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This isn't the necessary choice and he hasn't slept well for three days after they filmed remaining episodes of the series. The shoot ended a few days ago for the four episodes before he films the last one by the end of the month. The director wants to capture the cusp of winter to spring, so he insisted they film the finale by then. Eunseok doesn't have liberty picking when he can do his scenes, because one, he's the main character–he's almost always in the scene–and, two, he's signed a contract which is the biggest promise he has to uphold. Instead of moping in his apartment, Eunseok brings himself to a familiar spot. He'd go here when he was done with shoots at midnight nearby when began his career at acting. He's familiarized himself with the people behind the bar and the waiters who take his orders.
As he enters, he hears instruments composing an addictive rhythm, a voice so soothing Eunseok gets confused if he's entered a bar or a concert. Nonetheless, he takes a seat at a table near the bar. He waves at the bartender and the waitress chatting before they stop and greet him.
"Hey, superstar." The waitress walks to his table and places the menu in front of him. "Mandatory." She shrugs her shoulders, used to Eunseok ordering the same drink and snacks.
"Seok-ah, it's been a while. You're doing very well these days."
Eunseok scoffs, abashed. "Shohei hyung, come on."
"What is it, Your Highness? Projects back to back. No wonder you never got to visit until now." Shohei says this with a huge smile on his face. Frankly, he and Eunseok go way back. Many thought they were related when they started getting closer. Shohei's been kind of his big brother whom he talks to about his concerns while starting acting. "Finish with the drama already?"
Eunseok clicks his tongue, "Nah. Not yet. I have two more episodes to film, I think."
"You look like you haven't slept." The waitress chimes in, pouting in worry.
"It's alright, Hina noona. I think I deserve to go out after getting stuck in the Joseon era." Eunseok raised an eyebrow to seal his point. Hina shakes her head and tells Eunseok he'll be right back with his orders.
As he waits for it, and as Shohei busies himself attending to two men who are obviously out of it already, Eunseok sees the band prepare for another song on the small stage. He missed the introduction, so Eunseok just lets himself nod to the music. His eyes gather that the lead vocalist has a groovy voice, controlled–he knows when to make it fun and when to follow the rhythm. He's also playing the bass. Eunseok learns from getting invited to concerts that it's a real talent when you can sing and do other stuff at the same time. The one on the keyboard sings the background vocals, but in some parts, he's the one singing. He's got a smooth voice and goes well with the one standing in the middle.
The drummer is smiley, Eunseok notes. He's enjoying the moment even if the song they're covering doesn't need much of his instrument. It's refreshing, like seeing the sun at midnight. Eunseok turns to the guitarist, the one holding the electric guitar. His face is stoic, he's focused on his strumming, barely looking at the audience. Eunseok nods some more while watching him work his talent with the guitar.
The vocalist continues to sing his rendition of a Bruno Mars song, soulful and smooth, Eunseok is mesmerized by how the band could fit so well, enough for him to think they deserve more than the attention of a couple of patrons at ten in the evening on a Saturday.
When Hina gets back to his table, she places the chips and chicken strips, and the ginger ale he always orders when he visits at night. Eunseok wonders why he's never come across this band before.
"Hey, who's they?" Eunseok turned to Hina before she could go back to sit on a bar stool. "They're really good."
"They call themselves Sunrize, with a Z." Shohei answers instead. Eunseok faces him and raises an eyebrow. "The drummer, Shotaro, we go way back. He asked me one time if his band could perform here, so I asked my manager if they could. Been here since then, they play on weekend nights."
Eunseok tilts his head, confused, while the enchanting guitar solo happens in the background. "But I go here often. How come this is the first time I'm seeing them?"
The vocalist introduces another song they'll perform as Eunseok waits for the two to respond. He glances at the stage for a second, catching the guitarist with his pick hanging between his lips as he tunes the instrument.
"Well, Seokie," Hina starts, Eunseok averts his eyes from the stage to her. "You haven't gone here for weeks. I can see why this is your first time hearing about them." She shrugs again, it's beginning to look like her trademark.
"How long is their set?" Eunseok hums, taking a sip of his drink and grabbing a chip from his plate.
"This is probably their last song tonight," Shohei answers. Eunseok continues to listen to the band, with only about eight patrons inside the bar. He sees the keyboardist smiling at the vocalist when their eyes meet. The drummer seems to never get tired of smiling, but the guitarist never shows his face to the crowd.
Once the set was over, it was already getting close to midnight. The streets continue to be crowded with the younger citizens. Eunseok asked Shohei if he could talk to the band, but the older shrugs telling him he could ask them instead. He ends up walking towards the band, loading their van at a parking lot across the bar. He sees the keyboardist and the drummer talking by the open passenger door as the guitarist loads the equipment at the back.
"Hey," Eunseok greets them from a distance. He smiles politely when the keyboardist notices him. "You were really good. It was my first time seeing you perform, the set was nice."
The drummer gives him a smile, the one he's seen plastered on his face when he was performing. "Thank you," He extends a hand that Eunseok takes awkwardly. "I'm Shotaro."
"Eunseok. And, yes, I heard you're friends with Shohei hyung."
"Eunseok?" The keyboardist interrupts, head tilting, thinking about something unknown to Eunseok. "Like, actor Song Eunseok...or?"
Ah, he forgot that part about himself. Song Eunseok, a promising actor in his early 20s. His first big project was a drama on a streaming platform, and in terms of the best way to be credited by modern standards it's either; a, play a character for a drama adaptation of a webtoon or a manhwa, or, b, get casted for a zombie series on a popular streaming service. Eunseok got both, but he was known first as the funny, attractive best friend of the main character who became a zombie. His acting was so emotional that he won multiple awards for it. Three years later, from playing different, exciting roles, he's landed himself the title 'promising' and 'prodigy', yet sometimes he forgets that half of the Korean population knows who he is–including this band's keyboardist.
"Yes," His awkward smile continues to present itself. "That's me."
"No freaking way," Keyboardist looks behind them to the vocalist appearing, holding a cup filled with ice cream. "Sohee, look who's here."
Sohee, the vocalist looks up and sees his bandmates and Eunseok staring at him. He becomes quiet for a moment, however, the silence doesn't stretch longer than twenty seconds as Sohee marches his way to greet Eunseok. "Crown Prince," he says to Eunseok. "It's really you."
"This is embarrassing." The drummer chuckles, moving on to open the driver's side to do something else other than watch Sohee introduce himself.
"Hello, it's nice to meet you."
"I'm a big fan." Sohee continues his awestruck response. "I watched you since you were best friends with a zombie to being an underestimated crown prince. You're really good."
"You're scaring him, dude." The keyboardist taps his shoulder to stop him from blabbering more. Eunseok shakes his head, shyly laughing at the attention he's gotten. "Seunghan, by the way. I love the obnoxious rich boy more than the crown prince. Sohee thinks it's redundant, but you're killing it with the role." Before Sohee gets to protest, the guitarist calls them out.
