Flashback

(2010)

"That was a really good practice today!" Sunggyu clapped his hands and fell on the sofa. "You guys are doing great. We'll be on the stage with our debut song in no time!"

"You really think so?" Sungjong whispered. He wiped the sweat that was rolling down his face. "I'm so tired though. I can't... I can't..."

"You're not alone," Dongwoo sat down next to Sungjong on the damp floor. "We're all tired, but we can pull through this together! It's just the trainee years that are tough, always." Sungjong nodded and covered his face with his hands.

L staggered into the house, his shirt completely wet. Woohyun jumped from his spot on the sofa to help his friend.

"You okay?" Woohyun whispered. "You look completely brain dead."

"I'm fine," L waved his arm to dismiss Woohyun, but he was leaning on Woohyun's shoulder completely for support. "I'm fine."

"Myungsoo-ah, you alright?" Sunggyu called from the kitchen. "I can make you something to drink or something..."

"Oh, hyung!" Hoya was on the floor, toying around this his hat. "I want banana milk."

Woohyun, with one arm slung around L's shoulder, half carried- half dragged L to his room. He dumped L onto the bed and collapsed down next to him, breathing hard. They were roommates, and Infinite wasn't surprised. They were the closest two best friends in the group, maybe in the entire world.

"I really think the dance trainer was unfair on you," Woohyun said, stripping off his top. "I mean just because you got one mistake doesn't mean he can torture you through that kind of practice. I mean, I made mistakes..."

"It's okay, Woohyun," L smiled weakly. "I need to practice my dancing anyways. I'm not good. I'm not good at anything."

"You're better at me than everything," Woohyun whispered, picking at a loose thread in the mattress. "You've always been at the top of everything."

"Woohyun," L sat up suddenly and put his hand on Woohyun's broad shoulders. "I don't think you should be talking about this all the time. Just... let it go, can you?"

"I can't," Woohyun said through clentched teeth. "It was my past. I'll never be able to escape from it or hide from it. It'll always find me and pour memories into me again." He rubbed his face. "It's the only thing I know about."

"I'll help you through it," L firmly nodded. He looked over warmly at his best friend. "Whenever you feel down, come to you. Whenever you feel hurt, come to me. I'll help you through this, Woohyun. You'll escape."

"I hope so," Woohyun sighed. His heart hurt. "Thanks, Myungsoo. So much. You're the only actual friend that I've had... But I bet you've had loads."

L shook his head and turned to look at Woohyun. His muscles screamed out in pain when he tried to change his position. "Listen Woohyun. You're the best friend that I've ever had. Don't ever say that again."

There was silence as Woohyun was looking at his hands.

"You know," he croaked out. "Last time, remember? In the middle of the night I had a break down? And I ran away from our dorm?"

"I was so woried," L said, his voice rising. "Do you know how much I cried, and how much I ran around the city screaming your name..."

"Listen," Woohyun lightly punched L's shoulder, earning a 'owchthatfreakinghurts!' complaint. "I don't know why, but when I ran away, I went back to my school." He gulped. "The school that I loathed so much. I went back and I went around the whole place, just thinking about my past. Then I started having these thoughts, Myungsoo." His eyes were glistening. "These horrible thoughts."

"You don't have to tell me this if you don't want to..."

Woohyun felt scathing tears threatening to fall from his eyes, but he kept on going on. "And I was so worried because I thought... those thoughts would come true. So I took myself to the hospital..."

"WHY!?" Myungsoo arose from his position, ignoring the burning pain of his overworked muscles. "And you didn't tell me!?" He let out a hiss of annoyance and bit his lip to keep back the harsh words.

"I'm sorry," Woohyun whispered, his voice shaking. A tear slipped out of his eye. "The voices told me that... there wasn't any use of living any longer with a life like mine."