“Um,” he started, rapidly trying to clear the grogginess and sudden headache, “good morning?”
No one answered him, so he averted his eyes in embarrassment. He sat up, leaning back into the pillows. He tried recalling the past few days for something they could be upset about, but nothing came up.
… They have to speak soon, right? Or blink? The hawk - eyed stares he was getting were setting off his Fear Resistance.
He looked at each of them to see who would answer first, but gave up when their blank stares started turning into something else.
I really want to scold them, he thought, but they all really do seem worried about something…
A smooth hand on his face made him flinch. He turned to the person, a question on his lips when he saw the blank eyed look of his younger brother. He reached up to hold that hand, his question to that of a comfort.
“Yoohyunie,"
The silence continued as a small flicker formed in his brother's eyes, trembling before fully engulfing him a hug.
"Hyung."
That's when the room erupted.
Everyone began speaking at once, their shouts and jumbled words making him wince and hold Yoohyun tighter.
Noticing this, Yoohyun sent a glare across the room, but it didn't break the chaotic atmosphere.
"You - !" Bak Yerim yelled, moving from Moon Hyuna's side to punch the guild leader in the face.
"We're all worried here, Han Yoohyun," Hyuna said, catching Yerim by her collar, effectively cutting her off from attacking.
Yoohyun decided to ignore her and hug his brother tighter.
He watched as Yerim seethed, but didn't struggle from Hyuna's hold. Song Taiwan stood next to them, simply observing.
"So," he asked, patting his brother into letting him breathe, "can I ask - "
"What's with the noise? Is he awake? Is Yoojin awake?" Yoo Meyongwoo opened the door, shouldering his way through the crowded room, Peace trailing behind him.
Peace jumped onto the bed, keeping his stare trained on him as he tried kicking Yoohyun to have a comfortable space on Yoojin to lay on.
Of course, an angry Yoohyun pushed back, avoiding the swatting paws of the flame horned lion.
Myeongwoo had also brought breakfast into the room. He couldn’t see what he carried, but the smell made Yoojin realize how hungry he was.
"Yoohyunie, Peace," he said, tapping both of them lightly, "let go, I wanna eat."
"I'll feed you," Yoohyun tried to grab the plate, but Myeongwoo side stepped him. He tried again, and got side stepped again.
Myeongwoo waited until Yoojin pushed his brother away to hold the plate. Peace then bowled into Yoohyun, taking them both to the floor while Yerim and Hyuna cheered. For what, Yoojin didn't know, but the food as always, was delicious.
"Are you alright, Yoojin?" His friend asked, worry clear on his face. Still confused by the situation, he replied when he was done chewing.
"I'm fine, but I don't know what's happening. Why is everyone in my room?" Feeling the room tense, Yoojin only asked again, seeing as no one gave an immediate response.
"... You had disappeared," Song Taiwan was the one to answer. "The only notice we had was Han Yoohyun causing stress to his guild. Bak Yerim then notified everyone."
Yoojin's face filled with confusion. He hadn’t gone anywhere - he went to sleep in his bed last night. He would have remembered going anywhere, right?
His confusion caused the room to chill, his Fear Resistance popping up amidst his racing mind.
"How long was I gone then? It didn't reach any news, right?"
"All night. And no, the situation caused a stir but nothing had been revealed to the public," Song Taiwan answered. "You also only reappeared less than four hours ago."
This froze Yoojin in his tracks, unsure of the information. His headache remained dull, but he felt that something was deeply wrong.
"You hadn't even mentioned the most interesting part in all of this," Sung Hyunjae peeked into the room, his smile and eyes looking the same as always.
Radiant bastard.
"Hey, hold on now, we don't know if it's actually connected to him," Hyuna said, long ago letting go of Yerim, who stood by Myeongwoo as he gave her snacks.
Yoojin stared at them, waiting for an answer. At some point, Yoohyun and Peace had returned to his side, fighting for who knows what.
"But isn't it strange that it also appeared four hours ago? After our dear Han Yoojin reappeared? And that there's no visible time limit, or the fact that no one can enter it?"
That dull headache returned, rising from dull to annoying.
I, he thought, I want to see it
"Hyung,"
I need to see it, a light tap on his face brought his attention back to those in the room.
The sudden thought scared him, but it wasn’t exactly concerning. A gate others can't touch and is possibly connected to him is something he needed to involve himself in.
"Can I go see it?" He asked, waiting for someone to answer. While they could deny him seeing it now, they all knew he'd sneak out later.
"Only when you're feeling better," Hyuna said, "whatever you disappeared to seems to have left you quite feverish."
Yoojin instinctively touched his face, concerned if he did have a fever. He felt fine, then noticed the sleeves he had on.
He didn't go to sleep wearing sleeves.
"... your clothes were dirty," his brother mumbled when he caught sight of Yoojin's stare.
… Having Yoohyun change his clothes didn’t feel right.
In fact, why didn't he just leave him in the dirty clothes? He could have just changed himself when he woke up.
"Yoohyun, Peace, off," he gently pushed the two off, turning to the others in the room.
"Please take me to the gate, I need to see it," Taiwan nodded, leaving the room to seemingly prepare.
"Are you sure?" Hyuna asked, "well, we're coming with you anyway. Nothing should be dangerous." He thanked her as she left as well, not giving Yoohyun a chance to decline on his behalf. Yerim and Myeongwoo followed her out.
"This should be very fun. I didn’t know that missing more than a night's work could be so rewarding. I'll see you outside," Hyunjae smiled, crescents for both his eyes and mouth.
Instead of retorting back, Yoojin just sighed and shooed everyone else out.
