speak of the devil.

it's sad to say, but he doesn't know the others that well. he's been a trainee for a little less than a year, and he's still not formed bonds with his label-mates. oftentimes, he finds himself chilling with the studio delta trainees instead, so it makes sense that he's clung onto jinyoung since he swapped companies. kian admires his strength and resolve. they're new to one another, but there's something about him that makes kian feel safe almost. honestly, it reminds him of nicky.

so, when jinyoung decides that the two of them are going to be bedmates, kian breathes a sigh of relief; quick to agree. "yes!" he exclaims, taking a seat on the food of their new mattress. it's a little firm for his liking, but he realizes that the firmer it is, the better it is for their bodies... or so he's heard. "i used to have to share a bed with my brother, and he would kick my ass if i hassled him at all while he slept, so he like... kinda trained me for stuff like this." kian laughs, gazing down at the slippers on his feet; wiggling his toes.

"i'm pretty accustomed to close quarters too," he admits, though he doesn't elaborate further. kian, as nice of a kid as he is, is not entitled to jinyoung's full life story. it's not a pleasant one anyway, not one that he really wants to share if he doesn't have to. "but if you touch me with your feet even once i'm kicking you out onto the floor. i don't care how cold your toes are, i'm not your personal foot warmer." he keeps his tone lightheartedly scolding, though he's dead serious with his threats despite the playful nature. cold feet are the bane of jinyoung's existence.

moving is hard work, though a little less so with company. even though no one is physically helping jinyoung unpack and move his things, kian's company makes the task seem to go by a little quicker. jinyoung hadn't really noticed that he was getting hungry until there was a break in their activities, sitting on the edge of the bed around the corner from kian, and staring almost in awe at what appears to be a whole bag full of snacks. kian's mother must love him, jinyoung realizes. it brings a smile to his face despite the jealous pang that still echoes in his heart.

naturally, though, moon jinyoung cannot really let joomi live in peace for long. "there's nobody else you want to see?" he asks. he still has to work tonight, so he wouldn't really be opposed to a few hours to head home and decompress – and then jinyoung leans close, and he is so so annoying, but joomi would also not be opposed to jinyoung helping him out of his clothes, either.

he has to bite back a smile in response to jinyoung's grin, playfully narrowing his eyes at him instead. he looks back at the crowd ahead of them for a moment, searching, considering. no one is paying attention to them here, really. he shifts his focus back to jinyoung, looking pointedly at his lips, then meeting his eyes again with his own mischievous smile.

he brushes a strand of wet hair out of jinyoung's face, then murmurs, "you do look really good like this," voice low. like fresh-out-the-shower jinyoung. like jinyoung in his bed, thin sheen of sweat on his skin, and – he reels his thoughts back in. he casts a glance toward the crowd again, deciding it's safe enough to steal a quick kiss, so he does. "i'll consider it," he teases when he pulls away, another cheeky smile on his lips.

he half-shrugs; could he be happy sticking around to see some last minute performances? probably; he might even have a great time. but something tells jinyoung that he'll have an even better time if he gets out of here with joomi. their free time together is only going to get fewer and farther between. they should enjoy it while they've still got it, make the most of their company while it's still easy to do so. jinyoung is pretty sure joomi is on the same page too, especially with the way he looks at him after jinyoung whispered in his ear.

ultimately, it's joomi who makes a move next. jinyoung wondered if he would, seeing how desperately the other man was looking at his lips, and looking around to see who was paying attention to them. no one cares about us, jinyoung thinks, and for once it's a comforting thought. it's just a short kiss, harmless in the grand scheme of things, but of course it leaves jinyoung wanting more, especially with that look in joomi's eyes. "yeah?" he grins back. "i'll look forward to the verdict."

it's been a surprisingly good day.

of course, joomi had hopes that it would be good when he, sooyoung and jinyoung decided to take this sunday to go to the waterbomb festival and dragged ren along with them. it's just been a bit of a tumultuous couple of weeks.

