CHAPTER 78 — A New Chapter Begins

After breakfast, the members took the van and headed to practice. Back at the dorm, Nian and Xuanye lounged on the sofa, scrolling through their phones. Nian giggled as she rewatched SEVENTEEN's concert highlights.

Xuanye glanced over and teased, "Nian, what do you think Mom will say when she finally meets them?"

Nian smiled, eyes still on her screen. "Don't worry, even if Mom doesn't know who they are, we've got Dad on our side," she said, wiggling her brows playfully.

Xuanye burst into laughter. "Right! I totally forgot about that. He's going to be our backbone."

Nian placed her hands on her cheeks, beaming. "I'm so excited to see how they'll react~"

---

✧ Meanwhile at Practice ✧

Inside the practice room, Dino was dancing front and center when—slip!—he tripped and fell. The members froze for a second.

Boo, who stood nearby, rushed forward—only to burst out laughing and let Dino struggle on his own.

The others helped Dino to his feet as Boo tapped his shoulder, still chuckling. "Why'd you fall like that?"

Dino scratched his head. "My pants were too loose… they tripped me."

Scoups raised a brow. "Then why wear loose clothes to practice?"

Dino shrugged. "It's fashion, hyung."

DK pointed and laughed. "But your pants are bigger than you~!"

Jun hid behind him, laughing just as hard.

Hoshi clapped his hands. "Alright, let's take a break."

The boys gathered in a circle, catching their breath. DK sat spinning a water bottle, playing with Joshua, Jeonghan, and Mingyu. Nearby, Minghao sat in silence, staring off… at Vernon.

Vernon noticed and blinked. "Why's he staring at me like that?" he whispered.

Woozi followed his gaze. "He looks possessed…"

The others turned to look—and burst into giggles.

DK, noticing, whispered to Joshua, "Why are Woozi and Vernon giggling like they saw a beauty queen?"

Jeonghan snickered. "Woozi is actually giggling. What happened to him?"

Joshua added, "Why do they look like they're laughing in slow motion?"

Mingyu looked in the same direction and choked. "Guys… Minghao's zoning out like he's meditating."

DK tapped Minghao's shoulder. "Hao, are you alive?"

No response.

Grinning, DK gave him a push. Minghao jerked up, startled. "DK!!"

Everyone turned to look.

"Why were you staring at Vernon like he stole your diary?" DK teased.

Vernon laughed. "You've got a weird imagination."

Woozi smirked. "DK, you're too much."

Jun nudged Minghao. "What were you thinking about?"

Minghao stayed quiet.

Dino leaned in confidently. "I know."

Boo blinked. "Do you have a second pair of ears or what?"

Scoups and Wonwoo looked intrigued. "Tell us."

Dino leaned closer, lowering his voice dramatically. "He's nervous… because he's meeting Xuanye's parents tomorrow."

The boys gasped in unison. "OHHHH~"

Minghao gaped. "How did you know?!"

Dino crossed his arms. "Tiger ears. Eagle eyes."

Jun laughed. "Should we call you fortune teller Dino now?"

Boo sulked. "I want that power too!"

Wonwoo said, "We need Dino's wisdom. We really have no clue."

Scoups nodded. "Same."

Jeonghan turned to Minghao. "Why so nervous? You weren't this scared when we debuted."

Minghao sighed. "Exactly… I didn't even feel like this on stage."

DK chimed in, "I'm meeting Nian's parents too, and look—I'm chill!"

Boo cut in. "DK, you're never serious."

The others laughed hard.

"You guys betrayed me!" DK pouted. "Boo, look who's talking—you're a walking clown!"

Boo clutched his chest in mock offense. "How could you!"

Everyone was dying of laughter.

Finally, Minghao asked seriously, "Guys, what should I do to impress Xuanye's parents?"

The group fell silent. Scoups rubbed his chin. "Imagine if her mom asked you a deep question—what would you say?"

Dino scoffed. "Even I could think of that…"

Minghao looked defeated.

Jun offered, "Just ask Dino. He clearly knows what to do."

Minghao's eyes lit up. "Dino… help me, please!"

Dino cleared his throat. "Alright. Here's the master plan."

DK and Minghao sat up straight.

"Step one: be respectful. Step two: wear suits. Step three: carry bouquets. And step four: act like the perfect son-in-law."

DK asked, "Should we wear dorm clothes or…"

Boo cut in, "You want to look like uncles?!"

Dino laughed. "You're not going on a trip—you're meeting their parents! Suits. Got it?"

Woozi tilted his head. "This sounds like a job interview…"

Dino grinned. "Exactly. You want to show them you're serious, right?"

DK nodded. "Smart."

Dino pointed at DK. "And you—don't do your weird dances. Please."

The members howled with laughter. DK pouted. "I am mature!"

The room erupted again.

---

That day, laughter echoed like never before. But beneath it all, they knew—

this wasn't just a visit.

It was the beginning of a new journey—

where two fangirls became family…

and two idols prepared to become more than just boyfriends.