best of me | woosan (✓)

- seventy six -

before the group even knew it, school was starting up again in just a few days. seonghwa had decided to continue with school, while hongjoong decided that he wouldn't be going back. yunho and mingi were excited to be rooming together, but this left yeosang feeling sad and insecure (however he refused to show it). all seven boys were hanging out as they knew things would begin to get busy soon, and wooyoung was the first to bring up the elephant in the room.

"so... if you and mingi are rooming together, who's going to room with sangie? hwa's not living on campus, y'know..."

yunho's smile turned into a soft frown, and yeosang quickly shot wooyoung a glare.

"i-i didn't even think about that..." yunho admitted.

"it's okay, yunho. i'm going to be alright, i promise. you guys aren't going to just leave me all alone, i know that... i'll still be able to come by when i need your help or company."

"sangie... what about your anxiety?" seonghwa asked softly. "are you sure you're going to be okay with a random roommate?"

"stop worrying about me! i'm going to be okay, i-i'm not a baby..." yeosang yelled, starting to feel a bit anxious about the conversation.

san quickly noticed how yeosang was suffocating from the attention and frowned a bit, then got up and moved to sit next to the boy.

"yeosang... yeosang, breathe," san whispered, gently grabbing one of the boy's hands.

upon realizing what he had started and seeing yeosang's reaction to it all, wooyoung began to feel guilty, eyes welling with tears as he quickly left the room, regretting ever bringing up the subject.

"breathe, sangie... it's okay, you're okay," san repeated, squeezing a pattern against yeosang's hand.

"let's give sangie some space, yeah?" hongjoong suggested, getting up to go to the kitchen, hoping the others would follow.

one by one they did, mingi staying back for a second and struggling to decide between helping yeosang himself or going and joining the others.

"san..." mingi started softly.

"mingi... now's not a—"

"let me take care of him, san. you go check on woo, yeah?"

"you're sure?"

mingi nodded, quickly taking yeosang's other hand and allowing san to get up.

"hey... yeosang, it's okay. try and follow my breathing, okay?"

yeosang nodded slightly, allowing mingi to guide him in taking a few deep breaths and even out his breathing, which helped the older to calm down.

"that's it... hey, how are you doing now? feeling a little better?"

"how did you know how to—?"

"i don't tend to act like it... but i have anxiety too. the only person who really knows about it is yunho though, i've tried to hide it from everyone else."

"a-and yunho takes care of you?"

"only when i desperately need him. most of the time if i feel an anxiety attack starting i like to handle it on my own so i don't feel like a burden... the first time yunho had to help me i couldn't look him in the eye for a week because i felt so bad that i needed help."

"i-i wish i didn't need other people's help..."

"it's okay that you do, yeosang."

"i'm sorry that i made such a scene..."

"don't be sorry, sangie. you were put on the spot and didn't want yunho to feel bad or anything. it's okay."

"i'm okay with you and yunho rooming together. i-i never brought it up because i know how much he loves you and i didn't want to get in the way of that. woo just worries about me, but i'm going to be okay. if i ever need you guys, i'll just come by and visit."

"our door will always be open for you, yeosang. and if you're still looking for a roommate... i know you guys probably aren't on the best terms right now, but jongho's looking for one too. and he's been asking about you."

"i can't do that to myself again, mingi... i've given him plenty of chances, i can't keep letting myself get hurt."

"that's okay, i understand. i just figured i'd let you know. he's been trying to change for the better, and i know he'd want me to ask you if you were interested."

"thank you anyways, mingi. a-and thank you for helping me."

"anytime, yeosang."

yunho frowned as he listened to the two boys converse, feeling deeply conflicted. he wanted so badly to be able to room with both of them, but he also didn't want for yeosang to feel awkward or as though he were third wheeling with the two.

"hey... yuyu, it's okay. everything's gonna work itself out, y'know," seonghwa assured.

"how are you so sure?"

"i think what yeosang said, about how he's not a baby... we really need to think about that. we've always acted like he's such a fragile human being, and i think this is the start of us seeing him in a different light. we can't keep babying him, yunho. he's stronger than we think, maybe even stronger than he thinks. he needs to be set free and you rooming with mingi is the perfect opportunity for us to watch him grow. he's going to be okay. he'll come to us when he needs us, but he can't rely so heavily on us for the rest of his life."

"y-you're right..." yunho sighed. "i'm just... what happens if he doesn't come to us when he needs us? what if something happens?"

"sangie's smart, he'll be able to take care of himself. everything will be alright, yuyu."

yunho nodded, sighing once more as seonghwa pat him on the back gently.

meanwhile, in san and wooyoung's room, san sat holding a sad wooyoung in his arms, rubbing the younger's back.

"hey... hey, it's okay, woo. sangie knows you didn't mean any harm. you were just worried about him and that's okay."

"h-he had an anxiety attack because of me. how is that okay?"

"it wasn't because of you, woo. he was overwhelmed. clearly he's been thinking about all of this on his own as well, because i don't think he would've gotten anxious so quickly if he hadn't been. he's okay though, mingi's helping him to calm down."

"mingi? does he even know how to—?"

"i trust him, bub. sangie's safe in his hands."

wooyoung nodded a bit, taking a couple of shaky breaths.

"there you go, love... just keep on trying to relax, yeah?"

"san... what if sangie's mad at me?"

"he won't be, baby. i promise," san whispered, kissing wooyoung's forehead.

there was a light knock on the door, causing wooyoung to tighten his grip on san.

"shh... you're okay, woo... i'm here," san assured, kissing wooyoung's temple before looking at the door. "who is it?"

"i-it's me..." yeosang called from the other side of the door.

"come on in, sangie..."

wooyoung tensed a bit as yeosang opened the door, nervous about seeing him. san noticed and rubbed wooyoung's back gently, waving yeosang to come over.

"wooyoungie... i'm not mad at you. you're just showing how much you care and i appreciate that, i really do," yeosang started, sitting down.

"b-but?"

"but i didn't bring this up for a reason. i know how excited yunho is about rooming with mingi, i didn't want to ruin that excitement for him. yeah, i'm nervous about having a random roommate, but i'm going to be okay. you guys are ten minutes away if i need you, and i know that if i need anything and can't get to you, yunho and mingi will let me in with open arms."

"you're sure?"

"we've been through everything together, woo. i know that no matter what i say you're still going to be worried, but i promise... i'm going to be okay."

"you'll call me if you ever need anything?"

"when have i not?"

wooyoung nodded a bit, reaching and grabbing yeosang's hand.

"everything will be okay," yeosang muttered softly. "i promise."