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INSTINCT

"Thank you, sir, for that -ahum- overly-detailed information some of us did not need!"

The audience burst out in laughter, sending Minkyu's heart into overdrive while he was waiting backstage for his cue. He was trembling on his feet as the soundwaves washed over his ears. He fidgeted with his leather jacket, checking his outfit once more, to try to calm himself down. The black wolf looked back at the others of his group, who looked remarkably calm compared to him. He let out an anxious sigh and closed his mossy green eyes for a moment, moving his sensitive wolf nose up in silent prayer. The scents of dozens of different species assaulted him as a special perfume that could only be created by stuffing as many people as possible in a small area. The venue they were about to perform on was nowhere near as big as the stage they'd find themselves on in just a few weeks' time. Why was he so nervous about something like this? It was not as if his future depended on it. Well, okay, maybe a little.

Minkyu startled slightly at the feeling of a paw landing on his shoulder. He turned around to look right into the amber eyes that belonged to Seojun.

"You're too tense. We'll be fine. We have worked hard for this, hyung" the skinny grey wolf said before nodding once.

His friend's assurance caused some of the tension to leave his body. Unfortunately, it came right back the moment the show host called them onto the stage.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, taking the stage next is a wonderful new group of people who are fighting their way towards their debut. This is their first TV performance, but they are ready! Please, give it up for INSTINCT!" the dapper fox announced before walking to the side, making way for the group of five fresh new idols to take the stage.

Minkyu slapped his own cheeks before walking onto the stage wearing a tough and slightly angry look on his face. He moved his mic to his muzzle and raised his paw up into the air as soon as the other members had taken up their positions. "Good evening, Korea! We are INSTINCT! Fasten your seatbelts," he said before grinning into the camera that was pointed at him. The audience cheered and whistled their appreciation before they got quiet at the visual cue, filling the room with the crowd's anticipation. The music started playing a few seconds later

Minkyu started singing, his low voice easily reaching the hearts of the audience while the other members danced behind him and provided backup vocals. He spun around, moving back, while the two white wolves moved to the front. Jinho and Joonho, twins, were amazing dancers and they could hit some amazingly high notes without a problem. Their identical voices made sure that they were an absolute delight to listen to. They danced perfectly as usual and played a prank on Minkyu, pulling up his shirt to reveal his abs for a second, before moving to the sides to make way for the rapper, Junyoung. The brown wolf had no problem flirting with the camera while rapping, even blowing a kiss before joining the group choreo. Strong bass fuelled their dance parts, and the singing was absolutely flawless. The song went on for a few minutes before they struck their end poses and received the loud applause given by the audience and the people backstage. They bowed respectfully before leaving the stage.

The backstage crew greeted them with compliments and thanks before sending them to their dressing room. Water was provided for them, as well as some healthy snacks. They were sweating a little and they slumped down on the various chairs and benches in the small room, panting softly for a minute or two, before the wonderful silence was broken.

Seojun leaned forward, turning his calm gaze upon the brown wolf on the chair opposite him. "Junyoung, your dancing lagged slightly behind in the fast part after your rap. Please, do better next time," he said calmly.

The other canine frowned and his ears swivelled back before they went down. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about, hyung. I was completely in sync with the rest of you."

"I wish it were so, but you were throwing off our carefully constructed harmony. It's an important part in the dance that has to be perfect."

The younger wolf jumped up from his chair and growled at the lead choreographer. "It was fine!" he protested, his fur bristling.

"I will watch the video with you and give you a few pointers to make it perfect. Don't worry," Seojun said, keeping his calm eyes on the temperamental wolf in front of him. The grey wolf was the embodiment of serenity. Nothing could ever really throw him off. Junyoung, on the other hand, was just about to lose it. He still couldn't handle critique well, it seemed.

The leader stood up with a sigh and stepped between the two of them, flexing his muscles nonchalantly to make himself look bigger. "Alright, break it up, you two. We did a fine job out there, and we will do even better next time. Junnie, you absolutely nailed your rap again. Who cares about an almost invisible mistake in the choreo?" he said while smiling, moving an arm around his friend's shoulder before turning to Seojun. "Seojun, would you please analyse the video for anything we'll have to tweak?" he asked with a kind smile.

The brown wolf blushed and pouted a little. "Please, don't call me Junnie, hyung. Especially not when others are present," he said while calming down at the same time, the fur in his neck going flat again.

The choreographer nodded and looked away before drinking some more water.

