Beware leaders.

 

Unlike what some people would say, Hanbin was not jealous; he was definitely not bitter either. Not at all. Why would he? Anyone who said otherwise was wrong. Completely, definitely and totally wrong. Don’t listen to them.

What? Why would he feel any of those awful things towards the youngest member of his team? Please, he had many things to worry about and none of them concerned someone named Jung Chanwoo. He didn’t even know anyone with that name.

He was totally fine.

Just to show you how fine he was, the leader was actually enjoying himself on the bathroom while the rest of his rest of his teammates were having fun in the living room. What more could he ask for, right? Jiwon and Junhoe were trying so hard to screw up their voices so their comeback stage would ; Jinhwan was losing his cool with Yunhyeong; Yunhyeong was trying to film his screaming teammates so he could have some blackmail material later on; Donghyuk was not helping at all; and Chanwoo was possibly looking at his phone again. See? He was totally not feeling like he could go on a killing spree right away, not at all.

He was perfectly fine.

Hanbin breathed in and out, slowly.

He wasn’t fine at all. In fact, he was one step away from getting out of the bathroom, snatching Chanwoo’s phone, throwing it out the window and then burning it with wildfire so the younger would actually stop talking to a certain someone—but it was not like he would back off and stay in his lane. No, he would probably move to their dorm just to talk with Hanbin’s maknae more.

“If I get you alone, Kang Seungyoon…” he muttered what could be the seventieth threat to his fellow leader in a minute.

What had he done wrong?! Someone please tell him! Why had Chanwoo done that to him? Why was Chanwoo being his personal Judas?! His own Brutus?! Why was life just so cruel?!

Hanbin fought the urge to go full fetal position and cry his worries away; he needed to keep his cool. He was still the leader of iKON after all.

Well, he would keep his cool if Jung Chanwoo could get the hell out of that damned phone of his. He would certainly get better after that. And after WINNER went to Japan, China, New Zealand or anywhere far far

 

far away. However, if none of that happened, he would just brood over the fact that he wasn’t his maknae’s favorite leader.

Hell, he wasn’t asking for much. Oh no, Hanbin was aware that Chanwoo’s favorite hyung was either Jiwon or Yunhyeong. He could understand that and he was fine with it too (to a certain degree). However, not being his favorite leader was something that he couldn’t be fine with or even overlook. What did he do wrong? When did it go wrong? Why couldn’t he be Chanwoo’s favorite leader? Was he asking for much?!

“It’s not like he even knows a lot of leaders…” the poor troubled boy mumbled to himself, sinking even more in self-pity.

It would be fine if it were Jiyong-sunbaenim but Seungyoon? Hell. No. Hanbin was sure that Chanwoo wasn’t even comfortable around the other leader to start with. Well, he was now. When did it happen? When did Hanbin allow it to happen? Damn Seungyoon and damn Mino as well; he would be living his life so much better if the rapper hadn’t told him that.

“Yah, Hanbin-ah, know what’s funny? Your maknae prefers Seungyoonie to you! LOL! Cool, right?”

Of course, Mino didn’t specifically told him that Chanwoo said he preferred Seungyoon to him as a leader or even that Seungyoon was his favorite leader, but Hanbin just knew it. Just like he knew who Chanwoo’s favorite hyung was.

It didn’t help at all that Jiwon wouldn’t let him forget about it—couldn’t Mino see that Chanwoo was a sensitive topic to him, why didn’t he tell him such news when they were all alone? It didn’t help that Seungyoon was in a quest to kidnap his maknae either. And kidnap he did! How could Hanbin ever forget when Seungyoon stood there on his dorm, smiled so fondly at his maknae and hijacked his Chanwoo for 2 hours, 3 minutes and 45 seconds?! That was an outrage! That meant war!

Of course, he couldn’t openly declare war because people would start commenting and inquiring why he was doing it. The leader was sure Jiwon wouldn’t lose the opportunity to spill the beans first and everyone would be thinking Hanbin was being childish. However, Jiwon was wrong. He wasn’t battling Seungyoon because said leader was constantly trying to monopolize his maknae or because Chanwoo should definitely be monopolized by Hanbin himself. No, Hanbin was fighting Seungyoon because it was his duty as a leader to protect his maknae. It was all for Chanwoo’s innocence.

