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If you ask ATEEZ members how they would describe Wooyoung’s personality, they would probably say mischievous and playful. Of course Wooyoung is much more than just that, but sometimes personality speaks louder than actions or words. Wooyoung is a loud and heartwarming person. He knows when someone is feeling down and knows how to act around people when they feel that way. But sometimes even members don’t know how to act around Wooyoung.
____
It is a bright morning in the ATEEZ dorm and members are starting to wake up. It’s a normal workday for them sadly. Many hours of dancing and at least one interview. Because the tour is getting closer and closer, it is harder to stay positive and have full energy every day.
Wooyoung walks downstairs while rubbing his eyes.
“Good morning hyung”, Seonghwa turns around in the kitchen to look at the sleepy boy.
“Morning Young-ah! Did you sleep well?” Seonghwa asks while turning back to cook breakfast.
“Yeah I did! What do we have for today Hongjoong hyung?” he asks while turning to look at his hyung who is already sitting at the table drinking his morning coffee.
“Just a dance practice and interview” he says casually while slurping his coffee.
“Hmm”
___
Dance practice went well for the first three hours. They were able to perfect a lot of moves and formations and currently they are moving to the next part of the practice when
*Knock knock*
Two police officers walk in the practice room.
“Sorry to bother you boys, but is Jung Wooyoung here?” members turn to look at Wooyoung with shocked faces.
“Is there something officer? Did he do something stupid?” Hongjoong tries to interview the officers.
“I’m sorry but this is something we need to discuss with Wooyoung first before we openly speak about it to you” the taller officer said formally.
Officers lead him to the empty meeting room and ask him to take a seat in front of them.
“So what is this about? Did I break a law or did someone die or what?” Wooyoung asked in a hurry.
“No nothing like that… But there is something we need to tell you that your doctor found”
Shorter officer tells him.
“Let us introduce ourselves first. I’m officer Kim and he is officer Hwang.” The taller one introduces them.
“Nice to meet you both” Wooyoung gets up and does a tiny bow for both of them before sitting back down. “So what is going on if I may ask”
“So let’s start explaining! You had your monthly doctor's appointment a couple of weeks ago, right?” offices Kim didn’t give him enough time to answer before continuing. “Your doctor took blood from you but they found something that made them doubt your age.” MY AGE!?!?!? Wtf is going on? “Easily explained your blood was too young for your age which made doctors run more tests and found out a person who had the same problem. This guy has also visited a hospital a couple of months before you. It was easily checked with your birth certifications which have been switched.”
Wooyoung stared at officer Kim with a mouth wide open. “How the hell our certifications were even switched?”
“Well… Both of you have the same name and his and your parents haven't been sharp enough with this.”
This is ridiculous.
“So what now? I get a new age? How old is this kid and how old am I gonna be?” God I cannot believe this. This cannot be happening.
“The boy is currently 19… Born in 2005. Which means-” Wooyoung interrupted him.
“I’m actually 19 years old and he is 25. Right?”
Both officers looked down. “Yes, that's correct. And that's why we needed to come here and talk to you. As you know now that you are 19 which makes you underage.” Officer Hwang looks up and leans to put his elbows on the table and rests his head on his hands. “You have to understand Wooyoung that you’ve been drinking illegally.” What the heck? I didn't even know I was underage. “We know that you had no idea about this but you need to understand what we are saying.”
“So youre saying that I’m not allowed to drink anymore even though I’ve done that for the past 4 years.” Wooyoung
“I’m sorry Wooyoung but it is against the law” Officer Hwang said.
Honestly fuck my life.
_____
Officers gave him his new birth certificate and explained again what is going on and what he should avoid. They also told to explain this to his managers, staff and ATEEZ carefully so they wouldn’t think that he knew about this already.
After going back to practice, members surrounded him with questions. Apparently he was talking with officers for almost two hours.
“Please Wooyoung, tell us what happened. What they told you”
“Did you do something illegal”
“Did something happen to you”
Member after member asked the same questions and he became frustrated.
“SHUT UP! I will tell you later but first I just want to have this practice. I’ve been sitting for two hours and I need something to do and get out of my head!” he shouted for them.
“Wooyoung-ah” Hongjoong started after the short shock “I know they told you something that you didn’t wanna hear but you do not act like that around your members.” even though Hongjoong felt bad for Wooyoung, he couldn’t let the younger boy act like that.
