Chan-ho hadn't expected to be grabbed, but nevertheless he went limp immediately. Habit. Old habit, that he hadn't had the time to cure, because no one had threatened him like that since---
Really, he had no right to think anything about Jae. He was just as bad. And there was no guarantee that this defense mechanism would even serve him here. Young-soo's anger wasn't the same as the vindictive boredom of a playground bully, whose interest was only held by the fear and panic of a terrified victim. The smile he put up was almost like a flinch.
But the blow never came, and slowly, Chan-ho let out a breath. It shook slightly, an oddly vulnerable detail beneath his unaffected veneer.
He couldn't quite bring himself to look at Young-soo's face anymore. Never noticed the way the other boy had stared at him. Maybe he would have said something else if he had.
Instead, he said, "You know we can't keep doing this, right? The comeback is in a week." It had mostly been practices and the odd appearance here and there, but after the album dropped, their schedule would be packed with a slew of group engagements. "If we can't sit next to each other or have a civil conversation, the media is going to have a field day." And if Young-soo didn't give a damn about Chan-ho anymore, at least he ought to still care about that.