"Where is Key?" Onew asked, emphasizing every word so Minho's sleepy mind could process the words. 

"He's not home?!" Minho asked, jumping up, now fully awake. 

"No! He's not! I just tried calling him. He's not picking up!!" Taemin exclaimed. 

Onew began to hyperventilate.

"Hyung. Don't have a breakdown. We will find him." Minho reassured Onew, all of them fearful that Onew would lose it again.

Just then, a very sleepy, Jonghyun emerged. Minho immediatley went to him and embraced his boyfriend. 

"His grandmother p..." Jonghyun mumbled into Minho's shirt.

"What hyung?" Taemin asked, needing to know what Jonghyun was saying.

"His grandmother she..." Jonghyun began. However, he was interrupted by Onew grabbing his coat and running out the door in a frantic search to find his love, the one who just lost the one just lost the most important person to them.

"Hyung! What are you gonna do?" Taemin yelled after him. 

"He's gonna find Key. We should help." Minho said, missing his best friend and worried about Onew. 

Just then, Minho received a text. 

From: Onew hyung 

Stay @ flat. Don't leave Tae and Jjong

Minho sighed and sat on the couch. Taemin looked at his hyung in alarm. 

"Are we just gonna sit here and do nothing?!" Taemin yelled at Minho. 

Minho sighed again. 

"Minho hyung. Tell me, why are we not helping?!" Taemin demanded.

"Taemin! Onew hyung told us to stay put. We have no idea where Key is, it's best that we not get lost too!" Minho snapped back. 

Jonghyun covered his ears, too exhausted to stop or listen to the raised voices of the younger boys. 

"Well what are we supposed to do? Sit here and not look for Key? His grandma just passed away! What if Onew hyung goes in the complete opposite direction?" Taemin kept going and Minho was about to lose it. Normally, Minho was so patient and loving towards Taemin, but everyone was on edge. No one had seen Minho get really angry and that was the last thing he wanted Taemin and Jonghyun to see. Minho began to breath deeply, trying to soothe his agitation and cool down a bit. 

Jonghyun saw Minho trying not to blow up at Taemin so he walked over to Minho and hugged him around the neck from behind. Although still irritated, Minho did relax in Jonghyun's embrace. Jonghyun smiled a bit, happy that his boyfriend reacted that way. 

"Taemin will you relax?" Jonghyun asked. The first words he had spoken in a while. 

"How can I? Why are you two so calm?" Taemin asked. Minho looked up at Jonghyun, not sure what to say. 

"Taemin we're really concerned, of course! Minho called Onew hyung to help Key earlier today! We care a lot! We love Key, we will do anything for him, but our job right now is to welcome Onew hyung and Key home with open arms when they come back. This is something that only Onew hyung can bring Key out of, okay? We care. We promise." Jonghyun said. Minho and Taemin had tears pricking at their eyes. Jonghyun was right. 

The three boys just sat in the living room, the TV on low, all of their phones turned up all the way. Just then, there was a knock at the door. Minho got up and answered it, revealing a sad looking Sulli, with plenty of ramen from downstairs. 

"Taemin oppa texted me. I brought ramen." Sulli said. Minho smiled a little at his cousin and draped an arm around her shoulders. They walked back into the living area. Taemin smiled at Sulli and ran to give her a big hug. Both of them blushed a little bit.

"Jonghyunnie oppa, how are you feeling?" Sulli asked after her hug with Taemin ended. 

"Tired. And I'm worried about Key." Jonghyun said, looking down at the floor. Minho's heart broke at how sad and exhausted Jonghyun looked. He also looked extremely skinny due to the fact that he wasn't eating very much. He was nervous because his treatments were starting soon. 

Minho went over to the couch and sat next to Jonghyun, holding his hand. Taemin and Sulli went into the small kitchen area to dish the ramen while they waited. 

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Onew ran to the arts building. Almost all of the rooms were locked except Lee Hi's studio. He ran to the door and knocked on it, not wanting to interrupt her work if she was in there. 

There were a few shuffling noises and the calm music that was playing stopped. The small art instructor opened the door. 

"You're Key's friend, right? You were here earlier?" Lee Hi asked. 

"Neh." Onew said, breathing heavily. "Has Key come by here at all? In the last few hours?" Onew asked. 

"No...Minho was here with Key before you came, and he came back after you two left to pick some stuff up, but after that no one has been in here." Lee Hi explained. "Why? Is he..." 

"He's just a little lost. If he comes by, will you give me a call?" Onew asked sadly, while he wrote his number down on a piece of paper. 

Lee Hi nodded her head and watched Onew run out of the studio. 

Onew ran to the infirmary. 

"Hyo noona! Hyo!" Onew yelled banging on the door. 

"Excuse me, Lee Jinki, you are waking everyone up!" The other nursing assistant was Lee Minhyuk, a singer who came back to work the year after he graduated. He was really hot headed in comparisons to the other people in the infirmary, so people nicknamed him B-Bomb because he would more or less explode at those who disrupted the infirmary. Minhyuk had been in Onew's singing class when he was a freshman. 

"B-bomb! I..uh...Minhyuk hyung, where's Hyoyeon?" Onew asked, frantically, not really caring that he was being disruptive. He needed to get to Key. 

"Hyoyeon went to get more supplies. What do you need?" Minhyuk asked. 

"Um. Tell Hyoyoen I'm looking for Key when she comes back and to call me if..." Onew began. 

"Key? Like that freshman, Kim Kibum?" Minhyuk asked. 

"YEAH! Where is he? Where did he go? Is he okay?" Onew asked rapidly. 

"I saw him walking through and then I heard a conversation. He was talking with Donghae. Key asked him if he had a quiet place to get away. Is something serious going on?" Minhyuk asked. 

"I need to find him. Thank you. Tell Hyoyeon if you see her." Onew said, bowing quickly. 

Onew ran to other possible places. 

He asked Victoria. 

He asked Max. 

He asked teachers and students and at each "no I haven't seen him." or "who are you talking about?" or "is something wrong?" Onew's head was sent spinning. He was panting and sweating and he could feel his head pounding, brain throbbing against his skull, heart beating a mile a minute, feeling lightheaded, dizzy, completely desperate. Hyoyeon had called, she was looking for him as well. Onew felt close to breaking down. Key was hiding. Key was far away. Onew kept searching and searching. It was late, he was tired, but nothing would stop him from finding the one he loved, who was in pain beyond any stretch of the imagination. Onew needed Key and Key needed Onew. 

The thing that lies between us is the distance. 

Nothing will stop me, I'll take that chance. 

A/N: part 1 of the search for Key!^^ my mum had surgery and ive had to drive and take care of her and everyone plus hw so thats why i havent updated in so long. hope you enjoy!! part 2 coming soon!!