Horizon || ATEEZ Space AU

Chapter 3: Orientation

Yeosang's head is already spinning. He clearly heard Wooyoung's name being called just after his and unless there happens to be another Jung Wooyoung he doesn't know about...

"What changed, Yeosang? Why did you suddenly decide to go along with what everyone always tells you to do? What happened to 'if one of us can't get in, neither of us can'? That's not the Yeosang I made a promise with."

Yeosang is being led into the briefing room as the crowd swells around him, but he turns his head to catch a glimpse of his teammates.

"I just want to show her that she's wrong about me. I'm not useless and fragile, I can pass that exam and I can join the Project and get to the Citadel. And I'm sorry that you can't come along with me. I really mean that, Wooyoung."

He spots an unmistakable shock of purple hair and freezes in place. There's immeasurable joy mixed with a haze of confusion in his head now and he has to pinch himself to see if he's dreaming.

"You have a few hours to change your mind."

But it was Wooyoung who changed his mind, not Yeosang. Their eyes meet through the crowd, even as Yeosang is nudged forward and into the briefing room. When Wooyoung follows, he realises he's more happy about the fact that Wooyoung made it than he is about his own success.

They're going to the Citadel together.

___

Hongjoong feels like he's the only one here without a friend.

He isn't sure if it's normal for everyone to already know each other on a Horizon Project team, but it seems he's the odd one out. Must have missed the memo.

The tall brown haired kid has been sobbing for the past five minutes while the tall redhead next to him bounces up and down. A younger boy stands with them, occasionally venturing into conversation.

There's a boy with lilac hair and a brunette in the corner having a whispered conversation that looks very urgent and also very misplaced.

Hongjoong perks up when another boy comes up to him, shaking his hand seriously and introducing himself as San. He wants to compliment him on the cute little strip of white hair he has and comment on how he's sure they'll get along great, when the boy rushes towards a solidly built brunette on the other side of him.

"Jongho! You made it too, how unbelievable!"

The boy blushes and tries to hide a smile. "I didn't really think I would, I mean I was completely unprepared."

Was there anyone else here who was strangers to the rest of the room?

"I had a feeling you'd get in, you seem very levelheaded," San chatters on before excusing himself to shake hands with the other engineer, the lilac-haired Wooyoung.

The youngest member of the team, one of the technicians by the name of Youngseok, introduces himself and Hongjoong feels a little more relaxed, instead of standing there uncomfortably like the awkward kid at the family reunion.

The door opens again to admit another boy, their tenth member. His hair is black as midnight and he has a curious expression, almost like he doesn't even want to be here. The room begins to quiet down.

A woman enters behind him and the door slides shut. "This is Park Seonghwa, the navigator," she announces, motioning everyone to the seats around the conference table and taking a place at the head.

"And I am Han Soojin, your team coach. Welcome to the Horizon Project."

Good, Hongjoong thinks as he slides in between Youngseok and Seonghwa. I was starting to think I was in the wrong briefing room.