TW: verbal sexual harassment, references implied sexual content, kidnapping, eating disorders, depression, suicidal thoughts, and death
~~~
11:59 a.m.
Heeseung could have mistaken Beomgyu for being asleep, had it not been for the paperwork at the foot of the bed labeling him as a comatose patient.
The young boy looked so peaceful lying there in his hospital gown, chest rising and falling rhythmically. It was hard to believe that he wasn't just taking a nap and that his bright eyes wouldn't soon open again, cheeky and ready to cause mischief. The door creaked open and Heeseung glanced up, watching Taehyun shuffle into the room. Two women followed behind: a doctor and a nurse.
"It's okay if you're not ready to try again," Heeseung quietly said. "I don't want you to put yourself through any more pain."
"I'm okay," Taehyun whispered back. "I've calmed down a bit since this morning."
Heeseung nodded. "If you're sure, go ahead."
Taehyun took a deep breath, resting a hand on the railing of Beomgyu's bed.
"Beomgyu," he whimpered. His face immediately flushed with embarrassment and he cleared his throat, trying again with a stronger voice, "Beomgyu."
No movement.
He gently cupped the sleeping boy's cheek. "It's me, Taehyun. Can you hear me?"
Nothing.
Taehyun let out a quiet huff of frustration.
"Beomgyu," he said a little louder. "Please wake up."
Still nothing.
Taehyun turned around to face the doctor. "It's not working. This is stupid."
Heeseung caught Taehyun's arm as the younger boy tried to flee the room. "I know this is hard. You can stop if you want, but Beomgyu needs you. He loved you, and you're the strongest connection he has to-"
"Why are you saying 'loved?'" Taehyun's face scrunched up as he dropped to his knees, touching his chest in anguish. "It's not 'loved.' He's still here. He's still here!"
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Heeseung crouched beside him, hugging the younger boy. "I meant love."
"Beomgyu!" Taehyun shouted hoarsely from Heeseung's arms. "Wake up. Please. Wake up!"
He fought his way out of Heeseung's grasp, crawling to reach Beomgyu's bedside. The nurse sharply inhaled, taking a step forward.
"Wait," the doctor whispered. "Give him another minute."
"Ma'am, he's going to rip his stitches."
"We won't let it get to that point." The doctor glanced down at her clipboard, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Besides, we're running out of time. I'd rather deal with wound dehiscence than brain death."
"Wait, sorry, uh-" Heeseung looked up in alarm. "What do you mean we're running out of time?"
The doctor let out a long sigh. "I don't want to scare you, Heeseung-ssi, but if he's in a coma for longer than twenty-four hours, his chance of a full recovery drops to ten percent. It only goes downhill from there."
"Then why are you wasting time making us talk to him?!" Heeseung's chest tightened in panic as he stood up. "Don't you have, like, meds to wake him up or something? I-"
He took a deep breath, trying to calm his anxieties. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, I... I didn't mean-"
"It's alright," the doctor smiled. She turned to the nurse, passing her a clipboard in exchange for a stack of Beomgyu's MRI scans. "Studies have shown that having a loved one talk to a comatose patient can greatly speed up recovery time, which is what we're aiming for right now."
Heeseung glanced at the clock. "It's noon. He has eight hours left."
"Until he passes the twenty-four-hour mark, yes." The doctor peered at Beomgyu's scans, holding them up to the light. "But I don't want you to think of this as a death countdown. Recovery is always possible and it's vital that you stay positive. Beomgyu may be unconscious, but his body is aware of his surroundings. If you think he will die; you're only increasing the chances that he will."
"How is that even possible?" Heeseung whispered.
The doctor stared at Beomgyu, lost in thought.
"I don't know," she admitted. "The brain is the center of everything, and yet we know so little about it."
"What happens if twenty-four hours pass and he still hasn't woken up?"
"We keep trying. We keep talking to him. Once again, it's not a death countdown. It just means he's more likely to have lasting effects from the brain damage."
"What kind of lasting effects?"
"He might lose his ability to walk, talk, or eat. He could be paralyzed, he could lose his memory; it's almost impossible to tell right now."
Heeseung dryly swallowed. "Oh."
They watched Taehyun climb into Beomgyu's bed, freely crying as he draped the older boy's limp arm over his waist.
"Beomgyu," he quietly sobbed. "Wake up, please, wake up, this isn't funny, you have to-"
Taehyun hiccuped, unable to finish his sentence. He tightly clutched Beomgyu's hospital gown, his cries getting louder and louder as his body trembled with pure agony. "Beomgyu! Please!"
The nurse grimaced. "Now?"
"Yeah," the doctor sighed, turning to leave the room. "Page me if his stitches need to be redone. I'll have Dr. Yoo do them."
"Who's Dr. Yoo?" Heeseung questioned.
"They're our plastic surgeon," the nurse said, pulling Taehyun's writhing body off of Beomgyu. "Taehyun-ssi is a celebrity; his appearance needs to be perfect. Dr. Yoo's stitches will minimize scarring. Also, BigHit is paying us a lot of money to keep things under wraps and give you all the best care."
Heeseung watched the nurse disappear into the hallway, carrying a sobbing Taehyun with her. He closed his eyes, trying to forget the sound of Taehyun's haunting wails.
"Hey." Kai poked his head through the doorway. "I can take over if you need a break."
Heeseung wearily smiled. "Yeah, that'd be great. Thanks, Kai."
The younger boy nodded, crossing the room to take a seat at Beomgyu's bedside. "The nurses got annoyed with all of us standing in the hallway, so the others are in the cafeteria right now, if you want to join them for lunch."
