In Soo Min’s room.

Woohyun: And here’s… SOO MIN!

Soo Min: O.O

Sungjong: She’s safe, readers! No need to worry!

Soo Min: O.O

Woohyun: She’s baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

Sunggyu: Show off.

Soo Min: O.O

Sungjong: You might scare them! Back away from the screen a little.

Soo Min: o.o *turns on the T.V*

Hoya: We’ve prepared something for you guys today!

Dongwoo: Yeah! We were at the library the other day and guess what we found!

Hoya: Ta-da!

Dongwoo: My dear fellow, if you could be so kind as to tell us what you’re holding.

Hoya: Why certainly! This is a book on hypnotism.

Dongwoo: Now please enlighten the audience as to whom our lucky test subject shall be.

Hoya: I don’t know if they’re ready…

Dongwoo: You’re right. They might not be able to handle it.

Sungjong: *raises his hands and jumps up and down* I’M READY! I’M READY! I’M READY!

Woohyun pushes Sungjong’s face away.

Woohyun: Just get on with it already.

Hoya, Dongwoo: *look at each other* SUNGYEOL!

Dongwoo: Revenge…

Sunggyu: He’s with Myungsoo right now. Let’s go test this baby out.

Everyone except Soo Min leaves.

Woohyun: Aren’t you coming?

Soo Min shakes her head.

Woohyun pulls Soo Min away but she scrambles back to her spot in front of the screen. He grabs her legs. She instinctively holds tightly onto the T.V.

Woohyun: Let… GO!

Soo Min: Never!

Woohyun tickles her and receives a kick to his stomach.

Woohyun: Come on! It’s hypnotism! At the very least, it’s SUNGYEOL! Be mad! Be a Dongwoo!

Woohyun continues pulling her legs as he walks out the door while she drags the T.V. with her. However, the T.V. gets stuck in the doorway.

Soo Min: Noooooo!

Woohyun cackles as he pulls her into Infinite’s room.

Sungyeol is sitting in a recliner while Sungjong massages his shoulders.

Sungyeol: Maknae! Up higher! On the neck!

Sungjong: *fake pouts* Aww… my hands are tired… but for you, my wonderful hyung, okay. *smiles evilly*

Dongwoo: *reclines the chair back even further* Is this more comfortable?

Sungyeol nods.

Myungsoo: Why are you guys being so nice to him all of a sudden?

Sunggyu: We’ve realized how underappreciated our dear Sungyeolie is so we want to make it up to him. *goes downstairs, laughs his off, and reenters the room calmly*

Hoya: Do you feel content right now?

Sungyeol: Mhmm.

Hoya: Now we’re going to relax all of your muscles, okay?

Sungyeol: *nods head* Okay.

Hoya: Don’t say anything. Just nod your head.

Sungyeol: *nods head* I’m nodding my head.

Hoya: Don’t say you’re nodding your head. Just do it.

Sungyeol: *nods head* I’m nodding my head.

Hoya: No, you don’t have to tell me you’re nodding your head. Just nod.

Sungyeol: *nods head* I’m nodding my head.

Hoya: Okay, forget the nodding part. We’re forgetting the nodding. Just breathe in.

Sungyeol inhales deeply.

…

Hoya: BREATHE OUT! BREATHE OUT!

Sungyeol gasps for air.

Hoya: Now try and visualize all of the muscles in your body.

Sungyeol: Gross.

Hoya: Start with your shoulders. Feel them relaxing. Feel them loosening up… Then, your arms and now move down to your legs. Just relax them all; pretend they don’t exist.

Sungyeol falls off the chair.

Hoya: What are you doing? Get back on there.

Sungyeol: I can’t. I don’t have any muscles.

Dongwoo heaves him onto the recliner.

Dongwoo: (muttering) Revenge isn’t worth it.

Hoya: Imagine a door in your mind. And outside of that door is a great, big, giant trash bin.

Sungyeol: It’s stinky…

Hoya: A brand-new giant trash bin.

Sungyeol: You forgot to remove the price sticker.

Hoya: A brand-new untagged bin.

Sungyeol: What color is it?

Hoya: I don’t know. *shrugs* Blue…

Sungyeol: Aww… why can’t it be pink?

Hoya: FINE. IT’S PINK. Can we continue on now?

Sungyeol: *nods head* I’m nodding my head.

