1. (1/1)

It were feelings like those that turned people's worlds upside down. The sort of thing that makes you question yourself and the future. Kibum knew exactly what it was like.   He was sitting alone in a practice room facing his reflection in the mirror. Many doubts filled his mind at that moment. Doubts that evolved a single person: Son Dongwoon. They had something different from friendship, something that went beyond that, but it couldn't be easily explained. Even though it was a unique relationship, they both enjoyed it very much, until now. Recently, it was as if something died between them, or was simply missing. Their interactions were short, and even if it bothered both of them, neither could find a way to change it. It just wasn't the same as before.   Kibum had thought about it many times, but it led nowhere. He couldn't find a good reason why things were turning out that way. Maybe it was someone else's fault, maybe it was theirs, he didn't know. All he knew was that he felt empty, and upset. To top it off, his birthday was coming close, just a week away. And he'd spend it the worst way possible: Inside a plane going to Taiwan for a performance along with other idol groups. Of course B2ST would be there. Fate was definitely plotting against him.   Naturally, you'd think of it as a chance to try and get things back to how they used to be, to talk and come to a conclusion. But Kibum couldn't see such perspective. Something was pulling him down, and bringing his hopes down along. Basically, all he would do was follow along, and react according to Dongwoon. If came to talk, he'd talk. If he didn't, he wouldn't. Simple as that.But of course, easier said than done. When he got to face Dongwoon, it would sure affect him, but he had to try to endure it and avoid making it visible to the members. The last thing he'd want was to have to explain himself. He shook his head, trying lo put those thoughts away for a while. He got up, grabbed his water bottle and left the practice room, far more tired than usual.   The days passed by slowly, almost painfully, when the trip date finally arrived. The dorm felt slightly empty without the other four boys messing it around. Early in the morning, Kibum went down to SHINee's building lobby, which was rather calm due to the time. Jinki and Jonghyun greeted him with a smile, while Taemin sat half-asleep in the couch and Minho typed in his cellphone. They chatted briefly about the following schedule until the van arrived, and they dragged themselves in.From the airport's sidewalk they could already hear the fans desperate screaming, so many of them. "They came here this early in the morning….." Kibum thought, even though he was already used to it. He waved a bit to them, and entered the airport after passing through the massive amount of people.   After reaching the departure lounge, they had to wait a bit for the embark to start. Other idols were there as well, and they waved and greeted them politely. While Minho chatted excitedly with some of his hyungs, Kibum ran his eyes through the lounge in search for B2ST. He knew Dongwoon would be among them. A few moments later, he caught sight of Hyunseung, and bingo: Dongwoon was standing close to him. Luckily, he didn't realize Kibum had started to look at him, and continued laughing about something the members said. His eyes were tired, but he seemed happy. His smile was bright, and it almost made Kibum smile too. He wasn't sure of how long he stared at Dongwoon, but their eyes suddenly met in a split second. Dongwoon's eyes widened, and Kibum somehow managed to look away quickly. His heart was racing, and he didn't even move, too nervous to look back. Before he could walk away in anxiety, a female voice announced the embark had begun. He stood between the members, as if trying to go unnoticed, and looked straight ahead, trying to keep a cool image. They sat quietly in the plane, and the members didn't say a word. Maybe they didn't notice, or just didn't want him to feel uncomfortable. He sighed and closed his eyes as the plane took off.   The flight went awkwardly normal. Not much talking, nor standing up or anything. It was as if everyone was playing along with the seemingly peaceful atmosphere. After their arrival, things went by very fast. They left the airport, and reached the hotel in a minute. The not-so-pleasant part was when Kibum noticed that he shared a hotel with T-Ara and B2ST. Obviously, not because of the girls.B2ST members took the elevator first, and Kibum overheard Yoseob asking if they had free Wi-fi. He rolled his eyes and waited for the members decide the room division. He ended up sharing a room with Jinki, while Jonghyun, Minho and Taemin stayed in the other one.Jinki sat on a chair quietly looking over his cellphone, watching Kibum take some items out of the suitcase. No sounds could be heard in the room, and the both stared blankly into different points. Suddenly, Jinki decided to break the silence:"What's bugging you?" he said in a casual tone, still eyeing the cellphone screen."What makes you think something's bugging me?" Kibum replied, trying to appear unsurprised. The leader hesitated for a second, and then teased "I see….. Well, then I guess it's fine if I have a talk with Son Dongwoon to see how he's going….". Kibum started to talk, but his voice cracked. He clicked his tongue in frustration, and Jinki raised his eyebrows. "I can't really explain it……." Kibum said uneasily. "It's okay. But just for the record, do you intend to do something about it?" the older one asked, concerned.He thought about it for a while. Would he do something? Could he do something? "I…… I don't know. I probably just need more time to think" He closed the suitcase and walked towards the bedroom door "I'll walk for a bit, try to relax and think. I'll be back soon." And he left the room, leaving a frowning leader behind.   He waited patiently for the elevator, and took it back to the lobby. There, he sat on a couch far away from the reception balcony, and closed his eyes. Soon he was absorbed in thoughts, so distracted he didn't realize when another person sat beside him. It took 5 whole minutes for him to open his eyes and look around to find Dongwoon sitting beside him. At first he was startled, but after realizing the other was calm, he settled as well.   The both stared at the floor, too insecure to glance at each other. Kibum had no idea what to do or say. His mind was racing, but it just made him more nervous. As his heart felt as if it was going to explode, he felt Dongwoon's arm rest carefully on his shoulder. He stiffened as he heard Dongwoon finally speak:   "I'm sorry", he said. Kibum's eyes widened as he looked at the boy beside him. Did he really just hear that? Or was he imagining things?"I'm not really sure if this fixes anything, but I don't know how else to express it. I'm sorry. I didn't want things to be like this, but I didn't know how to change it as well". So he was really being sincere. Kibum sighed, and decided to speak as well."I'm sorry, too. Guess we're on the same situation here. I couldn't express it either", he said shrugging. "Is that so?" Dongwoon asked surprised, his eyes suddenly brighter. Kibum nodded. Dongwoon's previously upset expression turned into a smile as he sat more comfortably at the couch. "I was afraid you would reject my apologies. I had no idea what to do, honestly", he admitted, embarrassed. "There's no need for pretty words to express how you feel. Honesty is more than enough", Kibum said with a warm smile.   That's all they both needed. Understanding. It felt as a huge weight had been removed from their back. They were finally at peace. Dongwoon brought Kibum to closer to him into a hug, and whispered softly:  "Happy birthday to you~". Kibum chuckled and rested his head on Dongwoon's shoulder. "It can't get any happier".