Kangin’s POV

Manager hyung called and emailed us a new improved schedule. Looks like we were going to start to record our new single this afternoon. So much for finally having some break. Another two hours of recording and I was finally done. I thanked the crew and guests and kindly rejected my workmates who suggested having lunch together. I had to go home, get changed, meet the other members and head for the recording studio anyway. Lunch? What was that?

But of course, as soon as I entered the apartment, there was a plate of Kimchi Fried Rice waiting for me. I looked around and noticed Ryeowook’s and Donghae’s shoes at the doorway. Heechul must be still outside filming for War of Words. Donghae was seated in the living room, listening and watching to one of our live performances. I picked up the plate and grabbed a spoon, sitting next to Donghae.

“Wookie made this?” Of course I knew it wasn’t Donghae. That fish would only burn the whole apartment down if he tried stepping into the kitchen.

Donghae nodded and then pointed at the screen. “Hyung, check this out, the whole dome was filled up.”

Ah, yes, I remembered this moment so clearly. Who wouldn’t? The blue sapphire ocean that welcomed me back. The blue sapphire ocean that never gave up or forgotten me. Truly beautiful, inside and out, our dear fans.

 “This is one of my favourites, hyung.” Donghae said. “Wookie and Sungmin hyung did a really great job for this.”

I closed my eyes when Wookie hit the high notes, taking care of Yesung’s parts like a piece of cake. Ryeowook’s voice was so sweet and pure and his ad-libs, my gosh, how could someone so small belt out notes like that? Right, that was because he was Ryeowook. The team’s endorphin and sweet voice.

“His voice just completes the whole thing right? Yesung must be proud.” I replayed his adlibs again. Amazing, this kid. Truly amazing.

“Hyung, you know, I’ve been worried about him.” Donghae was suddenly serious and if he was actually really serious, you know he must be really worried. “I heard him coughing all night. I couldn’t sleep!”

“Heechul and I pretty much got used to it while you were away, Hae.” I shrugged. “We were worried too at first but he insists that it’s fine.”

“But what if it’s not, hyung?”

Donghae always had this side of him. The one who questions every little thing in the world. He truly was a kid at heart and that was why we loved him. Donghae replayed the video again and this time paused at Ryeowook.

“Hyung, look at this.” Donghae pointed to the laptop. “Look at how different this Wookie looks.”

Donghae had a point. The Ryeowook in the video looked a lot healthier and happier. His cheekbones were far less visible and at least he looked like he had some meat in him. Heechul and I just got casted for Return of Superman and we’ve been working our off ever since. We were barely at home and so I must have overlooked all these details. When Donghae brought up how different Ryeowook looked, everything hit me. I mentioned about Ryeowook’s weight loss once or twice before but it never occurred to me how drastic the weight loss was. It never occurred to me how his cheekbones were so ing visible now and how his skin was so blue and pale.

“Hyung, should we just drag him to the hospital?”

I nodded. “We should but right now we should get ready, manager hyung wants us to be in the studio soon.”

Donghae nodded and stood up. “I’ll wake Wookie up.”

Right, I had forgotten that Ryeowook was at home. “He’s sleeping? Again?”

“You should already know the answer, shouldn’t you, hyung?”

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A week rolled by and by now we were supposed to be done with our recording for the new single but some parts were still not satisfying enough for the CEO and we had to g back and f