Chapter Text
September rolled around so fast, it was almost as if Han Jisung had slept through August, although it didn't feel like it; they'd been on the road for so long now that it almost just blurred into one. Of course he remembered all of the concerts separately, but the days in-between and all the traveling? None existent, at least it would feel like that if his limbs didn't ache so much.
Han Jisung, also known as Han by his fans, was one of the 8 members of the K-pop group Stray Kids, they were extremely well known after their last album blew up over night, making them one of the biggest K-pop groups at the moment. Han loved it, he'd dreamt of being an idol all his life, he'd worked hard to be here; shed blood, sweat and tears but it was all worth it to hear fans (also known as STAYS) cheering their names for encores and the looks in their eyes as he spotted individuals in the sea of dancing bodies and bobbing light sticks.
But they needed a break, they'd been working nonstop for months now, years, actually. Stray Kids were always doing something when they weren’t touring, whether it was dance practice, concert rehearsals, writing new songs or hosting in TV programmes or even Vlives, they were always doing something, which left them with little time to just... relax.
Stray Kids consisted of 7 other members and Han adored each of them so much. Their journey together had been a difficult one but this built the bonds of a study and unbreakable family.
Lee Minho, also known as Lee Know, was Han's closest friend, his Soul-Mate, no one knew Han like Lee Know did. At first, much like the other members, Han was intimidated by Lee Know; his harsh stare dug into the back of your skull and you could feel the chill of his cool, sharp and mysterious aura from a mile away, which matched his silver hair perfectly some would say. But as the group spent more time together the more Han got to know Lee Know's softer side, and they slowly became each other's foundations.
His dedication to helping his brother’s was admirable and he often spent his time with them in the studio, running through choreography with them, breaking it down into small bite size lessons that they could easily digest. His approach was patient, forgiving and fun, making sure his fellow Stray Kid’s were able to follow instructions clearly. After dance practice he’d spend time with them helping the stretch and massaging out their muscles.
Han's anxiety often got the better of him but Lee Know always knew how to calm him down or distracted him when needed. Lee Know's cold exterior didn't last long once someone got to know him and he quickly turned into melted butter once he could feel comfortable around them. His warmth radiated around those he loved, blanketing them in a comforting embrace.
Lee Know’s soft side really came out when he was around his cats, he’d 3 of them; Soonie, Doongie and Dory, that he loved dearly. He took a lot of pride in showing them off to STAYs and knowing that STAYs loved them as much as he did.
Seo Changbin was second closest to Han. Alongside him and Bang Chan they had their own side project; 3racha. They were the masterminds behind Stray Kids, writing and producing the majority of their songs and were an absolute force to be reckoned with. Changbin was loud and obnoxious at times and was extremely easy to tease and wind up. His love for working out consumed him when he wasn't on stage or in the studio (or his room) writing and producing. He loved to help the other group members with their fitness training and even had a soft spot for teaching STAYs his workout tips and tricks, which of course STAYs did not mind at all.
Most would look at Changbin and instantly believe his personality followed his tough, bad boy exterior. He was known as the dark rapper, but his lyrics were deep and poetic, reflecting his interior; a kind heart that cared about those around him. He was foolish and whimsical, light hearted with a heavy core helping him stay grounded.
Changbin had a soft spot for his family and often helped them with their worries and concerns, his big brother instincts kicked in whenever someone needed a shoulder to cry on. He’d a habit of checking up on Han and the other members regularly; making sure they ate and slept well.
Behind Changbin’s deep brown eyes burnt a flame so bright it would be blinding to look at. Han really admired Changbin's drive and passion in everything he did.
Bang Chan, the 3rd member of 3racha was the father of Stray Kids, not just because he was the oldest but because he loved his boys so dearly, Bang Chan would do anything to keep his members happy and safe and sometimes that got him in more trouble than he'd care to admit. Chan kept to himself a lot, locked in his room with his laptop, making music, producing tracks, talking to STAYs on Vlives.
