딩고 ˳✧༚

It was around 2:00 AM when you finished practicing the choreography for your upcoming comeback. Your schedule is about to get even more hectic since the preparations for it have just begun. Usually, you'd be home earlier than this but you really wanted to get the choreo down. The other dancers have already left before you and you insisted on staying. Hence, the reason why you were alone in the studio now.

Suddenly, your phone started to ringing while you were getting ready to leave. ‘Who would call me at 2 in the morning?’ You thought to yourself.

Joy immediately replaced your confusion and your eyes lit up when you saw the caller's name on the screen. But, you wondered why Jeonghan was calling because he would usually text first before anything else to make sure you were available.

“Hey! What's up? Why are you still awake?” You answered gleefully.

“…”

You raised your eyebrow at the silence that was coming from the other side of the line. Thinking maybe he must've accidentally dialed your number.

Eager to get some sort of response from him you asked, "Uh, Hannie. Are you there?"

"Mhm..." He finally answered.

"Phew. I thought you got kidnapped or something. What's going on?" You laughed.

Your ears were once again met with silence before he answered. "Nothing… I just wanted to hear your voice. I love your laugh, by the way. Wish I could hear it in person right now." His voice sounded groggy and some words sounded slurred. From the sound of it, you guessed that he was probably drinking.

"Did you drink?" You inquired.

He replied slowly with noticeable pauses in his phrases, as if thinking carefully about what he was going to say, "Yeah... A little bit... With Seungcheol. He found out about us… But it's all good… I'll explain to you tomorrow when I'm feeling sober.”

You gulped, worrying about how the whole situation turned out. "So, you guys didn’t fight or anything?"

"Heh... we didn’t so don’t worry. I can take you out on all the dates that I can now." He smiled then took a deep breath before he continued.

"Y/N... I'll never make you cry or feel neglected or pushed aside. If you ever feel unsure of what we have, I'll give you all the assurance you need. Heck, l'd even run to you right now if it was the fastest way to get to you. All you have to do is ask, my princess."

All of a sudden he sounded sober. It was like his thoughts were laid bare in front of you. You were a firm believer that drunk words are sober thoughts. And here he was saying all of his heart’s contents out loud. He did tell you that he liked you after your little movie date but this is more than you expected from him. It made you feel warm and fuzzy, similar to the feeling you felt when you first kissed him

"I'm sorry, Y/N. I didn't mean to let it all out... But I just wanted you to know how I feel about you." He continued.

"Thank you, Hannie. I… appreciate it and I really like you. You know that, right?" You bit your lip anticipating his response. You couldn’t come up with more words because of how your mind went blank over the affection you were receiving but God knows, if you could just give him a big warm hug right now, you most definitely would.

“Ahh… I like you too. A lot. I just want you to know that I’m ready to take the risk with you. Anywhere. Anytime.”

‘God. I must like Jeonghan more than I thought.’ You tried to cover your face with your hand that was unoccupied by the phone. The blood was now rushing to your face and all the way to your ears. And you were sure that if anyone was in the room right now, you’d never hear the end of it.

Your conversation was lengthy but filled with endearment. His drunk ramblings would stay in your mind for the days on end and whether he would remember it all tomorrow or not was not an issue to you as his drunk thoughts would now become the secrets that you would keep close to your heart.

—

3 months later

“Hannie!”

You open the door for your boyfriend. It’s been three months since you and Jeonghan started dating and you’ve never been happier. Tonight, you were having dinner together with the meal that you cooked for the both of you.

“I missed you so much.” He wrapped his arms around your waist while you gave him a hug above the shoulders. You gave each other the tightest squeeze you could.

He gave you a peck on the lips, still not letting go. “I missed you, too.” You answered.

You had just finished your promotions and it was his idea to celebrate it at your apartment so that you could rest a bit yet spend time together.

“Come on, the food’s gonna get cold.” The hug was broken off and you grabbed his hand instead to lead him to the dining table. He fixed the chair for you to sit on before getting to the seat in front of you.

In the time you’ve been dating, Jeonghan has been nothing but a gentleman to you. You’ve seen sides to him that you wouldn’t have seen if it weren’t for your girlfriend privileges. Yes, he would tease you sometimes but it was nothing you couldn’t handle. But mind you, you had a couple of incidents you could tease him on as well. Like how it turned out that he was crushing on you for years or how he would drunk call you and be all mushy. Although Jeonghan would never be ashamed about how he loves you, he would sometimes cringe at the things he would say, thinking it was so out-of-character of him to say those things. But nonetheless, you were the only one that could bring that side of him out.

After shortly rummaging through his bag beside him, he pulled out a long box. “Here it is. I think it would go wonderful with the steak tonight.”

“Oh my…” You looked at the familiar packaging in your boyfriend’s hand. “Is that what I think it is?”

