Chapter 1
Notes:
this au- I don't think I plan to expand on it at all. just know that everyone has superpowers / special abilities in this world. the setting, plot, worldbuilding, or whatever is kept vague on purpose cuz idk where the hell I'm going w/ this or wtf I'm doing lmao I just came up w this on the spot.
I just wanted to write about seungbin cuz they mean everything to me :(((((( nonetheless hope you try to enjoy it despite the bad writing (my writing skill is absolutely horrific it's insane) and the plot absolutely making no sense, I just did this for fun anyway. try not to take it too seriously
I'm also relatively new to the fandom, so apologies if they seem "out of character" or whatever :/
"lol their ass would never say that wtf" I get it lmao ))
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
It starts with Seungmin being in charge of buying groceries, as he strolled through the streets listening to, of course, none other than Day6 with his earbuds tucked in.
‘PuppyM would go crazy over this.’ Seungmin thought as he gazed at the snacks he bought for his companion.
He looked up to see Changbin entering an alleyway. His presence confused Seungmin. Wasn’t he supposed to be with Jisung right now?
He crossed the street and entered the same alleyway where Changbin was.
“Hyung? What are you doing here?” Seungmin asked as he watched Changbin facing the dead end of the wall. The older turned around, greeting him,
“Why, hello there! Excellent timing." Changbin said as he smiled and waved, "I was expecting to see you soon. This saves me tons of trouble from searching everywhere else.”
Seungmin sports his face in confusion ‘Why is he speaking like that? And what does he mean by searching?'
“Um…what?”
“It’s nice to meet you, Kim Seungmin.” His grin widened, almost unnatural. Seungmin felt his heartbeat quickening, his grip on his bag tightened. This isn’t Changbin hyung.
“And now, goodbye.”
The last thing he sees is a large black tendril aiming straight towards him.
—
—
—
“Hyuuung your phone!” Jisung drawled out, waving Changbin’s phone around as the ringing sound played.
“Alright, alright I got it geez.” Changbin sat up, walked over, and snatched his phone from Jisung's hand. Dwaekki peered over the rolling chair curiously as Changbin faced him for a second,
“Just stay here. Look after Sungie for me, okay little buddy?” Changbin smiled and patted his head. Dwaekki gave him a salute(?) or at least he attempted to. It was kind of hard to do that with his stubby arms.
Changbin huffed a laugh,
'Cute,' he thought, briefly exiting the studio to answer his phone.
He looked at the screen, it was from Seungmin. He accepted the call,
“Hey Minnie, what’s up?”
“Hello, Changbin. I was looking for you,” the voice answered. Changbin stopped his track. This wasn’t Seungmin’s voice. It almost sounded like-
“...Who is this?”
“My name is Changbin. Seo Changbin.” The voice replied, clear and straightforward.
‘What.’ Changbin froze.
It was his own voice replying to him.
“Well, doesn’t matter anyway. I want you to meet me at the overpass near XXX. Of course, alone.” The man with his voice chuckled darkly, “You don’t want anything happening to your precious little brother, now do you?”
Changbin felt a flare of anger rising, also alarmed,
“Wait what the fuck do you mean!? What the hell did you do to Seungmi-”
bzzt
The call ended.
—
—
—
Changbin ran to the highway overpass, where he was instructed to meet. He looked over the bridge, jumped down, and landed on the grassy patch. There, he saw a man with the matching appearance, voice, and outfit leaning against the bridge wall, his expression relaxed with an air of casual confidence. Changbin's breath hitched at the sight of fresh blood-certainly not his own-smeared on his clothes. The figure stepped out of the shadows,
“You arrived quicker than I expected.”
“Cut the crap, tell me where the hell is Seungmin now.” Changbin retorted harshly, trying to locate his missing little brother.
The clone merely smirked, “Hey, let’s not rush this; we haven’t had our lovely chat yet. I’m sure you’re quite curious about where I come from and what my purpose is.”
“...” Changbin's glare only grew more intense and impatient. The clone shrugged;
“Well, let’s just cut to the chase now, shall we? As you can obviously tell, I am your clone. Even though I may seem like your exact copy, only our appearances and abilities are the same but our personalities are different.
To be honest, I don't know how I was created. I woke up in this state. But I know my time is limited, and my body is warning me that I'll soon disappear."
“I can feel my instincts telling me I’ll have to kill you and take over your body. So...if it's no trouble, can I have your body, please~?” The clone asked with a faux innocence, nearly taunting.
Changbin only scoffed, “And if I say no?”
Not even a millisecond later, the clone struck his fist onto the ground where Changbin was, breaking the earth underneath. Changbin barely dodged in time.
“I wasn’t asking,” the clone remarked coldly.
“Try me, dipshit,” Changbin’s lips curled into a grim smile.
He placed both hands on the ground and released his dark, shadowy tendrils. The tendrils moved upward to strike down at the clone. The clone shielded himself with the wall of darkness, and both sides clashed.
The clone sent its sharp tendrils toward Changbin, who quickly leaped into the air. He blocked one of them with his arm, twisting around before ripping it in half. Suddenly, the ground shook and multiple sharp tendrils erupted from the ground underneath him. One tendril managed to hit him, hissing as it grazed his cheek.
Changbin shoved himself back and slid across the floor but recovered quickly. The clone’s tendrils struck him again; Changbin dodged each of them as he readied to summon his tendrils. He aimed his tendril at the clone, but the clone caught his arm and threw him aside, colliding with the ground so hard he left a small crater.
Changbin breathed heavily, kneeling on the ground. Tasting the metal on his tongue, he forced himself up and lunged forward again.
The clone only shows a sinister smile.
Something constricted Changbin's neck as it suddenly lifted him into the air, sent him soaring through the pillars, yanked him back, and confronted him face-to-face with his clone.
"Giving up already?" the clone taunted. Changbin spat blood on his face as a response.
Then a single sharp tendril pierced Changbin’s shoulder. Feeling intense, agonizing pain, he held back from screaming.
The tendrils pulled back, and the tightness around his throat loosened as he fell to the ground, leaving him staggered. His breath came in ragged gasps as he coughed and sputtered. Changbin glared at the clone with fury burning in his chest.
“That was fun; too bad it’s over now.” The clone stood, wiping the blood off his face, “But before I kill you, there is something I would like to show you,” he gleefully stressed.
In the blink of an eye, Changbin sees the most horrific thing he has ever laid eyes on.
They revealed Seungmin, bloodied and bruised, bound by several dark tendrils.
“Minnie…” Changbin whispered, his voice shaking with unrestrained rage.
His blood boiled to the pits of his stomach.
“When I was looking for you, he showed up at just the right moment. It was a big help. But when he realized I wasn’t his Changbin, he really fought back and unleashed a barrage of destructive sound waves. His skills and abilities were quite impressive. He turned out to be a tough opponent and managed to figure out some of my techniques for a time.” The clone chuckled, his eyes fixed on Changbin.
“For his cute angelic-looking face, he was very feisty and persistent, I’ll give him that,” the clone added, his air of confidence and nonchalance never once wavering.
“I asked him where you were, but never once did he reveal your whereabouts. Even if I ‘prodded’ him a bit, he refused.” The clone rolled his eyes, waving his hand around lazily as he explained.
“If I recall, he said something along the lines of ‘I’m never giving up my hyung to you, nor letting you hurt him!’ How adorable! I admire his loyalty. I really do. Maybe I did punish him a little too hard as he was quite…disobedient,” muttered the clone, seemingly pouting.
Changbin was frozen in the spot; he felt everything and nothing all at once.
“You should’ve seen his poor, pitiful face; I almost thought he would’ve given up at some point. It had me nearly in tears,” the clone mockingly pretended to wipe his eyes from nonexistent tears. In the next second, his face was devoid of emotions.
“Luckily for you, he still refused.”
In the corner of Changbin’s eye, he sees Seungmin looking up, coughing weakly with blood trickling down from corners of his lips as he uttered, “...h’ung…” he tried to writhe from the tendrils that restrained him tightly in a desperate attempt to escape and reach his hyung.
“Oh, didn’t I tell you to stop squirming, little puppy? You know what happens if you stop listening,” the clone said jadedly.
With a simple flick of his wrist, the tendrils twist and tighten around Seungmin, cutting it deeper.
“AAAAAHHHH!!!”
Changbin stares blankly, unable to comprehend what’s happening in front of him as his baby brother lets out the most gut-wrenching scream, the sound of blood splattering echoes loudly in his ear. The younger’s scream gradually shifts into a painful groan as he coughs out blood. His breaths were short and ragged, as if there was glass stuck in his throat.
The tendrils release Seungmin as he drops to the ground, coughing and gasping as he flinches from pain with every movement he makes, “....h’urts…” Seungmin whimpers, undoubtedly suffering from the immeasurable pain and torture he had just endured. He slowly lifts his head and raises his arm towards Changbin as if trying to reach him. A small, weak voice calls out,
“…Help me…hyung…”
Changbin snaps.
-
Within seconds, Changbin lunged forward and landed a solid punch to the clone’s jaw, sending him flying miles away.
Seungmin suddenly felt strong but gentle arms carrying him in a bridal style; his legs were dangling as they kept bouncing up and down until Changbin skidded to a halt and gently laid the younger one on the grass with patches of flowers scattered around him. Seungmin looked up sideways, feeling the flower lightly brushing against his face, and saw that Changbin was staring at him.
“…Hyung?”
He could not read Changbin’s expression but felt a warm hand placed on the side of his face and the same hand reached out to brush out small strands of his hair from Seungmin’s face. The older man's expression had that blank-eyed, almost scary look on his face, but his aura screamed fierce and protective.
This was his real hyung. His Changbin hyung.
That clone was fucked. Seungmin could tell.
Changbin slowly stood up, darkness swirling around him steadily, but dangerously alluring and enchanting.
