Chapter Text
Jihoon didn't care much about the youngest trainee, Chan. He was good at dancing, yeah, but the producer didn't like how stubborn he was. Maybe because he was as stubborn as Jihoon himself was, and apart from the fact that it was something he didn't like about himself and even less coming from others, he knew that it would make them clash and tear out each other's hair.
He was also SO loud, and he seemed to have a special technique to give the palest one headaches. The fact that he didn't shut up ever, (like ever, Jihoon wasn't even exaggerating) didn't help either. Luckily, that kid wasn't even someone who approached people first, so it wasn't like they had interacted much; Jihoon was exactly like him in that way. He was glad that brat was scared of him to start with, because if he had to deal with him talking to him for hours, he would smack his mouth shut.
However, fate intervened when the producer found himself randomly paired with Chan for a monthly mission, and Jihoon had no other option than to bear him. Even though the little one looked anxious being alone with him in the studio room, he couldn't care less. It was better for Chan to respect him, even if that meant him fearing the older one, instead of being a nuisance to him.
But of course, the dancer, being the stubborn kid he was, decided to break the silence first, putting up a front like he was the toughest guy around. A facade that Jihoon recognized a bit too well.
"Well, how do we-" Chan began, as if he hadn't been shaking just moments ago. However, his words got cut off by someone who seemed completely uninterested.
"I have a headache. Let's do things separately and in silence" Jihoon was cold. Well, it wasn't like he was someone naturally cold, but his words, expressions, and demeanor made it more than convincing. Maintaining his own facade was far easier than dealing with troublesome kids.
Chan glanced down and gave a nod. Jihoon, being one of the senior trainees, held a firm place in the hierarchy. Defying his words wasn't an option. They went about their tasks individually, and it was so satisfying to have Lee Chan finally sitting still, his mouth closed, silence enveloping them.
Jihoon held an air of satisfaction. He was a bit too used to the power that his position gave him, and honestly loved it. All the years that he and Seungcheol had survived as trainees paid off. However, after a while, Chan cautiously approached him with some notes. The producer frowned, suddenly feeling like his alarms were ringing. He was dealing with a strong one, and that made him feel like he was in danger. Like his power and position were in danger. And he wouldn't let that kid take away what he had gained with blood, sweat and tears.
"Hyung-" Chan stopped himself. "Can I call you hyung?" He corrected.
Jihoon just gave an icy nod, not even bothering to look. Not even a glance. "No eye contact, Jihoon" he had to mentally remind himself. Gotta show him no interest so he shuts up sooner.
"I wrote this idea, and these lyrics" Chan presented, his hands displaying a noticeable hesitation. He was hesitant. And scared. Yet he still took the courage to show him. Jihoon felt the need to crush that courage. Chan needed a reality check about who he was talking to and where the boundaries were. He shouldn't be that brave around him. If he was too courageous, he would probably end up getting chewed up and spat out in this industry, Jihoon figured. Maybe, if he even made it that far.
The oldest checked the notes in silence. "These are not that bad" He pointed out, and Chan got closer to see, Jihoon feeling suffocated due to the lack of personal space. "But overall, it's just bad"
Chan swallowed hard. "How can I improve?"
He kept asking? Why the hell did he keep going? Why couldn't he just nod, take the notes, shut up and be done with it? Jihoon felt threatened, as if Chan might lose respect and step over him soon if they kept like that.
"Work harder"
Work harder? Chan wasn't working hard? Wasn't Chan already putting in the effort? He took the notes slowly, returning to work in silence, sipping on his coffee. The older one watched him, trying to see if he was affected in some way. It didn't seem probable, or at least he wasn't showing it. Chan was just so irritating, a handful to deal with; Jihoon needed a break.
"I'm going to the toilet" He declared, making his exit without giving the younger one a chance to respond.
