A/N - Action time! Chapter 19 is up and Cheondoong is back, but with more secrets than ever!!!

@reilsm - I love the thunderxIU progression as well~ As for the next chapter, well here it is!

@Ashy-G - Those two girls will be revealed soon. G.O's one first, then Joon's later!

@thunbii - Glad you like the thunderRin idea! I'll probably start planning it soon, but for now enjoy this chapter~

In addition, thanks to keepersblood for subscribing!!!

Chapter 19 – Guiltily, I make excuses

G.O POV

It had been one long, frightful week. We had no clue as to where our visual maknae was. Absolutely none. Dara was worried sick, turning pale and barely eating anything unless Seungho shoved food in . Her mother and Durami were equally uninformed of Cheondoong’s whereabouts. Even Rain was clueless.

“Let’s call the police.” I sat suddenly one night as we all the living room, staring morosely into our cold coffees.

Seungho rubbed his temples. “G.O, we’ve been through this-“

“It’s been one week Seungho!” I snarled, slamming my fist on the table.

“I know.” He glowered back at me. “But imagine the bad image we would get.”

“ the bad image.” I hissed, leaning back against the sofa.

“G.O.” Joon placed one hand on my shoulder. “We’re all worried about Cheondoong, but Seungho is watching out for our future. Don’t take this out on him.”

I growled, knowing inside that Seungho wasn’t at fault but not knowing what else to do or say. Mir huddled against the arm of the sofa, looking small and tiny.

“That’s it.” I declared, standing up and heading for the doorway. “I’m going out again to look for him.”

“G.O!” Seungho exclaimed, getting up as well and hurrying after me. “Don’t be rash. It’s late!”

I wrestled my arm free and shoved my shoes on. But just as I reached for the doorknob, there came a rasp of keys and the doorknob turned.

Cheondoong POV

I stood outside the door to our dorms. In one hand I had the keys. In the other, I had indecision.

I wasn’t sure if I should enter or not, but I was dog-tired and sweaty and dying to put down my heavy suitcase and crash on my bed for a ten-hour sleep session. So I gave into my desire and unlocked the door.

In an instant, four faces swarmed in front of me.

“HYUNG!” came Mir’s happy cry as he wrapped his arms around my sore neck, practically choking me in the process.

“Mir-“ I gasped for breath. “Dying here.”

“Cheondoong!” Seungho loomed over me, looking ten feet tall and with flaming eyes. “Where have you been?”

I gulped and massaged my bruised neck. “Um…”

Joon however interrupted whatever I was going to say by launching himself onto me and shoving my battered body onto the wall behind us. “Cheondoong!” he cried out. “You’re alive!”

“Oi.” I muttered, getting irritated now. “Since when did I die?”

“You didn’t contact us for a week, one whole WEEK!” G.O said coldly, enunciating the words laced with fire carefully. “Of course we feared the worse. What happened?” 

I closed my eyes. What should I say? What could I say?

“Sorry,” I began, taking a deep breath. I gave them a fake smile. “I was staying in the mountains and the rock slides caused some traffic. I couldn’t leave the place for a few days and sorting out transport was tricky.”

Seungho’s eyes flattened, as if sensing my lie. “And why didn’t you contact us?”

“Mountains,” I smiled that sweet little boy smile, tilting my head to appear innocent. “The connection up there is bad. Even worse when it starts snowing. I couldn’t contact anyone at all, much less Jihoonie-hyung.” I tried to sound apologetic.

G.O wasn’t having any of it. “Is that the truth?”

I widened my eyes. “Why would I lie?”

G.O’s mouth firmed. He knew I wasn’t telling the truth, but could see that pushing it would get him nothing. Time I escaped before harder questions were fielded.

“Sorry, hyung.” I smiled softly. “I’m a little tired from travelling so I’m going to bed now.” I picked up my suitcase and quickly squeezed past them both.

“Cheondoong,” Seungho called out from behind me, making me turn around and stare at the four pairs of sad eyes. “This isn’t over.”

I nodded and continued into my dark room. I knew it wasn’t over. Not when it was all made of lies. Lies upon lies.