“When did it go wrong, maknae? Tell me…”

Hanbin tried to be a normal person, being his cool self again. It was hard. All he could picture was Chanwoo and Seungyoon laughing and having a date and doing all the things he was supposed to do with his maknae! Come on! Why couldn’t Seungyoon just stay in his lane and with his own maknae? Did he really have to go after iKON's youngest member?!

“Hanbin-ah, is that you there? What are you doing?” It was Jinhwan, sounding spectacularly pissed off. The leader grimaced; Chanwoo didn’t even have the decency to look after his own leader… “I hope you’re not being all emo again! Also, get out of the bathroom—you can be depressed in your own room.”

The younger could have tried to debate that he was doing things people usually do in the bathroom, but he knew Jinhwan wouldn’t buy it. He had locked himself in the bathroom because of his main problem right now: Chanwoo.

The boy was walking towards him, all smiles and flowers, as if he weren’t the main reason Hanbin was going crazy. He would possibly tell him he was going to meet “Seungyoon-hyung” again. But not that time, Hanbin wouldn’t wait for another knife to stab his poor failing heart. The leader had stormed off, not even casting a second glance at his maknae and locking himself in the bathroom (he was half expecting that Chanwoo would follow him, but that obviously did not happen).

How cruel could Jung Chanwoo truly be? Couldn’t he see Hanbin was suffering?! That bastard.

“They’re your members too, ya know?” he countered bitterly.

“No. They are your members when they screw up.” The leader heard the eldest sigh loudly, banging something on the door, probably his head. “Just leave the bathroom and make ‘em stop, ok?”

Hanbin puffed out his cheeks, looking around the bathroom that could use several washes. “Don’t feel like it,”

“Don’t be like this, Hanbin-ah. Come out.”

Hanbin hugged his knees, frowning.

“Let me be, hyung,” he half-begged, half-demanded, half-wished it were Chanwoo the one asking him to go out. “I want to be alone!”

Jinhwan scoffed. “And you choose the bathroom? Yeah, right.” A moment of silence. “Is this about Chanwoo?”

Of course.

“No.”

“It’s totally about him. You guys should settle this; everyone noticed that you’ve been acting weird these days.” Well, Chanwoo apparently didn’t notice because he didn’t even touch the subject! Hanbin heard another bang, louder this time. “Now, be a good leader and come help me.”

Hanbin’s frown deepened, couldn’t anyone, aside freaking Jung Chanwoo, on that dorm get that he only wanted to be left alone?!

“You’re really making a lot of demands for a 15cm hyung.”

There was a terrifying silence from the other side of the door. The leader gulped. “Open the door and come say that to my face.”

Jinhwan banged the door so harshly that even the mess happening in the living room paled in comparison. The leader truly smiled for possibly the first time that week. He even felt like laughing! Nothing like a pissed Jinhwan to get his mood up.

“Don’t feel like it~”

Hanbin could hear some loud bangs coming from the living room, he was sure Yunhyeong was talking about FIB before there was a thud that welcomed an awkward silence.

“Whatever. You’re no use anyway.” Jinhwan was possibly rushing to see what happened because his voice was becoming more and more distant. “You better be out of this bathroom when I come back, understood? Or you won’t be able to see the sunrise tomorrow.”

“We never see the sunrise, hyung,” the leader mumbled to no one, feeling strangely better after being threatened by the elder. “We don't have time for that.”

Something clicked inside his head.

Yeah, he was right. They didn’t have time for almost anything since, what, 2013? Now that they finally debuted and were living their dreams, he was throwing a tantrum about something that shouldn’t even matter that much. God, no wonder he wasn’t Chanwoo’s favorite leader.

Hanbin sighed, standing up. He would have to settle this with Chanwoo sooner than later if that meant their teamwork would get back to normal.

That was going to be hard.

