𝐜𝐨𝐜𝐨

"You'll be fine, babe," Danielle soothes you as you walk with her to the practice room, her hand on the small of your back. "it'll just be like meeting an old friend."

Hanni suddenly scoffs as she walked in front of you two, turning away from her chat with the other two members to say, "Yeah, if that old friend had started prioritizing a girl they for only a few months rather than their friend since preschool."

You kicked her knee, making her legs buckle mid-walk. All the girls giggled as she looked back at you with pettiness.

The conversation ended there as you got close to the designated practice room, with your group's de facto leader, Minji, going in first.

"Hello, good morning!" is what you hear as she fully entered the mirror-covered room.

You went in 1 by 1, each of you bowing in respect. As the last in line, you hear the distant 'hi's' and 'hello's' of the boys you were expected to collab with getting louder as you make it to the door.

Once you make it into the practice room, you quickly scan the room, before quickly greeting them like your members did. You make eye contact with the eldest (the only reason you know being from Tik Tok), the boy bowing back as you smile back, before grazing your eyes at all of them, until you meet his.

You've only ever seen glimpses of him through the building, never wanting to see him one on one, it'd be too awkward for you. He was shorter last time you met him in person, but as you quickly give him a once-over, you notice how much he's changed, yet remained himself.

How much he's remained your Martin. The one you knew before. . . yeah.

You hold eye contact for only a few milliseconds before you break it, quickly eyeing your members, the girls giving you a smile of mischief.

The awkward tension of first meeting another group quickly breaks when one of the managers (presumably CORTIS') speaks, saying that they'd be doing a dance challenge as a whole first, then would split into duos and one trio.

You didn't complain, merely nodding in understanding as you whisper to Hyein's ear next to you, "I hope we get a trio together," with the girl grinning at you, showing you how her fingers were crossed in hope.

Being in your own world, it was unbeknownst to you that he'd been staring at you the entire time. Well, only until his boys had started chatting about who they wanted to pair up with, that was when he blinked away from your figure.

The dance challenge with both of the groups in one video was easy, more importantly, it was super exhilarating. The dance was a little tedious enough to break a small sweat, but it was fun nonetheless, all of the boys' screaming spurring your group to also enjoy and make noise.

You were all having fun, even after it finished, you guys were intermingling with one another and chatting while you watched the replay of the Tik Tok.

It was more fun that you thought.

Until it came to duo dance challenges.

That was when all the fun you were having quickly turned into unease.

Because when the managers decided that your groups had enough socializing with one another and decided to do the trio and duo challenges now, you were paired up with the one member you were actively hoping (AND PASSIVELY MANIFESTING) not trying to get paired with.

Martin.

The girls didn't want to seem obvious to the boy group (that being code word for MARTIN) like they knew something, so they just gave you a reserved smile, with Minji just shrugging and giving you a 'welp, you're on your own, babe' look.

Not wanting to cause a scene and say you want to switch partners, you swallow the complaint on your tongue and suck it up.

Each member walked up to their respective partner, with Martin walking up to you first.

"Hey," he smiled, almost taking another step closer, before catching himself, taking a step back, his hand taking refuge on the nape of his neck from the awkwardness. "Nice to meet you, er- again."

You knew what he was going to do.

A hug.

You always did that back then when you guys saw each other.

Back then.

"I— yeah. You too. . ." you say, bouncing on the balls of your feet, "So, are we going to do your guys' dance or my groups'?"

"Ours, I think?" he pulled out his phone, opening Tik Tok. "Do you need me to teach you how to do it or—"

"No, I think I got it, just a few tweaks, I think. The girls and I dance a lot to your songs."

"Oh, really?" the corner of his lips tug up, still trying to find their audio on the app. "We listen to your guys' songs too."

"Cool." you simply state. He doesn't reply, pausing his search on Tik Tok to look at you.

There it was again. The awkward silence.

That's what made you both laugh. And that was what made the weird wall of unfamiliarity melt, but only by a little.

When you guys practiced, you were satisfied to know that you could just turn your brain off and turn on your professional Idol mode, lasered in on getting the dance right.

"You've gotten better at dancing." he compliments when you both finish practicing, looking at Keonho and Hyein who were paired up together.

"And you've gotten taller."

"You did too, like a few inches. . . not really noticeable for me though, but I guess if you're next to others—"

The way you suddenly punch his arm cuts his insult off before he can even finish, the boy scoffing out a laugh, looking at the staff who didn't see it, before gazing back at you.

You gave him a look that showed that you weren't entirely offended, bur still pissed off. Then you huffed a laugh, a smirk trying to make its way to your face, turning your head away.

Martin rubbed at the spot where you had hit. Not to soothe the pain, but to try and feel the lingering touch where you had hit. Because it had meant you were comfortable.

Comfortable enough to do that.