What was Jihoon supposed to do with him? Maybe the best approach was to limit their interactions, but he was already attempting that, if it weren't for that stubborn kid persistently trying to start conversations. What did Chan think? That they could be friends? That Jihoon would just be nice to him? How funny. Chan was undoubtedly still a kid, hence the innocence. A reality check was what he needed.
When the producer returned, he was met with a disaster. Coffee had spilled all over his notes. HIS notes. Chan was crouched down, desperately trying to salvage the mess he had created with his own spilled coffee. "Yah!! What is this!!?"
The youngest flinched. Damn, Jihoon had come back too soon. "It was an accident!! I-I just wanted to l-learn from you a-and-"
What?! That brat had the audacity to mess with his things without asking for permission first?! It was an invasion of his privacy, and he had no right to go and read what he was writing! Who did that kid think he was, snooping on other people's belongings?! He respected Jihoon that little?
"DON'T touch MY stuff!! Who the hell do you think you are?!" Jihoon snapped, his anger boiling over. Yeah, maybe he had a bit of a temper, or anger issues. Or maybe it was just the teenage angst. Either way, he wasn't about to keep it in check with such an irritating troublemaker. Not with him. It was the right time for the youngest to learn his place.
"I-I didn't mean this!!" The dancer stammered, attempting to defend himself. How dare he? Talking back to a senior. Chan was way too bold for his own good.
"Clean it!! Now!!!"
Chan's trembling hands anxiously attempted to salvage Jihoon's now messy notes, but it seemed like a futile effort. It wouldn't work. The ink and coffee had created a chaotic blend on the pages, and the producer watched him with a mix of frustration and exasperation. He wanted to scream. To smack some sense on him.
"Grab new paper and write down exactly the same thing that I wrote. I want it in less than two minutes"
Chan knew he should comply. He really did. He knew better. But even in the face of Jihoon's intimidating presence, he couldn't stomach the disrespect. From the very first day he joined, he had been scared of Lee Jihoon. His sole presence made him feel an inexplicable discomfort, and a need to run away to find his mom's arms. However, despite the anxiety, he had imagined himself overcoming that fear. Talking to him, human to human. After all, he wasn't any less than the older one was. "Come on, it was a mistake! Why are you talking to me like-"
Jihoon wouldn't allow it. No. No one could overstep him, challenge him, talk back, or display any form of disrespect. He fiercely protected his pride, determined not to let anyone breach the barriers he had meticulously built over the years of hardship. No inexperienced kid could destroy or climb such a tall and formidable wall. "In LESS than a minute!!"
Chan began to write, his handwriting suffering from the tremors in his hand. Jihoon fixed his gaze on him, arms crossed in expectant impatience. As a minute ticked by, the palest abruptly snatched the notes away, settling into a quiet focus to redo the work. No words were exchanged; the youngest had already drained enough of Jihoon's energy. He wouldn't waste more on him. He didn't deserve his attention.
He knew Chan was trying his best to stay composed after what happened. Well, at least, he hoped he struggled a bit to keep his cool after the scene, because it irked Jihoon that the dancer continued working as if nothing had happened. The room lapsed back into silence as both of them resumed their tasks. Eventually, the youngest mustered the courage to approach, offering the producer new notes.
Jihoon had to admit it. He was surprised. Not by the notes, no, he refused to even think about them. He was surprised at how that kid was much more stubborn than he was. He was really insistent in that "I'm strong!" approach that only showed more how much of an innocent kid he was.
"Is this good..?" Chan asked, and even when he tried not to sound hesitant, his demeanor screaming "I'm confident!!", the older one could see through him. It wasn't that obvious to everyone else's eyes, he could fool them if he wanted, but it was evident to Jihoon. He could see how he tried to be the strongest in the room. He was too used to that feeling.
Jihoon's response was straightforward. He wasn't about to waste too much energy on him; Chan would soon grasp that he had little to do with him. "No"
The dancer's expression shifted from a relaxed demeanor to one of blank frustration. "You can say it when something is good"
What? When Jihoon thought the kid couldn't get more annoying, he was surprised once again with the fact that he, indeed, could. It wasn't just Chan being irritating; it was like he was actively trying to test his patience, and it grated on him.
