Mingyu POV

‘I’m sorry, Jisoo hyung... I’m sorry...’

Those words keep repeating on Mingyu’s head for about a month now. He still can’t forgive himself for what he did, but in other side, he also can’t approach Jisoo directly and apologize to him. Mingyu noticed that after that incident, Jisoo has been ‘different’ to him. In the past, it’ll always be Mingyu who approached Jisoo first and talk to him. Now, it’s always Jisoo who approaches Mingyu though he didn’t say anything. He managed to gets close to him in every shows they’ve been, like Seventeen One Fine Day and more. Mingyu gets a mixed feelings about this, since even though he’s happy that Jisoo is around him, but on the other side, he also feels guilty and uncomfortable, since Jisoo just being silent and didn’t have any expression on his face. It made Mingyu thinking about Jisoo even more. He’s rarely get a good rest these days, since he always gets bad dreams about Jisoo, so he can’t sleep well. And when he’s awake, his thoughts are full of Jisoo and it tortured him.

‘Arggh... hyung! Please don’t do this!’, Mingyu mentally shouted.

Now they’re on free time again after their encore concert finished. They did well on the concert, especially the solo stages (though technically not really ‘solo’ stages), especially Mingyu’s one (with Wonwoo), which just made Carats in chaos for their Meanie moments.

“Mingyu, look! Our fancam is spread all over the fandom! They love it so much!”, Wonwoo brings his phone nearer to Mingyu’s eyesight. They’re currently on the living room, watching TV.

“It’s nice.”, Mingyu said emotionless. Even with all of Meanie popularity, he didn’t feel really happy about that, he even doesn’t know why.

“Yah! How can you said ‘nice’ with that flat face!”, Wonwoo complained, but noticed that his friend isn’t as cheerful as he always be. “Mingyu, is there anything that troubled you?”, Wonwoo pats Mingyu’s shoulder.

“No, hyung. I’m okay.”, Mingyu forced a smile.

“Eyy! I know you’ve something on your mind lately. You know that you can tell me if there’s something wrong, right?”

’Am I that readable?’, Mingyu thought.

“Yeah, hyung. It’s nothing. Really. I’m okay.”, Mingyu insisted.

“Okay then. I won’t force you to tell me, but if can’t hold anymore, you can come to me okay?”, Wonwoo gives his warm smile.

“Sure, hyung. Thanks!”, Mingyu eventually smile. This time is a genuine smile, not forced one.

‘Thanks, Wonwoo hyung. For always taking care of me. I owe you a lot...’

===

Jisoo POV

Days passed. One by one everyone comeback to the dorm after seeing their family. Currently there’re Seungcheol, Jeonghan, Jisoo, Soonyoung, Wonwoo, Jihoon, and Mingyu who already back to the dorm. For Jihoon, he’s been busy composing for Seventeen next comeback, ever since he’s back. While the others are having individual practices on their own.

“Jeonghan, are you okay? Ever since you came back, you look really troubled. Did something happen?”, Jisoo asked, looking at Jeonghan who is currently sitting on the bed blankly. Jisoo noticed that Jeonghan’s expression is getting darker and looks depressed, even when the other members are not.

“ ... “

Jisoo noticed the silence. He then cuddle Jeonghan and rubs Jeonghan’s shoulder. “You know that I also don’t like it when you keep everything to yourself, right? You were the one who told me this, since we met for the first time. I just don’t want you to get stressed by yourself. So, let me help you if there’s something happens.”, Jisoo calmly tried to reassuring Jeonghan.

“Okay, Jisoo. I’ll tell you, but promise me you won’t tell to anyone, okay?”, Jeonghan said while looking at the floor. He knows that he can trust his best friend Jisoo after all, so he decided to tell Jisoo.

“Since when I didn’t keep my promise? Haha.”, Jisoo laughs lightly and Jeonghan returns with a little smile.

“But we should find a quiet place, not here in the dorm.”, Jeonghan whispered.

“Okay okay. How about on the emergency stairs? That place usually quiet and people rarely passed there.”, Jisoo suggested.

