"hyung...........Hyung.............Hyung!"

"Hwijoon?"

"Hyung!"

"Where're you? I can't... I can't see you." It was dark, in fact, pitch black that Namjoon could not make out a single thing, as if he was blind. That voice, faint but clear, it belonged to his brother. The sound of laughter, giggles followed and echoed from a distance. 

"Hwijoon? Are you there?" Namjoon called out in darkness. Then, a dim glow revealed a figure at a distance in front of Namjoon, back facing him. The figure wasn't moving, just standing, frozen.

"Hwijoon, is that you?" Namjoon mustered the courage to walk towards the figure. The figure slowly turned to face Namjoon. It was Hwijoon.

"Doh-Don't come any nearer hyung. No." Namjoon halted his steps, still a little far from close.

"Why not? What's going on?!" Namjoon is frustrated as he sees Hwijoon's tear-streaked face. Hwijoon then retreats his steps and sirens sounds grew loud in the background, only a matter of seconds the sound grew so loud it begins to hurt Namjoon's ears, sharp pain spread from his ears to his head, blurring his vision. Namjoon tried hard to focus on Hwijoon, but like a TV tuned on to a wrong channel, images started to flicker, static distortion. 

"Hyung! HELP! HYUNG!!!!!" Hwijoon screamed, Namjoon tried to reach out, but before he could even touch Hwijoon, Hwijoon fell to the ground, crumpled, body distorted, disfigured, and blood started bleeding from his body and dyed the ground with a rapidly growing pool of crimson fluid. 

"NO!!!!!!!!!!!"

Namjoon's eyelids flipped open, fear ran through his whole body like an electric current, creeping even to the tips of his fingers and toes, making stand every single strand of hair on his body. Namjoon choked, he could not breathe, coughing, as if someone just strangled him by the neck. Namjoon is shivering beyond control, warm or cold, he couldn't make out the temperature anymore, his body's homeostasis mechanism went haywire. It took him a moment to realize where he was, and what's reality and what's not. Staring at his apartment's ceiling tiles, Namjoon tried to catch his breath but was overwhelmed by a sudden urge to throw up. Namjoon stumbled across his apartment room towards the bathroom, just in time to not puke all over the floor but into the toilet bowl, the next 10 minutes or so, Namjoon was throwing up and retching out every single content in his guts. His abdominal muscle hurts, but his heart hurt even worse. Drenched in his own sweat, Namjoon could not stop his tears falling.

****************

"Where is Namjoon?" Seokjin finding his friend not at the dining table. And then, it came to him that he did not actually saw Namjoon on his bed even when he woke up that morning.

"I'll go check." Yoongi volunteered to search around the house, thinking Namjoon would probably be in a corner doing something and did not hear them gather for breakfast. As Yoongi walked off, everyone at the dining table exchanges weird glance, not knowing what is it all about.

Then Yoongi returned without Namjoon.

"Hmm... He never just runs off like that. Probably there's something urgent from his academy. No worries, I'll call him later. Dig in guys!" Seokjin smiled for the sake of the others. Namjoon is not living in Seokjin's place, he has his own apartment, although he hangs out in Seokjin's place most of the time and was supposed to sleepover for the period where they have the 'gathering' event going on. But Namjoon never left without letting Seokjin know, it was unusual. But like Seokjin mentioned, it might be possible that there is an emergency in the language academy that Namjoon works as an English language tutor, knowing that his boss wasn't such a nice man to his employees. Namjoon always complains, whether forcing him to work for extra classes without proper pay or just plain being mean to him.

Without giving much thought, the six others dug into their breakfast.

Jungkook was feeling a lot better after all the sleep but he was still afraid if Seokjin would keep his promise and not tell his aunt about his episode. He really did not want his aunt to appear at the doorstep and drag him back home. Well, it's not like he has a 'home' anymore, but for his aunt coming and bringing him back is the last thing he wants to see happening. Jimin, on the other hand, was still traumatized by Jungkook's episode, he just couldn't brain how one-second Jungkook was just perfectly well in front of his eyes and the next Jungkook was almost as if he was dying on the floor. Jimin just could not shake that image off his head, worse, he felt utterly useless that he couldn't do anything for Jungkook. But then, he begins to realize something, realizing he is starting to take pity of that poor boy instead of himself.

