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absentcaryatid · 2 years ago

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Wooyoung's Chaperone

An ATEEZ fanfic by AbsentCaryatid

Wooyoung's ankle injury requires him to make an early return from tour. You are the staff member given the difficult task of wrangling the impulsive idol.

2.8K words, Content note: gender neutral reader with a Richie brace, no romance, teen and up due to mild language, real world hassles relating to using a wheelchair

The assignment had been pitched to you as something so simple any low-level KQ staffer could do it. In fact, that was why the task had been given to you. While not a manager yet, your training had been successful so far, and the reason you ended up being picked for the unusual job of escorting a member of ATEEZ home to South Korea from Japan. The perk of one-on-one time with an idol might have sounded like an honor so early in your career, but the reality would be far different if the copious warnings to brace yourself were anything to go by.

When Wooyoung twisted his ankle on tour, he had first tried to work through the pain. Hongjoong noted his friend was not giving his best performance and pulled him aside during a break to get an answer. After hearing the reason, Hongjoong ruled, “You need to sit the rest of the concert out.” Sensing Wooyoung's objection, he added, “This is not about how dedicated or strong you are. I've seen the way you practice until exhaustion. You need to heal, and while injured you pose a risk to the rest of the team if you fall on any of us while trying to keep up.”

'For the good of ATEEZ' was an answer Wooyoung would accept. Loath to disappoint ATINY, he bargained to remain on stage as long as he was seated. The leader accepted that accommodation and Wooyoung's voice was present while the usual B.B Trippin dance crew member who rehearsed Wooyoung's choreography in the development stage seamlessly filled in as understudy.

Unable to stick to the deal, Wooyoung was soon spotted far too active and being carried piggyback by Yunho to get closer to the fans during the finale. Hongjoong caught Wooyoung's grimace when the injured man was finally let down, so Hongjoong slowly walked a limping Wooyoung off stage at the concert's end with some caring but stern words for the misbehaving member.

After being checked out by a doctor it was concluded Wooyoung needed to be off duties completely for the best chance at a full recovery from what was determined to be a sprain. Heartbroken to miss KCON Japan, Wooyoung was already feeling down. To be shipped back to the dorm before his members made him inconsolable.

With a reputation as a lovable rogue, even in his subdued state Wooyoung was still considered a somewhat difficult charge. It was not through malice, and his heart was always in the right place, but things always seemed to get out of hand around him. Each of the senior managers in turn passed the chaperone task on to a staffer of lower seniority. This is how the assignment finally landed in your lap. Your first international travel was now cut short, but the perceived prestige of the new job being temporarily responsible for Wooyoung made up for leaving Japan earlier than expected.

Showing up at his hotel room bright and early the next day, you were met at the door by a frustrated Hongjoong. “I hope that wheelchair you brought has a lockable seat belt. The way my roommate keeps hopping up for one more thing when he is supposed to let me do all the packing for him, I'd glue Wooyoung to the chair if I could.”

An innocent looking Wooyoung reclined on the bed nearest the door with the injured foot propped up on some pillows, wrapped in an elastic compression bandage and under a flexible ice pack. Glancing up from his charging phone, he tiredly gave a small wave in greeting.

Surely Wooyoung was not as much trouble as Hongjoong implied. As a recent hire, your duties for KQ had not included much contact with the idols themselves yet so their off-camera personalities were mostly unfamiliar. The managers you worked with were professional and tended not to complain, though occasional groaning about Wooyoung had been overheard from time to time. Perhaps they had exaggerated, for the man before you seemed nothing but sweet despite his saddened condition.

After introducing yourself, you got straight to business. “The sedan will be here soon to take us to the airport. Do you have all your things?”

“Just one more to go.” Wooyoung swung his legs off the bed to walk the half step to the wall socket.

“Freeze.”

Before he could put weight on his feet, Wooyoung stopped in his tracks. Hongjoong's eyes widened at your commanding tone, and he nodded in approval.

Moving to unplug the phone's cord yourself, you handed it to Wooyoung who stashed it in his bag on the bed. Unsure if it was the right tack to take with your charge, you rolled up your trouser leg, revealing a black plastic brace around the calf which was held in place with two Velcro straps over the shin.

Looking at you curiously, Wooyoung joked, “Are you going to kick my ass with your robot leg if I don't behave?”

Hongjoong snorted.

