evermore.

“you wanted me to hear it first?” she asks softly, like she’s not entirely sure she deserves that. then she smiles — small, but genuine. “i'm honored.” her tone carries that mix of teasing and sincerity that’s become second nature around him. but she doesn't know why she's surprised, as if she doesn't run every melody and every lyric idea she has by him. “it’s beautiful though.” she says it simply, but she really means it. “you always make things sound so natural. i feel like maybe your brain is built different from the rest of us." hyejoo turns to him with a smile. "but i can tell you put a lot into it.” her voice softens just slightly. “and for what it’s worth, i think it does sound like peace. or maybe like…the moment right before it.”

he finally looks at her then, really looks, and there’s something openly fond in his expression that he doesn’t bother masking in private. “you know, when you said it sounds like the moment right before peace…” he trails off, smiling a little wider now. “that’s exactly where i was trying to sit. that breath you take when things finally slow down. when you realize you’re okay.” he glances back toward the booth window, the faint reflection catching them again. “i think i’ve been chasing that feeling a lot lately. trying to bottle it before it disappears.”

he glances up anyway, watching yeonwoo through his reflection in the mirror. “you looked great too,” he says, nudging him back gently. “don’t think i’ve seen you enjoy yourself on stage that much in a while.” he knows they’ve been through a lot this past year, but it finally feels like they’re finding their groove again. with a new member coming, he wonders how that will affect their dynamic, but he’s not worried. the bond they’ve forged is strong enough to open up to someone else.

he lifts his gaze to meet akio’s in the mirror, expression soft but steady. “i think i forgot, for a while, that being a leader doesn’t mean i have to carry everything alone,” he admits quietly. “i kept worrying about doing things right, about not failing you guys, that i didn’t notice how much you were already supporting me.” a small smile curves his lips. “tonight reminded me why i wanted to stand on stage with you in the first place. why i still do.”

so yeah. naturally, he was suspicious. was yeonwoo planning to lace the porridge with laxatives? doing that in front of the intended victim would be a bold move. ... maybe yeonwoo was going to force him to cook and film the whole process for views and—

no. dom knows yeonwoo. okay, he doesn't know yeonwoo. but he knows the yeonwoo from variety shows and interviews, and that yeonwoo would never poison anyone or exploit people.

"sure," dom answered stiffly. "lead the way." as if he didn't know where the kitchen was. ( in his defense, the first lesson he learned at eton was watch your back. )

he tried to be useful. sort of. by sticking to the far opposite wall out of yeonwoo's way. the silence that followed was uncomfortable, so he began to ramble.

in the kitchen, he moves with quiet familiarity, opening the rice cooker and grabbing bowls. he glances at dom, still pressed against the wall like it’s a shield, and lets out a tiny hum of thought. “i think…” yeonwoo begins, voice gentle as he ladles the warm porridge, “anything made with care can be porridge if it comforts you.” it’s an answer that would make the other members groan at him for being poetic this early in the morning, but he means it. he sets one bowl on the counter closest to dom, not forcing him to step forward but making it easy if he chooses to. “but if your father didn’t like the word, it must’ve been a… strong conversation.”

the dressing room is unusually quiet after the chaos of the stage. the lights, the cheers from fans, the adrenaline, all of it is still buzzing through him like electricity. minjun had gone somewhere with the manager, so it’s just him and @lgcyeonwoo.

akio is holding two bottles of water, holding one out to his leader. “for you,” he says, corners of his mouth lifting into a small smile. he looks and sounds exhausted, but he’s undeniably happy. after the hellish months they just went through, it’s more than deserved. 

he waits until yeonwoo takes the bottle before sinking down onto a chair in front of the vanity and twisting the cap of his own bottle open. he drinks almost half of it in one go, enjoying the freshness. noticing his reflection in the mirror, he takes his image in. hair plastered to his forehead from sweat, makeup still holding on because they never play around with stage makeup. most importantly, he looks content. 

he watches his groupmate in the mirror for a moment — his flushed cheeks, his breath still uneven, the unmistakable spark of joy in his eyes. it makes yeonwoo’s chest feel full, heavy in a good way. “you looked great out there,” he says gently, nudging him with his elbow. “you always do, but today… i don’t know. you had this shine to you.” he laughs under his breath, embarrassed at his own phrasing, though he means it. “i felt good too. bervous before we went up, but once the music started, it was like everything clicked again. the crowd’s energy was crazy.”

hyoseop wasn’t exactly particularly interested in joining ‘behind the spotlight’, not finding it to be the most interesting show, at least it didn’t seem too interesting, but he figured his fans might enjoy seeing another side of him, so he joined. he was lucky though, getting partnered up with yeonwoo, a familiar face he enjoyed being around, that would make all of this much less awkward, and hyoseop felt like he could be himself in the company of a friend.

“it’s exciting to be along a friend on this show, and to be honest, i do find myself curious in how you’ll answer these questions” he smiles to yeonwoo “i’ve personally not been on a show like this before, but i’ve joined for my fans, i think they’d enjoy listening to my answers”. 

