It was the middle of winter, and GOING SEVENTEEN had decided that filming outdoors was somehow a good idea. It had sounded fun in the meeting room, all laughter and fresh air until the cameras started rolling and the icy wind began gnawing at everyone’s ears and fingers.

Dokyeom was doing his best to keep the energy up, flashing smiles and cracking jokes between takes even as his breath came out in pale clouds. Beside him, Vernon stood bundled in layer after layer, looking more like a walking pile of fabric than an idol. Dokyeom leaned in, tucking himself into Vernon’s coat for warmth. The two were pressed shoulder to shoulder, laughing about how “this definitely wasn’t in the idol job description,”

But a few meters away, Mingyu wasn’t laughing.

He stood with his arms crossed, scarf hiding half his face, watching the two of them with a frown that wasn’t quite a frown. He told himself he was just cold — that the irritation curling in his chest was nothing but the weather — yet his gaze lingered a little too long. He was supposed to be listening to the PD’s directions, but his focus kept drifting— eyes flicking toward the two huddled figures. His jaw tightened slightly, the usual easy grin fading as something faintly sulky tugged at his expression.

It wasn’t a big deal. It was freezing, and Dokyeom was just staying warm. That’s all. Still, the way Dokyeom leaned in so naturally, the way his laughter came out soft and unguarded — it made something uneasy stir in Mingyu’s chest.

By the time the cameras started rolling again, he looked every bit like a cold, jealous puppy trying very hard not to look like one.