Five Days Before the Party
"Come, sit." The very moment Hansol opened the door to Seventeen's dorm, he was greeted by all twelve of his members sitting in a circle on the floor. Alongside them sat Jiyeon, her presence only adding to the chaos. A collective shift of heads followed the command from Seungcheol, their eyes locking onto Hansol like a scene straight out of a drama.
He sighed, dropping his bag onto an empty kitchen chair before heading into the living room with a resigned pace. There was an empty space on the floor in the circle, beckoning him to take his seat next to Vernon.
"So? Where the hell were you?" Seungcheol, always the first to poke and prod, wasted no time in setting the tone for the interrogation. Hansol had seen this before—this was the routine, the playful but piercing questioning that had become part of Seventeen's culture. It was just another chapter in their history.
Hansol stuffed his hands in his pockets, sitting cross-legged on the floor as he tried to build a decent bluff. He might've learned a thing or two from Jeonghan's lessons in manipulation years ago, but right now, he just needed to get through it.
"I was with my friend for lunch. I said that in the van?"
"What person has lunch with their friend until 10:31 at night?" Seungkwan fired back without missing a beat. He and Hansol had been close for years, but that didn't stop the vocalist's curiosity from getting the best of him.
Joshua, sitting next to Hansol, caught his eye, offering a soft look of reassurance—an unspoken reminder of their recent heart-to-heart.
"I guess her and I just got carried away," Hansol muttered. "Nothing special."
"Her?"
"What? Is there a problem with that?" Hansol's irritation flared slightly, a hint of defensiveness creeping into his voice. His members exchanged uncertain glances.
Jeonghan, ever the empathetic one, shifted his attention to Hansol. His tone remained calm, but his words held weight. "There's nothing wrong with that, but we just want to make sure you're alright. If you're seeing someone, or even just talking to someone...we could help. You know how it is. With everything going on, we want to protect you."
Hansol groaned, the weight of the conversation pressing down on him. "Look, we're not dating, alright? She's a friend, nothing more." It was the most assertive he'd sounded in a while, and the room fell into a quiet stillness.
Seungcheol, as intimidating as usual, wisely chose not to press further. Instead, he let the silence linger. Hansol, clearly feeling the heat of the moment, quickly stood up. He needed space.
But just as he was about to retreat down the hall, Joshua grabbed his wrist, pulling him back with an unexpected gentleness.
"You should invite her to our party."
Hansol blinked, a mix of surprise and reluctance filling him. He had already done so, but hearing Joshua's calm suggestion made it feel...real.
He gave a small nod, letting out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "Yeah...I'll invite her."
And with that, he retreated to his room, his mind swirling in circles, unsure of where this "friendship" might lead.
hey are we still good for today?
𝙢𝙧 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙤𝙣
ofc :) only if you are
I think I'll be fine. Plus, I really need socialization, so I'm totally down.
𝙢𝙧 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙤𝙣
great! there's no real theme but think cocktail, but a little more formal
bro how do u know that 😭
𝙢𝙧 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙤𝙣
cocktail?
yeah this is rlly trippy. Most men are just like "dress nice" 💀
𝙢𝙧 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙤𝙣
oh, one of my member's girlfriends is our stylist, so she teaches me fashion stuff a lot of the time
OMG JIYEON RIGHT?
𝙢𝙧 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙤𝙣
yeah wait, how do u know that? hello? 🤨
goodbye, the news of their relationship was EVERYWHEREEEEE. Couldn't escape it.
𝙢𝙧 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙤𝙣
oh yeah, huh? anyways, the party's at 8. I'll pick you up :)
see you at 8, sol!
As the clock ticked closer to 8:00 PM, Nabi stood in front of her mirror, staring at herself with a mixture of doubt and anticipation. She had spent hours perfecting her look—after all, this was Hansol's world, and she was about to step into it for the first time. What would they think of her? Would she fit in? The questions spiraled, even though she knew deep down that she had no real reason to be nervous. She was just... Hansol's friend. Nothing more.
But her nerves told her otherwise.
The ring of the doorbell snapped her from her thoughts, and she jumped into action.
When she opened the door, her breath caught in her throat. Hansol, in an outfit that looked nothing like his usual casual wear, stood in front of her, looking effortlessly stunning. He'd always been handsome, but tonight... he was different.
She managed to stutter out, "I- wow, you look amazing." Her voice was soft, but her eyes told him everything he needed to know.
Hansol's gaze softened, and he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "As do you."
Her heart fluttered a little. "We're matching," she exclaimed, eyes wide with realization.
"I guess we were both feeling the white today," he chuckled nervously.
Nabi grinned, leading him outside with a playful tug. "Please. I wear white like every day," she teased, trying to ease the tension that had started to build between them. The air between them felt warm, electric even, and neither of them wanted to disrupt it.
As they walked toward his car, Hansol's hand brushed hers, and it felt like an electric current shot through her. She stole a glance at him, only to find him already looking at her. Their gazes locked for a split second, both of them noticing the small but intimate contact. Neither of them pulled away, and Nabi's heart skipped a beat.
Just as they reached the car, Hansol turned to her with a quiet breath. "Let's do this?" he asked, his voice low but steady.
Nabi smiled softly, the kind of smile that hinted at something more. "Let's do this."
She felt the delicate star necklace he had given her earlier that week resting against her skin. It was subtle, a small gift that had meant so much more to her than she'd let on. She hadn't taken it off since he'd given it to her, and tonight, it felt like a silent promise between them. A promise of something undefined, yet deeply felt.
