No one's pov :
Yeji too pulled out and looked at her brother with a mixture of amusement and shock.
"I don't get heebie-jeebies like you dumbling. Shoot."
Hyunjin challenged her confidence by asking with an intense gaze.
"Have you been monitoring me with the help of cameras?"
To say that Yeji was proud of her brother's observing skills would be the biggest understatement of the decade. She was more than taken aback and felt guilty for stalking her brother's actions to ensure his safety, albeit he loathed that.
"I won't be mad at you too if you answer me honestly Ji." He smiled in a reassuring manner in order to calm her spiking anxiety.
"Y-yes." She squeezed her eyes shut in embarrassment but reversed her move after feeling cold fingers intertwining with hers.
"Did you.. accidentally checked my phone one day?"
"Yes." She replied after her eyes widened in shock. She had, in contrast, underestimated the power of cat vision. The younger recalled the day when she had miraculously found Hyunjin's phone lying unlocked on the dinner table. She couldn't resist the urge to pry once the phone began to spurt countless dings. Surfing, she found an Instagram account opened and her face went paler than the snow. Her mind returned from the past, realising Hyunjin's presence.
"Are our phones connected somehow?" Another cautious deed. Albeit Hyunjin disliked being stalked, but he couldn't complain about this as Yeji, whom he trusted more than himself, loved more than anything else, had done. He didn't mind being stalked, followed, kidnapped, threatened, as long as he was ensured of Yeji's protecting intentions.
"Y-yes."
"Do Felix and Jisung update you about my behaviour every weekend?"
She gulped knowing that the embarrassing safety measures she had taken were coming out like pages flipping in succession. Due to the fact that they were distanced and no more deep conversations occurred between them, Yeji had to involve the elder's friends in order to keep a check upon his physical and mental health. Of the times she learned that her brother cried to sleep, ate minimally, overworked himself without her knowledge, deleted the pang of wrongdoing from her heart. She came to the conclusion that her way of caring, although absurd in the eyes of the society, was worth the pain he endured alone.
"Yes."
"Are you and Ryujin together?" Hyunjin smirked at his sister's instant rosy cheeks. But felt betrayed knowing that he wasn't informed about such a significant step in his sister's life.
"Yes." She sensed the feeling of faithlessness diffusing within the latter, and thus Yeji hugged him tightly, mumbling an acceptable apology.
"Did she confess you first?"
"Yes."
"One week ago?"
"Yes." Flabbergasted by the detailed knowledge he had, Yeji's mouth left a small gasp. So the mystery man was aware of everything, while the younger was dying inside from the idea of revealing her relationship to him, at the appropriate time.
The ferret withdrew a bit and asked while maintaining an eye contact. He added a ridiculing chuckle in the end.
"Do you and Ryujin... wish badly to.. adopt me as your.... own son?"
"Ho- uh yes." The tomato version of Yeji, masking embarrassment behind a sheepish grin, was more hilarious than any comic for him as he wholeheartedly enjoyed the view.
On the other hand, the teased cat was getting certain regarding her assumption of Hyunjin being a part time telepathist.
"Do you like babying me that much?"
"Yes." She squealed while pinching his pitiful cheeks harshly, not in a hurting manner. Hyunjin expected her to turn redder, but here he was being a squish ball for Yeji. Not like it bothered him, ironically, his vision was getting blurred by the emerging tears of happiness. His heart swelled up with the amount of pure love he was getting swamped with.
Yeji wiped the first teardrop falling on his dried cheek by her thumb and cupped the elder's face with her hands. Hyunjin, stirred up with heavy emotions, buried his head in the younger's shoulder and began to weep silently.
She knew that her brother was affection deprived since he saw his first daylight. It was highly infrequent when she or Mujigae made him comfortable and safe from any harm. He was a beautiful flower physically, yet little bud mentally. Acting matured and grown was forced. The reality, transparent to his close ones, stated that he was still not fully ready to withstand the obstacles and challenges thrown at him independently. He needed love like every other child, which as a result of his merciless fate and even worse parents, he got thin on the ground.
Feeling the overwhelmed heart getting healed by the warmth of the other, Hyunjin retracted a bit in order to face the younger. Both gave each other encouraging grins and deeming it as the ideal moment, the interrogator asked after taking a sharp inhale.