"Great! Thanks for the hard work, guys! It's time to go back!" Minkyu announced before slapping Junyoung on his shoulder and ushering the others out of the dressing room. He looked at the twins, his gaze lingering on the younger of the two, Jinho. He smiled at the young wolf and was rewarded with a brilliant smile and a wink, causing the black wolf to blush, which, luckily, couldn't be seen due to his thick black fur. Both wolves were wagging happily for a few seconds, before the white wolf joined his twin outside. Minkyu made sure they left no mess behind before leaving the building with the others, where they were picked up by one of the agency's drivers, and brought back to said agency. Another successful show, another successfully-defused fight.

***

The next morning announced itself way too early through the sound of his alarm going off. The black wolf groaned and sleepily lifted his head from the pillow, forcing himself up on all fours before crawling over to the side of the bed and reaching out for the trousers he had been wearing the evening before. He couldn't exactly reach it and, since pouting wouldn't work, he half climbed out of bed and pulled the piece of clothing into the warm confines of his bordeaux sheets. Meanwhile, the cheerful tune of one of his favourite songs kept playing. Minkyu took the phone out of his trousers, shut it off, and sighed as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. Perhaps it wasn't such a great idea to pick a nice song as his alarm tune. He was starting to dislike it more every morning. The large wolf pushed himself up out of bed and stretched out his lovely toned body, popping a few joints, before walking out of his room, stark naked.

On his way to the showers, he came across Junyoung, who pretended to swoon and fanned himself, obviously putting on an act to tease his group leader about his nonchalance.

"Whew, Minkyu-hyung, how can you do this to me this early in the morning! My poor heart!" he said with a higher voice than usual and a huge grin on his face, his tail wagging in obvious joy.

The group's leader grunted his protest and playfully punched the other canine's shoulder as he walked past him and into the bathroom. They were all quite comfortable being naked around each other. They were five guys living in one apartment, so it was only natural that they'd gotten used to each other over time. At least they all had their own rooms, which were the only places where there was real privacy, the toilet being an obvious exception of course.

He turned on the warm water and sighed happily as it rained down on him and washed away his grogginess. Minkyu loved starting and ending his day with a shower, but he'd been too tired to shower the night before. He ran his paws over his hard body and washed himself thoroughly before just standing there, enjoying the feeling of the water finding ways through his fur as it streamed down. He forced himself out of the shower after a while and walked over to the full-body dryer, which dried his midnight fur within minutes.

After getting dressed into a comfortable tank top and sweat pants, the black wolf joined the rest of INSTINCT in the lounge area, where they always ate their meals. The rest, even Seojun, who was known for sleeping in, was already there and greeted him warmly. Joonho was working on breakfast, which was one of his duties in the house.

"Good morning, hyung. How would you like your eggs?" the small white wolf asked while smiling pleasantly.

"Good morning, Joonho. Scrambled please," he said before sitting down on one of the luxurious couches, sharing it with Seojun.

"Coming right up! Could you share today's schedule with us, glorious leader?" the cook asked while grinning a little.

Minkyu rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Of course, my loyal minion. Today, Joonho, Seojun, and Junyoung will practise their singing parts for our latest song. Junyoung, I expect your rapping to be absolutely flawless by the end of the day, but I'm sure you've got that covered," he said.

The rapper nodded and grinned, winking at the large wolf. "You got it, boss."

"Great! It seems Jinho and I are tasked with writing lyrics for a new song. The agency has sent us the instrumental version of the song we voted on last week, so we can finally get started on that. We should start on choreo for it as well soon. I will leave that to you, Seojun," he said. "This will be the song that will launch us right to the first place in the upcoming competition, so let's work hard on it!" he said while smiling.

The rest let out their own cries of approval, ate their breakfast happily, and went their own ways to work on their assignments. The youngest member, the maknae, joined the oldest in the writing room, which was decorated with cool posters of both landscapes and famous artists to inspire them in their songwriting. Minkyu was glad to have some alone time with the cute young wolf, both for selfish reasons, and because the maknae almost never spoke his mind in a group, unless someone specifically asked for his opinion. Jinho was wearing tight grey skinny jeans as well as a form-fitting black shirt. The silver rings in his ears completed the look that Minkyu quite openly admired, until the young wolf actually snapped his fingers in front of his nose, bringing the black canine back to reality.

"Huh?"

"You were spacing out again, hyung. It's quite cute, but we're supposed to be working, remember?" Jinho asked before giggling.

