Tell Me Your Wish (Chapter 4)
Title: Tell Me Your Wish (Chapter 4)
Rating: PG-13 (overall)
Pairing/Focus: Sunggyu/Woohyun; various others
Summary: Woohyun doesn't believe in fairy tales. So when he buys an old golden lamp for a history project, the last thing he expects is, well, Myungsoo.
A/N: i wrote an extra long chapter because it's been forever since i've updated ;_; to those of you who actually read this, i'm sorry! i have several fic ideas in the works, but with school, i can't promise when i can post again. but let's hope for the best! also, you meet the rest of the boys in this chapter :) happy reading!
“If you say one more word about Sunggyu’s hair or how cute his eyes are or how adorable you find his lisp, I am going to shoot myself in the head.”
Woohyun is perched on the roof of his school building, legs swinging back and forth carelessly as he sits on top of a huge cardboard box. Myungsoo is lying on his back with his arms folded behind his head, his eyes closed. Woohyun has gotten used to bringing the lamp with him to school- it sits in the bottom of his backpack. During lunchtime, he slips away to eat on the roof, usually rubbing the lamp so Myungsoo can enjoy the air too.
“But really Myungsoo, did you see what he’s wearing today? God, how does he look so good even in casual clothes…” Woohyun sighs dreamily, taking a bite out of the red apple in his hand.
“Scratch that,” Myungsoo says, not even bothering to open his eyes. “I am going to shoot you instead.”
“You’re such a buzzkill,” Woohyun mutters under his breath, swallowing the bite of apple.
“There’s only so much rambling of someone hopelessly in love that I can take, okay.” Myungsoo purses his lips and blows out air, pushing his bangs out of his eyes. “You’re pushing my limit.”
“You’re not being a very good friend.”
“Oh no! Dear me, I am so sorry. Please, do go on. Tell me more about how much you love Sunggyu’s voice and how it makes your heart melt like butter. I’m dying to know more.” Myungsoo sits up and throws Woohyun a completely greasy grin. Woohyun pretends to throw up into his hands.
“You’re impossible,” Woohyun sighs, standing up. He dusts the crumbs off of his pants.
Myungsoo just winks at him. He stands up also, rising effortlessly to his feet. Woohyun is always fascinated at how gracefully he moves sometimes, his movements fluid and almost elegant. Must be a genie thing.
“Shall we return?” Myungsoo asks, flourishing with his arms with mocking formality. Woohyun just nods and starts down the stairs. Myungsoo slings a casual arm around his shoulders as they descend, his fingertips resting on Woohyun’s collarbone.
Woohyun has gotten used to Myungsoo’s many touches after almost a week with him. The more they talked, after they had gotten comfortable with each other, Woohyun noticed that Myungsoo got touchier, little by little. First, it was light fingertips on his wrist when Myungsoo laughed. Then it was a playful flick to the forehead or a sharp kick to the shin. Then, it was a hand on his arm when they walked or an arm around his shoulder. Woohyun wasn’t bothered by it. He didn’t have any friends as touchy as Myungsoo, so he was surprised to find that he didn’t really mind Myungsoo invading his personal space. It was kind of nice, actually. It made Myungsoo seem so….real. If that makes any sense.
“So, band practice afterschool, right?” Myungsoo asks as they descend.
“Yup. 5 o’clock at this guy named Sungyeol’s house.” Sunggyu had approached Woohyun after their history class and handed him an address. Woohyun tried to concentrate more on the words he was saying rather than the way his lips looked when he talked. It was hard. But, in the end, Woohyun walked away, albeit a little dazed, with an address, a time to meet, and a ridiculous butterfly trapped in his stomach from the way Sunggyu had lightly squeezed his wrist when they parted.
“Sungyeol. Let me guess- he’s the…drummer?”
“Keyboard player, actually. I think Sunggyu said the rest of their names, too, but I was- uh- distracted.” Woohyun flushes in embarrassment.
Myungsoo shoves him away, and Woohyun’s arm bumps against the railing. “Ok, gross. No more, please.”
Woohyun just laughs, hooking his arm around Myungsoo’s neck and pulling him out the door into the hallway of the school.