Then all hell breaks loose.
The clone emerged from the dust, releasing his tendrils once more. But as if he had teleported, Changbin appeared behind him and struck numerous tendrils at the clone, each strike growing more forceful and powerful. The clone cried out.
‘What’s going on?! His speed is faster than before!’
Changbin propelled himself into the air with incredible velocity and swung his foot downwards, smashing the clone straight into the ground with such force that it made the earth shake. As he stands over the clone, his face and expression shrouded in shadow, he slams his foot onto the clone’s left arm. Hearing a deafening crack and an ear-piercing scream, Changbin smiles sadistically at its pain.
The clone retaliates by launching multiple tendrils toward Changbin with some slashing him. But with a single hand, he snatches all of them at the same time and effortlessly rips them apart while ignoring the gash in his palm.
This time, Changbin’s tendril grabs the clone and forces him down to the ground repeatedly before Changbin kicks him across the field. He chases the hurtling clone with his new speed. Unable to do anything, the clone watches as Changbin violently punches him to the ground.
The clone’s wide, terrified eyes locked on Changbin’s as he struggled to even make a sound. But he didn't get the chance to do anything as Changbin snapped his finger; countless shadow tendrils struck him and buried him to the ground.
As the smoke clears, all that’s left is an unmoving body, the figure almost unrecognizable at this point.
Kill him, kill him
Changbin walks towards the figure and grabs onto its shirt, forcefully pulling the limp body up.
Kill him kill him KILL HIM KILL HIM
He raises his fist and slowly starts smiling again
KILLKILLKILLKILL-
“Hyung stop, he’s already dead..”
Changbin felt a tug from his shirt. He turned around to see Seungmin, his expression gentle and almost sad. The younger carefully took Changbin’s hand and placed it on his chest. Changbin’s chest heaved as his obstructed fists began to loosen more and more the longer he stared at Seungmin’s soft features.
Changbin looked back to see the clone had disappeared into thin air and faded away into nothingness. He fell on his knees. Then his mind raced, panic setting in as he realized how he must look to the younger;
‘I killed him,’ Changbin thought, slowly spiraling, ‘…With my bare hands…with these hands- I- I actually- enjoyed it..why...why didn’t I stop- why did I keep going-…I-’
Before he spiraled further, he felt arms wrapping around him in a gentle embrace. Changbin let out a breath.
"If you hadn't killed him...I would have died…" Seungmin said, resting his head on Changbin's uninjured shoulder. "You killed him, and that…that saved us both, hyung. I- I was so scared; who knows what would have happened if you hadn’t-” The boy let out a sob, tightening his hold, just a little.
Changbin felt his heartbreak; he had never seen the younger in this state before, ever so calm and collected Seungmin who knew exactly what he was doing. But now the older wished he could whisk all of Seungmin’s pain away and shield him from the world forever.
“Oh, Minnie..” The older circled his arms around Seungmin. The younger only buried his head further into Changbin’s shoulder. Even though Seungmin was taller, he looked so small and vulnerable in the older’s arms.
“Hyung is so sorry I couldn’t protect you,” Changbin whispered, barely keeping a hurt in his voice.
“It’s not your fault-” Seungmin was quick to say but was cut off.
“Seeing you hurt by that thing who literally has my face and my voice…at that moment, all I could see was red; it was a violent rage I’ve never felt before like I was truly going for the kill,”
Changbin's tone was laced with venom when he mentioned his doppelgänger but faltered and felt himself shake as he recalled the fight.
“If it weren’t for you stopping me, I think I would’ve lost even more control. It made me terrified that… that I was going to hurt you…or the others. I-..I was a monster out there. I smiled when he screamed and I couldn't stop! I just kept going- and I- What if I lose control like that again? It makes me no different from-”
Suddenly he felt his forehead being flicked, abruptly stopping his rambling.
“Hyung respectfully, shut the fuck up.”
????????
Changbin blinked in surprise, speechless and bewildered.
“Don’t you dare say that. Don’t you dare think that! It’s not true.” Seungmin said fiercely. His expression was strong and intense, unlike the usual laid-back look he holds.
“Whether he's your clone or whatever he is, you’ll never be like him. You’ll never be him.”
Changbin felt a single tear streaming down. Seungmin’s expression softens and lets out a little half-smile. He continued,
“I know you will never hurt us or anyone else because regardless of what happened, you’ll always be that same hyung who looks tough but is a true softie. That same hyung who dances to girl group songs, who spoils his little brothers rotten, and smothers them with hugs and kisses no matter how much they push him away.
The difference between you and him, he did this for pure evil. You wanted to protect.”
Changbin looked down and let out a shuddered breath.
“But I scared you...what would Jinnie, Sungie, Lix, or Innie think?” Changbin whispered, eyes almost glistening with tears. “What kind of hyung am I?”
‘What would Channie hyung and Minho hyung think? They’ll be disappointed.’
“A great one, hyung. The best one. Don’t tell Minho that,” Seungmin wiped the older’s tears away while Changbin huffed and let out a soft, sad laugh. Seungmin counted that as a win; his hyung finally smiled.
"You never scared me because you did what you were supposed to do. Binnie, you saved me. Never forget that.” Seungmin held both of his hands firmly while gazing straight at Changbin with a determined expression. He was bruised, bloodied, and beaten, yet he somehow appeared radiant and ethereal in Changbin’s eyes.
“So thank you, hyung. Thank you for saving my life.”
Seungmin softly caressed Changbin’s cheek with his fingertips, his thumb brushing against him in a gentle, repeated motion. Changbin hadn't noticed the tears that streamed down his face again, too focused on the younger's tender gratitude. The elder leaned into Seungmin’s warm hand, fully taking in the moment.
The younger doesn’t need to thank him for anything. Because he would do anything to protect his adorable but menacing little brothers. That was his duty as a hyung.
When Changbin’s eyes meet the other, a profound wave of realization hits him as he sees the wounded looking up at him, tilting his head like a curious puppy, smiling at him.
That smile.
That smile was worth protecting. So sweet, so gentle. So pure.
It wasn’t the biggest, but it still tugged on the older’s string and pulled himself together.
Cuts and bruises coated his pretty face and the mental scar might linger for a very long time, but that smile held onto that hopeful innocence still hanging on by that single thread for many years.
Changbin might cry again.
As much as he would love to leap at Seungmin and tell him he was the most precious thing in the world and wished that he could be as kind, brave, and selfless, but found himself unable to speak. Instead, Changbin gently enveloped him back into a warm embrace, letting tears absorb into the younger’s sweater.
They stayed like that for a few minutes until Seungmin spoke again;
“And what you did hyung…I can’t blame you…I’m sure Channie hyung and Minho hyung would’ve done the same. Everyone else too. I don’t want to imagine what Chan hyung would’ve done though.”
Changbin shivered. Yeah, he doesn’t want to imagine what his eldest hyung would’ve done in his place.
“And maybe we should- AGH! Fuck.” Changbin flinched at the sudden noise when Seungmin slumped against him, clutching his side in pain.
“Minnie!” Setting the younger down gently on his lap, the elder cradled him in his arms as if he were a small child.
“Shhh, it’s okay, I’m here. We’ll get you help soon, okay? Don’t push yourself.” Changbin said, lightly rocking them both back and forth.
He looks down at the younger, trying hard to ignore the painful wretch of his heart seeing his battered state.
‘Wow…that thing really did a number on us.’ Changbin thought as he looked down at himself to assess the injuries sustained from the battle, his breath hitched when he was met with blood-soaked clothes and torn flesh, similar to Seungmin.
For a couple of minutes, the younger’s body shook and grimaced in pain until his expression schooled into a calmer state.
Seungmin looked up at Changbin; he smiled and laughed softly, quickly breaking into a small fit of coughs. Changbin smiled sadly, softly squeezing the younger’s hand.
“I almost forgot our asses nearly got handed by your evil twin,” Seungmin deadpans; Changbin couldn’t help but chuckle and Seungmin continued, “Why haven’t we called Chan hyung by now?”
“Well, don’t blame us. We were going through an emotional character moment or…whatever that was...and we can't have that ruined now, do we?” Changbin tiredly states, “Also, there’s no way our phones are still intact after this.”
“Great. I haven't got the chance to save that one photo I took, and it was hilarious.” Seungmin pouted cutely as he muttered, disappointingly.
“That’s what you’re worried about? I’m more worried we have to walk home in this state.” The older laughed, almost a bit exasperated. Knowing Seungmin, Changbin would’ve guessed that the photo was a perfect blackmail material.
He reached down in his pocket to check the sorry state of his phone; it was indeed cracked badly. But surprisingly, it turned on and was somehow still functional.
After calling Chan, Changbin placed his phone back in his pocket. His adrenaline began to wear off and now he felt very exhausted.
“What are you thinking about, hyung?” Changbin looked down to see Seungmin staring up at him with his puppy eyes and puckered lips, tilting his head slightly in curiosity.
“Oh…just relieved that we’re alive.” The older sighed softly while absentmindedly petting the younger’s hair. He plucked a nearby flower and tucked it behind his baby brother's ear.
“Hehe, I’m glad,” Seungmin giggled happily, curling closer to his hyung as he kicked his legs up and down with childlike glee. The flower drifted slowly in the gentle breeze.
“I love you, hyung~”
‘Oh, what an angel. A true epitome of a puppy. And this is the same cheeky little shit that roasts the shit out of us 90% of the time. An actual menace. God, this kid is gonna be the death of me,’ Changbin thinks fondly. His cute aggression was triggering exponentially.
With a lump in his throat, Changbin whispers back,
“...Love you too…” as he tries not to burst into tears again.
He failed miserably.
Notes:
They forgot hospitals exist. Blame concussion /j
---
Here's some extra cringe shit idfk:
SM: Are you crying hyung~?
