This is a short chapter...but it's one of the most important chapters! READ AWAY, AND TRY NOT TO CRY!

Oh, and, in case anyone is wondering, I'm already writing the sequel to this story...hehe :3

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              Byunghun had sweetly smiled at me before he left the bedroom. “I’ll talk to him calmly,” he had promised. He had pecked me on the cheek afterwards. “Thank you for calming me down.”

                “You’re welcome,” I had giggled, blushing at his sweet gesture. “Chanhee will talk to you if you just talk to him calmly. You two are too good of friends to get in a fight like this.”

                “Let’s hope so,” Byunghun had said wistfully as he headed for the door. “Well, wish me luck!”

                “Good luck!” I had called back. I heard Byunghun’s footsteps as he ran into the hallway and up the stairs. I smiled to myself. Sometimes Byunghun lets his emotions get the best of him and he can’t calm himself down. I hated seeing him upset. Any time that beautiful smile of his wasn’t lighting up his whole face concerned me. I knew he and Chanhee wouldn’t be mad at each other for long. If Byunghun and Chanhee came down in the stars in five minutes, their arms slung around each other and bright smiles on their faces, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised.

                I had wandered out to the kitchen, where my mom was making dinner. She had been out with Holly for most of the day, and Dad and Uncle Sunho were upstairs talking about business, as usual. Mom was sliding a gigantic glass pan of lasagna out of the oven when she noticed I had walked into the kitchen. Instantly, a smile formed on my face. Byunghun absolutely loved my mom’s lasagna. How wonderful it would be for him to sit down to eat his favorite meal after making up with his best friend! Today was turning out to be a good day after all.

                I was helping my mom set thetable. It was quite a hassle setting a table for eleven. Sometimes my mom would make dinner and the boys would pile it onto their plates and go upstairs with Uncle Sunho to eat. Sometimes Uncle Sunho made them their own dinners. One time, my uncle even made dinner. That was usually my mom’s job, considering my dad can hardly boil water. One time he tried to make my mother dinner for her birthday—let’s just say we ended up eating out that night. Uncle Sunho, on the other hand, was a great cook. He used to make food for his Shinhwa bandmates all the time when they lived in a dorm together.

                Mom told me to run upstairs and tell everyone that dinner was ready. So, I bounced up the stairs into the upper unit and called “DINNER TIME!” before bouncing back down. Hyerin, Minsoo, and Daniel came down right after me, followed by my father and uncle. Minutes later, Jonghyun, Changhyun, and Min Neul came down. I noticed right away that something was seriously wrong, because neither the three of them were speaking. Min Neul in particular looked rather solemn. She quietly took a seat at the table two seats away from Jonghyun, who was staring quietly down at his empty plate. Changhyun took Jonghyun’s usual seat next to Min Neul, I noticed.

                “Where are Byunghun and Chanhee?” my mother asked. “Byunghun loves this lasagna.”

                “I think there’s something going on between them,” Uncle Sunho replied.

                “Oh, there shouldn’t be a problem anymore,” I declared gleefully, sitting up straight. “But maybe they’re still talking it out.”

                Uncle Sunho nodded, pushed his seat away from the table, and stood up. “Well, it’s rude of them to miss dinner. I’m going to bring them down. Excuse me.” He disappeared around the corner, his footsteps echoing as he bounded up the stairs.

                Mom cleared and looked around. “Everyone’s so quiet tonight. Is everything okay?”

                “I’m fine,” Hyerin announced, smiling at Minsoo. He gave her a smile back. Daniel nodded in agreement. Min Neul, Jonghyun, and Changhyun were silent.

                “Everyone’s fine,” I answered quickly, glancing sideways at Min Neul. She bit her lip and looked down sadly at her lap. Changhyun seemed to be watching her, and he too had an unsettling look on his face. Jonghyun looked like he was fighting back tears. He hadn't looked at Min Neul once.

                Uncle Sunho came into the kitchen at that moment. Neither Chanhee nor Byunghun were with him. Uncle Sunho sighed as he took his seat again. “Chanhee says he’s not hungry. And Byunghun says he doesn’t feel well.”

                I swore I heard Changhyun let out a long, drawn-out breath. It was practically a sigh.

                Mom slapped a hand over her heart. “My poor Byunghun!”

                I scrunched my eyebrows. “But…he was fine about an hour ago.”

                My uncle shrugged. “He did look a little pale. But I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

                “Can I go check on him?” I abruptly asked my mother.

                “He said he wants to be alone,” Uncle Sunho spoke up with a shrug.

                “Wait until after dinner, dear,” my mother answered. “I’ll check on him. Okay?”

