With all of Baekhyun's and Yixing's feverish activity throughout the day, the hours pass quickly. The two busy bodies hardly notice the absence of practically half the household and continue preparations as the heat of day diffuses with the dwindling rays of light - not that they could tell down in the bunker anyway. Dedicating his focus to Chanyeol has allowed Baekhyun to forget about Kris, Sehun, and Luhan's mission, distracting him from the fact that they still aren't back yet with what they need. Luckily for him, Yixing has been keeping him fairly busy trying to figure out the best way to use Baekhyun for Chanyeol's sake, and he's been more than willing to do whatever the doctor says. For all Baekhyun cares, he'd do pretty much anything if it meant reviving Chanyeol.

As for Jongin and Kyungsoo, they can't say they've been particularly productive today. Most of their activities have involved washing dishes, sitting around awkwardly, and generally avoiding one another. After facing rejection for the sixth time, Jongin eventually gave up trying to help Yixing and Baekhyun and joined Kyungsoo in the living space, where the older spent most of the day reading archived newspapers Kris managed to collect throughout the summer. Much to Kyungsoo's dismay, there wasn't anything terribly recent as presses must have stopped publishing for miles. Still, he was surprised to find that there were some from within the month from places he had never heard of.

Jongin carefully avoids speaking with Kyungsoo, and it seems like he's successful since the officer never looks up from behind the yellowing newsprint pages. In an attempt to feel useful, Jongin idly tidies up around the place. He grabs a rag from the kitchen to dust off the few shelves and furniture pieces in the room, every so often organizing whatever books or trinkets he found. He soon realizes that he can take refuge in the kitchen by putting away the now-dry dishes, simultaneously putting a comfortable distance between Kyungsoo and himself.

It's not that Jongin actually wants to avoid Kyungsoo. And it's not like he's the type to hold grudges either. But the uncomfortable disagreement between the two of them makes it hard for Jongin to keep calm and restrain himself from snapping at him - another uncharacteristic trait of Jongin. It's childish, he thinks, but Jongin just can't understand Kyungsoo, nor does Kyungsoo make it any easier for him to figure him out either. With science, it's easy. If Jongin doesn't understand, he just researches enough on Google or buries his face in a textbook to find the answers. But he can't really do that with people. Especially when "people" involves cryptic and somewhat irrational Kyungsoo. 

After parsing through his thoughts, Jongin considers that maybe perhaps he's the one being somewhat irrational. As Jongin stacks all the bowls together, he thinks to himself, Well, it's not like I know the whole story... Even though Jongin's first impression of the cop was a rather intense one, he couldn't seem to justify Kyungsoo as a hateful person. No, that's not it, Jongin thinks. Maybe Baekhyun could have actually done something horrible in the past that would fuel Kyungsoo's unshakable determination to turn the guy in. I mean, considering how Baekhyun betrayed Luhan, it wouldn't be very surprising if he did something like that to Kyungsoo too. Jongin plays with the idea, thinking of possible scenarios of what went down as he himself plops down to place the bowls in a lower cupboard. He doesn't really know if that's their proper home, but he decides it's a logical place to put them. Jongin lets the thoughts stew in his mind, rising from his position on the floor and ambling over to the stove to heat some water.

A nervous gulp of air and two piping hot cups of tea later, Jongin sits adjacent to Kyungsoo, placing the cups onto the small coffee table next to them.

"I made you some tea," Jongin announces while pushing it toward the older. Kyungsoo's owl eyes are magnified by his round-rimmed glasses, peering over the page he was reading before lowering his paper defenses. Just like this morning, Kyungsoo's eyes were once again locked onto Jongin, and the younger squirms a bit, not unfamiliar with the officer's burning stare. "Um," Jongin mumbles.

Kyungsoo's small "thanks" comes after what seems like an eternity, but it finally breaks his stare, prompting him to receive the cup and drink the tea almost leisurely. It surprises Jongin how Kyungsoo doesn't even flinch from the heat of the steam fogging his face, let alone the near boiling liquid touching his lips.

