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uhlatcha · 6 months

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ROCK WITH U - SEVENTEEN 70s AU - CHAPTER ONE: THE BOYS IN THE ROCK BAND

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SUMMARY: California, 1970's. After being discovered by a major label, Seventeen are rock's newest promise. But before they can get a deal, they need to prove their worth, so the label makes an arrangement with the company's most successful band, for the newcomers to go on tour supporting the veterans. But what begins with the promise of a promising tour ends up taking a tortuous path thanks to the "sex, drugs and rock and roll" philosophy that led the golden years of rock and roll. FANDOMS: SEVENTEEN WORDS: 7454 PAIRING: KMG X OC | CSC X OC | JWW X OC GENRE: FANFIC, ROMCOM, DRAMA, 70s AU, ROCK BAND AU NOTES: ENGLISH IS NOT MY FIRST LANGUAGE, ANY FEEDBACKS ARE WELCOME.

CHAPTER ONE: THE BOYS IN THE ROCK BAND

Spring Of 1979 - A Few Weeks Before "Heaven is Here" Tour.

When Mya and Tea got out of the car on that warm late spring morning and walked towards the doors of the company, they thought that it would be just another normal pre production meeting to finalize some decisions about the world tour that they would start in the summer.

The duo, who already had a few years of career, had already done three tours around the country and some international shows, mostly at festivals or special events and talk shows. They were used to being on the road, but this tour was different. It was their first world tour. They would go to three different countries. It seemed unbelievable that so many different people in so many different places could be interested in the music of two girls who grew up in Los Angeles, but there they were.

Tea, who had been born in England and moved several times before her parents finally settled in Los Angeles, had never imagined that life, not until she met Mya. She was the one who convinced her that music was worth giving up everything for, which was crazy but turned out to work out well in the end.

As soon as they entered the record company building, the girls went to Jihoon's room. Woozi, as he was known in the music world, was a short guy with feline expressions. Most people didn't take him very seriously when they first met him, which was a huge mistake, as he was extremely talented, and slightly aggressive towards those who made fun of his height. Woozi had worked with the top-notch bands. He had been working with Mya and Tea ever since they left the band they were in and became a duo. Woozi had produced all the girls' albums and was largely responsible for their success. And to the girls, he was much more than just a producer, Woozi was part of the family.

Tea knocked at Jihoon's door, but Minghao was the one opening the door. When the girls entered, they greeted Minghao and sat on the couch on the other side of the room while Jihoon finished a call, but it didn't take long before he went to greet them, carrying a folder that he placed on the table.

"Let's get down to business girls." He announced, after greeting them and asking his assistant to bring tea and drinks. "We have one more thing to discuss about the tour."

"I thought everything was already settled." Tea said, stirring her tea.

"Almost everything." Minghao pointed out "But there's one small detail that we have to discuss."

"Then why isn't DK here?" Tea asked. DK was their tour manager; he was the one settling everything when it came to hit the road.

"I thought it would be better to talk with the three of you and him separately." Jihoon explained.

Mya got up and headed towards the bar, sensing that something not very pleasant was about to be announced,

"I think I'll need a drink before you spit it out, Jihoon. "

She poured her drink then came back to her sit.

"What's the problem?"

"It's not a problem." He guaranteed. "The company just decided that it would be more practical, to have just one opening act for the whole tour instead of having an opening act for each city."

Tea directs him a suspicious look. They liked having a different band opening their shows in each city. It was a good opportunity to make new contacts and give opportunities to local bands. It was also great to avoid spending a lot of time with unknown people who could get in trouble along the way on such a long tour.

"So, you called us here to choose the opening band?"

"Not exactly." Jihoon commented, then looked at Minghao. They clearly talked about that before.

"Remember when you joined the label and to test your popularity before signing a real contract, we made you a contract to open for Day6?" Minghao asked.

"Of course," Tea answered, thinking about the days she and Mya were on tour with DAY6 "How could we forget? Everything was so amazing."

"Our first tour as High as Hope, supporting an amazing band." She said, "We couldn't have had a better start."

"And the audience loved you." Jihoon commented "Which yielded a very advantageous partnership for both you and the label."

The two agreed. They had nothing to complain about the label. Thanks to their popularity and good reputation, the two had a lot of creative freedom.

"That said, I think you understand what a good opportunity this type of contract can be and would like others to enjoy the same opportunity." Jihoon asked.

"Of course." Tea said, and Mya nodded.

"Okay, we already understood that you already chose the band." Mya pointed out "Are you going to tell who they are or not?"

"Seventeen. It's a band that's been quite successful on Sunset." Woozi began "I went to see some of their shows, and I think they have potential."