Minkyu blushed and nodded. He set up the laptop and writing gear before opening up the group's e-mail. He was the only one in INSTINCT who knew the password, since he was the one responsible for all communication between the group and the agency. He downloaded the song to the desktop and played it, letting his fellow writer hear it again. It was a very powerful and dark song with a very clear part for rapping and some space for the twins' lovely high notes. Minkyu had some ideas for the arrangements already, but he wanted to know what Jinho thought first. After the song was finished, he asked the wolf's opinion.

"So, I have some ideas for it already. What do you think, Jinho?" he asked.

The young wolf thought hard for a moment, placing a finger on his lips, as was his habit, before carefully answering.

"Well, the rap parts are quite clear, but it's a bit long. Perhaps we could have two people rapping in that part?" he suggested before continuing. "I thought the high notes would be great for the chorus, while the lower voices would be good for the other parts. The actual lines can't be divided among us until we have actually written them though," he said and smiled.

The black wolf clapped the white one on his back and pulled him in for a hug for a moment. His chest swelled with pride. Seeing the musical genius of the young canine was always amazing. He personally thought Jinho was better at this than he was, but he wouldn't tell him that, out of fear of ruining the boy's modesty. There was one thing that surprised and worried him about what he had said though.

"You and I are almost completely in sync! But eh... two rappers? And who do you suppose will be able to do that?" he asked.

"Well, I was thinking that maybe you would want to give it a shot. You're supposed to be the tough guy in our group, and rapping is the perfect way to show that."

"But I have never rapped before!"

"Exactly. It's a great way to expand your skillset, surprise the fans and staff, and you have the perfect voice for it, I think. Junyoung has a high rapping voice, so your low voice should complement his well. I have faith in you, hyung!" the cute wolf said with a bright smile on his face that Minkyu just couldn't ignore.

"Well, I guess we could give it a try," he said softly before jotting down a few notes. He supposed that Jinho had a point about his voice and image. He just hoped that he would actually be able to do a good job at it. Perhaps some one-on-one training with Junyoung would be a good idea. They spent the rest of the time working on possible lyrics, leaving the rap lyrics to their lead rapper, before joining up with the others for dinner and dance practise. They couldn't start working on the new dance yet, because their choreographer loved working with the lyrics and would wait for them to be done. Instead, they stuck to their usual repertoire.

"Again! Slide, jump, bounce, bounce, step, step, hit!" Seojun ordered as he counted along with the music. He was walking around the group to spot any mistakes they made. "Minkyu-hyung, more power!" he said as he replayed the music and started over again.

Minkyu frowned for a second before throwing in even more power than before, really pushing his body to the limit with his moves. They had been practising for at least an hour already, and he was exhausted. Still, Seojun wouldn't let up.

"Again!"

The black wolf sighed and danced along with the others again, trying to keep his energy up. Seojun was a stern teacher, but he made sure that their dances were as spotless as they could possibly be.

"Jinho, bigger arm movements! That's it!"

Looking at the white wolf from behind, Minkyu couldn't see what exactly Seojun meant. Jinho's movements looked fine to him, but he was sure that there had to be something he hadn't seen. They kept on going for another three times before they could finally take a break.

The dancers either sat down or lay down on the floor, panting like rabid dogs and draining their water bottles. Dance training was always the hardest and most rewarding of their different training routines. It kept them all in perfect shape too. There was something really great about working on your body in a fun way, while also creating something from scratch.

"Alright, break time is over! Let's go over it again from the top!"

***

Minkyu flopped down on his bed after that incredibly tiring training session. He felt extremely dirty and started pulling off his sweaty clothes. That sure was one thing evolution had done totally wrong. Perhaps it was their own fault for putting on clothing though. He moved through his room and gathered his shower supplies before leaving for his second trip to the showers that day.

His ears perked up at the sound of a shower running as he walked towards the door leading into the shower area. He wondered who was using it at this hour. Most of the others only used the shower in the morning, so it was a mystery to him. The wolf hung up his towel and entered the room. After blinking a few times to get his eyes used to the humid air, he spotted a familiar white figure washing himself. Jinho. The black wolf's green eyes were glued to the slender wolf's beautiful figure, resting on his curvy hips and rump. He swallowed once and blushed while wagging a little.

"See something you like?"

He snapped out of his trance and looked up to see the smaller wolf looking at him with a mischievous smile on his face. "What?" he asked softly before moving closer. "I eh... I was just admiring how incredibly clean your white fur is. It has to be a real pain in the ass to keep it that way."

