𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒 ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳ 𝐧𝐜𝐭 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 - 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐮

⇛ 𝐂𝐇. 𝟑𝟎

"doyoung, just do as i say!" hana complained after a minute of trying to feed him chicken soup that he claimed was really disgusting.

"the idiot can feed himself." jihyun laughed and haechan grinned at her now that she was back to normal.

as taeil had said, doyoung was slightly better by the morning. his back still hurt a lot but he refused to let that keep him from doing what he wanted and he needed to be strong for jihyun so she wouldn't break down again. so he had sat down at the table to eat breakfast, only to have hana bring out a green-coloured soup that made him want to vomit. she said it would make him feel better.

"jeno, why aren't you eating?" jaemin asked when he noticed the boy was sitting at the table and silently staring down at his plate.

"i suddenly know what you guys were feeling and thinking when you were at your districts." he said, rubbing his chest. "my heart is beating so fast."

"do you hear that?" jisung asked.

"hear what?"

"the sound of jihyun currently activating her motivational mode. here comes the long talk." he replied, cupping his ears. he was right. jihyun had spaced out for a brief moment, staring at the wall.

"just wait for it..." mark muttered as they all watched her, waiting.

"jeno, your feelings are completely valid. it's okay for you to be feeling nervous... and why the hell are you all staring at me like i'm about to do a magic trick?" she said, furrowing her eyebrows.

"you're absolutely amazing." jeno said, showing off his eye smile.

"thanks?" she said with uncertainty. "does that mean you feel better?"

"much better." he laughed, taking a slice of cake that was on jaemin's plate.

"i was eating that."

♆

"hey. it wasn't so bad, was it?" jihyun asked jeno when the eight were sitting on the sofas, their usual hangout place.

"no, it wasn't. i'm glad i got to have dinner with my family and all of you. i don't know when the next time to do that will be."

"think positively. hopefully sooner than later." renjun said.

"think positively? that's funny coming from you. remember when you laughed and said we'd die from hypothermia in that cave?" mark said, nearly letting a giggle slip past his lips.

"don't tease, renjunnie." haechan said, pinching the older's cheeks.

"stop." he swatted his hands away. "to be fair i felt drunk at the time."

"which reminds me, we should all raid the kitchen and get drunk together one day." jihyun said.

"foxy." jaemin gasped. "i never would have expected you to be the kind of person..."

"i know how to have fun alright."

"let's do it." haechan said.

"hold on. some of you are underage. as the eldest here i feel obligated to stop you." mark said, placing his hands on his hips.