“so”.

“ready for the first question?” he asks, picking up a piece of paper from the box, reading over it before reading it out loud. honestly, hyoseop is curious about hearing yeonwoo’s answer to today’s question, while they’re friends, hyoseop still feels like he doesn’t know the other too well. “have you ever had to step up and lead even when you weren’t ready?” he reads, looking up curiously at yeonwoo once he has finished reading.

“yeah,” he starts, “i think… i had to step up before i even realized iwas supposed to.” his tone is calm, but there’s a certain weariness behind it. “when we were still figuring ourselves out as a group, there wasn’t really a manual. you just learn as you go, and at some point, people start looking to you for answers you don’t have yet.”

he pauses for a moment, glancing at hyoseop before continuing. “i wasn’t ready but i think that’s what leadership really is. it’s not about having all the answers; it’s about showing up anyway.” there’s a faint smile tugging at his lips, the kind that softens his usually composed demeanor. “i remember being scared of making mistakes, of letting people down. but i also learned that the people around you, the ones you’re leading, can teach you just as much as you teach them. some of the best lessons i’ve gotten were from watching others."

dom felt like he was about to go insane. he was averaging five hours of sleep and injecting caffeine and ramyeon straight into his veins. it kept him awake and well-fed, but it also came with all the side effects including—but not limited to—jitters, jumpiness, anxiety, breakouts, bloating. you name it, he's got it.

the worst of it all was the paranoia. it had been a few days since he moved in, but he was still on high alert. eton college's hazing culture had taught him to stay on his toes, to always watch his back because he could get jumped at any moment. so far, everything seemed fine ...

but this morning was quiet. too quiet. almost suspiciously so.

there’s something about dom’s energy that makes yeonwoo want to slow down time for him. he remembers what it was like, being new and terrified of every mistake, the way the walls of the dorm felt too close and too strange all at once. as the leader, he’s supposed to ease that feeling. lately, though, he’s been wondering if he’s even capable of that anymore. the members seem tired. he feels tired. but seeing dom like this reminds him that kindness still counts, even when he’s not sure he’s doing enough.

"I feel like the Sun is our biggest enemy. My biggest enemy-" He comments through a soft huff, struggling with the heavy sheet provided in their group backpack. He had been interested the most in finding some reprieve from the direct sunlight. His skin was becoming slightly irritated around his elbow, or so he thought. Perhaps, he was catastrophizing for no reason and it was all in his head. Still, he wanted to set up the area for his group to rest if needed. "Why is this so heavy?!"

"Do you think he chose us for our muscles?" He jokingly asks Yeonwoo, offering the ends of the sheet to the man. He had been working out regularly, but there was no point in bragging about his physique. His routine consisted of avoiding eye contact when his friends entered the fitness gym. He was determined to spend less than an hour if he could help it. "He suggested to use those two trees and drape it over the branches, but wouldn't it slide off eventually?"

He’s still grinning even as he hunches over a bit to make it easier for Yeonwoo to retrieve the purifier. “Honestly, I’m a bit shocked,” he admits with a more bashful tone to his voice, one hand reaching up to scratch at his cheek. “I knew it would be handy but I don’t think I actually thought they’d put us in a situation where we’d need one!” He laughs as he follows the other boy to the bank and crouches down next to him. “Nah, you brought the coolness,” he jokes, somewhat alluding to the fact that his friend was kind of effortless in his coolness— at least to Parker. 

“honestly, though,” he admits after a beat, tilting his head so the sunlight slips across his face, “i’m glad we’re doing this together. if i was out here alone, i’d probably overthink every little thing until i drove myself crazy. but with you… it feels lighter. like we can laugh through it, even if we’re not exactly pros at survival.” his lips tug into that familiar soft smile.

@VNASTAGRAM just posted a photo!

[#WON 🐶] behind the scenes

Team 3: @lgcyeonwoo

In all seriousness, Parker never really considered himself an outdoors person. He liked nature, going out to the beach was one of his favorite things, and he had been on some pretty cool hikes and to a few national parks as a kid, but at the end of the day, he was a city kid. The majority of  his whole life had been within a city setting so to be dropped into a jungle and told to survive— well, that was kind of crazy. He respected it but he had never expected that becoming a singer would entail… this. However, to his credit, Parker generally was one to find enjoyment in most things, and even if there was a small part of him panicking that he had no real relevant skills, an adventure was an adventure, and at very least he got to spend it with his friends. 

Also that they had professionals to help keep them alive. 

he kneels by the bank, brushing some damp leaves aside before fishing into parker’s bag for the water purifier. the tool feels almost comically advanced against the wild backdrop and the idol chuckles as he turns it over in his hands. “see? who said bringing this wasn’t practical?” he teases gently, flashing parker a grin before dipping the device carefully into the stream. his motions are steady, methodical, even though part of him is second-guessing every step — was it supposed to go in this deep? was this too much water at once? still, he keeps his tone light. “when we get back, you’re telling everyone you’re the reason we survived. Forget me— i’m just your assistant.”