thankfully, today he feels good, even though jinyoung has officially been a lime trainee for a few days now. joomi reacted badly to him wanting to leave at first, but it hasn't been as big of an adjustment as he expected. jinyoung pointed out, in their many discussions of the subject, that it would probably be better for them to not be together all the time, and joomi agrees with that now.

of course the worst part of it for joomi was always how little they'd be together eventually thanks to jinyoung's decision, but...they're together now, and that's what matters most.

they're together and the weather is beautiful and the music is good and he is soaking wet from all the waterguns and hoses that make waterbomb live up to its name. jinyoung is both soaking wet and beautiful, too - damp hair stuck to his face, water droplets dripping from his jawline every now and then. joomi wants to brush his hair out of his face, or kiss his cheek, or - worse than that, but he knows it's better not to do any of it. he tries not to think about the fact that this is what the majority of their remaining future will be like.

maybe he stares at him for too long, but jinyoung is watching the passing people ahead of them, and joomi just loves looking at him. besides, he thinks looking at jinyoung is one of his responsibilities now, as jinyoung's...whatever he is. something.

they've found a spot to sit in the back, far away from the majority of the crowd, but close enough that they can still hear the music well, with the smallest sliver of shade. sooyoung somehow managed to convince ren to get closer to the stage with her for a group she really wanted to see, leaving them behind for now.

he honestly likes this better. he moves just enough to let his head flop on jinyoung's shoulder, deciding this much is innocent enough to be acceptable public behavior. "this is really weird but i actually feel cold," he comments with a laugh. "i feel like...wet laundry sitting at the bottom of a washing machine."

being with joomi does help lessen the dissatisfaction that lingers around him. jinyoung just doesn't like how careful they have to be now. he'd much rather corner joomi somewhere a little more private than this and make out while letting hands wander. sure, they could be arrested for public indecency then just as much as now, but they were complete nobodies at that time, the memory of their next gen eliminations just a distant memory to anyone who actually cared about that shit at all in the first place. he supposes he has to be satisfied with joomi leaning against him, uncomfortably sticky between the summer heat and the wet clothes.

"you look like wet laundry at the bottom of a washing machine," jinyoung points out, though his voice carries enough lightness for it to be clear that it's just a teasing joke. "i think i'm bored," he admits in return. "like... we've done it all at this point, haven't we? i wanna go home and get out of these clothes." there's no double meaning to the words at first, purely innocent intentions to change into something clean and dry. but of course, such innocence never lasts long with moon jinyoung. he leans over, a little closer than necessary, and whispers into joomi's ear, "and help you out of yours too, if you want." a wicked grin paints his face as he leans back, taking in the expression on his companion's face.

moon jinyoung is now a trainee of lime entertainment, and honestly, it makes sense to kian. he doesn't know his senior well, but from what he's heard from joomi, jinyoung is a hard worker, a talented dancer and performer, and on top of that, he's also visually striking—just like all the other trainees within axis labels' vibrant green subsidiary. he's a perfect fit, and though his presence deeps kian's insecurities a little bit, he still wants his new friend to feel comfortable in his new space. he's sure it's not too much different from studio delta, but even-still. it's important to him that jinyoung feels welcome, especially since he did promise joomi that he'll help him out if he needed anything.

though, so far, it seems like jinyoung is the one helping him out. one of their first conversations was about how dancing is made fun when it's not overthought. it's only a blast when it's felt; when it's a spiritual experience in that sense, much like singing is to kian. putting it in such plain terms made a lightbulb flicker on above his head. for the first time, he started to understand what his instructors have been trying to tell him this whole time.

they speak in eight-counts and rigid technical terms. it's overwhelming. jinyoung seems to approach it from a stance of conveying the music using your body; not just your voice. wanting to know more, he asked for some help, and now, the two of them find themselves in a rehearsal space. kian won't lie, he's feeling a bit intimidated, but he's going to do his darnedest to keep up. if jinyoung is as good as he's said to be, then the two of them are likely to work up quite the sweat.

