Still three years ago
.
Changbin was thankful that it was the last period for the day. He felt exhausted.
They always had only one class after lunch and today's last class happened to be changbin's not so favorite history and of course why he found it to be the best timing for a little nap. He sat at the right corner of the classroom, his head over his crossed hands resting on the desk.
It didn't help that Mr.Moon's voice, their history teacher in his late 50s, felt like a lullaby to his ears, and it was turning into a dull ringing as the time passed and Changbin drifted off to a slumber, the sun blazing through the window, shining over his face.
He just wanted to go home and drop himself on his bed, like he always did.
Changbin lives with his grandmother because his parents were all the way to oseloecit, a rural part of the country which had few to no schools.
It gave him the freedom to do whatever he likes as long as he kept his health and grades in check, which he was grateful for.
He heard the bell ringing, signaling that school was over for the day , but it was faint and vague to the point that he thought he imagined it in the drowsy state he was in.
He was proved wrong when a hand was slammed on his desk loud and hard, not once - not twice again and again.
"Till when are you staying in that dreamland of yours changbin-shi"
He knew the voice all to well and he should be getting up but his desk just felt so fluffy and warm he just wanted to stay a little while.
"Hello~" the voice sing songed loudly and changbin tried to tell it to get away but only incoherent mumbles come out of his mouth. He felt his bag being lifted from behind him and footsteps shuffling away and sighed in relief.
Only if he knew.
****
Seungmin, Hyunjoon, jae and hyunjae walked into changbin's class, having waited for the past 15 minutes at the end of the hallway, only to see he was the only one left- sleeping on his desk.
Hyunjae tried waking him up only receiving some whines in return. Changbin turns into a big baby when he sleeps.
Seungmin took changbin's bag and left the classroom, Hyunjoon and jae casually walking to the door, desperately trying to be unnoticed.
"Don't you dare!"Hyunjae glared but it was too late as the two sprinted out of the room leaving him to deal with a sleepy whiney and drowsy changbin.
As if a light bulb lit up above hyunjae's head, he snapped his fingers and slid his bag off his shoulders, taking out the almost empty water bottle and poured it on changbin's back.
Changbin jolted up at the cold liquid pouring sensation to the point he fell off his chair to his side, his whole body falling on his right arm.
He groaned as he tried to get up and hissed in pain as his arm protested when he tried to lean on it.
" that was quick" hyunjae commented nonchalantly as he offered a hand to help changbin up after slinging his backpack on his shoulders. Changbin glared at his hyung but took his hand nonetheless.
Hyunjae tried to support the boy by linking their arms but only got shoved away as changbin tried to move his arm only to feel every fiber of his arm protesting in pain and left the room huffing, as hyunjae run after him whining at his over dramatic reaction.
****
Jacob has soon joined them because his school was only a few minutes walk from theirs and now they were walking down the driveway almost getting to hyunjae's house when seungmin gasped.
He almost forgot and carried changbin's bag all the way from school. He scooted closer to the boy and shoved the bag to his side only for changbin to yelp rubbing his arm which felt like it was on fire. seungmin just gave him a weird look before going over to Hyunjoon to bother the unusually silent boy.
Hyunjae grabbed changbin's right arm to make sure the boy wasn't fooling around " what the hell, hyung?! That hurts!"
" I think we should get this checked up" he said instantly changing to serious mode as he took the boy's bag to hold it for him. He has probably broken his arm.
****
Later on, somehow, everyone has agreed to walk Hyunjoon home to try and cheer the boy up, which of course they denied, saying that it was just too early to go home anyway.
Well except hyunjae, who went home to change his clothes so he could walk to the clinic with changbin to get his arm checked later.
Everything worked out as they were all laughing out loud, imagining scenarios that would probably get them admitted to a mental hospital, Hyunjoon's worry at the back of his head as he enjoyed the distraction and they strode down the deserted alley very slowly under the orange glow of the slowly setting sun and the gentle breeze blowing against their skin pleasantly.
Hyunjoon wished he got home earlier. Just five minutes earlier, then maybe he would have been able to save his parents... save himself from the next years that passed by, every thought filled with pain, everyday, every night, every morning he spent, heart in so much regret and self hate.
