Clinically Insane ✰ Bang Chan Centric

12

Chan enters the asylum the next morning, arms buried under a mountain of grocery bags. Freya looks up from the reception desk, ready to greet him—until her eyes widen at the ridiculous amount he's somehow managed to carry alone. Chan nods his head at her in greeting and goes to the elevator. When he gets there, he stares at the ID scanner and buttons waiting to be pressed as if they are taunting him with a glare. He winces as the plastic handles dig into his skin, sharp and unforgiving.

"Need some help?" Chan turns and sees Freya approach him with her ID card at the ready. She scans it, and the elevator opens. Chan walks inside, and he looks at Freya expectantly. He juts out his foot to stop the elevator when it tries to close on him. "Aren't you gonna help me get this down there?"

She backs away subconsciously. "I-I'm not gonna go down there."

Chan smiles charmingly. "Oh, come on now, I made sure to put them in their rooms before leaving last night. There's nothing to be afraid of."

When he sees that she's about to decline again, he speaks up. "I have the remote to taze them if anything happens. You'll be safe with me."

She looks into his eyes and sees nothing but gentleness and sincerity. She nods before stepping onto the elevator and hitting the button for the bottom floor. They stand in a slightly awkward silence, but it disappears the instant the doors open. Freya walks out first, and Chan follows her, guiding her to the kitchen. She opens it with her ID and holds the door open for Chan. He walks inside and places the bags on the counter with a sigh of relief. He slides the bags off his arms and hisses at the red welts striping his pale skin.

He's pulled out of his thoughts by Freya clearing her throat. "Well, uh, I'm just gonna go."

"I'll walk you out." Chan looks over at Freya, and just behind her, he can see that smile he has grown sick of since yesterday when he first saw it. Jeongin brings his index finger to his lips, and his smile turns into a smirk. Chan meets Freya's eyes and grins at her as if nothing is wrong.

"Let's go." Jeongin moves along with Freya as she turns to always stay behind her, just out of her vision. It's amazing how he manages to avoid making any sounds. Jeongin retreats to the threshold where the hallway meets the common area.

"Morning Chan! oooh, who is this?" Jeongin speaks in slow and slightly broken English, and Freya squeaks and backs away frantically. Chan watches with annoyance as Jeongin does with amusement as the poor secretary runs as fast as her heels will allow her to. She doesn't even take the elevator since she doesn't want to wait for it, and goes through the door where the stairs are instead.

Chan's annoyance fades, and he chuckles softly, but he becomes confused when he remembers that Jeongin shouldn't even be out here. "What are you doing out of your room?"

"You locked up Seungmin for the night and just... left." Jeongin tilts his head, a pout forming slowly. "I waited. I even brushed my teeth and everything. Was gonna have a sweet little talk with you. Maybe a kiss. But you forgot me."

"Again." His voice is only a whisper, but he quickly pulls himself back together.

"So naturally, I left my room when I figured out you weren't coming." He stretches his arms straight out and spins around. "The common area's just a bigger cage, Christopher. The bars are invisible, that's all."

Chan's eyes scan Jeongin's face, and for the first time, the smile he always has is gone, and for some reason, that is even scarier. He laughs awkwardly since he doesn't really know how to reply to the thief's statement. He also noticed being called Christopher, but Jeongin did have his wallet yesterday. He probably saw it in there. "I'm gonna open the other cells now."

Chan opens each door and leaves the door ajar so they can come out whenever they wake up. Over the next hour, Chan has put all of the groceries away and has made a delicious breakfast his stomach is begging him to devour. Everyone has also come out of their rooms with the smell of food being their motivation.

He puts the last of the food out on the table. He's decided to make a traditional American breakfast since he's in the country and wants to try their favorite foods. There are scrambled eggs, buttered toast, bacon, sausage—all golden, crisp, and precise.

While he made the food, the table was set, and now everyone is already seated. To his surprise, there is an eighth plate set at the table, but it's set across from Seungmin and next to Minho. Shit. His stomach grumbles, and he groans internally. Fuck it.

He sits down at the spot chosen for him, and the instant he is seated, the chaos starts. Everyone starts asking for a certain food eagerly, as if they wait a second longer, they will die of starvation. Chan realizes that he forgot to get any drinks, and their glasses are sitting there for nothing. He goes to stand up to get a pitcher of water, but Minho's hand suddenly appears on his thigh and stops him with a firm grip, making it impossible to ignore. "You already sat down here, love. Now you must commit."

Chan's eyes widen as he processes Minho's words. "No no no no no, hold on a minute. I'm not trying to sit somewhere else."

Minho's eyes cool slightly, thinking the older man is lying. The entire table watches in silence, eyes glinting with amusement—or something more. Chan scratches the back of his neck, heat blooming beneath his collar. "I was going to get a pitcher of water. I forgot it before sitting down."

The fire in Minho's eyes returns again as he can see there is indeed no water or any liquid on the table for them. He smiles at the older, pleased he wasn't going to move away. "Jisung will get it."

"But he needs an ID card and a co-" Chan's words get cut short as Han scans something and punches in a code before walking into the kitchen as if it was nothing. Everyone else looks at Chan with smug looks as they notice his shock and wait for his response.

"Wait wh- ho-" Chan looks at all of their smug faces before smiling and laughing to hide his fear and speaking in English. "Oh shit."

Han returns from the kitchen with a filled pitcher in one hand and a wink just for Chan. He sets it down gently, and the table resumes its clamor, food passed and devoured like nothing had happened.

But Chan doesn't eat. He watches them—how comfortable they look. How familiar they are with codes and scanners and doors they should never know how to open.

How much control they already seem to have.

He forces a laugh. "Oh shit," he mutters again, but this time, it's not funny.

It's terrifying.

Please vote!

uh oh, Chan doesn't have as much control as he thought

I'm so glad that we're finally getting to the good stuff ;)

And the new book cover? Honestly proud of myself 🫦

Elena is slytherin away now~