“Okay.”

Daehyun looked up as Youngjae stepped back into the gym and limped his way over to the large mat at the end of the room, sitting down on it and stretching out his legs. “Jonguppie is better at explaining this, but I’m going to do my best,” he said quietly. He began to fiddle with his shirt quietly. “Jongup has really bad PTSD, firstly. It’s not like mine, and it’s not like yours.”

Daehyun started. “How did you know I-”

“Please.” Youngjae sent Daehyun a dry look. “You grew up in the same house he did, and it’s relatively common among victims of abuse.” He shrugged and shifted slightly. “I’m about to tell you a lot of personal things. Not just about Jongup, but me as well. You can’t tell anyone, please. Especially not Yongguk-hyung.”

Daehyun nodded fervently. “Of course,” he said, leaning forward a bit. “I won’t tell anybody. I promise.”

Youngjae was quiet for a few minutes more. “Jongup has really bad PTSD,” he repeated. “When I have an episode, it’s hardly ever anything more than memories playing in my mind and a racing sense of paranoia. I’m assuming you’re the same?” He looked up at Daehyun, who nodded again. “Jongup has something called positive psychosis with his. Instead of just remembering things, he experiences them all over again,” he whispered shakily. “He can feel every hit and hear every word, and sometimes, when it’s as bad as it was in the kitchen last week, he can even taste his own blood and smell the booze on his dad’s breath. That’s why he freaks out so much more than a lot of people, and that’s why it’s so hard to pull him out of that headspace once he gets into it.”

Daehyun nodded, his mind reeling with the new information. “Okay,” he said, releasing a long breath. “So we have to be extra careful with him? I can do that.”

Youngjae hesitated. “Not… Not exactly,” he said slowly. “PTSD isn’t the only thing he has. This is where things get a little confusing, and I’m not very good at explaining it, so please bear with me.” He was quiet for a few minutes, watching Daehyun carefully. “Jongup has Dissociative Identity Disorder. It’s actually most common among victims of child abuse, so we weren’t particularly shocked that he has it.”

Daehyun furrowed his brow. “Dissociative… so like, multiple personalities, then?” 

Youngjae nodded. “Yes, exactly,” he said. “I’m not going to tell you too much about his different personalities, but I’ll tell you enough that you won’t be shocked when he’s suddenly someone else entirely.” 

Daehyun adjusted himself on the mat, crossing his legs and leaning forward, his expression intent and focused. “Alright,” he said. “Whatever you need to tell me, I’ll make sure to remember it.”

Youngjae took a deep breath. “Jongup has nine distinct personalities,” he said. Catching sight of Daehyun’s startled look, he laughed and shook his head. “Don’t worry about the number- nine is really normal, actually.” 

Daehyun bit his lip. “Are you sure? That seems like a lot.” His voice was quiet and unsure, and his eyes were wide and nervous. 

Youngjae smiled softly and nodded. “I’m sure,” he said. “Only a few of them come out very often, but you’ll meet the others sometime, too.” 

Daehyun nodded slowly, still seeming a bit hesitant. “Alright,” he whispered. “I’ll trust you, Youngjae-ah.” 

Youngjae cocked his head. “I’m glad,” he said. “Now, his personalities are all different ages, and a variety of genders and ualities, so I’ll tell you a bit about each of them.”

He was quiet for a few moments, frowning thoughtfully up at the ceiling.  “So, Jongup has four protector personalities. Jung, Zhin, Hyojin, and Jungnam,” he said. “You’ve met Jung. He’s almost out even more than Jongup himself at this point. He’s a bit detached and defensive. He’s not really one to insult someone outright, but he’s certainly got a mouth on him. Hyojin is a more motherly personality. I think she appeared to replace your mom, actually. She’s everything a mother should be. She’s kind and compassionate, caring and accepting… She’s ideal. The way Jongup describes her, she’s beautiful as well. She only ever really comes out when I get hurt or one of the littles is scared. You did meet her once, though. At the dinner here. She came out for a little bit.”

Daehyun nodded slowly. “I see,” he said. “What about Zhin and Jungnam?”

Youngjae tossed his head slightly and tapped his fingers on his thigh. “Jungnam came out relatively soon after you left. In a way… he appeared to replace you, I think. He’s Jongup’s big brother. He’s sporty and cheerful, protective and loyal. You met him once, I think. Our first day here, at dinner at Himchan-hyung’s apartment. He dragged Songhun in.” He fell silent for a few moments. “Zhin is dangerous. He’s… unpredictable and wild. When he comes out it’s like walking on a tightrope on fire. You never know if you’ll make it to safe ground before he snaps. Zhin is the only personality who really scares me, and the only one who’s ever come close to hurting me.”

Daehyun was pale, his eyes wide. “So… so is he, like, a bad guy? Like his ‘evil’ alter?”

Youngjae shook his head immediately. “Zhin isn’t bad,” he said firmly. “He’s troubled and hurt, but he’s not bad. He… He’s protective in his own way. Violence is the only thing he knows. It’s the only thing he’s ever found to work. He… He holds the most trauma from your dad out of all of the identities. He was raised under a violent man and it shaped him into a violent person. He won’t hesitate to hurt you if you hurt me or one of the littles. You’ll be lucky to get Jung if you do. He might smack you and drag you out by the ear, but Zhin… Zhin might hurt you bad. He put a man in the hospital once because he called me ugly for my scars. He nearly killed another one when he broke my wheelchair and threw me into the mud. He doesn’t come out very often, but you need to watch out for him.”

Daehyun nodded swiftly. “I’ll be careful,” he assured. “Don’t worry.”

Youngjae looked him up and down for a few moments before he carried on. “Next are the twins,” he said. “Mina and Minjae. They’re both adrenaline junkies, but Mina is very sassy and spirited and Minjae is a lot kinder and gentler. They’re the most likely to accidentally get involved in a fist fight at a bar, but they’re also the most likely to help at a charity. Does that make sense? They both have a very distinct fashion sense, and that’s the only real way to tell them apart until you know them really well. Minjae is very flowery. He likes wearing floral print shirts and tight jeans. So