"so!" he exclaims, taking a few steps closer to jinyoung. "should we just start a playlist and go crazy, or is there a better way to just feel the music?" kian asks, genuinely curious. "like, i know choreography is going to come into play at some point in all of this, but... is it easier to start expressing the song with your body by just... moving? like, letting the sound hit you and take you away?" his verbiage is a little out there, but he means it with all his heart.

in a lot of ways, kian reminds jinyoung of his little pre-school dance class. he has a similar amount of energy, a similar childlike wonder in his eyes when something catches his attention. he even looked alike when jinyoung could see something finally click in his head, the idea of dancing finally making sense in the singer's brain. a flicker of pride stirs in jinyoung's chest both for himself and his latest student; jinyoung's still got it, and kian's finally gonna get it. it's a good feeling.

"what's your favorite song?" jinyoung asks abruptly, all but ignoring all of kian's questions as he approaches the sound system hookup in the practice room. "you'll hurt yourself if you just go crazy but let's start with a warmup and get the blood flowing and all loosened up, and we'll take it from there." he doesn't know if kian will still be feeling it by the time they start practicing real choreography. one step at a time, not getting too far ahead of themselves, is usually the method that works best.

no, that's stupid, isn't it? he runs tender fingers through jinyoung's hair, resting under the comfortable weight of jinyoung on his chest. it's not about sex anymore - it hasn't been for months now. the only reason jinyoung is in his bed now is because he just wants to be. they're friends, but...friends don't do this, do they? what is this, if it isn't love?

jinyoung snuggles into him, says i think i'll keep you for a while, and joomi's chest feels a little tight. all of the emotion in him wells up suddenly, and he swallows thickly so he doesn't do something stupid like cry. it isn't a confession of returned feelings from jinyoung, or some lofty promise. it isn't always or forever. it's just a while, and...it's perfect. it's all joomi needs. everything he needs, even. it's realistic, and it's sincere, and it's...love, isn't it?

"okay," joomi practically squeaks, speechless for once in his life. it's such a pathetic response that he can't help but laugh at himself. he clears his throat to try to regain some composure, only to add, "thank you," just as softly.

jinyoung asks if he was going to tell him. it's a fair question, albeit a bit of a nosy one from someone who has worked hard to make himself difficult to confess to. what would your perfect confession look like? i want to know. joomi can feel his cheeks heating up. "you want to embarrass me," he chuckles, lightheartedly even though he's also half-convinced it's true.

"i don't know," he answers the question more seriously. "i didn't plan to. i was kind of...am...? kind of...? at the point where i was okay with anything as long as i could just...be with you, in whatever way that looked like." he wonders if jinyoung will think it's pitiful. it certainly felt that way to joomi plenty of times.

"when i thought about it, it was always you saying it first, and me finally getting to say it back. never anything dramatic or especially impressive. just us...laying in bed together. maybe an afterglow confession or maybe not," he laughs a little, "but always something quiet, and simple. we stare at each other for a while and you tell me you love me and i'm like, 'fucking finally, it's been 15 years, you are so fucking slow.'" he can't help but joke about it. being so open and sincere with jinyoung about this after being quiet for so long is uncomfortable. it's not unwelcome, it's just...strange.

joomi gets serious though, so jinyoung quiets himself to listen, to drink in the words and the experience he'll never have. he doesn't think he'll miss it much; this, right here, is so quintessentially them that he doesn't think he'd trade it even for the most embarrassing, elaborate confession that joomi can dream of. not that joomi is an elaborate, embarrassing type of guy. jinyoung finds himself a little disappointed that joomi was never going to say anything though; a nagging little voice at the back of his head hisses see? you're not worth it. he wasn't going to fight for you, no one would. he presses his lips tightly together, attempting to brush away the thought. he knows joomi didn't mean that.