 

≡

 

“Hyung! Why are you doing this?!” Seungyoon whined, crossing his arms just like a nine-years-old throwing a fit in the middle of the mall. It would be quite cute if he weren’t 21. “Spoilsport..."

“Seungyoonie,” Jiyong faked a surprised look, barely raising an eyebrow and opening his mouth in the smallest ‘o’. “What are you doing here?”

“Chanwoo-ah was really late and I really wanted some Starbucks coffee so I decided that I’d wait for him here,” the WINNER leader explained neatly, still pouting and finally acknowledging Chanwoo’s existence. “Ah, maknae! When did you arrive~?”

Chanwoo to forget about the internal battle happening in his brain, but it was quite hard when he was really confused about the whole situation. Was there a leader convention near and that was why he was currently talking with those two? If so, where were Hanbin and Chaerin-noona to complete the whole ‘YG idol leaders’ reunion?

He decided that it was for the best to push aside that matter for now.

“Some seconds ago,” He motioned the plastic bag with their coffees. “I bought your coffee, as you—”

The boy didn’t even have to finish his sentence because Seungyoon snatched the bag. “Wah, thanks! You’re such a dedicated dongsaeng~”

Ok, that was uncalled for.

He was about to say something to Seungyoon about how that was rather rude from his part when Jiyong turned to him with a tiny smirk. “Chanwoo-ah, you didn’t answer me.”

“What, hyung?” the younger tried to play dumb. He was sure it wouldn’t work but it wouldn’t hurt to try it.

The older pointed at the now happy WINNER leader and then at himself. “Who do you like better: Seungyoonie or me?”

“HYUNG! Really?!” Seungyoon voiced Chanwoo’s thoughts quite well, the shocked tone was on point. “Have you no shame?”

Jiyong shrugged.

“What?” he asked innocently, looking so pure, “Seungri told me you asked the same thing and Hanbin was right in front of you,”

Seungyoon looked like he was attacked by the naughtiest of the haters. ‘“It was different!”

“How so?” Jiyong inquired casually.

Chanwoo tuned off their conversation, he was too astonished to even begin to process what was going on with him these few weeks. What was slipping from his mind? There had to be something to explain why the YG male leaders, and the male leaders only, were acting so strange around him. First, it was Seungyoon, then Hanbin and now Jiyong-sunbae. Who was next? Chaerin-noona?!

This whole thing was too complicated. He only wanted to give Seungyoon his coffee so they could eat something that would warm him up later to Hanbin’s possibly odd attitude. Was that asking for much?

“—so, Chanwoonie, what’s your answer?”

The younger one blinked, someone was talking to him.

“Hyung, I—” He tried to come up with anything. Seungyoon would so nag at him and whine so much that his ears began to hurt just at the thought of it but he couldn’t let his sunbae down… “You know—” There had to be something to please both of them… “I-I like you guys equally!”

Seungyoon rolled his eyes as Jiyong scoffed slightly.

“Don’t lie, dongsaeng.”

Couldn’t they give him a break? He was trying hard not to let anyone down!

“I’m not!” he protested, pouting a little and puffing out his cheek; cuteness always helped him in those situations. “Hyungs are so awesome in their own way that I can’t possibly—”

Chanwoo was about to give the speech of his life about the awesomeness of the leaders in front of him and it would be so good that he would probably win an Oscar or a Golden Globe after that. Of course, his trophies were stolen from him when Seungyoon’s—it was always Seungyoon, wasn’t it?—next words disturbed his state of fragile “peace”.

“Ah, Hanbin-ah!” the WINNER leader nearly shouted, making Chanwoo jump in surprise. “What brings you here?”

“H-Hanbin-hyung?!”

Come. On.

The maknae eyed his leader wearily; Hanbin was walking towards them stiffly, with the most awkward of the smiles on. What would Hanbin be doing there out of all people? Last time the younger saw him, he was running from him in pajamas!

Hanbin smiled haltingly at them, carefully not looking at Chanwoo and bowing full ninety degrees at the two other leaders.

“I was just… passing by,” Chanwoo cringed at the amount of uncomfortable his leaders was displaying. “Jinhwan asked me to go look for Chanwoo.” Now that was something he was positive didn’t happen. “He wants, uh, some things from, you know, the market so he can cook some stuff.”