****
From the moment Hyunjoon set his foot inside, he knew something wasn't right.
From the eerie silence that settled in the very tense air, to the smell of something foul. Everything was not right.
"mom," Hyunjoon tried to ignore the erratic beating of his heart, which he could clearly hear in his own ears and walked inside, dropping his shoes off at the shoe shelf by the entrance of the hallway and walking straight to the kitchen, where he just heard a thud and a piece of metal clank against the ceramic tiles of the kitchen floor and stood by the door
"dad... " Hyunjoon called out louder, too scared to move a finger.
Hurried foot steps thudded down the stairs and Hyunjoon's dad came into view in his casual white shirt and black shorts, looking distressed
"joon, it's you" relief dripped from Mr. Heo's words.
"where's mom? " Hyunjoon couldn't get rid of the very uneasy feeling in his guts.
"what do you mean? Wasn't she just preparing dinner when I walked upstairs to -" Mr. Heo cut himself half way through the kitchen, frozen and eyes bulging out of its sockets, as he stared at the floor in what could only be described as pure horror.
That's it! Hyunjoon had to move now. Right now.
With a feeling word's couldn't fathom, he pushed himself beside his father.
What he saw was the reason Hyunjoon wished he was blind for the rest of his life if that meant he didn't see what he just did.
With a whimper he didn't even realize he let out, his legs gave out and he dropped to the floor, with dread clawing at his heart.
It felt like something went right through his bones and flesh, grabbed his heart and is twisting and gripping it physically, and in the hopes of being able to breathe, Hyunjoon screamed so deafeningly that his own ears stopped working.
His mother laid on the kitchen floor, unmoving and a certain hallow look in her eyes that still haunted Hyunjoon in his dreams, crimson red oozing out of her body and staining her sky blue apron.
Everything went with slow motion
Mr. Heo dropped to his knees in front of her and called out to her in such a broken voice, cupping her face in his hands, and moving his hands to her shoulders to shake her slightly
"y-yeonseo, wake up... l-listen to me! get up! Why are you lying on the floor, you have to get up its cold.. " Mr. Heo smiled through his tears clearly in denial of what happened to his dear wife, frantically trying to support her up despite her going limb in his arms
" are you that tired... ? y-you could have told me! honey... I would have cooked our dinner, and - and cleaned the house and done the dishes " he sat on the floor, hugging her cold lifeless body close to him and sobbing into the crook of her neck, every word he uttered, muffled and so broken.
" p-please wake up! " he whimpered with a pained voice.
Hyunjoon sat there , numb and cold, shaking so bad. He held his head in his hands trying to breathe as everything around was spinning and blurry.
The only thing he could make out was his father's pleads and sobs as he held his wife in his arms. Hyunjoon didn't feel anything. He couldn't. And it seemed like he spent the eternity sitting there, trying to hold his eyes open for as long as possible and breathe.
The last he could remember was a figure coming out of behind the counter, where they couldn't see him before, wearing a black cap and a mask. Everything about him screamed murderer.
He stared down at them with such cold eyes before walking to the door.
Mr. Hoe scurried off the floor, hands feeling the cold floor for something, anything to use as a weapon, and sprinted after him, holding a bottle he found on the counter tightly in his hands
He crushed it to the wall, spilling all the contents along with some shattered glasses of the broken glass bottle and jumped at him with rage.
Hyunjoon could now see black dots dancing in his blurry vision, lungs out of any air, as he turned to his mom
Her eyes were still open, lifelessly staring at the ceiling
He scooted closer to her with nearly paralyzed body and caressed her eyelids closed, a single tear dropping from his nearly closed eyes
His body gave as he dropped unconscious beside his mother.
****
"what was that? " jae abruptly stopped on her steps.
"what was what?" seungmin asked jae
The two were walking home after parting ways with Jacob and changbin at Hyunjoon's house because they were going back the way they came
"the scream" she turned around and jogged back to Hyunjoon's house, seungmin following her, confused.
"did you hear it too? " Jacob asked them both, when they got there, already in front of Hyunjoon's place, changbin looking pained as he rubbed at his right arm and glared at Jacob.
"you think it's from here? " jae pointed at the house, looking unsure.
