The night was rough for all of the boys. None of them managed to sleep well; some didn’t sleep at all. The house felt unnaturally quiet, heavy with worry—almost as if the walls themselves were waiting for something to happen. Every creak, every shift in the old wooden floor seemed louder than usual, tugging at nerves already stretched thin.
Doyoung, Taeyong, Jeno, Jaehyun, Sungchan, Shotaro, Chenle—every single Dream member—lay awake in separate rooms, all haunted by the same thoughts.
In some rooms, at least one roommate was still awake, offering quiet conversation—a distraction, a way to keep the mind from spiraling into worst–case scenarios. Soft whispers floated through the corridors every now and then. It wasn’t enough to ease the tension completely, but it made the silence bearable.
But some had no such comfort.
One of them was Haechan.
He lay silently on the couch downstairs, staring at the ceiling as if it held answers he hadn’t been given. His chest felt tight, every breath shallow. Sleep simply wouldn’t come. He couldn’t keep his eyes closed for more than a few seconds. Every time he closed his eyes, the same image replayed:
The girl crumbling to the ground.
Her eyes unfocused.
Blood. His fault.
He had tried tea, warm milk, meditation—he had even taken a sleeping pill. Nothing worked. His mind refused to let him rest.
Finally, with a frustrated sigh, he threw the blanket aside and pushed himself to his feet. His body felt heavy, but his mind kept racing. Quietly, he climbed the stairs and approached a familiar door. He hesitated only a second before knocking softly—barely more than a tap—then slipped inside.
“Hyung…?” Haechan whispered into the dim room. He wasn’t sure if either of the older boys inside were awake. He closed the door behind him and tried again, a little louder but still fragile, “Hyung…?”
Someone shifted in bed.
“Haechan?” Jaehyun’s tired voice filled the darkness. “What are you doing here?”
“I just… I—” Haechan’s voice cracked, the words choking him. “I’m s-sorry. I didn’t… I didn’t mean to hurt Soul. I feel—” he swallowed, his throat tight, “—I feel terrible. I can’t sleep.”
Jaehyun lifted an eyebrow. Haechan rarely apologized like this. And never with a trembling voice.
“I can’t sleep either…” Jaehyun admitted quietly.
“Is Jungwoo hyung asleep?” Haechan asked, glancing toward the other bed.
“I’m not sure. We talked for a while, but he drifted off mid-sentence.”
Haechan nodded, hugging his own arms.
“Were you trying to sleep in the cinema room?” Jaehyun asked.
“Ani… I tried the couch. But I failed. I didn’t want to keep the others awake,” Haechan murmured.
“So you were alone the whole time?”
Haechan nodded again, smaller this time.
“You… wanna stay here?” Jaehyun asked, scooting slightly to make space. “Now that Jungwoo is asleep, I feel kinda lonely too. I don’t really want to be alone either.And I’m not sleeping anyway.”
A weak smile tugged at Haechan’s lips. He didn’t speak—he just moved, slipping under the blanket beside his hyung. The warmth helped almost instantly, enough for his shoulders to relax a little.
Meanwhile, in another room, Doyoung—who had switched rooms for the weekend—was wide awake as well. Even though their leader was almost recovered, Doyoung checked on him regularly. Old habits died hard, and Taeyong’s condition still worried him.