Eunseok turns to him like the rest. The whole time they've been talking, the guitarist busies himself with loading and unloading the van. From his periphery, Eunseok noticed he was trying to fit the aux and the keyboard without scratching anything.
"Where's your bag?" The guitarist asks Sohee. Eunseok didn't expect his voice to be clear and a bit on a higher pitch. Maybe it's because of how he presents himself, but he thought he'd be taller, too. He seems to be as tall as Sohee.
"Ah," Sohee scrambles to get his bag from the backseat. "Here, sorry, Wonbin hyung." He scratches his head, hair looking more like a bird's nest because of the movement.
Wonbin hums, pushing the bag next to another bag beside a guitar case. Eunseok averts his attention to Seunghan again, who starts asking him what he was trying to say earlier before he gets interrupted by Sohee's fawning.
"I just think the way you perform is worth more than the bar's midnight patrons." Eunseok goes straight to his point, shrugging.
"Really?"
"You mean that?"
Eunseok smiles at Sohee, and sees the guitarist, stops for a moment before continuing to pack his belongings. "Yeah, sure. I don't always see performers like you guys. You know, the control that you have with you instruments, the chemistry–have you been doing this for a while?"
"A year."
Eunseok glances at Wonbin who answered him.
"We've been a band for a year." He repeats. Eunseok nods in understanding. Wonbin doesn't have much emotion in his face to give him an idea if he's annoyed Eunseok is not allowing them to leave or surprised someone is interested in their band as much as he is.
"Cool." Eunseok nods. "Well, maybe I can see your band play again before telling more." He says this to Seunghan, because somehow, Wonbin's a little intimidating to stare at directly. And Eunseok has had intense eye contact with veteran actors–so, that's saying a lot.
"Hey, you guys ready?" Shotaro calls from the driver's seat. Wonbin moves quickly, opening the door to the backseat and finding his spot. Sohee follows him.
Eunseok sees Seunghan take a step closer to the passenger seat but contemplates moving closer. He then looks over to Eunseok, hopeful eyes staring at him.
"What do you mean by telling more?"
Eunseok gives him a genuine smile. The one he uses to assure people he's telling them the truth. He's often regarded as the jokester, the funny one, so it's difficult to take that away from his image especially when he wants to tell people they can trust him. So he smiles, a friendly one. "Let's just say I have a friend. He can help."
"We'll do our best to meet that friend of yours, Eunseok-ssi."
Eunseok laughs at the formality but nods nonetheless.
"Oh, and, for the record, you deserve the Daesang you got last year. Who cares if you've only been in the industry for two years? You did well."
He thanks Seunghan and sees him jump on the passenger seat before Shotaro starts the engine. When the van passes him, he sees Sohee smile and wave. Eunseok could have sworn he saw Wonbin look back, but he can't be too sure.
-
On off days, he'd rather lounge around his apartment, play games, or watch some anime. Maybe start reading the manhwa he's been thinking about for a while. He's not a homebody by any means. He likes company, especially if it's his closest circle. But off days mean that he's finally finished with a project that gave him sleepless nights and an unnatural amount of stress. Sometimes he's awake at 3 am and asleep at 2 in the afternoon, other times he only sleeps for thirty minutes until his next scene comes on. So, for Eunseok off days mean, he's unavailable and uncontactable until prior notice.
Not today, apparently.
Greeting the receptionist first, he makes his way to one of the elevators, already having his own keycard from visiting too often. As he gets off on the fifth floor, he begins to walk ahead to the door in the middle of the floor. It has a plaque indicating the owner of the studio. Without knowing, Eunseok invites himself in.
A poppy beat welcomes him and a boy sits in front of the control booth, clicking and doting on random buttons until he's satisfied with what he's hearing. He doesn't notice Eunseok entering as the beat permeates through the walls.
"Chanyoung," Eunseok shakes the boy's chair. The other startles and pauses his work, he looks behind him and glares at Eunseok for surprising him like that.
"Aren't you supposed to be working?" Chanyoung huffs, closing his laptop.
"Nice to see you, too, kiddo." Eunseok plops down on the khaki-colored couch in the middle of the room. He grabs a pillow on the single-seater next to it and places it on his head all the while Chanyoung is looking at him questionably. "I think I found your heroes." He tells the younger what he's looking forward to hearing.
However, before Chanyoung can ask what he's talking about, the door to the studio opens rather carelessly, and it shuts just as loud as the person who opened it. "Hey, everyone's here!" The tall guy gives a nod to them both. He snatches Eunseok's ankle and pushes it to the side playfully to make space for himself on the couch.
"What the heck are you doing here," Eunseok huffs, annoyed that he got thrown off the couch all too soon. "Aren't you recording or something?"
"You two are not supposed to be here at all, hyung." Chanyoung sends him an unamused face. Something that Chanyoung thinks is scary, but it actually looks adorable from the two older's perspectives.
"Mark had gotten sick," Sungchan shrugs. "So we had to halt recording for, um, a week? So, I'm free until label says so."
"Oh, yeah? How's that going for you?" Eunseok wiggles his eyebrows, teasingly, which earned him a light punch on his arm.
Sungchan grumbles, "I'm bored, dude. And Taeyong hyung's so busy. I've been alone in my dorm for days."
"So, you thought the best idea was to disturb me in my studio?"
"Well, yes. But also, I heard from Seok he has some news for you."
Chanyoung diverts his attention back to Eunseok. The older is sitting unbothered next to Sungchan, waiting for his time to speak. "Okay?"
Eunseok begins to talk about the band, Sunrize, their names, the instruments each person plays, and the kind of sound he's heard them play. "They were singing covers when I saw them." Eunseok clarifies because he's not particularly sure if their authentic sound is what Chanyoung wants to achieve. It was his first time hearing them, give him some slack. However, Chanyoung looked intrigued when Eunseok described Sohee and Seunghan's vocal colors. He's a beginner in producing, but Chanyoung was introduced to the artistry when he was a child. He's able to sense who fits in his vision and who's not for him. So, an intrigued Chanyoung is anything but bad.
"They've been playing for a year. I guess that's why they're in tune with one another. If you see them play, Chan, it's really amazing." Eunseok states as he finishes promoting the band. He's practically their manager now.
"You seem to trust them," Sungchan tells him, believing Eunseok's judgment.
"I do."
He glances at Chanyoung to know what he thinks. The younger nods and turns back to his laptop, opening it again. "Dad wants to hear from me in a month."
"That's good!" Sungchan exclaims, tilting his head to peek at Chanyoung's expression. "Maybe this band can help you with your project."
"I'll talk to them this weekend."
"I'll come with!"
