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"Stay close Channie." Soonyoung said, holding the small five year old close to his side.
Chan looked up at the older boy and smiled.
"Okay hyung."
The small boy also grabbing onto the elder's jacket as he complied.
The younger one would always listen to his hyung without hesitation because the older one always knew best, right?
"Hyung," The small boy said, looking around at all the crowded stores. "Why are we here again?"
Soonyoung just glanced down at his little dongsaeng fondly and said, "Chan I already told you, we're here because I needed to buy a few things for my members."
Chan thought about his hyung's words for a second, then remembered that the older boy did in fact already tell him why they were at the mall multiple times.
"Oh yeah," The young boy said, slightly embarrassed. "I forgot."
Soonyoung just laughed lightly at his cute dongsaeng's forgetfulness.
Though Chan was pretty smart for his age, since he did manage to skip a grade level, and was also very talented, sometimes Soonyoung forgot how young Chan actually was.
Because sometimes Chan would just state random facts about the history of Korea to Soonyoung and shock the older by the extent of his knowledge for his age, and other times Chan would ask a lot of very specific questions on a certain thing that caught his interest. So it can be easy to forget that Chan was only a five year old.
"Alright Channie," Soonyoung said, grabbing the younger boy's hand. "Since we're in a big mall I need you to hold onto my hand and not let go, ok?"
Chan looked at his hand inside of his hyung's hand and pouted, not liking what he saw.
"Chan, you know we have to do it. You'll get lost if we don't, after all you're just a little baby."
"I'm five years old already, I'm a big boy." Chan retorted back, voice rising. "I don't need to hold hands."
Though Chan didn't really mind holding hands with his hyung, in fact he actually quite enjoyed it, he wanted to prove that Chan was a big boy. Not a 'baby' as his hyung and some kids at school called him, so he didn't want to hold hands with his hyung, he wanted to show that he could walk and keep up with Soonyoung all on his own.
Before things could escalate any further, Soonyoung put his foot down.
"Lee Jung Chan either I'm going to hold your hand, or I'm going to carry you through the store, it's your choice." The older boy said in a clear voice, giving his dongsaeng a hard stare.
Chan could never win an argument against Soonyoung, even when he wasn't mad. Everytime Soonyoung would always end up having the last word and Chan always gave in or loss.
One time when Soonyoung asked him to go get his charger for him in another room and Chan refused saying that he 'wasn't going to do it' Soonyoung had picked the boy up and tickled him till the little boy was out of breath, Chan then was ‘forced’ to get the charger, despite his many protests. Then was also ‘forced’ to say that Soonyoung was the best hyung ever right after.
There was that time and many many others that Soonyoung proved to Chan that he would always win. So by now the little five year old had learned that fighting back with his hyung now would just result in him being picked up and carried through the mall, kicking and screaming if it came down to it.
"I'll hold your hand, hyung." Chan said dejectedly, looking down at the ground.
Soonyoung smiled down at his dongsaeng face and gently squeezed his hand.
"I know your tired Chan-ah," Stated the older boy, in a 'matter of fact' kind of voice. "You didn't nap all the way here so let's get done quickly so you can take one on the way back."
Chan's cheeks turned pink from embarrassment and couldn't meet his hyung's eyes. The young boy knew what he said was right and particularly why he was acting so irritable at the moment, but he wasn't going to straight out admit that he was cranky because he didn't take his nap earlier.
After a few seconds of silence, and no answer, Soonyoung finally said, "Well then I'll just take that as a yes." And began to walk with Chan's hand in his.
After finally getting everything Soonyoung needed for all his members Seventeen, both boys sat on the bench next to the exit door.
"Are we done now?" Chan asked, looking up curiously at the older boy.
Soonyoung pulled out his phone and scrolled through the list he made earlier.
"Yes, we're all done now Channie." Soonyoung said with a relieved sigh, leaning onto the back of the bench.
Chan just nodded and copied the older, leaning back against the back of the bench as well.
Right as everything got quiet and Soonyoung began to zone out thinking about new choreography he could try at practice Chan asked, "What do we do now hyung?" Bringing the older boy back from his thoughts.
"Well, ummm… how about…"
Soonyoung hadn't really thought that far to be perfectly honest. Yes, he had said that Chan needed a nap but besides that he didn't really have anything else in particular that he needed to get done today. So right now 'what do we do now hyung' is a good question Chan.
Thinking about everything they could possibly do at the mall, Soonyoung eventually came to an answer.
"How about this Chan, we go put everything in the car then we come back and go get some ice cream. How about that?"
Chan lit up at the word ice cream and nodded vigorously.
The five year old was so ready to get ice cream and leave this place, it was crowded, loud, and busy. All the things Chan didn't particularly like all in one place in one big messy building.