“Yep. It’s the same brand of wine we had in Paris. I bought it when Dino and I went back to Paris for a schedule.” He smiled at you before handing you the wine bottle.

Memories of that night flooded you as you remembered how you and Jeonghan shared your thoughts with each other. “This is kinda making me feel emotional for some reason.” The rush of emotions was evident in your tone.

Jeonghan sat in front of you again after getting the cork screw from your kitchen drawer. At this point, he has been in your house multiple times to the point where he now knows where everything is. It was his second home after all.

“Say… If we didn’t share a bottle of wine that night would we be here right now?” You wondered while still staring at it in your hands.

“I’m not quite sure about that myself. But I am sure about one thing.” He took your hand.

“What is that?”

He then kissed your hand and said, “I would’ve still found a way to be with you, regardless.”

You smiled at him and put the bottle down, putting all your focus on him. “Oh, Hannie. I love you so so much.”

“I love you too, my princess.”

The moment made you realize how thankful you were that you shared some wine with him that night. Oh, how glad it made you feel that you went out of your hotel room that night instead of watching some random series on Netflix to fight your jet lag. If it weren’t for that, you wouldn’t have realized how amazing it was to love and be loved by the man in front of you.

‘Please, may he be the last man I’ll ever love.’ You thought to yourself as you casually thank Paris for the magic it brought to the two of you.

-END-

prev

Jeonghan had been going around the dorms with a small smile on his face accompanied by his occasional humming. Anybody passing by him could tell that he was in an exceptionally good mood. This was especially taken note of by one of the members.

“Hyung, did something happen? You seem to be in a good mood.” Seungkwan sat beside his hyung who was now sitting on the couch.

Jeonghan tried to deny it but his growing smile implied otherwise.

The younger member raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think so. Perhaps, are you seeing someone?” Bingo. Seungkwan was always quick to catch on.

“It’s a little complicated for now but I guess you can put it that way.” He leaned back in a relaxed manner.

“Oh, that’s great then. But why is it complicated?” The older man could tell that he was definitely intrigued at this point.

Jeonghan didn’t want to put you in a difficult situation so he tried his best not to mention your name. After last night’s magical incident, you decided that maybe you weren’t just friends after all, obviously. But before making it official, you both come to a conclusion that you needed to sort things out with a certain someone first.

“You’ll find out sooner or later.” He assures his band member.

Seungkwan was about to ask more questions to ease his curiosity but a loud voice erupted from the hallway.

“Jeonghan, can I borrow your charger? Mine suddenly isn’t working.” It was the group’s beloved leader.

“Yeah! It’s in my room on the table.” He shouted back at his best friend.

“Hyung, about-”

“Jeonghan.”

The younger member was once again interrupted by their leader. “Come here.” He continued.

Jeonghan got hit by a wave of realization. He had not put your lovey-dovey photo strip in the drawers after he got home last night. Getting up immediately, he hopped over Seungkwan in a hurry, leaving the latter confused.

“Seungcheol, I can explain.”

Seungcheol had his back facing the door holding the familiar photo strips in his hands.

He had an unrecognizable expression when he looked over his shoulder because of the dimly lit room. “When did it start?”

Jeonghan felt a lump form in his throat. He was going to tell Seungcheol some time later but he didn’t want him to find out this way.

“I’m asking you, Jeonghan. Answer me, please.” He was now facing Jeonghan. He felt the lump in his throat get bigger, as if it was meant to block his breathing. Seungcheol was hurt. It was the only word that could best describe his face now.

Once again, Seungcheol asked him, not even waiting for his answer. “Nevermind that, Is she happy? With you?”

Jeonghan looked at him, finally gaining the power to answer, “I’m not sure but I will do my best to make sure that she is.”

His best friend nodded while looking away. “Then, are you happy with her?”

Jeonghan nodded and said softly, “Yes. Yes, I am.”

The leader walked past Jeonghan with heavy shoulders and gave him a light tap on the shoulder. Without a single word, the former made his way into his room and audibly locked the door.

Jeonghan sat on the edge of his bed knowing that this wouldn’t be the best time to go after him. In the corner of his eye, he saw a silhouette peeking through the door. It was Seungkwan with his hand covering his mouth, in shock, because of the conversation that he overheard.

—

Two men were now sitting on the living room floor, pouring their hearts out with the help of alcohol. After Cheol had calmed down from the news of his two best friends getting together, he offered Jeonghan some drinks to settle things when the rest of the members were finally asleep.

Jeonghan finally had the chance to explain his side. From your encounters in Paris to last night’s date, he told his best friend everything he felt.

“I’m sorry for not telling you earlier. I just couldn’t find the right timing. I understand if you’re upset with me.”

