Fanfiction [MASHIKYU]

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Junkyu

Front. Turn. Back. Run. Drop. Stand. Left. Stop. Hold. Breathe. Breathe. Fall.

I collapse onto the ground as soon as the music cuts, the sweat from my body seeping into the wooden floor as I desperately gasp for breath, and my heart beating so hard and fast I wonder if anyone can see it pumping. The room starts to blur and I squeeze my eyes shut.

"One more time?"

The sickening dread that flashes through me is quickly replaced by relief when Jihoon's suggestion is met with a chorus of groans and "no way"s from the rest of the members, because I don't think I can talk right now, but I sure as hell am not doing this routine one more time today. That's it. I've reached my limit. I'm out. Goodbye.

"Okay, okay!" I hear Jihoon say over the noise of everyone puffing and panting. "We'll call it a night."

As I start to catch my breath again, I'm vaguely aware of someone coming next to me and tapping me on the shoulder.

"You good, Junkyu?"

It's the weakness of Hyunsuk's voice that gets me to open my eyes, sit up and nod with a smile. I need to stop being so dramatic... I'm not the only one having a hard time.

Our comeback is tomorrow and we've been practising endlessly. This dance is, by far, the most intense choreography we've ever done. I always think this whenever we have a new song, that this is as hard as it's going to get, but it just keeps getting more insane. I can barely keep up. I love a lot of things about my job, but there are also parts I really am not a fan of. The part I hate the most is probably how easily I can digress from Dancing Junkyu to Dead Junkyu.

"We're only rehearsing tomorrow evening, right? Not before the livestream?" I ask Hyunsuk once I gain the ability to speak again, attempting to wipe sweat off my forehead and failing because my arm is just as sweaty.

"Yeah, we're getting there a few hours before for hair and makeup and to go over the script, but the whole morning is free," he assures me, squeezing my shoulder and smiling tiredly before standing up to go check on the others.

It takes all my willpower to stand up as well rather than just laying back down on the floor and going to sleep, but I manage. I stumble with the grace of a baby elephant to the corner where I'd placed my water bottle and drink greedily, my hands shaking slightly from fatigue or pain or stress or goodness knows what.

"Hey."

I almost choke on my water when out of nowhere Mashiho materialises next to me, grabbing his own water bottle. He runs a hand through his hair and closes his eyes as he leans against the wall. I'm literally dripping sweat from every surface of my body, but all he has is this sheen over his face that just makes him look all sparkly and glowing and not at all on the verge of death. My heart rate, which had only just started to slow to a more healthy level, picks up again, and Dead Junkyu is replaced with a Much More Alert Junkyu.

"Hey. How're you feeling?"

He sighs. "Nervous. I just have a feeling this comeback isn't going to do so great."

"Why? Because of your hair?"

He laughs and elbows me in the side. "Shut up!" he whines.

Mashiho got a new haircut the day before we started filming the music video, and he hates it with a burning passion. I always tease him about it, as does everyone else, even though I think he looks absolutely fine. Well, more than fine, if we're being totally honest.

"The cars are ready now, guys." Hyunsuk raises his voice over everyone's little conversations and we begin to bustle our way out of the practice room.

I breathe a sigh of relief when the cold night air cools my skin once we step out of the building. It feels so good that I'm reluctant to load myself into the car to my dorm, but then I think of my wonderful bed waiting for me and hurry inside. I find myself sandwiched between Jeongwoo and Junghwan in the back; Jeongwoo looks out the window and Junghwan rests his head on my shoulder and stays fast asleep for the whole trip home. Jaehyuk's on his phone in the front seat, I can see the screen reflected in the window, and Hyunsuk and Yedam talk in hushed voices in the middle not to wake Junghwan or anyone else that might fall asleep. Meanwhile, I stare unseeingly ahead, Blank Junkyu, trying my hardest not to think about how I'm going to have to practise again tomorrow, or about Mashiho's feeling that our comeback won't do well, and especially not about how he's in another car, heading to a different home to me. 

Author's note: for the purpose of the story, there are only two dorms and not three, one here with Junkyu, Hyunsuk, Jeongwoo, Junghwan, Jaehyuk and Yedam and the other with the rest.