At Yuho’s unexpected reaction, Inhan looked around in confusion.
He saw two staff members approaching from a considerable distance. Inhan hurriedly grabbed Yuho’s wrist.
“Hyung. Just a moment.”
Inhan lifted Yuho up and led him to Suhyung’s car. Though he should coldly shake off Inhan’s hand, Yuho couldn’t even manage that and was being helplessly dragged along.
Only after seating Yuho in the back seat behind the driver’s seat did Inhan let go of the wrist he’d been holding. As the car door closed, Yuho began to cry audibly, and Inhan sat right in the seat next to him, restless. It was the moment Inhan tried to get out of his seat to bring tissues. Yuho had already reached out his hand to firmly grab Inhan’s sleeve and wouldn’t let go. Inhan sat back down and began to soothe Yuho.
“Hyung, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll stay here next to you.”
“…Don’t lie.”
Yuho was annoyed at Inhan for recklessly lying when the music video filming wasn’t even finished yet.
“I’ll just film and come back. Okay? After filming is all done, I’ll stay next to you the whole time…”
“Come to the dorm once or twice a month.”
Yuho said to Inhan in a voice mixed with petulance.
For Yuho too, it felt like he’d die if he couldn’t see Inhan. The saying “out of sight, out of mind” was a lie. It felt like he needed to see his face occasionally to breathe. If he’d known it would be like this from the start, he wouldn’t have even brought up that talk about withdrawal or independence.
At Yuho’s unexpected words, Inhan made a dumbfounded expression. And soon nodded his head, giving an affirmative answer.
“Yes. I will.”
“That Monday Inhan you used to post every week… don’t skip that and post it.”
Yuho said to Inhan while wiping away the continuously flowing tears. Inhan didn’t understand why that mattered right now, at this moment, but nodded once more.
“Yes. I’ll post it.”
After finishing his answer, Inhan waited for Yuho’s next words.
“But don’t be nice to me. You can’t pretend to be close either.”
But Yuho’s following words were different from what Inhan had expected. Instead of answering, Inhan lowered his gaze with a gloomy face.
“Why aren’t you answering?”
When Yuho pressed for an answer, Inhan reluctantly nodded. He didn’t want to worsen the situation again by pointlessly rebelling and saying no.
“Then go now.”
“I can stay a bit longer though.”
“I said go.”
“Yes.”
At Yuho’s insistence, Inhan reluctantly opened the car door and headed outside. Then he turned back around and said to Yuho.
“Don’t leave, wait for me.”
Though there wouldn’t be anywhere particular to go, Inhan wanted to get a promise as if Yuho would disappear.
“Okay? Hyung. You’ll wait, right?”
At Inhan’s question mixed with pleading, Yuho nodded with a sulky face. He decided to keep to himself the fact that he’d have to wait anyway if he wanted to go home.
“So annoying.”
After Inhan closed the car door and disappeared, Yuho muttered to himself. Somehow, whenever he got entangled with Inhan, nothing went his way. Fortunately, Yuho’s tears stopped quickly.
Shortly after, Inhan returned to the car with the car keys. Though Yuho glared fiercely at Inhan climbing into the driver’s seat after opening the door, Inhan pretended not to notice, started the engine, turned on the heater, and disappeared.
Yuho really thought Inhan was annoying.
The music video filming ended later than expected.
Inhan went to tell Yuho it would be better to go back first, but discovered Yuho asleep and only rolled down the passenger window slightly before returning to the filming site. He also covered Yuho with the padding he’d been wearing.
Yuho woke up to the noisy sounds around him. Looking out the window, everyone was busy organizing filming equipment.
Just then, Suhyung climbed into the driver’s seat and opened the back door. Yuho, still drowsy from sleep, threw a question at Suhyung.
“Hyung. Is it over?”
“Yeah. Did you wait long?”
“No. I slept a bit.”
“I see. Let’s go home now.”
Yuho’s body was stiff, so he stretched. Only then did he notice Inhan’s padding occupying space on his body, but he didn’t have the energy left to be angry.
“Hyung. Were you well? Didn’t you miss me?”
Yeomin climbed into the car through the open back door and asked Yuho. He started making a fuss and craving affection from Yuho, though they’d barely been apart. Yuho said playfully.
“Yeah. I didn’t miss you.”
“Ugh. That’s impossible.”
“You worked hard filming. It was cold, right?”
“I was cold because I couldn’t see you, hyung.”
Yeomin quickly took the seat next to Yuho. And shortly after, even Inhan boarded the car.
“Yuho hyung. You’re awake?”
“Yeah. Here.”
Yuho held out the padding he’d been covered with to Inhan. Inhan accepted the padding without complaint.
“Thanks.”
“Yes.”
Inhan headed to the back seat with a smiling face, pleased about something.
Suhyung’s car was leaving the filming site and entering the road. It was the moment Yuho was about to lean his head against the window to sleep again.
“Suhyung hyung. I’ll sleep at the dorm today.”
At Inhan’s statement, Yuho flinched. I said once or twice a month, not every day. Somehow his head began to ache at the development flowing differently from his intention.
