summer fever (BL) kim sunoo

cuatro

"No, you don't understand, he's amazing", Sunoo told Eunsae. The first week of mentoring was almost over, and the two best friends were walking down the HYBE hallways to get to the car that would take them home.

"I mean, my mentor is amazing too. Nana sunbae is really cool. You should listen to her singing and harmonizing when she teaches me".

"No, Moonie. He's like... so good looking, and so nice, and his hair is so cool", he sighed.

"Kim Sunoo!", they both heard Dowon calling him. They both turning around, Eunsae nudging him on the shoulder with her own. The mentor walked fast-paced towards them, arriving with a shiny smile.

Once he was in front of them, Sunoo could tell Eunsae was scrutinizing him. Maybe he'd given away too much about how he had a big crush on Dowon, and she was a very protective friend.

"I kinda had an idea", he said and started walking, signaling for Sunoo to follow along.

The younger looked at his best friend, who smiled and nodded. She made kissing gestures until Sunoo was a blushing mess, and then waved him goodbye so she could walk to the car.

Sunoo was intrigued. Dowon had been telling him since Monday that they would follow the schedule they had arranged, and whenever their mentoring sessions were over, he'd close the program he was saving the drafts on, and he would invite Sunoo to lunch at the cafeteria with him. He had refused only twice, since he also wanted to spend free time with his members, but each time he'd agreed to have lunch with Dowon, the older had been acting as if they were long lost friends.

It was cool, since he'd feared maybe Dowon would take this training sessions as only that, and once the time was over, he'd kick Sunoo out of his studio.

"So, sounds good?", Dowon asked, punching in the code for his studio.

"Huh. Sure", he replied.

Dowon turned around to shoot him an excited smile, and Sunoo replied, trying to find in his brain where the words his mentor had said were. Because they were not in his recent memory. He had been thinking about Dowon for so long that he'd actually zoned out on the mentor talking to him.

"Did you actually listen to my idea?"

"Not really", bashfully smiling, Sunoo took a seat at the sofa in Dowon's studio.

The older smiled and sat next to him. The proximity was an issue for Sunoo. He could never focus when he had his crush so close to him. It was as if all his neurons were shut down at the same time, and the only thing he could think of was... Dowon.

"I'm sorry, I was a little distracted", he blushed.

"It's fine", the older said. "I also think CIELO is amazing", he winked at the younger.

If the earth opened and he fell through the hole and into the burning lava, Sunoo would be thankful. Had he literally been talking so loudly that Dowon heard every single word he said to Eunsae? If so, had he made a fool of himself in front of his crush?

His eyes darted away as fast as he could and he bit his lip before humming. He was so nervous he could feel his heart racing and the mere thought of Dowon listening to the words he said made him wanna crawl into a black hole and slip away forever.

"Hey, it's fine", Dowon said while trying to get Sunoo to look at him. The younger pouted and sighed. "I'm sorry?", the words came out more like a question.

"You don't have to he sorry. I do", Sunoo said and looked at his mentor. "You probably think I am some kind of deranged, crazy fan or something", he sighed again.

"Nah", the older said. He took the hair that had fallen on Sunoo's eyes and brushed it back with his fingers, the touch electric and burning onto Sunoo's skin. "If anything, I think it is adorable, to be honest. I hadn't meet a fanboy before", he tilted his head.

"It's just that you are like... what I would like to be. I mean, not that I don't like my members or anything; they're more like family than anything else for me... but, sometimes I wonder how it would be like if I had debuted alone. How you do it, I mean, in the way you don't have members to rely on and yet you still make music and face the critics and the haters, and continue to make your fans happy", he admitted. "I wonder if I could ever be half the amazing idol you are".

Dowon nodded and looked around the room until he found something. He smiled and walked towards it, Sunoo long lost on the sofa. He wondered if what he'd said was anything good, or if Dowon was walking towards the door to just kick him away forever.

"I have this", the older commented, walking back with a rock.

"A rock", Sunoo tried to sound like it was interesting. Dowon huffed and smiled.

"It's a courage rock", Dowon took a seat next to Sunoo again. "A mentor once gave it to me. He gave a whole ass speech about him wanting to be a producer, and how following his dreams took him to a different path. And how different oaths aren't always a bad thing, but an alternative and an opportunity that we hadn't thought of before. He talked long time about the potential he saw in me, and ho having something to remember where I came from would give me courage".

"So this is a rock from your town?"

"Yeah", Dowon smiled thoughtfully. "Gangneung is beautiful; we should go sometime if we can, during this mentorship", he added. "I bet you'd love it".

Sunoo didn't want to tell him he'd already been there, because the glint in Dowon's eyes while talking about the place he loved made things to Sunoo's heart. Things he wanted to keep feeling for a long time.

"I'd buy ice cream if you take me there", he dared say.

Dowon scoffed and held in a cute smile.

"Anyways, let's get to work. I'm sorry for overworking you, but this is a brilliant idea", he handed Sunoo his rock. "And keep this until you feel like someone else needs it more".