"You ate, right?"
"Yes, mother," Kai laughed, pulling a book out of his drawstring bag. "Seriously, go. I'll text when I need to switch out."
Heeseung watched the younger boy begin reading to Beomgyu, his voice soft and sweet and full of love. He smiled as he stepped out of the room, shutting the door behind him.
***
1:24 p.m.
"What's this?" Heeseung asked, quickly moving to help the nurse set down a large cardboard box on Daniel's hospital bed. "Careful, noona, watch your fingers."
"Thanks," the nurse sighed, rubbing her sore palms. "Some fans sent you boys a gift. Don't worry, it's already been cleared by the police."
She picked up an official-looking envelope sitting on top of the box. "Also, Sunoo-ssi has mail."
Heeseung glanced around, noting Sunoo's absence from the room. "I don't think he's here right now, but we'll hang on to it for hi-"
"I'll hold it!" Ni-ki took the letter, carefully slipping it into his back pocket for safekeeping.
Jay stepped up, gently unwrapping the tape around the cardboard box.
"Well?" Jake asked impatiently, standing on his tippy toes to peer over Jay's shoulder. "What's inside?"
"Looks like some type of clothing...?" Jay hesitated for a moment before pulling one out. "Wait a second. These are varsity jackets!"
"Like the ones in American TV shows?" Daniel grinned excitedly. "I've always wanted one!"
"Holy shit, guys," Jay breathed. "This is insane. Varsity jackets cost a ton of money and I'm pretty sure all of these are custom-made. Yeah, look, we've each got one with our name on the back!"
He passed out the jackets to the clamoring boys, making sure each one ended up with the correct person.
"Here, I'll take those." Soobin neatly folded Taehyun and Beomgyu's jackets before setting them aside. He stared at them for a moment before turning away. "We'll give it to them later."
Ni-ki nodded encouragingly. "When hyung wakes up."
"Yeah," Jake lightly smiled. "When hyung wakes up."
"And after that, we should probably also take a group picture with the jackets," Jungwon piped in. "To post on social media to thank our fans."
"Sounds like a plan to me," Kai laughed, hanging an arm around Jungwon's shoulders.
"Hey, wait. What does this say?" Ni-ki asked, pointing at the English lettering on the back of his jacket.
Daniel rolled his eyes. "That's your name, dumbass. 'Ni-ki.' And mine says 'Daniel.'"
"Hyung," Sunghoon whined, tugging at Heeseung's sleeve. "Let me wear yours."
"Why?"
"Cause in American movies, couples wear each other's varsity jackets. It's like uh...."
"A possessive thing?" Heeseung laughed, nudging a beet-red Sunghoon with his elbow.
"Oh, hush," the younger boy sighed. "You know I didn't mean it like that."
"Sorry," Heeseung giggled. "You're just so cute when you're angry. Here, give me yours."
They happily traded jackets before joining the others to admire themselves in the bathroom mirror.
"Ow, fuck," Yeonjun winced as he was crowded against a wall.
Jungwon frowned. "You okay, hyung?"
"Yep, nope, I'm good. Just... a little sore from last night."
Jungwon nodded understandingly. "Your ankle?"
"No," Soobin said dully. "His ass."
"Uh...." Jungwon stared at them, bewildered. "Context, please?"
Soobin looked moments away from breaking down into tears. His voice wavered as he answered, "The context isn't good either."
Yeonjun immediately moved closer to Soobin. "Hey, hey. Don't cry."
He pressed himself into Soobin's side, soothingly rubbing the younger boy's back. "None of us knew Beomgyu was in a coma until this morning. You shouldn't feel guilty about... about doing stuff that makes you feel good. And besides, I'm the one who initiated it."
Jungwon's eyes widened and he quickly coughed, excusing himself from the conversation.
Soobin crossed his arms over his face. "Yeah, but... Our friend was hurt and what was I doing? Just fucking around and being stupid. I feel like a horrible person."
"You're not," Heeseung assured. "Sunghoon and I were just as bad, honestly. The whole time you guys were being held hostage, we were like, flirting and shit outside the old BigHit dance studio."
"That's true; it was horrible to watch." Yeonjun shook his head, smiling. "Look, Soob. Point is, we've all done bad stuff, but we've also all done good stuff. Don't punish yourself for things that are out of your control."
Soobin remained quiet as Yeonjun guided him away, peppering the younger boy's knuckles with reassuring kisses. The door to the bathroom opened and Sunoo squeezed in, a cheerful grin spread across his face.
"You're looking happy today," Heeseung laughed, lightly bumping Sunoo's shoulder. "What's up?"
"I was just visiting Vincent," Sunoo sighed happily. "He invited me to stay in his room tonight. He likes me, hyung."
Heeseung snorted. "Millions of people like you, Sunoo. The question is, is he good for you?"
Sunoo thought for a second before nodding his head. "He gets me. We have the same health issues and so... He understands me in a way nobody else can. He knows what it's like—and what I've been through—because he's been through it too."
Heeseung gave a nod of approval. "Then go for it, Sunoo ah."
Sunoo smiled. "I will."
***
3:14 p.m.
"Hey, Taehyun. We brought you some food." Heeseung quietly entered the dark room, pursing his lips at the sight of an empty bed.
Taehyun sat alone, crisscrossed on the floor, shuffling through a deck of cards over and over again. He made no acknowledgment of the eleven boys gathering around him.
Heeseung took a deep breath, putting on an encouraging smile. "Doing magic?"
He set down a tray of food next to the younger boy.
"I'm not hungry."
