Is... that.. Mav?

As soon as HoYa recognized her face, he could feel his insides burning up. Anger started to take over him as he looked into her eyes; the image of fear and desperation reflected through them. He quickly rushed towards the group of men, throwing a punch to one of the guys holding her. Lucky enough, they were too drunk to even throw a quick punch at him as he quickly dodged every punch thrown at him. Fist after fist, his anger started to build up until finally, he kicked the man who was harassing Mav. The impact caused Mav to be thrown aside, her head hitting one of the pipes on the walls of the alley. Everything around her suddenly became blurry as she could feel the world around her darkening. After HoYa was done fighting, his rage finally subsided, heavily panting as he sat on the dirty pavement. He suddenly stood up when he saw Mav at the side, her eyes slowly closing. He immediately rushed towards her when he saw the side of her forehead bleeding.

"Mav, look at me, look at me", HoYa huffed as he cradled Mav to his arms.

"HoYa - ssi, thank you", Mav gazed at him intently, trying to focus on his face as she struggled to be awake.

"I'll bring you to the hospital. Try to keep your eyes open", HoYa instructed as he lifted and carried her. However, Mav broke free from his hold and stood up.

"I'm okay, now. I'm okay", Mav lied as she tried to stand up straight.

"You're bleeding. Come on, let me carry you", HoYa insisted, only to be rejected by Mav.

"Let's just go home. I can handle it", Mav tried her best to convince HoYa that she was okay. Truth be told, she doesn't want to be a burden to him. It was hard enough for him to be stressed about their schedules; she doesn't want to become one of their worries.

HoYa sighed as she kept insisting him that she was fine. He could see how hard she was trying to stay awake.

"You don't have to pretend to be okay. The sooner we get to the hospital, the better you'll feel", HoYa told her. This time, Mav didn't have the strength to refuse as she suddenly fell again. HoYa lifted her again and made their way out of the alley.

"To the nearest hospital please", HoYa informed the taxi driver as he carefully guided Mav inside the cab. He laid her head on his lap as he patted her back, trying to assure her that everything will be alright.

It only took five minutes for them to arrive at the hospital. HoYa paid the driver and again, assisted Mav as she got out of the car. She placed her arm on his shoulder as they made their way towards the hospital. Luckily, she received immediate treatment from the available doctor. While her wound was being treated, HoYa fished out his phone from his pocket and dialled DongWoo's number. The latter picked up the call right away.

"Howon - ie, where are you? It's already late and Mav--", DongWoo said, sounding worried.

"Hyung, I'm fine but I'm currently at the hospital. I'll text you the address. Bring your car", HoYa uttered the words in a rush.

"Wait! Why? What happened!?", DongWoo screamed at the mouthpiece, causing HoYa to distance himself from the earpiece.

"Hyung, hyung, calm down. Just bring your car... and don't bring anyone else", HoYa instructed him.

"But SungGyu - hyung--", DongWoo retorted only to be cut by HoYa.

"No. Don't bring him. Hurry. Please", HoYa pleaded. He hung up on him and texted him the address. After making the call, he went to Mav's bedside and talked to the doctor.

"Is she going to be okay?", HoYa asked the doctor, his voice full of concern.

"She just had a mild concussion, nothing to worry about. She needs to take a rest though", the doctor informed him.

"So, we can go home right after she wakes up?", HoYa asked again.

"Of course, but please keep an eye on her if she shows signs of trauma. If she does, please inform me right away", the doctor instructed him.

"I'll take note of that. Thank you", HoYa thanked him and immediately sat on Mav's bedside.

After the doctor left, HoYa couldn't help but stare at Mav; examining her pale face and her wound. He also noticed that she acquired small scratches in her arms and hands.

Ahh, where are you, hyung, HoYa thought as panic filled his mind.

"JaDong, where are you going? It's already late", WooHyun asked as he noticed DongWoo putting on his shoes.

"Uh, there's an emergency... I'll explain later", he hurriedly spoke as he tied his shoelaces.

"Better come back quickly. We need to be early tomorrow", SungGyu reminded him with a suspicious look in his eyes.

DongWoo didn't even reply as he dashed out of the apartment and went inside his car. He quickly inserted the key and brought the engine to life. He drove a little faster as he made his way to the hospital.

"Howon - ie, where are you?", DongWoo asked through the mouthpiece of his phone as he quickened his pace inside the hospital.

"At Ward 3, hyung", HoYa replied.

It didn't took long for DongWoo to find where HoYa was. As he opened the curtain, his face became pale as he saw Mav lying at the hospital bed, unconscious.

"What happened!?", was all that DongWoo could say.

