Prince of Frost

A crowd of reporters swarmed outside the company's glass front doors, cameras flashing first thing in the morning. Immediately, a scowl formed on his face.

D*mn it, this is the third time.

Stepping forward, Damien's gaze snagged on a familiar figure trapped at the centre of the commotion. Lee Minsoo stood stiffly amid the sea of people. The younger boy's expression was calm but taut—a polite half-smile frozen on his face. He looked like a deer in headlights, clearly uncomfortable as they shouted over each other for his attention.

What is he doing just standing there? He's not gonna make it into the building at this rate.

Damien let out an exasperated sigh. If there was one thing he couldn't stand more than noise, it was seeing someone cornered by it.

He decided to act.

Pulling his black hoodie up to cover his face, he slipped sideways through the crowd. Using his smaller frame, he managed to come up right behind Minsoo without drawing attention.

Minsoo was startled when Damien appeared near him. Before the younger trainee could react, Damien reached up and tugged the hood of Minsoo's jacket over his head. In one swift move, he draped the excess fabric to obscure Minsoo's features.

"Keep your head down," Damien muttered under his breath, just loud enough for Minsoo to hear over the commotion.

Minsoo blinked in surprise but didn't resist as Damien took his wrist. With a firm grip, Damien began steering him forward, cutting a path through the reporters.

"Excuse us, coming through," Damien said loudly.

He adopted a brisk tone as if he were a staff member escorting an artist. The bold approach caught a few reporters off guard; bodies shifted, creating a narrow opening. Damien took the chance and pulled Minsoo along, weaving determinedly toward the entrance.

For Minsoo, the world became a blur of motion and the sound of Damien's steady breathing next to him. Shielded by the hood, Minsoo kept his head down just as instructed. His heart pounded—half from the anxiety of the crowd, half from the unexpected act of Damien guiding him.

Finally, they burst through the front doors into the lobby. The glass swung shut behind them, cutting off the cacophony of questions still being hurled outside.

Inside the building, the sudden silence was startling. Minsoo exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Damien released Minsoo's wrist once they were safely inside.

"You okay?" Damien asked casually, slightly out of breath. Despite his calm tone, he shot an annoyed glare back at the reporters pressed against the glass. Luckily, a security guard was already moving to disperse them.

"Yes... I'm alright," he managed. His voice was gentle yet slightly shaken. "Thank you, Damien."

Damien crossed his arms, more irritated at the situation than at Minsoo. Perhaps it was the hidden concern that he felt, or the fact that he hadn't gotten a peaceful morning due to the chaos, but he scolded Minsoo—which was unlike him.

"You should really ask the staff to use the side entrance. Or at least wear a mask and cap or something," he chastised. "Walking right up to the front door is just asking for trouble. What were you thinking?"

Minsoo's eyes widened slightly. Not many people spoke to him in that tone—half scolding, half concern. For a moment he was at a loss for words. It had been a long time since anyone had fussed over him so openly. Most assumed Lee Minsoo could handle himself, that he was as composed as the image he'd shown on TV. To be treated like someone who needed help… it was oddly refreshing to him.

"I…didn't expect them to be here so early." A tiny, self-conscious smile tugged at his lips. He ducked his head, trying to hide the embarrassed curve of his mouth. "I thought if I came before schedule, I could slip in unnoticed. Seems I was wrong."

"They've been here at the crack of dawn every day. You have noticed, right? Or did you think they'd give up on day three?"

Minsoo dared a peek at Damien's face. The older's vibrant green eyes were sharp with annoyance, but not unkind. Realizing Damien was genuinely worried for him, Minsoo felt a warm tickle of gratitude in his chest. He pressed his lips together, suppressing the urge to laugh at his own naivety.

"I suppose that was stupid of me. I'll take your advice next time."

"Good." Damien nodded firmly.

He hadn't expected any pushback—Minsoo didn't seem the prideful type despite his fame—but the easy agreement pleased him. His expression softened, losing some of its edge.

"Those reporters a pain, right?" He jerked a thumb towards the glass door.

Minsoo agreed, the corner of his eyes crinkling with mirth. "Yes. A bit..."

