Doubler || NCT || Completed

23

"Kids, where's your brown sugar?" one of the older guys, maybe Jaehyun, inquired from the kitchen. "And how come you don't have any ginger?"

Chenle got up, rolling his eyes, and went to the kitchen. "How come you're not capable to find anything on your own? Of course we have ginger!" he grumbled as he went.

"What was that?" the older guy asked in a threatening tone.

"Nothing, hyung!" Chenle chirped, his voice suddenly sweeter than honey pudding glazed with sugar.

The guys had decided to celebrate Taeil's return with a home-cooked dinner. When Yujin had pointed out that it was still too early for lunch, let alone dinner, Taeil had shaken his head and told her grimly that cooking for such a big and ravenous group took a lot of planning, shopping and, most importantly, time. Then Taeyong, Yuta, Doyoung, and Jaehyun had deported the rest of them from the kitchen, glaring at anyone who tried to offer their help.

Yujin was in the middle of recounting the chain of events of the past two weeks to horrified Taeil. She was seated on the floor next to the armchair Taeil was sitting on, and trying to highlight all of the fun and less serious parts.

"I told him to stay in one corner but when I was cleaning the tables, he followed me and attracted the attention of some customers since he was dirty and hurt", she reminisced, scowling at Jeno who smiled apologetically from the couch next to Taeil's armchair.

"You could've bathed him", Haechan pointed out and winked at Yujin. Yangyang, Ten, and Johnny giggled like little kids.

Yujin answered his suggestion with an unsurprised face. "How clever."

"Isn't it completely normal to give your pet a bath?" Ten asked, his mischievous face seemingly innocent. Haechan grinned happily at his accomplice.

Taeil coughed loudly, trying to hide his laughter and smile.

"By the way, what did you call him when he was a dog and you didn't know his name?" Haechan wanted to know when Yujin didn't answer to Ten's comment. "He says that he can't remember", he continued, glancing at Jeno's direction with suspicious eyes.

Yujin turned to look at Jeno as well and saw that the tips of his ears were red. Had it been uncomfortable for him that she had called him Puppy?

"I don't remember either", Yujin answered slowly. Jeno glanced at her, smiling a bit.

"So, it must've been something really inappropriate", Ten guessed with a devilish smirk on his smug face.

"Yeah, obviously I gave an unknown doubler an obscene nickname while trying to protect him from hunters and poachers", she snarked. "That would be completely normal and not disturbing at all."

"Meaning that you actually do remember what you called him?" Haechan deduced. He and Ten were like an interrogator duo trying to force her to admit a murder she hadn't committed.

"Ignore them", Winwin told her, joining the conversation. "They'll leave you alone if you don't pay attention to them."

Yujin couldn't help smiling at him. Winwin was like a human embodiment of the word cute with his adorable face and kind smile.

Apparently Yujin wasn't the only one with such thoughts because Taeil jumped up and hurried across the room with his arms reached towards the other guy.

"Stop being so cute!" he cooed, squeezing in between Winwin and the Disney prince looking guy. Winwin's smile grew tired the moment Taeil hugged him tightly.

"Does the ignoring work on that as well?" Yujin asked with a sympathetic smile. Winwin shook his head.

"Whose phone is this?" Taeyong was peaking in from the kitchen, holding a phone in his hand.