But The Future Must Be Met

I Don't Like It When My Faves Are Sick. It's Very Upsetting.

"Oh? You're late getting up."

"I'm sorry." My eyes well up, emotional for no reason and exhausted, but I manage to wipe the few errant drops away in a pantomime of brushing crust from them. "I'll try to make breakfast as soon as possible."

"Don't worry. Some of them went out for breakfast."

I look him over. Jeans and a plain, long-sleeved t-shirt. Simple.

"Oh. This. We don't have schedules today, so it's a day off."

"Oh."

"You're really sleepy, huh?"

"Mm, I only got to bed around six. Sorry. I'll be fine once I've had coffee." I open the fridge and crack a can open. "Are you hungry, Mingyu?"

"Yeah. What's for breakfast?"

"Curry rice."

"Oh? Is it good?"

"Mm, yeah." I take a long swig of the coffee. Ugh. "It won't take long to heat up."

It takes him a few minutes after drinking his water before he scowls at me and robs me of my load. "At least tell somebody else to put out bowls and spoons," he playfully scowls at me. "If you're already making the food."

"That's not your job, though," I pout.

He doesn't answer with anything but a laugh.

Stupid beautiful Seventeen, with their stupid wonderful manners and their stupid, lovely ethics.

"Ah, noona, we're actually going to leave, too." Vernon waves at me from the kitchen doorway. "We're going to hang out with some friends."

"Sure. Who's left at home?"

"Nobody."

"Oh. Okay. Let me know if you're coming back for lunch."

He stares a moment. "What's for lunch?"

"Toast with egg. Street-food style."

He grins. "We're coming back for lunch."

"Oh? You're back – you're alone?"

It takes me a moment to really see him – to see the sweat on his forehead and the flush in his cheeks.

He sways unsteadily for a moment. "Mm. I'm going for a nap."

"You're running a fever – I'll make you some porridge."

"I'm fine." Seungcheol frowns lightly. "I just need to sleep."

"Okay. Go sleep, then. Make sure you have water."

To my utter delight, it's entirely less pathetic to worry about your idol being sick when he's sick in the same building as you, than when you only know him via twitter.

It's funny how, around the world, no matter where you are, everybody agrees that chicken soup will heal a cold. Korean dakjuk is no different – thicker, maybe, a summer dish, maybe, but no different. And the amount of garlic in it is simply a garlic lover's heaven.

For the record, I am a garlic fanatic.

"Oh? I thought it was toast?"

I jump a mile in the air, hand covering my heart.

"Oh? Sorry. We didn't mean to scare you."

I grip the counter top. "I didn't even hear you get home," I gasp.

"Oh... noona! We're home!" Vernon waves at me. "I thought you said we were having toast?"

It takes me a few more seconds to get my heart back to normal. "Uh, you are. Sorry. This is for Seungcheol. He came home. He's running a low fever. It's probably just a cold, but he wanted to rest, so I let him."