Chapter Text
“You’re just mad because you and Seeun have to host the Halloween party this year.” Sumin can already see the smirk painted across Yujun’s lips as the words come through his headset while they’re in the middle of another match. He can hear the others laugh, including Seeun who’s only a few rooms away.
“Listen, I wouldn’t be as annoyed if my extra-helpful roommate wasn’t gone tomorrow, leaving me alone to clean on my one day off.” Sumin spits out, taking out Yujun in the process, hearing the whine and a few key smashes that makes him laugh. Sometimes a little bit of revenge feels good.
“You want to be the one to tell my parents that I’m skipping out on helping them move my sister into her new place for a Halloween party? Be my guest.” Seeun says, and while there’s not many things Sumin’s afraid of (that he’ll openly admit to), but Mr. and Mrs. Park just happen to make the list after seeing their reactions when they came for a surprise visit over the summer to their apartment where they still had moving boxes they hadn’t unpacked after almost a year of living there.
“No thanks, I’m just being dramatic.”
“Good to know you’ve finally stepped out of denial and are finally one step closer to acceptance.” Hunter says as he starts to gain some speed on Sumin.
“I can’t stand you.” Sumin says with a grunt, trying to dodge and turn to lose him.
“I’ll take care of that.” He bites back, immediately taking Sumin’s character out in one clean shot, leaving him to lay on the ground until the match ends, which doesn’t take much longer as it’s just Hunter and Minjae left. It’s not hard to guess who quickly got sniped, hearing Minjae whining and saying that he’s making Hunter sleep on the couch that night.
Just boyfriend things he guesses.
“As much as I love being humiliated time and time again, I think we probably should call it a night.” Minjae says, the bitterness in his tone apparent as they all begrudgingly log out of the lobby, staying on the call for a few extra minutes.
“Yeah I’m pretty tired of kicking all of your asses.” Yujun pipes in.
“Oh please, the only reason either of us won is because we had Hunter on our team tonight.” Junghoon points out, which is unfortunately true. It’s no secret that whoever is on the same team as Hunter will probably be the team that takes the most wins, Junghoon just likes to be blunt about it no matter what side he falls on.
“Can you just let me brag, just once?” Yujun pouts.
“Where’s the fun in that?” Junghoon retorts back.
“Oh no, stop, the cuteness is too much.” Seeun says sarcastically, knowing that this is just how the younger two flirt with each other even if they won’t actually do anything about it.
“We are not cute!” Junghoon tries to defend, voice going up a pitch.
“There is no we to begin with!” Yujun adds, though if they had their cameras on, Sumin’s sure that both of them would be bright pink.
“But if there was, it’d be cute.” Sumin says, only wanting to tease the two even more.
“Aw, hyung, are you talking about me?” A voice from behind him suddenly says, causing Sumin to jump and spin in his chair clutching his chest as he tries to recover.
“Holy shi - Yechan.” He says breathlessly as he looks at his best friend with a mischievous grin on his cheeks. He pulls the headset off his ears and rests in on his shoulders, hearing the semi-soft harmony of hi’s from the other five through while he tries to figure out when and how the younger got in.
“You know when I said you could come over anytime, that usually implies a heads up.” Sumin says, adjusting in his chair again.
“I did.”
“When?” Sumin pinches his eyebrows together, wondering just how engrossed he was in his game to miss a text or call from Yechan. That is until he sees his phone light up with a text that says it was delivered a minute ago.
“Just a minute ago.” Yechan replies innocently, batting his lashes as if he thinks that will get him off the hook. Sumin starts to open his mouth when the younger interrupts him.
“And before you say that doesn’t count, I’d like to add that I did mention I’d come by later this week and technically it is later.”
“That still doesn’t count.”
“Well, I’m here now, so no sense in getting into it.”
“How’d you get in anyways?”
“The window.”
Before the 22 year old can question it, knowing fully well they’re on the third floor and the only way he could’ve gotten up there is if he magically turned into a small animal that could jump between the ledges, his pet rabbit Junmin starts to thump his leg against the cage, getting both of their attention.
“I swear Junmin is obsessed with me, he always acts like this when I’m around.” The younger says with a confident smirk causing the rabbit to hit his foot against the cage again.
“Or he’s just annoyed with you because you broke in and probably woke him up.” Sumin counters.
“I like my reason better.” He crosses his arms, staring at Junmin who almost seems to be glaring back at the younger.
Now, Sumin won’t say that he thinks animals can talk, but he does believe that they’re aware enough to know what’s going on around them and react however they can. At least that’s how he feels with Junmin. Ever since his parents got him for his sixteenth birthday, there’s been this weird, yet strong connection to the rabbit where he felt comfortable sharing his frustrations and thoughts out loud and that he was being heard. He can’t really explain it beyond that, but he’s just settled with the fact that he knows that if Junmin was a person, they’d be good friends.
Or he’d have to swear Junmin to secrecy with how much he knows about him.
Hooking his headphones around his neck and brushing past Yechan, he checks to see if Junmin is out of food or water, only for the rabbit to hop over to the cage door, squeaking enough to tell Sumin that he just wants to be pet. With an eye roll, he opens the door, letting the rabbit crawl into his arms before scratching behind his ear, earning purrs and him burying his small head in the crook of his elbow.
“That has to be the most spoiled rabbit I’ve ever met.” Yechan says, which makes Junmin’s head pop up and turn, almost as if he’s glaring at the younger. The purple haired boy simply sticks his tongue out before plopping down in Sumin’s bed and crawling under the covers while absentmindedly scrolling on his phone.
“Yes sure, come in and make yourself at home.” Sumin says, before placing Junmin back in his cage, forgetting that he’s still on call until he hears the muffled voices coming through his headphones, making his way back to his desk chair.
“I always do!” Yechan says with a devious grin. It’s a good thing Sumin loves him. “So did I miss anything?”
“Other than everyone getting their asses kicked by Hunter, not much.” He says, switching the call to video so they could all see each other, just in time to see Hunter smugly lean back in his chair.
“So nothing new, got it.”
“Hey! We almost had him that last round!” Minjae pleads to both him and Seeun, neither of which seem to agree.
“If by almost you mean we lasted longer than forty-five seconds, then sure.” Seeun scoffs, crossing his arms over his chest.
“At least I didn’t die first!” Minjae shoots back at him.
“Now that is new.” Yechan smirks, earning a glare from the oldest that has him tugging the comforter to hide his face, though in truth with Yechan being the youngest, he’s probably the only one who can get away with that with a glare being the only consequence.
“Sounds like boyfriend privilege to me.” Seeun spits out with a cocky smirk.
“That’s not true!” Minjae’s mouth drops open, looking through the screen as if looking for Hunter to tell him he’s right but Hunter’s wavering facial features don’t seem to be a good sign.
“It’s kind of true.” Hunter shrugs, a sympathetic grin spread along his lips that doesn’t seem to amuse Minjae at all.
“I-”
“ Anyways .” Sumin interjects before the conversation derails any further. “Since we’re all here, we might as well figure out the plan for tomorrow night. I have tomorrow off so I’ll be able to pick up whatever we need, which, thanks again for not scheduling me, Min.” Sumin says genuinely, knowing that they probably need him since Friday’s are usually one of their busier days and Seeun had already requested off a few weeks back.
“Eh, don’t mention.” Minjae tries to brush it off, but the younger knows it’s coming from the kindness of his heart and cares for everyone in their group. Intentional or not, he’s taken on more of a leader-like role over the group, bringing seven people together with different personalities, strengths, weaknesses, and talents and somehow, their group just works together.
