✓ attacca.

08 | the answers scattered

playing . . .

if you leave me —— seventeen
❝ i will keep you by my side forever. ❞

circles —— seventeen
❝ i won't let go of your unchanging hand. ❞

f*ck my life —— seventeen
❝ i want to find myself again. ❞

headliner —— seventeen
0:00 — 3:09

—— 🎶

the first time soonyoung hears track number seven for a later album in the year, he thinks nothing much of the lyrics given to him on a sheet of paper with highlights on only his lines— it's been a while since he and jihoon had a deep conversation, all the members deciding to ignore how quiet both of them have gotten when each other's names are mentioned.

("seriously though hyung, you told him to search for the answers? you have like more than a hundred songs under your name— how can he find your answers? there's so many!" he hears chan scold the older producer one time when he was walking by the single room of jihoon's to get to his. he didn't mean to eavesdrop but chan's voice isn't the softest when talking to his hyungs, only soft when talking to others he didn't know or his significant other they just found out about a year ago.

"it was the best i could think of okay chan! now leave me be, i have to prerecord and write a song today with bumzu." he could see the boy pouting as he sulked in his mind, it bought a small smile to soonyoung's lips as he reminisced over the memory.
"you're leaving out the door anyway, why ask me to leave?"
"it's my room, leave channie,")

but the moment he hears the lyrics fully is when he's practicing singing the song with the rest of his members, his heart starts to ache— that feeling of finally knowing the true feelings of jihoon.

his answer, hidden in songs.
written in each and every song he had written about, each and every one about love is about their fans and him.

his answer was there.
headliner was jihoon's answer.
it was hidden from him, for a month.

—— 🎶

jihoon often likes to think that hard work has led him to this moment of achievement. the month had been hectic, especially since their schedules were all over the place and jihoon didn't like feeling lonely alone in the new dorm where only a few reside in now.
jeonghan and seungkwan had decided to leave the nest first, moving into an apartment together as mingyu and wonwoo did the same. then seungcheol moved in with his brother and kkuma, leaving the rest to reside within the dorm with now single rooms to themselves.

(try telling that to junhui and minghao.. they're still sharing a room together where one bed is neglected by the side).

but as he stood on the stage with his eyes shimmering, he realized all of the hard work he did with his members was worth all the pain.
speeches were done and spoken, and he could feel his heart mourn when wonwoo and seungkwan mention people who have always supported them from the beginning but couldn't see this moment.

as they talk, soonyoung taps on his shoulder, eyes red.
"can we talk later jihoon?" he asked, seemingly biting his inner lip as the producer nodded after a while.

—— 🎶

he's greeted by a hug, a tight crushing hug that makes jihoon question if something happened that made soonyoung act like this. it's been a few years since their initial break up because soonyoung couldn't find his answer and told him that they had to break up so they did even when their hearts felt like broken shards had pierced them deep into the flesh.
"hoshi, is there something wrong?"

the grip only tightens.
"please.. call me soonyoung again. call me soons, youngie, nyong, or whatever again. please." he pleaded, nuzzling his nose into jihoon's shoulder as the man beneath him returns the hug slowly.

"nyong," he relaxes immediately.
"did you find my answer?"

he nods and he can feel jihoon smile.
"i'm glad." he whispered out as soonyoung gets comfortable enough to start leaving butterfly kisses on his nape— easily bringing jihoon to a giggle as his nape was the most sensitive part of his body.
"nyong stop—!"

soonyoung does, with a smile.
"i'm so happy i found your answer finally." he whispered out.

—— 🎶 author's notes
and the rest if for your imagination🤭
i didn't plan on making this short story too long as it felt like i was just dragging it out (and i really was), but ofc, i like stories that don't seem rushed or don't seem fast paced.
this story was originally just a small soonhoon story because i couldn't help but find myself making tons of aus of them sooo this is one

out of many
ming knows of some and he wants one of them published..
(not gonna see the sunlight fr)