"If you think so they probably have." Tea said. She trusted Jihoon a lot, he had a very good ear for new talents.

"We recorded a demo, and the label is interested... But they don't have the best of reputations, so they want to test their behavior and popularity of the boys, before signing them definitively."

"I knew you hesitating this much wasn't a good thing." Mya commented, pointing from Jihoon to Minghao.

"But don't worry, I've had a lot of talks with them, and I'm putting together a temporary contract that includes a clause that guarantees they don't cause trouble. And they're desperate for a contract, they will behave. And if they don't, they're out of the tour, and lose their contract offer."

Tea and Mya exchanged a suspicious look, wondering if this was even a good idea.

"Here is the contract." Minghao pointed, giving a copy to each girl. "Read and tell us your impressions, if it's okay or if you want to change something."

"Is this a request we can refuse or has the label already decided?" Mya asked after reading the contract.

"You can refuse," Minghao said.

"But they're good people, and they're talented, they're just misfits. But I give you my word that if they cause trouble, you can kick them out of the tour." Jihoon added.

Mya looked at Tea again and could see in the soft-hearted girl's thoughtful look that she wanted to give the boys a chance.

"Can we meet them before giving a concrete answer?" Tea asked.

"I figured you would want this." Jihoon commented "They're playing at Troubadour tomorrow, if you're free..."

"We can go out for lunch, and you can watch the sound check and talk to them." Minghao suggested.

The girls were silent for a few moments, exchanging thoughtful glances.

"So, what do you say?" Jihoon asked.

"I'm up for it if Mya and the boys are up for it too." Tea said, talking about the rest of their band members, looking at her friend, with bright hopeful eyes that begged for a yes.

"I'm in if the boys agree." Mya agreed, still a bit apprehensive "But if I don't like them, forget about it." Mya said, pointing a finger at her friend, who clapped excitedly.

Tea understood Mya. She knew she was apprehensive about letting other people into their bubble. They've had problems before, with their old band and, but they eventually found they had each other and they are not so new band mates, people that they could trust. But it was hard for Mya to say no to Tea, who was soft-hearted and loved to give chances to anyone abandoned dog that appeared in his path. So, she decided to at least give it a try.

******

The phone rang at least five times before Seungcheol gathered the strength to get up and answer it, as none of the other boys dared to do so. He understood that everyone was tired, but so was he. But unlike the others, he couldn't ignore the call, it could be something important, and they couldn't miss important calls. Sometimes being the leader wasn't easy.

"Hello?" he said as he answered the phone in the kitchen, yawning.

"I talked to the girls today." Woozi announced, without even saying hello, and Seungcheol woke up immediately.

"What did they say?" Seungcheol asked, holding the phone tightly.

"They want to meet you before giving a concrete answer, '' Woozi announced, making him even more nervous. "I explained the whole situation, Tea is actually excited to meet you guys, it's not hard to win her heart, Mya it's a bit more suspicious, so she's the one you have to impress. And by that, I mean all of you members must cooperate. They must be the nicest, polite people, do you understand?"

That was the hard part. Seungcheol loved their friends, they were nice and talented people. but they weren't exactly polite and collected. They were crazy and chaotic. Buta that was important. If they behave, they will get a deal with a big company. They needed to make it work, their dreams were at check.

"They will behave." Seungcheol promised.

"I hope so." Woozi commented "The girls are coming to see you at Troubadour." He announced, "I'll take them to soundcheck so they can see you practicing, then we can have lunch together."

"Okay, we'll see you there." he said and Woozi hung up.

He put the phone back in the cradle and sat down at the counter. They were so close to what they always wanted. All they had to do was convince the biggest star from the company that they deserved a chance. It wasn't far that two girls that didn't even know then should decide their future. But it couldn't be that hard to make them like them, right?

He heard footsteps in the backyard then the door hung open as Jeonghan entered, hands full of paper bags with groceries.

"You are already up?" He asked, surprised. "What happened, did you fall from bed?"

"The phone was ringing."

"Was it an important call?" Jeonghan asked, emptying the bags.

"Yes" Seungcheol commented "Woozi."

"What did he say?" Jeonghan asked, excited.

"He said the girls want to meet us. He'll take them to the Troubadour tomorrow to watch our show."

"Good." Jeonghan commented, thoughtfully. "I'll call him later for more details."

"I'll wake the boys up. I have an idea and need to talk to them."

******

All the High as Hope members, accompanied by their manager, arrived at The Troubadour twenty minutes before Woozi's scheduled time and when they arrived, the stage was already set up for the show. Security said the band had gone out to eat at least half an hour ago, after setting up their gear. Which made Mya stressed, thinking they wouldn't be back any time soon.

