Hope you like, I did my best!! Love you MOAs!
The buzzing energy of the ever-lively dorm was dampened by the oppressive humidity outside. The boys had been dreading the approaching summer heat, but something even worse had snuck into their domain: a particularly nasty flu bug.
It started a few days before with Beomgyu complaining of a sore throat during practice. The members tried to convince themselves it was just a strain from singing too much, but when Beomgyu's fever spiked the next day and he was rendered nearly immobile, they knew it was serious.
Soobin was the next to feel the creeping chill of illness. As their leader, he suppressed his discomfort to take care of Beomgyu, shuffling through their schedules and arranging for the others to cover while they both rested. However, the flu was relentless in its advance.
By the end of the week, all five members had succumbed, each one of them confined to their rooms, nursing fevers, headaches, and sore throats. Their activities had to be postponed, and their dorm was transformed into a makeshift infirmary.
Taehyun, who prided himself on his resilience, had been grumbling and stubbornly trying to tough it out. But now he lay on his bed, wrapped in layers of blankets, a glazed look in his eyes, his nose bright red from the constant assault of tissues.
Kai, the youngest, was sprawled out on the sofa in the common area, his usually vibrant energy dimmed to a half-lidded stupor. Each time he coughed, it was a pitiful whimper than a robust hack, the sound effectively heartbreaking to his hyungs.
Yeonjun and Soobin tried to maintain some semblance of normalcy, ping-ponging responsibilities while trying to take care of the others—and each other. They had turned the living room into a central hub of hot tea, soup, and endless stacks of tissues.
"Hyung," Kai's weak voice came from the sofa, "can I have another blanket? This one’s filled with my sneeze germs."
Yeonjun chuckled weakly, standing up from where he had been slouched on a beanbag near the kitchen. "Sure, Kai. One sec." His head swimming slightly, Yeonjun shuffled to the linen closet, grabbing a fresh blanket.
Kai managed a small smile as the warm comforter was draped over him. "Thanks, Yeonjun hyung. You’re the best."
"Don't mention it," Yeonjun replied, coughing into his elbow. He sank into a chair next to Kai, eyes half-shut with fatigue.
Taehyun emerged from his room, with a stumble. "Has anyone seen my... Neocolonial... Neocol... whatever those flu pills are called?"
"They're in the bathroom cabinet," Soobin answered from the kitchen, where he was stirring a pot of broth. "But honestly, Taehyun, you should stay in bed. You look worse than Kai's cold germs."
"Thanks," Taehyun replied with a sarcastic edge but softened it with a tired smile. "Just trying to help out."
"You will help by resting," Soobin insisted, carefully ladling soup into bowls. "The more you strain yourself, the more time this will take for all of us to recover."
Kai nodded in agreement from his nest of blankets. "Hyung's right. Plus, who would entertain me with bad jokes if you get too sick?"
Beomgyu's voice croaked from his room. "I'm still here, you know! My jokes aren't any worse than Taehyun's!"
"Beomgyu, go back to sleep. You're delirious again," complained Yeonjun, waiving a tired hand in Beomgyu's direction.
"I’m not delirious!" Beomgyu insisted. "Just... developed a quirky charm under the influence of sickness..."
