Work Text:
few years after uni, there's a pandemic breakout and everyone need to self quarantine. few months after the pandemic being manageable 00 line decide to have a little hanging out session with their reachable group friends - injun, hyuck, nana, jen. being in self quarantine meaning less real life social contact and more on the net - media social. at least that most of people do to stay sane during pandemic. everyone become active on the net including the 00 line.
being on the net so much after so long make injun realize he easily getting boring with them - the updates, news, jokes, rumours, challenges and what so ever that media social can offer. tbh he gets boring because it is his life that so boring. being among of the top scorer during uni actually done nothing to him. he just realized no actually he always realized life were not on his side compared to his friends or at least to his reachable friends. not that he like to compare but he can't help it especially when he using media social actively. he still a part time worker.
he realized maybe because he is that talentless. not that he despise anyone with talent or any advantage but he actually just hate himself - lack of talent or lack of passion to polish himself, for always lose to his shortcomings. nevertheless he getting less passionate about living and just being alive because he doesn't want to disappoint anyone especially his parents or at least doesn't further their disappointment since he already failed few of their expectations.
sometimes he can't really holding up himself he would text his very bestfriend, hyuck. back then during school years injun thought he had few bestfriend but somehow they not what they seems. the friendship fade off, they fall out of love. maybe it is he himself that failed to be a decent friends injun thinking by himself. but during uni, he meet hyuck, getting know him and friend with him. hyuck is not injun's first friend during uni but somehow he is the first person that claimed injun is one of his bestfriend.
hyuck is a very fun person and easily becoming friend although at first sight he kinda have this snobbish vibe but he is really kind but he also can be scary and fierce if anyone getting on his nerve but he is not someone who is easily on his nerve tho. of course hyuck have other bestfriend not that injun mind because hyuck is like the sun, summer who is fresh and be everybody's liking. when such fun person thought that injun is one of his bestfriend injun felt flattered. he is not that worthless. since they're both bestfriend towards each other, injun will somehow text hyuck to seek advice.
so basically hyuck is the only person that injun will tell anything. but injun is not someone that good with words. given its text or face to face conversation the messages that injun want to deliver is not 100% understood. something along with wrong choice of words or wrong intonation and injun will just give up because it is easier that way. so sometimes injun want to vent his sadness with hyuck but it failed. injun had become that someone who suffer internally.
he realized he may snapped sometimes but as long as he can holding up he gonna do that. injun had developed his coping mechanisms with distraction. he distract himself with the entertainment - games, books, movies but all those just serve as temporary distraction. then he will just go to sleep and forget those ill emotions the next wake up. sometimes injun will just quietly crying alone.
with pandemic being manageable few months after quarantine, citizens were allowed to go outside or simply put the quarantine is over but few guidelines must be followed for safety - basically citizens can undergo their normal life but not so normal so it is new normal. on one fine day were everybody undergo their new normal nana texted injun "hey, free at this week?".
injun: work 😔 whyyyyy but offday on sun
nana: lets hangouttt
injun: where
nana: my place
injun: what time
nana: jen say he take off on noon
injun: okay noon then but I will be late because I'm taking the public
nana: its okay you want me to pickup?
injun: no worries see u on sun
nana - actually he is the first injun's roommate in uni but they're not very close in the beginning. nana is a caring person. he always take care others and he is friendly too. he has wide circle of friends because he is so kind, friendly and caring. actually injun get close with hyuck and jen because of nana. nana got closer with them then bring them to the group or maybe its other way around where nana bring along injun because he is his roommate. nana always been the reasonable one along jen within the group.
jen also a kind guy. he is very athletic but he has soft heart. at first glance he seems like a very intimidating guy but he is good listener. he rarely showing his emotions but he actually a soft boy. he quite loud when it comes to sports. he is nice guy as long as you don't piss him.
so towards sunday injun had been thinking should he bail out from the plan or just proceed. injun actually not that always reachable friends. especially if that certain plan involving with sleepover. that due to his strict parents. he need proper proposal to go outing. tbh jen also had strict parents maybe even stricter than injun's. but even Jen's parents forbid, they provide themselves eg if Jen's parents forbid him to tag along a vacation, they provide the vacation themselves because they have that economy stability in their family compared to injun's.
injun's had been thinking how should he present the plan towards his parents for permission. here is why he had been hesitate about the hangout. but thinking nana had inviting him and jen also present he kinda look forward towards the hangout. suddenly hyuck texted him "uii u up this sun rite?". "yeah" injun replied. so there's 4 persons total. injun thinking maybe things gonna be fun.
skips to the hangout day, injun is late because of the train schedule that keep delaying. he arrived and pizzas is on nana. they muching pizza while keep updating with each other. they took pictures and share them in the dream gc. others actually shocked that injun present and injun seems skinnier. injun denies, he instead felt chubbier. but then nana said that injun indeed look skinnier. he added if injun got problems share with them. he doesn't want injun to be depressed. and hyuck added "yeah you should shared with us if anything happens".
tbh at that moment injun do feel like tearing up but he doesn't. later that conversation lead to crappy things. when night come they bid each other farewell and going home. on the way home and even few days later injun keep thinking those words. did he unconsciously seems like a depressed person. he knew he had been suppressing all those ill emotions but he didn't knew that it can be obvious. tbh he grateful that his friends still take care of him and maybe he just overthinking.