"Who the fuck goes out to eat when you have a lunch appointment?" Mya, who was at the bar with Minghao and Joshua, and already had at least three drinks, complained. Minghao, who was really stressed that day, agreed, putting some sticks in the fire she was building.

Woozi, as always, arrived just in time to find Tea and Jun by the piano, playing together while Dino was playing with the drums on the stage.

Mya expressed her worries to Woozi, who went out to look for the boys. Tea and Jun had already played at least five songs on the out of tune piano that was in the corner of the stage. They were playing to try to make Mya join them in their distraction, but had no success, until Tea started playing Martha My Dear by The Beatles but changing the name Martha for Mya. What really caught the other girl's attention, making her softer.

Soon she was by the piano, asking Tea to play Abba's songs and singing along to the melody, pulling Joshua to dance around with her. They were having fun playing and singing Dancing Queen when they heard a commotion coming from the backstage door and soon a bunch of guys entered the stage room, laughing and joking around. Woozi was just behind them with an annoyed expression.

They were a group with a lot of presence, Tea noticed that the moment they entered the room, all dressed in black. They were all tall and fit, but one of the guys was so big she couldn't take her eyes off him. Until the thin blonde one ran towards dino with an unhappy expression.

"Hey, don't touch my set."

Mya stopped right where she was dancing with Joshua, staring at the boy who just scolded her brother.

"Sorry man" Dino said, getting up and walking away. "You were late, and we were all bored and the drums were right there so..."

"So, you are used to messing up someone's set like this?" The guy asked, annoyed,

Tea stopped playing and looked at Mya who was just beside Joshua, she could feel her friend were about to go feral, and so did Minghao and Jun, who ran towards the commotion straight to hold Mya down.

"Stop, let him take care of it." Tea heard Joshua whisper to Mya, who took a deep breath. She knew Dino didn't like her intervention on his business, but it was hard for her to see her little brother being looked down by a pretentious stranger.

"Sorry bro, it won't happen again." Dino said, rolling his eyes to the boy who was now checking his set to see if Dino messed something up.

"I'm sorry about Hoshi." One of the guys from the band who saw Mya giving the blonde guy a look that could kill him. "But since we are all musicians, I guess you understand the jealousy we have towards our instruments."

The guy was big and had sort of an intimidating aura but was really trying to look apologetic.

"And you are...?" Mya asked, not happy at all.

"Oh right, we were not introduced yet." He commented and stood his hand to the girl. "My name is Seungcheol, but you can call me Scoups."

At that moment she decided to never call him like that.

"I'm Seventeen's leader." He added.

Mya didn't take his hand, but Joshua who was right beside her did.

"Hi, I'm Joshua." He said as he pointed to the others. "These are Mya, Jun, Dino and the one by the piano is Tea!"

Seungcheol looked at the piano and Tea waved at him with a tiny anxious smile. She then got up and got close to the rest of the group, right between Mya and Joshua, interlocking her arms with theirs.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all." Seungcheol said. "We are really thankful for the opportunity to work with you."

Mya scoffed, crossing her arms.

"Nothing it's officially seated yet." She spoke. "And if you were really grateful you wouldn't be late."

"I'm really sorry about that." Seungcheol said, looking a bit irritated. "We had a long ride to get here, my members were starving."

"It's okay, we understand." Tea said with a comprehensive smile trying to ease all the tension. "Why don't you introduce us to the rest of the band?"

Seungcheol agreed and called the other members who were at the bar. The first to be introduced were Seungkwan, a very excited guy with orange dyed hair. He played the keyboard and we're very excited to talk with Tea about her technique and told them to call him Boo. Vernon, one of the guitarists, had a very odd sense of style and looked a little bit lost but was very polite. Hoshi, the blond guy who fought Dino earlier, looked like a hyperactive child, he wouldn't stop for a second. And then there were the last two ones. Wonwoo, the bassist, looked very collected and kind of intimidating with a distant vibe. His sharp eyes were very cold, and his deep voice only made him look even more intimidating, but he was very polite and didn't leave Mingyu's side for a second.

Mingyu... The guy who caught Tea's attention the second the group entered the stage room. But how couldn't he? The guitarist was the tallest of the group, and everything about him was big. He had broad shoulders, strong arms. Adding the tan skin and the long wavy black hair that framed his beautiful angelic face? He was stunning.

"Hi, I'm Mingyu." He said with a big warm smile and sparkly eyes. giving Tea his hand. She who was very short had to look up to meet his eyes and notice his point canines showing when he took her small hand in his. The fangs would look intimidating in a big guy like him, if he wasn't the brightest person she'd ever meet.

"Hi" she said, smiling timidly at him "I'm Tea, nice to meet you."

