Still A_Stray: Living With Stray Kids (ot8 fanfic)

Chapter 43

I feel the light; I feel the light

Five hours.

They were all lying in various positions around the room—anywhere but the couch, as per usual. Chan was leaning against the wall by the fridge, his hands fidgeting aimlessly, curling and uncurling. He didn't seem to realize he was doing it. Jisung and Minho were sitting with their backs against the couch, closer than they'd ever been before, dangerously so; the others were scattered about the floor, some lying at staring up at the ceiling, the others sitting with their arms wrapped around their knees. I felt a stab of pain at the scene—at seeing them so low, so lifeless. Looking at them now, I couldn't bring myself to regret my decision, and I knew I never would, not when this image would forever be scored into my brain.

I cleared my throat. "I have something to tell you guys," I said, wondering how to lead up to this. "I ... I reached out to someone in JYP-E." I paused as they all gave me their attention, slowly standing up.

"And?" Minho asked, his voice toneless.

"I convinced them to change JYP's mind." I spoke slowly, watching their faces shift. "They're going to reverse his decision." I offered them a smile. "You're not going to disband."

Chan gaped at me, his hands finally stilling. "What?"

"I fixed it," I said, reassuring him as much as I could with my words. "Stray Kids is going to Stay."

There was a beat of utter, shocked silence. And then—

Seungmin made a half-gasping, half-choking noise, and fell to his knees.

With that, the room erupted. There was so much happening at once, I only registered bits and pieces: Jeongin, clinging to me like a sloth to a tree, crying—I could feel his tears soaking into my shirt—and smiling so widely it looked like sadness. Felix and Hyunjin hugging, Minho's hand curling around Jisung's. Bangchan grabbing my hands, his voice raw, thanking me over and over again. His hands shaking like leaves in a storm.

The room was ecstatic. There were cries of joy, and moments of silence where it was all the members could do to hold one another. I caught Felix's eyes across the room, and he just nodded to me, a recognition of what I'd done. Thank you, he mouthed to me, and—as Hyunjin came over again to put his arm around him—I knew that Felix didn't just mean for this. This made up for it all, every broken promise and ragged word between us. And that alone would have brought tears to my eyes if they hadn't been there already.

"I can't believe it," Jeongin was saying, his smile bigger than his face. "I can't believe it's real. I—" he cut himself off, burying his face in Chan's neck, who hugged him back fiercely, maknae and hyung. The members all crowded around them, dissolving into one happy group hug, and I watched from the same spot I'd had the whole time, letting them rejoice.

A hand curled around my upper arm. Changbin pulled me into the corner, his eyes hard, so different from the euphoria I'd seen on the other's faces.

"Come with me," he ordered, leading me away from that room so full of happiness it could burst, and into a quieter place.

-

"Who," was all he said.

"Who what?"

"Who did you call, Yeji. Who did you reach out to in JYP-E?"

I avoided his eyes. "Based on this questionnaire, I have the feeling you already know."

Changbin's jaw fell slack. "You didn't."

"I did," I said quietly.

His voice was like steel. "What did she offer you? What did she say?"

"Oh, you know." I inched my way around Changbin, trying to get to the door. "Just wanted to catch up and all. How the weather is here, if I've heard about how the Dodgers are doing—"