Loop Away (OT8 ATEEZ storyline event entry)

CHAPTER 5

- . +

        San walked inside the place and a warmer air hugged his body. He's welcomed by smiles as the people there escorted him to his room after he showed he booked for a stay, thankfully printed on paper before his phone died. After getting suspecting stares at him sporting a no-luggage entrance, San kept on walking with the silent instruction of the staff's steps beside him.

        As soon as he gets pointed where he'll be staying, the hotel staff leaves with a welcoming smile again. San then confirmed if his card gets accepted by the door, and when it dinged, he closed it again and made his way out to the entrance to buy essentials.

        The cold night hit him again, his figure retreating away from the warm light of the hotel.
While on his way to a nearby convenience store, he noticed a man standing still with a similar head hung low pose as his new friend by the far benches. He tilted his head but didn't stall a call. "Yeosang-ssi!"

        The man whipped his head up with the familiar name, and San sees he wasn't Yeosang, but another good-looking man.
        Ahh... what's with me finding handsome guys tonight.
        "Sorry! I thought you were someone else!" San shouted as the man was quite a distance. The man just looked startled as if he'd seen a ghost. He quickly replies with a soft 'It's alright.'
        San went on his way again feeling embarrassed of his actions, but with a laugh, he doesn't worry about it more.

- . +

        The moon glowed similarly for Yunho who's sneaking up on Mingi sitting on a bench by a tree in the park, but it wasn't as commanding for him unlike Yeosang that same night. He saw that his friend was focused on writing on his notepad under the not-so-dim streetlight graciously shining the way for whatever the earphone-d Mingi was writing.

        Yunho steals an earphone from Mingi's left ear, and it was indeed playing loud music as expected. Mingi quirks his head up to see who it was, smoothly covering his notepad with his hand.
        "Hey, you're listening to the same song again?" Mingi's friend asked while crouched so the wire reached his ears, who also returns the earphone and sits beside him. "What were you doing? It's late out."

        "You, what were YOU doing out here?", Mingi asked back while pausing his music.
        "I'm just clearing my head, feels like something's going on but it's too strange so I just took a walk." Yunho stretches out his legs and arms and gets comfortable, arms folded behind his head. He eyes Mingi covering his notepad so he decided not to pry more. "Ah I also met up with Jongho," he added.
        "Not with Hongjoong hyung?" Mingi dramatically joked with a hand on his mouth, and smiled to which Yunho realizes he hasn't seen his friend smile a lot. "Why does everyone think that?" Yunho asks in pout, but lightening up due to Mingi's rare smile.
        "You literally hang out every day."
         "Oh come on that's essential for when you have to be partners-" Yunho stops himself thinking about how he shouldn't be disclosing something in discussion yet. "... in crime."

        Mingi made a noise in obvious suspicion and stares at Yunho. Yunho gives up and sighs. "I didn't think I'd be talking about this twice today, but we're planning on being a duo. Hongjoong hyung produces but he dances too, like me, you already know that." Mingi clicks at the word 'produces' and inquires further more. "Have you heard any of his songs?"

        Yunho made a small noise in confirmation and nods. "It's my style too, fits with what I like to dance to."

        Mingi thinks for a moment. "How come they're doing so good? Is there a starter pack I'm unaware of? You, you're doing good too," Mingi sulks out.

        Yunho being startled, he wasn't ready with a speech, but he always wanted to talk about this with Mingi because he's interested at how they've never talked about their dreams despite being such close friends.
        Mingi just knows Yunho likes to dance, and Yunho's only aware of Mingi's ears being glued to his earphones playing good music. And more, Yunho thought this had something to do with hardly sighting his friend smiling when alone. He musters up the nearest but genuine answer he could find inside him. "No no, we all have our own charms. And you're always free to grow on your own. I acknowledge your feelings though, I was like that."
        Mingi looked at Yunho with a 'what-do-you-mean' expression. Yunho fixes his sitting position again. "I had a moment thinking if I'm actually living at the same time as people reaching their dreams, plus thinking what I'm doing with my life or what I want to do." Yunho breathed out and laughed by the end of that, speaking shortly after, "but again I thought that I can just move while I'm living my own life. I have my own charms too. Hmm for Hongjoong hyung, he senses... inwardly?" Yunho's uncensored mental chatter was cut off with Mingi's own growing thoughts.