Sehun was bored out of his mind, punching random buttons on the cash register, having no one to turn to but the Gary the snail sharpener. Tao came out of the back room, carrying a stack of magazines.

“Man, this day is crappy.” He sighed. It was only noon. “When do you think Kyungsoo will give us a day off?”

“Dude, don’t say that word. I think I’ll die.”

“What? Day off?” Tao said, raising an eyebrow. “Whatever. Oh my God did you see Kendall Jenner on the cover of Vogue?”

“Huh? Really?” Sehun stood up straighter. “Show me!” Tao pulled out the magazine. “Damn, she’s tall.”

“Heels.”

“Check out her hair.”

“Parted in the middle? Yikes.”

“Check out her dress.”

“Red and Black. That’s so last Wednesday.”

“Eyebrows on fleek?”

“I want those brows.”

“She’s so shiny.”

“I’m shinier.”

“Dude, you’re transparent,” Sehun laughed and studied the model. “Wait who’s that beside her.”

“I dunno man, some Canadian.”

“Doesn’t he look like Yifan?”

Tao eyed the person standing beside Kendall Jenner, a tall good-looking guy. “I don’t see it.”

The day was ridiculously rainy. The sky was all dark grey clouds and the rain was so loud and fast, it sounded like blades.

Chanyeol shivered. “Looks like the rain doesn’t plan on stopping soon.”

“Ah, really?” Baekhyun was in his corner. As usual.

“I think we may be stuck in the shop for a while.”

Baekhyun sighed and leaned against the wall. He got up suddenly. “WAIT. We’re out of food.”

“So? You’ll live.”

“No I won’t!” Baekhyun started for the door. “Come on, we’re going to Kyungsoo’s.”

“Okay, uh…” Chanyeol scanned this store for an umbrella or something. “Hold on.” He took off his hoodie and held it over his head like a tent. “Get in.”

“No, gross.”

“Fine. Then get wet.”

“Woahwoahwoah wait for me.” And Baekhyun ducked under Chanyeol’s arm. And the two dashed into the heavy rain together under their hoodie-tent.

Lay browsed through a selection of cheeses in Kyungsoo’s shop, analyzing every wedge, pack, or box. He picked up the cheddar, inspecting it carefully, then set it back down. He did the same with the mozzarella and the stilton cheese.

Kyungsoo watched him, pondering what the hell he was thinking, when someone rushed through the shop doors. It was Jongin, not yet drenched head to toe but considerably rained-on.

“Kai!” The manager exclaimed, running towards his friend.

“D.O!” Jongin ran for Kyungsoo. It was a little bit in slow motion.

They met in the middle of the store, holding hands and kind of just staring into each other’s eyes lovingly.

“Kai? Really?” Sehun’s judging expression watched the whole scene from behind the counter. “That’s even more random than D.O.”

Jongin turned red. “S-Shut up, Sehun. You’re just a Sehun.”

Sehun smirked. “Tell me, how does it feel to have such low self-esteem?”

“Too soon, Sehun. Not cool.” Kyungsoo shook his head.

Tao snickered from somewhere in the back.

Just then, two beagles came shivering in under a soaked neon green hoodie. As soon as they were under the drug store’s roof, Baekhyun pried himself off Chanyeol and shook himself down. A few seconds later, Luhan ran in, followed by Minseok and Yifan.

“Man, it’s raining hell out there.” Yifan took off his police hat and wiped the raindrops off.

Jongdae hurried in soon after; he had an umbrella but really just wanted food.

The store was soon packed with people. Kyungsoo stood on the counter with a plastic mic and announced that everyone could have one free food item while they waited out the storm.

Lay perked up at the word ‘free’ and dashed for the Advil isle. Everyone stopped what they were doing and watched.

Baekhyun was picking out a pack of chips. Chanyeol was paying for an energy drink. Jongdae was folding his umbrella. Kyungsoo was holding Jongin’s hand and Yifan was going through bread. Luhan was dragging a blanket out of the storage room, and Sehun put away his phone to watch. Tao even stopped checking out Chanyeol’s drink.

It was very slow. Lay popped open the Advil and took out a pill. He uncapped a bottle of water and brought the pill to his mouth.

And then the lights went out.

Tao screamed, and there was a clattering noise.

“Everybody. Calm. Down.” Yifan reached into his belt and pulled out a flashlight. He shone it around the room. Slowly, everyone walked out of their isles and sat in a demented circle on the floor of the shop. Luhan and Minseok huddled up, sharing a blanket they’d found the in the storage closet.

Just as everyone got comfortable in the torch-lit room, the flashlight died.

Tao screamed and clung to Sehun, who laughed.

“It’s okay, guys,” Jongin said, reaching into his pocket and bringing out his phone. “I’ve got backup.”

Jongdae screeched. “NO STOP.” It got silent. “I heard phone lights are bad for your skin.” There was a series of gasps.

“No, not my skin!” Sehun’s hand flew to his face.

So they sat in the darkness, because none of them were willing to sacrifice their skin for light in this blackout.

Twenty minutes passed.

Girl-han had fallen asleep, his head resting against a smirking Minseok’s shoulder.

“You know, Tao,” Yifan made his sixth attempt. “You can always just scooch over here and snuggle with me.”

Sehun cleared his throat, for the sixth time. “Sorry but,” he pulled Tao (who didn’t care and really just wanted the lights to come back) closer. “He’s snuggling with me.”

Yifan scoffed and made a childish face at Sehun, who made a weirder face back.