Just like old times.

When it was your guys' time, it only took one take. But that one take consisted of something you didn't expect he'd do.

The timer counted down, the sound beeping in your ears as you ready yourself, until you were snapped out of it, Martin calling your name next to you.

"Do you remember our handshake?" he asks.

That caught you off-guard, but you knew what he was talking about.

The old one you guys had created when you were in sixth grade.

"Yeah," you nod, before tilting your head. "Why?"

"Perfect." is all he replies.

The phone starts recording before you can process what he says, your body instinctively going into Idol mode.

i wonder how many kpop idols be going thru the most heart wrenching situationships then have to go do 'i'm your puppy uwu' fanservice the next day. . . idk just a thought

idk why the hell im getting pissed at martin re-reading this like i wasn't the one who literally wrote these messages bru 🥀

❛ 𝓝𝐎𝐓𝐄. ❜ i love fluff sb 😓 ⠀·⠀ def not projecting all my fav kinda dates onto hyeonyn ofc……

❛ 𝓦𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒+𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐒. ❜ filler ep for cuter moments next chapter 😁💞 ⠀·⠀ coers are so cute

❛ 𝓢𝐂. ❜ 23.

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꩜｡ SERIES TL. @chocom0ka @tbhkwarrior @spininmytornado @yoiyoiyoii @velosiq @megamatt43 @zompina @ilovetylerthecreater @mariyariririri @keonono @lanasturnsnoopy @eomeow @cortisen5

(comment to be added)

please DO NOT repost, copy, or claim as yours. feeding my works or ideas into ai will NOT be condoned.

maia’s note: comeback is happening what !! i was inspired to make this because one of my friends is one of the worst responders ever 🙂 much love to her i guess . this is short but i think it’s cute and i luv down bad keonho likee ? reblogs and feedback are always appreciated !! 🩵 (don’t be a silent reader i beg !!)

taglists: @bambisnc @mungbeancoups @starriniqhts @lusayyawnn @chrrific @winteringdream @w3willris3 @rickyshensgirlfriend @missingsarinha @lefttrashstrawberry @lovemashu @2bamgyu

The moment you and your members stepped inside the practice room, the air was already awkward. Every person in the room could feel it, the tension palpable. You were holding Manon’s hand for dear life, as you all bowed to the CORTIS members. They bowed back as a form of respect, before you all began talking informally. Surprisingly (and suspiciously) for you and Keonho, your members were getting along a little too well. 

Seeing Keonho was an anger-evoking experience for you to begin with. You gnawed at the inside of your cheek, watching him subtly glare at you. Since there were no cameras yet, none of you were too concerned about being formal.

Martin nudged Sophia, urging her discreetly to launch their impromptu plan. Sophia cleared her throat, gaining the attention of the others as she began speaking.

“Uh, let’s divide ourselves into groups. We’ll assign different songs to different groups. That way all of us can be involved equally and cover more songs.” She explained. Martin nodded.

“Yeah! Sounds great.” He smiled. It looked almost rehearsed, and you would have caught on immediately, if you weren’t busy trying to ignore Keonho’s sharp gaze on you. James clapped his hand once, his vigour and enthusiasm evident by his demeanour.

“Alright, Seonghyeon and I can go with Daniela, Sophia and Megan?” He looked at them, and they nodded immediately, already forming a little group. James nodded back, continuing his list.

“And uhh, Juhoon and Martin can go with Lara, Manon and Yoonchae.” He added. Everyone seemed on board with the groups, except for you and Keonho, who were inevitably paired.

“Wait, that’s very uneven. We’re twelve in number, we can form 3 groups of four.” You pointed out, and Keonho nodded in agreement, surprising both him and you. Before either of you could dwell on it, Seonghyeon spoke up.

“I like this formation better,” He shrugged.

“Me too,” Nearly all of them said in unison. You narrowed your eyes.

“I don’t get it, You all are in like- groups of five, while it's just us two. Why not divide equally? Twelve is a pretty divisible number.” Keonho pressed.

“Alright, we’ve got Mr. Einstein over here. Just go with the formation man.” Martin laughed, although it seemed like it was being forced out of his throat. Before any of you could say anything more, everyone dispersed in their own circles, leaving you with Keonho in the middle of the practice room. 

You had perfected the art of seeming calm, even when your heart was hammering inside your chest. On the exterior, all Keonho saw was a girl with a stoic expression. 

“Alright, lets just get this done with.” You sighed, not looking at him but rather at the spot beside his face. Keonho was uncharacteristically quiet, following you as you two booked the spot in front of the mirrors in the farther left of the room.

‘FaSHioN’ was the song you had chosen, since the choreography flowed easily for the both of you. 

“...And you just sort of lock both your arms for this step, like this.” Keonho demonstrated. You copied in sync and he nodded in approval.