That was clearly a lie and Jiyong’s accusing eyes were enough to prove that, but Chanwoo couldn’t really say he was feeling bad about leaving those two there and go back to the dorm.

“Ah, really?” Seungyoon too didn’t believe in Hanbin if his tone was any clue. He smiled dangerously at the youngest leader. “It’s good you’ve come now, by the way. Chanwoonie was about to tell us who his favorite leader is!”

That was not what Chanwoo was expecting that would happen at all. In fact, that wasn’t even an option on his “how life will screw my life next” list. Of course, always count on Seungyoon to help life screw him up.

“I was?!”

Damn, how he wished for an alien to abduct him when he saw Hanbin’s poorly covered shocked, sour and mad expression. He felt little daggers piercing his heart.

“Yeah,” Seungyoon seemed so eager to see his death. “You were!”

 

≡

 

To say that Hanbin was a trainwreck of emotions was easily one of the biggest understatements of the year. He was fuming, upset, offended, outraged, sad, depressed, distressed, and, above all, anxious. He was expecting that Chanwoo would say that he was his favorite leader and that Mino was just fooling around when he said that his maknae preferred Seungyoon to him.

Even though he sort of came to an agreement that iKON’s future was more important than his ego, deep down he still wanted to be his maknae’s favorite. Or just to make sure Seungyoon wasn’t the one winning Chanwoo’s love.

The thick atmosphere surrounding the four boys was nearly palpable; it was driving the young leader crazy.

Expecting eyes gawked at a hesitant Chanwoo. Hanbin was sure the boy was having a mental breakdown now, trying to find a way to please all of the three leaders or simply trying to come up with a way to run away.

All of them almost had a heart attack when Hanbin’s phone buzzed like it was a machine-gun. Hanbin could swear that he saw his soul leave his body for a second. Jiyong seemed somewhat annoyed while Seungyoon crushed Chanwoo in a bear hug.

“I’m so sorry about that,” He bowed, cheeks burning bright. Damned phone. “I should have put it on mute—”

The leader didn’t know what to do with all the messages hitting his phone. There were ten messages and four of them were from Donghyuk alone. What the hell was happening back at the dorm? He left less than 10 minutes ago, how bad could the situation truly be?

He decided to check Jiwon’s first.

 

“LEADER-NIM, SAVE US.

HE’S TRYING TO HUNGER GAME US!!!

HELLLLLP”

 

Ok, weird. Now Donghyuk’s.

 

“hyung, if we don’t make it, the recording of our deaths is on my laptop

(don’t let jinhwan hyung know about this)

((tell my parents i love them))

(((chanwoo too)))”

 

What the— He opened Yunhyeong’s.

 

“come home. fast. NOW.”

 

He was quite afraid to see what Jinhwan sent him. The boy hesitated for a second before he carefully clicked on the messages.

 

“You better come home before I kill your group.

And I want some snacks.”

 

“Is everything ok, hyung?” Hanbin turned to Chanwoo who looked more concerned than anything.

He bit his bottom lip, taking one more glance at Jinhwan’s messages and trying to come up with anything that would be reasonable. He couldn’t tell his maknae that iKON’s eldest member was about to murder the others back at their dorm. No, what would Jiyong-sunbae think of him?!

Chanwoo was still waiting for an answer and Jiyong seemed like he was having a good time looking at all the ugly expressions Hanbin was sending his phone.

His phone machine-gunned again. Was someone dead already?!

 

“GET US CHANWOO

HE’S OUR ONLY HOPE NOW”

 

“i too strongly advise you to bring chanwoonie”

 

How they managed to make Jinhwan so pissed off to the point that Chanwoo of all people were their only salvation, Hanbin couldn’t even begin to figure out. However, one thing was clear: he had the perfect excuse to take Chanwoo away! It seemed like some bad things did come for good after all. You take that, Seungyoon.

“I— I’m sorry, hyungs,” he apologized with a bow, sounding and feeling extremely energized for someone who was about to have his group murdered. “I need to get Chanwoo home now. We can always have this conversation later.”

