Strangely enough, even though all the members were moving together, there was no overlap with Evan.
They didn’t overlap when getting makeup done or changing clothes for shooting preparations, and they didn’t ride in the same car when traveling.
Only when they were completely isolated even during standby did Siwoo realize there was a serious problem in his relationship with Evan.
The staff and members were openly isolating the two of them.
“Hyung.”
Since the person currently with Siwoo was Chan, he finally opened his mouth. There were only the two of them in the quiet van.
Moreover, since he was currently Ocean’s leader, it was even better to bring it up.
He raised his head to meet Siwoo’s gaze while reading a book, but Siwoo couldn’t readily speak.
With his head lowered, he focused his gaze on fidgeting with his fingertips pressed together.
“Is our team okay like this?”
He chose the sentence that seemed most appropriate after careful selection.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Because of Evan and me, how should I say this overall? Should I say the atmosphere is heavy? Or, um, to put it nicely, they’re being considerate, but twisting it around, can I say everyone seems to be watching our reactions?”
As if the issue Siwoo was raising wasn’t that difficult, Chan started reading his book again. Siwoo also shifted his gaze outside the window. Even so, he didn’t stop fidgeting and flicking his fingertips.
“It’s not just been a day or two. Still, isn’t it about time you became closer? You could be more like that since you’re the same age, and it’s because both you and Evan are greedy.”
Greedy, huh. Before the regression—no, there was a time when the regression started and he struggled desperately to rise up several times. If it were himself from that time, clashing with Evan would be natural.
Literally obsessed with dancing, desperate to sing even a little more.
When a song came out, he’d check his parts first.
To stand out more, he constantly challenged intense choreography, and on days he landed a solo performance, he was too excited to sleep.
“It’s because the other members are suffering because of us.”
“Aigoo. You’re only now starting to see that? After being apart for about a week and meeting again, did the conversation suddenly flow well? During yesterday’s shoot too, you both looked much more comfortable than usual.”
“Did we?”
Feeling awkward, Siwoo swept his hair back and shifted his gaze to the car window. He could see Evan and Sangjun doing a photoshoot. Yechan was skateboarding in a place that wouldn’t interfere with the filming.
“Hyung. What are you doing after this ends?”
In the morning, Siwoo, Chan, and Yechan had filmed with the concept of skateboarding in the park, and after lunch, Evan and Sangjun’s boyfriend concept followed.
And since the shoot would end soon, everyone would be given break time.
“I’m going to read more books and rest a bit. It’s hot too.”
“Sangjun hyung said he’s working on a song.”
“He’s always working on songs. What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to rest quietly too. My head hurts.”
When the conversation didn’t continue, Siwoo settled his body comfortably into the chair. It was also work to avoid the cameras hovering around all day. Even when not fulfilling official schedules, cameras always followed when they moved as a group like this.
It was different from ‘Journey’ where cameras were installed anywhere and everywhere, but they were preparing so it could be edited and uploaded later in episode format. None of the members seemed conscious of those cameras. Occasionally, it seemed like Yechan deliberately played around and fooled around in front of them, but that was probably due to his personality.
He likes to joke around and is always energetic, so it’s possible. Above all, isn’t he the only teenager among the members?
“Siwoo hyung.”
Suddenly the van door swung open and Yechan intruded on the quiet time of the two.
“Why?”
“Come out.”
“Me?”
“Yes. Not Chan hyung who hates moving. You, who I’m talking to right now. Hurry and come out. Let’s skateboard together. I really didn’t know you were that good.”
Instead of answering, Siwoo subtly closed his eyes and chose to turn his body to face away from Yechan.
“Hyung!”
Even while hearing Yechan’s voice, Siwoo pretended not to hear and fumbled in his pocket to take out his wireless earphones.
“Hyung!”
He took out the earphones, put them in both ears, and unlocked his phone. What song should I listen to?
“Si! Woo! Hyung!”
Although he closed his eyes and turned his back, Yechan’s booming voice continued.
“Siwoo-ya, go play with him a bit. That kid has too much energy left over, so you need to play with him moderately to drain his energy. Otherwise, he’ll cause chaos at night. I got caught yesterday and had to play with him. Ugh, don’t even get me started. We played late and he ended up sleeping in my bed. My room had a double bed. I don’t know why such a big guy likes to sleep so close.”
At Chan’s words that continued rapidly like grumbling, Siwoo just turned his head and looked at Yechan. Well, an idol’s life is practicing dance in the practice room for a basic eight hours a day. Compared to that, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say filming was a piece of cake.
You had to be careful in other aspects, but physically it was still less tiring.