“I’ve done some thinking. She’s something else, isn’t she? She has two best friends falling for her.” He took a sip out of his can of beer. “I’m not particularly upset with her. I made the choice to not go after her. The moment I made that clear with her, seeing her with someone else shouldn’t hurt me this much and after the way I’ve been distancing myself from her, I’m not shocked she couldn’t tell me earlier.”

Jeonghan remained silent and also took a sip of beer.

“It must’ve been hard, huh?”

Jeonghan gave him a confused look.

“You’ve spent years listening to me be indecisive. I even asked you for advice but on top of that, you saw the girl that you like get hurt because of me.” Seungcheol gave him a bittersweet smile.

Jeonghan felt this warmth consume him. Maybe, it was partially because of the alcohol, but it also was because of the man sharing this space with him. He was reminded about how remarkably generous his best friend was. Seungcheol was definitely kind-hearted and would definitely put his friends’ happiness above his and that made tears form in his eyes.

Seungcheol was well aware that Jeonghan was listening despite not saying anything. He also disregarded his attempt to subtly wipe the tears from his eyes.

‘He must’ve been under a lot of pressure.’

“You know what, Jeonghan… When I told her that I had no intention of going after her, she looked hurt but I did that because I just know she doesn’t deserve someone like me who gave her mixed signals. She cried, Jeonghan, but she seems to be doing well.”

Jeonghan averts his gaze. “She misses you. She misses her best friend. Go talk to her like you used to.”

Seungcheol puts his can of beer down and looks at him. “Maybe distancing myself from her was more self-serving than I thought.”

“Yeah, you’re stupid that way.” They both gave a short laugh.

“Don’t worry, I’ll remain the best friend. You be the boyfriend. Don’t mind me, I’ll get by somehow. She deserves the assurance and everything else you can give her”

Jeonghan smiled softy at Seungcheol.

“But if you make her cry, we’re gonna have problems.” The latter said before getting up to get more beer.

“Come on. I’m not planning on doing that. You already did that.”

Seungcheol scoffed and tilted his head for a moment. Jeonghan leaned back feeling lighter than ever.

Sitting alone in the car, you were scrolling through your phone while waiting for Jeonghan. He had parked the car on a stop along the expressway to get the both of you something to eat. Although he offered to eat at an actual restaurant, you insisted that you should just get something to eat along the way as it would be less risky. He eventually agreed to your sentiments, always wanting to put your comfort first.

“Here you go, Y/N.” He hands you the meal you had asked him to get for you before settling down in the driver’s seat. You gave him a small thanks and proceeded to open the meal box. The smell of food filled the car. Finally sharing a meal with someone after while felt nice. As a soloist, you often had meals on your own especially when your manager wasn’t around. 

“Hannie,” you say, calling out to him softly. He replied with a small hum. “Thank you for the past weeks.”

Jeonghan looked at you mid-bite of his burger. “Don’t mention it but you kind of sound like you’re saying goodbye.” Worry evident in his voice.

You chuckled, “Silly, I’m not going anywhere.” You took a sip out of the soda that came with the meal and continued, “Things just haven’t been the same since you know… the thing with Cheol.”

The man beside her felt his heart sink. Since you had that heart-felt wine-induced conversation in Paris, you never brought up his friend’s name. He wasn't really sure where the conversation was going but above anything else, he wanted to make sure you were okay.

“Why? What’s going on?”

“We really haven’t been talking that much. I understand though. I guess it’s for the better but, you know, sometimes… I miss my best friend.” You really didn’t want to sully the mood but you had no one else to share your sentiments with. The atmosphere could also be to blame. It was quiet—compared to the earlier atmosphere where you jamming to various songs—accompanied by the rustling of food wrappers and the clinking of the ice in your drinks.

He put his food aside and turned to face you almost completely, looking you in the eyes, “Is it really your best friend that you miss?” 

You agreed confidently, warranting another comment from him, “I see. I’m right here if you ever feel lonely.”

You nod but you wanted to set something straight. “Thank you. But, I just want to make it clear that you’re not a replacement, okay? You’re you and nobody else. I enjoy hanging out and being with you because you’re fun to be around. I’m not gonna go to you just because I’m sad. I wanna share the happy times with you too, you know?”

He gave you a sheepish grin and reached for the food he set aside. “That’d be great. I enjoy being with you too, princess.”

There it was again, you started blushing and the mood immediately lightened with Jeonghan’s laughter. 

“Let’s keep the whole princess thing to a minimum, please.” You sulk and took a bite out of your food.

“What? I thought you liked it?”

“Yeah. But, you’re the only person who’s ever called me that. I’m not yet used to it.”

Chuckling at your reactions, he simply smirked and shrugged saying that he would make you get used to it.

–

“3, 2, 1!”