-
Woohyun double-checks the address in his palm as he stands on the sidewalk, his guitar case slung over his shoulder. He looks up at the house in front of him. It’s bigger than his own house, but it isn’t intimidatingly large. The curtains are open and he can see some lights on inside. He takes a long breath, folding up the paper and putting it back into his pocket. Suddenly, he hears a low grumbling noise from somewhere to his left. Curiously, Woohyun takes a few steps to the side to see a garage door opening laboriously, wheezing and grinding. The door lifts to reveal a small room, complete with a few rugs, a drum set, a microphone stand, and an electric guitar. Yep, he is definitely in the right place.
“Woohyun!” The door to the garage opens and Sunggyu steps out, his lips stretching into a smile that has Woohyun’s heart rate racing. “You made it! Did you find the house okay?”
“Yeah, no problems.” Sunggyu stops a step away from him, his head tilted slightly to the side like it always does when he smiles.
“Well, good! Here let me take your guitar and I’ll introduce you to the guys.” Sunggyu reaches for the strap over Woohyun’s shoulder and carefully slides it off. If he feels the way Woohyun shivers when his fingers brush the skin of Woohyun’s neck, he doesn’t mention it.
The door opens again and three boys pour out, laughing loudly about something and shoving each other.
“Guys,” Sunggyu says over their racket, and they all turn. “This is Woohyun- he’s going to be our new lead guitarist.”
“Well thank god,” one of them says, grinning obnoxiously. He is tall and thin, with round eyes and chocolate brown hair lying across his forehead. Woohyun notices with surprise the many piercings outlining one of his ears. “Now we don’t have to deal with the lacking skills of our dear Sungjong.”
Tall Boy cackles as one of the others lashes out, attempting to kick him in the shins. Woohyun assumes that this one is Sungjong. He is small and slightly frail-looking, with a sharp jaw, big eyes, and even bigger lips. He looks young, younger than Woohyun by maybe a year or two. He might just be one of the prettiest boys Woohyun has ever seen.
The other boy just watches this exchange with amusement, letting out a laugh that is as loud as it is infectious. He is short with intense eyes and a mouth full of teeth, and Woohyun finds himself smiling unconsciously at the boy’s face when he laughs. For some reason, Woohyun wants to laugh with him.
“Woohyun, this is Sungyeol, our keyboard player- this is his house,” Tall Boy, Sungyeol, grins at Woohyun, “and Sungjong, our guitarist,” Sungjong gives him a sweet smile, “and Dongwoo, our drummer.” Laughing Guy, Dongwoo, smiles and gives a little wave. Woohyun waves back. “Also, our bassist, Howon, is in the bathroom right now. He’ll be here in a minute.”
“Nice to meet you all.” Woohyun gives a small smile.
“So- our first order of business is to come up with a name!” Sunggyu claps his hands together and ushers them all to one corner of the room where a couple of bean bag chairs were lying. Everyone sits except for Dongwoo, who sprawls on the floor, his arms hooked behind his head.
“I propose a vote!” Sungjong cries, raising his hand into the air.
“Alright, any suggestions?” Sunggyu asks, looking around the circle.
“How about….The Red Demons? That’s hardcore,” Sungyeol suggests.
Sungjong immediately shakes his head. “Too hardcore. More like terrifying.”
Sungyeol rolls his eyes. “Of course,” he drawls, his voice dripping with sarcasm, “let’s be the pink pansies instead.”
Woohyun thinks that Sungyeol and Myungsoo would probably get along well.
Sungjong shrugs. “I like it.”
Sungyeol just sighs and shakes his head.
The door bangs open behind them and everyone jumps. Another boy, who Woohyun assumes is Howon, appears, closing the door behind him. He looks about Woohyun’s height, with almond shaped eyes and light brown hair. He has a wide, broad chest underneath his black V-neck and his sleeves are stretched across his biceps. He grins, revealing a row of bright white teeth. Woohyun has to admit that he’s pretty handsome.
“Ah, the new kid’s here! What’s up, I’m Howon,” he says, taking a sip from the soda can in his hand.
“Woohyun. Nice to meet you.” Howon just nods. He eyes the seating area, and makes his way over, settling on the floor instead of the empty bean bag chair. He stretches his legs out and leans against Sunggyu’s legs, making himself comfortable. Woohyun narrows his eyes at the way Howon rests a casual elbow on Sunggyu’s knee. “So what are we talking about?”
