I'm sorry about the repeated cliffhangers. It wasn't even all that intentional it's rather that I tried to keep every chapter interesting but it's not very professional, I admit ^^. Sorry, really. Thank you as always for still reading and commenting. I really like your comments, really.

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Neither Jjong nor Minho, who is right there as well, dare to touch Kibum, so it should be me. I let go of Taem’s hand, he’ll be alright, I’m sure, and brush the rainbow-hair from Kibum’s face. He has colored it again although our hairstylist told him he is killing it. The roots are already black again. Your hair is just fine, isn’t it Kibum?

His eyes are closed. I only now realize that the eye-shadow matches the hair. He’s such a prince.

My trembling hand reaches his neck. The skin feels cool and there it is ... a pulse.

“HE’S ALIVE!” I scream and although this doesn’t mean he’s out of danger I’m so relieved that I’m tearing up.

And then the paramedics are there and shove us away when Jonghyun makes a move as if he’ll try to pull the shard out of Kibum’s back.

“Don’t touch it!” a woman says but smiles at Jjong who is in no shape to be scolded.

The paramedics are all over Kibum, lifting him carefully from Taemin’s back to put him on a stretcher while I’m clumsily trying to assist.

When I get up someone grabs my ankle.

“Hyung”, Taeminnie says and I crouch down again.

“Yes?”

They bring another stretcher for our Maknae. Jonghyun is following the first one not willing to let Kibum out of his view, I hope Minho is taking care of him.

“Hyung!”

“I’m sorry, I was ...” distracted.

“He just wouldn’t leave”, Taemin says.

“I know”, I answer.

I take his hand again while the paramedics quickly scan his body for critical injuries. There is a lot of blood but most of it I guess is Kibum’s. Taem’s shoulder doesn’t look as bad as it did on screen when he was hit.

When they finally put him on the stretcher and lift him up he says:

“Take them off, please.”

I’m not sure what he is talking about.

“Please!” he repeats pleadingly. Then he smiles about my probably sheepish face and adds “the shoes! Take off the shoes.”

Oh the shoes.

I grab his ankles and gently free the delicate feet from the terrifying devices.

“NO!” somebody shouts from somewhere in the stands. “DON’T!”

But it’s too late already. The lights are blinking rapidly ... red. I see Taemin’s eyes going wide.

Okay, distracted clumsy leader, no time for Onew sangtae right now, no questions, no buts, just do it!

I’m not Minho but I used to play baseball, too. I take both shoes in my right hand and throw with all my might towards the ruined main stage where there is nothing to destroy anymore. Then turn back to cover Taem. Everyone around crouches down in expectation of another explosion.

Nothing.

“What?” Taemin makes a puzzled face that is so funny that I have to laugh in spite of the situation. We wait for a couple of seconds, but still nothing happens.

The paramedics take the stretcher up again and hurry towards the exit. Following them I meet Moon, the bomb-squad leader. He grins and shakes his head at me ... and then BOOM. The blast is so strong that I’m flung into Moon’s arms and we topple over together.

“OUT, OUT, OUT!” I hear people shouting. Moon scrambles to his feet, pulling me up with him.

“Get outta here”, he says, his eyes already darting around to check the structure. Then he shouts: “MOVE IT EVERYONE.”

“That was the death-blow to the structure”, he adds shoving me towards the exit, “now General Yoon’s got my .”

I’m relieved to see that the paramedics are already halfway out of the building and hurry to catch up with them.

There are three people tending to Kibum while loading the stretcher into an ambulance. Jjong is there too, looking lost and Minho is holding back the bomber’s wife who tries to get to Taemin. Two police guys eventually grab her and pull her away.

“Move, Lee Jinki”, someone says. It’s Song, the police-guy. He pushes me forward. “We need to clear the premises, the plaza and the surrounding park. This thing goes down.”

“You arrested him?” I ask while we hurry further away from the building.

“Yeah, we made an arrest. But there are still lots of things to figure out, he might not have been planning on his own.”

I don’t know what he’s talking about but I don’t care right now, just follow the ambulances that now try to get through the dissolving crowd on the plaza.

We’ll be okay, I’m sure, we’ll be okay.