You Should Leave, Baby → ZUWOON

chapter one

sunday.

The airport, filled with the haze of milky dawn light, is quiet at five in the morning. Seokwoo leans back idly, his friends talking too loudly beside him. Though their excitement bubbles up through the air, practically oozing out of them, Seokwoo can't shake the weariness that settles within himself.

They must be the only four there, aside from the workers and flight attendants taking a break or preparing by the snack bar for their day. Seokwoo wishes their group was only three, that he hadn't been dragged here to go on some trip Youngbin wouldn't share the details of.

Seokwoo rolls his shoulders back, lifting his phone out of his pocket to check the time. Seeing himself in the display's reflection, he grimaces. His hair is plastered back with sweat, and his face mask is lopsided, nearly brushing the skin underneath one of his eyes while the other side dips down, resting on the bottom of his cheek. He adjusts it, running his hand up his face to card through his hair.

"Seok'," one of his friends pipes up, grinning as he leans forward. His blonde hair is hidden underneath a black baseball cap, skin aglow with the bright orange overhead lights that hum above them. "Are you excited?"

"I'm exhausted," the darker haired boy confesses, pulling his mask down to his chin fully. "Why are you so happy?"

The blonde pulls off his hat, fixes his hair, and pops it back onto his head. "I'm ready for a vacation. My classes have been killer this term," he laughs, crossing his legs. Now it's Youngbin's turn to get involved, standing up in front of the two. He stretches, light brown hair flopping down in front of his eyes. He brushes it back into position.

"I feel like I should tell you where we're going." His eyes trail over the group, and his smile falters when he notices their last friend half asleep in his chair, watching something on his phone. "Chanhee!"

The youngest looks up, eyebrows drawing down at the other's outburst. He doesn't answer, but the attention is good enough for Youngbin. "Okay! Listen up. Taeyang, hat up, I can't see your eyes."

Eye contact was Youngbin's top priority in any conversation. If he didn't have it, he wouldn't speak and he wouldn't listen. It was all he asked for. When Taeyang takes off the cap, leaning back with a flushed grin, Youngbin starts.

"My family used to take me to this cabin when I was younger," Youngbin pauses, waiting for a reaction; which he doesn't get, "okay. Good! So, I rented it out for this week, and I'm bringing us all there for a getaway. Since Seokwoo's been a bit," he pauses, watching the other tense and lower his gaze, "yeah. I felt like we all just really needed this."

After a moment of silence, Chanhee disrupts. "Was that it?"

"Uh..." Youngbin giggles, taking his seat again across from the others. He plays with the collar of his shirt nervously. "Yes?"

"Wow!" Chanhee mocks with false excitement, picking his phone back up. "How fun." His lips twitch into a tiny grin, exposing his happiness with the situation.

Taeyang blinks, smile growing on his face. "Well, I'm excited!"

"I'm glad!" Youngbin claps. He looks to Seokwoo, eyes wide with a contained thrill.

Seokwoo nods, wiping his hands on his jeans. "Yeah," he agrees, "it sounds like fun."

Seokwoo can't bring himself to sleep, though he's constantly dozing off as he stares at the world below him through the window. He's exhausted himself past every limit he can bear to imagine, to the point of nearly breaking down in the plane's bathroom several times, yet no matter how long he closes his eyes for he's still awake, still listening to the ambiance of the flight.