A Saturday morning right after Stray Kids finished promoting their album usually consist of them taking the day easy and catch up with the much needed rest.

 

The 3racha dorm however is actually quiet today as the three producer members were quite inspired and went to their studio since early in the morning, leaving Hyunjin alone to sleep. Yet not long after they left, Hyunjin who they expect to sleep until late also woke up and is feeling especially groggy.

 

He looked for s all around the house and later sigh in defeat when he finally realized they're all gone. He was bumped out for a bit before lighting up as he remembered something.

 

He goes to his room and pulled out a well kept pastel blue box from underneath the bed. Inside, there's a lot of things that seems to be for a young child. Hyunjin had a little secret. He's a little and he's been hiding it from everybody.

 

A time like this is like a golden chance for him to slip and relax.

 

Hyunjin prepared everything and played with his coloring set and toys hoping to slip into little space. Time goes by but nothing happened. He still feels irritating, groggy and tense.

 

A while later and he still hasn't slip, he settled down to just watching TV and scrolling through his phone instead.

 

"This is so annoying..." He complained after watching things for hours and not even one but entertained, still feeling as groggy as before

 

Hyunjin recollect his thoughts and tried to focus but instead he just keeps getting irritated. Ever since he had woken up he had tried to slip, using every thing he could think of but somehow the day that he was able to slip freely for once, he can't do it.

 

"Why can't I do it?" He pouts while glaring at his little stuffs

 

Silently throwing a bit of a temper tantrum, Hyunjin discarded everything and decided to go the dance studio to spent his energy which according to his logic, the exhaustion could maybe help him slip.

 

✨

 

Hyunjin beeline to the empty dance studio as soon as he got into the company building. He did though about going into 3racha studio but decided against it last minute.

 

He warmed up his muscle and started the music. Theres this choreography that he needs to learn for an event that they're planning and Hyunjin could have sworn that the dance had been having him on a choke hold because he just couldn't get it right.

 

Thinking back, their last dance practice the day before was a mess because of him.

 

The music stopped abruptly. Hyunjin knew why it was stopped. He had made a mistake and now they all have to start over because of him AGAIN for like the millionth time. His shoulder drooped as he braced himself for Minho's scolding.

 

"Hyunjin, you're the dancer of our group and part of the danceracha for s sake. What the hell is going on?"

 

"Sorry Minho hyung"

 

He doesn't blame Minho for being a perfectionist, hell, he's also one hell of a perfectionist too. He just hated the fact that his limps just decided to stop working when he needs them to. Damn these limps. 

 

"Alright, how about we take a small break to freshen up? Let's come back in 15." Chan suggested

 

"Alright" Minho agreed and left to get himself something to eat

 

Hyunjin nodded half mindedly and everyone dispersed.

 

Once he's alone, he went over the steps over and over again. Forgetting about the fact that he skipped lunch and only had a small breakfast, he let his stomach growl while dancing away. Fifteen minutes passed by like a second and everyone came back into the studio again.

 

After that he didn't make as much mistake and they got to rest after many rounds of practicing. 

 

Hyunjin shakes the memory out of his thought so he could focus. These lamenting could wait till another time.

 

He starts the music and get to dancing his mind off things, only solely focusing on the steps and the beat of the music. 

 

Who knows how long had passed by when Hyunjin finally decided to rest. He drank some water and heaves in big breath due to being tired. As he stared at the empty studio, he felt like the space is moving a bit, like shaking and tilting. 

 

He brushes his hair away from his face tries to blink the feelings away. He took out his phone and goes through some fan comments in the meantime he's resting and maybe reply to some of them.

 

Clowns_Ville_Staaa : So handsome! Our prince Jinnie!

 

Master_Broker69 : Pretty privilege smh, anything else meh

 

Staaa_05 : I love the dance so much! So talented!

 

Little_Birdie : He's just face and no talent imho

 

Pr3tty_St4r : Hell, he's not even that good looking either

 

Stayville_1_2 : You haters can shoves your head up your , get tf outta here if you have nothing to do beside hating you blind swines!

 

Hyunjin read on and on and the dizziness intensifies twice the previous time paired with a headache as well. 

 

In the midst of hazy pain, he felt like crying. Really hard. Amongst the hateful comments, there were plenty of the positive ones for sure but the thing with human's brain is that it decides to ignore those ones and the only one swirling in his mind are the bad ones.

 

Not feeling quite well, he remembered 3racha who's probably still in their studio. Feeling quite hungry as well, he thought he should go invite them to have dinner together. 

