MASKED FACES || SEVENTEEN

⛥ FORTY SEVEN ⛥

The sun shone bright and clear on that day, illuminating the world with its golden rays. The sky was clear and blue, and birds sang cheerfully in the trees.

But the scene inside the large mansion was anything but peaceful. The tranquil atmosphere of the outdoors was completely absent from the chaos that reigned within. Muffled sounds of shouting and arguing could be heard through the walls.

Seungcheol stood frozen in shock, struggling to process the scene before his eyes.
Never before in his life had he witnessed his members engaged in a heated fight. He was used to seeing them bicker and squabble, often in a good-natured and comical manner, but never had he witnessed them resort to physical violence.
The sight of his members fighting with such intensity was unfathomable to him.

The cause of this fierce and unexpected fight was a single person: Kang Yn.
Seungcheol's eyes fell upon the girl, now sobbing in Hoshi's arms, who was consoling her. The sight of her pain and Hoshi's caring gesture was something else to witness.

Seungcheol's eyes were immediately drawn to a small cut on Yn's forehead, which was bleeding and drenching the cotton that Dokyeom was gently dabbing at it with.
Hoshi held her tightly while trying to ensure that the cut was properly cleaned and disinfected. The look of concern on his face was evident as he tried to comfort her.

Seungcheol's attention was then diverted to the other side of the room. He saw that Jun had already landed a punch on Minghao. The sight of the two members, who were usually so close and harmonious, engaging in a physical fight was even more shocking to him.
Mingyu, Jeonghan, Joshua and the others struggled to separate the two, trying their best to break them apart. The tension in the air was palpable.

It was a surreal sight, seeing his members, who were normally so happy and carefree, now consumed by anger and violence.
Seungcheol felt his heart sink as he watched the chaotic scene unfold before him. The members he loved and cared for were at each other's throats, and he felt utterly powerless to stop it.

Seungcheol knew that Minghao had his own personal struggles, including personality issues that could lead to unexpected bursts of anger without his conscious control.
Minghao was usually a composed and level-headed person, but he carried a heavy burden of a traumatic past. Sometimes, these suppressed emotions could boil over, causing him to lash out in ways that were uncharacteristic of him.
And that was exactly what had occurred in that moment. Minghao was not himself, and he had ended up injuring Yn in the process.

As a result, Jun's anger was ignited. He was infuriated that Minghao had hurt Yn, who was an innocent and blameless person. Yn had done nothing wrong but was simply trying to enjoy some time in the living room, yet she had been unintentionally harmed by Minghao's actions.

According to Ten, who had been on the mission with Minghao, the latter was not acting like himself. Ten had observed that Minghao was more on edge and tense even after the mission was over.
Ten speculated that perhaps Minghao still carried a heavy burden within him, and had not yet found a way to release his suppressed emotions.

Seungcheol felt a pang of guilt at not having noticed the heavy burden that Minghao was carrying.
As the leader, he felt that it was his responsibility to support and care for his members, yet he had failed to see the struggles that Minghao was silently dealing with.

Jun's breathing was heavy as he was held back by Joshua. Minghao, on the other hand, had blood oozing from the corner of his mouth. It appeared that he had come to his senses and he was now aware of the situation that he had caused.

Minghao's gaze then shifted to Yn, who was now bandaged up cleanly by Dokyeom. As he looked at her, he remembered how she had been sitting quietly when he entered earlier. He realized how, in his dazed state, he had thrown a dagger at her without any reason.
Luckily, she had quick reflexes and had managed to escape, but not before she sustained a light cut on her forehead.