✈　❛ hotel

@❛ youngho seo。 yein’s sullen eyes droop at the sight of the male’s precautions, it being unfortunate they had to be so careful. the girl had even brought along some tools for self-defense, though she thought it better than to be involved with the mass hysteria and finger pointing back at casia. once her beloved is beside her, her lithe digits instantaneously curl around his own, squeezing that hand ever so gently.
mhm, it’s just been...a lot. what about you, babe? still clutching his hand, she turns on to her side as to get a better look at his enchanting visage.

@❛ yein jung。 shuffling in just behind her, there are instantaneously extra precautions taken out of pure paranoia; with good reason for doing so at the very least. once carelessly dropping his own bag onto the floor does youngho grab a chair from the corner of the room and bring it to tuck beneath the locked doorknob in case someone were to try and pry their way in. then he sets up a few cameras and hides them in various spots among the room, recording whatever may happen inside.
i know the cameras are creepy, but honestly.. i’d rather be safe than sorry. he sighs out before yanking the coat off his back and plopping onto the bed beside yein where his hand grazes against her own.
you doing okay, honey?

@❛ youngho seo。 the door briefly shuts tight behind the pair as yein carries a duffle bag over her shoulder, flipping on the lights in their hotel room. chocolate irises scan over the singular bed in the room adorned with white sheets, pillows, and blankets, before gazing over the entirety of the moderate-sized room that would become their home for the days away from casia’s current hellhole. a deep sigh leaves her lips as she slips off her shoes, setting her bag down before she steps further into the room to flop down onto the pristine mattress.
...god, it feels great to be away.

@❛ naeun son。 it was much needed. although it was just one night of their separation, taemin barely was able to get any shut eye. his mind raced - was she safe? were all of them safe? was she okay? was she resting? taking care of herself? so many questions that whirled within the expanse of his head, filling it up to the capacity where he had to force himself to get a little sleep as somewhat of a distraction. but now they're here, and they're okay, and they're safe. both of his arms begin to slowly retract so that he's able to caress just beneath both of her elbows, nose nudging upon the bridge of her own as their foreheads connect. "it's okay," he begins, his right hand return to it's previous position yet this time a little higher so that the pad of his thumb could explore the expanse of her cheek, fingertips nudging strands of hair behind her ear with his eyes following. "i don't want to go through this again, i need to know that you can trust me." his eyes find naeun's, and the hand still tucked beneath her elbow attempts at pulling her in closer with a quiet exhale, even if they were as close as possible. "i love you too, so much. i love you, i love you, i love you." he confesses, a kiss in between each one as the corners of his lips begin the motion of upturning.

@❛ taemin lee。 lithe digits of her's seek refuge in that of a fist upon his shirt, as if that could pull him towards her to diminish the space between their already enclosed figures, the ends of her tiers curling into a much awaited smile that she had found difficult to showcase if without him. he was her deepened anchor that waltzed ( back ) into her life, burdening himself with all of her struggles willingly, and kept their love pure, cloudless, untainted. she gave her all into their one tender kiss, wanting to feed him with her string of apols just to ensure to him that she was truly apologetic to him in ways that she had never been to someone before -- shown as she quietly sighed into his mouth, letting the tension in her physique lessen as seconds passed, lowering herself to allow the soles of her feet meet the floor once again. her chin lifted greatly to avoid decoupling, inhaling silently albeit slowly nudging herself back to exhale. her eyes found his and she attempted to catch her breath to lowly whisper to him, having their foreheads pressed upon gently. "i'm sorry, i will never doubt you again. i love you."

