Walking into the studio was the first time that Hongjoong had ever felt like a celebrity. There were staff members all over, talking to each other over headsets, passing around clipboards, and yelling out instructions. Cameras and crews filled every corner, setting up different locations for shoots. He and his members were immediately corralled into hair and makeup and stylists flitted around, grabbing pallets and brushes off of the carts parked precariously around the room. He tried to keep a calm and professional face as he noticed his members looking a bit nervous and overwhelmed. He continually reassured them and kept pumping them up by joking around with them to make them laugh. He himself was pretty overwhelmed but San had anticipated this  and dropped by with hugs every so often.

After a few hours, his stylists finished and he was brought into the studio get his photos taken. He had never had a photo shoot before and he wasn't entirely sure what to do with himself but thankfully they had a few people giving him orders.

"Alright can you try turning your torso this way and look over here. Place your elbow on your knee, yes just like that! Perfect don't move!"

Hongjoong began to gain confidence and started to calm down. As soon as it started it was over and they rushed to move around the scenery for the next member. As he was guided back to the dressing room he noticed a group of six boys heading over to a station for a photo shoot, and realized it was probably another band. It seemed silly that he hadn't considered other new bands would be using the same studio for their shoots. After all, it was a pretty big building. Maybe they would be able to meet a few groups, he thought excitedly. But as he neared the dressing room he was struck with a sudden realization. Wonderland might be here.

Just as he entered, San was rushing to him, eyes wide.

"Um—we have a problem—"

"Don't tell me he's here," Hongjoong asked, already sure of the answer.

San grabbed his arm and pulled him back out the studio.

"He's in the dressing room right now," he said finally once they were stopped.

"Wha—right NOW!?" Hongjoong said running his hands back through his hair.

"Yeah, at least I'm pretty sure. I'm not sure what he looks like but I saw my ex so..."

Hongjoong looked at San and saw that he was visibly upset and he put his arms around him.

"I'm sorry San. Did you guys talk at all?"

"No, we just made eye contact and I ran to find you."

"Thanks, San. Do you want to talk to him?"

"He wants to give me an explanation but I think it's just going to hurt more. I don't want to hurt anymore," he muttered biting his lip.

"I get that but I think you owe it to yourself to hear him out. You really care about him and it seems like he really cares about you," Hongjoong said, his hand on San's shoulder.

"Maybe later."

"Of course, there's no rush San. Whenever you're ready," Hongjoong smiled and San smiled half-heartedly in return.

San had to prepare for his shoot still so Hongjoong forced him to go get ready. Now that he was alone, he sat down in a hidden corner where he could still keep an eye out for Seonghwa.

———

"Um, hi. Hello? You're Hongjoong right?"

Hongjoong heard an unfamiliar voice as he was awoken from his unintentional nap. He opened his eyes to see a man a little younger than him leaning over him.

"Um—yes—uh hi?" he mustered. "Sorry I didn't mean to fall asleep here. Um, do I know you?"

"Oh—I'm Wooyoung."

Hongjoong was suddenly awake. Wooyoung as in San's Wooyoung??

"Oh um hi! H-how did you know it was me?"

"I saw him run out to hide you and when I followed his path I saw you sleeping and I remembered him telling me you tend to fall asleep pretty easily," laughed Wooyoung.

Hongjoong brushed a hand through his hair looking down, a bit embarrassed.

"That makes sense," he said with a shy smile.

"Listen, I wanted to talk to you about Seonghwa."

"Of course, please! Anything he needs help with I am here."

"He doesn't need help, I just—I want to make sure you're not going to hurt him."

Hongjoong felt hurt but he knew Wooyoung was just being protective.

"I would never hurt him," Hongjoong said, and he meant it.

"It's just—he's head over heels for you and I've never seen him like this before. He's letting us take more breaks and he even asked us to go out once. I know it's all good things and I'm proud that he's not as worked up as usual but I know that it isn't entirely like him. You're not putting any pressure on him to lighten his load are you?"

"No! Of course not! His career comes first!" Hongjoong insisted. "I know how important it is to him."

Wooyoung laughed a little.

"Even before you? That doesn't seem fair."

"Even before me. I don't want him to lose everything he's worked for over me. I can take it, I'm pretty independent naturally."

