Chapter 9: Youngjae's Suspicions

Youngjae traced the condensation ring on his water glass, the cold seeping into his fingertips. The practice room hummed with a familiar exhaustion, the air thick with the scent of sweat and stale energy drinks. But lately, beneath the surface of their usual post-practice fatigue, something else lingered. A tension, sharp and brittle, that prickled at the edges of his awareness.

He watched Hanjin, currently engaged in a quiet conversation with Kyungmin by the sound system. Hanjin’s smile, when it finally settled on Kyungmin’s face, was different. Softer, less of a practiced curve and more of a genuine unfolding. Kyungmin, ever the steady presence, simply nodded, his gaze unwavering. Youngjae had seen Hanjin smile like that before, in stolen moments, in the hushed quiet of their shared dorm room. It was a smile reserved for Kyungmin, a secret language spoken in the spaces between words.

Then his eyes drifted to Shinyu. The leader sat on the edge of the stage, his posture rigid, his gaze fixed on Hanjin. It wasn't the casual glance of a bandmate; it was a stare that felt heavy, possessive, like a predator observing its prey. Shinyu’s jaw was clenched, a muscle twitching beneath his skin. He always looked at Hanjin like that these days, ever since… ever since Hanjin had gently, but firmly, turned him down. Youngjae remembered the hushed, strained conversation that had followed, the way Shinyu’s usual composure had frayed at the edges. Now, that composure seemed to have been replaced by a simmering, unspoken ache.