@❛ naeun son。 when he hears the pitter-patter of her feet against the cold, hard floor, it frightens him. was she coming to tell him, 'that's it, i've had enough'? or maybe to tell him to get out -- or maybe, naeun was walking towards the direction of the shower to start it, silently dismissing him in her wake. each option didn't make it any better, each possibility would hurt more than the other. so when his vacant hand quickly becomes occupied, and he's nudged her way -- to put it lightly, taemin is surprised. his eyes follow as she grows closer and closer, and it's as if each happy memory of theirs begin to play within his head. from their drunken foolishness to watching the sunset, to telling her that they'd been a part of a one night stand together, to the echos of her laughter as youngha 'nyooms' towards her -- his heart was carved for this woman, and this woman alone. his eyes follow suit, slipping closed as he returns the kiss with the utmost amount of care. he can feel it seeping through her aura, the apologies, the love - it's there, and he knows it. a hand of his raises to caress the side of her neck, fingers finally slipping from the doorknob in order to enter-twine around her waist; ultimately pulling her closer. his forgiveness and love is returned just as much, poured into each kiss stolen from her lips. finally. they were going to be okay.

@❛ taemin lee。 "taemin," the same shaky breath that she had was audible for him, the whispered, low voice that she previously held was growing in volume, and in confidence that .. that she was so sure he wasn't it. he was too gentle, too kind, too good and she was blind to let others sway her opinion, to let the murderers let a drift come between their love in such a vulnerable time. it was like those maniacs, those psychos knew her pressure point, her achilles heel and was just digging their sharpened blade into her. she slowly slipped down from the counter, the hand that once was afraid to meet his rightfully clasped in his palm, her other hand gently pushing at his shoulder for him to face her. "i'm here. i'm sorry, i'm here." she knew that she hurt him, in ways that no one can come back from -- accusing him of murder isn't just something that comes everyday, or that even comes. so when she heightened herself on the tips of her toes and leaned so undeniably close, she made sure to pour every apology she could into his mouth for him to understand. her eyes fluttered shut and the bliss of his plush tiers felt so serene and comforting, attempting to press sweetened nothings against his lips to compensate for her inability to be an adequate lover.

@❛ naeun son。 "of course i do." he assures her in a whisper, that same hand that he'd counted off of extending within her direction in attempt to furthermore explain. "if i was part of something so sick, i would've already hurt you. i've been given all of this time, if i had any other intentions than protecting you, to do so. if i wanted to hurt you, or anyone else, i would have by now." he continues calmly, his tone steady and slow. the last thing taemin wants is for her to feel as though she should be ashamed for the way she felt, or that she was being attacked. "listen - i understand. how you feel, it's completely valid with such circumstances. i'll be honest with you, it hurts me that you think i could be a part of something like this. at the time of the first murder, i was at the pool party. at the time of the second murder, i was out at dinner with youngha. if you want to see receipts, if you want to see photos or look through my phone, i'm an open book for you. i just don't know what else you want from me." his own voice cracks, and his fingers gently tighten around the doorknob. "i would never hurt you, or put you in any kind of danger -- why are we here if i would've planned to?" dropping his hand, his eyes return to his shoes. "and now that i practically have a target on my back, i can't go through this by myself. i can't."

@❛ taemin lee。 she hoped that he understood that from where she was standing, that she had been suspicious for a good reason -- she also hoped that he understood where her rash decisions, raw emotions, and distancing came from. the murders, it was all too horrific, barbaric, too much for her to handle and all she had ing heard this entire time was to not trust those you hold dear to your heart. and , her heart was his to break and to crumble if he wished. thus earlier, she just had to .. get out of there, save herself the heart break that would attach itself with their relationship, leave with gunhee. her ultimate line of defense and even if she truly, actually believed he was a murderous person, then she'd be caught dead because undoubtedly, he had her around his finger, wrapped so tight that it could cut circulation, she knew she'd come crawling back to him inevitably. but she still held onto that thought that he was all things good and pure, everything she needed. she spoke with such longing in her voice, albeit it cracking, "do you mean that? … you're not going to hurt me?" it came out breathy as her tears edged her eyes, her head hanging once more. "if you're going to hurt me, just do it now."

