𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐷𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 :

. 𝙵𝙾𝚄𝚁𝚃𝙷 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 .

[Three days later]

Yeonjun was the first to make a full comeback. He padded out of his room in fuzzy socks and a freshly washed hoodie, hair still damp from a shower, and stood in the hallway like he was debating something.

"you're up early," Taehyun said, glancing up from his spot on the couch.

"didn't cough once last night," Yeonjun announced. "felt like a miracle. i needed to move before my body started fusing with the mattress"

Taehyun raised an eyebrow. "you were practically a burrito for three days"

"don't remind me"

In the kitchen, Soobin was already sitting at the table, arms resting lazily around a bowl of congee. He still looked a little sleepy, glasses slightly askew, but the color had returned to his face

"i forgot how good it feels to taste food," he muttered. "i had a dream i was chewing air"

"Beomgyu had a fever dream where we debuted again but with glow-in-the-dark outfits," Kai chimed in, appearing from the hallway with bedhead and a toothbrush in his mouth

"they changed the group name to astro tiger squad," Beomgyu croaked, voice still a little hoarse as he wandered into the living room wrapped in his grey blanket like a traveling ghost.

"he's still not fully here," soobin said, laughing under his breath

.
.

Hangyeol didn't emerge until an hour later. He looked like he hadn't slept enough—but in a different way than before. not because he was worried anymore, just... tired. His hoodie sleeves were pushed halfway up his forearms, and he was rubbing at his eyes as he made his way toward the kettle.

"morning, hyung," Kai said quickly, hopping up from the stool at the counter.

"mmh," hangyeol grunted softly. "you guys okay?"

"everyone's fine," Taehyun said. "they're eating real food. no one has a fever. Beomgyu hasn't sneezed in twenty minutes"

"i sneezed into my blanket," Beomgyu whispered.

"i'll wash it," Hangyeol replied automatically.

"no," Kai said, stepping in front of him. "you're not doing anything today. sit. eat. that's an order"

Hangyeol blinked. "...what's happening"

"operation thank you for saving our pathetic flu-ridden lives," Yeonjun said, popping up behind him and steering him gently to the table.

Taehyun had already placed a plate in front of his seat—steamed eggs, grilled spam, rice, and spinach banchan. Kai set down a mug of honey citron tea beside it with dramatic flair.

"you didn't think we'd forget, did you?" Soobin asked, nudging Hangyeol's arm lightly. "you waited on all of us like some kind of k-drama caregiver. let us have this"

Hangyeol sat down slowly, blinking at the food in front of him.

"you guys..." he murmured. "you didn't have to—"

"yes we did," Beomgyu cut in. "i was basically dead on the couch and you brought me tea and hugged me"

"you mumbled 'you're my favorite' right after," Taehyun said.

"wasn't a fever dream, apparently," Beomgyu smirked

Hangyeol laughed quietly, eyes soft. "thanks. seriously"

"eat," Kai insisted, placing a spoon in his hand.

.

The rest of the morning was slow, just the way they needed it to be. The members stayed gathered around the living room, blankets strewn over legs, music playing low from Kai's speaker.

they watched old variety shows—some of their own, some of their sunbaes'. every once in a while, someone would crack a joke about how terrible they looked in their 2019 haircuts, or how loud their laughs used to be.

Hangyeol found himself between Beomgyu and Yeonjun on the couch, his head resting against the back cushion while Kai curled up at his feet and Soobin rested against the armrest like a tired cat.

At one point, Beomgyu leaned over and whispered, "next time i get sick, i'm faking it earlier just for the tea and hugs"

"i'll put crushed garlic in your tea next time," Hangyeol murmured back

Beomgyu grinned. "worth it"

.
.

In the afternoon, they migrated to the floor with card games and quiet music. No schedules today. Their manager had cleared everything so they could fully recover—and honestly, just be.

"remember when we used to panic if we missed a day of dance practice?" Soobin said at one point, lying on his side across two cushions.

"we still panic," Taehyun replied. "we're just quieter about it"

"we're better about knowing when to stop now," Hangyeol added.

Yeonjun looked over at him. "because of you, mostly"

Hangyeol looked down, a little shy.

"i mean it," Yeonjun said. "you're always the one who knows when to slow us down before we burn out. you keep this team steady"

Hangyeol didn't answer right away. just smiled quietly, nodding once.

.

As evening crept in, Kai suggested they order dinner instead of cooking. They voted on jjimdak and kimbap. Beomgyu insisted on extra cheese tteokbokki for "emotional closure"

they ate in pajamas on the floor, bowls balanced on their knees, sharing laughter in low voices and licking sauce off their fingers.

it wasn't grand. it didn't need to be.

it was a good day.

a slow, soft kind of good.