maze of memories. | lmh + hjs ✓

t h i r t y - o n e

{in minho's room}

minho slowly sat on his bed, reaching into his coat for the folded piece of paper that was heavily sitting in his pocket. trembling slightly, he drew out the bloody envelope and opened it. the strangely patterned letter and began to read.

"what... but... that's impossible." he had finished reading the short letter, now blankly staring into space. water started to drip from his eyes as his mind raced. it was impossible and went against everything he was told. it was suicide, there was no other reasoning that made sense in his thoughts.

"what is this old, delusional bitch saying?" he muttered out loud, looking back down at the crumpled paper. "he wouldn't..." but he knew that the person was perfectly capable of doing what was written in the letter.

"how immensely stupid can i be? now they're all in danger." he anxiously sighed and picked up the letter again. "i shouldn't believe this ugly motherfucker. i'll never forgive him for what he did to them...or my family."

he dragged his gaze over to the single picture on his nightstand. it showed a young boy smiling and waving at the camera while a cheery looking woman laughed at him.

"fuck this shit." he groaned out, flopping face first onto his bed. "i hate you." 

///

"please, you can't even afford another few days? you saw, you saw it happen." chan protested loudly, tensely setting his coffee cup down. "i'm not here to do some couple therapy, chan. i'm a surgeon, yes, but i can't cut open people's feelings. i barely have any experience with love and i need to get back. i could lose my job." she calmly stated back.

"none of them are okay, can't you see that?" chan let out a sigh and slumped back in his chair. "but if you have to leave... who am i to stop you?"

the older frowned, feeling bad for leaving them when the group obviously had so much on their hands. "are you... okay?"

"i don't know, i really just don't. it definitely wasn't a bad idea for anyone to let them live here... but we've gotten attached... including me." he whispered the last part, closing his eyes. "but we've become a mess."

jihyo bit her lip and pulled out her phone from her pocket. "you seem to need some type of support system or you're going to collapse." she began typing something up.

"how do i find a support system if i am everyone's support system?" chan said, bringing his hands up to his face. "i'm the leader, i have to support everyone. sure, some things have changed, but my role as the leader hasn't."

the other looked down at him and seemed to decide something. she clicked a few buttons on her phone and the familiar ring started to sound. "what are you doing? i thought you could-" chan instantly sat up. "shhh." she just shushed the leader.

"yes, hello. this is jihyo." she started, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "i'm calling to let you know that i have a family emergency so i won't be able to come back." shocked, chan stood up and shook his head.

"i don't know... probably when i get this sorted out. yes, you may take this off of my salary. thank you!" jihyo hung up and sat back down, gesturing for the younger to do the same. "why did you do that?! you should leave! why are you staying?" he instead questioned in disbelief.

jihyo simply smiled. "i'm staying to be your support system."

///

[a few hours later]

"when do you want to tell the others?" seungmin suddenly asked. he was sitting next to hyunjin on his bed, each of them scrolling through their own phones. "that we're... dating i mean."