“Yugyeomie, I'm leaving for work! If you ever need something, don't forget to tell me, okay? I love you.” Myungjae smiled to his beloved little brother before heading out of the little appartment. Yugyeom turned to his mother and asked her to cook his favorite cupcakes, which she accepted, of course.

“Anything for my lovely Yugyeomie.” She said in a sweet tone, making the child jumps in happiness.

“Mom, you're the best!” They hug each others.

His father arrived in the living room, carrying a baby, Yugyeom's adopted little sister. “Hey Yugyeom! Mind to join us? I'm going to read a story.” Yugyeom quickly nodded and ran to his father, sitting on the couch.

“Dad! Can I carry Kyungsoon?” His father smiled and nod, lending him his sister. Yugyeom carefully took her in his arm, tightly hugging her. “Aww Kyungsoon, you're so cute! You gained weight, didn't you?” He said, playing with her nose and making her laugh. Their father smiled even more at the sight of his children being cute together.

“I'm proud of having you two. Oh and Myungjae too, of course.” He wiped his invisible tears away, like he was crying because of happiness. Then, he took a little book full of drawings of dogs. “I'm going to read this! You want to listen to me?” Yugyeom nodded, a big smile across his face. His father gently patted his head. “Okay, let's go then.” He turned his head to begin reading.

Not so long after, Yugyeom and Kyungsoon fell asleep. Their father stopped reading and stared at them. They really are too cute, he thoughts. He put the book on the little table in front of him and carefully carried Kyungsoon in his arms to let her sleep in her bedroom. Then, the front door opened on a young man.

“Hi Yug-” He stopped his tracks when he found the little boy laying on the couch, sleeping. He smiled to himself and walked to him, carrying him to his bedroom. He laid down Yugyeom on the bed, and kissed his forehead. “Sweet dreams, Yugyeom-ah.” He went out and found another man in the doorway.

“Daehyun, come here please. I have something important to tell you.”

“Sure. I'm coming.” They both walked away, closing the door behind them.

 

---

 

Yugyeom was leaving school. He was so happy to go home he was singing on his way. But when he arrived in front of the building where we could find the little appartment he lived, there was no more building and many people gathered in front of the ruins. Panicked, Yugyeom ran to search for his parents and his little sister. He wasn't looking for his brother since he was in Japan for work. Suddenly, a woman arrived next to him and put her hand on his shoulder, her head lowed. She was one of his neighbours.

“I'm so sorry for your loss, Yugyeomie…” He widened his eyes. 'Your loss'? Did she mean that his family died in the fire?

He pushed her away, tears rolling down his face. “DON'T TOUCH ME, YOU LIAR!!!” The woman looked at him with a concerned face, and other people were looking at him too, all concerned about the little boy. But Yugyeom didn't want their pity. Yugyeom wasn't going to believe these liars. He was going to cry, and he ran away, but a policeman quickly catched him.

Later, he was placed in an orphanage. An horrible orphanage, where you're like a prey when you're inside because the other kids are predators: They want to destroy you, to see you suffering. But Yugyeom was brave so he didn't let them touch him. He kept asking the woman who owned the orphanage if he could go back with his family, but she would always say 'I'm sorry my sweet heart, but that's impossible.' Why would it be impossible? She was a liar too!

Then, his brother came to see him. He wanted to take Yugyeom under his responsibility, but due to work and lack of free time, he couldn't. Yugyeom couldn't stop crying. He missed his family so much…

 

---

 

Yugyeom immediately shut his eyes open and sat on his bed, sweats rolling down his face. He was catching his breath, and he wiped his sweat away using his shirt. It was this nightmare, once again. Why was it always coming back? Why was he always having the same nightmare every night? Why? He couldn't understand. His family was right here, he was happy, he didn't have to see those liars who kept saying that his family was dead anymore.

“Yugyeomie! Your cupcakes are ready!” His mother called him from the kitchen. His face automatically brightened with a smile as he shout back to tell her that he was coming.

He arrived next to his mother, and she kissed his forehead. Then, he sat on his favorite chair in front of the table, and she gave him his cupcakes. “Thanks, mom! You're the best!” He chuckled. She smiled and said to herself that her son was indeed too cute.

Yugyeom's father arrived and tasted one of the cupcakes. “Yummy. Shawty, your cupcakes are the best of the universe.” He said and they kissed each others. Yugyeom quickly glanced at them and looked away, stucking his tongue out and saying 'Eww' in disgust. Seeing him react like that made his parents laugh.

“Kissing people on the mouth is really eww.” He said, his cheeks a little bit red.

They smiled. “Yugyeom, we'll see that when you'll find yourself a girlfriend.” His father winked at his son, then chuckled. All Yugyeom found to do was pouting, so he pouted.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the front door and opened it. A man with small eyes arrived in the kitchen and looked at the child. “Yugyeom?” When he heard his name, Yugyeom turned his head to look at the man. “Hi, what's up?”