It wasn't Jihoon speaking; it was his pride. "But it's not"
Chan didn't crack a smirk, a smile, or any annoying expression. Yet, his calmness managed to annoy the pale one more than anything. "Sure"
Jihoon forcefully slammed his pen down, his patience stretched thin. He wasn't in the mood to tolerate a brat talking back and using irony on him. He was already being too good to him, more than he would normally be, because he knew that Chan was really young. But if he searched for trouble, he was exactly finding that. "Watch your tone"
Chan tried not to flinch, but his eyes gave him away. "I'm doing"
Jihoon stood up. Though they were almost the same height, with Chan just a tad shorter, he made it his mission to impose a sense of intimidation and power. "No, you are not. Apologize"
The youngest took a couple of steps back, a confused expression adorning his face. "What?"
The producer aimed directly for the biggest vulnerability: pride. "A-pol-o-gize"
Jihoon could see Chan's internal struggle. There seemed to be no other option for the dancer but to comply; after all, Jihoon held the dual authority of being both his senior AND hyung, a potent combination. Yet, the kid persisted in asserting his need for respect, and it was annoying the living out of the oldest. "N-No"
Jihoon experienced a mix of surprise and disappointment because oh, who dared to go against him? But he chose to let the latter fuel his building anger. "You are a disrespectful kid, aren't you?"
Chan's heart was racing. He didn't know how he had ended up entangled in a situation he hadn't anticipated to start with, and it was stressing him out. He wanted to go home. He wanted to see the other members. "I'm not! I-I haven't done anything wrong"
"If I say you did, you apologize!!"
"Stop yelling at ME!!"
"CHAN" Jihoon warned.
The dancer's heart tightened, and his fists involuntarily clenched. "Control yourself, Chan, you can do it" was the only thing that went through his mind.
The producer waited, expecting some form of acknowledgment or apology, but none came. He was tired of the youngest, and he knew it. He knew that he wouldn't like him before even interacting with him for real. "I'm telling the CEO about this"
Chan's heart dropped. "What?!"
Jihoon couldn't control his own mouth. He was going too far, he realized it long ago, but why wasn't his mind stopping? He hated when that happened; when his body acted on its own, and being mad at himself just made everything worse, every bit of him on edge. "You heard me"
Chan was legit stressing now. He messed up, being a prideful idiot, but this felt so damn unfair. "You are just doing this because you want to!! Bully!!"
The oldest went all annoyingly calm, out for revenge. "I will tell him that too"
The kid was done. He felt like he was wrecking his own career. "No... don't do that" The plea was desperate, his last shot at trying to fix this mess.
"Apologize, then"
Chan was a prideful one. He really was. But he was also young, and scared. "I'm sorry" He murmured, sounding reluctant and tired.
And Jihoon, besides of being prideful, possessed (or at least could possess) a certain cruelty. "I didn't hear you"
If humiliation had a new synonym, it would be Chan. "I'm sorry!" He repeated out, looking like he wished he could just disappear into thin air.
The pale one didn't let up, wanting that apology to be as uncomfortable as possible. "Say it like you mean it"
Chan's cheeks were red by now. "I'm sorry, hyung"
Jihoon sighed and averted his gaze, signaling the end of the confrontation. He sat down, resuming his work, and poor Chan was left squirming with embarrassment, probably wishing for a hole to magically appear and swallow him up. After a few minutes, the little one gathered the strength to get up from his seat.
"I'm going to the toilet..." He murmured, waiting a bit for permission.
"Mm" The older one replied, not giving it much thought.
Chan practically sprinted out of the room. Jihoon, enjoying the momentary peace, lost track of time, and worked by himself long enough to realize that something was missing. It hit him all of a sudden that the annoying youngest hadn't come back. What the heck was taking him so long? Did he decide to set up a camp there or something? Did he fall asleep in the toilet? Jesus, it was almost like he was asking to get scolded.