"Can you please eat something, though?" Yeonjun crouched, gently brushing Taehyun's bangs out of his eyes. "We're worried about you."
"Who's with Beomgyu?" Taehyun muttered.
"No one. He's getting another MRI right now. Taehyun, they're doing everything they can to take care of him. But you... You have to take care of yourself right now, okay?"
Sunghoon nodded in agreement. "You want to be strong and full of energy when Beomgyu hyung wakes up. All that starts with food, so come on, take a few bites. I'll eat with you."
"I can't," Taehyun whispered, weakly staring off into space. "I feel sick. He's all I have."
"Taehyun, we have to have a talk." Soobin took a deep breath, his eyes glazed with tears. "You can't stay like this. God forbid, if Beomgyu doesn't wake up, you have to get better. He wouldn't want you to throw your life away for him."
"I don't care what he wants." Taehyun set down the deck of cards, blankly gazing at the wall in front of him. "If he's dead, then I might as well be too."
Soobin tilted his head back, blinking painfully. "Taehyun. Please. I can't lose both of you."
The room fell silent.
Yeonjun was the first to begin crying. He bowed his head, hiding his face in his hands. Kai sank to the ground and wrapped his arms around the older boy as Sunoo quietly sniffled, clinging to Heeseung's arm. All of the boys huddled together in one large, misshapen blob.
Finally, Taehyun murmured in a meek voice, "Sunghoon. Split the soup with me."
Heeseung started to usher the other boys into the hallway as Sunghoon took a seat on the floor, sliding the food tray between him and Taehyun.
"We love you, Taehyun." Soobin leaned down, brushing aside the younger boy's bangs to kiss his forehead. "Always remember that."
He helped Yeonjun up and they left the room.
"Sunghoon," Heeseung lightly called. "You need me to stay?"
"No, it's okay. I'm good."
Although it looked like Sunghoon was more so choking on food as opposed to eating it, everything that went down stayed down, and Heeseung supposed that was good enough for him. He closed the door, leaving the two boys to eat together in silence.
***
5:36 p.m.
"So, tell us again what happened?" The police captain pulled up a chair, facing Daniel and Heeseung, who sat side-by-side on the couch in Daniel's hospital room.
He glanced back at the young soldier standing behind him. "And don't mind my assistant. He's just here to take notes."
"I know you." Daniel tilted his head, gazing at the soldier. "You're Dobby-ssi, right? We've seen you around."
The soldier's face lit up. "Yes! I've been- I've been here for a while. You remember me? Woah, that's so cool. Oh, and also, you don't need to speak formally; everybody just calls me Dobby. It's not even my real name, I just got it as a nickname cause my ears stick out like that elf's from Harry Potter and my friends all think-"
"Dobby!" The captain glared at the younger boy. "Are you here to take notes or are you here to chit-chat?"
He exhaled slowly, turning back to face Heeseung and Daniel. "You'll have to excuse my assistant. He's young. He's got a lot to learn."
"Oh, that's alright," Heeseung laughed. "We don't mind. So you guys are here to take an official statement, right?"
"Yes. Please start from the moment you left the group, Daniel-ssi."
Daniel let out a long sigh. "Fine."
~
"Hyung. Can I go to the bathroom?"
"Yeah," Heeseung breathed, hesitantly opening his eyes. "Okay. Okay, this is not so bad. It's not that high up."
Daniel quietly laughed at the older boy's predicament of wanting to watch the BTS concert from a box seat while also being terrified of heights. He made his way into one of the stadium's massive walkways, admiring just how large the arena was. It took nearly five minutes just to locate a lavatory.
~
Daniel paused. "And then this is the part where I used the bathroom. It was a very typical bathroom experience."
The captain nodded. "You can skip that part. So, what happened next?"
~
The tap water was cold. Freezing cold. Daniel quickly dried his hands with a paper towel before tossing it into the trash can. He caught a whiff of roses as the lid swung shut. His body reacted before his mind did, immediately going rigid with fear.
"Hello?" Daniel spun around, the bathroom counter digging into his spine as his eyes swept the room.
He wasn't sure which would be scarier, silence or receiving an answer. A heartbeat passed and the room remained quiet. Daniel crept along the wall, making his way towards the exit. Just outside the bathroom, a familiar woman stood waiting for him.
"Hello," she said simply. "Come, your group is waiting for you. They moved to the other side of the arena for a better view. Heeseung-ssi asked me to drive you there."
"I..." Daniel slowly backed away. "I'll walk. What section are they in?"
"Don't be silly, Jungmin," BTS's driver smiled. "Don't you want to spend some time with your mother?"
Daniel spun on his heel and booked it to the nearest set of stairs. The world momentarily dipped, and he suddenly found himself on the concrete ground, his knees and palms burning with scratches. He got up, trying to ignore the sweet, sweet smell of roses clogging all of his senses. He'd been through this before, that first day at the HYBE building on the seventh floor.
The sasaeng had used roses then to mask the smell of nitrous oxide. Undoubtedly, this was a similar ploy. This time, however, there was no Kai to cling to in the dark. No Jin to guide him through the building. He was alone. His legs felt like lead; every step draining him of everything he had.
Daniel giggled as he fell to the floor again. Two silhouettes appeared in the distance and his heart leapt with joy. Jihun hyung! Eunji sunbaenim! He was saved!
The footsteps behind him grew increasingly louder, and he scrambled up, half-walking half-crawling his way into Jihun's arms. "Hyung."
Daniel paused for a moment before bursting into another fit of giggles. He slumped to the floor, his legs no longer cooperating with his wish to run.
