7llin' in the Dream

Episode Six: Dear my DREAM, I'll be there for you [P1/6]

Chapter Eleven

-

  Jeno put more charcoal under the wood and Jaemin used the blowtorch to build the fire up.
  "Let's play another game," Mark said.  "Let's not say names. Let's say them after all seven of us finish talking."
  Grinning, Renjun said, "Should we start with Haechan?"
  Haechan had his chin propped on his sweater paws.  "I'll start then," he said.  "First of all, I think this person...  Um...  I think he is a little too scared.  I'm... I'm being serious-."
  Chenle said, "We have two candidates then."
  "He's not scared in a way that he's scared of bugs.  I have a feeling that this person is scared to open up.  So I hope that he tries to keep a bigger picture in mind.  I hope he tries to do a lot of things and experience a lot of things."
  Jeno said, "Can we ask questions about this?"
  Haechan scratched his chin and looked away.  "Wait, let's ask them later."
  He pulled his jacket tight and laughed.
  "Since he's got the other members on his back, I wish that he'd try a lot of things," Haechan said.  He nodded.
  Chenle said, "Jisung-ah, we'll take good care of you, then."
  "Uh-huh, yes, Jisung-ah."  Chenle laughed and Jisung snickered.
  "It's obviously Jisung-ah," Renjun said.
  Jisung said, "But as soon as Haechan started talking, I felt that he was talking about me."  He hugged his knees and looked at the ground.
  "Since Haechan talked about you, now you can go," Renjun said.

-

  "Um... I think this guy-," Jisung said.
  Jeno blinked and said, "This guy?" He snickered and looked at Mark, who had grinned.
  "Um... this member-"
  "Is any of us the same age?"
  Mark said, "Let's say all of us are the same age."
  "Who's the same age as him," Haechan said.
  "That's Chenle," Renjun said, at the same time Chenle said, "That's me."
  "This member is so...," Jisung said and he started to express with his hands.  "To me, it was good, but I think something happened that made him think it wasn't good.  I thought he was very wrong. I really like him as he is now, but he keeps thinking about those things. So that person..."
  "How should I say this?  I want to tell him to be-"
  "Nicer to himself," Haechan said.
  "I hope he thinks better of himself."
  "That's right," Chenle said.
  Jaemin smiled at Jeno and Jeno said, "Should we guess who it is now?"
  Chenle said, "I know who it is."
  Jeno said, "It's Renjun."
  Haechan put a hand on Renjun's.
  Bouncing his feet, Renjun laughed.
  "How did everyone know," Jisung asked.
  "It's obvious. I got it right away," Chenle said.
  Renjun looked away and said, "Thanks."
  Haechan had his eyes on the ground as he patted Renjun's leg. "Next, Renjunnie," he said.
  His eyes were wide when he said, "I'm not that harsh on myself."
  Haechan and Jeno laughed.
  "You can explain yourself later," Haechan said.
  Jisung had his head in his hands.
  "But I know exactly what he meant," Renjun said.

-

  Renjun chose Mark. Because he helped bring all seven members together, to keep them united, and it only being something he could do.
  Mark got them giggling by mentioning a member who's cute.
  "What are we confessing love or something," Jaemin said.
  "This member... has pretty eyes."
  They could barely contain falling out of their chairs, laughing.
  "Are you serious," Jaemin said.
  "Ok. Ok," Mark said.  "I'll go again.  I'll go again."
  Haechan had his lips between his teeth to control himself.
  "I haven't decided who to talk about.  Ok... um...  Ok, this person is really cute too.  But he's also... um...  I've felt a lot of times that he put his trust in me, which made me really thankful to him."
  "Also, so far, he's been doing really well, which makes me feel proud of him.  Also... he'll keep feeling trustworthy to me."
  "I think I know who it is," Jisung said.
  "Chenle, guess," Mark said.  He laughed in embarrassment.
  "Oh, wait," Jisung said.  "I think I know who it is."
  "I know," Haechan said, raising a hand.  "Haechan."
  "Chenle needs to guess," Jeno said, smiling at Haechan.
  Chenle said right away, "I think it's Jeno."
  Mark looked at Jeno.  "Yes, it's Jeno."

