Because Of... || Seo Changbin

SECOND TIME

-"Binnie....Changbin...SEO CHANGBIN WAKE UP"

- "I AM UP , IM UP"

I jolted awake, drenched in sweat, my heart racing at the sound of Bang Chan's urgent voice calling my name. Confusion clouds my mind as I try to piece together what just happened. Wasn't I just standing on the staircase moments ago? How did I end up here, in bed, disoriented and getting yelled at by Chan? The lines between reality and dreams blur as I struggle to understand whether I was dreaming or not.

-"Changbin, come on, hurry up before I head to the gym without you. We've got that promotion video to film later, and our schedule is packed. You were the one who insisted on hitting the gym first."

I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the lingering drowsiness. Pieces of memories clash in my mind, a rush of events from the past couple of weeks. I am struggling to reconcile the timelines in my mind. The chaotic pace of our idol life often blurs the boundaries between days, tasks, and obligations.

-"Wait, didn't we film that promotion video yesterday?" I ask, my voice filled with confusion.

-"Changbin..." Chan's tone turns concerned. "Are you alright? We were at an award show yesterday. What do you mean? Are you still half asleep?"

What is he talking about? I'm pretty sure we already filmed that promotion video. Or was I dreaming? The memory felt vivid, too tangible to dismiss as a mere dream. Perhaps it's just my fatigue catching up with me.
With our relentless schedule of filming content and preparing for our new comeback, every day feels like a whirlwind. There's hardly a moment to pause, let alone remember when I last had a day off or a decent night's sleep for that matter.

I haven't talked to my mom for a minute, I should probably call her.

-"Changbin, I swear to god, if you don't get ready in the next 10 minutes I-"
-"Okay, okay, I get it," I interrupt, hastily scrambling to my feet. "Hyung, you're terrifying sometimes. I wish STAY could see how you really treat us behind closed doors."

Bang Chan's expression softens momentarily, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Go... now," he says firmly, his tone a blend of exasperation and amusement.
I said nothing more and quietly left the room, feeling a sense of disorientation clouding my thoughts. As I made my way down the hallway towards the bathroom, I unexpectedly crossed paths with Lee Know. His smile seemed distant, reserved, as he passed by me and disappeared through the door.

-"Where is he going at 4:30 in the morning?" I mumbled aloud, more to myself than anyone else.

-"He's going to the practice room with Miria."

-"Oh! Felix what the fuck?? Why are you playing a game at this hour?" I said

-"Sleeping is for the weak," Felix said with his eyes glued to the TV screen. "Oh! And also if you try to use the bathroom, Hyunjin is using it."

-"Oh Okay, I just need to brush my teeth. Are you almost done?" I said while banging the door.

-"You can come in!! I'm in the shower" Hyunjin said

-"Hyunjin, you know now we seems like a married couple...I would've never guessed that will be how you'll ask me to marry you"

-"Hyung, respectfully, shut the fuck up"

-"Another day, another rejection"

I said that last past while shaking my head. I heard Hyunjin chuckling from the shower. I started brushing my teeth while thinking of that weird dream I had. I must have been imagining things earlier. Maybe it was just a dream, one of those déjà vu episodes or something similar. I'm sleep deprived, no wonder I'm having weird dreams. After finishing getting ready, I waited patiently for Chan to join me so we could head to the gym together.