Somewhere in the dark circle of people, Chanyeol and Baekhyun were lying on their stomachs. Baekhyun rocked his feet in the air while munching on his chips while Chanyeol sipped his energy drink. Chanyeol coughed and reached, as stealthily as he could, for a chip. He got swatted away. He thought of Momma Jongdae’s words.

Be soft. Compliment him. Give him presents. If you feel like that’s not getting you anywhere, hold his hand. Be a shoulder for him.

He gulped and inched his hand closer to Baek’s. As soon as his skin made contact, Baekhyun yelped and rolled away – much like, dare I say, a buffalo. The confused Yeol scanned the room to find his mentor and ask him for advice, but it was too dark and Jongdae couldn’t be seen.

He sighed and slid towards Baek, trying again to take a chip, and getting swatted away again, like a fly.

Thirty minutes passed.

Jongin and Kyungsoo sat cross-legged, facing each other. They were deeply entangled in history’s most loveable game of rock paper scissors.

“Rock, Paper, Scissors.” Jongin couldn’t really see what D.O chose. “I did rock.”

Kyungsoo’s voice uttered out, “I got paper.”

“Kay bro you win bro you know I love you bro.”

The lights chose that moment to flicker back on.

Tao screamed. Kris and Sehun were making faces at each other, and immediately stopped and played it cool when the lights came back. Baekhyun looked to his left to see Chanyeol with his hand in the chip bag. He whacked him away.

Kyungsoo froze. His fingers were folded into a horizontal peace sign. Scissors. Jongin gasped.

Minseok looked over at the sleeping Luhan on his shoulder and chuckled.

Lay looked down at his lap to find that his Advil was gone.

Jongdae stiffened. He was standing at the cash register, a wad of paper money in his fist. Kyungsoo saw him and got up, whipping out a rifle from nowhere. Jongdae held his hands in the air like a criminal. Yifan instantly pulled out twin pistols, beginning a rapid chant about rules and regulations regarding unlicensed weapon ownership. Tao screamed.

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to put the gun down, sir. There are children watching.” He jerked a thumb towards Baekhyun, who looked confused.

“It’s okay man, I have a license.”

“’Kay.” Yifan slipped the pistols back in his belt. Jongdae looked betrayed.

During the commotion, Minseok raised his arm in a 130 degree angle above his head, positioning his phone to take a selca with sleeping beauty. As soon as he pressed the button; as soon as the flash shuddered and the critch noise of the camera sounded, the lights boomed off for the second time.

Tao screamed again, and Sehun laughed.

In the midst of Tao’s screaming and the commotion with the guns, and Baekhyun yelling at Chanyeol and Minseok’s phone suddenly ringing and Jongin’s passionate “D.O!” and Sehun’s uncontrollable laughter, Lay stood up in the darkness and yelled.

“WOULD YOU UNEDUCATED S SHUT THE HELL UP?!”

Silence.

Lay breathed heavily for a few seconds, and then abruptly sat back down like nothing happened. Baekhyun scooted away from him.

“And, there go the Yixing jokes,” Minseok sighed. As if anyone was man enough to tease Advil ‘the Rock’ Lay again.

“Wait a second,” Yifan said in the stormy blackness. “Where’s… Myeonnie?”

Someone gasped. “…Gramps?” Baek squeaked.

“Kim Junmyeon,” Yifan started. “He was a good man. A saint among sinners. A light among darkness. A butterfly among moths. He enlightened us all.”

They all lowered their heads in mourning.

“He will be forever remembered. As Suho. Our guardian.”  Yifan covered his eyes with his hand. “May he guard us even from the grave.”

Jongdae sniffled, and the lights beamed back on. Tao opened his mouth to scream, but Minseok lunged for him, abandoning sleepy Lu (who fell over, since he was leaning on Minseok for support) and waking him up, stuffing the edge of the blanket in Tao’s face to shush him.

Eleven heads poked out of the drug store. They intended to try and find the dead body and give him a proper farewell.

In the middle of the heavy rain, there was a single ray of sunshine – only a single beam – shining down on a man, dry from head to toe.

“Oh my God he’s died and gone to heaven!” Yifan wailed, tears in the corners of his eyes.

“Uh, I think he’s alive…” Sehun whispered.

Yifan gasped, collecting himself. He ran out into the storm with open arms. “Myeonnie!” He leapt to embrace his friend, but Junmyeon extending his fist and punched the emotional cop away.

“Get off me. .”

Yifan rubbed his nose and grinned. “I thought I’d lost you, Myeonnie!”

“Can’t you see I’m being bathed in God’s light right now? Quick, Yifan, take a picture.”

Yifan nodded vigorously and whipped out his phone. “Man, I always knew you were holy.”

“Shut up. Make sure you get a good angle.”

Meanwhile, nine heads were still staring in awe at the sight of The Man Who Lived, and the tenth head tiptoed back into Kyungsoo’s General Store, seizing his chance to finally steal the money from the cash register.

Of course, Do Kyungsoo saw all, and whisked out his rifle – from nowhere, might I add – and Jongdae put his hands above his head in surrender. Someone sighed.

-

I managed to finish this chapter two days early!

Okay, so a very important question: Suchen or Krisho?

This is really important ok I need to know the next two chapters depend on this. 

Thank you so much for reading this far! 

And damn you guys really like Taohun >> 

Also, wtf was this chapter what the heck who am I.

Comment, Upvote, Subscribe, Tell me what you think, I look forward to hearing :))