Along with the thought that he’d done well not sending the photo, an inexplicable resentment surged up from within. Kwon Isoo, who had roughly swept back his hair to fully reveal his forehead, clicked on the YouTube link.
He had nothing else to do during the trip anyway. Do Yeonjae happened to be performing as the last act. The manager, hearing RAYEON’s song, chuckled from the front.
“Are you monitoring your friend?”
For monitoring, it was more like fierce eyes searching for something to criticize, but the manager sitting in the driver’s seat didn’t see that expression and just listened to RAYEON’s live together. But as the song progressed, something felt different from usual.
“Uh… Yeonjae-ssi seems to be in poor condition today.”
Do Yeonjae’s live condition was poor enough for the manager to say that.
Kwon Isoo looked at the screen with an expressionless face. In the video, he could see Do Yeonjae’s expression gradually stiffening. A face that clearly showed his dissatisfaction even while producing his voice through the mic.
Kwon Isoo, who had been quietly watching that face, muttered curtly.
“Yeah.”
Do Yeonjae must feel like shit.
The lips that murmured drew a crooked curve for a moment. After being so crazy about singing, serves him right.
“……”
However, the eyes that had been drawing a satisfying sneer soon sank coldly before long. Why was that? Watching Do Yeonjae’s stiff face made inexplicable irritation surge up.
With a strange feeling of nausea churning in his stomach, Kwon Isoo couldn’t watch the stage anymore and turned off the screen. When the song suddenly cut off, he made up an excuse about motion sickness to the manager who was glancing at the back seat through the mirror and closed his eyes.
Do Yeonjae had abandoned him and left to sing the songs he loved so much.
During the time left alone, steadily piling up hatred toward Do Yeonjae, Kwon Isoo had thought this. I hope you feel, at least once, the feeling of being abandoned by something.
But……
Ah, fuck. What the hell is this feeling? It doesn’t feel satisfying at all. He didn’t feel like he’d won at all, and instead felt only unsettled. His heart beat unpleasantly.
Even after arriving home, the uncomfortable sensation didn’t disappear.
Without even taking off his outer clothes, he sat blankly on the living room sofa with the lights off for a while. He didn’t know how much time had passed. In the quiet house, muddily entangled emotions made noisily squirming sounds. It felt stuffy as if he had indigestion.
Kwon Isoo, who had been glaring at empty air with pale blue eyes, picked up his phone and entered the chat room with Do Yeonjae.
[What the hell is wrong with your voice]
He knew well enough that his tone wasn’t very pretty. It didn’t matter if it looked like mockery and ridicule. Since even he didn’t know what this emotion was, figure that shit out yourself. He just wanted to hear something, anything, from Do Yeonjae right now. Even if it was a very insincere reply telling him he was fine so don’t worry.
It was the moment he was about to send the chat. A RAYEON live broadcast notification appeared at the top.
[Just a moment with Yeonjae before going home!]
“…Do Yeonjae.”
Kwon Isoo sprang up from his seat.
Without even a moment to think, he clicked on the notification. Because it seemed like this confusion would disappear if he saw Do Yeonjae’s face right now.
The live broadcast had just started, so only a black screen appeared without a face. Kwon Isoo stood blankly in the middle of the living room, staring intently at the screen. His Adam’s apple bobbed greatly as he waited for Do Yeonjae’s appearance.
Why isn’t he coming out?
Just as his patience was wearing thin, the screen changed abruptly. The moment Do Yeonjae’s face appeared, Kwon Isoo flinched and stared at the phone screen without even blinking.
“……”
Without any movement, even his breathing stopped.
[Hello! We turned it on while practicing with Yeonjae after today’s event ended!]
[Hello, RayIt. It’s a bit late… But we turned it on because we wanted to see you briefly before sleeping.]
Do Yeonjae on screen smiled gently and waved his hand. He looked like nothing was wrong… a perfectly fine face. Though there was a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead, it was just sweat after all, and his complexion only looked good.
Perhaps because he was concentrating all his nerves on examining that face, he couldn’t even hear what was being said. Only Do Yeonjae kept catching his eye—quietly listening to Baek Sian’s excited chatter and kindly answering question comments.
That’s when it happened. Baek Sian’s voice suddenly entered his ears.
[Oh! Hayun hyung came? But what’s this smell… Amazing, everyone. Hayun hyung bought chicken!]
Hayun?
Unlike Kwon Isoo’s face that crumpled spectacularly, Baek Sian on screen clapped and made a fuss.
[Hyung, you’re really crazy. How did you know I wanted to eat chicken today?]
[Minsung told me. And….]
Hayun trailed off while glancing at Do Yeonjae. It was obvious he’d bought it thinking of Do Yeonjae who had ruined the live. Do Yeonjae, who had been quietly unwrapping the chicken packaging, felt the gaze and tilted his head going ‘Hm?’ Hayun, who had been watching the corners of his lips rise languidly, looked away first.
[Hyungs, I’ll throw out the pickled radish water and come back.]
[Yeah, thanks~.]