-

  Chenle yawned and moved his blanket lower.  The little bit of cold air made him feel more alert.  He just wanted to lay in a nice comfy bed and let it cushion his aching... everything.  He took calming breaths and moved the blanket a little lower.
  He couldn't believe Jeno chose him.
  He talked about how he only showed happiness to them.  One emotion...  And he never seemed to have mood swings.  How he should let them in and he should be allowed to have his highs and lows in front of them.  Did he know?  His transition could finish any time and they all needed to.
  Maybe vampire's sense of smell had been as strong as he'd feared and he hadn't hidden the nosebleed as well as he'd thought.
  "I don't like to stick out in a group," he said.  "I like one-on-one conversations."
  Jeno nodded.  The cameras would pick up his concern, but he could see sadness.
  Tears prickled his own eyes and he cleared his throat.  They were only looking out for him.  It may be Jeno's unintentional fault that he'd started transitioning, but it also may not be. For a while, he'd despised his existence - not him (Jeno had always been one of the nicest, most caring people he'd ever met), but his magic.
  He'd had thoughts like:
  1) What if Jeno could learn how to use his magic?
  2) What if he "had" been the cause of his and Jisung's transformation?
  3) If he could... If it was even possible, could he reverse vampirism and donor...ism...?
  Jisung had once said, "Chenle, what if Jeno's magic makes Mark turn into a monster too?"
  He rolled his eyes.  Calling them monsters?  What a dork.  And he didn't even watch scary movies.  So, when had he started thinking of them as monsters?
  Or maybe he still had a fear of the boogeyman under his bed and...
  He rolled his eyes again.  Little scaredy-cat.
  How long would it take for him to realize that he was a vampire?
  He literally had fangs, could extend his nails, could have black or red eyes - and his senses were heightened to a ridiculous level.  Only Jisung would miss them until... maybe ten years from now.  Then one day, like a hammer, it'd hit him in the face and he'd think, "Oh... I can rip the boogeyman apart with my bare hands."

-

  "All of you are so cute to me," Mark said.  "To me, this person is so cute too."
  Jeno slurped up some sweet potato.
  "But this person?  As you know, we go way back.  Honestly, I still remember when we first met though, but somehow...  Although I think this person has grown so much, I still remember so much about him from back in the day.  So he's someone I really want to keep spending good times with in the future.  The end."
  "It's Jaemin."
  Staring at the fire, Jaemin huffed, amused.  He joked, "I must be hard to understand."
  "It's a joke, it's a joke," Mark said.  "I understand everything about you guys.  I understand almost everything about you now."
  "What's something you don't get about me," Chenle asked.
  "None, nothing," Mark said.
  "Were you unable to before?"
  Jisung said, "I'm curious."
  "Want me to say it now," Mark asked.
  Haechan laughed.
  "No, it's a joke, anyway.  I get almost everything about you guys now.  I guess it must be because we've known each other for so long now.  Chenle, are you ready?"
  "I am," he said.  "This person is like-"
  Picking at the sweet potato, Jeno said, "-my son."
  He snickered.  "No."
  "Cute," Renjun said.
  Chenle said, "This person...  How should I say this?  I know it's hard to stay optimistic.  Your mind is hard to control.  But still, I hope he knows that he's been doing a good job.  He can just feel confident since he's so good."
  Mark had his hands in his jacket pocket and his ankles crossed.  "It must be Haechan," he said.
  "It's not Haechan," Jaemin said.
  "Am I not confident," Mark asked.
  "Is it Renjun?" Haechan said.
  "No, it's Jisunggie," Chenle said.
  Jisung's jacket hat covered his head as he ducked it.  "Oh, is it me," he asked.  He snickered self-consciously.
  Chenle said, "Everyone thinks differently, so you may not agree with me, but that's what I think.  Also, it's important that he performs, but nothing is more important than health.  So you must take care of your health."
  "That's right," Jeno said.
  "I think it's most important to take care of your health."
  "I know, it's Jisung," Haechan said.  They laughed because they already knew that.

