jeonghan's pov
"aish ... my neck ! chan !" seungcheol chased chan , his boyfriend , down the hallway .
i felt ... jealous . jealous that seungcheol and chan were in a relationship . what were the rest of us ? every time we talked about their relationship , seungcheol snapped . it was the only thing he knew how to do . scream and shout and yell at his members . sometimes , we regret becoming idols . all because of our no dating rule .
"you okay , hyung ?" minghao asked out of the blue .
"hm ? i'm okay . just ... as usual . why ? need money to go and hang with junhui ?" i asked , reaching out and grabbing my bag . i was his wallet , definitely . but he always paid me back .
"no , just wanted to ask ... you seem out of it ." minghao replied .
"oh . nah , i'm okay . i'm ... going to my room . well ... our room ." i added the last statement and walked back into minghao and my shared room .
it was a space i loved the most . it was filled with minghao's posters of his chinese idols , and mine of some korean ones . both of us shared heartfelt talks there . we were like gossip girls . just instead of sharing gossip , we'd share about what happened during the day , slightly altering the majority of our talks if we had our own schedules . it was too silent without him at home when he was stuck in china . i didn't like the absence of his presence . not like we were dating . friends , i'd say .
"ah , jeonghan ! get the members ready . we're going to a restaurant !" seungcheol shouted and i shouted back .
"everyone get ready ! meet in the living room in 10 !"
i felt empty without someone . seungcheol had chan , minghao had jun , everyone had someone else . i wouldn't consider minghao as my best friend , since he was extremely close to jun . i sighed as we all went to the restaurant , apparently a room had been rented out , and this cute boy was at our room helping us .
joshua's pov
"no mom ... i'm okay here ... yes , i have a room . no , i have a job . okay ... okay ... bye , love you too ." i hung up the phone with my mother , seeing a group of 12 boys walk in . seventeen . i recognised them . i loved their music . "oh- hello ! i'll be your server today so let me know if there's anything i can do for you ." i smiled as they greeted me back .
when i got their orders and came back with their drinks and some snacks , i handed them out to each of them , afterwards feeling a sharp pain on my wrist , not enough to let out a scream . i saw a shard from a wine bottle , in my wrist , a shattered wine glass on the floor , wine pooling around the broken bottle . i held my wrist , muttering a few curses before grabbing the nearby bin and throwing the glass into it , before someone grabbed the hand that was picking up the glass shards , not my injured one . i looked up and saw jeonghan , i assumed . i barely recognised them individually , since i only listened to their music .
"hey ... i'm so sorry the bottle had to land on your hand . could i pull the shard out for you ? do you have a first aid kit around ? the shard didn't look like it went in deep , but it'll still be painful ." he asked . i nodded and told him where the kit was , then he called wonwoo to get it for him .
the glass shards were still on the floor , and some of the other members had gathered to help clear the shards and at least try to clean the carpet of the wine spill . i tried to tell them that i could do it , but hoshi - i assume again - was quick to say that it was their fault and should clean it up .
"there , all done . i hope it heals ." jeonghan smiled and helped me up from the seat .
"thank you ..." i smiled back , grabbing his hand and going back to cleaning what i was supposed to .
"sorry for troubling you and making you get hurt , i have 2 backstage passes , vip , here . you can have them . we have the darl+ing passes as well , but those are for us to give out . any random person here will choose you and you'll be able to have a 10 minute meet - and - greet session with them privately . take this as an apology . okay , that's all . get well soon ." seungcheol apologised .
i smiled and took the passes , and helped them until they left . i did this for the extra pay , and it was quite a sum . when i left , i saw jeonghan lingering around with a mask on . i decided to approach him , seeing as he got a little frightened when there was a breeze of cold air .
"ah ... don't worry ! it's me . you helped bandage my hand up , remember ? i wanted to ask , why are you still here ? aren't you supposed to be home with the members by now ?" i asked . "oh , i'm joshua . sorry i didn't introduce myself earlier ."