"Ssshhhhh! She's sleeping. She had a mild concussion. I saw her on my way back to the apartment, surrounded by drunk men. She'll be discharged the moment she wakes up", HoYa answered. Even with little information, DongWoo already got the gist of what happened.

"What about you? No bruises?", DongWoo asked as he checked HoYa's body.

"None at all. I'm stronger than them", HoYa smirked, receiving a weak punch from his hyung.

"But what are we gonna tell SungGyu - hyung?", DongWoo asked him.

"I don't know, hyung. Let's just hope that he's asleep by the moment we arrive at the apartment", HoYa answered, sounding nervous with the thought of SungGyu. They didn't notice that during their conversation, Mav had woken up.

"Where am I?", Mav asked, her voice sounding raspy.

"We're at the hospital. I'll call the doctor", HoYa answered as he stood up and went to the front desk.

"DongWoo - ssi, why are you here?", Mav asked, recalling what happened at the alley. As she tried to stand up, she suddenly winced at the pain she experienced at her forehead.

"Careful... HoYa called and told me what happened. What were you doing, Mav? Why didn't you tell us that you were outside?", DongWoo asked, suddenly getting teary - eyed as he spoke.

"I... I... L - ssi, he asked me a favor", Mav told him. Before DongWoo could ask for details, HoYa arrived with the doctor.

"Mav, how are you feeling?", the doctor asked her.

"I feel fine", she answered, giving a smile for assurance.

"Well, you just had a mild concussion but overall, nothing serious to be concerned about", the doctor informed her. 

"So, we can go home now? I mean, it's getting late and if it's only a concussion...", Mav trailed off, trying to stand up when DongWoo stopped her.

"Well, Lee HoWon - ssi is processing your discharge papers. Please wait for another 5 minutes", the doctor told her.

"I'll be right back", HoYa told them as he left the ward with the doctor.

When HoYa left, DongWoo gave a meaningful look at Mav, implying that she still has time to tell him what happened.

"L - ssi... he asked me a favor... I couldn't help but agree to it", Mav told him with a sigh.

"...but it's already late. Why did you do it?", DongWoo couldn't help but raise his voice, causing Mav to move away from him.

"I'm sorry... it's just that, what if something happened to you? What if HoYa didn't see you?", DongWoo asked. Mav was in the verge of tears when he suddenly hugged her.

"I'm sorry... I'm trying to be close to him. That's why I agreed to do it. I'm sorry, I'm sorry", Mav said in between sobs.

"It's okay. I'll talk to him--", DongWoo told her when suddenly, Mav shook his head against the idea.

"No... please... Don't talk to him about it", Mav requested.

"... but someone has to know! I mean, you could always tell SungGyu hyung", DongWoo retorted, only to be refused by Mav.

"I'll tell him some other time. I just can't the face the others right now", Mav told him. DongWoo was about to convince Mav again when HoYa finally arrived.

"So, ready to go home?", he asked Mav, to which she nodded in affirmation.

The ride back home was silent. HoYa didn't bother to ask Mav the reason why she was outside at that hour. On the other hand, DongWoo couldn't help but feel jumpy. How was he going to explain this to SungGyu? It's too hard not to notice the bandage on the side of her forehead. Moreover, he wondered why MyungSoo did such a thing; sending Mav on a dangerous errand... or prank. It was just too much.

What do you want me to do?, DongWoo asked himself as he drove his car, his eyes focused on the road.

"Try to have light footsteps", DongWoo instructed them as the three of them entered the apartment. They slowly took off their shoes and went across the living room. Seeing that the whole apartment was dark, they assumed that the others were asleep. As they made their way to the kitchen to grab something to drink, a voice suddenly spoke up from the living room, causing the three of them to be startled.

"Where were you?", the voice asked in a firm tone. It didn't take long for them to realize the owner of the voice.

"Hyung, we, uh...", DongWoo stuttered.

"We were at the hospital", HoYa mustered the courage to tell him.

"And what were you doing at the hospital?", SungGyu asked again. Instead of answering his question, HoYa simply switched the lights at the living room, causing SungGyu to see the bandage at Mav's forehead. SungGyu quickly stood up from his seat and immediately went towards Mav.

"What happened?", SungGyu asked again, checking her face for other possible bruises, his tone shifting to a lighter one.

Mav was silent the moment they entered the apartment. She tried not to look into the leader's eyes. HoYa sensed that Mav was feeling uncomfortable at the moment so he tried to control the situation.

"Hyung, I think it's best for her to rest first. She'll tell you the details later", HoYa suggested, placing his hand on SungGyu's shoulder, SungGyu could only stare at him.

