Forget-me-not

Cynthia

"She's so cute! Look at her! Look at my villager!" Cynthia smiled as she turned around the coral colored Nintendo Switch. 

I.N and Felix smiled back and the pair nodded. Cynthia happily turned the game back towards herself and went back to playing. She wasn't in the happiest mood when she found out she'd be without Seungmin and Hyunjin. 

Hyunjin had to attend a photoshoot for another company and Seungmin was recording lines. Some of the other guys were attending different things. Felix and I.N had enough time in their schedules that they promised Seungmin they'd take good care of Cynthia. 

The two of them wanted to make her as happy as possible. Felix knew how stressful it could be being around new people. He knew that feeling of loneliness a little too well after coming to South Korea alone at such a young age. He couldn't speak the language and he was constantly stressed, so he couldn't imagine how it must be to struggle with lost memories. 

One of Felix's favorite things to use when traveling was his Nintendo Switch. After bringing the idea up to I.N, the two of them went ahead and purchased one for Cynthia. So far, it seemed to work because she was having a blast. 

In the dance practice room, Felix and I.N were a few feet away from Cynthia on the floor. Finally relaxed enough, she had spread herself out on the back couch with her head in the game. Her thumbs moved the controls and her eyes darted around the screen. 

Her cold was far from her thoughts. She frowned and let out a soft huff. "That's way too many bells, I hate Tom Nook." 

The sudden announcement caused Felix and I.N to burst into laughter. Her eyebrows kept scrunching up as she played. The more she discovered on the Animal Crossing island, the more she seemed to discover and unlock. 

The game pulled her out of reality and immersed her in a pixelated world. So caught up in the game, she didn't even realize that Felix and I.N were laughing. Her focus had been on the game for so long and she was having such a good time, she didn't realize how dry her eyes were getting either. 

When she briefly took her eyes off the game and glanced over at the clear plastic box Felix had beside him, he cocked his head. "You want another brownie?" 

"I shouldn't." 

He reached over, popped the lid off, and gently shook the box of the treats. Cynthia could feel herself salivating. She wasn't sure what he put in them, but they were addicting. They were soft and chewy, but the top texture was just a fuzz crunchy. They were full of rich flavor that made you crave more. 

"Don't feel too bad, I have more at home." 

"One time, Changbin ate all of Felix's brownies," I.N added. "He forgot Felix made them to be shared with his dorm and he just ate all of them in one sitting." 

"Hyunjin nearly killed him, but don't worry because there's always more." 

"Mm-hmm." I.N leaned over, dropped his hand into the box, and pulled out a small toothpick holding a piece of brownie. He bit the brownie off the end of the wooden pick and began to chew. "These things are so good, I could eat a hundred." 

"I could eat two hundred." 

"Tom Nook would make you pay for that," Cynthia whispered. 

"What did you just say?" Felix glanced over. 

"Nothing, nothing, nothing." She waved her hand to wave him away.  "I have to find a way to earn more bells. I want to upgrade my house and I-" 

I.N burst into laughter again. Felix looked over at him and soon began to follow his laughter. Cynthia's eyebrows furrowed and her eyes darted back and forth between them. She frowned and placed the Switch into her lap. "What?" 

"You're so funny. You sound like Felix when he plays this game and gets mad. He keeps buying things and he always wants more money and-" 

"I don't get mad!" 

"Yes you do!" 

The sound of Cynthia getting up snapped both of them out of it. Felix got up and rushed to her side. "Are you okay? Where are you going?" 

"I have to use the bathroom real quick." 

"Oh, I thought you were going to try and run away. You don't know your way around the building. The last thing I want you to do is get lost. This building is big and-" 

"Should I do that?" 

"No! I don't know how fast you can run and I-" 

"Yeah! Hide and seek!" I.N quickly stood up, walked over, and grabbed Cynthia's wrist. She froze at the sudden touch, but he didn't realize it. "Come on! Let's go hide while Felix tries to chase us!" 

"Innie, wait!" 

I.N's hand wrapped tighter around Cynthia's wrist. She barely had time to catch her balance before I.N tugged her towards the door. In the distance, Felix sighed and fumbled to put the lid back on his box of brownies. 

"I'm going to catch you two!" 

I.N took off, dragging Cynthia along behind him, he rounded the sharp corner and she followed. It took them a moment to find their rhythm and then they were off. Their heavy footsteps echoed down the long hallway corridors. Giggles intertwined and filled the air, they taunted Felix from behind. 

"Guys? Guys? Guys, wait up!" Felix called as he rushed out of the room with the box of brownies. "Come on! Come back!"