They are the exact polar opposite since the first time. Jeon Somin even got frustrated at the beginning when their early relationship seemed like a small, wooden boat on the wide sea in the middle of thunderous storm. Even a pretty little thing can shake them up—get them into silent war for few days with Hyunjoo’s eyes become bright red and Seungcheol’s face always looks like in a foul mood.

Lee Hyunjoo is the most fragile soul left and Choi Seungcheol is the fiercest person alive. The only similar thing about them is their stubbornness. Although she seems like a sweet, weak girl who needs protection every time, Hyunjoo doesn’t hesitate to retort offensively once she’s on different opinion with her boyfriend.

“Of course you’d be late again,”

Kim Chaewon lets out a heavy sigh once she hears her dongsaeng sarcastically greets the leader of Seventeen who has just arrived at their designated place to date.

“It’s not like I did it purposely, okay?”

Seungcheol’s tone is no different, already aggressive and tired—physically also emotionally.

Without sound, Chaewon quietly taps the phone screen to send messages about her rambling. She whines mentally for replacing Somin’s position as Hyunjoo’s guardian after the leader of April decided to take different path from them. Turns out being a third wheel for this particular couple’s safe has zero fun in it. It’s not once or twice she’s trapped in very unfavorable situation where the couple engrossed in heated argument for a while.

It’s awkward, and totally uncomfortable, and always gets her wonder how in the world those two people still being in such relationship until now.

“Yeah, you didn’t even try.”

Hyunjoo scoffs, looking at him lazily.

“What do you want? You always say sorry won’t fix everything, right?”

Seungcheol is on the edge, his anger is peeking out in every seconds he takes a breath.

“Because you aren’t really sorry, no, never! You just—“

“I can’t believe this! Why are you being difficult to deal?!”

“Oh, now it’s my fault then?!”

“Damn it, Hyunjoo!”

Chaewon already lost her focus at the group chat between Somin, Seventeen ’96 liners and her about Hyunjoo and Seungcheol’s situation now, staring dumfounded at bickering couple who keep shouting at each other.

Things getting worst. She types fast, informing the members of the private group chat between four people—‘third wheel workers’, Yoon Jeonghan likes to name it.

They always go like that. They always get trapped in the worst situation. Hong Jisoo replies.

No. Seungcheol oppa cursed. And Hyunjoo is crying soundlessly now.

, that’s the worst!

But Chaewon doesn’t even have chance to read Somin’s reply because she’s frantically running to chase Lee Hyunjoo who suddenly leaves the spot in a speed of light, doesn’t even have chance to take a glance at Choi Seungcheol who stands still on the ground, groaning in frustration.

 “She takes the littlest thing into heart.” Seungcheol mutters in between messing up his hair and continuing sigh. “It’s like she hates the mere existence of me.”

Jeonghan looks at the beer cans that litters around them before replying, lightly. “Then let her go.” But he understands his leader too well when Seungcheol throws a death glare, Jeonghan scoots away from him for safety.

The thing about Seungcheol and Hyunjoo is, no matter how bad the circumstance between them, neither she nor he wants to let each other go. No matter how long Hyunjoo bawls her heart out every night or how much Seungcheol punches the wall in his room, the idea of breaking up is like the impossibility.

“He never takes me seriously.” Hyunjoo murmurs in between her sob—seems like her tears won’t dry out soon. “It’s like I’m no different with other girls whom he claims only colleagues.”

The bitterness is clearly heard by Chaewon’s ears as the older girl gulps down the words; just break things off then. No, she can’t really tell Hyunjoo that or the sweet girl Hyunjoo would never stop crying and giving her silent treatment for forever.

 “I’ve said many times that it’s not like I wanted it to be like that, okay?!”

“But wherever you see it, it always looks like you’re the one who wanted it!”

Jisoo can only gape in shocked because last time he left to the store nearby for them to have private time they looked in peace. He even saw how his bandmate hugged his girl longingly, how can they?!

