9th member of Stray Kids // y/n

chapter 20 ~ i cant let go

You turn the hob off and place the eggs on top of the rice, sprinkling some sesame seeds to season it up.

"Lino, foods ready."
The apartment is silent apart from the fridge that let's out a quiet hum, everyone else went out on a hike.
You walk down the corridor to his room and knock on the door.

"Minho?"
A slurred 'come inside' is heard, and you open the door to be met with the smell of weed. Minho sits on the floor back leaning against his bed, window wide open smoking pot. You walk over to him

"Lee Know, what the fuck. Where did you get that from?"
He looks over to you, eyes slightly red pupils dilated.

"It's fine, don't worry about it."
He extends his arm, offering the blunt. You take it from in between his fingers before he can change his mind.

"It's not fine, and I am worried about it."
He rolls his eyes to the back of his head and his drops it to lean on the mattress. You panic not knowing how to discard the blunt and throw it out the window before rushing to help him up. You place both your hand under his armpits and try lift him up but he doesn't want to budge.

"Minnie, I don't want you on the floor at least properly lay on the bed."
He opens his eyes again and looks at you as if he's seen you for the first time.

"Has anyone told you l, you look really fucking hot?"
Now you are the one to roll your eyes before grabbing his hands and pulling him up on his feet.

"You are so high right now, you won't remember this tomorrow, come on stand up."

He whines but manages to stand up, you grabbing his arm with a tight grip pull him over to the bed. He sits down leaning his body against the headboard and stares at the wall opposite him with blank eyes. Yet his expression holds some sort of sadness. You place a reassuring hand on his thigh.

"Is everything okay? Where did you get that from in the first place?"
Without taking his eyes from the wall he says.

"Someone is sick."
You skim through all the people he could be talking about, but you never remember him telling you that someone was in bad health.

"Do you want to talk about it, are they okay."

He shrugs his shoulders clearly holding in his tears.

"She won't eat and sleeps all day."

"Who?"
He sniffs and holds in his breath before muttering.

"Dori."
Your heart drops to your stomach upon hearing that name, everyone knows how much he cherishes all three of his cats.

"Have you taken her to the vets?"

"I don't want to."

You furrow your eyebrows at the statement, why would he not want to take his sick cat to a specialist.

"Why not, im sure they can find a cure for her."

He shakes his head placing it in his hands.

"They'll take her away from me."

"Only if its serious, but they will give her back to you after she has recovered."

He lifts his head from his hands and tears slide down his cheeks.

"Please help me Y/N, please you can cure her."
You are taken aback from the statement.

"Minho I'm not a vet."
You laugh out slightly.

"But you wanted to be one, please just this once please take a look at her atleast, bring some life back into her."

At this point he has fully broken down and he's just shouting his words out and its hard to understand. You feel so sorry for him and can only agree even though you both know you won't be able to do much. He hates no time stumbling out of the bed and putting his shoes on, you follow behind. In no time he whisks you onto a bus and to his parents house, by the time you are there its dark outside and he lets you in to the house. He practically runs to his old childhood room and opens the door. Soongie and and Doogie run out to greetvyou wrapping their tails around your legs, you bend down to pat each of their heads.

"Lets see w you're sister is doing shall we."
Lino wastes no time going to his bed and sitting next to a dark brown bundle of fur next to the pillow. You stand up from the floor and move on the other side of Dori. Immediately you notice that the cat is very stil, th4 stomach doesn't seem to be moving . You place a hand onto her and move two fingers down to her chest.

no heartbeat...

Even though it isn't your cat, a wave of panic washed over you, there is no dori is dead. Lee know had gotten her from an abandoned cat website only a few years ago.

"Minho, how long has she been like this."
He slightly shrugs his shoulders, tears welling in his eyes.

"A few days I think, my parents called me on Friday saying that she stopped eating properly. When I went home to check up on her, she was sleeping in my room and wouldn't get up."
He places a hand on Dori's soft brown fur and stokes it gently. Lino's cheeks and the tip of his nose are red from crying so much and he can bearly mutter out.

"Please just help her."
You press down on the cat and feels that the skin is cold.

"Minho..."
His eyes aren't even open anymore but he keeps pleading.

"She just needs some medicine, just like you said."
A stray tear falls down your cheek,you look at the cat infront of you and then at a very distressed Lee Know.

"Oh Minho...I."
He still has his hand on Dori but it's obvious that she isn't breathing and he knows it.

"Please...Y/N...."
"Minho, its time to let go I think."
You place your hand on top of his and try to give him a reassuring smile despite your own sadness.

"I can't..."
We stay there for a few more minutes before gently wrapping her up in a thick blanket and buring her in the back garden close to a flower bed. Despite the dark the moon and porch lamp create enough light for us. Once your done and had sat down on the sofa you've noticed that he'd stopped crying a long time ago. He stares at the reflection of himself in the TV that isn't turned on. In attemt to comfort him you ask.

"Do you want to watch something to take your mind off things? You've gone through something quite traumatic Minho, grieving is completely normal."
But he keeps looking at the TV without a response. You sigh slightly.

"You hungry?'
He very subtly shakes his head no.

"Do you want a hug?"
He sniffs and nods his head. You shift in your seat to come sit next to him and put your arm around his shoulder pulling him in slightly. He leans his head into your nape and places his legs over yours, wrapping his arms around the space above your waist. Bringing a hand behind him you rub reassuring circles on his back.

You had never had such a hectic week in your life with so many things to think about. Hyunjin was still in the hospital, his parents were supposed to fly back today so everyone hoped that we would be able to see him tomorrow in the morning but uncertainty clouded our minds as neither of his parents had updated us on him. We could can only hope that he was alive and well. And you were yet to talk to Chan about what happend that night...

A/N~ DORI IM SO SORRY I LOVE YOU ❤️
btw to clear up any confusion everyone is on a 2 week break after their comeback before they need to start the next one ♡