As they start going on tangent, Sumin can’t help but feel a bittersweetness settling in surrounding this time of year, knowing it’s another reason Minjae let him have tomorrow off with the unspoken shared understanding that October 25th isn’t the easiest day for him. It’s how the annual Halloween party came to be in the first place, covered up by the reason that it’s an excuse to have a party with their friends when really it’s just to help Sumin feel even just a bit more normal. He doesn’t want to bring it up but there’s the warmth that covers his whole body to know that through all the jokes and teasing, he has a great support system and friend group, one he wouldn’t trade the world for.
It’s hard to believe it’s only been a little over four years since they all met, though the seven of them have different timelines for knowing one another, but having been randomly placed into one of the few six-person dorms on campus Sumin’s freshman year (Yechan still had another year of homeschool but he came over often enough, most people just assumed he was a student like the rest of them). Does he wish they got close for any other reason than because of his parents’ fatal car accident? Of course, but he doesn’t want to imagine having to endure that alone. It didn’t matter that they had only known each other for a little over a month, they stood by Sumin when he needed it most and no amount of words could ever express how grateful he was and still is.
It was already an unsettling time for Sumin, the looming feeling that his parents were keeping something from him ever since his eighteenth birthday, acting even more secretive than usual (especially the closer it got to Halloween) but if he brought it up, there was always some sort of excuse about how it wasn’t the right time. The right time never came and he’s just had to accept that all the questions that still linger in his mind will probably remain unanswered, but at least he has a great support system that makes it easier to forget most of the time.
“I know that face, don’t tell me you’re getting all sentimental over a day off hyung.” Seeun teases, bringing Sumin out of his thoughts. He blinks rapidly back into the present, feeling the way his cheeks burn as he locks eyes through the screen with his roommate that chose to continue living together after college, Seeun being the one to take him to the hospital when he got the call while the others were wrapping up their classes and Yechan couldn’t make it quick enough, which really solidified their bond. He knows it's just the taller’s way of getting him out of his own head, using humor as a form of comfort which Sumin appreciates whenever he doesn’t necessarily want to draw extra attention to whatever is on his mind.
“Let him do what he wants!” Yujun says defensively, his fairy-like features always permeating in whatever he says and does, making it hard for people to argue back. “Besides it’s -“
Before he can finish whatever he’s about to say, he’s abruptly cut off by Junghoon, who Sumin swears has some sort of ability to teleport or something because he knows the younger’s room isn’t close to Yujun’s at all.
“What just happened?” He chuckles, though it’s more from confusion than anything as he watches Yujun struggle to tug at Junghoon’s hands that cover his mouth.
“Just a Halloween party that we have every year! That’s all! ” Junghoon says through Yujun’s part of the screen, smiling far too widely that gives Sumin an uneasy feeling. Of course he knows his friends are weird but something about the way they’re acting, it’s giving him flashbacks to his parents, as if they’re hiding something from him. But what could it possibly be?
“Speaking of the party, let’s get back on track because I want to go to bed soon.” Minjae says quickly, not giving Sumin the space to question it. “San and Mingi are letting us close early tomorrow. Not sure exactly what time but anything is better than staying there until nine or ten.”
“What magic did you use to convince them of that?” Seeun scoffs in disbelief.
“Oh if only you knew.” Junghoon huffs under his breath before finding his composure that if Sumin hadn’t noticed his screen be outlined in green to indicate someone’s talking, he surely would’ve missed.
“Yeah, they heard it’s gonna be a big deal with the whole - ouch! ’ Hunter says before getting smacked in the back of the head, which only then did Sumin see that he and Minjae are in the same room only a desk away. He can’t help the laugh that escapes him as he watches the younger rub the back of his neck with a glare towards the older next to him.
“What’s a big deal?” Sumin asks, voice pitching as his own annoyance is getting the best of him.
“Hunter’s just talking out of his ass.” Minjae says, still clearly glaring at Hunter on the other side. “I just told them about our annual tradition and they wanted to honor that.”
It might sound like the group uses that knowledge to take advantage of them, but San and Mingi have always treated them well and in return they want to work hard for them and at the end of the day, they only ask for certain things if it’s something important to the group. Sumin just doesn’t think a Halloween party of all things constitutes that.
“Part of me doubts they didn’t ask more considering it’s San and Mingi and how nosy they are but then again…it’s San and Mingi. All any of us have to do is give them some sort of sentimental story and they usually let things slide.”
“And we love them for it.” Yujun nods.
“Plus they said they owed us for running the cafe for a week when they both got sick when we all knew they just wanted to go off with their boyfriends.” Junghoon chimes in with a very good point.
“Fair enough.” Sumin huffs lightly, thinking back to when the cafe owners came back from being ‘sick’ but instead of looking pale and weak like most people do when they just got over the flu, their tanned and refreshed skin gave them away. None of them dared to say anything, having a shared agreement that it was for a good reason which became clear when Mingi started wearing a ring a week later.
“ Regardless , how about we just call tomorrow morning after we get everything prepped at the cafe and I talk with them again about when we can close.” Minjae says again through a yawn.
Like a chain reaction, the others follow suit in yawning, everyone even more tired than usual it seems. Since graduation back in May, they’ve all been able to pick up a few more full-time shifts, enjoying their time at the cafe as much as they can until they figure out what the next step is in life, but it’s definitely taken a toll on their energy levels.
It’s not long after that, not without a few jabs here and there before everyone agrees to talk in the morning and signs off, leaving Sumin and Yechan alone in his room.
“So did you have a reason for breaking and entering?” Sumin says as he spins around in his desk chair, raising a brow at the younger.
“I did not break and enter! The window was open!”
Truth be told, Sumin doesn’t think he left the window open, especially with how cold it’s been getting at night as the season changes but he also can’t remember what he did ten minutes ago so his guess is as good as anyone else’s.
“Besides, can’t your best friend just come over to come over?” He says, sitting up in Sumin’s bed with wide, innocent eyes that not even Junmin is buying, evident by his incessant jumping in his cage.
“Yes but not usually when it’s close to midnight.” He says with a huff of laughter, standing up to pull the cover over Junmin’s cage and turning off the overhead light before slipping under the covers next to Yechan. “So?” He pushes again, careful to watch the younger’s features for any indication of an ulterior motive.
For a fleeting moment, there’s something that almost looks like worry in Yechan’s eyes, face softening with concern, but it’s gone quicker than Sumin can process. His smile, the one he puts on when he wants something, returns as he scoots closer to Sumin who readily opens his arms as the younger snuggles against him. It’s never bothered Sumin since that’s his way of showing affection and with Yechan just seems to be second nature. To anyone it might seem weird but it's another typical thing for them, Yechan often curling up to him almost like a cat, since they were kids.
“I just wanted to come over for the night. Is that wrong?” He says against his chest and Sumin can’t help but be endeared by it, begrudgingly wishing the younger didn’t know how to pull his heartstrings so easily.
“Of course not, but most people give a longer heads up when they’re coming over.”
“Well in case you didn’t know, I’m not most people.”
“I'm very aware, so I really shouldn’t be as surprised as I am.”
“Exactly, now let’s go to sleep, I’m exhausted and you’re keeping me up with all these questions.”
“I- yep, you’re right.” Sumin sighs, choosing not to pick a battle this time when he could take this as a win and get the sleep he desperately wants.
It doesn’t take long once the two actually stop talking, letting the night sounds that do permeate through the walls of the apartment lull them to sleep.
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
Just like Sumin must’ve forgotten to shut the window all the way when Yechan snuck in, he also must have forgotten to shut the curtains all the way as the sunrise pierces through the small opening between the fabric, forcing him to wake up. He pushes himself upright, feeling every muscle pop as he stretches fully before his hands land back down beside him. He runs his fingers over the sheets, expecting Yechan to still be sleeping, but the cool fabric tells him the younger has been out of the bed for quite some time, only further confirmed by the sudden clank and crash of dishes echoes up the stairs from the kitchen.