The temptation to say 'yes' was strong, but you resisted, remaining serious instead. “I used to turn my ankle all the time as a child. After so much damage I now have a pinched nerve that requires my foot to be stabilized to keep the pain away. You keep clowning around like that risking reinjury and you might need a Richie brace too.” Realizing you made your orthotic sound like a punishment, you amended, “I love my brace for the mobility it returned to me, but my own dancing career was sidelined and I don't want the same to happen to you. I have been told you are going to need to baby that foot for four to six weeks as it is. Don't let it get worse.”

Wooyoung looked cowed, making you wonder of you had gone too far, but then he grinned a moment later. “I like it when you are firm with me. Everybody else outside the members seems a little intimidated by my idol status and ends up being lenient. No wonder you got this job of babysitting me.”

This time Hongjoong's laugh was far stronger.

Your unexpected skill was far from the reason you had gotten stuck with Wooyoung, but you weren't about to lose face when he was considering behaving, so you let the comment pass without correction.

“I see you are in good hands,” Hongjoong noted. Looking to you he pled, “Please take care of Wooyoung and see him home safe.” He then turned attention again to his member. “We will follow you in a few days. It will go fast. Be good.”

Wooyoung reached from his seated position on the edge of the bed for a hug before departure, but Hongjoong deftly stepped back with the reflexes of both a dancer and someone with a lifetime of avoiding most physical touch. Seeing Wooyoung's face fall, Hongjoong relented and gave a partial embrace. You suspected it would have been warmer without your presence, so you busied yourself wheeling the suitcase to the door and getting Wooyoung's shoes from the entry.

Your own medical history had well prepared you for the role of temporary caregiver. Transfer from bed to wheelchair as lightly on the bad ankle as possible was something you had mastered long ago from the patient side of things, so it was an easy matter to reverse roles this time. After gently placing Wooyoung's shoes on him, you explained how you were going to move your patient with a minimum of stress to his injury. With the newly purchased manual wheelchair now opened and locked in place alongside the bed with footrests swung aside, you asked for permission to touch Wooyoung.

He looked at you with wonder. “I'm so used to staff just touching me for wardrobe and makeup that what you have described won't be a problem. Thank you for asking though. Not everybody would think of my boundaries like that and I appreciate it. I should do the same for you. Are you okay with my hands on your shoulders like you described for the transfer?”

It was now your turn to be awed as you nodded consent. With fans cheering their every move, it would have been easy to become self-centered as an idol. Instead, the two men today had been very thoughtful and humble. Hongjoong had responded immediately to your earlier request to get a belt from Wooyoung's suitcase to make transfer easier. Actually, it had been more of an assignment to the leader of ATEEZ since your attention was solely focused on Wooyoung's needs. Hongjoong had kindly accepted your apology as soon as you realized the mistake.

On the count of three, you gripped the belt and smoothly helped pivot Wooyoung on his good foot to the chair while he held your shoulders for stability. Being so closely face to face with a star like this was unexpected. You had seen Wooyoung's charms in performance videos. In person his charisma was even more impressive. But, that was not why you were here, and it was distracting. In different circumstances you might have welcomed his approach, but not on the job. Still forming the words to ask Wooyoung to tone it down, Hongjoong noticed your quandary and stepped in.

“Your chaperone is working. Can it with the flirty looks.”

Chastened, Wooyoung explained he had unintentionally been in fanservice mode. Taking Hongjoong's advice to heart, he even checked his shirt buttons and secured the last one over his chest. “Sorry, it is a habit,” he admitted.

“I'm taking care of you because it is my job. You don't need to be pleasant to earn it. In fact, it would not surprise me if you feel grumpy or down because of the pain and that is okay.”

Reminded of his need for medication, Wooyoung set an alarm for the next scheduled dose then returned the phone to his pocket. “All set,” he announced. As Hongjoong held the hotel room door open, Wooyoung was given the task of maneuvering the rolling luggage by the handle while you pushed him in the wheelchair. His light bag for the short flight was placed in his lap and your gym bag, the totality of your own luggage for the trip, was already in the transport KQ had rented for the tour.

Hongjoong joined you in the elevator for a final goodbye before heading to the day's activities for the remaining members. Working well as a team already, you successfully transferred Wooyoung and his suitcase into the vehicle then collapsed the wheelchair and placed it in the back. Hopping in, Wooyoung patted the seat at his side and you relented, even though you would be alongside him for the duration of the flight soon enough. With a skill for storytelling, he was soon revealed to be a good travel companion.

“You know, as a trainee before my first international flight the others teased me about what the plane would be like.”

Laughing at the antics of his teammates Seonghwa, Jongho, and his specially noted friend of many years Yeosang made the ride to the airport pass quickly despite thick traffic. Hefting the wheelchair out again, for a moment you wondered if there had been a more convenient way to get Wooyoung off the injured ankle. Back at the dorm he would begin using crutches, perhaps Jongho's on loan until he was fitted for his own, but to make travel less tiring he had agreed to the wheelchair for now.

