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The food remained untouched, and a heavy silence hung in the air. Jeongin had barricaded himself in his room since the previous night, showing no signs of emerging anytime soon. Overthinking took hold of his mind; the desire to stay here waned. With hesitation, he rose from his bed, his knees betraying a slight tremor.
Exhaling audibly, he made his way to the bathroom and mechanically went through the motions of brushing his teeth. Despite his body's reluctance, his mind urged him to proceed. Washing his face, he cleared away the traces of tears, his gaze meeting his reflection in the mirror.
"I look so ugly..."
Gulping down the lump in his throat, he retraced his steps back to the room. Slowly, he began to take out the clothes designated for the day—everything feeling like a burden, especially the ones Chan had bought for him.
He dressed in white pants, a gray full-length t-shirt, and a black jacket. Glancing at his phone, he noted it was 6:30 A.M., with only half an hour remaining before the morning rush at the café.
Jeongin walked out of the mansion, bypassing the usual dining room and other spaces. His stomach churned, but the thought of eating was unappealing.
"Sir, wait!" Jay rushed toward him, accompanied by Agust, the two bodyguards assigned to protect him. Agust spoke, "Where are you going alone? We'll come with you."
Jeongin halted, his throat feeling dry. "I... I'm going to the café," he mumbled, uncertain about what to expect from them.
"Ah..." Jay nodded. "Alright, alright. I'll get the car ready!" He hurriedly walked away.
Agust watched Jay leave and then turned his attention to Jeongin. Despite his usual silence, he decided to speak up. "You seem off. Something's troubling you? I could inform the boss—"
Jeongin's eyes widened, and he quickly cut him off, "No—! Everything's fine. I... just had a bad night."
The car halted, and with a sigh, Jeongin took a seat in the back while Agust occupied the front. The engine hummed to life as they embarked on the drive.
Jeongin gazed out of the window, feeling the weight of life's unfairness pressing on him. The perpetual role of the fool seemed to follow him, and he despised it. His realization lingered—he had thought that dying might be easier than enduring this existence. He released a breath, musing,
"Can't I just run away somewhere? But, I have nowhere to go..."
"Alright, mooncalf," Changbin retorted, a smirk playing on his lips as he leaned back in his chair, "I heard someone fucked up?"
Jisung bit his lip, attempting to stifle his laughter, "Yeah, and that someone is standing right behind you."
Changbin's eyes widened as he turned around, only to find Chris glaring at him with raised eyebrows. Nervously, he chuckled, "Ah, hyung! We were just discussing how we can expand our empi—"
