"Doesn't Youngjae-hyung seem a bit off...?
Despite all their practice, center Yoon Youngjae's condition seemed off. Fortunately, the judges hadn't noticed, but Seha could tell. After all, he was the team leader who had been training him all this time.
Sure enough.
"Seha, what should we do....."
The moment they stepped off the rehearsal stage, Yoon Youngjae collapsed. His body felt like a furnace, drenched in sweat even more than Seha had been after waking from his nightmare that morning. Seha marveled at how Youngjae had managed to act so composed during the rehearsal in this state.
"After the midterm evaluation, I honestly thought, 'Wow, this might actually work,' thanks to your hard work."
"......"
"But now I'm the one ruining things with this fever."
Yoon Youngjae only started acting like a proper hyung as Team On's finale was approaching. Even then, it was only because he feared his poor health would ruin their performance.
It's still okay.
Seha felt relieved. It was fortunate that the rehearsal was scheduled several hours before the actual competition.
Seha had seen countless cases like Yoon Youngjae's. During ON's brutal monthly evaluations, younger trainees would often push themselves too hard and end up sick. He remembered a useful tip he'd learned from the Director back then.
Medicine... I wonder if there's any medicine here.
Also known as the stamina recovery potion. It required mixing medicine sold at pharmacies, so Seha brought the ingredients to the dorm just in case. Of course, since he was feeling fine today, he didn't bring it to the rehearsal.
I should probably go to a pharmacy.
Whether the medicine will actually help was something to worry about later. Right now, he needed to focus on what he could do. The problem is he doesn't know where is the nearest pharmacy to the competition set.
If he had his phone, he could have used a map app to find one, but trainees were required to hand in their phones during filming, making even that impossible.
Is there anyone I could borrow a phone from?
The staff were too busy preparing for the competition to pay attention to a trainee's request. As Seha paced anxiously around the waiting room, his eyes landed on Dohyuk, who was also getting ready to host today's competition.
If it's Dohyuk, he must have his phone.
As an assistant, Dohyuk would likely have his phone, unlike the trainees. After pacing for a while, Seha closed his eyes tightly and stepped into Dohyuk's waiting room.
"Who's there...?"
Dohyuk looked up from his styling session to see who it was.
"Mr. On Seha?"
"Assistant-nim, I..."
It was awkward asking his ex-boyfriend for a favor, but Seha had no choice. I can do this, I can do this. I can borrow it. Seha repeated to himself before finally speaking.
"I'm sorry, but could I borrow your phone...?"
His voice trailed off. Despite his embarrassment, he bowed deeply as he asked. Dohyuk tilted his head, looking puzzled.
"Why do you need my phone? And why are you so pale?"
Dohyuk noticed Seha's pallor before Seha himself realized it. He seemed to have gone pale from the tension of needing to resolve the situation quickly. Seha exhaled deeply and calmly continued, "So, I just need to use the map app. Could you help me with that?"
"Why does Mr. On Seha need to do this?"
"Huh?"
"Didn't you hear what that trainee said about you last time?"
Seha paused, trying to recall the incident. Dohyuk must be referring to the time he had sharply rebuked the team members who were badmouthing him.
"Still, they're my teammates, and I'm the leader. We need to make the stage together."
"You're quick to take responsibility. I didn't realize you were such a conscientious person, Mr. On Seha. Even I didn't know that."
It felt like Dohyuk was pointedly referencing the time he had broken up with Seha. Seha lowered his head further and repeated his request.
"Please," Seha pleaded.
Dohyuk remained silent for a moment before gesturing to Seha.
"Come here and take it. It's in my pocket."
"You want me to take it from your pocket?"
"Don't want to? I'm getting ready right now and can't move."
This time, Dohyuk pointed to his pants pocket and smirked, as if teasing Seha.
After a moment's hesitation, Seha strode purposefully toward Dohyuk. Bending slightly at the knees, he placed his hand over the right pants pocket Dohyuk had indicated.
As Seha's hand touched his thigh, Dohyuk's leg seemed to tense momentarily. Though it wasn't the first time Seha had touched Dohyuk's thigh, he was surprised by how much firmer it felt compared to when they were dating. Swallowing his surprise, Seha asked for permission.
"Excuse me..."
He tried to sound nonchalant, but his voice trembled slightly. The thought of groping his ex-boyfriend's thigh was... it completely blanked his mind.
As soon as his hand slipped into his pocket, he felt his phone. Seha quickly pulled it out and scurried backward. A quick glance at Dohyuk's face revealed a faint blush.
"Ah, the password..."
"Give it here. I'll unlock it."