He was always on the go and found it the most difficult out of all the members to slow down and enjoy the scenery. Han often worried that Chan was overworking himself dangerous amounts but like the other members, was struggling off when he'd bring it up. Chan didn't like to admit that being overworked was running him down, he always had a smile on his face.. at least in front of people. His eyes told a different story though and everyone knew he was holding it together for them, so no one dared push the topic further.
Bang Chan’s love for music was in everything he did, it was rare to see him without headphones on or earbuds in, and of course he spent most nights sitting with his laptop playing around with new sounds and experimenting. He needed it, like it was oxygen, like without it the stress and worries would be too much for his brain.
Another thing that silenced Chan’s mind was Berry, his beautiful little dog back home, but sadly he didn’t get to see her much, however his family often set up video calls for them so Bang Chan could spend time with her when he needed to ease his troubles.
Lee Felix's face was soft and delicate, decorated with a galaxy of freckles and his smile as bright as the sun. He carried a smoothing and charming, yet strong aura around with him wherever he went, bringing warmth with him.
Han's fondness for Felix was strong, and not just because Felix cooked the absolute greatest cheesecakes... Although that did help, they were his favourite after all. But because wherever Felix went, sunshine followed and Han found it very difficult to be in a bad mood around him.
However, Felix's soft charm could easily be knocked out of existence once he opened his mouth, an Aussie through and through he found it difficult not to swear and often found himself slipping out of his idol image on camera, and especially after he’d had a few drinks in his system.
His voice range that hit two extremes of adorably high pitched or core melting deep, which often had people double taking, both were just as soothing as the other.
His favourite pastime was forcing other members of the group to play video games with him, which no one really had any complaints about. He loved kicking back on the sofa with his switch or at his PC with a game, playing everything from Pokémon to League of Legends.
Hwang Hyunjin was the tallest member of the group, his face was soft and delicate like Felix’s but behind his brilliant eyes hid a coldness of past insecurities that often troubled him. His demeanour was calm and collected but he could easily get lost in thoughts; often letting his mind wander into dangerous places of self doubt and allowing his emotions to consume him.
Hyunjin's determination to prove that he wasn't just a pretty face had him working day and night, endlessly, if he wasn't in the studio practicing his dancing or coming up with choreography for new dances, he'd have a paint brush in hand and a canvas in front of him.
When Hyunjin danced he moved like a steady stream, calculated and graceful; there was an air of confidence that surrounded him whenever he allowed himself to be taken by whatever song he was moving to and anyone could tell that Hyunjin became one with melodies, entwining himself in lyrics and really allowing himself to fall into them freely and willingly.
His love for arts and writing flowed through him like wild flowers and it allowed him to spill his emotions carelessly and vulnerably and in the most productive way he could think of. STAYs loved when Hyunjin would share his art or snippets of his writing, like they were getting small gifts of the inside of Hyunjin’s mind and heart.
He could normally be found glued to Felix's side, the two of them were almost as inseparable as Han and Lee Know.
Kim Seungmin was the second youngest out of the members and the most shy… at least that's what Han thought when he first met him as Seungmin didn’t tend to say a lot, but his innocent puppy looks were easy to fall for and he enjoyed fooling everyone and making fools out of everyone, including himself.
He'd made a name for himself as the group's prankster and found joy in tormenting the other members with his comically timed remarks, often throwing them under the bus before using them as a mat not to dirty his shoes, affectionately, of course. Attentive to everyone, Seungmin had gained a lot of ammo over the years and enjoyed having fun with it. His eyes are constantly bright with curiosity and admiration for his fellow group members and his fellow Stray Kids returned the admiration for him. His fast wits, quick fired jokes, charm and cute and bubbly aura had his brother’s swooning over him constantly too.
To Bang Chan, he was most precious and Seungmin often had a Bang Chan problem, that being that Bang Chan absolutely adored cuddling him, Seungmin didn't mind this though as he could tell it helped Chan relax, which could never be a bad thing.
