TWENTY-EIGHT
🧬
sensitive content;
mentions of suicide attempts

Doyoung watched as Donghyuck curled up on his bed, he fell asleep while waiting for Kun to return and keeping Doyoung accompanied.

Doyoung had insisted that Donghyuck returned to his own room but all he did was smile and said, "The dark isn't a nice friend but Full Sun is,"

Doyoung was beginning to doze off when he heard the main entrance downstairs open quietly.

He rose up immediately, looking at the clock. It was five in the morning.

Doyoung groaned. Despite feeling like he was going to pass out as soon as he rises to his feet, he needed to see if it was Kun.

Kun looked around the dark house, acknowledging the fact no one was awake yet.

He looked into the plastic bag in his hands. His heart was pounding hardly, he didn't know if it was the best idea.

His hands were beginning to bathe in sweat as he gripped onto the plastic bag.

'Everyone hates you,'
'Everything is to be blamed on you,'
'You ruined Doyoung's happiness,'
'Your selfishness could've killed someone,'

'You don't deserve to be here,'

Kun gulped hardly. The thoughts that were corrupting his mind were reminding him of the million reasons he should carry on.

He made his way to the kitchen, and stood over the kitchen sink.

He pulled the bottles out and tossed the plastic bag aside.

He read over the labelling carefully but nothing was being processed in his head. He was trying to buy himself time but nothing was stopping him.

He emptied one bottle, he stared at the pills that filled his palm. It was more than he count on two hands.

Tears began to fall from his face.

He never expected to die like so. He was thinking that he'd die quietly in his sleep or on the hospital bed when he was grey and old.

But he was tired, beyond exhausted.

His thoughts were breaking him and he kept blaming himself. It was like trying to crush shattered glass into fine dust.

He was beginning to picture things such as everyone's reaction to his dead body, how they were going to tell his parents or how he'd get buried.

And he'd be a liar if he said these scenes hasn't crossed his mind before.

But he was able to recall the smiles of those who he kept close to his heart.

And all the smiles he had stolen.

He smiled to himself as well, "May your life be better than mine,"

Kun pushed the pills into his mouth and tried to forced them down his throat.

Doyoung searched for Kun, he knew he heard someone enter. He knew it wasn't his ears playing tricks on him.

Doyoung found himself standing by the doorway of the kitchen and it didn't take him long to process what was happening.

"Jesus, what the fuck are you doing?!" Doyoung rushed towards Kun,

Kun coughed out most of the pills out onto the sink. He looked at Doyoung with fear,

Doyoung stood next to him, rubbing Kun's back in circles, "Are you okay? Did you swallow any of the pills? I-"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Kun took Doyoung's hands, still sobbing uncontrollably.

Doyoung could feel Kun's trembles travel through his own hands. He cried with the older,

"Kun! Did you swallow any of the pills?" Doyoung asked, holding him tightly in his arms as he cried.

"God, what in Earth is happening here?" Johnny grumbled as he raked his worst case of bed-hair.

Donghyuck rubbed his eyes next to Johnny. He was barely awake but it didn't take him long for the images to connect.

Johnny looked over at the pills, some of them on the floor. "Jesus," He muttered, scrambling into the kitchen.

He looked into the sink where most of the pills sat. "Kun, what were you thinking?" He asked,

Kun only sobbed into Doyoung's chest, not being able to utter a single word even if he wanted to.

"Doyoung, I can't be here anymore," Kun pulled away, his words being interrupted by hiccups.

Donghyuck eyes welled up with tears. He knew Kun was trapped especially when he had told the younger what happened and his reasons.

So, why didn't he do anything about it?

Donghyuck ran into Kun's arms, nearly tackling him onto the floor with his hug. "Kun, I'm sorry!"

"I knew what was bothering you, I knew what kept hurting you and I didn't do anything! I'm sorry!" Donghyuck apologised,

Johnny and Doyoung exchanged confused looks with one another. Probably having the same thing on their minds, "Donghyuck knew?"

Kun hugged the younger, "It's not your fault, don't blame yourself,"

"You hypocrite," Donghyuck drew away so he could look at Kun, his eyes still red and puffy.

Kun smiles softly, pulling the younger into another hug. "I'm sorry,"

🧬

Kun sat on the hospital bed, playing with the wires that were hooked onto him.

He insisted he was fine and he didn't swallow the pills yet but Doyoung said he wanted Kun to go to a hospital.

Kun couldn't help but believe that he was just an even bigger failure now.

Doyoung entered the room and awkwardly tucked his hand into his pockets.

Kun looked up at Doyoung, "Hi," He replied, wearing a soft smile.

But Doyoung still hasn't said a word. Kun suspected that he was still upset with him.