Chanyoung stares back at them, lips pouty but grateful. Eunseok is aware Chanyoung is young, but he's gone back and forth from America to South Korea for a while, trying to figure out what he actually wants to do in life. After much deliberation, he's asked his father to give him a chance to prove himself to him and his team of producers. Eunseok, Sungchan, and Chanyoung have been through tough times together, with a variety of struggles that they had to get out of before they succeeded. Years later, Chanyoung continues to search for his style, and Eunseok just wants to help his friend.
-
Eunseok was called into the office to discuss his next projects and the press promos he had to do for the following week. Fortunately, it ended right on time, though he had to ask Sungchan to go to the bar first instead of waiting for him at his apartment. His agents are making him do double the amount of promotions this time because he's apparently on the run for a Daesang again, and "that doesn't happen to a lot of celebrities, especially not at your age." They would always talk to him about how he's so young, so much to achieve, and he needs to do five times more to get his name better known–for more opportunities. As if he's not the face of beauty products, beer, chicken, and a convenience store above being booked for multiple projects. They keep on adding things he needs to do on his list, which he has no hold of. Why call it his list if he can't write on it?
Moving on, Eunseok huffs and sigh before entering the premise. He catches Sungchan's brown hair on a similar spot where he was seated last week. The band is preparing their equipment, and he sees Sohee smiling at the crowd. There are more people watching tonight. Eunseok ponders why there has not yet been anyone who wanted to sign this band. They're basically regulars, why has no one uploaded a video of their band playing–and he's searched for them online; nothing.
He sits beside Sungchan, and his friend acknowledges him with a nod. "That's them?"
"Yep."
Quickly taking their orders, they watch as the band begins their set. Eunseok listens intently, they're singing different songs from before. This time, the band version of kpop songs, has a more upbeat sound than the rnb and jazz songs they covered last week.
When their orders arrive, Eunseok sees Sungchan nodding his head in amusement. He smiles to himself, proud that he's managed to get his friend invested in the band.
They played five songs tonight, just like last week. During the fifth song, Sungchan leans over to Eunseok to whisper, "They're good."
Sungchan is meticulous when it comes to music. It's probably why they picked him out of the twenty people in that studio when proposing a new generation of idols. "I'm in a hip hop group." He keeps telling Eunseok when he refers to his friends as an idol, but the industry regards his trio group as a hip hop idol group since their visuals are more than perfect for the job. Aside from that, it's a mystery why his lines are more often than not become the highlight–a trend, if you must–of their songs. So, Sungchan is the face of the trend. But he's more than what meets the eye. Eunseok wants him to like the band.
After the set, they go straight to where the band is loading their band, the same place last week as if this happened before. Eunseok nods at Shotaro when the drummer catches him and Sungchan walking toward them. He gives Shotaro a smile when he waves at them.
"Awesome set, you guys!" Sungchan exclaims, opening his arms for impact. "Eunseok was right about you."
"You told about us to Sungchan?" Seunghan lets out a gasp of surprise, eye wider than normal, his cheeks flushed. "Is this the telling more that you said to us? This is incredible. I'm a big fan of Misfit!"
Eunseok shakes his head, "Not really. But he wanted to see you guys first before meeting the boss."
The term made Sungchan snort, thinking of Chanyoung as the boss–shy, nervous in all places; Chanyoung, who's scourging the country for someone to help him prove to his father he can do his job properly. It fits, somehow.
"No, but, I'm telling you guys. You're amazing. Usually, I don't mind local bands, they're chill, and fun, but you guys know how to control those melodies and match them with each other. Has any of you done this professionally? You know with a band concert and all?" Sungchan babbles, still in awe of what he just heard. And if Eunseok had the same extroverted tendency as him, he would have done the same the first time he heard them play. For now, he chuckles at the energy his friend presents.
When he opens his eyes, he sees Wonbin looking at him but averts it back to Sungchan once he's noticed Eunseok staring back. He shrugs the impending questions and interrupts Sungchan from talking some more.
"Um, well," He starts, clammy hands fishing Chanyoung's business card in his side pocket. "If you're up for it, our friend would like to hear you play. Maybe he can make something happen."
"That sounds ominous." Shotaro humors as he takes the card.
Eunseok laughs, "I promise, he's a good guy."
"Don't worry about him, can't even speak louder than my normal voice right now," Sungchan assures, Eunseok nudges him with his elbow. "But he is a good kid and we appreciate him."
"Thanks." Wonbin says for the first time. He's staring right back at Eunseok when he does so, and he doesn't have any other choice but to smile at him.
"Don't mention it."
He stays like that for a couple of seconds, like the two of them are speaking with their eyes, but it's really just intense yet confusing stares that Eunseok could not explain. Wonbin blinks, his eyes going from him to Sohee who he hears mumbling about how excited he is. He smiles at his bandmate, the side of Eunseok's mouth twitches when he sees the expression on Wonbin's face for the first time.
A nudge and someone clearing their throat from beside him takes him out of the trance. Eunseok looks at Sungchan, eyebrows raised. Sungchan only gives him the same gesture back, and he starts talking again to the band about their goals and how the band started. Eunseok forgets to listen, instead glances at Wonbin, who's speaking quietly with Sohee. He then tries to shake whatever that feeling was and gives Shotaro a heads up on what day and time they should meet Chanyoung.
-
"Sungchan hyung told me so," Chanyoung hums, before sipping his orange juice. Eunseok is back in the studio, and this might be the last in a while he can visit his friend as he's about to go on a promotional tour for his new drama. But he wanted to see Chanyoung's reaction to Sunrize, so he told his manager to give him the day off today. Mark got better a few days ago, Sungchan couldn't join them because he had to get back to recording the album now that everyone is well.
"Well, that's new." Eunseok huffs a laugh, "Sungchan compliementing my decisions?"
"Eh, well, it's kinda complimenting the band."
The reply made them both laugh. Eunseok reminds the younger that Sunrize will be here in a few minutes for the evaluation, albeit not a proper one, because it's just Chanyoung. The real evaluation is judged by his father and the rest of his production crew. Admittedly, Eunseok is also nervous. He knows Chanyoung is a sweet kid, but he takes his job seriously. He's as meticulous as Sungchan, if not more strict. They are a group of perfectionists.
He gnaws the inside of his mouth at the thought of Chanyoung meeting the band and him listening to them play. As Eunseok opens his mouth to remind Chanyoung that Sunrize is just covering songs, the door to the studio opens.
They both startle for a moment until they see who opened it. Eunseok locks eyes with Wonbin, and the guitarist breaks it first, holding up his guitar.
"I'm going to tune my guitar." He announces, and Chanyoung gestures him to the recording booth's door. Eunseok follows his movements silently–apparently not sneaky enough.
He turns to see Chanyoung giving him a look, something between wonder and confusion.
