- Author’s POV -

It was Sunday. The very last day of weekened where everyone in this entire Universe would feel lazy to move their out of the house due to the following day tomorrow. Everyone, except one.

“Wonwoo hyung, can I borrow your shirt?” Chan shouted from the clothing room, waking the whole house up. The Seventeen boys are now in their base, spending the night there as they plan about the ‘gathering’ later on this afternoon. Another one of those days when they need to leave their house and plan out on what they should do and the prediction on how dirty Nu’est would play today.

“What the-..” Wonwoo rubbed his eyes as he tries to wake up. His body was sore from the unsoft-so-called bed and he didn’t get that much sleep either. He was one of the oldest and most mature member of Seventeen, so he needed to attend the planning longer than the younger members last night.

“Who’s shirt is this? Is it not Wonwoo hyung’s?” Chan asked to himself, a little bit too loud since the people in other room could hear him “Hey guys, who’s shirt is a red plaid pattern in front but denim styled in the back? Can I borrow this?”

“It’s mine” Soonyoung said. He was always a light sleeper that even before Chan started shouting, he’s already awake from his sleep. Even when he also stayed late for the planning too last night. Eye bags were visible under his 10:10 eyes and tiredness was written all over his face. Physically and emotionally. But Soonyoung was never a man to show his weak side even when he knows the Seventeen boys are not the people he should ever hide anything from. Still, he wouldn’t show how dying he actually is.

“O-Oh, can I borrow it, hyung? I need a nice shirt for my date at 2 and I couldn’t find anything nicer than this. The rest of the shirts stinks as hell and I wouldn’t want my date to think bad of me for our first date”

Seokmin appeared, rubbing his eyes, “A date? Who with?”

“Pinky” Chan said, a little blushing “She texted me this morning, asking if I want to catch some movies with her and I just-.. Yeah, nothing fancy, but I still want to impress her”

“So Pinky was the one asking you out? Nice move, Jackie Chan. How can you ever make a woman ask you out” Seokmin said and patted his shoulder.

“W-Well I was about to ask her out, someday, but I just haven’t got the right time yet and she suddenly texted me this morning, so it’s not entirely my fault if you’re thinking that I’m a non-gentleman, hyung” Chan glared.

Mingyu then come in and rolled his eyes, “What’s all of this commotion about? God, can’t you guys see it’s still early?!”

“It’s almost 12, Mingyu” Soonyoung said, chuckling a bit.

“That’s still early for Sundays” he defended “You’re going somewhere, Chan? Nice hair. Did it take you half an hour too to get it done?”

Seokmin and Mingyu laughed hard at the memory when Chan got her very first ‘friendly walk’ with Pinky. He sure was surely excited and prepared and also a little bit exaggerating for a little walk around the city only. And it’s not like the base house has that many bathrooms in it anyway, so basically they were complaining about the time Chan took to get his hair done, not on how jumpy excited he was.

Soonyoung’s lips turned into a small curve but it soon fade away as the memory of ___ creeps in. The day Chan got all jumpy about his ‘friendly walk’ was the day where she actually spent the very first morning in the base. He couldn’t express his worry when she knows the base, but he would be lying too if he said he wasn’t glad to see her. Spending breakfast with her was a very rare moment and it was actually their first time to spend the morning together. With Seungcheol living with her, there would be no chance for Soonyoung to creep in her house anytime he wants because it’ll be like walking into a tiger guarded house.

He cherished the moments he spent with her at those times. The moment when she found out about the base. The moment when she helped Hansol who was bleeding to death. The moment when she embraced him and told him everything would be fine. The moment when the two of them made out.. He surely cherish every single second he spent with her. And the thought of not being able to redo any of those memories really hurt him to the level where his body got all numb from the pain yet he still hopes that he could just sleep it off.

“Soonyoung, you okay?” Seungcheol tapped his shoulder as he lean on the door. He’d came in the clothing room for quite some time now and he couldn’t help but to realize that Soonyoung was lost in the moment himself when everyone was laughing at the freaking out Chan. Seungcheol knows what Soonyoung’s feeling and thinking right now. At least, if it wasn’t exactly what he thought it is, it would still evolve around his only sister, ___.