“Whatever” Wooyoung muttered and walked to his bag and drank water while preparing himself for the rest of the day.
Hongjoong was ready to argue more but Seonghwa stopped him, “Stop. He is definitely having a bad day. We can ask him more when we get home.”
Hongjoong sighed but kept quiet like Seonghwa had asked.
___
If Wooyoung had known how bad this day would be, he would surely have stayed in his room all day. Honestly before the police-age-shitty thingie his day was so good, but now. He started thinking.
How the hell I’m supposed to tell them this without it sounding fake or something like that. How can it even be possible?
What if they throw me out of ATEEZ because I’m too young.
He tried to calm himself, “Okay don’t panic yet. You're not even home.”
______
Finally reaching home after a long day was the best feeling he had the whole day. Sadly that didn’t last long. Before he was able to slip to his room and just relax for the rest of the day, Hongjoong grabbed his wrist, “Wooyoung,” he started, “you know we have to talk about what happened today.”
Wooyoung lowered his gaze to the floor when Hongjoong let go of his hand.
“I don’t know how to say it hyung”, he almost sounded desperate as he slowly looked up his hyung with an expression that no one was able to read.
____
They all made their way to the living room. Wooyoung sat between San and Yeosang while nibbling his lip.
San put his hand around his waist and looked down to his soulmate, “Hey,” his fingers went to Wooyoung’s hair, “everything is okay… And if not then tell us so we can make it okay.”
Wooyoung looked at San with tears welling up to eyes, “No Sannie. You can’t help me. You can’t make it okay. You can literally do nothing.” He cant hold it anymore and tears burst out of his eyes
Everyone watched as Wooyoung cried.
He rarely cried.
Seonghwa bend to be on the same level as Wooyoung, “Honey what is going on in that pretty head of yours?”
Wooyoung is silent for a moment. Trying to hold back tears. When he finally manages to hold them for a while, he stands up and walks to his bag which is still next to the front door. He opens it and takes out a paper.
This is the moment.
I can do this.
He walks back to his members and sits back to the same place where he was. He hands the paper to Seonghwa, “I hope that tells enough,” he says while pressing his head against San's chest.
Seonghwa looked at the paper and a couple minutes later a gasp was heard, “Youngie, honey. What is this? Why does your birth certificate say that you were born in 2005?” when Seonghwa finishes his sentence, everyone, except Wooyoung, is shocked. Their faces tell everything.
“WHAT”
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN??!?!??!”
“Hyung let me see!?”
Chaos.
No one knows what to say, so Wooyoung tells them. He tells them everything he and police officers talked about in the meeting room.
Everyone is quiet.
They just listen.
They let him speak.
They let him explain.
Once he is finished, it is quiet for about a minute. Everyone is just processing it on their own.
When no one is saying anything, Yunho decides to be the first one to open his mouth, “So… You are actually 19 years old but they just mixed two certificates. How is that possible?”
Wooyoung shakes his head, “I don’t know..”
“19 or 60 it doesn’t matter. You're still the same person we have always known,” Seonghwa adds.
“Yeah!” Mingi exclaims. “Think about it. You’re probably one of the youngest idols who has debuted in a kpop group! How cool is that!!”
Wooyoung manages to smile little for Mingis silliness.
They keep talking about it and members try to make Wooyoung smile with everything they can figure out. Age jokes etc.
“Seonghwa hyung” Wooyoung waits for Seonghwa to focus on him. He has this tiny smile on his face which makes him look soft, “Yeah honey?”
“You realize that I’m like 7 years younger than-” Seonghwa manages to interrupt this rude sentence. “SHSS I'm not that old! Just because you’re younger now doesn’t make me any older!”
Everyone is laughing hard. Even Wooyoung.
Maybe this is not so bad afterall.
He just has to get used to being the youngest.
____
As the members continued to make jokes about Wooyoung’s age, the mood in the room slowly began to lighten. Everyone wanted to make sure Wooyoung didn’t feel the weight of the situation for too long. Even if he was 19 years old now, to them, he was still the same mischievous Wooyoung they loved—playful, energetic, and full of warmth.
Mingi, ever the prankster, leaned over to Wooyoung with a teasing grin, "So, what are you gonna do now, baby-faced Wooyoung? Gonna start carrying a school ID around? Or should we get you a lunchbox for your new ‘underage’ self?"