The scream was heard again, clearly from Hyunjoon's house, but it wasn't as loud and deafening as the first. It was full of rage and pain, and the four of them barged in with panicking hearts.
The scream came nonstop, getting louder and louder as they got close to the dining room.
The view that awaited them- they vowed to never tell Hyunjoon about.
Never!
Mr. Heo hovered over a man in all black, holding a broken bottle with edges so sharp they could easily slice through human flesh
The man laying under was fully wet with his own blood, that was oozing out of every part of his body, as Mr. Heo mercilessly and continuously stabbed his body screaming in rage and pain.
****
A grave silence settled in the hospital room, every beep of the machine haunting jae's ears. She was a mess.
Her eyes were swollen, red and puffy, face still wet with tears as she sniffed once in a while.
She glanced at the figure lying on the hospital bed, many wires hooked up to his body, from where she was sitting on the floor and whimpered.
Hyunjoon
The door quietly clicked open and changbin walked in, slowly closing the door behind him.
He walked over to her and dropped himself on the floor beside her, jae instantly curling to his side, and they just sat their holding each other, changbin's probably fractured right arm long forgotten as they waited for hyunjae to come back with news about Hyunjoon. It has been almost 20 minutes since he went out to talk to the doctor.
Jacob and his parents were still at the police station with Mr. Heo, and things look pretty bad for Hyunjoon's father because he basically murdered a person, while his own wife was murdered. It's mental torture to even think about.
Death was not even a punishment for the man who killed Mrs. Heo! Jae wished he could have rotten in jail for the rest of his life. He didn't deserve to die!
"what about seungmin? " jae asked, getting her head off changbin's chest to look at him.
He shook his head looking distressed and jae sighed resting her head back on changbin's chest and closing her eyes
They got to the hospital before the sun even fully set.
Seungmin stayed in the room for less than an hour and run out because he couldn't handle sitting in there anymore.
He locked himself inside a rest room stall and cursed at anyone who tried to talk to him.
It was almost midnight now but he hasn't came out yet.
****
The next weeks passed painfully slow. Especially for Hyunjoon.
Hyunjoon had a hard time accepting what happened.
How could his life turn to hell in less than an hour? He isn't gonna live a normal life anymore. He can't.
Not without his parents... without his mom!
He still doesn't know why he hasn't seem his father after the incident. The incident .
Hyunjoon remembers her eyes. Her hallow eyes that stared at the ceiling lifelessly.
It hurt so much, his heart felt like it was burning and he couldn't breath normally.
He saw blood pouring down the white floor staining the whole kitchen, but what hurt the most was his hands
His blood soaked hands. He sprinted to the sink and opened the water, trying to wash it off.
But rather than being clean, the whole sink filled with blood- even pouring out and splashing all over the room as he desperately tried to stop the running water.
Everywhere he turned in the kitchen... the same kitchen he did the dishes after dinner with his mom a million times, the same kitchen he and Mr. Heo almost burned down trying to make a surprise cake for his mom's birthday, the same kitchen seungmin taught him and jae how to make the best cupcakes Hyunjoon has ever tasted, it was all blood.
He backed out of the kitchen into the dining room to see a dead man in all black from head to toe lying on the white carpet of the dining room. His fresh oozing blood staining the white carpet that Mr. Heo bought for the 2014 Christmas. He remembers how happy his mom was, she never let anyone step on it with their shoe on in fear of getting it dirty
"mom... " Hyunjoon heard himself say out loud
" please come back ... I need you" he was amazed at how clear and loud his voice was.
" hwall, is that you? "
Hyunjoon snapped his head to the kitchen and gasped
His mother stood in front of him, looking gorgeous as ever, despite her blood soaked clothes and talked ever so casually, even calling him by the name only she used, smiling at him warmly
" what's keeping you frozen sweetie? go change up! dinner is almost ready"
What is happening!?
Hyunjoon shut his eyes and shook his head frantically
" hwall, are you ok ?" she frowned in concern as she walked over to him.
Her eyes laid on the white carpet and she gasped, turning back to him with glaring cold eyes.
" hwall! what have you done!" she asked lowly, standing in front of him and raising her hand to wrap her bony fingers around his neck forcefully.
Hyunjoon tried to pry her hands away because he couldn't breath. She was chocking him.
