Photos: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iQn4_Ku7H_o/maxresdefault.jpg (Chansung), https://saokpop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/2PM-Ok-Taecyeon.jpg (Taecyeon)

”How come you’re now injuring yourself too?” Minjun annoyed, “Aigoo...Get the leg here!”

“Shut up”, Taecyeon said quiet and sat down to chair, lending his leg to Minjun, who had now a pillow on his laps put there just because of this. Khun stood next to Taecyeon arms crossed. Thai saw clearly that something was wrong. And he knew he wasn’t to only one. Even Minjun, in the middle of healing Taec’s ankle, couldn’t help but notice it.

“I can do it, you don’t -“

“Shut up and give me bandages, kid!” Minjun snapped sharply, “Huyng has procedure on process!”  

Junho’s shoulders were shaking as he stood back towards others and tried not to laugh loud. Nichkhun tried the same, being a good kid and going to first-aid -bag to hand huyng some products to perform that procedure he had in process.

Granpa has returned, Khun whispered to Junho and smiley-boy nodded being full of happiness, even this was both right and wrong situation for it. Chansung sat like inside of his own bubble and Taecyeon sat still fully absent.

“Did you stumbled or something?” Minjun asked Taecyeon, raised his glance to the big boys, stared them for a little moment, then asking: “What is wrong with you guys anyway?”

 ”I said shut up!” Taecyeon raised his voice, but it was now only normal talking voice, nothing more. Minkhunho looked first each other, then Chantaec, being very, very worried.

“Sorry, Taecyeon”, Minjun said looking Taecyeon in the eyes even bigger one didn’t look back. Minjun continued bandaging saying nothing. Taecyeon held his head with his hands, grabbing his hair so hard that if he’d pulled, hair would detach.  

”Does this have something to do with Woo?” Khun asked cautiously.

“You wish” Chansung said sombre, “then we’d have even little thought about where he could might be.”

Three brothers were relieved, but none of them didn’t express it in visible way.

“Now we get you guys tea. No buts” Junho decided leaving to downstairs. Soon he came back with two cups, sat down to floor, poured mint tea to the cups. He poured new cups to others too, even they didn’t ask for it. Chantaec drank tea silent, staring either their cup or the floor.

“Okay Taec, we’re ready” Minjun said placid, looking that big guy once again, “If you want some ice on it, you know what to do.”

“Thank you, huyng”, Taecyeon said quietly.

There was perfect silence, when everybody drank their tea. Three of five brothers racked their brains while trying to figure out what was this all about.

Finally Minjun lost his patience: “Does these two have to go to check what is it out there?” he asked pointing Khunho.

“God Hell no, you guys don’t go out!” Chansung exclaimed eyes big from anxiety, “If you go, you can also become those.”

“Become what?” Nichkhun asked brows crumbled. This started to sound really strange.

Chansung sighed heavy, glimpsed Taecyeon and sighed again.

“I heard strange noise and went towards it. I found a church, the noise was from its bells, they rang like dying or something.  I thought I found Wooyoung, but instead I found bunch of people. And my appa.” Chansung wiped his eyes without raising his gaze from the floor. He couldn’t continue. Three brothers were stunned, staring those two serious ones. Junho had even his jaw dropped bit without him noticing it.

“You met your appa? And other people?” Khun repeated eyes wide from confuse.

“How in the Hell it is possible?!” Minjun exclaimed as confused.

”Well because they all were ghosts!” Chansung exclaimed, like saying it would cause pain (which it did, actually).

Now also Minkhun’s jaws dropped without them noticing it. Atmosphere in the room had changed completely. Lantern’s dim light changed from soft into anxious. Junho went quickly turn it brighter, because he wasn’t able to take the atmosphere longer.  

“He saw Jay”, Chansung told sighing pointing Taecyeon. Maknae buried his face to his big hands, close to cry because the shock and misery.