                All throughout dinner, I thought about Byunghun. So much, that I had practically lost my appetite. We ate in almost complete silence. My father happily asked my mother how her visit with Holly went, and my mother cheerfully reported that Holly is doing just wonderful. Her oldest son received a scholarship to an engineering school. Wonderful! Her youngest son is a soccer star on his team. Good for him! Holly’s husband bought a new yacht. Marvelous! The adults chatted and laughed and the kids were silent. Minsoo and Hyerin talked quietly to each other, but that was it. Min Neul was the first to leave the table. She took a few bites of lasagna and silently slipped off. Changhyun immediately followed her, and the two of them disappeared up the stairs. Jonghyun was next to go. He angrily picked up his plate, announced he wasn’t hungry anymore, and stormed off. Alarmed, Daniel followed him. Hyerin and Minsoo exchanged worried glances, and they left the table soon after that. Seeing that I was the last one at the table, I eagerly jumped up from my half-eaten plate of lasagna and announced that I was going to check on Byunghun.

                “Hold up a moment,” Mom said, holding her hand up. “What’s going on with everyone tonight?”

                “I don’t know,” I answered truthfully. “Chanhee and Byunghun are in a little bit of a fight. And I think there’s something going on between Changhyun and Jonghyun too. I don’t know what, though.”

                “Yikes,” Dad said, rubbing the back of his neck in contemplation. “Those boys are as close as brothers. I wonder what happened.”

                “Sunho, should you go talk to one of them?” Mom asked, nervously sliding the tiny diamond pendant on her necklace back and forth.

                Uncle Sunho shrugged. “I’m staying out of this. I think they can solve their own problems.”

                “Byunghun and Chanhee were supposed to talk it out,” I explained. “I guess it didn’t work...”

                “Well, I hope everything blows over,” Mom replied. “We’re on vacation. Everyone should be having fun.”

                I was feeling anxious. “Okay, can I go check on Byunghun now?”

                “I suppose,” Mom sighed. “If he needs anything, tell him I’ll be right there. Okay?”

                “Of course,” I answered as I headed out of the kitchen. I sprinted up the stairs and jerked open the door to the upper unit. In the living room, Min Neul and Changhyun were sitting closely, whispering softly to each other. I stopped briefly to ask what was going on; I barely got a response. Min Neul was silent. Changhyun said everything was fine, and not to worry. He forced a smile. It was weak.

                I headed down the hallway, where I was greeted by two closed doors: the maknae’s room, and Chanhee and Byunghun’s. I swallowed hard as I strolled up to Chanhee and Byunghun’s room and knocked on it. “Byunghun? Chanhee?” I asked. “Is everything okay?”

                No response.

                I knocked a little harder. “Byunghun?” I called a little louder. “Are you in there?”

                Still, no response. The nerves inside me grew into panic. Something was definitely not right. Chanhee and Byunghun should have made up by now. They should have been downstairs, enjoying my mother’s lasagna. The door to the bedroom should not be shut.

                Suddenly, the door creaked open. It opened just enough for me to see half of Chanhee’s face.

                “Is Byunghun in there?” I asked frantically. “Is he okay? Are you okay? What’s going on?”

                “Shhhh!” Chanhee hissed. “Yes, yes, we’re fine!”

                “Is Byunghun okay?” I whispered. I tried to peer into the room, but I didn’t see Byunghun.

                Chanhee shrugged. He bit his lip. “We talked for a while. We’re okay. But suddenly he said he didn’t feel well. And now he’s asleep.”

                “Asleep?” I repeated. “It’s not even seven o’clock yet.”

                Chanhee shrugged again. He pulled the door open a little bit and let me peer inside. His words held true, because Byunghun’s bed was occupied by a gigantic white lump, a sliver of orange hair sticking out from the top.

                “He’s really asleep?” I asked worriedly.

                A nod from Chanhee. “He was probably just tired. He’ll be fine by tomorrow. Don’t worry.”

                I glanced back at Byunghun’s bed. I bit my lip, feeling skeptical. I couldn’t just not worry about Byunghun.

                I knew Chanhee was watched me. He sighed. “Look,” he began, “I’m sorry about what I said—everything that I said. Okay?  It was rude and out of character of me. I was just jealous that you and Byunghun spend so much time together. I guess I just felt forgotten. I’m sorry, though. You’re one of my best friends, Kirin, and Byunghun really cares about you, so I really shouldn’t have said all that stuff.”

                Chanhee’s sweet apology brought a small smile to my face. “You’re forgiven,” I said softly, opened my arms to hug Chanhee. He smiled as he engulfed me in a warm hug. “I’m sorry for occupying Byunghun so much. You two are best friends and I don’t want to come between you.”

                Chanhee chuckled softly as we separated. “Us? How about you and Byunghun! He really stuck up for you when we talked it out. He cares a lot about you. Nothing can come between you two.”

                I smiled softly as I gazed at Byunghun, who was completely covered by his white comforter. I desperately wished he was awake to hear our conversation. But as Chanhee’s words lingered in the air, I could have sworn I heard a sigh.