His smile was shy and beautiful, although Seungmin would sadly beg to differ, he was the only member that still wore braces and he hated them and how insecure they made him feel, because of this it was rare to see him smile, but when he did it drove STAYs wild.
Along with the youngest Stray Kid, I.N, Seungmin’s voice was soft and soothing, both their vocal ranges never failed to impress those that heard them, making those that listen to their sing fall head over heels and STAYs went feral for their solo’s and covers songs.
Yang Jeongin, also known as I.N (or Baby Bread to STAYs) was the maknae (youngest) of Stray Kids and the baby of the family, although his innocent childlike charm had long left and he was tired of being seen as just the youngest member of the group; often pushing past his limits to try and show that he wasn’t the small teen he once was.
I.N was constantly pushing himself to do as well as the older group members, looking up to them and wanting to make sure he impressed them and STAYs.
Despite his distaste for still being labelled Baby Bread, I.N was very much babied by the rest of the group members, all making sure that he was happy, well fed and taking care of himself and he didn’t mind, returning the favour to his older brothers and I.N had a strong desire to protect his family with everything he had.
Like Seungmin, I.N had a soft spot for teasing his older group members; taking pride in his witty comebacks and his sharp witted comments that often left the others speechless, sometimes confused until they realized that I.N had just burnt them.
I.N had a strong love for fashion and was always excited to show off the latest pair of shoes he’d purchased and upload his OOTDs on social media outlets for STAYs.
Lastly, there was Han Jisung himself; who saw himself as the outcast, as someone who just didn’t belong; which he very much did but he’d always felt that way and it was a hard thought to shake. He didn’t understand how he was where he was, he knew he’d worked hard for it and yet he felt like he still didn’t deserve it.
Han was very introverted, at least until you got to know him. His anxieties often got the better of him and he often had to take moments to himself to shake it off and pump himself back up. His emotions were strong and swift; with the force of waves crashing against a cliff’s edge or a waterfall smashing into the lake below, upturning the still waters that surrounded them. They were raw, cold, and draining at times, but he used all of that and he turned it into liquid gold which coated the music and lyrics he wrote, pouring it straight from his heart and mind allowing it to spill over the sheets like ink on wet paper.
He spent late nights working, pouring his emotions over pages and pages in his notebooks, scribbling, rewriting and doodling for hours and hours at a time, often locking himself away in his bedroom, much like Bang Chan. He didn’t really enjoy being alone but his productivity levels were much more affiant when he was.
From the outside you’d never tell. On the outside Han’s child-like joy and laughter was magnetic and he lived to make his bandmates smile and laugh along with him. Han’s confidence oozed out most when he was on stage and he shone like a star under the spotlights. His comical behaviours were well known to STAYs and with him they celebrated his oddities that made him so loveable to everyone around him.
The hour was late, the screaming crowd could still be heard, ringing in Han’s mind as he quickly tapped his foot against the leg of his chair. Their last concert of the tour had been incredible, a night he’ll surely remember forever. Thousands of pulsing lights scattered his mind as he shut his eyes, a sea of colours swaying back and forth, the low hum of chanting accompanying them as his body followed the sway of the lights. The tapping of his leg stilled and with his arm propping him up at his desk he slowly drifted in and out of consciousness. He thought he’d be able to eat before taking a shower but his mind and body had other plans and the food in front of him grew cold as Han slept at the desk in his hotel room.
