Mir felt blood drained from his head as he stood there unmoving. Eyes staring at the oncoming car. The headlight hurt his eyes. The sound of horn and friction of the tires hurt his ears. Death... Might be more frightening than he ever thought could be.

"MIR!" Dongwoon grabbed on Mir's arm, tugging hard on the boy until he fall back onto the hard road, bringing Mir down against his chest. The car steered forward and turned a few times, almost hitting the two friends but halted to a stop, facing the two fallen figures on the road. Its headlight shone on Mir and Dongwoon.

Dongwoon panted. He thought he could not consumed enough oxygen as he tightened his hold on Mir that Mir was practically on his laps. He almost lost his friend. If only he was even a step late, then he would have witnessed the car crashing into Mir's small and frail frame. Too close... 

"Dongwoon! Mir!" Doojoon came running. He helped the two friends up on their feet and proceeded to check on the two if they have been injured. 

Dongwoon stood up in his shaky legs but refused to let Mir's go especially when he felt how Mir's frame trembled lightly in his arms. Either it was out of shock, or fear, or cold from the rain or even all of them, he didn't know. But, still, he wouldn't let Mir go, if anything, it just made his grip on Mir became tighter. Doojoon ordered Yeosob to guide the two men back into the building while he went towards the car owner just now to resolve any oncoming issues.

Yeosob nodded obediently. He was just as pale as Mir and Dongwoon. He almost lost two of his friends right in front of his eyes. He put his hand on Dongwoon's arms and gave a light push. Dongwoon stumbled a bit. His legs still felt weak and Mir in his hold was just as shaky as him. But, they still managed to get back into the lobby with his arms caging Mir close to him. When they were nearing the building, Yeosob also helped Joon who was still shell-shock into the building. 

"Let's get back to the house first." Came Doojoon. Though he looked calm and most collected, but his face that was drained of all colors said the opposite. He almost lost his maknae after all.

Dongwoon stopped when he felt Mir was tugging on his shirt. He loosened his arms from around his friend for a bit, but only for a bit. He still couldn't let Mir out of his hold. 

Mir looked up to Dongwoon. He exhaled a shaky breath before he talked. "G-GO hyung." His voice was wavering and threatened to crack. Even after that near-death moment, Mir was still worrying about his hyung. Well, that was his priority after all. He almost got hit by a car because he went to chase after GO anyway, knowing how broken the older was right now. He needed to be with GO. He wanted to be there for the older. He couldn't let GO went through the pain alone. He wouldn't.

Dongwoon understood and reluctantly let his arms fall from encircling Mir. He nodded to Mir who was still swaying a little on his wobbly feet. But, Doojoon had different thought as he grabbed on Mir's wrist when the boy stumbled past him.

"Mir. You're in no condition to drive." Doojoon reminded. Seungho wasn't here. So, he needed to take responsibility on Mir. The boy almost got hit by a car and now was still in shock. He couldn't let Mir went out on his own.

"But... But, GO hy-"

Mir swallowed back his words when Doojoon's strict voice cut him off. "If you're that worried about him, I'll send Junhyung to find him. Okay?" His voice softened at the end of his sentence assuring the younger gently. 

Mir nodded blankly. He was still shaken by fear and shock that he really couldn't think clearly. He felt arm s around his shoulder. Dongwoon then pulled Mir with him into the elevator with Doojoon watching close from behind. A little bit proud with his maknae who seemed to had taken responsibility to comfort the traumatized Mir even when he could see that Dongwoon was just as scared as the MBLAQ maknae. Dongwoon is a really reliable friend.

○○○○○

The five men walked back into the room all drenched up and trembling from cold. The ones left in the dorm all quickly help them to change and the heater so they won't get sick. It was kind of chaos in the dorm especially since Jinwoon was there too. It almost get much more chaotic when Jinwoon almost called on Key right after he heard from Doojoon about Mir's narrow escape from huge accident but luckily Gikwang managed to stop the younger. If Key was here, it would wreck much more havoc than they could handle.

Mir played with the hem of the sweater that Dongwoon had lent to him nervously. He chewed on his lips, legs moving non-stop. He was anxious. He was worried. It was storming out there and GO could still be trapped in the rain. GO might be in danger. 

He couldn't go home. Doojoon didn't let him and Hyunseung did tell him that the road had been closed down due to the storm.

The bedroom door opened and Dongwoon walked towards Mir who was sitting on his bed. He sighed when he saw that look in Mir's eyes. "Junhyung hyung can't go out. The storm is too strong." He watched as Mir's fidgeting became more obvious and the boy's soft brown eyes looked glassy in unshed tears. "I'm sure GO hyung is fine." He said to comfort the other though he knew it won't work.