@❛ naeun son。 one hand is stuck behind him, curled tightly around the fixture of the doorknob. entering within this room without her permission was already bold enough. even if every part of him wanted to move forward, he wouldn't dare to burst her own bubble of safety - even if that meant himself being as far away as possible, because she felt unsafe with him. his fingers fumble with the satin-like finish behind his back, teeth tearing into the fragile skin of his lower lip as he just.... stares. "i don't know what the text was." he responds with ease, yet, he's frustrated that he can't provide her with more information. "i received it, along with rosie, youngho, soojin, christian, jinri --" he's counting off of his fingers, "multiple people who haven't even been around. we spent a lot of last night looking for some kind of connection. if there's anything we've witnessed, if there's anyone we've been protecting. a few of us witnessed when changmin attacked ari, me being one of them, so we thought - maybe this is it. but one wasn't around, so that doesn't make sense. we still don't--" his head tilts downward, brows knitting together. "we still don't really know what that text meant, none of us do. ultimately right now, i think it's one of two things. a warning, or just something to turn everybody away from each other. like so." one hand motions between the two. he continues, voice filled with sincerity. "i haven't been in contact with anyone other than you and people at work on that phone, i don't know how anybody else could've gotten my phone number to contact me. i can tell you anything you want to the best of my abilities, but i can also promise you that i have nothing to do with this, with anything."

@❛ taemin lee。 she perched herself atop of the bathroom's sink counter, where taemin had resided when they first had their talk about her suspicions towards him. ironic how again, they're in the same position. she could only bitterly sink her teeth in the flesh of her softened tier as a way to conceal the saddened feelings that she told, no, promised herself not to display in front of gunhee and youngha from then on. well .. she guessed with just herself staked between the four walls that the promise to herself wouldn't be held liable - until she heard his voice from the other end. her mind raced. wait, she wasn't ready. wasn't prepared emotionally to handle the dreading conclusion of her and her family's demise; and that was just her frightfulness taking the best of her judgment. her hopefulness of his innocence diminishing but still present. before she could speak, she could only stay stunned as he edged himself in, watching as he leaned against the build of the door with the plea to work the situation. she felt the fear ebb away gradually at how defeated he looked, how fragile. how could he hurt anyone? god, she was so frustrated with herself, her mind screaming at her to escape, her heart pounding for his embrace, her gut telling her to get some damn answers. 'whatever the answer, you need to get to the bottom of it,' she thought. she exhaled quietly, speaking out with a small voice, "what was that text? what role do you have in that game of theirs?"

@❛ naeun son。 still crouched on the ground, his gaze is following her stature as she moves to gather a towel along with her clothes. this wasn't it. this couldn't be it, no - not talking, not taking the situation as the team they were supposed to be wouldn't do. nudging himself to an upward stance, he follows the other two with both bags in hand: one of food, and one of drinks. he sets them down, pulls out each container (including naeun's bagel, which he sets aside) and opens youngha's to cut the food for him to eat with ease. "there are six containers of syrup, don't eat it all. please. there's enough for each of us to have two." he's murmuring with an eyebrow raised, only to set youngha's container ahead of him. "i'll be back to join you guys in a little bit, go ahead and eat. don't worry," he interrupts his younger brother just as he catches the displeased reaction, leaning in to press a kiss to his temple. "i'll be right over there." the male motions towards the bathroom, to which he's soon treading towards. knock knock. his forehead rests upon the wooden door. "naeun? can i come in?" and just as he'd done with her brother previously, he's slipping in before receiving any sort of answer, only to lean against the door. "can we just.. talk this out? please."