Eunji's worried face appeared in his warped line of vision. "Daniel? Daniel? Can you hear me?"
"She's coming." Daniel gave her a loopy grin, his head flopping backward. "She's on her way."
"Who?" Jihun whispered, trying to pull the limp boy up by his underarms."Who's coming, Daniel?"
"Oh, it doesn't matter," Daniel giggled. "It's already too late."
~
"That's all I remember." Daniel crossed his arms, leaning back against the couch. "Next thing I know, my sunbaenims and I are tied up in the old BigHit dance studio, and Soobin hyung's sneaking into the practice room, trying to save us."
The police captain nodded, standing up and making his way to the door. "Thank you, Daniel-ssi. We'll let you get some rest now."
"Wait, um, sir." Heeseung stood up. "How is Jihun hyung doing? They haven't given us any updates."
"Unfortunately, that's confidential information."
"Oh." Heeseung pursed his lips. "Well, what about Mei noona and Eunji sunbaenim?"
"Also confidential. Come, Dobby." The captain left the room.
Dobby bit his lip, hesitant to follow. He hastily turned back, whispering, "Jihun-ssi's surgery went well. For a while, it was touch and go, but the doctors are now optimistic that he'll make a full recovery."
The young soldier checked over his shoulder, making sure the captain was out of earshot. "And then Mei noona's leg is broken but she's also doing fine. She actually, um, well. She's been hopping around, insistent on working the case. Eunji-ssi escaped with just a few minor injuries; she was discharged late last night, same as Mei noona. They've both been at the police station since."
"Dobby!" The police captain shouted from down the hall. "Let's go!"
"Oh, shit." Dobby glanced up, panicked. "That's my cue."
"Wait!" Heeseung touched the older boy's arm. "Thank you."
"No problem," Dobby grinned, waving goodbye before dashing away.
***
7:49 p.m.
"Beomgyu," Heeseung grinned. "You're awake!"
He crossed the room, handing Jay three large McDonald's bags, each filled to the brim with boxes containing chicken nuggets.
"Yeah, he woke up about an hour ago, but the doctors took him for testing." Jay set the bags down and began organizing the food within to form a makeshift buffet on the windowsill. "Taehyun's been with him the whole time, but the rest of us only found out about fifteen minutes ago."
"Man, I leave the hospital for two seconds and miss everything." Heeseung shook his head in humorous disappointment. "But why didn't anybody text or call me?"
"We didn't want you to turn around and not get dinner," Ni-ki said sheepishly. "Sorry."
His stomach grumbled and he casually reached for a chicken nugget. "May I?"
"Of course," Heeseung smiled. "And what's with the long faces? Beomgyu's awake. Isn't this good news?"
"Talk to him and you'll know why," Jay sighed.
Heeseung gave him a quizzical look before turning to face the boy in the hospital bed. "How are you feeling?"
Beomgyu blankly stared at him. "Good, thank you for asking."
He paused before biting his lip, apologetic. "Who are you?"
Heeseung's heart dropped. "Beomgyu?"
"He has amnesia," Taehyun quietly reported. "He doesn't remember anything. Not even me."
"Oh, Taehyun," Heeseung exhaled slowly, covering his mouth in disbelief. "I'm so sorry."
He took a seat at the edge of Beomgyu's bed. "Hi, dude. I'm Heeseung. We trained together."
"Trained?" Beomgyu frowned. "Trained for what?"
"Oh god." Soobin turned around, burying himself in Yeonjun's arms. "He really doesn't remember."
Beomgyu pointed at Jay. "You... Yeonjun...? Yeonjun, please close the door. It's a bit drafty in here."
Jay awkwardly cleared his throat, nudging the door shut with his foot. "I'm actually Jay. Yeonjun hyung is over there, by the tall guy. Soobin hyung. And, um, they're both our hyungs. Don't forget to use honorifics."
"Oh, sorry," Beomgyu laughed nervously. "There are... a lot of you."
Taehyun took Beomgyu's arm, gently massaging the older boy's hands. "Don't worry, Gyu. You'll get the hang of it."
Beomgyu stared at the younger boy. "Sorry... Who are you to me? I mean, besides a co-worker. I know you're a co-worker. You told me that. But were we, like, close friends or just acquaintances?"
"Beomgyu... I'm your boyfriend. We're boyfriends."
Beomgyu blinked in surprise. "I'm gay?"
Taehyun inhaled sharply, his voice catching in his throat. "You're bi."
"Oh." Beomgyu paused. "Good to know. Am I like... out?"
"To pretty much everybody except the general public, yeah." Taehyun lowered his gaze. "You told your parents as soon as we started dating."
"How long ago was that?"
"About three weeks."
"Oh. Wow. That's uh... Wow." Beomgyu glanced around, stunned. He hesitated for a moment before reaching out, experimentally picking up Taehyun's wrist. "Did we hold hands a lot?"
Taehyun gave a short nod, intertwining their fingers. "Like this."
Beomgyu leaned over, touching the fringe of Taehyun's hair with his free hand. "You're really beautiful."
"Thank you," Taehyun breathed.
"Question... Did I usually top or bottom?"
"Beomgyu!" Taehyun slapped the older boy's arm. "That wasn't a part of the- there are children here!"
"Part of the...?" Yeonjun blinked in confusion. "Part of the what?"
"It was a joke," Taehyun grumbled. "He knows who you guys are and he knows who he is."
"Wha- Why would you end it so early?" Beomgyu gaped. "Did you see the look on Yeonjun hyung's face? Priceless!"
"You know damn well why I ended it, Beomgyu! I'm not talking about our sex life with all of our friends!"
