The Red Thread of Fate || Wen Junhui

➶ eight ➴

I spend the next week helping around Seventeen's dorms.

Mingyu wakes me up at me up at six every morning so that we have an hour to make breakfast and eventually clean a bit before everyone else slowly opens their eyes to another hectic day.

Sometimes I'll see Sungcheol and Seokmin in the kitchen together, sipping from cracked coffee mugs while intensely planning out the new mission. Judging by the number of layouts of a building, blueprints, hushed whispers, and grave expressions exchanged, I could tell how important this mission really is before Junghan told me on Tuesday afternoon.

I faced the bathroom mirror as he towered behind me to cut my wild hair with a rusty pair of scissors. He was telling me about the missions they had done in the past, and how they were crappy missions meant for unskilled rookies—not for Seventeen. He said that this mission could determine the future of Seventeen and that I shouldn't bother them or Jihoon. After my hair was its regular jaw-length again, Junghan patted my shoulders and sent me to help Wonwoo in the library.

Strangely enough, I have not seen Jihoon once since last week even though he was to first and most eager to ask for my assistance. He never leaves that office of his; not even for meals. I offer to bring Jihoon his food and check up on him, but I'm always met with the same response: "It's nice that you care so much, but someone else should do it instead. We don't want to bother Jihoon."

I learned very quickly that I was allowed nowhere near or in Jihoon's office—at least until he was done setting up some new software that will be vital for Seventeen's new mission. Sungcheol promised me that I can go and help him as much as I please once he's finished.

Other than that, everyone has been trying to keep me busy. I cook and clean with Mingyu, do laundry with Jisoo, test or fix new droids and other technology with the Savant unit, and help sort or archive books in the library with Wonwoo.

I like working in the library the most, though. I like it because of Wonwoo.

The two of us had a really rocky start. We hardly spoke to each other the first day I was assigned to the library, and he wouldn't stop flashing me odd stares. The only reason we clicked was because I found a book about Aztec history, which was also happened to be one of Wonwoo's favorite books. I was genuinely interested in it and kept asking him questions until his icy demeanor cracked to reveal his true nerdy and pleasant personality underneath.

When our fingers ache from flipping through books and stacking them, he always lets us take a break. During those times I lean against the wall and rest my exhausted eyes while he grabs the nearest book and reads out loud. His deep voice perfectly compliments his calm and intelligent presence.

See, with Wonwoo, I can ask him any question about philosophy, history, or science and he'll have an answer. If he doesn't, we'll find a book about it and look through it together.

So far, it's been smooth sailing.

"There you go," Wonwoo says, tapping the page of the large textbook. "Slugs do have four noses. Two of them are the tentacles on their heads."

He ruffles my hair. "Where did you come up with that question?"

I've only just let him start to touch me.

I shrug. "Seungkwan said that Seokmin oppa looked like a slug because of his nose. I don't know...I guess I just started wondering if slugs really did have noses afterwards."

"Seokmin oppa?"

Shit.

A flush crawls up my neck at the realization of what I had just said. Thankfully, it's covered by the collar. I don't answer and focus on putting the heavy textbook back into its spot on the shelf.