"I know who you are, you are incredible." He said "I know all of you. My little sister is a big High as Hope fan, I took her to one of your concerts last year. Jun, you're her favorite."

"She has good taste." Jun commented smiling proudly, messing with Dino who rolled his eyes.

"Jun is everyone's favorite." Tea commented looking fondly at the bassist.

"JUN IS YOUR FAVORITE?" Joshua shouted, being the dramatic person, he was. Tea patted his chest comforting him. "What about me?"

"You are my second favorite."

"Joshua is your second favorite?" Mya asked.

"You are my sun and stars, the reason for my existence." Tea said, hugging Mya who laughed.

"I'm jealous." Joshua said.

"Don't be, love." she said, letting go of Mya, hugging him instead, batting her eyes.

"What about me?" Dino asked.

"You are my son, my baby boy." She said going to pinch his cheek. Dino rolled his eyes, he hated being the youngest and being treated like the youngest, but because it was Tea, who actually respect him besides calling him baby, he just smiled and brushed it away.

Mingyu was watching the whole scene with a curious smile, Wonwoo right beside him didn't look very interested in the conversation. It was clear they were like a big happy family by the way they were messing with each other. Mingyu was good at reading the room, and the people. And that was why Cheol gave him a special mission that day. A mission he was eager to complete.

"High as Hope" Minghao who was back at the bar with Woozi and a long-haired guy called and all the members looked at him. "Can you come here for a second?"

They obeyed. Tea almost ran into the bar, she needed to stay away from mister tall and handsome who was eyeing her a little bit much with that bright smile. She excused herself and received another bright smile.

"Okay band, I Mya introduce you to YoonJeonghan." Minghao said, pointing to the long-haired man. "He is Seventeen's manager."

"Oh, so he's the one we should blame for not arriving on time?" Mya asked and Jeonghan raised an eyebrow at her.

"I'm sorry for the delay, but we had a long ride to get here." He said the exact same thing Seungcheol did. "The members were starving."

"We understand.'' Tea said again, making Mya a little bit annoyed. She always had to be so comprehensive and nice to everyone.

"Yeah, but I did my research." Mya commented. "Your band doesn't have the best of the reputations."

Neither do you. Jeonghan thought, but didn't say a word, just smiled politely. They had to be a little bit more submissive if they wanted to make a good impression after being late. But he also did his research. The band didn't have the shiniest reputation either. He heard the girls were previously in another band that broke up after a series of ugly events involving drugs, jealousy and matters of creative power.

"They will behave, I will do my best to guarantee that." He explained. "We understand the importance of this opportunity."

"I hope so." Mya said, crossing her arms and giving him a yellow smile.

"Can we hear them playing now?" Tea asked, excited.

"Yeah, so we can go out to eat, I'm hungry." Dino commented.

"Yes, sure." Woozi agreed and signed to Jeonghan.

"Cheol." He called and the other looked directly at him "Can you guys play something to our guests?"

"Sure!" He answered and went straight to the stage, followed by his members.

"Let's go to the front row." Tea said, grabbing Mya's hand and dragging her closer to the stage.

While adjusting his guitar, Mingyu gave Tea a wink, making her blush and look away. Mya didn't look very excited about hearing them and the others stayed in their spots by the bar. The first song they played was very energetic and had kind of a sexy vibe. It was a good song, with a catchy chorus and a good instrumental. Mya rolled her eyes to the lyrics sometimes, because that was a song about how cool they were, and she wasn't ready to admit they were right. But by the end of the song, she was humming along, just like Tea, who was really enjoying the song, besides being shocked about who good Boo's vocals were. He could reach some incredible high notes. And on the total opposite was Won's voice, that was even deeper than when he spoke. By the second song, a song that was a lot more energetic and fun, the girls were already clapping on the band commands along the rhythm.

The boys really had a good stage presence and were singing and playing like they were having fun. Tea liked them right away, even more because of how they were enjoying the show as much as her. It was the kind of thing that created a connection between artist and audience. They were good and had a lot of potential. The third and last song was the girls favorite, the song was also very energetic and had a very positive message, and a super catchy rhythm.

By the end, they bowed as everyone in the room clapped. Even Mya, who didn't look very welcoming at first.

"Wow, you guys are really amazing." Tea said, when they came off the stage.

The boys looked very happy with her reaction.

"Your vocal range is absolutely amazing" Tea said, coming closer to Boo "The high notes? splendid."

The red-haired boy looked excited and full of satisfaction with her comments.

"What about me?" Mingyu asked, getting closer to her "Did you like my ranges?"

She blushed and licked her lips, nervously.

