PROLOGUE : THE QUIET ROOM

It was 2:14 AM.

The kind of hour when the world felt like it had forgotten how to breathe.

The hallway stretched long and empty, bathed in a dull yellow glow that flickered every few seconds, like it was struggling to stay alive. The building, once loud with laughter and music and footsteps, had fallen into a silence so complete it almost felt unnatural. Even the air seemed still thick, unmoving, as if disturbed movement would break something fragile.

Only one set of footsteps echoed through it.

Slow. Measured.

Shownu.

He wasn’t supposed to be awake. Out of all of them, he was usually the first to fall asleep, the one who never lingered too long after practice, the one who always told the others to rest.

But tonight...

Something felt off.

It wasn’t loud. Not obvious. Just a quiet weight sitting in his chest, persistent enough that ignoring it became impossible.

A feeling he couldn’t explain.

So he followed it.

His steps were steady, but his mind wasn’t. The deeper he went down the hallway, the more that strange unease settled into something heavier.

And then he saw it. The practice room door.

Slightly open. Shownu stopped. That wasn’t normal.

They were careful about things like this. Locking doors. Turning off lights. Leaving everything the way it should be.

But now, The door stood ajar, like it had been left in a hurry. Or forgotten entirely. Then he heard it.

A beat. Soft. Repeating. Looping over and over again, worn thin at the edges. Like something refusing to stop. Shownu’s gaze hardened slightly. Without a word, he stepped forward and pushed the door open. The hinges creaked quietly.

The air inside was warm... too warm. Thick with sweat, with hours of effort, with something that felt… suffocating.

The speaker in the corner blinked faintly, the same track playing on loop. Again. And again. And again.

Shownu stepped in. The floor creaked beneath his weight. And then...He saw him.

Changkyun. Alone.

Right in the center of the room.

Sitting cross-legged, shoulders slightly slumped, like he no longer had the strength to hold himself upright. HIs head hung low, damp hair sticking to his forehead, his breathing shallow but steady.

Still.

Too still. His hoodie was tossed aside carelessly, crumpled against the floor. Nearby, a takeout container sat unopened, untouched like it had been forgotten the moment it was set down.

Shownu’s chest tightened.

“Changkyun.”

His voice was low. Calm. But it carried. No response. Changkyun didn’t move. Didn’t react.

His eyes were open, fixed on the mirror ahead of him but there was no focus in them. Just emptiness. Shownu followed his line of sight.

The mirror was fogged, clouded from heat and breath, the surface uneven and blurred.

But not enough to hide what was written there.

Three words. Messy. Faint. Written with a trembling hand.

“Sorry I exist.”

Shownu went still.

For a brief moment, even his breathing paused.

Something heavy settled deep in his chest slow, sinking, impossible to ignore.

He walked forward, steps quieter now, more careful. When he reached Changkyun, he lowered himself down in front of him without a sound.

The wooden floor pressed against his knees, but he didn’t notice. His attention was entirely on the boy in front of him.

Gently, he placed a hand on Changkyun’s knee.

Cold. The contrast made his brows knit slightly.

“You didn’t eat.”

It wasn’t a question. Changkyun blinked.

Slowly. Like he was pulling himself back from somewhere far away.

“Did you stay here all night?”

A pause.

Then a faint nod.

Shownu exhaled quietly through his nose, his gaze softening but the concern didn’t leave.

Up close, the signs were clearer.

Swollen eyes. Pale skin. Dry lips. And...His hands.

Shownu’s gaze dropped. Bruised knuckles.

Uneven, darkened marks across his skin. Some older. Some fresh. His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.

“Why didn’t you come back?” he asked.

His tone didn’t change.

Still calm.

Still steady.

But there was something underneath it now. Something heavier. Changkyun’s lips parted slightly. For a second, it seemed like no words would come.

Then—

“…didn’t think I’d be missed.”

Quiet.

Fragile.

Almost lost in the air.

Shownu didn’t respond immediately. He just looked at him. Really looked. And for once, he didn’t try to find the right words quickly.

Instead, his hand pressed slightly firmer against Changkyun’s knee not forceful, just… there. Grounding. Certain.

“You are.”

Simple.

Clear.

No hesitation.

His voice didn’t waver.

“More than you think.”

The room fell silent again. But this time It didn’t feel empty.

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