It had been a quiet afternoon at the dorm. The members were relaxing after a long day of rehearsals, scattered around the living room, doing their own thing. Heeseung and Jungwon were sitting on the floor, chatting softly when they noticed Sunoo curled up on the couch, quietly clutching his favorite plushie. He had been a little more withdrawn than usual, the tiredness from their busy schedule weighing on him.
Sunoo's giggle caught Heeseung's attention first. It was light and airy, the kind of laugh that bubbled up without warning, infectious and full of joy. Heeseung and Jungwon exchanged a glance, and without a word, they knew what was about to happen. They both turned their attention to Sunoo, who was innocently looking at the TV, not expecting what was coming.
"Hey, Sunoo," Jungwon said, his voice playful. "Are you feeling better now?"
Sunoo smiled, still clutching his plushie. "Mmm, yeah, I feel better. Just a little tired though," he replied softly.
Before Sunoo could say anything more, Heeseung shot Jungwon a mischievous look and leaned forward. He reached for Sunoo's side, his fingers gently tickling the spot where he knew Sunoo was most sensitive.
Sunoo's body immediately jolted, and he let out a surprised squeal, quickly curling into himself. "Hee—Hee—Hyungie Noo, no tickling! Wonnie help me!" he giggled and shouted, trying to squirm away, but Heeseung was already after him.
Instead of helping the sunshine, Jungwon joined in his fingers digging into Sunoo's other side, causing Sunoo’s giggles to turn into uncontrollable laughter. He pressed his little body against the couch, his laughter ringing through the room. "No! Stoo—stop! Hee, Wonnie, please! Hahaha!" Sunoo was breathless now, the giggles slipping into full-on laughter that was high-pitched and adorable.
As the tickling continued, Jay, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, watching them all with a bemused smile, couldn't help but be drawn to the sound of Sunoo's laughter. It was sweet and pure, but there was something so carefree about it, something different. Sunoo’s giggles felt... different. A little more innocent. Jay tilted his head, a curious expression crossing his face as he watched the interaction.
And that’s when he realized.
Sunoo’s laughter wasn’t just from being tickled—it was more than that. It was the sound of someone slipping into a space where they felt safe enough to be completely themselves, to laugh without holding anything back. Sunoo’s giggles were full of vulnerability, as though he trusted Heeseung and Jungwon entirely to make him feel like this.
Suddenly, Jay's heart softened at the realization. He had known that Sunoo was sweet, but seeing him like this—genuinely carefree, completely trusting—made Jay understand something deeper about his younger member.
He watched as Heeseung and Jungwon finally stopped tickling, their laughter blending with Sunoo’s, and Sunoo laid back on the couch, still giggling but catching his breath.
"Okay, okay, I give up," Sunoo managed to say, his voice breathy from laughter. "You guys are mean!"
Jungwon ruffled Sunoo's hair affectionately, still smiling. "We just wanted to see that cute smile," he teased. "You’re too adorable when you laugh."
Heeseung smiled, sitting back down beside him. "You're lucky we love you, Sunoo."
But Jay, now seeing everything more clearly, approached them slowly. He wasn’t sure how to react, but he felt a strange sense of protectiveness stirring inside him. The carefree laughter he had just heard made him want to protect that little space where Sunoo could be himself—where he didn’t have to worry about anything.
He crouched down beside Sunoo, who was still catching his breath from the tickling.
"Sunoo," Jay said softly, his voice different—more gentle than usual. "Are you okay? You looked really happy just now."
