Chapter Text
It had been a long day.
LYKN had a brand event, and thankfully, everything had gone smoothly. The crowd had been energetic, the fans as warm and supportive as ever. Now, with the event finally over, their manager, P'Ko, was ushering them toward the changing rooms so they could get ready to leave.
The moment he stepped inside, William let himself collapse onto the nearest couch and released a long, exhausted sigh.
Between LYKN's packed rehearsal schedule, shooting two series at the same time, the constant flights for overseas concerts and fanmeets, and today's event, he felt completely drained, both physically and mentally. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, already imagining the quiet ride home and the even quieter apartment waiting for him.
For some reason, the thought made his chest tighten.
William loved being an idol. He loved performing, loved making music, loved meeting fans. He wouldn't trade this life for anything.
But sometimes, when the lights went out and the crowds disappeared, the loneliness crept in.
Sometimes, he wished he had someone waiting for him at the end of the day. Someone real. Someone he could tell about the little things, the annoying things, the things that made him laugh. Someone he could vent to when rehearsals became exhausting or when the pressure of being an idol felt a little too heavy to carry alone.
There were so many thoughts he kept locked away inside himself. Thoughts he rarely shared with anyone.
Not even his P'Est.
It wasn't that he didn't trust him. Quite the opposite, actually. But William had always felt guilty unloading his problems onto others, especially someone as busy as Est. So instead, he swallowed his frustrations, buried his worries, and carried them alone.
Lately, however, the weight of it all had started to catch up with him.
And sitting there in the empty changing room, surrounded by fading voices and discarded costumes, William found himself wishing more than ever that he had someone to share it all with.
The sound of the door opening pulled William from his thoughts.
He slowly opened his eyes and glanced toward the entrance without bothering to move from his spot on the couch. P'Ko walked in, followed by one of their makeup artists, who was probably there to remove the makeup from the event.
P'Ko took one look at him and frowned.
"You haven't changed yet? What happened? Are you okay?"
The concern in his voice wasn't surprising. It wasn't often that William looked this exhausted. He was usually the first one rushing out the door the moment work ended, always full of energy and eager to move on to the next thing. Sitting around and staring into space wasn't like him at all.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired," William replied, pushing himself upright and shrugging off his heavy jacket as the makeup artist began gathering the supplies needed to remove his makeup.
P'Ko hummed, clearly unconvinced.
"Did you fight with Est?"
William immediately looked up at him.
"What? Why would you think that?"
P'Ko crossed his arms.
"Because the only times you ever look this upset are when you've either had an argument with Est or haven't talked to him properly for a while. So which one is it this time?"
William stared at him incredulously.
"Everything is fine with P'Est. We didn't argue, and I already told you I'm just tired."
His voice came out sharper than he intended.
"Can we please stop talking about it?"
Before P'Ko could respond, William stood up and headed toward the washroom. He pushed the door open and closed it behind him with a quiet but noticeable bang.
Silence settled over the room.
P'Ko stared at the closed door for a moment before letting out a sigh.
"Definitely not suspicious at all," he muttered to himself.
Then, with a shrug, he turned his attention elsewhere.
._._._._._.
Est was lying on his bed with a face mask on, finally getting a chance to relax after a long day.
He had a photoshoot in the morning, a brand meeting in the afternoon, and an event in the evening. It had been a busy day from start to finish.
As soon as he let himself unwind, the first person that came to mind was William.
Est knew LYKN had an event today. In fact, he probably knew William's schedule better than William himself.
Not that he blamed him. Keeping track of William's day-to-day activities was nearly impossible. The boy was always juggling a thousand different things at once. Just watching him manage everything was exhausting, and somehow he still managed to be a cheerful puppy at the end of the day.
Glancing at the clock, Est realized William should be home by now.
The last time they'd properly seen each other had been two days ago while filming content for their upcoming series, You Maniac. The last time they'd talked was yesterday morning.
Before he could think too much about it, Est pressed the video call button.
William picked up on the second ring.
His tired face immediately filled the screen.
His eyes looked slightly swollen, and although there was a smile on his lips, it didn't quite reach his eyes.
Est noticed.
"Hi, P'Est," William greeted, trying not to sound exhausted.
"Hi, puppy. How was your day?" Est asked.
"It was fine, P'Est."
"Just fine?"
Est frowned slightly. Normally, William loved telling him every detail about his day.
"Yeah, it was good," William replied, looking down.
Est's concern deepened.
"What happened, William? You know you can talk to me, right?"
William immediately groaned.
"Why does everyone keep asking me that? I'm fine. Nothing happened, Phi. P'Ko literally asked me if I'd had an argument with you today. Why? I'm absolutely fine."
Est blinked.
"Okay, calm down," he said with a small laugh. "I get it. You're fine."
"Yes, I'm fine," William replied firmly.
Est knew better than to push.
Whenever William wasn't ready to talk, forcing the issue only made him retreat further into himself.
So instead, Est started talking.
He told William about his photoshoot, the concept they had gone with, the brand meeting, and all the funny things Westies had said to him during the event. Little by little, he watched the tension leave William's shoulders. Soon enough, William was sharing stories about his own day too.
Eventually, a comfortable silence settled between them.
Est lay on his bed, staring at the image of William doing the same on the other side of the screen, eyes closed as if he were finally allowing himself to rest.
Then William spoke quietly.
"P'Est?"
Est hummed in response.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Always."
William hesitated.
"You've... been in a relationship before, right?"
Est stilled.
For a moment, he simply looked at him.
Then he asked softly, "Well... yes. Why do you ask?"
William looked down at his fidgeting fingers.
"Nothing. I was just thinking about how I've never been in a romantic relationship before. I've never gotten to experience what it's like to have someone to share everything with."
He paused.
"Maybe it's time I got a real girlfriend or boyfriend."
For a second, Est felt his chest tighten.
He simply stared at William, unable to think of a response.
When none came, William looked up.
"What happened, Phi?"
"Nothing."
Est forced a smile.
William smiled back, seemingly satisfied with the answer.
Yet long after the call had ended, Est found himself staring at the dark screen of his phone.
Maybe it's time I got a real girlfriend or boyfriend.
The words lingered in his mind far longer than they should have.