~*~

Chapter VIII

… to Infinity

6월 9일

It was raining.

Finally, the typhoon over Japan had cleared up and the flights resumed.  Infinite was on the first flight back to Korea, racing to be back beside Myungsoo. 

Even though none of them said anything, there were unspoken words hanging over them like the rain clouds above them.

It was their anniversary, June 9^th, the day that they deubted. 

It was their special day, the day that they always made sure to celebrate that day, no matter what their schedule was for that day.  This was the day they became Infinite.  

Sungyeol was bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet next to Sungjogn as they waited to unboard the plane. 

“Hyung,” Sungjong finally said as Sungyeol’s impatient bouncing got onto his nerves.  “Jumping up and down won’t make anything go faster.”

Sungyeol scowled, but stopped bouncing as the passengers on the plane finally inched forward.  As soon as they were free of the crowd getting off the plane, the six members took off running through the airport as their managers yelled for them to slow down. 

“Kids!”

Sungjong was jerked to a stop as Jungryul grabbed the back of his and Sungyeol’s collars, dragging them to a stop. 

“Hyung, let’s hurry,” Dongwoo said, his eyes begging for Jungryul to agree. 

Jungryul sighed.  “Boys, there’s going to be fans waiting for you, I don’t want a repeat of Narita Airport, okay?”

Woohyun looked down as Jungryul glared at him especially.  “We won’t do that,” he promised.

Letting go of Sungjong’s collar, Jungryul guestured for them to start walking.  Sunggyu took the lead, Dongwoo and Hoya a step behind him as the other three followed with their managers in the back. 

When Sunggyu turned around the corner to the domestic area, he suddenly stopped short, staring at something on the other side of the doors. 

“What is it?” Sungyeol asked from the back. 

Sunggyu managed to make his feet move, allowing for their group to follow and see what Sunggyu was so stunned about. 

The Inspirits were waiting for them like always, waving and screaming, but this time, each of them were holding a sign, repeating the same message over and over again. 

Stay strong, Infinite.  We love you. 

~*~

It was the same. 

Sungyeol wasn’t sure what he was actually expecting, but Myungsoo’s hospital room looks just like how they left it.  Moonsoo said to them that Myungsoo was in a ICU room for a few days after his surgery and there was so many more machines surrounding him.  The fact that more than half of the machines were gone, including a dialysis and a ventilator, was a good sign, but it still scared them to see Myungsoo so pale and so still. 

Woohyun sunk down into the chair beside Myungsoo’s bed as if his legs couldn’t hold him up any more.  “Oh my god, Myungsoo... what happened to you?”

Of course, he didn’t answer.

Sunggyu sat down beside Woohyun.  “Hey, Myungsoo-yah.  We’re all here... wake up.  Please... Wake up.”

There was a soft knock on the door and Hyeji entered the room, with a plastic bag in her hands.  “Hi guys,” she said quietly.  “Happy Infinite day.”

Sungjong smiled.  “Thank you, noona,” he said. 

“I don’t know if you’ve celebrated yet, but I brought you a cake,” she said as she drew out the cake from the bag.  “Unfourtunely, no open flames in the hospital, so you’ll just have to imagine that the candles are lit.”

“We aren’t children, noona,” Woohyun said with a small chuckle. 

Hyeji hit him lightly on the head with her clipboard.  “You’re all my dongsaengs, that means you’re all children to me.”

“No, it doesn’t.”

“Ahh, my hospital, my rules,” she said, waving her finger at them.  “I need to do some rounds, I hope you’ll enjoy the cake.”

“Thank you,” they all chorused at the same time as she left Myungsoo’s room. 

Sunggyu unwrapped the cake and stuck the candles in the cake without lighting them.  “Let’s blow out the candles,” he said, holdling out the cake in front of all of them.  As Sungjong stared at the cake, finding the happy occasion to be sad, no one spoke, just staring at the small cake that Hyeji had got them. 

