𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐮𝐩 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬. / lee haechan

20.

"guys! donghyuck is awake!"

the six boys rushed to the guy who slowly opened his eyes, adjusting to the blinding white light that brightened the confined room.

donghyuck's friend named mark helped the him sit up while renjun called the doctors. jisung and chenle were nonstop waving their hands in front of donghyuck's face, and jeno and jaemin didn't waste a second to ask the boy if he needed something and made sure to attend to whatever he asked for.

"n-nahee." The boy mentioned.

anyone who would enter the room would think that they entered a tv show on pause, it certainly looked like the time has just stopped for the six boys in the room, except that donghyuck was looking around as if he was trying to find something, or someone.

"where's nahee? jisung, have you seen her?" donghyuck stared at jisung but the younger just shifted his gaze somewhere else, trying to avoid the innocent eyes that forced him to blurt out the truth. everyone else did the same, and the poor boy was frustrated he couldn't even get anyone to answer a simple question.

no one dared to make a single move or utter a single word at all, it was a risk-taking for the boys.

"h-hyung..." the youngest muttered slowly.

"g-guys, answer me. I want to eat with nahee, she promised we're going to eat together after the operation. jaemin? you've seen her right? is she in school? b-but it's sunday today? ah, maybe she's helping her mom cook something for me—"

"hyung! stop it, nahee is not coming, okay?" donghyuck flinched at the sudden outburst of chenle, who clenched his fists with tears welling up in his eyes and the latter was confused.

"wh- why is she not coming?"

the boy waited for anyone from them, at least one of them to open his mouth and say something or explain anything but no one ever dared to do so.

"please just say something—"

"she's dead."

the oldest finally spoke, leaving donghyuck in shock and more confusion, and chenle willingly let go of his tears.

"d-dead? hyung. don't joke around about nahee like that. it's not even funny—"

"nahee is dead! she's gone, donghyuck! stop fooling yourself into thinking that she isn't because she's dead, not breathing, not here, and will never be!"

donghyuck finally felt tears running down his cheeks.

"stop it! just...just stop...." he buried his face in his palms and jeno was quick to approach him and hug the boy tightly.

why is she dead? she was here twenty one hours ago. why would she suddenly die? these questions remained in his brain and he had no idea how to get them answered all, he was in a very vulnerable state and his friends truly felt sorry for him.

"the doctor is here— wait donghyuck are you crying?" the door suddenly barged open revealing a tired renjun who probably ran through halls to find the doctor.

"donghyuck?" the guy wearing a white hospital gown started, "so i assume you already know.."

"doctor lee, please tell me this is a joke. this whole thing... nahee— she's somewhere here. nahee please just come out already, this isn't funny!" the boy cried, his grip on jeno's hands tightening. it was too much of a sight. it was pitiful.

"i'm sorry." the doctor looked down.

the sound of hearts breaking was very evident, but not a single person could miss the deafening shatter of donghyuck's heart and even after just having it replaced, everyone witnessed how it broke back to pieces.