After the satisfying breakfast, the boys begin to have some leisure time of their own, Taehyung started playing video games on a PS4 in the living room where Hoseok joined in using the extra controller they had and surprisingly, Taehyung just let Hoseok join the game, even passing the controller to Jimin to try out. Jungkook sat on the couch watching them play but also not watching at the same time.

'Dami.'

****************

"Call him again," Yoongi told Seokjin, seeing Seokjin walking around the kitchen in circles, troubled. Yoongi was chilling at the dining table sipping his coffee.

"I don't know if I should do it again, he might be busy."

"He'll not take your call if he is SO busy. No harm trying." Yoongi is going dizzy with Seokjin pacing back and forth in front of him.

Seokjin tried dialling Namjoon a second time after the first fail an hour or so ago. Again, there was no answer.

"Busy," Yoongi said, concluding. Seokjin could only force a bitter grin and left the matter for the time being.

****************

"Jimin-hyung. Hoseok-hyung. Thank you." Jungkook mumbled out of the blue from the couch behind the two. They both turned to Jungkook, rather surprised.

"Thank you? What for?" Hoseok now got up from the floor and sat beside Jungkook on the couch and an arm over Jungkook's shoulders, staring at him gently.

"For yesterday... and sorry for scaring all of you." Jungkook was a little guilty and embarrassed as he did not return Hoseok and Jimin's gaze but constantly fiddling with the corner fabric of the throw cushion pillow on the couch that he is hugging.

"That's nonsense. Don't apologize. We should be apologizing for not able to help you much." Hoseok didn't like how Jungkook was apologizing for something he had no control over.

"But still ..." Jungkook looked up to the two older boys. Jimin did not say a word, Jimin could not decide what was that strange feeling inside him, struggling to make up his mind if he should be consoling Jungkook along with Hoseok, but he didn't know how, he'd never taken such role, it's always Hoseok's. Without hesitation, Jungkook stood up from his couch and wrapped his arms around Jimin, Jimin was taken aback by sudden affection displayed by the younger.

"Jimin-hyung, sorry for making you cry, and thank you for calling my name." Jimin returned the hug but was even more confused. What had he done for Jungkook? He was just panicking and uselessly crying and screaming throughout the whole process.

Jungkook is really not listening to them for asking him to stop his 'thank yous' and 'sorrys', even Taehyung got a thank you from Jungkook which Taehyung himself too got surprised but did not show as he continues playing his games. After lunch, they continued chit-chatting with Seokjin and Yoongi joining the rest on the couch.

"Seokjin-hyung. Do you know any apartments rooms around here with cheap rents?" Yoongi asked.

"Why? You planning to stay in Seoul?"

"Yeah. There's nothing much for me back there. Thinking about getting a job here."

"Oh. What's your budget? Housing here isn't cheap but I guess I could still work around your budget and get you something decent though not the best. Maybe you could ask Namjoon too, he's renting an apartment, it seems affordable." Yoongi was nodding away, calculating his options, 'affordable' in the common sense is not his level, he is really on a tight budget, he's worry if he will even be able to pay for the down payment for the cheapest room in town. He needs to get a job fast. He can't go back anymore, he had had enough back there, there's nothing worth reminiscing anyway, no friends, no family, no music, no Yena.

It was around the evenings when Namjoon finally appeared, walking past the busy kitchen with an exaggerated smile that he thought he did a great job faking it.

"Sorry guys! Urgent stuff came up. Work stuff." Namjoon trying his best to brush off the doubtful gaze of everyone there. He's the centre of attention the moment he set foot into Seokjin's place.

"Oh. I see." Seokjin sounding casual but he knew Namjoon was lying. Namjoon's eyes are puffy and skin paler than it used to be. It's pretty obvious that Namjoon was either crying or that he was sick.

"I'm taking a shower." Namjoon rapidly walking pass all the stares from the kitchen and living room, wanting to escape so badly.

"Dinner will be ready in a moment Joon! Barbeque!" Seokjin called out as Namjoon disappears into the hallway.

"Okay!" Namjoon replied while he hurried through the hallway and almost smashing himself into Jungkook that just happened to walk out of his room.