“What? Why do you keep sleeping at the dorm?”
Yeomin, as always, started picking a fight at Inhan’s words. Inhan answered nonchalantly.
“It’s my choice.”
“Really, you’re so self-centered. Suhyung hyung. Can’t you ban members who went independent from entering the dorm from now on?”
“Uh. Yeomin. No.”
“Ugh. That’s too much.”
At Suhyung’s firm response, Yeomin showed a hurt expression. And turned his arrow toward the innocent Yuho.
“What does Yuho hyung think?”
“Me? I… don’t really care.”
“Ugh. Why don’t I have anyone on my side?”
Yeomin said with a sulky face. Yuho was conscious of Yeomin’s feelings, but Inhan concerned him more. Inhan said to Yeomin as if satisfied.
“You never had anyone on your side originally.”
“That’s not true? Yuho hyung is always on my side, right? Right?”
“Well, generally that’s true…”
“Then hurry and take my side.”
At Yeomin’s whining, Yuho was troubled. Then he suddenly thought of one person’s face and found a suitable answer.
“But I’m scared of Taeyoon hyung.”
“Ah. I am too. Agreed.”
Yuho quickly made the excuse of Taylor, and Yeomin also quickly assented and nodded.
Neither Inhan nor Taylor were people who would obediently listen if told not to come anyway.
“But why, Inhan? You have an afternoon schedule tomorrow.”
Just as it seemed certain that Inhan would head to the dorm, Suhyung threw a question at Inhan.
Inhan answered Suhyung nonchalantly.
“Ah. I just thought I’d have a beer with the hyungs.”
“I won’t drink though? I have a dawn call tomorrow?”
As soon as Inhan finished speaking, Yeomin began to tackle him. Inhan was gradually getting flustered.
“Then I’ll drink with Raul hyung or Jueon hyung.”
“They’re both abstaining from alcohol these days?”
“Why?”
“I wouldn’t know.”
At Yeomin’s ironclad defense, Inhan fell into contemplation. Then he changed targets and spoke to Suhyung.
“Suhyung hyung. Would you like to have a beer with me?”
“Well. I am a bit tired today though.”
With even Suhyung refusing, Inhan didn’t have many options left. Juseung didn’t drink much, so drinking alone was the only answer. But going to the dorm just to drink alone is too strange. Inhan had no choice but to revise his ambitious plan.
“Then I’ll just go home, whatever.”
At Inhan trailing off bitterly, Yuho felt uncomfortable for no reason. And opened his mouth without realizing it.
“Then I’ll…”
“Hey. I’m joking. Drink with me.”
Yuho hastily closed his mouth. Stepping forward here would really be overdoing it. Fortunately, thanks to Yeomin cutting in from the middle, Yuho’s rash remark didn’t bear fruit and ended.
Yuho stroked his chest in relief. Fortunately, Inhan either didn’t hear Yuho’s words or was expressing dissatisfaction to Yeomin.
“As if.”
“And there’s no way Raulie and Jueon hyung would abstain from alcohol. Have a drink with the four of you after a while.”
“Then do that.”
Inhan didn’t rebel further and assented to Yeomin’s words. Just when the conversation seemed to have ended peacefully, Yeomin suddenly threw a question at Yuho.
“But Yuho hyung. Weren’t you about to say something?”
“No. I didn’t say anything though?”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
Yuho shamelessly lied. Fortunately, no one doubted Yuho’s words.
Perhaps tired, Yeomin and Inhan fell asleep quickly. Yuho was fiddling with his phone when he looked back once at Inhan sitting diagonally in the back seat. The gently sleeping face was so unfamiliar it felt strange, having been so long.
“I’m seeing Inhan for the first time in a really long while.”
Jueon said with a moved face upon encountering Inhan who had arrived at the dorm. Inhan also welcomed him happily and hugged Jueon.
“Jueon hyung. I missed you.”
“Yeah. Me too. Our maknae’s been well, right?”
“Yes. In my own way.”
Jueon, the eldest hyung, was the only one among the members who treated Inhan as the maknae.
Partly due to the large five-year age gap, but perhaps because their heights were similar, Jueon didn’t care about Inhan’s muscles and build. Inhan’s a baby. There had once been a time when a remark Jueon casually made caused ripples among the members.
Perhaps because of that, Inhan also tended to become a docile lamb in front of Jueon. Of course, in situations where competition was involved, he was merciless.
“Inhan. Come to the dorm more often.”
“I will. Hyung, come visit our place again too.”
“Okay. I’ll go once after the opening of my musical this time.”
“You didn’t really abandon 7SPOT, did you?”
As soon as Raulie saw Inhan, he picked a fight. Inhan also quickly changed his attitude and shot back at Raulie’s words in one stroke.
“Say something that makes sense.”
“No matter how good money and popularity are, a person needs to have loyalty.”
“You should talk.”
“This guy won’t lose even one word.”
Raulie attempted a headlock on Inhan, but instead had his arm twisted and declared surrender, and so their squabble ended quickly.