CB:..No. :(
SM: Hehe crybaby hyung
CB: Shut up >:’((((( *pouts cutely*
SM: ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶
—
As they waited for Chan and the others to pick them up, both were laid down on the soft grass, side by side. Seungmin was facing up, staring at the clear blue sky. While Changbin was face-planting on the floor, seeming dead to the world.
“Hyung, what are you doing?”
“Just waiting for the earth to swallow us whole until we reach the inner core or something.”
“Lmao you sound like Minho.”—
Chan: What the hell happened to you two!?
Changbin: Oh you know, our asses were nearly handed by my long-lost evil twin brother, but I proceeded to beat the shit out of him and gave him the world’s worst facelift. Then he got Thanos snapped out of existence, good riddance. No one hurts Minnie, that’s like the equivalent of kicking a wounded puppy. Anyways, don’t worry about it, hyung. That bastard is gone now, and everything is handled a-okay! :D
Chan:...WHAT!?
Seungmin, while piggyback riding on Changbin’s back: (˶ˆᗜˆ˵) hehehehe
---
in case it wasn't clear enough, changbin can summon shadowy tendrils, some sort of darkness manipulation (you know how slender man has those black wavy tendrils behind him sometimes? yeah it looks something like that)
seungmin can release sound waves but it's not shown in this chapter, just mentionedalso, if you're confused about why skzoo are here, it's because they're skz's companions in this au. kinda like Pokemon but not really, or if you ever watched Precure, they have those little animal/fairy mascot things lol
What happened in this fic, like wtf is up w that clone thing, or the au in general, with the superpowers, the lore, or whatever, I’ll leave that up to your interpretation.
feel free to expand upon this au if you'd like, go crazy
(If I weren’t so broke I would’ve asked for an art commission for this lol maybe in the future)
Chapter 2: Aftermath
Summary:
The Aftermath: Flashbacks and lots of comfort
Notes:
did not expect to write a sequel either, but this has been at the back of my head since the first chapter
I just had a burst of inspiration recently lol
[ Italics = flashbacks ]
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“Like I’m telling you anything,” Seungmin venomously spat.
Long forgotten groceries spilled onto the ground when he dropped them. Seungmin propelled backward as the black tendril struck the ground where he had stood.
He’ll never let this thing go after his Changbin hyung or anyone else, he’ll do everything within his power to prevent that.
Seungmin’s body began to glow with blue energy circling him. His eyes and hands shone bright blue as he prepared to retaliate against whatever was mimicking his hyung’s body and face. He absorbed the sounds around him, harnessing more energy and glowing even brighter.
Seungmin telekinetically maneuvered the three tendrils back at the clone by manipulating sound waves. The clone sidestepped his own tendrils with ease, then pulled back into the shadows. The alleyway was dark, and the light source was limited; the clone could reappear anywhere in a shadowy area.
Seungmin darted away as a shadowy hand emerged from the darkness in front of him. He harnessed more energy and released a strong sound wave, knocking the clone back. The clone skidded to the ground as he summoned the tendrils around him, making him hidden from Seungmin’s sight.
Then things happened so quickly.
“Not bad, your powers are incredible,” Seungmin heard the clone say in his ear. He turned to look at him, eyes wide in disbelief. How did he-
And then he was flying backward. He crashed through the wooden crates and shattered them until his slender frame collided harshly against the wall at the end of the alleyway with a loud crack. The impact knocked the breath out of him. Struggling to regain it, he attempted to get on his feet as debris and parts of the wall fell to the floor. Seungmin pushed himself up and leaned against the broken wall, fiercely glaring at the clone.
“Oh you’re so fun to play with. You’re much stronger than I initially thought, especially with that cute little face of yours,” he heard the clone say. The clone began to walk over to him. “You know, I’m willing to spare you if you tell me where your Changbin is. Like I said before, I kinda need him for something very important to me.”
Seungmin managed to gather enough breath to answer,
“Never.”
—
Changbin woke up and sat up in his bed, sweating and breathing harshly. His heart was pounding in his chest as he grasped his hand at the front of his shirt, trying to calm his panicked breathing and racing heart.
He gradually began to calm down and lie back on his bed, staring at the bedroom ceiling. He snatched his home and checked the time, it was nearing 3 AM. Changbin groaned and lay his arms over his eyes. He needed to sleep, but it was hard to do so after waking up from a nightmare.
But this was one of those nightmares where he could barely remember what it was when he woke up, It was just unpleasant and unsettling.
He stared at the ceiling again.
It’s been nearly a month since that harrowing encounter with the clone.
Never in his life had Changbin ever seen Chan so filled with raw fury. While he and Jisung spent the most time with him, the leader could get upset sometimes, but never to this extent.
But of course, why wouldn't he?
His kids got hurt.
—
Chan and Minho arrived as quickly as they could after Changbin called Chan to pick him and Seungmin up.
When they arrived at the location of said fight, Chan's blood drained from his face, and he was speechless at the sight that awaited him.
There were holes littering it that looked like the result of a meteor, with pieces of broken pillars and debris scattered everywhere. Spots of blood were spread across the ground, a few splotches underneath the holes.
The smokes and dusts were still clearing, but in the distance, he saw Changbin cradling Seungmin, holding him as if he were the most precious thing in the world.
Both were gravely injured with blood and the gashes littering their bodies.
Chan didn’t need to look beside him to see that Minho wore a similar expression as well.
—
Chan carried Seungmin and rushed quickly as he could, while Changbin was helped by Minho.
“Channie hyung?” Seungmin’s frail voice choked out.
Chan felt a terrible ache seize his chest as he took a glance at his little brother’s bruised and battered body. His clothes were soaked in bright crimson. There was a cut across his cheek and a remnant of blood on his lips. He could see the start of bruises forming on his face.
The leader clenched his jaw, trying to keep his emotions in check as he gently shushed the boy,
“Shhh, I got you, Minnie,” Chan called out, trying to make his voice as soothing as possible.
“You’ll be okay. I’m right here, I promise.”
Seungmin looked almost dazed when his eyelids closed, exhaustion taking over.
—
Felix’s healing did its magic. But they stayed at the hospital for a couple of days to recover properly.
Changbin recovered a little faster, but he stayed by Seungmin’s bedside almost every day.
Seungmin hadn’t really talked about the encounter with a clone in detail, only knowing that he was attacked and fought back. He was badly injured because of it. Changbin’s blood boiled as he felt the simmer of anger rising, thinking about what his baby brother had gone through. Of course, he didn’t want to push him to talk. He wanted the younger to recover first and be as comfortable as possible.
No one knew what the deal with the clone was, nor did they know where it came from. Or how they were made. But that was a topic for another time.
According to Changbin, the clone wanted to ‘take over’ his body, but that was just it.
—
Despite Seungmin’s thousand reassurances, Changbin dreaded to talk about the battle with his doppelganger and what he did to it and what he was about to do more. He felt like a monster.
He let his rage consume him, feeling everything and nothing at once, seeing only tunnel vision.
Eventually, he opted to talk with his two hyungs first as he wasn’t ready to face his dongsaengs yet.
He tried his best but couldn’t help the tremor in his voice as he went into detail about the clone, his rage, everything. As he talked, his eyes were strictly trained on the carpeted floor, unable to see his hyung's face.
When he finished, he curled up in himself, trying to stifle the tears from his eyes. Nothing but shame and somehow numbness filled him.
All of a sudden, he was wrapped up in an embrace from Chan, his oldest brother. Then a warm hand rubbed against his back. Changbin turned to see Minho with a gaze so warm and gentle, he felt his breath hitch and shiver. Chan pulled back and looked at Changbin with the same gaze as Minho,
“You’re not a monster, Binnie. I’m so proud of you.”
The rapper finally let his tears fall and fell into the leader’s embrace once more.
–
Changbin began to calm down, but was still sniffling here and there after sobbing against his hyung, who had his arms wrapped around him.
Then they heard a mysterious thump outside the bedroom, followed by harsh but quick shushing. Minho got up and briskly walked over to open the door. Two people fell into the room.
“...”
"Hi, hyungs." Jisung and Hyunjin sheepishly smiled.
Behind them was Felix holding Seungmin’s hand, with Jeongin standing on the other side of Seungmin with an unimpressed expression towards his hyungs on the floor. Seungmin looked at Changbin with a tired but sweet smile.
“I tried to stop them. I promise.” Felix sighed, but couldn’t help up grin at his fellow 00z antics.
“So you were eavesdropping on us,” Minho stared down at the two lovable idiots. He tried to look disappointed, but his tone suggested that he wasn’t really mad. He briefly smirked afterwards.
“We were worried, okay!”
Chan and Changbin looked at each other and burst into laughter. And the rest followed.
To Changbin’s relief, his dongsaengs shared the same sentiment as his hyungs, reassuring and comforting him that he did what he had to do to protect, and he shouldn’t label himself as a monster. They all would’ve done the same.
The eight of them were wrapped together in a single bed, relishing in each other’s warmth.
“You’re not a monster, hyung,” Hyunjin said,
“Minho hyung on the other hand…”
Minho slowly turned towards the tall ferret with a sinister smile, “How many degrees, I say?”
“20 minutes and 180 degrees in the air fryer.” Hyunjin darted out of the room as Minho jumped off the bed to chase after him.
The remaining boys laughed as the leader wrapped his arm around Changbin, bringing him closer. Changbin leaned his head against his hyung’s shoulder, grasping for the warmth and comfort, ignoring the distant screams in the background.
Changbin felt a tap on his back and looked to see Seungmin with that mischievous look on his face as if saying, ‘I told you so.’ Changbin rolled his eyes and stared back at him with a grin as if to say,
‘Brat.’
—
Seungmin was the one to witness Changbin at his worst, but despite everything. He was still his Changbin hyung.
And that’ll never change.
—
As Changbin was busy beating down his doppelganger, he briefly remembered from the corner of his eyes that he saw Seungmin sitting up, clutching his arm, and staring at the fight with an almost blank but solemn expression.
