Work Text:
Jihoon was at his studio, waiting for the other boys to arrive so they could start practice. He was humming to the rhythm of 'MAESTRO', when he noticed a headline pop up. He pulled up closer to the monitor and clicked to expand the article. The humming stopped.
"What-", Jihoon mumbled, as he read through the article. And it wasn't the only one. Along with it came other posts, hashtags, comments... He couldn't help the moisture from building up in his eyes. He did experiment with using AI, but these people were saying how Seventeen have climbed their way up relying on AI. That they have succeeded because of it. How, in reality, they're talentless. Frauds. Jihoon inhaled and exhaled deeply, reaching for his phone.
Meanwhile, the other twelve boys were split in 3 cars, making their way to headquarters, for their scheduled dance practice session. Some were browsing on social media, others in the middle of a discussion regarding some dance steps or positions.
"Oh, hyung posted an Instagram story", Seokmin exclaimed in a low voice, when he saw Jihoon's profile and the sunset-colored circle around it, first thing on his feed. Jihoon was one of the not so active members when it came to Instagram, and that was okay. So, he curiously tapped on the icon, as Joshua, Wonwoo and Chan, who were in the same car as him, were refreshing their feeds, so that they could view Jihoon's story too.
<Trying to see what I can do with AI>
=
<AI may have been used in writing>
🤣
Black background. Two sentences in white, and a laughing emoji. But the boys were not laughing. And they were sure Jihoon wasn't laughing, either. The other boys must have seen it too, because Seungcheol, who was riding with Jeonghan, Minghao and Vernon, started calling Chan, while Seungkwan, who was riding with Junhui, Soonyoung and Mingyu, started calling Joshua. The boys accepted the calls and put them on speaker.
"THEY DID NOT-", Seungcheol stopped himself, trying to calm down.
"Who even dared saying something like that for Woozi hyung", Chan sounded, rightfully so, appaled.
"Megan Lawton, business reporter of BBC News", Vernon kinda spat her name, as he searched for and started reading the article when he found it.
"Fools", Soonyoung said under his breath. "Ignorant fools, that's who", he added, in a slightly louder tone. "They don't know how hard we've worked to get where we are now"
"They don't know or they pretend not to acknowledge our efforts and, dare I say, success", Joshua spoke. He didn't mean to brag, just trying to state a fact. Despite their success, the boys still remain humble and down to earth.
"Has anyone tried calling Jihoon?", Junhui asked. "We're almost there, but..."
"Yeah, not even a minute away", Wonwoo was heard. "He just posted another story", he said after refreshing the page and seeing another circle forming around Jihoon's profile. He tapped on it, as the other boys were refreshing their feeds too, Seungcheol, Joshua, Seungkwan and Chan leaning to see from the member's phone next to them since theirs were used on call.
<All of Seventeen's music is written and composed by human creators>
Same white letters on a black background. The sentence both in Korean and English. Nothing else.
"You tell them, Jihoon!", Jeonghan praised. The car slowed to a stop, the boys thanking their drivers and getting out, dropping the calls once they met. They silently agreed to head to Jihoon's studio.
"Coming", Jihoon responded when he heard a knock on his door. He grabbed his phone and his water, put on a black cap to keep his hair back while practicing, and opened the studio's door, meeting the boys outside. "Let's go", they all made their way to the dance practice room. Jihoon waited for the others to drop off their stuff.
"Woozi hyung", Mingyu called, as he approached the slightly older boy. Big sad puppy eyes trying to meet Jihoon's. Mingyu bent his knees but the cap was obstracting his view so he gently reached and tilted it up, Jihoon looking up as well to meet the younger's gaze. The others approached, too.
"I'm okay", Jihoon reassured. "I was surprised, yeah, but I'm okay now"
"The executives are having a meeting as we speak", Seungcheol said, having already been informed.
"The company better sue for defamation", Minghao said. "But, 1% chance they don't-"
"We will ", Seungkwan spoke, the other boys, minus Jihoon, agreeing with a nod.
"Hyung", Seokmin called, the boys not entirely convinced that Jihoon was indeed okay.
"I'm okay", Jihoon reassured again, forcing a smile on his face, hoping it looked genuine. The others said nothing. "Let's start practice", he urged. Mingyu straightened up, Jihoon reaching to readjust the cap on his head, feeling Seungcheol's hand running up and down his back once, before the boys got into position, while Soonyoung ran to get the music on while grabbing the stick used as the conducting baton on his way back to them. They went through choreos of older and newer songs as well, to refresh things up and make potential changes or discuss about certain steps and positions. With a few breaks in between to reenergize, they decided to call it a day at around 10pm. During one of their breaks, some went on social media, feeling a sense of pride when Carats started defending them, turning the reporter's rude statement into "Seventeen's music is so good, they think it's AI". Even non Carats had joined in. Jihoon maintained a smile on his face but he didn't check for himself. So they returned to the dorm to eat dinner together, Seungcheol's treat, before the oldest, along with Wonwoo and Mingyu, left for their places. It wasn't lost on them, though, how Jihoon nibbled at his food, but they didn't pressure him.
