Aaron watched the door for a great while after Jonghyun had left through it. He seemed in quite a rush. Being the most curious person he knew, the retraced the leader’s steps up the stairs. The only bedrooms with the doors hanging wide open were Minki and Dongho’s. He peered into Minki’s first. He same sight that had intrigued everyone else in the house fell onto his eyes and he set his face askew. He knew that Minki, the perfectionist, had never left his room a mess as it was now.

            Leaving the door as it was, Aaron exited into Dongho’s room. Everything looked the same aside from two pens atop the undone sheets. He stepped in, the soles of his shoes sliding cleaning across the carpet. When he reached the other side of the bed, the paper that Jonghyun had dropped caught his eye. He crouched to the floor, picking it up and reading it.
 

He scratched his head. Perhaps getting rid of him would be a lot easier than he’d thought it would. Perhaps all he needed to do was be sure that.... there he went again. He turned his head, catching his own glance in the mirror. He looked at himself. What was he thinking? He’d wanted Minki, sure. But he hadn’t wanted any of his friends dead. Did he? No, he didn’t. He was sure of that, but the more he dreamt of having Minki in his arms, the less disgusted he was with himself. If it meant having the blonde for himself, he would go to any length to make it happen. The idea of Minki loving him and only him had soaked his mind, and the image of Dongho’s demise, preferably not bloody, grew stronger and stronger. What had he felt stronger? Love for the maknae, death for Dongho or hatred for himself for even thinking anything like this from the beginning.
 

But he wanted Minki, and he wanted him badly. So badly, that he stood, folding Dongho’s letter to keep safe in his pocket. He opened the door to his room, checking his closet for a small bag to pack any type of weapon he could find. The first thing he packed were several large shards of glass from the mirror. After that, he inspected the floor of the bathroom where he’d pushed everything from the cabinet. A small pair of surgical scissors would certainly do the trick, but he needed something more. How would he get him to the location of his interest, willingly or not?
 

He rummaged the medications, stumbling upon many types. He’d known nothing of any of them, aside from what they did, and sleeping pills seemed as if they’d been his best bet. He packed them in his bag as well, zipping it, and heading down the stairs to the garage. He unlocked the only other car left and sat in it, turning it on. He waited a moment before pressing the button to open the door of the garage automatically. Once it rose to the top, though, he was off.
 

When he’d gotten onto a main road he’d realized his need to be as careful as he could. He’d needed something to mix the drug with. As Dongho must have left without any food or water, Aaron found it necessary to stop by a convenience store along his route. He knew that he couldn’t have gotten far, and he would be quick with his purchase.
 

In just a few minutes, Aaron was back in the automobile with two bottles of water; one for Dongho and one for himself. Before pulling away, he cracked them open. He reached for his bag, taking a large dose of pills and crushing them into the bottle. He shook it until the evidence disappeared. He was sure to keep the bottles far from each other; he clearly hadn’t wanted to poison himself.
 

He pulled from the driveway and back onto the road, heading closer to the house.
 

---
 

The car flipped once, twice, three times before it came to a full stop. Jonghyun hadn’t wanted to open his eyes in fear of what he would see. Once he was sure that he had stopped moving, he moved his hands from his face, sliding them down his front. Miraculously, the sensed no wounds aside from his knuckles which dripped with blood, and the strong pain in his abdomen. He didn’t want to see what else happened. He continued to feel his way around the automobile. The glass in front of him was broken. As he nicked himself on a shard of glass, he opened his eyes quickly. He could see nothing from the front window but the broken windshield and grass below that.
 

The whiplash had gotten to his head more than anything. He realized finally that he was suspended in the air by his seatbelt; thank heavens he had remembered to fasten it, despite his fear from the beginning. He looked next to him. The passenger side of car was totalled; the leader was only inches from death, and he knew that. His phone was clearly missing, if not destroyed. He’d prayed to any higher power that Minhyun had heard what had happened. Come to think of it, he was surprised he could even remember what he was doing. He’d hoped again that he’d know where to find him, as he was on his way back to the same woodland area where he’d found him earlier that day.
 

Knowing it was obvious that he’d not been able to escape the vehicle on his own, he stayed put. Dongho’s letter was read back to him in his mind, and his heart beat fast. Dongho never was the type of person to act like this; could Minki really have driven him to that point? Jonghyun thought of Minki now. What if Minki’s plan was the same? What if they’d met outside of the house, off to their own location to.... no. Briskly, he forced the idea away. Nonetheless, he had to find them.
 

The smell of smoke hadn’t found his nose until now. Jonghyun carefully turned his head to the side, squinting his eyes to see out through the broken window. Fire. Tears welled in his eyes and flowed as quickly as they could again. Amidst the horror that played before his eyes, he’d wondered what exactly threw him from the road. Had he collided with another car? He couldn’t remember.
 

