Summary: Seokyu is trying to get back to normal after his impromptu leave and rebuild trust with his groupmates and friends.
Genre: Drama, apology
Pairing: OT7 Vice, some Jimin x Seokyu at the end.
Word Count: 1.3k
Warnings: Swearing ahead.
It’s been a full week since Seokyu’s return.
One full week of shifting eyes and hard swallowing. Of conversations awkwardly dying out whenever he enters the room. Of whispering and speculations. For the first time since he started training at HBH, Seokyu felt like he didn’t belong.
Putting up with this wouldn’t have been so bad if his group mates spoke to him. Minho danced around the instance like it never happened. Without prompting from their leader, none of the other members offered to talk about what happened either. Not even Woodie, who’s specialty was talking things out. Instead they did their job. They recorded their new tracks. They learnt choreography. They practiced all day together without much conversation. They went to sleep just after midnight without exchanging good nights. For seven days and six nights. The same cold routine.
Seokyu realized on the eighth morning in the HBH cafeteria that they wanted him to make the first move.
He noticed how Kane looked up from his cereal bowl at him, like he was expecting Seokyu to disappear again if he didn’t keep an eye on him. Seokyu swallowed thickly and cleared his throat.
Spoons stopped scraping bowls. Eyes all darted to the dancer.
“Um. Can we talk?” Seokyu asked. The other six men nodded their heads, clearly waiting for this moment.
“You guys know I’m sorry about scaring you, right? I didn’t mean to upset you.” Seokyu looked between his friends.
“We know you didn’t, buddy.” Woodie sighed.
“Then can you stop ignoring me?” Seokyu asked, his tone a bit sharper than intended.
“We’re not ignoring you because of that.” Geonwu responded with the same snippy tone. “We’re ignoring you because you clearly don’t trust us anymore.”
“So do you not want to rebuild trust or something?” Seokyu arched his eyebrows. “You think that leaving me out and treating me like a stranger would build trust between us?”
The other six men went silent. Kane suddenly seemed very invested in chasing soggy corn flakes around with his spoon.
Seokyu wet his lower lip. “I didn’t leave because of you guys, you know that, right? I left because I just wanted to do something for myself.”
"But you couldn’t trust us with that? You really had to go completely off the radar?” Cyth questioned, hurt laced into every word.
“I’ve already apologized for that.” Seokyu blinked.
Cyth shook his head, pushing his chair back. “You don’t get it, Kyu.” He mumbled, picking up his bowl of cereal and dumping it into the trash can. He disappeared through the cafeteria’s double doors, heading in the direction of the practice rooms.
Seokyu watched him go, trying to keep his frustration under control. What more could they want from him?
“Sungho means that we were worried for a week straight. We risked our careers for you, left our families, girlfriends, and responsibilities all to make sure you got home safe.” Woodam explained calmly. “For you to show up and imply that you don’t trust us made us wonder... if you value us as much as we value you?”
Seokyu let the words burn into his heart and brain. This would be one of those moments that he will never forget, no matter how old he got. The moment he realized that he truly broke his friends. He caused them heartbreak and anxiety and sleepless nights. The wrongfulness of his actions started boiling in his gut.
“I-” Seokyu couldn’t finish his words. Hot tears started bubbling up on his waterline. The guilt was too much. He ducked his head, hoping that the trainees sitting two tables away couldn’t see his tears.
“Hey, bud, don’t cry.” Minho sighed. Next to him, Ji clapped a hand over Seokyu’s shoulder.
“I’m sorry, guys. I d-don’t know how many times I should s-say it but I’m s-sorry.” Seokyu blubbered, wiping his eyes. He sniffled loudly, swallowing thickly so he could speak. “And I’m not crying to like... emotionally manipulate anyone or anything. It’s just a reflex.”
Ji let out an amused huff. “He’s still our Seokyu. Only Seokyu would worry about the mentality of the other person while he’s crying.”
“We know you’re sorry, Kyu.” Kane reached across the table to take his friend’s hand. “We just... We need time to forgive you, you know?”
“From now on we’ll try to work on forgiveness without excluding you.” Minho promised.
“Things aren’t going to go ‘back to normal’ for a bit,” Geonwu stated. “But we’ll work on talking about the things that hurt us in effective ways.”
Seokyu nodded, drying his eyes with his sleeve.
“And Sungho will probably be the first one to forgive you.” Woodam angled his head in the direction of the cafeteria exit. “He wants things to go back to normal just as badly.”
“And you’ve got him wrapped around your finger.” Geonwu sighed. “For a scary looking motherfucker, he’s a total softy.”
Seokyu managed a watery chuckle. After receiving a pat on the back from his members, the five men rose and made their way out of the cafeteria. Most of the trainees and artists were starting to pack up too, heading to their first practice or lesson of the day. In the surge of talented individuals, one particular girl stood out to Seokyu.
“Hey, I’ll see you guys in the practice room. I gotta make one more apology.” Seokyu said to his members. He back tracked his steps until he fell in line with Promise’s leader, Kwon Jimin.
