a few days later
"is this the right address?"
"how the fuck am i supposed to know tha- ouch WONWOO CAN YOU STOP HITTING ME?"
"i will when you stop cussing with every sentence you say. now gyu i think we made it."
"thank you babe, i'm glad at least someone in this car is the slightest bit of supportive."
no other houses were to be found in the remote valley junhui was supposedly staying in, making it quite easy to find their destination. the house where they had ended up was miraculously beautiful in the eyes of the teens in the occupied vehicle. better known as mingyu, wonwoo, jeonghan and seungcheol.
"should we wait for the others?" mingyu hesitated to entirely shut off the engine as the other car was still approaching them from afar.
"screw it, jisoo is like the slowest driver in history. i bet soonyoung, chan and hansol are far asleep by now." jeonghan hurriedly unbuckled himself and exited the car, making seungcheol follow him closely.
if they only knew how energetic and loud jisoo's car had been, with among the two most noisy teens in his backseat and a surprisingly energetic hansol beside him, shuffling a playlist and singing along at the top of their lungs. which was even audible when the said vehicle parked on the spot beside mingyu's suv.
"asleep hmm?" seungcheol teased his boyfriend who had made a wrong assumption, gently nudging him in his side.
it didn't take long before the eight boys were finally all gathered together, contemplating whether to commit a call to announce their arrival or to knock on the door. it was chan who made the final decision by walking up to the front porch with a disappointed sigh.
"how funny, it's always the youngest who has to take responsibility over a group of adults." chan called out over his shoulder, making sure his insult didn't went by unheard.
"oh shut up! just for your information, we were trying to be friendly!" jeonghan discussed back, being caught up like usual in another playful argument.
"friendly my ass, losers." chan cussed carelessly, knocking at the door.
"language young man!" jeonghan had to be held back by seungcheol from not walking up on the porch and dragging chan back down by his ears.
"let him be, he's not a baby." seungcheol assured his boyfriend, calming him down with just the simple grip on both his shoulders.
and to their luck, it didn't take long for a friendly balding man in a colorful knitted sweater to open the door. "what a surprise to see so many visitors!" the man spoke in a fatherly tone. "you must be the so called toe cult? if i'm correct."
"absolutely right sir, it's a pleasure to meet you." chan stepped forward as he offered his hand to the man.
"oh what a friendly young man we got here." doc shook his hand and gave him a short pat on his shoulder. it surprised the remaining boys on how fond chan was by the sudden title 'young man' and the childlike way he was being treated. yet somehow it felt strangely warming to chan, who seemingly took a liking to this fatherly figure.
"now let me introduce myself, i think we all get to know each other over the span of today and tomorrow." doc released chan's hand, eyeing the group of boys one by one. "my name is doctor park, but as junhui may have explained; everyone here simply calls me doc. if anything, you're always allowed to address me differently, or if you find a better name for me! anyways, i should stop rambling your ears off, come on in, junhui has been waiting in anticipation for you all morning."
one by one, the boys politely greeted doc and shook his hand as they stepped in, mannerly taking off their shoes and placing them beside the shoe rack. "now let me guide you the living room, he was there just now."
"i can't wait to see my man again!" hansol spoke in a brotherly manner, closely following doc inside.
"oh believe me, hansol wasn't it? junhui couldn't wait to see you again either. he has told me so much about this group."
even if it was still quite early, about ten in the morning, a fireplace was cozily crackling as a way too familiar figure was seated on the maroon couch in front of it and back facing the group as they walked in, visibly busy with the person that had his head laying in his lap. even when they all noticed junhui's body was visibly more fragile than it had ever been, he seemed so genuinely happy, all engulfed in his own little world as he was talking to the person he had close to him.
"junhui!" chan was the first to chirp out happily, receiving junhui's attention at once.
"o my god! guys! you're here!" junhui first lifted a raven boy off him so he wouldn't get hurt and rushed over to his friends right after, being engulfed in a huge hug by chan. and even if he was a few feet taller, being hugged by his friend felt so nostalgic and full of pure happiness.
"we've missed you man." hansol had to jerk away chan, who clung tightly onto junhui's body, taking his turn to hug his friend.
"i missed you too." junhui said in all honesty, being too utterly glad to speak more out loud.
they all took their turns on hugging the boy, all right underneath doc's nose, who was satisfied with the exception he had made for this one outstanding patient. they all seemed so much alike, yet with so many differences, which doc found a rather amusing sight if he was allowed to say so.
"now guys, finally." junhui threw a glance over his shoulder to see minghao hadn't found enough courage to get up from his safe seat on the couch, visibly shy to say the slightest. "i want to introduce you to someone special."
even when the boys had heard the news of chan already, they were still surprised to see such angelic raven boy. junhui gently took him by the hand and guided him up from the couch, giving his boyfriend an encouraging nod as he brought him to face his friends.
"well as you see i got myself a boyfriend, so meet minghao." junhui said, puffing his chest filled with pride now he was finally able to show off the beautiful boy he held onto.
"wait, xu minghao by any chance?"