"Now that we're all clean and fed, do you wanna watch a movie?", Jeonghan offered. "Or are you too tired and would prefer to go to sleep?"
"I don't mind", Seungkwan said.
"Whatever you want", Joshua shrugged.
"I'll go with whatever hyungs decide to do", Chan piped up.
"Personally, I'll go to bed. I feel too beat", Jihoon voiced. "But you can watch a movie, of course!", he rushed to add, adding excitement to his voice.
"Are you sure, hyung?", Minghao asked.
"Yeah", Jihoon nodded. "Good night, see you tomorrow~", he walked through the couches, receiving pats from the others, before he exited Joshua's and Minghao's floor, where they had gathered this time, to get to his floor.
"So, what are we doing?", Vernon asked. It kinda felt off to watch a movie, but they didn't wanna force Jihoon's hand since he wasn't in the mood. And Seungcheol, Wonwoo and Mingyu had already left as well, keeping in mind the traffic despite the kinda late hour.
"Jihoon said we can watch a movie. I'd say let's do it", Junhui suggested. That's what Jihoon wanted us to do , he said mentally. The others caught on. So, they scrolled through Netflix, chose a random movie that seemed to have a nice plot and pressed play. But they couldn't focus on it. If you asked them what the movie was about, they wouldn't be able to tell you. After the movie ended, the boys greeted each other goodnight and returned to their floors.
"Goodnight", Jeonghan, Soonyoung and Seungkwan whispered to each other as they split down the hall, getting to their rooms. Jihoon heard both the apartment door opening and them greeting each other goodnight outside his door, despite them being as quiet as possible. A glance at his phone for the time said 1:16am. He sighed, his eyes going back to the ceiling. He had been tossing and turning since he layed in bed, but knew he wouldn't be able to sleep. Frustrated, he sat up in bed, bringing his knees up and leaning against them -hugging them lightly. He wasn't sure how long he stayed like that, looking towards his door when he thought he heard footsteps outside. But then came a light knock.
"Come in", Jihoon replied loud enough to be heard, but not too loud that he would wake the others up. "Oh, Soonyoung-ah", he smiled, when the door opened, revealing Soonyoung. The dimly lit hallway casted Soonyoung's shadow towards Jihoon's bed.
"May I?", Soonyoung asked. After receiving a nod from Jihoon, Soonyoung entered and closed the door behind him, blindly finding his way in.
"Can't sleep either?", Jihoon assumed. He reached towards the window on the other side, opening the blinds just a tiny bit, so that they could see each other. He saw Soonyoung's sad smile and headshake.
"I highly doubt the others are able to sleep, either. I just...", Soonyoung's voice trailed off.
"It's okay", Jihoon understood. He scooted a bit, giving Soonyoung some room to sit next to him.
"Lee Jihoon", Soonyoung called, his tone a tab bit demanding.
"I'm okay", Jihoon tried to reassure, probably, for the 100th time that day.
"Jihoon-ah", Soonyoung used a more sweet and slightly more desperate voice this time. "Talk to me. Please". Jihoon released his knees, sitting criss-cross legged instead, his right knee touching Soonyoung's left outer thigh.
"You saw...", was all Jihoon said.
"I did", Soonyoung agreed. "We all did"
"I know the truth", Jihoon spoke. "We started with nothing and worked hard to get where we are. We still do and always will". Soonyoung nodded at that. "I tried to act nonchallant, brush it away and not let it get to me. But the truth is... It's still hurtful", he let his head drop. Soonyoung waited, bringing a comforting hand to rest on Jihoon's right thigh. When Jihoon raised his head again to meet Soonyoung's eyes in the semi-darkness, his eyes were filled with tears. "We're human, too"
"Some people seem to forget that", Soonyoung sighed. "Idols are human, as well. We get hurt, too. It'd be nice if we were treated like ordinary people". The first tears streamed down Jihoon's cheeks.
"I'm s-sorry", Jihoon's voice quivered.
"What for?", Soonyoung frowned.
"It's a-all my fault!", Jihoon burst out in a low voice, still mindful that the others are resting. "I r-ruined everything! Just because I-I wanted to experiment with AI, now... I failed e-everyone that b-believed in and s-support us! T-the company, our f-families, Carats...", he stammered. "I-It's all my fault! I h-hurt Seventeen -", he was unable to continue, overtaken by emotion.
"Heyyyyy, no", Soonyoung's heart sank, tears brimming his own eyes. He rotated a bit, Jihoon a bawling and heaving mess next to him. "I need you to breathe with me, okay?", he rushed to grab onto Jihoon's hands. Jihoon could barely get half a proper breath in because he was crying so hard. "In through the nose", he inhaled, "out through the mouth", he exhaled, his thumbs rubbing soothing circles on Jihoon's knuckles.
