Bab 36: Roomies (12)
Joon-woo sat watching the closed window of his door. He was worried. He was so worried he had imagined 100 different ways to bash in his roommate's heads when they returned. He planned to lecture them, despite their seniority, and tell them off for putting their chances at debuting at risk.
He planned, standing at the window of his dorm, watching the dead night unfold in front of him. His phone was long dead and he and Reggie had exchanged their daily 'goodnight' message. Reggie was probably sleeping, Joon-woo thought with a frown. Had he always been such an early sleeper?
Joon-woo grimaced, because despite it being what he'd known, he hated to be alone. He hated to be alone, especially after a day of nothing good. He hated being alone when it was night, perhaps because he had gotten used to having roommates. Kite (if he counted) and now the three that were currently out way past curfew. But wasn't Jung Hyun-Ok in first? If he got caught Joon-woo didn't even want to know the consequences…
Joon-woo looked behind him to see Kite, half-asleep but also half-awake? As if the bird was watching him…
"Kite?" Joon-woo asked.
Now that he thought of it, he hadn't really talked to Kite all day. He had sent the bird off early in the morning before practice and had no idea what Kite had gotten up to in the day. He paused, why did he even care?
Kite peaked his bird head towards Joon-woo. "Yes?" It's sly comment didn't follow.
Joon-woo pursed his lips, noticing the lack of playfulness in its voice. Perhaps Kite was tired? "No, nothing– I was just wondering what you did today…" He almost whispered.
Kite raised a sleepy brow at that, "Hmm, that's a first…" It replied.
Joon-woo sent Kite a piercing look, "Okay nevermind then…" He huffed, turning back to watch the window.
"I watched." Kite suddenly said, pulling Joon-woo's gaze back to him. "Thank you for asking."
Joon-woo grimaced, looking back to the window to spot familiar figures pooling at the bottom. He heard frantic chatter that Joon-woo could hear too clearly for his liking. Were these guys morons?
He slowly opened the hatch to the window, as if to, waiting a few steps away with a less than satisfied expression. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, as if a mother scolding her child, and when Bo Jaesang peaked his head through the window, he forced his face into a grimace.
Bo Jaesang gulped, climbing through the window with his arms full of snacks. Joon-woo identified choco pies, chocolate corns, and Lotte Ghana chocolates. His eyes widened, how much money did Jaesang have on standby? Chocolate-lover much?
Then followed Junk Hyun-Ok, who still kept his calm expression as he didn't just risk his 1st place rank. He held quite literally just dried squid and other jerkys. Ryeo Hyun alike, but his expression seemed to be more cautious, more quiet.
Joon-woo tapped his foot on the floor as his roommate's snacks crinkled at their grips. He sighed.
"Are you guys crazy?" Joon-woo asked, "Why would you– break the curfew…"
Ryeo Hyun blew at his lips, "I mean, almost all contestants sneak out." He explained with a shrug, passing Joon-woo and stuffing the dried meats and sea life into his bags.
Bo Jaesang followed, instead stopping to drop a choco pie into Joon-woo's hand with a guilty smile. Jung Hyun-Ok had long passed him, calmly shrugging, calming passing Joon-woo.
"What if you got caught? Especially you, Hyun-Ok Hyung!" Joon-woo reasoned, even having to close the window as god forbid his roommates used their too-tiny brains.
"Are you really mad? I even gave you a pie…" Bo Jaesang asked, as he began towards the bathroom as if to get ready to sleep.
Joon-woo shook his head, "Yes! I am!" He said, smushing the pie in between his hands.
"I think you were just worried for us~" Ryeo Hyun teased, yawning upon his bottom bunk.
Joon-woo huffed, "I was worried for myself." He replied, snark lacing his tone.
"You tell that to yourself!" Bo Jaesang called from the bathroom, his mouth stuffed with toothpaste and its brush.
–+–
Chocolate was the first gift that Ha-rin had received as an idol. It wasn't from a fan, a friend, or a bandmate. It was from none other than her dance instructor.
Truthfully, he had given all her members candy, even Ju Hae, who was known to avoid sugars like a hawk. But hers, she noticed, were different. Hers had cutesy heart decorations down its sides and included a pre-written note etched into the box.
They didn't eat the chocolates, hell– they barely even touched them. They were scared. Ju Hae had gulped at the sight of the candies, leading Ha-rin to take them into her hands. Any sugar was but a temptation. They knew better than to think of it, crave it with their every being.
They knew that they had a responsibility to maintain their deathly skinny figures and had agreed on tossing the treats into the trash.
Ha-rin however, had secretly kept them. Not to eat, never to eat, but to stare. She liked that hers was different. It made her feel special in every way she had missed. It filled a void in her heart and made it stutter. Her instructor cared in a way no one around her had ever had.
Before she slept she would stare at them. She would stare at them and her cheeks would get red.
Joon-woo stared at the choco pie in his hand and could do anything but go red. He stood and he tossed it in the trash.
He watched it in its package fall upon chip wrappers and jerky bags with a frown. Did these guys have no respect for their diets? Eating sugar so recklessly, Joon-woo grimaced. He swore, for the condition of a well-maintained body, that chocolates were only to stare. Chocolates were not to gush over, but to look at without longing.
–+–
"One more day!" Teacher Nam called as he burst through the doors to the practice room with a proud face, "One day left to get this down!" He balled his hand into a confident fist and looked at Joon-woo and Du-Ho.
The two had been the only members of Team Ten on time for the practice sessions. Rank 21 and 26 had begun to come later everyday of practice and Joon-woo was frankly tired. He was tired of singing in short, unimpressive segments, and he was tired of Rank 26's constant comments towards Joon-woo.
They hadn't stopped at Joon-woo's height, or his looks not matching his age. They hadn't stopped at his aloof personality or Joon-woo's still lacking dance. In fact, Rank 26 had begun to make comments about Sunrise Entertainment, Park Joon-woo's now bankrupt company.
Truthfully the height comments were the ones that angered Joon-woo and nothing else. But in the eyes of basically anyone else who wasn't Joon-woo, the company comments were foul and distasteful.
Hell– even Baek Du-Ho had begun to visually react when he overheard Rank 26's bullying. And though Joon-woo definitely hated the comments, he was taking them for a reason. He was taking the comments because he knew in every case, Rank 26 was looking to be a bad guy. And if even Baek Du-Ho was beginning to react, the comments were getting bad.
"Ehh– Du-Ho-ssi is already practicing?" Teacher Nam asked, admiration in his eyes.
Joon-woo nodded as he sipped on his morning water. "Yes, he has. He has quite the part to fill after all…" He said with an innocent smile.
Teacher Nam nodded, "I suppose that's true…" He said, looking to Du-Ho then to Joon-woo. "Is it that you're unsatisfied with your part?" He suddenly asked, shocking Joon-woo. Had his annoyance shown.
"Ah, does my annoyance show?" Joon-woo asked, lightly laughing as if to make himself more likable.
Teacher Nam nodded, "No, no! It's just I was looking over parts yesterday and you really didn't have enough to match your skill…"
Joon-woo pursed his lips, trying to hide his joy. Had Teacher Nam finally realized the imbalance? "I think the length of the part is fine, after all my teammates need parts too. But it's too ordinary." He explained, his tone that of a pushover.
"Too ordinary?" Teacher Nam asked.
"Yes. Not only my part, but the other singing parts. They are the same as the original." Joon-woo explained as best he could.
Teacher Nam looked at Joon-woo, his mouth agape. "If that's so, how would you like to change it?" His face was serious and Joon-woo internally cheered.
Things were gonna go more his way, afterall.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone