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❝ Open up ❞
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"Hyunjin? What are you doing here?"

The said boy only scoffed, seizing your wrist and pulling you out of the bushes. You bumped into his chest for a brief second but immediately pulled away. He didn't say another word and started walking away, leaving you to stand without a clue.

"Where are you going?" You ask, making him turn around.

"Aren't you going to see your parents?"

You blinked, staring at him in disbelief. Hyunjin only rolled his eyes, turning his back and walking ahead of you. You realized he was serious and caught up to him, walking by his side. He stayed silent, not uttering a word to you. You did the same, but you couldn't help but steal a glance every now and then. You noticed his eyebrows were furrowed the whole time.

"Hyunjin-"

"Don't talk to me." He cut you off.

Your lips pressed into a thin line.

"I was going to thank you."

"I don't need you to feel gratitude towards me."

You raised an eyebrow at him. His expression had already changed from stressed to pained in a matter of seconds. You decided to let it go, but not without elbowing him on the side harshly.

"Ow! What was that for?" He hissed, glaring at you.

"I can see through your act, Hyunjin. If something's bothering you, don't be afraid to tell people who care about you." You spoke in a quiet tone.

He stayed silent but you knew he was listening to you. You sighed.

"Minho, Seungmin, and the rest of the group, they care about you. You can always open up to them, you know? They look like people you can trust." You add.

"They are. I trust them." He replied softly.

You couldn't help but smile. You met his eyes for a while, finding them less lonely than they used to be. What you said really gave him something to think about. A minute later, you stopped outside a familiar looking house, tugging on Hyunjin's wrist lightly.

"This is it."

Hyunjin halted as he felt your touch. He took in the exterior of the house before turning to look at you who was reluctant to go in. Your breath hitched and your hand trembled slightly, which he took notice of. He took a deep breath, intertwining his fingers with yours as you both stood by the front door. Your eyes widened upon feeling warmth lace around your hand. You looked up to him and he gave you a nod, signaling to turn the knob. And you did.

You had your eyes closed when the door opened. You felt Hyunjin's grasp tighten and you finally opened your eyes. Hyunjin was the first to enter, pulling you inside and shutting the door. You noticed how the house looked exactly the same before you left for Chan's dorm. None of the furniture seemed out of place, the walls didn't have any stains or scratches, the floors were just as glossy as your mom wanted them. You felt relieved that maybe there was a chance they survived. It looks like it, right?

"Mom? Dad?" You tried to call out.

"There's no one in here." Hyunjin informed, scanning the rooms.

"That must mean they made it, right?" You questioned, eyes stinging with tears at the thought of them alive.

As much as Hyunjin wanted to believe that, he couldn't help but feel uneasy. How could one house look so protected and untouched? There must be a twist to it, but he couldn't tell what it was.

"We can't stay any longer." He spoke.

"Give me a moment, it won't take long." You replied, running to your room.

He watched you disappear upstairs, the sound of your footsteps softly vanishing. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a row of family portraits hanging by the wall. He couldn't help but wander towards it, examining the slightly dusty photos. His hand lingered on the first frame, a picture of a young boy with his father in his office clothes and his pregnant mother who was holding onto his father's arm. Skipping a few photos, he noticed one with a young girl in her school uniform. She had her hair in pigtails while her cheeks burned red. Next to her stood her brother with a sour face, his arms crossed over his chest. Hyunjin let out a small chuckle.

Then, he stopped at the last frame. It was a family of four standing on school grounds. He recognized Chan wearing a black graduation gown and cap, holding his diploma high with one hand while the other one was wrapped around his younger sister. The poor girl was smiling despite looking like she was being choked. The parents were obviously proud of their son, staring at him with wide smiles on their faces. Hyunjin choked back a sob. His memories were starting to flood again. He didn't want to remember. He didn't want to let his emotions get the best of him.

"Hyunjin, ready to go?"

He jumped a little, turning around to see you putting on your backpack. He gulped before nodding, barely saying a word. Despite the lack of light in the house, you could make out his glistening eyes. You could tell he was about to burst any second but you remained silent.

"I'm sorry, let's just go." He muttered, heading towards the door.

°l||l°

Hyunjin hasn't spoken to you or hasn't even looked at you since you left the house. He walked way ahead of you, with you struggling to keep up the pace. Honestly, you were worried about him. You couldn't tell what was going on in his mind, but you doubt he'll open up to you about it even if you ask.

The boy seemed to walk so carelessly, barely paying attention to any obstacles he could potentially run into. His behavior is really going to get him hurt.

"Hyunjin-"

"Don't bother."

"Please."

"Leave me alone."

"No."

He didn't say anything in return, but he quickened his footsteps. You sighed at this, trying your hardest to stay behind him. Before you could speak once more, you heard a snap. It wasn't too loud nor too soft, it was audible for both of you to hear. Hyunjin raised his eyebrow, about to turn to you when he felt something grab him on his right foot.

"NO-"

Hyunjin yelped, feeling the world turn upside down. He was immediately lifted off the ground and into the air, his feet hanging above him on a tall tree. He could feel the blood rushing down to his head as the rope tightened around his foot.

"Are you okay?!"

"Keep it down, you'll attract some lurkers."

Hyunjin groaned, exerting great effort to grab hold of the rope and violently shake it. In the end, the rope only contracted even more. Hyunjin moaned in pain, his face sweating and getting pale. You quickly threw your bag on the ground, looking for a sharp object to cut off the rope only to find none. You cursed under your breath.

"That's it, I'm done for." You hear Hyunjin sigh in defeat.

"Don't give up." You tell him, worry laced in your voice.

"Tell the rest I'm sorry for being hard-headed. I did what I had to because I didn't want them to die." He choked.

"Stop." You begged, looking over the contents of your bag once more with haste.

Hyunjin started to cry quietly, tears staining his cheeks. He let go of the rope and allowed himself to hang upside down. He looked at you who was still desperately looking for some sort of sharp object. He was about to tell you to give up when he noticed something poking out in the back pocket of your jeans.

"(y/n), behind you." He said.

You immediately jumped, expecting to meet an ugly creature but was met with nothing. You stared at him in disbelief, but he pointed to your pants. You raised an eyebrow at this, feeling a blush creep up to your cheeks. What did he mean by that?

"Knife. Back pocket." He spoke tiredly.

You instantly caught on and pulled the object from your back pocket. You dashed toward his figure and handed it over. With the little energy Hyunjin had left, he pushed himself to seize the rope once more. In mere seconds, his whole body landed with a thud. The impact caused him to groan and the poor boy curled into a ball.

"Can you stand?" You ask.

He nodded. He propped himself up using his elbows and slowly got on his feet. For a moment, he looked fine but as soon as he took another step, he stumbled. You grabbed his arm and slung it over your shoulder, wrapping your arm around his waist for support. Hyunjin's eyes widened at your actions. He was about to protest, but after seeing how committed you are to helping him, he stopped himself.

"Thank you." He whispered.

Oh, so he does know how to express gratitude.

"I'm just returning the favor." You whispered.