An automated voice said as you both posed for the camera. You and Jeonghan were now in a photo strip booth because you really wanted to keep a memory of tonight’s events. As expected, tonight was a lot of fun at the movies and at the arcade. 

Jeonghan wasn’t really the best at the claw machines which you didn’t expect because he was really good at other games that require wit. He would smack the machines when the prizes would fall only inches away from the hole and that mannerism of his made you laugh cause he would resemble a little kid. You may or may not have video evidence of this.

The two photo strips were now done printing and you took the one where he had the bunny filter on instead of the angel filter but Jeonghan had other plans, “I like that one better give me that.” He said.

“No. I want this one. I look better here.” You protested.

Jeonghan had a specific reason why he wanted the photo strip in your hand.  It was because in one of the pictures, he had his arm around your shoulder and he really wanted to keep that one for obvious reasons.

He retorted. “You look beautiful in every picture. So, please, let’s exchange.” He tried to sneak in a little cuteness in his voice at the end, hoping that it could change your mind.

The compliment initially caught you off guard but you wanted to tease him a bit longer seeing how he really wanted to take your copy of the photo strip.

“What was that again? I’m beautiful?” You swiftly leaned in with a big grin on your face but you miscalculated the distance and now, your faces are a mere centimeters away from each other.

Suddenly, time felt like it had stopped for the both of you. Your grin slowly faded and butterflies started to grow in your stomach. Jeonghan took a gulp as you both maintained eye contact with each other. He broke off the eye contact but didn’t inch away from you. Instead, he was now looking at your lips and like clockwork, he leaned in, throwing all reason away.

You slowly closed your eyes and left whatever happened to fate and your heart was beating so loud that you were so sure he could hear it as well. He took this as a sign to continue and tilted his head and that’s when it happened. With his cold hands, he cupped both of your cheeks and you kissed back. 

‘Fuck it.’ You both thought.

You moved closer as his hands detached from your face then you wrapped your arms behind his neck. His hands were about to roam around your waist when you were both interrupted by a voice outside the booth. 

“Hello, Is there anybody in there?”

Both of  you pushed each other away and Jeonghan answered the people outside with a hoarse voice to wait a bit while you quickly fixed your things. 

You cleared your throat and handed the photo strip before putting your hat on. “You know what, you can have this.” Eye contact was avoided yet your face was flushed red.

Again, with that smirk, he whispered in your ear, “Thank you, princess. And, yes. You really do look beautiful.”

Your alarm interrupted your slumber as the sun's rays peaked through the small gap in your curtains. It was already 3:00 PM and as an idol, a consistent sleeping schedule was basically non-existent to you. You had just finished a really hectic schedule yesterday making sure to finish everything you could within that day and went to bed at near dawn.

It’s been three weeks since you got back in Seoul and there really was nothing out of the ordinary aside from a couple of articles from small gossip websites about you and Jeonghan, but given your occupation, this was a regular occurrence every time you interact with your co-workers of the opposite sex. So, none of these things faze you anymore. Besides, you and Jeonghan were just friends, right?

The both of you have been exchanging conversations here and there, whether it be through Kakao or when you pass by each other during schedules, but longer conversations would come at night when both of your schedules were over and there was nobody who could disturb the two of you. Schedules may be hectic for the two of you but Jeonghan never fails to at least send you a ‘good night’ or ‘you’ve worked hard today’ text. Small are these gestures but it made you feel appreciated. 

You decided to text Jeonghan asking if you could call because for some reason, you just wanted to hear his voice. To which he immediately replied with his confirmation.

“Hey…”

“What's up? You sound like you just woke up.”

The smile in his voice was evident which made you smile with him. “Yeah, I just did. Are you getting ready for later?”

“Nope but I'm about to. I'll pick you up at 7, okay?”

“I can drive, though?”

“I insist, Y/N. After all, I’m dragging you out on your very precious day-off . The least I can do is to give you a ride.”

You paused, contemplating whether you should give in to his offer, “You know what, yeah. Just give me a ride. How do I even win against THE Yoon Jeonghan?” You chuckled at the end.

“That’s what I thought.You should get out of bed. I can hear you tossing and turning in your bed.” You pouted.

“Yes, yes. I’ll get going now. So, our angel Mr. Yoon Jeonghan won’t wait too long for me later.” You teased him as you finally got out of your bed.

You heard him clear his throat over the phone before quickly insisting that you start getting ready followed by him cutting the line off which left you confused. 

Jeonghan suddenly got embarrassed hearing you call him an angel. Though he was used to hearing others calling him that, but coming from you, it was different and to distract himself from his own thoughts, he quickly hopped in the shower.

—

The ticking of the hazard lights was loud and clear as Jeonghan waited for you in the parking lot outside your apartment. Nervous would be an understatement for what he was feeling. Not to mention the fact that he was 30 minutes earlier than the time he had initially planned. He didn’t want to be late just in case traffic was bad. He thought that it would be better for him to wait for you rather than you doing the waiting. 

