𝔹𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕐𝕠𝕦//_[𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧]

29: ᴊʏᴘ

Please vote and comment. I'm really contemplating whether to keep publishing here. Comments and votes really help to motivate the author and I haven't been getting that from this fanfic here on this site.

A week's passed since Chan, Hyunjin, and I.N. stayed by Althea and somehow Bang Chan managed to convince Althea to do a video call with JYP Entertainment. Lorraine highly doubts the leader coerced her, the two have been getting along lately and she knows he's not that kind of person, but it's still an odd change since Althea was against it not long ago. Lorraine herself still has some reservations but she understands why it needs to happen. 

The company needs a physical update from the idols. Even though Chan's been giving updates, they need to be aware of who the idols are staying with. 

Lorraine's nervous at how this'll turn out. She hasn't allowed herself to think of the legalities of hoarding Korean idols in her home. Just riding on the high of the excitement of it all. She's enjoyed being able to take care of them and have their energy fill her home. She's shared laughs and even some tears in the time of their arrival to now. She's the type who would much prefer a roommate and she's had eight for almost the last four months. They're so much nicer in person than in the videos and she doesn't know how she'll manage once they have to return to Korea.

One thing's for sure, she knows she wouldn't have been able to make it this far without Althea's help and she'll always be grateful for her friend putting up with her craziness. She can admit she gets rather boy crazy. But the boys are so understanding and down-to-Earth that it's like talking to regular friends as opposed to famous idols. Felix, Hyunjin, and Changbin are her besties for sure. They've done quite a few prank calls where the idols spoke Korean and confused the person on the line. A truly hilarious time. Jisung even fooled one by speaking English at the end of his statement before cutting the call. All of them died laughing that day. 

Though, she definitely fell off the ball when it came to Althea's concerns. 

She feels ashamed that she allowed her admiration for Stray Kids to get in the way of being a good friend. Something she admitted to Felix and the Australian reluctantly stated that they all remember Althea's discomfort. At the time, Lorraine was more preoccupied with making sure the boys weren't uncomfortable. Althea's always kept her distance from guys and she was so wary of them at the start. 

Lorraine just thought she'd warm up to them eventually without trying to help bridge the gap. Even if that's how it turned out, she should've been more understanding and supportive. Meanwhile her friend's been nothing but helpful from the start even with her reservations. And the boys seem to favor her. As jealous she initially felt, she realizes this is the result of her own behavior. 

"So record?"

Althea's been asking for help with the meeting from her Dad under the guise of it being a homework assignment. They're waiting for her to finish the call.

The younger chances a look at the members and Lucas who are talking in hushed voices. Chan looks at her with a reassuring smile and Althea smiles back before resuming the call. Lorraine smiles sadly as she looks at them. 

They were practically enemies at the start. Althea couldn't stand Bang Chan and once she left, Lorraine could sense Chan grumbling his complaints in Korean about her. Felix and Jisung glanced at Lorraine every time Chan muttered something under his breath. Back then, Althea had valid concerns and she made them known to the boys. Lorraine can admit, now that she's not blinded by STAY fanaticism, that having eight men and one woman in a home during a pandemic where people can't leave their house is a rather dangerous situation. Her friend just wanted her to be safe.