Syncing Dream [Aespa x M!Reader]

14. Man(ager) Down

"ACC- CCHHHUUU!!!"

Days after the soccer match, Y/n woke up feeling the full weight of his poor decision to play soccer in the rain. His throat felt raw, his body ached, and the slight fever creeping up told him he wasn't just tired—he was getting sick.

"Dang it, I was too hyped yesterday..."

Groaning, he buried his face deeper into his pillow, hoping to sleep it off. Living in the same dorm as aespa meant noise was a constant, but today, it was a comfort. At least he wasn't totally alone.

Around noon, there was a soft knock on his door. "Idiot?" Winter's voice called from the other side, concern lacing her tone.

He rolled over, squinting toward the door as she poked her head in.

"You alright? You've been pretty quiet," she asked, stepping inside.

Y/n grunted, his voice muffled by the blanket. "Just... feelin' a bit dead."

Winter's brow furrowed, and she stepped inside without asking for permission. She placed her hand on his forehead. "You're burning up. Why didn't you say something?"

"I'm fine," he mumbled. "It's probably just a cold. Got way into it during the match.."

Winter rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, I'm calling a meeting." She left the room, closing the door softly behind her.

A few minutes later, the sound of the other members gathering could be heard. Y/n could faintly hear murmurs from the girls.

Something about Operation: Take Care of Y/n.

"We should make him some food," Ningning suggested, standing in the kitchen. "A nice home-cooked meal will help him recover."

"I'm not sure we're exactly capable of that..." Karina hesitated, looking at the pristine kitchen.

"Don't worry," Giselle grinned. "How hard can it be?"

With their plan in motion, they swarmed the kitchen. Winter took charge, despite not being a cook, while Karina began rummaging through the fridge for ingredients. Giselle and Ningning, on the other hand, were having too much fun playing with the various kitchen gadgets.

"We need broth!" Winter called out, though she wasn't exactly sure how to make it. She grabbed a pot, filled it with water, and dumped in some random vegetables from the fridge.

"Shouldn't we Google a recipe or something?" Giselle asked, raising an eyebrow as Winter chopped carrots like she was in a rush.

"Nah, it's just soup. How hard can it be?" Winter replied with misplaced confidence. "We can just wing it."

Famous last word from Winter.

It wasn't long before the chaos began. The water overflowed from the pot, spilling onto the stove as Karina hurried to mop it up with a dish towel. Giselle had somehow managed to burn a handful of rice in a pan, filling the kitchen with the smell of something distinctly charred.

"Oh no, the rice!" Karina yelped, as Giselle waved her hands frantically to fan away the smoke.

Meanwhile, Ningning, who had claimed to know her way around a kitchen, was busy trying to recreate a trendy TikTok recipe for an elegant soup. She was in the middle of filming herself attempting to mix ingredients when she suddenly realised they didn't even have the right spices.

"Um, guys?" Ningning piped up, glancing nervously at her bubbling pot. "This doesn't look like the video."

Winter was now battling with the cutting board, half a cucumber dangling awkwardly from her hand. "Maybe we should've stuck with something simpler."