I wondered how long they would last.

Jihoon POV

“Cheondoong.” I said solemnly, eyes focused on the visual maknae I had picked for the group. He sat spine-straight and eyes focused on me. He didn’t look the least bit guilty. I sighed. “What am I going to do with you?”

His eyes glittered for a moment, as if he was feeling regretful as well.

“I won’t say anything because I know you’re not going to tell me the truth, so let’s skip the lying part and just get to the part where I warn you about not doing this again.”

Cheondoong just nodded.

“Seriously, Cheondoong.” I stared at him. “If you don’t stop all this mystery, then you’re going to drag mblaq down. You’ll have to do better.”

Cheondoong nodded. “I get it, hyung.” He whispered. Then in a louder voice. “I get it, but some things aren’t that easy. I’m doing my best, hyung.”

“Okay, Cheondoong.” I looked at him pointedly. “Let’s get your single recorded and all of this over with.”

Cheondoong nodded for the third time that day, stood up and then without ceremony strode out.

Seungho POV

“Cheondoong!” I knocked on his door. “Dinner!”

No response.

I opened the door, revealing a dark room and shadows. I sighed. He was gone again.

“Where’s Cheondoong?” Joon called from the dinner table. I just walked into the living room and shook my head.

G.O groaned. “Not again. Where could he be going so often and so late at night.”

Mir frowned. “Visiting IU again, maybe?” he suggested, nudging Joon to remind him of the incident they had stumbled upon so long ago. Joon’s face however darkened.

“I don’t think so.” He muttered.

I rubbed my temples. “Seriously?”

G.O gave me a pointed look. “What can we do? Leave the kid alone.” He grumbled and picked up his fork.

I sat down with a sigh. Leaving him alone? That was all we were doing these days.

G.O POV

We sat in the recording room, listening to Cheondoong sing his single ‘don’t go.’ It was calm and cooling but was tinged with some faint melancholy. Cheondoong sounded far too mature, as if he had grown up over these past few months from that baby-faced maknae we loved.

It made me want to cry at what we had lost.                            

“That day you left me, when you said you hated me so much. I pretended nothing was wrong.” Cheondoong sang, his eyes closed as he tried to immerse his emotions in the lyrics. “That breaking up wasn’t painful; I was going to leave you with a smile.”

Dara sat in the corner, curled up with Seungho and trying not to show how much she was shaking. She pressed her face into Seungho’s shoulder as if she couldn’t bear to look at her baby brother’s sorrow-stricken face.

“But what lingered in my mouth were the words ‘come back’.” Cheondoong placed one hand to the wall, as if holding himself up. “Don’t go, don’t leave me. I’m not used to each day with you.”

“Where did he get the inspiration for these lyrics?” Mir whispered, voicing everyone’s thoughts. “They’re so…desperate…”

“Desperate indeed.” I murmured, feeling that that was the perfect description indeed.

“I should have cruelly answered you; I should have gotten angry at you.” Cheondoong sang and I caught a glimpse of one silvery tear that escaped from under his left eyelid. He sounded like he was speaking to someone rather than fabricating the story. “I think I’m okay, the only thing that’s hurt is my scar. I think I’ll be okay on my own, no, I think this is a dream.”

Cheondoong stood still as he sung the final words, raw with loss. “I keep falling without you. I’m like a tree without roots.” He gripped one hand into a fist and unconsciously, I was doing the same. His lyrics were simple - nothing fancy or heart rendering - but they were filled to the brim with raw, soulful emotion that made me want to break down and cry. Made me remember her that day so long ago when I was uprooted and fell like a fruit from a tree. 

“Come back.” He whispered throatily into the mike, letting his voice fade away and those exposed emotions as well. 

“That’s a wrap.” whispered the producer from the other end, equally awed.

Cheondoong just nodded, picked up his lyrics sheet and left the room. His face was cold now, schooled to show none of that sorrow that I could still hear in my ears. The door closed behind him with a soft, but definite thud.

As if to affirm, whoever he was speaking to would never come back.