Wooyoung laughed through his tears, wiping his eyes. “I’ll probably start asking you for snacks in the cafeteria.”
“Don’t even joke about that! We’ll actually be getting you a snack every 10 minutes,” Yunho teased, nudging him. “You’re gonna be the baby of the group now.”
“Wait, is this what it feels like to be the youngest?” Wooyoung asked, as if the whole thing had just hit him in a new light. “I’m gonna get spoiled now, right?”
“You were already spoiled before,” Yeosang said with a laugh. “This is nothing new.”
“But now it’s official,” San added, squeezing Wooyoung’s shoulder. “You’ll be getting all the attention. Just prepare yourself, ‘cause we’re gonna be extra protective.”
Wooyoung let out a small chuckle, but the heaviness was still there, lurking. Seonghwa noticed the slight change in his expression and decided it was time to bring out his own brand of comfort.
He turned to Wooyoung with a teasing, exaggerated smile. "Alright, Youngie, time to enjoy your youth! I’ll even call you ‘baby Wooyoung’ from now on.”
“Hyung, please no,” Wooyoung groaned, hiding his face in his hands. “It’s embarrassing.”
“I’m serious. You’ve got a whole 6 years of youth to live through, might as well embrace it.”
“Six years? I swear, you're never going to let me live this down, are you?” Wooyoung asked, his voice muffled by his hands.
Seonghwa playfully ruffled his hair. “Nope, not ever.”
Hongjoong, who had been quietly listening to the banter, finally spoke up. “Wooyoung, you know we’re all here for you, right? Nothing changes. You’re still the same person we’ve always known.”
“I know, hyung,” Wooyoung said softly, looking up at Hongjoong. “I guess I’m just scared, y’know? What if people think I’m lying about all this? Or worse… what if I’m treated differently?”
“You’re overthinking it,” Yunho said, walking over and placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “We’ve all been through tough times together, and nothing’s going to change because of a piece of paper. You’re still the same Wooyoung, the one who makes us laugh, who makes this group complete.”
Mingi jumped in, his voice dripping with over-the-top excitement. “Yeah! And now you’re a real-life time traveler! Who else can say they’ve gone back in time and are now legally
younger?”
“Shut up, Mingi,” Wooyoung said, laughing despite himself. “You’re making it worse.”
But even as the teasing continued, Wooyoung could feel the love and support surrounding him. He could tell that his members were doing everything they could to make him feel okay, to make sure he knew they weren’t going anywhere, no matter what age he was.
“Well, if you’re officially the youngest now, I guess that means…” Yeosang trailed off with a smirk. “We’ll be expecting you to be more energetic than ever. You’re gonna have to be the one to motivate us during practice from now on!”
“Yeah, no pressure!” Hongjoong added with a laugh. “Let’s see how much energy you really have, baby Wooyoung!”
Wooyoung rolled his eyes, but a genuine smile spread across his face. "I’ll try my best, hyungs. But don’t blame me when you can’t keep up."
The atmosphere shifted from tense to lighthearted, and Wooyoung felt his worries slowly start to melt away. He had his members, and that’s all that really mattered. They would figure it out together.
“Alright, alright,” Seonghwa said, dramatically wiping away imaginary tears. “Let’s all go get some food. After all, who wants to see ‘baby Wooyoung’ go hungry?”
“Yes, please, let’s,” Wooyoung agreed quickly, standing up and walking toward the kitchen. “I’m starving.”
“You’re still eating like you’re 25,” Yunho remarked as they all made their way to the kitchen, following Wooyoung.
“Actually, now that I’m 19, I have to watch my diet. I’m probably supposed to eat healthier now,” Wooyoung teased, looking over his shoulder. “Can someone make me a salad?”
“Yeah, okay, sure,” Seonghwa said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. “You’re still gonna be sneaking junk food in the middle of the night, I know it.”
Wooyoung winked at him, “I’ll be careful, hyung. No need to worry. I’ve got the energy of a 19-year-old now. I’ll be running circles around you guys.”
As they all settled around the kitchen table, Wooyoung could feel a warmth in his chest. He was surrounded by people who would always have his back. No matter how old he was, no matter what crazy situations life threw at him, his ATEEZ family would always be there to lift him up.
And with that, Wooyoung realized something: maybe being the youngest wasn’t so bad after all.
_____
The next few days in the ATEEZ dorm were… different.
At first, Wooyoung kind of loved it.
