"Good good good!" Seventeen's dance instructor walked between the idols as they rehearsed their choreography for their debut song, Adore U. "Minghao, make sure your arm doesn't go too far out. And Mingyu, watch out for Jihoon please!" He called out.

 

The concentration in all of their faces was real. Sweat dripped down from every single pore in their bodies and coated the dance room floor.

 

"Remember to spin to the right, not the left!" He called out. As soon as Seokmin's high note echoed in the enclosed space, the boys screamed.

 

"That's right! Give it more energy!" A satisfied look bloomed on the instructors face. It was nearing the end of their song, and they were all about ready to drop dead and hug the smooth wooden floor.

 

Mingyu practically screamed the last part of the song while everyone dropped down to the floor, Mingyu following suit. The sound of their heavy breathing and dramatic sighs filled the room before their song started to play again.

 

The instructor quickly jogged over to the sound system and turned it off. "Chop chop everyone, sit up." He clapped his hands. The boys pulled themselves and each other up with groggy groans.

 

They all wore tired and lagged expressions. Sweat dripped down from their foreheads and darkened the seams of their shirts. Even Seventeen's gag trio, Soonyoung, Seokmin, and Seungkwan, looked like their spirits had been out of them. They have practically sweated out their comic relief and were now leaning up against each other for support.

 

However, their instructor had a satisfied grin on his face."That was a very nice practice, everyone. I am confident when I say I know you guys will have a very professional and clean debut stage."

 

Minghao was quite excited and relieved to hear that. They've been training for God knows how long to deliver a performance that could rival their sunbae's themselves. And hearing from the man who had helped choreograph their dance (alongside the Performance Team) made all the hours and days they had spent practicing to the brink of fainting, made all of those hours worth it.

 

Seungcheol, Jihoon, and Soonyoung looked like they've been slapped with contentment. Their once fatigued expressions were replaced with a small grin, their eyes filled with happiness. It made sense; they were the three leaders of the team after all. Hearing those words must have meant the world to them.

 

"However, there are a few small things which need to be fixed, like Minghao," The young boy stiffened at the mention of his name, "Your moves need to be a bit more striking during the last "yoo hoo" part of the song. Also, watch your timing during the train line, your footsteps are behind the others when they're moving. Please watch out for that, alright? Otherwise, you'll deliver a clean performance."

 

Minghao's cheeks sunk in and he nodded his head weakly. His eyes were trained on the floor as the instructor continued to speak his mind.

 

Junhui, who was sitting next to Wonwoo, looked at his fellow Chinese member with sympathy. He could see the disappointment swimming in his doe eyes, and he could feel his heart clench at the sight.

 

Litle fragments of his heart broke whenever he saw that look in Minghao's eyes. And he had begun to see it more often as their debut inched closer. Don't take his words the wrong way, the preparation for debut was extremely stressful, especially for the younger members and the ones who haven't trained as long as the older ones.

 

And Minghao had the best of both worlds; a youngster with one of the shortest trainee periods.

 

"But, keep those in mind for your rehearsal stage tomorrow, everyone!" Junhui's head snapped towards the front again, where their instructor cheered loudly. The cries of the young boys echoed throughout out the room. One by one, they all stood up to gather their things and head up together.

 

Junhui jogged over to the corner he and Minghao always put their things in -- a little secluded corner that they called their own. Minghao looked completely drained, though the atmosphere they were in was brighter than before. He could hear Mingyu's loud laughter as well as Jisoo's nagging. And Chan and Seokmin were doing something that he could only confidently say was a "funny face competition."

 

And then there was Minghao. Sulking in a corner all while he quietly checked Weibo on his phone with a stoic look on his face.

 

Junhui wrapped an arm around the smaller male, causing Minghao to raise an eyebrow questioningly. "Yes, gege?"

 

A bright smile bloomed on Junhui's face. "How is my bǎobèi doing, hmm? Ready for debut?" He asked Minghao with a teasing tone lacing his words.

 

Minghao's nose scrunched up cutely when Junhui called him "bǎobèi." It felt slightly wrong to hear those words from Junhui. Not only because they were around the other members (and he was sure Mingyu has watched enough Chinese dramas to know what "bǎobèi" meant), but because he didn't deserve the title.

 

He loved Junhui, and Junhui loved him. But he wanted to show Junhui the best form of himself, nothing less. Junhui deserved perfection, not someone with numerous flaws like himself.

 

He wanted to be a shining diamond for Junhui, clear like the ocean blue. That's what he strived to be.

 

"I'm doing fine, gege. I just need to brush up on a couple of things and then I can call it a day." Minghao said as he placed his phone back into his bag, filled with dirty practice clothes and snacks that he stole from Mingyu.

 

The corners of Junhui's lips turned south. He didn't like the idea of Minghao staying later at all. In fact, the thought made him feel unpleased. Their debut stage was tomorrow, and they needed all the energy they could muster to put on a spectacular performance.

 

He looked at Minghao with a hard look on his face. "Hao, it's already late. You don't have to stay any longer." But Minghao brushed him off.

 

"It'll be fine gege." Minghao flashed him a reassuring look.

 

"Please, Hao, you'll tire yourself out and by the time we go on MBC tomorrow." Junhui pleaded. He didn't want his precious teammate, his bǎobèi to tire himself even further. He could already see the exhaustion drooping from his eyes.