"Why not?" Kai snickered. "We can all hear you guys anyway."
"Kai!" Taehyun cried, his face once again flushing with embarrassment. "May I remind you-!"
He pointed at Ni-ki and Daniel. "Children!"
"Yeah, I don't think we're the ones you have to worry about, hyung..." Daniel lightly tugged at Yeonjun's sleeve. "Hello? Anybody in there?"
Yeonjun stood silently, staring at Beomgyu.
"I'm going to kill him," he marveled. "I'm actually going to kill him. Today is the day."
"Uh oh." Beomgyu rolled out of bed, using his gurney as a wall to hide behind.
"You fucking-" Yeonjun lunged forward, grabbing at Beomgyu's head. "I don't care how much time I spend in prison! You're dead meat, Choi Beomgyu!"
"No!" Jungwon scrambled towards the older boy, desperately trying to hold him back.
"Let go, Jungwon!" Yeonjun screeched. "This was it! That was the last straw!"
"Don't let go of him!" Beomgyu shrieked. "I'm too young to die!"
"You are not!" Yeonjun broke free from Jungwon's grasp, limping towards Beomgyu with his ankle boot clunking behind him.
"I am too!" Beomgyu tried to climb over the bed.
"You are not!" Yeonjun grabbed Beomgyu's hospital gown and they came crashing down together.
Heeseung watched the two boys roll around on the floor, yelling nonsense at each other like kids fighting in a lunchroom. Though his muscles tensed, he did nothing to stop them. It was quite obvious that neither boy was trying to hurt the other. In fact, Heeseung even caught a small giggle escape Beomgyu as he was thrown against the couch.
Yeonjun took a seat on top of him and just like that, it was over. He stood up, offering a hand to Beomgyu. "Asshole."
"Dickwad." Beomgyu let Yeonjun pull him to his feet. "What kind of person tries to beat someone up after they recover from a coma?"
"Shut up." Yeonjun engulfed Beomgyu in a hug. "I love you, man."
"I love you too," Beomgyu replied, grinning as he nuzzled his cheek against Yeonjun's shoulder. "And I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't have- It was a dumb joke."
"Yeah, yeah, just... Take your ADHD meds, Beomgyu."
"I will. If you remind me. Every day. For the rest of your life."
"Once again, shut up," Yeonjun sighed as they pulled apart. "There's a hundred percent chance you're going to die first."
"I will outlive you and that's a promise."
"Alright, guys." Soobin steered Yeonjun away by the shoulder, forcing him to take a seat in the armchair. "Enough of this ridiculous behavior."
He hesitated for a moment before yanking Beomgyu closer, furiously stroking the younger boy's head in an attempt to tame his unruly bed hair.
"Hyung, you're embarrassing me," Beomgyu blushed, trying to push Soobin away. "Taehyun's watching; stop it."
"He's your boyfriend," Soobin grumbled, now fixated on fixing Beomgyu's tangled hospital gown. "He already likes you; you don't need to impress him."
Jungwon frowned. "Wait, I'm confused. Do you or do you not have amnesia?"
"Yes, but also no. I really didn't remember anything when I woke up." Beomgyu trotted over to Taehyun, giving the boy a silly grin as he clambered back into bed. "It's been coming back in bits and pieces; Taehyun's filled me in on the gaps."
"What do you not remember?" Daniel asked curiously.
"I'm pretty sure I remember everything, but... I don't know. And sometimes I get confused, I think."
"What do you mean you don't know?"
Taehyun laughed. "Here, I'll show you. Gyu, play Rock-Paper-Scissors with me."
"Okay," Beomgyu shrugged. "Easy. We play that all the time on variety shows."
"Ready?" Taehyun asked. "Rock, paper, scissors-!"
Beomgyu's loosely clenched fist remained hovering in the air indecisively. He stared at Taehyun's hand between them, clearly in the shape of a pair of scissors.
"Which one did you pick, Beomgyu?" Taehyun gently grabbed the older boy's arm, pulling it so that they could see his hesitation. "Is that rock, paper, or scissors?"
"I..." Beomgyu's mouth was dry. "I didn't know we had to pick."
Taehyun nodded, turning to face the rest of their friends. "See. It's not a defined portion of his memory that's gone; even he doesn't know what's missing. It's something we're going to have to figure out together. But-"
He smiled, leaning in to peck Beomgyu's lips. "He remembers the big stuff. That's all that really matters."
Beomgyu blinked happily, playing with Taehyun's fingers. "Is it true that I threw books at the sasaeng? Cause Taehyun said I did, but I'm not sure if I believe him. That seems like a pretty dumb thing to do."
"You did throw books," Soobin muttered. "My books."
"Oh, whoops, sorry," Beomgyu said in a completely unapologetic voice.
"Well, at least we know it's still the same Beomgyu in there," Yeonjun sighed, slumping in his seat. He pulled Soobin down into his lap.
"Hey, Tae," Beomgyu lightly called, urging the younger boy to look at him.
"What?"
"I meant it when I said you were beautiful. After I woke up, I saw your face and I made it my mission to get you to kiss me. Apparently, though, I've already succeeded."
"Gyu," Taehyun laughed. "Don't-"
"I'm so serious, Taehyun. I wasn't sure who you were to me, but I had this feeling like... like I knew I loved you and I still- I still know I love you, and-" Beomgyu blushed, slightly embarrassed by his rambling. "Just... I love you. I really do."
Taehyun's lips curved into a gentle smile. "I know."
"Good." Beomgyu lifted the corner of his blanket. "Now come and cuddle me. I'm beginning to have intimacy withdrawals."
