Praise me, Love me, Kill me | Stray Kids AU | Minsung

The shooting at the Opera

The theater

They all came to the play...

And when I'm saying all, I mean all of them.

In the first row were Chan, Minho and Felix while somewhere in the middle were sitting Hyunjin, Changbin and Jeongin.

Seungmin caught a glimpse of the public and his stomach started hurting. He was nervous. Beyond nervous.

Felix was trying to look over his shoulder and to spot Changbin just for a second.

As the light turned off and the sweet darkness bathed everyone's silhouette, the spotlight fell on Jisung and Teahyung, who was playing the Phantom since he had the perfect deep voice.

Hyunjin was eyeing Minho, waiting for the moment he would get up to applaude.

Seungmin stepped on the stage, in front of everyone and with a satisfied look he told the crowd to sit down and enjoy the play.

When Jisung stepped for the second time on the wooden stage, he had to sing alone the famous part of "Think of me".

His voice echoed through the room, mesmerising every one.

Some of them didn't know Jisung could sing, not even his brothers. Changbin was so proud of him and Hyunjin was falling all over again for the boy.

However, Jeongin was paying attention to the lyrics.

He recognised the song and his body started flinching uncontrollably.

The violins, the high notes... he knew the song. He hated the song.

-Where are you going? Changbin gripped on his sleeve when he saw the boy raising from his seat.

-I'm gonna get some air.

Jeongin reached the bathroom and felt on the floor, where Hyunjin found him leaning on the wall.

-What's wrong with you? he asked crouching down.

-That song... Our parents used to sing it. That was the lullaby they used to sing to us. But they never got to finish the song. Everytime one of us disappeared, they would add lyrics. It was like a form of psychological torture. They used that song to calm us down when we were thinking to escape.

Jeongin was trembling while hugging his knees.

Tears started rolling down his cheeks once he remembered how he was drugged once because he almost escaped.

He remembered how he couldn't move his body and his mother was humming that bloody song to soothe him.

-That's your trigger, isn't it? Hyunjin asked moving the bangs from Jeongin's forehead.

The latter nodded.

-Jisung and Changbin hyung were obedient more or less. I was the one that wanted to get out of there no matter the costs. I was drugged and exposed to germs, so I can stay sick all the time. That's why my brothers think I am weak and helpless.

Hyunjin, although he lived with them, he never left the basement. He had no idea of that.

He sat down next to Jeongin and took his hand in his owns.

-You don't have to stay with me.

-It's ok, Cupcake... We'll go when you feel ready, he said staring the dirty ceiling.

Felix noticed that the two sits next to Changbin were empty and connected the dots.

He excused himself saying he was going to the bathroom, then moved slowly to the exit when a man passed by him.