He struggled and fought to no Vail as she smirked at him evilly before he blacked out .
****
" Jesus! Hyunjae, I heard you! I promise I'll call you when he wakes up, bye! " Jacob disconnected the call before hyunjae could rant more and put his phone on the small drawer beside Hyunjoon hospital bed.
"changbinnie, mind opening the window? we need some air in here" he smiled sweetly at the boy and dropping on the couch with a sigh.
" don't you feel one bit sorry for me hyung? you are so cold hearted! or can't you see that I can only use one of my hands? "
Changbin whined dangling his cast arm, which was found broken, in front of Jacob before walking to the window to open it.
Jacob just snicker and replied " I love you too, changbinnie! "
It's been four days since Hyunjoon came to the hospital but he only woke up just yesterday.
Obviously things were nasty.
Hyunjoon was not OK, he was far from it.
Hell, he was barely surviving and coping from all the pain and trauma.
The doctors said that he is suffering from severe trauma and anxiety, and that he will face really bad panic attacks and nightmares for sometime.
Hyunjoon hasn't uttered a word since he woke up, face looking grim, and eyes not making contact with anyone.
The three of them- hyunjae, seungmin and jae were forced to go to school today. Three days of absence was enough. It was almost time they leave school and it wouldn't be long before they come over.
Jacob and changbin stared at Hyunjoon's sleeping figure quietly, lost in thoughts.
Soft knocks were heard before the trio came in, 30 minutes later, hyunjae shouting
"is he still sleeping? "
Changbin hissed at him
"can't you see hyung? " glaring at him.
" when are you coming to school? " seungmin started. " and don't use your arm as an excuse! "
Before changbin could snap back at him, a loud gasp was heard from around the bed as Hyunjoon jerked up from his bed, hands running to feel his neck and nearly choking himself. He started gasping for air, as the machine beside him beeped erratically faster.
Jacob was beside him in a blink of an eye forcing the boys hand to stop as hyunjae tried to calm him down
"Hyunjoon stop!"
"m-mom.... w-where is mom? ! " he gasped
"you're ok joonnie! It's ok " hyunjae soothed him as Jacob pried his hands off his throat, violently coughing after that.
"LET ME GO!" he barked at them, squirming to free himself.
Seungmin already run out of the room to call for help. Unluckily there was no one on the hallway and he had to run all the way to the reception.
" h-help " he gasped at the nurse behind the counter.
She calmly and quickly got out from behind the counter and called out for a doctor passing by.
"room number? " she turned back to seungmin and he just stared back at her
" kid, am gonna need your room number to help you" she explained, but seungmin's mind decided to go blank so he just pointed at the direction and started jogging back to Hyunjoon's room.
"just follow him, Dr. Kim" she suggested to the doctor that came at her call, and the doctor smiled before running after seungmin.
When they entered Hyunjoon's room, everyone was standing wary around him arms up in defense as Hyunjoon cursed at them
Seungmin glanced down at the broken glass on the floor, and he could guess what happened.
"WHO ARE YOU!? WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY PARENTS!?!! " Hyunjoon screamed at the doctor and the doctor run out of the room to get what he needed.
Hyunjoon picked the night light up from the bed stand next to him and held it up threateningly.
" nobody come closer or you'll get hurt! " he glared at them.
"no one is going to hurt you joon, you're ok, just put that down, em?" hyunjae suggested, hands up in defense, but Hyunjoon only cursed at him to shut up.
The doctor came running back with some nurses holding needles and small bottles.
They held him down so he couldn't trash about and injected him with something none of the kids knew.
Hyunjoon went weaker and weaker before going unconscious and the machine started beeping normally again.
" this will give him a good sleep " the doctor explained politely
"but he just woke up! " changbin didn't like how they forced him to an injection
" the medication he is taking, has an effect of knocking him unconscious, it's the only effective medication we can use against the anxiety or panic attacks he faces. He is lucky to not have any allergic reaction to it. Many suffer from anxiety and panic attacks being allergic to this medication."
" it will only give him sleep for some hours, I promise you, no other side effects. " he added quickly sensing the other's concern, and left the room quietly.
The rest stood frozen, roaming in the thought that they are gonna have to get used to this.
Flashback ends here
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