Chapter Text
"Did you see that? How was he cooing over him?"
"A little creepy, he always follows him like that!!"
"Come on, guys, they're real people, shipping is gross!!!"
Changbin swallowed and closed the comments section, only to look again at the TikTok video Yongbok had sent him. It was from their last SKZ Code show, this time from the hospital. Changbin was a little uncomfortable with the team proposal at first. It was a medical check-up, after all. But when the staff assured them that the filming would be mostly about things they didn't mind, and they had the opportunity to say if they wanted to leave anything out, he nodded.
Which led to him watching himself, under the influence of anaesthesia, being pushed out of the examination room while Chan hyung stood over him, almost shaking at how cute he thought Changbin was. Changbin swallowed again, ignoring how his ears were probably turning red.
"What are you looking at, hyung?"
Changbin quickly locked the phone and turned his head. Hyunjin stood in the doorway to his room, looking at him with a strangely knowing smirk.
"Nothing, just... Yongbok sent me something... Uh, do you need something?"
"You mean the video from the last Code?"
While Hyunjin laughed, Changbin rubbed his face. Of course, he knew it - Hyunjin and Felix were a solid duo, especially when it came to torturing their hyung.
"Oh come ooooon!"
"You were cute, heh. And you were quiet," Hyunjin added and entered the room.
Changbin pursed his lower lip, just out of habit, which made Hyunjin laugh even harder. He sat down on the bed next to him and nodded at the phone.
"It was a nice shoot. It seemed like everyone had a good time... Especially Chan hyung..."
Changbin tried really hard to keep a straight face, but from the way Hyunjin's smile turned into a smirk, he knew he had lost. He was really bad at this.
"Chan hyung is glad that we're all healthy."
"Sure, sure... That's why he stood over you the whole time you woke up. And then whenever the camera wasn't on him."
Changbin tilted his head, a little confused.
"What do you mean?"
Hyunjin sighed playfully and pecked Changbin on the forehead.
"Sometimes you're so observant, and sometimes you're completely blind. Don't say you don't see it."
"What... Hyung is always around us when we're filming. He's watching over us," Changbin muttered.
"But especially when it comes to you, huh?"
Changbin shook his head before Hyunjin could even finish the sentence.
"He knows I don't like anaesthesia. He was just making sure everything was okay."
Hyunjin laughed and patted him on the shoulder. "Sure... if that's what you want to say. I'm going to dinner, do you want to join me? I'll pay for it tonight."
Changbin wasn't as blind as Hyunjin thought. Even though he acted a bit silly most of the time and hung around like an overgrown child, he had noticed the smallest details from a young age. He knew what kind of tea Jisung liked, and he knew when Hyunjin was sad by what he had painted the night before. He knew when Yongbok was homesick for Australia by the snacks he ate, imported straight from Sydney. And he knew when someone was staring at him, even from across the room.
Sure, being an idol meant being constantly under scrutiny. Especially in public. There was always someone with a cell phone in their hand, or a camera, because something was being filmed. Changbin had gotten used to that. But only one kind of stare could make the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
"I'm placing an order for protein. Do you want to join? I think you're running low."
Changbin watched silently as Chan hyung scrolled through the e-shop they regularly ordered supplies from on his phone, and was already adding two packs of the flavoured protein that Changbin usually bought to his cart. Changbin didn't talk about running low on protein. He found out this morning, and he was home alone. He didn't have time to complain to anyone because he was heading to the studio right away, and didn't want to go to the gym until the afternoon or evening.
"Thanks, hyung," Changbin muttered, watching Chan's eyes narrow in delight, then continued to work on his order.
When time and schedule allowed, which unfortunately wasn't often, Changbin and Felix would go out to eat, just the two of them. They had their favourite restaurant, a small place on a side street that was easy to miss. The waiters were an elderly couple who always complimented Yongbok on how nice he looked and then gave him a few extra dumplings on the house. No one bothered them here, which was probably the most valuable thing they could have had at this time.
As soon as they were seated, they got water and ordered straight away. Yongbok fidgeted a little with a strange nervous energy. Changbin waited quietly, suspecting that the younger boy wanted to talk about something.
"I.. I don't even know how to start," Yongbok laughed and started to play with the paper wrapper of his chopsticks. "But... I talked to Hyunjin."
Changbin laughed a little.
"Something you two want to tell me?"
Yongbok blushed and snorted.
"Oh please, don't start with that nonsense... I've got a lot of comments as soon as I turn on the stream..."
"You and my wife are popular," Changbin shrugged.
Everyone knew how obsessed fans were with putting different members together. Especially Hyunjin and Felix. Changbin could see why - they were both very beautiful. They would make a nice couple. But he knew full well that the wind wasn't blowing that way for either of them.
"Yes, yes, we're beautiful and amazing," Yongbok waved his hand. "But I don't want to deal with that..."
“So what is it? Don’t say it’s all that Chan hyung nonsense again,” Changbin sighed. “I already explained to Hyunjin that he’s just having visions.”
“Maybe,” Yongbok shrugged. “But he’s not alone. If it’s visions, the whole group is having them.”
Changbin swallowed. This was the last thing he needed—for the group to start getting involved. Everyone was curious and, without any self-preservation instincts, ignoring that it wasn’t their business.
“Come on… You know how it is. There are eight of us, and we all like gossip. But that’s it.”
“So what, it’s gossip?”
“I don’t even know what exactly you’re talking about,” Changbin tried to play it off.
“About how obsessed Chris is with you.”
Changbin hesitated for a moment. Yongbok didn’t usually use hyung’s name like that. He only did it when the discussion was particularly serious. Another thing Changbin noticed.
"He's not obsessed. He takes care of us. He's our leader. It's literally his job to take care of us. We, seniors, take care of you, juniors. That's how it works."
Yongbok continued to stare at him, as if trying to see into his head. Changbin prayed his face would be as neutral as he hoped. Yongbok had been sniffing around this subject far too closely for months. And talking about it would mean admitting that something like this was going on. Which Changbin denied as best he could.
Admitting it would mean dealing with it. Changbin didn't know if he had the courage to do so.
"Hyung... I know you can take care of yourself," the junior murmured in a low voice, leaning closer. "But... This isn't right..."
Changbin frowned a little.
"It's not okay to talk about your hyung behind his back... Chan hyung doesn't do anything. Come on, you've known him for almost ten years. Has he ever done anything even slightly wrong to any of us? That guy would die for us!"
"I'm not saying he's hurting anyone!" Yongbok blurted out. "I... I know he wouldn't do it... It's just... Come on, hyung, you must have noticed! You should have seen how... How he looks at you..."
Changbin was saved from answering by the owner, who, along with her husband, brought the food to the table and began to put everything on the table from a large tray. Yongbok shook his head as if to end the subject for himself, and Changbin was glad for that.
This wasn't something he wanted to discuss. Not here, not at all.