Before You

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The spirits at practice the following day were naturally low. The now group of 6 friends clearly felt like something was missing.

It was most obvious on the second day. On the first day, everyone did their best to go through with their rehearsals and focus on the competition. Hyunjin spent hours on end in the vocal studios, working on his pronunciation and speed. Jisung put more energy into his dance, he went over every move about 100 times making sure that it stuck in his brain. Chan joined Jisung, but instead of working on memorization, he did every move 100 times to get it perfect. Jeongin was in the vocal studios with Seungmin, who had offered to help him running through arpegios and scales to get his pitch to become second nature. Changbin floated between the groups, finding that he was getting increasingly more frustrated the longer he tried to focus on a particular thing.

The general aura was off but on the second day, the stress and the feeling off incomplete that the group felt started to bubble to the surface.

Chan had finally convinced Hyunjin to take a break from his rap once his speaking overall became slurred, he had been working so hard that his muscles became tense like he had been in freezing cold trying to talk. It took Chan making fun of him for sounding drunk for him to finally admit that he was not doing himself any favors anymore.

The entire group ended up in the practice room to work on a dance. Jisung was particularly forgetful today and they had been running through the same part of the dance for at least 45 minutes now. Everytime that Hyunjin would correct one thing that Jisung did, he would turn around and mess up something else.

Hyunjin had not been the same since Felix and Minho left the group. He felt guilt for still being in the competition while Minho was out, knowing how much Minho wanted this. He missed having Felix around. The pair didn't verbally talk all that much but he missed Felix's smile, and his laugh that always seemed to cheer him up. He even hated how Felix would squish them all in a group hug after rehearsals even though they were all disgusting and sweaty, simply because he was so happy that the others took him in and didn't hold back despite the language barrier.

After the 5th time of Jisung messing up the same part repeatly, Hyunjin snapped.

"Ugh! This would be so much easier if Minho was here! He would know how to whip you in shape, I don't even know what to do with you at this point!" He belted in Jisung's face.

"Well maybe you should just go work on your vocabulary a little more, or wait, of course you won't because you think you're SO PERFECT but in reality a drunk man could do better than you!" Jisung spit back.

"Well at least I don't have the memory of a goldfish!" Hyunjin was squeezing his fast so tightly his knuckles turned white and he was stomping closer to Jisung, who was returning the same aggression and it looked like they were about to fist fight.

"Guy's both of you SHUT UP!" Chan got inbetween the 2 boys, holding them both back by their chests. Both were huffing and glaring at the other.

"What the hell is wrong with you 2?!" He continued, looking between the 2 boys.

"Why are you here anyway? We all know that Minho and Felix were the only people that connected you to us in the first place. You barely spoke 2 words to us if it didn't involve them. You are relieved from your duties prince Hwang" Jisung retorted sarcastically, courtesy bowing to Hyunjin and Chan before walking away.

His words hit a nerve in everyone in the room. Hyunjin couldn't even say anything.

"Jisung, that's not fair" Changbin spoke up this time.

"Is that really what you think? Sorry we can't all be squeeky and loud like you all the time, that doesn't mean I am just some superficial asshole who tagged along. Grow up Jisung." With that Hyunjin grabbed his stuff and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Chan looked at Jisung dissaprovingly, making Jisung huff.

"That was not fair Ji and you know it. You remember how we all met to help Felix study? He reminded me to get the specific candy you like because he rememered how your face lit up when you had it with you that one time. He may not talk much but he is observant and he cares about all of us. He would have left 4 hours ago if he didn't care about helping you and being a team. Now Felix and Minho might have been the link between us all, but they were not the only thing keeping us together." Chan patted Jisung on the shoulder and signaled to the door for him to go find Hyunjin and apologize.

Jisung felt the guilt take over him and he nodded, walking out of the practice room to the place he figured Hyunjin would go. The vocal studios.

Sure enough he found Hyunjin hugging his knees on a bench pressing keys on a piano. He slowely opened the door and peeked in.

"What?" Hyunjin asked coldy, not taking his eyes off the keyboard.

"I came to apologize." Jisung said sincerely, causing Hyunjin to look at him with his eyebrows raised.

"I just miss them. It's not the same without them." He looked down at the floor now. Hyunjin kept his gaze on Jisung and nodded in understanding.

"I guess I don't have the endless patience like Minho or the sunshine nature of Felix" Hyunjin chuckled.

"More like midnight" Jisung mumbled, causing Hyunjin to throw his pencin at Jisung.

He dramatically acted like he was offended by the pencil hitting him but both lightly laughed for a split second.

"Are you coming back or what..?" Hyunjin raised his eyebrows again in disbelief.

"I really do need your help" he begrudgingly mummbled under his breath. Hyunjin developed a smirk on his face.

"What?" He said teasingly.

"Just get your ass back to the studio Hwang" he gritted through his teeth.

Hyunjin chucked, got up, and flipped his hair with sass as he walked pass Jisung to head back to the studios.

*later*

Chan knocked on a certain door, breathing deeply trying to calm his nerves.

"Come in"

He opened the door hesitantly and was confronted with JYP, tiredly making his way through a pile of papers on his desk.

"Chan, what do you need?" He ushed Chan over to the seat in front of the desk.

"I think you should bring Felix and Minho back." He got straight to the point. Figuring that sugar coating would not solve anything.

JYP looked at him in disbelief.

"Hear me out... please.." Chan hesitated, gulping loudly before continuing on.

"There is buzz online. Fans who have been following the show are outraged that Felix and Minho were eliminated."

Chan pulled out phone and opened various social media sites. "They are claiming that they were rooting for Felix. They are saying thay Minho's talent is waisted. With all due respect sir, they are saying you are blind to miss Minho's talent and that he had too much potential to be sent home. I have been following comments on the show and that many exclaimed that there should be 8 members instead of 6." JYP set back in his chair, hands intertwined as if it were an interview.

"The dynamic we have is not complete without them, they balance us. Felix will learn Korean, I will personally see to it. Minho will perfect his dancing, it's in his blood." Chan pleaded.

"You take personal responsibility of all 7?" Chan nodded his head. He had known JYP for a while and although the conversation made bim almost sick to his stomach, he jnew he needed to do it.

"Ill think about it. See you tomorrow Chan.

He waved him out, returning to his pile of paper fhat he hadn't even made a dent in.