—
“For all that it’s worth, you’re a great hyung. An amazing one, even. You’ve always been reliable, so in return, I would like to be a reliable dongsaeng to you as well.”
—
Changbin stood there, heavily breathing. He turned his head at the mangled figure of the clone and walked towards it. Seungmin momentarily panicked as if he knew his hyung wasn’t done and was ready for a round two of assault despite the clone being long dead already.
Seungmin got up and limped towards his hyung. He staggered a bit but ignored the pain in his body and continued moving forward.
As Changbin grabbed the clone’s collar and pulled it closer, he slowly raised his fist and drew his arm back. He needed that thing to stay down and not hurt any of his brothers ever again. Too blinded by rage to hear the shaky footsteps, he felt the tug on his sleeve.
Changbin turned his head, and his eyes met with his baby brother’s sad but gentle gaze.
It’s as if all the rage and fury were extinguished in an instant, like blowing the fire from a candle.
—
After several minutes of tossing and turning in his bed, Changbin eventually decided that he couldn’t sleep, so he walked over to the kitchen to grab some water.
He stood with his water, just staring into space in the dark, empty kitchen. No thoughts, head empty, and it was 3 AM He didn’t know what he expected.
As Changbin walked back to his bedroom, he heard sniffles and a muffled sob. He froze for a moment and listened, concentrating this time. These sounds were coming from Seungmin’s room.
He made it to Seungmin’s room in at least three strides. He froze with his hand on the doorknob, taking deep, even breaths.
“...Minnie?” Changbin said softly as he opened the door.
There was a lump on the bed shifting, and the blanket was lifted to reveal Seungmin with his ruffled hair and wet cheeks.
“H-hyung?” Seungmin’s voice faltered in a whisper. Changbin's breath hitched, heart cracked at the sight.
His sweet and reliable Seungmin. His savage and stubborn Seungmin. Funny. Loyal. Passionate.
Now reduced to a vulnerable and broken shell of himself.
The younger made a small grabby hand, gesturing for the older to hold him. Changbin didn’t hesitate.
They stayed like that, holding each other, hearts pounding and tears drying against cheeks. Changbin continued to rub gentle circles on Seungmin’s back.
He tried not to wince when he briefly saw Seungmin’s chest and torso wrapped in bandages. They were getting better but were still recovering.
The younger eventually spoke when he stopped trembling and could breathe properly again.
“I thought…” Seungmin paused.
—
Seungmin hissed as one of the tendrils grazed his cheek. He hurled powerful waves of sounds, repelling oncoming attacks from the clone. He didn’t know how long he had been fighting the clone. It was too strong, too cruel. He just wanted it to be over.
—
“I thought I wouldn’t be strong enough. That I would just…give in…”
—
A tendril grabbed Seungmin’s leg and slammed him to the ground; objects around them shook from the impact. His chest heaved as he slowly got on his knees, trembling from pain and exhaustion.
—
“And if I did, I would be the reason you got hurt…and everyone else would be in danger too.”
“But you didn’t,” Changbin tightened his arm around him, “And even if you did, I would never blame you. Ever.”
The younger only whimpered and shook his head in response. His breath started to pick up, gradually getting faster.
—
Seungmin was at his limit, his body covered with cuts and bruises, bloodied and battered, every fiber screaming in agony. But he knew in his heart that he couldn’t stop now. Knowing that the clone will go after the others. His Changbin hyung.
He stifled a cry when another tendril pierced his rib.
“So…are you going to tell me?” The clone said too casually, acting as if this was a normal hangout between friends. The tendril pulls back as blood drips to the floor.
Seungmin lets out shaky breaths, followed by a series of harsh, wet coughs. Blood trickled down from his mouth.
He gazed at the clone and smirked,
“Are you deaf? Didn’t I just say if you’re going to hurt anyone else, you’ll have to kill me first?”
He steadily got on his feet and wiped the blood with his sleeves.
Seungmin spread his arms wide, his expression smiling, but his eyes told a different story. A determined and stone-cold resolve.
“Be my fucking guest then.”
The clone stared blankly, and within seconds, a large black tendril aimed straight towards the singer.
If Seungmin could do everything to protect his loved ones…
He will die trying.
—
“Hey, breathe.” Seungmin was back in reality as his blurred vision became clearer, to see Changbin's worried face staring at him.
“Deep breaths, Minnie, you’re okay. You’re safe here. You’re okay…” Changbin repeated as he held Seungmin's shoulder, grounding him. His words and tone were so soft and gentle, it made the younger want to bawl his eyes out and curl up against his hyung again.
The singer let out a shuddered breath and spoke,
“He was so strong, hyung. I couldn’t stop him. And because of that, you got hurt too…
I’m sorry I wasn’t strong enough.” Seungmin’s eyes shimmered with tears.
Changbin’s chest ached.
“Oh Minnie…you’re one of the strongest people I know.”
“You wanted to protect me and everyone else. You never told him anything, even after he…”
He paused, “Despite everything that happened, you fought back. You did everything you could to stop him. To protect me”
Changbin pulled back to gently place both hands against Seungmin’s dried, tear-streaked face.
“So thank you, Minnie. I’m so proud of you.”
Before he could think, Seungmin threw himself over Changbin, arms wrapping tightly around his hyung.
They weren’t crying anymore as if they had run out of tears, but they were tangled together, not daring to let go.
Changbin pulled back a little to check on Seungmin.
“Minnie~ are you blushing?” Changbin cooed. His dongsaeng is so cute.
Changbin laughed when he heard a muffled ‘shut up’ from his baby brother nuzzling against his neck.
“By the way, Minnie, your skzoo watch is ringing like crazy.”
Seungmin picked up his watch and sighed,
“Out of all the time, he wants to get out now,” he muttered as the watch glowed and PuppyM materialized right next to him.
The puppy looked frantically left and right. When he noticed Seungmin, the pup whined and barrelled into Seungmin’s torso, catching him off-guard.
Seungmin was confused but tugged the pup closer in an embrace and started petting him.
“Looks like he sniffed out your distress and wanted to help you out,” Changbin chuckled softly as he ruffled the younger's hair and did the same to PuppyM as well.
The singer huffed, but it made his heart flutter at the thought.
While PuppyM was a menace to the planet (affectionate), he was the sweetest thing.
“And we’re joining too.” Changbin took out his watch and summoned Dwaekki.
“Wait hyung, what are you- STO-” Seungmin couldn’t finish when both Changbin and Dwaekki toppled on Seungmin while cradling PuppyM, who let out a happy yip and wagged his tail.
“You’re the worst,” Seungmin pouted, trying not to smile but failing.
“You love me,” Changbin laughed with arms wrapped around his baby brother with both of their companions right between them..
The younger yawned and returned the embrace, “Unfortunately.”
They lay on the bed as sleep gradually took over them.
“Hyung, do you think we’ll be okay?”
“We will be.”
Nothing makes me happier than you being okay.
“I love you, Minnie.”
Seungmin giggled, the sound soft and innocent, “I love you too, hyung.”
He buried his face deeper into Changbin’s chest.
Off to a dreamless sleep they go.
Notes:
Yes they can summon their skzoo companions with a special watch. (like pokeball lol)
Chapter 3: Spirling
Summary:
Suddenly, he was back at the cold, dark alleyway. The walls and floor stained red. The thick scent of blood. The metallic taste on his tongue.
It’s as if all the air left his lungs, and the tightness of the tendrils that were curled around his body felt even tighter. His torso throbbed as if something sharp was piercing through it and was swirling his insides.
Seungmin felt his body go numb as he stared into the familiar, cruel eyes of a man, or whatever that thing was, wearing his hyung’s face. The eyes and smile that were so different from his real hyung. He remembers every silence and refusal that ended in violence.
Where is he. It asked.
---
Healing isn’t linear but a rollercoaster full of unpredictable ups and downs.
Once you slowly climb to the top, you can only plummet so fast from the highest highs, making it feel impossible to rise from the lowest lows again.
Notes:
Me and my indecisive ass istg
i told myself there wouldnt be more but my brain was like 'boi u thought-'
---
more seungmin centric for this one but believe me, changbin is going thru it too
[Most of the paragraphs in italics are flashbacks, granted, they are out of order in the timeline.]
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Chan washed his blood-stained hands, hunched over the sink with the tap at full blast. Blood, still in his hands. Blood that is not his own.
The feeling of hot crimson wasn’t washing away fast enough. He thinks.
His mind moves on autopilot, repeating that same scene over and over.
One of his kids was in his arms. The second youngest. Red all over. His broken body, in his arms, barely conscious. Another in the helping hands of the second eldest, face steeled and hardened, fatigued and worn. The third eldest’s eyes trailed after the second youngest, his expression shattered.
The scene was imprinted in the back of Bang Chan’s mind forever.
…
“Hyung?”
A hand settled on his shoulder. Chan looked up at the mirror, and Minho was next to him with his brows drawn together and lips in a line. His grip on the eldest’s shoulder tightened a little.
“We can go see them now.”
Chan let out a shuddered breath as he gazed down at his hands. He hadn’t noticed that the water wasn’t running anymore. His hands were clear of any red.
“...Okay. Let’s go.”
—
Recovery was…a process.
For the first couple of weeks after the incident, there were nights when Seungmin would wake up screaming from a nightmare, wrecked by sobs as he clutched one of the hyungs tightly, begging them not to leave him.
There were days when Changbin refused to come out of his room, but when he did, he returned to his normal loud self. Or… as normal as he could be.
Seungmin would cling to the rapper, and in the days following the incident, he would initiate affection and teasing again.
Everyone would witness the singer teasing Changbin, just like before. He would poke and prod him, making annoying ‘Seungmin noises’ to provoke reactions.
