* * *
“Ahem, ahem.”
He cleared his throat a couple of times to announce his presence, and only then did the members, startled, turn around to look at him.
“Excuse me. I thought the place was empty, so I entered after punching in the code.”
“Ah, we usually go out on holidays, but…”
Heungmin got up from his seat and greeted Dojae.
Apparently, today was an exception.
“We heard you were coming today. Is that all your luggage?”
Dojae nodded lightly.
He had only one suitcase in his hand and a backpack slung over his shoulder.
That was all his luggage.
To be honest, there weren’t many clothes worth bringing among Kang Dojae’s belongings, so he packed mainly new clothes. He planned to buy what he needed as he went along.
“Please, put your stuff down here for now. We need Kijoon to arrive to assign the rooms.”
“Okay.”
Following Heungmin’s guidance, Dojae placed his bags near the entrance and stepped into the living room.
The dorm had four rooms (including a small one converted from a storage room) and two bathrooms, making it not small, but still felt cramped for six grown men.
But the size wasn’t the problem.
‘What is this…?’
Dojae barely managed to suppress a grimace.
As a member of the Imperial Family, he was taught not to show off his status. The empress had always strictly educated the princes not to offend others with rude behavior.
Without this long education, Dojae would have frowned already.
‘It’s not just unclean; it’s filthy.’
The chaotic state of the dorm, which he hadn’t noticed at the entrance, now made his head spin.
Clothes scattered on the floor.
Items that could either be towels or rags.
Half-eaten snack packages.
Even one room was piled high with clothes, looking like a communal graveyard for garments.
Only one of the four rooms had its door closed, and he couldn’t imagine what it looked like inside.
“Ah, that’s Kijoon hyung’s private room. It’s also his workspace, so it’s off-limits,” Woochul explained, thinking Dojae was curious about it.
‘If it’s a workspace, it should be in better condition. I hope.’
Nodding and turning his head, Dojae faced an even worse sight.
The kitchen and dining table, which should be the cleanest areas, were just as chaotic.
Dojae closed his eyes tightly and opened them again.
This was an unimaginable, messy dwelling.
Kang Dojae’s home was shabby and semi-basement but still tidy.
The only better point seemed to be the blue sky visible from the living room window.
“In this house, the court maids…!”
Dojae opened his mouth in frustration but quickly shut it.
He knew even in the Korean Empire that common households didn’t have court maids.
Although he always respected court maids, he felt a renewed gratitude for them, who maintained his residence dust-free.
“Who is in charge of food and cleaning here?”
“The house is a bit messy, right? We try to clean, but we’ve been busy with practice lately…”
Heungmin, aware of the mess, answered awkwardly as Dojae carefully asked.
A bit? It was more than a bit.
The fact that this was their version of “clean” was even more despairing.
“Still, an aunt comes once a week to help. She also makes side dishes for us. Though we mostly eat out or order take outs.”
Dojae fervently hoped that the day when the aunt came was soon.
“You can’t unpack until the rooms are assigned… For now, please sit here.”
“…Thank you.”
Turning away from the kitchen, Dojae sat at the living room table.
***
Not long after, Louis also arrived at the dorm.
Unlike Dojae’s minimal luggage, Louis had a substantial amount.
“How did you carry all this?”
Heungmin, helping move the luggage from the entrance, asked in surprise.
“My dad drove me. He had a meeting with the team leader at the company today.”
As he was still a minor, Louis had to bring his parents for the contract.
“Oh, I see. You definitely need a car for this amount… But where’s your father? He could check out the dorm too.”
“He had some work, so he just dropped me off. But…”
Louis grinned as he pulled something out of his back pocket.
“Ta-da!”
A silver credit card gleamed in his hand.
Woochul, exhausted from moving luggage, lit up.
“He gave it to me to have a meal with you guys!”
“Awesome! Your dad knows what’s up!”
At Woochul’s words, Louis shrugged his shoulders.
“And you guys can drop the formalities with me! I’m the youngest here.”
“Really? That makes things easier,” Heungmin, who found formal speech awkward, readily agreed.
“Of course, why not?!”
Louis’s cheerful reply made Woochul laugh.
“I’ll do the same then. By the way, Louis, you’re not mixed race, right? Did you live abroad? Your profile says English is your specialty.”
“Ah, I recently came back from the Philippines.”
“An exchange program?”
Though it was just three months, Louis nodded and smiled, considering it an exchange program.
Kyuseong, who had been quiet, also exchanged a few words with Louis.
Seeing Louis talk comfortably with Heungmin, Woochul, and even Kyuseong, Dojae hesitated for a moment.
To be honest, Dojae was much more accustomed to being addressed formally than informally.
‘But for the future…’
“Please feel free to speak informally with me as well.”
Though his overly polite manner made it hard to truly relax, his intention was well-received.
Woochul nodded cautiously and added.
“You should do the same with me, hyung.”
“I will.”
Dojae responded with a slight smile.