Yugyeom proceeded to smile. “Hi, Mr. Sunggyu! I'm good today. Look, mom made cupcakes for me! Do you want to taste one?”

Sunggyu shook his head. “No thanks, I'm not hungry.” He smiled and took something from his white blouse's pocket. He handed it to the boy. “Take this.” It's a pill. “Swallow it before going to bed with a cup of water, okay?”

Yugyeom examined the pill. “Why?” Sunggyu sighed and frowned, forcing Yugyeom to take it. “Okay… Thank you.”

The man smiled. “Good. Good bye, Yugyeom! Take care.”

“Bye!” They wave at each others and Sunggyu left. “Mom, dad, why didn't you say anything to him?”

His mother shook her head. “Sorry. Finish your cupcakes before they become cold.” A small smile appeared on her face. Yugyeom stayed silent for a very moment, then he began eating again.

 

---

 

“Doctor, I'm really concerned about my brother.” Myungjae looked down, sadness printed on his face. He didn't dare to watch Yugyeom in this situation. He felt weak.

“Sorry, Myungjae. I really am trying my best to bring him back to reality.” Sunggyu lifted the young man's head with his fingers. Daehyun was on a chair, next to them, carefully listening to anything they were saying.

“Please, bring him back with us, make him understand that our parents and our adopted little baby sister are… dead…” Myungjae was sobbing. “I can't… I can't stand this anymore…” He turns his head to look at the living room through the big glass next to him, a glass you couldn't see from the living room. Everything inside was white. It was the exact copy of the appartment they once lived in before.

“Myungjae…” Myungjae turned again, to look at the boy who called him. “I can feel your pain… Well, less than you, but I'm being attached to Yugyeom. I feel so sad for both of you…”

Myungjae looked down, his lips forming a little smile. “Thanks for your concern, Daehyun…” Daehyun got up and hugged him.

Sunggyu chuckled. “Hey, the two lovebirds! This is not the moment nor the place to do this.”

Daehyun frowned. “Doctor! We're not lovebirds, and I'm just supporting him!”

“Sure.” Sunggyu smiled. “My assistant is so cute, but we have something more important to care about.” He turned to keep an eye on the several screens showing the whole appartment.

Daehyun frowned, widened his eyes and his cheeks' color turned to a light pink. What the !

Myungjae and Daehyun proceeded to sit on the chairs next to the one that Sunggyu was occupying. They all watched Yugyeom, alone in the kitchen, eating something invisible, a smile on his face.

“Really, mom, your cupcakes are the best!” He grinned, then he lowered his head like someone was patting his head, giggling happily. It was ripping apart Myungjae's heart to see that, to see his little brother going insane. He was wondering what Yugyeom could see to act like this. Was he seeing the appartment with colors? Even the furnitures are white, or brown because of the wood. There were windows, but another wall behind each. Did Yugyeom really taste the imaginary food he was eating? Everyday, Myungjae came in to give him real food, which the little boy wanted to refuse sometimes, but the big brother always forced him. If Yugyeom kept eating imaginary food, he'd die. And Myungjae wouldn't accept that to happen.

“I'm… I'm suffering…” Myungjae muttered while looking away, catching Daehyun's attention. All the assistant could do at this moment was putting his hand on the young man's shoulder – even though Myungjae is a year older than him. Sunggyu was too busy thinking about a way to help the child, and what was going on with him as well. “My brother is eleven… he's eleven years younger than me… the gap is quite big, but I can't do anything for him except staying there and watching him being happy in his craziness…”

“Don't say that… I'm sure he'll recover one day.” Daehyun tried to comfort him with a warm smile, but Myungjae was way too broken already. He was loosing hope pretty fast.

It has been almost two weeks that Yugyeom had been transferred in Sunggyu's laboratory and it was the same routine since then. Yugyeom went to school, of course, but he didn't know it wasn't the building where he used to live before because Daehyun would always go pick him up. Myungjae wanted to do it too, but because of work, it was impossible for him.

When Yugyeom entered in the laboratory for the first time, he was asking where he was, and Daehyun said “We decorated the building in white. You like it?”. Then, Yugyeom wouldn't say anything, but ask him who he was. “I'm your new friend, Daehyun.”

 

---

 

Three months later, Myungjae was, as always, busy at work. He wanted to stay with Yugyeom, he wanted to make him happy, to make him realise that their family really died in this fire. Of course, he was really sad that he lost his parents and his adopted little sister, but the whole situation just looked like a big joke to him. Why? Because it was driving him crazy, like someone wanted to make fun of him by making him suffer.

