ℕ𝕖𝕩𝕥 𝕋𝕠 𝕐𝕠𝕦 || 9ᴛʜ ᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀ

𝚂𝚕𝚞𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛

Chan walks into the practice room, expecting to see all of his members ready to practice for their upcoming comeback. He walked into the room only to meet with seven pairs of eyes instead of eight. He furrowed his brows, as he frantically looked around, then taking a glance at his watch. It read '7:39 PM' just about four minutes later than what they had scheduled.

Changbin was the first to take notice of the leader's frantic state, and questioned him. "Hyung, what are you looking for?" He said as he stretched his arm across his chest.

Chan looks up from his watch again, and scans the room, getting the same results, before he turns attention to his younger member.

"Have any of you seen Kai? She was supposed to be here five minutes ago, and Kai's always early to dance practices." Chan asks with worry. The last time he communicated with the girl was yesterday night. He had asked for her to go over a song he wrote and had already produced the music for, he asked for her opinion and a demo. He had arrived home late that night, and when he got home, she was already up and ready to leave for the company building. She was out the door at 5:30 am.

"I texted her earlier, around 2:30 pm, to remind her of today's practice. It read she had seen the message but she never replied, so I just guessed she was busy." Felix states as she pull out his device a show Chan the message. Chan furrows his brows, now more worried than before.

"I remember her getting ready early this morning, like around 5, saying she was headed to her studio at the company building. She had made noise and woke me up, and after she explained, I fell back asleep." Lino asserted, already on edge as his friend was missing from the room.

"She's probably still in there. I'll call her, she always answers me." Chan hooded off at Seungmin's request, as he dialed her number and waited. It led straight to voicemail.

"Maybe her phone died, you know Kai, she never charges her phone. She's probably still in her studio, me and I.N can go and look for her while you guys get to practicing." Hyunjin requested, as Chan yet again nodded off, worried what could have happened to Kai.

As the two left, the rest started their stretches together, as Han walked up to the older boy."I'm sure she's okay, Channie hyung. She must have gotten so caught up in what she was doing, that she forgot the time. She always get like that when she works, don't you remember?" Han reassured him, as he rubbed his back. Chan was worried, and Han knew how to calm him down. He was always good at that, Chan thought. Chan nodded, and went to the rest of the members, as both him and Han joined the circle for stretching.

~~~

The two boys had reached the door of their noona's studio. I.N knocks on the door, not wanting to intrude by just opening it. There wasn't a response. He looked at Hyunjin with a worried look.

"Noona, it's me Hyunjin and I.N, can we come in?" Hyunjin softly asks, as he also knocks on the door. But again, no answer. Hyunjin became impatient, as he finally opened the door, as the girl never responded to either of them.

Once they opened the door to the studio, they saw all of Kai's equipment on and her water bottle on the counter, meaning she was here. They also saw an energy drink next to her water bottle.

"Hyung, look." I.N said in a hushed tone, as he pointed to the couch. There laid a sleeping Kai, as she was cuddled up with a stuffed dolphin Chan had gotten for her and a blanket wrapped around her. Her soft expression planted a smile on both the boy's faces. Seeing her so relaxed was refreshing, seeming as she had been stressing due to their new comeback that was on the edge of release.

They admired her a bit more, before I.N kneeled in front of her face, and softly shook her shoulder, softly calling her from her slumber.

"Noona, noona. Wake up." I.N pleaded quietly, as he looked over to see her eyebrows furrow, at the sudden movement. Her eyes slowly opened, and in her view, saw both the boys in front of her. The burning sensation of her eyes adjusting to the newfound light, caused her to squeeze them shut, as they called for her attention once more.

"Noona, come on, we have practice." Hyunjin spoke up, as he saw as she nodded, and turned away, ignoring them completely.

"Don't make this so difficult, Ula." Hyunjin chuckled out, as he carefully redirected her body to face them.

"Five more minutes..."Ka slurred, still in her frenzy state of slumber.

"Come on, noona, up you go." Hyunjin pushed the blanket aside, as he lifted the girl from the couch, bridal style, his left arm under her knees, and his right arm supporting her back. She unconsciously wrapped her arms around the boy's neck, for support, as she hurried her neck into his chest. Hyunjin couldn't help but smile as his heart raced at the close contact . He kissed her temple, as he carefully walked out the door, waiting for I.N to turn off all the equipment, and bring along the blanket just in case. Once he brought her things, he locked the door, with her keys, and turned around to see Hyunjin admiring Kai.

"Let's go back now."

~~~

I.N opened the door of the practice room, holding it open for Hyunjin to walk through with Kai in his arms. Chan was the first to walk over, as he saw the girl safe and sound as she slept comfortably in Hyunjin's arms.

"She fell asleep on the couch at her studio. She must have gotten tired." Jeongin inferred, as he dropped Kai's bag down next to the door.

"Yeah she was up all night." Minho said as he looked over at the girl with a soft expression, happy she was okay.

Chan took the girl from Hyunjin's arms. She once again, adapting and falling right into the arms of the broad boy, as he softly set her down on the couch.

"Kai, wake up." Chan softly nudged her, in his hushed tone.

Kai's face faltered, as she opened her eyes, and sat up on the couch, everyone's eyes on her. She yawned before she completely opened her eyes to meet worried pairs.

"Huh? When did I get here?"She questioned, as she looked at Chan for an answer. He smiled and hugged her, thankful she was okay.

"Okay?What did I miss? Did someone die? Because if so I-" Kai was cut off with Lino's commentary.

"She's okay guys, as clueless as ever, but she's okay. Let's get back to work." He said with a scoff as he walked over to the counter ready to play the music, the rest following behind him, except Chan.

"You fell asleep in your studio again? Kai you know if you feel the need to sleep, go home, don't lounge on the couch, it can hurt your back." Chan said, as he rubbed Kai's back, trying to get her out of her sleepy state.

"Sorry, Channie. I just got so caught up with the demo, and I was having fun making it. I had worked on it since the morning, so I had to call Yeonjunnie and Wooyoung to keep me from falling asleep. Then when Felix texted me about practice, it died right before I could answer and I left my charger at home, so my phone was just dead." Kai explained, as she rubbed her eyes, still trying to awaken herself.

Chan pulled in for a hug, "Just don't do it again, you scared us." He said as he stood her hair, as she warmly smiled at his and her member's concern for her well being.

"No promises, Channie, but I'll try my absolute best to prevent it from happening again."

"Ok elders, we have to practice now." Lino said, with his smug smile.

"Yah! I'm only older than you by a couple of months, Lino," Kai said, as she immediately stood up from her spit on the couch, as she marched over to the brunette boy.

"Still counts as my elder, sorry not sorry, noona." Lino said with a smirk, trying to enrage his older friend.

"I'll have you know that even when I'm half asleep, I can still beat your sorry ass." Chan smiled, as Kai walked over to the group, as Kai began to scold Lino, well not scold, just... no yeah scold is the right word. The boys laughed along at every comment they'd fire one another. Chan had to break up the two hotheads.

"Okay children, settle down. Let's actually get practice now, shall we." They all laugh as Kai jumps onto Lino's back, as a last resort. He tried to get her off by spinning around, but she held on for dear life, enjoying it more than being scared to fall.

"Spin, Lino, spin!" Kai was a child in some ways, a hothead in others.