a place for us | minchan ✔️

05

⚠️TW : mention of blood and injury

The incident at the store was in every news the next few days. When Jeongin went downstairs for breakfast this morning, Seungmin and Minho were already sitting at the kitchen table, listening to the radio with a gloomy face. Minho got up when Jeongin took a seat with them, taking out Jeongin's usual bowl to place it in front of him as well as his favorite cereals, ruffling Jeongin's hair in passing.

It was pouring outside the window, dark clouds gathering in the sky and wind whistling between the agitated trees, so loud that they almost couldn't hear the voice of the woman speaking. She was reporting how the event had been covered in non-mutants' newspapers and TV news, and the analysis wasn't positive at all. "Maybe we should listen to the Alliance," she concluded and that was when Minho switched off the radio. Or, more precisely, he froze it and the woman's words died in a crackle as the ice took over the speakers. He had his hands balled in fists on the countertop and he let out a deep breath, as if he was trying to stay calm.

"Minho?" Jeongin called him worriedly, and Minho turned around to face them, with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"I think I need another coffee," he said before pouring the dark liquid in his mug again, drinking it in one-go like it was a shot of alcohol, and putting the mug down in the sink. Then, he left the kitchen to put his shoes on. Two minutes later, the front door closed, and they heard the car start. Jeongin and Seungmin exchanged a look over their bowls.

"I don't understand what's going on in his head most of the time," Seungmin commented with a raised eyebrow.

"He's been on edge since his argument with Jisung..." Jeongin commented, preoccupied.

Chan and Jisung still didn't speak to each other. It was partly because Chan had immersed himself in his work to avoid thinking about the situation, but mainly because Jisung was being too obstinate to go to Chan.

"Stop being stubborn and just apologize!" Minho had demanded Jisung for the umpteenth time two days ago, exasperated by the boy's attitude.

"I don't know why I should be the one apologizing! And you're always on his side anyway!" Jisung had yelled back, stomping away with a disgruntled face.

Since then, Minho and Jisung weren't talking either, which was odd to them all since they usually were so close. If Jisung was always trailing behind Chan with stars in his eyes, it was Minho whom he shared most of his passions with, spending time watching movies together or learning to make drip coffee on Sundays, finding comfort in each other's presence even if they were more than eight years apart. Seeing them avoid each other was saddening.

So the atmosphere in the house was a bit tense at the moment, to tell the truth. It was unsettling for Jeongin to watch as everyone's smile had disappeared. Hyunjin was ostensibly worried, so Changbin was trying to cheer him up by spending time with him, which of course had sent Jisung in a worse mood than before. The situation was clearly affecting Felix, hearing all about the negative thoughts that passed through their minds must've been draining, so he stayed with Seungmin and Jeongin most of the time. The three of them had tried to talk to Jisung to sort out the dispute, but they had met a wall everytime. As for Chan, he was rarely out of his office and when he was, he looked like a zombie, face more pale than usual and dark bags beneath his eyes. Jeongin wouldn't have even been sure he was eating if he hadn't heard Minho lecture to Chan about it.

"You should stop eating those instant ramen cups, they're bad for your health, you know."

Jeongin had overheard their conversation as he had come out of the first floor's bathroom – since Seungmin had decided it was "cleaning feathers day" in theirs. Minho had been standing at the doorstep of Chan's office, a trail in his hands with a bowl of jajangmyeon and a bottle of water on it.