"He plays very well." Is all Eunseok has to say while they hear Wonbin strum and adjust his guitar from the booth.
The rest of the band comes into the recording booth once Chanyoung is done briefing them on what he wants to hear them play. They are to play one instrumental, Sohee has to use the bass because his vocals are not needed yet, another one is to play a cover they are familiar with, and the last one is to use one of Chanyoung's own compositions. Needless to say, it will take the whole day to get approval from the younger.
Eunseok sits there on the couch, biting his nails in suspense, as they start with the first one, instruments only.
Not a lot of people know about it, but Eunseok originally trained to be an idol, a performer; it wasn't until two years into his training that he realized he was better off acting, his acting mentors were very fond of him, and over time he's learned to love the craft. Loved it more than his initial reason for going there in the first place. And after getting placed in a new department, in the same company, Eunseok got his first project which inevitably changed the course of his career. That doesn't happen to a lot of people, and if what he's learned in that experience is to be carried out in this situation; it is to take the risk.
Sunrize is a good band, Eunseok knows as much, and as he watches them perform in the booth he figures the risk he took to introduce them to Chanyoung is a start to a blossoming future. He's not an expert on success, however looking at his career and the advice every other veteran actor he's worked with has given him, he trusts his gut.
"Okay, guitar." He hears Chanyoung say to the button, pointing in Wonbin's direction. The rest of the band stops and watches, so does Eunseok.
Wonbin plucks and strums the strings expertly, in a way only he can do perfectly yet making it look so effortless. Eunseok is captivated, Wonbin is such a natural performer that he wonders how this band hasn't had the huge following Eunseok thinks they do. They're all good-looking, and talented, and the stage presence is definitely there.
Wonbin strums two more times and Chanyoung switches to guiding Shotaro. Eunseok sees Wonbin pants, exhilarated from the performance he put on. Eyes wide, bangs falling on his face, he glances up to see Eunseok watching him. Then he turns to Shotaro playing the drums as quickly as their eyes meet.
"Here's the thing," Chanyoung starts once the whole band is out of the recording booth. "I have a month to prove to my father and his colleague of professional producers that I am capable of having my own studio." That seems like a heavy burden for a twenty year old, though who is Eunseok to say anything when he started training at the age of seventeen?
It's late at night when the session finished, Eunseok sits there like a bystander–or an audience, whichever is a better description of him, bleary eyes blinking sleepily. The four bandmates find a place to sit and they start talking business with Chanyoung. He tells the band that the song he made them play is the first draft of the song he wants to show to his dad. He wants them to share their own input and help write their own songs. The band agrees with the propositions, most of it with little tweaks. Eunseok remains seated in the corner watchinv them talk business until they finally make an agreement.
"Thanks guys, you won't regret this!" Chanyoung exclaims, shaking hands with Shotaro. "I'll have to ask you to do your sessions here on specific days, so better be prepared." He then explains to them their schedule, and honestly, Eunseok zoned out a little.
He remembers he has to go back to his apartment and prepare whatever he has to prepare for the start of the promo. And also check his schedule, yes.
They exchange thank you's and Eunseok bids them goodbye. He gives Chanyoung a pat and a "good luck" before he leaves the studio. When he gets out of the building, a car is already waiting for him.
-
Wonbin is confident about his talents, his ambition, and most importantly, the way he views himself. One year ago, when everything crumbled right on his feet–foot, actually, thank goodness–the confidence shattered like the news he was welcomed in. Sitting on the white sheet of the infirmary, staring darkly at his covered legs, wondering what went wrong with his footing during practice. He's made mistakes, twisted an ankle once, but nothing severe that had him lose everything he's worked for his whole life. And then, it happened, as if fate was telling him this was not worth it anymore. Wonbin had to rewrite his dreams.
Moving to Seoul is not part of the decision. In fact, living with three other guys, louder than those he's used to hanging out with, was never on the list of things he wanted to experience. But from what occurred a year ago, Wonbin figures nothing can go his way anymore. He has to accept that sometimes he's not on the upperhand. Being considered for a spot in a music label was also not part of the plan, yet here is Wonbin greeting the guard as he enters the building he's gotten accustomed to a couple of weeks back.
He's arrived straight from Ulsan where he visited his parents over the weekend. He had to talk to them about his gigs, and why he hasn't been doing one recently. They're supportive of whatever Wonbin wants to thrive in. He knew they were worried because a contract can make or break a career and dreams. They don't want him to have to give up his for the second time. Wonbin reassures them this is going to last.
As he opens the door to Chanyoung's studio, he catches the producer talking to someone on the phone. Wonbin puts his bag on the couch and takes out his guitar from the case. "Okay, well, I have to go. Don't you have the press to look good for? Okay, fine." Chanyoung groans, ending the call.
He's been on the phone lately, Wonbin guesses it's Eunseok he's talking to. Eunseok tries his best to visit them in their practices, Wonbin always wonders why he trusts their band this much he contacted Chanyoung to check them out. Wonbin has trouble showing his emotions to new people, he's a bit reserved. His face tends to morph into blankness when he's concentrating. Others find him impassive. The band is used to it, they know how he works.
Chanyoung notices Wonbin at the corner and smiles at him, "Eunseok hyung's asking about you."
"Really?" Wonbin perks up slightly, cursing himself later on for doing so.
"Yeah, he asks about the band a lot."
"Oh,"
Chanyoung might have found Wonbin's somber tone an indication of concern, so he waves his hand, laughing sheepishly. "No, no. Don't worry, he's not, like, worried. He's just asking for updates. He can't visit, too busy with press and all."
Wonbin finds himself nodding, his robotic response to conversations such as this. He's not sure what about Eunseok that he finds endearing. His jokes are unfunny, and he's too jittery for his own sake; but he's passionate about what he puts his mind to, based on the countless interviews Sohee watches on their tv. Apart from that, Eunseok believes in them, in Sunrize, that they're the next big thing. No one else had that eagerness before, besides their own family members.
Wonbin just thinks Eunseok is a good person, but he's not sure how to relay that to him.
The band practices for an hour or two with the composition Chanyoung gave to them, they tweaked it a bit to fit their style. Sunrize and Chanyoung are a good match, they know what each other wants, what's good and not. He lets the band decide which path is better for each song they do. After two more redos, Chanyoung calls it a day.
"Sohee hyung, I think the chorus is good, maybe Taro hyung can slow the tempo for the pre?" He glances at the drummer for approval. The oldest nods. "Okay, cool. Because it needs to come a bit late before the guitar."
"Okay. Yeah, yeah." Shotaro replies, out of breath and extending his hand for a water bottle.
"Other than that, all good. We just need to polish the instrumental before recording. That good?"
"Great." Seunghan replies, sitting down across Wonbin on an ottoman. Chanyoung leaves the recording booth, excusing himself to go up to his father's office.
