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Chan sighed as he trudged down the cracked sidewalk, plastic bags of groceries digging into his fingers. He was on a mission: return home victorious with ingredients for dinner, specifically for the kimchi that Seungcheol had practically threatened him to prioritize.
Spoiler: he forgot half of it.
As he checked the receipt, eyes squinting at the words “milk” and “instant ramen,” a quiet quack broke his concentration.
He looked up.
There, sitting by the edge of the park like it owned the place, was possibly the ugliest duck Chan had ever seen. Its feathers were kind of patchy, like it missed the memo on molting season, and its beady eyes were locked in mortal combat with a small pebble it was aggressively pecking.
“…Are you trying to eat that?” Chan asked, voice light with amusement.
The duck paused, pebble precariously balanced in its beak, and quacked back.
Chan blinked. “Oh my god. You're a genius.”
The duck tilted its head, as if encouraging the praise.
Okay, so maybe it was kind of… cute? Ugly-cute. Like a cursed plushie you’d find at a secondhand store and feel morally obligated to take home.
“Hey,” Chan whispered, crouching beside it. “Wanna come with me? You’ll like it, I’ve got—” he glanced at his bag, “…instant ramen and frozen dumplings?”
The duck waddled forward, pecked his shoelace, and quacked again.
That was enough of a yes for Chan. He scooped the duck up with one arm, carefully balancing the grocery bags with the other.
“You’re Pebble now,” he declared, watching the duck blink at him from his arms. “Because apparently, you eat rocks.”
Pebble quacked approvingly and nuzzled into Chan’s hoodie.
Chan beamed. “Yeah, you’re definitely coming home with me.”
.
.
.
The dorm smelled like soy sauce and stress.
Chan kicked the door open with his foot, duck tucked securely in his arm like it was the most normal thing in the world. Pebble, as if sensing they were about to meet a new audience, let out a soft, dignified quack.
“Chan, you’re back—” Seungkwan started, swiveling on the couch to face him. His eyes trailed from Chan’s face to the small feathered creature in his arms.
Seungkwan blinked. “What the fuck is that?”
At Seungkwan’s sharp tone, everyone else slowly turned.
Seungcheol poked his head out from the kitchen, wiping nonexistent sweat from his brow, clearly trying to look like he wasn’t just spectating Mingyu chop vegetables. “Is that a—”
“It’s a duck,” Chan answered, deadpan, like it was the most obvious thing in the universe. His gaze briefly flicked to Seungkwan. “Are you okay? You’ve seen animals before, right?”
Seungkwan gaped, pointing aggressively. “That’s not the point, Chan!”
Jeonghan, sprawled lazily on the couch beside him, raised a brow. “Why did you bring home a duck? Are we making dinner or adopting it?”
Chan clutched Pebble tighter, scandalized. “It’s my child now.”
Pebble quacked proudly.
Seungcheol stormed over, arms crossed like a disapproving dad. “You can’t just—why did you bring a duck into our house?”
Chan shrugged. “He was eating a rock. We bonded.”
Jihoon sighed loudly from his laptop, not even looking up. “Of course you’d think rock-eating is a sign of friendship.”
Mingyu peered out from behind Seungcheol, knife still in hand. “Is it like… sick? That duck looks like it’s seen some shit.”
Hansol, still lying on the floor, slowly turned to them. “...It looks like an alien.”
Before Seungkwan could continue his meltdown, Soonyoung entered with Jun and Minghao trailing behind him.
“Oh my god, is that a duck?!” Soonyoung gasped, eyes sparkling as he rushed over.
Chan grinned. “Yeah, his name’s Pebble.”
Soonyoung crouched to get a better look. “Does he do tricks? Can I pet him? What’s his vibe?”
Jun, standing behind him, squinted at Pebble, then at Chan, then shrugged. “Honestly, this is the least surprising thing you’ve done.”
Minghao tilted his head. “Is it even legal to own a duck here?”
Chan raised a brow. “Define legal.”
Minghao blinked once, sighed, and muttered, “I’m too tired for this.”
