Freefall // Hyunlix

Small Circles

<Hyunjin>

"Hyunjin, we're leaving now! Hurry up!" a voice called out to me.

I didn't want to go to this stupid photoshoot- the concept is FAMILY. If Stray Kids are a family then I'm the forgotten cousin that everyone pretends doesn't exist. To make matters worse, I had a banging headache, today was not going to go well. Sighing, I left the comfort of my room and stepped into the hallway. Part of me missed the chaos that unfolded before my eyes. Shoes were flying everywhere, Innie and Seungmin were searching for their missing headphones, Changbin was shouting loudly as someone had misplaced his toothbrush, Minho and Jisung were bickering in the corner and Chan was staring disapprovingly at the members. None of them seemed to notice I was there- or they didn't care. I tried to slip past them quietly to put my shoes on. Once they were on, I grabbed my bag and made my way to the car unnoticed. I chose a seat in the very back corner away from the others- hopefully I wouldn't disturb them if I was sat there. I reached into my bag and grabbed my noise cancelling headphones. Slipping them on, I began playing my classical playlist. Car rides are such peaceful moments for me, I can just relax and watch the world go by. For those brief moments I'm carefree and nothing can hurt me.

I can feel a person slide into the seat next to me but I remain undisturbed. The car begins to move and I can feel the wind blowing through my hair from a crack in the window. I watch as the cityscape grows distant behind us, being replaced by luscious green trees. The air smelt cleaner and was easier to breathe in, the grass was an earthy green instead of a murky brown, there were numerous brightly coloured flowers scattered around the edge of a field. The change of scenery was so refreshing. As the journey wound to a close I felt somewhat rejuvenated, for those brief minutes I wasn't Hwang Hyunjin anymore. I was merely a spectator of the glories of nature, it felt serene. I was snapped out of my feelings cruelly, a hand ripping off my headphones. I felt anger rise within me, why couldn't they just leave me alone? Glancing around, I made eye contact with Felix. I shot him a questioning look and he returned with a nod towards Seungmin. Mouthing a brief thank you, I turned my head towards the root of my problems. His shaggy brown hair was in the perfect position to pull, as he had his back to me and was immersed in a conversation with Changbin. Acting quickly, I gave his hair a quick yank and snatched my headphones from between his legs. I shot a glare at Minho and Chan who had turned around to see what all the commotion was about, before putting my headphones back on. The peace was ruined as not 5 minutes later I was tapped on the shoulder by Felix- we had arrived.

I couldn't help but squint as I stepped into the sunlight. I basked in its glory, welcoming the warmth radiating all over my skin. We stood on a grey pebbled driveway, gazing up at a modern mansion. Its sleek, dark colours were perfectly accented with pops of colour- it was something out of a movie. Several audible gasps were heard as we approached the front door, some of the members had seen the interior. I lagged behind, I didn't want to get in the way of their experience. We were given a full tour of the house and its grounds before we were ushered to our individual areas. I noticed my area was slightly smaller than the others but I kept quiet, not wanting to cause any upset. I slipped into my outfit, it was something I would definitely wear outside of work. I had on a red shirt, some baggy white cargos and an oversized red white and blue bomber jacket, all of which were emblazoned with the iconic Tommy Hilfiger logo. I made my way over to the stylist for the shoot where she began adjustments almost immediately. She muttered some comments in English at another lady who burst into giggles and tried to cover her face. I couldn't fully understand what they were saying but I got the gist alright. I tried to breathe and just ignore the comments, remaining professional was my priority. A red blush crept onto my face as I sat down in the makeup chair, as glad as I was to be away from those stylists, I knew that the MUA wouldn't be much better. I made it through the hair and makeup with a little of my self confidence still intact. I was embarrassed to be the way I was, couldn't they see I was trying to improve? I've been on a diet for a month now- I'm at 133.5 lbs. It's a far sight better than what I used to be, but still a long shot off my target.