Hoya: You’re going to take all of your thoughts and slowly imagine yourself dumping them in the bin. Literally throw away your worries. Forget about stress. It’s gone; it doesn’t exist anymore.

Sungyeol sighs and smiles.

Hoya: Good. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. Just keep doing that.

After a few minutes, Sungyeol appears to be sleeping.

Hoya: When I count to three, your brain will be experiencing a little change in authority.

Sungyeol: *nods head* I’m nodding my head.

Hoya: 1...

Sungyeol: My is itchy.

Hoya: 2...

Sungyeol: Can you sit back a little? Your breath smells.

Hoya: 3. Sungyeol?

Sungyeol: I am at your command.

Dongwoo, Sunggyu, Sungjong, Woohyun: Finally!

Soo Min: Shh! It’s getting to the good part.

Woohyun: What are you do—ARE YOU WATCHING THE MOVIE? How are you even— Give me those binoculars!

Soo Min: *shakes her head* I’m shaking my head.

Woohyun: *tackles her* Give me—give them to me. Stop it! Hand them over! Give it—SOO MIN! GIVE THEM—AARGH!

Sunggyu: *sigh* Always fighting…

Sungjong: What should we make Sungyeol do?

Dongwoo: Pretend he’s a girl!

Sunggyu: What if he becomes attracted to one of us…

Hoya: And starts doing those things that he does when he’s drunk…

They all shudder.

Myungsoo: Wait a minute… you aren’t being nice to him! And here, I finally thought you guys had turned over a new leaf.

Sungjong: You think too highly of us.

Dongwoo: *flipping through the book* Well, it says here that we need talk him into a happy state of mind before we can give him any commands.

Hoya: Sungyeol, can you think back to one happy memory for me?

Sungyeol: The time when we tricked Dongwoo into thinking that he was in a coma.

Dongwoo: *eyes widen* That was all a lie? You guys kept telling me for days that I needed to wake up!

Woohyun: And you did.

Dongwoo: Yeah… after I went to sleep!

Woohyun: So see? We woke you up from a coma!

Dongwoo: But I wasn’t in one!

Woohyun: Because we woke you up!

Dongwoo: If I really was in that kind of state, then—

Woohyun: dinosaurs almost became extinct.

Dongwoo: No, then—

Woohyun: the world would’ve been a better place.

Dongwoo: No, then—

Woohyun: you would’ve donated your brain towards the research of psychologically erratic and delusional mental patients.  

Dongwoo: THEN WHAT CAUSED IT, HUH?

Myungsoo: Hoya, time?

Hoya: 12.2 seconds.

Sungjong: *claps* A decrease of six seconds from your last record!

Sunggyu: Ahem, Sungyeol!

Hoya: Oh, right! Wait, we still haven’t thought of what he should do.

Soo Min: *lowers her binoculars* Why don’t you just make him think he’s a little kid again?

Woohyun: I thought I— *pulls her first pair of binoculars out of his pocket* Where did you get those?

Soo Min: Spare.

Woohyun: Give them to me! Hand them over right now.

Soo Min: *shakes her head* I’m shaking my head.

Woohyun: Will you stop that? Just be good and give those binoculars to me. Give—SOO MIN! Come back here! Give me what’s in your hands right now!

Sunggyu: The kid idea… That’s pretty good. Brilliant, actually. We can make that lazyass do some chores around here for once. Kids are more gullible anyways.

Sungjong: Really?

Sunggyu: How do you think we got you to do all of those—uhh… *clears his throat* forget what I just said..

Sungjong: (thinking) I’m going to the library tomorrow. Just you wait, Sunggyu.

Dongwoo: Where’s Woohyun? Wasn’t he here just now?

They look at Soo Min. No Woohyun there. They lower their eyes; she’s sitting on his back with both of his legs locked behind one of her arms. His own arms are flailing about as he swims tries to free himself.

Dongwoo: Should we save him?

Sunggyu, Myungsoo, Dongwoo, Hoya, Sungjong: …Nah.

Woohyun: YAH!

Hoya: Sungyeol, are you still there?

Sungyeol: *nods head* I’m nodding my head.

Hoya: Try and think about your childhood. Pick any year. Focus on that time.

Sungyeol smiles.

Hoya: How do you feel? Are you happy?

Sungyeol’s smile grows wider.

Hoya: Think about how much you just love being a kid.

Dongwoo: So what happens next?

Hoya: The book said to wait. He’s suppose to wake up when he’s read—

Sungyeol: *springs up suddenly* What are we going to do today? Do we get to play? We get to play, right? I WANT TO PLAY!!