A loud PING next to his ear startled him awake, making him almost lose his balance as his arm slipped out from under his head. Jolted up right, Han sleepily scanned his hotel room and through the slit in the curtains he could see that it was still dark out. Must have dozed off, he thought to himself as he pushed the chair he was sitting on away from the desk. He walked over to his bedside table and plucked his phone from its charger to see who’d woken him so rudely. It was a text from Felix “Hannie, you’re late, bring snacks x” Han chuckled to himself, he’d completely forgotten their plans and with that he slid the phone into his pocket, strolled over to his desk, picked his hotel room key up and added it to his pocket and walked to the door. A long mirror hung beside it and before Han left he checked himself over, ruffling his hands through his hair too fix it and poking at his cheeks, after deciding that he didn’t look like he’d just woken up abruptly he ran back to the desk, shoved a few forkfuls of food into his mouth filling his cheeks and then made his way out of his room, locking the door behind him.
Felix was sharing a room with Bang Chan and it was just down the corridor, room 103, as Han walked his phone pinged again, he shuffled his hand around in his pocket and glanced down at the screen “don’t forget snacks x” the message read, this time it wasn’t from Felix though it was from Hyunjin, but Han could tell that this was just Felix using his phone. “Oh shit” He mouthed as he darted his eyes behind him to his hotel room door, Han bounced on the spot for a second trying to decide if he could be bothered to go back and rummage around in his room for snacks, even though he was sure he’d finished them all up a few nights ago. After bouncing on the spot for awhile and turning several times whilst trying to make up his mind he decided he’d just have to tell the boys he didn’t have any and hope that someone else had brought some.
A few moments later Han arrived at their room and as he reached for the door with his hand in a fist someone bumped into his side unexpectedly, knocking him and making him stumble a little. The person next to him caught him at the waist to make sure he didn’t fall and chuckled heartily. Han, still mentally recovering from the stumble playfully pushed his groupmate back, “Minnie” he greeted as the puppy knocked his shoulder against Han again and ruffled his hair, which was easy because Seungmin was taller than Han and loved to joke around with the fact that he was. Han noticed that Seungmin was also looking like he’d just woken up and realized that he must have fallen asleep too.
Seungmin and Han were the only two that ended up not sharing a room with anyone, normally they’d all have their own rooms but the hotel was booked up thanks to a convention that was happening that week, along with their concert, so the boys did what any grown men would do and had a Mario Party tournament to see who’d be taking the separate rooms. Surprisingly Han actually managed to win a game, he never won at Mario party and didn’t shut up about it for days afterwards, bringing it up whenever he could to remind everyone that he’d actually won, without cheating! Seungmin didn’t make nearly as much of a fuss over winning, he’d have been happy either way.
Someone inside had obviously heard the slight commotion from the other side of the door and it opened swiftly in front of them. Han and Seungmin were greeted by a wobbly Bang Chan who giggled at the sight of them, he waved them on into the room.
Inside the rest of the boys were scattered around the big hotel room, it was much bigger than Han’s, to the left of the front door there was a big bathroom, with a bath that could easily fit 3 of him in, Han was a little jealous; his room only had a shower and he loved relaxing in baths, specially after a concert. There was a small hallway that led to a large lounge room that had a small kitchen with an island separating the spaces and on the right of that were two doors that lead to the separate bedrooms. Changbin was sitting at one of the stools at the island, beer in one hand and the other was hovering around different plates that were piled with finger foods and baked goods. Han could tell, even without seeing the smile on his face, that Changbin was in heaven right now. Behind the island, in the kitchen area Felix was resting his back against the kitchen counter, a wine glass in hand and talking to Changbin, Han couldn’t hear them but he could tell that they were talking about the food.
There was an L shaped sofa in the living room and I.N, Hyunjin and Lee Know were all sitting on the bigger part of the sofa, joy-cons in hand, yelling, laughing and jolting back and forth and side to side, Han didn’t need to see the TV to know that they were in a serious Mario Kart race right now, specially with the concentration on all of their faces. The coffee table in front of them had sweet wrappers, empty beer cans, an empty wine bottle, empty Pringle cans and Dorito bags scattered across it. Han could tell they’d be here for a while, he gave Seungmin a look as if to say “we slept through a lot” and greeted Bang Chan, who was still holding on to the door and still giggling away, with a fist bump and made his way over to the kitchen to join Changbin and Felix.
