In hardly just a few hours, news of Chanyeol's collapse leaked through like wild fire. Photos and articles soon stamped through countless portal sites, and the telephone lines jammed within just a day from incessent, relentless calls. To make matters worse, both the company building as well as the hospital were flocked by a mob of reporters and fans alike.

"This is crazy..." Baekhyun peeked through the blinds of the small window, and watched horrifically as a mass of people were shoved and blocked away from the main entrance. Kai sauntered away from the window, dragged a stool near Chanyeol's hospital bed and took out a bag of oranges. "How do you feel hyung?"

"How else?", Chanyeol countered. "I miss my guitar! Wanna go back to the dorm?", he asked hopefully while plopping an orange into his mouth. D.O. smacked the back of his head and snapped, "go where!? Don't you dare step out of this place until you're discharged!"

"The dorm? You dare joke you giant giraffe!?", Luhan clicked his tongue, and smacked Chanyeol once more. "Do you realize how heavy you are? I won't catch you the next time you fall!"

"That hurt!", Chanyeol frowned while rubbing the back of his freshly injured head. "And I could have choked you know!" Luhan and D.O snickered, and snuck some of his oranges behind their backs while childishly running away to eat them. 

"Oh and... How's Kris hyung?" 

The room suddenly fell silent, while all eyes darted at him. Chanyeol cleared his throat, trying to ease through the heavy atmosphere. "Kris hyung didn't-

"He's at the dorm" Suho cut through him, wanting to keep the conversation short. "He refuses to go with us to visit you even if manager Kang forces him to"

Chanyeol looked around the room, and past each member that now shared the same grim, disturbed expression. He then turned to stare at the younger opposite him, who also paused awkwardly from peeling oranges. "Kai-yah", he sighed, pointing to the orange he was holding, "we can't eat the peel!". He instinctively began picking on the younger, trying to soothe down the growing tension. 

"Seohyun-ah, meet me at the lobby okay?"

"Yes oppa", Seohyun hung up the phone and began packing. She stowed her notes neatly into her bag, and walked across the room to unplug her phone from charging. She looked around the room awkwardly, but proceeded outside. Part of her didn't want to go to the practice rooms that day, but part of her knew she had to. Ever since that incident that night, she had tried by all means to avoid Kris. So far she hadn't seen him since, and thankfully, he hasn't been in the company recently either. 

She descended down the elevator and immediately scanned the lobby grounds in search for her manager. The lobby grounds of the SM building was mainly block white. It was clean and simple, and was lit lavishly by bright, white lights that hung above the high ceiling. Blotches of pink and silver furnishing also stood out from the plain canvas, giving it a modern, sophisticated form of vibrance. "Oh! Opp-

It was as if she had lost her voice, and she found herself fidgeting as Kris came to view. From a good distance, she could see him casually walking across the lobby, and nonchalantly approaching her direction. Unlike her, he seemed unfazed by her sudden appearance and cut right past her - his eyes clear of any guilt, and as empty and sheer as glass. "Did you apologize?"

She swerved back, and marched her way past him, stopping him in his tracks, "did you at least apologize to Chanyeol-ah?". She glared at him straight in the eye, and found herself staring deeply into an unknown, empty realm. It was unfamiliar and frightening. She realized then that they were almost purely hollow - lifeless, dead and bleak.

"Everyone was worried since you just left and Suho-yah also-

"Please step aside" he interrupted her in his politest tone. By this time, they began to garner attention. Murmurs began to envelop the large space, as the two ablazed the area with tension. But Seohyun remained almost glued to the ground before him, determined not to let him get his way. 

Not this time. 

"I don't want to and I won't", she blocked him with her left arm and eyed him. "Everyone is frustrated with the situation at hand but how can you just act so carefree? How can you walk away so selfishly when someone collapsed before you!?" 

"Seohyun-ah", her manager now approaching her, bowed apologetically at Kris and tugged at her arm. "Seohyun-ah, stop! People are staring at you!"

"You won't be where you are now without them", she stubbornly continued. "You can't go anywhere alone nor can you achieve anything with the way you are now. If you can't drop that ego of yours, you can't ever improve"

"Seohyun-ah!", her manager hissed, dragging her along. "How can you say that with people looking at you!?"