“Guys,” Seungkwan hissed, flailing his arms, “we are not normalizing this!”
But judging by how Soonyoung was already pulling out his phone to look up ‘duck enrichment activities,’ Seungkwan was fighting a losing battle.
Chan gently placed Pebble onto his bed like he was tucking in a newborn child. The duck waddled in a circle, quacked twice, then promptly plopped onto its belly.
Soonyoung stood beside him, hands on his hips like a proud uncle. “He’s… honestly adorable. Like, ugly-adorable.”
Chan sniffled, wiping a dramatic tear. “He’s perfect.”
Soonyoung suddenly lit up. “Wait, you know what we should do?”
“What?”
“We should teach him the choreography to ‘HOT.’”
Chan gasped, clutching Soonyoung’s shoulders like he’d just proposed marriage. “Hyung, that’s such a great idea.”
“Right?! Think about it—Pebble doing body rolls? Iconic.”
They both sat cross-legged on the floor, intensely studying the duck, who was currently gnawing on a loose thread from Chan’s blanket.
“Alright Pebble, let’s start simple.” Soonyoung clapped his hands. “5, 6, 7—”
Before they could finish the count-in, Wonwoo poked his head through the doorframe like a horror movie cameo.
Wonwoo blinked. “...Are you training a duck?”
Chan pointed at Pebble, serious. “He’s going to be our fourteenth member.”
Wonwoo opened his mouth, then quietly decided it wasn’t worth it and left.
From the living room, Chan heard Seungcheol yelling, “Chan! Get in here!”
He stood up. “Watch Pebble while I’m gone.”
Soonyoung saluted. “You can count on me.”
Once Chan left, Soonyoung turned to Pebble, smirked, and whispered, “Alright Pebble, let’s improve your stamina.”
In the living room, Jeonghan, Seungcheol, and Joshua were waiting, arms crossed like three disapproving parents. Joshua, in particular, looked like he was still buffering.
“When did you… get a duck?” Joshua asked slowly, blinking.
“On the way home,” Chan replied casually, like he’d found Pebble in the clearance bin at the grocery store.
Jeonghan crossed his arms. “Are you sure you can even take care of it?”
“It’s just a duck.”
“Exactly!” Seungcheol chimed in, arms wide. “It’s just a duck! They’re messy. They poop everywhere. They’re loud. Why would you willingly bring that into our dorm?”
“Hyung,” Chan said, offended, “he’s family now.”
Seungkwan entered, muttering like he’d aged ten years in twenty minutes. “Ducks are horrible pets. They don’t even care about you, they’ll betray you for a piece of bread.”
Chan narrowed his eyes. “Pebble would never.”
Seungkwan scoffed, plopping onto the couch. “You don’t know that.”
Then Jeonghan smirked, voice sweet as honey. “We could always… cook it.”
The room went silent. Chan froze mid-breath, eyes wide.
“Hyung,” Chan whispered, cradling imaginary Pebble in his arms, “how could you?”
Joshua’s jaw dropped. “Jeonghan—”
“Think about it,” Jeonghan shrugged, grinning, “a nice duck stew. Crispy skin. We’ve got soy sauce in the kitchen.”
Chan gasped. “You monster.”
Seungcheol threw his hands up. “Okay, let’s NOT threaten to eat the duck, please.”
“I’m not saying I agree… but I wouldn’t complain.” Seungkwan said.
Chan clutched his chest in horror as if Seungkwan had stabbed him in the back.
Joshua just stared between them, whispering under his breath, “What is happening right now?”
Suddenly, Soonyoung burst through the door, looking visibly nervous.
“Chan, something’s wrong with Pebble,” he said, his voice a little too panicked for his usual carefree attitude.
Chan blinked in confusion. “What? What’s wrong with Pebble?”
Without waiting for a response, Soonyoung practically dragged Chan back to his room, the others following close behind.
When they entered, Chan’s eyes immediately widened in horror. Pebble, who had previously been a relatively calm (albeit strange) duck, was now bouncing off the walls like a miniature, feathery pinball. He was squawking loudly and flapping his wings with such intensity that it almost looked like he was trying to fly.