Jinho nodded and stroked his chest as he washed himself. "Yeah, but I'm used to it, so I guess it doesn't really bother me that much. It's annoying how quickly it gets dirty though," he said. His paws moved down to his stomach and hips, drawing Minkyu's attention to the younger canine's form.

The dark wolf blushed a little and had to turn away for a moment in order to get any showering done. He turned on the warm water and sighed happily when it hit his body. He let himself get soaked completely before running his paws through his wet fur, enjoying the feeling. The large wolf applied some shampoo to his fur in order to feel completely clean.

The relaxing sound of water hitting the stone tiles they were standing on brought him into a new trance, one he was quickly snapped out of by the white wolf again, as he felt the boy's paws on his back, stroking him gently. Jinho must've felt him startle, because he chuckled lightly and patted his shoulders. "Just helping out a friend by washing his back. Be sure to wash mine too, alright?" he asked before taking the shampoo and applying it to Minkyu's broad back. He seemed to take a certain joy in doing so, judging by the water sent flying in all directions behind him.

The black wolf closed his eyes and sighed happily as the smaller wolf took care of him like that. He'd never done this with any of the other members, so he was quite surprised by Jinho's sudden closeness. Sure, he had fantasized about being with him like that, but he'd never thought that it would actually become a reality at one point. He pinched himself just to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Nope, wide awake. His wagging tail brushed over the slender one's belly, drawing a pleased sound from the boy, which made him wag even faster. This went one for a little while, until the boy turned around.

"My turn now."

Minkyu turned around to the boy and immediately placed his huge paws onto the small white back. It was funny to see how much darker his fur seemed like that, and how much bigger his paws seemed to be. He stroked the boy with surprising gentleness while blushing and smiling. He was really happy that Jinho allowed him to be this close to him. He really liked the wolf, and it wasn't long before his paws moved down onto the slightly curvy hips, softly squeezing them even.

Jinho giggled at that and looked at him over his shoulder. "What are you doing?" he asked softly before lightly swaying his hips from side to side, actually teasing the big wolf.

The group leader bit his lower lip and moved his paws over the boy's chest and stomach, hugging him against his strong body. "I...I don't know..." he said softly in the younger wolf's ear, causing it to flick once. He nuzzled said ear and licked it slowly, causing Jinho to gasp very softly and turn around, which was when Minkyu bent down and slanted his lips over Jinho's, kissing him deeply. He was afraid of the possible reaction, but when the boy melted into the kiss and actually returned it, he held the kiss longer, emboldened by the other one's reaction.

The kiss lasted only a few seconds, but it felt as if entire lifetimes had passed them by, leaving them both panting softly. "I...I'm sorry," Minkyu said softly while blushing brightly and fidgeting with his paws after having let go of him.

"Don't be," Jinho replied while smiling before licking lips. "I have to go now. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" he asked softly. He nuzzled Minkyu's strong jaw and headed for the door, leaving the black wolf alone with his thoughts.

He turned off the shower and headed for the drying booth, all the while still feeling Jinho's lips on his. He licked them and moved his arms around himself for a moment, imagining the boy in them. The kiss had been amazing, and he was quite certain that Jinho had liked it too. This opened new, very dangerous, doors for him, and he wasn't yet sure if that was a good thing or not. He headed back to his room and went to bed, replaying the kiss over and over in his head until he eventually fell asleep, enjoying dreams filled with visions of the beautiful white wolf and his mesmerizing aquamarine eyes.

***

"Could you tilt your head a little bit to the side? Yes, perfect! Hold still! Oh, I love that look!"

Minkyu sighed inwardly while giving the camera an annoyed look while posing with a rather beautiful bottle of perfume. Junyoung and he were tasked with shooting pictures for a commercial of a new perfume, the name of which he'd already forgotten. Of all his idol activities, doing photoshoots was the most boring one, according to him. It was just hours of sitting still while people prepped him and kept changing his pose, making sure that the light hit him just right, and that no single strand of fur was out of place. His annoyed look was by no means fake, but it fit the character that he was supposed to portray perfectly, pleasing the photographer.

He dared to steal a look at his friend, who was shooting the second camera lusty and teasing looks, posing accordingly. He was an absolute natural at this, and he enjoyed it to the fullest as well. The brown wolf winked at the cute wolf girl taking care of the lighting. "Hey, beautiful, why don't you come a little closer?" he asked with a husky voice, almost causing the girl to melt into a puddle at the spot, causing the seductive wolf to grin and wag.

