MY MARTIAN. minsung

thirty eight

[Sol 113]|

It was late at night when Jisung was startled awake. Despite his original habit of being a very heavy sleeper (when he got around to sleeping, that is), he was quickly becoming a more than light sleeper. There were times when he couldn't discern whether he was actually sleeping or not.

So, naturally, Jisung couldn't figure out why exactly he had twitched awake all of a sudden. Glancing around the darkened interior of the rover, his tired eyes caught sight of a green flashing light on his tablet.

What?

He pawed at the screen, trying to bring it closer to himself in confusion.
None of his notifications flashed green last time he checked. The only thing that made their research tablets blink a green light was-

Incoming video request from IIIRacha

Jisung blinked sleepily, a yawn escaping him as he tried to sit up. He firmly pressed the accept button, still not completely believing it was real.

“Jisung! You answered!” Chan's unmistakable voice crackled through the banged up speaker. Regardless, it had to have been the most amazing sound Jisung had heard in awhile. When Changbin's pixelated face came on the screen, Jisung let out a choked noise, pulling the blanket up to his nose to muffle it.

“Of- of course I answered, dummy. Is this a dream? Am I dead?”

Changbin grinned, tears brimming in his eyes. “I hope not, because we're on our way back to get you, and- wait is that Gyu?”

Jisung let out a watery laugh, pulling the stuffed animal in front of his own face. “Yeah he's missing you, Binnie. I totally haven't been going through your- hold up. Did you just say.. you're coming to get me?”

Chan adjusted the angle of their device, so the both of them were visible. “Yes. Do not mention anything to NASA about our plan yet, as they won't notice until about a month from now, when we do not begin deceleration.” he paused for a second, a smile cracking through his explanation. “It's good to see your face again, Jisung.”

“Oh really? That's the first time I've heard that.”
All three of them laughed. There was a happy atmosphere amongst them. It disappeared quickly, however, once Jisung stopped smiling.

“Guys.” He stated seriously, looking back into the camera seriously. “Do you know where I am right now?” Jisung swivelled the tablet around the Rover, giving the two a thorough view.

“Is that…. Sojourner?” Changbin spoke up, confused. Chan nodded along, eyebrows furrowed.

“Yep. I'm gonna be living in here for a few days. Y'know why?”

His two teammates shook their heads, even more lost than before.

“Because there was a huge gaping hole in the side of the HAB. From a simple malfunction. And I'm too scared to go back inside there again yet.” Jisung closed his eyes for a few seconds. “I need to know that if anything happens to me, you guys will check in with my mom. And I want you to tell her about my time on mars. I know it must suck, talking to a woman about her dead son, but I'm counting on you.”

Chan and Changbin stared at him, shocked. Chan caught on first, and shifted slightly in his chair, hitting Jisung with the most Dad-like expression he had ever seen in his entire life. “Jisung. You can tell her yourself, we're coming to-”

“Get me, I know. And I'm not giving up, just preparing for one possible outcome. Tell her I love what I do. And I'm damn good at it. And... I'm gonna die for something big and beautiful. And greater than me. Tell her I said I could live with that. Tell her I said thank you...for being my Mom.”

Changbin looked over to a stunned Chan, and then at an exhausted looking Jisung. What really scared him was how the tiredness seemed to have spread to his eyes, the windows into his soul.

If they didn't get Jisung soon, they would have to tell his mom something completely different about how he died, because if they didn't save him soon, he wouldn't be able to save himself.

So Changbin took the initiative, and cleared his throat. “Of course we'll tell her that, if it comes to it. But we need you to hold on long enough for us to get there, so we can get to hold on to you again.”

Chan nodded along, lips twitching upwards in a half-smile.
“Yeah. Don't plan on dying just yet, Han Jisung. We can't have that, now can we?”

Jisung nodded, unable to deny how emotional this was making him feel. He missed his best friends. He truly missed them, and here they were, missing him back. He tried to hold back his tears, but could feel them welling up behind his eyelids.

He dropped Gyu, and tilted his head up, trying to stop the inevitable flood by fanning his eyes. Chan figured out what was going on first and began to laugh.

“No, c'mon you got this. Don't let those tears fall, Jisung, not over us!” He started cheering, as though he were watching a football game, and it wasn't going in his team's favor.

“Stop laughing at me! I'm struggling here!” Jisung let out a watery laugh in between his words, speaking in an exasperated voice.

Changbin joined in, giggles exploding into full out, body shaking laughter.

Jisung sniffled, wiping his somewhat wet eyes, and looking at his heavily pixelated best friends. “I love you guys, you know that?”

“Yeah, we do. And y'know what’s crazy? We love you too, kid.” Chan smiled, eyes crinkling at the edges. “Now you want to know something else crazy? You look more than half asleep, and you should be. So what do you say you get all comfortable, and we,” he gestured between himself and Changbin, “stay on the call with you until you fall asleep.”

Unable to form words, Jisung mouthed 'thank you’ at them, and leaned back in his chair, pulling the tablet to his chest.

“No problem. You are not alone, don't forget that.”

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Y'all this has to be one of my favorite chapters :')

And
I'm not dragging this story out, am I? I feel like I am ://////

Le question:
Who are your Stray Kids Bias & Bias wreckers?

My bias is Jisung; Chan (and Minho ig) are my bias wreckers skskkskKs