“Guys, please tone it down. We don’t want to attract attention here.” He cautiously says, eyes wandering around for the possibility of camera blitz.

“You should ask her, she’s—“

“You’re the one who yelled first!”

“Seungcheol-ah, Hyunjoo-ah, let’s cool our head for a moment. Here, I bought peach juice for you.”

Both Seungcheol and Hyunjoo glare at Jisoo in unison. Everyone knows peach juice is Jisoo’s only favorite, it’s obvious he bought it for himself first. Seeing their fierce glare, he lifts his hands up to his chest, surrendered. “I can buy another drink for you if you want,”

“Don’t need oppa, thank you. I’ll just go back to the dorm now.” Hyunjoo replies in tight voice, her face is already bright red contrast to their surrounding which only gets lighted from the old street lamps. Eyes are glistening in tears and Jisoo still doesn’t know what he should do whenever Lee Hyunjoo in this kind of state.

“But,”

She ignores his complain and walks straight to April’s van and slams shut the door loudly.

“Seung—“ Jisoo turns his head to get the answer from his leader but Seungcheol already left to only God knows where while (as always) screaming in frustration.

 The news spreads fast and gets Seungcheol disappointed. He knows his own girl’s bad condition from media, even Hansol is the one who knows it first from Hyunjoo herself. He needs full power to restrain himself from getting out of control and damaging the pretty face of Vernon when the younger rapper innocently said, “Is she getting better? I just get a chance to visit her today, hyung. She asked me to bring her favorite chocolate, do you know what is it?”

He should be happy, besides his promising career that shows much advance, s support his relationship with one of April members wholeheartedly. Yes, they sometime with lame statement such how come a guy like him can get a girl as sweet as Hyunjoo. But there’s also a moment when he thinks the proximity between his girl and s is over the line. Choi Hansol, Kim Mingyu, Jeon Wonwoo and Wen Junhui have too-close friendship with Lee Hyunjoo. Jeonghan isn’t counted but Jisoo is sometimes questionable. Seungcheol doesn’t trust the American hyung that much. But whatever it is, the point is Choi Seungcheol is disappointed with his own self.

“How’s Hyunjoo?”

Jisoo chokes on the cereal he just swallowed. Damn you, Choi Seungcheol! “What? Why did you ask that to me?” He refuses to answer the leader’s curiosity right away, Seungcheol feels like being interrogated instead.

“I heard you visited her yesterday.” Seungcheol flatly says, can’t hide his piercing glare that burns one kind of without mercy.

Jisoo’s hand reaches for the glass of water before swallowing it slowly (he surely takes his time). “Seungcheol-ah,” He talks after wiping out his mouth gracefully, carefully stares at the leader in the eyes. “I don’t know what speculation that running inside your brain, but whatever it is, if you still take your pride above anything, you and Hyunjoo won’t work out for forever.”

That’s why Choi Seungcheol doesn’t like the American hyung that much. He’s too clever and most of the time Seungcheol has a strong dislike toward clever people. Even when he’s not the closest member to Seungcheol, Jisoo can read him easily like an open book.

“What pride?” Seungcheol murmurs, avoiding looking at his friend. “She’s just… too attractive for her own good.” He says again, barely audible. But Jisoo catches the snippet of it and he hides his smile while drinking the water. When he puts the glass back on the table, he coughs for attention.

“Then you should be grateful that she chose you, no?”

Seungcheol lets out a heavy sigh. “She didn’t even tell me that she’s sick. All of you have been informed personally by her, but not me.” He laughs bitterly. “Then what does it take me?”

“I believe she has her reason for that matter. Why don’t you find it out by yourself and be a man of the relationship for once?”

Once again, Seungcheol doesn’t like Hong Jisoo that much.

 She didn’t tell him although it’s not much of surprise when in quiet evening he shows up in her house. He has this weird expression on his face—maybe because this is the first time he visits her home and that means also the first time facing her parents—but so does she. There’s awkwardness that hung on the air, and for split of second Hyunjoo almost spites unpretty words to her parents when they purposely leave the two to have private talk. She looks up as hearing Seungcheol clears his throat.