"Yes. You have a lot of stage presence." she said, timidly, trying to look composed. He smiled, a big, beautiful smile that made her feel like her heart was about to explode, so she did the rational thing, she turned away and looked at Wonu. "You were also amazing, all of you. But the bass lines really got my attention, I love how your presence is subtle but strong, it's not easy to have this presence as a bassist. Congratulations on that."

"Thank you." he said, blinking surprised, then smirking with her comment.

"I make Tea's words mine." Jun said, "Your bass lines are amazing."

Wonu thanks again.

"The guys are amazing and everything." Mya said. "But what about we talk about this and sit in the restaurant?"

"Let's go then." Woozi said "I'll pay for the lunch."

******

"Come on, spill the tea." Tea instructed, looking at her reflection in the restaurant restroom "What is your honest opinion about them?"

"Their music is good, a bit rough, but they have potential and a good stage presence." Mya admitted now that she was alone with her friend. "And they are not bad to look at., but I think you already know that, since you wouldn't stop blushing to Mr. Tall and Handsome."

Tea blushed again but hurried to change the subject.

"Okay, so we have the yes, what about the nos?"

"I want to punch the drummer in the guts." Mya explained "And that leader of them... I don't like his attitude, I bet he will be a problem. The manager too."

Tea had to agree. Jeonghan looked a bit pretentious and Scoups looked like someone who was used to being in control, someone who doesn't like to share power.

"Your impressions?" Mya asked.

"As you said... They have potential. Boo's vocals got me really impressed, the bass work too. They are good, I think the audience will love them. Besides being late, they don't look that much of a problem."

"So, they are in?" Mya asked.

"If you and Shua agree..." Tea shrugged. Mya bit her nails down. She wasn't totally against the idea, but she would keep an eye on the guy's behavior before trusting them.

"Come sit with us." Boo offered, pointing out the seat next to him when Tea and Mya left the restroom. At one side of the big table were Dino, Jun and Boo, on the other side, Mingyu, Wonu and Hoshi.

"Sorry but I need her at the adults table." Mya apologizes, holding Tea's shoulders.

"The adults table?" Boo asked, confused.

"The table where the big decisions are made." Jun explained, waving to the table where Woozi, Joshua, Seungcheol, Minghao and Jeonghan were sitting, apparently discussing something serious.

"Tea is one of the founding members, so her opinion is important, just like my sisters." Dino added.

"Oh right, Mya is your sister." Mingyu commented. "My sister told me this, but I had forgotten about it."

"Tea, Mya come here." Joshua called.

"We can talk and get to know each other later." Tea said, shrugging and heading to the other table, where she sat beside Joshua, who put his arm around her shoulders, smiling fondly to her.

"Are they a couple?" Mingyu asked. He got that impression earlier when Joshua said he was jealous of her, and she immediately hugged him.

"Tea and Shua?" Jun asked, laughing. "No. They are more like siblings with different parents. They are childhood friends."

"Why did you ask?" Dino asked, suspiciously "Are you interested in her?"

"What? No." Mingyu said with an offended tone Dino didn't like "I'm just trying to understand your dynamics." He was watching the other table trying to figure out what was being said but had no success. All he could see was Tea leaning to whisper something in Joshua's ear.

"Mya said she's okay with Seventeen joining the tour." Tea whispered and Joshua nodded.

He already had figured that she would agree after all, because Seventeen's songs were good and they kind of had a fanbase, which could be good to sell tickets from a different audience.

"Good" he whispered back, smiling at the girl.

Joshua was confident that good things would come from that collaboration he couldn't wait for the tour to start.

******

Mingyu's lips raised in a smirk as he felt the warm lips trailing sloppy kisses up his neck. Tracy... or was it, Trina? He couldn't remember her name at that moment, was running her nails to his chest while kissing his neck and getting close to his body. That was what he called a good morning. He grabbed the girl's waist and put her on top of him, making her sigh in surprise. She smiled at him when she saw him smiling first before kissing her on the lips. He was deepening the kiss at the next moment, making her week with his tongue. He was arching her back and moaning when the knocks on the door started.

He cut the kiss and the girl hissed in protest.

"Get in." he ordered to the one who was outside.

Wonwoo opened the door, peeking cautiously from the doorframe.

"I'm sorry" he apologized. "Cheol asked me to remind you that we have a meeting, everyone else is already up and ready to go, they are waiting for the two of us."

Wonwoo was Mingyu's roommate and couldn't get ready soon because Mingyu was using the room. They were normally okay with that arrangement, the one who had someone over could use the room while the other slept in the living room, alongside Hoshi and Seungkwan. Last night it was Wonwoo's turn to sleep outside. Most of the time it was Wonwoo's turn to sleep outside.

