~Jisung POV~
"Sung~ it's lunch time."

I covered my face and whined, "But i'm sleepy~" 

"Yes, Sung. But you need food, you're a recovering boy. Come on, i'll carry you out if you want." Changbin hyung smiled at my whining self. His smile really does wonders sometimes. 

I suddenly wondered about where Minho hyung was and what he was doing. It was intriguing how i wanted to avoid seeing Minho hyung a few hours ago, but now wanted him to be here.

"Bin hyung...can you get Minho hyung?" i asked hesitantly, Changbin hyung looking surprised at my request.

"You sure? Need me around?" 

"Yeah i'm sure. Don't need you here to watch Minho hyung carry me out, hyung. We're all going to eat lunch in the same place." i laughed and Changbin hyung left the room after pouting.

It didn't take long before Minho hyung cautiously entered the room, gently gazing at me as he slowly made his way to my side. Without a word, he sat down beside me and started examining me from top to bottom. A frown formed on his face, and he pulled me up and hugged me tightly.

"Hyung?"

"Many thoughts...mainly regretting why i didn't keep watch on you more...why i didn't care for you more...why i didn't-"

"This isn't your fault, hyung. It never was. Don't blame yourself for whatever happened to me. If anyone was to blame for this, i blame the person who-" 

I slapped my mouth shut and squeezed my eyes closed, the memory of the car closing in, the memory of the sensation of Master Lee's body embracing mine, the memory of the impact. It hurt. If my body didn't hurt, my mind did. But in this case, they both did. Unintentionally, i gripped Minho hyung's shirt tightly and struggled to keep calm. If my anxiety got the better of me now, my body was going to go down with it. I didn't want Minho hyung to see that...ever.

"Jisung? You okay? Do you need your meds-"

"N-No...i'm- fine...d-don't m-move..."

"Okay, i won't."

Minho hyung sat as still as he could, not wanting to move. He couldn't even know what was happening without me telling him, but i couldn't. Everything hurt, even talking. But he somewhat got the gist of it so it could calm him down at least a bit for the fact he knew the issue. 

The pain slowly subsided and i released my grip from Minho hyung's shirt and rested my head on his shoulder, sighing deeply. Telling Minho hyung about the cause of the pain would bring him pain, but if i didn't, it'll probably hurt him more inside.

"Memories."

"Your memories hurt you?"

"I could feel it...the car...Master Lee holding me tight...then the-" 

I couldn't hold the tears in any longer. It had been half a year and i didn't want to talk or even think about it. I could still feel it fresh on my skin. Everything. I could feel every sensation scarred onto my memories. The numbing feeling, the fading feeling, the helpless feeling, and the disappearing warmth. I always feared the memories coming back, i always feared feeling the pain all over again, and the thing i feared the most was...feeling the lost of someone i love again.

But a set of arms brought me back into reality where the warmth resided in, a soft hushing along with a pair of hands rubbing my back. It was different, it wasn't that place, it was Changbin hyung's room, it was Changbin hyung's bed, it was Minho hyung holding me, both well and alive. I hugged him tight, as if he would fade away in the next second, even though i knew he wasn't going to, but life has no second chances. 

The gap between being stuck in my memories and being brought back to reality was huge. And they key that led to which ever one i was at depended solely on Minho hyung's embrace, Minho hyung's warmth, Minho hyung's touch.

"I'm s-scared...hyung...i d-don't w-want to...lose anyone e-else..."

"It's alright, Jisung. Everything will be okay. Hyung is here to protect you. Everyone is here to protect you."

"I k-know...i'm a-afraid that the p-protection will turn into...s-sacrificing...i don't want that to happen...i want everyone to be safe...and alive..."

Minho hyung wrapped his arms around me further, pulling me in ever so slightly. He held me in the silence while my body was surrounded by his warmth again. Away from the fears, here was reality.

"They're not going anywhere other than staying with you. And i'm here, that's a given. I'm not going anywhere. I'm here, Jisung. I'm here, and i'm real."

I'm real.

Hyung is real, so am i.

I hummed in relief from my mind. Our stomach grumbled in unison and Minho hyung made his way out with me in his arms, to the living room where the food was set up on the tables and the members were sitting there waiting patiently for our arrival. Minho hyung chuckled as he walked over, setting me down before sitting beside me. We began eating at Chan hyung's signal and smiled at each other's eye contacts. 

This was warm, this was real.

They are warm, they are real.