Chapter Text
Lee Minho was an idol in a group named Stray Kids. There were eight members and he adored them. He loved them like family. But there were some things he couldn't bring himself to tell them. He couldn't bring himself to make them worry as he knew they would if they found out. It was best kept to himself.
“Yah Chan, where are we eating later?” Jeongin called to the leader.
They were all camped at their dorm room after a meeting with Skijigi as it was closest to the JYP Entertainment building.
“Maybe that new restaurant down the road? We haven't gone yet and this is a good opportunity to bring the kids,” came Chan's reply.
“OHH YESSS!!” Changbin yelled.
Changbin loved trying new places for food. In fact he just loved food. I mean, who doesn't? Minho loved food too. But the idea of eating at a new place filled him with dread. You see, as much as he loved food, he also hated it.
“What's this place called?” he asked with as much nonchalance as he could muster. He could've sworn he sounded suspicious. “
Uhh. Can't remember, sorry,” was the response.
“Oh okay,” Minho said, just about hiding the anxiety building up.
He pulled out his phone and found their location on maps. Then zoomed out to find any restaurant buildings. He spotted the usual ones then found one he didn't recognise.
Scarlett's Suppers.
He clicked on it and found their website. He pressed the menu and found their food menu. He scrolled and to his utmost horror, they didn't list the calories.
Inside, he panicked. He needed to know the calories. He needed to know what had least so he could pick that. He needed to know.
He scrolled back up and found a salad menu. Phew. That was low calorie.
There were three that sounded remotely nice. One had pieces of chicken so he ruled that one out because he didn't need those extra calories. The other two were basically the same but one had cucumber which he didn't like so he decided on the third and final one.
Salad Supreme. Odd name but it was sufficiently low calorie.
He closed his phone and the panic had subsided. He knew what he'd get and it was low calorie. He'd also only drink water to avoid drinking his calories.
“Right, let's go kids,” Chan announced now he'd finished doing whatever he was doing.
The members all slowly got up and got themselves ready. Jisung went straight to Minho.
“Hey baby.”
Minho smiled. Jisung always calmed his heart and filled him with happiness. They weren't officially dating but they both knew how they felt about each other.
“Hai Jisungie.”
They went to the door and put on their shoes. Then Jisung grabbed his hand grinning. Minho bit back a flustered smile. No matter how many times Jisung did that, he always got shy.
Ten minutes later, they reached the restaurant.
“Oh why's it foreign?” Seungmin complained after seeing the name.
The second youngest loved Korean food and had some weird vendetta against food from literally anywhere else.
“You'll live,” Hyunjin stated.
Seungmin scoffed.
Inside was quite grand. The floor was carpeted in crimson with oak furniture. The tables and chairs were neatly arranged so there was plenty of room between each but also plenty of room for many guests.
At the entrance was a little table with a laptop on it. Behind said table was a red haired girl. Her hair was literally bright red.
She smiled as they entered.
“Hi, how many of you are there?” she said sweetly.
As the oldest and the leader, Chan stepped forwards to do the important stuff. Minho hung at the back and looked around, trying to avoid getting in his head.
The ceiling was white with wooden beams and mini golden chandeliers. He counted ten that he could see. Then his eyes followed the beams down the walls which were covered with scarlet wallpaper and gold specks. It was pretty.
Then he looked back at Chan and the girl. She was pretty. Short, red hair, rockstar style. Her name tag said Scarlett. She must be the owner.
He was dragged back to earth by Jisung tugging his jumper sleeve. They were now being led to a table for eight.
Once seated, the girl left back to the entrance.
“Right. Menu's are there. Pick a drink to begin with, then we can order food, yes?”
There was a chorus of nods and mumbled agreements.
Minho picked up the menu pretending to look at drinks. He knew he'd only get water but he had an act to uphold. No one needed to know.
The menu had a list of hot and cold drinks. He didn't read what they were, it didn't matter. Water was all he was having. He'd just pretend he was thirsty, which he was. But that wasn't the reason he picked water.
“Have you all chosen?” Chan asked.
Another chorus of yeses.
Chan called over a waitress. She was tall with dark hair and her name tag said Ana.
“Hi, can we order drinks please?”
“Of course, what can I get you?”
She spoke with impeccable Korean for someone who obviously wasn't native, Minho noticed.
“I'll have a coffee,” Chan started. “I need the caffeine.”
Beside Chan was Jisung who asked for, “an iced Americano please.”
Minho next. Water, water, water.
“I'll just have water please,” he said.
He felt Jisung give him a questioning look.
In the following order, the rest of the members ordered. Seungmin also had an iced Americano, Hyunjin chose a strawberry milkshake, Felix picked a banana milkshake, Jeongin wanted to try the non alcoholic espresso martini and Changbin also had a coffee.
Once the waitress had walked away, Jisung immediately pounced on Minho.
“Why did you only get water?” he hissed.
“I'm thirsty,” Minho whispered back.
Jisung squinted at him but didn't push it.
Before long, their drinks arrived and they ordered their food. Minho successfully picked the salad despite the grumbling of his stomach. He didn't realise how hungry he was. But salad was low calorie so that was what he picked.
He sipped his water, lost in his head while the others chatted. They were used to Minho being quiet at public places like this so they didn't try to include him. They knew he would if he wanted to.
The evening passed in a blur. Minho ate his salad and declined dessert. Chan paid for them this ONE time and next time someone else had to. They left the restaurant, thanking the girl at the door. They walked their separate ways. Jisung and Minho got home and Jisung went to shower.
Then Minho was left alone.
His stomach grumbled furiously at him. The salad had filled him for around five minutes but now he was desperately hungry.
He padded around the kitchen, trying to think of anything other than the cheesecake in the fridge. Cheesecake had hundreds of calories and way too much fat. He couldn't eat it. The weight he'd gain wasn't worth it. It would take hours of cardio to burn off.
Suddenly the bathroom door opened and Jisung entered the kitchen. Upon hearing the door, Minho had grabbed a glass and went to the tap, pretending he was getting a drink rather than fighting with his own head.
“I'm oddly tired, baby,” Jisung started. “I'm going to bed. Join me when you're ready, okay?”
Minho nodded and Jisung left.
The inner turmoil began again. Minho opened and closed the fridge at least ten times before the hunger took over and he grabbed a spoon and ate an entire two slices of the cheesecake.
Then hating himself, he ran to the bathroom to try to puke it.
He stuck his fingers to the back of his throat but it didn't work. He tried again and again but nothing. The cheesecake was still inside him and the self hatred was burning.
Tears streamed down his face as he joined Jisung in bed, vowing to skip breakfast tomorrow.