"Fuck...." Mingyu cursed. He had totally forgotten about the meeting. They had to go to the label to meet the tour manager and finish some details from the tour. They were probably going to be late because of his little one-night stand. But that wasn't that big of a deal, right?

"Okay sweetie" Mingyu said to the girl touching her chin "It's time for you to go."

The girl sulked and tried to grab his arm, but he was already getting up from the bed.

"If you can do this quickly it would be good, as you heard, we have an important meeting to go."

She looked at him, annoyed with how rude he was, but collected her clothes from the bed and started to get dressed. Wonwoo was still by the door, arms crossed watching the whole scene.

"Can I see you again?" She asked as she got up. Wonwoo laughed, receiving a killer look from the girl.

"Of course, you can, baby girl." Mingyu said with a bright smile. "Come to our tour and look for me."

He kissed her one last time and she left, not even looking at Wonwoo, who was shaking his head in disapproval by the door.

"You shouldn't give them hope."

"How can I not? Have you seen her bright eyes? I would break her heart." he said, sulking.

"Lying and giving them hope will break their hearts either way." Wonwoo pointed, entering the room and looking for a change of clothes in his drawer.

"Well In my defense, it's not my fault if they believe me" he said with a playful smile, shrugging "I'll take a shower" he she announced going out of the room with a towel in hand.

The rest of the boys were by the table having breakfast, Hoshi was eating cereal straight from the bowl, with no spoon. Seungkwan was eating pizza leftovers from the night before and Cheol was drinking a big cup of black coffee, to deal with the stress that was probably to come. Jeonghan was nowhere to be seen.

"Are you seriously going to take a shower right now?" Seungcheol inquired with an unpleasant face and an annoyed tone.

"Do you want me to go to the meeting smelling of alcohol and sex?" He asked, "Miss nice girl will not find me interesting If I look like a mess."

That was enough to stop Cheol from complaining. Hoshi laughed and Seungkwan side eyed Mingyu, suspiciously as he started to walk to the bathroom, towel in hand while he whistled a melody.

"You have five minutes." Cheol announced before Mingyu closed the door "If you are not ready by then, we are going without you."

Mingyu laughed, it was funny how Seungcheol managed to sound a lot like a father most of the time. He was always scolding the members and saying things that Mingyu was pretty sure he heard before coming from his dad's mouth. And just like a kid who lives to annoy his parents, Mingyu loved to make Seungcheol's life a little bit harder every day. And the mission Cheol gave him was another weapon to use in his personal war.

Before they meet the High as Hope members officially, Cheol asked Mingyu to try to seduce one of the girls, to ease the girls and make them like them, since their futures depend on that. Cheol asked him to take care of Mya, but he knew the moment he saw her, that she wasn't going to fall for him so easily. She was too smart and looked like she already decided not to like them. He knew he could conquer her if he wanted, but he thought it would be easier with the other girl, what was her name again? Tea?

He didn't even do anything yet and she was already on her knees for him, he could see it. So he decided to change the plan a little bit. And watching the band dynamics on the first day, he was right about her being easier to conquer, and that the others had her opinion on high consideration. So, he took what he thought would be the easy road. Cheol didn't protest, he wouldn't, if they got the expected result at the end. And Mingyu was very good at getting what he wanted.

Created with Sketch.

"Considering we have two bands the label agreed to get two buses." Woozi announced. "But in terms of room sharing... You will have to work some miracles."

"The girls need their own room, for the sake of their mental health." Minghao pointed.

"Well... I know they dont mind sharing with each other." DK commented. "So, one room for the two of them and the boys from both bands can share. We can put four or five of them in each room."

"I bet Dino will complain." Minghao commented.

"Well... he can always sleep on the streets if he's not happy with sharing a room." DK announced.

Jeonghan nodded. The arrangement didn't look very fair, but he wasn't able to demand things yet. It was his first encounter with DK, the tour manager. He was tall and thin, he looked kind of dislocated from the other at first, with his bright orange suit, but besides his clothes, he had a very professional attitude. Since he first started talking, he seemed to know everything that needed to be set and done.

"Okay then. I suppose we talked about everything." DK commented on the bunch of papers he spent the meeting writing on.

"Not everything." Jeonghan protested. "The boys haven't signed the contract yet."

"That's on me." Woozi said "Hao and DK, you guys can go, I need to talk to Mr. Yoon alone."

The two men left the room, talking about going to lunch later to discuss some minor details. Jeonghan watched nervously while Woozi looked through his table for the document. The small man took a folder and gave it to Jeonghan, then sat right in front of him.

"I hope you and the boys understand the weight of this document," Woozi said, very seriously, handing him two copies of the contract "And the weight of the experiment this tour represents. You are going to work with our biggest and famous band. If their audience starts to support Seventeen, they are going to be as big as High as Hope is."