Seungyoon pouted and clung to the maknae like a sloth.

“Do you really need too?”

 

“JINHWAN GOT JUNHOE

OMG HE’S SCREAMING

he stopped

LEADER-NIM

TTTT^TTTT”

 

“Yeah,” he replied seriously, already taking Chanwoo’s soft hand. “iKON might not exist by tomorrow if I don’t.”

Seungyoon looked like he was ready to argue but one look from Jiyong was enough to make the clingy leader let the maknae go. He didn’t seem that pleased, though.

“Well, if that’s the case...” Hanbin was sure that Seungyoon was already sulking inside, and that made him feel strangely satisfied inside.

Chanwoo seemed puzzled but he followed as he was ordered, something about his expression told Hanbin that he was as happy as the iKON leader himself to get away from those two.

“Take care of your team, Hanbin-ah,” Jiyong advised in a relaxed manner, making Hanbin’s inside flutter.

“You can trust me, sunbaenim!” He waved at them and urged Chanwoo to follow his quick steps. “See you around, hyungs.”

“Take care, hyungs!” Chanwoo shouted before they left the building.

They only walked faster once they were out. Hanbin was practically dragging the maknae even though his legs were a little bit shorter. All the possible scenarios they would find when they came back to the dorm were haunting him. He hoped that Jinhwan would let them live with average fractures.

Crossing the street, he could see through his peripheral vision that the boy behind him was finding it hard to match his steps. The leader decided that he would increase his time on the treadmill.

“W-what’s so urgent, hyung?” the younger one asked quietly, fighting his almost unstable breath.

Hanbin blinked in surprise. “Nobody texted you?”

“Text? I—” he unlocked his phone with one hand, as the other was taken by his leader, and his eyes widened instantaneously. “Oh, God,”

“It’s that bad.”

He saw Chanwoo nod, frowning at the things he was reading.

“Shouldn’t we get a bus, then?”

Hanbin shook his head, forcing Chanwoo to catch up with him by pulling his hand harder. They were probably looking like two troublemakers running away from the police. “No. We still can’t be recognized.”

Both of them shivered at the thought of YG finding out about their little adventure to save their members.

“You’re right… Maybe a taxi then? Wait,” he frowned deeper at his phone, looking really frustrated. “Jinhwan-hyung told me to buy some food for him. He wants some, huh, burrito? Where are we going to find that?!”

Hanbin’s legs almost gave up when he heard it and he stopped right away. God dammit that hyung, he always felt like eating when he was about to murder someone? He held Chanwoo by the waist when said boy collided with him because of the sudden stop.

If the leader’s head weren’t so filled with iKON’s future, he would have noticed the slight pink covering the maknae’s cheeks.

“Aish, this hyung…” He ruffled his hair in annoyance, turning to his maknae with a thoughtful expression on. He felt tempted to keep on holding the boy but decided against it, they were in the middle of the street. “Ok, I know a place but we have to go the opposite way. Do you want to go to the dorm and try to calm Jinhwan-hyung down a little?”

Chanwoo frowned. “Not really,” He looked down at his phone again. “I don’t think he’ll want me there without his... food.”

Hanbin ignored the odd hesitation, choosing to focus on what to do next. He doubted Chanwoo would want to stay willingly by his side after the last two weeks. Even Hanbin himself could tell that he was being a .

“You could try,”

The maknae smiled at him, cheeks flushed and heavy breath. “It’s okay, hyung. Don’t worry,”

The leader felt his heartbeat quicken considerably. Damned cuteness.

“Well, let’s hurry then.”

They had to walk for a good ten minutes if they wanted to get there quick enough. If only he had enough money for a full taxi ride then everything would be way less complicated…

“Hyung,” Hanbin looked at his maknae, distracted. “You can let go of my hand now.”

He refused to acknowledge the blushed that quickly covered his face. It was from running so much in such a short time, he told himself.

“Oh, yeah. Sorry.”

