Promise (Ateez au)

Chapter III

San hurried after the blonde in order to catch up with him, calling his name. Finally Yunho stopped and turned around.

"Yunho, why weren't Hongjoong and Seonghwa not there? Are they going to eat dinner with us?" San ask worriedly. They did promise to be here and meet Wooyoung, but he knew that they isolate themselves a lot and he's used to them not being present for dinner.

"I'm sorry, San. I don't know why they didn't come and I don't know if they'll have dinner with us. But maybe it's for the best that they're not here." Yunho answered, smiling sympathetically at the younger.

"But they promised, hyung. If they don't come, I'll drag them out of their room to have dinner with us." San concluded before going back to his room to get Wooyoung for dinner.

🌹

At the dinner table, everyone was having a conversation in small groups: San and Wooyoung were talking together and Yeosang, Yunho and Mingi. But the last one wasn't really paying attention to what they were talking about. He was focused on Hongjoong, who's glare didn't make him happy at all. He saw the look in his eyes while he kept looking at Wooyoung who didn't suspect a thing. He also noticed how Seonghwa had that look on his face. The duo indeed decided to finally show themselves to Wooyoung and eat dinner with them. They weren't that welcoming to the younger though.

"Hongjoong, can we change seats? I'd like to talk to Wooyoung a bit more." Mingi asked, already standing up and making his way over there. He had to get Hongjoong further away from Wooyoung. He had seen that look before, and he wasn't going to risk anything again.

"Just change with Yunho, he won't mind." That answer didn't please the redhead.

"I want to change seats with you. If we change, you can pay more attention to your boyfriend." He was trying to stay calm, but that wasn't as easy as he thought as the older kept declining on changing seats, getting on his nerves more every second.

"Nah, I'm good." Mingi was finally losing it and unwillingly his eyes turned red in anger.

"You are going there. You know exactly why I don't want you close to him so move your fat ass to your boyfriend." He snapped at the older, hearing the gasp from across the table and a chair falling over. He noticed the smirk on the older's face and realised what was going on. He tried to calm himself down a bit before looking over at Wooyoung, who was shaking in fear, and San, who was trying to talk to him, but the smaller refused to let him closer to him.

"San, come here." Mingi heard Yunho's voice demand, but the younger didn't move. He kept calling Wooyoung's name, hoping for any reaction that wasn't a shake of the head.

"San, leave him alone for a moment. You had to tell him sooner or later, but let it sink in. Let him put his thoughts together alone. San, move over here, okay? Please?" At the end, Yunho was practically begging San to move over which he did eventually.
They all silently left the room, leaving Wooyoung alone with his thoughts.

"You fucker!!!" San yelled at Mingi, wanting to run over to fight him, but got pulled back by Yunho.

"Let me go! Let me kill him! He ruined everything!!!" San's eyes were a very vibrant red colour filled with hate.

"San, calm the fuck down, okay? It was an accident. Mingi had his reasons to get angry at Hongjoong, so there's no reason to blame him for anything." San kept struggling to get out of Yunho's hold and the older found it hard to keep hold on the other. San was stronger than any of the others. Normally Mingi helped him, but this time the redhead was the target so he had no one to help. He looked at Yeosang with pleading eyes, but he almost knew for sure he wouldn't help. He'd always be on Hongjoong's side.
The moment he gave up and thought San would get what he wanted, the younger got pushed back, away from Mingi.

Yeosang. Yunho thought while looking at the other.

"You could still help me though." Yeosang said, making Yunho grab San again. He was still taken aback by Yeosang's actions and hoped the smaller wouldn't get in trouble because of this.

"Thank you." Yunho whispered, gaining a small smile from the brunette and he smiled back brightly.

Luckily it didn't take too long anymore until San got tired and gave in. He let his body relax in the hold of the duo, not looking away from the redhead. Yunho noticed how Hongjoong's eyes were lit up in excitement and it disgusted him. He used to excuse his behavior because of their past, but now it had really gone out of hand. He didn't understand. He didn't know if Hongjoong was really like this or if it still was from their trauma. But why wasn't he affected by it?

"I know what you're thinking about so you'd better get it out of your head before I use some ideas on you." He looked up when he heard the older's voice snap him out of his thoughts.

"Shut up... But you know it's true. I know everything, Hongjoong. I can't hide anything from you, but you can't hide anything from me either. I just want my best friend back, Joong. I want you back. Even after all that you did, I ... I know there's still some of you in there. I know that my best friend is in there somewhere." The blonde could feel a tear rolling down his face, wiping it away quickly when he heard the older laugh at him.

"Such a crybaby. You just can't handle the truth, Yunho. You hate yourself for not seeing how I really am. And you hate yourself for not being able to change me. But let me tell you something. I've always been like this and I'll always be. So stop hoping and start realising how much better it would be if you'd help me. Like in the old times. You wanted the old me back, didn't you? Then help me and you'll see how I'm still the same as before. I know you want to."

"I ..."

"Don't listen to him, Yunho. He knows your weak spots." The blonde was snapped out of his trance by Mingi's voice. He looked up and saw a small smile on his face, making him smile back. Mingi believed in him. He couldn't let him fight on his own.

"What you do, Joong, isn't okay. And I can never accept that. If doing what I do makes me your enemy, then so be it. I would never purposely hurt someone, so I wouldn't be able to help you anyway." Yunho answered after a short silence.

"You didn't say that when you killed him. But whatever, I don't need you. Just remember that you do need me and that you'll regret this." The older ended, exiting the room, followed by Seonghwa who still wasn't that happy with Hongjoong's previous behavior of ignoring him.

"You did well, Yunho. I'm proud of you." Mingi softly said, sitting next to the older. He was shaking while silent tears ran down his face.
"Don't cry, he's not worth it. He's really not worth it." He continued, wiping the tears from the blonde's face. "Hey, I mean it."

"T-that isn't him. H-he isn't like t-this. We have to h-help him, Mingi. W-we have to b-bring the real him b-back and-"

"Calm down, Yunho. I know that you still believe he's ... Different, but maybe he's not? I don't know how he was before, but I know him now and I can't see him as a nice, kind person." Mingi tried to change the other's mind, but to no avail.

"You don't know what you're talking about. You don't know how he was before! You know nothing, Mingi! You're just as dumb as everyone says you are!" He snapped at the younger, running out of the room, leaving the redhead baffled by his words.

"He only said that because he's angry. He doesn't really think that of you, Mingi. He doesn't- Urgh, why am I even talking to myself." He had noticed that the room was empty now, San and Yeosang having left earlier. He didn't believe Yunho's words, but he also couldn't believe that he'd actually say that.

🌹

Hi! I decided to update twice this week because I had a bit more time and wanted to get this story going. I can't promise I'll do that every week, but I'll try to update as much as possible 💖
Also, thank you to everyone reading this. I really appreciate that 💞

But can someone explain to me who San is being so soft for in that picture because I, for sure can't handle that.