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The hotel looked normal from the outside.
That was the first thing James filmed.
“Today,” he announced dramatically into the camera, “CORTIS will be risking their dignity for lunch.”
“Again?” Juhoon muttered from behind him.
The camera swung toward the entrance as the members walked in carrying bags and jackets, still talking over each other from the ride there. The place had soft lighting and sleek furniture during the day, but staff had already explained that at night it turned into a club.
Martin looked around slowly. “This place feels expensive.”
“Then why are we here?” Keonho asked immediately.
“Because suffering builds character,” James answered.
“That explains your personality,” Seonghyeon said quietly.
James gasped in betrayal while the others laughed.
Keonho nearly walked into a wall because he was too busy staring at Seonghyeon smiling afterward.
That happened a lot these days.
It was becoming a serious issue.
-
The staff gathered them in one of the open rooms where yoga mats had already been laid out neatly on the floor.
The moment the word yoga was mentioned, all five of them looked suspicious.
“Wait,” Martin said slowly. “This is actually yoga?”
“What did you think it was?” the staff asked.
James immediately pointed at the lights. “With this setup? A party.”
“A survival game,” Juhoon added.
“Dance battle,” said Keonho.
Seonghyeon blinked. “I thought we were just eating.”
The staff explained the rules while the members settled onto the mats.
Each successful pose earned points. Enough points meant a paid lunch.
The person with the lowest score would have to share a room with one of the staff members.
“That’s terrifying,” James whispered.
“You act like they bite,” Martin said.
“They might.”
The members laughed as they stretched half-seriously, already complaining before the challenge even started.
Keonho sat cross-legged beside James, but his attention kept drifting past him toward Seonghyeon and Juhoon on the next mat over.
Seonghyeon was listening carefully to the instructions, nodding politely, completely unaware that Keonho had looked at him at least twelve times in the last three minutes.
Juhoon noticed, unfortunately.
Without turning his head, he quietly said, “You’re staring again.”
Keonho nearly choked. “I’m not.”
“You blink slower when you stare.”
James overheard instantly. “That is the creepiest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“I hate you all.”
Across the mats, Seonghyeon looked over curiously. “What happened?”
“Nothing,” four voices answered at once.
Seonghyeon narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
Keonho smiled at him automatically.
Which only made Seonghyeon look more suspicious.
-
The first pose started simply enough.
Juhoon went first and somehow managed to look calm even while balancing awkwardly on one leg.
“How are you stable?” James complained.
“I have inner peace.”
“No you don’t.”
Then it was Seonghyeon’s turn.
He stepped onto the mat with immediate hesitation already written all over his face.
“I don’t trust this.”
“You look flexible,” Martin said.
“That sounded weird,” Juhoon replied.
Seonghyeon tried not to laugh as he lifted himself carefully into position.
And immediately, Keonho became a problem.
While Seonghyeon concentrated on balancing, Keonho leaned forward slightly and blew air dramatically toward his face.
Seonghyeon broke into laughter instantly. “Stop!”
“You’re shaking already!”
“You’re literally sabotaging me!”
Keonho kept grinning, blowing another exaggerated puff of air toward him while James wheezed somewhere in the background.
“Why are you bullying him specifically?” Martin asked.
“Because it’s funny.”
“It’s because you’re obsessed with him,” Juhoon corrected.
Keonho nearly fell sideways laughing while Seonghyeon’s ears turned visibly pink.
“Hyung,” he muttered weakly.
Juhoon only shrugged.
Still smiling, Seonghyeon somehow managed to finish the pose successfully despite Keonho’s constant attempts to destabilize him.
The second he finished, Keonho clapped like he’d just witnessed an Olympic performance.
“That was amazing.”
“You were trying to make me fail.”
“And yet you succeeded. Inspiring.”
Seonghyeon tried not to smile.
He failed.
-
By the time Keonho’s turn came, everyone was already louder and more chaotic.
The second he got into position, Seonghyeon leaned forward slightly and blew air directly toward his cheek.
Keonho stared at him in betrayal.
“Oh, now you’re doing it?”
“You said it was funny.”
James joined immediately from the other side. “Attack him.”
“Traitors,” Keonho complained while laughing so hard he nearly lost balance.
Seonghyeon’s smile got bigger every time Keonho looked at him.
And Keonho noticed that too.
God, he was doomed.
-
The second pose somehow involved even more suffering.
When Seonghyeon tried balancing again, Keonho tilted his head critically.
“Your body is crooked.”
“It is not.”
“It absolutely is.”
“You’re distracting me on purpose.”
“Yes.”
The staff burst out laughing while Seonghyeon fought to stay balanced.
Then when Keonho attempted the same pose minutes later, Seonghyeon immediately crossed his arms.
“Your head is tilted.”
Keonho gasped. “Betrayal.”
“Your alignment is poor.”
“Who taught you these words?”