"So," Jongin's gaze lingers anywhere but on Kyungsoo as he speaks. His fingers thread through his hair out of nervousness, mindlessly grabbing at the strands and he tugs softly as he tries to think of what to say. "Anything, uh, interesting in there?" Jongin finally looks over toward Kyungsoo, but only for a short moment as he quickly averts his eyes to the newspaper in Kyungsoo's lap. But even then he goes back to staring at a wall, beating around the bush in such a painfully obvious way. Which of course doesn't get past Kyungsoo.

Originally Kyungsoo thinks he should just oblige him, but in his mind, it would only perpetuate the awkwardness, which isn't all too appealing to him either. The only way Kyungsoo can see the situation is not too different from peeling off a bandaid while the wound is still raw and the bandaid is abnormally sticky. And unless Jongin just somehow enjoys the agony - which, from the distraught look in his eyes, makes Kyungsoo think that's not the case - it would just be better to rip it off all at once. It'll only sting for a second anyway.

"I think it might be a better use of our time to talk about Baekhyun," Kyungsoo takes Jongin by surprise, and the younger tries not to appear too flustered.

"Well, I mean," Jongin stutters. "I just, um."

"Think I'm being unfair and irrational?" Kyungsoo finishes the sentence for him, and Jongin can't help but feel like the cop somehow read his mind.

"No, it's not that!"

"Then?"

"Well," Jongin's defeated now. He's never been good at lying and having to come up with some other excuse isn't working out well for him. "Okay, yes," he finally concedes. "I just can't understand why you have to be so harsh. Did something happen, or? I mean, I just," Jongin's sentences are quickly turning to fragments that he just can't articulate. 

As if on cue, Kyungsoo sighs and takes over the conversation once more. "Yes," he states simply. It draws Jongin's innocent gaze and he holds his breath waiting for Kyungsoo's explanation. He doesn't push Kyungsoo further, but Kyungsoo can feel his curiosity with each blink in his stare, so he presses onward. "It was a few years ago."

"What happened?" It's as if Kyungsoo's given him permission to ask, and Jongin didn't waste a second in doing so.

"It's a long story," Kyungsoo tries to wave it off in the vain hope that Jongin will accept that as an answer and leave it be. Very quickly however does Kyungsoo feel stupid for even having such a thought. "Right," he sighs. "Well, you might be surprised, but Baekhyun wasn't always this mastermind criminal."

"Really?" It's out of reflex that Jongin asks, but it makes sense when he thinks about it. "So he was just an amateur criminal before?"

"Sort of," Kyungsoo responds. "We come from the same town. It's a smaller town, about two hours outside of Seoul. Actually, we even went to school together."

"Were you friends before?"

"Something like that," Kyungsoo shifts in his seat and sets the newspaper aside. "We were the kind of friends who were constantly in a love-hate relationship. But somehow we hung out a lot. I don't really know how to explain, but I guess he was the kind of friend whose company I enjoyed but I somehow never really knew the real him. Sometimes his stories were just so... outrageous, I'd never know if they were true or he was making them up. It's like, I liked him, but I never truly knew if I could trust him." There's obvious concern in Kyungsoo's eyes that stare into space, as if he somehow still struggled with his trust issue (which made Jongin wonder why there would even still be an issue in the first place. It naturally made sense for Kyungsoo not to trust him at all, so it puzzles Jongin why he looks as though there was a possibility he still could.)

"Anyway," Kyungsoo continues. "We ended up going to different universities. I stayed close by, but Baekhyun went off to the city. He'd come home during holidays, and we'd occasionally meet up, but each time he seemed different - gradually becoming edgier and just, more wild. He never wore eyeliner before university."

Jongin finally decides to sip his own tea, the ceramic cup having cooled to a comfortable warmth. He never expected Kyungsoo and Baekhyun to have had a personal relationship.

"The last time I saw Baekhyun was at the police station back home," Kyungsoo continues. "I had already graduated, but Baekhyun never finished. He was going to one of the top schools in Korea but just decided to drop out. It was really uncharacteristic of him - or, the old him I guess. He was one of the smartest people I knew."

