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The cameras were already rolling when Chan clapped his hands together.
“Alright! Today’s SKZ Code is hide and seek,” he announced, voice echoing through the warehouse.
“But–,” he raised his finger, already grinning because he knew what was coming, “The area is bigger than usual.”
The members groaned and cheered simultaneously.
“You’re joking,” Changbin said, already laughing.
The location was a large filming complex in the middle of a small forest– two connected buildings, long corridors, storage rooms, and a dense forest. It looked harmless enough. The worst thing that could happen was getting lost in the confusing building.
“That’s unfair,” Felix whined, “There’s an outside too?”
“Yes,” Chan said happily, “Outside counts.”
They split into four teams– Minho and Han, Jeongin with Hyunjin.
Felix stood next to Seungmin and Chan high-fived Changbin.
“This’ll be easy,” Minho smirked, patting Han’s back.
“Do we win anything?” Seungmin piped up, fiddling with the zipper on his jacket.
Chan shrugged, “Not really, but I’ll do your share of dishes for a week.”
Seungmin smiled, “Deal.”
“Let’s start,” Hyunjin said, grabbing Jeongin by the wrist, “Come on Innie, we’re hiding together.”
Jeongin laughed, stumbling after him, “Why do I feel like you’re gonna get us caught?”
“Because you don’t trust my genius,” Hyunjin replied smugly, leading him away from the group.
The members were divided into hiders and seekers. Chan and Changbin were seekers while the rest had to avoid getting found.
-
Minho and Han raced up the stairs, heading for one of the storage rooms.
“I still think we should hide outside,” Han grumbled, “It’ll be harder to find us.”
Minho rolled his eyes, “Just follow me,” he said, tugging slightly at the younger’s sleeve.
“If we get caught first, you owe me,” Han muttered.
-
Elsewhere, Hyunjin pulled Jeongin into a narrow service corridor. It wasn’t completely hidden, but it was quieter and dimmer than the main hall. Boxes piled along the walls as well as unused studio lights and speakers.
“Here,” he said, “They won’t check here first.”
“Smells dusty,” Jeongin sniffed, curling into the corner behind a tall box, propping up his handheld camera on the wall.
Hyunjin picked his own box to hide behind, hugging his knees to his chest.
“Easy,” he smiled, “Now we just wait it out.”
They listened to the footsteps pass by, muffled voices called out their name somewhere– Chan.
Jeongin had to put his hand over his mouth to stop from laughing when Chan walked right past their hallway.
-
Outside, Felix sprinted straight for the courtyard, Seungmin followed close behind.
The cold air bit slightly at their faces, but the open space felt less suffocating.
“This feels like cheating,” Seungmin huffed, catching his breath.
Felix shrugged, “Not my fault they said outside counts.”
Seungmin scanned the area, noticing the camera crew perched nearby. He gripped his own camera stick tighter. Something uneasy was tugging at him, but he couldn’t quite trace it.
“Here!” Felix called from behind a large rock, prompting Seungmin to turn around and jog to the other. The boulder shielded them from the gusts of wind.
“Should we go farther?” Seungmin asked, motioning to a fallen tree in the distance that was big enough to hide both of them.
Felix shook his head, “If Chan or Changbin comes then we can run inside too,” he reasoned.
Seungmin nodded, resting his back on the boulder.
-
Inside the corridor, Jeongin frowned.
“Hyung… did you feel that?”
Hyunjin blinked, “Feel what?”
A faint vibration rippled through the floor. Somewhere far away, something rattled.
“Probably just people running,” Hyunjin said, brushing it off.
It happened again.
The light fixtures swayed and flickered.
“Hyung–,” Jeongin started.
A low rumble rolled through the building, as if something was moving underground.
The walls shook slightly.
Hyunjin’s smile dropped.
“Okay,” he said slowly, “That’s… not part of the game…”
Jeongin shifter closer into the corner of the wall, curling up with his legs to his chest.
-
The world lurched.
The floor jerked sideways, violently, and Hyunjin lost his footing, his shoulder slamming into the wall as he tried to grab Jeongin. The boxes toppled around and equipment crashed onto the floor.
The sound was overwhelming– glass and metal shattering at once.
“Jeongin!” Hyunjin yelped as the floor
Another shake rippled through the floor.
The lights above them flickered before bursting.
The entire ceiling fixture fell loose.
“Innie–!”
