#doc:s

          { `if one had to hear the sounds coming from the individual practice room, they wouldn’t think that the keyboard is being played by a man with years upon years of piano expertise under his belt. Myungsoo produces a succession of notes, one awkwardly strung with another, to figure out his way through a new song idea, fingers hovering indecisively on ivory and ebony keys like a man feeling his way around in a dark room. thinking about having to deal with the news of Samsung’s buyout – right after he signed a contract renewal – on top of the usual demands of training does not help the singer’s plight at all. heavily distracted, the singer slams both hands on the keys for one last time which creates a dissonant noise. it fills the small interior for a short moment before everything fades into silence again. reclining on the chair, he lazily reaches out for his water bottle and takes a swig, just wanting the day to be over }

          he’s not concerned about leaving his teammates behind to solve the mystery by themselves. arguing with strangers’ (mostly wrong) opinions is not something the singer enjoys doing, and the fact that he looks perpetually nonchalant about everything gives him an excuse to opt out of the activity before it even ends. after he’s had enough frustration from misleading clues and clashing opinions, Myungsoo excuses himself away from the group, and walks off to explore the hotel premises. paying attention to grass sounds better than anything that involves solving mysteries right now. }

          { /as someone who comes from a family of high-profile personalities in their respective careers, one might think that the male would have the inclination to indulge on lavish parties like this, but the distaste that bleeds from mask-adorned eyes is an indication of the opposite. the only pleasing thing about that night is the event's general aesthetic which fills his camera with pictures, along with the food that's far from the ramyun and kimbap he settles for almost everyday. other than the skin-deep beauty of the masquerade ball, everything else is irrelevant; Myungsoo is less than impressed about the fact that this is just another excuse for people to waste their money. feeling the need to escape this vague feeling of suffocation, the raven-haired man excuses himself from his family's table to walk around, and perhaps make better use of the time he's supposed to be spending on a bed sleeping. his way to the observation deck is interrupted by a female brushing past -- the camera slung over his shoulder sways a little from the collision, making him grip onto it with a quick hand } Watch where you're going. { /Myungsoo mutters before the stranger could recover from the incident, gaze fixated on the DSLR instead of her as he turns to walk off }

          { /he would’ve completely ignored the calls of the deep voice that distracts him from the music on his earphones, dismissing it as the stranger probably calling out some other person on the sidewalk, but the latter proves otherwise when he stops in front of Myungsoo. the trainee draws himself a step away from the other to glance at the wallet in question before he stuffs his hands on the pockets of his black sweatshirt. a mask conceals more than half of his face like the usual when he’s going out of the company’s premises, so all he responds with is a shake of the head, quietly confirming the answer to himself when he palms on the leather wallet still intact inside his pocket. after all, he’s never the type to be inattentive so as to drop his necessities in the middle of the street }

          { `being away from the confines of Sphere’s building during training schedule gives him a sense of liberation, even though it might be just for several minutes when he wants to eat takeout food instead of the company’s sickeningly bland menu. he wishes he could stay out a little longer, but there’s a lot of work waiting to be done, rough edges needed to be polished as year-end evaluations draw near. Myungsoo is in the middle of his walk back to the company when he’s interrupted by a male shoving a sheet of paper his way. on impulse, he flinches back from the spin to keep them from colliding with each other, and stares blankly at the stranger for the next two seconds at the suddenness and randomness of it all. he pulls off a disinterested mien upon the mention of trc, but he takes the flyer nonetheless to prevent any further prodding. } Another sacrifice, I see. { `he mumbles mostly to himself in his twisted humor as he walks off, not even throwing a glance to the material in his grip. }

          { /the only witness to the two men spilling tales into the cold of the night would be the disarray of soju bottles and beer cans on the table. his mind is already slightly muddled with intoxication, but not enough to knock out coherence in his system. } Can't believe you’re still alive. { /the passing thought slips past Hite-dampened lips. he doesn't deviate from the casual, laid-back tone even if he's joking, deadpanning as the younger shoots Rome a glance. }

{ /it comes as a surprise to Myungsoo how one (or any, if he were to be more honest with himself) of the senior trainees in the company has spared time to approach him without any productive intentions, especially when he’s aware that he isn’t exactly their favorite face around. he doesn’t really know a lot about the rest of the trainees in the company other than their faces labeled with the right names, and he doesn’t mind so much that he knows nothing past that. all he does when the other trainee speaks is to stare at him blankly, trying to figure if this is some kind of a dare or Baekho just likes approaching people and confessing his bad blood out of nowhere to cure boredom. there’s not much about his words that interests Myungsoo, but he blinks hearing that he’s the oldest among the pool of trainees in terms of seniority. it piques his curiosity, making him wonder if there really ever is a significant advantage to being a few notches higher in their hierarchy. } Okay. { /he says after a beat or two, not really knowing what he’s supposed to say to his kind offer — it might be handy one of these days, but he’s not very used yet having to do anything with his fellow trainees more than passing by them in the hallways or sharing the same practice room. } Well, I don’t need much help other than effective ways to bail out on dance workshops.

{ /the approach of the other trainee is much too sudden that it takes a few more seconds than normal for Myungsoo to process whatever he’s talking about. his demeanor remains devoid of anything when it dawns on him, finding that he isn’t drawn to any significant reaction necessary for the news and announcement that have spread like wildfire in the company. still, he thinks that the whole apology is amusing to see, that much he can’t deny. he knows that Jonghyun hasn’t tried to maintain any remote hint of camaraderie between them during training, something about him being so blindly defensive against Myungsoo’s rejection of the contract for the first time, which is kind of funny even if he couldn’t care enough to defend himself and his own choices. when the taller male mutters his last few words, Myungsoo hums in dismissal as he adjusts the straps of his backpack over his shoulders. } Sure. { /it’s tasteless when he speaks, because he probably cares more about his lunch later on than the SNS accounts he barely uses in the first place. } You’ll probably experience more of it soon enough, at least you got a headstart.