Slowly (and begrudgingly after tapping his phone screen to see it’s not even 7:30 in the morning so why the hell is he awake on his day off?), Sumin rolls out of bed, dragging his feet over to Junmin’s cage as his movements stirred the rabbit to squeak and thump against the hay covered metal. He’s met with Junmin at the door way, scratching behind his ear lightly as he refills his water and food bowls, earning soft purrs that only bring a smile to his face.
“Time to go see what a mess those two have made of the kitchen.” He shakes his head as he latches the door shut, slipping into the slippers by the bedroom door.
He’s definitely not fully alert yet, rubbing his fingers on his temples as the distance between him and his friends that he can hear through the phone, meaning he has approximately ten seconds to be human enough to face everyone who is far too awake for him. He barely crosses over into the kitchen before he feels Yechan’s arms around him and tugging him towards the kitchen island, wondering when the younger got as strong as he did, unable to really move much beyond what slack Yechan gives him.
“Look who’s finally up!” Yechan shouts, bringing Sumin to where Seeun has his phone set up on the counter before plopping down on the empty barstool at the end. Everyone tiredly says their hellos except for Minjae who seems to be the only one not there.
“How’d you convince Minjae to finish opening prep so you could call?” He laughs, guessing that’s why the oldest of their friend group isn’t there.
“They didn’t, I just turned around and they were all gone so I didn’t have a choice.” A voice shouts as a head suddenly pops up over Hunter’s shoulder, jumping on his boyfriend’s back. Sumin only holds back the short jokes this time because he feels he owes it to the older for giving him the day off, but it's hard as he watches the way Minjae struggles a bit to hold on just right so he can be seen above everyone else.
“Not that we don’t love you all, but we only have like five minutes, so let’s make this quick.” His voice is both sincere but they all can tell he’s being serious, making sure to keep an eye on the time.
“So there’s been a small change in plans.” Junghoon says, looking to Hunter to keep going.
“How small?” Sumin asks, looking up at Seeun and Yechan who look just as confused.
“Well…” He says tentatively, making Sumin narrow his gaze just slightly. “When we asked San about what time we could close tonight, he said he needed to check some delivery schedules and walked away, at least I swear he did and I started talking about the costume I had found for Minjae and I to do and I’ve never seen him appear back so fast! He started asking questions about who was going and if you -” Hunter explains rapidly before Minjae’s hand covers his mouth to stop him from word-vomiting even more.
“If I what?” Sumin asks a beat later, heading feeling like it’s a bit spinning but he thinks he heard Hunter clearly say San asked about him.
“Just if it was at your place, but that’s not the important part.” Minjae answers for him. Sumin is just now trying hard to pretend his stomach isn’t sinking knowing that it’s more important than Minjae will let on.
“What is important.” Hunter manages to yank Minjae’s hand away, taking an extra second to catch his breath paired with a quick glare to his boyfriend before looking back through the screen with an impish grin. “Well…we may have said they were also invited.” Hunter continues, voice pitching a pitch at the end as if Sumin might not hear him.
“May have?!”
“Ok we did.” Hunter exhales defeatedly.
“ Woah now, we didn’t do anything, Hunter did.” Junghoon quickly clarifies, pointing at the taller who’s suddenly red in the cheeks.
“You invited our bosses?” Sumin asks in utter shock.
“Listen! I don’t know! It was hard to say no when they…uh, well you know how they can be! They got to talking about the ‘good old days’ and I just felt bad!” Hunter tries to dig himself out of the hole he’s made for himself.
“Or you can just admit you look up to San and want to make him happy so you caved.” Seeun pointed the knife through the screen that instantly makes Hunter blush.
“That’s not true.” He deadpans but the slight quiver in his lip says differently
“Whatever helps you sleep at night.” Sumin adds teasingly before dropping it, sighing at the new plan at hand. “I mean, it’s not the worst thing that could’ve happened. Plus they’ve taken us out to dinner a few times before and it wasn’t weird so this shouldn’t be all that different. What’s two more people anyways?”
The silence on the other line only makes Sumin look up to see each of them looking at each other with worried expressions, which only makes him narrow his eyes more at the screen.
“It is just two more people right?” He asks through gritted teeth.
“It might be more like six more.” Yujun says, crouching in on himself.
“Six?!” He, Yechan and Seeun say in unison.
“Who the hell else did you invite?”
“Apparently San and Mingi told their boyfriends, Yeosang and Hongjoong, which then somehow extended to Wooyoung and Seonghwa.” Yujun says, now looking equally as guilty as Hunter.
“Wait, you mean our downstairs neighbors?”
“Yes, your neighbors but more importantly my brother and brother-in-law. Now do you see why I couldn’t exactly say no ? Wooyoung already texted me threatening to come up the three flights himself because I haven’t come by to see him in a while so I think he might be there whether we want or not.“
“Now this is a big deal.” Sumin huffs out, glancing around the messy state of their apartment.
“You invited my bosses?!” Yechan shrieks before his eyes brighten and he’s frantically searching his pockets. “Actually this is great news, maybe I can get out of work today.” Yechan says more to himself after pulling out his phone to text either Hongjoong or Yeosang, only having heard the names a few times once they made the connection when Yechan visited the coffee shop and asked for Mingi and San came out to ask about how Yeosang was.
Sumin wants to say something to the younger but his mind is still stuck on the fact that what was supposed to be just a casual hangout with a few drinks and snacks and good music has now turned into a full blown party and he knows they aren’t well accommodated for that many people. So much for a chill day off.
“At least your place is bigger than ours?” Hunter offers weakly, as if that’s any sort of consolation for the bomb he just dropped on him.
“Yeah it won’t feel that way with fourteen people crowded in here.”
“But we’ll do what we can to make it easier so you don’t have to do it all alone, right?” Minjae says, looking at the rest of them who all nod quickly. “Perfect. San told us we could close at 4 and then said they would head over to Sumin and Seeun’s at 8, so let’s shoot for 6?”
"Sounds good to me.” Sumin says, confirming with Seeun next to him with a nod.
“ Is that Sumin? ” He can hear what sounds like San’s voice in the background, followed by footsteps approaching on the tile flooring of the back of the cafe. “ I bet he’s excited to -”
“To have you and all your friends come over later? He can’t wait!” Minjae cuts in urgently as San comes into frame, looking at Minjae with a furrowed brow before turning back to face the phone, his dimpled smile on display as he looks at Sumin.
“Speaking of, I hope it’s not too much trouble but two of our friends surprised us by coming to town and I mentioned the party and they said they’d be down. Is that okay?” He asks genuinely and even if Sumin was the smallest bit stressed, he couldn’t break that to San, not with how kind hearted he’s been to him over the years.
“Of course. What’s a few more people right?” He smiles as best as he can to cover up the internal panic that’s starting to settle in.
“And don’t worry, we’ll bring everything we need. Just as long as you can do the snacks and drinks.” San reassures.
“What else would we need besides snacks and drinks?” He asks jokingly, thinking it’s a valid question, but his smile falls with the way San looks at him, eyes narrowing just a bit, almost as if Sumin just offended him.
“So he really didn’t?” San asks, though the question sounds a bit rhetorical, the older looking around at the other four in the cafe who don’t seem to give him the answer he wants.
“Didn’t what?” Sumin asks, but it goes ignored.