Doyoung sat by the edge of Kun's bed, staring right at him.

Kun didn't know what to say, he didn't know what Doyoung was thinking. What if he said something that would tick him off?

"You okay?" Doyoung asked with a smile as he sat by Kun's bed

Kun sighed, "I.. guess so," He replied.

"I don't mean physically, Kun," Doyoung said,

He took the older's hand, "I mean.. You know, your mental health," He added,

"Working on it," Kun smiled but Doyoung was still gloomy. He nodded and fell silent.

Kun suspected that Doyoung was still upset about his actions but having Doyoung speak to him made him happier.

But the guilt was still lingering inside him.

"I'm sorry, Doyoung," Kun apologised, but he was surprised when Doyoung threw his arms around the older.

Kun sat there, still trying to process the fact that Doyoung was holding him tightly.

"Stop.. apologising," Doyoung said as he squeezed the older.

"I'm sorry. I was being immature," Doyoung inhaled deeply, trying to hold back his tears. This was about Kun, not him. He can't cry.

"I should've known that you were better. I never thought about your side of the story, just because I lost my lover doesn't mean you didn't lose a friend," Doyoung said,

Doyoung buried his face into Kun's neck and continued, "I should've realise that our Kun is better than that. I know that you wouldn't have done that without a reason,"

Kun could feel Doyoung's tears dampening his neck and shirt. The older smiled and pat Doyoung's head,

Doyoung only felt more guilty when Kun was comforting him. "And I hated how.. I had to say it now,"

He finally pulled away, looking down at the floor so that Kun wouldn't see his teary eyes.

"I just can't help but think what if you hadn't made it?" Doyoung

"I already lost Taeyong, I don't want to lose you too," Doyoung finally revealed his face to Kun

And it was heart-breaking.

"You won't lose me, I'll always be with you," Kun smiled, ruffling the younger's hair.

"It's just that.. A lot of things are going on in my mind," Kun withdrew his hand, debating if he should tell Doyoung about it.

"Kun, can you tell me?" Doyoung asked, leaning closer to the older.

"Tell me what happened,"

🧬

Donghyuck's eyes only focused on the ground. His wiggled his toes beneath his sneakers.

He saw his sneaker form a slight bulge when his does rose then fall again then rose and fall again.

He wondered if that was how Kun felt. When you try to escape but there's a wall that corners you so in the end, no matter how effort you put into it, it'll just be a bulge.

Did he even try to tell himself it wasn't his fault? Did he even try to escape? Did he even realise he was trapped? Or did he let himself be trapped?

"Hey," Donghyuck finally looked up from the ground to see Johnny with a juice box for him.

"Thanks," Donghyuck took it and returned to staring at the ground, repeating his small routine.

Johnny sat next to Donghyuck. It was obvious that he knew about Kun's situation.

Why didn't he tell Johnny? Why was he hiding it?

Johnny was beginning to worry about Donghyuck too. Seeing the outcome of Kun bottling his thoughts.. wasn't pleasant.

And he did not want it to happen to Donghyuck.

"Johnny," Donghyuck said, he finally stopped wiggling his toes.

"Yes?" Johnny replied,

"Did you think Kun tried to kill himself because he didn't want to think anymore?" Donghyuck asked, turning his head towards Johnny before he continued,

"Or was it because he believed he deserved to be dead?" Donghyuck wore a frown, his eyes twinkling due to the tears.

"Donghyuck.." Johnny frowned at the sight of the sad child,

Donghyuck buries himself into Johnny's chest, not wanting anyone else to see him crying.

"I knew what he was hiding," He shook his head to rub his tears onto Johnny's sweater. "But I didn't say- I didn't help him enough,"

"Donghyuck, you've helped him plenty. There was a reason only you knew," Johnny carefully caressed the younger's head,

"But in the end, only he can make the choice." Johnny pulled Donghyuck away from him,

It broke his heart to see Donghyuck so broken.

Donghyuck shook his head, hiding his face again in Johnny's arms."Did you think I said enough?" Donghyuck asked,

"Like I said, you've said plenty. Don't blame yourself, okay?" Johnny replied,

Johnny let Donghyuck cry as much as he wanted until he suddenly said, "I know what happened, Johnny."

He pulled away from the older, staring at him. "Kun said I can tell you when the time comes. At first.. I thought he meant after he told Doyoung,"

Donghyuck paused for a while, "But I didn't expect this," He continued.

Johnny pat the younger's back, "You don't have to talk about it now-"

"Yuta," Donghyuck began, he looked at Johnny as if to tell him he knew what he was doing.

Johnny nodded and listened.