He pulled the vanity mirror down to check how he looked for the nth time, trying to make sure he looked presentable. He decided to put his hair in a low ponytail and wore a plain black sweater, baggy denim pants, and a baseball cap. Dressing down was the goal here after all. He didn’t want anyone recognizing you and he didn’t want you getting anxious over that thought. 

Sooner or later, he heard a knock at his window and there you were. He unlocked the door so you immediately went in. You were practically wearing the same outfit as him but instead of pants you were wearing shorts. 

“How long have you been waiting?” You asked him while you were fixing your seat belt.

“I just arrived a couple minutes ago.” He tried to sound nonchalant, as if what he was telling was the truth.

“Oh! We’re wearing the same outfit.” You exclaimed. “We kinda look like we’re wearing couple sweaters.” 

The slight giggle in your voice made him smile too. He wasn’t sure how to respond but he was definitely delighted at the idea that both of you being dressed like a couple. Even if a plain black sweater is extremely common.

“Alright, are we ready to go, princess?”   

You stopped for a second as the blood rose to your cheeks, thinking to yourself, ‘Did he just call me princess?’ 

You try to compose yourself, “Uhm… yeah. I’m good. I think I prefer being called princess than ma’am.”

He smirked after hearing what he assumed was your attempt at an inner monologue. “Okay, then. Noted.”

As he shifted gears and stepped on the gas, you gave yourself a mental facepalm because you had just realized that you had said that out loud.

“Good lord, have I always been into that kind of thing?”

“Hyung,” Hoshi made himself comfortable by the coffee table in his hotel room while the older member was taking off his shoes by the entrance. “What was that about?” He continued.

The former may be eccentric most of the time being the Gemini that he is but he’s surprisingly fast at picking up the changes in his members. Jeonghan just gave a look of confusion as a response.

“You had heart eyes for Y/n Noona that entire time while taking pictures.” Hoshi leaned forward on the chair, anticipating his answer.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Jeonghan then made his way to the seat across Hoshi. 

“Does Seungcheol hyung know about this? I’m sure he’d support you if his two best friends were hitting it off.” Hoshi was skeptical to accept his answer. So taking the risk, he tried to pry further. He knew it wasn’t really his business but he was worried for his hyungs. He didn’t want them fighting over a girl. Plus, Hoshi was quite fond of you. It would be a waste if you stopped hanging out with them because of a possible conflict between the two.

Jeonghan stared at Hoshi for what seemed like an eternity—deciding whether he should ask for advice or still value his pride—before finally taking a deep breath.

“Look, she’s amazing. You know that, right?” Hoshi nodded in agreement at Jeonghan’s  statement, thinking that the risk that he took might be worth it.

“I may or may not have a crush on her.” He continued. “It just happened.” He felt like a teenager using the word ‘crush’ at his age but it was the most fitting word he could find for his newly discovered infatuation towards you.

Hoshi covered his mouth, finally leaning back on his chair. “Oh my.”

“I know. I feel really conflicted. Am I a bad friend? I know that Cheol used to like her and I don’t want him to think that I’m taking advantage of what happened between them. But man, yeah… She… I think I’m starting to understand now why Cheol liked her so much.” 

He finally let out his worries for the past few days all in one breath which took Hoshi aback. He was shocked to find out that this was a lot more serious than he thought, but there was one detail that he needed to clarify.

“Wait. Hyung used to like her?”

Jeonghan’s eyes widened in realization. This was not common knowledge to the members, despite their speculations, and he just blurted it out due to a spur of emotions. He took a deep sigh realizing that things were gonna spiral down from here. Luckily, when it comes to serious things, Hoshi could keep a secret if he really needed to, aside from comeback spoilers, of course. So, he tried his best explaining both sides to the boy in front of him.

“You need to talk this one out between the two of you, hyung. If he decided to give up on her then it’s not your fault. But who would’ve thought, you two would have the same taste. Guess you really are best friends.” 

Hoshi’s attempt to lighten the mood was met with a death glare from Jeonghan but he just laughed it off. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep my mouth shut with this one. Thanks for sharing your worries with me.” He assured the latter with a pat on the shoulder as he stood up and went to the bathroom to wash up.

Now left alone in his seat, he was finally able to contemplate on the growing feelings that he had for you. He can’t pinpoint for sure when he started liking you but he figured it was always there, but like a bystander, or an audience of some sort, he was just watching you and Seungcheol spend time together, content with the fact that his friends were happy with each other. Perhaps, it was because he knew deep down that he would never have a fighting chance so he left his feelings unacknowledged. Whatever was there that was buried deep down within himself was finally let loose, akin to Pandora’s box. He had a glimmer of hope thinking finally thinking to himself ‘What if I was now the one willing to take the risk with you?’

