Chapter 2: Sight

Six Senses

Darkness. The meaning of the word is simple; darkness is, in itself, the absence of light. Darkness appeals to the human sense of sight; it is when a person cannot see anything because darkness is nothing and nothing was all that Woohyun could see at the moment. But he wasn’t scared. Most people would be scared of darkness, but not Woohyun. To him, the darkness was calming. The man himself was never afraid darkness; he was never bothered by it even when he was a child. Rather, he has always embraced it.

 

For darkness is half of Mother Nature, Woohyun recalled that his mother said. She always said, that the world exists on a balance of opposites, darkness and light, night and day, yin and yang. Without one, the other wouldn’t exist. Opposites coexist to compliment each other, and even the darkest darkness is needed in a world of light.

 

And in that essence, Woohyun enveloped himself in it. He didn’t struggle; he relaxed. He didn’t know where he was, he half knew who he was at that point; he just felt numb. He couldn’t move his limbs, he couldn’t feel his limbs, he felt inhuman, like a lost soul that didn’t want to be found.

 

Woohyun decided that feeling numb was actually quite nice. Yes, this numbness felt pleasant to him because, well, there was no pain. He wasn’t suffering; he felt so calm. Calming darkness and pleasant numbness were a good combination, Woohyun mused as he imagined the corners of his mouth quirking up a bit. He wouldn’t mind staying for a while just like this.

 

“You bastard,” A familiar quiet voice cut through his unconsciousness, and Woohyun’s thoughts froze. Who was that?

 

“Wake up,” the voice hissed in that commanding, dictator-like way. Woohyun mentally chuckled in his mind. It sounded so familiar as the man thought stubbornly, Why should I? This place was so nice.

 

“Infinite needs you.”

 

Infinite? What is Infinite? Woohyun wondered in his mind, rolling the name around like a ball in his mind a bit. It sounded so familiar; what Infinite was, was just on the tip of his tongue, but frustratingly he couldn’t land the answer. Woohyun mentally growled at the owner of the voice for making his mind so frustrated on this simple matter. Infinite shouldn’t matter to him. Then why did he get the feeling that this was very important?

 

“Sunggyu—stop.” A new voice this time, one that sounded tired. “It’s been two days, you have to get out.”

 

“I don’t want to,” That defiant, leader-like voice stated with unease. A peak of interest spiked inside of Woohyun as he went through his thoughts. Sunggyu. Leader. Infinite.

 

It was like a sudden flow in his memories caused a floodgate to open, ripping open the lost feelings, remembrances, and events that had happened. Woohyun remembered. He was in the 7-member boy band called Infinite. Sunggyu was the leader. Sunggyu was his best friend, and--

 

Woohyun recalled. Sunggyu was very special to him.

 

…Where the hell was he?!

 

I have to wake up, Woohyun tossed all his thoughts of relaxing darkness and pleasant numbness in his mind, as he anxiously tried to move, do something, anything.

 

Panic was finally settling into him, as Woohyun eventually found out that no matter how hard he tried, no matter how determined he was to move, speak, scream—his own body wouldn’t let him. He wanted to flail his arms and legs, he wanted to scream his throat raw. But his body...just couldn’t move. Fearful thoughts ran through Woohyun's mind as he could only listen to Jungryul talk to Sunggyu.

 

“You have to come out. The media are swarmed around this hospital, and it’s causing trouble on the hospital staff and patients.”

 

The leader sighed sadly, “How am I supposed to just come out there and tell them?”

 

“I’ve prepared a script for you,” the manager offered.

 

“They’re not going to take the news well,” Sunggyu said, distressed. “I’d rather give them the benefit of the doubt.”

 

“But is it really a benefit?”

 

“Isn’t it?”

 

“I don’t think so,” the manager stated in a low tone.

 

“And why not?” Sunggyu was wary at this point, and it was even evident in his voice.

 

Jungryul explained clearly, “If you don’t come out to explain the situation, who knows what sorts of scandalous tabloids are going to appear tomorrow. The media are going to assume, Sunggyu, we can’t take that risk.”

