8 is fate // Stray Kids

11

Jisung

Jisung felt restless, he wasn't used to having nothing to do.

He had tried reading a book but he couldn't concentrate. There was simply too much on his mind.

He stayed away from everyone since he didn't want to bother them as they all seemed quite busy.

Jisung couldn't help but feel like a burden. An intruder. A leech.

He hated how anxious and toxic his thoughts would get whenever he had nothing to do to distract him. Once started, they would only continue to spiral further down into the bottomless darkness of his mind.

Maybe he should go to the gym for a while. Physical exertion usually did wonders when it came to cleansing his mind.

Just as he was about to get up, the door opened and Changbin poked his head into the room. "What's up?"

A smile formed on Jisung's face, it almost felt like Changbin had sensed his utter boredom. Not wanting to seem ungrateful, Jisung decided to not voice out his ennui. Instead, he held up the book he had been – more or less – reading.

Changbin squinted his eyes to decipher the title, only to let out a small snort afterwards. "Rebugging the planet? You've still got the weirdest interests."

In played outrage, Jisung threw the book at Changbin who caught it with ease.

"But seriously, why the interest in insects?", he asked as he opened a random page in the book, only to close it shut in an instant with a disgusted look on his face.

Jisung shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, in a way they are fascinating. And don't judge me, you're the one who owns a book like this in the first place."

"Touché", Changbin couldn't help but smile. "I've got some free time, do you wanna go out?"

Jisung jumped to his feet in an instant. "Sure!"

He followed Changbin down the hall and it didn't take him long to figure out that they weren't heading for the front door but the teleportation chamber.

"Where are we going?"

"I thought we could surprise my sister, she's gonna lose her mind when she sees you", Changbin's excitement had an almost evil undertone to it, one that you could only find between siblings. It was maliciousness in the sweetest of ways.

"You haven't told her yet?"

"No, where would be the fun in that?"

Jisung had to chuckle. Even if Sujin was now a queen, it didn't seem like their sibling relationship had changed much.

"We can't teleport straight inside the castle due to safety regulations", explained Changbin as he activated the runes.

In the blink of an eye, they stood in a small teleportation booth at the side of a road.

"Before we go to visit Sujin, would you like to grab a coffee? Maybe a slice of cheesecake as well?", Jisung noticed that Changbin had tensed up a little as he anxiously fiddled around with his fingers.

Jisung could feel his stomach drop, he was certain that he knew what was coming but he agreed nonetheless. "Sure, I've always wanted to try coffee."

"Y-you haven't had coffee before?", Changbin looked at him incredulously.

"Didn't really get the chance to", shrugged Jisung. Things like coffee had been a luxury treat way out of his reach.

"This is going to be interesting then. Chan hates that stuff but I'm sure you've got better taste", Changbin looked like he had calmed down a bit. With a cheeky smile, he ruffled Jisung's hair. "Let's go, Hannie."