#minsunglix

Photoshoot

With many events lined up for Stray Kids to participate in, they had to split up their season greetings photoshoot. They did take their group photos within a small window of time, when all of them were able to meet at the decided location but they'd have to return over the course of the following week to have their individual shots taken. It was a little messy, especially for the staff organizing the outfits and make up but it was the only way they could make it work. That was how Changbin and Jeongin ended up heading to the outdoors location of their photoshoot together after getting their hair and makeup done at the company building. The weather was rather cloudy, which made things a little complicated as the photographer had to figure out the correct lighting but they were wearing their coats for as long as possible, so they'd be fine.

Slowly developing a bit of a chill, Jeongin lightly bounced on his feet to make sure he'd stay warm because he wouldn't willingly remove his coat to have his pictures taken if the wind got to him anymore than it already did. Changbin opened his coat and approached Jeongin, hugging the maknae from behind and wrapping his coat around both of them to keep him still. They had already had dance practice that morning and the younger would only end up sore and not really warmer if he kept moving like that. "You wanna go first?", the rapper offered, "I'm not really cold yet and you could go warm up once you're done." – "T-Thank you, hyung", Jeongin forced out between chattering teeth, nodding. Though he frowned at having to remove his coat, he did so quickly and stepped in front of the camera, eager to get it over with, while Changbin left for a moment to grab coffee for both of them.

Sipping his coffee had helped Changbin stay warm and he handed his dongsaeng the other paper cup as soon as he was done with his photoshoot. Jeongin shot him a grateful smile as he wrapped his stiff hands around the cup to warm them, careful not to spill any with how his hands trembled. Bundling up in his coat, the maknae sipped his coffee and watched Changbin posing for the camera while he slowly warmed up again. Now that Jeongin wasn't freezing his ass off anymore, he could see the beauty in the scene the staff had chosen though he still felt they should've been given more weather appropriate outfits. What he hadn't expected was for the skies to suddenly open and a merciless downpour to start. Everyone rushed to get the camera equipment and props somewhere dry, so nothing would get damaged. Jeongin pulled his hood up before running to help out and by the time him and Changbin had found shelter, the maknae's shoes had filled with water.

Jeongin frowned as he wiggled his toes within his wet socks before looking at Changbin. He gasped softly, realizing the rapper had been the only one not wearing a coat to protect himself from the rain. Changbin's previously neatly styled hair was plastered to his forehead now, rain still dripping down his face. With his clothes completely soaked, the rapper wrung out the lower part of his sweater and wiped his face before looking up. His heart still raced from the adrenaline but while he slowly calmed down, he felt the cold set in. By the time the adrenaline had worn off completely, the cold had seeped into Changbin's bones and although he had tried to dry himself off and keep moving, so he wouldn't freeze, it had barely helped. He was also unfortunate enough to not have a change of clothes with him because he had left them in the dressing room at the company building.

Seeing that they weren't going to continue with their shoot, the staff packed up the equipment, while their manager decided: "I'll drive you two back to your dorms. Please take a hot shower and warm up. Would be really inconvenient if anyone was to fall ill in the near future. Your schedule will continue with the next point in about an hour, so I'll pick you up and take you to the company building before that. Should be just enough time for a shower and a snack." Thanking him, Changbin and Jeongin got into the car, the rapper spreading his coat over the seat, so he wouldn't get the leather wet. Changbin was the first to be dropped off, barely able to open the car door with how hard he was shaking from the cold. He was glad when he finally entered the dorm he shared with Chan, Hyunjin and Jisung and headed straight to the bathroom. His skin tingled when the water hit him, his temperature perception completely off but the longer he stayed under the running water the more comfortable it became.

Changbin had had a hard time convincing himself to leave the shower but he knew he didn't have all day, especially not if he wanted to eat something before being picked up again. Dressed in his thickest sweatpants, the rapper slipped on a t-shirt and hoodie before making his way to the kitchen. He didn't have much time left but still wanted to have a hot meal, still feeling chilled to the core, so he made some ramyeon and texted Jeongin to see if the youngest was almost ready too. The makane hadn't taken nearly as long to shower as Changbin had and was already eating while he waited for his tea to steep. Figuring they might end up a little shivery for the rest of the day, Jeongin had prepared a large thermos, so they could share tea later.

The tea ended up highly appreciated because Changbin shuddered as soon as he stepped foot outside the dorm and the goosebumps didn't disappear even with the car's heater blowing on the highest setting, causing their manager to sweat. The rapper was quiet when they made their way to the studio to meet up with Chan and Jisung, feeling as though his energy had been drained completely by the earlier incident. His fellow producer of course noticed and Jeongin poured Changbin a cup of tea as soon as they arrived because he still shivered from time to time. "What happened to you?", Chan frowned as he took off his headphones. Seungmin had just finished recording his lines and left minutes before the pair arrived, so Jeongin could record. Shooting the maknae a grateful smile, Changbin wrapped his hands around the cup and muttered: "The rain hit right when we were doing the photoshoot and we got soaked completely as we tried to get all the equipment to safety. We took a shower and changed into warm clothes before coming here because there was no use finishing the shoot in that downpour." – "Well, Changbin-hyung was the one to really get soaked completely", Jeongin corrected softly, "For me it was just my shoes and the lower half of my pants but yeah, it was pretty cold and I figured we'd still be cold despite the shower, so I brought tea to make the rest of the day more bearable." Hearing that, Chan quickly adjusted the heating and told his dongsaengs to let him know if there was anything he could do.

