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Xinlong felt the same ache in his chest every time he looked at Yunseo. It was the ache of a past he couldn't change. The ache of being too young, too far from home, and entirely alone. He saw himself in Yunseo, the same quiet determination, the same shoulders burdened with a dream far too heavy for a teenager.
"I've been soaked in the rain," Xinlong had told someone once, the words a confession. "So I'm giving him an umbrella."
And he meant it. He stayed with Yunseo for over an hour the night before their performance for the first mission, listening as the younger boy confessed his fears about sleeping alone. Xinlong, exhausted himself, held him, a silent promise of comfort and presence. He didn't just want to protect Yunseo. He wanted to equip him.
"You have to learn to face the rain, too," he'd said one day, a gentle, guiding hand on his back as he helped him lint-roll his shirt. He was building an umbrella for Yunseo, yes, but he was also teaching him how to stand in the storm.
Yunseo, for his part, was wise beyond his years. He was a talented teen with a mature outlook on life. Despite all that, though, he was still a child, evident by his youthful features and the fears he kept closely guarded. He was bright, and that's what Xinlong admired about the kid. Yet, there was another hyung Yunseo often clung to. Park Donggyu. With an easy affection that twisted in Xinlong's gut, Yunseo would cling to him, leaning on him with a kind of comfort that Xinlong had come to believe was his alone to provide. It was a strange kind of jealousy... this boy who felt like a younger version of himself was so close to someone else, someone he knew almost nothing about.
During a break from practice for their second mission, the staff gathered three of the dance teams—Bad, LALALA, and XXL—for a mini-game. Xinlong was on one team, seated in the middle of the room with his group, while Donggyu and Yunseo sat on the sidelines. From his spot, Xinlong watched as Yunseo sat in Donggyu's lap, a playful jeer from the younger boy echoing across the room. His gaze lingered on the easy closeness between the two, finding himself watching them more than the game.
When it was Yunseo's team's turn, they swapped spots. Donggyu and Yunseo sat right at the edge of their team, with Donggyu squished between Yunseo and Geonwoo, leaving him no choice but to hug his knees. Xinlong's eyes lingered on them, on how there was no gap between the two.
Donggyu's turn came. When he failed to remember Chunbae’s name, everyone erupted in laughter. Xinlong laughed too, but his smile felt a little tight. The sight of Donggyu dramatically crumpling to the floor, head in his hands, was amusing, but Xinlong's eyes were fixed on the way Yunseo gently patted his back, an easy gesture of comfort he seemed to have perfected.
A moment later, he watched Yunseo do a burst of aegyo to try and convince Junseo for one more chance. Xinlong's face twisted into a full-body cringe, his own moments of forced cuteness flashing through his mind. But Donggyu, watching from his spot, simply laughed, his smile wide and gentle, clearly finding Yunseo's antics endearing. The easy affection passing between them was a silent punch to Xinlong's gut.
With the game wrapped up, they drew for prizes. Xinlong watched intently as Yunseo opened a blank note and burst into laughter. Donggyu was watching too, a smile on his face mirroring Yunseo’s. When it was Xinlong's turn, he also got a blank note, then a second one. The room erupted in laughter, and this time, both Donggyu and Yunseo were laughing so hard they looked like they were running out of breath. Xinlong's smile felt forced. The lighthearted chaos continued as they were given a big bubble wand to play with. Xinlong tried and failed to blow a bubble, which drew out laughter from everyone watching him. Xinlong laughed, embarrassed, but with a huge smile. He felt Donggyu’s gaze from where he was next to him, and for the first time that day, Xinlong just looked away. He was aware that Donggyu walked behind him when he was called away by a staff member.
Later that night, overwhelmed by a feeling he couldn't name, Xinlong found himself seeking Donggyu out. He found Donggyu alone, quietly reviewing choreography. He looked as if he was trying to make himself as small as possible in the corner of the practice room.
"You're so close to him," Xinlong said, his voice sharper than he intended.
Donggyu looked up, a startled expression on his face. "To who?"
"Yunseo. He's always with you," the words came out in a rush, a mix of jealousy and confusion.
A small, awkward laugh escaped Donggyu. "He likes me, I guess. He’s sought me out since the very first day we met." He paused, chewing on his lip. "He talks to me a lot, and I just listen. I think he's really amazing for his age, you know? He's such a sweet kid. And what he's been through... it’s a lot." Donggyu's eyes were warm and sincere as he looked down for a moment before meeting Xinlong's gaze. "I just try to be there for him. As someone older."
A beat passed. Donggyu's expression softened. Then a soft, understanding smile soon dawned on his face. "We both look out for him," he said. "We're his hyungs. He talks about you a lot, you know."
Xinlong's tense shoulders relaxed slightly. "He does?" he asked, his voice softer now.
Donggyu nodded. "All the time. He looks up to you. Says he feels safe around you."
A quiet moment passed between them, no longer just two rivals but two people linked by their fondness for Yunseo. Xinlong looked at Donggyu, truly seeing him for the first time. He realized Donggyu wasn't trying to steal Yunseo's affection. He was simply being his naturally supportive, gentle self. He was a safe, quiet space for Yunseo to land. The protectiveness melted away, replaced by a deep appreciation for the shy boy who, despite his introverted nature, was always ready to offer his support.
On a separate night, after a late-night practice, Xinlong found himself heading to the snack room in the All-Stars dorm. The air was quiet, broken only by the hum of the refrigerators. He just needed something cold to drink, a small moment to himself to reset. He wasn’t surprised to see someone there, meticulously choosing a snack from the shelf. But when the figure looked up, Xinlong froze. It was Donggyu, his face tired but his eyes soft. Donggyu, who was currently a two-star, in the All-stars dorm. But as a former all-star, perhaps he still had a knack for finding his way back here.
"I was visiting my teammates," Donggyu said, as if sensing Xinlong’s unspoken question. "I had to discuss some things with them regarding our choreography."
Xinlong nodded slowly, a small smile on his face. He grabbed a drink from the fridge, the cold surface a shock to his warm hands. He didn't feel the need to fill the silence. It was comfortable. A silent understanding passed between them with every shared glance.
"It was a long day," Donggyu said quietly, breaking the silence.
"Yeah," Xinlong agreed, "but it was good."
They sat there together for a long moment. They didn't need to fill the space with conversation. The simple act of being there, side-by-side, was enough.
The more time they spent together, the more Xinlong and Donggyu realized they had more in common than just their fondness for Yunseo. The same dedication, the same quiet strength, the same sacrifices for their teams, and a surprisingly similar sense of humor. They settled into an unspoken harmony, a silent understanding of how to take care of the little kid they’d both grown fond of, and in the process, each other. Xinlong's possessiveness transformed into something softer, a quiet admission that Donggyu’s gentle nature was exactly what Yunseo needed. They had both found a place to rest from the rain, not just for Yunseo, but for themselves as well.
And just like that, the awkwardness began to melt away. The next time Yunseo pulled them together, Donggyu didn’t shy away, and Xinlong didn’t feel that twist of jealousy. Instead, a new rhythm took over.
Yunseo would sit between them, a hand on each of their laps, offering surprisingly mature advice and unwavering support. "Hyung," he'd said to Donggyu once, "you work so hard. You need to rest, too." And to Xinlong, "You're always so busy, you should eat more. Take care of your health."
He was just as much their umbrella as they were his. They had both set out to protect him, and in the end, they were his two hyungs, now holding the same umbrella, their hands joined on the handle.