Only Time Will Tell (Ateez/ Stray Kids Fan Fiction)

Fifteen

A few hours later, the boys had left for their schedule and Hongjoong said that I could stay back at the dorm because it was just the last remaining shots of 'The Real' promotion at Music Bank and they were coming right home. I decided to tag along, ignoring Hongjoong as he scolded me for not listening.

I had a feeling that someone was staring at me the whole time they were monitoring their performance. Instead of looking at the screen, Seonghwa was glaring at Hongjoong who was sitting too close to me and it was not helping the fact that Jongho was leaning forward, causing me to practically sit on the leader's lap.

When I looked over my shoulder, Seonghwa managed to look away only after our eyes met and he squinted at the screen. I could tell by his facial expression that he was not interested in monitoring anything.

I huffed and looked back at the screen. I heard Mingi praising everyone for their hard work and that Yunho was going to treat them all to dinner. After a few more touch ups they were done and I clapped as they thanked the staff for all their hard work. I watched as they all bowed and shook the back up dancer's hands, before exiting the stage.

I held my hands out to grab their microphones as they came through the curtain. I had seven microphones, including Jongho's purple mic, Mingi's gray one and Hongjoong's white mic. San pulled his headset off, along with Yeosang, Wooyoung and Seonghwa was the last one to come through the curtain. He mumbled something as he was fumbling with his headset because it was tangled up with his ear pieces.

"Here let me help." I said softly and he hesitated before dropping his hands to his sides. He looked everywhere else but at me as I detangled the mess of wires.

"This is what happens when you dance too hard." San smirked as he dabbed his face with a towel.

"Says the one who breaks one everytime we do the ending to Hala Hala." Seonghwa snapped back at the young vocalist and he just scoffed, rolling his eyes, walking to the green room to gather his clothes to change.

"Stop picking a fight." I muttered under my breath and he shot me a look that I swear would have killed anyone instantly.

"You're one to talk." He mumbled under his breath and he snatched the mic from my hand after I got the wires separated. He stormed off and slammed the headset on the crate before disappearing into the green room.

I stood there speechless, trying to figure out what I did to upset him yet again. The group was ready to go out to eat and I gladly joined them as we all walked out of the building. Mingi, Wooyoung and San ran ahead daring each other to dance across the crosswalk and somehow Jongho was the one who ended up doing the dare.

I laughed as I filmed the whole thing and as we crossed the street, someone was holding my hand. I stopped recording and looked down at my hand, seeing a black painted nail rubbing the top of my hand. I stumbled over my feet and we stopped in the middle of the crosswalk.

Hongjoong stopped and looked at me with a confused look, not even a thought in his head to let go of my hand. Cars started to honk impatiently as the light started to turn.

Seonghwa came in between us, moving Hongjoong out of the way with his shoulder and he grabbed my wrist, pulling me froward to the sidewalk. My hand was yanked from Hongjoong's and the captain shook his head, before jogging to the sidewalk. The oldest pulled me onto the sidewalk and dropped my hand before turning to me shaking his head.

"Are you looking to get yourself hurt?" He snarled as his anger seemed to boil. Hongjoong was apologizing for stopping and not for walking, but Seonghwa did not want to hear it.

"Stop sticking up for her!"

Yunho seemed to put himself between his two brothers as Seonghwa snapped at the leader. He put his hands on Seonghwa's shoulders and the oldest looked up at him.

"What is the matter with you?! You have been off all day." Yunho demanded.

"Its nothing." Seonghwa backed off and walked off towards the restaurant.

But by the defeated look in his eyes, it did not seem like it was nothing.

When you're drunk, that is either when the fun begins or the true colors are exposed. Seonghwa downed another shot, slamming the shot glass on the table and he seemed to sway to the side. The others were busy chatting amongst themselves. We were seated at the table beside them because the owners of the Ramen Shop had strict orders to not move the tables.

Hongjoong sat quietly eating his dinner beside me and Seonghwa sighed, pouring another glass. As he threw it back, his face twisted in disgust as the alcohol seemed to burn his throat. He called out for another bottle and the other half of Ateez looked at our table with an uneasy expression on their faces.

"I think you are cut off." Hongjoong slammed his chopsticks down, causing me to jump slightly as he leaned over and scooped up the four bottles he had already downed.

"No you know what I think?" Seonghwa slurred as he pointed his chopsticks at his best friend.

"What might that be?" Hongjoong sat back and raised an eyebrow at the oldest.

Jongho sat there tensed as the air in the room got heavy. Come to think of it, San, Wooyoung and the other two next to us were silent as they were waiting for the oldest to answer. I sat there dreading the outcome of his next sentence and I came up with different ways this could pan out.

"If I knew things were going to go this way, I would have confessed a lot sooner." He slurred and propped his elbow on the table and rested his chin on his hand.

"What are you talking about, Hyung? Confess what?" Jongho pressed on softly and Seonghwa just sat there looking like he was about to cry.

HIs next words should have hurt me more than they should have, but since Hongjoong explained why he acted like that before, it lessened the blow.

"I hate you." He looked me dead in the eye and his face was like a blank canvas. Then his eyes rolled to look at his leader and he glared at him. "I hate you too."