#sj2k

[liujinhee]

[Team]

Word Count: 1,403

Summary: When the team goes overboard with their “group chat without Leeteuk” joke, it's gonna take more than a few buttering up attempts from Heechul to get them back in the man's good graces.

After so many years of being around each other, the Super Junior members like to think they have each other figured out. Mostly. Or at the very least, what makes them tick, so they'll never make the mistake of stepping on a landmine.

But there are still times, of course, where they push, stretch, and overstep. Those are the times where they rely on the rest to help patch things up, tightening the seams till they're back to what they were before. It's just unfortunate that none of them are good at dealing with such a situation when it comes to the eldest Jungsoo. 

×

It all begins, as it tends to, with a joke. Harmless teasing on camera, something that can be edited into a highlight clip to increase viewership when the episode airs. That's what they're here for, after all. To promote.

“We can't talk about these things with Teukie hyung around,” Hyukjae is saying, smiling wide. “So we do it in the group chat without him.”

Jungsoo prepares to react to the joke, the same one they've been using throughout their recent show appearances. That's when something slightly different from the norm happens—Heechul joins in, sounding excited. The real kind of excitement, where he's bouncing on his feet, gummy smile a mirror of Hyukjae's.

“Yah, I get exactly what you mean! Like, remember when we wanted to eat jjamppong just before a recording? Teukie would've killed us if he'd known.”

Even more unexpectedly, Hankyung speaks up as well, the words falling from his lips fluently, as it always does when the situation suits him. “Ah, I remember that! It's amazing how we managed to finish all that food within ten minutes.”

As the other members mumble some form of agreement, doubt begins creeping into Jungsoo's mind. The rest shared a memory he doesn't recall in explicit detail. It's not in their style to make a running gag this believable—unless it's not a lie?

He makes a grab for the nearest member, who so happens to be Kyuhyun. “Kyuhyun-ah, give me your phone.”

Kyuhyun just blinks at him, a tiny crease between his brows, and Jungsoo wonders if he sounds as hysterical as he feels. But he's fixated now, and he won't rest till he gets a definite answer. Jungsoo musters his tone of authority and repeats, “Phone, now.”

Someone grabs his arms then, grip loose, and he lets himself be held, remembering that they are still on camera. It's Sungmin. “Hyung, don't worry, we're just playing around. Of course we don't have a group chat without you!”

“Really?”

Sungmin squeezes him, once, sincerity dripping from his voice as he promises, “Really.”

Jungsoo manages to smile, and even crack a few jokes, but unlike the previous times, their reassurance doesn't work its magic, doesn't clear that fog of doubt from his mind. It eats at him even after shooting ends and they're about to go their separate ways till their next schedule, so he sets his eyes on the member he's sure to be able to get an honest answer from.

“Siwon-ah!” Jungsoo calls out, crowding the man into a corner. “What was that all about?”

“What was what about?”

“The group chat!” Jungsoo lowers his voice to a hiss, not wanting to draw unnecessary attention. “I thought it's fake, but the story just now seemed too real. Is there one after all?”

Siwon, bless him, gives Jungsoo a firm pat on his shoulders, looking directly into his eyes as he explains that it is indeed a real story—“Excuse me?”—but that it didn't happen in any group chat. It had been a starving Heechul, a few scheming managers, and other members who were in on the little affair.

“I swear to God that we don't have a group chat without our leader. We would be lost without you.”

Would you really? Jungsoo bites back the urge to ask. They may not have a group chat without him, but they seem to be going behind his back regardless, aren't they?

×

Leeteuk is an angel, but on some days, Park Jungsoo would knock on the door of his mind, needing an out. This time, he lets it happen; a sporadic decision he makes after careful consideration. Even the leader deserves to be a little petty when he's hurt, doesn't he?

It's two weeks before anyone even notices the man's changed his number, and for the first time, not a single member has access to the new one.

×

Hyukjae's the first one who opens up their group chat after the filming that seemed so long ago, just to notify the rest of a few things to note for their upcoming dance practice. He's nearly done with his draft when he realises the number of people in the group doesn't add up.

🐵 Wait, who left the group this time?

It’s a few seconds before a reply comes in from Jongwoon.

☁️ Teuk hyung isn’t inside anymore. There’s no notification that he left though?

🐵 Did he change his phone number again?

☁️ No idea, I didn’t hear anything about that.

🐵 Guess I’ll ask the manager to relay the message to him then…

Not thinking much of the relatively common occurrence, Hyukjae relays what he’s originally intended to, and tosses his phone aside, returning to his task at hand. Heechul’s text comes in much later, still blissfully ignorant.

🍒 What did you punks do to Jungsoo this time???

×

See, the thing is, it’s impossible for any member to avoid another completely. Not when they're a contract bound idol group currently actively performing and filming for their comeback. Let alone when it's the leader who is, for the lack of a better word, brooding.

Jungsoo is undoubtedly a professional in every sense of the word, performing his duties without a hitch at their next group activity, where he so happens to be the host. No one else would've noticed how things are off; the way Jungsoo's smile is a little too bright, his words a little sharper, his posture a little stiffer.

They confirm it when Youngwoon makes an attempt at a jab but is cut off by Jungsoo. It's done smoothly, both parties reacting suitably in a way that it seems intentional, but the message is clear: somehow, somewhere between the two schedules, they've pissed Jungsoo off. Their guard is immediately up, unwilling to take any risks at worsening their situation when they don't have all the facts yet.

Jungsoo, being him, notices the change in his members immediately. Well, good. They can suffer for a bit for once without knowing anything. Meanwhile, he intends to make the most out of the three hour filming.

And he does.

.

.

.

Of course, Donghae brings up the issue the second they arrive back at the waiting room during filming break, as usual too small for a group as large as they are.

“Hey, isn't something awfully wrong with Teuk hyung today?” 

“Yeah, he seemed pretty mad somehow,” Kibum agrees with a frown, eyeing the doorknob as if Jungsoo will come barging in with a lecture any second. They all know Jungsoo doesn't take breaks when filming, though. “Should we apologise to him?”

“How can we apologise when we don't even know what we did, if we even did?” Ryeowook points out from the chair he's claimed, a half empty bottle in his hand. He sets it down on the table with just a tad too much force, his next words spoken with a pout. “If anything, we should be asking why he changed his number without telling any of us.”

From where he stands in Ryeowook's blind spot, Kyuhyun rolls his eyes, no doubt remembering the man's wails about the time he called Jungsoo's number to have a stranger pick up. His words seem to have an effect on Siwon, however, the man's eyes widening as he straightens from where he's been leaning against the wall.

“Ah!”

“That's never a good sign,” Shindong mutters, on point as he always is.

“I think I have an idea of what Jungsoo hyung is mad about—…”

.

.

.

“Fuck's sake,” Youngwoon groans after Siwon recounts his previous encounter with Jungsoo. Someone slaps a palm over their forehead. All heads turn to Heechul, who's been tapping away on his phone the entire time.

“What?”

“Fix this.”

“Me? We're all to blame!”

“Yeah, but you started telling the story!”