Jeonghan's eyes were glistening. They were going to succeed, the boys were charismatic and talented, they were great songwriters and performers. They were not only going to be as big as High as Hope, but they were also going to be bigger, so much bigger. They were going to be the biggest band of all time.

"I need you to read it." Woozi announced "I need all of them to read it. The clauses are normal, but we have a special one right here."

Woozi turned the contract page and pointed to one paragraph by the end of the second page. Jeonghan took a minute to read that specific part. Right, things were going to be good to be true. Basically, the clause said if the boys did anything to cause trouble or anything that affects the girl's success in the tour, the contract was over.

"This is not negotiable." Woozi added "They are the company's most rentable band. THey are our priority."

Jeonghan nodded, he knew that, and he also knew the boys wouldn't like that clause. All of them, including Jeonghan, Myabe especially him, had this thing of hating to follow the rules and living for disobey. But at least for a while, they would have to stay in line. It would be hard, but they had to.

******

"Knock knock" DK said, opening the studio door.

"DOKYEOM!" Tea exclaimed, jumping from her seat by the piano and running towards him. The man grabbed her by the waist, taking her foot from the floor. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too, darling." he said, laughing.

Jun and Joshua came closer to greet their old friend; Dino just waved from his spot by the drums.

"Where is my lady?" Dokyeom asked, looking around for Mya.

"She's outside taking a drag." Joshua explained, going back to his place on the couch of the rehearsal room. "We are having a break."

"Oh, so you are not going to play me one of the new songs now?" DK asked, pretending he was about to cry, sitting beside Joshua.

"C'mon, you already heard the album." Joshua commented. "We're almost number one by now. And you heard it before everyone else, with Minghao and Jihoon."

"Yeah, but I wanted to hear it live." DK explained.

"You will, at least a hundred times, on tour. In soundcheck, rehearsals, on show nights and tv shows If we are lucky enough to be invited to them." Tea commented, going back to the piano.

"You will." DK guaranteed and Tea smiled at him, rooting for the man to be right. "The new songs are amazing."

"What's your favorite?" Tea asked, her eyes sparkling in anticipation.

"I'm not biting it." he said, shaking his head. "Last time you asked me that you didn't talk to me for two weeks because I didn't choose one of the songs you wrote. I honestly don't understand why you credit the whole band in all the songs if you are going to fight over lyrics credits unofficially either way."

"It's our charm." Joshua said, shrugging.

"Are you talking about me?" Mya asked entering the room with a smirk on her red lips.

"No, actually Joshua was talking about your endless narcissistic struggle for recognition when it comes to lyrics." Jun, who was laying the carpet floor said. He was playing with his own hands, covering the lamp light so it wouldn't burn his eyes.

"Oh, he's right, it's our charm." Mya agreed, getting closer to DK to hug him.

She sat right beside him, holding his hand, playing with his fingers while they talked.

"So... How is the excitement level for hitting the road?" DK asked.

"High as Jun is now." Dino said, DK laughed looking at the boy's situation.

"Have you meet Seventeen yet?" Tea asked, going to sit beside Jun, letting him lay his head on her lap. She started to caress his hair, running her fingers through his soft slightly long hair.

"Not yet." DK admitted "But I just met their manager, we had a meeting to arrange some details about the tour. Minghao will update you later." he explained before Mya could ask what they talked about in the meeting. "But I'm meeting the boys today for lunch."

"LUNCH?" Jun screamed, getting up from Tea's lap "Can we go with you? I'm hungry."

"Of course, you are, all that Molly would start to work sooner or later." Dino commented.

"Yeah, you guys can join us, I think it would be fun since you already know them."

"I don't think is a good idea to take a high Jun to a restaurant" Tea pointed out as Jun looked at her sulking, with pleading bright eyes, begging her to let him go.

"Oh, we are not going to a restaurant, we are having burgers at the good ol' Bib Boy" He said.

"I would love a Big Boy Burger." Dino admitted.

"I don't know if I'm in the mood." Mya said.

"Okay, don't come then." Dino said. "I'm going. "

"Me too." Jun said getting up. "Joshua?"

"I'll stay here working on something new." he explained.

"I don't think I'm in the mood either." Tea admitted "I'm a bit tired, I think I'll go home."

"You should at least come with us and catch something to eat, you don't have to stay," DK suggested.

"What do you think?" Tea asked, looking at Mya.

"I guess some French fries for the road wouldn't kill me." She shrugged.

"I would also love some ice cream." Tati added.

"You got me right there." Mya said, making an amused face, while taking her bag.

They were out in the hallway, next to Woozi's room when Jeonghan showed up.

"Hey dude, are you ready to go?" DK asked.