"I can't-", Jihoon tried to follow, a sob escaping his mouth in response.
"It's okay, take your time", Soonyoung reassured. "In... Out...", he instructed again. "You can do it, I know you can", his thumbs didn't stop moving over Jihoon's knuckles, while his eyes never left the latter's shut ones. "You're not alone, I'm right here with you". Jihoon was able to follow this time, starting slow and worked his way to a normal breathing rhythm despite being unable to stop crying. A brief moment of silence. "Look at me"
"It's the truth", Jihoon breathed deep, trying to keep his composure, before he raised his gaze to meet Soonyoung's, pulling his hands from his fellow '96 liner's grip to wipe at his tear-smeared face.
"It's not", Soonyoung rebutted. Jihoon shook his head frantically. "I listened to you. Will you listen to me in return?"
"You're right", Jihoon stopped shaking his head. "Sorry, go ahead".
"Hoonie", Soonyoung feared that he might have been too harsh just a second ago. Another sob escaped Jihoon's lips at the endearment. "It's not your fault and you haven't ruined anything. The truth will come to light, and the people who said all those hurtful things are gonna come face to face with it. Since our pre-debut days, a lot of people said we wouldn't make it". Jihoon nodded at that. "We proved them wrong. We're gonna prove these people wrong, too". He paused, reaching to tuck Jihoon's front hair pieces behind his ears. "You didn't fail anyone. And you could never hurt us". Jihoon's pleading gaze made Soonyoung's heart drop to his stomach. "We love you just as much as you love us"
"I feel like I'm gonna start crying again", Jihoon wiped at his own eyes.
"Come here", Soonyoung opened his arms but didn't make a move, knowing Jihoon wasn't so keen of skinship. But the boy accepted the offer, feeling Soonyoung's hands pulling him even closer, before the latter maneuvered so they layed in bed. One hand went to Jihoon's nape, caressing the back of his head, peppering kisses on his crown as the boy whimpered in his chest. Both physically and mentally exhausted, they didn't realize falling asleep, waking up a few hours later from the sun beaming on their faces through the tiny crack of the blinds. Soonyoung was the first to wake up, staying still so he wouldn't disturb Jihoon still tucked in his embrace. He felt Jihoon's head move from under his chin, so he pulled back and loosened his grip around the other's waist.
"Good morning", Jihoon croaked. His eyes were so puffy, they were almost squeezed shut.
"Good morning", Soonyoung greeted back. Without another word, they both slowly got out of bed, took turns going to the bathroom to freshen up, before meeting with Jeonghan and Seunkgwan, who were both up already despite it being 6am, in their living room. Jihoon had sent a message in their groupchat, saying that he had something to say if they could stop by before today's schedules, and 20 minutes later, the rest of the boys had arrived, the ones not living in the dorm anymore bringing coffee and food with them. All sitting in the living room, waiting patiently for Jihoon to speak. With Soonyoung's silent support and encouragement, until Jihoon had trouble talking without chocking up so the other took over at some point, all boys had found out what took place last night.
"Thank you for telling us", Joshua reached to cup Jihoon's hand.
"Knowing that you need your space, we decided not to push you", Wonwoo said.
"I know", Jihoon sighed. He was thankful that the members respected each other's boundaries, knowing when to push, when to joke around... "If Soonyoung hadn't knocked on my door last night, I would have bottled this up inside and we wouldn't be having this discussion right now", he glanced at the other. "He didn't push me, either! It's just... Knocking on my door and pleading with me to talk was, I guess, the boost I needed. And I broke...", his voice quivered at the end.
"Hyung", Seokmin frowned.
"Remember back in our trainee days?", Seungcheol began. "Admitting how you feel the burden of being, and being called, our producer? And that, if we failed, it would be your fault?". Jihoon nodded. How could he forget... "I always felt sorry towards you, because there are instances when you feel more like the leader, than me". Jihoon shook his head. "We could never fail because of you"
"We would, without you", Jeonghan emphasized.
"Woozi hyung", Seungkwan called, waiting for the older to meet his eyes. "We wouldn't be here without you"
"Seventeen wouldn't exist without you", Minghao added.
"We're here", came from Vernon.
"We're in this together", Junhui said.
"In the good and the bad, no matter how easy or hard a situation is... No matter what comes our way, as long as we're together, there's nothing to be afraid of", Chan spoke up.
"13 or nothing", Mingyu stated. Jihoon nodded, his eyes moist when he looked up at them.
"I would be nothing without you", Jihoon managed, the boys rushing to squeeze him in a bone-crushing hug before he was wrecked by his own sobs.
That's Seventeen for you. Seventeen who cherish, love, support, tease, comfort, look up to and worship each other. Seventeen who renewed their contracts (all 13 boys without hesitation) because they love each other and want to stay together for a long time. Seventeen who trust each other with their lives. Seventeen who remain humble despite their success. Seventeen who adore and take care of each other. Seventeen who are a family.