"Kun told me Yuta approached him at a convenient store he went to with Doyoung and Taeyong,"

🧬

"Let's go for a walk, shall we?" Yuta asked, rising from his seat. His hands reaching for his gun,

"Uhm, I can't go that far. My friends are-"

"Shall we?" Yuta emphasised those words again, pulling out his gun but not making it too obvious to the public.

Kun gulped. "Okay."

Yuta smirked, watching Kun stand up and walk with him to the back of the store,

"I've heard things about you," Yuta began, playing with the gun in his hand as they walked.

Kun didn't answer. He was too occupied with what might happen if he tried to run,

"You came from a poor family, right?" Yuta asked, a satisfied grin grew on his face when he got Kun's attention.

"Well, I'm sure every penny your parents made was stolen," Yuta said, skipping in his steps as he walked.

"By a very very problematic family member," Yuta stopped all of a sudden,

"Your uncle," Yuta smiled, pulling a picture out from his pocket.

Kun didn't want to take the picture. He wanted to remain calm, made sure all the thoughts he buried away stayed six feet under.

"Of course, he'd done everything on the list! Drugs, beating, yelling, clubs and everything,"

"Sold your little brother on the black market," Yuta smiled, watching Kun's defence crumble away and was replace with sadness.

"What's the point?" Kun managed to spit out,

"The point is that your family is suffering and everything you're doing is not helping!" Yuta clapped cheerfully, he knew Kun definitely didn't need to be reminded.

"But," Yuta walked closer to Kun, placing an arm over Kun's shoulder, "I can change that,"

Kun tensed up at the stranger's proximity.

"I can make sure your family never gets looked down on, they don't need to suffer and they'll live the life you've always wanted them to," Yuta smiled at Kun,

"How?" Kun asked after a long moment of pondering. For sure it was probably a lie but then again, desperation was an old friend.

"Simple! You just need to do one thing!" Yuta pushed Kun away, almost making him lose his balance.

"Bring Taeyong to me," Yuta said,

Upon hearing those words, the atmosphere changed completely. Even Kun could tell the change in Yuta's eyes in the dark.

"Come on, do you my believe me? I know every single thing about your family. Just ask a question!" Yuta said, pulling out a lollipop for himself.

Kun remained quiet but then he brought himself to speak, "What.."

"What was my brother's name?"

Yuta smirked, "This is too easy." He leaned in closer to Kun to make sure he heard his answer loud and clear.

"Sicheng,"

Kun froze immediately. He gulped hardly, he couldn't bring himself to say another word even if he wanted to.

Yuta, on the other hand, simply continued to talk about to procedure of Kun working with him.

"It's easy, I'll give you time and I'll even assist you,"

"And if I say no?" Kun asked, almost in a hushed tone.

Yuta smirked and pulled his gun out once again, pressing the it against Kun's head,

Kun breath hitched. He focused on the ground, trying to ignore the fact there was a gun to his head.

"I'm just kidding! I'll kill your family first!" Yuta pulled the gun away, smacking Kun's arm playfully.

"Don't!" Kun yelled, regretting as soon as he did so.

But Yuta took it lightly, "If you bring Taeyong to me then I won't!" He jumped slightly just like a child.

Kun was running low on options- No, he didn't even have an option.

"Welcome to the game, player two!" Yuta his his gun under his coat once again,

"Also," Yuta grabbed Kun by his neck, lifting him up into the air slightly. "Anything stupid from you is a bullet through a skull,"

Kun nodded, trying to break free from Yuta's grip as soon as possible.

"Excellent! Let's hope you're as good as you're making yourself to be now!" Yuta dropped Kun onto the ground, he looked down at his hands. "Oh?"

Kun stared up at Yuta who wore a cocky smirk

"I've got some dirt on my gloves," Yuta teased Kun to being one of poverty's victims.

Kun was pissed at his remark but he couldn't say anything.

"I'll see you around, player two!" Yuta skipped away from Kun,

"Bye-bye, Kunkun!"

🧬

"That's why I did it.." Kun said, staring at Johnny who was engulfed in anger.

Donghyuck stared at Johnny quietly. Somehow, they brought the discussion into Kun's room.

"I'm sorr-"
"No, don't,"
"Okay,"

"Are we ever going to see uncle Taeyong?" Donghyuck asked,

Silence.

"One thing's for sure Yuta won't hurt Taeyong," Johnny spoke up, looking around the room.

Donghyuck remained positive, trying to lighten up the mood. "We'll find Taeyong, we just need time,"

"We don't have time," Johnny replied, hesitant to continue his sentence. He remembered what Yuta told him in the bar just a few days ago.

"Taeyong's already sold to someone,"
"What?!"

🧬

WOWIE ANI YANG PANJANG
anyways this long because I hadn't written in forever so: yes.

wakey wakey has me deceased