Hongjoong and San deal with the aftermath of revealing their relationship to the world through a music video.
Through this potentially devastating decision, Hongjoong is reminded why exactly he fell in love with San in the first place.
A story told...
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2023
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[ this is my favorite chapter yet, so comments are extra encouraged! also, this goes back to when joong and san were photographed! love you all 🧡 ]
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The picture surfaced and San disappeared as the internet erupted with chaos, news sites and fans leaping at any taste of information involving the two distorted figures in the photo.
The picture was dark, colors blurry, but the idols were both undoubtedly male and unreasonably close, vibrant locks of blond and ocean blue tangled together.
They had all come home from the bar that night with terror in their eyes and dread in their stomachs, unable to look at each other as they alerted the company and were sent scouring the internet for the photo.
Mingi found it first, and the poor boy had barely managed to hand Hongjoong his phone before he bursted into tears, hands shaking as he drew up his knees to his chin and hid behind his sleeves.
Hongjoong stared at him, speechless even with his heart racing, unable to reach out to comfort when his own world was toppling over.
He stood up from his seat with nauseating uneasiness, phone clutched in hand, and allowed Yeosang and Seonghwa to take his place.
Seonghwa hardly had the chance to settle down in a seat before Jongho was throwing himself into the older man's chest, hiding his face just in time for a sob to crumble out of him.
Yeosang curled into the youngest from behind, arms looped around his waist, face buried in the back of his hair where he nuzzled playfully.
He pouted as he squeezed Jongho close and left comforting kisses across his neck.
Hongjoong watched them through heavy eyes, feeling a tug in his chest that was sticky and painful, horribly unfamiliar beneath his skin.
"It's going to be okay, Hongjoong. Whatever it is, we'll deal with it." Wooyoung said, somewhere, sounding close but too far to touch.
Usually Hongjoong would be grateful for the space when his anxiety was at its worst, too breathless to even speak, but he glanced down at the picture with furious eyes and suddenly his knees were giving out beneath him, arms flailing out in search of stability.
He would have toppled to the ground if Wooyoung hadn't been there to catch him at the last second, pulling him up and into an embrace that Hongjoong wasn't sure was meant to crush him or piece him back together.