Suddenly, the silence was broken as Woohyun started sniffling, looking down at the ground.  Sunggyu gently rubbed his arm comfortingly.  “It’s okay, Woohyun-ah,” Sunggyu said softly. 

He let out a shaky sigh and looked up at all of them.  “I think when we sat down together last year to celebrate our day, none of us thought that we would be here in a year.  None of us thought that we would be hoping that in a year we would still be seven instead of six.  I don’t know about you, but I thought that I wouldn’t have to worry that Infinite would less than seven until we disband.”

“None of us did,” Dongwoo said quietly.  “If we… next year, if Myungsoo doesn’t wake up, we’ll be six instead of seven.  Will we be ready?”

Silence followed Dongwoo’s question. 

“Maybe now we aren’t, but we need to be ready to let go of him… we need to be ready for that,” Hoya said slowly as if he wasn't sure of himself.  “I’m not ready.”

“I’m not either,” Sungyeol said shakily.  “I don’t want to let go of Myungsoo.  Not yet.”

None of them said anything, they all knew what how the others were feeling.  None of them were ready. 

“Guys… I’m so proud of you.”

Sungjong looked up as Sunggyu spoke quietly into the silence.  Sunggyu smiled at Sungjong and ruffled his hair, like he always did. 

“I’m so proud of you,” Sunggyu said again, looking around at all of them.  “Even if we all don’t make it through this, we did our best… Maybe when we get back, we won’t have Myungsoo with us… but still, I’ll still be proud of all of you, including you, Myungsoo.”  Sunggyu looked over at Myungsoo who was still sleeping.  “I’m so proud of you, you fight so hard, even if you knew the battle might be half lost when you started.  You’re still fighting the best you can and you’re still here with us.

“Next year,” Sunggyu said firmly.  “We’re going to be here together with Myungsoo again, we’re going to be seven.”

“It’s seven or nothing,” Hoya said with a smile. 

“We’re infinite, just like our name.”

Sungyeol laughed at Woohyun’s cheesy statement, his laughter so farmiliar in the solem air. 

“But really!” Woohyun said.  “We’re going to last forever.”

Dongwoo smiled broadly.  “We’re going to be okay,” he said, with tears running down his cheeks.  “We’ll keep on fighting.”

“Ready?” Sunggyu asked.

They all nodded back, Sungyeol’s eyes shining with the prospect of a new adventure, Dongwoo’s bright grin back in place, Woohyun’s cheeks free of fresh tears, Hoya’s comforting hand on Sunggyu’s shoulder and Sungjong’s beautiful smile shining.

“Myungsoo, it’s time for you to wake up.  We’re going to shine bright together as Infinite for a long time.”

“One… two… three.”

They leaned forward and blew out the unlit candles on the cake. 

~*~

Everything was quiet.

Myungsoo wasn’t sure what was going on as he fought his way through the darkness.  For days, he tried to outrun a monster that was trying to take him forever.  Each step took his breath away and he just tried his best to keep on going towards the voice that he knew were there somewhere out there, waiting for him to come home. 

Finally, he fell down, crumbling to the ground in a pile, battered and worn.  He wanted to cry as he waited for that dark monster to take him forever, but it never reached him. 

“Myungsoo...  it’s going to be okay.”

Instead, someone touched his shoulders and with warm hands, they pulled him off the ground.  Wherever their fingers touched, warmth spread across his chest and chased away the pain. 

 For a moment, Myungsoo felt safe in their arms. 

“Hyung... wake up.”

Hearing Sungjong’s voice, Myungsoo weakly raised his head, hoping to see him, but all he saw was darkness as the phantom warm arms faded away. 

“Just one more song, Myungsoo, just one more.  Then if you need… you can rest forever.”

He was confused about why Sunggyu and the others sounded so shaky and he just wanted to tell them that he was okay, but he couldn’t find the strength to open his eyes. 

Through the silent, cold air, Myungsoo heard a small echo.  A song echoed and the voice over lapped and weaved together. 