When Keonho finally finished, Seonghyeon walked straight up to him laughing, getting directly in his face while mock-inspecting his posture.
“This side is crooked too.”
“You are literally bullying me.”
“You started it.”
They were standing way too close again.
Close enough that James quietly looked at Martin and whispered, “This is getting difficult to watch.”
Martin whispered back, “One day they’re just going to accidentally date.”
Neither of them noticed.
Or maybe they did and were pretending not to.
-
The third pose was worse.
Mostly because Keonho had completely lost his ability to behave normally around Seonghyeon.
The second Seonghyeon stretched into the position, Keonho stared for one second too long before blurting out:
“Wow. How sexy.”
The room exploded instantly.
James collapsed sideways laughing.
Martin yelled, “WHAT?”
Juhoon looked deeply unsurprised.
Meanwhile Seonghyeon nearly lost the pose entirely.
“Why would you say that?!” he cried, face burning red.
Keonho, realizing too late what had come out of his mouth, started laughing into his hands. “I meant— not sexy— like— impressive!”
“That made it worse!”
“You look good! I mean—”
“Stop talking!”
Seonghyeon finished the pose while refusing to look directly at him afterward.
Which only made Keonho stare more.
Because flustered Seonghyeon might genuinely have been the cutest person alive.
Not that Keonho was biased or anything.
-
By the fourth pose, everyone was exhausted enough to start openly protesting.
“This isn’t yoga anymore,” Martin complained while staring at the monitor.
“This is contemporary dance.”
“This is punishment,” James corrected.
Juhoon failed almost immediately.
Then Seonghyeon stepped up again, already trying not to laugh.
Keonho watched him lift into position before muttering under his breath, “Still sexy.”
“KEONHO,” Seonghyeon yelped.
The staff members were crying laughing now.
“What is wrong with you today?” James asked.
Keonho shrugged proudly. “I support him.”
“That’s not support.”
Seonghyeon completed the pose successfully anyway, though his face stayed pink afterward.
And Keonho looked unbearably pleased about causing it.
-
The fifth pose involved balancing one leg awkwardly while twisting.
Keonho struggled instantly.
“My body doesn’t work like this.”
“Your foot goes there,” Martin said.
“No it doesn’t.”
“It literally does.”
Keonho attempted it again and nearly tipped over.
Then Seonghyeon quietly stepped beside him.
“Wait,” he said softly.
Everyone else kept arguing in the background while Seonghyeon crouched slightly near him, adjusting his ankle carefully with both hands.
“No, like this.”
Keonho forgot how to breathe.
Seonghyeon’s fingers were warm through the fabric of his sweatpants as he gently repositioned his leg.
“There,” Seonghyeon murmured. “That’s easier.”
Keonho stared at him.
Seonghyeon looked up innocently. “What?”
“…Nothing.”
Meanwhile James whispered loudly to Martin, “Look at him. He’s gone.”
“He’s been gone.”
Keonho ignored both of them completely.
Because Seonghyeon was still holding his leg.
And smiling.
And Keonho genuinely thought he might die here.
-
The sixth pose became complete disaster.
The members had to balance their weight on their hands while lifting the rest of their body with crossed legs.
Juhoon tried first.
Failed immediately.
Then Seonghyeon stepped over instinctively.
“No no, your hands should be here,” he explained patiently, demonstrating the movement carefully. “And then you push upward with your shoulders.”
Juhoon attempted it again.
He slipped instantly and collapsed onto the mat looking exactly like a falling frog.
The room erupted.
James screamed laughing.
Martin rolled onto the floor.
Even the staff lost composure.
And through all of it, Seonghyeon crouched beside Juhoon still trying to help him despite laughing so hard himself.
“You almost had it!”
“I absolutely did not.”
Keonho watched the entire thing with the softest expression imaginable.
Because this was exactly the problem.
Seonghyeon was always like this.
Always helping people first. Always patient. Always encouraging everyone even when he was exhausted himself.
Keonho was so unbelievably gone for him it was embarrassing.
When Seonghyeon’s own turn came, he actually managed the pose at first.
But as he started wobbling slightly, Keonho instinctively moved toward him to help—
And somehow startled him enough that Seonghyeon lost balance completely.
He dropped onto the mat with a laugh.
“You ruined it!”
“I was helping!”
“You scared me!”
“You’re cute when you’re angry.”
Seonghyeon covered his face immediately while everyone screamed again.
James pointed dramatically. “He cannot stop flirting!”
“I’m not flirting!”
“You called him sexy twice!”
“That was motivational!”
“No it wasn’t!”
-
The partner pose was somehow even worse.
And by worse, everyone agreed it was the funniest thing they had done all day.
James lay flat on the mat first while Seonghyeon carefully positioned himself above him according to the photo reference.
“This already feels unsafe,” James announced.
“It’s fine,” Seonghyeon replied nervously.
“It’s not.”
The moment they attempted lifting the pose, they collapsed sideways instantly.