For that brief moment, the stoic persona Minsoo shown the world was gone—in its place was a gentle young man who found humor in being scolded by a friend.

Damien found himself cracking a slight grin in return. Seeing Minsoo loosen up, Damien felt a bit happy. "Then, let's ditch this place. We have to go upstairs before they bust through the entrance," he said, walking toward the elevators.

Minsoo matched his stride, still smiling. "Lead the way."

Side by side, the two disappeared deeper into the building's lobby, leaving the frustrated reporters behind the glass doors. Neither noticed how naturally they'd fallen in step, or how Minsoo's shoulders now relaxed in Damien's calming presence.

The chaotic morning was finally behind them.

...

After the morning classes were over, everyone met up at the cafeteria.

During lunch, the group gathered at the table, casting unsure glances at one another. Yuki, Kian, and Li Xingyuan sat on one side; Yejun and Minsoo on the other, with Damien caught squarely in the middle of the two.

An awkward silence fell over the six boys. Nearly everyone poked at their food, stealing glances at Minsoo as if he were some kind of exotic animal that wandered into their midst.

Minsoo himself sat with perfect posture, silently stirring his soup. His calm, strict demeanor was back in place, and he offered a polite closed-lip smile whenever he caught someone glancing his way.

The quiet stretched on for a few more seconds.

For such a boisterous bunch, it was rare for them to be this speechless.

Under the silence, Yuki was the first to crack. He cleared his throat loudly, causing Kian and Li Xingyuan to look up.

"So..." Yuki began, the volume of his voice becoming louder. In typical fashion, he blurted out exactly what was on his mind, tact or propriety be damned. "Am I hallucinating or is this really happening right now? Has the universe blessed us? How the actual f—"

Before the words could escape Yuki's mouth, Kian moved with lightning reflexes. He clamped a hand over Yuki's mouth, muffling the rest of his words.

"Mmmpf!"

Yuki's eyes went wide in surprise. He tried to speak against Kian's palm, but it came out as gibberish. Kian shot him a warning look, pleading to Yuki to 'please behave'.

The tension shattered. Li Xingyuan nearly spat out the sip of water he'd been drinking, disguising his laugh as a cough. Yejun shook his head, one hand covering his face in embarrassment.

Damien just smiled and continued to eat. Beside him, Minsoo blinked in confusion at the sudden commotion. His eyes darted from Yuki's pouting face to Kian's desperate attempt to silence him.

"Ahem." Kian slowly released Yuki's mouth. "What Yuki meant to say was... we're just curious how you're here with us, Minsoo." Kian offered an apologetic smile.

Minsoo's cheeks warmed at being the center of attention. "It's honestly a bit surreal for me as well," he replied softly. "Thank you for letting me to join you."

Yejun waved a hand dismissively. "Anytime. If you're friends with Damien, you're our friend too." He flashed Minsoo a reassuring grin. "And don't mind Yuki. He's just… excitable."

"Hey!" Yuki protested, but he was grinning. "I'm just saying what everyone's thinking!" He turned to Minsoo, eyes shining. "Hyung, I watched you on Echo Project every week. You were like this mysterious, quiet ace. I never imagined I'd meet you, let alone have you here with us." Yuki spoke with the blunt earnestness of a fanboy.

Damien caught onto Yuki's overly familiar tone and laughed inwardly.

He calls everyone hyung, doesn't he?

Minsoo's ears turned a slight shade of pink at the mention of the survival show. He dropped his gaze to his tray, a shy smile playing on his lips. "Ah… I was just doing my best on the show. It's embarrassing to hear it described like that," he murmured.

Li Xingyuan leaned forward on his elbows, a playful grin spreading across his face. "Embarrassing? Come on, you were basically a legend, Minsoo-hyung," he teased, calling Minsoo familiarly. "All stoic and brooding on camera, out-dancing everyone. I'm pretty sure half of the trainees here had a crush on you or wanted to be you."

Yuki nodded in agreement. "It's true! I don't know if you've seen the nicknames fans gave you during the survival show, but you were called the 'Prince of Frost' at the time."

"Prince... of Frost?" Minsoo's eyes widened, clearly shocked.

Damien nearly choked on his food. 

What?