“Is Yechan there with you two?” Yechan’s incessant tapping on his phone pauses, as if he realizes he hasn’t been paying attention and didn’t see that San was there, slowly lifting his head from the screen with a guilty smile. For a brief moment he shakes his head, silently begging Sumin and Seeun not to say he’s not there but the two must give it away.
“Yechannie.” San sing-songs but there’s not an ounce of playfulness in his tone, which Yechan takes as a warning, scrambling to get by their sides.
“Yes?” He says as cute as he can, definitely using being the youngest card, knowing San has a soft spot for him.
There’s a long stretch of awkward silence, no one saying anything until Sumin clears his throat, bringing everyone’s attention back to the fact that the call is still going.
“We’ll talk during your break today.” San sighs out in disappointment before disappearing from the screen, soon enough hearing the sounds of the cafe starting to come to life.
“Sorry we have to go! See you later!” Minjae says abruptly before the screen goes black.
Maybe Sumin’s more tired than he thought, but something about that entire phone call felt off. Only Seeun seems to be just as confused as him, earning a shrug before returning to cooking them breakfast.
What just happened?
He turns to question Yechan, but he’s already back on his phone, urgently tapping away and Sumin can only assume it’s San, who up until today, Sumin didn’t know the two were close enough to be on texting terms let alone knowing when Yechan takes breaks at his job, raising even more questions than he knows he has time for.
“So much for getting the day off.” Yechan whines, letting the phone clatter against the countertop. Sumin tries to peek at the messages, seeing the top of a group text with from what he can read upside down, it looks like San, Hongjoong and Yeosang’s names before the screen goes dark.
“You’re acting like it’s the end of the world.” Sumin teases, earning a sharp glare towards him.
“It might as well be! San just blew any chance I had at convincing Hongjoong or Yeosang to let me help you get ready for tonight. Hongjoong I kind of figured but I had hoped Yeosang would understand and let take the day if he knew…” His words trail off again as his phone lights up, a few different people messaging him now that draws another annoyed groan from him, taking one more glimpse before slipping it back in his pocket. “And now I really don’t want to go today.”
“What do you do again?” Seeun asks, handing them each a plate with a pile of rice topped with eggs and kimchi and Sumin’s just grateful for anything he doesn’t have to cook this early in the morning.
“It’s kind of hard to explain.” Yechan says with a mouthful of food.
“He works at a bookstore.” Sumin scoffs lightly, knowing it’s not that secretive even if he actually hasn’t been over to the store now that he thinks about it. He hasn’t really had a reason to go visit considering he’d only go to see Yechan who’s done working for the day by the time Sumin’s off from the cafe, so he’s just never thought about it. Maybe he’ll swing by today if he gets everything ready for tonight early enough.
“It’s not just a bookstore! Well, it is but I do more finding for it like getting rare books and collectables.” He explains, sounding proud of the work he does. Truthfully, this is news to Sumin too, the younger rarely talking about his job in more detail to the point he just assumed that it was like any other bookstore that needed college students who didn’t mind the busy work of cataloging books.
“So why did San blow your chances of getting the day off then? Surely, they can go one day without you…finding? I don’t know if that’s the right term but we’re going with it.” Seeun continues asking the questions Sumin has as well, hoping to actually get some clarity on at least some of the weirdness that’s been going on since last night.
“It’s hard to explain like I said.” Which is the most non-answer Yechan could’ve given. “He’s at the store a lot of the time since he’s Yeosang’s…boyfriend! His boyfriend and that just means he sticks his head in conversations that don’t concern him.”
“Hm sounds a lot like someone I know.” Sumin jabs, elbowing Yechan who looks far less amused. “Oh come on Yechannie, are you really trying to tell me you’re not nosy?”
“I am not nosy!” He echoes, crossing his arms across his chest with a pushed out lower lip. “I just like to be informed! Is that such a bad thing?”
“Not necessarily, I just think it’s funny to hear you bothered by San doing the same thing you do.”
“It’s different .”
“How so?”
“ I wouldn’t go and tell my boyfriend everything that could prevent me from letting someone have a much deserved day off, that’s for sure.”
“You’re right about that, you’d have to have a boyfriend to do that in the first place.”
“Hey! I - “ Yechan’s eyebrows furrow briefly before softening. “It doesn’t matter anyways. Just know I’m cooked.”
“You’ll survive.”
“You don’t know what Yeosang can do and you’re better for it.”
Sumin wants to question it but with the way Yechan sinks in his chair and pitifully picks at his breakfast, he figures to leave it alone for now. Seeun soon finishes up and Sumin offers to clean up so he can get ready to head out to his parents sooner, earning a thankful nod from the taller before he slinks away to his room down the hall.
“Mind if I use your shower? I don’t think I have time to run home before I’d need to get to work.” Yechan asks, voice a bit whinier as if Sumin could say no to the younger even if he wanted to.
“Go on, I’m sure there’s a few of your clothes here to change into.”
“I have a stash that I keep here.” He shrugs.
“Of course you do. You’re lucky I like you.”
“And you’re lucky to be stuck with me, hyung.” He giggles, his mood already slightly better than moments before as he runs down the hallway, hearing the bathroom door shut behind him. Sumin can’t help but shake his head, focusing his attention back at the dishes in front of him and leaving him alone with his thoughts.
His mind wanders back to the way his friends were acting earlier and the way even Yechan seemed to act differently, again, unable to shake the feeling that they aren’t telling him something. With how dismissive they were with Hunter and Yujun’s comments, or even the expressions from San that he couldn’t quite get a read on. Maybe if it wasn’t so back to back, he’d push it to the wayside, but his gut is practically screaming at him to listen, feeling uneasy about everything which only makes his brain spiral into places he likes to avoid.
Did he do something to make them think they can’t trust him? Did something happen that he doesn’t know about and they just don’t know how to tell him? Again, why does this give him a sense of deja vu with how his parents would treat him whenever he asked them something that he didn’t understand?
The millions of questions start bouncing in his head and he feels the all-too familiar anxious sensation start to creep in, pinching his eyes shut to try and just make it stop .
“Hyung?” A concerned voice interrupts him, jolting in surprise and dropping one of the forks he doesn’t know how long he was washing in the sink with a clatter. He turns to see Seeun staring at him with the same look he gave him when he found Sumin, ironically, doing the dishes at three in the morning trying to distract himself from the grief of losing his parents.
“I’m fine. Sorry, just in my own head again.”
“Is it about earlier?”
Damnit, he hated how his roommate could read him like a book sometimes.
“Yeah, but I’m overreacting I think.” He says, trying to laugh it off as he loads the last dish in the dishwasher.
“Well I was totally lost too but I might have something to explain why Yechan was acting weird? I’m pretty sure it has something to do with this.” The taller holds out a box that’s definitely seen better days. One gust of wind and the integrity of it might disintegrate.
“Um Seeun, what’s this?” Sumin asks, carefully taking the box from the younger, feeling the sides crack under his hands.
“Honestly I had totally forgotten about it until I had to look for my bag to take with me today and it was on the top shelf of my closet. Yechan had brought it over a few weeks ago but you weren’t home. I tried to tell him you’d be back later but he had to rush off for whatever reason and told me to hold on to it, but to wait to give it to you until he was around.”
“That still doesn’t make me feel any less confused because why would he care?”
“I have no idea, but at least it’s better than nothing?” He says with a shrug which Sumin can’t really argue with.
Slowly, he places the box on the counter and opens the top, coughing at the dust he accidentally inhales from the lid. He peers into the box and blinks a few times to make sure that he’s really seeing what he thinks he sees.