While Jeongin did really well initially, his voice soon sounded strained and Chan asked him to take a break. Changbin made the maknae sip some of the tea, humming: "You feeling alright? Don't catch a cold." – "I'm okay", Jeongin smiled but gladly sipped the tea, "I'm just really tired, so I think that's why my voice sounds forced. It's like my body needed all its energy to keep up its temperature and now there's nothing left for anything else." – "Ah, I know what you mean", Changbin nodded, "Feeling incredibly rundown and sleepy despite barely doing anything?" The younger nodded, glad someone understood though the statement had Chan worried. Sure, he had noticed Changbin being rather withdrawn but having the rapper admit to the fatigue was more than he had expected. They could compensate for one sick member but if both of them ended up falling ill, things would be even more chaotic than they already were.

When Jeongin's next attempt at recording failed, Chan instructed: "I want you to take a break and rest your voice for today, Innie. Yeah, I know it's frustrating but it really sounds like you'd be hurting yourself if you try to force it. Seungmin should be only a few doors down practicing his lines, so maybe you can join him and memorize the lyrics." Sighing, the maknae agreed and got ready to leave. He had intended to leave the thermos because Changbin still seemed to be freezing but the older wouldn't let him. "The way your voice sounds, you need the tea a lot more", Changbin insisted, placing the thermos into the other's backpack, "Take care and don't be to hard on yourself, Innie."

"You know, the same goes for you", Chan reminded once the door closed behind their dongsaeng, "You look really unwell." – "I mean, yeah, I'm exhausted and my head's starting to hurt but that's about it", Changbin shrugged, running the cuff of his sleeve under his nose, "I'm like 90% sure that it will be fine after getting a good night's sleep but for now, it's meh...." – "Then take it easy for now, so it doesn't end up getting worse than 'meh'", the leader sighed sympathetically. Sure, none of them was very good at taking it easy but they couldn't take any chances right now, not with how many events were lined up in the upcoming weeks. Changbin also didn't have much of a choice when it came to taking it easy. With how tired he was, he had a hard time focusing and eventually accepted the painkillers Jisung handed him, hoping he'd have a better time if the headache improved but his mind remained hazy even after the pain got better.

Though he had been a little sniffly throughout the evening, it was only when Changbin got to his feet to finally go home for the night, that the congestion in his sinuses shifted, making it impossible for him to breathe threw his nose. With watering eyes, Changbin made his way to the car and rested his head against the window during the drive. He could tell where this was going and although his friends hadn't pointed it out again, he knew that they had caught on too. As Changbin got ready for bed, Chan stopped by for a moment. The Aussie didn't want to keep his dongsaeng up any longer but let him know: "Sure, it would get messy with our schedules but if you end up not feeling well, we will figure something out. I will talk to management for you, so if you end up really coming down with something, please tell me and don't go hiding it until you're in far worse condition." – "You wouldn't have had to bring that up", Changbin muttered as he folded back the corner of his blanket, "Thank you though. Surely hope I can just sleep it off but we'll see." Chan hummed in agreement, telling him to feel better before going to bed himself.

Changbin gave a stuffy sigh as he got under his blanket, pulling it tight in hopes that he might feel a little warmer then. He still hadn't been able to shake the chill and if he hadn't been exhausted to the bone, he probably wouldn't have been able to fall asleep at all. The medicine Jisung had given him had long since worn off and his head was pounding, the pressure in his sinuses only making the pain worse but he didn't want to get back up to take another dose. He could last till the morning and if it still hurt, he'd take something then.

It wasn't yet morning when Changbin awoke again, disoriented and unsure why exactly he had woken up. He was drenched in sweat, the sheets clinging to his skin as he sat up. Rubbing at his face, Changbin caught two rough sneezes in his hands and winced. He hadn't expected to be feeling this much worse in such a short time span but appreciated Chan's reassurance even more now because he doubted he'd be able to go to work the next day. His fears were confirmed when he got to his feet and his head swam. Stumbling a little, Changbin was eventually able to make his way to the kitchen and sip some warm water as he leant against the counter.

Having had a weird gut feeling, Chan had ventured out of his room again when he heard shuffling footsteps and wasn't too surprised to see if was Changbin. "You look awful, mate", the oldest hummed, startling the rapper so badly he almost dropped his glass. Apologizing, Chan rested his palm against his dongsaeng's forehead and mutter: "Well, I'm for sure going to call you in sick tomorrow. You're burning. When did it go downhill this badly?" – "I dunno", Changbin sniffled, massaging his temples, "Just woke up like this." – "Alright, how about we get you back to bed and I'll fetch you some cold medicine?", the Aussie offered, wrapping his arm around the other's shoulders. He cringed when he realized how sweaty his friend's back was.

Changbin was shocked how much effort it took him just to get back to his room and sighed when he found the damp sheets a tangled mess at the foot of the bed. "Here, sit", Chan instructed easing the rapper down on the edge of the bed before picking up the blanket. Leaning against the wall because sitting up by himself seemed way too draining, Changbin closed his eye and listened to his hyung rummaging around his closet. Chan had changed the sheet in no time, making sure his dongsaeng also put on a fresh shirt before heading to the bathroom to get the medicine while the younger settled back into bed.