stray kids🖤

The bell rang for chapel at exactly seven-thirty.

Nobody moved.

For several seconds, the entire dormitory remained completely silent.

Then Chan slowly lifted his head from where it had been buried in his pillow.

“…Guys.”

Nothing.

“Guys.”

Still nothing.

Chan sighed.

“WE HAVE CHAPEL.”

A collective groan came from around the room.

Minho pulled his blanket over his head. “Tell God I’m sick.”

“You said that yesterday.”

“I’ve gotten worse.”

Changbin sat upright so violently that his hair was sticking up in every direction. “I swear, if I have to sit through another forty-minute sermon about temptation—”

“You’ll survive,” Seungmin muttered from the other bed.

“I might not.”

Hyunjin was already standing in front of the mirror, fixing his hair with the concentration of someone preparing for a fashion show rather than morning chapel.

“Does this look okay?”

Han glanced over.

“You’ve asked that three times.”

“And?”

“You look gay.”

Hyunjin stared at him.

Han grinned.

“Perfect, then.”

Felix burst out laughing.

Jeongin was sitting cross-legged on the floor, calmly eating a packet of biscuits he’d definitely stolen from the dining hall.

Chan looked around at all of them.

Eight boys.

Eight uniforms.

Eight people who, according to practically every sermon they’d heard since arriving at this school, were apparently supposed to feel ashamed of themselves.

Instead, they were laughing.

They’d become friends almost by accident.

First Chan and Changbin.

Then Minho.

Then Hyunjin.

Then Han.

Then Felix.

Then Seungmin and Jeongin.

And somehow, somewhere along the way, the eight of them had become inseparable.

They studied together.

Ate together.

Got detention together.

Shared secrets.

Covered for each other.

Defended each other.

And, despite the school’s strict rules about “appropriate conduct,” they were ridiculously affectionate.

Nobody thought twice about Felix throwing his arms around someone.

Nobody questioned Han falling asleep against Minho’s shoulder.

Nobody was surprised when Changbin grabbed Chan’s hand while they walked across campus.

And nobody even bothered asking anymore why Hyunjin seemed to spend half his time sitting practically on top of someone.

The kissing was another matter.

That was complicated.

Some of them were dating.

Some of them had feelings they hadn’t figured out.

Some kissed because they were affectionate.

Some kissed because they meant it.

And sometimes even they didn’t know which was which.

The only thing they all agreed on was that they loved each other.

Which was precisely why they were currently scrambling around their dormitory trying to look like perfectly respectable Christian students.

“Where’s my tie?” Changbin shouted.

“Under your pillow,” Chan answered.

“Why is my tie under my pillow?”

“Why is your tie always under your pillow?”

“I don’t know!”

Seungmin walked past them, completely dressed.

“You’re all hopeless.”

“You’re not helping,” Han complained.

“I wasn’t trying to.”

The chapel bell rang again.

Everyone froze.

Chan looked at the clock.

“Okay. We’re late.”

“Run.”

They all bolted for the door.

Well—

Almost all of them.

Chan stopped halfway down the corridor.

“Wait.”

Everyone turned.

He stared back toward the dorm.

“Where’s Felix?”

A pause.

Then they heard it.

A muffled laugh from inside.

Chan slowly closed his eyes.

“Felix.”

“I’M COMING!”

Han snorted.

Minho leaned against the wall.

Hyunjin covered his face.

Changbin was already laughing.

Jeongin calmly finished his biscuit.

And Seungmin simply said,

“This is going to be a long year.”

The door finally opened.

Felix stepped out, looking completely innocent.

“Ready.”

Chan stared at him.

“Why are you smiling?”

Felix shrugged.

“I’m happy.”

“You’re suspiciously happy.”

“Maybe I just love chapel.”

Eight pairs of eyes stared at him.

Felix broke first, bursting into laughter.

They started walking toward the chapel together, shoulder-to-shoulder, trying desperately to look normal.

It lasted approximately thirty seconds.

Because as they rounded the corner, someone suddenly grabbed someone’s hand.

Someone else laughed.

Hyunjin whispered something that made Han nearly choke.