 

"Gege, please. I'm fine, don't worry about me, alright? You should go clean yourself up, you look like ." Minghao offered Junhui a small smile and a wash cloth. Junhui took it and slammed it down to the ground. The latter winced at the rage Junhui was expressing. The anger burning in his eyes slowly turned to eyes of empathy.

 

"Minghao, seriously just come to the dorms. Over practicing isn't healthy--" He put his hand on Minghao's shoulder, but Minghao slapped his hand off quickly.

 

"It isn't "over practicing" if it isn't perfect yet!" The younger Chinese male raised his voice at Jun, who stared at him with a stone-faced expression.

 

"Whatever. Just go up and rest gege, I'll only stay for half an hour -- no, an hour more." Junhui glanced at the clock glaring at them from the wall. The hands read 11:49 P.M, so Minghao should be back about a quarter before 1 o'clock. "Should " was the keyword.

 

He could already see the distressed look in Seungcheol's eyes when he would tell him that Minghao was going to stay late yet again. Minghao was already skinny enough, and he had skipped a number of meals that week. The last thing any of them wanted was for Minghao to lose any more weight.

 

The fans already pointed that out enough.

 

"Well, I'll stay here to keep you company--" Junhui said as he sat back down, but Minghao shook his head rapidly. "No no no, gege! You should go back to the dorms and eat with the others,"

 

"That's what you should be doing as well, Minghao!" He yelled at Minghao. Minghao looked down at the floor, fists clenched as he stared at the floor.

 

"I just want this to be perfect, for us, for the fans... I want to be that shining diamond, gege." Minghao's bottom lip quivered. He could feel his entire body shake as the words left his mouth. Junhui's pitiful stares didn't make him feel better, it made him feel flawed.

 

A soft sigh left Junhui's lips. He hugged his precious bǎobèi tightly. Junhui rubbed the back of Minghao's back soothingly as Minghao hugged him back.

 

He pulled back and stared lovingly into Minghao's beautiful doe eyes, "I'll be waiting for you back at the dorms, okay Hao? I'll eat with you when you get back." Minghao nodded silently. His eyes were still trained on the dance room mirror; dirty, and covered and sweat stains. The sight itself made Jun's heart clench.

 

"Be sure to come back quickly, okay? I don't want you to stay here too early, it's suffocating." Jun grimaced at the stench coming from the room, especially from that trashcan in the corner. Minghao nodded in agreeance.

 

Only Jisoo would have known what was in there, he was there with Seungkwan when the latter threw up after he accidentally ate a sandwich with tomatoes.

 

Junhui turned to the door, where the others were waiting for the two of them to walk out. He could smell the disappointment when he would walk out there without Minghao. He quickly turned back to his bǎobèi and said, "And please don't over-do yourself. I want you to be alive tomorrow."

 

Minghao chuckled lowly at Junhui's jab. He punched the latter's shoulder jokingly, "Don't worry, gege. I'll be sure to be back as fast as humanly possible."

 

Junhui nodded and pecked Minghao on the cheek and dashed to the door before Minghao could smack him. Minghao crossed his arms as Junhui winked teasingly. "I'll be back before you know it, gege, don't you worry about a thing!"

 

"You better! Or else I'll come back here and carry you like a sack of potatoes. And then we'll eat together." And with that, Junhui left. Leaving Minghao alone with himself, the lights, and the mirror.

 

"Hey Jun, where the hell is Minghao? Don't tell me he's staying again--" Seungcheol tried to peek back into the closed practice room, but Junhui patted Seungcheol's back reassuringly. "He said that he'll be back in an hour, don't worry hyung."

 

Seungcheol raised an eyebrow at Junhui but didn't question the latter. It was the China line, if Junhui said Minghao was going to be back within an hour then he would be back in an hour. Or at least, he desperately hoped so.

 

Junhui looked back at the practice room one last time. He could already hear the squeaking of sneakers and their song blasting through the speakers. "Hwaiting, bǎobèi!" Junhui quietly whispered to himself as he walked alongside Wonwoo and Joshua.

 

But Minghao didn't come back until 3 in the morning, way later than he said he would. As he tip-toed back towards the rooms, he found Junhui fast asleep on the dining table, with two plates covered with paper towels right next to him.

 

He had waited for him, and Minghao felt like a sack of for wasting Junhui's time.

 

---

 

Hey hey hey guess who is writing a Seventeen story a century later ;D

I meant to update "The Courage Test" before I posted this one, but is too much for my brain to handle at this point.
Like angst is any better tho LOLOLOLOL

I'm going to Chicago in under a weeks time, and I needa get ready so I won't be able to update that story until possibly after the trip scREECH
I'VE NEGLECTED THAT STORY ENOUGH AND NOW I'M REPLACING IT WITH ANOTHER I feel like a author

SO, instead of leaving you Junhao deprived, I'm gonna try and go on a Junhao bash b/c tHIS SHIP NEEDS MORE LOVE *ugly sobbing*

And congrats to me for my first idol!AU and/ or canon!AU Seventeen story c: And of course it's in angst BWAHAHA

 

Yeah. Have a nice day or night. Stay happy and healthy. Take care everyone :D
Signing off, Nic.♡