Jihoon rose from his seat, determined to find that brat to let him know who he was. Lee Jihoon. That's who he was. And he shouldn't forget it. He reached the door of the shabby toilet, which was so crappy that it was designed for only one person at a time, and was about to knock when he caught a sound.
Muffled sobs.
Chan was sitting on the ground, quite awkwardly, because there wasn't much space to move around. He was hugging his legs desperately as he tried to muffle his crying, but his breath was really unstable and he couldn't bring himself to control it.
Jihoon didn't know how to react. Chan was the youngest trainee, the baby of the company, but he was never seen crying, and now he was there, vulnerable and alone. He had never acted like the youngest one to start with. He could be even more mature than the hyungs, Jihoon couldn't deny it; he recognized that Chan was more mature than him. Because Chan could be as annoying as he wanted, but he wouldn't have a dongsaeng crying in a miserable toilet that smelled like dirt.
The dancer jumped when Jihoon knocked on the door, instinctively holding his breath and remaining silent.
"C-Chan..?" The older one asked awkwardly. He knew he messed up, feeling worse than he cared to admit. Handling emotions wasn't his strong suit, and he found himself uncertain about what to do.
Chan tried to remain quiet, as if he could make himself disappear. Since day one, he had convinced himself to be the strong one, not just for his sake, but for everyone's else. It wasn't expected from him, because he was young, but the other members just went along with it. Chan liked the idea of bearing all by himself, alone, being the dependable one. Appearing weak, inviting pity from the older members, was something he despised so much he wanted to cry.
"Let's go back to the studio. I was just messing with you, why are you crying?" Jihoon joked, delivering an obvious lie. It wasn't just messing around, but the producer, embarrassed by his own actions, tried to gaslight Chan out of the situation.
"L-Liar..."
Jihoon's attempt at deception didn't fly. Chan might be young, but he wasn't an idiot. He could try to pull a fast one, though. "No, I'm not lying. Come out"
"No..."
The oldest rolled his eyes. He wasn't patient enough for this. "Don't be a crybaby"
Chan almost sobbed out loud at that. He quickly covered his mouth, and after taking a deep breath, his chest shaking, he gathered himself. "I'm not... a crybaby" He detested that word. "And I'm not crying"
"Then let's go" Jihoon urged, trying to move past the awkward moment.
The youngest desperately wiped his face, the lack of a mirror in the restroom leaving him uncertain about how obvious it was that he had been crying. He opened the door and silently followed his hyung, his eyes still teary and red, and Jihoon attempted not to stare. Gosh, it was so obvious.
They didn't talk on the way back. Neither when they entered the studio again. The kid focused on his work, and the palest refrained from bothering him. With his back turned to the older one, Chan allowed himself to shed a few more tears from time to time, thinking that he wasn't seen or heard, and Jihoon just pretended that he didn't realize.
The next morning, Jihoon was ready to leave the dorm and head to the company when he overheard Chan engaged in a phone conversation in the bathroom with his mother. Given the ongoing bathroom situation, a source of stress, fights and conflicts among the members, it was no surprise that everyone was on edge, unable to get a decent shower because the kid wasn't going out. But Jihoon seemed to be the only one to focus on Chan's voice, because he sounded quite distressed.
"Mom, no, no, don't worry. I'm not crying" Chan reassured, a subtle lie. Jihoon would have believed it by his tone if he didn't know. "It was a bad joke. Yes, hyung was joking. Yes, hyung. No, the CEO didn't say anything. He doesn't know. I'm okay, I swear. You don't have to worry, I'm fine. Really. I love you, mom. See you"
Jihoon remained frozen until Chan exited the bathroom, catching a glimpse of him as he left. Despite his puffy eyes, that kid interacted with everyone as if nothing had happened, offering apologies for taking longer than usual. He was his cheerful, loud self that annoyed Jihoon. But he wasn't annoyed this time.