"nice to meet you . i was ... just hanging around here . i don't have a reason ... you look like you could use some company ... can i accompany you on a walk ? to your home , maybe ?" jeonghan offered . i nodded and saw as he fixed his mask , deciding to fix my own as well .
i walked down with him on the way to my house , as we conversed a little . we couldn't talk much as people were around , and his voice was pretty well recognisable , so we just briefly talked . once we got home , he wanted to leave , but since it was pretty cold out , i invited him in for a while for a warm drink . he was shivering in the cold , and i didn't want him to get sick , especially since their concert was that night . he thanked me and came in , dropping a message to seungcheol and disregarding his phone .
"oh hi jeonghan what are doing here are you here to get something for hao ? WAIT NO WHY ARE YOU HERE ?" felix screamed , walking out of our room . "hong jisoo joshua are you out of your mind ?! i could call chan to kill you or even hyunjin ! why did you bring him !"
"don't . i was the one that accepted the offer to come ." jeonghan replied .
we spent a while talking , mostly about our day . jeonghan even helped choose an outfit for me to wear to their concert , before finishing the tea i gave him and leaving . he told me that he disliked the cold and felt like crying during winter , but it was pretty alright otherwise .
that night - at seventeen's concert , 3rd person's pov
joshua was holding up a sign for jeonghan , while felix was holding one up for minghao . felix and minghao were friends , so he was a huge supporter for minghao , even though he had a boyfriend . they were in the front row , and jeonghan had told joshua about the prank they were going to pull on mingyu .
"ah ... the prank they're pulling on mingyu ... it sounds entertaining ." felix chuckled , grabbing his lightstick from his bag .
joshua chuckled along with felix before seventeen came on stage , hearing the cheers from other carats who actually bought tickets . once they came on stage , jeonghan caught sight of joshua in the front row , holding up a banner that had his face , making the other chuckle a little , before he swapped his attention back to seungcheol who was talking .
"why did you invite him , hyung ?" jeonghan asked , lowering his face mic . seungcheol knew who 'he' was.
"as an apology . for your clumsiness ." seungcheol replied , moving his mic away from his face .
jeonghan simply nodded and looked at the crowd while dancing , trying to figure out who to give his darl+ing ticket to . the only limit to the ticket was that it had to be a vip ticket holder , and he knew that joshua was a suitable candidate for him , if no one else chose him .
when it was time for the performance team's song , i don't understand but i luv you , jeonghan walked off stage , being met in the face by their manager . he looked up at their manager and waited as he started .
"jeonghan , have you thought about who to give your darl+ing ticket to ?" their manager asked .
"yeah ... there's a guy wearing denim jeans , a denim jacket and an off white looking shirt . you know felix , minghao's friend ? yeah , the guy is next to him ." jeonghan explained to their manager .
their manager nodded and headed off to prepare the members' darl+ing tickets . they were going to give the tickets personally to the vip members after their unit performances . which meant that minghao would've given it to felix already .
"jeonghan ! here you go , go get ready ." their manager handed jeonghan the darl+ing ticket and walked off .
they walked onto stage and performed their unit song , habit , and then they walked down the stage to give the vip ticket holders their darl+ing tickets . jeonghan walked to joshua and their eyes met , jeonghan passing joshua the ticket , lightly ruffling the other's hair and walking back off-stage , to the angry eyes of seungcheol .
"yoon jeonghan ! i invited the guy here as an apology ! not as a way for you both to get close ! why did you ruffle his hair ? i want an answer ." seungcheol spat .
"are you the only one that can be happy ? hyung , imagine what chan would think of you . didn't we all make it clear ? you would stop fucking yelling at the team ." jeonghan spat back at seungcheol .