–

“Hannie! Good morning! Don’t forget to send me my pictures”

The man smiled at the message that was sent to him. He thought about how nice it would be to receive a good morning text from you everyday but alas, he needed to get up to get ready for his flight back to Seoul but before that, he wanted to text you back

J: “Yes, ma’am.” Y: “Don’t call me, ma’am. It makes me feel old. (● ˃̶͈̀ロ˂̶͈́)੭ꠥ⁾⁾” J: “What should I call you then? ;)” Y: “Anything, just don’t call me ma’am.”

‘I’d call you mine if I could.’ He thought to himself. Refreshed from finally having a good night’s sleep, he had finally come into terms with his emotions. He came to the conclusion that he should just man up and do the best he can to win your heart over. He decided that he has had enough of years of just watching; he wanted to act now. It may not be easy but he didn’t want to have any regrets. 

J: “Alright. I won’t call you that anymore. By the way, have you seen Ant-man?’ Y: “Nope. Why?” J: “I was wondering if you were free around this time. A friend of mine gave me two tickets.” “I wanna watch it when we get back but I don’t want to be alone, I’d watch it with the other members but they have other plans for that date.” Y: “Hmmm? My manager says I’m free that day. I’m down!” J: “Cool!”

He smiled to himself because little did you know, there was neither a ‘friend’ nor did he invite the other members out.

The hotel’s air conditioning unit engulfed the silence as Jeonghan stared at the ceiling. He has been trying to sleep for the past 2 hours now but he had no luck getting some shut-eye. He wasn’t sure whether it was the high from the show a while ago or if it’s the jet lag. Honestly speaking, he hasn’t been sure about a lot of things ever since his whole schedule in Paris started. It was just so different from what he was used to. There were no members around. No roommate in his hotel room, just him and the unfamiliar city lights.

The group chat with the members was quiet at this time given that the sun was probably just about to rise in Seoul. He opened another conversation from a couple days ago and he felt his chest tighten.

“Look out for her during the show. Thanks. :D”

A swirl of emotions overcame Jeonghan. He felt conflicted about whether it was right to start getting attracted to his best friend’s previous love interest. He might be cunning at times but he values the friendship he has with Seungcheol. It was irreplaceable and it was the type of friendship that two people build over hardship after hardship so he tried to convince himself that this was all just fleeting emotions— emotions that were simply brought by the atmosphere and ambiance of Paris.

“Man... This is bad.” He thought to himself over and over again before slowly dozing off.

--

“Kwon to the Soon to the Young!” You greeted Hoshi when you spotted them at the restaurant.  He invited you to join him and Jeonghan for dinner after his schedule.

He did the gesture right back to you and made sure to do his signature tiger pose at the end. 

“Noona! I’m glad you could make it! Have a seat!” He gestured that you sit across them to which you delightfully did so.

You gave both of them your signature smile and proceeded to chat with the two about your schedules and things that you missed out on with one another. The conversation was cut short after your phone rang and after seeing who was ringing you up, your face lit up. 

“Hello, Cheol!” You greeted him as you held the phone up to your ear. Jeonghan, who was just about to put his spoonful of food in his mouth, came to a short pause with the mention of his best friend’s name. Meanwhile, Hoshi, completely unaware of the internal strife that was going on with the person sitting beside him, just continued to munch on the meal laid before him.

The conversation between you and Cheol was barely audible to the both of them but he could make out a few words out from the deep mumbling on the other side of the line but overall, the call was short and you soon dropped the call.

“Was that Hyung?” Hoshi asked even though he already knew the answer. He just wanted to snoop around.

“Mhm. He was just wondering how we were doing. I sent him a pic of us eating together just before he called.” You replied nonchalantly as you sliced the piece on meat on your plate before eating it.

Hoshi smiled before nudging Jeonghan with his elbow. “He sure does reply fast when you’re the one sending him a message,” he had a smug look before continuing. “Guess that really happens when you’re the special someone.” 

Jeonghan choked at nothing and looked at you. He was probably the only person in the world who had the opportunity to know what happened with both sides and as far as he knows, the boys only knew that Cheol treated you differently but that was all and nothing deeper. 

You gave Jeonghan a glance as well and offered him some water before turning to Hoshi, “Nah. He just treats me that way ‘cause I’m his childhood friend.” You shrug it off and offered more food to the tiger to divert his attention. He gladly accepted your offer and dinner proceeded without a hitch.

__

“Do a heart pose together! Do a heart pose together!” You said with full enthusiasm as you took pictures of the two in front of the Eiffel Tower. The two were looking forward to taking pictures with the popular tourist attraction since they arrived because it was their first time in Europe and they wanted to commemorate it. Being the supportive friend that you are, you suddenly morphed from an idol to an esteemed photographer.