"Keep it in your pants, Junyoung. You're not here to pick up girls!" Minkyu said, feeling that it was up to him to keep his friend in check. The last thing they needed right before their debut was some kind of scandal to happen. Not that what the other canine was doing could even be compared with what took place in the showers the previous night. He got warmer under his fur just from thinking about how Jinho's paws had felt on his body, the way they had pressed against each other, and the feeling of that wonderful kiss. He wondered if Jinho was thinking about him too at that moment.

"Uhm... Minkyu? Hello? Excuse me? MINKYU!" the photographer said, trying to get his attention again. The rabbit looked a little annoyed and had obviously been waiting for him to respond.

The black wolf turned his attention back to the man, his ears flat and his tail still for a moment. "Huh? Oh, I'm sorry. Different pose?" he asked before changing his position to one where he was sitting up, legs spread, while leaning on his legs, holding the bottle in one paw, and looking at it. The photographer started shooting pictures again, and he was safe again for a while. That wouldn't be the only time he got distracted during the shoot though.

***

Several days later, after having returned from participating in a variety show, in which the group had to do all kinds of crazy things and answer weird questions, the group decided to come together in the recording room to practise their new song. It was completely different from the sugar-sweet songs most groups tried to debut with in the annual competition. Minkyu had titled the song "Break Out", with lyrics symbolizing people breaking away from their restrictions and boring lives in order to pursue what they really wanted to do. To the group, it stood for their determination to violently burst forth into the entertainment industry like wildfire. The song was dark and heavy with a lot of bass and cool guitars, as well as awesome sound effects. Jinho and Minkyu were very proud of it, and the rap lyrics that Junyoung came up with fit the theme perfectly, creating a song that the group dared call a masterpiece.

They had practised the song individually before, and the black wolf had undergone rap training by Junyoung. It turned out that he wasn't as bad at rapping as he'd initially feared, which was a huge boost to his ego, as well as a relief. Minkyu was quite sure that they'd be able to pull off singing the song, as long as they practised enough and tweaked it a little here and there.

The group gathered around in a circle, each standing in front of a recording mic. They had their lyrics in front of them and waited for their singing coach to start the music. This was one of the few things the group couldn't do themselves, at least not when all of them were singing together. The older rat was a true expert and used to be in an idol group himself many years before them. He held up his thumb to them and started the music after fidgeting with some of the controls.

The group started singing all at once, which went perfectly according to how they had planned it. Minkyu continued with his solo, followed by Seojun, before the song would progress into the chorus, with the twins in the lead, their high voices as beautiful as ever. Jinho was really into the song and couldn't help but look at the black wolf for a moment, causing him to mess up a few words in the lyrics, before he managed to get back into it, earning him a frown from his twin brother. Junyoung's rap part was absolutely flawless, and while Minkyu's was still far from perfect, it wasn't as bad as it could've been. The extra practice sessions with the lead rapper had really helped prepare him for this. The rest of the song was basically singing the chorus a few more times, before it ended.

The group cheered and most of them were smiling. Seojun was not though. "That wasn't perfect by a long shot. Again, please," he said while looking at the leader.

Minkyu nodded and signalled the coach to start again. The rat wouldn't give his advice until the group specifically asked for it, which was the way they liked it. The song started up again, and it pretty much went okay, except for Minkyu messing up the text in his rap this time. He growled softly in frustration and raked his claw through the fur on his head. "Sorry, guys. This is even harder than I thought it would be," he said.

"You're doing fine. We just need to practise some more," Jinho said while smiling brightly and wagging.

"No, it wasn't fine. He needs to do better. We all have to do better if we want to debut this year," Junyoung said with a seriousness to his voice that was quite unlike him. He seemed determined and frustrated. "Also, Seojun, could you sing a bit lower and more monotonous in your lines? It would sound a lot darker and cooler if you did it like that, I think."

"I'm sorry, hyung, but I don't agree with you. I am not a robot, and I will not sing like one," the grey wolf spoke, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes just a tad, his hackles rising a bit as well.

Minkyu turned to the rat and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, Haneul-hyung, but could you help us out a little? What do you think?" INSTINCT's leader asked the expert, hoping he would shed some light on points to improve on, so the others would stop arguing with each other.

Haneul folded a paw over his chin while he thought deeply about what to say, before pressing the intercom button. "Personally, I think that Junyoung has a point with the monotonous singing. It could sound really cool, however, if Seojun really doesn't want to do it, then he could just sing a little bit lower to give it more of a rough edge," he said calmly. "Also, the twins sound absolutely wonderful together as usual. Great job, boys," he said.