"you need more realistic expectations," he half-jokes, the fact that he still hasn't technically confessed anything lingering between them. he hopes joomi knows anyway, from the way he holds onto him tightly, how he makes himself comfortable in the other man's personal space. moon jinyoung doesn't do this with just anybody, especially not these days. "try fifty years. i might be ready by then." he jokes, not at all serious about the timeline. jinyoung hopes he's not stringing along the same guy for that long, he hopes he has his shit figured out enough by then.

it all seems so long ago now. it feels like he's always loved jinyoung, even though he knows he very much hated jinyoung back...for at least a little while.

he returns to running his fingers through jinyoung's hair, content to lay like this until they absolutely have to move.

jinyoung throws a bit of a wrench in things, though. you love me, don't you? and for a moment joomi does feel afraid. is this it? is this already when jinyoung leaves again? he isn't ready. not yet.

all he has to do is search jinyoung's face for his nerves to settle. he doesn't look ready to run. if anything, jinyoung looks...peaceful. like he's finally ready to acknowledge something that he's known for a long time. like he's finally ready to stay.

"yes," joomi replies despite his previous apprehension, voice soft. afraid or not, he couldn't lie to him. part of him has wanted jinyoung to know he loves him for a long time now. he wonders how long jinyoung has known.

it's taken a lot of effort, but he's no longer scared with joomi. if things go awry, if they end up hating each other in a few years or months or even weeks, at least jinyoung can let himself enjoy and treasure these gentle moments. at least he can bask in joomi's love and feel a warmth that he's denied himself for far too long.

that said, saying the 'l' word back is still pretty scary. jinyoung's working on that too, but it's a hurdle for another day. instead, he just snakes his arms around joomi's waist, snuggling in a little tighter to his personal human pillow. if action alone isn't enough to convince joomi that he's not running for the hills, he verbalizes it as well. casually, almost lazily joking in his own weird jinyoung way: "i think i'll keep you for a while," he hums contentedly, comfortable in more ways than just physically.

it doesn't scare him now, though. he knows forever isn't real, and that this moment, at the very least, will shatter in a few hours when they have to go to work. he knows that whatever they are won't last - that one day he will lose jinyoung again, or vice versa. he knows all things inevitably end, love included, and that if jinyoung loves him - if he loves him - one day he'll stop.

but for now, none of that matters. all that matters is the familiar softness of jinyoung's hair, and the way he blinks sleep and sunlight out of his eyes. all that matters is they're here, right now, and that's enough.

jinyoung looks up at him, eyes and smile both warm. for me? joomi can't help but think. you're smiling like that for me? his heart skips a beat. he wonders if jinyoung can feel it.

it's okay if he can. joomi brushes a strand of hair out of jinyoung's eyes, still so gently, and then he lingers there, touching jinyoung's face. he just looks at him, taking him in. how do you look so beautiful even in the morning? he almost says it out loud, but doesn't, if only because it's embarrassing and he knows jinyoung would make fun of him for it.

the way joomi touches him is so tender, almost reverent. he cards fingers through jinyoung's hair, pushes stray strands from his face, showers him with a soft smile that holds so many unsaid words back. jinyoung knows. he's probably known for a long time, but he was running from that reality too at the time. being loved has always been a terrifying experience. how long would it last? how much would it hurt when they inevitably tire of his bad attitude and insatiable appetite? looking back at the hearts he broke and the ones that hurt his own, jinyoung can't help but wonder if it was ever really love at all. infatuation, perhaps. it didn't feel like this.

he feels joomi's heart pitter patter in an unusual pattern. jinyoung forces his eyes open again to lock them with the other man's.

"you love me, don't you?" he finally puts a name to the feeling between them, to the way joomi holds him so tenderly and smiles a different way for jinyoung alone.

joomi doesn't take any moment with jinyoung for granted.

sometimes he can't believe they're real - like now, jinyoung's head on his chest, sunlight filtering through joomi's window highlighting the softness of his sleepy expression. it's an experience exclusive to sunday mornings, when they don't have to be awake and get to training before the sun even rises properly.

sometimes it makes him emotional, too. i love you. i missed you. i'm so happy you're with me. he threads his fingers through jinyoung's hair, all tender affection paired with a quiet sort of reverence.

he was so afraid. he was so afraid he lost him for good - that the jinyoung he loved would never come back, let alone come back to him. but he's here, himself, but more stable and healing. he might be better than he was before. everything might be better than it was before. how? joomi doesn't understand. he can't believe it, but he tries not to question it, and just accept that for now, things are good. he's happy.

joomi fell in love with jinyoung for moments like this, where it feels like the rest of the world melts away and it's just them in their own pocket of space and time. he feels like nothing can touch him here.