Normally, Changbin would retaliate, immediately headlocking the younger as he screamed and thrashed around, laughing so hard that everyone around would be entertained and laugh along too.
But instead, Changbin would chuckle and sigh, shaking his head. He would reach out and ruffle his baby brother’s hair.
Everyone noticed how Seungmin’s smile would slip. Just a little. But then he immediately beams back and whines ‘ hyuuung’ at him, same as before.
.
.
.
But deep in their minds, everyone knew that nothing was the same anymore.
—
“...He looked exactly like me. I have no idea where he came from or how he was ‘created.’ He said he wanted to…take over me and pass it off as the real one. I don’t know what else he wanted because that’s all he said.” Changbin said, his face stolid and neutral. The rapper sat on the hospital bed with a bandaged forehead and arms, explaining his encounter with the clone to his two hyungs.
“We fought, and he almost got me. But he showed Seungmin to me, all hurt and in a much worse state than I was. I snapped.” Changbin slowly turned his face away from his hyung's gaze.
Silence passed over the group, the only sound being the ticking of the clock.
“Binnie,” Chan says. His voice was soft, but it had taken on a serious and protective tone.
“What happened?”
“I killed it.”
Changbin stares at his lap, hearing his eldest hyung’s sharp intake of breath. Minho stood like a statue as if time had stopped for him.
“Oh, Binnie,” Chan said, low and devastated.
He scoots closer to the younger and reaches out to rub his hand on Changbin’s head.
There was more to it that Chan doesn’t know yet, but the last thing he wanted to do was pressure the younger. So all he could do for now was hold him tight.
—
Ever since Seungmin was able to go on missions again, Changbin had been extra protective of him. He’ll always be looking out for the younger and making sure he won’t be alone.
For months, Changbin tried to display his powers as little as possible when he was around Seungmin, not wanting to trigger any negative memories for the younger. Only when he’s on a mission or if circumstances call for it.
Seungmin misses what things used to be, and he wishes the older would stop walking on eggshells around him. He could feel the other’s worried glances at times.
Seungmin knew he was slipping, being plagued with nightmares and emotions he sometimes couldn’t suppress or control. He wasn’t being himself. He burdened the members enough with his mess. It has been too long.
These days, he tries to make an effort. He’ll prove to the others he’s capable of handling things on his own and that he’s not as weak and helpless as he seems. Seungmin is calm, reliable, and levelheaded, always knows what he’s doing. He’ll be the Seungmin that the members once knew and love.
He’ll be himself again. Not this broken version of himself.
He wants to grasp normalcy just for a moment.
-
It was one fateful day.
“Hyung, can we spar?”
Changbin turned to the younger, eyes slightly widening.
“What?” He says as if he had misheard what was said to him.
“Can we spar?” Seungmin repeated, “We haven’t done that in a while.”
“...Are you sure?”
“Hyung, I wouldn't have asked if I wasn’t okay with it,” Seungmin says. Then his eyes turned downward, looking a bit shy and blushing a little, “...and I missed training with you.”
The older’s expression softened, his gaze turning into something more comforting.
If Changbin had to admit it, he missed sparring with Seungmin. Their training consisted of constant bickering and playful banter while displaying their powers at their fullest.
Once their injuries were healed enough, they were limited to light training for a few days, which they weren’t too happy about. Eventually, they could spar with others, but still not with each other.
These training sessions can be intense and feel like a real battle. It could be a need to further improve their skills and abilities, or simply the thrill of it.
Of course, none of them would go too far. Except for that one, no, multiple times, actually.
No one talks about the infamous pre-debut Hyunsung ‘training’ sessions.
Changbin wouldn’t call it a training session, no, not at all. It was more like an ‘unleash their pent-up rage and hatred towards each other’ session. A literal warzone.
Granted, they were teenagers at the time with raging hormones. They were at each other's throats every second like their lives depended on it.
He could recall Chan cracking the door open to the training arena and saying,
“Are ya done?”
If the two were still at it, he’ll try again in 10 minutes.
The rapper chuckled at the memory. Finally, he answered the younger,
“Alright, we can.”
—
Today was…a good day.
Jeongin examined each line of fashion displayed in the shop’s window. He and Seungmin decided to hang out since it was their day off and warm and sunny outside.
They had a blast visiting a new coffee shop down the street, walking in the park, exploring the shopping mall, and (not) failing at arcade games. Before they knew it, the sun was starting to set.
“Hyung, come look at this!” Jeongin gestured for his hyung to come over while his eyes remained fixed on the clothes in the display glass.
When he received no response, the maknae looked up, confused.
“Hyung?”
The youngest saw Seungmin standing still, staring blankly into space. Or rather, at something.
Jeongin frowned and approached the older one with cautious steps, “...Hyung?”
Seungmin was drifting. Head in the clouds. White noise and static. He felt his insides slowly melt away, leaving only his mind and the dark alleyway across the street. It was just him and his thoughts. The darkness beckoned him, urging him to come closer.
Maybe if he takes one step-
“Hyung!”
Seungmin snapped out of his daze, blinking multiple times.
“...Are you okay?” Jeongin asked worriedly, his tone full of concern.
“Hm? Oh...don’t worry, Innie, just a little tired.”
The younger looked at him with a doubtful gaze as if he didn’t believe him, still hesitant.
“Really, I’m fine. It’s been a long day today,” Seungmin reassured, smiling and patting the younger’s head.
Jeongin just stared at the older and finally relented, “...if you say so.”
There was a moment of silence as the sun descended, the sky meshed with warm colors.
Then, Seungmin slapped the youngest’s shoulder and took a mad dash in the opposite direction.
“Race ya!”
“Wh- Hyung!!”
“Last one home washes the dishes~”
—
Hyunjin, Jisung, and Felix decided to tag along. They were thrilled to hear that the two were sparring again, though with a bit of worry. Nonetheless, they chatted excitedly among themselves as Changbin and Seungmin walked side by side behind them.
“You can use your powers on me, hyung,” Seungmin says, continuing to walk without even glancing at his hyung.
“I-” Changbin stammered, “But what if I-”
“You won’t,” Seungmin turned and gazed at the older with a bit of fire in his eyes.
“I know you’ll never hurt me, hyung. I don’t want you to hold back.”
Changbin didn’t know how to respond.
They made it to the arena, and after some warm-up stretches, the two placed themselves on opposite sides of the court.
“Don’t hold back, hyung,” the younger repeated.
Changbin held his breath and huffed, relenting, “Same goes for you, Minnie.”
As they both took their stance, Changbin felt darkness brewing inside him; the tendrils were ready to be let out.
“Alright, get ready,” Hyunjin says, holding his fingers up as he starts to count down, “three, two-”
With tremendous speed, Seungmin rushes past Changbin, catching him off guard, before maneuvering around to blast him with a sound wave.
Changbin bends back to evade the attack and summons his dark tendrils, sending them towards Seungmin. The younger narrowly misses the assault as he leaps away and lands on his feet.
“He didn’t finish counting down, you cheater!” Changbin yelled with joking anger, wearing a playfully accusatory look. There was also a hint of relief on his face, as the younger hadn’t reacted negatively to his powers. The tendrils waved around him like a ripple.
“There won’t be any countdowns during the real battle, hyung~” Seungmin laughed with mischief in his glowing blue eyes as he readied his next attack.
—
Today was a not-so-good day.
“Let's pray and hope we don’t burn down the kitchen this time.”
Felix invited Seungmin to bake with him, and the latter agreed since they were the only ones at home.
Fifteen minutes had passed with no disaster so far… surprisingly. Felix rummaged through the cabinet, trying to find a missing ingredient.
With no luck, the dancer closed the cabinet and stepped off the stool.
“Minnie, can you-“ Felix cut himself off, and his heart froze when he looked at the younger.
“Minnie?”
He saw Seungmin hunched over the sink with a knife in his hand and a small cut on the tip of his finger. The singer just stared with his hands shaking, and the grip on the knife began to loosen.
Felix, without any words, strode to the younger and gently pried the knife out of his hands, setting it on the counter beside him.
Seungmin allowed Felix to lead him out of the kitchen and sat him down on the couch in the living room. The blonde easily healed the cut and wiped the blood with a towel.
“...Sorry Lixie, I-I don't think I can- today-”
“Hey, hey, it’s okay, Minnie. We don’t have to do this.” Felix said softly, his smile warm and gentle.
“Do you want to lie down on your bed? Maybe we can have a nice and easy movie day.”
Seungmin didn’t have the energy to reply, so he simply nodded.
—
One of the tendrils hit Seungmin’s stomach, which sent him flying and crashing to the ground. Small cracks appeared on the surface as rocks and debris were splintered into the air.
Changbin froze as he watched the younger rolling across the floor until stopping. Seungmin sat up on his knees, facing down with both hands firmly planted on the ground. He was breathing rather heavily and trembling a little.
“Minnie,” Changbin approached Seungmin, his heart racing and panicked thoughts going haywire.
This is my fault. I went too far, I knew this would be a bad idea-
Suddenly, a strong sound wave knocked Changbin backwards, making him skid across the floor. He sees Seungmin slowly standing up, brushing dust off his clothes, and snapping his glowing blue eyes up to meet Changbin’s gaze.
“I told you not to hold back, didn’t I?” the younger playfully sneered, rolling his shoulders back, not even wincing at the cracks it made.
The smugness in Seungmin’s tone and the mocking demeanor made Changbin lose all the initial fear he had before. He felt his eye twitch as the younger one tilted his head, resembling a mischievous puppy, and of course, his teasing smile. This little shit.
“Okay you fucking brat, bring it on.” Changbin barked a laugh. The tendrils erupted from the ground, ready to be used again.
Just like old times…
—
Today was an okay day.
Hyunjin and Seungmin sat in silence, basking in each other’s comfort as they focused on the painting in front of them.
Seungmin was by no means an artist, but he painted each stroke with careful precision, with furrowed brows and tongue sticking out a little. Cute.