Seonghwa would randomly appear with cut-up fruit and put it in front of him like, “Eat up, you need your vitamins, baby.”
Yunho insisted on carrying his backpack to practice.
San wouldn’t let him lift a single thing without yelling, “Wooyoung, put that down! You’re still growing!”
Even Mingi took it a step too far when he came home one night with a neon green kiddie lunchbox with cartoon characters on it, grinning like a fool.
“I got this for you, so you don’t forget your snacks at practice!”
At first, Wooyoung laughed so hard his stomach hurt.
___
It was getting too much.
Every time he yawned:
“Oh no! Is baby Wooyoung sleepy? Should we tuck you in?”
Every time he tried to do something:
“Wait, let me help you with that, you’re just a kid now.”
Even in practice, Hongjoong would scold him extra softly, like “Youngie, it’s okay, take your time. Don’t strain yourself, alright?”
And if one more person ruffled his hair and called him “baby”, he was going to lose his mind.
_____
It happened three days later.
They were in the dorm, Wooyoung was trying to cook himself ramyeon, and Seonghwa came up behind him, gently took the pot out of his hands like he was a toddler about to burn the house down.
“Sweetheart, you shouldn’t be near hot stoves. Just let me do it.”
That was it.
Wooyoung slammed the chopsticks down on the counter.
“STOP IT!” he burst out, his voice cracking from pent-up frustration.
The room fell completely silent.
“I get it, okay? I’m nineteen! So what? That doesn’t mean I’m a baby! I’ve been taking care of myself for years! I’ve trained just as hard, gone through the same shit as you all! Just ‘cause some stupid paperwork says I’m younger now doesn’t mean I’m a different person!”
His voice wavered, tears threatening again, but this time from pure frustration.
Everyone looked guilty. Seonghwa’s hand, still holding the pot, lowered slowly.
“I… I just wanted to help—” Seonghwa started.
“Well maybe I don’t need help like this all the time!” Wooyoung snapped, his lip trembling. “I’m not made of glass.”
Out of everyone, the one who finally moved was Jongho. Quiet, steady Jongho.
He walked over to Wooyoung and gently grabbed his shoulder. “Come here.”
Without waiting for approval, he led Wooyoung to his room and closed the door behind them. They both sat down on Jongho’s bed in silence for a minute.
Wooyoung sniffled. “Sorry… I just… I can’t anymore.”
Jongho sighed and smiled a little. “Welcome to my world, hyung.”
That made Wooyoung blink. “What?”
“This is what it’s like being the youngest. Everyone treats you like you’re made of paper, or like you can’t handle anything. Even when you’re strong. Even when you’ve proven yourself. It’s exhausting.”
Wooyoung stared at him, and suddenly it clicked. If anyone understood how suffocating this could feel, it was Jongho.
“I know they mean well,” Jongho continued. “But it still gets to you. So you’re allowed to be annoyed. You’re allowed to snap sometimes. And you’re allowed to tell them to back off when it’s too much.”
Wooyoung let out a shaky breath. “Thanks, Jongho-yah.”
“Anytime, 'hyung'.” Jongho smirked. “Now let’s go out there and set some ground rules before Mingi starts buying you a stroller.”
That earned a real, tired laugh from Wooyoung. “Deal.”
____
When they came out, the other members were still hovering awkwardly in the living room, like kids caught in trouble.
“I… I’m sorry, Youngie,” Seonghwa said first, his voice small. “We didn’t mean to overwhelm you.”
Wooyoung sighed. “I know you guys care. And I love you for it. But… let me be me, okay? I’m still Jung Wooyoung. I just need you to treat me the same way you always have.”
The members nodded.
“No more over-the-top babying?” Wooyoung raised an eyebrow.
“No more,” Hongjoong promised.
“Well… reasonable teasing is still allowed,” Wooyoung grinned.
“Deal!” San laughed, pulling Wooyoung into a hug. “But I’m still your soulmate, so I get to baby you a little. It’s a contract.”
Wooyoung rolled his eyes but hugged him back. “Fine.”
___
After that, things settled down. The jokes stayed, but they were lighter, less suffocating. Wooyoung didn’t get tackled with fruit platters every time he coughed. He got his own ramyeon pot privileges back.
And anytime it got a little too much, one look from Jongho was enough to keep the others in check.
Maybe being nineteen wasn’t the end of the world after all. Especially when you had brothers like these.