“Oh yes. She was mad and I bet the man was as well.” Seohyun heard a whispering of one raspy voice that she recognized as a fully-grown woman’s as she slowly came to her senses. What she was talking, she didn’t know what exactly about and where she was and why, she also had no idea. “It’s fortunate that they all survived though.” Another voice, a male’s this time came forward. “Except those two. I heard they burned to death.” The woman’s voice trembled afterwards. Seohyun groaned when she found herself foundering as she tried to open her tightly-closed eyelids. “Oh! She’s awake!! Call doc Kim immediately!” She heard the woman say and a pair of shoes squeaked away and a door screeched open and thud close. Slowly her heavy eyelids opened and her eyes saw a blurred view of white around and tinge of black at the her left. She could make out what seemed like chairs from her immediate sight, a sleeping woman on a black sofa at her left peripheral and a piercing glow of white light as she looked up. Another creek sounded and then she heard a familiar voice call her name followed by a figure of a man in a simple shirt and shorts heading towards her. She felt him caress her cheeks as he constantly asked how she was feeling. The woman sleeping suddenly jerked upwards and called her name as she stood next to the man. Then her sight finally focused and she wondered why Luhan looked so worried in contrast to Hyoyeon’s wide grin. She roamed her gaze and realized she was in a hospital. Why? What happened? She thought as confusion wormed into her brain. The doctor came with his long hospital robe and attached the flat circular end of his stethoscope on her thorax giving her a tingling sensation with its coldness. The door opened again and some other friends of hers dashed to her in a hurried pace like Luhan’s but on their faces were celebration. She only listened to them chatter without comprehending them at most before she once again fell asleep. “What happened? Why is she sleeping again?” Hyoyeon asked the doctor. “Just let her sleep as much as she wants.” The doctor replied shortly and quickly excused himself along with the two nurses that were chit-chatting when Seohyun woke. Luhan sat on a chair facing Seohyun’s bed and dialed his father’s number. As his father answered his phone, Luhan could hear the laughter of Kyungsan and the playful voice of Mr. Seo in the background. Unlike Seohyun, Kyungsan recovered in less than two days after a serious debriefing right after he was cured of his minor injuries (scratches) in the hospital. The two fathers thanked the heavens after they heard the good news. The door once again opened and the tall frame of Kris carefully takes his slow strides. “You okay bro?” Xiumin, who sensed something blooming from Kris and a certain someone, asked teasingly. “She’s awake. That’s good.” Kris commented, dismissing Xiumin with a smirk. Friends come in to visit Seohyun and left as they needed to do other things such as visit their other friend in a few rooms away from Seohyun’s room. Although everyone was glad that Seohyun had woken already, they were disappointed to see that she had only stayed awake for a few minutes and quickly slept over them.

Luhan sat on a stool beside Seohyun’s bed looking at her in a tired and relaxed state. Their fathers paid visit earlier in the day and now had gone home. Their friends on the other hand, namely Tiffany, Yoona, Yuri and Sunny were still in Sooyoung’s room to look after her and at the same time, give Luhan time to be alone with Seohyun. It was already 9 in the evening and Luhan will have to leave Seohyun again to give time for his son who, although completely recovered, still needed attention from his parents. He rested his head on the side of her bed and clutched her left hand as he took a quick nap. Luhan was on the verge of falling asleep as he was very much tired of the day’s errands that he almost didn’t notice the twitch Seohyun’s fingers made. When her fingers struck his palms for the second time, Luhan bolted upwards and exhilaratingly looked over to her. “Hyun!!” he celebrated as Seohyun opened her eyes. She was once again scanning the entire room with a perplexed look so he reminded her of the past happenings that led her to be in a hospital. “You’ve been sleeping for three days already.” He spoke as he brushed the lank hair away from her face. Seohyun scrabbled when she remembered her son. “Seo calm down! Calm down!!” Luhan held her by the shoulders trying to stop her from running for the door. “Where’s Kyungsan??!! Where is my son??!!” Seohyun cried to Luhan and he quickly assured that Kyungsan was fine and safe. “He’s home already. Waiting for you.” Seohyun jumped off the hospital bed in her hospital gown and sprinted out of the door before Luhan could even catch her. She ran passed the confused nurses, doctors, patients and visitors and quickly hailed a cab without any form of payment in hand. “Hyun!!” Luhan shouted to the running cab and quickly sprinted to his car.

