Hongjoong and San deal with the aftermath of revealing their relationship to the world through a music video.
Through this potentially devastating decision, Hongjoong is reminded why exactly he fell in love with San in the first place.
A story told...
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2018
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Hongjoong would never admit it, and he'd rather die than truly accept it, but when San first arrived, round faced and wide eyed with barely enough maturity to keep himself upright, he had not been impressed.
In a room full of nameless twenty-something year olds and preening baby faced teenagers all agonizing over the same impossible dream, San hadn't stood out in the slightest.
His cheeks were alarmingly chubby, swallowing up the entirety of his face where it made his plush lips come forward in a constant pout, and he had jet black hair that was casted down around his eyes, in desperate need of a trim.
He looked soft and approachable, and Hongjoong couldn't help but watch him for a moment, eyes traveling to the new figure with instant curiosity.
It was surprising to see a new face so late in auditions.
Many other boys had come and gone with crushed souls and broken futures, either untalented and lacking enough to be dropped, or too unsatisfied with the state of the company to really have the heart to stay.
San had been wearing an ugly brown tracksuit that day, dark circular rimmed glasses sliding down his nose as he danced with a sort of burning eagerness, features blooming with frustration even though his movements were smooth and elegant.
He was nervous, limbs practically vibrating with the choking emotion, but he pushed through the heat and glared at himself in the mirror, following the routine with only a slight delay compared to the other trainees.
He was good, quick with adjustments and polite as he nodded along to the suggestions that came tumbling his way once the music stopped.
But he wasn't good enough, nothing spectacular that would stand out among the rest of them, and for a brief moment Hongjoong thought about taking his usual spot beside Wooyoung and ignoring the kid entirely.
Figured it wouldn't be more than a week before the raven haired boy was back on the streets and another one would come in with the same youthful glow and regretful insignificance.
But then Yeosang was brushing past Hongjoong and greeting the newcomer as though they were old friends, arm thrown around his shoulder with a wide smile, and Hongjoong reckoned that at least speaking to the kid wouldn't hurt.
Once the first break was announced, Hongjoong hesitated at the back of the room with a water bottle clutched in his hand and a towel thrown over his shoulder, suddenly unsure.