"i'm not saying - god ... i'm not saying that i'm the only one that can be happy - you know what ? get on stage . i don't feel like fighting with you ." seungcheol rubbed his temples and jeonghan touched up his makeup , then walked onto stage .
seungcheol didn't dare to look at jeonghan the remaining 30 minutes of the concert , and jeonghan appreciated it , even though he might get scolded by the other at home . but it wasn't for jeonghan to worry about now . he and seungcheol regularly fought , since they all had their differences , and jeonghan was always trying to protect his members over seungcheol , even though he was definitely sometimes scared of seungcheol . minghao noticed how tense the atmostphere was after their last song , going backstage and waiting for the darl+ing ticket holders .
"hyung ? you're tense again . are you okay ?" minghao asked .
"i'm fine , hao . i'm okay ." jeonghan replied coldly .
"okay , the ticket holders will be coming in now ." their manager announced and jeonghan just put a fake smile on his face , not wanting their carats to worry . "welcome , everyone ! so , the idol that gave you the ticket will be standing here . please walk up to them . they will bring you to the room to chat . you will have 10 minutes , no staff will be inside the room , however we will be outside . thank you , and have a good time ."
"hyung !" joshua mouthed , waving to jeonghan . the other waved back , joshua walking forward and going to jeonghan , as he led him to the room . "you look upset , are you okay ?"
"i'm ... not upset . how was the concert ?" jeonghan lied .
"i know that was a lie . tell me ." joshua eyes jeonghan .
"fine ... only because you're cute ... i got into a fight with seungcheol ." jeonghan sighed , ignoring the slight blush on joshua's cheeks .
joshua only stood up from his chair and went to hug jeonghan , feeling tears on his neck . he felt bad for jeonghan , who knows how many hours of that annoying feeling had happened to the poor boy . he had to take care of his group , take care of seungcheol's shit , even himself . both of them hugged in silence , even though joshua wanted to speak up and answer jeonghan's question , he couldn't .
"are you okay ?" joshua asked, grabbing a tissue from the table and handing it to jeonghan .
"thank you , i'm okay ." jeonghan still sniffled , but then they continued talking about the concert and what they would do for the rest of the day , or at least week . "i'm going to probably get food with the members , and i know they like you . would you wanna come along with us ? i think felix is coming over ."
"sure , i'd love to come ." joshua nodded .
"i wish you could come with us to our concert too ... we're going to be in ... california next ." jeonghan sighed again .
"california ? i was born there . my parents still live there . i would've loved to come ... just that i can't miss out on my classes , else i'd lost my scholarship ..." joshua pouted .
"oh ! that's so cool . i mean ... your parents living in california and your scholarship . seungcheol wouldn't like it if i gave you tickets anyways , so i'm sorry you can't come along with us ..." jeonghan sighed .
they spent the rest of the time chatting , and even planning what food to get . they were planning to just go to a 7 - 11 , to get some ready meals and eat them in the car . joshua wanted to invite jeonghan over to his house , but since the 7 - 11 wasn't far from his and felix's apartment , he decided to just go himself , since felix would be hanging out with minghao for a while more . well at least going himself was what he thought .
"wait up , jisoo !" jeonghan exclaimed . "can i walk you home ?"
"aren't you going to go with the members ?" joshua asked .
"they're planning to get more food . i'm not hungry so i figured ." jeonghan shrugged .
they walked back to joshua's apartment hand in hand , just that they didn't know there were paparazzi all over , and had taken a photos of both of them . both boys had forgotten to bring a mask , so their faces was clearly seen in the photos .
"thanks for walking me home , hyung !" joshua bowed .
"oh , here's my number ... i'm assuming you have minghao's ?" jeonghan teased , keying his phone number into joshua's phone .
"felix's second phone , even though it's mine ... thanks for your number ! i'll key it into your phone as well ... here ! have a good night !" joshua smiled , keying his number into jeonghan's phone and leaving to his room .
the next day , 6.50am , joshua's pov
i could feel eyes on me the second i walked into the university campus for my classes . my messages from minghao and jeonghan were blowing up my phone , but i had yet to check them as i had only just got to school , and had been drinking a coffee on my way to school , not bothering to check my phone .
jeonghannie 💕
jeonghannie 💕: joshua , i'm so sorry for this ...
jeonghannie 💕: please reply ...
jeonghannie 💕: i feel so bad joshua forgive me ...
minghao 🐸
minghao 🐸 : why do you not reply ?
minghao 🐸 : hong jisoo joshua check your phone
minghao 🐸 : jisoo
minghao 🐸 : joshua
minghao 🐸 : joshua
i didn't understand their messages at first , then i searched up jeonghan's name and saw a news report as the first thing that popped up . i clicked the news and almost dropped my coffee in shock . i was on the headlines , with jeonghan .
