Taekwoon was shocked to see Hakyeon burst into tears.

‘Wh-what’s wrong Hakyeon-ah? Are you feeling sick? Should I call for a doctor?’ He began to panic as he saw Hakyeon tremble and cry. Taekwoon didn’t know what to do seeing Hakyeon become so weak and fragile suddenly.

Hakyeon suddenly broke down in tears out of nowhere and looked at Taekwoon with an expression of a lost child’s.

Lost, alone, and afraid.

Taekwoon didn’t know how to react to Hakyeon’s tears or know what to say to comfort the boy. He could only pull Hakyeon in for a hug in order to ease Hakyeon’s pain.

‘Don’t cry Hakyeon-ah. What’s wrong? Why are you suddenly crying?’ Taekwoon asked while rubbing Hakyeon’s back.

Even Hakyeon didn’t know why he started to cry except he was shocked by Taekwoon’s sudden skinship. The same Taekwoon who hated being touchy with everyone especially when it comes to Hakyeon.

‘Ah! Sorry! I-‘ Hakyeon pushed Taekwoon away after realizing how embarrassing he was to suddenly cry like that. He wiped away his tears immediately and tried to calm down. Hakyeon haven’t appeared this weak in front of anyone in so long…

He was the leader and the oldest member of VIXX after all.

Taekwoon leaned down to meet his eyes with Hakyeon’s. He was worried about his friend.

‘Hakyeon-ah, what’s wrong? Tell me please. Let me help you. Are you feeling sick? Should we ask one of the younger ones to substitute for your scene instead?’ Taekwoon kept asking to make sure Hakyeon was all right.

Hakyeon shook his head.

‘I’m fine. Sorry, I just… I don’t know what’s gotten into me suddenly. Maybe I’m just a bit tired and the cold is having a side effect on me. Don’t worry. I can still act.’ Hakyeon finished drying his own tears.

‘Are you sure? We can ask Hongbin or Hyuk to act instead.’ Taekwoon suggested.

‘No! I- I want to act. I’ll do it. Please, let me continue with the scene.’ Hakyeon pleaded.

‘But…’ Taekwoon looked at Hakyeon who was obviously desperate to act for the PV. ‘Okay, but you’ll stop the moment you don’t feel good okay? You’re still sick remember?’

Hakyeon nodded and obeyed.

The two of them finally returned to the set as if nothing happened at all.

‘Okay. Let’s start this again.’ The director said. ‘Are you sure you can continue N-ah?’

‘Yes I am. Sorry about earlier. I promise to do better this time!’ Hakyeon shouted back with every ounce of confidence he could find.

Hakyeon took a deep breath and began to find his character.

He asked himself, who is it that I can love so much to the point that I wish they would only care for me, love me and depend on me?

Hakyeon imagined.

That the person who was sitting across from him wasn’t some stranger or female actress but rather, it was his lifelong friend Jung Taekwoon. A kind, gentle, and caring Taekwoon just like earlier. Not the harsh and mean Taekwoon from the past but a caring one.

But what happens if Taekwoon ended up caring for someone else other than Hakyeon? Like how Taekwoon always clings onto the younger members but not him?

Hakyeon felt the irritation.

Is this what possessiveness feels like? Wanting to lock that person away from the world so that no one could lay eyes on him? Making him only look and care for me?

It was a twisted thought… but Hakyeon felt it.

Yes. Depend on me. Look only at me and care for me. No one else except me. Don’t look anywhere except the ‘me’ who is in front of you. You’re mine… all mine.

~

The filming for the video ended with a success and everyone finally returned home to Seoul. But Taekwoon could not shake the intense and uneasy feeling he felt during Hakyeon’s scene the other day.

Taekwoon felt that there was something strange happening to Hakyeon lately and it wasn’t just because the leader was a good actor either. He decided to go to Wonshik’s studio one night while the younger was working on his next mix tape.

‘Wonshik-ah, can we talk for a second?’ Taekwoon asked.