"Will you tell me your secrets freely like you used to do?"
"Yes." No way she would tuck away any sort of details from the one who readily undid his sunk secrets. Gathering together all the confidence left, the ferret wore a grim expression and darted the question, that had been one of biggest reasons the of guilt eating him up since days.
"Did you like Sam before you knew it's me?"
The unanswered question hit Yeji like an electric shock. She was absolutely unprepared for discussing such a matter as once she felt a heartbreak due to it. The way an art not only catches the eye of an artist but gets submerged in their heart, likewise dance have always attracted a dancer like Yeji. Falling for someone who danced passionately was something she never felt with others until her senses landed on Sam. The fact that his personality, which was perceived by his lives, appeared familiar to her and it felt home watching him spin and roll and swing gracefully on the beats, everything made her heart flutter and soon she was charmed.
The day of discovery had darkened with a sleepless night for Yeji. It was difficult to accept the truth and she attempted get engaged in all kinds of activities so as to distract herself or perhaps wake up from that eerie nightmare. However, the feeling of heartache was shortly replaced by the pride that took over, once she realised the achivements her brother had gained, rising above all the sorrow.
"Yes."
"Do you like Sam now?" "I mean..do you like his personality and so on?"
"Yes." If assuring the elder was a path that led to lighter insecurities, then she would definitely go for it even if it became thorny. Nevertheless, it was true that she still liked Sam. The feelings, the comfort, the admiration, all felt right after thinking Sam as her lovely brother.
"Do you genuinely like Sam's choreographies?" He knew that asking such questions would sound self-centred, but the other was affirming his doubts positively without any judgement, and it was all Hyunjin needed.
"YES." A sudden realisation hit Yeji and she went over the moon consequently. Sam, whose followers were enchanted by his fierce and agile dance style, had learnt the skill and grew inspiration from his haven.
Albeit Yeji knew his secret long ago, however, she never realised that she was this lucky to be the teacher and motivation of the famous mystery man, to have a prominent role behind Hyunjin's success. It certainly boosted her ego, but in a positive sense, as she became more confident about her passion. The blissful fact rose a desire within her to crush the bones of the ferret in her arms, and so she did.
Taken aback by the out of the blue attack, Hyunjin reciprocated the gesture in bewilderment. He interpreted the affection as his sister's intense admiration for his talent. Backing off, Hyunjin voiced his largest point of concern hesitantly,
"Have you shared this secret with anyone?"
"No." And he sighed in relief. He knew the younger wouldn't ever do such a petty deed of snitching out his secrets, but it doesn't harm to reassure, right.
Yeji could suddenly feel the other's uneasiness, once his grip on her shoulders tightened, as Hyunjin was evidently struggling with some sort of dilemma. Jerking him back in the 3d world, the younger raised her brows in question, signalling the anxious ferret to vent out. Nodding, Hyunjin asked in a barely audible voice.
"Are you fine with me being Sam?"
But before Yeji could answer, their sweet and sour sibling bubble was popped by her phone's ringtone, which on checking, turned out to be the reason behind her frown.
"Why is Jeongin calling me?" She looked up at the confused male for a probable justification while emphasising the word 'me', but he simply mirrored her expression and shrugged in response, equally oblivious. Nonetheless, she accepted.
"He-"
"How is Hyunjin hyung doing?"
"Hi to you too. What's with y'all cutting my approach?"
"Uhh...sorry Noona. I was just tad worried about hyung's health after Felix hyung told us about his condition."
"Chill bro! I was just kidding. Well then why didn't you call him instead?"
"About that.. I've tried it thrice but he's not picking up. I thought that maybe he's sleeping..so, I called you. Hope I'm not interrupting anything important."
"Don't worry, you ain't. Plus, Hyunjin's phone is muted..and yeah, he's better."
"Glad to hear. Do you need any help?"
"Nah I gue- wait!..uhm can you and guys come at Hyunjin's for tonight....like a sleepover? Cuz I'm sure he won't be able to sleep alone without shedding some crocodile tears."
She glared at her bugging brother, who nudged at her arm, making the phone almost slip from her grip.
