WHO ARE YOU?|ATEEZ FANFIC (In Editing Progress)

Chapter 53|With brush in ink

»What is going on here?« With furrowed eyebrows and a confused expression, Jongho stood next to Hongjoong in the entrance to a classroom decorated in classic Korean style. White posters depicting characters hung from the ceiling above a sort of table that looked like a small catwalk with four places draped with blank paper. Two of the seats were already occupied by dummies dressed like students and with blank faces, almost like mannequins, sitting cross-legged in their seats on the left side of the table, while more student dummies stood behind them. They all looked in the direction of the eight boys, who stood there confused and a little worried, not quite sure if they really wanted to enter this room. Hongjoong swallowed, grabbed Jongho's arm and made him turn to the others so they could put their heads together to talk quietly.

»Looks like the Calligraphy Club.« Hongjoong said and Wooyoung smiled.

»Did you recognize that from all the writing or the brushes on the tables?« Asked he. The second oldest looked at the second youngest, raised his hand and flicked his forehead.

»It's at the door, you idiot«

»Ow!« Wooyoung rubbed his forehead with a pout while Hongjoong turned to the others.

»The guy on the TV said we should find a manual here. That might be difficult if we have to take part in these stupid club competitions.« Yeosang sat up slightly and sulked past the others and into the room.

»It doesn't look like we're all taking part.« He bent down again and looked thoughtfully at Hongjoong.

»Maybe one of us can look for the manual while the others compete.« San shook his head.

»I don't think that's a good idea.«

»Why not?« Yunho asked, nodding at Yeosang.

»I think thats a really good idea. Then we can check off both at the same time, the note book and the competitions.« The blonde didn't seem convinced and looked at the second oldest.

»If the person sneaking away gets caught, there could be serious consequences. Getting hurt, or worse.« It was quiet for a moment and Hongjoong thought. San's concerns were logical. Not a few minutes ago they were threatened over an intercom that if they didn't take part in the competition, if they skipped the competition, then they would be disqualified, which was almost certainly a synonym for elimination for the Halateez. On the other hand, it looked as if not all of them were taking part in the competition, so it certainly wouldn't be a problem if one of them didn't stay there as a spectator but instead went looking for the manual, which was the reason why they did were here at all. He hesitated and turned to Seonghwa, his right-hand man who he could always rely on. He knew that Seonghwa was always there when Hongjoong had doubts about a decision. He was the one he could always turn to when he didn't know what to do next. Its anchor, in a way. One of the many reasons why he meant so much to Hongjoong.

»What are you saying?« Asked he. The black-haired man opened his eyes in confusion and looked up at Hongjoong.

»Me?« Hongjoong nodded.

»Yeah. What do you think?« Seonghwa looked at the younger hesitantly, thinking before looking at Yeosang who was looking at him confidently.

»Do you think you can find the note book, Yeosang?« He asked and the mint-haired man nodded without hesitation.

»Yes, I can do that.«

»Alone?« Wooyoung asked a little worried. He found the idea that only one person had to go looking even worse than the idea that anyone had to go at all. The older one smiled, impressed by Wooyoung's care for him, and nodded.

»Yeah, I can do it on my own. I'm pretty good at finding things.«

»I hope you're not talking about the big ass ship you found on an empty beach, because that was so obvious and easy to find.« Mingi interjected, earning an annoyed look from Yeosang.