Reasons to Stay // Hyunin

~36~

"Innie-yah?"

This seems familiar.

"Innie, are you awake?"

Too familiar.

"I'm sorry..."

Ugh...he's apologizing again...you don't have to apologise, Channie-hyung.

"I should have been more aware of what was going on..."

It's okay!!

Jeongin thought this experience was way too familiar after the gang attack at Felix's house. But the difference was, he actually felt like he was physically dying right now, instead of just feeling weak at the hospital like last time. His mind was active but his body wasn't, and he felt as if he were drowning. Chan's voice came to his ears sounding like someone was calling him from above the water.

"I failed again..." Chan whispered regretfully as he sat down in the chair next to the hospital bed, head in hands.

Apparently Jeongin had been in the hospital for two days before Chan had gotten a call to come over. It had been around midnight, when Chan was trying to sleep but he couldn't as usual lately. He had taken a nighttime walk, trying to ease his anxiety when his phone had suddenly rung. "Is this Bang Chan in Seoul? Yang Jeongin is at South County Hospital in _____ City right now."

He had immediately gone back home and booked an emergency flight to the city and then had gone straight to the hospital. Upon arrival, the doctors had said they were taking care of Innie for two days now, and he was still in a coma. In those days, they had searched and delved into Jeongin's information and fished out that Chan was his legal guardian.

Chan was devastated to hear that Jeongin was in the hospital because of overdose, because he had put so much effort in the past few years to help Jeongin mentally. But the reason of why Jeongin had disappeared in the first place hadn't been found yet. Chan hoped that it wasn't Jeongin trying to get away from him because he wasn't a good enough hyung.

Bowing his head and looking at the ground, Chan noticed out of the corner of his eye that the door was slowly being opened. He immediately sat up, keeping his eyes focused on who was coming in. He wasn't going to fail protecting Innie at any costs now.

Chan stood up as the person walked in, it was not a doctor or a nurse. It was a youth which made Chan alarmed, because he had never seen this person before. Even worse, the guy was wearing a face mask and cap so only his eyes were revealed. They were big and innocent looking. But innocent looking doesn't mean innocent. Chan stepped forward and met him before he could get farther into the room. "Who are you?"

The guy looked at Chan with his big eyes and went blink-blink. When he didn't respond, Chan was irritated, "Who are you?!"

The boy ignored Chan and instead leaned himself slightly to the side so that Chan wasn't blocking his view of Jeongin. He stood up a little taller and peeked at Jeongin in the room. "Hey," Chan protested and made a small effort to push him out. Sus people. "Just answer, who are you and what are you doing here."

The guy paused then responded in a soft voice, all innocent-like, "I'm his hyung."

Chan was skeptical. "What's your name?"

"Lee Know. Who are you?"

Chan stood there and didn't move as he tried to process the current information. Yes he knew Lee Know was the name of Jeongin's "deceased" brother. Nobody had ever informed him that the guy was still alive. So being very cautious now, he didn't know whether or not to believe the person in front of him, whether he be an imposter. "I'm Jeongin's Channie-hyung," he answered slowly.

"So you're Channie," Lee Know said. "Well I'm his real-real hyung. Sorry for kidnapping him and then lying to you."

"-what?" Chan was incredulous. "What are you talking about?!"

"..."

"Explain everything, right now."

"Well..."

Chan waited, immovable, glaring at Lee Know and waiting for the confession.

Lee Know began, "So my boyfriend Hannie was in the gang. But he's always wanted to leave-"

"Why is your boyfriend in the gang?" Chan interrupted.

"Well I was kept by the gang ever since so long ago."

"Ohh," Chan nodded then asked him to continue.

"So he finally decided that he would leave but of course if I stayed, then I'd probably be killed so I came along. But the gang was gonna kill Jeongin that week so we took him along too. We didn't tell you because we were afraid you wouldn't consent..."

"Jeongin told me that he was at his friend's house."

Lee Know squirmed, "Um well that was kind of me texting you?"

Chan muttered some words under his breath and Lee Know asked if he could see Jeongin now. Chan wasn't ready to let him in. "So how was Jeongin end up left alone that he overdosed and a stranger had to rush him to the hospital?"

Lee Know's eyes widened. "I heard he was at the hospital but I didn't know the conditions," he was genuinely confused.

"So you guys drove down here, then you left Jeongin alone somewhere."

"No no," Lee Know quickly defended. "He went to eat dinner with, um...Hyunjin?"

"Hwang Hyunjin?" Chan asked, remembering the classmate that had come to see Innie last time he was at the hospital and also a while back Innie had admitted to Chan that he kind of had a crush on that boy.

"Yeah...but we don't really know where he is right now."

"What was Hwang Hyunjin doing with you guys?" Chan questioned more, his mind about to explode from all the new and strange information.

Lee Know was silent. He didn't know how he should answer. Hyunjin had never given him consent to reveal his identity so he didn't know if he should say that Hyunjin was also from the gang. Also, Minsung didn't have any idea where and how Hyunjin and Jeongin had separated.

But Channie seemed stressed out enough and he seemed like a good guy. So Lee Know said in the tiniest voice, "Well he wanted to escape from the gang too...-"

"Hwang Hyunjin is part of the gang?!" Chan felt dumb at the lack of information he knew about Innie. Hyunjin was part of the gang and he had been right beside Jeongin everyday. Knowing that, to think Jeongin was still alive now, was a miracle. Chan stepped back and sat back down, hanging his head and muttering "I can't handle this right now..."

"Does that mean I can come in and see my dongsaeng?" Lee Know asked.

"Do whatever you want..." Chan mumbled, unable to lift his head.

Lee Know came in gently and stopped at Jeongin's bedside. "Innie-yah, I'm sorry. We shouldn't have left you alone in such circumstances..."

It's okay hyung...I just want you all to stop apologising...

"When will you wake up? You're worrying us all."

Soon hyung, I'm trying.