There was no time to move.
The fixture came down with a sharp metallic crack, cutting through the noise.
Hyunjin twisted instinctively, reaching over to pull Jeongin away.
The metal frame clipped past him and stopped him where he was, slightly grazing his hand.
Jeongin cried out a broken noise as it crashed into him.
-
The first jolt knocks Felix sideways.
“Whoa–!”
The ground rolls, and suddenly Seungmin is stumbling on the ground as cracks split across the pavement in sharp, spider-like lines.
“This isn’t funny,” he says, breathless, “Chan–!”
A loud crack echoes from the building beside them as something heavy falls inside. Felix drops to the ground, hands over his head.
“Seungmin, get down!”
Another jolt.
Seungmin goes down hard, shoulder slamming into the concrete and rubble. Hot white pain flared in his chest.
“I-,” he gasps, sitting up, “I think I tore– or broke– something–”
He cradled his arm to his chest, it hung limply.
“I can’t really lift it– it hurts..”
Felix crawls to him, “Don’t move. Don’t move, okay? We’re in an open area so we should be fine.”
Around them, staff members were shouting something, and the camera crew had abandoned their post.
-
Han and Minho had tucked into the storage room laughing, positioning themselves behind a shelf.
The shelves start moving.
“Hyung–?” Han’s voice wobbles as a crate slides off, smashing into the floor.
Minho grabs Han and pushes him down against the wall as the shelf they’d been hiding behind toppled over.
The room filled with dust and metallic screeching.
Han’s hands start shaking. “This– isn’t part of it, right?”
Minho doesn’t answer, clenching his jaw as fear shot up his spine.
“Hyung…?” Han tried again, glancing worriedly at the older member.
“Stay against the wall, we’ll be fine,” Minho said calmly, his voice shook slightly, “I promise.”
Han shivered, gripping onto the older’s arm tighter.
The floor rippled every few seconds, causing them to loose their footing and crash into a shelf.
-
The shaking had stopped almost as soon as it started.
Chan stood frozen in the hallway, one hand braced against the wall. Dust clung to his clothes and somewhere an alarm was blaring.
“Bin–” he said, voice low.
Changbin shuffled closer from his spot under a table, eyes wide, “Yeah?”
Neither spoke for a second.
Chan scanned his surroundings, panic flaring up inside him. The walls had small cracks running up them.
Hyunjin.
Jeongin.
Felix.
Seungmin.
Minho.
Han.
His jaw clenched. He had no idea where they all were.
There was no way he could keep them safe.
“That was too strong–,” he finally said.
Changbin swallowed, “You think–?”
He didn’t finish.
A deep guttural rumble rolled through the building, its structure groaning under the weight.
The floor beneath them creaked, a sharp cracking sound echoed from somewhere in the warehouse.
That couldn’t be good.
-
The sound reached Minho and Han a second later.
A final crack sent puffs of dust tumbling off the fallen shelves.
Han flinched, dust drifting into his hair.
“Did you hear that?” he asked, voice trembling.
Minho had already jumped to his feet.
“Yeah,” he said quickly.
Another groan rippled through the building, something heavy shifted nearby.
Han’s breath hitched, “That didn’t sound like it was here,” he breathed out.
Minho’s stomach dropped.
“We have to go. Now,” he said, rushing to the door, “The others might need help– that sounded like something big fell over.”
The door was jammed shut, resisting his attempts to shoulder it open.
“Fuck–,” he hissed under his breath as Han ran to help him shove it open.
The door rattled slightly as they slammed against it together. The frame creaked slightly but wouldn’t budge.
“Come on!” Minho shouted, trying to kick the bottom of the door.
Han gritted his teeth, pushing against the warped metal, “I think something’s blocking it–”
Small fragments of plaster and dust rained down from the ceiling. Minho coughed, swiping at his face. He slammed his shoulder against the door again.
Han grabbed a fallen metal pipe from the corner, wedging it under door. He levered, but the door barely shifted. A sharp screech echoed out as the metal scraped against metal, making them both flinch.
“It’s stuck–” he grunted, trying to push harder. His arms shook from the strain. “Shit it’s not moving– Hyung, it’s not moving!”
Minho’s jaw tightened. He kicked the bottom of the door as hard has he could. The frame shuddered violently, refusing to give.
“Try the top!” he panted, running to get a plank that was laying sideways on the ground.