The two left the scene, and Kris' manager looked uncomfortably around them, as people began dispersing awkwardly from the scene. "Kris-ah, don't mind what she said. Everyone is pretty affected by what-

Kris glowered at his manager, taking his anger out on him. The elder silenced immediately, and Kris stormed his way out the lobby. He ignored the stares and whispers around him, and pulled the brim of his hat closer to his face, heading towards the emergency exit. 

"Kris-ah? Kris-ah!" 

He ran out through the exit, escaping out the building. He was pissed. So pissed. He felt his body almost boil as he ran through the busy streets of Seoul. He didn't care if it was daylight or if anyone had noticed him. Nor did he care if he was running away like a wanted bandit. He found the nearest park a few blocks away and lied flat on his back on the park bench - exhausted and defueled.

He punched his clenched fist against the wooden bark beneath him, almost swearing he had felt a dent from the impact. "What does she know anyway?"

"Did I really say that!?" Seohyun fretted from the backseat, almost going crazy. "How could I say something like that!?" she whined in search for an answer, ready to pull her hair out. 

"You tell me!", her manager barked. "Don't you realize that countless of people were watching you!? And it was in the lobby at that!? What if the reporters outside had caught a glimpse of the scene!?" 

"Oppa..." she hit the back of his seat in frustration. "I'm so sorry I didn't-

"You were the last person I expected this kind of behaviour from" her manager scolded her seriously. "Why are you so concerned with them anyway!?"

Seohyun paused a little at his question, and retreated back to her seat. Her manager glanced at her from the rear-view mirror, and sighed. "Well?"

"I don't want it to happen again. Like before" she fumbled with her fingers awkwardly, just thinking about it. She heard her manager sigh from the front. He remembered how it was for everyone back then. And how among others, Seohyun was deeply torn by it. "It's not going to happen again", he assured her.

"It won't happen again"

"Are you sure it's okay for me to come back here...?" Seohyun stared out at the building from her window, as her manager had driven back after her photoshoot. She felt her glued to her seat, unwilling to take even a step out of the van. "What if-

"Don't worry about it", her manager parked the car just outside the entrance of the SM building and turned back to look at her. "There are no reporters now since it's night time and I called Kris' manager. Apparently he had completely run off after what happened", he sighed a bit frustratedly. "So he's neither at the dorm nor in the building"

"He ran off...?" Seohyun's head dropped. She felt even worse. "If I hadn't said anything..."

"What you said wasn't wrong either" he rubbed the back of his head, recalling what had happened earlier. "But you should've said it elsewhere is all i'm trying to say. Even if he is a junior, you can't scold him like that either. Don't worry about it and go practice for your exam tomorrow. I can pick you up in the morning"

Seohyun nodded and got off the van. "Oh and don't stay here too late. Take a taxi to the dorm if you need to", her manager reminded her. She smiled at him, nodding obediently, and proceeded into the building. It was almost empty; to the point where it felt scary. It was as if a reporter would just pop out of nowhere and stalk her. She ascended up the elevator, and made her way to the practice rooms. She was about to turn to another hall way when she heard a sudden sound.

Footsteps. 

She paused abruptly, and leaned against the wall. She felt her heart race, like it was about to burst out of her rib cage. She slowly peeked through the dimly lit hall way, and made out a sillhouette of a figure in black. He carefully moved forward on his toes, hood covering his head, as he looked through the practice rooms. She almost shrieked in surprise, and held her hands against . Now she was scared to death. It isn't Kris.

"Did he break in?" she whispered as she silently watched him. "But that's not possible..." 

She lightly put her bag down, and slowly crept up behind him. Would a normal girl chase after a supposed criminal out of curiosity? No. But if this person was planning to steal something, she needed to do something. Before he made it to the end of the hall way, she quickened her pace, tiptoeing behind him. He was completely unaware of her presence, and she struck him with the hardest low kick she could muster. He immediately shrieked in pain, falling forwards, effectively displaying the pain of the heavy blow. Seohyun stood on top of him, cell phone in one hand, pepper spray in the other.

"If you choose to resist I will call the police imme-

"S-Su-Sunbae-nim! Sunbae-nim!"

He whimpered completely terrified, with his hands held high in surrender. He took down his hood, trying to wave off the pepper spray held inches away from his face. "I-It's me!"

"Chanyeol-ah!?"

I honestly had fun writing this chapter. It was quite a hurdle producing an angry Seo. I stumbled so much with it but I think it went about alright. There's quite alot going on in this chapter but it's pretty fun! Please feel free to comment if you feel I need to improve on something. Anything and everything is fine! Thank you so much guys! This really means alot to me!