Oh My! | Seventeen Added Member

16 and Seventeen (2015, just after debut)

"You'll be 16 tomorrow!" Jeonghan cheered, clapping a hand on her shoulder as they waited backstage. "Are you excited?" Love shrugged, anxiously fiddling with the hem of her shirt. They'd styled her in a simple white crop top and blue jeans.

"We're performing again tomorrow," she mumbled, running a hand through her pink hair. Jeonghan frowned, knowing the comments of her being the only girl in the group were lingering in her mind.

"It'll be okay," he promised, pulling her into a hug. "What do you want for dinner tonight?" She hummed in thought, leaning her head against his chest carefully so as not to stain his clothes with her makeup.

"I don't know, I'm still pretty limited on what I can eat. Maybe gimbap?" He pecked her forehead, saying he'd make some before leading her on stage for the sound check. They sang their lines, the audio directors adjusting the vocals accordingly.

"It's coming out really clear today," Woozi commented. She smiled slightly, thanking him. Once their sound check was over, they began rehearsing the choreography, marking slightly so they'd still have energy for later.

Once they were released, they had thirty minutes before they were to be back onstage to perform. Love found herself wandering near Joshua. He noticed and offered her a warm smile that made her heart flutter, squeezing her hand gently.

"You nervous?"
"Is it that obvious?"

He chuckled in understanding. "Just keep doing what you have been, it's been great in every performance so far." She poked her tongue into the side of her cheek, turning away from his gaze.

"Thanks, Oppa," she half-heartedly replied. She found herself in the bathroom next, wanting a moment of silence before they had to go onstage again. Only, the silence allowed her thoughts to roam free, filled with negativity and insecurity.

No one had expected her to appear at their debut performance. She was meant to be a surprise, a sacred treasure that would make viewers love them even more. But that was never the case.

A mistake.
A whore.
Unnecessary.

That was just some of the vile things that had been said to her since their debut. Sure, not all fans thought she was awful, and some even had the bravery to applaud her. That didn't mean it made much of a difference against the sea of antis she now had in record time.

"Love?"

That was Seungcheol's voice. Had she been in there too long already? She opened the door, exiting with a small sigh. "We're about to go on," he softly explained. She nodded in understanding, taking a sip of water from a fountain. She felt his eyes on her, wanting to help but not wanting to say the wrong thing either. They were always like that with each other.

"I'll be okay," she said as confidently as she could. No one would've believed her, though. So, instead of saying that she could rely on him or it would get better like he was sure everyone already was, he pulled her into a hug. "Oppa?" she mumbled into his chest, a bit awkward as he wasn't one to initiate affection with her often.

"Just relax for a sec," he instructed. He took a deep breath, and her body automatically followed suit. Pulling away, he offered a small head pat before leading her to the others already getting ready.

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"You're not gonna answer?" Dino asked, gesturing to her phone that had been vibrating the coffee table on and off for nearly twenty minutes now. She shook her head, absentmindedly fidgeting with a pencil. "Who is it?"

"My parents," she whispered, hands tensing at even the thought of them. He offered a sympathetic expression, pulling her to lean into him. She sighed loudly, letting him rub her arm comfortingly. Hoshi joined them, leaning on her so they were both now putting their weight on Dino.