Once the luggage was checked you made it through the arduous security process for wheelchair users. Wooyoung's jokes and pleasant demeanor kept your own spirits up through preboarding for people with disabilities and their attendants. He appreciated you dealing with the hassle of insisting the wheelchair be stored in the plane's cupboard for that purpose rather than risking damage in the cargo hold.

Now settled, you both pulled out anything needed in flight then stowed bags under the seat. There was a moment of silence before Wooyoung launched into chattiness. He did have a lot to say. Any lull in conversation was filled by facts about ATEEZ and anything else that caught his interest in the moment.

“Did you know Jongho's left ear is higher than the other? He is left-handed too, but I don't think that is related. And Mingi has a mole below his eye but it is only makeup to be like me. Mine is real though. Try and rub it off, you'll see!”

“No, thank you.” You shook your head, dazed by the steady patter. Now that you were getting used to it, it was pleasant though. The constancy of his attractive voice was like gentle rain punctuated by harsher thunder of surprisingly high-pitched cackles that caused other passengers to turn heads.

By the time the plane began a descent toward Seoul, you realized all the warnings about Wooyoung had been for nothing because the two of you got along so well. It turned out your charge was not a troublemaker so much as a nonstop talker. Perhaps Wooyoung's instantly friendly approach might have been off-putting to some of the other employees, but you had not minded his style at all. The conversation had been reciprocal too. Wooyoung had listened attentively in turn, and by the end of your flight you recognized a feeling of warm friendship toward the idol.

Luggage claim went smoothly, but the trip to his dorm was another introduction to disabled life. With ATEEZ scheduled to be in Japan for another week the driving staff was either with the tour or had the time off. Wooyoung fumed when the first rideshare passed you up with a dirty look once they saw his wheelchair. You couldn't help but agree with Wooyoung that the frustrations of dealing with a health problem are compounded by unnecessary grief from other people. Luckily, another person came along soon enough.

Two people, luggage, and a wheelchair were confidently loaded into the vehicle by the able driver. Garrulous as ever despite the wear of travel, Wooyoung had made yet another friend by the time his dorm's building was in sight. With one final transfer to the wheelchair from the car, Wooyoung was back home.

Once you settled him on the couch you checked in with your boss. “Mission accomplished. Is there an aide coming? I don't want to leave Wooyoung alone when he needs to stay off that foot.”

“One should have been there by now. Let me check my messages. Okay, looks like I have some good news and some bad news.”

Having very quickly figured out the bad news, you first decided hear the part you didn't know.

“You are promoted to manager now due to this assignment. You've had a trial by fire and come through with flying colors, and the approval of Wooyoung too by the sound of his glowing texts to San that were passed along.”

You resigned yourself to confirmation of what you already suspected. “And the bad news?”

“Looks like the caregiver booking fell through due to nobody currently available at the agency we usually use. Congratulations, you are assigned Wooyoung full-time for the week until the rest of us get back.”

Overhearing the speakerphone conversation, Wooyoung whooped and let out an effusive, “Bestie!”

You put your gym bag down on the coffee table. Clothes packed for the trip would do just as well for working in the dorm. “I guess I am home now too then.”

The situation actually wasn't so bad. Schedule already cleared while expecting to be in Japan, you had nothing planned outside work. The recently purchased couch of the new dorm looked comfortable enough for keeping yourself available round the clock until other staff returned. It turned out not to be needed, though. Hongjoong offered his own bed one room down the hall once he heard about the situation from Wooyoung. It had taken some convincing on Hongjoong's part, but being better rested to serve Wooyoung was a compelling argument.

Not one to brag, you wouldn't be revealing to anyone you had slept in Hongjoong's bed, as innocent as it was with him still in Japan. At any rate, it was a far better offer than sharing with Wooyoung as he so kindly suggested. You would do a lot for your job, but you wouldn't go that far. While you trusted he would keep his hands to himself despite a tendency toward clinginess, you knew he would keep you up all night with talking and laughter. Fun in other circumstances, but not when you had a week of caregiving work to be well-rested for.

Wooyoung Masterlist

Masterlist of Stories with No Romance

General Masterlist

#ATEEZ fluff #ATEEZ fanfic #Kpop fluff #Kpop fanfic #gender neutral reader #no reader romance #no pronouns used for reader #diverseinsertknet #disabled reader #disabled idol #Wooyoung #ATEEZ Wooyoung #Jung Wooyoung

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