Taehyun giggled, crawling under the covers and wrapping his arms around the older boy. "I love you too, Beomgyu."
"Oi," Heeseung grumbled. "You two. Don't think you've gotten off this scot-free. Seriously, you guys scared me. I have no idea what HYBE's protocols are for a K-pop idol with amnesia. Plus, Beomgyu, you're my friend. I thought I lost you! Or at least a part of you."
He pursed his lips. "And why didn't you let me in on the joke? I would've helped you trick Yeonjun hyung. We- We could've pulled a classic Heeseung and Beomgyu mess around!"
"Well... Taehyun and you are kind of different."
"But I'm your non-romantic best friend! We break into places together!"
"Heeseung," Beomgyu laughed. "If you want to form an indestructible emotional bond with me and also suck my dick, then by all means, by my guest. But until then, you're always going to be behind Taehyun. Sorry, bro."
"Understandable," Heeseung caved, his head drooping onto Sunghoon's shoulder.
"If it makes you feel better," Sunghoon whispered, running his fingers through Heeseung's hair. "You're my number one pick."
Jay looked to Jungwon, who casually took Sunoo's arm, striking up an unrelated conversation. Ni-ki stared at them from across the room, his face riddled with jealousy. Jake and Kai subtly held hands while Soobin and Yeonjun smiled at each other, the latter adding an unnecessarily flirtatious wink paired with a lip bite.
Daniel glanced around the room. "Oh. You guys all- Well! That's okay, I was the sasaeng's number one pick!"
"Daniel!" Jake wrapped his arms protectively around the younger boy. "Don't say that. We love you."
"I know," Daniel giggled. "I just thought that was funny at the moment."
Taehyun let out a quiet laugh, rolling over and biting Beomgyu's shoulder.
The older boy smiled down at him. "Be careful, Tae. Your stitches."
He winced, gingerly touching his head.
Taehyun's playful attitude immediately turned protective. "Gyu? Headache?"
"Yeah." Beomgyu laid back, hanging an arm over his eyes. "Small one."
"What's going on?" Daniel tilted his head, worried.
"He's got a concussion," Taehyun explained. "The doctor said he'll probably have headaches for the next few days, but other than that, he'll be fine."
He pulled the blanket over Beomgyu's shoulders, letting the older boy curl up against his side. "Take a nap, Gyu. You'll feel better when you wake up."
"Mm." Beomgyu ever so gently lifted his head, inching closer to Taehyun. "You sleep too. I can tell you're tired."
The younger boy glanced down at him, his eyes softening. Heeseung could practically hear their mental exchange of 'I love you's. He smiled, turning away. At that moment, all of the hardships they'd been through suddenly felt worth it. His friends were safe and happy. That was all he could ever ask for.
"Can we turn the lights off?" Beomgyu mumbled. "Feels like I'm being speared in the head."
Heeseung nodded, herding the rest of the boys out of the room. "Taehyun, you're good?"
"Yep."
"Okay. Sleep well, you two." Heeseung quietly shut the door, flipping off the light switch on his way out.
***
9:42 p.m.
Heeseung pushed two hospital beds together, pleased to find that his previously dislocated shoulder now hurt no more than a dull ache.
"Don't roll over," he joked, looking over at Sunghoon. "You might fall through the crack in the middle of the night."
"Ha ha," Sunghoon replied monotonously. He delicately placed two pillows on each side of their makeshift bed. "Funny."
"This is nice, though, isn't it? Having a bit of privacy for once." Heeseung glanced around, frowning. "Though I wonder why everybody else wanted to sleep in Daniel's room."
"Same reason why they refuse to stay in Soobin hyung and Yeonjun hyung's, or Beomgyu hyung and Taehyun's."
"And what's that?"
Sunghoon turned to stare at him, amused. "You're really oblivious, aren't you? Heeseung hyung, nobody wants to share a room with a couple, especially one that's just been through something traumatic and therefore may be more likely to commit... sinful acts in the middle of the night."
"Mm, well, whatever. Their loss. You're the prettiest sleeper I've ever laid eyes on." Heeseung reached out, twirling his fingers in Sunghoon's hair. "And I like that you've started calling me 'hyung.' It's cute."
Sunghoon let out a quiet laugh. "Yeah, well, with everything that's been happening recently, I just realized that getting mad over somebody not using honorifics with you was stupid. And I guess I'm also just... less insecure. I don't feel the need to have something unique between us because I know you love me, and I know I love you, so."
He gently took Heeseung's hand. "That's all the proof we need."
A quiet, melodious song began playing over the hospital speakers.
Heeseung looked up, slightly confused. "What's that?"
"Brahms' lullaby," Sunghoon whispered, staring at the ceiling in awe. "A nurse told me earlier. They play it every time a baby's born, in all the rooms that request it. I, uh, I thought it would be nice to have it in ours."
"It is nice," Heeseung murmured, taking Sunghoon's hips with his hands.
The younger boy smiled, resting his arms on Heeseung's shoulders, and together, they gently swayed to the lullaby.
***
11:59 p.m.
"Wake up! Heeseung hyung, wake up!"
Heeseung groggily sat up, letting go of Sunghoon's hand to rub his eyes. "What?"
"Jake, go away," Sunghoon muttered, disgruntled at the loss of his boyfriend's warm presence.
Jake bit his lip, panicked. "Guys, it's an emergency. Sunoo's crying in Yeonjun hyung and Soobin hyung's room, and Ni-ki's sobbing Daniel's."
"What?" Heeseung quickly climbed out of bed, offering his arm to help Sunghoon down. "Jake, what do you mean?"
