❄ Cold Relations ❄ [SEVENTEEN] ✓

Chapter 27: The Silver Flood (i.e. S.Coups's Legacy)

The8's bath towel was stained purple by the time he finished drying his hair. Both the color and style suited him well, all thanks to aspiring hairdresser Yoon Jeonghan.

Down in the lobby, The8 found SEVENTEEN's angel instructing Joshua on how to tease the aqua highlights out of Hoshi's hair, darkening the roots and leaving the rest of it blond.

Hoshi was grinning anxiously and shifting from side to side like he was sitting on something sharp. The idea of someone with little to no experience handling his hair made his stomach upset. But Jeonghan didn't ask for favors, for he believed threats worked twice as well.

The8 curled his fingers under Hoshi's chin. "Don't worry—Jisoo's a fast learner. He'll do a good job."

Hoshi's eyes shone with humor. "If anything goes wrong, I'll file a claim, threatening you with the damages."

The8 shook his head, playfully ruffling Hoshi's hair. "Since I'm not the one responsible, I'll redirect your charges to Jisoo. Then you'll have to deal with Jeonghan."

Hoshi's eyes registered fear. "I think I'd rather live with a bad haircut."

"So would I." Jeonghan was busy wiping down his station when The8 approached him. "Hey."

"Annyeong."

"I like the way my hair turned out, but in the end it came at a price."

Jeonghan picked up some bottles and checked the caps, so they wouldn't leak. "And what's that?"

"The bathroom's purple."

"An easy fix," Jeonghan said dismissively. "If Vernon knows how to use a sponge, I'll have him wipe it down with some baking soda and vinegar."

The8 acknowledged this, climbed into a vacant chair, and pulled a knee up to his chest as he watched Joshua add a silver tint to Hoshi's hair. "He has a good eye."

"Of course. Hoshi wanted to keep it blond, but 'Shua convinced him that silver would add some extra flair."

Hoshi was in awe of his new image. "Kwon Silver."

Jeonghan looked displeased. "Your hair's wet."

The8 glared at him—he couldn't stand when people stated the obvious. "What do you expect? I just took a shower."

"It won't set right if you leave it like that. Let me dry it for you." Jeonghan switched on the hairdryer and worked through The8's hair in layers. Just then, Joshua threw away an empty bottle of silver hair dye, and Minghao was involuntarily reminded of S.Coups and his silver flask, something he hadn't thought about for days on end.

"Hey, Jeonghan..."

"Yes?"

"How close are you and Seungcheol?"

At the sound of his friend's name, Jeonghan was flooded with memories. "Almost inseparable. It's hard to find a picture or a clip where we don't interact in some way. At least... that's how we used to be. I haven't seen him in a long time."

"S.Coups wasn't doing too well when I left. He was having a hard time coping with the stress of splitting up, and he did a lot of things he wasn't proud of. One of those things is injuring Vernon... and I think it sent him over the edge. He stopped acting like our leader, and that's when Jun took over."

Jeonghan switched off the hairdryer. He suddenly felt very cold inside, as if he was standing knee-deep in snow in summer clothes. He had a soft spot for Seungcheol, and the last thing he wanted to hear was how much he was suffering.