The way to the nearest Mexican restaurant was filled with a somewhat comfortable silence that Hanbin had been wanting for a long time. His mind was at ease now that he and Chanwoo were somewhat good again. He had called Jinhwan to assure the elder that, yes, he was going to get his burrito and, no, there wasn’t any need to torture s for being such a pain in the sometimes. Hanbin was sure that he heard Junhoe screaming for help, Jiwon cries for aid and Yunhyeong’s sobs at one point but that was quickly muffled by an oddly cheerful Donghyuk.

Hanbin was paying for the meal Chanwoo had ordered at the restaurant, thinking about the day he was having and smiling at the attendant when he caught Chanwoo looking at him. He smiled at the younger and they walked outside, deciding that they would make some of the members pay for the taxi ride after what they went through.

“Hyung…” the younger started, drowning his eyebrows together in what was the cutest puppy eyes ever. “Are you still mad?”

Chanwoo looked at him sheepishly, as if debating whether it was a good thing to touch the subject. The leader decided that he like when his maknae smiled at him.

“No.”

Despite probably getting back at being okay with each other, Hanbin realized that he had yet to apologize for his past behavior. God, he at asking for forgiveness… It was good that he could use the “looking for a taxi” excuse because he refused to look at the maknae’s eyes.

He saw the younger bit his bottom lip, uncertain. “Are you still mad at me?”

Hanbin sighed. He decided that saying the truth would be the best.

“Not anymore.”

“What did I do?!” the younger inquired with a confused, burdened tone. Hanbin couldn’t help but wince slightly.

“It was— You see… I was jealous because you weren’t spending as much time with me anymore,” No one had to mention Seungyoon, right? Right. “I was childish. And an idiot. Sorry for making you uncomfortable and treating you so badly…”

He looked at the maknae and simpered self-consciously, hoping that his maknae would forgive him.

“It’s okay, hyung,” Chanwoo smiled warmly, patting his back. “So we’re cool now?”

Hanbin nodded, feeling butterflies in his stomach. “Yeah,”

“Good. I’ve missed you.”

The iKON leader knew right there that, even though he wasn’t Chanwoo’s favorite leader, he still had the maknae’s love. at the end of the day, it was all that mattered—and that Seungyoon would be so busy in a few days that he wouldn’t have time to bug Chanwoo.

“Me too.”

 

≡

 

It was an average afternoon, several weeks after what they decided to call “the Jinhwan incident,” and Hanbin and Chanwoo were having a friendly talk.

“Hey, Chanwoo-ah, answer me a question?”

“Sure.”

“Who’s your favorite leader?”

“Of course it’s Chaerin-noona, hyung! Didn’t you know it?”

“Ok, but what about your favorite rookie leader?”

 

 

---

This is it, folks. I'm quite satisfied to say that “A (quite one-sided) fight for Chanwoo's (favorite leader spot) love” is over.

This is the first fanfic I've ever completed since I started writing (which was almost 7 years ago)! I thought of giving up on this twice but thanks to you guys I was able to move on and finish this. You are all the best, seriously. Now I know why every author likes to receive comments and reviews. It's so good when others like your work, you know?

However, I can't say that I'm completely satisfied with how this fanfic turned out. I thought of writing something funnier and overall better but this was what I got after hours of writing and rewriting and editing and all these stuff. I'll probably rewrite or add some things later on. I found this chapter the most exhausting one to write because it had a LOT of conversation and I when it comes to it but I have to say that I had so much fun writing the first Hanbin's point of view. I hope you guys liked it as much as I did because this wouldn't be possible without you!

In addition, I'd like to say that after much thought I'm starting a new Chanwoo fanfic! Do you guys remember last chapter when I said I was thinking about writing a Mean Girls fanfic with Junhoe and Chanwoo? Well, I am doing it for real now. It's called “A simple step to jingle bell rock” and I'm leaving the link here if any of you want to check it out~ I'll probably be updating it after New Year.

Thank you so much again for reading this fanfic and happy New Year!

Now have some happy yunchan + a background Junhoe.

(On a side note, I'll be posting three extras that couldn't make it to this fanfic when/after/if this hits 1000 views!)

((Hanbin will never get the answer he wants from Chanwoo, poor him))