“JAY?” Minjun exclaimed, now scared. His voice sounded the same as if somebody would’ve poked him with fire poker. He, Khun and Junho looked each other horrified both about the thing itself, and why especially Taecyeon was so depressed and mentally in bad condition. Junho went in front of him, squatted and hugged him deeply, staying there letting Taecyeon to lean his forehead to Junho’s shoulder. Others couldn’t conclude anything but agony and little bit relief when beast got to be in Junho’s laps, safe and cared.

   ”Channie, come here” Minjun said lending his hands towards maknae. Chansung stood up and walked straight to Minjun’s hug. Minjun noticed that Chansung was crying effortly, hidden and quiet. Khun stood still feeling dumb when there was nothing he could do.

“Just breath. In and out. We can go one minute at the time. Relax, just relax” Junho quietly hushed Taecyeon, who laid in his laps and whose agony Junho also felt burning inside himself. “You don’t need to be strong now. You’ve experienced lot heavy stuff on last couple days. We’ll take care of you. I don’t leave you alone even for a moment. I promise.” Junho pressed a kiss to Taecyeon’s cheek. Taecyeon was shaking little bit. Junho thought it was because of his current depressed mood.

”This world is harsh. It bullies us like we would’ve done something bad”, Minjun formed Chansung’s thoughts as words in little distance.  Maknae sat on the side of huyng’s bed, Minjun on his bed holding huge Chansung in his hug, feeling himself so damn small.

“Everything is fine. I’m sure your father doesn’t wish you any harm, and neither you do. I bet he was glad when he saw you even he didn’t show it. Who wouldn’t be, after so long time? Don’t give me wrong, I understand well that you startled. But you’re safe here. We all take care of each other, and none of those bad things of this world will not get inside this house. If needed we can stay inside of this house forever and bad things outside don’t never reach us” Minjun just babbled, occasionally too high-flow, but as long as this comforted Chansung it didn’t matter.

Minjun glimpsed on the side. Khun was dragging bed-mattresses into the room. Good, Minjun thought, This is what we need right now - again.  

Soon room’s floor was full of bed mattresses. All five brothers - Minjun also had organized himself there - laid around, everyone in the position they liked. Khunho held Taecyeon between them, Taecyeon was still in bad condition and shocked. Minjun took care mostly of Chansung, but all took care of both big guys, of course. Chansung wasn’t so bad as Taecyeon, but still quiet and absent.

“Do you have pains in everywhere else than your ankle?” Khun asked Taecyeon, “You look like you’d have other pains too.”

Taec shook his head. Khun guessed the biggest pain came from mental agony which was physical pain changed into mental one, but it still felt physical tough. He knew how it felt, symphatizing Taecyeon. Khun remembered those late night texts, agony and emptiness.

“What was he like?” Minjun asked Taecyeon. It was true that everyone laid around on mattresses, but they still were close each other, naturally. Junho petted Taecyeon’s back encouraging him to answer, even one word.

“He came to me and told me it was nice to meet me again. But his gaze was strange”, Taecyeon mumbled so quiet that others really had to sharp their ears to hear it.

“In threathening way?”

Taecyeon nodded. Junho’s anxiety deepened an inch. I can’t break down now, otherwise he falls apart too. It’s my turn to be strong, not his once again! Junho thought and immedialy hit himself because that thought only added his anxiety.  

“Are you okay, Junho?” Khun and Minjun looked Junho. They knew well that this kind of situation got Junho anxious easier than others. Junho told them not to worry.

”Since we’re all here right now” Minjun started, ”We could stay awake as long as we feel so and relax, talk if someone wants and stuff like that. Would somebody still want to eat something?”

”I took tea-things away, but if someone wants to have something, I’d willingly go to get that” Khun said, “It includes also tobacco and painkillers.”

“Tobacco.”

