Seventeen OTP Imagines

ii. jicheol

"If you don't stop that, I'm going to skin you alive." Woozi threatened as Seungcheol squeezed his cheeks. They were in Woozi's dorm room, and Seungcheol was nagging Woozi to show him the lyrics that he made.

Seungcheol smiled. "I know you wouldn't do that." Nevertheless, he stopped pinching Woozi's cheeks. He tried, and failed, to grab the papers out of Woozi's hands for the umpteenth time.

"I can and I will if you ask to see the lyrics again." Woozi threatened.

"We all know that's a lie, Woozi. Anyway, how's the song going?" Seokmin interrupted the lovebirds as he strolled inside the dorm room. He sat down beside Woozi, scanning the pieces of paper in Woozi's hands. "Are those the lyrics?"

Woozi quickly shoved them in his chest to hide them. "Yes."

"Yes, and he won't show me." Seungcheol told Seokmin. Seokmin raised a brow.

"I'll show you when it's actually in a song." Woozi announced. "Now shut up and leave me alone, you..you--"

"You what?" Seungcheol asked teasingly.

"--blackberry devil. Leave!" He answered, pushing the black-haired boy out of his dorm room. Seungcheol was laughing as he let the smaller boy push him out. Seokmin didn't miss the look of happiness and love in Woozi's eyes as he noticed Seungcheol laughing.

Once the door was locked, and the sound of Seungcheol's footsteps have long faded away, Seokmin spoke up. "You really like him, don't you?"

Woozi's cheeks reddened. "Is it that obvious?"

"To me, at least. Seungcheol's an oblivious guy." Seokmin added.

Woozi sighed sadly. He handed Seokmin the papers. "Those are the lyrics. The song's almost finished. I just- I don't have the courage to play it to him."

"Why not? I think he likes you, too." Seokmin said, hoping to encourage the boy. He shipped the two together. He could see how their opposite personalities fit each other perfectly.

Woozi's the type of person who has walls too high for anyone to break. He keeps his feelings guarded -he's cold, sometimes rude, but to anyone he knows and loves, he's caring. Sometimes he loves too much, which is why he built walls around him in the first place. Seokmin wishes the old Woozi, the carefree Woozi, would come back because of Seungcheol.

Because Seungcheol, well, he's carefree. He's happy and he's fun to be with, he's basically the complete opposite of Woozi.

What keeps the two together is their love and passion for Music. Seokmin hopes that the two will always be with each other, be there for the other to lean on. He knows Woozi hopes so, too.

"I hope." He replied. "But I don't think I can do it myself. Can you.. can you be the one to show him?"

Seokmin was surprised. "But Woozi--"

"I'm scared of rejection, Seok." He simply replied. "Please?"

Even if he wanted Woozi to do it himself, he knew once Woozi decided, there was no way to nag him to do something else.

"Fine. Because I ship you two too much." He decided. "But you're going to tell me where you are when I show him, so if he wants to tell you something ~ important ~ aka he likes you too, I'll tell him where."

---

Seokmin held his phone tightly in his hand, where he had previously downloaded the song Woozi wrote for Seungcheol. He approached Seungcheol nervously, with his palms sweating, even if he wasn't the one confessing.

"Seungcheol!" He yelled to catch his attention. They were at the school, and Seungcheol was at the end of the hall, at his locker. He slammed the door shut and waved.

Seokmin ran to him with a smile. This is it! he thought.

"I need to show you something. Come with me." And then he pulled Seungcheol to the staircase. No one was with them, because it was late and almost everybody was at the dorms already.

They sat down. Seokmin pushed one of the earphones in Seungcheol's ear, then pushed the other in his ear. He pressed play, but not before saying, "This is Woozi's song -- It's for you."

--

The song ended with neither of them saying a word.

After moments of silence, Seungcheol spoke. "This is a love song."

Seokmin nodded.

"For me?" He added, looking down.

"Yes. Don't you get what Woozi's trying to say?" He asked Seungcheol to make sure. Seungcheol stared at the ground, but he didn't answer.

"I don't -- are you sure it's for me?" he asked.

"He asked me to play this for you. Yes, I'm sure." Seokmin replied. "Don't you get what he means?"

"Will you just tell me directly?" Seungcheol said, staring Seokmin in the eye. He seemed frustrated.

"Woozi likes you, okay?" Seokmin whispered, getting frustrated, too. He didn't know Seungcheol was this oblivious."He likes you, Choi Seungcheol!"

"I don't- I don't understand. Why does he push me away then? He's always so cold and then you're going to surprise me with this?" Seungcheol rambled, standing up.

"Aren't you happy?" Seokmin asked, standing up as well. He was beyond confused. He didn't get if Seungcheol was happy, or confused. Conflicted, maybe. "Because he doesn't want to fall for you! That's why he pushes you away! But he can't control what he feels, can't he?"

"Seokmin.." Seungcheol started. He was staring at the ground again, looking regretful. "I don't -- I don't like Woozi that way."

Seokmim's face fell. He didn't expect this. No, he was sure that Seungcheol liked Woozi back. Because even if Woozi pushes him away, he stays. He was the one who befriended Woozi. He kept up with Woozi's coldness. Seokmin didn't understand.

"You... don't?" Seokmin asked to assure that he heard Seungcheol well. He nodded.

"Then why do you keep up with his coldness? Why pinch his cheeks even if he threatens you? Why are you always by his side even if he pushes you away?" Seokmin asked, wanting to get answers. He knew Woozi would like to know why, too.

"Because I wanted a friend who has a passion for music like I do. That's all I wanted." Seungcheol explained. "Those were all friendly gestures. I'm always like that, Seok."

"They weren't just friendly gestures!" Seokmin retorted. "We all thought --"

"That's what you guys thought, okay? Just tell Woozi that.. I don't like him that way. I'll always be there for him, but I'll be there as a friend." Seungcheol said.

Underneath the staircase, Woozi couldn't control his tears. He didn't bother to. He ran away from the pair as his loud crying alerted the two of his presence. Seokmin's heart broke as he realized that that was Woozi. And he had heard their whole conversation. The one thing that Woozi was scared of -rejection- was the only thing that he experienced.