Wonbin watches the others calm themselves from the adrenaline, grabbing their water bottles and opening their phones. He continues fiddling with his guitar, in case it was overused during their sessions. Tuning it expertly, strumming once in a while to see if it's correctly tuned.
He hears a familiar sound coming from the other side of the room. "Aw, come on. You watched that already!" Seunghan complains, trying to take Sohee's phone away.
"No, I haven't. It's the presscon highlights." Sohee mumbles, fumbling his bag for his earphones. "They just used Eunseok hyung's song."
Wonbin attempts to focus on what he's doing instead of listening to the conversation. "Press for what?" He hears Seunghan ask.
"The new series on Netflix."
"There's another one?" Shotaro joins the conversation, eyes wide in curiosity.
Sohee shrugs, explaining how Eunseok is booked and busy, that he's never not working since he started acting. Wonbin never joined in on conversations like this, and it's not because he couldn't care less. It's more because he's not sure how to tell Sohee and the others he finds Eunseok's acting actually compelling. He doesn't want to sound too endeared, too much of a fanboy to admit. Sohee can do it, he's got this adorable charm that Eunseok admires when he's being asked about his roles. Wonbin on the other hand, thinks Eunseok would be weirded out if he suddenly starts talking about how much he thinks Eunseok's acting has improved. And his Crown Prince persona made his heart flutter a bit.
"Is that why he's not visiting?" Wonbin gets the courage to ask, keeping his voice normal. He's just curious.
"Hm? I think so." Seunghan shrugs, thinking about it himself.
"Well, not like he's our manager, y'know?" Sohee jokes, "I'm excited for this one! It's a bit more mature than the others."
"Mature?"
"Yeah, it's from a manhwa. Lots of kissing." Sohee explains, blushing a bit at the thought. Seunghan pinches his cheeks when he notices it's turning pink.
"Eunseok's character?" Shotaro asks.
"Yeah. He's the main character in this one. I read the manhwa when I learned he's playing–and oh my, the main character is a flirt."
He gets a collective ooh from Shotaro and Seunghan. They look at each other, Seunghan's eyes wiggling playfully. "That's interesting."
Wonbin shakes his head and decides to change the topic. "What should we have for dinner?"
-
When the manager tells him he's free to do whatever he likes...for four days, the first thing Eunseok does is order pizza and go to Chanyoung's studio. The band is recording for their first single after getting evaluated by the team. He's heard all about it from Chanyoung whose joy couldn't be contained from the phone call the night of the evaluation. Eunseok congratulates him after another excruciating variety show guesting and a radio appearance, but he wants to extend the congratulations to the band.
It's been over a month since Eunseok found them playing at the bar. During the three weeks he's been gone, he isn't sure what changed; however, there was a sense of longing while doing all his usual activities. It's not because of Chanyoung, he gathers, because Eunseok is used to seeing him once a month or thrice a year. Sungchan, too, is constantly bombarding him with video calls after his performances. So, not him. Eunseok deduced, that the band has probably occupied a bigger space in his heart than he imagined.
With three boxes of pizza dangling on his right arm, Eunseok opens the studio and greets whoever is in there. "Hey, guys."
His eyes find Wonbin's naturally sparkly ones. His smile tightens, not wanting to come off too ecstatic and scaring him away. Seunghan greets back, fortunately, cutting off the impending awkwardness between him and Wonbin. The pizza boxes are swooped out of his hand before he can rebut.
"Drama is good, hyung!" Sohee exclaims, mouth full of the pizza he's munching on. Eunseok told them before that he wished everyone to call him comfortably. He's not surprised that Sohee is calling him hyung in a friendly manner. "I'm on episode three. Your chemistry with Minjeong–incredible!"
Eunseok scratches his head in embarrassment but thanks Sohee for the compliment. He watches as Seunghan mimics Sohee's expression, getting close to Sohee's space to tease him more. They seem to be closer than he thinks as he sees Sohee blush slightly at the movement.
Turning his head to avoid ruining their moment, his eyes catch Wonbin looking at them fondly, a smile forming on his lips. Eunseok clears his throat and proceeds to take another slice from one of the boxes.
Eunseok gets back to his apartment at dinner time, he's still quite full from eating a few slices. He changes his clothes and turns on the television for noise. One of his dramas is showing, and Eunseok would much rather look at anything else. But before he could lift the remote control from his couch, he sees his phone light up beside it.
Unknown Number
thank you for the treat and for everything else.
wonbin, by the way.
Eunseok lets out an intrigued hum, opening the notification and ignoring his voice on the tv.
Eunseok
Hey, Wonbin. Can I save your number?
and it's nothing. I think you deserve more.
Wonbin
either way, thank you. you're doing so much for the band already.
we'll be releasing a single in two weeks.
Eunseok
That's great!
Let me know when it's out, okay?
Wonbin
you'll be the first to know :)
um after chanyoung because he will listen to it first
sorry
Eunseok finds himself laughing at the apology and replies to Wonbin that he doesn't need to apologize for anything.
He forgets to change the channel, forgets about dinner, and goes straight to his bed while waiting for another reply from Wonbin. Eunseok checks the time of Wonbin's first message and realizes their messages have been going on for more than an hour. After which, a few minutes later, he decides it's already late and they can just continue this tomorrow or whenever they can.
Eunseok goes back to work on Saturday the same week. The exchanges remain steady, and Eunseok discovers that Wonbin has a lot more character than he shows himself in person. They don't call, only text. Wonbin doesn't use emoji often, whereas Eunseok is used to sending random ones that he hopes Wonbin don't think is weird.
Wonbin
how long is the recording for a show?
Eunseok
Depends.
If it's content like camping or activities outside, usually two days.
Wonbin
where are you now?
Eunseok
Gimpo. I just got here.
Wonbin
you mentioned visiting a strawberry farm?
it's hot today
drink water hyung
Eunseok did say to be comfortable. He did tell them to address him like they're friends. He did, he did mention he can call them hyung. Somehow, the hyung coming from Wonbin made his heart beat a little louder, faster, than normal.
Eunseok
I will!
Eunseok locks his phone and leaves the tent as his name gets called. He nods at his manager, briefing him about what they will do for today's recording.
Wonbin
almost done :)
Eunseok
Can't wait to hear it!
Wonbin
seunghan is mad at sohee?
Eunseok
You're asking me?
Aren't you with them
Wonbin
nevermind
they were arguing if your character is better or the second lead
Eunseok
*laughing emoji*
Which one do you think is better?
Wonbin
i don't know
sohee thinks yours. but he likes you so.
Wonbin
the album cover is nice
Eunseok
You said it's releasing tomorrow night?
Wonbin
yes! i'll send you the link
Eunseok
Congratulate everyone for me.