Suddenly a smaller rumble rippled through the floor.
A crack echoed from above– a chunk of plaster falling inches from Minho’s head, hitting his leg before falling into pieces.
He yelped, stumbling backwards and clutching his leg.
“Hyung!” Han rushed to him, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” he said, “I’m fine– it was a thin piece.”
He got up and dusted himself off, wobbling slightly, “Let’s keep trying.”
“Hyung–,” Han stated, pointing to his leg, “You’re bleeding.”
“It’s just some of the wall plaster that hit me– I’ll be fine…”
Han looked at him worriedly, “Okay… let’s continue– don’t push yourself too hard.”
Minho flashed a small smile before gripping the plank and wedging it into the door, levering it slightly open.
A tiny tremor ran through the floor. Dust and small bits of plaster sprinkled over them like snow. Minho’s leg twinged sharply, forcing him to stumble back, but Han caught him by the arm.
“Almost… come on let’s push!” he urged, patting the other on the back.
With a final violent creak, the doorframe buckled, shivering on its hinges. A loud snap rang out and the door finally gave in, swinging open just enough for the two to squeeze through.
They stumbled into the corridor, coughing and rubbing their eyes.
“What now?” Han asked, stumbling to support himself on the wall.
Minho’s leg stung slightly with every movement, but he brushed it off.
He scanned the hallway quickly, heart hammering in his chest. The dust clung to his sweater like early morning fog.
Somewhere a low groan echoed followed by a yelp.
“Did you–,” Han started, glancing around.
“I heard it, let’s go,” Minho cut him off, hurrying towards the sound. Every few steps sent a sharp sting up his leg but he couldn’t give up. He couldn’t.
Han paced after him quickly, looking worriedly at the older, who was limp-jogging to the west side of the warehouse.
-
The cold air stung Seungmin’s face as he leaned against the rough stone. His arm was pressed tightly against his chest.
Felix was crouching next to him, scanning the area for signs of the others.
Plaster and shattered glass swirled near them, dusting the ground.
“You okay?” Felix asked tensely, “Let’s just wait here for now…”
Seungmin shook his head slightly, “It– it really hurts… but I can move slowly maybe…” He trailed off as another shock of pain ran through his arm.
He winced, letting out a half yelp- half hiss.
Felix’s eyes darted over his shoulder, noticing how Seungmin seemed to flinch at everything.
“No,” he said firmly, “You’re not moving anywhere. We’ll just stay put… it’s safer out here anyways.”
Seungmin swallowed, trying to nod, but his teeth were clenched and it felt like he might be about to cry.
“But the others–”
“Min, you’re hurt,” Felix cut him off, gently gripping his good arm, “If you move you could make it worse. I promise everyone will be fine.”
Seungmin’s shoulders slumped, a shudder running through him as he tried to ignore the sharp pain radiating from his arm.
A sudden movement near the entrance caught Felix’s eye as he scanned the debris-strewn courtyard and the broken edges of the building.
Two figures emerged hesitantly, looking around the windswept area.
“Han? Felix? Hyunjin?” one of the voices called– Chan and Changbin.
“Hyungs!” Felix shouted out, standing up so they saw him.
“Oh my god,” Changbin called out, running towards the boulder they had settled behind, “Are you two okay?”
Chan was right behind Changbin, kneeling down so he could check on them.
His gaze narrowed as he saw Seungmin cradling his arm.
“Is he hurt–?”
Felix quickly helped Seungmin shift slightly so Chan could see him better, “It’s his shoulder– he fell pretty hard.”
“Don’t move him,” Chan instructed, “The manager called emergency services already, we just have to wait it out.”
Seungmin swallowed, feeling the hot tears well up in his eyes.
“Hyung… it hurts–,” he choked out, sniffling. Felix squeezed his good arm tighter, “I know… I’m sorry Min. Just hang on, we’re right here.”
Changbin kneeled next to them, “Can I take a close look at your arm?” he asked gently.
Seungmin sat up slightly, propping up his sad-looking arm for him to see.
“It looks like a tear– maybe… It doesn’t look broken, thankfully,” Changbin reassured them, “Just breathe, okay? Slow deep breaths.”
Seungmin inhaled shakily, pressing his back into the cool stone.
Chan stood up abruptly, “I’m going back in,” he announced, “Innie and Han and Hyunjin and Minho are still inside I think.”