You started laughing at their silly ideas and started suggesting more poses. “Do a jump shot!” You said while still laughing at how down they were in performing your suggestions and after a lot of pictures, you showed them your gallery filled with their pictures. 

“This looks good! I’ll post this on Instagram! Airdrop them to me, Noona!” Hoshi said grinning ear-to-ear and you took a mental note of this.

“You haven’t taken pictures of yourself yet. You should stand over there.” Jeonghan stated and Hoshi agreed. You were so eager to take pictures of them because of how much fun they were having that you forgot to take some for yourself too. 

“Okay! But let’s take pictures together too.” You skipped to the spot where  they previously stood.

‘Cute.’

Jeonghan noticed that Hoshi was about to get his phone and take pictures of you but it was like his hand had a brain of its own. He held the latter’s forearm and said, “I’ll take the pictures. Hype her up.”

Hoshi didn’t think too much of it and just did what Jeonghan suggested but he would later notice something different with his hyung when he saw the way he looked at you through the screen of his phone. 

prev | next

“Break a leg out there.”

You went to check who the message was from and it was none other than Jeonghan. After having a heartfelt talk with Jeonghan last night, he took the pleasure of taking you back to your hotel room. It wasn’t your intention to get that deep into the conversation that night but he managed to open a can of worms that you never really expected.

A smile grew on your face after reminiscing the talk that you had. To your surprise, he was quite the listener. You only ever saw him playing around during drinking games and being the sly man that he is but last night, he was mellow and amiable.

‘I should drink with him more often.’ You thought to yourself while the make-up artist applied your lipstick on your lips.

You look different today as you had a more sultry look. It matched the vibe of the brand you were representing and it’s a new look compared to the image you had back home. It made you wonder how he would be styled today. You always knew that Jeonghan was a good looking man. Even during your trainee days but you just didn’t give it much thought because somebody else was the apple of your eye. But, that wasn’t the case anymore.

What you felt for Seungcheol before was a thing of the past. You had the closure you needed with him after affirming that things between the two of you will never progress the way you would like it to. The both of you knew that you were better off as friends anyway.

“All done.” The makeup artist brought you back to your senses and you were stunned at the way they did your makeup. You thanked the artist sincerely.

“Just do the Hoshi Pose if you run out of ideas.” You texted him with a cute tiger sticker after realizing that you didn’t send one back and proceeded to put on your outfit for the night.

—

You could hear his name being chanted by his fans from a block away even inside your car. He had arrived an hour earlier than you at the show and it had just dawned on you that Seventeen had become really big. The chants were deafening and the flashes from the cameras were blinding but you couldn’t help but smile to yourself thinking that the boys you used to train with have now become international superstars.

The car came to a halt a couple of steps from the venue and that’s when the people turned their attention to you. You were now the subject of the screams and the target of the flashes and you gave everybody a smile and a slight bow as you were being assisted outside the vehicle while the screams only grew louder.

“Y/n!!”

You made your way to the venue, signing albums and merchandise on the way there, while having small conversations with your fans. As you got closer to the brand’s huge logo at the center of the venue, you made eye contact with Jeonghan and gave him a warm smile along with a “fighting” gesture. He nodded and slowly made his way to you.

You were now surrounded by the paparazzi and people’s screams were louder than ever. The camera men were telling you to pose together and you both gladly did so. Jeonghan could already tell what the headlines would be tomorrow but he hoped your interactions would be perceived as solely platonic.

When the excitement died down around you, Jeonghan whispered in your ear. “You look amazing tonight.”

This caught you off-guard so you quickly looked up to him as you were processing what he had said to you. Giving him a look from head to toe, you retorted, “You don’t look too bad yourself” and gave him a smirk to which you both gave each other a small laugh. Jeonghan continued walking while hiding his lingering smile behind the back of his hand.

—

The event ended successfully and you both had an amazing time. The show was filled with amazing pieces and the people around you were fun to talk to and despite the socially draining evening, you found yourself in Jeonghan’s hotel room again after washing up in yours.

You hear the door to his bathroom unlock and he came out in his pajamas but his hair was still visibly wet. “Come here, I’ll dry your hair for you so don’t catch a cold.” You sat at the edge of the bed and motioned for him to come over.

Compared to last time, the room was completely lit and the TV was on. Albeit, you really couldn’t understand anything because everything was in French so it was all background noise for you.

He hesitated slightly before deciding to plop down on the floor in between your legs. You turned on the hair dryer and started ruffling his hair.

“It’s so soft.” You whispered.

You continued ruffling his hair and he started to feel a sense of comfort. Your touch was light and delicate yet it was making his stomach heavy. He felt like he wanted to stop time for a while and rest his head on your thigh to take a nap and the lavender scent that you had on you was intoxicating to him, but he didn’t know if it was because of the atmosphere or it was because of you.