The white wolves wagged happily and fist-bumped before dabbing, causing the rest to chuckle at them. "That dance move is so last month," Seojun said, rolling his eyes.

"Well, we like doing it still, so we don't care," Joonho said before sticking out his tongue and doing the move again for good measure, causing his brother to grin and the grey wolf to roll his eyes again and groaning.

Minkyu smiled at the rat and bowed slightly. "Thank you for your input. Alright, you heard it. Seojun, I'd like you to at least try to sing lower in that part, and I will try to do a better job on the rapping."

The music started again from the beginning, and they sang together again. Seojun sang lower, but with a lot less energy and enthusiasm than before. He clearly wasn't into it. Jinho and Minkyu were distracted by each other again, causing the white wolf to mess up his lines again, and Minkyu to start on his rap part too late.

Haneul sighed and stopped the music. "Guys, I don't know what's going on, but this sounded worse than just now. Minkyu and Jinho, stick to your lines, they're right in front of you. Seojun, put more energy into it. You sound like you're going to fall asleep," he said sternly while frowning. He'd never seen the group this chaotic before, and it worried him. He made a note of it in his phone before starting the music again. The next try was about as disastrous as the previous one, and the members started accusing each other.

"Seojun, is it really that hard to put a bit more effort into it? You're dragging everyone down!" Junyoung said, his ears back and his hackles raised in frustration.

"You say that, but at least I can remember my lines, or at least read them. I really don't know what's gotten into you two today," the lead choreographer said while looking at the two love birds. It was clear that he was annoyed by them as his eyes shot daggers. He clenched his fists and put away his headphones before walking out of the room, reducing the group to four.

"S...Seojun-hyung!" Jinho called after him, looking worried.

His brother placed a paw on the boy's shoulder and squeezed it. "Oh, I know. Jinho just keeps getting distracted by a certain black wolf. We need your blood in the upper half of your body today, bro. Get your priorities straight," he said sternly with a slight growl. "We don't have time for this."

Jinho turned to his brother with a look of shock and confusion on his face. He couldn't remember the last time Joonho had been that nasty to him. He whined softly and threw off his headphone as well, running out of the room on the verge of crying, leaving only three wolves in the room.

Minkyu could only stare at the group as it fell apart before his eyes. He moved to go after the youngest of the twins, before he was stopped by Junyoung holding his arm. "Leave him. We have more important things to do."

The large wolf bristled and snarled as he pulled himself free and pushed the brown wolf back. "What do you know!? Can't you see that we are in deep shit right now? Practice is over!" he growled before leaving the room as well, leaving two wolves and a rat, who was on the phone, in the studio.

***

"Do you know why I have called you here today, Minkyu?" the old grey wolf opposite INSTINCT's leader asked him as he poured them both a glass of water. This man was the most important man in the agency, the director, meaning he had the power to make or break any potential idol or idol group that was signed with his agency.

The younger black wolf nervously accepted the glass of water and took a sip before putting it back down. There could be various reasons for the man bringing him in, but the most likely reason would be that it was because of what happened during singing practice the previous day. He certainly hoped it wasn't because of what was going on between Jinho and him. As far as he knew, nobody knew exactly what was going on, except maybe Joonho. Damned twins and their supposed spiritual bonds. "Could it be that Haneul-hyung called you, sir? About yesterday?"

The man sipped his water and played with his necktie a little before sighing and turning his wise brown eyes on the idol-to-be. "Minkyu, it is your responsibility to keep your group, your pack so to speak, functioning as a perfect unit. If you cannot do this, then I fear INSTINCT won't be ready to debut anytime soon," he spoke calmly and with worry on his face.

Minkyu bit his lip and his ears went down while he thought on those words. He was responsible. He was the leader, or, as the director would often call him, an Alpha. It was his job to solve the problems in the group, but he had no idea what could possibly work in their case. Everybody just seemed to have a lot of built-up frustration that needed to be let out somehow. He nodded before lifting his eyes up to the director's. "I understand, sir. I will take care of it."

"See to it that you do. You have about two weeks to get ready for Debut Dome. You can do it, Minkyu. INSTINCT has the potential to win this thing, but you have to find your team spirit back first," he said before nodding at the boy, signalling that the conversation was over.

