Hongbin felt a sudden, dull pain hit his chest for a second.

Something is wrong. "Jae. I'll just... trust you and your decision. There are problems that even we can't help you with, especially ones you've decided to keep to yourself. But you have to know that we are not blindly devoting ourselves to you." Although, that is what it was at first. He thought. "We're with you because we want to be. You're family. We're a family.  Let's go home. We'll help you sort this out when you need us." He smiled with his familiar gentleness. 

She wiped her tears, embarrassed by the outburst. "I'm sorry. Let's go."

He didn't want to say that he wanted to hurry, since it didn't seem like the best time. He was just about to tell her the anxiety he was feeling when Hyuk appeared like a ghost in front of them.

He must have run so fast that a gust of wind followed him and hit the three of them as he stopped. He couldn't even be bothered with the mess he created.

"Hyung! It's N hyung!" Hyuk immediately said. "Jae, let me carry you. We have to hurry."

Jae Ren couldn't react or say anything at all. He moved so fast she had become a little nauseous.

"I'm sorry I couldn't go slower. Are you okay?" He asked, his tone still frantic. 

"N... just take me to N." She managed to wheeze out. Her head was spinning and her stomach churned. "What's wrong?" She was grateful he at least ran in a human pace inside the house.

"We put him inside his room, for now. We saw him collapsed on the grass when we arrived. We were only gone for a few minutes, so it hadn't been long..." He explained. "He's inside his room."

"Hyuk? Did you run at full speed?!" Ravi helped Jae Ren down as she struggled to stand up straight. "You idiot! She could've vomited her brains out!"

"It's fine." She waved it away, although she needed him to support her. 

The door was open, so she could see Hojoon and Xero talking inside.

She clumsily sat on the space on the bed N's unconscious body didn't occupy. 

"He's not breathing. Why isn't he breathing?" She panicked, noticing how eerily still N was.

Hongbin appeared, a little flushed. "What happened?"

"He was on the grass. I'm not sure what to make of what happened, but his chest must have been in pain. He had ripped the shirt he was wearing earlier." Hojoon explained, worried for both N and Jae Ren. "We thought he was dead, but it's also clear he isn't." Xero touched the spot on N's chest where his heart should be. "It's still beating faintly. I'm not sure how it does that without breathing."

His eyes tried to see what was going on under N's skin. Hongbin checked on him every hour, annoying the older greatly.

"I'm fine, Hongbin." N grunted, unable to sleep.

"You won't tell me anything, hyung." He couldn't help but doubt himself. If Leo hyung was here... "Please, tell me what to do."

"Leave me alone. I need to think." His tone wasn't harsh, just tired. Almost pleading.

Hongbin couldn't control his insecurities. If he was Leo, would he have been more helpful?

He left the room quietly, greeted by the empty feeling of the house. He was not sure what Jae Ren and N had talked about earlier, but Jae Ren had retreated in her room right after.

Toppdogg had left, unable to say goodbye properly.

"Hongbin," Ken walked in the living room with Hyuk and Ravi behind him. "Let's talk."

They all sat facing each other, making the room feel emptier with only the four of them present.

"I couldn't reach Leo. I told Onew hyung, he said he would try." Ken explained, "But listen," He let out a long sigh, showing how tired he was. "I don't have any idea what to do at this point. We can't continue acting normally like this... both hyungs won't tell us anything."

"Jae Ren seems to have gotten worse. She hasn't been eating properly lately..." Hyuk added.

Ravi stared at N's rooms closed door. "We're a little hopeless, aren't we? How's he doing, by the way?"

"He keeps saying he's fine. He seems fine, to be honest." Hongbin admitted, but all of them were aware that there was something clearly off about the elder. His aura was different and the way he was despondent made them worry.

"His appearance change concerns me, too." Ken noted. "If it has happened before, I'm not sure." They were clueless.

The door to N's room clicked open. N walked out, silencing all of them. "We need to talk." He said, his face a mask.

"Finally." Ravi scoffed, "What's going on with you?"

N shook his head. "Pack your belongings. We're leaving."

"Where are we going? I'll tell Jae-"

Before Ken could even stand up, N cleared it up that they were leaving without her. Everyone just looked at him in disbelief, as if he had spoken in a language they were all unfamiliar with. "Now." He snapped at them. "We leave in half an hour."

"I thought we were going to talk." Hyuk mumbled, earning a heated look from the leader. Apparently not...