"Wait, so why was he at the police station?" Jongin asked.

"Because I arrested him."

"For what?"

"I was following up on a stolen car report and I found him trying to hack someone's home alarm system... With that stolen car," Kyungsoo explained. "I brought him to the station and I took him to an interrogation room after filling out all the necessary paperwork," Kyungsoo worries his lower lip in a slight pause before adding "That was probably my worst mistake."

"Why?" Jongin asked.

"I wanted to understand why he was being like this." Now Kyungsoo's lost his ability to maintain eye contact. He's been staring down at the coffee table for the past couple minutes, leaning foward, back arched, with his hands clasped in front of him. He doesn't want to look at Jongin and instead focuses on an advertisement for shoes printed on the newspaper. He idly traces the photo with his finger as he recounts the memory with Baekhyun.

Jongin's still staring intently, but trying not to stare Kyungsoo down. Not that he would notice anyway, with his eyes fixated on the newspaper. Finally Kyungsoo closes his eyes, the exhale that escapes his lips heavy with exasperation. He releases all the air in his lungs before continuing to explain on a new breath.

"I just wanted to talk to him privately - as a friend," Kyungsoo says. "I left for maybe five minutes, and I even made sure the door was locked when I was called away. But when I came back, he was gone."

"He just disappeared? How?" Jongin interjects.

"I wish I knew. I ask myself that question every day." The cop takes a pause, momentarily shielding his eyes with his right hand, thumb and middle finger spanning across his forehead to press onto his temples. "The other officers didn't let me live it down for months. And as if losing him wasn't bad enough, it got even worse when he started making national news."

"Wait, really?"

"Yeah, don't you remember? It was during the holidays last year. Baekhyun was the serial hacker who managed to steal over 100 identities from credit card information on online purchases."

"He was?" Jongin asks, dumbfounded.

"Don't you watch the news kid?" A hint of annoyance laces Kyungsoo's voice. It wasn't exactly a small story after all.

Thinking it over a moment, Jongin adds, "Wait, but.. If he got found out, why hadn't he been caught? Wouldn't he be a wanted criminal or something?"

"Right," Kyungsoo agrees, and Jongin can tell it's a complicated explanation, if such an explanation exists. "I really don't know," he deadpans. "It doesn't really make sense. But the thing is, he wasn't caught."

"If he wasn't caught, then how do you know it was him?" Jongin challenges.

"Because," Kyungsoo responds. "He came out and said it. He admitted to the crime in a video he posted online. Because he just likes to taunt me like that. And that's not all. That's also when he introduced Chanyeol." Jongin can see the stress marks imprinted on Kyungsoo's face, the grooves deep on his forehead. If Jongin didn't know any better (and maybe he doesn't), he'd think Kyungsoo was wincing in pain. "So basically, I became the guy who not only lost a criminal, but a criminal who turned out to be one of the biggest hackers we've ever seen.  Oh, and then he goes and recruits some tall, deep-voiced son of a just to make my life harder. I'm surprised I didn't get fired right then and there."

There's a beat, Kyungsoo taking the time to recollect himself. Jongin could tell he was getting riled up judging by the slight raising of his voice as he told the story. But Jongin remains silent because he can tell Kyungsoo isn't finished yet.

As if reading the younger boy's mind, Kyungsoo continues speaking. "I just wanted to gain respect back," Kyungsoo admits. "It's why I'm so motivated to catch him. He doesn't even know how much he's put me through, and I just hate how..." It takes Kyungsoo a few seconds to figure out what he wants to say. "I just hate it how he does it all for the thrill. I mean, I don't know if it's good or bad necessarily... But he's just- well, he's-"

"Not evil?" Jongin offers, looking up at the officer with his dark brown eyes.

"Right," Kyungsoo agrees again. "He just, does it all for fun. For no reason."

"Yeah, that is pretty ty," Jongin leans back against the worn cushion and looks up at the ceiling now. Kyungsoo merely gives a hum in response.

"Anyway," Kyungsoo adds, leaning back to join Jongin comfortably. "It's why I liked you so much right away."

"What is?"