Hyunjin painted his last stroke on the canvas and placed the brush back into the cup. He leaned back and stretched his arms up.
“Are you done, Minnie?”
“Yeah, just a second.”
Seungmin got a few final strokes in before finally finishing himself. He stared at his canvas for a moment and looked at Hyunjin.
“I think I’m done.”
“Great! Can I show mine first?” Hyunjin said, grinning as he grabbed his canvas from the wooden easel. Seungmin nodded.
The dancer turned the canvas around; it was a landscape painting of hills covered with flowers of many different colors, as a gentle river flows through the peaceful valley. The sun emitted bright yellow behind the hill.
Hyunjin liked landscape drawings and paintings the most, and he always made them look aesthetically pleasing. All of the members loved his artwork, wanting to frame it for their rooms.
“It’s beautiful, Jinnie,” Seungmin let out a breath with a look of awe in his eyes. He continued observing the painting before leaning forward and squinting, “...Is that a dog?”
There was a golden retriever hidden among the flowers holding a baseball in its mouth and its tail wagging.
Hyunjin laughed, “Congratulations, you found yourself.”
Seungmin stared at the dancer blankly, unamused, before chuckling and rolling his eyes.
“Ha..ha. Very funny,” He deadpanned, “It’s cute.”
The singer grabbed his own canvas and stared at it again, almost looking nervous with his face flushed slightly red.
Hyunjin smiled encouragingly and asked, “Can I see yours, Minnie?”
Hyunjin waited patiently as the younger hugged the canvas closer to his chest, not too close to get paint on his clothes, before turning it around.
The dancer felt his breath get stolen when he saw what seemed to be seven different symbols all compact together, forming a large circle. It looked almost abstract in a way.
A gasp left Hyunjin’s mouth, “Seungminnie…Is that…”
“Yeah,” Seungmin whispered, “they represent everyone’s powers.”
Orange sparks for Jisung
Cyan Ice shards for Hyunjin
Green Microchip patterns for Jeongin
Purple spiral for Minho
Navy wolf-shaped silhouette for Chan
And…
Black tendrils for Changbin
“Our powers are so different and unique from one another, but that’s what makes it so special. Many use them for evil, but people like us unite and use their powers for good. No matter the differences, we all have one goal in mind: we help others,” Seungmin explained with a rather bittersweet expression and a tiny smile on his face,
“Depending on how we use our powers, I think there’s a beauty in every one of them.”
The singer finished and looked nervous again,
“I know it probably looks stupid, I’m not that great at-”
Before he knew it, Hyunjin threw himself around Seungmin. The fabric on his shoulder was wet with tears. Seungmin stood there stunned before wrapping his arms around back at the older, holding him close.
“I think it’s beautiful,” Hyunjin said shakily, a watery smile on his face. The younger was warm to his cold, frosty skin.
“I love it, Minnie. They’ll love it so much.”
—
The fight continued with each attacking and dodging with precision, and their powers were used to their maximum capability. This intense skirmish led to the arena being filled with dust clouds and debris.
“How am I supposed to cheer for them when I can’t see shit,” Jisung grumbled and nearly coughing up a lung due to the dust.
“Almost every sparring session ends up like this,” Hyunjin said, squinting as he tried to fan the smoke away from his face, which was not going away anytime soon.
Felix was deep in thought before Hyunjin called out to him.
“Lix, you okay?”
“Hm?”
“You seem to be distracted by something.”
Felix looked at his lap and up at the smoke-filled battle again.
“...I was just wondering, don’t you think Seungmin seems happier these days?”
Jisung and Hyunjin thought it over before the latter replied,
“Well, he did say he’s rarely had any nightmares for weeks,” The older dancer shifted in his seat and placed his hand on his chin, “And he even asked Changbin hyung for a spar. This whole thing feels like before the…incident.”
“...I don’t know about this.”
The two looked at the rapper with confusion.
“What do you mean, Sungie?” Felix asked, frowning a bit.
“You know how Seungmin is, he’s not the one to talk about his true feelings out in the open and is only willing to show his stronger side to us. He did say to me he missed how things were before.” Jisung said uneasily, his brows furrowing.
“Look, I’m not saying he’s faking it.” He paused, then continued, “I just hope he’s not forcing himself to be strong all the time.”
There was a moment of silence until…
“Hey,” Felix reached out to Jisung, smiling warmly as he patted him on his shoulder, “If anything happens, we’ll be there for him and Changbin hyung too. We’ll work this out.”
Jisung just stared and eventually smiled back.
Hyunjin suddenly stood up, looking alert. The other two flinched at the sudden movement from the dancer.
“Jinnie?”
“Something’s wrong.”
-
Changbin grunted as he blocked the sound wave with his arms, while the force of the wave had him sliding across the floor again. He sent multiple tendrils at Seungmin, who predicted it coming his way and dodged each of them swiftly.
“Is that the best you’ve got, hyung?” Seungmin teased, smiling widely as a Cheshire cat.
“You wouldn’t be smiling like that once I come and get you, Kim Seungmin!” The older fake chastised.
Changbin felt so good. Maybe this is something he needed since he and Seungmin hadn’t sparred with each other for a long time, and it was one of his favorite things. The younger seems to be enjoying himself and having so much fun too.
Everything was going well.
Until it wasn’t.
As Seungmin was still dodging the tendrils, he hadn’t noticed one sneaking behind him.
‘Gotcha!’ Changbin thought.
The tendril wrapped around the singer from behind and lifted him in the air.
“Didn’t see that one coming now, did you, Minnie?~” Changbin said, with a pure smug grin on his face.
But Seungmin didn’t respond. There was only silence.
Changbin dropped his smile, worry etched on his face, “Minnie?”
The look on the younger's face was something he’ll never forget.
Seungmin…what’s wrong?
Why is your face like that?
Why are you staring at me like that?
Did I hurt you?
Seungmin, what’s happening to you?!
Please tell hyung what’s wrong…
The last thing Changbin saw was Seungmin’s hollow eyes before something pushed him back.
-
Seungmin was having a great time. He releases a sound wave in which Changbin blocks with his arms and slides backwards across the floor. The older summons his tendrils, and the younger swerves away from each one.
“Is that the best you’ve got, hyung?” He decided to tease.
The rapper scowled and yelled, “You wouldn’t be smiling like that once I come and get you, Kim Seungmin!” making the younger laugh.
‘This is fun, I missed this,’ Seungmin thought. He’s glad he asked his hyung to spar with him.
Everything was going well.
Until it wasn’t.
As he dodges and weaves from Changbin’s tendrils, he doesn’t notice one sneaking behind him. The tendril wraps around Seungmin from behind, lifting him in the air.
‘Crap, it got me!’ Seungmin thought with a shock in his expression.
He tried to think of ways to break out of the tendril’s hold. Then suddenly, everything feels strange.
Why is it hard to breathe all of a sudden?
The tendrils weren’t even wrapped that tightly.
Why do I feel…so dizzy?
…Where am I?...
Suddenly, he was back at the cold, dark alleyway. The walls and floor stained red. The thick scent of blood. The metallic taste on his tongue.
It’s as if all the air left his lungs, and the tightness of the tendrils that were curled around his body felt even tighter. His torso throbbed as if something sharp was piercing through it and was swirling his insides.
Seungmin felt his body go numb as he stared into the familiar, cruel eyes of a man, or whatever that thing was, wearing his hyung’s face. The eyes and smile that were so different from his real hyung. He remembers every silence and refusal that ended in violence.
Where is he. It asked.
Where is he
Where is he
Where is he
Where is he-
Then black.
Notes:
Basically Aftermath pt 2 but more angst!!!!!!! aand ofc comfort too but thats more for the next chapter cuz i spitballed nearly 10k and thats too damn long for a one chapter imo
also skz is a superhero group, but they're sometimes referred to as their idol roles (rapper, singer, dancer, etc.) cuz they do music on the side, as a hobby ig (cuz why not lol its fun)
Chapter 4: We'll Catch You
Summary:
“...Hyung…These days, it’s hard to even smile. It’s hard to enjoy the hobbies that I love. The jokes that used to make me laugh aren’t the same. After months of wearing a mask, I feel like I'm a lie to everyone. I feel unlovable. I’m just so tired…all the time…What if I fall again? What if there’s nothing that could catch me?”
Minho answered, “Then fall. We’ll be here to catch you.”
Notes:
there may be one or two more chapter after this
god this is so dramatic lmao
Chapter Text
It was just Chan, Minho, and Seungmin in a hospital room. Changbin was in another room getting checked by the doctors. Chan offered to go with him, but all Changbin said to the older was, ‘Seungmin’s the one you should look after. I’ll be fine.’
Now the two eldest were waiting for the second youngest to wake up.
Chan let out a sigh as he absentmindedly brushed out small strands of his little brother’s hair from his face, who was lying unconscious on a hospital bed.
‘What have they done to you…?’
He could still feel the weight of the younger in his arms, and blood seeping through his clothes as he cradled him. He could still feel eyes looking up at him, which were shining in curiosity and disbelief as if he didn’t believe what he was seeing. His hyung was here.
His hyung was finally here.
But he was too late.
Chan felt rage and fury building within his body. He’ll kill whoever was responsible. He’ll kill whatever hurt his kids. Even if that thing was dead already. It couldn't have come from nowhere. It couldn't have just suddenly popped into existence.
Then he felt overwhelming guilt; he knew he probably shouldn’t, but Chan was the leader. He swore he’d protect them. Now they were hurt, and it was his fault-
“You couldn’t have known,”
Chan froze at the voice of the second oldest. Minho moved his hand to place it over Chan’s. "You couldn’t have known, hyung. The clone that Changbin was talking about came from nowhere. It got Seungmin and used him as an advantage to corner Changbin."