“Band names,” Dongwoo supplies, his eyes now closed and his hands folded on his chest.
Howon hums and takes another sip of his drink.
“Hmmm….what about The Beasts? Pretty intimidating,” Sungyeol throws out. Dongwoo nods his head in agreement.
“Or! What about that band from that drama, with all the cool guys that were rebels and got into fights and stuff? What was their name…oh! That’s it- Eye Candy!” None of them even bother to respond- Sungyeol reaches out and slaps the back of Sungjong’s head, earning a sharp noise of protest from the younger.
“What about you, Sunggyu? Any ideas?” Sungyeol asks.
They all turn to look at Sunggyu (well, everyone but Woohyun, who was watching him anyway). Sunggyu shifts, looking a little uncomfortable. “Well, I had one idea….”
“Let’s hear it, then!”
The tips of Sunggyu’s ears start to turn red. “Well, I was thinking that maybe- if you want- we could maybe call ourselves…Separation Anxiety?”
“’Separation Anxiety’?” Sungyeol purses his lips. “Isn’t that the name of a Nell album?”
Sunggyu’s ears are full on red now. “W-well, yes, but it’s okay since they’re our main inspiration, right? Well- it’s fine if you don’t like it, it was only a suggestion-”
“I like it,” Howon interrupts, tilting his head back to smile at Sunggyu. Woohyun’s stomach tightens when he sees the look in Howon’s eyes. It twists even more when Sunggyu smiles back at him, his eyes scrunching into those cute little half-moons, gratitude written on the planes of his face.
Oh no. This is not happening.
“It’s alright,” Sungyeol cuts in. Howon sends him a quick glare that Woohyun thinks no one notices but him.
“What about you, Woohyun?” Woohyun looks over at Dongwoo, whose eyes are now open and looking at him. “You got any ideas?”
“Well…” Woohyun squints at his hands resting in his lap. “I do have one.”
“What is it?” Sungjong questions, perking up.
Woohyun raises his eyes and glances around the circle. “Infinite.”
It’s quiet for a moment as the rest of the boys stare at him, blinking. Woohyun wonders if he could possibly melt into the bean bag underneath him. Just when he thinks he is about to actually die from embarrassment, Sungyeol taps his chin.
“I love it.”
Woohyun blinks.
Sungjong grins excitedly. “Me too!” Dongwoo nods.
“Wait, really?” Woohyun gaps at them in astonishment.
Sunggyu laughs, gazing at Woohyun with an impressed look. “Really. I think it’s perfect. Howon, what do you think?"
Hoya just nods, not sparing Woohyun a glance, preferring to rearrange his position so that the majority of his weight is resting against Sunggyu’s calves. Woohyun grits his teeth.
After the name is officially approved and adopted, they break out the equipment and tune up. They warm up a little bit, Woohyun fiddling with the strings on his guitar. Sungjong is mediocre on the guitar, but Woohyun quite likes the high, almost breathy quality of his voice when he does backup vocals on a few of the songs they play around with. Sungyeol bops his head along to the beat as they play, his long fingers flying across the keyboard. Dongwoo is a menace on the drums, his enthusiasm bleeding into the almost crazy way he brings the sticks down. But, unfortunately, Woohyun finds his eyes drawn to Sunggyu and Howon for most of the rehearsal. Howon is calm and impressive with the bass, looking effortlessly cool. He occasionally smirks when his eyes meet Sunggyu’s, which, to Woohyun’s irritation, happens quite often.
Naturally, Sunggyu looks like a god when he sings. It should be illegal, really, the way his hands slide down the stand as he belts out the chorus. Every now and then, his eyes will slide shut and he’ll lose himself in the music, pressing his lips to the microphone. Woohyun thinks it’s incredibly sexy.
When they stop for a break, Woohyun grabs a water bottle and sits down next to Sungyeol.
“So, you like the band?”
Woohyun nods. “You guys are good. Really good, actually.”
Sungyeol smiles, taking a drink. “Thanks. You’re not so bad yourself. You’re obviously a natural. I started playing classical piano when I was eight. I decided it wasn’t exciting enough for me, much to my parents’ disappointment, so I joined a band with Sungjongie in middle school. We were together for a few years before our lead singer moved away. We just kind of- fell apart after that. Dongwoo and Hoya started just a couple of years ago. Hoya took lessons first, so naturally Dongwoo had to start, too. Best of friends, those two. I’ve never seen any two people closer than they are- grew up together and all that crap.” He takes another gulp of water.