There’s some kind of storm inside his eyes—Hyunjoo imagines, but he lets out one question despite his mixed emotion.

“So…” He drags out. “How have you been?”

Heaving slightly, she mutters the answer. “Been better.”

She can’t meet his eyes for a while and oh, this is very awkward. It’s even more awkward than one of Somin, or Chaewon, or Jeonghan, or Joshua has been there to disguise their date, which mostly end up with both of Hyunjoo and Seungcheol fume toward each other.

Her ears are tingling when she hears him clear his throat again, and she’s sure he feels exactly the same.

“I’m sorry I,” He trails off. “I, just visit you now.” Seungcheol huffs. “I mean, you, you didn’t even let me know.”

Her hands are busy tracing the line of her t-shirt and softly, she squeaks. “I, I made you angry and I didn’t think it’s appropriate for me to ask your-your concern.”

“Lee Hyunjoo, aren’t we dating?”

“Technically, yes. But we’re—“

“So it’s your right to always get my concern, okay?”

By the time Seungcheol cuts her off—whatever nonsense that his precious girl wants to talk about—his hands already snatch hers and squeezing them softly. He looks paler as many emotions mixed inside; upset, guilty, disbelief, concern. Feeling the heat from Seungcheol’s skin, in the back of her mind Hyunjoo thinks, well this is nice. It gets her teary-eyed out of nowhere, when the flashback of their many fights resurfaces. She sniffs, holding back the tears.

“I’m sorry, Hyunjoo-ah,” His hand softly caress her cheek, cautiously as if she’s made of thin glass. Hyunjoo ducks down her head, bites her lower lip and mutters the mantra in her head—don’t make the situation more difficult, Lee Hyunjoo. He’s apologized, hasn’t he?

“Hyunjoo—“

“It’s just, sometimes I forget that we’re actually dating. We fight too many times and, and,” Her words splutter and a mess when tears finally streaming down on her cheeks. Seungcheol watches her in wary, his hands hesitate to move. He has hurt her, and he’s afraid one action from him will damage her more.

“Sometimes I, I wonder if you really like me.” She squeaks, sounds defeated. But it’s like a trigger for him, as he shakes his head and takes both of her hands in his.

“I’m sorry to have you get doubted my feeling toward you.”

“But we fight a lot.” She whines, helpless.

“I know.” He whispers, so lowly that Hyunjoo only catches his breath more than the actual statement. “You are very beautiful and nice, and it’s hard for me to see that you can easily get close to everyone. I mean, my members like you, a lot—“

“Is that a bad thing?”

“No, no of course not!” For a moment Seungcheol curses his choice of words, then he sighs. “I mean, everyone likes you yet you got stuck with someone so temperament like me.”

Hyunjoo wipes her cheek and looks up, taking a note that her boyfriend is not actually that strong as he seems to be. Who knows the Choi leader is actually insecure?

“But I choose you, right? I choose to be with you—whoever you are.”

There is a moment of silence in which both Seungcheol and Hyunjoo look into each other eyes deeply, before she smiles a little, nodding. “Thank you,” She murmurs beside his ears as she leans her body closer to him. He envelopes her into his hug, feeling her body is warmer than his, snuggles his head deeper into her hair as exhales her scent—it’s healing and God, he does miss her.

Hyunjoo clears before makes a gap between them, looking right into his eyes and saying softly, “I have one news, though.”

Seungcheol feels her body tensed and it makes his too, as if he prepares for the worst.

“I’ve discussed with my agency and my members, and I think I won’t continue as April member anymore due to my health.” He waits for her to continue but Hyunjoo only stares back at him seriously there’s a heartbeat for him to understand.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, it’s just my body can’t be exhausted from too much dance practice and tight schedule.”

