10: Minivans and Fruit Stands

270 12 2
                                    

Heeseung glared at the clock, urging the second hand to move faster. It seemed to slow down even more, until finally, finally, it ticked past twelve.

"It's three o'clock; our shift's over!" He whipped off his apron and dragged Soobin and Taehyun out of the restaurant, barely allowing them time to hang their uniforms.

It had been four days since the move into their new dorm, and the three of them had secured jobs at a local restaurant for some extra cash. They piled into a rented minivan, Soobin at the wheel.

"Beomgyu!"

Heeseung waved an arm from the front passenger's seat, signaling for him to hurry. The boy ran across the street with a basket hanging off his arm, hopping into the car just before Soobin pulled away.

"My boss let me keep some of the older fruit today," Beomgyu grinned, placing his basket filled with past-ripe bananas and tangerines on the floor.

Taehyun subconsciously licked his lips. "Nice, we can make banana bread with that. I'm sick of eating the same old stuff."

"What's wrong with ramen three times a day?" Heeseung laughed.

A little less than a week ago, he had thought Beomgyu was crazy for taking a job at a fruit stand a block from the restaurant. Now, he was pretty grateful for it. The minivan slowed to a stop in front of the high school.

"Hello!" Jungwon beamed, climbing through the side door.

Jake, Jay, Sunghoon, Sunoo, and Kai crawled in after him.

"How do you have so much energy after school? I feel like my head's about to explode," Sunoo groaned, tossing his backpack into the trunk.

Jungwon shrugged as Soobin pulled into the middle school parking lot. Ni-ki and Daniel squeezed into the back, sitting on Jake and Kai's laps.

Daniel hungrily eyed Beomgyu's fruit basket. Heeseung handed him a banana, turning to face the boys as the minivan bumped down the street.

"Okay, it's three twenty right now. We have the practice room until seven; dinner's at eight. I want everybody in bed by eleven, so plan on finishing your homework before then. Just because we're done recording the title track, doesn't mean we get to slack off now."

Heeseung continued to read off his phone's notes app.

"Beomgyu, Kai, you have your meeting with Yoongi hyung tomorrow morning at four-thirty; I'll be waking you at four. Jake, you're with Hoseok hyung from six to seven, right before school. Ni-ki, your lesson with Namjoon hyung is at noon, during your lunch break. Yeonjun hyung will pick you up from class."

He paused, catching his breath.

"And lastly, Jay-"

"Yeah, I know. Yoongi hyung, tomorrow evening at six," Jay finished, patting Heeseung's arm.

"You need to relax a bit, Hee. You'll wear yourself out, going on like this," Soobin chided from the driver's seat.

They entered the practice room a little after three-thirty, lining their bookbags against a wall. Yeonjun sat alone on the floor, scrolling through YouTube on an Ipad. He looked up as the boys gathered around him, curiously craning their necks to see what he was watching.

"It's a Seventeen dance practice video," he explained, turning the Ipad off. "They have thirteen members too. I was studying their choreography, and I think I've come up with some relatively good stuff for us."

They nodded with fascination.

Yeonjun stood up, stretching his arms. "Alright, let's get this party started," he grinned.

It's Hee's Lift Now | An ENHA + TXT FicWhere stories live. Discover now