The weather has been in their favor, the director thinks so too, which is why he wanted to keep on filming the scenes until he's satisfied with the result. They had Eunseok run around the area, cry his heart out, scream at the void (about fifty staff staring at him as he did so), and say the most emotionally aggressive monologue he'd ever read. This drama is surely going to be a hit for romance fiends, Eunseok concludes as the director takes five. He bows to thank the staff and his co-actors, walking back to his trailer to get a snack and sit down.
When he enters the trailer, he sees his manager standing by the entrance, looking at something else.
"What, hyung?" Eunseok mumbles, walking up the flights, but he doesn't hear the reply as he sees it instead.
"Eunseok, my best friend! I've been looking for you."
Eunseok rolls his eyes, already dreading the appearance of the other. "Don't you have an album to promote?" Eunseok grumbles opening the mini fridge for a sprite.
Sungchan gasps, dramatically, "If you're really my friend you'd know the album promotions ended last week!"
"My bad."
Eunseok huffs a laugh, sitting on the bench across from his friend. He feels his phone vibrates and immediately opens it to see a notification from Wonbin. Putting his drink on the nearest flat surface, he clicks on the notification and starts reading.
Wonbin
pre-save
*link*
Eunseok
Already did?
I saw the post on your insta.
Wonbin
oops my bad
you're done with filming?
Eunseok
Nope, taking a break.
Sungchan is here...
Wonbin
is that a threat?
Eunseok
To me, yeah
"I am not a threat to anyone!" Eunseok gets visibly shocked by the complaint, jumping on his seat before glaring at his friend now sitting beside him.
"You could've told me you're there?!"
"Why are you texting Wonbin?"
Sungchan ignores the protest and starts pushing for an answer to come out of Eunseok's mouth. "How long?" Sungchan demands, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"A week?"
The question technically wasn't clear. How long have they been texting? A week. How long had Eunseok started to feel a certain way? A week, or more than, he supposes. But an ominous question requires an equally ominous answer. He's not off the hook from Sungchan's interrogation, he's certain. However, Eunseok is familiar with Sungchan's tactic to fall for right now. He does his best to avoid answering the rest of his queries with concise responses.
After the third, "Eunseok." Sungchan has managed to stop the playful banter between them.
His manager went back to the set to talk to the other staff, possibly planning for his next schedule as well. Eunseok sighs knowing he's alone with Sungchan. His friend might be the loudest person in the room, but Eunseok trusts him enough to reveal this one discovery he found about himself.
"We've been texting for a week." Eunseok clarifies. "He said he asked Chanyoung for my number. He thanked me, then our conversations kind of...continued." He shrugs.
There's a new message from Wonbin. He settles on locking his phone, reminding himself to reply to it later. When this talk is over.
"That's it?" Sungchan hums. "If that's it, then...?"
"What do you want me to say then?"
Sungchan chuckles, backing away. "Hey, hey. I'm not telling you to do anything. I'm just curious– Since when did you have your eyes on him?"
Eunseok remains silent, remembering when was the last time he didn't find Wonbin attractive, lovely, or intriguing. Trying to find an excuse to leave this conversation for next time, wanting to tell Sungchan he's kinda busy for this kind of thing– whatever the thing is. He wants to ask Sungchan if he wants some company, then maybe he can visit Chanyoung and the band because they'll release their first single, and Sungchan might be able to give them strength since he can't at the moment.
But Sungchan is persistent, he's looking at Eunseok from his periphery. In truth, he can tell Sungchan. He tells Sungchan everything; from how awful his kiss with this actress was to opening up to him that he wants a pet since he's been kind of lonely lately.
Sungchan and Eunseok go way back. Sungchan was the first person to notice that Eunseok was losing interest in dancing. They were in the same company, still are though different departments, and they were two kids dreaming of standing on stage. Promising each other that one day they will debut together and share their talents with the world. Along the way, Eunseok realized that maybe he wanted to show it to the world, in a different way than what he started with. And it's because of Sungchan's encouragement that he's here now.
So, yeah, he can tell Sungchan this. They've talked about their dreams while crying in the company locker room at two am. He can tell this to him.
"Since the night I saw him play."
He hears Sungchan sigh in relief, in understanding. "I know. I kinda just wanna hear you say it." He says with a smile on his face.
Eunseok feels an arm wrapping around his shoulders and pulling him in. "Are you gonna do something about it?"
"Probably."
-
"He even shared it on his insta!"
Upon entering the studio, a place he hasn't seen in a while–replaced by the boring ceiling of his trailer–Eunseok hears the cheery voice of Sohee proudly talking about the noise their single has accumulated in the last seventy-two hours. Eunseok has a lot of plates in his hands, he had to plead with his manager to let him visit, "Just a few minutes! I swear I'll head back in time for the next part." This means he'll just do a round of congratulatory remarks, ask Chanyoung how he's doing, ignore the fact that he's actually here for Wonbin, and then finally, go straight to the filming site.
"Of course," Eunseok laughs, waving a hand at Shotaro from inside the recording booth. He sees Sohee smiling while holding his phone in his chest. "It's too good not to share with everyone else."
"I thought you have filming tonight?"
"Nice to see you again, Chanyoung-ah." Eunseok ruffles the younger's hair which made him groan in dismay for ruining the perfect styling. "You know, you gotta stop greeting your hyung like that. I'm busy, but can't I slide here when I can?"
Chanyoung huffs, "I was just asking."
Eunseok shakes his head, finding the grumpiness adorable. "Well, I don't have much time. I just wanna congratulate you and the band. That's all." He smiles, looking around the room to communicate his happiness to everyone.
He spots Wonbin cleaning his guitar case behind Sohee, sitting at the lone ottoman in the corner. He's not sparing him a glance, so Eunseok leaves it and turns to another–Seunghan, who's already staring at him with narrowed eyes as if scrutinizing him. He brushes it off, goes to Shotaro to talk about how much he appreciates the work they put on the song. Later, he goes to Chanyoung and gives him encouragement after all this, since he still needs to get his father's team on board to sign Sunrize before giving them an actual album and a promotional date.
"Hey, call me if you need anything, okay?" He assures Chanyoung and the younger smiles. He and Sungchan have treated Chanyoung like their own little brother since they met him a few years ago. They know under those passionate eyes, he's still in need of support from his friends.
"I know, hyung. Go, I can hear your phone vibrating from over here." He points at Eunseok's pocket for emphasis and laughs.
Eunseok nods, sparing his last look to Wonbin who's already watching him open the door. He nods before he closes the door completely.
When he gets to his car, his manager quickly starts the engine and Eunseok is left to unlock his phone for the messages he's received. He wonders to himself why his manager didn't scold him for not looking at his phone. As he unlocks his phone, Eunseok realizes who's the actual reason for the notifications.
