None of them will ever thought Lee Ho Won would ever turn out this way. He was known as a complete masochist. He was the perfectionist, looking all good at all time, trying his best to look like a real man and avoids doing embarrassing things that would make his reputation crumbles. Somehow, he has turned out to be that kind of a man, almost exactly being like how Kim Myungsoo is. He’d be envious of others yet he’d only keep it inside and most of the time he looked amazingly cool. Unlike Myungsoo who sometimes turn to a complete dork, Lee Ho Won is a person you’d call a true masochist.

Yet here he is, biting his tongue and his dry lower lips so anxiously. He looks troubled, walking back and forth in front of a huge mansion that belongs to no other but his dearest childhood friend, Lee Ji Eun. He has been waiting for hours with that troubled expression on. It was very eye-catching as none would ever expect a true masochist would turn out being such an anxious guy. Today, he’s completely different.

The way he dressed, too, was different. He throws away those v-neck shirt and sleeveless t-shirt away, replacing it with a well made shirt combined with a pair of denim jeans. He wasn’t wearing his usual baggy pants. He looked nice and neat, polite. He didn’t exposed that much muscled skin and chocolate abs that attracts girl, making less girls land their eyes on him. Yet he doesn’t care. For the first time in his life, he was so eager to meet her.

Jieun was discharged from the hospital after five days of intensive care. The doctor took a great care of her that she manages to have a quick recovery. The doctor took a good look at every detail, to her food and resting time. Despite of the doctor objection of her discharged, she insisted on being fine. It makes him having no choice but to let the young lady off.

Rather than peacefully resting like the doctors asked her to, she has gone missing since five in the morning. Her maids freaked out when they found the note she left behind. She could barely walk and her head was still spinning around, sometimes her vision would blur or even out. But she was stubborn enough to set off to work. Ever since then, she hasn’t returned and soon it would be dark out there.

Mrs. Kwon noticed the figure in front of the house, despite the years that has passed. It was a rare sight and she warmly welcomed him in, she let him sat in the living room and enjoyed some snack and afternoon tea. Yet he still looked worried, too eager to see the young lady. And the clock wasn’t giving any of them a break.

Another fifteen minutes of waiting – after two and a half hours – the bell has finally rings, signaling someone may have returns. Hoya quickly jumps off the couch, hoping it would be her and that she would be fine for another talk despite the hard work she had done throughout the day. It was quickly greeted by the maids and an anxious Hoya, wondering who might it be. And his guess wouldn’t go wrong, not at all. It was indeed her.

The maids, including Mrs. Kwon literally screams at the sight of her. Even Hoya couldn’t hide his shocked expression and ended up exposing it without any mean to hurt her. She truthfully looked horrible. Now, the doctors might be regretting their decision to let her off so easily. Soon, she might returns to the hospital with a worse illness. Even Hoya who has been so eager to see her couldn’t help but agree to the fact that she should’ve been locked inside the hospital a bit longer, at least until she’s almost fully recovered.

They were greeted with a very horrible-looking young lady. She looked rather weak, barely able to stand and her body was turning limb. She was turning pale, her skin was paler that her white blouse. Her lips turns plump, it was purple and shaking. It wasn’t cold out there but her skin was freezing cold. She greeted her maids with a faint smile, as if she was about to collapse any time soon.

“Ms. Lee!” Mrs. Kwon screams. “Are you okay?!”

“Yeah, I am. I’m just a bit dizzy. Would you please get me a cup of water?”

“Water! Water! Someone get me water please!” Mrs. Kwon screams, the maids quickly scattered around, desperately searching for a cup of water.

“Hoya-ssi, would you please her to her room?” Mrs. Kwon turns to face the anxious man behind.

Jieun blinks her half-opened eyes once the name rings in her ear. It has been a while since the last time she saw him. In fact, it has been more than a week since she last saw him. It has been rare of him to come to visit her and it was a surprised to have him as a guest when she wasn’t in any condition to welcome a guest.