"I don't know. I- I wasn't even there when it happened. Kai and I were sleeping on the couch in Daniel's room when Ni-ki stumbled in, just like, tears streaming down his face. I haven't seen him cry like that since I-Land, hyung. And then Yeonjun hyung came running down the hallway with his ankle boot, asking why Sunoo was having a panic attack in their bathroom and I just- Hurry! Let's go!"
"Yeah, wait, coming-" Heeseung nearly tripped trying to put on his shoes. "Sunghoon and Jake, go to Sunoo. I'll talk to Ni-ki first."
The two boys nodded before dashing off. Heeseung quickly made his way to Daniel's room, his mouth falling open at the sight of angry red marks all around Ni-ki's neck.
He pursed his lips, kneeling in front of the younger boy to examine his injuries. "Ni-ki, what happened?"
Ni-ki opened his mouth, but only a pitiful croaking sound came out.
Daniel quickly shook his head. "Hyung, don't talk. Rest your voice; I'll tell him."
He turned to face Heeseung. "It started with a letter. Sunoo hyung's letter."
~
"Daniel, do you remember that thing I told you about a while ago? About Sunoo hyung and Vincent?"
"Nope." Daniel bent over the sink, spitting out his toothpaste. "Not at all."
Ni-ki sighed, crossing his arms as he leaned against the locked bathroom door. "The thing about Vincent convincing Sunoo hyung to submit an application for a clinical trial at this hospital? The thing where like if they accepted him, he and Vincent would be together all the time?"
"Oh, yeah, I remember. What about it?"
"You know that letter the nurse gave us earlier with the varsity jackets? It was for Sunoo, from this hospital. He was approved for the clinical trial."
"You opened his mail?" Daniel gaped.
"No!" Ni-ki waved his arms frantically. "You know those little plastic window things they have in the corner of official envelopes? I looked through that!"
"That's literally just as bad as opening it."
"I know," Ni-ki winced. "I know. But just... I didn't open it."
Daniel let out a long sigh. "Well, whatever. It's too late to take it back now. Where's the letter? Why haven't you given it to Sunoo hyung yet?"
Ni-ki pursed his lips. "I threw it out."
Daniel stared at him in shock. "What?"
"I know! I know! I fucked up. I just... What do I do?" Ni-ki ran his fingers through his hair, panicked. "He's going to kill me."
"Can you try to get it back?"
Ni-ki shook his head. "It's long gone by now."
"Oh my god." Daniel rubbed his face in exasperation. "You have no other choice. You have to tell him the truth."
Ni-ki hung his head, on the verge of tears. "This is going to squash any chance I ever had with him, isn't it?"
"I mean, he already hates you because of the whole thing with Vincent's scarf," Daniel sighed. "Can't get much worse from that, right?"
Ni-ki gave a small smile. "Yeah, I guess so. Thanks, Daniel."
~
"Oh, you're so full of shit," Ni-ki laughed, his voice still slightly hoarse. "Painting yourself in a good light, yeah, right. You were just as curious as me to know what was in the letter!"
"Well, uh," Daniel giggled nervously. "At least I didn't peek in it unlike you."
"Alright, I know I fucked up." Ni-ki rolled his eyes, exasperated. "You don't need to keep reminding me."
Heeseung frowned, gently touching Ni-ki's arm. "I think you should rest your voice a little bit. Just a day or two maybe..."
"I'm fine. Just needed a minute to recover. And anyways, Daniel doesn't know the rest of the story."
Daniel opened his mouth."Well, it's not hard to infer-"
"Let him tell it," Heeseung whispered. "I need to know what happened between him and Vincent."
He gazed at the red bruises on Ni-ki's neck. "This... This can be dangerous. We're in lawsuit territory; every detail matters."
~
"Sunoo hyung, are you here?" Ni-ki poked his head into Vincent's room.
"He's getting us snacks from the cafeteria." The boy in the bed, Vincent, glanced up. "Who are you?"
"I'm Ni-ki."
"Sunoo's friend Ni-ki?"
Ni-ki hesitated before nodding. "Yes."
"Huh," Vincent smugly smiled. "Sunoo talks about you."
"Yeah." Ni-ki let out a deep breath, trying to control his emotions. "Cool. Well, anyways, please let him know that I'm looking for him."
He turned around, prepared to leave.
"Ni-ki, wait," Vincent called. "Come here. I want to show you something."
He hopped out of bed, his arm muscles rippling under the bright hospital lights. Ni-ki subconsciously took a step back. The blankets had hidden just how stocky Vincent was, especially for an eighteen-year-old.
"Look." Vincent displayed his phone screen, scrolling through his text messages with Sunoo. "Sunoo's great at taking pictures, isn't he?"
He tapped on one photo, zooming in on the cherry red lollipop Sunoo had pressed to his lips. "Man, he's a fucking tease."
"Why are you showing me this?" Ni-ki turned his head, looking away. "Sunoo hyung sent that to you. Only you. You're not supposed to share it with anybody else; it's private."
"Oh, I just wanted to check if he ever sent something like that to you." Vincent swiped left again. "Judging from your reaction, I supposed he hasn't. Guess that was obvious, though. You're a fucking kid; you have no chance with him."
Vincent's phone dinged and a notification from Tinder popped up on the top of his screen.
"You're seeing other people?" Ni-ki asked, his fists trembling with fury.
"Well, duh," Vincent scoffed. "Don't worry, Ni-ki. When you grow up, you'll stop seeing the world through rose-colored glasses and then you'll know the truth. Sunoo's no better than the average slut."
