"L and R"

(Part I)

“What’s wrong?” Hakyeon asked.

“Nothing,” the rapper responded.

Hakyeon stared at Wonshik for a good minute while the younger could only avert his gaze. A moment of discomfort from Hakyeon’s intense stares, he decided to get up from his seat.

“I’m going back to the studio,” Wonshik said.

“W-wait,” Hakyeon grabbed his wrist. “Are you sure you don’t have anything you want to tell me?”

“Nothing,” he flung the older’s arms away and walked out of the dorms.

Two nights straight, Wonshik could not sleep. His mind was inchaos and his feelings were all jumbled up together. The lack of sleep was making his head pound but even when he closes his eyes, he could not fall asleep. All he could do was stare at the ceiling until the morning arrives.

Wonshik decided to get up from his failure to fall asleep and headed out into the hallways where the company was already closed for the day. He was the only one around like the usual.

He went into the staff lounge and grabbed a cup of coffee. If he couldn’t fall asleep, he might as well stay up to finish his work.

As the coffee finished brewing, he poured himself a cup only to stare at it for a good minute.

He took a sip.

“Ugh,” Wonshik started to frown. He really doesn’t drink coffee in general to know how to enjoy it unlike a certain member of the group…

He sighed as he looked at the rest of coffee left in his mug.

“I never thought you’d be the type to drink coffee,” Hakyeon popped out of nowhere.

“H-hyung,” Wonshik was caught by surprise.

“So? Why are you still awake?”

“I’m just finishing up some work…”

“Two nights in a row?”

“How did--?”

“The janitor told me before he got off. You’ve been awake since he leaves and still awake when he comes back in the morning. Just look at your eyebags, you’re barely keeping awake,” Hakyeon told him.

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not!” Hakyeon insisted.

“I said I’m fine!” Wonshik finally argued back. “Just let me be!”

“How can I when I can obviously see that you’re not fine?!” Hakyeon raised his voice loudly that even Wonshik was speechless to fight back.

In fact, he was too tired to fight with the older. His head was spinning and he just wasn’t feeling so well anymore. He could barely remain sane after two nights of not being able to sleep.

Just as Wonshik was wobbling to fall over, Hakyeon caught him.

“How can you say you’re fine when you look like this?” Hakyeon’s voice broke as he saw how weak the rapper has become suddenly,” how can I possibly leave you when you’re in such a state?”

“Hyung…”

“Why are the both of you so stubborn? Why don’t you ever look out for yourselves more?”

“Both…”

“You and Taekwoon.”

Hakyeon sighed as he tried to recollect his emotions before he breaks down.

“I just came back from visiting him at the hospital,” the older said.

“How’s Taekwoon-hyung?” Wonshik asked.

“Stubborn like you but in a lot better shape than you are.”

“I—”

“Tell me Wonshik-ah, the reason why you’re like this… it is because of Taekwoon?”

Hakyeon has always been sharp about things and he was very observant about his beloved members. The fact that Taekwoon was suddenly hospitalized, Wonshik felt responsible for making the older of the subunit work so hard every night.

“I should have been more attentive… I shouldn’t have forced him,” Wonshik said.

“You didn’t do anything wrong though,” Hakyeon tried to persuade the younger.

Wonshik disagrees.

“Even though we’ve always known that he had a weak immune system and gets sick easily, I still insisted we have a comeback for the subunit.”

“It wasn’t just you, Taekwoon wanted this comeback just as much as you do,” Hakyeon told him.

“But I shouldn’t have made him work day and night with me. I’m used to it but Taekwoon-hyung isn’t.”

Hakyeon sighed,

“Used to it? You working day and night is also the cause of your insomnia. You put so much effort and passion into your work that you sometimes forget to eat or sleep. You have just as weak of an immune system as Taekwoon. You’re in no position to speak Kim Wonshik,” Hakyeon said harshly.

“But I—”

“That’s enough,” Hakyeon stopped him.

Hakyeon pulled the younger in his arms and hugged him. The older rubbed the rapper on the back and caressed him.

“Why are the both of you like this?” he asked and sighed. “You’re blaming yourself for Taekwoon’s condition and Taekwoon blames himself for letting you down.”

“Hyung did?” Wonshik asked.

“You’re both seriously such fools. What am I going to do with you two? Do you know how much it breaks my heart to see the both of you like this?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Hakyeon grabbed Wonshik’s face and looked the rapper straight in the eyes, “Wonshik-ah, just for tonight, let’s stop with the self-blaming and listen to me. Let’s just go to sleep for tonight okay?”

Wonshik nodded obediently.

A/N: There will be a second part to this with NEO. The part that is where Hakyeon visited Taekwoon prior to going back to the studio to see Wonshik.