Horizon || ATEEZ Space AU

Chapter 10: Liftoff

There's an odd sort of quiet over the changing room as both teams strip out of their wetsuits and change into more comfortable clothes. The deliberation time of the PCC can take anywhere from minutes to days, and no one is expecting their leader to be announced any time soon.

"I feel so bad, he may have cost himself the captain title and we just helped him," Mingi whispers to the rest of Team Z when Seonghwa steps away from them and Yeosang watches the older boy go into the showers, listening for the water to turn on before speaking.

"It would have reflected worse on him if we'd defied his orders."

"True," Yunho agrees from where he's depositing his uniform in the appropriate vacuum chute. "It's his loss, not ours."

As with every year, each member will be scored cumulatively on their combined Dome battles, a grade that will go towards their final examination to determine readiness for full Horizon team status. Only the prospective leaders had something else on the line in that rollercoaster ride of a final simulation.

Yeosang is shaken out of his musings by a hand clamping down on his shoulder.

"Hey, you want to rustle up some dessert in the cafeteria? Junyoung and Youngseok offered to make a distraction for the cameras," Wooyoung offers, San draping over his shoulder and letting out a devious giggle. "And Jongho, Mingi, and Yunho, you guys are welcome too. We don't have to fight each other anymore after tonight."

Yeosang smiles at everyone's excited acceptance of that fact but politely declines. "I think I'll hang back with Seonghwa. Make sure he's... alright."

The three of them acquiesce and follow Team A out to the trams while Yeosang finally takes a deep breath and sits on the locker room bench, letting his head fall back against the wall.

Only one obstacle remains.

As Yeosang traces little characters in the steam on the mirrors with his finger, he prepares his mental checklist. The daydreaming he did during some of his afternoons at medical tutoring could still come back to haunt him unless he buckles down and studies obsessively.

When finally the water shuts off and a half dressed Seonghwa emerges to fix his hair in the mirror, Yeosang clears his throat to make his presence known.

"The Seonghwa I met a few months ago would never have given up a flag like that."

He sets his jaw like he's preparing to defend himself before pulling on a shirt and wiping his face clean of expressions. "The result of the final battle does not always indicate who the leader will be, you know that," he answers deadpan.

"So you mean to tell me that was a calculated risk and not a spur of the moment decision?" Yeosang scoffs, following the older boy as he throws on his jacket and heads to the tram tunnel.

"Why?" Seonghwa shoots back immediately. "Are you afraid your score will be lowered because of it?"

"No, hyung," his voice softens earnestly. "I'm looking out for you. You always joke about Hongjoong being absent from his own team but you've been a bit of a lone wolf yourself... emotionally at least. I just want to make sure you're thinking straight."

Seonghwa stops and turns towards him, honestly in his eyes as he searches his face and asks in a low voice, "If Hongjoong was chosen as leader, would you follow him?"

"Yes," Yeosang answers without hesitation. Seonghwa gives him another once over and then nods, boarding the tram as it pulls up.

"Then that's all I need to know."

Yeosang sighs at the cryptic answer but hurries onto the tram before it leaves him there and stays quiet while Seonghwa mutters to himself, something about not being a lone wolf.