"I should’ve been there, I--I should’ve protected them--"
"Maybe there were warning signs we missed, and we all feel some sense of responsibility, but trying to take all the blame upon ourselves will do nothing to help them,” Minho interrupted softly, with some sternness in his voice. "And one thing I know for sure is that you didn’t fail any of us, hyung."
Chan looks at Minho, really takes him in, and sighs. He feels thankful for his second-in-command to set him straight when he feels like he’s faltering and not strong enough to handle all of this.
And deep down, Chan knows it isn’t his fault, but it doesn't make his failure to protect his family hurt any less.
Then he heard Minho gasping. "
What’s wrong?” Chan immediately asked the dancer. "He squeezed my hand." Both the eldest members froze as they watched Seungmin shift in his bed and groan as he groggily blinked his eyes open. Minho squeezes his hand back.
“Seungmin?” Chan spoke gently, voice laced with worry and hope.
Seungmin's slightly widened eyes gazed over to his hyungs, before relaxing a bit, taking them in his sight.
“Hyungs…” The younger croaked out. Then his eyes welled up as he started sobbing.
Hearing the sound of the younger’s cry, Chan’s body moved on instinct. He sat closer next to the bed and reached out his hand to the boy’s head and started to stroke his hair gently while Minho rubbed his arms in a repeated pattern.
“It hurts. It hurts so bad,” Seungmin choked on a sob as he brought his bandaged arm close to his face and rubbed his eyes against it.
“Oh, Minnie,” Chan whispered heartbreakingly, immediately wanting to take the younger into his arms and hold him, protect him from whatever is harming him. He continued to stroke his hair before placing his hand on the singer’s reddening cheek and wiping his tears with his thumb.
“Minho, call the nurse.”
—
Minho, Chan, and Jeongin came home from a small mission that involved only the three of them.
“Great job today, Innie. You’ve managed to find the culprit pretty fast.” Chan praised the maknae, patting him on the head.
“Thanks, hyung,” Jeongin said, looking rather flustered and shy at the compliment.
Minho was about to coo and tease the younger, but decided against it for today. Maybe next time.
The dancer went to the living room and found it empty. He raised his brows, confused,
‘Where’s everyone else?’
Suddenly, a loud explosion-like sound shook the room.
“What was that?’ the leader spoke with a low voice.
“Hyungs!” Jeongin yelled as a holographic screen appeared in front of him. “Something's going on at the training area!”
They didn’t hesitate and rushed out of the room, sprinting toward the arena.
Chan was the first to burst through the door, and everyone froze at what they saw.
As if a strong gust of wind had hit them, the group planted their feet firmly and blocked the wave with their arms. The large blue energy swirled like a storm, and in the middle was Seungmin, who had his arms wrapped around himself, hiding his face and trembling.
Minho saw Felix, Hyunjin, and Jisung hiding behind the pillars on the side of the arena. He pulled Jeongin along and called out to Chan to follow him.
Once they got to the others and sat down with him, Minho quickly turned his head with his eyes sharp and demanded, “You three. Explanation. Now.”
The ¾ 00z looked at each other with wide eyes before Jisung spoke, stammering,
“S-Seungmin wanted to spar with Changbin hyung, and hyung agreed. It was going pretty well, and um, I don’t know how, but now this happened.”
“Did anyone get to him?” Chan asked softly, with sadness in his tone.
“We tried, but he pushes anyone who comes close with his sound wave,” Felix said, eyes downcast.
“His power…it’s out of control,” Hyunjin whispered in disbelief and shock.
“Where’s Changbin hyung?” Jeongin asked, looking around.
“He’s right there,” Jisung said as he pointed out where he is.
Changbin stood away from the others, it’s as if he was stuck in a trance, like all he could do was watch his baby brother slowly fall apart in his very eyes.
—
“Seungmin, you don’t have to do this.”
“I have to, but only you two. I want to eventually tell the others…just not yet.”
“...Of course, Minnie, if it gets too much, let us know, okay?”
“…Okay Channie hyung…”
The look in his eyes – the guilt, the fear, the trauma
Minho closes his eyes and lets out his breath before refocusing on the younger.
“Changbin Hyung’s lookalike…I don’t know where he came from. His appearance and his voice were the same. He even had the same powers as hyung—the tendrils.”
“The clone wanted Changbin hyung; I could never have let him. So I fought back and I tried to stop him, but he was so strong. It took a long time, and I was injured and exhausted.”
“He tried to get something out of me, mainly wanting to know where Changbin hyung is
But I didn’t let him, and each time I refused…he beat me. He mostly used his powers to do that.”
Seungmin paused, his breath was shaky, and his shoulder started to tremble.
“Then he stabbed me.”
He didn’t need the younger to tell them what stabbed him.
“I felt it inside me, then he pulled it out and did it again…and again. It hurt…It hurt so bad.”
Seungmin squeezed his eyes shut as though he could hide from the memories. Tears were falling thick and fast, but Minho felt like he didn’t deserve to cry.
Seungmin remembered everything. He remembered it entering his body, slicing through his flesh and insides.
How long did it take for Seungmin to finally give in and plead for his hyungs to come find and save him?
How long will it take for him to forget this unfathomable pain and torment?
“I still remember his eyes, and I don’t think I could ever forget those eyes, hyung. It was almost like they were smiling at me, as if they were enjoying it.”
“I tried…I tried so hard, but that wasn’t enough.” The younger was crying harder now, trying to wipe tears away with his sleeves as each fell faster one by one, “Now Binnie Hyung’s hurt because I was too weak to stop him. Hyung saved me.”
“I really thought I was going to die. I thought I would never see you guys again.”
—
The energy festered more and more, and it wasn’t stopping anytime soon. They all tried to figure out a plan on how to save their second youngest.
Jeongin was starting to grow restless at the inaction until he thought of something. Before shaking his head at the supposed absurd plan in his mind.
‘This is so stupid, of course it’s not going to work,’ the youngest thought, but time is of the essence. Seungmin needs them. Jeongin wants to save his hyung, his best friend.
He sighed as he stood up and turned around.
Then, without thinking, Jeongin sprinted.
“JEONGIN!” “INNIE!”
Jeongin ignored all the energy swirling around him as he ran through everything that came his way; he didn’t care about the cracks forming on the ground or the debris raining down on him. With each step closer, Seungmin grew more distraught as more sound waves threatened to burst out.
“Seungmin hyung!”
Jeongin wrapped his arms around the older boy, and Seungmin flinched at the touch, sending out a powerful soundwave that made the younger wince, but he still held on tight.
“Hyung, it’s me, Jeongin. I’m right here. You’re safe…everyone is here. You’re okay, Minnie hyung, breathe with me,” the maknae hushed softly as the older still trembled, covering his face with his arms.
As the energy circled the two and the arena glowed with bright blue light, Jeongin began to sing.
.
.
.
“...Noona?”
—
‘Aww, what’s wrong, puppy? Did you have a nightmare again?’
‘Here, let me sing you a song. Come to my bed.’
‘There’s nothing to be afraid of, Minnie. Noona will protect you from those dumb nightmares.’
‘Don’t cry, baby. Everything will be alright.’
‘Noona loves you very much.’
.
.
.
“…Noona…”
—
Minho marched through the now weakened energy. When Jeongin ran toward Seungmin, the others immediately followed despite the energy trying to push them back, but as the youngest embraced Seungmin and sang, the energy gradually lost its strength.
Minho reached the two youngest, with the others nearby. Jeongin held Seungmin tightly as he sobbed, and his glowing blue eyes started to flicker. Minho couldn’t hide the sadness in his face as he sat down behind the youngest.
Half of the older singer’s face was hidden on the maknae’s shoulder, trying to muffle his cries and gasps, which thankfully began to lessen.
Minho sighed. ‘Kim Seungmin, you idiot. You were never alone.”
He raised his hand and gently pressed two fingers on Seungmin’s temple, now glowing purple.
“Sleep, Seungmin.” Seungmin’s blue glow vanished as he slowly closed his eyes and slumped against the youngest.
Despite his tear-streaked face, he looked calmer and more at peace, now that he was breathing evenly and nestled closer.
-
Now the energy was completely gone, and all that remained was the arena, filled with smoke and dust, with the ground littered with craters. Seven exhausted heroes stood there.
There was only silence until Minho spoke.
“He’s asleep. I sent him my past visions, which showed us during our happiest moments... and his noona,” he said softly, gently brushing strands of hair away from the sleeping singer’s face.
The others understood and nodded.
“Innie, what was that song you sang?” Hyunjin asked quietly, turning the conversation to the maknae as he looked at him.
“...It was a lullaby that Seungmin hyung’s sister used to sing to him when he was little. He sang that to me too, when I was upset or had nightmares."
Jeongin remembered him complaining that he was too old for a lullaby but listening to it anyway. The melody was soft and comforting, and Seungmin singing it made it even better.
The others looked at the story with soft, fond expressions, smiling warmly.
“Can’t believe that actually worked. Maybe your secret power is a siren after all,” Jisung joked, making everyone laugh as the youngest rolled his eyes but couldn’t hide his grin.
“Can you sing a lullaby for me too, Innie~?
“No.”
“You wound me, maknae.”
Chan walked over and picked up Seungmin in his arms, looking so small with his body curled up close to his hyung. He looked around before asking,
“Has anyone seen Changbin?”
No one has noticed the third eldest slipping away from the arena.
-
.
.
.
Changbin was sitting on his bed, staring at the mirror in front of him.
He recalled sneaking out of the arena and just heading straight to bed. He was half asleep when the leader checked in on him, softly caressing his head and telling him that hyung loves him very much before leaving.
Changbin breathed in, and there was a profound moment of peace.
Until it all came crashing down when he exhaled.
‘This is what I was afraid of.’
His baby brother never looked at him like that before.
Those pure, unadulterated fear in his eyes when he was restrained by his hyung’s tendril and lifted in the air like a ragdoll.