“Good job!” He smiled. You couldn’t help but smile as well, his being ridiculously contagious. For a fleeting moment, everything seemed normal. Absolutely no malice or grudges. The moment was ephemeral, both of you instantly straightening up, as if the mere thought of getting along was provocating.

“Then, for this part, you just jump backwards four times. Like this…”

The others, alongside focusing on their songs, were eavesdropping the entire time. After having seen their little moment, Megan instantly pulled out her phone to text the combined group chat.

They were pulled out from their bubbles by the sound of laughter. You were laughing alongside Keonho, while he mimicked something. Manon’s eyes widened, as she made direct eye contact with Daniela from across the room. 

“What the fuck?” She mouthed, which James caught and shrugged with a victorious grin. They decided not to interfere, and went right back to practicing.

“Wait, so you’re telling me you and Yoonchae’s numbers only have three different digits?” Keonho cocked his head to the side as he inquired.

“I know, it’s insane.” You laughed.

“And it was Yoonchae who had sent the text, not you?” He further questioned, intrigued by the entire scenario.

“Mhm.”

Keonho was enticed to ask more, but he decided against that. He needed to do something else first.

“Look, I’m sorry about the M Countdown thing, and the other award show. I should’ve apologised before, but instead I chose to act like that. It was really unprofessional of me.” He sighed.

“It’s okay, I’m sorry too. I should’ve minded my tone, since I knew it was all a huge misunderstanding.” You gave him a tight smile. The hostile air had calmed down to a somewhat friendly one. No shots were being fired.

“Although, I did try telling you. You chose to call me ‘rumplestiltskin’.” You couldn’t help but add, a playful smile gracing your lips/

Keonho’s eyes widened in recognition, as if it suddenly dawned on him- the things he had said while texting her.

“Oh my God, forget I ever said that.” He groaned, burying his face in the palm of his hands. 

“Kind of hard to buddy. You also said that I have a lot of attitude, and that I’m three apples tall, and-”

“Oh well if you’re going down that path, you also called me a bitch, a clout chaser, a flop-”

“No, don’t say such harsh things about yourself Keonho! I promise you’re loved.” You said sarcastically, feigning sympathy. Keonho’s face straightened as he deadpanned.

“We’re even.” You smiled.

“I don’t think so, you were much harsher than me.” Keonho tilted his head, pretending to be thoughtful.

“God forbid a girl defends herself.” You rolled your eyes, but had no negative intentions behind it.

“I could say the same for myself. I had eyekons up my ass for the past three weeks.” Keonho scoffed. You laughed harder, shaking your head.

“You had it coming.” 

The conversation that flowed after wasn’t in itself awkward, but rather the lingering tension from before was. You hadn’t magically made up, there was still some pettiness stored in the depths of your hearts, but you’d rather not address it in the moment.

When everyone wrapped up and it was time to say goodbye, the other members went in for hugs instead of a natural bow or maybe a handshake. You and Keonho stood straight side-by-side, your postures resembling that of two punished children.

Eventually, Keonho turned to you with an awkward smile, wrapping his hands around you. What almost made you laugh was the fact that his hands just hovered in the air, instead of actually holding you. You matched his energy, hugging him in the same manner. His fingers ghosted your arm, before he quickly pulled away.

You felt the static from that moment all the way back to your hotel.

"where's james?" you ask keonho, eyes still wandering the whole room—not finding his existence.

"he went to buy a cake for hyeon. you can wait here, i'm gonna grab some candles." keonho leads you to sit on a couch in a living room and rushes back to the kitchen.

the party is simple. they only invite someone who's really close to seonghyeon since the boy's very shy around others and they don't want to make him uncomfortable on his birthday. a few balloons sit randomly on each corner of the room. there's a banner on the wall that says "happy birthday, seonghyeon" with his photo on it.

not so long after that, you hear the clicking sound on the front door and see james holding paper bags in his left hand and a box of cake in the right. "cake's coming!" james yells. you approach him immediately and try to help him.

"babe!" james' eyes lighten and he smiles so brightly at your presence. "i thought you wouldn't come! i was so sad today." he kisses the corner of your lips before the two of you bring all the stuff to the living room.

"i decided to come since keonho wouldn't stop texting me while i am at work." james stops for a while, hoping he had misheard what you said. "my phone keeps buzzing all day, you know."

"why would keonho text you?" james squints his eyes in suspicion.

"he texted about preparing hyeon's birthday. he thinks i'm going to like this party." you answer absentmindedly while putting the cake on the table.

james shrugs off his shoulders, thinking it was no big deal. he doesn't need to be jealous. it's just keonho, right?

"here are the candles." keonho comes with a few candles in his hand. "hyung! you're home." he grins. james answers him with a quick smile before putting pink whipped cream on seonghyeon's cake.

