Chapter 9
After another long practice session, JL decided to step out for a bit. The finals were just around the corner, and the pressure was getting heavier each day. He figured a short walk and a quick stop at the convenience store might help clear his mind.
With a small bag of snacks in hand, JL took the longer route back to their building, passing through a nearby park. The cool night air was refreshing, but just as he was about to turn a corner, he spotted someone.
Steven.
JL’s first instinct was to turn back and leave, but before he could, Steven’s voice called out.
“JL.”
JL hesitated. Slowly, he turned to face Steven, who looked like he had been waiting for him. There was something in his expression… serious, determined.
“I need to tell you something,” Steven said.
JL nodded hesitantly and stepped closer. Neither of them spoke right away, and the silence between them only made the atmosphere more awkward. Eventually, JL took a deep breath and decided to break it.
“Steven, about what you asked me before… I—”
Before he could even finish, Steven cut him off.
“I like you.”
JL froze.
Steven’s voice wasn’t hesitant or uncertain, it was firm, like he had been holding onto those words for too long.
Not as a friend. Not as a teammate. But as something more.
JL stared at him, unable to say anything. A confession was the last thing he expected tonight.
But even as Steven’s words echoed in his ears, his mind drifted elsewhere. The word like made him think of someone else.
His mentor.
Yangyang.
JL’s heart pounded in his chest. His feelings, ones he had only begun to realize, were suddenly weighing down on him, making it hard to breathe.
He opened his mouth, trying to find the right words, but Steven cut him off again.
“You like him, don’t you?” Steven asked, his voice softer this time.
They both knew who he was. There was no need to say his name.
JL dropped his gaze. He didn’t answer, but his silence said enough.
Steven let out a shaky breath. His hands clenched into fists, then loosened as if he was trying to stop himself from saying something he might regret.
Then, before JL could react, Steven stepped forward and pulled him into a tight embrace.
“Choose me instead,” Steven whispered against his shoulder. “We’ll debut together, we’ll go through everything together… just like we always planned.”
JL’s hands hung limply at his sides. He wanted to say something, but his mind was a mess.
His heart was a mess.
Meanwhile, across the city, Yangyang had just wrapped up filming for his group’s upcoming comeback. It had been a long day, packed with schedules, rehearsals, and shoots, leaving him exhausted.
For the entire day, he hadn’t even had the time to think about anything else. But the moment he got into his car and started driving, all those thoughts came flooding back.
JL.
His awkward reaction. The way he barely looked at him. The way he seemed different.
Yangyang sighed, rubbing his temple.
Maybe he had been acting strange without realizing it. Maybe he had made JL uncomfortable at the hospital. Maybe he needed to explain himself… set things straight.
Embarrassed, he exhaled heavily. Was I always like this?
He was tired. He knew he needed rest.
But he also knew he wouldn’t be able to end the day without talking to JL.
With that thought, he took a turn, steering away from his original route.
As he approached the building where the contestants stayed, he slowed down, his eyes scanning the area. Then, just as he was about to drive past the park, something caught his attention.
Someone.
Yangyang’s grip on the steering wheel tightened as he saw Steven. And Steven was hugging someone.
Frowning, he rolled down the window slightly to get a better look.
Then his breath hitched.
JL.
It was JL in Steven’s arms.
Yangyang’s heart dropped.
He felt something, something sharp, something unfamiliar twisting inside him. His jaw clenched, his fingers curling against the wheel as an overwhelming wave of emotions crashed over him.
Shock. Confusion.
Anger.
Jealousy?
He didn’t know.
All he knew was that he couldn’t look away, even though every second of watching them felt like it was tearing something inside of him apart.
And for the first time, Yangyang realized, this feeling, whatever it was…
It’s real and it hurt.