While Do Yeonjae was briefly away, the two finished setting up the table efficiently. Baek Sian, who had been communicating with fans while waiting for Do Yeonjae, suddenly sparkled his eyes.
[RayIts, hyung. I had a good idea. How about a hidden camera? There are two chickens so four drumsticks, right? But there are three people. But I gobble up two of them and hyung gets mad.]
[Sian… Isn’t that just because you want to eat two? You can eat them if you want.]
[It’s not that? It doesn’t make sense for hyung to eat two drumsticks instead of me, right? Don’t you think?]
[It doesn’t make sense for me to get mad just because you ate two either, does it?]
[Ah, really? Hmm…. No wait, hyung hates inconsiderate behavior, so you can scold me for that!]
[Still….]
[Look at the comments! Everyone says it’ll be really fun. We’re doing it, right? Right? RayIts, you have to keep it a secret when Yeonjae comes!]
Hayun, who had been making an uncomfortable expression, reluctantly nodded his head, swept up by the atmosphere.
[I wonder what the maknae’s reaction will be when the two hyungs have turned cold…. Gasp.]
At the sound of the door opening, Baek Sian quickly shut his mouth and made a shh gesture toward the camera. Do Yeonjae naturally sat in the empty middle seat.
[Since I was going, I brought plates and plastic gloves too.]
[Oh, good sense.]
Baek Sian, who answered nonchalantly, naturally pulled his phone toward himself so Do Yeonjae wouldn’t see any potential comments in his view. Do Yeonjae, who had put on gloves, placed a few chicken pieces on a plate and held it out to Hayun.
[Is everyone team seasoned or team fried?]
[I’m fried. Crispy is the best!]
[I like both.]
It was when they were chatting about this and that while eating chicken. Hayun’s expression suddenly hardened.
[Uh… Sian. Did you just eat two drumsticks by yourself?]
[Is that not allowed?]
When Baek Sian asked back, Do Yeonjae, who had been tearing at a wing, glanced at Baek Sian’s plate. He still seemed to have no particular thoughts about it.
[Eating is fine but… shouldn’t you have at least asked for permission first? Yeonjae might have wanted to eat one more too.]
[I’m fine, hyung.]
When Yeonjae answered calmly, Hayun shook his head.
[I’m talking about consideration…. We’ve been living in the dorm for so long, I thought that much was natural.]
[Ay. Still, we’re broadcasting, so if you say it so openly like that, it makes me feel a bit bad, hyung.]
The air became a bit awkward. Do Yeonjae chewed on chicken and quietly blinked his eyes.
[If you’re upset, I’m sorry but… I thought it was something I could say enough as a hyung.]
[That’s true. But… ah, then I’ll stop eating! I should just talk with RayIts.]
Though Baek Sian’s words were mixed with appropriate laughter, anyone watching his expression could notice he wasn’t in a good mood. It was even more precarious because he was obviously forcing himself to pretend it was a joke since it was during a live broadcast.
– Hogging the drumsticks without saying anything is a bit much though..
– Ooh boom~
– Sian did wrong ㅠ ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
– OMG..
– Still, did you have to call him out during the broadcast? That’s more excessive
– I just came in, why are the kids fighting?ㅠㅠㅠ
– Because Sian ate two drumsticks
– What?
– Yeonjae this is actually a hidden camera!!!
Most were playing along or laughing, but there were also comments blurting it out cluelessly. It wasn’t for nothing that Baek Sian had casually pulled the phone toward himself. Because there were always one or two people who’d defect like this.
[Sian… Hyung wasn’t hinting for you to stop eating.]
[If it wasn’t hinting, then what was it? I’ve completely lost my appetite now, haha.]
[……Baek Sian.]
As the two’s emotions gradually intensified, Yeonjae, who had been observing his hyungs, bit his lips tight then lowered his head. Uh….. Flustered, Hayun fidgeted and rolled his eyes. He looked at Baek Sian with a ‘what do I do?’ face, then also looked at the camera as if seeking help.
– Yuna even if you look at us like that there’s nothing we can do..
– With Yeonjae’s personality he’ll probably say he’ll buy one more
– ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ ha
– Aigoo.. my heart hurts seeing Yeonjae lower his head ㅠ
– At this rate won’t they not be able to manage it and the atmosphere will be ruined?
– Just tell them now kids ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
Hayun, Baek Sian, and the RayIts writing comments were all watching Do Yeonjae’s reaction. Even Kwon Isoo, who had become completely immersed in this situation.
However, Do Yeonjae didn’t take a particular member’s side, nor did he actively try to lighten the atmosphere saying if they were going to be like that, let’s have them order another one. He just suddenly raised his head abruptly and picked up chicken, took a big bite…..
[Ah.]
He let out an exclamation. Then slowly turned his head and confessed to Hayun.
[I’m sorry, hyung. I ate the last remaining wing.]
[……Huh?]
[So please scold me along with him too.]
At the voice mixed with laughter, the practice room became quiet for a moment.
Baek Sian muttered with a face like he’d been caught.
[…Hey, you noticed.]
[He noticed….]
