❄ Cold Relations ❄ [SEVENTEEN] ✓

Chapter 32: Smile Flower (i.e. Mingyu's Sea of Regret)

The image of a crackling fireplace filled Joshua's dreams, and when he woke up, he was toasty warm. My skin felt like a tray of ice cubes last night. Something must've changed. The room wasn't so quiet anymore, and Joshua sat up, a whirring in the walls divulging that the heat had come back on...

"What kind of a twisted game is Mingyu playing here?" asked a ruffled Woozi. "We can't let this go on. It's time to either unite as one or end it once and for all."

"I agree with you," Joshua said. "We need to confront Mingyu with the same method we used for Jun. But first, S.Coups, Jun, and DK need new identities."

The8 steered Hoshi to the head of the crowd. "We'll leave that to Soonyoung." He offered his friend the same notepad and pen, but Hoshi refused it.

"I've been thinking about it since yesterday, and I already have it planned"—Soonyoung tapped his right temple—"right here. A quick run to the Prop Shop, and I shall reveal my creations!"

When Hoshi left, Vernon had a few ideas of his own and used his less-than-artistic ability to sketch out some new hair styles for Jun and DK. Satisfied with his work, he handed the paper to Jeonghan. "You know what to do—bring these drawings to life!"

Woozi was aware of the time constraint. "Are you sure it's possible?"

"We've made songs in less time," Jeonghan quipped. "I'm pretty sure I can handle it."

~.~.~

Woozi peeled a banana and took a bite. Instead of landing in the trash bin, somehow the skin landed on DK's arm, and he mistook it for a bunch of ladybugs crawling up his skin. "AAAAAHHHH!" Nothing good came out of this exchange. At least banana peels don't stain walls.

Woozi finished his banana in less than three bites. The commotion had died down, but Vernon was still trying to convince DK that there never were any ladybugs. It was just a banana peel.

Soon, the bathroom door opened, and Jun, S.Coups, and DK strutted into the room. Hoshi pointed them in the direction of the runway with a smile that accentuated his overtly plump cheeks. There was a good vibe going, but Woozi ruined it.

"Skip the fashion show. It's a waste of time."

Hoshi was immune to Woozi's callous remarks, having put up with them since trainee days. Now and then, he even liked to dish it back to him. "Fashion is art. So that means art is a waste of time. And if art's a waste of time, then why are you in the music business, Jihoon?"

Woozi was five-foot-four, his body sixty percent water and thirty-nine percent anger (the last one percent is left to your imagination). "Hoshi, I swear to God—" His face paled. Jisoo was standing behind him, peering over his shoulder. "When did you get there?"

A pause. Then, "I'm everywhere."

Woozi tugged at his collar—"That's not creepy..."—and slowly inched away.

A mini fashion show commenced: Jun supported the dapper look with a white button-up shirt and a black velvet suit without a tie. His hair was white as cotton.

"Moon Junhui," Hoshi proudly announced, "a name for a man who's simply out of this world." Someone rolled their eyes. Another one sighed. Jun just looked confused.

DK sported a navy-blue coat with sleeves that broadened at the cuff, a streak of yellow splashed across the back. Although his hair was still black, it had been reinvented in a new style, brushed against his forehead.

"Our resident Happy Virus."

"I make people sick with happiness," DK said ominously. No one said a word; yet, everyone took a step back at that point.