"NEWS : korean boy band SEVENTEEN's YOON JEONGHAN seen with someone after their busan concert in south korea ."
i read the news article , okay skimmed through it , then went to my locker and placed my coffee inside at an empty space . i clicked open jeonghan's contact and didn't know how to reply him , but decided to go and text him .
jeonghannie 💕
joshua 💗 : what was that piece of news ?
jeonghannie 💕 : i don't know , seungcheol is trying to scold me again about it . i'm so sorry for getting you into my shit .
joshua 💗 : it's fine but ... you should've worn a mask at least !
jeonghannie 💕 : i know i know
minghao 🐸
shua 🦌 : what do i do about it ?
minghao 🐸 : i don't know i've never been in a rumour ...
shua 🦌 : obvious .
shua 🦌 : okay tell me options .
minghao 🐸 : we can get jeonghan hyung to say y'all are just friends
shua 🦌 : do it . i have a class in 5 minutes .
i sighed and walked to my class , a group of girls standing in front of me , trying to trip me . i was looking at my phone , but i noticed their legs sticking out and i just stepped back , keeping my phone in my pocket . but then i felt something on my hand , where i had just gotten stabbed by a glass shard yesterday .
"ew ! the slut that hung out with THE yoon jeonghan yesterday ! he goes to our school ? damn ... everyone ! we have a slut as a honours grad !" one of them snickered .
"well , if you do have to make it sound so bad , how about we talk about every party you've been to , and how many of your minions boyfriends , oh wait no , GIRLFRIENDS , that you've fucked ? oh , i forgot , you guys are all gay . bet you've all fucked each other . okay , so let's count . thirty ? no... fourty ! including all your hook-ups as that slutty ass switch you are . is it that fair though ? calling me a slut ? hah , bold move . think about yourself before calling me one ." i spat , grabbing their hand off mine .
i walked to my class , not knowing that they were trying to get on me , like i knew something they didn't . yeah . i knew something . that all people like them care about is popularity . definitely something i didn't .
california , same day , jeonghan's pov
i closed my phone as i heard heavy footsteps coming into my room . i knew it was seungcheol . he was fed up that i had made the news . he was prepared to kill me , and land a few punches , maybe .
"YOON JEONGHAN ! do you not know the seriousness of this situation ? you could get put on a hiatus , worse , fired . oh my god please ! think about us !" seungcheol screamed .
"why are you so concerned ? the last time i checked , you were just screaming at me because i ruffled joshua's hair . get out , seungcheol . i don't want to see you now ." i rolled my eyes .
"i am your leader , jeonghan . for fucks sake , you are one of the main reasons why we're popular in korea or internationally . do you even think about us ?" seungcheol shouted again .
"get out ." i simply spat .
both of us weren't on good terms . the car rides had tension so thick it was noticeable by everyone . all the other 10 . i just shrugged it off and soon enough , our concert had started . our manager didn't spare a glance at me , since he knew about the news articles that had been posted .
"jeonghan . this is serious . we will put you on a hiatus . you need to gather your shit !" seungcheol sighed .
"i'm not going to go on one ." i replied blankly . "you can try . but i'll deny it . its not a bullying scandal . i'm fresh out of water for this ."
once the concert was finished , it marked the end of our follow tour . we were able to head wherever we wanted . it was now a break . i know who i wanted to visit . joshua . i knew i was going to go visit him . he told me his school hours and work hours , so i could match my schedule to his .
i could finally see him for a proper chat about my life and his .