“Hey, uh,” Seokyu scratched the back of his neck. “Do you have a minute before your practice starts?”
The other members of Promise took the hint right away. The four other members hurried ahead, mumbling ‘see you’s to Seokyu as they left.
Jimin gave him a weary look, as if the next words coming from Seokyu’s mouth might be a heads up on his next departure.
“Uh, I know what I’ve done wasn’t fair. I probably scared you really bad.” Seokyu licked his lips, breaking eye contact. “But... I just wanted to let you know that I’m sorry and that I will be honest with you from now on.”
Jimin pulled over to the side of the hallway, letting the trainees behind them pass. She shook her head in amazement, looking up at Seokyu with hurt in her eyes.
“Do you have any idea how hurt I was? How hurt I still am?” Jimin asked, her jaw clenched.
“I know-”
“No, Seokyu, I really don’t think you do know.” Jimin took a step back, as if seeing Seokyu differently for the first time. “You left without telling any of us. You have a family here and you completely disregarded our feelings.”
Seokyu nodded in understanding. “Trust me, Min, I know. I fucked up.”
“Yeah. You did.” Jimin sighed. “I’m just thankful you’re safe.”
A small smirk formed on Seokyu’s lips. “Can I start making it up to you? Do you wanna come over tonight?”
Jimin’s expression turned into one of guilt. She shifted her weight. “I... I can’t.”
“Oh?” Seokyu’s smile faded.
“I started seeing someone.” Jimin blurted out.
“Oh.” Seokyu responded again. He shouldn’t be that hurt. They were never committed to each other or exclusive. But after having a mutual crush on each other for years, he forgot that someone else could be added into this equation at any time.
“Yeah...” Jimin swallowed, swaying her body on the balls of her feet. “Well... I’d still like to talk sometime though.”
“Yeah.” Seokyu nodded. “Yeah, absolutely.”
“Yeah...” Jimin chuckled dryly. “Well. I should go to practice. See you, Seokyu.”
Seokyu gave a small wave, watching her walk away.
Title: The Return
Summary: The search for Seokyu finally comes to an end on the coast of Jeju.
Genre: Drama, mild angst.
Pairing: OT7
Word Count: 1.2k
Warnings: Angst, swearing.
A/N: I can’t decide how I want Vice’s banners to look sorry if this is fugly!!!
By the time the boyband packed their things, checked out of the hotel, and took the ferry to Jeju, the sun had gone down. Woodam prayed that this would be the last night they spent looking for their lost friend.
The ferry ride was dead silent, the air between the members was stiff, as if one word from anyone would jinx them. Woodam knew things were rough when even he couldn’t find anything to say. Usually he was good at keeping everyone’s emotions in check, but he couldn’t even stomach his own anxiety. What if they couldn’t find Seokyu? Or worse, what if they find him and he refuses to come back? What if they had to leave someone they considered a brother behind?
The six men walked in a two by three formation, scanning the streets of Jeju for any sign of Seokyu. They rounded a corner and heard music echoing from a pub. Woodam’s whole posture stiffened up. He knew that voice. The voice that always harmonized with his. The voice that could be heard from the shower every night. The voice that he had watched develop so much over the past ten years.
The five other members must have recognized it to. With a quick glance at each other, the group sprinted towards the pub. Woodam’s pulse was rapid, pulsing in his neck.
The door to the pub flung open, and Woodam almost let out a relieved cry. On the small, dingy stage stood his lost friend. Seokyu’s hair was grown out a little, curling around his ears and the nape of his neck, clearly unstyled. He wore a well-worn button down and dirty jeans, a pair of beat up sneakers on his feet. He looked like an average guy, but his stage presence could not be dimmed. He had a bright smile on his face while he played his guitar, winking at the small group of people cluttered around him.
When Seokyu’s gaze landed on his group mates, his fingers fumbled on the guitar, halting the song. The audience around him paused their enthusiastic head bobbing and turned their attention to where Seokyu was staring. A few gasps strangled out. Clearly, Vice was recognizable to a few.
Seokyu, without another word, hopped off the stage. He gestured to the boys shortly with a head nod in the direction of the back exit. The group hesitated, giving each other a weary look. Realizing that they had no other option, they headed towards the exit. The crowd parted to let Vice through, everyone still muttering under their breath.
Outside, Seokyu was pacing anxiously, staring down at his feet. When the back door closed, Seokyu’s head snapped up. Woodam had hoped that when they were reunited that Seokyu would smile his warming smile and stretch his arms out for a big hug. But Woodam could see in Seokyu’s eyes the confusion and slight annoyance that his younger friend was feeling. The vocalists heart sank, dreading what conversation would be taking place next.
“How did you find me?” Seokyu asked.
The sharp question took the group back a little. Then Geonwu squared his shoulders like he does when he’s about to argue.
“What do you mean, how did we find you?” Geonwu asked angrily. “We’ve been looking all over the fucking country for your dumb ass!”
Seokyu furrowed his eyebrows. “I didn’t think you guys would come looking.”
“What?” Woodam blinked. “You went missing! Did you really think we’d just let you go? We were worried sick.”
