fever | ateez lore story

CH 6

•the watcher•

The five boys wait outside the school grounds for the captain and his assistant to finish their meeting, each of them becoming more impatient as the minutes pass by.

"Where are they?" Wooyoung whines, aggressively rubbing the back his neck and huffing.

"They should be out now." Seonghwa responds after checking the time on his watch. Wooyoung just whines, his impatience outgrowing the rest.

"Can you calm down? We're not gonna explode if they don't show up." Jongho teases, dribbling the basketball between his hands. Wooyoung glares at him, pursing his lips.

-"Well I might if they take any longer!"

Just on cue, Hongjoong and Yunho make their way down the steps, the two of them waving to the boys, who all wave back.

"Sorry for the delay. The student union drear on and on like they have a brain overflowing with problems." Yunho says, fixing the straps of his backpack.

The boys notice Hongjoong walking ahead, realising that the direction he takes to go home is different to usual.

"Hyung, where you going?" San asks, eyes wide like a cat in concern. Hongjoong pauses a moment, a smile of excitement growing on his face.

-"I have something to show you guys."

---

Hongjoong approaches the gates, but stops when he realises the wide gap growing between him and his friends. He looks over his shoulder at them, expressions of concern contrasting his enthusiasm.

"What's the matter?" He giggles. The boys look at each other, waiting for someone to answer.

"Doesn't this place seem...dangerous?" Yeosang mumbles the last word, slight fear covering his body like a blanket. Hongjoong sighs, giving them a reassuring smile.

"Just trust me." He says calmly, his voice soft.

He turns to untangle the chains he attached after he left, but realise they have already been untangled, hanging on one of the gates. He tilts his head; I'm sure I tangled them properly...

"Wait here." Hongjoong's voice was serious, the sudden change in demeanour worrying the boys behind him. He pulls the gate towards him, stepping inside and being greeted with the same, empty room he was in yesterday.

Well, almost empty.

He walks in further and looks around, his peripheral vision catching onto a figure on the couch. He looks over and finds someone's body sprawled out on the leather, legs too long that they hang off the edge. Their arms lie on top of their eyes, the sound of a familiar, muffled melody rendering to Hongjoong.

The long legs, the familiar music, the black earbuds he took a glimpse of. It could only be one person.

"Ahem." Hongjoong cleared his throat loudly. His music must be very loud. Hongjoong almost made his throat bleed by that noise he made and the person still doesn't notice his presence.

-"Is he dead!?"

The yell from behind him catches Hongjoong terribly off guard that he shouts in surprise, turning around and smacking the source of the scare on the head.

"Could you be any more loud, Wooyoung?" he shouts in a whisper.

"What the hell?" The low voice mumbling from the couch makes everyone freeze. They watch as he sits up, pulling an earbud out from his ear. Once his identity is recognised, Yeosang backs away and cowers behind Yunho, memories from the incident at lunch yesterday flooding back.

"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you." Hongjoong apologises, feeling his friends disperse behind him. Mingi shakes his head, grabbing his backpack and throwing it on.

"I wasn't asleep." He says as he approaches the entrance where Hongjoong and his group stood. Hongjoong was about to make a bold decision. Whether it would work, he didn't know. But he could at least give it a try.

-"Feel free to stay. We're not gonna do much but sit and talk."

Mingi stops in his tracks and looks at Hongjoong, before turning to his friends. He notices a helpless Yeosang hiding behind a defensive Yunho, who gives him a tense stare. Like he's expecting Mingi to do something dangerous. The fear overflowing in Yeosang's eyes, and the hostile vibe he's gaining from the rest causes Mingi to feel a wave of liability wash over him, his stomach turning upside down. They are aware of his reputation, and he doesn't like it.

-"No, thank you."

And with that, Seonghwa and Yunho make way for Mingi to leave, the two of them avoiding eye contact with the one they both fear, and despise.

"Best to leave him alone, Cap. You know what he's like." Wooyoung insists, his head peeking over Hongjoong's shoulder.

"I know, but I want to know what he can be." Hongjoong says, making his way to the couch and dropping himself down, the rest of them joining.

Hongjoong's persistence raises something in each of the boys. They admire how he's always willing to see the best in people, even if those people look like they lack the potential of good morals. Hongjoong feels a flitter in his gut, and whatever it says, he listens.