His smile was brighter than the lights that threatened to blind him. His eyes burned with exhaustion and the stage lights were too harsh. He turned away before his fans could see tears trickle down his face. He was too tired...

Cheers echoed around, loud enough so he couldn't hear himself sobbing. This was too much... The lights finally went out, and warm, welcome darkness enveloped his shaking body.

Two young fan girls couldn't stop talking about the performance. The one wearing a bright red shirt with Kai's face on the front exclaimed, "Wasn't oppa amazing? His dance at the end was so beautiful, it was so emotional! It seemed like he was actually feeling all that sadness, that he was actually crying..."

Her friend sighed and pulled her thick blonde hair into a ponytail. "I really can't believe how someone can express emotions so well through dance. He is brilliant!"

They didn't pay attention to the car passing by them, or to the dark shadow at the window gazing out mindlessly with heavy sorrow and guilt in his red, tired eyes.

.........................................................................

"Stop! You're so silly!" The little girl tried to hide behind the couch to escape her brother's tickles.

"I know you ate all the candy!" Hoseok laughed as his much longer arms curled around his tiny sister's waist and lifted her up. He twirled her around and she squealed happily as her pigtails swung around her chubby, happy face.

"I'm going to let you go this time, but promise to not do this again, yeah? Don't want you getting sick!" Hoseok kissed Mia lightly on her forehead and slowly set her back on her feet.

"Could we buy some candy though? Not for me, for Ma?" Mia asked, her big eyes pleading innocently.

Hoseok's face hardened. He looked away for a few moments and then turned around to face his little sister. He got down on his knees so he could be on the same level as her.

"Definitely." He answered softly to an extremely delighted Mia.

..................................................

Jiyong took a deep breath and walked into the room. He avoided making eye contact with anyone, especially the guy with bright blue hair laughing loudly in the corner with a few giggling girls fawning by his side. 

"So annoying..." He muttered to himself. He couldn't understand why they needed to be so loud on a Monday morning. And those girls needed to stop squealing every time that Seunghyun uttered a word. What was so special about him anyway? That unnatural blue hair? How does he not get in trouble for it anyway? This was a school, not a fashion parade. Jiyong huffed and sat at his desk, trying not to think of how he was going to be forever alone because Mr blue hair was going to get all the girls. Anyways, he didn't have time for a girlfriend. He had better things to do, like prove to his arrogant, higheaded step father that he was wrong when he said Jiyong would end up just like his alcoholic biological father. He still remembered that day vividly...

"I don't want more kids Vincent..." Jiyong's mother said slowly, she didn't want to make her husband angry about the same thing again.

"What about our family Jane?"

"We have Jiyong, don't we?"

"No, YOU have Jiyong. He's yours, not ours Jane...what about our child?"

"Vincent, I married you believing you'd treat Jiyong like your own son, but what is this that I'm hearing? I can't believe this..." Jane broke into tears. Vincent rubbed his eyes and tried to calm himself, but the anger had been buried in him for way too long. 

"Jane, listen to me. I love you, and I will provide Jiyong with everything he needs just so you're happy. But I can't pretend to love HIM. I don't want to lie anymore...every time I see his face, I see his alcohlic father's drunk, abusive face, and I CANNOT forget how much pain that caused you....I can't love that monster's son...Jane, Jiyong reminds me too much of him, what if he ends up like him too?? It isn't really Jiyong's fault either, but he grew up with that maniac, I wouldn't be surprised if he retained some of his father's habits..."

"Vincent! How dare you??!! Do you hear yourself? Saying such things about a child? MY child?? Vincent, this is unbelievable! I will never have a child with you...I already made a mistake by letting Jiyong grow up with my abusive ex husband, I won't repeat the mistake by having another kid grow up with an arrogant, of a father like you!"

"Jane! How dare you speak like that to me? And to defend that maniac's useless son? Alright, do what you want, but don't come running back to me when he ends up just like his dead father!"

Jiyong swiped the back of his hand over his moist eyes. His mother had been unlucky in love, he would never waste his life on it. He was going to spend the rest of his life proving everyone wrong and giving his mother the happiness she deserved.

..........................................

"Taehyung!" Baekhyun ran towards the bed where his brother lay, silent and covered in bandages. Tears gushed down his face, dripping onto the bedcovers.

How could this happen...how could someone so happy and lively and playful one minute be deathly quiet the next? Baekhyun brushed Taehyung's light brown hair away from his forehead and sighed sadly. He had promised father that he would take care of his little brother, and he had failed. His eyes begged for Taehyung to open his, but to no avail.

"Taehyung..." He whispered, his voice drifting away into the still night air. The next few minutes were as silent as Taehyung and the only sounds were the dripping liquid of the IV plugged into Taehyung's pale veins. The door opened, breaking the silence into as many pieces as Baekhyun's sorrowful heart. Jungkook, Taehyung's best friend, rushed in, his face grim.

"Hyung, how..." Jungkook's voice trailed away. The silence resumed.

..............................................

"I can't do this anymore..."
"You cheated on me."
"Jimin, please let it go."
"Why would you cheat?"
"I need to go now..."
"Answer me first. If you couldn't love me, at least you shouldn't have cheated?"
"Bye, Jimin."
...........................
Suga lit another cigarette. he watched the smoke wisp into the cold night air. Kyungsoo looked distractedly at a young man crouching alone at the pavement. He seemed to be gazing at a girl's photograph. 
"She isn't worth it." Kyungsoo called out, and the guy turned around to look at him. Suga sighed. As usual, Kyungsoo was providing the world with his realistic, harsh advice. And he was usually right. The guy glared at Kyungsoo.
"Not worth it? Do you have any idea how much work I put into this relationship?"
Kyungsoo chuckled and called the guy over. The guy hesitated, but then walked over anyway. His bangs swept over his dark, warm eyes. Suga nodded at him.
"I'm Jimin." he said softly. Suga and Kyungsoo replied with their own names, and then Kyungsoo said, "It doesn't make sense you'd waste more time on this mourning nonsense when you've already wasted way too much time on the relationship."
Jimin didn't say anything. He knew Kyungsoo had a point.
"It's not easy..." he whispered.
Suga rubbed the cigarette stub into the dirt. 
"Extinguish it," he said to Jimin, "just like that. How many times do you want to get burned before you stop?"

........................