"jinyoung, are you real?" he jokes, smiling softly. maybe it really is all a dream, and he'll wake up bitter and sick to his stomach soon. it feels real, though.

it all feels real.

jinyoung can't believe how comfortable he is these days, though. he hadn't quite realized how constantly on-edge he was until after he learned to let go of some of that anxiety. his therapist certainly had a hard time with him but somehow she got through to convince him that it would all be okay. he can relax into joomi now without fear, holding the other man close as he uses his body as the most comfortable pillow in the world. he knows joomi won't hurt him; jinyoung certainly tested him enough these last several months. he won't apologize for it, but he knows at least he's clinging to someone reliable, someone who won't disappear or fall apart at the first bump in the road.

a gentle hand cards though his hair and jinyoung all but literally purrs his approval, snuggling in further to the man attached to the arm. it's heavenly, like a gentle massage over his scalp, and he can't help but relax into it.

"jinyoung, are you real?" joomi asks, and jinyoung laughs, still refusing to open his eyes.

"is that your lunch or something?" jinyoung immediately questions. he's heard of people eating canned pet food when money is tight, but these days pet food is just as expensive as human-grade nonperishables. could kou have finally lost the last of his marbles and resorted to feeding himself like a cat in hopes of getting over his allergies to them?

"i mean, food's food. they'll be happy for anything." and jinyoung is right by the way the cats cautiously approach the meal, slowly at first and then with a voracious appetite once they've established that the offerings from the humans are safe. jinyoung wonders if he should ask kou why he's carrying around tins of cat food. maybe he doesn't want to know the answer.

he scrunches his nose as the cats begin eating, and immediately his smile softens. so cute, he thinks, thankful that he's taken his allergy medicine. "i should've packed more cat food," he continues – ignoring the fact that it's odd enough that he carries around cat food. but kou is of the firm belief that you'll never know when you might run into a cat. and every cat deserves to be spoiled.

"oh," he turns to look up at jinyoung and tilts his head. "i never knew you were that type," the type to want to know cats better before growing attached to them, he wants to say, but he doesn't. it's too many words, and kou doesn't feel like giving jinyoung an explanation either way. unlike him though, kou enjoyed randomly naming cats. it was fun. but he sees where jinyoung is coming from and nods his head.

the pair are quickly distracted by the cats again anyway, watching them lap up the food with voracious enthusiasm. jinyoung risks reaching out to touch one, the creature shying away at first but ultimately deciding he's no threat. she's purring between mouthfuls of food a moment later. "it's just basic courtesy," jinyoung rolls his eyes good-naturedly. "cats just want respect, you know? just slapping any shallow name on them isn't super respectful."

he notes the way the one he's not petting stops to eye their surroundings for a moment before swallowing and continuing her meal. he feels the way the other leans into his touch as he scratches behind her ears. "i'd call her watch," he points out the mindful one. "since she's on high-alert. and this one... princess. because it's how she deserves to be treated."

it doesn't work this time. he can't go back to how things were before, after feeling the warmth in his life that he has. the joomi he used to be hurts. he wore armor back then, with razor-tight defenses. now, he feels like all the people that matter to him poked holes in him to weasel themselves into, and there isn't enough support for him to do anything other than collapse when they're all gone.

it's not permanent. once next gen is over, ren and dohyun will return, and stevie may be a trainee, and things will be better. maybe they'll be better than before. it just sucks for now, and he can't help but feel like he's being horribly dramatic. thinking that doesn't change anything, though; he still feels how he feels, plus an added dose of shame for feeling how he feels, so he tries to let it go. everything feels like shit. sometimes it doesn't matter why. it just does.

