SEVENTEEN | SICKFICS - HURTFICS I

Wonwoo | Seafood Allergy Part I

It was a rare free day for Seventeen, and the dorm was unusually quiet. Wonwoo sat on the couch with a book in his hand, though he wasn't reading much. Mingyu was sprawled out on the floor, flipping through his phone, while Hoshi was pestering Woozi about something no one could quite make out. Woozi, headphones in, pretended not to hear him, though the twitch in his eye gave him away.

"Hyung," Mingyu finally broke the silence, glancing up from his phone, "what if we went to the mall today? I saw there's a pop-up store with exclusive sneakers."

Hoshi's ears perked up. "Sneakers? Why didn't you tell me earlier? And there's that fried chicken place I've been dying to try. It's perfect!"

Woozi pulled his headphones down, finally giving in. "Do you guys really want to go? Isn't it going to be crowded? Fans might spot us."

"It'll be fine," Wonwoo said calmly, closing his book. "We'll wear masks and caps. It's been a while since we went out just to relax. I think it'll be fun."

Mingyu clapped his hands. "Alright, it's settled. But...we should probably ask Seungcheol hyung first, right? He's in charge of our schedule today."

"Ugh, Seungcheol hyung," Hoshi groaned. "He's going to lecture us about being responsible or something. I can already hear him."

Woozi shrugged. "We still need permission. Let's just go ask."

The four of them wandered to the other side of the dorm where Seungcheol, the ever-reliable leader, was typing something on his laptop. He glanced up when he heard the shuffle of footsteps.

"What's up?" Seungcheol asked, adjusting his glasses. "You guys look like you're plotting something."

"Hyung..." Mingyu started, his voice sweet and coaxing, "we were thinking of heading to the mall today. Just for a few hours. You know, to relax and...uh, bond?"

Seungcheol raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "The mall? Today? You do realize it's the weekend, right? It'll be packed."

"That's why we'll be careful," Hoshi chimed in, clasping his hands dramatically. "Masks, caps, and no loud behavior. I'll make sure Mingyu doesn't knock over anything."

"Hey!" Mingyu protested, only for Hoshi to elbow him.

Seungcheol leaned back in his chair, eyeing them suspiciously. "Woozi, what do you think? You're the sensible one here."

"They're going to go either way hyung," Woozi said plainly, crossing his arms. "I just think it's better if we let them go with clear instructions instead of having them sneak out and get into trouble."

"Yah, hyung!" Mingyu whispered in a mock-offended tone. "Why do you make it sound like we're criminals?"

Seungcheol sighed, rubbing his temples. "And what are you even planning to do at the mall? Don't tell me you're just going for food."

"Well, there's the sneaker store..." Mingyu began.

"And the fried chicken," Hoshi added.

"Plus, I wanted to look at a few books," Wonwoo said quietly.

"See?" Mingyu exclaimed. "It's not just food! It's productive and...intellectual."

Seungcheol's lips twitched, as if he was trying not to smile. He closed his laptop with a sigh. "Fine. But on three conditions-"

"What are they?" Hoshi interrupted excitedly, bouncing on his feet.

"First," Seungcheol continued, holding up a finger, "you stick together. No one wandering off alone. Second, you don't stay too long-two hours max. And third..."