“What about Sunggyu?” Woohyun’s cheeks burn; he hopes Sungyeol can’t tell.
“Oh, our fearless leader was probably singing since he was a fetus. He says singing’s the love of his life.” Sungyeol laughs.
The rest of the practice flies by, and before Woohyun knows it, he’s zipping his guitar case up and slinging it over his shoulder. “Thanks so much for letting me join, you guys. I had a lot of fun.”
“Oh, no problem! We’re so glad to have you,” Sunggyu squeezes his elbow and Woohyun gulps.
“Well, I’m out. Woohyun, do you need a ride?” Dongwoo offers, jingling his keys.
After seeing the way Dongwoo plays the drums, Woohyun wasn’t sure if he wanted to get into a car with him. “Naw, I rode my bike. Thanks though.”
Dongwoo shrugs. “Anyone else?” His eyes rest on Howon, who shakes his head.
“I’m good. I’m going to walk with Sunggyu.” Woohyun clenches his teeth.
“Oh, Howon, you don’t have to! I’m fine walking by myself.” Sunggyu says, smiling kindly.
“It’s no trouble, really. We’re going the same way, anyway.” Howon offers a lopsided grin and Sunggyu beams.
Woohyun turns away, his stomach feeling a little bit sick. And that’s when he sees it- the look on Dongwoo’s face. His lips are lifted into a small smile, but his eyes are clearly not happy as he stares at Howon. He is still staring as his face slips into another expression, and Woohyun’s stomach drops down to his toes because he recognizes that look. That’s a look he knows pretty well, actually.
That’s the same look he wears when he looks at Sunggyu.
Woohyun closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and wonders when his life became some crappy romance drama.
-
When he gets home, Woohyun flops facedown onto his bed, his face pressed into the sheets. Myungsoo, who’s leaning back in Woohyun’s desk chair, looks up from his magazine, his feet propped up on desk. Usually, Woohyun would yell at him for that. “What’s up with you?”
Woohyun just rolls onto his back and stares mournfully at the ceiling. “Love geometry.”
Rating: PG-13 (overall)
Pairing/Focus: Sunggyu/Woohyun; various others
Summary: Woohyun doesn't believe in fairy tales. So when he buys an old golden lamp for a history project, the last thing he expects is, well, Myungsoo.
A/N: i wrote an extra long chapter because it's been forever since i've updated ;_; to those of you who actually read this, i'm sorry! i have several fic ideas in the works, but with school, i can't promise when i can post again. but let's hope for the best! also, you meet the rest of the boys in this chapter :) happy reading!
“If you say one more word about Sunggyu’s hair or how cute his eyes are or how adorable you find his lisp, I am going to shoot myself in the head.”
Woohyun is perched on the roof of his school building, legs swinging back and forth carelessly as he sits on top of a huge cardboard box. Myungsoo is lying on his back with his arms folded behind his head, his eyes closed. Woohyun has gotten used to bringing the lamp with him to school- it sits in the bottom of his backpack. During lunchtime, he slips away to eat on the roof, usually rubbing the lamp so Myungsoo can enjoy the air too.
“But really Myungsoo, did you see what he’s wearing today? God, how does he look so good even in casual clothes…” Woohyun sighs dreamily, taking a bite out of the red apple in his hand.
“Scratch that,” Myungsoo says, not even bothering to open his eyes. “I am going to shoot you instead.”
“You’re such a buzzkill,” Woohyun mutters under his breath, swallowing the bite of apple.
“There’s only so much rambling of someone hopelessly in love that I can take, okay.” Myungsoo purses his lips and blows out air, pushing his bangs out of his eyes. “You’re pushing my limit.”
“You’re not being a very good friend.”
“Oh no! Dear me, I am so sorry. Please, do go on. Tell me more about how much you love Sunggyu’s voice and how it makes your heart melt like butter. I’m dying to know more.” Myungsoo sits up and throws Woohyun a completely greasy grin. Woohyun pretends to throw up into his hands.
“You’re impossible,” Woohyun sighs, standing up. He dusts the crumbs off of his pants.