“No way…no way! Is this a polaroid camera, but like an actual polaroid camera from the 70s?” He says, fingers trembling as he gently lifts the vintage camera from the box, looking old and new all at the same time. He can’t explain it but the moment the object touches his finger tips, he swears he can feel a spark along his skin, almost as if he just had an otherworldly connection to it. He’s speechless for a few minutes, taking the time to inspect it and look at every feature and sure enough despite its pristine condition, it’s definitely an older model camera.
“I remember you talking about getting a vintage camera but I didn’t have any idea where to start looking back around your birthday.” Seeun says as he gets closer to look at it with Sumin. “Maybe he took it from the bookstore he works at? I mean it looks like something rare and collectable to me.”
“Maybe. I mean that would make sense why he didn’t want to take it with him in case Yeosang or Hongjoong saw it. Still weird that he’d want to give it to me himself.”
“It’s Yechan, who knows what goes on in that head of his sometimes.”
“Fair enough.” Sumin muses, running his fingers along the outline of the camera, careful not to touch any of the lenses.
“Anyways, I probably should get going.” Seeun starts to walk towards the front door, slipping on a jacket along with his sneakers and picking his keys off the rack.
“Tell your family I say hi and drive safe, yeah?”
“I will and I should be back before the others get here. I know I’m just coming along to help pack all of my sister’s stuff in the car so she doesn’t have to.”
“Sounds like her.” Sumin huffs out a laugh.
“Let me know if you try that camera out though, I definitely want to see how it holds up to a current iPhone.” Seeun teases, earning an eye roll from the older before slipping out the front door, the latch clicking into place.
He can’t stop looking at the camera, feeling a sense of nostalgia knowing his parents used to take pictures on these types of cameras all the time when he was younger. Both of them had instilled a love for photography within him, always explaining to him that each picture is like a time capsule. Each frame may only catch a moment but they tell a story, no matter how big or small, putting the pieces together of the past so that whoever in the future is looking at them can remember or think about what could’ve been going on whenever the picture was taken.
Sumin starts to feel a stinging in the corners of his eyes at the bittersweet memories he shared with them, clinging on to the camera tightly for just a brief moment before he decides to find Yechan to thank him for it. Sure, Seeun didn’t technically wait until the younger was around but it can’t be that important considering neither of them remembered it after the exchange.
“It’s fine , hyung, there’s still time to tell him. Your lack of trust in me hurts.” Sumin hears just outside his bedroom, pausing in his steps to see who answers. When he doesn’t initially hear anything, he presses an ear against the door, straining to hear any sort of voice but the only other noise he hears is Junmin squeaking and thumping in his cage.
His impatience gets the best of him, the bubbling excitement of the camera propelling him to push open the door, startling Yechan.
“ Choi Sumin , what the he- where did you get that camera?” The younger’s eyes narrow before widening to the size of golf balls while Junmin thumps more in his cage.
“Don’t act clueless now Yechannie.” Sumin shakes his head, leaning down to pick up the pellets, assuming that’s the only reason that his rabbit is causing a riot. “Seeun told me you gave it to him to hold on to until you were around and at least sort of explains why you’ve been acting weird all morning.”
“Me? Weird? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He responds, almost nervously, before his expression changes to his usual playful self. “Do you like it at least?”
“I love it! I didn’t even think they made these anymore, I don’t even want to know how much you paid for this…do I?” Sumin peers up, waiting for any indication of the possible amount of money the younger may have dropped.
“Don’t worry about that, it was nothing.” He says nonchalantly, but his body language says otherwise.
“You’re such a bad liar you know that, but I’m too excited to let the idea that you may have spent your life savings get in the way.” He teases.
“Just…be careful with it okay?” His tone turned serious.
“You’re telling me to be careful with it?” He scoffs. It’s almost as if he thinks Sumin’s never had a camera before when this is now his fifth camera in his collection. At one time he had hoped to turn the hobby into a career but for now, it’s still just a dream.
“Yeah, I mean like you said, it wasn’t cheap so I don’t want you breaking it or anything.” He defends himself, hands thrown in the air dramatically.
“ Your lack of trust in me hurts. ” He imitates with a fake pained expression, making Yechan’s eyes widen again.
“What did you hear?” Yechan asks, his skin tone turning as white as a sheet.
“Only that part, don’t be so nervous.” He says, placing his hands on the younger’s shoulders to relax them. “Who were you talking to anyways?” He asks as he lets go, plopping down on the bed to attempt to put the camera strap on. He might tease Yechan but he’s also not taking any chances of dropping his new prized possession.
“Oh, it was um…Minjae hyung. He was calling from the back. You know how he is.” He says, sitting down next to Sumin on the bed.
Somehow that doesn’t make him feel any better, that feeling never letting up in his gut, especially now that Minjae’s involved. He’s the one that kept cutting everyone off for the most part, finishing sentences in ways he doesn’t think the other person would’ve or just hanging up like he did.
“It’s really cool though isn’t it? I was so excited when I found it before Halloween.”
Sumin’s had enough.
“Alright, can you just be honest with me?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well it’s just I can’t stop thinking that there’s something else going on because you’re all acting weird about this party as if this one’s supposed to be different or special and I just don’t know why.” He says before swallowing thickly, not wanting to bring it up but he knows he just needs to be honest. “It just feels like my parents all over again.”
Yechan doesn’t say anything, looking like he’s actually thinking about what he wants to say before blurting something out, most likely because it’s not the first time Sumin’s brought this part up about his parents. In truth, Yechan is probably the only one (besides Junmin of course) who does know about the secretive nature of his parents that last year, mostly because Yechan’s the only one who ever knew them.
“Oh no, hyung, god I’m sorry. I think it’s just that the party is usually done at Minjae and Hunter’s place, just to not make you do anything. Whether you like to think about it or not, we all know how this time of year can be and we just like to make it easier on you silently so I guess…I don’t know, we just want to be there for you.” The younger reassures, taking Sumin’s hand and squeezing it.
Sumin probably should be upset, be thinking that his friends are trying to protect him when he doesn’t need or doesn’t think he can handle anything around this time of year, but he doesn’t actually see it that way. At least he’s choosing not to considering he knows everything that Yechan just explained is coming from pure hearts.
They were (and still are quite frankly) too young to have to bear that kind of tragedy, so of course they may not know exactly what to do so it makes sense why they’ve always been so adamant about having the party each year and honestly why this year feels different. Strangely enough, it puts his heart at ease more than he expected, feeling a small weight lift from his shoulders, at least for the time being.
“Now for this camera, I just wanted to get it for you because I know you’ve wanted one for a while and hey maybe you can take some cool pictures on it tonight?”
“They’d probably come out looking like some old timey horror film.” He says, starting to lift up the camera to his eye to test it out.
“Wait!” Yechan says, grabbing Sumin’s wrist carefully but forcefully, pulling it back down to his chest.
“What?”
“Save the film! You know, this stuff is hard to come by.” Yechan says, exhaling as Sumin puts the camera back in his lap. “Let’s try it out tonight, okay?”
“Okay?” Sumin says questionably, but doesn’t push it further. He still fully intends to bring it out with him and take at least one picture. He doesn’t think they’ll miss out if he uses up one film sheet.
“Okay, I really do have to go to work now though, but I’ll be back later, hopefully before everyone else does but it just depends on…well you know.” Yechan says as he makes his way to the door.
“No, I don’t but I’m sure it’s hard to explain .” Sumin winks, calling back to earlier.
“Exactly! You get it.” He says with a cheeky grin, leaning against the doorframe. “Alright, see you later hyung!” The younger lets the door barely close behind him, followed by his footsteps growing fainter before the thud of the apartment door closes a few moments later.
Sumin sits on his bed for a few more moments, both to appreciate the camera again, but also to let the words from the younger sink in. He figured he was overthinking it, knowing they didn’t mean to come across as weird or secretive. This year is just like any other Halloween party, no need to think about it more than that.