***

To relieve some of the stress of problems around him and the heavy burden of trying to solve the current predicament, the large black wolf decided to do what he always did to calm himself down: dance. He would follow it up with a long warm shower, as was his custom, but first he'd distract his worrying mind with music and choreography. He closed the door to the dance room behind him and put down a small bag holding a bottle of water and a towel, before moving over to the music control panel and selecting one of his favourite songs. It wasn't one of their own, but that hardly mattered at the moment. He took his spot in the middle of the room and let his muscle memory take over as he danced his heart out, combining powerful movements with moments of calmer moves. Minkyu let his body do the talking as he freestyled through the song instead of sticking to the choreo.

While moving around in this semi-meditative state, he hadn't heard the door closing, and actually wasn't aware of another presence, until he'd opened his mossy eyes and looked right into the aquamarine blue of Jinho's. They could've been Joonho's as well, of course, but he wouldn't stand as close as this beautiful white wolf was at that moment. Minkyu opened his mouth to say something, only to have the smaller wolf moving a finger over his lips and shaking his head with a smile. The next song came on, which was one of their own, and the younger wolf started dancing as elegantly as the first snow in December, while somehow still dancing the choreography perfectly. The obsidian wolf joined in with a smile, happily moving along according to what he was taught, while his heart was dancing a different dance entirely.

"Mind if we join in?"

The two dancers turned to the door to see the other three members standing there, smiling at them and walking over. Joonho hugged his twin, which started a hugging circle for a moment, at the end of which, everyone was wagging and smiling, ears up all the way.

"Alright, let's just dance our older choreos for a moment, alright? Just for fun," Minkyu said before turning on the music.

The group happily danced together, forgetting all about their worries and frustrations. It seemed everyone just needed a proper distraction to be able to let go of the accumulated stress of standing on the edge of glory. It was time for them to go beyond their limits. There would be time for them to talk about their issues, but not just yet. Not tonight.

The leader looked at his small pack and smiled brightly upon seeing the happy faces and wagging tails. They had found their harmony again, and he felt like nothing could possibly ruin the moment.

"Junyoung, you need more practice. Your dancing was a little sloppy still," the grey wolf said, causing everyone else present to groan and slap their paws over their faces.

***

Two weeks had passed since that night, and INSTINCT had spent most of their time on reforging their bonds, working out their differences, and getting ready in time for the big show. Time flew by like a cheetah on speed, until the moment they were collected from their apartment and driven over to the capital, where Debut Dome would be held on the biggest and most advanced stage the country had to offer. To say that the boys were nervous about performing in front of over forty thousand people would be the understatement of the year.

The five young wolves were waiting in their dressing room, where a screen was mounted so they could watch the others perform. The only thing the staff needed them to do, was be at the right spot at the right time. After that, the rest of their performance was up to them. Minkyu was going over his rap lyrics again, the twins were playing cards, and Junyoung and Seojun were going over the choreography again, just marking the positions and moves. The grey and brown wolves had really grown to respect each other more, and they were more likely to listen to each other's feedback now, which was something Minkyu was incredibly grateful for. The group had grown a lot stronger while working towards a common goal.

They were joined by their stylist, as well as two groomers, who would get them ready for their show. The twins went into make-up first, while the others put on their outfits, which consisted of ripped black jeans and open leather jackets, leaving their trained upper bodies exposed. It wasn't very original, but incredibly effective with the mostly-female crowd. The white wolves' fur was brushed to perfection before black eyeliner was added to their look, to make them appear less innocent and pure. The two otter groomers worked very meticulously, making sure every single strand of fur was positioned the way they wanted.

One of the show's staff members came to collect them just seconds after the finishing touches to Minkyu's look were done. He stood up and straightened his vest before fingering the multiple silver earrings in his ears. The leader looked really tough and it made him grin a little while checking himself out. This was totally going to work out. The group moved to the designated waiting area, where they listened to a sugar-sweet song by some girl group they weren't really familiar with, until it was their time to shine.

They took up their positions on special platforms underneath the stage. They'd practised on that stage for days, so they knew what to do and what to expect. The music started right after the MC's announced them. Minkyu was shot up from the platform and landed in what could be described as a superhero pose, before getting up and looking menacingly into the crowd as he started singing. The rest was shot up as well as soon as it was their turn to either sing or dance. The crowd was absolutely hyped by the group of handsome wolves dancing together and the performance was absolutely flawless. All of their hard work had definitely paid off. By the time the song had ended, they were all panting and either smiling or grinning. They lined up and bowed deeply.

