“Wait, Suho, what are you doing?” Baekhyun pleaded.

            “Suho,” D.O. said. “What are you thinking about doing to him?”

            “He’s heard too much. He has to forget; otherwise he will be forever depressed just like Chanyeol is.” Suho tightened his grip.

            “I’ve heard too much about what?” Baekhyun begged. “What’s happening?” He looked at Chanyeol. “Help me, Chanyeol!”

            “Umm, Suho, maybe you should let go of him,” Chanyeol said.

            “Let go of him? You’re the one who always choked him!” Suho responded.

            “Chanyeol! Someone! Help! He’s choking me!” Baekhyun cried out. He writhed and struggled to get away. “Please! I don’t want to die! Why are you killing me!”

            “Just hold still, and don’t worry about it,” Suho told him. He started pulling the ends. Baekhyun let out a chilling scream before he could no longer breathe. Suho pulled tighter and tighter.

            “Suho, let go of him!” Chanyeol said and stood up.

            “He must forget!” Suho pulled the ends as hard as he could. Baekhyun writhed and flailed his arms and gaped wildly for air. His eyes were shut tightly as his head felt close to exploding.

            “Stop it!” Chanyeol grabbed Suho’s neck and pulled him off of Baekhyun with a powerful tug. Suho fell onto the floor with a thud. Then Chanyeol caressed Baekhyun, who was violently coughing and hacking and gasping. D.O. helped Suho up, and Chanyeol gave them a steely glare.

            “You guys should leave right now,” he told them sternly. He held Baekhyun’s head against his chest, and Baekhyun whimpered quietly.

            Suho turned away and left the room without another word. D.O. gave one last glance at Baekhyun and Chanyeol, then followed. Chanyeol closed the door behind them and locked it.

            “They’re finally gone,” he said to himself, relieved. He went back to Baekhyun.

            “Chanyeol,” Baekhyun asked. “What was all that about? Why did Suho try to strangle me?” Tears began welling up in his eyes.

            Chanyeol put his arms around Baekhyun and hugged him.

            “What’s wrong with Suho?” Baekhyun cried. Chanyeol embraced him tighter.

            “Chanyeol?” Chanyeol let go of Baekhyun and took a step back. “What happened today? I can’t really remember anything.”

            Chanyeol bent down and reached for something on the floor. When he stood back up, there was a thin, dark black belt dangling in his hand.

            “Don’t worry about it,” he said.

            “Chanyeol?” Baekhyun whined, seeing the belt coiling in Chanyeol’s hand like a noose. “What are you doing?” His voice became shakier and weaker, and tears were streaming from his fearful eyes.

            Chanyeol got onto Baekhyun’s bed and sat on Baekhyun’s thighs. He looked into his watery eyes in anguish.

            “Don’t worry about it.” He held the ends of the belt in each hand in front of Baekhyun.

            “Chanyeol? Why are you sitting on me like Suho was? Chanyeol?” Baekhyun’s voice became almost incomprehensible with panic and tears. Chanyeol leaned forward and slipped the belt behind Baekhyun’s head to the back of his neck. “Chanyeol?”

            “I’m sorry it has to be this way.”

            “But…Chanyeol…why?” Baekhyun cried as he felt something cold and leathery wrap around his neck. “Chanyeol…”

            “This is going to hurt me more than it will ever hurt you,” Chanyeol said.

            “Why?” Baekhyun could only form the word with his mouth.

            “I will not let you suffer the pain that I have always suffered. The pain of remembering…our fights, arguments, conflicts…I have always loved you…but always too much…” Tears welled up in his eyes.

            “But…” Baekhyun mouthed. “I always loved you too…”

            Chanyeol’s heart ached and throbbed when it heard those words.

            “No matter how many times I’ve heard those words…” he said weakly. “I always had to live with the fact that you would never remember saying them to me.” He tightened his grip on the ends of the belt, wrapped around Baekhyun’s neck. Tears were pouring from both of their eyes.

            “But I…love you…” Baekhyun said without sound. “I love you…I love you…”

            Baekhyun continued mouthing those words. Chanyeol pulled the ends of the belt as tight as his throbbing heart would allow.