THE FREAK SHOW

CHAPTER 5

— the normals they make me afraid
the crazies they make me feel safe ✦

Renjun suddenly got up.

It was Jaemin who felt it first that later woke Jeno up because he was literally sleeping on top of him. The sleepy Donghyuck stared at the eldest who is absentmindedly wandering around the room, picking up his discarded clothes from the floor where they left before they messed the sheets again.

He was very quiet, and it's creepy, yet the other three were already used to it and just let him have his way. But when they saw a pointed metal trickling under the moonlight, they all fully snapped awake and jolted up, ready to spend their energy.

"Renjun-ah," Donghyuck called hoarsely, as he was the one who reached out to him first.

"I'm off"

"You're off where?" Jaemin raised his voice in confusion, though the single glare from the smaller was enough to shut him up and understand the message.

Renjun walking out of the room with a hood on made the other three dress at triple speed and later run after him.

It was one of those nights where the Chinese would run off to satisfy the itch in his hand.

If Jaemin's episodes include his depressive and suicidal states when someone emotionally hurts him, Renjun's were considered more dangerous.

He would sneak at night, step inside the shadows, and hunt fucked-up people. Like a predator, his eyes would zoom into his target and wait for the perfect time. His ways of killing depend on his mood, and how many bodies would definitely reflect his hunger.

The causes were different, too. Mostly, there's nothing.

Nothing for the fact that he's blindly doing it like someone is instructing him—a voice he said. Then he will end it by sleeping or fainting in exhaustion, and he won't remember anything the next day.

"Where is he going now?" Jaemin grumbled, rubbing his eyes while closely sticking to Jeno's back like he would immediately drop without a stabilizer.

"Wake up, Nana, you're cleaning." Jeno softly spoke, playfully flicking the boy's forehead. "Look at Hyuckie; he's awake now."

"This is violating my beauty sleep!"

"Shhh! Look."

With the brunette's call, Jaemin raised his head just to see their lost lover stabbing a man, a beer bottle rolling over to the other side.

The skies are relatively dark; there aren't many stars, and the moon is just too small behind the clouds. There weren't many streetlights either, and the only existing establishment around is the beer house, which is kilometers away.

"How did he even know this street?"

"He has a map on his head, Nana. The real question is, what did this drunk do to get on his nerves?" Donghyuck whistled.

"Is he done?"

The gargling sound and horrific slashing stopped; the poor body just lay in his own pool of blood, unattended.

"Wait, where is he!?"

But the question wasn't left hanging for long as a swish of a knife suddenly aimed at the ravenette, making the other two's breaths hitch.

"R-Renjun-ah..." Donghyuck shakily called, yet the said boy kept his narrowed gaze on Jeno.

His grip is firm, and his stance is close on swinging that blood-dripping knife on their lover's throat when he'll move an inch.

Jeno remained calm, and just like Renjun, he kept his gaze dark and his face void of any emotions.

The night is indeed long and full of terror, but they didn't know that it would be this heavy just seeing their lover attempt to kill the other. This is worse than heartbreak.

Nobody had uttered a word by then.

Jaemin and Donghyuck were visibly trembling, while the other two looked like they were talking with their eyes.

Their hearts dropped more when Jeno discreetly placed his hand on Renjun's cheek, inching his neck closer to the deathly blade, like challenging him more.

Jaemin's tears were flooding at that time. Not being able to look more and just bury his face in the brunette's neck.

"Go on," Jeno lowly spoke, his gaze never wavering.

Though in those two simple words, Renjun's dark orbs slowly relaxed. His once stable grip on the knife trembled until it loosened and dropped to the ground.

Jaemin's body slumped down too, crying hard on his knees while Donghyuck hushed him.

Renjun was completely snapped out. His eyes and lips were quivering as he chewed on his nails.

"No..n-no, Jeno, I don't.. Jeno, please, I didn't mean..."

Though Jeno only pulled him into his embrace, keeping him warm and stable as his breaths continued to get shaky every second.

It was very cold and very scary. None of them expected it, though they also can't pile everything up for their eldest.

All of them are messed up, and their childhoods were taught this way.