He’s had enough introspection to last him the rest of the day, choosing to knock out a few of the errands he probably should before he inevitably loses track of time. He rummages through his closet to find his dad’s old camera bag that he’s added his name to and pulls out his mom’s camera strap, hooking it on to the camera. It almost looks like it was made for this camera, clipping into the side notches with ease when he’s had to fight with the prongs with every other camera he’s tried to force the strap to attach to.
With the camera now able to be secured when he ends up pulling it back out to test outside, he slips it into his dad’s back, rubbing his fingers over the initials on the sides, clearing his throat as the tears try to well up again. He’s got to stop letting himself get emotional over the smallest of things.
He tugs on a pair of baggy jeans along with an oversized hoodie, careful to pick a few accessories to go with the colors woven in the hoodies’ design. It may look simple and casual but Sumin really does take his fashion seriously, making each outfit his own by adding accessories that people may not always pair with things, such as mismatched jewelry, contrasting colors, or adding things that hang off his belt. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea but all that matters to him is that he’s comfortable and feels like himself.
With a last check in the mirror and one more look over in Junmin’s cage, petting his rabbit who purrs at him, he makes his way down to the entryway, slipping on his favorite pair of sneakers before grabbing the apartment keys, deciding he probably won’t drive anywhere since the day is supposed to be nice and everything he could need is walkable.
“Excited for the party tonight, Sumin-ah?” He hears as he walks past the bottom floor apartment. He turns towards the familiar voice, smiling widely when he spots Wooyoung bouncing a sleeping two year old in his arms. He carefully makes his way over, grinning at the way Eunae tucks her head into Wooyoung’s neck, gently rubbing his hand on her back once.
He remembers when he first met her, having actually happened on the same day that he and Seeun first moved into their first post-college apartment almost a year ago now. They had just finished carrying some of the bigger furniture up the stairs when they had noticed the new parents struggling to move in baby things all while trying to keep Eunae calm, both visibly stressed out, so they offered to help them in any way they could.
From that day, the couple took a liking to their friend group, learning shortly after that Wooyoung and Yujun were brothers, which only made it funnier whenever Wooyoung dropped by with food, usually just to get a chance to tease his younger brother. In exchange for both the amazing food and gaining blackmail information about Yujun, Sumin often watched Eunae even though the couple insisted he didn’t have to. He just felt like it was the least he could do after they came to check in on them more than they ever needed to.
“Oh yeah! I’m actually about to go grab a few things for it now, so if you have any special requests, let me know.” He offers, keeping his voice low.
“I don’t think so…oh actually if you could just get me some Unicorn Essence, that’d be great! I think Hongjoong’s store may -.” He starts before his partner appears in the door frame with a panic painted across his face.
“I thought I heard your voice. Wooyoung-ah, don’t bother him with getting things he might not know where to find them. ” Seonghwa smiles through gritted teeth, reaching out to take Eunae from Wooyoung’s arms.
“Well if you hadn’t interrupted me , I was going to tell him where to find them.” He says with an annoyed grimace, tightening his grip on their daughter and continuing to bounce her.
“No, no really I don’t mind!” Sumin reassures, trying to diffuse the growing tension between the couple, even if it is because of his own curiosity of where Wooyoung was going with mentioning Hongjoong’s store . “I’m actually not even going to store until later since I have the day off anyways. Just going out to try my new camera.” He gestures to the camera bag and Wooyoung’s eyes light up, turning to pass his daughter to Seonghwa who rolls his eyes with a smile.
“Let me see it! Something you may not know is that I’m really into photography and camera collecting.”
Sumin did know this, having been in their apartment and seen the photos on their wall that the older had taken and even asked Wooyoung about them when he learned he’d been the one to take them. He was the first person to introduce him on how to properly use authentic polaroid cameras in the first place, which is why Sumin excitedly, but carefully, pulls out the camera to show.
“Holy shi -” Wooyoung exclaims, turning the camera on its side as if he’s making sure it’s real.
“Language!” Seonghwa whisper-shouts, bouncing a little more when Eunae makes a soft noise, but quickly falls back asleep against his chest.
“She’s asleep , hyung. Anyways, how did you get your hands on this?” He asks while studying the camera.
“Yechan got it for me. He didn’t tell me how but anyone with any sort of vintage camera knowledge knows this couldn’t have been cheap.”
“It’s one of a kind, that’s for sure.” Wooyoung says, making Sumin even more worrisome about how much the younger paid for it.
“Really?” He asks, almost nervously.
“Definitely, I mean…” Wooyoung’s voice trails off, his brow pinching as if he’s deep in thought before blinking back into reality and handing the camera back to Sumin. “Just take care of it, which I know you already know. It’s going to show you some really cool things I think.”
Before he can ask what he means, Wooyoung keels over after Seonghwa nudges him in the knee.
“It’s time to actually put her down for a nap Mr. Cameraman. Let him find out on his own before you bore him.”
Wooyoung pouts back at Seonghwa before turning back to Sumin.
“Another time, I’ll show you what all that camera can do okay?” He winks. It’s a promise Sumin’s excited for, nodding with a wide grin that’s matched by the older’s before heading back inside with Seonghwa with a promise that they’ve gotten a babysitter for her, which he does find comforting, not even realizing the possibility of having another person, let alone a two year old coming to this much bigger party.
The conversation breathes new life into Sumin, the crisp fall breeze hitting his face as he walks down the sidewalk to who knows where for the time being. He lifts the camera to capture the scenery on his path, the leaves just starting to turn in the last week and there’s just something magical about it that he feels inspired to see how it looks through a vintage lens. He takes pictures of a few more spots that showcase the nature surrounding him and the people and buildings on a peaceful Friday morning in downtown, before running out of places to hold each photo. He may have gone overboard just a bit, hearing Yechan’s unnecessary warning in the back of his mind, but he checks and sees there’s still plenty of film for later, not too worried about running out beforehand.
The film will take a few minutes to fully develop, the only aspect he wishes was different about these types of camera since his lack of patience gets in the way of fully appreciating the process, so instead of impatiently tapping his foot and waiting, he goes into the nearby coffee shop and sets his things at one of the tables. He’s careful to make sure the pictures don’t touch each other or other things in general, laying them out in a row as the colors start to appear with each passing second.
He knows that the colors will be muted, usually the older film unable to produce the same vibrancy as new model cameras can, but he still thinks it will be a pretty memory to see, catching a glimpse of the past in a modern way.
In the meantime, he orders a coffee, seeing a few people he knows from town wishing him a happy birthday and making small talk before heading back to his table, noticing that the six photographs seem to be done. However, as he looks closer at them, they’re not what he expects.
Instead of the dull, grainy images he anticipates, it’s as if the camera took exactly what he saw and copied it onto the paper. The bright oranges, reds, and yellows from the leaves that almost match perfectly in color as he holds up the picture next to a tree that’s outside the window. The details of the people that passed through the shots are clear as if he’s looking at them with the naked eye. He can’t help but shake the picture, knowing it’s wrong, but every time it’s still just a perfect image of the scene he took minutes earlier.
Sumin pulls out his phone, looking for anything that might explain it and even Google is coming up dry with vague possible reasons from the film type (which is the first thing he checked to ensure it was the right one) to a coloring error within the camera but even that usually means the pictures come out black and white.
He’s more confused than anything, giving the camera another look to make sure it’s not just modeled after an older camera but there’s nothing modern about the mechanics or features. He rattles his limited memory of his history of photography course he took, knowing that color wasn’t even an option for polaroid's until the mid-60s but even still, the technology advancements weren’t capable of being this vibrant or clear. The more he thinks about it, even modern day cameras can’t produce that level of color saturation just from taking the picture without major editing.
