love you to the stars and back - Hongbae oneshot book

oh baby hold me tight (falling into you)

They're four people but something tells him the space is only meant for two to fill. While he's crushed in together with Yeonho, Yongseung and Hoyoung, Gyehyeon's stuck with the other two survival instinct sufferers, little Kangmin and frail hag Dongheon, and Minchan manages to chuckle weakly as he watches them bicker in the cabin in front of his. The glass can keep the noise inside but it fails to hide how Kangmin grabs Gyehyeon's hand with both of his own and the way Dongheon's mouth talks a stream of curses that isn't directed at anyone in particular but both of the other two answer anyways. Gyehyeon looks like he wants to die and commit murder at the same time. For once, Minchan relates.

("You three will not get into one together," Gyehyeon had scoffed earlier on the ground, "You'll scream yourselves a heart attack and we will have to pay for a dozen of cracked windows and hospital bills for two dozens of ear bleed patients."

At this point he'd probably rather pay than endure Dongheon or Kangmin for any longer.)

They're climbing higher. The beach and its long row of bars and restaurants shrink into miniature size under Minchan's eyes and the people start to look like he could pick them up with his thumb and index finger if just his arm was long enough. But this also implies that he could reach through the glass and if he can reach through it, he can also fall. What if it isn't merely a silly thought? What if he kicks the glass and his feet swing right through and then he somehow slips and falls and drops down, crashes into the waves and—

"Chan, stop thinking so much."

He tears his gaze away from the horror show that is the slowly shrinking, steadily shrinking outside world. Hoyoung is staring at him with a frown.

When his panic paralysis slowly releases him out of its grip of steel, Minchan notices that their arms are linked. Maybe he has slipped his arm into Hoyoung's right after they took off. He doesn't remember. But if it had been his fault, Hoyoung has yet to pull away so he doesn't budge.

It's not like he'd voluntarily move when every change of balance gives the cabin a reason to swing and shake like it wants to get rid of them as fast as Minchan wants to get out. Just not in the same way.

"Look into the distance," Hoyoung suggests. His voice is just as calm and even as if they were discussing the next library study session. "Far, far away. At some point, you won't even realise we're not on the same level as the horizon."

Minchan tries. But there are container ships sliding across his view and all he can think about is that ships float on water and water is on the ground and this cabin is not on the ground.

"I'm gonna die."

Yeonho lets out a groan. "It's literally been fifteen seconds. Fifteen! I've counted to see how long you'd last until you say something like that." His eye roll rivals Gyehyeon's whenever Minchan cracks a dad joke.

"Actually, it's been fourteen four-seven," Yongseung chimes in. He waves his phone where the pre-installed clock app shows the numbers he just read out. Then he turns away to gape at the sea again as if he'd never remotely done anything else in his entire life.

Minchan's heart skips a beat when he makes the mistake of following Yongseung's gaze. Yongseung must've gone mad if he enjoys the view as much as he looks like he does. Completely mad. It's then where Minchan decides that there's no hope for them as normal, functioning people anymore. He had trusted the boy enough to keep their one last remaining brain cell safe but frankly, he should've known that the seven of them were all bound to turn insane sooner or later.

Sweat starts to form on his palms. With great mental strength, he looks away and frantically wipes his hands on his shirt.

"Not helping. At all," he mutters.