"Yeah, let's do that hyung."
So that was exactly what they did, put all the stuff in the car and went back to the mall for ice cream.
But right as they were walking to the ice cream stand Chan saw something that caught his eye on the floor.
The little boy wanted to get a closer look at this intriguing shiny object, so when they stopped so Soonyoung could check his phone and let go of the five year old for just a second, the boy slipped away.
Right as Soonyoung put his phone back in his pocket and looked around for Chan's hand to grab the older boy panicked, immediately turning around to find where the boy went.
Chan couldn't have gone too far, Soonyoung thought, looking around. He's only five.
After scanning the area a few times, coming up with nothing, Soonyoung started to mutter curses under his breath as he was unable to find his little dongsaeng anywhere.
Oh Channie, where did you go? The young idol thought, going around to search the whole mall. I hope you're alright.
Where did it go? Chan thought as he looked around on the floor, searching for the shiny object he saw on it earlier. It was over here, right?
After looking around on the floor for a couple of minutes the young boy finally looked up, deciding to give up on finding the thing on the floor. Chan looked around to find his hyung, but he was nowhere in sight.
The five year old took a few steps back against the wall, moving out of the way of traffic, and watched as people passed by.
Soonie-hyung will come find me, right? He wouldn't leave me right?
After a few more minutes passed by and still no Soonyoung Chan started to panic, crouching down quickly burying his face into his knees.
Hyung was right, I should have stayed with him and not gotten lost. He was right, I am just a baby
Tears then started to fill the boy's eyes and he began to shake like a leaf.
What if he can't find me what if-
But before Chan can finish his thought he feels a light touch on his shoulder. The boy slowly looked up to meet three slightly concerned faces.
"Hey there aegi, are you okay?" The one that tapped his shoulder asked. "Where are your parents?"
"I c-came here with m-my hyung." Chan said, a tremble in his voice.
"Oh you came with your hyung, that's okay." Another one of the stranger's said.
Then the third and last stranger said, "What was he wearing?"
The small boy thought and thought about the question, but came up with nothing.
For some reason he couldn't remember what his hyung was wearing today. Maybe it was the stress, maybe it was the lack of a nap, who knows. But right now, Chan just couldn't come up with an answer.
Then the boy thought of something, Soonyoung had always warned him to be careful around strangers, and the five year old had never asked who these people were.
So then the young boy asked, "Who are you?"
The sudden question seemed to take them by surprise, but they gladly complied.
"Oh, I'm Jeonghan. But you can just call me hyung." The one that had tapped his shoulder and called him aegi said.
"I'm S.Coups." The one standing behind Jeonghan said with a small wave.
What a weird name. Chan thought as he looked over at the person he just introduced himself.
As if the third person could read Chan's mind he said, "His real name is Seungcheol, S.Coups is just his… nickname."
The five year old gave a small 'oh' and then waited for the last mystery person to introduce himself.
"Right, I'm Joshua, or Shua if you want." He said with a kind smile.
"I'm Lee Chan." The youngest boy said with a sniff, extending his hand out to shake one of theirs.
Jeonghan, being the closest, took his hand and they both greeted each other.
"Now can you tell us what happened and how you got lost." Joshua said with soft eyes, sincerely wanting nothing more than to help the little boy in front them find his family.
Chan took a deep breath and started to explain, "I wanted to look at something and ran without telling him, and now I just- I can't find him."
By the end of his explanation the young boy was close to breaking down in tears.
So Jeonghan then asked, "Is that a dinosaur on your shirt?" Trying to distract the boy as they try to figure out ways to help find the young boy's older brother.
Chan stood up and looked down at his shirt.
"Yes, it's an Apatosaurus." A small smile on the boy's lips as he named one of the largest dinosaurs in all of history. "Did you know it has a life span from eighty to one hundred years."
Right as five year old got up Jeonghan saw the answer to all their problems dangle right in front of him, a bracelet.
Jeonghan gently grabbed the boy's small wrist and confirmed his suspicions.
He then gently took it off the boy's wrist, with his permission of course, and started to read the text.
"Yes, a phone number!" Jeonghan exclaimed, finding exactly what he had been looking for.
"Come here." The second oldest said, motioning for Seventeen’s leader to come in closer.
While Jeonghan and Seungcheol worked on the phone number that was on the bracelet Joshua was in charge of keeping Chan calm.
But so far the only thing the two did was stand there, awkwardly looking at each other every once and awhile.
It wasn't that Joshua was bad with kids, it was just that sometimes he just didn't know what to do.
"Are you from America Joshua-ssi?" Chan asked, finally breaking the silence.
Joshua, taken by surprise at the sudden formality of the boy, hesitated for a second.
"Uhh.. yeah, I am."
Chan just nodded with his hands tucked behind his back.
