DOG DAYS.
hot sultry weather of summer

.❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。

        "ICE. ALL I NEED IS ICE."

        Jaemin mumbled to himself, picking up another ice cube from inside his water jug. The sound of each crunch resounded throughout the whole room. "Ice is the best. I live off of ice. Ice is life—see, it even rhymes."

        Jeno puffed his cheeks. "Jaemin, you can't just keep sitting there on the couch like a whole ass nomad for the rest of the day," he coaxed, his arms on his hips.

        Jaemin shook his head rigorously. "Nope. I can and I will."

        "But I cooked food for us Nana!", Jeno yelled back cutely. "And plus, skipping meals is bad for your health."

        Jaemin pouted at Jeno. "But it's so hot~" he whined, raising his hand up to wipe his sweat off his forehead.

        "Oh come on~" Jeno insisted, crouching down in front of Jaemin. "Nono will be sad if Nana won't eat."

        Jeno flashed his puppy eyes at the latter, and of course, who could ever resist his puppy eyes?

        Jaemin groaned in defeat. "Urgh, fine," he spoke as he pulled his body up from the couch and stood up, stretching his limbs and walking to the kitchen while Jeno followed behind with a smirk.

        "It's damn hot," Jaemin mumbled to himself as he ran his hand through his brown, disheveled locks.

        But Jaemin, indeed, wasn't lying. At all.

        In fact, the sun was shining very brightly—brighter than it had ever shined before. The streets were all dried up, and the heat is to blame. It was as if no storm had just devastated the whole nation just a few days ago.

        It felt like the best time of the year has finally come.

        Summer.

        The hot scorching sun and the daily ice cream trucks and crisp refreshing air.

        Summer is the definition of fun. It is the season that gives you the most freedom, a sense of adventure that fuels you to go further, getting you out of your comfort zone and pushing you through your limits.

        Summer offers a wide variety of things to do. May it be an expensive shopping spree, a delicious food trip, a taste of the great outdoors, or simply just the time to lay around the house, tucked comfortably under the soft pillows and blankets, the AC cranked up to its highest interval, and stacks of Pizza Huts all across the room, empty or not, with the fifth episode of Money Heist playing on your Macbook screen.

        Summer is the time you feel your best—happy and all, with a genuine smile drawn on your face.

        It is also the season where people share the most precious memories together.

        And that was just what they are about to experience.

        In the middle of April, with the hot scorching sun, and the daily ice cream trucks, and the crisp refreshing sun.

        Summer has come.

╚═ °• ♔ •° ═╗

        "Holy fucking god I AM FUCKING MELTING," Donghyuck groaned loudly as he banged his head on top of the marble counter, startling everyone around the table. Mark giggled softly, placing his hand on the younger's brown locks, playing with them in order to seek comfort.

        To no avail.

        But there's no denying the fact that it felt like over fifty degrees in there, and just like Donghyuck, the others, too, felt like their faces were about to melt any second now.

        Frankly, it wasn't the hottest climate they had ever felt, but it was just unusually hot, considering the fact that only a few days ago, an atrocity that is the storm devastated the entire country.

        But it was, after all, the middle of April, the peak of summer, the season where the sun shines the brightest. Perhaps the weather just moves on so fast.

        "Hey, since the sun's been quite out, why don't we hang out somewhere outside, hm?" Renjun said, completely ignoring Donghyuck's existence. "You know, ice cream, carnivals, water parks. We've been stuck here in this house these past few months, and I'm really getting homesick," the boy ranted in one whole breath. "Even if this isn't my home."

        Jisung scowled at Renjun. "Shut up! We're family, one, big, whole family—not by blood, but by heart." Jisung smiled cheerfully at the older.

        Jaemin wiped off a nonexistent tear rolling out of his eyes. "That is the most beautiful thing you've ever said, Jisung." The older pointed a finger at him, "You see that boy? He's my son, I birthed him."

        "I birthed myself," Jisung spoke objectively. "And going back—I agree with Renjun hyung, all the way. We should go hang out somewhere, someday."

        "That someday part was deep. Are we gonna die or some shit like that?", Miri injected out of nowhere, in a slurry, almost-drunk like voice.

        "Mayhaps," Jisung replied simply, crossing his arms with a cocky grin.

        "But..." Mark suddenly spoke.

        "We all die,"

        "It's just a matter of how, and when."

        Donghyuck, whose head was hung low on the counter, suddenly cocked his head to the side to face Mark.

        "Shut up, nerd."

        The group of friends burst into a pit of laughter, both finding Donghyuck's statement, and Mark's unamused look, hilarious.

        "yO HE JUST- DID HE JUST-" Chenle yelled on the top of his lungs, his high-pitched dolphin laugh escaping his lips.

        Meanwhile, Jeno was by the stove, tending to the pot of food he was cooking. A few yells and screams and chants and squeals later, Jeno lifted the pot off the heat and approached the group that was already situated by the kitchen island. He carefully settled the piping-hot food in the center of the table, getting ready to share a hearty meal.

        When he heard a stifled groan.

        "TTEOKBOKKI AGAIN?!?!"

        Jeno squinted his eyes at Donghyuck who was whining like a child, aggravating him by the second. The younger buried his face on Mark's neck to seek solace, which the older was quick to comply, rubbing circles on his back and whispering shushes in his ear.

        Jeno sighed deeply, slightly annoyed with Hyuck's behavior but decided to suppress his anger for now. "I ordered Pizza Hut just in case this happens—which it did, but either way, the pizza should be here any minute now."

        And as if by queue, a ring resonated throughout the whole house. The doorbell chimed in, signifying someone by the front porch—probably the pizza.

        "I'll get it!" Miri groggily said, forcing herself down the bar stool and eagerly running down the hallways, through the living room and up until the front door.

        Miri clutched onto the doorknob, twisting it quickly and pulling it open with full force.

        "Hey Mister Pizza Boy-"

        "MIRI!"

.❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。

        ❀ | a/n !
— 119 HIT 2k+ READS !! LOVE YALL OMG I CANT STRESS ENOUGH HOW MUCH IM SI THANKFULLL !!!!! SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE VOTED TOO :> i cant believe this happened like it still hasn't sinked in but nevertheless iM sTiLl sO hAppPuYyYy LOVE YALL 3000  !!!! <<<<333333
-x-
— i KEEP ON UPDATING SO SLOWLYY OMY LORDD, MY WIFI IS SO BROKEN UGHH AND SCHOOL CAN GO DIE IN A DITCH iM sO stReSseD wiTh aToMS shiT aNd pHysIcsS fUcK yALL aLsO yOu wAVeS evEN iF i gOt rELatiVeLy hiGh thERe
*im currently high and stuff, sorrry if this chapter has tons of typos and whatnot bc this was like so rushed*
— hope this chapter aint that disgusting, im just like kaboosh
— HYUCKHAN !