The loud sound of the hair dryer came to a halt and a cheerful voice accompanied it. “There we go! All dry and fresh.” You patted both of his shoulders to signal that he was good to go.

Jeonghan stayed that way and didn’t move. He just stared at you which made you worried.

“Is there something on my face?” You asked as you slightly tilted your head.

“It’s nothing.” He said as he stood up and fixed his hair in the mirror. And once again, he felt that same heavy feeling in his stomach as he caught a glimpse of you in the mirror.

Jeonghan sat alone in his dimly lit room as he stared at the time on his phone. It’s been a couple of minutes since he received a text from you stating that you would come by his room and share a bottle of wine with him.

It wasn’t the first time that you’ve shared drinks with him. Back in Seoul, you were often drinking buddies with him and Seungcheol but this time it was different. Both of you were selected as models for Paris Fashion Week for a really prestigious designer brand and needless to say, Jeonghan was feeling a little nervous. You offered to help ease his nerves with a bottle of red wine you had recently purchased at a local winery.

A knock on the door interrupts Jeonghan in his train of thought. He stood up and made his way to the door.

“Hannie! I’ve got the wine!” You beamed and looked up to him as he opened the door and waved the expensive looking bottle of red wine in your hands.

Jeonghan gave you a welcoming smile and gestured you to come inside. “Should I turn on the lights?” He asked. You shook your head in disagreement as you deemed that the lighting was already suited for the mood and the liquor that you brought.

You made yourself comfortable on the floor by the window as Jeonghan got a pair of wine glasses from the cupboard. The wine bottle makes an audible pop when you open the wine after he sat beside you.

“Well, this is new.” Jeonghan said as you poured him a glass of wine and one for yourself afterwards.

“What is?”

Jeonghan paused for a second and swirled his wine in his glass before taking a sip. “Just the two of us drinking. We usually have Seungcheol with us.”

“Hmm. I guess you’re right. We’ve known each other since we were trainees but we don’t hang out that often without him.”

Jeonghan stared at you as you did the same motion he previously did to aerate the red wine. You were right. You weren’t extremely close with him but you were definitely friends. It’s just that you were closer with Seungcheol because you grew up together and it was just so natural for him to tag along with the both of you. You were welcoming and bright, like the first sunrise of spring. He didn’t mind having you around, in fact he was delighted every time you came by, and the other members thought so too, but Seungcheol seemed really eager in gatekeeping you when you were around that the other boys, including him, felt like it was really hard to get to know you better.

“Do you want more?” Once again, you interrupt his thoughts. You stare at him intently waiting for his reply. “Come on, now. You can’t have me finishing this entire bottle for myself, can you?” You giggled.

Jeonghan chuckled as well and gave you a nod as you poured the contents into his glass and gave him a cheers with yours. You both sipped in silence with the humming of the air conditioning unit as white noise but it wasn’t awkward. It was comforting almost. Sure, it was different from what you were used to but this calm atmosphere was something you needed every once in a while

Jeonghan broke the silence when he asked a question you never thought he would ask. He finally addressed the elephant in the room.

“I might be overstepping my boundaries and you don’t need to answer if you don’t feel comfortable, but I really don’t know when is the right time to ask you this…” He took a deep breath, as if uncertain if he should ask the following words, but he continued. “Are you and Cheol a thing?”

You halted midway from drinking your glass of wine and turned to face him. “No…” You took away your gaze from him and uttered the words that shocked Jeonghan.

“But I know how he feels about me.”

You took a bigger sip of wine than before and rested one of your elbows on the table and your head on your hand. You took a glance at Jeonghan and continued speaking.

“He’s not really the best at hiding it. I mean, you guys can probably tell and I wasn’t born yesterday. We’ve already talked about it though.”

Jeonghan knew how Seungcheol felt about you but he never mentioned that you knew about it. From the way things are going, he could tell that things didn’t work out between you two.

“So… what happened?” Curiosity got the best of him.

You now leaned back at the foot of the bed, empty wine glass in your hand, and stared at the ceiling. “He never once told me he liked me more than a friend even though everybody could tell. He’s afraid and I understand that. He has so much to lose and so do I.”

“I would’ve given him a chance if he did take the risk… I would’ve taken it with him.” You gave Jeonghan a bittersweet smile.

‘Wow.’ He was at a loss for words. He always viewed you as someone who would go with the flow. Someone who was happy-go-lucky. He never thought you would bear the weight of waiting on your best friend. He knew how Seungcheol decided to give up on you and not risk the years of friendship that you had.

He took a minute to look at your semblance, illuminated by the moonlight peeking through the large windows.

“Ah, Choi Seungcheol. You’re an idiot.” He thought to himself.