“We’re your brothers, Kyu.” Kane’s eyes looked a little glossy, like tears were forming. “What did you expect us to do?”
Seokyu ran a hand through his hair, looking back at the pub that they just came out of.
“I appreciate that you guys care, really, but…” Seokyu shook his head, looking back down to the dirt. “I’m assuming you want me to come back with you guys, right?”
Another quiet spell fell over the group. What was with Seokyu? Why was he looking so disappointed?
“Are you fucking serious?” Cyth asked in a deadly calm voice. “No. We just came all this way to watch you disappear again. You’re coming back with us, Seokyu. We’re not leaving you behind.”
“Yeah, man, the deadline for your contract ends in 5 days and we have to be back at the company before the end of today…” Ji explained. “Do you not wanna come back?”
Seokyu stayed silent.
“For fucks sake, can you at least look at us?” Cyth spat.
Seokyu bit his lip, looking back up at his friends. “It’s not that I don’t want to come back. I just... I wanted to live normally just a little bit longer.” A pink flush tinted his cheeks and ears.
“Normally? You think performing in shitty bars and fucking psychics is normal?” Minho asked, arching an eyebrow. “You’re not living normally, you’re being reckless.”
“Which I never was able to do!” Seokyu’s voice raised a little. “Ever since I was nineteen my life has been under the control of a corporation. I just... I just wanted to have a little bit of freedom to do the things that I will never be able to do again.”
The six other men fell silent. Woodam unfortunately knew what Seokyu was talking about. The boys have never been able to do what other 20-something-year-olds do. Everything had to appear perfect and flawless for the sake of their image. Every single one of them daydreamed about normal, mundane life from time to time. But the difference was, none of them actually ran away.
“Why didn’t you tell us though?” Woodie asked, trying not to sound too selfish or hurt.
Seokyu shrugged, looking a little bashful. “I don’t know. I think I liked the idea of being completely on my own.”
“This was really fucking stupid of you, Seokyu.” Minho shook his head in disappointment.
“I know. I’m sorry.” Seokyu bowed his head in shame.
Woodam fought back the urge to respond with ‘it’s okay’. He knew it was not. This was a big blow to the groups trust with each other. It wouldn’t be okay for a while.
The ride home was the quietest Woodie has seen the group. Not one person spoke the whole way back to Seoul. Seokyu’s posture was stiff next to him on the train, looking out the window and occasionally jumping his leg nervously. When they finally arrived at HBH Entertainment, Hak Bonghwa was waiting outside the company. When the founder saw Seokyu, he opened his arms up.
“Welcome home, Seokyu!” He grinned, shaking the vocalist’s hand when he was closer. “I hope that you’re here to discuss your contract?”
Seokyu nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Fantastic.” Hak Bonghwa wrapped a fatherly arm around Seokyu’s shoulder. “I have it ready for your review in my office. Your lawyer is already waiting inside. I’ll be up with you soon.”
He gave Seokyu’s shoulder a squeeze before releasing him, watching him walk into the building. When Seokyu was gone, Bonghwa turned to the six men in front of him.
“Well, good work, boys. I’m glad you all made it home safely.” Bonghwa nodded. “Understand that this will be the last time an act like this happens. The lack of communication between us is dangerous and can end up with someone getting hurt. Are we in an understanding?”
The six men nodded silently.
“Fantastic.” Hak Bonghwa nodded. “Come inside. I have tea ready for all of you. After Seokyu’s signing, I think we need to have a discussion on artists’ freedom. Don’t you?”
The idols reached Yuso just as the sun was dipping into the horizon. The sky was dusted pink and purple, the city lights contrasting greatly with the fading light. Another day almost gone, and they still hadn’t found Seokyu.
“Seokyu-ah!” Kane belted, his hands cupped around his mouth. The Vice boys had taken to the streets of Yuso, poking into restaurants and bars, asking anyone if they had seen Seokyu. Not one person had seen the missing idol. The possibility of Seokyu not being in Yuso after all started to wiggle it’s way into the boy group’s mind as the sky got darker and the hours got later.
“This is bullshit.” Geonwu groaned after they left yet another bar without any leads. The singer stopped in his tracks, running a hand through his hair. “I can’t keep doing this.”
Ji turned around, furrowing his eyebrows. “What do you mean? We need to find Seokyu.”
Geonwu arched an eyebrow. “Have any of you ever thought that maybe he doesn’t wanna be found?”
“Are you giving up on him?” Kane asked defensively. squaring his shoulders.
“Seokyu’s the one that gave up on us. He’s the one that left without saying anything.” Geonwu snapped, hurt etched into his words. “Besides, I have a family to get home to.”
“Seokyu is our family.” Kane insisted, his fists balled.
"I love Seokyu, but I’m starting to agree with Wu.” Cyth frowned. “I feel like this has just been one big game of cat and mouse. Clearly Seokyu is alive and well... Maybe we should just let him do what he has to do.”
“But if he misses the deadline-” Woodam started.
“Then we carry on Vice without him.” Geonwu said flatly.
“Of course you two are the first to give up on him.” Ji criticized. “You guys only care about yourselves.”
