"Do you have anything you want to say to your international fans?" the host inquired, his voice brimming with excitement.
"E-chos all around the world, thank you for your love and support," Hyun Min replied, his eyes shining with sincerity.
"Yeah, we shall meet each other soon," he added, a hint of anticipation in his voice.
"What?"
"No... hey!"
The moment Luka's words left his lips, chaos erupted, signaling the abrupt end of the show.
"Okay, wrap up!" the director announced, his tone cutting through the clamor.
"That was great," the host praised the boys as they began to gather their things.
"Yeah, it was good working with you," Ha Joon chimed in, bowing slightly to express gratitude for the experience.
"I can't expect anything less from a worldwide sensation," the producer, Joohee, announced as she approached with an air of undeniable authority. Her presence commanded attention, and she laid a hand possessively on Daeho's shoulder. Her eyes roamed over him with an unsettling hunger, like a predator sizing up its prey, sending icy chills racing down Daeho's spine.
Ha Joon, ever perceptive to the discomfort radiating from Daeho, instinctively stepped in front of him, erecting a barrier between Joohee's imposing presence and his friend. Daeho, despite his larger frame, felt an overwhelming urge to shrink behind Ha Joon's slender form. His heart pounded fiercely as he clutched at the hem of his sleeve, anxiety twisting like a coiled serpent within him.
"Yes, it was our honor to work with you," Ha Joon said, his voice steady but tinged with a hint of unease. He was determined to defuse the tension that hung thickly in the air, like a storm cloud ready to burst.
"Oh... yeah, sure, anytime," Joohee replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm. A smirk played on her lips as she clearly relished the boys' palpable unease. Her final lingering gaze seemed to pierce through Daeho, as if she could see the very depths of his soul. With a smug, self-satisfied air, she turned and walked away, leaving a suffocating atmosphere in her wake.
The room felt heavy, the silence that followed her departure was oppressive. Daeho's breath came in short, ragged gasps as he tried to steady himself. Ha Joon, sensing the struggle, placed a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder, offering a silent promise of protection and solidarity.
The set had transformed into a pressure cooker of anxiety as the other members rallied together, determined to shield Daeho from Joohee's unsettling presence. Her lingering stares and veiled intentions hung over him like a dark, oppressive cloud, amplifying the frustration of his friends as they witnessed his discomfort, all while the constant worry about Yeong Su's therapy loomed like a shadow over them.
Ha Joon had asked their manager to reach out to the doctor, but communication proved difficult amid their hectic schedule. The constant whirlwind of activities left little room for anything else.
"Ugh... what else is there left to do now?" the youngest member sighed as he settles himself in the car , his voice heavy with fatigue, dark circles shadowing his eyes.
"We have four hours until our next schedule. You should try to get some sleep until then," Ha Joon advised, his tone laced with concern. He knew the toll their relentless pace was taking on everyone.
"Yeah, you haven't slept properly these days," Luka added, nodding in agreement. His own exhaustion was apparent, but his worry for his friend overshadowed his weariness.
"You all should try to rest until we get there," Si Woo, the second eldest, added authoritatively, his eyes scanning the group with a protective gaze. His words carried the weight of his responsibility.
"By the way, have you heard anything about Yeong Su?" In Su, the youngest, interjected, his voice a mix of curiosity and anxiety. All eyes turned to their manager, a sense of foreboding settling over them.
"Oh right, I almost forgot! I got a call from the hospital," Yeonwoo the second manager said, his words immediately capturing their attention. Each boy felt a wave of anxiety washing over them as they leaned in closer, hanging on his every word.
"Relax, it wasn't bad news. It was actually surprising," Yeonwoo continued, heightening their curiosity. The boys exchanged anxious glances, their hearts pounding with anticipation.
"The doctor mentioned that during today's session, he was listening carefully and responding to questions. He appeared strangely relaxed, though not completely calm," Yeonwoo explained, glancing at each boy, ready to catch their reactions. The news was unexpected, leaving them both relieved and perplexed.
As they exchanged wide-eyed glances filled with a mix of confusion and relief, Yeonwoo forged ahead. "He was nervous, gripping the sheets tightly, but he didn't spiral out of control like last time."
"So he wanted to know if any of you talked to him during those three or four days?" Yeonwoo asked, his gaze shifting to catch their reactions in the rearview mirror. The question hung in the air, laden with unspoken thoughts and emotions.
Seeing their blank expressions, Ha Joon felt a sinking sensation in his chest—he already sensed the answer was not in their favor. "We didn't even touch our phones, and even if we had, we couldn't have reached him these past few days," he replied, rifling through his memories of the stressful days that had left them all emotionally drained.
"Yeah, and you know how swamped we've been," Si Woo echoed, his voice tinged with frustration as he ran a hand through his tousled hair.
"Even if we wanted to reach out, these last two weeks without hearing his voice have been incredibly rough," Daeho admitted, his voice shaking as tears began to well in his eyes. The emotional weight of their experiences hung heavily in the air, pulling the mood down like an unseen anchor.
A thick silence enveloped the car, the kind that made time feel suspended, as Si Woo empathically rubbed Daeho's back, the gesture gentle yet filled with the urgency of comfort for the sensitive boy.
"You said Yeong Su managed his session well this time? That means he's making progress, right?" Si Woo prompted, eager to steer the heavy conversation toward a glimmer of hope.
"Ah... yeah, that seems to be the case," Yeonwoo responded, quick to notice their collective yearning. "You all want to talk to him?"
The boys exchanged glances, their resolve solidifying as they determined to talk to Yeong Su together with all the members.
As they arrived on set ahead of schedule, anticipation buzzed among them as they prepared to place the call. They gathered closely around the phone set to speaker mode, hearts racing in unison with Ryo on other side of the call while waiting for Yeong Su to join the conference call on the other end.
Every second felt like an eternity, the tension mounting with each peal of the phone, teetering precariously between hope and fear—would he pick up?
"Hello?"
The unfamiliar voice that broke through the silence startled them, sending puzzled glances ricocheting among the group.
"Hello?" the voice repeated, this time more insistent, as a crackle of anticipation electrified the air.