Myungsoo just winks at him. He stands up also, rising effortlessly to his feet. Woohyun is always fascinated at how gracefully he moves sometimes, his movements fluid and almost elegant. Must be a genie thing.
“Shall we return?” Myungsoo asks, flourishing with his arms with mocking formality. Woohyun just nods and starts down the stairs. Myungsoo slings a casual arm around his shoulders as they descend, his fingertips resting on Woohyun’s collarbone.
Woohyun has gotten used to Myungsoo’s many touches after almost a week with him. The more they talked, after they had gotten comfortable with each other, Woohyun noticed that Myungsoo got touchier, little by little. First, it was light fingertips on his wrist when Myungsoo laughed. Then it was a playful flick to the forehead or a sharp kick to the shin. Then, it was a hand on his arm when they walked or an arm around his shoulder. Woohyun wasn’t bothered by it. He didn’t have any friends as touchy as Myungsoo, so he was surprised to find that he didn’t really mind Myungsoo invading his personal space. It was kind of nice, actually. It made Myungsoo seem so….real. If that makes any sense.
“So, band practice afterschool, right?” Myungsoo asks as they descend.
“Yup. 5 o’clock at this guy named Sungyeol’s house.” Sunggyu had approached Woohyun after their history class and handed him an address. Woohyun tried to concentrate more on the words he was saying rather than the way his lips looked when he talked. It was hard. But, in the end, Woohyun walked away, albeit a little dazed, with an address, a time to meet, and a ridiculous butterfly trapped in his stomach from the way Sunggyu had lightly squeezed his wrist when they parted.
“Sungyeol. Let me guess- he’s the…drummer?”
“Keyboard player, actually. I think Sunggyu said the rest of their names, too, but I was- uh- distracted.” Woohyun flushes in embarrassment.
Myungsoo shoves him away, and Woohyun’s arm bumps against the railing. “Ok, gross. No more, please.”
Woohyun just laughs, hooking his arm around Myungsoo’s neck and pulling him out the door into the hallway of the school.
-
Woohyun double-checks the address in his palm as he stands on the sidewalk, his guitar case slung over his shoulder. He looks up at the house in front of him. It’s bigger than his own house, but it isn’t intimidatingly large. The curtains are open and he can see some lights on inside. He takes a long breath, folding up the paper and putting it back into his pocket. Suddenly, he hears a low grumbling noise from somewhere to his left. Curiously, Woohyun takes a few steps to the side to see a garage door opening laboriously, wheezing and grinding. The door lifts to reveal a small room, complete with a few rugs, a drum set, a microphone stand, and an electric guitar. Yep, he is definitely in the right place.
“Woohyun!” The door to the garage opens and Sunggyu steps out, his lips stretching into a smile that has Woohyun’s heart rate racing. “You made it! Did you find the house okay?”
“Yeah, no problems.” Sunggyu stops a step away from him, his head tilted slightly to the side like it always does when he smiles.
“Well, good! Here let me take your guitar and I’ll introduce you to the guys.” Sunggyu reaches for the strap over Woohyun’s shoulder and carefully slides it off. If he feels the way Woohyun shivers when his fingers brush the skin of Woohyun’s neck, he doesn’t mention it.
The door opens again and three boys pour out, laughing loudly about something and shoving each other.
“Guys,” Sunggyu says over their racket, and they all turn. “This is Woohyun- he’s going to be our new lead guitarist.”
“Well thank god,” one of them says, grinning obnoxiously. He is tall and thin, with round eyes and chocolate brown hair lying across his forehead. Woohyun notices with surprise the many piercings outlining one of his ears. “Now we don’t have to deal with the lacking skills of our dear Sungjong.”
Tall Boy cackles as one of the others lashes out, attempting to kick him in the shins. Woohyun assumes that this one is Sungjong. He is small and slightly frail-looking, with a sharp jaw, big eyes, and even bigger lips. He looks young, younger than Woohyun by maybe a year or two. He might just be one of the prettiest boys Woohyun has ever seen.
The other boy just watches this exchange with amusement, letting out a laugh that is as loud as it is infectious. He is short with intense eyes and a mouth full of teeth, and Woohyun finds himself smiling unconsciously at the boy’s face when he laughs. For some reason, Woohyun wants to laugh with him.
