̷W̷e̷.̷ 𝐈 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 [MINSUNG] Book Two

Chapter 12

They'd gotten home, changed into fresh, dry clothes, and all fallen asleep in a neat line on the floor.

And so, by the time the morning came, everyone was sniffing and leaking mucous at an alarming rate. Some also had a cough, others a sore throat, but it was certain that every single one of them was sick.

Being the host of the Virus Gang, Seungmin was the first one to stand up from their 'bed' and make his way to the kitchen where he knew all the flu medicine was kept. His symptoms came to a pounding head and occasional sniffs, so he was better off than Chan who seemed to be dying, or Jisung who was coughing uncontrollably - just like Minho said he'd been doing for so long already.

By now Seungmin knew his friends were prone to illness, and so he stayed stocked up on all kinds of vitamins, flu packs, soups and cough syrups.

First, he got out eight bottles of water and walked to the living room to place them on one of the couches. Returning to the kitchen, he grabbed four flu packs (seeing as one bottle contained medicine for four days, he intended for each of them to share a bottle with someone else), a bottle of cough syrup and three spoons (since only three of them were coughing) and he grabbed a bottle of Vitamin C gummies.

When he got to the living room again, he handed out the flu packs, giving one to each 'couple', then giving Jisung, Chan and Felix each a spoon for the cough syrup, lastly giving them the container of gummies to pass around before chucking a bottle of water at each of them.

Already exhausted from this mundane activity, he crawled back into the line of bodies and let his body accept that he was sick.

No one spoke really, being too miserable with illness, and so the only sounds heard for the next two hours were sniffs, violent coughs, whines, some choking on phlegm, and the occasional sneeze.

The back door slamming shut gave everyone a fright, Seungmin immediately reacting. "Everyone stay quiet and do not make a move."

His voice was stern and intimidating, and no one had the mental strength to even question him, so they all did as told. Hyunjin had to really work to hold back one of his signature violent sneezes, but he managed.

The parents were speaking to each other but the exact words couldn't be heard, instead just a stream of mumbles to prove their presence. The mumbles seemed to move to the kitchen, where cupboards were heard opening and closing, and then past the living room and up the stairs.

Thinking they were safe, Changbin sat up a bit in an attempt to reach for his water bottle but was quickly forced back down by Seungmin. "I said don't move."

Changbin was about to protest when the mumbles and footsteps were heard coming back down the steps, to the kitchen again, and then out the backdoor, where they heard the car start and drive off.

"Now you can have wa-" Seungmin was interrupted by a very loud, deep, demonic, almost growling sneeze from Hyunjin.

"Damn, you let out years of frustration through that sneeze," Jeongin remarked.

Hyunjin whined and buried his face into his pillow.

"Since none of us are mobile, let's shift our position so that we can at least watch TV all day."

"Your parents won't be coming back?"

"No."

Everyone sat up and started shuffling with their blankets and pillows, trying to line up to be facing the TV. Chan was the only one who didn't budge, seemingly lagging and only processing Seungmin's suggestion once he saw everyone else moving.

"He's really out of it," Minho pointed out.

"He's got the worst of it, weak ass," Jeongin responded.

"You know what?" Felix started. "Sometimes I don't understand why he puts up with you."

"The same reason you all put up with me."

Felix nodded as though to say 'understandable, have a nice day'.

-

When Seungmin stood up in the middle of a movie, everyone seemed oddly offended and scowled at him.

"Let's remember we're all sick and moody, including me, and I won't hesitate to slap anyone who gives me that look again," he said before walking to the kitchen where the sound of the stove switching on could be heard, followed by a cupboard opening and rustling packets.

No one questioned him, or even got up to go see what he was doing. Fifteen minutes later, there was a yelp from the kitchen that made both Minho and Hyunjin struggle to try stand. Their eyes met and they both froze, not sure whose responsibility it was to go check on him.

By the time Minho had conceded and sat back down, allowing Hyunjin to continue his struggle to get up, Jeongin had already made it to the kitchen where he was scolding Seungmin. "Why are you so good at taking care of everyone except yourself? Huh? Can you not just be more careful next time?"

"Honestly do you think I purposefully put my hand on the stove plate??? Do you really think I'm that stu-OUCH OW!" Jeongin had pulled him to the sink and stuck his hand under the cold water from the tap, resulting in the complaints from the older.

"You big baby, just keep your hand under there, okay?"

Seungmin just nodded, oddly not protesting against the care from Jeongin.

"Now what were you trying to do before you nearly melted your hand?"

"I was making soup."

"Alright I'll finish that... Exactly how were you going about tha-"

"The water is already boiling on the stove, there's packets of instant soup on the counter, just throw them in and stir for a few minutes."

"Right," Jeongin snapped his fingers to say he understood and followed the instructions.

Soon enough, the two were speed walking into the living room, carrying two bowls of soup each and delivering them, before repeating the process with the remaining bowls. It gave Hyunjin, Jisung and Minho a comfortable déjà vu. Except this time, Seungmin's hand was burnt from the stove and not the hot bowls.

-

Once the last slurps were done, Hyunjin stood and gathered everyone's bowls, with Minho's help, taking them all to the kitchen.

"Do you mind if I help you with... Whatever you were planning on doing?" Minho asked almost shyly.

"Of course, why do you even ask?"

"You're doing it to help Seungmin, right?"

"And?"

"You don't feel like I'm intruding?"

"No. I get that you and him have a fucked up but genuine connection. It doesn't bother me though because I know you're whipped for Jisung and he's whipped for me. Now help me wash these dishes so we can get back to lying down."

The two cleaned up peacefully, Hyunjin's sneezes serving as the source of entertainment causing Minho's bursts of laughter and snorts.

From the living room, everyone listened to them joking and laughing through blocked noses, their occasional complaints about how horrible they felt making everyone silently say 'yeah me too'.