Wooyoung scoffed and looked away.

"What, did I say something wrong?"

"You're crazy."

"What?"

"He's brainwashed you. You're really okay with being second place to him?"

"I'm just glad to rank," Hongjoong laughed shyly. "Any time I get to spend with Seonghwa is better than no time."

"I guess that's why you're waiting to tell him."

Hongjoong looked Wooyoung in the eye.

"I'm going to do it. I just—I'm not sure he'll be able to overlook it. I get the sense that he isn't as crazy about me as I am about him and that makes sense, I mean I'm not all that great—"

"You are hopelessly brainwashed! He tries to make his career so important so he can use it as an excuse. He uses it to avoid his feelings and emotions. He may not have told you or me but I can tell he's crazy about you. I saw his messages from you this morning while he was in the shower and you were clearly avoiding him. Normally he would snap and either force an answer or ignore you back. But he wasn't even that mad, just a bit sad. But I heard him talking to himself in the shower and he whispered "I trust you." I'm assuming that was meant about you."

"I have a lot of questions about why you're so nosy but I'll hold off on those. He wasn't mad??"

"Not even irritated."

"Last time I even asked him about his actions he got super defensive and almost cut me off entirely. And he didn't get mad about me being evasive?"

"Nope."

Hongjoong was shocked. He didn't think Seonghwa had any faith in him. It made him feel guilty, knowing Seonghwa had every reason to be distrustful of him. After all, he was hiding a big secret. He needed to tell him. And soon.

"I see that you really care about him," Wooyoung smiled. "I can see the way you worry about him."

Hongjoong blushed a bit.

"I trust that you'll do everything in your power to tell him in a way that won't destroy him. I know it's not an easy situation but we both know he has to know at some point."

"I understand. I plan on telling him soon."

"Okay. Good." Wooyoung paused, looking at his shoes which he started rubbing on the ground shyly.

"I also wanted to ask you about San. Is...is he doing okay? I hate seeing him hurt. You have to know that I didn't want to end things either I just hated the way it was making us fight and putting us on edge and I couldn't keep putting him through that."

"I'm not mad at you for how you ended things with San. I can see where you were coming from. But I don't think I'm the one you need to talk to."

"I'm trying to talk to San but he doesn't want to talk to me...I don't know what to do."

"I think you're doing everything you can. He just needs time."

"I know it's just so hard to watch him hurt alone. I was always the one that was there for him and now—I'm the reason he's hurting."

"He's not alone. He's got me. I'm watching him for you. You can trust me to make sure he's okay, alright?"

Wooyoung smiled and gave him a hug.

"Thank you."

"Of course."

He pulled back and wiped his eyes a bit.

"I guess I better go back to Seonghwa before he starts to miss me," Wooyoung said with a smirk and Hongjoong laughed.

"It was really nice to meet the person who's been comforting my Sani all these years."

"And it was nice to meet the man that Seonghwa has been enfatuated with," laughed Wooyoung and he quickly jogged back to the dressing room.

Hongjoong laughed and was about to get up when he saw Seonghwa walking over to his photo shoot. He knew he should hide and run out of view but he couldn't move. He was frozen by his beauty. His hair was loosely combed, a few strands lying gracefully on his face. He wore a collared white shirt with an embroidered black vest and a pair of dangly gold earrings. He was breathtaking. A staff beside Hongjoong called out a loud order to a set of photographers across the room and Seonghwa started to look over at the sound. Hongjoong quickly dove behind the tech cart beside him, pleading with all his might that Seonghwa hadn't seen him. He waited for almost ten minutes behind the cart until a staff member came and asked what he was doing.

"Oh just tying my shoes," he laughed and pretended to knot his laceless loafers, getting an even stranger look from the man who decided to just walk away.

Hongjoong dared a peek out from the cart and couldn't see Seonghwa anywhere. He sighed and decided to head back to the dressing room so he could be out before Seonghwa was done. Once he was dressed back in his normal clothes he found San and they headed back to his car.

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Hey y'all sorry this chapter took so long to write and also that it's kinda bad and also that it's so long I just wanted some Wooyoung Hongjoong content 💖💖 thanks for making it through 💀