"i wanna do it too!" you exclaim and ask james for the whipped cream. he lends you the whipped cream and settles behind you on the couch, absentmindedly pulling you back until you're comfortably sitting between his legs.

keonho sits right next to james' left foot—makes him unintentionally sit right next to you. "do you think seonghyeon would like this party?" he asks you.

"definitely! why wouldn't he?" you shoot him a little smile and continue to put whipped cream on seonghyeon's cake.

"i know, right?" keonho nods. the three of you remain silent for a while before keonho interrupts again. "do you think hyeon would prefer green candles or blue ones?"

"i think green would suit his vibes more."

"that's exactly what i thought! that's why i brought mostly the green ones." he smiles brightly at you, and you answer with a nod.

5 minutes later, keonho asks you again. "would i look good in blonde hair? just like martin hyung."

"ask martin." james mumbles.

"you would! oh my god, it would be exciting don't you think, james?" you look at james—signaling him to agree with you.

"i don't know no james." james stares at you. who's james? where are baby, babe, honey and all the sweet nicknames going?

"okay, babe. it would be exciting, right?" you emphasize the word babe and squeeze james' thigh—forcing him to nod at your question.

"oh, i'm not hearing this." keonho closes his ears with both hands, causing you to laugh at his reaction.

15 minutes later, seonghyeon, martin, and juhoon come through the front door from the studio. everything went as planned and seonghyeon was so happy.

"you're coming! thank you so much!" seonghyeon gives you a brief hug and accepts your gift. "a ps5 for me? thank you! hyung is so lucky to have you." seonghyeon giggles and james just rolls his eyes.

the night is getting late. james drinks a cup of soda on the couch. martin plays an acoustic guitar and rumbles random melodies. seonghyeon and keonho play with the ps5 you just gave him. and you play chess with juhoon. "hey, that's cheating!" your voice heard— making james looks directly at your way.

"no, it's not." juhoon answered calmly. "you're not gonna win if you keep playing that old tactic, you know?"

"you know what? i always won back then using this 'old tactic'."

"that's why i called it old."

the two of you laugh and james' definitely not having it. he clears his throat and proceeds to stand. "i'm gonna get some rest. once again, happy birthday hyeon." he taps seonghyeon's shoulder before walking to his bedroom.

your eyes dart towards him until his figure disappears behind the door. you excuse yourself to the boys and quickly follow james. you knock his door, "can i come in?" you asked.

after he said yes, you come in and see he is curling in his white blanket—his back faces you. you close the door and hug him from the back. "hi handsome." you smile and kiss his exposed cheek. "you look so handsome today." your compliment makes his cheek blushed but he tries so hard not to smile.

he clears his throat. "thanks. you don't look bad either."

you mumble and play with his dark brown hair. "what happened, baby?"

"nothing."

"it seems like a thing." you answer him back calmly— still playing with his strands. he remains silent.

"are you jealous?" you bite your lips, trying not to laugh at this very serious situation.

james' eyes widened and he immediately turns around to face you. "what? me? jealous? no. absolutely not. why would i?"

you smile at his reaction and kiss his cheek. "you're looking extremely handsome today. what's with the glasses? i love it." you ignore his answer and touch his glasses.

"it's called fashion."

"i know, and you're looking too good with it." you pout.

"...okay, yeah. i'm jealous. but just a little. are you satisfied?"

to james, seeing you acting all pouty and clingy around him makes his stomach full of butterflies, just like how he met you for the first time. he loves you THAT much.

"i knew it!" you celebrate after his confession. "you could've just told me!" you cling your arms around his waist and rest your chin on his chest—looking up directly to meet his eyes.

"i don't wanna ruin hyeon's birthday." he looks to the other side—or basically anywhere as long as he doesn't have to meet your puppy eyes, because he would genuinely become a jelly right now.

"aww," you pinch his cheek. "you know you're the only person i love for these past 2 years. out of everyone in that room, i've been looking for you since i stepped in this dorm today."

"you're literally the sexiest man alive and i'm not planning to let you go that easily." you smirk at him.

"stop, it's getting cringe."

"but you love it when i compliment you, though."

"you're right," he smiles and wraps your body in his embrace. "i love whatever you do."

you stay at your position for a while. "if you have to choose, would you pick me or the boys?" he suddenly asks.

"you." you look up at him, finding he's already staring at you. "really?" his eyes brighten.

"no."

"BABE." james looks at you in disbelief.

"of course i choose you, you silly." you kiss his lips briefly. before he could kiss you back, you were already breaking the kiss. so he decides to chase after your lips, making it the sweetest kiss you had after a long day.

"hyung, did you see my—" juhoon's voice was heard with the sound of the door opening. "i didn't see anything!" juhoon left right after he saw the two of you.

james lets out a loud sigh and you laugh. "we need to lock the door next time."