It was another one of the bustling and busy weekends at the club.

Noticing that the garbage bags were almost full, Joon-myun asked Kyungsoo to take out the garbage, but Jongin helpfully offered to go in Kyungsoo’s place instead.

As he opened the back door to take the trash out he noticed two burly and thickset thugs in wife-beaters and ripped jeans; their muscles were bulging from their arms and shoulders. Their faces were covered in hoods and they had in their possession two big cans and some old papers.  

Jongin instinctively knew that these men were up to no good. He was about to shout for help when one of the man used chloroform to knock Jongin unconscious.

They dragged the unconscious Jongin back into Heaven, where they found a small room to shove and bolted him in. The intruders threw the paper on the ground and they started splashing the liquid from the tin on the paper and around. They struck a match and flicked it onto the ground causing a fire to light. The two men then made a hasty exit from the back door.

Smoke began to billow, triggering off an ear-piercing and blaring alarm that drowned out the thumping dance music. The patrons stopped in bewilderment unsure of what to do as the alarm persisted. Eunhyuk, who was working the controls, stopped the music.

The staff and the boys as well as Kyuhyun and Sungmin paused at what they are doing to quickly congregate at the bar counter to await instructions.

“Kyungsoo and Sehun,” Sungmin commanded with a tone of urgency in his voice, “Start to evacuate everyone from this level by the front exit. Sehun-ah, go open the emergency exit now! Go! Quick!”

Sehun quickly took off to wade his way through the throngs of patrons towards the emergency exit as Kyuhyun called for emergency services.

“Hyunnie, you will lead people to exit from the back door,” Sungmin continued. He motioned for Eunhyuk to come over. “Hyukkie, please assist Hyunnie.”

“Joon-myun and Kyuhyun, please evacuate the customers upstairs through the back staircase.”

“Seyong and Chaejin and the rest of you, please assist Kyungsoo and Sehun and direct the crowd to leave orderly.”

“Come on, you guys know the drill. Hurry before anyone get hurts!” Sungmin ordered. 

And in the midst of the sudden emergency, no one noticed that Jongin had gone missing.

Meanwhile Sungmin made an announcement requesting for the hundreds of patrons to remain calm and to vacate the premise in an orderly manner. But with the smoke surging from the back of the club into the dance hall, the crowd started to panic a little. Fortunately by now, many people have managed to disperse from the front entrance and emergency exit.

“Umma!” Baekhyun shouted as he began to choke a little. “The fire is raging behind! It is starting to spread. The smoke is too thick to pass through.”

“Get them to leave through the front.”

“Minnie, we can’t leave by the stairs!” Kyuhyun exclaimed. The fire is at the back door. It would be too dangerous!”

“Aish! We’re two exits short,” Sungmin wailed. “Kyuhyun-ah, get them to leave through the front!”

There was a heightened sense of alarm and trepidation amongst the customers as they began to push and shove, surging towards the exits. Some of them started to cough and splutter as a result of a smoke. Meanwhile Eunhyuk was using a fire extinguisher to combat the blaze in a bid to prevent the situation from exacerbating. He was still far away from the flames. But he was soon overpowered the heat and smoke and decided to retreat.

“Sungmin, we can’t hold in much longer,” Eunhyuk reported. “Can we get everyone out of here in one minute?”

Sungmin nodded with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. “Hyukkie, just leave first. I’ll stay behind.”

“But Sungmin-ah…what about…?” Eunhyuk protested.

“Just go…I’ll be fine,” Sungmin reassured.

“Sungmin-ah…”

“I have to make sure everyone is safe before I can leave. Just go Hyukkie! Don’t worry about me!” Sungmin urged.

Eunhyuk nodded his head reluctantly and joined the crowd who were jostling to get out.

Sungmin closed his eyes and uttered a prayer that everyone including the patrons, staff, the boys, Kyuhyun and himself would escape unharmed. 

As the crowd pushed through, someone tripped and fell down, but luckily Sehun extended his hand to help the guy up before he was trampled over. The smoke had begun to fill the first level. Some people were now gasping for breath and spluttering. Some started crying for help in their frenzied state adding on to the agitation. Sungmin’s eyes started to get irritated. His vision started to get blurry.

Just then he felt something snake round his waist pulling him away from where he was. He could hear a deep soulful voice saying, “Minnie, come on, let’s go before it’s too late. Don’t worry. It’s going to be fine. The emergency services would be here any time soon.”

“Kyuhyun-ah,” Sungmin whimpered as he rubbed his eyes.

“Don’t rub your eyes,” Kyuhyun said. “Come on, let’s go. I’m not going to leave you behind. I love you.”

