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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2022
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[ two quick notes: 1. Let's pretend that With U came out this year somehow lol (im sorry) and 2. The alternative title to With U would be "Serendipitous." This will allmake sense later hehe, happy reading. ] __
It happened sooner than any of them expected.
The stress piled up, the anxiety never wavered, and by the end of the year every public appearance felt like the end of the world, bringing on a crushing sense of dread that followed the members everywhere they went.
On paper, the plan had been perfect: keep Hongjoong and San separated.
Theoretically, it was simple enough, only taking a few watchful eyes and strategic maneuvering to keep the two far away from each other when cameras were rolling, but there had been factors they hadn't anticipated, issues they'd never discussed.
Like how even with six members squeezed between, San would somehow always find a way to angle his body so that he could see Hongjoong, unconsciously smiling down the line every time some girl would scream Hongjoong's name during a fan signing.
Or how Hongjoong, even when teamed up with different members during wanteez episodes, would somehow always find a way to bring up San of all people from seemingly nowhere, capable of seeing the most random item and linking it to the younger boy without thought.
It was instances like these that left the group at a standstill, unsure of what else to do, because it was clear that no amount of distance could control the way San and Hongjoong felt about each other, the way their eyes drifted towards one another so instinctively.
That's when the scolding started.
The furious words from Wooyoung, the glares from Yunho.
Seonghwa's entire demeanor shifted from careless and bright to tense and introverted, feigning quietness as opposed to getting upset, but somehow that often made Hongjoong feel worse, feel unbearably guilty, because his and San's issues were starting to affect everyone around them, and that had been the last thing he wanted.
Yeosang was mostly there for support, gathering San into his arms after every company meeting, every fight with Wooyoung or Mingi, distracting him as best as he could, but there was only so much he could do and Jongho was practically nonexistent in all of it, fading into the background as he watched his hyung's suffer silently.