That day, Jihoon had so many things to do that he arrived pretty late to the studio, and didn't even send a message to Chan saying that he would be late, or even go. However, before entering, he caught the sound of soft sobs, causing him to halt in his tracks. A sudden wave of huge guilt and an anguish that he did not comprehend enveloped him; this marked the third time. He had made Chan cry three times. He had messed up too much, didn't he?
He could attempt to convince himself that the dancer's tears were caused by something unrelated, but deep down, he knew it wasn't true. This was his responsibility. It was all his fault, and he had been too much to a simple kid. He wanted to feel good, like he had crumbled that annoying stance that Chan had, that act like he was the bravest of all, but he wasn't feeling right. He was the one who made that brat cry, and now he had to pay for his mistake.
He entered the studio slowly. There sat Chan on the couch, knees drawn up, head buried in them, desperately attempting to conceal his tears with his hands. The dancer had assumed Jihoon wouldn't bother showing up, convinced that he saw him as a hindrance, someone he despised and hated, and preferred working alone.
"Are you sick or what?" The older one asked, playing dumb already like a habit, but he wasn't good at it. He struggled with his own thoughts, realizing he should have been more straightforward. This whole situation felt unfamiliar and awkward to him, and he understood that it would be hard to navigate it.
Chan, taken aback, displayed a priceless expression. He couldn't believe Jihoon was there. Why did he always find himself in such embarrassing situations? This wasn't supposed to happen. No one should see him cry. He was supposed to be the strong one, and the feeling that he had ruined his image only made him want to cry more.
The producer dropped his bag. "You are taking the whole couch" Being nice didn't come easy to him, evident in his struggle to convey even a hint of it.
"S-Sorry..." Chan stammered, quickly making room for him.
Jihoon took a seat at his side. He waited, but what was he truly waiting for? For a magical fairy to come and comfort Chan and brush all his problems away? For Chan to realize how awkward this was, if he already didn't, and stop crying so Jihoon wouldn't feel like a piece of shit? He couldn't wait and try to give the responsability to something else. This was his problem.
The palest extracted some tissues from his bag and handed them to Chan. The tremor in the dancer's hands as he took the tissues felt almost like a smack in the face. Jihoon averted his gaze, overwhelmed by the realization that he had pushed too hard. He couldn't bring himself to hear Chan sob. He couldn't even watch what he had done. What a coward he was.
"Do you want me to call your mom?" He asked, adopting a softer tone. The morning's phone call between Chan and his mother still lingered in his memory. Perhaps talking to someone who provided comfort and made the youngest feel safe might help, and just like that Jihoon found himself searching for options that didn't involve him merely apologizing.
Chan's sobs grew stronger, the older one not getting why, but it made him feel even more culpable. "N-No, I-I'm okay" He asserted, hastily erasing any traces of tears.
"Then why are you crying?"
That brat cleaned his face dry, like he hadn't seen them tears fall. "I'm n-not"
Chan wasn't letting his emotional guard down. Neither was Jihoon. "You are a terrible liar"
The younger one didn't say a word, and Jihoon let out a heavy sigh. Interacting with Chan was proving to be more challenging than he had anticipated. While he acknowledged the difficulty from the start, making Chan cry, and in such a heartbreaking way, was never part of his intentions. It certainly wasn't on his bingo card for the year: "make the stupid youngest sob", and even though Jihoon wished to want it, to maintain emotional distance and keep things professional, he would never want to see him in such a distress.
He was a kid. Chan was undeniably young, possibly too young for the harsh realities of the industry. Jihoon, having been in his shoes before, understood that it was like he was teetering on the edge of an emotional abyss, risking a profound wound. If he couldn't withstand the harshness and meanness of people, he questioned whether he should be there at all. He wasn't as strong as he thought he was yesterday.
