[ ✓ ] 𝐏𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐁𝐈𝐀 , seho .

sixteen

sixteen

IT DIDN'T OCCUR THAT OFTEN for Chanyeol and Jongin to join Sehun at his house to hang out, and it didn't definitely occur often for them to show up at three in the morning. Sehun was half asleep when he woke up to thirty missed calls from Chanyeol and almost seventy messages from Jongin.

When Sehun opened the door, he saw Jongin and only Jongin. But the Jongin he had been looking at looked nothing like the guy he knew. His face was ghostly. It frightened Sehun. He looked more than in shock—he looked terrorized.

"Sehun," he choked. Sehun could tell something was really wrong, so he stepped out on the porch. He was freezing in his sweatshirt and basketball shorts, but he could tell this was important.

You've been smarter than any of us. Smarter than me, Yixing, Chanyeol. And we need you really bad right now. Before I lose my mind," Jongin rambled as tears filled his eyes. Sehun felt the nerves in his stomach do somersaults. He looked out behind Jongin, where Chanyeol had been sitting up in the backseat. Sehun started to worry.

"Jongin...what's going on?"

The older broke down in tears. Sehun didn't know what to do—he didn't even know what was happening.

Jongin inhaled a stifled breath. "We were just out, and then it just happened."

Sehun stepped closer to Jongin. "What happened?" he asked in monotone.

"Yixing," Jongin heaved. "He got shot. And he's basically dying in his car."

Sehun froze. He felt like crying. Hell, he felt like dying. He didn't know how to react or what to say. What was he supposed to say? Sorry? Is he okay? Of course he wasn't okay. He was dying for fucks sake.

Instead of speaking, Sehun bolted to the black Audi. Jongin eventually followed.

Dying wasn't an accurate adjective to describe what Yixing had been enduring, only because Sehun was pretty sure he was already dead. The bullet seemed to go through his lower-right abdomen. Thankfully, Sehun couldn't see the blood seeping from his body because of the darkness of the night. Yixing's face, however, seemed rather calm. His eyes were slightly opened, but the color in his face seemed to have vanished. Chanyeol was holding up his shoulders, making sure he stayed breathing. Chanyeol had a face redder than the blood that stained Yixing's shirt. He had been sobbing like no tomorrow, it slightly scared Sehun.

"Why haven't you called 911? Goddammit," Sehun shouted as he walked around to the back seat doors. He took off his sweatshirt, exposing his body to the freezing temperatures. He pressed the sweatshirt against Yixing's wound. "Pressure will help, but we need an ambulance."

"We can't call an ambulance! Because they're going to ask how and why Yixing got shot. And that's when we have to tell them that he was trying to do a drug deal but got in a predicament too deep to prevent. So no, we're not calling an ambulance," Chanyeol shouted at Sehun. Jongin opened the door to where Jongin had been sitting. He forced Chanyeol to get out, then taking over the job of helping Yixing.

"Jun, listen to me. You stay alive, you get caught, you get put in prison. I'll try to keep you alive, but only if that's what you want." Yixing breathed in deeply. His breath was shaky and sharp. He started to wave his hand, motioning for Sehun to come closer to him.

Sehun ran around to the other side of the car where Chanyeol had been helping. Yixing continued to wave his hand. Sehun moved closer.

"Jongin, come here," Yixing added. The four were now close together, watching as Yixing fought to stay alive.

"Please, all I ask is that you get yourselves out of this. Look at Sehyeon—that could and probably will be you soon enough. It's not worth it. Graduate. Go to college. Live a good life. Or else, you'll end up where I am. Promise?"

Yixing slowly exhaled. Jongin started sobbing. Sehun didn't realize it, but his face was covered in tears.

"We promise," Chanyeol whispered before letting out a deep cry. Silence enveloped the four as Yixing kept trying to breathe.

"We're all gonna die, boys. Dying just proves that you've been living. It's gonna be okay," Yixing told the three. Jongin cuffed his arm around Sehun's as Chanyeol stepped out of the car. He slowly rested Yixing's head on the end of the car seat. Sehun stepped back as he watched Yixing slowly close his eyes.

*

Sehun just lay awake that night. All five hours he had left where he should have been sleeping. He tried to think of why and how this would happen. He knew it was because of the trouble he had constantly been causing, but the things Yixing did—he did them professionally. He was like that. He knew better. But once he got as deep as he did into that realm, there was way of getting out.

He was still crying. Sehun was sad, of course. No more bright smiles. No one to support Sehun and his relationship. No more Yixing.

All Sehun could wish for that night was for Chanyeol and Jongin to truly listen to Yixing and take his advice. They could have potential, but only if they got themselves out of the partying and drug dealing and robbing.

All Sehun wanted in those five agonizing hours was for Yixing to be alive and for Junmyeon to love him again. Yixing was something he couldn't help. He chose to die. He chose to be at peace and in heaven, not at conflict and in prison.

And quite frankly, it felt as if Sehun wouldn't be able to fix Junmyeon either. From how he sounded when forcing Sehun to leave, Junmyeon definitely didn't want to be near Sehun anytime soon. Sehun didn't realize it until five-forty-seven that morning that he was pretty much hurting Junmyeon. Without him, they wouldn't have been caught. And Junmyeon's father wouldn't be so much more angry with his son. Things would just be better.

But Sehun couldn't possibly heal without Junmyeon. That boy was his catalyst. But would it be worth it if it were to hurt Junmyeon even more?

Sehun didn't know. But he did know that he still loved Junmyeon, and he still loved Yixing.