“It’s dangerous…” Felix said, worry etched into hs face.
“I’m the leader,” Chan told him, “I’m supposed to protect you guys. If one of you gets badly hurt or worse because I wasn’t there on time– how can I live with that?”
Felix gulped, glancing at the decaying building.
“Bin, stay with them, I promise I’ll be back with the rest of the members,” Chan said, trying to feign confidence.
“Okay,” Changbin nodded.
“Make sure Seungmin doesn’t move or it’ll hurt his arm worse”
Felix and Changbin nodded solemnly.
“Chan be careful,” Felix said cautiously, hugging a sniffling Seungmin.
“Don’t worry, the earthquake has passed– I think – I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Stay safe hyung.”
-
Minho’s leg burned with every step. A jagged piece of plaster had struck him when the ceiling collapsed, but worse than that, he was convinced a sudden tremor had twisted something in his knee.
“Careful, you’re limping, “ Han said, steadying him with his hand, “We can stop, if you want, I can go alone hyung…”
“I.. I can manage,” Minho muttered, forcing himself upright, “Just.. keep up…”. Ignoring the pain seemed to make it worse, but he couldn’t just stop and do nothing.
A low creak stopped him mid step.
The hallway branched into a narrower corridor on the side, almost unrecognizable.
Toppled lights, broken equipment, and other debris littered the floor. Dust particles crowded in the air like a heavy fog.
His eyes darted forward.
The floor had collapsed at the back of the corridor.
And then he saw them.
Hyunjin was pressed against a jagged wall, leg pinned awkwardly under the metal frame of a toppled shelf. His arms gripped the wood, steadying himself so he wouldn’t slide into the collapsed floor. His face was pale and streaked with tears and dust.
“Hyung…” he groaned, hands shaking as he shifted the shelf just enough to sit up a bit straighter, ribs flexing painfully with each breath.
“Hyunjin–” Minho called, rushing towards him. Han turned the corner a second later, eyes widening in horror at the scene in front of him.
“Jinnie!” Han screamed, “Are you okay ?”
Hyunjin nodded lightly, grimacing, putting on a strained smile, “I’m… I’m not hurt badly. The shelf’s just heavy– I can’t get my leg out…”
He tugged slightly, trying to free it.
“But Jeongin he–” Hyunjin’s voice was laced with panic, “I couldn’t get to him–”
Minho’s breath caught.
He followed Hyunjin’s gaze past the tilted shelf, where the floor no longer existed in the way it should have.
Jeongin was at the center of the collapse.
The collapsed floor dipped sharply beneath him. The ceiling fixture had come down at an angle, its metal frame twisted and half-buried in broken bits of plaster.
One side of it had slammed into the ground, the other pressing down against Jeongin’s upper body, pining him to where the floor had caved beneath him.
He wasn’t moving.
For half a second, Minho’s mind went blank.
“Innie–,” Han’s voice cracked as he stumbled forward, stopping just short of the broken edge. His hands flew to his mouth, stifling a gasp.
“Oh my god, oh my god,” he said quickly, crouching down, “...Innie?”
Jeongin stirred slightly at the sound, eyes fluttering open, unfocused.
“Hannie..” he whispered, trying to move his arm to latch onto the older. He tried to inhale, but the light crushed it before he could get a breath out of his chest.
A thin, breathy sound escaped his lips instead.
Jeongin’s eyes fluttered. His lips were pale, mouth opening and closing like he was gasping for air.
“No, no, no, no,” Han choked out, trying to move the light off of him. Minho rushed to help, cursing at himself for freezing in the moment.
“I–I can’t,” Jeongin gasped, throat hitching, “Hyung… it hurts– I can’t breath right–”
His fingers clawed weakly at Minho’s sleeve, grip slipping almost immediately.
Han’s hands were shaking as he tried to lift the fallen fixture, metal biting into his palms.
Minho lunged forward despite the sharp scream in his leg, bracing his shoulder against the edge of the light.
“One–,” he breathed.
“Two–”
They shoved.
The light shifted with a horrible scraping sound, shifting just enough to ease off some of the pressure.
Jeongin sucked in a desperate breath, coughing weakly.
“There, there–,” Han sobbed, hands fluttering uselessly near Jeongin’s face, “You’re okay, you’re okay…”
Tears pooled into the corner of both their eyes.
“Hyung, I’m scared,” Jeongin whispered, trying in vain to sit upright.