@❛ taemin lee。 awkwardness clouded between their bodies as they took a good look at each other, silently basking in the damned parted distance, physically and mentally. until youngha, often synonymous with energy, ecstatically came up to him. just as she let the front door close, she remained in place to witness the sweet exchange within the men in her life, an unobtrusive smile etched her lips to curve but she refrained once she caught attention of taemin with her lack of appetite. "i'm going to shower," she mumbled, shaking her head as her view shifted to gunhee in purpose of avoiding a disappointed expression from taemin that she expected. "enjoy your guys' breakfast." she sauntered her way to her suitcase, her back facing the crowd as she could hear youngha and gunhee loudly shuffing their way to the table eagerly, hungrily. a part of her yearned for him to follow her, to explain her feelings that even she needed to sort. another part wasn't ready to deal with the outcome that she feared the most. with clothes and a towel in one hand, her head hung low before shutting the door behind her.

@❛ naeun son。 the fumbling of the doorknob was the newfound reason for his heart racing rapidly, pounding within his chest as if begging to be released. honestly, he wasn't sure what to prepare for when the door opened. would his brother be on the other side? would it be gunhee? would it be -- her? his answer is soon given to him when he catches naeun's gaze and he, too, is studying her appearance. she looks rested - thank god. at least she could get some rest, at least she wasn't alone and had some company. at least she was safe. his limbs earn to reach out for her, to embrace her and say, "thank god, thank god you're okay. thank god you're safe." but she wouldn't want that. ultimately, at this time, he wasn't very sure of what she wanted. a part of him is mad, angry that she could think for even a split second that taemin would be able to do such a thing. when he brought her here, when she was aware of his alibis in the first place. but he loves her, despite the fact. god, he loves her. "hi." he replies meekly, stepping in shortly after the door had been widened. "hyung!" he hadn't even reached the table before crouching down to free his hands, allowing his embrace to surround youngha's smaller figure whilst picking him up. "hi buddy, thank god." thank god he gets to see him another day, thank god he's safe. "i'm sorry i took so long." he murmurs into his shoulder, peering over it to catch a glimpse of gunhee. one of his hands extends to hold out a fist, to which he casually bumps, before he crouches down to set youngha down once more. "okay, breakfast. i got two chocolate milks, three orders of waffles - with extra syrup." a brow is raised towards gunhee, to which he looks over his shoulder to the female. "and a bagel." almost in a way to say, 'you need to eat'. "let's move to the table."

@❛ taemin lee。 "oh you so have a crush!" she nudged gunhee with a smile full of diablerie, drastically different than her aura that exhibited the most depressing side of her the night before. the three had situated themselves on the bed, conversing and exchanging laughter and failed puns -- ones that lifted her spirits from the endless abyss of consternation first thing in the morning, ones that helped her seek refuge and light in the monochromatic that was her world. it was until they heard a knock that her laugh died down and that little figure of aforementioned light vanished into wisps of darkness, forming into her deepest worries once again. she froze in her spot for a few seconds before youngha spoke, "it's taemin hyung with breakfast." right, taemin. she slowly deranged herself from her position and anxiously cracked the door open, her eyes scrutinizing his appearance with meticulousness. the tiredness evident in his visage, his hair was unkempt, even his physique was duly suffering from inner battles and demons. and with these observations, she found her heart mending because she knew that despite whatever rift they had, she still was irrevocably in love with him. she felt the urgency to wrap him in her arms and apologize once more for her stupidity, the tendency to drown him in the kisses she should've given him, the ushered feeling of wanting to take it all back .. but she couldn't. "hi," she mumbled as her head peeked from behind the door, gradually retracing her steps back with tugging the knob to mirror her movements, opening the door wider for him to enter.