“What the hell is going on?” Chan asked, his voice barely above a whisper, his wide eyes glued to the chaos unfolding in front of him.
Soonyoung shifted awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I, uh... I gave him some Gatorade.”
“You gave him what?” Seungkwan’s voice rang out, incredulous. “Are you out of your mind?”
Seungcheol facepalmed, as he muttered, “This is why we can’t have nice things.”
Chan was too stunned to even form a coherent thought. “Hyung, why would you give him Gatorade?”
“I thought it’d make him stronger?” Soonyoung offered, totally unsure of how to justify the madness he’d just unleashed. “Like… you know, for energy?”
“Gatorade is for humans, you idiot!” Seungkwan snapped, his voice dripping with sarcasm and disbelief.
Just as the group stood frozen in horror, Seokmin walked into the room with his usual, sunny smile. “Hey, what’s—”
Before he could finish, Pebble turned and charged at him.
“AHHH!” Seokmin screamed, his eyes wide as he tried to backpedal, but the duck was faster. “What the—get it away from me!”
The others scrambled into action, trying to help Seokmin avoid becoming a full-fledged target. Chan grabbed a nearby pillow to try and shield him, but Pebble was relentless, squawking loudly as he pecked at Seokmin’s face.
“Get it off me!” Seokmin yelled from the floor, flailing helplessly as Pebble continued to launch itself at him. “I’m being attacked! I’m wounded! I’m dying!”
Chan’s heart dropped, his mind racing as he realized they might need more than just a pillow to stop this chaos. He quickly grabbed Pebble by the wings and yanked the duck away from Seokmin, the duck squawking in protest.
“Pebble, stop!” Chan commanded, holding the squirming duck firmly in his arms.
Seungkwan was standing on the sidelines, rubbing his forehead, too exhausted from the situation to do anything other than mutter under his breath.
“What the hell...”
“What’s with all the screaming?” Mingyu asked, stepping into the room, his face scrunched in confusion as he glanced at the pandemonium. Wonwoo, Hansol, Jun, Minghao, and Jihoon all followed behind him, equally perplexed at what they were witnessing.
“I don’t even know what I’m looking at right now,” Jihoon deadpanned, eyes wide as he looked between Chan and the out-of-control duck.
Wonwoo just sighed. “This is practically normal.”
“No, it's not normal!” Seungkwan huffed. “This is a duck on a Gatorade high, and it’s ruining our lives.”
Chan finally managed to get Pebble in a hold, cradling the overly energetic duck close to his chest. “Okay, okay, just calm down, Pebble. Please,” he pleaded, feeling a bit hopeless as the duck continued to flail in his arms.
Seokmin, still on the floor, slowly sat up, looking horrified. “He really bit me, you guys. I’m—ugh—I’m wounded. I can see the light!” He winced dramatically.
Jeonghan and Joshua both kneeled beside him, checking for any actual injuries, while Chan gave Pebble one last worried glance. The duck had finally quieted down, but the damage had already been done.
“What are we going to do with him?” Chan asked, his voice tinged with concern.
“We,” Seungkwan said with a pointed look, “are not keeping this duck in our house. You’re on your own with that.”
As Chan opened his mouth to protest, he felt a sudden, strange vibration in his arms. Pebble was shaking—no, vibrating—like something out of a sci-fi movie. Chan’s eyes widened in confusion.
“What the—”
Hansol, who had been leaning against the doorframe, looked over nonchalantly. “Oh, yeah, I heard that happens sometimes. Ducks are weird like that.” He shrugged, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
But just as Chan was about to question it further, Pebble stopped shaking, only to start... growling?
A deep, guttural growl filled the room, followed by a strange quacking noise that almost sounded like a roar. The members froze, eyes wide.
“What the hell?” Seungkwan blurted, barely containing his panic.
“I—uh—yeah, that’s not normal,” Chan muttered, his voice tinged with unease.