Wonbin
hyung
thank you for sharing the song
it's gaining so much popularity since last night
sorry i didn't talk
Eunseok sighs, not sure if it's relief or he's hiding the disappointment that Wonbin didn't greet him as openly as he does on messages–or like, at all.
Eunseok
I'm guessing you haven't tell them we talk?
May I ask why?
Wonbin
idk...
it never came up
i mean i'm sorry, i'll definitely talk to them about this
Eunseok
Stop apologizing
Nothing wrong with being friends, right?
Wonbin
friends?
Eunseok tilts his head, wondering if he said it wrong. He ignores the loud thrumming of his heart as he types in a reply.
Eunseok
Um, yes?
We are friends, right...
Wonbin
ah
yes
i didn't mean it like that ㅠㅠ
sorry
we are friends :)
Eunseok sighs again. Talking to Wonbin, even in text is a sport in itself, he wonders what goes on in his head as they talk. And if only the other would go to him and speak what he truly wants to say, then he can understand what he really wants.
It still doesn't end the fact that he himself is emotionally conflicted on how to go about this friendship, albeit secret, that bloomed between them. Wonbin sends him messages, sometimes in separate bubbles when he's excited or he wants Eunseok to know something quickly, to get his point across as fast as he can. Wonbin is livelier on a screen than what he's showing in person. Maybe that's his concept, maybe it's all kept inside, but Eunseok wants him to be comfortable. To share with him his laugh, and smile, and the talkative side he's used to seeing on his tiny screen.
Maybe he wants more with Wonbin. Who can blame him.
Eunseok
We are friends. I hope we can look the part in person, too.
-
The next time they see each other, he's told that Sunrize got the green light to record a mini album. Seven songs, including the first single they released. Chanyoung has prepared a couple of compositions that were able to accompany the lyrics the band wrote. And after two weeks of deliberation, they're set to record the songs.
Eunseok begins another round of his promotional tour in a couple of weeks, he chooses to join the band's recording session for today. Usually, he'll ask some of the production's crew and actors to hang out and get to know them before the drama airs. Lately, those are becoming a thing of the past, and his nights are instead shared with his phone, smiling to himself while arguing with Wonbin whether he looks more like a cat or a bunny.
When he grabs the doorknob, another person opens the door from the other side. "Whoa," The familiar voice whispers. Eunseok looks up to see Wonbin's eyes widening in surprise–of Eunseok's appearance? Of someone else opening the door? He couldn't tell. "You can't go in there." Wonbin closes the distance and Eunseok doesn't get the chance to move aside before they're standing face to face.
"They're making Seunghan and Sohee harmonize, so," He shrugs after whispering the reason. Eunseok clears his throat and leaves a larger space between them before anyone else sees them standing too close in the very wide corridor.
Wonbin starts to walk to another director which spins Eunseok out of his trance. He follows him, unconsciously.
"Where are you going?"
"Breakroom. Just gonna have a light snack before my turn."
It only occurs to him that Wonbin is talking to him by the time he's welcomed by the bright light and equally blinding white tiles of the breakroom.
Eunseok takes a seat, watching Wonbin open the fridge to take out a can of cola, "You want one?" He looks at Eunseok, cheeks puffed cutely while he waits for an answer.
"No thanks."
Once Wonbin has grabbed a pack of chocolate biscuits, he sits next to Eunseok. "Hey," He begins, tearing the pack open and putting it on the table, between him and Eunseok. The gesture makes Eunseok smile.
"Hi," Eunseok breathes, something he's been keeping for a while now, he supposes. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I should be the one asking you that." He hears Wonbin chuckle. "You check up on us whenever you have a chance. Your schedule is full, yet you find the time to ask Chanyoung how we're doing."
"It's nothing, you know. I just want to know if you're alright with this. I kind of asked you guys and then left."
Wonbin shakes his head, munching on another biscuit. "Like you didn't save our career. We've been wanting to be signed, you know. And we got that in, what? Two months?"
"Because you're good." Eunseok hums, glances at Wonbin beside him. "I wouldn't recommend you to Chan if you weren't. He wouldn't continue supporting you if he knew you were not what he was looking for. And he most certainly would not endorse you to his dad."
Eunseok lightly nudges Wonbin's arm. The younger ducks down and smiles. The kind of smile Eunseok sees when he's talking to his bandmates, or when he finds something they say hilarious. The lovely and full smile he's only seen from a distance.
"It's because you're worth it."
Wonbin slowly loses his smile, taking a peek at Eunseok from his periphery. "You think?"
"I know," Eunseok replies without another beat.
"Ah," Wonbin nods. He takes a moment to drink his coke, digesting the biscuit, and wiping the excess crumb on his lips.
"What?"
Wonbin gives him a shrug.
"Wonbin–"
"There you are!" The two of them startle at the new voice. They look at the door and find Seunghan panting slightly, hands on his hips. "Bbina, your solo."
"Ah!" Wonbin ends his stupor, cleaning up the remnants of his snack and throwing them into the trash can. He leaves without a word, and Eunseok is left to wonder why.
He realizes he's also left with Seunghan standing in front of him. "Yes?" He asks when Seunghan doesn't budge.
"What were you guys talking about?"
"Just the whole record signing. Why?"
Seunghan shrugs, taking the seat across Eunseok. "You tell me,"
"...What exactly?"
"I don't know, just curious. Because I never see you talk with Wonbin hyung since you found us at the bar."
Eunseok gets that, it does look odd that he and Wonbin started speaking. "I saw him, and we just talked..." Eunseok cringes at his response, even he found that bad.
Seunghan probably understood the predicament he was in and decides to verbalize what is on his mind. "He's just shy, you know. He meets new people, and he just doesn't know how to approach them first. When we first formed, he only talked to Shotaro hyung because he made the band. He does what he's told, and does his part."
Seunghan explains Wonbin's injury, "He's healed now, partly," but he emphasizes how Wonbin's spirit might not have totally forgotten the accident. At the back of his mind, he's not quite sure why he's getting a summary of Wonbin's life and tragedies, but he's sure Seunghan means well, so he listens well.
"What I'm saying is," Seunghan glares at him. Eunseok gets taken aback by the sudden change of expression. "You need to make your move instead of waiting for him."
Eunseok understands, he's not numb. He's just unsure how he'll handle the rejection that comes after. Because what if he got it wrong? What if Seunghan isn't interpreting this correctly? What if Wonbin only wants to be friends? Signals can get confusing, this is why Eunseok isn't fond of driving.
"How about you?" Eunseok switches the topic to Seunghan, to avoid thinking about the matters of his own life for a moment. "Have you made yours?"
"What?" Seunghan sputters.
"I think we both know what we're talking about, Seunghan." Eunseok gives him a smirk, "Even Wonbin sees it."
"Of course he does," Seunghan groans, dropping his head on the table. "He's Sohee's best friend."