moon jinyoung is the one that started it all. joomi has been carrying some stupid raincloud around with him since december, despite all of his efforts to remain a supportive presence by jinyoung's side through it all. not being able to train with ren and dohyun is just too much. it's so much that he doesn't even notice the way jinyoung comes back to himself, his former light drifting back in like the spring weather.

he's dancing when jinyoung barges in on him – something joomi has been doing a lot these days. writing songs while he so vividly feels ren and dohyun's absence is depressing, but there's something cathartic about movement.

joomi stops moving when jinyoung enters, somehow still surprised he'd come find him of his own volition. he comes with a purpose, though: are you mad at me?

joomi can't help but recognize the irony of the situation – the way jinyoung ignored him for weeks in december with no explanation until joomi asked him if he did something wrong. jinyoung said he just needed space then. joomi has half the mind to repeat the words jinyoung said then back to him now, verbatim. he thought back then it was fine. he was just worried about jinyoung. months down the road, and multiple talks with his therapist later, he now knows it actually really hurt.

are you mad at me? joomi stays quiet and just stares at jinyoung, probably for too long. "i'm ignoring everyone," he points out, and it's true, but he knows jinyoung won't be satisfied without an answer. maybe. that's the real answer. he knows it's not really fair to be mad at jinyoung, though. he likes to think if jinyoung had more control over the situation he would've handled it with more care, but...joomi doesn't know. even now, joomi wonders if jinyoung is only here because it's weird to not have joomi hovering around him, more than as a friend that actually cares about him.

"i don't know," he sighs at last, because it's the truth. he runs a hand down his face. "not really," and it's probably confusing. fuck, it's confusing to joomi. he can't imagine what it must feel like to jinyoung. "sorry, i just –" he lets his hands flop down at his sides. he hesitates. he looks at jinyoung, and thinks of the notebook full of confessions to him on a shelf in his bedroom; the variations of all the things he wanted to say to him but couldn't.

i'm ignoring everyone, joomi finally says. but i'm not everyone, am i? jinyoung wants to ask, the words never finding their way to his lips. "why would you do that?" he questions instead, his brow now knitting together in a frown. there is genuine worry somewhere in there. he's still not used to having the capacity to care about anyone's feelings other than his own. it's hard not to just demand access to joomi's deepest thoughts, to retain some modicum of civilized behavior that his therapist would approve of.

i don't know, joomi continues, and jinyoung's only more confused. he apologizes, he rubs at his face like he wants to tear it off, he's visibly agitated and jinyoung cannot for the life of him figure out why. he supposes that shouldn't be a shock, though; he could hardly figure out his own emotions half of the time, why would he be any good at reading someone else's? all he knows is joomi is distressed. about what, about who, he hasn't the faintest idea. for once, jinyoung can't think of anything he's done lately that might possibly be his fault. so maybe he's not mad at him, maybe he really is just a casualty of whatever unrelated thing joomi is going through.

"is it your family?" jinyoung guesses aloud, the one thing he knows about joomi that might be causing this sort of angst. they're alike in that way; family holidays are spent anywhere but with family (except for sooyoung, in jinyoung's case). maybe something happened. maybe joomi is feeling some sort of anger or regret. "is there anything i can do?" probably not, he already assumes. that sort of thing makes you want to curl up and hide away and try to pretend that your failure of a life doesn't exist. jinyoung would know.

but joomi surprises him again, inviting him over and saying he needs to talk about something. it makes jinyoung uneasy, a little wary of whatever it is that joomi wants to say. "it's not something super serious, is it?" he half-jokes, though a larger part of him is begging that whatever topic joomi has in mind isn't something earth-shattering or world-changing. jinyoung's good right now, but it's taken so long to get back to this place. he doesn't want to spiral out of control again now. "i'm actually on a very strict no-serious-conversations diet, doctor's orders."

there's a lot that's said within the short silence that falls between their conversation. she thinks back to the hours they spent at dance studios and suddenly seeing jinyoung at axis feels a little too surreal once more. "yeah, the sudden sunlight was definitely something i had to adjust to as well," she says with a snort before lightly shaking her head.