Without a second thought, he set Pebble down on the floor, eyes still wide in disbelief. “Maybe this was a mistake…”
Seungcheol, sensing the rising chaos, suddenly stepped forward, his usual bravado replaced by a moment of pure panic. “Nope, I’m done with this,” he declared, moving quickly to grab Pebble. “We’re getting this thing out of here!”
Seungcheol scooped the growling duck up and rushed to the door. He flung the door open and, with a little too much enthusiasm, shoved Pebble outside.
“There!” he announced with a wide, overconfident smile, “Not our problem anymore!”
The door slammed shut behind him, and for a moment, the room was silent. The others stared at each other, unsure of what just happened.
And then… they heard it.
A rumbling sound. Low and thunderous. Followed by the unmistakable sound of something huge moving outside.
They rushed to the window, and all they saw was Pebble—now much bigger—standing in the yard, furiously flapping his wings. The once small, unassuming duck was now growing at an alarming rate, his body swelling until it was nearly as tall as a building. His quacking sounded more like a monstrous roar as he continued to expand, his size quickly reaching Godzilla proportions.
“...Seungcheol, what the hell did you just do?” Jeonghan deadpanned, his voice dripping with disbelief as he stared at the giant duck now terrorizing the backyard.
Seungcheol looked at the chaos outside, and for a moment, he stood frozen. “I... I didn’t think it would grow that big,” he muttered under his breath, his bravado from earlier evaporating into thin air.
“I can’t believe this.” Mingyu rubbed his temples, trying to process the absurdity of the situation. “We are so screwed.”
“Should we, like… do something?” Wonwoo asked, blinking at the giant duck from the window.
“Nope,” Seungkwan replied flatly. “This is on Chan. It’s his duck.”
Chan, who had been staring at Pebble through the window with wide eyes, sighed deeply. “I swear, I just wanted a pet…”
The members stood, speechless, as they watched Pebble’s new, monstrous form flapping his wings and causing a minor earthquake in the yard.
“We really need to figure out how to get him back to normal size,” Seungcheol mumbled, clearly regretting his hasty decision.
The chaos had only just begun.
As the giant duck—now referred to as Pebblezilla—continued to wreak havoc across Seoul, leaving a path of destruction, all of them were huddled around a table, trying to come up with a plan.
But honestly, most of their ideas were... ridiculous.
"Okay, okay," Soonyoung clapped his hands together excitedly, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "What if we, like, make a giant duck-sized kite? We can fly it in front of him, and maybe he’ll follow it back to normal size?"
"That's... so stupid, hyung," Mingyu said flatly, not even bothering to hide his disbelief. "Like, why would a giant duck want to follow a kite?"
"Exactly!" Soonyoung grinned like he'd just come up with the greatest invention of the century. "You don't know until you try!"
“Right... that’s definitely not gonna work,” Jihoon muttered from his corner, typing furiously on his laptop, likely Googling something way more practical.
Seungkwan rubbed his temples. “This is a disaster. What happened to the time when plans actually made sense? Now we’re just trying to trick a giant duck into behaving."
“Do you think we could bribe him with bread crumbs? Ducks like them…” Seungcheol asked, though even he sounded unsure.
“A bread-crumb trail?” Seungkwan raised an eyebrow. "What, you think we're leading a toddler on a treasure hunt?"
"Why not?" Seungcheol shot back. "It's either that or, I don't know, try and knock him out with some tranquilizers or something."
Minghao, who had been quietly observing the group, finally spoke up with a skeptical tone. “Are we really talking about using bread crumbs for a giant duck?” His face was full of incredulity, but he didn't stop them from brainstorming.
Chan, meanwhile, had been silently observing the group, taking in their chaotic, and honestly dumb, suggestions. He sighed. This wasn’t working. The situation was quickly spiraling into something only half of them could even comprehend.
“Guys…” Chan started, his voice suddenly calm amidst the absurdity. “What if it’s not about the kite or the bread crumbs?”
The others paused and turned to him, curious.
“I think it’s about the power of friendship,” Chan said seriously, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
A long silence filled the room. Jun blinked, Seungkwan looked like he wanted to cry, and Joshua stared at Chan, utterly confused.