“Yechan-ah.”
Before he could say ‘I’ll rest a bit more and then play with you,’ Siwoo’s body floated in the air.
“Hey!”
Faster than Siwoo struggling, Yechan, who had lifted up the sitting Siwoo as is, whistled and turned around.
“Right. Go quickly. Both of you hurry. Let me rest a bit.”
Whether Yechan carried Siwoo out or Siwoo struggled because he didn’t want to be held by him, Chan, who had no interest in such things, personally moved his body to close the van door.
“Kang Yechan!”
“It would have been good if you’d played with me quickly when I asked you to play.”
“I’ll play with you. I said I’ll play with you. So put me down.”
While saying to put him down, Siwoo gauged the distance to the ground. It seemed high, but it should be okay if he landed feet first. Then he pushed Yechan’s shoulder to make him put him down.
“I’ll let you… Huk!”
When Siwoo struggled, although Yechan could have easily gathered him in his arms with strength, he pretended to stagger and released the strength from his arms.
“Hey!”
The moment Yechan released his strength, Siwoo screamed and hurriedly wrapped his arms around Yechan’s neck and clung to him as if he’d never pushed him.
Naturally escaping from his embrace and falling to the ground are on completely different levels!
“You crazy bastard!”
Siwoo, clinging tightly to Yechan, glared at Yechan with wide eyes.
“You’re forgiving me, right?”
Whether Siwoo glared or clung to his neck, Yechan’s expression was consistent.
Grinning widely. He really looked like an excited large dog unable to control its own strength.
“What?”
Siwoo’s expression changed as he looked at Yechan, who was suddenly going on about forgiveness.
“Last night.”
Sighing deeply, Siwoo released one arm and flicked Yechan’s forehead. Is that what this is about now? That matter seemed like something he should apologize to Evan for, not himself. And it was himself who kicked away from a situation that could have been handled well.
“Hey. You got the wrong person. Why are you apologizing to me? Not to me, but to Evan. Before that, can you put me down first?”
Clearly the person who flicked his forehead was Siwoo, but the person brushing off his hand was also him. Siwoo, who flicked, hurt more than Yechan, who got hit on the forehead.
“Evan hyung. He’s scary.”
“Can’t you put me down first and then talk?”
Aren’t I heavy for you? Put me down, really. Since there was a small commotion here, cameras immediately attached.
“Ah, I don’t want to. If hyung says he forgives me.”
“Listen to me.”
Yechan in the past had a really good personality too, but the current him seemed literally unstoppable. Plus, they’d been eating from the same pot for a long time, so they must be completely casual with each other.
“Quickly. Hyung~”
It’s dizzying when you talk while lifting high and shaking. He just needed to say he forgave him, so why didn’t he want to say that? Tired of the power struggle too, Siwoo just drained all the strength from his body and openly leaned his head on Yechan’s shoulder.
“Kill me.”
Once the camera was on, no one knew how it would be edited later. If so, it seemed better to just set it up comically from the start.
“…What are you doing?”
It was Evan’s voice that cut off the conversation between the two, who had been going back and forth with ‘put me down’ and ‘forgive me.’
Standing crookedly with one leg bent, looking at them, his face held no emotion.
“Evan hyung? What about filming?”
“Coco is asking to be put down. Put him down first and then talk.”
Comedy becoming thriller happens in an instant. As soon as Evan spoke with a serious face and lowered voice, Yechan quickly put Siwoo down.
“Is filming over?”
Straightening his body, Siwoo spoke while arranging his clothes.
“Yeah.”
Evan, who approached Siwoo, bent down and buried his face in Siwoo’s shoulder. At first, he didn’t notice because he was focused on filming. But at Siwoo’s high voice heard from afar, his gaze naturally turned that way.
Yechan, holding Siwoo, was smiling, and although he was clearly grumbling, Siwoo’s expression was also bright.
Even from afar, he could immediately tell what kind of situation it was.
Yechan would be joking around, and Siwoo would be asking to be put down.
They were close, and in front of cameras, they could sufficiently pull such pranks. Because it would produce videos fans loved. But his sulky heart was jealous of even that.
He couldn’t say the filming ended exactly. It was Evan who said to stop filming.
And he came straight to Yechan and Siwoo and stubbornly separated them.
Along with the self-loathing that rushed in, when he buried his face in Siwoo’s shoulder, the anxious emotions gradually found their place again at the faintly flowing natural pheromone of his.
“Hey, you’re heavy. One’s carrying, one’s pressing down. Good job.”
While looking at Yechan with a playful voice and speaking, Siwoo raised one hand and stroked Evan’s back of the head and neck several times.