“Ah… He’s so handsome.”
Woochul was genuinely impressed by Dojae’s formal smile.
Dojae responded with a chuckle.
“You’re the same…”
“Hey, you two! We all know you’re both handsome, so stop it.”
“Heungmin-hyung, no need to be jealous.”
At Woochul’s remark, Heungmin laughed.
Anyway, as they dropped the formalities, the five of them started picking out food for delivery in a much more relaxed atmosphere.
***
“Wow. I’m stuffed. Thanks for the meal, Louis.”
Woochul patted his stomach.
The others also thanked Louis in turn.
“Make sure to thank your father too.”
“Sure!”
At Dojae’s words, Louis nodded quickly.
Watching the two, Heungmin asked,
“You both came from New Entertainment, right? So, were you close since then?”
“Oh, actually, I…!”
Louis was about to excitedly share how he became friends with Dojae when the sound of the door lock interrupted him, and the front door opened.
Everyone in the living room turned their gaze toward the entrance.
“Hyung!”
“Kijoon hyung!”
They all stood up to greet Kijoon, who had been hospitalized since yesterday afternoon and had returned after just one day.
As expected, the cause was overwork.
Although there wasn’t a major health issue, the doctor advised him to rest and replenish his strength with IV fluids for a day.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine. Where’s my phone?”
“Looking for your phone first thing? Hyung, you’re obsessed.”
“Want to try living without your phone?”
Kijoon, having suffered the most from being without his phone during his hospital stay, glared at Heungmin with sharp eyes.
This made his already sharp monolid eyes appear even more intense.
Heungmin, grumbling under that gaze, retrieved Kijoon’s phone from the table.
“Manager Kim had to confiscate your phone, didn’t he? If you had it, you’d just keep working, right?”
Familiar with Heungmin’s concerned nagging, Kijoon didn’t respond and instead began scrolling through his missed messages.
Then, as if remembering something, he alternately looked at Dojae and Louis.
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t properly introduce myself yesterday… I’m Yoon Kijoon.”
“I’m Louis!”
“I’m Kang Dojae.”
“Manager Kim told me about you two. You’re both younger than me, so I’ll speak comfortably. You’re moving into the dorm from today?”
Louis nodded with bright eyes.
“Yes! I’m excited because it’s my first time living in a dorm!”
“It’s not that exciting, but… let’s do well together.”
For someone as indifferent as Kijoon, this was a heartfelt welcome.
Feeling this, Dojae responded with a smile.
“I look forward to working with you.”
“It’ll be tough to adjust, but let me know if you have any difficulties.”
“Yes. By the way, Kijoon…”
Dojae, about to address Kijoon more formally, paused.
Addressing someone as ‘Mr. OO’ was natural for him, but he knew it didn’t fit here.
‘I should call him hyung.’
It felt awkward for Dojae to call someone ‘hyung’ (older brother), especially since even Louis, who wasn’t blood-related, called him that.
Fortunately, there were only two people he had to call ‘hyung’ here: Heungmin and Kijoon.
He also had a peer, Kyuseong, but he was still the third oldest here.
“…?”
“Kijoon-hyung.”
“Huh? Go on.”
Unaware of how hard it was for Dojae to say ‘hyung’, Kijoon responded.
“Hyung… I listened to your song.”
It was during their meal earlier.
When Dojae asked what song was playing before he arrived, the members had played Kijoon’s song for him and Louis.
They explained that while the song was flawless to them, Kijoon had been overworking himself to keep revising it for their debut album, indicating the pressure he felt.
“My song? What did you think?”
Kijoon asked casually.
However, Heungmin, Woochul, and Kyuseong’s expressions instantly froze.
“Oh no.”
“Do, Dojae?”
Woochul gasped for breath, and Heungmin called Dojae with unsettled eyes.
Kijoon, being a perfectionist, was especially critical about his own compositions. Members had learned not to comment lightly on his songs unless they could explain their opinions thoroughly.
Heungmin regretted not briefing Dojae on this before explaining things like the bathroom schedule.
But it was too late. Even if Heungmin stopped Dojae, Kijoon would insist on hearing his opinion.
Of course, if the opinion wasn’t valuable, Kijoon would scorn them relentlessly.
It was Dojae’s first day at the dorm. Heungmin felt tears welling up thinking about Dojae enduring Kijoon’s harsh words.
“It was very good. But is the part you’re still revising the interlude?”
Kijoon was silent for a moment.
Even Louis, who didn’t know Kijoon well, felt a chill.
“…You thought that part was off?”
Kijoon’s tired face grew sharper.
Despite the cutting gaze, Dojae nodded calmly.
To be honest, it didn’t seem off but rather lacking. He understood why Kijoon was obsessing over that part.
Worried that Kijoon might be offended, Dojae still wanted to help.
‘He did ask the members to point out what needs fixing…’
After pondering, Kijoon spoke slowly.
“You…”
“…”
* * *
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Love the name kijoon