“What…?” Jun asked slowly, as though the words didn’t quite make sense in his brain.
“Uh, yeah,” Chan continued, his confidence growing as he went on, “Like, My Little Pony. The power of friendship will save us.”
“…Okay,” Jeonghan finally said, his tone flat as if he couldn’t be bothered to argue, “If you say so.”
The others were still processing Chan’s suggestion when Seungcheol rubbed his temples and asked, “Are we really going with this plan? The ‘love and friendship’ thing?”
“Well, it’s better than any of your ridiculous ideas,” Chan snapped back, his irritation now matching the absurdity of the situation. "I mean, it makes sense, right? Maybe if we show Pebble we care enough, it’ll work. Or—" He gave a determined nod. "Or maybe if we all sing Aju Nice together, it’ll trigger something. I don’t know!"
The others stared at him blankly. Jihoon blinked twice, as if unsure whether Chan was being serious or not.
"Okay, okay," Soonyoung said finally, grinning like a maniac. "I’m all in for this. You know what this plan needs? A dance!"
"Great," Seungkwan muttered sarcastically. "Now we’re dancing our way out of this."
Seokmin shrugged. “Sounds like a great plan.”
Chan nodded enthusiastically. “Exactly! Everyone, let’s just... gather around Pebble and show him we love him, okay? We’ll sing, we’ll dance, we’ll cheer him on, and maybe, just maybe... he’ll shrink back to normal!”
"Is that actually the plan?" Joshua asked, sounding half-impressed, half-confused. “We’re seriously going to just sing to a giant, angry duck?”
“Guys,” Chan threw up his hands, “What else is there to do? This is literally our only shot.”
The room fell into silence again as the absurdity of it all set in. Everyone looked at one another, a bit uncertain, but a little more hopeful. If anyone could shrink a monster-duck with friendship and a song, it would be this group.
"Alright," Seungcheol finally said, giving a half-hearted sigh. “Let’s do this before the duck destroys more of Seoul."
And so, the plan was set.
“Alright!” Soonyoung grinned, immediately leaping into the middle of the group, throwing his arms out. “Aju Nice, here we come!”
It didn’t take long to find Pebble. Honestly, how could it? Pebble was towering over the city skyline, stomping around Seoul. Sirens wailed in the distance, and yet here stood SEVENTEEN—armed with nothing but a speaker, some dance moves, and a whole lot of misplaced hope.
Jihoon quickly set up the speaker while the others anxiously got into position.
“You sure this is going to work?” Seungkwan whispered, adjusting his shirt.
“Nope,” Chan whispered back, “but Pebble’s already destroyed a noodle shop, so... it’s now or never.”
With a deep breath, Jihoon hit play.
The opening beats of “Aju Nice” blared through the speaker. Pedestrians nearby stopped mid-sprint from Pebblezilla’s rampage, staring at the spectacle of thirteen men suddenly breaking into synchronized choreography. Even Pebble paused mid-roar, blinking his giant beady eyes as if thoroughly confused by what he was witnessing.
Some guy with a half-eaten hot dog muttered, “What... the hell?”
As they hit the chorus, “AJU NICE!”, Pebble tilted his massive duck head, watching the group with what could only be described as mild curiosity. By the time the song ended, Pebble was just standing there—fascinated.
The members panted, exhausted but cautiously optimistic.
Chan stepped forward dramatically, chest heaving as he pointed at Pebble with a trembling hand. “Pebble,” he started, voice full of overwrought emotion, “these past few hours with you have been… life-changing.”
The others shared a seriously? glance behind him.
“You made my cloudy days clear,” Chan continued, “you filled the hole in my heart I didn’t even know existed! Like the sun rising after a rainy day. Like the last gimbap on an empty shelf. You, Pebble, you gave me hope!”
Pebble let out a deep, warbled quack that sounded suspiciously like a sniffle. Slowly, to everyone’s absolute shock, the duck began to shrink. His towering form reduced to a regular-sized duck—well, maybe still a bit chubby, but Pebble-sized nonetheless.
The group stood frozen as Chan carefully approached. Pebble waddled up to him, staring up with soft, shiny eyes.
