HEE:LIFT | TXT & Enhypen

~ ninety-four ~

TW: mentions depression and alcoholism

~~~~~

Penultimate || 2/2

3:32 p.m.

"How'd therapy go?" Heeseung stood up from the waiting room chair, jacket hanging loosely from his arms.

Taehyun cleared his throat, slightly embarrassed as he whispered, "Good, I guess."

He looked around shyly. "Hyung, can you please not speak so loud? It's, uh... It's a little embarrassing, me- me just going to therapy, and all."

"Oh, sorry," Heeseung breathed. "Yeah, of course."

As they turned the hallway corner to find the elevators, a boy slightly older than them appeared, heading into the room they'd just been in.

Taehyun did a double take, and his mouth fell open with shock. "Chan hyung?"

Heeseung was in disbelief, too. But there was no doubt about it. The leader of Stray Kids himself was standing in front of a psychiatrist's waiting room, holding a depression pamphlet.

"Oh," Bang Chan said lightly. "Hi, Taehyun. Hi, Heeseung."

"Hi..." Heeseung couldn't find the right words to say.

Chan looked different than usual. He didn't have a great big smile painted on his face, and his posture slumped like he'd been carrying dead weight. There were dark bags under his eyes and he seemed a little shifty, like he'd just been caught somewhere he shouldn't be.

It hit Heeseung that maybe the Stray Kids leader wasn't as upbeat and sociable as people made him out to be. Maybe he was just like them. Sad. A little broken. But still fighting to make a better future for himself. An awkward cough from the receptionist seemed to snap the three of them out of their daze.

Chan gave a quiet, genuine laugh. "Well, I, uh- I guess I'd better go in. Nice seeing you guys."

The boy disappeared into Dr. Bhatt's office promptly. Heeseung was about to say something to break the silence when Taehyun turned to him with the happiest smile he'd seen in weeks.

"We're not alone." The younger boy let out a little giggle. "This- We- All of this used to seem so... I don't know. Embarrassing. Scary. But it's really not that big of a deal."

Heeseung chuckled as a familiar warmth spread through his body, leaving an energetic tingle in the tips of his fingers. He knew exactly what it was. Excitement. The hardest part was over, and now was the time to mend. It would be hard, of course. His group had been through a lot, and fixing things was always more work than breaking them. But Heeseung was ready.

***

4:50 p.m.

"You okay?" Heeseung frowned, entering the bedroom of their dorm.

"Not really." Soobin fiddled with a small black box, nervously wrapping the wire attached to it around his fingers. "Just... Lots of thoughts."

"I get that," Heeseung sighed, taking a seat next to the older boy on the bed. "Me too."

He glanced down at Soobin's hands. "What's that?"

"I was wearing a wire."

"What?"

"Before the meeting yesterday, when Mei noona pulled me aside. She put a wire on me to get proof that the CEO was involved with the sasaeng."

"Oh." Heeseung didn't know what to say. "Wow."

"Yeah."

They sat quietly for a moment.

"Is it weird that I kind of feel bad?" Heeseung glanced down. "The recording... It'll be enough to send him to prison for a long time, I'm guessing."