“Woohyun, this is Sungyeol, our keyboard player- this is his house,” Tall Boy, Sungyeol, grins at Woohyun, “and Sungjong, our guitarist,” Sungjong gives him a sweet smile, “and Dongwoo, our drummer.” Laughing Guy, Dongwoo, smiles and gives a little wave. Woohyun waves back. “Also, our bassist, Howon, is in the bathroom right now. He’ll be here in a minute.”
“Nice to meet you all.” Woohyun gives a small smile.
“So- our first order of business is to come up with a name!” Sunggyu claps his hands together and ushers them all to one corner of the room where a couple of bean bag chairs were lying. Everyone sits except for Dongwoo, who sprawls on the floor, his arms hooked behind his head.
“I propose a vote!” Sungjong cries, raising his hand into the air.
“Alright, any suggestions?” Sunggyu asks, looking around the circle.
“How about….The Red Demons? That’s hardcore,” Sungyeol suggests.
Sungjong immediately shakes his head. “Too hardcore. More like terrifying.”
Sungyeol rolls his eyes. “Of course,” he drawls, his voice dripping with sarcasm, “let’s be the pink pansies instead.”
Woohyun thinks that Sungyeol and Myungsoo would probably get along well.
Sungjong shrugs. “I like it.”
Sungyeol just sighs and shakes his head.
The door bangs open behind them and everyone jumps. Another boy, who Woohyun assumes is Howon, appears, closing the door behind him. He looks about Woohyun’s height, with almond shaped eyes and light brown hair. He has a wide, broad chest underneath his black V-neck and his sleeves are stretched across his biceps. He grins, revealing a row of bright white teeth. Woohyun has to admit that he’s pretty handsome.
“Ah, the new kid’s here! What’s up, I’m Howon,” he says, taking a sip from the soda can in his hand.
“Woohyun. Nice to meet you.” Howon just nods. He eyes the seating area, and makes his way over, settling on the floor instead of the empty bean bag chair. He stretches his legs out and leans against Sunggyu’s legs, making himself comfortable. Woohyun narrows his eyes at the way Howon rests a casual elbow on Sunggyu’s knee. “So what are we talking about?”
“Band names,” Dongwoo supplies, his eyes now closed and his hands folded on his chest.
Howon hums and takes another sip of his drink.
“Hmmm….what about The Beasts? Pretty intimidating,” Sungyeol throws out. Dongwoo nods his head in agreement.
“Or! What about that band from that drama, with all the cool guys that were rebels and got into fights and stuff? What was their name…oh! That’s it- Eye Candy!” None of them even bother to respond- Sungyeol reaches out and slaps the back of Sungjong’s head, earning a sharp noise of protest from the younger.
“What about you, Sunggyu? Any ideas?” Sungyeol asks.
They all turn to look at Sunggyu (well, everyone but Woohyun, who was watching him anyway). Sunggyu shifts, looking a little uncomfortable. “Well, I had one idea….”
“Let’s hear it, then!”
The tips of Sunggyu’s ears start to turn red. “Well, I was thinking that maybe- if you want- we could maybe call ourselves…Separation Anxiety?”
“’Separation Anxiety’?” Sungyeol purses his lips. “Isn’t that the name of a Nell album?”
Sunggyu’s ears are full on red now. “W-well, yes, but it’s okay since they’re our main inspiration, right? Well- it’s fine if you don’t like it, it was only a suggestion-”
“I like it,” Howon interrupts, tilting his head back to smile at Sunggyu. Woohyun’s stomach tightens when he sees the look in Howon’s eyes. It twists even more when Sunggyu smiles back at him, his eyes scrunching into those cute little half-moons, gratitude written on the planes of his face.
Oh no. This is not happening.
“It’s alright,” Sungyeol cuts in. Howon sends him a quick glare that Woohyun thinks no one notices but him.
“What about you, Woohyun?” Woohyun looks over at Dongwoo, whose eyes are now open and looking at him. “You got any ideas?”
“Well…” Woohyun squints at his hands resting in his lap. “I do have one.”
“What is it?” Sungjong questions, perking up.
Woohyun raises his eyes and glances around the circle. “Infinite.”
It’s quiet for a moment as the rest of the boys stare at him, blinking. Woohyun wonders if he could possibly melt into the bean bag underneath him. Just when he thinks he is about to actually die from embarrassment, Sungyeol taps his chin.