Out of the blue, MyungSoo emerged from the room, only to be greeted by an injured Mav, a clueless SungGyu, and an uncomfortable HoYa and DongWoo. Mav couldn't help but look at MyungSoo, their gazes locked into each other. MyungSoo panicked when he saw Mav's current state. Instead of an angry glare, Mav could only stare at him blankly, leaving him confused.

"Mav, I, I'm...", MyungSoo uttered but was interrupted by SungGyu.

"MyungSoo - yah, go back to sleep", SungGyu commanded him.

"But hyung, I..." MyungSoo tried to explain, only to be cut off by Mav.

"Forget it", she told him, her voice full of exhaustion. The three members had no clue why she said that. Only MyungSoo knew what she meant. A long silence followed.

"Hyung, I'll take it from here", DongWoo suddenly spoke up, guiding Mav to her room. SungGyu could only look at her, his eyes full of worry. When DongWoo and Mav were out of sight, MyungSoo went back to their room, leaving HoYa and SungGyu alone at the living room.

"Mind telling me what happened?", SungGyu asked again, his tone returning to its firm state.

"I saw her at the alley on my way home, hyung. Why she was there, I don't know. When I saw her, she was being... attacked by drunk men", HoYa explained. Instead of becoming relaxed after HoYa's explanation, SungGyu grew more tensed.

"What about you? Are you hurt?", SungGyu asked him, scanning his body for possible scratches.

"Luckily, I'm fine, hyung. I think we should continue this discussion tomorrow. We both need to rest", HoYa suggested, to which SungGyu complied.

The two of them disappeared from the living room. Unaware to them, another member was listening intently to their conversation.

"Are you sure that you're fine?", DongWoo asked Mav again before leaving her room.

"DongWoo - ssi, I'm fine, really", Mav assured him.

"Just knock at our room whenever you need anything", DongWoo said as he slowly closed the door.

Mav was in a state of shock and indifference. She was too tired to think about what happened but she couldn't help but get mad at MyungSoo. This was the last straw. For him to go to such extent proved that he really wanted her out of the apartment. However, she thought about her scholarship and the CEO. She could not let him down, she won't let him down.

Despite her attempts to fall asleep, she kept shifting to different positions, causing her discomfort. After finally acquiring two hours of sleep, she went to the kitchen to make breakfast. She was about to grab the ingredients from the refrigerator when suddenly, a hand stopped her from doing so.

"Mav, let's talk... please", SungGyu pleaded. Mav avoided looking into his eyes and instead pulled her hand away from his grip.

"SungGyu - oppa, could we talk about it some other time? I'm still... tired", Mav said in exasperation, sensing what the topic of the conversation will be.

"Aish! Why couldn't you tell me!? You didn't tell me about how MyungSoo almost kissed you, and now this!?", SungGyu finally snapped, causing Mav to take a step back. He couldn't keep it in anymore. With the stress and worry coming from their comeback and concert, it was too much for him to handle. 

"How did you--", Mav was about to ask when SungGyu stopped him.

"You know what, do what you want. I don't even care anymore. I'm trying to help you but you just wouldn't open up to me. Forget about everything I said about me being your shoulder to lean on. I'm tired. You're too much of a burden", SungGyu lashed out at her, leaving her alone at the kitchen.

Burden.

Mav felt a sharp pang at her heart when SungGyu said that. Falling down to her knees, tears started flowing out of her eyes again. She's curious about how he found out about that incident with MyungSoo. Afraid that the others might see her, she immediately went to her room and grabbed her phone, typing her colleague's number. Luckily, the call was picked up right away.

"Hello? Mav? Why are you calling at this hour?", Carla said through the mouthpiece of her phone.

"Can I stay at your apartment for a few days? Or a few weeks?", Mav blurted out.

"Uh, sure. Just bring your things", Carla simply agreed, causing Mav to be relieved.

After the phone call, she immediately grabbed her duffel bag and put in some of her clothes and necessities. She placed her notebooks and other materials she needed for school inside. Zipping the bag to a close, she took a quick shower and went back to her room to put on some clothers. She didn't bother to cook breakfast anymore. She just needed to get out of the apartment fast. She made her way outside, only to bump into SungYeol. Seeing her duffel bag, SungYeol's curiosity hit him.

"Where are you going?", SungYeol asked her, his eyes still drooping.

"I'm leaving", Mav simply said, causing SungYeol to be awake.

"Wait, why?", SungYeol asked as he helped her stand up.

Mav couldn't tell him about what happened. SungGyu's outburst and MyungSoo's anger towards her, it was all too much for her. She was too scared and too mad. Despite her feelings trying to break free inside her, she stayed calm and kept her composure.

"I'll only be gone for a few days", Mav informed him, mustering the hardest smile she could ever form.