They stepped into the playground with their noses high up in the air. Onew was extra ecstatic as he was the one that held the rock firmly in his hands. With the gang following closely behind him, he climbed up until he was at the highest point on the playground.

“Ahem!” Onew shouted. A few of the students close by grouped in front of him. “This weekend when we went to the beach, we found this rock!” He raised it high into the air.

“So?” Hyunseung asked, his arms crossed. He looked angry at the fact that he was pulled away from his game because of something so irrelevant.

“Well, that... uh...” Onew, growing more flustered by the second, stood there lost in thought.

“I found you!” Junhyung exclaimed pointing at the annoyed Hyunseung before him.

“And you made me lose at Hide and Seek too. Gee, thanks, Onew!” He grumpily made his way to a bench beside the playground.

“Uhh...”

“I think you should come down now.” Kibum whispered loudly from beneath. Onew limply made his way down the stairs once again, joining the others below. “And what did you think you could accomplish with that?”

“Royalty?” His response earned him a good smack on the head from Kibum.

“Really... you’re so... ugh!” Kibum stomped his way out of the sand, Onew tailing him regretfully.

“Come on, don’t be like that!” Onew urged on. Soon the two were out of hearing distance.

A confused Taemin tugged at the sleeve of his two-year hyung. “Don’t ask...” Minho replied. Upset, Taemin walked away, arms crossed.

“Hey Minho, why don’t we play something? How about soccer?” Jonghyun pulled out a soccer ball from nowhere and started kicking it up with his feet.

“Soccer?” A bright orange fire burned in Minho’s eyes. Literally. The two made their way to a patch of grass and started kicking it around.

“And that’s exactly what I thought would happen if I told everyone.” Onew finished. The two sat at opposites end of a long bench.

“Well... I guess you did want to make me queen...” Kibum at his chin. “Fine. I forgive you for your stupidity.”

“Kibum!” Onew threw himself onto Kibum, squeezing the life out of the boy.

“Yes, yes... let go now.” Onew let go of a red Kibum. “Anyways, where’s the rock?”

Onew reached into his right pocket calmly. “The rock? Of course it’s –” Surprised, he dug into his left pocket. Nervously, he checked his back pockets. “Umm... lost?” Once again, Kibum’s fist met the top of Onew’s head. “I’m sorry.” Onew started to sob outloud.

“How could you lose it?! You were so proud of it and everything! I’m mad at you again.” Kibum stormed off. With his head hung, Onew started to follow him.

“But, but... things get lost all the time, Kibum!” Onew tried to reason with the easily-angered Kibum once again.

“That’s five points for me!” Minho cheered kissing his fingers before sending his index finger to the sky.

“Hey... that’s... not... fair...” Jonghyun argued. He was breathing heavily with his hands on his knees. “It... hasn’t even been... three minutes!”

“Yeah, yeah.” Minho rolled the ball under his foot. Suddenly, the fire in his eyes started to burn even more brightly.

“I could... roast marshmallows... there...” Jonghyun murmured to himself in disbelief.

“Let’s go for round two!” Without warning, Minho started to dribble the ball across the grass.

“Wait!” A tired Jonghyun wobbled to a still very upbeat and determined Minho.

“See, Kibum? Things like that just happen.” Onew said. They once again made their ways to the opposite ends of the bench.

“Well... I guess I lose things too... Like that... weird thing you made in art class the other day. What was it?” Kibum said scratching at his temple.

“It. Was. Spe-cial!” Onew barked. Kibum whimpered. “It was a special card, just for you! And you lost it?!”

“Well, Onew... let’s not get hasty here...”

Onew started to inch his way towards Kibum. “You... lost it?!”

“Hey, we... should... go find the rock! Yeah. This can wait for later! Let’s go find the rock. Okay?” Onew’s expression started to loosen, but he needed an extra reason to fully back down. “You know the whole group revolves around that rock. Do you really want to tell them that you lost it?! What kind of leader would you be? What kind of... king, would you be?” Onew’s eyes started to twinkle with determination.

“You’re right, dear Kibummie! We must go find the rock that bonds the five of us together!” Onew jumped up from the bench and pointed ahead of him.

“Wow... he sure is easy to reason with...” Kibum mumbled under his breath. “Stupid...”

“This way, Kibum! I can feel it!” Onew started to walk away so an intrigued Kibum followed behind. “We’ll find it!”

“Ohhh, yeah!” Minho his fists into the air. “Twenty to zero. You’re gonna lose, hyung!” He started to laugh evilly to himself.

“This person... it isn’t Minho... He’s possessed!” Jonghyun tried to tip-toe away only to be stopped mid-step by a now angered Minho.

“Where are you going, hyung?”

“Just... water... bathroom... Taemin’s crying?”

“Taemin?” Minho suddenly snapped back to himself. “Where is he?” He started to walk off, calling his name every few seconds.

“Phew. I saved myself...” Jonghyun, who was unconsciously tired the whole game, collapsed on the grass beneath him.

“Taemin?” Minho tried again. Looking at his watch, they only had two minutes left before recess was over. “Where is he...?” Just then, Onew and Kibum came into view. “Hey!” He started waving his arm. The two, seeing him, headed his way.

“What is it, Minho? I’m on a very important mission right now.” Onew told him impatiently.

“I can’t find Taemin.”

“Eh? You can’t find him? Aren’t you always with him? And by always with him I literally mean always with him?” Kibum butted in surprised.

“Well... Jonghyun suggested we play soccer and the next thing I know, there’s only two minutes left of recess.” Onew and Kibum sighed deeply.

“You always get like that.” Kibum told him.

“Get like what?”

“Nevermind.”

“Anyways, let’s go find Taemin!” Just as they were about to separate, they heard a light snoozing sound coming from the slide.

“Is it... a bear?!”

“Don’t be stupid, Onew.” Kibum smacked the back of Onew’s head with an open hand. The three stepped closer to the source of the sound. Curled up into a ball under the slide was Taemin. A faint glow emanated from his clasped hands.

“It’s.”

“The.”

“Taemin!” Minho interrupted. He picked the boy up in his arms. His big brown eyes slowly fluttered open.

“Hyung...?”

“I was looking for you...”

“You didn’t want to play with me so I got mad! I went up the playground and found the shiny rock! Then I went down the slide, but I was tired. Then I went under the slide because it was hot and I fell asleep.” Taemin explained opening his hands. Indeed the rock laid in his hands. Carefully, Onew took the rock from the toddler.

“Sorry, Taemin.” Minho said putting the child down. He held onto his hand tightly as they headed in. Just as they walked away, the bell rung.

“See? I didn’t lose it. Taemin was just holding onto it for me.” Onew tried to reason. His bad excuse earned him yet another hit on the head.

“Let’s go.” Kibum grabbed onto Onew’s wrist tightly as he dragged him back into the school.

Later...

“That was a fun day of school, huh, Taemin?” Minho asked. His dongseng nodded happily. “Especially recess playing soc-... Wait! Where’s Jonghyun?!” Minho sprinted back towards the field to find a still unmoving Jonghyun. “Is he... dead?” He took a big gulp before deciding to poke at the body.

Lifelessly, Jonghyun faced him, a tired smile on his face. “Hey... Minho...”

“Oh my god, you need... you need an ambulance! No, maybe... uh, your mom?! The teacher?! Who?! Who?!” Minho paced back and forth while thinking of who he should tell. He spent the next half an hour thinking while Jonghyun continued his much needed nap.