Ni-ki punched him. No hesitation, no thought; just an action fueled by pure rage. "Don't talk about him like that."
Vincent touched his jaw, grinning. "I was hoping you'd do that."
He grabbed Ni-ki's arms and forced him down, pinning the younger boy to the floor.
"Come on, Ni-ki," Vincent laughed. "Did you really think I'd be easy to beat just because I'm in a hospital?"
He leaned in close, whispering into Ni-ki's ear. "I'll let you in on a little secret. I used to be that kid who couldn't keep up in gym class; that kid who got punched in the locker rooms for being weak and scrawny. Eventually, I had enough of it. I worked out; got strong. And you know what I did to those kids who bullied me?"
"What?" Ni-ki spat.
"I put my arm around their neck like this-" Vincent maneuvered the younger boy into a headlock. "And I didn't let go."
Ni-ki gasped for air, weakly clawing at Vincent's arms.
"You're still pathetic," he croaked out. "Fucking pervert. Sunoo hyung deserves better."
"Like you can give that to him," Vincent sneered, tightening his grip.
"Ni-ki?!" Sunoo stood in the doorway, his arms full of snacks and his eyes wide with horror. "Wha- Vincent! What are you doing? Let go of him!"
Vincent looked up in shock, his arm loosening around Ni-ki's neck. Ni-ki took the opportunity to break out of the headlock. He spun around, launching himself at Vincent.
"No!" Sunoo dropped the snacks and ran into the room, trying to pry the two boys apart. "Vincent! Ni-ki! Stop!"
He stumbled backward, letting out a small gasp as Vincent slapped him.
Both Ni-ki and Vincent turned to face Sunoo, their mouths falling open.
"Sunoo-" Vincent started.
"No. I don't want to hear it." Sunoo stared at him tearfully, cupping his cheek. "We're done. I... This was never a good idea."
"Sun, wait, it was a mistake." Vincent shut his eyes, acting regretful. "I'm sorry."
"I don't care." Sunoo shook his head. "Why are you picking fights with Ni-ki? He's fifteen, Vincent. He's three years younger than you!"
"He's three years younger than you too!" Vincent spat. "And you're not honestly going to choose him over me, are you?"
Sunoo hesitated for a moment before speaking in a shaky voice, "Get out."
"This is my room!"
"Get out!"
Vincent scoffed in disbelief before standing up and leaving the room.
"Hyung." Ni-ki massaged his throat, his voice still raspy from being choked. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me. I know what you did. The janitor found my acceptance letter for the clinical trial in the trash."
Ni-ki fell quiet. "I... I was going to tell you but-"
"I don't care if you were going to tell me. I just want to know why," Sunoo cried, facing Ni-ki with tears in his eyes. "Why would you do something like this?"
"You don't need to let scientists try to fix you. You're already perfect the way you are."
"Don't you think that was up for me to decide?"
"You were making the wrong choice!"
"But it was mine to make! It was my choice, Ni-ki. Not yours."
Realization flooded Ni-ki's face. He glanced down, his shoulders drooping with guilt. "I'm sorry, I- I wasn't-"
"Save your breath. I don't care anymore." Sunoo turned to leave.
"I was only trying to help," Ni-ki mumbled. "Please, hyung. I'm sorry."
"I didn't ask for your help," Sunoo snapped. "Just stay away from me."
Ni-ki watched the older boy crouch by the doorway to pick up the fallen snacks. The anger that had been building within him since the moment he learned of Vincent finally exploded.
"What's the point of loving you?" He climbed to his feet, glaring at Sunoo's back. "I wish I never debuted in Enhypen. I wish the I-Land producers just sent me home!"
Sunoo froze. "You don't mean that," he whispered.
"I do," Ni-ki spat. "At least I'd be with my family."
He slid past Sunoo, storming out of the room.
~
"Oh, Ni-ki," Heeseung murmured. He pulled the crying boy into a gentle hug. "Shh, it's okay. Sunoo knows you didn't mean any of that."
"But I did," Ni-ki sniffled. "I miss my mom. My dad. My sisters. I want to go back to Japan. I want to go home."
"You will," Heeseung whispered, cradling the younger boy's head to his chest. "I promise, you'll get to visit them soon really soon, okay? I know it doesn't feel like it, but we're all here for you, Ni-ki. We'll be your home away from home."
Ni-ki buried his face in Heeseung's shirt. "I miss you too, though. You're always either with Sunghoon hyung or running off with the TXT hyungs. Why don't you ever hang out with me anymore?"
Heeseung bit his lip guiltily. It was true. Ever since the merge, he'd spent less time with his dongsaengs than usual. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, Ni-ki."
"It's okay," Ni-ki mumbled. "You had a lot of work. It's not your fault."
There was a light knock on the door, and the doctor stepped in, followed by a nurse.
Ni-ki immediately stood up. "Is Sunoo hyung okay?"
"He'll be just fine," the doctor nodded, pulling her penlight out of her pocket. "Alright, Ni-ki-ssi. Stare straight ahead, please."
"Heeseung-ssi," the nurse called.
"Yes?"
"You're needed out in the lobby. Eunji-ssi and Mei-ssi are by the elevators, waiting for you. They'll catch you up on your way down."
Heeseung stood up, frowning. "At one in the morning? Why?"
"Reporters."
"Again?" Heeseung spun around, looking for Daniel's jacket to borrow. "But we already gave them a statement."
"There's, uh..." The nurse pursed her lips. "There's been a new development in your sasaeng case."
Heeseung tensed up. He slowly turned to face the nurse. "What new development?"
"Your CEO. He's been arrested."