Changbin shoved Minho.

Minho shoved him back.

Felix leaned against Seungmin.

Jeongin smiled to himself.

And Chan looked at all seven of them, shaking his head with a smile he couldn’t hide.

Then the chapel doors opened.

Every one of them fell silent.

Because standing at the front was their headmaster.

And judging by the expression on his face…

He’d already noticed something.

“Wonderful,” Seungmin whispered.

“What?” Han whispered back.

Seungmin glanced around at the eight of them.

“Nothing.”

He smiled.

“This should be interesting.”

It was supposed to be a normal Saturday afternoon.

No classes.

No chapel.

No teachers hovering over their shoulders.

Just eight boys, one common room, and several hours before they were expected back in their dorms.

Naturally, it had descended into complete chaos.

Chan was sitting on the sofa with a book open in his lap, although he hadn’t turned the page in about fifteen minutes.

That was mostly because Changbin was lying with his head in Chan’s lap, half-asleep, while Felix was curled against Chan’s other side with his legs tucked underneath him.

Minho had stolen the armchair.

Hyunjin was sitting on the floor between his knees, leaning back against Minho’s legs while scrolling through his phone.

Han was sprawled across the carpet.

Seungmin was sitting beside him.

Jeongin was lying across the other end of the sofa with his head resting against Felix’s shoulder.

Nobody had enough personal space.

Nobody cared.

It was just how they were.

“Can someone move?” Seungmin asked.

“No,” Han replied.

“You’re lying on my leg.”

“I know.”

“Move.”

“No.”

Seungmin stared down at him.

Han looked up innocently.

“You love me.”

“I tolerate you.”

“Same thing.”

Seungmin rolled his eyes but didn’t move his leg.

Across the room, Hyunjin suddenly turned around.

“Minho.”

“Hm?”

“Can I have a kiss?”

Minho glanced down at him.

“You’re needy.”

“Yes.”

Minho smiled and leaned down, pressing a quick kiss to his forehead.

Hyunjin immediately smiled.

“Thank you.”

Han sat up.

“That’s adorable.”

“You want one too?” Minho asked.

“Yes.”

Minho laughed and kissed Han’s cheek when he crawled closer.

Changbin lifted his head from Chan’s lap.

“Me.”

Chan looked down at him.

“You’ve been asleep.”

“I woke up.”

“You’ve been awake for three seconds.”

“Still counts.”

Chan laughed and kissed the top of his head.

Changbin grinned.

Felix watched all of them with a soft smile.

“What?”

Everyone looked at him.

“You’re staring.”

“I just think you’re all cute.”

Jeongin reached up and poked Felix’s cheek.

“You’re cute.”

Felix smiled.

“So are you.”

“I know.”

Seungmin snorted.

“You two are unbearable.”

Felix leaned over and kissed Seungmin’s cheek.

Seungmin froze.

Everyone immediately started laughing.

“What?” Felix asked innocently.

Seungmin touched his cheek.

“You can’t just do that.”

“Why not?”

“Because—”

He stopped.

Felix smiled.

“Because you liked it?”

Seungmin looked away.

“Shut up.”

The room erupted.

Even Minho was laughing.

Even Chan had given up pretending to read.

For a moment, none of them thought about school.

They didn’t think about the rules.

They didn’t think about what people would say.

They didn’t think about the sermons telling them who they were supposed to be.

They were just eight boys squeezed into one common room, stealing each other’s snacks, sharing blankets, kissing cheeks, holding hands, and making each other laugh.

It was complicated.

They all knew that.

There were feelings between them that didn’t always fit neatly into labels.

But they didn’t need to solve everything today.

Right now, they were together.

And that was enough.

Until the common-room door suddenly opened.

Everyone froze.

A teacher stood in the doorway.

His eyes moved slowly across the room.

Chan.

Changbin in Chan’s lap.

Felix pressed against Jeongin.

Hyunjin practically sitting between Minho’s legs.

Han holding Seungmin’s hand.

Eight boys.

One sofa.

Absolutely no personal space.

The teacher stared.

The boys stared back.

Jeongin slowly raised his hand.

“…Do we have to move?”