Wooyoung wasn’t joking when he said it was one of a kind and he’s feeling more antsy than anything about getting together with the older to talk about exactly what he means. But until then, the least he can do is continue to enjoy it because if it is a temporary error, Sumin’s going to utilize it. He carefully places the developed film in the small photo album he has in his bag to protect them and clears his table before walking back out onto the sidewalk, scanning the busier streets for anything else he wants to test to see if the pictures continue to come out as detailed as the others.
He doesn’t even know where he’s going, just taking pictures as they call to him like the two birds flying between the trees, the candid's of a family enjoying their Friday brunch, the couple that Sumin could tell through his lens that they were on a first date, their nerves and excitement apparent through every still, and each and every photo came out perfect as if he was staring at it.
Without realizing how far he’s gone, he looks up to see a building on the corner across the street that has the perfect mix of modern while still harboring a sense of cozy with the updated treatments but with dark and warm colors. He takes a picture as the sun rays hit it just right and a breeze causes the leaves to fall from a nearby tree, a scene that could only be seen in a movie or read in a story, and he’d regret not taking the shot at that very moment.
It’s only after he lets the camera hang from his neck that he realizes it’s the bookstore that Yechan works at, laughing to himself that it must be fate that he walked here. Not only can he maybe get a few questions answered about this camera, but he can also see just how “cooked” Yechan thinks he is. Two birds with one stone right?
He approaches Tricky’s Secret Corner Bookstore , pushing the dark mocha painted door until he hears the faint ringing of bells clang against the wood to announce his presence, except no one immediately appears, giving Sumin the chance to take in the space.
Just like the outside portrays, the interior gives off a homey vibe, one that instantly relaxes Sumin as he paces down the entryway aisles, running his fingers along the spines of the books, noting the mix of modern and classic titles that most people would recognize. He breathes in the scent of musk and almost a hint of cinnamon and spice which is something that makes a sense of peace settle over him, scanning over top the shelves to see how deep it goes.
According to the locals who have lived in the town far longer than Sumin, this bookstore is one of the last few buildings that’s been here for decades with only a few owner changes throughout those years, mostly passed between families from what he understands. He wishes he had the time to come by before this after feeling a sense of calm wrap around him like a comfortable hug, but that’s neither here nor there, enjoying the quiet when his eyes find a boy around his age by one of the inner shelves.
It’s like time stands still, everything else around him bleeding into the background as his heart pounds against his ribcage. Something clicks into place, but he can’t explain what that something is, unable to tear his gaze away like if he does, the boy might disappear and he’ll never feel whatever emotion that’s taking over him again.
The boy’s hair is dark, purposely tousled, like each strand is placed strategically but with an effortless appearance, framing his face just right. His nose slopes in a straight line, rounding at the tip just slightly, twitching every so often as he focuses on the section of books he’s organizing. It’s cute, watching the way his eyes look full of wonder even from the distance that Sumin is, opening each book in his hands to take a glimpse and warmly smiling before setting it on the corresponding shelf.
The only thing that breaks his focus is the cat and…ferret…that are making it harder for the boy to place books on the shelves where he wants them, the cat sitting on the top shelf and swishing its tail where the books are supposed to go while the ferret is on the cart next to him, nudging the boys hand every time he picks up another book.. He can’t hear what the boy is saying but he can tell he’s berating them slightly, though they don’t seem to care as both of them don’t move from where they’re out.
It’s actually cute, Sumin bringing up the camera to capture the moment only to drop the camera with a surprised jolt, more thankful for the neck strap than he’s ever been. Slowly, he lifts it up again to make sure he sees what he thinks he saw the first time, looking through the glass and where there should be a boy with his two animals, there are three boys.
And one of them is Yechan.
Specifically, Yechan being exactly where the one cat is supposed to be, sitting on top of the bookshelf, whereas the other is a boy sitting crisscrossed on the cart against the boy’s shoulder that’s trying to put away books. He keeps moving the lens up and down, seeing one thing without the camera and a totally different thing when he brings it back up and without thinking his finger presses, causing a flash which draws the attention of the three from across the store, startling them.
The animals scatter to who knows where, all while the boy looks stuck in his place, eyes wide and his mouth slightly ajar like he wants to speak but can’t come up with the words.
Everything in Sumin is screaming for him to run, to get out of the store and pretend he didn’t see what he saw. He has too many questions that he doesn’t even know what to think because while he wants to know why this camera is showing him animals as people, he also wants to know why he knows one of them.
“I - I’m sorry, I’ll just -” He starts to turn to leave, not knowing what else he could say.
“No wait.” The soothing tone of the boy’s voice makes Sumin pause, unable to move from his spot, as he watches the boy walk towards him. He’s able to see more of his features, feeling even more breathless than before when he saw him from a distance. His skin looks golden, almost glowing, as he walks through a patch of sun rays that come through the windows and his piercing eyes seem to be capable of seeing deeper into Sumin than he cares for and yet he doesn’t feel intimidated.
“Sumin, right?”
“Yeah? How do you -” He asks hesitantly, looking the boy up and down once more.
“I could say I got it from your camera bag.” Tipping his head towards the bag hanging off his shoulder, peering down to see Sumin stitched in fairly large letters. “But that would be a lie and it’s probably time you knew the truth.”
The truth?
“What are you talking about?”
“Let’s start off easy with what just happened.” The boy says warmly, taking a step forward but stopping as Sumin takes a cautious step backwards, earning an apologetic nod. Sumin isn’t scared, still feeling oddly calm with the boy that’s not three feet in front of him but his mind is whirring in a hundred different directions, not really sure what just happened.
“Let me take a guess. You took some photos and they came out… different than you expected. And when you were taking a picture just now, instead of two cats, you saw two people?”
“That’s exactly what happened. And one of them happens to be -”
“Hey hyung.” Yechan’s familiar voice makes Sumin turn his head to see his best friend, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck nervously.
Sumin can’t figure out what he feels, a mix of disappointment and confusion, though never anger because he doesn’t think he could ever feel that way towards Yechan. Throughout their friendship, they’ve always been honest, both of them open minded to the other’s ideas and stances and while he’s still wrapping his head around the concept of his friend being able to shift between a person and a cat doesn’t make sense, he still would like to think that he would’ve heard Yechan out. He just has to trust that there’s a reason Yechan didn’t tell him because what he has been and always will be certain is that the younger would never intentionally hurt him.
The silence grows between them, Sumin waiting to hear what he knows the younger wants to explain. He watches his eyes dart between himself and the other boy, like he doesn’t know where to start which begs the twenty two year old to wonder what else could be going on.
“It was bound to come out sooner or later, so better to come out now while Hongjoong and Yeosang aren’t here.” An unfamiliar voice trills in from another part of the bookstore, making Sumin jump.
“How about we sit down and I’ll make tea?” The boy asks, gesturing towards the back.
“Um.” Sumin says, eyes flickering toward Yechan who gives him a reassuring nod which is all he needs to trust it’s okay.
The three make their way to the back of the bookstore to a seating area where the ferret he saw earlier is perched on one of the end tables, as if waiting for them.
“Is this…?” He points, knowing that’s the same one he saw through his lens as another boy. He takes a seat on one of the couches just as the ferret hops down and brushes against his leg, tuttering happily before scurrying through an open door to the side. He can’t help but smile and feel almost an instant connection with the ferret, one similar to how he felt with Yechan when they first met or even his rabbit.
