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As Yongbok sobbed in Minho’s arms while sitting on the floor of the living room after dragging the last of his boxed up items into their new shared dorm, he wondered how this was fair on either of them. Had they really both tried so hard and come so far just to lose now?
A hand rubbed up and down his back as Minho let the younger boy get his emotions out, comforting him the best he could. He knew the utter devastation Yongbok was experiencing right now, having gone through that a month prior, and it pained him to see someone normally so bright and cheerful have their heart torn to shreds and handed back to them.
It was Minho, after all, who used his own personal time to help him with his Korean the most out of all the boys when he could have done the bare minimum and used that extra time for his own practices. Minho, who was learning English anyway but tried even harder just so he could communicate with his Yongbokkie easier.
Once the sobs subsided and the boy was able to draw in deep breath without it catching in his throat, he pulled away just enough to wipe at the tears leaving tracks on his freckled cheeks.
“I won’t tell you you’re going to be okay right away,” the older boy started, trying to figure out how to balance comfort without telling him what he would know was a blatant lie, “but you’ll get there eventually. This is just an obstacle in our way to becoming idols.”
Neither of them had worked this hard just to stop now, so even though it was going to take longer to reach their goal than they expected his Yongbokkie was too talented to fall to the wayside and Minho was too determined to see it through.
With a quiet sniffle and a nod, arms moved to surround the boy in another hug. He wasn’t sure how much time passed before he pulled away, eyes still watery but cheeks dry for now.
The pair spent the rest of the night organizing Yongbok’s things in his new room before settling down on the couch to watch some shitty romcom so they would have a distraction but wouldn’t need to pay close attention lest they miss an important detail.
He carded his fingers through the soft brown hair after the younger laid his head on his lap, gently working out any tangles he came across as he did. He long since gave up any pretense of actually watching as the woman in the film discovered what she perceived to be a betrayal from her new lover, too focused on his friend to care.
As the credits to the movie rolled, he looked down to see Yongbok was fast asleep. As much as he wanted to let him sleep after the day he had, neither of them had eaten since the Australian returned to the dorm in favor of comforting him and getting his room set up. Thankfully he had some tteokbokki leftovers that would be enough to feed them both, so he carefully moved the head resting on his lap in order to stand and go warm up the food.
Once it was warmed up, he went out to gently shake him awake until sleep-riddled brown eyes blinked open.
“Come eat,” he told him, waiting expectantly for the 17-year-old to rise as he shook off the fog of sleep. As soon as Yongbok was on his feet, they silently walked to the kitchen and took their places at the small dining table where two bowls of food sat.
“Minho-hyung…” a voice said quietly after they were both finished, making him look up. The younger was hunched in on himself a little, as if he were trying to make himself smaller and therefore less of a nuisance. It broke his heart that his dongsaeng seemed so unsure of himself now and so hesitant to reach out for help in fear it’ll make him more of a burden.
It would take time, but he was determined to build the boy’s confidence back up again.
Two years. It had been two long, difficult years, but they pushed through it and clawed their way to the top. Sure, they weren’t Stray Kids -- hearing about their success was bittersweet, because they still loved those boys but they were no longer theirs -- but they’d made a name for themselves as a duo nonetheless. Neither of them had been willing to let go of the other, even if debuting as soloists would’ve been easier or provided a quicker path to fame.
Minho watched with fondness as a blush spread across his Yongbokkie’s cheeks, having finished his conversation with a soloist who performed at the awards show earlier just in time to see it happen.
It was a much happier scene compared to the sobbing boy in his arms reeling from being eliminated, and the utter devastation when JYP announced the public hadn’t voted for them to stay in the group.
He knew Bang Chan blamed himself for it all too, even though it wasn’t his fault. He’d told Yongbok everything would be okay, that he would never leave him behind. No matter how many times Minho told him he’d done his best, his hyung never listened.
His eyes strayed away after a minute more to move across the stage, a pang of longing flashing through him when his eyes landed on Changbin, Chan, and Jeongin laughing as the maknae held the award they’d won. He wasn’t sure where the other three were, but they couldn’t be too far off; he hardly ever saw them separated.
As if sensing someone’s gaze on him, his eyes met Chan’s and he watched his smile falter for a second before Minho looked away and immediately moved to disappear into the crowd before the older could come find him.
“Yongbok-ah, did you make a new friend?” he teased as he stopped at his side.
“I, ah- yeah! This is Hongjoong, from Ateez. He wanted to tell me how good our performance was,” Yongbok replied with a shy smile.
“Yours was amazing as well, Hongjoong-ssi,” Minho complimented.
Ateez was a group he wouldn’t mind collaborating with someday, if the chance arose. They were very talented, and he felt like they could all learn a thing or two from each other.
“If I thought you’d let me, I’d take Felix as my own. He and Yeosang-ah would sound great together,” the producer teased. “And we can always use someone like you too, Minho-ssi.”
Minho and Yongbok - Felix, as pretty much everyone else but Minho called him - of Ateez. He was sure they’d have fun with the Ateez boys and had talked to them a few times before, but it didn’t ring quite as true as Minho and Felix of Stray Kids.
Not that they’d ever be part of them. They had lost that chance two years ago, and now the roster was set.
Still, he felt like he was on his way to accomplishing his goal of building Yongbok’s confidence back up after it was so painfully shattered after seeing his happy giggles at the compliments.