rough times can trigger unwanted emotions; but maybe that's what they needed for their relationship.

i'm back:"''

-

This time of the year was probably the most stressful and hectic for the group. Especially for both Jihoon and Soonyoung.

'Home' promotions just ended and now the group had to practice for Caratland and they had extreme sessions to prepare for a whole month of Japan tour promotions. Not only that but they also had to practice their old and recent songs; and also perfect their upcoming Japanese comeback and literally so much more.

Jihoon had to polish several songs, while Soonyoung had to further improve and spice up their choreographies. They knew they had to present special stages and repay back the carats who were continuously supporting them.

Consequently, it was a very fragile time for the two leaders. Sure Jihoon and Soonyoung were more than matured, patient and understanding of their situation.

But there were times wherein the pressure and stress could really get to them, that it could make you snap even at the person you love.

"Look, why can't you understand?! Just leave me alone for a bit more, I have to get this done!" Jihoon impulsively screams at his partner.

"Jihoon please calm down, I know you're just stressed, you've been here for three straight days now.. Let me take care of you babe please take some time to rest at the dorms." Soonyoung tries to reassure the other.

"No! Shut up Soonyoung! Why don't you just go back to your choreographing? We need to be productive as much as we can, why can't you understand that!" Jihoon screeches out.

Soonyoung felt something shatter inside him. How can Jihoon say something so upsetting.

After a short moment the older speaks up. "Just wanted to let you know that we've had a lot of progress and we're finishing up now so we could teach the other members now.." Soonyoung said, trudging towards the end.

Soonyoung went towards the door, "Sorry Jihoon-ah, I just wanted to look out for you." he says with a sincere and sad tone as he shut the door to the studio close.

-

Jihoon decides to go back to the dorms that same night, texting Soonyoung just in case.

The night was full of hurt and distress, Jihoon wanted to curse at himself so bad. Why did he have to be so emotionally unstable. Why did he have to hurt the person he loved so much. It hurts internally.

He dejectedly walked his way back home, sighing most of the time with his head hanging low.

That night, Soonyoung doesn't come to bed with Jihoon to cuddle and rest.

-

Soonyoung continues in expertly avoiding the other.

During mornings when the have their breakfast, he would sit in the far opposite and side as to where Jihoon was sitting; during practices soonyoung would avoid looking at Jihoon at the mirrors and he wouldn't accompany him during their break in between their practices; during nighttime,Soonyoung would not climb into the bed to cuddle with the other until they both fall asleep.

Jihoon felt devastated. He didn't mean for things to be like this.

He felt really numb as he walked in on Soonyoung laughing with other members, smiling brightly and being goofy with the others; and it wasn't because of him or being with him.

Jihoon wanted to cry.

-

And so Jihoon did cry. He couldn't hold it in anymore, he missed Soonyoung real bad.

He was cooped up at his studio, some of his fellow vocal team members were by his side comforting him.

"It's going to be okay Hoonie-ah. I'm sure of it. You guys maybe just needed some time apart you know?" Jeonghan tried to assure the younger.

"Yeah Jihoon hyung, Soonyoung loves you way too much." Seungkwan agrees.

"But what if this separation is permanent? What if he doesn't want to be with me anymore? What if he's realized how shitty of a boyfriend I am?" Jihoon complains, tears now streaking his face.

Jihoon knows. Jihoon knows how he can be such a handful to Soonyoung at times. He wondered why does he even continue to put up with him and his bratty attitude. He knew Soonyoung deserved so much better, despite the older saying having Jihoon was more than enough. No, he knew Soonyoung could've settled something for more, but Jihoon knew he always needed that reassurance, and he could only feel it if its from Soonyoung.

"How long has it been Jihoon-ah?" Joshua comfortingly asks.

"Its been four days since he talked to me hyung. I can't do this anymore, everyday I feel shittier than before. It hurts, but I know that I also hurt him when I didn't even mean to. He probably hates me now." Jihoon cries out even more.

"I don't know what to do." (a/n: wITHOUT YOU, lol get that bp reference aye).

"Jihoon listen to me okay, I know that everything is going to be okay if you talk and sort it out between yourselves. I don't know everything, but I am sure of one thing, he loves you way more than you might know, he cares for you and only wants what's best for you." Jeonghan says in a sincere motherly tone.

"Just know that we'll always be here for you Jihoon-ah, we love you." Joshua says.

"Yeah, we love you hyung!" Seokmin and Seungkwan simultaneously says, lightening up the mood.

This only makes Jihoon tear up even more. "I hate you guys, but I also love you all. Thank you okay."

This makes the other have bigger smiles and nodding at each other. Jihoon stood up, feeling so determined "Okay I'm going to talk to him right now."

He goes to the place where he knew Soonyoung would be, but he wasn't expecting what was occurring inside.

-

"Wonwoo-ya help me." Soonyoung dejectedly sighs.

Wonwoo put down his game console to look at his hopeless friend. They were the only ones left in the dance studio, as per Soonyoung's request as he quote-on-qoute "needed to rant out".

"Is this about you and Jihoon?" Wonwoo clarifies as he pushed up his spectacles.

Soonyoung slowly nods in reply.

"You know can you guys already just make up already or something? Its so awkward and the ambiance is so ominous. You know if you keep on ignoring him, might as well break up at this point. If that's going to make things better." Wonwoo states as a matter of fact.