@❛ naeun son。 despite waking up in a pool of his own sweat whilst gasping for air, needless to say, taemin was so glad that he was able to wake up this morning. he’d never loved the sun so much, the way fresh air felt when it filled his lungs, and even the damp humidity in the early hours in the morning. the tips of his fingers drum against his steering wheel as he glances at himself within the rear view mirror: he looks disgusting. there’s sweat painting along the collar and armpit sections of his sweater that reveals his minds’ fight within the darkness of the night as he slept. bags visibly hang from his eyes, darkened in their wake, and he looks...thinner? sunken in. when stopping to get their breakfast, he’s sure to get two orders of pancakes, one with no drink and the other with chocolate milk - EXTRA SYRUP - and also orders himself the same thing as youngha (the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, obviously) and orders a bagel for naeun with cream cheese on the side. now, he’s sauntering towards their hotel room, both hands full, and he realizes he’d left his key on his nightstand when he thought he’d be coming back. ultimately, he knocks on the door before taking a step back while awaiting for an answer

hastily making her way in the room, a startled gunhee and youngha was in her sight and she elicited a heavy, relieved sigh. they're safe, they're ing safe, thank goodness. her eyes fell victim to youngha, who gave her a smile, one that resembled taemin uncannily. "where's taemin?" gunhee asked and she pulled herself to sprawl over her bed -- their bed. "he's .. at the lounge right now," she muttered, tears lining her lashes once more. , she knew she trusted him, she knew that he would never, ever put them in a dangerous situation but goddamn, that text. your roles? what ing role did he have? was he an accomplice? an ally? she was shaken out of her thoughts as youngha zoomed his toy car into her shoulder gently, laughing. and unlike his joking nature, she couldn't find it in herself to return it, not even able to muster a smile. "what's wrong, naeun noona?" his voice was soft, kind, everything that their situation wasn't and that's what tore her heart. that youngha and gunhee, they were so good but the around them was so horrible, and she began to doubt if she was capable of protecting them. she almost choked on her words, discreetly wiping at the droplet that threatened to jump from the edge of her eyes. "nothing, let's go to sleep. i'll sleep in your guys' bed tonight."

@❛ naeun son。 with one hand shifting to carefully caress her jaw and the side of her neck, the tips of taemin's fingers mindlessly sink within her hair; the pad of his thumb ghosting just above the outline of her ear in an up and down . "i know it does, my love. i know." he whispers softly, allowing his arms to secure more around her smaller frame with his own cheek perched amongst the side of her head. he, too, felt helpless. in so many ways. he hated that he wasn't able to completely protect his family from whatever monsters their were, he hated that he couldn't protect his friends and his peers -- but there's some kind of comfort that he wasn't the only one that felt as such. "for as long as you need." he whispers, his free hand gently rubbing up and down in attempt of searching for some kind of comfort. "it's good to cry. it's good to allow yourself to feel the pain that you're feeling. but i've got you, i've got you."

@❛ taemin lee。 she dared to lift her chin with his help of an incline, her eyes remaining closed just to relinquish in the self hatred and guilt that tore at her as stricken tears strayed itself down her countenance. her ears rang with a deafening noise that kept her body numb, the personification of defeat becoming rationalized in her and he was the only one that could pull her back ashore. within each kiss he pressed onto her never went unnoticed, though she couldn't find it in her to relish in love, in comfort despite his gentle, reassuring words that slipped her mind. maybe she could've been the one to change the outcome. she rested her head on his shoulder gradually with her stiff frame, attempting to stabilize and steady that of her breathing rhythm before parting her lips to talk once more. "it just hurts. it all hurts and i feel so helpless," her voice broke into a whisper, one that exposed her vulnerability and innocence, one that cried for help in the abyss she was captivated in. "i'm sorry, i'm crying too much, i know. just hold me like this .. please."