                Min Neul tossed and turned in the bed across the room all night. As I lay awake, I couldn’t tell if she was having a nightmare or if she was just restless. Perhaps she was awake, trying desperately to fall into the sleep her busy mind was keeping from her. She had been silent when she crawled into bed that night. Hyerin has even asked her if everything was alright. She didn’t get a response. Her younger sister simply pulled the covers over her head and turned to face the wall. Jonghyun’s hoodie lay untouched on the floor beside her bed. Hyerin had gotten the hint, and didn’t say another word. She simply nestled her head onto her pillow and drifted peacefully to sleep with a smile on her face. She seemed to be the only one in high spirits.

                I must have eventually calmed myself enough to sleep, because I woke up the following morning. Either that, or my mind had just exhausted itself by worrying about Byunghun so much that I fell asleep. I blinked my eyes rapidly, letting them adjust to the light that came flooding into the room. As I woke up a little more, I noticed that Hyerin was already awake. Her bed was messy, as if she had just hopped out of it and left it the way it was. Min Neul’s bed was empty as well, and Jonghyun’s sweatshirt was still on the floor. The door to the bedroom was open ajar. Oddly enough, I didn’t hear voices coming from the kitchen or the living room. It was almost nine in the morning, after all.

                I kicked the covers off my legs and rolled out of bed. Maybe Byunghun was awake, and hopefully feeling better. I practically ran through the hallway, glancing briefly into the living room. No one was there. I turned into the kitchen, hoping to find him in there instead.

                I didn’t find Byunghun, though. I found my mother. She had the phone clutched in her hand. She had the other one wrapped around her chest, as if she was trying to keep herself warm. Her eyes darted around the room as she listened intently to either something important or nothing at all coming from the phone.

                Dad was beside her, with a hand placed on her shoulder. He too looked lost in his thoughts. A lone coffee mug was situated on the counter beside him. The usual trail of steam escaping from the mug was absent. His back was turned to it.

                Uncle Sunho was pacing back and forth. He was typing away on his iPhone, his pager beeping every few seconds in his other hand. His eyes were squinted and his mouth was slightly agape. Unfamiliar lines of worry were banded across his forehead.

                Changhyun was crying. His cheeks were pink and soaked with the tears that continued to fall from the corners of his downward-glancing eyes. His arms were crossed tightly across his chest. He looked like a child who had gotten lost at the park, separated from his loving parents.

                Minsoo had an arm slung tenderly around the younger boy’s shoulders. He too was looking down at the floor, and his expression was blank. Stunned, even. His other arm was wrapped around his girlfriend’s shoulders.

                Hyerin resembled Changhyun, minus the tears. Her arms were crossed, but limply. She stood next to Minsoo, a head on his shoulder. She exchanged a worried glance with her younger sister.

                Min Neul too was biting her lip, and her eyes were wide with fear. She dropped her gaze from Hyerin to the floor. She stood untouched, which was surprisingly considering her boyfriend was right next to her.

                Jonghyun’s hair was messy, as if he had been frantically woken up. He was both expressionless and full of emotion at the same time. Emotion fought its way to the surface of Jonghyun’s face. He kept it masked. For his sake. For everyone’s sake.

                Daniel sat at the table. He looked helpless .His normally lively face had lost all color. His normally thick lips were being tightly pressed together. His hands lay limply on the table, and his eyes were fixed on the boy who sat across from him.

                Chanhee. His eyebrows were scrunched and his hands were clasped together, covering his mouth. His eyes, as they stared down at the kitchen table, were hard. Upon first glance, he seemed to be staring absentmindedly. In reality, his mind was spinning with thoughts.

                I glanced around the kitchen, from heartbroken person to heartbroken person. Everyone looked tired, weak, and frightened. Worst of all, there wasn’t a single strand of orange hair in sight.

                It took a world of courage to open my mouth and force the sound to come out, but when it did, it came out slowly, lowly. “What’s going on?”

                Mom’s eyes flew to me. Dad let out a sharp sigh. Uncle Sunho stopped pacing. Changhyun sobbed.

                “What’s going on?” I asked, my voice shaking for a reason I didn’t yet understand. “Where’s Byunghun?”

                Mom and Dad looked at each other. Min Neul gasped sharply, placing a hand over .

                Their silence was eating away at my nerves. One more silent second passed before I opened my mouth again, and my timid voice became a shriek. “Someone tell me what the hell is going on!”

                “Kirin, my dear,” Dad said with a sigh. He slowly disappeared from my mother’s side and walked towards me. I, however, felt him grow farther away with every step he took. My sense of time and feeling had completely been warped. I felt like I was floating, drifting farther and farther away from the ten solemn figures standing before me. I felt the entire world slowly down the second he opened his mouth to speak, professing the inaudible truth that I seemed to be deaf to. “Byunghun…he’s missing.”

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