Chapter Text
It was the middle of a team meeting, and Chan was halfway through reviewing strategies for their upcoming game. Everyone sat around the dining table, their eyes fixed on the whiteboard Chan had propped up at the head of the room. Well, almost everyone.
Seungmin was up again, pacing the length of the kitchen with slow, measured steps. He hummed under his breath, his hands moving idly as if conducting an invisible orchestra.
It wasn’t unusual—far from it. The team had grown used to Seungmin’s habit of wandering during meetings. While others sat still, he preferred to move.
Jeongin, seated at the far end of the table, leaned over and whispered to Felix, “Do you think he even knows what Chan is saying?”
Felix smiled knowingly. “Trust me, he’s listening. Just watch.”
Chan, ever unbothered by Seungmin’s behavior, continued his explanation. “So, if their center shifts here, Felix will take the puck, and Jisung should—Seungmin, what’s Jisung supposed to do next?”
Without breaking his stride, Seungmin turned to answer, his tone matter-of-fact. “Move into the open space near the blue line so Hyunjin has a passing lane.”
Jisung’s jaw dropped, and he shot a look at Jeongin. “How does he do that?”
“Because he’s paying attention,” Minho said calmly, sipping his coffee. “Seungmin’s brain just works differently.”
Jisung leaned back, crossing his arms. “Still feels like magic.”
Later that evening, during movie night, the scene repeated itself. The team was sprawled across the couches and floor in the living room, popcorn bowls scattered everywhere. A comedy was playing on the TV, and the younger boys were in hysterics.
Except for Seungmin, who had abandoned his seat ten minutes in and was now standing near the window, fiddling with the curtain tie.
“You good over there, Seungmin?” Changbin called out, tossing a piece of popcorn in his direction.
“Yep,” Seungmin replied, catching the popcorn midair and popping it into his mouth. He didn’t look away from the window, though he laughed at the same time as everyone else when a particularly funny scene played out on screen.
Hyunjin stretched out on the couch and raised an eyebrow. “Do you even know what’s happening?”
Seungmin finally turned to face them, leaning casually against the wall. “Yeah. The main guy just slipped on a banana peel, and the dog stole his sandwich.”
Felix laughed. “See? Told you he doesn’t miss a thing.”
Jeongin shook his head in disbelief. “How do you do that? If it were me, I’d miss everything.”
Seungmin shrugged, his usual smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. “I don’t know. Guess I’m just built different.”
On other teams, Seungmin’s constant movement had been a problem. He’d been scolded by older players and even benched once for “not paying attention.” The unspoken expectation was that everyone should sit still, no matter how uncomfortable they were.
But things were different here. Chan and Minho had made it clear from the start: as long as Seungmin was engaged and contributing, they didn’t care how he showed it.
“He learns by moving,” Chan had explained once when a visiting coach commented on Seungmin’s behavior. “If you make him sit still, you’re taking away his best way of processing.”
It wasn’t just Chan and Minho who embraced it, either. The whole team had come to understand and respect Seungmin’s quirks.
As the movie ended and everyone started gathering up the empty bowls, Jisung turned to Seungmin, who was now sitting cross-legged on the floor, sorting through the popcorn kernels left in the bowl.
“You know,” Jisung said, “it’s kind of impressive how you manage to keep track of everything while you’re pacing around or, like, staring out the window.”
Seungmin looked up, one eyebrow raised. “You think I’d just wander off and ignore you guys?”
Jisung grinned. “No, but it’s still impressive. I mean, if it were me, I’d definitely get distracted.”
“Good thing you’re not me, then,” Seungmin said with a small smile.
Changbin ruffled Seungmin’s hair as he walked by. “Built different, huh?”
Seungmin swatted his hand away but didn’t stop smiling. “Exactly.”
And the team wouldn’t have it any other way.