Hoya and Sungjong look at each other and smile.

Myungsoo: I don’t have a good feeling about this.

Sungjong: Sungyeol.

Sungyeol: Yes, hyung?

Sungjong turns around, fists pumps, and faces Sungyeol again.

Sungjong: We want to play with you so very much. But we just can’t.

Sungyeol: *blinks* …Why?

Sunggyu: (to Sungjong) Let the expert handle this.

Sungjong: *glares* (thinking) A book... Any book… I’m going to get you… All I need is a book…

Sunggyu: We can’t because we have so much work to do. And even if we did somehow manage to finish, we’d be too tired to play. If only there was someone here that could help us…

Sungyeol: I’LL DO IT! I’LL DO IT! Me me me! If I do it, will you play with me?

Sunggyu: Hmm… you’re just a kid. You couldn’t possibly do these sorts of things. These are veryimportant, grownup things.

Sungyeol: I’m old enough! I’m strong! *lifts up his sleeves and flexes his arms* See?

Sunggyu: If you insist. The dishes need to be washed, the trash taken out, and the bottom floor needs to be vacuumed. Why don’t you start with the dishes?

Sungyeol: Gotcha! *salutes and leaves*

Hoya and Dongwoo hi-five.

Myungsoo: Seriously, I don’t think this is right.

Sunggyu: Don’t be such a worrywart. Let’s just sit back and relax.

Woohyun: What’s that noise?

…

Infinite: SUNGYEOL!

They all run downstairs. Sungyeol’s sitting in the sink, splashing around.

Sungyeol: Oh hello! Would you like to join me?

Sunggyu: What do you think you’re doing? You’re supposed to be washing the dishes!

Sungyeol: I am!

Sunggyu: *narrows eyes* Really? Well where are they?

Sungyeol: In the dishwasher.

Sunggyu: *opens cover* There’s nothing in here. *narrows eyes even more* Where are all the bowls and spoons and forks and stuff?

Sungyeol: Wait… That’s the dishwasher? Oh…

Sunggyu: Yes, that’s the dishwasher. *narrows eyes so much that they disappear into his face* Why? What did you think it was?

Sungyeol: A place to dry my clothes after I finish swimming! *flings some water into Leader’s face*

Sunggyu: Don’t tell me… you didn’t… *runs off* OH MY GOD SUN!

Sunggyu stomps back, fuming.

Sunggyu: YOU PUT THE DISHES IN THE WASHING MACHINE?!

Sungyeol: At least it’s a washer. AH! I’m a prune! Time to get out of the pooly before I become I like you, hyung!

Sunggyu continues to glare at him as he climbs out of the sink. Suddenly, Sungyeol takes off his clothes. Everyone covers their eyes; Woohyun uses his other hand to cover Soo Min’s.

Hoya: Put them back on immediately! 

Sungyeol: I might catch a cold! *throws his clothes into the dishwasher and shakes his body around happily* FREEDOM! Okay, time to take out the trash!

Myungsoo glares at Sunggyu.

Sunggyu: Why are you looking at me? I didn’t undress him.

Myungsoo: Regardless of whether or not you did just strip him—which is an inconceivably disgusting idea—you are the leader and the oldest and therefore, the most responsible for this—this mess.

Sunggyu: What mess?

Myungsoo: There is a 19-year-old ghost who think he’s a kid and he’s running around in his undies.

Dongwoo: *snickers* You said “undies”.

Sunggyu: Why don’t we just leave it and see what happens next? It can’t get any—

Woohyun: WHO KEEPS PEEING?

They shift their eyes to Soo Min.

Soo Min: I’m potty-trained.

Woohyun: No, not on me. I mean, in the bathroom upstairs! Someone keeps flushing! This month’s water bill is going to be ridiculous if they keep this up.

Dongwoo: You do realize that this isn’t our house, right?

Sunggyu: Let’s see, there’s 1, 2… 5… 7. That’s all of us, excluding Sungyeol, of course.

…

Infinite: SUNGYEOL!

They all run upstairs; Soo Min flops along as Woohyun drags her by her arms.  

Dongwoo: Why is there water everywhere?

They follow the puddle of water to its origin, the bathroom, and peek inside. Sungyeol is standing by the toilet with a cheeky smile on his face and a half-empty bag of trash in his hands.

Sungyeol: Hiya!