It’s not that kind of connection he’s sure, just one that feels like they were destined to meet and that they were going to be important in each other’s lives one way or another. The boy on the other hand…
Yeah, he’s definitely not going there right now when he’s got a few hundred other things on his mind. It’d just help if he could stop staring at how pretty he is as he picks up one of the pillows on the couch across from him. It’s only when the boy finally sits down and meets his gaze that he feels the warmth rush to the tips of his ears.
“So that was Jinsik.” The boy laughs, only looking away when Yechan plops down next to him.
“Before we talk about anything, I just want you to know I really was planning on telling you, there just never seemed to be a good time. I wanted to get my words right and run them by Hyunwoo -.”
“Hyunwoo?” He lifts a brow before shifting to look at the raven haired boy across who has a calming smile on his lips.
“That would be me.” He says with a nod, holding out his hand for Sumin to take which makes Sumin feel suddenly nervous. Maybe it’s because there’s now a name to him that makes him seem real , not that Sumin didn’t think he was but now it's…well he doesn’t know what it is but he realizes he hasn’t moved, frantically taking Hyunwoo’s hand and shaking it. He can feel Yechan staring at him but he’s not going to grace the younger by looking his way, letting go of Hyunwoo’s hand after probably too many handshakes.
“So,” He says, shifting in his seat and wiping his sweaty hands along his pant leg to try and ignore whatever his heart is trying to feel. “What’s going on? Why is my camera making me feel like I’m hallucinating? Why can you change into a cat?”
“We’re familiars.” Jinsik suddenly appears with a tray that has a few mismatched cups, along with a kettle, setting it down on the table he was sitting on before plopping next to him on the couch.
“You’re what?” He asks curiously, head tilting as he looks between Yechan and Jinsik.
“We’re kind of like shifters but it’s a little more complicated than that.” Yechan tries to explain.
“Technically we’re spirits that can shift forms, usually human and animal that allows us to adapt with our environment so that we can do our job and stay in this world without causing too much commotion for everyday people who don’t know that magic exists while maintaining peace and balance.”
Sumin nods to follow along, slowly coming to terms with what he thinks his best friend is saying. Truthfully, it’s not the most outlandish concept to him, the idea that magic exists in a world that could explain at least half of the strange phenomenon that goes on. He’s just wondering what all this has to do with him if it does at all.
“Each familiar is different. What they shift into, how often the shift between forms, and why they’re here in the first place. For me, I usually stay in my ferret form during the bookstore’s human business hours and then shift to my human form at night, whereas Yechan usually stays in his human form unless he’s trying to get out of trouble.”
“It’s not getting in trouble when I’m just doing my job !” He explains, mostly to Jinsik and Hyunwoo who just roll their eyes. Sumin is just making the educated guess that Yechan doesn’t mean his job at the bookstore but figures that he’ll find out in due time. “My boyfriend, on the other hand, takes coaxing to shift to his human form. Why? I don’t know.”
“You know why he doesn’t shift often, you’re just pouty because it means you have to shift to see him or look crazy when you talk to him.” Hyunwoo points out.
“Hold up…boyfriend?” The question only causes Yechan to peer down as his cheeks brighten up with a shade of pink.
“Oh um, yeah, that would be Junmin actually.” He responds softly, not out of shame but knowing that he’s just dropped another bomb on the older.
“ Junmin? As in my rabbit Junmin?!” Sumin asks incredulously, not thinking he could be more shocked.
“He’s not a rabbit…Well he is but you know what I mean”
“Is that why you’re over at my place all the time?” Sumin teases
“It’s definitely part of it. But he’s also bonded to you by proxy which he thinks means he can do as he pleases until he’s taken something he shouldn’t have and needs extra help to get out of whatever trouble he’s in or if he’s exhausted his energy source and can’t shift back.” Hyunwoo explains, making Yechan cross his arms.
“Hey!” Yechan pouts, sitting up on the couch a little higher.
“Are you going to tell me that I’m wrong Yechannie?” Hyunwoo raises a brow at the younger.
“Well no but you make me sound like a brat. This is not the conversation I thought we’d be having.” Yechan mutters to himself, sinking back into the couch as Hyunwoo, Jinsik and Sumin burst into laughter that leaves all of them breathless.
“Okay but back to what you just said…” Sumin catches his breath. “You said he’s…bonded to me?”
“By proxy. He technically belongs to your parents but after their passing, it became part of his job to protect you. Besides, it was unmistakable that he’d become yours with the bond you two already had just by being around one another.”
There’s a peaceful moment shared between him and Yechan, eyes catching each other’s just briefly before Yechan drops his gaze, surely knowing that it won’t lead to anything but tears. Sumin’s heart swells in his chest, feeling the corners of his eyes threatening to break like a dam only for Yechan to swat at him.
“There’ll be plenty of time to be cheesy later!” He says teasingly even though his voice cracks.
He nods in agreement, quickly wiping away the stray tear that managed to escape
“And Junmin?”
“He’s bonded to you too! It’s part of his job to protect you.” Yechan
“Okay you keep saying ‘job’ but at least for Yechan, I can assume that doesn’t mean working here at the bookstore.”
“Is that what he told you? That he works here? I’d love to see him stock a book or two then if that’s the case.” Jinsik teases, earning a swat from Yechan before Jinsik shifts into his ferret form to dodge and jump behind the couch only to emerge back in human form moments later. Sumin doesn’t know if he’ll ever get used to that without reacting.
“To answer your question, familiars usually have a purpose that binds to the individual they’re assigned to whether it’s for protection or guidance. Depending on the reason, they either reveal themselves early on or they keep it a secret until it’s necessary.”
“And they’re both bonded to me…to protect me? But why would I need protection in the first place?”
There’s a long stretch of silence again. Sumin watches the other three look at one another as if they’re playing a mental game of rock, paper, scissors to decide who’s going to talk, Jinsik being the one to look up at him first and a sly smile curls on his lips.
“You’re a wizard, Sumin.” Jinsik says in a half-assed attempt at a British accent before he covers his mouth to stop his own laughter. Even if the familiar’s energy is infectious, Sumin can’t help but focus on the words he actually said, wondering if he actually heard the familiar right in the first place.
“I’m a what?” Sumin asks, failing miserably at trying to somewhat take this seriously (which he’s never really been good at), letting out his own laugh as Jinsik throws himself back against the couch before sitting back up and trying to seem serious, though his smile betrays him.
“A wizard! And quite a good one at that!” He says excitedly, the accent dropping while both Yechan and Hyunwoo shake their heads in disappointment.
“You watched Harry Potter didn’t you?” Hyunwoo asks, already knowing the answer.
“Listen, you left the tv on and I couldn’t find the remote, so what did you expect?” Jinsik defends himself, only then did it hit Sumin the reference that he probably should’ve caught.
“You don’t want me to actually answer that, trust me.” Jinsik sticks his tongue out before shifting back into a ferret, crawling up into Sumin’s lap. He still feels in shock, not really processing everything that’s happened in the last ten minutes but he just goes with it considering the (now) ferret seems to like him as he kneads his paws against Sumin’s thigh a few times before curling up and making himself at home.
He looks up at Hyunwoo who’s expression hasn’t changed much but when he notices he’s being looked at, his features soften, doing something to the confused twenty-two year old that he can’t quite explain.
“He’s just kidding by the way.” Hyunwoo adds, reaching over for a cup of tea before nudging a cup towards him.
“So I’m not a wizard?” Sumin questions, an odd mix of both relief and slight disappointment.
“No but you are part witch.” Hyunwoo says casually, taking a sip of tea and turning his gaze away.
“What?” Sumin’s eyes widen.
“You’re a witch Sumin.”
And as if there couldn’t have been worse timing, Sumin's phone starts to ring, startling them all.