⋆⭒˚｡ Chapter Six: Gone for a While ˚｡⭒⋆

✧ “They didn’t even know I was missing.” ✧

The day began the same. Quiet steps. A skipped breakfast. Another silent morning.

Kyungmin watched the rain dry off the windows. The clouds had cleared, but something still lingered in the air — heavy, unspoken.

He sat by the door with his shoes on. Waiting.

Not for anyone.Just for a reason.

But none came.

So he left.

⋆₊˚⟡˖ ࣪

The streets weren’t far, but they felt like another world. He walked past shops, past old playgrounds, past kids holding their parents’ hands.

No one asked where he was going.

No one stopped him.

He sat on a bench near the river and watched the sky move. Hours passed. He didn’t notice. His phone stayed in his pocket — silent, cold, untouched. Not a single message. Not a single missed call.

He thought, Maybe they didn’t even realize I left.

And he was right.

Back at home, the boys were arguing over dinner. Jihoon wanted ramen. Dohoon wanted fried chicken. Hanjin kept asking for snacks.

“Where’s Kyungmin?” Youngjae asked casually, opening the fridge.

No one answered.

Minutes passed.

Then Dohoon scoffed.“He’s probably sulking upstairs again.”

They didn’t check.They didn’t knock.

⋆౨ৎ˚⟡

It was nearly dark when Kyungmin returned.

His clothes were damp from mist. His socks were cold. His face was pale, but he didn’t cry. He opened the door slowly, quietly, hoping to sneak upstairs.

But Shinyu was in the hallway.

Their eyes met.

And everything shattered.

“You—” Shinyu’s voice rose like thunder. “Where the hell have you been?”

Kyungmin stepped back, lips parted, but no words came out.

“I asked you a question!”

“I… I just went for a walk—”

A sharp sound cut the air. Shinyu’s hand struck his cheek. The force knocked Kyungmin back a step.

“You think this is a joke?! You disappear for hours without telling anyone and come back like nothing happened?!”

“I-I didn’t mean to—”

“You never mean to! You never think! Do you want to make me lose another person?! Is that what you want?!”

Another hit.

The living room fell silent.

The brothers stood in the hallway, watching. No one moved.

Kyungmin’s knees buckled slightly. His hands trembled.

Shinyu’s voice lowered — but it didn’t soften.“Get out of my sight.”

Kyungmin ran.

He staggered up the stairs, through the hallway, and into his room. The door slammed behind him. His chest burned. His eyes stung. The world blurred.

He collapsed onto the floor, hugging his knees. Not crying. Just shaking.

The footsteps came again. Slower this time.

His door creaked open.

The brothers stood there.

None of them stepped inside.

None of them knelt beside him.

Dohoon crossed his arms. “This is why you should never go missing.”

“You’re really a burden to the family,” Jihoon added.

Youngjae didn’t speak. Neither did Hanjin.

The door shut again.

And the silence after it was louder than everything that had come before.

⋆⭑˚⊹₊｡

Outside, the sky was clear.

But inside that small, forgotten room —It had never stormed harder.