Soonyoung nodded only, not having the feeling to speak cause he knows he’ll break down if he does. He’d rather keep everything in, even to Seungcheol whom he believes to understand the situation the most cause he’s her biological brother. But that’s also the thing Soonyoung’s concerned about. What if Seungcheol actually feels disappointed or upset to him cause he didn’t really do his job well on protecting her as her boyfriend?

Seungcheol nodded to himself as he try to understand Soonyoung his best. He surely wants to help him up, but he doesn’t even open up to any member any more. Ever since that Prom night. Soonyoung limits his talk to people. He stops throwing jokes, even when Seungkwan playfully about taking the joker title away or when Seokmin tries to do the ‘SoonSeok’ talk with him. All Seungcheol could do now is to keep on asking Soonyoung if he’s okay, hoping he would actually talk it out with him since he’s the brother of ___ anyway.

The noises of the boys, trying to help Chan with his first date then eventually Seungcheol in. Every members were smiling and laughing as they try to help Chan pick his outfit and what shall he does on the date. Some was useful, but the rest were plainly jokes and useless advices. I mean, they’re boys, what’re they suppose to do?

“Wait Chan, what time will your date be at?” Hansol asked.

“2. Pinky said to meet up at 2 but I’ll be going at 1:30. The train is always full in weekends. I wouldn’t want to take chances”

The boys nodded in agreement with ‘Oooh’ sounds here and there. Chan is surely one of the magnae line, but he takes serious thoughts and actions when it comes to his romance life. Quite a contrast on how childish cute looking he is.

“Wait, at 2? But we’re going to have a fight with Nu’est today, right?” Mingming said, looking quite puzzled “Are you not coming, then?”

Chan bit his lower lip and turn his head to the leader who was folding his hands on his chest while leaning on the door, “That’s what I was concerning about.. I want to come and help out but Pinky-..”

“No worries, we’ll handle it” Seungcheol cut “We’ve planned everything out last night anyway, so one empty spot shouldn’t be a big problem for today’s fight”

Seungcheol sounded really positive on what he said, but the look on his face said the contrary. This fight would be the first fight the boys are armed with guns. Some of them, not all. But it’s still quite a big thing, remembering how terrified they were once the guns actually came in to the base. It’s a backup plan, still, but they know that Nu’est doesn’t take the fights as easy as it used to be, so that fact surely adds another whole level of worry in their minds.

“Hyung, are you sure? I mean.. It’s the first time we’re having the guns in our hands” Chan said, biting his lower lip “I-I can just come right after the date’s done, I promise. I can get there as soon as I can”

“No, don’t worry. We’ll take care of it” Soonyoung said, finally stepping in and patted Chan’s shoulder. His face was determined, so does his smile. Somehow he looks really positive about this fight. His eyes were even hinting something more than just a determination. It shows something a lot more serious than that. Something like.. Personal hatred.

The rest of the boys remained quiet. Part of them are starting to believe in themselves, well at least, they try to. But another part of them are still worried about the whole gun thing. It’s not a simple thing to work with. It can literally control you. Once you got too emotional or too deep in range, it can really take over your body and soul, making you do the stuffs you’ll never imagine yourself capable of doing.

And the boys are surely afraid of that idea.

“Yeah, we’ll take care of it just fine” Junghan said with an assuring smile.

Chan looked around. His hyungs were looking at him with a smile, but their eyes are still filled with worry. Chan knows that he doesn’t do much in fights. He’s not like the top fighters anyway. But he still feel bad for leaving the others in such crucial moment like this.

“Are you sure, hyung?” Chan asked once more, this time looking at the eldest boy “I’m really sorry-..”

“Don’t be sorry, you have nothing to be sorry about” Seungcheol smiled “Just go, and have some fun. We’ll do just fine, don’t worry”

Chan bite his lower lip, looking at Seungcheol’s eyes which’re clearly showing assurance for him to just go and trust his hyungs, “Okay..”

***

The two young lovers are now walking on the side of the Han River, enjoying the view of sun as it sets down. None of them spoke up. One was just simply enjoying each other’s presence and the beauty of the sunset, while the other one was sweating hard that his palms were really white and wet.

Is she okay? Is the date nice enough? Where shall we go after this? Is she enjoying the day? Why isn’t she saying anything?

