The dorm was unusually quiet, which immediately set Sunoo on edge. Normally, Ni-ki would be yelling about a video game, Jake would be humming along to his playlist, and Heeseung and Sunghoon would be bickering over snacks. Today? Silence.
Sunoo set down his phone, his brows furrowing. “Where is everyone?” he muttered, stepping out of his room.
He wasn’t prepared for the sight in the living room.
The other six members were gathered in a circle, looking deadly serious. Jungwon, as the leader, stood in the center, holding a whiteboard that read in bold letters: "SUNOO PROTECTION SQUAD (SPS)".
“What… is this?” Sunoo asked, blinking in confusion.
Ni-ki immediately perked up, pointing at the board. “It’s our new project, hyung! We’re officially forming a protection squad for you.”
Sunoo raised an eyebrow. “Protection from what, exactly?”
Jake stood up, adjusting his imaginary tie. “From everything. Bullies, stress, rude comments, cold weather, hunger… You name it, we’ve got you covered.”
Sunghoon smirked, crossing his arms. “Basically, we’re not letting anything bother you from now on.”
Sunoo sighed, a mix of fondness and exasperation on his face. “You guys are unbelievable.”
The next morning, Sunoo woke up to find Ni-ki standing guard outside his bedroom door.
“What are you doing?” Sunoo asked, rubbing his eyes.
“Protecting you,” Ni-ki said, his tone completely serious. “What if someone barges in and wakes you up rudely? I’m making sure that doesn’t happen.”
“I think I’ll survive,” Sunoo replied, stifling a laugh.
When Sunoo finally made it to the kitchen, Heeseung and Sunghoon were already there, bickering over breakfast.
“I said pancakes, not toast!” Sunghoon snapped, glaring at Heeseung.
“Sunoo likes toast,” Heeseung argued, flipping the bread in the toaster.
“Guys, I can make my own breakfast,” Sunoo said, stepping in.
“No way,” Heeseung said, gently pushing him back into a chair. “You just sit there pretty.”
Sunoo rolled his eyes but complied, secretly touched by their efforts.
Later that day, the group headed out for a scheduled practice at the HYBE building. On the way, Jungwon gathered everyone for a quick pep talk.
“Remember,” he said, “no one approaches Sunoo without going through us first.”
“What is this, a security checkpoint?” Sunoo teased, shaking his head.
“Exactly,” Jake said, throwing an arm around Sunoo’s shoulders. “You’re VIP, and we’re your bodyguards.”
At the practice room, other staff and trainees couldn’t help but notice the way Enhypen hovered around Sunoo. Anytime someone approached him to ask a question, one of the members would step in.
“Do you need something from Sunoo?” Sunghoon asked coolly, standing in front of him.
“Oh, no, it’s nothing,” the trainee stammered, backing away.
Sunoo groaned, burying his face in his hands. “You guys are scaring people!”
“That’s the point,” Ni-ki said proudly.
After practice, the members gathered around their phones, scanning Sunoo’s latest social media posts.
“Who’s this person leaving rude comments?” Jake said, narrowing his eyes.
