The Whispers (Underworld 6) VK

3: A Regular Morning

It was a regular morning for Hansol, the kind of quiet start he'd grown accustomed to since moving out of the dorms. The soft beeping of his alarm filled the room, but he reached over lazily and turned it off before it could get too loud. He blinked at the ceiling for a moment, letting the morning light streaming in through the blinds slowly bring him to life.

He could hear faint rustling from the room next door and knew Chan was likely still knocked out, dead to the world. Hansol smirked to himself, knowing how much of a heavy sleeper Chan could be. Ever since they'd left the boarding school dorms behind and moved into the sleek apartment that Seungcheol had gifted them—part of a well-deserved reward for topping their high school class—they'd been living the high life. No more cramped dorm rooms or shared bathrooms; they had their own space now, complete with modern furniture, a balcony with a view of the city, and even a car parked downstairs waiting for them.

Hansol glanced at his phone—plenty of time before they needed to head to university. But first, the challenge of the morning: waking Chan up. He threw on a shirt, padded across the apartment in his socks, and knocked on Chan's door lightly at first. No response. Of course. He pushed the door open slightly and peeked inside. Chan was sprawled out across his bed, mouth slightly open, one leg hanging off the side like he'd fought an epic battle with his blanket and lost.

Hansol sighed dramatically. "Chan, wake up!" he called, his voice loud enough to stir his friend but not too harsh. No reaction.

With a grin that spelled mischief, Hansol crossed the room, grabbed the nearest pillow, and whacked Chan over the head with it. "Wake up, you sloth!"

Chan grumbled something unintelligible, swatting at the air as if trying to fend off an invisible attacker. "Five more minutes," he mumbled, his voice muffled by his pillow.

"Yeah, no. We've got class, and unless you want to walk to university instead of riding in that fancy car, I suggest you get moving," Hansol teased, giving him one more playful thump with the pillow for good measure.

That got Chan up. Groaning, he finally sat up, rubbing his eyes and glaring at Hansol. "You're the worst," he muttered, though there was a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Breakfast in ten minutes," Hansol said, leaving the room with a satisfied grin.

In the kitchen, Hansol started preparing a quick breakfast—nothing fancy, just some toast, eggs, and fruit. Chan, still looking half-asleep, stumbled into the kitchen a few minutes later, his hair sticking up in random directions. He slumped into a chair at the table, yawning.

"Remind me again why we're not living in the dorms where we could just roll out of bed and walk to class?" Chan said, eyeing the toast Hansol slid in front of him.

"Because Hyungs gifted us this amazing apartment and a car. And we're not idiots, we accepted it," Hansol replied, biting into his toast with a satisfied grin.

Chan rolled his eyes, but he couldn't argue. The apartment was awesome, and it definitely beat the dorms in terms of comfort and privacy. Plus, the car meant they didn't have to rely on public transport or walk in the cold when winter hit.

After finishing breakfast, the two got ready, bantering back and forth as they brushed their teeth and grabbed their bags. Hansol grabbed the keys to the car, spinning them around his finger as he walked toward the door.

"Shotgun!" Chan yelled, sprinting ahead of Hansol to claim the passenger seat.

Hansol just laughed. "Fine, fine. Let's just get going before you make us late."

They hopped into the sleek black car parked in the apartment lot, the engine purring smoothly as Hansol started it up. Driving through the city on their way to university was always an experience—buildings rushing by, people hustling on the sidewalks, and the occasional taxi cutting in front of them. Chan had his phone out, playing a game, while Hansol focused on the road.