“Um, Pinky?”

“Yeah?” She answered with a smile.

Damn that smile, “Um, how’s the movie? It’s nice, right? We should really watch it again some other day”

“It’s nice, but to rewatch it again? Naah, I’ll pass” she shrugged. Chan’s smile gradually turned into a thin line as he felt rejected. Was the date really that bad? He knows that he didn’t exactly plan anything for today. Well, not that he was informed that they’re gonna have a date, anyway. But was it really that bad? “But I’d love to catch some other movies with you someday”

Wait, what?

“O-Other movies? You mean like other date?” Chan asked, making sure that he didn’t hear wrongly. The boy was seriously nervous that he’s rubbing his nape while showing that one awkward smile “Y-You want to go for some other dates with me someday?”

Pinky smiled, not answering nor nod to give an assurance to the boy. She just continue to walk next to him and said, “The sun’s really pretty today”

Taking the smile as an indirect ‘yes’, Chan bite his lower lip, trying to contain the excitement that’s starting to build up inside him. He stared at the perfect side profile that one girl he always compliment her beauty about and nodded, “Yeah, it’s really pretty”

The two then continue their walk, finally enjoying the time as the boy felt relieved. Everything seems to go on how it’s ‘roughly’ planned. Smooth as silk. Nothing exactly went wrong or anything that could give Pinky a bad impression about their first date. So for an unorganised date, it was quite a good start off.

A smile crept up to Chan’s face as new imagines and plans for the following dates come to his mind. Shall they go for a beach date, picnic date, or a romantic dinner date next time? No, no, slow down, Chan. Don’t rush things up. Remember what hyungs told you, just let time take the wheel and everything would go just right eventually.

Hyungs..

Chan nervously take out his phone from his jeans pocket. No text messages, no calls, no voice messages were in present. Did his hyungs do well in the fight or did something went terribly wrong that they couldn’t even inform him?

“Chan? Are you okay?” Pinky asked, looking really worried from how tensed up Chan was.

“O-Oh, yeah, I’m fine” he lied “I was just checking the time”

“Why? Do you need to go?”

“No, no I don’t” he cuts quickly “I was thinking about you instead. It’s gonna be quite late by the time we finish the date, I guess” he lied.

“Why? Do you have any plans after this?”

“Not really.. It’s just that-.. You know what, nevermind. Let’s just enjoy the scenery now”

Pinky nodded with a smile. Chan was just about to calm his nerve down and try to enjoy the view again, but Pinky’s movement surely surprised him. His body tensed up that his breathing got really rapid. He stared down, trying to believe the thing happening right now.

Pinky intertwined their hands.

A grin quickly appeared on his face. He’s surely happy on the progress he’s making with Pinky, even though most of the first moves are done by her, not him. If you’re someone who’s just observing them, you’ll find it a bit weird to see how quite rushed up Pinky is for their relationship. Everything happened in just a blink and it’s quite suspicious for a plain layman. I mean, we all know that Chan really likes her. But the period of time from how he knows her, how he likes her, how they came to Prom as dates and now, how they're having their date, seems like a really rushed up movement.

But Chan? Of course he doesn't see it as a quick snap improvement. He thinks that all the time taken are just perfect. He cherish every seconds with her. Literally. When you really falls in love with someone, you wouldn’t think that it was too rushed up nor too slow paced cause you’ll just get too caught up with how mesmerizing your partner is, right?

“P-Pinky?”

She hummed, and turned her head to face him and smiled.

“I-I know that this might be a little rushed or too fast but.. I like you” he said, looking straight at her eyes. His gaze was powerful, almost intimidating. But the love and care surely radiates from his eyes to show that he really take the relationship between them really serious. His body was tensed, but not because of he was nervous that she would reject him or something. Well that’s surely such a bother in his mind, but what he thinks the most now is that as he confess like this, he’s showing his commitment to her and it was really no joke. Chan was dead serious about it. “And, I totally understand if you don’t feel comfortable with me.. Yet. But I just need to say it. I just need to tell you. I can totally understand too if you reject me now. I mean, we’re still young, we still have plenty of time to-..”