“I only care about myself?” Geonwu repeated incredulously. “Is that why I left my wife and child to go on cross country trip? Is that why I’m putting my career at sake?”
"We have other parts of our lives that require us to be present.” Cyth defended. “And I think we’ve all spent a little too much time on Seokyu.”
The last comment sent the boy group into a frenzy of bickering and accusations. Minho, who has learned from experience that it’s best to just let his group mates hash it out before intervening, finally broke the argument up when Ji reeled his fist back as if he was preparing to punch Geonwu.
“Okay, okay, let’s cut this out.” Minho got between his members, extending his arms to force them apart. The voices around him quieted down, but his members still looked incredibly tense.
“We’re all sacrificing something by being here, that’s not a unique loss.” Minho reasoned. “No one’s making anyone stay. If you really want to go home, you can.”
He paused, giving anyone the opportunity to drop out now, but no one moved. He knew his friends well enough to know that none of them would really give up on Seokyu. A small smile threatened to tug at his lips.
“Alright. That’s what I thought. How about we find someplace to sleep. Tomorrow we’ll find Seokyu. I promise.”
The next morning, the boys ate their complimentary breakfast in silence. The tension from last night had carried over, the air between each member feeling fragile and stiff.
“I’ve been thinking.” Geonwu said carefully, placing his utensils down on his plate. “I know you guys don’t want to give up on Seokyu, but we should consider bringing in some extra help.”
“What do you mean?” Ji asked, giving Geonwu a weary look.
“We should call Detective Min. Maybe with our new information, he’ll open the case up again. He’s probably more equipped to find a missing person that we are.” Geonwu reasoned.
The other men let the suggestion sit in the air. Geonwu was right, but something about sitting back and waiting for something to happen didn’t settle right in their conscious.
Minho’s ringtone broke the silence, causing the leader to flinch back in surprise. The caller ID read ‘Hak Bonghwa’. Giving a cautious look around at the other members, Minho picked up the phone.
“Hello?” He answered.
“Minho.” The founder’s voice sounded tense. “Where are you? You haven’t been around the company in a few days.”
“Oh, you know...” Minho tried to think of an acceptable excuse. “We’re just working on some music independently. Wanted to get away from the stress of Seoul.”
“I wasn’t born yesterday, son.” Hak Bonghwa responded flatly. “You know that my support is always with you boys, but I have a company to run. Wherever you are, I want you back to the company before tomorrow night. Otherwise, I will have to cancel your comeback due to under-preparedness.”
Minho swallowed thickly. “Yes, sir.”
Hak Bonghwa exhaled a tired sigh. “Get back safely. See you soon.”
The call ended and Minho looked around at his members. It was over. They had no choice now but to call in Detective Min and hope for the best.
“We could take one last sweep of the city?” Woodam tried to sound soothing. “Maybe we missed something last night.”
Even though the boys gave another good search, there was nothing. They didn’t want to interact with too many people out of the fear of being exposed by a fan. Whatever they could do to continue the search resulted in nothing.
As the sun reached it’s peak in the sky, the boys decided that it was time to pack up their things and check out of Yuso.
As they were just blocks away from their hotel, Ji suddenly let out an exclamation of realization, slapping his palm to his forehead. The other five members turned around, halting their movement.
“What’s wrong?” Minho asked.
“I know what he’s doing!” Ji yelled out, pacing in a circle, hand still over his face. “God, why didn’t I realize it sooner!”
“Uh, Ji, you gonna fill us in or...?” Cyth prompted.
“This is all my fault… On New Years Eve, I told him that if there’s places he wants to visit, he should go visit them because life is too short.” Ji explained.
“You’re a philosopher.” Geonwu mumbled sarcastically.
“But I know where he’s going!” Ji ran his fingers through his hair. “What’s the one place Seokyu always writes down for our group vacations?”
Everyone blankly stared back at Ji. The rapper let out a disappointed sigh.
“I’ll give you a hint: his grandparents retired there not too long ago.” Joongji continues.
“Jeju?” The group responded in unison.
“Bingo.”
“That explains why he was looking at pictures of his grandmother before he left. He probably wanted to go visit her.” Minho realized.
“What if he’s not in Jeju? Then what?” Kane asked.
“We don’t have to be back at the company for another twenty four hours.” Woodam reasoned. “I’d rather take this chance than miss it completely.”
A silent agreement to Woodie’s statement fell over the group as they changed their course of direction, right to the closest ferry dock.
Summary: Vice finds an unexpected clue at a noodle restaurant.
Genre: Mystery, drama
Pairing: OT7 / OT6
Word Count: 1.0k
Warnings: Swearing, missing persons.
After stopping at a thrift store to pick up some average-looking clothes and hearing Kane whine and complain about his bladder feeling like it was going to explode, the group suggested stopping for an early lunch at a local restaurant. The restaurant was recommended to them by the woman running the thrift store, as it was locally famous for their spicy fire noodles.