Kyuhyun wanted to kiss Sungmin to reassure but he knew that time was not on their side. Grabbing Sungmin tightly, Kyuhyun led the both of them towards the exit. Joining the remaining crowd, Kyuhyun bulldozed his way through with Sungmin in tow. Sungmin nearly stumbled and fell over but Kyuhyun caught hold of Sungmin as they finally made their way out from the club and into the breezy environs and outdoors of the night.

Kyuhyun sighed in relief as they headed to where the staff was gathered. They were all in a daze and shell-shocked.

“……Sehun, Kyungsoo, Seyong, Chaejin, Joon-myun, Hyunnie, Hyukkie…is there anyone I left out?” Sungmin muttered to himself as he did a quiet headcount of the staff.

“Kai!” Sungmin exclaimed. “I forgot about Kai. Where’s Kai?”

The boys stared at each other with confusion and worry in their eyes.

Kyungsoo tensed up, broke away from the group and started running around aimlessly amongst the pockets of customers still gathered outside the club as he shouted out Kai’s name.

“Kai wasn’t around when the alarm sounded,” Sungmin said.

“He could be outside when the fire started, heard the alarm and maybe decided not to come in,” Sehun offered hopefully as he tried to put up a brave and optimistic front. “Maybe he’s okay and just hanging around the crowd somewhere.”

He craned his neck to search among the crowd when a visibly stricken and fearful Kyungsoo returned.

“Kai isn’t around,” Kyungsoo panted and huffed in alarm.

“Don’t tell me he’s still in the club?” Baekhyun exclaimed wide-eyed.

“He offered to take the trash out for me,” Kyungsoo cried.  

“But the fire started in the back,” Baekhyun burst out. “Since Kai would not start the fire and run off, means he’s probably…Oh my God! Don’t tell me…”

Baekhyun covered his mouth at the scary thought of what could have happened to Jongin. The rest of the boys started to go pale and weak.

Kyungsoo trembled and let out a blood curdling shriek. “It’s my fault! It’s my fault! I killed Kai! I shouldn’t have let him take out the trash for me! I’m a murderer! I killed Kai! I killed Kai!”

Kyungsoo lurched forward to make a dash for the club. But he was promptly caught by Kyuhyun, Sungmin, and Sehun. Kyungsoo trashed and kicked his legs about, trying to free himself from their grip on him.

“Kyungsoo, listen, it’s dangerous if you go in right now. You could lose your life. The emergency services are coming. They will get Kai out if he is in there,” Kyuhyun assured Kyungsoo.

“Noooooo…!” Kyungsoo cried out. “It will be too late! I need to go save Kai. He cannot die! Can someone please save Kai? Please? Anyone?”

But the two adults and the other teenager forcefully held him back.

“Joon-myun!” Sungmin shouted out when he noticed the teenager heading for the club. “What do you think you’re doing? Get back here now! It’s dangerous!”

Joon-myun turned around and smiled. “I’ll go get Kai.”

“Don’t be silly. You might get hurt yourself or lose your life! Stay here!” Kyuhyun chided.

“I can’t. I’m Suho, remember?” Joon-myun smiled sadly. “I’m the boys’ guardian and protector. I’ve a duty towards them. I’ve to protect Kai. I need to get Kai back.”

“Joon-myun!” Kyuhyun and Sungmin shouted.

“Just forget your goddamn sense of duty right now!” Kyuhyun ordered.

“Hyung!” the younger ones called out in unison in a bid to make Joon-myun change his mind.  

“I can’t,” Joon-myun shook his head, his smile still on his face.

“Hyung,” Kyungsoo cried out. “Ga-jima! I’ve killed Jino. And now I’ve killed Kai. What happens if I lose you too? Hyung. You’re important to me too. I don’t want to lose you. If there’s anyone who should go it and get killed, that would be me. I’m a killer! I’m a sinner!”

“Kyungsoo-ah, believe in me! I’ll get Kai back for you. And thank you for what you just said. For that, I promise that I’ll come back safely. I promise everyone here that I’ll get the both of us back safely, alive and in one piece!” Joon-myun vowed resolutely.

“Hyung!” Kyungsoo yelled. “Ga-jima!”  

“Kyuhyun-appa, Sungmin-umma, thank you so much for everything that you had done for me. I love you. And to my dongsaeng, I love you guys,” Joon-myun declared.

With that he turned round and bolted valiantly into the inferno.

Meanwhile the wails of the fire engines and emergency services could be heard within the distance.

The club was hot, and filled with thick smoke. Luckily Joon-myun was familiar with the club and therefore knew his way around the place in spite of the low visibility. He found a fire extinguisher and took it with him. His eyes were stinging from the smoke and he felt asphyxiated. He took out his handkerchief to wet it from the water at the bar counter, placed it over the lower half of his face, just below his nose. He took another piece of cloth nearby and wet it, carrying it along with him.