"Yeah sure, I think the boys are already waiting for us at Big Boy' by now." Jeonghan said, then noticed the girls "Oh, hello."

"Hi." Tea said, waving and smiling. Mya nodded to him.

"Are you coming with us?" Jeonghan asked.

"Not exactly" Tea explained "We are going to Big Boy to get some food, but we are not staying. At least not Mya and I."

"But we are." Dino said, pointing to Jun.

"Nice" Jeonghan said, not looking excited at all. "Let's go then?"

******

Cheol tried to stop the boys from ordering before Jeonghan arrived at Big Boy with DK, but they wouldn't stop complaining about how pizza leftovers and bits of cereal want exactly a good breakfast and how hungry they were, so he let them stuff their mouths, at least they would shut up.

When Jeonghan entered the restaurant accompanied by a tall fit man wearing an orange suit the boys were eating and barely noticed their presence. But Cheol was surprised to see that they were not alone, Jun, Dino and Tea were with them. But unlike Jeonghan and DK, the three of them didn't go towards the table, they went to the counter.

"Hey guys" Jeonghan announced, getting to the table "This is DK, the tour manager. DK these are the boys."

DK smiled, a bright smile, as always, while shaking the boy's hands. While he sat and started to talk with the boys, Cheol nudged Mingyu with his elbow under the table, nodding towards the counter, where Tea was reclining, looking intently at the menu.

A mischievous smile appeared on Mingyu's lips and a twinkle in his eyes as he excused himself from Wonu who was on the edge of the bench.

"I think I need a refill," he said, waving his half-full glass of soda. "And our friend DK must be hungry, I can order for you."

"Oh, don't bother, Jun and Dino came with me, they've already gone to order." DK said and tanked him.

"Oh, they're here? Cool. Good...I still need a refill. Anyone else want anything else?" he said, nodding towards the counter.

"I want a slice of cake." Seungkwan announced.

"Another portion of fries would be nice." Hoshi added.

"Apple juice, please." Wonwoo said.

"I still don't know what I want, you can send the waitress over here." Jeonghan said and Mingyu didn't even think twice before rushing towards the counter.

He walked over to Tea, sitting on the bench next to her. The attendant had just noticed her order.

"Excuse me, can you send a waitress over for month five?" he said, leaning over the counter and smiling prettily at the female lieutenant who looked not much older than he was. "The friends we've been waiting for have arrived."

"Of course," she said, blushing.

"And I also have a few more orders, a slice of chocolate cake, apple juice and another portion of fries." he said, and she started to write it down.

"I'll be there in a jiffy."" she announced smiling at him, Mingyu thanked him, giving her another one of his charming smiles, then she headed towards the kitchen.

Tea was extremely quiet beside him, trying to look busy as she peeked over the menu she already knew by heart.

"Hey" he said, turning to her a charming smile on his lips, the tone of surprise seemed extremely natural, as if he had just noticed the girl's presence at that moment.

"Hey." she said, smiling back at him, but turning back to face the menu shortly thereafter.

"Nice to see you here," he said. "You came with DK, are you staying? Come sit with us."

"Oh no, I don't want to disturb the meeting, Jun and Dino are interrupting enough, but they insisted on coming. I just took advantage of the fact that they were coming over to get some lunch for the trip. Mya is waiting for me in the car." She explained.

"Oh, too bad." he said, pouting "But at least I got to see you for a while and say hi." he said "I figured after that day at Troubadour I'd be seeing you more often on the label, but it seems our schedules don't really match. Which is a shame."

She smiled politely at the young man, then the waitress arrived with the to-go packages.

"It's twenty-five dollars." the woman announced and Tea started rummaging through her purse for her wallet.

"You can put it on the account of table five." Mingyu said.

"Oh no need to do that, I have the money right here." she said, showing her wallet.

"Please" he said "Consider a favor from a new colleague. You can return the favor when the tour starts. Will you?"

She nodded to him as he smiled full of hope, then turned to the waitress, nodding to her too.

"Thank you" she said, and he smiled proudly "It was good to see you, but now I have to go, Mya is waiting for me. See you soon."

"I can't wait for it," he said, then she nodded and waved to him before she left.

"Where is my cake?" Seungkwan asked when Mingyu came back to the table only with Wonwoo's box of juice in hand.

"The waitress will bring it in a minute," he explained. Then he went silent, thinking about the way Tea was visibly blushing when he offered to pay.

Later that day, when the bill landed on the table and Seungcheol was surprised by the extra amount on the bill and was about to complain to the waitress, Mingyu had to explain himself, but Cheol couldn't complain, he had done it for a reason, and in the future, they would reap the fruits of that small act. At least, Mingyu, hoped so.