“Kyungsan??!!” Seohyun warily shouted as soon as she got off the taxi and ran to her house not minding the calls of the taxi driver who was scratching his head waiting for her payment. Her father opened the door in alarm when he heard her cries. “Joohyun??!!” he questioned. “Where is my son?? Is he here??!” Seohyun asked as she gripped her father’s cotton shirt. “He’s upstairs.” Seohyun once again ran to her son’s room leaving her father to deal with the temper of the taxi driver. “Oh God!!” Seohyun exclaimed as if a heavy rock has been lifted from her shoulders when she saw the child sleeping soundly on his bed. She released a long sigh as she walked to him. Kyungsan, awaken by his mother’s cries and now aware of her presence, bolted up and hugged his mother tightly. “Omma??” his eyebrows furrowed as he stared at the plaster at the side of Seohyun’s forehead. “I’m fine.” Seohyun smiled and kissed Kyungsan in the cheeks. Mr. Seo and Luhan rested either side of the door frame and shook their heads looking at Seohyun. “You’ve got to understand her. She’s a mother.” Mr. Seo told him. “I know that.” Luhan sighed and closed the door before following the older man downstairs.

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“She woke up last night and ran back home.” Tiffany told Yoona and Yuri as she adjusted Sooyoung’s pillows. The two women glanced at each other as they synchronically oranges to their mouths. “What did Luhan do?” Yuri asked. “Well he followed her home and now she’s clinging to her son all the time.” Yoona sighed and stood to her feet. “Where are you going?” Yuri asked looking up to her. “I’m going to fetch Taehyung and Jihoo from school and bring them here to visit Sooyoung.” Yuri and Tiffany nodded and Yoona walked out of Sooyoung’s room with a car key dangling from its holder in her hand. Tiffany switched the TV on and sat on the sofa beside Yuri. “It’s almost Christmas.” Yuri started as soon as she saw reindeers flash the flat-screened TV. “Sooyoung needs to wake up already.” She then pouted and Tiffany quickly slapped her thigh. “Don’t be sad. It’s not accurate now that we should be celebrating Seohyun and Kyungsan’s recovery.” Tiffany said with a smile that reached her eyes. “I know. But this is supposed to be the year that we nine will spend the first Christmas together after so long.” Yuri lifted her gaze to Sooyoung and smiled. “But if it’s not time, I still believe she’ll wake up sooner or later.” “The doctor gave us his word and I believe him.” The two sat on as the time flew and their other friends arrived and left at different time intervals until it was already six o’clock and Yoona (with the two kids), Lay, Chen, Sehun, Suho, Taeyeon, Kris and Luhan successively arrived and they finally came across Minah’s name and found the courage to  discussed it among themselves. “Her father came to my dad earlier today and he confessed that insanity really ran through her mother’s family line and it was first triggered when she was traumatized of her mother’s death. Minah had been keeping it from him so he didn’t know.” Luhan told and they remained silent for a few moments to take in everything. “Yeah, you can tell she’s crazy by her journal.” Yoona added and looked behind her to check if Jihoo and Taehyung were still sleeping on the sofa. “I also found out from the doctors here that those pills were antidepressants and antipsychotics. She was also not taking them and been missing out her sessions with her doctor. She just snapped at some point and we didn’t notice.” Suho said and dusted off his pants. “Thanks for decoding that password for me Sehun.” Sehun smiled at Luhan and said “It was nothing hyung. I’m glad I was a help to you.” Kris patted his shoulder. “You were a really big help.” He then said that touched the younger man who felt nowhere near as useless as he thought he was all his life that time. “How’s Seohyun by the way?” Taeyeon asked Luhan. “She’s at home barely leaving Kyungsan. She wanted to come really but when Kyungsan said he’s going to read books at home, she quickly changed her mind and told me she’ll visit when he wants to come with her.” “Man she’s overprotective now.”Lay commented. “That’s understandable. I know I’ll end up the same if that happened to me but please god forbid.” Yuri prayed and Luhan sighed to himself. “Yes she’s so overprotective that even when she talks to me, her eyes are still on Kyungsan. I’m not even sure if she’s really listening or not. All she does is worry of him. I can’t even start a discussion about- Luhan paused and stared at the floor. “About what?” Kris asked whose face mirrored the intrigued facial expressions of the rest. Luhan looked up then back to the white floor. “Us.” He replied shortly and received a pat on the back from Lay. “Don’t be sad. Seohyun loves you. That won’t change.” He thanked Lay. “Just give her more time.” Taeyeon added receiving a sigh from Tiffany. “But she’s been taking lots of time for herself already though.” “It’s okay. I want her to be ready rather than force her and make her uncomfortable anyways.” Luhan finally said and shrugged his shoulders. The ten of them were sitting on plastic chairs that formed a circle by the doorway with Chen on the wall facing Sooyoung’s bed and so he was the first one to notice. He gasped and bolted to up to a standing position. “ What’s with you?!” Lay asked bewildered by the suddenness of Chen. “I- I think I just saw noona’s face expression change and her head move slightly.” They scampered quickly to Sooyoung and studied her eagerly. “Are you sure? She’s not moving at all.” Yoona told him as she continued to stare at Sooyoung. “Not really.” Chen replied as he bit he’s nail and contemplated whether he did really see her move her head or it was all his hyperactive brain activity creating the illusion. A short and low groan first arrived followed by a longer and louder one and then her head finally moved. “Oh my God!!! Sooyoung is awake!!!!” Yoona,Yuri and Tiffany exclaimed in chorus waking up Jihoo and Taehyung from their sleep. “Omma??” Jihoo called Yoona as he and Taehyung looked over at them confusingly. “Taehyung your omma woke up!!” Chen exclaimed and the child quickly ran to the bed and insisted to be put on it. Luhan and Lay went out to call the doctor and left the rest happily calling out Sooyoung who was in the state of bewilderment and perplexity.

