The festival had ended, and the Dreamies gathered in their usual spot, an empty classroom, away from the noise of cleanup outside. The air was warm with tiredness, but there was comfort in just being together after a long day.
Jaemin stretched, letting out a loud groan. "I swear, if I see another banner or folding table, I'm quitting school."
Jisung snorted. "You act like you did that much work."
Jaemin gasped dramatically. "Excuse me, I provided moral support."
The group laughed, the mood light and familiar. Renjun sat quietly, watching them with a small smile. He liked moments like this, when things felt normal.
But normal wasn't something he always had.
Chenle broke the silence. "Honestly, I thought something would go horribly wrong today."
"We got lucky," Jeno said, tossing a bottle cap between his hands. "Everyone actually pulled their weight."
Jaemin grinned, nudging Renjun's shoulder. "You were weirdly quiet today. What's up with that?"
Renjun stiffened. It was small, but Chenle noticed immediately.
"Oh, uh," Renjun said, forcing a laugh. "Just tired."
The answer was easy. Simple. Something they'd believe.
But Chenle didn't.
"Liar," he said bluntly, tilting his head. "You've been off for days. And don't say 'tired' again, because you're always tired."
The group turned to Renjun, concern in their eyes.
His stomach twisted. This was the moment he had been waiting for, the chance to tell them.
He took a deep breath, gripping the hem of his sleeve. "I..." His voice caught.
He remembered Ara's face in the hallway, the scars on his hands he had hidden for years, the nights at Kwangya Orphanage when he convinced himself no one would ever want him.
What if they looked at him differently? What if they pitied him?
What if he ruined everything?
Renjun swallowed hard, hands curling into fists.
"I... I don't really talk about my past," he said quietly.
There was a pause.
"Okay," Jeno said simply.
Renjun blinked. "What?"
Jeno leaned forward. "You don't have to, you know. If you're not ready."
Mark nodded. "Yeah. We're not here to force you or anything."
Renjun looked at them, expecting tension, expecting judgment. But all he saw was understanding.
They weren't pushing him. They weren't demanding answers.
They were just... there.
Something inside him shifted. "I... I do want to talk about it. But I don't know how."
Jaemin gave him a small smile. "Then don't rush. Just start wherever you can."
Renjun hesitated, heart pounding.
Could he really do this? Could he let them see the parts of himself he had hidden for so long?
Chenle, watching carefully, reached out, brushing Renjun's wrist lightly. A small, silent gesture.
Renjun exhaled shakily.
Maybe... just maybe... he wasn't as alone as he thought.
And for the first time, that thought didn't scare him.
