Still A_Stray: Living With Stray Kids (ot8 fanfic)

Chapter 44

We used to walk together down this winding road

The kitchen was crying.

I wouldn't have thought anything of it if Changbin had been the one to cook dinner last night, but he hadn't. I put down my phone and followed the sounds of sniffling to the cabinet, wondering if I should be armed—it could be a raccoon, or some other critter that had snuck in. I quickly grabbed the baseball bat and cautiously opened the door.

Instead of finding a raccoon, however, I found Hyunjin, morosely eating Honey-nut Cheerios.

"Hyunjin? Are you okay?"

Hyunjin looked at me with wide, tear-glistening eyes, surrounded by crushed bits of cereal. "I tried to make a cake but I set the heat too high and now I smell like burnt sugar and sadness. And I hate my hair."

Oh, Hyunjin. I set down the baseball bat. "How often do you hide here?"

Hyunjin wiped his cheeks, only succeeding in getting more Cheerio crumbs on his face. "Only sometimes. And it's not like I'm the only one. Jisung comes here when he's hungover, or when he's scared or running from Changbin. Channie-hyung hides here too when he gets tired of us. Sometimes we even find Minho-hyung in here just chilling."

I blinked. "Oh."

Hyunjin offered me a Cheerio.

"No, thanks," I said, gently taking the box. "Come on, let's get you out of here."

I helped him get out of the cabinet. "You don't like your hair?" I asked once he was fully standing.

Hyunjin shook his head, causing said hair to shift around him. He'd taken me up on my advice when we'd talked that night over galbitang, and had cut and dyed his hair himself last week without telling anyone. "I don't like the silver color," he muttered, touching his hair. "And it only looks good if I wear extensions and tie it up anyways."

I nodded. "Then dye it again."

He blinked. "But I've only had this hairstyle for a week."

"And?" I asked, the side of my mouth quirking up.

Hyunjin's expression became thoughtful, and then he grinned. "Maybe ... pink?"

I beamed. "I've been waiting for you to suggest that."

Chan looked up as we entered the living room, frowning. "Oh, no. I know those smiles. Who are you two plotting to murder now?"

"Just all of Stayville," I said with a shrug.

Beside me, Hyunjin laughed. "It won't be that good-looking."

"Trust me, it will," I said, thinking of all the times Claire had begged me to convince Changbin to dye the members' hair the colors of the lesbian pride flag when they were sleeping. Pink wasn't everything, but it was a start.

Chan arched an eyebrow at the two of us. "Yeji, I expected better from you, at least. Who taught you to scheme so much?"

"Us, obviously," said Changbin from his chair.

"It doesn't really matter," Jisung added, shrugging. "We've all been living together for so long, I can't even remember who the bad influence is."

"You," I said.

"You," said Hyunjin.

"You," said Changbin.

"You," said Chan.

Jisung gasped, placing a delicate hand over his chest. "How dare you all! How accusatory—I came here to have a good time, I'll have you know, and I am honestly feeling so attacked right now—"