CHAPTER 70— Whispers, Winks, and a Hint of Chaos
As the boys crept into the dorm like a line of sleepy spies, Dk stirred awake. Rubbing his eyes, he tapped Joshua and whispered, "Hey, why are we sneaking in like this?"
Joshua yawned. "No idea. Scoups told us to follow… so we're following."
Still drowsy, Dk blinked slowly and nodded, falling in line with the others.
Scoups tiptoed into the hall—then froze. "Look," he whispered to Wonwoo, pointing. "They fell asleep without locking the door."
Wonwoo followed his gaze and gave a faint smile. "Seriously…"
Behind them, the rest of the boys barged in loudly—until they were hushed.
"Shhh!" Scoups hissed. "The girls are sleeping!"
Jun, Woozi, Hoshi, and Dino halted like statues. Joshua, Dk, Minghao, Mingyu, and Vernon crashed into them, groaning in pain.
Meanwhile, Dk noticed Nian sleeping peacefully on Xuanye's shoulder. He laughed softly and walked over, watching her with gentle eyes. Joshua and Jeonghan spotted the dinner laid out on the table.
"They even made dinner for us," Joshua said in awe.
Jeonghan's voice softened. "They really take care of us like moms…"
The members sat and began eating. As the warm flavors hit their tongues, Scoups grinned. "It's melting like cotton in my mouth. I actually feel energized now!"
The others could only nod, too busy devouring every bite. After dinner, they cleaned up and headed to bed.
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Soft Mornings & Sleeping Lovebirds
Dk and Minghao lingered by their girlfriends. Dk gently scooped Nian into his arms.
"I'll sleep out here with Ye," Minghao said, sitting beside Xuanye. "You take her to bed."
Dk blinked. "Really?" He smirked, but left with Nian, laying her gently in bed and pulling the blanket over her.
As he leaned back to leave, Nian murmured in her sleep, "Loudie… do your best in the concert. I wish all the best to your group…"
Dk's eyes widened. He bent down and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek.
"She's with Ye… I can stay, right?" he muttered to himself, sliding under the blanket beside her with a stiff smile. He faced her, brushed back her hair, and whispered,
"I'll do my best. I'll be a good boyfriend to you."
He closed his eyes with a smile.
Meanwhile, Minghao placed Xuanye's head gently on his lap, stroking her hair. "Ye… we practiced so hard today, but your food gave me strength. Cook for us again, okay?"
Xuanye stirred in her sleep, wrapping her arms around his waist. Minghao blushed and chuckled in disbelief.
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Early Morning Whispers
At 4 a.m., Nian stirred. She reached out and accidentally touched Dk's nose. Confused, she opened her eyes—and froze.
"Loudie…?" she whispered. "What are you doing here?"
Dk blinked, half-asleep. "I just… stayed."
She chuckled, then rubbed his forehead gently. "You must be tired…"
He smiled faintly as she pampered him, and they drifted back to sleep.
At 5 a.m., Scoups received a call from Manager Zheng. Still half-asleep, he picked up.
"Be at rehearsal by 7:30. Don't be late," Zheng barked, and hung up.
Scoups sighed. "He didn't even let me say yes…"
He began waking the members.
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Confessions and Chaos
Xuanye woke up and saw Minghao still beside her. Her breath caught.
"Hao…" she whispered. "You're handsome even in your sleep."
She patted his cheek playfully.
Minghao stirred and smiled. "Good morning, Ye."
She blinked, flustered. "When did you get here?"
"I was here all night."
"Oh… Hao!" she gasped, sitting up. "Are you ready for the concert?"
"I'm confident," he nodded. "After the concert, I'll meet you backstage."
Xuanye grinned. "Then don't be late."
Minghao made a puppy face. "Don't I get a reward for working so hard?"
She smirked. "Your reward is right here." She pointed at herself proudly.
Blushing, he turned away.
Smiling, she held his face and whispered, "Then here's your real reward, FlutterHao…"
She leaned in and kissed him gently on the lips.
He blinked in shock, stunned and blushing.
Just then, Jun walked by—and paused. He backed away in silence, face frozen.
"Jun?" Jeonghan asked.
"I think now's not a good time to go out," Jun said stiffly. "Let's wait a few minutes. It's… good luck or something."
The members stared at him suspiciously.
---
Meanwhile...
Nian woke up to find herself clinging to Dk like a plush toy.
"Loudie…" she said groggily. "Why are you here?"
"You pulled me in your sleep," he pouted.
"I did?"
"Yes. You even said you love me."
"I did?" she raised an eyebrow.
Dk blushed. "I mean… maybe not exactly…"
She smirked, grabbed a pillow, and bonked him playfully.
"You're mocking me!"
"I swear I'm telling the truth!"
She tackled him with tickles until he surrendered, laughing breathlessly.
"Nian… my cheeks hurt!"
"Confess!"
"Okay, okay, I made it up!"
She let go and crossed her arms.
"You didn't even encourage me for the concert," Dk pouted.
Nian leaned in. "Loudie~ I know you'll be amazing. I'll be there to cheer for you."
His face lit up brighter than the sun. "Then… let's meet backstage?"
She nodded.
Before leaving, he gave her a quick kiss and smirked.
"Y-you—!" she gasped, flustered.
"Bye, Nian~" he waved.
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Final Scene: Team Jealousy
The boys gathered outside Nian's room, having heard everything.
"What's going on?" Xuanye asked Woozi, confused.
Woozi sighed dramatically. "There are two lovebirds in this dorm—one's acting weird since falling in love, and the other is acting weirder."
Just then, Dk opened the door.
"What are you all doing?" he asked coolly.
The boys yelped and ran. Xuanye, startled, ran with them—then stopped mid-sprint.
"Wait… I didn't do anything…" she blinked, frozen in place.
Dk watched them go and chuckled in disbelief.