𝙱𝚊𝚗𝚐 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝙾𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚝𝚜

𝙷𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚂𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚊𝚕

TW: alluded suicide, major character death

Happy Halloween

Chan makes his way through the dorm, humming to himself, steps silent.

It's late, and no one else is up. Chan has grown to find solace in the night, the silence a balm after the argument-filled days.

He doesn't know what happened.

No. That's a lie.

He knows what happened, but he can't understand why it impacted the others so much. It's mostly Changbin and Minho. They used to get along so well, but now bitterness simmers under the surface, ready to boil over at any moment.

At first it was nothing more than the odd snappish comment, but now they can barely stand to be in the same room as each other without fighting.

Jisung's anxiety has grown so much more because of it. Chan wants to scream, to confront the others, ask them why the fuck they think it's a smart idea to argue in front of the maknaes.

It hurts to see his kids fighting, blaming each other because of his choice.

He made it, he knew the consequences, so why are they still arguing and blaming each other? Has it not crossed their minds that it's simply what he wanted?

He sighs, pausing at the end of the hallway that leads to his Jisung's rooms. He wonders if the rapper is sleeping in his own room tonight. Ever since the...incident when they discovered what Chan had done, he has taken to sleeping in Hyunjin's room, unable to stand his own company. That, and everyone avoids Chan's room like the plague.

It hurts, if the leader is being honest.

The one time he chose to be selfish, and it ripped apart the team.

Jisung's door opens, and the rapper shuffles out, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"Hyunjin? Is that you?"

Jisung freezes at the sight of Chan, and the leader swallows drily, ducking out of sight of the younger.

It's ridiculous, he knows that. He shouldn't fear the others seeing him, but he would be lying if he said that the thought didn't fill him with anxiety. After what he did, he doesn't deserve to even be in the same room as the others. He comes and goes under the cover of darkness, trying his best to avoid the others at all costs.

"What the fuck?"

Jisung pads down the hall, peering through his bangs.

A light flips on in the kitchen, and Chan curses inwardly.

Jisung continues on down the hallway, past Chan's hiding place. The leader breathes a silent sigh of relief.

"Jinnie?"

The dancer appears, hair dishevelled, water glass in hand.

"Yeah, Sungie?"

"Oh...it's you. I thought I saw something. Just my mind playing tricks on me."