Whenever he was in the fake appartment with his little brother, the latter would always ask something to their parents, making Myungjae uncomfortable since he couldn't see nor sense nor imagine them, so he couldn't stay with Yugyeom.

“Oppa, here is your schedule.” A young woman arrived next to Myungjae, a paper in her hand. He took it. “You'll have to take photos of this young and pretty lady today.” She said as she looked at the girl next to her.

“Hello.” They greeted each others. They prepared some stuff and began working. Yes, as you can see, Myungjae was a photograph for a magazine.

Anyways, almost an hour later, his phone vibrated all of a sudden, scaring him. He almost dropped the camera, but thanks to the necklace around his neck, it didn't fall. Sunggyu's name was on the screen. Myungjae had a really, really bad feeling about this call because Sunggyu didn't call him often. Sometimes, it would just to talk as friends, other times it would be for important things. Sunggyu never called him during work, which meaned that is was one hundred percent important. He quickle answered the call. “Hi Sung-”

“Myungjae! Please come immediately in the laboratory! It's urgent, please, leave your work for today! It's about your brother!” And Sunggyu ended the call. Myungjae widened his eyes when he heard that it was about Yugyeom. What was happening? What was wrong with Yugyeom? Did he destroy stuff in the appartment? How crazy was he? Myungjae felt dizzy just by trying to guess.

Panicked, he excused himself to the staff, the model and everyone else, then hurridly left the place.

 

---

 

Myungjae arrived at the laboratory. “Hi, so what's the-” Suddenly, a crying Daehyun tightly hugged him. It was like a sign to him, like something horrible happened to Yugyeom. Without even knowing what was going on, tears began rolling down his cheeks, then Sunggyu arrived.

“Myung- Myungjae… I'm s- I'm…” Sunggyu looked down, bitting his lip. Seeing him so uncomfortable was another sign for Myungjae. Sunggyu was always friendly, and serious when it needed him to be. When something was wrong, he would tell everyone that it was okay, he would find a solution. “Just- Follow me, please.” The scientist walked away. Daehyun released Myungjae, and they followed Sunggyu to the little fake appartment.

When they arrived in front of the glass, Myungjae saw the little boy laid on the couch, his eyes closed. For a second, he thought that Yugyeom might be sleeping, but when he turned his gaze to Daehyun, he realized that this wasn't the case at all. Daehyun couldn't look at Yugyeom. Sunggyu couldn't as well. They were standing like that, staring at the floor, sobbing.

Myungjae went inside, and came closer to the couch. He stopped next to it and looked at his brother. He wasn't moving at all. There was no sound coming from him, showing Myungjae that Yugyeom wasn't breathing anymore. Realizing that, Myungjae fell on his knees, crying nonstop.

Daehyun arrived next to him and hugged him once more, crying as well. “I'm so sorry for… for your loss…” Then, Myungjae managed to look at him, and he turned his head, only to be shocked. There was a mirror in the living room, and on this mirror, words were written in blood. 'YUGYEOM IS WITH US NOW. DON'T YOU DARE TOUCHING MY SON AGAIN, BASTARDS' It was ripping his heart. So, one of his parents was mad at Sunggyu or Daehyun because they were keeping an eye on Yugyeom? Because they were trying to figure out how to save Yugyeom by watching him through cameras and giving him pills?

In front the screens, Sunggyu was trying to find a clue about what caused Yugyeom's death. The day before, he looked happy and totally fine. It was incomprehensible. So he thought that maybe the cameras will help him since those devices always filmed each part of the appartment. He called Daehyun and Myungjae to come over so they could inspect better.

When they arrived next to him, Sunggyu began a video from this night. They saw Yugyeom peacefully sleeping in his bed. It looked totally normal, when suddenly, his blanket was thrown on the floor. Yugyeom mumbled something, and he was being dragged to the living room. In front of the screens, the three men were shocked. How was that possible? It couldn't be real.

Then, the child was floating above the floor, next to the couch, but he still was sleeping. “What the …” was all that Daehyun could say, his eyes clearly wide opened. Myungjae was confused, puzzled, stressed, sad, etc… It was impossible to describe how he felt about this situation. It really was a joke.

Yugyeom looked like he was grabbed by the neck and suddenly, it looked like he was being stranggled by a ghost since he was completely awake and was moving like crazy. He was trying to scream, but he couldn't even breath. Soon after that, he stopped any motion and was laid on the couch. Then, blood appeared on the mirror, like a ghost was writing them. Tears automatically fell from Myungjae's eyes. So, that's how Yugyeom died…

Myungjae felt like a mess, like he didn't manage to save his only brother. He was crying so hard no one could stop him. Daehyun and Sunggyu were crying as well.

Sunggyu failed his mission, which was to save Yugyeom from his craziness. He failed like a pathetic newbie.

Myungjae lost his entire family.