How it feels like to be the Star 

~A day in life of Seventeen’s 10:10~

Kwon Soonyoung used to wonder how it feels like to be a star, how it feels like to stand on stages, among flashes from cameras, and how people recognize him on street…long before he became Hoshi, performance unit’s leader of Seventeen.

And now everything feels so surreal to him. The fact that they have been to many countries, having their very own concerts are still like a dream, but what woke him up was the screaming and cheering sound from his – no – their fans which, until now, lingers in his head. His dream and reality are now overlapping, merging into one another.

Without realizing who he had become, on a day without schedule like today, he decided to go to a café.

“A-Are you Hoshi of Seventeen!?” the girl at the cashier in the coffee shop seems to be surprised when she looks at him. Soonyoung, too, was surprised by the fact that he is recognized by people. He now is not only the kid with mint-coloured hair in Mansae nor MonstaX Jooheon’s lookalike. He is Hoshi of Seventeen. At least people know him as that.

He can feel the gazes and glances from everyone in the shop.

“Hehe- Yes, do you like Seventeen?”

“Of course! I’ve seen your live performance once. I heard you choreographs for all Seventeen’s songs?”

“Yes, but it’s not just me alone. I design them with a lot of help from other members and our company’s choreographers,” Soonyoung smiles, absentmindedly runs his hand through his hair.

“But still… you guys are just amazing! Keep going, I’m rooting for you guys!” she smiles broadly while handles the changes to Soonyoung.

“Thank you! I’ll work hard! Go to see us if possible!” he grab his iced milk tea and a glass of iced cappuccino for his friend, walking back to his table where his friend is waiting.

“I should have worn a mask like you did”

“Told ya,” Wonwoo murmurs, still hiding his face behind a novel he just bought, trying not to draw attention. People might have figured he is one of the members since he is with this idiot.    

“Who would have thought people will actually recognize me?”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“I mean, aren’t the visuals are the most recognized ones?”

Wonwoo let out a long sigh, closing his book, using his index finger to mark the page he was on.

“So you want to be recognized by your face, not talent? And are you saying that I only have this face?”

“I didn’t mean it that way-”

“Then shut up! Just how many times do I have to tell you the same thing over and over? tsk” Wonwoo clicks his tongue, annoyed. Although almost half of his face is covered, Soonyoung could tell how pissed his friend is by that sharp stare.

Soonyoung takes a sip of his tea, averting his eyes to the bookshelf behind Wonwoo

“Let’s go drink these at our dorm since you draw too much attention”

--------------

“I thought you guys would stay at the café?” Mingyu asks, raising his brows as the two entering the dormitory.

“Some idiot thought he is not a celebrity, going to a coffee shop bare-faced, drawing too much attention that resulted in ruining my peaceful afternoon”

Mingyu bursts out laughing.

“Are you for real, Hoshi-hyung?”

“Of course! I’m not a- erm- never mind. I’m sorry Wonwoo-yah~” Soonyoung starts to do the aegyo his fans like

“Don’t make me want to hit you harder” Wonwoo walks pass his teammates, heading to his bedroom, still holding his book.

“Where are you going?”

“Somewhere where there’s no you”

Soonyoung feels like legitimately crying when Mingyu pats his shoulder.

--------------

“Chan-ah, do you think we are considered celebrities right now?” Soonyoung leans against the pole in the practice room where Dino is working on new choreography.

“Is this why Wonwoo-hyung locked himself in his room?” the youngest member wipes his sweat with one sleeve of his T-shirt, looking at his team’s leader’s face through a mirror.

“Don’t rub the freaking salt on my wound! You’re too cruel!” Hoshi whines.

“Then don’t ask stupid question! If you are free enough to come up with this nonsense, try to work hard like me! …or Woozi-hyung,”

“Woozi’s working? Wow, that friend is crazy – in a good way. I’ll go see him in his studio,”

“I’m glad you are leaving here but don’t cause him troubles…”

“That’s my plan! This is a day off; what kind of idiot works on his day off?”

“Just go,” said Dino, coldly.

Soonyoung sheds his tears for the second time

--------------

“Knock knock!” Hoshi yelled as he opens the studio’s door.

“Can’t you just knock properly? Leave here when you still have a chance,” Jihoon didn’t even turns to his direction. A lump of paper scattered in front of him, with his computer on. A sound editing program is showing on the screen. The intruder detects a faint yet familiar scent of food; bags of empty potato ships are all over the place.

“How’s the new song going? Let me hear it,” his warning didn’t reach this friend’s ears, not at all, yet Woozi presses the button as requested. The stuffy studio suddenly filled up with a cheerful melody.

“Wow! That was really good. Are you gonna make that our next title song?”

“Don’t talk as if I’m the one who decides that, and leave! I need to concentrate!”

“Is this how you treat a friend?” cries Soonyoung.

“How many people have you pissed them off before me? It’s rare for you to be this annoying” Woozi finally turns to him. Hoshi can literally see the word ‘get out’ on his face.

“Just two? Wonwoo and Dino. Mingyu is playing game, and the others are sleeping”

“Then it’s three, count me as the third” Woozi sighs.

“Are you sure you’re not going out with me?”

"To where?"

“I don’t know, convenient store, maybe?”

“Okay. Fine. Go ask if anyone wants to join. I don’t want to deal with you alone”

“Everyone is so cruel to me!”

Woozi rolls his eyes

 “Go ask if anyone wants to join!”

--------------

In the end, none of them have left the dorm. Woozi changed his mind and went to sleep, so did Soonyoung. In the evening, the whole group ordered fried chicken to eat together.

“What did you guys do today?” asked Suengcheol who has been sleeping all day long

“Same as what you did/sleeping” replied the members

“Well, Hoshi-hyung and Wonwoo-hyung went out to the café for around 10 minutes” Mingyu said in a reporting style. The others laugh at him.

“The heck? Why wouldn’t you two stay there a little longer? The heater at the coffee shop is a lot better than ours” Suengkwan asks, having chicken wings in his hand. Hansol is looking at him without an actual reason.  

“Because of some idiot thought he is not a celebrity, going to a coffee shop bare-faced, drawing too much attention that resulted in ruining my peaceful afternoon” Wonwoo recasts what he said in the afternoon. Mingyu laughs and claps his hand like an excited seal seeing a fish.

“As expected from you, Hoshi-hyung,” Seokmin bursts out laughing. Hoshi pouts his lips.

“Not only that, he came to ask me if we are considered to be celebrities or not when I was dancing,” Dino added "Oh, and he went to Woozi-hyung’s studio, didn’t he?“

“Yeah, it was hard kicking him out”

Now Minghao, who was arguing with Jun about who would get the chicken’s thigh, turns to Woozi, giving him a knowingly look as if he wants to say “I feel you, I know how hard it is to deal with this IMMA (Punk, as in you punk! YANG and NAM show reference) Before he knew, Jun had taken the part of chicken he likes.

“You guys hate me that much?”

“I love you, hyung!” Seokmin shouted apruptly. Soonyoung hugs Seokmin tightly. Joshua who eats quietly just giggles, while Jeonghan sneakily takes nuggets from Seungcheol’s plate.

“It’s a good day after all,” said Soonyoung in the end. Everyone turns away and continue eating quietly. And without anyone saying anything, they know that deep inside, everyone just wish for Seventeen to continue being like this forever.

And that was just one peaceful day in life of the performance team leader and his friends.

“How was that a good day, imma!” said the victims who suffered from Kwon Soonyoung’s weirdness.  

--------------