 

✨

 

Knocking on the studio door, he announce he was entering. 

 

The three members were sitting together in the space all looking at the music arrangement on the monitor. They hummed in reply to him but still focusing on their work. Seems like they're making a brand new song to him.

 

Hyunjin thought that he should ask to hear it and see what it's about but before going there his brain skipped everything and goes towards foods first. 

 

He walked in lightly.

 

"Guys-"

 

A wave of dizziness hit him and without looking carefully he walked forward blindly. It was like a slowmo scene when he tripped on some cable and almost faceplant on the hard floor but that's not the worst part. 

 

The room turned dead silent. 

 

The bright monitor just a second ago is now completely dark. He felt his heart sank. Jisung who's sitting in the middle of the other two gasps in disbelief. It didn't take long before he furiously yells at Hyunjin. 

 

"WHAT THE HYUNJIN!?"

 

"I-"

 

"I WAS WORKING ON IT THIS WHOLE ING DAY!" Jisung continued while fending the other two member off "IT HAD ONLY JUST GOTTEN BETTER!"

 

"Hyunjin, just get out of here for now." Chan sighs and told Hyunjin in a firm tone as he's busy holding Jisung down from his anger

 

The outburst was so loud, everyone was stunned. Hyunjin darts his gaze around at everyone in the studio, his eyes widen and glossy getting redder as the time passed by. It seems like the final string had snapped in him and all the bottled up frustrations irritations and feelings just flooded out pushing the big Hyunjin away and replaced with the little one.

 

Tears welled up immediately. His lips quivering hard before muttering a broken "I Sowwy"

 

It's like something was hot on his tail, Hyunjin slipped out of the room before anyone could react, slamming the door closed loudly behind him.

 

"Wait!"

 

Changbin who's been quite stunned from one event to another was startled by the loud bang of the door. He blinked slowly multiple times before asking the other two "I'm pretty sure he was... Crying?"

 

The three of them looked at each other silently.

 

In the end, the working session was cut off immediately. Changbin left first and told the two that he's heading straight to the dorm to check on Hyunjin. Chan pulled Jisung aside and the latter received a long firm lecture from the leader.

 

"Jinnie?" Changbin popped inside the dorm and inquire for the dancer

 

The entire house was dead quiet. All the lights was off, doors and windows closed, it sure told Changbin that no one is currently inside beside him but the rapper internally hoped it was otherwise and decided to check first.

 

Every rooms are empty, no signs of life in the normally noisy dorm and honestly Changbin went an extra length and check every nook and crannies even though Hyunjin would has no way fit in the small spaces he checked but he tried everything he could. He even called Felix to see if the dancer goes and crashed at the other dorm but nope! No signs of him.

 

His worry became undeniable at last and it sent him into full on panic mode.

 

THEY JUST LOST HYUNJIN! A WHOLE GROWN HUMAN HAS BEEN LOST!

 

Changbin dailed Chan's number faster than he'd ever done. Just as he's about to call the latter, the front door opened and revealed the two of three of 3racha members. They both were holding many takeouts boxes.

 

"Where is he?" Chan asked

 

Changbin gulps and told him in panic "Hyunjin isn't in his room! He's not anywhere in the house! I called Lix and he's not there too!"

 

"What?!" Chan exclaimed in surprise and furrows his brows seriously "It's already late, where is he even going?"

 

"Have you tried calling him?" Jisung asked quietly looking at the two guiltily

 

"I tried but he didn't pick up" Changbin informed "I'll keep trying?"

 

"Keep calling him. I'll go look for him." Chan set the foods down and immediately leave the house again

 

✨

 

The lost boy in question is currently crying. Crying hard. He had slipped to quite a young age where he can't tell his surrounding much.

 

"Jinnie-" he choked out "Jinnie bad..."

 

The Little's heart hurts, it's like someone is clawing at it. He's both sad and confused since he's not really aware nor understand his big self's problem but the intense emotional shake carried over to the little and all he could do is cry instead of playing like usual.

 

"All hate Jinnie... Dada hate Jinnie too..." The little spout out his big self's thought and cried harder

 

"Jinnie sowwy"

 

He looked around him and he doesn't know where he was, the sun had long set on the boy. He couldn't see well because of the dark and the yellow park lamps barely illuminated much. He could only tell that he's at a playground but which playground or which way is for going home? He hasn't the faintest idea.

 

The little whimpers in fear, his tears neverending. His head hurts, his tummy hurts, his eyes really want to close. 

 

After growing tired becaus