Seungmin didn’t get away so easily and Bang Chan wrapped himself around the puppy who grew wide eyed at the unexpected attack, “Seungmiiiinnnn!!” Bang Chan exclaimed at the top of his lungs, dragging Seungmin into the hallway and gently kicking the door shut behind him. Chan was very obviously drunk and when Bang Chan was drunk his favourite thing to do was to cuddle his puppy. Han giggled as he walked towards the others, happy he had escaped Chan’s death grip.
“About fucking time you two showed up” Changbin yelled as he looked over his shoulder at Han who was almost at the counter, Han’s face turned red in embarrassment and he scratched at his ear, “I, erm… fell asleep at my desk” he admitted. “We tried calling you at like, 11pm” Felix added, as he pushed himself away from the counter and towards the fridge, “Beer?” he asked as he shot Han a look with a quirked brow, Han nodded in response as he sat down next to Changbin at the island. His eyes grew wide as he ogled at all the food in front of him; there was pizza, “two types!” Han thought to himself, spicy chicken wings with different sauces next to them, honey glazed spare ribs, to name a few all down one side and on the other side of the island top there were the baked goods, Han could tell that Felix had baked a lot of them himself. Han could see cookies, chocolate chip to be exact, brownies which he knew were the really yummy ones Felix bakes, glazed donuts from down the road that he knew Changbin, Bang Chan & I.N went feral for, he was actually shocked that there were any of those left, though the box was mostly empty now. Han hadn’t finished taking in all the food on display in front of him when he knitted his brows, ‘wait a minute!’ he thought to himself, “You said bring snacks?!” he yelled in confusion, earning a snort out of Changbin next to him, who’d his mouth full of honey glazed ribs.
“Oh er…” Felix handed Han his beer, completely avoiding eye contact with him, “Did you forget we were doing this tonight?” Felix asked, quickly changing the subject before Han could scold him anymore, once again making Han blush with embarrassment, because yes… yes he did forget that they were having a party tonight. They’d planned it for ages, no staff, no management, just them celebrating the end of touring and welcoming that much needed break.
They’re flights home were booked late at night the following day so they decided that on the last night, before flying off they’d get shit faced and play games; this was tradition at this point and Han JiSung forgot, Felix couldn’t believe it. Han stared at him, wide-eyed in silence before turning on the stool, getting up and walking away in embarrassment, he couldn’t believe he’d forgotten. Felix laughed a sigh out and went back to the counter, leaned back against it and took a sip of his beverage, whilst Changbin yelled curses at him whilst continuing to stuff food into his mouth. Once Han had left they continued the conversation like nothing happened, focusing once again on all the food in front of them.
Bang Chan now had Seungmin in a leg-lock on the smaller part of the sofa, Seungmin desperately looking like he needed a few shots to be comfortable with Bang Chan this cuddly and next to them I.N, Hyunjin and Lee Know were still lost in their race. “Drink?” Han nodded to Seungmin who desperately nodded in response. “I gotcha”, and with that Han called over to Felix and waved at him to grab a beer out of the fridge.
As Felix made his way over with a beer for Seungmin he patted Changbin on the shoulder to follow. They both made their way over to the group on the sofa, Han was now sitting on the floor in front of the sofa, between Lee Know’s legs and Lee Know rested his arms on Han’s shoulders, wrapping his arms around him, controller still in hand. Felix and Changbin joined Han on the floor after throwing a few cushions and blankets down to make it more comfortable for them. Felix took the spot next to Han, in front of I.N and Changbin sat in front of Hyunjin.
I.N was also already drunk, Han knew this because his face had a slightly pink blush across it and he was being more touchy-feely than he would be sober. His leg’s were slumped over Hyunjin’s and their adjacent arms were wrapped around each other.
