Chapter Text
Seungmin is a man of practicality. It’s how he’s always been. When he wants something he goes after it, if he has an interest in something, he’ll research all about it, when he likes something, he obsesses over it. This is just how he is as a person.
He’s not concerned with faking your way through anything and doesn’t understand (or want to understand) those who do. What use is faking emotion or respect when the real side of you will eventually come out? Might as well save yourself the hassle and just be genuine from the start.
This is why he can’t stand some of the current batch of trainees he’s in.
They’re so fake that he swears if they walked outside in hot enough weather they’d melt like plastic.
How can people have such arrogance and not have any skills to back any of their words up? It astounds him. Buttering up the staff can only do so much and doesn’t help with the monthly evaluations - those are all on the person themselves. The space in their heads filled only with lazy ambition, fake respect and then topped with default rudeness.
How more people don’t see through them is beyond him.
Seungmin’s not going to be rude without reason - his parents instilled good manners in him - what kind of disrespect would he be showing them by not treating others with courtesy. It's more of if someone doesn’t fit into his life, he sees no reason why they should continue being in it. He’ll continue to be respectful, sure, but if they’ve outgrown each other or don’t bring joy or something he considers meaningful to Seungmin’s life, what’s the point of having them around any more?
It’s this mindset that also lets Seungmin pursue things wholeheartedly and straightforwardly.
It’s why it wasn’t a jump to move from baseball dreams to idol dreams. Seungmin knew he couldn’t accommodate one dream anymore and so moved to another, reachable one. All of his effort and blood and sweat work towards this dream now. He is still going to be on some sort of stage and he is going to get there on his own merit.
His dream now included seven other people. Only seven other people though.
Seungmin has no reservations about himself. He’s a possessive person. No other trainees, fake or not, are going to get in the way of he and his group from debuting. Chan chose the seven of them, not anyone else. Seungmin may not be as close to the other members, but that’s alright. They have time. Seungmin has managed to befriend Minho-hyung, the others will not be as hard to crack.
Seungmin can remember exactly the moment of the day he met Minho. He saw him coming down those company stairs and had his breath knocked out from him for a moment. Even back then, even without professionally styled hair and makeup, did Minho cut an impressive figure among the trainees with his sparkling eyes and sharp nose.
Seungmin remembers thinking that he would have let Minho debut first before him if it meant getting to see him sing on stage, thinking he was auditioning as a singer. Of course, he knew that prospective trainees had to prepare a dance of some sort to showcase. He figured Minho would be good if he’d come to JYPE. He just didn’t expect the explosion Minho the dancer was onstage, all precise movements, confident swagger and electrifying eyes.
Seungmin didn’t think Minho could get any better and then somehow the news broke out and spread: Minho had taken and finished JYPE’s dance workshop and finished in two weeks, beating Momo’s one month record by a couple of weeks. (It’s absolutely insane.) Minho used to be a part of a dance studio. Minho used to be a backup dancer for BTS. More and more achievements started to gather under Minho’s name and still Minho stays behind and help him and Jeongin with their dance choreography. He helps Felix with his Korean, can match energy with Jisung and takes care of all of them in ways they don’t realize until much later.
For someone with an exterior so cold, on the inside he was as warm as summer.
Seungmin is enamored with him. Why couldn’t Minho just be the bitch the other trainees said he was rumored to be? It would have been easier on Seungmin’s heart.
Seungmin’s currently resting on the floor of their group’s favorite practice room, cooling down from his earlier dance practice. Minho is stretching close to the mirrors, watching his form in the reflective glass to make sure he’s stretching properly. He looks up when the door opens and several trainees walk in.
They all make a beeline for Minho when they recognize it’s him who’s stretching.
Seungmin scowls, why are they trying to get closer to Minho now? Seungmin knows that when Minho first entered as a new trainee they outright ignored him, assuming he would think he was cockily better than them since he is already a qualified dancer with actual professional experience.
People only started being nice to him once they realized he would help them with their choreographies, staying overtime in the company when he could, effectively becoming their secondary dance instructor.
Seungmin doesn’t really care what anyone does in their freetime as long as no one is actively getting hurt, but this makes him get unquestionably angry. So Minho is only worthy of kindness when he’s useful to them? Minho-hyung shouldn’t be hanging around these people. The only trainees Minho-hyung should be helping with their dancing is their group and no one else.
Seungmin knows that these trainees are going to ask Minho for help with the dance performances they have to give the staff every month, like they don’t clearly see Minho already cooling down, having already run through his own choreography. He puts his things away in his bag and gets up, making his way to where Minho is finishing up his stretches. If he has to look like a needy dongsaeng in front of the others to get them to leave Minho alone, so be it.
“You can help us with our dances tonight, right Minho?” A trainee on the right asks. Seungmin doesn’t even know his name. He doesn’t want Minho to know it either.
Before Minho can answer, Seungmin interrupts. “Actually, Minho-hyung and I already have plans,” he says, a hand coming to rest on Minho’s arm.
Minho raises an eyebrow at him but doesn’t say anything to contradict him. “You heard, Seungmo. Sorry but maybe another time.”
Seungmin tries not to scowl. If it were up to him there would definitely not be another time. Minho collects his things and they leave together. Seungmin gestures for them to leave and murmurs something about getting dinner nearby. He has to quash the grin on this face when Minho says nothing in denial and follows him out.
Even though they walk in silence it isn’t awkward between them. It makes Seungmin want to puff out his chest at the others, wants them all to see that Minho is comfortable with him, that they don’t need to fill the air between them with meaningless chatter because they have an understanding of each other.
When Minho realizes that Seungmin is walking him towards one of their favorite barbeque spots, he lights up. It wouldn’t be obvious to many, but the corners of Minho’s mouth tilt up in a tiny smile that stays on his face until it enlarges to a wide Cheshire cat grin once the meat arrives at their table. He sets to grilling right away, Seungmin just dividing the banchan between them and letting Minho do as he wishes.
When the meat is finally cooked and split between them does Minho finally bring up his little interruption from earlier. He doesn’t even have to say anything really, he just sits back in his chair, resting from eating for a little while, and raises an eyebrow at Seungmin. “So, we had plans?”
Seungmin huffs.
“You do too much for the other trainees Minho-hyung, they didn’t even like you when you got here.” Seungmin is not sulking, okay, he’s not.
Minho’s eyes sparkle when they look at him. Seungmin is learning that whatever he says next can usually either be: gross understatements, the complete opposite of what he means, or the actual truth, usually hidden by his tone or expression.
“It doesn’t matter if they like me as long as Seungminnie likes me!” He says, voice over the top and cutesy gestures almost violently over exaggerated. Seungmin cringes and makes a face at him even though Minho’s words make him feel like he’s just struck out all the hitters on a rivaling baseball team.
He gets up and pays for their meal before Minho can stop him, trying to stamp down the huge grin that wants to take over his face.
“Yah, Kim Seungmin!”
Seungmin feels it’s an honor to be able to do this, that Minho allows himself to be spoiled sometimes
by the people he likes
by his friends. Minho would have never let the other trainees treat him.
He takes comfort in the fact that he knows Minho, knows him better than the other trainees, and has the privilege of being able to know him and to continue to learn him.
Minho left the other trainees to go and hang out with him, Minho got dinner with him, Minho laughs at Seungmin’s humor that matches his own. It quells the little ball, green with envy, in his chest. (For now.)