24H | SEVENTEEN

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"Gwok Hyunki!?" Rumi's head snapped toward Wonwoo so fast he nearly flinched. "What the-Wonwoo-ssi?!"

"I-what?" Wonwoo looked equally horrified. "No-noona, I don't know what he's talking about. I swear."

"What do you mean you don't know? That night on the bike hyung kissed..." Vernon made a vague, dramatic kissing gesture with his hands. The entire room gasped.

"WHAT!? NO! I DID NOT!" Wonwoo's ears turned crimson as he all but yelled, scrambling to defend his dignity.

"And in the elevator too! You both were-" Vernon clasped his hands together like a grandma in a soap opera. Another collective gasp. "And during our last monthly meeting, you two SNUCK OUT early together!" Vernon pointed an accusatory finger like he was solving a murder. "I SAW you!" Poor Wonwoo looked like he might pass out. His mouth opened, closed, opened again no words, just frantic head-shaking.

Rumi threw her hands up. "I cannot believe this! That bastard?! Wonwoo-ssi, really? You couldn't have chosen somebody ELSE? Heck, even Mingyu-ssi would've been a better option!"

Mingyu froze. "Wait why am I the benchmark here?!"

"Vernon-ah what are you talking about?" Seungkwan said trying to control his laughter. "That day you were drunk. Hyun hyung was sitting right in front of you the whole time. He even drove us home." Seungkwan explained.

"Mwo?" Vernon looked at him question. "Then who did hyung go with..."

"Who else you idiot!" Wonwoo glared at him. "Noona came to pick me up that day."

"Then-then what about the helmet kiss?" Vernon insisted. Wonwoo furrowed his brows. Helmet kiss? "It was Hyun hyung for sure! He's the one who owns that bike!" He added, "That day when we rode the elevator together, I had seen him ride it to company parking lot." He added more evidences to his argument.

"That's noona's bike!" Wonwoo exploded, throwing his hands up. "And that night it was NOONA!" Everyone immediately went silent. All eyes snapped to Wonwoo including Rumi's, stunned. They had never seen him this worked up before, voice raised, breath uneven, eyes blazing in outrage and embarrassment. "This is ridiculous," he muttered, chest rising and falling. "I cannot believe you really thought that I-" Wonwoo shook his head getting rid of that thought.

"But in the elevator..." Vernon tried again, weaker this time. Minghao sighed, patting his back. "Vernon-ah, you should stop before this leads to something else." He said nodding towards Wonwoo who definitely looked out of his usual demure. "But I seriously thought..." Vernon started, until a small, suppressed chuckle cut him off. Everyone turned. Rumi was covering her mouth, shoulders shaking.

"Noona." Wonwoo narrowed his eyes at her, offended and betrayed at the same time. "Really? You think this is funny?" She shook her head, lips twitching, trying so hard to look serious... and failing in under two seconds. "Come on, Wonwoo-ssi," she giggled, "you can't deny it's not funny." Wonwoo scoffed. "You're unbelievable. You're supposed to be jealous! And what do you mean Mingyu would've been a better choice?"

"EXACTLY!" Mingyu chimed in from behind him, raising his hand like his dignity was on the line.

Rumi laughed harder. "I mean, if you were to, you know," she nudged Wonwoo teasingly, "I just think it would be Mingyu-ssi. Considering I stole you from him."

"That I agree with." Mingyu folded his arms proudly like he'd won something. Wonwoo stared at both of them before his arm went around Rumi's waist and pulled her closer. "You stole me from nobody." He whispered. A chorus of 'OH!' and "AH!" erupted instantly.

The living room was a mess of takeaway containers and abandoned chopsticks, but for the first time since she'd knocked on the door earlier, the room was quiet. Lunch had devolved into chaos, the members firing off questions, teasing, retelling Vernon's "helmet kiss" conspiracy, and generally making Wonwoo regret living.