[CONTENTID2]not at the beginning not at the end[/CONTENTID2][CONTENTID1]"Sungjun. Hey, bro. There's a lizard crawling on your back."

"Whatttt!" Sungjun jumps right out of his skin and goes hysterical. Yes. The thing he hates most in all the ty world... reptiles... along with the ridiculous never ending life. "What the ?! Get it off of me! Get it off of me!!!" He spins like some awkward dancing machine before ripping off his shirt.

"Dabin.... Seriously... just stop messing with him already.Let's just... let's just get back in one piece, alright? Is that okay?" Their leader, Wonjun speaks. He is usually the calm one in situations like these, but of course... there is a limit to his tolerance.

Sungjun stomps on his shirt and charges at Dabin. "You asking for a fight, Dabin? I'll beat the living out of you!" Luckily, Minsu and Suwoong are around to restrain him. They constantly find themselves fighting each other... wanting to draw blood, wanting to feel pain. It is all stupid. So, so stupid.

Wonjun closes his eyes and meditates. Leaving was such a bad idea. Separation had brought them nothing. No matter what they do, they cannot escape it... this meaningless existence. Turning against each other because there is nothing else better to do. Why... why must they continue to exist? They have long out grown it. Merely breathing in the air sickens them.

Could this even be considered living? Eat and . Eat and . With no purpose what so ever?

"Why are we like this anyway? Others have a beginning, a middle, an end. Why is it we have no beginning and no end?"

"Hyungnim must know why. We should've asked him before? Why didn't we? When we get back, let's ask him. But first, I want to see Xinling noona."

"Do you think he would give us an answer?"

"What if he's as clueless as us?"

"At this point, any answer is better than none."

• • • • • • •

They find themselves back again. Not at the beginning. Not at the end. But somewhere in the middle. That somewhere they have always been. Stuck. Unfulfilled dreams. Unable to move on. Stuck. Trapped beneath enormous concrete slabs. Buried. Not yet dead. Not really alive. As they dig deeper and deeper in search of that life's dream, she watches from her little window. Could she continue to ignore it? That speck of humanity left in her?

She knows what it is they are looking for. They are searching for what she has already found.

A way to escape... for good.

Running away like they have... ignoring it like she has... it will not make the sore thorn disappear.

• • • • • • •

"Noona. What are you doing out here all by yourself? Where is Jaejoong hyung?"

"Do you want to know a secret?"

The stench of severed flesh mingles with the foul smell of decay. 

"Did Xinling noona, just speak? Did I hear correctly?"

Heart still beats.

"Noona... you should get away from there. Come with us. We'll find him for you."

Blood still flows.

"Do you want to know a secret?"

"How could he just leave her out here by herself? He's gone crazy."

No. Not him... but her. For a very, very long time now.

Crazy for forgiving him.

"Our hands still match, see?"

Their hands touch. Hers still warm. His already cold.

A final ode... to them.[/CONTENTID1]