it is sort of amazing how far they've come. jinyoung knows there's still a long way to go, but looking back on the journey is amazing. he's not usually much of a sentimental person though, so he's grateful when haein finds a reason to steer the conversation away from the past and the places they came from. "i'm not sure i'm the right person to ask," jinyoung laughs, not saying what he's thinking aloud: that he's eaten pretty untasty things just to have something in his stomach at times, so there's not much that would dissuade him from free food. that, and just being a twenty-something year old man with a never ending appetite. "i personally think it's pretty good, though. and they don't exactly pay us enough to be buying a ton of outside food."

kou is almost completely distracted by the cats, until jinyoung speaks again. oh, right. "don't worry," he says, and he pulls out two cans of cat food. "i carry this around too... just in case." it isn't the most healthy food he can give them, but it's really the only thing he has on himself right now. "should i run to the store to grab something for them? something better?" he says, turning to look at his friend. he'll be late for training, that's for sure, but ... the cats. he looks at them and his heart melts. "maybe this will have to do for now..." he mumbles to himself. he doesn't really have anything to place the food on though, aside from his own empty lunchbox ( typical kou, remembering to pack his lunchbox, but forgetting to put food inside his lunch box ).

"is that your lunch or something?" jinyoung immediately questions. he's heard of people eating canned pet food when money is tight, but these days pet food is just as expensive as human-grade nonperishables. could kou have finally lost the last of his marbles and resorted to feeding himself like a cat in hopes of getting over his allergies to them?

"i mean, food's food. they'll be happy for anything." and jinyoung is right by the way the cats cautiously approach the meal, slowly at first and then with a voracious appetite once they've established that the offerings from the humans are safe. jinyoung wonders if he should ask kou why he's carrying around tins of cat food. maybe he doesn't want to know the answer.

"technically, i would have counted this as my third try. the first was with the company that brought me to korea, second was next gen," she has to stop herself to shudder because the memories of that still brought some chills up her back, "and now this. i wouldn't say it would have been easy to give up, but i might have," she admits with a shrug, nudging his arm off of her at the same time. haein says this all lightheartedly now, but to be completely honest, she does think she would have just flown home if this chance didn't come to her.

she's already spent so many years trying this whole idol thing out. if it didn't work out this time, she would've decided that she just wasn't meant to go down this road. she can't help but let out another chuckle at how confident jinyoung sounds, but she appreciates his own efforts at trying to comfort her.

"wait— three?" haein explains quickly enough that there was another company involved with her journey sometime before she and jinyoung had ever crossed paths, but that doesn't stop him from exclaiming his surprise for everyone to hear. "well, i guess you know what they say about third times and charms," he shrugs, though he is quite happy for the girl. the both of them deserved to get a break eventually; jinyoung can admit that he's pleased that it ended up this way for both of them.

the smile on jinyoung's face softens, turns a little nostalgic and sentimental, in a sense. haein seems to understand what he's saying despite his poor attempts to describe it. likewise, he thinks he understands her. it's imperfect, it's hard to describe, and yet somehow they both get it. he's dreamed about being here for half of his life. now that he made it, it's all he wanted and more. there's still a long way to go before meeting his ultimate goal, but every day is a step forward now.

"i love cats," kou says, practically squatting next to the axis building. he doesn't quite care if he looks like a fool, hair tucked in his beanie, and glasses sitting at the edge of his nose. nothing can pull him away from a cat, not just a cat, but two cats.

he smiles, genuine, as he calls out to them with his hands, palm wide open. "come here," he continues in a sing-song manner, perhaps the most un-kou-like thing he's ever done in front of jinyoung. face no longer blank or deadpanned, instead eyes bright and lips pursed as he calls out to the animals in front of him. they do end up approaching him and he beams, turning to look up at jinyoung with a smile. "did you see that? they responded to me."

he also squats down, closer to eye-level with the creatures, and tries to beckon them over. they're not terribly friendly, as one might expect from feral strays, but they do approach the two humans with caution. they probably smell the food on them.