Serendipity || HoonHao

5. Serendipity

Jihoon really doesn't know if Seventeen is dumb or if Carats are smart. He's highly inclined to believe the former though (not that carats aren't smart or anything).
He also doesn't know if Carats know that Jihoon is dating dating Minghao, or if the duo suddenly became a popular ship, he has no clue.
He really didn't expect carats to catch on to small details, and seeing how hard Soonhoon, Junhao, Gyuhao, Jicheol were sailing, HoonHao was practically invisible.
Hoonhao had been invisible for a reason after all, and reason is Jihoon's pathetic crush and his even more pathetic heart, that skipped beats everytime Minghao looked at him. So, he would coop up in his studio, churning love songs after love songs (thanks, Minghao, for song inspirations).

Oh my! was the peak of his infatuation with a certain Chinese dancer who didn't eat or drink anything cold. It was also probably the time everyone - besides his angel - knew of Jihoon's puppy love. He's still surprised Minghao remained oblivious through the era. That was also probably the time he decided that enough was enough and he'd talk to Minghao, even if the younger was busy.

That's how their little routine of having dinner together no matter what, started. When Jihoon would lose himself in his creative space, Minghao would be there with dinner, pocking his head through the door. Jihoon would be there when Minghao would toil away in practice room, all by himself, working out parts that were assigned to him.

They are a group 13 people, so it's really hard for one member to interact with all other 12 members - unless you're BooSeokSoon. So hoonhao continued to take backseat on camera, but off camera Jihoon would always come seeking the younger Chinese.

"Ah, serenade. You want one of us to serenade?" Chan asks the crowd, Jihoon busy cleaning the Marker marks off his hands. His eyes automatically search for Minghao, and he smiles when he finds the love of his life.
Wow, it's been an year and yet Jihoon hasn't gotten used to referring Minghao as the 'loml'.

Minghao has Seungcheol back hugging him, while he continues to shower Hansol in flying kisses. Hansol always loved getting babied, and the fact that it was coming from Minghao is the cherry on top for the younger rapper.
Jihoon smiles, he still remembers wondering if Hansol had a crush on Minghao everytime the rapper would gush about how cool Minghao was.

("Jihoon, I know you like him. You should definitely ask him out. And no, Minghao is not my type but that doesn't mean I don't have a huge boy crush on him."
"Hansol, what?"
"..what?")

"Oh?" Seungkwan plays along, putting his hand on hips and looking at their fans, who are busy shouting something incoherent.

"I know, I know! I've an idea!"

Oh boy, Seokmin and idea is never a good idea. Jihoon sits back in the chair, watching the entire show go down. He watches as Seokmin almost tumbles off of the stage in his excitement, watches Joshua try helping him and instead ends up pushing Mingyu off the stage. He watches Minghao giggle to himself, his hands cutely tucked under his chin, smile so bright, eyes so shiny - lord is it possible to be more in love Minghao? He probably should ask Minghao's fans how they survive with Minghao smiling like that. Fuck, he's ruined. But he's also in love, which is great by the way.
Being in love with Minghao is an honour but having Minghao reciprocate the love is a reward. Minghao could literally fall for anyone, his bi ass having no specific gender preference. But he fell for Jihoon, the one who's more grumpy than hungry, whose mood works harder than the devil himself, whose tongue is more sharper than the sharpest knife in their dorm. Yet, here they're, a week short of their one year anniversary.

"-oon. Jihoon? Hey, Woozi, switch it up!"

"Thumbs up! All you see and hear is the love, uh!"

"He ain't got guts to serenade, yeah, Dino!"