“So, Haneul, now do you understand the difference between – “ Seunghoon stops abruptly as the sound of soft snoring met his ears. Looking down, he found Haneul fast asleep and well…so were the others – sprawled out on the floor of the small bedroom. 

“Congratulations, Seunghoon.” Mino, the only other person awake, commented. “You managed to bore her to death.”

“She should have listened until I finished. It’s going to come in handy.” Seunghoon quietly states as he begins to get up.

Mino looks back at Haneul and decides if he should also leave and Seunghoon notices.

“You know –“ Seunghoon breaks the silence. “After many years being a doctor, there was something curious that I noticed with the humans.”

“What?”

“They put a lot of faith in therapeutic touch.”

What is that supposed to mean?

Noticing the confused look on Mino’s face, he continued. “They felt that presence and touch is enough to make someone feel better…possibly, even heal faster.” He wasn’t going to be blunt about it but he’ll let Mino figure out what to do. Getting to his feet, he heads for the door.

“Hold it.” Mino was quick to call out.

Seunghoon stops to listen to what he had to say. 

“In the fridge – “

He knew exactly what Mino was going to ask. “Like the note says, no one is to touch it.”

The scent was quick to stand out amongst the other blood bags when Mino had found it earlier. “What are you planning?”

“You’ll see – and to motivate you to actually listen to me…it may later on prove to protect Haneul’s life.” Leaving Mino with those words, Seunghoon exits the bedroom and heads downstairs.

Mino looks down at Haneul while Seunghoon’s previous words visited his mind once more and he finally reaches out his hand to grasp onto hers. “Is he bullting me?” He mumbled to himself. The temperature of their hands was so drastically different that Mino figured Haneul would unconsciously pull away from the touch of his hand, so imagine his shock when he felt her hand naturally held back his.

If this is the case, how could he possibly let go?

“I can’t believe I fell asleep here.” Seungyoon sat up and looked around him. Well, it wasn’t only him. He looked back and watched Mino from behind. “Are you not going to sleep?”

“I’m not tired.”

“What are you thinking about?” His eyes drag down to see what Mino was up to.

“About how strange this all is.”

Seungyoon would agree.

“Haneul is one unlucky person, isn’t she?” Mino couldn’t help but think. “…For running into me.” Because of their meeting, her life has been completely turned upside down. If they hadn’t met, she would have carried on with her life normally – go to school, graduate, get a job…

“Do you feel apologetic about it?”

Mino remained silent.

“I guess we can look at it differently…if Haneul was unlucky to run into you, then didn’t you have to have been lucky to run into her?”

“I wonder…” Mino replies quietly. “How different life would have been if I had met Haneul instead of Jeeun.” What kind of person would he be? Where would he be?

“I think you have to had met Jeeun to meet Haneul.” Would Mino appreciate it the same way?

“Jeeun made my life so goddamn miserable.” He says in soft whispers. “She made life not worth living.”

And Seungyoon knew. That’s why he worked so hard to help Mino not feel that way. He didn’t want Mino to look so defeated with no motivation to see the next day.

“She made me hate every second I was breathing.” 

Mino always hid it. He hid it behind jokes. He hid it behind his empty smiles. “I need to know, Mino.” Seungyoon says. “Do you want to feel that way again?”

“No.”

***

 
Staring up into the darkness, it took a moment before Haneul was oriented to time and place. Soft rustling met her ears while she felt a weight on her lap. Looking down and reaching out, her free fingers skim hair belonging to someone’s head. Haneul flinched slightly, not knowing what it was initially. 

Turning her head ever-so-slightly, Haneul took a quick glance of the side of Mino’s face. 

Mino had fallen asleep on the floor with his head on her lap and she was deciding whether or not she should wake him up from the uncomfortable position. She looked down at the hand that was enveloped within Mino’s.

How did that happen?

Haneul is drawn back from her thoughts when she feels Mino’s body stiffen as he is once more tormented by his nightmares. She left her hand in his. “It will pass, Mino.” She says gently. 

Following her words, she felt the tension leave from Mino’s body and his hand twitched.

Mino’s eyes flutter open but he makes no movements to turn his head. He was fully aware of his hand still surrounding the warmth and not wanting to let go, he squeezed Haneul’s hand tighter. Raising no objections, Haneul didn’t attempt to pull away.

“It passed.” He answers, never turning to meet her eyes.

Haneul smile at his words. “Well, that’s good to hear.” Closing her eyes, she didn’t forget to add – “Good night, Mino.”

“Night, darling.”

Unbeknownst to the two, a pair of ears caught onto every word. From where she lied in her own bed, Bom found herself silent as sleep visited the two once more and all conversations ceased.

***

“Chanhyuk.” 

The young man stops his current task to listen to what she had to say. “Yes?”

Jeeun runs her hands across the gauze that covered her eyes and wrapped around her head. It was already beginning to saturate. “I’ve been thinking.” She tilts her head as the red fluid that managed to slip through the bandaging slides down her cheeks. 

It looks like Chanhyuk may need to restart with fresh bandages. She only managed to bind a few more people and she returned to this state…he was starting to understand her limitations. “About