Stray Kids were big into Skinship, they enjoyed hugging each other, holding hands, resting on each and their platonic cuddles, their friendship was different to a lot of other KPop groups but they wouldn’t change it for the world, they loved how comfortable they were round each other; they were family after all. But I.N wasn’t fond of Skinship, he wasn’t a hugely intimate person and he showed his love to his brother’s in other ways; like doing their washing up, helping them tidy or pack their things away, but when he was drunk I.N didn’t mind as much.
“Do we have anything stronger, I feel like I need to catch up. '' Seungmin laughed as he looked at Bang Chan who still was wrapped around him, nesting his head into Seungmin’s shoulder. “I’m not that drunk” Bang Chan’s words slurred as he booped Seungmin’s noise, who twitched it under his finger like a rabbit. “Hm….” he hummed, “I beg to differ,” he laughed, returning the snoot boop, “what number is this?” He pointed at the can that was resting between Bang Chan’s thighs. Chan took a second to think but before he could say anything, I.N was ready to throw him under the bus as usual “4th?”, a pause “5th? He asked himself, “5th!” he confirmed after some thought, “Channie’s becoming a lightweight in his old age!” he added with a sly smirk. Bang Chan shot his head up from Seungmin’s shoulder, grabbed his drink and with a wobble got to his feet, “Fiove?” he said playfully, raising his hand, his fingers spread, “One for each year” he giggled to himself with an enormous grin on his face, making his friends laugh hysterically. Bang Chan pouted before taking a swig of his drink to finish off the remainder of the can and plodded his way to the kitchen to grab another, stopping at the counter to shovel a glazed donut in his mouth.
Lee Know rested his chin on Han’s head and their hands were interlocked. Han could also tell that Lee Know was starting to get drunk too because his chin was heavier than usual, this amused Han greatly. After a few more rounds of Mario Kart the boys had finished their race, Hyunjin won the over all races and did a little dance in his seat before getting up to stretch his legs, he danced his way to the kitchen, and grabbed another bottle of wine, danced back to his seat, which Changbin had quickly stolen from him, leaning back into the soft cushions “WAAHH! Finally!!” he yelled, “my ass was going numb!” he added, rubbing his backside. “Hyunjinie! Bring me a beer!” Changbin continued to yell, making grabby motions at the air in front of him. Huffing, Hyunjin tipsily waltzed back over, a slight dance in his step, “bossy,” Hyunjin scoffed as he shoved a can into Changbin’s outstretched hand before plonking himself on the floor next to Felix and filling both of their wine glasses to the brim.
A few hours had passed, they’d played several more rounds of Mario Kart, taking it in turns to play because, curse 4 player games. Mario Party mini-games followed afterwards and again with them taking it in turns to play. This was fine though, whilst 4 of them played the half that weren't able to; drank, snacked on the food, distracted those that were playing and of course cheered them on as loudly as possible. At times Han was really surprised that no one had called security on them, especially with some of the screams that came out of their mouths as Seungmin, who’d now finally caught up in terms of drunkenness lunged and tackled them, trying to give them wet willies or gripping them in a headlock and giving them a nuggies, messing up their hair completely. Drunken Seungmin found this extremely amusing and entertaining, watching them squirm as he teased them, and he giggled to himself endlessly.
I.N, Felix, Lee Know and Han were in an intense game of Mario Party, I.N playing as Birdo, Felix as Lugi, Lee Know as Yoshi and Han as Wario. As they played, the most inhuman noises would erupt from their mouths as they screamed over each other. “Fuck nooo! That was my star! You little shit!” Felix yelled in a thick Aussie laugh, whilst slapping his hand on Han’s leg, “You’ll pay for that!” He said, sending death stares at Han who was laying across both Felix and Changbin, his head against the arm rest. Han laughed his drunken head off at the fact that he’d stolen Felix’s only star he’d managed to acquire all game and that he managed to force out Felix’s thick Aussie accent as he swore up a storm. The other’s joined in the laughter as Han’s head rolled back in a deep, drunken cackle, unable to control the sounds that expelled from his diaphragm.