 

“Jungryul…” and a that hopeless voice Woohyun just wanted to hold the man’s hand and never let go.

 

“As Infinite’s leader,” the manager urged, “and as Woohyun’s best friend.”

 

The last part of Jungryul’s statement seemed to changed the atmosphere a bit, as there was no response for a while.

 

“Okay,” was the quiet response that followed.

 

“Woohyun got into a car accident and injured his leg,” the manager said slowly, clearly. “He’s in recovery mode, and he is certainly not in a coma. Alright?”

 

“Yes.” Sunggyu nodded. He understood; if news got out that Woohyun hasn’t woken up after two days, who knows how much more, the Inspirits would go mad, Woohyun’s parents would go mad, and the media would go mad, making false assumptions and accusations everywhere that would inevitably ruin Infinite’s reputation.

 

Sunggyu took one last look at Woohyun before he started to exit the room.

 

No, Woohyun thought, frantic, feeling  Sunggyu’s presence slowly disappearing from his senses. Come back.

 

To say that Woohyun struggled in those next few seconds was an understatement. Woohyun roared inside his mind, but no words came out of his mouth. He fought his subconscious with all his might, trying to wake with no avail and clutching unsuccessfully at Sunggyu’s receding epresence There was light on the other side, light where Jungryul and Infinite and Sunggyu existed, and Woohyun finally started to feel alienated by this surrounding darkness.

 

No. Don’t leave. Come back.

 

Woohyun kicked angrily at the dark recesses of his mind to wake up.

 

I’ll be back,” Sunggyu’s quiet voice stated when he was at the door, and Woohyun stopped his struggle for a second because he wondered if those words were for him, that maybe Sunggyu said those words for Woohyun if he could hear them in his current state. And he did hear.

 

But it was only a moment, before a shut of the door was heard and Sunggyu was gone.

 

this.

 

Woohyun struggled, pushed, pulled, kicked, punched, screamed in the deep recesses of his mind with the last bit of energy he had, suffocating in silence as the leader’s voice was gone, unable to anchor him to his surroundings.

 

Woohyun stopped his struggle. He was tired, so tired. He couldn’t see, he couldn’t feel, he couldn’t taste, he couldn’t smell, and now, his last sense that proved him human, was gone. He couldn’t hear anything. There was just...silence.

 

Devoid of energy, Woohyun drowned back into the darkness, his thoughts slowly dissipating in the air of nothingness. He was exhausted.

 

Sunggyu.

 

And then, his mind went blank again.

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safire
You know what, I spoke too soon. 20 upvotes, that's the most I've ever had.../smothers all of you readers with hearts and flowers ~

Comments

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StrawberrySkye
630 streak #1
Chapter 6: beautiful story 🥹
sillhouette31
#2
Chapter 6: This is so nice but sunggyu haven't said i love you to woohyun yet:(
Zd7394
#3
Chapter 6: It's really nice .
I love it ヾ(@^▽^@)ノ
Fxdstar7 #4
Chapter 6: So so beautiful ㅠㅠ the confession scene tho ㅠㅠ
nwh-gem
#5
Chapter 6: it is beautiful authornim! thank you so much for sharing!and sorry for the comment spam, hehehe
nwh-gem
#6
Chapter 5: hahaha! my dear, iam so relieved, woohyun opened his eyes finally! next chapter please.
nwh-gem
#7
Chapter 4: goodness, iam a crying mess! i will miss this brotherhood so much! well i hope, atleast not in fanfics, but definitely in reality! whoah, iam gonna get used to ot6 so fighting myself!
nwh-gem
#8
Chapter 3: jungyeop! if only things were better in real life for infinite for the last 3 to 4 mos esp woohyun, i will be founding a fanclub for you! hehehe, ooopps, sorry for the rant!
nwh-gem
#9
Chapter 2: oh my God, Woohyun‐ah! just ing wake‐up baby!
nwh-gem
#10
Chapter 1: whew! the way you described gyu’s feelings is so precise i can feel him just beside me. that tear, it just broke me!