Chan knelt down. “Pebble... is this goodbye?”
Pebble quacked gently, and somehow—somehow—Chan understood. The duck’s eyes seemed to say, It’s time. I must return to my people.
Tears welled up in Chan’s eyes. “But Pebble, I—”
Pebble quacked firmly.
Chan choked back a sob. “Okay. Okay, I understand.”
Soonyoung dramatically dropped to his knees beside Chan, ugly crying. “DON’T LEAVE US, PEBBLE! WE CAN TEACH YOU THE REST OF OUR DISCOGRAPHY!”
Jeonghan rubbed his temples while Joshua sighed, muttering something about how surreal their lives had become. Wonwoo stood silently, watching with a small, bemused smile as Seungcheol crossed his arms.
Finally, Pebble gave Chan a soft headbutt before waddling off into the horizon, disappearing behind a building.
Chan wiped his face, turning back to the others, voice thick with emotion. “He was too good for this world.”
Seungcheol sighed. “C’mon, let’s go before we get questioned.”
The headlines were unavoidable.
“SEVENTEEN SAVES SEOUL WITH DANCE ROUTINE, SHRINKS GIANT DUCK”
Other headlines read:
- “Idol Group Uses K-Pop Powers to Defeat Feathered Menace”
- “13-Member Boy Group Brings Peace Through... Dancing?”
- “Duck Destroys City, SEVENTEEN Destroys Duck with Banger”
Jeonghan flipped through the articles at the breakfast table while sipping his coffee. “Well, at least we’re heroes now.”
“Soonyoung, stop framing the newspaper,” Seungcheol grumbled from the corner.
Soonyoung clutched the framed headline proudly. “You don’t understand! This is history!”
Chan, meanwhile, stared longingly out the window. “I hope Pebble’s okay.”
“I’m sure he is,” Hansol said, patting him on the shoulder. “Besides, Seoul is still standing.”
Mingyu smirked. “Barely.”
The room fell into comfortable chaos again as the members bickered, laughed, and sighed in disbelief at how insane their lives had become.
.
.
.
Somewhere in a secret crater deep in the woods outside Seoul, Pebble waddled into a clearing.
Awaiting him were dozens of ducks—no, alien ducks—glowing faintly under the light of a hovering spacecraft disguised as a giant pond. Their feathers shimmered like stardust, and their eyes gleamed with cosmic intelligence. They stood in a semi-circle, watching Pebble approach.
The largest among them, wearing what looked suspiciously like a tiny crown, stepped forward. “Pebbl’thrax, what news dost thou bring from the humans?”
Pebble straightened his little duck body, speaking fluently in a deep, echoing voice. “Council Elders, I have learned much during my reconnaissance.”
The ducks quacked in agreement, as if urging him to continue.
“The human boy, Lee Chan, has shown me kindness,” Pebble declared. “He hath shared his dwelling, granted me sustenance… and performed rhythmic rituals of great power.”
The crowned duck nodded solemnly. “The Aju Nice Ritual?”
Pebble bowed his head. “Indeed.”
Murmurs rippled through the flock. One duck gasped. Another fainted.
Pebble fluffed his feathers. “It is my recommendation that we do not destroy this planet.”
The council of alien ducks quacked in shock but quickly settled into serious contemplation.
“We shall spare them,” the leader finally decreed. “But we shall watch. Always.”
Pebble gave a respectful nod. “Understood.”
Behind them, the spacecraft began to hum, preparing for departure. As the ducks filed into their cosmic pond-ship, Pebble took one last glance toward the horizon.
“Farewell… Chan.”
The ship rose silently into the night sky, disappearing among the stars.
Back at SEVENTEEN’s place, Chan sneezed randomly while brushing his teeth.
“Someone must be talking about you,” Soonyoung said, wiggling his eyebrows.
Chan paused, staring out the window. For a moment, he swore he saw a faint duck-shaped constellation glowing above Seoul.
He blinked.
“…Nah,” he muttered.
But somewhere, far above the Earth, Pebble watched… and softly quacked.