Mir jumped when the phone in Dongwoon's hand rung. Dongwoon answered it and glanced towards Mir a bit. "Yes, he's here. No, his phone soaked in the rain, so it can't start. Okay." Dongwoon handed his phone to Mir. "Seungho hyung."

Mir snatched the phone and immediately cried a river. He needed his hyung. "H-hyung... B-byunghee h-hyung. I d-don't know where he is." He sobbed violently, prompting Dongwoon to hug the poor boy and patted his bleached hair. Mir's sobs ceased a bit as he listen to Seungho on the other line. He nodded even when he knew Seungho couldn't see him. "R-really? It's... I-I don't k-know how to- hmm?- Okay... Hmm..." He sniffed and handed back the phone to Dongwoon.

Dongwoon took the phone and smiled at Mir who was still sniffing once in a while. "Rest, okay?" He patted Mir's head and went out with that phone glued to his ear. "Yea, hyung. Actually, something had happened-" And Mir couldn't hear the rest as Dongwoon closed the door. 

Mir inhaled deeply and exhaled a shaky long breath. He was relieved that GO was already home from what Seungho had told him but he was worried when Seungho asked him about why GO was crying and drenched in rain and on why Mir wasn't there with GO. But, his hyung stopped the barrages of questions and replaced it with soothing words, saying he could handle GO and GO was safe so Mir needed to calm down. 

So he tried. He really did. But, he couldn't calm down knowing GO was depressed and he couldn't be there for the older. He just couldn't calm down...

○○○○○

Mir woke up when a thunderclap split the dark night. He tiredly the bed and saw Dongwoon and Jinwoon both sprawled on the same bed, soundly sleeping. Mir sat up and felt more than see a towel slipped from his forehead onto his laps. He touched his own forehead. He didn't have fever. That was most probably prevention step from his friends.

Coughing a bit, Mir trudged out of the dark room into the bright living room and he saw Seulong and Doojoon sleeping on the couch. Not wanting to wake any of them up, Mir walked quietly to the kitchen for a glass of hot water. He tapped on his chin as he rummaged through the kitchen and ended up with some warm tea in a mug. He would buy some more later for this dorm in change.

"Cheolyong." Mir looked up from his position where he was sitting at the dining table. His hands gripped tighter on the mug as he saw the face that he really didn't want to see right now. Mir looked away when Joon pulled a chair next to him. He felt the older his hair and he felt compelled to just slapped away Joon's hand but he didn't. As much as he was hurt, he didn't want to hurt anyone. "Don't do that again. You scared all of us."

Mir didn't say anything. His eyes never looked towards Joon. The wall was much more interesting to watch as he slowly sipped on his mug of warm tea with Joon's hand still his hair. If he looked, then he feared he would see only lies and betrayal in Joon's orbs. He could handle just so much in one day. He was already at the limit.

"Cheolyong?" Mir heard the question in Joon's voice as Mir stood up and subtly shook away Joon's hand from his hair.

Mir ignored the call as he just walked away, dumped the still half-filled mug in the sink and left Joon all alone in the kitchen ignoring the heavy sigh falling from Joon's lips at his behavior.

○○○○○

Mir was grateful that the morning after was bright and clear. Well, might be a little bit cloudy and humid but nonetheless the storm had ceased. "I'm going home." He announced towards his friends.

"Careful." Dongwoon reminded, still a bit unnerved after the incident. Mir just gave his friend a reassuring look and almost broke into a run out of the door. Dongwoon chuckled at his friend's impatience. 

"He didn't have breakfast." Gikwang came up to Dongwoon who just shrugged. "I feel guilty." Gikwang mumbled. When he saw the questioning look on Dongwoon's face, he explained further after looking around him cautiously. "I'm the one who had invited Joon here." He whispered.

Dongwoon nodded. "You do know GO hyung was coming too, right?" 

Gikwang nodded slightly with a wince. He knew he did wrong. "Then why?"

"I was just trying to help. It is sad to see their frienship end just like that. They just stop talking to each other. So, I thought I can... You know..." Gikwang sighed heavily. He didn't expect such intense response from GO and things almost ended up in tragedy.

Dongwoon put his hand on Gikwang's shoulder. "I understand your intention, hyung. But, I must say that you have overstepped the boundaries.Some things are just not meant for us to meddle. Okay?" He smiled when Gikwang nodded once. "Go and wake Joon hyung up. I heard he has shooting today." And Gikwang walked unenergetically towards his bedroom.

Dongwoon turned to the front door with sad eyes. He really hoped nothing worst would happen to the trio.

○○○○○

Seungho sighed. He spent all night in front of GO's bedroom door. The main vocalist never answered to his call. This morning, it was a bit quiet from behind the door. GO probably had fall aslept. Seungho heard the sound from the front door and quickly jumped to his feet. He rushed towards the maknae who just appeared in the hallway.