"Your conviction," The cop turns his head to look at Jongin, and the younger meets his wide-eyed gaze. No matter how many times Kyungsoo does this, Jongin always feels like he's burning holes into his head, whether Kyungsoo is angry or not. Looking into Jongin's eyes, Kyungsoo could read the confusion all over and so he elaborates a little further. "When we went into that convenience store, and you told me all about your goal of becoming a pharmacist, especially to help your family, I really admired your determination. You had a mission - you have a mission - just like me."

"Oh," is all Jongin can say. In a way, he feels flattered, but he isn't sure if he should.

"It's also why I got so angry at you for helping Baekhyun," Kyungsoo adds. The confession catches Jongin by surprise, and he's interested to hear more. "I know you didn't know at the time, but I was just frustrated because we share the same kind of drive, but you were getting in my way." At this point, Jongin isn't sure if he should apologize, but while he spends too much time thinking about it, Kyungsoo continues speaking. "Anyway, like I said, you didn't know, but I just had this unfair expectation that you would treat it as if you did. Sorry, kid."

"Why do you keep calling me kid?" Jongin mumbles under his breath, but it seems to achieve the opposite of what he wanted because Kyungsoo just laughs and ruffles his hair.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Things are starting to feel stuffy in Yixing's small lab, especially since he and Baekhyun had been inside it the entire afternoon. They managed to complete everything on Yixing's prepatory checklist before Kris and the others arrived with the pacemaker, and after many hours, the two were finally taking a break. When Yixing suggested it, Baekhyun readily agreed. Both of them collapsed in the chairs closest to them, and it was only then that they realized just how tired they were. It seemed that at the moment their backs hit the chair, everything else came collapsing down on them and their adrenaline levels reached zero. Just as suddenly as they had plopped down, an achy wave of pain washed over both Baekhyun's and Yixing's legs, protesting the excessive wear they had endured throughout the day.

"I think we've earned some tea," Yixing proclaims, looking over in Baekhyun's direction. The black-haired male looks up to catch the doctor's gaze and hints of a warm smile play on his lips, though his eyes speak volumes of his gratitude. And maybe Yixing was doing it on purpose, but Baekhyun would definitely appreciate some alone time with Chanyeol. He tries not to look into it too much, even though he was completely right. Yixing returns a fully genuine smile and lets Baekhyun know he's going to make some tea and will be back in a few minutes.

Once Yixing has left the room, Baekhyun drags his chair over to Chanyeol's bedside, holding his breath at the thought of being able to speak with him again. He hasn't really thought about it in a long while because it only raises his hopes to leave him disappointed. In the spirit of that habit, Baekhyun tries really hard to fight off the intruding thought creeping into his mind, but his giddiness gets the best of him, as shown by the wide grin spread across his face.

"Chanyeollie," Baekhyun chirps in the most bright voice he's had since he can remember. "It's finally gonna be okay. It's gonna be okay," he repeats. He feels the familiar dullness of Chanyeol's hand holding it in his own. What's usually warm and twitching (because Chanyeol just can't sit still for the life of him) feels cold and almost dead. Not that Baekhyun's held a dead man's hand before, at least, as far as anyone else is concerned.

Between the two of them, Baekhyun has grown accustomed to doing all of the talking, but he's never been able to manage the silence. It's different when Chanyeol isn't choosing to be silent. Normally he'd be comfortable with the quiet, and at times thankful, but he finds those circumstances much different than the ones they're left with now. So Baekhyun takes to talking out his thoughts because hearing himself talk is much better than listening to Chanyeol's shallow and occasionally erratic breathing. It's agonizing.

"It'll just be a little longer." Baekhyun finds himself rubbing the back of Chanyeol's hand with his thumb. Has his skin always been this soft? Little things like this make Baekhyun feel guilty, as if he didn't appreciate Chanyeol enough before. It only takes such a small twinge of guilt to make Baekhyun's confidence crumble, and suddenly he finds himself chewing on his lower lip out of anxiety.