Soonyoung eyes widens in disbelief, he cannot believe his bestfriend just said that. "What the hell Wonwoo? No one's breaking up with no one. Shit! I love him way too much. I can't put up with this argument any longer, I wanna hold him in my arms again." Soonyoung groans.

"That's what I'm saying! Just make up already with him or one will think the other party hates them and may want to break up, which you are obviously doing right now." Wonwoo states looking up at the other who was busy walking back and forth in distress.

Soonyoung pauses for awhile and nods in understanding. "You're right Wonu-ah, thank you so much!"

From Soonyoung's excitement and fieriness, he gets Wonwoo to stand up just so he could have both of them to jump and hug around in excitement.

Soonyoung barely hears the door of the dance studio opening and quickly being shut close once more as he saw his boyfriend ran off.

The two quickly separate seeing the distress from Jihoon's face.

"Shit I'm sorry, did I made things worse?" Wonwoo had regret written on his expression.

Soonyoung quickly reassured him. "No! Don't worry, you were of real big help this time. I'll talk to Jihoon. Thanks again, you're a real great friend!" Soonyoung says as he gave the other another small hug before pulling away.

Wonwoo scrunches his face a bit, "Sure, just go get him already loverboy. Set things straight okay!"

Soonyoung runs toward the same path Jihoon just ran off to. "You know this ass ain't straight!" Soonyoung shouts that out as his farewell.

Wonwoo could just chuckle slightly, silently hoping for everything to go well between the two.

-

Jihoon was left cooped up in his studio's couch. Feeling heartbroken and much more devastated. Thank God the others left as it was already dark and they wanted to rest up. Jihoon didn't want to bring trouble to them any further.

Soonyoung knows that this was Jihoon's safe haven, thus his legs brought to them to the familiar place, standing in front of the glass tinted door of the studio.

He hesitates a bit before knocking. "Jihoon babe? I know you're in there, open up please? Can we talk."

He hears some rustling inside before he sees a small clump of hair below him. Not long after, the smaller looks up at him and the sight breaks him. His small sunshine had been crying and his eyes and nose are red. He still hears the smaller's constant sniffing, trying his best not to let out anymore tears but to no avail.

Soonyoung tries to cup a cheek of the other but is quickly avoided.

"W-what do you want?" Jihoon croaks out, his voice raspy.

"Can we please talk?" Soonyoung pleads.

Jihoon takes a moment to compose himself before stepping aside to let the other inside.

"Jihoon please listen to me, what you just saw did not mean anything to the both of us, Wonwoo was just helping me as a good friend, so there's no competition here." Soonyoung tries to soothe the situation.

Jihoon wipes the tear streaks in his face, while he shakes his head in disagreement which makes Soonyoung confuse for a moment.

"Its not that, its just that i-i felt more disheartened back then, I was almost sure that you didn't want to be with me anymore, and seeing that didn't exactly help me with my inner conflict. I really am sorry for everything Soonyoung. I'm sorry for lashing out on you like that, for hurting you in any other way. I'm sorry for being a shitty boyfriend in general Youngie-ah.." Jihoon apologizes, his voice laced with nothing but sincerity.

Soonyoung just wanted to coop and cuddle the smaller in his arms forever.

"Aw Jihoonie, what made you think like that? Remember that it'll always be you forever, I can't imagine life without you, i'm so glad to be able to be by your side. We just maybe needed some time apart for awhile but everything is good now babe. You don't have to worry about anything. I love you okay?" Soonyoung says, ending his small affirmation with him bringing Jihoon into a tight hug.

They both needed this.

"Soonyoung you idiot.. I missed you. I love you too." Jihoon says despite it being muffled a bit from the shirt and his continuous crying but Soonyoung was still able to clearly understand it.

Soonyoung hummed in content. He grabbed a hold of Jihoon's head and continued to caress it, holding the smaller tightly onto him as if he's afraid the younger would be gone again. He pulls in the other for a sweet kiss they both have been waiting for.

-

short epilogue

-CARATLAND 2019: Compliment the MC segment-

The arena was full of such excitement energy, both coming from the group and the carats who came to watch.

They were having a ment wherein the members had to give a compliment to the emcee in order to have a chance to answer and win.

Today's emcee, as you guessed it was Hoshi.

The fellow seventeen members were getting rowdied and fired up trying to say (bitter)sweet compliments in order to have a chance to answer.

But both the group and audience went quiet when Jihoon decided to speak up.

"H-Hoshi ya!"

All eyes were on him.

"I miss you!!" Jihoon states out loud.

As soon as those words left his mouth, everything went extra wild and cheers erupted from both seventeen and the carats.

Soonyoung was left agape, and was in disbelief his small sunshine actually just said that.

Due to him being completely whipped for the other, he let Jihoon answer, and he knew that the smaller totally knows how to get to him.

Soonyoung knew that small phrase "I miss you." meant so much to the both of them, but they reckon that it's okay to just let it stay between them.

-

AAAAAAAAH ITS GOOD TO BE BACK

tbh i also wanted a small segment wherein jihoon kept on saying hoshi's an: idiot' and like that but lyke hhhhh maybe another time hmm

IM ALSO SO SORRY FOR THE SUDDEN AND LONG HIATUS FJDFDKJFKDJ

i was graduating from hs and had a lot of matters to tend to;;;

i missed yall sm !!! pls continue on supporting this

I LOVE YOU ALL!

PS. THANK YOU SOSOSO MUCH FOR 60K++ READS?? I AM: SHOCKEDT