The practice room was dimly lit, the glow from the mirrors reflecting two exhausted bodies moving in perfect sync. Jinyoung wiped the sweat from his forehead, his muscles burning from hours of repetition. Across from him, JB—his fellow trainee, his biggest rival, and lately, the only person who seemed to understand him—was still going strong.

“You’re slowing down,” JB teased, shooting him a smirk.

Jinyoung rolled his eyes, stepping back and grabbing his water bottle. “We’ve been at this for five hours. I think I’m allowed to slow down.”

JB chuckled, running a hand through his damp hair as he walked toward Jinyoung. His presence was always commanding, effortless. It was frustrating how natural he made everything look—his leadership, his talent, the way he could get under Jinyoung’s skin without even trying.

But lately… something was different.

The air between them had changed. Jinyoung wasn’t sure when it started, but there was an unspoken tension in the stolen glances, the casual touches that lingered longer than necessary.

And now, with JB standing this close, eyes dark and unreadable, Jinyoung could feel it more than ever.

“You work too hard,” JB murmured, his voice quieter now.

Jinyoung scoffed. “Look who’s talking.”

JB smirked, but he didn’t move back. Instead, he lifted a hand and lightly traced his fingers along Jinyoung’s jaw.

Jinyoung froze.

“What are you—”

“I like you,” JB said simply, his voice smooth but certain. “I think you know that.”

Jinyoung’s breath caught in his throat. His heart pounded against his ribcage, his brain scrambling for a response.

He did know. He had seen it in the way JB looked at him, in the way he always seemed to find an excuse to touch him, in the way his teasing had softened into something more.

But this—this was different. This was real.

“JB…” Jinyoung swallowed hard. “I don’t know if I—”

“If you like boys?” JB finished for him.

Jinyoung nodded hesitantly, suddenly feeling vulnerable.

JB smiled, but it wasn’t mocking or impatient. It was gentle. Understanding. “That’s okay.”

Jinyoung blinked. “It is?”

JB chuckled, stepping even closer until there was barely any space between them. “Yeah. But I think you like me.”

Jinyoung opened his mouth to argue, but JB didn’t let him.

Instead, he leaned in, slow and deliberate, giving Jinyoung every opportunity to pull away.

But he didn’t.

JB’s lips brushed against his, barely a whisper of a kiss, but it sent shivers down Jinyoung’s spine. His body reacted before his mind could catch up, his fingers gripping JB’s shirt, pulling him closer.

It was unfamiliar, new, and terrifying—but it also felt right.

When JB pulled back, his forehead rested against Jinyoung’s. “See? Not so bad, huh?”

Jinyoung exhaled shakily, a small smile creeping onto his lips. “You’re insufferable.”

JB grinned. “You love it.”

Jinyoung sighed, shaking his head—but he didn’t let go.

Maybe, just maybe, he did.

Jinyoung lay awake that night, staring at the ceiling of the dorm he shared with JB and the other trainees. His heart still hadn't settled from what had happened in the practice room.

The kiss.

JB’s words.

The way he had felt in that moment—confused, exhilarated, terrified.

Rolling onto his side, he glanced across the room where JB was sleeping. Or at least, pretending to sleep.

"You're staring," JB murmured, eyes still closed, a lazy smirk tugging at his lips.

Jinyoung huffed, turning onto his back again. "I'm thinking."

JB cracked one eye open. "About me?"

Jinyoung groaned, covering his face with his pillow. "You're impossible."

JB chuckled, shifting in his bed until he was facing Jinyoung. "What’s going on in that overthinking brain of yours?"

Jinyoung hesitated. Then, before he could talk himself out of it, he whispered, "I don’t know what this means."

JB didn’t respond right away, which made Jinyoung even more anxious. But then, after a moment, JB said softly, "It doesn’t have to mean anything right now. We don’t have to figure it all out tonight."

Jinyoung lowered the pillow from his face, staring up at the dark ceiling. "But… what if I can't give you what you want?"

JB let out a small laugh. "Jinyoung, you think too much."

Jinyoung scowled, turning his head toward him. "And you don't think enough."

"Maybe," JB admitted, sitting up slightly, propping himself on his elbow. "But I know what I feel. And I know that I don’t need you to have all the answers right now. I just need you to try."

Jinyoung let out a slow breath. "Try?"

JB nodded. "Try to let yourself feel this without overanalyzing it. Try to let me be close to you. Try to see where this goes instead of being scared of what it means."

Jinyoung swallowed, his chest tightening. It wasn’t that simple. It couldn’t be. He had spent years believing he was only supposed to feel a certain way, that attraction had to fit into neat little boxes.

But JB made everything feel messy, unpredictable, exciting.

"Okay," Jinyoung whispered.

JB raised a brow. "Okay?"

Jinyoung turned toward him, lips twitching into a small smirk. "I'll try."

JB grinned, reaching over to ruffle his hair. "That’s all I wanted to hear."

Jinyoung rolled his eyes but didn’t move away. Maybe, for once, he wouldn’t fight so hard against something he wanted.

Maybe, for once, he would let himself fall.

And when JB laced their fingers together under the dim dorm light, Jinyoung knew—he already had.