"So you do get it." Eunseok chuckles, patting Seunghan's head. "We can figure this out. For now, focus on the songs, okay? You guys are doing great."
"Easy for you to say." Seunghan sniffs, much like a toddler refusing to go to bed. He huffs, standing up and walking towards the door. "At least we know yours is mutual. I can't tell if mine likes me or not."
Seunghan leaves Eunseok before he even gets to open his mouth to protest.
-
Sitting on a chair in front of fifty or more cameras and journalists asking questions that are too personal to be about the film is something he's never going to get used to. With the smile he makes, he'll receive flashing comments regarding how cute it is or how fake it seems. It's always the same. He sees it, reads it and calls it a day. Eunseok is not one to care much about the petty remarks he gets unless it concerns his acting. His acting is his job, therefore, constructive or not, he'll have to take their words into consideration. They are the audience after all. Eunseok relies on their expectations and reception.
In all honesty, Eunseok doesn't have a lot of friends. He can call the people he's worked with when he wants to take a vacation, or when they just want to catch up on their careers. But truthfully, he's still a rookie when it comes to figuring out whether one can be trusted. Sungchan and Chanyoung are the actual people who he can talk to, problem is they're usually as busy as he is. The promotion period is the bane of his existence, not because he hates talking about his work. That might be the better part of it. It's more on trying to please the press, making jokes, telling cheesy moments on set that he doesn't find cute at all but needs to for the headlines.
"What is your character's personality?"
"That's complicated," Eunseok starts. "Insoo is someone who wants to be understood, but he finds it hard to open up to people. When the other characters meet him, they think he's bad, or others are careful around him. Over time I think the viewers will like him. You just need to focus on his growth." He stops, not revealing too much. For the most part, he thinks he's like the character he plays.
Frankly, a part of him is in the characters that he plays. He's always a different person every few months, Eunseok kind of wishes he could be himself with someone. The real him, not the Crown Prince, the heir to a conglomerate, or the university heartthrob. Maybe he just wants to be Eunseok, who plays games until his eyes start hurting. Who watches animated films and points at the screen while crying. Eunseok, who goes to his favorite bar at night to listen to local bands perform. His mind enters a place where he's him, and he's with someone. This someone, he really desires to know more about. Someone who seems to be admiring him as he admires them.
-
Performing in front of a maximum of fifty people at night felt like a dream. Wonbin imagines performing three times the amount of that with their original songs, not just covers, is more than he could take. Yet, here he is now, standing in front of an audience, a couple of hundred of them, waiting for the band to start playing their songs.
It was a good first two hours since the album was released on music platforms, Sohee encouraged them before going on stage. Their songs charted well on the band charts on every platform. It's more than a rookie band can achieve at this time when the music industry is oversaturated with multiple acts in all categories. At least someone is looking forward to them, Wonbin takes that as a win.
"This song is about those that are stuck choosing which is the right thing to do. If you're ever in a situation where you can't decide, think about how it would make you feel if you chose the one over the other. Maybe then you'll get your answer." Seunghan says to the microphone as Wonbin readies the rhythm.
Sohee begins singing just as Shotaro and Wonbin combine their instruments for a stable harmony and Seunghan follows the melody. He sees the keyboardist smile when he looks at Sohee, eyes closed, feeling the music.
"Let's go!" Shotaro shouts as they hit the chorus.
-
The second day of the promo tour concludes, and Eunseok got the news that Sunrize's showcase went better than expected. You can call him insane, or you can call him deranged. They're almost the same thing, however, he doesn't care about anything else.
Holding the box of cake for dear life, he makes his way to the location of Sunrize's album showcase. Their promotion clashes, Eunseok almost didn't make it if it weren't for Sungkyung, one of the actors in his drama. Again, the crew wanted to celebrate the presscon's success, but Sungkyung excused herself, saying she got a headache. She's beloved by the cast who refused to celebrate without her. Thus, the plan got canceled, and now Eunseok is here, panting, his back sweaty from walking too fast, heart beating louder than normal–for various reasons.
"Hey," He greets, not minding the pause of conversation around him as he places the cake on one of the taller tables. "Sorry, am I too late?"
He remains breathing heavily, assessing the room. He sees Sungchan sitting beside Seunghan, hands up in mid-high five with the other. Most of the staff don't mind him, though. He looks for one person he's been wanting to talk to for a while.
"Congratulations on the album!" He speaks again and finds Wonbin staring at him from the vanity. Eunseok walks toward him and leans in to whisper, "Can I talk to you?"
Wonbin looks at the others' reaction before nodding and following Eunseok. As they stop along an empty hallway, he spots Wonbin avoiding his gaze.
"I've been thinking a lot," Eunseok says, carefully. "Specifically, I've been thinking about you more than I should."
Wonbin turns to him, "What do you mean?"
"It's just- I think- I..." Eunseok rubs a palm on his face, evening his breath. He hadn't had the time to do so in the three minutes he's been in this building. "I like you. I know, it's weird. Gah, I know it's been three months. And it's crazier to say I think I've liked you since that night at the bar. But, yeah, um. I thought you should know." He exhales audibly, now that it's all out there.
"Really." Wonbin says, more like a declaration than a question. "Can I tell you a secret, then?" He asks, looking down on his shoes.
"...Sure."
"I watch some of your dramas," Wonbin admits, having difficulty facing Eunseok. "And when you approached us, I didn't know what to do."
"Really?" At this point, Eunseok is at a loss for words.
"Yeah, you're a lot of people's dream guy. I bet you know that, and you also know that people always harbor crushes on you. Sohee's a big fan, so I never told him-" Wonbin sighs; it sounds more like a whine, but Eunseok doesn't want to embarrass him.
"Tell him what?"
He lifts up his head to see Eunseok at eye level, despite the difference in height. "That I like you. Especially now that you're close with us. You're more than just a star on tv. "
The silence became apparent as the mumbling of the people from the farther hallways started to become audible. They continue standing there, facing each other. Wonbin gives him a smile, Eunseok gives one back–though he feels it's more like a lopsided grin.
"Um," Eunseok coughs, "Do you wanna go on a date?"
Wonbin lets out a laugh. "I thought you'd never ask and we're gonna stand here all night!"
When they go back to the dressing room, the band, Chanyoung, and Sungchan, stop what they're doing. They collectively follow Eunseok and Wonbin's intertwined hands, sighing in relief.
[bonus]
Daily News
Bromance in the Air ♥️ Actor Song Eunseok ♡ Sunrize's Wonbin • Insta Story • "I had a good time..."
On Tuesday, actor Song Eunseok posted a series of photos with the guitarist Park Wonbin of rising band Sunrize on his Instagram Story. The two seem to be good friends. Eunseok is rarely seen with other celebrities besides Yoonsang's son, Anton, and Misfit's maknae Sungchan. Are we witnessing a new friendship bloom?
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