Minho’s chest tightened painfully.
“I know,” he said, forcing his voice to steady, “I know. We’ve got you.”
“Is he okay–?” Hyunjin piped up from where he was pressed against the wall.
The shelf shifted slightly, tipping him closer to the collapse.
“It’s slipping–” Hyunjin warned, desperately steadying the metal frame, “I can’t hold it.”
Minho cursed under his breath.
“Han,” he said quickly, “I’ll push on the right and you pull from the other side, okay?”
Han nodded, jumping up to brace himself against the other side of the shelf.
His arms trembled slightly.
“Pull it forward too,” Minho added, “So he isn’t pinned anymore.”
“Got it,” Han said, smiling weakly.
“On my count,” Minho said, gritting his teeth.
The two heaved together, inching the shelf away from Hyunjin slowly.
“Almost…” Hyunjin mumbled, shifting up slightly, “I can wiggle my leg out now, maybe.”
“Don’t rush it–,” Minho warned as he shifted his grip. His knee screamed in protest but he locked it down, bracing himself harder against the shelf.
The metal frame groaned again, dipping dangerously.
Han hesitated. One push in the wrong direction and the shelf would fall onto Jeongin, bringing Hyunjin down too.
“It’s really–” he started.
Footsteps thundered down the corridor.
“Minho!” Chan’s voice cut through the dust, “Han, Hyunjin, Innie– where are you?”
Relief hit Minho so hard it nearly knocked the air from his lungs. “Chan–here! We need help, like now!”
Chan skidded to a stop at the front of the hallway, taking in everything at once. The collapsed floor, Jeongin pinned under the light, Han scrambling to push the shelf.
“Okay,” he said quickly, “I’ve got it. Hyunjin don’t move yet. Han, stay right there.”
He planted himself beside Minho, shoulders squared against the shelf.
“One..”
“Two..”
The shelf toppled forward with a violent scrape, a fresh wave of dust raining down on them.
Hyunjin cried out as the pressure finally released from his leg, and he yanked it free, collapsing into Han’s arms.
“I’m out, I’m out,” he gasped.
“Good,” Chan said, holding his hand tightly, “Get him clear.”
Han dragged Hyunjin back as Minho and Chan moved the shelf out of the way.
Minho barely had time to breathe before Chan spun around to Jeongin.
“Innie,” he said urgently, crouching beside him, “Hey, can you hear me?”
Jeongin tilted his head slightly towards the older.
“I’m tired hyung…” he whispered.
“No, no, no,” Han scrambled over, leaving Minho and Hyunjin, “Don’t say that– you’ll be fine. We’ll be fine.”
Chan braced his hands under the edge, glancing at Han. “Same thing as before. I’ll lift and you pull him back.”
Han nodded, sliding his arms under Jeongin’s shoulders carefully.
“Ready,” Chan said, “Now.”
The light lifted just enough.
Han pulled Jeongin free from under it.
The moment the pressure was gone, his head lolled forward, resting on Han’s shoulder.
“Innie?” Minho gasped, abandoning his post beside Hyunjin, “Jeongin– hey?”
“He’s out,” Han huffed, cradling Jeongin, “ Chan– he’s unconscious.”
Chan’s heart slammed painfully against his chest, but he gathered himself quickly, “Okay… that’s okay. We’ve got him. He’s breathing. Han, support his head.”
Han nodded frantically, shakily cradling Jeongin.
The building let out another creak.
“We can’t stay,” Chan said sharply, “It’s not safe.”
Minho tried to stand, leaning on the wall for support.
“I can walk by myself,” Hyunjin piped up, reaching out to steady Minho.
“I’m fine–,” Minho said through gritted teeth.
“You’re leaning on me,” Chan said sternly, “Han and Jinnie can you carry Jeongin?”
“On it hyung,” Hyunjin said, wobbling slightly as he made his way to Han.
The group moved slowly, stumbling over fallen debris at times. Han kept chanting Jeongin’s name under his breath while carrying him bridal style. Hyunjin trailed close behind, slightly limping, refusing to let go of Han’s sleeve.
They burst through the exit into daylight.
“Chan!”
Changbin sprinted toward them from across the courtyard, eyes widening at the sight.
“What happened– oh my god– Innie?”
He was already reaching for them, stretching his arms as Han staggered forward, with Jeongin in his arms.
