anticipation - stray kids

drapetomania

(n.) an overwhelming urge to run away

abbey - mitski

"i am something, i have been something"

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

chan made his way to the kitchen, navigating around the laughter and energy filling the living room. the group had settled into the comfortable chaos that always seemed to spring up when they were together, and he couldn't help the smile tugging at his lips as he left minho to grab a few more drinks. he was especially looking forward to tonight, hoping that things between him and minho would finally fall into place, even if he was nervous.

but when he walked into the kitchen, he wasn't expecting to find jisung leaning against the counter, hands wrapped around a glass of something he'd barely touched. jisung looked up at the sound of footsteps, a small, tired smile tugging at his lips.

"hey," jisung greeted quietly, his voice softer than usual, like he was deep in thought.

"hey," chan replied, studying him for a moment. jisung's energy was a little dimmed tonight, like there was something weighing on him that he couldn't quite shake. his shoulders slumped slightly, and his eyes held a hint of sadness that chan couldn't ignore. he wasn't used to seeing jisung this... subdued.

"didn't know you were hiding out here," chan said, keeping his tone light as he leaned against the counter next to him.

jisung shrugged, a small smile flickering across his lips as he glanced at his glass. "sometimes the kitchen's quieter, you know?"

chan chuckled softly, but his gaze lingered on jisung, noticing the way his friend's eyes kept drifting down to the floor, the faintest sag in his posture. he'd known jisung long enough to recognize when something was off, and tonight was one of those times. it felt wrong somehow, seeing jisung without that usual spark in his eyes.

"everything alright?" chan asked, trying to keep his voice casual, but he knew his concern was hard to miss.

jisung glanced at him, a faint smile tugging at his lips, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "yeah, just... thinking, i guess." he hesitated, his fingers tightening around the glass. "not really the life of the party tonight."

chan studied him for a moment, feeling a tug in his chest. it wasn't like jisung to be so... quiet. even when things were hard, jisung always found a way to smile through it, to be the lighthearted one in the room. but tonight, there was something in his expression that made chan want to reach out, to somehow take that weight off his shoulders.

"well, you're still a pretty decent person to talk to," chan said, nudging him gently with a grin, hoping it would bring back a bit of his friend's usual energy.

jisung chuckled, though it was a softer sound than usual. he leaned against the counter, glancing at chan, and there was a flicker of something in his eyes—curiosity, maybe. "so... are you ever gonna ask minho out?" he asked, his voice light but carrying an undercurrent of sincerity.

chan blinked, caught off guard by the sudden question. he felt a blush creep up his neck, scratching the back of his head awkwardly as he chuckled. "i, uh... well, i was planning to," he admitted, feeling his heart skip a beat at the thought. "i thought... maybe in a couple weeks, you know, when we're going to the cinema. it'd be the perfect time to finally tell him."

jisung's smile softened, and he nodded slowly, his gaze drifting down to the floor again. "minho would like that. he's always talking about you, you know. even when he's mad about something, somehow you still come up." his voice was gentle, but there was a wistful quality to it that chan couldn't quite place.