants. Keiju blinks at it, utterly bemused, then reacts with thumbs-up in an effort to seem cool and like he definitely gets the joke.
He looks up from his phone. Kyehoon is still making stupid eyes at Donghwa through the glass of the recording booth, like Keiju hasn't been here for the past hour and a half. Keiju sighs. He checks the time and taps out a reply to Amaru: sure. now?
Amaru's reply comes through almost instantly.
that desperate to get away from recording?
Keiju looks up again. Kyehoon is leaning on Donghwa’s shoulder to show him something on his phone, but both of them are way closer than would be necessary in this sort of situation.
with kyehwa?
i’ll meet you downstairs
—
The convenience store is slow at the best of times; despite its prime location across from JYPE, it's much more easily passed over for the more local, more popular brands, and just about every idol under their company likes it that way. The GS25 is off the beaten path on purpose; hidden off of a side street, down a set of steep, uneven stairs, it's only neighbors a pair of glowing vending machines and the back exit of a self-service parking garage that seems too narrow for any car Keiju's ever seen.
For these exact reasons it functions as the perfect outing for Amaru and Keiju; Amaru to grab energy drinks and gummy snacks before the members start up about not inviting them, and Keiju so he can complain to his heart's desire.
"I just don't get it," he groans, opening the freezer double doors and reveling in the blast of blessingily cool air-con. "Kyehoonie hyungie is obvious. Like, so obvious. It's actually been pissing me off. Did you see yesterday when Donghwa hyung was all, like, 'oh, I'm hungry," and then hyung went 'want to go to the cafeteria?' The cafeteria?"
Amaru cocks his head in a silent question.
"If anyone else would have said that, Kyehoon-hyung would have said something stupid like 'hi, hungry, I'm Kyehoon," Keiju clarifies.
"Ohh," Amaru nods, in all his almost twelve-months-older wisdom. He moves down the aisle.
"And, like, okay. I get it." Keiju nods. "You know? I do. But it's gotten to a certain point where hyung just needs to tell him already so that he can stop yearning like a little kid and all of us can move on with our lives."
"Blue or red gummies?" Amaru asks him, and Keiju points to the red. He puts the blue ones back on the shelf. "But what if Donghwannie doesn't like him back?"
Keiju snorts. "Have you seen the way they look at each other? In the practice room mirror, when they think no one's watching?"
That does give Amaru pause. Then all respect and trust Keiju holds for him is broken when he shrugs and says, "Not really."
“It’s totally obvious,” Keiju insists. He holds out his arms and Amaru dumps his haul into them so he can grab around for his debit card. "Hyungs are just weird like that. You know what we should do? We should bet on when they get together, and then when they finally do, we can use those winnings for more convenience store runs."
"Who is we?" Amaru asks, as he takes their stuff back from the cashier and bows.
Keiju sputters and rants one long tangent all the way back about how Amaru is the fakest hyung he's ever had.
—
🛹 (7 members)
Mitsuyuki Amaru [ 19:31 ]
When is next practice
Lee Gyehun [ 19:31 ]
28th
Jang Juwang [ 19:35 ]
omg for who
Lee Gyehun [ 19:36 ]
?
all of us including me obviously
Jang Juwang [ 19:37 ]
Okkk sorry relax
i thought you were referring to Stray Kids
Lee Gyehun [ 19:37 ]
???
why the FUCK would I be talking about Stray Kids😭
Lee Donghwa [ 19:42 ]
who is your bias
Lee Gyehun [ 19:42 ]
hyunjin + seungmin double bias