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The rain stops as abruptly as it arrives; the sudden silence after the loud rainstorm is jarring. Jongshin is the first to leave the room, asking the director about the state of the bar. Onew is still asleep, unbothered by the rising noise of the crew setting up again. Dong Wook is envious. He’s always been a light sleeper, waking up at the slightest sound. He lets Onew sleep for a few more minutes. The producers will call them out when they’re ready to film again.
Eventually, Onew stirs, the blanket rustling as he flops on his back and blinks at the ceiling. He looks blank, reminding Dong Wook of the other morning when Onew woke up without any idea where he was. It was cute. It’s cute. Everything about Onew is cute, cute, cute. It’s not an act, either. Dong Wook initially suspected some of it might have been from a decade or more of pandering to the fans but Onew is basically the same whether the cameras are rolling or not. He smiles a lot, makes puns, laughs at the most ridiculous things, sings constantly, is always ready to help someone, and exudes — fine, Dong Wook’s going to fucking say it — a refreshing aura that makes him want to tuck Onew into his pocket. He's so likeable, it's annoying.
‘Didn’t mean to sleep for so long,’ says Onew, picking his phone up and checking the time. Onew's eyebrows quirk up. ‘Oh, it was only twenty minutes? I thought I slept for more than an hour.’ He puts the back of the phone against his mouth and yawns, eyes disappearing. Ugh, cute.
Get a grip, Dong Wook tells himself sternly. At your age, the only things you should find cute are babies and puppies, not grown men.
‘Did you manage to nap, hyung?’ asks Onew, turning to look at him.
Dong Wook shrugs. ‘I don’t do naps, they’re going to mess up my sleep later.’
‘I can sleep pretty much anytime,’ says Onew. He tilts his head sideways. ‘Did it finally stop raining? Should we go outside?’
‘Yes, and let’s pray it stays that way.’
There’s a knock on the door. It opens and a woman pokes her head in. ‘Jinki-oppa, are you awake? Let’s check your make-up.’
‘Yes, I’m up,’ says Onew, stretching his arms up and arching his spine until even Dong Wook hears it pop. ‘Ooh, that was a good one! Ah, my poor, aching bones!’
Snorting, Dong Wook grabs a pillow and gently smacks his arm with it. ‘You sound like an old man.’
‘That’s actually what my members call me,’ says Onew happily, smoothly getting to his feet, the opposite of an old man.
Onew’s make-up artist slips inside, bowing at Dong Wook before fussing over Onew’s bed head, and Dong Wook exits the room looking for his own. The staff and crew have moved on to the bar, setting it up again for the night’s opening. Dong Wook stands at the edge of the veranda, arms crossed as he watches the sea glimmering in the distance. The air smells salty from the sea and sweetly earthy from the fresh rain.
‘Wah, the rain clouds are completely gone!’ Onew stops beside Dong Wook and takes a deep breath. ‘The sun is always so pretty here. I wonder where Jongshin-hyung is. He should take a photo of the sunset.’
‘Take your own photos.’
Onew looks up at him, grinning widely. ‘I should, shouldn’t I?’
Dong Wook narrows his eyes. ‘Stop smiling at me like that.’
Onew keeps on smiling. ‘Like what, hyung?’
‘Fine, give me your phone.’ Dong Wook holds out his hand and Onew lets out a whooping giggle, placing his mobile on the offered palm. ‘Are you allergic to taking photos or something?’
‘No, for some reason I just don’t really take pictures. Besides, other people take much nicer ones than I ever could so I end up relying on them.’
‘In other words, you’re just used to people doing it for you,’ retorts Dong Wook, internally wondering how he’s become one of those people. He takes a photo of the sunset and hands the phone back to Onew, who makes appreciative noises. The sunset looks good on him. Dong Wook snatches the mobile from him. ‘Go over there.’ He points to the lawn.
‘I don’t need photos of me, hyung!’
‘Your fans will thank me, now go.’
Onew covers his smile with his hand and obeys, tottering to the middle of the lawn. He’s backlit by the sun. Dong Wook finds himself smiling and thinks, Huh. Shaking himself, Dong Wook sits on the bottom of the staircase and angles the shot.
‘Should I do a pose?’ asks Onew.
‘Do whatever you want.’
Another laugh. ‘Why do I suddenly feel like I’m in a photoshoot?’ Then, Onew brings his arms up over his head and positions his right foot on the side of his knee. Dong Wook blinks and then bursts out laughing, hanging his head between his legs. He hears Onew call out, ‘Hyung, Dong Wook-hyung, stop laughing! I can’t hold this pose for too long!’
Dong Wook lifts his head and chuckles when he sees Onew in the same tree pose. ‘You’re sure about that, huh?’
‘Yes!’
Dong Wook finds the perfect angle and takes a photo. Onew wobbles and breaks out into a wide grin. Snap. Laughing, Onew finally loses his balance. Snap. He rights himself with his hands on his thighs. Snap. Onew looks up, the warm orange light kissing his cheeks, face scrunched up in amusement. Snap.
‘Those look really nice,’ a voice suddenly says next to his ear and Dong Wook startles, realising that everyone else has come out and is watching them. Suhyun gives him a knowing smile, plucks Onew’s phone from his hands (‘I can borrow this, right, Dong Wook-oppa?’), and then makes her way to Onew. ‘Oppa, you look so cute, let me take a photo of you, too!’ Rosé follows after her, giggling as she also takes her phone out.
Dong Wook clears his throat and refuses to acknowledge the warmth on his face. It’s just the sun. He’s been out in the sun for the past few days.
Jongshin steps beside him. ‘You guys look like you’re having fun.’
‘You should raise your legs like this, oppa!’
‘Jinki-oppa! You look like a cute bear!’
‘Now everyone’s his photographer,’ says Dong Wook in amusement. He gets up from his crouch and looks at everyone taking a photo of Onew, who is jumping around with his arms up, and takes his own phone out of his pocket in defeat.
He takes a photo of them and decides one is enough. He turns to go look for his apron but pauses, unable to resist zooming in on Onew’s face on the picture. It’s pixelated but even they can’t take away from the brightness of Onew’s smile. Suddenly, his phone pings with a message from Jongshin. Dong Wook looks at Jongshin looking down at Onew with an indulgent smile as Onew shows him the picture Suhyun took. ‘I really do look like a bear, don't I?’ giggles Onew.
(Dong Wook resists the urge to call out to him and ask to see it too.)
Curious, Dong Wook opens Jongshin's message and finds a photo instead. ‘Seriously,’ he mutters with a fond roll of his eyes. Then, without hesitation, he saves the picture.