Sungjong: I thought you were going to take the trash out.

Sungyeol: I am, hyung!

Sungjong: I would normally be agitated by now but then I heard “hyung”.

Sungyeol: Because you’re my hyung! *does a thumbs-up*

Sungjong: Can we keep him like this forever? Please? Pretty, pretty please?

Dongwoo: What are you doing with the trash?

Sungyeol: Flushing it.

Dongwoo: We can see that. Why are you flushing it?

Sungyeol: To dump it.

Dongwoo: Okay… but why there?

Sungyeol: Isn’t this where… you know… dumping…

Hoya: *facepalms* That’s not what it means!

Sungyeol: But trash is crap. And the toilet is for crap.

Sunggyu: I can’t deal with this right now.

Sungyeol:  It’s all waste.

Dongwoo: I can kind of see his point. Some people do do that.

Sungyeol: *giggles* Hyung said, “do do”.

Sunggyu: I’m getting too old for this. Stress!

Woohyun: The sad thing is: kid Sungyeol is just like adult Sungyeol.

Myungsoo: Except kid Sungyeol messes upby accident.

Sungyeol: Oh .  

Sungjong: Sungyeol! That is a veybad word! Where you did you learn it?

Sungyeol looks down at his feet.

Sunggyu: Tell me or I’m going to make you wash your mouth out with soap.

Sungyeol points to the culprit.

Sunggyu: Woohyun! *smacks him upside the head* Don’t go around influencing kids with your delinquent ways!

Sungyeol: You hyungs talk too much. I’m going to finish my work.

Sungyeol dumps the rest of the contents into the toilet…

Everyone: NOOO!!

…and flushes, sending more water out onto the floor.

Sungyeol: Oops... did I do that?

Sunggyu: Oh my neck!

Sungyeol: I am one task away from playing! Do yunho what time it is? *makes a face and uses a deep monster voice* VACCUUM TIME!

Sungyeol runs downstairs and starts up the machine.

Sunggyu: On the bright side, it’s only vacuuming. How could he possibly mess that up?

Hoya: Yeah, it’s can’t get any worse.

Myungsoo: Idiots. It can and it will get worse.

Sunggyu: Myungsoo, sometimes you are a pissy little fellow.

Something explodes downstairs.

Myungsoo: Told you so.

Sunggyu: You’re still a pissy person. (muttering) And petty stubborn .

They all walk downstairs this time.

Sungjong: Readers, as you can see, we’re not in a rush.

Myungsoo: What’s the use in running towards a disaster anyways?

Sungjong: Mhmm.

They come down only to find the whole living room and Sungyeol covered in dust.

Hoya: Sungyeol, now what did you do?

Sungyeol: *sniffs* I just wanted to help so hyungs could play with me.

Dongwoo: What happened?

Sunggyu bends down and picks something up by his feet.

Sunggyu: Is this… a fork?

Sungyeol nods and wipes some tears from his face.

Sunggyu: Why are the dishes on the ground and not in the washing ma—dishwasher­?

Sungyeol: I took them out to dry them.

Woohyun: Let me guess: you tried drying them with the vacuum, didn’t you?

Sungyeol: I was just cleaning a spoon when all of a sudden, it went WOOSH! and into the big thing attached to the suction. And when I was drying the forks and knives, they all went WOOSH! too!

Sunggyu: So the explosion we heard was the vacuum. It probably couldn’t handle all that stuff that went in.

Sungyeol: *cries even harder now* Now you guys won’t play with me!

Sungjong hugs him while the rest pat his shoulders and head.

Hoya: Don’t cry anymore. You didn’t have to do all of this.

Myungsoo: Liar.

Sunggyu: We’ll still play with you. We don’t care that you just ruined almost all of the dishes, flooded the bathroom, and made the living room into a dust bunny playground.

Myungsoo: My ears have gone deaf from all of these lies.

Woohyun shoves Myungsoo away.

Sungjong: I think it’s about time we return him to his normal age.

Dongwoo: That’s probably for the best anyways. I think, at this point, it’s safe to say that it can’t get any worse.

Hoya: Uh… one problem.

Sunggyu: What is it?

Hoya: We have to wait for him to “come back” to us.

Sunggyu: *snatches book* WHAT?! That can’t be… oh my back…

Hoya: *takes the book back and reads* “Warning: there is no known immediate solution to hypnosis. With time, the subject will return to his/her state prior to the start of the treatment.”

Sunggyu: Aw .

