The fifth month

"Howonnie..." Sunggyu groaned from underneath the covers, "Turn off your noisy music! I can't sleep!"

"Hyung! Time to wake up! It's already noon time!" Howon poked his head in to the room.

"I'm tired.. Just kindly let me sleep, okay?" Sunggyu mumbled, going deeper in to the blanket.

Howon sighed. "Hyung~ Wake up! I'm bored!"

Sunggyu ignored him and continued his beauty sleep.

"Hyung, if you don't wake up, I'm going to-", "Fine! I'm up." Sunggyu grumbled, glaring at the dancer.

"Hyung, get on my back. Let's go and eat. I have good things!" Howon said excitedly, Sunggyu rolled his eyes and wrapped his arms around the younger's neck.

'Hyung has gotten so light.' Howon thought as he carried Sunggyu to the kitchen where lots of dishes were laid out nicely.

"Yah, are you crazy? It's only the two of us. Why did you prepare so much?" Sunggyu smacked Howon's head, "Hyung, that hurts!"

After a few mouthfuls, Sunggyu leaned back on his chair and sighed, "I can't eat anymore. Too full." he patted on his stomach.

"But hyung..." Howon said in a soft voice, "You barely ate anything. You used to be able to finish everything."

The house was suddenly engulfed in silence.

"Howon-ah," Sunggyu started, but Howon cut him off by a look, saying he wasn't ready for what Sunggyu was going to say.

The phone in the house started ringing and broke the awkward silence between the two.

Howon got up from his seat and went to answer the phone while Sunggyu watched him. Howon's expression changed almost every minute in to the phone call.

Sunggyu gasped silently when he kind of realize who was the caller. He looked at the calendar for confirmation and knew his guessing was right.

Minutes later, Howon came back with a dark aura surrounding him and sat back down on his chair.

Now it seems like Howon was the leader instead of Sunggyu as Sunggyu clasped his hand tightly under the table waiting for Howon to lash out at him.

But nothing that sounds angry came, instead, when Howon spoke, his voice was coated with such pain and disappointment that Sunggyu cringed.

"Hyung," Howon said, without looking at the older man seated opposite him, "Why didn't you tell me you had an appointment at the hospital today?"

"Howon, I-",

"Did you forget the promise?",

"I-",

"You promised you would tell us about the appointments with the hospital so we could bring you there! And that was why we let you moved here! But you broke your promise!" Howon wanted to shout at the leader so much, but he tried to hold his anger in.

Sunggyu let Howon finished and then made sure the younger was ready to listen to him, he spoke.

"I didn't mean to not tell you." he started, but Howon cut him off again.

"Really?" Sarcasm filled, "What about Myungsoo? Dongwoo hyung?!"

"I admit. I had hid it from them on purpose, but I really did forgot about this month appointment! I'm sorry.." Sunggyu said, placing his elbows on the table and hid his head between his hand.

He wanted to run and hide, so that nobody can find him. But he can't. Because he had lost the ability to.

".. Hyung. If you don't go for those-", "Howon-yah, you don't understand." Sunggyu said tiredly.

His voice drained of energy. He felt like he could sleep forever. He wanted to, but he can't. Because of the six of them, he can't. Because he loves them so much, he can't bear to just leave in that way. He was so tired... Tired of holding on... But he had to.

"Yes. I don't understand." Howon answered truthfully, and his words made Sunggyu winced.

"Can we go back to the room? If I look at these for any longer, I think I'm going to puke." Sunggyu muttered, suddenly feeling nauseated looking at the food.

Howon complied and carried him back to the room.

"Hyung, you're pale. Get some rest." Howon said, totally forgetting about what they were talking about once he saw Sunggyu's face.

"..." Sunggyu sat on the bed, refusing to rest.

"...Hyung." Howon said, trying to coax him to rest, at least a little.

"Howon, would you still go to the hospital, knowing that you will die no matter what?" Sunggyu asked, in such a fragile voice that Howon felt his heart break.

