Work Text:
The clock's ticking was shrill, the time flickered almost mockingly at him, 4:35am.
Chan had been sent over 200 applications over the past week, and while he'd picked around 40 for callback auditions so far, it felt as if everyone had the same blend of qualities and talents. Nothing had piqued his interest in so long he considered turning in for the night.
He'd been keeping a close eye on a few, having separate practice with them, he'd even made a group chat with them, however it felt like something was missing from the group he'd made.
He sighed and read another application, shaking himself awake.
Name: Hwang Hyunjin
Age: 18
Specification: vampire
His brain halted.
Had he read that right?
To his knowledge, no vampires had ever applied.
Chan studied the rest of the application with a new found apprehension.
He tangled a hand in his hair, tugging at the stubborn knots he found as he thought. A sharp feeling of worry overcame him. Accepting a vampire would be a complicated process, the company would need to be informed, certain precautions would need to be put in place to keep everyone safe and that doesn't even begin to cover the whole bloodthirsty thing.
A contact number caught his eye. It would be best to talk to the guy first, before making any baseless judgements. Chan lifted the phone with shaky hands. Whether they came from nerves or the past three days of all nighters he was unsure, but he really needed to cut back on his caffeine intake.
The phone dialed 3 times before the realisation struck. It was 4am, and he likely wouldn't recieve an answer at this time. Groggily, he scrambled to end the call before he could disturb the boy's sleep.
"Hello?," the gruff voice echoed throughout the empty office.
Silence enveloped the pair before the younger suddenly spoke up again.
"Who is this?", He sounded more alert and the shuffling on the other end suggested he had sat up in bed.
"Hello! Ah, sorry, this is Bangchan. From JYP, you sent in an application around a week ago, I uh- I was calling to talk about it," Chan replied, voice trembling.
"Oh..what about it?" The others voice seemed alot more anxious then it had been mere seconds ago.
"I saw under specification you put vampire?" Way to state the obvious.
"So? If you're going to tell me you can't accept me that's fine, I don't care. Just don't wa-"
"No! No, not at all, actually your application is very good Hyunjin-ah, I just wanted to talk to you about it in a bit more detail." Chan was so nervous he was sure his heartbeat was audible even through the tinny phone quality. Was this a stupid idea?
Silence filled the other side of the phone. Just as chan went to check if the other ended the call his quiet voice spoke up.
"Just Hyunjin is fine. Could we talk about this tomorrow please? It's really late."
Shit. He had probably woken him up.
"Sure, do you wanna come down to the studio tomorrow?"
"Alright, I'll head over after school."
The line went dead almost immediately after, leaving Chan to wallow in his own doubt.
If he was honest, he had no idea what to expect from Hyunjin.
—
Chan had been waiting outside for what felt like centuries. The autumn chill did nothing to quell his nerves. How could he adress his concerns without completely offending the younger? Chan had no intention to scare the boy away but he had no idea how to approach the subject appropriately.
Amidst of his internal panic, a slightly shorter male with dirty brown hair slowly approached chan.
Chan smiled warmly to cover the anxiety building in his chest.
"Hyunjin, it's good to meet you in person." his voice quivered and he winced internally, so much for being professional.
The younger nodded in respect, his golden uniform failing to mask his shivering form.
"Let's head inside, huh? It's pretty cold out here," Chan suggested.
The walk to the studio was filled with silence - just barely bordering on awkward- Hyunjin always a few paces behind Bangchan.
By the time the pair reached the studio, all fear had slowly seeped from Chan's body.
Chan sat down in the exact seat that had caused him a probable lifelong back pain mere hours ago with a grunt.
Hyunjin silently took the seat opposite him.
The boy was good at keeping quiet, that was for sure. His vow of silence may seem unnerving to some but Chan found himself quite comfortable in his presence.
"So..about your application." Chan prompted.
Hyunjin raised an eyebrow.
"You're clearly very talented. Having looked through some of your trainee work, I must say, it's very impressive."
The once comfortable atmosphere became tense with unspoken anxiety.
"I'll be blunt with you Hyunjin. I'd love to work with you, more then anything, you would be a vital addition to our team." He could imagine it already, Hyunjin amongst his members, performing right where he belongs.
"Though for obvious reasons it would be a long process a complicated one - to put it nicely."
Hyunjin nodded stiffly, shoulders tight. He had probably heard it thousands of times, followed by thousands dismissals, Chan just couldn't do that to him. He couldn't bare to be the reason why the boy looked so downtrodden. Besides, 8 was a much nicer number then 7.
He'd finally found his group. After months of long nights hoping, praying he could make it through the process, it had all payed off.
"I think it's worth the hassle. It would be amazing to have you on my side Hyunjin. It would be the worst mistake of my life to let you slip by."
The almost mute boy had near enough lit up brighter than a Christmas tree. Someone was willing to waste their time on him, to give him a chance beyond just seeing his classification.
Chan chuckled lightly at Hyunjin's gleeful expression. The thought occurred to him that happiness suited the boy immensely and he would do whatever it takes to keep him smiling so wide.
"I'll add you into a group with the other 6 of us, we talk about schedules, plans, typical stuff."
He fiddled with his phone for a moment, "The others will love you! Now, the company will likely get back to you about the finalisation of everything in the coming weeks. I won't give up on you Hyunjin."
The younger had begun to come out of his shell at the good news and after a few minutes of typical chat, Hyunjin left the studio, a clear pep in his step.
In that moment Chan knew he had done the right thing.
Hyunjin was worth this.