fever | ateez lore story

CH 8

•the watcher•

Hongjoong slides the classroom door open, finding his fellow classmates scattered around the room. Once they notice Hongjoong's presence, they scramble to their seats, the chatter dying down. Hongjoong stares in disbelief, laughing as he clutches his backpack shyly.

"Relax, everyone. Class starts in 10 minutes. Just, pretend I'm not here." He insists, making his way to his seat and settling down. People hesitate, but when they realise he's being genuine, they return to their friends and resume the chatter.

"CAPTAIN!" The sudden, high-pitched scream erupted and echoed in the room, the chatter quieting down once again. Hongjoong flinches and his head snaps up, finding a yawning and stretching Wooyoung enter the classroom, with San following behind him. Wooyoung makes his way over to the class captain, throwing an arm around his shoulders lazily. Any more force and Hongjoong and Wooyoung would have fallen over.

"How are you so loud this early in the morning?" He sighs, unpacking the textbooks from his backpack. Wooyoung usher to San, who clears his throat before speaking.

-"We've come up with some lyrics and a melody for your track. With a little help from Jongho and Seonghwa, too."

"We stayed up all of last night doing it. We got too excited." Wooyoung says, his eyes blinking sluggishly like a snail.

So that's why they're so tired.

"Christ, you didn't have to stay up all night. We have plenty of time after school." Hongjoong sighs, his heart melting at the effort of his adorable friends. He ruffles the crown of their heads lovingly, Wooyoung pulling them in a three-way hug.

"We wanted to, hyung. It's all good." San reassures, the smile on his small face bringing out the dimples he had dotted on his cheeks. Hongjoong can't help but notice his assistant knocked out on his desk beside him, the blonde locks a mess across the wooden desktop.

"I'm guessing he was in on it, too?" He points out. Wooyoung laughs sleepily, looking at Yunho all passed-out.

-"Sort of. Him and San were brewing up a choreography to it."

Hongjoong's world stopped. Lyrics, a melody and a choreography to his track? He's found the missing pieces of his production - his friends. Never has he tried writing lyrics or a melody to his tracks, because when he tries, he ends up neglecting it to create a new beat. The choreography, he's not shaped enough in that area to even try and think of a dance to his tracks. He was so focused on how they made people feel. He now has his fellow friends to help him out, and even better, get him closer to the life he dreams - a well-known producer and musician.

"What about Yeosang? Have any of you seen him?" Hongjoong asks. Wooyoung's lips press further into each other before he leaves to his desk.

Looks like they still haven't made up.

"He'll be here soon. We saw him on the way to class but I think he stopped at the company before he came." San explains.

Right on cue, Yeosang enters the classroom, his gaze avoiding Wooyoung's direction.

"Good morning, guys." He sings cheerily, setting his bag down at his desk in front of San's.

It pains Hongjoong seeing a broken friendship like this. Whatever they were arguing about is not his business, but it is his business to make sure his friends are not enemies to each other. He holds back for now, not wanting to make a scene in front of the others.

The bell rings, and class begins.

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The boys meet up after school, waiting on Wooyoung and San who come from their final class. Once Wooyoung spots his friends, he almost trips down the steps with how fast he runs down them.