“I love it.”
Woohyun blinks.
Sungjong grins excitedly. “Me too!” Dongwoo nods.
“Wait, really?” Woohyun gaps at them in astonishment.
Sunggyu laughs, gazing at Woohyun with an impressed look. “Really. I think it’s perfect. Howon, what do you think?"
Hoya just nods, not sparing Woohyun a glance, preferring to rearrange his position so that the majority of his weight is resting against Sunggyu’s calves. Woohyun grits his teeth.
After the name is officially approved and adopted, they break out the equipment and tune up. They warm up a little bit, Woohyun fiddling with the strings on his guitar. Sungjong is mediocre on the guitar, but Woohyun quite likes the high, almost breathy quality of his voice when he does backup vocals on a few of the songs they play around with. Sungyeol bops his head along to the beat as they play, his long fingers flying across the keyboard. Dongwoo is a menace on the drums, his enthusiasm bleeding into the almost crazy way he brings the sticks down. But, unfortunately, Woohyun finds his eyes drawn to Sunggyu and Howon for most of the rehearsal. Howon is calm and impressive with the bass, looking effortlessly cool. He occasionally smirks when his eyes meet Sunggyu’s, which, to Woohyun’s irritation, happens quite often.
Naturally, Sunggyu looks like a god when he sings. It should be illegal, really, the way his hands slide down the stand as he belts out the chorus. Every now and then, his eyes will slide shut and he’ll lose himself in the music, pressing his lips to the microphone. Woohyun thinks it’s incredibly sexy.
When they stop for a break, Woohyun grabs a water bottle and sits down next to Sungyeol.
“So, you like the band?”
Woohyun nods. “You guys are good. Really good, actually.”
Sungyeol smiles, taking a drink. “Thanks. You’re not so bad yourself. You’re obviously a natural. I started playing classical piano when I was eight. I decided it wasn’t exciting enough for me, much to my parents’ disappointment, so I joined a band with Sungjongie in middle school. We were together for a few years before our lead singer moved away. We just kind of- fell apart after that. Dongwoo and Hoya started just a couple of years ago. Hoya took lessons first, so naturally Dongwoo had to start, too. Best of friends, those two. I’ve never seen any two people closer than they are- grew up together and all that crap.” He takes another gulp of water.
“What about Sunggyu?” Woohyun’s cheeks burn; he hopes Sungyeol can’t tell.
“Oh, our fearless leader was probably singing since he was a fetus. He says singing’s the love of his life.” Sungyeol laughs.
The rest of the practice flies by, and before Woohyun knows it, he’s zipping his guitar case up and slinging it over his shoulder. “Thanks so much for letting me join, you guys. I had a lot of fun.”
“Oh, no problem! We’re so glad to have you,” Sunggyu squeezes his elbow and Woohyun gulps.
“Well, I’m out. Woohyun, do you need a ride?” Dongwoo offers, jingling his keys.
After seeing the way Dongwoo plays the drums, Woohyun wasn’t sure if he wanted to get into a car with him. “Naw, I rode my bike. Thanks though.”
Dongwoo shrugs. “Anyone else?” His eyes rest on Howon, who shakes his head.
“I’m good. I’m going to walk with Sunggyu.” Woohyun clenches his teeth.
“Oh, Howon, you don’t have to! I’m fine walking by myself.” Sunggyu says, smiling kindly.
“It’s no trouble, really. We’re going the same way, anyway.” Howon offers a lopsided grin and Sunggyu beams.
Woohyun turns away, his stomach feeling a little bit sick. And that’s when he sees it- the look on Dongwoo’s face. His lips are lifted into a small smile, but his eyes are clearly not happy as he stares at Howon. He is still staring as his face slips into another expression, and Woohyun’s stomach drops down to his toes because he recognizes that look. That’s a look he knows pretty well, actually.
That’s the same look he wears when he looks at Sunggyu.
Woohyun closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and wonders when his life became some crappy romance drama.
-
When he gets home, Woohyun flops facedown onto his bed, his face pressed into the sheets. Myungsoo, who’s leaning back in Woohyun’s desk chair, looks up from his magazine, his feet propped up on desk. Usually, Woohyun would yell at him for that. “What’s up with you?”
Woohyun just rolls onto his back and stares mournfully at the ceiling. “Love geometry.”