Daehyun hurriedly ran out of the building and searched around, he then sighted Minsoo's vehicle and rushed towards it just as the driver started driving away.
"Wait a moment." Minsoo told the driver before stepping out to meet Daehyun. Hope sprang into Daehyun's eyes when Minsoo approached him.
"What is it?" Minsoo slid his hands into his pocket and gaze him a bored stare. "Make it quick. I have somewhere to be."
"Did you mean it? What you said back there?" Daehyun asked in a murmur.
"What do you think?" Minsoo then turned and entered the vehicle before the driver finally drove off.
Daehyun was staring at the retreating figure of the car when Jiwon and Gunwoo ran up to him.
"Let's go back to the dorms, the main manager will soon start the routine checkup and things will get ugly if he found out we all sneaked out," Gunwoo tried to reason with Daehyun.
"No." Daehyun pushed him away.
"What's your problem?!" Jiwon snapped. "Don't you know we're all in the same situation?! Do you think her death hurt you alone? She was also our friend too you know! Minsoo-hyung even has to do work regardless of the situation! What's your deal, you selfish prick?!"
"We're not all in the same situation!" Daehyun yelled and clenched his fists.
"At least you all had a childhood, life was cruel to me right from the start. . ." His tone descended a lot more. "I couldn't even create enough memories to last me. . ."
He then looked down at the ground. "I don't even remember. . ."
"I'm home."
A younger version of Daehyun who was seated on the rug reading a storybook, jumped up and flung himself at the tall figure by the doorway. "Hyung!"
His elder brother laughed as he caught him. "Easy buddy."
When he pulled back from the hug the little Daehyun grinned at him. The sunlight was shining so bright from behind so his older brother's face couldn't be fully seen.
Just his smile.
"Won't you let me come in first?" his brother chuckled. Daehyun laughed and held his brother's hand and hopped by his side excitedly as he entered the house.
"I can't remember. . ." Daehyun looked at his left hand.
"Aaaaahhhhh!" Daehyun screamed as the car behind slammed into theirs making the car to reel forward into a huge truck that carried fuel.
When Daehyun opened his eyes, he saw he had a bruise on his forehead.
"Daehyun-ah! Watch out!" his brother screamed as he pulled his overcoat and covered Daehyun with it before throwing himself on Daehyun.
Then there was a huge bang and an explosion occurred because the fuel had leaked down to the floor and the fire that had begun because of the accident leapt up in huge flames.
"What he looks like." Daehyun completed then looked at his band mates again, his eyes filled with deep sorrow.
Gunwoo sighed deeply.
In all honesty Daehyun has had so far, the hardest childhood out of all of them since he was an orphan right from an early age.
"I get it," Jiwon said with a fixed expression on Daehyun. "You must have gone through a lot, but it doesn't make anyone's pain lesser than yours!"
Gunwoo's head snapped to him.
"We didn't go through what you did but that doesn't mean our pain is not valid too. Does it make sense comparing trauma to another? Pain is pain and hurt is hurt no matter how big or small it is," Jiwon finalized.
Gunwoo placed his hand on Jiwon's shoulder and shook his head.
"What?" Jiwon turned to him.
"Don't say things like that to him."
"It's the truth though."
That statement earned him a knock from Gunwoo.
"Listen to me for once would you!" Gunwoo scowled at him.
Jiwon hissed in pain, "You always take his side when he misbehaves, hyung!"
"He's the youngest! He's bound to throw tantrums more than others!" Gunwoo fired back.
Just as Daehyun watched the two of them bicker, an eerie chuckle resounded in his head.
His face paled instantly and he took a step back.
Run.
Get away from there.
No one loves you.
Hahahahahaha. . . The maniac laughter only seemed to get louder in the background of his head as the dark voices whispered each word, intentionally targeting his deepest fears.
You are just a nobody.
You don't even know who you are anymore, why don't you just end it all?
Daehyun groaned and covered his ears.
The whispers only seemed to grow into an echoing climax the more he tried to shut them out.
"Nnnhhh. . ." Daehyun sobbed and backed away.
"Daehyun!" Jiwon called sharply when he looked up and saw him backing away. Daehyun suddenly turned and took off.
"Hold on for goodness sake!" Gunwoo yelled as the two of them began to pursue him.
"Where the hell are you going?!" Jiwon shouted at him.
I have to get out of here. . . Daehyun thought in panic as he started to feel suffocated by the darkness. His chest was tightening and it seemed like he was going underwater.
I can't see a thing!