“He was pinned,” Chan said quickly, “The floor collapsed… He should be fine.”
Changbin shrugged off his jacket, kneeling to help Han lower Jeongin onto the pavement.
“Where’s Felix and Seungmin?” Minho asked, voice tightening.
“Behind the rock–,” Changbin motioned, “Seungmin broke his wrist or something… but I didn’t want him to move anywhere.”
Minho nodded, making his way to the boulder with Hyunjin tracing after him.
“Hyung!” Felix called out, peeking out from the boulder, dust smeared across his cheek. Relief flooded his face when he spotted Minho and Hyunjin.
“You’re alive–,” he breathed, scrambling to hug them both.
Minho peered around the rock, eyes landing on Segumin.
“Hi Hyung…” Seungmin muttered, clenching his jaw. He was pressed against the rock, cradling his arm carefully across his chest. His face was tight and pale.
Minho’s chest sank, “Seungmin…”
“I’m okay,” Seungmin replied terse, “It just– twisted wrong when everything started moving…”
He sniffed weakly, wincing at the pain.
Felix hovered beside them. “He wouldn’t let me go get help,” he added softly.
“I kept hearing things falling and I thought… I thought everyone was still inside.”
Hyunjin crouched down, relaxing for a moment. His leg throbbed less.
“We got everyone out,” he said gently, “Innie too. Everything will be fine.”
Seungmin’s eyes snapped up, “Jeongin?”
“He’s unconscious,” Minho swallowed, sticking to the truth, “But he’s breathing and everything. Ambulance is coming, don’t worry.”
Felix let out a shaky breath, pressing his forehead to Seungmin’s and squeezing his eyes shut.
When he pulled back, his lashes were wet.
“You scared me,” he whispered, “Both of you.”
-
Chan hated hospitals, and he hated them more now.
The bright lights and lemon scented air freshener made his eyes water. The waiting area was too open and the floors amplified every squeak of shoes on the tiles.
They’d barely made it inside before Jeongin was taken from them.
Seungmin was guided away a few minutes later to get his arm looked at properly and Felix had tagged along.
Hyunjin had been taken down a different hallway with a nurse to do a check up. Minho went with him, stubbornly insisting he was fine while clearly not being fine.
That left Chan sitting on the stiff plastic chair with Changbin and Han.
Han was curled in on himself, fingers knotted into the sleeves of Changbin’s shirt. His knee bounced uncontrollably.
“What if…” he mumbled, clinging on to Changbin tighter, “What if we didn’t get there in time…?”
Changbin wrapped one arm around him, hugging him close.
“Don’t go there,” he said softly, “Everything will be fine, I promise.”
“But I was scared,” Han whispered, “I didn’t know what to do for a second and–,”
“You still did it,” Chan cut in, “I’m proud of you, really.”
Before Han could respond, footsteps approached them.
All three of them looked up at once.
Hyunjin emerged from the hallway first.
He was limping slightly, a thin layer of white bandage visible from where his pant leg had been cut higher.
Chan stood up immediately, his chair scraping painfully against the floor.
“Hyunjin,” he breathed, running over the check on the other.
Hyunjin smiled softly when Chan hugged him. “I’m okay,” he said quickly, “Nothing serious. I just strained it a bit. They checked everything.”
Han crashed into the two, hugging them both.
“You scared me.”
“I know,” Hyunjin murmured, “I’m sorry.”
Changbin breathed out shakily, his brows still furrowed.
“Where’s Minho?” he asked, glancing past Hyunjin into the hallway, “Didn’t he go with you?”
“Yeah, he’s still back there,” Hyunjin said.
Han shifted uncomfortably.
“They had to take out some bits of plaster from his leg,” Hyunjin reassured them quickly, “And he messed up his knee trying to move.”
“Is he–” Han started, straightening immediately.
“They said it’s a ligament thing,” Hyunjin cut in softly, “Needs imaging and maybe a minor procedure to clean things up, but nothing too risky.”
Chan closed his eyes for a moment.
Of course Minho would insist he was fine.
“Idiot,” Changbin muttered, rubbing his hand over his face relievedly.
Hyunjin shifted slightly, “Uh… he told me not to worry anyone,” he added quietly, “So… sorry.”
“Sounds like him,” Han huffed.
-
An hour later, the doors slid open again.
Felix was the first one out, holding onto Seungmin to steady him.
