ʊ

Kyungsoo needed a freaking excuse right now so he didn’t even think twice before he blurted out nonsense. “Uhh.. I was just...just checking if the door was fine,” he grabbed hold of the doorknob and pretended to open and close the door as if he was actually checking how it was. “Oh, look. It is. Hahaha…” he weirdly looked at the trio in front of him as his awkward laugh trailed off.

Baekhyun just shrugged at Kyungsoo’s weirdness and passed him. He normally walked through the door and smiled widely while holding up plastic bags full of food for Jongin. “Kai! Here’s your snacks!”

Chanyeol came in after, bringing more plastic bags in the room. “We really didn’t know what you wanted so we bought so many things!” The happy virus took out the food one by one, happily showing them in front of Kai’s face. “Look, here’s some chocopie and these! Oh and the—“

“Really, guys?” Suho cut him off, standing up from the bed and putting a hand on Chanyeol’s shoulder. “You didn’t even notice that I was here?”

“We knew that you were there.” Chanyeol just smirked and shrugged his hyung’s hand off his shoulder. “We just didn’t care.”

“What?!” the leader hissed at his dongsaeng and painfully smacking on Chanyeol’s arm making the younger one wince.

“Just kidding, hyung!” Chanyeol pouted while holding unto his arm. The happy virus suddenly took his hyung in his arms, hugging the leader ever so tightly. “Of course we’re happy to see you!”

With all of the commotion happening, Kyungsoo was still outside the room, still finding the right moment to casually come in. He hesitated a few times before someone noticed him.

“Hyung? You’re not going in?” Sehun playfully smiled at him. The maknae’s loud outbursts cause all eyes to land on Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo mentally facepalmed at Sehun’s rash actions. Why did he have to open his big mouth?

He shyly moved his foot forward, passed the door and closed it. “I was just about to...” He was about to quietly scoot over to the corner but was stopped when Suho greeted him. As of that moment, he was mentally preparing himself from the incident that was going to happen.

Suho hugged him tightly and patted him on the back. Kyungsoo could swear that he just saw Kai’s face turned from happy to bitter. The leader sweetly smiled at him. “Kyungsoo, you’re back! Kai told me on how you—“

Kyungsoo huffed his cheeks as he spoke, “Hyung I can explain! He just!— I didn’t!— We!.. Hyung, I swear that it wasn’t… “ but not a clear sentence showed up.  He wanted to say that he wasn’t given any choice. That he really had nothing to with it at all. But out of all that he wanted to say, he couldn’t bring up the thought that he hated it. He was shocked, but he didn’t hate it. Because no matter what Kai did, he just couldn’t find a reason to despise the guy. He quickly glanced at Kai and shamefully shook his head before bowing down in defeat.

 “Calm down, Kyungsoo.” The leader worriedly said as he placed his hand on Kyungsoo’s shoulder, trying to calm his dongsaeng down at the same time trying to recall what nonsense Kyungsoo was telling him. “What’s wrong with you? Kai just told me about how you were always taking good care of him and stuff.” He questioned as he arched an eyebrow.

Kyungsoo’s eyes widened in shock of what Suho just said. “T-then what were you talking about just a while ago?”

“About what?” Suho asked as he furrowed his eyebrows together. “Oh, About the guy who turned red?” He clapped his hands together in remembering. He sat down again next to Jongin and was kind of preparing to tell a story. “We were watching the news and there was this guy who had an allergic reaction in the middle of the mayor’s speech. He turned red then went screaming afterwards.” Kyungsoo’s mouth gaped in surprise as Suho kept on talking about the mysterious man. “Security came to him and asked him what’s wrong. He said that it was just nothing and asked them to just ignore him.” Chanyeol, Baekhyun and Sehun just quietly listened to their leader’s story. Suho continued, “Then after the mayor finished his speech, the security found the guy dead, still on his spot, sitting there, not breathing. His allergic reaction to his death is still on investigation. Poor guy.” Suho shook his head in pity and quickly faced Kai. “See Jongin! If you didn’t tell us earlier about your waist, you would—“

“I know hyung!” The younger bawled. His eyes rolled up in annoyance. “Jeez, I already got the idea.”

“Good.” Suho ruffled Kai’s hair in satisfaction of the his answer. The leader faced Kyungsoo with a smile once again. “Now, what did you think that we were talking about, Kyungsoo?”

He couldn’t believe it himself. Kai didn’t tell Suho. He kept it in himself. Kai respected him more than he thought. Most of all, he couldn’t believe that he thought Kai would sink in that low and go tell Suho. He felt awful for thinking of such a thing.

Kyungsoo sighed in relief. He bit his lower lip in shame and said, “N-nothing.. I just thought that—“ He stopped for a moment and looked at Kai who was trying to avoid his gaze. “No. It was completely nothing.”