That was the last clear thing Han remembered from that night; laughing with his brothers, all of them losing their minds over Felix losing the only Star he tried so long to desperately cling on to in that game and to Han of all people!
Han woke up the next morning sprawled out over the sofa, with Lee Know asleep on the opposite side, their feet entwined around each other. Han slowly sat himself up, as not to wake the still very passed out Lee Know and glanced around the room, taking in the absolute mess they’d made.
There were beer cans and bottles scattered around the place, empty packets of crisps scrunched up on the floor, there was honey glazing smeared on the table under meatless spare rib bones and Uno cards peppered around the base of the table, liked they’d been thrown in the air at some point. Han smiled to himself as a memory of Lee Know getting very annoyed over losing an UNO game emerged in his mind. What on earth did we get up to last night, he continued his train of thought as he inspected the room further.
Han’s thoughts were quickly halted when his eyes scanned the rest of the room to find I.N in the kitchen area carrying a black trash bag around with him, picking stuff up and throwing it in. This wasn’t unusual, no matter how late they’d stayed up the night before, how drunk they got and how hard they partied, I.N was always one of the first to wake up and he was always cleaning up after them. This was I.N’s love language at work, his way of showing affection to his family and repaying them for all they did for him. I.N never seemed to get hangovers either and this forever bewildered Han, but he believed it’s because I.N is a bit of a lightweight and doesn’t tend to drink as heavily as the other’s do.
Seungmin was sitting at the island quietly chatting away to I.N as he cleaned. Seungmin was obviously nursing a hangover, he’d a large glass of orange juice in front of him and was slurping at a bowl of Lucky Charms, which after he finished drinking the contents of leftover milk from the bowl took it over to the sink, washed it and placed it next to the sink upside down to dry. Seungmin then walked back to the island to grab his glass of orange juice and as he did he spotted Han sitting upright and studying the both of them. Seungmin smiled and bowed slightly to greet him before engulfing the orange juice in a single breath and repeated his actions at the sink.
I.N who wasn’t really paying attention until now also finally spotted Han staring at them, he stopped what he was doing and cocked his head to the right side and then to the left, trying to figure out if Han was hungover and if so, by how much. This made Han giggle, he stretched his arms above his head and stretched out his back, “Need help?” he asked, mimicking I.N’s head tilt as he continued to stretch his limbs. I.N gestured a no and then returned to his cleaning, “Seungmin offered to help already” he replied with a gentle smile.
Han slummed back into the sofa and wiggled his feet against Lee Know’s, maybe it was best if he didn’t help right now, Lee Know is still asleep and with I.N and Seungmin taking care of the kitchen, he’d only wake Lee Know up if he cleaned the living room. It was decided for him and with that Han decided food and a shower was probably the best way to start the day. He slowly sat up and left the comfort of the cushions from under him, being extra careful not to disturb Lee Know’s peace, the last thing Han wanted was the cat claws to come out and an angry bunny in the morning. As he put his feet on the floor he wiggled his toes again, stood up with a dizzy haze and stretched his legs before walking over to the kitchen.
His hangover was surprisingly not that bad, he’d arrived to the party late and didn’t drink as much as he normally would, which he thought was extra smart of himself considering they had to catch a flight that night and hangovers and planes did not work well for Han, he learnt that the hard way several years back when he was young and naïve. Following Seungmin’s morning routine, he poured himself a glass of orange juice and necked it in one swift gulp, he then stumbled around I.N who was still picking up rubbish and popping it in the trash bag, grabbing the bowl that Seungmin had freshly cleaned and placed it on the island top. Han didn’t see the point in making more bowls dirty as Seungmin was very good at washing up after himself.