"Of course Noona. We love his company a lot. Then.. I'll be there in a few with the others. Anything else?"
"Nope. Thank you for being so considerate towards my brother."
"Don't mention it. He's afterall my lo- lovely hyung. Gotta hang up now."
"Save yourself..."
"WHA-"
The following instant Yeji's figure scrunched and reflexively her arms wrapped around her head because of a pillow flinging towards her, yet she was unable to dodge the strike.
Typically, Yeji's next move was suffocating the male with the exact pillow thrown at her, however, when this time she grabbed the pillow for counterattacking, the profound laughter reverberating in the fort made her halt her actions and admire the ferret's happy face. The sight of her brother genuinely laughing again, after so long, melted her heart.
Hyunjin, who had begun the pillow fight, received the pillow falling at his face, and the fact that he wasn't squeezed to death by the pillow, made him surprised. Before he could retaliate the throw, there came three more pillows flying towards him and Yeji's side of the fort was half way ruined.
While the younger was busy in collecting more cushions from the fort, her head yanked down as the result of two pillows that collided from behind. She turned around to attack Hyunjin, but found the latter already prepared with four pillows to shoot.
Both locked an eye contact, competitively glaring each other with their sharp feline eyes, waiting for the other to take the initiative of hitting. Their two minutes' straight staring trance was fortunately broken by the sound of the doorbell.
Yet both the Hwangs, as a dual insight, shoved the pillows into the other's face in sync. They identically had decided to dominate the fight and leave the other helpless. Realising, both ended up in fits of laughter, ridiculing either the other or their own fates.
"Yah..I don't like when we think and act alike." Yeji whined while fixing her hair, that were disheveled because of the attacks.
"Twin telepathy I guess." Replied the taller with a shrug, while getting rid of the pile of pillows he was surrounded with.
Another ring from doorbell made the cat get up. She said before leaving the room,
"Dumbling, tidy up the room by the time I'm fetching your lovely ew friends here."
Hyunjin rolled his eyes but began to do as instructed, albeit he was upset for his question was left up in the air.
*****************************
Jeongin's pov (3rd person) :
It was a friendship rule of Stray Kids that we'd 'never leave anyone alone in sorrowful times and be there for anyone at any hour.' That's why everyone assembled for a sleepover at just one text in our group chat.
Our wait at the doorstep was finally cut off by the door opening. And we were welcomed by Yeji? Acceptable since she had informed us a few weeks back about leaving Hyunjin hyung alone when he's mentally unwell, that it was similar to leaving an infant with a venomous snake; really fatal.
We hurriedly rushed towards hyung's bedroom, while Chan hyung assured noona to entrust him to us and Felix hyung went to heat up the dinner that he had brought for Hyunjin hyung, since he didn't eat anything.
The moment we entered the room, I hopped on his bed with the rest following. Hyunjin hyung was by the doorway, bidding goodbye to his sister, while we were discussing the ways to convince him to eat something.
"How about we threaten him to rip off his favourite plushies?"
Everyone shook their heads in disapproval, while I scowled at Seungmin hyung for always sharing such genius ideas, that were never beneficial for common people with normal brains like us.
"Better one. We won't allow him to dance with us if he doesn't eat and gets energy." The dance leader suggested.
"Now that's.. something helpful."
We all nodded with Changbin hyung. Luckily our conversation ended before Hyunjin hyung came back and sat with us. I couldn't help but stare at him and his breathtaking visual. Like how on the earth could he manage to look so handsome as well as adorable, when those puffy eyes clearly indicate that he was crying pretty much badly.
Heeding to the fashion in which we all were seated, reminded me of that golden day. It was precious because that was the day, when we fortunately encountered a really cute ferret-like, who joined Stray Kids thereafter and had been the source of our smiles.
________________________________
A/N
I sincerely apologise for the time taken to update the story further.
Actually I'm not keeping up with my health and so writing have been stressful lately, since exposure to phone's radiance is disallowed :(
But Hyunjin's bday is approaching and I'm planning something...
Sorry again for the inconvenience caused.
Thanks a lot for the support y'all show for my new book and this one too. Keep reading~
Tap the star if you liked reading.
Fighting !!!