♚
 

“Wow, it’s already this late,” Suho said in the midst of the room, looking carefully at his watch.

Chanyeol arched an eyebrow and looked up at his Hyung who was still comfortably sitting on the bed next to Kai. “Hyung, it’s just 5 in the afternoon. What’s so late about that?”

“It’s still late for me. Anyway, Baekhyun and I are the ones in charge of Kai.” The leader announced. “You guys should go now to catch the bus. It’s almost rush hour and—“

“Why are you guys in charge of Kai?” A husky voice said, bringing all their attention to him.

“It’s ‘cause we’re the hyungs and we made you and Sehun take care of him. So it’s kind of embarrassing for us not to look after him.” Suho explained. “And Kai already told me that you’ve been so stressed at how you always have to deal with him so—”

Kyungsoo stood up from the couch. “Aniyo, I’m not stressed one bit. I’ll look after him.” He stubbornly tried to force Suho to agree and let him take care of Kai. “Even if it’s just me, I’ll gladly look after him.”

“You don’t have to, Kyungsoo.” The leader sighed. “Besides, this wasn’t your fault at all so you have to go home and rest.”

Sometimes, Suho did wonder why Kyungsoo was very protective of Kai. It wasn’t like it was his duty to take care of him. Well, maybe it was. But it shouldn’t be only him. They were Kai’s hyungs too. And he wanted Kyungsoo to know that he wasn’t the only one that worries and cares for the boy either.

On the other hand, Kyungsoo really did need to take care of Kai. It was like his body was programmed to look after the boy. His mind wouldn’t let him sleep if he knew that Jongin was suffering. Plus, he still felt like he’s the one at fault for Kai’s injury getting worse.

Kyungsoo was on the verge of shouting at his hyung, desperately trying to make him agree to his request. “Hyung, you don’t understand. It was my—“ 

“Don’t worry, Hyung. I’ll be fine.” Kai softly said, stopping Kyungsoo from babbling. He sheepishly smiled trying to hide the guilt within him. “And I promise that I won’t tell a single soul.”

Nobody knew what they were talking about. Chanyeol, Sehun, Baekhyun, and Suho felt left out of what the two were conversing about. A few of them wanted to know but then again, they understand that the two should have their private lives at hold.

“Okay. So we’ll go now.” Sehun boredly stated while standing up from his place and going up to Kyungsoo, bringing the normal atmosphere back to the room.

“Chanyeol, you’re in charge.” Suho declared.

Baekhyun tapped the leader’s shoulder. “Uhh, Hyung. I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Suho chuckled at Baekhyun and waved his hand in an I-give-up kind of way. “Fine, Kyungsoo you’re in charge.”

“That’s really mean, Hyunnie.” Chanyeol pouted while pinching both of Baekhyun’s cheeks.

Baekhyun held unto Chanyeol’s wrist and tried to pull his hands away. “What?! It’s not like I’m wrong, right?” He chuckled through his words.

Chanyeol gently smiled at his Baekhyunnie’s adorable laugh and carefully gazed at his face. He’d miss this face right here even if they’d be separated for just one day. He wanted to kiss him goodbye, wanted to hug him, but god knows what Chanyeol might do after that. He knew that he could easily get carried away whenever it involves Baekhyun. He decided to just retrieved his hands from Baekhyun’s face and just stand up. “I’ll call you later, okay?” he huskily said, earning a nod from the older one whose cheeks were now tinted in pink.

Sehun rolled his eyes in disgust. “Hyuuung, stop flirting. Let’s go! I’m gonna miss my TV show!” He stomped out of the room without even saying goodbye to his hyungs.

“Okay okay! Goodbye Suho hyung, bye Baekhyunnie! Take care of Jongin!” Chanyeol happily shouted and went after Sehun.

Kyungsoo bowed and went after them but was stopped midway by a curious Baekhyun.

"Oh and Kyungsoo.. Before you leave, there's something that's been bothering me." Kyungsoo looked back and tilted his head in response. Baekhyun retorted as he pointed towards Kyungsoo's neck, "What are those red marks on you neck?"

Kyungsoo froze in his place and gulped hard. . Everyone stood quiet for a second as millions of excuses ran through Kyungsoo's mind.

Suho bobbed his head in realization. "Wait.. Don't tell me--"

"Mosquito bites." Kyungsoo dryly stated. "There're many of them here so please be careful." He was been glad that his mind was responding easily now. He mentally wanted to slap himself all day because of the stress everyone was giving him. He turned his body again to exit. "I'll be going now," He hummed.

“Bye, hyung.” Someone huskily said.

Kyungsoo turned his head around and saw Kai with a wretched look on his face. He softly smiled at the younger one. 

“Bye.”