“Whew! That took a while. But why aren’t Dongwoon and Da Eun back yet?” Yoseob flopped on the couch.

Doojoon stretched out on the floor. “I dunno. Maybe she lives really far away.”

“D’you think she’s corrupting him?” Yoseob smirked.

“Really?” Gikwang asked, eyes wide, upside down with his head hanging off the armchair. “But aren’t they just moving her stuff?”

“Yah, babo! I was kidding!”

“Oh.”

Hyunseung, still in the room making Da Eun’s bed, shook his head at his friends’ antics. They had vacuumed the floor, aired the blankets, and dusted everything. It was the most that he had ever seen the other boys clean, but Da Eun and Dongwoon still hadn’t arrived. I wonder what’s taking them so long?

***

She’s so beautiful, Dongwoon gazed at Da Eun. Beautiful, and fragile. “Aigoo… Dongwoon, how are you going to do this?” He asked himself.

“You got this.” Where did she leave the key? “Ah, here.” Dongwoon slipped the key to the flat into his pocket before hefting the cardboard box containing all that Da Eun owned. It was pitifully light. He walked quickly, only slightly hindered by the large, awkward box in his arms. I have to get back before she wakes up.

Fortunately, in the time Dongwoon made it down to the car and back, having shut the roof of the convertible in order to prevent thievery, Da Eun still hadn’t woken up. Dongwoon quietly conducted a search of the flat, making sure he hadn’t missed anything.

Shouldering Da Eun’s bag, Dongwoon looked at Da Eun. “You better not drop her,” he told himself sternly. “Doojoon hyung will be severely ashamed at my lack of muscles,” he giggled, imagining his reaction. As the laughter faded, so did his grin. Was he really going to carry her? It was first day they met, after all. But the doctor did say she shouldn’t be disturbed, and she looked like she needed the sleep.

“Okay, Da Eun, let’s go,” he muttered, making up his mind. He bent slightly and gently lifted the sleeping girl’s back, supporting with his left arm. Her hair really is soft, he observed dreamily as he disentangled it from his arm. Slipping his right arm underneath her legs, he carefully lifted her. She’s so light, he frowned. Throwing a last, cursory glance around the room, his eyes landed on a battered plushie and he grinned.

“Poor Panda ahjussi, we almost left without you,” he whispered, leaning over a little to grab the toy with his left hand. Sure there was nothing left to take, he walked smoothly and without stutters through the flat, trying his best not to wake Da Eun. Standing on the landing outside the door, he ran into a dilemma. How would he lock it? It wasn’t like he was about to put Da Eun down anywhere.

“Ah…” He groaned, then brightened as his gaze lit on a solitary figure in the stairwell.

“Er...” What’s his name what’s his name what’s his name “Tony hyung!” He called as quietly as he could, trying to make his voice carry. Gratified as the other man looked up, he jerked his head as politely as he could towards the door, then started to make his way down.

“Hyung, we’re done clearing out,” he told the slightly fearful older man. “The key’s in my back pocket.” He turned around so the landlord could get it.

Tony was shocked. He actually expected him to reach into his back pocket and get the key? And why was Da Eun in his arms? He’d assumed that the two had only met today, but it appeared otherwise. When Dongwoon didn’t turn around, though, he had no choice but to stifle the urge to turn tail and flee, and reach in to grab the key. Thank goodness for the modern day fashion.

“Well, if that’s all?” Dongwoon looked back before starting to walk down the stairs.

Tony didn’t bother to reply. It didn’t seem like it would make a difference, and anyway, he didn’t want to talk to this kid any more than he needed to. He breathed an inward sigh of relief as he heard the engine roar outside. Good riddance.

***

“Where are they?” Hyunseung was getting anxious now. What could possibly be taking so long?

“Seungie, call them if you’re so worried,” Doojoon told him, masking his own emotions. Maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea to send the maknae off with Da Eun.

Yoseob and Gikwang turned around from where they were fooling around on the floor when they heard the ring. The four waited with bated breath, but to no avail.

“He didn’t pick up,” Hyunseung shook his head.

“Well, we’ll just have to wait, then…”

***

“Aigoo…” Dongwoon groaned as he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. At least it was on silent; it wouldn’t wake up Da Eun. His biceps flexed as he raised her so that the buzzing wouldn’t disturb her. Carefully maneuvering around an SUV, he felt the vibrations stop. “Oops. Missed it,” he noted, not repentant.

Rounding another car, he carefully nudged his car keys out of his pocket with his elbow and hit the button. As the roof retracted, he placed Da Eun gently on the seat, tilting it back so she could lie comfortably. After fastening her seatbelt and depositing her bag in the back seat, he walked over to the other side of the convertible and got in.

Before starting the engine, he frowned. The loud noise would wake her up. He better shut the roof; it would muffle the sound, and plus, it was getting chilly. Having done so, he started the car and drove out. All thoughts of the missed phone call had vanished from his mind.

***

“Do you think something happened?” Hyunseung whispered.

“I don’t know.” Doojoon groaned and put his head in his hands. “Don’t tell the kids anything.”

“Tell us what?” Yoseob piped up from the carpet.

“Hey, why aren’t they back yet?” Gikwang asked innocently.

The other two ignored them.

“I’m calling again,” Hyunseung said firmly.

Doojoon nodded, but before his dongseng could dial, his phone began to sound with a distinctive ringtone.

For a moment the two just looked at the phone, unable to process what they were hearing. In the next, three things happened at once. First, the others’ heads whipped around from where they were lazing on the floor. Second, Doojoon attempted to swipe Hyunseung’s phone, and third, Hyunseung hung up.

“OH SH*T!” He exclaimed, and clapped a hand over his mouth.

Doojoon gaped. Yoseob gaped. Gikwang… Went back to fooling around.

“I know, I know!” Hyunseung winced as he redialed.

“Hyung! Why’d you hang up?”

“YAH! WHY DIDN’T YOU PICK UP?” Doojoon roared into the phone, having successfully stolen it this time.

Silence. “Hyung, why do you have Seungie’s phone?”

Doojoon deflated at the maknae’s cute cluelessness. “No reason.” He handed the phone back.

“Where are you?” Hyunseung asked.

“Downstairs.” Dongwoon’s voice was strangely hushed.

“We thought something happened to you! Why didn’t you pick up?”

“No, nothing happened. I’ll explain to you later. For now, can you just come down and help? Just you, okay? I’m in the parking lot.”

“Okay, I’m on my way.”

***

Hyunseung stared silently at Dongwoon’s car. “You carried her.” He still couldn’t process the absence of emotion he felt.

“Yeah, that’s why I couldn’t pick up the phone, so I wouldn’t wake her up.”

“You’re gonna have to wake her up now anyway.”

“No, that’s why you’re here.”

“Ah.”

“Let’s go, then.”

Before Hyunseung could reach over and pick Da Eun up, Dongwoon beat him to it. Swallowing his jealousy (yes, he recognized it now), he grabbed the box of her belongings like that was what he had meant to do all along.

“Hyung, lock it for me, will you?” Dongwoon asked, sticking out his fingers, from which dangled his keys.

Hyunseung nodded and did so before following his dongseng into the elevator; the dongseng with the precious burden that he himself wanted so much to hold.