“Okay. Seems a nice one.”, Jeonghan nods at the suggestion.

“Let’s go then.”, Jisoo puts his arm around Jeonghan’s shoulder, more like embracing him.

“Yah! It’s not like you! You were never initiates skinship before!”, Jeonghan surprised.

“Haha really? Maybe because you’re my best friend. Haha.”, Jisoo laughs.

“Really? Nothing more?”, Jeonghan teased.

“Mmm... family then. Haha”

“Aigoo...”, Jeonghan laughs along with Jisoo. After they wore jackets, they asks Seungcheol before going.

“Seungcheol, me and Jeonghan are going out for a while.”, Jisoo said to Seungcheol who is in the living room, playing monopoly with Soonyoung, and Wonwoo, while Mingyu just watching them quietly.

“Ah okay then. Where are you two going? Are you going on a date?”, Seungcheol teased.

“Seems so, hyung. Look! They wore a same jacket!”, Soonyoung added.

“Yah! Of course it’s the same! Those jackets were given to all of us from our company.”, Wonwoo added while taking some of Soonyoung’s money.

“Oh you’re right. Haha.”, Soonyoung then realized and laughs. “Hey! Don’t steal my money, Jeon Wonwoo!”, Soonyoung noticed that some of his money were lost.

“No. I’m not gonna to~”

“Kids... please.”, Seungcheol just shakes his head, seeing his dongsaengs running around the living room like a kid. Jisoo and Jeonghan just laugh in response.

“We’re not going too far, just around here.”, Jisoo said, while noticing that there’s a pair of eyes who is watching him quietly. It’s no other than Mingyu.

‘Mingyu...’, Jisoo looking back at him, but Jisoo diverts eyes immediately.

“Okay. Just make sure you’re back on dinner, okay?”, Seungcheol added.

“Yeah we will.”

==

“So, what is it, Jeonghan?”, Jisoo asked first. They’re already on the emergency stairs on the bottom floor.

“Hmm... so...”, Jeonghan hesitates. He’s playing with his fingers and can’t keep still. On the other hand, Jisoo saw Jeonghan’s nervousness.

“It’s okay, Jeonghan. Take it easy.”, Jisoo reassurred. Jeonghan takes a breath and then proceed to speak.

“Hm... how to say this... It’s a problem from my childhood, Jisoo. When I was in elementary school, I used to be bullied by a boy who has a bigger build than me. He always mocked my appearance, said my face is too pretty to dressed up as a boy. Besides that, he always grabs my hair and pull it forcefully, while laughing (back then my hair isn’t as long as now, but it was short). Sometimes he also punched my head or my cheeks. He was like that for about 3 years, before he and his family moved to Seoul. After that, I didn’t meet him anymore. Until 3 days ago when I’m back to my neighborhood, I saw him again on the street. He recognized me and still mocked me, especially since my hair is longer now, even when he knows that I’m a member of Seventeen now. I’m scared, Jisoo...”, Jeonghan told everything without realized that tears coming down from his eyes. His body is shaking as he told that.

‘I didn’t know that he also had a bullying case, just like me in the past.’, Jisoo thought as he recalls his childhood memory. Jisoo wipe Jeonghan’s tears and try to comfort him.

“Jeonghan... I didn’t know that you had this kind of experience. I’m sorry to hear that.”, Jisoo cuddle Jeonghan in his embraces, who is sobbing endlessly. He knows how hard it is being bullied.

“Look at me, Jeonghan.”, Jisoo said while puts both of his arms on Jeonghan’s shoulders. Jeonghan followed what Jisoo said, even when he’s still sobbing. “I know how hard it is for you. I’ve been bullied to back then.”, Jisoo confessed.

“Wait. What!? How can!?”, Jeonghan was so shocked that he even stopped sobbing for a while.

“It doesn’t matter now. What I want you to do is be strong! You’ve to be strong for yourself, Jeonghan. Beside that, I’ll always here for you. I’ll help you overcome this. Not only me, but the other members too. You don’t need to worry.”, Jisoo tries to convincing Jeonghan who is slightly nodded.