"Cheolyong-ah? Are you okay? Are you injured anywhere? Let's check it up in clinic. Have you eaten? You look so pale." Seungho shot the youngest with unended train of worries as he kept turning Mir around like a doll, checking every inches of Mir's frame.

Mir had to put his hands over Seungho's cheeks to stop the frantic leader."I'm fine, hyung." He reassured, finding the worried leader's eyes.

The leader exhaled a relief breath as he put both his hands on Mir's shoulder. "I swear one day I'll get a heart attack either because of you or Byunghee." Seungho pulled away and ruffled Mir's silky locks. "I heard from Dongwoon."

Mir smiled sadly. "How is he?" He asked in small voice, avoiding from talking about what had happened.

Seungho shook his head dejectedly, head turned slightly towards the still locked door. "He won't open the door." Seungho turned back to Mir when the maknae tapped on his shoulder. His brow rose up when a key was held out for him. 

"I made spare key for his room secretly." Mir admitted. And both of them nodded to each other as they opened the door. 

It wasn't that surprising seeing how haphazard the room had became. Even the new vase of strawberry flower plant Mir gave had again shattered on the floor. GO was curled on the bed, shivering. Mir started to gather all the threwn things and tried to rearrange the room back to normal when Seungho called him from GO's bed.

"He's running a fever." Mir dropped all the things in his hands and leapt towards both of his hyung. His heart dropped seeing the pale complexion of GO's fair skin. GO was breathing rapidly and shortly. His face scrunched up in pain. Seungho and Mir exchanged a worried glance.

○○○○○

GO opened his eyes. His throat felt dry that it hurt. He felt euphoria as his eyes flickered around the room. His room was tidy. Again... So, the fairy godmother Mir was in action again, cleaning up after his mess. He always knew that. His room certainly didn't get cleaned magically.

He felt a nudge on his lips and only then he realized Seungho was sitting on the edge of his bed, putting a straw to his lips. He slowly on the water, relieving his hurting throat a bit.

GO tried to talk, but his voice cracked. "Wh-where is Cheolyong?" He finally asked, voice raspy and wavering. He cursed himself for getting sick. He couldn't sing with the condition of his voice right now. 

Seungho slightly tilted his head towards the other side of the bed. GO turned to his right and saw Mir sitting on the floor, leaning his head on the bed, sleeping.

"Did he-" He cleared his throat. "Did he go to B2ST dorm?" Seungho nodded and GO's stomach quenched. He felt sick thinking that Mir might have met Joon. "He..."

"Yes, Byunghee. He did meet Joon. Byunghee... You need to stop this. All this hatred. Just stop or it won't get any better." Seungho sighed exasperatedly.

"No." GO replied defiantly. "They both hurt us!" 

"Byunghee!" Seungho almost yelled but he inhaled deeply, controlling his anger. His voice lowered down a bit. "Cheolyong... Do you really think he was hurt because of those two?" GO kept silent. "The answer is no. No, Byunghee. His pain is for us. His pain is for you. For me. For us."

GO looked away from Seungho. He pursed his lips stubbornly. "I know that much."

"If you know then you should stop all this. Getting hurt like this... Showing this side of you in front of Cheolyong. You do know this is hurting him more than anything. He's the maknae, Byunghee. We're the older ones here. We can't just let him carries the responsibilities to care for us. Yea, he did tell us to lean on him. But, we can't keep doing that. He's the younger one here. We should be the one protecting him not the other way around." Seungho sat back on the bed. "Just... Just..." He sighed and stopped himself.

"I love him more than anything." GO said after a moment of silence. "He's our maknae. My dongsaeng. I won't let him get hurt. Especially not from those two. That's my way of protecting him."

Seungho exhaled shortly after. He didn't know what else to say, because he was in the same shoes. He could relate to GO. GO really hate... No... GO despised Joon and Thunder. And this hatred of him that caused the pain whenever he met them. But, he couldn't blame GO. What the two had did had left a large deep wound on them. Their trust had been broken. They trusted the two more than anyone and they thought they knew the two more than anyone, but they were wrong. Their trust had been trampled on mercilessly and it was impossible to be rekindled again.

And maybe because they love them so much that the pain was too much to the point that love turned into hatred. There was narrow line between love and hatred after all. And now, GO had crossed that line to the other side. The other side that was surrounded with dark hatred.

Mir opened his eyes in a narrow slits, pretending to sleep. Yes. He was pretending and he heard everything. GO was damaged. The older had been hurt more than him. And he was hurting over the pain that GO and Seungho had to endure. Biting his lips, he promised himself to do anything he could to at least lessen the pain even just a tad. Starting from that fated day, he knew that GO and Seungho would be his priority. He would protect them for all it worth. Even if it meant to hate someone.