"Hi hyung." Jungkook was surprised and happy to see Namjoon appearing in front of him, however, Namjoon walked pass Jungkook with rapid footsteps without sparing him a glance. "hi." and slams shut the bathroom door behind him.

He's probably having a really urgent toilet business to take care of, Jungkook thinks to himself as the sound of flowing water was heard immediately after the door closed. "Oh well."

They are having a barbeque party for dinner, most of the more complicated dishes are already pre-prepared, they've just got to barbeque the beef and pork as well as the vegetable skewers, just for the sake of a little fun. They took it out in the little veranda by the side of the house where it faces a small garden compound, the fragrance of grilling meat fills the chilly evening air.

"Yoongi hyung. You play the guitar do you?" Jungkook asked as he stuffed himself like a hamster.

"Ermm.. Ye-yeah."

"Play us a song?" Jungkook requested.

"Well ermm.... I err... I don't think I ...." Yoongi notices everyone was staring at him now.

"Please?" Jungkook said with a smile and eyes resembling those of Puss in Boots.

"Jungkook, don't do that." Seokjin wasn't scolding the younger, just jokingly trying to stop Jungkook from forcing Yoongi.

It's been a while since Yoongi last touched his guitar, though he always had it by his side. The singing also stops the day he ceased playing music. He didn't think he will be able to get back into music anytime soon, even if it is just for leisure. But now, he was given a stage to perform, he wasn't even sure if he could manage. "I can play a song or two." Yoongi didn't even realize he said that, too late to chicken out now. Yoongi stood up and went to his room to get his guitar.

All six pairs of eyes are on Yoongi now, even the grilling halted. It was silence until Yoongi took in a deep breath and plucked the first string of his guitar, fingers gliding through the frets gracefully not showing any bit of rust in his skills even though he hasn't been doing it since that night he left his band. And ... Yoongi sang.

그대를 생각하는 것만으로

(Just the thought of you)

그대를 바라볼 수 있는 것만으로

(Just the sight of you)

그대의 음성을 듣는 것만으로도

(Or just the sound of your voice)

기쁨을 느낄 수 있었던 그날들

(Made me feel joy in those days)

그대는 기억조차 못하겠지만

(I bet you don't even remember)

이렇듯 소식조차 알 수 없지만

(And I have no idea where you are now)

그대의 이름을 부르는 것만으로도

(But just saying your name to myself)

눈물이 흐르곤 했었던 그날들

(Made me shed tears in those days)

잊어야 한다면 잊혀지면 좋겠어

(If I must, I hope I can forget)

부질없는 아픔과 이별할 수 있도록

(So that I can break up with worthless pain)

잊어야 한다면 잊혀지면 좋겠어

(If I must, I hope I can forget)

다시 돌아올 수 없는 그대를

(The you that will never come back to me) 

.... [Lyrics: 그날들 Those days (1991) - Kim Kwang Seok]

When Yoongi finished, there was no clapping or any applause, just Hoseok's hand giving Yoongi a squeeze and a pat on the shoulders and Yoongi smiled in return and turn to Jungkook, ruffling the boy's hair where the boy still stunned from Yoongi mesmerising voice. After the song, Yoongi felt that he could breathe a little better, a little weight lifted from his heart. 

'Yena. You're listening right?'

****************

Namjoon was being extremely quiet throughout the whole barbeque, sitting at a corner all by himself. Most of all he is avoiding Jungkook and Jungkook noticed, Seokjin did too. 

"Hey Namjoon. You alright?" Seokjin pulled a stool over and sat beside Namjoon. 

"Of course I'm alright. Why do you ask?" Namjoon's heart sank a little and tried to deny that he wasn't fine at all. 

"Just... a feeling. Like I told you, you can always talk to me, you don't need to hold it to yourself." 

"I'm fine." 

"Ok." Namjoon never once mentioned about his own story from the day they first met at the police station, though Seokjin knew there is more to the story as to why a foreigner would want to stay in Korea all by himself especially after that tragedy. Seokjin wants to believe that Namjoon will open up when he wants to, same goes for everyone under the same roof.  

Few days went by since they first gathered at Seokjin's. It was all great weather and sunshine the past days but not the next morning after the night of their barbeque party, heavy rain came and a storm.