“Who said I’m rejecting you?” Pinky said. Her eyes were teary. Not sure was it because of the too much happiness and how committed Chan looked like when he confessed, or was it because something was bothering her mind cause her eyebrows were knitted together like she was really unsure on what to react yet it looks like she had a ‘script’ already to follow on.

“W-What?” Chan asked, trying to make sure he didn’t get the wrong message.

Pinky smiled and squeeze his hands softly, “I’m not rejecting you, Chan”

The boy then blink repeatedly. His face was clearly showing his unbelievable feelings. He was just confessing his heart in the first place. Bad scenarios were already planted in his mind that he didn’t have time to organize his thought if Pinky accepted him. It was actually a confession of his feeling anyway, not a proposal for her to date him.

“R-Really?” Chan asked, grin slowly creeps on his face “O-Oh my God, I-I didn’t think you’d say yes.. I-I mean, I was just confessing my feelings, but-.. Oh my God”

Happily, Chan pulled Pinky into a hug. He wanted to make sure that this is real, this is not just his fantasy. He wanted to make sure that she’s not just a delusion he’s creating inside of his mind. He wanted to makes sure that Pinky is really there. He wanted to make sure that it was really her. And she accepted his heart.

After a long warm big hug Chan gave, a question ran across his mind, Now what?

He was looking around, trying to figure out should he do another move or should he just call it a day and walk her home. But his gaze stops as it landed on Pinky’s pink plum lips. It has always been such temptation for Chan to just wonder how it feels to have them landed on his own. Is it as soft, as sweet, as perfect as what he had always imagined about?

Doubting the action he’s about to do, Chan eventually leaned in, closing the gap between them. He wasn’t rushed nor too slow paced. He just kinda let his body take control, and trust himself on this. The look on Pinky’s eyes were quite blank but he doesn’t sense any objection on the action he’s doing, so he just continue to lean in until their lips finally in contact to each other.

It was just a simple kiss. Just their lips meeting each other. Nothing too forced nor too rushed. Chan’d just confessed anyway, he doesn’t want to speed things too much. He just want to enjoy the time while it lasts.

And hopefully, Pinky feels the same way, too.

***

Pinky quietly walks in the abandoned house. The door cracks in as she stepped, no matter how careful she tried to be. The only coming light was the dim lamp hanging from above the ceiling. The place was more of an abandoned factory or warehouse. The first storey was just a simple field-looking place, while the second level has only one room that's usually used as the house owner's 'meeting room', the rest of the storey was just metallic path that surrounds the house.

"O-Oppa?" Pinky called out in a very soft sound, yet audible. The place was really quiet. Dead, to be exact.

Far from her sight, on the corner of the house, some voice could be heard yet it could not be translated in her mind. It was like a groan in pain. Someone or some kind of animal must be inside, and this surely send chills to her spine. The idea of wounded or mad owner of the house, or some kind of wild animal to come in the house, really terrify her. The place was really dark, so she can't make out what's in there. What if it suddenly come at her and attack her?!

"J-JR oppa.. Are you here?" She carefully stepped closer "J-JR oppa, i-it's me.. Pinky.. A-Are you-.."

"I'm here, God dammit!" He shouted. It turns out that he was the one making all the groans and moans of pain from the corner. He cringe right after he shouted from the pain on his stomach. All over his body was in pain, actually. His face was really beaten up, his stomach was filled with blue brushes and his right arm was sprained.

Yes, it was that bad.

"Oh my God, what happened?!" Pinky ran quickly to the sloppy couch he was laying at "Your eyes, your lips, your cheeks.. What happened?"

JR quickly slap her hands away off of his face. He didn't even open his eyes to see her, he just continue to cringe in pain everytime he made small moves, and said coldly " happened. Those kids actually did improve their skills. I swear to God, we should've finished them off the other day"

Pinky gulped in. She understands truly what he meant, eventhough he didn't explain anything. The fight this afternoon.. That fight. That fight must've been the cause of this. Of how badly injured he is. Of how dying in pain he is. Not that he's a weak man, no. But just imagine yourself to be badly beaten up, ed up face from brushes, all blue marks covers your body and the sprained pain from your right arm. How suffering would you feel, huh?

