celestial strings | h.js

four.

A few weeks passed and you have gotten closer to the three boys than you ever thought you would be. You had been meeting up with all of them after school and they have dragged you to different places before and after your work.

Coffee shops where you all share one cup of bitter coffee after debating for half an hour if a five-dollar pizookie was worth it. Clothing stores where none of you ever buy anything from, you just hold the shirts to your bodies and think about wearing them. Pop-up art museums where you were fairly sure they only went for the aesthetics rather than the actual art.

It felt like you've been around the world just by spending time with the four of them. And everything they did—all the dragging you to places and waiting for you to finish with work so they could take you to hang out—was all in an attempt to give you back the childhood you should have had.

They weren't responsible for what happened to you, they knew, but as your friends, they felt it would be their part to make you as happy as you ever could now.

They even went as far as to join you at your graveyard shift after midnight once. It was an event organized by none other than Jisung himself, and Seungmin made up the sleepover excuse so nobody's parents would be worried that their child wasn't home yet.

They had caused a ruckus in the convenience store that night, but it had been fine because barely anyone approached the outside world in the dead of night. They continuously purchased instant noodles and sodas until they had either tried everything in the store or started getting tummy aches from all the different mixtures of food. It was an effort to keep themselves awake.

All four of them ended up falling asleep with their heads on the countertop by the start of sunrise, and you all ate breakfast in the store when your shift ended before bidding each other goodbye.

It was the closest you have ever felt to having a family. When Felix laid his head on your shoulder as he dozed off, still sipping the juice box in his hand; when Hyunjin ruffled your hair when you could finally join them by the windowpane; when Seungmin went to heat the bento box for you and stood by the counter table because he gave you his seat.

Just all the smallest things that made the world a little brighter for you. Just all the small things that made up a group of people and their habits around each other that made everything a little better for you.

You could not have asked for better friends.

"I knew we should not have picked today to come here," Seungmin said as he faced the crowded area.

Most of the time, at least.

You guys have planned to visit a cat café on a whooping Sunday afternoon—well, no, Felix planned it and made you join him by booking a table for five beforehand. Seungmin had complained about him picking a bad date, and he was right. The shopping area was packed with people free from school and work, moving from one corner to the other as they went about their last free day before the week recycled again.

That made it harder for you all because none of you knew exactly where this café was located, and you guys were on quite a tight schedule.

"There was only today!" Felix huffed. "Hyunjin should have come earlier, then we wouldn't have to worry about being late to the reservation. We would have had time to look for the café."

Hyunjin rolled his eyes, clicking his tongue in response to the accusation. "You made the reservation, Felix," he said. "If anything, you should know where it is."

Jisung and you shared a look before he pursed his lips and stepped between the two, his hands raised in mock defeat. With an awkward laugh, Jisung began, "Alright, let's not fight! We can just ask [Name] to find it for us!"