Masquerade | Johnyong

★ Seventeen

Chapter 17: Detective?

Taeyong runs through the empty castle as he’s being chased. He couldn’t see what exactly he was being chased by as he dared not look back for whatever it was would get closer to him. Taeyong hides in a corner to catch his breath. He turns to check if he was safe only to turn back around, screaming when he sees his brother.
   
He runs into a room full of mirrors. The mirrors were all over the place. On the walls, the floor, the ceiling. Taeyong couldn’t avoid looking into them.

He looks around. The room had no windows or doors. He was trapped.

Taeyong looks into the mirror behind him. The mirror shows the car accident, the next mirrors show his brother chasing him when he was seven. Each mirror showed every memory he had tried to shut away. Every memory he had tried to forget.

Suddenly he’s back in his childhood bedroom, laying on the bed. He sees his brother floating above him. Taeyong couldn’t move. He felt like he was out of his body but his mind was still aware yet the longer he looked at his brother the more anxiety rushed through his veins, sending signals to his brain to trigger his flight or fight but he couldn’t move.

He wanted to run away so badly but he was frozen.

Taeyong wakes up, screaming. Johnny immediately rushes to Taeyong’s aid, sitting on the bed. “Tae?” He pulls him into his embrace. Taeyong sobs into his chest. This time Taeyong didn’t push him away or even try. Instead, he grips his shirt in a desperate attempt to keep him close. “J-Johnny. . .” He cries.

“I’m right here. I’m right here, Taeyong.” Johnny plays with him

“Don’t go, please. . .”

“I’m not leaving you, Tae.”

Johnny was patient with Taeyong. He let Taeyong take as much time as needed to calm down. It took a while — longer than usual today.  “You’re shaking. . .” Johnny points out.

Taeyong pulls away from Johnny. He goes out onto the balcony. A stupid decision and thoughtless decision as he's immediately hit with the cold morning hair.

He blinks away his tears as Johnny comes up behind him and wraps a jacket around him.

"What are you doing? It's cold out here." Johnny holds Taeyong's hand. He tugs slightly to usher him back inside but he doesn't move.

". . . Yesterday made me think so hard, I thought I might as well throw myself in traffic and hope for the worst." Taeyong giggles to himself. It sounded like a joke but Johnny still raises an eyebrow.

"I'm gonna go in now." Taeyong sighs. He goes back inside, humming casually while Johnny just stares at him with concern.

🕊

Haechan snuck into Sungchan's room. He smiles as he sits down on the floor. "Good morning to you too?" Sungchan raises an eyebrow.

“I got my favorite breakfast!” Haechan sings as he sits down by the coffee table. He takes out a bag of some white substance. He takes out his lighter and a spoon from his. . .pocket.

“Fucking hell, Haechan. You’re not doing this in my room.” 

“What's wrong?"

"I thought you were done. What happened? Why'd you relapse?" Sungchan sits on the floor with Haechan. By the looks of it, he wasn't happy. Obviously.