@❛ naeun son。 "that's okay, like i said, we all react differently. while i wish it was.. different, i understand." he's watching her expression closely, head tilting forward to keep her eyes in sight. he's interlacing their fingers together, holding them upon his thigh as his teeth gently sink into his lower lip. taemin allows her to speak without him intervening, only silently reaching forward with his free hand to tilt her head upwards to gain easier access to wipe her fallen tears away. "it's okay to cry, baby. it's okay to be upset." the male whispers, his brows knitting together as he releases her hand to raise both of his own to caress her cheeks. "hey, hey. look at me. don't you ever blame yourself for something like this, do you understand me? none of us could've prevented this. maybe he was with somebody he trusted -- unfortunately, there's so many unanswered questions. taking this upon your shoulders, as if you could've changed everything, will prevent allowing yourself to let it sink in and really allow yourself to feel. the police report hasn't come out yet but.. as much as we would've known about the scene, we couldn't have prevented it. moving forward, we just have to be even more careful." he gently presses his lips upon her tear streaked cheeks, only to envelop her within his embrace. "i'm sorry, i'm so sorry. i wish none of this ever happened."

@❛ taemin lee。 "i'm sorry for my rash reaction, all of their theories got the best of me and youngjae i --" the lining of her eyes threatened to water at the thought of their late friend, though attempting to fight it from streaming. "i had my first conversation with him just earlier," her laugh was bitter despite the softly strung kisses upon her knuckles and wrist. she should've stayed and talked to him longer, maybe it would've kept him from roaming alone. or maybe she'd be dead too. "i told him i'd watch yein for him and he offered to get me bubble tea in return, and for a split moment, i remember i thought, 'i hope he stays safe'," her tone broke, lowering her head with silent cries to shield the revelation of rivulets that stained her visage. welcomed the course feeling of pain as it strained against her sob, even more so as she sniffled. "i'm sorry for doubting you earlier, it was stupid of me. all you've been doing is making sure we're all safe and i shouldn't inflict suspicion on you," she wiped her eyes with her sleeve that had already been tainted with tears from hours before, her breathing becoming staggered. "i should've stayed in the lounge with him ... i should've waited until he was safe, he was just a normal guy and i -"

@❛ naeun son。 following behind naeun, he's peaking over at the other two - who were still laughing - before his line of vision is cut by the wall now separating them. "it was really cute, youngha really loves him." he raises a hand to gently itch upon his temple with a softened chuckle, his tongue sweeping between his tiers. "i just," leaning forward towards the sink, he finds himself sitting beside it atop of the countertop, back facing the mirror as he lightly grasps naeun's hand, raising it to press a kiss to her knuckles. "wanted to make sure that you were okay, you know. i don't want to concern them, with everything that's going on." he's holding her hand up, still, soon pressing another kiss to her wrist. "and i wanted to talk to you and make sure that you know that i'm not upset with you. i was upset, sure, and my feelings were hurt. but that's that, and there's not much to do about it. i don't want you to blame yourself, you don't have to justify how you feel with everything going on. it's... a lot, and it's scary. we all react differently."

@❛ taemin lee。 she couldn't help herself but to keep watch of the scene before her as taemin launched the so called airplane into her brother, who saw it coming in advance with a laugh. taemin, gunhee, youngha -- this was the life she wanted, she realized. she yearned to love taemin incredulously, show him all the colors of love she was willingly to give and she yearned to protect their youngests in ways that had a maternal desire for them. this was the family she wanted. her eyes blinked briefly at the hand etching for her's before she accepted his gesture, catching his notion towards the bathroom with the quick look of his eyes. she allowed herself out of the warmth of her blanket and shuffled her way towards the bathroom with taemin tailing behind, closing the bathroom door behind them. "that was cute, wasn't it? youngha and gunhee," she chuckled. "what's up though, babe?"

@❛ naeun son。 there's a fond smile upon taemin's visage as he watches the incredibly wholesome scene before him, his eyes mostly casting upon naeun. he loves her. god, does he love her so. "okay captain, ready for night night?" the male questions, only for youngha to look at him with big doe eyes, soon pointing to gunhee. raising an eyebrow, he leans forward to put him into the airplane position once more before replicating the motions taken towards naeun to her younger brother, where he tucks him in right beside him. "goodnight, buddy." he softly murmurs, ruffling his hair. turning upon the balls of his heels, taemin advances towards his and naeun's bed, though extending his hand for her to take instead of climbing into bed. "come with me?" he questions, looking towards the bathroom as their only resort for privacy away from the kids.