‘Huh? Sure. What is it hyung? Why aren’t you back at the dorms?’ Wonshik didn’t expect Taekwoon to come visit him so late in the evening.

‘I’m worried about Hakyeon…’

‘’Huh? What are you worried about?’ Wonshik questioned.

‘He just doesn’t feel like himself lately.’

‘Like in what sense? Isn’t he back to normal like usual?’

‘I don’t know. I just can take the weird feeling I keep getting about him especially ever since what happened during Chained Up filming last year…’

Wonshik gulped.

The boy knew exactly what Taekwoon was feeling just by recalling the scary thing that happened on the set of Chained Up. There was no way he could forget.

‘Hakyeon’s filming for Depend On Me the other day… it reminded me of what happened before and although he became normal again afterwards, he looked intense and... scary. He’s good at acting but it just didn’t feel like the Cha Hakyeon that I know of.’

‘Wait, you don’t think that…’

‘I really don’t know. I hope that that thing doesn’t happen again. Just when everything is back to normal too. But I just feel so uneasy… what if he shows up again?' Taekwoon slouched on the chair and scratched his head. He didn’t know what to do or what to think anymore.

‘Should we talk with the other members about it just in case?’

‘I want to but Hongbin has been having nightmares here and there since that incident and I really don’t know if it’s the best idea to make him remember. I don’t know if he can handle it.’ Taekwoon was lost on what to do.

‘So it wasn’t just Hyuk but Hongbin too?’ Wonshik commented.

‘Hyuk as well?’ Taekwoon didn’t know.

Wonshik nodded.

‘Hyuk acts tough but he’s still just a kid. Ever since that day, he began to mumble in his sleep and sometimes even wakes up suddenly from nightmares and covered in sweat. I asked him before if he was all right and he said he’s fine but it was obvious he wasn’t. After all, he was the one that should be the most afraid after what happened…’

‘Then what about Jaehwan?’

‘He might be all right. Let’s ask him about it tomorrow and the three of us see what we can do to keep an eye on Hakyeon-hyung. I just hope that we’re overthinking about the situation and that nothing will happen.’

~

It was almost 3AM in the morning and Hakyeon felt his throat drying up in the middle of his sleep. So, he got out of his bed and made his way quietly to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. Hakyeon decided to see if the other members were sleeping properly before making it back to his own bed.

He walked by each member’s bedroom and realized that Taekwoon wasn’t around. Did he have a schedule tonight? Is that why he hasn't come home yet? He worried.

Then, just as he was about to open Wonshik and Hyuk’s bedroom door, he heard sounds coming from within. It was as if someone was talking.

As he opened the door, he found that Wonshik’s bed was empty. Is Wonshik still in his studio? He never comes home lately… And then, he saw Hyuk sleeping underneath his covers.

Hakyeon heard a mumble inside Hyuk’s bed. It was the boy’s voice. Mumbling in his sleep.

He couldn’t hear what the younger was mumbling about but Hakyeon began to worry and gently took off Hyuk’s bed sheets. Hakyeon found the maknae covered in sweat and he could see that Hyuk was having a nightmare.

‘No…’ Hyuk mumbled. ‘Go away...’

Hakyeon began to worry seeing Hyuk become so scared in his sleep.

‘No, don’t come near me… please stay away.’

‘Hyuk, wake up.’ Hakyeon couldn’t bare to watch the boy drown in his own nightmares.

‘I’ll do better. Please… don’t hurt me.’ Hyuk cried.

Hakyeon had no choice. He had to wake Hyuk up.

‘Hyuk-ah! Wake up! Please.’ Hakyeon shook the boy and trying to wake him up.

‘No, no go away. I won’t tease you anymore so please… stay away from me…’

Something wasn’t right.

‘Hyuk wake up! Sanghyuk-ah!’ Hakyeon shouted.

Hyuk jolted awake. Still covered in sweat and dazed from reality.

‘Hyuk? Are you okay?’ Hakyeon worried.

Hyuk turned around to see the leader next to him. His eyes widened and his body began to tremble.

He felt it.

Fear.

‘AHHHHHHHH!!!’