"You said you can't move. I'll do it. If it bothers you, you can change it right away afterward..."
Dohyuk looked conflicted. After more back-and-forth, Seha glanced at his watch. Every second wasted was time he couldn't afford to lose.
"Sigh..."
Dohyuk sighed deeply, as if surrendering. He immediately recited the password: 0917. Seha, who was typing it in, suddenly stopped and looked at Dohyuk. His face was now as red as a burning sweet potato. Seha slowly began to speak.
"That..."
"Whatever you're thinking, Mr. On Seha, it's absolutely not that."
0917 was Seha's birthday. He assumed Dohyuk only used it as a password when they were dating, but he couldn't understand why it was still in use.
"It's my dog's birthday," Dohyuk said.
"......"
"Don't misunderstand. It makes me feel sick."
Sick? Seha wondered. Is that really necessary? Though slightly hurt, Seha retreated from the waiting room, pretending to be unaffected, and unlocked Dohyuk's phone.
Seha opened the map app and searched for nearby pharmacies. A pharmacy that's currently open appeared on the map, but it was quite a distance away. Since it was the weekend, the nearest pharmacy seemed to be closed. Not only that, the competition set was also built in a remote location.
25 minutes on foot.
That meant a 50-minute round trip. Running there and back might save some time.
The only reason for the urgency was that Yoon Youngjae needed to take his medication and rest briefly for it to take effect. There was still plenty of time before the competition.
Fortunately, Seha hadn't changed into his stage costume yet. After explaining the situation to the production staff, Seha borrowed an extra mask from Sion.
"I'll go to the pharmacy," Seha said, bowing respectfully to the groaning Yoon Youngjae and the rest of the team. He left the set, blindly following the directions on Dohyuk's phone as he sprinted.
How long had he been running? Finally, a pharmacy came into view. A kind-faced pharmacist greeted Seha. After he listed the ingredients for the stamina recovery potion, she retrieved them one by one, helped him with the payment, and sent him off with a warm farewell.
"Be careful on your way, handsome young man!"
Leaving the friendly farewell behind, Seha headed to a nearby convenience store with the bag full of medicine. After buying an ice cup, he retraced his steps.
He can dance vigorously without tiring, but even a short sprint left him breathless. His heart pounded like it would burst. Still, he had to keep running. He needed to get this medicine to Yoon Youngjae quickly so he could perform well on stage.
Just as he was halfway back to the set, Dohyuk's phone, which was running a map app for navigation, vibrated. Seha instinctively checked the screen.
- My dear, I got a new phone!
- Can't you come today?
The phone vibrated again, but Seha didn't bother checking it. His mind felt numb.
My dear?
Does he have a girlfriend? Someone like Ryu Dohyuk could probably date non-stop, so Seha had often wondered about his new partners. They'd probably be someone living a glamorous life like Dohyuk himself. But confronting the reality of it left a sour taste in his mouth.
Even as these thoughts raced through his mind, his feet kept moving. Pushing off the ground, springing forward again and again. Then, the moment Dohyuk's face flashed in his memory—the face that had told him to take the phone from his pocket—
"Ah...!"
Seha's ankle twisted at an unnatural angle. A sharp pain shot up his leg muscles as it buckled. The sudden agony threw him off balance, causing him to stumble forward and scrape his knees against the asphalt.
"Ugh..."
His throbbing knees, now dotted with beads of blood, stung with each movement. Hesitating, Seha checked the time on Dohyuk's phone. Any further delay would mean performing on stage before the medication took effect.
With a groan of resignation, Seha forced himself to stand, concealing his limp as he reached the set and delivered the medicine. Yoon Youngjae swallowed the pills and quickly fell asleep.
Returning to Dohyuk's dressing room, Seha handed back the phone. Dohyuk's gaze flickered briefly toward the floor before he abruptly turned away.
"Thank you," Seha said, quickly retreating. He had been feeling awkward around Dohyuk ever since seeing the message "My dear" on his phone.
Back in the waiting room, Seha forced himself to endure the pain as he belatedly changed into his stage outfit. The black jeans, ripped at the knees, left his knee injury fully exposed.
At least it fits the concept, he thought. Everyone will probably just assume it's part of the makeup.
By the time he finished his hair and makeup, it was already time for the competition to begin. Following the announced order, the two teams from Team Seid took the stage first.
After having a teammate wake up Yoon Youngjae, Seha noticed the man's complexion has brightened, suggesting his condition had improved.
"The two 'ON' teams performing should prepare to move to the stage!" a staff member called out. As Seha stood up to move, a sharp pain shot through his knee.
This injury was a setback On Seha hadn't anticipated.
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