Khun went downstairs to get Minjun more painkillers, tobacco for Taecyeon, banana for Chansung (without him even asking it), and some fried peanuts with lemonade to share. Maknae looked him thankful when he gave him banana, mostly because Chansung felt himself really cared. Taecyeon stood up from Junho’s laps, opened the window lighting his cig. Junho asked him if it was okay to him that Junho’d go to get everyone’s nightwear. Taecyeon let him go relaxing in deep black turquoise, dark and humid night air with tobacco smoke, which scent he loved. It was like a drug for him.

But suddenly light glimpsed in the forest. Taecyeon felt like dagger would’ve been hit trough his body. He pulled himself back in slamming the widow closed getting others to startle.

“What’s the matter?” Khun came immedialy to Taecyeon and consolated him from shoulders in comforting way to sit down. He had took the cig invisible and handed it to Minjun, who distinguished and throw it to the trash can.

“There he was! He looked excatly same as earlier!” Taecyeon cried out, collapsed to the floor and stayed still with anguished outcome. That meant they needed to begin from the start again.

“Jay?” Minjun asked, just to make sure they were talking about same thing. However, Taec turned his anguished and aggressive gaze to huyng: “Don’t repeat his name all the time!” he said angry, “I want us to respect him!”

“Sorry, sorry Taec. I didn’t mean anything bad, not at all, believe me” Minjun realized his mistake and reprimainded himself, “Don’t worry. Everything is fine.”

Junho held his lover again inside his hug, now wearing nightwear. He heard how Taecyeon’s breathing calmed down little by little, but slowly. Junho raised his own head. Neck was stiff after being in same position for a long time; standing on a chin, the chin on Taec’s top of head. Junho turned his head first down-left, then down-right.

Crack. Crack.

Suddenly Taecyeon raised his gaze frightened. “No!” he exclaimed, “Oh God, please stop this!”

Others startled, especially Junho.

“I can’t take this anymore! Stop this! Please!”

”What is it, Taec?” Junho asked voice bit shaking.

“Like you wouldn’t know!”

“Honey, we don’t know what is it, even we’d want to. Or maybe we do, but now we can’t - “

“I want to get away! I want to get rid of this agony!”

Taecyeon started to wriggle strongly in Junho’s hold. Others couldn’t recognize him. Was that really Taecyeon, the one who was fearless and strong?

“Relax. Relax, Taec”, Chansung repeated like broken disc trying to help Junho to hold Taecyeon. Of course he was shocked too, but Taecyeon seemed like he could go mad and collapse in any minute.

“EAAARGH! I WANT TO GET AWAY!”

”Go to get anything which knocks him out or something!” Minjun shouted Khun. Khun separated from Chanhoyeon, and ran to downstairs. Soon he returned with morfine bolus.

“Hold him still! I’ll inject bit morphine for him!” Khun shouted trough Taecyeon’s screaming. Soon this was done.

Chanho held Taecyeon in their strong hold until morphine acted and it was possible to let Taecyeon to fall to the mattress. Junho, who had been comforting Taecyeon verbally with Minjun, helped him fall softly. He made his honey as comfortable as possible, laying down next to him also.  Khun patted Chansung’s shoulder in understanding way.

”Do you want to have rest of this? You had enough hard today, so I’d happily give this for you if you want.”

“Aniyo, but could you keep your eye on me...?” Chansung  wished. Khun promised to do so.

Minjun was looking Taecyeon for a long time, speechless. Taecyeon had calmed.

“He starts to become like you when you are at your worst”, Minjun said quietly to Junho.

“I was just thinking the same” Junho sighed anxious, “What the Hell does this world want from us? If it gets even him like this, what’s the ending point for us?”

Minjun nodded. Junho said excatly that thing he had been thought. And it didn’t meant only Taecyeon, but Minjun himself, for example.

“I remember too well the time when I was there instead of Taec” Junho said staring Taecyeon, “Back then I was sick. Really sick. And I was sure that I’m not gonna make it.”

Minjun was able to do nothing than be quiet, but it was enough. He felt so bad and sad.

