5
Well.
Some things seem a little out of control, but all is still fine, if you ask Hongjoong.
He's got this. He's okay.
As long as he is busy and doesn't have to pay attention to the things that remind him of the emotional hell he has been living in, he's fine. Even when he is face to face with a situation like that, he tries his best to be civil and keep his poker face. He isn't a master at it, but he is getting there. He is fairly sure he can manage it now.
And the universe, like the bitch she is, decides to test his limits – Hongjoong thinks.
They are supposed to attend an event called something like idol olympics, and there are various stupid sections with stupid games. They are to participate in four of them, the company decides; the battle of visuals, the battle of best friends, the battle of brains, and the battle of dance.
They ask the group which categories they want to participate in. Wooyoung and San don't even think, they're confident they'll be the winners of the battle of best friends because honestly? Everyone knows their chemistry is unmatched. Yeosang strictly refuses to participate in the visuals battle and picks the battle of brains, which makes sense since he is a smart boy and a little shy about his handsomeness even if he is dubbed with the title 'the visuals given by god'. Yunho goes for the battle of dance. And for the battle of visuals, it's Seonghwa.
Of course it's Seonghwa.
The eldest gets embarrassed, turns a royal red when he is informed, and tries to stutter his refusal but the company is confident in him, so he has no choice. Hongjoong, Mingi and Jongho are just relieved they are not participating in any of the games because it's a lot of pressure. They want to enjoy the thing as much as they can. Everyone is really excited for it, it's a nice change and a fresh breath of air from their usual hectic days packed with rehearsals, lessons, workouts, practise, practise, and more practise. Hongjoong thinks it'll all be great and he is confident with his team members. He is determined to have fun.
That is, until he discovers that for the battle of visuals, it's a whole mess of appealing to other idols participating because their votes will make up most of the points for the 'tournament'.
And Hongjoong is definitely not ready to see how Seonghwa can make himself more gorgeous and lovable than he already is.
Ready or not, it's what he has to watch and endure without losing his ability to think or getting a nosebleed or shit like that.
There are at least twenty-eight different idol groups, thankfully all around their age, and the hall is packed. There are fans too, it reminds Hongjoong a little bit of ISACs.
When the 'olympics' start, it's with the battle of talents. And wow Hongjoong is so glad he isn't participating in that. He knows he would've embarrassed himself among the people who can identify scenes from movies from the 80s with one line or use nine different languages in one single sentence or walk on thin ropes blindfolded or bend in on themselves like four times.
Then comes the battle of athleticism, which has various different branches in itself and takes hours and hours.
After that, it's the battle of singing and Hongjoong is surprised the company didn't ask Jongho to participate. Then again, they have their comeback around the corner and they can't risk something happening to Jongho.
After that, it's the battle of dance and they all perk up at that. Through thoroughly brutal and hard battles, they get their first win; Yunho nails it. The way Yunho's face glows with happiness make Hongjoong happier than the win itself and fills his heart with pride and affection.
Their second win comes thanks to WooSan who literally annihilates the other competitors in the battle of best friends. It makes Hongjoong snort – the way the crowd and other people are scandalised by watching how comfortable the two boys are with each other and seeing there is literally nothing they wouldn't do together. Carrying and touching each other in questionable ways, sucking in nearly non-existent degree thin papers from each other's mouths to put on the plate next to them, undressing and dressing each other, and many other embarrassing 'missions' they do are nothing for Wooyoung and San. Knowing this, ATEEZ as a group is definitely not shocked by any of those. The missions are actually a lot more public friendly than what the two do on public broadcast and definitely a lot tamer than the things they've unfortunately witnessed Wooyoung and San do in the confines of their dorm. So it's an easy win for their team.
Their third battle is the battle of brains and Yeosang seems pretty confident and calm – on the outside. Hongjoong knows the younger has been putting a lot of pressure on himself and he has tried to comfort him a little, but Yeosang is a perfectionist so he always does things his way. They all know that. They just hope he doesn't get too stressed and upset if something goes wrong because then Yeosang starts to have stomach problems and they are painful and they take a long time to heal. So it's a relief for everyone when their sweet Yeosang just wipes out all the other idols, getting another win for them.
The last battle they have to go through is Hongjoong's personal nightmare; the battle of visuals.