“Oh thank God!” He exclaims in one breath. Seungcheol doesn’t even know he holds his breath all this time. He thinks the worst like his Barbie doll carries a dying sickness or something.

“Is that okay?”

“What? Of course it is! As long as you’re healthy and still like me—wait, does Hansol know about this?” He’s suddenly back into his insecure mode, eyes become slit as interrogating Hyunjoo quite comically.

She snorts. “No? Why should he?”

“He should not.” He nods. “Jisoo?”

“No! Why are you like this again?”

“That’s relieved. Jeonghan?”

She’s quiet. And it doesn’t mean good news. “Oh my God, you told my friend first before letting me know, I don’t believe this!” He almost explodes like a crazy person.

“Wait, I didn’t tell Jeonghan oppa!” She says defensively, hands crossed in front of her chest.

“But he knows?”

She huffs. “Well, I don’t know whether he knows or not, but the point is, Chaewon unnie knows. So, who knows?”

He’s dizzy with too many cryptic words she’s thrown at him. Frowning, he asks her for clearance. “Chaewon is your member, of course she knows.”

“Yes. And she is your friend’s girlfriend too, so maybe Jeonghan oppa knows about me.”

Now Choi Seungcheol is dizzy with the surprising news he doesn’t expect at all. Jeonghan and Chaewon? Since when? And how dare that bastard hide it from him?!

“Oppa,”

“Yes?”

“Do you plan on staying the night here? Because I think my parents already gave you three warning coughs behind.”

Right after that, he does hear a faint of unnatural cough and makes him practically jump into his feet. Hyunjoo chuckles lightly, and it’s been a long time Seungcheol doesn’t get to hear her melodious happiness.

“I love you, Lee Hyunjoo.”

He says simply before they part, as he kisses the corner of her lips briefly, sneakily when her parents don’t watch him with their hawk stare.

 [Group Chat: third wheel workers]

Jeonghan: I hear it’s happy ending today

Jisoo: Really? Where are you by the way, didn’t see you for the whole day

Somin: does that mean we’re back to our job as usual?

Jisoo: you’re too devoted in this part-time job, Somin-ah

Jeonghan: , forget about that

Jeonghan: I think I want to resign, can I?

Somin: don’t you dare!

Jisoo: Yoon Jeonghan, is my message invisible to you or what?

Jeonghan: what

Jisoo: I ask you two questions

Jisoo: are they made up already?

Chaewon: yes oppa, hyunjoo texted me last time that your leader visited her house

Somin: he’s unstoppable, isn’t he?

Jisoo: really? Glad that my advice work then

Jeonghan: your advice?

Jeonghan: and please, jisoo-ah, be creative with your word

Jisoo: what?

Somin: boys…

Jeonghan: should we ask the main character himself?

[Jeonghan added Seungcheol into the group]

Somin: oh hi scoups

Seungcheol: somin?

Seungcheol: wait, what group is this?

Seungcheol: why is she here?

Seungcheol: third wheel workers?

Seungcheol: wtf

Somin: whoa

Somin: and that’s only because I said hi

Jisoo: it’s a peaceful group before

Jisoo: I don’t see the necessity for you to invite him here, jeonghan-ah

Seungcheol: you create a secret group behind my back?!

Jisoo: see?

Chaewon: they want to know about the progress of your and hyunjoo’s relationship, oppa

Seungcheol: chaewon? You here too?!

Jeonghan: hear that you met your in-law today, seungcheol-ah?

Seungcheol: hear that you’re official with kim chaewon, jeonghan-ah?

Somin: WHAT?!

Jisoo: WHAT?!

Jeonghan: you bastard

Seungcheol: you created this nonsense group to discuss about me behind my back

Seungcheol: they deserve to know,

Somin: wait, really, jeonghan AND chaewon?!

Somin: ya, kim chaewon, how come you didn’t tell me about this?!

[Chaewon left the group]

Somin: how dare she!

Jisoo: so, should we make another group to support this newborn couple?

Seungcheol: I’ll do it!

Jeonghan: you s!