Once the boys were given a seat at the restaurant, Kane bolted to the mens room. Once he relieved himself he let out a satisfied sigh, closing his eyes. He didn’t realize how tired he was until that moment. Not just physically, but emotionally too. The maknae hadn’t given himself time to think about Seokyu’s disappearance, but now that he was completely alone for the first time in three days, the reality of the situation was starting to hit him.
As he washed his hands, he looked at himself in the mirror. Why would Seokyu just leave them? Was there something that Kane could have done to make him stay? His throat closed up at the thought of his missing friend, but he swallowed hard. He wasn’t about to have a mental breakdown in this family-owned restaurant. These people didn’t get paid enough to deal with coaxing him out of the restroom. He shook his head and reached for a paper towel, patting his hands dry. Exiting the bathroom, he took a look around.
On the wall opposite to the bathroom was full of photographs of people holding up a large empty noodle bowl. He hadn’t noticed it when he was running past in a crisis, but now that the anxiety of possibly peeing himself was gone, he took a closer look at the pictures.
Most of the contestants had tear-stained faces with orangey-red sauce rimming their lips. The pictures were pretty comical, actually, but there was one face that stood out from the rest.
“No fucking way.” Kane said under his breath. Right in front of him, smiling with closed lips, was Seokyu. The owner of the restaurant had his arm around Seokyu’s shoulders like a proud father would, but Seokyu’s expression made it look like the challenge was easy. Kane took the picture off the wall, dashing back to the dining area.
“Guys! Look who’s on the wall!” Kane said excitedly, dropping the photograph in the middle of the table.
“Seokyu? He was here?” Woodam asked, his eyes wide.
The waitress came back over with their drinks, furrowing her eyebrows at the photograph. “Oh yeah, I remember him. He was in two nights ago. He wanted to try our Hell’s Bells Noodle Challenge.”
“Hell’s Bells? Like AC/DC?” Minho asked as the waitress placed their drinks down on the table.
The waitress chuckled. “You wish. If someone can get through our spicy noodle dish in under 5 minutes, they eat free. A lot of people try, but your friend here was real impressive.” She shared. “Finished in less than two minutes. He didn’t even accept the eat free coupon.”
The boy group exchanged bewildered looks with each other. Seokyu never had a huge appetite, at least not compared to the rest of them. Seokyu didn’t even like spicy food. Why would he try this challenge if he had money on him to afford food? What was he doing in Cheongju when he told Eunjoo he’d be heading to Yuso?
“And you said he was here two days ago?” Cyth asked.
The waitress nodded, looking around the table curiously. “Why? Has he been ghosting you guys?”
“Something like that, yeah.” Geonwu said bitterly, taking a sip of his water.
“Ma’am, did he say anything about visiting Yuso while he was here?” Kane asked anxiously. The waitress clicked her tongue, trying to recall the night Seokyu visited the restaurant.
“You know, he had a travel guide that he left behind. I think we chucked it behind the hostess desk if you would like me to grab it?” She offered.
Kane sighed with relief. “Yes please, that would be appreciated.”
The waitress hurried off, leaving the boys alone.
“What if he’s not going to Yuso anymore?” Ji wondered aloud. “If he’s not heading there, we’re fucked. Yuso is our only lead.”
“Let’s wait and see that travel guide. Maybe we’ll get a new lead.” Minho suggested, using the tone he only uses when he wants everyone to calm down, even though he himself is freaking out.
The waitress returned with a notebook full of travel guides poking out from the pages. The boys recognized the notebook immediately. Minho had given the notebook to Seokyu after his first year anniversary with Vice. It was meant for lyric writing or choreography formation, but now it was being doubled as a folder for travel brochures.
Luckily, most of the travel guides still focused on Yuso and there were a few pamphlets on sailing. But something else caught the member’s eyes. On the page were all the brochures were still poking out were a bunch of names that weren’t familiar to Vice.
“Wait, that says Oh Eunjoo.” Kane pointed, recognizing the name of the crazed psychic they met yesterday.
“That’s my name.” The waitress frowned. She had returned with their meals, but her attention was now on the book in front of them. “I’m Lee Seunghee. Sixth name from the bottom. And below that… Kim Taewoo, that’s the owner.”
“Why is he keeping a list of names?” Woodie asked aloud. No one had an answer.
“Well… Enjoy you meals!” Seunghee gave a weak smile. She dashed away, clearly put off by the fact that a random man had written her name down in a book.
“Seokyu… what the fuck is going on inside that head.” Ji shook his head, a dry chuckle escaping his lips.
Kane observed the notes one more time. “Well, at least we know we’re on the right track with Yuso, right?”
“Yeah. I hope so.” Minho nodded, although he seemed a little unsure. The leader picked up his chopsticks, gesturing to everyone around him. “Eat up, you don’t want your food to get cold.”
Summary: After resting up for the night, the boys leave Minho’s house very early to search for Seokyu again.
Genre: Mystery, drama
Pairing: OT6 / OT7
Word Count: 0.7k
Warnings: Swearing, missing persons, invasion of privacy.
JAN. 2020
Kane was finding it hard to breathe under the face mask and thick scarf Woodam made him wear, but he knew it was crucial that he concealed as much of his identity as possible. The train station around them was full of commuters going back to work after the holidays. If anyone recognized them all together like this without Seokyu, things were going to get ugly.