@❛ taemin lee。 she sat up in an alarmed manner as she watched taemin grudgingly lift youngha to resemble an airplane. she leaned on her turned palms against the mattress, weighting herself on her arms in a combination of bewilderment and anticipation for their next choice of action before seeing youngha charge at her with taemin's aid. she released a fit of laughs as the younger's hands come to cup her cheeks, finding herself in a moment of pure bliss, her widened smile never seeming to fade at the tag team's (cute) attack. "ah! thank you captain youngha, i feel better already!" she brought her hands up to fit snug underneath his arms, lifting him in her arms and out of taemin's embrace to hold him tightly in a hug. "look," she pointed her visage, offering him the biggest smile she had ever encouraged herself to put on. "you made me smile!"

@❛ naeun son。 crouching down once more, he leans in to whisper into youngha's ear whilst shielding his hand so that the female couldn't see what he could possibly be whispering within her ear. the younger male nods, and taemin stands up so that his back is facing her, only to lean forwards once more to pick him up, one hand holding his legs up and the other pressed against his chest, almost as if he were floating, but held in the air instead. "uh oh," he begins, a grin etching among his visage. "look out! the youngha plane is coming!" when taemin whips around, he's raising his younger brother (whom is immensely laughing) to different levels whilst they make way towards naeun with light 'nyoom' sounds. his small hands reach out to press against her cheeks, only for him to speak between giggles. "feel better, noona!"

@❛ taemin lee。 just as she was about to answer, she glanced at youngha who tugged onto taemin with such persistence and excitement, drastically different than the atmosphere and tension that wielded out of the lounge prior. "you guys go have fun," she said, her tone almost monochromatic albeit the happiness that oozed out of the two brothers. her mind was captivated by the abrupt scenes that flashed through her; yein fainting, her suspecting taemin, and even catching raphael's doubts towards their exit. this murderer -- was breaking everyone and everyone was letting it inevitably. she looked at the bathroom door with longing flecking in her irises. she was letting it come between them. she settled herself in bed, piling herself with the thick blanket and sighing just as taemin and youngha pranced out with proud pajamas as attire, though she couldn't find it in herself to elicit a laugh, and instead mustered a minuscule of a smile. "cute."

@❛ naeun son。 "me too." taemin nods, teeth sinking into his lower lip as he leans forward to put the taser in the drawer of the nightstand before straightening up. "it might take her a little bit to be, but she'll be okay." he nods, raising a hand to gently poke beneath naeun's chin. "are you okay?" he questions with furrowed brows, and a look of concern, before there's a light tug to his hand. "are you ready, bud? alright captain, let's go get you ready." he mouths a quick 'i'll be right back' to her before grabbing his own pajama pants and entering the bathroom to get himself and youngha ready for bed, only to exit five minutes later or so.

@❛ taemin lee。 she quietly strayed behind taemin's figure, the tips of her fingers fiddling with the hem of her shirt out of embarrassment for their earlier plight that had caused a minor rift in their relationship. she watched as gunhee accompanied youngha inside, shuffling over to their packed suitcases in search of their sleepwear as she inched up to taemin steadily. she nodded at his notion of contacting yein of their arrival before seating herself on the edge of their respective bed. "i hope she's okay."

@❛ naeun son。 the drive to the hotel was /quick/ and filled with taemin white knuckling the steering wheel until they'd arrived. keeping an eye around their surroundings, he was sure that the four arrived safely and were back within their room without a scratch. pulling out his phone from his back pocket, he crouches forward to address youngha first, "time to brush your teeth and get into your pjs, do you wanna go get your pjs?" to which the younger male nods and waddles towards his opened suitcase. after sending yein a text that they'd arrived, he slides off his shoes and releases a yawn before looking to naeun. "i just texted yein."