“No! Please don’t tell the other members...”, Jeonghan pleads.

“They’ve to know what you’ve been through, Jeonghan...”

“No please don’t.”, Jeonghan said, sobbing again.

“Okay okay. But please let me tell at least Seungcheol, alright? He doesn’t like it when we hide something from him. Besides, he cares a lot to you too.”, Jisoo persuades Jeonghan.

“Okay then...”, Jeonghan gives up.

“We’ll overcome this. I promise you.”, Jisoo said as he Jeonghan’s hair that on his face, getting wet. Then Jisoo saw something on Jeonghan’s neck.

“I’ll take a revenge on him.”, Jisoo said, sounded so angry.

===

Mingyu POV

‘Are they really dating?’, Mingyu thought. He can’t help, but feeling a ‘little’ jealous by seeing Jisoo and Jeonghan going out together. He’s still there, watching the others playing.

“Woah... I’m so thirsty. I’ll back.”, Wonwoo gets up, going to the kitchen to get some water. “Oh and don’t steal my money, Soonyoung!”, Wonwoo warned Soonyoung who is pouting. “Please look after my money, Mingyu.”

“Oh? Yeah okay.”, Mingyu said, snapped back to reality.

“Huh? We’re running out of water, hyung!”, Wonwoo shouted from the kitchen.”

“Really? It must be because we’re on vacation this week, so manager hyung didn’t refill our water.”, Seungcheol said.

“Woah... I’m so thirsty. Can you buy it from the nearest convenience store, Mingyu?”, Wonwoo asked.

“Wha.. wait. Why me?”, Mingyu protests.

“Since you’re the only one who is not playing this game. Haha.”, Wonwoo laughed, while the other two boys agreed.

“Yes, Mingyu. Please buy some mineral water. Here the money.”, Seungcheol said as he giving some money to Mingyu.

“Ah hyung~”, Mingyu whines.

“Just go!”, Wonwoo said, back to the games.

‘Aish... these hyungs really...’, Mingyu grumbles, but still going out the dorm, doing what they asked.

==

‘Huh? The elevator is not working? It was fine this morning?’, Mingyu confused, since the elevator seems not working. ‘I should just use emergency stairs then.’, Mingyu said to himself as he going to the emergency stairs. As he almost on the bottom floor, he heard two boys talking, one of them sounds like sobbing. ‘Hmm...? Who is crying? And why in this place?’, Mingyu then carefully going down, but before he proceeds to them, he recognized the two. ‘Isn’t that Jeonghan hyung? Then the other one is Jisoo hyung? What are they doing here?’, Mingyu then eavesdropping them.

“We’ll overcome this. I promise you.”, Jisoo said as he Jeonghan’s hair that on his face.

‘Overcome this? What are they talking about?’, Mingyu is so confused at the moment. Then something popped up on his mind. ‘Wait! Don’t tell me that they’re dating for real!?’, Mingyu gasped then immediately covering his mouth. He then try to see them again, since Jeonghan’s sobs is getting weaker. ‘I must to...’, As Mingyu turned back to see them again, he saw one thing that he can’t believe. He saw Jisoo’s face getting closer to Jeonghan’s and Jeonghan’s eyes closed. ‘THEY ARE KISSING!?!?!?!’, Mingyu’s mind cannot process anything. He collapsed to the floor, but thankfully no sound at all. ‘Did I just saw them... kissing?’, Mingyu stares blankly at the walls. He feels so much pain in his heart, like thousands knieves stabbing to his heart. ‘Jisoo hyung... kissing... Jeonghan hyung...’, His heart feels even worse, since what he saw is that Jisoo was the one who initiated the kiss. Mingyu then gets up slowly, walking up to the dorm again. He forget about what they asked him to do. ‘Jisoo hyung... and Jeonghan hyung...’, His mind isn’t on the right state. Just when he’s gonna reach the door knob of their dorm, he frozen still.

‘No... I don’t want to see anyone right now. I want to be alone...’