Seungmin’s arm was in a cast, secured against his chest in a sling.
Behind them was Minho– seated in a wheelchair pushed by a hospital worker.
A rigid brace held his leg straight, the metal catching the hospital light.
“Minho–,” Chan breathed.
“I’m fine," Minho said before anyone could speak,“…really,” he added quickly, voice tight.
He didn’t look fine, not really. His jaw was set, and the crease of pain on his forehead betrayed him more than the brace ever could.
Felix gently guided Seungmin toward the chairs lined against the wall. “Sit, just for a second,” he murmured, keeping him steady.
Seungmin complied, still scanning the hallway anxiously, as if expecting the building to start shaking again.
Chan’s eyes flicked between them all—Seungmin in his cast, Minho rigid in the wheelchair, Hyunjin limping a little but mostly okay—and felt that familiar tightness in his chest.
“You’re alive,” he muttered quietly, more to himself than anyone else.
Minho shifted in his chair, wincing slightly. “I got plaster removed… leg’s fine, just hurts if I put weight on it,” he explained. “The nurse said I’ll walk in a few days.”
“Good,” Chan said, exhaling shakily. “At least that’s some relief.”
Felix glanced at Seungmin, whose wrist was wrapped snugly in a cast. “They said no movement for a few weeks,” he added softly. “But you’re okay, Seungmin… you’ll heal.”
Seungmin’s eyes darted to Chan. “And Innie?” he asked, voice low but urgent.
Chan straightened, jaw tight. “ICU. Overnight observation. He’s stable.”
Han, still a little pale, let out a shaky breath and knelt beside Jeongin’s chair. “He’s alive,” he whispered, clinging to the words as if repeating them would make it real.
-
Jeongin’s eyelids felt impossibly heavy, like weighted curtains refusing to lift. A sterile smell clung to the air, sharp and lemony. His chest ached, every inhale shallow and painful, and the rhythmic beep of a machine beside him seemed to echo straight through his skull.
“…Hyung?” His voice was hoarse, barely more than a whisper.
A shadow shifted in the bright hospital light. Chan’s face came into focus first, tense but relieved.
“Hey, hey… it’s okay, Innie. You’re awake,” he said softly.
Jeongin tried to lift a hand, felt the soreness shoot down his arm, and gave up. His eyes darted around, blurry shapes of people and equipment filling his view. He could hear voices—Han’s quiet sobs, Changbin murmuring reassurances, and then a softer voice he recognized.
“Felix?” he croaked, voice barely audible.
“Yeah, I’m here, they only let two people in at once,” Felix replied, kneeling beside the bed. His hand brushed Jeongin’s shoulder gently. “You’re safe. We’ve got you.”
Jeongin’s chest tightened with panic at first, remembering the weight of the light, the collapse, the impossibility of moving. But then he felt Chan’s hand on his arm, steadying, grounding him.
“We got you out,” Chan said. “You’re okay. You’re really okay.”
Tears pricked at Jeongin’s eyes as he blinked them back. The pain was still there, a constant reminder in his chest and shoulders, but the fear that had clawed at him since the collapse began to ease.
“Everyone… everyone else?” he whispered, voice trembling.
“They’re safe,” Chan said quickly, glancing toward the hallway where Hyunjin, Seungmin, Minho, Changbin, and Han had been settled. “Everyone’s here. You made it.”
“M’ sorry hyung,” Jeongin breathed, “For worrying everyone.”
Jeongin’s voice was so soft it barely carried, but the weight behind it made Chan’s chest tighten.
“Hey…” Chan said gently, brushing a strand of hair from his forehead. “You don’t need to apologize. You’re okay now. We were all worried for you, but none of it is your fault.”
Felix squeezed Jeongin’s shoulder lightly, giving him a small, reassuring nod. “We were all scared, yeah. But you’re here. That’s what counts.”
Jeongin blinked, swallowing hard, the tears threatening to spill over. “I… I thought…” His words faltered, chest hitching painfully.
“You thought the worst was coming,” Chan finished for him, voice soft but firm.
“And that’s okay. Anyone would, we all probably did, but look at you… you’re breathing, you’re alive.”
A shaky exhale escaped Jeongin. He let himself relax just slightly against the support of Felix and Chan.
“You… you got us out,” he murmured, voice trembling.
“We got you,” Chan corrected gently, eyes locking with his.
“And we’ll stay with you. All of us.”