-

  The wood popped in the fire.
  Jeno's jacket ruffled as he leaned, grinning.  He, Haechan, and Renjun were looking at Jaemin.
  Haechan laughed when Renjun said, "You didn't dose off did you?"  It had been his turn for a good minute and he hadn't even twitched.
  He made a noise to acknowledge he'd been listening.  "First of all, this person..."  He nodded.  "I like him very much."
  "Thank goodness," Renjun said.
  Haechan snickered and said, "I don't know who it is yet.  I'm glad you like your teammate."
  Mark laughed and Jeno asked, "Is there anyone you don't like?"
  Renjun and Jaemin laughed.
  "I like him very much," Jaemin insisted.  He stared at the fire like he'd been grasping at straws.  "I think he's the best."
  They snickered again and Jeno said, "Wait a minute?  What about the rest of us?"
  "You know we're not looking for your favorite right now, right?"  Mark said.
  "This isn't Heart Signal," Chenle said and Renjun cracked up.
  Jaemin said, "Also, he's nice."  He pressed his lips together.  "He's nice-"
  "Is any of us not nice," Chenle asked and snickered.
  "He's nice," Jaemin said again and Jeno cracked up.  "He has a name."
  Jisung looked up, wide-eyed.
  "Oh, really," Haechan said like he'd been fully invested.
  "He has a name," Renjun said.
  "Which one of us has a name," Haechan asked.
  "Do you have a name," Jeno asked Mark.
  "Mark, what's your name," Haechan said to Mark.
  Renjun snickered.
  Mark said seriously, "I have no idea."
  Renjun snickered again.
  Haechan said, "Let him continue."
  "Also," Jaemin said.
  "This isn't twenty questions," Jeno said, looking around like he couldn't believe this had been happening.
  "He's pretty rude," Jaemin said.
  "Oh," Haechan said.
  Jisung looked at them.
  "He's rude," Chenle asked.
  "I know it's Jisunggie," Haechan said.
  Jaemin grinned and said, "That's right."
  Haechan cracked up.  Still laughing, he said, "Is it bad that I got it right away?"
  "He's rude," Jaemin said, still grinning.
  "Oh, he's rude," Mark said in understanding.  "I thought you meant he has a bad habit."
  "That's why I thought it was Mark Hyung for a second," Jisung said.
  "I thought he meant a bad habit too," Jeno said.
  "But I like him," Jaemin said, nodding.
  Jisung snickered and said, "That's weird."
  Haechan cracked up.
  "But what did you mean by he has a name," Jeno asked.
  "He has a name, Jisung Park," Haechan said.
  "I was just saying something weird," Jaemin said.
  Chenle said, "Does none of us have a name?"
  "Jisunggie is... so nice..."  He nodded again.  "...but he's so disobedient."
  Jisung ducked his head and huffed in embarrassment.
  "He nags so much to me."
  Haechan covered his face and laughed.
  "Sometimes he makes me want to smack him."
  He cracked up again.
  "Sometimes I want to sew his lips.  But I like him."
  Haechan nodded and said, "I'm glad.  Thank goodness.  It'd have been bad if he didn't like him."
  "Right, it would've been," Jaemin said.  "Jisunggie is you know, Jisunggie.  I like him."
  "Are you done," Haechan asked.
  "Uh-huh."
  "Let's give a hand."
  They clapped.

-

  "Anyway, let's really give our best this season.  Let's work hard," Mark said.
  Jeno rubbed his eye and said, "I really hope we get to perform in front of a live audience."
  "Oh, right," Chenle said.
  "Me too," Haechan said.  "It's a bit awkward.  I will feel nervous."
  "I'll be so nervous," Jisung said.
  Fidgeting, Mark said, "I don't know if I could do it anymore."
  "Anyway, our job is to sing and dance in front of people.  So I wish that as long as it's not too risky health-wise, people can come and see us in person."  He sighed.  "That's just my wish.  Let's do our best."
  "Let's not get sick," Mark said.
  "Yeah, don't get sick."
  "Should we go in now," Jisung asked.
  "Yeah, let's go in," Chenle said.  "Jisung is also an adult now.  He doesn't need to stop working at ten o'clock anymore."
  "Oh..." Haechan said.

-

  "Wow the moon is really big," Mark said as they headed inside.  "Wow, it's so visible."
  "Why is it so clear," Haechan asked.  "Because it's night."
  Mark and Jeno's laugh got drowned out by Haechan's laugh as they headed up the stairs.
  "That was real," Mark asked.
  "That was real," Jeno said.
  Haechan moved around the second floor laughing.
  "Haechan-ah, Hachan-ah," Jeno said as he got off the stairs.
  Haechan had braced himself on the couch, trying to contain himself.
  "Mark really was mad at you."
  He laughed again and moved toward him.  He lifted on his toes and laughed some more.  "Hahahaha.  Hahahahaha.  Hahahahahaha."
  "Did that really just happen," Mark asked.
  "Hahahahaha."
  "Was he serious when he said it's because it's night?  Come on."
  "Hahahaha..."

>>>Read Chapter 12:  Dear my DREAM, I'll be there for you [P1/6]

They finally turn in for the night and Dreamie-centric stuff happens. Of course, it does.

Then they just have to wait for the cameras to stop rolling and the staff to leave before they can do what they really want to do... [CH12]

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