Han grabbed the box of Lucky Charms, pouring them out without really paying attention, spilling a handful on the island top as they completely missed the centre of the bowl, bouncing off the sides. A half awake Han pursed his lips and his eyes darted towards Seungmin, who’d just finished wiping down that part of the island top, Seungmin rolled his eyes, doubled back in his steps and swept the loose Lucky Charms into his hand before snuffling over to I.N and upturning his hand so they slide off into the black bag, he then went about his business and continued to clean as Han ate his breakfast and watched them in silence.
The two boys were talking about what they’d planned for their break when they got back home, both excited to relax, visit family and friends, whom they hadn’t seen in 3 years. Han listened in at first but his own thoughts trailed off as he thought about what he was going to do during his break, they’d not had a real break in so long and Han really wasn’t sure what the meaning of this word meant any more. He tapped his spoon on the rim of his bowl in a repetitive tune as he zoned out, completely forgetting that he was meant to be chewing the food he was holding in his cheeks. His eyes became distant as he spaced out, letting his thoughts consume him once again; the tapping of his spoon now accompanied by his foot bouncing against the bar stool.
“Morning” a deep raspy voice emerged from one of the doors to the right of them which came from an extremely sleepy Felix, his black hair was a mess and he very clearly was having a rough morning. Hearing his voice brought Han back to earth, his leg steaded and his spoon and bowl solo came to a halt, he looked over at Felix, smiled, nodded and continued to consume his breakfast.
Felix plodded into the kitchen, picked the kettle off it’s stand, shook it as he calculated how much water was in there, decided there could be more, plodded over to the sink and lazily filled it up, he knew that when Bang Chan, Changbin and Lee Know woke up they would also look to make a coffee first thing. Once he deemed the kettle full enough he shuffled back over to its stand, ruffling Seungmin and I.N’s hair as he passed them and placed it down and flicked the switch.
As Felix waited for the kettle to boil, he plonked himself down in the stool next to Han, bumping off him lovingly as he noticed Han’s quiet demeanor as he entered the room. I.N and Seungmin were still slowly cleaning around them, but their conversation had switched on to another topic, their voices still low as to not wake Lee Know, Han wasn’t really paying attention to the two as he slurped up the last of his cereal, returning Felix’s shoulder bump and smiling as he finally got up.
Han stretched once more, looked at I.N and Seungmin, “sure you don’t want my help?” he asked again, to which they both replied by shaking their heads, “okay” Han struggled, “I’m going to go back to my room and shower, I’ll see you all in a bit”. And with that Han grabbed his things from a small closet in the hallway, slipped on his converse and made his way back to his room.
The small crack in the curtain now lit the room up with dim, overcast light, Han made his way over to the window and opened them fully allowing for more light to enter the room. There were clothes scattered all over the place and his leftover food still waiting for him on the desk.
Han retrieved his phone from his pocket and placed it back on the side table next to the bed, which was looking extremely inviting, but he knew he had to shower and get everything ready to leave later that evening. He walked over to where his suitcase was and rummaged around for clean clothes, which took awhile because his socks seemed to have decided to play a game of hide and seek with him. Once he’d managed to find a matching pair, which felt like forever, Han made his way to the closet, took out a clean towel and headed for the bathroom.
The shower rained down on him with warmth and comfort. Han stood; face turned upwards, eyes closed, allowing the water to wash over him. He stayed like this for a while before continuing to clean himself, his thoughts had shifted to what he needed to do for the day and Han really wasn’t looking forward to the long flight home, or making his way through the airport when he arrived there.
Traveling always made him anxious, not the flying, he enjoyed looking at the world from above, especially during the sunset when there were lots of clouds decorating the sky, not enough to hide the ground below but enough to add depth and to be coated in all the amazing shades of orange, pink and red as the sun disappeared below the horizon.
They’d be traveling at night though, which was even more special in Han’s opinion; seeing all the tiny little lights below which looked like stars in the sky. He often liked to think of it as the sky of a parallel universe, wondering what it’d be like to explore such a place and how different life would be like there. Han often thought of space and everything that came along with it, but mostly how unknown and unexplored it was, it was a thrilling, yet terrifying thought.