Changbin recalls being pushed back by the force of the sound wave.
He remembers the scream the younger let out as the energy whirled through the arena.
He barely registered the movement around him, and someone was trying to speak to him.
He could focus on one thing only.
‘We were sparring. I didn’t mean to go that far. I didn’t mean to hurt him. I promise-’
‘You did this. You did this to him.’
Changbin gazed at the mirror.
It’s as if his reflection spoke to him.
‘It’s because of your power that your brother is like this.’
‘The same power that tormented him and broke him.’
‘This is what your power is capable of. ‘
‘They hurt and hurt and hurt.’
‘How can he look at you the same after what you have done?’
‘How can he love you again?’
His reflection smiled. Twisted.
‘You’re no different than m̸̧̛̱̾̅̒ͅẽ̸̬̖̥̣̉ after all-’
*CRASH*
.
.
.
“Oh.”
Several pieces of shattered glass lay across the floor as blood drips from his knuckles.
The bedroom door opens,
“Oh my god, hyung!”
Felix was thankfully wearing slippers as he carefully maneuvered the broken glass. He gently held his hyung’s arm, his eyes downcast.
“Let’s patch you up. Okay, hyung?”
-
Seungmin felt himself waking up as he groaned and wearily opened his eyes.
When he finally came to himself, his mind felt full of fog, and his thoughts didn’t come easily.
‘...Where am I?
‘What happened?...’
He eventually gave up thinking after deciding it was too difficult. It wasn’t until he heard quiet, hushed voices talking amongst each other. Voices he recognized in an instant.
“…Minnie…powers…hyung…worried…my fault…save…proud…okay…”
“...Hyung?”
“Wh- guys! Minnie woke up!”
“Shh! You’re too loud!”
“Bro, you’re even louder.”
“Enough, you two.”
A gentle hand touched his shoulder, and the hand moved to his forehead, pressing against it.
“Hey, Minnie. How are you feeling?” Chan’s voice.
Seungmin slowly turned his head and saw the leader, with Minho, Hyunjin, Jisung, and Jeongin behind him.
“...Like I just ran a marathon across the entire world,” Seungmin mumbled as he sighed and pouted a bit.
Chan chuckled before asking, “I bet you do…do you remember what happened?”
Seungmin turned his head again, now staring at the ceiling as he tried to get his brain in gear.
“...I-”
Then memories poured in like a waterfall.
The training arena, the sparring, the powers, the excitement, his friends, the tendrils, the sudden fear and dread. Memories. Darkness. Out of control. Dark. Dark. Dark. Then singing. Warmth. Comfort. Memories. Then darkness once again.
Changbin hyung.
“Binnie hyung,” Seungmin sat up, panic rising in his chest.
“Where’s Changbin hyung- I-I need to-” the singer frantically asked. His wide eyes darted around as he took in the sight of the bedroom walls and looked at each of his brothers.
The eldest tried to calm the younger, “Minnie, it’s okay, he’s-”
Seungmin’s breath caught in his throat as he noticed the absence of members. Two of them.
“D-did I hurt them? Did I hurt all of you? Where’s Binnie hyung?” He choked out, tears welling up in his eyes as his breathing started to pick up slightly.
“Shh, Minnie,” Chan softly soothed, gently brushing a hair out of the singer’s face. “You’re working yourself up. Changbin’s alright, he’s in his bedroom right now, and Felix went to check up on him. Everyone else is alright too.
Seungmin sniffled, eyes teary as he softly murmured, “I want him here, hyung.”
“I know,” the eldest said softly, giving Seungmin a sad smile, “I know.”
-
“...Changbin wants to be alone right now. I think he thought he hurt you.” It hurt Chan to admit it, but he recalled hours earlier when he visited Changbin in his bedroom, he heard a rapper mumbling in his sleep, ‘I hurt him, my fault, I hurt him.’
Of course, he didn’t believe that in the slightest; there was obviously more to the story.
“...What? No, no, he didn’t hurt me. It wasn’t his fault, hyung. He never hurt me at all,” the singer shuddered, frantically shaking his head multiple times, “You don’t believe that, do you?”
“No, of course not, Minnie. Not a single person here believes that,” Chan said, voice still soft and velvety as ever.
“Okay…okay…” Seungmin shakily took a deep breath and let it out.
“...When Changbin hyung and I were sparring, he lifted me in the air with his tendril, and…things just happened so quickly. It’s like I was in a completely different environment; I wasn’t at the arena anymore. I couldn’t breathe. Everything felt so tight and unbearable…Then, I saw it.”
“What did you see, Seungmin?” Minho asked, voice low and calm.
“...I was back at the alleyway and the…the clone was there. He was standing there smiling at me, not like how Changbin hyung smiles, but it looked so…sinister and twisted. Then those eyes…it felt like it was piercing through my chest. He kept demanding where Changbin hyung was. I lost it.”
“This…this isn’t the first time that this happened, but it has been a while since my last one. This one is by far the worst because I lost control of…well, everything.”
“The sparring session was my idea, and it was all for Changbin hyung.”
“I wanted to make hyung happy because of how much he was holding himself back to protect me. I asked if he could spar with me so he could let loose and enjoy himself. It was fun. It was great. It felt so much like old times,” Seungmin had a tiny smile on his face until it soured to something bitter and irritated.
“But then I ruined everything if it weren’t for my stupid-” He gripped his hair, as if to pull it, so frustrated with himself.
“Seungmin, that’s enough,” Minho says sternly, grabbing the younger’s hand away from his hair and holding it. His expression softened when he saw Seungmin’s eyes well with tears again.
“The nightmares…they never stopped. I couldn’t have you guys keep dealing with my mess. To see how broken I am. To be the burden that has to be taken care of ALL the time. It’s been months since that day, but I still can’t get over it,” Seungmin rambled on before he could stop himself.
“I tried being myself. I tried being who I was before. Being someone whom people can rely on. Becoming the pillar of hope, just like you guys.”
“Everyone else treats me like I’m at my best. But I’m just as broken and messed up. I’ve changed so much. How can I call myself a hero when I’m…like this.”
Seungmin never felt so hopeless. He thought he was doing well. He thought he would be strong enough. Now his hyungs bear more weight on their shoulders because Seungmin was too weak to-.
“Kim Seungmin, you selfless idiot.”
Seungmin froze at the voice, a voice held with firm conviction and determination, a voice that holds no funny business, a voice that belongs to none other than Lee Minho.
“This isn’t something you just simply get over. It’s something that takes years to recover from. What you’ve gone through was very traumatizing, and I can’t imagine the pain you were in.”
“But you showed that bastard of a clone that you’re so much stronger than you think.”
Minho’s eyes were sharp as flint and determined, which the singer couldn’t help but gaze at.
“Despite the pain and suffering you’ve endured. Despite feeling like you’ll fall apart any second. Despite everything you’ve been through, you didn’t sit around and wait; you were determined to rise back up and fight against injustices. Even if you felt like giving up, pushing through everything, you were still willing to help people. You gave them hope. You saved their life, Minnie.”
“But we don’t want you to be strong all the time. We don’t want you to put on a facade, a brave face. We want you. Let us help you. Let us see the real you.”
Seungmin’s eyes shone as his lips parted in awe.
“And unfortunately for you, I’m not done yet. Let me ask you this, Seungmin, is Changbin still the person he used to be?” Minho asked.
“Huh?” Seungmin whispers.
“You said to yourself that you’ve changed, and that’s true. People change. They grow up, learn new things, make new experiences, and they change. It's normal. You changed, but you’re still you. And you aren’t the only one who’s changed.”
“Changbin is not the same man ever since that day. He might be quieter than usual and wants to be left alone from time to time. This incident affected him more than he lets on. Of course, he’s changed too, and do you love him any less for it?”
“No! Of course not!” Seungmin immediately answered, glancing up with wide eyes and furrowed brows as if he was offended that the ridiculous question was brought up in the first place. (Because he was). His love for his hyung is impossible to go even slightly lower.
“Then it’s the same for you too. Even if you’re quieter than usual or joke around with us less, even if things aren’t the same as before, just know that we’ll always love you no matter what. You’re our best friend, our family member, and we’ll stay by your side whether you like it or not. Don’t you forget that, Kim Seungmin.” Minho determined flint in his eyes never faltered, and he felt a surge of victory when the younger let out a tiny watery smile.
There was a moment of silence until Seungmin spoke, more tears glistening in his eyes,
“...Hyung…These days, it’s hard to even smile. It’s hard to enjoy the hobbies that I love. The jokes that used to make me laugh aren’t the same. After months of wearing a mask, I feel like I'm a lie to everyone. I feel unlovable. I’m just so tired…all the time…What if I fall again? What if there’s nothing that could catch me?”
Minho answered, “Then fall. We’ll be here to catch you.”
Finally, Seungmin let himself fall, but this time, Minho was here to catch him.
And it didn’t take long for the rest to join them.
Maia_Nebula on Chapter 1 Mon 10 Feb 2025 11:12PM UTC
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April_Apricity on Chapter 1 Tue 11 Feb 2025 12:42AM UTC
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SpringToSummer on Chapter 2 Wed 07 May 2025 09:19AM UTC
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April_Apricity on Chapter 2 Wed 07 May 2025 09:38AM UTC
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MW15 on Chapter 3 Sun 22 Jun 2025 03:36AM UTC
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April_Apricity on Chapter 3 Sun 22 Jun 2025 04:07AM UTC
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SpringToSummer on Chapter 3 Sun 22 Jun 2025 05:40PM UTC
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April_Apricity on Chapter 3 Mon 23 Jun 2025 07:13AM UTC
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SpringToSummer on Chapter 4 Fri 27 Jun 2025 04:14PM UTC
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April_Apricity on Chapter 4 Fri 27 Jun 2025 04:57PM UTC
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