chapter 11
AntifanSeungho flopped weakly on the bed. Right now, he was in Eunah's house. He was searching through the room that had been Mir's place for these several months. And now... The reason for him blanching in shock was the box he found neatly hidden under Mir's bed.
"Found anything?" GO suddenly appeared in the room, leaning on the doorframe. Since Eunah told them about her suspicion of someone threatening Mir, they had been searching their dorm for any clue but found nothing. As they were practicing just now, Seungho suddenly suggested of searching Eunah's house since Mir had been living there for months. Eunah had agreed easily so she could prove her theory.
When Seungho didn't answer him, GO walked in and noticed an opened box sat unmoving on Seungho's laps. He peered into the box and his eyes widened in shock, reflecting Seungho's reaction. "Wh-what is this." With shaky hand, he took out a small blade and a few white gauzes that still had blood on them.
Slumping in his seat weakly, Seungho rubbed his face in distressed. "He has been cutting himself."
"B-bo? Impossible. I-it's Cheolyong. I-it's Cheolyong we're talking about."
"And the Cheolyong we're talking about right now did try to kill himself."
That fact alone left them speechless, not excluding Seungho who had voiced it. Even when the words hung in the air around them, the fact that Mir had done any of these, cutting himself and even suicide was just too... Too hard to believe. There was just no way- But... The evidences.
GO swallowed back when he felt his bile rose up into his throat. He felt like puking when he remembered how cheeerful the smile on Mir's face. Smile that had trick them into darkness. Mir kept them in dark. Mir was suffering alone.
GO smiled bitterly. "How can we didn't see how serious this has gone to?"
It was a rhetoric question. His tone suggested how he was feeling. He felt like a loser for unable to realize this earlier or else Mir wouldn't have to lie on the hospital bed right now. Day after day slipping even further away from them that he was afraid Mir could never come back to them anymore.
"He..." Seungho closed his eyes. "Hyojin noticed. Even Nicole noticed. How couldn't we?" Seungho fisted his hands so hard that his knuckles turned white and he felt his own nail digging into his own palm. He was angry. Angry at himself. And angry at Mir. How could Mir kept this from them? How could the maknae bore this on his own fragile shoulders? Was he that unimportant in Mir's eyes?
"Hyojin is also right about her suspicion. Her being splashed with acid on her arm must be related to this." GO started again after a defeaning silent that they spent on self pity. He took out several notes and pictures in the box. "Look."
Seungho took the note and Eunah's sleeping picture from GO's hands. "Him or her?" Seungho read in a whisper as his features slowly contorted into anger. "This bastard is pushing Cheolyong to commit suicide!" He almost yelled out of pure madness and disgust. How could someone acted like this. On Mir of all people. On the boy whom had never hurt a soul. He would have thrown the box against the wall if not for his phone ringing loudly just in time. As he answered the call, his dark eyes slowly lit up. He cut off the phone call and turned to GO. "Cheolyong woke up."
Seungho felt how his heart jumped slightly. He was nervous and if he was being honest, there was slight excitement and happiness filling his being as he ran out of the house towards the place he should have been right now with GO following close behind, undoubtedly was having the same feeling as him. Mir was awake. Mir was finally awake. Mir had came back.
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Shifting on his feet slightly, Joon looked up when the front door to Shinee's dorm was opened and out Onew with his signature gentle smile. "Yo!" Joon greeted excitedly. It had been quite a long time since he met this one bestfriend of his and only yesterday he finally finished filming his drama and could finally have some time for himself. So he called up Onew to hang out together.
"Yo!" Onew greeted back, tying on the loosened lace on his sneakers. As he was bending while fixing his shoes, someone knocked him from behind making him yelped as he stumbled forward and almost fall face first if Joon wasn't fast enough to catch his smaller frame.
"Woah! Woah! What's with the rush?" Joon asked once he got Onew to stand straight again and saw Key who almost fall behind when he bumped into Onew but Minho was there to hold Key, luckily.
"Oh, hyung. I'm sorry. I didn't see you there." Key said guiltily.
Onew blinked when he saw Key who was still wearing a pair of pajama pants and a sweater. "Are you going out?" He asked skeptically, knowing there was no way Key would go out looking like that. Even Key's brown locks were in mess.
"That's why I told you to go change for a bit. Don't get too worked up." Minho reminded and pushed Key back into the house but Key struggled against him.
"Yah! Is this time to care about fashion? You heard Hyojin noona. Cheolyongie have waken up!" Key's voice was a bit raised as he pushed against Minho.
"And he will wait for several more minutes for us. Just go and try to look a bit decent." Minho easily pushed the brunette inside the house despite the resistance Key was putting on.
"What? Cheolyong woke up?" Onew shouted over the squabbling duo, a smile of relief faintly ghosting on his lips. "Thank god..." He breathed out.
"Yea. Hyojin noona called Key just now." Minho explained while making sure Key was back into the house and didn't try to ran out again before changing his messy clothes.
"What do you mean?" Joon's question brought the two boys attention to him. There was confusion written all over his sharp features. He had been listening on to the conversation and was utterly confused. Why were they acting that way?What did they mean by Mir waking up?
"You don't know?" Minho asked back and Joon replied with a shake of head. "Cheolyong has waken up from coma. Seungho hyung didn't tell you?"
Joon felt like his heart stopped beating for a second. His almond eyes widened and his mouth opened and closed but no words could be formed.
"Changsun-ah. You okay?" Onew put his hand on Joon's shoulder out of worry and he exchanged a glance with Minho who just shrugged unknowingly at him.
"C-coma?" Joon echoed that one word that had taken him off guard, swallowing hard.
"Yea... Coma. You really don't know?" Minho asked carefully but before Joon could answer, Key was out again, this time looking more like himself.
"Come on!" Key pushed Minho ahead. His patience was wearing thin and he wanted to see with his own eyes how Mir was doing. But a hand clasping his arm stopped him.
"What the hell is happening? Tell me!" Joon asked, sounded more like an order, his eyes sharp on Key. He needed to know.
Key flinched at the force Joon applied on his arm but he didn't pull away. He looked over to Minho and Onew whom shared a knowing and sympathetic look. Obviously Joon had no idea on what had happened to Mir.
"Calm down. It's not our place to tell you." Onew tried to coax his bestfriend but Joon stood his ground as he pulled a bit his hand so Key was properly facing him.
"Tell me."
Key looked over to Minho whom nodded. He released a short sigh. "Call Sanghyun hyung up." He told Minho. "I need to go now. Onew hyung can tell you." Key assured and pushed Joon's hand off of him. He then turned to Onew. "Just tell him what we know." Onew nodded.
Smiling sadly, Key just patted Joon's shoulder before he walked away, more like jogging, almost running away. Minho had a bit of difficulty to keep up while dialing on Sanghyun's number.
"Changsun." Onew put his hand on Joon's shoulder, giving a light squeeze. "Let's wait for Sanghyun in the house. I'll tell you when Sanghyun is here too." And Joon had no choice but to nod and followed his friend obediently. His mind was somehow void of any thought...
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It was blurry. It was quiet. But he saw a girl smiling down on him. Tears evident on her flushed cheeks. Who was her? Where was him? Slowly, his sight became clearer and the distant sound came down on him. The beeping of the machine. Sound of a voice calling out for a doctor. Sound of footsteps and later he saw few people hovering over him in white uniform. He wasn't dead? He remembered he wanted to die... He failed?
"Bang Cheolyong-shi. If you heard me, squeeze my fingers." He heard that. But... But... Who is this Bang Cheolyong? Was that name, his? Wait... Who is he?
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