“Khun” he said with little voice. Khun and Chansung sat on the other side of himself, Khun’s hand in Chansung’s, and the another one holding on maknae’s shoulder. Chansung sat experessionless, looking exhausted.

“Could you give me the rest of that bolus? My knee kills me.”

Khun took bolus and gave injection to Minjun. Old knee injury, which actually had caused this accident, had been lost its patience when Minjun had wanted to go to sit on floor with others. Khun sighed. This night and evening had been terrible ones. And then there was Wooyoung, who was alone in the darkness and rain. How on earth we are gonna make this? Aigoo...I want to get away too....Wait, when I’ve thought like this previously? New day, please come already! Khun thought.

”You’re wrong, Minjun. I haven’t always been good son for my appa.”

Others were looking Chansung, not knowing what to say.

“I could’ve listened him more. When I think those words now, some of his statements really had a point.”

Minjun patted his shoulder, but didn’t know what to say. Still he wanted to, so that Chansung would feel cared and listened. Minjun had now both physical and mental burning. He knew personally what maknae was talking about.

“Starting from teenage days, the younger person is, the dumber he is.”

Chansung sighed, “De.”

“I should had been thought more when to keep my mouth shut.”

Now Junho thought what he could say, because he identified to Minjun’s words. Taecyeon had been calmed down, being sleepy.

“I must admit I did that mistake too. Mut our conditions made us to be perfectionists. Most of all towards ourselves”, Junho said. Dark moment from his life flashed in front of his eyes, but he shook it away invisible. His anxiety raised its head; Junho tried to breath it down again.

“You’re right, Junho” Minjun said leading his fingers trough his hair again and again. He grimaced from pain. “Could someone help me back to my bed? It really hurts. And yeah, everywhere.”

Chansung had been healed to that point that he was able to stand up and carry Minjun back to huyng’s bed by himself, allthough he was still expressionless. Then maknae sat again next to Khun.

“Are you really feeling well, Junho?” Khun asked. He wouldn’t believe if Junho would nod. Khun sighed. Everyone seemed to start breaking into pieces, one at the time.

”I feel anxious.”

”Junho, come here”, Minjun asked. He saw that soon Junho may would burst into tears. Minjun didn’t care about his own pain now: he wanted to help his bros first.

Junho moved to stand up, but then he felt Taecyeon’s hand grabbing his own.

”Don’t go.”

Minjun heard Taecyeon’s wish, nodding to Junho, who sat back down turning towards his honey again.

“The world...has always been so.. damn harsh...” Taecyeon said talking with bit lazy note because of medicine. Others started to feel really tired too. It was really late.

“I could’ve...strangle all those reporters...and ssaengs with my own hands! Damn!” he hectored, now with bit more alert tone and louder voice, getting louder after every word, ”How did those people...dared to think that I did it for Jay?” he swallowed, “Me...I was his best friend!”

“Whoa! Let’s calm down, right?” Chansung said raising his hand towards Taec. Taecyeon’s eyes had now that threathening gaze, even he had gotten morphine.

”Relax. We neither have ssaengs or reporters anymore” Junho said, “And sometimes life gives you lemons even you’ve tried to do opposite. We can’t do anything for it. It just is like that.”

”And we, if anyone, do know that”, Khun said.

Junho petted Taecyeon until the beast calmed down and went silent.

“And then we try to collect those lemons and eat them no matter how hard it is. Starting with most important thing” Khun said, “Woo.”

Others were nodding. Taecyeon was now all squishy, eyes half-closed, mouth open, saliva running.

“He’s out”, Junho chuckled. Others did too. Khun was happy when noticing how much better Chansung looked to be again.

“We’ve always been one strong wall. We’ve always survived, and we’ll continue the same way” Minjun said strong and certain, “And from this moment, we all will sleep all in one room. Period” he decided, ”And now we have to make up something, because my stomach, leg and beloved knee are a real pain in my .