Minkyu walked over to one of the MC's and took his microphone before addressing the crowd. "We are INSTINCT! Don't even dare cheering for anybody else!" he roared through the mic before taking off his jacket and flexing the muscles he trained so hard for, causing the thousands of people to scream appreciatively. He turned around again and walked off with the others.

They hugged each other in the dressing room and laughed, cheered, and generally celebrated a job well done. It almost didn't matter if they'd win anymore. Almost. They were simply really pleased and happy that everything had gone this well. Minkyu cleared his throat and requested the others' attention for a moment. "I just want to say how incredibly proud I am of what we have achieved as a group. What we did out there just now was definitely our best performance ever, and we couldn't have done it without each other. I couldn't have done it without you, so...thank you all," he said and smiled brightly.

"Urgh, you're so sappy. We love you for it though," Junyoung said as he playfully punched his leader on the shoulder. They rest laughed and agreed.

The groomers touched them up for the reward ceremony, which they were looking forward to by then. Anxiety struck as soon as all groups were called up onto the stage though. INSTINCT joined all of the other groups, being welcomed by thousands of cheers that hit them like a tidal wave. They suddenly weren't that sure of themselves anymore, and could only hope that the audience wouldn't see it. They had done all they could've done to make this performance a success. Now they just needed a little luck.

The MC's, a beautiful lioness and a handsome stallion moved to the middle of the stage. "The time has come to announce the winners of tonight's contest!" the lioness spoke, her voice washing over the crowd and causing them to grow silent.

"We will begin by stating that each and every group here tonight has done remarkably well. They have worked hard to stand here! Give them a big hand, ladies and gentlemen!" the horse said while raising his fist into the air, firing up the crowd into producing a booming applause, which did absolutely nothing to ease the knots of excitement in the five wolves' stomachs.

"That may be so, but there can only be one true winner. We will begin by announcing third place," the lioness said, holding up a card. The entire stadium grew silent, which was quite an amazing feat, since it was packed with over ten thousand people of different species. "Third place is taken by... VERTIGOOOOO!" the lioness roared. Said idol group took a step forward and bowed deeply before taking a step back again, their faces not entirely happy, but not too disappointed either.

A relieved sigh went through the remaining idol groups, who were all hoping to win the grand prize. Their relief was short-lived, as the horse started talking. "Congratulations, VERTIGO. Next up, our second place... Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for CELESTIIIIITE!"

INSTINCT was getting more nervous with each passing second, and Minkyu was quite sure he'd lose it, until he felt his right paw being taken, fingers lacing through his. He looked down to see Jinho smiling up at him, giving his big paw a gentle squeeze. The black wolf smiled back and turned to his left before taking Junyoung's paw, who in turn took Seojun's. They smiled at each other, and the leader turned to look at Jinho again, who had taken his brother's paw as well. United they stood, ready to take on the world. There was only one spot left. The ultimate prize they had worked so hard for was within reach. It was being dangled in front of them like a catnip toy in front of a feral cat.

"Now, the moment we have all been waiting for, the idol groups behind me possibly even more so than any of you lovely people out there, is finally here! The winners...of tonight's show... the group who has received the highest score... the group who will be promised their debut... Can you feel the tension in the air, people?" the lioness asked while grinning.

Some of the idol groups groaned softly, hating the fact that they were being teased at that very moment. The five friends had their heads down, and if they squeezed each other's paws even harder, something would definitely break. They were holding their breaths, waiting for the final verdict.

"Stop teasing them, Jess. It is time to give everybody the answer they so desperately crave! The moment of truth, ladies and gentlemen! The ultimate winner of Debut Dome is..."

INSTINCT. INSTINCT. Please, let it be INSTINCT! Minkyu thought strongly while grinding his teeth together and trembling.

The horse held the card in his paw and grinned before throwing it up into the air. "INSTIIIIIINCT!"

Fire shot up from the stage, the wonderful pyrotechnics illustrating perfectly how the group was feeling at that very moment. They started yelling and hugging each other before being called up to the middle of the stage. Minkyu was handed a microphone and the trophy, and was asked to say a few words.

The leader handed the trophy to Seojun before speaking. "I would like to thank all of you for being here and for putting your faith in us. Winning this contest means a great deal to us, but there is still one thing left here tonight, that I want," he said before handing the mic back to the MC. He pulled Jinho up to him and looked down at him with a smile. His next words were only for those standing close enough to hear it.

"Jinho, I love you," he said, cupping the beautiful boy's cheek in his paw, before kissing him deeply right there on stage, in front of the whole world.

Faolan