"That's cool… very cool…"
Then they were back to awkward silence again, both wanting for the other to say or ask something.
Back with Jeonghan and Seungcheol.
After putting in the number and dialing it, someone immediately picked it up.
"Hello?" Soonyoung asked, sounding kind of dejected.
"Hi," Seungcheol said, half wondering what he should say in this situation. "We found Chan an-"
But before he could continue, Soonyoung cut in.
"You found Chan! That's great! I've been looking for him and I've been so worried. Can you tell me where you are so I can come get him?"
The eldest of Seventeen, overwhelmed by how many words the person on the phone said in such a short time and with such volume, just handed the phone to Jeonghan telling him to handle the worrying person on the phone.
"Alright we are at the-"
But before Jeonghan could get any farther he too was cut off.
“Jeonghan-hyung?!"
The older boy took a second to process what just happened.
"Soonyoung-ah?!”
"What!" Both boys yell in unison.
After finally getting to the location where Chan and his hyungs were, Soonyoung raced through the mall, only slowing down when security stopped him for speeding.
When he finally made it there Soonyoung immediately picked Chan up into a big hug, running his hand through the boy's soft locks, glad that at last he got his baby back.
"I'm sorry Soonie-hyung you were right," The young boy said as he buried his head into the older's shoulder, tears starting to well up in his eyes. "I do need to always hold your hand. I'm sorry I wandered off."
Soonyoung just swayed back and forth as Chan tears began to fall and he started to cry. The swaying only being a feeble attempt to calm the little boy.
"Chan, even if something looks cool or interesting to you need to tell me if you decide to go somewhere or just tell me. Because I was so worried about you when you got lost, I couldn't find you, and it scared me. It scared me a lot."
Soonyoung then felt a small nod into his shoulder.
"Were you scared when you couldn't find me?"
The question gained another nod.
"That's why, no matter if you want to or not, I need you to always stay close to me or hold my hand whenever we go shopping, ok?"
The little boy was going to nod again but Soonyoung stopped him.
"Baby, I want to see your face when you say it." The older said in a calm voice, not a hint of anger in his voice.
Chan slowly lifted his head off the older's shoulder and looked him in the eyes.
"Yes, hyung."
Soonyoung gently wiped all the tears out of the younger’s eyes and looked at him with a soft smile.
"I love you Channie, a whole lot, and that's the reason we have these rules. So that I won't ever lose you, not like just now. I don't want to go though that ever again."
Chan looked up at Soonyoung and smiled brightly.
"I love you too Soonie-hyung, a whole whole lot. I'm really really sorry I ran off, but I won't ever do it again, promise."
Soonyoung then started to rub circles on the little boy's back, the oldest of the two still trying to calm himself down from earlier.
The young idol then thought, Make sure you keep your promise baby, I don't ever want to lose you in a mall like this again.
Chan soon fell asleep to Soonyoung's gentle swaying, while grabbing the older boy shirt in his tiny fists, making the older boy coo at how cute his little dongsaeng was.
Soonyoung then softly kissed the top of the little boy's head and walked over to his hyungs.
"Thank you for finding him." Soonyoung said in a relaxed whisper.
"It's fine Soonyoung-ah, don't mention it." Seungcheol said with a bright smile.
"How come you never told us you have a little brother?" Joshua asked, genuinely curious.
"Ummm…. I guess it was because no one really asked me about it or anything like that."
Seungcheol was about to retort something back but then realized that the younger boy was right, no one in Seventeen had ever asked if Soonyoung has any dongsaengs.
"Well he was so cute and sweet." Jeonghan said, looking fondly at the little boy asleep in Soonyoung's arms. "A cute little aegi."
"He was also very polite." Joshua added, remembering Chan calling him Joshua-ssi.
Then something else popped into Jeonghan's head.
"One thing I was slightly confused about is that he said his last name is Lee, but isn't yours Kwon?"
Soonyoung nodded understanding where the older was coming from.
"He's my step brother, so he has a different last name."
"Ahhh." All three of the older boys say in unison.
"But even if he is my step brother I still think of him as my precious little dongsaeng, that I will love forever. Because blood doesn't really matter." Soonyoung stated as he leaned his head protectively on top of Chan's.
The three oldest boys just smiled at the younger one's fierce look of protectiveness and care, all thinking that he suits the nickname tiger well.
"Well then," Jeonghan said, with a pretty smile. "When are you going to introduce Chan to the rest of the members? I'm sure they would find him absolutely adorable."
Soonyoung just looked at the older and blinked in confusion. When would Chan meet the other members? Soonyoung had never thought about that before. But the little boy meeting the other members can't be as bad as how Chan meet his oldest members today, could it?
At least that's what Soonyoung thought if he did decide to let them meet his cute little dongsaeng again.