Project 07

Chapter 17

Minho's disbelieving tone filled the room. "What the hell happened while I was in the office?" he demanded, his eyes wide at the unexpected sight of Chris and Changbin peacefully seated side by side, devoid of their usual arguments. Chris lounged comfortably, engrossed in his phone, while Changbin quietly supported his friend's legs. The air hung heavy with silence, a stark departure from their usual dynamic.

Han's hand landed firmly on Minho's shoulder as he spoke. "You missed a lot."

Hyunjin's demeanor shifted, his expression clouded with distress. "Now that they're best buddies... Changbin is dumping all these tasks on me and Han that should have been his responsibility!" He punctuated his complaint with exaggerated fake tears, adding, "This is a disaster!"

Minho couldn't help but find amusement in the situation. "Good." he responded, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his lips. "You guys got too comfortable relying on Changbin to do almost everything."

Hyunjin scowled in response. "That's because he never trusts anyone else to get things done right!"

Minho chuckled, clearly entertained by the exchange.

Despite Hyunjin's position as captain and Han's role as an underboss, it seemed that Changbin had shouldered the bulk of the workload. Perhaps he needed a constant distraction, or maybe he simply believed things would only be done correctly if he handled them himself. However, with Changbin now fostering a stronger relationship with Chris, Han and Hyunjin would undoubtedly be shouldering more responsibility. It seemed that Changbin had finally found a sense of peace, his once frenetic energy now replaced with a rare calmness.

"Quit complaining." Changbin's voice rang out from the couch, annoyance lacing his words. "At least you're useful for something now."

Chris chuckled, leaning upward to catch Changbin's eyes. "Did you watch the video I just sent you?"

Changbin laughed, glancing at his phone. "Yeah, it was hilarious. I've got another one to show you that's just as relatable!"

It was a sight I had nearly lost hope of witnessing—a rare moment of brotherhood between them. It seemed as if their animosity had evaporated into thin air, leaving behind two individuals completely at ease with each other. It felt like the natural order had been created as I observed them.

"Ain't that just a rare sight to see?" Minho smirked, his gaze shifting to me as if he could read my thoughts. Stepping in front of me with his arms crossed, he continued. "I don't know what you did...but I'm convinced you used some sort of black magic."

I recoiled in shock, my eyes widening. "B-black magic?!" I stammered. "I...I never!"

Minho chuckled at my reaction, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Relax, I'm just teasing you. But seriously, you've worked some kind of miracle here."

I wasn't sure what he meant by that. The bond between Chris and Changbin was their own doing—it wouldn't have mended if they hadn't both made the effort to let go of their animosity. This fate was all up to them. "I didn't..." I began, trailing off uncertainly.

"Don't be so modest." Felix chimed in, joining us with a smile. "Notice how they only managed to fix their relationship because you're here now?" Han added.

A warm feeling bloomed inside me at their praise, tinged with a hint of bashfulness. Though, this was not something I could just easily take credit for.

"I was getting tired of pretending to hate Chris." Hyunjin admitted, slouching down on the singular couch. "It felt like a full-time job." Chris and Changbin seemed oblivious to the conversation, lost in their own world.