Author’s POV:

It was 5 a.m., and the world was still cloaked in darkness when Beomgyu’s alarm blared through the silence. Nestled comfortably in his bed, Beomgyu groaned softly, his hand fumbling for the phone to silence the relentless noise. After a moment of searching, he managed to grab it, squinting at the time displayed on the screen.

"Already 5 a.m.?" he muttered, his voice heavy with exhaustion. Sighing deeply, he shut off the alarm and made the split-second decision to skip practice. Pulling the blanket closer around him, he mumbled, "Just a little more sleep won’t hurt."

However, peace was short-lived as Yeonjun burst into the room with no warning.

"I knew it! You were going to sleep in, weren’t you, Choi Beomgyu?" Yeonjun’s sharp tone rang out, accompanied by the harsh flicker of the overhead light.

Beomgyu winced, pulling the blanket over his head to block out the sudden brightness. "Go away! Let me sleep," he grumbled, his voice muffled under the covers.

Yeonjun wasn’t having it. Striding over to the bed, he plopped down and shook Beomgyu firmly. "Wake up, dude! Manager Lee will blow a fuse if you’re late again!"

When Beomgyu refused to budge, Yeonjun yanked the blanket off his face and cupped his cheeks in an attempt to get his attention. "I said, wake up!"

Beomgyu swatted Yeonjun’s hands away with a tired groan, his irritation evident as his eyes finally fluttered open. "I wanna sleep," he muttered, pouting in frustration.

Yeonjun’s POV:
Of course, Soobin had tasked me with waking Beomgyu up. No one else could pull him out of bed once he decided to hibernate, so here I was, trying not to laugh at his grumpy expression.

When he pouted, stubborn as ever, I had to clear my throat to keep a straight face. "Wake up already," I repeated, though it was clear he had no intention of listening.

He shook his head defiantly, burrowing deeper into the bed. I rolled my eyes. "Fine," I said, standing up with an exaggerated sigh. "Guess you’re fine staying behind and dealing with Chaeyon alone."

As if on cue, Beomgyu shot up, panic flashing across his sleepy features. "No, wait! I’m awake!" he blurted, throwing the blanket off.

The sight that greeted me was priceless. He was wearing the most oversized pajamas I’d ever seen—his sleeves drooped past his hands, and his trousers completely swallowed his feet. I couldn’t hold back a laugh.

"What is that?" I teased, eyeing him from head to toe.

Beomgyu looked down, his cheeks quickly turning red. "Shut up! I accidentally bought the wrong size," he snapped, trying to play it off with an eye roll.

I smirked, crossing my arms. "You know," I said, pausing dramatically, "I wear almost the same size."

He blinked at me, utterly clueless. "Huh? What do you mean?"

My smirk widened. "Nothing," I replied casually, gesturing toward the bathroom. "Just hurry up and change."

Still pouting, Beomgyu huffed but shuffled off to the bathroom anyway, his oversized clothes trailing behind him. Shaking my head at his innocence, I left the room to get ready myself, already looking forward to teasing him again later.

I was sipping on some milk before we left. Soobin hyung, Taehyun, and Kai were already ready, lounging on the couch as they waited for Beomgyu.

Taehyun sighed, glancing at the clock. "Beomgyu hyung is taking forever to get ready."

Soobin, focused on his phone, replied without looking up, "Yeonjun, can you check on him? He’s probably fallen asleep again."

Kai chuckled softly. "That sounds about right."

I nodded, setting the carton down, "I’ll go see what’s taking him so long."

Walking over to Beomgyu’s room, I knocked on the door. "Beomgyu, are you ready yet?"

From inside, I heard his voice, slightly muffled. "Yeah, just two more minutes!"

I raised an eyebrow but decided to let it slide for now, heading back to join the others.

Beomgyu’s POV:

For some reason, I felt like dressing up nicely today, even though we were only going to dance practice. I slipped on a white collared shirt and layered a brown sweater over it, pairing it with crisp white trousers for a vintage vibe.

Adding the finishing touches, I put on my earrings and sprayed a generous amount of my favorite floral perfume, warm, cozy, and perfect for winter. It was a scent the members often complimented, one that felt like a part of me. I smiled to myself, taking in the familiar fragrance, and finally stepped out of my room.

When I entered the living room, Yeonjun was just putting the lid back on the milk carton. His eyes landed on me, and he smiled slightly. The other, Soobin hyung, Taehyun, and Kai turned to look at me, their gazes sweeping from head to toe.

Taehyun tilted his head, eyebrows raised. "Hyung, why are you so dressed up?"

I chuckled, shrugging lightly. "I just felt like it."

At that moment, Chaeyon emerged from her room, her hair slightly tousled. She blinked at us, surprised. "Where are you guys headed so early?"

Soobin hyung greeted her with a polite smile. "Good morning, Chaeyon. We’re off to dance practice."

"That’s productive," she said with a nod, her eyes lingering on me. "And Beomgyu... you look majestic this morning."

Her compliment caught me off guard. I forced a small, awkward smile, mumbling a quick "Thanks," but I could already feel my mood dipping. Chaeyon wasn’t someone I wanted to deal with right now.

Yeonjun’s voice brought me back. "I should’ve put more effort into my outfit too."

I blinked at him, confused. "Why?"

Kai smirked, glancing between us. "Looks like someone wanted to match."

Yeonjun’s ears turned red as he scoffed, avoiding my gaze. "Don’t be ridiculous. Who would want to match with someone like him?"

I rolled my eyes, brushing him off.

Soobin hyung clapped his hands, cutting through the tension. "Alright, that’s enough. We’re already late. Let’s go!"

We all nodded, gathering our things. Chaeyon waved goodbye as we headed out, and I couldn’t help but feel relieved to finally get some space.

Yeonjun's POV:

Beomgyu was wearing my favorite perfume again. That familiar, captivating scent filled the air around him, and I couldn't help but steal subtle breaths of it as we sat in the car. He had his headphones on, completely absorbed in his music, while the other members were either dozing off or close to it. Kai was fast asleep, and Taehyun, visibly fighting sleep, had his head tilted against the window.

It was cold, so I reached for a blanket, draping it over both my lap and Beomgyu’s without asking. He didn’t protest. Beomgyu, seated by the window, seemed to be in his own little world. He smiled softly, his eyes catching the faint orange hues of the sun as it slowly rose, painting the world in gentle warmth.

I watched him for longer than I should have, the quiet serenity of his smile making my chest tighten. Before I realized it, I let my head rest lightly on his shoulder, hoping to steal a few minutes of sleep. His scent enveloped me, sending my heart racing. It was maddening, how something so simple could keep me on edge.

But sleep never came. Every slight movement he made, every shift, every breath, pulled me out of it. My mind remained restless, caught between wanting to relax and being entirely too aware of the person sitting beside me.

When we finally arrived, Beomgyu turned to me and pinched my nose lightly. "Get up, sleepyhead. We’re here," he said, his voice soft yet teasing.

I blinked and nodded groggily. "I didn’t sleep at all," I admitted, my voice quieter than I intended.

He smiled knowingly, his gaze warm as he nodded. "I could tell."

We stepped out of the car together, the brisk morning air brushing against our faces. Even as we walked into the practice stadium, that scent of his lingered in my mind, refusing to let go.