junhong quickly snatches himchan’s americano with the stealth of a ninja, taking a tiny sip of the iced beverage before shoving it back into place in himchan’s expectant hand.
“ugh, hyung, how do you drink that stuff?” junhong winces, sticking out his tongue and making to grab for daehyun’s banana nut muffin to wash down the bitter aftertaste. but daehyun reacts a second faster than junhong can reach, cramming the remaining two-thirds of the pastry into his mouth.
junhong glares at his hyung, mouthing ‘pig,’ as daehyun smirks through his ballooned cheeks, wagging his finger condescendingly at the disgruntled maknae.
“i have the refined taste of an adult,” himchan replies distractedly a few seconds later to junhong’s rhetorical question, not even glancing up from yongguk’s ipad nestled in his lap. “unlike you, who are still an amateur.” he takes a haughty sip of his drink, quirking a brow as junhong rolls his eyes.
“i’m not that young,” junhong sniffs, pointing his chin into the air and plopping down on the hotel bed next to jongup.
"of course you’re not,” himchan says in a patronizing tone, swiping through picture after edited picture from their previous concert posted on baby websites. “because you’re seventeen and just the pinnacle of maturity.”
junhong splutters incredulously, jongup gently ruffling his hair with a placating smile.
"himchan hyung’s a meanie” junhong whines to jongup, shoving him down onto the mattress and rolling on top of him as jongup alternates between laughing and wheezing.
“you were saying?” himchan continues, eyes still glued to the little rectangular screen, swipe, swipe, swipe.
and junhong chooses to ignore him, slackening all his muscles and burying his face into the curve of jongup’s warm neck.
“honestly though,” himchan finally places the ipad down on the coffee table, turning serious eyes onto junhong’s bottom sticking up into the air. “don’t be in such a rush to grow up. it’s not all it’s cracked up to be”
junhong mumbles unintelligibly into the bed, and himchan smiles fondly at the overgrown child, hoping that junhong can retain his innocent purity through this cruel and harsh reality, filled with much disappointment, loneliness, regret, and sacrifice, that is the life of an idol.