"They totally wiped the whole gang. Not wiped, but we obviously ed this fight. I should've bring more people" JR continues as he tries to sit up. He clicked his tongue in anger and turned his head to glare at Pinky "Now you better give me good news or I'll pour all my anger on you"

She gulped, "C-Chan confessed to me this evening and.. W-We're a thing now"

"A thing? You guys are going out, now?" JR asked, making sure.

Pinky nods.

JR then unexpectedly laughed half-heartedly and stood up from his seat. With the help of Pinky, of course. He then walks to the table that was placed closed from the sofa. He was limping hard that even for a less than 30feet distance, he still need his time and take a grip on something to prevent himself from falling.

Reaching the table, JR stared at the papers on top of it. He grabbed one folder that's filled with his opponent group's profile, Seventeen's profile, and search for one particular boy. Lee Chan.

When he got to the right page, he take out the picture of him and stares at it. An evil smirk appeared on his face before he crumples the picture and throw it somewhere Pinky couldn't recall cause it was just too dark. JR closed the folder harshly that it made a loud bang and pushed it away from his sight.

"What did Chan say to you? Anything related to NU'EST or Seventeen"

"H-He didn't say anything about those several topic.." She said, standing up "But I'll find out about them better, I promise! I-I'll try to sneak in on every detail and report it to you"

JR smirked, "You better give me worthy infos later on. Chan isn't exactly the top fighter of Seventeen so he wouldn't know that much, but it's better than nothing. Hiring people that they used to bully doesn't give any benefit either. ing waste of energy" he said and turned around to face the window "I didn't expect that Seungcheol guy to be as good as he is now. The method he uses, bully everyone we'd hire so that they'll feel fearful was such a good one. We struggled quite some time back then when people rejected our recruitment because of their bully. Including that damn Doyoon guy"

Pinky remained quiet, listening to every words JR's saying and making no sound cause she knows that this boy is actually on his highest level of range. One wrong movement could result her a black eye or cut brushed cheek.

"Well it. We have access from inside now, without them knowing. Just don't let them find out that you're working for me or you'll be a dead meat, Zhou Jie Quong" JR glared at her "I'm trying to get closer to ___ too for further information but that girl is also a one tough like her brother. She didn't even let me walk to her real house, that night. Thinking that I would buy that act? Psh, such a stupid girl"

"H-How're you with ___ unni, oppa?"

"I told you she's a one tough , I can't approach her that easily" he snorted "Just go home now. I don't want to deal with this bull now. What matter's that we can get better information now from your damn boyfriend, Chan. Let's just hope that kid can really be useful for us" he said as he walks away from Pinky.

"O-Oppa, how's my brother doing? Is he okay?" Pinky asked, stopping JR on his way.

"Oh that kid," JR chuckled "He's still alive. Last time I checked, he's still breathing"

"W-When c-can I see him? You p-promised me that if I got m-my job done then you'll release him free"

"Get your job done, not half way. We haven't got any information from Chan so your work doesn't count as " JR snorted "Just do what I tell you and you'll see your ty brother soon later. Alive, not dead"

JR then climbed up the stairs to get to the 'meeting room' where he usually sleeps at whenever he stays in the warehouse. He left Pinky alone on her spot where she could barely see anything. Any normal person would feel scared if they were in her shoes from the terrifying scene, but that's not what she feels at the moment. Her vision wasn't clear but not because of the dim light, it was because of the tears streaming down her cheeks.

It has been almost 5 months that NU'EST had kidnapped her brother. She couldn't report to the police cause she'd witnessed by her own eyes that her littlebrother got beaten up, just when they took him away. JR'd strictly forbid her to report to anyone and the only way she could get her brother back is by getting the inside information of Seventeen. Her parents don't know about this because she's living alone in Korea with her uncle and that brother of hers, but her uncle 'sells' her off to NU'EST and seeing that she has a potential to be close with either Chan or ___, JR surely takes advantages of her.

But deep inside her heart, she doesn't want to do this. If it wasn't for the sake of her brother, she wouldn't want to play with Chan's heart like this. Truth to be told, Pinky actually has the mutual feelings for Chan, but the fact that her main objective to get him is for the inside informations made her feel guiltier than ever. She never wanted to play with his heart nor fake her feelings cause everything about it were wrong. She loves him dearly, but would Chan still understand her if she told him that she's using him for inside information from Seventeen?

Chan-ah, I'm so sorry..