"Let's go home" Jihoon declared, rising to his feet and finally turning his head to catch a glimpse of Chan. The younger boy averted his gaze, face flushed with redness as he struggled to keep his emotions in check.
His hyung shouldn't be seeing him like that. Chan was so upset with himself. They were wasting time, causing Jihoon (someone he, in some way, admired) to lose precious moments of work because of his own weakness. "B-But I-I didn't finish today's task..."
"We can do it tomorrow"
"No, we need to finish it. W-We don't have that much time left..."
Jihoon's heart tightened. He hadn't realized Chan was such a dedicated worker, willing to set aside his own emotions to complete the task. Perhaps he had been too quick to judge, because it seemed that the kid was stronger than Jihoon initially thought. Closing the gap, the producer sat closer to him, taking hold of Chan's notes.
"Let's see, let me help you out. But you need to calm down; if you don't want to work, then go to the dorms to cry" Jihoon offered, trying to mend the situation in his own way.
Chan recognized the attempt to make things better, and even when he didn't want to get closer with Jihoon, because they would clash, he just knew they would, he didn't need any more proof besides of what happened, he accepted the attempt. It may have been a poor one, but it was something. "I'm not crying"
"Sure"
They worked in silence, the dancer gradually regaining composure. Though he wanted to appreciate his attempt to make amends by finally helping him with the damn notes, Chan found it hard to shake off his emotions. The way Jihoon had made him feel, the thoughts he made him think, it all still lingered, leaving him unusually quiet throughout the session. It only made Jihoon happier, though.
Once they finished for the day, the older one stood up and handed Chan the last tissue, recognizing that the desire to cry had caused a few more tears to fall, and his nose was likely disgustingly runny.
Of course, Jihoon noticed the exhaustion etched across Chan's face. "Are you ready to go home?"
"Mm" He replied quietly, cleaning his nose and the room by trashing every of his used tissues.
The producer excelled at acting like nothing had happened, overlooking how drained he had left his dongsaeng. "Let's go, then."
They walked together in silence. Despite Jihoon's apparent indifference, the same unease as before gnawed at him, he had to admit it. He didn't know if he was worried of getting in trouble because he had been mean, or if it was because he felt bad for that kid, but it had to be something like that. He didn't want to care and think much about it, but the problem was right there and he had to solve it.
He thought about telling Seungcheol what happened so he could comfort Chan, but the rapper didn't like Chan that much either. They had shit talked a bit about him before, and Jihoon assumed Seungcheol wouldn't scold him for what he had done, but even with that, he wasn't a strong option. The producer didn't know with whom the maknae got along, and even if he knew some, Jihoon wasn't close to them either and wasn't capable of telling them what he had done. He finally decided on the first option; he wasn't the best one to count on to manage Chan, but he was the oldest and the leader anyway. The little one was scared of him, even more than he was of Jihoon, but knowing what happened, Seungcheol was the only one that could help him out.
"Hyung" Chan suddenly called out as Jihoon pondered his next move. He was talking to him, but looking at the ground.
"What?" The older one inquired.
"Can we keep it a secret?"
Yeah, no.
"Keep what?" Ah, playing dumb, yes. That was his speciality. Perhaps he should consider a career in acting if the idol thing didn't work out, or maybe a professional liar or gaslighter, if such professions even existed.
"What happened yesterday... and today"
Jihoon faked realization at that moment. Right, right, he cared so little that, of course, he hadn't thought a million times about the matter. "Ah, right. I think it would be better if I told the hyungs; they would know what to do better"
Chan's eyes bore a seriousness and determination that the paler one recognized as the one he had in the studio before. "I'm fine. There's nothing for them to do."
He wasn't fine, Jihoon could discern that, and they both were just a bunch of deceivers. The best decision was to inform Seungcheol before that brat decided to keep everything in and kill himself on the inside in the process.
"Okay, then. You won't talk about what happened, and neither will I." A liar. That's what Jihoon was.
Chan appeared more at ease now, but his demeanor remained cold. "Thank you, hyung."