He didn’t want to say anything, but the teenage girl standing next to him on the platform kept staring at his side profile with her eyebrows furrowed.
“How much longer until our train arrives?” Kane asked Cyth nervously. The sooner they got away from this girl, the better.
“About ten minutes. Calm down.” Cyth responded, his voice muffled by his own mask.
Kane looked hesitantly over at the girl next to him, who was now typing something rapidly on her phone. Kane felt his heart rate speed up. “We might have a situation in a minute.”
Cyth caught on, looking cautiously over Kane’s shoulder at the younger girl.
“I’m sure it’s nothing-” Cyth started to explain, but then a group of teenage girls started moving closer and closer to them, giggling and murmuring to each other excitedly, each of them with their cellphones out.
“Fuck.” Cyth swore under his breath.
“Let’s walk a little, maybe they won’t follow.” Minho suggested under his breath, grabbing his backpack full of supplies and throwing it over one shoulder.
Unfortunately, as the group moved, more and more fans started crowding behind them, all talking in hushed voices. Kane made the mistake of checking over his shoulder.
Once he made eye contact, it was over. The fans screamed, stumbling backward in shock before surging forward as a unit, their eyes wild and cameras out.
Vice took off. Kane pulled the scarf covering his face down so he could breathe easier while running. The last time he had to run from a fan was when the boys were getting stalked in 2011. He thought that the fanbase would out-grow this behavior, but they never failed to surprise him.
Above them, an automated voice announced that their train is almost leaving the station. The six members hurried onto the platform, just making it onto the train before the doors closed behind them, separating them from their fans with a glass door.
Everyone in the car gave them annoyed looks but no one seemed to recognize them, as the car was filled with middle-aged people on their way to work. The boys took up two rows, collapsing against their seats, still breathing hard.
“Once we find this kid,” Woodam spoke first. “We’re all going to the gym.”
The members let out chuckles, pulling themselves together and sitting up straight.
“Do I even want to check social media right now?” Ji questioned, even though his thumb had already pressed down on the twitter app.
The pictures of them waiting for the train had already started to float around. By the end of the hour, both AllKpop and Koreaboo had reported on the sighting of the six Vice members.
“I told you guys I’d pay for an Uber Black.” Geonwu sighed in annoyance. “It would have been worth it to avoid this mess. Now HBH is going to know what we’re up to and I’ll be starting my 2020 off unemployed and homeless.”
“Out of everyone here, you are the last person who would be financially insecure.” Cyth rolled his eyes. “And can you please stop with the Uber Black thing?”
“Hey, take it easy on Wu, he just discovered what Uber was last month.” Ji teased, grinning at the jab he made at Geonwu. The other boys huffed in amusement, despite Geonwu’s frown.
They traveled on a bit more before Kane started getting antsy.
“Hey, guys, can we take a break at the next stop?” Kane whined, looking around at his other members with pleading eyes. “I have to use the little boys’ room.”
“You could have called it... anything else.” Woodie sighed, closing his eyes and shaking his head in disappointment.
Actually, Kane’s got the right idea.” Minho said thoughtfully, just now realizing that wearing expensive jackets and shoes doesn’t really help them blend in very well. “We’re gonna have to ditch these clothes if we want to continue unnoticed.”
Summary: The hunt for Seokyu continues. Vice OT6 travels to the bar in Suwon from the flyer and gets some information.
Genre: Mystery, drama
Pairing: OT7 Vice
Word Count: 0.7k
Warnings: Talks of missing persons, mentions of drunk people.
JAN. 2020
The bar looked a little bit more prestigious on the flyer.
The windows were caked with grime, and the place looked like it wouldn’t hold more than thirty people. To top it all off, Geonwu was convinced he just saw a rat dart out from the garbage bags in front of the establishment. Out of all the places in the city of Suwon, why would Seokyu travel here?
The cab that had dropped them off darted off almost as soon as Vice had hopped out. There was no turning around now, not unless the group of young men wanted to wait on the corner for another cab. Geonwu actually considered offering to pay for an Uber Black, but Minho was walking towards the main entrance of the bar. Vice did the natural thing and followed their leader into the dark building.
The air was stale and musty, as if the bar had a “no air circulation” rule. The lack of fresh air seemed to have an effect on everyone inside. The old drunkards slouched on bar stools, their actions slow and lazy. The bartender leaned on the counter, talking to a pair of men, moving his hands around slowly as he spoke. When the bartender noticed the six strange men standing in his bar, he slowly stopped talking all at once. Geonwu had never felt more out of place in his life. Seokyu owed him big time for this.
Cyth walked over to the bar, clearly unbothered by the questioning looks they were getting. He knocked on the bar top, sliding onto a stool.
“Have you seen this man?” Cyth asked, showing a picture of Seokyu and Cyth smiling on the beach. They took that this summer, after they all got discharged from military service.
The bartender looked at the phone screen, then eyed each member carefully. Geonwu felt a chill when the older man’s eyes scanned him.