Keonho laughed so hard he bent over.
“Again!” the staff shouted.
This time Keonho replaced James underneath.
Which somehow made everything ten times worse.
Because Seonghyeon suddenly became hyperaware of literally every point of contact.
Keonho’s hands at his waist.
Seonghyeon balancing awkwardly above him.
Their faces way too close.
“Don’t drop me,” Seonghyeon warned.
“I would never.”
“That sounded romantic,” James said immediately.
“Everything sounds romantic when you’re obsessed with us,” Keonho shot back.
“You’re obsessed with him.”
Fair point.
They tried lifting again.
Failed again.
Seonghyeon collapsed laughing directly against Keonho’s chest.
For one second neither of them moved.
Then Seonghyeon pushed himself up quickly, flustered.
“Again,” he mumbled.
They switched positions.
Still failed.
At one point Seonghyeon was trying to help Keonho lift his leg properly while laughing so hard he could barely speak.
“No, straighter—”
“I’m trying!”
“You’re folding!”
“My body is collapsing!”
Eventually even Keonho gave up dramatically.
“Well the people in the photo are a woman and a man,” he argued breathlessly. “We’re all men here!”
“That is NOT the issue,” Martin shouted.
“It could be!”
Seonghyeon laughed so hard he nearly fell over again.
And Keonho thought, not for the first time today, that he would willingly embarrass himself forever if it meant hearing that laugh again.
-
They finally succeeded on the last challenge.
Barely.
Everyone collapsed afterward cheering dramatically like they had survived war instead of yoga.
“Lunch,” Juhoon whispered emotionally.
“We earned this.”
“We suffered for this.”
As the cameras stopped rolling briefly before dinner, the members scattered around the room grabbing water bottles and jackets.
Seonghyeon ended up near the hallway holding one of the smaller cameras.
Keonho found him there almost immediately.
“You survived,” he said.
Seonghyeon leaned tiredly against the wall. “Barely.”
“You looked cool though.”
“You called me sexy three times.”
“Maybe because it was true.”
Seonghyeon stared at him.
Keonho smiled lazily.
And then, very softly, Seonghyeon hit his shoulder with the back of his hand.
Not hard.
Just enough to hide the fact he was smiling again.
“You’re impossible.”
Keonho wanted to bottle that expression forever.
-
Dinner was loud in the warm, comfortable way exhaustion usually made them.
Seonghyeon sat beside Keonho naturally, like always.
The camera rolled again while everyone looked through menus.
“What are you getting?” Keonho asked quietly.
“I don’t know yet.”
“You always say that and then steal my food.”
“That’s because your food is better.”
“That sounds like a compliment.”
“It’s not.”
But Seonghyeon was smiling into the menu while saying it.
Their knees kept bumping under the table accidentally.
Neither moved away.
At some point Seonghyeon’s drink arrived first.
Keonho immediately leaned over dramatically. “Can I have a sip?”
“No.”
“Please?”
“No.”
“One sip.”
“No.”
Keonho grabbed the drink anyway.
Seonghyeon laughed instantly, trying to pull it back while Keonho took the tiniest sip imaginable.
Then he made a face.
“You don’t even like it!”
“I wanted emotional hydration.”
“That means nothing.”
But Seonghyeon was laughing so hard now that he had to put the drink down.
The camera caught all of it.
Especially the way they kept looking at each other afterward.
Like they forgot everyone else existed for little moments at a time.
-
Much later that night, after dinner and filming and showers and finally returning to the hotel rooms, exhaustion settled over all of them heavily.
The room lights were dim.
Martin was already half asleep in one bed scrolling mindlessly through his phone.
Seonghyeon sat cross-legged on the other bed beside Keonho, drying his hair lazily with a towel.
Neither of them spoke for a while.
Just comfortable silence.
Then quietly:
“You really kept calling me sexy.”
Keonho froze dramatically. “We’re still thinking about that?”
“You said it in front of everyone.”
“You were sexy.”
Seonghyeon dropped the towel onto his face instantly. “Stop.”
Keonho laughed softly.
And then Seonghyeon, still hiding behind the towel, slowly leaned sideways until his shoulder bumped against Keonho’s arm.
A sleepy kind of closeness.
Unthinking.
Trusting.
Keonho’s laughter faded.
Carefully, like he was scared to ruin the moment, he let his head rest lightly against Seonghyeon’s for just a second.
Neither acknowledged it.
Across the room, Martin glanced up from his phone, saw them, and immediately lowered the brightness without saying a word.
Seonghyeon was already half asleep when he murmured quietly:
“You were good today too.”
Keonho looked at him.
“Yeah?”
“Mhm.”
A pause.
Then, sleepily:
“You looked cool.”
Keonho smiled helplessly into the dark.
And long after Seonghyeon fell asleep against his shoulder, Keonho stayed awake replaying every single moment of the day all over again.