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“Sleep now my love.” Seohyun kissed Kyungsan’s cheeks and brushed his hair backwards with her palm. “Omma stay.” Kyungsan said giving a cute childish smile to Seohyun. “Omma will never leave you.” She whispered and kissed her on the forehead this time. As she watched her son drift off to dreamland, Seohyun brushed away the random unpleasant memories of him from the abandoned mental hospital. Even as she saw her son in his cheery self once again, she couldn’t help but feel the worry rise from her. She was afraid that she might be dreaming about everything and in reality Kyungsan was still trapped and scared in that dark and filthy room. As a mother she felt disappointed that her son went through such atrocity especially because it was supposed to be all for her. Kyungsan was merely a victim; an innocent and undeserved victim. “Hyunie.” She heard Luhan call her and she hummed a reply. “I want to tell you something.” Luhan walked to her and held her hand, urging her to step out of the room with him. Seohyun felt scared to leave her son again but Luhan assured her that they won’t be gone for long. “We’re just gonna talk in your room.” She finally let him lead her to her room with him gripping her wrist tightly. “What is it?” She asked impatiently that Luhan sensed and he sighed. “I just want to tell you that Sooyoung’s awake.” For a second, Luhan saw Seohyun change her expression from worry to surprise. The thought of Kyungsan left her mind as Sooyoung’s entered it. “Really?!” Seohyun gasped and placed her palms to her opened mouth as her eyes watered almost immediately. “I’m so happy!!” She jovially exclaimed and hugged Luhan for the first time since she recovered. Luhan smiled and patted her back and he knew that Seohyun was starting to come back to her old self.

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A/N: I think you all sense that this story is slowly coming to it's end already. I don't know how many chapters left exactly but i guess more or less five more to go. Thank you everyone for reading and appreciating this fanfic even though some parts are rushed. i totally apprecite it. 

Lemme sidetrack and fangirl over:

1. Hyoyeon: My gosh!!!! Hyolo!!!! She freaking killed me with Mystery.. And she's so beautiful in the mv and her visuals are unbelievable. she's slaying her stages too. 

2. Jin: I'm not really a fan of BTS and I only consider myself a SONE  but I do appreciate EXO and BTS. And in BTS my bias is Suga but in vocal line I really like Taehyung's and Jin's voices and so when I listened to Awake I was crying. Even until now. His voice just pulls the strings in me that's connected to my soul. Happy birthday to him..

3. Seohyun: Let's wat for SEOLO this Jan. guys!!!! and Taeyeon's this Feb.

That is all. Thank you once again.