"To tell you the truth," Baekhyun says in a breath, exhaling the rest of it with a heavy sigh. "I'm scared, Chanyeol. I don't- well, I just..." It's difficult to find the words he wants to say, much less say them out loud. "I have no idea what's going to happen or if this is even going to work," he admits. "I mean, I know that Yixing is supposed to be a great doctor, but I.. Well, I don't know. I'm not sure why I'm so nervous, but you understand right?"

Asking Chanyeol questions somehow make Baekhyun feel like everything is okay, like Chanyeol's just sleeping, but Baekhyun knows the only sanity he finds is in the fact that they're rhetorical. "Alright, well, let's make a deal alright?" Baekhyun reaches across Chanyeol's body to carefully take his right hand, pulling it over his chest so his pinky can intertwine with Baekhyun's. The smaller man rests his elbow on Chanyeol's bedside and offers up his right pinky finger too, in order to stage their ritual promise gesture. It almost always elicited a giggle fit on behalf of Chanyeol, as the taller would always joke about how funny it is for two grown men (not to mention top notch hackers such as themselves, might he add) to be pinky-promising like six year olds. A twitch upward of Baekhyun's lips forms a half smile on his somber face and he gives his usual reply, "You pretty much are a six year old, Park Chanyeol."

Easily, Baekhyun remembers Chanyeol's quintessential pout and protest of how he isn't even that much younger than Baekhyun, and it makes Baekhyun smile for real. He explains the mutual promise to Chanyeol with a refreshed attitude. "I won't leave your side during the whole operation, and I'll make sure you wake up, but in return," Baekhyun takes a short pause, allowing time for the cute eyebrow raise he knows Chanyeol would have. "You can't be mad about me selling our souls to Kyungsoo."

"I know, I know, it's not the best, but hey, it was the price to pay for saving your , so," Baekhyun somehow seems proud of himself. "You know, I was chained to a bed post for you. Like every day. So you're really not getting too bad of a deal here." Baekhyun's genuine toothy grin bunches up his cheeks and turns his eyes into little moons. He doesn't quite know where the spirit came from, but he won't question it. From the corner of his eye, he swears he sees a slight twitch of Chanyeol's non-promising hand, but maybe he's just imagining it. But wait, was he facing that way before? Baekhyun thinks to himself when he notices that it looks like Chanyeol's head turned maybe five degrees toward him. Baekhyun's no doctor, but he's heard the cliche "laughter is the best medicine" over a thousand times and he begins to think that maybe, just maybe, it's not a bunch of nonsense after all.

At the sound of his name, Baekhyun's head shoots up. His eyes grow wide as saucers and his ears perk up. "Chanyeol?" Baekhyun says without even processing the thought.

"Baekhyun!" the voice calls again, and Yixing returns back to the room, Kris trailing close behind. "They made it back," Yixing announces, pulling Kris into the room by the wrist. "And they got it." Holding up a small, black case, Yixing's eyes beam with potential and excitement, hoping that this cure will be the one. If he can make a breakthrough for Chanyeol, he can make one for the entire rest of the country.

The sight of the pacemaker in Yixing's hands create a squall of emotions in Baekhyun, ranging from the twinkling in his eyes to the knot in his stomach. Baekhyun can't even begin to explain how he's feeling right now. Apprehensive, excited, anxious, enthralled, nervous - all of the above, really.

"I'm going to need both of your help," says Yixing. He's already beginning to wash his hands and slap on some gloves as he requests so, and even Kris acts out of familiarity, preparing all the instruments Yixing will need to perform the minor surgery. Standing there dumbfounded, Baekhyun doesn't know how to help, other than by staring at Chanyeol, but somehow Baekhyun doesn't think Yixing needs him for that.

"Baekhyun," Yixing calls again, breaking Baekhyun out of his trance and drawing his shiny brown eyes onto himself. "Are you going to help or just stand there?"

"Oh, uh, ye-yes of course," Baekhyun replies. His words get caught in his throat and he gulps down hard to try and dislodge them. Nervousness apparent on his face, Yixing reassures him that Chanyeol is going to be fine and that he won't be able to do this without him.

"Are you ready?" Yixing asks.

All Baekhyun can do is nod.