The brightly lit street started to darken from his perspective. All the lampposts, benches and buildings started fading away and it began to feel like shadows and demons were behind him trying to grab him.
The dark laughter continued to echo like a beating drum in his head.
"Daehyun, wait!" Gunwoo shouted in a worried tone.
"Damn it! Don't run so fast!" Jiwon growled.
Daehyun couldn't hear their voices anymore. The voices in his head were louder and more deafening than theirs.
End it all.
End it all.
End it all.
End it all.
The dark voices continued to chant as he ran down the street blindly.
Oh no! Gunwoo inwardly gasped when he saw Daehyun was headed to the main road. He might get hit! The two behind him doubled their paces, they had to catch him on time before an accident occurred.
***
"Why are we turning back now? You are way behind schedule," Minsoo's personal manager complained bitterly. "First you disappear, now you're going back? Why? Have you-"
"Hey. Managernim." Minsoo turned to glare at him. "Quit nagging me." His personal bodyguard chuckled and covered it up as a cough when the manager glared at him.
Minsoo returned his gaze to the scenery outside the window.
What am I even doing? He wondered with an eyeroll.
However, a very small part of him just wanted to make sure Daehyun was okay even if he wouldn't admit it. In case the others couldn't handle him because Daehyun could be a handful.
What his carelessness costs him in the past-
"Is she badly hurt?" He was asked with an air of uncertainty.
"Of. . .of course not," Minsoo quickly objected, unwilling to let the thought settle in him. "She's alright. She's done this before, remember? She refused to do anything and won't even eat back when I fell sick and I couldn't bring any money in because I wasn't working. She's just protesting, she-"
"See! What'd I tell you?! She's not. . ." the word 'hurt' died on his tongue as his hand touched something squelchy when he made to gently raise her head up.
His face paled considerably as he withdrew his hand and stared at his quivering hands that were stained with blood.
The scenario kept replaying in his head. ". . .I killed her. . ."
-He wouldn't let it happen again.
Suddenly, he heard yelling and saw a flash run by his car carelessly.
"Daehyun?" Minsoo raised his head up in surprise then his emotion switched to alarm.
"Stop the car!" he shouted at the driver.
"Sir?" the driver glanced back at the manager unsurely.
"Why do you want-" his manager was asking when he cut in with a yell.
"I said stop the car!" Minsoo snapped and the driver screeched to a halt. He jumped down and took off in the direction Daehyun had gone.
"Hey! Minsoo!" his personal's manger shout could be heard. "Where are you going?!"
Minsoo doubled up his speed when he saw Daehyun was running with his eyes shut tightly.
That idiot. He couldn't have thought I was serious back then, right? He thought restlessly as he briefly glanced back and saw Gunwoo and Jiwon hot on their tail.
Just then a huge truck started moving forward when the lights turned green.
The truck's headlight flashed and it honked repeatedly. That seemed to snap Daehyun out of his state.
Where am I? Daehyun wondered as he slowed down. He didn't realize he had stopped right on the path of the fast-moving truck. However, when he turned it was too late. The bright light had gotten too close to him.
He fell with a force and slammed his head on the ground.
Daehyun groaned softly.
People's gasp and murmur could be heard around as the truck sped away after a loud slam was heard.
Gunwoo and Jiwon suddenly froze on their tracks.
"NO!!!" Jiwon screamed and ran towards the scene.
Daehyun grunted as he opened his eyes. He only felt a dull throbbing pain behind his head―nothing more.
His senses had now cleared up and he sighed in relief. Just he was about to stand up and assure everyone he was fine, he turned to where the crowd was slowly circling around.
That was when he figured what force had shoved him and the reason he had so little injuries. It was Minsoo not the truck.
Minsoo had pushed him out of harm's way and had gotten run down by the truck instead. Blood was all over him and sympathizers were starting to surround the area.
Gunwoo couldn't believe his eyes.
Blood.
So much blood.
Jiwon quickly knelt beside Minsoo and removed his jacket then placed it over his face as more people were crowding round and taking pictures while others wept and a few women screamed at the ghastly scene before them.
"Don't just stand there! Help him!!" Jiwon yelled at the people swarming around with tears trickling down his face while he cradled Minsoo's rapidly growing cold body. He didn't even mind the blood that was messing up his outfit.
"Isn't that the popular idol group, TASS?" someone asked and others started murmuring about it.
Jiwon shot a hateful look at him.
Gunwoo was just frozen on the spot.
"B. . . b. . . blood. . ." he stammered and took a step back.
His mind started to the crowded with the haunting memories of the past he had tried to bury.