“I only help customers.” The bartender responded slowly, leaning back and resuming his conversation with his friends.
“This is sort of an emergency, sir.” Cyth said shortly.
“And I have a business to run. Either buy a drink or get out of my bar.” The bartender jutted his thumb towards the exit. Geonwu took that as a clear invitation to leave, but none of the other members moved.
“Fine.” Woodam huffed, digging in his pockets and pulling out a wad of cash. “Here. Six drinks. Please.”
The bartender scooped up the cash, counting each dollar carefully. When he was satisfied with the payment he shoved the cash into his back pocket. Then he reached under the bar and placed six bottles of lukewarm beer onto the table. The Vice members took their drinks, but no one was drinking.
“So, have you seen this man?” Cyth repeated, showing the picture again. The bartender gave it another look, furrowing his eyebrows.
“Hey, ain’t that Kyu?” One of the men that was sitting at the bar asked.
“Kyu?” Kane asked under his breath.
The bartender nodded, rubbing his chin. “Oh yeah. Kyu performed here two nights in a row. Talented kid, he is. Well mannered too, never loitered.”
“Was he here last night?” Minho asked excitedly.
The bartender shook his head. “Nah. I haven’t heard from him in at least a day.”
“Yeah, not since he ran off with The Visionary.” A man at the bar cackled into his drink. The other men at the bar laughed too, as if they all shared an inside joke.
“The Visionary? What is that, a cult?” Geonwu asked, his anxiety spiked at the thought of having to track down a cult in order to get their friend back.
“I think a cult would be saner.” A barfly barked in laughter.
“What is The Visionary?” Minho demanded. The bartender looked at the bottles in front of the Vice members.
“I’m not sure your bill covers that information.” The bartender mused. Minho shook his head and pulled out his wallet, taking out a thick wad of cash. He slapped the money down on the table. The bartender took the money and fanned it out.
“The answer to your question isn’t a ‘what’, it’s a ‘who’.” The bartender grinned.
Summary: Solji and Minho have their first ‘date’ at the dog cafe. Minho really wants a puppy now. Episode 2 of We Got Married.
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2014
The cafe was pretty busy, so the two of them had to wait for a table. Minho looked a little displeased by the wait. Solji wasted no time teasing him about the pouty expression.
“Am I going to experience your hangry mood swing already?” Solji teased Minho as the two waited outside for a table to open up.
“Not at all. I don’t get hangry.” Minho said defensively.
“Right... I’m sure you don’t.” Solji joshed.
Before Minho’s agitation could even begin to simmer, they were called inside. They sat down towards the back of the cafe, away from most of the other customers.
“Oh, look how cute!” Solji exclaimed before they even had a chance to look at the menu. A small fluffy white puppy came waddling over to the pair, wagging his stumpy tail with excitement. Solji knelt down and scratched the puppy behind the ears.
Minho sank down to the floor as well, a goofy smile playing on his lips as they both pat and pampered the small dog. When the dog started licking Minho’s hand, he officially turned into a pile of mush.
“Oh my god, I need him to come home with me. Right now.” He stated. Solji laughed before realizing he was serious.
“You’re ditching me for a dog?” Solji questioned in a playful tone.
“Looks like it. Bye.” Minho scooped up the dog and made it look like he was walking away.
“Hey!” Solji reached for his arm, turning him back towards her. Minho let out a chuckle before placing the dog down.
“I’m teasing. You’re way cuter than a puppy anyway.” Minho winked, trying to win back Solji. The girl group leader just shook her head.
“Who knew you’d be such a flirt?” Solji pouted, but she still took her spot across from Minho at the table.
“Hey, I have an idea.” Minho suggested after looking over the menu. “What if we order for each other? Like you order your favorite drink and I’ll order mine, but the other person has it.”
Solji looked a little hesitant but she agreed. Minho ordered his favorite chai latte while Solji ordered her personal coffee order. They asked for a bunch of macarons to share.
While they were waiting for their food, the same small puppy kept running up to their table and running around their feet.
“He’s really cute, huh?” Solji commented, gazing fondly at the dog.
“I really want to adopt him. Can we bring him home with us tonight?” Minho asked, giving Solji puppy dog eyes.
“We can’t bring him with us.” Solji reminded Minho. Minho pouted, but he let the topic die just in time for their coffees and macarons.
Minho held up Solji’s signature coffee and observed it hesitantly. Solji had already taken several drinks of the chai latte that Minho usually ordered and was now watching his reaction.
“C’mon, it was your idea.” Solji pushed. “You can’t back out now.”
Minho sighed before taking a sip. He let the taste sit in his mouth for a second before his eyes went wide.
“Wait, this is delicious!” Minho blinked a few times in awe. “Wait... I’m mind blown.”
Solji just laughed and shook her head. “You’re overreacting for the camera.”
“No, I swear!” Minho laughed, taking another sip to prove that he actually enjoyed it. “Solji, you’re a beverage genius. I’m stealing this order from now on.”
The two talked a little more. Solji confessed that she had looked up to see who she’d be paired with the night before.
