The Day I Noticed Him: The Past

Before the fame, before the stage, before anyone knew their names—

There were just trainees.

Long hours, tired bodies, repeated mistakes, and the same practice room that never seemed to change.

That’s where Nut first noticed him.

Not in a dramatic way.

Not in a moment anyone else would remember.

Just… quietly.

Hong was standing in front of the mirror, practicing the same move again and again, completely focused. Even when the music stopped, he didn’t.

Nut had been there too—but somehow, his attention wasn’t on the choreography anymore.

It was on him.

There was something different about Hong. Not just the way he danced, but the way he stayed silent, like he was carrying something no one else could see.

At first, Nut didn’t understand what he was feeling.

He just knew… something about Hong kept pulling his attention again and again.

And it started to bother him.

Back then, the only person he was really close to was William.

Late one night after practice, when everyone else had already left, Nut finally said it out loud.

“I think… I like someone,” he admitted quietly.

William looked at him, surprised. “Who?”

Nut hesitated for a second, then glanced toward the mirror—toward the spot where Hong usually stood.

William followed his gaze.

And that was enough.

A small smile appeared on his face. “Ahh… so it’s him.”

Nut quickly looked away, embarrassed. “Don’t make it obvious.”

William laughed softly. “Relax, I won’t. But… you’re in trouble.”

“Why?” Nut frowned.

William shrugged. “Because you’re already looking at him like that.”

From that day, William knew.

And he never really let Nut forget it.

Time passed.

Training days turned into months… and months turned into something bigger.

And somehow—

When the final lineup was announced…

Nut and Hong ended up in the same group.

Not just them.

William, Lego, and Tui too.

Five of them.

One team.

One stage.

But for Nut…

It wasn’t just a group anymore.

Because the person he had quietly liked all this time—

Was now standing right next to him.

Every single day......

During trainee days, Nut and Hong didn’t talk much.

Not because they didn’t notice each other—

But because they existed in different spaces.

Hong was always focused, quiet, and distant. He came to practice, did his work perfectly, and left without getting involved much with others.

Nut, on the other hand, stayed more with William, laughing, talking, trying to survive the pressure in his own way.

They were in the same room…

Sometimes just a few steps away…

But still, far.

The only connection between them was unspoken—

A glance in the mirror.

A moment of noticing.

A feeling that only one of them understood at that time.

And maybe that’s why it stayed longer.

Because it never had a proper beginning.

After debut, everything started to feel real.

No more just trainees.

Now—they were a group.

For their first song, all five of them were called into the studio together. The room felt different from the practice hall—quieter, more serious, like this was where everything would actually begin.

Tui was already there, sitting with a notebook in his hand.

“I started writing something,” he said, tapping the pages lightly. “We can build our first song from this.”

William leaned over his shoulder, curious. Lego stretched nearby, already moving to an imaginary beat. Nut stood a little back… and Hong stayed near the other side, as usual.

Still close.

Still distant.

Their roles had been decided:

William – Main Vocalist

Lego – Main Dancer / Sub Vocalist

Nut – Lead Dancer / Sub Vocalist

Hong – Main Rapper / Lead Dancer / Sub Vocalist

Tui – Lead Vocalist / Lead Rapper / Dancer

Tui wasn’t just performing—he was creating too. Writing lyrics, building rhythm, even adding beatboxing to shape the sound.

That’s why everyone in the team called him the all-rounder.

“Listen to this,” Tui said, then started beatboxing softly, setting a raw rhythm in the room.

The sound filled the space.

Lego immediately caught the beat, moving along. William hummed a melody over it. Nut followed the steps naturally—

And Hong…

He listened.

Then slowly, he stepped forward and added a rap line, his voice low but steady.

For the first time, all five of them were creating something together.

Not as individuals.

But as one group.

Nut glanced at Hong for a second—

And this time, Hong didn’t look away immediately.

The beat was still echoing in the room.

Lego was practicing the choreography, sharp and energetic. Tui adjusted the rhythm, adding small changes to match their flow. Hong stood near the mirror, repeating his rap lines under his breath.

And Nut…

Nut was trying very hard to focus.

Trying.

“Left… right… turn—”

"Go on—turn, look at Hong, and forget everything you’ve practiced.” William said teasingly

Nut froze mid-step.

“What?” he snapped, a little too quickly.

William grinned, clearly enjoying this. “Nothing, nothing. Just saying… you missed the step. Again.”

Lego laughed from the side. “Yeah, ‘Lead Dancer,’ what happened?”

Nut glared at them. “Shut up, both of you.”

But William wasn’t done.

He stepped closer, lowering his voice just enough to annoy him more. “You’ve been looking at him since morning. At least be subtle.”

“I am subtle,” Nut muttered.

William raised an eyebrow. “You’re about as subtle as a spotlight.”

Lego burst out laughing again.

Across the room, Hong glanced over.

Just for a second.

But that was enough.

Nut immediately looked away, pretending to fix his position.

William noticed everything.

Of course he did.

“Relax,” William said more softly this time, nudging Nut’s shoulder. “You’re going to expose yourself before you even confess.”

Nut exhaled sharply. “I’m not confessing.”

“Yeah?” William smirked. “Keep telling yourself that.”

Tui, still adjusting the beat, spoke without looking up,

“Focus, both of you. We have a song to finish.”

But there was a small smile on his face.

“From the top!” Lego called.

Music started again.

They all moved into position.

Nut forced himself to focus on the choreography—

But even then…

His timing still matched Hong’s perfectly.

Like it always did.

Lego slowed down mid-practice, his eyes narrowing slightly as he watched Nut… then Hong… then Nut again.

Something clicked.

He leaned closer to William and whispered, barely holding it in,

“Wait… I think Nut likes Hong—”

Then he paused dramatically, eyes widening.

“Oh—oops. Sorry.”

Nut froze.

William closed his eyes for a second like, here we go…

But Lego wasn’t done.

He turned to William again, curiosity taking over.

“Wait… you already know this, don’t you?”

William didn’t answer.

Lego blinked.

Then his expression changed slowly, realization hitting him harder this time.

“…Don’t tell me—” he started, looking between them,

“He has been liking Hong since trainee days?”

He let out a small laugh, like it was a joke.

“Hehe… right?”

Silence.

No one laughed.

Nut looked away.

William stayed quiet.

And that’s when it hit him.

Lego’s smile faded.

“Oh.”

The word came out softer this time.

“Wait… you’re serious?”

Nut didn’t say anything.

But he didn’t deny it either.

And that was enough.

From the other side of the room, Tui glanced over for a moment—

He had already known.

Lego slowly straightened up, still processing everything.

“Damn…” he muttered under his breath.

Then, after a second, he looked at Nut again—this time not teasing.

“…That’s tough.”

And for the first time, it didn’t feel like a joke anymore....

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