Without any words, Hoya quickly went to her, and helps her to support her fragile body. He was having that troubled expression on, just like Myungsoo. It made her felt even more troubled. She hasn’t met Myungsoo or even called him, even though she had been discharged. Works have been getting in her way and soon she might have to depart again. But for now, she knows she would have to listen to Hoya, opening up to her about his trouble. And she knows, once she met the seven of them, all of them would be having the exact same expression.

The room turns out to be a rather strange place for Hoya. It was his first coming over to her house, since she moved out of her apartment. She rarely stayed home, most of the time she was abroad. It felt strange; it was big and spacious yet lonely. It was cold, and the night might felt longer here. Hoya settled her on her bed, she sighs, feeling all of her energy being drained out of her petite body. She gives him a faint smile to settle his mixed feelings, his troubled expression.

She quickly opened her back and took out some pills. She cringes when her head spins and quickly swallowed the pills. She let herself to lie down for a bit, until the medicine would start to work and finally her pain would go away. Hoya was blankly staring at her, now he regrets popping out in front of her when she’s in no condition to welcome any guests, not even for a casual relaxing talk. She needed to rest, yet it is too late for now.

“Feeling better?”

“Yeah.”

“You know, you should rest. What are you doing out there at five in the morning?”

“I have works to do.”

“What’s the point when you’re sick? The doctors are going to scold you.”

“Well, I can’t help it. Who told them to let me off so easily?” she chuckled.

“Well, but still. Do you know how Myungsoo would react if he ever know?”

“That’s why you’ll have to do me a favor. Don’t tell Myungsoo. He already looked troubled enough. In fact, I’m sure all of you are looking very troubled lately.”

“Well, if that’s the case.”

“You’re not coming here for no reason, are you?”

“Ah, how could I forgot you could read people minds?”

“You’re being too obvious. You never visited me before, especially when I’m back to this place. Tell me, Howon, why are you so troubled?”

“I ran away from home.”

…

…

“You don’t look surprised at all.”

“Because I am not. I know it, ever since the beginning.”

“And you keep quiet of it.”

“I know you hate to talk about it.”

“They’re against it, Jieun. They’re against my dream to become a dancer. My father keeps on yelling at me and my mother was being… And now, Jieun, I’ve been living on my own, working my off to be able to live properly. My job, it was a nasty one. I’ll have to work as a janitor, cleaning malls and sometimes office. I will have to serve people at restaurants and delivered newspapers in the morning. I have to tugs women to deceive them and stole their money. My jobs are nasty, the café is the only thing I love about working yet it won’t pay off my needs.”

“And it came, Jieun, the opportunity. A man offer me – no, us – a contract to be singer and I could be their dancer. He offers me scholarship to a choreography academy and I would have a bright future ahead. He’s not a swindler, if that is what you’re wondering about. I met him earlier and he’s cool, but he wouldn’t accept me as me, he wanted the seven of us. Jieun, I beg you to convince Kim Myungsoo. Please convince him to join it, and the INFINITE would be happy.”

The woman let the sighs escapes her lips, as she stands up and walk to the other side of the room. “I can’t.”

“You can’t? Myungsoo would only listen to you! Why are you so against it?!”

“I don’t want him to be forced. I want him to make his own decision. It’s his future, not mine.”

“Then, you would be glad if my life is ruined?! You want me to live in such a way? I barely have any money right now! I ran away from home, my parent doesn’t even want to admit me as their child anymore! Do you want people to see lowly of me?!”

“No, of course not.”

“Then, convince him!”

“No.”

“Yeah, you love it to see how people looked down on me!”

“You should’ve have think about it! Why would you run away from home if you’re not ready?! And now, you wanted people to sacrifice their happiness for you, Hoya? Why are you being so selfish?! I could pay you off if that’s what you want.”

“And I’ll become a burden to you. Do you think I have a choice when I ran away?”

“Howon, you’re whining. You should have thought about the consequences when you ran away. You shouldn’t whine about it, it’s your own choice. I have nothing to do with it. I’ll help you but not this way. Go, I’m very tired right now.”

