|| Dreamers || <Seongjoong>

-||Chapter Seventeen||-

Jongho
"I see the way you look at him."

Jongho sat at the table, a stack of maps spread out before him. He was deep in thought, trying to figure out the best way to divide the patrols among their team. The evening light filtered through the window, casting a warm glow over the room. Wooyoung entered, his arms loaded with markers and a determined look on his face.

"Alright, Wooyoung, let's get started on these patrols," Jongho said, glancing up. "I'll handle assigning the teams, and you can map out the routes."

Wooyoung nodded, setting his supplies down and pulling out a large sheet of paper. As he began to draw, Jongho's mind wandered to something that had been bothering him. He cleared his throat, trying to sound casual. "So, I've noticed you and San have been getting pretty close lately. Is there something going on there?"

Wooyoung paused, his marker hovering above the paper. He turned to Jongho, a hint of defensiveness in his eyes. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, you two are always flirting," Jongho replied, unable to suppress a smirk. "It's kind of obvious."

Wooyoung crossed his arms, a slight blush creeping onto his cheeks. "It's not like that! We're just.. close friends."

Jongho raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Close friends, huh? Because it looks a lot more than that from where I'm sitting."

Wooyoung huffed, trying to maintain his composure. "Well, maybe we just have a special bond. It doesn't mean anything."

"Sure, keep telling yourself that," Jongho teased, leaning back in his chair. "But you can't deny there's some chemistry there."

Wooyoung rolled his eyes but couldn't hide the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Okay, maybe there's a little chemistry. But that's it! We're just having fun."

Jongho chuckled, shaking his head. "You're in denial, Wooyoung. Just admit it; you like him."

"Fine, maybe I do," Wooyoung finally conceded, his voice dropping to a whisper. "But that doesn't change anything about our patrols."

"True," Jongho said, his expression softening. "I knew it."

"Oh shut up." Wooyoung nodded, a playful glint in his eye. "don't think I won't be keeping an eye on you and your team assignments. Make sure you don't put me and San together too often, or I might just get distracted."

"You're already distracted." Jongho snickered, Wooyoung crossed his arms.

"Don't think I haven't seen you and Yeosang around like that as well, Jongho." He teased, Jongho looked up with a grin.

"Don't get ahead of yourself."

"I won't," He chirped, "San will distract me from that."

Jongho laughed, shaking his head. "Alright, I'll try to keep that in mind. Now, let's get back to planning these routes before we end up talking about your love life all night."

He looked back down at the maps and plans, the checklist full of signings of the camp's protectors. As he scanned the names, his eyes widened when he saw Seongwha's name at the top of the protectors list. It was unusual; typically, that position was reserved for leaders or the second in command.

"Wooyoung!" Jongho called, turning to his friend who was busy rummaging through his backpack. Wooyoung looked up, a puzzled expression on his face. "Have you seen this?" Jongho gestured towards the list, his voice laced with disbelief.

Wooyoung approached, peering over Jongho's shoulder at the clipboard. "Seongwha? At the top? That's.. interesting," he replied, scratching his head. "I didn't think he was in line for that kind of responsibility. He's a threat if he turns as well, he could do that any minute."

Jongho nodded, a mix of concern and curiosity swirling in his mind. "Yeah, usually it's someone from the leadership team. I wonder why he's there. Do you think something happened?"

Wooyoung shrugged, his eyes darting back to the list. "I have no idea. Maybe it's a mistake? Or perhaps they're testing him? Maybe Hongjoong's scared of him." He pulled a wide grin against his face.

Jongho sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Maybe that's why he's been staying in our tent. He's probably the next second in command."

"Could be," Wooyoung replied thoughtfully. "But you know Seongwha. He's capable. If Hongjoong thinks he can handle it, maybe we should trust that he can."

Jongho frowned, still feeling uneasy. "I just hope he doesn't take on too much. He seems to be the one that puts others before himself."

"True," Wooyoung agreed. "But maybe this is his chance to step up. I'm surprised he's still in this place, he was spotted in medical disposal with the dead bodies."

"So that's what happened? Yeosang only told me briefs." Jongho mumbled, he folded the clipboard under his arm. "Let's talk to him later. He might need our help, especially if he's now the second in command."

As they walked out of the tent, Jongho couldn't shake the feeling of unease. Seongwha was a good friend, but he's a threat, especially now that he was stepping into a role that came with so much responsibility. Jongho glanced at Wooyoung, who was adjusting the straps on his backpack.

"Do you think he's even safe to be here?" Jongho asked, his voice low. "I mean, we've seen how he can be. He might not handle the other leaders well."

Wooyoung looked up, his expression serious. "I think we underestimate him sometimes. Seongwha has a lot of potential. He just needs to believe in himself. If he's been given this opportunity, it's because Hongjoong sees that in him."

Jongho considered Wooyoung's words. "Yeah, but what if he doesn't feel that way? What if he's just trying to prove something to everyone?"

"Then it's our job to remind him that he doesn't have to prove anything," Wooyoung replied, a hint of determination in his voice. "We need to be there for him, especially now. He has the fate of camp in his hands, he can't mess around with that."

The two fell into a contemplative silence, each lost in their thoughts about Seongwha and the challenges that lay ahead. Jongho couldn't help but feel a sense of responsibility to ensure that Seongwha didn't feel alone in this.