Stray Kid's 9th member

Chp 40- An uncomfortable lunch

Choosing to ignore the eyerolls from several boys, he stood in behind his seat, arms folded calmly over his chest. "What's the meaning of this?" He asked, an eyebrow raised to accompany his apparent confusion.

"Hyung, how about you sit down? I'm going to order some food so-"

"Chaerin, I asked you a question." Minho sighed and looked at Chan who only shrugged. "I just..." her voice grew small, "I just wanted is to have a meal together...like the old times."

Minho couldn't help but roll his eyes. Like the old times? Who was she kidding? "Please?" She pleaded, her eyes glinting with hope as she looked up at Minho who turned away. With another sigh, he dragged his chair out and sat down, refusing to look at the other members.

Chaerin gave him a small smile before flipping open the menu and combing through the dishes. She looked up at the table with a stack of menus in the middle before glancing at the rest of the members. They were either silent or scrolling through their phones, Jisung even had his eyes closed as if he was asleep.

Chaerin gently tapped Hyunjin's arm beside her as he looked up from his phone. "What do you want to eat? Do you want their famous black bean noodles?"

Hyunjin shook his head, leaning his head against his palm as he looked back at his phone. "Had that yesterday."

"Oh...then how about some kimchi stew?" She tried again. Hyunjin shrugged but said nothing.

She then turned to Minho and called him a few times but he didn't hear since hw was probably blast music into his ears through his teeny tiny earphones so she gave up.

"Lets have some beef stew then," Chan said kindly, seeing that Chaerin's efforts were not bearing fruit. She tried to ask the rest but they didn't reply. "Hey guys, Chaerin's talking. Let's give her some respect." Some members finally looked up at her with bored expressions. "IS beef stew okay?"

"Just order what you want you dragged us here anyway"

She nodded and tried to smile at Felix but he went back to his phone without a second glance

The food came and they ate quietly. They weren't laughing like how they used to they weren't talking like how they used to and the atmosphere was cold and silent.

"Guys," Chaerin started, "what happened to us? Just a month ago things were fine and suddenly...this happened. I can't wrap my head around whats going on. I dont understand you guys. You'd ask me to go for dinner with you guys, purposefully leaving out Lee Know hyung all time—even he knows it, and now you barely want to talk to me and ignore me"

"When did i ignore you" Felix turned off his phone and frowned at Chaerin. "I mean..."
"I didnt ignore you so dont make me the bad guy." He said, rolling his eyes. "Thats not what I meant," defended Chaerin, starting to feel exasperated.

"But it is, isnt it? You're so perfect and outshine everyone else so that now we're all horrible" Felix shot back. "Felix...when did I ever?" Her voice filled with disappointment and hurt.

"Felix what are you saying" Minho frowned. "What about you hyung" Jisung piped up with a snicker. "What?" Minho replied, his attention on Jisung.

"Guys I just want you guys to be happy like we used to, please stop fighting" Chaerin pleaded when she saw the situation getting tense. "You're the one to speak when you're the one with priviledges" Jisung chuckled dryly.

"Priviledges?" Chaerin frowned as she looked at the other members, searching their faces for answers.

"Your own mini album, including people, excluding people, making us feel like we're not good enough to have solo promotion, to be included in your album..." Felix muttered.

"I never meant for you to feel that way" Chaerin tried to defend herself. "Oh but it sure did." He scoffed back.

"Whats wrong with you guys" Minho cut in. "You really want to know why we are like that now?" Jisung asked Minho, his voice raising indignantly. "Guys calm down" Seungmin quickly tried o interfere, seeing where the situation was going.

"It's you." Jisung said, starin straight at Chaerin who was slightly taken aback. "It's all your fault"

"You broke us apart because of your selfishness."
Chaerin was speechless. She felt tears prick at her eyes as her nose turned sour. "What's with you guys suddenly? Why..."

"Going around, telling the whole world you released a mini album" Jisung continued. "How do you think we felt?" Felix added.
"Plus you were with Minho practising so much, you guys obviously got closer didn't you?" Hyunjin snickered.
"You were so arrogant about your mini album when it wasn't that good anyway-" Jisung
"Guys, enough!" Said Chan
Everyone fell silent. 
"Guys, we shouldn't do this in public. Drop the topic and we'll discuss it at the dorm. None of you have lessons after this, I asked the manager, so we're goig straight to the dorm after this." Chan sighed as he passed the utensils around as the members grudgingly picked them up. "Eat up, the food is getting cold." Changbin said softly to their youngest member who stared down at her food and didnt utter a single word but ate quietly.

It's your fault
It's all your fault
Arrogant
Selfish
Overly full of yourself
Inconsiderate

A thousand thoughts swarmed inside her head, incessant and loud, she could almost feel her head throb from the din itself was making. She closed her eyes as her hands clenched around her fork and spoon, willing those thoughts to get out of her head.

"Chaerin, are you okay?" Chan rubbed her shoulder gently, breaking her away from her thoughts. She opened her eyes and quickly nodded, finishing the few spoonfuls of her stew.

"Come on guys, I'll pay up and we'll head back to the dorm. It's about time we had a long talk about this." Chan sighed before he head to the cashier and the members walked out of the restaurant obligingly.

"Jisung hyung, you forgot your jacket!" Chaerin quickly picked the jacket up and ran towards the male that was heading out of the restaurant. Jisung looked at it then her, his lips momentarily parting as if words were threatening to spill but he shut them and took the jacket without saying a word.

"You could have at least said 'thank you'." Chaerin mumbled softly as she watched Jisung leave before jogging up to the car as well.