As he inhaled, his vision became blurry. His thoughts fell to nothing and his eyes heavily closed.
 

---
 

It was raining harder than it ever had. Minki ran, the two handles of the duffle bag he used as shoulder straps, though it wasn’t too heavy to carry on it’s own in one hand. Where was he going? He hadn’t a clue, but his feet kept the same pace as before. He didn’t stop, even after he heard the voice of Dongho (that’s who he thought he’d heard, at least) calling his name.
 

“Ren!” he called. The blonde didn’t turn, but his pace did weaken. He’d not known how long he’d been moving. “Minki! Ren, please!”
 

Dongho reached out, barely able to touch him, as they were both out of breath. His top half fell, as he caught himself with the palms of his hands on his knees. Minki hesitated, but he turned. His face was wet, His face was wet, the salt water tears and rain mixing to sting his skin as he sobbed quietly. He sat where he was, falling to his back on the warm ground. Dongho looked down at him. Once he’d caught his breath, he spoke, his voice shallow.
 

“Please go back.” was what he said. “Please.” he begged as the rain soaked them both. It became heavier now.

“No.” Minki told him calmly. His hands massaged the concrete below them as he took in small breaths of air, several long seconds in between. He moved, hugging the bag to his chest. The frame of the photograph of he and Jonghyun could be felt through the fabric. He sniffled once. “Why should I?”

            “You’ve worried everyone.” Dongho said, unsure. He hadn’t really talked to anyone else that day, but he’d known that he’d worried him, for certain.
 

           Minki was quiet until the sound of the first car he’d seen all night could be heard in the distance. He squinted his eyes as he lifted his head, the headlights burning his corneas.

           Aaron searched the street for Dongho, surprised to find someone with the same stature and physique as him, along with a lankier, light haired boy. He had no reason to believe the two to be anyone else but Dongho and Minki.

           Just as he placed a hand on the door of the car he had come to the realization that he’d have no choice but to drug them both. The eldest of the three crushed more of the soft pills in his hand, opening the clean bottle and adding the substance. He shook it as well. He took both bottles of water in his hands before leaving the car. He looked both ways and crossed the street, walking the distance between them.

           Dongho was taken aback by the sight of Aaron. Aaron approached the two without caution. Minki didn’t bother to sit up when he’d noticed who it was. The pain in his heart welled; he’d hoped it was Jonghyun.

           “Baekho, Ren. Thank god I found you!” Aaron exclaimed as brightly as he could. He smiled as he thought of Dongho limp in his arms. He handed the first bottle to Dongho quickly, setting the other by his side. “I hope you’re alright.” he said, placing a hand on the muscular one’s shoulder. “I’m sorry for earlier.”

           Dongho nodded, opening the bottle and bringing it to his lips. He’d forgotten how thirsty he was, particularly from running. When Minki heard the sound of plastic and water being gulped, he sat up. He looked to Aaron, and then to the full bottle at his side. His eyes were red as his tongue traced his lips. Aaron glanced lovingly at him before handing the bottle to him. He, in his mind, frowned as Minki took his first sip.

           “I wanted to apologize, too.” Dongho lied. His free hand clutched his thigh as he knelt on the ground. The final drop of water slid quickly down his throat, and Aaron grinned more heavily than ever. Out of sheer pride, Aaron took him into a hug, wondering how long it would take before he could carefully carry the two of them back to the car.

           “You brought the car.” Minki said, yawning. The three hadn’t moved for a great long minute before Dongho yawned next. “Could you drive us home?” he kindly asked.
            Dongho shook his head, yawning for a third time. “I don’t want to go home.” He nuzzled his nose in Aaron’s warm neck.

           “Well I do.” Minki protested. His eyes hovered for a moment before closing. A new tear dripped as his eyelids squeezed it from underneath.

           It was working. Aaron grinned again as he moved Dongho from his torso, laying him carefully on the sidewalk. He stood, using the keypad to pop open the trunk of the car before he lifted the light blonde. He carried him swiftly to the vehicle and placed him in the back with great gentleness. He kissed the maknae on the lips while moving a hand against his smooth skin.

           “Don’t worry, Ren. You’re safe with me.” he told the sleeping boy. He watched Minki’s chest rise and fall. He placed a hand over his heart before turning back to the second male.

           He would hardly be able to drag him, let alone carry him into the trunk, but drag him he did. It took all of his strength to lift the larger boy into the car. He closed the trunk quietly, glancing around the street quickly before locking it closed and taking his seat in the front again. He started the car, driving off in the direction of the abandoned studio.