The smoke grew denser as he approached the back area of the club. He treaded carefully around the flames while he scoured about for Jongin. Meanwhile Jongin had regained consciousness and he could feel the smoke filling the room. He dragged himself out from the ground but he felt groggy. He started to choke and cough as he tried to open the door but was unable to do so. He felt a burning sensation on his skin due to the heat on the metallic surface of the door knob. He tried to turn the knob a few times before he sprung back due to the heat. His heart raced anxiously as he knew that he was trapped. He started to pound on the door frantically with this fists hoping for someone to come to his rescue. He tried to slam his body against the door to break it door, but as time passed by, Jongin grew weaker and faint. He could only continue to thump at the door.

It took him many seconds but with some luck, Joon-myun heard the banging sound on the door. He knew it was Jongin.

Outside the club, the firefighters began to battle the blaze while some prepared to enter Heaven to rescue Joon-myun and Jongin.

Removing the barrier and unlocking the door, Joon-myun spotted a barely conscious Jongin who stumbled into his arms. The younger boy muttered, “Joon-myun hyung, you’re here.”

“Kai, stay with me. Stay awake. Don’t worry. I’m going to us you out here as soon as possible,” Joon-myun encouraged the younger.

Draping the other piece of wet cloth on Jongin’s nose, Joon-myun supported the impaired Jongin and darting their way round the fire, tried to make their way out of the inferno. But Jongin being much taller and slightly heavier than Joon-myun became a burden to the older boy as Joon-myun stumbled trying to escape.

At the very moment, some firemen entered the back of the club and found the two boys. One of the rescuers signalled for Joon-myun to hand Jongin over to him to take care of which Joon-myun complied.  

Just as Joon-myun was about to hand Jongin over to the fireman, both he and the fireman heard a crackling sound. The fireman waved at Joon-myun to alert him away from the imminent danger. Joon-myun looked up and saw a piece of heavy fitting about to fall on him and Jongin. Joon-myun quickly pushed Jongin away into the safety of the fireman as the debris came crashing down on Joon-myun and struck him heavily on his head.

As his eyes fluttered, Joon-myun could see his past flash in his mind: the arguments between his birth parents; how his doting stepfather turned to ually abuse him; how his stepfather was later sentenced to imprisonment and how his birth mother lashed her hatred at him; how he came to Heaven; how he was teased and bullied in school; how he was treated with love, kindness and care in Heaven. There was both sadness and happiness.

He thought about Kyungsoo – the guy he loves – and the times they spent together – and how Kyungsoo had fought and overcome his depression in recent time and was now a much happier person. And then he thought about Yixing who showed him sincerity and he felt a tinge of regret towards the Chinese male.

He then remembered Kyuhyun, Sungmin and Sunggyu encouraging him to be a good leader and older-brother to the boys and to watch over and protect them from harm. He took pride in his position.

He could imagine Kyuhyun, Sungmin and Sunggyu praising him for a job well done – in managing to rescue Jongin and keep him safe from harm.

He could hear those words as they beamed at him, “Joon-myun-ah, you’ve lived up to your name ‘Suho’. You’ve done well.”

Joon-myun let out a sad smile as tears flowed from his eyes.

“Kyungsoo-ah, I’m sorry to break my promise to you. But at least Kai is safe. Please don’t feel sad for me. Please be happy with him. Appa, umma, I’m sorry. Thank you so much for your love. I love you. And Baekhyun, Sehun, Kai and all the rest of you, thank you for your love and being my family. I love you guys too.”

As he hit the ground, Joon-myun could make out a faint but familiar figure approaching him.

“Chanyeol, is that you?” Joon-myun wondered as he strained his diminishing vision to take a look.

“This is enough for me I guess. I’m really happy now. Perhaps it’s better this way. I can finally take a good rest from all my burdens and responsibilities.” Joon-myun thought as he finally shut his eyes. 

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

So did anyone expect this to happen?

How many of your felt really moved and touched at Joon-myun's sacrifice? Did anyone cry at this point?

I guess his actions really spoke louder than words or any apology to Kai right?

How do you think about the character of Joon-myun? He's got good character development, do you agree?

Do you think Joon-myun and Kai will survive? Shout out if you want both of them to live. 

Anyhow, there are about 2 chapters left. 

Thanks for all the comments and subscriptions. Please continue to comment on the story and this chapter/ 

Do check out  and comment on my other fan fics if you have not already done so.

My other fan fics

KyuMin: Almost a love story

KyuMin: 60 Days 

It's You (너라고) Neorago (a YeWook fan-fic)