I stood upon a hill,

Stared up at the blue sky,

And drew a lovely person from my heart.

The mist around him started to clear up, giving away to a dark hill side under a night sky with no stars.  As Myungsoo watched the sky, slowly stars started to flicker and fill the sky.  He reached out to touch the stars.

They were so close...

“Myungsoo, if you hear me… give me a sign.  Tell me that you’re still alive.  Please tell me that you’re going to stay here.”

He wanted to answer, but he couldn’t, only trying desperately to touch the stars. 

“Myungsoo, it’s time for you to wake up.  It’s going to be okay.  Please wake up.  We’re Infinite, but that doesn’t mean our time as Infinite can run out. 

“Please... wake up.”

The stars started to move and form a path through the sky to a point in the distance.  Myungsoo knew at the end of the path, somewhere down the road, it was going to be home. 

So he started walking.

Sky candles floated through the sky, guiding him back home even as the world grew darker, leaving him in near complete darkness.  Myungsoo struggled to keep walking, to keep his eyes on the little lights that were home. 

“Myungsoo?”

Just a little bit further...

 “Can you hear me?”

Myungsoo stood on the end of something, watching the stars above him.  As he stood on the end of the heavens, the sky candles swirled down, wrapping him in their light. 

“Myungsoo?  Can you open your eyes?”

“Please, Myungsoo... tell us that you’re alive...”

The voices were clearer now and he could feel a soft hand on his cheek and someone holding his hand. 

“Myungsoo?”

The light was so blinding as Myungsoo slowly opened his eyes a crack.  Immediately he shut them against the bright light, but the hand holding his squeezed his hand.  Finding the strength and courage to find out what’s in the bright light, Myungsoo forced his eyes open. 

He was greeted by a farmiliar face, looking concerned, but smiling at the same time. 

Sunggyu...

Myungsoo smiled weakly back before letting his eyes wander around and his eyes settled on five more faces. 

Hoya... Sungjong... Sungyeol... Woohyun... Dongwoo...

They all looked like they wanted to cry and Myungsoo desperately wanted to say something to make them stop, but all of the words were stuck in his throat.  Finally, Myungsoo managed to unstick his throat and whisper the first words he had said in a week. 

“Hey, Infinite.” 

At his words, the whole room exploded with emotion.  Sunggyu was crying as he gripped Myungsoo’s hand tightly.  Woohyun who had his hand on Myungsoo’s cheek was also crying, tears dripping onto Myungsoo’s cheeks.  Sunggyu and Woohyun weren’t the only ones who were crying, Sungyeol was sobbing, like he always does, but this time with more happiness that Myungsoo had ever seen.  Like always, Dongwoo is crying, but Hoya who was holding him tightly was crying too. 

Sungjong was laughing, mostly out of relief and pent up worry, and holding his hand tightly.  “Don’t leave us, hyung.  As seven, we’re Infinite, because that’s who we are.  But we’re only Infinite when we’re seven.  If we don’t have you, what would we be?”

A smile spread across Myungsoo’s lips, tears trickling down his cheeks.  “You’ll still be Infinite.”

~*~

Sungjong closed the door behind him as Sowon raced up to them, his tail wagging happily.  Sungjong scooped him up, gently craddling him as he sat down on his bed.

Sowon reached up and his chin, his big brown eyes sparkling innocently at Sungjong.

He laughed softly, tears forming in his eyes.  He pressed his cheek against the puppy’s head.

“He’s alive…” Sungjong whispered, tears of happiness falling down.  “He’s alive… he’s coming home.”

welp, shorter chapter than what  I wanted... I rewrote about three quarters of this in the past few hours, so I don't know how well written this is... but we're not done yet!  (don't leave me) 

Sorry for not updating last weekend, I was busy with a performance and homework.  Also, I won't be updating until my finals are over, sorry for keeping you waiting.  At least this isn't the worst of my cliffhangers.  ^^ 

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