Sungyeol: What the hell? And I can’t say, “”?

Sunggyu: That’s a totally different situation. I’m 21 and you’re only—hold on a minute. *narrows his eyes (for the hundredth time today)* What did you just say?

Sungyeol: Uh… can we play now?

Sunggyu: You stopped crying.

Sungyeol: *sniffs* I didn’t mean to make such a big, bad mess!

Sunggyu: You! You’re faking!

Sungyeol: *looks up with wide eyes and pouts* Hyung, what are you talking about?

Dongwoo holds Sungyeol by the shoulders and stares into his eyes… And then slaps him.

Sungyeol: Motherfu—umm… ow! It hurts! *starts to cry again* This mean bully hurt me!

Sungjong: You really are faking!

Sungyeol: Of course! You really think you guys know how to hypnotize someone! And you’re using some crappy kid’s book no less!

Hoya: Kid’s book? *turns the book over* “This book comes with easy-to-follow instructions and illustrations, perfect for guiding young, aspiring magicians through each step. Your child will become a pro in no time” Oh.

Woohyun: You guys got a children’s book?!

Hoya: Dongwoo, which section of the library did you get this from?

Dongwoo tries to discreetly leave the room, but Soo Min grabs him by the collar and pulls him back.

Soo Min: Woohyun’s been doing that to me all day.

Sunggyu: Dongwoo, tell us the truth now. Which section is that blasted book from?

Dongwoo: …The one I usually go to.

Woohyun: Which one is that?

Sungjong whispers the answer to Woohyun, whose expression slowly becomes sour.

Dongwoo: I like pictures!

Myungsoo: So... this was a fail, right?

Sunggyu: *grits his teeth* Yes, Myungsoo.

Myungsoo: Okay. Just wanted to make sure that you guys were wrong and I was right.

His face is smug as he walks outside.

Sungjong: Where are you going?

Myungsoo: Where winners go.

Sunggyu: Pissy.

Soo Min goes upstairs but then runs down almost immediately.

Soo Min: The water is getting closer to my room. If it destroys my T.V.… *her face darkens* I will destroy all of you.

They turn towards Sungyeol who is celebrating his successful deceit by throwing clumps of dust into the air and then sticking them all over his damp body.

Sungyeol: Look! I’m a chicken! A dirty chicken!

Hoya: We may have tried to hypnotize him but we didn’t tell him to go crazy.

Sunggyu: SUNGYEOL! You will clean all of this up right now!

Sungyeol: Aww, why me?

Soo Min: ALL OF YOU will clean this up.

Sunggyu: What? Why us too?

Soo Min: You are all equally responsible. He may have physically carried out the actions but you gave him the motive!

Sunggyu: That’s not fair! We—

Soo Min begins to flare.

Sunggyu: —will certainly clean this up.  

She puts on her shoes and walks out.

Sungjong: Where are you going?

Soo Min: Where winners go.

Sunggyu: *sighs* Let’s just start, you guys. Sungyeol, go get another vacuum bag.

Sungyeol:  *nods head* I’m nodding my head.

Sunggyu: Aish! Jugoshipo?!

--------------------

A/N: There are a few references to kpop and variety shows. This was a pretty long chapter so I don’t remember the exact number but I know that there’s one for Running Man and two for DBSK/TVXQ. 

Myungsoo: Did you guys find all of them?

Sunggyu: You’re not allowed to be here! Since you’re a winner and all.

Woohyun: Soo Min-ah, Sunggyu just said that you should go away.

Sunggyu: That’s not what I meant!

Soo Min: *growls* You’re dead.

Sunggyu: My body is not ready!

Sungyeol: *winks* Would you like me to help with that? I can pretend to be a girl and do those things I do when I’m drunk.

Sunggyu: I need a brainwash. My innocent mind has been tainted!!

Myungsoo: *snickers* I think that book has a section on brainwashing somewhere.

Hoya: Innocent? I borrowed your laptop once and I found something rather interesting.

Sungjong: What is it? Was it a fun game?

Hoya: Well, for Sunggyu, I guess it was--

Sunggyu: If you shut up now, I'll give you 15,000 won. 

Hoya: 20,000.

Sunggu: Fine. 

Dongwoo: I’ve just realized something. 

Hoya: What?

Dongwoo: This is a character’s corner within a character’s corner.

Infinite: O.O

Soo Min: O.O

Sungjong: Noona! What did I tell you?!