Seoulstruck (Stray Kids, 18+)

Chapter 7: Welcome Home

Felix held his phone forward as he walked, following the map, the barbecue restaurant not too far away from the patisserie. He'd anticipated this dinner the rest of his shift, skipping his ritualistic mid-day croissant sandwich to make sure there was enough room in his stomach. Finally, he came to a large building, its giant neon logo bathing crowds of people outside, the scent of hot meats wafting from the double doors. The place was very busy, but Chan texted Felix to let him know they'd reserved an extra large booth in the corner.

The freckled man wandered past people waiting in the front, catching Chan's eye from across the restaurant. "Felix!" the producer shouted, waving him down. Changbin, Hyunjin, Jeongin, and another cat-faced man Felix had never seen before were all sitting beside him in the booth. He swallowed hard, walking toward them, Chan standing up so Felix didn't have to sit at the edge.

"Everyone, this is Felix," Chan said, introducing him. "Felix, you already met prince Hyunjin, Jeongin, and Changbin, this is Lee Minho, our choreographer." Minho was another handsome, young man like the rest of them, but he had a stern demeanor about him that felt intimidating. Either way, Felix smiled and bowed his head, the cat-faced man bowing back. "Wow, you all work together, then?" Felix asked. Chan smiled, nodding his head. "Well, I suppose Changbin is a bit different, he's the CEO's son, but he's working with me as an up-and-coming rapper, so yes, we technically all work together." Changbin pursed his lips at Chan's response. He didn't mind being considered new, but he didn't like being known as the CEO's son. He felt it overshadowed his genuine talents, something he'd worked very hard for. But Felix simply smiled, genuinely impressed. "Wah! You're a rapper?" Changbin nervously looked into the freckled man's eyes, nodding. Felix was naturally beautiful, his smile brightening the mood like instant sunshine. "You must be really good to be working with Chan hyung and prince Hyunjin!"

Changbin felt a wave of flattery and appreciation wash over him. "Ah- I guess so," he said, smiling.

"He's just being modest," Chan said. "I recorded with him, today, and his flow is insane! Want to hear a sample?" Felix perked up, excitedly before Hyunjin chimed in. "Yah! No work at the dinner table, seriously!" Chan awkwardly placed his phone face down on the table, looking at Felix apologetically. Felix turned back to Changbin with a warm smile. "Well, I'd love to hear it, sometime," he said. Changbin couldn't help but smile, himself.

A waiter and waitress came to the table with a bounty of different dishes, each piping hot and cooked to perfection. "Bulgogi... spicy pork... fried chicken and fries... jjapchae... cheese corn... tteokbokki..." Felix felt himself salivate at the mention of his favorite food, eagerly waiting for the staff to walk away. There was plenty of food for all 6 of them to indulge and Felix hadn't eaten all day. Chan motioned them all to dig in, the men all filling their plates with their first rounds. The producer poured a shot of soju, handing it to Felix, each of the other men already sipping from their own. "Thank you," he said, graciously accepting it, turning his head to drink it.

"So, Felix, did you meet Chan in Australia?" Minho asked. Felix supposed maybe the man wasn't as intimidating as he'd expected. "Ah- no, we just met yesterday," he responded, Minho's eyebrow raising at Chan. "Wah, look at our Channie, fast friends with everybody," he remarked. Chan waved away the comment. "I'm just a good judge of character," he said. Jeongin pursed his lips, slowly eating his food, not looking up at the producer.

"It's true," Hyunjin said. "Chan befriended all of us, first. He's kind of like glue." Chan cocked an eyebrow at the comment, inquisitively. "You brought all of us together," Hyunjin explained, raising his shot of soju. The table of men all agreed, pouring more soju and clinking their glasses together for another shot.

Felix addressed Minho's initial question. "I work at a French patisserie not too far from here. We had a very large order addressed to him for the prince." Hyunjin shook his head and smiled. "Ah," Minho replied, nodding his head. "Yeah, that's been known to happen. I remember how disappointed Channie was when he received a pair of Balenciaga trainers and they were in Hyunjin's size." Chan smirked, Felix noticing his face falling a bit. It was a sad thing to hear.

"Don't leave out the part where I bought him the exact same pair so we could be twinsies," Hyunjin chimed in his defense. Chan smiled to himself. "Yes, Hyunjinnie is surprisingly generous," Minho agreed. "He seems like more of a diva than he is. He's very pretty, but he's got a good heart." Hyunjin smiled at Minho, blowing him a kiss. "But," Minho continued, turning and glaring at the idol, "that doesn't mean he doesn't drive me crazy. How long did I say?" Hyunjin shook his head, taking a bite of bulgogi. "20 minutes at 180 degrees," he said. Minho shot him a dirty look. "Don't speak with your mouth full."

"20 minutes at 180 degrees?" Felix looked between the two men, confused. "How long it would take to cook Hyunjinnie in the air fryer," Chan said, Minho nodding. "Too bad this restaurant doesn't serve llama meat," the cat-faced man said, his eyes shooting daggers at Hyunjin. Changbin and Felix couldn't help but chuckle at the interactions. It was clear most everyone at the table were close friends, the two of them being the only outsiders, and yet, they still felt at home. Changbin turned a bit in Felix's direction. "So when did you move here, then?" he asked. Felix's eyes met the rapper's doing his best not to stammer. "From Australia? Uhh... it's been about 7 months? Not too long. Just long enough to get myself situated and into a routine."

"Why'd you move out here?" Chan asked, leaning forward, intently. Felix took a moment to respond, thinking it over. "Well," he began, "I'd always wondered what it would be like to live here, but... I think I just really needed a change. I wanted to broaden my horizons, meet new people, try using a different language. I wanted to experience... life, so I figured I would leave home and go... well, home." Everyone seemed satisfied with Felix's response, the whole table smiling warmly. "Well," Chan said, raising another glass, "welcome home, Felix!"