Work Text:
It started with food.
Which, in hindsight, was already suspicious.
004 showed up unannounced—again—with a plastic bag full of “rare imported snacks” that looked like they had no business existing. Neon colors. crinkly packaging. One of them didn’t even have a language on it.
“Eat it,” 004 said, already halfway through three of them. “Tastes weird.”
Ijin looked at it. Then at him.
“…Why would I do that?”
004 grinned. “Curiosity.”
That was his first mistake.
---
The next morning, Ijin woke up… smaller.
He blinked once. Twice.
Sat up slowly, looking down at himself. His clothes hung differently. His hair brushed past his shoulders.
“….”
He stood, walked to the mirror, and stopped.
A girl stared back.
Same grey hair. Same quiet eyes.
Just… softer.
"Intresting."
---
Five minutes later, the group chat exploded.
**001:**
> Something is wrong.
**006:**
> that narrows it down to everything
**001:**
> I am… different.
**004:**
> YOU DIED???
**001:**
> No.
**005:**
> 004 you idiot if he was dead he wouldn't be able to chat right now.
**004:**
> SHUT UP!
**032:**
> then what??
A photo was sent.
Silence.
Then—
**006:**
> …oh
**004:**
> WHAT
**008:**
> ?
**016:**
> …Is that real?
**002:**
> Explain.
**001:**
> I consumed something 004 gave me.
**004:**
> HEY.
**005:**
> you turned him into a girl???
**004:**
> I DIDN’T KNOW THAT WAS AN OPTION???
---
Within an hour, everyone showed up.
Uninvited.
Of course.
---
Ijin sat on the couch, calm as ever, wearing one of Dayun’s oversized sweaters. It slipped slightly off his shoulder, but he didn’t seem to notice.
Dayeon sat beside him, hands clasped, stealing glances every few seconds.
“…You look really pretty, oppa.”
“…That is irrelevant.”
Across the room, 004 paced like something was about to go wrong.
“This is bad.”
“Why?” 006 asked, leaning against the wall, amused.
004 pointed at Ijin.
“Because now he looks defenseless.”
The room went quiet.
Ijin blinked.
“…I am not.”
018, standing with his arms crossed, spoke:
“Ofcourse you aren't. But others won’t see it that way.”
That was the problem.
---
It started almost immediately.
A knock at the door.
Dayeon opened it.
A boy stood there, nervous, holding a small gift bag.
“I—I came to see you Dayeon—”
His eyes drifted past her.
And landed on Ijin.
Who was sitting quietly.
Watching.
Expressionless.
The boy froze.
004 appeared behind him.
Slowly. Silently.
“…What do you want?” he asked, smiling just a little too wide.
The boy dropped the bag and ran.
---
“That was a little unnecessary 004 oppa...,” Dayeon said.
“He looked suspicious.”
“He had a bag...”
“Exactly.”
---
Despite everything, Ijin still went to school.
“I see no issue.”
Everyone else disagreed.
---
By the time they arrived, it didn’t look like a group of students.
It looked like a security detail.
002 walked slightly ahead.
004 and 006 stayed close—too close.
Ijin stood in the middle, calm as ever.
Unbothered.
---
At the school gate, Yuna, Sukjoo, and Yeongchan were waiting.
Yuna spotted him first.
She smiled—then froze.
“…Ijin?”
Her voice came out quieter than she meant it to.
Sukjoo blinked.
Looked at Ijin.
Then looked again.
“…Wait.”
Yeongchan leaned forward slightly, squinting.
“…Who is that?”
None of them moved.
Because the person standing there looked like Ijin—
but wasn’t.
Same grey hair.
Same eyes.
Same calm, unreadable expression.
But—
“…Why do you look like that?” Yuna asked, completely thrown off.
Ijin tilted his head slightly.
“…I consumed something.”
“That doesn’t explain anything!”
Sukjoo’s attention shifted past him.
To the men standing nearby.
The moment his eyes landed on 006, his posture stiffened.
Recognition hit instantly.
“…And who are they?”
004 smiled.
That didn’t help.
006 stared at Seokju for a second—then suddenly snapped his fingers.
“Oh! Wait—”
He pointed at him, grinning.
“You’re the guy that hit me with a car!”
Seokju froze.
“….”
Yeongchan slowly turned to look at him.
Yeona did the same.
“…You did what?” she asked.
004 blinked—then burst out laughing.
“YOU got hit by a car?!”
Meanhwile Yeona and Yeongchan yelled at Seokju in shock,
Then immediately pointed at Seokju.
“YOU hit someone with a car?!”
Seokju looked away, adjusting his glasses like that would somehow save him.
“…It was an accident.”
006 was still laughing.
“Yeah, sure it was.”
---
The walk inside was tense.
Yeona stayed close.
Seokju remained alert, eyes constantly scanning the Numbers.
Yeongchan whispered,
“…Are we in danger?”
“I don’t know,” Seokju muttered back.
“I don’t like this.”
“Neither do I.”
---
By lunch, the entire school was staring.
Whispers followed them everywhere.
Phones out.
Speculation spreading fast.
At their table, Yeona leaned in.
“…Ijin, seriously, what happened to you?”
“I told you.”
“That’s not an explanation!”
“…It is sufficient.”
She stared at him.
Then sighed.
“…You’re unbelievable.”
---
A group of boys nearby kept glancing over.
One finally stood up and walked toward them.
“H-hey—”
004’s head snapped toward him instantly.
The boy froze mid-step.
002 didn’t move—but something about him made it hard to breathe.
Ijin turned slightly.
“…Yes?”
The boy lost all confidence.
“…Never mind.”
He left.
Quickly.
Ijin just continued to eat
---
Yeona stared at the three of them.
Then at Ijin.
Then buried her face in her hands.
“…I don’t understand anything right now.”
Yeongchan nodded immediately.
“…Me neither.”
Seokju exhaled quietly.
“…We’ll talk about this later.”
---
That night, it wore off.
Just like that.
---
The next morning, Ijin stood in front of the mirror again.
Back to normal.
Like nothing ever happened.
---
The group chat buzzed.
**001:**
> I have returned to normal.
**006:**
> tragic
**004:**
> BORING
**008:**
> good
**002:**
> Understood.
A pause.
Then—
**006:**
> lowkey miss it
**005:**
> yeah, i didn't even get to see it in person!
**001:**
> ???.
No one answered.
---
At school, Yeona saw him and stopped.
Stared.
“…You’re back to normal.”
“Yes.”
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
“…I’m not even going to ask.”
Seokju adjusted his glasses.
“…Probably for the best.”
Yeongchan nodded.
“…Yeah. I don’t think I want to know.”
Ijin tilted his head slightly.
“…It was not a significant issue.”
Yeona sighed.
“…For you.”
"Wait what did we miss yesterday?!" Jaehyung and Hyeokjin asked confused.