Howon couldn't answer him. Because his answer was no. He wouldn't go. Because he will still die. So why bother.

Sunggyu gave a weak laugh, "Then tell me, will you be afraid that you will leave before your time is even up?"

Howon was stunned at the moment. Completely shocked. He dropped the vase he was holding on, and the glass fell to the ground. Shattering in to bits and pieces, completely what was of his heart that moment.

Sunggyu didn't even flinch at the shattering, he just stays there, staring off in to space, Howon stood frozen, then started cleaning up.

"I'm scared." Sunggyu finally said.

Howon continued to pick up the pieces of glass on the ground, trying to ignore the hot liquid spilling from his eyes and falling on the ground, forming a small pool of water.

His vision blurred. "Hyung. Go to sleep."

"Howon, what if I can't wake up anymore?" Sunggyu hugged his knees close to his chest.

Howon dropped the things and climbed in to bed with Sunggyu, immediately hugging Sunggyu tight, like his life depended on it.

Indeed, part of his life depended on Sunggyu. These recent years, he had spent more time with Sunggyu then his parents, Sunggyu took care of him while he was sick, cared for him when he was injured, bought food for him, and had helped in through hard times during their career, he wouldn't dare to imagine what life would be without Sunggyu.

"Howon-ah, have you ever felt so tired that you wished you could just shut down your mind and not wake up forever?" Sunggyu choked.

Howon felt his whole body being torn in to half. That's the kind of pain he was feeling. He wanted to say something. Something. Just a word. He opened his mouth, nothing comes out. He closes it, took in a breath, opens it, and it's still the same.

"I'm so weak now. I feel tired, even after sleeping for hours and hours. If I can, I would really want to sleep forever. But there's you, Woohyunnie, and the rest, you guys are what is holding me up till now. So please Howon, please, don't break before me."

"Hyung. I promise. I'll be strong, so you must too." Howon finally forced some words out.

A day when there's only one voice.

Howon woke up, the weather was pretty bad, lightning flashed across the sky, followed by the thunder which caused the whole room to vibrate.

He turned and saw the leader, already awake, looking at him, but with tears streaming down his face continuously.

He started to panic, "Hyung, why are you crying?" it was not like Sunggyu to be afraid of such weathers.

Sunggyu looked at Howon, opening his mouth, only to choke out something incoherent.

"Hyung, what's wrong." Howon asked, getting up and placing his hand on Sunggyu's forehead, checking for fever, but he wasn't burning.

"I'm taking you to the hospital." Howon stated and went to change.

Hours later, they returned home, with Howon knowing what really did happened.

Sunggyu had lost the ability to talk too.

"Hyung, do you want water?" Howon tried to smile, Sunggyu nodded.

Howon came back and settled down on the couch with Sunggyu.

"...H-Ho.." Sunggyu tried to speak, "Yes hyung?" Howon immediately asked.

Sunggyu opens his mouth again.

"I..." he tried very hard to say the next word, but Howon waited patiently, "... S-so-rry..."

Howon pulled Sunggyu in to his arms and hugged him tightly, letting his own tear slip in to Sunggyu's hair.

"Hyung, there's no need to be sorry." Howon wiped away his tear before smiling at Sunggyu.

Sunggyu shakes his head and points to the room.

Howon brought him to the room and sat beside him till he fell asleep.

After placing a kiss on Sunggyu's forehead, Howon then left the room, he went to the kitchen and broke in to tears.

Realizing Sunggyu may be able to hear him, he covered his mouth with his palm and continued to cry.

The voice he had loved so much, he'll never be able to hear it. Ever again. The voice that all Inspirits loved, is gone.

He called Woohyun later, and the same thing happened at Infinite's dorm.

Kim Sunggyu has 1 month left.

Somehow, I feel like this story isn't that sad anymore... Seems to be losing its Angst element in it.. :3

Anyway, hope you guys liked this chapter! ^^ Comment! I love comments!