Jihoon nodded. Once they were back at the dorms, both of them dispersed in different directions without a word. The producer needed to relay the situation to Seungcheol so that Chan and he could have a private conversation before that kid ended up ruined emotionally. He set out to find the leader and guided him to a more secluded space.
"Mm?" Seungcheol asked, which in reality subtly meant "I have picked up in the fact you wanted to discuss about something, but I'm not sure what it is so I won't ask out loud to avoid drawing unwanted attention from others" in a code that the two of them understood.
"Cheol, can we talk?"
The leader nodded, discerning from Jihoon's tone that the matter was at least somewhat serious. He led them both outside the house, concerned about potential eavesdropping in such a tiny house.
Jihoon followed him to their usual shit talk spot. There, he told a curious Seungcheol what happened in detail, from start to finish, expecting nothing more than an "Okay, I will talk to him", but that wasn't the answer he came across.
"I'm not surprised. You are a little asshole" was Seungcheol's immediate reaction to it all. The producer couldn't believe that his friend had only focused on the part about making that little troublemaker cry. It's not like he liked Chan either, so why did he care?
"I'm not" Jihoon tried to defend himself, even though he agreed anyway. "And it's not like you are any better"
Seungcheol's smirk grew bigger. "Yes, I am not. But I wouldn't have made the youngest sob"
Sigh. Jihoon knew he was right. Both the rapper and him were strict and could perfectly be mean, but Seungcheol wouldn't have pushed a dongsaeng to the point of sobbing just because he wished to be rude and make him respect him when he was in a bad mood.
"I feel guilty, okay?" Jihoon's words didn't align with his unbothered tone and expression, but he genuinely meant them.
"Sure" Seungcheol replied nonchalantly. "Do you want me to talk to him?"
"Yeah"
The leader nodded in acknowledgment. He had to always fix up Jihoon's outbursts, and it was almost a habit now. "Okay, I will. And you should apologize"
What?! The fact that Seungcheol was asking him to do such a thing startled the shortest, leaving him mouth wide open. "Why do I have to?!"
"Because you made him cry, stupid"
Okay, and? Was it really that bad? Perhaps it was, but Jihoon didn't think it warranted an apology. He always tried to avoid saying sorry, and he couldn't believe Seungcheol would suggest such a thing, knowing how prideful he was. Chan was probably just oversensitive; it wasn't Jihoon's fault. "He's a kid, he will forgive me"
"Not when you are the one who has to apologize and still didn't dare to do it"
The producer rolled his eyes. He couldn't believe his friend suddenly felt more pity for that kid than for him. He was tired of this topic, but... The same sense of unease enveloped him as he remembered Chan's face the last moment he had seen him, but he couldn't admit it. He was mad at the world, mad at Chan for creating such an awkward situation, mad at Seungcheol for pushing his limits, and, mostly, mad at himself, because he knew that he would have to apologize sooner or later for deciding to act like an idiot.
"Jihoonie"
"Mm?"
"Take care of the kid, please"
Jihoon didn't ask for the reason.
Seungcheol was the best in the world. The next day, he spared Jihoon from further issues and lifted the burden of bearing alone the weight of responsibility for what he had done. Engaging in a private conversation with Chan, the leader kept the producer in the dark about the details, and he was totally fine with that. Jihoon had enough waiting outside the only bedroom in the house, which, for the first time that year, he had seen empty. They had waited for the other members to leave first, even if that meant that the three of them would arrive late to practice, but the leader Seungcheol would get them out of any trouble. He possessed the power to handle that and anything.
The oldest came out of the room, Jihoon looking at him expectantly, but he just grabbed some tissues and returned to the room again without sharing a glance. Wait, what? Was Chan seriously crying again? Shit, the palest felt like an asshole. He was an idiot. No one had seen that kid cry even once since he joined, and now here he was, making the youngest cry four times in two days.
After half an hour, Seungcheol came out.
"We have a problem"