𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐋. | 𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘬𝘪

I.

·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳

"How do you help someone when what they've become cannot be helped?"

⍣ ೋ

A great many things were running through Sunoo's head as he watched the blurry images of trees passing by the car window on his way back to their dorm. For the first time since meeting him during I-Land, the ghostly pale boy sitting next to him, engulfed in a soft slumber, didn't make him feel any better, quite the opposite.
But as with almost everything in life, things didn't start in the backseats of a dim van but rather —at least where the both of them were concerned— amid life itself, surrounded by the reverberations of deafening dance beats and eyes that revealed more than they intended.

   ・❥・

"A-and that's a wrap!" Their dance instructor exclaimed exuberantly, clearly satisfied with the outcome. After the umpteenth time of meticulously repeating the same choreography over and over again with him, she had finally given Sunoo the okay to leave.

Sunoo, to whom the idea of his own funeral had seemed more appealing than having to go over the moves just one more time at that point, didn't need to be told twice. Huffing and puffing and with the very last bit of energy he could muster, he heaved himself off the floor to gather a water bottle, his phone as well as the charger he'd brought with him to practice. It was only then that he noticed several missed calls by Jungwon.

"Ah, darn it", he mumbled to himself while moving a hand through his damp hair in frustration. Tonight was supposed to be movie night, of course, he remembered while bowing to the woman before rushing out of the room, although crawling would've been the more accurate depiction.
Upon exiting the building, he was embraced by the cool breeze of Seoul's evening air, which, to him, has always had a special feeling he couldn't exactly pinpoint. From the corner of his eye, he spotted their staff member waving him over to a van that would drive him back home.

His mind, which had gotten hazier by the minute, caused him to overlook the empty Coca-Cola can that had been carelessly thrown onto the pavement. That misstep almost sent him tumbling to the ground had it not been for Riki who had been recording for their latest album but suddenly appeared out of nowhere and gripped his sweater with so much force the older boy landed in his arms, looking at him with wide eyes.

"Careful, Hyung", he said with audible concern in his voice.

Sunoo only managed a sheepish smile. "Thanks. Can you tell I've been dancing for the past three hours straight?" Feigning serenity, he led the both of them to the car that still stood waiting in the parking lot, allowing the younger to climb in before him. Riki grinned boyishly. "Hard to miss, Hyung. Though you do look like you could use a nap." "Not just any nap, a power nap." Sunoo corrected with a casual laugh, urging himself to tighten the imaginary leash around his composure.

Pull yourself together already.

He knew he should've just been thankful for the help and let it slide, however, he couldn't shake off the uncertainty rumbling in his belly at the sight of the speed with which the younger had prevented his fall. Somehow, and he couldn't point a finger as to why exactly, it felt surreal, unnatural. He'd never seen anyone act that fast, not even Sunghoon when he was figure skating, and he was fairly certain that the speed he went at was hard to beat. Or maybe, he reasoned, it's just my mind playing tricks on me. Although, deep inside, he was aware that there was no way to logically justify what had just happened. A similar incident had occurred two weeks prior and despite Sunoo trying his hardest to suppress it, and neglect the facts for the sake of comfort and convenience, he had to acknowledge that brushing it off again wasn't going to solve anything.