Two-Sided Coin

Chapter 7

"Hey, so can we show your face or say your name on camera or-"

"Please don't."

Sanghyuk fell silent after that. We walked quietly down the dark street, weighed down by bags and bags of food and drink. The two friends kept shooting each other glances that I couldn't decipher.

"It's just here," Hongbin told me awkwardly, gingerly placing a hand on my back to steer me towards the correct building. I did my best not to flinch away but I must have tensed because he quickly let go and took a step away so Sanghyuk would be in between us. The three of us walked up the stairs until it was their floor and Sanghyuk punched in the passcode.

"N hyung! We brought a surprise," he yelled the moment the door opened, stepping inside and ushering me with him.

"Ah, what is it?" a boy with black hair, presumably 'N', asked, walking towards us while running a towel through his damp hair. Just then he spotted me and froze, his hand tangled in his hair and his mouth open.

"Who-Who is this?" he stuttered, addressing Hongbin. As if I wasn't there.

"I'm Kim Taehyung," I introduced myself with an absurd amount of confidence. He was slightly taken aback, but then a smile crept onto his face and he stuck out his hand.

"Cha Hakyeon, or just N. Pleasure to meet you," he said rather brightly and I shook his hand. He looked over his shoulder, bending back at his waist to peer around the corner of the hallway.

"Kids!" he yelled. "Hyukkie and Kong brought snacks and a friend."

I got very confused at the nicknames (Kong?!) but didn't have time to dwell in it when he said 'friend.' How long has it been since someone genuinely called me that? How could he possibly call me their friend when I didn't know anything past their names and faces? Was that enough these days?

Suddenly, a messy haired boy in a graphic tshirt and loose gym shorts barreled towards us, skidding halfway across the room before stopping just in front of me.

"Hello," he said with a smile and a small bow of the head. "I'm Ken."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Ken?"

He didn't look like a foreigner...

He chuckled and shook his head.

"That's my stage name. I usually go by it. My real name's Lee Jaehwan," he corrected and I nodded.

"I'm Kim Taehyung."

I was getting tired of saying my name. How many more people?

"Kids!" N yelled once again. "I'm counting to three..."

Was he an ahjumma?

"One..."

He made an impatient face, crossing his arms and kissing his teeth.

"Two..."

A boy with blond hair and a snapback ran in, out of breath.

"Leo's...getting...in...the shower," he gasped out, bending forward and resting his hands on his knees. N tsked and shook his head slightly.

"I told him to go earlier," he mumbled, then looked back at me and smiled. I was getting tired of smiling back.

"This is Kim Wonshik, or Ravi. Hey, you guys have the same last name!" he practically cooed, clapping his hands together and shifting his gaze quickly between the two of us.

"Yes... I'm Kim Taehyung," I told Ravi with a small bow. He bowed back slightly, then focused his attention of the large, stuffed bags still in mine, Sanghyuk's, and Hongbin's hands.

"What have we got here?" he said with a wicked grin, grabbing for Sanghyuk's bag but the younger boy was quicker.

"No yet, hyung. Let us plate it," he insisted sweetly, walking slowly into the kitchen, then kinda just staring at the cupboard.

"Um, can someone open it?" he asked, glancing sheepishly at us. "My hands are full."

N rolled his eyes and helped him, soon coming back to the living room with a few large bowls and cups. I heard the shower run, then moved to help the others. After a minute or two of silence, we were finished, and the five other boys naturally sat around the food in a circle, leaving some room between Sanghyuk and N for me to sit. I awkwardly shifted my weight for a moment, not sure about being with these technical strangers, but after getting an impatient look from N, I sat, my knees pulled up to my chest.

The boys immediately began eating, not really talking about much, mainly just about practice and performances, and I began to feel more and more out of place. Why did I agree to this again?

My stomach growled softly and I cursed silently when it drew N's attention. The older boy looked at me with a slightly sad look on his face.

"Oh my, you're so thin," he gushed, pinching my side. "You have to eat. You need to grow up strong and healthy."

I managed a smile and shook my head politely.

"No thank you. I'm not hungry," I lied, but he shook his head.

"Eat," he insisted, pulling a bowl of chips closer to me. I wrinkled my nose, but finally grabbed one, nibbling off the edge. It seemed to satisfy him as he smiled and patted my back, turning back to continue talking.

Is it possible for someone to feel so alone in a crowd? I was surrounded by five other guys but I wanted...familiarity.

I gasped loudly, my eyes widening.

"Jungkook," I whispered, then began frantically searching through my pockets for my phone. Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at me with panicked looks on their faces.

"Hey, what's wrong?" N asked gently when I finally pulled out my phone.

"I have a friend back at home and he doesn't know where I am. He must be panicking. Oh, I'm so stupid," I gritted my teeth, waiting for my phone to turn on.

"Don't worry, I'm sure he's fine," N tried to calm me, but my heart was pounding in my head already and I couldn't seem to catch my breath.

My phone buzzed and I saw how Jungkook had texted me 26 times and called 32 times since I left the hospital. God, I was so stupid. How could I do this to him? I messed up everything. I was useless.

"Is he alright?"

The voice seemed so far away as I tried to call Jungkook, but my hands were shaking too much to slide properly across the screen.

"He's having a panic attack," someone stated rather calmly, then I felt someone take away my phone and carefully lay me down.

"N-No. I need t-to call h-him," I insisted, but everything was so fuzzy and far that I couldn't fight back when a person lowered my arms carefully and started running their hands through my hair, telling me...something. I couldn't make out their words over my own speeding heartbeat, but the hand was cold and relaxing. I forgot why I was panicking. I forgot where I was. I just closed my eyes and everything faded away.

Disclaimer: I'm a huge VIXX stan and am making a few of them into 'villains' or whatever for the purpose of plot in later chapters. Please don't kill me.