Chapter Text
Seungcheol was the leader. As such he took care of his band members- making sure they ate well, reminding them to wear their jackets if it was cold outside and bringing them sunscreen if it was hot. Seungcheol did this without thinking. It was natural to take care of them as their pseudo- mother hen because that’s what leaders do. But it was always clear to everyone that Seungcheol had his favourites. Outside the rap line he mainly hung out with Jeonghan and Jihoon. But with a group so large it was easy to miss how the leader would purposely avoid one member unless forced to do fanservice. This member was Xu Ming Hao.
It began when Minghao first joined the group just as Seungcheol’s friend Dooyoon left. Even though he knew it wasn't the boys fault there was residue resentment that made him avoid the new Chinese member. It wasn't as if Minghao would notice or care Seungcheol would try to convince himself. Especially with how easily the boy melded into the group with his awkward Korean that the other boys found adorable and his quiet demeanour which many of the other boys sought refuge in when the others were being too loud and abrasive.
This went on for a long while until he started noticing Minghao trying to initiate conversation with him more. He would often find an excuse to leave the conversation or get the other members to join in so he wouldn't have to look at Minghao for too long and feel the guilt that came with being unable to stop being unfair when it came to the boy. On one of the days when their schedule was booked up with promotions for Mansae the apartment was a flurry of activity. Everyone finally piled into the car when Seungcheol did a head count and noticed that two of the members were missing.
“Does anyone know where Jun and Minghao are?” he yelled over the loud chatter.
Jihoon replied from the back when no one else bothered to reply “They’re probably still upstairs.”
Seungcheol sighed. If he didn't go get them right now they’d be late.
Seungcheol walked up the steps and finally reached the bedrooms. He poked his head into each room to find them empty. Just when he was getting ready to yell he heard muffled crying from the bathroom. He cautiously walks to the door and sees through the crack Minghao crying as Jun tried to clean his face with tissues while softly speaking soothing words in mandarin. Seungcheol wondered if Minghao was homesick and is about to call out to them but then Minghao began to speak. Through the sniffles he hears Minghao saying something in mandarin. Seungcheol only understands one word and that is Seungcheol.
Well shit.