Seonghwa disappears backstage to 'get ready' and Hongjoong is too nervous even though there is literally no reason for him to be. This particular segment has lived rent free in the back of his head since the moment he learnt Seonghwa would be the one competing, clouding everything else he has been watching so far.
Girls and boys will be competing amongst themselves and so everyone is truly excited. They watch the contestants come up one by one and every single one of them is truly attractive, visuals indeed.
But then, then Park Seonghwa comes up to the area and Hongjoong feels like he's drowning. Positively asphyxiating. His lungs are suddenly too small for his body, his heart beats like crazy and he is light-headed.
Seonghwa is wearing a silk, ruby red shirt with a high neck and some ruffles, and his long legs are wrapped by some black slacks, and he is showing everyone why he is called a prince. He has a black lace choker around his neck, his raven hair is styled back in waves, he has smoky makeup, and he has the stage eyes. And Hongjoong hasn't got a single clue about how, but Park Seonghwa still manages to look shy and heartbreakingly alluring despite those eyes and the damn tongue.
So it's not a surprise when everyone starts gawking at him the moment he appears in the crowd. The camera pans on his face and the fans' sceams are expected, to be honest, but the idols' squealing and the collective hitch of breath aren't. At least not by the ATEEZ members who are aware of their surroundings because Hongjoong is definitely not. Until he hears the furious whisperings around him thirsting over Seonghwa, by girls and boys alike.
Maybe Seonghwa's nickname shouldn't be the prince, Hongjoong thinks vaguely. He should be named 'the gay awakening trigger' or something like that.
He suddenly feels exhausted. Probably because of how Seonghwa tortures him by existing and how he has to hide all these emotions from the entire world. The cameras around them focus on their group to show their reactions and the kids all too delighted and whipped for the eldest, so Hongjoong joins them by letting the tiniest bit of his simping show.
It gets worse. Every competitor has a theme apparently, and Seonghwa's is flirting. He looks at the crowd and the cameras and Hongjoong just wishes for death. Seonghwa talks in a smooth and sweet voice, just the right amount of allure in it, coy and teasing words roll off his tongue with a perfect amount of wit coating them, his lips uttering the words curve with smiles and smirks, his eyes sparkle and shine and makes everyone blush the moment they have eye-contact, and he is overall so enchanting that he has the whole arena wrapped around his finger.
Hongjoong really wants to die, it is too much for his poor heart and brain (that lost all its ability to produce coherent thoughts). He is about to scream or combust or do both of them at the same time, ruining all his hard work of concealing his feelings.
Thankfully, Seonghwa's turn ends and the things move on to the next contestant. It feels like the whole hall takes a deep breath of relief as they watch Park Seonghwa go and stand next the contestant before him (who stares at him in awe and starstruck), now looking embarrassed and shy, further ruining every single person with his duality.
And it's all the staring and whispering that gets Hongjoong triggered yet again. He can see half the crowd in-love with Seonghwa and the other half in the process of falling. The whispers talk about how perfect he is; how handsome, how pretty, how sexy, how talented he is, how he is good at everything, how he is so lovely and my goodness is he dating someone? Hongjoong hears the way people talk about how they would like to date him, the way they quickly start fantasising, the proper and the improper ones, he even hears someone murmur what they would do with Seonghwa and Hongjoong just has to use all his willpower not to let himself turn around and punch the asshole.
He hates them with all his guts and jealousy burns him inside out, but he can't really blame people for ogling at Park Seonghwa, he really can't. He knew this. He knew Seonghwa could just smirk playfully, and have women and men on their knees for him. And they would gladly let Seonghwa ruin them because the elder had otherworldly visuals but also a wonderful personality.
When the voting ends with Seonghwa winning with a considerable gap of votes, smiling shyly as he thanks everyone who voted for him, Hongjoong just claps with everyone with a huge grin that he forces to seem happy and normal.
On the inside, he aches from head to toe. There is a bitter nausea in his stomach and a vile taste of jealousy in his mouth. Still, he swallows down all the poisonous and wrong feelings, all his misery, all the helpless love he feels for his groupmate, and forces himself to keep on with his front.
There's nothing else he can do anyway.
.
.
.
A/N: This event is a product purely of my wilding imagination. But if an event like this existed I'm 80% sure things would unfold like this.