“I was a little nervous to meet you. You seem like such a cool person on stage... Now I see that you’re a big dork.” Solji laughed. Minho gasped, pretending to be offended.
“What, you are! I’ve never seen anyone so obsessed over a puppy in my life!” Solji pointed out. “You’re just a big soft-”
“Solji, say ah~” Minho tried to silence Solji by holding a macaron up to her mouth. Solji frowned, but bit into the dessert.
Once the macaron was gone from Minho’s hands, he pointed to the nearest camera and winked. “I want that in a slow-motion edit.” He requested. Solji nodded in agreement, laughing through a mouthful of macaron.
Finally, they had finished their food. Once their plates were taken away, they recieved yet again another envelope.
“It’s time for the happy couple to move in together!” Minho read out loud. Solji clapped in excitement before standing up. The two linked arms and exited the cafe, ready to head to their new home.
Summary: Minho and Solji are coupled up on We Got Married. Minho thinks We Got Married is ridiculous, but maybe Solji can change his mindset. AKA, the first time Solji and Minho meet.
A/N: Disclaimer that the only parts of WGM that I’ve ever watched are of Joy & Sungjae. I’m going to be heavily basing Minho & Solji’s time on WGM off those clips I’ve seen.
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2014
Minho was always told by his mother that when he meets the one, he’ll know it’s her.
As beautiful as that sounded, Minho was starting to think it was a load of crap, and now that he was a full-fledged idol, he had a feeling that his one and only was never going to find him. Whoever he was destined to be with would have to find someone else. He was occupied being the fake boyfriend of thousands of fans and busting his ass every day just to stay relevant in his line of work.
Like a few weeks ago when his company suggested that he go on We Got Married as a promotion to show his ‘soft and romantic’ side. Originally, Minho wasn’t down to pretend to be married to someone. The whole concept of the show seemed a little silly to him, but nonetheless, he agreed knowing it would bring a good image to Vice and HBH.
The Vice boys exploded with screams and claps when Minho was handed the first mission card of the season.
“Open it! Open it now!” Kane demanded, shaking his elder friend’s shoulders. Minho couldn’t help but let out a chuckle as he opened the box. Inside was a phone and a mission statement. The first mission was to text his new ‘wife’.
“OOOOH!” The Vice members teased once they finished reading the card.
“Should we give you two some uh, privacy?” Sungho joked. Woodam slapped Sungho’s arm, but he couldn’t hide his own grin.
“What should I say?” Minho asked his friends, wanting their input before he sent anything.
“Just start flirting!” Ji said like it was obvious. “Say something sweet!”
Minho shrugged and typed in “Hello, gorgeous” before pressing send. The simple action caused a big reaction from his groupmates, all who were latching onto each other, impatiently waiting for Minho’s wife to answer.
A text message came back, and Minho chuckled at the response.
“How do you know I’m gorgeous? You don’t know me, do you?” He read out loud. The boy group laughed at the text.
“She’s not letting you get off easy, I like it.” Geonwu clapped his hands in amusement.
“You’re my wife. You’ll be gorgeous to me no matter what.” Minho typed out, reading each word as his thumbs flew across the screen.
“Have you done this before?” Seokyu asked. “You seem very experienced.”
Minho shook his head. The introduction flirting bounced back and forth before the production team gave Minho his second task: bringing a gift to his new wife for tomorrow’s meeting.
Minho settled for flowers. He didn’t really want to go out of his way, but he also didn’t want to show up empty-handed, looking like a douche bag. They agreed to meet at a local park in front of the central fountain.
Minho got there first and was left to pace in circles around the fountain. He didn’t think he’d be nervous for something like this, yet here he was. He had avoided all tabloids, wanting whoever it was to be a surprise.
He was just about to text his ‘wife’ to see her whereabouts, but he didn’t have to. When he circled back around to the front of the fountain, he bumped into none other than Heo Solji.
He grunted after colliding with her, the white roses in his hand crumpled a little on impact.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry.” Minho apologized, his cheeks flushing red.
“No, no, I’m okay! Are you okay?” Solji asked, straightening herself out. Minho nodded before his eyes landed on what she had in her hands. She brought him white roses too.
“I’m Minho.” Minho introduced himself.
“I know. I’m Solji.”
“I know.” Minho couldn’t help but grin. “Were you pacing too?”
Solji looked a little embarrassed. “I was nervous and couldn’t stay still.” She explained.
“Well, don’t be nervous. Here, these are for you.” Minho handed her the white roses. In exchange, Solji handed over her own collection of flowers.
“I heard that white roses symbolize marriage and new beginnings,” Minho explained.
“I heard something very similar.” Solji chuckled.
Before the two could talk any further, they were interrupted by another mission card.
“Now it’s time for the couple to have their first date! Select a location and spend some time together.” Solji read from the card with Minho looking over her shoulder.
“Where’d you like to go?” Solji asked. Minho shrugged.
“It’s up to you. A happy wife makes a happy life.” He teased. Solji giggled and thought for a moment, tapping the mission card against her chin.
“You know where I’ve never been?” Solji posed. “A dog cafe.”