“What have got into you, Lee Ji Eun? You’re not that much of a sweet girl, not anymore.”

“Then, how would you answer me if I ask you, what have gotten into you? I did not know you could be this much selfish. Right now, if you’re suffering then, you should blame yourself, not others.”

***

It suddenly troubled her. When her door was slammed close by the man, she went silent. She purely reflected on her words and acts, whether it is wrong or right because neither seems to fit it. She sighs, the sigh escape her plump lips as her condition slowly got better. At least, the medicine work, or else she might be collapsing by now. She glances around her room, it was empty and lonely as usual and it made her even more troubled.

Hoya was very troubled to an extent that he became rude to her. She knows he doesn’t mean it, to be that rude to her, it just happened since he was having so much thought in mind. All of them were troubled, and soon she might found it worse than she expected it to be. All of them were burdening Myungsoo and it made her rather worried about his condition. She was about to rest when his figure passes through his mind, putting her dizzy head to even more trouble.

She ended up running to his house, just to make sure she’s fine. A few nights ago, he wasn’t even sleeping. It was very sweet of him to be sending those paper cranes, yet it only worried her even more. She spent the last three days thinking about works and his troubled expression – whether he could sleep at night. And now since she’s back, it may be nice to check on him. He’d be happy to find her being fine and she would finally in peace.

It took her fifteen minutes to take the subway and arrived at his place. It was already dark, only the front door light was . His room was already dark; Jieun could see it from the outside. She wishes he was fine and sleeping peacefully, his troubled expression slowly fading away. She knocked on the door and soon a few maids appeared to welcome her. She signals for her to be quiet and come in slowly, as they prepared some drinks for her.

It must have been very lonely of him, spending his time lone for the past week. The INFINITE were being rather selfish lately, Jieun could tell. All of them were being lured by the bait, all of them eager to sign the contract and ended up ignoring Myungsoo. It won’t be long before all of them came to her, asking her to persuade Myungsoo. This cold place must have been colder and lonelier without her and the INFINITE around. She wonders how Myungsoo have been feeling lately, especially when she didn’t call at all.

She took of her shoes and wore a pair of slippers, slowly coming in. It doesn’t feel cozy at all, instead it felt strange. The room has never given her a comfortable feeling, not even a sense of familiarity. It always felt strange, no matter how many times she has come to this place. She could hear the sound of the TV, he was watching films, and she could hear the gunshot sound effect from afar. She knows as a man, Myungsoo loves watching that kind of movie.

Slowly entering, she saw his figure lying down on the couch with both his eyes closed. Jieun sighs in relief; it felt so much better seeing him resting peacefully. Yet he still looked troubled, his eyebrows wrinkling and somehow he would murmurs some unclear words. He folded his arm on his chest, tightening it every once in a while as if a bad dream was haunting him. She sighs, slowly approaching him, as she wrapped him inside a warm blanket.

“I’m sorry I haven’t called you. Hoya came to me today. Why do all of you look so troubled?” Jieun murmurs, fingers brushing against his messy hair.

“What have been troubling you? You didn’t sleep that night did you? I like the paper cranes though, but it troubled me knowing you might be having a hard time. I wanted to call you but ended up wondering whether I should call you. I choose not to, and hopefully I did not make the wrong choice.”

“Do you know? I really like it when you sleep very peacefully and today even in your sleep, you looked troubled. Sleep well, Myungsoo.” Jieun smiled, gently flicking his forehead.

“He hasn’t been sleeping well for days, Ms. Lee. He seems to have a lot of things going on.” One of the maids encourages herself to spill the beans.

“Really? I see. He does look very troubled.”

“He has just fallen asleep. He wanted to visit you today, but he was afraid he would only be a bother to you.”

Jieun chuckled, brushing his hair gently, an idiot. She holds his hands tightly, playing with it, drawing things on his palm as she accompanied him throughout the night. Questions were filling her head, it had put her in agony, and how each and every one of them had different opinion. And it would be a war of 6vs 1 and she wouldn’t have the right to interfere, but to quietly watches and listens.