since our eyes first met - Minsung

챕터night time

It was finally time to call it a day. After a whole day of cooking disasters, laughing until our stomachs hurt, and way too many inside jokes to count, I was more than ready to get some sleep. Minho and I shared a room, which meant we'd be dealing with the usual chaos of living together—though, with the way things had been going lately, chaos felt like a normal part of life.

I pushed open the door to our room, letting out a sigh as I dropped my bag on the chair by the window. The room was a mix of clutter—clothes strewn around, an abandoned plate from earlier, and, of course, Minho's bed, already neatly made. It was a wonder how he could keep his bed so organized when everything else around us was in disarray.

»Ready to sleep?« I asked, glancing over at Minho, who was already lounging on his bed.

Minho didn't even look up at me. His eyes were fixed on the pillow he was holding tightly to his chest. »Give me a second,« he muttered. »I have to prepare my pillow for the night.«

»Prepare?« I repeated, raising an eyebrow as I made my way to my own bed. »What exactly are you doing? Getting it ready for bed too?«

Minho nodded, still serious, holding the pillow like it was a rare treasure. »I'm just making sure it's comfortable. It's been a long day, and I don't want any pillow-related issues tonight.«

I flopped down onto my bed, unable to suppress a grin. »You've gotta be kidding me. You're actually doing *pillow maintenance* before bed?«

Minho didn't look up. He was still rearranging the pillow like it was some kind of precious artifact. »It's not maintenance. It's pillow therapy. You wouldn't understand.«

I snorted. »Pillow therapy? You are *way* too invested in that pillow.«

Minho raised his eyes just enough to shoot me a glance. »You don't understand. This pillow is more than just a pillow. It's my emotional support.«

»You know,« I said, leaning back into my own bed and crossing my arms, »maybe I should start having pillow therapy too. Since apparently, my emotional well-being is at risk without a pillow like yours.«

Minho gave me a flat look. »That's right. Without a pillow like this, you're lost, Jisung.«

I stared at him, pretending to look offended. »I don't know if I'm ready to be emotionally supported by the pillow yet. You've clearly formed too strong of a bond.«

»Don't mock the pillow,« Minho said in a low, serious tone, almost as if it were a sacred ritual. »It's important to me.«

I rolled my eyes dramatically, but I couldn't help laughing. »Yeah, okay. I'll be sure to treat your precious pillow with the respect it deserves.«

Minho grinned, clearly satisfied. »Thank you. The pillow appreciates that.«

I stretched out on my bed, trying to get comfortable. I'd just brushed my teeth, but for some reason, the feeling of the day still clung to me, like there was something I couldn't shake. It wasn't a bad feeling—it was more like a mix of exhaustion and the weird energy that seemed to follow Minho and me around whenever we were in the same room.

»Honestly,« I said after a beat, »I don't even know how you manage to sleep with that thing. I would be suffocated by all the hugging and clutching you do.«

Minho gave a small chuckle, finally letting go of the pillow and tossing it onto the bed beside him. »You just don't get it. This pillow gets me. It's a partner in sleep.«

I stared at him for a moment, a grin forming on my face. »Yeah, I can see that. But let me ask you—does this partner also snore?«

Minho shot me a glare. »No, it's a *silent* partner. Unlike *some* people I know.«I leaned over dramatically, pretending to be hurt. »What do you mean? I don't snore!«»Jisung,« Minho said, his tone deadpan, »you could wake the entire neighborhood with that noise.«

I gasped, putting my hands to my heart. »How dare you. I do not snore!«

»Don't lie,« Minho said, clearly amused. »You're like a small, snoring monster at night. I hear you.«

I stuck my tongue out at him, trying to ignore the laughter bubbling up. »You're so mean. I'll have you know that *some* people find my nighttime noises comforting.«

Minho didn't even try to hide his grin. »If that's what you want to call it, sure.«

I fell back onto my pillow, shaking my head with a soft laugh. »I'm telling you, you need to start a support group for your pillow. It sounds like it's been through a lot.«

»Maybe I will,« Minho said with a smirk, »and you can join. It'll be a group for people with 'special pillow bonds.'«

»Ha!« I laughed. »You'd be the president of that group, wouldn't you?«

Minho's grin widened. »Obviously. I'm the only one with the kind of bond I have with my pillow. Everyone else would just be... aspiring to reach my level.«

I shook my head, chuckling. »Yeah, that sounds about right. You'd probably charge an entrance fee for anyone who wanted to join.«

Minho made a show of being deep in thought. »Hmm, maybe. Only if they bring their own pillow. No freeloaders allowed.«

I snorted. »You would.«

I closed my eyes, rolling over to settle into the comfort of my bed. The day had been exhausting, and the last thing I wanted to do was keep talking, but somehow, Minho's pillow obsession kept pulling me back in. There was no way I was going to sleep now without getting in a few more laughs at his expense.

»You know,« I said, »I'd like to see your pillow go on a world tour with us. I bet it has some serious fans by now.«

Minho's response came with an exaggerated sigh. »It doesn't need fans. The pillow already knows it's the best.«

»Right,« I said, trying to stifle my laughter. »The pillow world tour would just be a victory lap at this point.«

Minho snorted, but then his tone softened, and for a moment, I almost thought he was serious again. »You know, Jisung, you can laugh all you want, but this pillow is a big part of my nightly routine. Without it, I'd be completely lost.«

I opened one eye, staring at him. »Wow. Who knew I was sharing a room with such a pillow connoisseur.«

Minho shrugged casually. »What can I say? I have high standards.«I let out an exaggerated sigh. »High standards, huh? Well, as long as you and the pillow are happy, I guess it's okay.«

For a moment, there was silence between us, and I could hear the soft sounds of the house as everyone else settled into their own rooms. But it didn't feel like we were in a rush to end the conversation. Minho's pillow was still the star of the night, and I was just the guy who had to tolerate the pillow's constant *attention.*

»I guess it's time to call it a night,« I said finally, my eyelids feeling heavier by the second.

»Yeah,« Minho agreed, »but don't even think about sneaking over to steal my pillow while I'm sleeping. I'm watching you.«

»Ha! Like I'd want your emotionally invested pillow,« I said, already closing my eyes.

There was a brief pause, then Minho spoke again, his voice softer. »Good night, Jisung.«

»Good night, Minho,« I mumbled, already half asleep.

The room was quiet now, and the light from the streetlamp outside filtered through the curtains. As I finally let myself drift off to sleep, I couldn't help but smile. Life might be chaotic, unpredictable, and always full of surprises—like Minho's ridiculous pillow obsession—but in moments like this, it felt pretty perfect. The pillow didn't matter. The laughs, the teasing, and the comfort of knowing that, even in the madness, we were all here together—that was what made it all worthwhile.

This time 1356 words. I had this chapters in my notes for a long time now so I wanted to inclued it with the story. Hope you liked it. To be honest it isn't my fav chapter but I wrote it when I once became a stay (I wrote so many at this time) so I needed to put in in here.
See ya, bitshes!! (^・ω・^ )